Compound Herbal Medicine Research Articles

Current treatment strategies for COVID‑19 (Review).

The spread of the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) emerged suddenly at the end of 2019 and the disease came to be known as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). To date, there is no specific therapy established to treat COVID-19. Identifying effective treatments is urgently required to treat patients and stop the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in humans. For the present review, >100 publications on therapeutic agents for COVID-19, including in vitro and in vivo animal studies, case reports, retrospective analyses and meta-analyses were retrieved from PubMed and analyzed, and promising therapeutic agents that may be used to combat SARS-CoV-2 infection were highlighted. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, different drugs have been repurposed for its treatment. Existing drugs, including chloroquine (CQ), its derivative hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), remdesivir and nucleoside analogues, monoclonal antibodies, convalescent plasma, Chinese herbal medicine and natural compounds for treating COVID-19 evaluated in experimental and clinical studies were discussed. Although early clinical studies suggested that CQ/HCQ produces antiviral action, later research indicated certain controversy regarding their use for treating COVID-19. The molecular mechanisms of these therapeutic agents against SARS-CoV2 have been investigated, including inhibition of viral interactions with angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 receptors in human cells, viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, RNA replication and the packaging of viral particles. Potent therapeutic options were reviewed and future challenges to accelerate the development of novel therapeutic agents to treat and prevent COVID-19 were acknowledged.

Global identification and determination of the major constituents in Kai-Xin-San by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-Orbitrap mass spectrometry and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

Kai-Xin-San (KXS) is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formula containing four herbal medicines: Ginseng Radix Rhizoma, Polygalae Radix, Poria and Acori Tatarinowii Rhizoma. A large number of pharmacological studies in vitro and in vivo have shown that KXS is characterized by anti-depression, anti-Alzheimer's disease, anti-oxidation and other activities. However, the pharmacodynamic substance basis studies of KXS are hitherto quite limited. Here, KXS was identified and determined by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-Orbitrap mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-Orbitrap MS) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Firstly, the data-dependent acquisition mode (DDA) of UPLC-Q-Orbitrap MS combined with the inclusion list were used to collected the chemical composition. The chemical constituents of KXS were identified by local database on compound discoverer™ 3.1 software and Xcalibur 4.1 software. With the use of this approach, a total of 211 compounds were identified from KXS. Wherein 60 compounds were from Ginseng Radix Rhizoma, 40 compounds were from Poria, and 111 compounds were from Polygala Radix, respectively. Secondly, 105 volatile constituents were identified by GC-MS analysis, which were mainly derived from Acori Tatarinowii Rhizoma. Besides, an adjusted parallel reaction monitoring method was established and validated to quantify the seventeen major compounds in different herbal medicines of KXS, which were chosen as the benchmarked substances to evaluate the quality of KXS. In conclusion, this study provided a generally applicable strategy for global metabolite identification of the complicated components and determination of multi-component content in traditional Chinese medicines.

Massage with Chinese herbal medicine compound ointment combined with Traditional Chinese Medicine hot compress in the treatment of urinary retention after operation for mixed hemorrhoids and related nursing measures: A care report

Massage with Chinese herbal medicine compound ointment combined with Traditional Chinese Medicine hot compress in the treatment of urinary retention after operation for mixed hemorrhoids and related nursing measures: A care report

Icariin, Formononetin and Caffeic Acid Phenethyl Ester Inhibit Feline Calicivirus Replication In Vitro.

Cats infected with feline calicivirus (FCV) often display oral ulcers and inflammation of the upper respiratory tract, which can lead to death in severe cases. Antiviral therapy is one of the most effective ways to control FCV infection. Natural compounds in Chinese herbal medicines and medicinal plants provide abundant resources for research on antiviral drugs. In this study, we found that icariin (ICA), formononetin (FMN) and caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CPAE) show low cytotoxicity towards F81 cells, that the three natural compounds have apparent antiviral effects on FCV in vitro, and that they can inhibit different FCV strains. Then, we found that ICA and FMN mainly function in the early stage of FCV infection, while CAPE can function in both the early and late stages of FCV infection. Finally, we found that ICA has an antagonistic effect on FMN and CAPE in FCV infection, and FMN has a synergistic effect with CAPE against FCV infection. Our results showed that ICA, FMN and CAPE may be potential drug candidates for FCV-induced diseases.

Leojaponin inhibits NLRP3 inflammasome activation through restoration of autophagy via upregulating RAPTOR phosphorylation

Ethnopharmacological relevanceDuan Teng Yimu decoction is a Chinese herbal medicine compound with proven therapeutic effects on inflammasome-related diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis. This decoction consists of three Chinese herbal medicines, including Leonurus japonicus (L. japonicus), which promotes the blood circulation and exhibits detumescence activity, traditionally curing gynecologic and inflammasome diseases. Aim of the studyTo explore the anti-inflammasome activity and the underlying mechanisms of action of the compounds from L. japonicus. Materials and methodsA series of compounds were isolated from L. japonicus. Their anti-inflammasome activities were evaluated in macrophages that were co-stimulated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and NLRP3 inflammasome inducers. NLRP3 inflammasome formation and apoptosis speck like containing a CARD (ASC) oligomerization were evaluated by immunofluorescent microscopy and Western blot analysis. The regulation of autophagy after treatment of this compound was also evaluated. Lastly, in vivo activity of Leojaponin was analyzed in a mouse acute gouty arthritis model. ResultsHere we show that Leojaponin, a diterpenoid compound from L. japonicus, suppressed lactate dehydrogenase and IL-1β release in Nigericin-stimulated macrophages in a pyroptosis model. Leojaponin inhibits NLRP3 inflammasome activation in both J774A.1 cells and bone marrow-derived macrophages in a dose dependent manner. Moreover, Leojaponin suppressed NLRP3-mediated ASC specks formation and ASC oligomerization. These activities of Leojaponin depend on restoration of autophagy via promoting RAPTOR phosphorylation. Furthermore, Leojaponin ameliorated monosodium urate (MSU)-induced acute gouty arthritis in vivo. ConclusionOur findings suggest that Leojaponin inhibits NLRP3 inflammasome activation through enhancing autophagy via RAPTOR phosphorylation, thereby highlighting Leojaponin as a potent drug for inflammasome-related diseases.

Integrated 8 Wisdom Compounds Interaction in Multitasking Healing System: Confinement Energy in 4D Frequency Interconnection

The total energy in multitasking healing system of herbal medicine is extremely important due to an effective recovery of treated cells or organs in human body. This short communication research reports an exact calculation of the total effective mass involve in multitasking healing system of herbal medicine based on a simple smart model from general physics implemented in organic complex compounds found normally in Maluku/ Halmahera Galoba fruits (Zingiberaceae spp.) such as Amomum spp., Hornstedtia spp., Elim alliacea, Etlinger alba (Blume) A.D. Poulsen, et cetera. The invented results shows that the total mass involved in such multitasking healing system is ~24.24% with the total number of on-target atoms of ~93 atoms from 382 total atoms. This finding suggests that the healing time of herbal medicines with multitasking healing system shall be slower that that from FDA pharmaceutical approved products which is one target with ~100% healing system. The value of strong confinement energy in multitasking healing system of such 8 wisdom compounds in herbal medicine based Galoba fruits is about 4 time larger than its weak confinement energy

The Effect of a Persian Herbal Medicine Compound on the Lipid Profiles of Patients with Dyslipidemia: A Randomized Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial.

Introduction It has been well established in the world that lipid disorders promote the development of atherosclerosis and its clinical consequences. This study aimed to assess the impacts of a Persian medicinal (PM) compound on lipid profile. Materials and Methods From June 21 to October 21, 2020, a randomized double-blind controlled clinical trial was conducted with 74 dyslipidemic patients, who were randomly divided into two equally populated groups: one prescribed with a Persian medicinal herbal compound (n = 37) and a placebo group (n = 37). A Persian herbal medicine including fenugreek, sumac, and purslane is introduced. Biochemical parameters including 12-hour fasting serum levels of total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL), and triglyceride (TG) were measured before the initiation and after the completion of study protocol. Results Percent changes of biochemical parameters include the following: intervention group = cholesterol: 35.22, Tg: 45.91, LDL: 24.81, HDL: 2.05, VLDL: 8.94 and placebo group = cholesterol: 6.94, Tg: −7.3, LDL: 7.37, HDL: 2.88, VLDL: −0.14. The serum levels of total cholesterol (p=0.01) and LDL (p=0.01) significantly decreased and no increase was recorded in HDL (p=0.03) levels over time in the intervention group. Furthermore, between-group analysis showed a statistically significant difference between the intervention and placebo groups in this regard. VLDL (p=0.2) and TG (p=0.2) levels also decreased, however not significantly. Conclusion This study showed that a Persian medicinal herbal compound could be safe and beneficial to decrease the levels of serum cholesterol and LDL in dyslipidemic patients. However, larger long-term studies are recommended to clarify this effect.

Tengdan Capsule Prevents Hypertensive Kidney Damage in SHR by Inhibiting Periostin-Mediated Renal Fibrosis.

BACKGROUND: Hypertension-induced renal damage is a serious and complex condition that has not been effectively treated by conventional blood pressure-lowering drugs. Tengdan capsule (TDC) is a China FDA-approved compound herbal medicine for treating hypertension; however, its chemical basis and pharmacological efficacy have not been fully investigated in a preclinical setting. METHODS: High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to identify and quantify the major chemical components of TDC extracted from ultrapure water. Adult spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and age/sex-matched Wistar Kyoto normotensive rats (WKY) were both treated with TDC, losartan, or saline for one month, and their blood pressure (BP) was monitored at the same time by tail-cuff BP system. Biochemical indexes such as urine creatinine (CRE) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) were determined. Kidney tissue sections were examined with (H&E), and Masson staining to evaluate the pathological effect of TDC on SHR’s kidneys. After TDC treatment, the differentially expressed proteins in the kidneys of SHR were identified by the TMT-based quantitative proteomics analysis, which may provide the targets and possible mechanisms of TDC action. In addition, Western blot analysis, RT-qPCR, and ELISA assays were carried out to further verify the proteomics findings. Finally, two different models involving in vitro renal injuries were established using human kidney HEK293 cells; and the molecular mechanism of TDC kidney protection was demonstrated. RESULTS: Seven chemical compounds, namely Notoginsenoside R1, Ginsenoside RG1, Ginsenoside Re, Ginsenoside Rb1, Sodium Danshensu, Protocatechualdehyde, and Salvianolic acid B, were identified and quantified from the water-soluble extracts of TDC by HPLC. In vivo study using rats showed that TDC effectively reduced BP, BUN, and CRE levels and attenuated renal fibrosis in SHR, and ameliorated damage to the kidneys. Proteomics and subsequent bioinformatics analyses indicated that periostin-mediated inflammatory response and TGFβ/Smad signaling pathway proteins were closely related to the therapeutic effect of TDC in rat kidneys. Western blot analysis and RT-qPCR showed that TDC markedly downregulated the mRNA and protein expression of periostin in renal tissues compared to the untreated SHR. In addition, TGF-β and COL1A1 mRNA levels also decreased in SHR renal tissues following TDC treatment. In vitro studies showed that low to medium doses of TDC down-regulated the expression of periostin in the injury model of HEK293 cell. In addition, medium to high doses of TDC significantly inhibited collagen deposition in TGFβ1-induced HEK293 cell fibrosis. CONCLUSIONS: Major components from the compound herbal medicine Tengdan Capsule are identified and quantified. TDC effectively lowers blood pressure and protects against renal damage caused by hypertension in SHR. Mechanistically, TDC blocks periostin by regulating the TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway in the kidney, both in vivo and in vitro. Preventing periostin-mediated renal fibrosis and inflammation might be a promising strategy for treating a hypertensive renal injury.

A review of the neuroprotective effects of andrographolide in Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer’s disease, characterized by amyloid beta peptides and neurofibrillary tangles, is the most prevalent cause of dementia. Nowadays, some novel medicines being developed have displayed more illustrious therapeutic efficacies in Alzheimer’s disease. Recent studies have found andrographolide exhibiting therapeutic efficacy in a variety of Alzheimer’s disease models. Andrographolide is a traditional herbal medicine compound extracted from Andrographis paniculata. Evidence has shown that andrographolide reduces amyloid beta aggregation and suppresses neuroinflammatory response and synaptic dysfunction by reversing the microglia-mediated production of pro-inflammatory cytokines as well as Alzheimer’s disease-associated reduction in synaptic proteins. In the present review, the pharmacological effects of andrographolide are summarized and its mechanism of action against Alzheimer’s disease is discussed to discover the possibilities of andrographolide for Alzheimer’s disease prevention and therapy.

Fast Screening of Biomembrane-Permeable Compounds in Herbal Medicines Using Bubble-Generating Magnetic Liposomes Coupled with LC–MS

A novel strategy based on the use of bionic membrane camouflaged magnetic particles and LC–MS was developed to quickly screen the biomembrane-permeable compounds in herbal medicines. The bionic membrane was constructed by bubble-generating magnetic liposomes loaded with NH4HCO3 (BMLs). The lipid bilayer structure of the liposomes enabled BMLs to capture biomembrane-permeable compounds from a herbal extract. The BMLs carrying the compounds were then separated from the extract by a magnetic field. Upon heat treatment, NH4HCO3 rapidly decomposed to form CO2 bubbles within the liposomal bilayer, and the captured compounds were released from BMLs and analyzed by LC–MS. Jinlingzi San (JLZS), which contains various natural ingredients, was chosen to assess the feasibility of the proposed method. As a result, nine potential permeable compounds captured by BMLs were identified for the first time. Moreover, an in vivo animal study found that most of the compounds screened out by the proposed method were absorbed into the blood. The study provides a powerful tool for rapid and simultaneous prediction of multiple biomembrane-permeable components.

The Effect of Herbal Medicine and Natural Bioactive Compounds on Plasma Adiponectin: A Clinical Review.

Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are one of the major public health concerns globally. Most of the NCDs including insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes mellitus, fatty liver disease, and coronary heart disease are related to obesity and are called obesity-related NCDs (OR-NCDs). However, adipocytes can reduce OR-NCDs by secreting adiponectin. Adiponectin has an inverse relationship with body fat. Obese people have impairment in differentiating pre-adipocytes to adipocytes, the process facilitated by adiponectin. Adiponectin directly increases insulin sensitivity and reduces obesity-related insulin resistance by down-regulating hepatic glucose production and increasing fatty acid (FA) oxidation in skeletal muscle. Considering the various beneficial effects of adiponectin on health, increasing adiponectin might be a promising approach to prevent and treat OR-NCDs. Recent studies have shown that nutraceuticals and medicinal compounds isolated from plants could prevent and treat various diseases, particularly cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), diabetes mellitus, obesity, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. However, to our knowledge, the effect of these natural products, including herbal supplements and functional foods on adiponectin, has not yet been fully reviewed. The main aim of this review is to summarize the effects of nutraceuticals and herbal bioactive compounds on plasma adiponectin concentrations based on clinical studies. It can be concluded that medicinal plants, and herbal bioactive compounds, particularly curcumin, anthocyanins, resveratrol, soy, walnut, and dihydromyricetin can be used as adjunct or complementary therapeutic agents to increase plasma adiponectin, which could potentially prevent and treat NCDs.

The Effects of Nutraceuticals and Herbal Medicine on Candida albicans in Oral Candidiasis: A Comprehensive Review.

Candida albicans is part of the healthy flora in the oral cavity. It can also cause opportunistic infection, which can be deleterious. The most typical type of chronic oral candidiasis is denture stomatitis, and C. albicans is identified as the most crucial organism in this situation. Due to the development of the resistant form of candida, using conventional drugs can sometimes be ineffective. Herbs and naturally imitative bioactive compounds could become a new source for antimycotic therapy. Several review studies suggest that herbal medicine and natural bioactive compounds have antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal effects. Thus, it is hypothesized that these natural products might have beneficial effects on pathogenic oral fungal flora such as C. albicans. Although the effects of herbs have been investigated as antifungal agents in several studies, to the best of our knowledge, the effects of these natural products on C. albicans have not yet been reviewed. Thus, the aim of this study was to review the anti-candida activity (especially C. albicans in oral candidiasis) of herbal medicines and natural bioactive compounds. It is concluded that, in general, medicinal plants and nutraceuticals such as garlic, green tea, propolis, curcumin, licorice root, cinnamon, resveratrol, ginger, and berberine are useful in the treatment of C. albicans in oral candidiasis and could be considered as a safe, accessible, and inexpensive management option in an attempt to prevent and treat oral diseases. However, most of the evidence is based on the in vitro and animal studies, so more clinical trials are needed.

Integrated quality assessment of Tieshuang Anshen prescription by multiple fingerprint profiles combined with quantitative analysis and chemometric methods

Chinese herbal medicine compound prescription (CHM-CP) contains more complex active compounds than single herbal medicine owing to its compatibility.

Tanshinone I, a new EZH2 inhibitor restricts normal and malignant hematopoiesis through upregulation of MMP9 and ABCG2

Rationale: Tanshinone, a type of diterpenes derived from salvia miltiorrhiza, is a particularly promising herbal medicine compound for the treatment of cancers including acute myeloid leukemia (AML). However, the therapeutic function and the underlying mechanism of Tanshinone in AML are not clear, and the toxic effect of Tanshinone limits its clinical application.Methods: Our work utilizes human leukemia cell lines, zebrafish transgenics and xenograft models to study the cellular and molecular mechanisms of how Tanshinone affects normal and abnormal hematopoiesis. WISH, Sudan Black and O-Dianisidine Staining were used to determine the expression of hematopoietic genes on zebrafish embryos. RNA-seq analysis showed that differential expression genes and enrichment gene signature with Tan I treatment. The surface plasmon resonance (SPR) method was used with a BIAcore T200 (GE Healthcare) to measure the binding affinities of Tan I. In vitro methyltransferase assay was performed to verify Tan I inhibits the histone enzymatic activity of the PRC2 complex. ChIP-qPCR assay was used to determine the H3K27me3 level of EZH2 target genes.Results: We found that Tanshinone I (Tan I), one of the Tanshinones, can inhibit the proliferation of human leukemia cells in vitro and in the xenograft zebrafish model, as well as the normal and malignant definitive hematopoiesis in zebrafish. Mechanistic studies illustrate that Tan I regulates normal and malignant hematopoiesis through direct binding to EZH2, a well-known histone H3K27 methyltransferase, and inhibiting PRC2 enzymatic activity. Furthermore, we identified MMP9 and ABCG2 as two possible downstream genes of Tan I's effects on EZH2.Conclusions: Together, this study confirmed that Tan I is a novel EZH2 inhibitor and suggested MMP9 and ABCG2 as two potential therapeutic targets for myeloid malignant diseases.

Effect of Chinese herbal medicine compound on breast hyperplasia: A protocol of systematic review.

Background:Data supporting the use of Chinese herbal medicine compound (CHMC) on breast hyperplasia (BH) based on the data from previous studies. However, the results are still contradictory. Thus, this study aims to compare the results obtained for effect on case-controlled study (CCS) of CHMC on BH.Methods:This study will include CCS assessing the effect of CHMC on BH. A literature search will be carried out in Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, EMBASE, Allied and Complementary Medicine Database, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure from inception to the present. We will not apply language limitation to any electronic database. Study quality will be evaluated using Newcastle-Ottawa Scale, and statistical analysis will be performed using RevMan 5.3 software.Results:This study will summarize the up-to-date evidence to assess the effect of CHMC on BH.Conclusion:The results of this study may exert helpful evidence to determine whether CHMC is effective on BH.OSF registration number:osf.io/3k8ch.

Efficacy of Compound Herbal Medicine Tong-Xie-Yao-Fang for Acute Radiation Enteritis and Its Potential Mechanisms: Evidence from Transcriptome Analysis.

Acute radiation enteritis (ARE) is a common complication with radiotherapy for pelvic and abdominal malignancy. This research is designed to investigate the efficacy of Tong-Xie-Yao-Fang (TXYF) on ARE and to explore the underlying mechanisms by microarray analysis. The ARE rat model was established by a single abdominal irradiation with a gamma-ray dose of 10 Gy. Next, the ARE rats were treated with distilled water, TXYF, and glutamine by gavage for 7 consecutive days according to the scheduled groups. For each group, the jejunal tissue was taken at 6 h after gastric lavage. The morphology of intestinal tissue was observed by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) stain under a light microscope. The height of the villus and the thickness of the whole layer of the TXYF-treated groups were significantly ameliorative than that of the model control group. The transcriptome analysis was produced using the Agilent SurePrint G3 Rat GE V2.0 microarray. A total of 90 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), including 48 upregulated genes and 42 downregulated genes, were identified by microarray and bioinformatics analysis. Protein–protein interaction (PPI), Gene Ontology (GO), and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) were conducted to explore the possible mechanisms of DEGs taking part in the TXYF-mediated therapeutic process for ARE. In conclusion, we reveal that TXYF has a protective effect on the intestinal tissue of rats with ARE and summarize several DEGs, suggesting the possible mechanisms of TXYF-mediated efficacy for ARE.

UHPLC-qMS spectrum-effect relationships for Rhizoma Paridis extracts

Rhizoma Paridis (RP) with significant anti-tumor and haemostatic effects, has been used as the raw material of many Traditional Chinese preparations. However, its active ingredients are still unclear. The present study aimed to discover bioactive ingredients from RP based on spectrum-relationship and chemometric methods. Firstly, the saponins extract was prepared by phytochemical methods. Furthermore, UHPLC-QTOF-MS and UHPLC-qMS were incorporated to establish an efficient and sensitive method for obtaining the chemical profiles of RP. A total of 34 saponins were characterized in RP and 13 of them were assigned as common peaks in 25 batches of samples. After evaluation of the anti-tumor and haemostatic activities of samples, spectrum-effect relationships were investigated by the grey relational analysis (GRA), orthogonal projections to latent structures (OPLS) and back propagation artificial neural network (BP-ANN). These analyses showed that polyphyllin VII (P27), polyphyllin II (P30), dioscin (P31) and polyphyllin I (P33) play a role in the haemostatic effects of RP whereas polyphyllin VII (P27), dioscin (P31), polyphyllin I (P33), progenin III (P34) were assigned as candidate ingredients accounting for the anti-tumor activity of RP. The anti-tumor and haemostatic activities of these screened ingredients were subsequently verified in vitro. Collectively, the present study established the spectrum-effect relationship mode of RP and discovered the bioactive compounds of RP, which could be also used for exploration of bioactive compounds in herbal medicines, especially for trace compounds.

Nephrotoxicity of Herbal Medicine and Its Prevention.

Herbal medicine (HM) has been widely used to treat diseases for thousands of years and has greatly contributed to the health of human beings. Many new drugs have been developed from HM, such as artemisinin. However, artemisinin has adverse effects, such as renal toxicity. In 1993, a study conducted in Belgium reported for the first time that the root extracts of Aristolochia obliqua S. M. Hwang led to progressive interstitial renal fibrosis. The nephrotoxicity of HM has attracted worldwide attention. More than 100 kinds of HM induce renal toxicity, including some herbs, animal HMs, and minerals. This paper aimed to summarize the HM compounds that cause nephrotoxicity, the mechanisms underlying the toxicity of these compounds, biomarkers of renal injury, and prevention strategies. These findings provide a basis for follow-up studies on the prevention and treatment of HM nephrotoxicity.

Predictive models of tensile strength and disintegration time for simulated Chinese herbal medicine extracts compound tablets based on artificial neural networks

The tensile strength (TS) and disintegration time (DT) are often used as important indexes to evaluate the quality of tablets. The TS and DT of Chinese herbal medicine compound tablets are affected by the properties of the herbal medicine extract powder. In this study, three predictive models of powder properties-tablet quality were established for simulated herbal medicine compound tablets. The models can be used to predict the TS and DT of tablets according to the powder properties. The models were based on combinations of principal component analysis (PCA) and radial basis function artificial neural network (RBF-ANN), back propagation artificial neural network (BP-ANN) and multiple regression analysis (MRA). The TS and DT prediction accuracy of the three models were ranked as follows: PCA-RBF-ANN > PCA-MRA > PCA-BP-ANN. The PCA-RBF-ANN model had the best predictive performance: the relative error for TS ranged from 1.51% to 6.31%, with a mean relative error of 3.91%; the relative error for DT ranged from 1.18% to 2.84%, with a mean relative error of 2.01%. The results demonstrated that the PCA-RBF-ANN model can be used to predict the quality of tablets and provide a reference for quality control of herbal medicine compound tablets.

Fuzheng Huayu recipe, a traditional Chinese compound herbal medicine, attenuates renal interstitial fibrosis via targeting the miR-21/PTEN/AKT axis

ObjectiveMicroRNAs (miRNAs) may be viable targets for treating renal interstitial fibrosis (RIF). Fuzheng Huayu recipe (FZHY), a traditional Chinese compound herbal medicine, is often used in China to treat fibrosis. This study sought to assess the mechanisms through which FZHY influences miRNAs to treat RIF. MethodsRIF was induced in rats by mercury chloride and treated with FZHY. Hydroxyproline content, Masson’s staining and type I collagen expression were used to evaluate renal collagen deposition. Renal miRNA profiles were evaluated using a miRNA microarray. Those miRNAs that were differentially expressed following FZHY treatment were identified and subjected to bioinformatic analyses. The miR-21 target gene phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) expression and AKT phosphorylation in kidney tissues were assessed via Western blotting. In addition, HK-2 human proximal tubule epithelial cells were treated using angiotensin II (Ang-II) to induce epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), followed by FZHY exposure. miR-21 and PTEN expressions were evaluated via quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), while E-cadherin and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) expressions were assessed by immunofluorescent staining and qRT-PCR. Western blotting was used to assess PTEN and AKT phosphorylation. ResultsFZHY significantly decreased kidney collagen deposition, hydroxyproline content and type I collagen level. The miRNA microarray identified 20 miRNAs that were differentially expressed in response to FZHY treatment. Subsequent bioinformatic analyses found that miR-21 was the key fibrosis-related miRNA regulated by FZHY. FZHY also decreased PTEN expression and AKT phosphorylation in fibrotic kidneys. Results from in vitro tests also suggested that FZHY promoted E-cadherin upregulation and inhibited α-SMA expression in Ang-II-treated HK-2 cells, effectively reversing Ang-II-mediated EMT. We also determined that FZHY reduced miR-21 expression, increased PTEN expression and decreased AKT phosphorylation in these cells. ConclusionmiR-21 is the key fibrosis-related miRNA regulated by FZHY. The ability of FZHY to modulate miR-21/PTEN/AKT signaling may be a viable approach for treating RIF.