Pills For Treatment Research Articles

Mechanism of Jiaotai Pills in treatment of depression by UHPLC-TOF-MS combined with network pharmacology and experimental validation

This study aims to analyze the constituents of Jiaotai Pills migrating to the blood in normal rats by UHPLC-TOF-MS technique and reveal the underlying mechanism of Jiaotai Pills in the treatment of depression by network pharmacology and animal experiments. UHPLC-TOF-MS technique was used to detect the constituents of Jiaotai Pills in the blood of rats after intragastric administration. The intersection target of the constituents and depression was screened by DisGeNET and SwissTargetPrediction database, and the protein-protein interaction(PPI) network was constructed. Key targets were imported into the DAVID platform for Gene Ontology(GO) analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG) pathway annotation. Combined with constituents, targets, and pathways, the "constituent-target-pathway" network was constructed by Cytoscape 3.9.1 software, through which the key targets and pathways of Jiaotai Pills against depression were predicted. The depression model of chronic unpredictable mild stress(CUMS) was established on rats. After that, behavioral experiments were conducted. The expression of inflammatory factors in serum and the neurotransmitters in the brain were detected by ELISA, and the expression of key targets in the hippocampus was detected by Western blot. The results showed that a total of 17 constituents of Jiaotai Pills were identified in the blood, including 10 alkaloids. There were 124 intersection targets between constituents of Jiaotai Pills and depression disorder. A total of 52 core targets were screened according to PPI results, including NLRP3 and caspase-1, etc. KEGG enrichment analysis mainly involved 15 typical pathways such as NOD-like receptor pathway. The results of animal experiments showed that Jiaotai Pills significantly improved the depression-like behavior of CUMS depressive model on rats, decreased the levels of IL-1β, TNF-α and IL-6 in serum, and increased the expression of neurotransmitters such as 5-hydroxytryptamine(5-HT), dopamine(DA), and norepinephrine(NE) in the brain. Besides, Jiaotai Pills also down-regulated the expression of NLRP3 and caspase-1 proteins in the hippocampus and inhibited the NLRP3-mediated NOD-like receptor signaling pathway. In conclusion, Jiaotai Pills may play a role in the treatment of depression by inhibiting the NLRP3 inflammasome and the NOD-like receptor pathway mediated by NLRP3.

Mechanism of Jiaotai Pills in treatment of depression based on quantitative proteomics

This study aimed to investigate the effect of Jiaotai Pills on protein expression in the hippocampus of the rat model of chronic unpredictable mild stress(CUMS)-induced depression by quantitative proteomics and explore the anti-depression mechanism of Jiaotai Pills. The SD rats were randomized into control, model, Jiaotai Pills, and fluoxetine groups(n=8). Other groups except the control group were subjected to CUMS modeling for 4 weeks. After 4 weeks of continuous administration, the changes of behavior and pathological morphology of the hippocampal tissue were observed. Proteins were extracted from the hippocampal tissue, and bioinformatics analysis was performed for the differentially expressed proteins(DEPs) identified by quantitative proteomics. Western blot was employed to verify the key DEPs. The results showed that Jiaotai Pills significantly alleviated the depression behaviors and hippocampal histopathological changes in the rat model of CUMS-induced depression. A total of 5 412 proteins were identified in the hippocampus of rats, including 65 DEPs between the control group and the model group and 35 DEPs between the Jiaotai Pills group and the model group. There were 16 DEPs with the same trend in the Jiaotai Pills group and the control group, which were mainly involved in sphingolipid, AMPK, and dopaminergic synapse signaling pathways. The Western blot results of Ppp2r2b, Cers1, and Ndufv3 in the hippocampus were consistent with the results of proteomics. In conclusion, Jiaotai Pills may play an anti-depression role by modulating the levels of Ppp2r2b, Cers1, Ndufv3 and other proteins and regulating sphingolipid, AMPK, and dopaminergic synapse signaling pathways.

Effectiveness and safety of Angong Niuhuang pill in treatment of acute stroke: a systematic review and Meta-analysis.

To systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of Angong Niuhuang pill (, ANP) in the treatment of acute stroke. This can provide ideas and basis for the treatment of this disease with integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of China National Knowledge Infrastructure Database, Wanfang Database, Chinese BioMedical Literature Database, PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library were searched from the establishment to March 2022. Two researchers screened the literature and extracted the data according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. Meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.3 software. A total of 28 RCTs were included, including 2745 patients in the acute stage of stroke (1375 in the experimental group and 1370 in the control group). Meta-analysis showed that compared with conventional treatment, combined treatment with ANP could improve the effective rate of acute stroke patients [relative risk () = 1.26, 95% confidence interval () (1.21, 1.31)], Glasgow Coma Scale scores [mean difference () = 2.01, 95% (1.04, 2.98)], Mini-mental State Examination scores [ = 4.79, 95% (2.22, 7.37)], Activities of Daily Living scores [ = 15.70, 95% (14.05, 17.36)] and the Barthel index scores [ = 13.89, 95% (12.12, 15.65)], reduce National Institute of Health stroke scale scores [ = -3.90, 95% (-4.96, -2.84)] and serum brain natriuretic peptide [ = -38.50, 95% (-46.85, -30.15)]. In terms of safety, the incidence of adverse reactions showed no statistical differences between the two groups [ = 0.71, 95% (0.43, 1.15), = 0.16], and no serious adverse reactions/events were observed, indicating a good safety. Existing clinical research evidence shows that ANP has good efficacy and safety in the treatment of acute stroke, which can provide a basis for the treatment of integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine. However, the quality of included research methodology needs to be improved, and the above conclusions need to be verified by more high-quality studies.

Zuogui Pills and Yougui Pills in differential treatment of diminished ovarian reserve based on metabolomics

Based on the metabolomics, this paper systematically analyzed the metabolic substance basis of Zuogui Pills and Yougui Pills in syndrome differentiation and treatment of diminished ovarian reserve(DOR), so as to provide a scientific basis for the traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) syndrome differentiation and treatment of DOR. Patients with DOR of kidney-Yin deficiency syndrome were collected from outpatient department of hospitals and treated with Zuogui Pills for 12 weeks. And kidney-Yang deficiency syndrome were treated with Yougui Pills for 12 weeks. Based on the non-targeted metabolomic research techniques, the potential biomarkers of Zuogui Pills and Yougui Pills in the treatment of DOR with kidney-Yin deficiency and kidney-Yang deficiency, respectively, were screened out, and metabolic pathways of biomarkers were analyzed. The pregnancy rate, basic serum hormone levels [basal follicle-stimulating hormone(bFSH), basal-luteinizing hormone(bLH), basal-estradiol(bE_2), and anti-Müllerian hormone(AMH)], TCM syndrome type score, and Kupperman score were recorded and statistically analyzed after treatment. The results showed that 23 patients with DOR of kidney-Yin deficiency syndrome and 25 patients of kidney-Yang deficiency syndrome were collected. Twenty-six differential metabolites, including L-carnitine, acetyl-CoA, coenzyme A, and coenzyme Q_(10)(CoQ10), were mapped to 12 metabolic pathways in patients with kidney-Yin deficiency treated with Zuogui Pills. Twenty-two differential metabolites, such as adipoyl-CoA, L-lysine, lysine arginine, and α-tocopherol, were mapped to 11 metabolic pathways in patients with kidney-Yang deficiency. After treatment, bFSH and bLH of patients with DOR were significantly lower than those before treatment(P<0.05). Although the comparison of bE_2 and AMH had no significant differences, there was a improvement trend. The TCM syndrome type score and Kupperman score of patients with DOR after TCM treatment were significantly lower than those before treatment(P<0.05).

Mechanism of Liuwei Dihuang Pills in treatment of mice with diminished ovarian reserve based on proteomics

This study aims to investigate the efficacy and possible mechanism of Liuwei Dihuang Pills in the treatment of diminished ovarian reserve(DOR) by using proteomic techniques. Firstly, cyclophosphamide(60 mg·kg~(-1)) combined with busulfan(6 mg·kg~(-1)) was injected intraperitoneally to establish the mouse model of DOR. After drug injection, the mice were continuously observed and the success of modeling was evaluated by the disturbance of the estrous cycle. After successful modeling, the mice were administrated with the suspension of Liuwei Dihuang Pills by gavage for 28 days. At the end of the gavage, four female mice were selected and caged together with males at a ratio of 2∶1 for the determination of the pregnancy rate. Blood and ovary samples were collected from the remaining mice on the next day after the end of gavage. Hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining and transmission electron microscopy(TEM) were then employed to observe the morphological and ultrastructural changes in the ovaries. The serum levels of hormones and oxidation indicators were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Quantitative proteomics techniques were used to compare the ovarian protein expression before and after modeling and before and after the intervention with Liuwei Dihuang Pills. The results showed that Liuwei Dihuang Pills regulated the estrous cycle of DOR mice, elevated the serum levels of hormones and anti-oxidation indicators, promoted follicle development, protected the mitochondrial morphology of ovarian granulosa cells, and increased the litter size and survival of DOR mice. Furthermore, Liuwei Dihuang Pills negatively regulated the expression of 12 differentially expressed proteins associated with DOR, which were mainly involved in lipid catabolism, inflammatory response, immune regulation, and coenzyme biosynthesis. These differentially expressed proteins were significantly enriched in sphingolipid metabolism, arachidonic acid metabolism, ribosomes, ferroptosis, and cGMP-PKG signaling pathway. In summary, the occurrence of DOR and the treatment of DOR with Liuwei Dihuang Pills are associated with multiple biological pathways, mainly including oxidative stress response, inflammatory response, and immune regulation. "Mitochondria-oxidative stress-apoptosis" is the key to the treatment of DOR by Liuwei Dihuang Pills. YY1 and CYP4F3 may be the key upstream targets that trigger mitochondrial dysfunction and ROS accumulation, and the metabolism of arachidonic acid is the main signaling pathway of drug action.

The prospect of Xihuang pill in the treatment of cancers

BackgroundXihuang pill, a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) prescription and a representative of Huoxuehuayu therapy (one of the TCM therapies to promote blood circulation and remove blood stasis), has been widely used in breast cancer treatments. Although some evidence suggests the efficacy and safety of the Xihuang pill in treating certain cancer, the overall efficacy of the Xihuang pill in other cancer treatment is uncertain. ObjectiveThis study aimed to summarize the current clinical literature and provided evidence support for addressing the research question of whether the Xihuang pill is safe and effective in the treatment of various cancers as Huoxuehuayu therapy, and possibly identify the clinical dosage range and therapeutic effect of Xihuang pills. MethodSeven Chinese and English databases such as PubMed, CNKI, and Google Scholar were searched to collect the publications on Xihuang pill and cancer. Then the researchers extracted data from the articles that met the inclusion criteria and used SAS statistical program version 9.4 (by SAS Institute, Cary, North Carolina, USA) for statistical statistics. ResultsOur search identified 78 studies, including 69 RCTs (randomized control trials), 6 NRCCs (non-randomized concurrent control trials), and 3 BAS (before-after study), evaluating 3151 patients in total. The daily doses of Xihuang pills/capsule were between 2 g and 60 g, and duration between 2 weeks and 5 years, mostly used in the middle or late stage of cancer. The therapeutic effect of the Xihuang pill was mainly reflected in improving Complete Response (CR, a term from The Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors) or Partial Response (PR, a term from The Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors), reducing adverse reactions, promoting quality of life (QoL), regulating immunity, alleviating pain, prolonging survival, reducing metastasis and recurrence, reducing inflammation, regulating estrogen levels, decreasing hypercoagulative status, and reducing tumor markers. ConclusionXihuang pill representing Huoxuehuayu therapy has a good prospect in the treatment of cancer.

Metabolomics and network pharmacology reveal the mechanism of the Jiawei Yangshen pill in treatment of cyclophosphamide-induced dyszoospermia in mice

Metabolomics and network pharmacology reveal the mechanism of the Jiawei Yangshen pill in treatment of cyclophosphamide-induced dyszoospermia in mice

Effect of Mailuo Shutong Pills in treatment of ischemic stroke based on network pharmacological analysis and experimental verification

The present study aimed to explore the targets and mechanism of Mailuo Shutong Pills(MSP) in the treatment of ischemic stroke by network pharmacology, and verify the key targets through molecular docking and animal experiment, so as to provide a theoretical basis for the clinical application of MSP. The main chemical ingredients of MSP were obtained by searching against the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform(TCMSP) and relevant literature. The potential targets of the ingredients of MSP in treating ischemic stroke were obtained from SwissTargetPrediction and DisGeNET. Protein-protein interaction(PPI) network was analyzed in STRING and plotted in Cytoscape. Gene Ontology(GO) annotation and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis were carried out with DAVID. Molecular docking was simulated to determine the binding activity of active ingredients to key targets in AutoDock Vina. The mouse model of ischemic stroke was established. The mice were classified into a sham group, a model group, and an MSP group. After the administration, cerebral infarction volume was detected by 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazoliumchloride(TTC) staining, and Western blot was performed to determine the levels of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase(PI3 K), protein kinase B(AKT), nuclear factor-κB(NF-κB) and their phosphorylated proteins. A total of 222 ingredients of MSP were screened out, including beta-sitosterol, quercetin, licochalcone B, and lupiwighteone, which acted on 701 targets. Totally 1 079 targets associated with ischemic stroke were retrieved, among which 192 common targets were shared by MSP and ischemic stroke. The key targets included AKT1, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase catalytic subunit alpha(PIK3 CA), phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase regulatory subunit 1(PIK3 R1), and nuclear factor-κB p65 subunit(RELA), which were mainly involved in PI3 K/AKT, tumor necrosis factor(TNF), and NF-κB signaling pathways. The results of molecular docking revealed that PI3 K, AKT1, and RELA had good binding ability to the active ingredients of MSP. The animal experiment results showed that compared with the model group, MSP decreased cerebral infarction volume, down-regulated the expression of p-NF-κB, and up-regulated the expression of p-PI3 K and p-AKT in mouse brain. In summary, the active ingredients in MSP may treat cerebral injury by activating PI3 K/AKT signaling pathway and inhibiting NF-κB signaling pathway.

Mechanism of Tongguan Pills in treatment for tubal factor infertility based on bioinformatics combined with network pharmacology and molecular docking

Mechanism of Tongguan Pills in treatment for tubal factor infertility based on bioinformatics combined with network pharmacology and molecular docking

The potential mechanism of Liu-Wei-Di-Huang Pills in treatment of type 2 diabetic mellitus: from gut microbiota to short-chain fatty acids metabolism.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has already become a global pandemic. Recently, reports showed its pathogenesis was closely related to a disorder of gut microbiota. In China, the Liu-Wei-Di-Huang Pills (LWDH) have treated T2DM for thousands of years. However, its therapeutic mechanism associated with gut microbiota is worthy of further study. This study aims to investigate the effects of LWDH on T2DM by regulating gut microbiota and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in Goto-Kakizaki (GK) rats. T2DM models were successfully established based on GK rats and administrated with LWDH. The changes in fasting blood glucose (FBG), oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), and serum insulin (INS) were determined, and the immunohistochemical (IHC) method was used to test INS expression in pancreas. The 16S-ribosomal DNA (16S rDNA) sequencing analysis assessed gut microbiota structural changes; a gas chromatography-mass spectrometer (GC-MS)-based metabolomics method was adopted to detect SCFA levels. The pathological morphology of jejunum was detected by hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) staining, and the expression of GPR43, GPR41, GLP-1, and GLP-1R was evaluated by qRT-PCR and ELISA, respectively. We observed that GK rats treated with LWDH: (a) has altered the microbial structure and promoted the abundance of bacteria in Firmicutes, including Lactobacillus, Allobaculum, and Ruminococcus_2, (b) increased SCFAs levels involving acetic acid, propionic acid, and butyric acid and (c) alleviated T2DM and jejunum injuries potentially based on SCFAs-GPR43/41-GLP-1 pathway. LWDH could improve T2DM by regulating gut microbiota and SCFAs, and the therapeutic mechanism might be related to the SCFAs-GPR43/41-GLP-1 pathway.

Mechanism of Liangfu Pills in treatment of functional dyspepsia: based on network pharmacology and experimental verification

This study aims to explore the potential mechanism of Liangfu Pills in the treatment of functional dyspepsia(FD) based on network pharmacology and molecular docking, and verify the mechanism by animal experiment. The active components of Liangfu Pills were screened from Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform(TCMSP), and the targets of Liangfu Pills were predicted by SwissTargetPrediction. The targets of FD were retrieved from GeneCards. On this basis, the common targets of the disease and the pills were yielded and the protein interaction was retrieved based on STRING. The core targets were screened out, followed by Gene Oncology(GO) term enrichment and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis with DAVID. Finally, molecular docking was carried out with the help of AutoDock Tools to predict the binding degree between the effective components of Liangfu Pills and core targets. A total of 19 active components of Liangfu Pills and 591 FD-related targets were screened out by network pharmacology, of which 253 were common targets of the disease and the prescription. Liangfu Pills was mainly involved in the biological processes of response to drug, negative regulation of transcription, positive regulation of apoptotic process, and cell surface receptor signaling pathway, and the KEGG pathways of hypoxia-inducible factor-1(HIF-1) signaling pathway, serotonergic synapse, tumor necrosis factor(TNF) signaling pathway, cyclic adenosine monophosphate(cAMP) signaling pathway, calcium signal pathway, and inflammatory mediator regulation of transient receptor potential(TRP) channels. The results of molecular docking showed that the key active components of Liangfu Pills had certain binding activity to the targets mitogen-activated protein kinase 1(MAPK1), protein kinase B(AKT1), transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily V member 1(TRPV1), 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor 1 A(HTR1 A), and 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor 2 A(HTR2 A). FD was induced in rats, and then Liangfu Pills was given to FD rats for 7 days. The results showed that Liangfu Pills could significantly relieve the symptoms of FD rats, significantly increase the expression of 5-hydroxytryptamine(5-HT), and down-regulate the expression of TRPV1. Through network pharmacology, molecular docking, and experimental verification, this study proved that Liangfu Pills improved FD through multiple components and multiple targets. The result lays a basis for further research on the mechanism and clinical application of Liangfu Pills in the treatment of FD.

Discovery and development of oseltamivir at Gilead Sciences.

John Martin's untimely death in March 2021 was a huge loss for us personally, Gilead Sciences, the company he built over 30years and the scientific community concerned with antiviral therapies. We wish to honor John's legacy by retelling the discovery and history of Tamiflu and his contributions to it. Without his vision, persistence, and keen eye for opportunities, Tamiflu would not exist and Gilead's path would not have been the same. His strategic thinking around the first oral flu drug is still quite relevant today, when we are still in the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. John explained it simply in an interview with the Science History Institute in May 2020: "…most of my colleagues, we travel with Tamiflu when we go internationally, because it works for treatment and prevention, and hopefully, there will be a solution like that, eventually, for the Covid virus in addition to vaccines. Most people will get a flu vaccine every year, but there is still disease, we need a pill for treatment and prevention.".

The clinical effectiveness and safety of traditional Chinese medicine Jinfeng pill in adjuvant treatment of infertility with polycystic ovary syndrome: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background:Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the main cause of infertility in women, the essence of which is an endocrine disorder syndrome with abnormal sugar metabolism and reproductive dysfunction, and the incidence rate of about 6% of women. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) Jinfeng pill has achieved very good clinical results in the treatment of infertility with PCOS, but there is currently a lack of strong evidence-based medical evidence. This study uses meta-analysis method to analyze the clinical effectiveness and safety of TCM Jinfeng pill in the treatment of infertility with PCOS, hoping to provide help for the clinical treatment of infertility with PCOS.Methods:Using the computer to retrieve SinoMed, CNKI, VIP, WANFANG Database, as well as Public, The Cochrane library, Medline (Ovid SP), Embase and other foreign language databases, while manually retrieving the relevant magazine supplements, special issues, professional materials, network information, and so on. The retrieval time is from the beginning of each database to June 2021. The selected literature is evaluated using the Cochrane System Rating Manual Bias Risk Tool. Statistical analysis and graphics of the inclusion literature are performed using Review Manager 5.3 statistical software.Results:All the results of this study on the clinical effectiveness and safety of TCM Jinfeng pill in adjuvant treatment of infertility with PCOS will be published in a peer-reviewed academic journal of medicine.Ethics and dissemination:The type of study is systematic evaluation, the whole process of research does not involve human trials, the data used in the institute are obtained through published literature, so ethical review is not suitable for this study.OSF registration number:10.17605/OSF.IO/JEP2D. (https://osf.io/jep2d).Conclusion:Our research will provide evidence-based medical evidence on whether the TCM Jinfeng pill is effective and safe in the treatment of infertility with PCOS.

Mechanism exploration of the classical traditional chinese medicine formula huoluo xiaoling pill in clinical treatment and the traditional chinese medicine theory “treating different diseases with the same method”: A network pharmacology study and molecular docking verification

Objective: To analyze the possible mechanism of the Huoluo Xiaoling Pill in the treatment of three diseases, hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia, and metabolic syndrome, and to provide ideas for learning the mechanism of “Treating different diseases with the same method” in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) theory. Materials and Methods: The Traditional Chinese Medicine System Pharmacology Database and UniProt databases were used to screen the main ingredients and targets of the Huoluo Xiaoling Pill. The GeneCards database was used to screen the targets of the diseases, and Cytoscape 3.7.2 was used to construct a “Drug-Components-Targets-Disease” network to determine the core components. The STRING database was used to construct the protein-protein-interaction network, and gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomics enrichment analyses were carried out on the Metascape database. AutoDock 1.5.6 was used for molecular docking. Results: A total of 118 active components and 208 targets were screened in the Huoluo Xiaoling Pill. Quercetin, tanshinone IIA, luteolin, and ellagic acid were potential core components of Huoluo Xiaoling Pill treating the three diseases, and interleukin 6, Tumor necrosis factor, and vascular endothelial growth factor were potential key targets. Co-occurring GO biological processes involved responses to the molecules of bacterial origin, and the AGE-RAGE signaling, fluid shear stress, and atherosclerosis pathways were the co-occurring pathways. Molecular docking revealed good docking conditions between screened targets and components. Conclusion: This study predicted the mechanism of the Huoluo Xiaoling Pill in treating the three diseases. At the same time, the co-occurring targets and pathways between the three diseases provided a material basis for the TCM theory, “Treating different diseases with the same method.”

Mechanism exploration of the classical traditional chinese medicine formula huoluo xiaoling pill in clinical treatment and the traditional chinese medicine theory “treating different diseases with the same method”: A network pharmacology study and molecular docking verification

Objective: To analyze the possible mechanism of the Huoluo Xiaoling Pill in the treatment of three diseases, hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia, and metabolic syndrome, and to provide ideas for learning the mechanism of “Treating different diseases with the same method” in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) theory. Materials and Methods: The Traditional Chinese Medicine System Pharmacology Database and UniProt databases were used to screen the main ingredients and targets of the Huoluo Xiaoling Pill. The GeneCards database was used to screen the targets of the diseases, and Cytoscape 3.7.2 was used to construct a “Drug-Components-Targets-Disease” network to determine the core components. The STRING database was used to construct the protein-protein-interaction network, and gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomics enrichment analyses were carried out on the Metascape database. AutoDock 1.5.6 was used for molecular docking. Results: A total of 118 active components and 208 targets were screened in the Huoluo Xiaoling Pill. Quercetin, tanshinone IIA, luteolin, and ellagic acid were potential core components of Huoluo Xiaoling Pill treating the three diseases, and interleukin 6, Tumor necrosis factor, and vascular endothelial growth factor were potential key targets. Co-occurring GO biological processes involved responses to the molecules of bacterial origin, and the AGE-RAGE signaling, fluid shear stress, and atherosclerosis pathways were the co-occurring pathways. Molecular docking revealed good docking conditions between screened targets and components. Conclusion: This study predicted the mechanism of the Huoluo Xiaoling Pill in treating the three diseases. At the same time, the co-occurring targets and pathways between the three diseases provided a material basis for the TCM theory, “Treating different diseases with the same method.”

Mechanism of Liangfu Dropping Pills in treatment of gastrointestinal diseases based on plasma pharmacochemistry and network pharmacology

To study the active chemical components and mechanism of Liangfu Dropping Pills in treatment of gastrointestinal diseases. The UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS method was employed to analyze the components of Liangfu Dropping Pills in plasma. The protein targets of the absorbed compounds were predicted in the TCMSP database and the SwissTargetPrediction database. The targets associated with gastrointestinal diseases were collected from OMIM, CTD, GeneCards, and DrugBank. The common target genes between components and diseases were screened out for the building of protein-protein interaction(PPI) network in the STRING database. Metascape was used to carry out gene ontology(GO) and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes(KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis. Cytoscape was employed to construct the PPI network diagram and absorbed component-target network diagram. The molecular docking between the components absorbed in blood and potential key targets was performed by AutoDock vina 4.2.6 to screen and verify the main active components and targets. Twelve chemcial components were identified in Liangfu Dropping Pills, in which four components were absorbed in blood, including galangin, rhamnocitrin, galangin 3-methyl ether, and α-cyperone. These components acted on 189 common targets which were mainly involved in the cell responses to nitrogen compounds, organic cyclic compounds, and hormones, and enriched in the PI3 K-Akt signaling pathway, Foxo signaling pathway, and IL-17 signaling pathway. Molecular docking results showed that the four components had strong affinity with core targets. The material basis of Liangfu Dropping Pills treating gastrointestinal diseases may be galangin, rhamnocitrin, galangin 3-methyl ether, and α-cyperone. This study provides a theoretical basis for further development and application of Liangfu Dripping Pills.

Systematic evaluation on efficacy and safety of Gingko Ketone Ester Dropping Pills in treatment of angina pectoris and coronary heart disease

To systemically evaluate the efficacy and safety of Gingko Ketone Ester Dropping Pills in treating angina pectoris and co-ronary heart disease. CNKI, Wanfang, SinoMed, PubMed, Cochrane Library and EMbase databases were retrieved on computer, and the randomized clinical trial(RCT) on Gingko Ketone Ester Dropping Pills in treating angina pectoris and coronary heart disease, which were published from the database establishment to December 31, 2019, were comprehensively collected. Literature screening, data extraction and quality evaluation were conducted independently by two researchers according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. Literature methodology quality evaluation was conducted with use of the Cochrane Handbook 5.3.0(bias risk assessment tool). Meta-analysis was performed with RevMan 5.3.0 software. A total of 10 RCTs were included. The results of the Meta-analysis showed that as compared with conventional Western medicine alone, the application of Gingko Ketone Ester Dropping Pills combined with conventional Western medicine treatment further improved the total effective rate and electrocardiogram effect(RR=1.43,95%CI[1.20,1.71],P<0.000 1). There were statistically significant differences in the number of angina attacks, the duration of angina and the amount of nitroglycerin used. In terms of safety indicators, four studies reported adverse reactions in the experimental group, including facial flu-shing, tachycardia, dizziness, dyspnea, nausea and other symptoms. Based on the existing findings, in the treatment of angina pectoris and coronary heart disease, Gingko Ketone Ester Dropping Pills combined with conventional Western medicine can improve the clinical total effective rate, electrocardiogram effect, number of angina attacks, duration of angina and the amount of nitroglycerin used. However, in the included studies, due to some methodological quality problems which would impact the reliability of literature results more high-quality randomized controlled trials are still needed for further verification.

Network pharmacology-based study to explore the mechanism of the Yiqi Gubiao pill in lung cancer treatment.

Lung cancer (LC) has been one of the most prevalent and fatal malignancies in the past 5 years. Yiqi Gubiao pills have a good clinical effect against LC. However, their complex composition limits proper understanding of their pharmacological mechanism. Therefore, the present study aimed to systemically explore the underlying mechanisms of Yiqi Gubiao pills in treatment of LC. The network pharmacology approach was employed to identify the active ingredients and LC targets associated with Yiqi Gubiao pills. Prediction of potential active ingredients and action targets was then conducted through protein-protein interaction (PPI), Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analyses. In vitro experiments were then performed to further verify the mechanism of action of Yiqi Gubiao pills, revealing that the anti-LC effects were mediated by regulating the expression of IL6, TP53, albumin (ALB), MAPK3 and AKT1. In total, 102 active ingredients and 229 targets of Yiqi Gubiao pills were identified. The PPI network further revealed that AKT1, TP53, ALB, IL6 and MAPK3 were the top five hub genes associated with LC treatment. Targets of the Yiqi Gubiao pills were mainly enriched in the PI3K-Akt and Advanced glycation end products (AGE)-receptors for AGEs (RAGE) signaling pathways. Overall, network pharmacology deciphered the active ingredients and potential targets of the Yiqi Gubiao pills. Yiqi Gubiao pills partially inhibited the progression of LC by regulating the expression of hub genes (AKT1, TP53, ALB, IL6 and MAPK3) through the PI3K-Akt and AGE-RAGE signaling pathways. The findings of the present study may provide a theoretical basis for the clinical application of Yiqi Gubiao pills in LC treatment.

Efficacy and Safety of Qishen Yiqi Dripping Pill for Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: The number of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) patients is increasing year by year, yet all western medicines currently used for heart failure have been shown to be ineffective for HFpEF. Qishen Yiqi Dripping Pill is one of the commonly drugs for the treatment of heart failure in China. In recent years, some clinical studies found that it has curative effect on HFpEF. Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of Qishen Yiqi Dripping Pill in treatment of HFpEF. Methods: Databases including CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, CBM, PubMed, Web of Science, The Cochrane Library and EMbase were searched from their inception to May 2020 to screen relevant randomized controlled trials. The “risk of bias” evaluation tool in the Cochrane Handbook was used to evaluate the quality of the included studies. RevMan 5.3 software was used for meta-analysis. Results: Eight studies meeting the criteria were included, with a total of 895 patients. The results of meta-analysis showed that compared with western medicine alone, combination of western medicine and Qishen Yiqi Dripping Pill can further increase the quotient of early diastolic mitral inflow velocity and late diastolic mitral inflow velocity (E/A) in patients with HFpEF [mean difference (MD) = 0.20, 95% CI (0.14, 0.26), p < 0.000 01], decrease the quotient of early diastolic mitral inflow velocity and mitral annular tissue velocity (E/e′) [MD = −2.50, 95% CI (−3.18, −1.82), p < 0.000 01], decrease brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) [MD = −151.83, 95% CI (−245.78, −57.89), p = 0.002], increase cardiac function improvement rate [relative risk (RR) = 1.30, 95% CI (1.11, 1.52), p = 0.001], and increase six-minutes walking distance (6-MWD) [MD = 64.75, 95% CI (22.65, 106.85), p = 0.003]. Four studies reported the occurrence of adverse reactions, among which three studies reported no adverse reactions and one study reported three patients with mild adverse reactions in the intervention group. Conclusion: Current evidence suggests that Qishen Yiqi Dripping Pill may be effective in the treatment of HFpEF. However, due to the low quality of the included studies, lack of placebo control, large heterogeneity among different studies, and great possibility of publication bias, the results of our review should be evaluated with more prudence, more high-quality clinical studies are needed to verify the conclusion in the future. In addition, the safety of Qishen Yiqi Dripping Pill remains uncertain, further assessment is required in the future.

Levonorgestrel vs combined oral contraceptive pills in treatment of female acne and hirsutism.

Combined oral contraception was used in many studies for treatment of acne and hirsutism. However, levonorgestrel (LNG) alone has not been evaluated before. Our objective is to evaluate the efficacy of oral contraceptive (OC) pills containing LNG and ethinyl estradiol (EE) compared with LNG only for the treatment of acne and hirsutism in a randomized, controlled prospective clinical trial. Eighty females (20 with acne, 20 with hirsutism, and 40 healthy females) received LNG + EE or LNG only for 6 months. Assessment of acne by global acne grading system (GAGS) and hirsutism by modified Ferriman-Gallwey scale (MFGS) grading system and serum free testosterone was measured before and 6 months after treatment. Serum free testosterone was significantly higher before treatment in acne and hirsutism patients compared to control group (P < .000). In acne patients, after 6 months of treatment with LNG/EE, serum free testosterone, and (GAGS), were significantly decreased compared to LNG only (P < .000). In hirsutism group, after 6 months of treatment with LNG/EE, serum free testosterone and (MFGS), were nonsignificantly decreased compared to LNG only. OCs containing either LNG/EE or LNG seem to be effective and safe treatment for acne and hirsutism.