Type Of Traditional Chinese Medicine Research Articles

CPMI-ChatGLM: parameter-efficient fine-tuning ChatGLM with Chinese patent medicine instructions

Chinese patent medicine (CPM) is a typical type of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) preparation that uses Chinese herbs as raw materials and is an important means of treating diseases in TCM. Chinese patent medicine instructions (CPMI) serve as a guide for patients to use drugs safely and effectively. In this study, we apply a pre-trained language model to the domain of CPM. We have meticulously assembled, processed, and released the first CPMI dataset and fine-tuned the ChatGLM-6B base model, resulting in the development of CPMI-ChatGLM. We employed consumer-grade graphics cards for parameter-efficient fine-tuning and investigated the impact of LoRA and P-Tuning v2, as well as different data scales and instruction data settings on model performance. We evaluated CPMI-ChatGLM using BLEU, ROUGE, and BARTScore metrics. Our model achieved scores of 0.7641, 0.8188, 0.7738, 0.8107, and − 2.4786 on the BLEU-4, ROUGE-1, ROUGE-2, ROUGE-L and BARTScore metrics, respectively. In comparison experiments and human evaluation with four large language models of similar parameter scales, CPMI-ChatGLM demonstrated state-of-the-art performance. CPMI-ChatGLM demonstrates commendable proficiency in CPM recommendations, making it a promising tool for auxiliary diagnosis and treatment. Furthermore, the various attributes in the CPMI dataset can be used for data mining and analysis, providing practical application value and research significance.

A real-world data analysis-based study of Chinese medicine treatment patterns after breast cancer surgery.

Based on the real clinical data of Hospital Information System to explore the common clinical syndromes of traditional Chinese medicine after breast cancer surgery, analysis of traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of breast cancer after the compatibility law. The real medical records of breast cancer patients after surgery in a tertiary hospital in Sichuan Province were collected and screened to build a medical record database. Python language was used for data preprocessing to remove outliers and fill in missing values. Using International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) Statistical Product and Service Solutions (SPSS) Modeler software, Apriori association rules algorithm for data analysis, mining Chinese medicine treatment of breast cancer after common syndromes and the corresponding medication rules. A total of 472 cases of clinical real medical record data were included. Data analysis showed that there were 42 TCM syndromes after breast cancer surgery, of which the highest frequency was liver depression and spleen deficiency, qi deficiency and blood stasis, qi stagnation and blood stasis, qi and blood deficiency, qi and yin deficiency, phlegm and blood stasis. A total of 416 kinds of traditional Chinese medicine were involved. High-frequency drugs included angelica sinensis, coix seed, bupleurum, ginger magnolia bark, keel, oyster, astragalus, platycodon grandiflorum, antler frost, vinegar tortoise shell, poria cocos, lily, Jianqu, Ophiopogon japonicus (Maidong), Shancigu, etc. A total of 18 pairs of commonly used drug combinations were excavated, such as Fushen-Gancao-Chaihu-Angelica, Huangqi-Baishao-Jianghoupu, Chaihu-Huanhua-Maidong-Lily, Baizhu-Huangqi-Maidong, Fuling-Baishao, etc. The clinical syndrome type of traditional Chinese medicine after breast cancer surgery is mainly liver depression and spleen deficiency syndrome. The clinical treatment is mainly soothing liver and relieving depression, and harmonizing liver and spleen. Analyze the syndrome type and the corresponding drug compatibility law, and provide decision support for the clinical dialectical prescription of traditional Chinese medicine after breast cancer surgery.

The Mechanisms of Polysaccharides from Tonic Chinese Herbal Medicine on the Enhancement Immune Function: A Review.

Tonic Chinese herbal medicine is a type of traditional Chinese medicine, and its primary function is to restore the body's lost nutrients, improve activity levels, increase disease resistance, and alleviate physical exhaustion. The body's immunity can be strengthened by its polysaccharide components, which also have a potent immune-system-protecting effect. Several studies have demonstrated that tonic Chinese herbal medicine polysaccharides can improve the body's immune response to tumor cells, viruses, bacteria, and other harmful substances. However, the regulatory mechanisms by which various polysaccharides used in tonic Chinese herbal medicine enhance immune function vary. This study examines the regulatory effects of different tonic Chinese herbal medicine polysaccharides on immune organs, immune cells, and immune-related cytokines. It explores the immune response mechanism to understand the similarities and differences in the effects of tonic Chinese herbal medicine polysaccharides on immune function and to lay the foundation for the future development of tonic Chinese herbal medicine polysaccharide products.

Successful complementary therapy with Chinese herbal medicine in a patient with refractory symptoms from systemic lupus erythematosus: A case report

BackgroundThis study presents a unique case of a patient diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus and a relatively rare type of traditional Chinese medicine known as Qi deficiency and cold-dampness syndrome. The patient's condition was successfully treated using a combination of complementary therapies, specifically the modified Buzhong Yiqi decoction and the Erchen decoction. Case presentationA 34-year-old female patient experienced intermittent arthralgia and skin rash over three years. She also developed recurrent arthralgia and skin rashes in the last month, followed by low-grade fever, vaginal bleeding, alopecia, and fatigue. The patient was diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus and was prescribed prednisone, tacrolimus, anti-allergic medications (ebastine and loratadine), and norethindrone. While the arthralgia improved, the low-grade fever and rash persisted and, in some instances, worsened. Based on the evaluation of tongue coating and pulses, the patient's symptoms were attributed to Qi deficiency and cold-dampness syndrome. Consequently, the modified Buzhong Yiqi decoction and the Erchen decoction were added to her treatment regimen. The former was used to tonify Qi, while the latter was employed to resolve the phlegm dampness. As a result, the patient's fever subsided after three days, and all symptoms resolved within five days. ConclusionThe modified Buzhong Yiqi decoction and the Erchen decoction could be considered complementary therapy in systemic lupus erythematosus patients with Qi deficiency and cold-dampness syndrome.

Curative Effects of Traditional Chinese Medicine Quercetin in theTreatment of COVID-19 through Inhibiting Viral S-proteins of SARSCoV-2 from Binding to its ACE-2 Receptor

SARS-CoV-2 is the virus that causes COVID-19, an infectious respiratory disease that broke out internationally atthe beginning of 2020. SARS-CoV-2 enters its host cell as Spike (S) proteins bind to its ACE-2 receptor. Quercetin,a type of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), has been shown by previous literature to have inhibitory effects inthis pathway. However, quercetin has low bioavailability, and there is little literature on whether quercetin can lead toinhibitory effects in in-vivo conditions. This study will investigate whether SARS-CoV-2 will be inhibited from bindingto its ACE-2 receptor in Syrian hamster cell lines if (1) quercetin is applied alone, (2) bromelain, a dietary supplementthat can also increase quercetin’s bioavailability, is applied alone, and (3) quercetin and bromelain are both applied. Thisstudy will use RT-qPCR and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) to measure the inhibitory effects of any of the treatmentsin this pathway and UV spectrophotometry to measure the solubility of the treatments in saline solution.

Network pharmacology analysis of the pharmacological mechanism of Artemisia lavandulaefolia DC. in rheumatoid arthritis

ObjectiveThe traditional She medicine is a notable type of traditional Chinese medicine, which has been applied for a long history despite the lack of sufficient mechanistic understanding. Our study revealed the possible molecular mechanism of sesquiterpene 5α-Hydroxycostic acid, active ingredient of traditional She medicine Artemisia lavandulaefolia DC., in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). MethodsRA-fibroblast like synoviocytes (RA-FLSs) were treated with 5α-Hydroxycostic acid, Anthemidin, and methotrexate (MTX). CCK-8 and ELISA were used to measure the resultant viability of RA-FLSs and to quantify pro-inflammatory cytokines. Target genes of 5α-Hydroxycostic acid and Anthemidin, RA-related differentially expressed genes, and RA-related genes were retrieved by bioinformatics analyses, results of which were further intersected to identify candidate genes. The protein-protein interaction network was constructed to develop the pharmacophore model. The molecular docking was simulated to determine the core target androgen receptor (AR) for subsequent molecular mechanism investigation in vitro. ResultsThe 5ɑ-Hydroxycostic acid, Anthemidin, or MTX of different concentrations inhibited the viability of RA-FLSs, and downregulated the levels of proinflammatory cytokines. The pharmacophore model and molecular docking of 10 candidate targets with 5α-Hydroxycostic acid were successfully established. In vitro experiments provided evidence confirming that 5α-Hydroxycostic acid elevated AR expression to inhibit inflammatory responses of RA-FLSs and degradation of extracellular matrix. ConclusionTherefore, this study reveals the active ingredient sesquiterpene 5α-Hydroxycostic acid of traditional She medicine Artemisia lavandulaefolia DC., and illustrates potential molecular mechanism in RA treatment by upregulating AR expression. This study is the first to report the effect of the active ingredient sesquiterpenes in traditional She medicine A.lavandulaefolia DC on RA and elucidate the underlying molecular mechanism associated with up-regulated AR expression. This study provides new insights into the mechanistic understanding of traditional She medicine in the treatment of RA.

Therapeutic effects on cancer of the active ingredients in rhizoma paridis.

Cancer is a major threat to human health, with high mortality and a low cure rate, continuously challenging public health worldwide. Extensive clinical application of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for patients with poor outcomes of radiotherapy and chemotherapy provides a new direction in anticancer therapy. Anticancer mechanisms of the active ingredients in TCM have also been extensively studied in the medical field. As a type of TCM against cancer, Rhizoma Paridis (Chinese name: Chonglou) has important antitumor effects in clinical application. The main active ingredients of Rhizoma Paridis (e.g., total saponins, polyphyllin I, polyphyllin II, polyphyllin VI, and polyphyllin VII) have shown strong antitumor activities in various cancers, such as breast cancer, lung cancer, colorectal cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and gastric cancer. Rhizoma Paridis also has low concentrations of certain other active ingredients with antitumor effects, such as saponins polyphyllin E, polyphyllin H, Paris polyphylla-22, gracillin, and formosanin-C. Many researchers have studied the anticancer mechanism of Rhizoma Paridis and its active ingredients. This review article describes research progress regarding the molecular mechanism and antitumor effects of the active ingredients in Rhizoma Paridis, suggesting that various active ingredients in Rhizoma Paridis may be potentially therapeutic against cancer.

Compound Kushen injection attenuates angiotensin II‑mediated heart failure by inhibiting the PI3K/Akt pathway.

Compound Kushen injection (CKI) is a type of traditional Chinese medicine that has previously been studied for the treatment of various types of cancer. Previous studies have reported that CKI regulates cell apoptosis by downregulating the PI3K/Akt pathway. The present study aimed to determine whether CKI alleviates heart failure (HF) by attenuating cardiomyocyte apoptosis via the inhibition of the PI3K/Akt pathway. Angiotensin II (Ang II) was used to elicit HF, and osmotic minipumps with either Ang II (2µg/kg/day) or phosphate‑buffered saline (PBS; 200µl) were subcutaneously implanted into 6‑week‑old male C57BL/6 mice for 3weeks. In addition, PBS or CKI (25mg/kg/day) were subcutaneously infused once a day for 3weeks. Echocardiography was used to examine hemodynamics. The myocardial injury biomarkers, cardiac troponin I and N‑terminal (NT)‑pro hormone B‑type natriuretic peptide, were assessed using enzyme‑linked immunosorbent assay. Transmission electron microscopy was used to determine the morphology of the myocardium. The rate of apoptosis was detected using TUNEL staining and flow cytometry (FCM), and the expression levels of apoptosis‑related proteins were measured using western blot (WB) analysis. Moreover, H9C2 cells were treated with CKI (2mg/ml) or LY294002 (an inhibitor of the PI3K/Akt pathway; 25µmol/l) in combination with Ang II (1µmol/l) for 48h. Cell Counting Kit‑8 assay, FCM and WB analysis were performed in the H9C2 cells to examine cell viability, cell cycle distribution and representative signaling proteins. It was found that CKI promoted healthy cardiac function, reduced myocardial structural damage and reduced the rate of cardiomyocyte apoptosis. CKI markedly attenuated the expression of apoptosis‑related proteins in the PI3K/Akt pathway. The results of the invitro experiments indicated that CKI promoted cardiomyocyte proliferation and inhibited apoptosis, similar to LY294002. On the whole, the present study demonstrates that CKI reduces cardiomyocyte apoptosis, promotes healthy cardiac function and attenuates Ang II‑mediated HF. These ameliorative effects may be associated with the inhibition of the PI3K/Akt pathway.

Effect of moxibustion on meridian in a warm needling model: A protocol for a prospective observational study

Warm needling is a type of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), which uses burned moxa to generate warmth and exerts a therapeutic effect on human skin. Additionally, based on TCM theory, warm needling could improve deficiency-cold syndrome. Research has found that warm needling has analgesic effects as well as effects on the immune system, endocrine system, nervous system, and lower urinary tract symptoms. However, the mechanism of warm needling on the meridians is not fully understood. In modern studies, the electric characteristics of the meridians have been discovered and the combination of semiconductor and TCM theory could explain the meridian phenomena through physics. However, there is no known research exploring the relationship between thermal effect and electric property on the meridians. A total of 30 healthy participants older than 20 years of age will be recruited for this study. The participants would first be administered acupuncture, following which the electric characteristics will be measured using the semiconductor analyzer Agilent B1500A/Agilent 4156C. The visual analog score (VAS) will also be rated. Thereafter, a burned moxa will be added to the acupuncture needles as a method for warm needling. The electric characteristics and VAS will be measured again. We will use the paired t-test and repeated measure two-way ANOVA to compare the electric characteristics and VAS before and after warm needling in each participant. This protocol aims to explore the thermal effect on the electric characteristics of meridians in a warm needling model and provide a scientific explanation of TCM through the aspect of physics.

Traditional Chinese Medicine Syndromes are Associated with Driver Gene Mutations and Clinical Characteristics in Patients with Lung Adenocarcinoma.

This study aimed to investigate the associations between traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndromes and driver gene mutations as well as the clinical characteristics of patients with lung adenocarcinoma. We performed a cross-sectional study in patients with lung adenocarcinoma between June 2020 and October 2021. The patient characteristics, such as age, sex, smoking history, clinical stage, metastasis, driver gene mutations, and the type of traditional Chinese medicine syndrome/element, were collected. The associations between each TCM syndrome and sex, smoking history, clinical stage, metastasis, and driver gene mutations were analyzed. The present study included 127 patients. The most frequent TCM syndromes were Qi and Yin deficiency (39, 30.7%) and lung-spleen Qi deficiency (32, 25.2%). Eighty-one (63.8%) patients had mutations in driver genes, especially in the EGFR gene (64, 79.0%). There was a statistically significant association between a driver gene mutation and TCM syndrome (P < 0.05). Genetic mutations presented more frequently in patients with Qi and Yin deficiency (37.0%), lung-spleen Qi deficiency (30.0%), or the cold element (59.3%). Male patients were more likely to have Qi stagnation and blood stasis, whereas female patients were more likely to have lung-spleen Qi deficiency or Qi and Yin deficiency. The patients with lung-spleen Qi deficiency were usually younger than those with Qi and Yin deficiency or Qi stagnation and blood stasis (P < 0.05). Compared with the patients with other TCM syndromes, the patients with Yin and Yang deficiency were more likely to have bone metastasis. TCM syndromes were associated with driver gene mutations, sex, age, and bone metastasis in patients with lung adenocarcinoma.

Glycyrrhizic Acid and Its Derivatives: Promising Candidates for the Management of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Its Complications.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a chronic metabolic disease, which is characterized by hyperglycemia, chronic insulin resistance, progressive decline in β-cell function, and defect in insulin secretion. It has become one of the leading causes of death worldwide. At present, there is no cure for T2DM, but it can be treated, and blood glucose levels can be controlled. It has been reported that diabetic patients may suffer from the adverse effects of conventional medicine. Therefore, alternative therapy, such as traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), can be used to manage and treat diabetes. In this review, glycyrrhizic acid (GL) and its derivatives are suggested to be promising candidates for the treatment of T2DM and its complications. It is the principal bioactive constituent in licorice, one type of TCM. This review comprehensively summarized the therapeutic effects and related mechanisms of GL and its derivatives in managing blood glucose levels and treating T2DM and its complications. In addition, it also discusses existing clinical trials and highlights the research gap in clinical research. In summary, this review can provide a further understanding of GL and its derivatives in T2DM as well as its complications and recent progress in the development of potential drugs targeting T2DM.

Compound Kushen injection reduces severity of radiation-induced gastrointestinal mucositis in rats.

Mucositis, or damage/injury to mucous membranes of the alimentary, respiratory, or genitourinary tract, is the major side effect associated with anticancer radiotherapies. Because there is no effective treatment for mucositis at present, this is a particular issue as it limits the dose of therapy in cancer patients and significantly affects their quality of life. Gastrointestinal mucositis (GIM) occurs in patients receiving radiotherapies to treat cancers of the stomach, abdomen, and pelvis. It involves inflammation and ulceration of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract causing diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain, and bloating. However, there is currently no effective treatment for this debilitating condition. In this study, we investigated the potential of a type of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), compound Kushen injection (CKI), as a treatment for GIM. It has previously been shown that major groups of chemical compounds found in CKI have anti-inflammatory effects and are capable of inhibiting the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Intraperitoneal administration of CKI to Sprague Dawley (SD) rats that concurrently received abdominal irradiation over five fractions resulted in reduced severity of GIM symptoms compared to rats administered a vehicle control. Histological examination of the intestinal tissues revealed significantly less damaged villus epithelium in CKI-administered rats that had reduced numbers of apoptotic cells in the crypts. Furthermore, it was also found that CKI treatment led to decreased levels of inflammatory factors including lower levels of interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-6 as well as myeloperoxidase (MPO)-producing cells in the intestinal mucosa. Together, our data indicate a novel effect of CKI to reduce the symptoms of radiation-induced GIM by inhibiting inflammation in the mucosa and apoptosis of epithelial cells.

Evaluation for druggability of traditional Chinese medicine preparations in medical institutions based on human use experience

Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) preparations in medical institutions are an important source of research and development(R&amp;D) of TCM new drug. With years of usage in therapy, these preparations&apos; safety and effectiveness have generally been validated in clinic. However, there are still a few disadvantages in TCM new medicine development, such as similar prescriptions, excessive prescription ingredients, too broad clinical orientation, lack of solid clinical data, issue in pharmaceutical quality control, and intellectual property disputes. Nowadays, the Three-Combined Evaluation System has strengthened policy support for the new TCM R&amp;D. In order to improve the success rate of TCM R&amp;D, due to the difficulties within, this paper proposes the process of transforming TCM preparations in medical institutions into new TCM and advocates the evaluation for druggability based on Human Use Experience(HUE). The potencial preparations ought to follow traditional Chinese Medical theory, sufficient HUE data in indication, syndrome type of TCM, target population, usage, dosage, and course of treatment are required. Particular attention should be paid to the source, evolution, and improvement process of prescription, and evaluate the dosage, ingredients, and herb resources of prescription. To assess the feasibility of mass production, it is necessary to determine whether the pharmaceutical process is mostly consistent with the new drug and whether the dosage form is reasonable. By summarizing the clinical application of the preparations, the whole picture of its clinical application would be reveal as much as possible. It is beneficial to evaluate its clinical value and R&amp;D prospect. In consideration of the lack of clinical safety data of preparations, safety profile needs to be collected according to the prescription. The quality of clinical data needs to be evaluated by focusing on the integrity and accuracy of data to reduce bias and confusion. Significant care should be paid to intellectual property protection to avoid legal disputes.

Concomitant Medication Use With Xiyanping Injection and the Risk of Suspected Allergic Reactions: A Nested Case-Control Study Based on China's National Medical Insurance Database.

Introduction: Xiyanping injection (XYP), a type of Traditional Chinese Medicine, is widely used and often applied in combination with other medications in treating bronchitis, tonsillitis, and bacillary dysentery in China. In recent years, an elevated risk of allergic reactions has been observed following XYP, but whether concomitant medication use contributes to this risk is still unknown. Objective: This study aims to investigate the association between the concomitant use of XYP and the 25 most frequently co-applied medications with suspected allergic reactions for China’s patients receiving XYP. Methods: A nested case–control study was conducted using the sampling data from 2015 China’s Urban Employees Basic Medical Insurance and Urban Residents Basic Medical Insurance database. Four anti-allergic marker drugs were used to evaluate suspected allergic reactions. Univariate analyses and multivariable conditional logistic regression were conducted, and results were reported as odds ratios (ORs) with a 95% confidence interval (CI). Sensitivity analyses were performed on the expanded sample by including those prescribed with anti-allergic marker drugs on the same day as XYP and then stopped XYP on the next day. Results: Out of 57,612 participants with XYP prescription, we obtained 949 matched case–control pairs. Multivariable conditional logistic regression revealed that seven concomitant medications including gentamicin [OR = 4.29; 95% CI (2.52, 7.30)], cefoperazone-sulbactam [OR = 4.26; 95% CI (1.40, 13.01)], lidocaine [OR = 2.76; 95% CI (1.79, 4.25)], aminophylline [OR = 1.73; 95% CI (1.05, 2.85)], ribavirin [OR = 1.54; 95% CI (1.13, 2.10)], potassium chloride [OR = 1.45; 95% CI (1.10, 1.91)], and vitamin C [OR = 1.32; 95% CI (1.03, 1.70)] were associated with increased risk, while cefathiamidine [OR = 0.29; 95% CI (0.16, 0.51)] was associated with reduced risk. Sensitivity analysis on 2,438 matched pairs revealed similar findings. Conclusion: Increased risks for suspected allergic reactions were found for the concomitant use of XYP with seven medications. Our data suggest that gentamicin, cefoperazone-sulbactam, lidocaine, and ribavirin should be applied with precautions for patients receiving XYP, and further studies on drug interactions and allergy mechanisms are warranted.

Analysis on the medication rule of traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of COVID-19 patients.

Objective:To describe patterns of utilization of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in the treatment of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).Methods:Adult patients with COVID-19 who received TCM treatment were divided into a non-serious group (mild and moderate types) and a serious group (severe and critical types) according to their admission conditions. The medical records and prescriptions of these patients were investigated to determine their TCM utilization patterns.Results:In all, 3,872 COVID-19 patients were included. Oral Chinese traditional patent medicine (CPM) was the most commonly used type of TCM, followed by decoction. The proportion of multi-drug combinations was higher than single drug use (55.0% vs. 45.0%). Decoction combined with oral CPM was the most common combination (39.1%, 1,514/3,872). Orally administered, injected, and externally applied CPM were significantly more common in the serious group than in the non-serious, while decoction and non-drug TCM treatments were more common in the non-serious than in the serious group. Multi-drug combinations were used for the majority of patients in both groups, mainly in the form of decoctions combined with oral CPM. Among the serious patients, injected CPM was more often used in patients who died during treatment (35.0%, 36/103). The two most common medication patterns were decoction combined with oral CPM and oral CPM alone in the two finally discharged groups. Oral CPM alone or used in combination with injected CPM were seen most commonly in the death group. Significant differences were established in TCM utilization and medication patterns among patients in three groups who had different prognoses and outcomes.Conclusions:The treatment measures and medication patterns of TCM commonly used in COVID-19 patients with the range of conditions found in this study should be further explored in the future to provide a more complete reference for COVID-19 treatment.

The Astragaloside IV Derivative LS-102 Ameliorates Obesity-Related Nephropathy.

BackgroundAstragaloside IV is the most important bioactive component of Radix Astragali. Previous studies have shown that astragaloside IV plays an important role in the control of early- and mid-stage diabetes and late diabetic nephropathy. However, it is disappointing that the in vivo solubility of astragaloside IV and its bioavailability after oral administration are very low. We recently obtained a new water-soluble derivative of astragaloside IV-astragaloside formic acid (LS-102), which has higher bioavailability than the parent compound. In our previous study, we found that there was a significant inflammatory response in the perirenal adipose tissue of mice with obesity-related nephropathy induced by a high-fat diet (HFD), which was related to macrophage infiltration. We hypothesized that in model mice with obesity-related nephropathy, LS-102 effectively regulated the inflammatory response and pathological changes in obesity-related nephropathy through macrophages in perirenal adipose tissue. If this hypothesis is true, the effects of LS-102 and astragaloside IV on TGF-β1/Smad signal transduction will be further investigated.MethodsIn this study, adipose stem cells and an HFD-induced obesity-related nephropathy mouse model were used to observe the regulatory effect of LS-102 on perirenal fat inflammation and the mechanism. Adipose mesenchymal stem cells were extracted from mice that were fed a normal diet and those with obesity-related nephropathy. The effects of LS-102 on the proliferation of two kinds of cells were measured by the CCK-8 method. The levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-a) and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) were measured by ELISA. Obesity-related nephropathy mice were randomly divided into five groups: the HFD group, the LAS group (HFD+low concentration of astragaloside IV [10 mg/kg], intragastrically [ig]), the HAS group (HFD+high concentration of astragaloside IV [40 mg/kg], ig), the L102 group (HFD+low concentration of LS-102 [10 mg/kg], ig) and the H102 group (HFD+high concentration of LS-102 [40 mg/kg], ig). Body weight was measured, and the levels of serum glucose, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), serum creatinine (Crea) and blood urea were measured. The kidneys were stained with HE, PAS and Masson’s trichrome. Perirenal adipose tissue was harvested to examine the expression of CD68, LCA, CD11C, TNF-a, TGF-β1, Fn1, Smad2, Smad3, Smad4, and Smad7 by immunohistochemical staining, and F4/80 was examined by immunofluorescence staining.ResultsLS-102 significantly inhibited the in vitro secretion of TNF-a and PAI-1 by adipose stem cells in a concentration-dependent manner (P < 0.05). In vivo, the body weights in the LAS group, HAS group, L102 group and H102 group were significantly lower than those in the HFD group (P < 0.05). Except for that in the HFD group, the volume of perirenal adipocytes in the other groups was small and uniform (P < 0.05). Compared with the LAS, HAS, L102 and H102 groups, the HFD group had a larger glomerular cross-sectional area, proliferation of mesangial cells and the mesangial matrix, and increased matrix area/glomerular area (P < 0.05). The effect of LS-102 was better than that of astragaloside IV at the same concentration (P < 0.05). Compared with those in the HFD group, glucose, HDL-C, LDL-C and urea levels in the LAS group, HAS group, L102 group and H102 group were significantly decreased (P < 0.05). The expression of F4/80, CD68, LCA, TNF-a, CD11C, and PAI-1 in perirenal adipose tissue in the HFD group was significantly higher than that in the LAS group, HAS group, L102 group and H102 group (P < 0.05). Compared with those in the HFD group, the expression levels of TGF-β1 and Fn1 in the HAS group, L102 group and H102 group were significantly increased (P < 0.05). Compared with the HFD group, the HAS group, L102 group and H102 group had decreased immunopositive rates of Smad2, Smad3 and Smad4 (P < 0.05). At the same concentration, the effect of LS-102 was better than that of astragaloside IV (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the expression of Smad7 among the different experimental groups (P > 0.05).ConclusionAstragaloside IV and LS-102 improved the inflammatory reaction in perirenal adipose tissue and renal pathological changes in obesity-related nephropathy model mice and inhibited the TGF-β1/Smad signaling cascade. At the same concentration, the effect of LS-102 was better than that of astragaloside IV. These results suggest that LS-102 has a better protective effect against obesity-related nephropathy. LS-102 may be a new type of traditional Chinese medicine for the clinical treatment of obesity and its related metabolic diseases.

Effects of the Chinese Herb Medicine Formula "She-Xiang-Yu-Hong" Ointment on Wound Healing Promotion in Diabetic Mice.

Wound healing in diabetic patients is a difficult problem to be solved at present. In addition, patients with diabetes have an increased risk of postoperative wound complications. “She-Xiang-Yu-Hong” (SXYH) ointment is a type of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) compound used to treat wounds. Over the past few years, SXYH has been applied in the Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu University of TCM (Chengdu, China) for the treatment of diabetic foot infections and bedsores, whereas there has been rare research on the effect of SXYH ointment on wound healing. In this study, SXYH ointment was first applied to streptozotocin (STZ)-triggered diabetic ICR mice (4–6 weeks, 20 ± 2 g) to observe the accelerated wound healing and the shortened wound healing period. As indicated by the histology and biochemistry analyses of skin biopsies, the wounds treated using SXYH ointment showed an increase in the granulation tissue. Moreover, SXYH also modulated the inflammation response by regulating affinity proinflammatory cytokines release (e.g., IL-6 and TNF-α). Furthermore, SXYH ointment obviously improved collagen fiber deposition and tissue on the wound surface. On the whole, this study indicated that SXYH ointment could accelerate wound healing, promote blood vessel formation, and suppress inflammations. Thus, the clinical potential of SXYH ointment was demonstrated in the treatment of diabetes and refractory wounds.

Biejiajian Pill Promotes the Infiltration of CD8+ T Cells in Hepatocellular Carcinoma by Regulating the Expression of CCL5.

Tumor-infiltrating CD8+T lymphocytes are mostly associated with a favorable prognosis in numerous cancers, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Biejiajian Pill (BJJP) is a common type of traditional Chinese medicine that is widely used in the treatment of HCC in China. Previous studies showed that BJJP suppressed the growth of HCC cells both in vivo and in vitro, by exerting direct cytotoxic effects on tumor cells. The present study demonstrated that in addition to direct cytotoxicity, BJJP inhibits the growth of tumor cells by promoting the infiltration of CD8+T cells into the tumor in H22-bearing mice. Mechanistically, chemokine ligand 5 (CCL5) was identified as one of the most highly expressed chemokines by tumor cells in vivo after treatment with BJJP. Additionally, CCL5 was knocked down in H22 cells and the results showed that knockdown of the gene significantly impaired the infiltration of CD8+T cells in vivo. Furthermore, the effects of BJJP on human HCC cell lines were assessed in vitro. Similarly, cells treated with BJJP had higher expression of CCL5 mRNA, which was consistent with increased levels of CCL5 protein in human tumor cells. These findings provide new insights into the anticancer effects of BJJP, which regulated the expression of CCL5 and the infiltration of CD8+T cells. The results, therefore, suggest that BJJP has great potential application in clinical practice.

Analysis on application law of dampness-removing traditional Chinese medicines in treatment of coronavirus disease 2019

ObjectiveCoronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been diagnosed as an epidemic disease characterized by cold and dampness pathogens in TCM clinic. Due to many Chinese medicines with different functions were used in the treatment of COVID-19, it is very important to find the law of application of damp-removing traditional Chinese medicine with high frequency application, with view to providing a reference for the use and research of Chinese medicine to further control the pandemic. MethodsThe publicly released diagnosis and treatment programs issued by the National Health Commission and Health Commission of provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities, and Chinese herbs prescription information in these were collected, a database was established, and Excel and Graphpad 8.0 software were used to analyze the frequency of use of various Chinese medicines, the frequency and property characters including five flavors (bitter, pungent, sweet, sour, and salty) and four natures (warm, hot, cool, and cold) and channel tropisms of Chinese medicine for removing dampness. ResultsA total of 137 prescriptions of Chinese medicine for treating COVID-19 were collected, including 178 TCMs showing functions of resolving phlegm, relieving cough and asthma, resolving dampness, clearing damp and inducing dieresis, clearing heat, tonifying deficiency, and relieving exterior syndrome, in which the TCMs with the first four functions that we called the dampness-removing TCMs, accounted for 35.78%. Also a number of TCMs in the rest functions showed removing-dampness. The first four functions were divided into subfunctions including aromatic resolvingdampness, clearing heat and drying dampness, drying dampness and tonifying spleen qi, drying dampness and removing phlegm, inducing diuresis and relieving swelling, inducing diuresis and relieving exterior syndrome. Among them, the most frequently used TCMs was Ephedrae Herba, followed by Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium, Pogostemonis Herba, Pinelliae Rhizoma, Poria, Scutellariae Radix, and Atractylodis Rhizoma. The property character analysis in the dampness-removing TCMs showed that bitter and pungent were largely present and sour and astringent were absent, warm and hot were dominant; And the lung, spleen, stomach, large intestine, bladder were main channel tropisms. ConclusionDampness-removing TCMs are the first important type of traditional Chinese medicine to be considered in the treatment of COVID-19 in Chinese medicine. The application of dampness-removing TCMs in the treatment of COVID-19 needs to be combined with its application law. This study may provide meaningful and useful information on further research to investigate the effective compounds from the dampness-removing Chinese medicine with high frequency application, and also provide a reference for the clinical treatment of COVID-19 accurately against dampness evil with dampness-removing traditional Chinese medicines.

Differentiation Between Chaenomelis Fructus and its Common Adulterant, Guangpi Mugua.

The dried fruit of Chaenomeles speciosa, known as Chaenomelis Fructus or Zhoupi Mugua, is a type of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) that is widely used to treat many diseases. Guangpi Mugua, the dried fruit of the Chaenomeles sinensis, is its most commonly known adulterant. To establish a robust approach for the quality control and identification of Chaenomelis Fructus. Thin-layer chromatography (TLC) was optimized and used to discriminate Chaenomelis Fructus from Guangpi Mugua. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) combined with fingerprint analysis and partial least-squares (PLS) discrimination analysis (DA) was employed to study the chemical differences between Chaenomelis Fructus and Guangpi Mugua. The single standard to determine multi-components (SSDMC) method, with credible precision, repeatability, stability, and durability, was developed for quantitative analysis of the abundant markers. The developed TLC and HPLC methods were effective in the authentication of Chaenomelis Fructus. Moreover, oleanolic acid, ursolic acid, pomolic acid, corosolic acid, 3-O-acetylpomolic acid, and one unknown compound were identified to be critical markers for the discrimination of Chaenomelis Fructus from Guangpi Mugua. Adulteration has always been a challenge in the development of TCM. This study presents useful insights that may help solve the problem of adulteration during the preparation of Chaenomelis Fructus. The present study provides a systematic method for the quality control of Chaenomelis Fructus. This is therefore the first step towards solving the problem of adulteration to improve the clinical safety and effectiveness of Chaenomelis Fructus.