Objective To investigate the action mechanism of Qingjin Huatan Decoction on regulating COPD rats with mucus hypersecretion in airway. Methods Fifty 6-8 week old Wistar male rats were randomly divided into healthy group, model group, Qingjin Huatan Decoction group, clarithromycin group, 10 rats in each group. Except for healthy group, all the other groups were used the combination method of injecting LPS and smudging to establish COPD models. The last three groups were fed with normal saline, Qingjin Huatan Decoction, clarithromycin respectively for 30 days. On the 31st day of the experiment, the rats were put to death to take lung tissue. 6 rats from each group were chosen randomly, and the protein expressions of NE, EGFR and MUC5AC mRNA in lung tissue were detected by real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR. Results The expressions of NE, MUC5AC mRNA in lung tissue of COPD rats were higher than the healthy group. Compared with model group, the expressions of NE mRNA and MUC5AC mRNA in Qingjin Huatan Decoction group and clarithromycin group were markedly lower, while the expressions of NE, MUC5AC mRNA in Qingjin Huatan Decoction group were significantly lower than those in clarithromycin group. The expression of EGFR mRNA in Qingjin Huatan Decoction group was lower than that in model group. Conclusion Qingjin Huatan Decoction can inhibit mucus hypersecretion in airway through NE/EGFR/MUC5AC signal transduction pathway.

With the increasing incidence and mortality of coronary heart disease (CHD) in China, the prevention and treatment of CHD is no time to delay. Since Professor Gruentzig completed the first human case of percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) in 1977, percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) had reached to a new page. After three decades of development and change, PCI has been improved and matured gradually from the early PTCA to the current stent era. With the advent of stents, the rate of restenosis after PCI was significantly reduced from 30%-50% to 10%-20%. But stent restenosis was still with no total cure. The issue of how to prevent the stent restenosis has become a long-term major issue for the exploration in both clinical and preclinical medicine. Therefore, this paper reviewed the etiology, pathology, related risk factors, latest diagnosis methods, prevention and treatment of stent restenosis by integrative medicine.

This study was aimed to observe the safety and effectiveness ofShugan Jieyu Capsules in the treatment of vasovagal syncope (VVS) with mild-to-moderate depression and anxiety, and to compare the effect with Flupentixol and Melitracen Tablets. A total of 89 VVS cases with mild-to-moderate depression and anxiety were randomly divided into 3 groups, which were group A (Shugan Jieyu Capsules group), group B (Flupentixol and Melitracen Tablets) and group C (control group). Based on the conventional therapy of VVS treatment, treatments were given to all three groups for 8 weeks. And the negative conversion ratio of VVS in each group was observed. Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD 24 items) and Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA) were evaluated for the calculation of reductive rate. Treatment emergent symptoms scale (TESS) was used in the evaluation of adverse reactions of both medications during the treatment. In the 12-month follow-up after treatment, the recurrence rate of syncope was observed in each group. The results showed that compared with pretreatment, HAMD-24 and HAMA scores of group A and group B after treatment were significantly reduced (P < 0.05). Compared with group C, the heat-up tilt testing-negative rate, HAMD-24 and HAMA reductive rate of group A and group B after treatment were significantly increased (P < 0.05). Compared with group B, the negative rate, HAMD-24 and HAMA reductive rate of group A were more significant (P < 0.05). After treatment, scores for TESS of group A was significantly lower than group B (P< 0.05). In the 24-month follow-up, the recurrence rate of syncope of group A and group B was significantly lower than group C (P < 0.05); and group A was obviously better than group B (P < 0.05). It was concluded thatShugan Jieyu Capsules can be used in the treatment of VVS with mild-to-moderate depression and anxiety. Its effectiveness and safety may be better than Flupentixol and Melitracen Tablets.

This study was aimed to investigate the effect ofDanlou pills on prevent atherosclerosis from hypercholesterolemia rabbit and its relationship with inflammatory factors as well as PI3K/AKT signal pathways. A total of 24 Japanese male white rabbits were randomly divided into the control group (CL), model group (M) and Danlou group (DL), with 8 in each group. Normal diet was given to CL rabbits. High-fat diet was given to rabbits in other groups to establish the atherosclerosis model. Danlou pills (0.5 g·kg-1·d-1) were also given to DL rabbits. Rabbits were sacrificed after 9-week medication. The contents of blood lipid, TNF-α and IL-6 were detected. HE staining was used in the observation of histological changes in the aorta. Western blot was used to observe PI3K and p-AKT expression in the aorta. The results showed that compared with CL, the contents of TG, TC, LDL, IL-6 and TNF-α were significantly increased in M (P < 0.01); PI3K and p-AKT expression in the aorta were significantly decreased (P < 0.01). Compared with M, blood lipid, IL-6 and TNF-α were significantly reduced in DL (P < 0.05, orP < 0.01); PI3K and p-AKT expression were significantly increased (P < 0.01). It was concluded thatDanlou pills had prevention effects on atherosclerosis through reducing blood lipid and inflammatory factors. The action mechanism maybe related to the activation of PI3K/AKT signal pathways.

Objective To explore the effect and possible mechanism of berberine on the macro-phage polarization of human myeloid leukemia monocytic cell line THP-1 induced by oxidized low-density lipoprotein(ox-LDL).Methods THP-1 cells were induced into macrophages by PMA,and then according to different concentrations of berberine,the cells were divided into con-trol group,and 5,10,20,40 and 50 μmol/L berberine groups.After intervention for 24 or 48 h,CCK8 assay was used to detect cell viability for optimal concentration and time of berberine treat-ment.PMA-induced THP-1 macrophages were assigned into blank group,model group(ox-LDL),berberine group,inhibitor group(phosphatidyl inositol 3-kinase(PI3K)inhibitor LY294002)and berberine+inhibitor group(berberine+LY294002).The contents of inducible nitric oxide syn-thase(iNOS)and TGF-β1 were detected by ELISA.qPCR was employed to measure the mRNA expression of TNF-α,arginase 1(Arg1),PI3K and protein kinase B Akt1,and Western blotting was applied to detect the protein levels of Akt1 and phosphorylated protein kinase B antibody(p-Akt1).Results In 24 h after intervention,the macrophage activity was significantly lower in the 40 and 50 μmol/L berberine groups than the control group(P＜0.05),and after 48 h,the ac-tivity in all the 5 doses of berberine groups was obviously lower than that in the control group[(0.89±0.02)％,(0.82±0.03)％,(0.71±0.02)％,(0.62±0.03)％and(0.53±0.02)％vs(1.01±0.01)％,P＜0.05].Berberine treatment of 20 μmol/L for 24 h had little effect on cell viability,and the dose and the time were regarded as the best concentration and time.Compared with the blank group,iNOS content and TNF-α mRNA level were increased in the model group,while TGF-β1 content,mRNA levels of Arg1,PI3K and Akt1,and p-Akt1/Akt1 protein levels were de-creased(P＜0.05).iNOS content and TNF-α mRNA level were decreased,while TGF-β1 content,mRNA levels of Arg1,PI3K and Akt1 and protein levels of p-Akt1/Akt1s were increased in the berberine group than the model group(P＜0.05).Compared with the berberine group,iNOS con-tent and TNF-α mRNA level were increased,while mRNA levels of Arg1,PI3K and Akt1 and protein levels of p-Akt1/Akt1 were decreased in the berberine+inhibitor group(P＜0.05).Con-clusion Berberine can inhibit the inflammatory response of THP-1 macrophages induced by ox-LDL by activating PI3K/Akt1 pathway,and inhibit the M1 polarization and promote the M2 polarization of macrophages.

Objective·To use single-cell RNA sequencing(scRNA-Seq)technology to interpret the cellular communication landscape of coronary atherosclerosis(CA),and to explore the dominant cell subsets and their key genes.Methods·The GSE131778 data set was downloaded and preprocessed,and quality controlling,dimension reduction clustering and annotation were carried out.Then cell communication analysis was conducted by using CellChat package to identify dominant cell subsets.The FindAllMarker function was used to screen differentially expressed genes(DEGs)between the dominant cell subpopulation and other cell subpopulations,and its protein-protein interaction(PPI)network was constructed.The DEGs ranked in the top five of the Degree algorithm were taken as key genes.Then,the key genes were matched and mined with the cell communication network analyzed by CellChat to obtain the ligand-receptor pairs(L-R)and the signal pathways mediated by the key genes,and the results were visualized.At the same time,the atherosclerosis mouse model was constructed and RT-PCR was used to detect the expression of key genes in carotid atherosclerosis lesions.Results·A total of 11 cell subsets were identified in CA lesions,including smooth muscle cells,endothelial cells,macrophages,monocytes,etc.Cell communication results showed that CellChat detected 70 significant L-R and 26 related signal pathways in 11 cell subsets.Smooth muscle cell was the dominant cell subgroup with the most significant interaction frequency and intensity with other cell subgroups in the active state of communication.The results of DEGs screening showed that there were 206 DEGs between smooth muscle cell subsets and other cell subsets,among which ITGB2,PTPRC,CCL2,DCN and IGF1 were identified as key genes.The results of cell communication mediated by key genes showed that CCL2 and ACKR1 formed L-R and participated in the communication network between smooth muscle cells and endothelial cells through mediating CCL signaling pathway.ITGB2 formed receptor complexes with ITGAM and ITGAX respectively,and then formed L-R with C3 to mediate the complement signal pathway,participating in the communication network among smooth muscle cells,macrophages and monocytes.The validation results of hub genes in animal experiments were consistent with the results of bioinformatics analysis.Conclusion·Smooth muscle cells are the dominant cells in the pathological process of CA,and have extensive communication networks with other cells.They can construct cellular communication networks with endothelial cells,macrophages and monocytes through CCL and complement signaling pathways mediated by CCL2-ACKR1,C3-(ITGAM+ITGB2)and C3-(ITGAX+ITGB2).