Scutellariae Radix (SR), the root of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, is used as an antipyretic drug and has been demonstrated to have anti-inflammatory activity. SR is divided into two specifications, "Ku Qin" (KQ) and "Zi Qin" (ZQ), for use against different symptoms (upper energizer heat or lower portion of the triple energizer), according to the theory of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). However, differences in the efficacies of these two specifications have not been determined. In the present study, we aimed to characterize the differences in the anti-inflammatory activities between KQ and ZQ and to explore how their differences are manifested in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced macrophages. Our results showed that, in RAW264.7 cells (a mouse macrophage cell line derived from ascites), KQ and ZQ displayed anti-inflammatory effects by inhibiting the release of nitric oxide (NO), inducible NOS (iNOS), and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) in a dose-dependent manner without distinction. In NR8383 cells (a rat alveolar macrophage cell line), KQ and ZQ displayed similar effects on NO, iNOS, and NF-κB as seen in RAW264.7 cells, but KQ showed a higher inhibition rate for NO and iNOS than that shown by ZQ at the same concentration. These results indicated that there were differences in efficacy between KQ and ZQ in treating lung inflammation. Our findings provided an experimental evidence supporting the different uses of KQ and ZQ in clinic, as noted in ancient herbal records.
Animals ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents ; pharmacology ; Cell Line ; Lipopolysaccharides ; pharmacology ; Macrophages ; drug effects ; immunology ; Mice ; NF-kappa B ; genetics ; immunology ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II ; genetics ; immunology ; RAW 264.7 Cells ; Rats ; Scutellaria baicalensis ; chemistry

ObjectiveIn order to establish a systematic quality evaluation system for Fritillariae Cirrhosae Bulbus adulteration， portable near-infrared （NIR） spectroscopy was used to identify Fritillariae Cirrhosae Bulbus and its adulterants and detect their adulteration quantity. MethodA total of 72 batches of Fritillariae Cirrhosae Bulbus samples were collected and 570 batches of adulterated products （dry bulbs of Fritillaria thunbergii， F. ussuriensis， F. pallidiflora and F. hupehensis， Bulbus Tulipae， flour） were prepared， NIR spectral data of samples were collected by the portable NIR spectrometer. Linear discriminant analysis （LDA） was used to establish the qualitative correction models of Fritillariae Cirrhosae Bulbus-adulterants and adulterants of different categories， partial least squares （PLS） was used to establish the quantitative correction models of adulteration quantity of different kinds of adulterants. ResultThe recognition rates of qualitative analysis model of Fritillariae Cirrhosae Bulbus and its adulterants were 99.49% （calibration set） and 100.00% （validation set）， respectively. In different adulterant models， the recognition rates of calibration set and validation set were 70.47% and 73.68%， respectively. Moreover， the correlation coefficients of validation set （R²_P） of the six quantitative models of adulteration ratio were 0.840 2 （Fritillariae Cirrhosae Bulbus adulterated with F. thunbergii dry bulbs）， 0.960 2 （Fritillariae Cirrhosae Bulbus adulterated with F. ussuriensis dry bulbs）， 0.765 7 （Fritillariae Cirrhosae Bulbus adulterated with F. pallidiflora dry bulbs）， 0.902 5 （Fritillariae Cirrhosae Bulbus adulterated with F. hupehensis dry bulbs）， 0.957 4 （Fritillariae Cirrhosae Bulbus adulterated with Bulbus Tulipae）， 0.976 1 （Fritillariae Cirrhosae Bulbus adulterated with flour）， the root mean square error of prediction （RMSEP） were 10.948 5， 5.463 9， 13.256 4， 8.549 2， 5.655 3， 4.235 6， respectively. The two qualitative models and six quantitative models showed good prediction performance. ConclusionThe portable NIR spectroscopy can be used to identify Fritillariae Cirrhosae Bulbus and its adulterants in real time， the method is rapid and accurate， which can meet the requirements of nondestructive identification of Fritillariae Cirrhosae Bulbus on site.

In recent years, near-infrared spectroscopy has developed into an analytical technique widely used in various fields. Because of its advantages of fast, green and non-destructive, it plays an increasingly prominent role in the field of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) analysis. However, due to the complexity and overlap of spectra, near-infrared spectroscopy needs to be combined with chemometrics for analysis and calculation. The principle, application scope, advantages and limitations of near infrared spectroscopy and chemometrics are summarized in detail, in addition, their combined applications in the identification of the origin, authenticity, processed products, composition prediction and water content detection of TCM are reviewed. The authors discussed and analyzed the joint application of near-infrared spectroscopy and chemometrics in the field of TCM analysis, and summarized the unique advantages of the combined technology in the field of TCM, which had certain guiding significance for medical workers to better use this technology.

Humans ; Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ; diagnosis ; therapy

BACKGROUND: LY01005 (Goserelin acetate sustained-release microsphere injection) is a modified gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonist injected monthly. This phase III trial study aimed to evaluated the efficacy and safety of LY01005 in Chinese patients with prostate cancer. METHODS: We conducted a randomized controlled, open-label, non-inferiority trial across 49 sites in China. This study included 290 patients with prostate cancer who received either LY01005 or goserelin implants every 28 days for three injections. The primary efficacy endpoints were the percentage of patients with testosterone suppression ≤50 ng/dL at day 29 and the cumulative probability of testosterone ≤50 ng/dL from day 29 to 85. Non-inferiority was prespecified at a margin of -10%. Secondary endpoints included significant castration (≤20 ng/dL), testosterone surge within 72 h following repeated dosing, and changes in luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, and prostate specific antigen levels. RESULTS: On day 29, in the LY01005 and goserelin implant groups, testosterone concentrations fell below medical-castration levels in 99.3% (142/143) and 100% (140/140) of patients, respectively, with a difference of -0.7% (95% confidence interval [CI], -3.9% to 2.0%) between the two groups. The cumulative probabilities of maintaining castration from days 29 to 85 were 99.3% and 97.8%, respectively, with a between-group difference of 1.5% (95% CI, -1.3% to 4.4%). Both results met the criterion for non-inferiority. Secondary endpoints were similar between groups. Both treatments were well-tolerated. LY01005 was associated with fewer injection-site reactions than the goserelin implant (0% vs . 1.4% [2/145]). CONCLUSION: LY01005 is as effective as goserelin implants in reducing testosterone to castration levels, with a similar safety profile. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04563936.
Humans ; Male ; Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal/therapeutic use* ; East Asian People ; Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone/agonists* ; Goserelin/therapeutic use* ; Prostate-Specific Antigen ; Prostatic Neoplasms/drug therapy* ; Testosterone