Objective:To establish the quality standard for Chidan Ganxian granules. Methods:TLC was used to identify Paeoni-ae Radix Rubra, Rhizoma Polygoni Cuspidati, Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae, Herba Saururi and Radix et Rhizoma Rhei in Chidan Ganx-ian granules, and the content of paeoniflorin was determined by HPLC. The stationary phase was an Apollo C18 column ( 150 mm × 4. 6 mm, 5 μm), the mobile phase was acetonitrile-water(12. 5∶87. 5), the flow rate was 1. 0 ml·min-1, the detection wavelength was at 230 nm, and the temperature was 30℃. Results:The characteristic spots of the granules were the same as those of the standard samples without any interference from the negative control. Paeoniflorin had a good linear relationship within the range of 0. 120-1. 436 μg(r=0. 999 4), and the average recovery was 99. 8% with RSD of 1. 80%(n=6). Conclusion:The method is simple, ac-curate, reliable and reproducible, which can be used in the quality control of Chidan Ganxian granules.

Ephedrae Radix Et Rhizoma is a traditional Chinese medicine, and the effect of antiperspirant has been recorded in books on Chinese medicines in all dynasties. By referring the relative literatures on Ephedrae Radix Et Rhizoma from home and abroad, the study progress in the chemical constituents, pharmacological actions and clinical application of Ephedrae Radix Et Rhizoma in the latest 40 years were reviewed to lay foundation for the reasonable exploitation and utilization of Ephedrae Radix Et Rhizoma.

Objective To explore the value of the located needles guided by intraoperative ultrasound in resection of brain cavernous malformations. Methods Fourteen patients diagnosed as brain cavernous malformations confirmed by preoperative CT and MRI. Detected by the located needles under intraoperative ultrasound guidance, 14 lesions were excised. Results Intraoperative ultrasound-guided needles accurately located 14 cases of patients with brain cavernous malformations. Fourteen lesions were removed successfully. The distances between lesions and the dura mater were 1.5-2.9 cm,the sizes of lesions were 0.8-2.8 cm. Fourteen lesions by color Doppler flow imaging showed point-like blood flow. Conclusions Brain cavernous malformations can be accurately detected by the located needles under intraoperative ultrasound guidance.

Objective:To observe the clinical effect of warm needling moxibustion for knee osteoarthritis (KOA) by a randomized controlled trial.
Methods: Sixty cases with KOA were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group, 30 cases in each group. The observation group was treated by warm needling moxibustion. The control group was treated by simple acupuncture. Ten sessions made one course and the two groups were treated for two courses. The scores of knee joint pain, stiffness and knee functions before and after the treatment were observed.
Results: The scores of Western Ontario and McMaster Universities osteoarthritis index (WOMAC) on pain, stiffness and joint functions before and after treatment in both groups were statistically different (all P<0.05). The comparisons of the scores in pain, stiffness and joint function after treatment between the two groups were all statistically different (all P<0.05). The total effective rate was 93.3%in the observation group and 80.0%in the control group. The differences of the clinical effects between the two groups were statistically significant (P<0.05).
Conclusion: Warm needling moxibustion can improve the clinical symptoms and functions of the patients with KOA, and is better than ordinary acupuncture in the therapeutic effect.

Objective: To establish a new standard for the quality evaluation of Schisandrae chinensis Fructus. Methods: On the basis of the 2015 edition pharmacopoeia standard of Schisandrae chinensis Fructus, some testing items including the characteristic chro-matogram (HPLC) and total lignans content (UV) were established. Results: With schizandrin as the reference material, the HPLC specific chromatograms of Schisandrae chinensis Fructus including 7 characteristic peaks were established. The content of total lignans in Schisandrae chinensis Fructus was not less than 1. 8% with schizandrin as the standard. Conclusion: The proposed quality evalua-tion standard is more comprehensive and reproducible. It can provide a more scientific evaluation tool for the quality evaluation of Schisandrae chinensis Fructus and its related preparations.

Immunotherapy that targets checkpoints, especially programmed cell death protein 1 and programmed cell death ligand 1, has revolutionized cancer therapy regimens. The overall response rate to mono-immunotherapy, however, is limited, emphasizing the need to potentiate the efficacy of these regimens. The functions of immune cells are modulated by multiple stimulatory and inhibitory molecules, including lymphocyte activation gene 3 (LAG-3). LAG-3 is co-expressed together with other inhibitory checkpoints and plays key roles in immune suppression. Increasing evidence, particularly in the last 5 years, has shown the potential of LAG-3 blockade in anti-tumor immunity. This review provides an update on the biological properties and clinical applications of LAG-3 in cancers.

Polygonum capitatum is a traditional Chinese medicine widely used for urinary system diseases in the minority areas. Its research began in the 1980s. The major chemical constiturents in Polygonum capitatum is flavonids, phenolic acids, organic acids, al-dehydes, ketones, lignans and triterpen. The pharmacological activities were antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antipy-retic analgesia. By referring to the relative literatures on Polygonum capitatum from home and abroad, the study advances in the chemi-cal constituents and pharmacological actions of Polygonum capitatum were reviewed to lay foundation for the reasonable exploitation and utilization of Polygonum capitatum.

Polygonum capitatum is a traditional Chinese medicine widely used for urinary system diseases in the minority areas. Its research began in the 1980s. The major chemical constiturents in Polygonum capitatum is flavonids, phenolic acids, organic acids, al-dehydes, ketones, lignans and triterpen. The pharmacological activities were antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antipy-retic analgesia. By referring to the relative literatures on Polygonum capitatum from home and abroad, the study advances in the chemi-cal constituents and pharmacological actions of Polygonum capitatum were reviewed to lay foundation for the reasonable exploitation and utilization of Polygonum capitatum.

To explore the mechanism of acupoint embedding for obesity based on the western pathological mechanism of chronic low inflammatory response inducing the imbalance between"promoting inflammation"and"anti-inflammation"in immune reaction, and the pathological nature of deficient healthy and state of evil domination in the TCM theory induced by the"stagnation heat, phlegm heat, dampness heat, stasis heat"on the basis of deficiency. The mechanism may be improving the secretory disorder of adipose tissue and metabolic inflammatory response by the enhanced anti-inflammatory phagocytosis clearance ability in the immune system which is caused by the new inflammatory reaction under the stimulation of innate immune response pattern. The model of"inhibiting chronic low inflammation reaction through the innate immunity"may be an important mechanism of acupoint embedding for obesity.
Acupuncture Points ; Adipose Tissue ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Immunity, Innate ; Inflammation ; therapy ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Obesity ; therapy

As confusion mounts over RNA isoforms involved in phenotypic plasticity, aberrant CpG methylation-mediated disruption of alternative splicing is increasingly recognized as a driver of intratumor heterogeneity (ITH). Protease serine 3 (PRSS3), possessing four splice variants (PRSS3-SVs; PRSS3-V1-V4), is an indispensable trypsin that shows paradoxical effects on cancer development. Here, we found that PRSS3 transcripts and their isoforms were divergently expressed in lung cancer, exhibiting opposing functions and clinical outcomes, namely, oncogenic PRSS3-V1 and PRSS3-V2 versus tumor-suppressive PRSS3-V3, by targeting different downstream genes. We identified an intragenic CpG island (iCpGI) in PRSS3. Hypermethylation of iCpGI was mediated by UHRF1/DNMT1 complex interference with the binding of myeloid zinc finger 1 (MZF1) to regulate PRSS3 transcription. The garlic-derived compound diallyl trisulfide cooperated with 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine to exert antitumor effects in lung adenocarcinoma cells through site-specific iCpGI demethylation specifically allowing MZF1 to upregulate PRSS3-V3 expression. Epigenetic silencing of PRSS3-V3 via iCpGI methylation (iCpGIm) in BALF and tumor tissues was associated with early clinical progression in patients with lung cancer but not in those with squamous cell carcinoma or inflammatory disease. Thus, UHRF1/DNMT1-MZF1 axis-modulated site-specific iCpGIm regulates divergent expression of PRSS3-SVs, conferring nongenetic functional ITH, with implications for early detection of lung cancer and targeted therapies.