The purpose of this study was to explore the clinical efficacy and safety of Gynostemma pentaphyllum (G. pentaphyllum) in the treatment of hyperlipidemia, and to provide systematic evaluation basis for clinical application. CNKI, Wanfang Data, VIP, Web of science, PubMed, Embase and Cochrane Library were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) about G. pentaphyllum in the treatment of hyperlipidemia. Review Manager 5.4 were used for statistical analysis. Through reading topics, abstracts, and full texts, 27 papers with 2311 cases involved that met the inclusion and exclusion criteria were finally included for the analysis. In terms of curative effect, the effect of G. pentaphyllum alone in increasing high density lipoprotein (HDL) index was better than that of conventional treatment, and the effect of reducing total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG) and low density lipoprotein (LDL) was similar to that of conventional treatment. There was a synergistic effect between G. pentaphyllum and conventional drugs, and the combination of G. pentaphyllum and conventional drugs was superior to conventional treatment in reducing TG and increasing HDL. G. pentaphyllum can also decrease the levels of serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase and glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase in the treatment of hyperlipidemia, indicating a certain protective function of the liver. In terms of safety, there were fewer cases of adverse reactions in the G. pentaphyllum treatment group, and the adverse reaction events reported in the literature was mild. According to the results of meta-analysis, G. pentaphyllum was effective in the treatment of hyperlipidemia, and it has the potential to be combined with traditional drugs, has a certain liver protection function, and was superior to traditional drugs in the treatment of hyperlipidemia.

To investigate the crucial role of particle size in the biological effects of nanoparticles, a series of mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) were prepared with particle size gradients (50, 100, 150, 200 nm) with the traditional Stober method and adjusting the type and ratio of the silica source. The correlation between toxicity and size-caused biological effects were then further examined both in vitro and in vivo. The results indicated that the prepared MSNs had a uniform size, good dispersal, and ordered mesoporous structure. Hemolytic toxicity was found to be independent of particle size. At the cellular level, MSNs with smaller particle sizes were more readily internalized by cells, which initiated to more intense oxidative stress, therefor inducing higher cytotoxicity, and apoptosis rate. In vivo studies demonstrated that MSNs primarily accumulated in the liver and kidneys of mice. Pharmacokinetic analysis revealed that larger MSNs were eliminated more efficiently by the urinary system than smaller MSNs. The mice's body weight monitoring, blood tests, and pathological sections of major organs indicated good biocompatibility for MSNs of different sizes. Animal welfare and the animal experimental protocols were strictly consistent with related ethics regulations of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University. Overall, this study prepared MSNs with a particle size gradient to investigate the correlation between toxicity and particle size using macrophages and endothelial cells. The study also examined the biosafety of MSNs with different particle sizes in vivo and in vitro, which could help to improve the safety design strategy of MSNs for drug delivery systems.

OBJECTIVETo test and verify the transient therapeutic effect of acupuncture at point "Qingchuan" on bronchial asthma.

METHODSTwo hundred cases of bronchial asthma at acute attack stage were divided into a trial group of 100 cases treated with acupuncture at point "Qingchuan" and a control group of 100 cases treated with acupuncture at Dingchuan (EX-B1).

RESULTSThe total effective rate was 92.60% and the effect occurred within 42-860 seconds after acupuncture in the trial group, and 81.0% and within 114-126 seconds in the control group, respectively, with very significant differences between the two groups (P < 0.01, P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONAcupuncture at point "Qingchuan" can significantly improve asthmatic state in the patient of bronchial asthma with action of rapidly stopping asthma.

Four flavonoids were isolated from Gynostemma pentaphyllum by chromatography methods and their structures were identified by MS and NMR spectra data as quercetin-3-O-( 2″,6″-di-α-L-rhamnosyl)-β-D-galactopyranoside( 1),quercetin-3-O-( 2″,6″-di-α-L-rhamnosyl)-β-D-glucopyranoside( 2),quercetin-3-O-( 2″-α-L-rhamnosyl)-β-D-galactopyranoside( 3),and quercetin-3-O-( 2″-α-L-rhamnosyl)-β-D-glucopyranoside( 4). Among them,compounds 1-3 were obtained from the Cucurbitaceae family for the first time.The four flavonoids showed potent antioxidant effects against the DPPH,·OH and ■radicals in vitro,especially for DPPH radical scavenging activity with the IC50 values of 71. 4,29. 5,48. 3 and 79. 2 μmol·L~(-1),respectively. Moreover,the four flavonoids displayed strong cytoprotection against AAPH-induced oxidative damage in LLC-PK1 cells by suppressing the increase of malondialdehyde( MDA) and the decrease of the superoxide dismutase( SOD) and glutathione( GSH). Since further research is needed to prove its efficacy in vivo and clinical trial,the study may provide four potential antioxidants from G. pentaphyllum.
Animals ; Antioxidants ; Flavonoids ; Gynostemma ; LLC-PK1 Cells ; Oxidative Stress ; Plant Extracts ; Quercetin ; Swine

This study focuses on the therapeutical effect of flavonoids from Gynostemma pentaphyllum on human lung carcinoma A549 cells induced by H₂O₂ oxidative stress and its possible mechanisms. The oxidative damage model was established using different concentrations H₂O₂ to induce A549 cell for different hours, and then treated with the flavonoids for 10 hours. The effects of flavonoids from G. pentaphyllum on cell viability of A549 cell damaged by H₂O₂ were detected by MTT assay. The contents of ROS were detected by DCFH-DA fluorescent probe method via flow cytometer. The contents of MDA, SOD and GSH were detected by TBA，NBT and DTNB-linked colorimetry assay, respectively. Expressions levels of Nrf2, NQO1 and HO-1 in A549 cells were evaluated by Western blot. The results showed that the cell activity was decreasing with the rise of H₂O₂ concentration within the range of 200-700 μmol·L⁻¹. The cell viability was 60.4% after treated with 500 μmol·L⁻¹H₂O₂ for 10 h, so it was chosen to be as an oxidant stress model. Compared with normal group，the contents of SOD, GSH and HO-1 expressions were lower after damaged with H₂O₂. On the contrary, the contents of ROS and MDA expressions were increased. Compared with model group, the contents of SOD, GSH and the expressions of Nrf2, NQO1 and HO-1 were increased after treated with flavonoids from G. pentaphyllum. The above results demonstrate that flavonoids from G. pentaphyllum may attenuate the effect of H₂O₂-induced oxidative stress on A549 cell by resisting oxidation. The finding may provide a biological evidence for the application of the G. pentaphyllum to fight the oxidative stress related diseases.

Heat-processed Gynostemma pentaphyllum has strong biological activity, and saponins are the main components. To investigate the changes of saponins in G. pentaphyllum before and after heat processing, the present study determined and analyzed the content of nine saponins in G. pentaphyllum from Zhangzhou of Fujian and Jinxiu of Guangxi by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography with quadrupole ion-trap mass spectrometry(UPLC-Q-Trap-MS). The separation of the analytes was performed on an ACQUITY UPLC BEH C_(18) column(2.1 mm×50 mm, 1.7 μm) at 30 ℃, with acetonitrile and 0.1% formic acid in water as the mobile phase by gradient elution, and the flow rate was 0.3 mL·min~(-1). Quantitative analysis was performed using electrospray ionization source(ESI) in the multiple reaction-monitoring(MRM) mode. The results showed that the content of saponins with biological activities increased after heat processing. Specifically, gypenoside L, gypenoside LI, damulin A, damulin B, ginsenoside Rg_3(S), and ginsenoside Rg_3(R) in G. pentaphyllum produced in Zhangzhou of Fujian increased by 7.369, 8.289, 12.155, 7.587, 0.929, and 1.068 μg·g~(-1), respectively, while the content of ginsenoside Rd, gypenoside LVI, and gypenoside XLVI, which were abundant in the raw materials, decreased by 0.779, 19.37, and 9.19 μg·g~(-1), respectively. The content of gypenoside L, gypenoside LI, damulin A, damulin B, ginsenoside Rg_3(S), and ginsenoside Rg_3(R) in G. pentaphyllum produced in Jinxiu of Guangxi increased by 0.100, 0.161, 0.317, 0.228, 3.280, and 3.395 μg·g~(-1), respectively, while the content of ginsenoside Rd, gypenoside LVI, and gypenoside XLVI in the raw materials was reduced by 1.661, 0.014, and 0.010 μg·g~(-1), respectively. The results suggest that heat processing is an effective way to transform rare gypenosides. Furthermore, it is found that there are great differences in the content of gypenosides in different regions.
China ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Gynostemma ; Hot Temperature ; Saponins

Objective: To analyze the rate of erythrocyte iron incorporation and provided guidance for the iron nutrition for prepubertal children. Methods: Fifty-seven prepubertal children of Beijing were involved in this study and each subject was orally administered 3 mg of Fe twice daily to obtain a total of 30 mg Fe after a 5-d period. The stable isotope ratios in RBCs were determined in 14th day, 28th day, 60th day, and 90th day. The erythrocyte incorporation rate in children was calculated using the stable isotope ratios, blood volume and body iron mass. Results: The percentage of erythrocyte Fe incorporation increased starting 14 th day, reached a peak at 60 d (boys: 19.67% ± 0.56%, girls: 21.33% ± 0.59%) and then decreased. The erythrocyte incorporation rates of Fe obtained for girls in 60th day was significantly higher than those obtained for boys ( < 0.0001). Conclusions The oral administration of Fe to children can be used to obtain erythrocyte iron incorporation within 90 d. Prepubertal girls should begin to increase the intake of iron and further studies should pay more attention to the iron status in prepubertal children.
Beijing ; Child ; Erythrocytes ; metabolism ; Female ; Humans ; Iron ; metabolism ; Iron Isotopes ; analysis ; Male ; Mass Spectrometry ; methods

The efficacy of gastrodin as a Chinese herbal medicine extract in the treatment of tension-type headache has been confirmed. This paper systematically reviewed the efficacy and safety of gastrodin in the treatment of tension-type headache, aiming to provide a new choice for the treatment of this disease. In this study, four Chinese databases, four English databases and two trial registries were searched from the date of establishment to September 2020. The related randomized controlled trials(RCTs) were screened out according to the predetermined criteria. The bias risk assessment tool developed by Cochrane collaboration was used to evaluate the quality of the reports. RevMan 5.4.1 was used for Meta-analysis, and GRADE system for the evidence-based evaluation on the quality of outcome indicators. A total of 177 articles were retrieved and 8 articles were finally included for analysis, with a total sample size of 1 091 cases, which included 565 cases in the treatment group and 526 cases in the control group. The overall quality of included stu-dies was not high. The results of Meta-analysis are as follows:(1)In terms of headache frequency, gastrodin group was better than wes-tern medicine group(MD=-2.90, 95%CI[-3.76,-2.03], P<0.000 01).(2)In terms of number of abnormal blood vessels in TCD, gastrodin group was better than western medicine group(MD=-88.96, 95%CI[-102.36,-75.55], P<0.000 01).(3)In terms of effective rate, gastrodin group was better than western medicine group(RR=1.47, 95%CI[1.29, 1.68], P<0.000 01). The results of subgroup analysis are as follows:(1)Effective rate based on age, for the patients upper age limit 40-46 years old, gastro-din group was better than western medicine group(RR=1.69, 95%CI[1.50, 1.90], P<0.000 01); for the patients upper age limit 55-60 years old, gastrodin group was better than western medicine group(RR=1.27, 95%CI[1.16, 1.38], P<0.000 01).(2)Effective rate based on dosage form, both the gastrodin capsules and injection groups were better than western medicine group(RR_(capsules)=1.42, 95%CI[1.08, 1.88], P=0.01; RR_(injection)=1.50, 95%CI[1.26, 1.77], P<0.000 01). GRADE evaluation showed that the above outcomes had low quality of evidence. Only one article detailed the occurrence of adverse reactions and thus the present study cannot make a positive conclusion on the safety of gastrodin in the treatment of tension-type headache. The small number and low quality of the included reports affected the reliability of the results. In the future, more high-quality randomized controlled trails are needed to improve the evaluation on the efficacy and safety of gastrodin in the treatment of tension-type headache.
Adult ; Benzyl Alcohols/therapeutic use* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/adverse effects* ; Glucosides ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Reproducibility of Results ; Tension-Type Headache

OBJECTIVE: This study is to obtain precise data on iron physiological requirements in Chinese children using single stable isotope tracer technique. METHODS: Thirty boys (10.6 ± 0.2 years) and 27 girls (10.4 ± 0.2 years) were received oral 6 mg ⁵⁷Fe each day for 5 consecutive days. Venous blood samples were subsequently drawn to examine the change of total iron concentration and ⁵⁷Fe abundance at day 0, 14, 28, 60, 90, 180, 360, 450, 540, 630, 720. The iron physiological requirement was calculated by iron loss combined with iron circulation rate once ⁵⁷Fe abundance stabilized in human body. RESULTS: The iron physiological requirement was significantly lower in boys than those values in girls (16.88 ± 7.12 vs. 18.40 ± 8.81 μg/kg per day, P < 0.05). Correspondingly, the values were calculated as 722.46 ± 8.43 μg/day for boys and 708.40 ± 7.55 μg/day for girls, respectively. Considering nearly 10% iron absorption rate, the estimated average iron physiological requirement was 6.0 mg/day in boys and 6.2 mg/day in girls. CONCLUSION This study indicate that iron physiological requirement could require more daily iron intake in girls as compare with the values in boys having the same body weight. These findings would be facilitate to the new revised dietary reference intakes.
Body Weight ; Child ; China ; Female ; Humans ; Iron ; Isotopes ; Male ; Nutritional Status

Objective:To explore the long-term effect of Zhenzhu Tiaozhi capsule（FTZ） on hemoglobin A1c（HbA1c）in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus （T2DM） based on real-world data. Method:T2DM patients who were provided with FTZ （FTZ group） and those receiving conventional hypoglycemic drugs （control group） were extracted from the hospital information system （HIS） of the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University， followed by propensity score matching （PSM） for balancing the confounding factors between groups. With HbA1c as the efficacy evaluation index， the difference in efficacy between the two groups was compared using t-test and χ² test. For repeated measurement data of the same patient， the difference in efficacy and the stability of FTZ against HbA1c were analyzed by generalized estimating equation （GEE）. The factors that might affect the efficacy of FTZ against HbA1c were subjected to multivariate linear regression analysis （MLRA）， and the subgroup analyses were then conducted after the stratification of relevant factors. Result:There were 46 patients included in the FTZ group and 1 208 patients in the control group. PSM yielded 42 pairs of samples with balanced covariates between groups. As revealed by one-year observation， ① HbA1c in the FTZ group after treatment was 6.51%±1.09%. No significant difference was observed either in pre- and post-treatment comparison in the FTZ group or in its comparison with the control group. At the same time， the HbA1c compliance rate in the FTZ group was 73.8% after treatment. No significant difference was observed either in pre- and post-treatment comparison in the FTZ group or in its comparison with the control group. ② The GEE results showed that the post-treatment HbA1c levels in the two groups were not significantly different from each other. Moreover， the HbA1c level remained stable over treatment time. ③ MLRA and subgroup analyses results demonstrated that FTZ was more effective in patients with high baseline HbA1c ［β=-0.530，95% confidence interval（CI） -0.850～-0.209，P<0.01］ or those who were complicated with hypertension （β=-0.918，95%CI -1.614～-0.222，P<0.05）. Conclusion:In the real world， FTZ is able to control the blood sugar， and its effect is similar to those of conventional hypoglycemic drugs. Besides， it is capable of stabilizing the blood sugar for a long time.