Analogous formulae (AF) refer to a set of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formulae sharing similar herbs and/or indications. Dissecting functional chemome of analogous formulae could enhance the understanding of the intrinsic nature of TCM. In this study, taking 5 Xiaoqinglong decoction analogous formulae (XQL AF) including Xiaoqinglong decoction, Mahuang Xingren Shigao Gancao decoction, Mahuang Fuzi decoction, Houpu Mahuang decoction and Daqinglong decoction as example, we systematically investigated the relationship between compounds and indications using network formulaology approach. The functional chemome of XQL AF were revealed by network analysis and molecular docking. This successful application in XQL AF suggests network formulaology could be a useful tool for AF-related research and therefore provide a new way to discover the scientific foundation of Zhang Zhongjing's herbal formulae.
Chemistry, Pharmaceutical ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; analysis ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Molecular Docking Simulation

10.3969/j.issn.1007-3969.2013.05.008

Objective To investigate the clinical features,treatment response and prognosis in children with Takayasu′s arteritis(TA) in order to improve the understanding of TA.Methods A retrospective study of 10 children with TA was performed.All of them were admitted and diagnosed in Peking University First Hospital from Jan.1998 to Oct.2008.The clinical features,laboratory tests,imaging modalities,treatment response and prognosis were all collected and evaluated.Results There were 3 boys and 7 girls in the 10 patients with TA,and the ratio of male to female was 12.3.The onset was from 4 months to 9 years old,with average age at 5.5 years old.The average duration of diagnosis was 7.6 months.The incidences of hypertension,vascular bruits,albuminuria,convulsion were present in 100%,100%,70% and 40%,respectively.The clinical types included typeⅡ(60%),type Ⅲ(10%) and type Ⅳ(30%).The acute phase inflammatory indices of activity such as erythrocyte sedimentation rate(ESR),C-reactive protein(CRP) and white blood cell(WBC) were not evidently increased.Tuberculosis infection was found in 6 out of 10 patients and anti-tuberculosis treatment was performed.Six patients were treated with steroids and 3 cases of them were also given immunosuppressives cyclophosphamide or methotrexate.Three of the 10 patients received anti-hypertensive and vasodilator.Two patients received percutaneous translurminal angioplasty and 1 patient received nephrectomy.One patient died of renal failure,heart failure and shock.Conclusions The patients with TA had high prevalence of tuberculosis infection,diagnosis as often late because of lack of specific clinical features at the acute inflammatory period.When organic ischaemia occurred,treatment response was usually unsatisfactory.Patients with multi-systemic and multi-viscera lesions should have comprehensive examination,especially for those with hypertension,pulseless and vascular bruits,in order to rule out TA.Early ultrasonography,computed tomography and magnetic resonnance image methods are valued in eariler diagnosis and they are the key factors to improve prognosis.

Objective To determine the protein expression of P14ARF,MDM2 and mutant type P53 (P53mt) in skin specimens of coal-burning-type of endemic arseniasis patients and to reveal the molecular mechanism of the disease.Methods Sixty skin specimens from 60 endemic arseniasis patients including 35 of skin lesions patients,19 of precancerous lesion and 6 of skin cancer and 9 normal skin specimens from non-cancer patients were studied.Expression of P14~,MDM2 and P53mt was evaluated by immunohistochemistry using corresponding monoclonal antibodies.Results There was significant difference in the positive rates of P14ARF,MDM2 and P53mt among the 4 groups(x2 =9.39,6.21,20.64,all P ＜ 0.05).The positive rates of P14ARF in precancerous lesion and skin cancer specimens were 46.1％ (6/19) and 33.3％ (2/6),respectively,which were significantly lower than that of the normal skin specimens [88.9％(8/9),all P ＜ 0.05].Decreased expression of P14ARF was correlated with the development of dermopathy (P ＜ 0.05).The positive rates of MDM2 and P53mt in skin lesions,precancerous lesion and skin cancer specimens were 54.2％ ( 19/35 ),63.2％ (10/19),66.7％ (4/6) and 25.7％(9/35),73.7％(14/19),83.3％(5/6),respectively,which were significantly higher than those of the control (0,0,all P＜ 0.05).The expression of MDM2 and P53mt increased with the development of dermopathy(all P ＜ 0.05).Conclusions P53mt protein in skin tissue of coal-burning-type of endemic arseniasis patients is over expressed.Abnormal expression of P14ARF and MDM2 may be one of the reasons lead to abnormal cell cycle control disorders and may play a role in the development of endemic arseniasis.

Objective To investigate the regulatory effects of cyclic diguanylate (c-di-GMP) signaling on CheB and CheR, which were chemotaxis regulatory proteins relating to the motility of Leptospira interrogans.Methods Real-time PCR was used to determine the expression of cheB1, cheB2, cheB3, cheR1 and cheR2 genes at mRNA level during Leptospira interrogans infection.Fragments of these genes were amplified and cloned into the expression vector pET-28a, respectively, to construct the prokaryotic expression system for them.Colony morphologies of Escherichia coli (E.coli) strains that overexpressed the target genes were observed to determine the regulatory effects of c-di-GMP on CheB and CheR.Results The expression of cheB1 gene at mRNA level increased 60 min after infection and reached the peak at 90 min.Compared with the control group, the expression of cheB3 gene at mRNA level were up-regulated, while no significant difference in the expression of cheB2 and cheR genes was observed 60 min after infection.The prokaryotic expression system for the five genes was successfully constructed and the purified proteins were obtained.CheB1, CheB3 and CheR2 improved the motility of E.coli, but that was inhibited by the inhibitor of diguanylate cyclase (DGC) or phosphodiesterase (PDE).Conclusion CheB and CheR regulate the swarming motility of E.coli and are affected by intracellular c-di-GMP.

Objective To observe the dynamic changes of neuron-specific enolase(NSE)mRNA and protein in offspring rats brain tissue with bilirubin encephalopathy and explore the pathological mechanism and its diagnostic value on bilirubin encephalopathy.Methods Seven-day postnatal Wistar rats were used for study.One hundred and twenty rats were divided into 2 groups randomly(control group and experimental group),which were respectively subdivided into 6 groups(6,12,24,48,72,96 h).The rats in control group were intraperitoneally administered physiological saline 0.5 mL,the rats in experimental groups were intraperitoneally administered bilirubin(200 mg/kg).Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction was used to analyze the dynamic changes of NSE mRNA expression at 6,12,24,48,72 and 96 h in brain tissue of rats with bilirubin encephalopathy.Immunohistochemistry was used to evaluate NSE protein expression in hippo-campi,cerebral cortex,thalamic and pallidus at different times.Results The expression of NSE mRNA significantly decreased in brain tissue of rats with bilirubin encephalopathy from 6 h to 96 h compared with the control groups.The expression of NSE protein in hippocampi decreased in offspring rats with bilirubin encephalopathy from 6 h to 96 h,but there were no differences compared with the control groups.The expression of NSE protein in cerebral cortex was significantly decreased in rats with bilirubin encephalopathy from 6 h to 96 h,there were significant differences compared with the control group.The expression of NSE protein in thalamic significantly decreased in rats with bilirubin encephalopathy from 6 h to 96 h,but there were significant differences between experimental groups and the control groups at 24 h and 72 h.The expression of NSE protein in pallidus significantly decreased in offspring rats with bilirubin encephalopathy from 6 h to 96 h,and there were significant differences compared with control groups.Conclusions The changing trends of expression of NSE mRNA were identical to those of NSE protein.NSE may reflect the degree of injury of neurogliocyte.It can serve as reliable index to determine bilirubin encephalopathy.

AIMTo examine the liver mechanism with which clenbuterol (CL) is explained how to affect growth metabolism.

METHODSThe technique of chronic poly catheter was used to study the effects of CL (0.8 mg/kg b w) on the hepatic flux of nitrogen, VFA and glucose in 4 sheep.

RESULTSThe urea-nitrogen flux in CL-treated period always was lower than that in control during 24 h. The average flux of urea-nitrogen in hepatic and portal vein were decreased by 16.86% (P < 0.01) and 15.51% (P < 0.05), respectively, compared with that of control. The peptide level in hepatic vein was decreased with the treatment of CL, average flux of peptide was decreased by 38.71% (P < 0.01). But the peptide level of portal vein in CL treatment period was similar to control. Moreover, VFA level in the portal vein was enhanced by CL, the average flux of acetate in portal vein was increased by 19.49% (P < 0.01). No difference of VFA level in hepatic vein was noted between CL-treated period and control. In addition, the glucose flux in hepatic vein was obviously increased with CL treatment, the average flux of glucose was increased by 25.96% (P < 0.01). And glucose flux in portal vein was also elevated during CL-treated period.

CONCLUSIONCL can affect growth metabolism of animal with increasing nitrogen deposition, improving absorption and utilization of VFA and enhancing glucose synthesis in sheep liver.

Animals ; Clenbuterol ; pharmacology ; Fatty Acids, Volatile ; metabolism ; Glucose ; metabolism ; Liver ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Sheep

OBJECTIVETo explore the alterations in pulmonary arterial reactivity during pulmonary arterial hypertension at the early-stage of pulmonary fibrosis in rats.

METHODSSixty-six male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 2 groups: bleomycin (BLM) group and sham group. The rats in BLM group were received single intratracheal instillation of BLM (5 mg/kg), and the rats in sham group received equal volume of 0.9% normal saline (NS). The alterations in pulmonary arterial reactivity were measured by vascular tension detected technique, the pathomorphological changes in the wall of pulmonary arteries were displayed with Hematoxylin-Eosin (HE) staining, the degree of fibrosis in lung was revealed with Masson staining, and the mean pulmonary arterial pressure was detected via a catheter in the pulmonary artery.

RESULTS(1) The contractile response to a- adrenoceptor agonist phenylephrine (PE), of pulmonary arteries both with remaining endothelium and with removing endothelium, from BLM-treated rats , was reduced significantly, compared with sham rats (P both < 0.05). (2) The relaxant response to the endothelially dependent vasodilator acetylcholine (Ach), of pulmonary arteries with remaining endothelium, from BLM-treated rats, was also reduced, compared with sham rats (P < 0.01). (3) In sham rats, the contractile response to (omega) -nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) plus PE, of pulmonary arteries with remaining endothelium, was enhanced, compared with that to PE alone (P < 0.01), while in BLM group, the contractile responses to L-NAME plus PE, of pulmonary arteries with remaining endothelium, was not different from that to PE alone (P > 0.05). (4) In BLM group, vascular endothelial cells lost. (5) In BLM group, the initial stage of fibrogenesis was observed in lungs, and the mean pulmonary arterial pressure increased, compared with that in sham group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe abnormal responsibility of pulmonary arteries occurred during pulmonary arterial hypertension at the early-stage of pulmonary fibrosis in rats.

Animals ; Familial Primary Pulmonary Hypertension ; Hypertension, Pulmonary ; complications ; physiopathology ; Male ; Pulmonary Artery ; physiopathology ; Pulmonary Fibrosis ; complications ; physiopathology ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Vasomotor System ; physiology

Objective To observe the therapeutic efficacy of balance cupping plusYang He decoction in treating granulomatous mastitis (GM).Method Eighty GM patients were randomized into a treatment group and a control group according to the last digit of registered number, odd or even, 40 cases each. The control group was treated withYang He decoction; the treatment group was intervened by balance cupping in addition to the treatment given to the control group. They were treated for 6 months in total. The size of lump, swollen size and infection size by the ultrasound B-scanning were observed before and after the treatment, and the clinical efficacies were compared between the two groups.Result The total effective rate was 82.5％ in the treatment group versus 60.0％ in the control group, and the between-group difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). There was a significant difference in comparing the clinical efficacy between the two groups (P<0.05). The size of lump, swollen area and infection size by the ultrasound B-scanning were significantly changed in the two groups after the treatment (P<0.05); the between-group comparisons showed significant differences after the treatment (P<0.05).Conclusion Balance cupping plusYang He decoction can produce a certain efficacy in treating GM.

To ascertain whether connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) participates in the remodeling of pulmonary artery at the early-stage of bleomycin (BLM)-induced pulmonary fibrosis, mean pulmonary arterial pressure, the expression of type I and type III collagens, and the expression and location of CTGF in pulmonary artery and arteriole were investigated in the present study. Sprague-Dawley rats received instillation of BLM [5 mg/kg body weight, in 0.5 mL of normal saline (NS)] or instillation of the same amount of NS as control. Mean pulmonary arterial pressure was detected via a catheter in the pulmonary artery. Type I and type III collagens were examined with Sirius red staining under polarized light. CTGF expression was investigated by using immunohistochemistry, and was represented as average optical density and percentage of positive area of CTGF. The mean pulmonary arterial pressure was higher in rats on day 14 after BLM instillation [(19.5+/-2.9) mmHg] than that in the control rats [(14.8+/-1.2) mmHg] (P<0.05). The type I and type III collagens were increased both in pulmonary artery and arteriole of rats on day 14 after BLM instillation, compared with those in the control rats (P<0.05, P<0.01, respectively). The ratio of type I/III collagens in pulmonary artery was also higher in BLM-treated rats than that in the control rats (P<0.05). The values of average optical density of positive CTGF staining were increased both in pulmonary artery (0.37+/-0.02) and arteriole (0.40+/-0.03) of rats on day 14 after BLM instillation, compared with those in the control rats (artery, 0.34+/-0.01; arteriole, 0.29+/-0.01) (both P<0.05). The percentages of positive area of CTGF were higher in pulmonary artery (8.40+/-1.13) and arteriole (12.4+/-2.0) of rats on day 14 after BLM instillation than those in the control rats (artery: 1.42+/-0.63; arteriole: 1.16+/-0.34), respectively (both P<0.05). The increased positive CTGF staining areas were mainly located in the endothelium and smooth muscle layer. It is therefore concluded that CTGF expression increases in the endothelium and smooth muscle layer of pulmonary artery and arterioles during high pulmonary arterial pressure and remodeling of pulmonary artery at the early-stage of BLM-induced pulmonary fibrosis, and that the increased CTGF might be one of the mechanisms of maintenance and development of pulmonary hypertension.
Animals ; Bleomycin ; Collagen Type I ; metabolism ; Collagen Type III ; metabolism ; Connective Tissue Growth Factor ; metabolism ; Hypertension, Pulmonary ; Pulmonary Artery ; metabolism ; Pulmonary Fibrosis ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley