OBJECTIVETo establish HPLC characteristic fingerprints of the saponins in Pulsatilla medicinal plants, and provide the basis for authentication and classification of Pulsatilla species.

METHODThe HPLC profiles were determined at 35 degrees C on a Symmetry C18 column (4.6 mm x 250 mm,5 microm) eluted with water (A) and acetonitrile (B) as mobile phases in a linear gradient elution with the flowrate of 0.5 mL x min(-1). The elution program was as follows: 0-8 min, 90% A to 77% A, 8-25 min, changed to 71% A, 25-40 min, to 60% A, 40-50 min, to 50% A, 50-75 min, to 10% A, 75-80 min, to 0% A. The detection wavelength was set at 210 nm.

RESULTThe different species of Pulsatilla showed different HPLC fingerprints, but with 10 common peaks. A cluster analysis of 14 accessions indicated that they were divided into four groups: all accessions from P. koreana were classified into group I, P. ambigua in group II, P. dahurica and P. turczaninovii in group III, and P. chinensis in group IV, respectively. The significant differences between P. koreana and P. dahurica, and between P. turczaninovii and P. ambigua were observed.

CONCLUSIONThe results obtained were in agreement with the traditional taxonomic study. The method was rapid and precise, not only can be used to classify and authenticate Pulsatilla species, but also provides important references for HPLC fingerprints and quality control of Pulsatilla medicinal plants.

Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; methods ; Cluster Analysis ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; classification ; Pulsatilla ; chemistry ; classification ; Quality Control

Objective:To investigate the correlation between serum albumin and hypoalbuminemia (HA) and the outcome after endovascular mechanical thrombectomy (EMT) in patients with stroke caused by acute anterior circulation large vessel occlusion.Methods:Stroke patients caused by acute anterior circulation large vessel occlusion received EMT treatment at the Department of Emergency Stroke, the Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical University from June 2020 to August 2022 were retrospectively included. The demographic information, baseline clinical data, endovascular treatment parameters, and clinical outcomes of the patients were collected. HA was defined as serum albumin <35 g/L within 24 h of admission, and poor outcome was defined as the modified Rankin Scale score >2 at 90 d after onset. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify the independent influencing factors for poor outcomes. Results:A total of 177 patients were included, with a median age of 66 years, and 126 (71.19%) were males. Thirty-nine patients (22.03%) had HA, and 119 (67.23%) had poor outcomes. The proportion of pulmonary infection in the HA group was significantly higher than that in the non-HA group ( P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that lower serum albumin (odds ratio [ OR] 4.102, 95% confidence interval [ CI] 1.316-16.451; P=0.028), postprocedural neurological deterioration ( OR 6.326, 95% CI 1.263-48.318; P=0.042) and pulmonary infection ( OR 5.873, 95% CI 1.028-24.452; P=0.018) were significantly independently associated with the poor outcomes. Conclusions:The HA group has a higher incidence of postprocedural pulmonary infection. Lower serum albumin, postprocedural neurological deterioration and pulmonary infection are the independent risk factors for the poor outcomes in patients with anterior circulation ischemic stroke who had successful recanalization after EMT.

Objective:To investigate the risk factors of hypoalbuminemia (HA) in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) caused by large vessel occlusion (LVO) after endovascular mechanical thromboectomy (EMT) and impact on outcomes.Methods:Patients first diagnosed with anterior circulation LVO-AIS and underwent emergency EMT at the Department of Acute Stroke, the Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical University from June 1, 2020 to April 31, 2023 were retrospectively included. According to the first follow-up serum albumin examination after procedure (6-8 d), the patients were divided into HA group (<35 g/L) and non-HA group (≥35 g/L). According to the modified Rankin Scale score at 90 d after EMT, the patients were divided into a good outcome group (0-2) and a poor outcome group (3-6). Univariate and multivariate logistic analysis was used to determine independent risk factors for HA after EMT and their impact on outcomes. Results:A total of 144 patients were enrolled, including 107 males (74.30%) with a median age of 64 years (interquartile range, 56-71 years). There were 50 patients (34.72%) in the HA group and 94 (65.28%) in the non-HA group; 60 (41.67%) in the good outcome group, and 84 (58.33%) in the poor outcome group. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that age (odds ratio [ OR] 1.061, 95% confidence interval [ CI] 1.014-1.111; P=0.011) and pulmonary infection ( OR 5.136, 95% CI 1.917-13.760; P=0.001) were independent risk factors for HA; HA ( OR 4.345, 95% CI 1.367-13.814; P=0.013), pneumonia ( OR 5.113, 95% CI 1.217-12.528; P=0.026), and onset to reperfusion time ( OR 5.473, 95% CI 1.090-16.05; P=0.038) were independent risk factors for poor outcomes. Conclusions:Age and pulmonary infection are independent risk factors for HA in LVO-ASI patients after EMT, and HA is the independent risk factor for poor outcomes of the patients.

Objective:To investigate the evaluation value of optical coherence tomography (OCT) for carotid atherosclerotic plaques.Methods:Patients with carotid atherosclerotic stenosis underwent digital subtraction angiography (DSA) and OCT in the Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical College from January 2020 to January 2022 were retrospectively enrolled. The demographics, baseline clinical data, DSA and OCT imaging data of the symptomatic group and the asymptomatic group were compared. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to determine the independent risk factors for symptomatic carotid atherosclerotic stenosis. Results:A total of 39 patients were enrollded, including 21 in the symptomatic group and 18 in the asymptomatic group. The detection rate of fibrous plaque in the symptomatic group was significantly lower than that in the asymptomatic group (38.1% vs. 77.78%; P=0.023), while the detection rate of plaque rupture (38.1% vs. 5.56%; P=0.023) and macrophage infiltration (42.86% vs. 11.11%; P=0.037) was significantly higher than that in the asymptomatic group. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that plaque rupture (odds ratio 6.982, 95% confidence interval 1.068-45.660; P=0.043) and macrophage infiltration (odds ratio 6.480, 95% confidence interval 1.009-41.625; P=0.049) were significantly independently associated with the symptomatic carotid atherosclerotic stenosis. Conclusions:OCT is of value in evaluating the plaque characteristics of carotid atherosclerotic stenosis. Plaque rupture and macrophage infiltration are the independent risk factors for symptomatic carotid atherosclerotic stenosis.

Ganoderma lingzhi is widely recognized as a medicinal basidiomycetes. Triterpene acids (TAs) are the key bioactive medicinal components of G. lingzhi. Our previous studies have shown that phospholipid acid (PA) produced by phospholipase D (PLD) plays a regulatory role in TA synthesis. In order to further elucidate the molecular mechanism how PA regulates TA synthesis in G. lingzhi, PA beads enrichment combined with LC-MS/MS technology was used to identify PA interacting proteins in G. lingzhi. A total of 19 PA interacting proteins were identified, including cytochrome P450 monooxygenase (GL22084), specific protein kinase MAPK (GL23765), catalase and cell surface hydrophobicity-associated protein. GST tagged GL22084 and GL23765 proteins were obtained through gene cloning, heterologous expression, and purification. The interactions between GL22084/GL23765 and PA were verified by GST pull down assay. The identification of PA interacting proteins provides a basis for further understanding the molecular mechanism how PLD-mediated PA signaling molecules regulates the TA synthesis in G. lingzhi. Moreover, the PA interacting proteins identified in this study can also provide clues for the research of PLD/PA signaling pathway in other species.
Chromatography, Liquid ; Ganoderma ; Phosphatidic Acids ; Tandem Mass Spectrometry