Sophorae Flavescentis Radix is one of the commonly used traditional Chinese medicine in China, and a large amount of pharmaceutical residue generated during its processing and production is discarded as waste, which not only wastes resources but also pollutes the environment. Therefore, elucidating the chemical composition of the residue of Sophorae Flavescentis Radix and the differences between the residue and Sophorae Flavescentis Radix itself is of great significance for the comprehensive utilization of the residue. This study, based on ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry(UPLC-Q-TOF-MS) technology combined with multivariate statistical methods, provides a thorough characterization, identification, and differential analysis of the overall components of Sophorae Flavescentis Radix and its residue. Firstly, 61 compounds in Sophorae Flavescentis Radix were rapidly identified based on their precise molecular weight, fragment ions, and compound abundance, using a self-constructed compound database. Among them, 41 compounds were found in the residue, mainly alkaloids and flavonoids. Secondly, through principal component analysis(PCA) and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis(OPLS-DA), 15 key compounds differentiating Sophorae Flavescentis Radix from its residue were identified. These included highly polar alkaloids, such as oxymatrine and oxysophocarpine, which showed significantly reduced content in the residue, and less polar flavonoids, such as kurarinone and kuraridin, which were more abundant in the residue. In summary, this paper clarifies the overall composition, structure, and content differences between Sophorae Flavescentis Radix and its residue, suggesting that the residue of Sophorae Flavescentis Radix can be used as a raw material for the extraction of its high-activity components, with promising potential for development and application in cosmetics and daily care. This research provides a scientific basis for the future comprehensive utilization of Sophorae Flavescentis Radix and its residue.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry* ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid/methods* ; Mass Spectrometry/methods* ; Sophora/chemistry* ; Flavonoids/chemistry* ; Alkaloids/chemistry*

Following the release of the Technical Requirements on Quality Control and Standard Establishment of Traditional Chinese Medicine Formula Granules by the National Medical Products Administration in 2021, Chinese Pharmacopoeia Commission has promulgated 296 national drug standards so far, and most provinces have started the work of establishing provincial standards as supplements. The promulgation of standards fostered high-quality development of the industry. Since the implementation of national and provincial standards for more than three years, enterprises have gained deep understanding and hands-on experiences on the characteristics, technical requirements, production process, and quality control of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) formula granules. Meanwhile, challenges have emerged restricting the high-quality development of this industry, including how to formulate quality control strategies for medicinal materials and decoction pieces, how to reduce manufacturing costs, and how to improve the pass rate and product stability under high standards. Based on the work experiences from standard management and process research, this article analyzed the distribution of sources, processing methods, dry extract rate ranges, process requirements for volatile oil-containing decoction pieces, control measures of safety indices, characteristics and trends of setting characteristic chromatograms or fingerprints, characteristics and trends of setting content ranges, and main differences between national standards and provincial standards. On the one hand, this article aims to present main characteristics for deeply understanding different indicators in standards and provide basic ideas for establishing quality and process control systems. On the other hand, from the perspective of industrial practice, suggestions are put forward on the important aspects that need to be focused on in the quality and process control of TCM formula granules.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry* ; Quality Control ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional/standards* ; China ; Drug Industry/standards*

Objective To explore the mechanism of'homotherapy for heteropathy'Zhigancao Decoction in the treatment of coronary heart disease arrhythmia and pulmonary fibrosis by network pharmacology and molecular docking technology.Methods All the active components of Zhigancao Decoction were retrieved from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform(TCMSP)and Herbal Compendium(HERB).The SwissTargetPrediction database was used to predict the targets.Cytoscape software was used to construct the drugs-targets network diagram and network topology analysis was performed to obtain the core drug targets.The disease targets of coronary heart disease,arrhythmia and pulmonary fibrosis were obtained in GeneCards and OMIM databases,and the intersection targets of Chinese medicine and disease were obtained by Venny software.The intersection targets were imported into the STRING online database to construct a protein-protein interaction network,and the data were imported into Cytoscape software for visualization and screening of core targets.Gene ontology(GO)function enrichment analysis and kyto encyclo-pedia of genes and genomes(KEGG)pathway enrichment analysis were performed on the intersection targets using the Metascape database.Molecular docking verification and heat map visualization were performed on the core intersection target and the core drug target through the CB-DOCK2 online platform.Results A total of 137 active components of Zhigancao Decoction were screened out,and 848 corresponding drug targets were obtained by removing repeated values.A total of 9 962 targets of coronary heart disease,5 735 targets of arrhythmia and 7 722 targets of pulmonary fibrosis were obtained.A total of 362 drug-disease intersection targets were obtained by Venny platform processing.The potential core targets with higher degree values were GAPDH,IL-6,ALB,STAT3,TNF,MMP-9 and so on by network topology analysis.GO functional enrichment analysis showed that the main biological processes(BP)involved in Zhigancao Decoction'homotherapy for heteropathy'were the response to hormones,the positive regulation of circulatory system process,phosphorus metabolism process,the response to exogenous stimulation,and the response to organic matter,the main cellular components(CC)include lipid rafts,receptor complexes,cytoplasmic perinuclear regions,dendrites,membrane sides,etc.,the main molecular functions(MF)include protein kinase activity,kinase binding,protein homopolymerization activity,nuclear receptor activity,heme binding,etc..KEGG pathway enrichment analysis showed that the main signaling pathways involved in Zhigancao Decoction'homotherapy for heteropathy'were lipid and atherosclerosis,calcium signaling pathway,cAMP signaling pathway,insulin resistance,cGMP-PKG signaling pathway,JAK-STAT signaling pathway,NF-κB signaling pathway,etc..The results of molecular docking suggested that there was a good binding activity between the main active component targets of Zhigancao Decoction and the core targets of'homotherapy for heteropathy'.Conclusion Zhigancao Decoction mainly regulates JAK-STAT,NF-κB,cAMP and other signaling pathways,acts on IL-6,STAT3,TNF,MMP-9 and other gene targets,and exerts the effect of'homotherapy for heteropathy'on coronary heart disease arrhythmia and pulmonary fibrosis.

Complicated chemical reactions occur in the decoction of traditional Chinese medicines(TCMs) which features complex components, influencing the safety, efficacy, and quality controllability of TCMs. Therefore, it is particularly important to clarify the chemical reaction mechanism of TCMs in the decoction. This study summarized eight typical chemical reactions in the decoction of TCMs, such as substitution reaction, redox reaction, isomerization/stereoselective reaction, complexation, and supramolecular reaction. With the "toxicity attenuation and efficiency enhancement" of aconitines and other examples, this study reviewed the reactions in decoction of TCMs, which was expected to clarify the variation mechanisms of key chemical components in this process and to help guide medicine preparation and safe and rational use of medicine in clinical settings. The current main research methods for chemical reaction mechanisms of decoction of TCMs were also summed up and compared. The novel real-time analysis device of decoction system for TCMs was found to be efficient and simple without the pre-treatment of samples. This device provides a promising solution, which has great potential in quantity evaluation and control of TCMs. Moreover, it is expected to become a foundational and exemplary research tool, which can advance the research in this field.
Medicine ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Research Design

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the important effect of 3D printing personalized lumbar support on lumbar pain and lumbar function in patients with lumbar disc herniation. METHODS: From October 2018 to May 2021, 60 patients initially diagnosed with lumbar disc herniation were selected and divided into an observation group and a control group, with 30 patients in each group. Among them, there were 18 males and 12 females in the observation group;the age ranged from 24 to 56 years old, with an average of (45.23±6.07) years old. The course of disease ranged from 1 to 24 months, with an average of(6.25±0.82) months, and rehabilitation treatment was carried out by wearing 3D printed personalized lumbar support. There were 19 males and 11 females in the control group;the age ranged from 25 to 57 years old, with an average of (42.78±7.58) years old. The course of disease ranged from 1 to 24 months, with an average of (6.72±1.36) months, and rehabilitation treatment is carried out by wearing traditional lumbar protective equipment. The Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) scores, lumbar Oswestry dysfunction index (ODI) and visual analogue scale (VAS) were evaluated and compared between the two groups before and 1 course after treatment (3 weeks). RESULTS: There was no statistically significant difference in JOA, ODI, and VAS between two groups before treatment (P>0.05). After one course of treatment (3 weeks), JOA scores of both groups was increased compared to before treatment (P<0.05), while ODI and VAS decreased compared to before treatment (P<0.05). After treatment, JOA score of observation group was higher than that of control group (P<0.05), while ODI and VAS scores were lower than those of control group. No adverse events occurred in both groups. CONCLUSION The application of 3D printing personalized lumbar support can effectively alleviate the pain of patients with lumbar disc herniation and improve their lumbar function of patients.
Female ; Male ; Humans ; Young Adult ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Intervertebral Disc Displacement/surgery* ; Printing, Three-Dimensional ; Technology ; Orthopedics ; Low Back Pain

OBJECTIVE: To observe the impacts of acupuncture on depressive mood and sleep quality in patients with comorbid mild-to-moderate depressive disorder and insomnia, and explore its effect mechanism. METHODS: A total of 60 patients with comorbid mild-to-moderate depressive disorder and insomnia were randomly divided into an observation group (30 cases, 1 case dropped off) and a control group (30 cases, 2 cases dropped off). In the observation group, acupuncture and low frequency repeated transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) were combined for the intervention. Acupuncture was applied to Baihui (GV 20), Yintang (GV 24⁺), Neiguan (PC 6) and Yanglingquan (GB 34), etc., the needles were retained for 30 min; and the intradermal needles were embedded at Xinshu (BL 15) and Danshu (BL 19) for 2 days. After acupuncture, the rTMS was delivered at the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (R-DLPFC), with 1 Hz and 80% of movement threshold, lasting 30 min in each treatment. In the control group, the sham-acupuncture was adopted, combined with low frequency rTMS. The acupoint selection and manipulation were the same as the observation group. In the two groups, acupuncture was given once every two days, 3 times weekly; while, rTMS was operated once daily, for consecutive 5 days a week. The duration of treatment consisted of 4 weeks. Hamilton depression scale-17 (HAMD-17) and Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) scores were observed before and after treatment, as well as 1 month after the treatment completion (follow-up period) separately. Besides, the levels of nerve growth factor (BDNF) and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the serum were detected before and after treatment in the two groups. RESULTS: After treatment and in follow-up, the HAMD-17 scores were lower than those before treatment in the two groups (P<0.05), and the scores in the observation group were lower than the control group (P<0.05). After treatment, the total scores and the scores of each factor of PSQI were reduced in the two groups in comparison with those before treatment except for the score of sleep efficiency in the control group (P<0.05); the total PSQI score and the scores for sleep quality, sleep latency, sleep efficiency and daytime dysfunction in the observation group were all lower than those in the control group (P<0.05). In the follow-up, except for the scores of sleep duration and sleep efficiency in the control group, the total PSQI score and the scores of all the other factors were reduced compared with those before treatment in the two groups (P<0.05); the total PSQI score and the scores of sleep quality, sleep latency, sleep duration, sleep efficiency and daytime dysfunction in the observation group were lower than the control group (P<0.05). After treatment, the levels of serum BDNF and GABA were increased in comparison with those before treatment in the observation group (P<0.05), and the level of serum BDNF was higher than that in the control group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION Acupuncture relieves depressive mood and improves sleep quality in patients with comorbid mild-to-moderate depressive disorder and insomnia. The effect mechanism may be related to the regulation of BDNF and GABA levels and the promotion of brain neurological function recovery.
Humans ; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders/therapy* ; Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation ; Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor ; Treatment Outcome ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Acupuncture Points ; gamma-Aminobutyric Acid ; Depressive Disorder

ObjectiveTo investigate the effect and mechanism of total flavones of Spatholobi Caulis （TFSC） against depression in rats. MethodThe fifty KM mice were randomly divided into the normal group and high-， medium-， and low-dose （1， 0.5， 0.25 g·kg^-1） TFSC groups and gavaged with the corresponding drugs for 12 successive days. One hour after the last administration， the immobility time in forced swimming test and tail suspension test was recorded. The SD rats were randomly divided into the normal group， model group， fluoxetine （5 mg·kg^-1） group， and high- and low-dose （1， 0.25 g·kg^-1） TFSC groups. Following the exposure of rats to two different kinds of stimuli daily for inducing chronic unpredictable stress， they were administered with the corresponding drugs for 21 d. After the experiment， the levels of serum neurotransmitters and inflammatory factors in rats were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. The changes in hippocampal neurons of rats were observed by hematoxylin-eosin （HE） and Nissl staining. The mRNA expression levels of nuclear factor-κB （NF-κB） and tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） in the hippocampus of rats were detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR）， and the protein expression levels of cAMP-response element binding protein （CREB）， phosphorylated CREB （p-CREB）， and brain-derived neurotrophic factor （BDNF） in hippocampal tissues by Western blot. ResultCompared with the normal group， TFSC significantly shortened the immobility time of mice in tail suspension and swimming tests （P<0.05）. Compared with the normal group， the model group exhibited reduced sucrose intake and wilderness activity （P<0.01）， decreased 5-HT， DA， NE （P<0.05， P<0.01）， MAO， IL-6， TNF-α （P<0.05， P<0.01）， damaged neurons， increased mRNA levels of TNF-α and NF-κB （P<0.01）， and down-regulated BDNF and CREB protein expression （P<0.05）. Compared with the model group， TFSC significantly enhanced sucrose intake and wilderness activity of rats （P<0.05）， increased the serum 5-HT， DA and NE （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and decreased the serum MAO， IL-6， and TNF-α （P<0.05， P<0.01） as well as NF-κB and TNF-α mRNA expression （P<0.01）， up-regulated the protein expression levels of BDNF and CREB （P<0.01）， and improved the pathological symptoms of hippocampus. ConclusionTFSC improved the hippocampal neurons of rats via CREB/BDNF signaling pathway and reduced depressive pathological damage， thus relieving depression.

Aim To explore the effeet of soy isofla- vones (SI) on p-amyloid 1 -42 ( Ap, _42 ) -induced hippocampal neuroinflammation and neuronal apoptosis and the underlying mechanism.Methods The prima¬ry hippocampal neurons cultured in vitro were divided into control group (control), Ap,_42 treatment group f model) , SI low-dose group ( Sl-L, 10 mg • L 1 ) , and SI medium-dose group (SI-M, 20 mg • L_l ) and SI high-dose group (SI-H, 40 mg • L 1 ).The model group was treated with 30 (xmol • L"1 Ap, _42 for 48 h; the SI-L, SI-M and SI-H groups were treated with SI for 2 hours, and Ap,_42 was treated for 48 h; the con¬trol group was routinely cultured for 48 h.MTT method was used to detect the survival rate of hippocampal neurons; TUNEL staining was used to detect the apop¬tosis rate of hippocampal neurons; Western blot was used to detect COX-2, TNF-a, NF-kB p65 , P-NF-kB p65, Bcl-2 and caspase-3 protein expression levels.Results Compared with the control group, the surviv¬ al rate of hippocampal neurons was significantly re- duced (P <0.01) , and the apoptotie rate significantly increased (P<0.01).COX-2, TNF-a, p-NF-KB p65 , caspase-3 protein expressions markedly increased (P <0.05 or P <0.01 ) , and the expression of Bcl-2 protein significantly decreased in the model group ( P <0.01 ).Compared with the model group, the surviv¬al rate of hippocampal neurons, Bcl-2 protein in-creased, and the apoptotic rate, the expression of COX-2, TNF-a, p-NF-KB p65 , caspase-3 protein de¬creased (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01 ) in SI each dose group.Conclusion SI can reduce the hippocampal neuroinflammation and neuronal apoptosis induced by APi _42 by inhibiting the activation of NF-kB p65 signa¬ling pathway.

Patrinia villosa, regarding its functions in clearing heat and detoxification and eliminating carbuncles and pus, is widely used as a traditional medicinal herb that contains rich nutrition and substances such as various amino acids, vitamins, and soluble su-gar, and it is also an edible wild herb in Chinese folk tradition for 2 000 years. In 1973, Japanese scholars firstly separated three iridoids from Japanese P. villosa, and by 2021, chemical components such as flavonoids, iridoids, organic acids, triterpenoids, phenylpropanoids, and steroids have been found, which have multiple pharmacological effects, including antioxidant, antitumor, anti-diarrhea, antibacterial, sedative, and liver protection capabilities. Studies indicate that flavonoids, saponins, phenylpropanoids, and triterpenoids in P. villosa are vital substances for its pharmacological activities. However, the quality of this medicinal material cannot be controlled due to the unclear records in ancient books in the past dynasties and different drug use habits in different places, and thus its circulation is chaotic. At present, researchers have used flavonoids, organic acids, phenylpropanoids, triterpenoid saponins, and other compounds to conduct studies in this regard. Therefore, on the basis of the existing literature resources, we comprehensively summarize the chemical constituents, pharmacological activities, and quality control of P. villosa to further provide a reference for the safety and effectiveness of clinical drug use and lay a foundation for the follow-up experimental research.
Patrinia/chemistry* ; Flavonoids/pharmacology* ; Saponins ; Triterpenes/pharmacology* ; Iridoids ; Quality Control

The minimally invasive cardiovascular surgery developed rapidly in last decades. In order to promote the development of minimally invasive cardiovascular surgery in China, the Chinese Minimally Invasive Cardiovascular Surgery Committee (CMICS) has gradually standardized the collection and report of the data of Chinese minimally invasive cardiovascular surgery since its establishment. The total operation volume of minimally invasive cardiovascular surgery in China has achieved substantial growth with a remarkable popularization of concepts of minimally invasive medicine in 2019. The data of Chinese minimally invasive cardiovascular surgery in 2019 was reported as a paper for the first time, which may provide reference to cardiovascular surgeons and related professionals.