The theory of"eyes as the convergence of various meridians"recorded in the Ling Shu Kouwen chapter is the theoretical basis for acupuncture treatment of eye diseases.This article explained the theoretical connotation of"eyes as the convergence of various meridians"from this perspective:eyes rely on the circulation of the twelve meridians and the nourishment of qi and blood to maintain the divine radiance;the penetrating operation of the twelve meridians enhances the close connection between the eyes,the brain,and various related organs.Based on the above theoretical basis,the basic pathogenesis of amblyopia patients with"lack of dependence on qi and unclear visual perception"was summarized.The treatment principle is"regulating qi and meridians,improving vision",and the application of the regulating qi and improving vision acupoint formula has shown good efficacy.The article also expounded the acupoint selection rules and basis from the perspective of meridian syndrome differentiation,in order to provide reference for the selection and compatibility of acupoints for amblyopia.

Objective To predict and preliminarily validate potential shared key genes involved in cardiac complications caused by influenza A virus(IAV)and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2)infections.Methods Differentially expressed genes(DEGs)associated with cardiac complications were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus(GEO)database.A hierarchical intersection strategy was applied.First,cardiac complication related DEGs were overlapped with 2 independent virus related gene sets:3 454 human genes linked to IAV infection in GeneCards and 333 human protein-coding genes interacting with SARS-CoV-2 in the Human Protein Atlas.The 2 overlap results were then intersected to yield 22 hub genes.Lasso regression,random forest(RF)and support vector machine algorithms(SVM)were employed to refine this list.Predicted genes were validated in vitro in H1N1-infected human cardiomyocyte AC16 cells and in vivo in IFITM3 knockout mice challenged with H1N1,assessing transcriptional changes.Results A total of 22 hub genes were identified through integrative bioinformatics analysis.Application of the 3 machine learning algorithms resulted in 5 common key genes:ACE2,TBK1,NUP210,PUSL1,and MEPCE.In vitro infection of AC16 cells with H1N1 revealed dynamic transcriptional changes in all 5 genes post-infection(P<0.05).In vivo experiments using H1N1-infected IFITM3 knockout mice confirmed the dynamic mRNA expression changes of these 5 genes,consistent with the in vitro results(P<0.05).Conclusion By combining multilayered bioinformatics analysis with 3 machine learning approaches,5 common key genes are identified:ACE2,TBK1,NUP210,PUSL1 and MEPCE.Validation in H1N1 infection models confirms their relevance to IAV-induced cardiac complications.

The theory of"eyes as the convergence of various meridians"recorded in the Ling Shu Kouwen chapter is the theoretical basis for acupuncture treatment of eye diseases.This article explained the theoretical connotation of"eyes as the convergence of various meridians"from this perspective:eyes rely on the circulation of the twelve meridians and the nourishment of qi and blood to maintain the divine radiance;the penetrating operation of the twelve meridians enhances the close connection between the eyes,the brain,and various related organs.Based on the above theoretical basis,the basic pathogenesis of amblyopia patients with"lack of dependence on qi and unclear visual perception"was summarized.The treatment principle is"regulating qi and meridians,improving vision",and the application of the regulating qi and improving vision acupoint formula has shown good efficacy.The article also expounded the acupoint selection rules and basis from the perspective of meridian syndrome differentiation,in order to provide reference for the selection and compatibility of acupoints for amblyopia.

Synapse is the key part of information transmission between neurons,which has certain plasticity.Glutamate receptor plays an important role in the synaptic plasticity of the central nervous system,and acupuncture can regulate the glutamate receptor to normal under pathological conditions,and its research is also deepening.This paper summarizes the recent research literature on the effects of two types of glutamate receptors,ionic glutamate receptor and metabotropic glutamate receptor,on synaptic plasticity,as well as acupuncture regulating the expression of ionic glutamate receptor and metabotropic glutamate receptor,in order to provide a theoretical basis for acupuncture regulating synaptic plasticity based on glutamate receptor expression,and provide reference for subsequent research.

Objective To optimize the preparation process of Swertia patens,Burk.standard decoction and establish its quality standard by using the quality by design(QbD)concept.Methods Critical Quality Attributes(CQAs)were predicted and analyzed according to the quality marker(Q-marker)theory of traditional Chinese medicine;Failure mode and effects analysis(FMEA)was used to screen critical process parameters(CPPs);The measurement method of key quality attributes was established;The extraction process was optimized by Box Behnken test after the preliminary range was determined according to the single factor test;The entropy method was used for comprehensive scoring;The design space was established and the optimal operation space for process validation was selected;Standard decoction of Swertia patens Burk in fifteen batches with different habitats were prepared with the best technology,and the quality standards for the extraction rate,extract,thin layer chromatography,fingerprint,content,and the content transfer rate were established finally.Results The key quality attributes were swertiamarin content,gentiopicrin content,and paste yield;The key process parameters were soaking time,water amount,and decocting time;The established model had statistical significance;The optimum conditions were as follows:soaking time 90 min,adding water 15 times,decocting time 30 min(second decocting 20 min);The paste yield was 21.13％-30.73％;The extract was 82.00％-88.00％;The spot of swertiamarin was clear in TLC;The similarity between each samples in 15 batches and reference atlas were＞0.85％;The content of swertiamarin was 250.64-385.21 mg·g-1,and the transfer rate was 43.76％-77.73％;The content of gentiopicrin was 0.69-2.70 mg·g-1,and the transfer rate was 56.02％-105.29％.Conclusion Based on the above methods and techniques,the preparation process of Swertia patens Burk.The standard decoction was screened,which provides a reference for the preparation development and quality control of its formula granules.

Swertia patens Burk. is a commonly used herbal medicine of the Yi nationality in Yunnan, China. It is widely used in the treatment of children with spastic abdominal pain, cholecystitis, and other diseases, mainly containing iridoid glycosides and ketone compounds. The highest and most significant pharmacological activity, with antispasmodic, analgesic, sedative, anti-inflammatory, liver-protecting, stomach-protecting, and other effects, is closely related to its effects of soothing the liver, clearing heat, and relieving stomach pain. As a very distinctive pediatric folk medicine, the related quality standards of Swertia patens Burk. have not been perfected, and the development of preparations is relatively lagging.

Da Chaihu decoction is a classic prescription for the treatment of cholecystitis that is widely used in clinical practice, and has a definite curative effect. However, due to its diverse components and complex functions, the traditional indexes fail to capture its overall efficacy. Therefore, this study analyzed and predicted the quality markers (Q-markers) of Da Chaihu decoction based on specific chromatogram and network pharmacology to provide a reference for the comprehensive control of the quality. The study obtained 35 potential practical components of Da Chaihu decoction through virtual screening. The specific chromatogram of 15 batches of Da Chaihu decoction was established by HPLC-DAD with neohesperidin as a reference. Compared with the chromatographic peaks and the reference substance, the chemical components were assigned to predict the nine components of albiflorin, paeoniflorin, naringin, hesperidin, neohesperidin, baicalin, wogonoside, saikosaponin b₂, saikosaponin b₁ as Q-markers of Da Chaihu decoction. Finally, the network of the "components-key targets-signal pathways-biological processes" was constructed by network pharmacology to explore the mechanism of Da Chaihu decoction in treating cholecystitis to clarify the accuracy of Q-markers. The results indicated that potential Q-markers could act on multiple targets to regulate inflammatory and metabolism, and then combine to treat cholecystitis. Q-markers could combine with the pharmacologic action of Da Chaihu decoction, which could elucidate the overall efficacy of Da Chaihu decoction. This study explored the Q-markers of Da Chaihu decoction combined with the specific chromatogram and network pharmacology, which provided a basis for the quality control and evaluation of Da Chaihu decoction.

Dachaihu Decoction is a classical Chinese herbal prescription that is effective in harmonizing lesser yang and purging internal accumulated heat. At present, it has been widely used in clinical practice, and the resulting outcomes are satisfactory. However, its quality indicators and action mechanism are still not clear. Therefore, this paper explored the efficacy markers of Dachaihu Decoction and its action mechanism based on literature mining, molecular biology, and network pharmacology, so as to better control its quality and ensure its clinical efficacy. The efficacy markers of Dachaihu Decoction were predicted and analyzed according to the "five principles" for Q-markers of Chinese herbs. Then the anti-inflammatory activity of the efficacy markers of Dachaihu Decoction was evaluated with Griess reagent after the establishment of RAW264.7 cell inflammation model in vitro with lipopolysaccharide(LPS). The potential targets of efficacy markers were predicted by Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform(TCMSP), ChEMBL, and SwissTargetPrediction, followed by the construction of the protein-protein interaction(PPI) network of the efficacy markers of Dachaihu Decoction. Topological, GO, and KEGG enrichment analysis was carried out to construct the "key target-signaling pathway-biological process" network, thus elucidating the action mechanism of the efficacy markers of Dachaihu Decoction. Saikosaponin B_2, baicalin, baicalein, wogonoside, neohesperidin, naringin, hesperidin, and paeoniflorin were considered as the potential efficacy markers of Dachaihu Decoction. The anti-inflammatory activity evaluation showed that the potential efficacy markers effectively inhibited the release of NO, exhibiting good anti-inflammatory activities. As demonstrated by network pharmacology, the efficacy markers of Dachaihu Decoction regulated the inflammatory response by acting on MAPK and NF-κB signaling pathways, the carbohydrate metabolism by HIF-1 and PI3 K-AKT signaling pathways, and the lipid metabolism by AMPK and PI3 K-AKT signaling pathways. This study discovered the efficacy markers of Dachaihu Decoction based on literature mining combined with molecular biological experiments and explored its action mechanism at the molecular level based on network pharmacology, which would provide reference for the quality control of Dachaihu Decoction and scientific basis for its clinical application.
Biomarkers ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Molecular Docking Simulation ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt ; Signal Transduction

Possible mechanisms by which Polygonati rhizoma opposes atherosclerosis (AS) were identified by network pharmacology and molecular docking analyses. The Traditional Chinese Medicine Database (TCMD) and the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database (TCMSP) were utilized to identify the likely active components of Polygonati rhizoma. The potential targets set of Polygonati rhizoma were predicted with the PharmaDB database and the Swiss TargetPrediction database. The targets set for AS was retrieved by OMIM, DisGeNET and NCBI Gene database. We used the STRING platform to construct a protein-protein interaction network of the intersectional targets and performed visual analysis in Cytoscape. The key targets of Polygonati rhizoma in AS were searched by network topology and the resulting GO and KEGG enrichment was analyzed by Clue GO. In addition, the key targets were verified by molecular docking in Discovery Studio 4.0. A total of 45 active ingredients and 51 potential targets were obtained in the treatment of AS. The results of the topology analysis included five key targets: serum albumin, mitogen-activated protein kinase 3, mitogen-activated protein kinase 1, proto-oncogene tyrosine-protein kinase Src and matrix metalloproteinase-9. The 131 GO items showed that the biological process mainly involved the steroid receptor, cell response to steroid stimulation, the phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase signal pathway, and others. The KEGG pathway analysis included 37 pathways, which were closely related to peroxisome proliferation activated receptor signaling pathway, platelet activation pathway, vascular endothelial growth factor pathway, hypoxia inducible factor pathway and adhesion connection pathway. The results of molecular docking proved that the combined activity of the components with potential key targets is excellent. This study proposes mechanisms by which Polygonati rhizoma might act to reverse or minimize AS and provides a scientific basis for clinical research on Polygonati rhizoma.

OBJECTIVE:To prepare and characterize Fluorescent dye 1,1′-octacosyl-3,3,3′,3′-tetramethylindocarbocyanine iodide(DiR)-loading polyethylene glycol-poly lactic-co-glycolic acid(DiR-PEG-PLGA)nanocapsules,and to evaluate its biocompatibility in vitro. METHODS:Using PLGA and PEG-PLGA as carrier,DiR-PEG-PLGA nanocapsules were prepared by modified ultrasonic emulsification method. The particle size,Zeta potential,morphology,stability and fluorescence in vitro of nanocapsules were detected respectively. MTT assay was used to evaluate cytotoxicity in vitro of nanocapsules to human-derived HL7702 hepatocytes,and hemolysis test was carried out to investigate its hemolysis effects. RESULTS:Prepared DiR-PEG-PLGA nanocapsules were spherical with a clear core-shell structure. The average particle size was(507.53 ± 7.87)nm,polydispersity coetficient of particle size was 0.306 1±0.001 5 and Zeta potential was(-35.20±0.92)mV with good stability within 6 months under 4℃. Fluorescence signal intensity(y)of nanocapsules was increased linearly with DiR mass concentration(x)in vitro. The linear eguation was y=0.345 2x+0.433 4(R2=0.997 3).The toxicity of nanocapsules to HL7702 cells was between 0-1 degree,and no hemolytic effect was observed. CONCLUSIONS:The study successfully prepare fluorescent DiR-PEG-PLGA nanocapsules with high biocompatibility in vitro,which is further expected to become a safe optical drug carrier.