Ganoderic acid is a class of lanostane-type triterpenoids found in Ganoderma species, and is one of the most important pharmacologically active components in G. lucidum, exhibiting antioxidant, anti-neuropsychiatric, anti-tumor, and immune-enhancing properties. The content of ganoderic acid in G. lucidum is very low, and the traditional extraction process is complex, yielding minimal amounts at high cost. The biosynthetic pathway of G. lucidum triterpenoids(GLTs), including the synthesis of different structural forms of ganoderic acid from lanosterol, as well as the molecular regulatory mechanisms involving key regulatory enzyme genes and their functions, are not yet fully understood. With the continuous development of synthetic biology technologies, there has been a deeper understanding of the biosynthesis and metabolic regulation pathways of ganoderic acid and its derivatives at the molecular level. Research has explored the key regulatory enzyme genes related to ganoderic acid biosynthesis and their functions. Moreover, through the optimization of synthetic biology and culture conditions, large-scale production and preparation of GLTs at the cellular level have been achieved. This paper reviews and analyzes the latest research progress on the biosynthesis pathways and metabolic regulation of GLTs, focusing on the configuration of ganoderic acid and its derivatives, the biosynthetic pathways, key enzyme genes, transcription factors related to ganoderic acid biosynthesis, signal transduction mechanisms, and factors affecting triterpenoid biotransformation. This review is expected to provide a theoretical basis and technical reference for improving the efficient production of triterpenoid pharmacological components and the exploitation and utilization of G. lucidum resources.
Triterpenes/chemistry* ; Reishi/chemistry* ; Biosynthetic Pathways ; Lanosterol

Humans ; Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell/drug therapy* ; Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors/therapeutic use* ; Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse ; Disease Progression ; T-Lymphocytes ; Cell Transformation, Neoplastic

The Baimai Ointment with the effect of relaxing sinew and activating collaterals demonstrates a definite effect on Baimai disease with pain, spasm, stiffness and other symptoms, while the pharmacodynamic characteristics and mechanism of this agent remain unclear. In this study, a rat model of chronic compression of L4 dorsal root ganglion(CCD) was established by lumbar disc herniation, and the efficacy and mechanism of Baimai Ointment in the treatment of CCD were preliminarily explored by behavioral tests, side effect evaluation, network analysis, antagonist and molecular biology verification. The pharmacodynamic experiment indicated that Baimai Ointment significantly improved the pain thresholds(mechanical pain, thermal pain, and cold pain) and gait behavior of CCD model rats without causing tolerance or obvious toxic and side effects. Baimai Ointment inhibited the second-phase nociceptive response of mice in the formalin test, increased the hot plate threshold of normal mice, and down-regulated the expression of inflammatory cytokines in the spinal cord. Network analysis showed that Baimai Ointment had synergistic effect in the treatment of CCD and was related to descending inhibition/facilitation system and neuroinflammation. Furthermore, behavioral tests, Western blot, and immunofluorescence assay revealed that the pain-relieving effect of Baimai Ointment on CCD may be related to the regulation of the interaction between neuroactive ligand and receptors(neuroligands) such as CHRNA7, ADRA2A, and ADRB2, and the down-regulation of the expression of NOS2/pERK/PI3K, the core regulatory element of HIF-1 signaling pathway in spinal microglia. The findings preliminarily reveal the mechanism of relaxing sinew and activating collaterals of Baimai Ointment in the treatment of Baimai disease, providing a reference for the rational drug use and further research of this agent.
Rats ; Mice ; Animals ; Chronic Pain/metabolism* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Ganglia, Spinal/metabolism* ; Ligands ; Signal Transduction ; Hyperalgesia/metabolism* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal

Objective: The moisture content in the soil directly affects the yield and quality of Panax notoginseng, especially at the age of three years old. However, the suitable moisture for the growth of P. notoginseng is unknown. In this study, the effects of different soil moisture on the growth of P. notoginseng were studied. Methods: Four different water treatments (0.45 field capacity (FC), 0.60 FC, 0.70 FC, and 0.85 FC) were set up in Shilin County, Yunnan Province, China. The water consumption and daily dynamic of water consumption were determined daily (from April 21 to October 18, 2012), and the daily dynamic of water consumption under different weather conditions (sunny and rainy) was determined. The transpiration coefficient and water use efficiency were calculated through dry matter accumulation and total water consumption. Accumulation of saponins of roots of P. notoginseng were analyzed by HPLC after treated, and the soil moisture content suitable for the growth of P. notoginseng was estimated by regression fitting of the active ingredient accumulation and the soil moisture content. Results: The water consumption of 0.85 FC, 0.70 FC, 0.60 FC and 0.45 FC were 2.89, 3.68, 3.37 and 2.73 kg/plant per day, respectively. The water consumption of P. notoginseng from June to August was greater than other months. The daily dynamic of water consumption on sunny days and sunny days after rain showed a “double peak” feature, and it showed a “single peak” feature on rainy days. The water uses efficiency (WUE) of 0.85 FC, 0.70 FC, 0.60 FC and 0.45 FC were 2.51, 3.32, 4.59, 3.39 gDW/kg H

Objective:To compare the effects of compression garment combined with orthosis for central face on facial burn scar to compression garment and 3D compression mask. Methods:From September, 2016 to June, 2019, 38 facial burn scar patients received compression therapy in Department of Burns and Cutaneous Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Air Force Medical University. According to their preference, they wore compression garment only (CG group, n = 15), compression garment and orthosis for central face (CO group, n = 17) and 3D compression mask (3D group, n = 6) for a year. The facial scar was assessed with Vancouver Scar Scale (VSS) before and after treatment, and the comfort and medical cost was investigated with questionnaire. Results:The VSS score decreased after treatment in all the groups (F = 18.49, P < 0.05), while the VSS score was higher in CG group than in CO group (1.717 points, 95%CI 0.925 to 2.482, P < 0.001) and 3D group (1.782 points, 95%CI 0.738 to 2.827, P < 0.001), the difference was less between CO group and 3D group (0.065 points, 95%CI -0.957 to 1.088, P = 1.000). The comfort rate was 60%, 52.9% and 66.7% for CG group, CO group and 3D group, respectively, with no significant difference (P > 0.05). The medical cost was the most for 3D group (12 000 to 16 000 Yuan), and similar for CG group (3000 to 4800 Yuan) and CO group (3300 to 5300 Yuan). Conclusion:Compression garment combined with orthosis for central face is more effective on facial burn scar, similar to 3D compression mask, but cheaper than 3D mask, which can be a choice for facial scar patients in developing areas.

Objective:To observe the effects of Wenxin prescription on the key targets of gap 1/synthesis （G₁/S） cell cycle transformation in rats with atherosclerosis （AS）， and reveal the mechanism of Wenxin prescription in the treatment of AS. Method:Ninety SPF Wistar rats were randomly divided into a normal group （n=6） and a modeling group （n=84）. The rats in the modeling group were fed on a high-fat diet （4% cholesterol， 0.5% sodium cholate， 0.2% propyl thiouracil， 10% lard， 5% sugar， and 80.3% basal feed） for 60 days， and intraperitoneally injected with 400 000 U·kg^-1 vitamin D₃， once a week for three weeks. The model rats were then randomly divided into a model group， high-dose （24 g·kg^-1）， medium-dose （12 g·kg^-1）， and low-dose （6 g·kg^-1） Wenxin prescription groups， and a rosuvastatin （1.8 mg·kg^-1） group. The groups with drug intervention were treated correspondingly by gavage for 30 days. The rats in the model group were administered with an equal volume of distilled water. The general condition of rats was observed after treatment. The levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol （HDL-C）， low-density lipoprotein cholesterol （LDL-C）， and total cholesterol （CHO） were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）， and the atherosclerosis index （AI） was calculated. The pathological morphology of the coronary artery and aorta was observed by hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining. The protein and mRNA expression of E2F transcription factor 1 （E2F1）， phosphorylated retinoblastoma protein （p-Rb）， cell division cycle 25 （Cdc25）， CyclinE， and CyclinD₁ was detected by Western blot and real-time fluorescence-based quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time-PCR）， respectively. Result:Compared with the normal group， the model group showed intima thickening， smooth muscle proliferation， and plaque formation in the coronary artery and aorta， decreased HDL-C （P<0.01）， increased LDL-C， CHO， and AI （P<0.01）， elevated protein and mRNA expression of E2F1， Cdc25， p-Rb， CyclinE and CyclinD₁ （P<0.05）. Compared with the model group， the rosuvastatin group and the Wenxin prescription groups showed slight intimal hyperplasia and lumen narrowing of the coronary artery and aorta， decreased levels of LDL-C， CHO， and AI （P<0.01）， and declining protein and mRNA expression of E2F1， Cdc25， p-Rb， CyclinE， and CyclinD₁ to varying degrees （P<0.05）. Conclusion:Wenxin prescription can significantly inhibit the expression of key proteins and genes of the G₁/S cell cycle， regulate G₁/S cell cycle transformation， and reduce vascular smooth muscle and intimal hyperplasia in AS rats.

italic>Dendrobium officinale Kimura et Migo is a rare Chinese herbal medicine, while Dendrobium crepidatum Lindl is a local medicine in Yunnan, both of which have the function of nourishing yin and stomach. To reveal the differences in chemical composition between the two species, ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time of flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS) was used to analyze the chemical composition of stems and leaves of D. officinale and D. crepidatum. Principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) were used to determine the differences in metabolites between species and parts of Dendrobium. Fifty-eight chemical compounds were identified in the two species. Analysis indicated that the side ring of alkaloids connected with nitrogen was readily cleaved during analysis. The results of PCA analysis showed that the stems and leaves of D. officinale and D. crepidatum could be easily differentiated, and the chemical constituents of D. officinale and D. crepidatum were significantly different. OPLS-DA analysis showed that there were 16 metabolite differences between the stems and 22 differences in metabolites between the leaves of D. officinale and D. crepidatum. The main metabolite differences in components between the two Dendrobium species were dendrocrepidine B, dendrocrepidine C and dendrocrepine. There were 14 differences in metabolites between the stems and leaves of D. crepidatum. In conclusion, the chemical compositions of D. officinale and D. crepidatum are quite different; the small molecular compounds of D. officinale are mainly terpenoids and flavonoids, and the content of alkaloids is low. There is no significant difference between stem and leaf. In contrast, D. crepidatum is mainly composed of alkaloids and terpenoids, with crepidamine and dendrocrepine as its unique components, and there are great differences in the components between stems and leaves. This study provides a theoretical basis for the development and utilization of Dendrobium resources.

Recently we witness the rising number of genetically modified (GM) soybean (Glycine max) events approved for importing from abroad and developed domestically, so it is urgent to establish a rapid screening protocol that can cover more events with less detection targets and fit the national condition. Additionally, in order to control the detection workload, it is also necessary to construct a multi-targets plasmid (MTP) molecule that can be used as the positive material. In this study, the information of the transgenic elements in 29 GM soybean events was collected and the combinations and frequencies of these elements were analyzed, to establish a novel screening protocol. It includes eight detecting targets, CaMV 35S promoter (P-35S), NOS terminator (T-nos), herbicide tolerance gene pat, E9 terminator (T-E9), insecticidal gene cry1Ac, AHAS promoter (P-AHAS), pin Ⅱ terminator (T-pin Ⅱ), and the event-specific sequence of the transgenic event DP305423, and an endogenous reference gene of soybean Lectin. After validation, the 29 GM soybean events described above can be screened by detection of the nine targets. This is referred to as the “8+1” protocol for GM soybean screening. Then these targeted sequences described in the protocol were simultaneously inserted into a cloning vector to construct the corresponding MTP pDDSC-1910. Finally, we tested whether it could be a positive plasmid. As expected, PCR analysis using pDDSC-1910 as a template showed that specific amplicons were observed with high sensitivity. Therefore, the “8+1” screening protocol for GM soybean was established, and the positive plasmid molecule pDDSC-1910 containing corresponding targets was successfully constructed. These results would facilitate the efficient screening and detection of transgenic soybeans.

Objective:To study the mechanism of Taoren Chengqitang in regulating intestinal myoelectric activity and microenvironment homeostasis in intestinal sepsis rats based on high mobility group protein 1(HMGB1)/Toll-like receptor 4(TLR4)/nuclear factor -κB(NF-κB) pathway. Method:The 60 SD rats were randomly divided into sham operation group, model group, glycyrrhizic acid (HMGB1 inhibitor, 0.03 g·kg^-1) group, Taoren Chengqitang group (10 g·kg^-1), glycyrrhizic acid+Taoren Chengqitang group (0.03 g·kg^-1+10 g·kg^-1), with 12 rats in each group. Except the sham operation group, the other groups established intestinal sepsis rat models, each group was treated with medicine, hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining was used to detect the histopathological changes of small intestinal mucosa in rats of each group, the changes of mucosal thickness and villus height were compared, the levels of secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA), diamine oxidase (DAO) and D-lactic acid in intestinal mucosa of rats were detected by kit, the intestinal myoelectrical activity of rats in each group was measured, the slow wave frequency and amplitude of small intestinal smooth muscle were compared, the intestinal flora of rats in each group was detected, the contents of E. coli, Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus were compared, and the expressions of HMGB1/TLR4/NF-κB pathway proteins HMGB1, TLR4, MyD88 and NF-κB p65 in small intestinal tissues were detected by Western blot. Result:Compared with sham operated group, the villus height, mucosal thickness, sIgA content, slow wave frequency and amplitude of smooth muscle, Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus contents in intestinal mucosa of model group rats were significantly decreased, and serum DAO and D-lactic acid levels, intestinal E. coli content, intestinal tissue HMGB1, TLR4, MyD88 and NF-κB p65 proteins were significantly increased (P<0.05). Compared with the model group, the villus height, mucosal thickness, sIgA content, slow wave frequency and amplitude of smooth muscle, Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus contents in intestinal mucosa of the Taoren Chengqitang group, glycyrrhizic acid group, and glycyrrhizic acid + Taoren Chengqitang group were significantly increased, and serum DAO and D-lactic acid levels, intestinal E. coli content, intestinal tissue HMGB1, TLR4, MyD88 and NF-κB p65 proteins were significantly decreased (P<0.05). Compared with the Taoren Chengqitang group and the glycyrrhizic acid group, the villus height, mucosal thickness, sIgA content, slow wave frequency and amplitude of smooth muscle, Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus contents in intestinal mucosa of glycyrrhizic acid+Taoren Chengqitang group were significantly increased, and serum DAO and D-lactic acid levels, intestinal E. coli content, intestinal tissue HMGB1, TLR4, MyD88 and NF-κB p65 proteins were significantly decreased, the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). Conclusions:Taoren Chengqitang can alleviate intestinal mucosal injury, regulate intestinal myoelectrical activity and microenvironment homeostasis, restore intestinal function and maintain flora balance in intestinal sepsis rats, which may be achieved by down-regulating HMGB1/TLR4/NF-κB pathway.