OBJECTIVE: Despite the combination of Scutellaria barbata D. Don and Scleromitrion diffusum (Willd.) R.J. Wang (SB-SD) being a recognized Chinese medicinal herbal pair that is commonly used in the treatment of ovarian cancer, there is a poor understanding of their pharmacological mechanisms. This study examines the antitumor properties and potential mechanisms of SB-SD on human ovarian cancer A2780 cells through a multi-omics approach, establishing a pharmacological basis for clinical utilization. METHODS: A range of mass ratios and reagents were used in the hot reflux extraction of SB-SD. The inhibitory effect of the SB-SD extracts on A2780 cell proliferation was assessed using the cell-counting kit 8 assay. A zebrafish tumor implantation model was used to evaluate the effects of SB-SD extracts on tumor growth and metastasis in vivo. Transcriptomics and proteomics were used to investigate alterations in biological pathways in A2780 cells after treatment with different concentrations of SB-SD extract. Cell cycle, cell apoptosis, intracellular free iron concentration, intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) concentration, malondialdehyde (MDA), and mitochondrial membrane potential were measured. Real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting were utilized to investigate the effects of heme catabolism and ferritinophagy on ferroptosis induced by SB-SD extract in A2780 cells. RESULTS: The 70% ethanol extract of SB-SD (a mass ratio of 4:1) inhibited A2780 cell proliferation significantly with a half maximal inhibitory concentration of 660 μg/mL in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. Moreover, it effectively suppressed tumor growth and metastasis in a zebrafish tumor implantation model. SB-SD extract induced the accumulation of free iron, ROS, MDA, and mitochondrial damage in A2780 cells. The mechanisms might involve the upregulated expression of ferritinophagy-related genes microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3, autophagy-related gene 5, and nuclear receptor coactivator 4. CONCLUSION SB-SD extract effectively inhibited the development of ovarian cancer both in vitro and in vivo. Its mechanism of action involved inducing ferroptosis by facilitating heme catabolism and ferritinophagy. This herbal pair holds promise as a potential therapeutic option for ovarian cancer treatment and may be utilized in combination with routine treatment to improve the treatment outcomes of ovarian cancer patients. Please cite this article as: Wang Z, Liu M, Li GX, Zhang L, Ding KY, Li SQ, Gao BQ, Chen P, Choe HC, Xia LY, Yang YT, Liu Y, Sui X, Ma JN, Zhang L. A herbal pair of Scutellaria barbata D. Don and Scleromitrion diffusum (Willd.) R.J. Wang induced ferroptosis in ovarian cancer A2780 cells via inducing heme catabolism and ferritinophagy. J Integr Med. 2024; 22(6): 666-683.
Ferroptosis/drug effects* ; Female ; Humans ; Animals ; Scutellaria/chemistry* ; Ovarian Neoplasms/genetics* ; Zebrafish ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Ferritins/genetics* ; Plant Extracts/pharmacology* ; Heme/metabolism* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology* ; Cell Proliferation/drug effects* ; Reactive Oxygen Species/metabolism* ; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic/pharmacology* ; Autophagy/drug effects* ; Apoptosis/drug effects*

OBJECTIVES: To compare the effect of different frequency of acupoint thread-embedding on weight loss in subjects with overweight/obesity of spleen deficiency and dampness retention. METHODS: A total of 126 subjects with overweight/obesity of spleen deficiency and dampness retention were randomized into a 2-week group(63 cases, 13 cases dropped out)and a 3-week group(63 cases, 11 cases dropped out, 1 case was eliminated). The two groups were treated with acupoint thread-embedding once every 2 weeks and once every 3 weeks respectively, Zhongwan(CV 12), Shuifen(CV 9), Qihai(CV 6), Guanyuan(CV 4) and bilateral Zhangmen(LR 13), Tianshu(ST 25), Liangmen(ST 21), Daheng(SP 15), Fujie(SP 14), Pishu(BL 20), Yinlingquan(SP 9)were selected. Four times were required in the two groups. Before and after treatment, follow-up after 2 months of treatment completion, the body mass index(BMI), body weight, waist circumference, hip circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, obesity degree, fat percentage(F%), skin fold thickness were observed in the two groups. RESULTS: After treatment and in follow-up, the BMI, body weight, waist circumference, hip circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, obesity degree, F%, skin fold thickness in the two groups were decreased compared with those before treatment (P<0.001, P<0.01), the changes of BMI, body weight, obesity degree, F%, skin fold thickness in the 2-week group were larger than those in the 3-week group(P<0.05, P<0.01, P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS The effect of acupoint thread-embedding once every 2 weeks on weight loss in subjects with overweight/obesity of spleen deficiency and dampness retention is superior to that once every 3 weeks.
Humans ; Acupuncture Points ; Overweight/therapy* ; Spleen ; Obesity/therapy* ; Body Weight ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Weight Loss

OBJECTIVE: To derive the Chinese medicine (CM) syndrome classification and subgroup syndrome characteristics of ischemic stroke patients. METHODS: By extracting the CM clinical electronic medical records (EMRs) of 7,170 hospitalized patients with ischemic stroke from 2016 to 2018 at Weifang Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shandong Province, China, a patient similarity network (PSN) was constructed based on the symptomatic phenotype of the patients. Thereafter the efficient community detection method BGLL was used to identify subgroups of patients. Finally, subgroups with a large number of cases were selected to analyze the specific manifestations of clinical symptoms and CM syndromes in each subgroup. RESULTS: Seven main subgroups of patients with specific symptom characteristics were identified, including M3, M2, M1, M5, M0, M29 and M4. M3 and M0 subgroups had prominent posterior circulatory symptoms, while M3 was associated with autonomic disorders, and M4 manifested as anxiety; M2 and M4 had motor and motor coordination disorders; M1 had sensory disorders; M5 had more obvious lung infections; M29 had a disorder of consciousness. The specificity of CM syndromes of each subgroup was as follows. M3, M2, M1, M0, M29 and M4 all had the same syndrome as wind phlegm pattern; M3 and M0 both showed hyperactivity of Gan (Liver) yang pattern; M2 and M29 had similar syndromes, which corresponded to intertwined phlegm and blood stasis pattern and phlegm-stasis obstructing meridians pattern, respectively. The manifestations of CM syndromes often appeared in a combination of 2 or more syndrome elements. The most common combination of these 7 subgroups was wind-phlegm. The 7 subgroups of CM syndrome elements were specifically manifested as pathogenic wind, pathogenic phlegm, and deficiency pathogens. CONCLUSIONS There were 7 main symptom similarity-based subgroups in ischemic stroke patients, and their specific characteristics were obvious. The main syndromes were wind phlegm pattern and hyperactivity of Gan yang pattern.
Humans ; Syndrome ; Ischemic Stroke ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Liver ; Phenotype

Pudilan Xiaoyan Oral Liquid has effects in clearing away heat and detoxifying,and is used to treat pharynx and throat swelling caused by the syndrome of excessive heat and toxin accumulation. Its efficacy is to relieve swelling and pain( redness,swelling and hot pain). It is included in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia of 2015 Edition,and has been listed in provincial health insurance directories of Shaanxi,Jiangsu,Liaoning,Hunan,Tianjin,Xinjiang and Hebei. It has been recommended by health departments of Beijing,Chongqing and other provinces as a preferred drug for the prevention and treatment of H1 N1 and HFMD,and listed in the diagnosis and Treatment Guide of HFMD by the Ministry of Health,the Clinical Application Guide of Chinese Patent Medicine edited by the Lung Department Disease Branch of China Association of Chinese Medicine,and the Clinical Practice Guide of Single Administration/Combined Administration of Antibiotics in Treatment of Common Infectious Diseases by China Association of Chinese Medicine. To further improve the clinician's understanding of drugs and better guide the rational clinical application,we invited front-line clinical experts from respiratory department,infectious department and dermatology of traditional Chinese and Western medicine to develop and compile the expert consensus. The consensus fully considered the clinical evidence and the expert clinical experience to give recommendations for clinical problems with evidence support and consensus suggestions for clinical problems without evidence support by the nominal group method.This consensus is based on clinical research evidence and expert experience in a simple and clear format,which provides a preliminary reference for the clinical use of the drug.
China ; Consensus ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Nonprescription Drugs

OBJECTIVETo investigate the association of maternal body composition and dietary intake with the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).

METHODSA total 154 GDM subjects and 981 controls were enrolled in a prospective cohort study in 11 hospitals from May 20, 2012 to December 31, 2013. Bioelectrical impedance analysis and dietary surveys were used to determine body composition and to evaluate the intake of nutrients in subjects at 21-24 weeks' gestation (WG). Logistic regression analysis was applied to explore the relationships of maternal body composition and dietary intake with the risk of GDM morbidity.

RESULTSAge, pre-pregnant body weight (BW), and body mass index (BMI) were associated with increased risk of GDM. Fat mass (FM), fat mass percentage (FMP), extracellular water (ECW), BMI, BW, energy, protein, fat, and carbohydrates at 21-24 WG were associated with an increased risk of GDM. In contrast, fat free mass (FFM), muscular mass (MM), and intracellular water (ICW) were associated with a decreased risk of GDM.

CONCLUSIONMaternal body composition and dietary intake during the second trimester of pregnancy were associated with the risk of GDM morbidity.

Adult ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Body Composition ; Body Mass Index ; Cohort Studies ; Diabetes, Gestational ; epidemiology ; Diet ; Diet Surveys ; Feeding Behavior ; Female ; Humans ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Trimester, Second ; Risk Factors

OBJECTIVETo realize quadratic formula optimization of Renshen Jianxin Capsule (RJC) by screening Chinese herbs with major anti-myocardial ischemia effect in RJC and optimize their optimal dosages.

METHODSBy following "uniform design-pharmacodynamic experiment-mathematical modeling-formula optimization", authors employed U10(10(8)) uniform design in the experiment. Eight Chinese herbs contained in RJC were taken as observatory factors. Electrocardiograph (ECG) changes of myocardial ischemia induced by isoproterenol were taken as pharmacodynamic indices. The mathematical model between herbal factors and pharmacodynamic indices was established using stepwise regression analysis to screen Chinese herbs with major anti-myocardial ischemia effect. Their optimal dosages were optimized using the grid algorithm.

RESULTSThe regression equation was y =1. 7889 -0. 3247 Ginseng xSalvia Miltiorrhiza -0. 0663 Astragalus membranaceus xOriental Waterplantain tuber. Forecasting factors included were Ginseng, Salvia Miltiorrhiza, Astragalus membranaceus, and Oriental Waterplantain tuber. The optimal formula dosage calculated by the grid algorithm was Ginseng 1. 62 g, Astragalus membranaceus 4. 62 g, Salvia Miltiorrhiza 2. 43 g, and Oriental Waterplantain tuber 1. 66 g.

CONCLUSIONUniform design combined with stepwise regression analysis and grid algorithm were able to realize quadratic formula optimization of RJC.

Astragalus membranaceus ; Chemistry, Pharmaceutical ; standards ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Electrocardiography ; Humans ; Isoproterenol ; Myocardial Ischemia ; drug therapy ; Panax ; Salvia miltiorrhiza

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the relationship between PAR1 (Protease-Activated Receptor 1) expression and the clinicopathologic features and to investigate the prognostic value of PAR1 expression in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in early stage after curative resection.

METHODSReal-time PCR was used to detect PAR1 expression in 41 pairs of tumors and matched peritumoral samples of HCC in early stage. Prognostic value of PAR1 mRNA expression was evaluated. Meanwhile, another 49 tissue paraffin slices of HCC were tested using immunohistochemistry (Envision) and the prognostic value of PAR1 expression and other clinicopathologic factors were evaluated.

RESULTSPeritumoral PAR1 mRNA expression was significantly increased in HCCs from the patients with tumor recurrence as compared with those without recurrence (P < 0.05). Peritumoral PAR1 protein expression was related to tumor differentiation (P < 0.05). Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that Peritumoral PAR1 protein expression was associated with the overall survival (OS) (P < 0.05) of HCC patients and the time to recurrence (TTR) (P < 0.05). The 1, 3 and 5 -year overall survival time and the cumulative recurrence time in the high PAR1 protein expression group were significantly lower as compared to the low PAR1 expression group in the peritumoral liver tissue.

CONCLUSIONSPeritumoral PAR1 expression is closely associated with the prognosis of early stage HCC patients after curable surgery. PAR1 may be involved in thrombin-mediated invasion process and may be used as a prognostic marker for HCC.

Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; metabolism ; pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Postoperative Period ; Prognosis ; Receptor, PAR-1 ; metabolism

Objective To explore the effect of clinic professional nursing guidelines in nursing admini stration.Methods Clinic professional nursing guidelines were formulated according the specific condition in different apartment,the content includes two parts: routine disease care and symptom nursing guideline.Five departments of respiratory medicine,neurosurgery,oncology,orthopedic surgery and oncology radiation were randomly selected as studying subjects and the data was compared before and after guidelines.Results Neurosurgery was selected as a representation,basic nursing quality as(2.223 ±0.315),satisfaction degree was(41.26 ±3.25)before guideline and(3.122 ±0.214)and(46.12 ±5.26)after guideline respectively.The differences were statistically significant (t =21.833,12.740; P＜0.05 or ＜0.01).Conclusions Application of clinic professional nursing guidelines could standardize the nursing behavior and provide scientific,accurate,professional and practical nursing guidelines for first-line nurses,especially for those on further training,new graduate and new to switch department nurses,and raise the work effect and guarantee the work quality,reduce the nursing risk and ensure the nursing safe for them.

OBJECTIVETo explore the growth characteristics of Curcuma longa, and provide basis for standardized cultivation.

METHODPlant samples were collected and investigated periodically.

RESULTAccording to the growth of different parts and the characteristics of dry substance accumulation of C. longa, the development of C. longa could be divided into five stages: emergence of seedlings, seedling, leaf, root tuber expansion, and dry substance accumulation of root tuber. In terms of number, leaf of C. longa increases gradually from one at first to eight at the final stage. Leaf size increases at a very low speed at the stage of seedling. However, leaves expands their sizes at a much higher speed at the stage of leaf. The dry substance in different parts accumulates increasingly with the development of C. longa dry substance mainly accumulates in leaves at the stage of leaf, and in rhizome at the stage of root tuber expansion. At the final stage, it mainly accumulates in root tuber.

CONCLUSIONCultivation technologies of C. longa and the relevant management methods could be established according to the growth of different parts of C. longa and the characteristics of dry substance accumulation in different stages.

Curcuma ; anatomy & histology ; growth & development ; metabolism ; Desiccation ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; metabolism ; Plant Leaves ; anatomy & histology ; growth & development ; metabolism ; Plant Roots ; anatomy & histology ; growth & development ; metabolism

Objective Pulmonary surfactant protein-D (SP-D) is regarded as a valuable biomarker in acute lung injury (ALI) and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), but the alterations of SP-D in lung tissues in the early course of ALI remain unknown. This study was designed to explore the temporal fluctuations of SP-D and SP-D mRNA in young rats with ALI induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) , as well as the alterations of ultrastructures of alveolar type Ⅱ (ATⅡ) cells. Methods Rat ALI models were established by intraperitoneal injection of LPS (4 mg/kg). The rats were sacrificed at 6, 12, 24, 36, 48 and 72 hrs after LPS injection (8 rats each time point). Western blot and RT-PCR were employed to detect the contents of SP-D and SP-D mRNA in lung tissues. The ultrastructures of AT Ⅱ cells were studied with transmission electron microscopy. Results Both SP-D mRNA and SP-D levels decreased after 12 hrs of LPS administration. The SP-DmRNA level reached a nadir at 24-36 hrs, but the SP-D level was reduced to its nadir by 48 hrs after LPS administration. LPS resulted in the alterations of lamellar bodies (LBs) in size ( multilamellar forms), density (vacuole-like deformity) and number. The alterations of ultrastructures of AT Ⅱ cells were most significant at 48 hrs. The clinical symptoms of ALI rats were most severe at 48 hrs. Conclusions The alterations of the SP-D level were timedependent in the early course of LPS-induced ALI. The lowest level of SP-D occurred at 48 hrs while severe multideformities of AT Ⅱ cells were presented. A decreased level of SP-D in the lungs in the early stage of ALI may be associated with a worse clinical outcome.