Objective To analyze the influence of trimetazidine combined with atorvastatin on ser-um angiopoietin-2(Ang-2)and chitinase protein 40(YKL-40)levels and ultrasound parameters in elderly patients with unstable angina pectoris(UAP).Methods A total of 133 elderly UAP pa-tients admitted in Hospital of the 81st Group of PLA Army from January 2021 to March 2024 were enrolled,and according to their treatment methods,they were divided into control group(64 cases,simple atorvastatin)and trimetazidine group(69 cases,atorvastatin+trimetazidine).After 4 weeks of treatment,the clinical efficacy was observed in the two groups.Seattle Angina Question-naire(SAQ)score and nitroglycerin dosage,lipid metabolic indicators(TC,TG,LDL-C and HDL-C),cardiac ultrasound parameters[LVEF,LVEDD and left ventricle mass index(LVMI)],serum in-dicators[Ang-2,YKL-40 and von Willebrand factor(vWF),matrix metallo proteinase-9(MMP-9)]were compared between the two groups before treatment and after 4 weeks of treatment.The ad-verse reactions during treatment were also recorded in the two groups.Results The total effective rate was significantly higher in the trimetazidine group than the control group(84.06％vs 67.19％,P＜0.05).The SAQ score,HDL-C level and LVEF value were significantly risen in the two groups after treatment(P＜0.05),and these indicators were obviously higher in the trimetaz-idine group than the control group(P＜0.01).The nitroglycerin dosage,levels of TC,TG and LDL-C,LVEDD and LVMI values and serum contents of Ang-2,YKL-40,vWF and MMP-9 were significantly reduced in the two groups after treatment when compared with those before treat-ment(P＜0.05),and these indicators in the trimetazidine group were lower than those in the con-trol group(P＜0.01).There was no statistical difference in the total incidence of adverse reactions between the two groups(P＞0.05).Conclusion Trimetazidine combined with atorvastatin can en-hance the efficacy and improve the lipid metabolism and cardiac function in the treatment of elder-ly UAP patients,which might be due to down-regulating the serum levels of Ang-2,YKL-40,vWF and MMP-9.

Existing traditional Chinese medicine (TCM)-related databases are still insufficient in data standardization, integrity and precision, and need to be updated urgently. Herein, an Encyclopedia of Traditional Chinese Medicine version 2.0 (ETCM v2.0, http://www.tcmip.cn/ETCM2/front/#/) was constructed as the latest curated database hosting 48,442 TCM formulas recorded by ancient Chinese medical books, 9872 Chinese patent drugs, 2079 Chinese medicinal materials and 38,298 ingredients. To facilitate the mechanistic research and new drug discovery, we improved the target identification method based on a two-dimensional ligand similarity search module, which provides the confirmed and/or potential targets of each ingredient, as well as their binding activities. Importantly, five TCM formulas/Chinese patent drugs/herbs/ingredients with the highest Jaccard similarity scores to the submitted drugs are offered in ETCM v2.0, which may be of significance to identify prescriptions/herbs/ingredients with similar clinical efficacy, to summarize the rules of prescription use, and to find alternative drugs for endangered Chinese medicinal materials. Moreover, ETCM v2.0 provides an enhanced JavaScript-based network visualization tool for creating, modifying and exploring multi-scale biological networks. ETCM v2.0 may be a major data warehouse for the quality marker identification of TCMs, the TCM-derived drug discovery and repurposing, and the pharmacological mechanism investigation of TCMs against various human diseases.

Objective: To investigate the effects of tanshinone ⅡA on atherosclerosis plaque formation and adventitial mast cells activation in high-fat-diet induced Apo E^-/- mice model. Methods: Sixteen 8-week-old Apo E^-/-male mice and eight 8-week-old C57BL/6 male mice were randomly allocated into following group: the control group (C57BL/6 + carboxymethyl cellulose per gavage), the atherogenic group (Apo E^-/-+carboxymethyl cellulose per gavage) and the tanshinoneⅡA intervention group (Apo E^-/-+30 mg/kg tanshinone ⅡA per gavage). All three groups were fed with high-fat-diet for 26 weeks. Tanshinone ⅡA/carboxymethyl cellulose was applied by the method of gavage administration 6 weeks before execution. After 26 weeks, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) andinterleukin (IL)-6 levels in serum were assessed by ELISA. Carotid artery was removed, fixed with paraformaldehyde, embedded with paraffin and sectioned. Percentage of stenosis was evaluated on HE stained sections. Plaque progression was assessed by Movat staining. Toluidine blue staining was used to evaluate mast cells infiltration and activation. Immunochemistry staining was used to assess 5-HT, TNF-α and IL-6 expression. mRNA expression of mast cell marker Fcer1a in adventitial tissue was detected by real time-PCR. Results: After high-fat-diet for 26 weeks, the mice in the atherogenic group showed advanced atherosclerosis, tanshinoneⅡA intervention reduced the percentage of carotid artery stenosis caused by atherosclerotic plaque formation ((58.48±8.07)% vs. (80.31±4.08)%, P<0.05). Compared with the atherogenic group, tanshinone ⅡA intervention group had lower level of TNF-α ((12.39±1.62)pg/ml vs. (17.44±1.42)pg/ml) and IL-6 ((116.24±12.16)pg/ml vs. (166.05±19.09)pg/ml) in serum, lower TNF-α ((20 145±1 556) vs. (25 288±1 671)) and IL-6 ((25 688±1 604) vs. (35 286±4 198)) expression in adventitia (all P<0.05). TanshinoneⅡA intervention also decreased the number of mast cells infiltration and activation, reduced 5-HT expression and mast cell marker Fcer1a mRNA relative expression in adventitia (all P<0.05). Conclusions Tanshinone ⅡA could attenuate induced by high-fat-diet carotid artery atherosclerosis in Apo E^-/- mice. The protective effect of tanshinoneⅡA is probably mediated through reducing the number and activation percentage of mast cells, decreasing the release of inflammatory cytokines and inflammation of carotid artery in adventitia.

Objective To investigate the effects of tanshinoneⅡA on atherosclerosis plaque formation and adventitial mast cells activation in high?fat?diet induced Apo E?/?mice model. Methods Sixteen 8?week?old Apo E?/?male mice and eight 8?week?old C57BL/6 male mice were randomly allocated into following group: the control group (C57BL/6+carboxymethyl cellulose per gavage), the atherogenic group (Apo E?/?+carboxymethyl cellulose per gavage) and the tanshinoneⅡA intervention group (Apo E?/?+30 mg/kg tanshinoneⅡA per gavage). All three groups were fed with high?fat?diet for 26 weeks. TanshinoneⅡA/carboxymethyl cellulose was applied by the method of gavage administration 6 weeks before execution. After 26 weeks, tumor necrosis factor?α (TNF?α) andinterleukin (IL)?6 levels in serum were assessed by ELISA. Carotid artery was removed, fixed with paraformaldehyde, embedded with paraffin and sectioned. Percentage of stenosis was evaluated on HE stained sections. Plaque progression was assessed by Movat staining. Toluidine blue staining was used to evaluate mast cells infiltration and activation. Immunochemistry staining was used to assess 5?HT, TNF?α and IL?6 expression. mRNA expression of mast cell marker Fcer1a in adventitial tissue was detected by real time?PCR. Results After high?fat?diet for 26 weeks, the mice in the atherogenic group showed advanced atherosclerosis, tanshinoneⅡA intervention reduced the percentage of carotid artery stenosis caused by atherosclerotic plaque formation ((58.48±8.07)% vs. (80.31±4.08)%, P<0.05). Compared with the atherogenic group, tanshinoneⅡA intervention group had lower level of TNF?α ((12.39 ± 1.62)pg/ml vs. (17.44 ± 1.42)pg/ml) and IL?6 ((116.24 ± 12.16)pg/ml vs. (166.05 ± 19.09)pg/ml) in serum, lower TNF?α ((20 145±1 556) vs. (25 288±1 671)) and IL?6 ((25 688±1 604) vs. (35 286±4 198)) expression in adventitia (all P<0.05). TanshinoneⅡA intervention also decreased the number of mast cells infiltration and activation, reduced 5?HT expression and mast cell marker Fcer1a mRNA relative expression in adventitia (all P<0.05). Conclusions TanshinoneⅡA could attenuate induced by high?fat?diet carotid artery atherosclerosis in Apo E?/?mice. The protective effect of tanshinoneⅡA is probably mediated through reducing the number and activation percentage of mast cells, decreasing the release of inflammatory cytokines and inflammation of carotid artery in adventitia.

Objective To establish a mouse model of aorta dissection (AD) by β-aminopropionitrile (BAPN) in drinking water + subcutaneously pumped angiotensin II (Ang II) infusion.Methods Forty 3-week-old C57B1/6J male mice were randomly divided into two groups.All animals received 0.1 g/kg/d BAPN in drinking water for 4 weeks.Then the BAPN drinking + saline infusion group and BAPN drinking + Ang II infusion group received continuous saline or Ang II (1,000 ng/kg/min) infusion, respectively, via subcutaneous osmotic minipump for 72 hour.The mice were restricted in a noninvasive computerized tail-cuff system and their arterial systolic blood pressure and heart rate were monitored.Autopsy was performed if a mouse died during the experiment.At the end of the experiment, mice were sacrificed by injection with an overdose of sodium pentobarbital and the aortas were harvested.The formation of aortic false lumen was observed by pathology using hematoxylin-eosin staining.Results The overall incidence of AD in the BAPN drinking administration +Ang II infusion group was 95%, whereas the incidence of AD in the BAPN drinking administration +saline infusion group was only 5%.The mortality from dissecting aneurysm rupture was 24% in the BAPN drinking administration +Ang II infusion group during the experiment.Pathological examination of the aortic cross-sections clearly showed the formation of blood-filled false lumens induced by Ang II.Conclusions A mouse model with high incidence of aortic dissection is successfully established.

According to the common standard of ethic review for clinical research , it is equal to each kind of research program whether western medicine or Traditional Chinese Medicine .It should be reviewed the ethic and scientific issues in the same time .However, on account of the two majority characteristics of Traditional Chinese Medicine , it would be concerned more evidence , such as the safety data before clinic , the syndrome differentiation and treatment of target disease , drug combination , dosage and course of treatment , the methods of outcome meas-urement, admixture of the drug, the selection of control drug including placebo and so on .

As a new type of carbon nanomaterials, fluorescent carbon dots (fluorescent CDs) have many advantages when compared with the traditional fluorescent probes. They are photoluminescence stable and resistance to photo bleaching. Moreover, they are excellent in biocompatibility, low-toxic and easy to modify. All these above make them a promising optical image material as a probe in optical image. This article reviews structure, the common carbon sources, the preparation methods, and the light-emitting principles of the carbon dots. We also introduce the research progress of fluorescent carbon dots in biomedicine, and the problems need to be resolved in the study of fluorescent CDs.

Two new sulfated sesquiterpenoids, megastigman-7-ene-3, 5, 6, 9-tetrol-3-O-β-D-6'-sulfonated-glucopyranoside (1) and 3-O-β-D-6'-sulfonated-glucopyranosyl-6-(3-oxo-2-butenylidenyl)-1, 1, 5-trimethylcyclohexan-5-ol (2), along with one known sesquitepenoid compound icariside B1 (3) were isolated from the whole herb of Petasites tricholobus Franch. Their structures were identified by their chemical and spectroscopic characters. All obtained compounds were tested for their cytotoxicity against four cancer cell lines.

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the influence of Chrysanthemum indium on collagen accumulation and signaling transduction pathways in left ventricle tissue of cardiac hypertrophy induced by abdominal aortic banding in rats.

METHODVentricular remodeling was induced by abdominal aortic banding (AAB) in rats. After 35 day treatment, the blood pressure was measured, then the ratios of LVW/BW and HW/BW were calculated. The histological assay was performed by HE staining for determining the myocardium cell cross section and picric acid/sirius red staining for determining collagen content. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the protein expressions of PKC, bFGF and P38.

RESULTThe experimental data demonstrated that C. indium could decrease blood pressure and the cardiac indexes of LVW/BW and HW/BW, significantly diminish cross sectional area of cardiomyocyte, ameliorate collagen accumulation such as collagen volume fraction, perivascular collagen area and collagen distributions of type I and II and significantly down regulate the protein expressions of PKC, bFGF and P38 (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONC. indium can significantly attenuate the experimental ventricular remodeling. The mechanism may be related to reducing the blood pressure, decreasing the total collagen content of left ventricle tissue and modulating signaling transduction pathway.

Animals ; Blood Pressure ; drug effects ; Cardiomegaly ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Chrysanthemum ; Collagen ; metabolism ; Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 ; analysis ; Heart Ventricles ; metabolism ; Male ; Phytotherapy ; Plant Extracts ; pharmacology ; Protein Kinase C ; analysis ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Signal Transduction ; drug effects ; Ventricular Remodeling ; drug effects ; p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases ; analysis

The concept of modern medicine in treating chronic heart failure (CHF) has changed markedly in recent years. To improve the quality of life and prolong life, the treatment goal is no longer just temporary improvement of symptoms, more importantly, is to prevent and delay the occurrence and development of ventricular remodeling. Long-term chronic over-activation of sympathetic system, renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system and other neuroendocrine factors promotes myocardial remodeling, increases myocardial injury and deteriorates cardiac function. Despite short-term use can significantly improve the blood flow dynamics, long-term use of beta-adrenergic receptor stimulators and phosphodiesterase inhibitors does not prolong life, but increases the rate of sudden death caused by cardiac arrhythmia. Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors and beta-blockers have become the preferred drugs in treating chronic heart failure. In fact, after long-term use, beta-blockers can significantly improve ventricular remodeling, enhance ventricular function and reduce the incidence of sudden death of patients with CHF. In traditional Chinese medicine practice, short-term use of drugs for warming yang and reinforcing qi can improve symptoms of CHF, but long-term use may have adverse effects, for these medicines can stimulate sympathetic system. Early treatment with medicines of cold and cool property may be more favorable to patients with CHF, except the advanced patients who need special intervention. Eliminating heat and nourishing yin may play more active role in controlling the occurrence and development of CHF. Drugs with good efficacy and value in treating CHF may be developed from the Chinese herbal medicines with eliminating heat and nourishing yin property.