OBJECTIVE To explore the mechanism by which Qingre antai decoction improves pregnancy outcomes of threatened abortion rats with blood heat syndrome. METHODS The pregnant rats were randomly divided into normal group， model group， dydrogesterone group （0.002 g/kg）， and Qingre antai decoction group （44.1 g/kg）， with 13 rats in each group. Except for normal group， other groups were given warming-yang Chinese medicine and corresponding drugs intragastrically， once a day， for 12 consecutive days. On the 13th day of pregnancy， a single intragastric administration of mifepristone （5 mg/kg） was performed to establish a model of threatened abortion with blood heat syndrome. On the 14th day of pregnancy， the abortion rate and uterine coefficient were calculated； the pathological morphology of pregnant uterine was observed； the serum levels of 3，5，3′-triiodothyronine （T3）， thyroid hormone （T4）， thyroid stimulating hormone （TSH）， as well as the levels of vascular endothelial growth factor （VEGF） and nitric oxide （NO） in the pregnant uterus were all determined； the expressions of mRNA and protein related to Janus kinase 2 （JAK2）/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 （STAT3） and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase （PI3K）/protein kinase B （AKT） pathways were detected. RESULTS Compared with normal group， the model group exhibited endometrial tissue damage， a reduced number of decidual cells， and a significant presence of blood stasis within the uterus； abortion rate， the serum levels of T3， T4 and TSH， the mRNA expressions of JAK2， STAT3 and suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 （SOCS3） as well as protein expressions of p-JAK2， p-STAT3 and SOCS3 in the pregnant uterus were increased significantly （ P ＜0.05）； uterine coefficient， the levels of VEGF and NO in pregnant uterus， mRNA expressions of VEGFR2， PI3K， AKT and endothelial nitric oxide synthase（eNOS）， protein expressions of VEGFR2， PI3K and eNOS as well as phosphorylation level of AKT in the pregnant uterus were significantly reduced （ P ＜0.05）. Compared with model group， the endometrial tissue damage and congestion in the Qingre antai decoction group were significantly improved， and the levels of the aforementioned quantitative indicators were significantly reversed （ P ＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS Qingre antai decoction can improve the pregnancy outcomes in rats with threatened abortion of blood heat syndrome， the mechanism of which may be associated with inhibiting JAK2/STAT3 pathway and activating PI3K/AKT pathway.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the mechanism of Pangshi antai zhixue decoction in the improvement of spontaneous abortion with heat syndrome by regulating the NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome.METHODS The binding activities of 13 main components in Pangshi antai zhixue decoction with NLRP3,apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD (ASC),and caspase-1 precursor (pro-caspase-1) were predicted by molecular docking.Sixty 1-day-old pregnant rats were randomly divided into normal group,model group,dexamethasone group (0.002 g/kg),and Pangshi antai zhixue decoction low-,medium-,and high-dose groups (11.025,22.05,44.10 g/kg),with 10 rats in each group.Each group was given distilled water/corresponding medicinal solution intragastrically,once a day,for 12 consecutive days.Except for normal group,other groups were given traditional Chinese medicine for warming yang and mifepristone to establish a model of spontaneous abortion with heat syndrome.24 h after the last medication,serum levels of triiodothyronine (T3),thyroxine (T4),interleukin-2 (IL-2),IL-4,IL-6,IL-10,and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) were all detected;the abortion rate and uterine coefficient were calculated;the pathological morphology of the pregnant uterus was observed;protein expressions of NLRP3,ASC and caspase-1 were detected.RESULTS The molecular docking results showed that the binding energies of 13 main components of Pangshi antai zhixue decoction with NLRP3,ASC,and pro-caspase-1 were all less than-5 kJ/moL.The animal experiment results showed that compared with normal group,the uterine coefficient and serum levels of IL-4,IL-6 and IL-10 were decreased significantly in model group (P<0.05);the abortion rate and serum levels of T3,T4,IL-2 and IFN-γ as well as protein expressions of NLRP3,ASC and caspase-1 were increased significantly (P<0.05);there were abortion lesions in the pregnant endometrium.Compared with the model group,most of the quantitative indicators mentioned above were significantly reversed in Pangshi antai zhixue decoction groups (P<0.05),and the endometrial miscarriage lesions in pregnancy were improved to varying degrees.CONCLUSIONS Pangshi antai zhixue decoction influences the immune balance between mother and fetus by regulating the formation of NLRP3 inflammasome,down-regulating pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IFN-γ and IL-2,and up-regulating anti-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-4,IL-6 and IL-10,thereby improving spontaneous abortion with heat syndrome.

OBJECTIVE To study the improvement effects of arbutin on myocardial fibrosis （MF） model rats and its mechanism. METHODS The network pharmacology was used to predict the potential target of arbutin in improving MF and molecular docking was used to validated. Totally 50 SD rats were given isoprenaline subcutaneously （5 mg/kg， once a day， for 14 consecutive days） to induce the MF model. Modeled rats were randomly divided into model group， captopril group （9 mg/kg）， arbutin low-dose， medium-dose and high-dose groups （50， 100， 200 mg/kg）， with 10 rats in each group. Another 10 healthy rats were included as normal group. Each group was given the corresponding drugs， once a day， for 28 consecutive days. Twenty-four hours after the final administration， electrocardiograms and heart-related indexes [heart weight index （HWI）， left ventricular weight index （LVWI）] of rats were detected； the levels of creatine kinase （CK）， lactate dehydrogenase （LDH）， N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide （NT-proBNP） and type Ⅰ collagen （Col Ⅰ） and Col Ⅲ were detected in myocardial tissue of rats； the pathological changes of myocardial tissue were observed， and protein and mRNA expressions of adenosine deaminase （ADA） and adenosine kinase （ADK） were detected in the myocardial tissue of rats. RESULTS The results of network pharmacology showed that the main targets of arbutin improving MF were ADA and ADK. The results of molecular docking showed that arbutin bind stably with ADA and ADK. The results of experimental verification showed that compared with model group， the amplitude of ST and T waves in electrocardiogram were improved in administration groups， and the symptoms of atrial flutter were alleviated； HWI （except for arbutin medium-dose group）， LVWI， the levels of CK， LDH， NT-proBNP， Col Ⅰ and Col Ⅲ in the myocardial tissue of rats were decreased significantly （P＜0.05）； the degree of myocardial fibrosis in rats decreased； protein and mRNA expressions of ADA and ADK in the myocardial tissue were significantly increased （P＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS Arbutin can improve cardiac fibrosis and cardiac function of MF model rats， the mechanism of which may be associated with up-regulating protein and mRNA expressions of ADA and ADK，influencing the nucleotide metabolism and collagen generation. zhangminghao@hactcm.edu.cn