Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a diabetic ocular complication that can lead to poor vision and blindness. This experiment aimed to investigate the ameliorative effect and its mechanism of Panax notoginseng saponins (PNS) eye drops on streptozotocin (STZ)-induced non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) in rats. All experiments were approved by the Animal Research Committee of Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Animal welfare and the animal experimental protocols were strictly consistent with related ethics regulations of Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (No. PZSHUTCM 211115004). Diabetes mellitus was induced by a single intraperitoneal injection of STZ into rats. Two months later, PNS solution was dropped binocular twice per day at 6 h intervals at dose of 20, 40, and 80 mg·kg^-1 continuously for 1 month. The morphological structure and activation of microglia of the retina were observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining and immunohistochemical assay. The disruption of the blood-retina barrier (BRB) was conducted by the Evans blue dye leakage assay. The number of acellular capillaries in the retina was assessed by digesting and hematoxylin-eosin staining assay. The number of retinal leukocyte adhesion was observed by fluorescein isothiocyanate-coupled concanavalin A lectin labeling assay. The serum expression of inflammatory factors was measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Western blot experiments were used to detect the expression of relevant proteins in retinal tissue and transcriptional activation of nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB). The results revealed that PNS eye drops significantly increased the thickness of the retina, decreased the number of acellular capillaries, and up-regulated the expression of the tight junction proteins claudin-1 and occludin, thereby alleviating BRB damage. In addition, PNS eye drops were also able to significantly reduce leukocyte adhesion and microglia activation, the expression of inflammatory factors in serum, and the nuclear translocation of retinal p65 proteins, effectively inhibiting the occurrence of retinal inflammation. The above results showed that PNS eye drops played a role in improving NPDR by inhibiting the activation of the NF-κB signaling pathway and reducing inflammation.

Objective To explore characteristics of clinical parameters and cytokines in patients with drug-induced liver injury(DILI)caused by different drugs and their correlation with clinical indicators. Method The study was conducted on patients who were up to Review of Uncertainties in Confidence Assessment for Medical Tests(RUCAM)scoring criteria and clinically diagnosed with DILI.Based on Chinese herbal medicine,cardiovascular drugs,non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs(NSAIDs),anti-infective drugs,and other drugs,patients were divided into five groups.Cytokines were measured by Luminex technology.Baseline characteristics of clinical biochemical indicators and cytokines in DILI patients and their correlation were analyzed. Results 73 patients were enrolled.Age among five groups was statistically different(P=0.032).Alanine aminotransferase(ALT)(P=0.033)and aspartate aminotransferase(AST)(P=0.007)in NSAIDs group were higher than those in chinese herbal medicine group.Interleukin-6(IL-6)and tumor necrosis factor alpha(TNF-α)in patients with Chinese herbal medicine(IL-6:P<0.001;TNF-α:P<0.001)and cardiovascular medicine(IL-6:P=0.020;TNF-α:P=0.001)were lower than those in NSAIDs group.There was a positive correlation between ALT(r=0.697,P=0.025),AST(r=0.721,P=0.019),and IL-6 in NSAIDs group. Conclusion Older age may be more prone to DILI.Patients with NSAIDs have more severe liver damage in early stages of DILI,TNF-α and IL-6 may partake the inflammatory process of DILI.

Objective To investigate the bacteriostatic activity of five hemostatic dressings for war injury to provide references for the development of novel hemostatic dressings.Methods The bacteriostatic ratios of Combat Gauze made of kaolin and four kinds of dressings made of chitosan including Celox Rapid Gauze,Celox Gauze,ChitoGauze and a self-developed dressing against S.aureus and E.coli were explored according to GB/T 20944.2-2007.The bacteriostatic time and activity were inferred by investigating the growth of S.aureus under simulated conditions.Results Combat Gauze had the hemostatic ratios lower than 20％against both S.aureus and E.coli within 24 h.The hemostatic ratios of Celox Rapid Gauze,Celox Gauze,ChitoGauze and the self-developed dressing against S.aureus were all higher than 90％after 30 min action,while the ratios of the four dressings against E.coli were slightly different and changed with the prolongation of the time of action:after 30 min action only Celox Rapid Gauze had the hemostatic ratio higher than 90％;after 3 h action,ChitoGauze had a low ratio of 35％while the other dressings were all higher than 95％;after 24 h action the four dressings all had the ratios higher than 99％.Celox Rapid Gauze,Celox Gauze,ChitoGauze and the self-developed dressing all significantly inhibited the growth of S.aureus within 15 h and the time for S.aureus to reach the threshold of clinical infection under simulated conditions was 18,15,24 and 15 h,respectively.Conclusion Combat Gauze is not effective in inhibiting S.aureus and E.coli,while Celox Rapid Gauze,Celox Gauze,ChitoGauze and the self-developed dressing behave well with Celox Rapid Gauze gaining high compre-hensive bacteriostatic activity and ChitoGauze having the longest bacteriostatic time against S.aureus.

Seven compounds were isolated from Onychium japonicum by macroporous resin, silica gel, ODS, Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography and semi-preparative HPLC. Their structures were identified by NMR, MS and other spectroscopic methods as onychone A (1), quercetin (2), quercetin-3-O-α-L-rhamnoside (3), kaempferol-7-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (4), kaempferol-3-O-α-L-rhamnopyranoside (5), (-)-prunin (6), and norathyriol (7). Compound 1 is a novel macrocyclic flavonoid, and all the others are reported from this plant for the first time. In vitro cytotoxic activities of compounds 1-7 were evaluated by MTS testing with five cancer cell lines. Compound 7 exhibited weak cytotoxicity against tumor cell lines A549, SMMC-7721, and SW480.

Prunellae Spica is the dried spica of Prunella vulgaris belonging to Labiatae and it is widely used in pharmaceutical and general health fields. As a traditional Chinese medicine cultivated on a large scale, it produces a large amount of non-medicinal parts, which are discarded because they are not effectively used. To analyze the chemical constituents in the different samples from spica, seed, stem, and leaf of P. vulgaris, and explore the application value and development prospect of these parts, this study used ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography-tandem quadrupoles time of flight mass spectrometry(UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS) to detect chemical constituents in different parts of P. vulgaris. As a result, 117 compounds were detected. Among them, 87 compounds were identified, including 32 phenolic acids, 8 flavonoids, and 45 triterpenoid saponins. Some new triterpenoid saponins containing the sugar chain with 4-6 sugar units were found. Further, multivariate statistical analysis was conducted on BPI chromatographic peaks of multiple batches of different parts, and the results showed that spica had the most abundant chemical constituents, including salviaflaside and linolenic acid highly contained in the seed and phenolic acids, flavonoids, and triterpenoid saponins in the stem and leaf. In general, the constituents in the spica were composed of those in the seed, stem, and leaf. UPLC was used to determine the content of 6 phenolic acids(danshensu, protocatechuic acid, protocatechuic aldehyde, caffeic acid, salviaflaside, and rosmarinic acid) in different parts. The content of other phenolic acids in the seed was generally lower than that in the spica except that of salviaflaside. The content of salviaflaside in the spica was higher than that in the stem and leaf, but the content of other phenolic acids in the spica was not significantly different from that in the stem. The content of protocatechuic aldehyde and caffeic acid in the spica was lower than that in the leaf. DPPH free radical scavenging method was used to detect the antioxidant activity of four parts, and there was no significant difference in the antioxidant activity between the spica and the stem and leaf, but that was significantly higher than the seed. Moreover, the antioxidant activity of these parts was correlated with the content of total phenolic acids. Based on the above findings, the stem and leaf of P. vulgaris have potential application value. Considering the traditional medication rule, it is feasible to use the whole plant as a medicine. Alternatively, salviaflaside, occurring in the seed, can be used as a marker compound for the quality evaluation of Prunellae Spica, if only using spica as the medicinal part of P. vulgaris, as described in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia(2020 edition).
Antioxidants/chemistry* ; Tandem Mass Spectrometry/methods* ; Prunella/chemistry* ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid/methods* ; Caffeic Acids ; Flavonoids/analysis* ; Triterpenes/analysis* ; Saponins ; Sugars

Coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke are the most well-known cardiovascular diseases, which share many common pathological basis. Yindan Xinnaotong soft capsule (YDXNT) is a commonly used Chinese patent medicine in the treatment of stroke and CHD. However, its action of mechanism of co-treatment for stroke and CHD is still unclear. The aim of this study was to explore the common mechanism of YDXNT in co-treatment of CHD and stroke using network pharmacology, experimental verification and molecular docking. An integrated literature mining and databases of IPA, ETCM, HERB, Swiss Target Prediction, OMIM and GeneCards were used to screen and predict active ingredients and potential targets of YDXNT in co-treatment of CHD and stroke. The protein-protein interaction network, GO analysis and pathway analysis were analyzed by IPA software. The effect of YDXNT on core targets was verified by immunofluorescence. UPLC-QTOF/MS and molecular docking were used to screen and predict the main active constituents of YDXNT and their interactions with core targets. A total of 151 potential targets are predicted for YDXNT in co-treatment of CHD and stroke. Hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF1α)-matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP9)-mediated HIF1α signaling pathway serves as one of the common mechanisms. YDXNT could reduce the increase of mitochondrial fluorescence intensity and the protein expression of HIF1α and MMP9 in HL-1 and HA induced by oxygen and glucose deprivation/reperfusion (OGD/R) in a dose-dependent manner. Baicalin may be the material basis for treating stroke and CHD with YDXNT. In conclusion, the HIF1α signaling pathway is one of the common key mechanisms of YDXNT in the co-treatment of stroke and CHD. The study provides support and basis for the in-depth scientific connotation of the traditional Chinese medicine theory of "same treatment to different diseases".

Objective: Data for 2016 from cancer registries were used to estimate cancer incidence and mortality in China in 2016. Methods: According to the quality control process of the National Central Cancer Registry, the data from 683 cancer registries submitted by each province were evaluated, and the data of 487 cancer registries were qualified and included in the final analysis. Age-specific incidence and mortality rates were calculated by area (urban/rural), sex, age and cancer site, combined with national population data to estimate cancer incidence and mortality in China in 2016. Chinese population census in 2000 and Segi's population were used for age-standardized incidence and mortality rates. Results: Total population covered by 487 cancer registries was 381 565 422 (192 628 370 in urban and 188 937 052 in rural areas). The percentages of morphologically verified (MV%) and death certificate-only cases (DCO%) accounted for 68.31% and 1.40%, respectively, and the mortality to incidence ratio was 0.61. It was estimated about 4 064 000 new cases occurred in China in 2016, with the crude incidence rate being 293.91/100 000 (the rates of males and females were 315.52/100 000 and 271.23/100 000), age-standardized incidence rates by Chinese standard population (ASIRC) and by world standard population (ASIRW) were 190.76/100 000 and 186.46/100 000, with the cumulative incidence rate (0-74 years old) being 21.42%. The crude incidence and ASIRC were 314.74/100 000 and 196.38/100 000 in urban areas, whereas in rural areas, they were 265.90/100 000 and 182.21/100 000, respectively. It was estimated about 2 413 500 cancer deaths occurred in China in 2016, the crude mortality rate was 174.55/100 000 (216.16/100 000 in males and 130.88/100 000 in females), the age-standardized mortality rates by Chinese standard population (ASMRC) and by world standard population (ASMRW) were 106.00/100 000 and 105.19/100 000, and the cumulative mortality rate (0-74 years old) was 11.85%. The crude mortality and ASMRC were 180.31/100 000 and 104.44/100 000 in urban areas, whereas in rural areas, they were 166.81/100 000 and 108.01/100 000, respectively. The most common cancer cases include lung, colorectal, stomach, liver and female breast cancers. The top five cancers accounted for about 57.27% of all cancer cases. The most common cancer deaths included lung, liver, stomach, colorectal and esophageal cancers. The top five cancers accounted for about 69.25% of all cancer deaths. Conclusions: The burden of cancer shows a continuous increasing trend in China. Regional and gender differences in cancer burden are obvious. The cancer patterns still show the coexistence of cancer patterns in developed countries and developing countries. The situation of cancer prevention and control is still serious in China.
Male ; Humans ; Female ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant ; Child, Preschool ; Child ; Adolescent ; Young Adult ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Urban Population ; Breast Neoplasms ; Esophageal Neoplasms ; Rural Population ; China/epidemiology* ; Registries ; Incidence ; Colorectal Neoplasms

The present study aimed to investigate the composition of the terpene synthase(TPS) gene family in Gynostemma pentaphyllum and its role in abiotic stresses. The G. pentaphyllum TPS gene family was identified and analyzed at the genome-wide level using bioinformatics analysis, and the expression patterns of these family members were analyzed in different tissues of G. pentaphyllum as well as under various abiotic stresses. The results showed that there were 24 TPS gene family members in G. pentaphyllum with protein lengths ranging from 294 to 842 aa. All of them were localized in the cytoplasm or chloroplasts and unevenly distributed on the 11 chromosomes of G. pentaphyllum. The results of the phylogenetic tree showed that the G. pentaphyllum TPS gene family members could be divided into five subfamilies. As revealed by the analysis of promoter cis-acting elements, TPS gene family members in G. pentaphyllum were predicted to respond to a variety of abiotic stresses such as salt, low temperature, and dark stress. The analysis of gene expression patterns in different tissues of G. pentaphyllum revealed that nine TPS genes were tissue-specific in expression. The qPCR results showed that GpTPS16, GpTPS17, and GpTPS21 responded to a variety of abiotic stresses. This study is expected to provide references in guiding the further exploration of the biological functions of G. pentaphyllum TPS genes under abiotic stresses.
Gynostemma ; Phylogeny ; Alkyl and Aryl Transferases ; Chloroplasts

Objective: To understand the current status of diagnosis and treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) /small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL) among hematologists, oncologists, and lymphoma physicians from hospitals of different levels in China. Methods: This multicenter questionnaire survey was conducted from March 2021 to July 2021 and included 1,000 eligible physicians. A combination of face-to-face interviews and online questionnaire surveys was used. A standardized questionnaire regarding the composition of patients treated for CLL/SLL, disease diagnosis and prognosis evaluation, concomitant diseases, organ function evaluation, treatment selection, and Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor was used. Results: ①The interviewed physicians stated that the proportion of male patients treated for CLL/SLL is higher than that of females, and the age is mainly concentrated in 61-70 years old. ②Most of the interviewed physicians conducted tests, such as bone marrow biopsies and immunohistochemistry, for patient diagnosis, in addition to the blood test. ③Only 13.7% of the interviewed physicians fully grasped the initial treatment indications recommended by the existing guidelines. ④In terms of cognition of high-risk prognostic factors, physicians' knowledge of unmutated immunoglobulin heavy-chain variable and 11q- is far inferior to that of TP53 mutation and complex karyotype, which are two high-risk prognostic factors, and only 17.1% of the interviewed physicians fully mastered CLL International Prognostic Index scoring system. ⑤Among the first-line treatment strategy, BTK inhibitors are used for different types of patients, and physicians have formed a certain understanding that BTK inhibitors should be preferentially used in patients with high-risk factors and elderly patients, but the actual use of BTK inhibitors in different types of patients is not high (31.6%-46.0%). ⑥BTK inhibitors at a reduced dose in actual clinical treatment were used by 69.0% of the physicians, and 66.8% of the physicians had interrupted the BTK inhibitor for >12 days in actual clinical treatment. The use of BTK inhibitors is reduced or interrupted mainly because of adverse reactions, such as atrial fibrillation, severe bone marrow suppression, hemorrhage, and pulmonary infection, as well as patients' payment capacity and effective disease progression control. ⑦Some differences were found in the perceptions and behaviors of hematologists and oncologists regarding the prognostic assessment of CLL/SLL, the choice of treatment options, the clinical use of BTK inhibitors, etc. Conclusion: At present, a gap remains between the diagnosis and treatment of CLL/SLL among Chinese physicians compared with the recommendations in the guidelines regarding the diagnostic criteria, treatment indications, prognosis assessment, accompanying disease assessment, treatment strategy selection, and rational BTK inhibitor use, especially the proportion of dose reduction or BTK inhibitor discontinuation due to high adverse events.
Female ; Humans ; Male ; Aged ; Middle Aged ; Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell/drug therapy* ; Prognosis ; Lymphoma, B-Cell ; Immunohistochemistry ; Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains/therapeutic use*

Corticosteroid switching can reverse abiraterone resistance in some patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). Here, we investigated the potential biomarkers for predicting the efficacy of corticosteroid switching during treatment with abiraterone acetate (AA). We retrospectively analyzed 101 mCRPC patients receiving corticosteroid switching from West China Hospital and Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center between January 2016 and December 2018. All cases received AA plus prednisone as first-line therapy during mCRPC. Primary end points were biochemical progression-free survival (bPFS) and overall survival (OS). The risk groups were defined based on multivariate analysis. A total of 42 (41.6%) and 25 (24.8%) patients achieved 30% and 50% decline in prostate-specific antigen (PSA), respectively, after corticosteroid switching. The median bPFS and median OS on AA plus dexamethasone were 4.9 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.7-6.0) months and 18.8 (95% CI: 16.2-30.2) months, respectively. Aldo-keto reductase family 1 member C3 (AKR1C3) expression (hazard ratio [HR]: 2.15, 95% Cl: 1.22-3.80, P = 0.008) and baseline serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP; HR: 4.95, 95% Cl: 2.40-10.19, P < 0.001) were independent predictors of efficacy before corticosteroid switching in the multivariate analysis of bPFS. Only baseline serum ALP >160 IU l^-1 (HR: 3.41, 95% Cl: 1.57-7.38, P = 0.002) together with PSA level at switch ≥50 ng ml^-1 (HR: 2.59, 95% Cl: 1.22-5.47, P = 0.013) independently predicted poorer OS. Based on the predictive factors in multivariate analysis, we developed two risk stratification tools to select candidates for corticosteroid switching. Detection of serum ALP level, PSA level, and tissue AKR1C3 expression in mCRPC patients could help make clinical decisions for corticosteroid switching.
Abiraterone Acetate/therapeutic use* ; Adrenal Cortex Hormones/therapeutic use* ; Androstenes ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/therapeutic use* ; Dexamethasone/therapeutic use* ; Disease-Free Survival ; Humans ; Male ; Prednisone/therapeutic use* ; Prostate-Specific Antigen ; Prostatic Neoplasms, Castration-Resistant/pathology* ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome