Zhongguo Zhongyao Zazhi最新文献

In recent years, self-assembled nanostructures of TCM polysaccharides have attracted widespread attention in drug delivery systems. This study investigated the effects of two Epimedium polysaccharides, a neutral polysaccharide(EPSN) and an acidic polysaccharide(EPSA), on the loading of the active component icariin(ICA) and their influence on biopharmaceutical properties. Structural characterization revealed EPSN as a glucan and EPSA as an acidic heteropolysaccharide, both exhibiting triple-helix conformations. Dynamic light scattering(DLS), critical aggregation concentration(CAC), and electron microscopy demonstrated that the polysaccharides self-assembled into nanoparticles in aqueous solutions. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FT-IR) and differential scanning calorimetry(DSC) revealed that hydrogen bonding and π-π stacking interactions occurred between the polysaccharides and ICA. Solubility testing using the saturation shake-flask method, gastrointestinal stability assays, parallel artificial membrane permeability assay(PAMPA), and single-pass intestinal perfusion(SPIP) in rats were used to evaluate and compare the effects of the two polysaccharides on ICA solubility, stability, and permeability. The results showed that both polysaccharides enhanced ICA solubility, stability, and permeability, with EPSA showing superior solubility and stability enhancement, while EPSN exhibited better permeability-promoting effects.

The chemical instability of the core active components of Borneolum Syntheticum(borneol and isoborneol) is a key factor limiting its quality improvement. In this study, a series of small-molecule gelators based on a cholesterol skeleton were designed and synthesized, and the optimal gelator was selected through gelation-capacity-guided screening to construct a "Borneolum Syntheticum-gelator" dry gel self-assembly system. The preparation process of the dry gel was determined based on Borneolum Syntheticum loss rate, encapsulation efficiency, drug loading capacity, physicochemical characterization, and stability assessment. RESULTS:: showed that dry gels were successfully formed at mass ratios of 1∶1 and 3∶1(Borneolum Syntheticum to gelator 2), with minimal Borneolum Syntheticum loss(0.7% and 0.8%). Corresponding encapsulation efficiencies and drug loading capacities reached 98.86%, 98.96% and 49.76%, 74.88%, respectively. IR and SEM analyses indicated that hydrogen bonding and other intermolecular forces drove the formation of multi-level fibrous network structures, with the 3∶1 ratio producing a more compact three-dimensional architecture. XRD and DSC confirmed the masking of Borneolum Syntheticum's crystalline structure and the formation of new phases in the dry gel system, suggesting that synergistic stabilization was achieved through crystalline transformation and effective encapsulation. Both formulations exhibited excellent stability under high temperature, high humidity, and intense light. The 3∶1 dry gel was selected for pharmacokinetic studies, revealing that the active components, borneol and isoborneol, in the dry gel exhibited prolonged retention time and more stable release profiles in vivo. This study provides new insights for improving the quality of easily degradable TCM components.

This study aims to explore the inhibitory mechanism of Shuangshen Fuzheng Powder(SSG) on the tumor of mice bearing M1 macrophages and Lewis lung cancer cells. Lewis lung cancer cells and polarized RAW264.7 macrophages were mixed for injection to construct a mouse model with lung cancer xenograft. The mice were divided into a Lewis group, an SSG group, a Lewis + M1 macrophage(M1) group, and a Lewis + M1 + SSG group, with 10 mice in each group. The SSG group and the Lewis + M1 + SSG group were administered SSG suspension(208 mg·mL~(-1)) daily by gavage, and the Lewis group and the Lewis + M1 group were given purified water by gavage. The spleen and tumor samples were collected after three weeks of intervention. The volume and weight of subcutaneously transplanted tumors in mice were detected. The proportion of F4/80~+CD86~+ tumor-associated macrophages(TAMs) and the expression of CD206~+ in spleen cells were analyzed by flow cytometry, and the expression of M1 macrophage marker protein inducible nitric oxide synthase(iNOS) in transplanted tumor tissue was detected by immunohistochemical staining(IHC). The expression of iNOS, arginase 1(ARG1), transforming growth factor-β(TGF-β), vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF), matrix metalloproteinase-9(MMP-9), and macrophage migration inhibition factor(MIF) in transplanted tumor tissue of mice was detected by Western blot(WB), and the chemical constituents of SSG were analyzed by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-electrostatic field orbital trap high resolution mass spectrometry(UHPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap HR-MS). The results showed that treatment by SSG and co-injection with M1 macrophages could both significantly inhibit the tumor volume and weight, and the inhibitory effects were similar. During treatment by SSG, the tumor burden in the Lewis + M1 + SSG group continued to decrease. The flow cytometry results showed that the SSG group and the Lewis + M1 + SSG group exhibited a significant increase in the CD86~+ expression and a significant decrease in the CD206~+ expression. The IHC results indicated that compared with that of the Lewis group, the expression of iNOS in the SSG group was significantly elevated. The WB assay results showed that the expression of iNOS protein significantly increased, and the expression of ARG1, TGF-β, VEGF, MMP-9, and MIF significantly decreased in the Lewis + SSG group compared with those of the Lewis group. A total of 125 chemical constituents were identified from SSG, mainly including saponins, flavonoids, nucleotides, amino acids, and sugar components. SSG may exert its inhibitory effect on lung cancer by increasing the polarization of macrophages to M1-type TAMs and reducing the polarization to M2-type TAMs. The analysis of the pharmacodynamic components of SSG provides a basis and reference for subsequent research on pharmacokinetics.

As a fermented rice product by the Monascus fungi, red yeast rice is widely used in the food, pharmaceutical, feed, and cosmetics industries. Since the discovery of monacolin K, a lipid-lowering active component, in the metabolites of red yeast rice in the 1970s, its research value has become increasingly prominent, ushering in a new phase of related studies. However, the taxonomic system of Monascus has long been controversial, which has hindered the fungal resource development and the industrial process standardization to a certain extent. This article systematically reviewed the major advances in the taxonomy and identification techniques of Monascus, highlighting the discrepancies among different classification systems. Specifically, significant differences existed between the classification systems by LI Zhong-qin and Hawksworth, while inconsistencies were also observed between the LI system and DNA sequence analysis results. Based on available evidence, a hypothesis was further proposed that "artificial domestication induces genetic morphological differentiation in Monascus", meaning that strains with the same genetic background may develop stable morphological variations during long-term fermentation and domestication. Multigene phylogenetic analyses(e.g., based on ITS, BenA, RPB2, and other genes) provided preliminary molecular support for this hypothesis, though the underlying mechanisms remain to be further validated through whole-genome comparisons, phenotype-associated gene identification, and other studies. On this basis, this paper proposed the construction of a four-dimensional classification model integrating morphomics, genomics, proteomics, and metabolomics to resolve the taxonomic units and phylogenetic relationships of Monascus more comprehensively and objectively. This taxonomic framework will provide important theoretical support for the scientific utilization, safety evaluation, and industrial application of Monascus resources.

Atherosclerosis, a metabolic disease characterized by the formation of plaques consisting of a combination of cholesterol, calcium, fibrin, and other impurities in blood vessels, is a key risk factor for the development of a variety of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases and a global health problem that needs to be addressed urgently. Vascular smooth muscle cells(VSMCs) are the main cell type in atherosclerotic plaques, and many studies have confirmed that the proliferation, migration, and phenotypic transformation of VSMCs are important driving factors for the development of atherosclerosis. VSMCs have a high degree of plasticity, and in the physiological state, VSMCs are responsible for maintaining vasoconstriction and vasodilation and supporting the normal physiological structure of the blood vessels. In case of tissue injury, abnormal lipid metabolism, and abnormal infiltration of inflammation, VSMCs can be de-differentiated into the synthetic type and possess abnormal proliferation and migration capabilities, which will lead to luminal stenosis, plaque accumulation and even rupture. The multi-target and multi-pathway holistic treatment of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) is consistent with the complexity of this pathological process. Therefore, the intervention of TCM targeting VSMCs may be a new breakthrough. Based on the existing evidence, this study systematically reviewed the research progress of TCM targeting VSMCs proliferation, migration, and phenotypic transformation to intervene in atherosclerosis, with a view to providing evidence support for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of atherosclerosis with TCM and the exploration of the biological basis of atherosclerosis.

This study uses evidence mapping to summarize and analyze existing clinical research on Chinese patent medicines(CPMs) for the treatment of depression, aiming to identify strengths and shortcomings in this field and provide references for future research. A systematic search was conducted in eight databases, CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, SinoMed, PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and EMbase, for Chinese and English literature published from database inception to June 1, 2024. The clinical research characteristics and methodological quality of the included studies were evaluated, with results presented through figures and tables. A total of 223 studies involving 6 CPMs were included, comprising 181 randomized controlled trials(RCTs), 29 non-randomized controlled trials(non-RCTs), 12 systematic reviews/Meta-analyses, and 1 expert consensus. Among these 6 CPMs, Shugan Jieyu Capsules were the most widely used clinically for treating depression. The research trend on CPMs for depression showed an initial increase followed by a decline. The studies were mainly single-center, small-sample, and short-term. Outcome measures primarily included depression, anxiety, safety indicators, adverse effects, and total effective rate, while less attention was given to quality of life, follow-up and recurrence rates, and traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) syndrome scores. The overall risk of bias in RCT was high, and the quality of systematic review/Meta-analysis was generally low. Non-RCTs did not report sample size estimation, follow-up, or follow-up duration, and most lacked blinding, significantly lowering the credibility of their findings. Future research should adhere to TCM principles, design clinical studies according to standards, and integrate TCM concepts throughout all stages of clinical research. The application of TCM syndrome scores should be standardized and promoted, and greater attention should be paid to patients' quality of life, to improve the quality of research and development in TCM treatment of depression.

As the primary excretory organ responsible for maintaining internal homeostasis, renal dysfunction constitutes the pathological foundation of kidney injury. Renal cells are rich in endoplasmic reticulum(ER) structures, making endoplasmic reticulum stress(ERS) a central mechanism in regulating renal homeostasis. Numerous studies have revealed that aberrant activation of ERS leads to abnormal programmed cell death(PCD) in intrinsic renal cells and is closely associated with the progression of various kidney diseases. Consequently, suppressing ERS has emerged as a promising therapeutic direction in renal disease research. TCM offers wide clinical applicability and demonstrates advantages such as multi-target regulation, efficacy enhancement, and toxicity reduction. Accumulating research demonstrates that TCM ameliorates pathological renal damage by modulating ERS in kidney cells, thereby attenuating disease progression. Based on the regulatory mechanisms of ERS signaling pathways, this review focuses on the mechanistic actions of TCM in modulating ERS and its downstream PCD. It summarizes current evidence on the roles of Chinese herbal monomers and compound formulas for treating acute kidney injury(AKI), renal interstitial fibrosis(RIF), and diabetic kidney disease(DKD) by targeting ERS, aiming to provide novel perspectives for innovative clinical prevention and treatment strategies in renal diseases.

Ganoderma lucidum spore polysaccharides(GLSP) are the main active ingredients of G. lucidum spores and have pharmacological effects of regulating immunity and inhibiting tumor growth. Cancer-related fatigue is a common concomitant symptom in cancer patients, with no safe and effective therapy. This study established a mouse model of cancer-related fatigue with spleen deficiency syndrome to investigate the effect and mechanism of GLSP in alleviating cancer-related fatigue. First, GLSP was obtained by water extraction and alcohol precipitation, and its content was measured to be approximately 75% by the anthrone sulfate method. GLSP was found to be composed of 10 monosaccharides including glucose, galactose, and mannose by 1-phenyl-3-methyl-5-pyrazolone(PMP) derivatization-HPLC. Using a mouse model of cancer-related fatigue due to spleen deficiency, this study showed that GLSP significantly reduced the tumor volume and weight, prolonged the running time, increased the motilin and gastrin content in the antral tissue, and improved the gastrointestinal digestive function in mice. Moreover, GLSP lowered the serum lactic acid level, increased the ATP concentration in the skeletal muscle, raised the levels of mitochondrial respiratory enzymes Ⅰ and Ⅳ, and promoted material and energy metabolism in the body. In addition, GLSP significantly alleviated the abnormal spleen tissue structure, promoted tumor tissue necrosis, lowered the serum levels of inflammatory factors [interleukin(IL)-1β, tumor necrosis factor(TNF)-α)], increased CD4~+ expression in the spleen tissue, reduced CD8~+ expression, and down-regulated the protein and mRNA levels of JAK2/STAT3 pathway-related factors in model mice. To sum up, GLSP can inhibit Janus kinase 2(JAK2)/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3(STAT3) activation by reducing IL-6 expression, raise the CD4~+/CD8~+ level, regulate the tumor microenvironment, enhance immunity, improve gastrointestinal absorption and digestion, promote energy metabolism, and increase the skeletal muscle energy storage level, thereby relieving cancer-related fatigue in mice with the spleen deficiency syndrome.