Geoherbalism Metabolomic Analysis of Atractylodes lancea (Thunb.) DC. by LC-Triple TOF-MS/MS and GC-MS

The rhizome of Atractylodes lancea (Thunb.) DC. (AL), called Maocangzhu in Chinese, is a geoherbalism medical herb in Jiangsu Province that is often used in the prescription of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), such as for the treatment of COVID-19. The landform and climatic environment of each province varies greatly from south to north, which has an important influence on the chemical constituents in AL. However, there is a lack of research on the significance of its geoherbalism, especially in water-soluble parts other than volatile oil. In this study, eight known compounds were isolated and obtained as reference substances from AL. In addition, liquid chromatography coupled with triple-quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (LC-triple TOF-MS/MS) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) were used to analyze and characterize chemical constituents from different habitats. Moreover, orthogonal partial least-squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) was applied to reveal the differential metabolomics in AL from different habitats based on the qualitative information of the chemical constituents. Results showed that a total of 33 constituents from GC-MS and 106 constituents from LC-triple TOF-MS/MS were identified or inferred, including terpenoids, polyacetylenes, and others; meanwhile, the fragmentation pathways of different types of compounds were preliminarily deduced from the fragmentation behavior of the major constituents. According to the variable importance in projection (VIP) and p-values, only one volatile differential metabolite was identified by GC-MS screening: β-eudesmol. Overall, five differential metabolites were identified by LC-triple TOF-MS/MS screening: sucrose, 4(15),11-eudesmadiene; atractylenolide I, 3,5,11-tridecatriene-7,9-diyne-1,2-diacetate, and (3Z,5E,11E)-tridecatriene-7,9-diynyl-1-O-(E)-ferulate. This study provides metabolomic information for the establishment of a comprehensive quality evaluation system for AL.

A novel strategy to identify the species-specific peptide biomarkers in Pheretima aspergillum (E. Perrier) based on enzymatic digestion followed by LC-MS/MS methods

Guang Dilong [P. aspergillum (E. Perrier)], is an animal-derived traditional Chinese medicine made from the dried body of Pheretima aspergillum (E. Perrier) (TCM). Due to its widely application and high medical values, preparations of P. aspergillum (E. Perrier) may be adulterated by four other species, including three crucial Pheretima species [P. vulgaris (Chen), P. pectinifera (Mkhaeken), and P. guillemi (Michaelsen)] and one considerable adulteration [Metaphire magna (Chen)]. This study developed a novel and effective strategy for analyzing and authenticating Guang Dilong based on enzymatic digestion of protein. The nanoLC-MS/MS technique used to evaluate complete peptidomics profiles of trypsin-digested samples, resulting in the identification of species-specific peptide biomarkers in P. aspergillum (E. Perrier). The significance of different samples and peptides in the target species set was then investigated using mathematical set theory. Consequently, seven peptides were chosen as prospective biomarkers. Finally, five specific peptide biomarkers for differentiating Guang Dilong with other species were confirmed and validated using UFLC-MS/MS and MRM mode. The suggested technique may also be beneficial in evaluating the quality of other animal-derived goods for safety issues in order to avoid misidentification.

A hemicyanine-based fluorescent probe for simultaneous imaging of Carboxylesterases and Histone deacetylases in hepatocellular carcinoma

Carboxylesterases (CESs) and Histone deacetylases (HDACs) are regarded as important signaling enzymes highly associated with the development and progression of multiple cancers, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In this work, a near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent probe named Lys-HXPI was designed and synthesized, which linked a hemicyanine dye and 6-acetamidohexanoic acid via an ester bond. Lys-HXPI displayed a remarkable increase with a NIR emission at 720 nm, a low detection limit (<10 nM) for HDAC1, HDAC 6, CES1 and CES2, as well as a high selectivity for the target enzymes over other relevant analytes. Furthermore, Lys-HXPI was used to image endogenous target enzymes in living cells, tumor-bearing nude mice and tissue slices. The ability of Lys-HXPI to simultaneous image CESs and HDACs was demonstrated with RT-qPCR and the confocal imaging in Hep G2 and MDA-MB-231. Taking advantage of NIR emission, the probe was also successfully applied to imaging Hep G2 tumor mice and tissue slices. Lys-HXPI is expected to be useful for the effective detecting of CESs and HDACs in complex biosystems.

Pharmacokinetics-derived absorbed components responsible for Guizhi-Fuling capsule target PI3K/Akt-Erk to exert an anti-dysmenorrhea effect

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Guizhi-Fuling capsule (GZFL), a well-known herbal remedy, has been widely used to treat primary dysmenorrhea (PD). Hence, systematic identifying multiple active ingredients and the involved mechanism is essential and urgently needed for GZFL.

AIM OF THE STUDY

This study was planned to assess the pharmacokinetics of GZFL in rats, and identify whether these GZFL-derived absorbed components (ACs) contribute to the efficacy of source herbs and relevant mechanism.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The in vivo pharmacokinetic profile of 11 phytochemicals and 13 metabolites in healthy and PD rats were evaluated using liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Whereafter, the introduced contribution strategy assessed ACs' effect (doses = their contents in GZFL) in PD rats with the mechanism.

RESULT

The pharmacokinetic profiles of prototypes and metabolites differed in healthy and PD rats. As a main proxy of GZFL, 11ACs exerted an anti-PD effect (improvement of indexes for writhing latency, writhing time, PGF_2α/PGE₂, TXB₂/6-keto-PGF_1α and β-EP) by regulating PI3K-Akt/ERK pathway.

CONCLUSION

As a paradigmatic example, 11ACs contributed an average of 113.55% to GZFL in terms of anti-PD efficacy, providing an approach to rapidly, accurately and consistently identify the bioactive components and their pathway from herbs.

Quantitative analysis of nutrients for nucleosides, nucleobases and amino acids hidden behind five distinct regions-derived Poria cocos using ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple-quadrupole linear ion-trap tandem mass spectrometry

Poria cocos is an edible fungus used as a health product and traditional Chinese medicinal preparation. Nevertheless, little is known about its nutrients. In this study, ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple-quadrupole linear ion-trap tandem mass spectrometry was conducted to quantify nucleosides, nucleobases, and amino acids in 32 batches of Poria cocos samples collected from Anhui, Sichuan, Hubei, Hunan and Guizhou. Subsequently, the linearity, precision, repeatability, stability, and recovery of our methods were validated. Samples from different regions were clearly separated by partial least squares discriminant analysis and cluster analysis. Our results suggested that Poria cocos samples from different geographical environments differed in nucleosides, nucleobases, and amino acids. The plot of variable importance for projection disclosed differential compositions of L-Leucine, Uridine, L-Asparagine, L-Glutamine, L-phenylalanine, L-Ornithine monohydrochloride, L-Hydroxyproline, Taurine and Inosine in Poria cocos from five regions. We found the highest content of total analytes, total amino acids and total non-essential amino acids in Poria cocos from Anhui, total essential amino acids in the Sichuan samples and total nucleosides in Hunan samples. Overall, we determined the content of Poria cocos-derived nucleosides, nucleobases, and amino acids, providing the foothold for further chemical mining and use of Poria cocos. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Lithium chloride promotes neural functional recovery after local cerebral ischaemia injury in rats through Wnt signalling pathway activation

BACKGROUND

Lithium chloride (LiCl) has a significant neuroprotective effect in cerebral ischaemia. However, to date, there is a paucity of evidence on the role of LiCl in neural restoration after brain ischaemia and the signalling pathways involved remain unclear.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Therefore, to address this gap, the middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) rat model was used to simulate human ischaemia stroke. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were given MCAO for 90 min followed by reperfusion, and Dickkopf-1 (DKK1, 5.0 μg/kg) was administered half an hour before MCAO. Rats were then treated with hypodermic injection of LiCl (2.0 mmol/kg) twice a day for 1 week. After treatment, cognitive impairment was assessed by the Morris water maze test. Neurological deficit score, 2,3,5-triphenyl tetrazolium chloride staining, brain water content, and histopathology were used to evaluate brain damage. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to measure oxidative stress damage and inflammatory cytokines. Apoptosis of the hippocampal neurons was tested by western blot. The key factors of Wnt signalling pathway in the ischaemic penumbra were detected by immunofluorescence staining and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction.

RESULTS

Current experimental results showed that LiCl treatment significantly improved the impaired spatial learning and memory ability, suppressed oxidative stress, inflammatory reaction, and neuron apoptosis accompanied by attenuating neuronal damage, which subsequently decreased the brain oedema, infarct volume and neurological deficit. Furthermore, the treatment of LiCl activated Wnt signalling pathway. Interestingly, the aforementioned effects of LiCl treatment were markedly reversed by administration of DKK1, an inhibitor of Wnt signalling pathway.

CONCLUSIONS

These results indicate that LiCl exhibits neuroprotective effects in focal cerebral ischaemia by Wnt signalling pathway activation, and it might have latent clinical application for the prevention and treatment of ischaemic stroke.

[A pedigree study of Loeys-Dietz syndrome type 4 with skeletal deformity related to a novel TGFβ2 mutation]

Objective: Loeys-Dietz syndrome is a rare type of hereditary connective tissue disease. This study was aimed to analyze the clinical characteristics and gene mutations in a family of Loeys-Dietz syndrome with skeletal deformity. Methods: Clinical data of the proband and family members were collected and biochemical measurements and radiological examinations were conducted. Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood of the family members. Whole-exome sequencing was performed to determine the mutation sites in the proband, and Sanger sequencing was applied to verify the candidate mutation in the other family members. Results: The proband is a 34-year-old man with deformities of lower extremities for more than 30 years. Physical examinations showed dolichostenomelia, pes planus, joint laxity and scoliosis. Echocardiography revealed the dilatation of aortic root at the level of the sinuses of Valsalva. A heterozygous missense mutation (c. 220A>C, p.Thr74Pro) in exon 1 of TGFβ2 gene was identified in the proband. The same mutation was detected in his sister and niece with similar clinical features such as deformities of lower extremities and pes planus. This novel mutation has not been reported in ExAC or 1000G and was predicted to be deleterious, supporting a diagnosis of Loeys-Dietz syndrome type 4. Conclusions: Loeys-Dietz syndrome type 4 is caused by TGFβ2 mutations. Skeletal deformity is one of the distinctive features. Genetic testing is helpful for the early diagnosis and differential diagnosis from other connective tissue diseases.

Identification of absorbed compounds of Xiao Yao San Jia Wei and pharmacokinetic study in depressed rats by force swimming stress

Xiao-Yao-San-Jia-Wei (XYSJW) is a commonly prescribed formulation for depression and anorexia in the Jiang Su Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine. Unfortunately, the proper dosage of this formulation is still unclear due to its limited chemical and pharmacokinetic profiles. Thus, in the present study, a sensitive, precise, and rapid procedure for the identification of absorbed compounds (Cs) in the plasma of depressed rats together with a pharmacokinetic analysis was established with the help of ultra-flow liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UFLC-Q-TOF MS/MS) and ultra-flow liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry (UFLC-QQQ MS/MS). Based on the characteristic fragmentation, neutral loss, mass defect filter, relevant literature and reference standards, 225 Cs in the XYSJW extract and 20 Cs in the plasma of the depressed rats were tentatively recognized via UFLC-Q-TOF MS/MS and UFLC-QQQ MS/MS. Then, the 12 major absorbed Cs in the depressed rats after oral XYSJW administration were chosen to further investigate its pharmacokinetic profile by UFLC-QQQ MS/MS. This study provides a systematic approach for the rapid and qualitative analysis of absorbed Cs in depressed rats and investigating the pharmacokinetics of XYSJW. More importantly, our work provides key information on the chemical and pharmacokinetic profiles of XYSJW in vitro and in vivo, which may benefit its therapeutic efficacy and further pharmacological studies involving this formulation.

Xiao-Yao-San-Jia-Wei (XYSJW) is a commonly prescribed formulation for depression and anorexia in the Jiang Su Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine.

An HDAC8-selective fluorescent probe for imaging in living tumor cell lines and tissue slices

Histone deacetylase 8 (HDAC8) has been used as a therapeutic target for many cancers as it is highly expressed in neuroblastoma cells and breast cancer cells. HDAC8-selective fluorescent probes need to be urgently developed. Herein, two novel fluorescent probes, namely NP-C6-PCI and AM-C6-PCI, based on the conjugation of 1,8-naphthalimide with a highly selective inhibitor of HDAC8 (PCI-34051) were reported. Compared with PCI-34051 (K_D = 6.25 × 10^-5 M), NP-C6-PCI (K_D = 8.05 × 10^-6 M) and AM-C6-PCI (K_D = 7.42 × 10^-6 M) showed great selectivity toward HDAC8. Two fluorescent probes exhibited high fluorescence intensity under λ_ex = 450 nm and a large Stokes shift (100 nm). NP-C6-PCI was selected for cell and tissue imaging due to the similarity in the bioactivity of NP-C6-PCI with PCI-34051. The ability of NP-C6-PCI to target imaging HDAC8 in SH-SY5Y and MDA-MB-231 tumor cells was demonstrated. Furthermore, NP-C6-PCI was applied to imaging SH-SY5Y tumor tissue slices to indicate the relative expression level of HDAC8. Therefore, this HDAC8-selective fluorescent probe can be expected for applications in HDAC8-targeted drug screening as well as in pathologic diagnoses.

Anti-depressant effect of Zhi-zi-chi decoction on CUMS mice and elucidation of its signaling pathway

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Zhi-zi-chi decoction (ZZCD) is used for treating depression as an effectively traditional Chinese medicine. Until now, studies on pharmacological research of ZZCD have mostly been centered in pharmacokinetic level. Little was known about its pharmacological mechanism of relieving depression.

AIM OF THE STUDY

This study was to evaluate the effect of ZZCD on relieving depression via behavioral tests, serum metabolomics and signaling target expression analysis on chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) model mice.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The CUMS exposure lasted 7 consecutive weeks. The mice were administrated with ZZCD for the last 3 weeks. Behavioral tests were applied and a serum metabolomics method based on UFLC/Q-TOF-MS with multivariate statistical and global metabolic network analysis was performed to identify relevant metabolites and pathways. Finally, the protein expressions in mouse hippocampi were determined by western blot to verify the metabolomics deduction.

RESULTS

Behavioral parameters were visibly changed after modeling, while high and medium dosage groups showed status improvement compared to the model group. Seventy six metabolites were identified as potential biomarkers from the metabolomics profiles in C₁₈ and HILIC systems. In addition, 9 significant pathways related to changed biomarkers were conducted. The pathways were closely connected by some key targets, which were significantly reduced in the model group compared with those in control group, while ZZCD treated groups showed corrections after 3-week administration. The results revealed that the anti-depression efficacy of ZZCD might be associated with PKA-CREB-BDNF-TrkB-PSD-95 pathway influenced by metabolic changes, verifying the pathway annotation speculation.

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrated that ZZCD had a positive treatment effect on CUMS depression model mice. Metabolomics results revealed the holistic and interconnected metabolic changes of ZZCD in CUMS mice. The metabolic pathway annotation suggested that the anti-depression mechanism of ZZCD might be related to signaling pathway in brain. PKA-CREB-BDNF-TrkB-PSD-95 signaling expression was a verification and complement to the metabolomics results.

Qualitative and quantitative analysis of the major constituents in Spatholobi Caulis by UFLC-Triple TOF-MS/MS and UFLC-QTRAP-MS/MS

There have been few comprehensive studies on the holistic chemical composition of Spatholobi Caulis (SC) and consequently, the information is lacking for the in-depth study of the major constituents. SC is a kind of widely used traditional Chinese medicine with its xylem and phloem alternately arranged in 3-10 rings, but the relationship of phloem ring number and the quality remains unclear. In this study, the characterization of the major constituents in SC was analyzed by ultra-fast liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole-time of flight tandem mass spectrometry (UFLC-Triple TOF-MS/MS), and the content of 19 flavonoids in SC with different phloem ring numbers was simultaneously determined by ultra-fast liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole-linear ion trap tandem mass spectrometry (UFLC-QTRAP-MS/MS). Correlation analysis was performed to evaluate the quality of SC with different phloem ring numbers according to the content of 19 flavonoids. Results showed that 50 constituents in SC were identified and the fragmentation pathways of different types of compounds were preliminarily deduced by the fragmentation behavior of the 50 constituents. In addition, the content of flavonoids increased with phloem ring number, which demonstrated that the content of flavonoids in SC was positively correlated with the number of phloem rings. Our research will contribute to the variety identification and quality evaluation of SC, and provide a scientific basis for evaluating the quality of medicinal materials based on its appearance and characteristics.

LC-MS/MS Method Development and Validation for the Determination of Ilexsaponin A1 and Its Application in Intestinal Bacterial Metabolic Study

Background:

Ilexsaponin A1, one of the most representative triterpene saponin components in the roots of I. pubescens, showed its effects in anticoagulation and antithrombosis, attenuating ischemia-reperfusion-induced myocardial, angiogenesis and inhibiting phosphodiesterase.

Objective:

Reveal the key intestinal bacterial strains responsible for ilexsaponin A1 metabolism, and clarify their metabolic behavior.

Methods:

An accurate and sensitive LC-MS/MS method for the determination of “ilexsaponin A1 in General Anaerobic Medium (GAM) broth” was established and systematically validated. Then it was applied to screen and study the metabolic potential of the intestinal bacterial strains in an anaerobic incubation system.

Results:

Quantitation of ilexsaponin A1 could be performed within an analytical run time of 14.5 min, in the linear range of 2 - 2000 ng/ml. Enterobacter sakazakii, Bifidobacterium breve, Bifidobacterium adolescentis, Bifidobacterium catenulatum, and Bifidobacterium angulatum were identified to have a potential effect to metabolize ilexsaponin A1 to different extents; and further bacterial metabolic studies were performed to clarify their metabolic capacity and behavior.

Conclusion:

This paper contributes to a better understanding of the intestinal bacterial metabolism of ilexsaponin A1 and provides scientific evidence for its clinical application. Additionally, the importance of intestinal bacterial strains in the disposition of natural products was also highlighted.

Simultaneous quantitation of glycyrrhetic acid and puerarin in plasma using ultra flow liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry and application in a pharmacokinetics study in healthy and alcoholic liver injury rats

A rapid, sensitive, and accurate ultra flow liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UFLC-MS/MS ) method was developed and validated for simultaneous quantitation of glycyrrhetic acid and puerarin in plasma derived from healthy and alcoholic liver injury rats. Plasma samples from healthy and model rats were deproteinated with methanol using liquiritin as an internal standard. Chromatography separation was performed by a Waters BEH (ethylene-bridged hybrid) C₁₈ column (2.1 × 50 mm; 1.7 μm) using a gradient elution from acetonitrile and water (containing 0.1% formic acid) and at a flow rate of 0.4 mL/min. Quantitation was performed on a Triple Quad 4500 tandem mass spectrometer coupled with an electrospray ionization source in negative multiple reaction monitoring mode. Specificity, carryover, dilution integrity, recovery, linearity, precision and accuracy, matrix effect, and stability were within acceptable limits. The newly established method was successfully applied to a pharmacokinetics study to investigate glycyrrhetic acid and puerarin in healthy and alcoholic liver injury rats.

Targeting HIBCH to reprogram valine metabolism for the treatment of colorectal cancer

Valine catabolism is known to be essential for cancer cells but the detailed mechanism remains unclear. This study is to explore the critical roles of 3-hydroxyisobutyryl-CoA hydrolase (HIBCH) in colorectal cancers (CRC) and to develop a new therapy returning valine metabolism homeostasis. High HIBCH expression was first confirmed to correlate with poor survival in patients with CRC, which was then linked to the increased cell growth, resistant apoptosis, and decreased autophagy in CRC cells. The functions of HIBCH in CRC were dependent on its mitochondrial localization. High HIBCH level was further demonstrated to promote the metabolism of tricarboxylic acid cycle as well as oxidative phosphorylation in CRC cells. Based on above findings, we further discovered a novel valine catabolism inhibitor SBF-1. The pharmacological blockade of HIBCH mitochondrial localization with SBF-1 resulted in decreased cancer cell growth and increased autophagy, collectively contributing to the antitumor effect both in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, anti-VEGF therapy with bevacizumab increased HIBCH level in CRC cells, which in turn caused the resistance to the therapy. The interference with HIBCH function by SBF-1 significantly increased the antitumor efficacy of bevacizumab and led to a robust survival benefit. The present study identified HIBCH as a critical enzyme of valine catabolism in CRC progression and resistance to anti-VEGF therapy. We also provided a novel HIBCH inhibitor SBF-1, which highlighted the combined therapy using valine catabolic inhibitor along with anti-VEGF drugs, to control progression of CRC.

Jasmonic acid-induced hydrogen sulfide activates MEK1/2 in regulating the redox state of ascorbate in Arabidopsis thaliana leaves

In this paper, we investigated the relationship between hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) and mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MEK1/2) in jasmonic acid (JA)-regulated the redox state of ascorbate in the leaves of Arabidopsis thaliana. The results showed that JA significantly enhanced the phosphorylation level of MEK1/2, the production of endogenous H₂S and the ratio of reduced ascorbate (AsA) to dehydroascorbate (DHA) (AsA/DHA) in wild type of A. thaliana (WT). However, there were no obvious effects of JA on above indicators in H₂S synthetic mutant of A. thaliana (MT). H₂S scavenger hypotaurine (HT) markedly reduced JA-induced the phosphorylation level of MEK1/2, AsA/DHA ratio and the production of endogenous H₂S in WT. Application of H₂S donor sodium hydrosulfide (NaHS) to JA-treated MT plants increased above indicators. Application of NaHS to (HT+JA)-treated MT plants did not reverse the effects of HT on above JA-induced indicators. MEK1/2 inhibitor PD98059 decreased JA-induced AsA/DHA ratio and the transcript levels and the activities of ascorbate peroxidase (APX), glutathione reductase (GR), monodehydroascorbate reductase (MDHAR), dehydroascorbate reductase (DHAR) and L-galactono-1,4-lactone dehydrogenase (GalLDH) in WT. However, PD98059 had no effect on JA-induced the production of endogenous H₂S in WT. Compared with Control-MT, there were no obvious effects of JA on the production of endogenous H₂S, AsA/DHA ratio and the transcript levels and activities of above enzymes in MT. However, application of PD98059 reduced above JA-induced indicators except the production of endogenous H₂S and DHA content in MT. Our results suggested that H₂S activated MEK1/2 in JA-regulated AsA/DHA ratio in A. thaliana leaves through enzymes in ascorbate metabolism.

Simultaneous Characterization and Quantification of Varied Ingredients from Sojae semen praeparatum in Fermentation Using UFLC⁻TripleTOF MS

Systematic comparison of active ingredients in Sojae semen praeparatum (SSP) during fermentation was performed using ultra-fast liquid chromatography (UFLC)-TripleTOF MS and principal component analysis (PCA). By using this strategy, a total of 25 varied compounds from various biosynthetic groups were assigned and relatively quantified in the positive or negative ion mode, including two oligosaccharides, twelve isoflavones, eight fatty acids, N-(3-Indolylacetyl)-dl-aspartic acid, methylarginine, and sorbitol. Additionally, as the representative constituents, six targeted isoflavones were sought in a targeted manner and accurately quantified using extracted ion chromatograms (XIC) manager (AB SCIEX, Los Angeles, CA, USA) combined with MultiQuant software (AB SCIEX, Los Angeles, CA, USA). During the fermentation process, the relative contents of oligoses decreased gradually, while the fatty acids increased. Furthermore, the accurate contents of isoflavone glycosides decreased, while aglycones increased and reached a maximum in eight days, which indicated that the ingredients converted obviously and regularly throughout the SSP fermentation. In combination with the morphological changes, which meet the requirements of China Pharmacopoeia, this work suggested that eight days is the optimal time for fermentation of SSP from the aspects of morphology and content.

A comprehensive in vitro and in vivo metabolism study of hydroxysafflor yellow A

As the most important marker component in Carthamus tinctorius L., hydroxysafflor yellow A (HSYA) was widely used in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases, due to its effect of improving blood supply, suppressing oxidative stress, and protecting against ischemia/reperfusion. In this paper, both an in vitro microsomal incubation and an in vivo animal experiment were conducted, along with an LC-Q-TOF/MS instrument and a 3-step protocol, to further explore the metabolism of HSYA. As a result, a total of 10 metabolites were searched and tentatively identified in plasma, urine, and feces after intravenous administration of HSYA to male rats, although no obvious biotransformation was found in the simulated rat liver microsomal system. The metabolites detected involving both phase I and phase II metabolism including dehydration, deglycosylation, methylation, and glucuronic acid conjugation. A few of the metabolites underwent more than one-step metabolic reactions, and some have not been reported before. The study would contribute to a further understanding of the metabolism of HSYA and provide scientific evidence for its pharmacodynamic mechanism research and clinical use.

Skin resistance to UVB-induced oxidative stress and hyperpigmentation by the topical use of Lactobacillus helveticus NS8-fermented milk supernatant

AIMS

In this study, we investigated the preventive properties of the supernatant of Lactobacillus helveticus NS8-fermented milk (NS8-FS) against UV light-induced skin oxidative damage and hyperpigmentation.

METHODS AND RESULTS

NS8-FS exhibited significant radical scavenging activity in tests with ABST⁺ and DPPH scavenging methods, and as well strongly inhibited 3-morpholinosydnonimine (Sin-1)-induced ROS generation in HaCat keratinocytes. Unexpectedly, NS8-FS was found to inhibit melanin production in B16F10 melanoma cells and to exhibit inhibitory effects both to the enzymatic activity of tyrosinase (TYR) and the expression of proteins required for melanin synthesis. In SKH-1 hairless mice, topical application of NS8-FS alleviated UVB-induced skin photodamage, including the improvement of the appearance of epidermal thickness, transepidennal water loss and lipid peroxidation levels. In the tanning guinea pig model, the whitening effect of NS8-FS was demonstrated using Masson-Fontana staining and TYR staining. Furthermore, NS8-FS was shown to stimulate the nuclear translocation and activation of the Nrf2 protein, along with recovery of antioxidant enzyme activities.

CONCLUSION

NS8-FS exhibits the protective capacities against UV light-induced skin oxidative damage and hyperpigmentation.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

Our findings indicate the potential of cell-free fermented products of lactic acid bacteria in topical photoprotection.

Contents variation analysis of free amino acids, nucleosides and nucleobases in semen sojae praeparatum fermentation using UFLC-QTRAP MS

UFLC-QTRAP MS was used to develop a sensitive and rapid method of evaluating content variation during Semen sojae praeparatum (SSP) fermentation. It did this through the simultaneous quantification of 22 free amino acids and 16 nucleosides and nucleobases in the raw materials and processed products of SSP. The method was shown to be reproducible and accurate. The limits of detection and quantity values were 0.09-168.75 and 0.31-562.50 ng/mL for the 38 analytes, respectively. The data were examined through principal components analysis to compare the content variations. The quantitative results showed that the ingredients were properly determined in most of the samples and were converted regularly throughout the SSP fermentation process. These results correspond to the morphologic changes and principal components analysis results.

[Ventilator-associated pneumonia among premature infants <34 weeks' gestational age in neonatal intensive care unit in China: a multicenter study]

Objective: To investigate the incidence and pathogen distribution of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) among preterm infants admitted to level Ⅲ neonatal intensive care units (NICU) in China. Method: A prospective study was conducted in 25 level Ⅲ NICU, enrolling all preterm infants <34 weeks gestational age admitted to the participating NICU within the first 7 days of life from May 2015 to April 2016. Chi-square test, t test and Mann-Whitney U test were used for statistical analysis. Result: A total of 7 918 patients were enrolled, within whom 4 623(58.4%) were males. The birth weight was (1 639±415) g and the gestational age was (31.4±2.0) weeks; 4 654(58.8%) infants required non-invasive mechanical ventilation and 2 154(27.2%) required intubation. Of all the mechanically ventilated patients, VAP occurred in 95 patients. The overall VAP rate was 7.0 episodes per 1 000 ventilator days, varying from 0 to 34.4 episodes per 1 000 ventilator days in different centers. The incidence of VAP was 9.6 and 6.0 per 1 000 ventilator days in children's hospitals and maternity-infant hospitals respectively, without significant differences (t=1.002, P=0.327). Gram-negative bacilli (76 strains, 91.6%) were the primary VAP microorganisms, mainly Acinetobacter baumannii (24 strains, 28.9%), Klebsiella pneumonia (23 strains, 27.7%), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (10 strains, 12.0%). Conclusion: The incidence of VAP in China is similar to that in developed counties, with substantial variability in different NICU settings. More efforts are needed to monitor and evaluate the preventable factors associated with VAP and conduct interventions that could effectively reduce the occurrence of VAP.

Target and non-target identification of chemical components in Lamiophlomis rotata by liquid chromatography/quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry using a three-step protocol

RATIONALE

As a herbal plant used in traditional Chinese medicine, Lamiophlomis rotata (Benth.) Kudo mainly displays its pharmacological effect by promoting blood circulation and hemostasis, dispelling wind, and acting as an analgesic. To identify the components contained in L. rotata, global detection and structural elucidation of both target and non-target components in the medicinal material was performed.

METHODS

L. rotata was ultrasonically extracted with methanol. Separation and analysis were achieved using liquid chromatography/quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC/QTOF-MS). A three-step protocol which included (1) potential components screening, (2) collection of qualitative information, and (3) database searching and structural elucidation was used for target and non-target identification.

RESULTS

A total of 42 components were tentatively identified, which included 12 iridoids (2 aglycones and 10 glucosides), 11 flavonoids (4 aglycones and 7 glucosides), and 13 phenylethanoid glycosides. Moreover, components of L. rotata extract belonging to the three main structural categories could be well separated in a 3D point plot according to their retention times, mass defects and degrees of unsaturation, facilitating the structural classification and identification in the subsequent studies.

CONCLUSIONS

The results provide a reasonable picture of the components contained in L. rotata extract and promote the further pharmacodynamic and/or pharmacokinetic characterization of this medical material, meanwhile demonstrating the utility of a universal methodology for the systematical study of herbal medicines. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Targeting 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase in the oxidative PPP sensitizes leukemia cells to antimalarial agent dihydroartemisinin

The oxidative pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) is crucial for cancer cell metabolism and tumor growth. We recently reported that targeting a key oxidative PPP enzyme, 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (6PGD), using our novel small molecule 6PGD inhibitors Physcion and its derivative S3, shows anti-cancer effects. Notably, humans with genetic deficiency of either 6PGD or another oxidative PPP enzyme, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD), exhibit non-immune hemolytic anemia upon exposure to aspirin and various anti-malarial drugs. Inspired by these clinical observations, we examined the anti-cancer potential of combined treatment with 6PGD inhibitors and anti-malarial drugs. We found that stable knockdown of 6PGD sensitizes leukemia cells to anti-malarial agent dihydroartemisinin (DHA). Combined treatment with DHA and Physcion activates AMP-activated protein kinase, leading to synergistic inhibition of human leukemia cell viability. Moreover, our combined therapy synergistically attenuates tumor growth in xenograft nude mice injected with human K562 leukemia cells and cell viability of primary leukemia cells from human patients, but shows minimal toxicity to normal hematopoietic cells in mice as well as red blood cells and mononucleocytes from healthy human donors. Our findings reveal the potential for combined therapy using optimized doses of Physcion and DHA as a novel anti-leukemia treatment without inducing hemolysis.

UHPLC-MS-based metabolomics analysis on mice bearing neoplasm (H22) for hispidulin

Although some physiological and pathological function parameters of hepatitis and liver cancer have been investigated in relation to hispidulin (5,7,4'-trihydroxy-6-methoxyflavone), the changes of small metabolites in biofluids have been reported rarely. Recent research has shown that metabolic profiling with ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to quadrupole time of flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QTOF/MS) coupled with multivariate statistical analysis provides a good understanding of hispidulin effects on mice vaccinated intraperitoneally with H22 tumor cells. Twenty-five potential biomarkers, up- or down-regulated (P<0.05 or 0.01), were identified, and 17 metabolic pathways were constructed. These potential biomarkers underpin the metabolic pathways, which are disturbed in the mice bearing neoplasm (H22). These pathways include pantothenate and CoA biosynthesis; glycine, serine and threonine metabolism; nicotinate and nicotinamide metabolism; steroid hormone biosynthesis; pyrimidine metabolism; and glyoxylate and dicarboxylate metabolism. Furthermore, 4-phosphopantothenoylcysteine, glycine, niacinamide, cortisol, uracil and 5-thymidylic acid are potential biomarkers that may explain the link between hispidulin and the metabolism of mice bearing neoplasm (H22). Most of the potential biomarkers related to the function of TCA (tricarboxylic acid cycle). The rise of potential biomarkers in the drug groups promoted the up-regulation of TCA cycle compared with the model group.

Topical combined application of dexamethasone, vitamin C, and β-sodium glycerophosphate for healing the extraction socket in rabbits

An osteogenic inducer (OI) consisting of dexamethasone, vitamin C, and β-sodium glycerophosphate has the capacity to induce bone formation in vitro. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of the application of this OI on extraction socket healing. The bilateral first mandibular premolars were extracted from 75 New Zealand rabbits. Gelatin sponges carrying OI were implanted into the sockets. Sockets undergoing implantation of gelatin sponges alone were also evaluated, as well as non-implantation sockets. Specimens from each group were evaluated radiographically, histologically, and histomorphometrically using haematoxylin-eosin staining. Results showed earlier new bone formation and higher bone quality and quantity in the OI group compared to the other groups, and the differences were significant at 2, 4, 8, and 12 weeks postoperative. The OI significantly reduced the absorption of alveolar bone in terms of height; however, changes in the width were not significantly different between the three groups (P>0.05). The OI was shown to have a positive effect on healing of the tooth extraction sockets, was inexpensive, and was convenient to use during the operational procedure; therefore this could represent a promising implant material for human clinical application.

RhoA/ROCK/PTEN signaling is involved in AT-101-mediated apoptosis in human leukemia cells in vitro and in vivo

R-(-)-gossypol acetic acid (AT-101) is a natural cottonseed product that exhibits anticancer activity. However, the molecular mechanism behind the antileukemic activity of AT-101 has not been well characterized. In this study, we investigated how AT-101 induces apoptosis in human leukemia cells. Exposure to AT-101 significantly increased apoptosis in both human leukemia cell lines and primary human leukemia cells. This increase was accompanied by the activation of caspases, cytochrome c release, Bcl2-associated X protein (Bax) translocation, myeloid cell leukemia-1 (Mcl-1) downregulation, Bcl-2-associated death promoter (Bad) dephosphorylation, Akt inactivation, and RhoA/Rho-associated coiled-coil containing protein kinase 1/phosphatase and tensin homolog (RhoA/ROCK1/PTEN) activation. RhoA, rather than caspase-3 cleavage, mediated the cleavage/activation of ROCK1 that AT-101 induced. Inhibiting RhoA and ROCK1 activation by C3 exoenzyme (C3) and Y27632, respectively, attenuated the ROCK1 cleavage/activation, PTEN activity, Akt inactivation, Mcl-1 downregulation, Bad dephosphorylation, and apoptosis mediated by AT-101. Knocking down ROCK1 expression using a ROCK1-specific siRNA also significantly abrogated AT-101-mediated apoptosis. Constitutively active Akt prevented the AT-101-induced Mcl-1 downregulation, Bad dephosphorylation, and apoptosis. Conversely, AT-101 lethality was potentiated by the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase inhibitor LY294002. In vivo, the tumor growth inhibition caused by AT-101 was also associated with RhoA/ROCK1/PTEN activation and Akt inactivation in a mouse leukemia xenograft model. Collectively, these findings suggest that AT-101 may preferentially induce apoptosis in leukemia cells by interrupting the RhoA/ROCK1/PTEN pathway, leading to Akt inactivation, Mcl-1 downregulation, Bad dephosphorylation, and Bax translocation, which culminate in mitochondrial injury and apoptosis.

Estimation of birth population-based perinatal-neonatal mortality and preterm rate in China from a regional survey in 2010

Objective:

To estimate birth population-based perinatal-neonatal mortality and preterm rate in China from a regional survey in 2010.

Study design:

Data of total births in 2010 obtained from 151 level I–III hospitals in Huai’an, Jiangsu, were prospectively collected and analyzed.

Results:

From 61 227 birth registries (including 60 986 live births and 241 stillbirths), we derive a birth rate of 11.3‰ (of 5.4 million regional population), a male-to-female ratio of 116:100 and valid data from 60 615 newborns. Mean birth weight (BW) was 3441 ± 491 g with 13.6% macrosomia. Low BW was 2.8% (1691/60 372) with 8.83% mortality. Preterm rate was 3.72% (2239/60 264) with 7.61% mortality. Cesarean section rate was 52.9% (31 964/60 445), multiple pregnancy 1.8% (1088/60 567) and birth defects 6.7‰ (411/61 227). There were 97.4% healthy newborns and 2.2% (1298) requiring hospitalized after birth. The perinatal mortality was 7.7‰ (471/61 227, including 241 stillbirths, 230 early neonatal deaths). The neonatal mortality was 4.4‰ (269/60 986). The main causes of neonatal death were birth asphyxia (24.5%), respiratory diseases (21.5%), prematurity related organ dysfunction (18.5%) and congenital anomalies (7.7%), whereas incidence of congenital heart disease and respiratory distress syndrome was 8.6‰ and 6.1‰, respectively.

Conclusions:

This regional birth population-based data file contains low perinatal-neonatal mortality rates, associated with low proportion of LBW and preterm births, and incidences of major neonatal disease, by which we estimate, in a nationwide perspective, in 16 million annual births, preterm births should be around 800 000, perinatal and neonatal mortality may be 128 000–144 000 and 80 000–96 000, respectively, along with 100 000 respiratory distress syndrome.

Downregulation of Mcl-1 through inhibition of translation contributes to benzyl isothiocyanate-induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in human leukemia cells

Benzyl isothiocyanate (BITC) is one of the compounds of ITCs' family that has attracted a great deal of interest because of its ability to exhibit anticancer activity. In this study, we investigated the effects of BITC on cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in human leukemia cell lines, primary leukemia cells, and nude mice Jurkat xenograft. Exposure of Jurkat cells to BITC resulted in dose- and time-dependent increase in apoptosis, caspase activation, cytochrome c release, nuclear apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) accumulation, Bcl2-associated X protein (Bax) translocation, and myeloid cell leukemia-1 (Mcl-1) downregulation. Treatment with these cells also resulted in cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase. The G2/M-arrested cells are more sensitive to undergoing Mcl-1 downregulation and apoptosis mediated by BITC. BITC downregulates Mcl-1 expression through inhibition of translation, rather than through a transcriptional, post-translational, or caspase-dependent mechanism. Dephosphorylation of eukaryotic initiation factor 4G could contribute to the inhibition of Mcl-1 translation mediated by BITC. Furthermore, ectopic expression of Mcl-1 substantially attenuates BITC-mediated lethality in these cells, whereas knockdown of Mcl-1 through small interfering RNA significantly enhances BITC-mediated lethality. Finally, administration of BITC markedly inhibited tumor growth and induced apoptosis in Jurkat xenograft model in association with the downregulation of Mcl-1. Taken together, these findings represent a novel mechanism by which agents targeting Mcl-1 potentiate BITC lethality in transformed and primary human leukemia cells and inhibitory activity of tumor growth of Jurkat xenograft model.

MicroRNA-520e suppresses growth of hepatoma cells by targeting the NF-κB-inducing kinase (NIK)

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small, non-coding RNAs that can act as oncogenes or tumor suppressor genes in human cancer. Emerging evidence indicates that deregulation of miRNAs contributes to the hepatocarcinogenesis. In the present study, we demonstrated that the levels of miR-520e were dramatically decreased in examined hepatoma cell lines and clinical hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissues. Moreover, we found that DNA hypermethylation in the upstream region of miR-520e resulted in the downregulation of miR-520e. Next, we demonstrated that introduction of miR-520e dramatically suppressed the growth of hepatoma cells in vitro and in vivo, whereas silencing the expression of miR-520e by anti-miR-520e resulted in a promoted cell proliferation, suggesting that miR-520e may be a novel tumor suppressor. Further studies revealed that NF-κB-inducing kinase (NIK) was one of the direct target genes of miR-520e, as miR-520e directly bound to the 3'untranslated region of NIK, which reduced the expression of NIK at the levels of mRNA and protein. Moreover, silencing of NIK was able to inhibit the growth of hepatoma cells, similar to the effect of miR-520e overexpression on growth of hepatoma cells. Meanwhile, the knockdown of NIK expression reversed the enhanced proliferation mediated by anti-miR-520e. In addition, miR-520e significantly decreased the phosphorylation of ERK1/2 (p-ERK1/2) and depressed the transcriptional activity and nuclear translocation of nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) (p65). These results suggest that miR-520e suppresses the growth of hepatoma cells by targeting NIK involving the NIK/p-ERK1/2/NF-κB signaling pathway. Finally, we showed that the intratumoral injection with miR-520e was able to directly repress the growth of hepatoma cells in the nude mice. Thus, our finding provides new insight into the mechanism of hepatocarcinogenesis, indicating a therapeutic potential of miR-520e in the treatment of HCC.

Treatment of Chronic Idiopathic Urticaria with Levamisole: A Multicentre, Randomized, Double-Blind, Controlled Trial

The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of treating chronic idiopathic urticaria (CIU) with levamisole in combination with levocetirizine. This was a multicentre, randomized, double-blind, controlled trial that included 132 patients with active CIU who were treated for 6 weeks with either levocetirizine alone (control group; n = 65) or levamisole plus levocetirizine (treatment group; n = 67). Response to therapy was evaluated by measuring the efficacy rate. After 2 weeks of treatment, there was no significant difference in the efficacy rate between the treatment and control groups (54.84% and 42.37%, respectively). After 6 weeks of treatment, a statistically significant difference in the efficacy rate was observed between the groups (76.27% and 54.39% for the treatment and control groups, respectively). This study demonstrated that a combination of levamisole plus levocetirizine is more effective than levocetirizine alone and potentially provides a new, promising approach to the treatment of CIU.

Estimation of percolation flux from borehole temperature data at Yucca Mountain, Nevada

Temperature data from the unsaturated zone (UZ) at Yucca Mountain are analyzed to estimate percolation-flux rates and overall heat flux. A multilayer, one-dimensional analytical solution is presented for determining percolation flux from temperature data. Case studies have shown that the analytical solution agrees very well with results from the numerical code, TOUGH2. The results of the analysis yield percolation fluxes in the range from 0 to 20 mm/year for most of the deep boreholes. This range is in good agreement with the results of infiltration studies at Yucca Mountain. Percolation flux for the shallower boreholes, however, cannot be accurately determined from temperature data alone because large gas flow in the shallow system alters the temperature profiles. Percolation-flux estimates for boreholes located near or intersecting major faults are significantly higher than those for other boreholes. These estimates may be affected by gas flow in the faults.

[Effect of danshen injection on pulmonary thromboembolism and platelet free radical levels in mice]

The Danshen Injection has been proved good for decreasing platelet malonaldehyde (MDA) levels in pulmonary thromboembolism induced by collagen and adrenaline in mice, as well as increasing the activity of superoxide desmutase (SOD) in platelets, thus providing protection against pulmonary thromboembolism and inhibition of platelet aggregation.