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Plantaginis Semen (PS) has been used to promote diuresis and clear away dampness. Recent reports have shown that PS can be used to treat gouty nephropathy (GN). However, the action and mechanism of PS have not been well defined in treating GN. The present study aimed to define the molecular mechanisms of PS as a potential therapeutic approach to treat GN. A combination of network pharmacology and validation experiments in GN is used to understand the potential mechanism. Information on pharmaceutically active compounds in PS and gene information related to GN was obtained from public databases. The compound target network and protein-protein interaction network were constructed to study the mechanism of action of PS in the treatment of GN. The mechanism of action of PS in the treatment of GN was analyzed via Gene Ontology (GO) biological process annotation and Kyoto Gene and Genomics Encyclopedia (KEGG) pathway enrichment. Validation experiments were performed to verify the core targets. The GN rat model was prepared by the method of combining yeast and adenine. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining was used to observe the morphology of renal tissue in rats. ELISA was applied to detect TGF-β1, TNF-α, and IL-1β levels in renal tissue. The expressions of TGF-β1, TNF-α, and IL-1β were determined using immunohistochemistry. Through the results of network pharmacology, we obtained 9 active components, 118 predicted targets, and 149 GN targets from the public database. Based on the protein-protein interaction (PPI), 26 hub genes for interaction with PS treating for GN were screened, including MMP9, TNF, IL1β, and IL6. The enrichment analysis results showed that the treatment of GN with PS was mainly involved in the TGF-β1 signaling pathway, MAPK signaling pathway, TNF signaling pathway, NF-κB signaling pathway, and PI3K Akt signaling pathway. Validation experiment results showed that PS could reduce the content of urinary protein and UA and deregulate the expression of TGF-β1, TNF-α, and IL-1β in the treatment of GN. The molecular mechanism of PS in the treatment of GN indicated the synergistic features of multicomponent, multitarget, and multipathway of traditional Chinese medicine, which provided an essential scientific basis for further elucidating the mechanism of PS in the treatment of GN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) is widely used in assisted reproductive technology (ART), but it often leads to precocious maturation of the endometrium such that it impairs embryonic implantation and limits pregnancy rates. Previous studies have shown the traditional Chinese medicine, the Zishen Yutai pill (ZYP), to be effective in treatment of threatened as well as recurrent miscarriages, and it can improve embryonic implantation rates in patients undergoing IVF treatment. In the present study, the ZYP has been found to ameliorate precocious endometrial maturation in a mouse model of different COH. Molecular evaluations, real-time PCR, relative RT-PCR, Western blotting, and immunohistochemistry have indicated that the ZYP increased the expression of HOXA10, an important marker of uterine receptivity. Elevation of HOXA10 led to further upregulation of its target gene, integrin β3, and downregulation of EMX2, two additional markers of uterine receptivity. In this way, the ZYP may mitigate COH-induced precocious maturation of the endometrium and improve uterine receptivity by upregulating HOXA10. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To evaluate the application value of combined detection of serum homocysteine (Hcy), Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), and C-reactive protein (CRP) in the diagnosis of cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD). Methods. 90 patients with CSVD admitted to our hospital within the past year were identified as the research subjects, and the patients with cognitive dysfunction were assigned to the experimental group, and those with normal cognitive function were assigned to the control group according to the evaluation of cognitive dysfunction by the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), with 45 cases in each group. Results. The experimental group obtained remarkably elevated Hcy levels than the control group P < 0.05 . The patient's cognitive dysfunction is mainly attributed to the impact of serum Hcy. TLR4 and Hcy were negatively correlated with MoCA scores P > 0.05 . In comparison with the control group, the experimental group had significantly higher levels of Hcy, serum CRP, and interleukin (IL)-6 P < 0.05 . Conclusion. The combined detection of serum Hcy, TLR4, and CRP features a high clinical value in the diagnosis of CSVD, which contributes to the prevention and treatment of cognitive dysfunction in patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. Observe the effect of the Chinese herbal extracts, Yin-Xing-Tong-Zhi, in tablet form, on improving vascular cognitive impairment no dementia (VCIND). Methods. Sixty-eight patients with VCIND were divided randomly into treatment and placebo groups with oral administration of Yin-Xing-Tong-Zhi tablets (YXTZTs) or placebo, respectively, for 24 weeks. Alzheimer’s Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive (ADAS-Cog) subscale score, MMSE score, Clinician’s Interview-Based Impression of Change Plus Caregiver Input (CIBIC-Plus) score, expression of interleukin- (IL-) 6, IL-8, and tumor necrosis factor- (TNF-) α in serum, and variation of blood-lipid levels were evaluated at different time points. Results. At weeks 12 and 24, the scores for the ADAS-Cog, CIBIC-Plus, and MMSE of the treatment group were significantly lower than those of the control group (P<0.05). All clinical scales at week 24 of the control group were significantly different from those before treatment (P<0.05). Expression of IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α in the two groups was reduced significantly with variation of the clinical scales of cognitive impairment. Conclusion. YXTZTs may delay the development of cognitive impairment in VCIND patients by modulating expression of VCIND-associated proinflammatory factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis (MesPGN) is a common renal disease that lacks effective drug intervention. Aconiti Lateralis Radix (Fuzi), a natural Chinese medical herb, is found with significant therapeutic effects on various diseases in the clinic. However, its effects on MesPGN have not been reported. This study is aimed to discuss the therapeutic effects of the aqueous extract of Aconiti Lateralis Radix (ALR) and the polysaccharides of Aconiti Lateralis Radix (PALR) on MesPGN as well as the underlying mechanism. In this study, we, firstly, studied the anti-MesPGN mechanism of ALR and PALR. ALR and PALR inhibit the proliferation of the mesangial cells through the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway, induce the G0/G1 phase of block and apoptosis, inhibit the activity of Cyclin E and CDK2, increase the expression of Bax, cleaved caspase-8/caspase-8, and cleaved caspase-3/caspase-3 proteins, and effectively inhibit the growth of the mesangial cells. Overall, our data suggest that ALR and PALR may be potential candidates for MesPGN and that PALR is more effective than ALR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To determine the key objectives of WFAS "Technical Specifications of Acupuncture and Moxibustion: General Rules for the Drafting" (hereinafter referred to as General Rules). Methods. From the medical institutions, colleges, and scientific research organizations at major levels in China and overseas, leading researchers and experts in the field of acupuncture-moxibustion standardization, as well as some experienced foreign specialists in acupuncture-moxibustion, were selected as the respondents. The questionnaire was prepared by using the website of Questionnaire Star, and 60 links of the questionnaire were sent out through e-mail. Excel was used to set up the database and conduct statistical analysis. Results. Fifty-one valid questionnaires were collected with effective recovery rate of 85%, involving 9 countries (China, South Korea, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Norway, Netherlands, United States, and Canada) from 3 continents. Most experts agreed with us on the target people, structural elements, and text structure proposed in General Rules and held that the General Rules should emphasize the safety and international applicability and should stipulate in details the common problems (contraindications, indications, taboo crowd, target people, therapeutic effects) of various techniques and the specific contents of technical operation (manipulating techniques, selection of patient's body position and treated areas, disinfection and environmental requirements, selection of acupuncture-moxibustion instruments, cautions, needle retention time, treatment frequency, precise location of the acupoints, treatment course) in order to enhance the practicality and operability. Conclusion. The key objectives of General Rules mainly include target people, structural elements, text structure, safety requirements, common technical problems of acupuncture-moxibustion, and specific details of technical manipulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]