China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica, the 1st in the field of TCM, is supervised by China Association for Science and Technology and sponsored by Institute of Chinese Pharmaceutical Association. The journal is China's earliest comprehensive core journal of traditional Chinese medicine, and always maintains the circulation top in the professional areas. The journal publishes the latest research and progress of traditional Chinese medicine and takes a leading position in numbers of articles published, downloads and citations among all journals in this discipline.
Its scope covers new achievements, technologies, methods, experiences and concepts resulting from the research on Chinese materia medica pursuant to Chinese medical and pharmaceutical theories, traditional experiences, and modern science and technology, including medicinal resources and identification, cultivation, processing, preparation, chemistry, pharmacology, theory of Chinese pharmacy and clinical practice, bencaological study.
The journal is included in CA, JST and CSCD.
Honorary Editor-in-Chief Xiao Peigen Editor-in-Chief Wang Yongyan
Associate Editors Zhang Boli, Hu Zhibi, Yao Xinsheng, Li Lianda, Li Dapeng, Yang Baofeng, Zhou Chaofan, Huang Luqi, Chen Shilin, Li He.
Executive Editorial Board Cai Shaoqing, Chen Shilin
In this study, gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used to analyze the changes of 12 kinds of cancer cells treated by curcumin. The related differential metabolites were screened and the metabolic pathways were analyzed to explore the anti-tumor mechanism of curcumin. Methyl thiazol tetrazolium (MTT) assay was used to detect the 50% inhibiting concentration (IC
50) of curcumin on 12 human tumor cells. After treatment with curcumin for 48 h, the cells were collected and analyzed by GC-MS, followed by pathway analysis and multivariate data analysis including principal component analysis (PCA) , orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). Overall, 34 metabolites showed significant concentration changes after intervention for 48 h, mainly involving multiple metabolic pathways, including lysine degradation, glycine, serine and threonine metabolism, arginine and proline metabolism, cysteine and methionine metabolism, aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis, primary bile acid biosynthesis, and lysine biosynthesis. In this study, the anti-tumor mechanisms of curcumin interfering with energy metabolism, amino acid metabolism, microtubule system, protein synthesis and oxidative stress response of tumor cells were analyzed from the perspective of metabolism, providing a new reference for further tumor pharmacology study.
Docetaxel (DTX)-loaded nanomicelles were prepared in this study to improve the solubility and tumor targeting effect of DTX, and further evaluate their anticancer effects in vitro. PBAE-DTX and PELA-DTX nanomicelles were prepared by film-hydration method with amphiphilic block copolymer polyethyleneglycol methoxy-polylactide (PELA) and pH-sensitive triblock copolymer polyethyleneglycol methoxy-polylactide-poly-
β-aminoester (PBAE) as the polymer materials. The nanomicelles were subjected to physical and chemical characterization, and their activities against mice Lewis lung cancer cells were studied. The results of particle size measurement showed that the drug-free nanomicelles and drug-loaded nanomicelles had similar particle sizes, ranging from 10 to 100 nm. The particle size of PBAE nanomicelles was changed under weak acidic conditions, with good pH responsiveness. The encapsulation efficiency (EE) values of the above two DTX-loaded nanomicelles determined by HPLC were (93.8 ± 1.70) % and (87.2 ± 4.10) %, and the drug loading capacity (LC) values were (5.3 ± 0.10) % and (4.9 ± 0.05) %, respectively. Furthermore, MTT assay revealed that the DTX-loaded nanomicelles also showed significant inhibitory effects against Lewis lung cancer cells, and pH-sensitive PBAE-DTX showed better cytotoxicity. The results of flow cytometry indicated that the apoptosis rates of Lewis lung cancer cells were (20.72 ± 1.47) %, (29.71 ± 2.38) %, and (40. 91 ± 1. 90) % (
P < 0.05) at 48 h after treatment with DTX, PELA-DTX, and PBAE-DTX. The results showed that different DTX preparations could promote the apoptosis of Lewis lung cancer cells, and PBAE-DTX had stronger apoptotic-promoting effect. The pH-sensitive PBAE-DTX is a promising candidate for inhibiting the proliferation of Lewis lung cancer cells and inducing their apoptosis due to the simple preparation and good stability.
This paper was mainly to discuss the potential role and mechanism of Lianhua Qingwen Capsules (LHQW) in inhibiting pathological inflammation in the model of acute lung injury caused by bacterial infection. For
in vitro study, the mRNA expression of MCP-1 in RAW264.7 cells and THP-1 cells, the content of MCP-1 in cell supernatant, as well as the effect of LHQW on chemotaxis of macrophages was detected. For
in vivo study, mice were randomly divided into seven groups, including normal group, model group (LPS 5 mg·kg
−1), LHQW 300, 600, and 1 200 mg·kg
−1 (low-, middle- and high-dose) groups, dexamethasone 5 mg·kg
−1 group and penicillin-streptomycin group. Then, the anal temperature was detected two hours later. Dry weight and wet weight of lung tissues in mice were determined. TNF-
α and MCP-1 levels in alveolar lavage fluid and MCP-1 in serum were detected. In addition, the infiltration of alveolar macrophages was also observed and the infiltration count of alveolar macrophages was measured with CCK-8 method. HE staining was also used to observe the inflammatory infiltration of lung tissues in mice. Both the
in vitro and
in vivo data consistently have confirmed that: by down-regulating the expression of MCP-1, LHWQ could efficiently decrease the chemotaxis of monocytes toward the pulmonary infection foci, thus blocking the disease development in ALI animal model.
The aim of this paper was to investigate the preventive effects of Keluoxin (KLX) capsules on diabetic retinopathy (DR) in db/db mice. One hundred male db/db diabetic mice (45–55 g, eight weeks) were randomly divided into five groups (model, low-dose KLX, middle-dose KLX, high-dose KLX, and calcium dobesilate) and 20 male C57 BL/KsJdb
+/+ mice were classified into the control group. Body weight and fasting blood glucose were detected once every week. Mice were administrated with saline (control and model group) , KLX (780, 1 560, and 3 120 mg·kg
−1·d
−1,
ig) , calcium dobesilate (195 mg·kg
−1·d
−1,
ig) for 20 weeks, respectively. At the end of the administration, the retina was measured by optical coherence tomography (OCT), fundus fluorescein angiography and electroretinogram (EGR) examination. The eyeball was removed and the retina was isolated to make paraffin sections, followed by HE staining and immunohistochemistric assay of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). The results showed that KLX capsules had no obvious regulatory effects on body weight and fasting blood level in db/db mice. However, KLX capsules could significantly regulate the thickness of retinal ganglion cell and inner plexiform layer. It was also able to remarkably reduce the quantity of capillaries in early DR. Meanwhile, KLX capsules could notably improve the retinal function. Moreover, KLX capsules could observably modulate the cell arrangement and edema in each layer. The immunochemistric assay revealed no remarkable difference in retina. In the present study, KLX capsules exerted marked preventive effects on DR in db/db mice, which has provided the experimental evidence for its clinical use.
In order to reveal the relationship between the quantity of soil microorganisms and the quality of
Fritillaria taipaiensis, both cultivated and wild
F. taipaiensis were collected from Chongqing, Wuxi at different growth stages as research objects. The mycorrhizal infection rate and colonization intensity, peimisine and total alkaloid content in bulbs, the quantity of microorganisms and biomass carbon content in rhizospheric soil were all determined with common methods. The results showed that the typical arbuscular-vesicle roots were formed after the AM fungi infected the
F. taipaiensis roots which were collected from different origins. The mycorrhizal infection rates ranged from 78.74% to 98.68% and the colonization intensities ranged from 13.29% to 37.06%. The rhizospheric microorganisms of
F. taipaiensis showed abundant resources. The distribution rule of them in the rhizospheric soil was as follows: the quantity of bacteria > the quantity of actinomycetes > the quantity of fungi. The rhizospheric bacteria, inorganic phosphorus-solubilizing bacteria, organic phosphorus-solubilizing bacteria, actinomycete quantity and the total number of microbes increased first and then decreased with the increase of years, while potassium-solubilizing bacteria showed decreasing trend and fungi showed gradual increasing trend. The soil microbial flora content in the soil changed from “bacterial type” with a high fertility to “fungal type” with a low fertility. The mass fraction of peimisine and total alkaloid content increased first and then decreased with the increase of the years. The same trend of culturable rhizosphere soil bacteria and actinomycetes indicated that the growth years affected the quality of soil and medicinal materials on different levels. Therefore, the diversity of microbial communities in rhizosphere soil reduced with the increase of years, leading to the continuous cropping obstacles and the destruction of medicinal quality of
F. taipaiensis.
To evaluate the efficiency and safety between Wenxin granule and anti-arrhythmia drugs in the treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF). A total of eight major electronic databases [China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang Data Knowledge Service Platform, Chongqing Weipu Database for Chinese Technical Periodicals (VIP), Chinese BioMedical Literature Database on disc (CBMdisc), Cochrane Library, Web of Science, PubMed, and EMbase] were retrieved since their establishment to January 10, 2019. Two reviewers extracted data, and assessed the methodological quality of the included studies. The Meta-analysis was conducted using RevMan 5.3 software. Finally, 42 studies involving 4 657 patients were included. The results of Meta-analysis showed that compared with anti-arrhythmia drugs, the combined administration of Wenxin granule with anti-arrhythmia drugs had better clinical efficiency (OR = 3.37, 95%CI[2.69, 4.22],
I2 = 0%, and
P < 0.000 01) and cardioversion efficacy (OR = 2. 32, 95%CI[1.67, 3.22],
I2 = 0%, and
P < 0.000 01), better reduction in P
d (MD = −5.48, 95%CI [−7.32, −3.64],
I2 = 0%, and
P < 0.000 01) and P
max (MD = −9.91, 95%CI[−12.86, −6.95],
I2 = 0%, and
P < 0.000 01). Compared with anti-arrhythmia drug amiodarone, its combination with Wenxin granule had better clinical efficiency (OR = 2.89, 95%CI[1.96, 4.26],
I2 = 44%, and
P < 0.000 01) , and sinus rhythm maintenance (OR = 2.58, 95%CI[1.82, 3.66],
I2 = 3%, and
P < 0.000 01). Compared with anti-arrhythmia drug amiodarone, its combination with Wenxin granule had better clinical efficiency (OR = 0.88, 95%CI[0.53, 1.46],
I2 = 0%, and
P = 0.63). The combined treatment of Wenxin granule with amiodarone had a better clinical efficiency in treating AF than amiodarone, but there was no evidence supporting more benefits from the single administration of Wenxin granule.
The aim of this paper was to observe the combination therapy with total triterpenoids of
Chaenomeles speciosa and omeprazole on indomethacin-induced gastric ulcer (GU) in rats, and explore its possible mechanism. Rats were randomly divided into normal group, model group, omeprazole monotherapy (3.6 mg·kg
−1) group, total triterpenoids of
C. speciosa (100 mg·kg
−1) group, total triterpenoids of
C. speciosa and omeprazole (100 mg·kg
−1 + 3.6 mg·kg
−1) group. Rats in all groups, except for the normal group, were given indomethacin (20 mg·kg
−1) by gavage, once a day, for seven consecutive days. Afterwards, the ones in the treatment groups were given the corresponding drugs by gavage, once a day, for 14 consecutive days. On the next day after the last administration, half of the rats in each group were used for measurement of the gastric mucosal blood flow, gastric juice volume, and serum TNF-
α, IL-1
β, IL-6, IL-4, and IL-10. After the remaining rats in each group underwent pyloric ligation 4 hours after the last administration, the gastric endocrine volume, pH value and total acidity of gastric secretion were measured, and then the histological analysis was performed. The MPO activity and cAMP content were detected and the histomorphological analysis was conducted. Real-time PCR was applied to detect the mRNA expressions of TNF-
α, IL-1
β, IL-6, IL-4, IL-10, VEGFA, and A
2AR in gastric tissue. The protein expressions of VEGFA, A
2AR, PKA, p-PKA, CREB, p-CREB, EGF, EGFR, p-EGFR, MUC6, and TFF2 in gastric tissue were detected by Western blot assay. The results indicated that total triterpenoids of
C. speciosa combined with omeprazole significantly increased the gastric mucosal blood flow and gastric mucus volume, reduced gastric endocrine volume, secretion acidity and mucosal damage, down-regulated the levels of TNF-
α, IL-1
β, and IL-6, increased the levels of IL-4 and IL-10 in blood and gastric tissue, inhibited the activity of MPO, increased the content of cAMP in gastric tissue, up-regulated the mRNA expressions of VEGFA, A
2AR and protein expressions of VEGFA, A
2AR, PKA, p-PKA, CREB, p-CREB, EGF, EGFR, p-EGFR, MUC6, and TFF2 in gastric tissue, and elevated p-PKA/PKA, p-CREB/CREB, and p-EFGR/EFGR ratios. Moreover, the therapeutic effects of the combination therapy of total triterpenoids of
C. speciosa with omeprazole were more obvious than that of the total triterpenoids of
C. speciosa or omeprazole alone. These aforementioned findings suggested that the combination therapy of total triterpenoids of
C. speciosa with omeprazole had a significant therapeutic effect on indomethacin-induced GU in rats, which might be related to its efficacy in regulating A
2AR/AKT/CREB, A
2AR/VEGFA, EGF/EGFR and MUC6/TFF2 signaling pathways, inhibiting pro-inflammatory factors, increasing gastric mucosal blood flow, up-regulating mucosal cell proliferation factors, and promoting mucosal protective factors.
The single factor test was used to optimize the high-pressure homogenization method to prepare the Resina Draconis phenol extract nanosuspensions (RDNs). The physicochemical properties of the obtained nanosuspensions were characterized and the cumulative release in vitro was evaluated. The results showed that the drug concentration was 0.5 g·L
−1; the mass concentrations of PVPK30 and SDS were 0.5 and 0.25 g·L
−1, respectively; the probe ultrasonic time was 5 min; the homogenization pressure was 900 bar; the number of homogenization was twice. The prepared RDNs had an average particle size of (168.80 ± 0.36) nm, polydispersity index (PDI) of 0.09 ± 0.04, stability index (SI) of 0.85, and RDNs were stable for storage within 30 d. Scanning electron microscopy showed that the particle size of the RD was reduced and the uniformity was improved in the obtained nanosuspensions. X-ray diffraction pattern and differential scanning calorimetry showed that the RD was still in an amorphous state after being prepared into nanosuspensions. The results of saturated solubility measurement showed that the solubility of RDNs lyophilized powder reached 6.25 g·L
−1, while the solubility of RD raw powder was only 28.67 mg·L
−1. The in vitro dissolution experiments showed that RDNs lyophilized powder accumulated in gastrointestinal fluid for 8 h. The release amount was 90%, the cumulative release of the raw powder in the gastrointestinal fluid for 24 h was less than 1%, and the solubility and dissolution rate of the RDNs lyophilized powder were significantly higher than the RD raw powder. The method was simple in process and convenient in operation, and can successfully prepare uniform and stable nanosuspensions to improve its solubility, and provided a research basis for solving the application limitation of RD.
