Sini Powder(SP), a traditional Chinese herbal formula, has long been used to treat depression in patients, although the underlying mechanisms remain to be elucidated. In the present study, we found that rats treated w...Sini Powder(SP), a traditional Chinese herbal formula, has long been used to treat depression in patients, although the underlying mechanisms remain to be elucidated. In the present study, we found that rats treated with SP extract for 7 days showed a significant increase in swimming time and reduction in immobility time in forced swimming test in a dose-dependent manner, without changes in locomotion. These effects could be attributed to SP's modulation of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis, because a single pretreatment of SP extract could rescue increased serum corticosterone and plasma adrenocorticotropin levels induced by acute elevated platform stress. A single pretreatment of SP extract could also elevate the m RNA expression of hippocampal glucocorticoid receptors. In conclusion, our results suggest that SP extract may act as an anti-stress medication to produce antidepressant-like effects.展开更多
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of Sini powder for the treatment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD) in rats and the molecular mechanisms involved.METHODS: A rat model of stress-induced NAFLD was esta...OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of Sini powder for the treatment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD) in rats and the molecular mechanisms involved.METHODS: A rat model of stress-induced NAFLD was established by a combination of long-term tethering and feeding of a high-fat, high-calorie diet. These rats were then intragastrically administered with either simvastatin, Sini powder, or vehicle for 1 week. The body mass and field test scores for each group were recorded weekly. Serum aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase activities, and triglyceride, total cholesterol,and free fatty acid concentrations were measured.Liver tissue histopathology was examined on hematoxylin and eosin-stained paraffin sections and oil red O-stained frozen sections. The hepatic m RNA expression of nuclear factor kappa-B(NF-κB),NOD-, LRR-, and pyrin domain-containing protein 3(NLRP3), apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing CARD(ASC), and caspase-1 were measured by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR). The hepatic protein concentrations of NF-κB and NLRP3, ASC, caspase-1, interleukin-1β(IL-1β), interleukin-6(IL-6), and the serum concentrations of IL-1β and IL-6 were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.RESULTS: Compared with the Blank group, rats in the Compound model group showed significant pathologic manifestations of NAFLD, and the expression of NF-κB, NLRP3, ASC, caspase-1, IL-1βand IL-6 were significantly higher(all P < 0.01). Both simvastatin and Sini powder significantly ameliorated the NAFLD pathology and the abnormal expression of NF-κB, NLRP3, ASC, caspase-1, IL-1β, and IL-6(all P < 0.01).CONCLUSION: Sini powder inhibits the inflamma-tory response in rats with NAFLD, which is mediated by NF-κB/NLRP3, IL-1β, and IL-6, reduces the effects of psychological stress, and improves lipid metabolism. Therefore, Sini powder may be effective for the treatment of stress-related NAFLD through multiple mechanisms.展开更多
Acne vulgaris is a chronic inflammatory skin disease damaging face,and the incidence of acne vulgaris is increasing year by year in China.Acne falls into the category of pimple in traditional Chinese medicine,and ther...Acne vulgaris is a chronic inflammatory skin disease damaging face,and the incidence of acne vulgaris is increasing year by year in China.Acne falls into the category of pimple in traditional Chinese medicine,and there are many dialectical understandings of acne in modern traditional Chinese medicine.Dr.He Aijuan has a unique diagnosis and treatment thinking in treating acne vulgaris(liver stagnation and spleen deficiency type)with traditional Chinese medicine in her clinical work for many years.Her application of Danggui Shaoyao Powder combined with Sini Powder has a remarkable effect in the clinical treatment process,so a clinical medical case is selected for discussion.展开更多
Objectives:To explore the underlying pharmacological mechanisms and its potential effects of Chinese medicine herbal formula Sini Powder(SNP)on hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC).Methods:The active components of SNP and th...Objectives:To explore the underlying pharmacological mechanisms and its potential effects of Chinese medicine herbal formula Sini Powder(SNP)on hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC).Methods:The active components of SNP and their in vivo distribution were identified using ultraperformance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry.Construction of component-target-disease networks,protein-protein interaction network,Gene Ontology function and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analysis,and molecular docking were employed to analyze the active components and anti-HcC mechanisms of SNP.Cell viability assay and wound healing assay were utilized to confirm the effect of SNP-containing serum(2.5%,5.0%,10%,20%,and 40%),isoprenaline or propranolol(both 10,100,and 1,000μmol/L)on proliferation and migration of HepG 2 or Huh7 cells.Meanwhile,the effect of isoprenaline or propranolol on theβ2 adrenergic receptor(ADRB2)mRNA expression on HepG2 cells were measured by real-time quantitative reverse transcription(RT-qPCR).Mice with subcutaneous tumors were either subjected to chronic restraint stress(CRS)followed by SNP administration(364 mg/mL)or directly treated with SNP(364 mg/mL).These two parallel experiments were performed to validate the effects of SNP on stress responses.Stress-related proteins and hormones were quantified using RT-qPCR,enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay,and immunohistochemistry.Metagenomic sequencing was performed to confirm the influence of SNP on the gut microbiota in the tumor-bearing CRS mice.Results:The distribution of the 12 active components of SNP was confimed in various tissues and feces.Network pharmacology analysis confirmed the anti-HCC effects of the 5 active components.The potential anti-HCC mechanisms of SNP may involve the epidermal growth factor receptor(EGFR),proto-oncogene tyrosine-protein kinase Src(SRC)and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3(STAT3)pathways.SNP-containing serum inhibited the proliferation of HepG2 and Huh7 cells at concentrations of 2.5%and 5.0%,respectively,after 24 h of treatment.Furthermore,SNP suppressed tumor progression in tumor-bearing mice exposed to CRS.SNP treatment also downregulated the expressions of stressrelated proteins and pro-inflammatory cytokines,primarily by modulating the gut microbiota.Specifically,the abundance of Alistipes and Prevotella,which belong to the phylum Bacteroidetes,increased in the SNP-treated group,whereas Lachnospira,in the phylum Firmicutes,decreased.Conclusion:SNP can combat HCC by alleviating stress responses through the regulation of gut microbiota.展开更多
基金supported by the National Basic Research Program funded by Ministry of Science and Technology of People’s Republic of China(No.2011CB505100)
文摘Sini Powder(SP), a traditional Chinese herbal formula, has long been used to treat depression in patients, although the underlying mechanisms remain to be elucidated. In the present study, we found that rats treated with SP extract for 7 days showed a significant increase in swimming time and reduction in immobility time in forced swimming test in a dose-dependent manner, without changes in locomotion. These effects could be attributed to SP's modulation of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis, because a single pretreatment of SP extract could rescue increased serum corticosterone and plasma adrenocorticotropin levels induced by acute elevated platform stress. A single pretreatment of SP extract could also elevate the m RNA expression of hippocampal glucocorticoid receptors. In conclusion, our results suggest that SP extract may act as an anti-stress medication to produce antidepressant-like effects.
基金Supported by the General Program of the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.81774122):Exploring the Role of Psychological Stress in the Pathogenesis of NASH and the Intervention Mechanism of Sini Powder from the"NLRP3/IL-1β"Signaling Pathway and the Young and Middle-aged Teachers Project of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine(No.2017-JYB-JS-002)Psychological Stress Induced by GC/NLRP3 Pathway in Molecular Mechanism of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and Treatment Mechanism of Chaihu Jiangzhi Decoction。
文摘OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of Sini powder for the treatment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD) in rats and the molecular mechanisms involved.METHODS: A rat model of stress-induced NAFLD was established by a combination of long-term tethering and feeding of a high-fat, high-calorie diet. These rats were then intragastrically administered with either simvastatin, Sini powder, or vehicle for 1 week. The body mass and field test scores for each group were recorded weekly. Serum aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase activities, and triglyceride, total cholesterol,and free fatty acid concentrations were measured.Liver tissue histopathology was examined on hematoxylin and eosin-stained paraffin sections and oil red O-stained frozen sections. The hepatic m RNA expression of nuclear factor kappa-B(NF-κB),NOD-, LRR-, and pyrin domain-containing protein 3(NLRP3), apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing CARD(ASC), and caspase-1 were measured by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR). The hepatic protein concentrations of NF-κB and NLRP3, ASC, caspase-1, interleukin-1β(IL-1β), interleukin-6(IL-6), and the serum concentrations of IL-1β and IL-6 were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.RESULTS: Compared with the Blank group, rats in the Compound model group showed significant pathologic manifestations of NAFLD, and the expression of NF-κB, NLRP3, ASC, caspase-1, IL-1βand IL-6 were significantly higher(all P < 0.01). Both simvastatin and Sini powder significantly ameliorated the NAFLD pathology and the abnormal expression of NF-κB, NLRP3, ASC, caspase-1, IL-1β, and IL-6(all P < 0.01).CONCLUSION: Sini powder inhibits the inflamma-tory response in rats with NAFLD, which is mediated by NF-κB/NLRP3, IL-1β, and IL-6, reduces the effects of psychological stress, and improves lipid metabolism. Therefore, Sini powder may be effective for the treatment of stress-related NAFLD through multiple mechanisms.
文摘Acne vulgaris is a chronic inflammatory skin disease damaging face,and the incidence of acne vulgaris is increasing year by year in China.Acne falls into the category of pimple in traditional Chinese medicine,and there are many dialectical understandings of acne in modern traditional Chinese medicine.Dr.He Aijuan has a unique diagnosis and treatment thinking in treating acne vulgaris(liver stagnation and spleen deficiency type)with traditional Chinese medicine in her clinical work for many years.Her application of Danggui Shaoyao Powder combined with Sini Powder has a remarkable effect in the clinical treatment process,so a clinical medical case is selected for discussion.
基金Supported by Natural Science Foundation of Hunan Province(No.2023JJ40481)fundings from the Education Department of Hunan Province(No.21B0374)Hunan University of Chinese Medicine(No.2024XJZA001)。
文摘Objectives:To explore the underlying pharmacological mechanisms and its potential effects of Chinese medicine herbal formula Sini Powder(SNP)on hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC).Methods:The active components of SNP and their in vivo distribution were identified using ultraperformance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry.Construction of component-target-disease networks,protein-protein interaction network,Gene Ontology function and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analysis,and molecular docking were employed to analyze the active components and anti-HcC mechanisms of SNP.Cell viability assay and wound healing assay were utilized to confirm the effect of SNP-containing serum(2.5%,5.0%,10%,20%,and 40%),isoprenaline or propranolol(both 10,100,and 1,000μmol/L)on proliferation and migration of HepG 2 or Huh7 cells.Meanwhile,the effect of isoprenaline or propranolol on theβ2 adrenergic receptor(ADRB2)mRNA expression on HepG2 cells were measured by real-time quantitative reverse transcription(RT-qPCR).Mice with subcutaneous tumors were either subjected to chronic restraint stress(CRS)followed by SNP administration(364 mg/mL)or directly treated with SNP(364 mg/mL).These two parallel experiments were performed to validate the effects of SNP on stress responses.Stress-related proteins and hormones were quantified using RT-qPCR,enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay,and immunohistochemistry.Metagenomic sequencing was performed to confirm the influence of SNP on the gut microbiota in the tumor-bearing CRS mice.Results:The distribution of the 12 active components of SNP was confimed in various tissues and feces.Network pharmacology analysis confirmed the anti-HCC effects of the 5 active components.The potential anti-HCC mechanisms of SNP may involve the epidermal growth factor receptor(EGFR),proto-oncogene tyrosine-protein kinase Src(SRC)and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3(STAT3)pathways.SNP-containing serum inhibited the proliferation of HepG2 and Huh7 cells at concentrations of 2.5%and 5.0%,respectively,after 24 h of treatment.Furthermore,SNP suppressed tumor progression in tumor-bearing mice exposed to CRS.SNP treatment also downregulated the expressions of stressrelated proteins and pro-inflammatory cytokines,primarily by modulating the gut microbiota.Specifically,the abundance of Alistipes and Prevotella,which belong to the phylum Bacteroidetes,increased in the SNP-treated group,whereas Lachnospira,in the phylum Firmicutes,decreased.Conclusion:SNP can combat HCC by alleviating stress responses through the regulation of gut microbiota.
