Protective effect of fu-qi granule on carbon tetrachloride-induced liver fibrosis in rats

AIM： To investigate the effcacy of fu-qi granule （FQG） on carbon tetrachloride （CCl4） induced liver fbrosis in rats and the underlying mechanisms. METHODS： Sixty rats were randomly divided into six groups： normal control group, CCl4 induced liver fbrosis group, AnluoHuaxianWan group and three treatment groups of FQG. Treatment of rats with intraperitoneal injection of carbon tetrachloride solution at 0.3 mL per 100 g body weigh twice a week for 8 wk. The normal control group the rats were given the media （olive oil） at the same time. In the frst 2 wk, rats were raised with feedstuff （80% corn meal, 20% lard, 0.5% cholesterol）. Serum samples were collected for alanine transaminase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, albumin, total protein assay and typical histopathological changes was observed in Hematoxylin-eosin staining sections. Smooth muscle alpha actin （α-SMA） was analyzed with immunohistochemistry. Mammalian target of rapamycin （mTOR） and hypoxia-inducible factor-1 （HIF-1α） expressions were detected by Western blot-ting. Tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinases-1 （TIMP-1） and matrix metalloproteinases-9 （MMP-9） were measured with semi-quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction.RESULTS： FQG significantly reduced the serum levels of alanine transaminase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase and increased the serum contents of albumin, total protein in rats with liver fibrosis. Moreover, FQG promoted extracellular matrix degradation by increasing MMP-9 and inhibiting TIMP-1 and α-SMA. mTOR and HIF-1α expression in liver significantly decreased in the rats treated with FQG. CONCLUSION： The results indicated that FQG signi-fcantly reverse fbrosis induced by CCl4, which should be developed as a new and promising preparation for the prevention of liver fbrosis.

Toxicity of Five Herbs in Aconitum L. on Tetrahymena thermophila Based on Spectrum-effect Relationship

Objective To explore the active components with toxic effects in five Aconitum L. herbal medicines on Tetrahymena thermophila. Methods The fingerprints of five Aconitum L. herbal medicines were established by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography （UPLC） and the toxicity was evaluated by using a TAM Air Isothermal Calorimeter on Tetrahymena thermophila SB1 10. Results By analyzing the spectrum- effect relationships between UPLC fingerprints and toxic effects, the active components which had the toxic effects were obtained. Conclusion This work provides a general model of the combination of UPLC and microcalorimetry to study the spectrum-effect relationships of the five Aconitum L. herbal medicines, which could be used to evaluate the toxic effects and analyze the principal toxic components of the five Aconitum L. herbal medicines. On the whole, this result provides the experimental basis for the safe use of the five Aconitum L. herbal medicines in clinic.

Needle-free injection of insulin powder: delivery efficiency and skin irritation assessment

Insulin is widely used in treating diabetes, but still needs to be administered by needle injection. This study investigated a new needle-free approach for insulin delivery. A portable powder needleless injection（PNI） device with an automatic mechanical unit was designed. Its efficiency in delivering insulin was evaluated in alloxan-induced diabetic rabbits. The skin irritation caused by the device was investigated and the results were analyzed in relation to aerodynamic parameters. Inorganic salt-carried insulin powders had hypoglycemic effects, while raw insulin powders were not effective when delivered by PNI, indicating that salt carriers play an important role in the delivery of insulin via PNI. The relative delivery efficiency of phosphate-carried insulin powder using the PNI device was 72.25%. A safety assessment test showed that three key factors（gas pressure, cylinder volume, and nozzle distance） were related to the amount of skin irritation caused by the PNI device. Optimized injection conditions caused minimal skin lesions and are safe to use in practice. The results suggest that PNI has promising prospects as a novel technology for delivering insulin and other biological drugs.

Application of Photobiomodulation Therapy in Acupuncture

Photobiomodulation(PBM)therapy is a therapeutic method that can produce a range of physiological effects in cells and tissues using certain wavelengths.The reparative benefits of PBM therapy include wound healing,bone regeneration,pain reduction,and the mitigation of inflammation.Advances in the development of laser instruments,including the use of high-intensity lasers in physiotherapy,have recently led to controllable photothermal and photomechanical treatments that enable therapeutic effects to be obtained without damaging tissue.The combination of PBM therapy with acupuncture may provide new perspectives for investigating the underlying therapeutic mechanisms of acupuncture and promote its widespread application.

Comprehensive Evaluation of Powdered Chinese Herbal Medicines-An Exemplification of Isatidis Radix

Objective Currently, powdered Chinese herbal medicines （CHMs） were mainly evaluated through physical property, chemical dissolution, and bioactivity independently. It could not reflect the quality comprehensively. This paper was to explore and establish a comprehensive evaluation method for powdered CHMs. Methods Isatidis Radixwas chosen as an exemple. Firstly, powdered Isatidis Radixin different particle size was prepared. Then, their physical properties were characterized. The dissolution of index component epigoitrin was determined, and their antiviral activities were evaluated by neuraminidase-based bioassay. Results As the particle size decreased, powder distribution tended to be uniform, and the dissolution of epigoitrin increased, antiviral activity enhanced. According to cluster analysis of above results, the sequence of evaluation consequence was ultrafine powder S2 （D90：32.80± 0.29） 〉 ultrafine powder S1 （D90：52.08 ± 0.53） 〉 fine powder SO （D90：118.16± 0.76） （from the superior to the inferior）. Conclusion Overall, the comprehensive evaluation for powdered CHMs based on the physical characterization, chemical dissolution, and bioassay could not only be used to evaluate powdered herbs, but also guide the screening and optimization of the particle size of powder.