Effects of Polysaccharides from Pulsatilla Decoction on the Microvascular Endothelial Glycocalyx

Pulsatilla decoction is a famous traditional Chinese herbal formula for clearing heat and treating dysentery of animals or human. To elucidate its mechanism, many active components have been studied, however, the roles of its polysaccharides still remain unclear. This study aimed to explore effects of polysaccharides from Pulsatilla decoction （PPD） on the microvascular endothelial glycocalyx （eGC）. The polysaccharides were extracted from PPD by water extraction and alcohol precipitation method. Mice were administered with PPD for 4 wk, and were then anesthetized with ether inhalation and were ifxed by cardiac perfusion with gradient concentration alcian blue solution. The jejunum was sampled and jejunal mucosa was prepared for ultrathin sections by routine method and was analyzed by transmission electron microscope. The results indicated that the eGC was observed as a strong electron-dense smooth linear margin or nonuniform conglomerates coating cell membranes, and PPD signiifcantly increased its thickness from （21.85±1.87） to （28.71±3.61） nm and improved its integrity. This study suggested that PPD may express their biological activities and protect against pathogenic factor damages by inlfuencing the eGC.

A comprehensive analysis of the Bencao(herbal)small RNA Atlas reveals novel RNA therapeutics for treating human diseases

Cross-kingdom herbal mi RNA was first reported in 2012.Using a modified herbal extraction protocol,we obtained 73,677,287sequences by RNA-seq from 245 traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM),of which 20,758,257 were unique sequences.We constructed a Bencao(herbal)small RNA(s RNA)Atlas(http://bencao.bmicc.cn),annotated the sequences by sequence-based clustering,and created a nomenclature system for Bencao s RNAs.The profiles of 21,757 mi RNAs in the Atlas were highly consistent with those of plant mi RNAs in mi RBase.Using software tools,our results demonstrated that all human genes might be regulated by s RNAs from the Bencao s RNA Atlas,part of the predicted human target genes were experimentally validated,suggesting that Bencao s RNAs might be one of the main bioactive components of herbal medicines.We established roadmaps for oligonucleotide drugs development and optimization of TCM prescriptions.Moreover,the decoctosome,a lipo-nano particle consisting of 0.5%–2.5%of the decoction,demonstrated potent medical effects.We propose a Bencao(herbal)Index,including small-molecule compounds(SM),protein peptides(P),nucleic acid(N),non-nucleic and non-proteinogenic large-molecule compounds(LM)and elements from Mendeleev's periodic table(E),to quantitatively measure the medical effects of botanic medicine.The Bencao s RNA Atlas is a resource for developing gene-targeting oligonucleotide drugs and optimizing botanical medicine,and may provide potential remedies for the theory and practice of one medicine.