Effect of clearing heat and detoxification method on macrophages polarization in patients with acute myocardial infarction and heat toxin syndrome after intervention

Objective:To evaluate the effect of heat-clearing and detoxifying method on the macrophages polarization in patients with acute myocardial infarction with heat toxin syndrome after intervention.Methods:Sixty patients with acute myocardial infarction and undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention with heat toxin syndrome were randomly divided into a control group and a test group with 30 cases each.The control group was given conventional treatment,and the test group was given Huanglian Jiedu Decoction,the representative of the method of clearing heat and detoxification,orally on the basis of the control group.The intervention time of both groups was 2 weeks.Comparing The Seattle Angina Pectoris Scale(SAQ)before and after treatment,creatine kinase(CK),creatine kinase MB isoenzyme(CKMB),high-sensitivity troponin I(hs-TnI),and Lipoprotein-associated phospholipaseA2(LPPLA_2)),the phenotype ratio of M1 and M2 macrophages,and observe the adverse reactions.Results:After treatment,the SAQ scores of the two groups of patients were improved,and the levels of CK,CK-MB,hs-TnI,and LP-PLA_2 decreased significantly.The scores of AS,AF,TS,and DP in the SAQ of the test group were all higher than those of the control group,and the hs-TnI and LP-PLA_2 were better than those of the control Group(P<0.05 or P<0.01).After treatment,the proportion of M1 type macrophages in the two groups of patients'macrophages decreased significantly(P<0.05 or P<0.01),the ratio of M2 type macrophages increased(P<0.05),and the M1/M2 ratio decreased.The ratio of M1/M2 in the test group of the control group was significantly lower than that of the control group(P<0.01).There were no obvious adverse reactions in both groups.Conclusions:The method of clearing heat and detoxifying has a definite effect on patients with acute myocardial infarction of heat toxin syndrome after interventional operation.It can reduce myocardial damage,improve myocardial function,and reduce inflammation.And it is safe for clinical treatment without any increasing risk of bleeding or other risk of cardiovascular events.

Synergistic Anti-inflammatory Effect of Radix Platycodon in Combination with Herbs for Cleaning-heat and Detoxification and Its Mechanism

Objective： To investigate the synergistic anti-inflammatory effect of Radix Platycodon in combination with herbs for cleaning-heat and detoxification and its mechanism for Fei （肺）-targeting. Methods： Forty Wistar rats were randomly divided into five groups （8 per group）： the sham-operated group, model group, Radix P/atycodon group, Flos Lonicera and Fructus Forsythia （LF） group, and Radix Platycodon, Flos Lonicera and Fructus Forsythia combination （PLF） group, using a random number table. A rat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease （COPD） model was established by passive smoking and intratracheal instillation of lipopolysaccharide （LPS）. The treatments started from the 15th day of passive smoking for a total duration of 14 days. At the end of the treatment, changes in the following measurements were determined： lung histopathology, inflammatory cytokines including tumor necrosis factor α （TNF- α）, transforming growth factor 13 （TGF- 13 ） and interleukin IL-1 13 （IL-1 13 ） in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid （BALF）, and mRNA expression of endogenous active substance intestinal trefoil factor 3 （TFF3） in the lung tissue. Results： Light microscopy showed that compared with the sham-operated group, rats in the COPD model group had disrupted alveolar structure, collapsed local alveoli, significantly widened or even fused alveolar septa, and massive infiltration of inflammatory cells in the alveolar wall and interstitium. In addition, significant bronchial epithelium hyperplasia, partially shed epithelia, and marked inflammatory cell infiltration in the bronchial wall and its surrounding tissues were noticed. Electron microscopy showed that rats in the model group had degeneration of alveolar type Ⅱ epithelial cell; reduction, breakage or even loss of cell surface microvilli; swollen mitochondria with disappearing cristae and vacuole-like structure; and, increased secondary lysosomes in alveolar macrophages. The TNF- α, TGF- β and IL-β levels and white blood cell （WBC） count in BALF were significantly increased （P〈0.01 or P〈0.05） and TFF3 mRNA expression in the lung tissue was significantly reduced （P〈0.01）. After treatment, the pathological morphology of lung injury was less severe in all three treatment groups. In addition, TGF- 13 and IL-1 13 and WBC count in BALF were decreased （P〈0.01 or P〈0.05）, and TFF3 mRNA expression in the lung tissue was significantly increased in the PLF group （P〈0.01）. Compared with the LF group, the IL-1 13 in BALF was significantly decreased （P〈0.05）, and TFF3 mRNA expression was significantly increased （P〈0.05） in the PLF group. Conclusions： Radix Platycodon synergizes with herbs for cleaning-heat and detoxification in reducing inflammatory injury in a rat model of COPD. The synergistic anti-inflammatory effect is reflected in the improvement in pathological changes and in the reduction of IL-1 β levels in BALF. The mechanism of such synergistic action may be related to its effect on maintaining the TFF3 mRNA expression and Fei-targeting function.

Research Progress on Saussurea Tibetan Medicine-Taking Saussurea stella Maxim. for Example

Saussurea plants have a long history of being used for disease prevention and control in Tibetan medicine, and the species have gradually changed along with the development of history. Saussurea is mainly effective in wind-expelling, blood circulation, spasmolysis, pain relief, heat-clearing and detoxification. Characteristics, major chemical constituents and pharmacological studies of Saussurea stella Maxim. were summarized in this review based on the utilization of Saussurea medicinal plants in Tibetan areas, with the aim to provide adequate theoretical bases and references for exploring the further medicinal value and development and utilization of S. stella .

Effects of Shikonin on the Proliferation and Activation of T Lymphocytes

Objective: To investigate the effects of Chinese herbal monomer shikonin which has the function of cooling blood and detoxification on abnormally activated T lymphocyte and its related signal pathways and to elucidate the role of shikonin in the pathological state of psoriasis and its mechanism of treating psoriasis. Materials and Methods: Jurkat E6?1 T lymphocytes were activated with phorbol ester and ionomycin. The shikonin concentration of 0.5–2 μg/mL was applied to the cells, and the proliferation of T lymphocytes was detected by Cell Counting Kit?8 assay. Flow cytometry was used to measure CD69 expression on the cell membrane and intracellular free calcium ion concentration([Ca^(2+)]i); enzyme?linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect the levels of interleukin(IL)?2, interferon?γ(IFN?γ), and(TNF?α) released by activated T lymphocytes; quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blot were used to observe the expression of nuclear transcription factor m RNA and protein, respectively. Results: Different concentrations of shikonin could significantly inhibit cell proliferation, CD69 expression, and secretion of Th1 cytokines. In addition, shikonin could effectively reduce the [Ca^(2+)]i and protein kinase C phosphorylation proteins. Besides that, shikonin could significantly reduce the nuclear transcription factor nuclear factor of activated T lymphocytes mRNA expression, downregulate c?Jun mRNA and protein expression, and inhibit NF?κB protein expression. All the above indicators show a certain dose–effect relationship. Conclusions: Shikonin can exert immune regulation by inhibiting the function of overactivated T lymphocytes. Hence, this study provides experimental basis for the mechanism and application prospect of shikonin in the treatment of psoriasis.

An Experimental Study of the Protective Effects of Chinese Medicine Compound Eye-Patch on Asthenopia

Objective： To observe the therapeutic efficacy and the mechanism of Chinese medicine eye-patch with invigorating blood circulation and detoxification on asthenopia. Methods： A total of 180 rabbits were subjected to three tests, namely the skin microcircuiation, the microvascular regeneration in the skin and the skin temperature change, with 60 rabbits for each test. The rabbits in each test were randomly and equally divided into three groups： the normal control group was treated with physiological saline on naked back once per day, the low dose group was treated with the eye-patch on naked back for 15 min once per day, while the high dose group was treated for three times per day. Forty Hartley guinea pigs were randomly and equally divided into four groups for the muscle tone test： the normal control group was treated with physiological saline on naked back, the model group was treated without any medication, the low dose group was treated with the eye-patch on naked back for 10 min once per day, while the high dose group was treated for three times per day. All treatments were continued for 14 days until the termination of the test. The microcirculatory blood flow was observed by using a video-microscopy system. The histological sections were used to detect the microvascular regeneration by observing the expression of factor V$. The temperature changes on the skin surface were measured by using infrared thermometer, and the muscle tone was tested by the electromyography. Results： In compare with the normal or the model group, the improvement in the skin microcirculation and the blood vascular regeneration, and the decreasing in the muscle tone in low dose and high dose groups were statistically significant with confident level at P〈0.05. Conclusions： The eye-patch with invigorating blood circulation and detoxification has great enhancement in blood vascular regeneration and skin microcirculation, and great improvement in the indexes for muscle tone. The study explains certain therapeutic efficacy and mechanism of the eye-patch and shows that it could reduce the symptoms for patients with asthenopia.

Facile preparation of hierarchical porous polydopamine microspheres for rapid removal of chromate from the wastewater

Cr(Ⅵ)containing industrial wastewaters are highly toxic and carcinogenic,and severely threats living creatures and the environment.Therefore,it is highly desired yet challenging to develop an available and economical adsorbent for simultaneously detoxifying Cr(Ⅵ)anions to Cr(Ⅲ)ions and removing them from the wastewater.Here we propose a facile method for rapid removal of Cr(Ⅵ)ions from the wastewater by using a synthetic polydopamine microsphere(PPM)adsorbent with hierarchical porosity.The as-prepared PPM exhibits high Cr(Ⅵ)removal capacity of 307.7 mg/g and an outstanding removal efficiency.They can effectively decrease the Cr(Ⅵ)concentration to lower than 0.05 mg/L well below the limits for drinking water standard of WHO regulations in 60 s at pH 2.More importantly,PPMs can reduce the lethal Cr(Ⅵ)anions to Cr(Ⅲ)ions with low toxicity,and simultaneously immobilize them on the matrices of PPMs.