No abstract

Andrographis paniculata (Burm. f.) Wall. ex Nees, a renowned herb medicine in China, is broadly utilized in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for the treatment of cold and fever, sore throat, sore tongue, snake bite with its excellent functions of clearing heat and toxin, cooling blood and detumescence from times immemorial. Modern pharmacological research corroborates that andrographolide, the major ingredient in this traditional herb, is the fundamental material basis for its efficacy. As the main component of Andrographis paniculata (Burm. f.) Wall. ex Nees, andrographolide reveals numerous therapeutic actions, such as antiinflammatory, antioxidant, anticancer, antimicrobial, antihyperglycemic and so on. However, there are scarcely systematic summaries on the specific mechanism of disease treatment and pharmacokinetics. Moreover, it is also found that it possesses easily ignored security issues in clinical application, such as nephrotoxicity and reproductive toxicity. Thereby it should be kept a lookout over in clinical. Besides, the relationship between the efficacy and security issues of andrographolide should be investigated and evaluated scientifically. In this review, special emphasis is given to andrographolide, a multifunctional natural terpenoids, including its pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, toxicity and pharmaceutical researches. A brief overview of its clinical trials is also presented. This review intends to systematically and comprehensively summarize the current researches of andrographolide, which is of great significance for the development of andrographolide clinical products. Noteworthy, those un‐cracked issues such as specific pharmacological mechanisms, security issues, as well as the bottleneck in clinical transformation, which detailed exploration and excavation are still not to be ignored before achieving integration into clinical practice. In addition, given that current extensive clinical data do not have sufficient rigor and documented details, more high‐quality investigations in this field are needed to validate the efficacy and/or safety of many herbal products.

Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a major concern in personal and public health, which negatively affects emotions and behavior, leading to cognitive deficits, memory decline, poor school performance, anxiety, and depression. Several cellular and molecular mediators are released in the inflammatory process of AR and activate common neuroimmune mechanisms, involving emotionally relevant circuits and the induction of anxiety. Responsiveness of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis to allergic processes have been reported, which may also include responsiveness of the hippocampus, cortex, and other brain regions. Here, we have used an optimized rat model of AR to explore whether the disease has a relationship with inflammatory responses in the hippocampus. AR was established in adult rats by ovalbumin sensitization, and the expression of various inflammatory substances in the hippocampus was measured by specific assays. Comparison between experimental and various control groups of animals revealed an association of AR with significant upregulation of substance P, microglia surface antigen (CD11b), glial fibrillary acid protein (GFAP), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and interleukin 6 (IL-6) in the hippocampus. Thus, we hypothesize that the AR challenge may activate these inflammatory mediators in the hippocampus, which in turn contribute to the abnormal behavior and neurological deficits associated with AR.

Allergic rhinitis (AR), an IgE-mediated response, is characterized by a Th2-type immunological pattern together with mast cells activation. Acupuncture, with the use of implanted catgut, is a traditional therapy that has been widely applied for the treatment of AR. However, the exact mechanism of the immunomodulatory effects of catgut implantation at acupoint (CIAA) remains unclear, in part due to the lack of a suitable laboratory animal model. We developed and optimized a rat model of ovalbumin- (OVA-) induced allergic inflammation, characterized by increased IL-4, sIgE, and SP and reciprocal decrease of IFN-γ. In the present study, we have further used this model to address the immunomodulatory effects of CIAA stimulation at Yingxiang (LI20) and Zusanli (ST36) acupoints and to elucidate the mechanisms involved in the regulation of SP, sIgE, IL-4, IFN-γ, TLR2, and TLR4. After AR model was established via OVA challenge, the rats were randomized as follows: control, model, sham-operated, 1-week CIAA (C1), 2-week CIAA (C2), and Budesonide nasal spray. The C1 and C2 groups were subjected to the bilateral acupoint Yingxiang (LI20) and Zusanli (ST36), respectively. Multiple analyses and quantifications were performed, which revealed that due to the persistent stimulus to acupoints by embedding catgut, the C2 group improved AR symptoms, compared to the C1 group. We conclude that CIAA at the Yingxiang (LI20) and Zusanli (ST36) acupoints effectively reduces allergic symptoms and inflammatory parameters in the rat model of AR. Thus, CIAA treatment is potentially an alternative therapeutic modality in AR.

This study aimed to identify Velvet antler and its counterfeits and to further evaluate their quality. Mitochondrial cytochrome b (Cytb) was used as a target gene to identify Velvet antler samples, and a DNA barcoding method was established for species origin identification in Velvet antlers. After identification, the stable isotope contents and ratios were adopted to evaluate the quality of different specifications of authentic Velvet antler in combination with chemometrics. Two stable isotope contents (C % and N %) and ratios (δ13C and δ15N) in three kinds of Velvet antler slices of different specifications, namely, wax slices, powder slices, and bone slices, were determined. Nine Velvet antler samples sold in the market were identified for label conformity. Only two samples were consistent with the labeled species, and the others were counterfeits. The three slices of Velvet antler of different specifications were clearly distinguished by principal component analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis. Then, the discriminant model of partial least squares discriminant analysis was established, and 100% discrimination accuracy was observed in this model. All the Velvet antler slice samples of different specification samples were grouped clearly according to their sources. In summary, it is feasible for the identification and quality grade evaluation of Velvet antler by DNA barcoding based on mitochondrial Cytb and stable isotope techniques combined with chemometric analysis. The establishment of this method also provided a reference for the evaluation of other animal-derived medicinal materials.