A rapid UPLC method for simultaneous determination of eleven components in 'Ge-Gen-Qin-Lian' decoction

Topical Application of Galgeunhwanggeumhwangryeon-Tang Recovers Skin-Lipid Barrier and Ameliorates Inflammation via Filaggrin-Thymic Stromal Lymphopoietin-Interleukin 4 Pathway

Background and objectives: The purpose of this study was to confirm the effect of Galgeunhwanggeumhwangryeon-tang (GGRT) on the skin barrier integrity and inflammation in an atopic dermatitis-like animal model. Materials and Methods: The model was established using lipid barrier elimination (LBE) in BALB/c mice. Ceramide 3B, a control drug, and GGRT were applied to the skin of LBE mice. Gross observation and histological examination were combined with measurement of skin score, trans-epidermal water loss, and pH. The expression of filaggrin, kallikrein-related peptidase 7 (KLK7), protease-activated receptor-2 (PAR-2), thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP), and interleukin 4 (IL-4) was examined. Results: The effect of GGRT on atopic dermatitis was estimated in silico using two individual gene sets of human atopic dermatitis. In animal experiments, GGRT treatment reduced atopic dermatitis-like symptoms, as confirmed via gross and histological observations, skin score, pH change, and trans-epidermal water loss. The expression level of filaggrin increased in the skin of GGRT-treated mice compared to that in the LBE group. The expression levels of KLK7, PAR2, TSLP, and IL-4 were decreased in GGRT-treated mice skin compared to those in LBE mice. Conclusions: We demonstrated that GGRT restored the skin barrier and reduced inflammatory reactions in a murine model of atopic dermatitis.

Network Pharmacology-Based Analysis and Experimental Exploration of Antidiabetic Mechanisms of Gegen Qinlian Decoction

Type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and therapy options have been studied increasingly due to their rising incidence and prevalence. The trend of applying traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) to treat T2DM is increasing as a crucial medical care for metabolic dysfunctions. Gegen Qinlian decoction (GQL), a well-known classical TCM formula used in China, has been clinically applied to treat various types of chronic metabolic diseases. However, antidiabetic effects of GQL administration during T2DM have never been studied systematically. We assessed physiological and molecular targets associated with therapeutic effects of GQL by evaluating network topological characteristics. The GQL-related biological pathways are closely associated with antidiabetic effects, including the TNF and PI3K–AKT signaling pathways. Associated primary biological processes such as RNA polymerase II promoter transcription participate in the inflammatory response, oxidative stress reduction, and glucose metabolic process, thereby exerting multiple biological effects on the antidiabetic mechanism. Furthermore, our results showed that GQL can affect blood glycemic levels and ameliorate inflammatory symptoms, and liver and pancreas tissue injury in high-fat diet plus streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice. In vivo and in vitro experiments confirmed that antidiabetic effects of GQL were associated with a modulation of the TNF and PI3K–AKT–MTOR pathways.

Systems pharmacology reveals the mechanism of activity of Ge-Gen-Qin-Lian decoction against LPS-induced acute lung injury: A novel strategy for exploring active components and effective mechanism of TCM formulae

Acute lung injury (ALI), a severe and life-threatening inflammation of the lung, with high morbidity and mortality, underscoring the urgent need for novel treatments. Ge-Gen-Qin-Lian decoction (GQD), a classic Chinese herbal formula, has been widely used to treat intestine-related diseases in the clinic for centuries. In recent years, a growing number of studies have found that GQD has a favorable anti-inflammatory effect. With the further study on the viscera microbiota, the link between the lungs and the gut-the gut-lung axis has been established. Based on the theory of the gut-lung axis, we used systems pharmacology to explore the effects and mechanisms of GQD treatment in ALI. Hypothesizing that GQD inhibits ALI progression, we used the experimental model of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced ALI in Balb/c mice to evaluate the therapeutic potential of GQD. Our results showed that GQD exerted protective effects against LPS-induced ALI by reducing pulmonary edema and microvascular permeability. Meanwhile, GQD can downregulate the expression of LPS-induced TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 in lung tissue, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BLAF), and serum. To further understand the molecular mechanism of GQD in the treatment of ALI, we used the network pharmacology to predict the disease targets of the active components of GQD. Lung tissue and serum samples of the mice were separately analyzed by transcriptomics and metabolomics. KEGG pathway analysis of network pharmacology and transcriptomics indicated that PI3K/Akt signaling pathway was significantly enriched, suggesting that it may be the main regulatory pathway for GQD treatment of ALI. By immunohistochemical analysis and apoptosis detection, it was verified that GQD can inhibit ALI apoptosis through PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Then, we used the PI3K inhibitor LY294002 to block the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway, and reversely verified that the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway is the main pathway of GQD anti-ALI. In addition, differential metabolites in mice serum samples indicate that GQD can inhibit the inflammatory process of ALI by reversing the imbalance of energy metabolism. Our study showed that, GQD did have a better therapeutic effect on ALI, and initially elucidated its molecular mechanism. Thus, GQD could be exploited to develop novel therapeutics for ALI. Moreover, our study also provides a novel strategy to explore active components and effective mechanism of TCM formula combined with TCM theory to treat ALI.

Simultaneous quantitative determination of 11 sesquiterpene lactones in Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus L.) leaves by ultra high performance liquid chromatography with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry

A method of ultra high performance liquid chromatography coupled to quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry was developed for the simultaneous quantification of 11 sesquiterpene lactones in 11 Jerusalem artichoke leaf samples harvested in a number of areas at different periods. The optimal chromatographic conditions were achieved on a ZORBAX Eclipse Plus C₁₈ column (3.0 × 150 mm, 1.8 μm) with linear gradient elution of methanol and water in 8 min. Quantitative analysis was carried out under selective ion monitoring mode. All of the sesquiterpene lactones showed good linearity (R² ≥ 0.9949), repeatability (relative standard deviations < 4.66%), and intra- and interday precisions (relative standard deviations < 4.52%) with an accuracy of 95.24-104.84%. The recoveries measured at three concentration levels varied from 95.07 to 104.87% with relative standard deviations less than 4.9%. The limit of detection and limit of quantitation for this method were 0.89-5.05 and 1.12-44.33 ng/mL, respectively. The results showed that the contents of sesquiterpene lactones varied significantly in the Jerusalem artichoke leaf samples from different areas. Among them, the content of sesquiterpene lactones in the sample collected from Dalian, Liaoning province was the highest and the early flowering period was considered to be the optimal harvest time.

Fingerprint Analysis of Desmodium Triquetrum L. Based on Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography with Photodiode Array Detector Combined with Chemometrics Methods

A fingerprinting approach was developed by means of ultra high-performance liquid chromatography with photodiode array detector for the quality control of Desmodium triquetrum L., an herbal medicine widely used for clinical purposes. Ten batches of raw material samples of D. triquetrum were collected from different regions of China. All UPLC analyses were carried out on a Waters ACQUITY UPLC BEH shield RP18 column (2.1 × 50 mm, 1.7 µm particle size) at 60°C, with a gradient mobile phase composed of 0.1% aqueous formic acid and acetonitrile at a flow rate of 0.45 mL/min. The method validation results demonstrated the developed method possessing desirable reproducibility, efficiency, and allowing fingerprint analysis in one chromatographic run within 13 min. The quality assessment was achieved by using chemometrics methods including similarity analysis, hierarchical clustering analysis and principal component analysis. The developed method can be used for further quality control of D. triquetrum.