A Systematic Review of Orthosiphon stamineus Benth. in the Treatment of Diabetes and Its Complications

(1) Background: Orthosiphon stamineus Benth. is a traditional medicine used in the treatment of diabetes and chronic renal failure in southern China, Malaysia, and Thailand. Diabetes is a chronic metabolic disease and the number of diabetic patients in the world is increasing. This review aimed to systematically review the effects of O. stamineus in the treatment of diabetes and its complications and the pharmacodynamic material basis. (2) Methods: This systematic review was conducted following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA), using the databases ScienceDirect, PubMed, and Web of Science. (3) Results: Thirty-one articles related to O. stamineus and diabetes were included. The mechanisms of O. stamineus in the treatment of diabetes and its complications mainly included inhibiting α-amylase and α-glucosidase activities, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities, regulating lipid metabolism, promoting insulin secretion, ameliorating insulin resistance, increasing glucose uptake, promoting glycolysis, inhibiting gluconeogenesis, promoting glucagon-likepeptide-1 (GLP-1) secretion and antiglycation activity. Phenolic acids, flavonoids and triterpenoids might be the main components for hypoglycemia effects in O. stamineus. (4) Conclusion: O. stamineus could be an antidiabetic agent to treat diabetes and its complications. However, it needs further study on a pharmacodynamic substance basis and the mechanisms of effective constituents.

Materialism, autonomy, intersectionality: revisiting Virginia Woolf through the Wages for Housework perspective

Virginia Woolf's 1938 essay Three Guineas contends that the material basis is indispensable for women not only to survive but also to voice their political opinions. Woolf proposes three strategies for women to take. First, women should assert their right to have access to independent income, and for this purpose they should demand that the state pay for their reproductive work that often limits their opportunity to do waged work. Second, they must object to the very wage system which is indeed in complicity with patriarchy, and through which women are doubly exploited as unwaged or under-waged workers. And third, women must remain outside male-dominated movements and must organise an autonomous group even if they share the same cause with male workers; intersectional association will be possible only when each exploited group empowers itself and regains its own voice. This article examines how this highly materialist aspect of Woolf's feminism was revisited by the Wages for Housework movement in the 1970s. By so doing, it argues that despite its facade of literary modernism and alleged elitism, Woolf's text contributes to real-life movements and continues to inspire people of different class backgrounds in different times. Discovering the connection between Woolf and Marxist feminism alters our way of seeing the history of feminist theory: the history is never a linear progress from one wave to another but a complex and interwoven narrative, in which once-forgotten ideas can travel across time and space, resurging as new ideas in different contexts.

Pharmacological Mechanisms of Tinglizi against Chronic Heart Failure Determined by Network Pharmacology and Molecular Docking

Objective. Tinglizi has been extensively used to treat chronic heart failure (CHF) in modern times, but the material basis and pharmacological mechanisms are still unclear. To explore the material basis and corresponding potential targets and to elucidate the mechanism of Tinglizi, network pharmacology and molecular docking methods were utilized. Methods. The main chemical compounds and potential targets of Tinglizi were collected from the pharmacological database analysis platform (TCMSP). The corresponding genes of related action targets were queried through gene cards and UniProt database. The corresponding genes of CHF-related targets were searched through Disgenet database, and the intersection targets were obtained by drawing Venn map with the target genes related to pharmacodynamic components. Then, drug targets and disease targets were intersected and put into STRING database to establish a protein interaction network. The “active ingredient-CHF target” network was constructed with Cytoscape 3.8.2. Finally, Gene Ontology (GO) Enrichment and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment of intersection targets were analyzed using metascape. With the aid of SYBYL software, the key active ingredients and core targets were docked at molecular level, and the results were visualized by PyMOL software. Molecular docking was carried out to investigate interactions between active compounds and potential targets. Results. A total of 12 active components in Tinglizi were chosen from the TCMSP database, and 193 corresponding targets were predicted. Twenty-nine potential targets of Tinglizi on CHF were obtained, of which nine were the core targets of this study. Twenty GO items were obtained by GO function enrichment analysis ( P < 0.05 ), and 10 signal pathways were screened by KEGG pathway enrichment analysis ( P < 0.05 ), which is closely related to the treatment of CHF by Tinglizi. The constructed drug compound composition action target disease network shows that quercetin, kaempferol, and other active compounds play a key role in the whole network. The results of molecular docking showed that all the key active ingredients, such as quercetin and isorhamnetin, were able to successfully dock with ADRB2 and HMOX1 with a total score above 5.0, suggesting that these key components have a strong binding force with the targets. Conclusion. Through network pharmacology and molecular docking technology, we found that the main components of Tinglizi in the treatment of CHF are quercetin, kaempferol, β-sitosterol, isorhamnetin, and so on. The action targets are beta 2-adrenergic receptor (ADRB2), heme oxygenase 1 (HMOX1), and so on. The main pathways are advanced glycation end products/receptor for advanced glycation end products (AGE-RAGE) signaling pathway in diabetic complications, hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF-1) signaling pathway, estrogen signaling pathway, and so on. They play an integrated role in the treatment of CHF.

Study The Mechanism of Huangdi Anxiao Capsules In The Treatment of T2DM of Using UPLC-Q-TOF-MSE Combined With Network Pharmacological

This study was to explore the main material basis, target and pathway of Huangdi Anxiao capsule (HDAXC) for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) by UPLC-Q-TOF-MSE and network pharmacology. In this study, HDAXC was administrated to T2DM rats, and its serum were detected by UPLC- Q-TOF-MSE, and the prototype components of HDAXC were analyzed. Using Swiss target prediction database to predict the target of serum prototype components, using GeneCards and DrugBack database to predict the target of T2DM. These common targets are the prediction target of HDAXC acting on T2DM. The key components of HDAXC in the treatment of T2DM were determined by using the software of Cytoscape3.7.2 to visualize the results. Using the STRING online platform to construct the protein-protein interaction (PPI), the key target genes were selected. The Gene Ontology (GO) analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis of the common targets were carried out by using the OmicShare tools. And quantitative PCR and Western bolt were used to verify the related target genes. A toll of 28 prototype compounds were detected in rat serum, and 495 putative identified target genes were screened from HDAXC, of which 141 overlapped with the targets of T2DM and were considered potential therapeutic targets. The analysis of the network results showed that the key components of HDAXC are Magnoflorine, Galangin, Quercetin, and Epiberberine, etc. VEGFA, AKT1, SRC, EGFR might be the key target genes of HDAXC in the treatment of T2DM. HDAXC may have a therapeutic effect on T2DM by affecting HIF-1 signaling pathway, AGE-RAGE signaling pathway in diabetic complications, VEGFA signaling pathway and PI3K/AKT signaling pathways. In this study, compounds absorbed into the blood of HDAXC and its action target and pathway were preliminarily analyzed, which provided evidences for clarifying the chemical material basis and researching functional mechanism of HDAXC.

Applying Four-Step Characteristic Ion Filtering with HPLC-Q-Exactive MS/MS Spectrometer Approach for Rapid Compound Structures Characterization and Major Representative Components Quantification in Modified Tabusen-2 Decoction

Modified Tabusen-2 decoction (MTBD) is traditional Chinese Mongolia medicine, mainly used to treat osteoporosis. However, the precise material basis of this prescription is not yet fully elucidated. Herein, we establish an HPLC-Q-Exactive MS/MS spectrometer method with four-step characteristic ion filtering (FSCIF) strategy to quickly and effectively identify the structural features of MTBD and determine the representative compounds content. The FSCIF strategy included database establishment, characteristic ions summarization, neutral loss fragments screening, and secondary mass spectrum fragment matching four steps. By using this strategy, a total of 143 compounds were unambiguously or tentatively annotated, including 5 compounds which were first reported in MTBD. Nineteen representative components were simultaneously quantified with the HPLC-Q-Exactive MS/MS spectrometer, and it is suitable for eight batches of MTBD. Methodology analysis showed that the assay method had good repeatability, accuracy, and stability. The method established above was successfully applied to assess the quality of MTBD extracts. Collectively, our findings enhance our molecular understanding of the MTBD formulation and will allow us to control its quality in a better way. At the same time, this study can promote the development and utilization of ethnic medicine.

Identification and Analysis of Chemical Constituents and Rat Serum Metabolites in Gushuling Using UPLC-Q-TOF/MS Coupled with Novel Informatics UNIFI Platform

Gushuling (GSL), a well-known hospital preparation composed of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), has been widely used in the clinical treatment of osteoporosis (OP) for decades due to its remarkable therapeutic effect. However, the chemical constituents of GSL are still unclear so far, which limits the in-depth study of its pharmacodynamic material basis and further restricts its clinical application. In this study, we developed a strategy for qualitative analysis of the chemical constituents of GSL in vitro and in vivo. Based on the results of ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS) and the UNIFI informatics platform, the chemical constituents of GSL can be determined quickly and effectively. By comparing the retention time, accurate mass, and fragmentation spectrum of the compounds in GSL, a total of 93 compounds were identified or preliminarily identified, including flavonoids, terpenoids, phenylpropanoids, steroids, etc. Among them, nine compounds have been confirmed by standard substances, namely epimedin A, epimedin B, epimedin C, icariin, ecdysterone, calycosin, calycosin-7-glucoside, ononin, and ginsenoside Ro. Fragment patterns and characteristic ions of representative compounds with different chemical structure types were analyzed. At the same time, 20 prototype compounds and 42 metabolites were detected in rat serum. Oxidation, hydration, reduction, dehydration, glutathione S-conjugation, and acetylcysteine conjugation were the main transformation reactions of GSL in rat serum. In this research, the rapid method to characterize the in vitro and in vivo chemical constituents of GSL can not only be used for the standardization and quality control of GSL but also be helpful for further research on its pharmacodynamic material basis.

Zaraza nadchodzi i odchodzi – myślenie o chorobach epidemicznych utrwalone w języku

In this article, I present selected aspects of the linguistic image of the plague (I am especially interested in names and their etymology, the causes of the disease, images of the plague, and remedies). I mainly rely on materials related to Polish folk culture, but I also mention some contemporary contexts to show a certain durability of beliefs related to the plague. I use the notion of a linguistic and cultural image of the world understood as a colloquial interpretation of reality that can be explicated not only using verbal data, but also with non-verbal data preserved in petrified texts of culture. In my considerations, I refer to the so-called cognitive definition. The material basis of the analysis presented (in line with Jerzy Bartmiński’s assumptions) consists of lexical and textual data: names (confirming the “perspective of reality”), information transmitted on an onomasiological basis, revealed in the etymological and word-formation analysis, meanings given in the definitions in Polish and dialectal dictionaries, word-formation derivatives, metaphorical extensions, phraseologisms, collocations (phrases), metaphors, proverbs, healing formulas, etc. In Polish folk culture, the plague was imagined as a living creature (woman) who could roam the land (come and go), come to the village, talk to people, put them to death, or save the ones she chose to live. These images of the plague made peasants try to secure their space and to create a safe zone for themselves and their community by means of various magical procedures.

Bioinformatics and Network Pharmacology-Based Approaches to Explore the Potential Mechanism of the Antidepressant Effect of Cyperi Rhizoma through Soothing the Liver

Major depressive disorder (MDD) has become the second most common disease worldwide, making it a threat to human health. Cyperi Rhizoma (CR) is a traditional herbal medicine with antidepressant properties. Traditional Chinese medicine theory states that CR relieves MDD by dispersing stagnated liver qi to soothe the liver, but the material basis and underlying mechanism have not been elucidated. In this study, we identified the active compounds and potential anti-MDD targets of CR by network pharmacology-based approaches. Through Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis, we hypothesized that the anti-MDD effect of CR may be mediated by an altered response of the liver to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and glucose metabolism. Through bioinformatics analysis, comparing normal and MDD liver tissue in rats with spontaneous diabetes, we identified differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and selected PAI-1 (SERPINE1) as a target of CR in combating MDD. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics analysis also verified the binding of the active compound quercetin to PAI-1. It can be concluded that quercetin is the active compound of CR that acts against MDD by targeting PAI-1 to enhance the liver response to LPS and glucose metabolism. This study not only reveals the material basis and underlying mechanism of CR against MDD through soothing the liver but also provides evidence for PAI-1 as a potential target and quercetin as a potential agent for MDD treatment.