Active Ingredients and Potential Mechanisms of the Gan Jiang-Huang Qin-Huang Lian-Ren Shen Decoction against Ulcerative Colitis: A Network Pharmacology and Molecular Docking-Based Study

Background. Ulcerative colitis (UC), a chronic and nonspecific inflammatory bowel disease, seriously affects the quality of patients’ life. Han Re Bing Yong Fa (treating diseases with both cool- and warm-natured herbs) is a classical therapeutic principle of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), which is often used to treat chronic diseases, including UC. The Gan Jiang-Huang Qin-Huang Lian-Ren Shen decoction (GJHQHLRSD), a representative of Han Re Bing Yong Fa, is effective in alleviating inflammatory symptoms in UC. However, the pharmacological mechanism underlying its anti-inflammatory effect remains unclear. Methods. A network pharmacology strategy, including the construction and analysis of the drug–disease network, was used to explore the complex mechanism of GJHQHLRSD treatment of UC. In addition, molecular docking technology was used to preliminarily examine the binding ability of the potential active components and core therapeutic targets of GJHQHLRSD. Results. The network pharmacology results revealed 140 targets of GJHQHLRSD which are involved in UC. The PPI network analysis identified seven target genes: BCL2L1, NR3C1, ALOX5, S1PR5, NR1I2, CYP2D6, and LPAR6. The molecular docking results revealed that the following displayed strongest combined effects: EGFR with kaempferol, ERK1 with worenine, STAT3 with Palmidin A, BCL2L1 with diop and VEGFA with ginsenoside Rg3. The KEGG and gene ontology enrichment analyses results indicated that GJHQHLRSD functions by regulating the EGFR signaling pathway in UC treatment. Other effective biological processes involved in UC treatment included cancer-related as well as inflammation and viral infection signaling pathways, such as the “MicroRNAs in cancer,” “TNF signaling pathway,” and “JAK-STAT signaling pathway.” Conclusions. This study reflects the multicomponent, multitarget, and multipathway characteristics of the action mechanism of GJHQHLRSD in treating UC. Furthermore, it helps better understand the TCM therapeutic principle of Han Re Bing Yong Fa and explore novel candidate drug targets for UC treatment.

Combined Therapy With Dobutamine and Omecamtiv Mecarbil in Pigs With Ischemic Acute Heart Failure Is Attributed to the Effect of Dobutamine

Inotropic support in ischemic acute heart failure (AHF) is controversial. We tested a therapeutic principle for AHF by combining a low dose of omecamtiv mecarbil (OM; 0.25 mg/kg bolus plus 0.25 mg/kg/h) with a low dose of dobutamine (Dobut; 1.25 µg/kg/min). In 10 pigs subjected to myocardial ischemia by left coronary microembolization, this cotreatment increased cardiac power (CP) from 0.48 ± 0.14 to 0.81 ± 0.22 W ( P < .05). When the drugs were given as a monotherapy, CP increased from 0.57 ± 0.11 to 0.65 ± 0.15 W (OM; n = 5; not significant) and from 0.40 ± 0.07 to 0.70 ± 0.10 W (Dobut; n = 5; P < .05). Dobut counteracted OM-mediated impairments in early relaxation and diastolic shortening. In a second protocol using the same doses, we assessed cardiac efficiency in 5 healthy pigs by relating myocardial oxygen consumption (MVO2) to the pressure–volume area. Here, the increases in cardiac work and MVO2 were matched, leaving cardiac efficiency unaltered by this drug combination. Low-dose cotreatment with OM + Dobut produces an appropriate hemodynamic effect with improved CP at doses that do not affect cardiac efficiency. This outcome is mainly attributed to the inotropic effect of Dobut.

The progress of traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of aplastic anemia

Aplastic anemia (AA) is a common hematologic disease that is characterized by hematopoietic failure of the bone marrow and pancytopenia of the peripheral blood, which can be divided into severe and non-severe aplastic ane-mia, or acute and chronic aplastic anemia according to the severity of the disease and the progress of the clinical course. During the past years, the advantages of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) on the treatment of AA have been well clarified and its theory system has been improved as well. This review is mainly on representing the pathogenesis, therapeutic principle and method, research progression, and advantages of TCM on AA.

Hyaluronic Acid - Innovative Therapeutic Principle

The article presents the experience of a new therapeutic method, addressing postoperative implant pathology.Methods: Hyaluronic acid has been used in the management of various mucoperiosteal pathologies (directing secondary healing of oral wounds, restoration / increasing the volume of connective tissue – periosteal preoperativ or the papillary volume).Hyaluronic acid used had different concentration. The presentation forms both viscous and fluid particle size and type/acid’s grade of complexation) provided various therapeutic effects with specific indication of administration respected by the authors. Different products available at this time in Romania were used analyzing the results in time.Results: This therapeutic approach provided a good management in secondary granulation and wound healing of oral tissues in difficult cases (GBR, implant therapy) in which the persistence of dehiscence wound can cause a failure of surgical treatment (loss of membrane, alloplastic material or implant).Conclusion: This results places this innovative therapeutic method with others successful therapeutic solutions in usual dental practice, providing a quick and efficient settlement of some difficult clinical cases.