A network pharmacology-based strategy for predicting anti-inflammatory targets of ephedra in treating asthma

Asthma, the most common chronic respiratory disease in the world, is involved in a sustained inflammatory response caused by a variety of immune cells. Ephedra with multi-target, multi-pathway functions is an effective treatment for asthma. However, the ingredients and anti-inflammatory targets of ephedra in treating asthma are unclear. Therefore, there is a need for further research. Ephedra-related and anti-inflammatory targets were found and then combined to get intersection, which represented potential anti-inflammatory targets of ephedra. Moreover, compound-anti-inflammatory target and asthma-target protein-protein interaction network were merged to get the protein-protein interaction network intersection and core genes in asthma-target protein-protein interaction network. For the anti-inflammatory targets of ephedra in treating asthma, Gene Ontology and pathway analysis were executed to confirm gene functions of ephedra in antagonizing inflammation of asthma. Finally, molecular docking, qRT-PCR, WB and ELISA were performed to assess the binding activities between the compounds and anti-inflammatory targets of ephedra in treating asthma. Critical compounds and anti-inflammatory targets of ephedra in treating asthma were identified, including quercetin, luteolin, kempferol, naringenin, beta-sitosterol, SELE, IL-2 and CXCL10. The biological processes of anti-inflammatory targets of ephedra in treating asthma were involved in immune response, inflammatory response, cell-cell signaling and response to lipopolysaccharide. Moreover, 22 pathways were obtained and we proved that critical compounds inhabited the expression of SELE, IL-2 and CXCL10 at mRNA and protein levels.     

麻黄中生物碱类有效成分的非水毛细管电泳含量测定

目的 利用非水毛细管电泳(NACE)法对麻黄中各生物碱类有效成分进行含量测定，并比较不同提取方法中各组份含量差异。方法 采用50mmol／L醋酸铵的甲醇溶液，未加入任何其他添加剂，检测波长为210nm。结果 各组份在8min内达基线分离。伪麻黄碱在9．8～147．0μg／mL，去甲基麻黄碱在6．8～102．0μg／mL，麻黄碱在9．4～141．0μg／mL，去甲基伪麻黄碱在4．8～72．0μg／mL，甲基麻黄碱在6．8～102．0μg／mL分别有良好的线性关系。各麻黄碱类回收率在95．0％～100．4％。结论 为麻黄中各生物碱类有效成分的含量测定提供了一种快速、准确和灵敏的测定方法。     

新疆中麻黄DNA片段的克隆与序列分析

对新疆3种中药麻黄(Ephedra)进行了RAPD分析，回收随机引物s13的PCR产物(750bp左右)，克隆到pMD18-T载体中，经电泳鉴定后进行序列分析。结果表明，已成功克隆并获得了新疆中麻黄771bp的DNA片段，对中药材的鉴定和标准化提供依据。     

麻黄药材的质量分析研究

目的通过对多批次草麻黄药材质量进行分析比较,确定可行的麻黄碱与伪麻黄碱的含量限度,为其质量控制提供科学依据,为麻黄药材质量分析提供新方法.方法采用RP-HPLC法测定麻黄碱、伪麻黄碱的含量,Kromasil RP-C18色谱柱(4.6 mm×250 mm,5 μm),流动相:0.3%磷酸-甲醇(10:90),检测波长:213 nm.结果 14批草麻黄药材中麻黄碱及伪麻黄碱含量差异较大,其中麻黄碱含量在0.361～1.538%,伪麻黄碱在0.332～2.087%之间.通过多批次样品含量比较,建议草麻黄药材中麻黄碱的含量不低于1.082%,伪麻黄碱含量不低于1.008%.结论经过系统的方法学考察,所建立的测定方法具有操作简便、稳定、专属、可重复的特点,可用于麻黄药材及含麻黄复方制剂的质量控制.     

HPLC测定麻黄及其制剂中3种生物碱含量

目的 建立HPLC同时测定麻黄及其制剂中3种生物碱含量。方法 以乙腈-甲醇-0.1%磷酸溶液(1.5∶4∶94.5)为流动相,同时测定麻黄、金麻杏止咳片和麻杏止咳片中3种生物碱的含量。结果 盐酸麻黄碱、盐酸伪麻黄碱、盐酸甲基麻黄碱的进样量分别为0.102 9~0.686,0.025?11~0.167 4,0.022 23~0.148 2 μg,分别与峰面积呈良好的线性关系;平均回收率分别为100.56%,97.84%和98.42%,RSD分别为0.20%、0.94%和1.31%(n=6)。结论 所建立的HPLC可通过测定3种生物碱的含量综合评价麻黄及其制剂的质量。     

草麻黄化学成分的研究

目的：研究麻黄科植物草麻黄（Ephedra sinica Stapf.）草质茎的化学成分。方法：运用多种色谱方法,对草麻黄草质茎的n-正丁醇提取部位分离、纯化,并结合波谱方法鉴定其结构。结果：从提取部位分离与鉴定10种化合物,分别是l-麻黄碱（l-Ephedrine,1）,d-伪麻黄碱（d-Pseudoephedrine,2）,N-甲基麻黄碱（N-Methylephedrine,3）,苯丙醇胺（Phenylpropanolamine,4）,4-O-β-D-葡萄糖苷苯甲酸（4-O-β-D-glucopyranosi-debenzoic acid,5）,杜鹃醇-4＇-O-β-D-葡萄糖苷（Rhododendrol-4＇-O-β-D-glucopyranoside,6）,cis-丁香甙（cis-Syringin,7）,Pseudolaroside B（8）,腺苷（Adenosine,9）,黄嘌呤（Xanthine,10）。结论：从提取部位分离与鉴定的化合物7,8,9为首次从该植物分得。     

The Severity of Toxic Reactions to Ephedra: Comparisons to Other Botanical Products and National Trends from 1993–2002

Objective. Ephedra is a botanical product widely used to enhance alertness, as a weight loss aide, and as a decongestant. Its reported adverse effects led the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to ban ephedra-containing products in the United States in 2004. This study's purpose was to compare toxicity from botanical products containing ephedra to nonephedra products. Methods. The Toxic Exposure Surveillance System (TESS), a national poison center database, was utilized to determine the number and outcomes of cases involving botanical products reported from 1993–2002. Cases listing both a botanical product and any other drugs or chemicals were excluded a priori. Ten-year hazard rates (moderate outcomes + major outcomes + deaths per 1000 exposures) were used to compare botanical product categories. Results. There were 21,533 toxic exposures with definitive medical outcomes reported over the 10 yrs where a botanical product was the only substance involved. Of these, 4,306 (19.9%) had moderate or major medical outcomes and there were two deaths, for an overall hazard score of 200 per 1000 exposures. The number of ephedra reports to poison centers increased 150-fold over the 10-yr period. The hazard rate for products that contained only ephedra was 250 per 1000 exposures and 267 per 1000 exposures for products that contained ephedra and additional ingredients; whereas the hazard score for only nonephedra botanical products was 96 per 1000 exposures. The rate ratios for multibotanical products with ephedra (RR 1.33; 95% C.I. 1.27–1.40) and for single-ingredient ephedra products (RR 1.25; 95% C.I. 1.11–1.40) were both two to six times higher than those of other common botanical products. Yohimbe-containing products had the highest hazard score (417) and rate ratio (2.08; 95% C.I. 1.59–2.80). Conclusion. Ephedra-containing botanical products accounted for a significant number of toxic exposures with severe medical outcomes reported to poison centers. Hazard rate analysis suggests poison center–reported events involving ephedra-containing botanical products were much more likely to result in severe medical outcomes than those involving nonephedra-containing botanical products. These data support recommendations by policymakers that the sale of ephedra should be prohibited to protect consumers. Our data suggest that the botanical product, yohimbe, may also be associated with unacceptably high risks of toxicity and should receive close scrutiny from health policymakers.     

国外对麻黄及其制剂的安全性评价

麻黄是有着悠久历史的传统中药，其药材及制品长期以来被广泛应用于临床。近年来，由于麻黄在国外被添加到食品中用作增强体力、减肥等用途，使得有关麻黄导致的不良反应报告也在逐年迅速增加。加之麻黄被滥用作为兴奋剂，甚至出现麻黄应用不当致死的案例报道。通过归纳总结麻黄的药理作用以及国外临床应用的现状，对国内外应用麻黄的安全性进行了对比评价。特别探讨了麻黄所导致的肝损害及其可能的作用机制，以期为中药麻黄的合理应用和管理提出意见和建议.     

麻黄属6种植物茎叶表皮的扫描电镜观察

目的：通过对麻黄属植物茎、叶表面气孔及微形态特征观察,为其遗传育种及分类研究提供重要微观特征和依据。方法：利用扫描电镜观察6种麻黄属植物茎、叶表面气孔密度、气孔长轴、短轴、气孔形态及茎、叶表面特征。结果：6种麻黄属植物之间气孔密度、茎、叶表面特征存在不同程度的差异；气孔表现出典型旱生植物的特征,略下陷,气孔保卫细胞被厚的角质层覆盖,并形成突起状角质唇状物；气孔大小、形状在种之间无明显区别；叶表面、茎表面气孔均属于无规则型,但形状明显不同,前者主要呈长方形或六边形,后者为窄条形或哑铃形。结论：麻黄属植物气孔的类型及特征比较固定和保守,气孔的大小、形状仅在种内有变异,种间差异较小,分种的价值不大,但在植物分类上具有重要的鉴定价值。