Danhong injection (DHI), which is a Chinese clinical prescription consists of Radix et Rhizoma Salviae Miltiorrhizae (Salvia miltiorrhiza Bge., Labiatae, Danshen in Chinese) and Flos Carthami (Carthamus tinctorius L., Compositae, Honghua in Chinese)(Plant names have been checked with http://www.theplantlist.org on March 1st, 2022), has been mainly used in the clinical therapy of cardiovascular diseases, including hypertension in China for many years. Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the major causes of death all around the world. Due to the various stimulation, a series of vasoconstrictor substances are secreted to regulate the vasoconstriction function and then change blood pressure. The representative substances leading to abnormal vasoconstriction include renin-angiotensin system, endothelin, vasopressin and adrenaline, which act on the corresponding receptors on vascular smooth muscle to constrict blood vessels. Finally, blood pressure increases, followed by a series of cardiovascular diseases, including hypertension. However, little is known about Danhong injection's specific vasodilating mechanisms and active substances. The aims of the study were to determine the vasodilating substances of Danhong injection and explain its molecular mechanism of vasodilation. The effects of DHI and its active components on vascular tension were measured by myograph system in the aortic or mesenteric rings of mice. Based on this, the pharmacodynamic substances were analyzed and effective molecules were found. Combined with multiple types of vascular myograph experiments and network pharmacological analysis, the molecular pathway was preliminarily determined. With molecular biology experiments, it was verified that the relevant mechanisms were closely related to calcium-mediated vasoconstriction in smooth muscle cells. DHI could relax endothelium-removed aortic rings pre-constricted with PE and 3 possible active vasodilator substances, including salvianolic acid A, salvianolic acid B and danshensu, were screened out by network pharmacology and vascular myograph experiments, among which the effects of salvianolic acid A were dominant. Meanwhile, salvianolic acid A could dilate mesenteric artery in a pressure-dependent manner. Interestingly, salvianolic acid A could still relax the vascular rings under the stimulation of KCl and Bayk8644, two agonists of L-type calcium channel. By contrast, inhibitors of Kir, Kv, Katp and BKCa channels did not block the effect of salvianolic acid A on vasodilation. Salvianolic acid A alleviated Ca²⁺ transient, referring to changes of intracellular calcium, induced by PE, Bayk8644 and high K⁺ in the VSMCs. Salvianolic acid A could partially restore the vasodilation function of vascular smooth muscle damaged by AngII and ET-1 induced hypertension situation. Our results indicate that salvianolic acid A is the major vasodilator substance in DHI and the vasorelaxation pharmacology mechanism involved in inhibiting the L-type calcium channel signaling in smooth muscle cell. Hence, there are potential therapeutic effects of taking salvianolic acid A preparation which may be beneficial to protect cardiovascular system and reduce blood pressure.

Panicle morphology is one of the main determinants of the rice yield. Panicle abortion, a typical panicle morphological defect results in yield reduction due to defective spikelet development. To further elucidate the molecular mechanism of panicle abortion in rice, a rice panicle bald head 1 (rbh1) mutant with transfer DNA (T-DNA) insertion showing severely aborted apical spikelets during panicle development was identified and characterized. The rbh1-1 mutant showed obviously altered cell morphology and structure in the degenerated spikelet. Molecular genetic studies revealed that RBH1 encodes a pectate lyase protein. Pectate lyase-specific activity of Rice panicle Bald Head 1 (RBH1) protein assay using polygalacturonic acid (PGA) as substrates illustrated that the enzyme retained a significant capacity to degrade PGA. In addition, immunohistochemical analysis showed that the degradation of pectin is inhibited in the rbh1-1 mutant. Further analysis revealed that a significant increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) level was found in degenerated rbh1-1 spikelets. Taken together, our findings suggest that RBH1 is required for the formation of panicle and for preventing panicle abortion.

Preeclampsia (PE) is a typical hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) which can cause substantial morbidity and mortality in both pregnant women and fetuses. The renin-angiotensin system (RAS) genes are the main HDP-causing genes, and Angiotensinogen (AGT) as the initial substrate can directly reflect the activity of the entire RAS. However, the association between AGT SNPs and PE risk has rarely been confirmed. This study was carried out to determine whether AGT SNPs could affect the risk of PE in 228 cases and 358 controls. The genotyping result revealed that the AGT rs7079 TT carrier was related to increased PE risk. Further stratified analysis illustrated that the rs7079 TT genotype significantly increased the PE risk in subgroups of Age < 35, BMI < 25, Albumin (ALB) ≥ 30 and Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) < 30. These findings demonstrated that the rs7079 might be a promising candidate SNP strongly associated with PE susceptibility.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is the most common functional gastrointestinal disorder, characterized by abdominal pain, bloating, and changes in bowel habits. Huoxiang Drink (HD), derived from traditional Chinese medicine, has been reported to effectively treat digestive disorders caused by external cold and internal dampness. However, the pharmaceutical targets and mechanisms for HD against IBS remain unclear. Data mining, bioinformatics analysis, and network pharmacology were employed to explore the potential pharmacological mechanisms of HD against IBS. In this study, we screened 50 core targets to investigate the pharmacological mechanisms of HD against IBS. Enrichment analysis revealed that HD may participate in various signaling pathways, especially the inflammation-related tumor necrosis factor, signaling pathway and hypoxia-inducible factor signaling pathway. Molecular docking results confirmed that MOL000098 (Quercetin), MOL000006 (Luteolin), MOL005828 (Nobiletin), MOL005916 (Irisolidone), and MOL004328 (Naringenin), as key active ingredients in HD, bound to core targets (tumor protein P53, tumor necrosis factor, matrix metalloproteinases 9, and vascular endothelial growth factor-A) for topical treatment of IBS. This study suggested that HD offered a potential therapeutic strategy against IBS. Our findings may facilitate the efficient screening of active ingredients in HD and provide a theoretical basis for further validating the clinical therapeutic effects of HD on treating IBS.

Introduction: Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic, progressive, and often fatal interstitial lung disease characterized by persistent alveolar injury, inflammation, and extracellular matrix remodeling, ultimately leading to respiratory failure. Despite ongoing research, current therapeutic options for IPF remain limited, underscoring the urgent need for novel treatment strategies. Methods: In this study, we investigated the pharmacological mechanisms of Polygonatum odoratum (PO) in treating IPF. We employed Weighted Gene Coexpression Network Analysis (WGCNA) and network pharmacology to identify potential therapeutic targets. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations were conducted to evaluate the binding affinities and structural stability of key bioactive compounds. Subsequently, experimental validation was performed using a cellular model of bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis. Results: Network analysis identified central carbon metabolism and the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway as key associated pathways. Molecular docking demonstrated that bioactive compounds of PO (including MOL010412 and MOL000332) exhibited strong binding affinities to core targets such as EGFR, BCL2, MTOR, HIF1A, and GSK3B. Experimental results confirmed that MOL000332 (n-coumaroyltyramine) significantly mitigated pulmonary fibrosis by suppressing the protein expression levels of EGFR, HIF1A, and GSK3B. Discussion: These findings suggested that PO exerted its therapeutic effects through the modulation of multiple targets and pathways, positioning it as a promising candidate for IPF treatment. This study provided a robust scientific foundation for further exploration and development of PO-based therapies for IPF.