Chinese Traditional and Herbal Drugs•2026•DOI: 10.7501/j.issn.0253-2670.2026.16.20261626
The botanical origin of the traditional Chinese medicine Tong-guan-teng was investigated using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with charged aerosol detection (UHPLC-CAD) to establish a semi-quantitative fingerprinting method for quality control. Reference material, 12 batches of commercial Tong-guan-teng, and vine samples of two putative origin species, Marsdenia tenacissima and M. cavaleriei, were analyzed on an ACQUITY BEH C18 column (100 mm × 2.1 mm, 1.7 μm) with 0.1% formic acid aqueous solution–acetonitrile gradient elution at 0.5 mL/min and 2 μL injection volume. Similarity evaluation was performed using the Similarity Evaluation System for Chromatographic Fingerprint of Traditional Chinese Medicine (2012 edition). The method demonstrated satisfactory precision, stability, and repeatability. Similarity between the reference and commercial batches ranged from 0.927 to 0.988. The reference fingerprint differed significantly from M. tenacissima stems but showed high consistency with M. cavaleriei stems (similarity > 0.85), with comparable major component contents. The relative contents of eight major components followed the order: tenacissoside A > marsdenoside H > marsdenoside K > tenacissoside B > tenacissoside H > tenacissoside D > tenacissoside I > tenacissoside E. Besides the pharmacopoeial marker tenacissoside H, tenacissoside A, marsdenoside H, marsdenoside K, and tenacissoside B were abundant and are proposed as potential quality markers. These chemical findings support revising the botanical origin of Tong-guan-teng in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia (2025 edition) from M. tenacissima to M. cavaleriei, providing a scientific basis for origin identification and quality standard improvement.
Chinese Traditional and Herbal Drugs•2026•DOI: 10.7501/j.issn.0253-2670.2026.16.20261607
This study addresses the pharmacodynamic material basis of Houttuynia cordata volatile oil by integrating supramolecular "imprinting template" theory with matching frequency, total statistical moment, and factor rotation methods, coupled to in vitro antitumor activity. Fifty-eight batches (S1–S58) from different origins were fingerprinted by GC-MS. The matching frequency method reduced the imprinting template to 34 structural "material units" (A1–A34). Integration significantly decreased average peak count and information entropy (P < 0.01), while total zero-, first-, and second-order moments and information content remained unchanged. Factor rotation extracted eight common factors; comprehensive scores ranked S16 and S54 highest and S24 and S27 lowest. CCK-8 assays against human lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells yielded IC50 values from 73.6 to 269.9 nL/mL. Comprehensive scores negatively correlated with IC50 (r = −0.739, P < 0.01). High-contribution units A34, A31, and A7 were preliminarily identified as a potential pharmacodynamic component group. The model demonstrates utility for trend-level quality evaluation but does not provide one-to-one prediction of single-batch efficacy. Limitations include restriction to volatile constituents, single-cell-line validation, and lack of independent isolation and enrichment for the flagged units. The protocol offers a transferable statistical framework for linking chromatographic fingerprints to bioactivity in complex botanical oils.
Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research•2026•DOI: 10.12307/2026.21341
BACKGROUND: Collagen triple helix repeat-containing protein 1 (CTHRC1) is a positive regulator of bone formation. However, its role and underlying mechanisms in periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs) remain unclear. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of CTHRC1 on the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of PDLSCs and its mechanism of action. METHODS: Human PDLSCs were isolated and cultured in vitro, and cells were transfected with a lentiviral vector overexpressing CTHRC1. The effect of CTHRC1 overexpression on the proliferation activity of PDLSCs was determined by CCK-8 assay and flow cytometry. The effect of CTHRC1 overexpression on the osteogenic differentiation of PDLSCs was determined by alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and Alizarin Red staining. Western blot was used to detect the expression of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) and phosphorylated ERK1/2 (p-ERK1/2) after CTHRC1 overexpression. After blocking the ERK1/2 signaling pathway, the expression of osteogenic differentiation-related factors Runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2), osteocalcin (OCN), and Osterix was detected by Western blot and qRT-PCR. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: CCK-8 and flow cytometry results showed that CTHRC1 overexpression promoted the proliferation of PDLSCs. ALP activity and Alizarin Red staining showed that CTHRC1 overexpression promoted the osteogenic differentiation of PDLSCs. Western blot results showed that CTHRC1 overexpression activated the ERK1/2 signaling pathway. Western blot and qRT-PCR results showed that CTHRC1 overexpression promoted the expression of Runx2, OCN, and Osterix at both protein and mRNA levels. When the ERK signaling pathway was inhibited by the specific inhibitor PD98059, the upregulation of osteogenic-related factors was partially suppressed. These results suggest that overexpression of CTHRC1 can promote the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of PDLSCs, and its osteogenic differentiation effect may be related to the activation of the ERK1/2 signaling pathway.
Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research•2026•DOI: 10.12307/2026.21422
BACKGROUND: Osteoporosis is a systemic bone metabolic disease characterized by deterioration of bone microstructure and increased bone fragility. Blood is not only a medium of bone metabolism, but also a major factor in the regulation of bone metabolism. The traditional theory of "osteogenesis-osteoclast" is difficult to fully explain its complex pathogenesis, but bone immunology reveals the core role of the interaction between the immune system and bone, and the effects of blood cells in osteoporosis have become a research hotspot. OBJECTIVE: To summarize the mechanism of action of blood cells in osteoporosis and evaluate its potential for related biomarkers and emerging therapeutic approaches. METHODS: A systematic literature search was conducted in CNKI, Wanfang, PubMed, and Web of Science databases using Chinese and English search terms including "blood cells, osteoporosis, biomarkers, bone metabolism, neutrophils, macrophages, bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells". A total of 65 articles were included for review. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Blood cells influence the occurrence and development of osteoporosis through mechanisms such as inflammation, immune response, and metabolic regulation. Blood cell-based biomarkers can serve as indicators for early screening of osteoporosis and provide effective targets for diagnosis and treatment. With advances in CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing, single-cell technology, and novel monoclonal antibody development, blood cells are expected to play an important role in the treatment of osteoporosis.