Shihu Yeguang Pill protects against bright light-induced photoreceptor degeneration in part through suppressing photoreceptor apoptosis.

Photoreceptor cells are first-order retinal neurons that directly contribute to the formation of vision. Photoreceptor degeneration is the primary cause of vision impairment during the course of retinopathies such as retinitis pigmentosa and age-related macular degeneration, for which photoreceptor-targeted therapies are currently unavailable. Shihu Yeguang Pill (SYP), a classic formula in traditional Chinese medicine, has a long histology of clinical application for the treatment of a wide range of retinopathies in China.

Candesartan attenuates hypertension-associated pathophysiological alterations in the gut.

Intestinal pathophysiological alterations have recently been revealed to be implicated in the pathogenesis of hypertension, necessitating further investigations to better understand the intestinal effects of anti-hypertensive drugs. The current study thus investigated the pharmacological implications of a commonly used first-line angiotensin II type 1 receptor blocker, candesartan cilexetil, on the intestinal barrier impairment and gut dysbiosis in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs). The results revealed that candesartan treatment protected against ileal and colonic pathologies and increased the intestinal expression of genes encoding tight junction proteins such as cingulin, occludin and tight junction protein 1 in SHRs.

Targeted regulation of Rell2 by microRNA-18a is implicated in the anti-metastatic effect of polyphyllin VI in breast cancer cells.

Polyphyllin VI (PP-VI) is one of the major saponins present in Paris polyphylla Sm., a medicinal plant primarily used for cancer treatment in China and India. However, its anti-metastatic activity remains largely unknown.