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Chinese researchers identify target to develop depression drug using traditional ethnic medicine in Yunnan_我的网站

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    Qingyangshen, or Root of Auricledleaf Swallowwort, a traditional ethnic medicinal plant long used in Southwest China's Yunnan Province. Photo: Scrrenshot from website
A Chinese research team has identified a new potential target to develop antidepressant drug from Qingyangshen, or Root of Auricledleaf Swallowwort, a traditional ethnic medicinal plant long used in Southwest China's Yunnan Province, according to Kunming University of Science and Technology, Science and Technology Daily reported Sunday.
The team, led by professors Xu Tianrui and Xiang Cheng from the university's School of Life Science and Technology, found that Qingyangshen glycosides, the plant's core active compound, can alleviate depression-related behaviors by simultaneously suppressing inflammation, reducing oxidative damage and stabilizing neurotransmitters in the brain.
The findings were published in the international journal Phytomedicine.  
Depression has become a widespread mental health disorder globally, while existing clinical drugs fail to provide effective treatment for more than 30 percent of patients, according to the researchers. Previous studies have established a strong link between chronic inflammation and depression, but existing anti-inflammatory drugs have limited targeting capabilities, underscoring the need for new therapeutic targets and lead compounds.
Qingyangshen, a plant of the Cynanchum genus in the Apocynaceae family, has long been used as a traditional medicine by ethnic groups including the Naxi, Yi and Bai peoples in Yunnan, mainly for treating neurological conditions such as epilepsy and neurasthenia. 
The researchers systematically examined the pharmacological effects of Qingyangshen extract and its core active compound, Qingyangshen glycosides. Tests using mouse, zebrafish and fruit fly models repeatedly showed that the compound significantly improved depression-related behaviors induced by inflammation, according to the report.
To identify the compound's target, the team developed a dual-discrimination model for four subtypes of prostaglandin E2 receptors and combined it with AI-powered machine learning. The researchers screened hundreds of G protein-coupled receptors and identified the prostaglandin E2 subtype 4 receptor as the direct target of Qingyangshen glycosides.
Multiple molecular experiments confirmed that the compound binds directly to the receptor and acts as an inhibitory ligand. Further experiments involving animals with the receptor knocked out in the hippocampus showed that the antidepressant effects of Qingyangshen glycosides disappeared completely when the receptor was absent, providing the first in-vivo evidence that the receptor is essential for the compound's therapeutic effects.
    An illustration of the research. Photo: Screenshot from the website
The study establishes the prostaglandin E2 subtype 4 receptor as a potential new target for antidepressant drug development and points to a new approach to treating depression through inflammatory pathways. It also identifies Qingyangshen glycosides as a potential lead compound for developing highly targeted anti-inflammatory antidepressants, creating a research chain from ethnic medicinal plants and active compounds to drug targets and new drug development.
Global Times
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B |     本报讯 记者陈晶涛报道 7月16日至17日，区政协调研组就南票区规上企业运行情况开展调研。

C |          　　调研组一行先后来到国帝药业有限责任公司、市金星暖气片厂、市丰达新碳材料有限公司及市兴达冶炼厂进行实地调研，并与企业负责人就企业发展情况和生产规模、管理模式和企业文化、生产产能和设备引进、经营方式和销售渠道、产品研发创新和生产标准，以及目前遇到的问题等进行详细交流。

D |          　　在座谈会上，区政协主席李红玉出席并讲话；副区长刘鹏出席座谈会，并就全区规上企业运行情况进行了分析。         　　座谈中调研组指出，全力抓好和推进规上企业发展是推进全区经济高质量发展的重要举措，相关部门要大力引导企业实施技术改造升级和产业链融合，坚持创新驱动，优化产品升级，在攻坚克难、不断创新中积蓄强劲动力，以高附加值产品助力企业高质量发展；要持续优化营商环境，不断提高相关服务水平，加大助企解难解困力度，落实落细惠企政策，为企业高质量健康发展“保驾护航”。

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Published on:08:49:35