Mitochondrial dysfunction in a rat model and the related risk of metabolic disorders.

OBJECTIVE: To explore whether kidney deficiency (KYD) is prone to metabolic disorders may be linked to impaired mitochondrial function in thermogenesis and metabolic tissues. METHODS: A rat model of KYD was used, which was established using Sprague Dawley rat dams with warm preference subjected to herbal treatment that can improve kidney . The human relevance was confirmed by reduced serum corticosterone levels, and increased preference for warm location. RESULTS: KYD Rats were underdeveloped. Adenosine-triphosphate (ATP) production was reduced in the brown fat, but increased in the muscle. However, oxidative phosphorylated complexes to generate ATP and mitochondrial biogenesis marker were reduced in both tissues. When the second insult of high-fat diet (HFD) was introduced, KYD rats gained less weight yet developed more severe lipid and glucose metabolic disorders. This may be driven by disregulated liver gluconeogenesis marker forkhead box protein O1 and lipid metabolic regulator cholesterol 7 alpha-hydroxylase. CONCLUSION: KYD rats exhibited reduced mito-chondrial function in the brown fat, but were partially compensated by skeletal muscle, associated with the phenotype of warm preference and metabolic disorder, which was further exacerbated by additional HFD consumption. Future studies can focus on treatment targetting mitochondria function to reverse this phenotype.

Effects of Soil Properties on Pb, Cd, and Cu Contents in Tobacco Leaves of Longyan, China, and Their Prediction Models.

Longyan City in Fujian Province is one of China's top-quality tobacco-producing areas and plays an essential role in local economic development. To determine the correlation between heavy metal content in tobacco leaves and soil factors, soil physical and chemical properties and heavy metal contents of lead, cadmium, and copper in tobacco leaves were measured and analyzed by the correlation regression method. The content of lead, cadmium, and copper in soil was determined using hydrochloric acid extraction-AAS and graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry. Inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry was used to determine heavy metal in tobacco leaf. The findings revealed that the average concentrations of lead, cadmium, and copper in the soil were 12.1, 0.092, and 3.88 mg/kg, respectively. In contrast, the average levels of lead, cadmium, and copper in tobacco leaves were 2.33, 4.89, and 4.35 mg/kg, respectively. The cadmium enrichment coefficient of 54.3 was higher than lead and copper, indicating a greater health risk. Soil pH value was negatively correlated with lead content in tobacco leaf, while potassium and phosphorus nutrient levels were negatively correlated with copper content. In contrast, a positive correlation was established between the presence of organic matter with cadmium content in tobacco leaves. The prediction models of lead, cadmium, and copper in tobacco leaves can be expressed by the regression equation corresponding to each heavy metal as follows: YPb=2.33 - 0.005∗ XK+0.007∗XN - 0.271∗XpH+0.065∗XPb (R2 = 0.787), YCd=1.55+0.012∗XOM - 0.014∗XCu+34.6∗XCd (R2 = 0.891), and YCu=4.64 - 0.029∗XP - 0.007∗XK+0.245∗XCu (R2 = 0.724), respectively. The prediction models above provide an effective predictive tool for assessing heavy metal risk in tobacco leaves using soil properties in the study area.

Cinnamon as Dietary Supplement Caused Hyperlipidemia in Healthy Rats.

OBJECTIVE: Cinnamon is a cooking spice and a medicinal herb. It is increasingly used as a health supplement due to its perceived benefit to prevent and or manage type 2 diabetes and metabolic disorders. However, it is unclear if regular consumption of this medicinal plant will interfere with normal physiological functions. Therefore, this study investigated the impact of daily cinnamon supplements on glucose and lipid metabolic profiles in healthy rats. METHODS: Male rats (Sprague Dawley, 8 weeks) were supplied with cinnamon in their diet (equivalent to ∼1 g/day in humans) for two weeks. Blood glucose and lipid levels, as well as metabolic markers in both liver and abdominal white adipose tissue, were measured. RESULTS: Cinnamon significantly increased fat mass and blood cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels, but reduced fasting blood glucose level by 12%. Liver functional enzymes were normal in rats consuming cinnamon. However, several lipid metabolic markers were impaired which may contribute to dyslipidemia, including two main switches for energy metabolism (sirtuin 1 and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma coactivator-1α) and the LDL receptor. However, de novo lipid synthesis enzymes and inflammatory markers were also reduced in the liver by cinnamon treatment, which may potentially prevent the development of steatosis. Markers for lipid oxidation were downregulated in fat tissue in cinnamon-treated rats, contributing to increased fat accumulation. CONCLUSION: Daily low-dose cinnamon supplementation seems to promote abdominal adipose tissue accumulation and disturb lipid homeostasis in healthy rats, raising the concerns regarding daily use in healthy people.

Effect of Chinese herbal medicine for patients with benign thyroid nodules in adults: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Thyroid nodules (TN) are discrete lesions within the thyroid gland and are a common clinical problem detected in 19% to 68% of people. TN are more common as age increases and occur more frequently in women. TN can cause pressure symptoms, cosmetic complaints, and thyroid dysfunction. Treatment for benign thyroid nodules includes thyroid hormone therapy, surgery, radioiodine treatment, percutaneous ethanol injection therapy, and laser or radiofrequency treatment to shrink nodules. In China and many other countries, doctors use Chinese herbal medicines (CHM) to treat TN. However, systematic review and meta-analysis has not been found to assess the effects and safety of CHM in curing TN at present. Hence, the systematic review is conducted to scientifically and methodically evaluate the value of its effectiveness and safety of CHM on TN. METHODS: Literatures related to CHM for TN from the establishment of the database to November 2020 will be retrieved from the following databases: PubMed, Excerpta Medica Database (EMBASE), MEDLINE, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, SpringerLink, WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP), Wanfang Database, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM), and Chinese Scientific Journal Database (VIP). There are no language restrictions for retrieving literatures. Case reports, animal studies, editorials, expert opinions, reviews without original data, and studies on pediatric population were excluded. Eligible randomized clinical trials (RCTs) evaluating the effectiveness and safety of CHM in TN patients will be put in the study including nodule volume reduction ≥50%, pressure symptoms, cosmetic complaints, quality of life, and adverse events. By scanning the titles, abstracts and full texts, 2 reviewers will independently select studies, extract data, and assess the quality of study. Meta-analysis of RCTs will be conducted using Review Manager 5.1 software. The results will be presented as risk ratio for dichotomous data, and standardized or weighted mean difference for continuous data. RESULT: This study will provide high-quality available evidence for the treatment of TN with CHM based on nodule volume reduction ≥50%, pressure symptoms, cosmetic complaints, quality of life, and adverse events. CONCLUSION: The systematic review will to evaluate the efficacy of CHM in treating benign thyroid nodules in adults and provide evidence for clinicians. INPLASY REGISTRATION NUMBER: INPLASY2020120093.

The efficacy and safety of health qigong for anti-aging: Protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Aging is a phenomenon that human's physiology and psychology is progressive decline for natural environment. Health Qigong, as a convenient and effective exercise therapy,is widely used for anti-aging. However, there are no systematic reviews or meta-analysises to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Health Qigong on anti-aging. METHODS: We will systematically search for 7 English databases(PubMed, Excerpta Medica Database, MEDLINE, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, SpringerLink, and WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform) and 4 Chinese databases(namely the China National Knowledge Infrastructure Database, the Wanfang Database, the Chinese Scientific Journal Database, and the Chinese BioMedical Literature Database) from their inceptions to August 2020. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) using Health Qigong to anti-aging will be included. After the selection and extraction of eligible studies, a meta-analysis will be undertaken to assess the efficacy and safety of Health Qigong on anti-aging. Moreover, study selection, data extraction, and the evaluation of the methodological quality of trials will each be independently completed by at least 2 researchers. The Review Manager Software V.5.3 will be employed for meta-analysis to assess the risk of bias, data synthesis, and subgroup analysis. RESULTS: This review will provide the latest knowledge and evidence on the efficacy and safety of Health Qigong for anti-aging through the analysis of various evaluation scales. CONCLUSION: The conclusion of this review will help clinicians provide effective exercise therapy for anti-aging. REGISTRATION NUMBER: INPLASY202090017.

Zhisou powder in treatment of postinfectious cough: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The pathogensis of postinfectious cough (PIC) is unkown, unsatisfactory clinical curative effects of conventional western medicine have been shown. Zhisou powder (ZP) is one of the most common prescriptions in traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of PIC. However, the effects and safety also remain uncertain. We aim to systematically review the effectiveness and safety of ZP for PIC. METHODS: We will search the following databases: PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, the China National Knowledge Infrastructure , the Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, Cqvip Database, and Wanfang Data. The studies published from the inception of the database to May 2020 will be retrieved. The randomized controlled trials on ZP for PIC will be included. The primary outcomes were cough relief rate and cough resolution rate. We will perform the analyses using RevMan V.5.3 software. RESULTS: This study will provide high-quality evidence of ZP for PIC in the effectiveness and safety. CONCLUSIONS: This systematic review will assess whether ZP is an effective and safe prescription for PIC.

Promoter methylation of Raf kinase inhibitory protein: A significant prognostic indicator for patients with gastric adenocarcinoma.

DNA methylation has an important role in the development of carcinomas. As a metastasis suppressor gene, Raf kinase inhibitory protein (RKIP) suppresses tumor cell invasion and metastasis. In the present study, the associations between RKIP protein expression and promoter methylation with clinicopathological parameters, prognosis and survival rates in gastric adenocarcinoma were investigated. RKIP protein expression and promoter methylation were measured in 135 cases of surgically resected gastric adenocarcinoma specimens and corresponding normal tissues using immunohistochemistry and methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction, respectively. Kaplan-Meier analyses were performed to analyze the patient survival rate. Prognostic factors were determined using multivariate Cox analysis. RKIP promoter methylation was detected in 48.9% of gastric carcinoma tissues and 5.17% of adjacent tissues (P<0.05). RKIP protein expression was detected in 43.0% of gastric carcinoma tissues and 91.1% of adjacent tissues (P<0.05). The protein expression levels and promoter methylation of RKIP were shown to correlate with pathological staging, Union for International Cancer Control-stage, tumor differentiation and lymph node metastasis (P<0.05). In addition, the protein expression of RKIP in gastric carcinomas was demonstrated to be associated with promoter methylation of RKIP. Survival analysis of gastric carcinoma patients revealed that promoter methylation in RKIP-positive tumors correlated with a significantly shorter survival time when compared with RKIP-negative tumors (P=0.0002, using the log-rank test). Using multivariate Cox analysis, promoter methylation of RKIP was shown to be an independent prognostic factor (P=0.033). These results indicated that abnormal promoter methylation of RKIP may be one cause of downregulated RKIP expression. Downregulation of RKIP expression was shown to correlate with the incidence and development of gastric carcinomas. Thus, abnormal promoter methylation of RKIP may be a valuable biomarker for estimating gastric carcinoma prognosis.