Application effectiveness of "Youxin-1" in genetic diversity and structure analysis of local chickens.

China's local chicken breeds are rich in resources, and have formed different germplasm characteristics in the process of long-term selection and evolution. Scientific assessment of population genetic diversity and identification of inter-breed genetic structure are of great value to the protection and innovative utilization of local chicken breed resource. In order to evaluate the application effectiveness of 23K SNP chip "Youxin-1" in the analysis of genetic diversity and genetic structure of local chickens, we used RADseq to identify genomic genetic variation of 21 local chicken breeds and developed 23K chip "Youxin-1". The genetic statistics of each variety were calculated based on two sets of SNP data, and correlation, fitting and phylogenetic analysis were carried out to evaluate the application effectiveness of the chip. The results showed that the observed heterozygosity (Ho), polymorphism information content (PIC), inbred coefficient (FROH) and genetic differentiation coefficient (Fst) calculated based on the two SNP data sets were basically consistent in the 21 local chicken breeds. The genetic diversity of Langya chicken (LA), Piao chicken (PJ) and Wenchang chicken (WC) was relatively rich. The genetic diversity of Bian chickens (BJ), Langshan chickens (LS), Gushi chickens (GS), Dongxiang blue-eggshell chickens (DX) and Beijing fatty chickens (BY) was relatively poor, and the correlation coefficients of Ho, PIC, FROH and average Fst in the two groups were 0.794, 0.901, 0.926 and 0.984, respectively, all reaching extremely significant levels (P<0.01) with a high degree of fit (P<0.001) and R2 were 0.644, 0.827, 0.916 and 0.927. For the two sets of SNP data, the evolutionary tree constructed by neighbor-joining (NJ) method and maximum likelihood (ML) method was reasonable, and the 21 local chicken breeds were generally divided into six categories, which was consistent with the formation history and geographical distribution of the varieties. The 23K chip also realized reasonable clustering of the five new varieties without individual deviation. There are some differences in the estimation of genetic statistics using SNP with different densities, and data standardization is needed. 23K chip has good efficacy in the analysis of genetic diversity and structure of local chickens.

Systematic investigation of the material basis, effectiveness and safety of Thesium chinense Turcz. and its preparation Bairui Granules against lung inflammation.

BACKGROUND: Thesium chinense Turcz. (Named as Bai Rui Cao in Chinese) and its preparations (e.g., Bairui Granules) have been used to treat inflammatory diseases, such as acute mastitis, lobar pneumonia, tonsillitis, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and upper respiratory tract infection. However, the material basis, pharmacological efficiency, and safety have not been illustrated. METHODS: Anti-inflammatory activity-guided isolation of constituents has been performed using multiple column chromatography, and their structures were elucidated by NMR spectroscopy and ECD calculations. The inhibitory effects on lung inflammation and safety of the crude ethanol extract (CE), Bairui Granules (BG), and the purified active constituents were evaluated using lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated acute lung inflammation (ALI) mice model or normal mice. RESULTS: Seven new compounds (1-7) and fifty-six known compounds (8-63) were isolated from T. chinense, and fifty-four were reported from this plant for the first time. The new flavonoid glycosides 1-2, new fatty acids 4-5, new alkaloid 7 as well as the known constituents including flavonoid aglycones 8-11, lignans 46-54, alkaloids 34 and 45, coumarins 57, phenylpropionic acids 27, and simple aromatic compounds 39, 44 and 58 exhibited anti-inflammatory activity. Network pharmacology analysis indicated that anti-inflammation of T. chinense was attributed to flavonoids and alkaloids by regulating inflammation-related proteins (e.g., TNF, NF-κB, TGF-ß). Furthermore, constituents of T. chinense including kaempferol-3-O-glucorhamnoside (KN, also named as Bairuisu I, 19), astragalin (AG, Bairuisu II, 12), and kaempferol (KF, Bairuisu III, 8), as well as CE and BG could alleviate lung inflammation caused by LPS in mice by preventing neutrophils infiltration and the expression of the genes for pro-inflammatory cytokines NLRP3, caspase-1, IL-1ß, and COX-2. After a 28-day subacute toxicity test, BG at doses of 4.875 g/kg and 9.750 g/kg (equivalent to onefold and twofold the clinically recommended dose) and CE at a dose of 11.138 g/kg (equivalent to fourfold the clinical dose of BG) were found to be safe and non-toxic. CONCLUSIONS: The discovery of sixty-three constituents comprehensively illustrated the material basis of T. chinense. T. chinense and Bairui Granules could alleviate lung inflammation by regulating inflammation-related proteins and no toxicity was observed under the twofold of clinically used doses.

Ethnic disparities in the prevalence of diabetes and its association with sleep disorder among older adults in rural southwest China.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to examine ethnic disparities in the prevalence of diabetes and its association with sleep disorders among the older adults Han and ethnic minority (Bai, Ha Ni, and Dai) population in rural southwest China. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey of 5,642 was conducted among the rural southwest population aged ≥60 years, consisting of a structured interview and measurement of fasting blood glucose, height, weight, and waist circumference. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was used to assess sleep quality. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of diabetes and sleep disorder was 10.2% and 40.1%, respectively. Bai participants had the highest prevalence of diabetes (15.9%) and obesity (9.9%)(P < 0.01), while Ha Ni participants had the lowest prevalence of diabetes (5.1%) and obesity (3.4%)(P < 0.01). The highest prevalence of sleep disorder (48.4%) was recorded in Bai participants, while Dai participants had the lowest prevalence of sleep disorder (25.6%)(P < 0.01). In all four studied ethnicities, females had a higher prevalence of sleep disorder than males (P < 0.01), and the prevalence of sleep disorder increased with age (P < 0.01). The results of multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated older adults with sleep disorder had a risk of developing diabetes (P < 0.05). Moreover, the higher educational level, family history of diabetes, and obesity were the main risk factors for diabetes in participants (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: There are stark ethnic disparities in the prevalence of diabetes and sleep disorders in southwest China. Future diabetes prevention and control strategies should be tailored to address ethnicity, and improving sleep quality may reduce the prevalence of diabetes.

[Pseudo-targeted metabolomics study of immune stress-mediated idiosyncratic liver injury induced by synergistic effects of bavachin and epimedin B].

Chinese patent medicine preparations containing Epimedii Folium and Psoraleae Fructus have been associated with the occurrence of idiosyncratic drug-induced liver injury(IDILI). However, the specific toxic biomarkers and mechanisms underlying these effects remain unclear. This study aimed to comprehensively assess the impact of bavachin and epimedin B, two principal consti-tuents found in Psoraleae Fructus and Epimedii Folium, on an IDILI model induced by tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α) treatment, both in vitro and in vivo. To evaluate the extent of liver injury, various parameters were assessed. Lactate dehydrogenase(LDH) release in the cell culture supernatant, as well as the levels of alanine aminotransferase(ALT) and aspartate transaminase(AST) in mouse plasma were measured. Additionally, histological analysis employing hematoxylin-eosin staining was performed to observe liver tissue changes indicative of the severity of liver injury. Furthermore, a pseudo-targeted metabolomics approach was employed, followed by multivariate analysis, to identify differential metabolites. These identified metabolites were subsequently subjected to Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis. The results showed that at the cellular level, after 2 hours of TNF-α stimulation, bavachin significantly increased the release of LDH in HepG2 cells compared to the normal group and the group treated alone; after the combination of bavachin and epimedin B, the release of LDH further significantly increased on the original basis. Similarly, although the individual or combination treatments of bavachin and epimedin B did not induce liver injury in normal mice, the combination of both drugs induced marked liver injury in TNF-α treated mice, leading to a significant elevation in plasma AST and ALT levels and substantial infiltration of inflammatory immune cells in the liver tissue. Pseudo-targeted metabolomics analysis identified seven common differential metabolites. Among these, D-glucosamine-6-phosphate, N1-methyl-2-pyridone-5-carboxamide, 17beta-nitro-5a-androstane, irisolidone-7-O-glucuronide, and N-(1-deoxy-1-fructosyl) valine emerged as potential biomarkers, with an area under the curve(AUC) exceeding 0.9. Furthermore, our results suggest that the metabolism of nicotinic acid and nicotinamide, as well as the linoleic acid metabolic pathway, may play pivotal roles in bavachin and epimedin B-induced IDILI. In conclusion, within an immune-stressed environment mediated by TNF-α, bavachin and epimedin B appear to induce IDILI through disruptions in metabolic processes.