The Ethanolic Extract of Lycium ruthenicum Ameliorates Age-Related Physiological Damage in Mice.

Aging and age-related diseases are important study topics due to their associations with progressive physiological damage to genes, cells, tissues, and the entire organism, which ultimately affects the functional efficiency of organs. Lycium ruthenicum Murr. is a functional food that is known for its high contents of anthocyanins and spermidines, both of which have been demonstrated to have positive effects on anti-aging activity and anti-oxidation. In this study, we used HPLC-MS to analyze the constituents of L. ruthenicum Murr. Extract (LRM) and investigated their potential mechanism for exerting antioxidative effects in D-galactose (D-Gal) aging model mice. LRM (25 mg/kg, 50 mg/kg, and 100 mg/kg) improved cognitive function in D-Gal-treated mice, as shown by reduced escape latencies and increased platform crossings in behavioral tests. We measured the contents of lipid peroxidation (LPO) and malondialdehyde (MDA) and the enzyme activities of the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) in mice serum and brain after 6 weeks of D-Gal treatment. LRM decreased the contents of LPO and MDA and increased the enzyme activities of SOD and GSH-Px, indicating the protection effect of LRM against D-Gal-induced oxidative stress. Additionally, LRM can inhibit oxidative stress in cells by reducing intracellular ROS levels and restoring mitochondrial membrane potential, thereby inhibiting paraquat (PQ)-induced cellular senescence and delaying cell aging. Therefore, LRM has the potential to be a healthcare product for the treatment of age-related diseases.

Efficacy and Safety of Ginkgo Biloba Pills for Coronary Heart Disease with Impaired Glucose Regulation: Study Protocol for a Series of N-of-1 Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trials.

BACKGROUND: Coronary heart disease has become a serious challenge to China with its high prevalence and mortality. The impaired glucose regulation is prevalent in patients with cardiovascular disease. However, there are few drugs that interfere early with impaired glucose regulation. Ginkgo biloba extract not only is a commonly used drug for cardiovascular diseases, but also has a significant effect in reducing blood sugar. Therefore, this study used a single-case randomized controlled trial to explore the efficacy of Ginkgo biloba pills in the treatment of coronary heart disease patients with impaired glucose regulation. METHODS/DESIGN: This is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, three-period crossover trial for a single subject. A total of 12 subjects will be recruited in this trial. The trial is divided into three cycles, and one cycle has two treatment periods. Ginkgo biloba pills and placebo will be randomized during the treatment period. The test period will last for 58 weeks and subjects will take 48 weeks. Subjects will be selected by the researcher strictly in accordance with the inclusion and exclusion criteria. DISCUSSION: Ginkgo biloba preparations are widely used in cardiovascular diseases both at home and abroad due to their definite curative effect, few side effects, various dosage forms, and convenient and safe use. Diabetes mellitus is a high-risk factor for the occurrence of cardiovascular disease. Therefore, it is of great significance to control the impaired glucose regulation and slow down the development of diabetes and reduce the incidence and mortality of cardiovascular diseases. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (ID: NCT03483779).

Thermal Conductivity of ZIF-8 Thin-Film under Ambient Gas Pressure.

Thermal conductivity is a crucial parameter for managing exothermal gas adsorption in metal organic frameworks (MOFs), but experimental studies have been limited. In this work, the thermal conductivity of a zeolitic imidazolate framework ZIF-8 was experimentally determined on thin films using the 3ω technique at different partial pressures in perfluorohexane, nitrogen, air, and vacuum ambients at 300 K. In contrast to theoretical prediction, the thermal conductivity κ = 0.326 ± 0.002 W/m K was approximately independent of ambient gas species and pressure from atmospheric pressure to vacuum. This work introduces a useful approach for probing MOF thermal conductivity under gas adsorption.