Effect of Qizhitongluo capsule on lower limb rehabilitation after stroke: A randomized clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: An individual's level of lower limb motor function is associated with his or her disability level after stroke, and motor improvement may lead to a better prognosis and quality of life. Data from animal models show that Qizhitongluo (QZTL) capsule facilitates recovery after focal brain injury. We aimed to validate the efficacy and safety of the QZTL capsule for promoting lower limb motor recovery in poststroke patients. METHODS: In this randomized, multicenter, double-blind, placebo- and active-controlled trial from 13 sites in China, participants with ischemic stroke and Fugl-Meyer motor scale (FMMS) scores of <95 were eligible for inclusion. Patients were randomly assigned in a 2:1:1 ratio to the QZTL group, Naoxintong (NXT) group or placebo group for 12 weeks at 15-28 days after the onset of stroke. The primary outcome was the change in the Lower Limb FMMS (FMMS-LL) score from baseline over the 12-week intervention period. RESULTS: 622 participants were randomly assigned to the QZTL group (309), NXT group (159), or placebo group (154). The FMMS-LL score increased by 4.81 points (95 % CI, 4.27-5.35) in the QZTL group, by 3.77 points (95 % CI, 3.03-4.51) in the NXT group and by 3.00 points (95 % CI, 3.03-4.51) in the placebo group at week 12. The QZTL group showed significantly larger improvements compared with the placebo group at each interview from weeks 4-12 (difference, 0.89 [0.30,1.49] at week 4, P = 0.0032; difference, 1.83[1.01,2.66] at 90 days poststroke, P < 0.0001; difference, 1.81[0.88,2.74] at week 12, P = 0.0001). CONCLUSION: The QZTL capsule is an effective treatment for lower limb motor impairment. The finding indicates that the QZTL capsule may be used as a potential new strategy for stroke rehabilitation.

Puerarin Alleviates Oxidized Oil-Induced Oxidative Injury and Inflammation via Inhibition of the Nrf2/Keap1 and HMGB1/TLR4/MAPK Signaling Pathways: An Investigation in a Chicken Model.

SCOPE: Puerarin has possessed a wide range of pharmacological activities. However, little is known about the protective effects of puerarin on the oxidized oil-induced injury. Here, the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of puerarin are described using a chicken model. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 360 broilers are arranged in four treatments. Diets include two types of soybean oil (fresh or oxidized) and two levels of puerarin (0 or 750 mg kg-1 ). Results show that puerarin alleviates oxidized soybean oil-induced hepatic and thymic oxidative injury. This effect is observed by increasing the SOD activity and the expressions of Nrf2 signaling pathway-related genes and reducing the MDA content in the liver and thymus. Moreover, puerarin supplementation decreases the concentrations and mRNA levels of pro-inflammatory factors in the liver and thymus. The potential mechanism responsible for this is the decrease in the mRNA or protein levels of HMGB1, TLR4, MyD88, and p65 in the liver or thymus. Western blotting results indicate that puerarin also decreases the phosphorylation of JNK1/2, ERK1/2, and p38 in the liver and thymus. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates puerarin may be a potential nutrient supplement in the treatment of oxidized oil-induced damage, and the Nrf2/Keap1 and HMGB1/TLR4/MAPK signaling pathways might be its important target.

Dietary puerarin supplementation improves immune function in the small intestines of oxidized oil-challenged broilers.

Puerarin has possessed a wide range of pharmacological activities. However, little is known about the protective effects of puerarin on the oxidized oil-induced injury. Here, we describe the anti-inflammatory effects of puerarin in chickens. A total of 360 broilers were arranged in four treatments. Diets included two types of soybean oil (fresh or oxidized) and two levels of puerarin (0 or 750 mg/kg). Results showed that puerarin alleviated oxidized soybean oil-induced intestinal immune injury by decreasing the expressions of HSP and pro-inflammatory factor (P < 0.05) and enhancing the mRNA levels of anti-inflammatory factor and CATH-1 (P < 0.05) in broilers. Moreover, puerarin supplementation decreased the mRNA abundances of TLR4 and MyD88 (P < 0.05) and upregulated the expressions of A20 and SOCS-1 (P < 0.05) in the small intestine of oxidized soybean oil-challenged broilers. Collectively, this study demonstrates puerarin may be a potential nutrient supplement in the treatment of oxidized oil-induced damage in poultry.

Effect of probiotic supplementation on growth performance, intestinal morphology, barrier integrity, and inflammatory response in broilers subjected to cyclic heat stress.

This study investigated the protective effects of probiotic on heat stress-induced intestinal injury and inflammatory response in broilers. A total of 180 male broilers were randomly allocated to three treatments with four replicates each from 22 to 42 days of age. The broilers were either raised under thermoneutral (TN) conditions (23 ± 1°C) or subjected to cyclic heat stress (28-35-28°C for 12 hr daily). The broilers kept at TN conditions were fed a basal diet, and those exposed to heat stress were fed basal diets supplemented with or without probiotic at a dose of 1.5 × 108  cfu/kg. Compared with the TN group, heat stress decreased (p < .05) the growth performance, reduced (p < .05) villus height and villus height: crypt depth ratio in intestinal mucosa, increased (p < .05) serum levels of D-lactic acid on day 28 and endotoxin, TNF-α and IL-6 on day 42, and decreased (p < .05) serum IL-10 content on day 42. Dietary supplementation of probiotic reversed (p < .05) all these changes except for the growth performance in heat-stressed broilers. In conclusion, dietary inclusion of probiotic could improve intestinal morphology and barrier function, alleviate inflammatory response, but exert no ameliorative effect on growth performance of broilers under cyclic heat stress.

[Comparison effects of acupuncture at distal acupoints and local acupoints on treatment of xerophthalmia].

OBJECTIVE: To compare the clinical efficacy differences between acupuncture at distal acupoints and local acupoints on treatment of xerophthalmia. METHODS: A total of 40 patients of xerophthalmia were randomly divided into a distal group and a local group, 20 cases in each one. One patient in local group lost contact, and finally 20 cases in the distal group and 19 cases in the local group finished treatment. The patients in the distal group were treated with acupuncture at Guangming (GB 37) and Diwuhui (GB 42), while those in the local group were treated with acupuncture at Cuanzhu (BL 2), Tongziliao (GB 1) and Taiyang (EX-HN 5). Patients in both groups were treated once a day, five times per week, and totally 2-week treatment were given. The subjective symptom based on visual analogue scale (VAS), tear secretion, ocular surface disease index (OSDI) and breakup time (BUT) were evaluated before treatment, after two-week treatment (end of treatment) and two weeks after end of treatment (follow-up visit) in the two groups. RESULTS: After treatment and follow-up visit, the VAS, tear secretion, OSDI and BUT were all improved (P<0.05, P<0.01), but the differences of VAS and OSDI between the two groups were not significant (both P>0.05). At follow-up visit, the differences of tear secretion and BUT between the two groups were significant (both P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The acupuncture at distal acupoints could relieve xerophthalmia symptoms, improve quality of life, increase tear secretion and prolong BUT, which is superior to local acupoints in long term.

[Effects of moxibustion on the expression of IL-1beta, IL-2, IL-6 mRNA and protein in the cerebral cortex in tumor-bearing mice].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of moxibustion on the expression of IL-1beta, IL-2 and IL-6 proteins and mRNA in the cerebral cortex in tumor-bearing mice so as to study its mechanism underlying immunomodulation. METHODS: Forty Balb/c mice were randomly divided into control, tumor-bearing, non-acupoint moxibustion (N-AM) and acupoint-moxibustion (AM) groups (n = 10/group). Moxibustion was applied to "Dazhui" (GV 14), once every other day for 6 times. The expression of IL-1beta mRNA, IL-2 mRNA and IL-6 mRNA was detected by in situ hybridization, and the immunoactivity of IL-1beta, IL-6 and IL-2 determined by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Compared to the control group, the expression levels of IL-1beta mRNA and IL-2 mRNA, IL-1beta and IL-2 in the cerebral cortex of the tumor-bearing group were down-regulated significantly (P < 0.05, P < 0.01), while those of IL-6 mRNA and IL-6 up-regulated significantly (P < 0.05). Compared to the tumor-bearing group, the expression of IL-1beta mRNA and IL-2 mRNA, IL-1beta and IL-2 in the cerebral cortex in AM group were increased considerably (P < 0.05, P < 0.01); while cortical IL-6 immunoactivity in N-AM group was decreased significantly (P < 0.05), and IL-6 mRNA had no significant change in N-AM group (P > 0.05). Comparison between AM and N-AM groups showed that the expression levels of cortical IL-1beta mRNA and IL-2 mRNA, and IL-1beta and IL-2 proteins of the former group were obviously higher than those of the later group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01); while the immunoactivity of cortical IL-6 of AM group was significantly lower than that of N-AM group (P < 0.05). No significant difference between AM and N-AM groups in the expression of IL-6 mRNA (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Moxibustion treatment can up-regulate the expression of cortical IL-1beta mRNA, IL-2 mRNA, IL-1beta and IL-2 proteins, and down-regulate the expression of IL-6 mRNA and IL-6 in tumor-bearing mice, which may contribute to its effect in improving the immunosuppressing state under tumor conditions.