Panax ginseng abuse exhibits a pro-inflammatory effect by activating the NF-κB pathway.

P. ginseng (Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer) is a well-known traditional medicine that has been used for thousands of years to treat diseases. However, "ginseng abuse syndrome" (GAS) often occurs due to an inappropriate use such as high-dose or long-term usage of ginseng; information about what causes GAS and how GAS occurs is still lacking. In this study, the critical components that potentially caused GAS were screened through a step-by-step separation strategy, the pro-inflammatory effects of different extracts on messenger RNA (mRNA) or protein expression levels were evaluated in RAW 264.7 macrophages through quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) or Western blot, respectively. It was found that high-molecular water-soluble substances (HWSS) significantly increased the expression of cytokines (cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and interleukin 6 (IL-6)) and cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) protein; gel filtration chromatography fraction 1 (GFC-F1) further purified from HWSS showed prominent pro-inflammatory effects by increasing the transcription of cytokines (COX-2, iNOS, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), and interleukin 1ß (IL-1ß)) as well as the expression of COX-2 and iNOS protein. Moreover, GFC-F1 activated nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-кB) (p65 and inhibitor of nuclear factor-kappa B alpha (IκB-α)) and the p38/MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase) signaling pathways. On the other hand, the inhibitor of the NF-κB pathway (pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC)) reduced GFC-F1-induced nitric oxide (NO) production, while the inhibitors of the MAPK pathways did not. Taken together, GFC-F1 is the potential composition that caused GAS through the production of inflammatory cytokines by activating the NF-кB pathway.

Porous and nonporous silk fibroin (SF) membranes wrapping for Achilles tendon (AT) repair: Which one is a better choice?

Two types of silk fibroin (SF) membranes were developed for tendon repair: porous and nonporous SF membranes. The objective of this study was to compare the efficiency of these two films according to the ability of tendon regeneration using a rat Achilles tendon (AT) rupture suture wrapping model. The in vitro tests were conducted, and theSF membranes were proved to be with ultimate-biodegradability, good-biocompatibility and without toxicity. In vivo, 12 Sprague Dawley rats were used to create a rat AT rupture suture model wrapped by SF membranes. They were randomly divided into six groups. The results revealed that the nonporous SF membrane wrapping group was shown to reduce the inflammatory effect and induce the proliferation of fibroblast-like cells at one week and four weeks post-operatively. After four weeks, the nonporous SF membrane wrapping group exhibited more organized collagen structures and had increased expression of tendon repair proteins. Hence, our nonporous SF membrane improved the efficacy of tendon regeneration by decreasing inflammatory cells, growing fibroblast-like cells, and promoting extracellular matrix production. Nonporous SF membrane can, therefore, be regarded as a better functional membrane for tendon repair. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: 00B: 000-000, 2018. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater 107B: 733-740, 2019.

Ethyl cellulose nanodispersions as stabilizers for oil in water Pickering emulsions.

Ethyl cellulose (EC) nanodispersions have been prepared through a facile procedure, a process involved the dissolution of EC into ethanol, followed by dipping it in Xanthan Gum (XG) solution (0.1%, used as anti-solvent), and then removed the ethanol. The influences of preparation conditions on the structure and properties of the EC nanodispersions were investigated. The prepared EC nanodispersion had a negative surface potential, which contributed to its stabilization. The particle size of the nanodispersions could be controlled by changing the concentration of EC. Furthermore, the EC nanodispersions had a potential application for the stabilization of oil/water Pickering emulsion. The obtained Pickering emulsions showed high stability.

The Anti-Inflammatory Properties of Citrus wilsonii Tanaka Extract in LPS-Induced RAW 264.7 and Primary Mouse Bone Marrow-Derived Dendritic Cells.

'Zhique' (Citrus wilsonii Tanaka) is a traditional Chinese medicine. Its fruits have been used to treat inflammation-related symptoms, such as cough and sputum, though the underlying mechanism remains poorly understood. The aim of this study was to investigate the anti-inflammatory properties of 'Zhique' pulp extract (ZQE) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW 264.7 macrophages and primary mouse bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BMDCs). The flavonoid profiles of the ZQE were determined by high performance liquid chromatography. The anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated in LPS-induced inflammatory RAW 264.7 macrophages and BMDCs through enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, and Western blot assays. Naringin was a predominant flavonoid occurring in ZQE, followed by eriocitrin, hesperidin, neohesperidin, rhoifolin, naringenin, and poncirin. ZQE exhibited a very low cytotoxicity in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages. Meanwhile, ZQE significantly inhibited the production of prostaglandins E2 and secretion of cyclooxygenase-2 protein in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages, and markedly suppressed the mRNA expression of inflammatory mediators, such as cyclooxygenase-2, tumor necrosis factor alpha, interleukin-1 beta (IL-1ß), and IL-6 in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 macrophages and/or primary BMDCs. The ZQE inhibited the inflammatory responses in RAW 264.7 macrophages and BMDCs triggered by LPS. The results suggested that 'Zhique' has a high potential as a novel therapeutic agent to treat chronic inflammatory diseases.

The impact of a novel peach gum-derived polysaccharide on postprandial blood glucose control in streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice.

Peach [Prunus persica (L.)] gum exudates are produced by the trunks and fruits in peach gummosis. Clinically, these exudates have been used to treat diabetes in China, though the molecular mechanism underlying remains unclear. In the current study, a novel peach gum-derived polysaccharide was isolated, designated as PGPSD, and its anti-diabetic effect was assessed in mice. This polysaccharide was composed of arabinose, xylose and galactose in the molar ratio of 5.98:1:3.55, with the average molecular weight at 1.00×106Da. The animal study demonstrated that the PGPSD polysaccharide significantly lowered the postprandial blood glucose in streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice. Histology and immunohistochemistry results further confirmed that the application of PGPSD polysaccharide partially restored the pancreatic islets in diabetic mice, and enhanced the expression of pancreatic duodenal homeobox-1, insulin and hexokinase1. Collectively, the data suggested that the peach gum-derived polysaccharide had a meaningful potential as a non-insulin therapeutic compound in the treatment of diabetes.

A novel macromolecular extract screened from satsuma with pro-inflammatory effect.

Excessive consumption of horticultural fruit is a double-edged sword with both positive and negative effects. In Eastern countries, a large number of people have suffered from shang huo as a result of excessive consumption of "heating" foods, such as lychee, longan, mandarin orange, mango and civet durian. The present study adopted a step by step strategy screened the compositions with pro-inflammatory effect in satsuma fruits. The pro-inflammatory effects of all fractions were evaluated in RAW 264.7 cell lines by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and RT-PCR tests. The soluble water extract (SWE) from satsuma increased the production of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and promoted the expression level of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) mRNA. SWE and high molecular weight molecules extracted from soluble water extract (HSWE) were respectively fractionated by dialysis bags and gel filtration chromatography. The macromolecular fraction named F1 was further obtained from HSWE, and could increase the production of inflammatory mediators. Finally F1 was resolved by SDS-PAGE and six proteins were identified by mass spectrometry. Compared with other detected proteins, polygalacturonase inhibitor (PGIP) and chitinase were the most likely candidate pro-inflammatory proteins according to molecular mass, and both of them were Citrus unshiu species. cDNA sequences of PGIP and chitinase were cloned and their functions were predicted as defensive proteins by SMART analysis. Excessive intake of these defensive proteins may result in adverse food reactions in human beings, such as shang huo and other immune responses.

Chemotaxonomic study of Citrus, Poncirus and Fortunella genotypes based on peel oil volatile compounds--deciphering the genetic origin of Mangshanyegan (Citrus nobilis Lauriro).

Volatile profiles yielded from gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis provide abundant information not only for metabolism-related research, but also for chemotaxonomy. To study the chemotaxonomy of Mangshanyegan, its volatile profiles of fruit and leaf and those of 29 other genotypes of Citrus, Poncirus, and Fortunella were subjected to phylogenetic analyses. Results showed that 145 identified (including 64 tentatively identified) and 15 unidentified volatile compounds were detected from their peel oils. The phylogenetic analysis of peel oils based on hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) demonstrated a good agreement with the Swingle taxonomy system, in which the three genera of Citrus, Poncirus, and Fortunella were almost completely separated. As to Citrus, HCA indicated that Citrophorum, Cephalocitrus, and Sinocitrus fell into three subgroups, respectively. Also, it revealed that Mangshanyegan contain volatile compounds similar to those from pummelo, though it is genetically believed to be a mandarin. These results were further supported by the principal component analysis of the peel oils and the HCA results of volatile profiles of leaves in the study.

The effects of pore architecture in silk fibroin scaffolds on the growth and differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells expressing BMP7.

The pore architecture of scaffolds is known to play a critical role in tissue engineering as it provides the vital framework for seeded cells to organize into a functioning tissue. In this report we have investigated the effects of different concentrations of silk fibroin protein on three-dimensional (3D) scaffold pore microstructure. Four pore size ranges of silk fibroin scaffolds were made by the freeze drying technique, with the pore sizes ranging from 50 to 300 microm. The pore sizes of the scaffolds decreased as the concentration of fibroin protein increased. Human bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells (BMSC) transfected with the BMP7 gene were cultured in these scaffolds. A cell viability colorimetric assay, alkaline phosphatase assay and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction were performed to analyze the effect of pore size on cell growth, the secretion of extracellular matrix (ECM) and osteogenic differentiation. Cell migration in 3D scaffolds was confirmed by confocal microscopy. Calvarial defects in SCID mice were used to determine the bone forming ability of the silk fibroin scaffolds incorporating BMSC expressing BMP7. The results showed that BMSC expressing BMP7 preferred a pore size between 100 and 300 microm in silk fibroin protein fabricated scaffolds, with better cell proliferation and ECM production. Furthermore, in vivo transplantation of the silk fibroin scaffolds combined with BMSC expressing BMP7 induced new bone formation. This study has shown that an optimized pore architecture of silk fibroin scaffolds can modulate the bioactivity of BMP7-transfected BMSC in bone formation.