Tyrosine hydroxylase plays crucial roles in larval cuticle formation and larval-pupal tanning in the rice stem borer, Chilo suppressalis.

The striped stem borer, Chilo suppressalis (Walker), a notorious pest infesting rice, has evolved a high level of resistance to many commonly used insecticides. In this study, we investigate whether tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), which is required for larval development and cuticle tanning in many insects, could be a potential target for the control of C. suppressalis. We identified and characterized the full-length cDNA (CsTH) of C. suppressalis. The complete open reading frame of CsTH (MW690914) was 1683 bp in length, encoding a protein of 560 amino acids. Within the first to the sixth larval instars, CsTH was high in the first day just after molting, and lower in the ensuing days. From the wandering stage to the adult stage, levels of CSTH began to rise and reached a peak at the pupal stage. These patterns suggested a role for the gene in larval development and larval-pupal cuticle tanning. When we injected dsCsTH or 3-iodotyrosine (3-IT) as a TH inhibitor or fed a larva diet supplemented with 3-IT, there were significant impairments in larval development and larval-pupal cuticle tanning. Adult emergence was severely impaired, and most adults died. These results suggest that CsTH might play a critical role in larval development as well as larval-pupal tanning and immunity in C. suppressalis, and this gene could form a potential novel target for pest control.

Painless and non-invasive treatment of plantar warts utilizing traditional Chinese medicine soaking: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Warts result from an infection with the human papilloma virus (HPV). Plantar warts, also known as Verruca plantaris, can be notably painful for the patient and possess contagious qualities, thus necessitating assertive treatment. Despite several available approaches for addressing plantar warts, efficacy remains elusive. CASE PRESENTATION: One 22-year-old firefighter suffered from numerous plantar warts. After 26 days of traditional Chinese medicine soaking, the rashes completely disappeared. The treatment was without complications or discomfort, and a three-month follow-up showed no recurrence. CONCLUSION: Our case investigation highlighted the efficacy of herbal soaking as a safe, painless, and non-invasive therapeutic option, positioning it as a potential avenue for managing multiple plantar warts.

Association between dietary patterns and chronic kidney disease combined with hyperuricemia.

Background and aims: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) combined with hyperuricemia is a concerning health issue, but the association between this condition and dietary patterns remains poorly understood. The aim of this study was to assess the associations between dietary patterns and CKD combined with hyperuricemia. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted involving 12 318 participants aged 18-79 years during 2018-2020. Dietary intake information was collected using a validated 110-item food frequency questionnaire. Factor analysis was used to identify major dietary patterns. CKD was defined as the presence of albuminuria or an estimated glomerular filtration rate <60 mL min-1 1.73 m-2. Hyperuricemia was defined as serum uric acid levels >420 µmol L-1 both in men and women. Logistic regression models were applied to assess the association between dietary patterns and the risk of CKD combined with hyperuricemia. Results: Five major dietary patterns were identified: 'healthy pattern', 'traditional pattern', 'animal foods pattern', 'sweet foods pattern', and 'tea-alcohol pattern', which together explained 38.93% of the variance in the diet. After adjusting for potential confounders, participants in the highest quartile of the traditional pattern had a lower risk of CKD combined with hyperuricemia (OR = 0.49, 95% CI: 0.32-0.74, Pfor trend < 0.01). Conversely, participants in the highest quartile of the sweet foods pattern had a higher risk compared to those in the lowest quartile (OR = 1.69, 95% CI: 1.18-2.42, Pfor trend < 0.01). However, no significant association was observed between the healthy pattern, animal foods pattern and tea-alcohol pattern and the risk of CKD combined with hyperuricemia. Conclusions: Our results suggest that the traditional pattern is associated with a reduced risk of CKD combined with hyperuricemia, whereas the sweet foods pattern is associated with an increased risk.

The role and outcomes of music therapy during pregnancy: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials.

INTRODUCTION: The abundant functions of music and its effects on human's mental and physical health have been verified since ancient times, but rarely received attention as an alternative obstetric intervention. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to investigate the benefits of music therapy on prenatal and delivery experiences of pregnant women. METHOD: A systematic search for articles was conducted in electronic databases including CINAHL, Web of Science, PubMed/Medline, and CNKI. A total of 240 articles were identified, and 17 studies were selected for this review. The extracted data included author, year, location, sample size, intervention phase, type of music, music therapy strategy, measuring instruments, and results. The data were organized chronologically based on the publication year of each study. RESULT: The articles indicated that music therapy has advantages in reducing pain during childbirth, lowering anxiety and stress levels in mothers, improving sleep quality, and increasing fetal movements, basal fetal heart rate, and accelerations. CONCLUSION: Based on the findings, it can be concluded that music therapy is an effective approach to enhance the experience of pregnant women during pregnancy and delivery. Therefore, its implementation in obstetrical clinical practice is highly recommended.

Analysis of the Changes and Significance of Serum APN, MCP-1, hs-CRP, SOD Levels in Patients with Hypertension Combined with Diabetes Mellitus.

Objective: The objective of this study was to observe and analyze changes in serum levels of APN, MCP-1, hs-CRP, and SOD in patients with hypertension and diabetes mellitus (DM) and to investigate the correlations among these inflammatory factors. The study aimed to provide insights into disease monitoring and management. Methods: 320 cases were included in this study, including 50 cases in group A (simple diabetes mellitus); 60 cases in group B (simple hypertension); and 90 cases in group C (Hypertension with diabetes). 120 healthy subjects served as the control group. Fasting blood glucose (FPG), glycosylated hemoglobin (GHbA1c) and other biochemical indicators were detected, and ELISA detected the levels of MCP-1, APN and SOD, hs-CRP was detected by immunoenhanced turbidimetric method. Results: Patients with diabetes (group A), hypertension (group B), and hypertension with diabetes (group C) exhibited elevated FPG, GHbA1c, hs-CRP, and MCP-1 levels and decreased APN and SOD levels compared to the control group (P < .05). In patients with hypertension and diabetes (group C), FPG and GHbA1c levels were positively correlated with MCP-1 and hs-CRP, while APN levels showed a negative correlation with these inflammatory markers(P < .05). SOD levels were positively correlated with MCP-1, APN, and hs-CRP levels in group C patients (P < .05). Conclusion: These results suggest that APN, MCP-1, hs-CRP, and SOD are important factors in the development of atherosclerosis in patients with comorbid hypertension and diabetes. Monitoring these biomarkers may guide disease management strategies.

Simultaneous Determination of 147 Pesticide Residues in Traditional Chinese Medicines by GC-MS/MS.

Determination of pesticide residues remains a challenge in traditional Chinese medicines in which complex compounds may interfere with analysis signals. This study reports the development of a simple, effective, and high-throughput method combining gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) with either QuEChERS or solid phase extraction (SPE) to determine 147 pesticide residues in traditional Chinese medicines simultaneously. In SPE, the mixture of n-hexane and ethyl acetate (1:1, v/v) was selected to extract 147 pesticides in honeysuckle, and the extracted pesticides were determined by GC-MS/MS. The limits of detection for all pesticides were within 0.01-0.05 mg/kg. The recoveries were within 70-120% and the relative standard deviations were below 20% for over 90% pesticides. The coefficients of determination were up to 0.999 for the linearity between MS signals and different concentrations of pesticides (20-200 ng/mL). The analytical performance was confirmed in determining pesticide residues in dried tangerine peel. SPE achieved comparable recoveries for all pesticides compared to the QuEChERS method.

[A new approach for optimizing empirical prescriptions of famous physicians based on network target: taking Qingluo Decoction as an example].

Based on the network target approach and technology, this study proposed for the first time a novel optimization method for Chinese medicine formulae. Moreover, with Qingluo Decoction as an example, a method for the research and development of Chinese medicine, which combines scientific methodology and experience of famous doctors, was developed. Specifically, based on the composition of Qingluo Decoction, this study used the using network target for intelligent and quantitative analysis on drug actions(UNIQ) to predict the medicinals that targeted the key pathways of rheumatoid arthritis(RA) such as angiogenesis. Then, combining the experience of the first national Chinese medical master LI Ji-ren and Aihui famous Chinese medicine doctor LI Yan and Chinese medicine theory, this study developed a novel angiogenesis-targeted prescription modified Qingluo Decoction(MQLD). Afterward, the clinical efficacy and mechanism of MQLD were verified. The results showed that 27 medicinals with significant regulatory effect on angiogenesis-related key signaling pathways were identified by UNIQ, among which 6 were selected by the Chinese medicine physicians to develop the MQLD. Clinical trials demonstrated that the clinical efficacy of MQLD, in terms of either American College of Rheumatology 20% improvement and 50% improvement criteria(ACR20, ACR50) or TCM syndrome evaluation, was better than that of Qingluo Decoction. Experimental study revealed that MQLD can inhibit RA angiogenesis by acting on the vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF) pathway, nuclear factor κB(NF-κB) pathway, inflammatory cytokine release, and immune cell regulation. Taken together, this study developed a new formula MQLD with improved clinical efficacy, precise applicable clinical settings, and authorized patent through the network target technology, thus providing a new way for the precise development of Chinese medicine and preservation of the experience of famous physicians.

Rapid screening and quantification of heavy metals in traditional Chinese herbal medicines using monochromatic excitation energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry.

Traditional Chinese herbal medicines are subject to heavy metal contamination. Standard detection methods are too complicated, time-consuming, and expensive for routine analysis, so low-cost methods are in high demand for rapid on-site screening. This study reports a high-sensitivity X-ray fluorescence (HS-XRF) method to determine As, Pb, and Cd residues simultaneously in herbal medicines. It couples monochromatic excitation energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry and the fast fundamental parameters method. Each test takes only 10-30 min and costs 1/10th to 1/5th of the standard method. The detection limits, precision and accuracy were evaluated using different approaches, and application notes in practice are also proposed. This study is the first attempt to establish and evaluate HS-XRF in analyzing multiple heavy metals in herbal medicines. This rapid screening method would promote the testing efficiency and thus improve the monitoring of heavy metal contamination in herbal medicines.

Determination of the Authenticity and Origin of Panax Notoginseng: A Review.

Panax notoginseng, a traditional medicinal and edible plant, is widely used in medicine, health care, cosmetics, and other industries. Affected by the discrepancy between market supply and demand and price, the adulteration of P. notoginseng products with other plant-derived ingredients occurs at times. With the continuous development of technologies such as spectroscopy, chromatography, and DNA barcoding, the detection techniques for rapid and sensitive determination of the authenticity identification and origin of P. notoginseng have become more diversified to meet the needs of different regulatory goals and could effectively control practices that mislead consumers and promote false labeling. This review analyzes and summarizes the existing technologies for determining the authenticity and origin of P. notoginseng from these three aspects: morphological, chemical, and molecular biology methods from the literature since 2001; on this basis, the current problems and future research directions are discussed to provide a reference for the establishment of rapid and accurate methods to verify authenticity and origin to promote the further development and improvement of quality control technology systems for P. notoginseng.

Xiaoyao-Qingluoyin Cure Adjuvant-Induced Arthritis by Easing LPS Response-Related Pathway-Mediated Immune Abnormality.

Qingluoyin (QLY) is a representative herbal formula prescribed for hot symptom-related rheumatoid arthritis treatment. Among its derivatives, Xiaoyao-Qingluoyin (XYQLY) attracts increasing attention due to the notable clinical efficacy. In this study, we compared its effects with QLY on adjuvant-induced arthritis (AIA) in rats and partially elucidated the antirheumatic mechanism using a network pharmacology-based strategy. After continuous oral treatments, clinical outcomes were systematically evaluated by radiographic, histological, immunohistochemical, and serological analyses. Possibly altered pathways were predicted based on reported interactions between the related chemicals and proteins/genes. The obtained conclusion was further validated by experiments in vitro. QLY and XYQLY eased polyarthritis in AIA rats after repeated doses, which reflected in reduced inflammation and bone degradation and downregulated p-p65, MMP3, and TLR4 expressions in joints. Meanwhile, they restored oxidative stress (MDA, SOD, GSH, T-AOC, and NO) and inflammatory indicators (TNF-α and CO) in serum. Synovium-based immunoblotting assay revealed that QLY and XYQLY were similarly effective in downregulating MMP3 and COX-2, but XYQLY treatment exhibited notable merit in suppressing p-p65 expression. Network pharmacology analysis hinted that XYQLY should exert greater impacts on LPS signaling and the downstream. Based on results from LC-MS analysis, we treated AIA rat-derived peripheral blood mononuclear cells with either QLY or XYQLY-based chemical combinations and confirmed that XYQLY had the better potential in inhibiting TLR4/NF-κB-controlled IL-6 production. Consequently, it led to a more profound decrease in Th17 cells counts. Overall evidence demonstrated that XYQLY was especially effective in regulating innate immunity and, therefore, improved immune environment in AIA rats as a whole.

Bioinformatics analysis of nasal epithelial cell gene expression in seasonal and perennial allergic rhinitis / 中华耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

Objective: Transcriptome sequencing and bioinformatics analysis were performed on the gene expression of nasal epithelial cells in patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis (AR) and perennial AR, so as to obtain the differences in the gene expression of nasal epithelial cells between seasonal AR and perennial AR. Methods: The human nasal epithelial cell line(HNEpC) was cultured in vitro, treated with 100 μg/ml mugwort or house dust mite (HDM) extracts for 24 hours. Total cell RNA was extracted, and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was used to detect the expression of cytokines, including IL-6, IL-8, IL-33 and thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP). From November 2019 to November 2020, 3 seasonal AR patients, 3 perennial AR patients, and 3 healthy controls who attended the Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University were analyzed. The patients' primary nasal epithelial cells were cultured in vitro, treated with corresponding allergens for 24 hours. Total RNA was extracted for transcriptome sequencing, and the sequencing results were analyzed by bioinformatics. Results: The qPCR results showed that the cytokines IL-6, IL-8, IL-33 and TSLP of HNEpC treated with mugworts extracts and HDM extracts had the same trend of change. After the nasal epithelial cells from patients with seasonal AR and perennial AR were treated with corresponding allergens, there were differences in biological processes and signal pathways between those and control. Gene ontology (GO) enrichment analysis showed that the differentially expressed genes (DEG) in AR patients allergic to mugwort were mainly enriched in the oxidation-reduction process, the negative regulation of apoptosis process, and the cell adhesion; the DEG in AR patients allergic to HDM were mainly enriched in cell adhesion, the negative regulation of cell proliferation and the response to drug. Enrichment analysis of Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) signaling pathway showed that the DEG of AR patients allergic to mugwort were significantly enriched in arachidonic acid metabolism, p53 signaling pathway and transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) signaling pathway, while the DEG of AR patients allergic to HDM were mainly enriched in cells cycle, Fanconi anemia pathway and DNA replication. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) showed that the inflammatory response, TNF-α/NF-κB signaling pathway and IL-2/STAT5 signaling pathway were significantly up-regulated in AR patients allergic to mugwort, indicating the promotion of inflammatory response; and AR patients allergic to HDM had significant down-regulation of G2M, E2F, and MYC, indicating the inhibition of cell proliferation. The protein-protein interaction network showed that TNF and CDK1 were the most interacting proteins in mugwort and HDM allergic AR patients, respectively. Conclusion: Seasonal AR and perennial AR may affect the different biological processes and signal pathways of nasal epithelial cells, leading to differences in the occurrence and development of AR.

Network pharmacology study of flavone extracts of Silybum marianum in the treatment of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease / 药学学报

To investigate the therapeutic effect and molecular mechanism of the main flavonoid components of Silybum marianum (S. marianum) on nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), we identified nine flavonoids in S. marianum through TCMSP, PubChem database and corresponding literatures. The potential therapeutic targets of NAFLD were predicted by SwissTargetPrediction, GeneCards and Venny 2.1.0 platform, while the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network of potential targets was analyzed using String platform and Cytoscape software. Then GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis were performed using David 6.8 database, followed by molecular docking verification using AutoDock software. In vitro, components with higher degree value in the "components-targets-pathway" network were chosen for further analysis. L02 cells were used to establish lipid accumulation model and treated with different components. Furthermore, the effects of four pure active compounds from S. marianum on lipid accumulation in hepatocytes were analyzed by oil red O staining. The results showed that the main nine flavonoids extracted from S. marianum contained 24 potential NAFLD targets. Several critical pathways closely related to NAFLD process were identified by GO and KEGG enrichment analysis, including phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-protein kinase B (PI3K-Akt) pathway, type 2 diabetes pathway, tumor necrosis factor (TNF) pathway and insulin resistance pathway. The results of molecular docking further indicated that the core components displayed strong binding abilities with key targets respectively, and silandrin showed better binding activity as compared to other components. The results obtained from L02 cells showed that the lipid accumulation was reduced by treatment with isosilybin A, isosilybin B, silydianin and silychristin, while the activity of isosilybin B was better than that of isosilybin A. Taken together, we concluded that the main flavone components of S. marianum could improve lipid accumulation through multiple signaling pathway in hepatocytes, and this could be a potential new strategy for the treatment of NAFLD.

Male serrate-legged treefrogs adjust competition strategies according to visual or chemical cues from females.

There is increasing evidence that many anurans use multimodal cues to detect, discriminate and/or locate conspecifics and thus modify their behaviors. To date, however, most studies have focused on the roles of multimodal cues in female choice or male-male interactions. In the present study, we conducted an experiment to investigate whether male serrate-legged small treefrogs (Kurixalus odontotarsus) used visual or chemical cues to detect females and thus altered their competition strategies in different calling contexts. Three acoustic stimuli (advertisement calls, aggressive calls and compound calls) were broadcast in a randomized order after a spontaneous period to focal males in one of four treatment groups: combined visual and chemical cues of a female, only chemical cues, only visual cues and a control (with no females). We recorded the vocal responses of the focal males during each 3 min period. Our results demonstrate that males reduce the total number of calls in response to the presence of females, regardless of how they perceived the females. In response to advertisement calls and compound calls, males that perceived females through chemical cues produced relatively fewer advertisement calls but more aggressive calls. In addition, they produced relatively more aggressive calls during the playback of aggressive calls. Taken together, our study suggests that male Kodontotarsus adjust their competition strategies according to the visual or chemical cues of potential mates and highlights the important role of multisensory cues in male frogs' perception of females.

Effects of Enterobacter cloacae HG-1 on the Nitrogen-Fixing Community Structure of Wheat Rhizosphere Soil and on Salt Tolerance.

The present study investigated the physiological and biochemical characteristics of Enterobacter cloacae HG-1 isolated from saline-alkali soil. We further studied the effect of this strain on the salt tolerance of wheat and on the community structure of nitrogen-fixing bacteria in rhizosphere soil. We determined that the investigated strain had high nitrogen fixation activity and produced iron carriers, 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid deaminase, and plant hormones. The metabolites of this strain contained 2,3-butanediol, [R-(R*, R*)], 2-heptanone, and other growth-promoting and antibacterial substances. The strain was also highly salt-tolerant (10% NaCl). After the inoculation of wheat with the HG-1 strain, we recorded increases in root length, plant height, fresh weight, and dry weight of 19.15%, 18.83%, 16.67%, and 17.96%, respectively, compared with uninoculated plants (P < 0.05). Compared with the leaves of uninoculated plants, the proline concentration in the leaves of inoculated plants increased by 12.43% (P < 0.05), the malondialdehyde level decreased by 27.26% (P < 0.05), K+ increased by 20.69%, Ca2+ increased by 57.53% and Na+ decreased by 31.43% (all P<0.05). Furthermore, we detected that inoculation with the HG-1 strain did not affect the species composition of nitrogen-fixing bacteria in wheat rhizosphere soil at the phylum level. However, the average relative abundance of Proteobacteria was significantly increased, whereas the abundance of Verrucomiorobia was significantly decreased compared with uninoculated plants. At the genus level, we detected 32 genera in control samples and 27 genera in inoculated samples, and the species diversity and relative abundance of samples inoculated with the HG-1 strain decreased compared with uninoculated plants. Inoculated samples had lower abundances of Azospirillum, Rhodomicrobium, and Anabaena. Our study demonstrated that the inoculation of wheat with E. cloacae HG-1 could promote the growth of wheat under salt stress and increase salt stress tolerance. The results of this study investigating the interaction among soil, plants, and microorganisms supplement agricultural microbial databases and could provide a reference for the development of microbial-based saline soil improvement programs.

The Extract from Acidosasa longiligula Alleviates in vitro UV-Induced Skin Cell Damage via Positive Regulation of Thioredoxin 1.

INTRODUCTION: Skin, as the outermost organ, is exposed to a wide range of environmental risk factors including ultraviolet (UV) and all kinds of pollutants. Excessive UV exposure contributes to many disorders, such as photoaging, skin inflammation, and carcinogenesis. METHODS: To determine the effects of bamboo extract (BEX) from our local plant, Acidosasa longiligula, on UV-irritated human skin, we conducted a variety of studies, including Western blot, apoptosis assays, reactive oxygen species (ROS) detection, and thioredoxin (TXN) and thioredoxin reductase (TXNRD) activity assays in primary skin keratinocytes. RESULTS: We first determined that BEX protects human skin keratinocytes against UV radiation-induced apoptosis and ROS production. UV radiation can robustly impair TXN and TXNRD activity which can, in turn, be significantly rescued by BEX treatment. Moreover, BEX regulates TXN1 levels in primary skin keratinocytes and TXN1 is proved to be required for the protective function of BEX. Last, we found that the NF-κB/p65 pathway mediates the protective function of BEX against UV. DISCUSSION: Collectively, our work delineates the beneficial role of BEX in UV-induced skin cell damage and provides a novel therapeutic reagent to prevent or alleviate the progress of photoaging and other UV-provoked skin diseases.

MiR-421 promotes the development of osteosarcoma by regulating MCPIP1 expression.

Despite improvements in surgical resection and adjuvant chemotherapy, the prognosis and outcomes of patients with osteosarcoma remains poor due to the occurrence of metastasis or relapse. Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1-induced protein-1 (MCPIP1), a zinc-finger RNA-binding protein, is known to regulate inflammatory responses and repress breast cancer growth. However, the regulation of MCPIP1 by microRNAs has not been clearly elucidated in osteosarcoma. In this study, we found that miR-421 expression was upregulated and MCPIP1 expression was downregulated in the osteosarcoma specimens from patients. Moreover, MCPIP1 expression was inversely correlated with miR-421 expression in the clinical samples. Furthermore, the upregulation of miR-421 and downregulation of MCPIP1 resulted in poor overall survival and severe disease progression, respectively, in the patients with osteosarcoma. Bioinformatics analysis and luciferase reporter gene assays confirmed that miR-421 specifically targets and binds to the 3'-UTR of MCPIP1. The overexpression of miR-421 induced cell proliferation, invasion, and migration, and the release of pro-inflammatory IL-6 in cultured human osteosarcoma cells. Additionally, the administration of miR-421 to tumor-bearing mice facilitated osteosarcoma growth by downregulating MCPIP1 expression. Taken together, these findings indicate that miR-421 is able to promote the development of osteosarcoma by regulating MCPIP1 expression, and can be a potential therapeutic target for osteosarcoma.

[Professor LIN Guo-hua's clinical experience of acupuncture for oculomotor nerve paralysis].

Professor LIN Guo-hua's clinical experience of acupuncture for oculomotor nerve palsy was summarized and one typical case was introduced. Professor LIN skillfully applied traditional acupuncture theory and classical acupuncture method, and proposed a diagnosis and treatment system combining meridian syndrome differentiation and specific acupuncture techniques. In addition, Professor LIN combined the yuan-primary and luo-connecting acupoints combination method, theory of "removing the stagnation of blood and qi " and theory of root-stem and origin-end, etc. into the treatment of oculomotor nerve palsy, and achieved good results.

Akkermansia muciniphila: a promising target for the therapy of metabolic syndrome and related diseases.

The probiotic Akkermansia muciniphila (A. muciniphila) is an intestinal bacterium that was first identified in human feces in 2004. Its specialization in mucin degradation makes it a key microorganism that maintains intestinal mucosal barrier function. As an unique representative strain of the phylum Verrucomicrobia that can be cultured in vitro, A. muciniphila is much easier to detect by metagenomic analysis of intestinal flora. In the past few years, A. muciniphila has been getting increasing attention for the positive correlation between its intestinal colonization and host homeostatic metabolism. In this review, we summarize the relationship between A. muciniphila and host health and diseases, especially focusing on metabolic diseases and related mechanisms, as well as the natural food and drug-derived substrates affecting its colonization in the host, expecting to provide evidence and clues for the development of drugs targeting A. muciniphila.

Alterations in the Transcriptional Profile of the Liver Tissue and the Therapeutic Effects of Propolis Extracts in Alcohol-induced Steatosis in Rats.

The hepatoprotective effects of the ethanolic extracts of propolis (EEP) on alcohol-induced liver steatosis were investigated in Wistar rats. Chronic alcoholic fatty liver was induced by administration of 52% alcohol to male Wistar rats at the dose of 1% body weight for 7 weeks. Then animals were simultaneously treated with 50% ethanol solutions of EEP or normal saline at the dose of 0.1% body weight for 4 further weeks. Serological analyses and liver histopathology studies were performed to investigate the development of steatosis. Microarray analysis was conducted to investigate the alterations of hepatic gene expression profiling. Our results showed that 4-week treatment of EEP helped to restore the levels of various blood indices, liver function enzymes and the histopathology of liver tissue to normal levels. Results from the microarray analysis revealed that the hepatic expressions of genes involved in lipogenesis were significantly down-regulated by EEP treatment, while the transcriptional expressions of functional genes participating in fatty acids oxidation were markedly increased. The ability of EEP to reduce the negative effects of alcohol on liver makes propolis a potential natural product for the alternative treatment of alcoholic fatty liver.