[Existence forms of Tiantian Capsules and its raw material Aloe in rats].

This study explored the existence forms(original constituents and metabolites) of Tiantian Capsules, Aloe, and Tiantian Capsules without Aloe in rats for the first time, aiming to clarify the contribution of Aloe to the existence form of Tiantian Capsules. Rats were administrated with corresponding drugs by gavage once a day for seven consecutive days. All urine and feces samples were collected during the seven days of administration, and blood samples were collected 0.5, 1, and 1.5 h after the last administration. UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS was employed to detect and identify the original constituents and metabolites in the samples. A total of 34, 28, and 2 original constituents and 64, 94, and 0 metabolites were identified in the samples of rats administrated with Aloe, Tiantian Capsules, and Tiantian Capsules without Aloe, respectively. The main metabolic reactions were methylation, hydrogenation, hydroxylation, dehydroxylation, glucuronidation, and sulfation. This study clarified for the first time the existence forms and partial metabolic pathways of Aloe, Tiantian Capsules, and Tiantian Capsules without Aloe in rats, laying a foundation for revealing their effective forms. The findings are of great significance to the research on the functioning mechanism and quality control of Aloe and Tiantian Capsules.

Comparative Analysis of Agronomic Traits, Yield, and Effective Components of Main Cultivated Ganoderma Mushrooms (Agaricomycetes) in China.

To assess the strain resources and address production challenges in Ganoderma cultivation. 150 Ganoderma strains were collected from 13 provinces in China. A comparative analysis of agronomic traits and effective components was conducted. Among the 150 strains, key agronomic traits measured were: average stipe diameter (15.92 mm), average stipe length (37.46 mm), average cap horizontal diameter (94.97 mm), average cap vertical diameter (64.21 mm), average cap thickness (15.22 mm), and average fruiting body weight (14.30 g). Based on these agronomic traits, four promising strains, namely, L08, L12, Z21, and Z39, were recommended for further cultivation and breeding. The average crude polysaccharide content ranged from 0.048% to 0.977%, and triterpenoids ranged from 0.804% to 2.010%. In addition, 73 triterpenoid compounds were identified, constituting 47.1% of the total compounds. Using a distance discrimination method, the types, and relative contents of triterpenoid compounds in 150 Ganoderma strains were classified, achieving 98% accuracy in G. lingzhi identification. The 16 triterpenoid components used for G. lingzhi identification included oleanolic acid, ursolic acid, 3ß-acetoxyergosta-7,22-dien-5α-ol, ganoderic acid DM, ganoderiol B, ganorderol A, ganoderic acid GS-1, tsugaric acid A, ganoderic acid GS-2, ganoderenic acid D, ganoderic acid Mf, ganoderic acid A, ganoderic acid K, ganoderic acid V, ganoderic acid G, and leucocontextin J. This study provides valuable insights for exploring and utilizing Ganoderma resources and for the development of new varieties.

Protective effect of alizarin on vascular endothelial dysfunction via inhibiting the type 2 diabetes-induced synthesis of THBS1 and activating the AMPK signaling pathway.

BACKGROUND: In this study, we investigated the protective effects of alizarin (AZ) on endothelial dysfunction (ED). AZ has inhibition of the type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM)-induced synthesis of thrombospondin 1 (THBS1). Adenosine 5'-monophosphate- activated protein kinase (AMPK), particularly AMPKα2 isoform, plays a critical role in maintaining cardiac homeostasis. PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to investigate the ameliorative effect of AZ on vascular injury caused by T2DM and to reveal the potential mechanism of AZ in high glucose (HG)-stimulated human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and diabetic model rats. STUDY DESIGN: HUVECs, rats and AMPK-/- transgenic mice were used to investigate the mitigating effects of AZ on vascular endothelial dysfunction caused by T2DM and its in vitro and in vivo molecular mechanisms. METHODS: In type 2 diabetes mellitus rats and HUVECs, the inhibitory effect of alizarin on THBS1 synthesis was verified by immunohistochemistry (IHC), immunofluorescence (IF) and Western blot (WB) so that increase endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) content in vitro and in vivo. In addition, we verified protein interactions with immunoprecipitation (IP). To probe the mechanism, we also performed AMPKα2 transfection. AMPK's pivotal role in AZ-mediated prevention against T2DM-induced vascular endothelial dysfunction was tested using AMPKα2-/- mice. RESULTS: We first demonstrated that THBS1 and AMPK are targets of AZ. In T2DM, THBS1 was robustly induced by high glucose and inhibited by AZ. Furthermore, AZ activates the AMPK signaling pathway, and recoupled eNOS in stressed endothelial cells which plays a protective role in vascular endothelial dysfunction. CONCLUSIONS: The main finding of this study is that AZ can play a role in different pathways of vascular injury due to T2DM. Mechanistically, alizarin inhibits the increase in THBS1 protein synthesis after high glucose induction and activates AMPKα2, which increases NO release from eNOS, which is essential in the prevention of vascular endothelial dysfunction caused by T2DM.

Fish oil supplementation and risk of dementia among diabetic patients: a prospective study of 16,061 older patients.

BACKGROUND: Although n-3 Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) may benefit cognitive performance, the association of n-3 PUFA intake with dementia risk under dysglycemia has not been examined. We aimed to evaluate the relationship between fish oil supplement use or fish consumption and dementia risk among older patients with diabetes. METHOD: A total of 16,061 diabetic patients aged over 60 years were followed up in the UK Biobank. Fish oil supplements use (yes or no) was collected by the touch screen questionnaire. The diagnosis of dementia was ascertained by the UK Biobank Outcome Adjudication Group. The hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were estimated using Cox proportional hazards models. RESULTS: A total of 337 cases of dementia were confirmed after a mean duration of 7.7 years (123,486 person-years) of follow-up. Habitual use of fish oil supplements showed a 24% lower dementia risk among older diabetic patients [HRs (95% CIs): 0.76 (0.60-0.98) (P = 0.031)] compared with non-users. Such inverse association was not modified by the APOE ε4 genotype. However, the consumption of both oily fish (≥2 times/week) and non-oily fish (≥2 times/week) had no significant association with dementia risk (p-trend = 0.271 and p-trend = 0.065) compared with non-consumers. CONCLUSION: In summary, fish oil supplementation may play a protective role in cognitive function across all APOE genotypes, while non-oily fish and oily fish consumption have no protective association among older diabetic patients.

The association between interest of nutritional supplements and COVID-19 pandemic - evidence from Google Trends.

BACKGROUND: Due to the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in 2020, the interest of nutritional supplements has emerged. Limited data are available on how the COVID-19 pandemic affects the search interest in nutritional supplements in Taiwan and worldwide. The study aims to investigate changes in public search interest of nutritional supplements pre- and during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: Our World in Data dataset was used to collect both global and local (Taiwan) number of COVID-19 newly confirmed cases and deaths. Google Trends search query was being used to obtain relative search volumes (RSVs) covering a timeframe between 2019 to 2022. Spearman's rank-order correlation coefficients were used to measure relationships between confirmed new cases and deaths and RSVs of nutritional supplements. Multivariate analysis was conducted to examine the effect of domestic and global new cases and deaths on the RSVs of nutritional supplements. RESULTS: The mean RSVs for nutritional supplements were higher during the COVID-19 pandemic period (between 2020 to 2022) compared to the pre-pandemic period (year of 2019) for both Taiwan and worldwide. In terms of seasonal variations, except for vitamin D, the mean RSVs of probiotics, vitamin B complex, and vitamin C in winter were significantly lower compared to other seasons in Taiwan. The RSVs of nutritional supplements were not only affected by domestic cases and deaths but also by global new cases and deaths. CONCLUSIONS: The interests in nutritional supplements had substantially increased in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The RSVs of nutritional supplements in Taiwan were not only influenced by global and domestic pandemic severity but also by seasons.

Circulating fatty acids, genetic risk, and incident coronary artery disease: A prospective, longitudinal cohort study.

The role of fatty acids (FAs) in primary prevention of coronary artery disease (CAD) is highly debated, and the modification effect by genetic risk profiles remains unclear. Here, we report the prospective associations of circulating FAs and genetic predisposition with CAD development in 101,367 U.K. Biobank participants. A total of 3719 CAD cases occurred during a mean follow-up of 11.5 years. Plasma monounsaturated FAs (MUFAs) were positively associated with risk of CAD, whereas the risk was significantly lower with higher n-3 polyunsaturated FAs (PUFAs) and more reductions in risk were detected among TT carriers of rs174547. Furthermore, increased plasma saturated FAs (SFAs) and linoleic acid were related to a significant increase in CAD risk among participants with high genetic risk (genetic risk score > 90%). These findings suggest that individuals with high genetic risk need to reduce plasma SFAs levels for CAD prevention. Supplementation of n-3 PUFAs for CAD prevention may consider individuals' genetic makeup.

Fire acupuncture for anti-LGI1 antibody autoimmune encephalitis: a case report.

Autoimmune encephalitis, a class of encephalitis, is clinically characterized by multifocal or diffuse brain injury, including aberrant mental behavior, convulsions, and near-event memory impairment. In this article, we describe a female patient with autoimmune encephalitis who tested positive for leucine-rich glioma inactivated 1 (LGI1) antibodies and had hippocampal inflammatory edema in the lesion area. During the first 3 months of her illness, the patient primarily experienced memory loss, the onset of rigid twitching in her extremities that lasted for 1 min while in remission, and incontinence. After gamma globulin administration, methylprednisolone shock, and other symptomatic therapies during hospitalization, the patient's psychiatric symptoms and seizures improved considerably; however, she did not fully recover her memory. After receiving fire acupuncture for 6 months, the patient's understanding, orientation, and calculation skills improved considerably. Her memory and mental state were also improved at the follow-up visit. In this case, the use of fire acupuncture for the treatment of autoimmune encephalitis resulted in favorable outcomes with important benefits for conditions affecting the central nervous system; however, more convincing data are required to support the effectiveness of this treatment method.

Analysis of Risk Factors for Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction and Observations on Blood Lipid Metabolism.

Objective: This study aims to identify the risk factors associated with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and to investigate the potential correlation between HFpEF and blood lipid metabolism. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on a cohort of 47 HFpEF cases (designated as the research group, RG) and 53 non-HF patients (referred to as the control group, CG) admitted to our hospital between December 2020 and December 2022. Clinical baseline data were carefully collected, and lipid profiles were assessed. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine the various factors influencing the onset of HFpEF. Furthermore, we investigated the differences in blood lipid metabolism markers between the two groups and explored the potential relationship between blood lipid metabolism and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) in patients belonging to the RG. Results: The outcomes of the logistic regression analysis revealed that age, sex, sarcopenia, and lipid levels were all independent factors influencing HFpEF (P < .05). Notably, the RG exhibited higher levels of triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), alongside lower levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), compared to the CG (P < .05). The Pearson correlation coefficients unveiled negative correlations between TG, TC, LDL-C, and LVEF (P < .05), while a positive correlation was observed between HDL-C and LVEF (P < .05). Conclusions: Age, sex, sarcopenia, and lipid levels emerge as independent factors contributing to the onset of HFpEF. Moreover, HFpEF patients manifest apparent irregularities in blood lipid metabolism.

Association of Fish Oil Supplementation with Risk of Coronary Heart Disease in Individuals with Diabetes and Prediabetes: A Prospective Study in the UK Biobank.

This study aimed to explore the association between habitual intake of fish oil supplementation and the risk of developing CHD in patients with prediabetes and diabetes. Habitual use of fish oil was assessed by repeated questionnaires. Cox proportional hazard models were applied to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Over a median follow-up of 11.6 years, 4304 and 3294 CHD cases were documented among 47,663 individuals with prediabetes and 22,146 patients with diabetes in the UK Biobank, respectively. After multivariable adjustment, the HRs (95% CI) of CHD were 0.91 (0.85-0.98) and 0.87 (0.80-0.95) for individuals utilizing fish oil supplementation compared with non-users among the participants with prediabetes and diabetes, respectively. Furthermore, we identified an inverse relationship between fish oil use and CHD incidence, which was significantly mediated by serum C-reactive protein (CRP) levels in individuals with prediabetes and by very-low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C) in patients with diabetes at baseline. The inverse associations were consistent in the analyses stratified by potential confounders. In conclusion, the consumption of fish oil supplements was linked to decreased serum CRP and VLDL-C levels and subsequent CHD risk among adults with prediabetes and diabetes. Our findings highlight the important role of the habitual intake of fish oil supplements in preventing CHD in individuals with impaired glucose metabolism.

The Effectiveness of a Traditional Chinese Medicine-Based Mobile Health App for Individuals With Prediabetes: Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) theories assert that body constitution and meridian energy lay the foundation for disease prevention. TCM-based health concepts have not yet been incorporated into mobile health (mHealth) apps for individuals with prediabetes. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine the effectiveness of a TCM mHealth app for individuals with prediabetes. METHODS: This randomized controlled trial recruited 121 individuals with prediabetes at a teaching hospital in New Taipei City between February 2020 and May 2021. The participants were randomly assigned to the TCM mHealth app group (n=42), ordinary mHealth app group (n=41), or control group (n=38). All participants received the usual care that included 15-20 minutes of health education about the disease, along with healthy diet and exercise encouragement. The ordinary mHealth app included physical activity (PA), diet, and disease education, along with individual records. The TCM mHealth app additionally included qi and body constitution information, along with constitution-based PA and diet advice. The control group received the usual care alone and did not have access to any app. Data were collected at baseline, at the end of the 12-week intervention, and 1 month after the intervention. Body constitution, including yang-deficiency, yin-deficiency, and phlegm-stasis, was measured according to the Body Constitution Questionnaire, with higher scores indicating a greater deficiency. Body energy was examined using the Meridian Energy Analysis Device. The Short-Form 36 questionnaire was used to evaluate health-related quality of life (HRQOL), which yielded physical component scores and mental component scores, with higher scores indicating better physical and mental aspects of HRQOL, respectively. RESULTS: Compared to the control group, the TCM mHealth app group showed greater improvement in hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), yang-deficiency and phlegm-stasis body constitution, and BMI; however, no significant differences were found in these outcomes between the TCM mHealth app and ordinary mHealth app groups. The TCM mHealth app group showed better improvement in body energy and mental component scores than the ordinary mHealth app group. There were no significant differences in fasting plasma glucose, yin-deficiency body constitution, Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension dietary behavior, and total PA among the three groups after the intervention. CONCLUSIONS: Use of either the ordinary or TCM mHealth app improved HRQOL among individuals with prediabetes. Compared to the outcomes of controls not using any app, use of the TCM mHealth app was effective at improving HbA1c, BMI, yang-deficiency and phlegm-stasis body constitution, and HRQOL. Moreover, using the TCM mHealth app seemed to improve the body energy and HRQOL more than when using the ordinary mHealth app. Further studies with a larger sample size and longer follow-up period may be necessary to determine whether the differences favoring the TCM app are clinically meaningful. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04096989; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04096989.

Acupuncture with twirling reinforcing and reducing manipulation shows a control of hypertension and regulation of blood pressure-related target brain regions in spontaneously hypertensive rat: a preliminary resting-state functional MRI study.

Aim: To observe the effects of acupuncture manipulations on blood pressure and brain function in spontaneously hypertensive rats and elucidate the anti-hypertensive effect of the manipulations' central mechanism. Methods: This study used acupuncture twirling reinforcing, acupuncture twirling reducing, and acupuncture twirling uniform reinforcing-reducing manipulations to act on the bilateral TaiChong point of rats. The depth of acupuncture was 1.5-2 mm, and twisting was performed at a frequency of 60 times/min within ±360° for 3 min, followed by the needle being retained for 17 min. Functional magnetic resonance imaging was performed at the end of the intervention. Regional homogeneity and amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations were used to assess the differences in brain regions in each group of rats, and the core brain region (left hypothalamus) among the differential brain regions was selected as the seed for functional connectivity analysis. Results: (1) The anti-hypertensive effect was achieved by acupuncture manipulations, and the anti-hypertensive effect of twirling reducing manipulation on spontaneously hypertensive rats was better than that of twirling uniform reinforcing-reducing and twirling reinforcing manipulations. (2) After regional homogeneity and amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations analyses, the hypothalamus, the brain region related to blood pressure, was activated in the twirling uniform reinforcing-reducing manipulation group; the corpus callosum and cerebellum were activated in the twirling reinforcing manipulation group; and the hypothalamus, olfactory bulb, corpus callosum, brainstem, globus pallidum, and striatum were activated in the twirling reducing manipulation group. (3) According to the functional connectivity analysis, different acupuncture manipulations increased the functional connections between seed points and the brainstem, olfactory bulb, and cerebellum, etc. Conclusion: These results suggest that acupuncture manipulations achieved the hypotensive effect and the twirling reducing manipulation had a better hypotensive effect on spontaneously hypertensive rats than twirling uniform reinforcing-reducing and twirling reinforcing manipulations; the central mechanism of the anti-hypertensive effect of twirling reinforcing and reducing manipulation may be related to the activation of brain regions associated with blood pressure regulation and the functional connections between them. Furthermore, brain regions involved in motor control, cognition, and hearing were also activated. We hypothesize that activation of these brain regions may help prevent or mitigate the onset and progression of hypertensive brain damage.

Electroacupuncture and manual acupuncture at LR3 and ST36 have attenuating effects on hypertension and subsequent cognitive dysfunction in spontaneously hypertensive rats: A preliminary resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging study.

Introduction: Chronic hypertension may have a contributory role toward cognitive impairment. Acupuncture exerts protective effects on cognitive functions while controlling the blood pressure. However, the neural mechanism underlying the dual attenuating effect of acupuncture remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the effects of electroacupuncture (EA) and manual acupuncture (MA) on the functional activity of the brain regions of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) by through resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI). We also evaluated the differences in these functional activities between the EA and MA groups. Methods: We randomly assigned 30 SHRs into the EA, MA, and model (SHR) groups. Wistar Kyoto rats (n = 10) were used as normal control (WKY). The interventions were administered once every alternate day for 12 weeks. The systolic blood pressure of all rats was recorded every 2 weeks until the end of the intervention. After the intervention, rs-fMRI scanning was performed to access the whole brain data of rats randomly selected from each group evenly. The amplitude of low frequency fluctuation (ALFF) analysis, regional homogeneity (ReHo) analysis, and functional connectivity (FC) analysis were also conducted. The Morris water maze (MWM) test was conducted to evaluate the learning and memory of the rats. Hematoxylin-eosin staining and Nissl staining were performed to observe histopathological changes in the key brain regions. Results: We demonstrated that, when compared with the SHR group, the EA and MA groups had significantly lower blood pressure and better performance for behavioral test indices, and that the effect of EA was better than that of MA. ALFF and ReHo analyses revealed enhancement of the neuronal activity of some functionally impaired brain areas in the EA and MA groups. The main callback brain regions included the hypothalamus, entorhinal cortex, brain stem, prelimbic cortex, cingulate cortex, corpus callosum, and cerebellum. The FC analysis demonstrated that EA and MA enhanced the functional connectivity between the seeds and brain regions such as the brain stem, entorhinal cortex, hippocampus, prelimbic cortex, and cerebellum. The pathological test of the entorhinal cortex also verified the protective effect of acupuncture on the neuronal functional activity. Discussion: Our findings suggested that EA and MA exhibited attenuating effects on hypertension and cognitive dysfunction by enhancing the functional activities in the corresponding brain regions. Moreover, EA activated more callback brain regions and functional connectivity than MA, which may explain why the effect of EA was better than that of MA.

Integrative analysis of bulk and single-cell gene expression profiles to identify tumor-associated macrophage-derived CCL18 as a therapeutic target of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is a common gastrointestinal malignancy with poor patient prognosis. Current treatment for ESCC, including immunotherapy, is only beneficial for a small subset of patients. Better characterization of the tumor microenvironment (TME) and the development of novel therapeutic targets are urgently needed. METHODS: In the present study, we hypothesized that integration of single-cell transcriptomic sequencing and large microarray sequencing of ESCC biopsies would reveal the key cell subtypes and therapeutic targets that determine the prognostic and tumorigenesis of ESCC. We characterized the gene expression profiles, gene sets enrichment, and the TME landscape of a microarray cohort including 84 ESCC tumors and their paired peritumor samples. We integrated single-cell transcriptomic sequencing and bulk microarray sequencing of ESCC to reveal key cell subtypes and druggable targets that determine the prognostic and tumorigenesis of ESCC. We then designed and screened a blocking peptide targeting Chemokine C-C motif ligand 18 (CCL18) derived from tumor associated macrophages and validated its potency by MTT assay. The antitumor activity of CCL18 blocking peptide was validated in vivo by using 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide (4-NQO) induced spontaneous ESCC mouse model. RESULTS: Comparative gene expression and cell-cell interaction analyses revealed dysregulated chemokine and cytokine pathways during ESCC carcinogenesis. TME deconvolution and cell interaction analyses allow us to identify the chemokine CCL18 secreted by tumor associated macrophages could promote tumor cell proliferation via JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway and lead to poor prognosis of ESCC. The peptide Pep3 could inhibit the proliferation of EC-109 cells promoted by CCL18 and significantly restrain the tumor progression in 4-NQO-induced spontaneous ESCC mouse model. CONCLUSIONS: For the first time, we discovered and validated that CCL18 blockade could significantly prevent ESCC progression. Our study revealed the comprehensive cell-cell interaction network in the TME of ESCC and provided novel therapeutic targets and strategies to ESCC treatment.

Astragaloside IV attenuates indoxyl sulfate-induced injury of renal tubular epithelial cells by inhibiting the aryl hydrocarbon receptor pathway.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Astragalus membranaceus Fisch. ex Bunge has long been used to treat chronic kidney disease (CKD) in China. However, the mechanism of action requires further study. Indoxyl sulfate accumulation is the key cause of CKD progression. The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) plays an essential role in the renal tubular injury induced by indoxyl sulfate (IS). AIM: We explored the effects of Astragaloside IV (AS-IV), a minor component of the flowering perennial Astragalus membranaceus Fisch. ex Bunge, on AhR activity during IS-induced injury of renal tubular epithelial cells. METHODS: C57BL/6 mice fed a 0.2% adenine diet (adenine + IS) and intraperitoneally injected with IS were used to study the protective effects of AS-IV, and specifically the effect on the AhR. In addition, apoptosis (annexin/PI), oxidative stress and the AhR pathway were investigated in IS-stimulated HK-2 cells treated with AS-IV. The binding of AS-IV to the AhR was assessed in a molecular docking analysis. AhR knockdown using AhR siRNA allowed determination of the effects of AS-IV in IS-stimulated HK-2 cells. RESULTS: AS-IV inhibited tubulointerstitial injury in adenine + IS mice. While AS-IV did not reduce serum IS levels, it did inhibit AhR expression in the kidney. In IS-stimulated HK-2 cells, AS-IV also dramatically reduced apoptosis, decreased oxidative stress responses and inhibited the expression of the AhR pathway. The molecular docking analysis showed surface binding of AS-IV to the AhR. Following AhR knockdown in HK-2 cells, IS-induced apoptosis was reduced and could not be further reduced by AS-IV. CONCLUSION: By targeting the AhR, AS-IV may alleviate IS-induced renal tubular injury, thus offering a novel therapeutic approach to the treatment of chronic renal failure.

In Vivo and In Vitro Biocompatibility Study of CuS Nanoparticles: Photosensitizer for Glioblastoma Photothermal Therapy.

Although photothermal treatment (PTT) has made significant progress in the fight against cancer, certain types of malignant tumors are still difficult to eradicate. PTT uses photothermal transforming agents to absorb NIR light and convert it to thermal energy, causing cancer cell death. In this study, we synthesized alginate (Alg)-coated CuS nanoparticles (CuS@Alg) as photothermal transforming agents to kill glioblastoma cancer cells. Nanoparticles were synthesized via a facile method, then, were characterized with different techniques such as ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and dynamic light scattering (DLS). Nanoparticles show high stability, and are monodisperse. CuS@Alg was discovered to have a spherical shape, a hydrodynamic size of about 19.93 nm, and a zeta potential of - 9.74 mV. CuS@Alg is able to increase temperature of medium under NIR light. Importantly, in vitro investigations show that PTT based on CuS@Alg has a strong theraputic impact, resulting in much high effectiveness. The LD50 and histopathology assays were used to confirm the NPs' non-toxicity in vivo. Results from an in vivo subacute toxicity investigation showed that the fabricated NPs were perfectly safe to biomedical usage.

The T stage of esophageal cancer can be effectively predicted by muscularis propria thickness and muscularis propria + mucosa thickness under ultrasonic gastroscopy.

OBJECTIVES: The latest version of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network recommends neoadjuvant therapy followed by surgical treatment or radical chemoradiotherapy for patients with cT3N0M0. Neoadjuvant therapy can improve the prognosis of patients with locally advanced esophageal cancer. Therefore, the evaluation or prediction of T stage is particularly important because the treatment could differently affect the prognosis. Here, we establish a model to predict the T stage of patients with T2-3N0M0 to help choose the best treatment strategy. METHODS: From 1637 patents with esophageal cancer, we enrolled 48 patients and performed least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression to screen for independent factors influencing pathological T stage. We, then, trained the decision tree to obtain the decision tree diagram and divided the T stages obtained by different methods into two categories, T2 and T3, for survival analysis. RESULTS: A total of 21 and 27 cases were predicted to be T2 and T3, respectively, under ultrasonic gastroscopy, 19 and 29 under magnetic resonance imaging, and 22 and 26 under pathological examination. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that the muscularis propria thickness (MPT) (p = 0.0097) and the muscularis propria + mucosa thickness (MPMT) in the largest tumor cross-section (p = 0.0239) were independent influencing factors. We plotted a decision tree diagram with these two factors. MPT in the largest tumor cross-section >1.3 mm could be judged as pT3; if ≤1.3 mm, MPMT should be considered a thickness ≥1.7 mm could be judged as pT2 (otherwise pT3). Corresponding survival analysis was performed according to the T stage under different examination modalities. CONCLUSION: MPT in the largest tumor cross-section and MPMT in the largest tumor cross-section are independent predicting factors of pathological T stage.

What can we learn from the Baduanjin rehabilitation as COVID-19 treatment?: A narrative review.

AIM: To understand Baduanjin rehabilitation therapy in mild COVID-19 patients. DESIGN: A narrative review. METHODS: A literature search for COVID-19 and Baduanjin treatments was conducted on Chinese and English electronic databases: China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Data, Embase, PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct, Ebscohost, SPORTDiscus and ProQuest. RESULTS: Twelve studies on the Baduanjin rehabilitation for COVID-19 patients have been included. We acknowledged the considerable published research and current clinical practice using Baduanjin for COVID-19 treatment in the following areas: anxiety, depression, insomnia, lung function rehabilitation, immunity and activity endurance. CONCLUSION: The use of Baduanjin as adjuvant therapy for COVID-19 patients' rehabilitation is still limited, therefore, more clinical studies are needed to confirm its efficacy.

Qian Yang Yu Yin granule improves hypertensive renal damage: A potential role for TRPC6-CaMKKß-AMPK-mTOR-mediated autophagy.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Qian Yang Yu Yin granules (QYYYG) have a long history in the treatment of hypertensive renal damage (HRD) in China. Clinical studies have found that QYYYG stabilizes blood pressure and prevents early renal damage. However, the exact mechanism is not entirely clear. AIM OF THE STUDY: To evaluate the therapeutic effect and further explore the therapeutic mechanism of QYYYG against HRD. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The efficacy of QYYYG in treating HRD was assessed in spontaneous hypertension rats (SHR). Renal autophagy and the TRPC6-CaMKKß-AMPK pathway in rats were evaluated. The regulatory role of QYYYG in angiotensin II (Ang II) induced abnormal autophagy in rat podocytes was determined by detecting autophagy-related proteins, intracellular Ca2+ content, and the TRPC6-CaMKKß-AMPK-mTOR pathway expressions. Finally, we established a stable rat podocyte cell line overexpressing TRPC6 and used the cells to verify the regulatory effects of QYYYG. RESULTS: QYYYG alleviated HRD and reversed the abnormal expression of autophagy-related genes in the SHR. In vitro, QYYYG protected against Ang II-induced podocyte damage. Furthermore, treatment of podocytes with QYYYG reversed Ang II-induced autophagy and inhibited Ang II-stimulated TRPC6 activation, Ca2+ influx and activation CaMKKß-AMPK pathway. Overexpression of TRPC6 resulted in pronounced activation of CaMKKß, AMPK, and autophagy induction in rat podocytes, which were significantly attenuated by QYYYG. CONCLUSIONS: The present study suggested that QYYYG may exert its HRD protective effects in part by regulating the abnormal autophagy of podocytes through the TRPC6-CaMKKß-AMPK-mTOR pathway.

Production of Minor Ginsenosides from Panax notoginseng Flowers by Cladosporium xylophilum.

Panax notoginseng flowers have the highest content of saponins compared to the other parts of Panax notoginseng, but minor ginsenosides have higher pharmacological activity than the main natural ginsenosides. Therefore, this study focused on the transformation of the main ginsenosides in Panax notoginseng flowers to minor ginsenosides using the fungus of Cladosporium xylophilum isolated from soil. The main ginsenosides Rb1, Rb2, Rb3, and Rc and the notoginsenoside Fa in Panax notoginseng flowers were transformed into the ginsenosides F2 and Rd2, the notoginsenosides Fd and Fe, and the ginsenoside R7; the conversion rates were 100, 100, 100, 88.5, and 100%, respectively. The transformation products were studied by TLC, HPLC, and MS analyses, and the biotransformation pathways of the major ginsenosides were proposed. In addition, the purified enzyme of the fungus was prepared with the molecular weight of 66.4 kDa. The transformation of the monomer ginsenosides by the crude enzyme is consistent with that by the fungus. Additionally, three saponins were isolated from the transformation products and identified as the ginsenoside Rd2 and the notoginsenosides Fe and Fd by NMR and MS analyses. This study provided a unique and powerful microbial strain for efficiently transformating major ginsenosides in P. notoginseng flowers to minor ginsenosides, which will help raise the functional and economic value of the P. notoginseng flower.