Lysidrhodosides A-I, acylphloroglucinol glucosides with anti-inflammatory activities from the leaves of Lysidice rhodostegia.

Lysidrhodosides A-I (1-9), nine acylphloroglucinol glucoside derivatives along with three known analogues (10-12) were isolated from the leaves of Lysidice rhodostegia. Their structures and absolute configuration were elucidated by spectroscopic data analysis (NMR, UV, IR, HR-ESI-MS), single-crystal X-ray diffraction, and acid hydrolysis with HPLC analysis. Notably, compounds 7-9 represent the first examples of 3-methylbutyryl phloroglucinol glucoside dimers isolated from this plant. Additionally, compounds 1-12 were assessed for their inhibitory effects on nitric oxide (NO) in the LPS-induced BV-2 cells. The results showed that compounds 6 and 12 significantly inhibited the production of the inflammatory mediator NO, with an inhibitory rate of 95.96 and 91.13% at a concentration of 50 µM, respectively.

[Acupuncture of revised acupoint combination around the skull base for post-stroke mild cognitive impairment: a randomized controlled trial].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical efficacy of acupuncture of revised acupoint combination around the skull base in treating post-stroke mild cognitive impairment (PSMCI), and preliminary explore its action mechanism. METHODS: A total of 76 PSMCI patients were randomly divided into an observation group (38 cases, 4 cases dropped off) and a control group (38 cases, 3 cases dropped off, 1 case was removed). In the observation group, acupuncture of revised acupoint combination around the skull base (bilateral Fengchi [GB 20], Wangu [GB 12], Tianzhu [BL 10] and Yamen [GV 15], Baihui [GV 20]) was used for treatment. In the control group, 8 non-meridian and non-acupoint points at the distal end were selected for shallow puncture treatment. Retaining the needles of 30 min, once every other day,3 times a week for 4 weeks in both groups. The scores of Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA), mini-mental state examination (MMSE), Barthel index (BI) and serum levels of cystatin C (Cys-C) and homocysteine (Hcy) were compared in the two groups before and after treatment, and the clinical efficacy was evaluated. RESULTS: After treatment, the scores of MoCA were increased compared with those before treatment in the two groups (P<0.05), and the score in the observation group was higher than that in the control group (P<0.05). The scores of MMSE and BI were increased compared with those before treatment in the observation group (P<0.05), and the score of MMSE in the observation group was higher than that in the control group (P<0.05). After treatment, the serum levels of Cys-C and Hcy were decreased compared with those before treatment in the observation group (P<0.05), and lower than those in the control group (P<0.05). After treatment, the serum level of Cys-C was increased compared with that before treatment in the control group (P<0.05). The total effective rate of the observation group was 88.2% (30/34), which was higher than 32.4% (11/34) of the control group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Acupuncture of revised acupoint combination around the skull base can improve cognitive function and daily living ability of PSMCI patients, which may be related to the down regulation of serum levels of Cys-C and Hcy.

Association of hepatic/pancreatic iron overload evaluated by quantitative T2* MRI with bone mineral density and trabecular bone score.

BACKGROUND: Iron-overloaded patients are recognized as presenting an increased risk of osteoporosis. However, studies on the correlation between osteoporosis and organ iron overload are controversial or scarce. The aim of this study is to assess bone mineral density (BMD) and trabecular bone score (TBS) in correlation with hepatic and pancreatic iron overload. METHODS: Forty-one patients diagnosed with hemoglobinopathies, were studied. BMDs of the lumbar spine (LS), femoral neck (FN), and total hip (TH) were analyzed by Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scan. LS bone quality was derived from each spine DXA examination using the TBS analysis. Hepatic and pancreatic iron overload were obtained with a multi-echo gradient echo T2* technique. RESULTS: Abnormal microarchitecture and abnormal bone mass were observed in 19/41 (46.3%) and 9/41 (22.0%) patients, respectively. For 26 males, BMD, T-score and Z-score of LS were significantly lower among subjects with moderate-severe hepatic iron-overload than their counterparts, as it is between no- and pancreatic iron-overload groups. For 15 females, patients with moderate-severe hepatic iron-overload had significantly lower BMD and T-score of FN and TH, and patients with pancreatic iron-overload had significantly lower BMD, T-score of FN, and lower BMD, T-score and Z-score of TH than their counterparts. Moreover, pancreatic T2*-value was positively correlated with BMD and T-score at all analyzed sites and Z-score at TH. CONCLUSION: These data showed lower bone mass in patients with organ iron overload, particularly for LS in males, FN and TH in females. TBS may well represent a complementary tool for the evaluation of bone quality and the risk of fracture in iron-overloaded patients.

Seven diterpenoids from the resin of Pinus yunnanensis Franch and their anti-inflammatory activity.

Phytochemical investigation of the 95% ethanol extract from Pinus yunnanensis Franch resin induced the isolation of six previously unreported diterpenoids pinuyunnanacids K - N, P - Q, a nor-diterpenoid with a novel skeleton pinuyunnanacid O and six known analogues. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic analysis and computational methods, including nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, calculated NMR chemical shifts method and electronic circular dichroic (ECD) spectra. All the compounds were analyzed for anti-inflammatory activity through western blotting and cell viability, compounds 2, 10 and 12 significantly downregulated the protein expression of iNOS at the concentration of 40 µM. At the same time, compounds 10 and 12 decreased the expression of COX-2 in LPS-treated RAW264.7 (leukemia cells in mouse macrophage) cells at the concentration of 40 µM.

Based on different immune responses under the glucose metabolizing type of papillary thyroid cancer and the response to anti-PD-1 therapy.

Glucose metabolism-related genes play an important role in the development and immunotherapy of many tumours, but their role in thyroid cancer is ambiguous. To investigate the role of glucose metabolism-related genes in the development of papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) and their correlation with the clinical outcome of PTC, we collected transcriptomic data from 501 PTC patients in the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). We performed nonnegative matrix decomposition clustering of 2752 glucose metabolism-related genes from transcriptome data and classified PTC patients into three subgroups (C1 for high activation of glucose metabolism, C2 for low activation of glucose metabolism and C3 for moderate activation of glucose metabolism) based on the activation of different glucose metabolism-related genes in 10 glucose metabolism-related pathways. We found a positive correlation between the activation level of glucose metabolism and the tumour mutation burden (TMB), neoantigen number, mRNA stemness index (mRNAsi), age, and tumour stage in PTC patients. Next, we constructed a prognostic prediction model for PTC using six glucose metabolism-related genes (PGBD5, TPO, IGFBPL1, TMEM171, SOD3, TDRD9) and constructed a nomogram based on the risk score and clinical parameters of PTC patients. Both the prognostic risk prediction model and nomogram had high stability and accuracy for predicting the progression-free interval (PFI) in PTC patients. Patients were then divided into high-risk and low-risk groups by risk score. The high-risk group was sensitive to paclitaxel and anti-PD-1 treatment, and the low-risk group was sensitive to sorafenib treatment. We found that the high-risk group was enriched in inflammatory response pathways and associated with high level of immune cell infiltration. To verify the accuracy of the prognostic prediction model, we knocked down PGBD5 in PTC cells and found that the proliferation ability of PTC cells was significantly reduced. This suggests that PGBD5 may be a relatively important oncogene in PTC. Our study constructed a prognostic prediction model and classification of PTC by glucose metabolism-related genes, which provides a new perspective on the role of glucose metabolism in the development and immune microenvironment of PTC and in guiding chemotherapy, targeted therapy and immune checkpoint blockade therapy of PTC.

Effectiveness of therapeutic massage for improving motor symptoms in Parkinson's disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Parkinson's disease (PD) causes movement disorders [called motor symptoms (MS)], and motor dysfunction poses a great barrier to the quality of life. Although pharmacological therapy like levodopa can relieve the symptoms, it can also cause complications, such as psychosis, nausea, and dyskinesia. A therapy with more minor side effects is needed for PD. Therapeutic massages are the most commonly used forms of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), but no systematic review and meta-analysis have focused on the efficacy of massage on PD. Objective: To evaluate the quality of evidence and efficacy of therapeutic massage for improving MS in PD. Methods: We independently searched four electronic databases, including Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), MEDLINE/PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library, for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) about therapeutic massage and other available manual therapies improving MS in PD from January 1, 2012, to December 31, 2021 (recent 10 years). The main outcome measures were total effectiveness and the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS), including UPDRS total, II, and III. For the statistical analysis, the risk ratio, standard mean difference, and 95% confidence interval (CI) were used to calculate effect sizes between groups. To determine heterogeneity, statistical index I 2 was used. Results: A total of 363 PD participants in seven RCTs and one randomized pilot-control study were included in this meta-analysis. The total effectiveness showed that therapeutic massage was more effective than the intervention of the control group for improving MS [ratio risk (RR): 1.33, 95% CI (1.14-1.55), p = 0.0002]. The UPDRS-III scores showed that massage improves motor function more than the control group [SMD = -0.46, 95% CI (-0.67, -0.24), p < 0.00001]. But we found that massage performed no better than the control group in improving daily life activities [SMD = -0.15, 95% CI (-0.40, 0.10), p = 0.23]. Conclusion: Therapeutic massage was effective in improving MS in PD. It is suggested to be an appropriate form of CAM in treating PD. Systematic Review Registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/display_record.php?RecordID=323182, identifier: CRD42022323182.

Cloning and Prokaryotic Expression of Carotenoid Cleavage Dioxygenases from Mulberry (Morus notabilis).

Carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase (CCD) is the key enzyme for carotenoid cleavage, and the products of carotenoid cleavage regulate the ability of plants to stress. In this paper, six CCD genes were obtained from Morus notabilis (Mn) by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and we classified them into three subgroups based on gene structures and phylogenetic analysis. The CDS (coding sequence) regions of the six MnCCD genes were 1617, 1620, 1635, 1713, 1746, and 1791 bp in full length, encoding 538, 539, 544, 570, 581, and 596 amino acids, respectively. Then, Pcold-TF-MnCCD plasmids were constructed and independently transferred into E. coli BL21 (DE3), and the MnCCD proteins were successfully expressed by prokaryotic expression with an expected molecular weight of recombinant proteins (∼120 kDa) and high solubility. These results will lay a foundation for the identification of mulberry carotenoid products.

The Effect of Modified Tai Chi Exercises on the Physical Function and Quality of Life in Elderly Women With Knee Osteoarthritis.

Background: Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is the leading cause of pain and stiffness, affecting older adults' physical function and quality of life. As a form of mind-body exercise, Tai Chi has been recommended as an exercise prescription for KOA patients. This study examined the effects and continuation of modified Tai Chi exercises on physical function and quality of life in elderly women with KOA. Methods: We conducted a single-blind, randomized controlled trial (RCT) on 40 older women with KOA. The participants were randomized to a 12 weeks Tai Chi or control group. The Tai Chi group attended a kind of modified Tai Chi training sessions three times per week; the control group attended wellness education sessions once a week. The primary outcome was the Western Ontario and McMaster University Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC). Secondary outcomes were the Berg Balance Scale (BBS), Timed Up and Go (TUG), Short-Form 36 (SF-36), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality of Index (PSQI), Self-rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), and Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS). Results: After the 12-weeks the Tai Chi group showed significan improvement in the WOMAC pain (mean difference, -5.09 points, p = 0.001), WOMAC stiffness (mean difference, -3.60 points, p = 0.002), WOMAC physical function (mean difference, -11.21 points, p = 0.001) compared to the control group. In addition, the Tai Chi group had also significant improvement in the BBS (mean difference, 1.70 points, p = 0.008), TUG (mean difference, -0.52s, p = 0.001), SF-36PCS (mean difference, 7.60 points, p = 0.001), MCS (mean difference, 7.30 points, p = 0.001), PSQI (mean difference, -3.71 points, p = 0.001), SDS (mean difference, -5.37 points, p = 0.025) and SAS (mean difference, -5.06 points, p = 0.002). Conclusion: The modified Tai Chi exercises are an effective treatment for improved physical function and quality of life in elderly women with KOA. Clinical Trial Registration: The trial was registered in Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR2000040721), http://www.chictr.org.cn/edit.aspx?pid=65419&htm=4.

A review on the thermal treatment of heavy metal hyperaccumulator: Fates of heavy metals and generation of products.

Phytoremediation is perceived as a promising technique for remediation of heavy metal (HM) contaminated soils, while the harvested HM-enriched hyperaccumulator biomass should be appropriately disposed. Recently, various thermal treatments of hyperaccumulator have drawn increasing attention. After thermal treatment, the hyperaccumulator was converted to bio-oil, bio-gas, biochar, or ash in accordance with the corresponding conditions, and the HMs were separated, immobilized, or trapped. The migration and transformation of HMs during the thermochemical conversion processes are critical for the safe disposal and further utilization of HM hyperaccumulator. This paper provides a systematic review on the migration and transformation of typical HMs (Cd, Ni, Mn, As, and Zn) in hyperaccumulator during various thermochemical conversion processes, and special emphasis is given to the production and application of targeted products (e.g. biochar, hydrochar, bio-oil, and syngas). Besides, future challenges and perspectives in the thermal treatment of hyperaccumulator are presented as well. The distribution and speciation of HMs were influenced by thermal technique type and reaction conditions, thereby affecting the utilization of the derived products. This review suggests that speciation and availability of HMs in hyperaccumulator are tunable by varying treatment techniques and reaction conditions. This information should be useful for the selective conversion of hyperaccumulator into green and valuable products.

Effects of oligochitosan on the growth, immune responses and gut microbes of tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus).

The immunomodulatory effects of oligochitosan have been demonstrated in several fish. However, the underlying mechanisms are not well characterized. The profound interplay between gut microbes and aquaculture has received much scientific attention but understanding the alternations of microbes populating in gut of tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) fed with oligochitosan remains enigmatic. In this study, the effects of oligochitosan on the growth, immune responses and gut microbes of tilapia were investigated. The feeding trial was conducted in triplicates with the control diet supplemented with oligochitosan at different concentrations (0, 100, 200, 400 or 800 mg/kg). Following a six-week feeding trial, body weights of the fish supplemented with 200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg oligochitosan were significantly higher than that of the control group. To address the immune responses stimulated by oligochitosan, by the quantitative real time PCR (qRT-PCR), the mRNA expression levels of CSF, IL-1ß, IgM, TLR2 and TLR3 genes from head kidney were all significantly up-regulated in the 400 mg/kg group compared to the control. To characterize the gut microbes, bacterial samples were collected from the foregut, midgut, and hindgut, respectively and were subjected to high-throughput sequencing of 16S rDNA. The results showed that significantly lower abundance of Fusobacterium was detected in the hindgut of 400 mg/kg group compared to the control. Additionally, beta-diversity revealed that both gut habitat and oligochitosan had effects on the gut bacterial assembly. To further elucidate the mechanism underlying the effects of oligochitosan on bacterial assembly, the results showed that difference dosages of dietary oligochitosan could alter the specific metabolic pathways and functions of the discriminatory bacterial taxa, resulting in the different bacterial assemblies. To test the antibacterial ability of tilapia fed with oligochitosan, when the tilapias were challenged with Aeromonas hydrophila, the mortality of groups fed with dietary oligochitosan was significantly lower than that of the control. Taken together, appropriate dietary oligochitosan could improve growth, immune responses and alter the bacterial flora in the intestine of tilapia, so as to play a role in fighting against the bacterial infection.

Foliage application of selenium and silicon nanoparticles alleviates Cd and Pb toxicity in rice (Oryza sativa L.).

Direct discharge of untreated industrial waste water in water bodies and then irrigation from these sources has increased trace metals contamination in paddy fields of southern China. Among trace metals, cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) are classified as most harmful contaminants in farmland to many organisms including plants, animals and humans. Rice is a staple food which is consumed by half population of the world; due to longer growth period it can easily absorb and accumulate the trace metals from soil. The objective of study was to check the efficacy of Se and Si NPs (nanoparticles) alone or in combination on metals accumulation and Se-fortified rice (Oryzasativa L.) production as their efficiency remained untested. Alone as well as combined application of Se- and Si-NPs (5, 10 and 20 mg L-1) was achieved along with CK. All the treatments significantly reduced the Cd and Pb contents in brown rice, except CK, Se3, Si1 and Se1Si3. Combined application of Se and Si (Se3Si2) was more effective in reducing the Cd and Pb contents by 62 and 52%, respectively. In addition, foliar application of both NPs improved the rice growth and quality by increasing the grain yield, rice biomass, and Se contents in brown rice. Highest concentration of Se (1.35 mg kg-1) in brown rice was observed with combined application of Se- and Si-Nps (Se3Si2). Selenium speciation revealed the presence of organic species (74%) in brown rice. The combinations of different doses of Se- and Si-Nps are the main determining factor for total concentration of metals in grains. These results demonstrate that foliage supplementation of Se and Si-Nps alleviate the Cd and Pb toxicity by reducing the metals' concentration in brown rice. Additionally foliage supplementation improved the nutritional quality by reducing the phytic acid contents in rice grains.

Textual Research on Lycii Cortex / 中国实验方剂学杂志

The research and development of classical prescriptions is an important way to promote the inheritance and innovation of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) and promote the modernization and internationalization of TCM. It is particularly important to summarize the historical development of the composition of classical prescriptions, so as to define their origin, taste efficacy and syndrome taboos. It is also the source to ensure the safety and effectiveness of the whole prescription. As a commonly used traditional Chinese medicinal material, Lycii Cortex is widely used and has a good prospect for research and development. There are five prescriptions containing wolfberry bark in the Catalogue of Ancient Classical Prescriptions(the First Batch). There are only a few modern literatures on the development of Lycii Cortex. Therefore, this paper will summarize the development of skeleton skin alias, origin, nature, taste, meridian, efficacy, syndromes and taboos in ancient books of the previous dynasties. Textual analysis found that Lycii Cortex was first recorded in the Fifty-two Pathogenic Prescriptions. Ancient books before the Han dynasty did not mention the Chinese medicinal material named " Digupi" . There are little differences in the contents about Digupi between modern literatures and ancient books of the previous dynasties. With the changes of the times, Lycii Cortex has been rarely used, with a fault inheritance, suggesting that there are still many potential efficacy indications for clinical application. In addition to the traditional Chinese medicinal specifications, ancient books also recorded the processing methods with liquorice soup, fried, roasted, children's stool, wine soaking and steaming.

Sequencing of Chinese castor lines reveals genetic signatures of selection and yield-associated loci.

Oil produced by castor (Ricinus communis) has broad industrial applications. However, knowledge on the genetic diversity, especially genetic alterations that occurred during domestication and subsequent traits selection, of this oil crop is limited. Here, our population genomics analyses show that the Chinese castors have developed a geographic pattern, classified into the southern-, the middle-, and the northern-China groups. We detect a number of candidate genomic loci that are associated with the selection signals during the geographical differentiation and domestication. Using genome-wide association analysis, we identify candidate genes associated with nine agronomically important traits. One of the candidate genes encoding a glycosyltransferase related to cellulose and lignin biosynthesis is associated with both capsule dehiscence and endocarp thickness. We hypothesize that the abundance of cellulose or lignin in endocarp is an important factor for capsule dehiscence. Our results provide foundation for castor breeding and genetic study.

Draft genome of the lined seahorse, Hippocampus erectus.

Background: The lined seahorse, Hippocampus erectus , is an Atlantic species and mainly inhabits shallow sea beds or coral reefs. It has become very popular in China for its wide use in traditional Chinese medicine. In order to improve the aquaculture yield of this valuable fish species, we are trying to develop genomic resources for assistant selection in genetic breeding. Here, we provide whole genome sequencing, assembly, and gene annotation of the lined seahorse, which can enrich genome resource and further application for its molecular breeding. A total of 174.6 Gb (Gigabase) raw DNA sequences were generated by the Illumina Hiseq2500 platform. The final assembly of the lined seahorse genome is around 458 Mb, representing 94% of the estimated genome size (489 Mb by k-mer analysis). The contig N50 and scaffold N50 reached 14.57 kb and 1.97 Mb, respectively. Quality of the assembled genome was assessed by BUSCO with prediction of 85% of the known vertebrate genes and evaluated using the de novo assembled RNA-seq transcripts to prove a high mapping ratio (more than 99% transcripts could be mapped to the assembly). Using homology-based, de novo and transcriptome-based prediction methods, we predicted 20 788 protein-coding genes in the generated assembly, which is less than our previously reported gene number (23 458) of the tiger tail seahorse ( H. comes ). We report a draft genome of the lined seahorse. These generated genomic data are going to enrich genome resource of this economically important fish, and also provide insights into the genetic mechanisms of its iconic morphology and male pregnancy behavior.

Hypertonic saline attenuates expression of Notch signaling and proinflammatory mediators in activated microglia in experimentally induced cerebral ischemia and hypoxic BV-2 microglia.

BACKGROUND: Ischemic stroke is a major disease that threatens human health in ageing population. Increasing evidence has shown that neuroinflammatory mediators play crucial roles in the pathophysiology of cerebral ischemia injury. Notch signaling is recognized as the cell fate signaling but recent evidence indicates that it may be involved in the inflammatory response in activated microglia in cerebral ischemia. Previous report in our group demonstrated hypertonic saline (HS) could reduce the release of interleukin-1 beta and tumor necrosis factor-alpha in activated microglia, but the underlying molecular and cellular mechanisms have remained uncertain. This study was aimed to explore whether HS would partake in regulating production of proinflammatory mediators through Notch signaling. RESULTS: HS markedly attenuated the expression of Notch-1, NICD, RBP-JK and Hes-1 in activated microglia both in vivo and in vitro. Remarkably, HS also reduced the expression of iNOS in vivo, while the in vitro levels of inflammatory mediators Phos-NF-κB, iNOS and ROS were reduced by HS as well. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that HS may suppress of inflammatory mediators following ischemia/hypoxic through the Notch signaling which operates synergistically with NF-κB pathway in activated microglia. Our study has provided the morphological and biochemical evidence that HS can attenuate inflammation reaction and can be neuroprotective in cerebral ischemia, thus supporting the use of hypertonic saline by clinicians in patients with an ischemia stroke.

Fabrication and evaluation of chitosan/NaYF4:Yb3+/Tm3+ upconversion nanoparticles composite beads based on the gelling of Pickering emulsion droplets.

The rare earth ion doped upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) synthesized by hydrophobic organic ligands possess poor solubility and low fluorescence quantum yield in aqueous media. To conquer this issue, NaYF4:Yb3+/Tm3+ UCNPs, synthesized by a hydrothermal method, were coated with F127 and then assembled with chitosan to fabricate the chitosan/NaYF4:Yb3+/Tm3+ composite beads (CS/NaYF4:Yb3+/Tm3+ CBs) by Pickering emulsion system. The characterization results revealed that the as-synthesized NaYF4:Yb3+/Tm3+ UCNPs with an average size of 20nm exhibited spherical morphology, high crystallinity and characteristic emission upconversion fluorescence with an overall blue color output. The NaYF4:Yb3+/Tm3+ UCNPs were successfully conjugated on the surface of chitosan beads by the gelling of emulsion droplets. The resultant CS/NaYF4:Yb3+/Tm3+ CBs showed good upconversion luminescent property, drug-loading capacity, release performance and excellent biocompatibility, exhibiting great potentials in targeted drug delivery and tissue engineering with potential tracking capability and lasting release performance.

Bioaccumulation of Metals in Tissues of Seahorses Collected from Coastal China.

Seahorses, which have been used in Chinese traditional medicine, are poor swimmers and easily affected by regional ecological conditions. In this study, we investigated the bioaccumulation of nine metals in different tissues of four seahorse species (Hippocampus trimaculatus, H. histrix, H. kelloggi, and H. kuda) from six locations along the Chinese coast. The present study found relatively low concentrations of metals in the seahorses compared with those in other marine fishes. There was a location-dependent variation in metal concentrations in the seahorses, especially between developed and less developed cities. Results also showed metal concentrations varied among different seahorse species and tissues, with H. kelloggi having higher bioaccumulation ability compared with H. trimaculatus and higher metal levels were found in visceral mass, muscle, and skin tissues than those in brain, lips gill, endoskeleton, and exoskeleton tissues in the seahorses. Among different metals, Mg had the highest tissue concentrations in all the seahorses, followed by Al and Mn.

The effects of low-intensity pulsed ultrasound and nanomagnet applications on the expressions of MMP-13 and MAPKs in rabbit knee osteoarthritis.

An animal model of Osteoarthritis (OA) was established to observe the influences of low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) and nano magnet application (NMA) on Collagenase 3 (MMP-13) expression and the activation status of mitogen activated protein kinases (MAPKs) in rabbit. 24 experimental rabbits from New Zealand were randomly divided into four groups: LIPUS, NMA, LIPUS + NMA group, and control group. The experimental rabbit OA model was established in the right knee joint of rabbits received ACLT operation. Rabbits in LIPUS group received LIPUS treatment and rabbits in NMA group were given NMA treatment. In LIPUS + NMA group, both treatments were applied on experimental rabbits everyday. However, the rabbits in control group only underwent ACLT operation. Four weeks later all rabbits were killed and changes of histopathology in rabbit articular cartilage were assessed and evaluated using Mankin method (Modified Mankin Scale). The protein expressions of MMP-13 and MAPKs were estimated using Western Blot. The results showed that both LIPUS and NMA treatments could significantly decrease the Mankin scores and suppress the expression level of MMP-13. However, there were some inverse results of MAPKs expression in these two applications and imply their treatment mechanisms of OA were different from each other.

[Overactive bladder after transurethral resection of prostate treated with electroacupuncture therapy and tolterodine].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the therapeutic effect of overactive bladder after transurethral resection of prostate (TURP) preventively treated with electroacupuncture and Tolterodine. METHODS: One hundred and twenty cases of benign prostate hyperplasia of TURP were randomly divided into an electroacupuncture and medicine group, an electroacupuncture group, a medicine group and a control group, 30 cases in each group. All the patients were treated with TURP under the continuous epidural anesthesia, and the catheter was retained for 5-7 days. In electroacupuncture group, before the surgery of the same day, Huiyang (BL 35), Ciliao (BL 32), Qugu (CV 2) and Huiyin (CV 1) were acupunctured with electroacupuncture for 30 min, once a day, 5-7 days' treatment was applied. In medicine group, Tolterodine Tartrate tablet was taken for 2 mg in the morning of surgery day, twice a day and treatment was applied for 5-7 days. In electroacupuncture and medicine group, the comprehensive therapies above in both electroacupuncture group and medicine group were applied. In control group, Pethidine of 50 mg was given by intramuscular injection when bladder was overactive, combined with Anisodamine injection of 10 mg according to the symptoms. The frequency and lasting time of bladder overactivity were compared within 72 hours after TURP in each group. RESULTS: After TURP, the frequency of bladder overactivity were 2-4 times a day, and lasted for 5-15 min each time in control group. The frequency and lasting time of bladder overactivity in treatment groups at different time were less than those in control group (P < 0.01, P < 0.001). There was no significant difference in comparison of frequency and lasting time of bladder overactivity between electroacupuncture and medicine group (all P > 0.05). The frequency and lasting time of bladder hyperactivity in electroacupuncture and medicine group were less than those in the electroacupuncture group and the medicine group at 24 hours, 24-48 hours, 48-72 hours after TUPR (P < 0.05, P < 0.01, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: After TURP, early prevention of combined therapy of electroacupuncture and Tolterodine with oral administration is superior to that of electroacupuncture therapy or Tolterodine for overactive bladder treatment, and it is the safe and effective method to treat overactive bladder.

Biodiversity of the oleaginous microorganisms in Tibetan Plateau

Microbial lipids, which are also known as single cell oils (SCO), are produced by oleaginous microorganisms including oleaginous bacteria, yeast, fungus and algae through converting carbohydrates into lipids under certain conditions. Due to its unique environment having extremely low temperature and anoxia, the Tibetan Plateau is amongst the regions with numerous rare ecotypes such as arid desert, salt marsh, alpine permafrost, hot spring, and lawn. By using a rapid, convenient screening method, we identified 31 strains of oleaginous microorganisms from different habitats in the Tibetan Plateau, which include wetlands, lawn, hot spring, alpine permafrost, and saline-alkali soil. Molecular identity analysis showed that they belong to 15 different species, 7 of which are reported for the first time as lipid-producing microorganisms, that is, Cladosporium sp., Gibberella fujikuro, Ochrobactrum sp., Plectosphaerella sp., Tilletiopsis albescens, Backusella ctenidia, and Davidiella tassiana. The distribution of the oleaginous microorganisms varies with habitats. 11 strains were found in hot spring (35.5%), 10 in farmland (32.3%), 6 in lawn (19.4%), 2 in sand (6.4%), 1 in wetland (3.2%), and 1 in permafrost (3.2%). Carbon utilization analysis indicated that most of these filamentous fungi can use xylose and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) as carbon source, where Backusella ctenidia, Fusarium sp. and Gibberella fujikuroi have the strongest capability.