ABSTRACT
Sleep deprivation (SD) has many deleterious health effects and occurs in more than 70% of pregnant women. However, the changes in sex hormones and relevant mechanisms after SD have not been well clarified. The aim of the present study was to explore the effects of SD on the secretion of sex hormones and the underlying mechanisms. Twelve pregnant Wistar rats were divided into control (CON, n = 6) and SD (n = 6) groups. Pregnant rats in the SD group were deprived of sleep for 18 h, and allowed free rest for 6 h, and then the above procedures were repeated until delivery. The CON group lived in a 12 h light/dark light cycle environment. Estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P4) levels were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and the expression of circadian clock genes, Bmal1, Clock and Per2, in hypothalamus and pituitary gland tissues were evaluated by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). The PI3K and Akt phosphorylation levels in the hypothalamic and pituitary tissues were determined by Western blot. The results showed that, compared with the CON group, the SD group exhibited significantly reduced serum E2 and P4 levels, down-regulated Bmal1, Clock and Per2 expression, as well as decreased phosphorylation levels of PI3K and Akt. But there was no significant difference of the total PI3K and Akt protein expression levels between the two groups. These results suggest that SD might affect the expression of the circadian clock genes in the hypothalamus and pituitary via PI3K/Akt pathway, and subsequently regulate the secretion of sex hormones in the pregnant rats, which hints the important roles of SD-induced changes of serum sex hormone levels in the pregnant rats.
Subject(s)
Circadian Clocks , Gonadal Steroid Hormones , Hypothalamus , Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases , Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt , Sleep Deprivation , ARNTL Transcription Factors/genetics , ARNTL Transcription Factors/metabolism , Animals , Circadian Clocks/genetics , Circadian Clocks/physiology , Circadian Rhythm/genetics , Female , Gene Expression Regulation/genetics , Gonadal Steroid Hormones/genetics , Gonadal Steroid Hormones/metabolism , Hypothalamus/metabolism , Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases/genetics , Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases/metabolism , Pituitary Gland/metabolism , Pregnancy , Progesterone , Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/genetics , Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/metabolism , Rats , Rats, Wistar , Signal Transduction , Sleep Deprivation/genetics , Sleep Deprivation/metabolismABSTRACT
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To systematically determine the effectiveness of horticultural therapy (HT) on the physical functioning and psychological health of older people. BACKGROUND: With advancing age and increased chronic diseases, older adults are vulnerable to physical deterioration and psychological problems. There is evidence that horticultural therapy (HT) has positive effect among older adults. However, less attention has been devoted to systematically evaluating the physical functioning and psychological health effects of HT in older adults. DESIGN: Systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted based on the checklist for PRISMA. METHODS: The searches were conducted in PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Cochrane, China Network Knowledge Infrastructure, Wan Fang, and China Science and Technology Journal Database, from their inception until June 2021. Randomised controlled trials published in either English or Chinese were reviewed. The Review Manager 5.4 software was used for meta-analyses. The quality of included studies was evaluated using the Cochrane risk of bias tool by two independent researchers. RESULTS: Ten studies involving 884 participants were included. Compared with the control group, HT can significantly improve upper body flexibility and aerobic endurance in older adults with cancer. Besides, HT was found to be more effective for promoting emotional functioning and well-being, subjective social functioning, and quality of life among the elderly. The attendance rate for HT was 66%-100%, and no negative events were found. CONCLUSION: Horticultural therapy has potentially positive effects on the physical functioning and psychological health of older adults. However, more rigorous randomised controlled trials with larger populations are required to confirm the findings. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: As a safe and promising nonpharmacological intervention, healthcare professionals may consider the HT intervention when caring for older adults with cancer, dementia and frailty.
Subject(s)
Horticultural Therapy , Neoplasms , Aged , Humans , Mental Health , Outcome Assessment, Health Care , Quality of LifeABSTRACT
The overall survival rate of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has remained unchanged over the last several decades. Therefore, novel drugs and therapies are required for HCC treatment. Isoliquiritigenin (ISL), a natural flavonoid predominantly isolated from the traditional Chinese medicine Glycyrrhizae Radix (Licorice), has a high anticancer potential and broad application value in various cancers. Here, we aimed to investigate the anticancer role of ISL in the HCC cell line Hep3B. Functional analysis revealed that ISL inhibited the proliferation of Hep3B cells by causing G1/S cell cycle arrest in vitro. Meanwhile, the inhibitory effect of ISL on proliferation was also observed in vivo. Further analysis revealed that ISL could suppress the migration and metastasis of Hep3B cells in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistic analysis revealed that ISL inhibited cyclin D1 and up-regulated the proteins P21, P27 that negatively regulate the cell cycle. Furthermore, ISL induced apoptosis while inhibiting cell cycle transition. In addition, phosphatidylinositol 3'-kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/AKT) signal pathway was suppressed by ISL treatment, and the epithelial marker E-cadherin was up-regulated when the mesenchymal markers Vimentin and N-cadherin were down-regulated. In brief, our findings suggest that ISL could be a promising agent for preventing HCC tumorigenesis and metastasis.