Ferroptosis: A new view on the prevention and treatment of diabetic kidney disease with traditional Chinese medicine.

Diabetic kidney disease is one of the complications of diabetes mellitus, which can eventually progress to end-stage kidney disease. The increasing prevalence of diabetic kidney disease has brought huge economic burden to society and seriously jeopardized public health. Ferroptosis is an iron-dependent, non-apoptosis-regulated form of cell death. The regulation of ferroptosis involves different molecular mechanisms and multiple cellular metabolic pathways. In recent years, ferroptosis has been proved to be closely related to the occurrence and development of diabetic kidney disease, and can interact with pathological changes such as fibrosis, inflammation, oxidative stress, and disorders of glucose and lipid metabolism, destroying the structure, form and function of the inherent cells of the kidney, and promoting the progression of the disease. Traditional Chinese medicine has a long history of treating diabetic kidney disease with remarkable curative effect. Current scholars have shown that the oral administration of traditional Chinese medicine and the external treatment of Chinese medicine can regulate GPX4, Nrf2, ACSL4, PTGS2, TFR1 and other key signaling molecules, curb ferroptosis, and prevent the progressive deterioration of diabetic kidney disease. In this paper, the mechanism of ferroptosis and diabetic kidney disease and the prevention and treatment of traditional Chinese medicine are analyzed and summarized, in order to provide new ideas and new plans for the treatment of diabetic kidney disease.

[Mechanism of Puerariae Lobatae Radix against lung cancer by inhibiting histone demethylase LSD1].

Histone lysine-specific demethylase 1(LSD1) has become a promising molecular target for lung cancer therapy. Upon the screening platform for LSD1 activity, some Chinese herbal extracts were screened for LSD1 activity inhibition, and the underlying mechanism was preliminarily investigated at both molecular and cellular levels. The results of LSD1 inhibition showed that Puerariae Lobatae Radix extract can effectively reduce LSD1 expression to elevate the expression of H3 K4 me2 and H3 K9 me2 substrates in H1975 and H1299 cells. Furthermore, Puerariae Lobatae Radix was evaluated for its anti-lung cancer activity. It had a potent inhibitory ability against the proliferation and colony formation of both H1975 and H1299 cells. Flow cytometry and DAPI staining assays indicated that Puerariae Lobatae Radix can induce the apoptosis of lung cancer cells. In addition, it can significantly suppress the migration and reverse the epithelial-mesenchymal transition(EMT) process of lung cancer cells by activating E-cadherin and suppressing the expression of N-cadherin, slug and vimentin. To sum up, Puerariae Lobatae Radix displayed a robust inhibitory activity against lung cancer, and the mechanism may be related to the down-regulation of LSD1 expression to induce the cell apoptosis and suppress the cell migration and EMT process. These findings will provide new insights into the action of Puerariae Lobatae Radix as an anti-lung cancer agent and offer new ideas for the study on the anti-cancer action of Chinese medicine based on the epigenetic modification.

Effect of Early Electroacupuncture Combined with Enhanced Recovery after Surgery (ERAS) on Pain Perception and Dysfunction in Patients after Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA).

Objective: A retrospective case-control study was performed to observe the effect and clinical significance of early electroacupuncture combined with enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) on pain perception and dysfunction after total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Methods: About 100 patients who diagnosed with TKA from February 2019 to April 2021 were enrolled in our hospital. The patients were arbitrarily assigned into control group and study group. The former group was cured with electroacupuncture in the early stage, and the latter group was intervened on the basis of early electroacupuncture combined with the concept of ERAS. The curative effect, the time of getting out of bed for the first time after operation, the time of postoperative rehabilitation, postoperative rehabilitation cost, pain score and knee joint function score, range of motion (ROM) of knee joint, low shear of whole blood viscosity, plasma viscosity, fibrinogen level, and postoperative complications were compared. Results: There exhibited no statistical difference in clinical data. In terms of the treatment effects, there were 27 cases of markedly effective, 22 cases of effective, and 1 case of ineffective in the study group, and the total effective rate was 98.00%; in the control group, 15 cases were markedly effective, 28 cases were effective, and 13 cases were ineffective, and the total effective rate was 86.00%. Compared to the control group, the total effective rate of the study group was higher (P < 0.05). And the first time to get out of bed and the postoperative rehabilitation time in the study group were lower. Compared to the control group (10113.42 ± 524.83) yuan, the postoperative rehabilitation cost in the study group (12401.71 ± 530.77) yuan was higher. In terms of the scores of VAS and HSS, there exhibited no remarkable difference before treatment (P > 0.05). After treatment, the VAS score lessened and the HSS score augmented the study group VAS score (1.76 ± 0.28); the score in the control group was lower compared to the control group (3.45 ± 0.36), and HSS scoring (83.48 ± 11.23) points higher compared to the control group (65.82 ± 10.44) points (P < 0.05). The ROM of knee joint augmented successively at the 1st, 2nd, 4th, and 8th week after treatment comparison between groups, the ROM of the knee joint in the study group at the 1st, 2nd, 4th, and 8th week was (49.47 ± 3.60)°, (64.38 ± 5.32)°, (86.93 ± 6.72)°, and (104.20 ± 9.11)°, is higher compared to the control group (46.53 ± 3.41)°, (61.52 ± 5.20)°, (78.42 ± 6.45)°, and (98.77 ± 8.67)° (P < 0.05). One day after operation, there exhibited no remarkable difference in whole blood viscosity low shear, plasma viscosity, and fibrinogen level (P > 0.05). However, there exhibited no remarkable difference in plasma viscosity and fibrinogen level at 1 day and 7 days after operation (P > 0.05). Seven days after operation, the whole blood viscosity, plasma viscosity, and fibrinogen in the study group were lower (P < 0.05). The probability of postoperative complications was compared. In the study group, there were 2 cases of limb swelling and pain, 1 case of joint stiffness, and no swelling and pain complicated with deep venous thrombosis, and the total incidence was 6.00%. In the control group, there were 5 cases of limb swelling and pain, 3 cases of joint stiffness, and 3 cases of swelling and pain complicated with deep venous thrombosis, with a total incidence of 22.00%. The incidence of adverse reactions in the study group was lower (χ 2 = 5.317 P < 0.05). Conclusion: Early electroacupuncture combined with ERAS is of positive significance to the patients after TKA, which can reduce the pain, enhance the function of the knee joint, and promote the ROM of the knee joint, and can effectively shorten the first time out of bed and postoperative rehabilitation time and reduce whole blood viscosity low shear, plasma viscosity, and fibrinogen level, but the overall rehabilitation cost is high, and clinical application should be combined with the actual situation of patients.

[Chemical constituents from Clausena excavata and their inhibitory activities against proliferation of synoviocytes].

The chemical constituents from the stems and leaves of Clausena excavata were isolated and purified by column chromatography with silica gel, ODS, Sephadex LH-20 and RP-HPLC. The chemical structures of the isolated compounds were identified on the basis of physicochemical properties, spectroscopic analysis, as well as the comparisons with the data reported in literature. Nineteen compounds were isolated from the 90% ethanol extract of the stems and leaves of C. excavata, which were identified as methyl orsellinate(1), syringaresinol(2), lenisin A(3), scopoletin(4), osthenol(5), N-benzoyltyrarnine methyl ether(6), N-p-coumaroyltyramine(7), aurantiamide acetate(8), 1H-indole-3-carboxaldehyde(9), furostifoline(10), clausenalansine E(11), 3-formylcarbazole(12), clausine L(13), clausine E(14), methyl carbazole-3-carboxylate(15), glycosinin(16), murrayafoline A(17), clausine H(18) and 2,7-dihydroxy-3-formyl-1-(3'-methyl-2'-butenyl)carbazole(19). Among these isolated compounds, compounds 1-11 were isolated from C. excavata for the first time, and compounds 1, 2 and 10 were isolated from the genus Clausena for the first time. In addition, this study evaluated the anti-rheumatoid arthritis activities of compounds 1-19 by measuring their anti-proliferative effects on synoviocytes in vitro according to MTS method. Compounds 10-19 displayed remarkable anti-rheumatoid arthritis activities, which exhibited the inhibitory effects on the proliferation of MH7 A synovial fibroblast cells with the IC_(50) values ranging from(27.63±0.18) to(235.67±2.16) µmol·L~(-1).

Advances in Research on the Toxicological Effects of Selenium.

Selenium is a trace element necessary for the growth of organisms. Moreover, selenium supplementation can improve the immunity and fertility of the body, as well as its ability to resist oxidation, tumors, heavy metals, and pathogenic microorganisms. However, owing to the duality of selenium, excessive selenium supplementation can cause certain toxic effects on the growth and development of the body and may even result in death in severe cases. At present, increasing attention is being paid to the development and utilization of selenium as a micronutrient, but its potential toxicity tends to be neglected. This study systematically reviews recent research on the toxicological effects of selenium, aiming to provide theoretical references for selenium toxicology-related research and theoretical support for the development of selenium-containing drugs, selenium-enriched dietary supplements, and selenium-enriched foods.

Herb-induced autoimmune-like hepatitis associated with Xiang-tian-guo (Swietenia macrophylla seeds): A case report and literature review.

RATIONALE: Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) has a relatively low incidence, whereas the incidence of herb-induced liver injury (HILI) is still under investigation. As a special type of DILI, the diagnosis of drug-induced autoimmune-like hepatitis presents a persistent challenge, because this condition has partial characteristics of both DILI and autoimmune hepatitis (AIH), such as a certain history of medication use and histology that similar is to AIH. Thus, the differential diagnosis between DILI and AIH can be confusing. PATIENT CONCERNS: A 67-year-old woman taking xiang-tian-guo for 6 months was admitted to our hospital with a complaint of experiencing jaundice for 2 weeks. DIAGNOSIS: A liver biopsy exhibited interface inflammation, foam cells, and "rosette" -like hepatocytes. She was diagnosed with herb-induced liver injury (hepatocellular and acute), a RUCAM score of 7 (probable), a severity for grade 4 liver injury, and accompanied autoimmune-like changes. INTERVENTIONS: The patient was instructed to cease the administration of suspicious drugs. The patient also received liver protection and albumin transfusion. OUTCOMES: After 25 days of hospitalization, the patients aminotransferase levels returned to normal. No recurrence was observed after the administration of the treatments and a close follow-up. LESSONS: We must to be vigilant about the safety of xiang-tian-guo as a herbal medicine. When faced with the difficulty of distinguishing between AIH and DILI, long-term follow-up observations for recurrence can aid clinicians in making a judgment.

Prenylated chromones and flavonoids from Artocarpus heterophyllus with their potential antiproliferative and anti-inflammatory activities.

Two new prenylated chromones, artoheterophines A (1) and B (2), five known prenylated chromones (3-7), as well as five known biogenetically related prenylated flavonoids (8-12) were isolated and characterized from the stems and leaves of A. heterophyllus. Their chemical structures were unambiguously determined through comprehensive spectral data analyses. The antiproliferative and anti-inflammatory effects of all these isolated prenylated chromones and flavonoids were evaluated in vitro. As a result, compounds 1-12 showed notable inhibitory effects against various human cancer cell lines with IC50 values ranging from 0.36 ± 0.02 to 22.09 ± 0.16 µM. Meanwhile, compounds 1-12 exhibited significant inhibitory activities on nitric oxide (NO) production holding IC50 values in the range of 0.48 ± 0.05-19.87 ± 0.21 µM. These research results suggest that the isolation and characterization of these prenylated chromones (1-7) and flavonoids (8-12) holding significant antiproliferative and anti-inflammatory activities could be significant to the discovery and development of new natural anti-tumor and anti-inflammatory drugs. The findings also provides a phytochemical evidence for further development and utilization of the stems and leaves of A. heterophyllus in health and pharmaceutical products.

Prenylated Chromones from the Fruits of Artocarpus heterophyllus and Their Potential Anti-HIV-1 Activities.

Artocarpus heterophyllus (jack tree) is an evergreen fruit tree belonging to the genus Artocarpus (Moraceae), which is widely distributed in subtropical and tropical regions of Asia. Its fruits (jackfruit), well-known as the world's largest tree-borne fruit, are being consumed in our daily diets as a very popular tropical fruit throughout the world and have been confirmed to hold various health benefits. In this study, five new prenylated chromones, artocarheterones A-E (1-5), as well as seven known prenylated chromones (6-12) were purified and isolated from the ripe fruits of A. heterophyllus (jackfruit). Their chemical structures were determined through comprehensive spectroscopic methods. This is the first report on prenylated chromones isolated from A. heterophyllus. The anti-HIV-1 effects of all isolated chromones were assessed in vitro. As a result, prenylated chromones (1-12) showed remarkable anti-HIV-1 effects with EC50 values ranging from 0.09 to 9.72 µM. These research results indicate that the isolation and characterization of these prenylated chromones with remarkable anti-HIV-1 activities from the ripe fruits of A. heterophyllus could be significant to the discovery and development of new anti-HIV-1 drugs.

HSP60 Regulates Monosodium Urate Crystal-Induced Inflammation by Activating the TLR4-NF-κB-MyD88 Signaling Pathway and Disrupting Mitochondrial Function.

Acute gout is an inflammatory response induced by monosodium urate (MSU) crystals. HSP60 is a highly conserved stress protein that acts as a cellular "danger" signal for immune reactions. In this study, we aimed to investigate the role and molecular mechanism of HSP60 in gout. HSP60 expression was detected in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and plasma of gout patients. The effect and molecular mechanism of HSP60 in gout were studied in MSU crystals treatment macrophages and C57BL/6 mice. JC-1 probe and MitoSOX Red were used to measure the mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mtROS). HSP60 expression was significantly upregulated in the PBMCs and sera of patients with acute gout (AG) compared to those with intercritical gout (IG) or healthy controls (HCs). MSU crystals induced the expression and secretion of HSP60 in the macrophages. HSP60 knockdown or overexpression affects TLR4 and MyD88 expression, IκBα degradation, and the nuclear localization of NF-κB in MSU crystal-stimulated inflammation. Further, HSP60 facilitates MMP collapse and mtROS production and activates the NLRP3 inflammasome in MSU crystal-stimulated macrophages. In MSU crystal-induced arthritis mouse models pretreated with HSP60 vivo-morpholino, paw swelling, myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, and inflammatory cell infiltration significantly decreased. Our study reveals that MSU crystal stimulates the expression of HSP60, which accelerates the TLR4-MyD88-NF-κB signaling pathway and exacerbates mitochondrial dysfunction.

Mechanical and moisture barrier properties of corn distarch phosphate film influenced by modified microcry stalline corn straw cellulose.

BACKGROUND: In this paper, a novel modified microcrystalline corn straw cellulose (MMCSC) was prepared by ultrasonic/microwave-assisted treatment. Effective incorporation of MMCSC into corn distarch phosphate (CDP)-based composite films was investigated. RESULTS: As the proportion of MMCSC was increased, tensile strength increased initially before decreasing, and the elongation at break always decreased. The composite film of MMCSC20 showed the lowest water vapor permeability (2.917 × 10-7 g m-1 h-1 Pa-1 ). The measurement of surface color showed that by the increasing of the MMCSC proportion in composite films, the L* and b* values and the total color difference (ΔE* ) increased, while a* values decreased. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis indicated that, with the incorporation of MMCSC, the stable structure of the films was enhanced through cross-linking and the crystallinity was increased. A scanning electron microscopy study revealed the surface microstructure of films (MMCSC0-MMCSC30) was smooth and homogeneous, and there was no distinct separation in the matrix of composite films. CONCLUSION: The incorporation of suitable MMCSC could improve the properties of composite films. The CDP-MMCSC films, which are completely biodegradable and environmental friendly, have a high potential to be used for food packaging. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.

Saikosaponin D relieves unpredictable chronic mild stress induced depressive-like behavior in rats: involvement of HPA axis and hippocampal neurogenesis.

RATIONALE: Saikosaponin D (SSD), a major bioactive component isolated from Radix Bupleuri, has been reported to exert neuroprotective properties. OBJECTIVES: The present study was designed to investigate the anti-depressant-like effects and the potential mechanisms of SSD. METHODS: Behavioural tests including sucrose preference test (SPT), open field test (OFT) and forced swim test (FST) were performed to study the antidepressant-like effects of SSD. In addition, we examined corticosterone and glucocorticoid receptor (GR) levels to evaluate hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis function. Furthermore, hippocampal neurogenesis was assessed by testing doublecortin (DCX) levels, and neurotrophic molecule levels were also investigated in the hippocampus of rats. RESULTS: We found that unpredictable chronic mild stress (UCMS) rats displayed lost body weight, decreased sucrose consumption in SPT, reduced locomotive activity in OFT, and increased immobility time in FST. Chronic treatment with SSD (0.75, 1.50 mg/kg) remarkably ameliorated the behavioral deficiency induced by UCMS procedure. SSD administration downregulated elevated serum corticosterone levels, as well as alleviated the suppression of GR expression and nuclear translocation caused by UCMS, suggesting that SSD is able to remit the dysfunction of HPA axis. In addition, Western blot and immunohistochemistry analysis showed that SSD treatment significantly increased the generation of neurons in the hippocampus of UCMS rats indicated by elevated DCX levels. Moreover, hippocampal neurotrophic molecule levels of UCMS rats such as phosphorylated cAMP response element binding protein (p-CREB) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) were raised after SSD treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Together, Our results suggest that SSD opposed UCMS-induced depressive behaviors in rats, which was mediated, partially, by the enhancement of HPA axis function and consolidation of hippocampal neurogenesis.

Search for antibacterial agents from Malaysian rainforest and tropical plants.

The world's rainforests hold untold potential for drug discovery. Rainforest plants are thought to contain evolved defensive active metabolites of greater diversity compared to plants from temperate regions. In recent years, the interest and overall output from pharmaceutical companies on novel antibacterial agents has diminished at a time when there is a critical need for them to fight the threat of resistance. In this study, we have investigated the antimicrobial properties of 21 flowering plants from 16 different families against six bacterial strains consisting of two Gram negative and four Gram positive. Using the pour plate disc diffusion technique, almost all extracts from these plants were found to be active against some of the bacterial strains tested. The most interesting and active plants with broad spectrum activities include Duabanga grandiflora, Acalypha wilkesiana and Pseuduvaria macrophylla where the minimum inhibitory concentration, minimum bactericidal concentration and phytochemical analysis were carried out. This is the first report describing the antimicrobial and phytochemical properties of D. grandiflora and P. macrophylla. Our findings support the utilisation of higher plant species in the search for new antimicrobial molecules to combat new emerging infective diseases and the problem of drug resistant pathogens.

[Randomized controlled trail on moxibustion for maintenance hemodialysis patients in deficiency syndrome].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effective therapy for maintenance hemodialysis patients in dificiency syndrome in end-stage renal disease. METHODS: Ninety-seven cases were divided into an observation group (51 cases) and a control group (46 cases) randomly, and routine western medicine was used in both of them. On this base, moxibustion was used in Zusanli (ST 36) and Sanyinjiao (SP 6) in paper-tube-moxibustion equipment in the observation group. Evaluate the therapeutic effect on symptoms by comparing the symptom scores in two groups before and after treatment. RESULTS: All the symptom scores in the observation group were improved after treatment, and the differences were significant (all P < 0.05). Among all symptoms, the most improved ones included lassitude and fatigue, short breath and aversion to talk, poor appetite, soreness and softness of waist and knees, aversion to cold, cold extremities and so on. In the aspect of therapeutic effect on symptoms, the total effective rate in observation group (64.7%, 33/51) was higher than that in control group (23.9%, 11/46), and the difference was significant (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Moxibustion can improve the clinical symptoms of maintenance hemodialysis patients in end-stage renal disease, and can generate some therapeutic effect to the dificiency syndrome of this disease.