Assessing the association between tea intake and risk of dental caries and periodontitis: a two-sample Mendelian randomization study.

Tea is an indispensable beverage in people's daily life. However, the relationship between tea intake and dental caries and periodontitis is controversial. We extracted datasets for tea intake and oral diseases from genome-wide association studies (GWASs) conducted by the UK Biobank and the Gene Lifestyle Interactions in Dental Endpoints consortium. We selected 38 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) significantly associated with tea intake as instrumental variables (IVs) (P < 5.0 × 10-8). Mendelian randomization (MR) was performed to investigate the potential causality between tea intake and caries and periodontitis. Multivariable Mendelian randomization (MVMR) analyses were utilized to estimate causal effects of tea intake on risk of caries and periodontitis after adjusting for smoking, body mass index (BMI), and socioeconomic factors. The results showed that higher tea intake was suggestively associated with fewer natural teeth (ß = - 0.203; 95% CI = 0.680 to 0.980; P = 0.029) and higher risk of periodontitis (OR = 1.622; 95% CI = 1.194 to 2.205; P = 0.002). After Bonferroni correction, the causality of tea intake on periodontitis remained significant. The significance of periodontitis disappeared after adjusting for the socioeconomic factors in MVMR (OR = 1.603; 95% CI = 0.964 to 2.666; P = 0.069). Tea intake had no association with risk of caries. Statistical insignificance of the heterogeneity test and pleiotropy test supported the validity of the MR study. Our results provide insight into the potential relationship between tea intake and oral diseases from a dietary lifestyle perspective, which may help prevent oral diseases.

Treatment of Tourette syndrome by acupuncture combined with Chinese medicine based on syndrome differentiation: A review.

Tourette syndrome (TS) is a chronic neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by involuntary motor and speech tics, which can greatly reduce the quality of life of patients. The pathophysiology of TS involves both genetic and environmental factors. Assessing TS pathogenesis is complex, and its underlying pathophysiology is not fully understood. It is gratifying that the research in the past 5 years has brought new research progress on the genetic, neurophysiological and brain network changes of TS. However, despite the progress of research, the treatment methods and drugs of modern medicine are still unsatisfactory, and it is difficult to achieve satisfactory results. Traditional Chinese medicine, as a part of complementary and alternative medicine, has unique efficacy in the treatment of TS, and the safety of its treatment is also worthy of attention. Based on the latest achievements in the pathophysiology of TS, this article will discuss the treatment of TS by acupuncture combined with medicine.

Chinese herbal bath therapy for the treatment of Atopic dermatitis in children: A meta-analysis and systematic review.

BACKGROUND: To conduct a systematic review of the efficacy of Chinese herbal bath therapy on children with Atopic dermatitis. METHODS: We searched Chinese databases (CNKI, VIP, and Wanfang) and English databases (PubMed, Embase, Web of science, Cochrane library) for studies from the establishment of the database to September 2022. The included literature was randomized control studies investigating the treatment of Atopic dermatitis in children by Chinese herbal bath therapy. The outcomes included the cure rate, scoring atopic dermatitis (SCORAD) index, adverse reactions and recurrence rate. RevMan 5.4 was used to analyze the extracted data. RESULTS: A total of 8 related studies were included containing 854 cases. The meta-analysis showed that Chinese herbal bath therapy group was superior to control group in terms of cure rate, SCORAD index, adverse reactions and recurrence rate in children with Atopic dermatitis [RR = 1.11, 95%(1.02, 1.21), P = .01; SMD = -0.77, 95%(-0.99, -0.55), P < .00001; RR = 0.44, 95%CI(0.28,0.67), P = .0002; RR = 0.25, 95%CI(0.10, 0.59), P = .0002]. CONCLUSION: The present study shows that Chinese herbal bath therapy is an effective treatment for children with Atopic dermatitis in China.

Resveratrol Inhibits Insulin-Induced Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Proliferation and Migration by Activating SIRT1.

Abnormal proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) are essential for the development of hypertension. Insulin has been identified to promote VSMC proliferation and migration; resveratrol has been shown to have protective effects against cardiovascular diseases. This study aimed to investigate the effect of resveratrol on insulin-induced VSMC proliferation and migration and its potential mechanism. VSMC proliferation was measured by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), cell counting method, and 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU) incorporation assay. Cell migration was detected by wound healing assay and transwell method. Expression of silent information regulator of transcription 1 (SIRT1) and phosphorylation levels of signaling molecules, such as phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) and protein kinase B (Akt), in VSMCs were detected by Western blotting. Resveratrol (25-150 µM) was found to inhibit insulin-induced VSMC proliferation. Pretreatment with 100 µM resveratrol reduced insulin (100 nM)-mediated VSMC migration. LY294002, an inhibitor of PI3K, inhibited the stimulatory effect of insulin (100 nM) on the proliferation of VSMCs. Treatment with resveratrol also decreased insulin-induced stimulatory effect on PI3K and Akt phosphorylation levels. Moreover, resveratrol treatment increased SIRT1 protein expression in VSMCs. A SIRT1 inhibitor, EX527, reversed the inhibitory effect of resveratrol on insulin-induced VSMC proliferation and migration and activation of PI3K and Akt phosphorylation levels. In conclusion, our study revealed that treatment with resveratrol inhibited insulin-mediated VSMC proliferation and migration, possibly by activating SIRT1 and downregulating the PI3K/AKT pathway.

Targeting BCAT1 Combined with α-Ketoglutarate Triggers Metabolic Synthetic Lethality in Glioblastoma.

Branched-chain amino acid transaminase 1 (BCAT1) is upregulated selectively in human isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) wildtype (WT) but not mutant glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) and promotes IDHWT GBM growth. Through a metabolic synthetic lethal screen, we report here that α-ketoglutarate (AKG) kills IDHWT GBM cells when BCAT1 protein is lost, which is reversed by reexpression of BCAT1 or supplementation with branched-chain α-ketoacids (BCKA), downstream metabolic products of BCAT1. In patient-derived IDHWT GBM tumors in vitro and in vivo, cotreatment of BCAT1 inhibitor gabapentin and AKG resulted in synthetic lethality. However, AKG failed to evoke a synthetic lethal effect with loss of BCAT2, BCKDHA, or GPT2 in IDHWT GBM cells. Mechanistically, loss of BCAT1 increased the NAD+/NADH ratio but impaired oxidative phosphorylation, mTORC1 activity, and nucleotide biosynthesis. These metabolic alterations were synergistically augmented by AKG treatment, thereby causing mitochondrial dysfunction and depletion of cellular building blocks, including ATP, nucleotides, and proteins. Partial restoration of ATP, nucleotides, proteins, and mTORC1 activity by BCKA supplementation prevented IDHWT GBM cell death conferred by the combination of BCAT1 loss and AKG. These findings define a targetable metabolic vulnerability in the most common subset of GBM that is currently incurable. SIGNIFICANCE: Metabolic synthetic lethal screening in IDHWT glioblastoma defines a vulnerability to ΑΚG following BCAT1 loss, uncovering a therapeutic strategy to improve glioblastoma treatment. See related commentary by Meurs and Nagrath, p. 2354.

The Modulation of Chaihu Shugan Formula on Microbiota Composition in the Simulator of the Human Intestinal Microbial Ecosystem Technology Platform and its Influence on Gut Barrier and Intestinal Immunity in Caco-2/THP1-Blue™ Cell Co-Culture Model.

The traditional Chinese medicine (TCM)-Chaihu Shugan Formula (CSF), consisting of several Chinese botanical drugs like Bupleurum, is derived from the ancient Chinese pharmacopeia. It has been used for more than thousands of years in various suboptimal health statuses and diseases induced by chronic stress based on empirical therapy. Recent studies confirm the role of CSF in the development of many diseases, including depression, stress-induced hepatic injury and tumors. However, little has been known about the mechanisms behind the health effects of CSF. Here, we investigate the influence of CSF on the modulation of the simulated colonic microbiota of five healthy donors, gut barrier integrity, and intestinal immunity by combining the simulator of the human intestinal microbial ecosystem (SHIME®) technology platform with co-culture of intestinal and immune cells. This approach revealed that CSF stimulated the production of SCFA (acetate, propionate and butyrate) across donors while significantly lowering the production of branched SCFA (bSCFA). In terms of community composition, CSF stimulated a broad spectrum of health-related Bifidobacterium species, which are potent acetate and lactate producers. At the same time, it lowered the abundance of opportunistic pathogenic Escherichia coli. Later, we explore the effect of colonic fermentation of CSF on the gut barrier and intestinal immunity in the Caco-2/THP1-blue™ cell co-culture model. Based on the study using SHIME technology platform, CSF showed protective effects on inflammation-induced intestinal epithelial barrier disruption in all donors. Also, the treatment of CSF showed pronounced anti-inflammatory properties by strongly inducing anti-inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and IL-10 and reducing pro-inflammatory cytokine TNF-α. These findings demonstrate a significant modulatory effect of CSF on intestinal gut microbiota. CSF-microbial fermentation products improved the gut barrier and controlled intestinal inflammation.

Traditional Chinese Medicine Based Acupoint Application for Asthma Treatment in Children: A Meta-Analysis and Systematic Review.

Objective: By conducting a systematic review of the efficacy of acupoint application on children with asthma. Methods: We searched Chinese databases (CNKI, VIP, and Wanfang) and English databases (PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library) for studies from the establishment of the database to October 2021. The included literature studies were randomized control studies investigating the treatment of asthma in children by acupoint application. The primary outcomes included the cure rate, the resolution time of cough, and the resolution time of wheezing. The secondary outcomes included pulmonary function and interleukins. Stata 15 and RevMan 5.4 were used to analyze the extracted data. Results: A total of 24 related studies were included containing 2716 cases. The meta-analysis showed that TCM group was superior to control group in terms of cure rate, pulmonary function (FEV1), and resolution time of wheezing in children with asthma [RR = 1.26,95% (1.21,1.31), P < 0.05; SMD = 0.81, 95%CI (0.05,1.56), P < 0.05; WMD = -1.40, 95%CI (-1.75, -1.05), P < 0.05]. Conclusions: The present study shows that acupoint application is an effective treatment for children with asthma in China, especially in alleviating wheezing and improving quality of life.

The TCM prescription Ma-xing-shi-gan-tang inhibits Streptococcus pneumoniae pathogenesis by targeting pneumolysin.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Ma-xing-shi-gan-tang (MXSGT), which is documented in the Treatise on Febrile Diseases and is a therapeutic drug, is a well-known classic prescription in China and has been widely studied. Previous studies have shown that MXSGT has various pharmacological activities, including anti-influenza virus activity, and ameliorates microvascular hyperpermeability and inflammatory reactions. However, no study has reported the effect of MXSGT in the treatment of bacterial pneumonia. AIM OF THE STUDY: In this study, the potential inhibition of MXSGT against the virulence of S. pneumoniae by targeting PLY was investigated. MATERIALS AND METHODS: First, HPLC analysis was used to determine the main components of MXSGT. Then PLY protein was constructed and used for hemolysis assay and western blot to test the ability of MXSGT to inhibit PLY activity, production and widowed characteristics. The growth curve of S. pneumoniae was drawled with or without MXSGT treatment. In addition, the inhibition of MXSGT against PLY-mediated A549 cell death was examined by cytotoxicity assay. Finally, the mouse experiment was used to verify the effect of MXSGT on mouse lungs. RESULTS: This work has discovered that MXSGT, a TCM prescription, is an effective inhibitor of PLY, an important virulence factor that is essential for S. pneumoniae pathogenicity. MXSGT inhibits the oligomerization of PLY without affecting S. pneumoniae growth and PLY production. In addition, experimental MXSGT treatment was effective against S. pneumoniae infection both in vitro and in vivo. CONCLUSION: These findings directly demonstrate the potential mechanism of the Chinese herbal formula MXSGT in the treatment of pneumococcal disease and provide additional evidence for promotion of the wide use of MXSGT in the clinic.

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter clinical trial for efficacy and safety of traditional Chinese medicine combined with antibiotics in the treatment of bacterial pneumonia in children.

BACKGROUND: Pneumonia is the second leading cause of death in children worldwide after preterm birth and certification. Bacteria, viruses, mycoplasma, and other microorganisms are known to be the main causes of pneumonia, of which bacterial pathogenic factors account for 12.5% of cases. The invention and application of antibiotics have improved the prognosis of children with community-acquired bacterial pneumonia (CABP) to a certain extent, but with the emergence of antibiotic resistance worldwide, the mortality of children with CABP is still high. "Maxing Shigan Decoction" and "Qingfei Decoction" have significant efficacy in the treatment of CABP in children, but there is no standardized randomized controlled trial to systematically evaluate the outcomes. METHODS: This study is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter clinical trial that will randomize 240 patients with CABP to group of Oral Maxing Shigan Decoction, group of Qingfei Decoction or group of placebos administered 3 times a day for 7 days. This study will observe a wide range of clinically relevant endpoints that have been used in clinical trials of pneumonia, including but not limited to clinical cure rate, antibiotic application days, complete antipyretic rate, complete antipyretic days, disease efficacy, traditional Chinese medicine syndrome effect, and antibiotic upgrade treatment rates. Safety will be assessed by monitoring for the incidence of adverse events during the study. DISCUSSION: This clinical trial is the first to evaluate the efficacy and safety of "Maxing Shigan Decoction" and "Qingfei Decoction" in the treatment of children with CABP. The research results will provide a reference for future research design. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR1900025354. Registered on 14th October 2019-Retrospectively registered, http://www.chictr.org.cn/.

The Neuroprotective Effects of Danggui-Shaoyao San on Vascular Cognitive Impairment: Involvement of the Role of the Low-Density Lipoprotein Receptor-Related Protein.

Effective drugs for treating dementia are still rare. Danggui-Shaoyao San (DSS), a traditional Chinese medicine, has been widely used in oriental countries for the treatment of various gynecological diseases. Many studies reported that DSS could ameliorate cognitive impairment. In this study, we aimed to investigate the underlying mechanism of DSS on vascular cognitive impairment (VCI) rats. Chronic cerebral hypoperfusion (CCH) is one of the main causes of VCI. CCH resulted in a chain of pathological process, including neuroinflammation, neuronal apoptosis, and oxidative stress. The most widely used animal model of VCI is permanent bilateral common carotid artery occlusion in rats. In this research, we determined whether DSS attenuated cognitive impairment by targeting I kappa B kinase (IKK)/nuclear factor of kappa B (NF-κB) signal pathway in VCI rats. Morris water maze and fear conditioning tests results indicated that DSS [7.2 g/(kg·d)] could improve learning and memory ability in VCI rats. We also found DSS significantly elevated the levels of low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1 (LRP1) in the brain of VCI rats and this might indirectly target the IKK/NF-κB signal pathway to exert inhibitory effect on neuroinflammation, neuronal apoptosis, and oxidative stress in VCI rats. The present researches indicated that DSS might attenuate cognitive impairment by targeting IKK/NF-κB signal pathway in VCI rats and DSS might be a promising agent on VCI.

Ethanol Extract of Centipeda minima Exerts Antioxidant and Neuroprotective Effects via Activation of the Nrf2 Signaling Pathway.

Oxidative stress is implicated in the pathogenesis of neurodegeneration and other aging-related diseases. Previous studies have found that the whole herb of Centipeda minima has remarkable antioxidant activities. However, there have been no reports on the neuroprotective effects of C. minima, and the underlying mechanism of its antioxidant properties is unclear. Here, we examined the underlying mechanism of the antioxidant activities of the ethanol extract of C. minima (ECM) both in vivo and in vitro and found that ECM treatment attenuated glutamate and tert-butyl hydroperoxide (tBHP)-induced neuronal death, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and mitochondria dysfunction. tBHP-induced phosphorylation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK) and c-Jun N-terminal kinases (JNK) was reduced by ECM, and ECM sustained phosphorylation level of extracellular signal regulated kinase (ERK) in SH-SY5Y and PC12 cells. Moreover, ECM induced the activation of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and the upregulation of phase II detoxification enzymes, including heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), superoxide dismutase-2 (SOD2), and NAD(P)H quinone oxidoreductase-1 (NQO-1) in both two cell types. In a D-galactose (D-gal) and aluminum muriate (AlCl3)-induced neurodegenerative mouse model, administration of ECM improved the learning and memory of mice in the Morris water maze test and ameliorated the effects of neurodegenerative disorders. ECM sustained the expression level of postsynaptic density 95 (PSD95) and synaptophysin (SYN), activated the Nrf2 signaling pathway, and restored the levels of cellular antioxidants in the hippocampus of mice. In addition, four sesquiterpenoids were isolated from C. minima to identify the bioactive components responsible for the antioxidant activity of C. minima; 6-O-angeloylplenolin and arnicolide D were found to be the active compounds responsible for the activation of the Nrf2 signaling pathway and inhibition of ROS production. Our study examined the mechanism of C. minima and its active components in the amelioration of oxidative stress, which holds the promise for the treatment of neurodegenerative disease.

Cichoric Acid Prevents Free-Fatty-Acid-Induced Lipid Metabolism Disorders via Regulating Bmal1 in HepG2 Cells.

Cichoric acid (CA), a polyphenol component from Echinacea purpurea, exhibits preventive effects on liver lipid-metabolism disorders in obesity. This research aimed to determine the role of circadian rhythm signaling during the process of CA-attenuated lipid accumulation in hepatocytes. In the current study, CA treatments improved cell morphology changes and hepatic lipid levels, which were triggered by free fatty acids (2:1, oleate: palmitate) in a dose-dependent way. Besides, CA (200 µM) regulated the circadian rhythm expressions of clock genes and the relatively shallow daily oscillations. Moreover, silencing Bmal1 significantly blocked the p-Akt/Akt pathway to 80.1% ± 1.5% and the p-GSK3ß/GSK3ß pathway to 64.7% ± 2.8% ( p < 0.05). Furthermore, silencing Bmal1 elevated the expressions of FAS and ACC to 122.4% ± 5.6% and 114.9% ± 1.7% in protein levels ( p < 0.05) and to 166.5% ± 18.5% and 131.4% ± 5.5% in mRNA levels ( p < 0.05). Therefore, our results demonstrated that CA has a Bmal1 resistance to lipid accumulation by enhancing the Akt/GSK3ß signaling pathways and modulating the downstream expressions related to lipid metabolism, which indicated that CA might be useful as a natural and promising nonalcoholic fatty liver diseases (NAFLD) modulator.

Baseline theta activities in medial prefrontal cortex and deep cerebellar nuclei are associated with the extinction of trace conditioned eyeblink responses in guinea pigs.

It has been shown that both the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and the cerebellum are involved in the extinction of trace conditioned eyeblink responses (CR). However, the neural mechanisms underlying the extinction are still relatively unclear. Theta oscillation in either the mPFC or the cerebellum has been revealed to correlate with the performance of trace CRs during the asymptotic acquisition. Therefore, we sought to further evaluate the impacts of pre-conditioned stimulus (CS) spontaneous theta (5.0-10.0Hz) oscillations in the mPFC and the deep cerebellar nuclei (DCN) on the extinction of trace CRs. Albino guinea pigs were given acquisition training for ten daily sessions followed by seven daily sessions of extinction. Local field potential (LFP) signals in the mPFC and the DCN were recorded when the animals received the CS-alone extinction training. It was found that higher mPFC relative theta ratios [theta/(delta+beta)] during the baseline period (850-ms prior to the CS onset) were predictive of fewer CR incidences rather than more adaptive CR performance (i.e., higher CR magnitude and later CR peak/onset latencies). Likewise, the pre-CS DCN theta activity was associated with the faster CR extinction. Furthermore, it was revealed that the power of pre-CS theta activities in the mPFC and the DCN were correlated until the extinction training day 2. Collectively, these results suggest that the mPFC and the DCN may interact with each other, and the brain oscillation state in which baseline theta activities in both areas are present contributes to the subsequent extinction of trace CRs.

Profiling the ionome of rice and its use in discriminating geographical origins at the regional scale, China.

Element profile was investigated for their use to trace the geographical origin of rice (Oryza sativa L.) samples. The concentrations of 13 elements (calcium (Ca), potassium (K), magnesium (Mg), phosphorus (P), boron (B), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), arsenic (As), selenium (Se), molybdenum (Mo), and cadmium (Cd)) were determined in the rice samples by inductively coupled plasma optical emission and mass spectrometry. Most of the essential elements for human health in rice were within normal ranges except for Mo and Se. Mo concentrations were twice as high as those in rice from Vietnam and Spain. Meanwhile, Se concentrations were three times lower in the whole province compared to the Chinese average level of 0.088 mg/kg. About 12% of the rice samples failed the Chinese national food safety standard of 0.2 mg/kg for Cd. Combined with the multi-elemental profile in rice, the principal component analysis (PCA), discriminant function analysis (DFA) and Fibonacci index analysis (FIA) were applied to discriminate geographical origins of the samples. Results indicated that the FIA method could achieve a more effective geographical origin classification compared with PCA and DFA, due to its efficiency in making the grouping even when the elemental variability was so high that PCA and DFA showed little discriminatory power. Furthermore, some elements were identified as the most powerful indicators of geographical origin: Ca, Ni, Fe and Cd. This suggests that the newly established methodology of FIA based on the ionome profile can be applied to determine the geographical origin of rice.

Confirmatory factor analysis of the stagnation scale--a traditional Chinese medicine construct operationalized for mental health practice.

BACKGROUND: Traditional Chinese medicine stagnation ("yu") syndrome is characterized by a cluster of mind/body obstruction-like symptoms. Previous studies have operationalized the concept as a psychological construct through scale development, producing a three-factor 16-item inventory with good psychometric properties. PURPOSE: The study aimed to further validate the Stagnation Scale by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and examine self-appraisal of stagnation as an illness. METHOD: A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted on a random community sample of 755 adults recruited by cluster sampling in Hong Kong. RESULTS: CFA revealed a good fit of the three-factor model (CFI = .95; RMSEA = .077; SRMR = .043). ROC analysis suggested a cutoff score at 50 on stagnation total score for predicting self-appraisal of an illness condition, with false positive and negative rates at 25.8% and 23.3%, respectively. Overall, 6.2% participants self-appraised to suffer stagnation symptoms to a degree of an illness, and for it, 1.9% participants intended to seek treatment. Stagnation showed positive correlations with physical distress, depression, and anxiety (r = .59-.76, p < .01) and negative correlation with age (r = -.22, p < .01). CONCLUSION: The Stagnation Scale appeared to be robust in factorial and construct validity. With prevalence of illness by self-appraisal at 6.2% and intention for treatment at 1.9%, stagnation is a fairly common condition associated with treatment-seeking behaviors.