Efficacy and potential mechanism of atherosclerosis prevention by the active components of leech based on network pharmacology combined with animal experiments.

Introduction: Leeches are flesh-eating and bloodsucking parasitic worms. They are being used as a traditional Chinese medicine for centuries in activating blood and dissolving statis, dreging the meridims and tick. Hirudin, an active peptide product present in leech, has blood anticoagulant property and can assist in the treatment of thrombosis and diseases related to blood circulation. The efficacy and potential mechanism of action of leeches in such diseases should be further explored. Materials and methods: First, network pharmacology was used to screen the predicted potential targets of the active constituents of leech and AS. The common targets of the active constituents of leech and AS were obtained using Venn diagram. Further, the drug-active-constituent-target network diagram, protein-protein interaction, and GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses were used to construct the active-constituent-AS target-pathway network diagram. Subsequently, the protein-drug molecule docking model was drawn. Finally, the results of network pharmacology were validated using a mouse model of AS. Results: In total, 34 active constituents of leech and 1172 AS-related gene targets were selected, took the drug action targets and potential disease targets to get the common targets, and took the top 10 of degree value as the main active constituents for the treatment of atherosclerosis. There were 89 common targets and 12 core targets. The main targets included MAPK, EGFR, PIK3CB, etc. Potential regulatory pathways included cancer pathways, EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor resistance, Rap1 signaling pathway, PPAR signaling pathway, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, C-type lectin receptor signaling pathway, and AGE-RAGE signaling pathway in diabetic complications. Animal experiments using mouse model of AS confirmed that AS plaques were smaller after treatment with leeches. SRC level was measured using western blotting. Expression of SRC in myocardial tissue was remarkably lower in the mice treated with leech than in the mice from model group fed on high-fat chow. Conclusions: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to explore the mechanism of action of the active components of leech in AS prevention. The active components of leeches play a coordinated role in preventing AS through multicomponent, multitarget, and multichannel mechanism of action related to inflammatory response, oxidative stress, and lipid metabolism. This study provided a reference for subsequent cellular and animal experiments.

Curcumin-mediated photodynamic treatment extends the shelf life of salmon (Salmo salar) sashimi during chilled storage: Comparisons of preservation effects with five natural preservatives.

The impact of curcumin-mediated photodynamic treatment (PDT) on the microbiological, physicochemical and sensory qualities of salmon sashimi has not been explored. Herein, this study aimed to evaluate the effects of PDT on the shelf-life quality of ready-to-eat salmon fillets during chilled storage (4 °C) in comparison with five widely investigated natural extracts, including cinnamic aldehyde, rosmarinic acid, chlorogenic acid, dihydromyricetin and nisin. From a microbial perspective, PDT exhibited outstanding bacterial inhibition, the results of total viable counts, total coliform bacteria, psychrotrophic bacteria, Pseudomonas spp., Enterobacteriaceae family, and H2S-producing bacteria were notably inactivated (p < 0.05) to meet the acceptable limits by PDT in comparison with those of the control group and natural origin groups, which could extend the shelf-life of salmon fillets from<6 days to 10 days. In the alteration of physicochemical indicators, PDT and natural extracts were able to maintain the pH value and retard lipid oxidation in salmon fillets, while apparently slowing the accumulation (p < 0.05) of total volatile basic nitrogen and biogenic amines, especially the allergen histamine, which contrary to with the variation trend of spoilage microbiota. In parallel, PDT worked effectively (p < 0.05) on the breakdown of adenosine triphosphate and adenosine diphosphate to maintain salmon fillet freshness. Additionally, the physical indicators of texture profile and color did not have obvious changes (p < 0.05) after treated by PDT during the shelf life. Besides, the sensory scores of salmon samples were also significantly improved. In general, PDT not only has a positive effect on organoleptic indicators but is also a potential antimicrobial strategy for improving the quality of salmon sashimi.

Muscle Health Patterns and Brain MRI Indices: A Cluster Analysis.

Background and Objectives: The interplay between muscle and brain lacks a holistic approach to assess the combined effect of multiple factors. This study utilizes clustering analysis to identify muscle health patterns and their relationships with various brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) indices. Research Design and Methods: Two hundred and seventy-five cognitively intact participants who completed brain MRI from the Health, Aging, and Body Composition Study were enrolled. Muscle health-related markers that showed significant relationship with total gray matter volume entered the cluster analysis. Subsequently, macrostructural and microstructural MRI indices were examined with analysis of variance and multiple linear regression analysis to determine significant associations with muscle health clusters. The muscle health cluster included 6 variables: age, skeletal muscle mass index, gait speed, handgrip strength, change of total body fat, and serum leptin level. Clustering method produced 3 clusters which had characteristics of obese, leptin-resistant, and sarcopenia, respectively. Results: Brain MRI indices that revealed significant associations with the clusters included gray matter volume (GMV) in cerebellum (p < .001), superior frontal gyrus (p = .019), inferior frontal gyrus (p = .003), posterior cingulum (p = .021), vermis (p = .045), and gray matter density (GMD) in gyrus rectus (p < .001) and temporal pole (p < .001). The leptin-resistant group had most degree of reduction in GMV, whereas the sarcopenia group had most degree of reduction in GMD. Discussion and Implications: The leptin-resistant and sarcopenia populations had higher risk of neuroimaging alterations. Clinicians should raise awareness on the brain MRI findings in clinical settings. Because these patients mostly had central nervous system conditions or other critical illnesses, the risk of sarcopenia as a comorbidity will substantially affect the prognosis and medical care.

Pharmacological characterization of the small molecule 03A10 as an inhibitor of α-synuclein aggregation for Parkinson's disease treatment.

Aggregation of α-synuclein, a component of Lewy bodies (LBs) or Lewy neurites in Parkinson's disease (PD), is strongly linked with disease development, making it an attractive therapeutic target. Inhibiting aggregation can slow or prevent the neurodegenerative process. However, the bottleneck towards achieving this goal is the lack of such inhibitors. In the current study, we established a high-throughput screening platform to identify candidate compounds for preventing the aggregation of α-synuclein among the natural products in our in-house compound library. We found that a small molecule, 03A10, i.e., (+)-desdimethylpinoresinol, which is present in the fruits of Vernicia fordii (Euphorbiaceae), modulated aggregated α-synuclein, but not monomeric α-synuclein, to prevent further elongation of α-synuclein fibrils. In α-synuclein-overexpressing cell lines, 03A10 (10 µM) efficiently prevented α-synuclein aggregation and markedly ameliorated the cellular toxicity of α-synuclein fibril seeds. In the MPTP/probenecid (MPTP/p) mouse model, oral administration of 03A10 (0.3 mg· kg-1 ·d-1, 1 mg ·kg-1 ·d-1, for 35 days) significantly alleviated behavioral deficits, tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) neuron degeneration and p-α-synuclein aggregation in the substantia nigra (SN). As the Braak hypothesis postulates that the prevailing site of early PD pathology is the gastrointestinal tract, we inoculated α-synuclein preformed fibrils (PFFs) into the mouse colon. We demonstrated that α-synuclein PFF inoculation promoted α-synuclein pathology and neuroinflammation in the gut and brain; oral administration of 03A10 (5 mg· kg-1 ·d-1, for 4 months) significantly attenuated olfactory deficits, α-synuclein accumulation and neuroinflammation in the olfactory bulb and SN. We conclude that 03A10 might be a promising drug candidate for the treatment of PD. 03A10 might be a novel drug candidate for PD treatment, as it inhibits α-synuclein aggregation by modulating aggregated α-synuclein rather than monomeric α-synuclein to prevent further elongation of α-synuclein fibrils and prevent α-synuclein toxicity in vitro, in an MPTP/p mouse model, and PFF-inoculated mice.

Efficacy and Safety of Pulse Magnetic Therapy System in Insomnia Disorder: A Multicenter, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial

Objective@#This study’s objective is to assess the efficacy and safety of Pulsed Magnetic Therapy System (PMTS) in improving insomnia disorder. @*Methods@#Participants with insomnia disorder were randomly assigned to receive either PMTS or sham treatment for four weeks (n= 153; PMTS: 76, sham: 77). Primary outcomes are the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) scores at week 0 (baseline), 1, 2, 3, 4 (treatment), and 5 (follow-up). Secondary outcomes are the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index at baseline and week 4, and weekly sleep diary-derived values for sleep latency, sleep efficiency, real sleep time, waking after sleep onset, and sleep duration. @*Results@#The ISI scores of the PMTS group and the sham group were 7.13±0.50, 11.07±0.51 at week 4, respectively. There was a significant group×time interaction for ISI (F3.214, 485.271=24.25, p<0.001, ηp 2=0.138). Only the PMTS group experienced continuous improvement throughout the study; in contrast, the sham group only experienced a modest improvement after the first week of therapy. At the end of the treatment and one week after it, the response of the PMTS group were 69.7% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 58.6%–79.0%), 75.0% (95% CI: 64.1%–83.4%), respectively, which were higher than the response of the sham group (p<0.001). For each of the secondary outcomes, similar group×time interactions were discovered. The effects of the treatment persisted for at least a week. @*Conclusion@#PMTS is safe and effective in improving insomnia disorders.

Inverse Association between Serum Selenium Level and Severity of Liver Fibrosis: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Selenium has been well recognized for its important role in human health. Prior studies showed that low serum selenium was associated with various diseases, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, infertility, and cognitive decline. Recent studies demonstrated an association between selenium deficiency and liver cirrhosis. In our study, we aimed to explore the association between serum selenium levels and severity of liver fibrosis. In total, 5641 participants at an age of 12 and above, from the 2017-2018 United States National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, were enrolled. The severity of liver fibrosis was determined by liver ultrasound transient elastography. There was a significant linear decrease in liver stiffness measurement (LSM) values in male groups with increased serum selenium levels. The beta coefficient (ß) = -1.045 in male groups. A significantly negative association was also observed in the group of age ≥ 60. In addition, those in the highest quartile of serum selenium had lower LSM values (ß = -0.416). This is the first study using LSM to demonstrate the correlation between selenium deficiency and severity of liver cirrhosis. Our findings suggest that a high plasma selenium concentration is negatively correlated with the severity of liver cirrhosis and there are gender and age differences.

Physiological and Transcriptome Analyses Revealed the Mechanism by Which Deferoxamine Promotes Iron Absorption in Cinnamomum camphora.

Iron deficiency causes chlorosis and growth inhibition in Cinnamomum camphora, an important landscaping tree species. Siderophores produced by plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria have been widely reported to play an indispensable role in plant iron nutrition. However, little to date has been determined about how microbial siderophores promote plant iron absorption. In this study, multidisciplinary approaches, including physiological, biochemical and transcriptome methods, were used to investigate the role of deferoxamine (DFO) in regulating Fe availability in C. camphora seedlings. Our results showed that DFO supplementation significantly increased the Fe2+ content, SPAD value and ferric-chelate reductase (FCR) activity in plants, suggesting its beneficial effect under Fe deficiency. This DFO-driven amelioration of Fe deficiency was further supported by the improvement of photosynthesis. Intriguingly, DFO treatment activated the metabolic pathway of glutathione (GSH) synthesis, and exogenous spraying reduced glutathione and also alleviated chlorosis in C. camphora. In addition, the expression of some Fe acquisition and transport-related genes, including CcbHLH, CcFRO6, CcIRT2, CcNramp5, CcOPT3 and CcVIT4, was significantly upregulated by DFO treatment. Collectively, our data demonstrated an effective, economical and feasible organic iron-complexing agent for iron-deficient camphor trees and provided new insights into the mechanism by which siderophores promote iron absorption in plants.

Sarc-frailty: towards an integrated view of ageing.

OBJECTIVES: Sarcopenia and frailty have both been related to adverse events in ageing, but have long been studied in parallel. The purpose of this study was to provide a better depiction of ageing by taking the advantages of both entities. STUDY DESIGN: 2532 participants were enrolled from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2002. A new diagnostic entity, sarc-frailty, was established by merging the diagnostic elements of both sarcopenia and frailty. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Cox proportional hazard models, Kaplan-Meier curve, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis were utilized to compare the hazard ratios and predictive power in relation to mortality of sarcopenia, frailty, and sarc-frailty. Two different classification strategies, categorical and scoring, were used as alternative assessment methods. RESULTS: The median follow-up duration was 67.49 months, and no participants were lost to follow-up. ROC analysis revealed the highest area under curves (AUC) in sarc-frailty by both categorical and scoring classification (AUC = 0.660, p value <0.001 and AUC = 0.697, p value <0.001, respectively), indicating the best predictive ability in relation to mortality. Kaplan-Meier analysis also demonstrated the shortest overall survival for sarc-frailty with both classifications (p value both <0.001). In addition, hazard ratios (HRs) of sarc-frailty with both classifications were higher than their counterparts for sarcopenia and frailty (HR = 12.599, 95 % CI = 7.780 to 20.403, p < 0.001 by categorical method, and HR = 20.121, 95 % CI = 8.101 to 49.973, p < 0.001 by scoring classification). Moreover, the scoring classification revealed a more delicate hierarchical structure of mortality levels than the categorical classification. CONCLUSIONS: Sarc-frailty had a better predictive ability in relation to mortality. Considering that ageing well is a holistic health-care issue, our new entity, along with the scoring method, provides clinicians with more effective tools in geriatric assessment.

Moringa oleifera seed ethanol extract and its active component kaempferol potentiate pentobarbital-induced sleeping behaviours in mice via a GABAergic mechanism.

CONTEXT: Moringa oleifera Lam. (Moringaceae) (MO) is an important food plant that has high nutritional and medical value. However, there is limited information on whether its seeds can improve sleep. OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the effects of MO seed ethanol extracts (EEMOS) on sleep activity improvement and examined the underlying mechanisms. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Male ICR mice were placed into six groups (n = 12) and treated as follows: Control (sodium carboxymethyl cellulose, 20 mL/kg), estazolam tablets (2 mg/kg), EEMOS (1, 2 g/kg) and kaempferol (1, 2 mg/kg). These samples were successively given intragastric for 14 d. Locomotor activity assay, pentobarbital-induced sleeping and pentetrazol-induced seizures tests were utilized to examine the sedative-hypnotic effects (SHE) of EEMOS. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the results revealed that EEMOS (2 g/kg) and KA (2 mg/kg) possessed good SHE and could significantly elevate the levels of γ-aminobutyric acid and reduce the levels of glutamic acid in the mouse hypothalamus (p < 0.05). Moreover, SHE was blocked by picrotoxin, flumazenil and bicuculline (p < 0.05). EEMOS (2 g/kg) and KA (2 mg/kg) significantly upregulated the protein expression levels of glutamic acid decarboxylase-65 (GAD65) and α1-subunit of GABAA receptors in the hypothalamus of mice (p < 0.05), not affecting glutamic acid decarboxylase-67 (GAD67) and γ2-subunit expression levels (p > 0.05). Additionally, they cause a significant increase in Cl- influx in human cerebellar granule cells at a concentration of 8 µg/mL (p < 0.05). DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: These findings demonstrated that EEMOS could improve sleep by regulating GABAA-ergic systems, and encourage further clinical trials to treat insomnia.

Compassionate Use of Yuanjiang Decoction, a Traditional Chinese Medicinal Prescription, for Symptomatic Bradyarrhythmia.

Background: No effective medication is available for symptomatic bradyarrhythmia, particularly in low socioeconomic status (SES) population. Objective: To explore the safety and efficacy of Yuanjiang decoction, a traditional Chinese medicinal prescription, for symptomatic bradyarrhythmia on a compassionate-use basis. Methods: This compassionate-use study was conducted in Beijing, China between January 2019 and January 2020. Eligible participants were recruited and treated with Yuanjiang decoction (composed of 6 Chinese herbal medicines), 200 ml twice daily for 16 weeks. Analyses were done with the intention-to-treat (ITT) approach. The primary outcome measure was the proportion of participants who achieved a favorable treatment outcome at 16 weeks. Results: As of January 2020, 184 patients were included. After 16-weeks treatment, 12 participants were lost to contact while 21 participants were terminated from this study, with a drop-out rate of 17.93%. The most common treatment-related adverse events were xerostomia (6.52%), constipation (6.45%) and sleepiness (3.26%). The proportion of participants with favorable treatment outcome was 65.22% at 4 weeks, 59.78% at 8 weeks (OR: 1.11, 95% CI: 0.71-1.73), 61.41% at 12 weeks (OR: 1.16, 95% CI: 0.92-1.45) and 60.87% at 16 weeks (OR: 1.15, 95% CI: 0.98-1.35). In the multifactor regression analysis, the favorable treatment outcome at 16 weeks was significantly associated with completing at least 8 weeks treatment (OR: 2.053, 95% CI: 1.064-3.560), while unfavorable treatment outcome was significantly associated with an atrioventricular block (OR: 0.255, 95% CI: 0.083-0.784), current smoking (OR: 0.343, 95% CI: 0.027-0.487), and syncope in the month before treatment (OR: 0.321, 95%CI: 0.114-0.904). Conclusion: This compassionate-use study showed encouraging outcomes of treatment with Yuanjiang decoction, without serious adverse events. This study identified several key factors that may affect outcomes. These findings helped inform the design and assess the feasibility of a large-scale randomized clinical trial.

Detrimental health relationship between blood lead and cadmium and the red blood cell folate level.

Increasing studies have demonstrated the association between heavy metal pollution and micronutrients, especially folate. However, the relationship between cadmium and folate remains rarely discussed. In this study, we aim to explore the potential correlation between cadmium and folate in human population and highlight the possible mechanism of cadmium impacting human health. We utilized the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2017-2018 data with 5690 participants in this study. Multivariable linear regression models were adopted to investigate the serum lead and cadmium levels and RBC folate concentration. A significant reverse relationship was found between serum lead and cadmium and RBC folate. A negative relationship between serum lead and cadmium levels and the levels of RBC folate in the U.S. adult population was found in this study. Nevertheless, due to the general limitations of the NHANES data, as a cross-sectional study, a further prospective investigation is needed to discover the causality of lead and cadmium in folate status and to determine whether the folate supplement has a beneficial influence against heavy metal toxicities.

Moderate Sun Exposure Is the Complementor in Insufficient Vitamin D Consumers.

Background and Aims: Vitamin (Vit) D plays a vital role in human health, and the prevalence of Vit D deficiency worldwide has been a rising concern. This study investigates the serum 25-hydroxy-Vit D [25(OH)D] status in healthy US civilians and identifies how the two main sources, sun exposure and dietary Vit D intake, determine the final 25(OH)D levels in individuals. Methods: A total of 2,360 of participants from The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2009-2014 were analyzed. We divided the levels of sun exposure and dietary Vit D intake of all subjects into 10 strata and gave a score ranging from 1 to 10 points, respectively. Scores 1-5 in sun exposure and dietary intake were considered as relatively low exposure groups, whereas scores 6-10 were considered as relatively high exposure groups. Serum Vit D inadequacy was defined as <50 nmol/L. Linear and logistic regression analyses were used to examine the associations between sources of Vit D and serum 25(OH)D levels. Results: In relatively low Vit D intake groups (Vit D intake score 1-5), relatively high sun exposure (sun exposure score >5) resulted in higher serum 25(OH)D levels (average 57 nmol/L) compared with relatively low sun exposure (sun exposure score <5) (average 50 nmol/L), whereas this difference became negligible in high intake groups (Vit D intake score 6-10). Moreover, the greatest slope occurred in the low Vit D intake curve (decile 3 of Vit D intake), which shows increased sun exposure time causing the greatest degree of change in serum 25(OH)D level in this group. Conclusion: Sun exposure can significantly make up for deficiencies in subjects who consume insufficient dietary Vit D. Compared with the extra cost and time for building habits of Vit D supplementation, moderate sun exposure appears to be a simple and costless means for the public to start in daily practice.

Impact of Dying Neonates on Doctors' and Nurses' Personhood: A Systematic Scoping Review.

CONTEXT: Caring for dying neonates is distressing for healthcare professionals (HCP)s. Yet, the extent of these effects is poorly understood, compromising support of HCPs. To better understand and support HCPs, a systematic scoping review (SSR) of prevailing data is proposed. OBJECTIVES: In mapping prevailing data on the impact of caring for dying neonates on HCPs, an SSR proffers new insights on changes to their beliefs, values, coping, actions, relationships and self-concepts of personhood. METHODS: Krishna's Systematic Evidenced Based Approach (SEBA) supports a robust, reproducible review whilst its constructivist approach and relativist lens effectively contends with diverse data sources, facilitating a holistic study. RESULTS: A total of 9826 abstracts were reviewed and 69 articles were included. Thematic and content analysis were used simultanously. The four categories drawn from the Ring Theory of Personhood (RToP) complements the four themes identified: Emotional and Physical Difficulties, Coping Mechanisms, Conflict and Recommendations. CONCLUSION: In highlighting significant longitudinal effects upon all aspects of their lives, this SSR in SEBA reveals a critical need for timely, appropriate and personalized support. We recommend adapting the RToP as an assessment tool to identify and evaluate the needs of these HCPs. It may also be used to structure a holistic support mechanism. Future studies are required to validate its use and appraise other aspects of support available for HCPs.

Competitive CatSper Activators of Progesterone from Rhynchosia volubilis.

The root Rhynchosia volubilis was widely used for contraception in folk medicine, although its molecular mechanism on antifertility has not yet been revealed. In human sperm, it was reported that the cation channel of sperm, an indispensable cation channel for the fertilization process, could be regulated by various steroid-like compounds in plants. Interestingly, these nonphysiological ligands would also disturb the activation of the cation channel of sperm induced by progesterone. Therefore, this study aimed to explore whether the compounds in R. volubilis affect the physiological regulation of the cation channel of sperm. The bioguided isolation of the whole herb of R. volubilis has resulted in the novel discovery of five new prenylated isoflavonoids, rhynchones A - E (1:  - 5: ), a new natural product, 5'-O-methylphaseolinisoflavan (6: ) (1H and 13C NMR data, Supporting Information), together with twelve known compounds (7:  - 18: ). Their structures were established by extensive spectroscopic analyses and drawing a comparison with literature data, while their absolute configurations were determined by electronic circular dichroism calculations. The experiments of intracellular Ca2+ signals and patch clamping recordings showed that rhynchone A (1: ) significantly reduced cation channel of sperm activation by competing with progesterone. In conclusion, our findings indicat that rhynchone A might act as a contraceptive compound by impairing the activation of the cation channel of sperm and thus prevent fertilization.

Application and prospect of cytoreductive surgery combined with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy in the treatment of peritoneal metastasis from colorectal cancer / 中华肿瘤杂志

Colorectal cancer is one of the common malignant tumors in China, and its incidence is increasing with years. As the second most common metastatic site of colorectal cancer, peritoneum is difficult to diagnose early and with a poor prognosis. Systemic intravenous chemotherapy was used as the main treatment strategy for peritoneal metastasis in the past, but its systemic toxic and side effects were obvious, and it could not effectively control tumor progression. In recent years, the continuous development of surgical techniques, concepts, and equipment, as well as the introduction of new chemotherapy drugs and targeted drugs have significantly improved the quality of life and prognosis of patients with peritoneal metastasis of colorectal cancer. Cytoreductive surgery (CRS) combined with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) can effectively eradicated the intraperitoneal free cancer cells and subclinical lesions, while reducing systemic side effects of chemotherapy drugs, and achieve the radical cure of the tumor at the macro and micro levels to the greatest extent. It has been used as the first-line treatment program for peritoneal metastasis of colorectal cancer at home and abroad. This article focuses on the analysis and summary of the survival efficacy, prognostic factor analysis, and chemotherapy safety of CRS+ HIPEC in the treatment of colorectal cancer peritoneal metastasis. The existing problems and controversies of HIPEC therapy are discussed simultaneously.

[A new hexenol glycoside from Buddleja officinalis].

The chemical constituents of the flower buds of Buddleja officinalis were investigated in this study. Eight compounds were isolated from the water extract of B. officinalis by column chromatography, and their structures were elucidated on the basis of physicochemical properties and spectral data. These compounds were identified as(Z)-hex-3-en-1-ol-1-O-ß-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→2)-[ß-D-xylcopyranosyl-(1→6)]-ß-D-glucopyranoside(1), ebracteatoside B(2), jasmonic acid-11-O-ß-D-glucopyranoside(3), 6-hydroxyluteolin-7-O-ß-D-glucopyranoside(4), luteolin-7-O-galacturonide(5), vicenin-2(6), decaffeoylverbascoside(7), and 6-O-(E)-feruloyl-D-glucopyranoside(8). Compound 1 is a new 3-hexenol glycoside. Compounds 2, 3, and 6 were isolated from Buddleja genus for the first time, and compounds 4 and 5 were isolated from this plant for the first time.

Association Between Micronutrient Concentrations and Human Epididymis Protein 4.

BACKGROUND: Human epididymis protein 4 (HE4) has been frequently used to study in many malignant tumors, while serum nutritional markers are used to determine a person's health status. However, the link between serum micronutrient concentrations and HE4 has not yet been clarified. METHODS: A total of 2464 eligible female participants and serum concentrations of nutritional biomarkers were chosen from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) 2001-2002. For statistical analysis, we used the χ 2 test, multivariable linear regression, and analysis of variance. Adjusted models were used, and the concentrations of serum nutritional biomarkers were divided into quartiles. RESULTS: The mean age of the participants was 48.07 years. Among twelve micronutrients, five were negatively associated with HE4 in models 1, 2 and 3. Only α-carotene, trans-ß-carotene, cis-ß-carotene, trans-lycopene and retinol were associated with HE4, with beta coefficients of -0.102, -0.027, -0.506, -0.131 and -0.054, respectively. After performing quartile-based analysis, statistical significance was only found for serum α-carotene, trans-lycopene, and retinol in the three models. In model 3, the beta coefficients [95% confidence intervals (CIs)] of the fourth quartiles compared to the first quartiles for α-carotene, trans-lycopene, and retinol were -3.390 (-5.053, -1.727), -4.036 (-5.722, -2.351) and -4.146 (-5.899, -2.393), respectively. Serum concentrations of these three nutritional biomarkers were inversely related to serum HE4 concentration (p trend <0.001). CONCLUSION: HE4 is a useful and novel biomarker that can be used with many diseases, especially ovarian cancer. Three of our selected micronutrients were inversely associated with HE4 concentration. Supplement of micronutrients may reduce the levels of HE4 and the subsequent of ovarian cancer's risk. Therefore, a formula that correlates HE4 with nutritional biomarkers needs to be established before use in clinical applications.

Combination of Xuesaitong and Aspirin Based on the Antiplatelet Effect and Gastrointestinal Injury: Study Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Noninferiority Trial.

BACKGROUND: Aspirin is the first-line medication for prevention and treatment of coronary heart disease (CHD). However, long-term use of aspirin resulting in gastrointestinal mucosal injury and bleeding limits the regularity of medication. Xuesaitong is a marketed Chinese medicine contained main active component in Panax notoginseng saponins (PNS), which can significantly inhibit platelet aggregation in patients with CHD. Our previous studies have already showed that PNS could reduce the gastrointestinal mucosal injury caused by aspirin in preclinical study. However, there is a need for further clinical studies to evaluate synergy and attenuation effect of the combination. METHODS: This trial is a prospectively planned, open-labeled, parallel-grouped, single-centered clinical trial. A total of eligible 480 participants will be randomly allocated into three groups: aspirin group, Xuesaitong group, and drug combination group at a ratio of 1 : 1 : 1. The primary outcome is the change of platelet aggregation rate and calprotectin activity. Secondary outcomes include PAC-1, P-selectin, P2Y12, I-FABP activity, and fecal occult blood. Discussion. The results of the study are expected to provide evidence of high methodological and reporting quality on the synergy function of Xuesaitong and aspirin upon the antiplatelet and anti-gastrointestinal injury effect for CHD. It also provides an experimental basis for clinical rational drug combination therapy. Trial Registration. This trial was registered in the Chinese Clinical Trail Registry, ChiCTR2000036311, on 22 August 2020, http://www.chictr.org.cn/edit.aspx?pid=58798&htm=4.

Electroacupuncture in the Contralesional Hemisphere Improves Neurological Function Involving GABA in Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury Rats.

This study investigated the effect and mechanism of electroacupuncture (EA) on the contralesional hemisphere in rats with ischemic stroke. EA of 2 Hz was applied on the contralesionally Luoque (BL8) and Tongtian (BL7) acupoints of the scalp to investigate the neurological status and mechanism in ischemia-reperfusion injury rats. The differences in the neurological deficit score and Rotarod test time between days 3 and 15 after reperfusion were significantly lower in the sham group (0.00 (-1.00, 0.00) and 3.53 (-0.39, 7.48) second, respectively) than in the EA group (-4.00 (-4.00, -3.00) and 44.80 (41.69, 54.13) second, respectively, both p < 0.001). The ratio of infarction volume was 0.19 ± 0.04 in the sham group greater than 0.07 ± 0.04 in the EA group (p < 0.001). On day 15, in the cerebral cortex of the lesioned hemisphere, the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-A/actin ratio in the normal group (1.11 ± 0.36) was higher than that in the sham group (0.38 ± 0.07, p < 0.05) and similar to that in the EA group (0.69 ± 0.18, p > 0.05); the difference between the EA and sham groups was significant (p < 0.05). EA of 2 Hz on the BL8 and BL7 acupoints on the contralesional scalp can improve motor function and also can reduce infarction volume, and this effect of EA, and that GABA-A, plays at least a partial role in ischemia-reperfusion injury rats.

[Research on revision of origins to Chinese medicinal materials in 2020 edition of Chinese pharmacopoeia].

The origins of 9 species of the Chinese medicinal materials in the 2015 edition of the Chinese pharmacopoeia(ChP) has revised in the 2020 edition of ChP. The revision is based on the investigation and textual research on the problems found after screening the original plants, animals or minerals of all the Chinese medicinal materials in the 2015 edition. Among them the Chinese names of Alismatis Rhizoma, Cassiae Semen, Coicis Semen, Corydalis Bungeanae Herba and Echinopsis Radix all do not match to the Latin scientific names, and also do not match the name of the actual medicinal origins. In addition, Alismatis Rhizoma has the omission of original plant. There is confusion about the Chinese name and the family name of the original insect of Cera Chinensis. The original mineral of Gypsum Fibrosum has the wrong group names. Alumstone and melanterite, the original mineral of Alumen and Melanteritum respectively, of which the group names are missing. To solve these problems, field survey and literature research were conducted on the medicinal materials and their origins. The source of these problems are explored. The correct origins and the Chinese names or Latin names are all determined according to the research results to the situation, in which the Chinese and Latin names of the original plants of the medicinal materials do not match. The correct family name and group name are obtained through textual research by taxonomy if the names are confused or mis-sing. The scientific evidence and correct results of revision in the 2020 edition of ChP are determined at last.