Current coffee consumption is associated with decreased striatal dopamine transporter availability in Parkinson's disease patients and healthy controls.

BACKGROUND: Coffee is the most widely consumed psychostimulant worldwide. Emerging evidence indicates that coffee consumption habit significantly reduces the risk of developing Parkinson's disease (PD). However, the effect of coffee consumption on nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurodegeneration is still largely unknown. We therefore aim to investigate the role of coffee consumption in nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurodegeneration using dopamine transporter (DAT) imaging in PD and healthy controls (HC). METHODS: A total of 138 PD patients and 75 HC with questionnaires about coffee consumption, and DAT scans were recruited from the Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative cohort. Demographic, clinical, and striatal DAT characteristics were compared across subgroups of current, former, and never coffee consumers in PD and HC, respectively. Furthermore, partial correlation analyses were performed to determine whether there was a relationship between coffee cups consumed per day and striatal DAT characteristics in each striatal region. In addition, the factors that may have influenced the loss of nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons were included in multiple linear regression analyses to identify significant contributing factors to DAT availability in each striatal region. RESULTS: PD patients had lower DAT availability in each striatal region than HC (p < 0.001). In PD patients, there were significant differences in DAT availability in the caudate (p = 0.008, Bonferroni corrected) across three PD subgroups. Specifically, post hoc tests showed that current coffee consumers had significantly lower DAT availability in the caudate than former coffee consumers (p = 0.01) and never coffee consumers (p = 0.022). In HC, there were significant differences in DAT availability in the caudate (p = 0.031, Bonferroni uncorrected) across three HC subgroups. Specifically, post hoc tests showed that current coffee consumers had significantly lower DAT availability in the caudate than former coffee consumers (p = 0.022). Moreover, correlation analysis revealed that cups per day were negatively correlated with DAT availability in the caudate in current consumers of PD patients (r = - 0.219, p = 0.047). In addition, multiple linear regression analyses showed that current coffee consumption remained an independent predictor of decreased DAT availability in the caudate in PD patients and HC. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that current coffee consumption is associated with decreased striatal DAT availability in the caudate. However, the effects of caffeine on striatal DAT may fade and disappear after quitting coffee consumption. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01141023.

Aberrant dentato-rubro-thalamic pathway in action tremor but not rest tremor: A multi-modality magnetic resonance imaging study.

AIMS: The purpose of this study was to clarify the dentato-rubro-thalamic (DRT) pathway in action tremor in comparison to normal controls (NC) and disease controls (i.e., rest tremor) by using multi-modality magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). METHODS: This study included 40 essential tremor (ET) patients, 57 Parkinson's disease (PD) patients (29 with rest tremor, 28 without rest tremor), and 41 NC. We used multi-modality MRI to comprehensively assess major nuclei and fiber tracts of the DRT pathway, which included decussating DRT tract (d-DRTT) and non-decussating DRT tract (nd-DRTT), and compared the differences in DRT pathway components between action and rest tremor. RESULTS: Bilateral dentate nucleus (DN) in the ET group had excessive iron deposition compared with the NC group. Compared with the NC group, significantly decreased mean diffusivity and radial diffusivity were observed in the left nd-DRTT in the ET group, which were negatively correlated with tremor severity. No significant difference in each component of the DRT pathway was observed between the PD subgroup or the PD and NC. CONCLUSION: Aberrant changes in the DRT pathway may be specific to action tremor and were indicating that action tremor may be related to pathological overactivation of the DRT pathway.

Qing-Zhi-Tiao-Gan-Tang (QZTGT) prevents nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) by expression pattern correction.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Qing-Zhi-Tiao-Gan-Tang or Qing-Zhi-Tiao-Gan Decoction (QZTGT) is based on the compatibility theory of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), that is a combination of three classical formulae for the treatment of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Its pharmacodynamic material basis is made up of quinones, flavanones, and terpenoids. AIM OF THE STUDY: This study aimed to look for a promising recipe for treating nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), a more advanced form of NAFLD, and to use a transcriptome-based multi-scale network pharmacological platform (TMNP) to find its therapy targets. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A classical dietary model of NASH was established using MCD (Methionine- and choline-deficient) diet-fed mice. Liver coefficients like ALT, AST, serum TC, and TG levels were tested following QZTGT administration. A transcriptome-based multi-scale network pharmacological platform (TMNP) was used to further analyze the liver gene expression profile. RESULTS: The composition of QZTGT was analyzed by HPLC-Q-TOF/MS, a total of 89 compounds were separated and detected and 31 of them were found in rat plasma. QZTGT improved liver morphology, inflammation and fibrosis in a classical NASH model. Transcriptomic analysis of liver samples from NASH animal model revealed that QZTGT was able to correct gene expression. We used transcriptome-based multi-scale network pharmacological platform (TMNP) to predicted molecular pathways regulated by QZTGT to improve NASH. Further validation indicated that "fatty acid degradation", "bile secretion" and "steroid biosynthesis" pathways were involved in the improvement of NASH phenotype by QZTGT. CONCLUSIONS: Using HPLC-Q-TOF/MS, the compound composition of QZTGT, a Traditional Chinese prescription, was separated, analyzed and identified systematically. QZTGT mitigated NASH symptoms in a classical dietary model of NASH. Transcriptomic and network pharmacology analysis predicted the potential QZTGT regulated pathways. These pathways could be used as therapeutic targets for NASH.

Association of coffee consumption and striatal volume in patients with Parkinson's disease and healthy controls.

BACKGROUND: Mounting studies have demonstrated that coffee consumption significantly reduces the risk of developing Parkinson's disease (PD). However, there have been few investigations about the role of chronic coffee consumption in nigrostriatal structural neurodegeneration in PD. We aimed to investigate whether chronic coffee consumption is associated with the change in striatal volume in PD. METHODS: In this study, 130 de novo patients with PD and 69 healthy controls were enrolled from the Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative cohort. Patients with PD and healthy controls were, respectively, divided into three subgroups, including current, ever, and never coffee consumers. Then, striatal volume was compared across the three subgroups. Correlation analyses were performed to assess the relationship between cups consumed per day and striatal volume. Furthermore, we included the factors that may have influenced nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons in multiple linear regression analyses to identify significant contributing factors to striatal volume in each investigated striatal region. RESULTS: Current coffee consumers had decreased striatal volume compared with ever consumers in controls but not patients with PD. Furthermore, the correlation analyses revealed that cups per day were negatively correlated with striatal volume in current consumers of patients with PD and controls. In addition, multiple linear regression analyses showed that current coffee consumption remained as an independent predictor of a decrease in striatal volume in controls. CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed that chronic coffee consumption was negatively correlated with striatal volume. In addition, our study showed that chronic coffee consumption was associated with the change in striatal volume in current-rather than ever coffee consumers, which suggests that the chronic effects of caffeine on striatal morphology may fade and even compensate after quitting coffee. Our study provides evidence for the effect of chronic coffee consumption on striatal volume in human brain in vivo.

Progressive microstructural alterations in subcortical nuclei in Parkinson's disease: A diffusion magnetic resonance imaging study.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the microstructural alterations in subcortical nuclei in Parkinson's disease (PD) at different stages with diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) and tensor imaging and to test the performance of diffusion metrics in identifying PD. METHODS: 108 PD patients (64 patients in early-stage PD group (EPD) and 44 patients in moderate-late-stage PD group (MLPD)) and 64 healthy controls (HC) were included. Tensor and kurtosis metrics in the subcortical nuclei were compared. Partial correlation was used to correlate the diffusion metrics and Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale part-III (UPDRS-III) score. Logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic analysis were applied to test the diagnostic performance of the diffusion metrics. RESULTS: Compared with HC, both EPD and MLPD patients showed higher fractional anisotropy and axial diffusivity, lower mean kurtosis (MK) and axial kurtosis in substantia nigra, lower MK and radial kurtosis (RK) in globus pallidus (GP) and thalamus (all p < 0.05). Compared with EPD, MLPD patients showed lower MK and RK in GP and thalamus (all p < 0.05). MK and RK in GP and thalamus were negatively correlated with UPDRS-III score (all p < 0.01). The logistic regression model combining kurtosis and tensor metrics showed the best performance in diagnosing PD, EPD, and MLPD (areas under curve were 0.817, 0.769, and 0.914, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: PD has progressive microstructural alterations in the subcortical nuclei. DKI is sensitive to detect microstructural alterations in GP and thalamus during PD progression. Combining kurtosis and tensor metrics can achieve a good performance in diagnosing PD.

Design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of novel tetrahydroprotoberberine derivatives to reduce SREBPs expression for the treatment of hyperlipidemia.

Statins play an important role in the treatment of hyperlipidemia, but drug resistance and adverse effects greatly limits their application. To discover new lipid-lowering drugs, three different series of tetrahydroprotoberberine derivatives (THPBs) were designed and synthesized. These compounds were first tested for their effects on viability of HepG2 cells and 21 compounds with the percent of cell viability over 90% were further screened to evaluate their ability to reduce total cholesterol (TC) and triglyceride (TG) levels. Among these derivatives, two compounds displayed significant down-regulation both intracellular of TC and TG content, especially compound 49 exhibited the greatest efficacy. Mechanistically, compound 49 promoted proteasomal degradation of SREBPs. Importantly, compound 49 displayed superior bioavailability (F = 65.1%) and obvious efficacy in the treatment of high fat diet induced obesity in vivo. Therefore, compound 49 is a promising candidate to develop new treatment of hyperlipidemia.

Administration of isoliquiritigenin prevents nonalcoholic fatty liver disease through a novel IQGAP2-CREB-SIRT1 axis.

Isoliquiritigenin (ISO) is a flavonoid extracted from the root of licorice, which serves various biological and pharmacological functions including antiinflammatory, antioxidation, liver protection, and heart protection. However, the mechanism of its action remains elusive and the direct target proteins of ISO have not been identified so far. Through cell-based screening, we identified ISO as a potent lipid-lowering compound. ISO treatment successfully ameliorated fatty acid-induced cellular lipid accumulation and improved nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) by increasing PPARα-dependent lipid oxidation and decreasing SREBPs-dependent lipid synthesis. Both these signaling required the activation of SIRT1. Knockdown of SIRT1 resulted in the reversal of ISO beneficiary effects suggesting that the lipid-lowering activity of ISO was regulated by SIRT1 expression. To identify the direct target of ISO, limited proteolysis combined with mass spectrometry (LiP-SMap) strategy was applied and IQGAP2 was identified as the direct target for ISO in regulating lipid homeostasis. In the presence of ISO, both mRNA and protein levels of SIRT1 were increased; however, this effect was abolished by blocking IQGAP2 expression using siRNA. To explore how IQGAP2 regulated the expression level of SIRT1, proteome profiler human phospho-kinase array kit was used to reveal possible phosphorylated kinases and signaling nodes that ISO affected. We found that through phosphorylation of CREB, ISO transduced signals from IQGAP2 to upregulate SIRT1 expression. Thus, we not only demonstrated the molecular basis of ISO in regulating lipid metabolism but also exhibited for the first time a novel IQGAP2-CREB-SIRT1 axis in treating NAFLD/NASH.

The phytochemical hyperforin triggers thermogenesis in adipose tissue via a Dlat-AMPK signaling axis to curb obesity.

Stimulation of adipose tissue thermogenesis is regarded as a promising avenue in the treatment of obesity. However, pharmacologic engagement of this process has proven difficult. Using the Connectivity Map (CMap) approach, we identified the phytochemical hyperforin (HPF) as an anti-obesity agent. We found that HPF efficiently promoted thermogenesis by stimulating AMPK and PGC-1α via a Ucp1-dependent pathway. Using LiP-SMap (limited proteolysis-mass spectrometry) combined with a microscale thermophoresis assay and molecular docking analysis, we confirmed dihydrolipoamide S-acetyltransferase (Dlat) as a direct molecular target of HPF. Ablation of Dlat significantly attenuated HPF-mediated adipose tissue browning both in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, genome-wide association study analysis indicated that a variation in DLAT is significantly associated with obesity in humans. These findings suggest that HPF is a promising lead compound in the pursuit of a pharmacological approach to promote energy expenditure in the treatment of obesity.

Triptolide impairs genome integrity by directly blocking the enzymatic activity of DNA-PKcs in human cells.

Triptolide is a multi-functional natural small molecular compound extracted from a traditional Chinese medicinal herb. Triptolide and its derivatives exhibit cytotoxicity through inducing DNA damage, therefore increasing sensitivity to DNA-damage based chemotherapy or radiotherapy in different types of cells. However, the regulatory mechanism of genotoxicity by triptolide, and the loss of genome integrity induced by triptolide are not fully understood. Here, we measured the effects of triptolide on genome integrity in a human fibroblast line HCA2-hTERT using the neutral comet assay. We demonstrated that treating cells with triptolide induced genomic instability in HCA2-hTERT cells. Furthermore, we observed the accumulation of γH2AX foci in triptolide treated cells than control cells at 24 h post ionizing radiation. Further mechanistic studies indicated that triptolide inhibited the enzymatic activity of DNA-PKcs, the critical nonhomologous end joining factor. In vitro kinase activity assays showed that triptolide suppressed the kinase activity of DNA-PKcs and molecular docking also predicted a potential interaction between triptolide and DNA-PKcs. As a consequence, we found that triptolide treatment enhanced the interaction between DNA-PKcs and KU80 and hampered the following recruitment of 53BP1. Altogether, our finding provides a new perspective about the toxicity of triptolide in non-cancer cells and highlights the necessity of taking genome effects of triptolide and its derivatives into consideration in the future clinical and research applications.

Serum folate concentrations at diagnosis are associated with hepatocellular carcinoma survival in the Guangdong Liver Cancer Cohort study.

Existing data on folate status and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) prognosis are scarce. We prospectively examined whether serum folate concentrations at diagnosis were associated with liver cancer-specific survival (LCSS) and overall survival (OS) among 982 patients with newly diagnosed, previously untreated HCC, who were enrolled in the Guangdong Liver Cancer Cohort (GLCC) study between September 2013 and February 2017. Serum folate concentrations were measured using chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay. Cox proportional hazards models were performed to estimate hazard ratios (HR) and 95 % CI by sex-specific quartile of serum folate. Compared with patients in the third quartile of serum folate, patients in the lowest quartile had significantly inferior LCSS (HR = 1·48; 95 % CI 1·05, 2·09) and OS (HR = 1·43; 95 % CI 1·03, 1·99) after adjustment for non-clinical and clinical prognostic factors. The associations were not significantly modified by sex, age at diagnosis, alcohol drinking status and Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stage. However, there were statistically significant interactions on both multiplicative and additive scale between serum folate and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels or smoking status and the associations of lower serum folate with worse LCSS and OS were only evident among patients with CRP > 3·0 mg/l or current smokers. An inverse association with LCSS were also observed among patients with liver damage score ≥3. These results suggest that lower serum folate concentrations at diagnosis are independently associated with worse HCC survival, most prominently among patients with systemic inflammation and current smokers. A future trial of folate supplementation seems to be promising in HCC patients with lower folate status.

Tubeimoside-1, a triterpenoid saponin, induces cytoprotective autophagy in human breast cancer cells in vitro via Akt-mediated pathway.

Autophagy, a form of cellular self-digestion by lysosome, is associated with various disease processes including cancers, and modulating autophagy has shown promise in the treatment of various malignancies. A number of natural products display strong antitumor activity, yet their mechanisms of action remain unclear. To gain a better understanding of how traditional Chinese medicine agents exert antitumor effects, we screened 480 natural compounds for their effects on autophagy using a high content screening assay detecting GFP-LC3 puncta in HeLa cells. Tubeimoside-1 (TBMS1), a triterpenoid saponin extracted from Bolbostemma paniculatum (Maxim) Franquet (Cucurbitaceae), was identified as a potent activator of autophagy. The activation of autophagy by TBMS1 was evidenced by increased LC3-II amount and GFP-LC3 dots, observation of autophagosomes under electron microscopy, and enhanced autophagic flux. To explore the mechanisms underlying TBMS1-activated autophagy, we performed cheminformatic analyses and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) binding assay that showed a higher likelihood of the binding between Akt protein and TBMS1. In three human breast cancer cell lines, we demonstrated that Akt-mTOR-eEF-2K pathway was involved in TBMS1-induced activation of autophagy, while Akt-mediated downregulations of Mcl-1, Bcl-xl, and Bcl-2 led to the activation of apoptosis of the breast cancer cells. Inhibition of autophagy enhanced the cytotoxic effect of TBMS1 via promoting apoptosis. Our results demonstrate the role and mechanism of TBMS1 in activating autophagy, suggesting that inhibition of cytoprotective autophagy may act as a therapeutic strategy to reinforce the activity of TBMS1 against cancers.

Administration of methyl palmitate prevents non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) by induction of PPAR-α.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The lack of valid therapeutic approach that can ameliorate the manifestations of NASH is a barrier to therapeutic development. Therefore, we investigate the novel role of Methyl Palmitate (MP) in preventing NASH and the possible mechanism involved. METHODS: 50 Male C57BL/6 J mice were randomly divided into 5 groups (n = 10). The control group was fed control diet; model group was fed MCD diet; MP 1 group was fed MCD diet supplemented with MP (75 mg/kg/day); MP 2 group was fed MCD plus MP diet (150 mg/kg/day); and MP 3 group was fed MCD plus MP diet (300 mg/kg/day). Histological staining's, and commercially available kits for serum ALT and AST and hepatic contents of TG, TC, MDA, SOD, and GSH were used to assess NASH. Furthermore, relative liver protein and gene expression levels were determined by Western Blot and qPCR, respectively. RESULTS: Mice fed MCD diet developed NASH, which was markedly improved by MP in a dose-dependent manner. MP treatment improved hepatic content of TG, TC, MDA, SOD and GSH and serum levels of ALT and AST. In vivo studies showed that MP treatment activated PPARα expression, that in turns, promoted ß-oxidation protein and gene expressions, suppressed TNFα, MCP1, TGFß1 and Colla1 protein and gene expression levels, contributing to the prevention of NASH. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicated that MP could successfully prevent NASH. This effect of MP was mediated through induction of PPARα pathway. This study provides a novel therapeutic target that plays pivotal role in the prevention of NASH.

Carnosic acid improves diabetic nephropathy by activating Nrf2/ARE and inhibition of NF-κB pathway.

BACKGROUND: Diabetic nephropathy (DN), one of the most serious complications of diabetes, is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality of end-stage renal disease. Our previous research found that carnosic acid (CA) or rosemary extract can effectively improve glucose and lipid metabolism disorder by inhibiting SREBPs. PURPOSE: In this study, we aimed to explore the therapeutic effects of CA on the DN. METHODS: The mice glomerular mesangial cells (mGMCs) were used to evaluate the anti-oxidative and anti-inflammation effects of CA under high glucose (HG) condition. Furthermore, db/db mice and streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic mice were used to investigate the effects of CA against DN in vivo. RESULTS: The results showed that CA activated Nrf2, inhibited NF-κB pathway and regulated related downstream genes in mGMC under HG condition. A 14-week treatment of mice with CA reduced water uptake and urine volume, attenuated diabetes-induced albuminuria, increased urine creatinine, and subsequently improved the glomerular sclerosis and mesangial expansion in db/db mice. Similarly, a 20-week oral administration of CA improved kidney damage in STZ-induced diabetic mice. In addition, CA inhibited the expression of profibrotic factors, such as TGF-ß1, fibronectin and E-cadherin. Compared to irbesartan, CA exerted better glucose lowering effect, and in kidney, CA was more potent to reduce fibronectin and E-cadherin expression. In all the animal experiment, CA did not lead to abnormal damages to other tissues. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that CA is a safe compound which exerts the protective effects on diabetes-induced kidney complications.

Moutan Cortex and Paeoniae Radix Rubra reverse high-fat-diet-induced metabolic disorder and restore gut microbiota homeostasis.

The present study was designed to investigate the therapeutic effcts of Moutan Cortex (CM, root bark of Paeonia suffruticosa Andr) and Paeoniae Radix Rubra (PR, root of Paeonia veitchii Lynch) on metabolic disorders, focusing on the infuence of CM and PR on the obesity-related gut microbiota homeostasis. The diet-induced obese (DIO) mouse model was used to test the therapeutic effects of CM and PR. The mice were orally administered with CM and PR for 6 weeks, and oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and insulin tolerance test (ITT) were performed to evaluate the insulin sensitivity of the mice. Sterol-regulatory element binding proteins (SREBPs) and their target genes were measured by quantitative RT-PCR. High-throughput 16S ribosomal RNA (16S rRNA) gene sequencing technology was used to determine the composition of gut microbiota, and the metabolites in serum were analyzed by GC-MS. Our results indicated that CM and PR combination alleviated obese and insulin resistance in the DIO mice, leading to increased glucose uptake and gene expression in muscle and liver, and down-regulated SREBPs and their target genes in liver. Interesting, neither the CM-PR extracts, nor the major components of CM and PR did not affect SREBPs activity in cultured cells. Meanwhile, CM and PR significantly modulated the gut microbiota of the high-fat diet (HFD) treated mice, similar to metformin, and CM-PR reversed the overall microbiota composition similar to the normal chow diet (NCD) treated mice. In conclusion, our results provide novel mechanisms of action for the effects of CM and PR in treating DIO-induced dysregulation of sugar and lipid metabolism.

Identification of urine tauro-ß-muricholic acid as a promising biomarker in Polygoni Multiflori Radix-induced hepatotoxicity by targeted metabolomics of bile acids.

Polygoni Multiflori Radix (PMR) has been widely used as a tonic for centuries. However, hepatotoxicity cases linked to PMR have been frequently reported and appropriate biomarkers for clinical diagnosis are currently lacking. Here, an approach using UPLC-QqQ/MS-based targeted metabolomics of bile acids (BAs) complemented with biochemistry and histopathology was applied to characterize the development and recovery processes of PMR-induced hepatotoxicity in rats and to identify biomarkers. The expression of bile salt export pump (Bsep) and sodium taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide (Ntcp) were evaluated to investigate the underlying mechanism. Steatosis and inflammatory cell infiltration were observed in PMR-treated rats, which were accompanied by the elevation of serum biochemistry. The metabolic profiles of BAs were analyzed by Principal Component Analysis, hyodeoxycholic acid (HDCA) in serum and tauro-ß-muricholic acid (TßMCA) in urine were identified as potential biomarkers for PMR-induced hepatotoxicity. The elevated expression of Bsep and decreased expression of Ntcp in the liver of PMRtreated rats indicated that hepatotoxicity was related to the disorders of BAs metabolism. Our study demonstrated that BAs may be used for clinical diagnosis of PMR-induced hepatotoxicity. Urine TßMCA was identified as a promising biomarker to facilitate the clinical monitoring of PMR-induced hepatotoxicity and may serve as potential therapeutic target.

Increased thalamic centrality and putamen-thalamic connectivity in patients with parkinsonian resting tremor.

INTRODUCTION: Evidence has indicated a strong association between hyperactivity in the cerebello-thalamo-motor cortical loop and resting tremor in Parkinson's disease (PD). Within this loop, the thalamus serves as a central hub based on its structural centrality in the generation of resting tremor. To study whether this thalamic abnormality leads to an alteration at the whole-brain level, our study investigated the role of the thalamus in patients with parkinsonian resting tremor in a large-scale brain network context. METHODS: Forty-one patients with PD (22 with resting tremor, TP and 19 without resting tremor, NTP) and 45 healthy controls (HC) were included in this resting-state functional MRI study. Graph theory-based network analysis was performed to examine the centrality measures of bilateral thalami across the three groups. To further provide evidence to the central role of the thalamus in parkinsonian resting tremor, the seed-based functional connectivity analysis was then used to quantify the functional interactions between the basal ganglia and the thalamus. RESULTS: Compared with the HC group, patients with the TP group exhibited increased degree centrality (p < .04), betweenness centrality (p < .01), and participation coefficient (p < .01) in the bilateral thalami. Two of these alterations (degree centrality and participation coefficient) were significantly correlated with tremor severity, especially in the left hemisphere (p < .02). The modular analysis showed that the TP group had more intermodular connections between the thalamus and the regions within the cerebello-thalamo-motor cortical loop. Furthermore, the data revealed significantly enhanced functional connectivity between the putamen and the thalamus in the TP group (p = .027 corrected for family-wise error). CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest increased thalamic centrality as a potential tremor-specific imaging measure for PD, and provide evidence for the altered putamen-thalamic interaction in patients with resting tremor.

Jiawei Erzhiwan improves menopausal metabolic syndrome by enhancing insulin secretion in pancreatic ß cells.

Menopausal metabolic syndrome (MMS) is a series of syndrome caused by ovarian function decline and hormone insufficiency, and is a high risk factor for cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and type II diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Erzhiwan (EZW), composed of Herba Ecliptae and Fructus Ligustri Lucidi, is a traditional Chinese herbal formula that has been used to treat menopausal syndrome for many years. We added Herba Epimedii, Radix Rehmanniae, and Fructus Corni into EZW, to prepare a new formula, termed Jiawei Erzhiwan (JE). The present study was designed to determine the anti-MMS effects of JE using ovariectomized (OVX) adult female rats that were treated with JE for 4 weeks, and ß-tc-6 cells and INS cells were used to detected the protect effectiveness of JE. Our results showed JE could increase insulin sensitivity and ameliorated hyperlipidemia. Metabolomics analysis showed that the serum levels of branched and aromatic amino acids were down-regulated in serum by JE administration. Moreover, JE enhanced the function of islet ß cells INS-1 and ß-tc-6, through increasing the glucose stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS), which was abolished by estrogen receptor (ER) antagonist, indicating that JE functions were mediated by ER signaling. Additionally, JE did not induce tumorigenesis in rat mammary tissue or promoted proliferation of MCF-7 and Hela cells. In conclusion, our work demonstrated that JE ameliorated OVX-induced glucose and lipid metabolism disorder through activating estrogen receptor pathway and promoting GSIS in islet ß cells, thus indicating that JE could be a safe and effective medication for MMS therapy.

Simultaneous quantitation of 14 active components in Yinchenhao decoction with an ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography-diode array detector: Method development and ingredient analysis of different commonly prepared samples.

J. Sep. Sci. 2016, 39, 4147-4157 DOI: 10.1002/jssc.201600284 Yinchenhao decoction (YCHD) is a famous Chinese herbal formula recorded in the Shang Han Lun which was prescribed by Zhongjing Zhang during 150-219 AD. A novel quantitative analysis method was developed, based on ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography coupled with a diode array detector for the simultaneous determination of 14 main active components in Yinchenhao decoction. Furthermore, the method has been applied for compositional difference analysis of the 14 components in eight normal extraction samples of Yinchenhao decoction, with the aid of hierarchical clustering analysis and similarity analysis. The present research could help hospital, factory and lab choose the best way to make Yinchenhao decoction with better efficacy.

Simultaneous quantitation of 14 active components in Yinchenhao decoction by using ultra high performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection: Method development and ingredient analysis of different commonly prepared samples.

We developed a novel quantitative analysis method based on ultra high performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode array detection for the simultaneous determination of the 14 main active components in Yinchenhao decoction. All components were separated on an Agilent SB-C18 column by using a gradient solvent system of acetonitrile/0.1% phosphoric acid solution at a flow rate of 0.4 mL/min for 35 min. Subsequently, linearity, precision, repeatability, and accuracy tests were implemented to validate the method. Furthermore, the method has been applied for compositional difference analysis of 14 components in eight normal-extraction Yinchenhao decoction samples, accompanied by hierarchical clustering analysis and similarity analysis. The result that all samples were divided into three groups based on different contents of components demonstrated that extraction methods of decocting, refluxing, ultrasonication and extraction solvents of water or ethanol affected component differentiation, and should be related to its clinical applications. The results also indicated that the sample prepared by patients in the family by using water extraction employing a casserole was almost same to that prepared using a stainless-steel kettle, which is mostly used in pharmaceutical factories. This research would help patients to select the best and most convenient method for preparing Yinchenhao decoction.

Pharmacokinetic studies of phellodendrine in rat plasma and tissues after intravenous administration using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

Phellodendrine, a quaternary ammonium alkaloid extracted from the dried bark of Phellodendrom chinensis Schneid and Phellodendrom amurense Rupr, has the effect of suppressing cellular immune response, reducing blood pressure and antinephritis. However, few investigations have been conducted for the pharmacokinetic study of phellodendrine. Thus, a rapid, simple and reliable ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem quadrupole mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QQQ MS/MS) method has been established for quantification of phellodendrine in rat plasma and tissues by using magnoflorine as internal standard. The chromatographic separation was achieved on an Agilent ZORBAX SB-C18 column (4.6mm×50mm, 1.8µm) by gradient elution using 0.1% aqueous formic acid (A) and methanol (B). Triple quadrupole mass detection with multiple reaction monitoring mode was used to monitor the ion transitions, at m/z 342.20→192.20 for phellodendrine and m/z 342.20→58.20 for internal standard, respectively. The developed method was fully validated and successfully applied to the pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution study of phellodendrine after intravenous administration. The lower limits of quantification were 0.5ng/mL for plasma samples, 2.5ng/g for brain and 1ng/g for other tested tissues. Precisions and accuracy values were within the Food and Drug Administration acceptance criteria, the recovery and matrix effects were between 87.8-113.5%. The area under the curve (AUC0-t) ranged from 15.58 to 57.41mg/L min and Cmax were between 1.63-4.93mg/L. The results showed that phellodendrine was eliminated in 120min in plasma and most of tissues and the highest concentrations of phellodendrine were found in the kidney. This study may provide a basis for the further study of phellodendrine.