Antifibrotic effect of Gancao Ganjiang decoction is mediated by PD-1 / TGF-ß1 / IL-17A pathway in bleomycin-induced idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Firstly prescribed in the ancient Chinese book Jingui Yaolue, Gancao Ganjiang decoction (GGD) is a traditional Chinese herbal formula that has been widely used to treat "atrophic lung disease". GGD is a popular and widely used traditional Chinese medicine. The decoction is extracted from the dried rhizomes and roots of Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch. and Zingiber officinale Roscoe (2:1). AIM OF STUDY: To investigate the therapeutic effect of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) of GGD, a bleomycin-induced IPF murine model was used in this study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Mice were induced by bleomycin instillation and GGD was orally administered. Changes on mice weight were recorded during the experiment. Lung weight was recorded on days 14 and 28, and pulmonary index was calculated accordingly. Pathological evaluation, including fibrosis analysis of lung tissue, was assessed by H&E and Masson staining. The expression of PD-1, p-STAT3 and IL-17A were detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC). The expression of p-STAT3 in lung tissues of mice were detected by Western blot. The level of IL-17A in lung tissue were detected by ELISA. The expression of PD-1 in CD4+ T cells in peripheral blood of mice was detected by flow cytometry. The levels of hydroxyproline and TGF-ß1 in lung tissue were detected by ELISA. The expression of E-cadherin, vimentin and α-SMA in lung tissues of mice were detected by qRT-PCR and Western blot. RESULTS: GGD can increase body weight and reduce pulmonary index in mice with pulmonary fibrosis. As such, GGD can significantly improve the inflammatory and alleviate IPF in the lung tissue of mice. GGD treatment was capable of reducing the content of PD-1 in lung tissue as well as the expression of PD-1 in CD4+ T cells in peripheral blood. Likewise, GGD was able to reduce the content of p-STAT3, IL-17A and TGF-ß1. In addition, GGD stimulation could inhibit epithelial-mesenchymal transformation (EMT) by increasing the expression of E-cadherin and reducing vimentin and α-SMA, thus reducing extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that GGD positively affects IPF by regulating PD-1/TGF-ß1/IL-17A pathway.

Polysaccharides from fermented Momordica charantia L. with Lactobacillus plantarum NCU116 ameliorate metabolic disorders and gut microbiota change in obese rats.

Obesity is a chronic disease characterized by overweight resulting from fat accumulation, along with disturbance of metabolism and gut microbiota. Fermentation, as a green processing method, is beneficial for improving the nutrition capacity of food components. Polysaccharides are considered as one of the important components in food and are also potential supplements for anti-obesity treatment. This study aimed to investigate the anti-obesity effects of polysaccharides from fermented and non-fermented Momordica charantia L. with Lactobacillus plantarum NCU116 (FP and NFP) on obese rats by serum metabolomics and gut microbiota analysis. Metabolomics results revealed that abnormal lipid metabolism was formed due to obesity. The supplement of FP and NFP improved the glycerophospholipids, glycosphingolipids, and amino acid metabolism of the obese rats, which alleviated the hypercholesterolemia and overweight in rats. Furthermore, the disorder of gut microbiota was ameliorated by FP and NFP. FP promoted the growth of beneficial bacteria, such as phylum Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, and genera Anaerostipes, Coprococcus, Lactobacillus, and Bifidobacterium. FP also reduced several harmful bacteria belonging to the phylum Proteobacteria and genera Helicobacter. The positive correlation of the weight loss and lowering of serum lipids with the increased beneficial bacteria further elucidated that the anti-obesity effect of FP in obese rats is associated with the regulation of gut microbiota and serum metabolites. The results of this study could provide information for developing probiotic products in the future that may have beneficial effects on the prevention or treatment of obesity.

Longshengzhi Capsules Improve Ischemic Stroke Outcomes and Reperfusion Injury via the Promotion of Anti-Inflammatory and Neuroprotective Effects in MCAO/R Rats.

Stroke is the leading cause of death in the elderly. Traditional Chinese medicine provides an exciting strategy for treating stroke. Previous reports indicated that Longshengzhi capsules (LSZ), a modified Chinese formula, reduced formed thrombi and oxidative stress and were promising in the clinical treatment of ischemic stroke. However, the specific therapeutic effect and mechanism of LSZ are still ambiguous. This study aimed to define the effects of LSZ on proinflammatory mediators and neuroprotective effects on middle cerebral artery occlusion and refusion (MCAO/R) rats. Rats were treated with different doses of LSZ (0.54, 1.62, and 4.32 g/(kg·d)) in a week after model building. LSZ could improve the survival rate, ischemic stroke outcome, and infarct volume. In addition, significant decrease was observed in reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and inflammatory factor levels in LSZ-treated groups, concomitant with increase in activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), neurosynaptic remodeling, and decrease in brain edema. It is proposed that LSZ has anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects resulting in downregulating matrix metalloproteinase 2/9 (MMP-2/9) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) and upregulating microtubule-associated protein-2 (Map-2) and growth-associated protein-43 (GAP-43) via p38 MAPK and HIF-1α signaling pathways in MCAO/R rats. This study provides potential evidences that p38 MAPK and HIF-1α/VEGF signaling pathways play significant roles in the anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects of LSZ.

Protective effects of ß-glucan isolated from highland barley on ethanol-induced gastric damage in rats and its benefits to mice gut conditions.

Gastrointestinal tract disease is a global health problem which affects a major part of the world population. In this study, the gastroprotective effects of ß-glucan isolated from highland barley on ethanol-induced gastric damage in rats and its benefits to mice gut health were investigated. Biochemical and pathological analysis methods were adopted to evaluating the gastrointestinal tract protective of ß-glucan isolated from highland barley. In the ulceration model, it was found that ß-glucan treatment could mitigate the gastric lesions and gastric mucosal damage caused by ethanol, decrease the gastric ulcer index. Furthermore, ß-glucan treatment alleviated the gastric oxidative stress injury in vehicle rats through increasing the activity of superoxide dismutase and catalase, decreasing the level of malondialdehyde. In addition, ß-glucan treatment also could decrease the level of interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor alpha and increased level of prostaglandin E2, nitric oxide. In the mouse gut health promoting model, ß-glucan treatment increased the colon length, faces water contents and the concentration of total short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) both in mice colon and cecum. Taken together, these results may indicate that ß-glucan isolated from highland barley exert protective effects on the gastrointestinal tract of laboratory rodents.

Fermented Momordica charantia L. juice modulates hyperglycemia, lipid profile, and gut microbiota in type 2 diabetic rats.

The effect of Lactobacillus plantarum-fermentation on the anti-diabetic functionality of Momordica charantia was examined using a high-fat-diet and low-dose streptozocin-induced type 2 diabetic rat model. Fermented Momordica charantia juice (FMCJ) administration mitigated the hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, hyperlipidemia, and oxidative stress in diabetic rats more favorably than the non-fermented counterpart. Treatments with FMCJ improved ergosterols and lysomonomethyl-phosphatidylethanolamines metabolisms more effectively. Supplement of FMCJ regulated the composition of the gut microbiota, such as increased the abundance of Bacteroides caecigallinarum, Oscillibacter ruminantium, Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron, Prevotella loescheii, Prevotella oralis, and Prevotella melaninogenica, in diabetic rats compared with untreated diabetic rats. Moreover, FMCJ-treated diabetic rats exhibited higher concentrations of acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid, total short-chain fatty acids and lower pH values in colonic contents than that in non-fermented juice-treated rats. These results demonstrated that Lactobacillus plantarum-fermentation enhanced the anti-diabetic property of MC juice by favoring the regulation of gut microbiota and the production of SCFAs.

Physicochemical, functional and emulsion properties of edible protein from avocado (Persea americana Mill.) oil processing by-products.

Avocado (Persea americana) is a tropical fruit that has drawn great interest its oil for foods and cosmetic industries; however, avocado oil processing by-product is a potential source of edible protein. Herein, edible protein was prepared from defatted avocado meal, and it's physicochemical, functional and emulsion properties were investigated. The avocado protein showed U-shaped exhibiting strong effect of pH, and a minimum solubility being observed at pH 4.5, confirming the isoelectric point of avocado protein. Nutritionally, the avocado protein contains all the essential amino acids. Avocado protein provided higher water and oil absorption capacities, higher radical scavenging capacity but lower in-vitro digestibility compared with soy protein. Furthermore, the avocado protein as emulsifier afforded a stability oil-in-water emulsion system, resulting in a greater emulsifying stability than that of soy protein. The present results highlight the potential source of edible protein from avocado oil processing by-products for functional food ingredients.

Protective effect of three glucomannans from different plants against DSS induced colitis in female BALB/c mice.

Glucomannans (GMs) from diverse natural plants have great potentiality in enhancing the host immune system. The protective effects of three GMs on the intestinal mucosal immunity in colitis mice were investigated and compared in this study. The three GMs (KGM, AGP, and DOP) were obtained from Amorphophallus rivieri, Aloe vera, and Dendrobium officinale, respectively, having different weight-averaged molecular weights (Mw), acetyl group content, and molar ratios of mannose to glucose (M/G). The three fractions were administered with or without dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) containing drinking water. Macroscopic observations (health state, crypt depth, and bowel thickness of colon tissue) were conducted. Furthermore, related cytokines and mRNA expressions of TLRs were measured by ELISA and RT-qPCR, respectively. Results showed that the administration of the three GMs improved the health state of colitis mice, such as the recovery of body weight, and the increase of the immune organ index, crypt depth, bowel wall thickness, and total number of immune cells. The integrity of intestinal mucosa was maintained by the increased number of goblet cells and mucin protein production. Further studies showed that GMs kept the balance between pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines and also regulated the expressions of TLR-2, TLR-4, TLR-6, and TLR-9. The above results suggested that GMs could attenuate the intestinal epithelial injury and regulate the intestinal mucosal immunity. Structural features including the M/G ratio, Mw, and the content of acetyl groups jointly influence the protective effects of GMs on the colitis mice.

Polysaccharides from fermented Momordica charantia ameliorate obesity in high-fat induced obese rats.

Momordica charantia (M. charantia) has been widely used to treat obesity due to its bioactive ingredients. This research aimed to investigate the anti-obesity effect of polysaccharides (FP) from fermented M. charantia with Lactobacillus plantarum NCU116 on high-fat induced obese rats. We found that FP could effectively lower the body weight gain, Lee's index, insulin resistance and cell sizes of epididymal adipose tissues in obese rats compared with polysaccharides from non-fermented M. charantia (NFP). FP treatments decreased the total cholesterol, triacylglycerols, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, leptin, whereas they elevated the high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, adiponectin, significantly in the serum of obese rats. Furthermore, administrations of FP notably improved oxidative balance in obese rats. Lipidomics results indicated that 24 potential biomarkers have been identified in serum. Additionally, 21 lipids were considerably altered by FP and NFP intakes, such as fatty acyls, glycerolipids, sphingolipids, sterol lipids and glycerophospholipids. The anti-obesity properties of FP were revealed via relieving insulin resistance and fat accumulation of obese rats, which was associated with the regulation of lipid metabolism. Overall, FP exerted more favourable impacts on the anti-obesity effect than NFP, which may be attributed to fermentation.

Mixed effects of restriction strategies in antimicrobial stewardship programs on antimicrobial use in 121 tertiary hospitals in China, 2013-2017.

Background: The research evaluated the impact of intravenous antimicrobial restriction strategy (IARS) on different types of hospitals in China for evidence-based management, for outpatients implemented in 2016. Methods: Based on panel data on antimicrobial use in 121 tertiary hospitals in Zhejiang, China, segmented regression analysis was used to evaluate the impact of IARS in children's hospitals (CHs), obstetrics and gynecology hospitals (OGHs), women's and children's hospitals (WCHs), traditional Chinese medicine hospitals (TCMHs) and general hospitals (GHs). Antimicrobial use was measured using the percentage of total encounters with prescribing and the percentage of total drug expenditure relating to antimicrobials (APP and AEP). Results: There was a downward baseline slope of APP in all types of hospitals and AEP in WCHs, TCMHs and GHs (P < 0.01). After IARS, a level reduction in AEP in CHs (-3.14%, 95% CI = -6.21 to 0.06), WCHs (-1.33%, 95% CI = -2.44 to 0.22) and TCMHs (-0.85%, 95%CI = -1.51 to 0.18). After IARS, the slope of AEP changed significantly in OGHs (-0.42%, 95%CI = -0.81 to 0.03) and WCHs (0.29%, 95% CI = 0.08 to 0.49), and the slope of APP changed significantly in CHs (2.35%, 95%CI = 1.20 to 3.49). Conclusions: IARS had the mixed effects including positive effect in AEP and no significant change in APP, and an unexpected rise in APP in CHs needs further study.

Dietary compounds and traditional Chinese medicine ameliorate type 2 diabetes by modulating gut microbiota.

Diabetes mellitus (DM) and its complications are major public health concerns which strongly influence the quality of humans' life. Modification of gut microbiota has been widely used for the management of diabetes. In this review, the relationship between diabetes and gut microbiota, as well as the effects of different dietary components and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) on gut microflora are summarized. Dietary compounds and TCM possessing bioactive components (fiber and phytochemicals) first change the composition of gut microbiota (inhibiting pathogens and promoting the beneficial bacteria growth) and then influence the production of their metabolites, which would further modify the intestinal environment through inhibiting the production of detrimental compounds (such as lipopolysaccharide, hydrogen sulfide, indol, etc.). Importantly, metabolites (short chain fatty acids and other bioactive components) fermented/degraded by gut microbiota can target multiple pathways in intestine, liver, pancreas, etc., resulting in the improvement of gut health, glycemic control, lipids profile, insulin resistance and inflammation. Furthermore, understanding the interaction between different dietary components and gut microbiota, as well as underlying mechanisms would help design different diet formula for the management of diabetes. Further researches could focus on the combination of different dietary components for preventing and treating diabetes, based on the principle of "multiple components against multiple targets" from the perspective of gut microbiota.

[The effect of biyuanshu oral liquid on the formation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms in vitro].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of biyuanshu oral liquid on the formation of pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms in vitro. METHOD: Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm was established by plate culture and detected by Scanning electron microscopy and AgNO3 staining. After treated with different dosages of biyuanshu oral liquid and erythromycin, the pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms were observed by AgNO3 staining and the number of viable bacteria were measured by serial dilution. RESULT: The pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms could be detected by SEM at the seventh culture day and it was consistent with the detection of AgNO3 staining. The biyuanshu oral liquid and erythromycin have the effect on inhibiting the formation of pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms. But with the already formed pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms the inhibition was not significant. The serial dilution method showed that the viable counts of bacteria of biyuanshu oral liquid and erythromycin treated groups were significantly lower than those untreated groups (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The biyuanshu oral liquid and erythromycin can inhibit the formation of pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms in vitro.