Dietary sodium butyrate positively modulated intestinal microbial community, but did not promote growth of largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides).

This study investigated the effects of dietary sodium butyrate (NaB) on growth, serum biochemical indices, intestine histology, and gut microbiota of largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides). A basal diet was formulated and used as the control diet (Con), and five additional diets were prepared by supplementing NaB (50%) in the basal diet at 2.0, 4.0, 8.0, 12.0, and 16.0 g/kg inclusion (NaB-2, NaB-4, NaB-8, NaB-12, and NaB-16 diets). Then, the six diets were fed to triplicate groups of largemouth bass juveniles (2.4 ± 0.1 g) for 8 weeks. NaB supplementation linearly and quadratically affected weight gain (WG) and feed intake (FI) (P < 0.05). The NaB-16 group displayed lower WG (- 6.8%) and FI than the Con group (P < 0.05), while no differences were found in WG and feed conversion ratio between the other NaB groups and Con group (P > 0.05). Serum alkaline phosphatase and lysozyme activities were higher in the NaB groups (P < 0.05), and D-lactate content was lower in the NaB-12 group (P < 0.05) than the control. Intestinal lipase activity in NaB-2, NaB-4 group, and villi width in NaB-8 group were also higher than those in the Con group (P < 0.05). Compared to the Con group, the intestinal abundances of Firmicutes and Mycoplasma were increased and the abundances of Proteobacteria, Achromobacter and Plesiomonas were decreased in NaB-4 and NaB-16 groups (P < 0.05). In conclusion, dietary NaB did not promote the growth of juvenile largemouth bass, but positively modulated the intestinal microbial community.

Electroacupuncture ameliorates chronic unpredictable mild stress-induced depression-like behavior and cognitive impairment through suppressing oxidative stress and neuroinflammation in rats.

BACKGROUND: Depression is associated with lowered mood, anxiety, anhedonia, cognitive impairments, and even suicidal tendencies in severe cases. Yet few studies have directed acupuncture's mechanism toward enhancing axonal repair correlated with synaptic plasticity and anti-inflammatory effects related to oxidative stress in the hippocampus. METHODS: Male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into control group (CON), chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) group, CUMS + electroacupuncture group (EA), and CUMS + fluoxetine group (FLX) (n = 10/group). Rats were given a 28-day treatment at the Shangxing (GV23) and Fengfu (GV16) acupoints with electroacupuncture or fluoxetine (2.1 mg/kg). RESULTS: Rats exposed to CUMS induced depression-like behaviors and spatial learning-memory impairment, changed the ionized calcium binding adaptor molecule 1 (IBA-1), Vglut1, myelin basic protein (MBP), and postsynaptic density protein 95 (PSD95) level of hippocampal, increased the Nod-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3), atypical squamous cell (ASC), Caspase level and hippocampal reactive oxygen species (ROS), and prompted the activation of Epha4-mediated signaling and an inflammatory response. Conversely, electroacupuncture administration reduced these changes and prevented depression-like behaviors and cognitive impairment. Electroacupuncture also promoted hippocampal expression of Sirtuin1(SIRT1), Nuclear factor erythroid 2-like (Nrf2), Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1); reduced the expression of interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß), interleukin-18 (IL-18), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α); and prevented neural damage, particularly the synaptic myelin sheath, and neuroinflammation by regulating Eph receptor A4 (EphA4) in the hippocampal. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that electroacupuncture prevents depression-like behaviors with cognitive impairment and synaptic and neuronal damage, probably by reducing EphA4, which mediates ROS hyperfunction and the inflammatory response.

Acupuncture alleviates CUMS-induced depression-like behaviors of rats by regulating oxidative stress, neuroinflammation and ferroptosis.

BACKGROUND: The treatment of depression with acupuncture has been documented. The mechanism behind acupuncture's curative and preventative effects is still unknown. METHODS: The current study examined the effects of acupuncture on depression-like behaviors in a rat model of chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS), while also exploring its potential mechanisms. A total of six groups of rats were randomly assigned: control, CUMS, acupuncture, fluoxetine, acupoint catgut embedding and sham acupoint catgut embedding. Fluoxetine (2.1 mg/kg) and acupoint catgut embedding were used for comparative research to acupuncture. The modelling evaluation is measured by body weight and behavior tests. Western blotting and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction were used to detect the proteins and mRNA expression of Silent information regulator 1 (Sirt1)/ nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)/ heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1)/ Glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) pathway in the hippocampus. The expression of oxidative stress (OS)-related proteins and inflammatory cytokines in the serum was detected with ELISA. Immunofluorescence showed microglia and astrocytes activity in the hippocampus. RESULTS: Acupuncture and fluoxetine could alleviate CUMS-induced depression-like behaviors. Acupuncture was also found to effectively reverse the levels of MDA, SOD, GSH, GSH-PX and T-AOC, IL-1ß, IL-6 and TNF-α in the serum of CUMS-induced rats. Rats with CUMS showed decreased levels of Sirt1, Nrf2, HO-1 and GPX4 in the hippocampus, while acupuncture treatment could partly reverse the diminished effects. In addition, acupuncture treatment significantly reduced the activation of hippocampal microglia and astrocytes in CUMS-induced rats. CONCLUSION: The study's findings indicate that acupuncture has the potential to mitigate depression-like behaviors in rats induced with CUMS by mitigating OS and reducing neuroinflammation.

The effect of acupuncture on lateral habenular nucleus and intestinal microflora in depression model rats.

BACKGROUND: Depression is a severe emotional condition that significantly affects the quality of life. Acupuncture exerts preventive effects on depression in rats with post-chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS). Methods The study involved chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) depression model mice to administer acupuncture as a preventative measure to investigate the mechanism of acupuncture's antidepressant and observe the effect of acupuncture on impact via the Lateral Habenula (LHb) and Gut-Liver-Brain Axis. The researcher investigated molecules correlating with a nitric oxide/cyclic guanosine monophosphate (NO/cGMP) pathway and assessed inflammation in the LHb and liver. In addition, 16 S rDNA bioinformatics study revealed the quantity and variety of gut microbiota. Rats were randomly divided into five groups: control (CON), CUMS, CUMS + acupuncture (AP), CUMS + fluoxetine (FX) and CUMS + N(G) -nitro -L- arginine methyl ester (LNAME) group. Except for the CON group, other rats were exposed to CUMS condition for 28 days. Simultaneously, manual acupuncture (at Fengfu and Shangxing acupoints, once every other day) and fluoxetine gavage (2.1 mg/kg, 0.21 mg/mL, daily) were conducted to the groups of AP and FX, respectively, after stressors. Rats in LNAME group were treated with LNAME normal saline (10 mg/kg, 1 mg/mL, i.p.) solution. Behavioural tests and biological detection methods were conducted sequentially to evaluate depressionlike phenotype in rats. RESULTS: The results showed CUMS induced depression-like behaviours, hyper-activation of NO/cGMP signaling pathway, inflammation in serum, LHb and liver, and dysbiosis of the gut microbiota. These changes could be prevented and ameliorated by acupuncture to varying extents. CONCLUSION: Acupuncture prevented and attenuated depression-like phenotype induced by CUMS, possibly via regulating the NO/cGMP signaling pathway and thus improving inflammation in serum, LHb and liver, and gut microbiota dysbiosis. In addition, these can be evidence of the existence of the gut-liver-brain axis.

Acupuncture Alleviates CUMS-Induced Depression-Like Behaviors by Restoring Prefrontal Cortex Neuroplasticity.

Purpose: To explore the therapeutic efficiency of acupuncture and the related molecular mechanism of neural plasticity in depression. Methods: Chronic unpredictable mild stress- (CUMS-) induced rats were established for the depression animal model. There were a total of four rat groups, including the control group, the CUMS group, the CUMS+acupuncture group, and the CUMS+fluoxetine group. The acupuncture group and the fluoxetine group were given a 3-week treatment after the modeling intervention. The researcher performed the open-field, elevated plus maze, and sucrose preference tests to evaluate depressive behaviors. The number of nerve cells, dendrites' length, and the prefrontal cortex's spine density were detected using Golgi staining. The prefrontal cortex expression, such as BDNF, PSD95, SYN, and PKMZ protein, was detected using the western blot and RT-PCR. Results: Acupuncture could alleviate depressive-like behaviors and promote the recovery of the neural plasticity functions in the prefrontal cortex, showing the increasing cell numbers, prolonging the length of the dendrites, and enhancing the spine density. The neural plasticity-related proteins in the prefrontal cortex, including BDNF, PSD95, SYN, and PKMZ, were all downregulated in the CUMS-induced group; however, these effects could be partly reversed after being treated by acupuncture and fluoxetine (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Acupuncture can ameliorate depressive-like behaviors by promoting the recovery of neural plasticity functions and neural plasticity-related protein upregulation in the prefrontal cortex of CUMS-induced depressed rats. Our study provides new insights into the antidepressant approach, and further studies are warranted to elucidate the mechanisms of acupuncture involved in depression treatment.

The effects of acupuncture on depression by regulating BDNF-related balance via lateral habenular nucleus BDNF/TrkB/CREB signaling pathway in rats.

Depression is a major mental disease worldwide, causing dysfunction of Lateral Habenular (LHb). As a non-invasive alternative, acupuncture (AP) has been widely used to treat depression in clinic, yet few basic studies have been focused on the effects and mechanism of acupuncture on synaptic plasticity in LHb. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the potential mechanism of the antidepressant effect of acupuncture. Male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into control, chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS), AP, fluoxetine (FLX), acupoint catgut embedding (ACE), sham-ACE groups (n = 9/group). Rats were given a 28-day treatment at the Shangxing (GV23) and Fengfu (GV16) acupoints with acupuncture, ACE, sham-ACE or fluoxetine (2.1 mg/kg). The results showed that AP, FLX and ACE suppressed the behavioral deficits, increased the level of the 5-hydroxytryptamine and FNDC5/IRISIN in serum, also reduced the expression of pro-BDNF impacted by CUMS. Both AP and FLX ameliorated the %area of IBA-1, GFAP, BrdU and DCX in the LHb and increased the expression of BDNF/TrkB/CREB, with non-significant difference between the two groups These findings suggest that AP therapy relieves depression-related manifestations in depressed rats, suggesting a potential mechanism via the BDNF/TrkB/CREB pathway in LHb.

Electroacupuncture at Baliao point alleviates post-operative pain and anal distension after procedure for prolapse and hemorrhoids (stapled hemorrhoidopexy): a prospective randomized clinical trial.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) at Baliao point on short-term complications, such as anal pain and swelling, after procedure for prolapse and hemorrhoids (PPH) in patients with mixed hemorrhoids. METHODS: A total of 124 eligible patients undergoing PPH surgery were included in this study and randomly divided into a control group (n = 67) and an EA group (n = 57), with patients in the control group receiving only PPH surgery and patients in the EA group receiving PPH surgery and EA at Baliao point. RESULTS: The visual analogue scale (VAS) scores of EA group at 8, 24, 48, and 72 h after operation were significantly lower than those of control group. The anal distension scores at 8, 48, and 72 h after operation were also significantly lower than those of control group. The number of postoperative analgesic drug administration per patient was also significantly lower in the EA group. The incidence of urinary retention and tenesmus in EA group was significantly lower than that in control group within the first day after surgery. CONCLUSION: EA treatment at the Baliao point can alleviate short-term anal pain and anal swelling after the procedure for prolapse and hemorrhoids, reduce the incidence of urinary retention, and decrease the use of postoperative analgesic drugs. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study was approved and registered by the Chinese Clinical Trial Center, Registration number: ChiCTR2100043519, Registration time: February 21, 2021 ( https://www.chictr.org.cn/ ).

The Consistency between Registered Acupuncture-Moxibustion Clinical Studies and Their Published Studies and Update Status of Registered Information.

BACKGROUND: Few studies have analyzed the consistency between registered acupuncture-moxibustion clinical studies and their published research results as well as their update status of registered information. METHODS: We searched for acupuncture-moxibustion clinical studies that were registered at the World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform between 2013 and 2015 and collected data regarding their characteristics and update status. Published results of these registered studies were identified and compared with registered information. RESULTS: A total of 425 registered acupuncture-moxibustion clinical studies were included; 379 (89.2%) of them were interventional studies, and the remaining 46 (10.8%) were observational studies. Forty-six studies (10.8%) were found to have published results, and 51 published articles were identified. Overall, 73.2% (311) of registered studies did not update the research status in time; 46.6% (198) stopped updating before recruiting; 21.6% (92) stopped updating after recruiting; and 4.9% (21) stopped updating after completion. Regarding the 46 studies with published results, 29 (63.0%) were considered to be affected by reporting bias. These reporting biases predominantly involved the omission of some predefined outcomes or endpoints (16 studies), contradictions regarding descriptions of sample sizes (9 studies), discrepancies in treatment measurements or group distribution (7 studies), and inconsistent treatment durations (4 studies). When compared with other studies, significant and various reporting biases could also be commonly found in fields other than acupuncture-moxibustion. CONCLUSIONS: There were many discrepancies between registered information and published reports on acupuncture-moxibustion, which could also be commonly observed in other fields. Moreover, a large proportion of registered studies did not update their research status in time. Efforts should be made to improve the reporting quality and timely updates.Es gibt nur wenige Studien, in denen die Übereinstimmung zwischen den registrierten klinischen Studien zur Akupunktur und Moxibustion mit den veröffentlichten Studienergebnissen und dem Aktualisierungsstand der Informationen im Register untersucht wurde.Wir suchten nach klinischen Studien zur Akupunktur und Moxibustion, die zwischen 2013 und 2015 auf der International Clinical Trials Registry Platform der Weltgesundheitsorganisation registriert wurden, und erhoben Daten zu ihren Merkmalen und ihrem Aktualisierungsstand. Die veröffentlichten Ergebnisse der registrierten Studien wurden identifiziert und mit den Informationen im Register verglichen.Insgesamt wurden 425 registrierte klinische Studien zur Akupunktur und Moxibustion eingeschlossen, davon waren 379 (89,2 %) Interventionsstudien und die restlichen 46 (10,8 %) waren Beobachtungsstudien. Es wurden 46 Studien (10,8 %) mit veröffentlichten Ergebnissen gefunden und 51 veröffentlichte Artikel identifiziert. Insgesamt wurde bei 73,2 % (311) der registrierten Studien der Forschungsstand nicht zeitnah aktualisiert; bei 46,6 % (198) wurde die Aktualisierung vor der Rekrutierung eingestellt; bei 21,6 % (92) wurde die Aktualisierung nach der Rekrutierung eingestellt und bei 4,9 % (21) wurde die Aktualisierung nach Abschluss der Studie eingestellt. Von den 46 Studien mit veröffentlichten Ergebnissen wurden 29 (63,0 %) als von Publikationsverzerrung betroffen angesehen. Diese Publikationsverzerrung betraf vor allem die Auslassung einiger vordefinierter Zielkriterien oder Endpunkte (16 Studien), Widersprüche bei der Beschreibung des Stichprobenumfangs (9 Studien), Diskrepanzen bei den Behandlungsmessungen oder der Gruppenverteilung (7 Studien) und Inkonsistenzen bei der Behandlungsdauer (4 Studien). Beim Vergleich mit anderen Studien wurden auch in anderen Bereichen als Akupunktur und Moxibustion häufig signifikante und unterschiedliche Publikationsverzerrungen festgestellt.Es bestanden zahlreiche Diskrepanzen zwischen den Informationen im Register und den veröffentlichten Berichten über Akupunktur und Moxibustion, die auch in anderen Bereichen häufig zu beobachten waren. Darüber hinaus wurde bei einem Großteil der registrierten Studien der Forschungsstand nicht zeitnah aktualisiert. Es sollten Anstrengungen unternommen werden, um die Qualität der Berichterstattung und die zeitnahe Aktualisierung zu verbessern.

Contribution of the leaf and silique photosynthesis to the seeds yield and quality of oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) in reproductive stage.

Influences of photosynthesis of leaf and silique on seeds yield and quality of oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) were explored in this study. A field comparing experiment with several rapeseed varieties was conducted and the results showed, that the leaf area index (LAI), silique surface area index (SAI), siliques number per plant, and biological yield were statistically classified as the first principal factors which greatly influenced seeds yield, the leaf net photosynthetic rate (Pn) and silique Pn were the second principal factors; the stomatal conductance (Gs) and chlorophyll a (Chl a) content were the first principal factors which influenced leaf Pn and silique Pn. A shading experiment was conducted and the results showed that, under treatments of the ZH1, ZH2, and ZH3 (shading rapeseed plants during flowering stage, during time from initial flowering until seeds ripening, and during time from flowering ending until seeds ripening, respectively), respectively the seeds yield per plant was reduced by 34.6%, 84.3%, and 86.1%, the seed protein content was significantly increased. The treatment ZH1 Not, but the ZH2 and ZH3 caused significant decrease in both seed oil content and oleic acid (C18:1) content in seed oil, and the contents of linoleic acid (C18:2), linolenic acid (C18:3) in oil were significantly increased, gene expression of the ACCase (Acetyl-CoA carboxylase), FAD2 (fatty acid desaturase), and FAD3 (ω-3 fatty acid dehydrogenase) in green seeds was restrained/changed. Thus the LAI, SAI, siliques number per plant, biological yield per plant, leaf Pn, silique Pn, and the Gs, Chl a content of leaf and silique formed an indexes system to be used in screening rapeseed variety with higher light efficiency and seeds yield; the silique photosynthesis inhibition and the photosynthates deficiency in rapeseed plant after flowering stage predominately influenced seeds yield and quality.

Phosphorus transformation behavior and phosphorus cycling genes expression in food waste composting with hydroxyapatite enhanced by phosphate-solubilizing bacteria.

This study aimed to explore the effect of phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (PSB) Bacillus inoculation in the cooling stage on hydroxyapatite dissolution, phosphorus (P) forms transformation, and bacterial P cycling genes in food waste composting with hydroxyapatite. Results indicated that PSB inoculation promoted the dissolution of hydroxyapatite, increased P availability of compost by 8.1% and decreased the ratio of organic P to inorganic P by 10.2% based on sequential fractionation and 31P nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Illumina sequencing indicated Bacillus relative abundance after inoculation increased up to one time higher than control after the cooling stage. Network analysis and metabolic function of bacterial community analysis suggested inorganic P solubilizing genes of Bacillus and organic P mineralization genes of other genera were improved after inoculation in the core module. Therefore, bioaugmentation of PSB in the cooling stage may be a potential way to improve P bioavailability of bone and food waste in composting.

Acupuncture exerts preventive effects in rats of chronic unpredictable mild stress: The involvement of inflammation in amygdala and brain-spleen axis.

BACKGROUND: Acupuncture has shown the preventive effects on depression in rats with chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS). However, the mechanisms of acupuncture for preventing depression still need to be explored. In the study, acupuncture was applied to a rat depression model of CUMS, high-mobility group box 1(HMGB1)/toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and brain-spleen axis were assessed. METHODS: Male Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were exposed to CUMS with two stressors per day for 28 days. In the meantime, manual acupuncture (at GV16 and GV23 acupoints, once every other day) and fluoxetine gavage (2.1 mg/kg, 0.21 mg/mL) were administered daily post CUMS stressors. Behavioral tests and biological detection methods were conducted in sequence to evaluate depression-like phenotypes in rats. RESULTS: The results showed CUMS induced depression-like behaviors, hyper-activation of HMGB1/TLR4 signaling pathway, elevated inflammation in amygdala and peripheral blood, and hyperactivation of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. These changes could be prevented and reversed by acupuncture to varying extents. CONCLUSION: Acupuncture prevented and ameliorated depression-like symptoms induced by CUMS, possibly via regulating inflammation through brain-spleen axis mediated by HMGB1/TLR4 signaling pathway and HPA axis regulation.

Influence of carbon-to-phosphorus ratios on phosphorus fractions transformation and bacterial community succession in phosphorus-enriched composting.

This study aims to assess the effect of different carbon-to-phosphorus (C:P) ratios on phosphorus (P) fractions transformation, bacterial community succession and microbial P-solubilizing function in kitchen waste composting with rock phosphate (RP) amendment and phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (PSB) inoculation. Results indicated that initial C:P ratio at 50 enhanced organic carbon degradation, available P (AP) accumulation, the amount of PSB and pqqC gene abundance in composting but higher C:P ratio increased microbial biomass phosphorus (MBP) content. Redundancy analysis showed C:P ratios, PSB amount and pqqC gene abundance greatly affected bacterial community diversity and composition. Network analysis indicated that lower C:P ratio enhanced the interaction frequency in core bacterial network for AP transformation. Variance partitioning analysis abiotic factors contributed more to MBP and AP conversion. The study revealed that C:P ratio could directly drive PSB to regulate P fractions and the accumulation of MBP or AP in P-enriched composting.

Anti-depressant effects of acupuncture: The insights from NLRP3 mediated pyroptosis and inflammation.

The NLRP3-mediated pyroptosis, which could affect inflammation response, plays a key role in the development of depression. Acupuncture has been shown to be an effective treatment for depression. In this study, we aimed to determine whether acupuncture could confer antidepressant activity via decreasing NLRP3-mediated pyroptosis by reducing inflammation. Here, depression model of rats was induced by chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) for 4 weeks. Acupuncture group was subjected to acupuncture at the Shangxing (GV23) and Fengfu (GV16) acupoints for 20 min every other day (a total of 14 times). Fluoxetine group was administered with fluoxetine (2.1 mg/kg with the concentration of 0.21 mg/mL) by oral gavage (1 mL/100 g) once a day for 28 days. Rats' depression-like phenotypes were reflected with behavioral tests and biological detection methods. Results showed that acupuncture significantly improved the depression-like behavior of CUMS rat, suppressed the expressions of NLRP3, ASC, caspase-1, GSDMD, IL-1ß, IL-18, HMGB1, IFN-γ, IL-6 and TNF-α in the serum and hippocampus, restored the %area of microglia, astrocytes and neuronal cells in the hippocampus. These indicate that acupuncture can prevent CUMS-induced depression-like behaviors by reducing NLRP3-mediated pyroptosis and inflammation.

Iron ion and sulfasalazine-loaded polydopamine nanoparticles for Fenton reaction and glutathione peroxidase 4 inactivation for enhanced cancer ferrotherapy.

Ferroptosis shows promising potential in tumor treatment; however, factors that compromise the efficiency of the Fenton catalyst have limited its therapeutic effectiveness. We developed a polydopamine-based nanoplatform constructed with ferric ion and sulfasalazine-loaded nanoparticles (Fe(III)PP@SAS NPs) for dual-functional ferrotherapy strategy of "sword and shield" through enhanced Fenton reaction and inactivation of glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4), respectively. Both the Fenton reaction-based hydroxyl radical (·OH) production and sulfasalazine-driven GPX4 inhibition induced ferroptotic cell death, thus achieving synergistic cancer therapy. Near-infrared light irradiation and acidic tumor microenvironment enhanced the release of ferric ions and sulfasalazine from the Fe(III)PP@SAS NPs. In addition, the released iron ions underwent valence state change due to Fenton reaction and thus provided a supplementary T1-weighted signal for in situ visualization of the tumor based on magnetic resonance imaging. The Fe(III)PP@SAS NPs exhibited high pro-ferroptosis performance by utilizing ·OH radicals as a "sword" to attack cancer cells and the GPX4 inhibitor to break down the "shield" of cancer cells, thus showing potential for cancer treatment. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Several strategies of cancer therapy based on ferroptosis have emerged in recent years, which have provided new insights into designing materials for therapeutic applications. The antitumor efficacy of ferroptosis is, however, still unsatisfactory, mainly because of insufficient intracellular pro-ferroptotic stimuli. In the current study, we report a multifunctional theranostic nanoplatform, namely Fe(III)PP@SAS, with three-fold synergistic effect; this nanoplatform has excellent theranostic potential with multifunctional ferrotherapy.

Key volatile compound formation of rapeseed oil induced via the Maillard reaction during seed roasting.

This study was designed to investigate the influence of roasting (150 °C for 0-60 min) on key volatile compounds, sensory evaluation, free amino acids, sugars, and Maillard reaction products (MRPs) of five rapeseed varieties and their oils. During the roasting process, key volatile MRPs of fragrant rapeseed oils (FROs) that increased obviously in concentration were mainly pyrazines. After 60 min of roasting, the stronger nutty-like odor in oil from QH was possibly caused by the high levels of 2,5-dimethylpyrazine (21.72 mg/kg) and 3-ethyl-2,5-dimethylpyrazine (5.06 mg/kg). The 5-hydroxymethylfurfural contents and browning indices increased significantly, whereas reducing sugar and free amino acid contents decreased significantly (p < 0.05). This suggested the extent of the Maillard reaction increased with roasting time. Furthermore, the results of Maillard reaction model system demonstrated glycine, lysine, and histidine could react with glucose to generate 2,5-dimethylpyrazine. Hence, 2,5-dimethylpyrazine is identified as one of the important aroma-active MRPs for FRO.

[Professor LU Fan's clinical experience in shallow needling technique of acupuncture].

Professor LU Fan adheres to the principle in clinical practice, "the needling principle concentrated on regulating qi ". She takes the advantages of shallow needling technique of acupuncture in treatment of various diseases, e.g. exogenous disease, initial onset of disorder, chronic bi disorder, intractable diseases, disorder of yang nature, disorder of heat nature, thin body, pediatric diseases, disorders on the unilateral side of the body and acute diseases. Besides in compliance with classics, she has broadened the application scope of shallow needling technique of acupuncture and improved the clinical therapeutic effect.

FumDSB Can Reduce the Toxic Effects of Fumonisin B1 by Regulating Several Brain-Gut Peptides in Both the Hypothalamus and Jejunum of Growing Pigs.

Fumonisin B1 (FB1) is the most common food-borne mycotoxin produced by the Fusarium species, posing a potential threat to human and animal health. Pigs are more sensitive to FB1 ingested from feed compared to other farmed livestock. Enzymatic degradation is an ideal detoxification method that has attracted much attention. This study aimed to explore the functional characteristics of the carboxylesterase FumDSB in growing pigs from the perspective of brain-gut regulation. A total of 24 growing pigs were divided into three groups. The control group was fed a basal diet, the FB1 group was supplemented with FB1 at 5 mg/kg feed, and the FumDSB group received added FumDSB based on the diet of the FB1 group. After 35 days of animal trials, samples from the hypothalamus and jejunum were analyzed through HE staining, qRT-PCR and immunohistochemistry. The results demonstrated that the ingestion of FB1 can reduce the feed intake and weight gain of growing pigs, indicating that several appetite-related brain-gut peptides (including NPY, PYY, ghrelin and obestatin, etc.) play important roles in the anorexia response induced by FB1. After adding FumDSB as detoxifying enzymes, however, the anorexia effects of FB1 were alleviated, and the expression and distribution of the corresponding brain-gut peptides exhibited a certain degree of regulation. In conclusion, the addition of FumDSB can reduce the anorexia effects of FB1 by regulating several brain-gut peptides in both the hypothalamus and the jejunum of growing pigs.

[Outcome indicators in randomized controlled trials on traditional Chinese medicine intervention for tension-type headache in recent five years].

To evaluate the application of outcome indicators in randomized controlled trials(RCTs) concerning the treatment of tension-type headache(TTH) with traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) in recent five years, so as to provide a basis for the study of core outcome set(COS) for TCM intervention in TTH. The RCTs on TCM treatment of TTH in recent five years were systematically retrieved from CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, CBM, EMbase, PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, ClinicalTrials.gov and China Clinical Trial Registry. After literature screening, data extraction and evaluation of the risk of bias, the outcome indicators in the included RCTs were subjected to qualitative analysis. The preliminary search yielded 19 042 articles, and 10 983 were left after the elimination of duplication. Finally, 52 RCTs(48 in Chinese and 4 in English) were included for qualitative analysis. The outcome indicators of RCTs included in this study were classified into seven domains: TCM syndrome, symptom and sign, physical and chemical detection, quality of life, long-term prognosis, economic evaluation, and safety event. The findings demonstrated that headache characteristic index in the symptom and sign domain was the index with the highest reporting frequency and reporting rate. Seventeen RCTs used TCM syndrome score as the outcome indicator. Further analysis revealed that there existed such problems in research design as non-distinction between primary and secondary outcome indicators, great difference in the adopted measurement tools for outcome indicators, and the neglect of measurement time of outcome indicators. Moreover, the syndrome indicators reflecting TCM advantages, objective evaluation indicators, safety and health-economic indicators were lacking. These limitations have affected the quality and reliability of RCTs on TTH treatment with TCM. It is suggested that the efficacy and characteristics of TCM should be combined into current clinical research, and the COS in RCTs regarding TCM treatment of TTH should be established according to internationally recognized standard procedures.

[Systematic review and Meta-analysis of efficacy and safety of gastrodin in treatment of tension-type headache].

The efficacy of gastrodin as a Chinese herbal medicine extract in the treatment of tension-type headache has been confirmed. This paper systematically reviewed the efficacy and safety of gastrodin in the treatment of tension-type headache, aiming to provide a new choice for the treatment of this disease. In this study, four Chinese databases, four English databases and two trial registries were searched from the date of establishment to September 2020. The related randomized controlled trials(RCTs) were screened out according to the predetermined criteria. The bias risk assessment tool developed by Cochrane collaboration was used to evaluate the quality of the reports. RevMan 5.4.1 was used for Meta-analysis, and GRADE system for the evidence-based evaluation on the quality of outcome indicators. A total of 177 articles were retrieved and 8 articles were finally included for analysis, with a total sample size of 1 091 cases, which included 565 cases in the treatment group and 526 cases in the control group. The overall quality of included stu-dies was not high. The results of Meta-analysis are as follows:(1)In terms of headache frequency, gastrodin group was better than wes-tern medicine group(MD=-2.90, 95%CI[-3.76,-2.03], P<0.000 01).(2)In terms of number of abnormal blood vessels in TCD, gastrodin group was better than western medicine group(MD=-88.96, 95%CI[-102.36,-75.55], P<0.000 01).(3)In terms of effective rate, gastrodin group was better than western medicine group(RR=1.47, 95%CI[1.29, 1.68], P<0.000 01). The results of subgroup analysis are as follows:(1)Effective rate based on age, for the patients upper age limit 40-46 years old, gastro-din group was better than western medicine group(RR=1.69, 95%CI[1.50, 1.90], P<0.000 01); for the patients upper age limit 55-60 years old, gastrodin group was better than western medicine group(RR=1.27, 95%CI[1.16, 1.38], P<0.000 01).(2)Effective rate based on dosage form, both the gastrodin capsules and injection groups were better than western medicine group(RR_(capsules)=1.42, 95%CI[1.08, 1.88], P=0.01; RR_(injection)=1.50, 95%CI[1.26, 1.77], P<0.000 01). GRADE evaluation showed that the above outcomes had low quality of evidence. Only one article detailed the occurrence of adverse reactions and thus the present study cannot make a positive conclusion on the safety of gastrodin in the treatment of tension-type headache. The small number and low quality of the included reports affected the reliability of the results. In the future, more high-quality randomized controlled trails are needed to improve the evaluation on the efficacy and safety of gastrodin in the treatment of tension-type headache.

[Systematic review and Meta-analysis of efficacy and safety of Toutongning Capsules in treatment of tension-type headache].

This study aims to systematically evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of Toutongning Capsules in the treatment of tension-type headache(TTH), so as to provide a corresponding basis for clinical treatment. Eight commonly used medical research databases and two clinical trial registration systems were retrieved with the time interval from the establishment of the database or system to November 2020. The randomized controlled trials of Toutongning Capsules in the treatment of TTH were screened out according to the pre-set criteria. The quality of the included papers was evaluated by the bias risk assessment tool in Cochrane Reviewers Handbook 6.1 and the data were statistically analyzed by RevMan v5.4 provided by Cochrane collaboration. A total of 13 studies were included and the quality of methodology was generally low. Meta-analysis showed that Toutongning Capsules assisted with western medicine therapy can effectively reduce the pain intensity(MD_(VAS)=-1.94,95%CI[-2.50,-1.38],P<0.000 01;MD_(NRS)=-0.83,95%CI[-0.86,-0.80],P<0.000 01), headache duration(SMD=-0.98,95%CI[-1.17,-0.79],P<0.000 01), headache frequency(MD=-1.01,95%CI[-1.16,-0.85],P<0.000 01), headache index(MD=-11.13,95%CI[-12.10,-10.16],P<0.000 01), anxiety and depression scale score(MD_(HAMA)=-4.02,95%CI[-6.58,-1.46],P=0.002;MD_(HAMD)=-2.67,95%CI[-4.04,-1.29],P=0.000 1), while Toutongning Capsules as monotherapy only reduced the headache score(MD=-2.24,95%CI[-2.97,-1.51],P<0.000 01). The available clinical studies demonstrate that Toutongning Capsules combined with western medicine in the treatment of TTH can improve the related outcome indicators, but the clinical safety and efficacy of Toutongning Capsules alone remain unclear. Due to the small number and low quality of the included studies, large-sample, multi-center, high-quality and strictly designed randomized controlled trials are still needed to verify the clinical efficacy in the future.