Improved chromosome-level genome assembly of Indian sandalwood (Santalum album).

Santalum album is a well-known aromatic and medicinal plant that is highly valued for the essential oil (EO) extracted from its heartwood. In this study, we present a high-quality chromosome-level genome assembly of S. album after integrating PacBio Sequel, Illumina HiSeq paired-end and high-throughput chromosome conformation capture sequencing technologies. The assembled genome size is 207.39 M with a contig N50 of 7.33 M and scaffold N50 size of 18.31 M. Compared with three previously published sandalwood genomes, the N50 length of the genome assembly was longer. In total, 94.26% of the assembly was assigned to 10 pseudo-chromosomes, and the anchor rate far exceeded that of a recently released value. BUSCO analysis yielded a completeness score of 94.91%. In addition, we predicted 23,283 protein-coding genes, 89.68% of which were functionally annotated. This high-quality genome will provide a foundation for sandalwood functional genomics studies, and also for elucidating the genetic basis of EO biosynthesis in S. album.

Cineole inhibits the biosynthesis of leukotrienes and prostaglandins to alleviate allergic rhinitis: Insights from metabolomics.

Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a common allergic disease characterized by nasal congestion, rhinorrhoea, and sneezing. Cineole, a monoterpenoid compound widely present in various volatile oils, has a wide range of pharmacological activities and is of interest in allergic airway diseases for its anti-inflammatory and anti-mucus production abilities. However, the protective effects of cineole in mice with allergic rhinitis and its mechanisms have not been well investigated. In this study, the protective effect of cineole against ovalbumin-induced (OVA-induced) allergic rhinitis and its molecular mechanism is investigated by metabolomic analysis based on ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). OVA combined with aluminum hydroxide adjuvant is used to sensitize and establish the allergic rhinitis (AR) mouse model. The mice are randomly divided into groups of control, AR, cineole (30 mg/kg), and budesonide (38.83 µg/kg). The pharmacodynamic results show that cineole significantly reduces the levels of Th2-type cytokines and OVA-specific IgE (OVA-sIgE) in AR mice, improves nasal mucosal tissue damage and alleviates nasal symptoms compared to the untreated AR group. Metabolomic results show that arachidonic acid (AA) metabolism and tryptophan (Trp) metabolism are reprogrammed on the basis of 27 significantly altered metabolites. Further studies show that cineole inhibits the biosynthesis of pro-inflammatory lipid mediators leukotrienes (LTs) and prostaglandins (PGs) in mice by inhibiting the activity of 5-lipoxygenase (5-LOX) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in the arachidonic acid metabolic (AA metabolic) pathway. It also inhibits the production of Th2 cytokines and inflammatory cell infiltration, thereby alleviating symptoms such as nasal congestion and nasal leakage. These results reveal the action and molecular mechanism of cineole in alleviating AR and provide a theoretical basis for the clinical application of cineole in treating AR.

Comparative analyses and phylogenetic relationships of thirteen Pholidota species (Orchidaceae) inferred from complete chloroplast genomes.

BACKGROUND: The orchid genus Pholidota Lindl. ex Hook. is economically important as some species has long been used in traditional medicine. However, the systematic status of the genus and intergeneric relationships inferred from previous molecular studies are unclear due to insufficient sampling and lack of informative sites. So far, only limited genomic information has been available. The taxonomy of Pholidota remains unresolved and somewhat controversial. In this study, the complete chloroplast (cp.) genomes of thirteen Pholidota species were sequenced and analyzed to gain insight into the phylogeny of Pholidota and mutation patterns in their cp. genomes. RESULTS: All examined thirteen Pholidota cp. genomes exhibited typical quadripartite circular structures, with the size ranging from 158,786 to 159,781 bp. The annotation contained a total of 135 genes in each cp. genome, i.e., 89 protein-coding genes, 38 tRNA genes, and eight rRNA genes. The codon usage analysis indicated the preference of A/U-ending codons. Repeat sequence analysis identified 444 tandem repeats, 322 palindromic repeats and 189 dispersed repeats. A total of 525 SSRs, 13,834 SNPs and 8,630 InDels were detected. Six mutational hotspots were identified as potential molecular markers. These molecular markers and highly variable regions are expected to facilitate future genetic and genomic studies. Our phylogenetic analyses confirmed the polyphyletic status of the genus Pholidota, with species grouped into four main clades: Pholidota s.s. was resolved as the sister to a clade containing species of Coelogyne; the other two clades clustered together with species of Bulleyia and Panisea, respectively; species P. ventricosa was placed at the basal position, deviated from all other species. CONCLUSION: This is the first study to comprehensively examine the genetic variations and systematically analyze the phylogeny and evolution of Pholidota based on plastid genomic data. These findings contribute to a better understanding of plastid genome evolution of Pholidota and provide new insights into the phylogeny of Pholidota and its closely related genera within the subtribe Coelogyninae. Our research has laid the foundation for future studies on the evolutionary mechanisms and classification of this economically and medicinally important genus.

Coupled microwave hydrothermal dechlorination and geopolymer preparation for the solidification/stabilization of heavy metals and chlorine in municipal solid waste incineration fly ash.

To improve the degradation efficiency of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in municipal solid waste incineration fly ash (MSWIFA), as well as to overcome the difficulties of subsequent hydrothermal liquid and hydrothermal slag treatment, a two-step treatment strategy of microwave hydrothermal degradation coupled with geopolymer immobilization was proposed. Results showed that the optimal process parameters for microwave hydrothermal dechlorination were a temperature of 220 °C, a time of 1 h, and NaOH addition of 10 wt%. Microwaves accelerated the OH- mediated hydrolysis reactions and promoted the breaking of CCl bonds, leading to dechlorination. The compressive strength of the 20 % MSWIFA-based geopolymers reached 75.79 MPa, and the immobilization rate of the heavy metals (HMs) and Cl- surpassed 90 %. Alkaline environment provided by microwave hydrothermal promoted the formation of Ca(OH)2, which subsequently formed Friedel's salt (3CaO•Al2O3•CaCl2•10H2O) with Cl- in the geopolymer. The charge density difference and density of states (DOS) of Friedel's salt were analyzed by first-principles calculations, confirming that the existence of strong interactions between Ca-s, Al-p, O-p, and Cl-p states was the chemical mechanism of Cl- immobilization. The Friedel's salt and HMs were encapsulated by geopolymers with dense silica-alumina tetrahedral frameworks, achieving the solidification/stabilization (S/S) of HMs and Cl-. This work provided a new approach for the environmentally sound and resourceful treatment of MSWIFA.

Soy lipophilic protein self-assembled by pH-shift combined with heat treatment: Structure, hydrophobic resveratrol encapsulation, emulsification, and digestion.

This study evaluates the effect of pH (pH 3 and 11) and heat treatment (60 °C) in modifying the soybean lipophilic protein (LP) for the development of an encapsulation system to co-deliver resveratrol (Res) and vitamin D3. The structural and functional properties of LP after the modification will change to varying degrees. Meanwhile, Res was loaded into the hydrophobic core of LP, and the resulting Res-loaded structures have a uniform particle size distribution and a high encapsulation efficiency (78%). When the amount of Res encapsulation increases, the emulsification and oxidation resistance of the Pickering emulsion increased; the interfacial tension and interfacial protein adsorption increased to 11.21 mN/m and 97.34%, respectively. During simulated gastrointestinal digestion, the Pickering emulsion prepared with LP-Res nanoparticles at pH 11, 60 °C (pH 11, 60 °C-LP-Res) effectively protected Res and vitamin D3 from degradation or precipitation, indicating a significant increase in bioavailability.

RNF144A exerts tumor suppressor function in breast cancer through targeting YY1 for proteasomal degradation to downregulate GMFG expression.

Ring finger protein 144A (RNF144A), a poorly characterized member of the RING-in-between-RING family of E3 ubiquitin ligases, is an emerging tumor suppressor, but its underlying mechanism remains largely elusive. To address this issue, we used Affymetrix GeneChip Human Transcriptome Array 2.0 to profile gene expression in MDA-MB-231 cells stably expressing empty vector pCDH and Flag-RNF144A, and found that 128 genes were differentially expressed between pCDH- and RNF144A-expressing cells with fold change over 1.5. We further demonstrated that RNF144A negatively regulated the protein and mRNA levels of glial maturation factor γ (GMFG). Mechanistical investigations revealed that transcription factor YY1 transcriptionally activated GMFG expression, and RNF144A interacted with YY1 and promoted its ubiquitination-dependent degradation, thus blocking YY1-induced GMFG expression. Functional rescue assays showed that ectopic expression of RNF144A suppressed the proliferative, migratory, and invasive potential of breast cancer cells, and the noted effects were partially restored by re-expression of GMFG in RNF144A-overexpressing breast cancer cells. Collectively, these findings reveal that RNF144A negatively regulates GMFG expression by targeting YY1 for proteasomal degradation, thus inhibiting the proliferation, migration, and invasion of breast cancer cells.

Effect of acupuncture for dysphagia after stroke based on fiberoptic endoscopic swallowing function evaluation / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To observe the effect of acupuncture combined with regular treatment and swallowing function training on pharyngeal motor, sensory function and penetration-aspiration function in patients with dysphagia after stroke.@*METHODS@#A total of 60 patients with dysphagia after stroke were randomly divided into a control group and an observation group, 30 patients in each group. Both groups were treated with conventional treatment and swallowing function training; in addition, the observation group was treated with acupuncture at Lianquan (CV 23), Fengfu (GV 16), Yifeng (TE 17). All the treatments were given once a day, 5 days a week, for totally 4 weeks. In the two groups, the pharyngeal motor and sensory function, penetration-aspiration scores were evaluated by fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES), and the Kubota water swallowing test scores were assessed before and after treatment, and the clinical effects were compared.@*RESULTS@#After treatment, the pharyngeal motor and sensory function in the two groups were all higher than those before treatment (P<0.05), and those in the observation group were better than the control group (P<0.05). After treatment, the penetration-aspiration scores and Kubota water swallowing test scores in the two groups were all lower than those before treatment (P<0.05), and those in the observation group were lower than the control group (P<0.05). The total effective rate was 93.3% (28/30) in the observation group, which was better than 73.3% (22/30) in the control group (P<0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#Acupuncture combined with regular treatment and swallowing training could improve the pharyngeal motor and sensory function, and penetration-aspiration scores in patients with dysphagia after stroke.

Dynamic gastric stability and in vitro lipid digestion of soybean protein isolate and three storage protein-stabilized emulsions: Effects of ultrasonic treatment.

The emulsification of vegetable protein is closely related to solubility. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of ultrasound on protein emulsification and to provide a prospective method for assessing the digestive properties of emulsions. In this article, we investigate the emulsion stability of ultrasonic pretreated soy protein isolate (SPI), and its three storage proteins, namely ß-conglycinin (7S), lipophilic protein (LP), and glycinin (11S), under dynamic gastric conditions. The effects of these emulsions on lipolysis during digestion in the small intestine are also assessed using an in vitro dynamic human stomach simulator and a small intestine model. Particle size and ζ-potential measurements, as well as confocal laser scanning microscopy, revealed that during dynamic gastric digestion, the flocculation degree and floc size of 7S and soybean LP emulsions are larger than that of 11S and SPI emulsions. Meanwhile, ultrasound pretreatment of the proteins was found to prevent the agglomeration of the emulsion in a dynamic gastric environment. Moreover, enhanced flocculation delayed oil droplet delivery to the small intestine and subsequently retarded the release of lipophilic nutrients. The droplet size, molecular weight, and protein secondary structures of the ultrasonicated proteins were conducive to relatively higher rates and degrees of lipolysis in intestinal digestion than those of unsonicated proteins. Additionally, the slow-release effect of LP was superior to that of 11S and SPI, whereas 7S was comparatively more difficult to digest. The present study elucidated the fate of soy protein in the digestive tract and may facilitate microstructural food design to regulate physiological responses during digestion.

Effects of oxygen vacancy defect on microwave pyrolysis of biomass to produce high-quality syngas and bio-oil: Microwave absorption and in-situ catalytic.

This paper proposed to use ferric oxide (Fe2O3) and ferroferric oxide (Fe3O4) as catalysts with both microwave absorption and catalytic properties. Carbon dioxide (CO2) was introduced as the reaction atmosphere to further improve the quality of biofuel produced by microwave pyrolysis of food waste (FW). The results showed the bio-gas yield and the syngas concentration (H2 + CO) increased to 70.34 wt% and 61.50 mol%, respectively, using Fe3O4 as the catalyst. The content of aliphatic hydrocarbons in bio-oil produced with the catalyst Fe2O3 increased to 67.48% and the heating value reached 30.45 MJ/kg. Compared with Fe2O3 catalyst, Fe3O4 exhibited better microwave absorption properties and catalytic properties. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) characterizations confirmed that the crystal surface of Fe3O4 formed more oxygen vacancy defects and unpaired electrons. Additionally, according to the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis, the content of lattice oxygen in Fe3O4 was 14.11%, a value that was much lower than Fe2O3 (38.54%). The oxygen vacancy defects not only improved the efficient utilization of microwave energy but also provided the reactive sites for the reaction between the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and CO2 to generate CO. This paper provides a new perspective for selecting catalysts that have both microwave absorption and catalytic properties during the microwave pyrolysis of biomass.

Role of endogenous melatonin in pathophysiologic and oxidative stress responses to personal air pollutant exposures in asthmatic children.

BACKGROUND: Heightening oxidative stress and inflammation is an important pathophysiological mechanism underlying air pollution health effects in people with asthma. Melatonin can suppress oxidative stress and inflammation in pulmonary and circulatory systems. However, the role of melatonin in the oxidative stress and physiological responses to air pollution exposure has not been examined in children with asthma. METHODS: In this panel study of 43 asthmatic children (5-13 years old), each child had 4 clinic visits with a 2-week interval between two consecutive visits. At each visit, urine samples were collected and subsequently analyzed for 6-sulfatoxymelatonin (aMT6s) as a surrogate of circulating melatonin and for malondialdehyde (MDA) and 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) as two biomarkers of systemic oxidative stress. At each clinic visit, children were measured for pulmonary function and fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO, a marker of pulmonary inflammation). None of the children reported to have taking melatonin supplementation. Concentrations of indoor and ambient PM2.5 and ozone (O3) were combined with individual time-activity data to calculate personal air pollutant exposures. RESULTS: We found that interquartile range increases in urinary MDA and 8-OHdG concentrations were associated with significantly increased urinary aMT6s concentrations by 73.4% (95% CI: 52.6% to 97.0%) and 41.7% (22.8% to 63.4%), respectively. Increases in daily personal exposure to O3 and to PM2.5 were each associated with increased urinary aMT6s concentrations. Increasing urinary aMT6s concentrations were associated with decreased FeNO and resonant frequency, indicating improved airway inflammation and lung elasticity, respectively. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that systemic oxidative stress heightened by air pollution exposure may stimulate melatonin excretion as a defense mechanism to alleviate the adverse effects.

The effectiveness of diaphragmatic breathing relaxation training for improving sleep quality among nursing staff during the COVID-19 outbreak: a before and after study.

OBJECTIVES: Recent studies have demonstrated that first-line nurses involved in the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) crisis may experience sleep disturbances. As breathing relaxation techniques can improve sleep quality, anxiety, and depression, the current study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of diaphragmatic breathing relaxation training (DBRT) for improving sleep quality among nurses in Wuhan, China during the COVID-19 outbreak. METHODS: This study used a quasi-experimental (before and after) intervention strategy, with 151 first-line nurses from four wards in Leishenshan hospital. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), and Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) to evaluate the effectiveness of DBRT before and after the intervention. Data were examined using the Shapiro-Wilk test, Levene's test, and paired t-test. RESULTS: A total of 140 nurses completed the DBRT sessions. First-line nurses achieved significant reductions in global sleep quality (p < 0.01), subjective sleep quality (p < 0.001), sleep latency (p < 0.01), sleep duration (p < 0.001), sleep disturbances (p < 0.001), habitual sleep efficiency (p = 0.015), daytime dysfunction (p = 0.001), and anxiety (p = 0.001). There were no significant reductions in the use of sleeping medication (p = 0.134) and depression (p = 0.359). CONCLUSION: DBRT is a useful non-pharmacological treatment for improving sleep quality and reducing anxiety among first-line nurses involved in the COVID-19 outbreak. The study protocol was clinically registered by the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ChiCTR2000032743.

Sirt1 inhibits renal tubular cell epithelial-mesenchymal transition through YY1 deacetylation in diabetic nephropathy.

Silent information regulator 1 (Sirt1) is a deacetylase, which plays an important role in the occurrence and development of diabetic nephropathy (DN). Our previous study shows that Yin yang 1 (YY1), a widely expressed zinc finger DNA/RNA-binding transcription factor, is a novel regulator of renal fibrosis in diabetic nephropathy. Since the activity of YY1 is regulated via acetylation and deacetylation modification, this study aimed to explore whether Sirt1-induced deacetylation of YY1 mediated high glucose (HG)-induced renal tubular epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and renal fibrosis in vivo and in vitro. We first confirmed that Sirt1 expression level was significantly decreased in the kidney of db/db mice and in HG-treated HK-2 cells. Diabetes-induced Sirt1 reduction enhanced the level of YY1 acetylation and renal tubular EMT. Then, we manipulated Sirt1 expression in vivo and in vitro by injecting resveratrol (50 mg·kg-1·d-1. ip) to db/db mice for 2 weeks or application of SRT1720 (2.5 µM) in HG-treated HK-2 cells, we found that activation of Sirt1 reversed the renal tubular EMT and YY1 acetylation induced by HG condition. On the contrary, Sirt1 was knocked down in db/m mice or EX527 (1 µM) was added in HK-2 cells, we found that inhibition of Sirt1 exacerbated renal fibrosis in diabetic mice and enhanced level of YY1 acetylation in HK-2 cells. Furthermore, knockdown of YY1 inhibited the ameliorating effect of resveratrol on renal tubular EMT and renal fibrosis in db/db mice. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that Sirt1 plays an important role in renal tubular EMT of DN through mediating deacetylation of YY1.

Ginger-separated moxibustion for chronic fatigue syndrome and its effect on intestinal flora / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To observe the effect of ginger-separated moxibustion on fatigue state and intestinal flora in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).@*METHODS@#A total of 62 patients with CFS were randomly divided into an observation group (31 cases, 3 cases dropped off) and a control group (31 cases, 2 cases dropped off). The patients in the control group were treated with normal diet and moderate exercise; on the basis of the control group, the patients in the observation group were treated with ginger-separated moxibustion at Zhongwan (CV 12), Shenque (CV 8) and Guanyuan (CV 4), 30 min each time, once every other day, three times a week. Both groups were intervened for 4 weeks. Before and after treatment, the fatigue scale-14 (FS-14) was used to observe the improvement of fatigue state, and 16S rRNA detection technology was used to detect the distribution of intestinal flora.@*RESULTS@#Compared before treatment, the FS-14 score was reduced after treatment in the observation group (@*CONCLUSION@#The ginger-separated moxibustion could significantly improve the fatigue state in CFS patients, which may be related to the regulation of intestinal flora structure and the repair of intestinal barrier.

Effects of L-Arginine Supplementation during Late Gestation on Reproductive Performance, Piglet Uniformity, Blood Profiles, and Milk Composition in High Prolific Sows.

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of L-arginine supplementation levels during late gestation on reproductive performance and piglet uniformity in high prolific sows. A total of 60 F1 multiparous sows (Yorkshire × Landrace), with an average body weight of 238.2 kg, were allotted to one of three treatment groups in a completely randomized design. The dietary treatments were divided by the supplementation level of arginine during the late-gestation period, from day 70 to farrowing, as follows-(1) CON: corn-soybean meal-based basal diet (Arg 0.72%), (2) Arg10: basal diet + L-Arg 0.28% (Arg 1.0%), and (3) Arg15: basal diet + L-Arg 0.79% (Arg 1.5%). The same lactation diet was provided ad libitum to sows during the lactation period. There were no significant differences in body weight and backfat thickness in sows during late-gestation and lactation. Dietary arginine levels had no significant influences on the number of total born, stillbirth, and born alive. However, increasing inclusion level of L-arginine supplementation tended to increase (p < 0.10) alive litter weight linearly, and also linearly increased (p < 0.05) the piglet weight gain and litter weight gain during the lactation period. In piglet uniformity, the standard deviation of piglet birth weight (p < 0.05) and the coefficient of variation for piglet birth weight (p < 0.10) increased linearly, as dietary arginine levels increased in the late gestation period. Increasing L-arginine supplementation to late gestating sows linearly increased (p < 0.05) the blood concentrations of arginine and ornithine at day 90 and day 110 of gestation. On the other hand, dietary arginine levels in late gestation did not affect the blood parameters related to the nitrogen utilization. Increasing dietary arginine levels for the late gestating sows did not affect the milk composition for colostrum and milk at day 21 of lactation. In conclusion, the inclusion level of arginine in the diet for late gestating sows, by up to 1.5%, could improve the alive litter weight at birth and litter weight gain during lactation, whereas the piglet uniformity at birth was decreased due to the increase of survival for fetuses with light birth weight.

Effects of dietary energy and lysine levels on physiological responses, reproductive performance, blood profiles, and milk composition in primiparous sows.

The adequate intake of energy and lysine for primiparous sows are necessary for maternal growth of sows and growth of their progeny. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary energy and lysine levels on primiparous sows and their progeny. A total of 48 gilts (Yorkshire × Landrace), with an initial body weight (BW) of 168.1 ± 9.71 kg and at day 35 of gestation, were allotted to eight treatment groups with a 2 × 4 factorial arrangement. The first factor was metabolizable energy levels in diet (3,265 or 3,365 kcal of ME/kg), and the second factor was lysine levels in diet (gestation 0.55%, 0.65%, 0.75%, 0.85%, lactation 0.70%, 0.85%, 1.00%, 1.15%). The BW gain (p = 0.07) and backfat thickness (p = 0.09) in the gestation period showed a tendency to be increased in sows fed the high-energy diets. In the lactation period, sows fed the high-energy diets tended to be greater BW (p = 0.09) and less BW loss (p = 0.05) than those of sows fed the low-energy diets. Sows fed high-energy diets had a tendency of greater piglet weight at day 21 of lactation and greater piglet weight gain (p = 0.08 and p = 0.08, respectively). Although the blood urea nitrogen (BUN) was increased linearly as dietary lysine level increased at day 110 of gestation (Linear, p = 0.03), the BUN was decreased linearly as dietary lysine level increase at day 21 of lactation (Linear, p < 0.01). In the composition of colostrum, sows fed high-energy diets had greater casein, protein, total solid, solid not fat, and free fatty acid concentrations than those of sows fed low-energy diets (p < 0.05). Supplementation of total lysine 0.75% for gestation and 1.00% for lactation with 3,365 kcal of ME/kg energy level could be applied to the primiparous sows' diet to improve performance of sows and growth of their progeny.

Effect of ginger-separated moxibustion on fatigue, sleep quality and depression in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome: a randomized controlled trial / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To observe the effect of ginger-separated moxibustion on fatigue, sleep quality and depression in the patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.@*METHODS@#A total of 62 patients with chronic fatigue syndrome were randomized into an observation group (31 cases, 3 cases dropped off) and a control group (31 cases, 2 cases dropped off). In the control group, the patients had normal diet and proper physical exercise. In the observation group, on the basis of the control group, the ginger-separated moxibustion was added at Zhongwan (CV 12), Shenque (CV 8) and Guanyuan (CV 4), 30 min each time, once every two days, 3 times weekly. Separately, before treatment and after 4 weeks of treatment, the MOS item short form health survey (SF-36), the Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) scale and the self-rating depression scale (SDS) were adopted to evaluate the degrees of fatigue, sleep quality and depression in the patients of the two groups.@*RESULTS@#In the observation group, the score of each item of SF-36, the score of each item of PSQI and SDS score after treatment were all improved significantly as compared with those before treatment respectively (<0.05, <0.01). In the control group, the scores of overall health, vitality and mental health in SF-36 and the score of sleep time of PSQI after treatment were improved as compared with those before treatment respectively (<0.05). After treatment, the score of each item of SF-36, the scores of sleep quality, sleep time, sleep efficiency and sleep disorders of PSQI, as well as SDS score in the observation group were all better than those in the control group respectively (<0.01, <0.05). The score of SF-36 was relevant to the scores of PSQI and SDS in the patients of chronic fatigue syndrome ( =0.331, <0.05; =-0.706, <0.01). The improvement value of SF-36 score was closely related to the improvement value of SDS score in the observation group ( =-0.657, <0.01).@*CONCLUSION@#The ginger-separated moxibustion effectively relieves fatigue and depression condition and improves sleep quality in the patients with chronic fatigue syndrome. The fatigue condition is relevant with sleep quality and depression condition to a certain extent in the patients.

Inhibitory Activity of Plant Essential Oils against E. coli 1-Deoxy-d-xylulose-5-phosphate reductoisomerase.

The rate-limiting enzyme of the 2-methyl-d-erythritol-4-phosphate (MEP) terpenoid biosynthetic pathway, 1-deoxy-d-xylulose-5-phosphate reductoisomerase (DXR), provides the perfect target for screening new antibacterial substances. In this study, we tested the DXR inhibitory effect of 35 plant essential oils (EOs), which have long been recognized for their antimicrobial properties. The results show that the EOs of Zanbthoxylum bungeanum (ZB), Schizonepetae tenuifoliae (ST), Thymus quinquecostatus (TQ), Origanum vulgare (OV), and Eugenia caryophyllata (EC) displayed weak to medium inhibitory activity against DXR, with IC50 values of 78 µg/mL, 65 µg/mL, 59 µg/mL, 48 µg/mL, and 37 µg/mL, respectively. GC-MS analyses of the above oils and further DXR inhibitory activity tests of their major components revealed that eugenol (EC) and carvacrol (TQ and OV) possess medium inhibition against the protein (68.3% and 55.6%, respectively, at a concentration of 20 µg/mL), whereas thymol (ST, TQ, and OV), carveol (ZB), and linalool (ZB, ST, and OV) only exhibited weak inhibition against DXR, at 20 µg/mL (23%-26%). The results add more details to the antimicrobial mechanisms of plant EOs, which could be very helpful in the direction of the reasonable use of EOs in the food industry and in the control of phytopathogenic microbials.

Uncaria rhynchophylla Ameliorates Parkinson's Disease by Inhibiting HSP90 Expression: Insights from Quantitative Proteomics.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Uncaria rhynchophylla, known as "Gou-teng", is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) used to extinguish wind, clear heat, arrest convulsions, and pacify the liver. Although U. rhynchophylla has a long history of being often used to treat central nervous system (CNS) diseases, its efficacy and potential mechanism are still uncertain. This study investigated neuroprotective effect and the underlying mechanism of U. rhynchophylla extract (URE) in MPP+-induced SH-SY5Y cells and MPTP-induced mice. METHODS: MPP+-induced SH-SY5Y cells and MPTP-induced mice were used to established Parkinson's disease (PD) models. Quantitative proteomics and bioinformatics were used to uncover proteomics changes of URE. Western blotting was used to validate main differentially expressed proteins and test HSP90 client proteins (apoptosis-related, autophagy-related, MAPKs, PI3K, and AKT proteins). Flow cytometry and JC-1 staining assay were further used to confirm the effect of URE on MPP+-induced apoptosis in SH-SY5Y cells. Gait analysis was used to detect the behavioral changes in MPTP-induced mice. The levels of dopamine (DA) and their metabolites were examined in striatum (STR) by HPLC-EC. The positive expression of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) was detected by immunohischemical staining and Western blotting. RESULTS: URE dose-dependently increased the cell viability in MPP+-induced SH-SY5Y cells. Quantitative proteomics and bioinformatics results confirmed that HSP90 was an important differentially expressed protein of URE. URE inhibited the expression of HSP90, which further reversed MPP+-induced cell apoptosis and autophagy by increasing the expressions of Bcl-2, Cyclin D1, p-ERK, p-PI3K p85, PI3K p110α, p-AKT, and LC3-I and decreasing cleaved caspase 3, Bax, p-JNK, p-p38, and LC3-II. URE also markedly decreased the apoptotic ratio and elevated mitochondrial transmembrane potential (DΨm). Furthermore, URE treatment ameliorated behavioral impairments, increased the contents of DA and its metabolites and elevated the positive expressions of TH in SN and STR as well as the TH protein. CONCLUSIONS: URE possessed the neuroprotective effect in vivo and in vitro, regulated MAPK and PI3K-AKT signal pathways, and inhibited the expression of HSP90. U. rhynchophylla has potentials as therapeutic agent in PD treatment.

GLUCOSAMINE INOSITOLPHOSPHORYLCERAMIDE TRANSFERASE1 (GINT1) Is a GlcNAc-Containing Glycosylinositol Phosphorylceramide Glycosyltransferase.

Glycosylinositol phosphorylceramides (GIPCs), which have a ceramide core linked to a glycan headgroup of varying structures, are the major sphingolipids in the plant plasma membrane. Recently, we identified the major biosynthetic genes for GIPC glycosylation in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) and demonstrated that the glycan headgroup is essential for plant viability. However, the function of GIPCs and the significance of their structural variation are poorly understood. Here, we characterized the Arabidopsis glycosyltransferase GLUCOSAMINE INOSITOLPHOSPHORYLCERAMIDE TRANSFERASE1 (GINT1) and showed that it is responsible for the glycosylation of a subgroup of GIPCs found in seeds and pollen that contain GlcNAc and GlcN [collectively GlcN(Ac)]. In Arabidopsis gint1 plants, loss of the GlcN(Ac) GIPCs did not affect vegetative growth, although seed germination was less sensitive to abiotic stress than in wild-type plants. However, in rice, where GlcN(Ac) containing GIPCs are the major GIPC subgroup in vegetative tissue, loss of GINT1 was seedling lethal. Furthermore, we could produce, de novo, "rice-like" GlcN(Ac) GIPCs in Arabidopsis leaves, which allowed us to test the function of different sugars in the GIPC headgroup. This study describes a monocot GIPC biosynthetic enzyme and shows that its Arabidopsis homolog has the same biochemical function. We also identify a possible role for GIPCs in maintaining cell-cell adhesion.

Targeting the NRF-2/RHOA/ROCK signaling pathway with a novel aziridonin, YD0514, to suppress breast cancer progression and lung metastasis.

Metastasis is a major cause of breast cancer-associated mortality. Natural products extracted from herbs provide rich bioactive compounds with anticancer efficacy but may have limited or moderate potency and considerable toxicity. We developed a novel aziridonin, YD0514, by aziridinating oridonin, a natural product of the medicinal herb Rabdosia rubescens. In this study, we found that YD0514 significantly inhibited proliferation, motility, and adhesion of metastatic breast cancer cell lines MDA-MB-231, GI101, GILM2, and GILM3. YD0514 also decreased the protein expression of matrix metalloproteinases 2 and 9 (MMP2 and MMP9), focal adhesion kinase (FAK), and integrin family members. Importantly, YD0514 suppressed the growth of metastatic breast cancer xenograft tumors and significantly inhibited lung metastasis in vivo. Lastly, we showed that YD0514's anti-metastatic effect on highly aggressive breast cancer is mediated via regulating the NRF-2/RHOA/ROCK signaling pathway. These results demonstrate that YD0514, the first active analog based on an oridonin D-ring modification, has the potential to be developed as an anti-metastasis therapy for patients with metastatic cancers.