Using multi-channel near-infrared spectroscopy to assess the effect of cupping therapy on the spatial hemodynamic response of the biceps muscle: A preliminary study.

BACKGROUND: The local hemodynamic response after cupping therapy has been considered as a contributing factor for improving muscle tissue health; however, the effects of cupping pressure and duration on the spatial hemodynamic response have not been investigated. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to investigate the hemodynamic response inside and outside the cupping cup under various pressures and durations of cupping therapy. METHODS: A 3-way factorial design with repeated measures was used to investigate the main and interaction effects of the location (areas inside and outside the cup), pressure (-225 and -300 mmHg) and duration (5 and 10 min) on the hemodynamic response of the biceps muscle. A functional near-infrared spectroscopy was used to assess hemodynamic changes in 18 participants. RESULTS: A significant three-way interaction of the location, pressure, and duration factors was observed in oxyhemoglobin (p= 0.023), deoxy-hemoglobin (p= 0.013), and blood volume (p= 0.013). A significant increase was observed in oxyhemoglobin, blood volume, and oxygenation compared to pre-cupping (p< 0.05) in the area outside the cup. CONCLUSION: Our findings indicate that an appropriate combination of cupping pressure and duration can effectively affect the spatial hemodynamic response of the biceps.

Using cross-correlation analysis of multi-channel near infrared spectroscopy to assess the hemodynamic response to cupping therapy.

Cupping therapy is a common intervention for the management of musculoskeletal impairment. Previous studies have demonstrated that cupping therapy can improve muscle hemodynamic responses using single-channel near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). However, the effects of cupping therapy on spatial hemodynamic responses as well as the correlation between oxyhemoglobin and deoxy-hemoglobin are largely unknown. The cross-correlation function (CCF) algorithm was used to determine the correlation between time-series NIRS signals from inside and outside the cup as well as time-series oxyhemoglobin and deoxy-hemoglobin under 4 cupping intensities, including -225 and -300 mmHg for 5 and 10 min. The main finding was that the maximum CCF values of oxyhemoglobin was significantly higher than those in deoxy-hemoglobin (p < 0.05). Furthermore, it was found that there was a correlation between deoxy-hemoglobin with a longer duration and a larger magnitude of negative pressure. This is the first study investigating time-series hemodynamic responses after cupping therapy using cross-correlation function analysis of multi-channel NIRS signals.

Saikosaponin D reverses epinephrine- and norepinephrine-induced gemcitabine resistance in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma by downregulating ADRB2/glycolysis signaling.

Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA) is a highly fatal malignancy with rapidly increasing incidence and mortality worldwide. Currently, gemcitabine-based systemic chemotherapy is the main clinical therapeutic regimen; however, its efficacy is poor, and its mechanism has not been elucidated. In this study, we use a Seahorse Extracellular Flux analyser to measure glycolysis capacity (extracellular acidification rate, ECAR) and oxygen consumption rate (OCR). The glucose uptake or lactic acid content is detected, and the effects of saikosaponin D, an active compound derived from Bupleuri Radix (a traditional Chinese medicine for soothing the liver and relieving depression), on gemcitabine cytotoxicity in norepinephrine-stimulated iCCA cells are analysed. We find that adrenergic signaling plays a fundamental role in chronic stress-induced therapeutic resistance in iCCA. Norepinephrine (NE) and epinephrine (E) enhance the proliferation of iCCA cells and interfere with the response to gemcitabine through activation of the ß2-adrenergic receptor (ADRB2). Furthermore, we find that NE upregulates the expressions of several drug efflux-related genes (such as ABCG2 and MDR1) and promotes glycolysis in iCCA cells. In addition, saikosaponin D reverses the poor response of iCCA cells to gemcitabine by downregulating ADRB2 level. Furthermore, saikosaponin D inhibits drug efflux and glycolysis in iCCA cells by regulating the expressions of MDR1, ABCG2, HK2, and GLUT1. Collectively, saikosaponin D enhances the antitumor effect of gemcitabine by controlling glucose metabolism and drug efflux by inhibiting the ADRB2 signaling. Therefore, the combination of saikosaponin D and gemcitabine may be a potential therapeutic strategy for the treatment of iCCA.

Branched-chain amino acids and risk of stroke: A Mendelian randomization study.

Background: The causality between plasma branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) levels and stroke remains uncertain and the stratified research on the association between BCAAs levels and subtypes of stroke is not well studied. Therefore, the association of genetically proxied circulating BCAA levels with the risks of stroke and its subtypes was explored by Mendelian randomization (MR) in this study. Methods: Summary-level data derived from the published genome-wide association studies (GWAS) were employed for analyses. Data for plasma BCAA levels (n = 16,596) were obtained from a meta-analysis of GWAS. The MEGASTROKE consortium provided data for ischemic stroke (n = 440,328) and its subtypes and data for hemorrhagic stroke were available from 2 meta-analyses of GWAS of European-ancestry groups (intracerebral hemorrhage, n = 3,026; subarachnoid hemorrhage, n = 77,074). The inverse variance weighted (IVW) method was selected as the primary MR analysis. Supplementary analysis used included the weighted median, MR-Egger regression, Cochran's Q statistic, MR Pleiotropy Residual Sum and Outlier global test, and leave-one-out analysis method. Results: According to IVW analysis, 1-SD increment in genetically determined circulating isoleucine was associated with increased risks of cardioembolic stroke (CES) (OR: 1.56, 95% CI: 1.21-2.20, P = 0.0007), but not with risks of other stroke subtypes. We could not discover any proof that leucine and valine levels could increase risk of any stroke subtype. All heterogeneity tests produced stable findings, and there was no concrete evidence to indicate the perturbation of horizontal multiplicity. Conclusion: Increasing plasma isoleucine level had a causal effect on the risk of CES but not on the risk of other stroke subtypes. Further research is needed to identify the mechanisms of the causal associations between BCAAs and stroke subtypes.

[Content correlation of eight phenolic acids and flavonoids in different medicinal parts of PA-type Perilla germplasms].

In this study, 10 PA-type Perilla germplasms were selected to detect the content of two phenolic acids, i.e., rosmarinic acid(RA) and caffeic acid(CA), and six flavonoids, including scutellarin-7-O-diglucuronoside(SDG), luteolin-7-O-diglucuronoside(LDG), apigenin-7-O-diglucuronoside(ADG), scutellarin-7-O-glucuroside(SG), luteolin-7-O-glucuroside(LG), and apigenin-7-O-glucuroside(AG) in leaves, stems, and fruits. The total content of phenolic acids and flavonoids in leaves was 3.991-12.028 mg·g~(-1) and 12.309-25.071 mg·g~(-1), respectively, which was much higher than that in stems(0.586-2.015 mg·g~(-1) and 0.879-1.413 mg·g~(-1), respectively) and fruits(0.004-2.222 mg·g~(-1) and 0.651-1.936 mg·g~(-1), respectively). RA was detected in five fruit samples, and RA content between leaves and fruits showed a significant negative correlation in the other five samples. For flavonoids, only LG and LDG could be detected in stems, and SG and SDG were not detected in fruits, while other flavonoids were not detected in some samples. The content of total flavonoids and LG in leaves and fruits was significantly positively correlated, and the content of LG in stems and fruits was significantly positively correlated. In 10 stem samples, seven met the standard that the content of RA in the stem should be not less than 0.1% specified in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia(2020 edition). Only one fruit sample reached the standard of RA content in the fruit not less than 0.25% specified in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia.

[Contents determination of eight phenolic compounds in Perilla frutescens leaves of different cultivation years and harvesting periods].

A method was established for content determination of two kinds of phenolic acids, including rosmarinic acid)(RA) and caffeic acid(CA), and six kinds of flavonoids including scutellarein-7-O-diglucuronide(SDG), luteolin-7-O-diglucuronide(LDG), apigenin-7-O-diglucuronide(ADG), scutellarin-7-O-glucuronide(SG), luteolin-7-O-glucuronide(LG), and apigenin-7-O-glucuronide(AG) in Perilla frutescens leaves. The content of eight chemical components was measured based on ten P. frutescens germplasms of different chemotypes of volatile oil, different cultivated years, and different harvesting periods. The results showed that there was a great difference between the two kinds of constituents of different germplasms. The total content of the two phenolic acids was 2.24-34.44 mg·g~(-1), and the total content of the six flavonoids was 11.55-34.71 mg·g~(-1). Then according to content from most to least, the order of each component was RA(2.13-33.97 mg·g~(-1)), LDG(1.31-14.80 mg·g~(-1)), SG(1.97-8.45 mg·g~(-1)), ADG(2.68-7.60 mg·g~(-1)), SDG(1.16-5.87 mg·g~(-1)), LG(0.78-1.91 mg·g~(-1)), AG(0.56-1.00 mg·g~(-1)), and CA(0.11-0.68 mg·g~(-1)). The chemical contents of the 5 PA-type germplasms in 2017 were mostly higher than those in 2018 showing a large variation with the cultivation years. These contents of two kinds of phenolic acids of 9 germplasms fluctuated with the harvesting time. The content decreased before early flower spike(the 3~(rd) to 18~(th) in August) at first and began to increase in flowering and fruiting period(the 18~(th) in August to 2~(nd) in September). However, these contents had slowly decreasing trend after 2~(nd) in September till 17~(th) in the same month. Interestingly, the content raised again in the maturity of fruits. The variation tendency of contents in six kinds of flavonoids components was inconsistent in different germplasms with the variation of harvesting time. The content of flavonoids in part of germplasms was negatively correlated with the fluctuation of phenolic acids. There was no correlation between phenolic acids and chemical type of the volatile oil. This paper may provide a reference for the high-quality germplasm of P. frutescens cultivation.

[Planting density of Perilla frutescens PA-type].

Two medicinal PA type Perilla germplasms were planted at five planting densities(D1,2 500 plants/Mu;D2,5 500 plants/Mu;D3,8 500 plants/Mu;D4,11 500 plants/Mu;D5,14 500 plants/Mu;1 Mu≈667 m~2). A total of 17 traits, including leaf shape, plant type, yield, volatile oil content and composition, were recorded and studied. With the planting density increased, the leaves appeared narrow, plants small, the deciduous leaves increased, and the leaf yield per plant was low, but the leaf yield per Mu increases significantly with the planting density, and was basically stable after reaching D4. The extraction rate of volatile oil from leaves at planting density D2-D5 was about 0.1% higher than that of D1, and there was no significant difference in the relative content of perillaldehyde, among 5 density. In order to achieve high leaf yield, it is recommended to plant at a density of D4, 11 500 plants/Mu(plant spacing is 15 cm, and row spacing is 40 cm); while comprehensive leaf yield and leaf morphology are recommended to be planted at a density of D2, 5 500 plants/Mu(plant spacing is 30 cm, and row spacing is 40 cm). At the same time, dense planting resistance of two germplasms were different. Number of secondary branches, first section with leaves and plant types were most important feature for the evaluation of the density tolerance of PA-type Perilla. This study provided a reference for the suitable density of PA-type Perilla, and laid a foundation for further study of the tolerance characteristics of different Perilla.

Protective effects of collagen polypeptide from tilapia skin against injuries to the liver and kidneys of mice induced by d-galactose.

We wished to investigate the role of a tilapia skin collagen polypeptide (TSCP; molecular weight <3 kDa) in alleviating liver and kidney injuries in aging mice induced by d-galactose (d-gal) and its underlying mechanism of action. First, we characterized TSCP. TSCP was passed through a 3-kDa ultrafiltration membrane, desalted in water by a solid-phase extraction column, purified further by reverse phase-high performance liquid chromatography, and analyzed by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry and tandem mass spectrometry. TSCP contained 17 types of amino acids (AAs) and 41 peptide chains of length 7 AAs to 22 AAs. The content of free AAs and total AAs of TSCP was 13.5% and 93.79%, respectively. Next, we undertook animal experiments. Mice were injected once-daily with D-gal (300 mg/kg body weight, s.c.) for 8 weeks, and TSCP was administered simultaneously once-daily by intragastric gavage. TSCP could visibly improve the decreased body weight, depressed appetite, and mental deterioration of mice triggered by d-gal. TSCP could also alleviate d-gal-induced damage to the liver and kidneys according to histopathology (especially high-dose TSCP). Consistent with these macroscopic and pathologic changes, TSCP could also prevent d-gal-induced increases in serum levels of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate transaminase, alkaline phosphatase, lipid peroxidation, creatinine and uric acid, as well as decreases in serum levels of immunoglobulin (Ig)G and IgM. Moreover, TSCP improved the activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase, but also inhibited the increases in the levels of malondialdehyde and inducible nitric oxide synthase expression in the liver and kidneys of d-gal-treated mice. These results suggest that TSCP can alleviate the injuries to the liver and kidneys in aging mice induced by d-gal, and that its mechanism of action might be, at least partially, associated with attenuation of oxidative stress and enhancement of immune function.

[Comparative analysis on chemical constituents in Bupleurum chinense,B. marginatum,B. marginatum var. stenophyllum and B. smithii var. parvifolium].

UPLC-Q-TOF-MS was used to analyze the chemical differences in Bupleurum. chinense,B. marginatum,B. marginatum var. stenophyllum and B. smithii var. parvifolium. Chromatographic separation was carried out on an Acquity HSS T3 C_(18) column( 2. 1 mm ×100 mm,1. 8 µm,Waters) with the mobile phase composed of 0. 1% formic acid in water-acetonitrile in the gradient elution. A hybrid quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry( Q-TOF-MS~E) was used for mass spectrometric analysis. Finally,25 peaks were identified based on their exact mass data and fragmentation characteristics. B.chinense,B.marginatum,B. marginatum var. stenophyllum and B. smithii var. parvifolium were obviously clustered into 3 types through processing by principal component analysis( PCA). There was almost no difference between B. chinense and B. marginatum. However,the compounds existed in B. chinense were different from those in B. marginatum var. stenophyllum,and B. smithii var. parvifolium.