Co-treatment with the seed of Carthamus tinctorius L. and the aerial part of Taraxacum coreanum synergistically suppresses Aß25-35-induced neurotoxicity by altering APP processing.

Accumulation of ß-amyloid peptide (Aß) induces neurotoxicity, which is the primary risk factor in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The cleavage of amyloid precursor protein (APP) by the ß- (BACE) and γ- (PS1, PS2) secretases is a critical step in the amyloidogenic pathway. The induction of neuronal apoptosis by Aß involves increased expression of B-cell lymphoma protein 2 (Bcl-2)-associated X (Bax) and decreased Bcl-2 expression. The seed of Carthamus tinctorius L. (CTS) and the aerial part of Taraxacum coreanum (TC) are traditional herbs used to treat several neurodegenerative diseases. In this study, the neuroprotective effects of co-treatment with CTS and TC on Aß-induced neurotoxicity in SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells and the underlying mechanisms were investigated. CTS, TC, and the co-treatment (CTS + TC) were added to Aß25-35-treated SH-SY5Y cells. CTS + TC synergistically increased cell viability and inhibited reactive oxygen species production. CTS + TC resulted in significant downregulation of BACE, PS1, PS2, and APP, as well as the 99-aa C-terminal domain of APP, compared with either CTS or TC alone. Compared with the single herbs, co-treatment with CTS and TC markedly decreased the expression of Bax and increased the expression of Bcl-2, consistent with its anti-apoptotic effects. These findings suggest that co-treatment with CTS and TC may be useful for AD prevention.

Cucurbitacin B modulates M2 macrophage differentiation and attenuates osteosarcoma progression via PI3K/AKT pathway.

Osteosarcoma is a common malignant bone tumour characterised by an aggressive metastatic potential. The tumour microenvironment, particularly the M2-polarised macrophages, is crucial for tumour progression. Cucurbitacin B (CuB), a triterpenoid derivative, is recognised for its anti-inflammatory and antitumour properties. This study investigates CuB and its effect on M2 macrophage differentiation and osteosarcoma progression, aiming to contribute to new treatment strategies. In vitro, THP-1 monocytes were stimulated with PMA, IL-13 and IL-4 to induce differentiation into M2 macrophages. Additionally, the influence of CuB on the proliferation, migration and invasion of osteosarcoma cells in the context of M2 macrophages was scrutinised. Crucial signalling pathways, especially the PI3K/AKT pathway, affected by CuB were identified and validated. In vivo, the osteosarcoma model was employed to gauge the effects of CuB on tumour weight, lung metastasis, angiogenesis, cell proliferation and M2 macrophage markers. The results showed that CuB inhibited M2 macrophage differentiation, leading to reduced proliferation, migration and invasion of osteosarcoma cells. CuB manifested an inhibitory effect on the PI3K/AKT pathway during the differentiation of M2 macrophages. In mouse models, CuB markedly reduced the tumour weight and the number of lung metastases. It also reduced the expression of angiogenesis and cell proliferation markers in tumour tissues, decreased the quantity of M2 macrophages and their associated markers and pathway proteins. In conclusion, CuB impedes osteosarcoma progression by inhibiting M2 macrophage differentiation via the PI3K/AKT pathway, presenting the potential for therapeutic advancements in osteosarcoma treatment.

Bioaccumulation, biomagnification, and ecological risk of trace metals in the ecosystem around oilfield production area: A case study in Shengli Oilfield.

The production for crude oil usually leads to contamination of the soil with trace metals and organic contaminants from spilled petroleum. Organic contaminants were generally paid more attention than trace metals in the oilfield pollution. Many studies have investigated the impacts of some petroleum hydrocarbon pollutants, however, the impacts and risk assessment of trace metals remain largely unexplored. Moreover, under some circumstances, the risks associated with trace metals are not necessarily lower than those associated with organic contaminants. This study aimed to investigate methods to evaluate the possible risks associated with 11 trace metals (Ti, Ba, Sr, Rb, V, Li, Mo, Co, Cs, Bi, and Tl) in soil and biota samples from the Shengli Oilfield using ICP-MS. The results showed that 11 trace metals in the surface soils exceeded the local background levels. The geo-accumulation index (Igeo) indicated that the soils had light-moderate to moderate contamination levels, with higher Igeo value of Ba, V, Li, Mo, Co, and Cs. The individual potential ecological risk indices ([Formula: see text]) demonstrated moderate Bi and Tl pollution in soils. Comparatively, the [Formula: see text] is recommended for the risk assessment of trace metals on the ecosystem around the oilfield area. Mo, Bi, and Sr easily accumulate in plants, as reflected by their bioaccumulation factor. Ti, Ba, V, Li, Co, Cs, Bi, and Tl exhibited considerable biomagnification, particularly in birds. In this study, trace metals showed considerable bioaccumulation and biomagnification, and the risks of these trace metals on the ecosystem around oilfield production area need more attention.

Multifunctional Mesoporous Hollow Cobalt Sulfide Nanoreactors for Synergistic Chemodynamic/Photodynamic/Photothermal Therapy with Enhanced Efficacy.

The unique tumor microenvironment (TME) characteristic of severe hypoxia, overexpressed intracellular glutathione (GSH), and elevated hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) concentration limit the anticancer effect by monotherapy. In this report, glucose oxidase (GOx)-encapsulated mesoporous hollow Co9S8 nanoreactors are constructed with the coverage of polyphenol diblock polymers containing poly(oligo(ethylene glycol) methacrylate) and dopamine moieties containing methacrylate polymeric block, which are termed as GOx@PCoS. After intravenous injection, tumor accumulation, and cellular uptake, GOx@PCoS deplete GSH by Co3+ ions. GOx inside the nanoreactors produce H2O2 via oxidation of glucose to enhance •OH-based chemodynamic therapy (CDT) through the Fenton-like reaction under the catalysis of Co2+. Moreover, Co3+ ions possess catalase activity to catalyze production of O2 from H2O2 to relieve tumor hypoxia. Upon 808 nm laser irradiation, GOx@PCoS exhibit photothermal and photodynamic effects with a high photothermal conversion efficiency (45.06%) and generation capacity of the toxic superoxide anion (•O2-) for photothermal therapy (PTT) and photodynamic therapy (PDT). The synergetic antitumor effects can be realized by GSH depletion, starvation, and combined CDT, PTT, and PDT with enhanced efficacy. Notably, GOx@PCoS can also be used as a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agent to monitor the antitumor performance. Thus, GOx@PCoS show great potentials to effectively modulate TME and perform synergistic multimodal therapy.

Visual Analysis of Nutrient Deficiency and Treatment Protocols in Bariatric Surgery Based on VOSviewer.

Objective: To analyze the global literature on nutritional deficiencies in bariatric surgery (BS) since January 1, 1985, and to discuss the current status of research, research hotspots, and new development trend and treatment of nutritional deficiency in bariatric surgery. It provides ideas and basis for promoting the development of bariatric surgery and new alternative therapy or treatment protocols. Methods: The Web of Science (WOS) database core collection was used as the data source, and VOSviewer 1.6.17 software was used to search the literature on the topic of "nutritional deficiencies in bariatric surgery." The number of published literature, the distribution of authors, institutions, and countries, keyword cooccurrences, and journal cocitations were visualized and analyzed. Results: A total of 1015 relevant publications was obtained after searching and screening, and the overall trend of literature published was on the rise. The most published countries, institutions, and authors were USA, University of Sao Paulo, Ramalho, Andrea; Obesity Surgery has been the most frequently cited journal (7943 citations), and the top 10 journals had high impact factors. Keyword cooccurrence analysis showed that "bariatric surgery" and "nutritional deficiencies" are the hot topics of research in this field. Conclusion: There is an urgent need for bariatric surgery issuing institutions and authors to strengthen cross-institutional, cross-team, and multicenter and multidisciplinary cooperation, to promote and facilitate the exchange and cooperation in the field of bariatric surgery between developed countries in Europe and America and developing countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, to draw the attention of developing countries to the health problems caused by obesity, and to encourage and support the development of developing countries in this field. Bariatric surgery, obesity, weight loss, Y-type gastric bypass, gastric bypass, and nutritional deficiency are the hot research topics in the field of nutritional deficiency in bariatric surgery, and metabolic surgery, single anastomosis gastric bypass, micronutrient supplementation, micronutrient deficiency, intestinal microbiology, and guidelines are the new trends in this field.

[Effect of acupuncture on retinal and choroidal thickness in patients with optic atrophy].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of acupuncture on visual acuity, intraocular pressure, visual field, retinal and choroidal thickness on optic disc and macular area in patients with optic atrophy. METHODS: A total of 33 patients with optic atrophy were treated with acupuncture. Acupuncture was given at Chengqi (ST 1), Shangjingming (Extra), Qiuhou (EX-HN 7) and Fengchi (GB 20) etc., 30 min each time, once a day, for 14 days. The visual acuity, intraocular pressure, visual field indexes (mean deviation [MD], pattern standard deviation [PSD] and visual field index [VFI]), optic disc retinal nerve fiber layer thickness, macular retinal thickness and choroidal thickness of optic disc and sub-foveal were compared before and after treatment. RESULTS: Compared before treatment, the visual acuity was increased (P<0.05), the MD value was decreased (P<0.05), the thickness of nerve fiber layer on the upper temporal side of optic disc was thinner (P<0.05), and the choroidal thickness of average, nasal side and lower temporal side of optic disc was increased (P<0.05). There was significant correlation between visual field MD and retinal nerve fiber layer thickness in different quadrants before and after treatment (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: Acupuncture could improve visual acuity, increase choroidal thickness in part of optic disc area in patients with optic atrophy.

Light-induced high-efficient cellular production of immune functional extracellular vesicles.

Extracellular vesicle (EV)-based therapies and vaccines are emerging. However, employment at the scale for population-based dose development is always a huge bottleneck. In order to overcome such a roadblock, we introduce a simple and straightforward approach for promoting cellular production of dendritic cell derived EVs (DEVs) by leveraging phototherapy based light induction. Under the optimization of light wavelengths, intensities, and exposure times, we achieved more than 13-fold enhancement in DEV production rate, while maintaining good integral quality and immune function from produced EVs. The LED light at 365 nm is optimal to reliably trigger enhanced cellular production of EVs no matter cell line types. Our observation and other reported studies support longer near UV wavelength does not impair cell growth. We conducted a series of investigations in terms of size, zeta potential, morphology, immune surface markers and cytokines, biocompatibility, cellular uptake behaviour, and immune-modulation ability on eliciting cellular responses in vitro. We also validated the biodistribution, immunogenicity, and administration safety using light-promoted DEVs in mice models from both male and female genders. Overall data supports that light promoted DEVs are highly immune functional with great biocompatibility for serving as good therapeutic platforms. The in vivo animal study also demonstrated light-promoted DEVs are as well tolerated as native DEVs, with no safety concerns. Taken together, the data supports that light promoted DEVs are in excellent quality, high biocompatibility, in vivo tolerant, and viable for serving as an ideal therapeutic platform in scalable production.

[Ginsenoside Rg_1 protects PC12 cells against Aß-induced injury through promotion of mitophagy by PINK1/parkin activation].

Amyloid ß-protein(Aß) deposition in the brain is directly responsible for neuronal mitochondrial damage of Alzheimer's disease(AD) patients. Mitophagy, which removes damaged mitochondria, is a vital mode of neuron protection. Ginsenoside Rg_1(Rg_1), with neuroprotective effect, has displayed promising potential for AD treatment. However, the mechanism underlying the neuroprotective effect of Rg_1 has not been fully elucidated. The present study investigated the effects of ginsenoside Rg_(1 )on the autophagy of PC12 cells injured by Aß_(25-35) to gain insight into the neuroprotective mechanism of Rg_1. The autophagy inducer rapamycin and the autophagy inhi-bitor chloroquine were used to verify the correlation between the neuroprotective effect of Rg_1 and autophagy. The results showed that Rg_1 enhanced the viability and increased the mitochondrial membrane potential of Aß-injured PC12 cells, while these changes were blocked by chloroquine. Furthermore, Rg_(1 )treatment increased the LC3Ⅱ/Ⅰ protein ratio, promoted the depletion of p62 protein, up-regulated the protein levels of PINK1 and parkin, and reduced the amount of autophagy adaptor OPTN, which indicated the enhancement of autophagy. After the silencing of PINK1, a key regulatory site of mitophagy, Rg_1 could not increase the expression of PINK1 and parkin or the amount of NDP52, whereas it can still increase the LC3Ⅱ/Ⅰ protein ratio and promote the depletion of OPTN protein which indicated the enhancement of autophagy. Collectively, the results of this study imply that Rg_1 can promote autophagy of PC12 cells injured by Aß, and may reduce Aß-induced mitochondrial damage by promoting PINK1-dependent mitophagy, which may be one of the key mechanisms of its neuroprotective effect.

Soil microbial stoichiometry and community structure responses to long-term natural forest conversion to plantations in a subtropical region.

Soil microbial stoichiometry reflects carbon (C) and nutrient (e.g., nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P)) elemental balances under land-use change (LUC). However, how soil microbial community (SMC) structure and stoichiometry respond to long-term LUC in forests is still unclear. Here, we investigated three 36-year-old typical plantations, Cryptomeria fortunei, Metasequoia glyptostroboides, and Cunninghamia lanceolata, and the natural forest to assess their soil microbial stoichiometry and SMC structure. Three plots (30×30 m2) were randomly set in each forest site. In each plot of every forest site, soil samples of three depths (0-10, 10-30, and 30-60 cm) were collected. Dissolved organic C, N, and P (abbreviated as DOC, DON, and DOP, respectively) and environmental factors were measured. We also detected microbial biomass C, N, and P as well as SMC structure. The results showed that the soil microbial C:N:P stoichiometry had a strong or strict homeostasis regardless of soil depth and exhibited decoupling from the SMC structure at each depth. The SMC structure across forest types was mainly driven by mean annual soil temperature (MAST) and DOC at 0-10 cm depth, by soil water content and MAST at 10-30 cm depth, and by DOC to DOP ratio at 30-60 cm depth. Thus, SMC structure could be jointly regulated by available resources and environment. These results suggest that the C dynamics in forests tend to gain resilience or re-equilibrium over more than three decades after forest conversion. These findings highlight the importance of reforested plantations forest management for sustaining soil C over a long term.

Evolution of Potato virus X.

Potato virus X (PVX) is the type potexvirus of economic significance. The pathogen is distributed worldwide, threatening solanaceous plants in particular. Based on the coat protein (CP) gene, PVX isolates are classified into two major genotypes (I and II). To gain more insights into the molecular epidemiology and evolution of PVX, recombination analyses were conducted and significant signals were detected. Bayesian coalescent method was then applied to the time-stamped entire CP sequences. According to the estimates, the global subtype I-1 went into expansion in the 20th century and was evolving at a moderate rate. Based on the CP phylogenies, a divergence scenario was proposed for PVX. Surveys of codon usage variation showed that PVX genes had additional bias independent of compositional constraint. In codon preference, PVX was both similar to and different from the three major hosts, potato (Solanum tuberosum), tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum), and tomato (S. lycopersicum). Moreover, the suppression of CpG and UpA dinucleotide frequencies was observed in PVX.

Caterpillar Medicinal Mushroom, Cordyceps militaris (Ascomycota), Attenuates Aß1-42-Induced Amyloidogenesis and Inflammatory Response by Suppressing Amyloid Precursor Protein Progression and p38 MAPK/JNK Activation.

The deposition of amyloid beta (Aß) is a neuropathological feature of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Cordyceps militaris is an edible medicinal fungus in Asian countries with antioxidative, antiaging, antitumor, and immunomodulatory effects. In this study, we investigated the neuroprotective mechanisms of C. militaris in the brain of Aß1-42-injected AD mice. An intracerebroventricular injection of Aß1-42 (total 3 µg/mouse) resulted in neurological damage, including amyloidogenesis and neuroinflammation; however, C. militaris attenuated Aß1-42-induced amyloidogenesis and inflammatory responses. Oral administration of C. militaris at concentrations of 100 and 200 mg/kg suppressed acetylcholinesterase activity. In addition, C. militaris treatment downregulated amyloid precursor protein levels, with a decrease in ß-secretase activity. Moreover, C. militaris significantly enhanced the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor. Furthermore, C. militaris-administered groups had inactivated inflammatory responses by downregulation of inducible nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase-2 protein expression. The injection of Aß1-42 resulted in the activation of p38 MAPK and c-Jun N-terminal kinase, which was rescued by C. militaris. These results suggest that C. militaris has a protective effect against Aß1-42-induced neurological damage.

Risk Factors for Cryptococcal Meningitis Recurrence in Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)-Infected Patients in a Large Chinese Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) Treatment Center.

BACKGROUND Cryptococcal meningitis (CM) is one of the most common opportunistic neuroinfections in patients with HIV. Most studies have focused on non-HIV CM and there are only a few studies on HIV CM in China. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the characteristics and risk factors for CM recurrence in patients infected with HIV in the Chongqing Public Health Treatment Center in China. MATERIAL AND METHODS From January 2014 to December 2017, all patients with CM aged 18 years or older were enrolled and a case-control study was performed to determine the risk factors associated with recurrence of CM. Antimicrobial susceptibility was determined with a fungal drug sensitivity kit and the sequence types (STs) were analyzed with multilocus sequence typing. RESULTS The incidence of CM in the 5185 HIV-infected patients was 3.5% (179). Follow-up data were available for 82 of the patients for whom complete medical records were available and they were included in the present study. There were 7 STs among 82 Cryptococcus neoformans isolates; ST5 and ST31 were the most prevalent genotypes. Testing showed that C. neoformans had high sensitivity to 5 antifungal drugs and no differences in resistance were observed, even when different STs were tested. Risk factors for recurrence were analyzed in 69 patients, excluding those who died. The results of multivariate analysis showed that only hospital stay was associated with recurrence of CM. CONCLUSIONS Our results indicated that combining education about medication with clinical treatment could help prevent recurrence of CM.

YY1 and RTCB in mouse uterine decidualization and embryo implantation.

As a multifunctional transcription factor, YY1 regulates the expression of many genes essential for early embryonic development. RTCB is an RNA ligase that plays a role in tRNA maturation and Xbp1 mRNA splicing. YY1 can bind in vitro to the response element in the proximal promoter of Rtcb and regulate Rtcb promoter activity. However, the in vivo regulation and whether these two genes are involved in the mother-fetal dialogue during early pregnancy remain unclear. In this study, we validated that YY1 bound in vivo to the proximal promoter of Rtcb in mouse uterus of early pregnancy. Moreover, via building a variety of animal models, our study suggested that both YY1 and RTCB might play a role in mouse uterus decidualization and embryo implantation during early pregnancy.

Adjunctive Nonconvulsive Electrotherapy for Patients with Depression: a Systematic Review.

The efficacy and safety of adjunctive nonconvulsive electrotherapy (NET) for patients with depression are undetermined. This systematic review was conducted to examine the efficacy and safety of adjunctive NET for patients with depression. Chinese (WanFang and Chinese Journal Net) and English (PubMed, EMBASE, PsycINFO and the Cochrane Library) databases were systematically searched from their inception until Jan 27, 2021 by three independent investigators. One randomized controlled trial (RCT) with 3 treatment arms (n = 108) and two observational studies (single-group, before-after design, n = 31) were included. In the RCT, the antidepressant efficacy of NET on depression was similar to that of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) (P > 0.05) but with significantly fewer neurocognitive impairments as measured by the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) (P < 0.05). In two observational studies, the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD-17) scores decreased significantly from baseline to post-NET (all Ps < 0.05), without adverse neurocognitive effects. In the RCT, adverse drug reactions (ADRs) were not separately reported among the 3 treatment arms but a similar rate of discontinuation was reported. The currently available limited evidence from 3 studies suggests that NET as an adjunctive treatment may be a safe, well-tolerated, effective therapy for depression without serious neurocognitive impairments.

Protective effect of lutein on oxidative stress damage caused by acute PM2.5 exposure in rats.

BACKGROUND: Particulate matter (PM) is the sum of organic and inorganic substances suspended in air. Particles with a diameter equal to or smaller than 2.5 µm (PM2.5) can induce extensive oxidative stress damage in lung tissues. Lutein can prevent oxidative stress and the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. However, its role in lung injury induced by PM2.5 is still unclear. This study used lutein to intervene in lung injury induced by PM2.5 in rats to confirm the protective function of lutein in PM2.5- induced lung injury. METHODS: A total of 80 rats were divided into five groups according to body weight (bw). Rats in the blank control group and the PM2.5 exposure group were treated with normal saline. The low-, medium-, and high-dose lutein groups were treated with 12.5, 25.0, and 50.0 mg/kg·bw lutein continuously for 28 days. In addition, on days 22-28, 10 mg/kg PM2.5 was introduced by intratracheal instillation into the PM2.5 exposure group and all lutein dose groups continuously for 7 days to establish PM2.5 injury models. Lung tissues were collected and subjected to hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining to observe histomorphological changes. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) was collected to detect the expression of cell damage indicators including lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), acidic phosphatase (ACP), alkaline phosphatase (AKP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-8 (IL-8), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α). In addition, the levels of serum oxidative stress indicators in rats, including methane dicarboxylic aldehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione (GSH), nitric oxide synthase (NOS), and 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), as well as cytokines, including IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α, were analyzed. RESULTS: Lung tissues of rats after PM2.5 exposure exhibited different degrees of pathological changes. In serum, oxidative damage indicators MDA, NOS, and 8-OHdG and inflammatory cytokines IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α significantly increased whereas GSH levels significantly decreased (P<0.05). In BALF, cell damage indicators ACP and AKP and inflammatory cytokines IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α all increased (P<0.05). After lutein intervention, oxidative damage and cellular inflammatory cytokines in serum and BALF all significantly decreased (P<0.05) whereas serum GSH levels increased (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: PM2.5 caused significant oxidative damage and inflammatory injury in rat lungs. Lutein alleviated these effects, playing a protective role in lung tissues.

A Quantitative Diagnostic Method for Phlegm and Blood Stasis Syndrome in Coronary Heart Disease Using Tongue, Face, and Pulse Indexes: An Exploratory Pilot Study.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to establish a quantitative syndrome differentiation model with logistic regression analysis for phlegm and blood stasis syndrome (PBSS) in coronary heart disease (CHD) to offer methodology guidance for the quantitative syndrome differentiation of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Design: Tongue, face, and pulse information of each subject was obtained using the TCM-intelligent diagnosis instruments. Logistic regression model was used to construct the syndrome diagnosis model. The area under receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC-AUC) was used to evaluate the diagnostic value of the model. Subjects: Among the 141 subjects, 83 belonged to the PBSS group, and 58 belonged to the non-PBSS group. Results: The independent indexes used to predict PBSS in patients with CHD were length of the crack (LC) (p = 0.002), number of ecchymosis (NE) (p < 0.001), length of philtrum (LEP) (p = 0.022), and right hand pulse h1 (Rh1) (p = 0.021). The expression of combining predictor L in this study was L = LC +57.58 NE +4.53 LEP +2.68 Rh1. The ROC curve analysis indicated that the AUC values of LC, NE, LEP, and Rh1 were 0.646, 0.710, 0.619, and 0.613, respectively. The AUC = 0.825 of the syndrome diagnosis model was the largest. Conclusions: The quantitative study of TCM syndrome based on logistic regression analysis provides a good method for the objective analysis and application of TCM syndrome.

Sauchinone: a prospective therapeutic agent-mediated EIF4EBP1 down-regulation suppresses proliferation, invasion and migration of lung adenocarcinoma cells.

Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is the top prevalent histological kind of lung cancer worldwide. Recent evidences have demonstrated that Sauchinone plays an anticancer role in tumor cell invasion and migration. Therefore, we performed this investigation to explain the potential role of Sauchinone in LUAD as well as the potential mechanism involved. Cell counting kit 8 (CCK-8) and transwell experiments were implemented to measure the proliferative, invasive and migratory abilities of LUAD cells. qRT-PCR and Western blot were performed to detect the transfection efficiency of si-EIF4EBP1s. Additionally, Western blot was also implemented to evaluate the effect of Sauchinone on EIF4EBP1 expression level as well as cell cycle-related proteins. Our findings showed that Sauchinone remarkably suppressed the proliferative ability of LUAD cells in a dose-dependent and time-dependent manner. EIF4EBP1 was a candidate target gene of Sauchinone. EIF4EBP1 expression was increased in LUAD tissues, and its high expression induced a poorer prognosis of LUAD patients. EIF4EBP1 expression was positively associated with cell cycle in LUAD. Sauchinone treatment attenuated EIF4EBP1 expression and cell cycle-related protein levels. Knockdown of EIF4EBP1 repressed the proliferation, invasion and migration of LUAD cells; furthermore, Sauchinone stimulation enforced its inhibitory effect. Meanwhile, the treatment of Sauchinone intensified the arrest of cell cycle induced by EIF4EBP1 knockdown. To sum up, our discovery indicated that Sauchinone exerts an anticancer role through down-regulating EIF4EBP1 and mediating cell cycle in LUAD.

Caterpillar Medicinal Mushroom, Cordyceps militaris (Ascomycetes), Protects Aß1-42-Induced Neurologic Damage in C6 Glial Cells.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) shows neurological symptoms common to cognitive disorders and memory loss. Several hypotheses have suggested that the accumulation of amyloid-beta peptide (Aß) and reduction of acetylcholine synthesis cause AD. Natural ingredients, such as Cordyceps militaris, have been widely used for AD treatment. Herein, we investigated the protective role of C. militaris against neural dysfunction. First, Aß1-42 peptide solution was incubated at 37°C for 3 days for aggregation. Next, C6 glial cells were treated with 25 µM of Aß1-42 solution, followed by the addition of C. militaris ethanol extract (0.5, 1, 1.25, and 2.5 µg/mL); the cell viability, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and protein expressions were then evaluated. Reduction of viability of, and ROS generation in, Aß1-42-treated cells were observed and compared with those in the control group. The expression levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase-2, as well as those of phospho-p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase and phospho-c-Jun N-terminal kinase, were reduced in C. militaris-treated glial cells. Moreover, the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor in the C. militaris-treated cells was significantly higher than that in the control group. Thus, our findings indicate that C. militaris has the potential to protect Aß-induced neurological damage.

Cordycepin Reverses Cisplatin Resistance in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer by Activating AMPK and Inhibiting AKT Signaling Pathway.

Cisplatin (DDP) is the first-line chemotherapeutic agent against lung cancer. However, the therapeutic effect of DDP loses over time due to the acquired drug resistance in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells. In recent years, the role of the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) cordycepin (Cor) in cancer treatment has been attracting attention. However, the effects of Cor on DDP resistance in NSCLC are unclear. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the effects of Cor in combination with DDP on cell proliferation and apoptosis in NSCLC and explore possible underlying mechanisms. The cell proliferation and apoptosis were analyzed in NSCLC parental (A549) and DDP-resistant (A549DDP) cells treated with DDP alone or in combination with Cor both in vitro and in vivo. Different genes and signaling pathways were investigated between DDP-sensitive and DDP-resistant A549 cells by Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis. The perturbations of the MAPK and PI3K-AKT signaling pathways were evaluated by Western blot analysis. Our data showed that Cor markedly enhanced DDP inhibition on cell proliferation and promotion of apoptosis compared to the DDP-alone group in both A549 and A549DDP cells. The synergic actions were associated with activation of AMPK; inhibition of AKT, mTOR, and downstream P709S6K; and S6 phosphorylation in the AKT pathway compared with DDP alone. Collectively, combination of Cor and DDP has a synergistic effect in inhibiting proliferation and promoting apoptosis of NSCLC cells in the presence or absence of DDP resistance. The antitumor activity is associated with activation of AMPK and inhibition of the AKT pathway to enhance DDP inhibition on NSCLC. Our results suggested that Cor in combination with DDP could be an additional therapeutic option for the treatment of DDP-resistant NSCLC.

Quantification of Chinese yam processing methods based on pyrolysis characteristics and its relation to Maillard reaction.

Objective: Chinese yam (Shanyao in Chinese, SY) as one of the representatives for Chinese medicines can be used as both of medicine and food with rich nutritional and medicinal value. Most of Chinese herbal medicines need to be processed prior to be used in clinical practice. SY was divided into Maoshanyao (Hairy Shanyao, MSY) and Guangshanyao (Smooth Shanyao, GSY) based on different processing methods at the place of origin, and it also could be processed as stir-fried SY and bran stir-fried SY to meet the different clinical use. Moreover, during the processing of Chinese herbal medicines, more complicated Maillard reaction occurs compared to food processing. Therefore, the objective of this research is to quantify the firepower of SY processing, and combined this with the relevant parameters of Maillard reaction. Methods: The MSY and GSY produced in Shanxi and Henan Provinces were chosen as the research objects. By using thermal analysis technology, we first established the correlation between pyrolysis and processing of SY and its mixtures. We also quantified the firepower of Shaoyao processing, and combined this with the relevant parameters of Maillard reaction (pH value, amino acid, and 5-HMF) and the changes in medicinal ingredients (allantoin). Results: The SY was mainly fried with moderate-fire (190 °C-200 °C), and the starting temperatures of different SY-ingredient mixtures were (176.3 ± 5.33) °C for (honey) bran, and (205.9 ± 8.05) °C for rice. The upper limits of processing temperature were (289.9 ± 6.47) °C for (honey) bran and (298.9 ± 1.15) °C for rice. The cooking time was (10.80 ± 1.76) min for soil stir-fry, (10.31 ± 1.06) min for bran stir-fry, and (8.43 ± 0.68) min for rice stir-fry. Moreover, the pH values and the content of 5-HMF were increased (P < 0.001), while the content of glycine was decreased significantly (P < 0.001) after processing. Conclusion: The results verified and quantified the firepower of traditional processing of SY, and also provided scientific reference for other studies related to SY processing.