Efficacy and safety of berberine for premature ventricular contractions: a meta-analysis and systematic review of randomized controlled trials.

CONTEXT: Berberine is a potential drug that can effectively treat cardiovascular diseases, including premature ventricular contractions (PVCs). OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to assess the efficacy and safety of berberine for PVCs. METHODS: The literature was searched using PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), China Science and Technology Journal Database (VIP), Wanfang, and Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM) for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) from inception to October 1, 2022. The risk of bias was assessed using the Revised Cochrane risk-of-bias tool for randomized trials, and the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) system was adopted to assess the quality of evidence. RESULTS: Ten RCTs with 896 participants were included in the meta-analysis. The results showed that compared to antiarrhythmic drugs (AD), berberine (BE) combined with AD had a higher effective rate (RR = 1.26; 95% CI:1.12, 1.42; p = 0.0001) with no significant incidence of adverse reactions (RR = 0.93; 95% CI:0.33, 2.57; p = 0.88), and BE alone had no significant difference in effective rate (RR = 0.91; 95% CI:0.77, 1.07; p = 0.23), and a lower incidence of adverse reactions (RR = 0.38; 95% CI:0.15, 0.97; p = 0.04) and recurrence rate (RR = 0.40; 95% CI:0.18, 0.88; p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that BE is an effective and safe adjunctive method for PVCs. In addition, BE is recommended for patients with PVCs who had severe adverse reactions after administrating AD as an alternative therapy.

Quality and fragility of meta-analyses assessing the efficacy and safety of Ginkgo biloba preparation: protocol for a methodological study.

BACKGROUND: Ginkgo biloba L. (GB) is an ancient plant with high medicinal value. GB preparations are widely used to treat diseases such as angina pectoris, ischemic stroke, and dementia. Many meta-analyses of GB preparations for these diseases have recently been published. However, the methodological and reporting quality of relevant meta-analyses have not been systematically evaluated and reported to date. Therefore, the present methodological study was designed to fill this knowledge gap. METHODS: PubMed, Embase, CNKI, WanFang, and the Chinese Biomedical Literature Database will be comprehensively searched from inception to June 2022. Meta-analyses on the efficacy and safety of GB preparations for humans with health conditions will be included. Two researchers will independently screen the literature, extract the data, and evaluate the methodological and reporting quality through AMSTAR-2 and PRISMA 2020. Spearman correlation coefficient will be used to evaluate the correlation between methodological and reporting quality. Five factors potentially affecting the methodological quality will be evaluated through univariate and multivariate linear analyses. The fragility index of statistically significant binary outcomes will be calculated to assess the robustness of pooled results. Stata 16.0 and Excel 2016 will be utilized to conduct the statistical analysis, and P<0.05 will be considered statistically significant. DISCUSSION: This is the first research to thoroughly investigate the methodological and reporting quality of GB preparations for health conditions. The results of this investigation will improve the quality of future studies and clinical decision-making.

[Distribution and enrichment characteristics of soil nutrients in the nebkhas profile of Nitraria tangutorum in Gahai Lake Area, Qaidam Basin.] / æŸ´è¾¾æœ¨ç›†åœ°å°•æµ·æ¹–åŒºç™½åˆºçŒä¸›æ²™å †å‰–é¢åœŸå£¤å »åˆ†çš„åˆ†å¸ƒå’Œå¯Œé›†ç‰¹å¾.

As a special bio-geomorphic landscape in the Qaidam desert area, Nitraria tangutorum nebkhas play a critical role in fixing quicksand, improving soil quality, and maintaining the stability of regional ecological environment. Taking the N. tangutorum nebkhas with coverage of approximately 15%, 25%, 45% and 60% in Gahai Lake area of Qaidam Basin as the research objects, we analyzed the vertical distribution and enrichment characteristics of soil organic matter (SOM), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), total potassium (TK), alkali-hydrolyzable nitrogen (AN), available phosphorus (AP) and available potassium (AK). The results showed that the contents of SOM, TN, TP, TK, AN, AP and AK varied in the range of 1.67-10.22 g·kg-1, 0.05-0.42 g·kg-1, 0.31-0.54 g·kg-1, 15.87-18.84 g·kg-1, 2.26-11.68 mg·kg-1, 0.80-15.00 mg·kg-1 and 45-161 mg·kg-1, respectively. Vertically, soil nutrients in the N. tangutorum nebkhas with 15% coverage showed a decreasing trend first then increased, and then decreased again with the increase of soil depth, except for TP, which did not show any significant change. In the nebkhas with 25%, 45% and 60% coverage, SOM, TN, AN, TP and AP all showed a decreasing trend with increasing soil depth ,whereas TK and AK did not change significantly with soil layer. Above the nebkhas ground level of N. tangutorum, SOM, TN, TK, AN, AP and AK were all enriched, especially in the surface layer.Aamong all the nutrients, the enrichment rate of AN reached 5.19. In addition, below the nebkhas ground level of N. tangutorum, TN, AN, TK, AK and AP also showed enrichment. SOM, TN, AN, TP, AP, TK and AK were all significantly positively correlated with soil water content, and negatively correlated with altitude. All nutrients except TP were mainly affected by altitude. In conclusion, soil nutrient content of N. tangutorum nebkhas was the highest in the surface layer, the enrichment effect of which was not only reflected in the interior of the nebkhas, but also below the ground level of the nebkhas. Our results could provide reference for the scientific utilization of N. tangutorum nebkhas and ecological environment protection in Qaidam Basin area.

Garlic exosome-like nanoparticles reverse high-fat diet induced obesity via the gut/brain axis.

Background: Obesity is becoming a global epidemic and reversing the pathological processes underlying obesity and metabolic co-morbidities is challenging. Obesity induced chronic inflammation including brain inflammation is a hallmark of obesity via the gut-brain axis. The objective of this study was to develop garlic exosome-like nanoparticles (GaELNs) that inhibit systemic as well as brain inflammatory activity and reverse a HFD induced obesity in mice. Methods: GELNs were isolated and administrated orally into HFD fed mice. GaELNs were fluorescent labeled for monitoring their in vivo trafficking route after oral administration and quantified the number particles in several tissues. The brain inflammation was determined by measuring inflammatory cytokines by ELISA and real-time PCR. Mitochondrial membrane permeability of microglial cells was determined using JC-10 fluorescence dye. The in vivo apoptotic cell death was quantified by TUNEL assay. The brain metabolites were identified and quantified by LC-MS analysis. Memory function of the mice was determined by several memory functional analysis. The effect of GaELNs on glucose and insulin response of the mice was determined by glucose and insulin tolerance tests. c-Myc localization and interaction with BASP1 and calmodulin was determined by confocal microscopy. Results: Our results show that GaELNs is preferentially taken up microglial cells and inhibits the brain inflammation in HFD mice. GaELN phosphatidic acid (PA) (36:4) is required for the uptake of GaELNs via interaction with microglial BASP1. Formation of the GaELNs/BASP1 complex is required for inhibition of c-Myc mediated expression of STING. GaELN PA binds to BASP1, leading to inhibition of c-Myc expression and activity through competitively binding to CaM with c-Myc transcription factor. Inhibition of STING activity leads to reducing the expression of an array of inflammatory cytokines including IFN-γ and TNF-α. IFN-γ induces the expression of IDO1, which in turn the metabolites generated as IDO1 dependent manner activate the AHR pathway that contributes to developing obesity. The metabolites derived from the GaELNs treated microglial cells promote neuronal differentiation and inhibit mitochondrial mediated neuronal cell death. GaELNs treated HFD mice showed improved memory function and increased glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity in these mice. Conclusion: Collectively, these results demonstrate how nanoparticles from a healthy diet can inhibit unhealthy high-fat diet induced brain inflammation and reveal a link between brain microglia/diet to brain inflammatory disease outcomes via diet-derived exosome-like nanoparticles.

[Difference of musculoskeletal ultrasound imaging of focus of knee joint tendon between patients with knee osteoarthritis and healthy subjects].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the imaging features of focus of knee joint tendon in patients with knee osteoarthritis (KOA) by musculoskeletal ultrasound (MSUS) technique. METHODS: One hundred KOA patients and 100 healthy subjects were included. All the KOA patients were palpated by the sequence of foot yangming meridian, foot shaoyang meridian, foot taiyang meridian and foot three yin-meridians, and the focus of knee tendon and its frequency were recorded by MSUS technique. The top-5 focus of knee tendon of KOA patients and the corresponding focus of knee tendon of healthy subjects were selected as the observation sites to compare the differences of thickness of ligament and tendon soft tissue in the extension and flexion positions of the knee joint. RESULTS: The top-5 focus of knee tendon of KOA patients were located in medial inferior patella, medial tibial condyle, inferior patella, Zusanlici and Hedingci. The thickness of ligaments and tendons in extension and flexion positions in KOA patients were thicker than that in healthy subjects (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The focus of knee joint tendon in KOA patients shows significantly thickened musculoskeletal imaging features.

Intraoperative Chemotherapy with a Novel Regimen Improved the Therapeutic Outcomes of Colorectal Cancer.

Background: This study sought to evaluate the efficacy of a novel intraoperative chemotherapy (IOC) regimen that consists of hydroxycamptothecin, tumor necrosis factor (TNF), 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), and calcium folinate (CF) on the outcomes of colorectal cancer (CRC). Methods: In total, 551 CRC patients who had undergone surgical resection were evaluated. Among these patients, 247 were treated with postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy, and 193 were treated with intraoperative chemotherapy. Of the CRC patients who underwent chemotherapy, 52 were treated with both postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy and intraoperative chemotherapy. Patients' characteristics, including age, sex, stage, differentiation, lymph node metastasis, surgical-pathological staging, tumor location, tumor size, and relapse-free survival, were collected. Results: IOC for CRC therapy was associated with a more favorable survival prognosis (HR, 0.30, 95%CI, 0.19-0.48, P<0.001) independent of other clinical covariates. CRC patients treated with IOC survived longer than patients who were not treated with IOC did during surgery (P<0.0001, Kaplan-Meier log rank). Meanwhile, a Kaplan-Meier analysis demonstrated that individuals who received both IOC and POC survived longer than patients who received only POC: for stage II and stage III patients (P=0.0001, Kaplan-Meier log rank), stage II patients alone (P=0.02, Kaplan-Meier log rank), and stage III patients alone (P=0.046, Kaplan-Meier log rank). Conclusions: The therapeutic effects of colorectal cancer by intraoperative chemotherapy with a novel regimen were enhanced, which improved the prognosis of patients with CRC.

Molecular cloning and characterisation of scavenger receptor class B in pearl oyster Pinctada fuctada martensii

Background: Molluscs can accumulate carotenoids in their body tissues by predominantly feeding on aquatic plant sources. Carotenoid transport and absorption are determined by the regulation of various proteins such as Scavenger receptor class B(SR-BI). We report the identification and characterisation of pearl oyster Pinctada fuctada martensii SR-BI (PmSR-BI). The correlation between total carotenoid content (TCC) and gene expression was also estimated. Results: The full-length cDNA of PmSR-BI was 1828 bp, including an open-reading frame encoding of 1518 bp with a pI value of 5.83. PmSR-BI protein contains a hydrophobic CD36 domain and four centrally clustered cysteine residues for the arrangement of disulphide bridges. The deduced amino acid sequence had an identity of 30% to 60% with the SR-B of other organisms. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction analysis showed that mRNA transcripts were expressed in multiple tissues of adult pearl oyster. A higher expression of PmSR-BI gene was observed in the hepatopancreas than in the adductor muscle, gill and mantle. The TCC and gene expression of PmSR-BI were significantly correlated (P b 0.05), with a correlation coefficient of 0.978. Conclusions: The results suggested that PmSR-BI is involved in the absorption of carotenoids in the pearl oyster P. fuctada martensii.

[Influence of fiberform on defecation condition after surgery for benign anorectal lesion].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the influence of fiberform on the defecation condition after surgery for benign anorectal lesion. METHODS: A total of 121 cases undergoing surgery for benign anorectal lesion at the Third Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine from October 2009 to February 2010 were randomly divided into the treatment group (n=61) and the control group (n=60) according to random number table. Patients in the treatment group received fiberform granule for 2 weeks while patients in the control group did not receive any medication to promote defecation. Postoperative defecation symptom scores and patient satisfaction were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: On postoperative day 7, patients in the treatment group had a lower defecation smoothness score (62.1% decrease), lower fecal character score (74.3% decrease), lower defecation interval score (80.2% decrease), lower defecation pain score (77.5% decrease), the differences were statistically significant. On postoperative day 14, the degree of decrease of the abovementioned score were 58.3%, 88.5%, 82.8% and 83.1%, respectively. Postoperative patient satisfaction rate in the treatment group was significantly higher than that in the control group(P<0.05). No patient in the treatment group experienced any adverse events such as abdominal pain, diarrhea, and drug dependence. CONCLUSION: Fiberform can effectively prevent defecation disorders such as dry stool, unsmooth defecation, and anorectal pain.

Use of an innovative T-tube maze assay and the proboscis extension response assay to assess sublethal effects of GM products and pesticides on learning capacity of the honey bee Apis mellifera L.

Transgenic Cry1Ac+CpTI cotton (CCRI41) is a promising cotton cultivar throughout China but side effects and especially sublethal effects of this transgenic cultivar on beneficial insects remain poorly studied. More specifically potential sublethal effects on behavioural traits of the honey bee Apis mellifera L. have not been formally assessed despite the importance of honey bees for pollination. The goal of our study was to assess potential effects of CCRI41 cotton pollen on visual and olfactory learning by honey bees. After a 7-day oral chronic exposure to honey mixed with either CCRI41 pollen, imidacloprid-treated conventional pollen (used as positive sublethal control) or conventional pollen (control), learning performance was evaluated by the classical proboscis extension reflex (PER) procedure as well as a T-tube maze test. The latter assay was designed as a new device to assess potential side effects of pesticides on visual associative learning of honey bees. These two procedures were complementary because the former focused on olfactory learning while the latter was involved in visual learning based on visual orientation ability. Oral exposure to CCRI41 pollen did not affect learning capacities of honey bees in both the T-tube maze and PER tests. However, exposure to imidacloprid resulted in reduced visual learning capacities in T-tube maze evaluation and decreased olfactory learning performances measured with PER. The implications of these results are discussed in terms of risks of transgenic CCRI41 cotton crops for honey bees.

Quantification of toxins in a Cry1Ac + CpTI cotton cultivar and its potential effects on the honey bee Apis mellifera L.

Transgenic Cry1Ac + CpTI cotton (CCRI41) is increasingly planted throughout China. However, negative effects of this cultivar on the honey bee Apis mellifera L., the most important pollinator for cultivated ecosystem, remained poorly investigated. The objective of our study was to evaluate the potential side effects of transgenic Cry1Ac + CpTI pollen from cotton on young adult honey bees A. mellifera L. Two points emphasized the significance of our study: (1) A higher expression level of insecticidal protein Cry1Ac in pollen tissues was detected (when compared with previous reports). In particular, Cry1Ac protein was detected at 300 ± 4.52 ng g(-1) [part per billion (ppb)] in pollen collected in July, (2) Effects on chronic mortality and feeding behaviour in honey bees were evaluated using a no-choice dietary feeding protocol with treated pollen, which guarantee the highest exposure level to bees potentially occurring in natural conditions (worst case scenario). Tests were also conducted using imidacloprid-treated pollen at a concentration of 48 ppb as positive control for sublethal effect on feeding behaviour. Our results suggested that Cry1Ac + CpTI pollen carried no lethal risk for honey bees. However, during a 7-day oral exposure to the various treatments (transgenic, imidacloprid-treated and control), honey bee feeding behaviour was disturbed and bees consumed significantly less CCRI41 cotton pollen than in the control group in which bees were exposed to conventional cotton pollen. It may indicate an antifeedant effect of CCRI41 pollen on honey bees and thus bees may be at risk because of large areas are planted with transgenic Bt cotton in China. This is the first report suggesting a potential sublethal effect of CCRI41 cotton pollen on honey bees. The implications of the results are discussed in terms of risk assessment for bees as well as for directions of future work involving risk assessment of CCRI41 cotton.

Structural characterization of nanoparticles loaded with garlic essential oil and their insecticidal activity against Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae).

The aim of this work was to characterize polyethylene glycol (PEG) coated nanoparticles loaded with garlic essential oil and to evaluate their insecticidal activity against adult Tribolium castaneum . Preparation of nanoparticles was carried out using the melt-dispersion method, a very simple, convenient, and low-cost technique. The oil-loading efficiency could reach 80% at the optimal ratio of essential oil to PEG (10%). The morphology results and nanoparticle size showed that the nanoparticles had a round appearance and good dispersion, <240 nm in the average diameter, characterized by transmission electron microscope and dynamic light scattering, respectively. The abundance and percentage content of the major components did not show any significant difference between free and nanoencapsulated oil when analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The control efficacy against adult T. castaneum remained over 80% after five months, presumably due to the slow and persistent release of the active components from the nanoparticles. In contrast, the control efficacy of free garlic essential oil at the similar concentration (640 mg/kg) was only 11%. This indicates that it is feasible to use the PEG coating nanoparticles loaded with garlic essential oil to control the store-product pests.