Efficacy and immune-inflammatory mechanism of acupuncture-related therapy in animal models of knee osteoarthritis: a preclinical systematic review and network meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Many KOA patients have not reached indications for surgery, thus we need to find effective non-surgical treatments. Acupuncture is thought to have the potential to modulate inflammation and cytokines in KOA through the immune system. However, the mechanisms have not been elucidated, and there is no network Meta-analysis of acupuncture on KOA animals. So we evaluate the effect and mechanism of acupuncture-related therapy in KOA animals. METHODS: A comprehensive search was conducted in multiple databases including PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, CBM, CNKI, WanFang, and VIP Database to identify relevant animal studies focusing on acupuncture therapy for KOA. The included studies were assessed for risk of bias using SYRCLE's Risk of Bias tool. Subsequently, pair-wise meta-analysis and network meta-analysis were performed using Stata 15.0 software, evaluating outcomes such as Lequesne index scale, Mankin score, IL-1ß, TNF-α, MMP3, and MMP13. RESULTS: 56 RCTs with 2394 animals were included. Meta-analysis showed that among the 6 outcomes, there were significant differences between acupuncture and model group; the overall results of network meta-analysis showed that the normal group or sham operation group performed the best, followed by the acupotomy, acupuncture, and medicine group, and the model group had the worst effect, and there were significant differences between 6 interventions. CONCLUSIONS: Acupuncture-related therapy can be a possible treatment for KOA. The mechanism involves many immune-inflammatory pathways, which may be mediated by DAMPs/TLR/NF-κB/MAPK,PI3K/Akt/NF-κB pathway, or IFN-γ/JAK-STAT pathway. It needs to be further confirmed by more high-quality animal experiments or meta-analysis. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO identifier: CRD42023377228.

Efficacy and mechanism of acupuncture in animal models of depressive-like behaviors: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Many studies have investigated the efficacy of acupuncture in treating depression, but the mechanism of acupuncture for depression is still controversial and there is a lack of meta-analysis of mechanisms. Consequently, we investigated acupuncture's efficacy and mechanism of depression. Methods: We searched the Cochrane Library, PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science. The SYRCLE Risk of Bias Tool was used to assess bias risk. Meta-analysis was performed using Stata 15.0 for indicators of depression mechanisms, body weight and behavioral tests. Results: A total of 22 studies with 497 animals with depressive-like behaviors were included. Meta-analysis showed that acupuncture significantly increased BDNF [SMD = 2.40, 95% CI (1.33, 3.46); I2 = 86.6%], 5-HT [SMD = 2.28, 95% CI (1.08, 3.47); I2 = 87.7%] compared to the control group (p < 0.05), and significantly reduced IL-1ß [SMD = -2.33, 95% CI (-3.43, -1.23); I2 = 69.6%], CORT [SMD = -2.81, 95% CI (-4.74, -0.87); I2 = 86.8%] (p < 0.05). Acupuncture improved body weight [SMD = 1.35, 95% CI (0.58, 2.11); I2 = 84.5%], forced swimming test [SMD = -1.89, 95% CI (-2.55, -1.24); I2 = 76.3%], open field test (crossing number [SMD = 3.08, 95% CI (1.98, 4.17); I2 = 86.7%], rearing number [SMD = 2.53, 95% CI (1.49, 3.57); I2 = 87.0%]) (p < 0.05) compared to the control group. Conclusion: Acupuncture may treat animals of depressive-like behaviors by regulating neurotrophic factors, neurotransmitters, inflammatory cytokines, neuroendocrine system. Systematic review registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42023403318, identifier (CRD42023403318).

Protection of schisantherin A against dictamnine-induced hepatotoxicity: Pharmacokinetic insights.

Dictamnine (DIC), as the most abundant furoquinoline alkaloid ingredient of the herbal medicine Cortex Dictamni (CD), can induce severe liver injury. A previous study found that DIC-induced liver injury was initiated by cytochrome P4503A (CYP3A)-mediated metabolic activation and subsequent formation of adducts with cellular proteins. Schisantherin A (SchA) is the major lignan component of the herbal medicine Schisandra chinensis (SC). SC is frequently combined with CD used in numerous Chinese medicinal formulas for the treatment of eczema and urticaria. Furthermore, SC could protect against CD-induced hepatotoxicity. The objective of the study was to investigate the protective effect of SchA on DIC-induced hepatotoxicity based on pharmacokinetic interactions. The studies found that SchA exerted a protective effect on DIC-induced hepatotoxicity in a dose-dependent manner. Pharmacokinetic studies showed that pretreatment with SchA enhanced the area under concentration-time curve (AUC) and maximal concentration (Cmax ) values of DIC in the serum and liver tissue of mice, indicating that SchA could augment the accumulation of DIC in the circulation. In vitro metabolism assays with mouse liver microsomes (MLMs) showed that SchA reduced the production of DIC-glutathione (GSH) conjugate. In addition, SchA significantly reduced the excretion of DIC-GSH conjugate in the urine of mice and relieved hepatic GSH depletion induced by DIC. These results suggested that SchA could inhibit the metabolic activation of DIC in vitro and in vivo. In summary, our findings showed that the observed pharmacokinetic interactions might be attributable to the inhibition of the metabolism of DIC by SchA, which might be responsible for the protection of SchA against DIC-induced hepatotoxicity. Therefore, the development of a standardized combination of DIC and SchA may protect patients from DIC-induced liver injury.

Investigation, Analysis, and Management Application of Mental Resilience and Psychosomatic State of the Medical Team Against COVID-19.

Objective: In the initial stages of the COVID-19 epidemic, frontline medical staff faced numerous psychological pressures, such as shortages of medical supplies, lack of treatment experience, and high risk of infection. This study plans to understand the mental resilience and psychosomatic status of first-line anti-epidemic medical team members to provide a reference for managing their mental health status and the improvement of mental resilience. Methods: From March 3 to March 5, 2020 a medical team serving as a first-line medical rescue group in Wuhan was chosen as the research subject, with 160 cases. The staff status questionnaire and the Chinese Version of the mental resilience scale were used simultaneously in a mobile phone questionnaire survey on the selected subjects using a cluster sampling method, which refers to the sampling strategy considering an independent cluster as a unit. (Chinese Version of the CD-RISC). Results: The participants were frontline medical staff against COVID-19. A total of 156 samples were effective, with a 97.5% effective sample rate. The 156 cases investigated included 77 males (49.4%) and 79 females (51.6%), with an average age of 36.50±8.50. There were 22 (14.1%) cases with a junior college diploma or less, 97 (62.2%) cases with a bachelor's degree, and 37 (23.7%) cases with a master's degree or higher. Conversely, men were more tenacious than women (Cohen's d = 0.319, t = 1.997, P = .048). In terms of the psychosomatic state influence score, women had a greater psychosomatic influence than men (F = 3.076, P = .006). Conclusion: The anti-epidemic task significantly impacts the psychosomatic state of first-line medical personnel, who may require improved social and psychological support. Women experience more stress than men. Frontline medical personnel should seek social support and learn positive stress management techniques. When facing medical emergencies, medical decision-makers also need to pay attention to strengthening the psychosocial support of frontline personnel.

Whether mindfulness-guided therapy can be a new direction for the rehabilitation of patients with Parkinson's disease: a network meta-analysis of non-pharmacological alternative motor-/sensory-based interventions.

Background: The treatment for Parkinson's disease (PD) consumes a lot of manpower and financial resources. Non-pharmacological alternative motor-/sensory-based interventions are optimized for the rehabilitation of PD patients. Mindfulness-based therapy shows ideal efficacy, but the diversity of the therapy brings difficulties to the selection of clinicians and patients. Methods: Network meta-analysis in the Bayesian framework was used to evaluate the efficacy of non-pharmacological alternative motor-/sensory-based interventions in improving motor and non-motor symptoms in PD patients. Results: A total of 58 studies (2,227 patients) were included. Compared with the non-intervention group, qigong was associated with improved outcomes in the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test (mean difference (MD) -5.54, 95% confidence interval (CI) -8.28 to -2.77), and UPDRS-I (MD -15.50, 95% CI -19.93 to -7.63). Differences between non-pharmacological alternative motor-/sensory-based interventions were not significant for PDQ-39, UPDRS-I, or UPDRS-II; however, qigong was superior to dance (MD -3.91, 95% CI -6.90 to -0.95), Tai Chi (MD -3.54, 95% CI -6.53 to -0.69), acupuncture (MD -6.75, 95% CI -10.86 to -2.70), music (MD -3.91, 95% CI -7.49 to -0.48), and exercise (MD -3.91, 95% CI -6.49 to -1.33) in the TUG test. Conclusion: This network meta-analysis supports mindfulness-based therapy (e.g., qigong, yoga, and Tai Chi) as a preferred non-pharmacological alternative motor-/sensory-based intervention for PD rehabilitation. Systematic review registration: https://inplasy.com/inplasy-2022-10-0109/, INPLASY2022100109.

Determination of nitrogen sources and losses in surface runoff from different lands at a watershed scale.

Nitrogen (N) loss by surface runoff inevitably results in severe N pollution and eutrophication of aquatic ecosystems. In this study, surface runoff from different land uses in the East Tiaoxi River watershed was collected, and the N concentrations, sources and losses were measured using the dual isotope (δ15N-NO3- and δ18O-NO3-), a Bayesian isotopic mixing (SIAR) model and Soil Conservation Service Curve Number (SCS-CN) method. The results showed that the N concentrations in surface runoff from agricultural lands were higher than those from urban areas and forestlands, and nitrate (NO3-), particulate nitrogen (PN) and dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) were the major forms of N in surface runoff in the East Tiaoxi River watershed. The total loss rate of total nitrogen (TN) from surface runoff in the East Tiaoxi River watershed was 5.38 kg·ha-1·a-1, with NO3--N (46%) contributing the most to TN loss. The TN, and NO3--N loss rates in surface runoff from tea planting lands (21.08 kg·ha-1·a-1, 11.98 kg·ha-1·a-1) and croplands (16.93 kg·ha-1·a-1, 10.96 kg·ha-1·a-1) were high, those from vegetable lands and urban areas were medium, and those from economic and natural forestlands were low in the East Tiaoxi River watershed. The NO3--N contributions of chemical fertiliser (CF), soil N (SN), sewage/manure (SM), and atmospheric deposition (AD) in surface runoff in the East Tiaoxi River watershed were 124.32 × 103, 104.84 × 103, 82.25 × 103 and 58.69 × 103 kg·a-1, respectively. The N pollutant losses in surface runoff from agricultural lands (croplands with rice growing, vegetable lands and tea planting lands) were responsible for most of the N pollutants being transported into the East Tiaoxi River systems.

The role of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation therapy in functional bowel disease.

Objective: This study investigates the effectiveness of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) as a biophysical therapy for alleviating symptoms of functional bowel disorder (FBD) and associated psychological symptoms by targeting the brain-gut axis. Methods: We conducted a comparative analysis involving 226 subjects, comprising the FBD group (n = 113) and a healthy control group (n = 113). Within the FBD group, participants were further divided into those who received rTMS therapy (FBD treatment group, n = 63) and those who did not (FBD control group, n = 50). The FBD treatment group was subcategorized based on the number of rTMS treatments received. We evaluated various factors, including gender, age, monthly household income, daily activity level, and sleep quality, as potential risk factors for FBD. Severity assessments of FBD and associated symptoms (constipation, anxiety, depression, and somatization disorders) were conducted using validated scales before and after treatment. Results: Our findings revealed a higher incidence of FBD in women, with most cases emerging at age 50 or older. We identified lower monthly household income, reduced daily activity levels, and poorer sleep quality as factors associated with a higher likelihood of FBD. FBD patients exhibited higher scores for constipation, anxiety, depression, and somatization disorders compared to healthy controls. rTMS therapy was effective in reducing gastrointestinal symptoms, anxiety, depression, and somatization disorders among FBD patients. Notably, the extent of improvement was positively correlated with the number of rTMS sessions. No adverse effects were observed during the study. Conclusion: Our study underscores the efficacy of biophysical therapy, specifically repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, in mitigating FBD symptoms and associated psychological distress. The treatment's effectiveness is positively linked to the frequency of rTMS sessions.

Efficacy of acupuncture in animal models of vascular dementia: A systematic review and network meta-analysis.

Background and purpose: Acupuncture is widely used in clinical practice for the treatment of vascular diseases. However, the protocol, efficacy, and mechanism of acupuncture in animal models of vascular dementia are still controversial. Based on the above problems, we initiated this comprehensive study. Methods: To analyze the literatures included in this study, 4 databases were searched and the SYRCLE's Risk of bias tool was employed. To perform the subgroup analysis of different acupuncture methods and the Review Manager 5.3 was applied. Meanwhile, the pairwise and network meta-analysis were conducted using Addis 1.16.8. The outcomes included escape latency, number of crossings, time spent in the target quadrant, and swimming speed. Results: Forty-two studies with a total of 1,486 animals were included in this meta-analysis. According to the results from subgroup analysis, GV20 + ST36 (Baihui + bilateral Zusanli) combined with 14-day manual acupuncture can obtain best improvement of the rats cognitive function among all acupuncture regimens (MD: -23.41; 95%CI: -26.66, -20.15; I2 = 0%; P < 0.001). The heterogeneity of other acupuncture treatments was significantly higher than that of GV20 + ST36, because the treatment courses were not uniform. Pair-wise and network comparisons are highly consistent. The major results of the network meta-analysis were as follows, In comparison to the impaired group, the acupuncture group showed significantly reduced escape latency (MD: -25.87; 95%CI: -30.75, -21.12), increased number of original platform crossings (MD: 2.63; 95%CI: 1.94, 3.34) and time spent in the target quadrant (MD: 7.88; 95%CI: 4.25, 11.44). The overall results of the network meta-analysis are as follows: the normal and sham-operated groups performed the best, followed by medicine and acupuncture, while no effect was found in the impaired group treated with non-acupoint and palliative. Conclusions: Acupuncture significantly improves cognitive function in rats with vascular dementia. Compared to other acupuncture plans, (GV20 + ST36, MA) and 14 -day manual acupuncture can be used to obtain better results. The main mechanism of acupuncture in the treatment of vascular dementia is reduced oxidative stress, neuronal inflammation, and apoptosis, as well as the increased synaptic plasticity and neurotransmitters. Systematic review registration: https://inplasy.com/inplasy-2021-11-0036/, identifier: INPLASY2021110036.

A NIR-II light-modulated injectable self-healing hydrogel for synergistic photothermal/chemodynamic/chemo-therapy of melanoma and wound healing promotion.

The development of an injectable multifunctional hydrogel with tumor therapy, antibacterial treatment and wound healing properties is essential for simultaneously eradicating melanoma and promoting wound healing of tumor-initiated skin defects. Herein, iron ion-doped polyaniline (PANI(Fe)) tethered with guar gum (GG) chains is employed for the first time as a building unit for constructing a superior hydrogel (GG@PANI(Fe)-borax) crosslinked by borate/didiol bonds. Due to the dynamic and reversible properties of boronate ester bonds, the GG@PANI(Fe)-borax hydrogels had convenient injectability, rapid self-healing ability, and reversible gel-sol transformations under thermal- or pH-stimuli. More importantly, they took advantage of the second near-infrared (NIR-II) responsive photothermal conversion capability, accompanied by the photothermal-enhanced high cytotoxic ˙OH generation in the H2O2-enriched tumor microenvironment induced by iron-doped PANI. The as-prepared hydrogels exhibited excellent photothermal effects and controllable NIR-triggered drug release, leading to distinctly synergistic photothermal/chemodynamic/chemo-therapy effects of melanoma both in vitro (98.2%) and in vivo (98.8%). In addition, the obtained hydrogels also exhibited good anti-bacterial activity (>97.1%) against both Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) and Gram-negative (Escherichia coli) bacteria because they were based on PANI(Fe) and borax, which exhibit antibacterial activity. Furthermore, these GG@PANI(Fe)-incorporated scaffolds could improve fibroblast cell proliferation and angiogenesis for accelerating wound repair in tumor-bearing and infected wound mice. Taken together, GG@PANI(Fe)-borax hydrogels may be used simultaneously for eradication of skin-tumor cells, inhibiting infection and accelerating wound healing. This work offers an effective and facile strategy to fabricate an "all-in-one" multifunctional hydrogel platform for synergetic multimodal integrated therapy of tumors.

A Network Pharmacology Study on the Molecular Mechanism of Protocatechualdehyde in the Treatment of Diabetic Cataract.

PURPOSE: Protocatechualdehyde (PCA) is a phenolic compound found in the roots of Salvia miltiorrhiza with anti-proliferative and antioxidant activities. At present, there are few studies on protocatechualdehyde against diabetic cataract (DC), and there is also lack of systematic research on the mechanism of protocatechualdehyde. Therefore, this study tried to comprehensively clarify the targets and complex mechanisms of PCA against DC from the perspective of network pharmacology. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Through collecting relevant targets from the databases, GO and KEGG enrichment analysis were performed on the potential targets. Moreover, core genes were identified by topological analysis of protein-protein interaction (PPI) network and gene-phenotype correlation analysis. RESULTS: The results indicated that protocatechualdehyde may be closely related to targets such as AKT1, MAPK3 and HDAC3, as well as signal pathways such as MAPK signaling pathway, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway and AGE-RAGE signaling pathway in diabetic complications. CONCLUSION: Together, the present study systematically clarified the possible mechanisms of protocatechualdehyde in the treatment of diabetic cataract and provided new ideas for the drug research of this disease.

[Identification of biomarkers to response of Tripterygium Glycosides Tablets acting on rheumatoid arthritis by integrating transcriptional data mining and biomolecular network analysis].

Growing clinical evidence shows that a partial rheumatoid arthritis( RA) patient treated with Tripterygium Glycosides Tablets( TGT) may fail to achieve clinical improvement. It is of great clinical significance to predict the therapeutic effect of TGT in RA. Therefore,the aim of the current study was to identify potential biomarkers for TGT treatment in RA. Affymetrix EG1.0 arrays were applied to detect gene expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells obtained from 6 RA patients( 3 responders and 3 non-responders) treated with TGT. By integrating differential expression data analysis and biomolecular network analysis,360 mRNAs( 185 up-regulated and 175 down-regulated) and 24 miRNAs( 7 up-regulated and 17 down-regulated) which were differentially expressed between TGT responder and non-responder groups were identified. A total of 206 candidate target genes for the differentially expressed miRNAs were obtained based on miRanada and Target Scan databases,and then the miRNA target gene coexpression network and miRNA-mediated gene signal transduction network were constructed. Following the network analyses,three candidate miRNAs biomarkers( hsa-miR-4720-5 p,hsa-miR-374 b-5 p,hsa-miR-185-3 p) were identified as candidate biomarkers predicting individual response to TGT. Partialleast-squares( PLS) was applied to construct a model for predicting response to TGT based on the expression levels of the candidate gene biomarkers in RA patients. The five-fold cross-validation showed that the prediction accuracy( ACC) of this PLS-based model efficacy was 100.00%,100.00%,100.00%,66.67% and 66.67% respectively,and all the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve( AUC) were 1.00,indicating the highly predictive efficiency of this PLS-based model. In conclusion,the integrating transcription data mining and biomolecular network investigation show that hsa-mir-4720-5 p,hsa-mir-374 b-5 p and hsa-mir-185-3 p may be candidate biomarkers predicting individual response to TGT. In addition,the PLS model based on the expression levels of these candidate biomarkers may be helpful for the clinical screen of RA patients,which potentially benefit individualized therapy of RA in a daily clinical setting.

Active Ingredients and Action Mechanisms of Yi Guan Jian Decoction in Chronic Hepatitis B Patients with Liver Fibrosis.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: The progression of liver fibrosis in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients is currently insufficiently controlled worldwide. The Yi Guan Jian decoction (YGJD) has been widely used in the treatment of liver fibrosis in CHB cases. Although animal studies have reported the antifibrotic effects of the decoction, the active ingredients of the YGJD remain unknown. This study aimed at identifying the potential active ingredients and exploring the mechanisms of action (MOA) of the decoction when treating CHB patients with fibrosis. METHODS: Using data mining techniques and a structural clustering analysis, the potential active ingredients were determined. A network analysis of the differentially expressed genes was conducted to identify the potential targets. Selected compounds were docked to the potential targets for the compound-target interaction simulation. In vitro validation, including a cell proliferation assay and Western blot analysis, was conducted to evaluate the prediction results. RESULTS: In the microarray data, 224 differentially expressed genes related to liver fibrosis were considered to be potential targets. Thirty active ingredients of the YGJD and 15 main targets and relevant pathways were identified. Among them, two active ingredients, methylophiopogonone A and 8-geranyloxypsoralen, were validated as exhibiting antifibrotic effects on hepatic stellate cells. CONCLUSIONS: We identified the potential active ingredients of the YGJD and proposed the possible explanation for the MOA in the treatment of CHB patients with liver fibrosis. Moreover, this study provides a methodological reference for the systematic investigation of the bioactive compounds and related MOA of a traditional Chinese medicine formula in a clinical context.

Novel Compound-Target Interactions Prediction for the Herbal Formula Hua-Yu-Qiang-Shen-Tong-Bi-Fang.

Herbal formulae have a long history in clinical medicine in Asia. While the complexity of the formulae leads to the complex compound-target interactions and the resultant multi-target therapeutic effects, it is difficult to elucidate the molecular/therapeutic mechanism of action for the many formulae. For example, the Hua-Yu-Qiang-Shen-Tong-Bi-Fang (TBF), an herbal formula of Chinese medicine, has been used for treating rheumatoid arthritis. However, the target information of a great number of compounds from the TBF formula is missing. In this study, we predicted the targets of the compounds from the TBF formula via network analysis and in silico computing. Initially, the information of the phytochemicals contained in the plants of the herbal formula was collected, and subsequently computed to their corresponding fingerprints for the sake of structural similarity calculation. Then a compound structural similarity network infused with available target information was constructed. Five local similarity indices were used and compared for their performance on predicting the potential new targets of the compounds. Finally, the Preferential Attachment Index was selected for it having an area under curve (AUC) of 0.886, which outperforms the other four algorithms in predicting the compound-target interactions. This method could provide a promising direction for identifying the compound-target interactions of herbal formulae in silico.

Disruption in the cecal microbiota of chickens challenged with Clostridium perfringens and other factors was alleviated by Bacillus licheniformis supplementation.

Clostridium perfringens can induce necrotic enteritis of chickens, which causes large economic losses every year. Bacillus licheniformis, a probiotic, can inhibit the growth of pathogenic bacteria such as Clostridium perfringens, thereby improving the health status of chickens. However, from a microbial ecology perspective, the mechanisms by which alterations to the gut microbiota improve health remain unknown. In this study, we used Illumina MiSeq sequencing to investigate the cecal microbiota of a negative control group (NC), a C. perfringens and Eimeria challenge group with fishmeal supplementation (PC), a group supplemented with fishmeal and infected with coccidia (FC), and group PC with B. licheniformis supplementation (BL). We found that the health status of C. perfringens-challenged chickens was compromised, and that B. licheniformis improved the growth of the chickens challenged with pathogens. Microbial diversity analysis and taxonomic profiling of groups NC, PC, and FC revealed a disturbed cecal microflora of the birds with C. perfringens. We also characterized the microbiota of the chickens in the BL group using several methods. Principal coordinate analysis demonstrated that, compared with group PC, the bacterial community structure of group BL was more similar to that of group NC. Linear discriminant analysis with effect size revealed less differentially represented bacterial taxa between groups BL and NC than between groups PC and NC. In addition, groups BL and NC appeared to have similar overrepresented microbial taxa (such as Bacteroides, Helicobacter, Megamonas, and Akkermansia) compared with group PC. Finally, a phylogenetic investigation of communities by reconstruction of unobserved states analysis indicated that large differences existed between group PC and groups NC and BL. In conclusion, pre-treatment with B. licheniformis reduced the disturbance of the cecal microbiome induced by challenge with C. perfringens and other factors in broiler chickens.

Controlling of growth performance, lipid deposits and fatty acid composition of chicken meat through a probiotic, Lactobacillus johnsonii during subclinical Clostridium perfringens infection.

BACKGROUND: Meat is considered as a major source of polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) which is essential for humans, therefore its lipid level and fatty acid composition have drawn great attention. As no clinical sign can be found in chicks subclinically infected by Clostridium perfringens (CP), the meat may be purchased and eaten. The objective of the present study was to determine whether Lactobacillus johnsonii (LJ) can control the CP-caused impact on growth, lipid levels, fatty acid composition and other flavor or nutritional quality in the meat. METHODS: 480 one-day-old chicks were divided into four groups and fed with basal diet (control and CP group). Supplemented with 1 × 105 (L-LJ) and 1 × 106 (H-LJ) colony-forming unit (cfu), CP diet was fed for 42 days. From day 19 to 22, birds of CP and LJ groups were administered with CP twice per day and the control was administered with liver broth. RESULTS: LJ-treated chickens were free from negative influences on growth performance and significant decrease of abdominal fat deposit., LJ inhibited CP-caused shearing force and drip loss increase and pH 40 min and 24 h decrease after sacrifice. In addition, LJ exhibited a positive effect on muscle lipid peroxidation by significantly increasing SOD, CAT and GSH-Px activity and decreasing MDA level. Besides, LJ attenuated the decrease of intramuscular fat, total cholesterol and triglyceride contents caused by CP infection. However, levels of total protein and most of amino acids were not changed. CP infection decreased C18:3n-3 (α-LA), C20:4n-6, C20:5n-3(EPA), C22:4n-6, C22:5n-3, C22:6n-3(DHA), total PUFA, n-3 PUFA and PUFA:SFA ratio and increased C14:0, total SFA and n-6:n-3 ratio. LJ was found to protect the muscle from these changes. Meanwhile, the 28-day gut permeability level was higher in CP group. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that CP may affect the growth performance of chicks and negatively influence lipid content and fatty acid composition in chicken meat. Meanwhile, LJ treatment may be effective in controlling these changes by reducing the increased gut permeability caused by CP subclinical infection.

Marine drug Haishengsu increases chemosensitivity to conventional chemotherapy and improves quality of life in patients with acute leukemia.

BACKGROUND: Pharmacological management of acute leukemia remains a challenge. A seashell protein Haishengsu (HSS) has been found to exert anticancer activities in recent in vitro studies. The aim of this study was to determine whether the addition of HSS to the conventional chemotherapies would increase chemosensitivity and improves quality of life in patients with acute leukemia. METHODS: Two hundred and forty-eight patients with acute leukemia were enrolled in a double-blind, and placebo-controlled study. In addition to conventional chemotherapy, 142 patients received HSS and 106 received placebo. In an in vitro study, the expression of P-gp was evaluated by flow cytometry in a drug-resistant leukemia cell line (K562/ADM cells). Sorcin was examined by Western blot. RESULTS: The complete remission rates in the HSS treatment group were all higher than in the placebo group with non-relapsing leukemia and relapsed leukemia (p<0.05). Less patients in the HSS group experienced gastrointestinal side effects from chemotherapy, whereas more patients had increased food take and an increase in Karnofsky performance status (KPS) score (p<0.01). In vitro, the expression of P-gp and sorcin in the HSS treated cells were lower than in the control group cells (p<0.01). CONCLUSION: When added to conventional chemotherapy, HSS improves the complete remission rates and quality of life in patients with acute leukemia. The in vitro findings indicate that suppression of P-gp and sorcin genes in leukemia cells may be involved in the beneficial effects of HSS.

Tegillarca granosa extract Haishengsu inhibits the expression of P-glycoprotein and induces apoptosis in drug-resistant K562/ADM cells.

This study was designed to investigate the effect and molecular mechanisms of Haishengsu (HSS), a protein extract from a shellfish Tegillarca granosaL., on a drug resistant leukemia cell line. Cultured K562/Adriamycin (ADM) cells were treated with HSS at 10, 20 and 40 microg/mL, respectively. The apoptosis and expression of p-glycoprotein was evaluated by flow cytometry. Expressions of caspase-3 and Bcl-2 were also evaluated. There was a significant dose-dependent increase in the apoptosis in the HSS treated K562/ADM cells (P < 0.05 and 0.01, respectively). The p-glycoprotein expression in the 40 microg/mL HSS group (14.8%) was lower than in the control (16.9%, P < 0.05) and the 10 microg/mL HSS group (7.3%, P < 0.05), but it was similar to the HSS 20 microg/mL group (10.7%, P > 0.05). The expressions of apoptosis-stimulating protein caspase-3 protein were increased, whereas the expressions of apoptosis-suppressing Bcl-2 were decreased in the HSS groups, as compared with the levels in the control group (P < 0.05). We conclude that HSS induces apoptosis of the Adriamycin-resistant K562/ADM cells. The enhanced expressions in caspase-3 and the reduced expressions in Bcl-2 protein may have contributed to the apoptosis-stimulating effect of HSS. The inhibition of p-glycoprotein suggests that HSS may diminish the resistance to Adriamycin and potentially enhance the therapeutic effects.

Effect of haishengsu as an adjunct therapy for patients with advanced renal cell cancer: a randomized and placebo-controlled clinical trial.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of Haishengsu, an extract from Tegillarca L. granosa, on the effects and side-effects of immunotherapy in patients with advanced renal cell cancer. METHODS: Fifty-five (55) patients with renal cell cancer were randomly divided into a Haishengsu group (n = 27, 2.4 mg, intravenously for 15 days) and a control group (n = 28). All patients were also treated with interleukin-2, interferon-alpha, and fluorouracil. RESULTS: In the Haishengsu group, the prevalence of gastrointestinal reactions to the immunotherapy was lower than in the control group (18.5% versus 64.3%, p < 0.01). In comparison with the control group, more patients from the Haishengsu group had increased food intake (74.1% versus 14.3%, p < 0.01), weight gain (77.8% versus 10.7%, p < 0.01) or an increase in Karnofsky Performance Status score (55.6% versus 17.9%, p < 0.01). The remission rate of cancer in the Haishengsu group was higher than in the control group (51.9% and 21.4%, p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Addition of Haishengsu to the conventional immunotherapy is associated with an increased remission rate in patients with advanced renal cell cancer. Haishengsu was also associated with a reduced rate of gastrointestinal side-effects from the immunotherapeutic agents, and an improvement in the physical functionality of the patients.

Effect of a seashell protein Haishengsu on the immunological function of mice with Ehrlich ascites tumor.

This study was designed to investigate the effect of a seashell protein Haishengsu (HSS) on the immuno logical function in mice with Ehrlich ascites tumor. Ehrlich ascites tumor-bearing mice were divided into three HSS groups (25, 50 and 100 mg/kg, i.v., respectively), cyclophosphamide (10 mg i.p.) and control group. The immunological function was assessed by measuring the phagocytizing capacity of the peritoneal macrophages and neutrophils, as well as the number of spleen hemolytic plaque-forming cells. The percentage of blood T-lymphocytes was also evaluated. The number and the percentage of phagocytizing macrophages and neutrophils in the 50 and 100 mg/kg HSS groups were higher than in the control and the cyclophosphamide groups (P < 0.01). The hemolytic plaque-forming cells in the three HSS groups (10.8 +/- 1.2, 16.9 +/- 3.9 and 25.3 +/- 2.9, respectively), was greater than in the control (7.3 +/- 1.4), or the cyclophosphamide group (0.33 +/- 0.4) (all P < 0.01). In all HSS groups, the percentage of blood T3, T4 and T8 was higher than in the cyclophosphamide and the control group (all P < 0.01). We conclude that HSS has significant immune-modulating effect in mice with Ehrlich ascites tumor.

Antitumor effect of the seashell protein Haishengsu on Ehrlich ascites tumor: an experimental study.

The aim of the study was to investigate the in vivo effect of the seashell protein Haishengsu (HSS) on Ehrlich ascites tumor. Mice were inoculated with Ehrlich ascites tumor cells and randomly divided into three HSS groups and a control group. The survival times in the three HSS-treated groups was longer than in the control (P < 0.01) and the increased life span in the high-dose HSS group was greater than in the lower-dose groups (P < 0.05). In comparison with control group, the mice receiving pretreatment of HSS had longer survival times and greater life spans following inoculation of the ascites tumor (P < 0.05). HSS therefore prolongs survival times and increases the life spans of mice bearing Ehrlich ascites tumor. Pretreatment with HSS also diminishes the detrimental effect of Ehrlich ascites tumor on the prognosis of these animals.