The green tea polyphenol epigallocatechin-3-gallate attenuates age-associated muscle loss via regulation of miR-486-5p and myostatin.

(-)-Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), the most abundant catechin component in green tea, has been reported to attenuate age-associated insulin resistance, lipogenesis and loss of muscle mass through restoring Akt activity in skeletal muscle in our previous and present studies. Accumulated data has suggested that polyphenols regulate signaling pathways involved in aging process such as inflammation and oxidative stress via modulation of miRNA expression. Here we found that miRNA-486-5p was significantly decreased in both aged senescence accelerated mouse-prone 8 (SAMP8) mice and late passage C2C12 cells. Thus, we further investigated the regulatory effect of EGCG on miRNA-486-5p expression in age-regulated muscle loss. SAMP8 mice were fed with chow diet containing without or with 0.32% EGCG from aged 32 weeks for 8 weeks. Early passage (<12 passages) and late passage (>30 passages) of C2C12 cells were treated without or with EGCG at concentrations of 50 µM for 24h. Our data showed that EGCG supplementation increased miRNA-486-5p expression in both aged SAMP8 mice and late passage C2C12 cells. EGCG stimulated AKT phosphorylation and inhibited FoxO1a-mediated MuRF1 and Atrogin-1 transcription via up-regulating the expression of miR-486 in skeletal muscle of 40-wk-old SAMP8 mice as well as late passage C2C12 cells. In addition, myostatin expression was increased in late passage C2C12 cells and anti-myostatin treatment upregulated the expression of miR-486-5p. Our results identify a unique mechanism of a dietary constituent of green tea and suggest that use of EGCG or compounds derived from it attenuates age-associated muscle loss via myostatin/miRNAs/ubiquitin-proteasome signaling.

[Ruyi Jinhuang Plaster suppresses BPH by reducing the expressions of P38, JNK2, NF-кBP65 and STAT3 in the prostate tissue of rats].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of Ruyi Jinhuang Plaster (RJP) on testosterone propionate-induced BPH in the rat model and its action mechanisms. METHODS: Forty-eight SD male rats were randomly divided into six groups of equal number: normal control, BPH model control, finasteride, and high-, medium- and low-dose RJP. The BPH model was made in the latter five groups by hypodermic injection of testosterone propionate. From the first day of modeling, the rats of the normal control and BPH model control groups were treated with blank plasters and those of the high-, medium- and low-dose RJP groups with RJPs at 42.0, 21.0 and 10.5 cm2/kg applied to the dehaired area of the back, and those of the finasteride group by gavage of finasteride at 4.5 mg/kg, all once a day for 30 successive days. Then the prostates of the animals were harvested for observation of histopathological changes by HE staining, measurement of the areas of interstitial and epithelial cells and prostatic glandular cavity, and determination of the expressions of P38, JNK2, NF-кBP65 and STAT3 proteins in the prostate tissue by Western blot. RESULTS: Compared with the BPH model controls, the high-dose RJP group showed significantly decreased proliferation and area proportion of prostatic epithelial cells (P < 0.05), increased area proportion of the prostatic glandular cavity (P < 0.05), and reduced expressions of P38, p-P38, NF-кBP65, P-NF-кBP65, STAT3, P-STAT3 and JNK2 in the prostate tissue (P < 0.05); the medium-dose RJP group exhibited markedly down-regulated expressions of JNK2 and NF-кBP65 (P < 0.05) but an up-regulated level of p-JNK (P < 0.05); while the low-dose RJP group displayed a remarkably reduced expression of JNK2 (P < 0.05) but an elevated level of p-JNK (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: RJP suppresses BPH in the model rat by down-regulating the expressions of P38, p-P38, NF-кBP65, P-NF-кBP65, STAT3, P-STAT3 and JNK2 or up-regulating that of p-JNK in the prostate tissue.

Optimization of Submerged Cultivation Conditions for Production of Big Cup Culinary-Medicinal Mushroom Clitocybe maxima (Agaricomycetes) Biomass with Significant Antioxidative and Antihyperlipidemic Activities.

In this study, a large Clitocybe maxima mycelium biomass was obtained by submerged cultivation under optimal conditions. Three test samples from lyophilized mycelia, including hot water extract (CW) and elutes from solvents with different polarity (CA and CB), were combined and used to explore antioxidant and antihyper-lipidemic activities in vitro and in vivo. The CA group showed the highest DPPH free radical scavenging activity and iron-reducing capability at concentrations of 6.0% and 3.0% (w/v), respectively. Further, the CA group showed the highest glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase activities at a dose of 0.25 mg/kg body weight (CA-0.25 group) in all hyperlipidemic hamsters tested. Serum lipid levels (apart from high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels) of hamsters in the CA-0.25 group were lower than those of hamsters in the negative control group in antihy-perlipidemic tests. Therefore, we believe that extracts from C. maxima mycelia are rich reservoirs of antioxidant and antihyperlipidemic activities.

Influence of preoperative peripheral parenteral nutrition with micronutrients after colorectal cancer patients.

BACKGROUND: The inflammatory reactions are stronger after surgery of malnourished preoperative patients. Many studies have shown vitamin and trace element deficiencies appear to affect the functioning of immune cells. Enteral nutrition is often inadequate for malnourished patients. Therefore, total parenteral nutrition (TPN) is considered an effective method for providing preoperative nutritional support. TPN needs a central vein catheter, and there are more risks associated with TPN. However, peripheral parenteral nutrition (PPN) often does not provide enough energy or nutrients. PURPOSE: This study investigated the inflammatory response and prognosis for patients receiving a modified form of PPN with added fat emulsion infusion, multiple vitamins (MTV), and trace elements (TE) to assess the feasibility of preoperative nutritional support. Methods. A cross-sectional design was used to compare the influence of PPN with or without adding MTV and TE on malnourished abdominal surgery patients. RESULTS: Both preoperative groups received equal calories and protein, but due to the lack of micronutrients, patients in preoperative Group B exhibited higher inflammation, lower serum albumin levels, and higher anastomotic leak rates and also required prolonged hospital stays. CONCLUSION: Malnourished patients who receive micronutrient supplementation preoperatively have lower postoperative inflammatory responses and better prognoses. PPN with added fat emulsion, MTV, and TE provides valid and effective preoperative nutritional support.

[Interpretation and analysis of traditional Chinese medicine injection instructions].

Traditional Chinese medicine injection(TCMI) is a new preparation developing recent years, which is spreading because of the significant effect. Doctors acquire information of medicine from the prospectuses mainly. But due to many reasons, there are a lot of shortcomings such as lack of items, unknown of composition, the narrow scope, etc. Unreasonable drug use in field and dose happened frequently. Adverse reactions are often reported. They restricted the use of TCMI severely. We must pay attention to the market evaluation of TCMI, and improve the prospectuses gradually on the basis of clinical evidence. One hand, the use of drugs can be reference to it. On the other hand, it can avoid unreasonable use of drugs. We have done it in order to contribute to the clinical application of TCMI.