Effect of vitamin D3 supplementation in winter on physical performance of university students: a one-month randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: There is epidemiological evidence which suggests an association between 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] levels and bone and muscle function; however, it is unclear whether vitamin D supplementation has an added benefit beyond bone health. Here, we investigated the effects of vitamin D3 supplementation (1 month) on physical performance in Chinese university students in winter. METHODS: One hundred and seventeen eligible subjects with 25(OH)D (19.2 ± 7.8 ng/mL) were randomly assigned to either vitamin D3 supplement (N = 56; 1000 IU/day) or the control (N = 61) group for 1 month. Pre- and post-measurements included: 1) serum levels of 25(OH)D; 2) musculoskeletal and pulmonary function [vertical jump height (VJH) and right handgrip strength (RHS), forced vital capacity (FVC), and forced expiratory volume at 1s (FEV1)]; 3) bone turnover markers [parathyroid hormone (PTH), n-terminal osteocalcin (N-MID), and calcium]; 4) hemoglobin-related parameters [hemoglobin (Hb), hematocrit (HCT), red blood cells (RBC), and red cell distribution width (RDW)]; 5) lipid parameters [total triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C)]; 6) Fatigue-related indicators [serum creatine kinase (CK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and total testosterone (T)]. In addition, aerobic capacity was assessed by measuring maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) at baseline. RESULTS: During wintertime, supplementation with 1000 IU/d of vitamin D3 significantly increased serum 25(OH)D levels (from 18.85 ± 7.04 to 26.98 ± 5.88 ng/mL, p < 0.05), accompanied by a decrease of PTH (p < 0.05). However, vitamin D3 supplementation did not significantly impact the physical performance, serum lipid parameters, and bone turnover markers of students. Furthermore, 25(OH)D was found to be positively correlated with VJH and negatively correlated with PTH and TC at the beginning and end of the study (p < 0.05). In addition, the multiple linear regression analysis showed that 25(OH)D combined with athletic, gender, height, weight, Hb, and FVC could account for 84.0% of the VO2max value. CONCLUSIONS: The study demonstrated that one-month of 1000 IU/d of vitamin D3 supplementation during the winter had beneficial effects on 25(OH)D status and PTH. However, vitamin D3 intervention was not sufficient to improve physical performance. Furthermore, 25(OH)D levels combined with athletic, Hb and FVC could be a predictor of VO2max.

Effects of polysaccharides from Yingshan Yunwu tea on free amino acids, flavor nucleotides and antioxidant abilities in chickens.

Tea polysaccharides possess a variety of physiological activities including anti-oxidant, anti-cancer, anti-diabetic, immunomodulatory, hypolipidemic, and cation chelating ability, which have been proved a promising feed additive. Our study aimed to investigate the effects of polysaccharides from Yingshan Yunwu tea (GTPS) on free amino acids, flavor nucleotides and antioxidant ability in chickens. A total of 200 chickens were randomly divided into to 4 groups. Chickens were fed chicken basal diet with GTPS (200, 400 and 800 mg/kg). The results showed that GTPS increased body weight, average daily gain, and average daily feed intake in chickens. Moreover, GTPS increased the total amount of free amino acids of meat, and increased the content of histidine, leucine, serine, glutamic acid and alanine. GTPS also increased contents of inosine monophosphate and guanylic monophosphate, which improved the meat flavor of chickens. In addition, GTPS significantly increased (P < 0.05) contents of GSH-Px, SOD and T-AOC, and reduced content of MDA. It also increased Nrf2, NQO-1 and HO-1 mRNA expressions, and decreased Keap1expression. GTPS increased Nrf2 and HO-1 protein levels, and decreased Keap1 level. The above findings indicated that GTPS could be a promising natural feed additive in poultry industry.

Effect and Mechanisms of Quercetin for Experimental Focal Cerebral Ischemia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Quercetin, a naturally occurring flavonoid, is mainly extracted from tea, onions, and apples. It has the underlying neuroprotective effect on experimental ischemic stroke. A systematic review and meta-analysis were used to assess quercetin's efficacy and possible mechanisms in treating focal cerebral ischemia. Compared with the control group, twelve studies reported a remarkable function of quercetin in improving the neurological function score (NFS) (P < 0.05), and twelve studies reported a significant effect on reducing infarct volume (P < 0.05). Moreover, two and three studies showed that quercetin could alleviate blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability and brain water content, respectively. The mechanisms of quercetin against focal cerebral ischemia are diverse, involving antioxidation, antiapoptotic, anti-inflammation, and calcium overload reduction. On the whole, the present study suggested that quercetin can exert a protective effect on experimental ischemic stroke. Although the effect size may be overestimated because of the quality of studies and possible publication bias, these results indicated that quercetin might be a promising neuroprotective agent for human ischemic stroke. This study is registered with PROSPERO, number CRD 42021275656.

Network pharmacology and in vitro experimental verification to explore the mechanism of Sanhua decoction in the treatment of ischaemic stroke.

CONTEXT: Stroke is an illness with high morbidity, disability and mortality that presents a major clinical challenge. Sanhua decoction (SHD) has been widely used to treat ischaemic stroke in the clinic. However, the potential mechanism of SHD remains unknown. OBJECTIVE: To elucidate the multitarget mechanism of SHD in ischaemic stroke through network pharmacology and bioinformatics analyses. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Network pharmacology and experimental validation approach was used to investigate the bioactive ingredients, critical targets and potential mechanisms of SHD against ischaemic stroke. Four herbal names of SHD, 'ischemic stroke' or 'stroke' was used as a keyword to search the relevant databases. SH-SY5Y cells were treated with various concentrations of SHD (12.5, 25, 50 or 100 µg/mL) for 4 h, exposed to oxygen and glucose deprivation (OGD) for 1 h, then reoxygenation for 24 h. The cell viability was detected by MTT, the lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) was evaluated by ELISA, and protein expression was detected by western blots. RESULTS: SHD treatment increased the survival rate from 65.9 ± 4.3 to 85.56 ± 5.7%. The median effective dose (ED50) was 47.1 µg/mL, the LDH decreased from 288.0 ± 12.0 to 122.8 ± 9.1 U/L and the cell apoptosis rate decreased from 33.6 ± 1.8 to 16.3 ± 1.2%. Western blot analysis revealed that SHD increased the levels of p-PI3k, p-Akt and p-CREB1, and decreased the expression of TNF-α and IL-6. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that SHD protects against cerebral ischaemic injury via regulation of the PI3K/Akt/CREB1 and TNF pathways.

Dihydromyricetin Improves Cognitive Impairments in d-Galactose-Induced Aging Mice through Regulating Oxidative Stress and Inhibition of Acetylcholinesterase.

SCOPE: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease with phenomena of cognitive impairments. Oxidative stress and cholinergic system dysfunction are two widely studied pathogenesis of AD. Dihydromyricetin (DMY) is a natural dihydroflavonol with many bioactivities. In this study, it is aimed to investigate the effects of DMY on cognitive impairment in d-galactose (d-gal) induced aging mice. METHODS AND RESULTS: Mice are intraperitoneally injected with d-gal for 16 weeks, and DMY is supplemented in drinking water. The results show that DMY significantly improves d-gal-induced cognitive impairments in novel object recognition and Y-maze studies. H&E and TUNEL staining show that DMY could improve histopathological changes and cell apoptosis in mice brain. DMY effectively induces the activities of catalase, superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase, and reduces malondialdehyde level in mice brain and liver. Furthermore, DMY reduces cholinergic injury by inhibiting the activity of Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in mice brain. In vitro studies show that DMY is a non-competitive inhibitor of AChE with IC50 value of 161.2 µg mL-1 . CONCLUSION: DMY alleviates the cognitive impairments in d-gal-induced aging mice partly through regulating oxidative stress and inhibition of acetylcholinesterase.

In vivo and in vitro comparison of three astilbin encapsulated zein nanoparticles with different outer shells.

Three shell materials, lecithin (ZNP-L), chitosan (ZNP-CH) and sodium caseinate (ZNP-SC), were used to prepare core-shell zein nanoparticles. Astilbin was encapsulated as a model flavonoid to compare the influence of the shell materials on zein nanoparticles both in vitro and in vivo. The particle size was moderately increased by lecithin and sodium caseinate, but notably increased by chitosan. All the shell materials provided good redispersibility for the nanoparticles and significantly improved the colloidal stability. Chitosan and sodium caseinate significantly delayed and decreased the feces excretion of astilbin in rats, while lecithin exhibited a very weak effect. The results may be attributed to the difference in mucoadhesive properties between the shell materials. As a consequence, the bioavailability values of astilbin in rats were 18.2, 9.3 and 1.89 times increased through ZNP-CH, ZNP-SC and ZNP-L compared with that of free astilbin, respectively.

Effects of polysaccharides from Yingshan Yunwu tea on meat quality, immune status and intestinal microflora in chickens.

The present study was aimed to investigate the effects of the addition of Yingshan Yunwu green tea polysaccharide conjugates (GTPC) on meat quality, immune response and gut microflora in chickens. A total of 200 chickens with average initial body weight were randomly allotted to 4 groups. Intestinal samples were collected at the end of experiment for bacterial culture and microbial community analysis by 16S rDNA gene sequencing using Illumina MiSeq. Chicken breast muscle and serum were also sampled for analysis of meat quality and immune function. The results showed that dietary GTPC addition increased (P < 0.05) chicken breast muscle pH and redness-greenness (a*) value and decreased (P < 0.05) the values of lightness (L*), yellowness-blueness (b*), hardness, toughness and adhesiveness. In addition, dietary supplementation of GTPC increased (P < 0.05) the weight of thymus and bursa and serum concentrations of IgA and IgG. Furthermore, of the 10 bacterial phyla, the predominant taxa across all sampling time-points were Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, and Deferribacteres, representing >97% of all sequences. GTPC increased the abundance of Bacteroidetes and Lactobacillus, and decreased the abundance of Proteobacteria. These findings provided some references of the application of GTPC in the poultry industry.

Investigation of Chemical Composition, Antioxidant Activity, and the Effects of Alfalfa Flavonoids on Growth Performance.

The flavonoids were extracted from alfalfa using ethanol assisted with ultrasonic extraction and purified by D101 macroporous resin column chromatography. The chemical composition and content of ethanol elution fractions (EEFs) were assessed by ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography and hybrid quadrupole time of flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS) and aluminum nitrate-sodium nitrite-sodium hydroxide colorimetric method. The in vitro antioxidant activity of two EEFs was conducted by scavenging DPPH free radical, and the main antioxidants of 75% EEFs were screened using DPPH-UHPLC. Moreover, the in vivo antioxidant activity of 75% EEFs and the growth performance of broilers were studied. The results showed that the content of 30% and 75% EEFs was 26.20% and 62.57%. Fifteen compounds were identified from 75% EEFs, and five of them were reported in alfalfa for the first time. The scavenging activity of 75% and 30% EEFs (200 µg/mL) against DPPH was 95.51% and 78.85%. The peak area of 5,3',4'-trihydroxyflavone and hyperoside was decreased by 82.69% and 76.04%, which exhibited strong scavenging capacities. The total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX) level of three treated groups against the normal control group (NC) fed with basal diet significantly increased by 3.89-24.49%, 0.53-7.39%, and 0.79-11.79%, respectively. While the malondialdehyde (MDA) decreased by 0.47-18.27%. Compared with the NC, the feed to gain ratio (F : G) of three treated groups was lowered by 2.98-16.53% and survival rate of broilers significantly increased. Consequently, 75% EEFs extracted from alfalfa exhibited powerful antioxidant activities and might be a potential feed additive to poultry and livestock.

Systematic Elucidation of the Potential Mechanism of Erzhi Pill against Drug-Induced Liver Injury via Network Pharmacology Approach.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this work was to investigate the bioactive compounds, core genes, and pharmacological mechanisms and to provide a further research orientation of Erzhi pill (EZP) on drug-induced liver injury (DILI). METHODS: At first, we collected information of bioactive compounds of EZP from Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform (TCMSP) and previous studies. And then, the targets related to bioactive compounds and DILI were obtained from 4 public databases. At last, Cytoscape was used to establish a visual network. Moreover, Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses and network analysis were performed to investigate potential mechanism of EZP against DILI. RESULTS: A total of 23 bioactive compounds and 89 major proteins of EZP were screened out as potential players against DILI. Association for bioactive compounds, core targets, and related pathways was analyzed, implying that core targets related to these pathways are ALB, AKT1, MAPK1, EGFR, SRC, MAPK8, IGF1, CASP3, HSP90AA1, and MMP9, and potential mechanisms of EZP acting on DILI are closely related to negative regulation of apoptosis process, improvement of lipid metabolism, and positive regulation of liver regeneration process. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated the multicompound, multitarget, and multichannel characteristics of EZP, which provided a novel approach for further research the mechanism of EZP in the treatment of DILI.

Chemical Composition and Antioxidant Activities of Polysaccharides from Yingshan Cloud Mist Tea.

The study was designed to investigate the chemical composition and antioxidant activities of polysaccharides from Yingshan Cloud Mist Tea. The chemical composition of green tea polysaccharides (GTPS) was analyzed by Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscope (SEM), thermogravimetric (TGA), gas chromatograph (GC), and high-performance gel-permeation chromatography (HPGPC). Then, the antioxidant activities in vitro of GTPS, effects of GTPS on body weight, and the antioxidant activities in chickens were studied. The results showed that GTPS were composed of rhamnose (Rha), arabinose (Ara), xylose (Xyl), mannose (Man), glucose (Glu), and galactose (Gal) in a molar ratio of 11.4 : 26.1 : 1.9 : 3.0 : 30.7 : 26.8 and the average molecular weight was 9.69 × 104 Da. Furthermore, GTPS exhibited obvious capacity of scavenging DPPH radical, hydroxyl radical, and superoxide radical and enhanced the ferric-reducing power in vitro. Last, GTPS significantly increased the body weight of chickens, enhanced the T-AOC, SOD, and GSH-Px level, and decreased the content of MDA in chickens. The results indicated that GTPS might be a kind of natural antioxidant, which had the potential application in feed industry.

Serum containing Gengnianchun formula suppresses amyloid ß­induced inflammatory cytokines in BV­2 microglial cells by inhibiting the NF­κB and JNK signaling pathways.

As the resident macrophages of the brain's innate immune system, microglial cells are key modulators in the neurodegenerative disease Alzheimer's disease (AD). In particular, the activation and accumulation of microglial cells around amyloid plaques is considered to result in chronic neuroinflammation. Although the pathologic mechanism remains to be fully elucidated, inflammation has been shown to be critical in the pathogenesis of AD. The Gengnianchun (GNC) formula has long been used to treat perimenopausal syndrome clinically, and is particularly effective in improving learning ability and memory. Our previous study demonstrated that GNC formula had an anti­inflammatory effect and offered neuroprotection in animal experiments. In the present study, the anti­inflammatory properties of GNC and its underlying mechanism of action were examined in BV­2 microglial cells. Amyloid­ß peptide (Aß)­stimulated microglial cells were examined for the production of proinflammatory cytokines and the underlying signaling pathways. Compared with the normal control group, the protein expression levels of IL­1ß and TNF­α were significantly increased following treatment with Aß (P<0.01), but medicated rat serum containing GNC formula (MRS) could significantly attenuated the Aß­induced secretion of these pro­inflammatory cytokines. It was identified by CCK­8 assay that the viability of the BV­2 cells was not reduced following treatment with various concentrations of MRS. The phosphorylation of factor­κB (NF­κB) and c­Jun N­terminal kinase (JNK) was markedly increased following treatment with Aß, compared with the normal control group (P<0.01). However, treatment with MRS resulted in a significant reduction in the phosphorylation of NF­κB (P<0.05). These results suggested that MRS suppressed the Aß­induced inflammatory response of microglial cells by inhibiting the NF­κB and JNK signaling pathways. These novel findings provide insights into the development of GNC formula as a therapeutic agent for the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders.

[Reviews on α-glucosidase inhibitor from plant secondary metabolites].

α-Glucosidase inhibitor was a new type of antidiabetics which was developed in the late 1970s. By reducing the postprandial blood sugar concentration, it could effectively control the blood sugar levels, thereby reducing the occurrence of diabetic complications. Studies have shown that plant secondary metabolites have important biological functions such as hpyerglycemic, anti-hyperlipidemia, immunomodulatory, and antitumor effects. In this paper, the sources of plant secondary metabolites which are able to inhibit α-glucosidase and their inhibition mechanism would be reviewed to provide references for seeking more safe and efficient plant secondary metabolites of α-glucosidase inhibitors.

Increased Chondrocyte Apoptosis in Kashin-Beck Disease and Rats Induced by T-2 Toxin and Selenium Deficiency.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate chondrocyte apoptosis and the expression of biochemical markers associated with apoptosis in Kashin-Beck disease (KBD) and in an established T-2 toxin- and selenium (Se) deficiency-induced rat model. METHODS: Cartilages were collected from the hand phalanges of five patients with KBD and five healthy children. Sprague-Dawley rats were administered a selenium-deficient diet for 4 weeks prior to T-2 toxin exposure. The apoptotic chondrocytes were observed by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling staining. Caspase-3, p53, Bcl-2, and Bax proteins in the cartilages were visualized by immunohistochemistry, their protein levels were determined by Western blotting, and mRNA levels were determined by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: Increased chondrocyte apoptosis was observed in the cartilages of children with KBD. Increased apoptotic and caspase-3-stained cells were observed in the cartilages of rats fed with normal and Se-deficient diets plus T-2 toxin exposure compared to those in rats fed with normal and Se-deficient diets. Caspase-3, p53, and Bax proteins and mRNA levels were higher, whereas Bcl-2 levels were lower in rats fed with normal or Se-deficiency diets supplemented with T-2 toxin than the corresponding levels in rats fed with normal diet. CONCLUSION: T-2 toxin under a selenium-deficient nutritional status induces chondrocyte death, which emphasizes the role of chondrocyte apoptosis in cartilage damage and progression of KBD.

Consensus on the integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine criteria of diagnostic classification in polycystic ovary syndrome (draft).

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrine and metabolic disorder of women, with complex pathogenesis and heterogeneous manifestations. Professor Jin Yu recently wrote an article entitled "Proposal of Diagnosis and Diagnostic Classification of PCOS in Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine."From this, the Obstetrics and Gynecology branches of the Chinese Association of Integrative Medicine and the China Association of Chinese Medicine collaborated with the Gynecology branch of the Chinese Association for Research and Advancement of Chinese Medicine to draft a report on the consensus of criteria for the diagnosis and classification of PCOS in integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine. The diagnosis for PCOS includes all three features: (1) oligo-ovulation or anovulation; (2) clinical and/or laboratory evidence of hyperandrogenism;(3) PCOS is classified into four types: types Ia,Ib, IIa, and IIb. Syndrome differentiation types for PCOS in traditional Chinese medicine are as follows: Kidney deficiency with phlegm blockage syndrome, Kidney Yin deficiency with phlegm blockage and blood stasis syndrome, and Kidney deficiency with Liver Qi stagnation syndrome.

Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D status in pregnant women with chronic hepatitis B virus infection.

INTRODUCTION: Maternal 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] deficiency has a negative influence on the health of the mother and the developing fetus. The aim of this study was to assess serum 25(OH)D status and its relationship to virologic and biochemical parameters in pregnant women with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. METHODOLOGY: Serum 25(OH)D levels among 142 pregnant women with chronic HBV infection and 251 healthy pregnant women were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: The mean±SD values for serum 25(OH)D levels were 13.63±5.5 ng/mL in healthy pregnant women and 12.05±3.3 ng/mL in pregnant women with chronic HBV infection (p < 0.01). Serum 25(OH)D levels were associated with seasonal variation in healthy pregnant women (p = 0.01); however, similar results were not observed in pregnant women with chronic HBV infection (p = 0.10). Furthermore, multivariate analysis indicated that only ALT level was independently associated with severe vitamin D deficiency (p = 0.01). A significant positive correlation was found between serum 25(OH)D level and ALT level in pregnant women with chronic HBV infection (r = 0.32; p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Vitamin D levels were lower in pregnant women with chronic HBV infection compared with healthy pregnant women. Vitamin D supplementation can be routinely recommended for pregnant women in China.

Effects of Gengnianchun on learning and memory ability, neurotransmitter, cytokines, and leptin in ovariectomized rats.

This study aimed to evaluate the beneficial effects of a traditional Chinese medicine named Gengnianchun (GNC) in ovariectomized Sprague-Dawley rats. The rats were randomly categorized into sham-operated group (Sham), saline-treated ovariectomized group (OVX), GNC-treated ovariectomized group (OVX+GNC), estradiol valerate-treated ovariectomized group (OVX+E). GNC and estradiol was administered for 1 month at dosages of 125 and 0.1 mg/day, respectively. Ovariectomy caused deterioration of learning and memory ability (P < 0.05), which was restored by treatment with GNC and estradiol (P < 0.05). Estrogen level and endometrial thickness significantly decreased in the OVX group (P < 0.05). These parameters significantly increased in the OVX+E group (P < 0.05) but did not change in the OVX+GNC group (P > 0.05). GNC and estradiol significantly increased the levels of norepinephrine (NE) and dopamine (DA) and decreased the levels of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) in the hypothalamus (P < 0.05). The levels of interleukin-1 beta (IL-1ß), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) significantly decreased and the levels of interleukin-2 (IL-2) and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) increased in the OVX+GNC and OVX+E groups compared with those in the OVX group (P < 0.05). OVX rats treated with GNC and estradiol further exhibited reversed ovariectomy-induced weight gain and leptin resistance (P < 0.05). These results indicated that GNC demonstrated phytoestrogen-like properties without the side effects of estradiol valerate. Thus, GNC may confer protective and beneficial effects for management of menopausal syndrome.

[Inhibition effect of 6-gingerol on hair growth].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of 6-gingerol, the main active component of ginger, on hair shaft elongation in vitro and hair growth in vivo. METHODS: Firstly, Hair follicles were co-cultured with 3 different concentration of 6-gingerol for 5 days and hair elongation in three groups was measured. Secondly, The proliferative effect of 6-gingerol on DPCs was measured using MTT assay. Thirdly, the expression of Bcl-2 and Bax in DPCs were measured using Western blotting. In vivo study, the influence of 6-gingerol on hair growth in C57BL/6 rats was measured through topical application of 6-gingerol on the dorsal skin of each animal. RESULTS: The length of hair shaft in 20 microg/ml 6-Gingerol group (0.50 +/- 0.08 mm) is less than 0 microg/ml (0.66 +/- 0.19) mm and 10 microg/ml (0.64 +/- 0.03) mm 6-Gingerol group (P < 0.05). In cell culture, compared to 0 microg/ml and 5 microg/ml 6-Gingerol, 10 microg/ml 6-Gingerol can significantly inhibited the proliferation of DPCs (P < 0.05). Along with the growth inhibition of DPCs by 6-gingerol, the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio increased obviously. In vivo study, the hair length and density decreased a lot after using 1 mg/ml 6-gingerol. CONCLUSIONS: 6-Gingerol can suppress human hair shaft elongation because it has pro-apoptotic effects on DPCs via increasing Bax/Bcl-2 ratio. It might inhibit hair growth by prolonging the telogen stage in vivo.

Efficacy of Chinese patent medicine Tian Gui Capsule in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a complex hormonal disorder and one of the most common reproductive endocrinology abnormalities in women. Recently, many studies have been conducted assessing Chinese herbal medicine as an alternative treatment for women with PCOS, it is, therefore, worthwhile to analyze and observe the curative effects of traditional Chinese medicine treatment in PCOS. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of the Chinese patent medicine Tian Gui Capsule, in women with PCOS and compare its effects with metformin and ethinyl estradiol plus cyproterone acetate (Diane-35). DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS AND INTERVENTION: A total of 47 PCOS outpatients from the Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University were randomly divided into 3 groups. Patients in group A (n=19) were given Tian Gui Capsule, patients in group B (n=17) were given metformin, and patients in group C (n=11) were given Diane-35. The 3 groups of patients were treated for 3 months. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Serum testosterone (T), sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S) levels, free androgen index (FAI), fasting blood glucose (FPG), fasting insulin (FINS), homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), insulin sensitive index (ISI) and left and right ovary volumes of the 3 groups were evaluated before and after treatment . RESULTS: After 3 months of treatment, when compared with before treatment data, group A patients showed decreased serum T and SHBG levels, FAI, FINS, and left and right ovary volumes (P<0.05), and increased serum DHEA-S (P<0.05), while the FPG level showed no significant change. Although the level of serum T and FINS among the 3 groups after the treatment were similar, group A demonstrated better results than group B in reducing the FAI and increasing the serum SHBG, but less significant results than group C besides, group B was the only group showed improved insulin sensitivity. Although the level of FPG of the 3 groups after treatment were similar, group C had the most increased FPG. CONCLUSION: The effects of Tian Gui Capsule on hyperandrogenism are not as significant as Diane-35, but more effective than metformin. The effects of Tian Gui Capsule on hyperinsulinemia are not as significant as metformin but better than Diane-35. Tian Gui Capsule treats PCOS by regulating ovarian functions and reducing blood insulin level without inhibiting the function of the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis. Further studies with larger sample size are needed to confirm the above results.

Medicated rat serum containing Gengnianchun decoction reduces apoptosis of pheochromocytoma cells insulted by amyloid beta protein.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of medicated rat serum containing Gengnianchun (GNC) decoction and its protection to pheochromocytoma cells (PC12 cells) from amyloid beta (Abeta)(25-35)-insulted apoptosis and to find the possible mechanism. METHODS: Medicated rat serum was prepared by administering ovariectomized Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats with GNC decoction. The effects of medicated rat serum on viability of PC12 cells were evaluated by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay. The PC12 cells were cultured with different doses of Abeta(25-35) to induce a model of Alzheimer's disease in vitro. Then, the protective effects of medicated rat serum on Abeta(25-35)-insulted PC12 cells were evaluated by using CCK-8 assay to detect the cell viability, using Annexin V-fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)/propidium iodide (PI) flow cytometry to detect cell apoptosis rate and using Western blotting assay to analyze the expressions of Bcl-2, Bax and active caspase-3 proteins. RESULTS: PC12 cells cultured with 20% medicated rat serum containing GNC decoction for 24 h or 48 h had higher viability than those cultured with normal culture medium (P<0.05). After 24- or 48-hour treatment of different concentrations of Abeta(25-35), cell viabilities were all decreased as compared with normal medium (P<0.05). Cells underwent apoptosis, which showed the neurotoxicity of Abeta(25-35). The cell apoptosis induced by Abeta 25-35 was significantly decreased in PC12 cells which were pretreated with 20% medicated rat serum or nerve growth factor (NGF) according to CCK-8 assay and Annexin V-FITC/PI flow cytometry (P<0.05). The ratio of Bax expression to Bcl-2 expression and the expression of active caspase-3 were decreased in the cells treated with medicated serum or NGF as compared with the cells cultured with Abeta(25-35) only. CONCLUSION: The GNC-medicated rat serum at concentration of 20% can promote viability of Abeta(25-35)-insulted PC12 cells and decrease the cell apoptosis by regulating the expressions of Bcl-2, Bax and active caspase 3.