Improvement of Salivary EGF Levels and Serum Inflammatory Factors in Patients with Recurrent Oral Ulcers Treated with Shuanghuanglian Oral Solution.

Objective: Recurrent oral ulcer (ROU) is a common oral mucosal disease with recurrent ulcerative lesions. Shuanghuanglian Oral liquid is a traditional Chinese medicine preparation widely used to treat oral ulcers. This study aimed to explore the effect of Shuanghuanglian oral liquid on the epidermal growth factor (EGF) level in saliva and serum inflammatory factors in patients with recurrent oral ulcers to provide a certain reference for clinical treatment. Methods: A retrospective analysis of 90 ROU patients from 2018 to 2021 was divided into an observation group (n=45) and a control group (n=45). All patients were recruited from Kunming Stomatological Hospital North Downtown Campus. The control group used a mouthwash containing chlorhexidine, while the observation group used the same mouthwash with an additional topical application of Shuanghuanglian. The EGF level in saliva, serum inflammatory factor, clinical efficacy, pain and quality of life scores, recurrence rate, and incidence of adverse reactions were observed in the two groups. Results: After treatment, EGF (RR 0.41, 95%CI 0.15-0.73, P < .001), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) (RR 0.68, 95%CI 0.53-0.77, P = .003), interleukin-10 (IL-10) (RR 0.64, 95%CI 0.48-0.75, P < .001), and C-reactive protein (CRP) (RR 0.52, 95%CI 0.35-0.65, P < .001) in observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group; The total effective rate of the observation group was significantly higher than that of the control group (RR 0.85, 95%CI 0.44-0.95, P = .02); Visual analogue scale (VAS) (RR 0.48, 95%CI 0.35-0.68, P < .001) and Oral Health Rating Scale (OHIP-4) scores (RR 0.61, 95%CI 0.47-0.84, P < .001)of observation group were significantly lower than those of control group after treatment; The incidence of total adverse reactions (RR 0.73, 95%CI 0.61-0.86, P = .011) and the recurrence rate at 6 months after treatment in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group (RR 0.78, 95%CI 0.69-0.91, P = .015). Conclusion: Shuanghuanglian oral liquid has a remarkable effect on patients with ROU by reducing the levels of EGF and inflammatory factors in patients, reducing the pain degree of patients, improving the oral health of patients, improving the quality of life of patients, and reducing the incidence of adverse reactions and the recurrence rate of patients to a certain extent.

Bulk Electroacupuncture Operation for Mice or Young Rats.

Electroacupuncture (EA) is widely used to treat various health conditions. However, the underlying mechanism of EA treatment remains unclear, hindering its promotion. The mechanistic study requires mouse or rat models to address this issue. However, these animals are not obedient to the experimental process, which is time-consuming. To solve these problems, we designed a 3D-printed small animal body bulk fixator to improve the efficiency of EA's animal experiments. This video shows in detail how to use the fixator to perform bulk EA on mice or young rats. For the selection of acupoints, the anterior oblique line of vertex temporal (MS6 head) and Tianshu point (ST25 belly) were chosen to verify the effect of the fixation device with prone positioning and supine positioning. Using the 3D-printed small animal holder allows multiple rodents to be immobilized and treated simultaneously, reducing the time and resources required for the experiment. This technique could be applied to other animal models by 3D printing different sizes and could potentially be used for various fixing conditions. The device is beneficial for the promotion of experimental scientific research in EA.

Tumor-induced osteomalacia combined with increased bone resorption postoperatively: A case report.

RATIONALE: Rare tumor-induced osteomalacia (TIO) usually resulted in bone pain, fragility fractures and muscle weakness in clinical, which is caused by the reduced phosphate reabsorption, thus impaired mineralization of the bone matrix and free energy transfer. The specific problems in postsurgical patients are obscure although surgical removal of the tumor is the only definitive treatment. Here, we documented a female TIO patient who suffered more severe bone pain and muscle spasms post-operation. Further, we presented and discussed our explanation for the unexpected symptoms. PATIENT CONCERNS: The main symptoms were whole-body pain and muscle weakness. The patient also presented with osteoporosis and multiple fractures. DIAGNOSIS: Elevated serum fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) level and hypophosphatemia indicated the diagnosis of TIO. Positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) with 68 Ga-DOTATATE located the tumor in the dorsolateral part of the left foot. Histopathological examinations confirmed the diagnosis. INTERVENTIONS: The tumor was surgically removed immediately after the diagnosis of TIO and localization of the tumor. Postoperatively, calcium carbonate supplement treatment was continued. OUTCOMES: Two days after surgery, the serum FGF23 level was decreased to the normal range. Five days after surgery, N-terminal propeptide of type I procollagen and ß-CrossLaps (ß-CTx) had a remarkable increase. A month after surgery, the patient N-terminal propeptide of type I procollagen and ß-CTx levels were decreased obviously, and serum FGF23, phosphate and 24h urinary phosphate were in the normal range. LESSONS: We report a female patient who presented with osteoporosis and fractures. She was found with an elevation of FGF23 and diagnosis with TIO after PET/CT scanning. After surgically removing the tumor, the patient experienced more severe bone pain and muscle spasms. Active bone remodeling might be the reason for the symptoms. Further study will reveal the specific mechanism for this abnormal bone metabolism.

The effectiveness of eight-years phosphorus reducing inputs on double cropping paddy: Insights into productivity and soil-plant phosphorus trade-off.

Abundant evidence has demonstrated the feasibility of reducing phosphorus (P) input to face diminishing phosphate rock resources and deteriorating environmental quality in double-cropping paddy. However, the sustainability of reduced P input in the context of maintaining productivity and P efficient utilization is not yet clear. Herein, an 8-year (2013-2021) field-based database was built to explore the effects of reduced P input on rice productivity and the soil-plant P trade-off in double-cropping paddy. In the early and late rice seasons, compared with conventional P fertilization (early rice, 90 kg hm-2; late rice, 60 kg hm-2), the average yield of reduced 10 % P treatment increased by 4.3 % and 2.1 %, respectively; reduced 10-30 % P treatments increased average P use efficiency by 17.1-18.4 % and 14.0-17.2 %, decreased average total P runoff loss by 14.9-33.2 % and 20.8-36.4 %, and decreased average total P leaching loss by 18.5-49.0 % and 24.0-46.1 %, respectively. Compared with conventional fertilization, reduced P fertilizer input by 10 % significantly increased the content of the soil labile-P fraction while reducing that of the soil stable-P fraction. Soil ligand-P and exchangeable-P content decreased with the gradient reduction of P fertilizer input (10-30 %). The main predictors of the change in rice yield and plant P uptake were soil ligand-P and exchangeable-P content, respectively. The dominant predictor of both the P runoff loss and the P activation coefficient was the inorganic P content extracted by NaHCO3. These findings suggest that reduced P input by 10 % could maintain rice productivity and P use efficiency in the double-cropping paddy, and the transformations between soil P components and increases in P bioavailability may be the key drivers maintaining rice productivity and P utilization under the context of reduced P loading.

The effectiveness of reed-biochar in mitigating phosphorus losses and enhancing microbially-driven phosphorus dynamics in paddy soil.

Biochar is a promising novel material for mitigating phosphorus (P) loss and enhancing P retention in chemical-amended agricultural soils. However, the optimal application rate for aforesaid effectiveness and potential drivers of the process are not well understood. Herein, a column-based pot experiment was carried out to investigate how and to what extent reed-biochar is effective in positively triggering P loss and availability in paddy soils treated by chemical fertilizer. Compared with chemical-only treatment, the accumulated leakage of total P, dissoluble P, and particulate P in chemical fertilizer coupled with 1-4% reed-biochar treatment decreased by 5.3-13.3%, 8.3-10.4%, and 3.0-15.4%, respectively. The accumulated leakage of total P and dissoluble P in 6-8% rate treatments was increased by 5.6-7.5% and 18.3-32.9%, respectively. Increasing reed-biochar rate from 1% to 8% caused an enhancement in soil total P and available P content and P activation coefficient, and the 4% rate achieved a similar effectiveness to the higher rate. Reed-biochar application increased the abundance and diversty of soil phoD-harboring microbes (P < 0.05), while the increment had little to do with the application rate. Soil phoD-harboring community composition and total C content were the main predictors of the P leaching losses, and meanwhile, the total C content was the dominated predictor of soil P retention and availability. These results suggest that adding 1-4% reed-biochar was more beneficial to mitigate paddy P loss and to enhance soil P availability. This study highlights the importance of understanding how microbial populations mediate P transformation to decipher the biochar-driven improvement of soil P utilization.

Synthesis of Hemiprotonic Phenanthroline-Phenanthroline+ Compounds with both Antitumor and Antimicrobial Activity.

Currently, cancer patients with microbial infection are a severe challenge in clinical treatment. To address the problem, we synthesized hemiprotonic compounds based on the unique structure of hemiprotonic nucleotide base pairs in a DNA i-motif. These compounds were produced from phenanthroline (ph) dimerization with phenanthroline as a proton receptor and ammonium as a donor. The biological activity shows that the compounds have a selective antitumor effect through inducing cell apoptosis. The molecular mechanism could be related to specific inhibition of transcription factor PLAGL2 of tumor cells, assessed by transcriptomic analysis. Moreover, results show that the hemiprotonic ph-ph+ has broad-spectrum antibacterial and antifungal activities, and drug-resistant bacteria, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, are sensitive to the compound. In animal models of liver cancer with fungal infection, the ph-ph+ retards proliferation of hepatoma cells in tumor-bearing mice and remedies pneumonia and encephalitis caused by Cryptococcus neoformans. The study provides a novel therapeutic candidate for cancer patients accompanied by infection.

Zhikang Capsule Ameliorates Inflammation, Drives Polarization to M2 Macrophages, and Inhibits Apoptosis in Lipopolysaccharide-induced RAW264.7 Cells.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the anti-inflammatory effect of the traditional Chinese medicine Zhikang capsule (ZKC) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW264.7 cells. METHODS: Safe concentrations of ZKC (0.175, 0.35, and 0.7 mg/mL) were used after the half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of RAW264.7 cells was calculated through the CCK-8 assay. In addition, the optimal intervention duration of ZKC (0.7 mg/mL) on RAW264.7 cells was determined to be 6 h, since all proinflammatory mediators [tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-1 beta (IL-1ß), inteleukin-6 (IL-6), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1)] had a decreasing tendency and relatively down-regulated mRNA expression levels as compared with other durations (4, 8, and 12 h). RAW264.7 cells were pretreated with ZKC at various concentrations (0.175, 0.35 and 0.7 mg/mL) for 6 h and then stimulated with LPS (1 µg/mL) for an additional 12 h. RESULTS: In terms of inflammation, ZKC could reverse LPS-induced upregulation of TNF-α, IL-1ß, IL-6, COX-2, iNOS, and MCP-1 at both the mRNA and protein levels in RAW264.7 cells in a dose-dependent manner. In terms of the NF-κB signaling pathway, ZKC could reduce phosphorylated p65 and promote M2 polarization of RAW264.7 cells under LPS stimulation in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, ZKC exhibited a protective effect on macrophages from apoptosis. CONCLUSION: ZKC exhibited obvious antiinflammatory and anti-apoptotic effects on LPS-induced RAW264.7 cells at the cellular level, and a weakened NF-κB signaling pathway may be a potential significant target.

Ultrasmall MoS2 nanodots-wrapped perfluorohexane nanodroplets for dual-modal imaging and enhanced photothermal therapy.

Development of a multifunctional nanotherapeutic agent with high contrast-enhanced dual-modal imaging and photothermal therapy (PTT) efficacy is of great interest. Combination of ultrasound (US) and computed tomography (CT) imaging offers high spatial resolution images, showing great potential in medical imaging. Herein, the semiconducting perfluorohexane (PFH) nanodroplets, MoS2-PFH-PLLAs, are developed by stabilizing PFH droplets with the coating shell of poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLLA) and encapsulating the droplets with photoabsorbers of ultrasmall molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) nanodots. Upon near-infrared (NIR) irradiation, the MoS2-PFH-PLLAs can absorb the NIR light and convert it into heat, which not only promotes liquid-to-gas phase transition of PFH but also triggers photothermal heating, resulting in contrast-enhanced US/CT imaging and photothermal killing effect in vitro. Furthermore, the production of microbubbles can serve as the blasting agents to collaboratively enhance PTT efficacy after NIR irradiation. When intravenously injected into tumor-bearing mice, the MoS2-PFH-PLLAs exhibit a dual-modal US/CT imaging-guided synergistically therapeutic efficacy under NIR irradiation, resulting in tumor ablation. These nanotherapeutic agents demonstrate good biocompatibility, highly contrast-enhanced US/CT imaging, and combinational enhanced PTT efficacy.

GE11 Peptide Conjugated Liposomes for EGFR-Targeted and Chemophotothermal Combined Anticancer Therapy.

How to actively target tumor sites manipulating the controllable release of the encapsulated anticancer drugs and photosensitizers for synergistic anticancer therapy remains a big challenge. In this study, a cancer cell-targeted, near-infrared (NIR) light-triggered and anticancer drug loaded liposome system (LPs) was developed for synergistic cancer therapy. Photosensitizer indocyanine green (ICG) and chemotherapy drug Curcumin (CUR) were coencapsulated into the liposomes, followed by the surface conjugation of GE11 peptide for epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) targeting on the cancer cell surface. Strictly controlled by NIR light, GE11 peptide modified and CUR/ICG-loaded LPs (GE11-CUR/ICG-LPs) could introduce hyperthermia in EGFR overexpressed A549 cancer cells for photothermal therapy, which could also trigger the increased release of CUR for enhanced cancer cell inhibition. GE11-CUR/ICG-LPs synergized photochemotherapy could induce reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and cytoskeleton disruption to activate stronger apoptotic signaling events than the photothermal therapy or chemotherapy alone by regulating Bax/Bcl-2 and PI3K/AKT pathways. This EGFR-targeted drug-delivery nanosystem with NIR sensitivity may potentially serve in more effective anticancer therapeutics with reduced off-target effects.

Bagging and non-bagging treatment on the dissipation and residue of four mixed application pesticides on banana fruit.

BACKGROUND: Bananas are vulnerable to disease and insect pests after producing fruit. In order to increase the yield and produce high-quality fruit, the insecticides and fungicides are mixed and applied 2-3 times on banana, then the fruit is bagged. Buprofezin, imidacloprid, difenoconazole, and pyraclostrobin are widely used on banana. However, there is a lack of research on the effect of fruit bagging on pesticide dissipation and residues on bananas. RESULTS: A versatile liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method with modified QuEChERS sample preparation has been developed for the determination of buprofezin, imidacloprid, difenoconazole, and pyraclostrobin in bananas. The recovery of four pesticides was satisfactory (74.96-98.63%) with reasonable relative standard deviation (≤ 8.78%). In Hainan and Guangzhou, the half-lives of the four pesticides were 4.68-13.9 and 5.63-20.4 days in non-bagged and bagged bananas, respectively. The significance analysis of the half-lives in the two sites showed that the dissipation rates of the three pesticides (imidacloprid, difenoconazole, pyraclostrobin) on whole bananas were significantly decreased by the effect of bagging (P < 0.05). However, there was no significant difference in the degradation of half-life of buprofezin under bagging and without bagging (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The high vapor pressure and the non-systemic property cause buprofezin to evaporate and dissipate the fastest among the four studied pesticides. The ultimate residues of four pesticides in bananas are lower than the maximum residue limits in China after three times of mixed applications under bagging or non-bagging. The results provide scientific data for evaluating the safety of four pesticides in banana bagging. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.

Treatment with the traditional Chinese medicine BuYang HuanWu Tang induces alterations that normalize the microbiome in ASD patients.

Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are prevalent neurobiological conditions with complicated causes worldwide. Increasing researcher awareness of ASD and accumulated evidence suggest that the development of ASD may be strongly linked to the dysbiosis of the gut microbiota. In addition, most of the current studies have compared autistic children and neurotypical children or have compared ASD patients before and after antibiotic treatment. Treatment of autism with traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has increasingly been promoted, but the relationship between its efficacy and intestinal flora has rarely been reported. Under the premise that treatment with the TCM BuYang HuanWu Tang is effective, we conducted a comparative bioinformatics analysis to identify the overall changes in gut microbiota in relation to ASD by comparing the intestinal flora before and after treatment with TCM and contrasting the intestinal flora with that of healthy controls. At the phylum level, Proteobacteria showed a significant increase in children with ASD, which may be a signature of dysbiosis in the gut microbiota. At the genus level, Blautia, Coprococcus 1, the Lachnospiraceae family, and the Ruminococcaceae family were found at the lowest levels of relative abundance in children with ASD, whereas the abundances of Escherichia-Shigella, Klebsiella, and Flavonifractor were significantly increased compared with those in the healthy control group. In sum, this study characterized the alterations of the intestinal microbiome in children with ASD and its normalization after TCM treatment (TCMT), which may provide novel insights into the diagnosis and therapy of ASD.

Simvastatin alleviated diabetes mellitus-induced erectile dysfunction in rats by enhancing AMPK pathway-induced autophagy.

BACKGROUND: Diabetes mellitus-induced erectile dysfunction is a common diabetic complication, and new therapeutics and the pathogenesis of diabetes mellitus-induced erectile dysfunction need to be investigated. OBJECTIVES: The aim was to investigate the pathogenesis of diabetes mellitus-induced erectile dysfunction and the pharmacological mechanism of simvastatin treatment in diabetes mellitus-induced erectile dysfunction model rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 86 male Sprague Dawley rats aged 8 weeks old were used in this study. The rats were divided into three groups: control (normal), diabetes mellitus-induced erectile dysfunction (streptozotocin-injected), and diabetes mellitus-induced erectile dysfunction + simvastatin (sim). Each group was subdivided into two subgroups for in vitro and in vivo analyses. A bioinformatics method was used to detect differences in gene expression in the corpus cavernosum between normal and diabetes mellitus-induced erectile dysfunction rats. Erectile function was measured by a cavernous nerve electrostimulation test. Corpus cavernosum fibrosis was assessed by Masson staining and Western blotting. Immunofluorescence and Western blotting were performed to explore the differential expression of autophagy-related genes and the AMPK-SKP2-CARM1 pathway genes in rat cavernous smooth muscle cells and the corpus cavernosum. The autophagosomes of the corpus cavernosum tissue were observed by transmission electron microscopy. RESULTS: Autophagy-related genes and pathways (the AMPK and FoxO pathway) were identified by bioinformatics analysis and confirmed at the protein level. Simvastatin, an AMPK agonist, was used to treat diabetes mellitus-induced erectile dysfunction rats for 8 weeks, demonstrating that erectile function was improved for 80.5% (P < .05) of rats. Corpus cavernosum fibrosis was alleviated (P < .05), and autophagy was further enhanced (P < .05); these results might be partially caused by AMPK-SKP2-CARM1 pathway activation (P < .05). DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Simvastatin could enhance protective autophagy by activating the AMPK-SKP2-CARM1 pathway to improve erectile function in diabetes mellitus-induced erectile dysfunction rats.

Effect of Vitamin D Supplementation on Body Composition and Physical Fitness in Healthy Adults: A Double-Blind, Randomized Controlled Trial.

INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to clarify whether 1 year of vitamin D3 supplementation has a direct effect on body composition and physical fitness in healthy adults. METHODS: Ninety-five participants randomly received either 420 IU vitamin D3 per day (n = 48) or placebo (n = 47) in a double-blind manner for 1 year. Lean body mass and percentage body fat were determined. Physical fitness including hand grip strength, leg extension power and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) were assessed. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25[OH]2D) concentrations were assessed using ELISA kits. RESULTS: Serum 25(OH)D and (1,25[OH]2D) concentrations significantly increased by approximately 11.2 ± 9.2 ng/mL (pinteraction <0.001)and 7.0 ± 7.8 pg/mL (pinteraction <0.001) after 1 year of vitamin D3 supplementation respectively. Lean body mass significantly increased from 43.8 ± 9.6 to 44.3 ± 9.8 kg in vitamin D group, while no change was observed in placebo group (from 42.6 ± 8.9 to 42.4± 8.9 kg) after 1 year intervention. Furthermore, no treatment effects on other indicators of body composition and physical fitness were observed. CONCLUSIONS: One year of vitamin D supplementation effectively improves lean body mass, but not muscle strength and CRF in healthy adults.

MTDH/AEG-1 downregulation using pristimerin-loaded nanoparticles inhibits Fanconi anemia proteins and increases sensitivity to platinum-based chemotherapy.

OBJECTIVE: Platinum compounds have been widely used as a primary treatment for many types of cancer. However, resistance is the major cause of therapeutic failure for patients with metastatic or recurrent disease, thus highlighting the need to identify novel factors driving resistance to Platinum compounds. Metadherin (MTDH, also known as AEG-1 and LYRIC), located in a frequently amplified region of chromosome 8, has been consistently associated with resistance to chemotherapeutic agents, though the precise mechanisms remain incompletely defined. METHODS: The mRNA of FANCD2 and FANCI was pulled down by RNA-binding protein immunoprecipitation. Pristimerin-loaded nanoparticles were prepared using the nanoprecipitation method. Immunocompromised mice bearing patient-derived xenograft tumors were treated with pristimerin-loaded nanoparticles, cisplatin and a combination of the two. RESULTS: MTDH, through its recently discovered role as an RNA binding protein, regulates expression of FANCD2 and FANCI, two components of the Fanconi anemia complementation group (FA) that play critical roles in interstrand crosslink damage induced by platinum compounds. Pristimerin, a quinonemethide triterpenoid extract from members of the Celastraceae family used to treat inflammation in traditional Chinese medicine, significantly decreased MTDH, FANCD2 and FANCI levels in cancer cells, thereby restoring sensitivity to platinum-based chemotherapy. Using a patient-derived xenograft model of endometrial cancer, we discovered that treatment with pristimerin in a novel nanoparticle formulation markedly inhibited tumor growth when combined with cisplatin. CONCLUSIONS: MTDH is involved in post-transcriptional regulation of FANCD2 and FANCI. Pristimerin can increase sensitivity to platinum-based agents in tumors with MTDH overexpression by inhibiting the FA pathway.

Simultaneous determination of six components in commercial Roukou Wuwei pills using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography with diode-array detector.

An efficient ultra-performance liquid chromatography with diode-array detector method was established for simultaneous determination of six active components in Roukou Wuwei pills, namely gallic acid, piperine, costundide, dehydrocostus lactone, isoalantolactone and alantolactone. Chromatographic separation of six components was successfully achieved on an Waters BEH C18 column (50 × 2.1 mm, 1.7 µm) with a mobile phase composed of acetonitrile and water using a gradient elution. Gallic acid and piperine were detected at 270 nm and 343 nm, respectively; while costundide, dehydrocostus lactone, isoalantolactone and alantolactone were simultaneously measured at 225 nm. All six calibration curves showed good linearity (R2 ≥ 0.9994) between the peak area of each component and corresponding concentration. Relative standard deviations for inter- and intra-day precisions were <0.45 and 0.77%, respectively. The mean recovery rates ranged from 96.72 to 102.2% with relative standard deviations <2.07%. The developed method was validated in terms of linearity, precision and accuracy and then successfully applied for the quality control of commercial Roukou Wuwei samples.

Anti-aging effects exerted by Tetramethylpyrazine enhances self-renewal and neuronal differentiation of rat bMSCs by suppressing NF-kB signaling.

In order to improve the therapeutic effects of mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-based therapies for a number of intractable neurological disorders, a more favorable strategy to regulate the outcome of bone marrow MSCs (bMSCs) was examined in the present study. In view of the wide range of neurotrophic and neuroprotective effects, Tetramethylpyrazine (TMP), a biologically active alkaloid isolated from the herbal medicine Ligusticum wallichii, was used. It was revealed that treatment with 30-50 mg/l TMP for 4 days significantly increased cell viability, alleviated senescence by suppressing NF-κB signaling, and promoted bMSC proliferation by regulating the cell cycle. In addition, 40-50 mg/l TMP treatment may facilitate the neuronal differentiation of bMSCs, verified in the present study by presentation of neuronal morphology and expression of neuronal markers: microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP-2) and neuron-specific enolase (NSE). The quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) revealed that TMP treatment may promote the expression of neurogenin 1 (Ngn1), neuronal differentiation 1 (NeuroD) and mammalian achaete-scute homolog 1 (Mash1). In conclusion, 4 days of 40-50 mg/l TMP treatment may significantly delay bMSC senescence by suppressing NF-κB signaling, and enhancing the self-renewal ability of bMSCs, and their potential for neuronal differentiation.

Deposition amount and dissipation kinetics of difenoconazole and propiconazole applied on banana with two commercial spray adjuvants.

A rapid and sensitive method for the simultaneous determination of difenoconazole and propiconazole residues in banana matrices was established using GC-MS/MS. The average recovery rates of difenoconazole and propiconazole from various matrices ranged from 76.7% to 94.9%. The relative standard deviation was between 0.9% and 7.4%. The effect of adding organosilicon and mineral oil adjuvants after being applied to the residues of difenoconazole and propiconazole in banana leaves was examined. The initial deposition amount 2 hours after the adjuvant treatment with organosilicon and mineral oil was 1.22-2.13 times higher than that after water treatment. After adding the two spray adjuvants, the residues of the two pesticides at 2 hours on three samples followed the order leaves > soil > fruit. The degradation half-lives of the two pesticides were in the range of 1.91-7.30 days for all the three treatments in two typical banana-growing areas in China. The degradation half-lives of the two pesticides in the water treatment group and the mineral oil treatment group were similar. However, organosilicon could apparently increase the half-life of difenoconazole on banana leaves. The final levels of difenoconazole and propiconazole residues on whole banana fruits were ≤0.1 mg kg-1 (MRL) 14 days after application. The results of this work may aid the safe use of difenoconazole and propiconazole in banana production, especially when used with organosilicon and mineral oil adjuvants.

Radix Tetrastigma hemsleyani flavone exhibits antitumor activity in colorectal cancer via Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway.

BACKGROUND: Radix Tetrastigma hemsleyani flavone (RTHF) is extracted from a traditional Chinese medicinal herb T. hemsleyani, which is conventionally used as a folk medicine for its anti-inflammation activity and antiviral activity. In this study, the effects of RTHF on inhibiting malignant biological properties in colorectal cancer (CRC) were evaluated by conducting both in vitro and in vivo experiments, and the underlying mechanism was investigated. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cell Counting Kit-8, colony formation, and flow cytometry assays were performed to evaluate the proliferation of RTHF-treated colon tumor cells. Migration and invasion capacities were also tested by cell wound scratch assay and Transwell invasion assay. Moreover, the antitumor effects of RTHF on azoxymethane/dextran sulfate sodium-induced colitis-related CRC were investigated in C57BL/6 mice. In addition, Western blot and/or quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction analysis were used to evaluate the expressions of Lgr5, Cyclin D1, c-Myc, and E-cadherin. RESULTS: These experiments showed that RTHF could decrease the cell growth kinetics and clone-forming capacity. RTHF could also dose dependently induce cell cycle arrest at G0/G1 phase and inhibit epithelial-mesenchymal transition process. Furthermore, downregulation of ß-catenin activation and downstream protein expression were detected in CRC cells after being treated with RTHF. RTHF daily gavage suppressed the number and size of CRC in mice and inhibited Lgr5 and Cyclin D1 expressions in tumor tissue. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, RTHF treatment inhibits colorectal tumor growth, decreases Wnt/ß-catenin pathway activity, and downregulates target genes' expression.

Effectiveness of Aromatherapy Massage and Inhalation on Symptoms of Depression in Chinese Community-Dwelling Older Adults.

OBJECTIVES: Geriatric depression is a major public health problem in China. The study compared the intervention and follow-up effects of aromatherapy massage and inhalation on symptoms of depression in community-dwelling older adults after an 8-week intervention. DESIGN: A prospective, randomized controlled trial was conducted on community-dwelling adults ≥60 years old, with symptoms of depression. Participants were randomly assigned, by Latin Square, to aromatherapy massage, inhalation, or control groups (each n = 20). INTERVENTIONS: The aromatherapy massage group received 30 min of aromatherapy massage with 5 mL oil, twice weekly for 8 weeks. The oil contained 50 µL (one drop) of compound essential oils (lavender [Lavandula angustifolia], sweet orange [Citrus sinensis], and bergamot (Citrus bergamia in a 2:1:1 ratio)], diluted in sweet almond oil to a concentration of 1%. The aromatherapy inhalation group received 30 min of nasal inhalation of 50 µL of the compound essential oils blended in 10 mL of purified water, twice weekly for 8 weeks. The control group received no intervention. OUTCOME MEASURES: The Geriatric Depression Scale Short Form (GDS-SF) and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) were used for assessment at pretest, posttest, and 6- and 10-week follow-ups in all groups. 5-Hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) concentration was assessed pretest and posttest. RESULTS: Postintervention, the aromatherapy massage and inhalation groups demonstrated significantly lower GDS-SF and PHQ-9 scores than control participants. Compared with the pretest, the GDS-SF and PHQ-9 scores for depressive symptoms in both experimental groups remained lower at posttest (8 weeks), 6-week (14 weeks), and 10-week (18 weeks) follow-ups. However, the GDS-SF and PHQ-9 scores did not differ among the four time points in the control group. The posttest 5-HT concentrations in the aromatherapy massage and inhalation groups were increased over pretest values. CONCLUSIONS: Both aromatherapy massage and aromatherapy inhalation may have important implications for intervening depression in older adults.