Biomarkers, signaling pathways, and programmed cell death in acute lung injury and its treatment with Traditional Chinese Medicine: a narrative review.

Acute lung injury (ALI) and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) are common life-threatening, high-mortality lung diseases associated with acute and severe inflammation of the lungs. However, research on diagnostic markers and signaling pathways associated with ALI/ARDS is lacking, and no specific drug therapy is available for ALI/ARDS. Therefore, in this study, biomarkers and signaling pathways associated with ALI/ARDS were summarized to provide a reference for future clinical and research work. A review of Traditional Chinese Medicine for the treatment or prevention of ALI/ARDS is also presented to provide a reference for further development of Traditional Chinese Medicine. In summary, this review will help raise awareness of ALI/ARDS and provide insight into the future exploitation of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Dehydroepiandrosterone reduced lipid droplet accumulation via inhibiting cell proliferation and improving mitochondrial function in primary chicken hepatocytes.

Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) possesses fat-reducing effect, while little information is available on whether DHEA regulates cell proliferation and mitochondrial function, which would, in turn, affect lipid droplet accumulation in the broiler. In the present study, the lipid droplet accumulation, cell proliferation, cell cycle and mitochondrial membrane potential were analysis in primary chicken hepatocytes after DHEA treated. The results showed that total area and counts of lipid droplets were significantly decreased in hepatocytes treated with DHEA. The cell viability was significantly increased, while cell proliferation was significantly inhibited in a dose dependent manner in primary chicken hepatocytes after DHEA treated. DHEA treatment significantly increased the cell population in S phase and decreased the population in G2/M in primary chicken hepatocytes. Meanwhile, the cyclin A and cyclin-dependent kinases 2 (CDK2) mRNA abundance were significantly decreased in hepatocytes after DHEA treated. No significant differences were observed in the number of mitochondria, while the mitochondrial membrane permeability and succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) activity were significantly increased in hepatocytes after DHEA treated. In conclusion, our results demonstrated that DHEA reduced lipid droplet accumulation by inhibiting hepatocytes proliferation and enhancing mitochondrial function in primary chicken hepatocytes.

The Linxian cataract studies. Two nutrition intervention trials.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the vitamin/mineral supplements used in two cancer intervention trials affected the risk of developing age-related cataracts. DESIGN: Two randomized, double-masked trials with a duration of 5 to 6 years and end-of-trial eye examinations. SETTING: Rural communes in Linxian, China. PARTICIPANTS: In trial 1, 2141 participants aged 45 to 74 years, and, in trial 2, 3249 participants aged 45 to 74 years. INTERVENTIONS: Multivitamin/mineral supplement or matching placebo in trial 1; factorial design to test the effect of four different vitamin/mineral combinations in trial 2 (retinol/zinc, riboflavin/niacin, ascorbic acid/molybdenum, and selenium/alpha-tocopherol/beta carotene). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Prevalence of nuclear, cortical, and posterior subcapsular cataracts in treatment groups at end of trials. RESULTS: In the first trial, there was a statistically significant 36% reduction in the prevalence of nuclear cataract for persons aged 65 to 74 years who received the supplements. In the second trial, the prevalence of nuclear cataract was significantly lower in persons receiving riboflavin/niacin compared with persons not receiving these vitamins. Again, persons in the oldest group, 65 to 74 years, benefited the most (44% reduction in prevalence). No treatment effect was noted for cortical cataract in either trial. Although the number of posterior subcapsular cataracts was very small, there was a statistically significant deleterious effect of treatment with riboflavin/niacin. CONCLUSIONS: Findings from the two trials suggest that vitamin/mineral supplements may decrease the risk of nuclear cataract. Additional research is needed in less nutritionally deprived populations before these findings can be translated into general nutritional recommendations.