Curcumin nanoparticles and the therapeutic potential of curcumin for musculoskeletal disorders.

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) are a collection of degenerative conditions impacting the body's bones, joints, muscles, tendons, ligaments, and nerves. MSDs affect approximately 1.71 billion individuals worldwide and are a significant cause of disability. Curcumin is a polyphenolic compound with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antitumor properties. In this review, we will discuss the research progress of structural analogs, derivatives, and nanomaterials that can improve the bioavailability of this natural drug. Curcumin may potentially retard the progression of osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis. These effects may be related to curcumin's targeting of multiple signalling pathways.

First Report of the Root-Knot Nematode Meloidogyne enterolobii infecting Acalypha australis in China.

Copperleaf (Acalypha australis; Euphorbiaceae), widely cultivated in China, is a traditional Chinese herbal medicine that is used for clearing heat and detoxifying, astringency and hemostasis (Zhang and Zhang 1994). In September 2021, wild Asian copperleaf plants showed leaf yellowing in a corner outside a greenhouse (22°50' N; 108°17' E), Guangxi Province, China. Galls and egg masses were observed on the plant roots on approximately 60% of plants. Females and second-stage juveniles (J2) were dissected and extracted from roots with galls. The perineal pattern of females was dorsal-ventrally oval with low and round dorsal arches, lacking clear lateral lines. Morphological measurements of females (n=20; mean ± standard error) were body length (BL) 697.7 ± 17.3 µm, maximum body width (BW) 521.5 ± 18.3 µm, stylet length 14.8 ± 0.3 µm, and dorsal pharyngeal gland orifice to stylet base (DGO) 5.1 ± 0.2µm. J2s (n = 20) were vermiform, had a slender tail, with a tapering to rounded tip with distinct hyaline region at the tail terminus and had the following morphological measurements: BL 475.5 ± 32.7 µm, BW 16.7 ± 0.6 µm, stylet length 14.4 ± 1.4 µm, DGO 3.9 ± 0.1 µm, hyaline tail length 18.0 ± 0.6 µm, and tail length 50.1 ± 1.2 µm. These morphological characteristics fit the description for Meloidogyne enterolobii (Yang and Eisenback 1983). In order to confirm species identification, genomic DNA was extracted from 12 single J2 (Luo et al. 2020). Species identity was further explored by the rDNA-internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region using primers V5367/26S (Vrain et al. 1992), and the D2-D3 fragment of the 28S ribosomal RNA gene using primers D2A/D3B (De Ley et al. 1999). The sequences for the target genes were 733 bp (GenBank accession no. OM168996) and 734 bp (GenBank accession no. OM177195), respectively. Homologies were 99 to 100% identical with those in GenBank for known sequences of M. enterolobii. Furthermore, species identification was confirmed using PCR to amplify a portion of the rDNA-IGS2 with M. enterolobii-specific primers Me-F/Me-R (Long et al. 2006). Koch's postulates was tested in a greenhouse at 25 to 28˚C temperature. Eggs were multiplied on tomato in the greenhouse using a single egg mass hand-picked from originally natural infected A. australis roots. Fifteen A. australis seedlings maintained in 14.5-cm diameter and 10-cm high pots containing autoclaved sandy soil (sand/soil = 3:1), one seedling/pot, inoculated with 5,000 eggs/plant, and five noninoculated seedlings were used as controls. After 60 days, all inoculated plants showed galling root symptoms and the control plants displayed no symptoms. The reproduction factor (Rutter et al. 2021) on A. australis was 4.3. Furthermore, the morphological and molecular characterization of the nematode was identical to the original samples. To our knowledge, this is the first report of M. enterolobii infecting Asian copperleaf that is cultivated in 29 provinces/regions of China. The growers should be aware of this nematode and take measures to avoid spread and serious economic losses.

Assessment of mismatch negativity and P300 response in patients with disorders of consciousness.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate changes in mismatch negativity (MMN) and P300 response in vegetative state (VS) and minimally conscious state (MCS) patients before and after treatment, and their value for prediction of prognosis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Event-related potentials (ERPs), performed on 11 patients classified as VS (n = 6) or MCS (n = 5), and five healthy participants (i.e., control group). We performed a six months telephone follow-up to monitor changes in consciousness recovery. RESULTS: Comparison of the three groups showed significantly higher MMN latency elicited by salient stimuli and P300 elicited by the subject's own name for the VS group, as well as significant difference in amplitudes of MMN elicited by frequent stimuli and P300 elicited by other first names for this group. The source of MMN and P300 responses was the frontal lobe for the control group, and temporal lobe for the VS and MCS groups. CONCLUSIONS: The sudden increase in MMN amplitude and latency shortening may indicate an improvement in the state of consciousness. Neurophysiological evaluations suggest that patients with vegetative state (VS) and minimally conscious state (MCS) may preserve patterns of higher-order cerebral processing similar to those observed in conscious patients.

First Report of Branch Rot of Lonicera japonica Caused by Sclerotium delphinii in China.

Honeysuckle flower (Lonicera japonica Thunb.) is a perennial, traditional Chinese medicine plant, widely cultivated in China. In early June 2013, heavy branch rot infection was observed on L. japonica in an approximately 10,000-m2 field in Linyi, Shandong, China. The disease incidence was 30 to 40%. Early symptoms appeared as small, elliptoid, pale brown lesions on the branches. Lesions expanded into 50 to 100 mm long and 3 to 7 mm wide, brown, elongated spots. The upper branches wilted after the lesions expanded around the stems. A fungus was consistently isolated from stem lesions on potato dextrose agar (PDA) that was morphologically similar to S. delphinii, with white mycelium, round to irregularly shaped reddish-brown sclerotia that were 2 to 4 mm diameter (2). The identity of the fungus was confirmed by DNA sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region (GenBank Accession No. KJ145328), which was 99% homologous to those of other S. delphinii isolates (JN241578 and AB075314) (1). Pathogenicity tests were conducted with three 2-year-old seedlings grown in 20-cm-diameter pots at 25 to 30°C during experiments in greenhouse. Ten branches from the three plants pricked by needle were inoculated with a mycelial plug (0.4 cm diameter) harvested from the periphery of a 4-day-old colony. An equal number of branches pricked by needle serving as controls were mock-inoculated with plugs of PDA medium. Inoculated branches were covered with plastic bags for 24 h to maintain high relative humidity and incubated at about 25°C. Plugs were removed 48 h after inoculation. After 3 days, nine inoculated branches showed symptoms identical to those observed in the field under natural conditions, whereas controls remained symptom-free. Re-isolation of the fungus from lesions on inoculated branches confirmed that the causal agent was S. delphinii. Pathogenicity tests were repeated three times by the same methods with the same results. To our knowledge, this is the first report of S. delphinii infecting Lonicera japonica in China. References: (1) I. Okabe and N. Matsumoto. Mycol. Res. 107:164, 2003. (2) Z. K. Punja and A. Damiani. Mycologia. 88:694, 1996.

Areca nut extracts suppress the differentiation and functionality of human monocyte-derived dendritic cells.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Areca quid chewing, a major risk factor contributing to the occurrence of oral cancer and precancer, has been reported to be associated with the severity and high prevalence of periodontal diseases in areca quid chewers. As dendritic cells are critically involved in the regulation of innate and adaptive immunity in oral mucosa, the objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of areca nut extracts (ANE) on the differentiation and reactivity of dendritic cells derived from monocytes. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Human peripheral blood monocytes were cultured in the presence of granulocyte-monocyte colony-stimulating factor and interleukin-4 for 7 d to generate dendritic cells. To examine the effect of ANE on the generation of dendritic cells, the monocytes were exposed to ANE throughout the 7 d culture period. In addition, the effect of ANE on the maturation of monocyte-derived dendritic cells induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was examined. RESULTS: Monocytes cultured in granulocyte-monocyte colony-stimulating factor and interleukin-4 exhibited a typical phenotype of dendritic cells, as evidenced by the heightened expression of human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-DR, CD11c and the co-stimulatory molecules CD40, CD80 and CD86. Exposure of the monocytes to ANE did not influence the expression of HLA-DR and CD11c, but markedly attenuated the proportion of CD40-positive cells and the mean fluorescence intensity of CD86. The expression of co-stimulatory molecules in LPS-activated dendritic cells was not affected, whereas the mRNA expression of interleukin-12 induced by LPS was markedly suppressed by ANE treatment in a concentration-dependent manner. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that ANE exposure interfered with the differentiation of dendritic cells from monocytes. Moreover, the functionality of mature monocyte-derived dendritic cells was attenuated in the presence of ANE.

Narrowband ultraviolet B phototherapy for patients with refractory uraemic pruritus: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Pruritus is very common in uraemic patients, but the treatment remains challenging. Studies regarding narrowband ultraviolet B (NB-UVB) phototherapy for uraemic pruritus are rare. OBJECTIVES: To investigate whether or not NB-UVB phototherapy is an effective treatment for uraemic pruritus. METHODS: We conducted a single-blind, randomized, controlled trial for patients with refractory uraemic pruritus. The treatment group received NB-UVB phototherapy three times per week for 6 weeks. The dose of NB-UVB started from 210 mJ cm(-2) and was increased by 10% each time. The control group received time-matched exposures to long-wave UVA radiation. A visual analogue scale (VAS) score was evaluated weekly for pruritus intensity for 12 weeks. The characteristics of pruritus were also assessed by a questionnaire at baseline and after 6 weeks of phototherapy. RESULTS: Both the NB-UVB and control groups had significant and comparable improvement in the pruritus intensity VAS scores during the period of phototherapy and follow-up. Compared with the control group, the NB-UVB group showed a significant improvement in the involved body surface area affected by pruritus (P = 0·006), but not in sleep quality. More detailed regression and estimating analysis revealed that the patients in the NB-UVB group had lower pruritus intensity scores at week 6, week 10 and week 12. This may indicate a beneficial difference at certain time points, but the effect seems marginal. CONCLUSIONS: NB-UVB phototherapy does not show a significant effect in reducing pruritus intensity compared with a control group for refractory uraemic pruritus. Further studies are warranted.

Oral bacterial therapy promotes recovery from acute diarrhea in children.

Lactobacilli in the intestines play an important role in developing natural defenses against both intestinal bacterial and viral infections. So a prospective clinical study was carried out at Cathay General Hospital to determine the effect of Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium infantis on the course of acute diarrhea in hospitalized children. Altogether 100 children between 6 and 60 months of age were collected and randomly allocated into 2 groups. Study group (n = 50) was given Infloran Berna, which contains 10(9) viable Lactobacillus acidophilus and 10(9) Bifidobacterium infantis, one capsule tid for 4 days and control group (n = 50) received parenteral rehydration only without any medication. Only 20 stool cultures in study group had positive culture results for Lactobacillus or Bifidobacterium. All children were evaluated for the degree of dehydration before rehydration. The clinical course of diarrhea was followed during the treatment period. Features on admission were similar between the study group and control group in age, duration of diarrhea at home, serum sodium & potassium and dehydration degree. The duration of diarrhea was defined as the time until the last appearance of watery stool. There was no difference between the study group and control group in the frequency of diarrhea stools on the day before admission (p > 0.05). However, the frequency of diarrhea for study group improved on the first and second day of hospitalization with statistical difference (p < 0.01). The duration of diarrhea during hospitalization in study group also decreased (3.1 vs. 3.6 days, p < 0.01). Oral bacterial therapy is an effective adjuvant therapy in rotavirus positive and negative children with diarrhea and can safely be administered during an episode of acute diarrhea.

Changes in myocardial thyroid hormone metabolism and alpha-glycerophosphate dehydrogenase activity in rats deficient in iodine and selenium.

Weanling Wistar rats were fed on diets prepared from grain from areas deficient in I and Se where Keshan disease in endemic. Rats were divided into four groups, each of twelve rats, and received a diet supplemented with: I, Se, I + Se or nothing. At 8 weeks after weaning, myocardial alpha-glycerophosphate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.8; alpha-GPD) activity and indices of Se and thyroid hormone status were determined. The group supplemented with iodine had increased plasma thyroxine levels. There was no difference in plasma triiodothyronine concentration between the groups but triiodothyronine levels in heart were reduced in the Se-supplemented group. Se supplementation increased myocardial glutathione peroxidase activity (EC 1.11.1.9) and the type I 5'-deiodinase (EC 3.8.1.4) activity in rat liver, but no type I 5'-deiodinase activity was detected in heart. alpha-GDP activity in heart was increased in group supplemented with Se, I or both. There was a significant relationship (P < 0.05) between myocardial alpha-GDP activity and plasma thyroxine levels but not between alpha-GDP and myocardial glutathione peroxidase activity. The results indicate that iodine may be more important than Se in energy metabolism in the myocardium, which may give a new insight for the study of the aetiology of Keshan disease in areas where foodstuffs are deficient in both Se and I.

[Selenium deficiency and thyroid hormone metabolism and function].

Type I 5'-deiodinase is a Se-containing enzyme. If Se is deficient, the deiodinase activity would be inhibited, the level of circulation T4 will be elevated, and the concentration T3 in peripheral tissues will be decreased. Se deficiency will also accelerate the iodine depletion of thyroid and may even exacerbate some detrimental effects of iodine deficiency. Possibly Se deficiency is involved in the occurrence and development of iodine deficient disorders. Keshan disease, with Se deficiency as the major cause, was also observed a change of thyroid hormone metabolism. The change of respiratory enzyme activities in myocardium of Keshan disease is in the way somewhat like that of hypothyroidism caused by iodine deficiency. The metabolic change of thyroid hormone after Se deficiency or iodine deficiency may be related to the occurrence of Keshan disease.