Acupuncture and Doxylamine-Pyridoxine for Nausea and Vomiting in Pregnancy : A Randomized, Controlled, 2 × 2 Factorial Trial.

BACKGROUND: An effective and safe treatment for nausea and vomiting of pregnancy (NVP) is lacking. OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy and safety of acupuncture, doxylamine-pyridoxine, and a combination of both in women with moderate to severe NVP. DESIGN: Multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, 2 × 2 factorial trial. (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT04401384). SETTING: 13 tertiary hospitals in mainland China from 21 June 2020 to 2 February 2022. PARTICIPANTS: 352 women in early pregnancy with moderate to severe NVP. INTERVENTION: Participants received daily active or sham acupuncture for 30 minutes and doxylamine-pyridoxine or placebo for 14 days. MEASUREMENTS: The primary outcome was the reduction in Pregnancy-Unique Quantification of Emesis (PUQE) score at the end of the intervention at day 15 relative to baseline. Secondary outcomes included quality of life, adverse events, and maternal and perinatal complications. RESULTS: No significant interaction was detected between the interventions (P = 0.69). Participants receiving acupuncture (mean difference [MD], -0.7 [95% CI, -1.3 to -0.1]), doxylamine-pyridoxine (MD, -1.0 [CI, -1.6 to -0.4]), and the combination of both (MD, -1.6 [CI, -2.2 to -0.9]) had a larger reduction in PUQE score over the treatment course than their respective control groups (sham acupuncture, placebo, and sham acupuncture plus placebo). Compared with placebo, a higher risk for births with children who were small for gestational age was observed with doxylamine-pyridoxine (odds ratio, 3.8 [CI, 1.0 to 14.1]). LIMITATION: The placebo effects of the interventions and natural regression of the disease were not evaluated. CONCLUSION: Both acupuncture and doxylamine-pyridoxine alone are efficacious for moderate and severe NVP. However, the clinical importance of this effect is uncertain because of its modest magnitude. The combination of acupuncture and doxylamine-pyridoxine may yield a potentially larger benefit than each treatment alone. PRIMARY FUNDING SOURCE: The National Key R&D Program of China and the Project of Heilongjiang Province "TouYan" Innovation Team.

Method for Ferrite Nanomaterials-Mediated Cellular Magnetic Hyperthermia.

Magnetic hyperthermia (MH) mediated by magnetic nanoparticles is one of the most promising antitumor modalities. The past several decades have witnessed great progress for MH antitumor therapy in scientific trials and clinic applications since it was initially advanced by Gilchrist et al. The ultimate object of MH in vivo is to efficiently kill cancer cells, and hence, it is of great importance to develop an optimized cellular MH method to evaluate the therapeutic efficiency in vitro. In this study, we systematically studied the considerable affecting factors of cancer cell-killing efficiency during the cellular MH process, including the region of cell vessel positioned inside the alternating magnetic field copper coil, the magnetic field amplitude, the types of cancer cells, etc. Taking all these into account, we introduced a method for standardizing the cellular MH process to evaluate the cell-killing efficiency.

Comparison and screening of bioactive phenolic compounds in different blueberry cultivars: Evaluation of anti-oxidation and α-glucosidase inhibition effect.

This study was aimed to investigate antioxidation and α-glucosidase inhibition of the bioactive compounds in three cultivars of blueberry ('Northland' (NL) from the hybrid blueberry (V. corymbosum L.×V. angustifolium Aiton), 'Britewell' (BW), and 'Gardenblue' (GB) from the rabbiteye blueberry (Vaccinium ashei Reade)). A total of eighteen anthocyanins were identified and quantified in Anthocyanins (ACNs), among which four acylated anthocyanins were exclusively found in Northland. The blueberry anthocyanin extracts (BAEs) were further measured the antioxidant activity and α-glucosidase inhibition effect. Northland BAEs exhibited significantly superior antioxidant activity compared with BAEs of other cultivars, and the antioxidant activity was correlated with the content of anthocyanins. However, α-glucosidase inhibition test showed that Britewell BAEs had the strongest inhibitory effect. BAEs were further separated into anthocyanin fraction (AF) and copigment fraction (CF). Fifteen phenolic acids and four iridoids were identified in CF. In terms of α-glucosidase inhibition effects, the CF from three cultivars could inhibit α-glucosidase in a dose-dependent manner, while the AF did not show significant inhibitory effects. The blueberry exhibits excellent antioxidant activity and α-glucosidase inhibition.

Botanical compounds and their regulation of nuclear receptor action: the case of traditional Chinese medicine.

Nuclear receptors (NRs) are major pharmacological targets that allow an access to the mechanisms controlling gene regulation. As such, some NRs were identified as biological targets of active compounds contained in herbal remedies found in traditional medicines. We aim here to review this expanding literature by focusing on the informative articles regarding the mechanisms of action of traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs). We exemplified well-characterized TCM action mediated by NR such as steroid receptors (ER, GR, AR), metabolic receptors (PPAR, LXR, FXR, PXR, CAR) and RXR. We also provided, when possible, examples from other traditional medicines. From these, we draw a parallel between TCMs and phytoestrogens or endocrine disrupting chemicals also acting via NR. We define common principle of action and highlight the potential and limits of those compounds. TCMs, by finely tuning physiological reactions in positive and negative manners, could act, in a subtle but efficient way, on NR sensors and their transcriptional network.

Genotypic diversity of an invasive plant species promotes litter decomposition and associated processes.

Following studies that showed negative effects of species loss on ecosystem functioning, newer studies have started to investigate if similar consequences could result from reductions of genetic diversity within species. We tested the influence of genotypic richness and dissimilarity (plots containing one, three, six or 12 genotypes) in stands of the invasive plant Solidago canadensis in China on the decomposition of its leaf litter and associated soil animals over five monthly time intervals. We found that the logarithm of genotypic richness was positively linearly related to mass loss of C, N and P from the litter and to richness and abundance of soil animals on the litter samples. The mixing proportion of litter from two sites, but not genotypic dissimilarity of mixtures, had additional effects on measured variables. The litter diversity effects on soil animals were particularly strong under the most stressful conditions of hot weather in July: at this time richness and abundance of soil animals were higher in 12-genotype litter mixtures than even in the highest corresponding one-genotype litter. The litter diversity effects on decomposition were in part mediated by soil animals: the abundance of Acarina, when used as covariate in the analysis, fully explained the litter diversity effects on mass loss of N and P. Overall, our study shows that high genotypic richness of S. canadensis leaf litter positively affects richness and abundance of soil animals, which in turn accelerate litter decomposition and P release from litter.

[Study on fingerprint of shengxuening tablets].

To establish a method for studying fingerprint of Shengxuening tablets. With chlorin e6 as the reference substance, SHISEIDO Capcell-pak C18 (4.6 mm x 250 mm, 5 microm) analytical column was adopted and eluted with 0.2% formic acid ( containing 20 mmol x L(-1) TBAB) (A) and acetonitrile-methanol-acetone (50: 50: 5) (B). The detection wavelength was set 392 nm. The volume flow rate was 1.0 mL x min(-1). The temperature of column was 45 degrees C. Totally 10 common peaks were indicated on the HPLC fingerprint, with RSDs for variable retention values in common peaks below 0.50%. UPLC/DAD/Q-TOF-MS xevo G2 Q-TOF LC/MS was adopted to preliminarily indentify six chromatographic peaks. The main ingredient in Shengxuening tablets was ferrous derivative, which was mainly composed of Fe chlorin p6, Fe chlorin e6 and Fe isochlorin e4.

Habitat loss other than fragmentation per se decreased nuclear and chloroplast genetic diversity in a monoecious tree.

Generally, effect of fragmentation per se on biodiversity has not been separated from the effect of habitat loss. In this paper, using nDNA and cpDNA SSRs, we studied genetic diversity of Castanopsis sclerophylla (Lindl. & Paxton) Schotty populations and decoupled the effects of habitat loss and fragmentation per se. We selected seven nuclear and six cpDNA microsatellite loci and genotyped 460 individuals from mainland and island populations, which were located in the impoundment created in 1959. Number of alleles per locus of populations in larger habitats was significantly higher than that in smaller habitats. There was a significant relationship between the number of alleles per locus and habitat size. Based on this relationship, the predicted genetic diversity of an imaginary population of size equaling the total area of the islands was lower than that of the global population on the islands. Re-sampling demonstrated that low genetic diversity of populations in small habitats was caused by unevenness in sample size. Fisher's α index was similar among habitat types. These results indicate that the decreased nuclear and chloroplast genetic diversity of populations in smaller habitats was mainly caused by habitat loss. For nuclear and chloroplast microsatellite loci, values of F(ST) were 0.066 and 0.893, respectively, and the calculated pollen/seed dispersal ratio was 162.2. When separated into pre-and post-fragmentation cohorts, pollen/seed ratios were 121.2 and 189.5, respectively. Our results suggest that habitat loss explains the early decrease in genetic diversity, while fragmentation per se may play a major role in inbreeding and differentiation among fragmented populations and later loss of genetic diversity.

[Effect of Bufei Qingyu Granule in mollifying skin of mouse scleroderma model].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect and mechanism of Bufei Qingyu Granule (BQG) in mollifying the skin of scleroderma model mice. METHODS: Scleroderma model induced with bleomycin in BALB/C mice 8-weeks old were administered with different dose of BQG for 26 days. The pathological changes of the mice skin were observed. RESULTS: Treatment with low, medium and high dose of BQG showed a tendency to ameliorate the thickened dermis in scleroderma mice but without statistical significance. Medium and high dose of BQG reduced the perivasculitis of dermis and alleviated the reduction or deletion of accessory structure, such as hair follicle and sweat gland. And the spleen index was lower markedly in mice treated with BQG of any dose than that in the untreated model mice (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: BQG could ameliorate the sclerosed skin in model mice and prevent the occurrence of splenomegaly.