Preparation, characterization and cytotoxicity assessment of a novel selenized polysaccharide from Morchella sextelata.

Selenylation modification has been widely developed to improve the biological effects of natural polysaccharides. In this study, a purified new polysaccharide (MSP-4) was isolated from Morchella Sextelata, and selenized into SeMSP-4 using the HNO3-Na2SeO3 method. The selenium (Se) content of SeMSP-4 was 101.81 ± 9.90 mg/kg, and the molecular weight of SeMSP-4 was 1.23 × 105 Da. The FT-IR, XRD and AFM results showed that MSP-4 was successfully combined with the Se element. The structure characters of SeMSP-4 were analyzed by methylation analysis combined with 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy. And, the radical scavenging test revealed that SeMSP-4 exhibited higher antioxidant capacities in vitro than MSP-4. The cytotoxicity analysis indicated that SeMSP-4 could dose-dependently inhibit the proliferation of HepG2 and HeLa cells, but did not show a cytotoxic effect on normal cells (HEK293). Furthermore, SeMSP-4 stimulation significantly increased the macrophage viability and enhanced NO production in macrophage cells. This study suggested that SeMSP-4 could be utilized as a potential selenium source with antioxidant, antitumor, and immunostimulatory activities.

Clonal integration of stress signal induces morphological and physiological response of root within clonal network.

Clonal integration of defense or stress signal induced systemic resistance in leaf of interconnected ramets. However, similar effects of stress signal in root are poorly understood within clonal network. Clonal fragments of Centella asiaticas with first-young, second-mature, third-old and fourth-oldest ramets were used to investigate transportation or sharing of stress signal among interconnected ramets suffering from low water availability. Compared with control, oxidative stress in root of the first-young, second-mature and third-old ramets was significantly alleviated by exogenous ABA application to the fourth-oldest ramets as well as enhancement of antioxidant enzyme (SOD, POD, CAT and APX) activities and osmoregulation ability. Surface area and volume in root of the first-young ramets were significantly increased and total length in root of the third-old ramets was significantly decreased. POD activity in root of the fourth-oldest and third-old ramets was significantly enhanced by exogenous ABA application to the first-young ramets. Meanwhile, total length and surface area in root of the fourth-oldest and third-old ramets were significantly decreased. Ratio of belowground to aboveground biomass in the whole clonal fragments was significantly increased by exogenous ABA application to the fourth-oldest or first-young ramets. It is suggested that transportation or sharing of stress signal may induce systemic resistance in root of interconnected ramets. Specially, transportation or sharing of stress signal against phloem flow was observed in the experiment. Possible explanation is that rapid recovery of foliar photosynthesis in first-young ramets subjected to exogenous ABA application can partially reverse phloem flow within clonal network. Thus, our experiment provides insight into ecological implication on clonal integration of stress signal.

Modulating the polarization phenotype of microglia - A valuable strategy for central nervous system diseases.

Central nervous system (CNS) diseases have become one of the leading causes of death in the global population. The pathogenesis of CNS diseases is complicated, so it is important to find the patterns of the disease to improve the treatment strategy. Microglia are considered to be a double-edged sword, playing both harmful and beneficial roles in CNS diseases. Therefore, it is crucial to understand the progression of the disease and the changes in the polar phenotype of microglia to provide guidance in the treatment of CNS diseases. Microglia activation may evolve into different phenotypes: M1 and M2 types. We focused on the roles that M1 and M2 microglia play in regulating intercellular dialogues, pathological reactions and specific diseases in CNS diseases. Importantly, we summarized the strategies used to modulate the polarization phenotype of microglia, including traditional pharmacological modulation, biological therapies, and physical strategies. This review will contribute to the development of potential strategies to modulate microglia polarization phenotypes and provide new alternative therapies for CNS diseases.

Corydalis yanhusuo Polysaccharides Ameliorate Chronic Stress-Induced Depression in Mice through Gut Microbiota-Derived Short-Chain Fatty Acid Activation of 5-Hydroxytryptamine Signaling.

Depression, a prevalent psychiatric disorder, presents a serious health risk to humans. Increasing evidence suggested that the gut microbiota and the 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) pathway both contribute significantly to depression. This research aimed to investigate how Corydalis yanhusuo polysaccharides (CYP) could potentially alleviate depression induced by chronic unpredictable mild stress in mice, as well as its underlying mechanism. The sucrose preference test, tail suspension test, and forced swimming test were employed to evaluate the behavior of mice. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and PCR techniques were utilized to measure depression-related factors (dopamine [DA], 5-HT, norepinephrine [NE], brain-derived neurotrophic factor [BDNF], tryptophan hydroxylase 2 [TPH-2], 5-hydroxytryptophan [5-HTP], and tryptophan hydroxylase [TPH-1] levels). Hematoxylin and eosin staining and Nissl staining were conducted to observe histopathological changes in the hippocampus, the differences in the diversity of gut flora between groups were analyzed using 16S rRNA sequencing, and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry metabolomics was utilized to evaluate short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) concentrations. The findings indicated that CYP treatment increased the sucrose preference index, decreased the immobility time, and improved neuropathological injury. In depressed mice, CYP improved the dysregulation of the gut microbiota, and increased the SCFA levels. In addition, CYP enhanced the DA, 5-HT, NE, BDNF, and TPH-2 levels in the brain and the expression of 5-HTP and TPH-1 in the colon, while SCFAs were positively correlated with these levels. In summary, our study suggested that CYP may mitigate depression by ameliorating gut microbiota dysregulation, promoting the generation of SCFAs, and activation of 5-HT signaling expression.

Protective Effects and Mechanisms of Huangqi Decoction Against Radiation-Induced Bystander Effects / Efectos Protectores y Mecanismos de la Decocción de Huangqi Contra los Efectos Secundarios Inducidos por la Radiación

SUMMARY: The 12C6+ heavy ion beam irradiation can cause bystander effects. The inflammatory cytokines, endocrine hormones and apoptotic proteins may be involved in 12C6+ irradiation-induced bystander effects. This study characterized the protective effects and mechanisms of Huangqi decoction (HQD) against 12C6+ radiation induced bystander effects. Wistar rats were randomly divided into control, 12C6+ heavy ion irradiation model, and high-dose/medium-dose/low-dose HQD groups. HE staining assessed the pathological changes of brain and kidney. Peripheral blood chemical indicators as well as inflammatory factors and endocrine hormones were detected. Apoptosis was measured with TUNEL. Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) expression was determined with real-time PCR and Western blot.Irradiation induced pathological damage to the brain and kidney tissues. After irradiation, the numbers of white blood cells (WBC) and monocyte, and the expression of interleukin (IL)-2, corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) and PCNA decreased. The damage was accompanied by increased expression of IL-1β, IL-6, corticosterone (CORT) and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) as well as increased neuronal apoptosis. These effects were indicative of radiation-induced bystander effects. Administration of HQD attenuated the pathological damage to brain and kidney tissues, and increased the numbers of WBC, neutrophils, lymphocyte and monocytes, as well as the expression of IL-2, CRH and PCNA. It also decreased the expression of IL-1β, IL-6, CORT and ACTH as well as neuronal apoptosis. HQD exhibits protective effects against 12C6+ radiation-induced bystander effects. The underlying mechanism may involve the promotion of the production of peripheral blood cells, inhibition of inflammatory factors and apoptosis, and regulation of endocrine hormones.

La irradiación con haz de iones pesados 12C6+ puede provocar efectos secundarios. Las citoquinas inflamatorias, las hormonas endocrinas y las proteínas apoptóticas pueden estar involucradas en los efectos secundarios inducidos por la irradiación 12C6+. Este estudio caracterizó los efectos y mecanismos protectores de la decocción de Huangqi (HQD) contra los efectos externos inducidos por la radiación 12C6+. Las ratas Wistar se dividieron aleatoriamente en grupos control, modelo de irradiación de iones pesados 12C6+ y grupos de dosis alta/media/baja de HQD. La tinción con HE evaluó los cambios patológicos del cerebro y el riñón. Se detectaron indicadores químicos de sangre periférica, así como factores inflamatorios y hormonas endocrinas. La apoptosis se midió con TUNEL. La expresión del antígeno nuclear de células en proliferación (PCNA) se determinó mediante PCR en tiempo real y transferencia Western blot. La irradiación indujo daños patológicos en los tejidos cerebrales y renales. Después de la irradiación, disminuyó el número de glóbulos blancos (WBC) y monocitos, y la expresión de interleucina (IL)-2, hormona liberadora de corticotropina (CRH) y PCNA. El daño estuvo acompañado por una mayor expresión de IL-1β, IL-6, corticosterona (CORT) y hormona adrenocorticotrópica (ACTH), así como un aumento de la apoptosis neuronal. Estas alteraciones fueron indicativas de efectos inducidos por la radiación. La administración de HQD atenuó el daño patológico a los tejidos cerebrales y renales, y aumentó el número de leucocitos y monocitos, así como la expresión de IL-2, CRH y PCNA. También disminuyó la expresión de IL-1β, IL-6, CORT y ACTH, así como la apoptosis neuronal. HQD exhibe mecanismos protectores contra los efectos externos inducidos por la radiación 12C6+. El mecanismo subyacente puede implicar la promoción de la producción de células sanguíneas periféricas, la inhibición de factores inflamatorios y la apoptosis y la regulación de hormonas endocrinas.

Effects of pre-sleep protein supplementation on plasma markers of muscle damage and inflammatory cytokines resulting from sprint interval training in trained swimmers.

BACKGROUND: Pre-sleep protein has been shown to improve muscle recovery overnight following exercise-induced muscle damage. Whether such an approach affects recovery from sprint interval training (SIT) has yet to be elucidated. This study examined the effects of protein supplementation every night before sleep on early (45 min post-SIT) and late (24 and 48 h after SIT) responses of creatine kinase (CK) and inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin-6 and 10 (IL-6 and IL-10) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα). METHODS: Twenty trained swimmers underwent a 2-week in-water swimming SIT (two sets of 12 × 50-m all-out swims, interspersed by 1:1 recovery between each sprint and 3 min of rest between sets) and were randomized to two intervention groups receiving either 0.5 g kg-1 day-1 protein beverage (PRO) or the same amount of carbohydrate (CHO) preceding going to bed every night. For initial and final training sessions, CK and cytokine responses were analyzed at different time points, including resting, immediately after completion, 45 min post-SIT, and 24 and 48 h after SIT. RESULTS: CK concentrations elevated from resting point to 24 and 48 h post-SIT for both PRO and CHO groups (p < 0.05). In both training groups, the peak levels of IL-6 and 10 were observed 45 min post-SIT on both occasions. TNFα levels significantly elevated from rest to immediately after SIT (p < 0.001) and returned to values equivalent to the baseline afterward in both groups and on both occasions. In both groups, swimming SIT also switched the cytokine response 48 hours after exercise to an anti-inflammatory status by decreasing the ratio of IL-6 to IL-10 (p < 0.04) in the last training session. CONCLUSIONS: Pre-sleep protein ingestion failed to ameliorate blood markers of muscle damage. The late anti-inflammatory profile of cytokines and exercise-induced muscle damage improved after two weeks of swimming SIT with either protein or carbohydrate ingestion before sleep.

Ultrasound image segmentation using Gamma combined with Bayesian model for focused-ultrasound-surgery lesion recognition.

This study aims to investigate the feasibility of combined segmentation for the separation of lesions from non-ablated regions, which allows surgeons to easily distinguish, measure, and evaluate the lesion area, thereby improving the quality of high-intensity focused-ultrasound (HIFU) surgery used for the non-invasive tumor treatment. Given that the flexible shape of the Gamma mixture model (GΓMM) fits the complex statistical distribution of samples, a method combining the GΓMM and Bayes framework is constructed for the classification of samples to obtain the segmentation result. An appropriate normalization range and parameters can be used to rapidly obtain a good performance of GΓMM segmentation. The performance values of the proposed method under four metrics (Dice score: 85%, Jaccard coefficient: 75%, recall: 86%, and accuracy: 96%) are better than those of conventional approaches including Otsu and Region growing. Furthermore, the statistical result of sample intensity indicates that the finding of the GΓMM is similar to that obtained by the manual method. These results indicate the stability and reliability of the GΓMM combined with the Bayes framework for the segmentation of HIFU lesions in ultrasound images. The experimental results show the possibility of combining the GΓMM with the Bayes framework to segment lesion areas and evaluate the effect of therapeutic ultrasound.

Efficacy of hyperthermic intrathoracic chemotherapy for initially diagnosed lung cancer with symptomatic malignant pleural effusion.

Initially diagnosed malignant pleural effusion (MPE) has different systematic treatments, and defining the best drainage regimen according to the responsiveness of MPE to different systematic treatments is important. This study compared the efficacy of hyperthermic intrathoracic chemotherapy (HITHOC) and pleural catheter drainage (IPCD) for initially diagnosed lung cancer with symptomatic MPE. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of initially diagnosed lung cancer patients with symptomatic MPE between January 2018 and May 2022. The patients were treated with IPCD or HITHOC for local control of MPE after diagnosis. Systematic regimens were conducted during 1 month according to guidelines after local treatment. Intrathoracic MPE progression-free survival (iPFS) and overall survival (OS) were calculated, Univariate and multivariable Cox-regression were used to identify factors associated with iPFS and OS. A total of 33 patients were evaluated; 10 (30.3%) patients received IPCD, and 23 (69.7%) patients received HITHOC. No difference in the MPE control rate at 1 month was found between the IPCD group (90%) and HITHOC group (95.7%). However, this control rate was significantly higher in the HITHOC group (69.6%) than in the IPCD group (30%) at 3 months (P = 0.035). Multivariate analysis showed that receiving tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) or chemotherapy was a significant protective factor for iPFS (HR = 0.376, 95% CI 0.214-0.659, P = 0.007) and OS (HR = 0.321, 95% CI 0.174-0.594, P < 0.001). According to subgroup analysis, among patients treated with TKIs, those who received HITHOC had longer iPFS and OS than those who received IPCD (P = 0.011 and P = 0.002, respectively), but this difference was not found in the palliative care subgroup. Moreover, no patients treated with chemotherapy showed reaccumulation of MPE. Systematic TKIs or chemotherapy prolonged iPFS and OS for those initially diagnosed with lung cancer with symptomatic MPE. HITHOC prolonged iPFS and OS for those treated with systematic TKIs.

Phloretin-induced STAT3 inhibition suppresses pancreatic cancer growth and progression via enhancing Nrf2 activity.

BACKGROUND: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a malignant pancreatic tumor charactered by a rapid progression and high lethal rate. Hyperactivation of STAT3 signaling exerts a vital effect on the growth and progression of PDAC. While dietary flavonoid phloretin has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities, it remains unclear whether phloretin has anti-tumor effects on PDAC. PURPOSE: The focus of the present study is to elucidate the effects of phloretin on PDAC and investigate its underlying molecular mechanisms. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Effect of phloretin were assessed in the pancreatic cancer cells (PCCs) by colony formation assay, real-time cell analysis, flow cytometry, Immunofluorescence staining, and cell migration assay. The expressions of mRNA and protein were respectively analyzed by quantitative PCR and Western blotting. A xenograft model was used to appraise the antitumor efficacy of phloretin. RESULTS: Phloretin treatment significantly restrained cell viability and metastasis, induced DNA injury and ROS accumulation, and triggered mitochondrial-dependent apoptosis in PCCs. Mechanistically, phloretin exhibits anti-tumor potential via inactivating STAT3 signaling and enhancing Nrf2 activity. STAT3 overexpression and Nrf2 silencing partially relieved phloretin-induced inhibition on cell growth and metastasis in PCCs. Phloretin remarkably blocked pancreatic tumor growth and metastasis in vivo. CONCLUSIONS: Phloretin suppresses pancreatic cancer growth and progression through inhibition of STAT3 mediated by enhancing Nrf2 activity. Phloretin may serve as a promising therapeutic agent for PDAC.

San Huang Xiao Yan recipe modulates the HMGB1-mediated abnormal inflammatory microenvironment and ameliorates diabetic foot by activating the AMPK/Nrf2 signalling pathway.

BACKGROUND: Diabetic foot (DF) is one of the serious complications of diabetes and lacks of therapeutic drugs. Abnormal and chronic inflammation promoting foot infection and wound healing delay are the main pathogenesis of DF. The traditional prescription San Huang Xiao Yan Recipe (SHXY) has been used in the clinical treatment of DF for several decades as approved hospital experience prescription and showed remarkable therapeutic effect, but the mechanisms by which SHXY treats DF are still unclear. PURPOSE: Objectives of this study were to investigate SHXY anti-inflammatory effect on DF and explore the molecular mechanism for SHXY. METHODS: We detected the effects of SHXY on DF in C57 mouse and SD rat DF models. Animal blood glucose, weight and wound area were detected every week. Serum inflammatory factors were detected by ELISA. H&E and Masson's trichrome were used to observe tissue pathology. Single-cell sequencing data reanalysis revealed the role of M1 macrophages in DF. Venn analysis showed the co-target genes between DF M1 macrophages and compound-disease network pharmacology. Western blotting was used to explored target protein expression. Meanwhile, RAW264.7 cells were treated with drug-containing serum of SHXY to further unravel the roles of target proteins during high glucose-induced inflammation in vitro. The Nrf2 inhibitor ML385 was used on RAW 264.7 cells to further explore the relationship between Nrf2, AMPK and HMGB1. The main components of SHXY were analysed by HPLC. Finally, the treatment effect of SHXY on DF were detected on rat DF model. RESULTS: In vivo, SHXY can ameliorate inflammatory, accelerate wound healing and upregulate expression of Nrf2, AMPK and downregulate of HMGB1. Bioinformatic analysis showed that M1 macrophages were the main inflammatory cell population in DF. Moreover, the Nrf2 downstream proteins HO-1 and HMGB1 were potential DF therapeutic targets for SHXY. In vitro, we also found that SHXY increased AMPK and Nrf2 protein levels and downregulated HMGB1 expression in RAW264.7 cells. Inhibiting the expression of Nrf2 impaired the inhibition effect of SHXY on HMGB1. SHXY promoted Nrf2 translocation into the nucleus and increased the phosphorylation of Nrf2. SHXY also inhibited HMGB1 extracelluar release under high glucose. In rat DF models, SHXY also exhibited significant anti-inflammatory effect. CONCLUSION: The SHXY activated AMPK/Nrf2 pathway to suppress abnormal inflammation on DF via inhibiting HMGB1 expression. These findings provide novel insight into the mechanisms by which SHXY treats DF.

Synthesis, characterization, and cytotoxicity analysis of selenium nanoparticles stabilized by Morchella sextelata polysaccharide.

Natural bioactive molecules have been widely used as stabilizers in the functional improvement of selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) in recent years. In this study, Morchella sextelata polysaccharide (MSP) was introduced as a novel stabilizer for the synthesis of SeNPs based on the redox system of sodium selenite and ascorbic acid. The size, morphology, stability, and anti-cancer cell activities were respectively analyzed by various methods. The results showed that the synthesized SeNPs with MSP were 72.07 ± 0.53 nm in size, red in color, spherical in shape, and amorphous in nature. MSP-SeNPs showed high scavenging activity against DPPH and ABTS radicals. And, these MSP-SeNPs exhibited a significant anti-proliferation effect on human liver (HepG2) and cervical cancer (Hela) cells in vitro, while no significant cytotoxicity against normal human kidney cells (HK-2) was observed. Moreover, the mitochondria-dependent apoptosis pathway triggered by MSP-SeNPs in HepG2 cell was identified. The expression levels of p53, Bax, cytochrome c, caspase-3 and caspase-9 were all up-regulated in HepG2 cells after MSP-SeNPs treatment, while Bcl-2 expression was down-regulated. These results suggest that MSP-SeNPs have strong potential as the food supplement for application in cancer chemoprevention.

Integration of molecular docking, molecular dynamics and network pharmacology to explore the multi-target pharmacology of fenugreek against diabetes.

Fenugreek is an ancient herb that has been used for centuries to treat diabetes. However, how the fenugreek-derived chemical compounds work in treating diabetes remains unclarified. Herein, we integrate molecular docking and network pharmacology to elucidate the active constituents and potential mechanisms of fenugreek against diabetes. First, 19 active compounds from fenugreek and 71 key diabetes-related targets were identified through network pharmacology analysis. Then, molecular docking and simulations results suggest diosgenin, luteolin and quercetin against diabetes via regulation of the genes ESR1, CAV1, VEGFA, TP53, CAT, AKT1, IL6 and IL1. These compounds and genes may be key factors of fenugreek in treating diabetes. Cells results demonstrate that fenugreek has good biological safety and can effectively improve the glucose consumption of IR-HepG2 cells. Pathway enrichment analysis revealed that the anti-diabetic effect of fenugreek was regulated by the AGE-RAGE and NF-κB signalling pathways. It is mainly associated with anti-oxidative stress, anti-inflammatory response and ß-cell protection. Our study identified the active constituents and potential signalling pathways involved in the anti-diabetic effect of fenugreek. These findings provide a theoretical basis for understanding the mechanism of the anti-diabetic effect of fenugreek. Finally, this study may help for developing anti-diabetic dietary supplements or drugs based on fenugreek.

Natural essential oils derived from herbal medicines: A promising therapy strategy for treating cognitive impairment.

Cognitive impairment (CI), mainly Alzheimer's disease (AD), continues to increase in prevalence and is emerging as one of the major health problems in society. However, until now, there are no first-line therapeutic agents for the allopathic treatment or reversal of the disease course. Therefore, the development of therapeutic modalities or drugs that are effective, easy to use, and suitable for long-term administration is important for the treatment of CI such as AD. Essential oils (EOs) extracted from natural herbs have a wide range of pharmacological components, low toxicity, and wide sources, In this review, we list the history of using volatile oils against cognitive disorders in several countries, summarize EOs and monomeric components with cognitive improvement effects, and find that they mainly act by attenuating the neurotoxicity of amyloid beta, anti-oxidative stress, modulating the central cholinergic system, and improving microglia-mediated neuroinflammation. And combined with aromatherapy, the unique advantages and potential of natural EOs in the treatment of AD and other disorders were discussed. This review hopes to provide scientific basis and new ideas for the development and application of natural medicine EOs in the treatment of CI.

Patient Experience of Photobiomodulation Therapy in Head and Neck Chronic Lymphedema.

Purpose: Lymphedema is a common late effect of head and neck cancer treatment that causes various symptoms, functional impairment, and poor quality of life. We completed a pilot, prospective, single-arm clinical trial to determine the feasibility and potential efficacy of the use of photobiomodulation (PBM) therapy for head and neck lymphedema. In this study, we report patients' perceived treatment experience of PBM therapy and provide suggestions to better understand head and neck cancer survivors' experience of PBM therapy. Methods: Head and neck cancer patients who underwent PBM therapy completed face-to-face semi-structured interviews. Interviews were audio-recorded and then transcribed verbatim. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyze the transcriptions from the interviews. Results: Among 12 participants who consented for the study, 11 (91.7%) completed the PBM therapy. Participants described positive experiences and unique benefits about the PBM therapy, for example, decreased swelling, reduced tightness, increased range of motion, increased saliva production, and improved ability to swallow. Some participants (n = 5, 45.5%) delineated challenges related to traffic, travel time, and distance from study location. Many participants proposed suggestions for future research on PBM therapy, for example, research on internal edema and its relationship with swallowing, and indicated patients with severe lymphedema and fibrosis may be more likely to benefit. Conclusions: Findings from this study suggested the potential benefits of PBM therapy in treatment of chronic head and neck lymphedema. Rigorously designed clinical trials are needed to evaluate the effect of PBM therapy for head and neck cancer-related lymphedema. Trial Registration Number and Date of Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03738332; date of registration: November 13, 2018.

Preparation, characterization and safety evaluation of Ligusticum chuanxiong essential oils liposomes for treatment of cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury.

The essential oils of Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort. (CXEO) are considered to be important parts of the pharmacological action of Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort. CXEO have a wide range of applications in various fields. Despite the interesting properties of CXEO, the volatility and low solubility have limited the application. Liposomes are vesicles composed of concentric bilayer lipids arranged around the water environment. Therefore, this study aimed to prepare stable CXEO liposomes (CXEO-LP) to improve the properties. Then, CXEO-LP were prepared by thin film dispersion method and optimized. The results showed that CXEO-LP were well dispersed. Subsequently, in vitro release and antioxidant properties of CXEO-LP were researched. CXEO-LP had slow release effect and oxidation resistance, indicating CXEO-LP may be a potential drug for treating cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury (CIRI). The nasal mucosa toxicity test and acute toxicity test showed that CXEO-LP had no obvious toxicity to nasal cavity, heart, liver, spleen, lung and kidney tissues. Pharmacodynamic studies found that CXEO-LP significantly improved neurological deficits and brain pathology in a mouse model of CIRI compared to CXEO after intranasal administration. In general, this study showed that CXEO-LP were easy to prepare and continuously released, and had an important development prospect in the treatment of CIRI.

Medicine-food herb: Angelica sinensis, a potential therapeutic hope for Alzheimer's disease and related complications.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease, which has brought a huge burden to the world. The current therapeutic approach of one-molecule-one-target strategy fails to address the issues of AD because of multiple pathological features of AD. Traditionally, the herb of Angelica sinensis (AS) comes from the root of an umbrella plant Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels. As a typical medicine-food herb, studies have shown that AS can alleviate AD and AD-complications by multiple targets through the various foundations of pharmaceutical material and dietary supply basis. Therefore, this review summarizes the pharmacological effects of AS for the treatment of AD and AD-complications for the first time. AS contains many effective components, such as ligustilide, z-ligustilide, n-butylidenephthalide, α-pinene, p-cymene, myrcene, ferulic acid, vanillic acid and coniferyl ferulate. It is found that AS, AS-active compounds and AS-compound recipes mainly treat AD through neuroprotective, anti-inflammation, and anti-oxidant effects, improving mitochondrial dysfunction, anti-neuronal apoptosis, regulating autophagy, regulating intestinal flora and enhancing the central cholinergic system, which shows the multi-component and multi-target effect of AS. The role of dietary supplement components in AS for AD intervention is summarized, including vitamin B12, folic acid, arginine, and oleic acid, which can improve the symptoms of AD. Besides, this review focuses on the safety and toxicity evaluation of AS, which provides a basis for its application. This review will provide further support for the research on AD and the application of medicine-food herb AS in a healthy lifestyle in the future.

Natural essential oils efficacious in internal organs fibrosis treatment: Mechanisms of action and application perspectives.

Internal organs fibrosis (IOF) is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in most chronic inflammatory diseases, which is responsible for 45% of deaths due to disease. However, there is a paucity of drugs used to treat IOF, making it urgent to find medicine with good efficacy, low toxic side effects and good prognosis. Essential oils (EOs) extracted from natural herbs with a wide range of pharmacological components, multiple therapeutic targets, low toxicity, and broad sources have unique advantages and great potential in the treatment of IOF. In this review, we summarized EOs and their monomeric components with anti-IOF, and found that they work mainly through inhibiting TGF-ß-related signaling pathways, modulating inflammatory cytokines, suppressing NF-κB, and anti-oxidative stress. The prognostic improvement of natural EOs on IOF was further discussed, as well as the quality and safety issues in the current development of natural EOs. This review hopes to provide scientific basis and new ideas for the development and application of natural medicine EOs in anti-IOF.

Natural essential oils: A promising strategy for treating cardio-cerebrovascular diseases.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Essential oils (EO) are volatile compounds obtained from different parts of natural plants, and have been used in national, traditional and folk medicine to treat various health problems all over the world. Records indicate that in history, herbal medicines rich in EO have been widely used for the treatment of CVDs in many countries, such as China. AIM OF THE STUDY: This review focused on the traditional application and modern pharmacological mechanisms of herbal medicine EO against CVDs in preclinical and clinical trials through multi-targets synergy. Besides, the EO and anti-CVDs drugs were compared, and the broad application of EO was explained from the properties of drugs and aromatic administration routes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Information about EO and CVDs was collected from electronic databases such as Web of Science, ScienceDirect, PubMed, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI). The obtained data sets were sequentially arranged for better understanding of EO' potential. RESULTS: The study showed that EO had significant application in CVDs at different countries or regions since ancient times. Aiming at the complex pathological mechanisms of CVDs, including intracellular calcium overload, oxidative stress, inflammation, vascular endothelial cell injury and dysfunction and dyslipidemia, we summarized the roles of EO on CVDs in preclinical and clinical through multi-targets intervention. Besides, EO had the dual properties of drug and excipients. And aromatherapy was one of the complementary therapies to improve CVDs. CONCLUSIONS: This paper reviewed the EO on traditional treatment, preclinical mechanism and clinical application of CVDs. As important sources of traditional medicines, EO' remarkable efficacy had been confirmed in comprehensive literature reports, which showed that EO had great medicinal potential.

Association between tea consumption and semen quality among 1385 healthy Chinese men.

Information on the association between tea drinking and semen quality is limited. Little is reported on whether tea drinking is benefit to sperm quality. This cross-sectional and longitudinal study was conducted between April 2017 and July 2018. Participants were healthy men who were screened as potential sperm donors recruited at the Hubei Province Human Sperm Bank of China. A structured questionnaires containing sociodemographic information, daily habits, sperm collection-related information was completed for each participant at interview. Repeated semen samples were taken to examine the sperm parameters, including sperm volume, sperm concentration, sperm count, progressive motility, and total motility. A total of 1385 men with 6466 sperm samples were included in this study. Two groups were compared: tea drinking men (389, 28.1%) and non-tea drinking men (996, 71.9%). Compared with subjects who never drink tea, the analyses showed that sperm concentration and total sperm count were higher in tea-consuming subjects. A 10-year period or more duration of tea drinking significantly increased semen concentrations by 16.27% (P < 0.05). Sperm concentration was increased in subjects with a frequency of tea drinking of 3 days or more per week (P < 0.05) or, among men who were occasional alcohol drinkers, when tea concentration was weak (P < 0.05). No evidence of trend effects (P for trend > 0.05) or interaction effects (P for interaction > 0.05) between tea consumption and sperm quality, respectively. Our findings provide evidence that tea drinking may improve male reproductive health. Long-term, frequent, weak tea drinking tends to increase sperm quality among men with low BMI or health-related behaviors like smoking or alcohol intake.

SAGE: Novel Therapy to Reduce Inflammation in a Naturally Occurring-Dog Model of Periodontal Disease.

Objective: To determine the effect of a semi-synthetic-glycosaminoglycan Ether (SAGE) as a universal therapeutic benefit to reduce periodontal inflammation and alveolar bone loss in naturally occurring-beagle-dog model of periodontal disease as a surrogate for human non-risk associated natural periodontitis. Methods: Six adult female dogs with generalized periodontitis were distributed into two groups: control and SAGE treatment (n=3/group). After a 1-hour full-mouth scaling and root planning (SRP) at baseline, control or SAGE treatment (50mg/mL) bioadhesive gel formulation was locally applied for 12 weeks. Various clinical periodontal measurements (probing depth, CAL) were measured at different time periods (baseline, 4, 8 and 12 weeks), and gingival crevicular fluid (GCF), blood samples and gingival tissue biopsies (12 week) were analyzed for inflammatory mediators, collagenases and cell-signaling molecules. Standardized radiographs were taken at baseline and 12week period. Results: SAGE treatment significantly reduced gingival inflammation (GCF flow), pocket depth (PD), and clinical attachment loss (CAL) compared to control. SAGE also considerably reduced alveolar bone loss and reduced MMP-9, IL-6, CRP levels in gingival tissue, GCF and plasma. Cell-signaling molecules in the inflammatory cascade system TLR-2, TLR-4, p38 MAPK, ERK1/2 and NF-kB responded to SAGE in a pattern consistent with reductions at the active phase of the inflammatory process and collagenolysis. Conclusion: In the beagle dog model of periodontitis, local SAGE administration significantly attenuated clinical measures of periodontitis, pro-inflammatory cytokines, MMPs, and signal transduction molecules. All our studies, using in vitro and in vivo models, support the therapeutic potential of SAGE as an innovative adjunct to SRP in the treatment of chronic periodontal disease.