The protective effects of yellow tea extract against loperamide-induced constipation in mice.

Yellow tea, a rare type tea from China, has a rich breadth of functional ingredients and benefits the gastrointestinal tract. However, it is not clear whether the yellow tea extract can alleviate constipation. Therefore, we used loperamide-induced constipation in mice to evaluate the effects of yellow tea extract. Fifty Kunming mice were randomly divided into five groups: normal, model, low-dose yellow tea extract, low-dose yellow tea extract prevention group, and high-dose yellow tea extract prevention group. Mice were administered yellow tea extract for 5 weeks followed by loperamide-induced constipation for the final 2 weeks. The results showed that yellow tea extract alleviated constipation symptoms by improving the fecal water content, defecation weight, and gastrointestinal transit rate. Yellow tea extract intervention also protected colon tissue, regulated serum neurotransmitters, and decreased the vasoactive intestinal peptide level. Furthermore, qRT-PCR indicated that yellow tea extract regulated genes associated with the constipation state, raised 5-HT3 and 5-HT4 and reduced AQP3 and AQP4 mRNA expression. Moreover, we found that yellow tea extract changed the gut microbiota composition. Community diversity and richness were increased and principal co-ordinate analysis demonstrated that the yellow tea extract prophylaxis groups differed from the model group. Difference analysis indicated that yellow tea extract increased Roseburia, Lachnospiraceae_UCG-006, and Bifidobacterium and decreased norank_f_Clostridiales_vadinBB60_group, unclassified_o_Bacteroidales, and Bacteroides, which are correlated with constipation. Based on these results, we believe that regular yellow tea consumption can effectively alleviate constipation.

Network pharmacology and RNA-sequencing reveal the molecular mechanism of Xuebijing injection on COVID-19-induced cardiac dysfunction.

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an emerging infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Up to 20%-30% of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 have evidence of cardiac dysfunction. Xuebijing injection is a compound injection containing five traditional Chinese medicine ingredients, which can protect cells from SARS-CoV-2-induced cell death and improve cardiac function. However, the specific protective mechanism of Xuebijing injection on COVID-19-induced cardiac dysfunction remains unclear. METHODS: The therapeutic effect of Xuebijing injection on COVID-19 was validated by the TCM Anti COVID-19 (TCMATCOV) platform. RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) data from GSE150392 was used to find differentially expressed genes (DEGs) from human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) infected with SARS-CoV-2. Data from GSE151879 was used to verify the expression of Angiotensin I Converting Enzyme 2 (ACE2) and central hub genes in both human embryonic-stem-cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hESC-CMs) and adult human CMs with SARS-CoV-2 infection. RESULTS: A total of 97 proteins were identified as the therapeutic targets of Xuebijing injection for COVID-19. There were 22 DEGs in SARS-CoV-2 infected hiPSC-CMs overlapped with the 97 therapeutic targets, which might be the therapeutic targets of Xuebijing injection on COVID-19-induced cardiac dysfunction. Based on the bioinformatics analysis, 7 genes (CCL2, CXCL8, FOS, IFNB1, IL-1A, IL-1B, SERPINE1) were identified as central hub genes and enriched in pathways including cytokines, inflammation, cell senescence and oxidative stress. ACE2, the receptor of SARS-CoV-2, and the 7 central hub genes were differentially expressed in at least two kinds of SARS-CoV-2 infected CMs. Besides, FOS and quercetin exhibited the tightest binding by molecular docking analysis. CONCLUSION: Our study indicated the underlying protective effect of Xuebijing injection on COVID-19, especially on COVID19-induced cardiac dysfunction, which provided the theoretical basis for exploring the potential protective mechanism of Xuebijing injection on COVID19-induced cardiac dysfunction.

Effectiveness of acupuncture on anxiety disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: A number of studies have shown the positive effects of acupuncture on state anxiety. However, the efficacy of acupuncture in treating anxiety disorder remains unclear. This review and meta-analysis aimed to explore whether acupuncture has a positive effect on anxiety disorder. METHODS: Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) published in English and Chinese were found through various electronic databases, including PubMed, Scopus, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Embase, and the Chinese databases WanFang data, VIP Chinese Sci tech periodical database, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure. The primary outcome variable was extent of anxiety symptoms. The secondary outcomes included side effects and dropout rate. Effect sizes were pooled by random-effects modelling using Rev Man 5.3. RESULTS: Twenty RCTs were included in this systematic review and meta-analysis. All included studies were designed for patients with generalised anxiety disorder (GAD), and 18 studies were published in Chinese. Egger's test showed that the asymmetry of the funnel plot in all studies was not significant (t = - 0.34, p = 0.74). The meta-analysis of anxiety symptoms showed that acupuncture was more effective than the control condition, with a standard mean effect size of - 0.41 (95% CI - 0.50 to - 0.31; p < 0.001), and that acupuncture intervention showed good tolerance and safety in the treatment of anxiety disorder. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that acupuncture therapy aimed at reducing anxiety in patients with GAD has certain beneficial effects compared to controls. More RCTs with high quality should be conducted to fully understand the role of acupuncture in the treatment of various types of anxiety disorder. The protocol of this review was registered at the Prospero International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (Registration ID: PROSPERO 2020CRD42020148536).

[Fat emulsion tolerance in preterm infants of different gestational ages in the early stage after birth].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the fat emulsion tolerance in preterm infants of different gestational ages in the early stage after birth. METHODS: A total of 98 preterm infants were enrolled and divided into extremely preterm infant group (n=17), early preterm infant group (n=48), and moderate-to-late preterm infant group (n=33). According to the dose of fat emulsion, they were further divided into low- and high-dose subgroups. The umbilical cord blood and dried blood filter papers within 3 days after birth were collected. Tandem mass spectrometry was used to measure the content of short-, medium-, and long-chain acylcarnitines. RESULTS: The extremely preterm infant and early preterm infant groups had a significantly lower content of long-chain acylcarnitines in the umbilical cord blood and dried blood filter papers within 3 days after birth than the moderate-to-late preterm infant group (P<0.05), and the content was positively correlated with gestational age (P<0.01). On the second day after birth, the low-dose fat emulsion subgroup had a significantly higher content of short-, medium-, and long-chain acylcarnitines than the high-dose fat emulsion subgroup among the extremely preterm infants (P<0.05). In the early preterm infant and moderate-to-late preterm infant groups, there were no significant differences in the content of short-, medium-, and long-chain acylcarnitines between the low- and high-dose fat emulsion subgroups within 3 days after birth. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with moderate-to-late preterm infants, extremely preterm infants and early preterm infants have a lower capacity to metabolize long-chain fatty acids within 3 days after birth. Early preterm infants and moderate-to-late preterm infants may tolerate high-dose fat emulsion in the early stage after birth, but extremely preterm infants may have an insufficient capacity to metabolize high-dose fat emulsion.

Anti-Fatigue Effect by Peptide Fraction from Protein Hydrolysate of Croceine Croaker (Pseudosciaena crocea) Swim Bladder through Inhibiting the Oxidative Reactions including DNA Damage.

The swim bladder of the croceine croaker (Pseudosciaena crocea) was believed to have good curative effects in various diseases, including amnesia, insomnia, dizziness, anepithymia, and weakness after giving birth, in traditional Chinese medicine. However, there is no research focusing on the antioxidant and anti-fatigue peptides from croceine croaker swim bladders at present. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the bioactivities of peptide fractions from the protein hydrolysate of croceine croaker related to antioxidant and anti-fatigue effects. In the study, swim bladder peptide fraction (SBP-III-3) was isolated from the protein hydrolysate of the croceine croaker, and its antioxidant and anti-fatigue activities were measured using in vitro and in vivo methods. The results indicated that SBP-III-3 exhibited good scavenging activities on hydroxyl radicals (HO•) (EC50 (the concentration where a sample caused a 50% decrease of the initial concentration of HO•) = 0.867 mg/mL), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radicals (DPPH•) (EC50 = 0.895 mg/mL), superoxide anion radical ( O 2 - •) (EC50 = 0.871 mg/mL), and 2,2'-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid radical (ABTS⁺•) (EC50 = 0.346 mg/mL). SBP-III-3 also showed protective effects on DNA damage in a concentration-effect manner and prolonged the swimming time to exhaustion of Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) mice by 57.9%-107.5% greater than that of the control. SBP-III-3 could increase the levels of muscle glucose (9.4%-115.2% increase) and liver glycogen (35.7%-157.3%), and decrease the levels of blood urea nitrogen (BUN), lactic acid (LA), and malondialdehyde (MDA) by 16.4%-22.4%, 13.9%-20.1%, and 28.0%-53.6%, respectively. SBP-III-3 also enhanced the activity of lactic dehydrogenase to scavenge excessive LA for slowing the development of fatigue. In addition, SBP-III-3 increased the activities superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase to reduce the reactive oxygen species (ROS) damage in mice. In conclusion, SBP-III-3 possessed good anti-fatigue capacities on mice by inhibiting the oxidative reactions and provided an important basis for developing the swim bladder peptide functional food.

[Shuxuening injection combined with routine therapy in treating patients with active ulcerative colitis: an analysis of efficacy ].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the therapeutic effect and relevant mechanism of shuxuening Injection (SI) in treating patients with active ulcerative colitis (UC). METHODS: Totally 91 patients with active UC were randomly assigned to 2 groups, 44 in the control group and 47 in the treatment group. Patients in the control group received routine treatment, while patients in the treatment group additionally received intravenous injection of SI (15 mL), twice daily for 14 days in total. Colonoscopy was performed before and after treatment. The therapeutic effect was assessed by Mayo scoring system and the grading of activities evaluated by Baron endoscope. Serum levels of IL-6 and TNF-α were detected by ELISA. The activity of SOD was detected by xanthine oxidase method. The content of MDA was detected by thiobarbituricacid (TBA). Besides, 20 healthy subjects were recruited as the healthy control group. RESULTS: Totally 82 patients completed the study (40 in the control group and 42 in the treatment group). There was no statistical difference in serum levels of IL-6, TNF-α, SOD, MDA, the Mayo score and endoscope grading between the two groups before treatment (P >0. 05). Compared with the healthy control group, serum levels of IL-6, TNF-α, MDA significantly increased (P <0.01), and the serum SOD level decreased (P < 0. 05) in the treatment grup and the control group before treatment. Compared with before treatment in the same group, serum levels of IL-6, TNF-α, MDA, the Mayo score and endoscope grading all decreased in the treatment group and the control group after treatment (P <0. 01, P <0. 05). Compared with the control group after treatment, serum levels of IL-6, TNF-α, MDA, the Mayo score and endoscope grading all decreased (P <0.01, P <0.05), the serum SOD level increased (P <0.05) in the treatment group after treatment. The serum SOD level was obviously negative correlated with serum levels of IL-6, TNF-a, Mayo score, and endoscope score (r = -0. 621, -0.638, -0. 509, -0.787, P <0.01). The serum MDA level was obviously positive correlated with serum levels of IL-6, TNF-α, Mayo score, and endoscope score (r =0.711, 0. 882, 0. 525, 0. 639, P <0.01). CONCLUSION: SI could improve inflammatory injury and clinical symptoms of patients with active UC, and its mechanism might be associated with antioxidant and scavenging oxygen free radicals.

[Effects of yishen huoxue decoction on proliferating cell nuclear antigen expression and extracellular matrix in 5/6 nephrectomized rats].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects and mechanisms of Yishen Huoxue decoction (YHD) on chronic renal failure (CRF) rats induced by 5/6 nephrectomy. METHODS: The glomerulosclerosis model was established by 5/6 nephrectomy in rats. Experimental animals were allocated into the normal group, the model group, the YHD group and the benazepril group. Urine protein of 24 h (UP) at the 6th and 12th weekend after operation, blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine (SCr), albumin (Alb) and haemoglobin (HB) at the 12th weekend were measured, renal pathology changes were examined with light microscope, the expressions of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and fibronectin (Fn) were examined by immunohistochemistry and mRNA expressions of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) by RT-PCR at the 12th weekend. RESULTS: Compared with those in the normal group, the levels of UP, BUN and SCr, the area of glomerular mesangial matrix, the FN deposition, PCNA expression in glomeruli and tubular interstitium and mRNA expressions of CTGF and PAI-1 were all significantly higher in the model group (P < 0.05). All the above-mentioned indexes were lower in the YHD group than those in the model group (P < 0.05). PCNA positively expressed cells in glomeruli of the normal, model group, YHD group and benazepril group was 7.00 +/- 2.24,34.78 +/- 6.96,15.75 +/- 2.61 and 15.50 +/- 2.57 respectively, positively correlated to the expression of CTGF, PAI-1, FN and SCr level. CONCLUSION: YHD could delay the progression of CRF in 5/6 nephrectomized rats, and the mechanisms were mainly related to the inhibition on renal cell proliferation and it induced over-expression of cytokines, and accumulation of extracellular matrix.