Anti-diabetic effects of Inonotus obliquus extract in high fat diet combined streptozotocin-induced type 2 diabetic mice.

Introduction: Introduction: type 2 diabetes (T2DM) is a complex disease affected by lifestyle and genetic factors. Although the drugs currently used to treat T2DM have certain curative effects, they still have some adverse side effects. Therefore, it is urgent to find new effective drugs with few side effects to cure T2DM. Objective: to study the role of Inonotus obliquus (IO) in diabetic model mice. Methods: we used high-fat diet (HFD) combined with streptozocin (STZ) to establish a diabetic mouse model. Mice were divided into non-high-fat diet group (ND), diabetes model group (HFD + STZ) and IO-treated diabetes model group (IO). The mice in the IO group were orally treated with IO (150 mg/kg) at 10 ml/kg for five weeks. Body weight, glucose level, food intake and water consumption, glucose tolerance and insulin tolerance were evaluated in all mice. The pathological sections of liver, kidney and pancreas were observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining. Results: after IO administration, the blood glucose level, water consumption, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and triacylglycerol (TG) levels of mice decreased. Compared with the HFD + STZ group, the number of normal islet ß cells increased and focal necrosis of the liver was significantly reduced in the IO administration group. Conclusions: IO reduced the levels of blood glucose, restored body weight, and enhanced insulin sensitivity along with insulin tolerance and glucose tolerance in diabetic mice. Additionally, IO also reversed HFD and STZ-induced organ injury.

Introducción: Introducción: la diabetes mellitus tipo 2 (T2DM) es una enfermedad compleja influenciada por el estilo de vida y los factores genéticos. En la actualidad, aunque los medicamentos para la diabetes tipo 2 tienen cierto efecto curativo, todavía tienen algunos efectos secundarios. Por lo tanto, es urgente encontrar nuevos medicamentos para la diabetes tipo 2 que tengan un buen efecto curativo y menos efectos secundarios. Objetivo: estudiar el papel del Inonotus obliquus (IO) en ratones diabéticos. Métodos: se estableció un modelo de ratón diabético con dieta de alto contenido en grasas (HFD) y estreptozocina (STZ). Los ratones se dividieron en el grupo de dieta no alta en grasas (ND), el grupo modelo de diabetes mellitus (HFD + STZ) y el grupo modelo de diabetes mellitus tratado con IO. Los ratones del grupo IO recibieron 10 ml/kg de IO (150 mg/kg) durante cinco semanas. Se observaron el peso corporal, el nivel de azúcar en sangre, la ingesta de alimentos, la ingesta de agua potable, la tolerancia a la glucosa y la tolerancia a la insulina de los ratones de cada grupo, y se estudiaron muestras de biopsias hepáticas, renales y pancreáticas mediante tinción de hematoxilina eosina. Resultados: los niveles de glucosa en sangre, el consumo de agua, la lipoproteína de baja densidad (LDL) y los triglicéridos (TG) disminuyeron después de la administración de IO. En comparación con el grupo HFD+STZ, el número de células ß pancreáticas normales y la necrosis focal hepática disminuyeron significativamente en el grupo IO. Conclusiones: el IO redujo el nivel de glucosa en sangre, ayudó a recuperar el peso corporal y mejorar la sensibilidad a la insulina, la tolerancia a la insulina y la tolerancia a la glucosa en ratones diabéticos. Además, el IO revirtió el daño orgánico inducido por HFD y STZ.

The efficacy and safety of Chinese traditional medicine injections on patients with coronavirus disease 2019: A protocol for systematic review and meta analysis.

INTRODUCTION: The pandemic caused by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection has exposed vulnerable populations to an unprecedented global health crisis. Research reported that Chinese traditional medicine injections were used in patients with COVID-19 infection and showed significant effects, and there have been no systematic review and meta-analyses to investigate the effects and safety of Chinese traditional medicine injections. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This systematic review and meta-analysis protocol is based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols 2015 statement. The literature search will involve Cochran library, Web of science, PubMed, MEDLINE, Embase, China Biology Medicine Database, China National Knowledge Infrastructure Database, VIP, Wang Fang database, and China Clinical Trial Registration Center for articles and research published form December 2019. This search will include randomized controlled trials and nonrandomized studies. The Cochrane Collaboration's tool for randomized controlled trial studies and the Quality Assessment Tool for Quantitative Studies for nonrandomized studies will be used to assess the risk of bias among the studies included in the systematic review. Review Manager 5.3 software will be used for the meta-analysis, and odds ratio are calculated as the primary outcomes. Subgroup analyses will then be performed based on the characteristics of the interventions and populations included in the studies examined. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This systematic review protocol is designed to provide evidence regarding the effects and safety of Chinese traditional medicine injections on patients with COVID-19, such evidence may be useful and important for clinical treatment decisions. The results should be disseminated through publication in a peer-reviewed journal. Since the data and results used in the systematic review will be extracted exclusively from published studies, approval from an ethics committee will not be required.

Willingness to pay for lung cancer treatment.

OBJECTIVES: The increasing health-care cost of lung cancer treatment has caused debates regarding the reimbursement of new medications. The purpose of this study was to estimate patients' willingness to pay (WTP) for a hypothetical new drug. METHODS: Patients with lung cancer were recruited through referrals by senior specialists from two medical centers in Taiwan. Double-bounded dichotomous choice questions and follow-up open-ended questions were employed to elicit patients' WTP. The contingent valuation question assumed that a novel medication was available, which provided a cure for lung cancer; however, patients would have to pay for this new cure out of their own pocket. In addition, the question was asked as to how much patients would be willing to pay for supplementary hospitalization insurance? Interval regression and linear regression were used to estimate the maximum WTP. RESULTS: A total of 294 patients were recruited; their mean age was 67 years; 74% were male and 26% were female. The results show that patients were prepared to pay New Taiwan dollar (NTD) 7416 or NTD 7032 per month to purchase this new medication. Sex, religion, income, the Karnofsky Performance Scale score, and having family that takes care of you are significant factors influencing a patient's WTP. CONCLUSIONS: Patients would like to pay less than the actual price of the new medication for their lung cancer. Thus government and health policymakers should consider the ability to pay when making their decision regarding the coverage of new drugs.

Prospective evaluation of folic acid supplementation on plasma homocysteine concentrations during weight reduction: a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study in obese women.

Elevated total homocysteine concentrations and obesity are both associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. However, previous studies of weight reduction on serum homocysteine concentrations have obtained inconsistent reports. We investigated the effect of folic acid supplementation on serum homocysteine concentrations via a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study. Seventy-four obese women [age (mean +/- SEM) 41 +/- 1 years; body mass index, 29.6 +/- 0.5 kgs/m2] completed a 12 weeks weight reduction program with dietary advice and light exercise. They were also randomized to take either folic acid supplementation (5 mg daily, n = 36) or placebo (n = 38) groups. This program led to a weight reduction of 7.7% and 8.9% of initial weight for folic acid supplementation and placebo groups, respectively. Serum folate concentrations increased for 3 folds (p < 0.001) in the folic acid group. In the folic acid group, there was a trend of lower fasting serum homocysteine concentrations (7.6 +/- 0.2 vs. 7.3 +/- 0.3 micromol/L), but it did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.170). However, we found that serum homocysteine concentrations decreased significantly in those with higher baseline homocysteine concentrations (8.7 +/- 1.3 vs. 7.8 +/- 1.5 micromol/L, p = 0.004), while it did not change in those with lower baseline homocysteine concentrations (6.6 +/- 0.6 vs. 6.8 +/- 1.2 micromol/L, p = 0.334). Reduction of serum homocysteine concentrations did not correlate with elevation of serum folate concentrations (p = 0.646) in obese women with higher baseline homocysteine concentrations. In conclusion, serum homocysteine concentrations can be maintained in obese women during mild to moderate weight loss. Folic acid supplementation decreased serum homocysteine concentrations in those women who had higher serum homocysteine concentrations before participating in the weight reduction program.

[The inhibitory effect of Lu-Duo-Wei on carbon disulfide-induced generation of hydroxyl radicals].

OBJECTIVE: To study the scavenging effects of Lu-Duo-Wei, thiourea, superoxide dismutase, and sodium azide on carbon disulfide-induced generation of hydroxyl radicals. METHODS: Phenanthroline-CuSO(4)-Vit C-H(2)O(2) chemiluminescence system (PHEN system) containing alcohol was established to probe the influence of various concentrations of carbon disulfide on hydroxyl radicals emission intensity and the scavenging effects of Lu-Duo-Wei and other antioxidants on carbon disulfide-induced hydroxyl radicals were observed. RESULTS: The average emission intensity of PHEN system containing alcohol appeared lower luminescence [91.03 x 10(3) (cp6s)] and longer time (75 s) to get the peak than the system without alcohol [96.11 x 10(3) (cp6s), 55 s]. The specific scavenger of hydroxyl radical, thiourea, showed clear inhibitory effect on the system. Carbon disulfide in the range of 40 - 160 mmol/L promoted the generation of hydroxyl radical, however, this effect could be efficiently inhibited by thiourea. 160 mmol/L carbon disulfide in PHEN system without copper seemed as an activator to promote the luminescence, while in PHEN system withdrawing phenanthroline appeared some weak action of luminescence agent at low concentration. Meanwhile, Lu-Duo-Wei may efficiently scavenge hydroxyl radicals induced by carbon disulfide in PHEN system but superoxide dismutase and sodium azide had little effects on the system. CONCLUSION: Carbon disulfide may induce PHEN system to generate hydroxyl radicals and Lu-Duo-Wei may efficiently scavenge these free radicals and play an important role in protection against oxidative injury induced by carbon disulfide.