Regulation of intestinal flora in patients with chronic atrophic gastritis by modified Chai Shao Liu Jun Zi decoction based on 16S rRNA sequencing.

Chai Shao Liu Jun Zi decoction (CSLJZD) is an effective Chinese medicine for the treatment of chronic atrophic gastritis (CAG). However, the effect of CSLJZD on the intestinal flora of patients with CAG remains unclear. We used 16S rRNA gene sequencing to investigate the regulatory effects of CSLJZD on intestinal microflora in patients with CAG. Eight patients with CAG were randomly selected as the model group and 8 healthy medical examiners as the control group; the treatment group comprised patients with CAG after CSLJZD treatment. High-throughput sequencing and bioinformatics analysis of the V3V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene of intestinal bacteria obtained from the intestinal isolates of fecal specimens from all participants were performed separately. A rarefaction curve, species accumulation curve, Chao1 index, and ACE index were calculated to assess the alpha diversity. Principal component analysis (PCA), non-metric multi-dimensional scaling, and the unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean were used to examine beta diversity. The LEfSe method was used to identify the differentially expressed bacteria. Differential function analysis was performed using PCA based on KEGG function prediction. Rarefaction and species accumulation curves showed that the sequencing data were reasonable. The Chao1 and ACE indices were significantly increased in patients with CAG compared with those in the healthy group. Following CSLJZD and vitacoenzyme treatment, Chao1 and ACE indices decreased. The PCA, non-metric multi-dimensional scaling, and unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean results showed that the CAG group was distinct from the healthy and treatment groups. The LEfSe results showed that the abundances of the genus Bilophila, family Desulfovibrionaceae, order Desulfovibrionales and genus Faecalibacterium were significantly higher in the healthy group. The abundance of genus Klebsiella, order Deltaproteobacteria, genus Gemmiger, and other genera was significantly higher in the treatment group. Treatment with CSLJZD had a therapeutic effect on the intestinal flora of patients with CAG.

Dietary supplementation with inulin improves burn-induced skeletal muscle atrophy by regulating gut microbiota disorders.

Inulin, as a prebiotic, could modulate the gut microbiota. Burn injury leads to gut microbiota disorders and skeletal muscle catabolism. Therefore, whether inulin can improve burn-induced muscle atrophy by regulating microbiota disorders remains unknown. This study aimed to clarify that inulin intake alleviates gut microbiota disorders and skeletal muscle atrophy in burned rats. Rats were divided into the sham group, burn group, prebiotic inulin intervention group, and pseudo-aseptic validation group. A 30% total body surface area (TBSA) third-degree burn wound on dorsal skin was evaluated in all groups except the sham group. Animals in the intervention group received 7 g/L inulin. Animals in the validation group received antibiotic cocktail and inulin treatment. In our study inulin intervention could significantly alleviate the burn-induced skeletal muscle mass decrease and skeletal myoblast cell apoptosis. Inulin intake increased the abundances of Firmicutes and Actinobacteria but decreased the abundance of Proteobacteria. The biosynthesis of amino acids was the most meaningful metabolic pathway distinguishing the inulin intervention group from the burn group, and further mechanistic studies have shown that inulin can promote the phosphorylation of the myogenesis-related proteins PI3K, AKT and P70S6K and activate PI3K/AKT signaling for protein synthesis. In conclusion, inulin alleviated burn induced muscle atrophy through PI3K/AKT signaling and regulated gut microbiota dysbiosis.

Immobilized lipase for sustainable hydrolysis of acidified oil to produce fatty acid.

Acidified oil is obtained from by-product of crops oil refining industry, which is considered as a low-cost material for fatty acid production. Hydrolysis of acidified oil by lipase catalysis for producing fatty acid is a sustainable and efficient bioprocess that is an alternative of continuous countercurrent hydrolysis. In this study, lipase from Candida rugosa (CRL) was immobilized on magnetic Fe3O4@SiO2 via covalent binding strategy for highly efficient hydrolysis of acidified soybean oil. FTIR, XRD, SEM and VSM were used to characterize the immobilized lipase (Fe3O4@SiO2-CRL). The enzyme properties of the Fe3O4@SiO2-CRL were determined. Fe3O4@SiO2-CRL was used to catalyze the hydrolysis of acidified soybean oil to produce fatty acids. Catalytic reaction conditions were studied, including amount of catalyst, reaction time, and water/oil ratio. The results of optimization indicated that the hydrolysis rate reached 98% under 10 wt.% (oil) of catalyst, 3:1 (v/v) of water/oil ratio, and 313 K after 12 h. After 5 cycles, the hydrolysis activity of Fe3O4@SiO2-CRL remained 55%. Preparation of fatty acids from high-acid-value by-products through biosystem shows great industrial potential.

Molecular and spatial profiling of the paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus.

The paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus (PVT) is known to regulate various cognitive and behavioral processes. However, while functional diversity among PVT circuits has often been linked to cellular differences, the molecular identity and spatial distribution of PVT cell types remain unclear. To address this gap, here we used single nucleus RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq) and identified five molecularly distinct PVT neuronal subtypes in the mouse brain. Additionally, multiplex fluorescent in situ hybridization of top marker genes revealed that PVT subtypes are organized by a combination of previously unidentified molecular gradients. Lastly, comparing our dataset with a recently published single-cell sequencing atlas of the thalamus yielded novel insight into the PVT's connectivity with the cortex, including unexpected innervation of auditory and visual areas. This comparison also revealed that our data contains a largely non-overlapping transcriptomic map of multiple midline thalamic nuclei. Collectively, our findings uncover previously unknown features of the molecular diversity and anatomical organization of the PVT and provide a valuable resource for future investigations.

ß-elemene suppresses tumor metabolism and stem cell-like properties of non-small cell lung cancer cells by regulating PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling.

Multi-drug resistance remains a critical issue in cancer treatment that hinders the effective use of chemotherapeutic drugs. The active components of traditional Chinese medicine have been applied as adjuvants to accentuate the anticancer properties of conventional drugs such as cisplatin. However, their application requires further validation and optimization. This study explored the anticancer activity of ß-elemene, a natural component of traditional Chinese medical formulations. The effect of ß-elemene on the anticancer properties of cisplatin was evaluated in A549 and NCI-H1650 lung cancer cells. Cell apoptosis, stem-like properties, glucose metabolism, multi-drug resistance, and PI3K/AKT/mTOR activation were assessed via flow cytometry, tumorsphere formation, and western blotting. The target genes of ß-elemene were predicted using bioinformatics tools and validated in both cell lines. A xenograft model of lung cancer was established in nude mice to evaluate the combined effects of ß-elemene and cisplatin in vivo. We found that ß-elemene acted synergistically with cisplatin against non-small cell lung cancer cells by promoting apoptosis and impairing glucose metabolism, multi-drug resistance, and stemness maintenance. These effects were mediated by the inhibition of PI3K/AKT/mTOR activation. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that RB1 and TP53 are common target genes associated with lung cancer and ß-elemene. The anti-tumorigenic properties of ß-elemene were confirmed in vivo, wherein ß-elemene, along with cisplatin, significantly suppressed tumor growth in a mouse xenograft model of non-small cell lung cancer. As such, ß-elemene acted as an inhibitor of PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling and enhanced the anticancer effect of cisplatin by targeting tumor metabolism, chemoresistance, and stem-like behavior. Thus, ß-elemene is an effective anticancer adjuvant agent with potential clinical applications.

Ropivacaine-loaded, hydroxypropyl chitin thermo-sensitive hydrogel combined with hyaluronan: an injectable, sustained-release system for providing long-lasting local anesthesia in rats.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Ropivacaine hydrochloride is a commonly used local anesthetic in clinics. However, local injection or continuous infusion of ropivacaine has been associated with several disadvantages. Accordingly, it is important to develop a new controlled release system for local administration of ropivacaine to achieve a prolong anesthetic effect, improve efficacy, and minimize the side effects. METHODS: We developed injectable hydroxypropyl chitin thermo-sensitive hydrogel (HPCH) combined with hyaluronan (HA), which was used to synthesize a ropivacaine (R)-loaded controlled release system. We then conducted drug release test and cytotoxicity assay in vitro. Importantly, we examined the analgesic effects and biocompatibility of this system in vivo by injecting different concentrations of R-HPCH-HA (7.5, 15, 22.5 mg/mL), ropivacaine hydrochloride (RHCL, 7.5 mg/mL), or saline (all in 0.5 mL) near the sciatic nerve in rats. RESULTS: R-HPCH-HA induced concentration-dependent thermal-sensory blockade and motor blockade in vivo. In hot plate test, R-HPCH-HA (22.5 mg/mL) induced a significant longer thermal-sensory blockade (17.7±0.7 hours), as compared with RHCL (7.5 mg/mL, 5.7±0.8 hours, n=6/group, p<0.05). It also produced a more prolonged motor blockade (6.8±0.8 hours) than RHCL (3.5±0.8 hours, p<0.05). R-HPCH-HA caused less cytotoxicity than RHCL, as indicated by the higher cell viability in vitro (n=8/group). CONCLUSION: Our findings in a sciatic nerve block model demonstrated that the injectable, ropivacaine-loaded controlled release system effectively prolonged the local analgesic effect in rats without notable side effects.

Efficacy and safety of acupuncture and moxibustion combined with the external application of traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of primary liver cancer: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Primary liver cancer (PLC) is one of the most common malignant tumors in the world, and its incidence and fatality rate are increasing year by year. Due to the large population base in China, the aging population is severely affected by environmental pollution, eating habits, and unhealthy lifestyles. And many other influences have caused the number of new PLC cases and deaths in China to rank first in the world. Acupuncture combined with external application of Chinese medicine to treat PLC is currently one of the commonly used treatments in China. However, this combined treatment still lacks evidence-based medicine support. Therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of acupuncture combined with external application of traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of PLC. METHOD: We will search PubMed, Web of Science, GCBI, Embase, OVID, AMED, Cochrane Library, CNKI, VIP, CBM, and Wanfang databases. As of September 15, 2021, there are no restrictions on search language, publication time, and publication status. We will use the following medical keywords to search, including: "acupuncture", "external application of traditional Chinese medicine", and "primary liver cancer". At the same time, we will manually search all reference lists from relevant systematic reviews to find other eligible studies. We will use the random effects model in REVMAN v5.3 for meta-analysis. The study for acupuncture combined with Chinese herbal medicine in the treatment of PLC was a randomized controlled study. Two researchers will independently review the research selection, data extraction, and research quality assessments. Finally, we will observe the outcome measures. RESULTS: This study will provide evidence-based guidance for the treatment of PLC with acupuncture and the external application of traditional Chinese medicine and offers new ideas and methods for the treatment of PLC.

Petroleum contamination significantly changes soil microbial communities in three oilfield locations in Delta State, Nigeria.

Soil microbial community structure is altered by petroleum contamination in response to compound toxicity and degradation. Understanding the relation between petroleum contamination and soil microbial community structure is crucial to determine the amenability of contaminated soils to bacterial- and fungal-aided remediation. To understand how petroleum contamination and soil physicochemical properties jointly shaped the microbial structure of soils from different oilfields, high-throughput sequencing of 16S and ITS amplicons were used to evaluate the shifts of microbial communities in the petroleum-contaminated soils in Ughelli East (UE), Utorogu (UT), and Ughelli West (UW) oilfields located in Delta State, Nigeria. The results showed 1515 bacteria and 919 fungal average OTU number, and community richness and diversity, trending as AL > UT > UW > UE and AL > UW > UT > UE for bacteria, and AL > UW > UT > UE and UW > UT > AL > UE for fungi, respectively. The bacterial taxa KCM-B-112, unclassified Saccharibacteria, unclassified Rhizobiales, Desulfurellaceae, and Acidobacteriaceae and fungal Trichocomaceae, unclassified Ascomycota, unclassified Sporidiobolales, and unclassified Fungi were found to be the dominant families in petroleum-contaminated soils. Redundancy analysis (RDA) and Spearman's correlation analysis revealed that total carbon (TC), electric conductivity (EC), pH, and moisture content (MO) were the major drivers of bacterial and fungal communities, respectively. Gas chromatography-mass spectrophotometer (GC-MS) analysis exhibited that the differences in C7-C10, C11-C16, and C12-C29 compounds in the crude oil composition and soil MO content jointly constituted the microbial community variance among the contaminated soils. This study revealed the bacterial and fungal communities responsible for the biodegradation of petroleum contamination from these oilfields, which could serve as biomarkers to monitor oil spill site restoration within these areas. Further studies on these contaminated sites could offer useful insights into other contributing factors such as heavy metals.

The locus coeruleus drives disinhibition in the midline thalamus via a dopaminergic mechanism.

The paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus (PVT) is increasingly being recognized as a critical node linking stress detection to the emergence of adaptive behavioral responses to stress. However, despite growing evidence implicating the PVT in stress processing, the neural mechanisms by which stress impacts PVT neurocircuitry and promotes stressed states remain unknown. Here we show that stress exposure drives a rapid and persistent reduction of inhibitory transmission onto projection neurons of the posterior PVT (pPVT). This stress-induced disinhibition of the pPVT was associated with a locus coeruleus-mediated rise in the extracellular concentration of dopamine in the midline thalamus, required the function of dopamine D2 receptors on PVT neurons, and increased sensitivity to stress. Our findings define the locus coeruleus as an important modulator of PVT function: by controlling the inhibitory tone of the pPVT, it modulates the excitability of pPVT projection neurons and controls stress responsivity.

(-)-Epigallocatechin-3-gallate attenuates myocardial injury induced by ischemia/reperfusion in diabetic rats and in H9c2 cells under hyperglycemic conditions.

(-)-Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) exerts multiple beneficial effects on cardiovascular performance. In this study, we aimed to examine the effects of EGCG on diabetic cardiomyopathy during myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. EGCG (100 mg/kg/day) was administered at week 6 for 2 weeks to diabetic rats following the induction of type 1 diabetes by streptozotocin (STZ). At the end of week 8, the animals were subjected to myocardial I/R injury. The EGCG-elicited structural and functional effects were analyzed. Additionally, EGCG (20 µM) was administered for 24 h to cultured cardiac H9c2 cells under hyperglycemic conditions (30 mM glucose) prior to hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) challenge, and its effects on oxidative stress were compared to H9c2 cells transfecteed with silent information regulator 1 (SIRT1) small interfering RNA (siRNA). In rats with STZ-induced diabetes, EGCG treatment ameliorated post-ischemic cardiac dysfunction, decreased the myocardial infarct size, apoptosis and cardiac fibrosis, and reduced the elevated lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and malonaldehyde (MDA) levels, and attenuated oxidative stress. Furthermore, EGCG significantly reduced H/R injury in cardiac H9c2 cells exposed to high glucose as evidenced by reduced apoptotic cell death and oxidative stress. The protein expression levels of SIRT1 and manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) were reduced in the diabetic rats and the H9c2 cells under hyperglycemic conditions, compared with the control rats following I/R injury and H9c2 cells under normal glucose conditions. EGCG pre-treatment significantly upregulated the levels of htese proteins in vitro and in vivo. However, treatment with EX527 and SIRT1 siRNA blocked the EGCG-mediated cardioprotective effects. Taken together, our data indicate that SIRT1 plays a critical role in the EGCG-mediated amelioration of I/R injury in diabetic rats, which suggests that EGCG may be a promising dietary supplement for the prevention of diabetic cardiomyopathy.

The effects of choline on hepatic lipid metabolism, mitochondrial function and antioxidative status in human hepatic C3A cells exposed to excessive energy substrates.

Choline plays a lipotropic role in lipid metabolism as an essential nutrient. In this study, we investigated the effects of choline (5, 35 and 70 µM) on DNA methylation modifications, mRNA expression of the critical genes and their enzyme activities involved in hepatic lipid metabolism, mitochondrial membrane potential (Δψm) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) in C3A cells exposed to excessive energy substrates (lactate, 10 mM; octanoate, 2 mM and pyruvate, 1 mM; lactate, octanoate and pyruvate-supplemented medium (LOP)). Thirty five micromole or 70 µM choline alone, instead of a low dose (5 µM), reduced hepatocellular triglyceride (TG) accumulation, protected Δψm from decrement and increased GSH-Px activity in C3A cells. The increment of TG accumulation, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and Δψm disruption were observed under LOP treatment in C3A cells after 72 h of culture, which were counteracted by concomitant treatment of choline (35 µM or 70 µM) partially via reversing the methylation status of the peroxisomal proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα) gene promoter, upregulating PPARα, carnitine palmitoyl transferase-I (CPT-I) and downregulating fatty acid synthase (FAS) gene expression, as well as decreasing FAS activity and increasing CPT-I and GSH-Px activities. These findings provided a novel insight into the lipotropic role of choline as a vital methyl-donor in the intervention of chronic metabolic diseases.

Hypotensive effects induced by herbal fomentation at Yongquan point.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed at assessing the adequacy of blood pressure (BP) control with the Chinese herbal fomentation at Yongquan point (K1). METHOD: A total of 51 participants as a group were enrolled. In 10 participants as the subgroup, BP data were compared with those simultaneously recorded from the radial artery of the same side. After the baseline examination, each enrolled patient participated in one session lasting 24 hours, during which Yongquan point (K1) of both sides were fomented with a mixture of Chinese herbs. The technique of 24-hour Ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM) was repeated at baseline and on the day after the therapy. RESULTS: The systolic and diastolic BP measured intra-arterially during the test were, on average, similar to those measured noninvasively. Patients obtained a 6.0mmHg reduction for systolic BP and a 4.8mmHg reduction for diastolic BP during daytime. The rate of adverse events was 2.0% in the group. CONCLUSION: Our data demonstrated that BP recording by the ABPM method in our study provided a relatively accurate estimate of the average radial BP of the population. So the conclusion, "Chinese herbal fomentation at Yongquan point (K1) of both sides has some hypotensive potentials" was more reliable.

Chinese herbal fomentation at the Yongquan point (K1): a potential hypotensive regimen.

OBJECTIVE: The goal of this research was to assess the adequacy of blood pressure (BP) control by applying Chinese herbal fomentation (a type of thermotherapy) at the Yongquan point (K1). METHODS: A total of 102 patients with hypertension, ages 39-55, were included in this study. After a baseline examination, each enrolled patient participated in one session per day lasting 24 hours for 3 continuous days, during which the Yongquan point (K1) on both sides of the body were fomented (given thermotherapy) with a mixture of Chinese herbs. In addition, 24-hour ambulatory BP (ABP) monitoring (ABPM) was repeated at baseline and on the day after the therapy. RESULTS: Patients had significantly lower daytime systolic and diastolic BP post-treatment. There were no significant changes in 24-hour, or night-time systolic BP (SBP), diastolic BP (DBP), or mean arterial BP, and in pulse pressure after therapy. The rate of adverse events was 0.98% in these patients. CONCLUSIONS: The regimen sustained SBP and DBP control during the day for the majority of patients. This study suggested that a Chinese herbal fomentated at the Yongquan point (K1) of both sides of the body has some hypotensive potential.

Chinese herbal medicine: a safe alternative therapy for urinary tract infection in patients with renal insufficiency.

We have used reduced doses of Chinese herbs for estimation of urinary tract infections (UTIs) patients with stable impairment of renal function. A total of 33 adult female patients with moderately impaired renal function and symptomatic UTIs were included in this study. Urine cultures were carried out. Patients were monitored clinically and with various laboratory tests. Chinese herbal concoction divided by milligrams of creatinine per 100 ml were orally administrated for ten days. Three patients were excluded from final analysis. Most of the patients responded symptomatically to treatment. Chinese herbs eradicated the primary pathogen in 68.7% of the patients at the day 10 of treatment. Two patients relapsed (one had abbreviated courses of therapy) 6 to 8 days posttreatment. Organisms which recurred included Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Bacterial reinfections occurred 5 to 8 days posttreatment in four patients. Adverse reactions observed among the 30 patients were rare. Nausea (6.67%) and mild elevation of hepatic enzymes (3.33%) were probably drug related. Nausea disappeared when the therapy ended. Elevated hepatic enzymes resumed at the 2-week follow-up. Two patients demonstrated slight increases in serum creatinine on day 10 of treatment. One patient had a 12.5% elevation over baseline and the other had a 13.0% elevation. Serum creatinine values had improved in these two patients at 4-week follow-up. Chinese herbal medicine was effective and safe in the treatment of UTIs with renal insufficiency.