Traditional Chinese Medicine Constitution Is Associated with the Frailty Status of Older Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study in the Community.

Objective: This study explored the relationship between traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) constitution and frailty status in older adults. Methods: A total of 3,586 participants, 65 years of age and older, with complete data were evaluated. All received a complete frailty assessment and completed a TCM geriatric constitution questionnaire. Baseline characteristics and demographic information were collected. The relationship between the TCM constitution and frailty was evaluated by binary regression analysis. The consistency of the result was tested by multivariate linear regression. Results: The average prevalence of frailty among older adult participants was 12.5%. The three most prevalent biased constitutions in the frail older adult participants were phlegm dampness 140 (31.3%), Yin deficiency 77 (17.2%), and Yang deficiency 47 (10.5%). Univariate analysis showed that TCM constitution significantly correlated with frailty. After adjusting for potential confounders, binary logistic regression found a significant correlation between biased constitutions and frailty, including Qi stagnation (odds ratio (OR) = 3.51, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.94-6.36)), Qi deficiency ((OR = 3.23, (95% CI: 1.76-5.94)), Yang deficiency ((OR = 2.37, (95% CI: 1.50-3.74)), phlegm dampness ((OR = 1.75, (95% CI: 1.24-2.48)), and Yin deficiency ((OR = 1.70, (95% CI: 1.15-2.50)). Results of multiple linear regression were consistent. Conclusions: TCM constitution was significantly associated with frailty status in older adults, and the distribution was different. Compared with a neutral constitution, older adults with Qi stagnation, Qi deficiency, Yang deficiency, phlegm dampness, and Yin deficiency were more likely to experience frailty.

Comparative transcriptome analysis of sesquiterpene biosynthesis and functional characterization of sesquiterpene synthases in Leonurus sibiricus L.

MAIN CONCLUSION: Two sesquiterpene synthases were identified through comparative transcriptome analysis of Leonurus sibiricus. LsSqTPS2 could produce high titer of δ-cadinene in vivo which suggests the terpene specificity of L. sibiricus. Leonurus sibiricus L., a medicinal herb, is widely used in China due to its pharmacological activities. Cadinene type sesquiterpenes, one of major bioactive components mainly present in aerial parts of L. sibiricus, showed antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antiproliferative properties. However, there is no report about the sesquiterpene biosynthesis in L. sibiricus. This study identified L. sibiricus sesquiterpene synthases (LsSqTPSs) through comparative transcriptome analysis of L. sibiricus leaf and root samples using the BGISEQ-500 sequencing technique. A total of 83,244 unigenes were obtained with an average length of 1025 bp. Among them, 50,356 unigenes (60.49%) acquired annotations according to the BLAST searching results. A total of 68 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were potentially involved in the sesquiterpene biosynthesis. Furthermore, four candidate DEGs encoding LsSqTPSs were characterized. The enzymatic characterization in engineered yeast showed that LsSqTPS1 produced α-farnesene as the single product and LsSqTPS2 mainly produced 76.23 mg/L of δ-cadinene, which constituted the major component of L. sibiricus leaf essential oil. This work contributes to the investigation of sesquiterpene biosynthesis in L. sibiricus.

[Effect of Acupuncture Combined with Rehabilitation on Immune and Neural Functions in Elderly Patients with Stroke].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the therapeutic effect of acupuncture combined with rehabilitation and neuro-immune functional activities in elderly patients with stroke. METHODS: A total of 196 elderly stroke patients were randomly divided into control (rehabilitation exercise) and observation(acupuncture＋ rehabilitation exercise)groups (n＝98 in each). Patients of the control group were treated by general healing treatment including good limb placement, timely conversion of body position, joint-motor exercise, sitting balance exercise, sitting-standing-walking, walking up and down stairs, daily life ability exercise, etc. and those of the observation group were treated by using the same methods mentioned in the control group and manual acupuncture stimulation of Sishencong (EX-HN 1), Xuanli (GB 6), the midpoint of EX-HN 1 and GB 6, Baihui (GV 20), Qubin (GB 7), and the midpoint between GV 20 and GB 7 on the affected side (once a day for three 10-day courses). Serum interleukin-2 (IL-2), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) contents were assayed using ELISA, and serum CD 3＋， CD 4＋ and CD 8＋ contents assayed using flow cytometry. The disability severity was assessed by using National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS, for dysneuria), modified Rankin Scale，(mRS, stroke severity), and Barthel Index (BI, performance in activities of daily living), separately. The therapeutic effect was determined according to NIHSS score, clinical symptoms and daily activity ability. RESULTS: On day 30 after the treatment, serum IL-2, IL-6, TNF-α and hs-CRP contents were significantly decreased in the observation group in comparison with its own pre-treatment and day 10 after the treatment, and on day 10 and 30 after the treatment, the above were lower than the control group (P<0.05). On day 30 after the treatment, serum CD 3＋， CD 4＋ and CD 4＋/CD 8＋ levels were significantly increased in both control and observation groups in comparison with their own pre-treatment and 10 days' treatment (P<0.05), while CD 8＋ levels obviously decreased in both groups relevant to their own pre-treatment and 10 days' treatment (P<0.05), and the increased CD 3＋， CD 4＋ and CD 4＋/CD 8＋ levels were significant higher in the observation group than in the control group (P<0.05), and the CD 8＋ level was obviously lower in the control group than in the observation group (P<0.05). On day 30 after the treatment, the NIHSS and mRS scores were significantly decreased in both groups (P<0.05), and significantly lower in the observation group than in the control group (P<0.05); the BI scores were evidently increased in both groups relevant to their own pre-treatment (P<0.05), and the BI level was considerably higher in the observation group than in the control group (P<0.05). The total effective rate was 72.4% (71/98) and 93.9% (92/98) respectively in the control and observation groups, being obviously higher in the latter group than in the former (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Acupuncture combined with rehabilitation therapy is effective in promoting the recovery of neurological function and in regulating T lymphocyte subsets and the expression of inflammatory factors in elderly patients with stroke.