[Linderae Radix water extract treats diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome in rats: a serum metabolomics study].

This study aims to investigate the mechanism of Linderae Radix water extract(LRWE) in the prevention and treatment of diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome(IBS-D) based on serum metabolomics. Eighteen 2-week-old male SD rats were randomized into control, IBS-D model, and LRWE groups. The rats in other groups except the control group received gavage of senna concentrate combined with restraint stress for the modeling of IBS-D. The rats in the LRWE group were administrated with LRWE(5.4 g·kg~(-1)) by gavage, and those in the control and IBS-D model groups with an equal volume of distilled water for a total of 14 days. The visceral sensitivity was evaluated by the abdominal withdrawal reflex(AWR) score, and the degree of diarrhea was assessed by the fecal water content(FWC). The morphological changes of the colon and the morphology and number of goblet cells were observed by hematoxylin-eosin(HE) and periodic acid-schiff(PAS) staining, respectively. Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry(UPLC-MS/MS) was used for the screening of the potential biomarkers in the rat serum and their related metabolic pathways. The results showed that LRWE reduced the AWR score, decreased FWC, and alleviated visceral sensitivity and diarrhea symptoms in IBS-D rats. HE and PAS staining showed that LRWE mitigated low-grade intestinal inflammation and increased the number of mature secretory goblet cells in the colonic epithelium of IBS-D rats. A total of 25 potential biomarkers of LRWE in treating IBS-D were screened out in this study, which were mainly involved in riboflavin, tryptophan, glycine, serine and threonine metabolism, glyoxylate and dicarboxylate metabolism, and cysteine and methionine metabolism. The regulatory effects were the most significant on the riboflavin and tryptophan metabolism pathways. LRWE may alleviate the visceral hypersensitivity by promoting energy metabolism and amino acid metabolism, enhancing intestinal barrier function, and improving intestinal immune function in IBS-D rats.

[Network Meta-analysis of efficacy of seven Chinese patent medicines in treatment of inflammatory response in chronic glomerulonephritis].

This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of various Chinese patent medicines in the treatment of inflammatory response in chronic glomerulonephritis(CGN) based on network Meta-analysis. Randomized controlled trial(RCT) of oral Chinese patent medicines for improving inflammatory response in patients with CGN was retrieved from databases such as CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, SinoMed, PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMbase, and Web of Science from database inception to March 2023. All investigators independently screened the literature, extracted data, and evaluated the quality. Stata 16.0 and RevMan 5.4.1 software were used to analyze the data of the literature that met the quality standards. Finally, 71 RCTs were included, involving 7 Chinese patent medicines. The total sample size was 6 880 cases, including 3 441 cases in the test group and 3 439 cases in the control group. The network Meta-analysis showed that(1) in terms of reducing TNF-α, the top 3 optimal interventions according to the surface under the cumulative ranking curve(SUCRA) were Shenyanshu Capsules/Granules/Tablets+conventional western medicine, Huangkui Capsules+conventional western medicine, and Bailing Capsules+conventional western medicine.(2) In terms of reducing hs-CRP, the top 3 optimal interventions according to SUCRA were Yishen Huashi Granules+conventional western medicine, Huangkui Capsules+conventional wes-tern medicine, and Bailing Capsules+conventional western medicine.(3) In terms of reducing IL-6, the top 3 optimal interventions according to SUCRA were Yishen Huashi Granules+conventional western medicine, Bailing Capsules+conventional western medicine, and Shenyan Kangfu Tablets+conventional western medicine.(4) In terms of reducing 24hUTP, the top 3 optimal interventions according to SUCRA were Shenyan Kangfu Tablets+conventional western medicine, Bailing Capsules+conventional western medicine, and Huangkui Capsules+conventional western medicine.(5) In terms of reducing Scr, the top 3 optimal interventions according to SUCRA were Bailing Capsules+conventional western medicine, Shenyanshu Capsules/Granules/Tablets+conventional western medicine, and Yishen Huashi Granules+conventional western medicine.(6) In terms of reducing BUN, the top 3 optimal interventions according to SUCRA were Yishen Huashi Granules+conventional western medicine, Shenyanshu Capsules/Granules/Tablets+conventional western medicine, and Bailing Capsules+conventional western medicine.(7) In terms of improving the clinical total effective rate, the top 3 optimal interventions according to SUCRA were Huangkui Capsules+conventional western medicine, Kunxian Capsules+conventional western medicine, and Yishen Huashi Granules+conventional western medicine. The results showed that the combination of conventional western medicine and Chinese patent medicine could reduce the expression of serum inflammatory factors TNF-α, hs-CRP, and IL-6 and inhibit the inflammatory response. The combination of conventional western medicine and Chinese patent medicine was superior to conventional western medicine alone in reducing Scr, BUN, and 24hUTP, and improving the clinical total effective rate of treatment. Due to the limitation of the quantity and quality of literature included, the above conclusions need to be validated by more high-quality studies.

Impact of Incorporating Free Calcium and Magnesium on the Heat Stability of a Dairy- and Soy-Protein-Containing Model Emulsion.

This study investigated the impact of calcium chloride (CaCl2) and magnesium chloride (MgCl2) at varying concentrations on a model milk formulation's physical and chemical properties after thermal treatment. The model milk was subjected to two-stage homogenization and pasteurization before being supplemented with different concentrations of CaCl2 or MgCl2. The findings revealed that elevating the concentration of either calcium or magnesium resulted in the milk emulsion having a higher viscosity and median particle size following heating. CaCl2 had a slightly stronger impact than MgCl2, particularly at higher concentrations. The milk samples also exhibited a reduction in the zeta potential as the ionic strength of the salt solution increased, with the CaCl2-fortified milk displaying a slightly lower negative surface charge than the MgCl2-fortified milk at the same dose. The model milk's viscosity was evaluated after adding various salt concentrations and a temperature ramp from 20 to 80 °C. Notably, the viscosity and particle size changes demonstrated a non-linear relationship with increasing mineral levels, where a significant increase was observed at or above 5.0 mM. An emulsion stability analysis also revealed that the de-stabilization pattern of the high salt concentration sample differed significantly from its low salt concentration counterparts. These findings could serve as a basis for the future development of fortified UHT milk with nutritionally beneficial calcium and magnesium in industrial applications.

[Network Meta-analysis of efficacy of Chinese patent medicine in treatment of inflammatory response in diabetic nephropathy].

This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of various Chinese patent medicines in the treatment of inflammatory response in diabetic nephropathy(DN) based on network Meta-analysis. Randomized controlled trial(RCT) of oral Chinese patent medicines for improving inflammatory response in patients with DN was retrieved from CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, SinoMed, PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMbase, Web of Science, and other databases from database inception to October 2022. All investigators independently screened the literature, extracted data, and evaluated the quality. Stata 16.0 software and RevMan 5.4.1 were used to analyze the data of the literature that met the quality standards. Finally, 53 RCTs were included, involving 6 Chinese patent medicines. The total sample size was 4 891 cases, including 2 449 cases in the test group and 2 442 cases in the control group. The network Meta-analysis showed that(1) in terms of reducing TNF-α, the top 3 optimal interventions according to the surface under the cumulative ranking curve(SUCRA) were Shenshuaining Capsules/Granules/Tablets + conventional western medicine, Jinshuibao Capsules + conventional western medicine, and Niaoduqing Granules + conventional western medicine.(2) In terms of reducing hs-CRP, the top 3 optimal interventions according to SUCRA were Bailing Capsules + conventional western medicine, Tripterygium Glycosides Tablets + conventional western medicine, and Shenshuaining Capsules/Granules/Tablets + conventional western medicine.(3) In terms of reducing IL-6, the top 3 optimal interventions according to SUCRA were Bailing Capsules + conventional western medicine, Tripterygium Glycosides Tablets + conventional western medicine, and Jinshuibao Capsules + conventional western medicine.(4) In terms of reducing UAER, the top 3 optimal interventions according to SUCRA were Shenshuaining Capsules/Granules/Tablets + conventional western medicine, Huangkui Capsules + conventional western medicine, and Jinshuibao Capsules + conventional western medicine.(5) In terms of reducing Scr, the top 3 optimal interventions according to SUCRA were Jinshuibao Capsules + conventional western medicine, Niaoduqing Granules + conventional wes-tern medicine, and Tripterygium Glycosides Tablets + conventional western medicine.(6) In terms of reducing BUN, the first 3 optimal interventions according to SUCRA were Niaoduqing Granules + conventional western medicine, Tripterygium Glycosides Tablets + conventional western medicine, and Huangkui Capsules + conventional western medicine.(7) In terms of improving the clinical total effective rate, the first 3 optimal interventions according to SUCRA were Jinshuibao Capsules + conventional western medicine, Niaoduqing Granu-les + conventional western medicine, and Huangkui Capsules + conventional western medicine. The results showed that the combination of western medicine and Chinese patent medicine could reduce the expression of serum inflammatory factors TNF-α, hs-CRP, and IL-6 and inhibit the inflammatory response. The combination of western medicine and Chinese patent medicine was superior to western medicine alone in reducing Scr, BUN, and UAER, and improving the total effective rate of treatment. Due to the limitation of the quantity and quality of literature included, the above conclusions need to be validated by more high-quality studies.

Fecal microbiota transplantation and short-chain fatty acids protected against cognitive dysfunction in a rat model of chronic cerebral hypoperfusion.

AIMS: Clear roles and mechanisms in explaining gut microbial dysbiosis and microbial metabolites short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) alterations in chronic cerebral ischemic pathogenesis have yet to be explored. In this study, we investigated chronic cerebral hypoperfusion (CCH)-induced gut microbiota and metabolic profiles of SCFAs as well as the effects and mechanisms of fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) and SCFAs treatment on CCH-induced hippocampal neuronal injury. METHODS: Bilateral common carotid artery occlusion (BCCAo) was used to establish the CCH model. Gut microbiota and SCFAs profiles in feces and hippocampus were evaluated by 16S ribosomal RNA sequencing and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. RNA sequencing analysis was performed in hippocampal tissues. The potential molecular pathways and differential genes were verified through western blot, immunoprecipitation, immunofluorescence, and ELISA. Cognitive function was assessed via the Morris water maze test. Ultrastructures of mitochondria and synapses were tested through a transmission electron microscope. RESULTS: Chronic cerebral hypoperfusion induced decreased fecal acetic and propionic acid and reduced hippocampal acetic acid, which were reversed after FMT and SCFAs administration by changing fecal microbial community structure and compositions. Furthermore, in the hippocampus, FMT and SCFAs replenishment exerted anti-neuroinflammatory effects through inhibiting microglial and astrocytic activation as well as switching microglial phenotype from M1 toward M2. Moreover, FMT and SCFAs treatment alleviated neuronal loss and microglia-mediated synaptic loss and maintained the normal process of synaptic vesicle fusion and release, resulting in the improvement of synaptic plasticity. In addition, FMT and SCFAs supplement prevented oxidative phosphorylation dysfunction via mitochondrial metabolic reprogramming. The above effects of FMT and SCFAs treatment led to the inhibition of CCH-induced cognitive impairment. CONCLUSION: Our findings highlight FMT and SCFAs replenishment would be the feasible gut microbiota-based strategy to mitigate chronic cerebral ischemia-induced neuronal injury.

Risk assessment and identification of factors influencing the historical concentrations of microcystin in Lake Taihu, China.

Understanding the history of microcystins (MCs) pollution in large lakes can help inform future lake management. We collected sediment cores from Lake Taihu to: investigate the long-term record of MCs (MC-LR, MC-YR, and MC-RR), explore the main environmental drivers of MCs, and assess their public health and ecological risks. Results showed that MCs content in all cores increased over time. The core from north Taihu had the highest MC concentrations, with an average total MCs (sum of MC-LR, MC-YR, and MC-RR = TMCs) content of (74.31±328.55) ng/g. The core from eastern Taihu showed the lowest average TMCs content of (2.91±3.95) ng/g. PCA showed that sediment MCs at the three sites were positively correlated with sediment chlorophyll-a. MC-LR and MC-YR in northern and western Taihu negatively correlated with both the sediment total organic carbon/sediment total nitrogen ratio (STOC/STN) and water nitrate (NO3--N) concentration, but three MC congeners at eastern Taihu showed positive correlations with water orthophosphate (PO43--P), NO3--N, and STOC/STN. Generalized additive model analysis at each site revealed that NO3--N was the main TMCs driver in northern and western Taihu where phytoplankton dominated, whereas PO43--P was the main TMCs driver in eastern Taihu where macrophytes dominated. At the whole lake scale, total phosphorus (TP) and PO43--P were the most important environmental drivers influencing MCs; TP explained 47.4%, 44.2%, and 47.6% while orthophosphate explained 34.8%, 31.2%, and 34.7% of the deviance on TMCs, MC-LR, and MC-YR, respectively. NO3--N also showed a strong effect on MCs variation, especially on MC-YR. Risk assessment showed that both ecological and public health risk has increased in recent years. We conclude that while control of phosphorus and nitrogen input should be a major focus for future lake management, lake zone-specific management strategies may also be important.

Network Meta-analysis of efficacy of Chinese patent medicine in treatment of inflammatory response in diabetic nephropathy / 中国中药杂志

This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of various Chinese patent medicines in the treatment of inflammatory response in diabetic nephropathy(DN) based on network Meta-analysis. Randomized controlled trial(RCT) of oral Chinese patent medicines for improving inflammatory response in patients with DN was retrieved from CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, SinoMed, PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMbase, Web of Science, and other databases from database inception to October 2022. All investigators independently screened the literature, extracted data, and evaluated the quality. Stata 16.0 software and RevMan 5.4.1 were used to analyze the data of the literature that met the quality standards. Finally, 53 RCTs were included, involving 6 Chinese patent medicines. The total sample size was 4 891 cases, including 2 449 cases in the test group and 2 442 cases in the control group. The network Meta-analysis showed that(1) in terms of reducing TNF-α, the top 3 optimal interventions according to the surface under the cumulative ranking curve(SUCRA) were Shenshuaining Capsules/Granules/Tablets + conventional western medicine, Jinshuibao Capsules + conventional western medicine, and Niaoduqing Granules + conventional western medicine.(2) In terms of reducing hs-CRP, the top 3 optimal interventions according to SUCRA were Bailing Capsules + conventional western medicine, Tripterygium Glycosides Tablets + conventional western medicine, and Shenshuaining Capsules/Granules/Tablets + conventional western medicine.(3) In terms of reducing IL-6, the top 3 optimal interventions according to SUCRA were Bailing Capsules + conventional western medicine, Tripterygium Glycosides Tablets + conventional western medicine, and Jinshuibao Capsules + conventional western medicine.(4) In terms of reducing UAER, the top 3 optimal interventions according to SUCRA were Shenshuaining Capsules/Granules/Tablets + conventional western medicine, Huangkui Capsules + conventional western medicine, and Jinshuibao Capsules + conventional western medicine.(5) In terms of reducing Scr, the top 3 optimal interventions according to SUCRA were Jinshuibao Capsules + conventional western medicine, Niaoduqing Granules + conventional wes-tern medicine, and Tripterygium Glycosides Tablets + conventional western medicine.(6) In terms of reducing BUN, the first 3 optimal interventions according to SUCRA were Niaoduqing Granules + conventional western medicine, Tripterygium Glycosides Tablets + conventional western medicine, and Huangkui Capsules + conventional western medicine.(7) In terms of improving the clinical total effective rate, the first 3 optimal interventions according to SUCRA were Jinshuibao Capsules + conventional western medicine, Niaoduqing Granu-les + conventional western medicine, and Huangkui Capsules + conventional western medicine. The results showed that the combination of western medicine and Chinese patent medicine could reduce the expression of serum inflammatory factors TNF-α, hs-CRP, and IL-6 and inhibit the inflammatory response. The combination of western medicine and Chinese patent medicine was superior to western medicine alone in reducing Scr, BUN, and UAER, and improving the total effective rate of treatment. Due to the limitation of the quantity and quality of literature included, the above conclusions need to be validated by more high-quality studies.

Polyphenol-Rich Liupao Tea Extract Prevents High-Fat Diet-Induced MAFLD by Modulating the Gut Microbiota.

The modulation of gut microbiota dysbiosis might regulate the progression of metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD). Here, we found that polyphenol-rich Liupao tea extract (PLE) prevents high-fat diet (HFD)-induced MAFLD in ApoE-/- male mice accompanied by protection of the intestinal barrier and downregulation of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-related Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)-myeloid differentiation primary response 88 (MyD88) signaling in the liver. Fecal microbiome transplantation (FMT) from PLE-and-HFD-treated mice delayed MAFLD development significantly compared with FMT from HFD-treated mice. In this case, 16S rRNA gene sequencing revealed that Rikenellaceae and Odoribacter were significantly enriched and that Helicobacter was significantly decreased in not only the HFD+PLE group but also the HFD+PLE-FMT group. Furthermore, the level of 3-sulfodeoxycholic acid was significantly decreased in the HFD+PLE-FMT group compared with the HFD-FMT group. In conclusion, our data demonstrate that PLE could modulate the MAFLD phenotype in mice and that this effect is partly mediated through modulation of the gut microbiota.

Potential molecular mechanisms of Ermiao san in the treatment of hyperuricemia and gout based on network pharmacology with molecular docking.

A network pharmacology integrated molecular docking strategy was used to predict the underlying molecular mechanism of Ermiao san in the treatment of hyperuricemia and gout. Traditional Chinese medicine systems pharmacology (TCMSP) database and analysis platform were used to screen out the active compounds and their targets of Ermiao san. The disease target genes related to hyperuricemia (HUA) and gout were obtained by searching CTD, DisGeNET, DrugBank, GeneCards, OMIM, TTD, and PharmGKB databases with "Hyperuricemia" and "Gout" as keywords, respectively. The potential targets of Ermiao san in the treatment of HUA and gout were screened through a Venn diagram. The protein-protein interaction network was constructed using Cytoscape software. Gene ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analyses were then conducted. Finally, some compounds and core targets were selected for molecular docking verification by Autodock Vina and Pymol software. Forty-six active compounds, such as quercetin, wogonin and beta-sitosterol, etc were identified. Ermiao san plays a therapeutic role in HUA and gout regulating various biological processes, cellular compounds, and molecular functions. The core targets of Ermiao san for treating HUA and gout are AT1 (namely Protein Kinase Bα), interleukin-1 beta, prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2, JUN, etc. And the key pathways are nuclear factor-κB, interleukin-17 and tumor necrosis factor. The results of molecular docking analyses suggested that active compounds of Ermiao san could bind well to the core protein receptors. Ermiao san has a synergistic mechanism of multiple compounds, multiple targets, and multiple pathways in the treatment of HUA and gout, which provides a good theoretical basis for the clinical application.

URB597 and Andrographolide Improve Brain Microvascular Endothelial Cell Permeability and Apoptosis by Reducing Oxidative Stress and Inflammation Associated with Activation of Nrf2 Signaling in Oxygen-Glucose Deprivation.

Ischemic stroke, a cerebrovascular disease worldwide, triggers a cascade of pathophysiological events, including blood-brain barrier (BBB) breakdown. Brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMECs) play a vital role in maintaining BBB function. The injury of BMECs may worsen neurovascular dysfunction and patients' prognosis. Therefore, uncover the principal molecular mechanisms involved in BBB disruption in stroke becomes pressing. The endocannabinoid system (ECS) has been implicated in increasingly physiological functions, both in neurometabolism and cerebrovascular regulation. Modulating its activities by the fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) shows anti-inflammatory characteristics. Andrographolide (AG), one Chinese herbal ingredient, has also attracted attention for its role in immunomodulatory and as a therapeutic target in BBB disorders. Recently, the FAAH inhibitor URB597 and AG have important regulatory effects on neuronal and vascular cells in ischemia. However, the effects of URB597 and AG on BMEC permeability and apoptosis in oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) and the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. To address these issues, cultured BMECs (bEnd.3 cells) were exposed to OGD. The cell viability, permeability, tube formation, and apoptosis were assessed following treatment with URB597, AG, and cotreatment. Mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), reactive oxygen species (ROS), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), malondialdehyde (MDA), proinflammatory factors, tight junction (TJ) proteins, and oxidative stress-mediated Nrf2 signaling were also investigated. Results revealed that OGD broke the endothelial barrier, cell viability, MMP, and tube formation, which was reversed by URB597 and AG. OGD-induced enhancement of ROS, MDA, and apoptosis was reduced after drug interventions. URB597 and AG exhibited antioxidant/anti-inflammatory and mitochondrial protective effects by activating Nrf2 signaling. These findings indicated that URB597 and AG protect BMECs against OGD-induced endothelial permeability impairment and apoptosis by reducing mitochondrial oxidative stress and inflammation associated with activation of Nrf2 signaling. URB597 and AG showing the vascular protection may have therapeutic potential for the BBB damage in ischemic cerebrovascular diseases.

[Therapeutic observation on horizontal penetration needling for residual dizziness after repositioning maneuver in patients with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of horizontal penetration needling at vertigo auditory area and balance area on residual dizziness after successful repositioning maneuver in patients with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV). METHODS: Sixty-six patients with residual dizziness after successful repositioning maneuver for BPPV were randomly divided into an observation group (34 cases, 1 case dropped off) and a control group (32 cases, 2 cases dropped off). The patients in the observation group were treated with horizontal penetration needling at vertigo auditory area and balance area, once every other day; three times were taken as a course of treatment, and two courses of treatment were given. The patients in the control group received no acupuncture and medication. The dizziness handicap inventory (DHI) and visual analogue scale (VAS) scores were observed before treatment and after 1 and 2 courses of treatment. RESULTS: Except for the emotional score of DHI in the control group after 1 course of treatment, the sub item scores and total scores of DHI and VAS scores in the two groups after treatment were lower than those before treatment (P<0.01, P<0.05). After 1 and 2 courses of treatment, the function scores, emotion scores, total scores of DHI and VAS scores in the observation group were lower than those in the control group (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: Whether acupuncture or not, residual dizziness after repositioning maneuver for BPPV can be relieved within 2 weeks; horizontal penetration needling at vertigo auditory area and balance area could improve dizziness symptoms and shorten the course of disease.

[Clinical observation on horizontal penetration needling combined with rizatriptan monobenzoate tablets for migraine without aura in acute stage].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the therapeutic effect of horizontal penetration needling combined with rizatriptan monobenzoate tablets, simple horizontal penetration needling and simple rizatriptan monobenzoate tablets for migraine without aura in acute stage. METHODS: A total of 99 patients with migraine without aura in acute stage were randomized into an acupuncture plus medication group, an acupuncture group and a western medication group, 33 cases in each one. In the acupuncture group, horizontal penetration needling was applied once at Hanyan (GB 4) to Xuanli(GB 6), Shenting (GV 24) to Yintang (GV 29), Baihui (GV 20) to Qianding (GV 21), etc. for 2 h. In the western medication group, oral rizatriptan monobenzoate tablets for 10 mg were given once. In the acupuncture plus medication group, treatment of acupuncture combined with rizatriptan monobenzoate tablets were given, the application was the same as the acupuncture group and the western medication group. Before treatment and 0.5, 2, 24 h after treatment, the visual analogue scale (VAS) score was observed, the remission rate and the disappearance rate of migraine of 2, 24 h after treatment were compared in the 3 groups. RESULTS: Compared before treatment, the VAS scores of each time point after treatment were decreased in the 3 groups (P<0.05), and the changes in the acupuncture plus medication group were greater than those in the acupuncture group and the western medication group (P<0.05). The remission rates of 24 h after treatment and the disappearance rates of migraine of 2, 24 h after treatment in the acupuncture plus medication group were higher than those in the acupuncture group and the western medication group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Horizontal penetration needling combined with rizatriptan monobenzoate tablets have significant therapeutic effect on rapid analgesia and continuous analgesia for migraine without aura in acute stage, its effect is superior to simple horizontal penetration needling and simple rizatriptan monobenzoate tablets.

Isoalantolactone Increases the Sensitivity of Prostate Cancer Cells to Cisplatin Treatment by Inducing Oxidative Stress.

Prostate cancer is the most common malignancy among men worldwide. Platinum (II)-based chemotherapy has been used to treat a number of malignancies including prostate cancer. However, the potential of cisplatin for treating prostate cancer is restricted owing to its limited efficacy and toxic side effects. Combination therapies have been proposed to increase the efficacy and reduce the toxic side effects. In the present study, we investigated how isoalantolactone (IATL), a sesquiterpene lactone extracted from the medicinal plant Inula helenium L., acts synergistically with cisplatin on human prostate cancer cells. We show that IATL significantly increased cisplatin-induced growth suppression and apoptosis in human prostate cancer cells. Mechanistically, the combined treatment resulted in an excessive accumulation of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), which leads to the activation of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and the JNK signaling pathway in human prostate cancer cells. Pretreatment of cells with the ROS scavenger N-acetylcysteine (NAC) significantly abrogated the combined treatment-induced ROS accumulation and cell apoptosis. In addition, the activation of ER stress and the JNK signaling pathway prompted by IATL and cisplatin was also reversed by NAC pretreatment. In vivo, we found that IATL combined with cisplatin showed the strongest antitumor effects compared with single agents. These results support the notion that IATL and cisplatin combinational treatment may be more effective for treating prostate cancer than cisplatin alone.

Construction of an infectious full-length cDNA clone of potato aucuba mosaic virus.

Potato aucuba mosaic virus (PAMV), a positive single-strand RNA virus, has one of the longest genomes of the viruses in the genus Potexvirus. In 2019, potato samples with mottle and crinkling symptoms from Huzhou, Zhejiang province, China, were identified to be infected with PAMV, potato virus X (PVX), and potato virus Y (PVY) by transcriptome sequencing. To study the effects of single infection by PAMV, the full-length sequence of PAMV from Huzhou (MT193476) was determined and an infectious full-length cDNA clone was constructed. This cDNA clone was infectious by agro-infiltration, leading to systemic symptoms in Nicotiana benthamiana, tomato, pepper, and potato.

Complete genome sequence of a novel foveavirus isolated from Allium sativum L. in China.

The complete genome sequence of a novel foveavirus identified in garlic (Allium sativum L.) in China was determined using RNA-seq, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) PCR. The entire genomic RNA (GenBank accession MT981417) is 8748 nucleotides long excluding the 3'-terminal poly(A) tail and contains five open reading frames (ORFs). These ORFs encode the viral replicase, a triple gene block, and a coat protein. The virus was tentatively named "garlic yellow stripe associated virus" (GarYSaV). Pairwise comparisons of protein sequences show that GarYSaV encodes proteins that share less than 47% identity with those of other foveaviruses, suggesting that it represents a new species in the genus. Phylogenetic analysis of amino acid sequences of the replicase and CP confirm that GarYSaV is a member of the genus Foveavirus. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a foveavirus in a monocot plant.

Enzymatic hydrolysis and auto-isomerization during ß-glucosidase treatment improve the aroma of instant white tea infusion.

The aroma changes in instant white tea resulting from ß-glucosidase treatment was investigated by quantitative descriptive analysis (QDA), gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), odour activity value analysis (OAV), aroma reconstruction and omission tests. The grassy, floral and sweet notes increased significantly (P < 0.05), and the roasted note decreased significantly (P < 0.05) upon ß-glucosidase treatment. Quantitative analysis showed that the concentrations of benzaldehyde, benzeneacetaldehyde, (Z)-3-hexen-1-ol, linalool, phenylethyl alcohol, cis-linalool oxide, trans-linalool oxide, hexanol, hotrienol and (E)-2-hexen-1-ol increased significantly (P < 0.05) after treatment; however, (Z)-3-hexen-1-ol isomerized to (E)-2-hexen-1-ol. OAV analysis, aroma reconstruction and the omission test showed that the grassy, floral and sweet notes increased as the (Z)-3-hexen-1-ol, cis/trans-linalool oxide and benzeneacetaldehyde increased, whereas the roasted note declined under the same conditions. The enzymatic hydrolysis of glycosidic precursors and the auto-isomerization of volatile compounds provide new information for understanding how ß-glucosidase treatment improves the aroma of tea products.

Comparative analysis of chemical compositions of fruits of Perilla frutescens var. arguta and P. frutescens var. frutescens by pre-column derivatization with GC-MS / 中国中药杂志

The present study compared the appearance and chemical composition of fruits of Perilla frutescens var. arguta(PFA) and P. frutescens var. frutescens(PFF). VHX-6000 3 D depth of field synthesis technology was applied for the appearance observation. The metabolites were qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed by pre-column derivatization combined with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry(GC-MS). Finally, cluster analysis(CA), principal component analysis(PCA), and orthogonal partial least-squares discriminant analysis(OPLS-DA) were applied for exploring the differences in their chemical compositions. The results indicated that the size and color of PFA and PFF fruits were different. PFF fruits were significantly larger than PFA fruits. The surface color of PFA fruits was brown, while PFF fruits were in multiple colors, such as white, grayish-white, and brown. Amino acids, saccharides, organic acids, fatty acids, and phenolic acids were identified in PFA and PFF fruits. The results of CA, PCA, and OPLS-DA indicated significant differences in the content of components between PFA and PFF fruits. Three metabolites, including D-glucose, rosmarinic acid, and D-fructose, which were significantly higher in PFA fruits than in PFF fruits, were screened out as differential metabolites. Considering the regulation on the content of rosmarinic acid in Perillae Fructus in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia(2020 edition), the medicinal value of PFA fruits is higher than that of PFF. In conclusion, there are differences in appearance and chemical composition between PFA fruits and PFF fruits. These results are expected to provide fundamental data for specifying plant source and quality control of Perillae Fructus.

[Revelation of Fu's subcutaneous needling therapy on the development of acupuncture and moxibustion].

By analyzing Fu 's subcutaneous needling phenomenon, the attribute of Fu 's subcutaneous needling therapy in traditional acupuncture, the innovation and the role in the development of traditional acupuncture were demonstrated. The authors believe that the de-meridian in Fu 's subcutaneous needling therapy is similar to the connotation of meridian before the Han dynasty, the de-acupoint phenomenon in Fu 's subcutaneous needling therapy reproduces the acupoint evolution, and the sites of needle insertion of this therapy are partially overlapped with the location of traditional acupoints. In manipulation, the technique of Fu 's subcutaneous needling therapy is derived from the traditional acupuncture technique and it is also in reference to the theory and the method of modern medicine, such as muscle energy technology and fasciology. The needle device and the sweeping technique are the most essential innovation of Fu 's subcutaneous needling therapy. Fu 's subcutaneous needling therapy has the distinct attribute of traditional acupuncture.

[Analysis on relationship between syndrome differentiation of migraine and acupuncture effect].

The problems of the syndrome differentiation of migraine in acupuncture treatment were collected, e.g. inconsistency of syndrome differentiation, unclear staging of syndrome differentiation, lack of standardization in comparison between syndrome differentiation and non-differentiation, insufficient research on the factors of syndrome differentiation. In view of the exiting problems, focusing on two aspects of migraine, namely syndrome differentiation and acupuncture effect, the clinical treatment and research are conducted in migraine treated with acupuncture based on syndrome differentiation. It is believed that the comprehensive observation of the relationship between syndrome differentiation and acupuncture effect, as well as the analysis of the relevant factors of syndrome differentiation of migraine should be the focus in future research.

[Horizontal penetration needling method for headache].

The manipulation and key points of professor FAN Gang-qi 's horizontal penetration needling method for headache were introduced. This acupuncture method selects local acupoints of head, including occipital acupoint group, temporal acupoint group, frontal acupoint group and vertex acupoint group. The needles are shallowly and horizontally inserted at acupoints, with needle end towards the focus or headache site. The needle retaining time is long (6 h). This method is commonly used in the treatment of migraine, cervicogenic headache and tension-type headache. The manipulation is standard with better repeatability.