Passion fruit peel and its zymolyte enhance gut function in Sanhuang broilers by improving antioxidation and short-chain fatty acids and decreasing inflammatory cytokines.

The passion fruit peel (PFP) is the by-product of juice processing and is rich in phenolic compounds and dietary fibers. As the high ADF content in PFP (34.20%), we proceeded to treat PFP with cellulase. The ADF decreased to 16.70% after enzymatic processing, and we supposed that enzymolytic passion fruit peel (EPF) should have a greater growth performance than PFP to broilers. Two trials were conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary PFP or EPF supplementation on growth performance, serum biochemical indices, meat quality, and cecal short-chain fatty acids, microbiota, and metabolites in broilers. In Exp. 1, 180 1-day-old Sanhuang broilers (male, 36.17 ± 2.47 g) were randomly allocated into 3 treatments, with 6 replicates in each treatment. The 3 experimental diets included 1 basal diet (control) and 2 PFP-added diets supplemented with 1 and 2% PFP, respectively. The trial lasted for 42 d. In Exp. 2, 144 Sanhuang broilers (male, 112-day-old, 1.62 ± 0.21 kg) were randomly allocated to 3 treatments. Each treatment was distributed among 6 pens, and each pen contained 8 broilers. The 3 treatment diets included: a control diet, a positive control diet supplementing 75 mg/kg chlortetracycline, and the experimental diet supplementing 3% EPF. The trial lasted for 56 d. Results showed that dietary 1 and 2% PFP addition did not affect growth performance in Exp. 1, and the 3% EPF supplementation had a negative effect on ADFI (P < 0.05) in Exp. 2. A decreased serum triglyceride (P < 0.05) in broilers was observed in Exp. 1. Broilers fed EPF had a higher glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) (P < 0.05), and lower levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) (P < 0.05) and glucose (P < 0.05) in Exp. 2. We also found that broilers from PFP or EPF-treated treatments had an increased butyrate content and higher microbial diversity in the cecum. The effects of antioxidation, anti-inflammatory function, and elevated SCFAs were confirmed after the microbe and untargeted metabolomic analysis. Dietary EPF supplementation significantly increased the SCFA-generating bacteria, anti-inflammatory-related bacteria, the antioxidant-related and anti-inflammatory-related metabolites. Moreover, dietary 3% EPF addition positively affects the biosynthesis of phenylpropanoids, which strongly correlate with the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. In conclusion, the proper addition level did not affect the growth performance, and the PFP and EPF could improve the antioxidation state, anti-inflammatory activity, and intestinal functions of Sanhuang broilers to some extent.

[Safety and efficacy of ultrafiltration on heart failure patients with reduced ejection fraction and diuretic resistance: results from a single-center randomized controlled trial].

Objective: To investigate the safety and efficacy of ultrafiltration on diuretic sensitivity in heart failure patients with reduced ejection fraction and diuretic resistance. Methods: This was a single-center randomized controlled trial. A total of 148 heart failure patients with reduced ejection fraction admitted to the Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region from June 2010 to June 2020 were enrolled in this study, and these patients were randomly divided (ratio 1:1) into the ultrafiltration group (n=74) and the control group (n=74). All patients were treated with diuretics, cardiotonic, vasodilator and other comprehensive drugs according to relevant guidelines. After grouping, the patients in the control group were treated with standard treatment plan, while patients in the ultrafiltration group were treated with ultrafiltration on top of standard therapy. Diuretic drugs were discontinued during ultrafiltration, and intravenously furosemide (40 mg) was given immediately and 24 hours after the end of ultrafiltration. Clinical data including gender, age, complicated diseases, New York Heart Association (NYHA) function classification, etc. were collected. Effectiveness indicators include urine volume (the first 12-hour and 24-hour urine volume and the second 24-hour urine volume after using diuretic), body weight and dyspnea severity score. Safety indicators include systolic blood pressure, serum creatinine, serum Na+ concentration, blood K+ concentration and the number of deaths before and after intervention. Results: Two patients in the control group died due to worsening heart failure after randomization and were excluded in this study, 146 patients were finally analyzed (72 patients in the control group and 74 patients in the ultrafiltration group). There were 93 males, and the age was (68.3±11.2) years. There was no significant difference between patients in the ultrafiltration group and the control group in gender, age, body weight, course of disease, dyspnea severity score, NYHA function classification Ⅲ/Ⅳ, the proportion of patients with severe edema of both lower limbs, the proportion of patients with complicated diseases, and basic medication (all P>0.05). After using diuretics, the urine volume of the first 12-hour and 24-hour and the second 24-hour were significantly higher in the ultrafiltration group than in the control group (all P<0.05). Body weight decreased significantly after ultrafiltration treatment as compared with that before intervention in the ultrafiltration group (P<0.05). Compared with the control group, the dyspnea severity score was significantly improved in the ultrafiltration group (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in systolic blood pressure, serum creatinine, serum Na+ concentration, blood K+ concentration of patients between ultrafiltration group and control group before and after intervention (all P>0.05). During the clinical diagnosis and treatment, 2 male patients in the control group died, and the cause of death was aggravation of basic diseases complicated with acute heart failure and cardiogenic shock. There was no death in the ultrafiltration group, and there were no obvious clinical adverse events during and after ultrafiltration. Conclusion: Ultrafiltration therapy is safe and can improve diuretic sensitivity in heart failure patients with reduced ejection fraction and diuretic resistance.

Liguisticum wallichii inhibits renal carcinoma progression by downregulating UBE3A and through suppression of NF-κB signaling.

Renal carcinoma accounts for a fifth of the morbidity among malignant tumors in China. Ubiquitin-protein ligase E3A (UBE3A) plays an important role in the occurrence and development of gene mutation-induced diseases. This study was designed to investigate the mechanism of Liguistium wallichii in treating renal carcinoma. Hematoxylin and eosin staining was applied to detect the pathological changes in a rat renal carcinoma model. The experimental group received L. wallichii treatment at 100 mg/kg every 48 h for 4 weeks, while the control group only received normal saline. The proliferation index Ki67 was measured by immunohistochemistry. Primary renal carcinoma cells were isolated and UBE3A expression was measured by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The related signaling pathway was screened by the Pathway Finder Array. pP65 nuclear import was detected by immunofluorescence. A total of 60 rats were used for the renal carcinoma model, of which 58 rats were successfully established and equally divided into two groups: L. wallichii and normal saline. Ki67 expression decreased in the L. wallichii group and was upregulated in the normal saline group. Histological analysis showed significant renal cell nucleus division in the normal saline group. The UBE3A level decreased after L. wallichii treatment compared to the level in the normal saline group. The Pathway Finder Array revealed that the NF-κB signaling pathway was activated, and pP65 presented obvious nuclear import in the normal saline group. In conclusion, L. wallichii inhibits renal carcinoma progression by downregulating UBE3A and suppressing the NF-κB signaling pathway.

Inhibitory effect of green tea extract on the carcinogenesis induced by asbestos plus benzo(a)pyrene in rat.

In this experiment lung carcinoma was induced by crocidolite plus benzo(a)pyrene in rat. From the cancer models, we observed that the incidence (16.0%) of lung carcinomas was lower, and the survival time (376 days) of the first case of carcinoma and the mean survival time (758 days) of the rats with carcinoma were higher in the group of rats drinking 2% green tea extract for life than in the positive group (without drinking green tea extract). The mortality ratio (0.5047) was smaller in the experimental group than in the positive control group, and the survival curve of the experimental group significantly raised up, in comparison with the positive group.