Shoutai Pill Enhances Endometrial Receptivity in Controlled Ovarian Hyperstimulation Mice by Improving the In-Vivo Immune Environment.

BACKGROUND: The Shoutai pill (STP) is a classic formulation in traditional Chinese medicine. Preliminary experimental observations from our study suggest that it is effective in enhancing endometrial receptivity. However, the underlying mechanisms by which STP influences endometrial receptivity remain to be elucidated. PURPOSE: The objective of this study is to investigate the effects and mechanisms of the STP formulation in enhancing endometrial receptivity in controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) model mice. METHODS: The network pharmacology analysis identified target proteins associated with the reduction of endometrial receptivity by STP. The COH mouse model was established using the GnRHa+PMSG+HCG protocol. The levels of MHC-1 and MHC-2 in mouse serum were measured using the ELISA method, while the levels of IL-1B, IL-4, IL-10, IP-10, IL-1a, IL-2, IL-17, TNF-a, and IFN-y were measured using liquid chip technology. RESULTS: STP exhibited a significant improvement in the immune environment of COH model mice. The major active components of STP were identified as beta-sitosterol and quercetin, among others. Furthermore, AKT1, VEGFA, and several immune factors, such as TNF, IFN, IL1B, and IL10, were identified as key targets for regulating endometrial receptivity. STP enhanced the expression of IL-10, IL-4, and IP-10 in the mice while reducing the expression levels of IL-2, IL-17, TNF-α, and IFN-γ in COH mice. These effects led to the modulation of early high expression of IL-1B and an improvement in endometrial receptivity. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that STP can modulate in-vivo immune factors throughout the COH process, subsequently restoring the immune equilibrium within the endometrium, thereby enhancing the endometrial receptivity in the COH model mice.

Three-dimensional mapping of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus in soil microbial biomass and their stoichiometry at the global scale.

Soil microbial biomass and microbial stoichiometric ratios are important for understanding carbon and nutrient cycling in terrestrial ecosystems. Here, we compiled data from 12245 observations of soil microbial biomass from 1626 published studies to map global patterns of microbial biomass carbon (MBC), microbial biomass nitrogen (MBN), microbial biomass phosphorus (MBP), and their stoichiometry using a random forest model. Concentrations of MBC, MBN, and MBP were most closely linked to soil organic carbon, while climatic factors were most important for stoichiometry in microbial biomass ratios. Modeled seasonal MBC concentrations peaked in summer in tundra and in boreal forests, but in autumn in subtropical and in tropical biomes. The global mean MBC/MBN, MBC/MBP, and MBN/MBP ratios were estimated to be 10, 48, and 6.7, respectively, at 0-30 cm soil depth. The highest concentrations, stocks, and microbial C/N/P ratios were found at high latitudes in tundra and boreal forests, probably due to the higher soil organic matter content, greater fungal abundance, and lower nutrient availability in colder than in warmer biomes. At 30-100 cm soil depth, concentrations of MBC, MBN, and MBP were highest in temperate forests. The MBC/MBP ratio showed greater flexibility at the global scale than did the MBC/MBN ratio, possibly reflecting physiological adaptations and microbial community shifts with latitude. The results of this study are important for understanding C, N, and P cycling at the global scale, as well as for developing soil C-cycling models including soil microbial C, N, and P as important parameters.

The efficacy and acceptability of curcumin for the treatment of depression or depressive symptoms: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Curcumin, a potential natural substance is a promising complementary and alternative therapeutic intervention for depression or depressive symptoms. We undertook a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the efficacy and acceptability. METHODS: PubMed, EMBASE, PsycInfo, Web of Science, Cochrane Library and ClinicalTrials.gov were searched from the inception up until March 4, 2020. The Outcomes were depressive symptoms, response rates, drop-out rates, and adverse effects. RESULTS: A total of 594 patients from ten trials were subjected to meta-analysis. Three trials were judged to be at high risk of bias, four at unclear risk of bias and three at low risk of bias. Most of the domains for risk of bias were at low risk or unclear risks and three domains at high risks. The pooling results suggested a significant difference in depression or depressive symptoms(SMD= -0.32, 95% CI: -0.50 to -0.13, I2=15%, n=594) and response rates (OR=3.20, 95% CI: 1.28-7.99, I2=35%, n=271). However, there was no difference between drop-out rates (OR=1.06, 95% CI: 0.58-1.93, I2=0%, n=594), digestive symptoms (OR=1.27, 95% CI: 0.69-2.32, I2=0%, n=284) and neurological symptoms (OR=1.08, 95% CI: 0.49-2.36, I2=0%, n=284). Subgroup analysis showed depression was associated with a reduction(SMD= -0.35, 95% CI: -0.56 to -0.15, I2=7%, n=432) but depressive symptoms were not (SMD= -0.17, 95% CI: -0.61 to 0.26, I2=40%, n=162). CONCLUSIONS: The evidence quality is low, indicating that there is great uncertainty about the efficacy and acceptability of curcumin for the treatment of depression or depressive symptoms.

A study of the brain functional network of Deqi via acupuncturing stimulation at BL40 by rs-fMRI.

OBJECTIVE: Acupuncture is a therapeutic treatment defined as the insertion of needles into the body at specific points (i.e., acupoints). The acupuncture sensation of Deqi is an important component of acupuncture, but the functional brain responses of Deqi have not been entirely supported by the results of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies. The aims of this study were to test the conditions that would generate a Deqi sensation and to investigate the effect of Deqi and the response of acupuncture at different depths and intensities on brain fMRI blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) signals. DESIGN/SETTING: Healthy subjects (n=16) completed two resting-state fMRI (rs-fMRI) scans, once during shallow needling (2 mm) and once during deep needling (10-20 mm) pseudorandomly, at the acupoint BL40. RESULTS: When undergoing shallow needling, 16 subjects had a mild stabbing pain sensation, and no one had a composite Deqi sensation; when undergoing deep needling, 14 subjects had a composite Deqi sensation, and only 2 subjects had a sharp pain feeling. Composite deep needling of Deqi sensation modulated neural activity at multiple levels of the brain and cerebellum, decreased functional connectivity in the default mode networks (DMN) and the pain matrix networks, and increased connectivity in the right posterior cerebellar lobe, left parahippocampal gyrus, thalamus, and supplementary motor area (P<0.05, false discovery rate [FDR]<0.05). When subjects underwent shallow needling, the brain network increased functional connectivity in the right side (precentral gyrus, superior frontal gyrus, cerebellar tonsil) and both side thalami; moreover, the right side of the medial prefrontal cortex had a decreased functional connection (P<0.05, FDR<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The hemodynamic response of deep needling of Deqi sensation hypothesis whereby deep needing could affect a variety of deep tissues and never fibers was supported as acupuncture modulates the limbic-paralimbic-neocortical network to produce its Deqi effects. The similarity of LPNN and DMN suggests that deep needing may mobilize an important intrinsic brain network for its multiple modulation effects.

Brain Network Response to Acupuncture Stimuli in Experimental Acute Low Back Pain: An fMRI Study.

Most neuroimaging studies have demonstrated that acupuncture can significantly modulate brain activation patterns in healthy subjects, while only a few studies have examined clinical pain. In the current study, we combined an experimental acute low back pain (ALBP) model and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to explore the neural mechanisms of acupuncture analgesia. All ALBP subjects first underwent two resting state fMRI scans at baseline and during a painful episode and then underwent two additional fMRI scans, once during acupuncture stimulation (ACUP) and once during tactile stimulation (SHAM) pseudorandomly, at the BL40 acupoint. Our results showed that, compared with the baseline, the pain state had higher regional homogeneity (ReHo) values in the pain matrix, limbic system, and default mode network (DMN) and lower ReHo values in frontal gyrus and temporal gyrus; compared with the OFF status, ACUP yielded broad deactivation in subjects, including nearly all of the limbic system, pain status, and DMN, and also evoked numerous activations in the attentional and somatosensory systems; compared with SHAM, we found that ACUP induced more deactivations and fewer activations in the subjects. Multiple brain networks play crucial roles in acupuncture analgesia, suggesting that ACUP exceeds a somatosensory-guided mind-body therapy for ALBP.

[Main influencing factors of functional magnetic resonance imaging for acupuncture mechanism research].

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has been widely used in the research of acupuncture mechanism in recent years. This article analyzes the effect of four main influencing factors, i.e., research subject, selection of acupoints, manipulation of acupuncture and evaluation of Deqi, and examples are given to explain research application of these four aspects. Based on those mentioned above, the authors presumed that removing ex terior and interior factors of research subject, optimizing compatibility of acupoints and manipulations of acupuncture and making use of correct evaluation scale of Deqi can improve the scientificity and objectivity of fMRI for evaluation of acupuncture mechanism research.