The Synaptic and Circuit Functions of Vitamin D in Neurodevelopment Disorders.

Vitamin D deficiency/insufficiency is a public health issue around the world. According to epidemiological studies, low vitamin D levels have been associated with an increased risk of some neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Animal models reveal that vitamin D has a variety of impacts on the synapses and circuits in the brain. A lack of vitamin D affects the expression of synaptic proteins, as well as the synthesis and metabolism of various neurotransmitters. Depending on where vitamin D receptors (VDRs) are expressed, vitamin D may also regulate certain neuronal circuits through the endocannabinoid signaling, mTOR pathway and oxytocin signaling. While inconsistently, some data suggest that vitamin D supplementation may be able to reduce the core symptoms of ASD and ADHD. This review emphasizes vitamin D's role in the synaptic and circuit mechanisms of neurodevelopmental disorders including ASD and ADHD. Future application of vitamin D in these disorders will depend on both basic research and clinical studies, in order to make the transition from the bench to the bedside.

Efficacy and safety of Xuefu Zhuyu Granules combined with western medicine in the treatment of angina pectoris of coronary heart disease: A study protocol of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Despite advances in treatment strategies for coronary heart disease, angina pectoris remains a major cardiovascular disease causing death worldwide. For patients with angina pectoris of coronary heart disease, new or adjuvant treatment regimens are needed. The available evidence suggests that Xuefu Zhuyu Granules combined with Western medicine has advantages in the treatment of angina pectoris of coronary heart disease, but whether its efficacy has a placebo effect and whether it can be used as an adjuvant regimen for the treatment of angina pectoris of coronary heart disease remains controversial. METHODS: This is a prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to study the efficacy and safety of Xuefu Zhuyu Granules combined with Western medicine in the treatment of angina pectoris of coronary heart disease. Participants will be randomly divided into a treatment group or a control group, and all patients will receive Western medicine treatment based on guideline recommendations. On this basis, the treatment group orally takes Xuefu Zhuyu Granules and the control group orally takes Xuefu Zhuyu Granules mimic, and are followed up for 24 weeks after 12 weeks of continuous treatment. The observation indexes include: cardiac function parameters (left ventricular end-diastolic diameter; left ventricular end-systolic diameter; left ventricular ejection fraction, blood lipid levels (total cholesterol; triacylglycerol; low-density lipoprotein cholesterol; high-density lipoprotein cholesterol), the number of angina attacks per week, total amount of nitroglycerin tablets taken, and adverse reactions. Finally, SPSS22.0 (IBM Company, New York, NY) software will be used for statistical analysis of the data. DISCUSSION: This study will evaluate the efficacy and safety of Xuefu Zhuyu Granules combined with Western medicine in the treatment of angina pectoris of coronary heart disease. The results of this study will verify whether the efficacy of Xuefu Zhuyu Granules in the treatment of angina pectoris of coronary heart disease belongs to the placebo effect, which will also provide a reference for the clinical use of Xuefu Zhuyu Granules as a supplementary scheme for the treatment of angina pectoris of coronary heart disease.

Revealing the magic of acupuncture based on biological mechanisms: A literature review.

Acupuncture has been used to treat various disease for more than 3,000 years in China and other Asian countries. As a complementary and alternative therapy, it has gained increasing popularity and acceptance among public and healthcare professionals in the West. Over the past few decades, basic and clinical research on acupuncture has made considerable progress. Internationally recognized evidence from clinical studies has been published, a preliminary system to clinically evaluate acupuncture has been created, and some clinical guidelines have been formulated. Moreover, scientists have strived to explore the physiological and biological mechanisms of acupuncture. Some basic studies have indicated that acupuncture has various actions, such as analgesic, muscle relaxing, anti-inflammatory, mild anxiolytic, and antidepressant actions, with possible biological mechanisms such as central sensitization, neurotransmitters, the intestinal flora, immune regulation, oxidative stress, and neuroinflammation. The current review describes the common indications for acupuncture recommended by the WHO and the use of acupuncture in China, the United States, Australia, and several other countries. This review then summarized the mechanisms by which acupuncture treats common conditions including lower back pain (LBP), ischemic stroke, depression, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and it also cited specific acupuncture points for treating these conditions. The hope is that this review will provide useful information for both acupuncturists and researchers to better understand the mechanisms of acupuncture and reasons for its usage.

Oxymatrine induces mitochondria dependent apoptosis in human osteosarcoma MNNG/HOS cells through inhibition of PI3K/Akt pathway.

The cytostatic drug from traditional Chinese medicinal herb has acted as a chemotherapeutic agent used in treatment of a wide variety of cancers. Oxymatrine, classified as a quinolizidine alkaloid, is a phytochemical product derived from Sophora flavescens, and has been reported to possess anticancer activities. However, the cancer growth inhibitory effects and molecular mechanisms in human osteosarcoma MNNG/HOS cell have not been well studied. In the present study, the cytotoxic effects of oxymatrine on MNNG/HOS cells were examined by MTT and bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation assays. The percentage of apoptotic cells and the level of mitochondrial membrane potential (Δψ m) were assayed by flow cytometry. The levels of apoptosis-related proteins were measured by Western blot analysis or enzyme assay Kit. Our results showed that treatment with oxymatrine resulted in a significant inhibition of cell proliferation and DNA synthesis in a dose-dependent manner, which has been attributed to apoptosis. Furthermore, we found that oxymatrine considerably inhibited the expression of Bcl-2 whilst increasing that of Bax. This promoted mitochondrial dysfunction, leading to the release of cytochrome c from the mitochondria to the cytoplasm, as well as the activation of caspase-9 and -3. Moreover, addition of oxymatrine to MNNG/HOS cells also attenuated phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) /Akt signaling pathway cascade, evidenced by the dephosphorylation of P13K and Akt. Likewise, oxymatrine significantly suppressed tumor growth in female BALB/C nude mice bearing MNNG/HOS xenograft tumors. In addition, no evidence of drug-related toxicity was identified in the treated animals by comparing the body weight increase and mortality. Therefore, these findings should be useful for understanding the apoptotic cellular mechanism mediated by oxymatrine and might offer a therapeutic potential advantage for human osteosarcoma chemoprevention or chemotherapy.