Network pharmacology prediction and molecular docking-based strategy to explore the pharmacodynamic substances and mechanism of "Mung Bean" against bacterial infection.

OBJECTIVE: The network pharmacology approach combined the technologies of molecular docking and in vitro bacteriostatic validation to explore the active compounds, core targets, and mechanism of Mung Bean against bacterial infection. METHODS: A Mung Bean target and anti-bacterial infection-related gene set was established using TCMSP and GeneCards databases. Gene ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis and protein-protein interaction network were performed using DAVID and STRING database. The combination of core targets and active compounds was predicted by molecular docking. The bacteriostatic experiment in vitro was performed to verify the antibacterial activity of the active compounds. RESULT: 32 potential targets and 5 active compounds of Mung Bean against bacterial infection were obtained by bioinformatics analysis. SRC, EGFR, and MAPK8 might be the candidate targets of Mung Bean. There were 137 GO items (p < 0.05) and 60 signaling pathways (p < 0.05) in GO and KEGG enrichment analysis. The PI3K-AKT pathway, TNF signaling pathway, MAPK signaling pathway might play a significant role in Mung Bean against bacterial infection. Molecular docking results showed that sitosterol and vitamin-e had a high binding affinity with the core targets, which might be the key compounds of Mung bean. In vitro bacteriostatic experimental verified that vitamin-e had a significant bacteriostatic effect. CONCLUSION: Sitosterol and vitamin-E in Mung bean might act on MAPK1, regulate inflammation and immune response to play a role in anti-bacterial infection.

Magnesium supplementation for glycemic status in women with gestational diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: The effect of magnesium supplementation on glycemic status in women with gestational diabetes remains controversial and this meta-analysis aims to explore the efficacy of magnesium supplementation for gestational diabetes. METHODS: We have searched PubMed, Excerpta Medica database, Web of science, Elton B. Stephens. Company, and Cochrane library databases. The meta-analysis included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) assessing the effect of magnesium supplementation for gestational diabetes and was performed using the random-effect model. RESULTS: Four RCTs were included in the meta-analysis. Overall, compared with placebo in gestational diabetes, magnesium supplementation was associated with significantly reduced fasting plasma glucose (standard mean difference [SMD] = -0.99; 95% confidence interval [CI] = -1.28 to -0.70; p < .00001), serum insulin (SMD = -0.75; 95% CI = -1.24 to -0.26; p = .003), homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (SMD = -0.74; 95% CI = -1.10 to -0.39; p < .0001) and increased quantitative insulin sensitivity check index (SMD = 0.47; 95% CI = 0.12 to 0.82; p = .008). In addition, low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (SMD = -0.39; 95% CI = -0.73 to -0.04; p = .03) and total cholesterol (SMD = -0.62; 95% CI = -0.97 to -0.27; p = .0005) were also obviously decreased in the magnesium group than those in the control group. CONCLUSION: Magnesium supplementation benefits glycemic control for gestational diabetes.

Regional Shape Abnormalities in Thalamus and Verbal Memory Impairment After Subcortical Infarction.

Background. Subcortical infarcts can result in verbal memory impairment, but the potential underlying mechanisms remain unknown. Objective. We investigated the spatiotemporal deterioration patterns of brain structures in patients with subcortical infarction and identified the regions that contributed to verbal memory impairment. Methods. Cognitive assessment and structural magnetic resonance imaging were performed 1, 4, and 12 weeks after stroke onset in 28 left-hemisphere and 22 right-hemisphere stroke patients with subcortical infarction. Whole-brain volumetric analysis combined with a further-refined shape analysis was conducted to analyze longitudinal morphometric changes in brain structures and their relationship to verbal memory performance. Results. Between weeks 1 and 12, significant volume decreases in the ipsilesional basal ganglia, inferior white matter, and thalamus were found in the left-hemisphere stroke group. Among those 3 structures, only the change rate of the thalamus volume was significantly correlated with that in immediate recall. For the right-hemisphere stroke group, only the ipsilesional basal ganglia survived the week 1 to week 12 group comparison, but its change rate was not significantly correlated with the verbal memory change rate. Shape analysis of the thalamus revealed atrophies of the ipsilesional thalamic subregions connected to the prefrontal, temporal, and premotor cortices in the left-hemisphere stroke group and positive correlations between the rates of those atrophies and the change rate in immediate recall. Conclusions. Secondary damage to the thalamus, especially to the left subregions connected to specific cortices, may be associated with early verbal memory impairment following an acute subcortical infarct.