Dietary supplementation with α-ionone alleviates chronic UVB exposure-induced skin photoaging in mice.

Photoaging is widely regarded as the most significant contributor to skin aging damage. It is triggered by prolonged exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light and typically manifests as dryness and the formation of wrinkles. Nutritional intervention is a viable strategy for preventing and treating skin photoaging. In previous studies, we demonstrated that α-ionone had ameliorating effects on photoaging in both epidermal keratinocytes and dermal fibroblasts. Here, we investigated the potential anti-photoaging effects of dietary α-ionone using a UVB-irradiated male C57BL/6N mouse model. Our findings provided compelling evidence that dietary α-ionone alleviates wrinkle formation, skin dryness, and epidermal thickening in chronic UVB-exposed mice. α-Ionone accumulated in mouse skin after 14 weeks of dietary intake of α-ionone. α-Ionone increased collagen density and boosted the expression of collagen genes, while attenuating the UVB-induced increase of matrix metalloproteinase genes in the skin tissues. Furthermore, α-ionone suppressed the expression of senescence-associated secretory phenotypes and reduced the expression of the senescence marker p21 and DNA damage marker p53 in the skin of UVB-irradiated mice. Transcriptome sequencing results showed that α-ionone modifies gene expression profiles of skin. Multiple pathway enrichment analyses on both the differential genes and the entire genes revealed that α-ionone significantly affects multiple physiological processes and signaling pathways associated with skin health and diseases, of which the p53 signaling pathway may be the key signaling pathway. Taken together, our findings reveal that dietary α-ionone intervention holds promise in reducing the risks of skin photoaging, offering a potential strategy to address skin aging concerns.

Dietary Isoeugenol Supplementation Attenuates Chronic UVB-Induced Skin Photoaging and Modulates Gut Microbiota in Mice.

Photoaging, the primary cause of skin aging damage, results from chronic ultraviolet (UV) exposure, leading to dryness and wrinkle formation. Nutritional intervention has emerged as a practical approach for preventing and addressing the effect of skin photoaging. The primary aromatic compound isolated from clove oil, isoeugenol (IE), has antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant qualities that work to effectively restrict skin cancer cell proliferation. This investigation delved into the advantages of IE in alleviating skin photoaging using UVB-irradiated skin fibroblasts and female SKH-1 hairless mouse models. IE alleviated UVB-induced photodamage in Hs68 dermal fibroblasts by inhibiting matrix metalloproteinase secretion and promoting extracellular matrix synthesis. In photoaged mice, dietary IE reduced wrinkles, relieved skin dryness, inhibited epidermal thickening, and prevented collagen loss. Additionally, the intestinal dysbiosis caused by prolonged UVB exposure was reduced with an IE intervention. The results of Spearman's analysis showed a strong correlation between skin photoaging and gut microbiota. Given the almost unavoidable UVB exposure in contemporary living, this research demonstrated the efficacy of dietary IE in reversing skin photoaging, presenting a promising approach to tackle concerns related to extrinsic skin aging.

Acupuncture alleviates CUMS-induced depression-like behaviors of rats by regulating oxidative stress, neuroinflammation and ferroptosis.

BACKGROUND: The treatment of depression with acupuncture has been documented. The mechanism behind acupuncture's curative and preventative effects is still unknown. METHODS: The current study examined the effects of acupuncture on depression-like behaviors in a rat model of chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS), while also exploring its potential mechanisms. A total of six groups of rats were randomly assigned: control, CUMS, acupuncture, fluoxetine, acupoint catgut embedding and sham acupoint catgut embedding. Fluoxetine (2.1 mg/kg) and acupoint catgut embedding were used for comparative research to acupuncture. The modelling evaluation is measured by body weight and behavior tests. Western blotting and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction were used to detect the proteins and mRNA expression of Silent information regulator 1 (Sirt1)/ nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)/ heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1)/ Glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) pathway in the hippocampus. The expression of oxidative stress (OS)-related proteins and inflammatory cytokines in the serum was detected with ELISA. Immunofluorescence showed microglia and astrocytes activity in the hippocampus. RESULTS: Acupuncture and fluoxetine could alleviate CUMS-induced depression-like behaviors. Acupuncture was also found to effectively reverse the levels of MDA, SOD, GSH, GSH-PX and T-AOC, IL-1ß, IL-6 and TNF-α in the serum of CUMS-induced rats. Rats with CUMS showed decreased levels of Sirt1, Nrf2, HO-1 and GPX4 in the hippocampus, while acupuncture treatment could partly reverse the diminished effects. In addition, acupuncture treatment significantly reduced the activation of hippocampal microglia and astrocytes in CUMS-induced rats. CONCLUSION: The study's findings indicate that acupuncture has the potential to mitigate depression-like behaviors in rats induced with CUMS by mitigating OS and reducing neuroinflammation.

Dietary supplementation of ark clams protects gut health and modifies gut microbiota in d-galactose-induced aging rats.

BACKGROUND: Ark clams, a seafood abundant in various nutrients, are widely consumed worldwide. This study aimed to investigate the protective benefits of two common ark clams in Korea, Scapharca subcrenata (SS) and Tegillarca granosa (TG), on gut health in d-galactose (d-gal)-induced aging rats. RESULTS: Thirty-two Wistar rats (11 weeks old) were randomly allocated into four groups: a CON group (normal diet + saline intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection), a CD group (normal diet + d-gal i.p. injection), an SS group (normal diet with 5% SS supplementation + d-gal i.p. injection), and a TG group (normal diet with 5% TG supplementation + d-gal i.p. injection). After 12 weeks of treatment, histopathological results showed that gut barrier damage was alleviated in rats of the SS and TG groups, as evidenced by increases in mucus layer thickness and goblet cell numbers. Meanwhile, the two groups supplemented with ark clams showed an evident reduction in oxidative stress biomarkers (malondialdehyde and protein carbonyl content levels in the colon) and an increase in the immune-related factor (immunoglobulin A level in the plasma) in rats. The 16S ribosomal RNA analysis revealed that SS and TG ark clams significantly increased the proliferations of Bacteroidetes at the phylum level and Parabacteroides at the genus level. Additionally, the levels of the three main short-chain fatty acids in the cecal contents were also significantly increased in the SS and TG groups. CONCLUSION: Our results indicated a potent preventive effect of SS and TG ark clams on d-gal-induced gut injury, suggesting that ark clams may be a promising dietary component for intervening in aging. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Electroacupuncture ameliorates chronic unpredictable mild stress-induced depression-like behavior and cognitive impairment through suppressing oxidative stress and neuroinflammation in rats.

BACKGROUND: Depression is associated with lowered mood, anxiety, anhedonia, cognitive impairments, and even suicidal tendencies in severe cases. Yet few studies have directed acupuncture's mechanism toward enhancing axonal repair correlated with synaptic plasticity and anti-inflammatory effects related to oxidative stress in the hippocampus. METHODS: Male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into control group (CON), chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) group, CUMS + electroacupuncture group (EA), and CUMS + fluoxetine group (FLX) (n = 10/group). Rats were given a 28-day treatment at the Shangxing (GV23) and Fengfu (GV16) acupoints with electroacupuncture or fluoxetine (2.1 mg/kg). RESULTS: Rats exposed to CUMS induced depression-like behaviors and spatial learning-memory impairment, changed the ionized calcium binding adaptor molecule 1 (IBA-1), Vglut1, myelin basic protein (MBP), and postsynaptic density protein 95 (PSD95) level of hippocampal, increased the Nod-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3), atypical squamous cell (ASC), Caspase level and hippocampal reactive oxygen species (ROS), and prompted the activation of Epha4-mediated signaling and an inflammatory response. Conversely, electroacupuncture administration reduced these changes and prevented depression-like behaviors and cognitive impairment. Electroacupuncture also promoted hippocampal expression of Sirtuin1(SIRT1), Nuclear factor erythroid 2-like (Nrf2), Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1); reduced the expression of interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß), interleukin-18 (IL-18), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α); and prevented neural damage, particularly the synaptic myelin sheath, and neuroinflammation by regulating Eph receptor A4 (EphA4) in the hippocampal. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that electroacupuncture prevents depression-like behaviors with cognitive impairment and synaptic and neuronal damage, probably by reducing EphA4, which mediates ROS hyperfunction and the inflammatory response.

The effect of acupuncture on lateral habenular nucleus and intestinal microflora in depression model rats.

BACKGROUND: Depression is a severe emotional condition that significantly affects the quality of life. Acupuncture exerts preventive effects on depression in rats with post-chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS). Methods The study involved chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) depression model mice to administer acupuncture as a preventative measure to investigate the mechanism of acupuncture's antidepressant and observe the effect of acupuncture on impact via the Lateral Habenula (LHb) and Gut-Liver-Brain Axis. The researcher investigated molecules correlating with a nitric oxide/cyclic guanosine monophosphate (NO/cGMP) pathway and assessed inflammation in the LHb and liver. In addition, 16 S rDNA bioinformatics study revealed the quantity and variety of gut microbiota. Rats were randomly divided into five groups: control (CON), CUMS, CUMS + acupuncture (AP), CUMS + fluoxetine (FX) and CUMS + N(G) -nitro -L- arginine methyl ester (LNAME) group. Except for the CON group, other rats were exposed to CUMS condition for 28 days. Simultaneously, manual acupuncture (at Fengfu and Shangxing acupoints, once every other day) and fluoxetine gavage (2.1 mg/kg, 0.21 mg/mL, daily) were conducted to the groups of AP and FX, respectively, after stressors. Rats in LNAME group were treated with LNAME normal saline (10 mg/kg, 1 mg/mL, i.p.) solution. Behavioural tests and biological detection methods were conducted sequentially to evaluate depressionlike phenotype in rats. RESULTS: The results showed CUMS induced depression-like behaviours, hyper-activation of NO/cGMP signaling pathway, inflammation in serum, LHb and liver, and dysbiosis of the gut microbiota. These changes could be prevented and ameliorated by acupuncture to varying extents. CONCLUSION: Acupuncture prevented and attenuated depression-like phenotype induced by CUMS, possibly via regulating the NO/cGMP signaling pathway and thus improving inflammation in serum, LHb and liver, and gut microbiota dysbiosis. In addition, these can be evidence of the existence of the gut-liver-brain axis.

The effects of acupuncture on depression by regulating BDNF-related balance via lateral habenular nucleus BDNF/TrkB/CREB signaling pathway in rats.

Depression is a major mental disease worldwide, causing dysfunction of Lateral Habenular (LHb). As a non-invasive alternative, acupuncture (AP) has been widely used to treat depression in clinic, yet few basic studies have been focused on the effects and mechanism of acupuncture on synaptic plasticity in LHb. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the potential mechanism of the antidepressant effect of acupuncture. Male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into control, chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS), AP, fluoxetine (FLX), acupoint catgut embedding (ACE), sham-ACE groups (n = 9/group). Rats were given a 28-day treatment at the Shangxing (GV23) and Fengfu (GV16) acupoints with acupuncture, ACE, sham-ACE or fluoxetine (2.1 mg/kg). The results showed that AP, FLX and ACE suppressed the behavioral deficits, increased the level of the 5-hydroxytryptamine and FNDC5/IRISIN in serum, also reduced the expression of pro-BDNF impacted by CUMS. Both AP and FLX ameliorated the %area of IBA-1, GFAP, BrdU and DCX in the LHb and increased the expression of BDNF/TrkB/CREB, with non-significant difference between the two groups These findings suggest that AP therapy relieves depression-related manifestations in depressed rats, suggesting a potential mechanism via the BDNF/TrkB/CREB pathway in LHb.

Acupuncture Alleviates CUMS-Induced Depression-Like Behaviors by Restoring Prefrontal Cortex Neuroplasticity.

Purpose: To explore the therapeutic efficiency of acupuncture and the related molecular mechanism of neural plasticity in depression. Methods: Chronic unpredictable mild stress- (CUMS-) induced rats were established for the depression animal model. There were a total of four rat groups, including the control group, the CUMS group, the CUMS+acupuncture group, and the CUMS+fluoxetine group. The acupuncture group and the fluoxetine group were given a 3-week treatment after the modeling intervention. The researcher performed the open-field, elevated plus maze, and sucrose preference tests to evaluate depressive behaviors. The number of nerve cells, dendrites' length, and the prefrontal cortex's spine density were detected using Golgi staining. The prefrontal cortex expression, such as BDNF, PSD95, SYN, and PKMZ protein, was detected using the western blot and RT-PCR. Results: Acupuncture could alleviate depressive-like behaviors and promote the recovery of the neural plasticity functions in the prefrontal cortex, showing the increasing cell numbers, prolonging the length of the dendrites, and enhancing the spine density. The neural plasticity-related proteins in the prefrontal cortex, including BDNF, PSD95, SYN, and PKMZ, were all downregulated in the CUMS-induced group; however, these effects could be partly reversed after being treated by acupuncture and fluoxetine (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Acupuncture can ameliorate depressive-like behaviors by promoting the recovery of neural plasticity functions and neural plasticity-related protein upregulation in the prefrontal cortex of CUMS-induced depressed rats. Our study provides new insights into the antidepressant approach, and further studies are warranted to elucidate the mechanisms of acupuncture involved in depression treatment.

Dietary Supplementation of Cedryl Acetate Ameliorates Adiposity and Improves Glucose Homeostasis in High-Fat Diet-Fed Mice.

Cedryl acetate (CA), also called acetyl cedrene, is approved by the FDA as a flavoring or adjuvant to be added to foods. In this study, we aimed to investigate the preventive benefits of CA on obesity and obesity-related metabolic syndrome caused by a high-fat diet (HFD). Three groups of C57BL/6J mice (ten-week-old) were fed Chow, an HFD, or an HFD with CA supplementation (100 mg/kg) for 19 weeks. We observed that CA supplementation significantly reduced weight gain induced by an HFD, decreased the weight of the visceral fat pads, and prevented adipocyte hypertrophy in mice. Moreover, mice in the CA group showed significant improvements in hepatic lipid accumulation, glucose intolerance, insulin resistance, and gluconeogenesis compared with the mice in the HFD group. Since 16S rRNA analysis revealed that the gut microbiota in the CA and HFD groups were of similar compositions at the phylum and family levels, CA may have limited effects on gut microbiota in HFD-fed mice. The beneficial effects on the metabolic parameters of CA were reflected by CA's regulation of metabolism-related gene expression in the liver (including Pepck, G6Pase, and Fbp1) and the epididymal white adipose tissues (including PPARγ, C/EBPα, FABP4, FAS, Cytc, PGC-1α, PRDM16, Cidea, and COX4) of the mice. In summary, a potent preventive effect of CA on HFD-induced obesity and related metabolic syndrome was highlighted by our results, and CA could be a promising dietary component for obesity intervention.

Dietary Supplementation of Methyl Cedryl Ether Ameliorates Adiposity in High-Fat Diet-Fed Mice.

Methyl cedryl ether (MCE) is a derivative of cedrol and is widely used as a fragrance compound. The aim of this study was to evaluate the preventative effects of MCE on obesity and related metabolic syndromes and to delineate the mechanisms from the perspective of gut microbiota and white adipose tissues (WAT) transcriptomic profiles. Five-week-old male C57BL/6J mice were randomly assigned into 3 groups and fed with chow diet, high-fat diet (HFD), or HFD supplemented with 0.2% (w/w) MCE for 13 weeks. We found that MCE significantly reduced body weight, inhibited adipocyte hypertrophy, and ameliorated hepatic steatosis under HFD conditions. MCE dietary supplementation downregulated the expression of adipogenesis genes (FAS and C/EBPα) and upregulated the mRNA levels of thermogenesis genes (PGC-1α, PRDM16, UCP1, Cidea, Cytc, and COX4) in epididymal WAT. 16S rRNA sequencing revealed that MCE improved gut microbiota dysbiosis in HFD-fed mice, as manifested by the alteration of strains associated with obesity. Further transcriptome analysis of WAT indicated that MCE dramatically changed the gene expression profiles. Our results demonstrate the anti-obesity effect of MCE under HFD conditions, highlighting the nutraceutical potential of MCE for preventing obesity.

Acupuncture exerts preventive effects in rats of chronic unpredictable mild stress: The involvement of inflammation in amygdala and brain-spleen axis.

BACKGROUND: Acupuncture has shown the preventive effects on depression in rats with chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS). However, the mechanisms of acupuncture for preventing depression still need to be explored. In the study, acupuncture was applied to a rat depression model of CUMS, high-mobility group box 1(HMGB1)/toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and brain-spleen axis were assessed. METHODS: Male Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were exposed to CUMS with two stressors per day for 28 days. In the meantime, manual acupuncture (at GV16 and GV23 acupoints, once every other day) and fluoxetine gavage (2.1 mg/kg, 0.21 mg/mL) were administered daily post CUMS stressors. Behavioral tests and biological detection methods were conducted in sequence to evaluate depression-like phenotypes in rats. RESULTS: The results showed CUMS induced depression-like behaviors, hyper-activation of HMGB1/TLR4 signaling pathway, elevated inflammation in amygdala and peripheral blood, and hyperactivation of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. These changes could be prevented and reversed by acupuncture to varying extents. CONCLUSION: Acupuncture prevented and ameliorated depression-like symptoms induced by CUMS, possibly via regulating inflammation through brain-spleen axis mediated by HMGB1/TLR4 signaling pathway and HPA axis regulation.

[Bibliometric analysis on key elements of clinical application of acupoint catgut embedding therapy in recent ten years].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the characteristics of acupoint catgut embedding methods, tools, catgut types, and the treatment cycles in the clinical research in recent ten years both at home and abroad, so as to summarize its regularities and to provide technical references for further studies. METHODS: Articles about clinical researches on catgut embedding therapy published in recent ten years (from January 1, 2010 to December 31,2020) were retrieved from the databases of CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, and PubMed by using key words of "acupoint embedding" "acupoint catgut embedding" and "catgut implantation at acupoint". According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, a new database was established for analyzing the data mentioned above. RESULTS: 1) A total of 1 196 articles were collected, including 15 English articles and 1 181 Chinese articles, presenting a fluctuating increasing trend in recent ten years. 2) The commonly used acupoint embedding methods included disposable catgut embedment needle method (399 times, 38.89%) and disposable syringe needle catgut embedding method (347 times, 33.82%), for which two or multiple methods were mentioned in the same one article. 3) The most frequently used top two tools for catgut embedding were the dispo-sable catgut embedment needle (463 times, 43.03%) and disposable syringe needle (406 times,37.73%), with a significant increase in the application of disposable syringe needle. The most commonly used size of tools included No. 7 (283 times, 39.86%), No. 9 (196 times, 27.61%) and No. 8 (109 times, 15.35%). 4) The most frequently implanted surgical suture was still the common catgut (671 times, 58.15%) despite of a reduction in clinical application year by year, and the types of the implanted suture materials were gradually enriched since 2018, such as the absorbable surgical suture, polyethylprolactide(PGLA), collagen protein thread, polydioxanone(PPDO), etc. The commonly used implanted catgut size was 3-0 (227 times, 30.15%), 2-0 (176 times, 23.37%), 4-0 (131 times, 17.40%), 0 (103 times, 13.68%), with the commonly used catgut length being 1 cm (332 times, 35.55%), 1.5 cm (103 times, 11.03%), 1-2 cm (92 times, 9.85%) and 2 cm (92 times, 9.85%). 5) The intervals of the catgut implantation were 7 days (313 times, 28.95%), 14 days (262 times, 24.24%), 10 days (174 times, 16.10%), and 15 days (162 times, 14.99%). CONCLUSION: In recent ten years, clinical research on acupoint catgut embedding is growing rapidly, and the embedding methods, tools, implanted sutures, and embedding intervals are various, which may provide certain technical references for the future researches and suggest an urgent need of formulation of the standardized and unified standards in this field.

Eugenol, A Major Component of Clove Oil, Attenuates Adiposity, and Modulates Gut Microbiota in High-Fat Diet-Fed Mice.

SCOPE: Eugenol (EU), the major aromatic compound derived from clove oil, is being focused recently due to its potential in preventing several chronic conditions. Herein, this study aims to evaluate the potential of EU in obesity prevention and to delineate the mechanisms involved. METHODS AND RESULTS: Five-week-old male C57BL/6J mice are fed with high-fat diet (HFD) or HFD supplemented with EU (0.2%, w/w) for 13 weeks. EU significantly reduces obesity-related indexes including final body weight, body weight gain, adipocyte size, visceral fat-pad weight, and fasting blood glucose. EU prevents HFD-induced gut dysbiosis, as indicated by the increase of Firmicutes and decrease of Desulfobacterota at phylum level, and the increase of Dubosiella, Blautia, unclassified_f_Oscillospiraceae, and unclassified_f_Ruminococcaceae, and the decrease of Alistipes, Alloprevotella, and Bilophila at genus level. Notably, the obesity-related indexes are positively correlated with the relative abundances of Bacteroides, unclassified_f_Lachnospiraceae, Colidextribacter, and Bilophila, and negatively correlated with the relative abundances of norank_f_Muribaculaceae and Lachnospiraceae_NK4A136_group. Moreover, the preventive effects of EU on obesity are accompanied by the transcriptomic reprogramming of white adipose tissue. CONCLUSION: These findings demonstrate that EU prevents the HFD-induced adiposity and modulates gut dysbiosis, and highlight the potential of EU in obesity intervention as a functional dietary supplement.

Anti-depressant effects of acupuncture: The insights from NLRP3 mediated pyroptosis and inflammation.

The NLRP3-mediated pyroptosis, which could affect inflammation response, plays a key role in the development of depression. Acupuncture has been shown to be an effective treatment for depression. In this study, we aimed to determine whether acupuncture could confer antidepressant activity via decreasing NLRP3-mediated pyroptosis by reducing inflammation. Here, depression model of rats was induced by chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) for 4 weeks. Acupuncture group was subjected to acupuncture at the Shangxing (GV23) and Fengfu (GV16) acupoints for 20 min every other day (a total of 14 times). Fluoxetine group was administered with fluoxetine (2.1 mg/kg with the concentration of 0.21 mg/mL) by oral gavage (1 mL/100 g) once a day for 28 days. Rats' depression-like phenotypes were reflected with behavioral tests and biological detection methods. Results showed that acupuncture significantly improved the depression-like behavior of CUMS rat, suppressed the expressions of NLRP3, ASC, caspase-1, GSDMD, IL-1ß, IL-18, HMGB1, IFN-γ, IL-6 and TNF-α in the serum and hippocampus, restored the %area of microglia, astrocytes and neuronal cells in the hippocampus. These indicate that acupuncture can prevent CUMS-induced depression-like behaviors by reducing NLRP3-mediated pyroptosis and inflammation.

Nutraceuticals in the Prevention and Treatment of the Muscle Atrophy.

Imbalance of protein homeostasis, with excessive protein degradation compared with protein synthesis, leads to the development of muscle atrophy resulting in a decrease in muscle mass and consequent muscle weakness and disability. Potential triggers of muscle atrophy include inflammation, malnutrition, aging, cancer, and an unhealthy lifestyle such as sedentariness and high fat diet. Nutraceuticals with preventive and therapeutic effects against muscle atrophy have recently received increasing attention since they are potentially more suitable for long-term use. The implementation of nutraceutical intervention might aid in the development and design of precision medicine strategies to reduce the burden of muscle atrophy. In this review, we will summarize the current knowledge on the importance of nutraceuticals in the prevention of skeletal muscle mass loss and recovery of muscle function. We also highlight the cellular and molecular mechanisms of these nutraceuticals and their possible pharmacological use, which is of great importance for the prevention and treatment of muscle atrophy.

Boosting the Photoaged Skin: The Potential Role of Dietary Components.

Skin photoaging is mainly induced by ultraviolet (UV) irradiation and its manifestations include dry skin, coarse wrinkle, irregular pigmentation, and loss of skin elasticity. Dietary supplementation of nutraceuticals with therapeutic and preventive effects against skin photoaging has recently received increasing attention. This article aims to review the research progress in the cellular and molecular mechanisms of UV-induced skin photoaging. Subsequently, the beneficial effects of dietary components on skin photoaging are discussed. The photoaging process and the underlying mechanisms are complex. Matrix metalloproteinases, transforming growth factors, skin adipose tissue, inflammation, oxidative stress, nuclear and mitochondrial DNA, telomeres, microRNA, advanced glycation end products, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, and transient receptor potential cation channel V are key regulators that drive the photoaging-associated changes in skin. Meanwhile, mounting evidence from animal models and clinical trials suggests that various food-derived components attenuate the development and symptoms of skin photoaging. The major mechanisms of these dietary components to alleviate skin photoaging include the maintenance of skin moisture and extracellular matrix content, regulation of specific signaling pathways involved in the synthesis and degradation of the extracellular matrix, and antioxidant capacity. Taken together, the ingestion of food-derived functional components could be an attractive strategy to prevent skin photoaging damage.

Applications and Functions of γ-Poly-Glutamic Acid and its Derivatives in Medicine.

BACKGROUND: γ-Poly-Glutamic Acid (γ-PGA) is a naturally occurring homo-polyamide produced by various strains of Bacillus. It is made from repeating units of L-glutamic acid, D-glutamic acid, or both connected through amide linkages between α-amino and γ-carboxylic acid groups. As a biopolymer substance, the attractive properties of γ-PGA are that it is water-soluble, biodegradable, biocompatible, non-toxic, non-immunogenic, and edible. Therefore, it can be used as a green and environmentally friendly biological material. METHODS: The review concentrates on the reports revealing the functions and potential use of γ-PGA and its derivatives in medicine. RESULTS & DISCUSSION: γ-PGA is described to possess several properties that may be exploited in medicine. The biopolymer reportedly has been successfully applied not only as a metal chelator, drug carrier/ deliverer, and gene vector, but also used safely as a vaccine adjuvant, tissue engineering material, and contrast agent. CONCLUSION: γ-PGA could be potentially considered as a potential biomedical material in the field of medicine.

Antioxidant Activity and Main Chemical Components of a Novel Fermented Tea.

In the present study, we aimed to develop a novel fermented tea (NFT) product and to evaluate their in vitro antioxidant potential and chemical composition. We found that NFT contained a high level of total phenolic compounds (102.98 mg gallic acid equivalents/g extract) and exhibited diverse antioxidant activities, such as scavenging of 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) and hydroxyl radicals, as well as reducing power. The total catechins in NFT were comparable to those of Lipton black tea (LBT), but lower than those of Boseong green tea (BGT) or Tieguanyin oolong tea (TOT). Among all catechins tested, epigallocatechin (EGC) and epigallocatechin-3-O-gallate (EGCG) were the predominant compounds in NFT. In particular, the contents of total theaflavins (TFs), theaflavin (TF), theaflavin-3-gallate (TF3G), and theaflavin-3'-gallate (TF3'G) in NFT were significantly higher than that of BGT, TOT, or LBT. NFT had the highest level of total essential amino acid and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) compared with BGT, TOT and LBT. Furthermore, the sensory evaluation results showed that NFT had satisfactory color, aroma, taste, and overall acceptability scores. Our results highlight the potential usefulness of this novel fermented tea as a nutraceutical food/ingredient with special functional activities.

[Observation on time-effect for the stimulating at Zusanli (ST 36) with minimally invasive embedding with PGLA in the healthy person].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the objectivity and time-effect of stimulating effect at acupoint with PGLA in the healthy person, and to provide a basis for the rational interval of minimally invasive embedding of PGLA. METHODS: Before embedding, 8 h, 3rd, 7th, 10th, 14th day after embedding, medical imaging magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanning technique was used to collect local T2WI pressure-lowering and T2-Mapping 8 echoes sequence image of left Zusanli (ST 36) in 8 cases of healthy person. The T2-Mapping 8 echoes sequence image was generated by the relevant software to the T2-Mapping image and the local T2 value was measured. The characteristics of local T2WI pressure-fat image signal intensity and the change of T2 value at left Zusanli (ST 36) with minimally invasive embedding with PGLA were observed and analyzed. RESULTS: ①There was no abnormal signal on the T2WI pressure-fat image on the left Zusanli (ST 36) point before the embedding. The high-signal was seen on the local T2WI pressure-fat image at each time point after embedding, there was no significant difference in local signal intensity between 8 h, 3rd and 7th day after embedding. The local signal intensity decreased on the 10th day after embedding, and the local signal intensity decreased significantly on the 14th day after embedding.②The T2 value at each time point after embedding increased significantly compared with that before embedding (all P<0.01); there was no significant difference in T2 value among the 8 h, 3rd and 7th day after embedding (all P>0.05); there was no significant difference between the T2 value on the 7th and the 10th day after embedding (P>0.05)，the T2 value on the 14th day after embedding was significantly lower than that on the 7th day after embedding (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: It has a stimulating effect on the local acupoints with minimally invasive embedding with PGLA in the healthy person, and the stimulating effect has certain time-effect. The effective stimulation time is about 2 weeks. The rational interval period for the minimally invasive embedding with the PGLA of the same specification type should be about 2 weeks.

Observation on time-effect for the stimulating at Zusanli (ST 36) with minimally invasive embedding with PGLA in the healthy person / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the objectivity and time-effect of stimulating effect at acupoint with PGLA in the healthy person, and to provide a basis for the rational interval of minimally invasive embedding of PGLA.@*METHODS@#Before embedding, 8 h, 3rd, 7th, 10th, 14th day after embedding, medical imaging magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanning technique was used to collect local T2WI pressure-lowering and T2-Mapping 8 echoes sequence image of left Zusanli (ST 36) in 8 cases of healthy person. The T2-Mapping 8 echoes sequence image was generated by the relevant software to the T2-Mapping image and the local T2 value was measured. The characteristics of local T2WI pressure-fat image signal intensity and the change of T2 value at left Zusanli (ST 36) with minimally invasive embedding with PGLA were observed and analyzed.@*RESULTS@#①There was no abnormal signal on the T2WI pressure-fat image on the left Zusanli (ST 36) point before the embedding. The high-signal was seen on the local T2WI pressure-fat image at each time point after embedding, there was no significant difference in local signal intensity between 8 h, 3rd and 7th day after embedding. The local signal intensity decreased on the 10th day after embedding, and the local signal intensity decreased significantly on the 14th day after embedding.②The T2 value at each time point after embedding increased significantly compared with that before embedding (all 0.05); there was no significant difference between the T2 value on the 7th and the 10th day after embedding (>0.05)，the T2 value on the 14th day after embedding was significantly lower than that on the 7th day after embedding (<0.01).@*CONCLUSION@#It has a stimulating effect on the local acupoints with minimally invasive embedding with PGLA in the healthy person, and the stimulating effect has certain time-effect. The effective stimulation time is about 2 weeks. The rational interval period for the minimally invasive embedding with the PGLA of the same specification type should be about 2 weeks.