[HbA1c comparison and diagnostic efficacy analysis of multi center different glycosylated hemoglobin detection systems].

Objective: Compare and analyze the results of the domestic Lanyi AH600 glycated hemoglobin analyzer and other different detection systems to understand the comparability of the detection results of different detectors, and establish the best cut point of Lanyi AH600 determination of haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) in the diagnosis of diabetes. Methods: Multi center cohort study was adopted. The clinical laboratory departments of 18 medical institutions independently collected test samples from their respective hospitals from March to April 2022, and independently completed comparative analysis of the evaluated instrument (Lanyi AH600) and the reference instrument HbA1c. The reference instruments include four different brands of glycosylated hemoglobin meters, including Arkray, Bio-Rad, DOSOH, and Huizhong. Scatter plot was used to calculate the correlation between the results of different detection systems, and the regression equation was calculated. The consistency analysis between the results of different detection systems was evaluated by Bland Altman method. Consistency judgment principles: (1) When the 95% limits of agreement (95% LoA) of the measurement difference was within 0.4% HbA1c and the measurement score was≥80 points, the comparison consistency was good; (2) When the measurement difference of 95% LoA exceeded 0.4% HbA1c, and the measurement score was≥80 points, the comparison consistency was relatively good; (3) The measurement score was less than 80 points, the comparison consistency was poor. The difference between the results of different detection systems was tested by paired sample T test or Wilcoxon paired sign rank sum test; The best cut-off point of diabetes was analyzed by receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC). Results: The correlation coefficient R2 of results between Lanyi AH600 and the reference instrument in 16 hospitals is≥0.99; The Bland Altman consistency analysis showed that the difference of 95% LoA in Nanjing Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital in Jiangsu Province (reference instrument: Arkray HA8180) was -0.486%-0.325%, and the measurement score was 94.6 points (473/500); The difference of 95% LoA in the Tibetan Traditional Medical Hospital of TAR (reference instrument: Bio-Rad Variant II) was -0.727%-0.612%, and the measurement score was 89.8 points; The difference of 95% LoA in the People's Hospital of Chongqing Liang Jiang New Area (reference instrument: Huizhong MQ-2000PT) was -0.231%-0.461%, and the measurement score was 96.6 points; The difference of 95% LoA in the Taihe Hospital of traditional Chinese Medicine in Anhui Province (reference instrument: Huizhong MQ-2000PT) was -0.469%-0.479%, and the measurement score was 91.9 points. The other 14 hospitals, Lanyi AH600, were compared with 4 reference instrument brands, the difference of 95% LoA was less than 0.4% HbA1c, and the scores were all greater than 95 points. The results of paired sample T test or Wilcoxon paired sign rank sum test showed that there was no statistically significant difference between Lanyi AH600 and the reference instrument Arkray HA8180 (Z=1.665,P=0.096), with no statistical difference. The mean difference between the measured values of the two instruments was 0.004%. The comparison data of Lanyi AH600 and the reference instrument of all other institutions had significant differences (all P<0.001), however, it was necessary to consider whether it was within the clinical acceptable range in combination with the results of the Bland-Altman consistency analysis. The ROC curve of HbA1c detected by Lanyi AH600 in 985 patients with diabetes and 3 423 patients with non-diabetes was analyzed, the area under curve (AUC) was 0.877, the standard error was 0.007, and the 95% confidence interval 95%CI was (0.864, 0.891), which was statistically significant (P<0.001). The maximum value of Youden index was 0.634, and the corresponding HbA1c cut point was 6.235%. The sensitivity and specificity of diabetes diagnosis were 76.2% and 87.2%, respectively. Conclusion: Among the hospitals and instruments currently included in this study, among these four hospitals included Nanjing Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital in Jiangsu Province (reference instrument: Arkray HA8180), Tibetan Traditional Medical Hospital of TAR (reference instrument: Bio-Rad Variant Ⅱ), the People's Hospital of Chongqing Liang Jiang New Area (reference instrument: Huizhong MQ-2000PT), and the Taihe Hospital of traditional Chinese Medicine in Anhui Province (reference instrument: Huizhong MQ-2000PT), the comparison between Lanyi AH600 and the reference instruments showed relatively good consistency, while the other 14 hospitals involved four different brands of reference instruments: Arkray, Bio-Rad, DOSOH, and Huizhong, Lanyi AH600 had good consistency with its comparison. The best cut point of the domestic Lanyi AH600 for detecting HbA1c in the diagnosis of diabetes is 6.235%.

Three first records of stick insects attacking plants (Inseect: Phasmida) in Tibet / Três primeiros registros de insetos-pau atacando plantas (Inseect: Phasmida) no Tibet

Except for a few stick insects that are economically valuable, most species be considered to be forest pests, so it is extremely important to obtain plant host-use information of more stick insects. In this paper, the plant hosts of three species of stick insects were recorded for the first time. We also discovered these stick insects can feed upon the flowers or leaves of plants. Lopaphus unidentatus (Chen & He, 1995) (Phasmida: Lonchodidae) attacked Hypericum choisianum Wall. ex N. Robson, 1973 (Hypericaceae), Leurophasma dolichocercum Bi, 1995 (Phasmida: Aschiphasmatidae) attacked Antenoron filiforme (Thunb.) Roberty & Vautier, 1964 (Polygonaceae) and Megalophasma granulatum Bi, 1995 (Phasmida: Lonchodidae) attacked Debregeasia orientalis C. J. Chen, 1991 (Urticaceae). Finally, we were lucky enough to also obtain photographs of them mating and feeding.

Exceto por alguns insetos-pau que são economicamente valiosos, a maioria das espécies pode ser considerada praga florestal, por isso é extremamente importante obter informações sobre o uso de hospedeiros de plantas de mais insetos-pau. Neste artigo, as plantas hospedeiras de três espécies de bicho-pau foram registradas pela primeira vez. Também descobrimos que esses bichos-pau podem se alimentar de flores ou folhas de plantas. Lopaphus unidentatus (Chen & He, 1995) (Phasmida: Lonchodidae) atacou a parede de Hypericum choisianum. ex N. Robson, 1973 (Hypericaceae), Leurophasma dolichocercum Bi, 1995 (Phasmida: Aschiphasmatidae) atacou Antenoron filiforme (Thunb.) Roberty & Vautier, 1964 (Polygonaceae) e Megalophasma granulatum Bi, 1995 (Phasmida: Lonchodidae orientaled) atacou Chen, 1991 (Urticaceae). Finalmente, tivemos a sorte de também obter fotos deles se acasalando e se alimentando.

Advances in physiological mechanisms of selenium to improve heavy metal stress tolerance in plants.

Selenium (Se) is a metalloid mineral nutrient for human and animal health. Plants are the main foodstuff source of the Se intake of humans. For plants, the addition of an appropriate amount of Se could promotes growth and development, and improves the tolerance to environmental stress, especially stress from some of heavy metals (HM) stress, such as cadmium (Cd) and mercury (Hg). This paper mainly reviews and summarizes the physiological mechanism of Se in enhancing HM stress tolerance in plants. The antagonistic effect of Se on HM is a comprehensive effect that includes many physiological mechanisms. Se can promote the removal of excessive reactive oxygen species and reduce the oxidative damage of plant cells under HM elements stress. Se participates in the regulation of the transportation and distribution of HM ions in plants, and alleviates the damage caused by of HM stress. Moreover, Se combine with HM elements to form Se-HM complexes and promote the production of phytochelatins (PCs), thereby reducing the accumulation of HM ions in plants. Overall, Se plays an important role in plant response to HM stress, but current studies mainly focus on physiological mechanism, and further in-depth study on the molecular mechanism is essential to confirm the participation of Se in plant response to environmental stress. This review helps to comprehensively understand the physiological mechanism of Se in plant tolerance against to HM stress of plants, and provides important theoretical support for the practical application of Se in environmental remediation and agricultural development.

A novel wireless, smartphone-based biofeedback training device for functional defecatory disorders: a pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Functional defecatory disorders (FDDs) are highly prevalent around the world. Biofeedback is an effective treatment for FDDs. Traditionally, this treatment is performed by clinicians in a limited number of hospitals because of procedure-related expenses and a need for a dedicated procedure room. To make the biofeedback therapy more widely available, we have designed a novel wireless, smartphone-based biofeedback device, with the ultimate goal of performing the therapy at home. The aim of this pilot study was to investigate whether the developed device can be employed to treat patients with FDDs in a clinical setting, prior to employing it in a home setting. METHODS: From March 2018 to July 2018, we performed the biofeedback therapy using the newly developed wireless, smartphone-based device in patients with FDDs 30 min daily during weekdays for 2 weeks. A Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for bowel satisfaction, Patient Assessment of Constipation-Symptoms (PAC-SYM), Patient Assessment of Constipation Quality of Life (PAC-QOL), and a balloon expulsion test were assessed at baseline and after the therapy. RESULTS: Thirteen patients were recruited and ten of them (mean age 70.3 ± 8.9 years, female:male ratio: 3:7) completed the study. Spontaneous bowel movements, complete spontaneous bowel movements, and VAS were all significantly increased after the therapy compared with baseline, respectively (6.5 ± 4.3 vs. 1.5 ± 2.2, p = 0.006; 3.1 ± 2.2 vs. 0.2 ± 0.6, p = 0.002; 49.5 ± 31.0 vs. 12.0 ± 9.2, p = 0.003). There was a significant decrease in the PAC-SYM and PAC-QoL after the biofeedback therapy (0.7 ± 0.6 vs. 1.4 ± 0.3, p = 0.001; 0.7 ± 0. 6 vs. 1.5 ± 0.4, p = 0.001). The therapy reduced the balloon expulsion time significantly (83.9 ± 68.8 s vs. 160.0 ± 36.7 s, p = 0.002). No obvious adverse events related to the procedure itself occurred. CONCLUSIONS: Biofeedback training using the newly developed wireless, smartphone-based device is feasible in the clinic setting, and it seems to be a promising method for improving constipation and related symptoms in patients with FDDs. These findings could be used to develop a much-needed, home-based, suitably powered, randomized, controlled clinical trial.

Inhibitory effects of essential oils from Asteraceae plant against pathogenic fungi of Panax notoginseng.

AIMS: Diseases caused by pathogenic fungi was a major constrain in increasing productivity and improving quality of Panax notoginseng. The aim of this research was to evaluate the inhibitory activity of essential oils (EOs) from Asteraceae family, Chrysanthemum indicum and Laggera pterodonta, against pathogenic fungi of P. notoginseng. METHODS AND RESULTS: The antifungal activity was investigated using multiple methods, disclosing that the EOs from C. indicum and L. pterodonta are active against hypha growth of different fungi but with different degrees of potency. Checkerboard testing indicated that the combination of EOs with hymexazol had synergistic effect against Pythium aphanidermatum, and exhibited additive effects against bulk of targeted pathogenic fungi. Besides, we found that the baseline sensitivity of Fusarium oxysporum to L. pterodonta EOs was higher than those of C. indicum by means of mycelium growth rate method. Finally, the practicability of those EOs as plant pesticide was confirmed by in vivo model showing that EOs can significantly inhibit the occurrence of root rot of P. notoginseng caused by F. oxysporum. CONCLUSION: Those studies suggest that the EOs from C. indicum and L. pterodonta had the potential to develop into new pollution-free pesticides for the protection of precious Chinese herbal medicines. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: This study provided a new way of biological control for overcoming the frequent diseases occurrence of P. notoginseng.

ELECTROACUPUNCTURE IMPROVES INSULIN SENSITIVITY IN HIGH-FAT DIET-INDUCED INSULIN RESISTANT RATS BY ACTIVATING SIRT1 AND GLUT4 IN QUADRICEPS FEMORIS.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the effects of electroacupuncture (EA) at the Zusanli (ST36), Guanyuan (CV4), Zhongwan (CV12), and Fenglong (ST40) acupoints on sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) and glucose transporter type 4 (GLUT4) expression in high-fat diet (HFD)-induced insulin-resistant (IR) rats. METHODS: Wistar rats were divided into normal control (NC), HFD, and HFD+EA groups. NC rats were fed a standard chow diet and did not receive EA. After being fed an HFD for eight weeks, rats in the HFD+EA group received EA at 2 Hz five times a week for eight weeks. Rats in the HFD group did not receive EA. RESULTS: In HFD-induced IR rats, EA inhibited body weight increase and water intake, which were observed in HFD rats. EA had no effect on fasting blood glucose and postprandial blood sugar levels. Intraperitoneal insulin tolerance testing revealed that EA enhanced insulin sensitivity in HFD-induced IR rats. Compared with NC rats, SIRT1 and GLUT4 were downregulated in the quadriceps femoris of HFD-fed rats but were increased after eight weeks of EA stimulation. CONCLUSIONS: EA enhanced HFD-induced insulin resistance by activating SIRT1 and GLUT4 in the quadriceps femoris. These results provide powerful evidence supporting the beneficial effects of EA on HFD-induced insulin resistance.

Rational design and latest advances of codelivery systems for cancer therapy.

Current treatments have limited effectiveness in treating tumors. The combination of multiple drugs or treatment strategies is widely studied to improve therapeutic effect and reduce adverse effects of cancer therapy. The codelivery system is the key to realize combined therapies. It is necessary to design and construct different codelivery systems in accordance with the variable structures and properties of cargoes and vectors. This review presented the typical design considerations about codelivery vectors for cancer therapy and described the current state of codelivery systems from two aspects: different types of vectors and collaborative treatment strategies. The commonly used loading methods of cargoes into the vectors, including physical and chemical processes, are discussed in detail. Finally, we outline the challenges and perspectives about the improvement of codelivery systems.

[Diagnosis and treatment of hypertension in the Republic of China].

Hypertension and its cardiovascular complications can produce many serious problems for the health of Chinese residents, therefore, affect quality of the population. About a century ago, the research and treatment of hypertension were still in primary stage. Despite the material and cultural resources were extremely limited, modern Chinese medical scientists performed blood pressure surveys of different populations in China. Besides, they carried out researches on epidemiology and mechanisms of hypertension, as well as clinical trials. At the same time, substantive pioneering work was done in medical education and the spread of popular science. A large number of textbooks on physiology or internal medicine were translated, and popular science books such as the Prevention and Treatment of Hypertension were published. These works opened the prelude to the research, prevention and treatment of hypertension in China.

Tripterygium glycoside fraction n2: Alleviation of DSS-induced colitis by modulating immune homeostasis in mice.

BACKGROUND: The Tripterygium glycosides (TG) is the main active extractive of Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F and is widely used in clinical practice to treat inflammatory diseases (including inflammatory bowel disease). However, due to its severe toxicity, TG is restricted to the treatment of many diseases. Therefore, it is necessary to study a new method to obtain the attenuated and synergistic extracts from TG. PURPOSE: Tripterygium glycosides-n2 (TG-n2) was obtained from TG by a new preparation method. In this study, we aimed to investigate the difference in the chemical compositions between TG and TG-n2, further explored its toxicity and therapeutic effects on DSS-induced colitis in mice. METHODS: The major chemical compositions of TG and TG-n2 were analyzed by ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC). Subsequently, acute toxicity test was applied to evaluate the toxicity difference between TG and TG-n2. Dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced acute colitis model was used to explore the therapeutic effect of TG and TG-n2 and their potential mechanisms of action. RESULTS: We found that the chemical compositions of TG-n2 is different from TG. The main difference is the ratio of triptriolide (T11) / triptolide (T9). Acute toxicity test proved that TG-n2 was less toxic than TG. Base on this, further studies showed that TG-n2 has a similar therapeutic effect as compared to TG on attenuating the symptoms of colitis, such as diarrhea, bloody stools, body weight loss, colonic atrophy, histopathological changes, inhibiting cytokines secretion and reducing absolute lymph number. In addition, TG and TG-n2 can increase the apoptosis of T lymphocyte in vivo. Further investigated showed that TG and TG-n2 could increase the expressions of Bax and p62 on CD3-positive T cells. CONCLUSION: This study showed that oral administration of TG-n2 is safer than TG. Moreover, the attenuated TG-n2 has the similar therapeutic effect on treating experimental colitis in mice when compared to TG. Its mechanism may be related to activating the expression of Bax in T cells and inducing T cells autophagy to regulate the survival of T lymphocytes in colitis mice, thus reducing inflammation in colon.

High tetramethylpyrazine production by the endophytic bacterial Bacillus subtilis isolated from the traditional medicinal plant Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort.

Tetramethylpyrazine (TMP) with significant protective effects on cardiovascular is the active ingredient of traditional Chinese medicine Rhizoma Chuanxiong (RC). However, many studies have reported the low content of TMP in RC. The endophytes of medicinal plants have the biosynthetic potential to produce the same or similar active metabolites as the host, while few reports were conducted to explore the endophytic bacteria of Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort. and its productive capacity for the important ingredient TMP. The present paper focuses on the isolation and identification of TMP producing endophytic bacteria from RC. In this study, the endophytic bacteria were isolated from the rhizome of Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort. (Umbelliferae). Yeast extract peptone glucose medium (YP) was used for fermentation medium (37 °C, 220 rpm agitation, 144 h). GC and GC/MS were performed to determine and verify the product, the fermentation characteristics were investigated. Morphological observation, physiological and biochemical indexes combining with 16S rRNA sequence analysis were carried out to identify the endophytic bacteria. As a result, five strains of endophytic Bacillus subtilis were firstly isolated and identified from RC, named as LB3, LB3-2-1, LB6-2, LB4, LB5 respectively. All five strains of endophytic B. subtilis produced TMP, while LB5 had the highest production of 10.69 g/L at the 144 h fermentation. This work demonstrates the fact that the endophytic B. subtilis of RC can produce a high level of TMP, indicating the endophytic B. subtilis might play a role in the accumulation of TMP during the growth period of RC.

Effect of a Combined Tai Chi, Resistance Training and Dietary Intervention on Cognitive Function in Obese Older Women.

Cognitive decline in older adults is a major public health problem and can compromise independence and quality of life. Exercise and diet have been studied independently and have shown to be beneficial for cognitive function, however, a combined Tai Chi, resistance training, and diet intervention and its influence on cognitive function has not been undertaken. The current study used a 12-week non-randomized research design with experiment and control groups to examine the effect of a combined Tai Chi, resistance training, and diet intervention on cognitive function in 25 older obese women. Results revealed improvements in domain specific cognitive function in our sample. Baseline cognitive function was correlated with changes in dietary quality. These findings suggest that Tai Chi and resistance training combined with diet intervention might be beneficial for community-based programs aiming to improve cognitive function.

[Effects of application of vancomycin in the early stage of patients with extremely severe burn].

Objective: To evaluate the effects of application of vancomycin in the early stage of patients with extremely severe burn, in order to provide reference to drug for anti-infection treatment in the early stage of patients with extremely severe burn. Methods: Data of 15 patients of Kunshan explosion on August 2nd, 2014, admitted to the Department of Intensive Care in our hospital were retrospectively analyzed. The clinical efficacy of continuously intravenous dripping of vancomycin (combined with imipenem) in the early stage of burns (before and on post burn day 14) was analyzed. (1) The steady state plasma concentration of vancomycin was monitored respectively 30 min before the third, sixth, and tenth medication with direct chemiluminescent imaging method. (2) The distribution of Gram-positive bacteria of patients during hospitalization and their drug resistance to 14 antibiotics commonly used in clinic were analyzed. (3) Serum level of procalcitonin (PCT), white blood cell count, percentage of neutrophils before and after treatment, and efficacy grade of anti-infection treatment in the early stage of burns were analyzed. (4) Serum levels of aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), creatinine before and after treatment, and the adverse effects during medication were analyzed. The WHONET 5.5 statistical software was used to analyze the distribution of Gram-positive bacteria in all the pathogens, and the status of drug resistance of Gram-positive bacteria to 14 antibiotics. Data were processed with Wilcoxon rank sum test. Results: (1) Twenty-nine times of steady state plasma concentration monitoring were performed in the patients in total, with the steady state plasma concentration of vancomycin from 4.3 to 42.1 µg/mL. In the monitoring before third, sixth, and tenth medication, the percentages of result reaching the standard were respectively 1, 3/14, and 2/7. (2) A total of 79 Gram-positive bacteria were isolated, including 49 (62.03%) strains of Staphylococcus aureus, 9 (11.39%) strains of Staphylococcus haemolyticus, 7 (8.86%) strains of Staphylococcus epidermidis, 12 (15.19%) strains of Enterococcus faecium, and 2 (2.53%) strains of Enterococcus faecalis. The above-mentioned Staphylococcus strains were with high drug resistance to antibiotics including penicillins, erythromycin, ciprofloxacin, and low drug resistance to linezolid, teicoplanin, and nitrofurantoin. The above-mentioned Enterococcus strains were with high drug resistance to antibiotics including erythromycin, ciprofloxacin, gentamicin, and low drug resistance to linezolid and teicoplanin. The above-mentioned Staphylococcus strains were all sensitive to vancomycin. Two strains of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus were detected in the above-mentioned Enterococcus strains. (3) Serum level of PCT, white blood cell count, percentage of neutrophils of patients were (8.1±7.5) ng/mL, (24±10)×10(9)/L, and 0.898±0.029 before treatment, which were significantly higher than (3.0±2.8) ng/mL, (12±5)×10(9)/L, and 0.867±0.016 after treatment (with Z values respectively -2.103, -3.237, and -3.068, P<0.05 or P<0.01). After the early treatment, excellence, progess, and invalid results were achieved in 7, 5, and 3 patients, with the effective percentage of 4/5 in clinic. (4) There were no statistically significant differences in serum levels of AST, ALT, and creatinine of patients between before and after treatment (with Z values respectively-0.057, -1.508, and -1.363, P values above 0.05). Only one patient had liver and renal dysfunction during treatment. Conclusions: The positive and reasonable use of vancomycin can remove most of the Gram-positive bacteria, and control the development of sepsis combined with imipenem in the early stage of patients with extremely severe burn. However, the dose of vancomycin should be individualized and the steady state plasma concentration should be monitored to maintain the blood concentration within the safe and effective range, so as to improve the rational use of vancomycin.

The Kaiser Permanente Northern California research program on genes, environment, and health (RPGEH) pregnancy cohort: study design, methodology and baseline characteristics.

BACKGROUND: Exposures during the prenatal period may have lasting effects on maternal and child health outcomes. To better understand the effects of the in utero environment on children's short- and long-term health, large representative pregnancy cohorts with comprehensive information on a broad range of environmental influences (including biological and behavioral) and the ability to link to prenatal, child and maternal health outcomes are needed. The Research Program on Genes, Environment and Health (RPGEH) pregnancy cohort at Kaiser Permanente Northern California (KPNC) was established to create a resource for conducting research to better understand factors influencing women's and children's health. Recruitment is integrated into routine clinical prenatal care at KPNC, an integrated health care delivery system. We detail the study design, data collection, and methodologies for establishing this cohort. We also describe the baseline characteristics and the cohort's representativeness of the underlying pregnant population in KPNC. METHODS: While recruitment is ongoing, as of October 2014, the RPGEH pregnancy cohort included 16,977 pregnancies (53 % from racial and ethnic minorities). RPGEH pregnancy cohort participants consented to have blood samples obtained in the first trimester (mean gestational age 9.1 weeks ± 4.2 SD) and second trimester (mean gestational age 18.1 weeks ± 5.5 SD) to be stored for future use. Women were invited to complete a questionnaire on health history and lifestyle. Information on women's clinical and health assessments before, during and after pregnancy and women and children's health outcomes are available in the health system's electronic health records, which also allows long-term follow-up. DISCUSSION: This large, racially- and ethnically-diverse cohort of pregnancies with prenatal biospecimens and clinical data is a valuable resource for future studies on in utero environmental exposures and maternal and child perinatal and long term health outcomes. The baseline characteristics of RPGEH Pregnancy Cohort demonstrate that it is highly representative of the underlying population living in the broader community in Northern California.

A Study on Neuroprotective Effects of Curcumin on the Diabetic Rat Brain.

The present study was aimed to study the neuroprotective therapeutic effect of curcumin on the male albino rat brain. Subarachnoid hemorrhage leads to severe mortality rate and morbidity, and oxidative stress is a crucial factor in subarachnoid hemorrhage. Therefore, we investigated the effect of curcumin on oxidative stress and glutamate and glutamate transporter-1 on a subarachnoid hemorrhage-induced male albino rats. The curcumin commonly used for the treatment and saline used for the control. Curcumin (10 mg/kg bwt) dissolved in saline and administered orally to the rats for one week. Glutamate, glutamate transporter-1, malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, glutathione reductase and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activities were determined. Glutamate level was lower in the curcumin-treated rats compared to their respective controls. Glutamate transporter-1 did not alter in the curcumin-treated rats compared to their controls. Glutamate transporter-1 protein expression is significantly reduced in the curcumin-treated rats. MDA levels decreased 18 and 29 % in the hippocampus and the cortex region respectively. SOD (17% and 32%), and catalase (19% and 24%) activities were increased in the curcumin-treated hippocampus and the cortex region respectively. Glutathione reductase (13% and 19%) and LDH (21% and 30%) activities were increased in the treated hippocampus and the cortex region respectively. The mRNA expression of NK-kB and TLR4 was significantly reduced following curcumin treatment. Taking all these data together, the curcumin found to be effective against oxidative stress and glutamate neurotoxicity in the male albino rats.

Higher all-cause hospitalization among patients with chronic hepatitis C: the Chronic Hepatitis Cohort Study (CHeCS), 2006-2013.

In the United States, hospitalization among patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is high. The healthcare burden associated with hospitalization is not clearly known. We analysed data from the Chronic Hepatitis Cohort Study, an observational cohort of patients receiving care at four integrated healthcare systems, collected from 2006 to 2013 to determine all-cause hospitalization rates of patients with chronic HCV infection and the other health system patients. To compare the hospitalization rates, we selected two health system patients for each chronic HCV patient using their propensity score (PS). Propensity score matching was conducted by site, gender, race, age and household income to minimize differences attributable to these characteristics. We also compared primary reason for hospitalization between chronic HCV patients and the other health system patients. Overall, 10 131 patients with chronic HCV infection and 20 262 health system patients were selected from the 1 867 802 health system patients and were matched by PS. All-cause hospitalization rates were 27.4 (27.0-27.8) and 7.4 (7.2-7.5) per 100 persons-year (PY) for chronic HCV patients and for the other health system patients, respectively. Compared to health system patients, hospitalization rates were significantly higher by site, gender, age group, race and household income among chronic HCV patients (P < 0.001). Compared to health system patients, chronic HCV patients were more likely to be hospitalized from liver-related conditions (RR = 24.8, P < 0.001). Hence, patients with chronic HCV infection had approximately 3.7-fold higher all-cause hospitalization rate than other health system patients. These findings highlight the incremental costs and healthcare burden of patients with chronic HCV infection associated with hospitalization.

Suppressive Effects of Copper Sulfate Accumulation on the Spermatogenesis of Rats.

This study investigated the effect of copper sulfate (CuSO4) in the rat spermatogenesis. Forty male rats, weighing 70-80 g, were randomly divided into four groups: control group (CG, 0 mg/kg BW), low-dose group (LG, 100 mg/kg BW), mid-dose group (MG, 200 mg/kg BW), and high-dose group (HG, 400 mg/kg BW). Rats were administered CuSO4 by gavage for 30 days. A variety of measurements were taken including the testis coefficients, the sperm count, the abnormal malformation rate, testosterone (T), luteinizing hormone (LH), and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) concentrations in the serum. In addition, glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities, and malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration in the testis were determined. The results showed that in the CuSO4-treated groups, the testis coefficients, sperm count, T, LH, and FSH concentrations, and GSH-Px and SOD activities decreased, while the abnormal malformation rate and MDA concentration increased, compared with the CG. It indicates that CuSO4 exposure impairs the sperm quality and inhibits secretion of sex hormone and gonadotropin, and testis anti-oxidative function, suppressing the rat spermatogenesis.

Identification of a Panax ginseng fruit fingerprint by HPLC-ESI-MS.

Over many years, parts of Panax ginseng (root and rhizome) have been identified and applied for medical purposes as traditional Chinese herbal medicine. Recently, research has indicated that ginseng fruit also contains similar compounds and is as rich as the other parts of the ginseng. This discovery may dramatically improve the efficient of outputs derived from ginseng products. Here, a new technique combining high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) was employed to identify the fingerprint of P. ginseng fruit. Using HPLC, compounds that are important for medical purposes were extracted and purified. Combined with ESI-MS, the characteristic peaks (nine common peaks) of those compounds were identified, and the accuracy was confirmed by analysis using the Chromatographic Fingerprint Similarity Evaluation System (2004A edition). Overall, 15 batches of ginseng fruit had a similarity of more than 0.80, 13 batches of samples had a similarity between 0.97 and 0.99, and two batches had a similarity less than 0.90. The test solution and mobile phase selection was discussed. The HPLC-ESI-MS method can produce repeatable and reliable results and can be applied in the quality control of P. ginseng fruit.

Physcion 8-O-ß-glucopyranoside prevents hypoxia-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition in colorectal cancer HCT116 cells by modulating EMMPRIN.

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is considered as the most important mechanism that underlies the initiation of cancer metastasis. Here we report that Physicon 8-O-ß-glucopyranoside (PG), a major active ingredient from a traditional Chinese herbal medicine Rumex japonicus Houtt, is capable of preventing human colorectal cancer cells from hypoxia-induced EMT. The treatment of the cells with PG reversed the EMT-related phenotype that has the morphological changes, down-regulation of E-cadherin, and hypoxia-induced cell migration and invasion. The effect was mediated at least in part by inhibiting the mRNA and protein expressions of EMMPRIN via modulation of PTEN/Akt/HIF-1α pathway. In addition, we found that PG-mediated prevention of EMT involved blockade of the hypoxia-induced up-regulation of Snail, Slug and Twist. In summary, this study showed that PG can prevent EMT induced by hypoxia, the environment that commonly exists in the center of a solid tumor. Given the low toxicity of PG to the healthy tissues, our study suggests that PG can serve as a safe therapeutic agent for suppressing cancer metastasis.

Antifungal modes of action of tea tree oil and its two characteristic components against Botrytis cinerea.

AIMS: The essential oil of Melaleuca alternifolia (tea tree) has been evaluated as a potential eco-friendly antifungal agent against Botrytis cinerea. In this study, we investigated the antifungal activity and mode of action of tea tree oil (TTO) and its components against B. cinerea. METHODS AND RESULTS: Of the components we tested in contact phase, terpinen-4-ol had the highest antifungal activity, followed by TTO, α-terpineol, terpinolene, then 1,8-cineole. As one of characteristic components of TTO, terpinen-4-ol treatment led to pronounced alterations in mycelial morphology, cellular ultrastructure, membrane permeability under scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscope and fluorescent microscope, and also reduced the ergosterol content of fungi. As another characteristic component, 1,8-cineole caused serious intracellular damage but only slightly affected B. cinerea otherwise. When terpinen-4-ol and 1,8-cineole were used together, the synergistic antifungal activity was significantly higher than either component by itself. CONCLUSIONS: The results of our study confirmed that terpinen-4-ol and 1,8-cineole act mainly on the cell membranes and organelles of B. cinerea, respectively, and when combined are similar to TTO in antifungal activity due to their differences. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Understanding the mechanism of terpinen-4-ol and 1,8-cineole antifungal action to B. cinerea is helpful for investigation on their synergistic effect and explaining antifungal action modes of TTO.

Peripheral neuron plasticity is enhanced by brief electrical stimulation and overrides attenuated regrowth in experimental diabetes.

Peripheral nerve regrowth is less robust than commonly assumed, particularly when it accompanies common clinical scenarios such as diabetes mellitus. Brief extracellular electrical stimulation (ES) facilitates the regeneration of peripheral nerves in part through early activation of the conditioning injury response and BDNF. Here, we explored intrinsic neuronal responses to ES to identify whether ES might impact experimental diabetes, where regeneration is attenuated. ES altered several regeneration related molecules including rises in tubulin, Shh (Sonic hedgehog) and GAP43 mRNAs. ES was associated with rises in neuronal intracellular calcium but its strict linkage to regrowth was not confirmed. In contrast, we identified PI3K-PTEN involvement, an association previously linked to diabetic regenerative impairment. Following ES there were declines in PTEN protein and mRNA both in vitro and in vivo and a PI3K inhibitor blocked its action. In vitro, isolated diabetic neurons were capable of mounting robust responsiveness to ES. In vivo, ES improved electrophysiological and behavioral indices of nerve regrowth in a chronic diabetic model of mice with pre-existing neuropathy. Regrowth of myelinated axons and reinnervation of the epidermis were greater following ES than sham stimulation. Taken together, these findings identify a role for ES in supporting regeneration during the challenges of diabetes mellitus.