Research progress on medicinal components and pharmacological activities of polygonatum sibiricum.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Polygonatum sibiricum, commonly known as Siberian Solomon's seal, is a traditional herb widely used in various traditional medical systems, especially in East Asia. In ancient China, the use of polygonatum sibiricum in medicine and food was mentioned in Li Shizhen's Bencao Gangmu of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). It was also used in history of India in Vedic medicine. The plant is rich in bioactive substances such as polysaccharides, saponins, flavonoid and alkaloids. AIM OF THE REVIEW: The aim of this review is to understand the pharmacological and pharmacokinetics research progress of the major components of polygonatum sibiricum, and to prospect its potential application and development in the treatment of various diseases. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a systematic literature search against major online databases on the Web, including PubMed, ancient books, patents, PubMed, Wiley, Google Scholar, Web of Science, and others. We select the pharmacological process and mechanism of the main components of polygonatum sibiricum in a variety of diseases, and make a strict but careful supplement and in-depth elaboration to this review. RESULTS: Several studies have demonstrated the strong antioxidant properties of polygonatum extract, which can be attributed to the presence of flavonoids and other polyphenol compounds; for diabetes and other metabolic-related diseases, polygonatum saponins have particular advantages in regulating intestinal flora and lipoprotein concentration in organisms. In addition, the polysaccharides extracted from this plant have a strong anti-inflammatory effect, which is related to its ability to regulate proinflammatory cytokine and mediators. In the aspect of anti-tumor effect, polygonatum derivatives can induce cancer cell apoptosis mainly by adjusting the cell membrane potential and cell cycle. It is worth noting that the combined action of the main components of polygonatum also offers promising solutions for the treatment of the disease. CONCLUSION: Polygonatum polysaccharide has therapeutic effects on many diseases by adjusting cell signal pathways, polygonatum sibiricum have significant advantages in regulating intestinal flora, inducing apoptosis of tumor cells, activating antioxidant processes, etc. Further research and basic exploration are needed to prove the function and mechanisms of the main components of polygonatum sibiricum on related diseases. The study on the immunomodulatory properties of polygonatum revealed its potentiality of enhancing immune function, which made it an interesting subject for further exploration in the field of immunotherapy.

Selenium Deficiency Causes Iron Death and Inflammatory Injury Through Oxidative Stress in the Mice Gastric Mucosa.

Selenium (Se) is a trace element essential for the maintenance of normal physiological functions in living organisms. Oxidative stress is a state in which there is an imbalance between oxidative and antioxidant effects in the body. A deficiency of Se can make the body more inclined to oxidation, which can induce related diseases. The aim of this experimental study was to investigate the mechanisms by which Se deficiency affects the digestive system through oxidation. The results showed that Se deficiency treatment led to a decrease in the levels of GPX4 and antioxidant enzymes and an increase in the levels of ROS, MDA, and lipid peroxide (LPO) in the gastric mucosa. Oxidative stress was activated. Triple stimulation of ROS, Fe2+, and LPO induced iron death. The TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway was activated, inducing an inflammatory response. The expression of the BCL family and caspase family genes was increased, leading to apoptotic cell death. Meanwhile, the RIP3/MLKL signaling pathway was activated, leading to cell necrosis. Taken together, Se deficiency can induce iron death through oxidative stress. Meanwhile, the production of large amounts of ROS activated the TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway, leading to apoptosis and necrosis of the gastric mucosa.

[Comparison of distribution of eight components from Liangxue Tuizi Mixture between normal and Henoch-Schonlein purpura rats].

This study used UPLC-TQ-MS technology to replicate a Henoch-Schonlein purpura(HSP) model in rats by administering warm drugs by gavage and injecting ovalbumin with Freund's complete adjuvant emulsion. The distribution differences and characteristics of eight major components(ferulic acid, caffeic acid, neochlorogenic acid, cryptochlorogenic acid, benzoyl oxypaeoniflorin, tracheloside, loganin, and paeoniflorin) in rat liver, lung, heart, spleen, and kidney tissues were determined after oral administration of the Liangxue Tuizi Mixture at a dose of 42 g·kg~(-1) in both normal physiological and HSP states at 0.5, 1, 2, 6, and 12 hours. The results showed that the distribution patterns of the eight components of Liangxue Tuizi Mixture in the tissues of normal and HSP model rats were different. The main component, paeoniflorin, in Moutan Cortex and Paeoniae Radix Alba had higher content in all tissues. The eight components were predominantly distributed in the liver, lung, and kidney tissues, followed by spleen and heart tissues.

Value of Molybdenum Target X-Ray and High-Frequency Color Doppler Flow Imaging in Early Diagnosis of Breast Carcinoma: A Comparative Analysis.

Background: Breast carcinoma (BC) threatens the physical and mental health of women worldwide, and early diagnosis is important for improving patient outcomes and ensuring successful treatment. Purpose: This research mainly aims to compare and analyze the value of molybdenum target X-ray and high-frequency color Doppler flow imaging (CDFI) in the early diagnosis of BC. Methods: First, 102 patients with suspected early-stage BC (ESBC) admitted to Henan Provincial People's Hospital were examined by molybdenum target X-ray and CDFI. Based on the pathological findings, the diagnostic efficiency data of the two diagnostic modalities such as positive detection rate (PDR), positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), sensitivity (SEN), specificity (SPE), and accuracy (ACC), as well as imaging information like masses, microcalcifications (MCs), axillary lymph node (LN) metastases, and blood flow signal or vascular sign abnormalities were analyzed. Results: CDFI contributed to higher PDR, PRV, NPV, SEN, and ACC than molybdenum target X-ray in ESBC diagnosis, but similar SPE. The combined diagnosis of molybdenum target X-ray plus CDFI contributed to even higher PDR, PRV, NPV, SEN, and ACC than molybdenum target X-ray alone and higher ACC than CDFI. Imaging inspection revealed that the number of cases of masses, axillary LN metastases, and abnormalities in blood flow signals or vascular signs detected by CDFI was significantly higher than that by molybdenum target X-ray, while the number of MCs was significantly lower. Conclusion: Molybdenum target X-ray plus CDFI is more effective in the diagnosis of ESBC and plays a complementary role in imaging examination, which can synergistically improve the diagnostic ACC of ESBC and is worthy of clinical promotion.

Evaluation of the feasibility of a multisource CBCT for maxillofacial imaging.

Objective. The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of improving the image quality and accuracy of cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) by replacing the conventional wide cone angle x-ray tube with a distributed x-ray source array positioned in the axial direction.Approach. The multisource CBCT (ms-CBCT) design was experimentally simulated using a benchtop scanner with a carbon nanotube x-ray tube and a flat-panel detector. The source was collimated and translated in the axial direction to simulate a source array with a reduced cone angle for each beam. An adjacent scatter ratio subtraction (ASRS) method was implemented for residual scatter reduction. Several phantoms were imaged using the ms-CBCT and conventional CBCT configurations under otherwise similar conditions. The Requirements of the ms-CBCT design on the x-ray source and detector were evaluated.Main results. Compared to the conventional CBCT, the ms-CBCT design with 8 sources and ASRS significantly improved the image quality and accuracy, including: (1) reducing the cupping artifact from 15% to 3.5%; (2) reducing the spatial nonuniformity of the CT Hounsfield unit values from 38.0 to 9.2; (3) improving the contrast-to-noise ratio of the low contrast objects (acrylic and low density polyethylene inserts) against the water-equivalent background by ∼20% and (4) reducing the root-mean-square error of the HU values by 70%, from 420.1 to 124.4. The imaging dose and scanning time used by the current clinical CBCT for maxillofacial imaging can be achieved by current source and detector technologies.Significance. The ms-CBCT design significantly reduces the scatter and improves the image quality and accuracy compared to the conventional CBCT.

Effects of different interventions on insomnia in adults: Systematic review and network meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Insomnia is a common sleep disorder. There are many clinical-intervention methods for treating this condition, but thus far, the most effective method has not been determined. METHODS: We conducted a network meta-analysis by including random evidence of insomnia improvement in people over 18 years old, without other physical diseases. From January 1, 1990 to June 15, 2022, we searched multiple electronic databases for randomized controlled trials of different insomnia-related, clinical-intervention methods. R software was used to analyze 10 indices, in order to evaluate the effect of sleep improvement. Primary outcomes comprised Pittsburgh sleep quality-index (PSQI) scores and insomnia severity-index (ISI) scores. RESULTS: Finally, 122 randomized controlled trials were included in our study. For the PSQI scores, we found the sequence of intervention measures by effect to be as follows: electroacupuncture, acupuncture, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), essential oils, herbal medicine, traditional Western medicine, Tai Chi and Baduanjin, music, supplements, cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I), and exercise. The results for ISI were similar to those for PSQI, but with slight differences. CONCLUSION: Our research results indicate that various measures have a certain effect on improving sleep, among which the effect of instruments is more prominent. The curative effect of placebo groups was better than that of blank control groups. There is essentially no statistical difference in detailed classification within the same intervention category.

[Potential components and mechanism of Liangxue Tuezi Mixture in treating Henoch-Schönlein purpura based on network pharmacology and metabolomics].

Ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time of fight/mass spectrometry(UPLC-Q-TOF-MS) and UNIFI were employed to rapidly determine the content of the components in Liangxue Tuizi Mixture. The targets of the active components and Henoch-Schönlein purpura(HSP) were obtained from SwissTargetPrediction, Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man(OMIM), and GeneCards. A "component-target-disease" network and a protein-protein interaction(PPI) network were constructed. Gene Ontology(GO) functional annotation and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis were performed for the targets by Omishare. The interactions between the potential active components and the core targets were verified by molecular docking. Furthermore, rats were randomly assigned into a normal group, a model group, and low-, medium-, and high-dose Liangxue Tuizi Mixture groups. Non-targeted metabolomics was employed to screen the differential metabolites in the serum, analyze possible metabolic pathways, and construct the "component-target-differential metabolite" network. A total of 45 components of Liangxue Tuizi Mixture were identified, and 145 potential targets for the treatment of HSP were predicted. The main signaling pathways enriched included resistance to epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B(PI3K-AKT), and T cell receptor. The results of molecular docking showed that the active components in Liangxue Tuizi Mixture had strong binding ability with the key target proteins. A total of 13 differential metabolites in the serum were screened out, which shared 27 common targets with active components. The progression of HSP was related to metabolic abnormalities of glycerophospholipid and sphingolipid. The results indicate that the components in Liangxue Tuizi Mixture mainly treats HSP by regulating inflammation and immunity, providing a scientific basis for rational drug use in clinical practice.

Who does better for in-situ eutrophic remediation in anoxic environment improvement and nutrient removal: MgO2 versus CaO2.

The long-term insufficient dissolved oxygen (DO), excessive nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) have become the main causes of the troublesome eutrophication. Herein, a 20-day sediment core incubation experiment was conducted to comprehensively evaluate the effects of two metal-based peroxides (MgO2 and CaO2) on eutrophic remediation. Results indicated that CaO2 addition could increase DO and ORP of the overlying water more effectively and improve the anoxic environment of the aquatic ecosystems. However, the addition of MgO2 had a less impact on pH of the water body. Furthermore, the addition of MgO2 and CaO2 removed 90.31% and 93.87% of continuous external P in the overlying water respectively, while the removal of NH4+ was 64.86% and 45.89%, and the removal of TN was 43.08% and 19.16%. The reason why the capacity on NH4+ removal of MgO2 was higher than that of CaO2 is mainly that PO43- and NH4+ can be removed as struvite by MgO2. Compared with MgO2, mobile P of the sediment in CaO2 addition group was reduced obviously and converted to more stable P. Notably, the microbial community structure of sediments was optimized by MgO2 and CaO2, which showed that the relative abundance of anaerobic bacteria decreased and that of aerobic bacteria increased significantly, especially some functional bacteria involved in the nutrient cycle. Taken together, MgO2 and CaO2 have a promising application prospect in the field of in-situ eutrophication management.

Berberine Depresses Inflammation and Adjusts Smooth Muscle to Ameliorate Ulcerative Colitis of Cats by Regulating Gut Microbiota.

Intestinal microbiota dysbiosis is a well established characteristic of ulcerative colitis (UC). Regulating the gut microbiota is an effective UC treatment strategy. Berberine (BBR), an alkaloid extracted from several Chinese herbs, is a common traditional Chinese medicine. To establish the efficacy and mechanism of action of BBR, we constructed a UC model using healthy adult shorthair cats to conduct a systematic study of colonic tissue pathology, inflammatory factor expression, and gut microbiota structure. We investigated the therapeutic capacity of BBR for regulating the gut microbiota and thus work against UC in cats using 16S rRNA genes amplicon sequencing technology. Our results revealed that dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced cat models of UC showed weight loss, diarrhea accompanied by mucous and blood, histological abnormalities, and shortening of the colon, all of which were significantly alleviated by supplementation with BBR. A 16S rRNA gene-based microbiota analysis demonstrated that BBR could significantly benefit gut microbiota. Western blot, quantitative PCR, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) showed that in DSS-induced cat models, the expression of the inflammatory factors was increased, activating the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway, and treatment with BBR reversed this effect. The myosin light chain (MLC) phosphorylation in the smooth muscle of the intestines is associated with motility of inflammation-related diarrhea in cats. This study used gut flora analyses to demonstrate the anti-UC effects of BBR and its potential therapeutic mechanisms and offers novel insights into the prevention of inflammatory diseases using natural products. IMPORTANCE Ulcerative colitis (UC) is common in clinics. Intestinal microbiota disorder is correlated with ulcerative colitis. Although there are many studies on ulcerative colitis in rats, there are few studies on colitis in cats. Therefore, this study explored the possibility of the use of BBR as a safe and efficient treatment for colitis in cats. The results demonstrated the therapeutic effects of BBR on UC based on the state of the intestinal flora. The study found BBR supplementation to be effective against dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis, smooth muscle damage, and gut microbiota dysbiosis.

Purification, characterization and antioxidant activity of selenium-containing polysaccharides from pennycress (Thlaspi arvense L.).

Selenium polysaccharides have antioxidant, anti-tumor and other activities. Tea selenium polysaccharides and Lentinan selenium polysaccharides, etc. have been studied. Pennycress is a super-rich selenium plant and there are few studies about pennycress selenium-containing polysaccharides. In this study, the following researches were carried out on pennycress selenium polysaccharides: Selenium-containing polysaccharides were extracted from the leaves of pennycress (Thlaspi arvense L.) using an efficient subcritical water extraction (SWE) process. After purification, two fractions (Se-PPS1 and Se-PPS3) were obtained and subjected to structural identification. The results showed that the molecular weights of Se-PPS1 and Se-PPS3 were 4.2 × 104 Da and 4.5 × 104 Da, respectively. Se-PPS1 is mainly comprised of glucose, galactose, and xylose. Se-PPS3 consists of glucuronic acid, rhamnose, galacturonic acid, glucose, galactose, xylose, and arabinose. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) analysis showed that the two fractions had absorption spectra typical of selenium esters and spectral characteristics of polysaccharides. The glycosidic linkages were determined by Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). The two fractions have (1 â†’ 6)-ß-D- Galp and T-α-D- Glcp configurations. Moreover, in vitro antioxidant activity assays showed that Se-PPS1 and Se-PPS3 exhibited effective radical-scavenging abilities, suggesting they have potential applications as natural antioxidants in food and medicine.

Preparation and structural properties of starch phosphate modified by alkaline phosphatase.

In this study, a method for the synthesis of starch phosphate using the transferase properties of alkaline phosphatase was explored. Maize starch was treated with a pyrophosphate solution containing alkaline phosphatase and catalytic ions under pH 8 at 37 °C. The synthesis of starch phosphate was evaluated and compared with untreated and treated starch controls. The phosphorus content of the samples increased up to 8500% with the catalytic ion concentration, whereas the peak viscosity by up to 41.4% decreased. The crystallinity and enthalpy of the phosphorylated samples were reduced by up to 26.8% and 23.3%, respectively; however, no significant was observed by Fourier-transform infrared spectrometer. The roughness of the starch surface and the distribution of elemental phosphorus were observed by scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive Spectrometry. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and time of flight secondary ion mass spectrometry results further indicated the grafting of the phosphate radical.

Efficacy of Qingfei Paidu Decoction on Patients with COVID-19 Pneumonia in Wuhan, China: A Propensity Score Matching Study.

BACKGROUND: In view of the global efforts to develop effective treatments for the current worldwide coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, Qingfei Paidu decoction (QPD), a novel traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) prescription, was formulated as an optimized combination of constituents of classic prescriptions used to treat numerous febrile and respiratory-related diseases. This prescription has been used to treat patients with COVID-19 pneumonia in Wuhan, China. Hypothesis/Purpose. We hypothesized that QPD would have beneficial effects on patients with COVID-19. We aimed to prove this hypothesis by evaluating the efficacy of QPD in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia. METHODS: In this single-center, retrospective, observational study, we identified eligible participants who received a laboratory diagnosis of COVID-19 between January 15 and March 15, 2020, in the west campus of Union Hospital in Wuhan, China. QPD was supplied as an oral liquid packaged in 200-mL containers, and patients were orally administered one package twice daily 40 minutes after a meal. The primary outcome was death, which was compared between patients who did and did not receive QPD (QPD and NoQPD groups, respectively). Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to identify cohorts. RESULTS: In total, 239 and 522 participants were enrolled in the QPD and NoQPD groups, respectively. After PSM at a 1 : 1 ratio, 446 patients meeting the criteria were included in the analysis with 223 in each arm. In the QPD and NoQPD groups, 7 (3.2%) and 29 (13.0%) patients died, and those in the QPD group had a significantly lower risk of death (hazard ratio (HR) 0.29, 95% CI: 0.13-0.67) than those in the NoQPD group (p = 0.004). Furthermore, the survival time was significantly longer in the QPD group than in the NoQPD group (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The use of QPD may reduce the risk of death in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia.

Effect of electro-acupuncture at ST 36 on maternal food restriction-induced lung phenotype in rat offspring.

Maternal food restriction (MFR) during pregnancy leads to pulmonary dysplasia in the newborn period and increases susceptibility to diseases, such as asthma and chronic lung disease, later in life. Previous studies have shown that maternal electro-acupuncture (EA) applied to "Zusanli" (ST 36) could prevent the abnormal expression of key lung developmental signaling pathways and improve the lung morphology and function in perinatal nicotine exposed offspring. There is a significant overlap in lung developmental signaling pathways affected by perinatal nicotine exposure and MFR during pregnancy; however, whether maternal EA at ST 36 also blocks the MFR-induced lung phenotype is unknown. Here, we examined the effects of EA applied to maternal ST 36 on lung morphology and function and the expression of key lung developmental signaling pathways, and the hypercorticoid state associated with MFR during pregnancy. These effects were compared with those of metyrapone, an intervention known to block MFR-induced offspring hypercorticoid state and the resultant pulmonary pathology. Like metyrapone, maternal EA at ST 36 blocked the MFR-induced changes in key developmental signaling pathways and protected the MFR-induced changes in lung morphology and function. These results offer a novel and safe, nonpharmacologic approach to prevent MFR-induced pulmonary dysplasia in offspring.

Developmental Timing Determines the Protective Effect of Maternal Electroacupuncture on Perinatal Nicotine Exposure-Induced Offspring Lung Phenotype.

Introduction. Environmental exposure of the developing offspring to cigarette smoke or nicotine is an important predisposing factor for many chronic respiratory conditions, such as asthma, emphysema, pulmonary fibrosis, and so forth, in the exposed offspring. Studies showed that electroacupuncture (EA) applied to maternal "Zusanli" (ST36) acupoints during pregnancy and lactation protects against perinatal nicotine exposure- (PNE-) induced lung damage. However, the most effective time period, that is, prenatal vs. postnatal, to attain this effect has not been determined. OBJECTIVE: To determine the most effective developmental timing of EA's protective effect against PNE-induced lung phenotype in the exposed offspring. METHODS: Pregnant rats were given (1) saline ("S" group); (2) nicotine ("N" group); (3) nicotine + EA, exclusively prenatally ("Pre-EA" group); (4) nicotine + EA, exclusively postnatally ("Post-EA," group); and (5) nicotine + EA, administered both prenatally and postnatally ("Pre- and Post-EA" group). Nicotine was injected once daily (1 mg/kg, 100 µl) and EA was administered to bilateral ST36 acupoints once daily during the specified time-periods. At the end of the experimental periods, key hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis markers in pups and dams, and lung function, morphometry, and the central molecular markers of lung development in the offspring were determined. RESULTS: After nicotine exposure, alveolar mean linear intercept (MLI) increased, but mean alveolar number (MAN) decreased and lung PPARγ level decreased, but glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and serum corticosterone (Cort) levels increased, in line with the known PNE-induced lung phenotype. In the nicotine exposed group, maternal hypothalamic corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH) level decreased, but pituitary adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and serum Cort levels increased. In the "Pre- and Post-EA" groups, PNE-induced alterations in lung morphometry, lung development markers, and HPA axis were blocked. In the "Pre-EA" group, PNE-induced changes in lung morphometry, GR, and maternal HPA axis improved; lung PPARγ level decreased, but glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and serum corticosterone (Cort) levels increased, in line with the known PNE-induced lung phenotype. In the nicotine exposed group, maternal hypothalamic corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH) level decreased, but pituitary adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and serum Cort levels increased. In the "Pre- and Post-EA" groups, PNE-induced alterations in lung morphometry, lung development markers, and HPA axis were blocked. In the "Pre-EA" group, PNE-induced changes in lung morphometry, GR, and maternal HPA axis improved; lung PPAR. CONCLUSIONS: Maternal EA applied to ST36 acupoints during both pre- and postnatal periods preserves offspring lung structure and function despite perinatal exposure to nicotine. EA applied during the "prenatal period" affords only limited benefits, whereas EA applied during the "postnatal period" is ineffective, suggesting that the EA's effects in modulating PNE-induced lung phenotype are limited to specific time-periods during lung development.

Comparison of Protective Effects of Electroacupuncture at ST 36 and LU 5 on Pulmonary and Hypothalamic Pituitary Adrenal Axis Changes in Perinatal Nicotine-Exposed Rats.

BACKGROUND: Maternal smoking and/or exposure to environmental tobacco smoke continue to be significant factors in fetal and childhood morbidity and are a serious public health issue worldwide. Nicotine passes through the placenta easily with minimal biotransformation, entering fetal circulation, where it results in many harmful effects on the developing offspring, especially on the developing respiratory system. OBJECTIVES: Recently, in a rat model, electroacupuncture (EA) at maternal acupoints ST 36 has been shown to block perinatal nicotine-induced pulmonary damage; however, the underlying mechanism and the specificity of ST 36 acupoints for this effect are unknown. Here, we tested the hypothesis that compared with EA at ST 36, EA at LU 5 acupoints, which are on lung-specific meridian, will be equally or more effective in preventing perinatal nicotine-induced pulmonary changes. METHODS: Twenty-four pregnant rat dams were randomly divided into 4 groups: saline ("S"), nicotine ("N"), nicotine + ST 36 (N + ST 36), and nicotine + LU 5 (N + LU 5) groups. Nicotine (1 mg/kg, subcutaneously) and EA (at ST 36 or LU 5 acupoints, bilaterally) were administered from embryonic day 6 to postnatal day 21 once daily. The "S" group was injected saline. As needed, using ELISA, western analysis, q-RT-PCR, lung histopathology, maternal and offspring hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axes, offspring key lung developmental markers, and lung morphometry were determined. RESULTS: With nicotine exposure, alveolar count decreased, but mean linear intercept and septal thickness increased. It also led to a decrease in pulmonary function and PPARγ and an increase of ß-catenin and glucocorticoid receptor expression in lung tissue and corticosterone in the serum of offspring rats. Electroacupuncture at ST 36 normalized all of these changes, whereas EA at LU 5 had no obvious effect. CONCLUSION: Electroacupuncture applied to ST 36 acupoints provided effective protection against perinatal nicotine-induced lung changes, whereas EA applied at LU 5 acupoints was ineffective, suggesting mechanistic specificity and HPA axis' involvement in mediating EA at ST 36 acupoints' effects in mitigating perinatal nicotine-induced pulmonary phenotype. This opens the possibility that other acupoints, besides ST 36, can have similar or even more robust beneficial effects on the developing lung against the harmful effect of perinatal nicotine exposure. The approach proposed by us is simple, cheap, quick, easy to administer, and is devoid of any significant side effects.

Xuezhikang improves the outcomes of cardiopulmonary resuscitation in rats by suppressing the inflammation response through TLR4/NF-κB pathway.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Xuezhikang (XZK), a red yeast rice extract with lipid-lowering effect, contains a family of naturally statins, such as lovastatin. In recent years, its effect beyond the regulation of lipids has also been received increasing attention. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore the protective effects and possible molecular mechanisms of XZK on brain injury after cardiac arrest (CA) and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), and to investigate whether it has a dose-dependent effect and the difference with lovastatin. METHODS: Rats were treated with low-dose XZK (XZK-L, 20 mg/kg/d), high-dose XZK (XZK-H, 200 mg/kg/d) and lovastatin by gavage once daily for 2 weeks before CA. The levels of TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1ß were evaluated at 1, 4, and 72 h post-CA/CPR. The survival rate, neurological deficit score (NDS), and expression of TLR4, phosphorylated NF-κB and TNF-α in hippocampal tissues were evaluated at 72 h post-CA/CPR. RESULTS: CA/CPR induced a significant increase in serum TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1ß, as well as increased expressions of TLR4, phosphorylated NF-κB and TNF-α in the hippocampus. Both low-dose and high-dose XZK treatment inhibited the expression of these inflammatory cytokines. In addition, it reduced the number of defibrillations and shortened the duration of CPR required for return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC). XZK treatment also improved neurological function and 72-hour survival rate in rats. However, high-dose XZK was superior to lovastatin in the suppression of IL-1ß mRNA level and TNF-α protein level in hippocampal tissue after CPR. There were no significant differences observed among high-dose XZK, low-dose XZK and lovastatin groups in other respects. CONCLUSION: These results indicated that XZK had a protective effect against brain injury post-CA/CPR. The mechanisms underlying the protective effects of XZK may be related to the suppressing of CA/CPR-induced inflammatory response through the inhibiting TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway.

α-Lipoic acid improves abnormal behavior by mitigation of oxidative stress, inflammation, ferroptosis, and tauopathy in P301S Tau transgenic mice.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disease and is characterized by neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) composed of Tau protein. α-Lipoic acid (LA) has been found to stabilize the cognitive function of AD patients, and animal study findings have confirmed its anti-amyloidogenic properties. However, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear, especially with respect to the ability of LA to control Tau pathology and neuronal damage. Here, we found that LA supplementation effectively inhibited the hyperphosphorylation of Tau at several AD-related sites, accompanied by reduced cognitive decline in P301S Tau transgenic mice. Furthermore, we found that LA not only inhibited the activity of calpain1, which has been associated with tauopathy development and neurodegeneration via modulating the activity of several kinases, but also significantly decreased the calcium content of brain tissue in LA-treated mice. Next, we screened for various modes of neural cell death in the brain tissue of LA-treated mice. We found that caspase-dependent apoptosis was potently inhibited, whereas autophagy did not show significant changes after LA supplementation. Interestingly, Tau-induced iron overload, lipid peroxidation, and inflammation, which are involved in ferroptosis, were significantly blocked by LA administration. These results provide compelling evidence that LA plays a role in inhibiting Tau hyperphosphorylation and neuronal loss, including ferroptosis, through several pathways, suggesting that LA may be a potential therapy for tauopathies.

Balancing Herbal Medicine and Functional Food for Prevention and Treatment of Cardiometabolic Diseases through Modulating Gut Microbiota.

It has become apparent that gut microbiota is closely associated with cardiometabolic diseases (CMDs), and alteration in microbiome compositions is also linked to the host environment. Next generation sequencing (NGS) has facilitated in-depth studies on the effects of herbal medicine and functional food on gut microbiota. Both herbal medicine and functional food contain fiber, polyphenols and polysaccharides, exerting prebiotics-like activities in the prevention and treatment of CMDs. The administrations of herbal medicine and functional food lead to increased the abundance of phylum Bacteroidetes, and genus Akkermansia, Bifidobacteria, Lactobacillus, Bacteroides and Prevotella, while reducing phylum Firmicutes and Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio in gut. Both herbal medicine and functional food interact with gut microbiome and alter the microbial metabolites including short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), bile acids (BAs) and lipopolysaccharides (LPS), which are now correlated with metabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes (T2D), obesity and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). In addition, trimethylamine (TMA)-N-oxide (TMAO) is recently linked to atherosclerosis (AS) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risks. Moreover, gut-organs axes may serve as the potential strategy for treating CMDs with the intervention of herbal medicine and functional food. In summary, a balance between herbal medicine and functional food rich in fiber, polyphenols and polysaccharides plays a vital role in modulating gut microbiota (phylum Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes and Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio, and genus Akkermansia, Bifidobacteria, Lactobacillus, Bacteroides and Prevotella) through SCFAs, BAs, LPS and TMAO signaling regarding CMDs. Targeting gut-organs axes may serve as a new therapeutic strategy for CMDs by herbal medicine and functional food in the future. This review aims to summarize the balance between herbal medicine and functional food utilized for the prevention and treatment of CMDs through modulating gut microbiota.

[Determination and pharmacokinetics of main components for Psoralea corylifolia-Myristica fragrants drug pair by using UPLC-MS/MS].

To conduct multiple-reaction monitoring(MRM) quantitative analysis with ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry method(UPLC-MS/MS), determine the concentrations of psoralen, isopsoralen, bakuchiol and dehydrodiisoeugenol in plasma under positive iron mode with chloramghenicol as internal standard, and investigate the pharmacokinetics process of the main components before and after oral administration of drug pair Psoralea corylifolia -Myristica fragrants. Thirty-six SD rats were randomly divided into three group(A, B, C) and received P. corylifolia extract, P. corylifolia-M. fragrants extract, and M. fragrants extract respectively by intragastric administration. The plasma samples were collected at different time points. In the plasma samples, psoralen, isopsoralen, bakuchiol and dehydrodiisoeugenol showed good linear relationship within concentration rages of 0.098 125 to 39.25, 0.084 37 to 33.75, 0.046 875 to 18.75, and 0.11 to 2.2 mg•L⁻¹ respectively. The precision and stability results showed that the determination method of plasma concentration for such compositions was stable and reliable. The pharmacokinetic parameters obtained by DAS 2.0 showed varying differences before and after compatibility. According to the experimental results, the compatibility of P. corylifolia and M. fragrants can significantly impact the pharmacokinetic process of main components, expand their distribution and accelerate their metabolism and elimination in vivo.

The effects of Qi Teng Xiao Zhuo granules, traditional Chinese medicine, on the expression of genes in chronic glomerulonephritis rats.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Chronic glomerulonephritis (CGN) is a primary glomerular disease that is related to immune-mediated inflammatory diseases. Qi Teng Xiao Zhuo granules have been proposed as a prescription of traditional Chinese medicine for treatment of CGN, but the comprehensive molecular mechanism underlying this therapeutic effect is not clear to date. The aim of this study was to evaluate and analyze the possible roles and molecular mechanisms of Qi Teng Xiao Zhuo granule-mediated treatment of CGN induced by adriamycin in rats. METHODS: For gene expression analysis, four samples of glomerular tissue from rats in the Qi Teng Xiao Zhuo granule group and four samples each from the adriamycin treated and control groups were hybridized with Agilent Rat 4×44K whole genome microarrays. KEGG and Gene Ontology (GO) analyses and LIMMA, String and Cytoscape software were used to analyze the functional microarray data and screen differentially expressed genes. Hub genes were identified using Pathway Studio software. Real-time PCR was performed to verify the selected genes. RESULTS: Microarray gene expression analysis showed that Pnoc, Cacfd1, Fos, Igll1, Lcn2, and Syk were among the most downregulated genes in the Qi Teng Xiao Zhuo granule group compared with the adriamycin treated group, whereas Cyp2c7, Hsd3b6, Acsm5, and Ugt2b15 were significantly upregulated. Functional analysis demonstrated that metabolism of xenobiotics by cytochrome P450, the B cell receptor signaling pathway, and cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction pathways were significantly downregulated in the Qi Teng Xiao Zhuo granule group and that GO terms related to positive regulation of immune response, immune response-activating signal transduction, cell differentiation, cell cycle, proliferation, and adhesion were significantly affected. Fos and Syk were considered to be potential hub genes. CONCLUSIONS: In the adriamycin-induced CGN rat model, comprehensive molecular mechanisms were involved with complex gene expression alterations containing many altered pathways and GO terms. However, how Qi Teng Xiao Zhuo granules regulate these events warrants further investigation.