[Mechanism of pregnancy-induced thymus involution and regeneration and medication rules of postpartum prescriptions].

In order to prevent the maternal immune defenses to the semi-allogeneic fetus, the maternal body will present a special adaptive immune system change represented by acute thymic involution(ATI) during pregnancy, which can be quickly regenerated after delivery. The ATI during pregnancy is related to the level of sex hormones, which is mainly caused by progesterone. Pregnancy-induced ATI is manifested as the continuous shrinkage of thymus volume, especially the cortex, and the wrinkle and phagocytosis of the subcapsular cortical thymic epithelial cells(cTECs), while other thymic epithelial cells(TECs) remain unchanged. The postpartum thymus is regenerated by the co-mediation of forkhead box N1(FOXN1) as well as its target genes chemokine(C-C motif) ligand 25(CCL25), chemokine(C-X-C motif) ligand 12(CXCL12), δ-like ligand 4(DLL4), cathepsin L(CTSL), and serine protease 16(PRSS16). Once the postpartum thymus is poorly repaired, immune dysfunction of the maternal body and several puerperal diseases will be induced, seriously endangering the survival of the mother and the newborn. In traditional Chinese medicine(TCM), Qi and blood are the cornerstone of pregnancy, and the thymus plays a key role in regulating Qi and blood. The deficiency of Qi and blood during pregnancy and childbirth is closely related to the abnormal ATI during pregnancy and the poor regeneration of the postpartum thymus. Based on this theory, TCM has profound academic ideas and rich clinical experience in postpartum recuperation. Based on the systematic description of the mechanism of ATI regeneration during pregnancy, as well as data mining and analysis of two classic gynecological works of TCM, Wan's Gynecology and Fu Qing-zhu's Treatise on Gynecology, this study found that the commonly used TCM for postpartum included Angelicae Sinensis Radix, Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma, Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, and Chuanxiong Rhizoma. Among them, Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma, Angelicae Sinensis Radix, and Chuanxiong Rhizoma are high-frequency TCMs with positive effects on postpartum recovery.However, the mechanism of these TCMs in promoting postpartum thymus regeneration needs further investigation.

Saccharomyces boulardii protects against murine experimental colitis by reshaping the gut microbiome and its metabolic profile.

Introduction: Saccharomyces boulardii (S. boulardii) has shown clinical beneficial effect in inflammatory bowel diseases recently. However, the underlying mechanisms remain incompletely understood. The aim of present study was to tested whether S. boulardii targets gut microbiota to protect against the development of experimental colitis in mice. Methods: Female C57BL/6 mice were gavaged with S. boulardii for 3 weeks before being challenged with dextran sulphate sodium to induce ulcerative colitis. Bodyweight, diarrhea severity, intestinal permeability, colonic histopathology, colonic inflammatory status, and epithelial cell death of mice were examined. The fecal microbiota and its metabolomic profiles were detected by 16S rDNA sequencing and UPLC-MS, respectively. Results and Discussion: Supplementation with S. boulardii significantly prevented weight loss and colon shortening, lowered colonic inflammation, ameliorated epithelial injury, and enhanced the intestinal barrier integrity in colitis mice. By inhibiting the abundance of pathogenic bacteria and increasing the probiotics abundance, S. boulardii improved the microbial diversity and restored the microbiota dysbiosis. Moreover, it also modulated microbial metabolome and altered the relative contents of metabolites involving amino acids, lipids, energy and vitamin metabolisms. These yeast-driven shifts in gut flora and metabolites are were associated with each other and with the inflammation profile in colitis. Collectively, S. boulardii exerts protective effects on colitis in mice by reshaping gut microbiome and its metabolic profile, indicating it as a promising therapeutic avenue.

Self-report Sleep Quality and its Risk Factors Among Community-dwelling Older Adults in China.

Context: Researchers have associated insomnia with many disorders, making insomnia a serious public health issue in China. Sleep quality in older adults isn't well characterized in China. Objective: The study intended to explore the sleep quality and subjective duration of sleep in a community-dwelling older population in China and identify potential risk factors for poor sleep. Design: The research team performed a cross-sectional survey using the convenience sampling method. Setting: The study took place in a community in Wuhu, Anhui, China in 2015. Participants: Participants were 1075 members of the community from Wuhu city. Outcome Measures: The research team collected self-reported information on sleep quality. Results: The overall prevalence of self-reported insomnia among older adults were 40.8%. The prevalence of insomnia in females, 259 (59.00%), was significantly higher than in males, 180 (41.00%), with P = .00. For income status, the prevalence of insomnia was significantly higher for participants with less than 10 000 RMB per year income for a family, 191 participants (43.51%), than for participants with higher family incomes, with P = .00. For marital status, the prevalence of insomnia was significantly higher for the widowed participants, 121 participants (24.56%), with P = .01. Conclusions: Sleep quality for females, low-income families, and widowed people were significantly worse than for people in other categories among older adults in China. Older adults in China need proper interventions for the factors causing poor sleep hygiene.

Efficient extraction, excellent activity, and microencapsulation of flavonoids from Moringa oleifera leaves extracted by deep eutectic solvent.

A deep eutectic solvent (choline chloride (ChCl)-urea) was chosen to extract flavonoids from Moringa oleifera leaves (FMOL), the condition of extraction was tailor-made, under the optimal extraction conditions (material-to-liquid ratio of 1:60 g/mL, extraction time of 80 min, extraction temperature of 80 °C), the highest extraction efficiency reached 63.2 ± 0.3 mg R/g DW, and nine flavonoids were identified. Then, the biological activities including antioxidant activities, antibacterial activities, and anti-tumor activities were systematically studied. FMOL was superior to positive drugs in terms of antioxidant activity. As to DPPH investigation, the IC50 of FMOL and Vc were 64.1 ± 0.7 and 176.1 ± 2.0 µg/mL; for the ABTS, the IC50 of FMOL and Vc were 9.5 ± 0.3 and 38.2 ± 1.2 µg/mL, the FRAP value of FMOL and Vc were 15.5 ± 0.6 and 10.2 ± 0.4 mg TE/g, and ORAC value of FMOL and Vc were 4687.2 ± 102.8 and 3881.6 ± 98.6 µmol TE/g. The bacteriostatic (MICs were ≤ 1.25 mg/mL) activities of FMOL were much better than propyl p-hydroxybenzoate. Meanwhile, FMOL had comparable inhibitory activity with genistein on tumor cells, IC50 was 307.8 µg/mL, and could effectively induce apoptosis in HCT116. Microcapsules were prepared with xylose-modified soybean protein isolate and gelatin as wall materials; after that, the intestinal release of modified FMOL microcapsules was 86 times of free FMOL. Therefore, this study confirmed that FMOL extracted with ChCl/urea has rich bioactive components, and microencapsulated FMOL has potential application in food industry. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13399-023-03877-8.

Remove Non-hydrated Phospholipids in Okra Seed Oil by Silicon Dioxide.

Water degumming, mainly removes hydrated phospholipids, is the most common method applying in traditional edible oil production. Silicon dioxide (SiO2) adsorption has been proved as a green and efficient method for removing phospholipids from rapeseed oil. But both methods exhibited poor effect on okra seed oil. Based on a hypothesis that SiO2 can adsorb non-hydrated phospholipids, removal effect of non-hydrated phospholipids in okra seed oil was studied. Single factor test and response surface design were used to optimize the SiO2 adsorbing process in water-degummed oil. Meanwhile, the qualities and flavor changes of okra seed oil before and after degumming were compared and analyzed. The results showed that the optimized degumming procedure was: 1.43% (w/w) of SiO2 added into the water-degummed oil, and the mixture was stirred at 33.52℃ for 30.47 min. The maximum non-hydrated phospholipids removal rate reached 43.3%. Comparing with crude okra seed oil, the optimal degumming method resulted in the increase of peroxide value and the decrease of induction period (IP) of the oil. However, it had the same safety as the water and the SiO2 degumming methods. It could retain 62% of total phenols, which was less than the water and the SiO2 degumming methods (both about 79%). The differences of E-nose sensors among oils were most likely caused by the pyrazines. It is necessary to study the composition and properties of phospholipids and develop new methods to further improve the phospholipids removal rate of okra seed oil.

Chitosan oligosaccharide attenuates endoplasmic reticulum stress-associated intestinal apoptosis via the Akt/mTOR pathway.

Endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) and apoptosis are widely considered as essential factors associated with intestinal disorders, whereas nutritional therapeutic approaches targeting ERS may control disease activity. Thus, we focus on the potential benefit of chitosan oligosaccharide (COS) on repressing ERS and ERS-induced apoptosis. In this study, we used the ERS model with tunicamycin (TM)-induced IPEC-J2 cells in vitro and nutrient deprivation-induced ERS in piglets to evaluate the protective mechanism of COS against ERS and ERS-induced apoptosis. The results showed that cells were characterized by activation of the unfolded protein response (UPR) and increased epithelial apoptosis upon exposure to TM. However, these changes were significantly attenuated by COS and the expressions of Akt and mTORC1 were inhibited. Furthermore, a specific inhibitor of mTOR confirmed the suppression of Akt and reduced the activation of the UPR and apoptosis. In vivo, COS protected against nutrient deprivation-induced ERS in the jejunum of piglets, in which the overexpression of the UPR and apoptosis was rescued. Consistently, COS attenuated nutrient deprivation-induced disruption of intestinal barrier integrity and functional capacity. Together, we provided the first evidence that COS could protect against intestinal apoptosis through alleviating severe ERS, which may be related to the inhibition of the Akt/mTOR signaling pathway.

The Effect of Tai Chi Chuan on Emotional Health: Potential Mechanisms and Prefrontal Cortex Hypothesis.

Deep involvement in the negative mood over long periods of time likely results in emotional disturbances/disorders and poor mental health. Tai Chi Chuan (TCC) is regarded as a typical mind-body practice combining aerobic exercise and meditation to prevent and treat negative mood. Although there are an increasing number of TCC studies examining anxiety, depression, and mental stress, the mechanisms underlying these negative emotions are not fully understood. This review study examined TCC studies related to emotional health from both clinical patients and healthy individuals. Next, several potential mechanisms from physiological, psychological, and neurological perspectives were evaluated based on direct and indirect research evidence. We reviewed recent functional magnetic resonance imaging studies, which demonstrated changes in brain anatomy and function, mainly in the prefrontal cortex, following TCC practice. Finally, the effects of TCC on emotion/mental health is depicted with a prefrontal cortex hypothesis that proposed "an immune system of the mind" indicating the role of the prefrontal cortex as a flexible hub in regulating an individual's mental health. The prefrontal cortex is likely a key biomarker among the multiple complex neural correlates to help an individual manage negative emotions/mental health. Future research is needed to examine TCC effects on mental health by examining the relationship between the executive control system (mainly prefrontal cortex) and limbic network (including amygdala, insula, and hippocampal gyrus).

Reactive electrically conducting membranes for phosphorus recovery from livestock wastewater effluents.

We present a novel 'proof-of-concept' electrochemically based membrane filtration process for the recovery of nitrogen and phosphorus from livestock wastewater following an anaerobic digestion step. Reactive electrically conducting membranes are shown to precipitate and separate struvite, an eco-friendly fertilizer from synthetic livestock wastewater, resulting in the production of a solid fertilizer and a high-quality water stream, fit for irrigation. The recovery process is based on electrochemical hydrolysis and control of local pH in proximity to the surface of the membrane, and therefore, does not require chemical additives for pH adjustment. The system was assessed at varying concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus corresponding to diluted and concentrated livestock wastewater (up to 1000 mg/L of N and P). Experimental results show up to 65% removal of phosphorus and nitrogen in the first 30 min of electrochemical filtration, and the precipitates were analytically confirmed to be struvite. In addition, the recovery process was shown efficient as it resulted in limited membrane fouling and flux reduction. Fouling and precipitation results were explained by a mathematical model describing the concentration of N, P, Mg ions in the presence of an external electric field. Accordingly, precipitation takes place in proximity to the membrane's surface but not directly on it, thus, limiting surface fouling. The electrochemical filtration system does not require chemical additives for pH adjustment, and the cost associated with electrochemical membrane-based struvite recovery was calculated to be $158 per ton of dry struvite, which is about 1.4 times lower in comparison to conventional recovery approaches. Overall, the electrochemical filtration system may be a promising alternative for nutrient recovery from livestock wastewater in terms of operational costs, recovery efficiency, and fouling mitigation.

Characterization of the Aroma-Active Compounds in Commercial Fragrant Rapeseed Oils via Monolithic Material Sorptive Extraction.

Commercial fragrant rapeseed oil (CFRO), from roasted and hot-pressed seeds, is enjoyed in China for its unique aroma. However, the characteristic of aroma-active compounds in CFRO is still unclear. In this study, a new odor monolithic material sorptive extraction method was established to trap volatiles from rapeseed oil. Thirty CFROs were investigated using this method coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. A total of 29 volatile compounds were identified by gas chromatography-olfactometry including pyrazines, alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, and sulfur compounds. Further, 2,5-dimethylpyrazine (peanut-like), 3-ethyl-2,5-dimethylpyrazine (roasted nut-like), dimethyl trisulfide (cabbage-like), 4-isothiocyanato-1-butene (pungent and pickle-like), butyrolactone (caramel-like), and benzyl nitrile (pungent and sulfur-like) are affirmed as the key odorants for the overall aroma of CFRO, owing to their odor activity values ≥1. This work provides a new insight on acquiring aroma-active compounds from rapeseed oil in a more time-effective process compared to conventional methods. Futhermore, this novel approach is applicable in the field of food flavor.

The Effect of Tai Chi Chuan on Negative Emotions in Non-Clinical Populations: A Meta-Analysis and Systematic Review.

Tai Chi Chuan (TCC) as a typical mind-body practice has been investigated for its preventive role on negative emotions and has demonstrated its efficacy in healthy populations. However, the results are not consistent. We performed a meta-analysis and systematically evaluated the effect of TCC on selected negative emotions (i.e., anxiety and depression). Fourteen experimental studies from three English-and two Chinese-language databases were evaluated. The results showed that the positive effects of TCC on negative emotions were moderately to largely significant. In addition, although TCC significantly improved negative emotions in both the young adults and the older adults, old adults benefited more from TCC than young adults. These findings suggest that TCC is a worthy complementary non-pharmacological resource towards depression and anxiety and, thus, has great implications for the public health domain.

Compound α-keto acid tablet supplementation alleviates chronic kidney disease progression via inhibition of the NF-kB and MAPK pathways.

BACKGROUND: Keto-analogues administration plays an important role in clinical chronic kidney disease (CKD) adjunctive therapy, however previous studies on their reno-protective effect mainly focused on kidney pathological changes induced by nephrectomy. This study was designed to explore the currently understudied alternative mechanisms by which compound α-ketoacid tablets (KA) influenced ischemia-reperfusion (IR) induced murine renal injury, and to probe the current status of KA administration on staving CKD progression in Chinese CKD patients at different stages. METHODS: In animal experiment, IR surgery was performed to mimic progressive chronic kidney injury, while KA was administrated orally. For clinical research, a retrospective cohort study was conducted to delineate the usage and effects of KA on attenuating CKD exacerbation. End-point CKD event was defined as 50% reduction of initial estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). Kaplan-Meier analysis and COX proportional hazard regression model were adopted to calculate the cumulative probability to reach the end-point and hazard ratio of renal function deterioration. RESULTS: In animal study, KA presented a protective effect on IR induced renal injury and fibrosis by attenuating inflammatory infiltration and apoptosis via inhibition of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways. In clinical research, after adjusting basic demographic factors, patients at stages 4 and 5 in KA group presented a much delayed and slower incidence of eGFR decrease compared to those in No-KA group (hazard ratio (HR) = 0.115, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.021-0.639, p = 0.0134), demonstrating a positive effect of KA on staving CKD progression. CONCLUSION: KA improved IR induced chronic renal injury and fibrosis, and seemed to be a prospective protective factor in end stage renal disease.

SbRFP1 regulates cold-induced sweetening of potato tubers by inactivation of StBAM1.

Potato cold-induced sweetening (CIS) is a major drawback restricting potato process industry. Starch degradation and sucrose decomposition are considered to be the key pathways in potato CIS. Our previous study showed that the RING finger gene SbRFP1 could slow down starch degradation and the accumulation of reducing sugars (RS) through inhibiting amylase and invertase activity in cold-stored tubers. However, the regulation mechanism of SbRFP1 is not clear. In this paper, we first proved that SbRFP1 could promote starch synthesis and modify the shape of starch granules. By further yeast two hybrid, GST-pull down and inhibition of enzyme activity assays, we confirmed that SbRFP1 could slow down the transformation of starch to RS in tubers mainly through the inhibition of ß-amylase StBAM1 activity. SbRFP1 was also proved to possess E3 ubiquitin ligase activity by ubiquitination assay. Thus, SbRFP1 may regulate the accumulation of RS in cold-stored tubers by ubiquitination and degradation of StBAM1. Therefore, our study reveals the regulatory mechanism of SbRFP1 in the process of CIS and provides more powerful evidence for the effect of starch degradation on potato CIS.

Pretreatment of Huaiqihuang extractum protects against cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity.

Cisplatin is a commonly used chemotherapeutic agent in the treatment of different types of malignant tumors, but nephrotoxicity limits its usage. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to determine the possible protective effect of Huaiqihuang (HQH) extractum, a kind of Chinese herbal complex that consists of Trametes robiniophila Murr., Lycium barbarum and Polygonatum sibiricum, against nephrotoxicity induced by cisplatin in mice. We found that pretreatment with HQH significantly attenuated the cisplatin-induced increase in blood urea nitrogen (BUN), interstitial congestion, acute renal tubular injury and tubular cell apoptosis and necroptosis. It was further shown that HQH administration reduced cisplatin-induced release and nuclear-cytoplasmic translocation of HMGB1 and inactivated its downstream signaling molecules, TLR4 and NFκB, in renal tubular cells; as a result, HQH repressed cisplatin-induced TNF-α production. As dexamethasone (Dex) exerts renoprotective effects in severe Acute kidney injury (AKI), we compared it with HQH and found that HQH showed similar renoprotective effects to dexamethasone via similar mechanisms. Considering the potential side effects of corticosteroids, reducing the effectiveness of treatment and shortening survival in solid tumor patients, we suggest administration of HQH as a potential adjuvant for cisplatin therapy in solid tumor patients to preserve renal function.

Underestimation of phosphorus fraction change in the supernatant after phosphorus adsorption onto iron oxides and iron oxide-natural organic matter complexes.

The phosphorus (P) fraction distribution and formation mechanism in the supernatant after P adsorption onto iron oxides and iron oxide-humic acid (HA) complexes were analyzed using the ultrafiltration method in this study. With an initial P concentration of 20mg/L (I=0.01mol/L and pH=7), it was shown that the colloid (1kDa-0.45µm) component of P accounted for 10.6%, 11.6%, 6.5%, and 4.0% of remaining total P concentration in the supernatant after P adsorption onto ferrihydrite (FH), goethite (GE), ferrihydrite-humic acid complex (FH-HA), goethite-humic acid complex (GE-HA), respectively. The <1kDa component of P was still the predominant fraction in the supernatant, and underestimated colloidal P accounted for 2.2%, 55.1%, 45.5%, and 38.7% of P adsorption onto the solid surface of FH, FH-HA, GE and GE-HA, respectively. Thus, the colloid P could not be neglected. Notably, it could be interpreted that Fe3+ hydrolysis from the adsorbents followed by the formation of colloidal hydrous ferric oxide aggregates was the main mechanism for the formation of the colloid P in the supernatant. And colloidal adsorbent particles co-existing in the supernatant were another important reason for it. Additionally, dissolve organic matter dissolved from iron oxide-HA complexes could occupy large adsorption sites of colloidal iron causing less colloid P in the supernatant. Ultimately, we believe that the findings can provide a new way to deeply interpret the geochemical cycling of P, even when considering other contaminants such as organic pollutants, heavy metal ions, and arsenate at the sediment/soil-water interface in the real environment.

Methane ameliorates spinal cord ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats: Antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic activity mediated by Nrf2 activation.

Methane is reported to have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic properties. We investigated the potential neuroprotective effects of methane-rich saline (MS) on spinal cord ischemia-reperfusion injury and determined that its therapeutic benefits are associated with the activation of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2). Rats received 9min of spinal cord ischemia induced by occlusion of the descending thoracic aorta plus systemic hypotension followed by a single MS treatment (10ml/kg, ip) and 72h reperfusion. MS treatment attenuated motor sensory deficits and produced high concentrations of methane in spinal cords during reperfusion, which increased Nrf2 expression and transcriptional activity in neurons, microglia and astrocytes in the ventral, intermediate and dorsal gray matter of lumbar segments. Heme oxygenase-1, superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione were upregulated; and glutathione disulfide, superoxide, hydrogen peroxide, malondialdehyde, 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine and 3-nitrotyrosine were downregulated in MS-treated spinal cords. MS treatment reduced neuronal apoptosis in gray matter zones, which was consistent with the suppression of cytochrome c release to the cytosol from the mitochondria and the activation of caspase-9 and -3. Throughout the gray matter, the activation of microglia and astrocytes was inhibited; the nuclear accumulation of phosphorylated nuclear factor-kappa B p65 was reduced; and tumor necrosis factor α, interleukin 1ß, chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 1, intercellular adhesion molecule 1 and myeloperoxidase were decreased. MS treatment attenuated blood-spinal cord barrier dysfunction by preventing the expression and activity of matrix metallopeptidase-9 and disrupting tight junction proteins. Consecutive intrathecal injection of specific siRNAs targeting Nrf2 at 24-h intervals 3 days before ischemia reduced the beneficial effects of MS. Our data indicate that MS treatment prevents IR-induced spinal cord damage via antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic activities that involve the activation of Nrf2 signaling. Thus, methane may serve as a novel promising therapeutic agent for treating ischemic spinal cord injury.

Research progresses and formulation development of natural anti-mildew agents based on Chinese herbal medicines / 中国中药杂志

Owing to the intrinsic factors and some extrinsic environmental conditions, many foods, agricultural products and Chinese materia medicas (CMMs), if not handled properly in the processes of growth, harvesting, processing and storage, can be easily contaminated by all kinds of molds to produce mycotoxins of serious toxicity, which will not only affect the quality, safety and effectiveness of CMMs, but also result in potential threatens to human and animal's health and life. Therefore, in recent decades, it has become the focus on how to prevent and control the foods, agricultural products and CMMs from being moldy and producing toxicity for scientific preservation. Many Chinese herbal medicines (CHMs) especially those with high content of volatile oils with strong antifungal activities have been applied for the scientific preservation of foods, agricultural products and CMMs. Based on these situations, natural anti-mildew agents have been further developed and made into some useful dosage forms, such as tablets, aerosol, liposomes and inclusion, which will not only greatly expand the application scope of CHMs to make the use of anti-mildew agents more convenient, but also achieve the sustained or controlled release of the antifungal effect for scientific preservation of foods, agricultural products and CMMs.

Research progress of rapid detection of ochratoxin A and its application prospect in traditional Chinese medicine / 中国中药杂志

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a toxic secondary metabolite mainly produced by Aspergillus and Penicillium species, with strong renal toxicity, teratogenic, carcinogenic, mutagenic effect. Studies have shown that OTA is not only widely contaminated in food and feed crops, but also has been widely contaminated in Chinese herbal medicines such as spices, licorice and so on. In view of OTA's universality and harmfulness, this paper summarizes the flow visualization test strip, microsphere, electrochemical sensor, surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy technology in OTA rapid detection, which provides reference for the research and application of high throughout detection instrument miniaturization in order to achieve OTA quick detection and simple operation.

Comparative Study on Trace Element Excretions between Nonanuric and Anuric Patients Undergoing Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis.

Few studies have been reported on alterations of trace elements (TE) in peritoneal dialysis patients. Our objective was to investigate and assess the characteristics of daily TE excretions in continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) patients. This cross-sectional study included 61 CAPD patients (nonanuric/anuric: 45/16) and 11 healthy subjects in Wuhan, China between 2013 and 2014. The dialysate and urine of patients and urine of healthy subjects were collected. The concentrations of copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), selenium (Se), molybdenum (Mo), and arsenic (As) in dialysate and urine were determined using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS). Various clinical variables were obtained from automatic biochemical analyzer. Daily Cu, Zn, Se, and Mo excretions in nonanuric patients were higher than healthy subjects, while arsenic excretion in anuric patients was lower. A strong and positive correlation was observed between Se and Mo excretion in both dialysate (ß = 0.869, p < 0.010) and urine (ß = 0.968, p < 0.010). Furthermore, the clinical variables associated with Se excretion were found to be correlated with Mo excretion. Our findings indicated that nonanuric CAPD patients may suffer from deficiency of some essential TEs, while anuric patients are at risk of arsenic accumulation. A close association between Se and Mo excretion was also found.

Preliminary investigation of phosphorus adsorption onto two types of iron oxide-organic matter complexes.

Iron oxide (FeO) coated by natural organic matter (NOM) is ubiquitous. The associations of minerals with organic matter (OM) significantly changes their surface properties and reactivity, and thus affect the environmental fate of pollutants, including nutrients (e.g., phosphorus (P)). In this study, ferrihydrite/goethite-humic acid (FH/GE-HA) complexes were prepared and their adsorption characteristics on P at various pH and ionic strength were investigated. The results indicated that the FeO-OM complexes showed a decreased P adsorption capacity in comparison with bare FeO. The maximum adsorption capacity (Qmax) decreased in the order of FH (22.17 mg/g)>FH-HA (5.43 mg/g)>GE (4.67 mg/g)>GE-HA (3.27 mg/g). After coating with HA, the amorphous FH-HA complex still showed higher P adsorption than the crystalline GE-HA complex. The decreased P adsorption observed might be attributed to changes of the FeO surface charges caused by OM association. The dependence of P adsorption on the specific surface area of adsorbents suggests that the FeO component in the complexes is still the main contributor for the adsorption surfaces. The P adsorptions on FeO-HA complexes decreased with increasing initial pH or decreasing initial ionic strength. A strong dependence of P adsorption on ionic strength and pH may demonstrate that outer-sphere complexes between the OM component on the surface and P possibly coexist with inner-sphere surface complexes between the FeO component and P. Therefore, previous over-emphasis on the contributions of original minerals to P immobilization possibly over-estimates the P loading capacity of soils, especially in humic-rich areas.

The improvement effects of edible bird's nest on proliferation and activation of B lymphocyte and its antagonistic effects on immunosuppression induced by cyclophosphamide.

Edible bird's nest (EBN) is regarded as an immune-enhancing food in the People's Republic of China. The aim of this study is to demonstrate the efficiency of EBN in improving the immunity of mouse both in vivo and in vitro. We observed the effects of EBN on spleen lymphocytes proliferation and activation, as well as immunoglobulin isotypes as indicators. In addition, we evaluated the content of total sIgA in the intestinal juice to assess mucosal immunity. The results showed that EBN could promote the proliferation and activation of B-cells and increase IgE, IgA, IgM, and IgG3 levels. We also found that EBN extract can promote the secretion of sIgA in the small intestine. Using cyclophosphamide (CY), we established an immunosuppressed mouse model in which we identified a reversal influence on the ratio of CD3(+)/CD19(+) cells, which indicates that EBN also protects B-cells from the damage induced by CY. We also applied polymyxin B to exclude the interference of lipopolysaccharide throughout the experiment. In conclusion, we found that EBN can reduce the intestinal immune injury induced by CY by accelerating the proliferation and activation of B-cells and enhancing antibody secretion of B-cells.