Physical therapy for acute and sub-acute low back pain: A systematic review and expert consensus.

OBJECTIVE: To review the effectiveness of different physical therapies for acute and sub-acute low back pain supported by evidence, and create clinical recommendations and expert consensus for physiotherapists on clinical prescriptions. DATA SOURCES: A systematic search was conducted in PubMed and the Cochrane Library for studies published within the previous 15 years. REVIEW METHODS: Systematic review and meta-analysis, randomized controlled trials assessing patients with acute and sub-acute low back pain were included. Two reviewers independently screened relevant studies using the same inclusion criteria. The Physiotherapy Evidence Database and the Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews tool were used to grade the quality assessment of randomized controlled trials and systematic reviews, respectively. The final recommendation grades were based on the consensus discussion results of the Delphi of 22 international experts. RESULTS: Twenty-one systematic reviews and 21 randomized controlled trials were included. Spinal manipulative therapy and low-level laser therapy are recommended for acute low back pain. Core stability exercise/motor control, spinal manipulative therapy, and massage can be used to treat sub-acute low back pain. CONCLUSIONS: The consensus statements provided medical staff with appliable recommendations of physical therapy for acute and sub-acute low back pain. This consensus statement will require regular updates after 5-10 years.

Fangji Dihuang formulation ameliorated DNCB-induced atopic dermatitis-like skin lesions by IL-17 signaling pathway: integrating network analysis and experimental validation.

Background: The Fangji Dihuang formulation (FJDHF) is a widely recognized Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) formula that consists of five plant drugs: Stephaniae Tetrandrae Radix, Cinnamomi Ramulus, Rehmanniae Radix, Saposhnikoviae Radix, and Glycyrrhiza Urensis Fisch. This formulation has been known to exhibit clinical therapeutic effects in the treatment of inflammatory skin diseases. However, there is a lack of pharmacological research on its anti-atopic dermatitis (AD) activity. Methods: To investigate the potential anti-AD activity of FJDHF, DNCB was used to induce AD-like skin inflammation in the back of mice. Following successful modeling, the mice were administered FJDHF orally. The extent of the inflammatory skin lesions was recorded at day 4, 7, 14 and 28. UHPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap MS was used to identify and match the compounds present in FJDHF with ITCM, TCMIP and TCMSID. In silico predictions of potential target proteins of the identified compounds were obtained from SwishTargetPrediction, ITCM and TargetNet databases. AD-related genes were identified from GSE32924 data set, and FJDHF anti-AD hub genes were identified by MCODE algorithm. ClueGo enrichment analysis was employed to identify the core pathway of FJDHF's anti-AD effect. To further investigate the anti-AD effect of FJDHF, single-cell RNA sequencing data set (GSE148196) from AD patients was analyzed to determine the target cells and signaling pathways of FJDHF in AD. Finally, rt-PCR, flow cytometry, and mouse back skin RNA sequencing were utilized to validate our findings. Results: FJDHF was found to be effective in improving the degree of the AD-like lesions in the mice. Network pharmacological analysis revealed the core pathway of FJDHF to be the IL-17 signaling pathway, which is interactively associated with cytokines. Single-cell RNA sequencing analysis suggested that FJDHF may play an anti-AD role by influencing dendritic cells. Flow cytometry and rt-PCR results showed that FJDHF can reduce the influence of AD sample of IL-4, IFN-γ and the expression of IL-17. The RNA sequencing of mouse back skin also confirmed our conclusion. Conclusion: FJDHF may inhibit DNCB-induced AD-like skin inflammation in mice by inhibiting the IL-17 signaling pathway. Thus, FJDHF can be considered as a potential therapeutic agent for AD.

Effect of Piper nigrum essential oil in dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis and its potential mechanisms.

BACKGROUND: Piper nigrum essential oil (PnEO) possesses pleasant aroma, unique flavor, and various bioactivities; however, its role against colitis remains unclear. PURPOSE: In this study, we investigated the role of PnEO in relieving colitis and explored its potential mechanisms in a mouse model of dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis. METHODS: Initially, we identified and quantified the components of PnEO by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Subsequently, we investigated the protective role of PnEO (50 and 200 mg/kg) in DSS-induced colitis in mice by evaluating disease activity index (DAI) scores and colon length, and performing histological analyses. Eyeball blood was collected and cytokines were determined using ELISA kits. The anti-inflammatory mechanisms of PnEO were analyzed by western blot (WB) and immunohistochemistry (IHC). The intestinal barrier function was evaluated according to tight junction (TJ) protein mRNA levels. We used 16S rRNA gene sequencing to analyze the intestinal microflora of mouse cecal contents. RESULTS: Supplementation with PnEO (50 and 200 mg/kg) increased colon length and improved colon histopathology. PnEO regulated inflammatory responses by downregulating TLR4/MAPKs activation, thereby reducing the release of cytokines and mediators. Moreover, it also protected the intestinal barrier through enhancing the expression of claudin-1, claudin-3, occludin, ZO-1, and mucin 2. 16S rRNA gene sequencing revealed that PnEO (200 mg/kg) decreased the abundance of Akkermansia in the gut microbiome. CONCLUSION: PnEO treatment (50 and 200 mg/kg) relieved DSS-induced colitis by inhibiting TLR4/MAPK pathway and protecting intestinal barrier, and high-dose PnEO exhibited better effects. Moreover, PnEO (200 mg/kg) regulated key compositions of the gut microbiome, which indicated that it had therapeutic potential for sustaining gut health to lower the risk of colitis.

Protocol for thiamine and folic acid in the treatment of cognitive impairment in maintenance haemodialysis patients: a prospective, randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind, multicentre study.

INTRODUCTION: Cognitive impairment (CI) is the common complications in maintenance haemodialysis (MHD) patients. Recently, the pathogenesis of CI has been discussed and oxidative stress is one of the main mechanisms in these patients. Thiamine and folic acid, which play an important role in relieving the production of reactive oxygen species, reducing homocysteine levels, improving oxidative stress in the nervous system. In pilot study, cognitive function was significantly improved in the group with thiamine and folic supplementation. Based on this result, we hypothesise that thiamine combined with folic acid supplementation may improve cognitive function in patients with MHD. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: In this prospective, randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind, multicentre study, we will enrol patients undergoing haemodialysis who has the Montreal Cognitive Assessment score lower than 26 to treatment group (thiamine 90 mg/day combined with folic acid 30 mg/day) or control group (thiamine placebo 90 mg/day combined with folic acid placebo 30 mg/day). All subjects will be followed up for 96 weeks. The primary endpoint is the comparison of Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive Subscale (ADAS-Cog) score between treatment group and control group at 96 weeks of follow-up. The secondary endpoints include serum thiamine, folate, homocysteine levels, cranial functional MRI and survival. The central randomisation method will be adopted and the principles of placebo-controlled, double-blind randomised control will be followed. The comparisons among ADAS-Cog scores and other secondary endpoints over time within subjects is conducted by using repeated measure analysis of variance (ANOVA) or generalised estimating equations (GEE). Pairwise t-test with Bonferroni adjustment is performed for multiple comparisons. On the other hand, for comparisons between treatment and control group, simple one-way ANOVA, GEE or Wilcoxon rank sum test is used. The χ2 method is used for statistical analysis of the categorical data. Kaplan-Meier survival curve is used for survival analysis. A p<0.05 is considered statistically significant difference. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This trial has been approved by Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Renji Hospital Ethics Committee (KY2019-199). After publication of study results, trial report will be published in peer-reviewed journals and/or in national or international conferences. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ChiCTR2000029297.

Effects of low-frequency ultrasonic pre-treatment in water/oil medium simulated system on the improved processing efficiency and quality of microwave-assisted vacuum fried potato chips.

The effects of low-frequency ultrasonic pre-treatment in water/oil medium simulated system on the improved processing efficiency and quality of microwave-assisted vacuum fried potato chips were investigated. The water medium system (distilled water and 5% NaCl osmotic solution) and oil medium system (90 °C) were designed with different power levels of ultrasound to simulate the ultrasonic conditions. Results showed that the changes of moisture content, water loss, solid gain and dielectric properties of potato slices were facilitated by the ultrasonic treatment. LF-NMR analysis showed the binding force between the moisture and structure in the material was significantly (p < 0.05) weakened. The changes become greater with the increase of ultrasonic power levels. Microscopic channels and disruptions were induced on the microstructure by the ultrasonic treatment. The effective moisture diffusivity of vacuum fried (VF) potato chips was increased by about 56.2%-67.0% and 53.9% with the combination of microwave energy and the ultrasonic pre-treatment in water and oil medium simulated system, respectively. The oil uptake, hardness, shrinkage, total color change and water activity of vacuum fried samples were significantly (p < 0.05) decreased by the assist of microwave energy combined ultrasonic pre-treatment.

US-guided microwave ablation for primary hyperparathyroidism: a safety and efficacy study.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of microwave ablation (MWA) with the assistance of continuous cool saline injection (CCSI) in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT). METHODS: Between November 1, 2014, and February 29, 2016, 22 patients with PHPT were enrolled and treated with ultrasound-guided MWA assisted by CCSI. The levels of parathyroid hormone (PTH) and serum calcium were recorded before and after the MWA. Patients were divided into two groups (normalized and unnormalized groups) according to treatment efficacy. Fisher's exact test and the Mann-Whitney test were used to compare data between the two groups. Timing differences in serum PTH and calcium levels were analyzed with repeated measures analysis of variance. RESULTS: Normalized outcomes for both PTH and calcium levels were achieved in 19 of 22 (86.36%) patients with PHPT. In the normalized group, PTH levels remained normal for 12 months after MWA. PTH levels in the unnormalized group were outside the reference range at six of seven follow-ups within 12 months following MWA. By contrast, serum calcium levels gradually decreased in all patients in both groups. The mean serum PTH and mean calcium levels at 6 months after therapy were significantly lower than those before MWA (both p < 0.05). A transient voice change developed in eight patients. One patient experienced hypocalcaemia, which was corrected by oral calcium supplementation within 2 months. CONCLUSIONS: US-guided MWA assisted by CCSI is safe and effective for destroying parathyroid gland tissue and may serve as a therapeutic alternative for patients with PHPT. KEY POINTS: • Microwave ablation is a new option for patients with hypercalcemic or normocalcemic primary hyperparathyroidism. • Microwave ablation can decrease PTH and calcium levels with sustained efficacy in most patients. • Treatment is safe and causes only transient side effects.

Nickel speciation of spent electroless nickel plating effluent along the typical sequential treatment scheme.

The electroless nickel (EN) industry has suffered from the reduction in Ni concentration to lower than 0.1 mg/L. Hence, Ni speciation along a typical sequential treatment scheme has important implications to optimize the design of advanced treatment. For the first time, we revealed the Ni speciation in segmented EN outfall effluents by virtue of multiple analytical methods. After ensuring all the Ni-bearing complexes were completely dissolved by size-fractioned ultrafiltration trials, customized mass spectra analysis was conducted. In a series of ICP-MS assays, the potential polyatomic interfering species was primarily excluded. The chromatography hyphenated IC-ICP-MS and SEC-ICP-MS results demonstrated that the dominant Ni species in the EN effluents was similar to EDTA-Ni but with a smaller size. The LC-MS experiment further distinguished several typical Ni-bearing complexes. Although Ni concentration declined continuously along the treatment scheme, the number of detected Ni-bearing complexes gradually increased but with lower molecular weights. Most of the detected mononuclear complexes had higher indexes of hydrogen deficiency (IHD) than EDTA-Ni, whereas it was believed that the similar stereo ring shape was widespread in the EN effluent. Considering the efficient Ni decrease after the Fenton unit, further post-treatment approaches featuring higher active radical yields were suggested.

A novel combined process for efficient removal of Se(VI) from sulfate-rich water: Sulfite/UV/Fe(III) coagulation.

The efficient removal of Se(VI) from sulfate-rich water is challenging as most reported processes last for hours to days. In this study, a combined sulfite/UV/Fe(III) coagulation process was proposed for efficient Se(VI) removal from sulfate-rich water within a short time (∼1 h). In the presence of sulfate (1000 mg L-1), over 99% of Se(VI) (initially at 10 mg L-1) could be reduced by sulfite (5.0 mM) with a UV dose of 16 J cm-2 (within 20 min) into Se(IV) as the sole observed product. An alkaline pH (>9) was required for the reduction process, which was naturally obtained with the addition of sulfite. Scavenging experiments with N2O and NO3- both indicated that hydrated electrons (eaq-) were responsible for Se(VI) reduction by sulfite/UV. The presence of chloride, sulfate, phosphate, and carbonate (up to 10 mM) showed negligible influence on Se(VI) reduction, whereas nitrate and humic acid inhibited Se(VI) reduction to different extents depending on their concentrations. By Fe(III) coagulation, Se(IV) in the co-presence of sulfite and sulfate was efficiently removed at an OH-/Fe molar ratio of 1.8-2.8. The removal of Se(IV) by Fe(III) coagulation responded insignificantly to chloride, nitrate, or sulfate (up to 10 mM), whereas it was adversely affected at high levels of carbonate (10 mM) and phosphate (1 mM). The combined sulfite/UV/Fe(III) coagulation process was validated for the efficient removal of Se(VI) from synthetic sulfate-rich solution, simulated wastewater, and authentic smelting wastewater (in 1.1 h). The introduced sulfite underwent minor consumption during UV irradiation and was almost (∼90%) removed after coagulation.

Antioxidant Activity of Water Extract from Fermented Mycelia of Cordyceps sobolifera (Ascomycetes) in Caenorhabditis elegans.

This research aimed to evaluate the potential of Cordyceps sobolifera in mycelial biomass production via liquid culture and to assay the safety and determine the antioxidative and antiaging activities of Caenorhabditis elegans. A C. sobolifera isolate was cultured using the one-factor-at-a-time method to illustrate its carbon and nitrogen requirements. To assess safety, we determined the lethality, locomotion behavior, and reproduction of C. elegans cultured on a mycelial water extract (MWE) containing nematode growth medium (NGM). To investigate antiaging activity, C. elegans treated with MWE was incubated on NGM plates. The lethality was recorded throughout the whole life cycle. To identify antioxidant activity, C. elegans treated with MWE was exposed to paraquat, causing superoxide conditions. The results showed that C. sobolifera was favored by glucose and peptone as carbon and nitrogen sources, respectively. MWE was considered to be safe, as no abnormal behaviors were observed in C. elegans. Compared with nematodes pretreated with no MWE but with water instead, MWE at 1.0 mg/mL significantly prolonged the mean lifespan of C. elegans by 24%. We observed an obvious dose-effect relation between concentration and mean lifespan. The effective antioxidant activity was recorded at the high concentration of MWE. These findings demonstrate the potential antiaging and antioxidant properties of C. sobolifera as functional food and dietary supplement.

Variability of serum phosphorus and its association with mortality among hemodialysis patients
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OBJECTIVE: To determine the relationship between the variability of serum phosphorus and mortality among maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 502 MHD cases were studied from the Shanghai Renal Registry Network. Serum phosphorus variability was indicated by a coefficient of variation (CV). According to the CV median of serum phosphorus, patients were divided into two groups: a high-variability group (CV ≥ 0.226 mmol/L) and a low-variability group (CV < 0.226 mmol/L). Average phosphorus ≤ 1.78 mmol/L was defined as the standard phosphorus group and serum phosphorus > 1.78 mmol/L was defined as the non-standard phosphorus group. The relationship between serum phosphorus variability and all-cause and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality was assessed. RESULTS: In the 502 MHD cases, the average age of patients was 63.9 ± 14.60 years, and dialysis vintage was 82.0 (43.0 - 139.0) months. 118 patients (23.5%) died, succumbing to all-cause mortality, while 64 patients (14.3%) died from CVD. The high-variability group had increased all-cause mortality (27.7% vs. 19.3%, p = 0.028). Death from CVD was increased in the high-variability group, but had no statistical significance (15.4% vs. 10.0%, p = 0.082). Cox regression analysis showed that older age, low hemoglobin levels, a higher phosphorus CV, and low serum albumin were independent risk factors for all-cause and CVD mortality. The standard group with low-phosphorus variability had a decreased mortality compared with the non-standard group with high variability (15.3 vs. 29.2%, p = 0.047 and 6.0 vs. 15.0%, p = 0.033, respectively). The Kaplan-Meier method revealed that patients with low phosphorus variability had a decreased all-cause and CVD mortality (p = 0.023 and p = 0.047, respectively) compared with high phosphorus variability patients. CONCLUSION: Higher phosphorus CV was independently correlated with all-cause and CVD mortality. Low phosphorus variability with on-target levels resulted in decreased patient mortality. Thus, stable serum phosphorus levels may improve survival in MHD patients.
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Enhanced removal of Se(VI) from water via pre-corrosion of zero-valent iron using H2O2/HCl: Effect of solution chemistry and mechanism investigation.

Although the removal of Se(VI) from water by using zero-valent iron (ZVI) is a promising method, passivation of ZVI severely inhibits its performance. To overcome such issue, we proposed an efficient technique to enhance Se(VI) removal via pre-corrosion of ZVI with H2O2/HCl in a short time (15 min). The resultant pcZVI suspension was weakly acidic (pH 4.56) and contained abundant aqueous Fe2+. 57Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy showed that pcZVI mainly consisted of Fe0 (66.2%), hydrated ferric oxide (26.3%), and Fe3O4 (7.5%). Efficient removal of Se(VI) from sulfate-rich solution was achieved by pcZVI compared with ZVI (in the absence and presence of H2O2) and acid-pretreated ZVI. Moreover, the efficient removal of Se(VI) by pcZVI sustained over a broad pH range (3-9) due to its strong buffering power. The presence of chloride, carbonate, nitrate, and common cations (Na+, K+, Ca2+, and Mg2+) posed negligible influence on the removal of Se(VI) by pcZVI, while the inhibitory effect induced by sulfate, silicate, and phosphate indicated the significance of Se(VI) adsorption as a prerequisite step for its removal. The consumption of aqueous Fe2+ was associated with Se(VI) removal, and X-ray absorption near edge structure revealed that the main pathway for Se(VI) removal by pcZVI was a stepwise reduction of Se(VI) to Se(IV) and then Se0 as the dominant final state (78.2%). Moreover, higher electron selectivity of pcZVI was attributed to the enhanced enrichment of Se oxyanions prior to their reduction.

Adverse Effects of Hydroalcoholic Extracts and the Major Components in the Stems of Impatiens balsamina L. on Caenorhabditis elegans.

Impatiens balsamina L. (Balsaminaceae), an annual herb found throughout China, has been extensively used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). However, our knowledge regarding the adverse effects of I. balsamina in vivo is very limited. In this present study, the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans model was employed to fully assess the adverse effects of hydroalcoholic (EtOH 55%) extracts of I. balsamina stems (HAEIBS) in vivo. After exposure to 10 mg/mL HAEIBS, the major organism-level endpoints of C. elegans of percent survival, frequency of head thrash and body bends, and reproduction had decreased by 24%, 30%, and 25%, respectively. The lifespan of C. elegans was also greatly reduced after HAEIBS exposure compared to the controls. The active compounds in HAEIBS were separated using high speed countercurrent chromatograph (HSCCC) and characterized by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). Two compounds, lawsone and 2-methoxy-1,4-naphthoquinone (MNQ), and their adverse effects were then more thoroughly detailed in this study. It was found that lawsone is the major toxin in HAEIBS with a higher toxicity than MNQ in terms of negative impact on C. elegans mortality, locomotion, reproduction, and lifespan. Our data also suggests that the C. elegans model may be useful for assessing the possible toxicity of other Chinese medicines, plant extracts, and/or compounds.

Research on Ratio of Dosage of Drugs in Traditional Chinese Prescriptions by Data Mining.

Maximizing the effectiveness of prescriptions and minimizing adverse effects of drugs is a key component of the health care of patients. In the practice of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), it is important to provide clinicians a reference for dosing of prescribed drugs. The traditional Cheng-Church biclustering algorithm (CC) is optimized and the data of TCM prescription dose is analyzed by using the optimization algorithm. Based on an analysis of 212 prescriptions related to TCM treatment of kidney diseases, the study generated 87 prescription dose quantum matrices and each sub-matrix represents the referential value of the doses of drugs in different recipes. The optimized CC algorithm can effectively eliminate the interference of zero in the original dose matrix of TCM prescriptions and avoid zero appearing in output sub-matrix. This results in the ability to effectively analyze the reference value of drugs in different prescriptions related to kidney diseases, so as to provide valuable reference for clinicians to use drugs rationally.

Ethanol production from a biomass mixture of furfural residues with green liquor-peroxide saccarified cassava liquid.

BACKGROUND: As the most abundant renewable resources, lignocellulosic materials are ideal candidates as alternative feedstock for bioethanol production. Cassava residues (CR) are byproducts of the cassava starch industry which can be mixed with lignocellulosic materials for ethanol production. The presence of lignin in lignocellulosic substrates can inhibit saccharification by reducing the cellulase activity. Simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) of furfural residues (FR) pretreated with green liquor and hydrogen peroxide (GL-H2O2) with CR saccharification liquid was investigated. The final ethanol concentration, yield, initial rate, number of live yeast cells, and the dead yeast ratio were compared to evaluate the effectiveness of combining delignificated lignocellulosic substrates and starchy substrates for ethanol production. RESULTS: Our results indicate that 42.0 % of FR lignin removal was achieved on FR using of 0.06 g H2O2/g-substrate and 9 mL GL/g-substrate at 80 °C. The highest overall ethanol yield was 93.6 % of the theoretical. When the ratio of 0.06 g/g-H2O2-GL-pretreated FR to CR was 5:1, the ethanol concentration was the same with that ratio of untreated FR to CR of 1:1. Using 0.06 g/g-H2O2-GL-pretreated FR with CR at a ratio of 2:1 resulted in 51.9 g/L ethanol concentration. Moreover, FR pretreated with GL-H2O2 decreased the concentration of byproducts in SSF compared with that obtained in the previous study. CONCLUSIONS: The lignin in FR would inhibit enzyme activity and GL-H2O2 is an advantageous pretreatment method to treat FR and high intensity of FR pretreatment increased the final ethanol concentration. The efficiency of ethanol fermentation of was improved when delignification increased. GL-H2O2 is an advantageous pretreatment method to treat FR. As the pretreatment dosage of GL-H2O2 on FR increased, the proportion of lignocellulosic substrates was enhanced in the SSF of the substrate mixture of CR and FR as compared with untreated FR. Moreover, the final ethanol concentration was increased with a high ethanol yield and lower byproduct concentrations.

[Effect of Coixenolide on Foxp3+ CD4+ CD25+ Regulatory T Cells in Collagen-induced Arthritis Mice].

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of coixenolide on Foxp3+ CD4+ CD25+ regulatory T cells (Treg) in collagen induced arthritis (CIA) mice, and to explore its possible mechanism for treating rheumatiol arthritis. METHODS: Five mice were recruited as a normal control group from 25 mice, and the rest 20 were used in CIA modeling. After successful modeling they were randomly divided in the model control group and the coixenolide group, 10 in each group. Coixenolide injection at 25 mL/kg was intraperitoneally injected to mice in the coixenolide group, while normal saline at 25 mL/kg was intraperitoneally injected to mice in the normal control group and the model control group. The injection lasted for 21 days. Scoring for CIA was performed after injection and arthritis index was calculated. The peripheral blood Foxp3+ CD4+ CD25+ Treg ratio was determined by flow cytometry (FCM). RESULTS: Compared with the normal control group, the arthritis index obviously increased in the model control group (P < 0.01). The arthritis index obviously decreased more in the coixenolide group than in the model control group (P < 0.01). Foxp3+ CD4+ CD25+ Treg levels obviously decreased more in the model control group than in the normal control group (P < 0.01 ). Foxp3+ CD4+ CD25+ Treg levels obviously increased more in the coixenolide control group than in the model control group (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Coixenolide could up-regulate Foxp3+ CD4+ CD25+ Treg ratios in CIA mice, which might play certain immunoregulation roles in the incidence of CIA.

Curcumin induced apoptosis via PI3K/Akt-signalling pathways in SKOV3 cells.

Context Curcumin is widely used in China and India as a traditional herb but additional work is required to ascertain the folkloric claim of its antitumour and antioxidant activities. Objective The present study determines the antitumour effect of curcumin against SKOV3 cell growth. Materials and methods SKOV3 cells were incubated with curcumin (0, 20, 30 and 40 µM) for 72 h. The antiproliferative activity and the apoptosis rate were measured by MTT and flow cytometry. Expression of PI3K, T-Akt and p-Akt proteins was measured by western blotting. Results The administration of curcumin (0, 20, 30 and 40 µM) inhibits SKOV3 cell growth (IC50 value= 24.8 µM) and increased apoptosis (32.5 and 85.7%). The activity of SKOV3 cell invasion (98.2 and 19.4%) was also decreased by curcumin administration (p < 0.05). Results of western blot analysis confirmed that the expression of p-Akt protein was decreased by curcumin (p < 0.05). It was also found that a high dose of curcumin (40 µM) can cause stronger antitumour activity (80.4%). Conclusion Our results suggest that the curcumin induced SKOV3 apoptosis via modulation of the PI3K/Akt-signalling pathway.

Thymol has antifungal activity against Candida albicans during infection and maintains the innate immune response required for function of the p38 MAPK signaling pathway in Caenorhabditis elegans.

The Caenorhabditis elegans model can be used to study Candida albicans virulence and host immunity, as well as to identify plant-derived natural products to use against C. albicans. Thymol is a hydrophobic phenol compound from the aromatic plant thyme. In this study, the in vitro data demonstrated concentration-dependent thymol inhibition of both C. albicans growth and biofilm formation during different developmental phases. With the aid of the C. elegans system, we performed in vivo assays, and our results further showed the ability of thymol to increase C. elegans life span during infection, inhibit C. albicans colony formation in the C. elegans intestine, and increase the expression levels of host antimicrobial genes. Moreover, among the genes that encode the p38 MAPK signaling pathway, mutation of the pmk-1 or sek-1 gene decreased the beneficial effects of thymol's antifungal activity against C. albicans and thymol's maintenance of the innate immune response in nematodes. Western blot data showed the level of phosphorylation of pmk-1 was dramatically decreased against C. albicans. In nematodes, treatment with thymol recovered the dysregulation of pmk-1 and sek-1 gene expressions, the phosphorylation level of PMK-1 caused by C. albicans infection. Therefore, thymol may act, at least in part, through the function of the p38 MAPK signaling pathway to protect against C. albicans infection and maintain the host innate immune response to C. albicans. Our results indicate that the p38 MAPK signaling pathway plays a crucial role in regulating the beneficial effects observed after nematodes infected with C. albicans were treated with thymol.

Anti-aging effect of polysaccharide from Bletilla striata on nematode Caenorhabditis elegans.

BACKGROUND: Polysaccharide isolated from Bletilla striata, a well-known traditional Chinese medicine (Bletilla striata polysaccharide [BSP]) has been found to play important roles in endothelial cells proliferation, inducible nitric oxide stimulation, wound healing acceleration and other processes. Recent studies found that B. striata has anti-oxidative properties, however, potential anti-aging effects of BSP in whole organisms has not been characterized. OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether BSP has anti-aging effects on Caenorhabditis elegans. MATERIALS AND METHODS: After treatment with BSP, the lifespan, locomotion ability, and stress resistance of C. elegans was determined. To provide insight into the underlying mechanism for the anti-aging effect of BSP, we measured its effect on bacterial growth, brood size of C. elegans, and the insulin/insulin-like growth factor (IGF) signaling pathway. RESULTS: After BSP treatment, the lifespan of C. elegans was extended, and its locomotion ability and stress resistance were increased. BSP was found to have no effect on bacterial growth or on reproduction of C. elegans, However, mRNA levels of age-1 and hcf-1 were reduced after BSP treatment. Additionally, we observed that BSP did not extend the lifespan of daf-16 mutant animals. CONCLUSION: BSP produces an anti-aging effect on C. elegans through the insulin/IGF signaling pathway and holds promise for future development as a functional food.

The lifespan-extending effects of Nymphaea hybrid root extract in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans.

Nymphaea hybrid, a water lily from the Nymphaeaceae family, has been found to exhibit some in vivo beneficial effects. In the present study we investigated the lifespan-extending effects of Nymphaea hybrid root extract in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. We found that Nymphaea hybrid root extract significantly extended the lifespan of C.elegans and improved its locomotion during aging. Moreover, Nymphaea hybrid root extract increased the resistance of C.elegans to both heat stress and oxidative stress. We found that the ability of Nymphaea hybrid root extract to increase lifespan was independent of its antimicrobial effects and was probably associated with its effects on the reproduction of C.elegans. In addition, the lifespan-extending effects of Nymphaea hybrid root extract were found to be dependent on the insulin/IGF signaling pathway. We also found that total flavones of Nymphaea hybrid could increase survival of C.elegans in both normal and adverse conditions, indicating that total flavones comprise the major fractions with lifespan-extending effects. Therefore, Nymphaea hybrid root extract has lifespan-extending effects in C.elegans and could be developed as a functional food.

[DNA barcoding research and its application on medicinal plants of Bletilla H. G. Reichenbach].

To identify adulterants from medicinal plants of Bletilla H. G. Reichenbach, the suitable candidate DNA barcoding of Bletilla was evaluated. In this study, the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) of nuclear ribosomal DNA, the LFY homologous gene intron 2 and chloroplast ycfl gene were amplified and sequenced from forty-one samples. The intra-specific and inter-specific divergences of Bletilla were calculated, and the identification efficiency was assessed using Barcoding Gap, NJ tree by K2P distance and BLAST1 method. The result showed the intra-specific divergence of nrDNA ITS and ycJfl (0.022-0.106 and 0.017-0.106) were obviously higher than the inter-specific divergence (0-0.012 and 0-0.015), and four species of Bletilla were also accurately distinguished in NJ trees. Whereas, there was no Barcoding Gap on LFY homologous gene intron 2, thus it cannot effectively identify species of Bletilla. Using NJ tree of nrDNA ITS and ycfl gene, powdery medicine and the adulterants of Bletilla were successfully unidentified. In conclusion, nrDNA ITS and ycfl can be used as a potential DNA barcoding to identify the medicinal plants in Bletilla and its adulterants. There were only three basic differences on nrDNA ITS between "Jujing baiji" and Bletilla striata of Lu'an in Anhui province, and two basic differences in ycfl. Based on morphological and molecular data, "Jujing baiji" could be recognized as the species of Bletilla striata.