Understanding of Spinal Wide Dynamic Range Neurons and Their Modulation on Pathological Pain.

The spinal dorsal horn (SDH) transmits sensory information from the periphery to the brain. Wide dynamic range (WDR) neurons within this relay site play a critical role in modulating and integrating peripheral sensory inputs, as well as the process of central sensitization during pathological pain. This group of spinal multi-receptive neurons has attracted considerable attention in pain research due to their capabilities for encoding the location and intensity of nociception. Meanwhile, transmission, processing, and modulation of incoming afferent information in WDR neurons also establish the underlying basis for investigating the integration of acupuncture and pain signals. This review aims to provide a comprehensive examination of the distinctive features of WDR neurons and their involvement in pain. Specifically, we will examine the regulation of diverse supraspinal nuclei on these neurons and analyze their potential in elucidating the mechanisms of acupuncture analgesia.

Xuetongsu attenuates bone destruction in collagen-induced arthritis mice by inhibiting osteoclast differentiation and promoting osteoclast apoptosis.

Tujia ethnomedicine Xuetong (the stems of Kadsura heteroclita) have been widely used in folk for rheumatoid arthritis (RA), which can alleviate rheumatic pain through liquor soaking in folk. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the pharmacological effects and underlying mechanism of Xuetongsu (a key chemical component of Xuetong) on bone destruction. In our previous study, it was found that Xuetong extract can reduce adjuvant arthritic rats paw swelling and inhibit inflammatory factors in serum. Furthermore, Xuetongsu has been demonstrated to inhibit the proliferation of fibroblast-like synoviocytes, but its potential to inhibit bone destruction has not been explored. To address this, we employed the STRING database to predict protein interactions and utilized Autodock software to simulate the binding of Xuetongsu to target proteins. In this study, administration of Xuetongsu significantly alleviated paw swelling and bone destruction in C57BL/6 mice with collagen-induced arthritis (CIA). Mechanistic studies have indicated that Xuetongsu promotes apoptosis of mature osteoclasts in joint tissues by activating Caspase-3 and Bax, while inhibiting Bcl-2. Additionally, Xuetongsu inhibits osteoclast differentiation by suppressing RANKL, RANK, P-NF-κB, and NFATc1, and reduces bone resorption activity by inhibiting MMP-9, CTSK, and TRAP. Importantly, Xuetongsu exhibits good biocompatibility in major organs of mice. In summary, Xuetongsu has the potential to treat bone destruction by promoting apoptosis of mature osteoclasts, inhibiting osteoclast differentiation, and reducing bone resorption. This study reveals the pharmacological effects of Xuetongsu and its mechanism of action, which may contribute to the development of novel approaches for treating RA.

Effects of 3-month Qigong exercise on heart rate variability and respiration in anxious college students.

OBJECTIVE: This longitudinal study aimed to investigate the effects of Qigong on the anxiety state, heart rate variability (HRV), and breathing of anxious college students. METHODS: A total of 37 individuals (18-25 years old) were randomly allocated to the control (n = 19) and intervention (n = 18) groups. Qigong interventions were conducted five times weekly for 12 weeks, with each session lasting 60 min. Hamilton Anxiety Scale, Fatigue Scale 14, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and 36-item Short Form Survey, HRV, and respiration data were collected before and after the 3-month intervention. RESULTS: Individuals who participated in the three-month Qigong exercise intervention showed a significant reduction in anxiety, particularly mental anxiety (p < 0.05). Subjects in the intervention group presented a decrease in skin temperature (p < 0.05) and an increase in blood volume pulsation (p < 0.05). Meanwhile, HRV exhibited a significant increase in the standard deviation of interbeat interval before and after comparisons (p < 0.05) and between the two groups (p = 0.039) and a reduction in the normalized low-frequency power after the intervention. Moreover, the intervention group experienced increased abdominal breathing depth and abdominal breathing per minute (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: These findings indicate that Qigong is an effective mind-body exercise strategy for relieving anxiety. HRV and breathing were improved accordingly among college students after the completion of the 3-month Qigong program.

Cattle manure hydrochar posed a higher efficiency in elevating tomato productivity and decreasing greenhouse gas emissions than plant straw hydrochar in a coastal soil.

Rehabilitation of degraded soil health using high-performance and sustainable measures are urgently required for restoring soil primary productivity and mitigating greenhouse gas (GHG) emission of coastal ecosystems. However, the effect of livestock manure derived hydrochar on GHG emission and plant productivity in the coastal salt-affected soils, one of blue carbon (C) ecosystems, was poorly understood. Therefore, a cattle manure hydrochar (CHC) produced at 220 °C was prepared to explore its effects and mechanisms on CH4 and N2O emissions and tomato growth and fruit quality in a coastal soil in comparison with corresponding hydrochars derived from plant straws, i.e., sesbania straw hydrochars (SHC) and reed straw hydrochars (RHC) using a 63-day soil column experiment. The results showed that CHC posed a greater efficiency in reducing the global warming potential (GWP, 54.6 % (36.7 g/m2) vs. 45.5-45.6 % (22.2-30.6 g/m2)) than those of RHC and SHC. For the plant growth, three hydrochars at 3 % (w/w) significantly increased dry biomass of tomato shoot and fruit by 12.4-49.5 % and 48.6-165 %, respectively. Moreover, CHC showed the highest promotion effect on shoot and fruit dry biomass of tomato, followed by SHC ≈ RHC. Application of SHC, CHC and RHC significantly elevated the tomato sweetness compared with CK, with the order of CHC (54.4 %) > RHC (35.6 %) > SHC (22.1 %). Structural equation models revealed that CHC-depressed denitrification and methanogen mainly contributed to decreased GHG emissions. Increased soil phosphorus availability due to labile phosphorus supply from CHC dominantly accounted for elevated tomato growth and fruit production. Comparably, SHC-altered soil properties (e.g., decreased pH and increased total carbon content) determined variations of GHG emission and tomato growth. The findings provide the high-performance strategies to enhance soil primary productivity and mitigate GHG emissions in the blue C ecosystems.

Lignan glucosides from Gentiana macrophylla with potential anti-arthritis and hepatoprotective activities.

Ten lignans, including six previously undescribed phenolic ester glycosyl lignans (1-6), were isolated from a well-known traditional Chinese medicine, Qin-Jiao, which is the dry root of Gentiana macrophylla Pall. (Gentianaceae). Their structures were determined by spectroscopic and chemical methods, especially 2D NMR techniques. Quantum chemical calculations of theoretical ECD spectra allowed the determination of their absolute configurations. Refer to its traditional applications for the treatment of rheumatic arthralgia and hepatopathy, these compounds were evaluated on a TNF-α induced MH7A human synoviocyte inflammation model and a D-GalN induced AML12 hepatocyte injury model. Compounds 1, 2, 5, and 6 significantly reduced the release of proinflammatory cytokine IL-1ß in MH7A cells at 15 µM and they also could strongly protect AML12 cells against D-GalN injury at 30 µM. Flow cytometry and Western blot analysis showed that compound 5 ameliorated D-GalN induced AML12 cell apoptosis by upregulating the expression of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 protein and down-regulating the expression of pro-apoptotic Bax protein.

[Therapeutic effect of ursodeoxycholic acid-berberine supramolecular nanoparticles on ulcerative colitis based on supramolecular system induced by weak bond].

Ulcerative colitis(UC) is a recurrent, intractable inflammatory bowel disease. Coptidis Rhizoma and Bovis Calculus, serving as heat-clearing and toxin-removing drugs, have long been used in the treatment of UC. Berberine(BBR) and ursodeoxycholic acid(UDCA), the main active components of Coptidis Rhizoma and Bovis Calculus, respectively, were employed to obtain UDCA-BBR supramolecular nanoparticles by stimulated co-decocting process for enhancing the therapeutic effect on UC. As revealed by the characterization of supramolecular nanoparticles by field emission scanning electron microscopy(FE-SEM) and dynamic light scattering(DLS), the supramolecular nanoparticles were tetrahedral nanoparticles with an average particle size of 180 nm. The molecular structure was described by ultraviolet spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy, high-resolution mass spectrometry, and hydrogen-nuclear magnetic resonance(H-NMR) spectroscopy. The results showed that the formation of the supramolecular nano-particle was attributed to the mutual electrostatic attraction and hydrophobic interaction between BBR and UDCA. Additionally, supramolecular nanoparticles were also characterized by sustained release and pH sensitivity. The acute UC model was induced by dextran sulfate sodium(DSS) in mice. It was found that supramolecular nanoparticles could effectively improve body mass reduction and colon shortening in mice with UC(P<0.001) and decrease disease activity index(DAI)(P<0.01). There were statistically significant differences between the supramolecular nanoparticles group and the mechanical mixture group(P<0.001, P<0.05). Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) was used to detect the serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α) and interleukin-6(IL-6), and the results showed that supramolecular nanoparticles could reduce serum TNF-α and IL-6 levels(P<0.001) and exhibited an obvious difference with the mechanical mixture group(P<0.01, P<0.05). Flow cytometry indicated that supramolecular nanoparticles could reduce the recruitment of neutrophils in the lamina propria of the colon(P<0.05), which was significantly different from the mechanical mixture group(P<0.05). These findings suggested that as compared with the mechanical mixture, the supramolecular nanoparticles could effectively improve the symptoms of acute UC in mice. The study provides a new research idea for the poor absorption of small molecules and the unsatisfactory therapeutic effect of traditional Chinese medicine and lays a foundation for the research on the nano-drug delivery system of traditional Chinese medicine.

Metabolic profiles in plasma of patients with herpes labialis based on GC-MS.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to compare the plasma metabolic profiles of patients with herpes labialis with healthy controls and identify the biomarkers of herpes labialis. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We collected 18 patients with herpes labialis and 20 healthy individuals. Plasma samples from both groups were analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). RESULTS: According to the principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), we found that metabolic profiles had changed in patients with herpes labialis compared to the controls. By further selecting the different metabolites according to the variable importance in the projection (VIP) and p valve of t-tests, we found that acetic acid, pyroglutamic acid, alanine, ethanedioic acid, cyclohexaneacetic acid, pyruvic acid, d-mannose, phosphoric acid, l-amphetamine, and citric acid were decreased in patients with herpes labialis, while sedoheptulose and ethylamine were increased. Pathway analysis showed that herpes labialis may affect the amino acid and energy metabolism. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings may contribute to elucidating the metabolic basis of herpes labialis and provide a new perspective for further research on the "Shang-Huo" state in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM).

Targeted delivery of nutraceuticals derived from food for the treatment of obesity and its related complications.

Nutraceuticals which are abundant in foods have attracted much attention due to their bioactive activities of anti-obesity, anti-hyperlipidemia and anti-atherosclerosis. Unfortunately, the poor bioavailability severely undermines their envisioned benefits. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop suitable delivery systems to promote the benefits of their biological activity. Targeted drug delivery system (TDDS) is a novel drug delivery system that can selectively concentrate drugs on targets in the body, improve the bioavailability of agents and reduce side effects. This emerging drug delivery system provides a new strategy for the treatment of obesity with nutraceuticals and would be a promising alternative to be widely used in the food field. This review summarizes the recent studies on the application in the targeted delivery of nutraceuticals for treating obesity and its related complications, especially the available receptors and their corresponding ligands for TDDS and the evaluation methods of the targeting ability.

A comprehensive perspective on the disposition, metabolism, and pharmacokinetics of representative multi-components of Dengzhan Shengmai in rats with chronic cerebral hypoperfusion after oral administration.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Dengzhan Shengmai capsule (DZSM), an evidence-based Chinese medicine comprising Erigeron breviscapus (Vaniot) Hand. -Mazz., Panax ginseng C.A.Mey., Ophiopogon japonicus (Thunb.) Ker Gawl., and Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill., exhibits an excellent efficacy in treating cardio- and cerebrovascular diseases. It contains caffeoyl compounds, flavonoids, saponins, and lignans as primary active components. However, so far, the characteristics of disposition, metabolism, and pharmacokinetics of its active components remain mostly unclear. AIM OF STUDY: To elucidate disposition, metabolism, and pharmacokinetics of representative components of DZSM in rats with chronic cerebral hypoperfusion (CCH) by integrating ex vivo and in situ approaches. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Exposure and distribution of absorbed prototypes and their metabolites were comprehensively investigated using sensitive LC-MS/MS and high-resolution LC-Q-TOF/MS. Pharmacokinetics of representative 16 components (12 prototypes and 4 metabolites) with different chemical categories, relatively high in vivo levels, wide tissue distribution, and reported neuroprotective activities were profiled. The ex vivo everted gut sac and in situ linked-rat models were adopted. RESULTS: Representative 12 prototypes including 6 caffeoyl compounds (CA, 5-CQA, 3-CQA, 4-CQA, 1,3-CQA, and 3,4-CQA), 1 flavonoid (Scu), 2 saponins (Rd and Rg2), and 3 lignans (SchA, SchB, and SolA) presented characteristic absorption, disposition, and pharmacokinetics profiles in CCH rats. The caffeoyl compounds and flavonoid were well absorbed, exhibited wide distribution, and underwent extensive intestinal metabolism, such as methylation, isomerization, and sulfoconjugation. For CA, 5-CQA, Scu, and 4 related metabolites, the enterohepatic circulation was observed and resulted in bimodal or multimodal pharmacokinetic profiles. Saponins showed relatively low systemic exposure and limited distribution. The PPD-type ginsenoside Rd exhibited longer elimination half-life and systemic circulation than the PPT-type ginsenoside Rg2. No enterohepatic circulation was observed regarding saponins, suggesting that the multimodal pharmacokinetic profile of Rd could be due to its multi-site intestinal absorption. Lignans presented a low in vivo exposure and broad distribution. They were mainly transformed into hydroxylated metabolites. Corresponding to its bimodal pharmacokinetic profile, one metabolite of lignans completed the enterohepatic cycle. CONCLUSION: The disposition, metabolism, and pharmacokinetic profiles of representative active components of DZSM were comprehensively characterized and elucidated.

Hederagenin improves Alzheimer's disease through PPARα/TFEB-mediated autophagy.

BACKGROUND: Autophagic flux is coordinated by a network of master regulatory genes, which centered on transcription factor EB (TFEB). The disorders of autophagic flux are closely associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD), and thus restoring autophagic flux to degrade pathogenic proteins has become a hot therapeutic strategy. Hederagenin (HD), a triterpene compound, isolated from a variety food such as Matoa (Pometia pinnata) Fruit, Medicago sativa, Medicago polymorpha L. Previous studies have shown that HD has the neuroprotective effect. However, the effect of HD on AD and underlying mechanisms are unclear. PURPOSE: To determine the effect of HD on AD and whether it promotes autophagy to reduce AD symptoms. STUDY DESIGN: BV2 cells, C. elegans and APP/PS1 transgenic mice were used to explore the alleviative effect of HD on AD and the molecular mechanism in vivo and in vitro. METHODS: The APP/PS1 transgenic mice at 10 months were randomized into 5 groups (n = 10 in each group) and orally administrated with either vehicle (0.5% CMCNa), WY14643 (10 mg/kg/d), low-dose of HD (25 mg/kg/d), high-dose of HD (50 mg/kg/d) or MK-886 (10 mg/kg/d) + HD (50 mg/kg/d) for consecutive 2 months. The behavioral experiments including morris water maze test, object recognition test and Y maze test were performed. The effects of HD on Aß deposition and alleviates Aß pathology in transgenic C. elegans were operated using paralysis assay and fluorescence staining assay. The roles of HD in promoting PPARα/TFEB-dependent autophagy were investigated using the BV2 cells via western blot analysis, real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR), molecular docking, molecular dynamic (MD) simulation, electron microscope assay and immunofluorescence. RESULTS: In this study, we found that HD upregulated mRNA and protein level of TFEB and increased the distribution of TFEB in the nucleus, and the expressions of its target genes. HD also promoted the expressions of LC3BII/LC3BI, LAMP2, etc., and promoted autophagy and the degradation of Aß. HD reduced Aß deposition in the head area of C. elegans and Aß-induced paralysis. HD improved cognitive impairment and pathological changes in APP/PS1 mice by promoting autophagy and activating TFEB. And our results also showed that HD could strongly target PPARα. More importantly, these effects were reversed by treatment of MK-886, a selective PPARα antagonist. CONCLUSION: Our present findings demonstrated that HD attenuated the pathology of AD through inducing autophagy and the underlying mechanism associated with PPARα/TFEB pathway.

Progress in the application of hydrogels in immunotherapy of gastrointestinal tumors.

Gastrointestinal tumors are the most common cancers with the highest morbidity and mortality worldwide. Surgery accompanied by chemotherapy, radiotherapy and targeted therapy remains the first option for gastrointestinal tumors. However, poor specificity for tumor cells of these postoperative treatments often leads to severe side effects and poor prognosis. Tumor immunotherapy, including checkpoint blockade and tumor vaccines, has developed rapidly in recent years, showing good curative effects and minimal side effects in the treatment of gastrointestinal tumors. National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines recommend tumor immunotherapy as part of the treatment of gastrointestinal tumors. However, the heterogeneity of tumor cells, complicacy of the tumor microenvironment and poor tumor immunogenicity hamper the effectiveness of tumor immunotherapy. Hydrogels, defined as three-dimensional, hydrophilic, and water-insoluble polymeric networks, could significantly improve the overall response rate of immunotherapy due to their superior drug loading efficacy, controlled release and drug codelivery ability. In this article, we briefly describe the research progress made in recent years on hydrogel delivery systems in immunotherapy for gastrointestinal tumors and discuss the potential future application prospects and challenges to provide a reference for the clinical application of hydrogels in tumor immunotherapy.

Effects of sweet potato vine silage supplementation on meat quality, antioxidant capacity and immune function in finishing pigs.

Sweet potato vine, the byproduct of sweet potato, has a high nutritional value. Silage is an effective solution for nutrient preservation. This article explored the effects of sweet potato vine silage (SPVS) supplementation on meat quality, antioxidant capacity and immune function in finishing pigs. One hundred and eighty finishing pigs (Berkshire × Licha Black) with a body weight of 74.54 ± 3.32 kg were randomly divided into three groups. The three groups were separately fed basal diet (Ctrl), Ctrl supplemented with 2.5% SPVS (LSPVS) or 5% SPVS (HSPVS) on a dry matter basis. Results showed that the eye muscle area in the LSPVS group was significantly increased. The carcass weight in the HSPVS was significantly reduced compared with Ctrl. For the meat quality, only cooking loss in both HSPVS and LSPVS was reduced while other indexes had no significant differences. For the antioxidant capacity, the hepatic level of glutathione (GSH) peroxidase (GSH-PX) was significantly upregulated in LSPVS but downregulated in HSPVS. In the serum, HSPVS decreased GSH level and increased GSH-PX level. HSPVS significantly reduced hepatic interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß) levels and LSPVS significantly reduced IL-12 levels and increased IL-8 and IL-6 levels. Moreover, HSPVS and LSPVS promoted the secretion of immunoglobulin M (IgM) and IgG in the serum. Our data showed that low-dose SPVS supplementation improved carcass traits and high-dose SPVS supplementation increased immune function in finishing pigs, which provides a new alternative to improve animal health.

The importance of rest phase and pollutant removal mechanism of tidal flow constructed wetlands (TFCW) in rural grey water treatment.

This paper explored the effects of the rest phase of tidal flow constructed wetlands (TFCW) on pollutant removal and microbial communities, and further analyzed the mechanism of TFCW removal of pollutants from grey water. The results showed that the removal rate of organic matter was 69.91 ± 2.44% in the control group (NR-TFCW) without the rest phase, 94.95 ± 1.17% in the experimental group (TFCW), and 96.95 ± 2.43% in the control group (P-TFCW) with the ventilation pipe enhanced rest phase. Limiting and enhancing the oxygen supply in the emptying stage of TFCW will enhance the overlap rate of microorganisms in the upper, middle and lower layers of the reactor. Enhancing the rest phase of TFCW leaded to better aerobic removal of organic matter in the microbial community, while limiting the rest phase of TFCW results in the opposite. In addition, the species overlap rate of the top, middle and bottom layers of NR-TFCW (69.98%) and P-TFCW (54.29%) was higher than that of TFCW (11.34%). The removal of organic matter by TFCW mainly relied on the adsorption of biochar in the flood phase, and the microorganisms aerobic degraded the organic matter adsorbed on the biochar in the rest phase. And thus form a continuous cycle of adsorption and biological regeneration. The microbial community in TFCW did not have the ability to nitrify, but had the ability to remove phosphorus. Ammonia nitrogen in the influent was adsorbed by biochar or converted into cytoplasm. While the phosphorus in the influent was adsorbed by the biochar, it was also being biologically removed.

Research progress on pathogenesis and treatment of drug-resistant epilepsy / 药学学报

Epilepsy is a chronic nervous system disease, which affects more than 70 million people all over the world. Although more than 30 kinds of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) have been on the market, about one third of the patients with epilepsy fail to respond to medical treatment, who become drug-resistant epilepsy patients. Identifying the mechanism and developing effective treatment methods for drug-resistant epilepsy have become a hot area in the field of epilepsy research. This review discussed resent advance on the pathogenesis of drug-resistant epilepsy from the transporter hypothesis, neural network hypothesis and target hypothesis, and we also summarized the existing potential treatment methods and research progress of drug-resistant epilepsy, such as surgical resection, deep brain stimulation, ketogenic diet, precise treatment, and traditional Chinese medicine treatment. Our review may provide useful clues for the mechanisms research and clinical treatments of drug-resistant epilepsy.

Hierarchical deployment of Tbx3 dictates the identity of hypothalamic KNDy neurons to control puberty onset.

The neuroendocrine system consists of a heterogeneous collection of neuropeptidergic neurons in the brain, among which hypothalamic KNDy neurons represent an indispensable cell subtype controlling puberty onset. Although neural progenitors and neuronal precursors along the cell lineage hierarchy adopt a cascade diversification strategy to generate hypothalamic neuronal heterogeneity, the cellular logic operating within the lineage to specify a subtype of neuroendocrine neurons remains unclear. As human genetic studies have recently established a link between TBX3 mutations and delayed puberty onset, we systematically studied Tbx3-derived neuronal lineage and Tbx3-dependent neuronal specification and found that Tbx3 hierarchically established and maintained the identity of KNDy neurons for triggering puberty. Apart from the well-established lineage-dependent fate determination, we uncovered rules of interlineage interaction and intralineage retention operating through neuronal differentiation in the absence of Tbx3. Moreover, we revealed that human TBX3 mutations disturbed the phase separation of encoded proteins and impaired transcriptional regulation of key neuropeptides, providing a pathological mechanism underlying TBX3-associated puberty disorders.

Bartonella choladocola sp. nov. and Bartonella apihabitans sp. nov., two novel species isolated from honey bee gut.

Bartonella is one of the noncore bacterial genera in the honey bee (Apis mellifera) gut. So far, only one species, Bartonella apis, has been described from the honey bee gut. Previous analyses based on the genomic information of isolates and metagenome-assembled genomes suggested the existence of multiple Bartonella species in the bee guts. Here, 10 strains were isolated and characterized from the gut of A. mellifera from Jilin Province, China. New isolates shared ＞95% 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity with other species of the genus Bartonella. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that new isolates clustered with other type strains of Bartonella, and the bee gut Bartonella could be classified into three clades. The in silico DDH and average nucleotide identity values between strains of different clusters from the honey bee gut are 29.1-32.5% and 87.6-89.3%, all below the recommended 70.0% and 95% cutoff points. Cells are Gram-staining-negative rods and can grow on the surface of Brain Heart Infusion agar plates supplemented with defibrinated sheep blood in an aerobic environment with 5% CO2 at 35-37 °C. Strains from different species varied in both phenotypic and chemotaxonomic characterizations. Comparative genomic analysis indicated that B. choladocola had unique sets of genes encoding invasin, representing the potential for this species to both live as a gut symbiont and also as an erythrocytic pathogen. Thus, we propose two novel species Bartonella choladocola sp. nov. whose type strain is W8125T(=JCM 35030T = ACCC 62057T), and Bartonella apihabitans sp. nov. whose type strain is W8097T(=JCM 35029T = ACCC 62056T).

Acupuncture for emotional disorders in patients with inflammatory bowel disease: a systematic review protocol.

INTRODUCTION: Emotional disorders are often observed in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). IBD with emotional disorders leads to poor quality of life. This systematic review aims to assess the effectiveness of acupuncture in patients with IBD with emotional disorders. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: Nine electronic databases, including Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, MEDLINE, EMBASE, Allied and Complementary Medicine Database, Cumulative Index to Nursing & Allied Health Literature, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, VIP Database and Wanfang Database, will be searched from inception to October 2021 without language restriction. The grey literature containing conference proceedings, as well as systematic reviews listed in the reference of definite publications, will also be retrieved. Randomised controlled trials either in English or Chinese reporting acupuncture therapy for IBD with emotional disorders will be included. The primary outcome is changes of emotional functioning outcomes. The Colitis Activity Index, Crohn's Disease Activity Index, C reactive protein and adverse events will be assessed as the secondary outcomes. More than two assessors will conduct the study retrieval and selection, as well as the data extraction and evaluation of the risk of bias. Data synthesis will be performed using a random-effects model based on the results of heterogeneity. Data analysis will be performed using RevMan software (V.5.4). Moreover, the dichotomous data will be presented as risk ratios, and the continuous data will be calculated using weighted mean difference or standard mean difference. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This systematic review contains no individual patient data; thus, ethical approval is not required. Moreover, this review will be disseminated in a peer-reviewed journal or relevant conference. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42020176340.

The T-Type Calcium Channel Cav3.2 in Somatostatin Interneurons in Spinal Dorsal Horn Participates in Mechanosensation and Mechanical Allodynia in Mice.

Somatostatin-positive (SOM+) neurons have been proposed as one of the key populations of excitatory interneurons in the spinal dorsal horn involved in mechanical pain. However, the molecular mechanism for their role in pain modulation remains unknown. Here, we showed that the T-type calcium channel Cav3.2 was highly expressed in spinal SOM+ interneurons. Colocalization of Cacna1h (which codes for Cav3.2) and SOM tdTomato was observed in the in situ hybridization studies. Fluorescence-activated cell sorting of SOM tdTomato cells in spinal dorsal horn also proved a high expression of Cacna1h in SOM+ neurons. Behaviorally, virus-mediated knockdown of Cacna1h in spinal SOM+ neurons reduced the sensitivity to light touch and responsiveness to noxious mechanical stimuli in naïve mice. Furthermore, knockdown of Cacna1h in spinal SOM+ neurons attenuated thermal hyperalgesia and dynamic allodynia in the complete Freund's adjuvant-induced inflammatory pain model, and reduced both dynamic and static allodynia in a neuropathic pain model of spared nerve injury. Mechanistically, a decrease in the percentage of neurons with Aß-eEPSCs and Aß-eAPs in superficial dorsal horn was observed after Cacna1h knockdown in spinal SOM+ neurons. Altogether, our results proved a crucial role of Cav3.2 in spinal SOM+ neurons in mechanosensation under basal conditions and in mechanical allodynia under pathological pain conditions. This work reveals a molecular basis for SOM+ neurons in transmitting mechanical pain and shows a functional role of Cav3.2 in tactile and pain processing at the level of spinal cord in addition to its well-established peripheral role.

Effectiveness of a Mindfulness-Based Group Intervention for Chinese University Students with Sleep Problems.

The increasing prevalence of sleep disorders among university students should be taken seriously. Group counseling involving a mindfulness-based strategy may help prevent students from developing insomnia and subsequent mental health disorders. This study aimed to evaluate the ameliorating effects of a mindfulness-based group intervention on sleep problems and emotional symptoms in university students in China. Twenty-one university students (16 females, 22.71 ± 4.28 years) who were not on medication were recruited and assigned to the intervention group based on the criterion of high levels of sleep problems. Additionally, twenty-four university students (19 females, 24.50 ± 0.93 years) were included as a nonrandomized control group. Individuals in the intervention group participated in a two-hour group intervention once a week for eight sessions. All participants completed self-reported questionnaire baseline tests, postintervention tests, and one-month follow-ups on mindfulness, sleep quality, anxiety and depressive symptoms. Repeated-measures ANOVA was performed. The results revealed significant intervention effects, with significant differences observed between the two groups in mindfulness and sleep quality. However, there was no significant effect of the intervention on anxiety and depressive symptoms. This study contributes to a better understanding of the effectiveness of mindfulness-based intervention in addressing sleep problems in university students.

Synergistic effects and antityrosinase mechanism of four plant polyphenols from Morus and Hulless Barley.

Sanggenone C, oxyresveratrol, catechin and l-epicatechin exist in Morus and Hulless Barley as natural polyphenols with antityrosinase activity. Little research on their synergistic and structure-function relationships of them has been reported in recent years. In this paper, the inhibition mechanisms of these four plant polyphenols were investigated by enzyme kinetics, HPLC, fluorescence spectra, and molecular docking methods. The results showed that oxyresveratrol (IC50 = 1.096 ± 0.048 µg/mL), sanggenone C (IC50 = 13.360 ± 1.029 µg/mL), l-epicatechin (IC50 = 55.730 ± 1.762 µg/mL), and catechin (IC50 = 148.500 ± 3.355 µg/mL) exhibited tyrosinase inhibition activity. When sangenone C (14 µg/mL) was mixed with l-epicatechin (56 µg/mL) at 4:1 (40 µL + 10 µL), the highest tyrosinase inhibition was achieved. Molecular docking showed that the number and position of phenolic hydroxyls of polyphenols were the key for tyrosinase inhibition activity. This study provided new ideas for the application of these four plant polyphenols from Hulless Barley and Morus as tyrosinase inhibitors in food preservation.