Pancreatic Elastography From Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse Imaging for Evaluation of Diabetic Microangiopathy.

OBJECTIVE: The purposes of this study were to compare pancreatic shear-wave velocity (SWV) in subjects with and those without diabetic microvascular complications and to investigate the feasibility of pancreatic SWV in evaluating diabetic microangiopathy. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: SWV measurements were prospectively performed in 115 patients with diabetes mellitus and 115 healthy persons by use of acoustic radiation force impulse imaging. Patients with diabetes were divided into subgroups with and without microangiopathy. Pancreatic SWV was compared in three groups. Factors associated with increased SWV were studied. RESULTS: Pancreatic SWV increased significantly in the subgroups with diabetes mellitus compared with the control group (p < 0.01). Especially, the SWV in the pancreatic body was significantly higher when microangiopathy was present (p < 0.01). In patients with diabetes, microangiopathy (standardized ß = 0.208, p = 0.022), age (standardized ß = 0.265, p = 0.004), and total cholesterol level (standardized ß = 0.223, p = 0.011) were positively and markedly correlated with high SWV in the pancreatic body. CONCLUSION: The increased SWV in the pancreatic body was significantly related to the presence of microangiopathy. It is feasible to use SWV in the pancreatic body to evaluate diabetic microangiopathy.

Bioactive 7-Oxabicyclic[6.3.0]lactam and 12-Membered Macrolides from a Gorgonian-Derived Cladosporium sp. Fungus.

One new bicyclic lactam, cladosporilactam A (1), and six known 12-membered macrolides (2-7) were isolated from a gorgonian-derived Cladosporium sp. fungus collected from the South China Sea. Their complete structural assignments were elucidated by comprehensive spectroscopic investigation. Quantum chemistry calculations were used in support of the structural determination of 1. The absolute configuration of 1 was determined by calculation of its optical rotation. Cladosporilactam A (1) was the first example of 7-oxabicyclic[6.3.0]lactam obtained from a natural source. Compound 1 exhibited promising cytotoxic activity against cervical cancer HeLa cell line with an IC50 value of 0.76 µM.

Ochracenoids A and B, guaiazulene-based analogues from gorgonian Anthogorgia ochracea collected from the South China Sea.

Two new guaiazulene-based analogues, ochracenoids A (1) and B (2), along with four known analogues (3-6), were isolated from the gorgonian Anthogorgia ochracea collected from the South China Sea. The planar structures of the new compounds were elucidated by comprehensive spectroscopic data. The absolute configuration of 1 was determined as 3R by the comparison of TDDFT calculated electronic circular dichroism with its experimental spectrum. Compound 1 is a rare guaiazulene-based analogue possessing a unique C16 skeleton. The possible generation process of 1 through an intermolecular one-carbon-transfer reaction was also discussed. Compound 2 was previously described as a presumed intermediate involved in the biogenesis of anthogorgienes A and I. Compound 3 exhibited antiproliferative effects on the embryo development of zebrafish Danio rerio.

Precisely targeted drug delivery by mesenchymal stem cells-based biomimetic liposomes to cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injured hemisphere.

The precise and targeted delivery of therapeutic agents to the lesion sites remains a major challenge in treating brain diseases represented by ischemic stroke. Herein, we modified liposomes with mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) membrane to construct biomimetic liposomes, termed MSCsome. MSCsome (115.99 ± 4.03 nm) exhibited concentrated accumulation in the cerebral infarcted hemisphere of mice with cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury, while showing uniform distribution in the two cerebral hemispheres of normal mice. Moreover, MSCsome exhibited high colocalization with damaged nerve cells in the infarcted hemisphere, highlighting its advantageous precise targeting capabilities over liposomes at both the tissue and cellular levels. Leveraging its superior targeting properties, MSCsome effectively delivered Dl-3-n-butylphthalide (NBP) to the injured hemisphere, making a single-dose (15 mg/kg) intravenous injection of NBP-encapsulated MSCsome facilitate the recovery of motor functions in model mice by improving the damaged microenvironment and suppressing neuroinflammation. This study underscores that the modification of the MSC membrane notably enhances the capacity of liposomes for precisely targeting the injured hemisphere, which is particularly crucial in treating cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury.

Bioactive indole alkaloids and phenyl ether derivatives from a marine-derived Aspergillus sp. Fungus.

Two new prenylated indole alkaloids, 17-epi-notoamides Q and M (1 and 2), and two new phenyl ether derivatives, cordyols D and E (9 and 13), together with 10 known compounds (3-8, 10-12, 14) were isolated from a marine-derived Aspergillus sp. fungus. Among them, 1/5 and 2/4 were pairs of epimers. The planar structures and absolute configurations of the new compounds were determined by extensive NMR spectroscopic data as well as CD spectra. The absolute configuration of 3 was confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis for the first time. All isolated metabolites (1-14) and eight synthetic phenyl ether derivatives (12a, 14a-14g) were evaluated for their antibacterial activities in vitro. The polybromide phenyl ether 14g showed pronounced antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus epidermidis with an MIC value of 0.556 µM, stronger than that of the positive control ciprofloxacin (MIC = 3.13 µM).

Inorganic nanoparticle-integrated mesenchymal stem cells: A potential biological agent for multifaceted applications.

Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-based therapies are flourishing. MSCs could be used as potential therapeutic agents for regenerative medicine due to their own repair function. Meanwhile, the natural predisposition toward inflammation or injury sites makes them promising carriers for targeted drug delivery. Inorganic nanoparticles (INPs) are greatly favored for their unique properties and potential applications in biomedical fields. Current research has integrated INPs with MSCs to enhance their regenerative or antitumor functions. This model also allows the in vivo fate tracking of MSCs in multiple imaging modalities, as many INPs are also excellent contrast agents. Thus, INP-integrated MSCs would be a multifunctional biologic agent with great potential. In this review, the current roles performed by the integration of INPs with MSCs, including (i) enhancing their repair and regeneration capacity via the improvement of migration, survival, paracrine, or differentiation properties, (ii) empowering tumor-killing ability through agent loaded or hyperthermia, and (iii) conferring traceability are summarized. An introduction of INP-integrated MSCs for simultaneous treatment and tracking is also included. The promising applications of INP-integrated MSCs in future treatments are emphasized and the challenges to their clinical translation are discussed.

Application of endoscopic submucosal dissection in duodenal space-occupying lesions.

BACKGROUND: Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) has been advocated by digestive endoscopists because of its comparable therapeutic effect to surgery, reduced trauma, faster recovery, and fewer complications. However, ESD for lesions of the duodenum is more challenging than those occurring at other levels of the gastrointestinal tract due to the thin intestinal wall of the duodenum, narrow intestinal space, rich peripheral blood flow, proximity to vital organs, and high risks of critical adverse events including intraoperative and delayed bleeding and perforation. Because of the low prevalence of the disease and the high risks of severe adverse events, successful ESD for lesions of the duodenum has rarely been reported in recent years. AIM: To investigate the efficacy and safety of ESD in the treatment of duodenal space-occupying lesions. METHODS: Clinical data of 24 cases of duodenal lesions treated by ESD at the Digestive Endoscopy Center of the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University from January 2016 to December 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: All of the 24 cases from 23 patients underwent ESD treatment for duodenal space-occupying lesions under general anesthesia, including 15 male and 8 female patients, with a mean age of 58.5 (32.0-74.0) years. There were 12 lesions (50%) in the duodenal bulb, 9 (37.5%) in the descending part, and 3 (12.5%) in the ball-descending junction. The mean diameter of the lesion was 12.75 (range, 11-22) mm. Thirteen lesions originated from the mucosa, of which 4 were low-grade intraepithelial neoplasia, 3 were hyperplastic polyps, 2 were chronic mucositis, 2 were adenomatous hyperplasia, 1 was high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia, and 1 was tubular adenoma. Eleven lesions were in the submucosa, including 5 neuroendocrine neoplasms, 2 cases of ectopic pancreas, 1 stromal tumor, 1 leiomyoma, 1 submucosal duodenal adenoma, and 1 case of submucosal lymph follicular hyperplasia. The intraoperative perforation rate was 20.8% (5/24), including 4 submucosal protuberant lesions and 1 depressed lesion. The mean length of hospital stay was 5.7 (range, 3-10) d, and the average follow-up time was 25.8 (range, 3.0-50.0) mo. No residual disease or recurrence was found in all patients, and no complications, such as infection and stenosis, were found during the follow-up period. CONCLUSION: ESD is safe and effective in the treatment of duodenal lesions; however, the endoscopists should pay more attention to the preoperative preparation, intraoperative skills, and postoperative treatment.

Acupoint-tuina therapy promotes lactation in postpartum women with insufficient milk production who underwent caesarean sections.

Breast milk is recognized and strongly recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the optimal feeding for all babies. Breastfeeding is associated with better nutritional and non-nutritional outcomes when compared to formula feeding, and has proven health benefits to both infants and their mothers. This clinical research is to examine the feasibility and efficacy of Acupoint-Tuina therapy in treating postpartum women who underwent C-sections and suffered from insufficient milk production.The patients in the control group received standard medical care, while the patients in the Tuina group received Tuina therapy during the next 48 hours in addition to standard care, given once daily for 2 days. To evaluate the efficacy of Tuina therapy, patients of both groups were assessed for surface temperature of breasts, volume of breasts, volume of breast milk production, serum PRL level, and uterus recovery at various time points.Tuina therapy significantly increased the milk production when compared to the control group, for as much as 13-fold and 10-fold of that in the control group on the third and fourth postpartum days. In addition, Tuina therapy also significantly increased the full breast enlargement and the serum PRL level change, and decreased the breast surface temperature rise. Last but not the least, Tuina therapy also accelerated the post-surgery recovery of uterus.During the early postpartum days, Tuina therapy increases the milk production and promotes other physiological changes supporting lactation for postpartum women with C-section delivery and insufficient breast milk production. The novel intervention is warranted for further investigation and validation.

Antifouling phenyl ethers and other compounds from the invertebrates and their symbiotic fungi collected from the South China Sea.

Marine organism-derived secondary metabolites are promising potential sources for discovering environmentally safe antifouling agents. In present study, 55 marine secondary metabolites and their synthesized derivatives were tested and evaluated for their antifouling activities and security. These compounds include 44 natural products isolated from marine invertebrates and their symbiotic microorganisms collected from the South China Sea and 11 structural modified products derived from the isolated compounds. The natural secondary metabolites, covering phenyl ether derivatives, terpenoids, 9, 11-secosteroids, anthraquinones, alkaloids, nucleoside derivatives and peptides, were isolated from two corals, one sponge and five symbiotic fungi. All of the isolated and synthesized compounds were tested for their antifouling activities against the cyprids of barnacle Balanus (Amphibalanus) amphitrite Darwin. Noticeably, five phenyl ether derivatives (9, 11, 13-15) exhibited potent anti-larval settlement activity with the EC50 values lower than 3.05 µM and the LC50/EC50 ratios higher than 15. The study of structure-activity relationship (SAR) revealed that the introduction of acetoxy groups and bromine atoms to phenyl ether derivatives could significantly improve their antifouling activities. This is the first report on the SAR of phenyl ether derivatives on antifouling activity against barnacle B. amphitrite. The polybrominated diphenyl ether derivative, 2, 4, 6, 2', 4', 6'-hexabromo-diorcinol (13), which displayed excellent antifouling activity, was considered as a promising candidate of environmentally friendly antifouling agents.

[Effect of Tuina at breast on postpartum lactation].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the efficacy of Tuina for postpartum lactation and work out a optimal protocol involved. METHODS: With a randomized, controlled and clinical method, 84 primiparas were divided into a Tuina group and a control group. While patients in the control group received rooming-in conventional managements, those in the Tuina group were additionally treated with Tuina, including local manipulations on breasts combined with acupoint manipulations. The colostrum-time, lactation quantity and prolactin were observed to make the comparisons between two groups. RESULTS: The scores of lactation quantity after 1th, 2nd, 3rd of the treatment were 1.660 +/- 0.785, 2.530 +/- 1.030, 2.880 +/- 1.171 in Tuina group and 1.270 +/- 0.533, 1.460 +/- 0.811, 1.500 +/- 0.583 in control group respectively, where there were significant differences in each time stage between two groups (all P < 0.001). The time of colostrum was (21.6 6 +/- 10.508) h in the Tuina group and (22.5 +/- 9.762) h in the control group, in which the difference was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). The levels of prolactin (314.35 +/- 110.37) ng/mL and (321.56 +/- 109.61) ng/mL in Tuina group, (385.78 +/- 85.19) ng/mL and (340.12 +/- 103.10) ng/mL in control group before and after treatment, there were no significant differences (both P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Postpartum Tuina on breasts could increase the quantity of lactation and delay the decreasing of the levels of prolactin, which contributes primiparas to lactate more and sooner.

[Discussion on the temperature characteristic of silver needle in the human body during the warm needling].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the temperature change of traditional silver needle in the human body during the burning of moxa ball. METHODS: Thirty-six healthy volunteers were randomly divided into a single-needle group and a multi-needle group, 18 cases in each group. For both groups, one silver needle (18 cm in length, 1.1 mm in diameter), which was adopted in this research to measure the temperature change, was punctured in the insertion point of the volunteer (inside the top of the left buttock, 7 cm under the edge of the highest point of the iliac crest, 7 cm lateral to the dorsomedian line), then another four silver needles were punctured 2 cm respectively anterior, posterior and lateral to the insertion point in the multi-needle group, and all the silver needles were inserted with 6 cm depth. Afterigniting the 1.3 g moxa ball on the needle tail, the temperature of the measuring points that were 3 mm, 33 mm, and 63 mm above the silver needle tip were recorded separately by digital temperature measuring instrument. RESULTS: The peak temperature of the three measuring points in the single-needle group was all around 41 degrees C, while those in the multi-needle group were around 43 degrees C, which had significant differences (all P < 0.05), but no significant differences among the highest temperature of the measuring points in the same group could be found (all P > 0.05). The highest temperature of moxa ball in the single needle group was (611.16 +/- 6.91) degrees C, while that of the central moxa ball in the multi-needle group was (628.94 +/- 8.99) degrees C, the difference of which was significant difference (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: The temperature conductivity of the silver needle is very well, so the heat of the moxa ball could pass from the tail of needle to the tip during the warming treatment. The peak temperature on the body, tip of the silver needle in the multi-needle group is higher than those in the single needle group. Also, the peak temperature of multi-moxa ball is higher than that of single moxa ball.

[Effect of acupoint Tuina on lactation amount for parturient].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect differences between acupoint Tuina and simple instruction and education to improve the lactation of the parturient after delivery. METHODS: Fifty-six cases of primipara were divided into an acupoint Tuina group (28 cases) and a control group (28 cases) according to the order of entering group, the acupoint Tuina group was treated with Tuina intervention at local acupoint of the breast and distant acupoint on the basis of the instruction and education of breast feeding; the control group was treated with simple instruction and education of breast feeding. The differences of lactation amount, the level of serum prolactin at 48 h after delivery and the time start to lactate of the parturient in both groups were observed. RESULTS: The serum prolactin of the parturient at 48 h after delivery of (416.33 +/- 144.29) ng/mL in acupoint Tuina group was obviously higher than that of (320.06 +/- 187.55) ng/mL in control group, there were much more parturient with sufficient milk in acupoint Tuina group after treatment, and the time start to lactate was earlier than that of control group. CONCLUSION: The acupoint Tuina is good for parturient to lactate early and lactate more, it is necessary to make further research.

[Characteristics of infrared radiation of meridians and acupoints].

Infrared radiation temperature and characteristics of infrared spectrum of meridians and acupoints are summarized in this article. The infrared radiant track along the running course of meridians might be a ubiquitous phenomenon of the vital activity. The high temperature bands below the meridian lines at the cuticular layer are often taken as the manifestation of the tract. It could be induced by various stimulations on acupoints with warm-needling as the best causative method. High temperature and low resistance are considered as 2 features of the acupoint zone. The adenosine-triphosphate energy metabolism of the acupoint zone is higher than the non-point zone, which indicates that essential physiological and pathological information are carried by infrared radiation temperature of acupoint and infrared spectrum of acupoint. However, it is realized that study on characteristics of infrared radiation only is far from enough to reveal the essence of meridians and acupoints. And much still remains to be done in strengthening basic studies of characteristics of infrared radiation, structure pattern of meridians and acupoints as well as volt-ampere characteristics.

6-dehydrogingerdione sensitizes human hepatoblastoma Hep G2 cells to TRAIL-induced apoptosis via reactive oxygen species-mediated increase of DR5.

The anticancer effects of 6-dehydrogingerdione (6-DG), a compound isolated from the rhizomes of Zingiber officinale , and its mechanisms of sensitization to TRAIL-induced apoptosis were studied using human hepatoblastoma Hep G2 cells. This study demonstrates for the first time that 6-DG-induced apoptosis might be executed via mitochondrial- and Fas receptor-mediated pathways. Further studies also demonstrated that 6-DG could sensitize Hep G2 cells to TRAIL-induced apoptosis. 6-DG also up-regulated Ser-15 phosphorylation and evoked p53 nuclear translocation. Abrogation of p53 expression by p53 small interfering RNA significantly attenuated 6-DG-induced DR5 expression, thus rendering these cells resistant to TRAIL-induced apoptosis. DR5 expression after 6-DG treatment was accompanied by provoking intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. Pretreatment with N-acetyl-l-cysteine (NAC) attenuated 6-DG-induced DR5 expression and inhibited TRAIL-induced apoptosis. In contrast to Hep G2 cells, DR5 up-regulation and sensitization to TRAIL-induced apoptosis instigated by 6-DG were not observed in normal MDCK cells. Taken together, these data suggested that in addition to the mitochondrial- and Fas receptor-mediated apoptotic pathways involved, ROS-dependent and p53-regulated DR5 expression was also demonstrated to play a pivotal role in the synergistic enhancement of TRAIL-induced apoptosis instigated by 6-DG in Hep G2 cells.

[Research on Tuina treatment for postpartum hypolactation].

In this paper, the TCM typing of postpartum hypolactation is introduced and the manipulation and duration of Tuina treatment for postpartum hypolactation are summarized, and the effectiveness index used in Tuina treatment is proposed. It is held that the Tuina therapy will be widely used for treatment of the postpartum hypolactation, and the convenient and effective Tuina manipulation will promote the development of postpartum nursing and will be used in gynecology department and enlarge the therapeutic range of the Tuina therapy.