From Perspective of Hippocampal Plasticity: Function of Antidepressant Chinese Medicine Xiaoyaosan.

The hippocampus is one of the most commonly studied brain regions in the context of depression. The volume of the hippocampus is significantly reduced in patients with depression, which severely disrupts hippocampal neuroplasticity. However, antidepressant therapies that target hippocampal neuroplasticity have not been identified as yet. Chinese medicine (CM) can slow the progression of depression, potentially by modulating hippocampal neuroplasticity. Xiaoyaosan (XYS) is a CM formula that has been clinically used for the treatment of depression. It is known to protect Gan (Liver) and Pi (Spleen) function, and may exert its antidepressant effects by regulating hippocampal neuroplasticity. In this review, we have summarized the association between depression and aberrant hippocampal neuroplasticity. Furthermore, we have discussed the researches published in the last 30 years on the effects of XYS on hippocampal neuroplasticity in order to elucidate the possible mechanisms underlying its therapeutic action against depression. The results of this review can aid future research on XYS for the treatment of depression.

Spatiotemporal multi-omics: exploring molecular landscapes in aging and regenerative medicine.

Aging and regeneration represent complex biological phenomena that have long captivated the scientific community. To fully comprehend these processes, it is essential to investigate molecular dynamics through a lens that encompasses both spatial and temporal dimensions. Conventional omics methodologies, such as genomics and transcriptomics, have been instrumental in identifying critical molecular facets of aging and regeneration. However, these methods are somewhat limited, constrained by their spatial resolution and their lack of capacity to dynamically represent tissue alterations. The advent of emerging spatiotemporal multi-omics approaches, encompassing transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and epigenomics, furnishes comprehensive insights into these intricate molecular dynamics. These sophisticated techniques facilitate accurate delineation of molecular patterns across an array of cells, tissues, and organs, thereby offering an in-depth understanding of the fundamental mechanisms at play. This review meticulously examines the significance of spatiotemporal multi-omics in the realms of aging and regeneration research. It underscores how these methodologies augment our comprehension of molecular dynamics, cellular interactions, and signaling pathways. Initially, the review delineates the foundational principles underpinning these methods, followed by an evaluation of their recent applications within the field. The review ultimately concludes by addressing the prevailing challenges and projecting future advancements in the field. Indubitably, spatiotemporal multi-omics are instrumental in deciphering the complexities inherent in aging and regeneration, thus charting a course toward potential therapeutic innovations.

Feruloylated Oligosaccharides Prevented Influenza-Induced Lung Inflammation via the RIG-I/MAVS/TRAF3 Pathway.

Uncontrolled inflammation contributes significantly to the mortality in acute respiratory infections. Our previous research has demonstrated that maize bran feruloylated oligosaccharides (FOs) possess notable anti-inflammatory properties linked to the NF-kB pathway regulation. In this study, we clarified that the oral administration of FOs moderately inhibited H1N1 virus infection and reduced lung inflammation in influenza-infected mice by decreasing a wide spectrum of cytokines (IFN-α, IFN-ß, IL-6, IL-10, and IL-23) in the lungs. The mechanism involves FOs suppressing the transduction of the RIG-I/MAVS/TRAF3 signaling pathway, subsequently lowering the expression of NF-κB. In silico analysis suggests that FOs have a greater binding affinity for the RIG-I/MAVS signaling complex. This indicates that FOs have potential as promising targets for immune modulation. Moreover, in MAVS knockout mice, we confirmed that the anti-inflammatory function of FOs against influenza depends on MAVS. Comprehensive analysis using 16S rRNA gene sequencing and metabolite profiling techniques showed that FOs have the potential to restore immunity by modulating the gut microbiota. In conclusion, our study demonstrates that FOs are effective anti-inflammatory phytochemicals in inhibiting lung inflammation caused by influenza. This suggests that FOs could serve as a potential nutritional strategy for preventing the H1N1 virus infection and associated lung inflammation.

Oral Troxerutin Alleviates Depression Symptoms in Mice by Modulating Gut Microbiota and Microbial Metabolism.

SCOPE: A growing body of evidence suggests that the harmful gut microbiota in depression patients can play a role in the progression of depression. There is limited research on troxerutin's impact on the central nervous system (CNS), especially in depression. The study finds that troxerutin effectively alleviates depression and anxiety-like behavior in mice by increasing the abundance of beneficial bacteria like Lactobacillus and Firmicutes while decreasing the abundance of harmful bacteria like Proteobacteria, Bacteroides, and Actinobacteria in the gut. Furthermore, the research reveals that troxerutin regulates various metabolic pathways in mice, including nucleotide metabolism, caffeine metabolism, purine metabolism, arginine biosynthesis, histidine metabolism, 2-oxocarboxylic acid metabolism, biosynthesis of amino acids, glycine, serine and threonine metabolism, and Arginine and proline metabolism. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, the study provides compelling evidence for the antidepressant efficacy of troxerutin. Through the investigation of the role of intestinal microorganisms and metabolites, the study identifies these factors as key players in troxerutin's ability to prevent depression. Troxerutin achieves its neuroprotective effects and effectively prevents depression and anxiety by modulating the abundance of gut microbiota, including Proteobacteria, Bacteroides, and Actinobacteria, as well as regulating metabolites such as creatine.

Liquiritin apioside alleviates colonic inflammation and accompanying depression-like symptoms in colitis by gut metabolites and the balance of Th17/Treg.

BACKGROUND: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a significant global health concern that can lead to depression in affected patients. Liquiritin apioside (LA) possesses anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory properties. However, its anti-inflammatory mechanism in IBD has not been extensively studied. PURPOSE: This study elucidates the pivotal role of LA in alleviating inflammation by regulating gut metabiota-derived metabolites and evaluating its regulative effects on promoting a balance of Th17/Treg cells in colitis mice. METHODS: To evaluate the effect of LA on IBD,16S rRNA gene sequencing and UPLC-QTOF-MS analysis were used to identify the changes of intestinal bacteria and their metabolites. Cytokines levels were determined by ELISA and qPCR, while immune cell ratios were evaluated via flow cytometry. RESULTS: Our findings revealed that LA treatment ameliorated general states of DSS-induced colitis mice and their accompanying depressive behaviors. Moreover, LA restricted the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and revised the imbalanced Treg/Th17 differentiation, while promoting SCFAs production in inflamed colon tissues. Fecal microbiota transplantation from LA-fed mice also corrected the imbalanced Treg/Th17 differentiation, indicating that LA-mediated restoration of the colonic Treg/Th17 balance mainly depends on the changes in gut metabolites. CONCLUSION: These results provide scientific evidence explaining the apparent paradox of low bioavailability and high bioactivity in polyphenols, and suggesting that LA could be used as a potential dietary supplement for the prevention and improvement of IBD.

Biological Activities of p-Hydroxycinnamic Acids in Maintaining Gut Barrier Integrity and Function.

It is well established that p-Hydroxycinnamic acids (HCAs), including ferulic, caffeic, sinapic, and p-coumaric acids, possess a characteristic phenylpropanoid C6-C3 backbone and account for about one-third of the phenolic compounds in our diet. HCAs are typically associated with various plant cell wall components, including mono-, di-, and polysaccharides, sterols, polyamines, glycoproteins, and lignins. Interestingly, enzymes produced by intestinal microbes liberate HCAs from these associations. HCAs are completely absorbed in their free form upon ingestion and undergo specific reactions upon absorption in the small intestine or liver. The gut epithelium, composed of intestinal epithelial cells (IECs), acts as a physical barrier against harmful bacteria and a site for regulated interactions between bacteria and the gut lumen. Thus, maintaining the integrity of the epithelial barrier is essential for establishing a physiochemical environment conducive to homeostasis. This review summarizes the protective effects of HCAs on the intestinal barrier, achieved through four mechanisms: preserving tight junction proteins (TJPs), modulating pro-inflammatory cytokines, exerting antioxidant activity, and regulating the intestinal microbiota.

Dietary phytochemical and metabolic disease prevention: Focus on plant proteins.

Plant-based functional foods have attracted increasing research interest to validate their use in preventing metabolic disease. Since it is increasingly recognized that inflammation, oxidative stress, and circadian rhythm play vital roles in various metabolic diseases, including diabetes, obesity and non-alcoholic liver disease, plant proteins, protein hydrolysates, and food extracts that intervene in these biological processes are promising dietary supplements to prevent metabolic diseases. Here, we reviewed the recent research on plant-based foods used for metabolic disease prevention and provided new perspectives regarding the current study gaps and future directions in this field.

Feruloylated oligosaccharides ameliorate MPTP-induced neurotoxicity in mice by activating ERK/CREB/BDNF/TrkB signalling pathway.

BACKGROUND: Feruloylated oligosaccharides (FOs) are natural esterification products of ferulic acid and oligosaccharides. STUDY DESIGN: In this study, we examined whether FOs contribute to the ensured survival of nigrostriatal dopamine neurons and inhibition of neuroinflammation in Parkinson's disease (PD). METHODS: 1-Methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP, 30 mg/kg) was injected intraperitoneally into mice to establish a Parkinson's disease (PD) mouse model. FOs (15 and 30 mg/kg) were orally administered daily to the MPTP-treated mice. The rotarod test, balance beam test, immunofluorescence, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), quantitative PCR (qPCR), and western blot analyses were performed to examine the neuroprotective effects of FOs on MPTP-treated mice. RESULTS: Our study indicated that FOs increased the survival of dopamine neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) of the MPTP-treated mice. The neuroprotective effects of FOs were accompanied by inhibited glial activation and reduced inflammatory cytokine production. The mechanistic experiments revealed that the neuroprotective effects of FOs might be mediated through the activation of the ERK/CREB/BDNF/TrkB signalling pathway. CONCLUSION: This study provides new insights into the mechanism underlying the anti-neuroinflammatory effect of phytochemicals and may facilitate the development of dietary supplements for PD patients. Our results indicate that FOs can be used as potential modulators for the prevention and treatment of PD.

Ferulic acid and feruloylated oligosaccharides alleviate anxiety and depression symptom via regulating gut microbiome and microbial metabolism.

Incidence of anxiety and depression has been surging in recent years, causing unignorable mental health crisis across the globe. Mounting studies demonstrated that overgrowth of detrimental gut microbes is driving the development of anxiety and depression. Our previous studies suggested that ferulic acid (FA) and feruloylated oligosaccharides (FOs) were potent in regulating gut microbiome and microbial metabolism in a variety of disease settings, including neuroinflammation. Given the increasing evidence solidifying the role of gut-brain axis in neurological disorders, we here investigated the therapeutic potential of FA and FOs in anxiety and depression. In present study we found that FA and FOs effectively alleviated anxiety and depression-like behavior in mice, while increasing the abundance of Firmicutes, Solibacillus, Acinetobacter and Arthrobacter, and decreasing the abundance of Parabacteroides, Oscollospira and Rummeliibacillus. In addition, FA and FOs were efficacious in enhancing phenylalanine, tyrosine and tryptophan biosynthesis, phenylalanine and caffeine metabolism in mice having depression. Our results validated FA and FOs as effective nutrition to prevent anxiety and depression, as well as provided mechanistic insight into their anti-anxiety and anti-depression function. We suggested that FOs mitigated the symptom of depression in mice potentially via changing gut microbiome structure and microbial metabolism.

Emerging roles of long non-coding RNA in depression.

Depression is the second most common psychiatric disorder, affecting more than 340 million people of all ages worldwide. However, the mechanisms underlying the development of depression remain unclear, and existing antidepressants may cause clinical dependence and toxic side effects. Recently, emerging evidence from the fields of neuroscience, genetics, and genomics supports the modulatory role of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) in depression. LncRNAs may mediate the pathogenesis of depression through multiple pathways, including regulating neurotransmitters and neurotrophic factors, affecting synaptic conduction, and regulating the ventriculo-olfactory neurogenic system. In addition, relying on genome-wide association study and molecular biological experiment, the possibility of lncRNA as a potential biomarker for the differential diagnosis of depression and other mental illnesses, including schizophrenia and anxiety disorders, is gradually being revealed. Thus, it is important to explore whether lncRNAs are potential therapeutic targets and diagnostic biomarkers for depression. Here, we summarize the genesis and function of lncRNAs and discuss the aberrant expression and functional roles of lncRNAs in the development, diagnosis, and therapy of depression, as well as the deficiencies and limitations of these studies. Moreover, we established a lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA-pathway-drug network of depression through bioinformatics analysis methods to deepen our understanding of the relationship between lncRNA and depression, promoting the clinical application of epigenetic research.

Effects of Histone Modification in Major Depressive Disorder.

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a disease associated with many factors; specifically, environmental, genetic, psychological, and biological factors play critical roles. Recent studies have demonstrated that histone modification may occur in the human brain in response to severely stressful events, resulting in transcriptional changes and the development of MDD. In this review, we discuss five different histone modifications, histone methylation, histone acetylation, histone phosphorylation, histone crotonylation and histone ß-hydroxybutyrylation, and their relationships with MDD. The utility of histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors (HDACis) for MDD treatment is also discussed. As a large number of MDD patients in China have been treated with traditional Chineses medicine (TCM), we also discuss some TCM therapies, such as Xiaoyaosan (XYS), and their effects on histone modification. In summary, targeting histone modification may be a new strategy for elucidating the mechanism of MDD and a new direction for MDD treatment.

Oral coniferyl ferulate attenuated depression symptoms in mice via reshaping gut microbiota and microbial metabolism.

The gut microbiome is known to be involved in depression development. Thus, phytochemicals changing gut microbiota may alleviate depression-like behaviors. Coniferyl ferulate (CF) is a long studied natural product and known to alleviate psychiatric disorders. However, its mechanism of action remains unclear. In this experimental study, oral administration of 50 mg kg-1 CF once daily attenuated weight loss and depression-like and anxiety-like behaviors induced by chronic unpredicted mild stress (CUMS) in mice. Four weeks of CF administration significantly ameliorated colonic inflammation, lowered the levels of IL-6, IL-1ß, and TNF-α, and restructured the gut microbiome, and microbial metabolism. Intestinal microbiota can impact the development and function of the brain via the microbiota-gut-brain axis. Therefore, oral administration of CF is a promising nutritional strategy to treat CUMS-induced depression via the regulation of microbiota and microbial metabolism.

Health benefits of dietary chronobiotics: beyond resynchronizing internal clocks.

The internal circadian clock in mammals drives whole-body biological activity rhythms. The clock reflects changes in external signals by controlling enzyme functions and the release of hormones involved in metabolic processes. Thus, misalignments between the circadian clock and an individual's daily schedule are recognized to be related to various metabolic diseases, such as obesity and diabetes. Although evidence has shown the existence of a complex relationship between circadian clock regulation and daily food intake, the regulatory effects of phytochemicals on the circadian clock remain unclarified. To better elucidate these relationships/effects, the circadian system components in mammals, circadian misalignment-related metabolic diseases, circadian rhythm-adjusting phytochemicals (including the heterocycles, acids, flavonoids and others) and the potential mechanisms (including the regulation of clock genes/proteins, metabolites of gut microbiota and secondary metabolites) are reviewed here. The bioactive components of functional foods discussed in this review could be considered potentially effective factors for the prevention and treatment of metabolic disorders related to circadian misalignment.

Feruloylated Oligosaccharides Alleviate Central Nervous Inflammation in Mice Following Spinal Cord Contusion.

As one of the empirical models of the chronic central inflammatory response, a spinal cord injury (SCI) deteriorates the neuronal survival and results in irreversible motor and sensory dysfunction below the injury area. Our previous studies have reported that maize bran feruloylated oligosaccharides (FOs) exert significant anti-inflammatory activities both in diabetes and colitis. However, no direct evidence of FOs alleviating central nervous inflammation was stated. This study aimed to investigate the therapeutic effect of FOs on SCI and its potential mechanism. Our results indicated that 4 weeks of FO administration effectively mitigated the inflammatory response via decreasing the number of microglia (labelled with Iba1), result in the expression of IL-1α, IL-2, IL-6, IL-18 and TNF-α downregulating, but the level of IL-10 and BDNF increases in the injured spinal cord. Moreover, FOs enhanced neuronal survival, ameliorated the scar cavities, and improved behaviors, including Basso mouse scale (BMS) scores and the gait of mice after SCI. Together, these results demonstrated that administration of FOs showed superior functional recovery effects in a SCI model. Also, FOs may modulate inflammatory activities by regulating the expression of proinflammatory factors, decreasing the production of inflammatory cells, and promoting functional recovery through the MAPK pathway following SCI.

Feruloylated oligosaccharides and ferulic acid alter gut microbiome to alleviate diabetic syndrome.

Gut microbiome has been proven to be involved in the development of type 2 diabetes (T2D). Additionally, increasing evidence showed that the composition of gut microbiome is highly associated with the outcome of T2D therapy. Previously we demonstrated that feruloylated oligosaccharides (FOs) and ferulic acid (FA) alleviated diabetic syndrome in rats, but the detailed mechanism has not been explored yet. In this study we strived to characterize how FOs and FA altered the gut microbiome and related metabolome in diabetic rats by using high-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA and gas chromatography (GC). Our results showed that FOs reduced the abundance of Lactobacillus, Ruminococcus, Oscillibacter, and Desulfovibrio, but increased the abundance of Akkermansia, Phascolarctobacterium and Turicibacter. The structure of gut microbiome in FOs treated rats was similar with healthy rats rather than diabetic rats. Likewise, FA decreased the portion of Lactobacillus, Ruminococcus, but promoted the growth of Bacteroides, Blautia, Faecalibacterium, Parabacteroides and Phascolarctobacterium. Additionally, the short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and branched-chain fatty acids (BCFAs), the main bacterial lipid metabolites in gut mediating host glucose metabolism, was dramatically elevated along with FOs and FA treatment. Our findings indicated that FOs and FA attenuated diabetic syndrome in rats most likely by modulating the composition and metabolism of gut microbiome. The study gives new insight into the mechanism underlying the anti-diabetes effect of functional foods as well as facilitates the development of dietary supplements for diabetic patients.

Feruloylated Oligosaccharides from Maize Bran Modulated the Gut Microbiota in Rats.

Corn bran is a byproduct produced from corn milling; it is rich in ferulic acid and hemicellulose. In this research, the effects of feruloylated oligosaccharides (FOs) from maize bran on the microbial diversity and profiles in rat feces were investigated through 16S rRNA sequencing. FOs significantly increased bacterial richness and diversity compared with the control and xylooligosaccharides (XOS) alone. In comparison with the control group and the group administrated with XOS, FOs orally administered at 300 mg/kg increased OTU in feces by 57.0 and 24.8 %, and Chao value by 93.4 and 37.6 %, respectively. FOs also influenced obesity- and diabetes-associated bacteria. Oral administration of FOs at 300 mg/kg decreased the ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes from 477.7:1 to 55.1:1; greatly increased the reads of bacteria that were previously found resistant against diabetes in rats, such as Actinobacteria, Bacteroides, and Lactobacillus; whereas decreased diabetes-prone bacteria, such as Clostridium and Firmicutes.

Profiling of microRNAs under wound treatment in Aquilaria sinensis to identify possible microRNAs involved in agarwood formation.

Agarwood, a kind of highly valued non-timber product across Asia, is formed only when its resource trees--the endangered genus Aquilaria are wounded or infected by some microbes. To promote the efficiency of agarwood production and protect the wild resource of Aquilaria species, we urgently need to reveal the regulation mechanism of agarwood formation. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a group of gene expression regulators with overwhelming effects on a large spectrum of biological processes. However, their roles in agarwood formation remain unknown. This work aimed at identifying possible miRNAs involved in the wound induced agarwood formation. In this study, the high-throughput sequencing was adopted to identify miRNAs and monitor their expression under wound treatment in the stems of A. sinensis. The miR171, miR390, miR394, miR2111, and miR3954 families remained at the reduced level two days after the treatment. 131 homologous miRNAs in the 0.5 h library showed over three-fold variation of read number compared with the control library, of which 12 exhibiting strong expression alterations were further confirmed by real-time quantitative PCR. Target prediction and annotation of the miRNAs demonstrated that the binding, metabolic process, catalytic activity, and cellular process are the most common functions of the predicted targets of these newly identified miRNAs in A.sinensis. The cleaveage sites of three newly predicted targets were verified by 5'RACE.

[Historical records and modern studies on agarwood production method and overall agarwood production method].

Agarwood is a precious traditional Chinese medicine with the efficacy of promoting qi circulation and relieving pain, warming middle-jiao, controlling nausea and vomiting, governing inspiration and relieving asthma, therefore it is widely applied in the clinic. Meanwhile, agarwood is also a precious spice. Aquilaria sinensis is the only source of agarwood production in China. Under natural conditions, a healthy A. sinensis tree produces no agarwood. Only if being wounded or infected with fungus can it synthetize and accumulate agarwood. It takes a decade or even several decades to produce agarwood, thus natural agarwood can not meet market demands. The essay summarizes historical records of agarwood production method and modern agarwood production method, in order to provide basis and reference for large-scale production of agarwood.

[Laparoscopic cholecystectomy with remote zeus surgical robotic system: report of 16 cases].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the methodology and operative essentials of laparoscopic cholecystectomy with remote Zeus surgical robotic system. METHODS: Based on strict training and successful experiment in animal model of swine, laparoscopic cholecystectomy using Zeus robotic system was performed on 16 patients with biliary diseases, including choledocholithiasis, cholelithiasis, polyposis of gallbladder, and chronic cholecystitis, 10 males and 16 females, aged 33 (14 approximately 27), 26 April to 31 August 2004. The general data, preoperative preparation time, operation time, amount of bleeding, complications, and hospitalization time were analyzed. RESULTS: All operations were performed without event. Along with the accumulation of experience the preoperative preparation time was shortened from 90 min to 30 min with an average of 41.7 min, and the operation time from 120 min to 30 min with an average of 64.4 min. The average amount of bleeding was 27.7 ml, and the average postoperative hospitalization time was 2.4 d. A telephone follow-up 30 days after operation showed no abnormality. CONCLUSION: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy with Zeus surgical robotic system is feasible and reliable with the advantages of clearer images in the field of operation, more precise handling, and remote surgery or education.