Efficacy of hypertonic dextrose proliferation therapy in the treatment of rotator cuff lesions: a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: One of the most prevalent illnesses of the shoulder is rotator cuff tendinosis, which is also a major contributor to shoulder discomfort and shoulder joint dysfunction. According to statistics, rotator cuff tendinosis occurs in 0.3-5.5% of cases and affects 0.5-7.4% of people annually. It will be necessary to conduct a meta-analysis to evaluate the efficacy of hypertonic glucose proliferation therapy in the treatment of rotator cuff problems. METHODS: The databases Cochrane PubMed, Library, Web of Science and EMbase, are retrieved by the computer. Individuals with rotator cuff lesions in the intervention group were treated with hypertonic dextrose proliferation therapy, whereas individuals in the control condition were treated with a placebo. Outcome markers for rotator cuff lesions patients; Pursuant to studies, the visual analogue scale (VAS) score, the shoulder pain & disability index (SPADI), & other metrics are used to evaluate the effects of hypertonic dextrose proliferation treatment on individuals with rotator cuff diseases. After carefully evaluating the calibre of the literature, data analysis was performed utilising the RevMan 5.3 programme. RESULTS: Meta-analysis finally contained 6 papers. In six investigations, the test & control group's VAS scores improved, with the test team's score considerably outperforming the control team [standardized mean difference (SMD): 1.10; 95% Cl: 0.37,1.83; P < 0.01], shoulder pain and disability index (SPADI) score (SMD:8.13; 95% Cl: 5.34,10.91; P < 0.01), Flexion (SMD:5.73; 95% Cl: 0.99,10.47; P < 0.05), Abduction (SMD:6.49; 95% Cl: 0.66,12.31; P < 0.05), Internal rotation (SMD:-1.74; 95% Cl: -4.25,0.78; P = 0.176) and External rotation (SMD:2.78; 95% Cl: -0.13,5.69; P = 0.062). CONCLUSION: The findings of this study suggest that individuals with rotator cuff injuries may benefit from hypertonic dextrose proliferation treatment based on the visual analogue scale (VAS) score, the Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI) score, Flexion, & Abduction. These results must, nevertheless, be supported by high-caliber follow-up research.

Association of METS-IR index with depressive symptoms in US adults: A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: An association between insulin resistance (IR) and depression has been identified in recent years. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between IR and depression in the general population. METHODS: The population for this cross-sectional study consisted of adults participating in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) between 2005 and 2018. Insulin sensitivity was assessed using the Metabolic Score for IR (METS-IR) index, while depression was evaluated using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ)-9. Logistic regression analyses, subgroup analyses, and dose-response curves were conducted to assess the association between the METS-IR index and depression. RESULTS: A total of 13,157 adults aged over 20 years were included in this study. After adjusting for potential confounders, it was observed that each unit increase in the METS-IR index was associated with a 1.1 percentage point increase in the prevalence of depression (OR = 1.011; 95 % CI: 1.008, 1.014). Patients in the 4th quartile of the METS-IR index had a higher likelihood of depression compared to those in the 1st quartile (OR = 1.386, 95 % CI: 1.239, 1.549). Stratified analyses demonstrated consistent results in all subgroups, except for men, patients under 40 years of age, and those with a history of cancer. Dose-response curves indicated a nonlinear relationship between the METS-IR index and the risk of depression, with an inflection point value of 32.443 according to threshold effect analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that higher METS-IR scores are associated with an increased likelihood of experiencing depressive symptoms among U.S. adults.

Efficacy of Hypertonic Dextrose Proliferation Therapy for the Treatment of Rotator Cuff Lesions: A Meta-Analysis.

Background: One of the most prevalent disorders of the shoulder is rotator cuff tendinosis, which is a major contributor to shoulder discomfort and shoulder joint dysfunction. Rotator cuff tendinosis occurs in 0.3% to 5.5% of people worldwide and is diagnosed in 0.5% to 7.4% of people in China annually. We performed a meta-analysis to assess whether hypertonic dextrose proliferation therapy, a form of prolotherapy, improves the well-being of patients with rotator cuff injuries. Methods: We screened the literature by searching the PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases for the search terms prolotherapy, hypertonic dextrose, and rotator cuff. We identified and evaluated studies that treated individuals with rotator cuff lesions with hypertonic dextrose proliferation therapy (intervention) or a placebo (control). The outcome measures for patients with rotator cuff lesions were the visual analog scale score, the shoulder pain and disability index, and other metrics. These metrics were used to evaluate the effects of hypertonic dextrose proliferation therapy on individuals with rotator cuff diseases by meta-analysis. Results: The meta-analysis used data from 6 studies. In the 6 studies, the visual analog scale scores improved in the intervention and control categories, with greater improvement for the intervention category compared with the control category (standardized mean difference [SMD], 1.10 [95% CI, 0.37-1.83]; P = .04). In the studies that measured other outcomes, greater improvement for the intervention category compared with the control category was seen for the shoulder pain and disability index score (SMD, 8.13 [95% CI, 5.34-10.91]; P < .01), flexion (SMD, 5.73 [95% CI, 0.99-10.47]; P < .01), and abduction (SMD, 6.49 [95% CI, 0.66-12.31]; P < .05). There were no statistically significant differences of internal rotation between the intervention and control categories (SMD, -1.74 [95% CI, -4.25 to 0.78]; P = .18) and external rotation (SMD, 2.78 [95% CI, -0.13 to 5.69]; P = .06). Conclusion: The findings of this study suggest that individuals with rotator cuff injuries may benefit from hypertonic dextrose proliferation therapy based on the visual analog scale score, the shoulder pain and disability index score, flexion, and abduction. These results must, nevertheless, be supported by high-caliber follow-up research.

Effect of structural stability of lipase in acetonitrile on its catalytic activity in EGCG esterification reaction: FTIR and MD simulation.

In this study, (-)-Epigallocatechin-3-O-gallate (EGCG) esterification reaction was catalyzed by Novozym 435, Lipozyme RM, Lipozyme TLIM, and lipase Amano 30SD in acetonitrile. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and molecular dynamic (MD) simulations were used to analyze the structural stability of different lipases in acetonitrile and their effect on EGCG esterification reaction. The results showed that conversion rate of EGCG catalyzed by Lipozyme RM was the highest, followed by Lipozyme TLIM. FTIR indicated that the secondary structure of Lipozyme RM was the most stable. MD simulations suggested that whole structural stability of Lipozyme RM in acetonitrile was superior to Novozym 435 and lipase Amano 30SD and similar to Lipozyme TLIM due to their similar conformation, while the active site of Lipozyme RM is more flexible than that of Lipozyme TLIM, which indicated that lipase with stable whole structure and flexible active site may be more conducive to the esterification of EGCG in acetonitrile. This study provided a direction for rapidly screening lipase to synthetize EGCG or other polyphenols esterified derivatives.

Mechanisms and therapeutic strategies of extracellular vesicles in cardiovascular diseases.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) significantly impacts global society since it is the leading cause of death and disability worldwide, and extracellular vesicle (EV)-based therapies have been extensively investigated. EV delivery is involved in mediating the progression of CVDs and has great potential to be biomarker and therapeutic molecular carrier. Besides, EVs from stem cells and cardiac cells can effectively protect the heart from various pathologic conditions, and then serve as an alternative treatment for CVDs. Moreover, the research of using EVs as delivery carriers of therapeutic molecules, membrane engineering modification of EVs, or combining EVs with biomaterials further improves the application potential of EVs in clinical treatment. However, currently there are only a few articles summarizing the application of EVs in CVDs. This review provides an overview of the role of EVs in the pathogenesis and diagnosis of CVDs. It also focuses on how EVs promote the repair of myocardial injury and therapeutic methods of CVDs. In conclusion, it is of great significance to review the research on the application of EVs in the treatment of CVDs, which lays a foundation for further exploration of the role of EVs, and clarifies the prospect of EVs in the treatment of myocardial injury.

Electroacupuncture Improves Learning and Memory Abilities via Activating AMPK/mTOR-Induced Autophagy in APP/PS1 Mice.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) has become a global public health problem characterized by memory and cognitive impairments. Electroacupuncture (EA) has been indicated to exert promising therapeutic effects on AD. This study aimed to further investigate the underlying mechanism of EA in AD treatment. APP/PS1 transgenic mice and wide-type mice underwent with or without EA treatment at GV20 and BL23 acupoints. Morris water maze test was utilized for examining the learning and memory of mice. Hematoxylin-eosin, Congo red, immunofluorescence, and TUNEL staining were employed for detecting the pathological changes of mouse brain hippocampus. Western blotting was implemented for measuring protein levels of autophagy- and AMPK/mTOR pathway-associated markers. APP/PS1 mice exhibited significant impairments in the spatial learning and memory. EA treatment improved the cognitive impairments, reduced amyloid-beta (Aß) deposition, and alleviated neuronal apoptosis in the hippocampal tissues of APP/PS1 mice. EA promoted autophagy and activated the AMPK/mTOR signaling pathway in the hippocampus of APP/PS1 mice. EA improves the cognitive deficits, enhances Aß clearance, and attenuates neuronal apoptosis in APP/PS1 mice in part by activating AMPK/mTOR-mediated autophagy.

Common Allergens and Immune Responses Associated with Allergic Rhinitis in China.

Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a chronic allergic disease of the upper respiratory system that affects approximately 10-40% of the global population. Due to the large number of plant pollen allergens with obvious seasonal variations, AR is common in China. AR is primarily caused by the abnormal regulation of the immune system. Its pathophysiological mechanism involves a series of immune cells and immune mediators, including cytokines. The present review summarizes the common allergens in China and the complex pathophysiological mechanism of AR. Additionally, host allergen contact, signal transduction, immune cell activation, cytokine release, and a series of inflammatory reactions are described according to their sequence of occurrence.

3D Bioprinting of a Bioactive Composite Scaffold for Cell Delivery in Periodontal Tissue Regeneration.

Hydrogels have been widely applied to the fabrication of tissue engineering scaffolds via three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting because of their extracellular matrix-like properties, capacity for living cell encapsulation, and shapeable customization depending on the defect shape. However, the current hydrogel scaffolds show limited regeneration activity, especially in the application of periodontal tissue regeneration. In this study, we attempted to develop a novel multi-component hydrogel that possesses good biological activity, can wrap living cells for 3D bioprinting and can regenerate periodontal soft and hard tissue. The multi-component hydrogel consisted of gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA), sodium alginate (SA) and bioactive glass microsphere (BGM), which was first processed into hydrogel scaffolds by cell-free 3D printing to evaluate its printability and in vitro biological performances. The cell-free 3D-printed scaffolds showed uniform porous structures and good swelling capability. The BGM-loaded scaffold exhibited good biocompatibility, enhanced osteogenic differentiation, apatite formation abilities and desired mechanical strength. The composite hydrogel was further applied as a bio-ink to load with mouse bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (mBMSCs) and growth factors (BMP2 and PDGF) for the fabrication of a scaffold for periodontal tissue regeneration. The cell wrapped in the hydrogel still maintained good cellular vitality after 3D bioprinting and showed enhanced osteogenic differentiation and soft tissue repair capabilities in BMP2- and PDGF-loaded scaffolds. It was noted that after transplantation of the cell- and growth factor-laden scaffolds in Beagle dog periodontal defects, significant regeneration of gingival tissue, periodontal ligament, and alveolar bone was detected. Importantly, a reconstructed periodontal structure was established in the treatment group eight weeks post-transplantation of the scaffolds containing the cell and growth factors. In conclusion, we developed a bioactive composite bio-ink for the fabrication of scaffolds applicable for the reconstruction and regeneration of periodontal tissue defects.

Preparation, identification, and inhibitory mechanism of dipeptidyl peptidase IV inhibitory peptides from goat milk whey protein.

This study explores potential hypoglycemic mechanisms by preparing and identifying novel dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP-IV) inhibitory peptides from goat milk (GM) whey protein. Papain was used to hydrolyze the GM whey protein. After purification by ultrafiltration, the Sephadex column, and preparative RP-HPLC, the peptide inhibited DPP-IV, α-glucosidase, and α-amylase with IC50 of 0.34, 0.37, and 0.72 mg/mL, respectively. To further explore the inhibitory mechanism of peptides on DPP-IV, SPPEFLR, LDADGSY, YPVEPFT, and FNPTY were identified and synthesized for the first time, with IC50 values of 56.22, 52.16, 175.7, and 62.32 µM, respectively. Molecular docking and dynamics results show that SPPEFLR, LDADGSY, and FNPTY bind more tightly to the active pocket of DPP-IV, which was consistent with the in vitro activity. Furthermore, the first three N-terminals of SPPEFLR and FNPTY peptides exhibit proline characteristics and competitively inhibit DPP-IV. Notably, the first N-terminal leucine of LDADGSY may play a key role in inhibiting DPP-IV.

Spinal Fixed-point Rotating Reduction for Treatment of Facet Joint Disorders.

Context: Facet joint disorder is a series of clinical syndromes that lumbar trauma or degenerative disease can cause, and it can result in lumbar pain and restricted movement. Despite use of conventional Western and traditional Chinese treatments, patients can still experience many clinical symptoms, with no effective improvements in lumbar-spine movement or quality of life. Objective: The study intended to investigate the effects of spinal, fixed-point, rotating reduction on the pain levels and daily living abilities of patients with facet joint disorders. Design: The research team performed a prospective, randomized controlled study. Setting: The study took place at Wuhan Central Hospital, Affiliated to Tongji Medical College, at Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan, China. Participants: Participants were 88 patients with facet joint disorders who had been admitted to the hospital between June 2021 and August 2022. Intervention: The research team randomly divided participants into two groups, with 44 participants in each group, using the numerical table method: (1) the intervention group, who received treatment using the spinal, fixed-point, rotating reduction method, and (2) the control group, treated who received treatment using conventional tui-na, acupuncture, and traction. Outcome Measures: The research team measured changes: (1) in pain, (2) in lumbar mobility, (3) in lumbar-spine function, and (4) in daily living abilities. Results: In the comparisons between the groups at baseline, no significant differences existed: (1) in pain levels (P = .656); (2) in forward flexion (P = .982), extension (P = .887), lateral flexion (P = .408), or rotation (P = .888); (3) in the scores for clinical symptoms (P = .982), subjective symptoms (P = .887), or limitations in daily activities (P = .408); or (4) in the scores for daily living abilities (P = .427). In the comparisons between the groups at two weeks postintervention, the intervention group's: (1) pain levels were significantly lower than those of the control group (P < .001); (2) forward flexion, extension, lateral flexion, and rotation were significantly higher than those of the control group (all P < .001); (3) scores for clinical symptoms, subjective symptoms, and limitations in daily activities were significantly better than those of the control group (all P < .001); and (4) scores for daily living abilities were subjective higher than those of the control group (P < .001). Conclusion: Spinal, fixed-point, rotating reduction can significantly relieve the pain of patients with facet joint disorders restore their lumbar spine mobility, improve their lumbar spine function, increase their ADL abilities, and facilitate patients' recovery. Practitioners can promote it in clinical practice.

Periodontitis and stroke: A Mendelian randomization study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Periodontitis has been implicated in the incidence of ischemic stroke. However, the generalizability of results to individuals with different subtypes of periodontitis is unknown. We aimed to investigate the causal relationship of chronic periodontitis (CP) and aggressive periodontitis (AgP) with ischemic stroke and its subtypes in the Mendelian randomization framework. METHODS: The genetic proxies of CP were derived from large-scale summary statistics from the UK Biobank datasets (950 cases and 455,398 controls). The genetic associations of AgP were selected from another large genome-wide association study of European ancestry (851 cases and 6836 controls). The instruments of ischemic stroke (34,217 cases and 406,111 controls) and its subtypes were selected from the MEGASTROKE consortium of European ancestry. The inverse variant weighted method was performed to determine the causal inference and a comprehensive set of sensitivity analyses to test the robustness of the results. RESULTS: In population-wide genetic analysis, there was no association of genetically predicted AgP (odds ratio [OR], 0.982; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.956-1.009; p = .197) with ischemic stroke or its subtypes. For patients with CP, there was also no significant causal inference on ischemic stroke (OR, 1.017; 95% CI, 0.992-1.043; p = .184). However, regarding the stroke subtypes, the genetic analysis provided evidence of a causal relationship of CP with cardioembolic stroke (OR, 1.052; 95% CI, 1.002-1.104; p = .042), but not with large artery atherosclerosis (OR, 1.005; 95% CI, 0.944-1.069; p = .875) or small vessel occlusion (OR, 1.039; 95% CI, 0.981-1.101; p = .193). CONCLUSION: This study suggested that there was a potential causal effect of CP on cardioembolic stroke.

Efficient Ultrasonic-assisted Aqueous Enzymatic Method for Pecan Nut Kernel Oil Extraction with Quality Analysis.

In this study, the recovery of pecan nut kernel oil (PNKO) obtained by mechanical pressing (MP) was compared with that obtained by ultrasonic-assisted aqueous enzymatic extraction (UAAEE). At the same time, contents of substances with proven bioactivity, fatty acid compositions, physicochemical properties and antioxidant activities of PNKO were also assessed. Obviously, the oil yield obtained by UAAEE (71.32%) was higher than that obtained by MP (56.81%). Therefore, Plackett-Burman design (PBD), as well as Box-Behnken design (BBD), further optimized the UAAEE process, and the highest oil yield of 78.83% was acquired under the following conditions: incubation time of 2 h, the mixed enzyme (cell ulase+hemicellulase+pectinase+neutrase, w/w/w/w=1/1/1/1) concentration of 2.9%, liquid-solid ratio of 4 mL/g, pH of 4, particle size of 300 µm, ultrasonic time of 20 min, ultrasonic power of 432 W and reaction temperature of 53°C. The PNKO obtained by the two methods possessed similar fatty acid composition, but that obtained by UAAEE had comparatively low acid value and peroxide value. Moreover, rich content of total phenolics, squalene and phytosterols, as well as strong scavenging activities against DPPH and ABTS+ free radicals, were also contained in the PNKO obtained by UAAEE. These results demonstrated that UAAEE was an efficient method to acquire pecan nut kernel oil with excellent quality and high recovery.

Inhibition of the NF-κB pathway and ERK-mediated mitochondrial apoptotic pathway takes part in the mitigative effect of betulinic acid on inflammation and oxidative stress in cyclophosphamide-triggered renal damage of mice.

Betulinic acid (BA), an occurring pentacyclic triterpenoid, has various biological activities, such as anti-inflammation and antioxidation. Previous studies found that BA attenuated cyclophosphamide (CYP)-induced intestinal mucosal damage by inhibiting intestinal mucosal barrier dysfunctions and cell apoptosis. However, the effects and regulation mechanisms of BA on CYP-induced renal damage has not been reported in literature. Here, we found that BA pretreatment alleviated the elevation of serum urea level and inhibited the increase in serum neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin level induced by CYP. Meanwhile, BA ameliorated renal tubular epithelial cell edema, and vacuolization of renal cortical tubular and renal glomerulus. Moreover, pretreatment with BA inhibited the mRNA expressions of pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß), IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α, and increased mRNA expressions of anti-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-10 and transforming growth factor-ß by inactivation nuclear factor kappa-B. Simultaneously, BA decreased the accumulation of reactive oxygen species and malondialdehyde, and lowered the levels of superoxide dismutase and glutathione, while increased the activity of glutathione peroxidase in CYP-induced kidney damage mice. Besides, BA reduced the phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK), inhibited the ratio of Bcl-2/Bax and cell apoptosis in CYP-triggered kidney damage. Furthermore, BA and/or PD98059 (an inhibitor of ERK) regulated mitigation of CYP-elicited renal injury and deactivation of the ERK pathway and mitochondrial apoptotic pathway, indicating that the protective effect of BA on CYP-induced renal damage may be associated with the down-regulation of ERK-mediated mitochondrial apoptotic pathway. Thus, BA could be a candidate agent against chemotherapy drug-induced nephrotoxicity by reducing inflammation and oxidative stress through suppression of ERK-mediated mitochondrial apoptotic pathway.

Two Cholesterol-Containing Pyrene Derivatives: Subtle Spacer Difference, Diverse Stimuli-Responsive Luminescence, Chirality, and Self-Assembly Behaviors.

Two chiral molecules 1 and 2 were designed and synthesized with a pyrene moiety directly linked to a chiral cholesterol moiety and connected through a methylene spacer, respectively. Influence of the spacer on their stimuli-responsive luminescence, chirality, and self-assembly behaviors was systematically investigated. Molecules 1 and 2 had similar aggregation-induced emission enhancement (AIEE) in solution, because of carrying the same fluorescence moiety. Both molecules displayed mechanochromism (MC) property but with different color contrast, whereas only 2 showed mechanoluminescence (ML) activity. When doping in liquid crystal molecule 5CB, both molecules induced the formation of chiral nematic liquid crystals (N*-LCs) with strong circularly polarized luminescence (CPL). Molecule 2 induced single handedness signal, irrespective of doping ratios, while 1-doped N*-LCs showed an inversion of CPL signal from negative to positive upon the increase of doping ratios. Molecules 1 and 2 also self-assembled into different coassemblies with 5CB. Their distinct behaviors were attributed to the influence of the methylene spacer, which caused different molecular conformation and steric bulkiness; accordingly, it changed intermolecular interactions and molecular packing of the two molecules and led to diverse chirality and luminescence. This work provided important model molecules to better understand the molecular structure-property relationship and guide the design of novel functional molecules.

Enzymatic molecular modification of water-soluble polyphenols: Synthesis, structure, bioactivity and application.

The poor lipophilicity and instability of water-soluble polyphenols limit their bioavailability and application in food. However, increasing attention has been given to water-soluble polyphenols due to their multiple biological activities, which prompts the modification of the structure of water-soluble polyphenols to improve their lipophilicity and stability and enable more efficient application. This review presents the enzymatic biosynthesis of lipophilic derivatives of water-soluble polyphenols, which will change the molecular structure of water-soluble polyphenols based on the loss of hydroxyl or carboxyl groups. Therefore, the effects of reaction factors on the structure of polyphenol derivatives and the change in their bioactivities will be further analyzed. Previous studies have shown that lipases, solvent systems, and hydrophobic groups are major factors influencing the synthesis and lipophilicity of polyphenol derivatives. Moreover, the biological activities of polyphenol derivatives were changed to a certain extent, such as through the enhancement or weakening of antioxidant activity in different systems and the increase in anti-influenza virus activity and antibacterial activity. The improvement of lipophilicity also expands polyphenol application in food. This review may contribute to the efficient synthesis of lipophilic derivatives of water-soluble polyphenols to extend the utilization and application range of polyphenols.

Acupuncture for chronic sciatica: protocol for a multicenter randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Chronic Sciatica is a disabling condition causing considerable medical, social and financial implications. Currently, there is no recognised long-term effective treatment to alleviate sciatica. Acupuncture has been widely used for treating chronic pains with persistent analgesic effects. We aim to evaluate the efficacy and safety of acupuncture for chronic sciatica with follow-up in 52 weeks. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This is a multicenter randomised sham-controlled trial. A total of 216 patients with chronic sciatica will be enrolled and randomly assigned to the acupuncture or sham acupuncture group. There will be 10 treatment sessions applied in 4 weeks with frequency decreased over time. Patients will complete follow-ups during 52 weeks. The primary outcomes are changes in leg pain intensity and disability from baseline to week 4. Secondary outcomes include back pain intensity, frequency and bothersomeness, quality of life, and global perceived effect. Adverse events will be recorded in detail. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval of this trial was granted from the ethics committee of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine and all study centres (No. 2020BZYLL0803). Written informed consent will be obtained from enrolled patients. Trial results will be disseminated in peer-reviewed publications. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ChiCTR2100044585 (Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, http://www.chictr.org.cn, registered on 24 March 2021); preresults.

Betulinic acid attenuates cognitive dysfunction, oxidative stress, and inflammation in a model of T-2 toxin-induced brain damage.

T-2 toxin is a mycotoxin that has harmful effects on the immune system and cognitive function. Betulinic acid (BA) is a plant-derived pentacyclic lupane-type triterpenoid which possesses a wide spectrum of bioactivities. The study was aimed to explore whether BA has a protective effect on cognitive impairment and oxidative stress caused by T-2 toxin. BA was suspended in 1% soluble starch by continuous intragastric administration for 14 days, then the brain damage in mice was induced by a single intraperitoneal injection of T-2 toxin (4 mg/kg). It was found that BA alleviated the reduction of discrimination index in T-2 toxin-treated mice, and enhanced dopamine (DA), 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), and acetylcholine (ACH) levels of brain neurotransmitter. Meanwhile, BA pretreatment ameliorated oxidative stress through increase of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), and glutathione (GSH) levels, and inhibition of the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in the brain of mice exposed to T-2 toxin. Moreover, BA reduced brain hemorrhage and ecchymosis, improved the mitochondrial morphology, enriched the number of organelles, and inhibited cell apoptosis in brain challenged with T-2 toxin. Furthermore, BA inhibited mRNA expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß), IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) as well as enhanced mRNA expression of anti-inflammatory cytokine such as IL-10 in the brain of T-2 toxin-triggered mice. Therefore, BA could improve the cognitive function, enhance the antioxidant capacity, and inhibit the secretion of proinflammatory cytokines in brain, thereby playing a preventive and protective role against brain damage caused by T-2 toxin.

Facile synthesis of pH-responsive sodium alginate/carboxymethyl chitosan hydrogel beads promoted by hydrogen bond.

In this work, a novel synthesis strategy of sodium alginate/carboxymethyl chitosan hydrogel beads promoted by hydrogen bond was described. The beads were prepared by dropping the blends of two polymers into the citric acid solution. Besides hydrogen bonding, electrostatic interactions were also involved in the formation of the hydrogel beads. The thermal stability experiments revealed that the more the content of carboxymethyl chitosan, the better the thermal stability of the beads. The beads exhibited excellent pH sensitivity, pH reversibility, and lactoferrin loading capacity. The swelling ratio of the bead and its protein releasing profile was pH-dependent, which could prevent premature protein release in the gastric environment. Also, the circular dichroism results demonstrated that lactoferrin could maintain its structure during the loading and releasing process. The obtained results revealed that the hydrogel beads prepared in this work could be used as a potential protein carrier for oral delivery.

Bilosomes as effective delivery systems to improve the gastrointestinal stability and bioavailability of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG).

Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) has a variety of biological activities, but exhibits poor stability and low bioavailability. In this study, EGCG bilosome was prepared and characterized, and its stability during different storage conditions (pH, NaCl concentration, and temperature) and in gastrointestinal fluid was evaluated and compared with liposomes and niosomes. Among them, EGCG niosomes had the highest pH stability, and the existence of sodium cholate reduced the stability of bilosomes in acidic medium. EGCG stability was significantly increased in the presence of salt ions (0-100 mM NaCl) and under different temperatures (25 °C, 37 °C) when delivered as niosomes and bilosomes. Retention rate of EGCG in bilosomes was 71.64 ± 4.05% after incubation in simulated intestinal fluid for 2 h, which was significantly higher than retention rate of EGCG liposomes (24.02 ± 3.95%) and niosomes (55.74 ± 6.85%), thus indicating greater gastrointestinal stability of EGCG bilosomes. Furthermore, bioavailability of EGCG encapsulated in bilosomes was improved by 1.98 times. Overall, these findings indicate that EGCG bilosomes, as a new delivery system, had great potential application as a means to improve stability and bioavailability of EGCG.

Betulinic acid protects against renal damage by attenuation of oxidative stress and inflammation via Nrf2 signaling pathway in T-2 toxin-induced mice.

Betulinic acid (BA) is a pentacyclic triterpenoid compound with potential antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. In this study, T-2 toxin was injected intraperitoneally in mice to establish kidney damage model and to evaluate the protective effects of BA and further reveal the molecular mechanism. BA pretreatment inhibited the T-2 toxin-stimulated increase in serum Crea, but showed no significant effect on serum Urea. BA pretreatment alleviated excessive glomerular hemorrhage and inflammatory cell infiltration in kidneys caused by T-2 toxin. Moreover, pretreatment with BA mitigated T-2 toxin-induced renal oxidative damage by up-regulating the activities of SOD and CAT, and the content of GSH, while down-regulating the accumulation of ROS and MDA. Meanwhile, BA pretreatment markedly attenuated T-2 toxin-induced renal inflammatory response by decreasing the mRNA expression of IL-1ß, TNF-α and IL-10, and increasing IL-6 mRNA expression. Furthermore, mechanism research found that pretreatment with BA could activate Nrf2 signaling pathway. It was suggested that BA ameliorated the oxidative stress and inflammatory response of T-2 toxin-triggered renal damage by activating the Nrf2 signaling pathway.