Protective effects of Dendrobium candidum Wall ex Lindl. on high-fat diet-induced liver damage in mice.

D. candidum Wall. ex Lindl. (D. candidum) is a traditional Chinese herbal medicine with multiple therapeutic properties. D. candidum was administered to mice with high-fat diet (HFD)-induced nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and its mechanism of action was elucidated. D. candidum was intragastrically administered to HFD mice for 6 weeks at a dosage of 200 or 400 mg/kg. D. candidum reduced body weight gain and blood glucose levels in HFD mice in a dose-dependent manner, while significantly reducing lipid accumulation in the liver. D. candidum significantly regulated the expression of lipid metabolism- and gluconeogenesis-related genes and inhibited activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome. In summary, D. candidum significantly inhibits fat accumulation, maintains lipid metabolism and glucose homeostasis, and inhibits the inflammatory response in the liver of HFD mice. Our findings suggest that D. candidum may be an effective therapeutic strategy against NAFLD injury. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: The occurrence and development of fatty liver is closely related to abnormalities in lipid and glucose metabolism. An HFD-induced NAFLD mouse model was used to study the effects of D. candidum. After treatment with D. candidum, lipid and glucose metabolism in the mice was effectively regulated, which reduced liver damage and fat storage with obvious protective effects on the liver. Our results suggest that D. candidum has potential for further clinical application in the treatment of NAFLD.

Analysis of influencing factors of severity in acute pancreatitis using big data mining.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the epidemiological characteristics of acute pancreatitis (AP) and explore potential relationships between these factors and severity. METHODOLOGY: Data-sets of 5,659 patients with AP from health statistics and the Information Center of Jiangsu province, between 2014 and 2016, were analyzed. A self-organizing map (SOM) neural network was used for data clustering. RESULTS: Biliary acute pancreatitis (BAP) (86.7%) was the most frequent etiological factor. A total of 804 (14.2%) patients had severe acute pancreatitis (SAP). The mean age of patients was 53.7 + 17.3 (range 12~94y). Most of the AP patients were married (75.4%); 6% of mild /moderately severe AP (MAP/MASP) patients were unmarried, which was less than SAP patients (P=0.016). AP patients with blood type AB in the general population (8.8%) was significantly lower than that of AP cases (13.9%) (P=0.019) and SAP cases(18.7%) (P=0.007). The number of AP patients in southern Jiangsu was much higher than that in northern Jiangsu province, especially in Nanjing (1229, 21.7%). The proportion of acute alcoholic pancreatitis (AAP) in the north of Jiangsu (Xuzhou 18.4%) was much higher than that in southern Jiangsu (Suzhou 2.6%). The whole sample was divided into five classes by SOM neural network. If BAP patients were male, old, divorced, and blood type AB or B, they were more likely to develop SAP. Middle-age, unmarried or divorced male patients with blood type B/AB who suffered from HAP or AAP were also more likely to develop SAP. CONCLUSIONS: The number of unmarried patients with MAP/MASP was smaller than that of SAP. Blood types AB and B were more frequent in AP, especially in SAP. The differences between southern Jiangsu and northern Jiangsu, in number of AP patients and the proportion of AAP, were significant. In class I and class IV, the ratio of SAP was much higher than in other classes and the whole sample.

Analysis of influencing factors of severity in acute pancreatitis using big data mining

SUMMARY OBJECTIVES To evaluate the epidemiological characteristics of acute pancreatitis (AP) and explore potential relationships between these factors and severity. METHODOLOGY Data-sets of 5,659 patients with AP from health statistics and the Information Center of Jiangsu province, between 2014 and 2016, were analyzed. A self-organizing map (SOM) neural network was used for data clustering. RESULTS Biliary acute pancreatitis (BAP) (86.7%) was the most frequent etiological factor. A total of 804 (14.2%) patients had severe acute pancreatitis (SAP). The mean age of patients was 53.7 + 17.3 (range 12~94y). Most of the AP patients were married (75.4%); 6% of mild /moderately severe AP (MAP/MASP) patients were unmarried, which was less than SAP patients (P=0.016). AP patients with blood type AB in the general population (8.8%) was significantly lower than that of AP cases (13.9%) (P=0.019) and SAP cases(18.7%) (P=0.007). The number of AP patients in southern Jiangsu was much higher than that in northern Jiangsu province, especially in Nanjing (1229, 21.7%). The proportion of acute alcoholic pancreatitis (AAP) in the north of Jiangsu (Xuzhou 18.4%) was much higher than that in southern Jiangsu (Suzhou 2.6%). The whole sample was divided into five classes by SOM neural network. If BAP patients were male, old, divorced, and blood type AB or B, they were more likely to develop SAP. Middle-age, unmarried or divorced male patients with blood type B/AB who suffered from HAP or AAP were also more likely to develop SAP. CONCLUSIONS The number of unmarried patients with MAP/MASP was smaller than that of SAP. Blood types AB and B were more frequent in AP, especially in SAP. The differences between southern Jiangsu and northern Jiangsu, in number of AP patients and the proportion of AAP, were significant. In class I and class IV, the ratio of SAP was much higher than in other classes and the whole sample.

Angiogenesis in tissue-engineered nerves evaluated objectively using MICROFIL perfusion and micro-CT scanning.

Angiogenesis is a key process in regenerative medicine generally, as well as in the specific field of nerve regeneration. However, no convenient and objective method for evaluating the angiogenesis of tissue-engineered nerves has been reported. In this study, tissue-engineered nerves were constructed in vitro using Schwann cells differentiated from rat skin-derived precursors as supporting cells and chitosan nerve conduits combined with silk fibroin fibers as scaffolds to bridge 10-mm sciatic nerve defects in rats. Four weeks after surgery, three-dimensional blood vessel reconstructions were made through MICROFIL perfusion and micro-CT scanning, and parameter analysis of the tissue-engineered nerves was performed. New blood vessels grew into the tissue-engineered nerves from three main directions: the proximal end, the distal end, and the middle. The parameter analysis of the three-dimensional blood vessel images yielded several parameters, including the number, diameter, connection, and spatial distribution of blood vessels. The new blood vessels were mainly capillaries and microvessels, with diameters ranging from 9 to 301 µm. The blood vessels with diameters from 27 to 155 µm accounted for 82.84% of the new vessels. The microvessels in the tissue-engineered nerves implanted in vivo were relatively well-identified using the MICROFIL perfusion and micro-CT scanning method, which allows the evaluation and comparison of differences and changes of angiogenesis in tissue-engineered nerves implanted in vivo.