Erianin alleviates collagen-induced arthritis in mice by inhibiting Th17 cell differentiation.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disorder. Its pathogenesis is complicated but highly related to aberrant Th17 overactivation. Uncontrolled Th17 cell expansion and activation in populations and associated activities contribute to the progression of RA. Although clinical RA remedies are available, not all RA patients respond to these treatments, and adverse effects are always a concerning issue during treatment. To expand the repertoire of possible anti-RA remedies, we chose the phytochemical compound erianin, isolated from Dendrobium sp., and evaluated its antiarthritic effect in vitro and in vivo. We found that erianin efficiently controlled the differentiation and activation of Th17 cell development from primary CD4 T cells, limiting IL-17A cytokine production and RORγT transcript generation. In line with molecular docking models, the essential signaling pathway for Th17 polarization, the JAK/STAT3 pathway, was inhibited upon erianin treatment, with dose-dependent inhibition of phosphorylation shown by western blotting. More importantly, erianin treatment reduced arthritic manifestations and proinflammatory cytokine levels in collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) mice, as well as protecting the joint histological microstructure. Overall, erianin revealed a promising inhibitory effect on Th17 overactivation and decreased disability in CIA mice. Therefore, erianin could be further developed as a candidate RA remedy.

Predictive Factors for Nasogastric Tube Removal in Post-Stroke Patients.

Background and Objectives: Stroke patients have different levels of functional impairment, and rehabilitation is essential to achieving functional recovery. Many post-stroke patients transition from acute treatment to post-acute care (PAC) with nasogastric tubes (NGTs) for rehabilitation. However, long-term NGT placement can lead to several complications, and its earlier removal can effectively reduce the incidence of mortality. This study aimed to use a PAC-cerebrovascular disease (CVD) program and physical functional evaluation scale tools to demonstrate the factors associated with NGT removal before post-stroke patient discharge. Materials and Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, data were collected between January 2017 and August 2022. We divided patients who had NGTs at admission into discharged with and without NGT groups to compare their baseline characteristics and physical functional status. Logistic regression analysis was used to detect the predictive factors for NGT removal. Results: There were 63 participants: 22 without NGT removal and 41 with NGT removal. The NGT removal rate was 65%. Age and scores for the activities of daily living by the Barthel index (BI), Functional Oral Intake Scale (FOIS), Mini-Mental State Examination, and Concise Chinese Aphasia Test were significantly different in terms of NGT removal status, but only the BI and FOIS were significantly correlated with NGT removal. Patients' BI scores indicating severe to moderate dependence (21-90) had a 4.55 times greater chance of NGT removal (odds ratio, 4.55; p < 0.05) than patients who had total dependence (<20). Every one-point increase in FOIS score indicated a 3.07 times greater chance of NGT removal (odds ratio, 3.07; p < 0.05). Conclusions: The BI and FOIS evaluations may indicate the probability of NGT removal in patients.

Lightweight Deep Neural Network Embedded with Stochastic Variational Inference Loss Function for Fast Detection of Human Postures.

Fusing object detection techniques and stochastic variational inference, we proposed a new scheme for lightweight neural network models, which could simultaneously reduce model sizes and raise the inference speed. This technique was then applied in fast human posture identification. The integer-arithmetic-only algorithm and the feature pyramid network were adopted to reduce the computational complexity in training and to capture features of small objects, respectively. Features of sequential human motion frames (i.e., the centroid coordinates of bounding boxes) were extracted by the self-attention mechanism. With the techniques of Bayesian neural network and stochastic variational inference, human postures could be promptly classified by fast resolving of the Gaussian mixture model for human posture classification. The model took instant centroid features as inputs and indicated possible human postures in the probabilistic maps. Our model had better overall performance than the baseline model ResNet in mean average precision (32.5 vs. 34.6), inference speed (27 vs. 48 milliseconds), and model size (46.2 vs. 227.8 MB). The model could also alert a suspected human falling event about 0.66 s in advance.

Long-Term Results of Serial Exercise Testing and Echocardiography Examinations in Patients with Pulmonary Stenosis.

Pulmonary stenosis (PS) affects cardiopulmonary function and exercise performance. Cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) together with transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) can measure exercise performance, PS progression, and treatment effects. We assessed exercise capacity in PS patients using these methods. We enrolled 28 PS patients aged 6-35 years who received surgery, balloon pulmonary valvuloplasty, and follow-up care. The control population was selected by a 1:1 matching on age, sex, and body mass index. Baseline and follow-up peak pulmonary artery pulse wave velocity (PAV) were compared using TTE. Initial CPET revealed no significant differences in anaerobic metabolic equivalent (MET), peak oxygen consumption (VO2), and heart rate recovery between the two groups, nor were significant differences in pulmonary function identified. Within the PS group, there were no significant differences in MET, peak VO2, and heart rate recovery between the baseline and final CPET. Similarly, no significant differences were observed between the baseline and final PAV. The exercise capacity of patients with properly managed PS was comparable to that of healthy individuals. However, during the follow-up, declining trends in pulmonary function, aerobic metabolism, and peak exercise load capacity were observed among adolescents with PS. This study provides long-term data suggesting that PS patients should be encouraged to perform physical activity. Regular reevaluation should also be encouraged to limit performance deterioration.

Intravascular Laser Irradiation of Blood Improves Functional Independence in Subacute Post-Stroke Patients: A Retrospective Observational Study from a Post-Stroke Acute Care Center in Taiwan.

Objective: To investigate the effect of intravascular laser irradiation of blood (ILIB) in patients with post-stroke disability. Background: Helium-neon intravascular laser at a wavelength of 632.8 nm has been applied in post-stroke rehabilitation for many years in Taiwan. Data were collected from our practice to validate its effectiveness. Materials and methods: This was a single-center, retrospective, observational study. Data from 34 patients with first-episode ischemic stroke who participated in the post-acute care program and had an initial modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score of 4 between July 2018 and June 2021 were retrospectively reviewed. Twelve patients who received conventional rehabilitation plus ILIB were in the ILIB group. Twenty-two patients who received conventional rehabilitation only were in the control group. Assessments, including the mRS, Barthel Index (BI), Berg Balance Scale (BBS), 6-min walk test (6MWT), and Fugl-Meyer Assessment of the upper extremity (FMA-UE), were performed to evaluate any post-treatment improvement. Results: Patients who received ILIB had significantly superior mRS scores than those who received only conventional rehabilitation (p = 0.028). Patients in the ILIB group experienced more improvements in the BI, 6MWT, and FMA-UE; however, these were nonsignificant. In addition, the control group experienced a greater improvement in the BBS than the ILIB group. Further studies are required to elucidate the mechanism of action of ILIB therapy fully. There was no major adverse event reported in patients receiving ILIB therapy. Conclusions: ILIB improved independence in post-stroke patients, suggesting that ILIB is a promising treatment for facilitating post-stroke recovery.

The Berg Balance Scale at Admission Can Predict Community Ambulation at Discharge in Patients with Stroke.

Background and Objectives: To regain the ability of community ambulation is a meaningful goal for stroke patients. Recent research recommended that the distance accomplished during the six-minute walk test (≥205 m in 6MWT) is the fittest for defining community ambulation. Until now, there are few studies that have used the updated definition to investigate the related predictors. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between the admission clinical parameters and community ambulation measured by the 6MWT at discharge. The other aim was to find the admission Berg Balance Scale (BBS) cut-off score to discriminate between household or community ambulators. Materials and Methods: This cohort study collected the data of patients who entered the post-acute Care Cerebrovascular Diseases program. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify significant predictors measured at admission that are associated with community ambulation, and a receiver operating characteristic was adopted to calculate the cut-off value for admission status. There were 120 participants included in this study, and 25% (n = 30) of them regained the ability of community ambulation at discharge. The BBS on admission was identified as the only significant predictor for community ambulation (odds ratio 1.06). Results: The optimal cut-off score for the BBS at admission was 29, and the area under the curve for BBS scores on admission when discriminating between household and community ambulators at discharge was 0.74. Conclusions: The admission BBS scores could be used to predict household and community ambulators at discharge in stroke patients. The results of this study could help clinical physicians set appropriate discharge goals early.

Kurarinone Attenuates Collagen-Induced Arthritis in Mice by Inhibiting Th1/Th17 Cell Responses and Oxidative Stress.

Kurarinone is a flavanone, extracted from Sophora flavescens Aiton, with multiple biological effects. Here, we determine the therapeutic potential of kurarinone and elucidate the interplay between kurarinone and the autoimmune disease rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Arthritis was recapitulated by induction of bovine collagen II (CII) in DBA/1 mice as a collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) model. After the establishment of the CIA, kurarinone was given orally from day 21 to 42 (100 mg/kg/day) followed by determination of the severity based on a symptom scoring scale and with histopathology. Levels of cytokines, anti-CII antibodies, and the proliferation and lineages of T cells from the draining lymph nodes were measured using ELISA and flow cytometry, respectively. The expressional changes, including STAT1, STAT3, Nrf2, KEAP-1, and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) changes in the paw tissues, were evaluated by Western blot assay. Oxidative stress featured with malondiadehyde (MDA) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) activities in paw tissues were also evaluated. Results showed that kurarinone treatment reduced arthritis severity of CIA mice, as well as their levels of proinflammatory cytokines, TNF-α, IL-6, IFN-γ, and IL-17A, in the serum and paw tissues. T cell proliferation was also reduced by kurarinone even under the stimulation of CII and anti-CD3 antibody. In addition, kurarinone reduced STAT1 and STAT3 phosphorylation and the proportions of Th1 and Th17 cells in lymph nodes. Moreover, kurarinone suppressed the production of MDA and H2O2. All while promoting enzymatic activities of key antioxidant enzymes, SOD and GSH-Px. In the paw tissues, upregulation of Nrf-2 and HO-1, and downregulation of KEAP-1 were observed. Overall, kurarinone showed an anti-inflammatory effect by inhibiting Th1 and Th17 cell differentiation and an antioxidant effect exerted in part through activating the Nrf-2/KEAP-1 pathway. These beneficial effects in CIA mice contributed to the amelioration of their arthritis, indicating that kurarinone might be an adjunct treatment option for rheumatoid arthritis.

Cardiopulmonary Function Assessment in Children With Pulmonary Valve Stenosis.

OBJECTIVE: Pulmonary valve (PV) stenosis affects cardiac pulmonary function and exercise performance. A cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) combined with a transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE) can measure exercise performance, disease progression, and treatment effects. We assessed the exercise capacity in children with PV stenosis by conducting CPET and TTE. METHODS: From 2005 to 2021, 84 patients with PV stenosis aged 6-18 years were enrolled; 43 were treated with balloon pulmonary valvuloplasty (BPV) (Group A), and 41 received follow-up care (Group B), and their CPET and pulmonary function test results were compared with 84 healthy, matched individuals (Control). We also conducted TTE to compare the peak pulmonary artery pulse wave velocity and pulmonary valve (PV) area before and after catheterization and follow-up care. RESULTS: There were no significant differences among the CPET parameters of the patient groups and controls in anaerobic metabolic equivalent (MET) (group A: 6.44 ± 0.58; group B: 6.28 ± 0.47, control: 6.92 ± 0.39, p = 0.110), peak MET (group A: 9.32 ± 0.74; group B: 9.13 ± 0.63; control: 9.80 ± 0.52, p = 0.263), and heart rate recovery (group A: 28.04 ± 4.70; group B: 26.44 ± 3.43, control:26.10 ± 2.42, p = 0.718). No significant differences were found in the pulmonary functions between the three groups. The pulmonary artery pulse wave velocity significantly decreased after catheterization (3.97 ± 1.50 vs. 1.95 ± 0.94, p < 0.0001), but not after follow-up care (1.67 ± 0.77 vs. 1.75 ± 0.66, p = 0.129). The pulmonary vale area significantly improved in group A (0.89 ± 0.71 vs. 1.16 ± 0.58, p < 0.0001), whereas only insignificant progression of PV stenosis was observed in group B (1.60 ± 0.64 vs. 1.57 ± 0.65, p = 0.110). CONCLUSIONS: Patients treated with BPV had a similar exercise capacity with that of patients under follow-up care and the healthy controls. Larger or multi-center studies should be conducted to confirm the physical fitness of pediatric patients with PV stenosis after management.

Rehabilitation programs for patients with COronaVIrus Disease 2019: consensus statements of Taiwan Academy of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation.

The COronaVIrus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), which developed into a pandemic in 2020, has become a major healthcare challenge for governments and healthcare workers worldwide. Despite several medical treatment protocols having been established, a comprehensive rehabilitation program that can promote functional recovery is still frequently ignored. An online consensus meeting of an expert panel comprising members of the Taiwan Academy of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation was held to provide recommendations for rehabilitation protocols in each of the five COVID-19 stages, namely (1) outpatients with mild disease and no risk factors, (2) outpatients with mild disease and epidemiological risk factors, (3) hospitalized patients with moderate to severe disease, (4) ventilator-supported patients with clear cognitive function, and (5) ventilator-supported patients with impaired cognitive function. Apart from medications and life support care, a proper rehabilitation protocol that facilitates recovery from COVID-19 needs to be established and emphasized in clinical practice.

Alleviation of Collagen-Induced Arthritis by Crotonoside through Modulation of Dendritic Cell Differentiation and Activation.

Crotonoside, a guanosine analog originally isolated from Croton tiglium, is reported to be a potent tyrosine kinase inhibitor with immunosuppressive effects on immune cells. Due to its potential immunotherapeutic effects, we aimed to evaluate the anti-arthritic activity of crotonoside and explore its immunomodulatory properties in alleviating the severity of arthritic symptoms. To this end, we implemented the treatment of crotonoside on collagen-induced arthritic (CIA) DBA/1 mice and investigated its underlying mechanisms towards pathogenic dendritic cells (DCs). Our results suggest that crotonoside treatment remarkably improved clinical arthritic symptoms in this CIA mouse model as indicated by decreased pro-inflammatory cytokine production in the serum and suppressed expression of co-stimulatory molecules, CD40, CD80, and MHC class II, on CD11c+ DCs from the CIA mouse spleens. Additionally, crotonoside treatment significantly reduced the infiltration of CD11c+ DCs into the synovial tissues. Our in vitro study further demonstrated that bone marrow-derived DCs (BMDCs) exhibited lower yield in numbers and expressed lower levels of CD40, CD80, and MHC-II when incubated with crotonoside. Furthermore, LPS-stimulated mature DCs exhibited limited capability to prime antigen-specific CD4+ and T-cell proliferation, cytokine secretions, and co-stimulatory molecule expressions when treated with crotonoside. Our pioneer study highlights the immunotherapeutic role of crotonoside in the alleviation of the CIA via modulation of pathogenic DCs, thus creating possible applications of crotonoside as an immunosuppressive agent that could be utilized and further explored in treating autoimmune disorders in the future.

Limited Knee-Joint Range of Motion in Patients With Tophaceous Gout Improved With Medical Treatment: A 18-Months Follow Up.

Objectives: Tophi may occur within the knee joint causing limited knee-joint range of motion (knee motion). We investigated the relationships between knee motion, total intra-articular tophi size (tIA-tophi), and total subcutaneous tophi size (tSC-tophi) and determined knee motion improvement after continual urate-lowering therapy (ULT). Methods: A total of 26 patients with tophaceous gout and limited knee motion were enrolled. Inclusion criteria were age ≤ 60 years and preserved knee joint space on a plain radiograph. tSC-tophi were measured using a Vernier caliper and tIA-tophi were measured using magnetic resonance imaging software. All patients were re-evaluated after 12-24 months of continual ULT. Upon initial visit, knee motion was related to tIA-tophi and tSC-tophi. Results: After an average of 18.2 months of ULT, the reduction in tSC-tophi was correlated with the reduction in tIA-tophi (P = 0.014, r = 0.395) and improvement in knee motion (P = 0.038, r = 0.408). Knee motion can be eventually improved even in cases of poor initial knee motion (P = 0.000, r = -0.911) or large initial tIA-tophi (P = 0.014, r = 0.476). Tophi can occur in any location within the knee joint. In multiple lineal regression, knee motion was predicted to improve 8.39° for every 10cm of tIA-tophi reduction. Conclusions: Limited knee motion in patients with intra-articular tophi improved with medical treatment, regardless of initial severity. Furthermore, tSC-tophi can be used as an indicator of limited knee motion and their improvement as a predictor of knee motion improvement.

A functional recovery profile for patients with stroke following post-acute rehabilitation care in Taiwan.

BACKGROUND: Functional impairment is frequently seen in patients with stroke. Although the progression of functional recovery after stroke has been proposed, the recovery profile after acute stroke is not well described. The objective of this study is to investigate functional recovery in stroke patients entering post-acute rehabilitation care. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study collected the data of patients who entered the stroke Post-acute Care (PAC) programs. Ninety-five patients after stroke with a modified Ranking Scale (mRS) score of 3-4 who were referred to a post-acute care unit for intensive rehabilitation were recruited. The patients underwent functional, quality of life, and neuropsychological evaluation tests at admission and before discharge. The test scores before discharge were used as outcome variables and were compared with the test scores at admission to show functional recovery. RESULTS: The average length of stay was 58.15 days. After an intensive rehabilitation intervention, significant improvements were observed in all test scores. Additionally, a significant removal rate for nasogastric tubes (p = 0.000) and Foley catheters (p = 0.003) was found at discharge. CONCLUSION: This study showed that the PAC rehabilitation unit was beneficial for patients with acute stroke who had functional impairments. The study results may call for further investigation to identify and develop better models for the delivery of rehabilitation in the stroke PAC unit.

Isorhamnetin ameliorates inflammatory responses and articular cartilage damage in the rats of monosodium iodoacetate-induced osteoarthritis.

Context: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative joint disease with damage to the articular cartilage. Active production of inflammatory cytokine/chemokine and matrix metalloproteinases may be found during the progression of OA. Isorhamnetin had the effects of anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-ischemia, anti-atherosclerotic hepatoprotective and anticancer activities. Objective: Our study was focused on the effects of isorhamnetin treatment in OA. Materials and methods: We used monosodium iodoacetate (MIA)-induced OA rats to evaluate the effects of isorhamnetin related anti-inflammatory process. The rats in all groups were sacrificed on four weeks post-MIA injection. The measurements of knee joint swelling, histological analysis, serum inflammatory biomarkers and western blot were evaluated. Results: We found that isorhamnetin may reduce MIA-induced knee swelling by significantly reduction of articular cartilage damage.in rats. Suppression of pro-inflammatory cytokines production was found after isohamnetin treatment. Isorhamnetin inhibited the production of NO and PGE2, and the expression of iNOS and COX-2. The production of COMP, CTX-II and osteopontin (OPN) were also inhibited in MIA-induced OA rats. Discussion and conclusions: Isorhamnetin may modulate the inflammatory progression of OA in MIA-induced OA rats. The prevention of cartilage damage was found in OA after adequate isorhamnetin treatment. Isorhamnetin may serve as a potential agent for the management of OA.

Magnesium-responsive genes are downregulated in diabetic patients after a three-month exercise program on a bicycle ergometer.

BACKGROUND: Exercise is an effective therapy for the management of diabetes because it helps regulate glucose and magnesium homeostasis. Nevertheless, the mechanisms by which exercise exerts effects on magnesium transport remain unclear. This study investigated the expression of genes encoding magnesium transporters (GMTs) after a three-month exercise program in diabetic patients. METHODS: This study was conducted with a within-subject pre-post design. A total of 15 adult patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) were recruited and underwent a three-month indoor bicycle exercise program. The expression of five GMTs (CNNM2, TRPM6, TRPM7, SLC41A1, and SLC41A3) was determined in blood samples. Relevant anthropometric values and biochemical parameters were also determined. RESULTS: Although the body weight and body mass index decreased after three months exercise, there were no significant differences. Fasting blood glucose, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), waist circumference, and magnesium levels decreased after the exercise program (p < 0.05). The expression of SLC41A1 and SLC41A3 were downregulated after exercise, but only CNNM2, TRPM6, and TRPM7 showed significantly decreased expression levels compared with those before the exercise program (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The three-month exercise program ameliorated blood glucose levels and downregulated the expression of magnesium-responsive genes in patients with T2DM.

Atractylodin Suppresses Dendritic Cell Maturation and Ameliorates Collagen-Induced Arthritis in a Mouse Model.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the immunomodulatory effects of atractylodin, a polyethylene alkyne, on the maturation of bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BM-DC) as well as its antirheumatic effect on collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) in DBA/1 mice. Our results indicate that atractylodin effectively suppressed the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines, expression of costimulatory molecules, and p38 MAPK, ERK, and NF-κBp65 signaling pathways in LPS-incubated dendritic cells (DCs). Additionally, the proliferation and cytokine secretion (IFN-γ and IL-17A) of CD8+ and CD4+ T cells were reduced. In a murine CIA model, intraperitoneal injection of atractylodin significantly alleviated the severity of the disease progression, as indicated by reduced paw swelling, clinical arthritis scores, and pathological changes of joint tissues. In addition, the overall proliferation of T cells stimulated by type II collagen and the abundance of Th1 and Th17 in the spleens were also significantly decreased with atractylodin treatments. Furthermore, atractylodin significantly downregulated the expression levels of CD40, CD80, and CD86 of DCs in the spleens. In conclusion, this study shows for the first time that atractylodin has potential to manipulate the maturation of BM-DCs and should be further explored as a therapeutic agent in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects of the citrus flavanone naringenin.

OBJECTIVE: Naringenin, a flavonoid found in citrus fruits, has notably diverse pharmacological properties. In the present study, we investigated the antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects of naringenin. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The antinociceptive effects were evaluated using hot-plate, acetic acid-induced writhing, and tail-flick assays in mice and rats. The anti-inflammatory effects were examined by a carrageenan-induced paw edema test in rats. RESULTS: Naringenin (100 or 200 mg/kg, oral administration) significantly delayed the reaction time of mice to thermal stimulation generated by a hot plate and a tail-flick unit and reduced the acetic acid-induced writhing response in mice. In addition, naringenin significantly decreased paw edema induced by carrageenan in rats, showing its anti-inflammatory effect. CONCLUSION: Our results show that naringenin has therapeutic potential with antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory properties and can further be exploited for the development of drugs for pain and inflammatory-related diseases.

Recombinant porcine myostatin propeptide generated by the Pichia pastoris elevates myoblast growth and ameliorates high-fat diet-induced glucose intolerance.

Myostatin (MSTN) was identified as a negative regulator of skeletal muscle growth. MSTN inhibition by myostatin propeptide (MSPP) increased skeletal muscle mass, myofiber growth and muscle force. Thus, this study was designed to produce wild-type porcine MSPP (WT-MSPP) and its mutated form (D75A-MSPP) in yeast Pichia pastoris and to investigate its potential enhancement of myoblast growth and differentiation. In an in vitro study, C2C12 myoblasts were treated with the purified WT-MSPP or D75A-MSPP (10 µg/mL) in either a regular culture medium or in a differentiation medium for 72 h. In an animal trial, post-weaning C57BL/6 mice fed with a high-fat diet (HFD) were administered WT-MSPP or D75A-MSPP for 6 weeks. The results showed that C2C12 myoblasts treated with the purified WT-MSPP or D75A-MSPP could dramatically promote cell proliferation. Both myoD and myogenin were significantly increased (p < .05) after WT-MSPP or D75A-MSPP treatment. D75A-MSPP was particularly more effective than WT-MSPP in promoting myotube formation (p < .05). The post-weaning mice treated with D75A-MSPP significantly increased both body and muscle weights compared with the mock and WT-MSPP groups (p < .05). Furthermore, the mice treatment with D75A-MSPP could prevent increased glucose injection from inducing glucose elevation. Our data indicated that a mutant-type MSPP (D75A-MSPP) was superior to WT-MSPP in effectively enhancing myofiber growth due to the highly resistant to proteolytic cleavage by the bone morphogenetic protein-1/tolloid (BMP-1/TLD) and thus has potential applications for clinical muscle wasting diseases or for increasing muscle mass in meat-producing animals.

Functional evaluation for adequacy of MDCK-lineage cells in influenza research.

OBJECTIVE: Influenza is an acute respiratory disease caused by the influenza virus which circulates annually in populations of different species. Madin-Darby Canine Kidney (MDCK) is the most widely utilized cell-line for conducting influenza research. However, the infectivity of various influenza strains in MDCK cells is not equivalent and the productivity of viral propagation is also limited. RESULTS: We tested the functional adequacy of two MDCK-lineage cell lines, conventional MDCK and MDCK/London, were evaluated by assessing their infectivity of different influenza viral strains with focus forming assays and the cellular toxicity caused by influenza infections by lactate dehydrogenase assay. Moreover, the sensitivity of cells in the presence of the antiviral agent ribavirin was assessed by MTT assay. Our results showed that MDCK/London cells efficiently propagate virus across all influenza viruses tested, are comparable to the utility of Mv1Lu cells, and are superior to conventional MDCK cells in replicating virus as indicated by an increase in virus of three to four logs, particularly in H3N2 infection. Also, the MDCK/London cells were more sensitive to the presence of antiviral drug than conventional MDCK cells. In conclusion, MDCK/London cell line could be a better platform for influenza studies and vaccine development.

Effects of dextrose prolotherapy on contusion-induced muscle injuries in mice.

Current treatment options for muscle injuries remain suboptimal and often result in delayed/incomplete recovery of damaged muscles. In this study, the effects of dextrose prolotherapy on inflammation and regeneration of skeletal muscles after a contusion injury were investigated. Mice were separated into five groups, including a normal control (NC), post-injury with no treatment (mass-drop injury, MDI), post-injury with 10% dextrose (MDI + 10% dextrose), post-injury with 20% dextrose (MDI + 20% dextrose), and post-injury with 30% dextrose (MDI + 30% dextrose). The gastrocnemius muscles of the mice were subjected to an MDI, and muscle samples were collected at 7 days post-injury. Results showed the serum creatine kinase (CK), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine (CREA), and low-density lipoprotein (LDH) of the MDI-alone group were significantly higher than those of the normal control group (p<0.05). However, levels of serum CK, BUN, CREA, and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) significantly decreased with different concentrations of dextrose. In addition, dextrose suppressed the macrophage response (F4/80 protein decreased) and promoted muscle satellite cell regeneration (desmin protein increased). In conclusion, dextrose prolotherapy can effectively help repair muscles; therefore, it may be one of the methods for clinically treating muscle injuries.