Ramulus Mori (Sangzhi) Alkaloids Alleviate Diabetic Nephropathy through Improving Gut Microbiota Disorder.

Diabetic nephropathy (DN), one of the leading causes of end-stage kidney failure worldwide, is closely associated with high mortality in diabetic patients. However, therapeutic drugs for DN are still lacking. Ramulus Mori alkaloids (SZ-A), an effective component of alkaloids extracted from Ramulus Mori, have been found to improve glucose and lipid metabolism to mitigate diabetes and obesity; however, few studies have focused on their effects on DN progression. Thus, we investigated the protective role of SZ-A on DN through 16S rRNA sequencing, non-targeted metabolomics, and fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) experiments. To address our hypothesis, we established the DN mouse model by combining a high-fat diet (HFD) with streptozotocin (STZ) injection. Herein, we demonstrated that SZ-A supplementation was recalcitrant to renal injury in DN mice, improving glomerular morphology, reversing the blood biochemistry parameters, and ameliorating podocyte injury. Importantly, the composition of the gut microbiota altered after SZ-A treatment, especially with the elevated abundance of Dubosiella and the increased level of serum pentadecanoic acid. FMT experiments further revealed that the gut microbiota exerted critical effects in mediating the beneficial roles of SZ-A. In vitro experiments proved that pentadecanoic acid administration improved podocyte apoptosis induced by AGEs. Taken together, SZ-A play a renoprotective role, possibly through regulating the gut microbiota and promoting pentadecanoic acid production. Our current study lends support to more extensive clinical applications of SZ-A.

Integration of Transcriptomics and Lipidomics Profiling to Reveal the Therapeutic Mechanism Underlying Ramulus mori (Sangzhi) Alkaloids for the Treatment of Liver Lipid Metabolic Disturbance in High-Fat-Diet/Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Mice.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common liver disorder, with a global prevalence of 25%. Currently, there remains no approved therapy. Ramulus mori (Sangzhi) alkaloids (SZ-As), a novel natural medicine, have achieved comprehensive benefits in the treatment of type 2 diabetes; however, few studies have focused on its role in ameliorating hepatic lipid metabolic disturbance. Herein, the therapeutic effect and mechanism of SZ-As on a high-fat diet (HFD) combined with streptozotocin (STZ)-induced NAFLD mice were investigated via incorporating transcriptomics and lipidomics. SZ-As reduced body weight and hepatic lipid levels, restored pathological alternation and converted the blood biochemistry perturbations. SZ-A treatment also remarkedly inhibited lipogenesis and enhanced lipolysis, fatty acid oxidation and thermogenesis. Transcriptomics analysis confirmed that SZ-As mainly altered fatty acid oxidative metabolism and the TNF signaling pathway. SZ-As were further demonstrated to downregulate inflammatory factors and effectively ameliorate hepatic inflammation. Lipidomics analysis also suggested that SZ-As affected differential lipids including triglyceride (TG) and phosphatidylcholine (PC) expression, and the main metabolic pathways included glycerophospholipid, sphingomyelins and choline metabolism. Collectively, combined with transcriptomics and metabolomics data, it is suggested that SZ-As exert their therapeutic effect on NAFLD possibly through regulating lipid metabolism pathways (glycerophospholipid metabolism and choline metabolism) and increasing levels of PC and lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) metabolites. This study provides the basis for more widespread clinical applications of SZ-As.

[Effects of irrigation at flowering stage on soil nutrient and root distribution in wheat field]. / å°éº¦å¼€èŠ±æœŸçŒæ°´å¯¹åœŸå£¤å »åˆ†åŠæ ¹ç³»åˆ†å¸ƒçš„å½±å“.

To provide theoretical support the full use of water and fertilizer resources for wheat, we explored the effects of irrigation on wheat yield, plant and soil nutrient distribution during flowering period and its relationship with root characteristics. We set up two treatments by using the 2 m deep soil column cultivation method with irrigation during flowering (T1) and no irrigation during flowering (T2), with the drought-resistant and high-yield cultivar Luomai 28 (LM28) and the high photosynthetic efficiency cultivar Bainong 207 (BN207) as materials. We measured contents of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in plants and soils, as well as the characteristics of soil roots. The results showed that ammonium, available phosphorus, and available potassium were mainly distributed in 0-80 cm soil layer, and that nitrate was mainly distributed in soil layer below 80 cm during wheat harvest. Irrigation at anthesis stage promoted wheat to absorb ammonium, available phosphorus and available potassium from the upper layer of soil and nitrate nitrogen from the lower layer but did not aggravate the deep leaching of nitrate. The root of wheat mainly concentrated in 0-60 cm soil layer and decreased with increasing soil depth. Dry matter accumulation, total nitrogen and total phosphorus were mainly distributed in wheat grains at maturity, while total potassium was mainly distributed in stems. Irrigation at anthesis stage significantly increased the 100-grain weight of wheat, and consequently the yield. Root morphology was negatively correlated with soil nitrate in 0-40 cm soil layer, positively correlated with soil ammonium in 80-100 cm soil layer and soil available phosphorus in 0-100 cm soil layer. Irrigation at anthesis stage promoted the full absorption of soil nutrients by roots at late filling stage, delayed the senescence of flag leaves after flowering, prolonged the functional period of transporting nutrients from vegetative organs to reproductive organs, leading nutrients in vegetative organs more fully transported to grains, increasing grain weight and yield.

Long Noncoding RNAs: Novel Important Players in Adipocyte Lipid Metabolism and Derivative Diseases.

Obesity, a global public health issue, is characterized by excessive adiposity and is strongly related to some chronic diseases including cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. Extra energy intake-induced adipogenesis involves various transcription factors and long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) that control lipogenic mRNA expression. Currently, lncRNAs draw much attention for their contribution to adipogenesis and adipose tissue function. Increasing evidence also manifests the pivotal role of lncRNAs in modulating white, brown, and beige adipose tissue development and affecting the progression of the diseases induced by adipose dysfunction. The aim of this review is to summarize the roles of lncRNAs in adipose tissue development and obesity-caused diseases to provide novel drug targets for the treatment of obesity and metabolic diseases.

Efficacy and Safety of Radiofrequency Thermocoagulation with Different Puncture Methods for Treatment of V1 Trigeminal Neuralgia: A Prospective Study.

BACKGROUND: Radiofrequency thermocoagulation through the supraorbital foramen with a different puncture method is a new approach for the treatment of ophthalmic division trigeminal neuralgia. OBJECTIVES: To compare the efficacy of the vertical puncture method and the transverse puncture method in the treatment of ophthalmic division trigeminal neuralgia during radiofrequency thermocoagulation through the supraorbital foramen. STUDY DESIGN: Randomized, longitudinal prospective, clinical research study. SETTING: Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Jiaxing, China. METHODS: A total of 57 patients with ophthalmic division trigeminal neuralgia were enrolled in the study between October 2011 and April 2018, and prospectively randomized into the vertical puncture group (n = 29) or transverse puncture group (n = 28). All these patients received computed tomography guided radiofrequency thermocoagulation through the supraorbital foramen. Patients in the vertical puncture group were treated with a vertical puncture method; patients in the transverse puncture group received a transverse puncture method. Facial pain was evaluated using the Numeric Rating Scale preoperatively and at 1 day, 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years after treatment; facial numbness degree was analyzed at 1 day and 2 years after the treatments were recorded. The short-term and long-term complications during the period of postoperative follow-up were recorded. RESULTS: All surgical procedures were successfully completed. The Numeric Rating Scale scores at 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years after the treatment were significantly lower in the transverse puncture group compared to the vertical puncture group (P < 0.05), while no difference was observed on day one after the treatment (P > 0.05). The numbness degree at 2 years was significantly decreased compared to day one in both groups (P < 0.05). The radiofrequency thermocoagulation for ophthalmic division trigeminal neuralgia in the transverse puncture group showed better long-term outcomes than those in the vertical puncture group (P < 0.05). No short-term or long-term postoperative complications were observed in any of the groups. LIMITATIONS: Additional clinical data should be collected to preserve the results in future work. CONCLUSION: The transverse puncture method during radiofrequency thermocoagulation through the supraorbital foramen had better efficacy and fewer complications in comparison with the vertical puncture method when treating ophthalmic division trigeminal neuralgia.