Vitamin D may alleviate irritable bowel syndrome by modulating serotonin synthesis: a hypothesis based on recent literature.

A number of studies found that serotonin plays a vital role in the development of depression and irritable bowel syndrome. Recent studies showed that vitamin D was associated with regulating the synthesis of serotonin. This review focuses on the recent progress in the relationship between vitamin D and serotonin synthesis.

Comprehensive investigation on flavonoids metabolites of Longjing tea in different cultivars, geographical origins, and storage time.

In this study, four kinds of Longjing tea, the famous flat green tea and the protected geographical indication product in China, were used to explore the quality difference of the same green tea due to the cultivar, geographic origin, and storage time under the premise of consistent picking conditions and processing technology using the widely targeted metabolomics. Results showed that 483 flavonoid metabolites with 10 subgroups of flavonoids were screened and 118 differential flavonoid metabolites were identified. The number and subgroups of differential flavonoid metabolites produced by different cultivars of Longjing tea were the largest, followed by storage time, and third by the geographic origin. Glycosidification and methylation or methoxylation were the main structural modifications of differential flavonoid metabolites. This study has enriched the understanding of the effects of the cultivar, the geographic origin, and the storage time on the flavonoid metabolic profiles of Longjing tea, and provided worthy information for the traceability of green tea.

Role of in vitamin D in irritable bowel syndrome.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common chronic functional gastrointestinal disorder affecting 10%-22% of adults. Its development is closely related to the gut microbiota, and the inflammatory and immune responses triggered by the gut microbiota can lead to IBS. Vitamin D (VD) effectively treats IBS with fewer side effects by improving gut microbiota, immune regulation, and anti-inflammatory effects. In the future, it is necessary to carry out epidemiological studies on the relationship between VD and IBS, clinical studies on the efficacy of supplementing VD to improve IBS, and animal studies on the mechanism of VD improving IBS. Therefore, this paper discussed the relationship between VD and IBS.

Relationship between the turbidity difference and the grade of green tea under Ca2+ acceleration: A preliminary study.

The grade of green tea indicates its intrinsic quality and guides consumers when purchasing. Simple, accessible, and on-site determination of green tea grades is essential for consumers and regulators. In this study, we assumed that the turbidity difference in green tea might indicate its grade, and our results confirmed this hypothesis. The turbidity difference was measured in green tea infusions before and after the Ca2+ acceleration. For the same kind of green tea, it was found that higher grades of green tea had larger turbidity differences. Effects of brewing temperature, brewing time, Ca2+ concentration, and Ca2+ treatment time on the turbidity of green tea infusions were analyzed, and their optimal values were obtained. This study demonstrates that applying the turbidity difference and Ca2+ acceleration could be an accessible method for the on-site determination of green tea grades.

Different nutrient compositions in diet and taking hypoglycemic drugs can modulate gut microbial flora.

The diet structure of diabetic patients is different from that of normal people. Diabetic patients also need to take hypoglycemic drugs to regulate blood sugar. Both dieting and drugs affect the gut microbiota of diabetic patients. In this letter, we discuss that different dietary patterns and the use of hypoglycemic agents may have an impact on changes in gut microbiota in diabetic patients.

Emerging techniques for determining the quality and safety of tea products: A review.

Spectroscopic techniques, electrochemical methods, nanozymes, computer vision, and modified chromatographic techniques are the emerging techniques for determining the quality and safety parameters (e.g., physical, chemical, microbiological, and classified parameters, as well as inorganic and organic contaminants) of tea products (such as fresh tea leaves, commercial tea, tea beverage, tea powder, and tea bakery products) effectively. By simplifying the sample preparation, speeding up the detection process, reducing the interference of other substances contained in the sample, and improving the sensitivity and accuracy of the current standard techniques, the abovementioned emerging techniques achieve rapid, cost-effective, and nondestructive or slightly destructive determination of tea products, with some of them providing real-time detection results. Applying these emerging techniques in the whole industry of tea product processing, right from the picking of fresh tea leaves, fermentation of tea leaves, to the sensory evaluation of commercial tea, as well as developing portable devices for real-time and on-site determination of classified and safety parameters (e.g., the geographical origin, grade, and content of contaminants) will not only eliminate the strong dependence on professionals but also help mechanize the production of tea products, which deserves further research. Conducting a review on the application of spectroscopic techniques, electrochemical methods, nanozymes, computer vision, and modifications of chromatographic techniques for quality and safety determination of tea products may serve as guide for other types of foods and beverages, offering potential techniques for their detection and evaluation, which would promote the development of the food industry.

Effects of ß-Cyclodextrin and Hydroxypropyl-ß-Cyclodextrin Inclusions on the Degradation of Magnolol by Intestinal Bacteria.

Cyclodextrin (CD) inclusions are generally used to increase the solubility of poorly soluble drugs. In this study, magnolol (MAG) was used as a model drug for exploring the effects of CD on the degradation of pharmaceutical drugs by intestinal microflora. MAG/ß-cyclodextrin (ß-CD) and MAG/hydroxypropyl-ß-CD (HP-ß-CD) inclusion complexes were successfully prepared by the saturated aqueous solution and freeze-drying methods, respectively. Structural characterisation along with analyses of solubility, residual water content and drug content of the inclusion complexes was performed. The intestinal microflora of male rats was used to study MAG degradation in vitro. At three concentrations, the degradation of both the inclusion complexes was slower than that of the MAG monomer, MAG and CD mixtures and the MAG-poloxamer 188 micelle. There were no statistically significant differences in the degradation of the MAG/ß-CD and MAG/HP-ß-CD inclusion complexes. A simulation first-order equation of the degradation parameters revealed that the degradation of the inclusion complexes was slower and pronounced, judging by slope. The experimental findings were verified by molecular docking for predicting the stable molecular structure of the inclusion complexes. In conclusion, the inclusion complexes partially protected MAG from degradation by the intestinal bacteria.

Farnesoid X Receptor Agonist GW4064 Inhibits Aromatase and ERß Expression in Human Endometriotic Stromal Cells.

Endometriosis is an estrogen-dependent disease. Farnesoid X receptor (FXR) activation has been shown to inhibit estrogen signaling in breast cancer and testicular tumors. However, the role of FXR in endometriosis is still poorly understood. Here, we aimed to investigate whether FXR activation by its synthetic agonist GW4064 has a therapeutic effect on endometriosis and the underlying molecular mechanisms. We found that the expression of FXR (encoded by the NR1H4 gene) in endometriotic tissues and stromal cells (ESCs) was higher than that in eutopic endometrial tissues and stromal cells. The GW4064 treatment led to a dose-dependent decrease in aromatase and estrogen receptor ß (ERß) expression and induced ERK1/2, p38, AMPK, and Stat3 activation in ESCs. In contrast, ERK1/2 inhibitor reversed the GW4064-induced reduction in aromatase expression. In addition, treatment with p38, AMPK, and Stat3 inhibitors or small interfering RNAs could also reverse the GW4064-induced reduction of ERß expression in ESCs. The GW4064 treatment markedly increased Stat3 phosphorylation, enhancing the binding of Stat3 to the ESR2 promoter, which resulted in the downregulation of ERß. Coimmunoprecipitation assay and chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis revealed that FXR was able to compete with cyclic AMP response element-binding (CREB) protein for binding to a common sequence on the aromatase promoter region after GW4064 treatment in ESCs. Moreover, treatment of endometriosis xenografts with GW4064 suppressed aromatase and ERß expression in nude mice. Our results suggest that FXR may represent a potential therapeutic target for future therapy.

Advancing the analysis of terbutaline in urine samples using novel enzyme hydrolysis.

Aim: To investigate the efficiency of two new fast-acting enzymes, recombinant arylsulfatase (IMCS-PSF) and mutant ß-glucuronidase from Escherichia coli (IMCSzyme), in hydrolyzing specific terbutaline metabolites. Materials & methods: Two purified novel enzymes are used to precisely determine the amount of each metabolite in urine at different time points after oral administration. After systematically evaluating the hydrolysis efficiency of the novel enzymes compared with commercially available enzymes, these recently developed enzymes were applied to establish the separate urine concentration profiles of terbutaline and each metabolite. Results & discussion: The results highlight the highly efficient arylsulfatase enzyme expressed from E. coli for urine analysis of terbutaline while suggesting sulfoconjugates as the main terbutaline metabolites. Conclusion: This study demonstrated the high efficiency of the IMCS-PSF enzyme in hydrolyzing terbutaline conjugates in comparison with other enzyme reagents typically used for the analysis of terbutaline and sulfoconjugates are the main terbutaline metabolites in urine.

Optimization of tea-leaf saponins water extraction and relationships between their contents and tea (Camellia sinensis) tree varieties.

Resulting from the year-on-year increase in tea plantations and the saturated consumption of tea leaves, the relative overcapacity in China's tea-leaf production appears. Discovering the new utilization of tea leaves is helpful to alleviate this phenomenon. The feasibility of extracting saponins from aged tea leaves was investigated and confirmed; three major variables in water extraction were optimized by Box-Behnken designs. The significant variable found in Box-Behnken designs, liquid-solid ratio, was went through single-variable experiments for a more accurate optimization. Seventy-five ml/g, 1 hr, and 80°C were optimal values and tea-leaf saponins yield of tea tree variety Longjing 43 reached 12.19% ± 0.0030% after optimizations, higher than the yield of tea-seed saponins from Camellia oleifera seed meals using the same extraction method (water extraction based on optimizations). According to correlation analyses, tea tree's leaf type and germination stage affected tea-leaf saponins contents positively, indicating tea trees with larger leaves and later germination stage would have a higher content of tea-leaf saponins with a higher yield of tea-leaf saponins under the same extraction method.

Development of a Rapid and Simple Method for Preparing Tea-Leaf Saponins and Investigation on Their Surface Tension Differences Compared with Tea-Seed Saponins.

The relative overcapacity in China's tea-leaf production and the potential application of tea-leaf saponins in soil remediation encouraged in-depth developments and comprehensive utilizations of tea-leaf resources. Through variables optimizations using Box⁻Behnken designs for ultrasonic power, temperature as well as ultrasonic treatment time in ultrasonic-assisted water extraction and single-variable experiments for acetone-extraction solution ratio in acetone precipitation, a rapid and simple method was developed for preparing tea-leaf saponins. Tea-leaf saponins with the concentration of 3.832 ± 0.055 mg/mL and the purity of 76.5% ± 1.13% were acquired under the optimal values of 78 w, 60 °C, 20 min and 0.1 ratio of acetone-extraction solution. Both Fourier transform-infrared (FT-IR) spectra and ultraviolet (UV) spectra revealed slight composition differences between tea-leaf saponins and tea-seed saponins, while these differences were not reflected in the critical micelle concentration (CMC) and the surface tension of tea-leaf saponins and tea-seed saponins, indicating there was no need to distinguish them at the CMC. Further research attention on where tea-leaf saponins were in low concentrations is deserved to discover whether they had differences in comparison with tea-seed saponins, which was beneficial to apply them in the phytoremediation of contaminated soils.

Optimal ranges of variables for an effective adsorption of lead(II) by the agricultural waste pomelo (Citrus grandis) peels using Doehlert designs.

The capacity of pomelo peels' adsorption on lead(II) from aqueous solutions without modifications was investigated and confirmed. Four variables in this study, pH, temperature, time and initial concentration of lead(II), significantly affected the adsorption rate of pomelo peels. The prediction model and optimal ranges of optimized variables were given by Doehlert designs, which made the selection of variables rapid, flexible and effortless to obtain an adsorption rate reaching 99.9% and 20 mg/L for initial lead(II) concentration, 3 for pH, 50 °C for temperature and 210 min for time was a choice. The higher correlation coefficient as well as the more consistent value of experimental equilibrium adsorption capacity of the pseudo-first-order model suggested it bore a better prediction of the adsorption kinetics than the pseudo-second-order model. Langmuir model indicated the adsorption mechanism of pomelo peels was monolayer sorption with the help of both physical adsorption and chemical bonding, which were demonstrated by scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform-infrared, respectively. The ability of pomelo peels to adsorb lead(II) from aqueous solutions was not interfered with the presence of calcium(II), magnesium(II), copper(II) and zinc(II). Pomelo peels had the potential to be utilized in the simultaneous adsorption of toxic heavy metal ions.

Tea saponins: effective natural surfactants beneficial for soil remediation, from preparation to application.

Tea saponins, found in Camellia plants, are natural non-ionic surfactants that offer obvious beneficial effects in soil remediation. Most tea saponins are extracted from the Camellia oleifera seed meal, with the leaves and flowers of Camellia sinensis as potential sources. Water extraction and ultrasound-assisted water extraction combined with acetone precipitation are recommended for the industrial extraction and purification of tea saponins, considering multiple factors. The detailed physical, chemical and biochemical properties of tea saponins need to be clarified, especially whether tea saponins with slightly different structures from distinct sources have different soil remediation properties. Applied in leaching remediation, phytoremediation and microbial remediation, tea saponins desorb heavy metals from contaminated soil as well as enhancing their bioavailability. Tea saponins improve the accumulation of pollutants by hyperaccumulators as well as the degradation of organic pollutants by microorganisms. Currently the mechanisms of tea saponins are not clear, although they are proven to be effective natural surfactants for the remediation of contaminated soils. This review enriches our understanding of tea saponins from various aspects and encourages further studies of industrial extraction and purification, and the field remediation mechanisms of tea saponins, making better use of Camellia plants and contributing to environmental protection.

Application of Box-Behnken designs in parameters optimization of differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry for lead(II) determination in two electrolytes.

Box-Behnken design was advantageous to parameters optimization of differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry (DPASV) for the analysis of lead(II) with its high efficiency and accuracy. Five Box-Behnken designs were designed and conducted in the electrolyte of 0.1 mol/L acetate buffer and 0.1 mol/L HCl without the removal of oxygen. Significant parameters and interactions in each electrolyte were found (P-value < 0.05) and their quantitative effects on lead(II) determination were classified into two categories, linear and quadratic. Though significant parameters and interactions were not similar in different kinds of electrolytes, characteristic parameters of differential pulse voltammetry, which were pulse amplitude, pulse width and interval time, were found significant in both electrolytes. After optimization, peak currents and relative standard deviation at 20 µg/L along with detection limits in both electrolytes were superior than before. With the lower detection limit and R.S.D., 0.1 mol/L HCl was a better choice for electrolytes in this work. Meanwhile, with the combination of parameters optimization and background subtraction, the interference of dissolved oxygen for lead(II) determination was eliminated. It was important and necessary to apply Box-Behnken designs in parameters optimization of DPASV for lead(II) determination regardless of the electrolyte kinds.

IGF-I stimulates ERß and aromatase expression via IGF1R/PI3K/AKT-mediated transcriptional activation in endometriosis.

UNLABELLED: Estrogen receptor beta (ERß, encoded by ESR2 gene) and cytochrome P450 aromatase (encoded by CYP19A1 gene) play critical roles in endometriosis, and the levels of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) in the peritoneal fluid are significantly higher in patients with endometriosis compared with those in normal women. However, the effects and mechanisms of IGF-I on ERß and aromatase expression remain to be fully elucidated. In this study, human endometriotic stromal cells (ESCs) and endometrial cells (EMs) derived from ovarian endometriomas and eutopic endometrial tissues. ESCs were cultured with IGF-I, signal pathway inhibitors, and siRNAs. ERß and aromatase expression were measured by real-time PCR and Western, respectively. The binding of c-Jun and CREB to the ESR2 and CYP19A1 promoters was assessed by chromatin immunoprecipitation assay. Animal experiments were performed in a xenograft mouse model. Levels of IGF-I mRNA in ESCs were markedly higher than those in EMs. IGF-I upregulated ERß and aromatase expression in ESCs after stimulation of the IGF1R/PI3K/AKT pathway. Following IGF-I treatment, a marked increase in c-Jun and CREB phosphorylation occurred, enhancing binding to the ESR2 and CYP19A1 promoters. An IGF1R inhibitor in vivo reduced IGF-I-induced endometriosis graft growth and ERß and aromatase expression. In conclusion, this is the first report to describe a mechanistic analysis of ERß and aromatase expression regulated by IGF-I in ESCs. Moreover, an IGF1R inhibitor impeded ectopic lesion growth in nude mice. These findings suggest that an inhibitor of IGF1R might have therapeutic potential as an antiendometriotic drug. KEY MESSAGES: Level of IGF-I mRNA in ESCs is markedly higher than that in EMs. IGF-I up-regulates ERß and aromatase expression via IGF1R/PI3K/AKT pathway. C-Jun and CREB are recruited to ESR2 or CYP19A1 promoter by IGF-I stimulation. IGF-1R inhibitors in vivo impede the growth of ectopic lesions in nude mice.

Retinoic acid aliphatic amide inhibits the AMPK-HIF-1α pathway in human ovarian cancer.

Ovarian carcinoma the commonly observed gynecological cancers has a high mortality rate. In the present study effect of retinoic acid aliphatic amide (RACA) in ovarian cancer cells was investigated using proliferation, migration and invasion assays. Western blot was used to examine the Bcl-2, cleaved caspase 3, p-ERK, MMP-2, p-FAK, P-P38, p-AMPKα and HIF-1α protein expression. CoCl2 was used to induce HIF-1α expression in SKOV3ip. 1 and HEY-A8 cells. The results revealed that RACA treatment prompted cell proliferation, invasion and migration but inhibited apoptosis of SKOV3ip. 1 and HEY-A8 cells. RACA treatment also induced upregulation of Bcl-2 and MMP-2, activation of p-P38, p-ERK and p-FAK, inhibition of cleaved caspase 3. RACA treatment also caused upregulatation of HIF-1α in ovarian cells with the activation of p-AMPKα. Upregulation of HIF-1α expression in CoCl2-treated cancer cells resulted in decrease in SDHB. Thus RACA plays a key role in cell proliferation, invasion, migration and apoptosis of human ovarian carcinoma through AMPK-HIF-1α pathway.

[Research progress and application prospect of near-infrared spectroscopy in analysis of food amino acid].

To investigate the progress and application of near infrared spectroscopy (NIR) used to detect amino acids in the growth of crops and food processing process. With online searching databases including ISI (Web of Knowledge), CNKI (China Knowledge Network), summarize the detection of chemical value using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and chemometric methods involved in the application of NIR used to analyze amino acids in food, meanwhile summarize the data, materials and main topics in relevant original literature. Overview the methods of chemical value detection using HPLC and chemometric analysis, their applications in detecting the quality of crops, determining the content of water, amino acids and polyphenol in green tea, detecting the quality of feed and determining the content of amino acids in cheese, ham and meat products, We forecasted the application of NIR in determining the content of amino acids in food and analyzed its merits and drawbacks. The development of NIR's application in amino acids detection should be based on the HPLC detection, and the problem of model transfer mainly restricts its large-scale promotion currently. Online analysis can monitor the entire reaction and change process from raw materials to products and thus meets the needs of real-time monitoring food quality from production to sales, and it will be an important direction for future.

Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus induces rapid release of angiopoietin-2 from endothelial cells.

Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) stimulates proliferation, angiogenesis, and inflammation to promote Kaposi sarcoma (KS) tumor growth, which involves various growth factors and cytokines. Previously, we found that KSHV infection of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) induces a transcriptional induction of the proangiogenic and proinflammatory cytokine angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2). Here, we report that KSHV induces rapid release of Ang-2 that is presynthesized and stored in the Weibel-Palade bodies (WPB) of endothelial cells upon binding to its integrin receptors. Blocking viral binding to integrins inhibits Ang-2 release. KSHV binding activates the integrin tyrosine kinase receptor signaling pathways, leading to tyrosine phosphorylation of focal adhesion kinase (FAK), the tyrosine kinase Src, and the Calα2 subunit of the l-type calcium channel to trigger rapid calcium (Ca(2+)) influx. Pretreatment of endothelial cells with specific inhibitors of protein tyrosine kinases inhibits KSHV-induced Ca(2+) influx and Ang-2 release. Inhibition of Ca(2+) mobilization with calcium channel blockers also inhibits Ang-2 release. Thus, the interaction between KSHV and its integrin receptors plays a key role in regulating rapid Ang-2 release from endothelial cells. This finding highlights a novel mechanism of viral induction of angiogenesis and inflammation, which might play important roles in the early event of KS tumor development.

[Cesarean scar pregnancy: an analysis of 100 cases].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical diagnosis and treatment of cesarean scar pregnancy (CSP). METHODS: The clinical data of 100 CSP patients during the period of January 2003 to March 2011 were collected for a retrospective analysis. RESULTS: Among 100 cases of CSP, there were cases of asymptomatic (45%, n = 45), vaginal hemorrhage (55%, n = 55) and lower abdominal pain (7%, n = 7); among first diagnosed (n = 81), the cases were diagnosed (n = 75) or misdiagnosed (n = 6); among 19 hospital referrals, 18 were confirmed and 1 case was misdiagnosed as choriocarcinoma. Treatments included ultrasound monitoring curettage after UAE (uterine artery embolism) (n = 56), pure ultrasound monitoring curettage (n = 30), laparoscopic lumpectomy after UAE (n = 2), laparoscopic lumpectomy (n = 2), methotrexate only (n = 3), hysterectomy (n = 2), UAE hemostasis (n = 3) and Foley catheter balloon compression hemostasis (n = 2). No significant difference was found in the average duration of pregnancy, average operative hemorrhage volume and operative duration between 2 management groups of curettage after UAE or pure curettage (P > 0.05). But sac diameter and serum level of ß-HCG were obviously less in the pure curettage group than those in the UAE group. And the distance between gestation sac and bladder significantly was greater than that in the UAE group; in the pure curettage group, 96.7% existed as an endogenous type and only 36.7% yielded small flow signals. One hundred patients recovered before discharge. A follow-up of patients with curettage after UAE (n = 43) and pure curettage (n = 26) had similar recovery of menstruation. Eight cases (4 in each) were pregnant again during the follow-up. One case of recurrent CSP was treated with curettage after methotrexate. CONCLUSION: Early diagnosis and early treatment remain the key for a successful treatment of CSP. Color Doppler ultrasound is important in its early diagnosis and treatment. Different therapeutic modalities may be selected according to specific patient conditions.