Shen Yuan extract exerts a hypnotic effect via the tryptophan/5-hydroxytryptamine/melatonin pathway in mice.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Sleep plays a critical role in several physiologic processes, and sleep disorders increase the risk of depression, dementia, stroke, cancer, and other diseases. Stress is one of the main causes of sleep disorders. Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma and Polygalae Radix have been reported to have effects of calming the mind and intensifying intelligence in Chinese Pharmacopoeia. Traditional Chinese medicine prescriptions composed of Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma and Polygalae Radix (Shen Yuan, SY) are commonly used to treat insomnia, depression, and other psychiatric disorders in clinical practice. Unfortunately, the underlying mechanisms of the SY extract's effect on sleep are still unknown. AIM OF THE STUDY: This study aimed to investigate the hypnotic effect of the SY extract in normal mice and mice with chronic restraint stress (CRS)-induced sleep disorders and elucidate the underlying mechanisms. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The SY extract (0.5 and 1.0 g/kg) was intragastrically administered to normal mice for 1, 14, and 28 days and to CRS-treated mice for 28 days. The open field test (OFT) and pentobarbital sodium-induced sleep test (PST) were used to evaluate the hypnotic effect of the SY extract. Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay were utilized to detect the levels of neurotransmitters and hormones. Molecular changes at the mRNA and protein levels were determined using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analysis to identify the mechanisms by which SY improves sleep disorders. RESULTS: The SY extract decreased sleep latency and increased sleep duration in normal mice. Similarly, the sleep duration of mice subjected to CRS was increased by administering SY. The SY extract increased the levels of tryptophan (Trp) and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and the expression of tryptophan hydroxylase 2 (TPH2) in the cortex of normal mice. The SY extract increased the Trp level, transcription and expression of estrogen receptor beta and TPH2 in the cortex in mice with sleep disorders by decreasing the serum corticosterone level, which promoted the synthesis of 5-HT. Additionally, the SY extract enhanced the expression of arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase, which increased the melatonin level and upregulated the expressions of melatonin receptor-2 (MT2) and Cryptochrome 1 (Cry1) in the hypothalamus of mice with sleep disorders. CONCLUSIONS: The SY extract exerted a hypnotic effect via the Trp/5-HT/melatonin pathway, which augmented the synthesis of 5-HT and melatonin and further increased the expressions of MT2 and Cry1.

Anti-inflammatory effect and pharmacokinetics of dehydroandrographolide, an active component of Andrographis paniculata, on Poly(I:C)-induced acute lung injury.

Acute lung injury (ALI) is a common and critical respiratory disorder caused by various factors, with viral infection being the leading contributor. Dehydroandrographolide (DAP), a constituent of the Chinese herbal plant Andrographis paniculata, exhibits a range of activities including anti-inflammatory, in vitro antiviral and immune-enhancing effects. This study evaluated the anti-inflammatory effects and pharmacokinetics (PK) profile of DAP in ALI mice induced by intratracheal instillation of Poly(I:C) (PIC). The results showed that oral administration of DAP (10-40 mg/kg) effectively suppressed the increase in lung wet-dry weight ratio, total cells, total protein content, accumulation of immune cells, inflammatory cytokines and neutrophil elastase levels in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of PIC-treated mice. DAP concentrations, determined by an LC-MS/MS method, in plasma after receiving DAP (20 mg/kg) were unchanged compared to those in normal mice. However, DAP concentrations and relative PK parameters in the lungs were significantly altered in PIC-treated mice, exhibiting a relatively higher maximum concentration, larger AUC, and longer elimination half-life than those in the lungs of normal mice. These results demonstrated that DAP could improve lung edema and inflammation in ALI mice, and suggested that lung injury might influence the PK properties of DAP, leading to increased lung distribution and residence. Our study provides evidence that DAP displays significant anti-inflammatory activity against viral lung injury and is more likely to distribute to damaged lung tissue.

Interferon lambda in respiratory viral infection: immunomodulatory functions and antiviral effects in epithelium.

Type III interferon (IFN-λ), a new member of the IFN family, was initially considered to possess antiviral functions similar to those of type I interferon, both of which are induced via the JAK/STAT pathway. Nevertheless, recent findings demonstrated that IFN-λ exerts a nonredundant antiviral function at the mucosal surface, preferentially produced in epithelial cells in contrast to type I interferon, and its function cannot be replaced by type I interferon. This review summarizes recent studies showing that IFN-λ inhibits the spread of viruses from the cell surface to the body. Further studies have found that the role of IFN-λ is not only limited to the abovementioned functions, but it can also can exert direct and/or indirect effects on immune cells in virus-induced inflammation. This review focuses on the antiviral activity of IFN-λ in the mucosal epithelial cells and its action on immune cells and summarizes the pathways by which IFN-λ exerts its action and differentiates it from other interferons in terms of mechanism. Finally, we conclude that IFN-λ is a potent epidermal antiviral factor that enhances the respiratory mucosal immune response and has excellent therapeutic potential in combating respiratory viral infections.

Melatonin-related dysfunction in chronic restraint stress triggers sleep disorders in mice.

Stress may trigger sleep disorders and are also risk factors for depression. The study explored the melatonin-related mechanisms of stress-associated sleep disorders on a mouse model of chronic stress by exploring the alteration in sleep architecture, melatonin, and related small molecule levels, transcription and expression of melatonin-related genes as well as proteins. Mice undergoing chronic restraint stress modeling for 28 days showed body weight loss and reduced locomotor activity. Sleep fragmentation, circadian rhythm disorders, and insomnia exhibited in CRS-treated mice formed sleep disorders. Tryptophan and 5-hydroxytryptamine levels were increased in the hypothalamus, while melatonin level was decreased. The transcription and expression of melatonin receptors were reduced, and circadian rhythm related genes were altered. Expression of downstream effectors to melatonin receptors was also affected. These results identified sleep disorders in a mice model of chronic stress. The alteration of melatonin-related pathways was shown to trigger sleep disorders.

Bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells pretreated with erythropoietin accelerate the repair of acute kidney injury.

BACKGROUND: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) represent a promising treatment option for acute kidney injury (AKI). The main drawbacks of MSCs therapy, including the lack of specific homing after systemic infusion and early cell death in the inflammatory microenvironment, directly affect the therapeutic efficacy of MSCs. Erythropoietin (EPO)-preconditioning of MSCs promotes their therapeutic effect, however, the underlying mechanism remains unknown. In this study, we sought to investigate the efficacy and mechanism of EPO in bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) for AKI treatment. RESULTS: We found that incubation of BMSCs with ischemia/reperfusion(I/R)-induced AKI kidney homogenate supernatant (KHS) caused apoptosis in BMSCs, which was decreased by EPO pretreatment, indicating that EPO protected the cells from apoptosis. Further, we showed that EPO up-regulated silent information regulator 1 (SIRT1) and Bcl-2 expression and down-regulated p53 expression. This effect was partially reversed by SIRT1 siRNA intervention. The anti-apoptotic effect of EPO in pretreated BMSCs may be mediated through the SIRT1 pathway. In a rat AKI model, 24 h after intravenous infusion, GFP-BMSCs were predominantly located in the lungs. However, EPO pretreatment reduced the lung entrapment of BMSCs and increased their distribution in the target organs. AKI rats infused with EPO-BMSCs had significantly lower levels of serum IL-1ß and TNF-α, and a significantly higher level of IL-10 as compared to rats infused with untreated BMSCs. The administration of EPO-BMSCs after reperfusion reduced serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, and pathological scores in I/R-AKI rats more effectively than BMSCs treatment did. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that EPO pretreatment enhances the efficacy of BMSCs to improve the renal function and pathological presentation of I/R-AKI rats.

A Multicenter Clinical Study of Single-Kidney Transplantation vs En Bloc Transplantation with Kidneys from Deceased Pediatric Donors.

BACKGROUND: There are still disputes regarding the choice of surgical approach to harvest organs from pediatric donors for organ recipients. The primary goal of this multicenter, retrospective analysis was to compare outcomes between single-kidney transplantation (SKT) and en bloc kidney transplantation (EBKT). METHODS: Data from donors and recipients aged 4 to 18 months from 3 transplant centers over 5 year were collected to compare postoperative complications and recoveries of renal function between SKT and EBKT and to determine whether there is a difference in the 1-year patient and kidney survival rate between the 2 groups. RESULTS: Between the SKT and EBKT groups, the incidence of delayed graft function was significantly higher in the SKT group than in the EBKT group (44.1% vs 17.3%, P = .03), and there were no significant differences in other complications (47.0% vs 59.0%, P = .36). Moreover, no significant differences were observed for the overall patient survival rate (P = .08) or the overall graft survival rate (P = .71). CONCLUSIONS: The short-term effects of SKT make it worthy of consideration. For infants aged 4 to 18 months, SKT can provide good results, alleviating the current tense situation in kidney donation.

Bone mesenchymal stem cells pretreated with erythropoietin enhance the effect to ameliorate cyclosporine A-induced nephrotoxicity in rats.

An increasing number of experiments and clinical trials have demonstrated the safety, feasibility, and efficacy of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs)-based therapies for the treatment of various diseases. The main drawbacks of MSC therapy are the lack of specific homing after systemic infusion and early death of injected cells because of the injury micro-environment. We pretreated bone mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) with erythropoietin (EPO) to investigate their positive effect on cyclosporine A (CsA)-induced nephrotoxicity. BMSCs were incubated with different concentrations of EPO (10, 100, 500, and 1000 IU/mL) for 24 and 48 h, and their proliferation rate, cytoskeletal morphology, migration ability, and the expression of CXCR4 were evaluated to determine the optimal pretreatment conditions. To investigate the therapeutic effects of BMSCs pretreated with EPO in CsA-induced nephrotoxicity, we established CsA-induced in vitro and in vivo toxicity models. In our in vitro study, preconditioning of BMSCs with 500 IU/mL EPO for 48 h induced a marked increase in their proliferation rate, cytoskeletal rearrangement, migration in the scrape-healing assay, and migration toward injured HK2 cells. In vivo, EPO-BMSCs showed higher ability to improve renal function than BMSCs, and in CsA-induced rats treated with EPO-BMSCs, interstitial lymphocyte infiltration, tubular swelling, necrosis, and interstitial fibrosis decreased. We demonstrated that pretreatment with 500 IU/mL EPO before infusion markedly increased the homing ability of BMSCs, and obviously ameliorate CsA-induced nephrotoxicity in rats.

[Role of miR-663 in acute renal graft rejection: an in vitro study].

OBJECTIVE: To compare the serum miR-663 levels in renal transplant patients with and without acute rejection (AR) and explore the role of miR-663 acute renal graft rejection. METHODS: Real time-PCR was used to determine serum miR-663 levels in renal transplant recipients with and without AR. MTT assay and Annexin V-FITC assay were employed to examine the viability and apoptosis of human renal glomerular endothelial cells (HRGEC) treated with a miR-663 mimic or a miR-663 inhibitor, and ELISA was performed to detect the expression of inflammation-related cytokines including IL-6, IFN-γ, CCL-2 and TNF-α in the cells. Transwell assay was used to examine the effect of miR-663 mimic and miR-663 inhibitor on the chemotactic capability of macrophages. RESULTS: Serum miR-663 level was significantly higher in renal transplant recipients with AR than in those without AR. The miR-663 mimic significantly inhibited the viability of HRGECs and increase the cell apoptosis rate, while miR-663 inhibitor suppressed the cell apoptosis. The miR-663 mimic increased the expression levels of inflammation-related cytokines and enhanced the chemotactic capability of macrophages. CONCLUSION: miR-663 might play important roles in acute renal graft rejection and may become a therapeutic target for treating AR.

Common and unusual CT and MRI manifestations of pancreatic adenocarcinoma: a pictorial review.

Pancreatic adenocarcinoma is the most common malignancy of the pancreas with high death rate. Preoperative imaging is crucial for the assessment of the disease and the planning of treatment. In this review, we discussed the common and unusual findings of pancreatic carcinoma. The common CT and MR findings include hypovascular mass, dilataion of upstream biliary and pancreatic ducts, invasion to adjacent structures and metastasis. The uncommon CT and MR findings include: a cystic mass, a mass without dilataion of upstream ducts, multiple masses or a lesion diffusively infiltrating most parts of the pancreas without distorting its configuration.

[Factors affecting the prognosis of invasive pulmonary fungal infections after kidney transplantation: analysis of the ten-year single-center data].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the factors affecting the prognosis of invasive pulmonary fungal infection (IPFI) in patients after kidney transplantation. METHODS: This retrospective study involved 80 concurrent patients with IPFI after receiving kidney transplantation in Zhujiang Hospital from January 1, 2000 to April 1, 2010. Fourteen factors including age, gender, pathogens, body temperature on day 5, renal insufficiency, mechanical ventilation, and clinical pulmonary infection score (CPIS) on day 5 were analyzed by univariate analysis and multivariate Logistic regression analysis to identify the factors related to the prognosis. RESULTS: Univariate analysis showed that a normal body temperature on day 5 of antifungal treatment (P=0.024), fasting high blood glucose (P=0.001), renal insufficiency (P=0.002), malnutrition (P=0.018), time of infection after transplantation (P=0.046), low CPIS on day 5 (P=0.000) and mechanical ventilation (P=0.000) all affected the prognosis of the patients. Logistic regression analysis showed that renal insufficiency (OR=18.096), mechanical ventilation (OR=130.7) and low CPIS on day 5 (OR=0.011) were independent prognostic factors, among which the low CPIS on day 5 was a protective factor. CONCLUSION: Timely and adequate empirical therapy and renal replacement therapy, along with adjusted anti-fungal therapy protocol according to the CPIS score on day 5, may improve the prognosis of IPFI after kidney transplantation.

Investigation on current status of in-patient medical service and patient requirements.

OBJECTIVE: To conduct an investigation on current medical service for the in-patients in Zhujiang Hospital and to understand the requirement of the patients for the services. METHODS: A questionnaire was designed for that purpose to conduct the investigation in 130 in-patients from 19 clinical departments. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: With the current medical service provided by the hospital, 87.4% of the patients expressed their satisfaction with the sanitation, 51.3% with the food and 51.3% considered the charges reasonable (to which 6.7% of patients disagreed and 8.3% wished to know the details of the costs from a report every 3 to 5 d). A total of 82.8% of the patients were satisfied with the medical care. As for the requirements and expectations of the medical service, 91.3% of the patients wished to have free rechecks and consultation within certain period after discharge. A proportion of 73.8% of the patients preferred domestically manufactured drugs or those by joint-venture companies, and 11.3% correlated the price of the drugs with their effects. The results also showed the shortage of single ward. As many as 93.2% of the patients wished to choose between alternatives on a basis of thorough knowledge concerning their treatment, but only half of the patients recognized the fulfillment of this right. The results of multiple analysis show that the service after discharge is of great importance in affecting the patients' satisfaction with the general medical service.