Effects of quercetin on polycystic ovary syndrome in animal models: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Metformin is an insulin sensitizer that is widely used for the treatment of insulin resistance in polycystic ovary syndrome patients. However, metformin can cause gastrointestinal side effects. PURPOSE: This study showed that the effects of quercetin are comparable to those of metformin. Therefore, this study aimed to systematically evaluate the efficacy of quercetin in treating PCOS. METHODS: The present systematic search of the Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang Data Information Site, Chinese Scientific Journals Database (VIP), SinoMed, Web of Science, and PubMed databases was performed from inception until February 2024. The methodological quality was then assessed by SYRCLE's risk of bias tool, and the data were analyzed by RevMan 5.3 software. RESULTS: Ten studies were included in the meta-analysis. Compared with those in the model group, quercetin in the PCOS group had significant effects on reducing fasting insulin serum (FIS) levels (P = 0.0004), fasting blood glucose (FBG) levels (P = 0.01), HOMA-IR levels (P < 0.00001), cholesterol levels (P < 0.0001), triglyceride levels (P = 0.001), testosterone (T) levels (P < 0.00001), luteinizing hormone (LH) levels (P = 0.0003), the luteinizing hormone/follicle stimulating hormone (LH/FSH) ratio (P = 0.01), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels (P < 0.00001), malondialdehyde (MDA) levels (P = 0.03), superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels (P = 0.01) and GLUT4 mRNA expression (P < 0.00001). CONCLUSION: This meta-analysis suggested that quercetin has positive effects on PCOS treatment. Quercetin can systematically reduce insulin, blood glucose, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels in metabolic pathways. In the endocrine pathway, quercetin can regulate the function of the pituitary-ovarian axis, reduce testosterone and luteinizing hormone (LH) levels, and lower the ratio of LH to follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). Quercetin can regulate the expression of the GLUT4 gene and has antioxidative effects at the molecular level.

Dual immobilization of porous Si by graphene supported anatase TiO2/carbon for high-performance and safe lithium storage.

Smart surface coatings have been proven to be an effective strategy to significantly enhance the electronic conductivity and cycling stability of silicon-based anode materials. However, the single/conventional coatings face critical challenges, including low initial Coulomb efficiency (ICE), poor cyclability, and kinetics failure, etc. Hence, we proposed a dual immobilization strategy to synthesize graphene supported anatase TiO2/carbon-coated porous silicon composite (denoted as PSi@TiO2@C/Graphene) using industrial-grade ferrosilicon as lithium storage raw materials through the simple etching, combined with sol-gel and hydrothermal coating processes. In this work, the dual immobilization from the "confinement effect" of the inner TiO2 shell and the "synergistic effect" of the outer carbon shell, improves the kinetics of the electrochemical reaction and ensures the integrity of the electrode material structure during lithiation. Furthermore, the introduction of the graphene substrate offers ample space for dispersing and anchoring the Si-based granules, which in turn provides a stable 3D conductive network between the particles. As a result, the PSi@TiO2@C/Graphene electrode delivers high reversible capacity of 1605.4 mAh g-1 with 93.65% retention at 0.5 A g-1 after 100 cycles (vs. 4th discharge), high initial Coulomb efficiency (82.30%), and superior cyclability of 1159.9 mAh g-1 after 250 cycles. The above results suggest that the particle structure has great potential for applications in Si-based anode and may provide some inspiration for the design of other energy storage materials.

Correlation analysis of mental health conditions and personality of patients with alcohol addiction.

BACKGROUND: Alcohol addiction, or alcohol dependence, refers to a psychological state of strong craving for alcohol caused by drinking when both the drinking times and alcohol consumption reach a certain level. Alcohol addiction can cause irreversible damage, leading to mental illness or mental disorders, negative changes in their original personality, and a tendency to safety incidents such as committing suicide or violent attacks on others. Significant attention needs to be given to the mental health of alcohol addicts, which could reflect their abnormal personality traits. However, only a few papers on this issue have been reported in China. AIM: To investigate the correlation between mental health and personality in patients with alcohol addiction. METHODS: In this single-center observational study, we selected 80 patients with alcohol addiction as the research subjects, according to the criteria of the K10 scale to evaluate the mental health of patients with alcohol addiction, and divided these patients into four groups based on the evaluation results: Good, average, relatively poor and bad. And then analyzed the correlation between mental health conditions and personality characteristics from these four groups of patients. RESULTS: The average score of the K10 scale (Kessler 10 Simple Psychological Status Assessment Scale) in 80 patients with alcohol addiction was 25.45 points, the median score was 25 points, the highest score was 50 points, and the lowest score was 11 points. Pearson's analysis showed that the K10 score was positively correlated with the scores of these two subscales, such as the P-subscale and the N-subscale (P < 0.05). In contrast, the K10 score had no significant correlation with the scores from the E-subscale and the L-subscale (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The mental health conditions of patients with alcohol addiction are positively correlated with their personality characteristics.

Chromatin and gene expression changes during female Drosophila germline stem cell development illuminate the biology of highly potent stem cells.

Highly potent animal stem cells either self renew or launch complex differentiation programs, using mechanisms that are only partly understood. Drosophila female germline stem cells (GSCs) perpetuate without change over evolutionary time and generate cystoblast daughters that develop into nurse cells and oocytes. Cystoblasts initiate differentiation by generating a transient syncytial state, the germline cyst, and by increasing pericentromeric H3K9me3 modification, actions likely to suppress transposable element activity. Relatively open GSC chromatin is further restricted by Polycomb repression of testis or somatic cell-expressed genes briefly active in early female germ cells. Subsequently, Neijre/CBP and Myc help upregulate growth and reprogram GSC metabolism by altering mitochondrial transmembrane transport, gluconeogenesis, and other processes. In all these respects GSC differentiation resembles development of the totipotent zygote. We propose that the totipotent stem cell state was shaped by the need to resist transposon activity over evolutionary timescales.

Most animals are made up of two cell types: germline stem cells, which give rise to reproductive cells (egg and sperm) and pass their DNA to the next generation, and somatic cells, which make up the rest of the body. Transposable elements ­ fragments of DNA that can copy themselves and integrate into different parts of the genome ­ can greatly disrupt the integrity of the germ cell genome. Systems involving small RNAs and DNA methylation, which respectively modify the sequence and structure of the genome, can protect germ cells from the activity of transposable elements. While these systems have been studied extensively in late germ cells, less is known about how they work in germ cells generated early on in development. To investigate, Pang et al. studied the germline stem cells that give rise to eggs in female fruit flies. Techniques that measure DNA modifications showed that these germline stem cells and the cells they give rise to early on are better protected against transposable elements. This is likely due to the unusual cell cycle of early germ cells, which display a very short initial growth phase and special DNA replication timing during the synthesis phase. Until now, the purpose of these long-known cell cycle differences between early and late germ cells was not understood. Experiments also showed known transposable element defences are upregulated before the cell division that produces reproductive cells. DNA becomes more densely packed and germ cells connect with one another, forming germline 'cysts' that allow them to share small RNAs that can suppress transposable elements. Pang et al. propose that these changes compensate for the loss of enhanced repression that occurs in the earlier stem cell stage. Very similar changes also take place in the cells generated from fertilized eggs and in mammalian reproductive cells. Further experiments investigated how these changes impact the transition from stem cell to egg cell, revealing that germline stem cells express a wide diversity of genes, including most genes whose transcripts will be stored in the mature egg later on. Another type of cell produced by germline stem cells known as nurse cells, which synthesize most of the contents of the egg, dramatically upregulate genes supporting growth. Meanwhile, 25% of genes initially expressed in germline stem cells are switched off during the transition, partly due to a mechanism called Polycomb-mediated repression. The findings advance fundamental knowledge of how germline stem cells become egg cells, and could lead to important findings in developmental biology. Furthermore, understanding that for practical applications germline stem cells do not need to retain transposable element controls designed for evolutionary time scales means that removing them may make it easier to obtain and manipulate new stem cell lines and to develop new medical therapies.

POMS and eye movement: Two indicators for performance in athletics.

Background: Regularly and scientifically participating in athletics is beneficial for physical and mental health. Mood or emotions are important component of psychology and a major indicator of physical and mental health. Positive and negative mood or emotions can have a strong impact on physical responsiveness. The aim of the present study was to explore whether mood or emotional state influence performance in athletics. Methods: Mood, analyzed by Profile of Mood States, and emotional state, reflected by eye movement (looking at times and length), were used to predict track or field performance in training and competition. Results: 1. The profile of track training (except 3rd week) resembled an iceberg profile (highest vigor scores) and the profile on the 3rd week resembled a "melting" iceberg profile, in which positive mood (vigor and self-esteem) was decreased and negative mood, particularly depression and anger, was significantly increased. The profile of field training almost overlapped, with the exception of depression decreasing markedly on the 3rd and 4th weeks. 2. Positive mood overpowered negative mood, particularly following a track competition; positive emotions exceed negative emotions following track and field competition. 3. The results of the regression analysis showed that an improvement in track performance was negatively correlated with a rise in total mood disturbance (TMD), and field performances were positively correlated with positivity of emotion, as tested by eye movement. 4. Good performance in track events appeared to be associated with decreased vigor and increased fatigue during 3rd and 4th track training; decreased depression and fatigue, and increased vigor as well as low observe length of watching negative emotional pictures (NEPs) before track competition. A good performance in field events appeared to be associated with anger decrease and confusion increase, increased fixation counts of watching positive emotional pictures (PEPs), and decreased fixation and observe counts of watching NEPs before field competition. Conclusions: The present study proved that different indicators appeared to measure different sport performances: More indicators of Profile of Mood States inclined to predict track performance, while more eye movement indicators could predict field performance. Mixed methods could provide a better understanding of performance than a single approach alone. These findings provided theoretical support and supplementary data for practical applications in the design of comprehensive training programs.

Research on a Precision Calibration Model of a Flexible Strain Sensor Based on a Variable Section Cantilever Beam.

The flexible strain sensor's measuring range is usually over 5000 µÎµ, while the conventional variable section cantilever calibration model has a measuring range within 1000 µÎµ. In order to satisfy the calibration requirements of flexible strain sensors, a new measurement model was proposed to solve the inaccurate calculation problem of the theoretical strain value when the linear model of a variable section cantilever beam was applied to a large range. The nonlinear relationship between deflection and strain was established. The finite element analysis of a variable section cantilever beam with ANSYS shows that the linear model's relative deviation is as high as 6% at 5000 µÎµ, while the relative deviation of the nonlinear model is only 0.2%. The relative expansion uncertainty of the flexible resistance strain sensor is 0.365% (k = 2). Simulation and experimental results show that this method solves the imprecision of the theoretical model effectively and realizes the accurate calibration of a large range of strain sensors. The research results enrich the measurement models and calibration models for flexible strain sensors and contribute to the development of strain metering.

Long-Range Uniform SiCxOy Beaded Carbon Fibers for Efficient Microwave Absorption.

SiCxOy beaded carbon fibers were successfully fabricated for the first time using a facile and stable electrospinning and temperature process. The resulting fibers showcase a unique micro-nanocomposite structure, in which ß-SiC beads with a silica-enriched surface are strung together with defect carbon fibers, as confirmed by XRD, XPS, and HRTEM investigation. The SiCxOy beaded carbon fibers display efficient microwave absorption performance, with a minimum reflection loss of -58.53 dB and an effective absorption bandwidth of 5.92 GHz. A modified Drude-Lorentz model was developed for SiCxOy beaded carbon fibers to reveal the double-peaked feature of the permittivity of these fibers, which is in good agreement with experimental measurements. Moreover, simulations were performed to extract polarized electric fields and microwave energy volume losses within a typical distribution of SiCxOy beaded carbon fibers. It is concluded that the dipole relaxation and hopping migration of localized electrons give a superior contribution to the overall decay of the microwave energy. This study indicates that SiCxOy beaded carbon fibers with a unique micro-nanocomposite structure hold great promise for microwave absorption applications. Additionally, this fabrication strategy offers a unique approach to producing micro-nanocomposite structures and highlights their potential applications.

Visual Reasoning: From State to Transformation.

Most existing visual reasoning tasks, such as CLEVR in VQA, ignore an important factor, i.e., transformation. They are solely defined to test how well machines understand concepts and relations within static settings, like one image. Such state driven visual reasoning has limitations in reflecting the ability to infer the dynamics between different states, which has shown to be equally important for human cognition in Piaget's theory. To tackle this problem, we propose a novel transformation driven visual reasoning (TVR) task. Given both the initial and final states, the target becomes to infer the corresponding intermediate transformation. Following this definition, a new synthetic dataset namely TRANCE is first constructed on the basis of CLEVR, including three levels of settings, i.e., Basic (single-step transformation), Event (multi-step transformation), and View (multi-step transformation with variant views). Next, we build another real dataset called TRANCO based on COIN, to cover the loss of transformation diversity on TRANCE. Inspired by human reasoning, we propose a three-staged reasoning framework called TranNet, including observing, analyzing, and concluding, to test how recent advanced techniques perform on TVR. Experimental results show that the state-of-the-art visual reasoning models perform well on Basic, but are still far from human-level intelligence on Event, View, and TRANCO. We believe the proposed new paradigm will boost the development of machine visual reasoning. More advanced methods and new problems need to be investigated in this direction.

Modified preparation of Si@C@TiO2 porous microspheres as anodes for high-performance lithium-ion batteries.

Microscale porous silicon materials have shown great application potential as anodes for next-generation lithium-ion batteries (LIBs); however, they face significant challenges, including mechanical structure instability, low intrinsic conductivity, and uncontrollable processing. In this study, a modified etching strategy combined with a facile sol-gel method is demonstrated to prepare microscale porous Si microspheres encapsulated by an inner amorphous carbon shell (≈10 nm) and an outer rigid anatase titanium oxide (TiO2) shell (≈20 nm) (PSi@C@TiO2), with the intact porous framework and core-shell-shell spherical structure. The interconnected pores can sufficiently accommodate the expansion of the Si core during lithiation. Moreover, the double shells can not only enhance the kinetic behavior of the PSi@C@TiO2 microspheres, but can act as a compact fence to force the Si core to expand toward the internal pores during lithiation, ensuring the integrity of the porous spherical structure. As a result, the PSi@C@TiO2 anodes show greatly superior high specific capacity, excellent rate capability, stable solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) films and steady mechanical structure. It delivers a high reversible capacity of 1004 mA h g-1 after 250 cycles at 0.5 A g-1. This study provides a modified method to prepare microscale porous Si anodes with a stable mechanical structure and long cycle life for LIBs.

Changes in tourist mobility after COVID-19 outbreaks.

We comparatively examined tourist mobility changes in the entire country and explicitly covered two distinct waves of COVID-19 outbreaks, based on mobile phone data from 277.15 million tourists from 2019 to 2021 in China. The results show that domestic tourism in Beijing was even higher after the pandemic than prior to it. In addition, we found that female and elderly groups had a slower recovery after the first wave, whereas this was the opposite one year later, after the second wave. Additionally, wealthier, larger cities were notably hit the hardest. Overall, our findings provide a better understanding of tourism management in public health crises and policy-making during post-pandemic recovery and for future outbreaks.

The distance between theoretical and practical leisure activities influenced life satisfaction / La distancia entre las actividades de ocio teóricas y prácticas influyó en la satisfacción con la vida

Recreational activities have acquired the favor and interest of college students and are now essential for their physical and mental well-being. Most activities, including leisure activities, share theoretical and practical elements. This research aims to evaluate a conceptual model about the relationship between leisure attitudes, theoretical and practical leisure, and life satisfaction, as well as to investigate the determinants of life satisfaction. Nine hundred ninety-eight students were sampled and questioned using the "Leisure Values Questionnaire," "Leisure Attitude and Expenses Questionnaire," and "life satisfaction Questionnaire." The outcomes of the primary data were evaluated using a quantitative research strategy based on association and aggressive analysis. The results indicated that the more their preference for leisure activities, the greater their life satisfaction. Those who spend more money and time on leisure activities report greater life satisfaction. Practical leisure was more strongly connected with life satisfaction than theoretical leisure. The predictor for the affective component of life satisfaction was theoretical leisure, while practical leisure was positively associated with the experience component. Meanwhile, positive affect and experience were positively associated with life satisfaction. The study emphasizes the significance of developing a positive attitude toward leisure to increase life satisfaction, supports the significance of leisure favor and practical leisure in achieving life satisfaction, and is helpful for detailed theoretical interpretation and policymakers who develop leisure programs to increase public life satisfaction.(AU)

A two-week single-group longitudinal test of a new sonic-powered toothbrush simulating the 'bass brushing technique' with tapered bristles on the brush head for reduction of dental plaque and gingivitis.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of a new powered toothbrush with tapered bristles on the brush head for the reduction of dental plaque and gingivitis. METHODS: This was a single-centre, single-group, longitudinal clinical trial. Thirty-two participants who were typical manual toothbrush users were recruited and assigned the sonic-powered brush. Interviews were arranged on the 1st , 4th , and 15th days which represented the baseline (T1 ), middle (T2 ) and final (T3 ) time points, respectively. At each visit, the plaque index (PlI), gingival index (GI), bleeding on probing (BOP) and probing depth (PD) were recorded for the Ramfjord index teeth, gingival crevicular fluid(GCF) samples were collected and the proportions of eight periodontal pathogenic bacteria were analysed. Repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used for comparisons at different time points. RESULTS: PlI was significantly reduced by 41.67% from T1 to T2 (p<0.001) and decreased by 18.57% from T2 to T3 (p=0.003). GI also varied significantly from T1 to T2 (p=0.018) and T1 to T3 (p=0.037). A 35.86% reduction in the BOP percentage occurred after using the sonic-powered toothbrush for 3 days (p=0.001). However, no significant difference was observed in the mean values of PD at different examination intervals (p=0.529). There was no significant difference in the proportions of bacteria between T1 and T3 (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: This research demonstrated the efficacy of the sonic-powered brush handle together with tapered bristles on the brush in reducing plaque and gingivitis within a short time period.

Lactobacillus plantarum KSFY06 and geniposide counteract montmorillonite-induced constipation in Kunming mice.

Constipation is a common clinical manifestation of digestive system disorders and occurs worldwide. This study investigated the ability of Lactobacillus plantarum KSFY06 (LP-KSFY06) to promote the action of geniposide in preventing montmorillonite-induced constipation in Kunming mice, with the aim of providing a successful solution. The effects of LP-KSFY06 and geniposide on constipation were measured, and the results showed that the protective effect of geniposide on constipation was enhanced by LP-KSFY06 and that the combination resulted in increased weight, moisture content, and particle number of feces. The first black stool defecation time was decreased from 182 min to 87 min, which clearly indicates that defecating difficulty was alleviated in constipated mice. The synergic intervention of LP-KSFY06 and geniposide (LP + G) assisted in maintaining the body weight of constipated mice. The LP + G intervention significantly increased serum levels of motilin (MTL, 167.8 pg/ml), acetylcholinesterase (AChE, 45.3 pg/ml), substance P (SP, 61.0 pg/ml), vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP, 70.5 pg/ml), endothelin-1 (ET-1, 16.1 pg/ml), and gastrin (73.0 pg/ml) and remarkably decreased somatostatin (SS, 35.2 pg/ml) when compared to those indexes in the LP-KSFY06 group and geniposide group. The LP + G treatment also significantly increased the mRNA expression of cluster of differentiation 117 (c-Kit), stem cell factor (SCF), glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), and remarkably downregulated the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), transient receptor potential vanilloid-1 (TRPV1), and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2). The experimental results showed that the combination treatment has the strongest prevention effect against constipation, and LP-KSFY06 promotes the ability of geniposide to prevent constipation. Therefore, LP-KSFY06 is a potential probiotic strain with the capacity to prevent montmorillonite-induced constipation.

Differentiating Drosophila female germ cells initiate Polycomb silencing by regulating PRC2-interacting proteins.

Polycomb silencing represses gene expression and provides a molecular memory of chromatin state that is essential for animal development. We show that Drosophila female germline stem cells (GSCs) provide a powerful system for studying Polycomb silencing. GSCs have a non-canonical distribution of PRC2 activity and lack silenced chromatin like embryonic progenitors. As GSC daughters differentiate into nurse cells and oocytes, nurse cells, like embryonic somatic cells, silence genes in traditional Polycomb domains and in generally inactive chromatin. Developmentally controlled expression of two Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2)-interacting proteins, Pcl and Scm, initiate silencing during differentiation. In GSCs, abundant Pcl inhibits PRC2-dependent silencing globally, while in nurse cells Pcl declines and newly induced Scm concentrates PRC2 activity on traditional Polycomb domains. Our results suggest that PRC2-dependent silencing is developmentally regulated by accessory proteins that either increase the concentration of PRC2 at target sites or inhibit the rate that PRC2 samples chromatin.

Preparation and in vitro study of stromal cell-derived factor 1-targeted Fe3O4/poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid)/perfluorohexane nanoparticles.

Compared with traditional imaging techniques, multimodal imaging obtains more accurate images that may increase disease detection rates. The present study prepared stromal cell-derived factor 1 (SDF-1)-loaded, targeted nanoparticles coated with iron (II,III) oxide and perfluorohexane (PFH) to be used as polymer-shelled contrast agents with multimodal imaging functions, with the aim of improving tongue cancer and lymph node metastasis diagnosis. The multifunctional, targeted, polymeric nanoparticles were prepared using a double emulsion method and chemokine SDF-1 was conjugated to nanoparticles by a sulfide bond. The nanoparticles were spherical, uniform size and well dispersed. The results of the in vitro photoacoustic and ultrasonic imaging experiments demonstrated that the multifunctional nanoparticles displayed excellent multimodal imaging functions, as even small concentrations of nanoparticles presented clear ultrasound and photoacoustic imaging. When the temperature reached the boiling point of PFH (56˚C), a liquid-gas phase change occurred and the microsphere volume and acoustic impedance increased, leading to enhanced ultrasonic development. The nanoparticles were automatically targeted to tongue squamous carcinoma cells in vitro via SDF-1-CXC chemokine receptor 4 interactions. The targeted experiment and flow cytometry results indicated that the nanoparticles underwent strong targeted binding to human tongue squamous cell carcinoma (SCC-15) cells. In summary, the nanoparticles were automatically targeted to SCC-15 cells and displayed promising characteristics for ultrasound and photoacoustic imaging. Higher concentrations of nanoparticles was associated with clearer imaged and greater echo intensity value and photoacoustic value. The present study established a foundation for the development of procedures for primary tongue cancer and lymph node metastasis diagnosis.

[Research on the relationship between ABO blood type and oral and maxillofacial malignancy in Chongqing area].

PURPOSE: To explore the relationship between ABO blood type and oral and maxillofacial malignancy in Chongqing area. METHODS: A total of 1054 patients with oral and maxillofacial malignant tumors diagnosed in the Stomatological Hospital of Chongqing Medical University in the past five years were selected as the research subjects, and the blood types of the healthy people were examined as the control group. SPSS 22.0 software package and Chi-square test were used to verify the correlation between the groups. The OR values of oral and maxillofacial malignancy of different blood types were compared among patients of three major cancers (squamous cell carcinoma, adenoid cystic carcinoma, mucoepidermoid carcinoma), so as to judge the relative risk of oral and maxillofacial malignant tumors of each blood type. RESULTS: The distribution of blood type in oral and maxillofacial malignancy patients was as follows: O(4.2%)>A(32.8%)>B(24.6%)>AB(8.4%), there was no significant difference in blood types between the patients and the controls. Patients with blood type O were easier to develop mucoepidermoid carcinoma compared with patients with other blood types (P<0.05, OR=2.09, 95%CI=1.04~4.17). In addition, the distribution of blood type of patients with mucoepidermoid carcinoma was significantly different from the control group. Males with blood type O were different from males with other blood types, which were more susceptible to adenoid cystic carcinoma and mucoepidermoid carcinoma (P<0.05, OR=3.06/3.06, 95%CI=1.31~7.12). CONCLUSIONS: There is certain relationship between the occurrence of oral and maxillofacial malignancy and ABO blood type in Chongqing area. The population of O blood type is easier to develop mucoepidermoid carcinoma while males with O blood type are more likely to develop adenoid cystic carcinoma and mucoepidermoid carcinoma.

Evidence of a Relationship Between Plasma Leptin, Not Nesfatin-1, and Craving in Male Alcohol-Dependent Patients After Abstinence.

The goal of this study was to determine whether the plasma leptin, nesfatin-1, cortisol, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and inflammatory cytokines could be used as potential biomarkers for the degree of craving in the alcohol-dependent patients after 1 month of abstinence. A total of 83 patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD) and 61 healthy subjects were assessed. Patients with AUD were selected from Department of Material Dependence, Anhui Mental Health Center, and subjects in the control group were selected from healthy volunteers. The Alcohol Urge questionnaire Scale (AUQ) was used to evaluate the extent of craving for alcohol, and the Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test (MAST), the Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND), the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), and the Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) were also assessed in patients with AUD. Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) was used for the measurement of plasma leptin, nesfatin-1, cortisol, BDNF, Interleukin-6 (IL-6), C-reactive protein (CRP), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) levels. Compare with healthy controls, the average leptin, leptin/BMI, IL-6, CRP, and TNF-α levels in patients with AUD were significantly increased, while the BDNF levels were significantly decreased. Moreover, the partial correlational analysis showed that the AUQ scores of the alcohol-dependent patients were positively correlated with the plasma leptin levels (r = 0.613, P < 0.001), rather than nesfatin-1 (r = 0.066, P = 0.569) after controlling for age as covariate. Furthermore, plasma nesfatin-1 levels were found to be correlated with the SDS scores (r = 0.366, P = 0.001) in the AUD group. In addition, plasma leptin levels were positively associated with the plasma IL-6 (r = 0.257, P = 0.033), CRP (r = 0.305, P = 0.011), and TNF-α (r = 0.311, P = 0.009) levels, and negatively associated with the BDNF levels (r = -0.245, P = 0.042) in patients with AUD. These results suggest that plasma leptin, but not nesfatin-1, might be a potential biomarker for the degree of craving in alcohol-dependent patients after 1 month of abstinence, the mechanism of which might be related to the dysfunction of the inflammatory cytokines and BDNF levels.

Agaricus bisporus-derived ß-glucan enter macrophages and adipocytes by CD36 receptor.

ß-glucans are a heterogeneous group of natural polysaccharides. They are ubiquitously found in bacterial or fungal cell walls, cereals, seaweed, and mushrooms. The beneficial role of ß-glucan in tumor, insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, hypertension, and obesity is being continuously documented. Ample evidence showed that ß-glucan could act on several receptors, such as Dectin, complement receptor (CR3), TLR-2, 4, 6 and scavenger. Based on the above, we wanted to explore whether agaricus bisporus-derived ß-glucan acted on these receptors on Raw 264.7 macrophages and 3T3-L1 adipocytes.

Surface Modification of Polymeric Nanoparticles with M2pep Peptide for Drug Delivery to Tumor-Associated Macrophages.

PURPOSE: Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) with immune-suppressive M2-like phenotype constitute a significant part of tumor and support its growth, thus making an attractive therapeutic target for cancer therapy. To improve the delivery of drugs that control the survival and/or functions of TAMs, we developed nanoparticulate drug carriers with high affinity for TAMs. METHODS: Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) nanoparticles were coated with M2pep, a peptide ligand selectively binding to M2-polarized macrophages, via a simple surface modification method based on tannic acid-iron complex. The interactions of M2pep-coated nanoparticles with macrophages of different phenotypes were tested in vitro and in vivo. PLX3397, an inhibitor of the colony stimulating factor-1 (CSF-1)/CSF-1 receptor (CSF-1R) pathway and macrophage survival, was delivered to B16F10 tumors via M2pep-modified PLGA nanoparticles. RESULTS: In bone marrow-derived macrophages polarized to M2 phenotype, M2pep-coated nanoparticles showed greater cellular uptake than those without M2pep. Consistently, M2pep-coated nanoparticles showed relatively high localization of CD206+ macrophages in B16F10 tumors. PLX3397 encapsulated in M2pep-coated nanoparticles attenuated tumor growth better than the free drug counterpart. CONCLUSION: These results support that M2pep-coating can help nanoparticles to interact with M2-like TAMs and facilitate the delivery of drugs that control the tumor-supportive functions of TAMs.

Agaricus bisporus-derived ß-glucan prevents obesity through PPAR γ downregulation and autophagy induction in zebrafish fed by chicken egg yolk.

ß-(1,4)-d-Glucan with (1,2) and (1,6)-linked branches (short for ß-glucan), extracted from Agaricus bisporus (Lange) Sing, had significant anti-obesity and lowering-fat effect. FITC-ß-glucan was absorbed by adipocytes of zebrafish larvae when stained by Nile Red. ß-Glucan decreased the adiposity mass, reduced the expression of ppar g, mtp, L-fabp, ifabp in ISH, which was coincident as the results of RT-PCT. ß-Glucan lowered the level of C/EBP α, c SREBP1, LXR α, PPAR γ by WB analysis, which were accompanied by an increase level in LC3 II/LC3 I and a decline level in p62 in dose-dependent manner. This study explored the effect and mechanisms of Agaricus bisporus derived-ß-glucan to regulate lipid metabolism and prevent lipid deposits, and provided the experimental data for its use in diet food and food addictive.