Promising Natural Medicines for the Treatment of High-Altitude Illness.

Li Li, Lin Lin, Bo Wen, Peng-cheng Zhao, Da-sheng Liu, Guo-ming Pang, Zi-rong Wang, Yong Tan, and Cheng Lu. Promising natural medicines for the treatment of high-altitude illness. High Alt Med Biol. 24:175-185, 2023.-High-altitude illness (HAI) is a dangerous disease characterized by oxidative stress, inflammatory damage and hemodynamic changes in the body that can lead to severe damage to the lungs, heart, and brain. Natural medicines are widely known for their multiple active ingredients and pharmacological effects, which may be important in the treatment of HAI. In this review, we outline the specific types of HAI and the underlying pathological mechanisms and summarize the currently documented natural medicines applied in the treatment of acute mountain sickness and high-altitude cerebral edema, high-altitude pulmonary edema, chronic mountain sickness, and high-altitude pulmonary hypertension. Their sources, types, and medicinal sites are summarized, and their active ingredients, pharmacological effects, related mechanisms, and potential toxicity are discussed. In conclusion, natural medicines, as an acceptable complementary and alternative strategy with fewer side effects and more long-term application, can provide a reference for developing more natural antialtitude sickness medicines in the future and have good application prospects in HAI treatment.

Effect of Acute Moderate-Intensity Exercise on the Mirror Neuron System: Role of Cardiovascular Fitness Level.

OBJECTIVES: The aims of this study were to use functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to determine whether cardiovascular fitness levels modulate the activation of the mirror neuron system (MNS) under table-setting tasks in non-exercise situation, to replicate the study that positive effect of acute moderate-intensity exercise on the MNS and investigate whether cardiovascular fitness levels modulates the effect of exercise on the activation of the MNS. METHODS: Thirty-six healthy college-aged participants completed a maximal graded exercise test (GXT) and were categorized as high, moderate, or low cardiovascular fitness. Participants then performed table-setting tasks including an action execution task (EXEC) and action observation task (OBS) prior to (PRE) and after (POST) either a rest condition (CTRL) or a cycling exercise condition (EXP). The EXP condition consisted of a 5-min warm-up, 15-min moderate-intensity exercise (65% VO2 max), and 5-min cool-down. RESULTS: No significant differences were observed for Oxy-Hb and Deoxy-Hb between different cardiovascular fitness levels in the EXEC or OBS tasks in the non-exercise session. But there were significant improvements of oxygenated hemoglobin (Oxy-Hb) in the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) and pre-motor area (PMC) regions under the OBS task following the acute moderate exercise. Particularly, the improvements (Post-Pre) of Δ Oxy-Hb were mainly observed in high and low fitness individuals. There was also a significant improvement of deoxygenated hemoglobin (Deoxy-Hb) in the IPL region under the OBS task. The following analysis indicated that exercise improved Δ Deoxy-Hb in high fitness individuals. CONCLUSION: This study indicated that the activation of MNS was not modulated by the cardiovascular fitness levels in the non-exercise situation. We replicated the previous study that moderate exercise improved activation of MNS; we also provided the first empirical evidence that moderate-intensity exercise positively affects the MNS activation in college students of high and low cardiovascular fitness levels.

The Positive Effect of Moderate-Intensity Exercise on the Mirror Neuron System: An fNIRS Study.

A growing number of studies have reported the beneficial effect of exercise on human social behavior. The mirror neuron system (MNS) plays a critical role in a variety of social behaviors from imitation to empathy. However, neuroimaging investigations into the effects of exercise on the MNS remain unexplored. To address this question, our study determined the effect of moderate-intensity exercise on the MNS using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Specifically, 23 right-handed young individuals were asked to perform a table-setting task that included action execution and action observation before and after a 25-min exercise session on a cycle ergometer at moderate intensity (65% VO2peak). The control condition was the same task performed without exercise. Cortical hemodynamic changes in the four primary brain regions of the MNS were monitored with fNIRS, using a modified probe configuration that covered all four MNS regions in the left hemisphere. We used a region of interest (ROI)-based group analysis to determine which regions were activated during action execution and action observation. Following a session of moderate-intensity exercise, we found a significant increase in activation in all four MNS regions, namely the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), premotor cortex (PMC), superior parietal lobule (SPL), and rostral inferior parietal lobule (IPL). This result indicated a positive effect of exercise on the MNS, specifically that moderate-intensity exercise could activate the MNS.

Sedentary Behavior and Problematic Smartphone Use in Chinese Adolescents: The Moderating Role of Self-Control.

This study investigated smartphone use characteristics including the purpose of smartphone use (i.e., leisure, learning, or work) and situational smartphone use (i.e., sitting, standing, or moving about) in Chinese adolescents. Moreover, it tested the moderating role of self-control in the link between sedentary behavior and problematic smartphone use. A total of 947 adolescents completed measures of the purpose of their smartphone use, situational smartphone use, sedentary behavior, self-control, time on smartphone, and smartphone addiction. Results showed that the majority of smartphone use was for leisure and learning, and 90.9% of adolescents reported typically sitting as they used the smartphone. Problematic smartphone use was positively correlated with sedentary behavior and negatively correlated with self-control. Moreover, the relationship between sedentary behavior and problematic smartphone use was moderated by self-control, in that the negative correlation was stronger for adolescents with low self-control and weaker for those with high self-control. These results contribute to the understanding of when sedentary behavior is associated with problematic smartphone use. Several limitations and implications are discussed in this study.

Abernethy malformation associated with Caroli's syndrome in a patient with a PKHD1 mutation: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Abernethy malformation is a rare congenital anomaly characterised by the partial or complete absence of the portal vein and the subsequent development of an extrahepatic portosystemic shunt. Caroli's disease is a rare congenital condition characterised by non-obstructive saccular intrahepatic bile duct dilation. Caroli's disease combined with congenital hepatic fibrosis and/or renal cystic disease is referred to - Caroli's syndrome. The combination of Abernethy malformation and Caroli's syndrome has not been reported previously. CASE PRESENTATION: We present the case of a 23-year-old female who was found to have both type II Abernethy malformation and Caroli's syndrome. Radiological imaging was performed, including computed tomography with three-dimensional reconstruction and magnetic resonance imaging with (magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP), which revealed a side-to-side portocaval shunt, intrahepatic bile duct dilation, congenital hepatic fibrosis, and renal cysts. In addition, PKHD1 (polycystic kidney and hepatic disease 1) gene mutational analysis revealed a paternally inherited heterozygous missense mutation (c.1877A > G, p.Lys626Arg). A liver biopsy confirmed the pathological features of Caroli's syndrome. CONCLUSIONS: To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of a patient with both type II Abernethy malformation and Caroli's syndrome diagnosed using a comprehensive approach that included imaging, mutational analysis, and liver biopsy. Additionally, this is the second reported case to date of an Asian patient presenting with liver and renal disorders with the same paternally inherited PKHD1 missense mutation.