Functional and structural MRI based obsessive-compulsive disorder diagnosis using machine learning methods.

BACKGROUND: The success of neuroimaging in revealing neural correlates of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) has raised hopes of using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) indices to discriminate patients with OCD and the healthy. The aim of this study was to explore MRI based OCD diagnosis using machine learning methods. METHODS: Fifty patients with OCD and fifty healthy subjects were allocated into training and testing set by eight to two. Functional MRI (fMRI) indices, including amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF), fractional ALFF (fALFF), regional homogeneity (ReHo), degree of centrality (DC), and structural MRI (sMRI) indices, including volume of gray matter, cortical thickness and sulcal depth, were extracted in each brain region as features. The features were reduced using least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression on training set. Diagnosis models based on single MRI index / combined MRI indices were established on training set using support vector machine (SVM), logistic regression and random forest, and validated on testing set. RESULTS: SVM model based on combined fMRI indices, including ALFF, fALFF, ReHo and DC, achieved the optimal performance, with a cross-validation accuracy of 94%; on testing set, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.90 and the validation accuracy was 85%. The selected features were located both within and outside the cortico-striato-thalamo-cortical (CSTC) circuit of OCD. Models based on single MRI index / combined fMRI and sMRI indices underperformed on the classification, with a largest validation accuracy of 75% from SVM model of ALFF on testing set. CONCLUSION: SVM model of combined fMRI indices has the greatest potential to discriminate patients with OCD and the healthy, suggesting a complementary effect of fMRI indices on the classification; the features were located within and outside the CSTC circuit, indicating an importance of including various brain regions in the model.

[Accelerated rehabilitation nursing in improving the symptoms of prostate cancer patients after surgery].

OBJECTIVE: To study the clinical value of accelerated rehabilitation nursing (ARN) in improving the symptoms of PCa patients after surgery. METHODS: This study included 80 cases of PCa treated surgically in our hospital from October 2020 to October 2021. We randomly divided the patients into two groups of an equal number to receive ARN and routine nursing care (the control group), respectively. We obtained the scores of the patients on IPSS, TCM syndromes, quality of life (QOL) and pain, incidence of postoperative complications, satisfaction with nursing care and Gleason scores, and compared them between the two groups. RESULTS: The IPSS and TCM syndrome scores were significantly lower (P < 0.05 ), and the physical and psychological function score remarkably higher in the ARN than in the control group (P < 0.05), but there was no statistically significant difference in the social function scores between the two groups (P > 0.05). The postoperative pain score was also significantly lower in the ARN than in the control group (P < 0.05), and so was the incidence rate of postoperative complications (10% vs 37.5%, P < 0.05). The patients' satisfaction with nursing care was markedly higher in the former than in the latter group (90% vs 80%, P < 0.05). No statistically significant difference was observed in the Gleason scores between the two groups of patients. CONCLUSION: Accelerated rehabilitation nursing can effectively improve the symptoms of PCa patients after surgery and therefore deserves clinical application.

Effectiveness of acupuncture on anxiety disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: A number of studies have shown the positive effects of acupuncture on state anxiety. However, the efficacy of acupuncture in treating anxiety disorder remains unclear. This review and meta-analysis aimed to explore whether acupuncture has a positive effect on anxiety disorder. METHODS: Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) published in English and Chinese were found through various electronic databases, including PubMed, Scopus, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Embase, and the Chinese databases WanFang data, VIP Chinese Sci tech periodical database, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure. The primary outcome variable was extent of anxiety symptoms. The secondary outcomes included side effects and dropout rate. Effect sizes were pooled by random-effects modelling using Rev Man 5.3. RESULTS: Twenty RCTs were included in this systematic review and meta-analysis. All included studies were designed for patients with generalised anxiety disorder (GAD), and 18 studies were published in Chinese. Egger's test showed that the asymmetry of the funnel plot in all studies was not significant (t = - 0.34, p = 0.74). The meta-analysis of anxiety symptoms showed that acupuncture was more effective than the control condition, with a standard mean effect size of - 0.41 (95% CI - 0.50 to - 0.31; p < 0.001), and that acupuncture intervention showed good tolerance and safety in the treatment of anxiety disorder. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that acupuncture therapy aimed at reducing anxiety in patients with GAD has certain beneficial effects compared to controls. More RCTs with high quality should be conducted to fully understand the role of acupuncture in the treatment of various types of anxiety disorder. The protocol of this review was registered at the Prospero International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (Registration ID: PROSPERO 2020CRD42020148536).

Anticancer Activity of Anthopleura anjunae Oligopeptides in Prostate Cancer DU-145 Cells.

Anthopleura anjunae anti-tumor peptide (AAP-H) is a pentapeptide from the sea anemone Anthopleura anjunae with an amino acid sequence of Tyr-Val-Pro-Gly-Pro that is obtained by alkaline protease enzymatic hydrolysis extraction. In this study, we investigated the inhibitory effects of AAP-H on prostate cancer DU-145 cell proliferation using a methylthiazolyldiphenyl-tetrazolium bromide assay. Cell morphology was analyzed by hematoxylin-eosin staining, acridine orange/ethidium bromide fluorescence staining, Hoechst 33258 fluorescence staining, and scanning electron microscopy. The mitochondrial membrane potential was determined by flow cytometry following JC-1 staining. The cell apoptosis rate was measured by Annexin V-fluorescein isothiocyanate and propidium iodide staining followed by flow cytometric analysis, and the expression of apoptosis-associated proteins was assayed by Western blotting. The results demonstrated that AAP-H induced significant reductions in the number of viable cells and increased cell death in both a dose-dependent and time-dependent manner, with an IC50 of approximately 9.605 mM, 7.910 mM, and 2.298 mM at 24 h, 48 h, and 72 h, respectively. The morphologic characteristics of apoptotic cells were observed after treatment with AAP-H. The mitochondrial membrane potential was markedly decreased, and apoptosis increased after AAP-H treatment. Pro-apoptotic proteins, such as Bax, cytochrome-C, caspase-3, and caspase-9 were increased, but Bcl-2 was decreased. These findings suggest that AAP-H has moderate inhibitory effects on prostate cancer DU-145 cells, and the mechanism might involve the mitochondria-mediated apoptotic pathway. Therefore, AAP-H is a candidate anti-prostate cancer drug or health-care food.

[Fat emulsion tolerance in preterm infants of different gestational ages in the early stage after birth].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the fat emulsion tolerance in preterm infants of different gestational ages in the early stage after birth. METHODS: A total of 98 preterm infants were enrolled and divided into extremely preterm infant group (n=17), early preterm infant group (n=48), and moderate-to-late preterm infant group (n=33). According to the dose of fat emulsion, they were further divided into low- and high-dose subgroups. The umbilical cord blood and dried blood filter papers within 3 days after birth were collected. Tandem mass spectrometry was used to measure the content of short-, medium-, and long-chain acylcarnitines. RESULTS: The extremely preterm infant and early preterm infant groups had a significantly lower content of long-chain acylcarnitines in the umbilical cord blood and dried blood filter papers within 3 days after birth than the moderate-to-late preterm infant group (P<0.05), and the content was positively correlated with gestational age (P<0.01). On the second day after birth, the low-dose fat emulsion subgroup had a significantly higher content of short-, medium-, and long-chain acylcarnitines than the high-dose fat emulsion subgroup among the extremely preterm infants (P<0.05). In the early preterm infant and moderate-to-late preterm infant groups, there were no significant differences in the content of short-, medium-, and long-chain acylcarnitines between the low- and high-dose fat emulsion subgroups within 3 days after birth. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with moderate-to-late preterm infants, extremely preterm infants and early preterm infants have a lower capacity to metabolize long-chain fatty acids within 3 days after birth. Early preterm infants and moderate-to-late preterm infants may tolerate high-dose fat emulsion in the early stage after birth, but extremely preterm infants may have an insufficient capacity to metabolize high-dose fat emulsion.

Anti-Fatigue Effect by Peptide Fraction from Protein Hydrolysate of Croceine Croaker (Pseudosciaena crocea) Swim Bladder through Inhibiting the Oxidative Reactions including DNA Damage.

The swim bladder of the croceine croaker (Pseudosciaena crocea) was believed to have good curative effects in various diseases, including amnesia, insomnia, dizziness, anepithymia, and weakness after giving birth, in traditional Chinese medicine. However, there is no research focusing on the antioxidant and anti-fatigue peptides from croceine croaker swim bladders at present. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the bioactivities of peptide fractions from the protein hydrolysate of croceine croaker related to antioxidant and anti-fatigue effects. In the study, swim bladder peptide fraction (SBP-III-3) was isolated from the protein hydrolysate of the croceine croaker, and its antioxidant and anti-fatigue activities were measured using in vitro and in vivo methods. The results indicated that SBP-III-3 exhibited good scavenging activities on hydroxyl radicals (HO•) (EC50 (the concentration where a sample caused a 50% decrease of the initial concentration of HO•) = 0.867 mg/mL), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radicals (DPPH•) (EC50 = 0.895 mg/mL), superoxide anion radical ( O 2 - •) (EC50 = 0.871 mg/mL), and 2,2'-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid radical (ABTS⁺•) (EC50 = 0.346 mg/mL). SBP-III-3 also showed protective effects on DNA damage in a concentration-effect manner and prolonged the swimming time to exhaustion of Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) mice by 57.9%-107.5% greater than that of the control. SBP-III-3 could increase the levels of muscle glucose (9.4%-115.2% increase) and liver glycogen (35.7%-157.3%), and decrease the levels of blood urea nitrogen (BUN), lactic acid (LA), and malondialdehyde (MDA) by 16.4%-22.4%, 13.9%-20.1%, and 28.0%-53.6%, respectively. SBP-III-3 also enhanced the activity of lactic dehydrogenase to scavenge excessive LA for slowing the development of fatigue. In addition, SBP-III-3 increased the activities superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase to reduce the reactive oxygen species (ROS) damage in mice. In conclusion, SBP-III-3 possessed good anti-fatigue capacities on mice by inhibiting the oxidative reactions and provided an important basis for developing the swim bladder peptide functional food.

Melatonin: a potential intervention for hepatic steatosis.

Melatonin (N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine, MLT) is a neuroendocrine hormone, which is primarily synthesized by the pineal gland in vertebrates. Melatonin is a remarkable molecule with diverse biological and physiological actions and is involved in the regulation of various important functions such as circadian rhythm, energy metabolism, the reproductive system, the cardiovascular system, and the neuropsychiatric system. It also plays a role in disease by having anti-neoplastic and anti-osteoarthritic effects among others. Recently, research has focused on the roles of melatonin in oxidative stress, lipid metabolism, and hepatic steatosis and its potential therapeutic roles.

Associations of nm23H1, VEGF-C, and VEGF-3 receptor in human prostate cancer.

We studied the expression of the non-metastatic clone 23 type 1 (nm23H1) gene, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-C, and its receptor VEGFR-3 using an in situ hybridization technique and immunohistochemical analyses with prostate cancer tissues and adjacent benign tissues of 52 human archival cases. The association between VEGF-C expression, microlymphatic count (MLC), and staining intensity for nm23H1 and VEGFR-3 was used to evaluate tumor metastasis and survival rate. MLC values were significantly higher in tumorous tissue than in non-cancerous tissue. VEGF-C mRNA, VEGFR-3, and nm23H1 were highly expressed in tumorous tissue. VEGFR-3 expression was greater in VEGF-C mRNA-positive tumors than in VEGF-C mRNA-negative tumors. The association of VEGFR-3 expression with VEGF-C mRNA and MLC suggested that the poor prognosis and tumor metastasis associated with VEGFR-3 expression may be due, in part, to its role in promoting angiogenesis. VEGF-C expression was significantly associated with tumor lymphangiogenesis, angiogenesis, and immune response as a potent multifunctional stimulating factor in prostate cancer. Expression of nm23H1 was significantly inversely correlated with lymph node metastasis. Furthermore, there was a strong negative correlation between the expression of nm23H1, VEGF-C mRNA, and MLC. These findings provide important information for prophylactic, diagnostic, and therapeutic strategies for prostate cancer.

[Shuxuening injection combined with routine therapy in treating patients with active ulcerative colitis: an analysis of efficacy ].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the therapeutic effect and relevant mechanism of shuxuening Injection (SI) in treating patients with active ulcerative colitis (UC). METHODS: Totally 91 patients with active UC were randomly assigned to 2 groups, 44 in the control group and 47 in the treatment group. Patients in the control group received routine treatment, while patients in the treatment group additionally received intravenous injection of SI (15 mL), twice daily for 14 days in total. Colonoscopy was performed before and after treatment. The therapeutic effect was assessed by Mayo scoring system and the grading of activities evaluated by Baron endoscope. Serum levels of IL-6 and TNF-α were detected by ELISA. The activity of SOD was detected by xanthine oxidase method. The content of MDA was detected by thiobarbituricacid (TBA). Besides, 20 healthy subjects were recruited as the healthy control group. RESULTS: Totally 82 patients completed the study (40 in the control group and 42 in the treatment group). There was no statistical difference in serum levels of IL-6, TNF-α, SOD, MDA, the Mayo score and endoscope grading between the two groups before treatment (P >0. 05). Compared with the healthy control group, serum levels of IL-6, TNF-α, MDA significantly increased (P <0.01), and the serum SOD level decreased (P < 0. 05) in the treatment grup and the control group before treatment. Compared with before treatment in the same group, serum levels of IL-6, TNF-α, MDA, the Mayo score and endoscope grading all decreased in the treatment group and the control group after treatment (P <0. 01, P <0. 05). Compared with the control group after treatment, serum levels of IL-6, TNF-α, MDA, the Mayo score and endoscope grading all decreased (P <0.01, P <0.05), the serum SOD level increased (P <0.05) in the treatment group after treatment. The serum SOD level was obviously negative correlated with serum levels of IL-6, TNF-a, Mayo score, and endoscope score (r = -0. 621, -0.638, -0. 509, -0.787, P <0.01). The serum MDA level was obviously positive correlated with serum levels of IL-6, TNF-α, Mayo score, and endoscope score (r =0.711, 0. 882, 0. 525, 0. 639, P <0.01). CONCLUSION: SI could improve inflammatory injury and clinical symptoms of patients with active UC, and its mechanism might be associated with antioxidant and scavenging oxygen free radicals.

The efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapies for depression in China in comparison with the rest of the world: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: There is consistent evidence that cognitive behavioral therapies (CBTs) are effective interventions for adult depression. While some evidence has compared these effects in different countries, no prior systematic review and meta-analysis has compared the efficacy of CBTs between Chinese and people from the rest of the world. The current meta-analysis addressed this gap by a systematic review of eligible studies from Chinese and worldwide databases. METHOD: Hedges' g was calculated using a random-effects model. Subgroup analyses and multilevel meta-analytic models were conducted to examine the relationship among effect sizes and the characteristics in Chinese studies. Metaregression analyses were conducted to explore the difference of the efficacy of CBTs between Chinese studies and non-Chinese studies after controlling for the moderators. RESULTS: A total of 34 (n = 3,710) studies in China and 307 (n = 30,333) studies from the rest of the world were included. The effect size of CBTs on depression for Chinese participants was 1.19 (95% CI [0.86, 1.52]), which was higher (Q = 4.63, p = .03) than the effect size of the rest of the world (0.82, 95% CI [0.74, 0.90]). After controlling for moderators, the effect size of Chinese studies was still higher than non-Chinese studies (ß = 0.351, p = .011). CONCLUSIONS: CBTs are effective interventions for adult depression and deserve more attention in China for depression management. Moderators related to study design, clinical features, and cultural factors need to be considered in the interpretation of the results. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Galactosylated chitosan oligosaccharide nanoparticles for hepatocellular carcinoma cell-targeted delivery of adenosine triphosphate.

Nanoparticles composed of galactosylated chitosan oligosaccharide (Gal-CSO) and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) were prepared for hepatocellular carcinoma cell-specific uptake, and the characteristics of Gal-CSO/ATP nanoparticles were evaluated. CSO/ATP nanoparticles were prepared as a control. The average diameter and zeta potential of Gal-CSO/ATP nanoparticles were 51.03 ± 3.26 nm and 30.50 ± 1.25 mV, respectively, suggesting suitable properties for a drug delivery system. Subsequently, the cytotoxicity of Gal-CSO/ATP nanoparticles were examined by the methyl tetrazolium (MTT) assay, and the half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values were calculated with HepG2 (human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line) cells. The results showed that the cytotoxic effect of nanoparticles on HepG2 cells was low. In the meantime, it was also found that the Gal-CSO/ATP nanoparticles could be uptaken by HepG2 cells, due to expression of the asialoglycoprotein receptor (ASGP-R) on their surfaces. The presented results indicate that the Gal-CSO nanoparticles might be very attractive to be used as an intracellular drug delivery carrier for hepatocellular carcinoma cell targeting, thus warranting further in vivo or clinical investigations.

Predicting responses to cognitive behavioral therapy in obsessive-compulsive disorder based on multilevel indices of rs-fMRI.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to identify neuroimaging predictors to predict the response of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) based on indices of resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI). METHODS: Fifty patients with OCD were enrolled and allocated to either high or low responder groups after CBT using a 50 % response rate as the delineator. The pre-treatment amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF), fractional ALFF (fALFF), regional homogeneity (ReHo), and degree centrality (DC) in each cerebrum region, defined by automated anatomical labeling atlas, were extracted. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator and logistic regression were used to select features and establish models. RESULTS: The combination of multilevel rs-fMRI indices achieved the best performance, with a cross-validation area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.900. In this combined model, an increase of interquartile range (IQR) in fALFF of right inferior orbital frontal gyrus (IOFG), and ReHo of left hippocampus and superior occipital gyrus (SOG) corresponded to a 26.52 %, 38.67 % and 24.38 % increase in the possibility to be high responders of CBT, respectively. ALFF of left thalamus and ReHo of left putamen were negatively associated with the response to CBT, with a 14.30 % and 19.91 % decrease per IQR increase of the index value. CONCLUSION: The combination of ALFF, fALFF and ReHo achieved a better predictive performance than separate index. Pre-treatment ALFF of the left thalamus, fALFF of the right IOFG, ReHo of the left hippocampus, SOG and putamen can be used as predictors of CBT response.

Perineal nerve block versus periprostatic block for patients undergoing transperineal prostate biopsy (APROPOS): a prospective, multicentre, randomised controlled study.

Background: We aimed to investigate perineal nerve block versus periprostatic block in pain control for men undergoing a transperineal prostate biopsy. Methods: In this prospective, randomised, blinded and parallel-group trial, men in six Chinese hospitals with suspected prostate cancer were randomly assigned (1:1) at the point of local anaesthesia to receive a perineal nerve block or periprostatic block and followed by a transperineal prostate biopsy. Centres used their usual biopsy procedure. Operators who performed anaesthesia were trained in both techniques before the trial and were masked to the randomised allocation until the time of anaesthesia and were not involved in the subsequent biopsy procedure and any assessment or analysis. Other investigators and the patients were masked until trial completion. The primary outcome was the level of the worst pain experienced during the prostate biopsy procedure. Secondary outcomes included pain (post-biopsy at 1, 6 and 24 h), changes in blood pressure, heart rate and breathing rate during the biopsy procedure, external manifestations of pain during biopsy, anaesthesia satisfaction, the detection rate of PCa and clinically significant PCa. This trial is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04501055. Findings: Between August 13, 2020, and July 20, 2022, 192 men were randomly assigned to perineal nerve block or periprostatic block, 96 per study group. Perineal nerve block was superior for the relief of pain during the biopsy procedure (mean 2.80 for perineal nerve block and 3.98 for periprostatic block; adjusted difference in means -1.17, P < 0.001). Although the perineal nerve block had a lower mean pain score at 1 h post-biopsy compared with the periprostatic block (0.23 vs 0.43, P = 0.042), they were equivalent at 6 h (0.16 vs 0.25, P = 0.389) and 24 h (0.10 vs 0.26, P = 0.184) respectively. For the change in vital signs during biopsy procedure, perineal nerve block was significantly superior to periprostatic block in terms of maximum value of systolic blood pressure, maximum value of mean arterial pressure and maximum value of heart rate. There are no statistical differences in average value of systolic blood pressure, average value of mean, average value of heart rate, diastolic blood pressure and breathing rate. Perineal nerve block was also superior to periprostatic block in external manifestations of pain (1.88 vs 3.00, P < 0.001) and anaesthesia satisfaction (8.93 vs 11.90, P < 0.001). Equivalence was shown for the detection rate of PCa (31.25% for perineal nerve block and 29.17% for periprostatic block, P = 0.753) or csPCa (23.96% for perineal nerve block and 20.83% for periprostatic block, P = 0.604). 33 (34.8%) of 96 patients in the perineal nerve block group and 40 (41.67%) of 96 patients in the periprostatic block group had at least one complication. Interpretation: Perineal nerve block was superior to periprostatic block in pain control for men undergoing a transperineal prostate biopsy. Funding: Grant 2019YFC0119100 from the National Key Research and Development Program of China.

GM-CSF in the lung protects against lethal influenza infection.

RATIONALE: Alveolar macrophages contribute to host defenses against influenza in animal models. Enhancing alveolar macrophage function may contribute to protection against influenza. OBJECTIVES: To determine if increased expression of granulocyte/macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) in the lung increases resistance to influenza. METHODS: Wild-type mice and transgenic mice that expressed GM-CSF in the lung were infected with influenza virus, and lung pathology, weight loss, and mortality were measured. We also administered GM-CSF to the lungs of wild-type mice that were infected with influenza virus. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Wild-type mice all died after infection with different strains of influenza virus, but all transgenic mice expressing GM-CSF in the lungs survived. The latter also had greatly reduced weight loss and lung injury, and showed histologic evidence of a rapid host inflammatory response that controlled infection. The resistance of transgenic mice to influenza was abrogated by elimination of alveolar phagocytes, but not by depletion of T cells, B cells, or neutrophils. Transgenic mice had far more alveolar macrophages than did wild-type mice, and they were more resistant to influenza-induced apoptosis. Delivery of intranasal GM-CSF to wild-type mice also conferred resistance to influenza. CONCLUSIONS: GM-CSF confers resistance to influenza by enhancing innate immune mechanisms that depend on alveolar macrophages. Pulmonary delivery of this cytokine has the potential to reduce the morbidity and mortality due to influenza virus.

Comprehensive Cortical Structural Features Predict the Efficacy of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.

Although cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is effective for patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), 40% of OCD patients show a poor response to CBT. This study aimed to identify the cortical structural factors that predict CBT outcomes in OCD patients. A total of 56 patients with OCD received baseline structural MRI (sMRI) scanning and 14 individual CBT sessions. The linear support vector regression (SVR) models were used to identify the predictive performance of sMRI indices, including gray matter volume, cortical thickness, sulcal depth, and gyrification value. The patients' OC symptoms decreased significantly after CBT intervention (p < 0.001). We found the model with the comprehensive variables exhibited better performance than the models with single structural indices (MAE = 0.14, MSE = 0.03, R2 = 0.36), showing a significant correlation between the true value and the predicted value (r = 0.63, p < 0.001). The results indicated that a model integrating four cortical structural features can accurately predict the effectiveness of CBT for OCD. Future models incorporating other brain indicators, including brain functional indicators, EEG indicators, neurotransmitters, etc., which might be more accurate for predicting the effectiveness of CBT for OCD, are needed.

Exposure to cigarette smoke inhibits the pulmonary T-cell response to influenza virus and Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Smoking is associated with increased susceptibility to tuberculosis and influenza. However, little information is available on the mechanisms underlying this increased susceptibility. Mice were left unexposed or were exposed to cigarette smoke and then infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis by aerosol or influenza A by intranasal infection. Some mice were given a DNA vaccine encoding an immunogenic M. tuberculosis protein. Gamma interferon (IFN-γ) production by T cells from the lungs and spleens was measured. Cigarette smoke exposure inhibited the lung T-cell production of IFN-γ during stimulation in vitro with anti-CD3, after vaccination with a construct expressing an immunogenic mycobacterial protein, and during infection with M. tuberculosis and influenza A virus in vivo. Reduced IFN-γ production was mediated through the decreased phosphorylation of transcription factors that positively regulate IFN-γ expression. Cigarette smoke exposure increased the bacterial burden in mice infected with M. tuberculosis and increased weight loss and mortality in mice infected with influenza virus. This study provides the first demonstration that cigarette smoke exposure directly inhibits the pulmonary T-cell response to M. tuberculosis and influenza virus in a physiologically relevant animal model, increasing susceptibility to both pathogens.

Network pharmacology and RNA-sequencing reveal the molecular mechanism of Xuebijing injection on COVID-19-induced cardiac dysfunction.

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an emerging infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Up to 20%-30% of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 have evidence of cardiac dysfunction. Xuebijing injection is a compound injection containing five traditional Chinese medicine ingredients, which can protect cells from SARS-CoV-2-induced cell death and improve cardiac function. However, the specific protective mechanism of Xuebijing injection on COVID-19-induced cardiac dysfunction remains unclear. METHODS: The therapeutic effect of Xuebijing injection on COVID-19 was validated by the TCM Anti COVID-19 (TCMATCOV) platform. RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) data from GSE150392 was used to find differentially expressed genes (DEGs) from human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) infected with SARS-CoV-2. Data from GSE151879 was used to verify the expression of Angiotensin I Converting Enzyme 2 (ACE2) and central hub genes in both human embryonic-stem-cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hESC-CMs) and adult human CMs with SARS-CoV-2 infection. RESULTS: A total of 97 proteins were identified as the therapeutic targets of Xuebijing injection for COVID-19. There were 22 DEGs in SARS-CoV-2 infected hiPSC-CMs overlapped with the 97 therapeutic targets, which might be the therapeutic targets of Xuebijing injection on COVID-19-induced cardiac dysfunction. Based on the bioinformatics analysis, 7 genes (CCL2, CXCL8, FOS, IFNB1, IL-1A, IL-1B, SERPINE1) were identified as central hub genes and enriched in pathways including cytokines, inflammation, cell senescence and oxidative stress. ACE2, the receptor of SARS-CoV-2, and the 7 central hub genes were differentially expressed in at least two kinds of SARS-CoV-2 infected CMs. Besides, FOS and quercetin exhibited the tightest binding by molecular docking analysis. CONCLUSION: Our study indicated the underlying protective effect of Xuebijing injection on COVID-19, especially on COVID19-induced cardiac dysfunction, which provided the theoretical basis for exploring the potential protective mechanism of Xuebijing injection on COVID19-induced cardiac dysfunction.

The protective effects of yellow tea extract against loperamide-induced constipation in mice.

Yellow tea, a rare type tea from China, has a rich breadth of functional ingredients and benefits the gastrointestinal tract. However, it is not clear whether the yellow tea extract can alleviate constipation. Therefore, we used loperamide-induced constipation in mice to evaluate the effects of yellow tea extract. Fifty Kunming mice were randomly divided into five groups: normal, model, low-dose yellow tea extract, low-dose yellow tea extract prevention group, and high-dose yellow tea extract prevention group. Mice were administered yellow tea extract for 5 weeks followed by loperamide-induced constipation for the final 2 weeks. The results showed that yellow tea extract alleviated constipation symptoms by improving the fecal water content, defecation weight, and gastrointestinal transit rate. Yellow tea extract intervention also protected colon tissue, regulated serum neurotransmitters, and decreased the vasoactive intestinal peptide level. Furthermore, qRT-PCR indicated that yellow tea extract regulated genes associated with the constipation state, raised 5-HT3 and 5-HT4 and reduced AQP3 and AQP4 mRNA expression. Moreover, we found that yellow tea extract changed the gut microbiota composition. Community diversity and richness were increased and principal co-ordinate analysis demonstrated that the yellow tea extract prophylaxis groups differed from the model group. Difference analysis indicated that yellow tea extract increased Roseburia, Lachnospiraceae_UCG-006, and Bifidobacterium and decreased norank_f_Clostridiales_vadinBB60_group, unclassified_o_Bacteroidales, and Bacteroides, which are correlated with constipation. Based on these results, we believe that regular yellow tea consumption can effectively alleviate constipation.

[Cyto-genotoxicity induced by cigarette smoke condensates in human peripheral blood lymphocytes in vitro].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the cyto-genotoxicity of cigarette smoke condensates (CSCs) in human peripheral blood lymphocytes with different assays in vitro. METHODS: Human lymphocytes were exposed to particle matter of cigarette smoke combined with or without S9 mixtures at doses of 25, 50, 75, 100 and 125 microg/ml for 3 h. The cytotoxicity induced by CSCs was detected by CCK-8 assay. The DNA damage, DNA repair (repair time: 30, 60, 90, 120 and 240 min, respectively) and the somatic cell mutations induced by 75 microg/ml CSCs were measured by comet assay, hprt gene and TCR gene mutation tests, respectively. RESULTS: CCK-8 assay indicated that the cell viability decreased with CSCs doses. At the doses of 100, 125 microg/ml, the cell viability of CSCs +S9 group was significantly higher than that of CSCs -S9 group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). In comet assay, DNA damage significantly increased in a dose-dependent manner, as compared with controls (P < 0.01). Moreover, there was significant difference between -S9 group and +S9 group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). The Mf-TCR at each dose group was significantly higher than that of controls (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). The Mf-hprt at high-dose groups were significantly higher than that of controls (P < 0.01), and significant difference of Mf-TCR and Mf-hprt at high doses of CSCs between -S9 group and +S9 group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). The DNA damage induced by CSCs +S9 or CSCs -S9 could be repaired, but DNA repair speed was different between -S9 group and +S9 group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: CSCs may induce cyto-genotoxicity in human peripheral blood lymphocytes in vitro, but S9 mix could reduce the toxicity of CSCs and impact DNA repair speed.

Allicin, a major component of garlic, inhibits apoptosis in vital organs in rats with trauma/hemorrhagic shock.

OBJECTIVE: Allicin is believed to be the main component responsible for the biological activity of garlic. The regulation of cell apoptosis may have therapeutic potential for trauma/hemorrhagic shock, and previous studies have demonstrated that allicin exerts protective effects against tissue ischemia-reperfusion injury. Therefore, this study examined the effects of allicin on apoptosis-related organ damage, induced by trauma/hemorrhagic shock. METHODS: Studies were performed on an in vivo model of spontaneously breathing rats with induced trauma/hemorrhagic shock; the left lower lobe of the lungs, left kidney, and intestine were resected, and the rats were subjected to femur fracture, ischemia for 30 mins, and reperfusion for 20 mins. Allicin (30 microg/kg) was administered during reperfusion. RESULTS: Allicin administered during reperfusion markedly attenuated injury and apoptosis of the lungs, kidneys, and intestine and decreased the concentrations of lactic acid and creatinine, the number of in situ TdT-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling-positive cells, and the activity and expression of caspase-3 and -9 (as determined by Western blot). Furthermore, immunohistochemistry and Western blot performed 24 hrs after reperfusion revealed increases in the levels of nuclear factor kappaB, phosphorylated p38, and extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1 mitogen-activated protein kinase in the allicin-untreated group when compared with the sham rats. Allicin treatment downregulated the levels of nuclear factor kappaB and phosphorylated p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase but did not modify those of phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1 mitogen-activated protein kinase. CONCLUSION: Allicin attenuates tissue injury and inhibits trauma/hemorrhagic shock- and reperfusion-induced apoptosis in several important organs via the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase signal transduction pathway that functions to stimulate the activation of nuclear factor-kappaB, caspase-3 and -9, but not of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1 mitogen-activated protein kinase.