Effect of high-fat diet on the fatty acid profiles of brain in offspring mice exposed to maternal gestational diabetes mellitus.

OBJECTIVE: Fatty acids play a critical role in the proper functioning of the brain. This study investigated the effects of a high-fat (HF) diet on brain fatty acid profiles of offspring exposed to maternal gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). METHODS: Insulin receptor antagonist (S961) and HF diet were used to establish the GDM animal model. Brain fatty acid profiles of the offspring mice were measured by gas chromatography at weaning and adulthood. Protein expressions of the fatty acid transport pathway Wnt3/ß-catenin and the target protein major facilitator superfamily domain-containing 2a (MFSD2a) were measured in the offspring brain by Western blot. RESULTS: Maternal GDM increased the body weight of male offspring (P < 0.05). In weaning offspring, factorial analysis showed that maternal GDM increased the monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) percentage of the weaning offspring's brain (P < 0.05). Maternal GDM decreased offspring brain arachidonic acid (AA), but HF diet increased brain linoleic acid (LA) (P < 0.05). Maternal GDM and HF diet reduced offspring brain docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and the male offspring had higher DHA than the female offspring (P < 0.05). In adult offspring, factorial analysis showed that HF diet increased brain MUFA in offspring, and male offspring had higher brain MUFA than female offspring (P < 0.05). The HF diet increased brain LA in the offspring. Male offspring had higher level of AA than female offspring (P < 0.05). HF diet reduced DHA in the brains of female offspring. The brain protein expression of ß-catenin and MFSD2a in both weaning and adult female offspring was lower in the HF + GDM group than in the CON group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Maternal GDM increased the susceptibility of male offspring to HF diet-induced obesity. HF diet-induced adverse brain fatty acid profiles in both male and female offspring exposed to GDM.

Gestational Diabetes Mellitus Remodels the Fetal Brain Fatty Acid Profile Through Placenta-Brain Lipid Axis in C57BL/6J Mice.

BACKGROUND: Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), especially docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), are critical for proper fetal brain growth and development. Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) could affect maternal-fetal fatty acid metabolism. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore the effect of GDM and high-fat (HF) diet on the DHA transport signaling pathway in the placenta-brain axis and fatty acid concentrations in the fetal brain. METHODS: Insulin receptor antagonist (S961) and HF diet were used to establish an animal model of GDM. Eighty female C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into control (CON), GDM, HF, and HF+GDM groups. The fatty acid profiles of the maternal liver and fetal brain were analyzed by gas chromatography. In addition, we analyzed the protein amounts of maternal liver fatty acid desaturase (FADS1/3), elongase (ELOVL2/5) and the regulatory factor sterol-regulatory element-binding protein (SREBP)-1c, and the DHA transport signaling pathway (Wnt3/ß-catenin/MFSD2a) of the placenta and fetal brain using western blotting. RESULTS: GDM promoted the decrease of maternal liver ELOVL2, ELOVL5, and SREBP-1c. Accordingly, we observed a significant decrease in the amount of maternal liver arachidonic acid (AA), DHA, and total n-3 PUFA and n-6 PUFA induced by GDM. GDM also significantly decreased the amount of DHA and n-3 PUFA in the fetal brain. GDM downregulated the Wnt3/ß-catenin/MFSD2a signaling pathway, which transfers n-3 PUFA in the placenta and fetal brain. The HF diet increased n-6 PUFA amounts in the maternal liver, correspondingly increasing linoleic acid, gamma-linolenic acid, AA, and total n-6 PUFA in the fetal brain, but decreased DHA amount in the fetal brain. However, HF diet only tended to decrease placental ß-catenin and MFSD2a amounts (P = 0.074 and P = 0.098, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Maternal GDM could affect the fatty acid profile of the fetal brain both by downregulating the Wnt3/ß-catenin/MFSD2a pathway of the placental-fetal barrier and by affecting maternal fatty acid metabolism.

Integrative Effects of Transcutaneous Electrical Acustimulation and Autonomic-Endocrine Mechanisms on Postprocedural Recovery in Patients With Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangio-Pancreatography.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate the integrative effects and mechanisms of transcutaneous electrical acustimulation (TEA) on postprocedural recovery from endoscopic retrograde cholangio-pancreatography (ERCP). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 86 patients for elective ERCP were randomly ordered to receive TEA (n = 43) at acupoints PC6 and ST36 or Sham-TEA (n = 43) at sham points from 24 hours before ERCP (pre-ERCP) to 24 hours after ERCP (PE24). Scores of gastrointestinal (GI) motility-related symptoms and abdominal pain, gastric slow waves, and autonomic functions were recorded through the spectral analysis of heart rate variability; meanwhile, circulatory levels of inflammation cytokines of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin (IL)-10 and GI hormones of motilin, ghrelin, cholecystokinin (CCK), and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) were assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: 1) TEA, but not Sham-TEA, decreased the post-ERCP GI motility-related symptom score (2.4 ± 2.6 vs 7.9 ± 4.6, p < 0.001) and abdominal pain score (0.5 ± 0.7 vs 4.1 ± 2.7, p < 0.001) at PE24, and decreased the post-ERCP hospital day by 20.0% (p ＜0.05 vs Sham-TEA); 2) TEA improved the average gastric percentage of normal slow waves and dominant frequency by 34.6% and 33.3% at PE24, respectively (both p < 0.001 vs Sham-TEA); 3) TEA, but not Sham-TEA, reversed the ERCP-induced increase of TNF-α but not IL-10 at PE24, reflected as a significantly lower level of TNF-α in the TEA group than in the Sham-TEA group (1.6 ± 0.5 pg/mL vs 2.1 ± 0.9 pg/mL, p ＜ 0.01); 4) compared with Sham-TEA, TEA increased vagal activity by 37.5% (p ＜ 0.001); and 5) TEA caused a significantly higher plasma level of ghrelin (1.5 ± 0.8 ng/ml vs 1.1 ± 0.7 ng/ml, p ＜ 0.05) but not motilin, VIP, or CCK than did Sham-TEA at PE24. CONCLUSION: TEA at PC6 and ST36 accelerates the post-ERCP recovery, reflected as the improvement in GI motility and amelioration of abdominal pain, and suppression of the inflammatory cytokine TNF-α may mediate through both autonomic and ghrelin-related mechanisms.

Diterpenoids from the whole plants of Croton yunnanensis and their bioactivities.

Four new 19-nor-clerodane diterpenoids (1-4), one new 15,16-dinor-ent-pimarane diterpenoid (5) together with four known diterpenoids (6-9) were isolated from whole plants of Croton yunnanensis. The structures of these compounds were determined by extensive spectroscopic methods including 1D, 2D NMR, HR-ESI-MS, and by comparing their NMR data with those of previously reported compounds. The experimental and calculated electronic circular dichroism data were used to define their absolute configurations. The 1H and 13C NMR spectra of 6 were completely assigned for the first time. All isolated compounds (1-9) were evaluated for their cytotoxic activities against five human cancer cell lines (including SMMC-7721, HL-60, A-549, MCF-7, and SW-480), and anti-inflammatory activities in LPS-induced RAW264.7 macrophages. Crotonyunnan E (5) exhibited selective cytotoxicities against three tumor cell lines, SMMC-7721 (human hepatoma cells, IC50 4.47 ± 0.39 µM), HL-60 (human premyelocytic leukemia, IC50 14.38 ± 1.19 µM), and A-549 (human lung cancer cells, IC50 27.42 ± 0.48 µM), while none of the compounds showed obviously anti-inflammatory activities at 50 µM level.

Chemical Constituents from Croton Species and Their Biological Activities.

The genus Croton belongs to the Euphorbiaceae family, which comprises approximately 1300 species. Many Croton species have been used as folk medicines. This review focuses on the chemical constituents from Croton species and their relevant biological activities, covering the period from 2006 to 2018. A total of 399 new compounds, including 339 diterpenoids, were reported. Diterpenoids are characteristic components of the Croton species. These isolated compounds exhibited a broad spectrum of bioactivities, including cytotoxic, anti-inflammatory, antifungal, acetylcholinesterase inhibitory, and neurite outgrowth-promoting properties. The present review provides a significant clue for further research of the chemical constituents from the Croton species as potential medicines.

[Ferroptosis pathway and its intervention regulated by Chinese materia medica].

Ferroptosis is a new form of regulated cell death which is different from apoptosis, necrosis and autophagy, and results from iron-dependent lipidperoxide accumulation. Now, it is found that ferroptosis is involved in multiple physiological and pathological processes, such as cancer, arteriosclerosis, neurodegenerative diseases, diabetes, antiviral immune response, acute renal failure, hepatic and heart ischemia/reperfusion injury. On the one hand, it could be found the appropriate drugs to promote ferroptosis to clear cancer cells and virus infected cells, etc. On the other hand, we could inhibit ferroptosis to protect healthy cells. China has a wealth of traditional Chinese medicine resources. Chinese medicine contains a variety of active ingredients that regulate ferroptosis. Here, this paper reported the research of ferroptosis pathway, targets of its inducers and inhibitors that have been discovered, and the regulatory effects of the discovered Chinese herbs and its active ingredients on ferroptosis to help clinical and scientific research.

Synthesis and Bioactivity Evaluation of N-Arylsulfonylindole Analogs Bearing a Rhodanine Moiety as Antibacterial Agents.

Due to the rapidly growing bacterial resistance to antibiotics and the scarcity of novel agents under development, bacterial infections are still a pressing global problem, making new types of antibacterial agents, which are effective both alone and in combination with traditional antibiotics, urgently needed. In this paper, seven series of N-arylsulfonylindole analogs 5-11 bearing rhodanine moieties were synthesized, characterized, and evaluated for antibacterial activity. According to the in vitro antimicrobial results, half of the synthesized compounds showed potent inhibition against four Gram-positive bacteria, with MIC values in the range of 0.5-8 µg/mL. For multidrug-resistant strains, compounds 6a and 6c were the most potent, with MIC values of 0.5 µg/mL, having comparable activity to gatifloxacin, moxiflocaxin and norfloxacin and being 128-fold more potent than oxacillin (MIC = 64 µg/mL) and 64-fold more active than penicillin (MIC = 32 µg/mL) against Staphylococcus aureusATCC 43300.

[Study on TLC identification and UPLC determination method of atractylenolide in Atractylodes macrocephala].

This research is to establish TLC and UPLC methods for simultaneous determination of 3 atractylenolides in Atractylodes macrocephala. Silica gel GF254 plate was used for identification of A. macrocephala, and UPLC-PDA gradient elution method was used to simultaneously determine atractylenolide Ⅰ, Ⅱ and Ⅲ. The Waters BEH C18 column（2.1 mm×100 mm,1.7 µm）with acetonitrile-water as mobile phase and the wavelength of UV detector of 235 nm were performed. The quality control study showed that the characteristic for identification by TLC was distinct and highly specific. The method of content determination was in accordance with the regulations. The quantitative evaluation of atractylenolide Ⅰ,Ⅱ and Ⅲ was in good linear range（r>0.999 9）, and the average recovery was 93.48%（RSD 1.4%）,94.97%（RSD 1.6%）,92.71%（RSD 1.2%）,respectively. TLC identification was in good specificity and repeatability, and the UPLC-PDA method for the simultaneous determination of 3 atractylenolides was simple and reliable for the quality control of A.macrocephala.

Combinations of various CpG motifs cloned into plasmid backbone modulate and enhance protective immunity of viral replicon DNA anthrax vaccines.

DNA vaccines are generally weak stimulators of the immune system. Fortunately, their efficacy can be improved using a viral replicon vector or by the addition of immunostimulatory CpG motifs, although the design of these engineered DNA vectors requires optimization. Our results clearly suggest that multiple copies of three types of CpG motifs or combinations of various types of CpG motifs cloned into a viral replicon vector backbone with strong immunostimulatory activities on human PBMC are efficient adjuvants for these DNA vaccines to modulate and enhance protective immunity against anthrax, although modifications with these different CpG forms in vivo elicited inconsistent immune response profiles. Modification with more copies of CpG motifs elicited more potent adjuvant effects leading to the generation of enhanced immunity, which indicated a CpG motif dose-dependent enhancement of antigen-specific immune responses. Notably, the enhanced and/or synchronous adjuvant effects were observed in modification with combinations of two different types of CpG motifs, which provides not only a contribution to the knowledge base on the adjuvant activities of CpG motifs combinations but also implications for the rational design of optimal DNA vaccines with combinations of CpG motifs as "built-in" adjuvants. We describe an efficient strategy to design and optimize DNA vaccines by the addition of combined immunostimulatory CpG motifs in a viral replicon DNA plasmid to produce strong immune responses, which indicates that the CpG-modified viral replicon DNA plasmid may be desirable for use as vector of DNA vaccines.

Effect of Irbesartan on Chemerin in the Renal Tissues of Diabetic Rats.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Chemerin was introduced as a novel adipokine that plays a crucial role in insulin signaling and diabetic nephropathy. Serum chemerin levels are significantly elevated in type 2 diabetes patients with macroalbuminuria. However, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. We conducted a preliminary investigation of the effects of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) on chemerin expression in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. METHODS: Streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats were randomized into control, diabetic, and irbesartan-treated groups. Real-time polymerase chain reaction was used to detect mRNA expression of chemerin, angiotensin II type 1a receptor (AT1a), angiotensin II type 1b receptor (AT1b) and angiotensin II type 2 receptor (AT2). Immunohistochemical staining was used to detect chemerin in renal tissues. RESULTS: Expression levels of chemerin in renal tissues were significantly elevated in the diabetic group compared to the control group. In the irbesartan-treated group, chemerin expression levels and RAS-related protein levels (i.e. AT1a and AT1b) were markedly decreased compared to the diabetic group. Irbesartan treatment reduced chemerin overexpression and RAS-related protein levels in diabetic rats (i.e. AT1a and AT1b). CONCLUSION: Irbesartan may inhibit intrarenal RAS in diabetic rats, which may affect the expression of chemerin in the kidneys; however, the precise underlying mechanism remains to be determined.

Traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology, toxicology, and quality control of Rhododendron dauricum L. leaves: A comprehensive review.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Rhododendron dauricum L. is a traditional herb mainly distributed in the northeast China, Mongolia, Korea Peninsula, and Russia Far East. The dried leaves of Rhododendron dauricum L. (LRD), generally known "Man Shan Hong" have been traditionally applied as folk medicines to treat fever, copious phlegm, asthma, acute and chronic bronchitis, sore throat, dysentery, diabetes mellitus, cancer, and hypertension. To date, no comprehensive review on R. dauricum leaves has been published. AIM OF THE STUDY: Recent progresses in traditional use, phytochemistry, pharmacology, toxicology, and quality control of R. dauricum leaves are systematically presented and critically evaluated in order to provide scientifical basis for its reasonable utilization and further study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All information about R. dauricum leaves were retrieved from internet scientific databases including Sci-Finder, Web of Science, PubMed, CNKI, Google Scholar, Elsevier, Wiley, ACS publications, SpringerLink, and the Chinese Pharmacopoeia between 1970 and 2022. Plant names were validated by "The Plant List" (http://www.theplantlist.org/). RESULTS: So far, 114 structurally diverse compounds have been isolated and identified from LRD, mainly including flavonoids, diterpenoids, triterpenoids, meroterpenoids, phenols, and 54 volatile components were identified from the essential oils of LRD. Among these, flavonoids are considered as characteristic components and major bioactive phytochemicals. The crude extracts and compounds from LRD have been reported to possess broad pharmacological effects including antitussive and expectorant, anti-inflammatory, anti-HIV, antibacterial, and cytotoxic effects, etc. CONCLUSIONS: As a traditional herb medicine, LRD have been used popularly. On the one hand, traditional uses of LRD provide valuable directions for current research; on the other hand, modern phytochemical and pharmacological studies verify the traditional uses to make its reasonable utilization. However, several defects such as active components determination, in vivo and clinical pharmacological evaluation, toxicology assessment, and quality control of LRD need further study.

Effects of dietary PUFA patterns and FADS genotype on breast milk PUFAs in Chinese lactating mothers.

BACKGROUND: Breastfeeding affects the growth and development of infants, and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) play a crucial role in this process. To explore the factors influencing the PUFA concentration in breast milk, we conducted research on two aspects: dietary fatty acid patterns and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in maternal fatty acid desaturase genes. METHODS: Three hundred seventy Chinese Han lactating mothers were recruited. A dietary semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was used to investigate the dietary intake of lactating mothers from 22 to 25 days postpartum for 1 year. Meanwhile, breast milk samples were collected from the participants and tested for the concentrations of 8 PUFAs and 10 SNP genotypes. We sought to determine the effect of dietary PUFA patterns and SNPs on breast milk PUFAs. We used SPSS 24.0 statistical software for data analysis. Statistical tests were all bilateral tests, with P < 0.05 as statistically significant. RESULTS: Under the same dietary background, PUFA contents in breast milk expressed by most major allele homozygote mothers tended to be higher than that expressed by their counterparts who carried minor allele genes. Moreover, under the same gene background, PUFA contents in breast milk expressed by the mother's intake of essential PUFA pattern tended to be higher than that expressed by their counterparts who took the other two kinds of dietary. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that different genotypes and dietary PUFA patterns affect PUFA levels in breast milk. We recommend that lactating mothers consume enough essential fatty acids to ensure that their infants ingest sufficient PUFAs.

[Analysis of chemical composition of Salvia miltiorrhiza flower by GC-MS].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the chemical constituents of Salvia miltiorrhiza flower. METHODS: Extraction liquid separated in alumina silica column (alumina: silica = 3: 9). Mixed solution of hexane (100 mL) and dichloromethane (50 mL) eluted and got first fraction. Then, methanol (100 mL) eluted and got second fraction. Two fractions were analyzed with GC-MS. RESULTS: The main components of the first fraction were nonacosane and hentriacontane and that of the secend fraction was hexadecanoic acid. CONCLUSION: This study provides theoretial basis for further study of Salvia miltiorrhiza flower.

Formation mechanisms and supervisory prediction of scaling in water supply pipelines: A review.

The scaling problem in the water supply pipeline will increase the resistance coefficient of the pipeline and the pressure of the water supply pipeline, which will not only affect the operation safety of the water supply pipeline, but also cause energy waste. The scale in the pipeline will also enrich heavy metal ions and pathogenic microorganisms, affecting the safety of water supply water quality and causing secondary pollution of water quality. At present, a lot of research has been done on the composition structure and crystallization process of the scale. The study found that calcite is the main component of the scale; the scale process is a heterogeneous nucleation process induced by heavy metal particles and their corrosion products in the pipeline. The introduction of electrochemical detection technology, density functional theory and molecular dynamics simulation has greatly improved the accuracy and timeliness of water scaling conditions detection and realized the visualization of scaling mechanism. In this paper, the measurement methods of the scale in the water supply pipeline and the corresponding material composition and crystal structure characteristics are reviewed, and the mechanism of the scale and the water quality conditions are summarized. At the end of this paper, based on summarizing the existing water quality scaling tendency evaluation methods, it is proposed to establish a water quality potential scaling risk assessment framework based on Puckorius scaling index (PSI) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) in the future.

Integrative effects of transcutaneous electrical acustimulation on abdominal pain, gastrointestinal motility, and inflammation in patients with early-stage acute pancreatitis.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Gastrointestinal (GI) dysmotility in acute pancreatitis (AP) aggravates inflammation and results in severe complications. This study aimed to explore effects and possible mechanisms of transcutaneous electrical acustimulation (TEA) on abdominal pain, GI dysmotility, and inflammation in AP patients. METHODS: Forty-two AP patients were blindly randomized to receive TEA (n = 21) at acupoints PC6 and ST36 or Sham-TEA (n = 21) at sham points for 2 days. Symptom scores, gastric slow waves, autonomic functions (assessed by spectral analysis of heart rate variability), circulatory levels of motilin, ghrelin, and TNF-α were measured before and after the treatment. Sixteen healthy controls (HCs) were also included without treatment for the assessment of gastric slow waves and biochemistry. KEY RESULTS: Compared with Sham-TEA, TEA decreased abdominal pain score (2.57 ± 1.78 vs. 1.33 ± 1.02, p < 0.05), bloating score (5.19 ± 1.21 vs. 0.76 ± 0.99, p < 0.001), the first defecation time (65.79 ± 19.51 h vs. 51.38 ± 17.19 h, p < 0.05); TEA, but not Sham-TEA, improved the percentage of normal gastric slow waves by 41.6% (p < 0.05), reduced AP severity score (5.52 ± 2.04 vs. 3.90 ± 1.90, p < 0.05) and serum TNF-α (7.59 ± 4.80 pg/ml vs. 4.68 ± 1.85 pg/ml, p < 0.05), and upregulated plasma ghrelin (0.85 ± 0.96 ng/ml vs. 2.00 ± 1.71 ng/ml, p = 0.001) but not motilin (33.08 ± 22.65 pg/ml vs. 24.12 ± 13.95 pg/ml, p > 0.05); TEA decreased sympathetic activity by 15.0% and increased vagal activity by 18.3% (both p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS & INFERENCES: TEA at PC6 and ST36 administrated at early stage of AP reduces abdominal pain, improves GI motility, and inhibits inflammatory cytokine, TNF-α, probably mediated via the autonomic and ghrelin mechanisms.

Pan-Genome Analysis Reveals the Abundant Gene Presence/Absence Variations Among Different Varieties of Melon and Their Influence on Traits.

Melon (Cucumismelo L.) is an important vegetable crop that has been subjected to domestication and improvement. Several varieties of melons with diverse phenotypes have been produced. In this study, we constructed a melon pan-genome based on 297 accessions comprising 168 Mb novel sequences and 4,325 novel genes. Based on the results, there were abundant genetic variations among different melon groups, including 364 unfavorable genes in the IMP_A vs. LDR_A group, 46 favorable genes, and 295 unfavorable genes in the IMP_M vs. LDR_M group. The distribution of 709 resistance gene analogs (RGAs) was also characterized across 297 melon lines, of which 603 were core genes. Further, 106 genes were found to be variable, 55 of which were absent in the reference melon genome. Using gene presence/absence variation (PAV)-based genome-wide association analysis (GWAS), 13 gene PAVs associated with fruit length, fruit shape, and fruit width were identified, four of which were located in pan-genome additional contigs.

Association of Prepregnancy Obesity and Remodeled Maternal-Fetal Plasma Fatty Acid Profiles.

Background: Fatty acids, especially polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA), are found abundantly in the brain and are fundamental for a fetus's growth. The fatty acid profiles of mothers and fetuses may be affected by maternal prepregnancy body mass index (pre-BMI), thus affecting fetal growth and development. Methods: A total of 103 mother-fetus pairs were divided into overweight/obese (OW, n = 26), normal weight (NW, n = 60), and underweight (UW, n = 17) groups according to pre-BMI. Fatty acid profiles in maternal and umbilical cord plasma were analyzed by gas chromatography. Results: The infant birth BMI z-score of the OW group was higher than that of the NW and UW groups (p < 0.05). The OW mothers had significantly higher plasma n-6 PUFA and n-6/n-3, but lower docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and n-3 PUFA (p < 0.05). In cord plasma, the proportions of DHA and n-3 PUFA were lower in the OW group (p < 0.05), whereas the n-6/n-3 ratio was higher in the OW group (p < 0.05). The pre-BMI was negatively correlated with cord plasma DHA in all subjects (r = -0.303, p = 0.002), and the same negative correlation can be observed in the OW group (r = -0.561, p = 0.004), but not in the NW and UW groups (p > 0.05). The pre-BMI was positively correlated with cord plasma n-6/n-3 in all subjects (r = 0.325, p = 0.001), and the same positive correlation can be found in the OW group (r = 0.558, p = 0.004), but not in NW and UW groups (p > 0.05). Conclusions: Maternal pre-BMI was associated with the maternal-fetal plasma fatty acid profiles, whereas the adverse fatty acid profiles are more noticeable in the prepregnancy OW mothers.

[Semen quality analysis of 2 640 infertile men in Suzhou area].

OBJECTIVE: To study the semen quality of male infertility patients in Suzhou area, China. METHODS: We detected the semen quality of 2 640 infertility patients in Suzhou area using computer-assisted semen analysis technology. RESULTS: Of the 2 640 semen samples, 27.35% were found normal in all seminal indexes, 47.35% (1 250/2 640) abnormal in the percentage of grade a + b sperm, and 42.39% (1 119/2 640) abnormal in sperm motility. The percentage of grade a + b sperm and sperm motility were decreased with the increase of age, more obviously in those over 40 years. The incidences of asthenospermia and oligospermia were 37.31% (985/2 640) and 8.94% (236/2 640), rising with the increase of age, especially in those older than 30 years. The 9 sperm motion parameters, including VSL, VCL, LIN, MAD, VAP, STR, WOB, ALH and BCF, were significantly reduced with the decrease of sperm motility and sperm concentration. CONCLUSION: The infertile men in Suzhou area are mainly characterized by a decrease in sperm motility, especially in the percentage of grade a + b sperm. The correlation of age with sperm motility and incidence of asthenospermia and oligospermia suggests that men also have an appropriate childbearing age.

Genus Picrasma: A comprehensive review on its ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry and bioactivities.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: The genus Picrasma belongs to the Simaroubaceae family and contains six species which are mainly distributed in tropical and subtropical regions of Asia and America. The barks, roots, stems, branches, or leaves of several Picrasma species have been applied as folk medicines to treat fever, sore throat, dysentery, eczema, nausea, loss of appetite, diabetes mellitus, cancer, and hypertension. AIM OF THE STUDY: A systematic summary on the botanic characterization, ethnopharmacological uses, phytochemistry, bioactivities and toxicity of species belonging to Picrasma was presented to facilitate the exploitation of the therapeutic potential of these plants. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The literatures about Picrasma were retrieved from a series of scientific search engines including Web of Science, SciFinder, PubMed, CNKI, Google Scholar, Elsevier, Wiley, ACS publications, and SpringerLink between 1970 and 2020. Plant names were validated by "The Plant List" (www.theplantlist.org). RESULTS: As ethnopharmacological uses, Picrasma species are valuable folk medicines to treat fever, inflammation, dysentery, eczema, cancer, diabetics, skin infection, and so on. Up to now, a total of 361 compounds including 126 alkaloids, 132 quassinoids, 67 triterpenoids, and 36 miscellaneous compounds were reported from Picrasma species. Quassinoids and alkaloids are the principal constituents in the genus. The extracts and phytochemical constituents of Picrasma species demonstrate a wide range of bioactivities including cytotoxic, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and other activities. CONCLUSIONS: Picrasma species are widely used as traditional medicines, have diverse chemical constituents with obvious biological activities. Nevertheless, further studies are required on the Picrasma species to assert the ethnopharmacological uses, clarify their bioactive constituents, determine pharmacological actions, and toxicity. Therefore, the present review may provide a critical clue for future studies and further exploitations on Picrasma species.

Chiral-Selective Tamm Plasmon Polaritons.

Chiral-selective Tamm plasmon polariton (TPP) has been investigated at the interface between a cholesteric liquid crystal and a metasurface. Different from conventional TPP that occurs with distributed Bragg reflectors and metals, the chiral-achiral TPP is successfully demonstrated. The design of the metasurface as a reflective half-wave plate provides phase and polarization matching. Accordingly, a strong localized electric field and sharp resonance are observed and proven to be widely tunable.