OBJECTIVE Diabetic nephropathy (DN) has been one of the most common complications of diabetes and the leading cause of end-stage renal disease. Glomerular hyperfiltrationis central in earlystage of DN and leads to the progression of renal architectonic and functional abnormalities. Salvi?anolic acid A (SalA) has been proved to protect diabetic complications such as hepatic fibrosis and neuropathy. The present study was designed to investigate the effects of SalAon glomerular endothelial dysfunctionand diabetic nephropathy. METHODS Primary glomerular endothelial cells were subjected to assess permeability under injury of advanced glycation end-products (AGEs). AGEs-induced changes of RhoA/ROCK pathway and cytoskeleton rearrangement were assessed bywestern blotandimmunoflu?orescence. The beneficial effects of SalA on diabetic nephropathy were investigated in a rat model induced by high-fat and high-glucose diet combined with low dose of streptozocin (35 mg·kg- 1, ip). Renal function and architectonic changes were evaluated by biochemical assay and PAS staining. RESULTS SalA 3μMameliorated AGEs- induced glomerular endothelial permeability (P<0.05) and suppressed rearrangement of cytoskeleton through inhibiting AGE-RAGE-RhoA/ROCK pathway. SalA 1 mg · kg- 1 markedly reduced endothelium loss (P<0.01) and glomerular hyperfiltration (P<0.05) in diabetic kidney. Subsequently,SalA 1 mg·kg-1 suppressed glomerular hypertrophy and mesangial matrix expansion, eventually reduced 24 h-urinary albumin and ameliorated renal function by decreasing blood urine nitrogen (BUN), serum creatinine (Scr) and serum n-acetyl-β-d-glucosaminidase (NAG). AGEs-RAGE-Nox4-induced oxidative stress was suppressed by the treatment of SalA 1 mg·kg-1. CONCLUSION SalA ameliorated AGEs-induced glomerular endothelial hyperpermeability, and effec?tively protected against early-stage diabetic nephropathy by reducing hyperfiltration and alleviating renal structural deterioration through inhibiting AGEs and its downstream pathway. Thus, SalA might be a promising therapeutic agent for the treatment of diabetic nephropathy.

The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of the metformin on the formation of hepatic fibrosis in type 2 diabetic rats and discuss its mechanism of liver-protecting activity. After SD rats were fed with high-fat and high-sucrose diet for four weeks, low-dose streptozotocin (STZ) was injected intraperitoneally to make the animal mode of type 2 diabetes. Then, all diabetic rats was fed with the high-fat diet and metformin (ig, 100 mg x kg(-1)) was given orally to metformin group for four months. After the last administration, fasting blood glucose was determined. The livers were removed to calculate the hepatic coefficient and to make HE and Picro acid-Sirius red staining, immunohistochemistry (alpha-SMA and TGFbeta1) and TUNEL staining in order to evaluate the effect of metformin on the hepatic fibrosis. The animal model of type 2 diabetes with hepatic fibrosis was successfully made. Metformin can significantly alleviate the lesions of hepatic steatosis and fibrosis, markedly reduce the expressions of alpha-SMA and TGFbeta1 in liver tissue of type 2 diabetic rats. However, TUNEL staining result suggested that metformin could not reduce apoptosis of hepatocytes. The results suggest that metformin can inhibit the formation of hepatic fibrosis in type 2 diabetes.
Actins ; metabolism ; Animals ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Blood Glucose ; metabolism ; Body Weight ; drug effects ; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental ; drug therapy ; etiology ; metabolism ; pathology ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; drug therapy ; etiology ; metabolism ; pathology ; Diet, High-Fat ; Female ; Hepatocytes ; pathology ; Hypoglycemic Agents ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Liver ; metabolism ; pathology ; Liver Cirrhosis, Experimental ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; pathology ; Male ; Metformin ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Streptozocin ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1 ; metabolism

Objective To evaluate the protective efficacy of influenza vaccine in the elderly in China. Methods The Chinese databases (CNKI, Wan Fang, VIP) and English databases (Pubmed, Embase) were searched, then studies related to the protective efficacy of influenza vaccine in the elderly according to pre-designed criteria were included and the vaccine efficacy(VE) was selected as an evaluation index. Rev Man 5.3 and Stata 12.0 were used in this meta analysis. Results A total of 26 studies (2000-2016) including 6 kinds of outcomes were eligible, of which, 22 articles related to influenza like illness (ILI) , 5 articles related to common cold (CC) , 11 articles related to the attendance rate due to ILI and CC, 7 articles about chronic diseases (including Hypertension, Diabetes, Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) , Stroke, Cancer, Chronic bronchitis and others) , 6 articles about chronic disease treatment and 3 articles about all-cause mortality. The VE of influenza vaccine was 58.00% (95%CI: 48.00%-66.00%), 40.00%(95% CI: 30.00%-50.00%), 42.00% (95% CI: 34.00%-49.00%), 17.00% (95% CI: 11.00%-23.00%), 28.00%(95% CI: 14 .00 % -40.00 %) and 28 .00 % (95% CI: 15 .00 % -39 .00 %) , respectively. Conclusion Influenza vaccination can effectively prevent the occurrence of influenza like disease and other symptoms in the elderly in China.

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the aesthetic outcome after application of rectangle periosteous flap to cover corrugator.

METHODSOn the basis of regular rhytidectomy, a inter-eyebrow periosteous flap is applied to cover the fascia flap of corrugator by means of turnover. This manipulation helps to separate the skin from the muscle and prevent the re-adherence between the skin and muscle.

RESULTSThe approach was applied on 15 cases. The follow-up ranged from 6 months to 1 year. The results were satisfactory.

CONCLUSIONSThe method is effective in elimination of inter-eyebrow crease.

Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Muscle, Skeletal ; transplantation ; Periosteum ; transplantation ; Reconstructive Surgical Procedures ; methods ; Rhytidoplasty ; methods ; Skull ; Surgical Flaps ; Treatment Outcome

There are growing evidences that pinocembrin has better neuroprotective effect. In the present study, the effect of pinocembrin on mitochondrial respiratory function was evaluated in global brain ischemia/ reperfusion (4-vessel occlusion, 4-VO) rats. The results showed that pinocembrin improved the respiratory activity of 4-VO brain mitochondria, through increasing ADP/O, state 3 respiration state (V3), respiration control rate index (RCI) and oxidative phosphorylation rate (OPR). And then, the effect of pinocembrin on brain mitochondria was verified in vitro. The results showed that pinocembrin increased ADP/O, state 3 respiration state, respiration control rate index, oxidative phosphorylation rate in NADH/FADH2 dependent respiratory chain and decreased state 4 respiration state (V4) in NADH dependent respiratory chain. Pinocembrin improved ATP content in brain mitochondria in vitro and in SH-SY5Y cells.
Adenosine Diphosphate ; metabolism ; Adenosine Triphosphate ; biosynthesis ; Animals ; Brain Ischemia ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Respiration ; drug effects ; Flavanones ; pharmacology ; Hippocampus ; pathology ; Male ; Mitochondria ; drug effects ; physiology ; Neuroblastoma ; metabolism ; pathology ; Neurons ; drug effects ; Neuroprotective Agents ; pharmacology ; Oxygen ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

Objective To assess the prevalence,demographic characteristics,risk factors and protective factors on major depression disorder(MDD)among the affected people in the epicenter,7 months after the 2008-earthquake in Wenchuan,China.Methods Stratified multistage cluster randomization was conducted to choose 14 503 subjects aged 15 years or over in the city of Dujiangyan,Beichuan county and Qingchuan county,Sichuan province.We used the general health questionnaire(GHQ-12)as the screening instrument,and the structured clinical interview for DSM-Ⅳ-TR axis Ⅰ disorder-patient edition(SCID-Ⅰ/P)as the tool for diagnosis.Results There were 180 persons diagnosed as MDD with other 13 asymptomatic ones.The point prevalence of MDD was 1.27% and the lifetime prevalence was 1.36%.Risk factors were including:being female(OR=1.56,95%CI:1.136～ 2.143,P＜0.05),co-morbidity with somatic diseases(OR=4.02,95%CI:2.75-5.90,P＜0.05),wounded in the earthquake(OR=3.29,95%CI:1.92-5.65,P＜0.05),property loss up to 10 000-20 000 Yuan(OR=2.09,95%CI:1.18-3.69,P＜0.05),property loss up to＞20 000 Yuan(OR=2.54,95%CI:1.38-4.68,P＜0.05),death or missing of family members(OR=3.79,95%CI:2.08-6.89,P＜0.05)and in middle-age(OR=2.31,95%CI:1.38-3.86,P＜0.05)etc.Having had a job seemed to be a protective factor(OR=0.60,95%CI:0.43-0.83,P＜0.05).Conclusion Major depressive disorder appeared to be a common psychiatric disease in these quake-stricken areas,that causing serious problems.Sustained follow-up and care provided to the affected people in these areas were of extreme importance.

Excess accumulation of white adipose tissue (WAT) causes obesity which is an imbalance between energy intake and energy expenditure. Obesity is a serious concern because it has been the leading causes of death worldwide, including diabetes, stroke, heart disease and cancer. Therefore, uncovering the mechanism of obesity and discovering anti-obesity drugs are crucial to prevent obesity and its complications. Browning, inducing white adipose tissue to brown or beige (brite) fat which is brown-like fat emerging in WAT, becomes an appealing therapeutic strategy for obesity and metabolic disorders. Due to lack of efficacy or intolerable side-effects, the clinical trials that promote brown adipose tissue (BAT) thermogenesis and browning of WAT have not been successful in humans. Obviously, more specific means still need to be developed to activate browning of white adipose tissue. In this review, we summarized seven kinds of natural products (alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids, long chain fatty acids, phenolic acids, else and extract) promoting white adipose tissue browning which can ameliorate the metabolic disorders, including obesity, dislipidemia, insulin resistance and diabetes. Since natural products are important drug sources and the browning property plays a significant role in not only obesity treatment but also in type 2 diabetes (T2DM) improvement, natural products of inducing browning may be an irreplaceable drug discovery orientation for obesity, diabetes and even other metabolic disorders.

AIM: To explore the therapeutic effects of Morinda officinalis capsules (MOP) on osteoporosis in ovariectomized rats. METHODS: Six-month-old female Sprague-Dawley rats were induced for postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMOP) by bilateral ovariectomy and divided into seven groups as follows: sham-operated group, ovariectomized (OVX) control group, OVX treated with xianlinggubao (XLGB) (270 mg·kg⁻¹·d⁻¹), OVX treated with alendronate sodium (ALN) (3 mg·kg⁻¹·d⁻¹), and OVX treated with Morinda officinalis capsule (MOP) of graded doses (90, 270 and 810 mg·kg⁻¹·d⁻¹) groups. Oral treatments were administered daily on the 4(th) week after ovariectomy and lasted for 12 weeks. The bone mineral density was evaluated by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. The tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP), alkaline phosphatase (AKP), and osteocalcin (OC) levels in the serum and plasma were determined by standard colorimetric and enzyme immunoassays methods. Bone biomechanical properties and morphological parameters were analyzed by three-point bending test and histomorphometry respectively. RESULTS: Morinda officinalis capsules at all doses were able to significantly prevent the OVX-induced loss of bone mass due to diminishing serum AKP and TRAP levels while elevating OC level in the plasma. Morinda officinalis capsules also enhanced the bone strength and prevented the deterioration of trabecular microarchitecture. CONCLUSION Morinda officinalis capsules possess potent anti-osteoporotic activity in OVX rats which could be an effective treatment for postmenopausal osteoporosis.
Acid Phosphatase ; blood ; Alkaline Phosphatase ; blood ; Animals ; Bone Density ; drug effects ; Bone Density Conservation Agents ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Capsules ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Isoenzymes ; blood ; Morinda ; Osteocalcin ; blood ; Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal ; blood ; metabolism ; prevention & control ; Ovariectomy ; Phytotherapy ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Tartrate-Resistant Acid Phosphatase

Hyperglycemia is the dominant phenotype of diabetes and the main contributor of diabetic complications. Puerarin is widely used in cardiovascular diseases and diabetic vascular complications. However, little is known about its direct effects on diabetes. The aim of our study is to investigate its antidiabetic effect in vivo and in vitro, and explore the underlying mechanism. We used type I diabetic mice induced by streptozotocin to observe the effects of puerarin on glucose metabolism. In addition, oxidative stress and hepatic mitochondrial respiratory activity were evaluated in type I diabetic mice. In vitro, glucose consumption in HepG2 cells was assayed along with the qPCR detection of glucogenesis genes expression. Moreover, ATP production was examined and phosphorylation of AMPK was determined using Western blot. Finally, the molecular docking was performed to predict the potential interaction of puerarin with AMPK utilizing program LibDock of Discovery Studio 2018 software. The results showed that puerarin improved HepG2 glucose consumption and upregulated the glucogenesis related genes expression. Also, puerarin lowered fasting and fed blood glucose with improvement of glucose tolerance in type I diabetic mice. Further mechanism investigation showed that puerarin suppressed oxidative stress and improved hepatic mitochondrial respiratory function with enhancing ATP production and activating phosphorylation of AMPK. Docking study showed that puerarin interacted with AMPK activate site and enhancing phosphorylation. Taken together, these findings indicated that puerarin exhibited the hypoglycemic effect through attenuating oxidative stress and improving mitochondrial function via AMPK regulation, which may serve as a potential therapeutic option for diabetes treatment.