Due to their biological and physiological importance, flavonoids received considerable attention in the literature. This review discusses the widely used analytical method i.e. capillary electrophoresis (CE) including the chiral flavonoids separation and the hyphenation of CE and MS. Techniques used for enhancement of sensitivity such as stacking, sweeping, isotachophoresis etc. were also discussed.

Objective To explore the effect of calories supplement or protein supplement on the skeletal muscle in the elderly.Methods The ambulatory elderly (≥65 yrs) with reduced handgrip strength and/or gait speed were enrolled,who did not suffer from any neurological or arthritic disease impairing mobility,or any severe pulmonary or heart disease,or chronic kidney failure.The subjects were recruited with their written informed consent from clinical practices in five hospitals in China.The subjects were randomized to control group(n=26),nutrition supplementation (Nutren 400 kcal/ d) group (n=27) or protein supplementation(Biopro Protein 20 g/d) group (n=21).All the subjects were given healthy lifestyle education.The physical performances i.e.gait speed and handgrip strength were measured at baseline and at 2 and 3 months of followed up.Lean soft tissue mass (muscle mass) was measured by BIA at baseline and at 3 months of follow-up.Results A total of 74 subjects completed the trial,including 26 in controls,27 in Nutren,and 21 in protein group.At the end of the trial,the changes from baseline in appendicular muscle mass were-490.0 g (95％CI:-801.9--245.5,P=0.001)in control group,90.0 g (95％CI:-346.8--442.0,P=0.241) in Nutren group,and 290.0 g (95％CI:-746.6-20.1,P=0.007) in protein group.There were no significant difference in above indices among the three groups (P=0.051),except between Nutren group and control group (P=0.020).The handgrip strength and gait speed in the three groups were improved obviously as compared with those at baseline,but not statistically significant between different groups.Conclusions Caloric supplementation group may have greater effect in maintaining muscle mass than the protein supplement group in the elderly.Both the caloric supplement and the protein supplement produce no additional effect on muscular function as compared with healthy lifestyle education.

Objective To investigate the correlation between FA value,ADC value and limb muscle strength score measured by magnetic resonance imaging in patients with ischemic stroke,aims to to analyze the clinical value of magnetic resonance imaging in limb muscle strength.Methods Twenty patients with acute cerebral infarction and treated from June 2015 to Junly 2016 were recruited from This hospital,and the simplified Fugl-Meyer motor function score was observed for all patients within 3 days.Tensor imaging examination was conducted to observe the distribution of nerve fiber bundles,FA value,ADC value changes.Results The FA value and ADC value of the infarct side were significantly different from those of the contralateral side(t=8.70,t=-18.70,P＜0.05);There were significant differences in FA value and ADC value between the infarcted ventricle hind limbs and the contralateral side of the infarcted ventricle(t=-5.16,t=-5.08,P＜0.05).The FA value of the infarcted ventral hind limbs had positive correlation with the simplified Fugl-Meyer motor function score(R=0.863,P=0.013).Conclusion FA value and ADC value of acute infarct and internal hindlimb are lower than FA value and ADC value of contralateral normal white matter.The FA value of internal capsule hind limbs is closely related to the simplified Fugl-Meyer motor function score.

To investigate the collective influence of sarcopenia on the extended prognosis of hospitalized elderly individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM).

Patients with T2DM aged 65 years and older, who were admitted to the Geriatrics Department of Peking Union Medical College Hospital between January 2017 and January 2021, were consecutively enrolled in the study. The presence of sarcopenia was evaluated based on the diagnostic criteria established by the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia(AWGS) in 2014. Additionally, assessments were made on the patients' comorbidities, functional status, nutritional status, and geriatric syndromes. Follow-up was conducted through outpatient visits and telephone calls to monitor outcomes such as severe disability, rehospitalization, and all-cause mortality. Cox regression analysis was performed to investigate the impact of concurrent sarcopenia on the long-term prognosis of hospitalized elderly individuals with T2DM.

A total of 244 elderly inpatients with T2DM who met specific criteria were included in the study, comprising 110 males(45.1%) and 134 females(54.9%), with ages ranging from 65 to 93 years and a median age of 74 years. Sarcopenia was observed in 25.4%(62/244) of patients. Over a follow-up period of three to seven years(median 5.6 years), elderly T2DM patients with sarcopenia exhibited significantly higher rates of severe disability, rehospitalization, and all-cause death compared to those without sarcopenia(all P < 0.001). Cox regression analysis, adjusting for gender, age, and comorbidities, revealed that sarcopenia was a significant predictor of severe disability(HR=4.693, 95% CI: 1.253-17.579, P=0.022), rehospitalization(HR=1.755, 95% CI: 1.053-2.926, P=0.031), and all-cause death(HR=2.255, 95% CI: 1.078-4.713, P=0.031). Additionally, the age-adjusted Charlson comorbidity index emerged as an independent risk factor for all-cause death(HR=1.237, 95% CI: 1.046-1.464, P=0.013).

The prevalence of sarcopenia is notably high among hospitalized elderly patients with T2DM, greatly affecting their long-term prognosis. It is imperative for clinicians to prioritize screening and implement interventions for sarcopenia in elderly T2DM patients to improve their quality of life and overall prognosis.

Through random sampling,a total of 300 residents of Beijing Changping Ming Tombs Town were selected for home-based questionnaires.The smoking rate of interviewed residents was 21.4％ (53/248).The rate in men (42/125,33.6％ ) was bigber than that in women ( 11/123,8.9％ ).The rate in those with higher education was lower than that in those with lower educational level ( x2 =27.12,P ＜ 0.05 ).The population awareness of tobacco hazards was 80.6％ (200/248).Awareness in smokers was lower than the average awareness of ex-smokers and nonsmokers ( x2 =5.07,P ＜ 0.05 ).The higher the education level,the higher the awareness of tobacco health hazards ( x2 ≈ 19.72,P ＜ 0.05 ).There were differences in awareness among different age groups (x2 =13.37,P ＜ 0.05 ).

OBJECTIVETo compare the pharmacokinetic characteristics of brucine following intravenous administration of liposomes, containing total alkaloids from seed of Strychnos nux-vomica, to rats with different phospholipids composition.

METHODLiposomes containing the total alkaloids were prepared by the method of ammonium sulfate transmembrane gradients and stealth liposome technique. The contents of total alkaloids and brucine in liposomes were determined and compared after free drug being removed. After intravenous administration of total alkaloids solution or liposomes with different composition, plasma samples were drawn at predetermined time points and the concentrations of brucine were determined by a validated method of HPLC. Pharmacokinetic analysis was performed by 3P97 program.

RESULTThe ratios of brucine to total alkaloids in liposomes hardly varied with phospholipids composition. Compared with SPC liposome, AUC of brucine was increased 13.3-fold and apparent volume of distribution was decreased to only 3.6% following intravenous administration of HSPC liposome. In addition, besides that AUC of brucine was slightly increased, most pharmacokinetic parameters were not significantly changed after administration of the novel liposome compared with those of SPC liposome.

CONCLUSIONPhospholipids composition has a significant influence on the pharmacokinetics of brucine after intravenous administration of liposomes containing total alkaloids from seed of S. nux-vomica.

Alkaloids ; administration & dosage ; pharmacokinetics ; Animals ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; pharmacokinetics ; Infusions, Intravenous ; Liposomes ; administration & dosage ; pharmacokinetics ; Male ; Models, Animal ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Seeds ; chemistry ; Strychnine ; administration & dosage ; analogs & derivatives ; pharmacokinetics ; Strychnos nux-vomica ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo compare the pharmaceutical properties and the anti-tumor activities of three kinds of stealth liposomes prepared with different phospholipid composition containing brucine.

METHODStealth liposomes with different phospholipids composition, such as soybean phosphatidycholine (SPC), hydrogenated soybean phosphatidylcholine (HSPC) and the complex of SPC and HSPC, were prepared by ammonium sulfate transmembrane gradient method. Pharmaceutical properties such as shape, encapsulation efficiency and size of three stealth liposomes were compared intensively. Anti-tumor activity of SPC, HSPC and novel stealth liposomes composed of both SPC and HSPC were compared by established mouse liver cancer H22 model. Meanwhile, the mice body weight and immune organ weight were also compared.

RESULTThe encapsulation efficiency of novel, SPC and HSPC stealth liposomes were 77.7%, 64.8% and 74.8%, respectively. The mean diameters of them were less than 100 nm. The tumor inhibition rate of novel, HSPC and SPC stealth liposomes were 57.88%, 49.15%, 23.37%, respectively. The mice body weight, thymus gland index of three stealth liposomes group and spleen index of novel stealth liposomes group had no significant difference with the negative group while SPC and HSPC stealth liposomes group increased the spleen index.

CONCLUSIONPhospholipids composition is the key factor which determines the antitumor activity of brucine-loaded stealth liposomes.

Animals ; Antineoplastic Agents ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Body Weight ; drug effects ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Humans ; Liposomes ; adverse effects ; chemistry ; Mice ; Particle Size ; Phospholipids ; chemistry ; Strychnine ; analogs & derivatives ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo prepare the novel liposomes composed of hydrogenated soybean phosphatidylcholine (HSPC) and soybean phosphatidylcholine (SPC) containing the total alkaloids from seed of Strychnos nux-vomica, and to compare the pharmaceutical properties of the novel liposomes with the corresponding HSPC or SPC liposomes.

METHODThe total alkaloids were extracted from seeds of S. nux-vomica. and further purified. Novel liposomes containing the total alkaloids were prepared by ammonium sulfate transmembrane gradients and stealth liposome technique. Pharmaceutical properties such as encapsulation efficiency (EE), size, zeta potential and drug release profile of novel liposomes and corresponding HSPC or SPC liposomes were compared intensively.

RESULTFor novel liposomes, HSPC-SPC (1:3) was the best ratio which has the highest EE. At the drug/lipid weight ratio of 1:6, the EE of novel, SPC and HSPC liposomes were (73.6 +/- 2.9)%, (62.9 +/- 1.8)% and (54.7 +/- 1.0)% (n = 3), respectively. Compared with the corresponding SPC or HSPC liposomes, the size of novel liposomes was obviously decreased but the zeta potential was not different. The results of drug release showed that the novel liposomes were more stable than the SPC liposomes in the presence of rat plasma

CONCLUSIONTaken together, high encapsulation efficiency improved stability in blood, and relative low price of phospholipids of the novel liposomes, indicate that the novel liposomes may act as promising carriers for anti-tumor traditional Chinese medicine.

Alkaloids ; chemistry ; Animals ; Drug Carriers ; chemistry ; Liposomes ; chemistry ; Rats ; Seeds ; chemistry ; Strychnos nux-vomica ; chemistry

Phase separation is an important mechanism that mediates the compartmentalization of proteins in cells. Proteins that can undergo phase separation in cells share certain typical sequence features, like intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs) and multiple modular domains. Sequence-based analysis tools are commonly used in the screening of these proteins. However, current phase separation predictors are mostly designed for IDR-containing proteins, thus inevitably overlook the phase-separating proteins with relatively low IDR content. Features other than amino acid sequence could provide crucial information for identifying possible phase-separating proteins:pro-tein–protein interaction (PPI) networks show multivalent interactions that underlie phase separation process; post-translational modifications (PTMs) are crucial in the regulation of phase separation behavior;spherical structures revealed in immunofluorescence (IF) images indicate condensed dro-plets formed by phase-separating proteins, distinguishing these proteins from non-phase-separating proteins. Here, we summarize the sequence-based tools for predicting phase-separating proteins and highlight the importance of incorporating PPIs, PTMs, and IF images into phase separation prediction in future studies.

To construct nanostructured lipid carriers(NLCs)with different particle sizes but the same other physicochemical properties, central composite design was adopted. Coumarin-6(C-6)was selected as the model drug due to its high lipophilicity and high fluorescence intensity. Physicochemical properties of NLCs with 100 nm, 200 nm and 300 nm in particle size could remain stable during certain time in K-R solution and PBS. Release experiments in vitro showed that cumulative release of C-6 in NLCs was less than 7% after 24 h. The MTT assay indicated that both blank NLCs and C-6 loaded NLCs showed low toxicity. To confirm the integrity of NLCs in gastrointestinal tract, DiR-loaded NLCs were prepared and the distribution in vivo was monitored by fluorescence imaging. After 6 h oral administration, intact DiR-loaded NLCs could stiu be found, suggesting that NLCs could be used to characterize the uptake in gastrointestinal tract.