With the standard of living improved, people had less and less interests in exercise, adiposity has being a problem that people have to be up against all over the world. Exercise can step up energy expenditure, decrease fat accumulation, minish the volume of fat cell, and is one of widely used, effective, safe, economical measures of anti-adiposity. The adaptable change of neuroendocrine system in exercise quicken up fat to burn more. Leptine is an important signal of measuring fat content of body. The relationship between adiposity and leptin, and the effect of exercise on leptin was reviewed in this paper.

Berberine is the major component of Coptidis Rhizoma and it has been used as anti-infection, anti-inflammation drug for gastrointestinal diseases. In recent years, evidence showed that it could regulate glucose and lipid metabolism. Moreover, its activity had been tested by clinical trials and animal researches. The mechanisms of berberine in diabetes include: improving the function of beta-cell; prompting insulin secretion and islets regeneration, lowing lipid level, regulating glucose and lipid metabolic by influence transcriptional factors expression such as PPARgamma, C/EBPalpha, SREBP-1c, LXR, having the activities of anti-oxidation and inhibiting reductase to repress oxidative stress state and regulate metabolic signal pathway. Although numbers of data supported that berberine could improving insulin resistance by clinical trials and animal studies, the large scale, multicenter clinical trials are needed to evaluate the effects of berberine for diabetes and its complications in the time of evidence-based medicine.
Animals ; Berberine ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; drug therapy ; genetics ; metabolism ; Glucose ; metabolism ; Humans ; Hypoglycemic Agents ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Insulin ; metabolism ; Lipid Metabolism ; drug effects

Ginseng and its effective components are famous for their influence to enhance human immunity, regulate endocrine and antioxidant action. However, the different effects of different components are not clear. In this study, Wistar rats were used to study the effects of main components of ginseng, including total ginsenoside, panaxadiol saponins, panaxtrol saponin and ginseng polysaccharide. The results showed that the effects of panaxadiol saponins and ginseng polysaccharide on improving animal immune organ weight, plasma interleukin 2 (IL-2), interleukin 6 (IL-6), plasma gamma-interferon (IFN-γ), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) were better than that of the other groups. Total ginsenoside and panaxtrol saponin can effectively increase the concentration of spleen NK cells (NKC) while panaxadiol saponins and ginseng polysaccharide can significantly increase the concentrations of rat plasma adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH), corticosterone (CORT) and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH). As for the effect of increasing organization nitric oxide (NO) and superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione (GSH) and malondialdehyde (MDA), total ginsenoside is better than that of other groups. In brief, different components in ginseng possess different effects on enhancing immunity, regulating endocrine and resisting oxidation. Panaxadiol saponins and ginseng polysaccharide are better in enhancing immune, and total ginsenoside shows advantages in resisting oxidation and stress.
Adrenal Glands ; drug effects ; growth & development ; Adrenocorticotropic Hormone ; blood ; Animals ; Brain ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Corticosterone ; blood ; Ginsenosides ; pharmacology ; Glutathione ; metabolism ; Immune System ; drug effects ; physiology ; Interferon-gamma ; blood ; Interleukin-2 ; blood ; Interleukin-6 ; blood ; Killer Cells, Natural ; drug effects ; Malondialdehyde ; metabolism ; Nitric Oxide ; metabolism ; Organ Size ; drug effects ; Panax ; chemistry ; Polysaccharides ; pharmacology ; Random Allocation ; Rats, Wistar ; Saponins ; pharmacology ; Spleen ; drug effects ; growth & development ; Superoxide Dismutase ; metabolism ; Thymus Gland ; drug effects ; growth & development ; Thyrotropin ; blood

Autophagy is an active research area in the biomedical field as its role has been identified in many physiological and pathological processes. Accordingly, there is a growing demand to identify, quantify and manipulate the process accurately. Meanwhile, there is great interest in identifying compounds that modulate autophagy because they may have applications in the treatment of a variety of autophagy-related diseases. In this review, we summarize the current status of autophagy screening systems to facilitate identification of autophagy modulators.
Autophagy ; Humans

A central portion of nifS, designated nifS', was amplified from Azotobacter vinelandii. The nifS' was cloned into pUC18 to make pUCS. Then pUCS was integrated into Azotobacter vindandii chromosome DNA by homologous recombination. This nifS disruption mutants were generated by single cross-over event and selected by Amp resistence on BBGN medium. The nifS disruption mutant (named SU1) was affirmed by southern blot and PCR amplification. SU1 grows rapidly on BBGN, but very slowly on Burk's N-free medium. This phenomenon showes that SU1 nearly lost its nitrogen fixation ability because of the disruption of nifS. The successful construction of SU1 is helpful for further research on the effect of nifS on the structure and function of nitrogenase component-Ⅰ and Ⅱ.

To investigate the protective effects and possible mechanism of Mycelium of Hirsutella hepiali Chen et Shen (MHCS) on metabolic syndromes, free fatty acid and MHCS-treated hepatocytes were used for detecting autophagy-related LC3, p62 and lipid accumulation. Moreover, high fat diet fed mice were used to establish metabolic syndromes model. 50-weeks age mice were randomly divided into: control group, model group and MHCS group. At 80-weeks age, 15 mice were randomly chosen from each group separately for examining oral glucose tolerance, serum insulin, insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), hepatic LC3, p62, p-NF-kappaB p65, NF-kappaB p65, IL-6 and CXCL-8. Moreover, insulin resistance index (IRI) was calculated. Hepatic pathological changes, including vacuoles, lipids accumulation and fibrosis were observed. Remaining mice were fed with diet separately to 110 weeks-age for statistics of mortality. MHCS promoted autophagy of free fatty acid treated hepatocytes. Mice fed with high fat plus MHCS diet exhibited improved oral glucose tolerance, insulin resistance, hepatic pathology, inflammation, mortality and activated autophagy. The protective effects of MHCS against metabolic syndroms might be through the activation of hepatic autophagy.
Animals ; Autophagy ; Diet, High-Fat ; adverse effects ; Glucose Tolerance Test ; Hepatocytes ; metabolism ; pathology ; Hypocreales ; Insulin ; blood ; Insulin Resistance ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor I ; metabolism ; Interleukin-6 ; metabolism ; Interleukin-8 ; metabolism ; Liver ; metabolism ; pathology ; Male ; Metabolic Syndrome ; etiology ; metabolism ; pathology ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Microtubule-Associated Proteins ; metabolism ; Mycelium ; physiology ; Random Allocation ; Transcription Factor RelA ; metabolism ; Transcription Factors ; metabolism

Objective To estimate relationship between the brain atrophy rate and percent corpus callosum area change in patients with cerebral vascular disease.Methods Forty-six patients with cerebral vascular disease underwent MR scanning twice,at the baseline and at the end of the follow-up period.T1W images at both time points were processed automatically with structural image evaluation using normalization of atrophy(SIENA) software to determine the percent brain volume change(PBVC).In addition,the corpus callosum and the inner table of the skull on the mid-sagittal images of two scans were outlined manually to measure their areas.The percent of corpus callosum area change(PCCAC) was calculated.Then,the relationship between PBVC,PCCAC and age was statistically analyzed.Results Significant correlation was found among the three variables: spearman rank correlation coefficient was-0.295 for PBVC and age(P=0.047),while it was-0.4 for PCCAC and age(P=0.006),and 0.538 for PBVC and PCCAC(P=0.000).Conclusion SIENA software identifies brain atrophy quantitatively in patients with cerebral vascular disease,which correlated with area reduction of the corpus callosum.

Objective To quantify the white matter hyperintensity (WMH) with serial MRI in elderly people with cerebrovascular disease, and to evaluate the risk factors that may have impact on their progression.Methods One hundred and thirty-eight patients with cerebrovascular disease underwent twice MRI scans with a 1.5T MR scanner at least one year apart (mean = 13.8 months). The clinical data of all patients, including age, gender, systolic blood pressure, blood glucose level, serum lipid level, alcohol consumption and smoking were recorded at baseline, as well as the historical informations concerning hypertension, diabetes mellitus and hypercholesterolemia. Besides, the overall severity of cognitive impairment and neural deficit of patients were rated by Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIH). MRI measures included volume of gray matter infarction, volume of white matter infarction, and baseline volume of WMH. The volumetric changes of WMH between the twice scans were assessed using a semi-automated software. The influence of risk factors on changes of WMH volume was analyzed. Correlation coefficients were calculated between clinical scales and the change of WMH volume. Results The Baseline WMH volume was(13155?18782) mm3, and the volumetric change of WMH was(7687?9079) mm3. Multiple regression analyses revealed that the occurrence of infarction in cortex and in white matter was significantly associated with the volumetric change of WMH, as well as the baseline WMH volume. The volumetric changes of WMH were related to MMSE and NIH score (r=-0.266,P=0.002; r=0.257,P=0.002). The total infarcted volumes were associated with the volumetric change of WMH (r=0.416,P

Objective To establish virtual three-dimensional instrument and cerebral aneurysm models by using three-dimensional moulding software,and to explore the effect of the models in interventional preoperative simulation.Methods The virtual individual models including cerebral arteries and aneurysms were established by using the three-dimensional moulding software of 3D Studio MAX R3 based on standard virtual cerebral aneurysm models and individual DSA image.The virtual catheter,guide wire,stent and coil were also established.The study of interventional preoperative simulation was run in personal computer,and included 3 clinical cases.Results The simulation results of the working angle and the moulding angle of the head of catheter and guide wire in 3 cases were identical with that of operation results. The simulation results of the requirement of number and size of coil in 1 case of anterior communicating aneurysm and 1 case of posterior communicating aneurysm were identical with that of operation results.The simulation results of coil for aneurysmal shape in 1 case of giant internal carotid artery aneurysm were more than 2 three-dimensional coils with size of 3mm?3 cm from the operation results,and the position of the second coil in aneurysmal neck was adjusted according to the results of real-time simulation.The results of retrospective simulation of operation procedure indicated that the simulation methods for regular and small aneurysms could become a routine simulation means but more simulation experience was needed to build up for the giant aneurysms.Conclusions The virtual three-dimensional instrument and cerebral aneurysm models established by the general software provided a new study method for neuro-interventional preoperative simulation,and it played an important guidance role in developing neuro- interventional operation.

Due to its effect of systems regulation and promotion on body, Ginseng is always referred to be long-term used as a dietary supplement. But it was still unclear about its target of the tonic effects and also the side-effects long-term use may bring. Urine metabolomic method is suitable for long-term studies of pharmaco-dynamics, pharmacology and toxicology of traditional Chinese medicine because of its characteristics of non-invasive and monitoring the whole-body metabolism. This study was designed to detect the dynamic variation of rat urine metabolome along with a long-term administration of total ginsenosides using GC-TOF based metabolomic technology. Our result showed that either short-term or chronic administration of ginsenosides did not impact the rat urine metabolome significantly (as the PCA subgroup was not successful). By comparison, the short-term (1-3 w) dose of ginsenosides had the biggest metabolic influence including TCA cycle, catecholamines and neurotransmitter amino acids. Medium-term (6-10 w) dose had a gradually lower effect and long-term (27 w) dose almost had no effect. Our study indicates that both short and long-term administration of ginsenosides showed almost no obvious side-effect on the experimental animals.
Animals ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; metabolism ; Ginsenosides ; metabolism ; urine ; Male ; Metabolomics ; Panax ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Time Factors