This study aims to investigate the potential effect of the water extract of fresh Rehmanniae Radix on hypercholesterolemia in mice that was induced by a high-fat and high-cholesterol diet and explore its possible mechanism from bile acid reabsorption. Male C57BL/6 mice were randomly assigned into the following groups: control, model, low-and high-dose(4 and 8 g·kg~(-1), respectively) fresh Rehmanniae Radix, and positive drug(simvastatin, 0.05 g·kg~(-1)). Other groups except the control group were fed with a high-fat and high-cholesterol diet for 6 consecutive weeks to induce hypercholesterolemia. From the 6th week, mice were administrated with corresponding drugs daily via gavage for additional 6 weeks, while continuing to be fed with a high-fat and high-cholesterol diet. Serum levels of total cholesterol(TC), triglycerides(TG), low density lipoprotein-cholesterol(LDL-c), high density lipoprotein-cholesterol(HDL-c), and total bile acid(TBA), as well as liver TC and TG levels and fecal TBA level, were determined by commercial assay kits. Hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining, oil red O staining, and transmission electron microscopy were performed to observe the pathological changes in the liver. Three livers samples were randomly selected from each of the control, model, and high-dose fresh Rehmanniae Radix groups for high-throughput transcriptome sequencing. Differentially expressed genes were mined and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis was performed to predict the key pathways and target genes of the water extract of fresh Rehmanniae Radix in the treatment of hypercholesterolemia. RT-qPCR was employed to measure the mRNA levels of cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase(CYP7A1) and cholesterol 27α-hydroxylase(CYP27A1) in the liver. Western blot was employed to determine the protein levels of CYP7A1 and CYP27A1 in the liver as well as farnesoid X receptor(FXR), apical sodium-dependent bile acid transporter(ASBT), and ileum bile acid-binding protein(I-BABP) in the ileum. The results showed that the water extract of fresh Rehmanniae Radix significantly lowered the levels of TC and TG in the serum and liver, as well as the level of LDL-c in the serum. Conversely, it elevated the level of HDL-c in the serum and TBA in feces. No significant difference was observed in the level of TBA in the serum among groups. HE staining, oil red O staining, and transmission electron microscopy showed that the water extract reduced the accumulation of lipid droplets in the liver. Further mechanism studies revealed that the water extract of fresh Rehmanniae Radix significantly down-regulated the protein levels of FXR and bile acid reabsorption-related proteins ASBT and I-BABP. Additionally, it enhanced CYP7A1 and CYP27A1, the key enzymes involved in bile acid synthesis. Therefore, it is hypothesized that the water extract of fresh Rehmanniae Radix may exert an anti-hypercholesterolemic effect by regulating FXR/ASBT/I-BABP signaling, inhibiting bile acid reabsorption, and increasing bile acid excretion, thus facilitating the conversion of cholesterol to bile acids.
Animals ; Male ; Bile Acids and Salts/metabolism* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Mice ; Diet, High-Fat/adverse effects* ; Cholesterol/metabolism* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Hypercholesterolemia/genetics* ; Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear/genetics* ; Rehmannia/chemistry* ; Liver/drug effects* ; Humans ; Cholesterol 7-alpha-Hydroxylase/genetics* ; Plant Extracts

AIM To optimize the extraction process for total polyphenols from Conioselinum vaginatu(Spreng.)Thell.,make component analysis,and evaluate their anti-oxidant,hypoglycemic activities.METHODS The effects of ultrasound,enzymatic hydrolysis,acid hydrolysis,alcohol extraction and hydrolysis processes on the extraction quantity of total polyphenols were investigated,respectively.With extraction temperature,extraction time,ethanol concetration and liquid-solid ratio as influencing factors,extraction quantity of total polyphenols as an evaluation index,the extraction process was optimized by response surface method.HPLC was adopted in the identification of polyphenolic composition and determination of their contents.Subsequently,total polyphenols' scavenging capacities on DPPH,ABTS,OH free radicals,total reducing power and inhibitory capacity on α-glucosidase were determined.RESULTS The highest extraction quantity of total polyphenols was observable when extraction process was employed.The optimal conditions were determined to be 62 ℃ for extraction temperature,54 min for extraction time,69％for ethanol concentration,and 50∶1 for liquid-solid ratio,the extraction quantity of total polyphenols was(9.51±0.2)mg GAE/g.Seven constituents existed in C.vaginatu,among which ferulic acid demonstrated the highest content,followed by that of myricetin,while D-tryptophan content was the lowest.At the concentration of 7.61 mg/L,total polyphenols displayed the scavenging rates on DPPH,ABTS,OH free radicals of 80.70％,85.97％,28.60％,total reducing power of 0.22,and inhibition rate on α-glucosidase of 77.23％,respectively.CONCLUSION This stable and reliable method can be used for the extraction of total polyphenols from C.vaginatum with strong anti-oxidant,hypoglycemic activities.

This study explored the drying kinetics of Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma(SM), established the suitable models simulating the drying kinetics, and then analyzed the dynamic changes of active components during the drying processes with different methods, aiming to provide a basis for the establishment of suitable drying methods and the quality control of SM. The drying kinetics were studied based on the drying curve, drying rate, moisture effective diffusion coefficient, and drying activation energy, and the appropriate drying kinetics model of SM was established. The drying performance of different methods, such as hot air drying, infrared drying, and microwave drying of SM was evaluated, and the changes in the content of 10 salvianolic acids and 6 tanshinones during drying were analyzed by UPLC-TQ-MS. The Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to an Ideal Solution(TOPSIS) was employed to evaluate the quality of SM dried with different methods. The results showed that the drying rate and moisture effective diffusion coefficient of SM increased with the rise in drying temperature, and the maximum drying rates of different methods were in the order of microwave drying > infrared drying > hot air drying, slice > whole root. The drying rate decreased with the rise in temperature and the extension of drying time. The activation energy of hot air drying was higher than that of infrared drying in SM. The most suitable model for simulating the drying process of SM was the Page model. The TOPSIS results suggested infrared drying at 50 ℃ was the optimal drying method for SM. During the drying process, the content of salvianolic acids increased in different degrees with the loss of moisture, among which salvianolic acid B showed the largest increase of 44 times compared with that in the fresh medicinal material. Tanshinones also existed in the fresh herb of SM, and the content of tanshinone Ⅱ_A increased by 3 times after drying. The results provided a basis for the establishment of suitable drying methods and the quality control of SM.
Salvia miltiorrhiza/chemistry* ; Desiccation/methods* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry* ; Rhizome/chemistry* ; Kinetics ; Quality Control ; Abietanes

AIM To optimize the extraction process for total polyphenols from Conioselinum vaginatu(Spreng.)Thell.,make component analysis,and evaluate their anti-oxidant,hypoglycemic activities.METHODS The effects of ultrasound,enzymatic hydrolysis,acid hydrolysis,alcohol extraction and hydrolysis processes on the extraction quantity of total polyphenols were investigated,respectively.With extraction temperature,extraction time,ethanol concetration and liquid-solid ratio as influencing factors,extraction quantity of total polyphenols as an evaluation index,the extraction process was optimized by response surface method.HPLC was adopted in the identification of polyphenolic composition and determination of their contents.Subsequently,total polyphenols' scavenging capacities on DPPH,ABTS,OH free radicals,total reducing power and inhibitory capacity on α-glucosidase were determined.RESULTS The highest extraction quantity of total polyphenols was observable when extraction process was employed.The optimal conditions were determined to be 62 ℃ for extraction temperature,54 min for extraction time,69％for ethanol concentration,and 50∶1 for liquid-solid ratio,the extraction quantity of total polyphenols was(9.51±0.2)mg GAE/g.Seven constituents existed in C.vaginatu,among which ferulic acid demonstrated the highest content,followed by that of myricetin,while D-tryptophan content was the lowest.At the concentration of 7.61 mg/L,total polyphenols displayed the scavenging rates on DPPH,ABTS,OH free radicals of 80.70％,85.97％,28.60％,total reducing power of 0.22,and inhibition rate on α-glucosidase of 77.23％,respectively.CONCLUSION This stable and reliable method can be used for the extraction of total polyphenols from C.vaginatum with strong anti-oxidant,hypoglycemic activities.

Objective This study aimed to investigate the potential relationship between urinary metals copper (Cu), arsenic (As), strontium (Sr), barium (Ba), iron (Fe), lead (Pb) and manganese (Mn) and grip strength. Methods We used linear regression models, quantile g-computation and Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) to assess the relationship between metals and grip strength.Results In the multimetal linear regression, Cu (β=-2.119), As (β=-1.318), Sr (β=-2.480), Ba (β=0.781), Fe (β= 1.130) and Mn (β=-0.404) were significantly correlated with grip strength (P < 0.05). The results of the quantile g-computation showed that the risk of occurrence of grip strength reduction was -1.007 (95％ confidence interval:-1.362, -0.652; P < 0.001) when each quartile of the mixture of the seven metals was increased. Bayesian kernel function regression model analysis showed that mixtures of the seven metals had a negative overall effect on grip strength, with Cu, As and Sr being negatively associated with grip strength levels. In the total population, potential interactions were observed between As and Mn and between Cu and Mn (Pinteractions of 0.003 and 0.018, respectively).Conclusion In summary, this study suggests that combined exposure to metal mixtures is negatively associated with grip strength. Cu, Sr and As were negatively correlated with grip strength levels, and there were potential interactions between As and Mn and between Cu and Mn.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate clinical effect of transcutaneous acupoint electrical stimlation (TEAS) on perioperative immune function and postoperative recovery in patients with total knee arthroplasty (TKA). METHODS: From November 2021 to July 2022, 80 patients with unilateral TKA were selected and divided into TEAS group and sham TEAS group according to different treatment methods. There were 40 patients in TEAS group, including 9 males and 31 females;aged from 61 to 79 years old with an average of (66.90±5.86) years old;body mass index (BMI) ranged from 19.53 to 30.47 kg·m^-2 with an average of (25.34±2.83) kg·m^-2;21 patients on the left side, 19 patients on the right side;according to American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA), 30 patients with gradeⅡ, 10 patients with grade Ⅲ;TEAS were administered at the bilateral Hegu (LI4), Neiguan (PC6) and non-operative Zusanli (ST36) and Sanyinjiao (SP6) points from 30 min before anesthesia to the end of operation, the frequency was 2/10 Hz, current intensity was tolerable and/or muscle rhythmic twitches of limbs were performed. There were 40 patients in sham TEAS group, including 9 males and 31 females;aged from 60 to 80 years old with an average of (67.35±4.29) years old;27 patients on the left side and 13 patients on the right side;BMI ranged from 20.02 to 30.09 kg·m^-2 with an average of (25.02±2.23) kg·m^-2;28 patients with gradeⅡand 12 patients with grade Ⅲ according to ASA;Electrodes were attached to the same points without electrical stimulation. Percentage contents of 24 h CD3+, CD4+, CD8+ and NK cells, postoperative infection, incidence of nausea, vomiting, abdominal distension and pruritus within 48 h after surgery, the first time on the ground, length of hospital stay and quality of recovery-15 (QoR-15) score were compared between two groups. RESULTS: Compared with pseudoteas group, expressions of CD3+ and CD4+ T lymphocytes in TEAS group were significantly increased at 24 h after surgery (P<0.05). The incidence of nausea within 48 h after surgery and the time spent on the ground early after surgery were significantly decreased (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in postoperative secondary infection, adverse reactions such as vomiting, abdominal distension, pruritus and hospitalization days (P>0.05). CONCLUSION Percutaneous acupoint electrical stimulation could improve perioperative cellular immunity in patients with total knee replacement, alleviate immunosuppression, reduce incidence of postoperative adverse reactions, and promote early postoperative recovery.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Aged ; Middle Aged ; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee ; Acupuncture Points ; Postoperative Period ; Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation/methods* ; Recovery of Function

Aim To investigate the role of ferrostatin-1(Fer-1)in adriamycin(ADR)induced podocyte inju-ry.Methods Western blot and RT-qPCR were used to detect the expression of the ferroptosis signaling pathway and podocyte injury-related proteins in podo-cytes treated with ADR and Fer-1.The therapeutic effect of Fer-1 on podocytes was screened by CCK-8;malondialdehyde(MDA),glutathione(GSH)and Fe2+kit were used to evaluate the lipid peroxidation level of podocytes.A mouse model of ADR nephropa-thy was constructed in vivo,and the expression of fer-roptosis related proteins in mouse glomerular podocytes was detected by Western blot and RT-qPCR.The fer-roptosis level of kidney was evaluated by immunohisto-chemistry staining of 4-HNE.Results The expression level of ACSL4,a marker related to ferroptosis,was significantly up-regulated.GPX4 and SLC7A11 were significantly down-regulated in podocytes under ADR stimulation.Compared with the ADR group,Fer-1 in-tervention could partially restore the anomalous change of ferroptosis related protein and improve the expression level of podocellular damage protein desmin.The re-sults of MDA,GSH and Fe2+showed that Fer-1 could improve the lipid peroxidation level of podocytes.The expression level of ACSL4 was significantly up-regula-ted and GPX4 and SLC7A11 were significantly up-reg-ulated in the ADR model group.IHC staining of 4-HNE increased in ADR model group.Conclusions Adriamycin promotes podocyte injury by induced ferrop-tosis,and inhibiting ferroptosis may be a potential strat-egy to prevent the progression of ADR nephropathy.

Objective To explore clinical outcomes and bone resection of interlaminar fenestration decompression and u-nilateral biportal endoscopic(UBE)technique in treating lumbar disc herniation(LDH).Methods A retrospective study was performed on 105 patients with single-level LDH treated from December 2019 to December 2021.Fifty-four patients in UBE group,including 32 males and 22 females,aged from 18 to 50 years old with an average of(38.7±9.3)years old,were treated with UBE,29 patients withL4.5and 25 patients with L5S1.There were 51 patients in small fenestration group,including 27 males and 24 females,aged from 18 to 50 years old with an average of(39.9±10.0)years old,were treated with small fenestra-tion,25 patients with L4.5 and 26 patients with L5S1.Perioperative indexes,such as operation time,postoperative time of getting out of bed and hospital stay were observed and compared between two groups.Visual analogue scale(VAS)and Oswestry dis-ability index(ODI)were compared between two groups before operation and 1,3,6 and 12 months after operation,respective-ly;and modified MacNab evaluation criteria was used to evaluate clinical efficacy.Amount of bone resection and retention rate of inferior articular process laminoid complex were compared between two groups.Results All 105 patients were successfully completed operation.Both of two groups were followed up from 6 to 12 months with an average of(10.69±2.49)months.Oper-ation time,postoperative time of getting out of bed and hospital stay were(58.20±5.54)min,(2.40±0.57)dand(3.80±0.61)d in UBE group,and(62.90±7.14)min,(4.40±0.64)d and(4.40±0.64)d in small fenestrum group,respectively;and had sta-tistically difference between two groups(P＜0.05).Postoperative VAS of low back and leg pain and ODI in both groups were significantly lower than those before surgery(P＜0.05).VAS of lumbar pain in UBE group(1.37±0.49)score was lower than that of small fenestration group(2.45±0.64)score,and had statistically difference(t=9.745,P＜0.05).Postoperative ODI in UBE group at 1 and 3 months were(28.54±3.31)％and(22.87±3.23)％,respectively,which were lower than those in small fenestra group(36.31±9.08)％and(29.90±8.36)％,and the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.05).There were no significant difference in VAS and ODI between two groups at other time points(P＞0.05).According to the modified MacNab evaluation criteria at the latest follow-up,49 patients got excellent result,3 good,and 2 fair in UBE group.In small fenestration group,35 patients got excellent,12 good,and 4 fair.In UBE group,amount of bone resection on L4,5 segment was(0.45±0.08)cm3 and(0.31±0.08)cm3 on the segment of L5S1.In small fenestration group,amount of bone resection on L4.5 segment was(0.57±0.07)cm3 and(0.49±0.04)cm3 on the segment of L5S1,and amount of bone resection of lower articular process laminar complex on the same segment in UBE group was less than that in small fenestration group(P＜0.05).In UBE group,retention rate of laminoid complex on L4,5 segment was(0.73±0.04)and L5S1 segment was(0.83±0.03),whileL4,5segment was(0.68± 0.06)and L5S1 segment was(0.74±0.04)in small fenestration group,the lower articular process laminar complex retention rate in UBE group was higher than that in small fenestration group(P＜0.05).Conclusion Both unilateral double-channel endoscopy and small fenestration of laminae could achieve good clinical results in treating LDH,but UBE has advantages of less trauma,higher eficiency,faster postoperative recovery and less damage to bone structure.

This study analyzed and compared the epidemiological characteristics of foodborne listeriosis in the United States and China,to provide evidence for optimizing the listeriosis surveillance program in China.Descriptive statistical analysis was performed on the listeriosis monitoring data from 2009 to 2021 registered in the FDOSS system and the attribution estimates of Listeria monocytogenes(L.monocytogenes)from 2013 to 2021 published by IFSAC.Sporadic and outbreak data on listeriosis in China from the CNKI,Wanfang Medical,and CQVIP databases were collected.From 2009 to 2021,a total of 1 037 listeriosis cases were reported in the United States,including 902 hospitalizations and 165 deaths.The peak of cases caused by Lm con-taminated food was in July.The number of cases,hospitalizations,and deaths accounted for 18.4％(191/1 037),20.5％(185/902),and 22.4％(37/165)of the total,respectively.Most listeriosis outbreaks were attributed to three food groups:dairy products,vegetable crops,and fruits,with attribution percentages ranging from 73.8％to 89.6％.The overall incidence of list-eriosis in China was not high:619 cases were reported from 2009 to 2021,and only 177 cases were recorded in detailed inci-dence years;the maximum number of cases in 2018 was 26.A total of 220 cases were reported with detailed onset months;the highest number of cases in April was 30.Data on listeriosis cases in China are incomplete and sporadic,and only seven cases have been successfully traced to food.Listeriosis surveillance systems in the United States are relatively complete,and there are more foodborne outbreaks.Dairy products,vegetable row crops,and fruits are the most likely causes of disease outbreaks.Although only sporadic cases have been reported in China,China should take actions such as gradually improving multi-department coop-eration mechanisms,achieving data sharing and deepening data mining,and accelerating progress in the detection technology of food-borne pathogenic microorganisms,to ensure food safety and public health.