The phase changes and quantity-quality transfer of 17 batches of Ostreae Concha(Ostrea rivularis) during the raw material-calcined decoction pieces-standard decoction process were analyzed. The content of calcium carbonate(CaCO_3), the main component, was determined by chemical titration, and the extract yield and transfer rate were calculated. The CaCO_3 content in the raw material, calcined decoction pieces, and standard decoction was 94.39%-98.80%, 95.03%-99.22%, and 84.58%-90.47%, respectively. The process of raw material to calcined decoction pieces showed the yield range of 96.85% to 98.55% and the CaCO_3 transfer rate range of 96.92% to 99.27%. The process of calcined decoction pieces to standard decoction showed the extract yield range of 2.86% to 5.48% and the CaCO_3 transfer rate range of 2.59% to 5.13%. The results of X-ray fluorescence(XRF) assay showed that the raw material, calcined decoction pieces, and standard decoction mainly contained Ca, Na, Mg, Si, Br, Cl, Al, Fe, Cr, Mn, and K. The chemometric results showed an increase in the relative content of Cr, Fe, and Si from raw material to calcined decoction pieces and an increase in the relative content of Mg, Al, Br, K, Cl, and Na from calcined decoction pieces to standard decoction. X-ray diffraction(XRD) was employed to establish XRD characteristic patterns of the raw material, calcined decoction pieces, and standard decoction. The XRD results showed that the main phase of all three was calcite, and no transformation of crystalline form or generation of new phase was observed. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FTIR) was employed to establish the FTIR characteristic spectra of the raw material, calcined decoction pieces, and standard decoction. The FTIR results showed that the raw material had internal vibrations of O-H, C-H, C=O, C-O, and CO■ groups. Due to the loss of organic matter components after calcination, no information about the vibrations of C-H, C=O, and C-O groups was observed in the spectra of calcined decoction pieces and standard decoction. In summary, this study elucidated the quantity-quality transfer and phase changes in the raw material-calcined decoction pieces-standard decoction process by determining the CaCO_3 content, calculating the extract yield and transfer rate, and comparing the element changes, FTIR characteristic spectra, and XRD characteristic pattern. The results were reasonable and reliable, laying a foundation for the subsequent process research and quality control of the formula granules of calcined Ostreae Concha(O. rivularis Gould), and providing ideas and methods for the quality control of the whole process of raw material-decoction pieces-standard decoction-formula granules of Ostreae Concha and other testacean traditional Chinese medicine.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/isolation & purification* ; Calcium Carbonate/analysis* ; Quality Control

OBJECTIVE: To explore the functional roles and underlying mechanisms of neferine in the context of angiotensin II (Ang II)-induced hypertension and vascular dysfunction. METHODS: Male mice were infused with Ang II to induce hypertension and randomly divided into treatment groups receiving neferine or a control vehicle based on baseline blood pressure using a random number table method. The hypertensive mouse model was constructed by infusing Ang II via a micro-osmotic pump (500 ng/kg per minute), and neferine (0.1, 1, or 10 mg/kg), valsartan (10 mg/kg), or double distilled water was administered intragastrically once daily for 6 weeks. A non-invasive blood pressure system, ultrasound, and hematoxylin and eosin staining were performed to assess blood pressure and vascular changes. RNA sequencing and network pharmacology were employed to identify differentially expressed transcripts (DETs) and pathways. Vascular ring tension assay was used to test vascular function. A7R5 cells were incubated with neferine for 24 h and then treated with Ang II to record the real-time Ca²⁺ concentration by confocal microscope. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) and Western blot were used to evaluate vasorelaxation, calcium, and the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)1/2 pathway. RESULTS: Neferine treatment effectively mitigated the elevation in blood pressure, pulse wave velocity, aortic thickening in the abdominal aorta of Ang II-infused mice (P<0.05). RNA sequencing and network pharmacology analysis identified 355 DETs that were significantly reversed by neferine treatment, along with 25 potential target genes, which were further enriched in multiple pathways and biological processes, such as ERK1 and ERK2 cascade regulation, calcium pathway, and vascular smooth muscle contraction. Further investigation revealed that neferine treatment enhanced vasorelaxation and reduced Ca²⁺-dependent contraction of abdominal aortic rings, independent of endothelium function (P<0.05). The underlying mechanisms were mediated, at least in part, via suppression of receptor-operated channels, store-operated channels, or voltage-operated calcium channels. Neferine pre-treatment demonstrated a reduction in intracellular Ca²⁺ release in Ang II stimulated A7R5 cells. IHC staining and Western blot confirmed that neferine treatment effectively attenuated the upregulation of p-ERK1/2 both in vivo and in vitro, which was similar with treatment of ERK1/2 inhibitor PD98059 (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Neferine remarkably alleviates Ang II-induced elevation of blood pressure, vascular dysfunction, and pathological changes in the abdominal aorta. This beneficial effect is mediated by the modulation of multiple pathways, including calcium and ERK1/2 pathways.
Animals ; Angiotensin II ; Male ; Benzylisoquinolines/therapeutic use* ; Network Pharmacology ; Blood Pressure/drug effects* ; Sequence Analysis, RNA ; Mice ; Hypertension/chemically induced* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Calcium/metabolism*

OBJECTIVES: To observe the reparative effects of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell (hUC-MSC) transplantation on white matter injury (WMI) in neonatal rats and explore its mechanism through the nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathway mediated by microglial cells. METHODS: Sprague-Dawley rats, aged 2 days, were randomly divided into three groups: sham-operation,WMI, and hUC-MSC (n=18 each). Fourteen days after modeling, hematoxylin-eosin staining was used to observe pathological changes in the white matter, and immunofluorescence staining was used to measure the expression level of ionized calcium-binding adapter molecule 1 (Iba1). Western blotting was used to measure the protein expression levels of inhibitory subunit of nuclear factor-kappa B alpha (IκBα), phosphorylated IκBα (p-IκBα), phosphorylated NF-κB p65 (p-NF-κB p65), myelin basic protein (MBP), and neuron-specific nuclear protein (NeuN). Quantitative real-time PCR was used to assess the mRNA expression levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), MBP, and NeuN. Immunohistochemistry was used to measure the protein expression levels of MBP and NeuN. On day 28, the Morris water maze test was used to evaluate spatial cognitive ability. RESULTS: Fourteen days after modeling, the sham-operation group exhibited intact white matter structure with normal cell morphology and orderly nerve fiber arrangement. In the WMI group, large-scale cell degeneration and necrosis were observed, and nerve fiber arrangement was disordered. The hUC-MSC group showed relatively normal cell morphology and more orderly nerve fibers. Compared with the sham-operation group, the WMI group had significantly higher proportions of Iba1-positive cells, increased protein levels of p-IκBα and p-NF-κB p65, and higher mRNA levels of TNF-α and IL-1β. The protein expression of IκBα and the positive expression of MBP and NeuN, as well as their protein and mRNA levels, were significantly reduced in the WMI group (P<0.05). Compared with the WMI group, the hUC-MSC group showed reduced proportions of Iba1-positive cells, decreased protein levels of p-IκBα and p-NF-κB p65, and lower mRNA levels of TNF-α and IL-1β. Furthermore, IκBα protein expression and MBP and NeuN expression (both at the protein and mRNA levels) were significantly increased in the hUC-MSC group (P<0.05). On day 28, the Morris water maze results showed that compared with the sham-operation group, the WMI group had significantly longer escape latency and fewer platform crossings (P<0.05). In contrast, the hUC-MSC group had significantly shorter escape latency and more platform crossings than the WMI group (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS hUC-MSC transplantation can repair WMI in neonatal rats, promote the maturation of oligodendrocytes, and support neuronal survival, likely by inhibiting activation of the NF-κB signaling pathway mediated by microglial cells.
Animals ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; White Matter/metabolism* ; Rats ; Signal Transduction ; Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation ; Humans ; NF-kappa B/metabolism* ; Animals, Newborn ; Umbilical Cord/cytology* ; Male ; NF-KappaB Inhibitor alpha/metabolism* ; I-kappa B Proteins/genetics* ; Microfilament Proteins/analysis* ; Calcium-Binding Proteins/metabolism* ; Female

BACKGROUND: Many nutritional supplements and pharmacological agents have been reported to show preventive effects on colorectal adenoma and colorectal cancer (CRC). We performed a network meta-analysis to summarize such evidence and assess the efficacy and safety of these agents. METHODS: We searched PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library for studies published in English until October 31, 2021 that fit our inclusion criteria. We performed a systematic review and network meta-analysis to assess the comparative efficacy and safety of candidate agents (low-dose aspirin [Asp], high-dose Asp, cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors [coxibs], calcium, vitamin D, folic acid, ursodeoxycholic acid [UDCA], estrogen, and progesterone, alone or in combination) for preventing colorectal adenoma and CRC. Cochrane risk-of-bias assessment tool was employed to evaluate the quality of each included study. RESULTS: Thirty-two randomized controlled trials (278,694 participants) comparing 13 different interventions were included. Coxibs significantly reduced the risk of colorectal adenoma (risk ratio [RR]: 0.59, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.44-0.79, six trials involving 5486 participants), advanced adenoma (RR: 0.63, 95% CI: 0.43-0.92, four trials involving 4723 participants), and metachronous adenoma (RR: 0.58, 95% CI: 0.43-0.79, five trials involving 5258 participants) compared with placebo. Coxibs also significantly increased the risk of severe adverse events (RR: 1.29, 95% CI: 1.13-1.47, six trials involving 7109 participants). Other interventions, including Asp, folic acid, UDCA, vitamin D, and calcium, did not reduce the risk of colorectal adenoma in the general and high-risk populations compared with placebo. CONCLUSIONS: Considering the balance between benefits and harms, regular use of coxibs for prevention of colorectal adenoma was not supported by the current evidence. Benefit of low-dose Asp for chemoprevention of colorectal adenoma still requires further evidence. REGISTRATION PROSPERO, No. CRD42022296376.
Humans ; Cyclooxygenase 2 Inhibitors ; Calcium ; Network Meta-Analysis ; Vitamins ; Colorectal Neoplasms/drug therapy* ; Chemoprevention ; Aspirin ; Adenoma/prevention & control* ; Vitamin D

Calcium plays an important role in various physiological activities of the human body, and long-term insufficient or excessive intake of calcium will have a negative impact on the body's health. Existing data show that insufficient dietary calcium intake is closely related to bone health, but the non-bone effects are not clear. Increasing dietary calcium and supplementing calcium (with or without vitamin D) have a certain beneficial effect on the bone mineral density and its peak of adolescents and can delay the bone loss of the elderly, but it can't improve the height and bone mineral density of adults and fracture in the elderly. This article introduces the physiological functions of calcium, dietary sources, human intake, and methods for formulating recommended amounts, and summarizes the relationship between calcium and health effects. It also recommends that when formulating the reference intake of dietary calcium for Chinese residents, more consideration should be given to the data and information of the Chinese population, combined with the characteristics of Chinese residents' genetics, absorption and metabolism.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Bone Density ; Calcium ; Calcium, Dietary/analysis* ; China/epidemiology* ; Humans ; Vitamin D

OBJECTIVES: This study investigated the indirect effect of calcium-enriched mixture (CEM) cement and mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA), as 2 calcium silicate-based hydraulic cements, on human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs) through different dentin thicknesses.MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two-chamber setups were designed to simulate indirect pulp capping (IPC). Human molars were sectioned to obtain 0.1-, 0.3-, and 0.5-mm-thick dentin discs, which were placed between the 2 chambers to simulate an IPC procedure. Then, MTA and CEM were applied on one side of the discs, while hDPSCs were cultured on the other side. After 2 weeks of incubation, the cells were removed, and cell proliferation, morphology, and attachment to the discs were evaluated under scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Energy-dispersive X-ray (EDXA) spectroscopy was performed for elemental analysis. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity was assessed quantitatively. The data were analyzed using the Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests.RESULTS: SEM micrographs revealed elongated cells, collagen fibers, and calcified nucleations in all samples. EDXA verified that the calcified nucleations consisted of calcium phosphate. The largest calcifications were seen in the 0.1-mm-thick dentin subgroups. There was no significant difference in ALP activity across the CEM subgroups; however, ALP activity was significantly lower in the 0.1-mm-thick dentin subgroup than in the other MTA subgroups (p < 0.05).CONCLUSIONS: The employed capping biomaterials exerted biological activity on hDPSCs, as shown by cell proliferation, morphology, and attachment and calcific precipitations, through 0.1- to 0.5-mm-thick layers of dentin. In IPC, the bioactivity of these endodontic biomaterials is probably beneficial.
Alkaline Phosphatase ; Biocompatible Materials ; Calcium ; Cell Proliferation ; Collagen ; Dental Pulp Capping ; Dental Pulp ; Dentin ; Endodontics ; Humans ; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning ; Miners ; Molar ; Pemetrexed ; Spectrum Analysis ; Stem Cells

Analysis was performed using simple quantitative indexes divided into 6 categories (S, A, B, C, D, and E). In this study, we applied this scoring model to wider recipes and evaluated its nutritional relevance.MATERIALS/METHODS: National or known regional databases were searched for recipes from 6 categories: Korean out-dining, Korean home-dining, Western, Chinese, Mediterranean, and vegetarian. These recipes were scored using the ACFS formula and the nutrition profiles were analyzed.RESULTS: Eighty-eight international recipes were analyzed. All S-graded recipes were from vegetarian or Mediterranean categories. The median code values of each category were B (Korean home-dining), C (Korean out-dining), B (Chinese), A (Mediterranean), S (vegetarian), and D (Western). The following profiles were correlated (P < 0.05) with ACFS grades in the univariate trend analysis: total calories, total fat, animal fat, animal protein, total protein, vitamin D, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B₁₂, pantothenic acid, sodium, animal iron, zinc, selenium, and cholesterol (negative trends), and carbohydrate rate, fiber, water-soluble fiber, vitamin K, vitamin C, and plant calcium (positive trends). Multivariate analysis revealed that animal fat, animal iron, and niacin (negative trends) and animal protein, fiber, and vitamin C (positive trends) were statistically significant. Pantothenic acid and sodium showed non-significant negative trends (P < 0.1), and vitamin B₁₂ showed a non-significant positive trend.CONCLUSION: This study provided a nutritional basis and extended the utility of ACFS, which is a bridgehead for future cancer-preventive clinical trials using ACFS.]]>
Animals ; Ascorbic Acid ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Calcium ; Cholesterol ; Diet ; Humans ; Iron ; Multivariate Analysis ; Niacin ; Pantothenic Acid ; Plants ; Riboflavin ; Selenium ; Sodium ; Vegetarians ; Vitamin D ; Vitamin K ; Vitamins ; Zinc

Although atopic dermatitis (AD) is known to be a representative skin disorder, it also affects the systemic immune response. In a recent study, myoblasts were shown to be involved in the immune regulation, but the roles of muscle cells in AD are poorly understood. We aimed to identify the relationship between mitochondria and atopy by genome-wide analysis of skeletal muscles in mice. We induced AD-like symptoms using house dust mite (HDM) extract in NC/Nga mice. The transcriptional profiles of the untreated group and HDM-induced AD-like group were analyzed and compared using microarray, differentially expressed gene and functional pathway analyses, and protein interaction network construction. Our microarray analysis demonstrated that immune response-, calcium handling-, and mitochondrial metabolism-related genes were differentially expressed. In the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and Gene Ontology pathway analyses, immune response pathways involved in cytokine interaction, nuclear factor-kappa B, and T-cell receptor signaling, calcium handling pathways, and mitochondria metabolism pathways involved in the citrate cycle were significantly upregulated. In protein interaction network analysis, chemokine family-, muscle contraction process-, and immune response-related genes were identified as hub genes with many interactions. In addition, mitochondrial pathways involved in calcium signaling, cardiac muscle contraction, tricarboxylic acid cycle, oxidation-reduction process, and calcium-mediated signaling were significantly stimulated in KEGG and Gene Ontology analyses. Our results provide a comprehensive understanding of the genome-wide transcriptional changes of HDM-induced AD-like symptoms and the indicated genes that could be used as AD clinical biomarkers.
Animals ; Biomarkers ; Calcium ; Calcium Signaling ; Citric Acid ; Citric Acid Cycle ; Cytokines ; Dermatitis, Atopic ; Gene Ontology ; Genome ; Metabolism ; Mice ; Microarray Analysis ; Mitochondria ; Muscle Cells ; Muscle Contraction ; Muscle, Skeletal ; Myoblasts ; Myocardium ; Oxidation-Reduction ; Protein Interaction Maps ; Pyroglyphidae ; Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell ; Skin

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Advanced hepatic fibrosis is associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). We investigated the association between noninvasive serum fibrosis markers and the coronary artery calcium score (CACS) in subjects with NAFLD. METHODS: We analyzed 665 NAFLD subjects without chronic liver disease or heart disease between 2011 and 2015. The noninvasive fibrosis markers that were used to evaluate the severity of hepatic fibrosis included the NAFLD fibrosis score (NFS), fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) score, Forn's index, and the aspartate aminotransferase to platelet ratio index (APRI). RESULTS: The areas under the receiver operating characteristics curves for the NFS, FIB-4 score, Forn's index and APRI for predicting CACS >100 were 0.689, 0.683, 0.659, and 0.595, respectively. According to the multivariate analysis, older age, increased body mass index (BMI), and decreased estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) were significant factors associated with CACS >100. The NFS, FIB-4 score and APRI were significantly associated with CACS >100 after adjusting for age and gender (p=0.006, p=0.012, and p=0.012, respectively) and after adjusting for age, gender, BMI and eGFR (p=0.013, p=0.022, and p=0.027, respectively). Scores integrating noninvasive fibrosis markers and other risk factors improved the predictive accuracy. CONCLUSIONS: The NFS and FIB-4 score were associated with coronary atherosclerosis in subjects with NAFLD. Furthermore, scores integrating these noninvasive scores and risk factors for CVD showed good discriminatory power in predicting CACS >100. Therefore, noninvasive serum fibrosis markers may be useful tools for identifying NAFLD subjects at a high risk for CVD.
Aspartate Aminotransferases ; Blood Platelets ; Body Mass Index ; Calcium ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Coronary Vessels ; Fibrosis ; Glomerular Filtration Rate ; Heart Diseases ; Humans ; Liver Diseases ; Multivariate Analysis ; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease ; Risk Factors ; ROC Curve

Exogenous calcium can enhance the resistance of certain plants to abiotic stress. Research have demonstrated that exogenous calcium could enhances the resistance of honeysuckle under salt stress by promoting the transmission of photosynthetic electrons.The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of exogenous calcium on the contents of Na~+,K~+,Ca~(2+),Mg~(2+)and the expression of photosynthetic related genes Cab and rbc L. In this study,we used ICP-OES to analysis ion contents and used qRT-PCR to analysis the expression patterns of Cab and rbc L. The results showed that CaCl_2 significantly enhanced the K~+-Na~+,Ca~(2+)-Na~+,Mg~(2+)-Na+ratio of honeysuckle treated with 50 and 100 mmol·L~(-1) NaCl. Meanwhile,Cab and rbc L were significantly up-regulated under short-term salt stress,and CaCl_2 promoted this trend. From the two gene expression patterns,rbc L rapidly up-regulated on the first day of stress and then decreased,and was more sensitive to environmental changes. In summary,exogenous calcium could alleviate salt stress and increase plant development by increasing intracellular K~+-Na~+,Ca~(2+)-Na~+,Mg~(2+)-Na+ratio,and the transient overexpression of Cab and rbc L.
Calcium ; physiology ; Cations ; analysis ; Lonicera ; physiology ; Photosynthesis ; Salt Stress