Orcinol gentiobioside inhibits RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis by promoting apoptosis and suppressing autophagy via the JNK1 signaling

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Osteoporosis (OP) is a metabolic disorder characterized by disrupted osteoclastic bone resorption and osteoblastic bone formation. Curculigo orchioides Gaertn has a long history of application in traditional Chinese and Indian medicine for treating OP. Orcinol gentiobioside (OGB) is a principal active constituent derived from Curculigo orchioides Gaertn and has been shown to have anti-OP activity. However, the therapeutic efficacy and mechanism of OGB in modulating osteoclastic bone resorption remain undefined.

AIM OF THE STUDY

To evaluate the effect of OGB on the formation, differentiation and function of osteoclasts derived from bone marrow macrophages (BMMs), and further elucidate the underlying action mechanism of OGB in OP.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Osteoclasts derived from BMMs were utilized to evaluate the effect of OGB on osteoclast formation, differentiation and bone resorption. Tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) staining and activity assays were conducted to denote the activity of osteoclasts. Osteoclast-related genes and proteins were determined by RT-PCR and Western blotting assays. The formation of the F-actin ring was observed by confocal laser microscopy, and bone resorption pits were observed by inverted microscopy. The target of OGB in osteoclasts was predicted by using molecular docking and further verified by Cellular Thermal Shift Assay (CETSA) and reversal effects of the target activator. The apoptosis of osteoclasts was analyzed by flow cytometry, and autophagic flux in osteoclasts was determined by confocal laser microscopy.

RESULTS

OGB inhibited osteoclast formation and differentiation, osteoclast-related genes and proteins expression, F-actin ring formation, and bone resorption activity. Molecular docking and CETSA analysis demonstrated that OGB exhibited good affinity for c-Jun N-terminal Kinase 1 (JNK1). In addition, OGB induced apoptosis and inhibited autophagy in osteoclasts, and the JNK agonist anisomycin reversed the increase in apoptosis and inhibition of autophagy induced by OGB in osteoclasts.

CONCLUSION

OGB inhibited osteoclastogenesis by promoting apoptosis and diminishing autophagy via JNK1 signaling.

A rapid and sensitive ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method for determination of phytohormones in the medicinal plant saffron

Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) is a valuable Chinese herb with high medicinal value. Saffron pistils are used as medicine, so increasing the number of flowers can increase the yield. Plant hormones have essential roles in the growth and development of saffron, as well as the response to biotic and abiotic stresses (especially in floral initiation), which may directly affect the number of flowers. Quantitative analysis of plant hormones provides a basis for more efficient research on their synthesis, transportation, metabolism, and action. However, starch (which interferes with extraction) is present in high levels, and hormone levels are extremely low, in saffron corms, thereby hampering accurate determination of plant-hormone levels in saffron. Herein, we screened an efficient and convenient pre-treatment method for plant materials containing abundant amounts of starch. Also, we proposed an ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) method for the quantification of abscisic acid (ABA) and auxin (IAA). Then, the method was applied for the detection of hormone-content differences between flowering and non-flowering top buds, as well as between lateral and top buds. Our method showed high sensitivity, reproducibility, and reliability. Specifically, good linearity in the range 2-100 ng ml-1 was achieved in the determination of ABA and IAA, and the correlation coefficient (R2) was >0.9982. The relative standard deviation was 2.956-14.51% (intraday) and 9.57-18.99% (interday), and the recovery range was 89.04-101.1% (n = 9). The matrix effect was 80.38-90.50% (n = 3). The method was thoroughly assessed employing various "green" chemistry evaluation tools: Blue Applicability Grade Index (BAGI), Complementary Green Analytical Procedure Index (Complex GAPI) and Red Green Blue 12 Algorithm (RGB12). These tools revealed the good greenness, analytical performance, applicability, and overall sustainability alignment of our method. Quantitative results showed that, compared with saffron with a flowering phenotype cultivated at 25 °C, the contents of IAA and ABA in the terminal buds of saffron cultivated at 16 °C decreased significantly. When cultivated at 25 °C, the IAA and ABA contents in the terminal buds of saffron were 1.54- and 4.84-times higher than those in the lateral buds, respectively. A simple, rapid, and accurate UPLC-MS/MS method was established to determine IAA and ABA contents. Using this method, a connection between the contents of IAA and ABA and the flowering phenotype was observed in the quantification results. Our data lay a foundation for studying the flowering mechanism of saffron.

Comparison of Pulmonary and Extrapulmonary Models of Sepsis-Associated Acute Lung Injury

To compare different rat models of sepsis at different time points, based on pulmonary or extrapulmonary injury mechanisms, to identify a model which is more stable and reproducible to cause sepsis-associated acute lung injury (ALI). Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to (1) cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) with single (CLP1 group) or two repeated through-and-through punctures (CLP2 group); (2) tail vein injection with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of 10mg/kg (IV-LPS10 group) or 20 mg/kg (IV-LPS20 group); (3) intratracheal instillation with LPS of 10mg/kg (IT-LPS10 group) or 20mg/kg (IT-LPS20 group). Each of the model groups had a sham group. 7-day survival rates of each group were observed (n=15 for each group). Moreover, three time points were set for additional experimental studying in each model group: 4 hours, 24 hours and 48 hours after modeling (every time point, n=8 for each group). Rats were sacrificed to collect BALF and lung tissue samples at different time points for detection of IL-6, TNF-alpha, total protein concentration in BALF and MPO activity, HMGB1 protein expression in lung tissues, as well as the histopathological changes of lung tissues. More than 50 % of the rats died within 7 days in each model group, except for the IT-LPS10 group. In contrast, the mortality rates in the two IV-LPS groups as well as the IT-LPS20 group were significantly higher than that in IT-LPS10 group. Rats received LPS by intratracheal instillation exhibited evident histopathological changes and inflammatory exudation in the lung, but there was no evidence of lung injury in CLP and IV-LPS groups. Rat model of intratracheal instillation with LPS proved to be a more stable and reproducible animal model to cause sepsis-associated ALI than the extrapulmonary models of sepsis.

Genetic polymorphisms in MIR1208 and MIR5708 are associated with susceptibility to COPD in the Chinese population

BACKGROUND

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a complex disease characterized by limited airflow and is influenced by genetic and environmental factors. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of gene polymorphisms in MIR5708 and MIR1208 on COPD risk.

METHODS

Four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in MIR5708 (rs6473227 and rs16907751) and MIR1208 (rs2608029 and rs13280095) were selected and genotyped among 315 COPD patients and 314 healthy controls using the Agena MassARRAY platform. SPSS 18.0 was used for statistical analysis and data processing. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated to assess the association between genetic variants of MIR1208 and MIR5708 and COPD risk.

RESULTS

The results suggested that rs16907751 variants in MIR5708 contributed to an increased susceptibility to COPD in the allelic (P = 0.001), co-dominant (homozygous) (P = 0.001), dominant (P = 0.017), recessive (P = 0.002), and additive (P = 0.002) models. The effects of MIR5708 and MIR1208 gene polymorphisms on the risk of COPD were age-, sex-, smoking status-, and BMI-related. Furthermore, the C-A and G-A haplotypes of rs2608029 and rs13280095 in MIR1208 were identified as risk factors for COPD in the population over 70 years (P = 0.029) and in women (P = 0.049), respectively. Finally, significant associations between rs16907751genotypes with pulse rate and forced expiratory volume in 1 s were found among COPD patients.

CONCLUSION

Genetic polymorphisms in MIR5708 and MIR1208 are associated with increased risk of COPD in China.

[A multicenter cross-sectional study of quality of life and nonsurgical treatment in patients with knee osteoarthritis]

Objective: To explore the influencing factors of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with knee osteoarthritis, and to analyze the non-surgical treatment of knee osteoarthritis. Methods: Demographic variables, treatment modalities, imaging data, and 12-item short form health survey (SF-12) scores of patients with knee osteoarthritis in orthopedic outpatient departments of five hospitals in Beijing from December 2017 to November 2018 were collected to analyze influencing factors of HRQoL and non-surgical treatment. Results: A total of 2 034 patients were included. There were 530 males (26.1%) and 1 504 females (73.9%), with a mean age of (59.17±10.22) years. In terms of physical quality of life, female patients with knee osteoarthritis had lower physical components summary (PCS) compared with male patients (β=-0.521, P=0.036); patients aged ≥64 years had lower PCS than those aged<55 years (β=-0.636, P=0.026). Patients with an education of more than 12 years had higher PCS than those with less than 10 years (β=1.063, P<0.001). Compared to patients with mild clinical symptoms, the PCS of patients with moderate clinical symptoms was lower (β=-0.860, P=0.002), while the PCS of those with severe clinical symptoms was much lower (β=-1.126, P<0.001). Patients treated with combination therapy had higher PCS than untreated patients (β=0.731, P=0.005). In terms of mental quality of life, compared to patients engaged in sedentary work, the mental components summary (MCS) of patients engaged in mild manual labor jobs was lower (β=-0.712, P=0.015); Compared to patients with a Charson comorbidity index of 0, patients with a Charlson comorbidity index ≥ 2 had lower MCS (β=-1.183, P=0.007). In the past 12 months, 648 (31.9%), 143 (7.0%), 406 (20.0%), 680 (33.4%), 343 (16.9%), 681 (33.5%), 170 (8.4%) patients had used non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), acetaminophen, glucosamine/chondroitin formulations, physical therapy, articular cavity puncture injection, traditional Chinese medicine treatment and exercise therapy, respectively. Total of 451 patients (22.2%) received monotherapy and 889 patients (43.7%) received combination therapy. Conclusions: The major non-surgical treatment methods for patients with knee osteoarthritis in Beijing are NSAIDs, physiotherapy and traditional Chinese medicine. Combination therapy is used more frequently than monotherapy. Physical quality of life is related to gender, age, education, severity of symptoms and treatment, while mental quality of life is related to occupational labor and comorbidities.

Influence of improved behavioral inhibition on decreased cue-induced craving in heroin use disorder: A preliminary intermittent theta burst stimulation study

BACKGROUND

Impaired behavioral inhibition is a critical factor in drug addiction and relapse. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) reduces the craving of heroin-addicted individuals for drug-related cues. However, it is unclear whether this technique also improves impaired behavioral inhibition and how improved behavioral inhibition affects craving.

OBJECTIVE

The intermittent theta-burst stimulation (iTBS) has been recently shown to be non-inferior relative to rTMS for depression. Here, we aim to investigate the effect of iTBS on heroin-addicted individuals' behavioral inhibition and cue-induced craving and the relationship between the alteration of behavioral inhibition and craving.

METHOD

42 of 56 initially recruited individuals with the heroin-use disorder in the abstinent-course treatment were randomized to undergo active or sham iTBS to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and received three daily iTBS treatments for 10 consecutive days. We measured participants' performance during a two-choice oddball task (80% standard and 20% deviant trials) and heroin-related cue-induced craving before and immediately after treatment.

RESULTS

The group that received active iTBS showed significantly improved two-choice oddball task performance after 10 days of intervention compared to both pre-intervention and the group who received sham iTBS. Similarly, a significant reduction in cue-induced craving was observed after following the intervention in the active iTBS group but not the sham iTBS group. The moderation model indicated that iTBS categories play a significant moderating role in the relationship between accuracy cost changing and altered cue-induced craving.

CONCLUSIONS

The iTBS treatment protocol positively affects behavioral inhibition in patients with heroin addiction. Improvements in behavioral inhibition can substantially reduce craving.

Retraction notice: Effect of educational interventions on health in childhood: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials [Public Health Volume 164, November 2018, Pages 134-147]

This article has been retracted: please see Elsevier Policy on Article Withdrawal (https://www.elsevier.com/about/our-business/policies/article-withdrawal). The article is a duplicate of a paper that has already been published in Medicine, 97 (2018) e11849 https://doi.org/10.1097/MD.0000000000011849. Redundant publications overweigh the relative importance of published findings and distort the academic record of the authors. One of the conditions of submission of a paper for publication is therefore that authors declare explicitly that the paper has not been previously published and is not under consideration for publication elsewhere. As such this article represents a misuse of the scientific publishing system. The scientific community takes a very strong view on this matter and apologies are offered to readers of the journal that this was not detected during the submission process.

Characterization of genetic fundamentals for piglet mortality at birth in Yorkshire, Landrace, and Duroc sows

Piglet mortality is an economically important complex trait that impacts sow prolificacy. Genetic analyses for piglet mortality at weaning have been reported in dozens of studies, but not for piglet mortality at birth. In this study, we used multi-breed data sets from Yorkshire, Landrace, and Duroc sows to characterize the genetic fundamentals of piglet mortality at birth. The heritabilities from parity I to III were estimated to be 0.0630, 0.1031, and 0.1140 respectively. By using a combined strategy, a total of 21 SNPs were detected in three parities, of which six were observed in parity I, five in parity II and 10 in parity III. Genome annotation revealed that these SNPs were harbored within or close to 19 candidate genes. The candidate genes were found to associate with the reproductive system and embryonic development in the tissue expression database, which are reasonably related to piglet mortality. These findings are expected to provide much information for understanding the genetic and genomic fundamentals of farrowing mortality.

A comparison of meat composition, tenderness and the fatty acid profile of three muscles from Holstein-Friesian bulls from production system resulting in final ages of either <16 or 19 months

Context The increased number of male dairy origin calves in Ireland due to the abolition of European Union milk quotas is a potential resource for the beef industry. Rearing these animals as bulls rather than steers is more efficient from a production perspective. Ensuring satisfactory quality of bull beef from dairy origin is essential. Aim To determine the effect of two production systems and three muscle types on physico-chemical characteristics and fatty acid (FA) profile of beef from Holstein-Friesian (HF) bulls. Methods Thirty HF bulls were equally assigned to two production systems, namely, slaughter at under 16 months of age or slaughter at 19 months of age. Longissimus thoracis (LT), Semitendinosus (ST) and Gluteus medius (GM) muscles were excised post-slaughter for determination of pH, colour, Warner–Bratzler (WB) variables, cook loss, chemical composition [intramuscular fat (IMF), moisture, protein, ash], collagen characteristics and FA profile. Results WB variables and cook loss after 14 days postmortem ageing, and insoluble and total collagen contents were higher, while IMF content, redness and saturation at 24 h post-blooming were lower for muscles from the 19-month production system. Muscles from the under 16-month production system had a higher saturated fatty acid (SFA) proportion and n-6:n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) ratio, while muscle from the 19-month production system had a higher PUFA proportion, n-3 PUFA proportion and PUFA:SFA ratio. The GM muscle had the lowest L* value, followed by LT and ST. Yellowness, saturation and hue angle were greater in ST. LT had lower WB variables, cook loss, moisture, and a higher IMF content than ST and GM. The PUFA proportion and PUFA:SFA ratio were highest in ST, followed by GM and LT. IMF, total FA, SFA and monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) concentrations were higher in LT from the under 16-month production system bulls (the interaction). Conclusions Beef from the under 16-month production system compared with beef from the 19-month production system, and LT compared with ST and GM muscles had better quality characteristics. Implications Dairy bulls can produce beef of acceptable quality. The findings will guide selection of the combination of production system and muscle type most appropriate to specific market requirements.