Association of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D with cardiovascular mortality and kidney outcome in patients with early stages of CKD

PURPOSE

While serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) deficiency is prevalent in chronic kidney disease (CKD), the effects of 25(OH)D deficiency on cardiovascular mortality and kidney outcomes in patients with early-stage CKD remain incompletely understood.

METHODS

This multicenter retrospective cohort study included adult patients with stages 1-3 CKD from 19 medical centers across China between January 2000 and May 2021. The primary outcome was cardiovascular mortality. The secondary study outcome included CKD progression (defined as a sustained > 40% eGFR decrease from baseline or progress to end-stage kidney disease), and annual percentage change of eGFR.

RESULTS

Of 9229 adults with stages 1-3 CKD, 27.0% and 38.9% had severe (< 10 ng/mL) and moderate (10 to < 20 ng/mL) serum 25(OH)D deficiency, respectively. Compared with patients having 25(OH)D ≥ 20 ng/mL, a significantly higher risk of cardiovascular mortality (hazard ratio [HR] 1.90, 95% CI 1.37-2.63), CKD progression (HR 2.20, 95% CI 1.68-2.88), and a steeper annual decline in eGFR (estimate - 7.87%; 95% CI - 10.24% to - 5.51% per year) was found in those with serum 25(OH)D < 10 ng/mL. Similar results were obtained in subgroups and by sensitivity analyses.

CONCLUSIONS

25(OH)D deficiency is associated with increased risks of cardiovascular mortality and CKD progression in patients with early-stage CKD. Studies are needed to determine whether early intervention for 25(OH)D deficiency could improve the prognosis of patients with early-stage CKD.

Quality difference analysis of raw and vinegar-processed products of Qingpi based on color and component correlation

The dried young fruit of Citrus reticulata Blanco, known as Qingpi, is commonly used in clinic both with its raw and vinegar-processed products. However, the distinctions in quality between these two products remain unclear, and the methods for identification are considerably intricate. In this study, an electronic eye technique was applied to assess the overall color of Qingpi products before and after processing. The luminosity (L*) and yellow-blue (b*) values of Qingpi decreased after vinegar processing, while red-green (a*) values increased. The discriminant function models based on color parameters were established to effectively classify the two products. The chemical compositions of different Qingpi products were characterized using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography fingerprint technology, and 10 distinct components were considered as potential chemical markers. The correlation analysis revealed a significant relationship between chromatic values and chemical components. In conclusion, the results of this study suggested that chromaticity can be effectively considered as a valuable instrument for the prediction of component content in both raw and vinegar-processed Qingpi products. This study will provide new ideas and methods for identification and quality evaluation of Qingpi processed products, as well as provide a reference for standardizing traditional Chinese medicine processing techniques.

Extreme terahertz magnon multiplication induced by resonant magnetic pulse pairs

Nonlinear interactions of spin-waves and their quanta, magnons, have emerged as prominent candidates for interference-based technology, ranging from quantum transduction to antiferromagnetic spintronics. Yet magnon multiplication in the terahertz (THz) spectral region represents a major challenge. Intense, resonant magnetic fields from THz pulse-pairs with controllable phases and amplitudes enable high order THz magnon multiplication, distinct from non-resonant nonlinearities such as the high harmonic generation by below-band gap electric fields. Here, we demonstrate exceptionally high-order THz nonlinear magnonics. It manifests as 7th-order spin-wave-mixing and 6th harmonic magnon generation in an antiferromagnetic orthoferrite. We use THz two-dimensional coherent spectroscopy to achieve high-sensitivity detection of nonlinear magnon interactions up to six-magnon quanta in strongly-driven many-magnon correlated states. The high-order magnon multiplication, supported by classical and quantum spin simulations, elucidates the significance of four-fold magnetic anisotropy and Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya symmetry breaking. Moreover, our results shed light on the potential quantum fluctuation properties inherent in nonlinear magnons.

Uric acid is negatively associated with cognition in the first- episode of schizophrenia

BACKGROUND

We explored the relationship between levels of serum uric acid (UA) and cognitive impairment in people with schizophrenia to order to better protect and improve cognitive function in such patients.

METHODS

A uricase method evaluated serum UA levels in 82 individuals with first-episode schizophrenia and in 39 healthy controls. The Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) and the event-related potential P300 were used to assess the patient's psychiatric symptoms and cognitive functioning. The link between serum UA levels, BPRS scores, and P300 was investigated.

RESULTS

Prior to treatment, serum UA levels and latency N3 in the study group were significantly higher than in the control group, whereas the amplitude P3 was considerably lower. After therapy, the study group's BPRS scores, serum UA levels, latency N3, and amplitude P3 were lower than before treatment. According to correlation analysis, serum UA levels in the pre-treatment study group significantly positively correlated with BPRS score and latency N3 but not amplitude P3. After therapy, serum UA levels were no longer substantially related to the BPRS score or amplitude P3 but strongly and positively correlated with latency N3.

CONCLUSIONS

First-episode schizophrenia patients have higher serum UA levels than the general population which partly reflects poor cognitive performance. Improving patients' cognitive function may be facilitated by lowering serum UA levels.

Postpandemic immunity debt of influenza in the USA and England: an interrupted time series study

OBJECTIVES

The concept of "immunity debt" has gained attention in the public sphere, and some have argued that the recent out-of-season resurgence of respiratory syncytial virus demonstrates the presence of immunity debt. This study investigates the existence of immunity debt in the context of influenza.

STUDY DESIGN

Interrupted time series analysis.

METHODS

The positivity rate of influenza in the USA and England was gathered from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the UK Health Security Agency. A time series model with an autoregressive approach was used to model the dynamics of positivity rate. Binary indicator variables were included in the model to account for the impact of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) and immunity debt.

RESULTS

The impact of NPIs and immunity debt on the positivity rate of influenza was found to be statistically significant.

CONCLUSIONS

This present work provides evidence supporting the existence of immunity debt in influenza in both the USA and England in the immediate month following the removal of NPIs such as lockdowns and facemask mandates.

A study of volatiles of young citrus fruits from four areas based on GC-MS and flash GC e-nose combined with multivariate algorithms

The present study has successfully established a scientific and precise approach for distinguishing the geographical origins of young citrus fruits (Qingpi) from four primary production regions in China, using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and flash gas chromatography electronic nose (flash GC e-nose) to analyze the volatile composition and odor characteristics. Through the application of chemometric analysis, a clear differentiation among Qingpi samples was established using GC-MS. Additionally, the application of flash GC e-nose facilitated the extraction of flavor information, which enabled the discrimination of geographical origins. Several flavor components were identified as significant factors for origin certification. Furthermore, two pattern recognition algorithms were employed to achieve high accuracy in regional identification. The results of this investigation demonstrate that the amalgamation of multivariate chemometrics and algorithms can proficiently discern the sources of those young citrus fruits. The findings of this research can provide a reference for the assessment of quality control in food and other agricultural commodities in the times ahead.

Classification and rapid non-destructive quality evaluation of different processed products of Cyperus rotundus based on near-infrared spectroscopy combined with deep learning

The quality of traditional Chinese medicine is very important for human health, but the traditional quality control method is very tedious, which leads to the substandard quality of many traditional Chinese medicine. In order to solve the problem of time-consuming and laborious traditional quality control methods, this study takes traditional Chinese medicine Cyperus rotundus as an example, a comprehensive strategy of near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy combined with One-dimensional convolutional neural network (1D-CNN) and chaotic map dung beetle optimization (CDBO) algorithm combined with BP neural network (BPNN) is proposed. This strategy has the advantages of fast and non-destructive. It can not only qualitatively distinguish Cyperus rotundus and various processed products, but also quantitatively predict two bioactive components. In classification, 1D-CNN successfully distinguished four kinds of processed products of Cyperus rotundus with 100 % accuracy. Quantitatively, a CDBO algorithm is proposed to optimize the performance of the BPNN quantitative model of two terpenoids, and compared with the BP, whale optimization algorithm (WOA)-BP, sparrow optimization algorithm (SSA)-BP, grey wolf optimization (GWO)-BP and particle swarm optimization (PSO)-BP models. The results show that the CDBO-BPNN model has the smallest error and has a significant advantage in predicting the content of active components in different processed products. To sum up, it is feasible to use near infrared spectroscopy to quickly evaluate the effect of processing methods on the quality of Cyperus rotundus, which provides a meaningful reference for the quality control of traditional Chinese medicine with many other processing methods.

Sex-Related Effect of Aging in Gingival Gamma-Delta T Cells

Aging affects the number and function of gamma-delta (γδ) T cells in a tissue-specific manner, modifying the risk for inflammatory disease. These aging-related γδT-cell variations in gingival tissues that could increase the risk for inflammation and periodontal disease remain unknown. Here we sought to identify quantitative and qualitative variations in gingival γδT cells associated with aging that could have an impact in oral immunoinflammatory responses. For this, gingival tissues from young (4 mo) and aged (24 mo) male and female mice were collected and analyzed by flow cytometry. Cell suspensions were stimulated and stained with eFluor450 (cell viability), anti-CD45 (hematopoietic cells), anti-CD3 (lymphocytes), anti-TCRγδ (γδT cells), anti-IL-15rα (cell proliferation), and anti-Notch-3 (senescence marker). Detection of intracellular cytokines IL-17A and interferon γ (IFNγ) was performed. Gingival expression of specific γ- and δ-chains and cytokines was evaluated by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. A significantly higher number of IL-17A-producing γδT cells and IL-17A expression levels were observed in gingival tissues from aged females but not males. Similarly, the number of gingival Notch-3+ γδT cells increased with aging only in females. IL-15rα was not detected in gingival γδT cells. Chains γ1, 2, 4, 5, 6, and 7 as well as δ1, 2, 4, and 6 were detected. Detection levels of all γ chains except γ1 as well as δ1 and δ2 changed with aging in males, females, or both. Interestingly, number of IL-17A-producing conventional T cells similarly increased with aging only in females. Both sexes showed increased IFNγ+ conventional T-cell numbers with aging; however, it reached significance only in females. In conclusion, the number of gingival IL-17A-producing γδT cells and IL-17A expression increase naturally with aging specifically in females. This sexual dimorphism in gingival γδT and conventional Th17 cell numbers and phenotypes suggests distinct aging-related mechanisms of periodontitis in males and females.

Testosterone promotes the migration, invasion and EMT process of papillary thyroid carcinoma by up-regulating Tnnt1

PURPOSE

To explore the key genes and molecular pathways in the progression of thyroid papillary carcinoma (PTC) promoted by testosterone using RNA-sequencing technology, and to provide new drug targets for improving the therapeutic effect of PTC.

METHODS

Orchiectomy (ORX) was carried out to construct ORX mouse models. TPC-1 cells were subcutaneously injected for PTC formation in mice, and the tumor tissues were collected for RNA-seq. The key genes were screened by bioinformatics technology. Tnnt1 expression in PTC cells was knocked down or overexpressed by transfection. Cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8), colony formation assay, scratch assay and transwell assay were adopted, respectively, for the detection of cell proliferation, colony formation, migration and invasion. Besides, quantification real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and western blot were utilized to determine the mRNA and protein expression levels of genes in tissues or cells.

RESULTS

Both estradiol and testosterone promoted the growth of PTC xenografts. The key gene Tnnt1 was screened and obtained by bioinformatics technology. Functional analysis revealed that overexpression of Tnnt1 could markedly promote the proliferation, colony formation, migration, invasion, and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process of PTC cells, as well as could activate p38/JNK pathway. In addition, si-Tnt1 was able to inhibit the cancer-promoting effect of testosterone.

CONCLUSION

Based on the outcomes of bioinformatics and basic experiments, it is found that testosterone can promote malignant behaviors such as growth, migration, invasion and EMT process of PTC by up-regulating Tnnt1 expression. In addition, the function of testosterone may be achieved by activating p38/JNK signaling pathway.

Research on the effects of processing Heishunpian from Aconiti lateralis radix praeparata on components and efficacy using the "step knockout" strategy

Heishunpian is obtained through complex processing of Aconiti lateralis radix praeparata. However, the impact of each processing step on chemical compositions and pharmacological activities is still unclear. The mechanism of the processing needs to be further studied. The samples were all prepared using the "step knockout" strategy for UPLC-QTOF-MS analysis, and analgesic and anti-inflammatory efficacy evaluation. Each sample was analyzed by UPLC-QTOF-MS to determine the component differences. The hot plate test and acetic acid writhing test were used to evaluate the analgesic effect. Anti-inflammatory efficacy was evaluated by xylene-induced ear edema test. The correlation between components and efficacies was studied to screen the effective components for further investigating the processing of Heishunpian. Mass spectrum analysis results showed that 49 components were identified, and it appeared that brine immersion and rinsing had a great influence on the components. In the hot plate test, ibuprofen and Heishunpian had the most significant effect, while ibuprofen and the sample without rinsing showed the best efficacy for the acetic acid writhing test. The sample without dyeing had the best effect on ear edema. The correlation analysis indicated that mesaconine, aconine, 3-deoxyaconine, delbruine, and asperglaucide were potentially considered effective analgesic components. It is not recommended to remove brine immersion and rinsing. Boiling and steaming are necessary processes that improve efficacy. Dyeing, which does not have a significant impact on components and efficacy, may be an unnecessary process. This research has been of great significance in identifying anti-inflammatory and analgesic components and optimizing processing for Heishunpian.

Ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time of flight-mass spectrometry combined with network pharmacology for analysis of potential quality markers of three processed products of Qingpi

Qingpi, a well-known traditional Chinese medicine for qi-regulating and commonly processed into three types of pieces, has been widely used in the clinical application of liver disease for thousands of years. In this study, an ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time of flight-mass spectrometry approach along with multivariate statistical analysis was developed to assess and characterize the differentiations of three processed products and confirm the potential quality markers of Qingpi. In addition, a systematic analysis combined with network pharmacology and molecular docking was performed to clarify the potential mechanism of Qingpi for the treatment of liver disease. As a result, 18 components were identified and an integrated network of Qingpi-Components-Target-Pathway-Liver Disease was constructed. Eight compounds were finally screened out as the potential quality markers acting on ten main targets and pathways of liver disease. Molecular docking analysis results indicated that the quality markers had a good binding activity with the targets. Overall, this work preliminarily identified the potential quality markers of three processed products of Qingpi, and predicted its targets in the prevention and treatment of liver disease, which can provide supporting information for further study of the pharmacodynamic substances and mechanisms of Qingpi.

Primary human thyrocytes maintained the function of thyroid hormone production and secretion in vitro

PURPOSE

Thyroid cell lines are useful tools to study the physiology and pathology of the thyroid, however, they do not produce or secrete hormones in vitro. On the other hand, the detection of endogenous thyroid hormones in primary thyrocytes was often hindered by the dedifferentiation of thyrocytes ex vivo and the presence of large amounts of exogenous hormones in the culture medium. This study aimed to create a culture system that could maintain the function of thyrocytes to produce and secrete thyroid hormones in vitro.

METHODS

We established a Transwell culture system of primary human thyrocytes. Thyrocytes were seeded on a porous membrane in the inner chamber of the Transwell with top and bottom surfaces exposed to different culture components, mimicking the 'lumen-capillary' structure of the thyroid follicle. Moreover, to eliminate exogenous thyroid hormones from the culture medium, two alternatives were tried: a culture recipe using hormone-reduced serum and a serum-free culture recipe.

RESULTS

The results showed that primary human thyrocytes expressed thyroid-specific genes at higher levels in the Transwell system than in the monolayer culture. Hormones were detected in the Transwell system even in the absence of serum. The age of the donor was negatively related to the hormone production of thyrocytes in vitro. Intriguingly, primary human thyrocytes cultured without serum secreted higher levels of free triiodothyronine (FT3) than free thyroxine (FT4).

CONCLUSION

This study confirmed that primary human thyrocytes could maintain the function of hormone production and secretion in the Transwell system, thus providing a useful tool to study thyroid function in vitro.

[Animal study on left bundle branch current of injury and anatomic location of leads in His-purkinje conduction system pacing]

Objective: Explore the relationship between tip of the left bundle branch pacing lead and anatomic location of left bundle branch as well as the mechanism of left bundle branch current of injury. To clarify the clinical value of left bundle branch current of injury during operation. Methods: The pacing leads were implanted in the hearts of two living swines. Intraoperative electrophysiological study confirmed that the left bundle branch or only the deep left ventricular septum was captured at low output. Immediately after operation, the gross specimen of swine hearts was stained with iodine to observe the gross distribution of His-purkinje conduction system on the left ventricular endocardium and its relationship with the leads. Subsequently, the swine hearts were fixed with formalin solution, and the pacing leads were removed after the positions were marked. The swine hearts were then sectioned and stained with Masson and Goldner trichrome, and the relationship between the anatomic location of the conduction system and the tip of the lead was observed under a light microscope. Results: After iodine staining of the specimen, the His-purkinje conduction system was observed with the naked eye in a net-like distribution, and the lead tip was screwed deeply and fixed in the left bundle branch area of the left ventricular subendocardium in the ventricular septum. Masson and Goldner trichrome staining showed that left bundle branch pacing lead directly passed through the left bundle branch when there was left bundle branch potential with left bundle branch current of injury, while it was not directly contact the left bundle branch when there was left bundle branch potential without left bundle branch current of injury. Conclusion: The left bundle branch current of injury observed on intracardiac electrocardiogram during His-purkinje conduction system pacing suggests that the pacing lead directly contacted the conduction bundle or its branches, therefore, the captured threshold was relatively low. Left bundle branch current of injury can be used as an important anatomic and electrophysiological evidence of left bundle branch capture.

Evaluating the Use of SGRT and Abdominal Compression Device for Improved Patient Positioning in Liver Cancer Radiotherapy

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

To mitigate tumor displacement caused by respiratory movement and to enhance positioning accuracy in liver cancer patients during radiotherapy, abdominal compression fixation devices are commonly employed. However, the efficacy of using surface guided radiotherapy (SGRT) to further improve patient setup accuracy in combination with abdominal compression has not been fully established. Hence, we aimed to investigate this in our study.

MATERIALS/METHODS

In this study, we analyzed data from 11 patients with liver cancer. The patients were positioned using isocentric skin markers and the abdominal compression fixture was placed on an accurate scale reading based on the records from CT simulation. A cone-beam CT (CBCT) scan was performed to assess setup errors. These setup errors represent data for the control group - Skin marker group. The patients were then adjusted to the correct treatment position based on CBCT correction and the SGRT system was activated for monitoring. Care was taken for the region of interest drawn to avoid the abdominal compression device for all patients. The reference surface used for monitoring was the captured VRT surface rather than DICOM. The six degrees of freedom values detected by the SGRT system were recorded, representing data for the test group - SGRT group. Both sets of data were analyzed using statistical software. The errors were presented as median (interquartile range) and the differences between the two groups were tested using paired Wilcoxon rank sum test, with P < 0.05 considered as significant.

RESULTS

A total of 60 CBCT images were analyzed, the median values and interquartile ranges are presented in the Table. The results showed that the accuracy of the SGRT group in the x and y directions was significantly better than the skin marker group (P < 0.05). The median values for the x (transverse) direction were 0.25(0.09-0.43) cm and 0.09(0.05-0.19) cm for the skin marker and SGRT groups, respectively. The median values for the y (longitudinal) direction were 0.54 (0.29-0.79) cm and 0.14 (0.07-0.24) cm for the skin marker and SGRT groups, respectively. The results for the z (vertical) direction, Rz (rotation), Ry (roll) and Rx (pitch) rotation directions were also analyzed similarly.

CONCLUSION

The findings of this study suggest that compared to skin markers, SGRT can improve the accuracy of patient positioning in liver cancer radiotherapy with abdominal compression, potentially reducing unnecessary radiation exposure from CBCT imaging due to inaccurate positioning. Further multicenter prospective clinical trials are required to confirm these results.

The potential mechanism of Choulingdan mixture in improving acute lung injury based on HPLC-Q-TOF-MS, network pharmacology and in vivo experiments

Choulingdan mixture (CLDM) is an empirical clinical prescription for the adjuvant treatment of acute lung injury (ALI). CLDM has been used for almost 30 years in the clinic. However, its mechanism for improving ALI still needs to be investigated. In this study, high-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole/time-of-flight mass spectrometry (HPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS) was applied to characterize the overall chemical composition of CLDM. A total of 93 ingredients were characterized, including 25 flavonoids, 20 organic acids, 11 saponins, nine terpenoids, seven tannins and 21 other compounds. Then network pharmacology was applied to predict the potential bioactive components, target genes and signaling pathways of CLDM in improving ALI. Additionally, molecular docking was performed to demonstrate the interaction between the active ingredients and the disease targets. Finally, animal experiments further confirmed that CLDM significantly inhibits pulmonary inflammation, pulmonary edema and oxidative stress in lipopolysaccharide-induced ALI mice by inhibiting the PI3K-AKT signaling pathway. This study enhanced the amount and accuracy of compounds of CLDM and provided new insights into CLDM preventing and treating ALI.

[Endoscopic ultrasonographic features of submucosal lesions of upper digestive tract suspected gastrointestinal stromal tumors and their correlation with progression and pathological risk grade of the lesions]

Objective: To investigate the endoscopic ultrasonographic (EUS) characteristics of submucosal lesions of upper digestive tract suspected gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) and their correlation with biological behaviors and pathological risk grade of the tumors. Methods: Retrospective cohort study. The EUS findings, follow-up review, surgical treatment and pathological data of patients with suspected GIST at the Gastrointestinal Endoscopy Center of Peking University People's Hospital from January 2013 to April 2021 were collected. All samples were divided into follow-up group and treatment group based on the pathological condition and the patient's treatment intention. According to whether or not the tumor was enlarged in EUS, the follow-up group was divided into non-enlarged group and enlarged group. Paired T-test was used to compare the lesion size before and after follow-up, and logistic regression was used to analyze the risk factors of tumor enlargement. According to the treatment methods, the treatment group was further divided into endoscopic treatment group and surgical treatment group. According to the pathological results and risk grade, the treatment group was further divided into the low-risk group and the medium-risk group. The risk factors of pathological malignant risk were analyzed by logistic regression, and the tumor diameter of patients with moderate or above pathological risk was predicted by receiver operation characteristic (ROC) curve. The relationship between the findings of EUS and the progression and pathological risk of GIST were also explored. Results: Seventy-three cases including 23 males and 50 females, with an age of 58 (30-88) years, were included in the follow-up group, with a mean lesion diameter of (1.21±0.49) cm before follow-up, median follow-up interval of 33.8 months, and a lesion diameter of (1.18±0.49) cm after follow-up. There was no significant difference (all P>0.05) in lesion diameter between before and after follow-up. There was no significant difference (all P>0.05) between tumor enlargement group (18 cases, 24.7%) and non-enlargement group (55 cases, 75.3%). One hundred and thirty-eight cases, including 52 males and 86 females, with an age of 60 (19-84) years, were enrolled in the treatment group, with a mean EUS estimated diameter of (2.55±1.35) cm and pathological diameters of (3.43±2.42) cm. Ninety-five (68.8%) of these cases were pathologically confirmed as GIST while 43 cases were diagnosed as other tumor types, including 37 benign tumors and 6 malignant tumors. In multifactorial logistic regression analysis, only the increase of tumor diameter [OR (95%CI): 1.800 (1.172-2.766), P=0.007] was a risk factor for pathological intermediate or higher risk. The optimal tumor diameter for predicting pathological intermediate or higher risk using ROC curve analysis was 2.75 cm, with a sensitivity 71.4%, specificity 79.0%, Youden index 0.5 and area under ROC curve 0.807 (95%CI: 0.703-0.909). Conclusions: EUS is essential for assessing the risk of progression and malignancy of submucosal lesions of upper digestive tract suspected GIST. For lesions of small diameter, the interval of follow-up shall be relatively extended while the indication of treatment could be partially waived.

The therapeutic mechanism of Curcumae Radix against primary dysmenorrea based on 5-HTR/Ca2+/MAPK and fatty acids metabolomics

Background:Curcumae Radix (CW) is traditionally used to treat primary dysmenorrea (PD). However, the mechanisms of action of CW in the treatment of PD have not yet been comprehensively resolved.

Objective: To investigate the therapeutic effects of CW on PD and its possible mechanisms of action.

Methods: An isolated uterine spastic contraction model induced by oxytocin was constructed in an in vitro pharmacodynamic assay. An animal model of PD induced by combined estradiol benzoate and adrenaline hydrochloride-assisted stimulation was established. After oral administration of CW, a histopathological examination was performed and biochemical factor levels were measured to evaluate the therapeutic effect of CW on PD. The chemical compositions of the drug-containing serum and its metabolites were analyzed by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry. Network pharmacology and serum untargeted metabolomics were used to predict the mechanism of CW treatment for PD, and the predicted results were validated by RT-qPCR, WB, and targeted fatty acid (FA) metabolism.

Results:In vitro, CW can relax an isolated uterus by reducing uterine motility. In vivo, the results showed that CW attenuated histopathological damage in the uterus and regulated PGF2α, PGE2, β-EP, 5-HT, and Ca2+ levels in PD rats. A total of 66 compounds and their metabolites were identified in the drug-containing serum, and the metabolic pathways of these components mainly included hydrogenation and oxidation. Mechanistic studies showed that CW downregulated the expression of key genes in the 5-HTR/Ca2+/MAPK pathway, such as 5-HTR2A, IP3R, PKC, cALM, and ERK. Similarly, CW downregulated the expression of key proteins in the 5-HTR/Ca2+/MAPK pathway, such as p-ERK/ERK. Indirectly, it ameliorates the abnormal FA metabolism downstream of this signaling pathway in PD rats, especially the metabolism of arachidonic acid (AA).

Conclusion: The development of PD may be associated with the inhibition of the 5-HTR/Ca2+/MAPK signaling pathway and FA metabolic pathways, providing a basis for the subsequent exploitation of CW.

Characterization and intrinsic quality correlation of raw and vinegar-processed Curcumae Radix

Among the existing criteria, the traits of Curcumae Radix (CW) rely on traditional empirical identification, and the correlation between extrinsic traits and intrinsic components hasn't been systematically studied. In this study, a spectrophotometer, HS-GC-MS, and fast GC e-nose, combined with chemometrics were used to correlate the trait characteristics and intrinsic qualities of CW and vinegar-processed CW (VCW). The overall color of VCW was dark, red, and yellow, but the powder color was similar and difficult to distinguish with the naked eye. The exclusive discriminatory functional equations were established for the characterization between the two. 31 odor components were identified by fast GC e-nose. After vinegar preparation, 3 odor components disappeared and 8 odor components were generated. In addition, there were significant differences between the common components. 27 volatile components were identified by HS-GC-MS, 21 of which were terpenoids. Meanwhile, the difference discrimination models could be used for the rapid and accurate identification of CW and VCW. Through the comprehensive analysis of the color-odor-component, it was speculated that curzerene, germacrene D, and germacrone were potential chemical markers. The quality evaluation model based on the color-odor-composition of trait characteristics combined with internal components provided a basis for rapid identification and quality control of CW and VCW.

Study on the quality difference of Cyperus rotundus before and after vinegar processing based on ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time of flight-mass spectrometry and molecular network combined with color parameters

Cyperus rotundus is the dry rhizome of the Cyperaceae plant Cyperus. Although there are two types of processed products in clinics, their quality differences are not clear, and the identification methods are more complex. In this study, the chemical composition of different processed products of Cyperus rotundus was characterized using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time of flight-mass spectrometry and molecular network analysis, to identify the potential chemical markers and to establish a quick and simple color-based discrimination method. Among the 65 compounds analyzed, 12 showed significant differences. Observing the color, the surface brightness (L*) of Cyperus rotundus decreased after vinegar processing, while red (a*) and yellow (b*) values increased. These color values correlated significantly with chemical compositions. Finally, a color discriminant function was established and verified for raw Cyperus rotundus and vinegar-processing Cyperus rotundus. Based on this study, Cyperus rotundus' quality can be effectively controlled and provides a method for the comprehensive characterization of chemical components and chemical markers of other traditional Chinese medicine and processed products, as well as new ideas and methods in identification and quality evaluation.

Association of Dental Caries with Muscle Mass, Muscle Strength, and Sarcopenia: A Community-Based Study

OBJECTIVES

Changes in the oral cavity can reflect other changes throughout the body. This study aimed to investigate the association of dental caries with muscle mass, muscle strength, and sarcopenia, and also to describe the microbial diversity, composition, and community structure of severe dental caries and sarcopenia.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional study based on a Chinese population aged from 50 to 85 years.

SETTING

Communities from Lanxi City, Zhejiang Province, China.

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 1,442 participants aged from 50 to 85 years from a general community (62.8% women; median age 61.0 [interquartile range: 55.0, 68.0]).

MEASUREMENTS

Dental caries was assessed by the decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT) index. Sarcopenia was defined as the presence of both low muscle mass (assessed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scanning) and low muscle strength (assessed by handgrip strength). Multivariate logistic regression models were used to analyze the association of dental caries with muscle mass, muscle strength, and sarcopenia. Fecal samples underwent 16S rRNA profiling to evaluate the diversity and composition of the gut microbiota in patients with severe dental caries and/or sarcopenia.

RESULTS

In the fully adjusted logistic models, dental caries was positively associated with low muscle strength (DMFT ≥ 7: OR, 1.61; 95% CI, 1.25-2.06), and sarcopenia (DMFT ≥ 7: OR, 1.51; 95% CI, 1.01-2.26), but not low muscle mass. Severe dental caries was positively associated with higher alpha-diversity indices (richness, chao1, and ACE, all p < 0.05) and associated with beta-diversity based on Bray-Curtis distance (p = 0.006). The severe dental caries group and the sarcopenia group overlapped with 11 depleted and 13 enriched genera.

CONCLUSION

Dental caries was positively associated with low muscle strength and sarcopenia but not muscle mass, and this association was more pronounced in male individuals. Significant differences were observed in gut microbiota composition both in severe dental caries and sarcopenia, and there was an overlap of the genera features. Future longitudinal studies are needed to clarify causal relationships.

Albiflorin alleviates DSS-induced ulcerative colitis in mice by reducing inflammation and oxidative stress

Objectives

To clarify therapeutic potential of albiflorin and its intrinsic mechanisms against dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced Ulcerative colitis (UC) mice.

Materials and Methods

Sixty male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into five groups: negative control, positive, albiflorin low-dose group, albiflorin high-dose group and treatment control (Salicylazosulfapyridine "SASP", 100 mg/kg) group. Acute colitis was induced in all groups except NC by administration of 3% DSS for 7 days. Albiflorin and SASP were administered via the intragastric route twice a day for 7 days. The changes of colon tissue were assessed by disease activity index (DAI), HE staining, and ELISA. Adrenodoxin expressions of UC colon tissues were evaluated by immunohistochemistry. Western blotting was performed to investigate related protein of the NF-κB and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways.

Results

It has been found that the albiflorin shares similar influences as the SASP in ameliorating the DSS-induced UC. The reduced DAI and alleviated colon tissue damage were observed in albiflorin intervened groups. Moreover, albiflorin significantly inhibited myeloperoxidase activities and attenuated immuno-inflammatory response and elevated Foxp3 mRNA in colon tissue. Furthermore, investigations revealed that albiflorin could inhibit adrenodoxin isoform and activate activated phosphorylated NF-κB p65 and IκBα, which consequently suppressed phosphorylated p38 MAPK, extracellular regulated protein kinase (ERK), and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK).

Conclusion

These findings showed that albiflorin could alleviate DSS-induced murine colitis by activating inhibiting NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways. It might be a potential therapeutic reagent for UC treatment.

Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill. Protects against DSS-induced colitis in mice: Involvement of TLR4/NF-κB/NLRP3 inflammasome pathway and gut microbiota

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

the fruit of Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill. (SC) is an important traditional Chinese herbal medicine, which has been widely used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for treating intestinal diseases. It is also traditionally used as health product and medicine in Russia and other countries. However, the effect of SC ethanol extract on anti-ulcerative colitis (UC) has not been systematically studied yet.

AIM OF THE STUDY

We investigated the protective effects and underlying action mechanisms of SC extract (SCE) for UC treatment.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

An animal model of UC induced by dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) was established. After oral administration of SCE, the Disease Activity Index (DAI) was calculated, the length of colon measured, levels of proinflammatory factors determined, and histopathology carried out to assess the therapeutic efficacy of SCE on UC. The effects of SCE on the toll-like receptor 4/nuclear factor-kappa B/nucleotide-binding and oligomerization domain-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3 inflammasome (TLR4/NF-κB/NLRP3 inflammasome) signaling pathway were evaluated by western blotting. High-throughput sequencing was done to reveal the effect of SCE on the change of the gut microbiota (GM) in mice with DSS-induced colitis.

RESULTS

SCE significantly reduced the DAI score, restored colon-length shortening, and ameliorated colonic histopathologic injury in mice with DSS-induced colitis. SCE inhibited the inflammatory response by regulating the TLR4/NF-κB/NLRP3 inflammasome pathway in mice with UC. SCE also maintained gut barrier function by increasing the levels of zonula occludens (ZO)-1 and occludin. 16S rRNA sequencing showed that SCE could reverse the GM imbalance caused by UC.

CONCLUSIONS

SCE can ameliorate DSS-induced colitis, and that its effects might be associated with suppression of the TLR4/NF-κB/NLRP3 inflammasome pathway and GM regulation, which may provide significant supports for the development of potential candidates for UC treatment.

Based on UPLC/MS/MS and Bioinformatics Analysis to Explore the Difference Substances and Mechanism of Curcumae Radix (Curcuma wenyujin) in Dysmenorrhea

BACKGROUND

Curcumae Radix (CW) is traditionally used to treat dysmenorrhea caused by uterine spasm. However, the changes of its composition and anti-uterine spasms during vinegar processing and the mechanism in treating dysmenorrhea are not clear.

OBJECTIVE

To elucidate the changes of anti-uterine spasm and its substance basis, and the mechanism of treating dysmenorrhea before and after vinegar processing.

METHODS

The uterine spasm contraction model was established, and the uterine activity and its inhibition rate were calculated to evaluate the differences. The main chemical constituents of CW were quickly analyzed by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS technology, and the differences between them were explored by multivariate statistical analysis. Then, the regulatory network of "active ingredients-core targets-signal pathways" related to dysmenorrhea was constructed by using network pharmacology, and the combination between differential active components and targets was verified by molecular docking.

RESULTS

CW extract relaxed the isolated uterine by reducing the contractile tension, amplitude, and frequency. Compared with CW, the inhibitory effect of vinegar products was stronger, and the inhibition rate was 70.08 %. 39 compounds were identified from CW and 13 differential components were screened out (p<0.05). Network pharmacology screened 11 active components and 32 potential targets, involving 10 key pathways related to dysmenorrhea. The results of molecular docking showed that these differentially active components had good binding activity to target.

CONCLUSION

It was preliminarily revealed that CW could treat dysmenorrhea mainly through the regulation of inflammatory reaction, relaxing smooth muscle and endocrine by curcumenone, 13-hydroxygermacrone, (+)-cuparene, caryophyllene oxide, zederone, and isocurcumenol.

Revealing the mechanism of raw and vinegar-processed Curcuma aromatica Salisb. [Zingiberaceae] regulates primary dysmenorrhea in rats via integrated metabolomics

Primary dysmenorrhea (PDM) is a common disorder among women around the world. Two processed products of Curcuma aromatica Salisb. [Zingiberaceae] (CAS) are traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) that have long been used to treat gynecological blood stasis syndrome such as primary dysmenorrhea. The mechanisms and active substances of CAS are still largely unknown. The study aimed to establish a rat model of primary dysmenorrhea which investigates the differences between the pharmacodynamics and mechanisms of raw CAS (RCAS) and vinegar-processed CAS (VCAS). Histopathology, cytokinetics, and metabolomics were adopted to evaluate the anti-blood stasis effect of RCAS and VCAS. In metabolomics, endogenous differential metabolites in plasma, urine, and feces are the essential steps to evaluate the effect of RCAS and VCAS. In this study, the rat model of primary dysmenorrhea was successfully established. After RCAS and VCAS intervention, the uterine tissue morphology of dysmenorrhea model rats was improved, and gland hypertrophy and myometrial hyperplasia were reduced as well as neutrophil content. Compared with the RCAS group, the VCAS group had better uterine morphology, few inflammatory factors, and significantly improved amino acid and lipid metabolism. The aforementioned results support the conclusion that VCAS performed better than RCAS in primary dysmenorrhea and that vinegar processing increases the efficacy of CAS.

Therapeutic mechanism of Curcuma aromatica Salisb. rhizome against coronary heart disease based on integrated network pharmacology, pharmacological evaluation and lipidomics

Curcuma aromatica Salisb. rhizome (CASR) has multifunctional characteristics worldwide and a long history of use as a botanical drug with. Currently, it is often used clinically to treat coronary heart disease (CHD) caused by blood stasis syndrome. However, the therapeutic mechanism of CASR in the treatment of CHD remains poorly understood. In study, the main chemical constituents of CASR were analyzed using UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS. Then, its potential therapeutic mechanism against CHD was predicted. Subsequently, pharmacological evaluation was performed using CHD rat model. Finally, a lipidomics approach was applied to explore the different lipid metabolites to verify the regulation of CASR on lipid metabolism disorders in CHD. A total of 35 compounds was identified from CASR. Seventeen active components and 51 potential targets related to CHD were screened by network pharmacology, involving 13 key pathways. In vivo experiments showed that CASR could significantly improve myocardial infarction, blood stasis, and blood lipid levels and regulate the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway in CHD rats. Lipidomics further showed that CASR could regulate abnormal sphingolipid, glycerophospholipid, and glycerolipid metabolism in CHD rats. The therapeutic mechanism of CASR against CHD was initially elucidated and included the regulation of lipid metabolism. Its effects may be attributed to active ingredients, such as curzerene, isoprocurcumenol, and (+)-curcumenol. This study reveals the characteristics of multi-component and multi-pathway of CASR in the treatment of CHD, which provides a basis for the follow-up development and utilization of CASR.

Metabolic transitions define spermatogonial stem cell maturation

STUDY QUESTION

Do spermatogonia, including spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs), undergo metabolic changes during prepubertal development?

SUMMARY ANSWER

Here, we show that the metabolic phenotype of prepubertal human spermatogonia is distinct from that of adult spermatogonia and that SSC development is characterized by distinct metabolic transitions from oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) to anaerobic metabolism.

WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY

Maintenance of both mouse and human adult SSCs relies on glycolysis, while embryonic SSC precursors, primordial germ cells (PGCs), exhibit an elevated dependence on OXPHOS. Neonatal porcine SSC precursors reportedly initiate a transition to an adult SSC metabolic phenotype at 2 months of development. However, when and if such a metabolic transition occurs in humans is ambiguous.

STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION

To address our research questions: (i) we performed a meta-analysis of publicly available and newly generated (current study) single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-Seq) datasets in order to establish a roadmap of SSC metabolic development from embryonic stages (embryonic week 6) to adulthood in humans (25 years of age) with a total of ten groups; (ii) in parallel, we analyzed single-cell RNA sequencing datasets of isolated pup (n = 3) and adult (n = 2) murine spermatogonia to determine whether a similar metabolic switch occurs; and (iii) we characterized the mechanisms that regulate these metabolic transitions during SSC maturation by conducting quantitative proteomic analysis using two different ages of prepubertal pig spermatogonia as a model, each with four independently collected cell populations.

PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS

Single testicular cells collected from 1-year, 2-year and 7-year-old human males and sorted spermatogonia isolated from 6- to 8-day (n = 3) and 4-month (n = 2) old mice were subjected to scRNA-Seq. The human sequences were individually processed and then merged with the publicly available datasets for a meta-analysis using Seurat V4 package. We then performed a pairwise differential gene expression analysis between groups of age, followed by pathways enrichment analysis using gene set enrichment analysis (cutoff of false discovery rate < 0.05). The sequences from mice were subjected to a similar workflow as described for humans. Early (1-week-old) and late (8-week-old) prepubertal pig spermatogonia were analyzed to reveal underlying cellular mechanisms of the metabolic shift using immunohistochemistry, western blot, qRT-PCR, quantitative proteomics, and culture experiments.

MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE

Human PGCs and prepubertal human spermatogonia show an enrichment of OXPHOS-associated genes, which is downregulated at the onset of puberty (P < 0.0001). Furthermore, we demonstrate that similar metabolic changes between pup and adult spermatogonia are detectable in the mouse (P < 0.0001). In humans, the metabolic transition at puberty is also preceded by a drastic change in SSC shape at 11 years of age (P < 0.0001). Using a pig model, we reveal that this metabolic shift could be regulated by an insulin growth factor-1 dependent signaling pathway via mammalian target of rapamycin and proteasome inhibition.

LARGE SCALE DATA

New single-cell RNA sequencing datasets obtained from this study are freely available through NCBI GEO with accession number GSE196819.

LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION

Human prepubertal tissue samples are scarce, which led to the investigation of a low number of samples per age. Gene enrichment analysis gives only an indication about the functional state of the cells. Due to limited numbers of prepubertal human spermatogonia, porcine spermatogonia were used for further proteomic and in vitro analyses.

WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS

We show that prepubertal human spermatogonia exhibit high OXHPOS and switch to an adult-like metabolism only after 11 years of age. Prepubescent cancer survivors often suffer from infertility in adulthood. SSC transplantation could provide a powerful tool for the treatment of infertility; however, it requires high cell numbers. This work provides key insight into the dynamic metabolic requirements of human SSCs across development that would be critical in establishing ex vivo systems to support expansion and sustained function of SSCs toward clinical use.

STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S)

This work was funded by the NIH/NICHD R01 HD091068 and NIH/ORIP R01 OD016575 to I.D. K.E.O. was supported by R01 HD100197. S.K.M. was supported by T32 HD087194 and F31 HD101323. The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Mechanisms Underlying the Action of Ziziphi Spinosae Semen in the Treatment of Insomnia: A Study Involving Network Pharmacology and Experimental Validation

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the potential mechanisms and related bioactive components of ZSS for the treatment of insomnia. Method: The insomnia model of rat induced by PCPA was established. After oral administration of ZSS extract, the general morphological observation, pentobarbital sodium-induced sleep test and histopathological evaluation were carried out. Network pharmacology, assisted by UHPLC-Q-Exactive-MS/MS analysis, was developed to identify the targets of ZSS in the treatment of insomnia, as well as the corresponding signaling pathways. In addition, we validated the identified targets and pathways by RT-qPCR and immunohistochemical analysis. Results: The pentobarbital sodium-induced sleep test, determination of 5-HT and GABA levles in hypothalamic tissues and HE staining showed that ZSS extract was an effective treatment for insomnia. Network pharmacology analysis identified a total of 19 candidate bioactive ingredients in ZSS extract, along with 433 potentially related targets. Next, we performed protein-protein interaction (PPI), MCODE clustering analysis, GO functional enrichment analysis, KEGG pathway enrichment analysis, and ingredient-target-pathway (I-T-P) sub-networks analysis. These methods allowed us to investigate the synergistic therapeutic effects of crucial pathways, including the serotonergic and GABAergic synapse pathways. Our analyses revealed that palmitic acid, coclaurine, jujuboside A, N-nornuciferine, caaverine, magnoflorine, jujuboside B, and betulinic acid, all played key roles in the regulation of these crucial pathways. Finally, we used the PCPA-induced insomnia in rats to validate the data generated by network pharmacology; these in vivo experiments clearly showed that pathways associated with the serotonergic and GABAergic system were activated in the rats model. Furthermore, ZSS treatment significantly suppressed high levels of HTR1A, GABRA1, and GABRG2 expression in the hypothalamus and reduced the expression levels of HTR2A. Conclusion: Based on the combination of comprehensive network pharmacology and in vivo experiments, we successfully identified the potential pharmacological mechanisms underlying the action of ZSS in the treatment of insomnia. The results provide a theoretical basis for further development and utilization of ZSS, and also provide support for the development of innovative drugs for the treatment of insomnia.

Comparative pharmacokinetic analysis of raw and steamed Panax notoginseng roots in rats by UPLC-MS/MS for simultaneously quantifying seven saponins

CONTEXT

After being steamed, the restorative effects of Panax notoginseng (Burk.) F. H. Chen (Araliaceae) will be strengthened. However, the underlying mechanism remains elusive.

OBJECTIVE

To compare the pharmacokinetics of ginsenosides Rg₁, Rb₁, Rd, Re, Rg₅, Rk₁, notoginsenoside R₁ (GRg₁, GRb₁, GRd, GRe, GRg₅, GRk₁ and NGR₁) in the raw and steam-processed P. notoginseng (RPN and SPN).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The pharmacokinetics of seven components after oral administration of SPN and RPN extracts (1.0 g/kg) were investigated, respectively, in SD rats (two groups, n = 6) using UPLC-MS/MS.

RESULTS

The approach elicited good linear regression (r² > 0.991). The accuracy, precision and stability were all within ± 15%. The extraction recoveries and matrix effects were 75.0-100.8% and 85.1-110.3%, respectively. Compared with the RPN group, AUC_0-t of GRg₁ (176.63 ± 42.49 ng/h/mL), GRb₁ (5094.06 ± 1453.14 ng/h/mL), GRd (1396.89 ± 595.14 ng/h/mL), and NGR₁ (135.95 ± 54.32 ng/h/mL), along with C_max of GRg₁ (17.41 ± 5.43 ng/mL), GRb₁ (361.48 ± 165.57 ng/mL), GRd (62.47 ± 33.65 ng/mL) and NGR₁ (23.97 ± 16.77 ng/mL) decreased remarkably with oral administration of the SPN extracts, while GRe showed no significantly difference. Of note, GRg₅ and GRk₁ could not be detected in the plasma.

CONCLUSIONS

Influence of the processing reduced the systemic exposure levels to GRg₁, GRb₁, GRd and NGR₁. It is the first report of comparative pharmacokinetic study of multiple saponins analysis after oral administration of RPN and SPN extract, which might be helpful for further studies on its steam-processing mechanism.

Developing a near-infrared spectroscopy and microwave-induced thermoacoustic tomography-based dual-modality imaging system

Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) techniques can provide noninvasive in vivo hemoglobin oxygenation information but suffer from relatively low resolution in biological tissue imaging. Microwave-induced thermoacoustic tomography (TAT) can produce high-resolution images of the biological tissue anatomy but offer limited physiological information of samples because of the single species of the chromophore it maps. To overcome these drawbacks and take advantage of the merits of the two independent techniques, we built a dual-modality system by combining a NIRS system and a TAT system to image biological tissues. A series of phantom trials were carried out to demonstrate the performance of the new system. The spatial resolution is about 1 mm, with a penetration depth of at least 17.5 mm in the human subject. A cohort of five healthy subjects was recruited to conduct real-time forearm venous and arterial cuff occlusion experiments. Numerous results showed that this dual-modality system could measure oxygen metabolism and simultaneously provide anatomical structure changes of biological tissues. We also found that although the hemoglobin concentration varied consistently with many other published papers, the TAT signal intensity of veins showed an opposite variation tendency in the venous occlusion stage compared with other existing work. A detailed explanation is given to account for the discrepancy, thus, providing another possibility for the forearm experiments using TAT. Furthermore, based on the multiple types of information afforded by this dual-modality system, a pilot clinical application for the diagnosis of anemia is discussed.

Physicochemical parameters combined flash GC e-nose and artificial neural network for quality and volatile characterization of vinegar with different brewing techniques

Vinegar is a kind of traditional fermented food, there are significant variances in quality and flavor due to differences in raw ingredients and processes. The quality assessment and flavor characteristics of 69 vinegar samples with 5 brewing processes were analyzed by physicochemical parameters combined with flash gas chromatography (GC) e-nose. The evaluation system of quality and the detection method of flavor profile were established. 17 volatile flavor compounds and potential flavor differential compounds of each brewing process were identified. The artificial neural network (ANN) analysis model was established based on the physicochemical parameters and the analysis of flash GC e-nose. Although the physicochemical parameters were more intuitive in quality evaluating, the flash GC e-nose could better reflect the flavor characteristics of vinegar samples and had better fitting, prediction and discrimination ability, the correct rates of training and prediction of flash GC e-nose trained ANN model were 98.6% and 96.7%, respectively.

Screening of blood-activating active components from Curcuma wenyujin Y.H. Chen et C. Ling rhizome based on spectrum-effect relationship analysis and network pharmacology

Curcuma wenyujin Y.H. Chen et C. Ling rhizome (also called EZhu in China) has long been used as plant medicine for its traditional effect on promoting blood circulation and remove blood stasis. However, the active components of EZhu are still unclear at present. This research is managed to investigate the pharmacodynamics material basis on removing blood stasis of EZhu by exploring the spectrum-effect relationship between UPLC-Q/TOF-MS fingerprints and pharmacologic actions. Hemorheology and related functional parameters were detected to evaluate the pharmacologic actions of EZhu. Relative content Changes of components in rat plasma were detected by UPLC-Q/TOF-MS. A compound-target-pathway network was built to predict the pharmacological activity of components in plasma. Then, bivariate correlation analysis (BCA) was used to explore the correlation degree between components in plasma and pharmacologic actions of EZhu. In UPLC-Q/TOF-MS fingerprints of rat plasma, 10 prototype components were identified. BCA results show that 8 components were concerned with the pharmacological activity for treating blood stasis syndrome (BSS) in varying degrees (R > 0.5, P < 0.05). Among them, zedoarofuran and curzerenone have shown correlation with more pharmacological indicators. The network predicted that 80 targets were closely related to 10 components, in which 48 targets were connected with 159 metabolic pathways including arachidonic acid metabolism, sphingolipid signaling pathway, and linoleic acid metabolism. Overall, this study provided a scientific basis for TCM quality control to ensure its safety and efficacy.

A survey of a COVID-19 cluster of charter flight importation

OBJECTIVES

Although a number of cases of importation with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection have been reported, there are still no data available concerning the characteristics in the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cluster of charter flight importation. Here, we provide an analysis of COVID-19 cases and their close contacts who worked for the same company on a project in Karbala, Iraq, and returned back to Chengdu, China, by a charter flight.

METHODS

The data of imported COVID-19 cases and their close contacts were obtained from National Notifiable Disease Report System of Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention and field epidemiological investigation reports by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCs) in Chengdu. The information of general characteristics and laboratory findings of this cluster were collected and summarized.

RESULTS

One hundred and six (66.67%) of 159 charter flight passengers tested positive for COVID-19 before entry. Through treatment, all 159 people tested negative and meet the requirements of taking flights bound for China before boarding. However, there has been still 36 (22.64%) of them tested positive after entry. The median time from entry to confirmation was 1.0 day (Interquartile Range (IQR): 0-4.3). The Cycle threshold value (Ct value) of 36 patients' positive samples are all above 30 and most values are above 35.

CONCLUSIONS

In conclusion, there is still a risk that a number of COVID-19 cases can be imported through charter flight. However, the infectivity of confirmed patients of the charter flight was considered to be low.

Evaluation of Peroxidase in Herbal Medicines Based on an Electrochemical Sensor

Peroxidases are species-specific. Differences in peroxidase can objectively reflect the genetics among species. The use of peroxidase to assist in species identification is relatively simple and effective. In this work, we proposed a graphene-modified electrode. This electrode can amplify the signal of electrocatalytic reduction of hydrogen peroxide. Since peroxidase can catalyze the reduction of hydrogen peroxide, this signal can be used as an indicator to demonstrate the content of peroxidase in different plant tissues. Twelve herbal medicines were selected for our study. The results show that this electrochemical-based detection technique was comparable to colorimetric method in terms of accuracy.

Bioactive constituents and the molecular mechanism of Curcumae Rhizoma in the treatment of primary dysmenorrhea based on network pharmacology and molecular docking

BACKGROUND

Curcumae Rhizoma (CR) has a clinical efficacy in activating blood circulation to dissipate blood stasis and has been used for the clinical treatment of qi stagnation and blood stasis (QSBS) primary dysmenorrhea for many years. However, its molecular mechanism is unknown.

OBJECTIVE

The present study aimed to demonstrate the multicomponent, multitarget and multipathway regulatory molecular mechanisms of CR in the treatment of QSBS primary dysmenorrhea.

METHODS

Observations of pathological changes in uterine tissues and biochemical assays were used to confirm that a rat model was successfully established and that CR was effective in the treatment of QSBS primary dysmenorrhea. The main active components of CR in rat plasma were identified and screened by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole/time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q/TOF-MS). The component-target-disease network and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network of CR were constructed by a network pharmacology approach. Then, we performed Gene Ontology (GO) functional enrichment analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis. Molecular docking was adopted to verify the interactions between the core components and targets of CR to confirm the accuracy of the network pharmacology prediction results. Furthermore, we evaluated the bioactive constituents of CR and molecular mechanism of by which CR promote blood circulation and remove blood stasis via platelet tests in vivo and in vitro and Western blot analysis.

RESULTS

The results of HE staining and biochemical assays of PGF2α, TXB2 and Ca2+ showed that CR was effective in the treatment of QSBS primary dysmenorrhea. A total of 36 active components were identified in CR, and 329 common targets were obtained and used to construct the networks. Of these, 14 core components and 10 core targets of CR in the treatment of primary dysmenorrhea were identified. The GO and KEGG enrichment analyses revealed that the common targets were involved in multiple signaling pathways, including the calcium, cAMP, MAPK, and PI3K-Akt signaling pathways, as well as platelet activation, which is closely related to platelet aggregation. The molecular docking results showed that the 14 core components and 10 core targets could bind spontaneously. Two core targets (MAPK1 and CCR5) and 7 core components (Isoprocurcumenol, Curcumadione, Epiprocurcumenol, (+)-Curdione, Neocurdione, Procurcumenol, and 13-Hydroxygermacrone) were closely related to CR in the treatment of primary dysmenorrhea. Furthermore, the in vivo platelet test showed that CR clearly inhibited platelet aggregation. Five core components ((+)-Curdione, Neocurdione, Isoprocurcumenol, Curcumadione and Procurcumenol) obviously inhibited platelet aggregation in vitro. In addition, based on the relationships among the signaling pathways, we confirmed that CR can effectively inhibit the expression of MAPK and PI3K-Akt signaling pathway-related proteins and decrease the protein expression levels of ERK, JNK, MAPK, PI3K, AKT and CCR5, thereby inhibiting platelet aggregation.

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrated the bioactive constituents and mechanisms of CR in promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis and its multicomponent, multitarget and multipathway treatment characteristics in primary dysmenorrhea. The results provide theoretical evidence for the development and utilization of CR.

Preparation of Graphene Oxide-Embedded Hydrogel as a Novel Sensor Platform for Antioxidant Activity Evaluation of Scutellaria baicalensis

Antioxidation is very important in medicine and food. The current evaluation technologies often have many shortcomings. In this work, an improved electrochemical sensing platform for the evaluation of antioxidant activity has been proposed. A hydrogel was prepared based on graphene oxide, zinc ions, and chitosan. Zinc ions play the role of crosslinking agents in hydrogels. The structure of chitosan can be destroyed by injecting hydrogen peroxide into the hydrogel, and the free zinc ions can diffuse to the surface of the electrode to participate in the electrochemical reaction. This electrochemical sensor can evaluate the antioxidant activity by comparing the current difference of zinc reduction before and after adding the antioxidant. With the help of graphene oxide, this hydrogel can greatly enhance the sensing effect. We conducted tests on 10 real samples. This proposed electrochemical platform has been successfully applied for evaluating the antioxidant activity of Scutellaria baicalensis, and the results were compared to those obtained from the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl-based traditional analysis technique.