Metabolomics characterization of Qingwei San on oral ulcer in db/db mice with stomach heat pattern

Objective:To characterize the effects of Qingwei San(QWS)on diabetic oral ulcer(OU)mice with stomach heat pattern through metabolomic analysis.Methods:A stomach heat pattern mouse model was established by treating C57BLKS/J Leprdb/db(db/db)mice with dried Zingiber officinale Rosc.rhizome(Z.officinale,Gan Jiang)decoction by gavage.All model mice had blood glucose levels of≥11.1 m M.Subsequently,OU was induced by Na OH cauterization.After 1 week of administration of QWS,non-targeted metabolomic analysis of serum was conducted using ultra high performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry(UHPLC-MS/MS).Results:The non-targeted metabolomics results indicated that tryptophan metabolism,2-oxocarboxylic acid metabolism,serotonergic synapses,amino sugar and nucleotide sugar metabolism,and amino acid biosynthesis were involved in the therapeutic effects of QWS,with tryptophan metabolism playing a predominant role.Conclusion:QWS treatment can significantly improve the pathological status of diabetic OU mice with stomach heat pattern.QWS may regulate the release of inflammatory factors through the tryptophan metabolism pathway.

Current anti-diabetes mechanisms and clinical trials using Morus alba L.

Backgrounds:Diabetes mellitus,especially type 2 diabetes,with its fast-rising prevalence,has become a global epidemic.Mulberry(Morus alba L.)leaf has been known to have hypoglycemic effects since ancient times.In Asia mulberry leaf is used as tea to complement the treatment of diabetes mellitus.The methods by which mulberry leaf affects the body and its mechanism when combined with chemical agents have been studied extensively.Conclusions:We summarize the possible mechanisms of the anti-diabetic effects of mulberry leaf based on extraction procedures,in vitro and in vivo experiments,and clinical trials.We also discuss the hypothesis that crosstalk and“critical nodes”may be useful for a deeper molecular understanding of the treatment and prevention of diabetes with mulberry leaf.

Relationship between hyperlipidemia and the gut microbiome of rats, characterized using high-throughput sequencing

Objective:To determine the effects of a high-fat diet(HFD)on the gut microbiome in rats,to explore the relationship between the intestinal flora and blood lipid profile.Methods:SpragueeDawley rats were fed an HFD for four weeks to induce hyperlipidemia,then 16S rRNA sequencing was used to compare the intestinal flora between hyperlipidemic and control diet-fed rats.Results:The microbiome of rats fed an HFD for four weeks differed from that of control diet-fed rats.Bacterial species that were less abundant were most affected by HFD feeding,among which were many pathogenic species,which became significantly more abundant.Eighteen genera were present in significantly different numbers in hyperlipidemic and control rats,more than half of which have been linked to infection and inflammation,or energy intake and obesity.The results indicated a type of stress response of the flora to a high-fat environment.In addition,the age of the rats tended to influence the gut microbial composition.Conclusion:These findings suggest that HFD may induce hyperlipidemia by affecting the gut microbial composition.Changes in the abundance of pro-inflammatory and pathogenic bacteria,and those that influence energy intake and obesity,may be important mediators of this.

Pharmacological evaluation and mechanistic study of compound Xishu Granule in hepatocellular carcinoma

Objective:In this study,we used HepG2 human hepatocellular carcinoma cells to study the effects of Compound Xishu Granule(CXG)on cell proliferation,apoptosis,and the cell cycle in vitro.We also used a xenograft tumor model to study the anti-tumor effects of CXG and related mechanisms in vivo.Methods:The effect of CXG on cell viability was measured using Cell Counting Kit-8 and a colony formation assay.The effect of CXG on apoptosis and the cell cycle was analyzed using flow cytometry.The in vivo anti-tumor effect of CXG was assessed by measuring the volume change in xenograft tumors after drug administration.The CXG anti-tumor mechanism was studied using western blotting assay to detect cell cycle and apoptotic associated proteins.Results:CXG suppressed HepG2 cell proliferation in a time-and dose-dependent manner in vitro.Colony formation experiments showed that CXG administration for 24 h significantly reduced HepG2 cell formations(P<.01).Flow cytometric analysis showed that CXG treatment for 48 h promoted apoptosis and blocked HepG2 cells in the G2/M phase.Western blotting results showed that Bax was significantly upregulated and Bcl-2 was down-regulated in graft tumor tissues and HepG2 cells after CXG administration,which increased the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio.PLK1,CDC25 C,CDK1,and Cyclin B1 expression were upregulated.CXG had a good inhibitory effect on graft tumor growth in vivo.Conclusion:CXG has good anti-tumor effects in vitro and in vivo.In vitro,CXG promoted HepG2 cell apoptosis and induced G2/M phase arrest.In vivo,CXG significantly inhibited graft tumor growth.The CXG mechanism in treating hepatocellular carcinoma may be that CXG can induce abnormal apoptotic and cell cycle associated protein expression,leading to mitotic catastrophe and apoptosis.

THE REMARKABLE NATURE OF RADIALLY SYMMETRIC DEFORMATION OF ANISOTROPIC PIEZOELECTRIC INCLUSION

The present paper deals with spherically symmetric deformation of an inclusion- matrix problem, which consists of an infinite isotropic matrix and a spherically uniform anisotropic piezoelectric inclusion. The interface between the two phases is supposed to be perfect and the system is subjected to uniform loadings at infinity. Exact solutions are obtained for solid spherical piezoelectric inclusion and isotropic matrix. When the system is subjected to a remote traction, analytical results show that remarkable nature exists in the spherical inclusion. It is demonstrated that an infinite stress appears at the center of the inclusion. Furthermore, a cavitation may occur at the center of the inclusion when the system is subjected to uniform tension, while a black hole may be formed at the center of the inclusion when the applied traction is uniform pressure. The appearance of different remarkable nature depends only on one non-dimensional material parameter and the type of the remote traction, while is independent of the magnitude of the traction.

Correlation analysis of intestinal flora and pathological process of type 2 diabetes mellitus

Objective: To observe the relationship between the different stages of type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM)and the intestinal flora and verify its underlying mechanism.Methods: T2DM rats were generated by high-fat diet(HFD) combined with intraperitoneal streptozotocin(STZ) injection. The rats were divided into four groups: the control group(fed with normal feed for1 month), the HFD group(fed with HFD for 1 month), the T2DM group(HFD combined with STZ and blood glucose ≥11.1 m M), and the unformed T2DM model(Un-mod) group(HFD combined with STZ and blood glucose <11.1 m M). Feces were collected, and bacterial communities in the fecal samples were analyzed by 16S r RNA gene sequencing. The content of short-chain fatty acids(SCFAs) in feces was measured by gas chromatography. Western blot and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction were used to detect the expression of G protein-coupled receptor 41(GPR41) and GPR43.Results: At different stages of T2DM, the intestinal flora and SCFAs content of rats were significantly decreased(all P <.05). Our results indicated that g__Prevotella had a significant negative correlation, and g__Ruminococcus_torques_group and g__lachnoclastic had a significant positive correlation with blood glucose. The content of SCFAs, in particular acetate and butyrate, in rat feces of different stages of T2DM were significantly reduced, as well as GPR41 and GPR43 expression. The results in the Un-mod group were similar to the T2DM group, and the expression of GPR41 and GPR43 proteins were significantly higher than those in the T2DM group(both P <.001).Conclusion: The intestinal flora-SCFAs-GPR41/GPR43 network may be important in the development of T2DM. Decreasing blood glucose levels by regulating the intestinal flora may become a new therapeutic strategy for T2DM, which has very important clinical and social values.

The enhanced X-ray Timing and Polarimetry mission—eXTP

In this paper we present the enhanced X-ray Timing and Polarimetry mission—eXTP. eXTP is a space science mission designed to study fundamental physics under extreme conditions of density, gravity and magnetism. The mission aims at determining the equation of state of matter at supra-nuclear density, measuring effects of QED, and understanding the dynamics of matter in strong-field gravity. In addition to investigating fundamental physics, eXTP will be a very powerful observatory for astrophysics that will provide observations of unprecedented quality on a variety of galactic and extragalactic objects. In particular, its wide field monitoring capabilities will be highly instrumental to detect the electro-magnetic counterparts of gravitational wave sources.The paper provides a detailed description of:(1) the technological and technical aspects, and the expected performance of the instruments of the scientific payload;(2) the elements and functions of the mission, from the spacecraft to the ground segment.

A Refined Theory of Axisymmetric Poroelastic Circular Cylinder

A refined theory of axisymmetric deformation of an isotropic poroelastic circular cylinder in a steady-state is presented directly by utilizing the general solutions and Lur＇e method without any advance hypothesis.The refined equations are derived under non-homogenous boundary conditions,and the approximate solutions are obtained by omitting higher-order terms.The all-inclusive refined equations and approximate solutions constitute the refined theory of circular cylinders.Correlative examples are brought up to analyze influences of liquid-solid coupling properties on the mechanical behavior of poroelastic materials.Moreover,the present results are converted into those of homologous pure elastic problem directly.