Jiangtangjing ameliorates type 2 diabetes through effects on the gut microbiota and cAMP/PKA pathway

Background:During the clinical use of Jiangtangjing granules,we have found that they improve glucose metabolism and relieve symptoms in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.We aimed to further investigate the hypoglycemic effects of Jiangtangjing granules and the mechanisms involved.Methods:Type 2 diabetes mellitus was induced in rats by high-fat diet feeding and streptozotocin injection.The rats were then orally administered Linagliptin(3 mg/kg)or Jiangtangjing granules(13 g crude preparation/kg)for 4 weeks.The therapeutic effects of Jiangtangjing granules on glucose metabolism were then investigated.The serum glucagon-like peptide-1,insulin and glycosylated hemoglobin concentrations were measured using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay.Immunohistochemistry and quantificational real-time polymerase chain reaction were performed to quantify glucagon-like peptide-1 protein expression and cAMP,protein kinase A,and Epac1 mRNA expression,respectively.In addition,amplicon sequencing of bacterial 16s rDNA genes in rat feces was also performed to analyze the richness and diversity of the intestinal microbiota and to determine the relative abundances of the dominant bacterial phyla in the intestinal contents of the rats.Results:Jiangtangjing reduced fasting blood glucose concentration(P<0.05)and blood glucose concentrations during oral glucose tolerance testing(P<0.01),increased serum glucagon-like peptide-1 concentration after glucose administration(P<0.05)and improved glucose tolerance(P<0.05).It also increased glucagon-like peptide-1 protein expression(P<0.05)and the mRNA expression of cAMP(P<0.05),PKA(P<0.05),and Epac1(P<0.05)in the jejunum.Jiangtangjing also affected the composition of the intestinal microbiota in rats with type 2 diabetes mellitus.Specifically,it increased the relative abundance of Bacteroides and reduced that of Actinobacteria.Conclusion:Jiangtangjing granules have anti-diabetic effects,increasing circulating insulin concentration and glucose tolerance.These effects may be mediated by increases in glucagon-like peptide-1 secretion via upregulation of the cAMP/PKA signaling pathway in the jejunum and alterations in the composition of the intestinal microbiota.

Effect of respiratory muscle training on trunk control and balance ability in stroke patients

Objective: To investigate the effect of respiratory muscle training combined with conventional rehabilitation therapy on trunk control, balance ability and activities of daily living in stroke patients. Methods: Sixty stroke patients were divided into control group and experimental group by random number table, 30 each, and received conventional rehabilitation therapy. Moreover, the experimental group underwent respiratory muscle training (RMT), for four weeks. In each patient, maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP) was measured for the inspiratory muscle strength. Maximal expiratory pressure (MEP) was measured for the expiratory muscle strength. The trunk control was measured using the Trunk Impairment Scale (TIS). The Berg balance scale (BBS) was used to assess the balance function. The modified Barthel index (MBI) was used to evaluate activities of daily living. Results: There were no significant differences in MIP, MEP, TIS, BBS and MBI between the two groups before treatment. The MIP, MEP, TIS, BBS and MBI functions of the control group and the experimental group were improved after treatment, And the functional improvement of the above indicators in the experimental group after treatment was significantly higher than that of the control group. Conclusion: This study proved that RMT improved respiratory muscle strength, trunk control, balance function, and ADL in stroke patients.

不同pH值3.5%NaCl溶液中多种铜合金的选相腐蚀和空蚀行为

采用扫描开尔文力显微镜(SKPFM)对镍铝青铜(NAB)、高锰铝青铜(MAB)及锰黄铜(MB)中不同相的稳定性进行表征,并对3种铜合金在不同pH值3.5%NaCl溶液中的选相腐蚀及空蚀行为进行研究。结果显示,在酸性溶液(pH 2)中,每种材料中稳定性最差的κ相均发生溶解。在中性溶液(pH 6.8)中,NAB中富Al的κ相未发生腐蚀,而MAB和MB中富Fe的κ相发生溶解。在碱性溶液(pH 12)中,点蚀发生在MAB和MB的κ相以及NAB中的κⅡ相上。在任一溶液中,耐空蚀性能顺序均为:NAB>MAB>MB。在酸性溶液中,选相腐蚀显著加重空蚀损伤,且腐蚀-空蚀交互作用是导致空蚀的主导因素;在其他溶液中,选相腐蚀较为轻微,3种铜合金均表现出以力学损伤为主导的空蚀损伤机制。

Rare-earth praseodymium-substituted Bi_(5)Ti_(3)FeO_(15) exhibiting enhanced piezoelectric properties for high-temperature application

Owing to their exceptional piezoelectric effects,piezoelectric materials play a crucial role in high-end technologies and contribute significantly to the national economy.Bismuth layer-structured ferroelectrics(BLSFs)possess high Curie temperatures,making them a focal point of research in high-temperature piezoelectric sensor devices.However,their poor piezoelectric performance and low direct-current(DC)electrical resistivity hinder their effective deployment in high-temperature applications.To overcome these shortcomings,we employed composition optimization by partially substituting bismuth ions with rare-earth praseodymium ions.This approach enhances the piezoelectric performance and improves the DC electrical resistivity by preventing the loss of volatile bismuth ions and stabilizing the bismuth oxide layer(Bi_(2)O_(2))2+,thereby reducing the concentration of oxygen vacancies.Consequently,we achieved a large piezoelectric constant d33 of 23.5 pC/N in praseodymium-substituted Bi5Ti3FeO15,which is three times higher than that of pure Bi5Ti3FeO15(7.1 pC/N),along with a high Curie temperature TC of 778℃.Additionally,the optimal composition of 4 mol%praseodymium-substituted Bi5Ti3FeO15 exhibits good thermal stability of electromechanical coupling characteristics up to 300℃.This study holds promise for a wide array of high-temperature piezoelectric applications and has the potential to accelerate the development of hightemperature piezoelectric sensor technologies.

Correlation between microstructure and corrosion and cavitation erosion behaviors of nickel aluminum bronze

The microstructure,corrosion and cavitation erosion(CE)behaviors of the as-cast and four different heat treated nickel aluminum bronzes(NABs)in 3.5 wt.%NaCl solution were investigated.The results show that after annealing,β′transformed into the eutectoid microstructure,and moreκIV precipitated fromα.Less eutectoid microstructure and moreβ′were obtained after normalizing.The quenched NAB mainly consisted ofαandβ′phases,and fine,acicularαandκphases precipitated insideβ′after subsequent aging.The largest proportion of the eutectoid microstructure,which underwent severe selective phase corrosion,was responsible for the lowest corrosion resistance of the annealed NAB.The quenched NAB possessed the most protective film and hence the highest corrosion resistance.The mechanical attack was primarily responsible for the CE damage for the as-cast,annealed and normarlized NABs.The quenched and quenched+aged NABs exhibited superior CE resistance because of the high hardness.The CE−corrosion synergy dominantly caused CE degradation,and it was largely attributed to corrosion-enhanced-CE.

Geotextile protection of glacier:Observed and simulated impacts on energy and mass balance

The detailed physical processes involved in slowing glacier ablation by material cover remain poorly understood so far.In the present study,using the snow cover model SNOWPACK,the effect of geotextile cover on the energy and mass balance at the tongue of the Urumqi Glacier No.1(Chinese Tien Shan)was simulated between July 12,2022 and August 31,2022.The mass changes and the energy fluxes with and without material cover were compared.The results indicated that the geotextile covering reduced glacier ablation by approximately 68%compared to the ablation in the uncovered regions.The high solar reflectivity of the geotextile reduced the net short-wave radiation energy available for the melt by 45%.Thermal insulation of the geotextile reduced the sensible heat flux by 15%.In addition,the wet geotextile exerted a cooling effect through long-wave radiation and negative latent heat flux.This cooling effect reduced the energy available for ablation by 20%.Consequently,only 37%of the energy was used for melting compared to that used in the uncovered regions(67%).Sensitivity experiments revealed that the geotextile cover used at a thickness range of 0.045-0.090 m reduced the ice loss by approximately 68%-72%,and a further increase in the thickness of the geotextile cover led to little improvements.A higher temperature and greater wind speed increased glacier ablation,although their effects were small.When the precipitation was set to zero,it led to a significantly increased melt.Overall,the geotextile effectively protected the glacier tongue from rapid melting,and the observed results have provided inspiration for developing an effective and sustainable approach to protect the glaciers using geotextile cover.

Relationship between Free Fatty Acid Spectrum,Blood Stasis Score,and Macroangiopathy in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes

Objective:Our aim was to investigate the correlation between free fatty acid(FFA) spectrum, blood stasis(BS) score, and macroangiopathy in type 2 diabetic patients with or without BS, as well as the possible relationship between BS and lipotoxicity. Methods: A total of 50 type 2 diabetes(T2D) patients with or without BS were enrolled from June to December 2014 in Shenzhen Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM) Hospital, with 25 patients allocated to each of two groups. Basic information, BS score, blood glucose, blood lipids, etc., were measured for each patient. In addition, we tested the levels of interleukin(IL)?6, tumor necrosis factor α(TNF?α), and IL?18 with enzyme?linked immunosorbent assay. The macroangiopathy status of patients in the two groups was examined by color ultrasound and all factors related to BS scores were analyzed. Gas chromatography?mass spectrometry was used to explore the difference in the serum FFA spectra between the two different groups. In addition, the relationship between FFA spectra, BS scores, and macroangiopathy was analyzed. Results: BS scores, total cholesterol(TC), total triglyceride(TG), low?density lipoprotein cholesterol, IL?6, TNF?α, IL?18, carotid and femoral artery plaque, carotid intima?media thickness, carotid plaque area, and femoral artery plaque area were all significantly increased in T2D patients with BS syndrome(P < 0.05). A positive correlation was observed between age, duration of diabetes, carotid intima?media thickness, carotid plaque area, femoral artery plaque area, and BS score(P < 0.05). A total of 21 fatty acids were found in the serum, and total FFA(TFFA), saturated fatty acid(SFA), lauric acid(C12:0), palmitic acid(16:0), stearic acid(C18:0), arachidonic acid(C20:4n6), behenic acid(C22:0), and lignoceric acid(C24:0) scores were all found to contribute to the difference between FFA spectrums of the two groups; of the fatty acids, C12:0, C16:0, C18:0, C22:0, TFFA, and SFA positively correlated with BS scores as evaluated by Pearson's or Spearman's correlation analysis(P < 0.05). Only SFA entered the regression equation in the multiple linear regression analysis. C12:0, C16:0, C18:0, C20:4n6, TFFA, and SFA were positively correlated with carotid plaque area, whereas linoleic acid(C18:3n3), Cis?5, 8, 11, 14, and 17?eicosapentaenoic acids(C20:5n3) were negatively correlated(P < 0.05). C16:0 was positively correlated with the femoral artery plaque area and C18:3n3, cis?4, 7, 10, 13, 16, and 19?docosahexaenoic acids(C22:6) and nervonic acid were negatively correlated(P < 0.05). Conclusion: Serum FFA spectra were significantly different between T2D patients with BS and those without, and long?chain SFA made the greatest contribution. Serum FFA spectra were correlated with BS scores and diabetic macroangiopathy, which means that lipotoxicity and BS are correlated in T2D.

Common mechanism of Citrus Grandis Exocarpium in treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung cancer

Objective:"Same treatment for different diseases"is a unique treatment strategy in traditional Chinese medicine.Two kinds of malignant respiratory diseases endanger human health-chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD)and lung cancer.Citrus Grandis Exocarpium(Huajuhong in Chinese,HJH),a famous herbal,is always applied by Chinese medicine practitioners to dispersion the lung to resolve phlegm based on"syndrome differentiation and treatment"theory.However,the common mechanism for HJH’s treatment of COPD and lung cancer is not clear.Methods:In this study,based on network pharmacology and molecular docking technology,the common mechanism of HJH in the treatment of COPD and lung cancer was studied.The active ingredients and related targets of HJH were integrated from TCMSP,BATMAN-TAM,STP,and Pubchem databases.The standard names of these targets were united by Uni Prot database.Targets of COPD and lung cancer were enriched through Gene Cards,NCBI(Gene),Therapeutic Target Database,and Dis Ge NET(v7.0)databases.Then the intersection targets of HJH and diseases were obtained.The STRING network and the Cytoscape 3.7.2 were used to construct PPI network,the DAVID database was used to perform GO and KEGG analysis.Then Cytoscape 3.6.1 was used to build"ingredient-target-signal pathway"network.Finally,Auto Dock 1.5.6 software was used to perform molecular docking of key proteins and molecules.Results:Eleven active ingredients in HJH were obtained by searching the database,corresponding to 184 HJH-COPD-lung cancer targets intersection.The results of biological network analysis showed that naringenin,the active component in HJH,could mainly act on target proteins such as AKT1,EGFR.Then through positive regulation of vasoconstriction and other biological processes,naringenin could regulate estrogen signaling pathway,VEGF signaling pathway,HIF-1 signaling pathway,Erb B signaling pathway,PI3K-Akt signaling pathway to play an important role in the treatment of both COPD and lung cancer.Conclusion:Network pharmacology was employed to systematically investigate the active ingredients and targets of HJH in treatment of COPD and lung cancer.And then,the common pharmacodynamic network of HJH for the two malignant respiratory diseases was firstly described.Furthermore,naringenin was proved to strongly bind with AKT1 and EGFR.It may provide the scientific basis for understanding the"Same treatment for different diseases"strategy in traditional Chinese medicine and inspirit subsequent drug discovery for COPD,lung cancer and other malignant lung diseases.