Role of brown adipose tissue in phlegm-dampness metabolic syndrome based on infrared thermal imaging / 中国中药杂志

This study aimed to explore the infrared manifestation and role of brown adipose tissue(BAT) in phlegm-dampness me-tabolic syndrome(MS), and to provide objective basis for clinical diagnosis and treatment of phlegm-dampness MS. Subjects were selected from the department of endocrinology and ward in the South District of Guang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences from August 2021 to April 2022, including 20 in healthy control group, 40 in non phlegm-dampness MS group and 40 in phlegm-dampness MS group. General information, height and weight of the subjects were collected and body mass index(BMI) was calculated. Waist circumference(WC), systolic blood pressure(SBP) and diastolic blood pressure(DBP) was measured. Triglyceride(TG), high density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C), fasting blood glucose(FBG), fasting insulin(FINS), leptin(LP), adiponectin(ADP) and fibroblast growth factor-21(FGF-21) were detected. The infrared thermal image of the supraclavicular region(SCR) of the subjects before and after cold stimulation test was collected by infrared thermal imager and the changes of infrared thermal image in the three groups were observed. In addition, the differences in the average body surface temperature of SCR among the three groups were compared, and the changes of BAT in SCR were analyzed. The results showed compared with the conditions in healthy control group, the levels of WC, SBP, DBP, TG and FPG in MS groups were increased(P<0.01), and the HDL-C level was decreased(P<0.01). Compared with non phlegm-dampness MS group, phlegm-dampness MS group had higher conversion score of phlegm dampness physique(P<0.01). According to the infrared heat map, there was no difference in the average body surface temperature of SCR among the three groups before cold stimulation. while after cold stimulation, the average body surface temperature of SCR in MS groups was lower than that in healthy control group(P<0.05). After cold stimulation, the maximum temperature of SCR and its arrival time in the three groups were as follows: healthy control group(3 min)>non phlegm-dampness MS group(4 min)>phlegm-dampness MS group(5 min). The thermal deviation of SCR was increased and the average body surface temperature of left and right sides were higher(P<0.01) in healthy control group and non phlegm-dampness MS group, while the thermal deviation of SCR did not change significantly in the phlegm-dampness MS group. Compared with that in healthy control group, the elevated temperature between left and right sides was lower(P<0.01, P<0.05), and compared with that in non phlegm-dampness MS group, the elevated temperature of left side was lower(P<0.05). The changes of the average body surface temperature of SCR in the three groups were in the order of healthy control group>non phlegm-dampness MS group>phlegm-dampness MS group. Compared with the conditions in healthy control group and non phlegm-dampness MS group, FINS, BMI and FGF-21 levels were increased(P<0.01,P<0.05), while ADP level was decreased(P<0.01, P<0.05) in phlegm-dampness MS group. Moreover, the LP level in phlegm-dampness MS group was higher than that in non phlegm-dampness MS group(P<0.01). It was observed in clinical trials that after cold stimulation, the average body surface temperature of SCR in MS patients was lower than that of the healthy people; the thermal deviation of SCR did not change significantly in the phlegm-dampness MS patients, and the difference in their elevated temperature was lower than that in the other two groups. These characteristics provided objective basis for clinical diagnosis and treatment of phlegm-dampness MS. With abnormal BAT related indicators, it was inferred that the content or activity of BAT in SCR of phlegm-dampness MS patients were reduced. There was a high correlation between BAT and phlegm-dampness MS, and thus BAT might become an important potential target for the intervention in phlegm-dampness MS.

Expression of AMPA receptors and related protein in immobilization stressed rats and effect of Xiaoyaosan / 中国应用生理学杂志

<p><b>AIM</b>To observe protein expression changes of alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) receptor and related regulatory protein in the hippocampus and amygdala in chronic immobilization stressed rat and Xiaoyaosan's regulatory effect.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Rats were tied 3 h per day to establish immobilization stress condition and treatment with Xiaoyaosan. After 7 days and 21 days stress, the protein expression of AMPA receptor subunit (GluR2/3), N-ethylmaleimide sensitive factor (NSF) and protein interacting with C-kinase 1 (PICK1) in hippocampus and amygdala were detected by using Western blot techniques.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The expression of GluR2/3, NSF in dentate gyrus (DG) and amygdala were markedly attenuated (P < 0.05) and PICK1 in CA1 region were significantly increased (P < 0.05) in 7 d immobilization stressed rats while 7 days xiaoyaosan treatment showed an effective regulatory result to PICK1's changes. Under 21 days immobilization stressed condition, the expression of GluR2/3, NSF in CA1 region showed an increasing trend, and GluR2/3 showed a markedly increase (P < 0.01), but showed an significantly decreased trend in amygdala, Xiaoyaosan showed an effective result to such changes above (P < 0.05). The expression of PICK1 showed increasing trend in amygdala and xiaoyaosan could lower its expression (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>There are different trends of the expression of AMPA receptor in repeat short-term stress versus chronic immobilization stress, and in hippocampal CA1 region versus amygdala. Xiaoyaosan has better regulation effect on the expression of AMPA receptors in the condition of chronic immobilization stress than those of repeat shortterm stress.</p>

Changes of central AMPA receptor subunits and related protein mRNA expression in immobilization stressed rats and effect of Xiaoyaosan on them / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the changes of alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) receptor subunit and related regulatory protein mRNA expression in the hippocampus and amygdala in immobilization stressed rats and effect of Xiaoyaosan (XYS) on them.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Immobilization model rats were established by binding for 3 h per day and intervened with XYS, the expression of AMPA receptor subunit (GluR1-4), N-ethylmaleimide sensitive factor (NSF) and protein interacting with C-kinase 1 (PICK1) mRNA expression in model rats' CA1 and CA3 regions of hippocampus, dentate gyrus and amygdala were detected on day 7 and day 21 after modeling.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>On day 7, expression of GluR1 mRNA was significantly decreased in CA1 region (P < 0.05) and increased in CA3 region and amygdala (all P < 0.05); expression of GluR2 and GluR3 mRNA in amygdala (all P < 0.05) and GluR4 mRNA in CA1 region (P < 0.01) significantly increased, but the expression of NSF and PICK1 mRNA in amygdala only showed an increasing trend. XYS showed effective regulation on GluR4 mRNA in CA1 region (P < 0.01) and GluR1-3 mRNA expression (P < 0.05, P < 0.01) in amygdala. On day 21, the expression of GluR4 mRNA in CA1 region (P < 0.05) and GluR2 mRNA in dentate gyrus (P < 0.05) markedly lowered and expression of GluR1 mRNA in amygdala increased (P < 0.01); XYS significantly regulated the expression of GluR1 and GluR4 mRNA in CA1 region (all P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Repeated stress in a short time shows effect on expression of AMPA receptor subunit mRNA stronger than chronic stress. The regulation of XYS to AMPA receptor subunit mRNA expression were obvious in hippocampal CA1 region and amygdala.</p>

Effects of Chinese herbs on glucocorticoid receptor in rat brain regions with chronic immobilization stress / 中国应用生理学杂志

<p><b>AIM</b>To investigate the changes of glucocorticoid receptor (GR) in rat brain regions with chronic immobilization stress and the influence of Chinese herbs.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>We copied the rat model of chronic immobilization stress (180 min daily, repeated 7 days or 21 days), and characterized the changes of GR in hippocampus CA1, cortex, dentate gyrus via immunohistochemistry integrated image analysis.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The contents of glucocorticoid receptors in hippocampus CA1 , cortex, dentate gyrus were increased and the intensity of immunity reaction was significantly stronger in the model group of 7 days than that in the normal control group (P < 0.05). The contents of GR were significantly decreased and the intensity of immunity reaction was weaken in the model group of 21 days (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Compared with the model group of 21 days, the contents of GR were significantly increased and immunity reaction was intensified in three groups of treatment with Chinese herbs (P < 0.05), in which the group treated with soothing-liver herbs Xiaoyaopowder was the best.</p>