Abnormal static and dynamic brain function in patients with temporomandibular disorders: a resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging study / 华西口腔医学杂志

OBJECTIVES@#This study was conducted to investigate the brain function of patients with temporomandibular disorders (TMD) by combining the static and dynamic amplitudes of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF).@*METHODS@#Thirty patients with TMD and 20 healthy controls were enrolled. All the participants completed their questionnaires, received clinical examinations, and underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scanning. We compared the static and dynamic ALFF between the patients and healthy controls by conducting a two-sample @*RESULTS@#The patients with TMD showed increased static and dynamic ALFF in the posterior cingulate cortex compared with that of the controls (whole-brain level, uncorrected @*CONCLUSIONS@#Our findings revealed that the resting-state brain function of the posterior cingulate cortex and the medial orbitofrontal cortex of patient with TMD increased. These changes probably indicated the potential central mechanisms underlying the increased self-relevant thoughts, negative emotion, and abnormal emotion regulation in TMD.

Regulatory role of NF-E2-related factor 2 pathway in mitochondrial function / 中国药理学与毒理学杂志

NF-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) is a member of the CNC basic leucine zipper (b-ZIP) family, which plays a key role in maintaining cell redox homeostasis, regulating energy metabolism, inflammatory response, apoptosis, and autophagy. Mitochondria are the main sites for ATP synthesis, and one of the main sources of reactive oxygen free radicals. Recently, increasing studies have suggested that Nrf2 pathway may play a critical role in regulation of mitochondrial function in various ways and involving multiple mechanisms, thus regulating cellular responses and adverse outcomes to endogenous stimuli. These include regulation of reactive oxygen species levels, inhibition of mitochondrial membrane potential decline, promotion of ATP synthesis, protection of mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation and oxidative phosphorylation, mitochondrial biogenesis, and maintenance of mitochondrial integrity as well as mitochondrial autophagy. In addition, Nrf2 pathway also plays an important role in regulation of toxicant induced mitohormesis. This review summarizes recent research progress in the regulation of mitochondrial function by Nrf2 pathway and its mechanism.

Simultaneous determination of seven constituents in Euodiae Fructus and two related species by HPLC / 中国中药杂志

This study is to develop a HPLC method for quality evaluation of Euodiae Fructus and related species by simultaneous determination limonin, indole alkaloids (14-fomyldihydroxyrutaecarpine, evodiamine, rutaecarpine), and quinolone alkaloids [1-methyl-2-undecyl-4 (1H)-quinolone, evocarpine, dihydroevocarpine] in the fruits of five Evodia species. Samples were analyzed on a YMC C18 column (4.6 mm x 250 mm, 5 microm) eluted with mobile phases of acetonitrile (A), tetrahydrofuran (B), and a buffer solution of 5 mmol x L(-1) ammonium acetate (pH 3.8) (C) in a linear gradient mode. The column temperature was 30 degrees C and the flow rate was 1.0 mL x min(-1). The PDA detector wavelengths were set at 220 and 250 nm. The seven compounds were well separated and showed good linearity (r = 0.999 9) within the concentration ranges tested. The mean recoveries were between 96.7%-102.4% (RSD 1.4%-3.1%). Through the validation, the method was proved to be accurate and repeatable. All the seven constituents were detected in the fruits of five species, but the contents of them varied widely in different samples. The total contents of seven constituents in 16 batches of Euodiae Fructus were 9.46-69.9 mg x g(-1), and the mean content was 28.2 mg x g(-1). The total content of seven constituents in E. compacta and E. fargesii was 25.8, 7.69 mg x g(-1), respectively.