Performance evaluation of rhamnolipid biosurfactant produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa and its effect on marine oil-spill remediation.

This study aimed to reveal that the effect of biosurfactant on the dispersion and degradation of crude oil. Whole genome analysis showed that Pseudomonas aeruginosa GB-3 contained abundant genes involved in biosurfactant synthesis and metabolic processes and had the potential to degrade oil. The biosurfactant produced by strain GB-3 was screened by various methods. The results showed that the surface tension reduction activity was 28.6 mN·m-1 and emulsification stability was exhibited at different pH, salinity and temperature. The biosurfactant was identified as rhamnolipid by LC-MS and FTIR. The fermentation conditions of strain GB-3 were optimized by response surface methodology, finally the optimal system (carbon source: glucose, nitrogen source: ammonium sulfate, C/N ratio:16:1, pH: 7, temperature: 30-35 °C) was determined. Compared with the initial fermentation, the yield of biosurfactant increased by 4.4 times after optimization. In addition, rhamnolipid biosurfactant as a dispersant could make the dispersion of crude oil reach 38% within seven days, which enhanced the bioavailability of crude oil. As a biostimulant, it could also improve the activity of indigenous microorganism and increase the degradation rate of crude oil by 10-15%. This study suggested that rhamnolipid biosurfactant had application prospect in bioremediation of marine oil-spill.

Epidemiological characteristics of high-risk population for cardiovascular disease of Shanghai residents / 上海预防医学

ObjectiveTo investigate the high-risk detection rate and aggregation of cardiovascular diseases（CVD） in 8 districts of Shanghai and influencing factors， and to provide scientific references for prevention and control of CVD. MethodsBased on the Cardiovascular Disease Screening and Management Program in Shanghai from 2016 to 2021， 104 685 participants aged 35 to 75 in 8 districts of Shanghai were selected for analysis. χ2 test and multivariate logistic regression were used for statistical analysis of the influencing factors of CVD and aggregation of CVD. ResultsThe proportion of high-risk CVD individuals in the population was 19.17%， including the high-risk individuals with hypertension （8.65%）， dyslipidemia （6.33%）， CVD history （5.58%）， and WHO assessed risk ≥20% types （2.69%）， respectively. Old age， overweight and obesity， central obesity， smoking， drinking， farmers， unmarried， and low family income were the risk factors of CVD， while high education level was the protective factor. In the participants， 16 323 people （81.34%） were classified as CVD high-risk groups； The number of aggregation of 1， 2 and ≥3 high risk types of CVD were 16 323（81.34%）， 3 236（16.13%）， 509（2.54%）， respectively. Old age， low education level， low annual family income， farmers， unmarried， smoking， drinking， overweight， obesity and central obesity were associated with the risk of aggregation of high risk types of CVD， and the correlation strength increased with the increase of aggregation types. ConclusionThe prevention and control of CVD in Shanghai should focus on the hypertension， elderly， overweight， obesity， central obesity， smoking， drinking， low educated， low family income， farmers and unmarried people， and targeted intervention measures should be taken to reduce the risk of CVD among residents.

Pollution characteristics of groundwater in an agricultural hormone-contaminated site and implementation of Fenton oxidation process.

The groundwater polluted by an agricultural hormone site was taken as the research object, and a total of 7 groundwater samples were collected at different locations in the plant. The main pollutants in the research area were determined to be extractable petroleum hydrocarbons (C10-C40); 1,2-dichloroethane; 1,1,2-trichloroethane; carbon tetrachloride; vinyl chloride, and chloroform; the maximum content of these pollutants can reach 271 mg/L, 1.68 × 107 µg/L, 1.56 × 104 µg/L, 9.53 × 104 µg/L, 6.58 × 104 µg/L, and 4.81 × 104 µg/L, respectively. Aiming at the problems of groundwater pollution in this area, two sets of oxidation experiments have been carried out. The addition of NaHSO3 modified Fenton oxidation system was used in this contaminated water, which enhanced (2.2 ~ 46.7%) chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal rate. The highest removal rate of extractable petroleum hydrocarbons (C10-C40) can reach 99%. And the degradation rate of chlorinated hydrocarbon pollutants can reach 99% to 100%, which almost achieved the purpose of complete removal. In the NaHSO3 modified Fenton oxidation system, the addition of NaHSO3 accelerates the cycle of Fe3+/Fe2+ and ensures the continuous existence of Fe2+ in the reaction system, thereby producing more ·OH and further oxidizing and degrading organic pollutants. Our work has provided important insights for this economically important treatment of this type water body and laid the foundation for the engineering of this method.

Mortality and years of life lost of pancreatic cancer in Baoshan District of Shanghai from 2009 to 2021 / 上海预防医学

ObjectiveTo investigate the mortality and years of life lost of pancreatic cancer in Baoshan District of Shanghai，from 2009 to 2021， and to provide scientific evidence for the prevention and control of pancreatic cancer in the future. MethodsThe death surveillance data of Baoshan District from 2009 to 2021 were collected from the Shanghai chronic disease surveillance information management system. Crude mortality， standardized mortality，potential years of life lost （PYLL）， potential years of life lost rate （PYLLR） ， average years of potential life lost （AYLL） ， annual percentage change （APC） were calculated to analyze the trend of mortality and life loss of pancreatic cancer. ResultsFrom 2009 to 2021， a total of 2117 deaths of pancreatic cancer were reported in Baoshan District， accounting for 7.05% of all cancer deaths. The average age of the death cases was （71.18±10.97）years. The youngest was 3 years old and the oldest was 96 years old. The death component ratio of pancreatic cancer increased with time （P<0.05）， and the average death age of women was higher than that of men （P<0.05）. The crude mortality of pancreatic cancer was 17.38/105 in Baoshan District from 2009 to 2021， showing a rising tendency （P<0.05） with APC of 3.74%. The standardized mortality of pancreatic cancer was 7.84/105. The crude mortality of pancreatic cancer was 19.71/105 in men and 14.89/105 in women， both showed a tendency towards a rise （P<0.05 ） with APC of 4.44% and 2. 89%， respectively. The crude mortality of pancreatic cancer showed a tendency towards a decline in residents at ages of 45 to 60 years （ P<0.05 ）， with APC of 4.74%. The PYLL and PYLLR of pancreatic cancer were 8 115 person-years and 0.67‰ in Baoshan District from 2009 to 2021， while the AYLL of pancreatic cancer was 3.83 years per person. The PYLL was higher in men than in women. ConclusionThe mortality rate of pancreatic cancer in Baoshan District shows an increasing trend. The healthy life of elderly and men is affected largely by pancreatic cancer. It is necessary to strengthen the health education on the prevention/control of pancreatic cancer and healthy life style， thereby improving the tertiary prevention system of pancreatic cancer.

Flux-assisted synthesis of bismuth nanoparticle decorated carbon nitride for efficient photocatalytic degradation of endocrine disrupting compound.

Traditional approaches to synthesizing bismuth nanoparticle decorated carbon nitride (C3N4) materials suffer from the complex synthesis process and the addition of a surfactant, which is not conducive to environmental protection. To address these problems, we adopted a simple and green flux-assisted approach for the first time to fabricate metallic bismuth nanoparticle decorated C3N4 (BiCCN). Electron microscopy results suggested that bismuth vanadate was converted into small bismuth nanoparticles via the flux-assisted approach. Highly dispersed Bi nanoparticles dramatically intensify light absorption, facilitate spatial charge separation as electron acceptors, shorten the charge diffusion length, and reserve more active sites for generating reactive species via surface photo-redox reactions. Consequently, the derived optimized photocatalyst BiCCN-15 rendered around 26 times higher photocatalytic degradation efficiency toward an endocrine disrupting compound (bisphenol A) than C3N4. This work provides a novel approach for developing non-precious metal decorated photocatalytic materials for sustainable water decontamination.

Degradation characteristics of crude oil by a consortium of bacteria in the existence of chlorophenol.

In order to enhance the degradation effect of microorganisms on crude oil in the existence of chlorophenol compounds, oil-degrading bacteria C4 (Alcaligenes faecails), C5 (Bacillus sp.) and 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP) degrading bacteria L3 (Bacillus marisflavi), L4 (Bacillus aquimaris) were isolated to construct a highly efficient consortium named (C4C5 + L3L4). When the compound bacteria agent combination by VC4: VC5: VL3: VL4 = 1:2:2:1, the crude oil degradation efficiency of 7 days was stable at 50.63% ~ 55.43% under different conditions. Degradation mechanism was analyzed by FTIR, GC-MS and IC technology and the following conclusions showed that in the system of adding consortium (C4C5 + L3L4), the heavy components were converted into saturated and unsaturated components. The bacterial consortium could first degrade medium and long chain alkanes into short chain hydrocarbons and then further degrade. And the dechlorination efficiency of 2,4-DCP in the degradation system reached 73.83%. The results suggested that the potential applicability and effectiveness of the selected bacteria consortium for the remediation of oil-contaminated water or soil with the existence of chlorophenol compound.

Analysis of Quality Changes of Platycladi Semen Before and After Deterioration Based on HS-SPME/GC-MS and Electronic Sensory Technology / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo analyze the quality changes of Platycladi Semen before and after the deterioration of moth-eaten and rancidity during storage. MethodFour types samples of Platycladi Semen， including normal， moth-eaten， oxidative rancidity and hydrolytic rancidity， were determined for volatile components， odor， and taste based on headspace solid phase microextraction/gas chromatography-mass spectrometry （HS-SPME/GC-MS） and electronic sensory techniques such as electronic nose and electronic tongue. Volatile components were identified by searching the database and manual comparison， the odor and taste were determined by the response values of the electronic nose and electronic tongue sensors， and the difference between samples before and after deterioration was studied by multivariate statistical analysis. ResultA total of 85 compounds were identified in Platycladi Semen samples. Compared with the normal samples， the number of volatile compounds in samples after hydrolytic rancidity decreased by 5， the number of volatile compounds in samples after moth-eaten and oxidative rancidity increased by 1 and 21， respectively. Aldehydes and acids accounted for majority of types. Among them， the contents of N-hexanoic acid， hexanal and propionic acid in the samples of oxidative rancidity reached 11.49%， 10.21% and 7.52%， which became the key indicators of rancidity. There was significant variance among the odor components corresponding to W1W， W2W and W1S sensors by electronic nose analysis. It was indicated that the value of sourness in deteriorated samples generally increased by mean of electronic tongue analysis. Compared with normal samples， the moth-eaten samples had changed slightly and rancidity samples had changed significantly especially oxidative rancidity samples of volatile components， odor and taste by multivariate statistical analysis. ConclusionIn terms of Platycladi Semen， the oxidative rancidity caused by nature storage for 12 months has the greatest impact on the quality. Therefore， it should be mainly to prevent oxidative rancidity to ensure the quality of Platycladi Semen.

Analysis of mortality of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among residents in Baoshan District of Shanghai from 2010 to 2019 / 上海预防医学

Objective To analyze the changes of mortality and potential years of life lost （PYLL） due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease （COPD） among residents in Baoshan District， Shanghai from 2010 to 2019 and provide strategies and basis for COPD prevention and treatment in the future. Methods Based on the cause-of-death surveillance system in Baoshan District of Shanghai from 2010 to 2019， Microsoft Excel 2010， SPSS 22.0 and Joinpoint Trend Analysis Software were used to sort out and analyze the data over the years and calculate the crude mortality， standardized mortality， age-specific mortality， PYLL， annual percent change （APC）， etc. Results From 2010 to 2019， the average annual mortality of COPD was 48.08/100 000， and the standardized mortality rate was 39.95/100 000， accounting for 5.82% of the total deaths in the same period， and COPD ranked as the third leading cause of death in Baoshan District. During the 10 years， the crude and standardized mortality of male COPD patients were generally higher than those of female patients （ P <0.01）. However， the crude mortality and standardized mortality of COPD showed a decreasing trend with the increase of years （ P <0.001）， and an increasing trend with the increase of age， of which the proportion of patients aged 75 and above was the highest， accounting for 85.71% of all age groups. The PYLL caused by COPD deaths was 2 352.5 years， including 1 977.5 years for men and 375.0 years for women. The number of years of life lost per 10 000 people due to COPD in males （4.18 years） was much longer than that in females （0.82 years）. Conclusion From 2010 to 2019， the standardized mortality of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among residents in Baoshan District， Shanghai has shown a significant decline. However， due to the heavy burden brought by COPD， which has an especially profound impact on the health of elderly and male residents， COPD should be regarded as one of the key diseases in the prevention and control of chronic diseases in public health services， and effective preventive measures should be taken.

Analysis of mortality of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among residents in Baoshan District of Shanghai from 2010 to 2019 / 上海预防医学

Objective To analyze the changes of mortality and potential years of life lost （PYLL） due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease （COPD） among residents in Baoshan District， Shanghai from 2010 to 2019 and provide strategies and basis for COPD prevention and treatment in the future. Methods Based on the cause-of-death surveillance system in Baoshan District of Shanghai from 2010 to 2019， Microsoft Excel 2010， SPSS 22.0 and Joinpoint Trend Analysis Software were used to sort out and analyze the data over the years and calculate the crude mortality， standardized mortality， age-specific mortality， PYLL， annual percent change （APC）， etc. Results From 2010 to 2019， the average annual mortality of COPD was 48.08/100 000， and the standardized mortality rate was 39.95/100 000， accounting for 5.82% of the total deaths in the same period， and COPD ranked as the third leading cause of death in Baoshan District. During the 10 years， the crude and standardized mortality of male COPD patients were generally higher than those of female patients （ P <0.01）. However， the crude mortality and standardized mortality of COPD showed a decreasing trend with the increase of years （ P <0.001）， and an increasing trend with the increase of age， of which the proportion of patients aged 75 and above was the highest， accounting for 85.71% of all age groups. The PYLL caused by COPD deaths was 2 352.5 years， including 1 977.5 years for men and 375.0 years for women. The number of years of life lost per 10 000 people due to COPD in males （4.18 years） was much longer than that in females （0.82 years）. Conclusion From 2010 to 2019， the standardized mortality of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among residents in Baoshan District， Shanghai has shown a significant decline. However， due to the heavy burden brought by COPD， which has an especially profound impact on the health of elderly and male residents， COPD should be regarded as one of the key diseases in the prevention and control of chronic diseases in public health services， and effective preventive measures should be taken.

Evidence for 5-HT1A receptor-mediated antiallodynic and antihyperalgesic effects of apigenin in mice suffering from mononeuropathy.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Neuropathic pain places a devastating health burden, with very few effective therapies. We investigated the potential antiallodynic and antihyperalgesic effects of apigenin, a natural flavonoid with momoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitory activity, against neuropathic pain and investigated the mechanism(s). EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: The neuropathic pain model was produced by chronic constriction injury of sciatic nerves in male C57BL/6J mice, with pain-related behaviours being assayed by von Frey test and Hargreaves test. In this model the role of 5-HT and 5-HT1A receptor-related mechanisms were investigated in vivo/in vitro. KEY RESULTS: Apigenin repeated treatment (p.o., once per day for 2 weeks), in a dose-related manner (3, 10 and 30 mg·kg-1 ), ameliorated the allodynia and hyperalgesia in chronic nerve constriction injury in mice. These effects seem dependent on neuronal 5-hydroxytryptamine, because (i) the antihyperalgesia and antiallodynia were attenuated by depletion of 5-HT with p-chlorophenylalanine and potentiated by 5-hydroxytryptophan and (ii), apigenin-treated chronic constriction injury mice caused an increased level of spinal 5-HT, associated with diminished MAO activity. In vivo administration, spinally or systematically, of the 5-HT1A antagonist WAY-100635 inhibited the apigenin-induced antiallodynia and antihyperalgesia. In vitro, apigenin acted as a positive allosteric modulator to increase the efficacy (stimulation of [35 S]GTPγS binding) of the 5-HT1A agonist 8-OH-DPAT. Apigenin attenuated neuronal changes caused by chronic constriction of the sciatic nerve in mice, without causing a hypertensive crisis. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS: Apigenin antiallodynic and antihyperalgesic actions against neuropathic pain crucially involve spinal 5-HT1A receptors and indicate it could be used to treat neuropathic pain.

Investigation and Suggestions on Factors Affecting Quality of Angelicae Dahuricae Radix (Baizhi) in Some Post-harvest Processes / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To investigate the factors affecting the quality of post-harvest Angelicae Dahuricae Radix （Baizhi） and to provide the corresponding suggestions according to these factors. Method:A series of factors affecting the quality of Baizhi were analyzed comprehensively by visiting several origins， medicinal material markets， pharmacies， supermarkets and storehouses combined with plenty of literature reports. Result:The rot of Baizhi was the most common phenomenon after harvest， and mildew， discoloration and moth could occur during the processes of processing， storage and packaging. So the quality of Baizhi should be controlled strictly through the whole process. The roots of Baizhi should be harvested on sunny days to avoid mining damage and dried as soon as possible to prevent rotting. The drying methods included both traditional lime burial and modern ways such as sulfur fumigation， saline dehydration， sun drying method， and oven drying method. However， the water content should be strictly controlled. Furthermore， the storehouses should be disinfected firstly. The temperature and humidity of the storehouses should be controlled strictly. Some suitable ways could be adopted to prevent moth and discoloration during storage， which included airtight fumigation of aluminum phosphide， cold storage， air conditioning maintenance， antagonism storage with other Chinese medicinal materials， dry ice storage at room temperature， etc. Large quantities of Baizhi were generally packaged in woven bags. Otherwise， kraft paper bags， polyvinyl chloride plastic bags， glass bottles， aluminum foil composite film bags， and other packaging materials had been adopted for the retail. However， the packaging specification should be selected according to the situation. Conclusion:The quality of Baizhi can be directly affected by harvesting， drying， processing， storage and packaging. Scientific and reasonable methods should be adopted to ensure the quality of Baizhi.

Chikusetsu saponin Ⅳa ameliorates myocardial hypertrophy of rats through regulating expression of miR199a-5p/Atg5 / 中国中药杂志

The present study investigated the effects of chikusetsu saponin Ⅳa(CHS Ⅳa) on isoproterenol(ISO)-induced myocardial hypertrophy in rats and explored the underlying molecular mechanism. ISO was applied to establish a rat model of myocardial hypertrophy, and CHS Ⅳa(5 and 15 mg·kg~(-1)·d~(-1)) was used for intervention. The tail artery blood pressure was measured. Cardiac ultrasound examination was performed. The ratio of heart weight to body weight(HW/BW) was calculated. Morphological changes in the myocardial tissue were observed by HE staining. Collagen deposition in the myocardial tissue was observed by Masson staining. The mRNA expression of myocardial hypertrophy indicators(ANP and BNP), autophagy-related genes(Atg5, P62 and beclin1), and miR199 a-5 p was detected by qRT-PCR. Atg5 protein expression was detected by Western blot. The results showed that the model group exhibited increased tail artery blood pressure and HW/BW ratio, thickened left ventricular myocardium, enlarged myocardial cells, disordered myocardial fibers with widened interstitium, and a large amount of collagen aggregating around the extracellular matrix and blood vessels. ANP and BNP were largely expressed. Moreover, P62 expression was up-regulated, while beclin1 expression was down-regulated. After intervention by CHS Ⅳa at different doses, myocardial hypertrophy was ameliorated and autophagy activity in the myocardial tissue was enhanced. Meanwhile, miR199 a-5 p expression declined and Atg5 expression increased. As predicted by bioinformatics, Atg5 was a target gene of miR199 a-5 p. CHS Ⅳa was capable of preventing myocardial hypertrophy by regulating autophagy of myocardial cells through the miR-199 a-5 p/Atg5 signaling pathway.

Quality analysis of multi-source data for health management in major chronic diseases in Baoshan District of Shanghai / 上海预防医学

Objective An analysis of informationized multi-platform big data was conducted to learn about the quality change of health management data for hypertension and diabetes patients in Baoshan District of Shanghai since 2017.The result provided important information for further evaluation of the effect of quality control measures, and the prevention and management of chronic diseases. Methods Height, weight, blood glucose level, diagnosis and treatment information were collected from different databases of patients with hypertension and diabetes in Baoshan District from 2017 to 2019, and the consistency of the data from different sources was analyzed. Results Both the percentages of weight and height inconsistency among patients with hypertension and diabetes together were lower in 2019 than in 2017 (10.99% vs 18.72%, χ2=822.38, P < 0.001 and 0.86% vs 2.74%, χ2=347.03, P < 0.001, respectively).In 2019, the percentage of registered hypertensive patients with abnormal traceability from diagnosis was higher than that in 2017 (12.67% vs 11.72%, χ2=4.01, P=0.045).Similar results were also obtained in patients with diabetes.Analysis of glycated hemoglobin value last position in diabetic patients showed that the coefficient of variation of the last position composition ratio of the value in 2019 was significantly lower than that in 2017 (0.19 vs 0.31).The ratio in patients with the last position of glycosylated hemoglobin value of 0 was lower in 2019(4 701 cases, 12.72%) than that in 2017 (9 485 cases, 17.14%), and the difference was statistically significant. Conclusion The study result shows an improvement in quality management of hypertension and diabetes in Baoshan District of Shanghai.Information technology should be more widely used in promoting technical standardization, strengthening technical training, data quality control and effect evaluation.

Neurovascular decoupling in type 2 diabetes mellitus without mild cognitive impairment: Potential biomarker for early cognitive impairment.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a significant risk factor for mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and the acceleration of MCI to dementia. The high glucose level induce disturbance of neurovascular (NV) coupling is suggested to be one potential mechanism, however, the neuroimaging evidence is still lacking. To assess the NV decoupling pattern in early diabetic status, 33 T2DM without MCI patients and 33 healthy control subjects were prospectively enrolled. Then, they underwent resting state functional MRI and arterial spin labeling imaging to explore the hub-based networks and to estimate the coupling of voxel-wise cerebral blood flow (CBF)-degree centrality (DC), CBF-mean amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (mALFF) and CBF- mean regional homogeneity (mReHo). We further evaluated the relationship between NV coupling pattern and cognitive performance (false discovery rate corrected). T2DM without MCI patients displayed significant decrease in the absolute CBF-mALFF, CBF-mReHo coupling of CBFnetwork and in the CBF-DC coupling of DCnetwork. Besides, networks which involved CBF and DC hubs mainly located in the default mode network (DMN). Furthermore, less severe disease and better cognitive performance in T2DM patients were significantly correlated with higher coupling of CBF-DC, CBF-mALFF or CBF-mReHo, especially for the cognitive dimensions of general function and executive function. Thus, coupling of CBF-DC, CBF-mALFF and CBF-mReHo may serve as promising indicators to reflect NV coupling state and to explain the T2DM related early cognitive impairment.

Serotonergically dependent antidepressant-like activity on behavior and stress axis responsivity of acacetin.

Acacetin, a natural flavonoid, possesses broad spectrum of pharmacological and biochemical activities, such as neuroprotection, antinociception and inhibition of monoamine oxidase. The current work aimed to investigate the antidepressant-like activity of acacetin in mice and explore the underlying mechanism(s). Chronic, but not acute, acacetin treatment (5, 15 or 45 mg/kg, p.o., once per day for three weeks) exerted in mice dose-dependently antidepressant-like activity, assessed by forced swim test (FST) and tail suspension test (TST). Although acacetin-treated mice showed normal circadian hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity, their endocrine responsivity to both acute restraint stress and intracerebroventricular injection of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) was buffered. The acacetin-triggered antidepressant-like activities are serotonergically dependent, since its impacts on behavior and stress responsivity were totally abolished by chemical depletion of brain serotonin by PCPA. Consistently, acacetin-treated mice showed escalated levels of brain monoamines especially serotonin and depressed activity of monoamine oxidase. Moreover, the acacetin-evoked anti-depression was preferentially counteracted by co-administration of 5-HT1A receptor antagonist WAY-100635, but potentiated by 5-HT1A receptor agonist 8-OH-DPAT and sub-effective dose of serotonergic antidepressant fluoxetine, suggesting a pivotal engagement of 5-HT1A related serotonergic system. In vitro, acacetin (1-100 nM) increased the Emax of 8-OH-DPAT. Collectively, these findings confirm that chronic acatetin administration to mice engenders antidepressant-like efficacy on both behavior and stress axis responsivity, with serotonergic system that preferentially couples with 5-HT1A receptors being critically involved.

Analysis of factors related to oil-spilling and establishment of limit standards of Asparagi Radix / 中国中药杂志

Some samples of Asparagi Radix were collected from medical markets.Colors of Asparagi Radix were observed by human vision and recorded to judge whether samples were degenerative.Water content of Asparagi Radix was determined by a drying method.The chroma value and color difference were determined and calculated by a colorimeter.With the deepening of color,the L*value was decreased and a*and ΔE*values were increased.It showed that the results determined by colorimeter can replace the results of visual observation.An HPLC method was established and used to determine the contents of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural(5-HMF) in Asparagi Radix.The results showed the 5-HMF contents were from 0.002 255 to 0.049 14 mg·g-1 in some samples with yellowish-white or yellowish-brown color,significantly increased from 0.080 80 to 0.105 1 mg·g-1 in some samples with brown color,and up to 1.033 mg·g-1 in an oil-spilling sample with dark brown color.This result demonstrated that the 5-HMF contents were significantly increased by accompanied with the deepening of color.There were the significant negatively correlation between the 5-HMF content and the L*value(P<0.01) and positively correlation between the 5-HMF content and the a*or ΔE*value(P<0.01) by the spearman analysis.The oil-spilling and qualified samples were clustered into two alone categories by the cluster analysis.That the limited standards of the 5-HMF content is not higher than 0.02% by HPLC method and of the L*value is not less than 50 by colorimeter method were suggested for Asparagi Radix.It is firstly reported the multiple-factor analysis about oil-spilling and discoloration and the establishment of limited standard of Asparagi Radix.

Effects of Electroacupuncture on Expression of PI3K/Akt/Foxo3a in Granulosa Cells from Women with Shen (Kidney) Deficiency Syndrome Undergoing in vitro Fertilization-Embryo Transfer / 中国结合医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To observe the effects of electroacupuncture (EA) on reproductive outcomes in women with Shen (Kidndy) deficiency syndrome after in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET), and explore the underlying molecular mechanism.@*METHODS@#Sixty-six infertile patients with Shen deficiency syndrome undergoing IVF-ET were divided into EA or control groups according to a random table, 33 cases in each group. Before undergoing IVF, patients in the EA and control groups received EA therapy and placebo needle puncture, respectively, for 3 menstrual cycles. Shen deficiency syndrome scores were assessed. Other outcome measures included the number of retrieved oocytes and fertilization, high-quality embryo and clinical pregnancy rates. Follicular fluid was collected on the day of oocyte retrieval, and granulosa cell expression of phosphatidylinositide 3-kinases (PI3K), serine-threonine kinase (Akt) and forkhead box O3 (Foxo3a) mRNA were measured by reverse transcribed and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction.@*RESULTS@#Syndrome scores for pre- versus post-treatments decreased significantly (16.53±1.75 to 8.67±1.61) in the EA group (P<0.05), but showed no significant change in the control group (17.18±1.58 to 14.74±1.58). A significant difference in score change was found between the EA and control groups (P<0.05). High-quality embryo and clinical pregnancy rates were both increased in the EA group compared with the control group [69.15% (195/282) vs. 60.27% (176/292) and 66.67% (22/33) vs. 42.42% (14/33), respectively, P<0.05]. The fertilization rate was equivalent in EA and control groups. No difference was found in the number of retrieved oocytes between the two groups. Granulosa cell expression levels of PI3K and Akt mRNA were significantly increased in the EA group compared with the control group, while the expression of Foxo3a was reduced (all P<0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#For infertile patients with Shen deficiency syndrome undergoing IVF, EA for tonifying Shen as an adjunct treatment may alleviate clinical symptoms and improve the high-quality embryo rate. The EA-induced mechanism may involve regulation of PI3K/Akt/Foxo3a expression in granulosa cells to improve the developmental microenvironment of oocytes and inhibit granulosa cell apoptosis, possibly contributing to the improved clinical pregnancy rate (Registration No. ChiCTR 1800016217).

Correlation Between Color and Contents of Water and 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural in Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma Rubra / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To explore the correlation between colors and contents of water and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) in Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma Rubra (GRRR). Method:The colors were observed under sunlight on a sheet of white paper. The chroma value and color difference were determined and calculated by a colorimeter. Water content was determined by the oven-drying method. An HPLC method was established and used to determine the content of 5-HMF. The correlation was analyzed by the Spearman and Pearson analysis. Result:The colors of GRRR were yellowish-white,ocher-yellow,and yellowish-brown. The values of L*,a*,b*,and ΔE* had a certain range, and could reflect the colors of GRRR. The content of water ranged from 4.01%to 8.31%and was in accordance with the requirement the Chinese Pharmacopoeia. The content of 5-HMF ranged from below the limit of detection (1.985×10-4 μg) to 78.97 μg·g-1. The results of correlation analysis shows significant correlations between L*,a*,b*, ΔE* values and water content, that is to say,the deeper the color was, the higher the content of water was,but with no significant correlation with 5-HMF content. Conclusion:The color of processed GRRR was related to water content but not related to 5-HMF content,which was not consistent with the correlation between color and 5-HMF content that generally existed in a series of raw Chinese medicinal materials. It indicated an essential difference between the color shade of processed Chinese medicinal materials and the cause of color change of raw Chinese medicinal materials. Therefore,it was significant to control water content for ensuring the stability of GRRR. This study determined the colors of GRRR by a colorimeter, systematically determined 5-HMF content,and proposed the effect of water contents on the color of GRRR.

Post Harvest Investigation on Processing,Packaging,and Storage of Lilii Bulbus / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective: To investigate the current harvest,processing,packaging and storage of Lilii Bulbus due to the great difference in quality of commercially available products,in order to realize the factors affecting the quality after harvest and provide reference for the standardized production. Method: A series of factors affecting Lilii Bulbus quality were analyzed comprehensively on the basis of both field survey in main producing areas and medicinal material markets and literature retrieval. Result: The current situation and problems in harvest,initial processing,drying technologies,packaging,and storage were summarized. Conclusion: The harvest link of Lilii Bulbus involves growing years,harvesting time,and collecting methods. The initial processing link involves stripping,cleaning,sulfur fumigation,and many cooking and drying methods. The hot-air,vacuum-freeze,far-infrared,and microwave methods are applied in drying Lilii Bulbus. The main metamorphic phenomena are brown staining,moth biting,and decay in the packaging and storage links. Lilii Bulbus are packed mainly in bulk,and a few of them are packed in plastic bags or vacuum bags for fresh bulbus. Because the operation process is not standard,the cooking and drying methods are the key factors affecting the quality of Lilli Bulbus. It is necessary to establish a scientific and unified standard operating procedure (SOP) for controlling the whole process of Lilii Bulbus in multiple links.