Alerting effects of light in healthy individuals: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Light plays an essential role in psychobiological and psychophysiological processes, such as alertness. The alerting effect is influenced by light characteristics and the timing of interventions. This meta-analysis is the first to systematically review the effect of light intervention on alertness and to discuss the optimal protocol for light intervention. In this meta-analysis, registered at PROSPERO (Registration ID: CRD42020181485), we conducted a systematic search of the Web of Science, PubMed, and PsycINFO databases for studies published in English prior to August 2021. The outcomes included both subjective and objective alertness. Subgroup analyses considered a variety of factors, such as wavelength, correlated color temperature (CCT), light illuminance, and timing of interventions (daytime, night-time, or all day). Twenty-seven crossover studies and two parallel-group studies were included in this meta-analysis, with a total of 1210 healthy participants (636 (52%) male, mean age 25.62 years). The results revealed that light intervention had a positive effect on both subjective alertness (standardized mean difference (SMD) = -0.28, 95% confidence interval (CI): -0.49 to -0.06, P = 0.01) and objective alertness in healthy subjects (SMD = -0.34, 95% CI: -0.68 to -0.01, P = 0.04). The subgroup analysis revealed that cold light was better than warm light in improving subjective alertness (SMD = -0.37, 95% CI: -0.65 to -0.10, P = 0.007, I2 = 26%) and objective alertness (SMD = -0.36, 95% CI: -0.66 to -0.07, P = 0.02, I2 = 0). Both daytime (SMD = -0.22, 95% CI: -0.37 to -0.07, P = 0.005, I2 = 74%) and night-time (SMD = -0.32, 95% CI: -0.61 to -0.02, P = 0.04, I2 = 0) light exposure improved subjective alertness. The results of this meta-analysis and systematic review indicate that light exposure is associated with significant improvement in subjective and objective alertness. In addition, light exposure with a higher CCT was more effective in improving alertness than light exposure with a lower CCT. Our results also suggest that both daytime and night-time light exposure can improve subjective alertness.

Lycium barbarum polysaccharide-glycoprotein preventative treatment ameliorates aversive.

Previous studies have shown that Lycium barbarum polysaccharide, the main active component of Lycium barbarum, exhibits anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects in treating neurological diseases. However, the therapeutic action of Lycium barbarum polysaccharide on depression has not been studied. In this investigation, we established mouse models of depression using aversive stimuli including exposure to fox urine, air puff and foot shock and physical restraint. Concurrently, we administered 5 mg/kg per day Lycium barbarum polysaccharide-glycoprotein to each mouse intragastrically for the 28 days. Our results showed that long-term exposure to aversive stimuli significantly enhanced depressive-like behavior evaluated by the sucrose preference test and the forced swimming test and increased anxiety-like behaviors evaluated using the open field test. In addition, aversive stimuli-induced depressed mice exhibited aberrant neuronal activity in the lateral habenula. Importantly, concurrent Lycium barbarum polysaccharide-glycoprotein treatment significantly reduced these changes. These findings suggest that Lycium barbarum polysaccharide-glycoprotein is a potential preventative intervention for depression and may act by preventing aberrant neuronal activity and microglial activation in the lateral habenula. The study was approved by the Jinan University Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (approval No. 20170301003) on March 1, 2017.

[Evaluation of scavenging activity of hydrogen peroxide in different origins of Liropes Radix by HPLC-UV-CL system].

The hydrogen peroxide generation system was used to analyze the scavenging activity of hydrogen peroxide by Liropes Radix from different origins by HPLC-UV-CL. The UV-CL fingerprints of Liropes Radix from different origins were evaluated,and the HPLC-UV and LC-CL fingerprints were systematically analyzed and evaluated. The results showed that the ether fractions of Liriope spicata var. prolifera and L. muscari had good scavenging activity of hydrogen peroxide,and the total activity of different origins varied greatly,while the similar samples had similar activities. The total antioxidant activity of L. muscari is higher than that of L. spicata var.prolifera. The similarity analysis of the two fingerprints was carried out by two different analytical methods. The chemical fingerprints and the active fingerprints have different characteristics. The contribution of each fingerprint to the total peak area and total activity is also different. There are significant differences between the two different fingerprint clustering results.

Steroidal sapogenins and glycosides from the fibrous roots of Ophiopogon japonicus and Liriope spicata var. prolifera with anti-inflammatory activity.

Two new steroidal glycosides (1 and 2), together with 15 known compounds (3-17) were isolated from the fibrous roots of Ophiopogon japonicus, and three new steroidal glycosides (18-20), together with 14 known compounds (21-34) were isolated from the fibrous roots of Liriope spicata var. prolifera. The structures of the new compounds were elucidated on the basis of extensive one-dimensional (1D)- and 2D-NMR spectroscopic analyses and mass spectrometry. The isolated compounds were evaluated for their anti-inflammatory activity in vitro. Most of these steroidal glycosides showed significant inhibitory activity against neutrophil respiratory burst stimulated by phorbol myristate acetate.

Identification and determination of the major triterpenes in Rhizoma Alismatis by HPLC-evaporative light scattering detection and HPLC/electrospray ionization-MS.

A simple and reliable HPLC-evaporative light scattering detection method was established for the determination of seven triterpenes in Rhizoma Alismatis, a commonly used herbal medicine. HPLC coupled with electrospray ionization-MS was applied to identify the triterpenes. The positive ion mode was used in MS detection, and the fragmentation patterns of the analytes were proposed. The quantitative method was validated for linearity, sensitivity, precision, and accuracy. All calibration curves showed good linearity (r2 > 0.9943) within the test ranges. This method showed good reproducibility with intraday and interday variations of less than 3.39 and 5.20%, respectively. The mean recoveries ranged from 96.06 to 103.5%. The proposed method was successfully applied for the quantitative analysis of the triterpenes in samples from four different habitats. The results indicated great variation of the contents of these components among the samples, and the developed assay could be considered as a suitable quality evaluation method for Rhizoma Alismatis.

Determination and pharmacokinetics of DT-13 in rat plasma by LC-MS.

A sensitive and specific LC-MS assay for DT-13 in rat plasma was developed. DT-13 is an active steroidal saponin present in Liriopes Radix and is developed as an anti-tumor drug candidate. The samples were extracted by acetonitrile-mediated plasma protein precipitation. The chromatographic separation was carried out using a Ultimate C(18) column (250 mm × 4.6 mm, i.d., 5 µm) with a mobile phase composed of acetonitrile: 5 mmol/L aqueous ammonium acetate (60:40, v:v). The method was validated and the specificity, linearity (r(2)=0.9980 within 10-1000 ng/mL), lower limit of quantitation (LLOQ, 10 ng/mL), precision (intra- and inter-day <12.3%), accuracy (93.4-106.3%), recovery (91.0 ± 4.7%) and stability were determined. The method was applied to the pharmacokinetic study of DT-13 in rat plasma after intravenous and intragastric administration. The results showed DT-13 underwent a prolonged absorption and slow elimination with a low oral bioavailability (5.51%) in rats.

Comparative study of Puerariae lobatae and Puerariae thomsonii by HPLC-diode array detection-flow injection-chemiluminescence coupled with HPLC-electrospray ionization-MS.

An on-line HPLC-diode array detection-flow injection chemiluminescence (HPLC-DAD-FICL) method was applied to estimate the difference of Puerariae lobatae and Puerariae thomsonii. Their chemical and active profiles could be obtained by HPLC-DAD-FICL in one run. Seventeen compounds in two species were tentatively identified by HPLC-electrospray ionization-MS (HPLC-ESI-MS) method. The main antioxidants were rapidly screened by active fingerprints coupled with MS data. Similarity and Hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA) were used to distinguish different samples. The results suggested that the chemical fingerprints of 16 batches of samples were similar by similarity evaluation, while HCA could discriminate the two species. The active fingerprints of Puerariae lobatae and Puerariae thomsonii were significantly different. More antioxidants were found in Puerariae lobatae than in Puerariae thomsonii. Main antioxidants, including 3'-hydroxypuerarin, genistein 8-C-glycoside-xyloside, puerarin, 6″-O-xylosylpuerarin, mirificin and daidzein in two species, may be reasonable markers for the discrimination of the two species. The integrated fingerprint based on the chemical and active characteristics may provide an objective quality evaluation for Puerariae lobatae and Puerariae thomsonii.

Two new benzofuran derivatives with anti-inflammatory activity from Liriope spicata var. prolifera.

Two new benzofuran derivatives, 2-(4'-hydroxybenzyl)-5,6-methylenedioxy-benzofuran (1) and 2-(4'-hydroxybenzoyl)-5,6-methylenedioxy-benzofuran (2), along with 8 known compounds were isolated from 60% EtOH extract of the fibrous roots of Liriope spicata var. prolifera. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of extensive spectroscopic analysis. In an in vitro bioactive assay, the two new benzofuran derivatives showed anti-inflammatory activity. Compounds 1 and 2 exhibited significant inhibitory activity against neutrophil respiratory burst stimulated by phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) with IC(50) value of 4.15 ± 0.07 and 5.96 ± 0.37 µM, respectively.

Identification of multiple constituents in the traditional Chinese medicine formula Sheng-Mai San and rat plasma after oral administration by HPLC-DAD-MS/MS.

Sheng-Mai San (SMS), a traditional Chinese medicine formula, has been used for the treatment of cardiovascular disease in Asia over long period of time. While its effectiveness has been confirmed by clinical use, its active chemical constituents remain unclear. In this paper, an HPLC-DAD-MS/MS method is described for the efficient and rapid identification of the chemical constituents in SMS extract. MS/MS fragmentation behavior of authentic compounds was proposed for aiding the structural identification of the components. A total of 53 compounds were identified or tentatively characterized by comparing their retention times, UV and MS spectra with those of authentic compounds or literature data. HPLC/UV and MS techniques were employed to screen for the potential bioactive components in rat plasma after oral administration of SMS. Twenty-five compounds including 14 prototype components and 11 metabolites were detected in dosed rat plasma compared with blank rat plasma. This identification and structural elucidation of the chemical constituents in the medicine formula and rat plasma may provide important experimental data for further pharmacological and clinical research.

Homoisoflavonoids from the fibrous roots of Polygonatum odoratum with glucose uptake-stimulatory activity in 3T3-L1 adipocytes.

The EtOAc-soluble fraction of a 90% MeOH extract of the fibrous roots of Polygonatum odoratum was found to potentiate insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Bioassay-guided fractionation yielded nine homoisoflavonoids (1-9), four of which were new (1-4), together with an isoflavone glycoside (10) and a flavanone glycoside (11). The structures of new compounds were elucidated on the basis of extensive 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy, and the absolute configurations were deduced by CD spectra. All 11 compounds showed effects of sensitizing adipocytes for insulin in a cell-based glucose uptake assay using 3T3-L1 adipocytes. The results indicate that homoisoflavonoids may be potential insulin sensitizers.

The protective effect of the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway against septic shock in rats.

To investigate the effects of the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway on hemodynamics, blood biochemistry, the plasma TNF-alpha level, and the nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) activation during septic shock, male Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to cecal ligation and puncture (CLP, a model of polymicrobial sepsis) or sham operation. Forty-eight rats were randomly assigned into six equal groups: sham CLP group; CLP group; VGX group was subjected to bilateral cervical vagotomy after CLP; STM group was subjected to bilateral cervical vagotomy after CLP plus the left vagus nerve trunk electrical stimulation; THA group was administered tetrahydroaminoacridine after CLP and bilateral cervical vagotomy; and alpha-BGT group was administered alpha-bungarotoxin before electrical stimulation of the vagus nerve. The right carotid artery was cannulated to monitor MAP. The plasma TNF-alpha level was measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. The hepatic NF-kappaB activation was determined by Western blotting. Cecal ligation and puncture produced progressive hypotension. Serum aspartate transaminase and alanine transaminase levels significantly increased after CLP challenge. The plasma TNF-alpha level and the hepatic NF-kappaB activation significantly increased after CLP alone or with bilateral cervical vagotomy compared with sham-operated group. Application of constant voltage pulses to the caudal vagus trunk significantly prevented the development of CLP-induced hypotension, alleviated the hepatic damage, and reduced the plasma TNF-alpha production, but electrical stimulation had no effect on the hepatic NF-kappaB activation. Tetrahydroaminoacridine administration after bilateral cervical vagotomy reversed hypotension and attenuated the plasma TNF-alpha response; in addition, it had no effect on the hepatic NF-kappaB activation. alpha-Bungarotoxin pretreatment significantly reversed the inhibitory effect of vagal electrical stimulation, but it had no effect on the hepatic NF-kappaB activation. Our results showed that the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway might produce a potential protective effect on polymicrobial sepsis in rats.

[Protective effect of the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway against hemorrhagic shock in rats].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway on hemodynamics in hemorrhaged rats. METHODS: Hemorrhagic shock was induced by modified Wiggers method until mean arterial pressure (MAP) was stabilized within the range of 35 to 40 mm Hg (1 mmHg=0.133 kPa). Thirty male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into six groups: sham group, hemorrhagic shock (Hem) group, vagotomy (VGX) group, vagus stimulation (STM) group, cholinergic inhibitor (THA) group and N receptor inhibitor (alpha-BGT) group. The distal end of the left vagus nerve trunk was placed on bipolar platinum electrode connected to a stimulation module and controlled by an acquisition system. Stimuli with constant voltage (5 V, 2 ms, 1 Hz) were applied to nerve for 12 minutes, starting 5 minutes after MAP stabilized at a level of 35 to 40 mmHg. Before stimulation a blood pressure transducer was implanted in the common carotid artery for continuous registration of MAP. Blood samples and liver samples were collected from animals of all groups after stimulation. Serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and liver nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-KappaB) were determined. RESULTS: MAP was markedly lowered at the end of bleeding, and the levels of serum TNF-alpha and liver NF-KappaB markedly increased 45 minutes after the bleeding was discontinued. Bilateral cervical vagotomy did not significantly modify the changes in serum TNF-alpha, but slightly increased liver NF-KappaB activation. Application of constant electric current to the distal end of the vagus trunk significantly reduced serum TNF-alpha and blunted liver NF-KappaB activation. Tetrahydroamino-acridine (THA,1.5 mg/kg, intravenous drip administration after bilateral cervical vagotomy reversed hypotension and attenuated serum TNF-alpha and liver NF-KappaB amounts, but alpha-bungarotoxin (1.0 microg/kg intravenous drip) pretreatment reverted the inhibitory effects of vagal stimulation. CONCLUSION: The result suggest that direct electrical stimulation of the vagus nerve and its transmitter can significantly attenuate peak serum TNF-alpha amounts, inhibit the expression of liver NF-KappaB, and prevent the development of hypotension, thus it might produce a potential protective effect on hemorrhaged rats through acetylcholine (Ach) binds NAch receptor alpha 7 subunit which exists in the macrophage.

[Protective effect of ketamine against septic shock in rats].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects and the mechanism of ketamine on hemodynamics and pro-inflammatory cytokine levels of plasma in septic shock rats. METHODS: Cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) was used to reproduce septic shock model. Twenty healthy and male Sprague-Dawlay (SD) rats weighing (225+/-25) g were randomly divided into four equal groups: Sham CLP group, CLP group, ketamine I (KT I) and ketamine II (KT II) group. Thirty minutes before CLP, normal saline (0.9 %) was infused continuously at a rate of 5 ml.kg(-1).h(-1) through the left femoral vein cannula in sham CLP and CLP group, and ketamine (5 mg.kg(-1).h(-1) and 10 mg.kg(-1).h(-1), respectively) was infused continuously in KT I or KT II group. The right femoral artery was cannulated to monitor mean arterial pressure. The plasma levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). RESULTS: CLP produced progressive hypotension, and a large increase in the plasma TNF-alpha and IL-6 concentrations. The hemodynamic responses were reversed and the cytokine responses were suppressed in ketamine treated animals. CONCLUSION: Ketamine administration has protective effect against septic shock in CLP rats.