The immunomodulatory effects of ginsenoside derivative Rh2-O on splenic lymphocytes in H22 tumor-bearing mice is partially mediated by TLR4.

PURPOSE: Previously, we reported the octyl ester derivative of ginsenoside Rh2 (Rh2-O) had better antitumor and immunomodulatory effects than Rh2 in H22 tumor-bearing mice. Therefore, this study further explored the effects of Rh2-O on splenic lymphocytes in H22 tumor-bearing mice and the underlying mechanism. METHODS: Wild type and Tlr4-/- mice were selected to establish the H22 tumor-bearing mice model. After the treatment of Rh2-O (10 mg/kg by gavage) for 15 days, the sizes of tumor were measured. Subsequently, the splenic lymphocytes were isolated and the activities (eg. cell proliferation, cytotoxicity and cytokine secretion) were evaluated. Then, the proteins and mRNA expression levels of TRAF6 and NF-ĸB p65 in splenic lymphocytes were examined. RESULTS: The results showed that Rh2-O administration enhanced the proliferative capacity and cytotoxicity of splenic lymphocytes, and the effects were Tlr4-associated. Compared to WT mice, the up-regulation of cytokines secretion (eg. IFN-γ, IL-2 and IL-4) in isolated splenic lymphocytes after Rh2-O administration was lower in Tlr4-/- mice. Moreover, the results showed Rh2-O increased the expression of TRAF6 and the level of endonuclear NF-ĸB p65, which was inhibited in Tlr4-/- mice (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Rh2-O could exert immunomodulatory effects on splenic lymphocytes with the partial participation of TLR4 in H22 tumor-bearing mice.

The effects of physical activity on physiological markers in breast cancer survivors: A meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: To systematically evaluate the effects of physical activity on physiological markers in breast cancer survivors. METHODS: A systematic search of the PubMed, Wed of Science, Medline, CNKI and Wanfang Database was performed to identify eligible randomized controlled trials to explore physical activity on physiological markers in breast cancer survivors. STATA version 13.0 (Stata Corp LP, College Station, TX) was used for all statistical analyses. RESULTS: A total of 11 articles with 941 cases were eligible in this meta-analysis. The results of the meta-analysis showed that physical activity could decrease the levels of insulin (SMD = -1.90, 95%CI: -3.2 to -0.60; I = 92.3%, P < .001), insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-I) (WMD = -4.67, 95%CI: -23.14 to 13.79; I = 96.2%, P < .001), insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) (WMD = -20.09, 95%CI: -47.15 to 6.97; I = 93.3%, P < .001). However, compared with the control group, there was not the significant change of insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF-II), insulin-like growth factor binding protein-1 (IGFBP-1), leptin, adiponectin, glucose, C-reactive protein (CRP), Interleukin-6 (IL-6), Interleukin-10 (IL-10), and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-ɑ) levels after the intervention. CONCLUSIONS: Physical activity could improve the insulin function that might be associated with decreasing the levels of IGF-I, IGFBP-3 and insulin in breast cancer survivors.

Development of a novel and highly efficient method of isolating bacteriophages from water.

Bacteriophages are widely used to the treatment of drug-resistant bacteria and the improvement of food safety through bacterial lysis. However, the limited investigations on bacteriophage restrict their further application. In this study, a novel and highly efficient method was developed for isolating bacteriophage from water based on the electropositive silica gel particles (ESPs) method. To optimize the ESPs method, we evaluated the eluent type, flow rate, pH, temperature, and inoculation concentration of bacteriophage using bacteriophage f2. The quantitative detection reported that the recovery of the ESPs method reached over 90%. The qualitative detection demonstrated that the ESPs method effectively isolated 70% of extremely low-concentration bacteriophage (100 PFU/100L). Based on the host bacteria composed of 33 standard strains and 10 isolated strains, the bacteriophages in 18 water samples collected from the three sites in the Tianjin Haihe River Basin were isolated by the ESPs and traditional methods. Results showed that the ESPs method was significantly superior to the traditional method. The ESPs method isolated 32 strains of bacteriophage, whereas the traditional method isolated 15 strains. The sample isolation efficiency and bacteriophage isolation efficiency of the ESPs method were 3.28 and 2.13 times higher than those of the traditional method. The developed ESPs method was characterized by high isolation efficiency, efficient handling of large water sample size and low requirement on water quality.

Social Capital and Quality of Life Among People Living With HIV/AIDS in Southeast China.

A cross-sectional study was conducted with 261 people living with HIV (PLWH) in Southeast China. A social capital questionnaire was used to measure social capital dimensions (trust, social connection, and social participation). A Chinese version of the Medical Outcomes Study HIV Health Survey (MOS-HIV) was used to assess Quality of Life (QoL); Physical Health Summary Scores (PHS) and Mental Health Summary Scores (MHS) were calculated. Multiple regression assessed whether social capital and its dimensions were associated with PHS and MHS. After controlling for sociodemographics and HIV-related factors, lower PHS scores were found among participants with low overall social capital (P < .01) and low trust (P < .001). Lower MHS scores were found among participants with low overall social capital (P < .001), low trust (P < .001) and low social connection (P < .01). Our findings identify potential intervention targets to improve QoL among PLWH in Southeast China, including the promotion of social capital.

[Etiology and risk factors of infantile wheezing].

OBJECTIVE: To study the etiology and risk factors of infantile wheezing. METHODS: The clinical data of 180 infants with wheezing were retrospectively studied. The risk factors for wheezing attacks were investigated by logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Viral infection (33.3%) was the most common cause for wheezing attacks, followed by asthma (19.4%), parental smoking and special environments (15.6%), gastroesophageal reflux disease (12.8%), premature delivery (7.8%), Mycoplasma infection (6.7%), and bronchopulmonary dysplasia (4.4%). The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed 7 factors that significantly correlated with wheezing attacks: allergic history of parents, sensitization to alimentary or inspiratory allergens, viral or Mycoplasma infection, premature delivery and special environments. CONCLUSIONS: The commonest cause of infantile wheezing is viral infection, followed by asthma. Genetic factors, individual atopic constitution and environmental factors play important roles in wheezing attacks.