Protective role of Siberian onions against toxin-induced liver dysfunction: an insight into health-promoting effects

Siberian onions (SOs) are delicious wild vegetables. Their taste is most unique, not only like scallions but also like leeks or garlic. They also have a traditional medicinal value for anti-inflammation, anti-oxidation, and anti-pyretic analgesia, particularly facilitating hepatoprotective effects. The current study investigates the potential mechanism of SOs against toxin-induced liver dysfunction. BALB/c mice were administrated with SO or silymarin by oral gavage for one week, followed by injecting carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄) to induce hepatic fibrosis. The effect of SO against hepatic fibrosis was evaluated by examining the liver tissue for serum transaminase, oxidative stress, extracellular matrix, histological alterations, cytokine levels, and apoptosis. In vitro, HSC-T6 cells were cultured with the supernatant from Raw 264.7 cells stimulated with lipopolysaccharides, followed by SO extracts or Niclosamide (Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 3 (STAT3) inhibitor) at indicated time periods and doses. SO decreased serum transaminase levels and oxidative stress, and regulated the balance of ECM in CCl₄-induced mice, including α-SMA, collagen-I and TIMP-1. SO reduced the release of inflammatory factors and regulated apoptosis-associated proteins, which is related to the inhibition of STAT3 phosphorylation. Moreover, SO reduced the positive expressions of α-SMA and NLRP3 by inhibiting STAT3 phosphorylation in activated HSCs. SO could show health-promoting effects for liver dysfunction by alleviating hepatic fibrogenesis, apoptosis and inflammation in the development of hepatic fibrosis potential depending on the STAT3 signaling pathway.

Betulin Targets Lipin1/2-Meidated P2X7 Receptor as a Therapeutic Approach to Attenuate Lipid Accumulation and Metaflammation

The present study focused on the potential mechanism of betulin (BT), a pentacyclic triterpenoid isolated from the bark of white birch (Betula pubescens), against chronic alcohol-induced lipid accumulation and metaflammation. AML-12 and RAW 264.7 cells were administered ethanol (EtOH), lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or BT. Male C57BL/6 mice were fed Lieber-DeCarli liquid diets containing 5% EtOH for 4 weeks, followed by single EtOH gavage on the last day and simultaneous treatment with BT (20 or 50 mg/kg) by oral gavage once per day. In vitro, MTT showed that 0-25 mM EtOH and 0-25 μM BT had no toxic effect on AML-12 cells. BT could regulate sterolregulatory-element-binding protein 1 (SREBP1), lipin1/2, P2X7 receptor (P2X7r) and NOD-like receptor family, pyrin domains-containing protein 3 (NLRP3) expressions again EtOH-stimulation. Oil Red O staining also indicated that BT significantly reduced lipid accumulation in EtOH-stimulated AML-12 cells. Lipin1/2 deficiency indicated that BT might mediate lipin1/2 to regulate SREBP1 and P2X7r expression and further alleviate lipid accumulation and inflammation. In vivo, BT significantly alleviated histopathological changes, reduced serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and triglyceride (TG) levels, and regulated lipin1/2, SREBP1, peroxisome proliferator activated receptor α/γ (PPARα/γ) and PGC-1α expression compared with the EtOH group. BT reduced the secretion of inflammatory factors and blocked the P2X7r-NLRP3 signaling pathway. Collectively, BT attenuated lipid accumulation and metaflammation by regulating the lipin1/2-mediated P2X7r signaling pathway.

Allium victorialis L. Extracts Promote Activity of FXR to Ameliorate Alcoholic Liver Disease: Targeting Liver Lipid Deposition and Inflammation

Allium victorialis L. (AVL) is a traditional medicinal plant recorded in the Compendium of Materia Medica (the Ming Dynasty). In general, it is used for hemostasis, analgesia, anti-inflammation, antioxidation, and to especially facilitate hepatoprotective effect. In recent years, it has received more and more attention due to its special nutritional and medicinal value. The present study investigates the effect and potential mechanism of AVL against alcoholic liver disease (ALD). C57BL/6 mice were fed Lieber-DeCarli liquid diet containing 5% ethanol plus a single ethanol gavage (5 g/kg), and followed up with the administration of AVL or silymarin. AML12 cells were stimulated with ethanol and incubated with AVL. AVL significantly reduced serum transaminase and triglycerides in the liver and attenuated histopathological changes caused by ethanol. AVL significantly inhibited SREBP1 and its target genes, regulated lipin 1/2, increased PPARα and its target genes, and decreased PPARγ expression caused by ethanol. In addition, AVL significantly enhanced FXR, LXRs, Sirt1, and AMPK expressions compared with the EtOH group. AVL also inhibited inflammatory factors, NLRP3, and F4/80 and MPO, macrophage and neutrophil markers. In vitro, AVL significantly reduced lipid droplets, lipid metabolism enzymes, and inflammatory factors depending on FXR activation. AVL could ameliorate alcoholic steatohepatitis, lipid deposition and inflammation in ALD by targeting FXR activation.

[Efficacy and safety of ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir and dasabuvir combined with ribavirin in Asian adult patients with chronic HCV genotype 1b infection and compensated cirrhosis]

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir (OBV/PTV/r) 25/150/100 mg once daily and dasabuvir (DSV) 250 mg twice daily combined with ribavirin in adult patients of Mainland China with chronic HCV genotype 1b infection and compensated cirrhosis. Methods: An open-label, multicenter, phase 3 clinical trial study was conducted in mainland China, Taiwan, and South Korea. Adult patients with compensated cirrhosis (Metavir score =F4) who were newly diagnosed and treated for hepatitis C virus genotype 1b infection with ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir and dasabuvir combined with ribavirin for 12 weeks were included. Assessed SVR rate of patients obtained at 12 and 24 weeks after drug withdrawal. Efficacy and safety were evaluated in patients who received at least one time study drugs. Results: A total of 63 patients from mainland China were enrolled, 62 of whom (98.4%) had a baseline Child-Pugh score of 5 points. The overall rate of SVR12 and SVR24 in patients was 100% (95% CI: 94.3% to 100.0%). Most of the adverse events that occurred were mild. The incidence of common (≥10%) adverse events and laboratory abnormalities included elevated total bilirubin (36.5%), weakness (19.0%), elevated unconjugated bilirubin (19.0%) and conjugated bilirubin (17.5%), and anemia (14.3%). Three cases (4.8%) of patients experienced Grade ≥ 3 adverse events that were considered by the investigators to be unrelated to the study drug. None patients had adverse events leading to premature drug withdrawal. Conclusion: Mainland Chinese patients with chronic HCV genotype 1b infection and compensated cirrhosis who were treated with OBV/PTV/r plus DSV combined with RBV for 12 weeks achieved 100 % SVR at 12 and 24 weeks after drug withdrawal. Tolerability and safety were good, and majority of adverse events were mild.

[A clinical analysis of 123 cases of primary empty sella]

Objective: This study was conducted to analyze the clinical characteristics and pituitary function of patients with primary empty sella (PES). Methods: The clinical data from 123 hospitalized adult patients with PES from January 2010 to May 2016 were retrospectively studied. Results: (1) The average age of the 123 (male 43, female 80) PES patients was (59.2±13.6) years (ranging 24-92 years), among whom 61% patients were in the age group between 50-69 years. (2) The symptoms of the patients included fatigue (56.1%), headache (34.1%), nausea and vomiting (17.9%), gonadal dysfunction (17.1%), visual disturbance (5.7%) and hypopituitarism crisis (3.3%). (3) Hypopituitarism was found in 66 of the 123 patients. Among them, 36.6%, 31.7% and 17.1% were central hypoadrenalism, hypogonadism, and hypothyroidism, respectively.The percentage of hypopituitarism in complete PES was significantly higher than that in partial PES (P<0.05). (4) Sixteen patients were concomitant with other autoimmune diseases including 11 patients with Graves' disease and 2 with Cushing's syndrome due to adrenal adenoma. Conclusions: The incidence of hypopituitarism in PES was 53.7%, in which the pituitary-adrenal axis hypofunction was more common. An overall evaluation of the pituitary function was essential for the patients who had headache and fatigue, or with suspected PES. The patients with hypopituitarism should be given hormone replacement therapy in time and followed up afterword.

Upconversion luminescence from aluminoborate glasses doped with Tb(3+), Eu(3+) and Dy(3+) under the excitation of 2.6-μm femtosecond laser pulses

We investigated the upconversion luminescence of three aluminoborate glasses doped with Tb(3+), Eu(3+), and Dy(3+) under the excitation of 2.6-μm femtosecond (fs) laser pulses. Efficient upconversion luminescence appearing in the visible light spectral region was observed in all three glasses and the emission spectra are quite similar to those obtained under single photon excitation. From the dependence of the luminescence intensity on the excitation intensity in the low excitation intensity regime, it was revealed that a four-photon process is involved in the generation of the upconversion luminescence in the Tb(3+)- and Eu(3+)-doped glasses while a mixed two- and three-photon process is involved in the Dy(3+)-doped glass. In the high excitation intensity regime, a reduction of the slope to about 1.0 was observed for all glasses. A physical mechanism based on the super saturation of the intermediate states of the rare-earth ions was employed to interpret the upconversion luminescence under the excitation of long-wavelength fs laser pulses. Significantly broadened luminescence spectra were observed in thick glasses under high excitation intensities and it can be attributed to the self-focusing of the laser beam in the thick glasses.

Influence of spatial incident angles on polarizer with a slit in grooved metal slabs for terahertz communication

We report the influence of two spatial incident angles on a terahertz polarizer, which is based on an aluminum slab with a center slit flanked by symmetrically distributed parallel grooves on both sides. Experimental results show that the polarizer shows narrow bandpass filtering effect with a very small divergence angle at normal incidence, which is very suitable for terahertz communication, and the extinction ratio (ER) can be achieved above 20 dB in the frequency band between 0.3 and 0.36 THz due to the excitation of spoof surface plasmon. As the structure rotates around the slit direction (β), the transmission peak will split into two and degrade quickly and the ER decreased down to 20 dB for β=10° at peak position. Rotating along grating period direction (γ) shows better tuning performance. The tuning frequency window can reach from 0.3 to 0.36 THz to promise an ER above 20 dB as γ is smaller than 25°.