Effect of Dietary Gelsemium elegans Benth. Extract on the Growth, Slaughter Performance, Meat Quality, Intestinal Morphology, and Microflora of Yellow-Feathered Chickens

The plant species Gelsemium elegans Benth. (GEB) promotes pig and sheep growth; however, little is known about its effects in chickens. In this study, a GEB extract (GEBE) was prepared, and its effects on the growth, slaughter, antioxidant performance, meat quality, serum biochemical indices, intestinal morphology, and microflora of yellow-feathered chickens were evaluated. In total, 600 chickens aged 15 days were randomly divided into four groups with five replicates each and fed a basal diet containing 0% (control), 0.25% (0.25 GEBE), 0.75% (0.75 GEBE), or 1.25% (1.25 GEBE) GEBE until 49 days of age. Chickens were then killed, and their meat, organs, and serum and cecal contents were collected. GEBE reduced the feed conversion ratio, particularly in the 0.75 and 1.25 GEBE groups. Furthermore, the GEBE diet improved meat tenderness and reduced the meat expressible moisture content and liver malondialdehyde content, indicating high meat quality. Whereas the 0.25 GEBE diet increased the level of Lactobacillus acidophilus in the cecum, the 0.75 GEBE diet decreased the Escherichia coli level therein. These findings demonstrate that GEBE may improve the meat quality and cecal microbiota of yellow-feathered chickens, providing a basis for identifying candidate alternatives to conventional antibiotics as growth promoting feed additives.

[Efficacy and safety of bendamustine-rituximab combination therapy for newly diagnosed indolent B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and elderly mantle cell lymphoma: a multi-center prospective phase II clinical trial in China]

Objectives: This study aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of bendamustine in combination with rituximab (BR regimen) for the treatment of newly diagnosed indolent B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (B-iNHL) and elderly mantle cell lymphoma (eMCL) . Methods: From December 1, 2020 to September 10, 2022, a multi-center prospective study was conducted across ten Grade A tertiary hospitals in Shandong Province, China. The BR regimen was administered to evaluate its efficacy and safety in newly diagnosed B-iNHL and eMCL patients, and all completed at least four cycles of induction therapy. Results: The 72 enrolled patients with B-iNHL or MCL were aged 24-74 years, with a median age of 55 years. Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status scores of 0-1 were observed in 76.4% of patients, while 23.6% had scores of 2. Disease distribution included follicular lymphoma (FL) (51.4% ), marginal zone lymphoma (MZL) (33.3% ), eMCL (11.1% ), and the unknown subtype (4.2% ). According to the Ann Arbor staging system, 16.7% and 65.3% of patients were diagnosed with stage Ⅲ and stage Ⅳ lymphomas, respectively. Following four cycles of BR induction therapy, the overall response rate was 98.6%, with a complete response (CR) rate of 83.3% and a partial response (PR) rate of 15.3%. Only one eMCL patient experienced disease progression during treatment, and only one FL patient experienced a relapse. Even when evaluated using CT alone, the CR rate was 63.9%, considering the differences between PET/CT and CT assessments. The median follow-up duration was 11 months (range: 4-22), with a PFS rate of 96.8% and an OS rate of 100.0%. The main hematologic adverse reactions included grade 3-4 leukopenia (27.8%, with febrile neutropenia observed in 8.3% of patients), grade 3-4 lymphopenia (23.6% ), grade 3-4 anemia (5.6% ), and grade 3-4 thrombocytopenia (4.2% ). The main non-hematologic adverse reactions such as fatigue, nausea/vomiting, rash, and infections occurred in less than 20.0% of patients. Conclusion: Within the scope of this clinical trial conducted in China, the BR regimen demonstrated efficacy and safety in treating newly diagnosed B-iNHL and eMCL patients.

The multicomponent residue depletion of Gelsemium elegans in pig tissues, urine, and plasma

Introduction

Gelsemium elegans (G. elegans) as a traditional medicinal plant used in livestock production. The use of G. elegans in veterinary clinics may pose safety risks to human health.

Objectives

The aim of this study was to investigate tissue residue depletion in pigs fed G. elegans powder.

Methods

A precise quantitation method and a simultaneous semi-quantitation method for multiple components independently of standards in pig tissues were developed for the first time. The two methods were validated in terms of specificity, LODs, LOQs, linearity, accuracy, precision, and matrix effects. They were then applied to a tissue residue depletion study after G. elegans powder at a dose of 2% per kg feed were fed to pigs.

Results

Compared with precise quantitation, the method validation results indicated that the semi-quantitation method was reliable and acceptable for multicomponent quantification independent of standards. Many G. elegans alkaloids are widely distributed in most tissues of pigs. Tissue residue depletion studies indicated that 14-hydroxygelsenicine, 11-hydroxygelsenicine, and gelsemoxonine could be used as potential residue markers, and pancreas, small intestine, and lung tissues could be considered as potential residue target tissues of G. elegans. In addition, both urine and plasma could be used to predict 14-hydroxygelsenicine and gelsemoxonine residues in the liver, pancreas, and small intestinal tissues of pigs.

Conclusion

The developed semi-quantification method can be applied to monitor the application and residue of G. elegans. The results provide scientific evidence for evaluating the safety of animal-derived food from G. elegans for consumers and will be helpful for its application and future development.

A mass spectrometry imaging approach on spatiotemporal distribution of multiple alkaloids in Gelsemium elegans

Gelsemium elegans contains multiple alkaloids with pharmacological effects, thus researchers focus on the identification and application of alkaloids extracted from G. elegans. Regretfully, the spatiotemporal distribution of alkaloids in G. elegans is still unclear. In this study, the desorption electrospray ionization mass spectrometry imaging (DESI-MSI) was applied to simultaneously analyze the distribution of pharmacologically important alkaloids in different organ/tissue sections of G. elegans at different growth stages. Finally, 23 alkaloids were visualized in roots, stems and leaves at seedling stage and 19 alkaloids were observed at mature stage. In mature G. elegans, 16 alkaloids were distributed in vascular bundle region of mature roots, 15 alkaloids were mainly located in the pith region of mature stems and 2 alkaloids were enriched in epidermis region of mature stems. A total of 16 alkaloids were detected in leaf veins of mature leaves and 17 alkaloids were detected in shoots. Interestingly, diffusion and transfer of multiple alkaloids in tissues have been observed along with the development and maturation. This study comprehensively characterized the spatial metabolomics of G. elegans alkaloids, and the spatiotemporal distribution of alkaloid synthesis. In addition, the results also have reference value for the development and application of Gelsemium elegans and other medicinal plants.

[International multi-center evaluation of a rapid antigen test based on gold immunochromatographic assay for detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2]

Objective: The gold immunochromatographic assay for detection of SARS-CoV-2 antigen was evaluated by international multi-center clinical trial. Methods: A total of 1 855 clinical parallel samples with valid test results (for nucleic acid and antigen tests, respectively) were collected from nine countries, including Germany, the United Kingdom, Ukraine, France, India, Thailand, Malaysia, the United States of America and Brazil, with sampling period from January 3 to September 22, 2021. These samples were detected by SARS-CoV-2 antigen test kit (colloidal gold immunochromatography assay) and nucleic acid detection kit (real-time fluorescent quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction). Positive coincidence rates [(number of antigen-positive cases/nucleic acid-positive cases)×100%], negative coincidence rates [(number of antigen-negative cases/nucleic acid-negative cases)×100%], total coincidence rates [(number of cases with consistent results for both antigen and nucleic acid detection/number of total cases) ×100%], as well as Kappa values were calculated. The differences of the above indictors among different countries were evaluated by the coefficient of variation. The detection rates of the antigen test for samples with different cycle threshold values (Ct values) for the nucleic acid detection, different characteristics and different mutant strains were analyzed. Results: For all samples, the positive, negative, and total coincidence rate between the antigen test and nucleic acid assay was 90.8% (569/627), 99.7% (1 224/1 228) and 96.7% (1 793/1 855), respectively, and the consistency coefficient Kappa value was 0.924. Among these countries, the coefficient of variation for positive coincidence rates (except for Malaysia with a lot of samples with Ct value>30), negative coincidence rates (except for France without negative samples) and total coincidence rates (except for France) was 6%,<1%, and 6%, respectively. When Ct values were less than 25, the detection rates of antigen test were 83.3%-100% for each countries (the coefficient of variation was 6%); the total detection rate and the coefficient of variation was 93.4% (428/458) and 5%, respectively, for asymptomatic infected persons and cases within 7 days post onset of symptoms; the total detection rate for various SARS-CoV-2 mutant strains was 97.5% (119/122); and it showed negative results for samples from cases infected with other viruses, including influenza A virus subtype H1N1, influenza B virus, respiratory syncytial virus subgroups A and B, coxsackievirus 16, human metapneumovirus, parainfluenza virus types 1 and 4, Epstein-Barr virus and adenovirus. Conclusion: The SARS-CoV-2 antigen test kit showed excellent authenticity, and there were few differences for its indictors among nine countries, therefore it can meet the needs of large-scale early screening of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

[International multi-center evaluation of a rapid antigen test based on gold immunochromatographic assay for detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2]

Objective: The gold immunochromatographic assay for detection of SARS-CoV-2 antigen was evaluated by international multi-center clinical trial. Methods: A total of 1 855 clinical parallel samples with valid test results (for nucleic acid and antigen tests, respectively) were collected from nine countries, including Germany, the United Kingdom, Ukraine, France, India, Thailand, Malaysia, the United States of America and Brazil, with sampling period from January 3, 2021 to September 22, 2021. These samples were detected by SARS-CoV-2 antigen test kit (colloidal gold immunochromatography assay) and nucleic acid detection kit (real-time fluorescent quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction). Positive coincidence rates [(number of antigen-positive cases/nucleic acid-positive cases)×100%], negative coincidence rates [(number of antigen-negative cases/nucleic acid-negative cases)×100%], total coincidence rates [(number of cases with consistent results for both antigen and nucleic acid detection/number of total cases) ×100%], as well as Kappa values were calculated. The differences of the above indictors among different countries were evaluated by the coefficient of variation. The detection rates of the antigen test for samples with different cycle threshold values (Ct values) for the nucleic acid detection, different characteristics and different mutant strains were analyzed. Results: For all samples, the positive, negative, and total coincidence rate between the antigen test and nucleic acid assay was 90.8% (569/627), 99.7% (1 224/1 228) and 96.7% (1 793/1 855), respectively, and the consistency coefficient Kappa value was 0.924. Among these countries, the coefficient of variation for positive coincidence rates (except for Malaysia with a lot of samples with Ct value>30), negative coincidence rates (except for France without negative samples) and total coincidence rates (except for France) was 6%,<1%, and 6%, respectively. When Ct values were less than 25, the detection rates of antigen test were 83.3%-100% for each countries (the coefficient of variation was 6%); The total detection rate and the coefficient of variation was 93.4% (428/458) and 5%, respectively, for asymptomatic infected persons and cases within 7 days post onset of symptoms; the total detection rate for various SARS-CoV-2 mutant strains was 97.5% (119/122); and it showed negative results for samples from cases infected with other viruses, including influenza A virus subtype H1N1, influenza B virus, respiratory syncytial virus subgroups A and B, coxsackievirus 16, human metapneumovirus, parainfluenza virus types 1 and 4, Epstein-Barr virus and adenovirus. Conclusion: The SARS-CoV-2 antigen test kit showed excellent authenticity, and there were few differences for its indictors among nine countries, therefore it can meet the needs of large-scale early screening of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Protective autophagy alleviates neurotoxin-gelsenicine induced apoptosis through PERK signaling pathway in Neuro-2a cells

Gelsemium elegans Benth. (G. elegans) showed significant biological activities, but it has the side effects of neurotoxicity, predominantly in the form of respiratory depression. Gelsenicine is the main toxic constituent of G. elegans which is highly neurotoxic to humans and animals. Although the acute neurotoxicity of gelsenicine has been widely reported, but neurotoxicity mechanisms have not been elucidated and its direct effect on nerve cells remains poorly characterized. In this study, Neuro-2a cells were used to be our object of study for determining the mechanism by which gelsenicine induced neurotoxicity. We found that gelsenicine is neurotoxic to Neuro-2a cells; indeed cell proliferation was inhibited and apoptosis was induced in a dose-dependent manner. Meanwhile, gelsenicine markedly promoted autophagy and activated autophagic flux. Additionally, promoting autophagy with rapamycin decreased apoptosis, whereas blocking autophagy with 3-methyladenine (3-MA) increased apoptosis. Furthermore, the protein kinase ribose nucleic acid (RNA)-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase (PERK)/eukaryotic initiation factor 2 alpha (eIF2α)/activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4) signaling pathway was involved in the induction of protective autophagy in Neuro-2a cells. Inhibition of PERK using small interfering RNA (siRNA) inhibited gelsenicine-induced autophagy and aggravated apoptosis. These data indicate that gelsenicine not only exhibited cytotoxicity and induced apoptosis, but it also induced protective autophagy via PERK signaling pathway to alleviate gelsenicine-mediated apoptosis in Neuro-2a cells.

Excretion, Metabolism, and Tissue Distribution of Gelsemium elegans (Gardn. & Champ.) Benth in Pigs

Gelsemium elegans (Gardn. & Champ.) Benth is a toxic flowering plant in the family Loganiaceae used to treat skin diseases, neuralgia and acute pain. The high toxicity of G. elegans restricts its development and clinical applications, but in veterinary applications, G. elegans has been fed to pigs as a feed additive without poisoning. However, until now, the in vivo processes of the multiple components of G. elegans have not been studied. This study investigates the excretion, metabolism and tissue distribution of the multiple components of G. elegans after feeding it to pigs in medicated feed. Pigs were fed 2% G. elegans powder in feed for 45 days. The plasma, urine, bile, feces and tissues (heart, liver, lung, spleen, brain, spinal cord, adrenal gland, testis, thigh muscle, abdominal muscle and back muscle) were collected 6 h after the last feeding and analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Five natural products in plasma, twelve natural products and five metabolites in urine, and three natural products in feces were characterized, suggesting that multiple components from G. elegans were excreted in the urine. However, ten natural products and four metabolites were detected in bile samples, which suggested that G. elegans is involved in enterohepatic circulation in pigs. A total of seven of these metabolites were characterized, and four metabolites were glucuronidated metabolites. Ten natural products and six metabolites were detected in the tissues, which indicates that G. elegans is widely distributed in tissues and can cross the blood-brain barrier. Among the characterized compounds, a highly toxic gelsedine-type alkaloid from G. elegans was the main compound detected in all biological samples. This is the first study of the excretion, metabolism and tissue distribution of multiple components from G. elegans in pigs. These data can provide an important reference to explain the efficacy and toxicity of G. elegans. Additionally, the results of the tissue distribution of G. elegans are of great value for further residue depletion studies and safety evaluations of products of animals fed G. elegans.

Sex differences in the pharmacokinetics and tissue residues of Macleaya cordata extracts in rats

Macleaya cordata extracts (MCE) are listed as feed additives in animal production by the European Food Authority. The core components of MCE are mainly sanguinarine (SA) and chelerythrine (CHE). This study aims to investigate sex differences in the pharmacokinetics and tissue residues of MCE in rats.Male and female rates were intragastrically administered MCE (1.25 mg·kg^-1 body weight and 12.5 mg·kg^-1 body weight dose for 28 days). SA and CHE concentrations were determined using high-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry.The peak plasma concentration (C_max) and area under the curve (AUC) of both CHE and SA were higher in female than in male rats (12.5 mg·kg^-1 body weight group), whereas their half-life (T_1/2) and apparent volume of distribution (V_d) was lower (p < 0.05). Tissue rfesidue analysis indicated that SA and CHE were more distributed in male than in female rats and were highly distributed in the cecum and liver. SA and CHE were completely eliminated from the liver, kidney, lung, heart, spleen, leg muscle, and cecum after 120 h, indicating they did not accumulate in rats for a long time.Overall, we found that the pharmacokinetics and tissue residues of SA and CHE of male and female rats showed sex differences.

Toxicity assessment of gelsenicine and the search for effective antidotes

BACKGROUND

Gelsenicine, one of the most toxic alkaloids of Gelsemium elegans Benth (G. elegans), causes severe respiratory depression. However, its toxicity mechanisms are yet to be elucidated and no effective antidotes are available.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to analyse the toxicity characteristics of gelsenicine.

METHODS

Both acute and sub-acute toxicities were evaluated. Gelsenicine distribution and elimination in the central nervous system (CNS) and blood were observed. Effective antidotes for gelsenicine poisoning were screened.

RESULTS

In the acute toxicity study, gelsenicine was highly toxic, and female rats exhibited greater sensitivity to gelsenicine than male rats (LD₅₀ 0.520 mg/kg vs 0.996 mg/kg, respectively). Death was primarily caused by respiratory failure. However, in the sub-acute toxicity study, no significant organ damage was observed. Gelsenicine was easily absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract and penetrated the blood-brain barrier, reaching peak concentrations in the CNS within 15 min and rapidly decreasing thereafter. Flumazenil or diazepam combined with epinephrine reversed gelsenicine toxicity and significantly improved survival rate in mice.

CONCLUSIONS

Gelsenicine is a highly toxic substance that affects nerve conduction without causing damage; the potential toxic mechanism is possibly associated with GABAA receptors. Our findings provide insights into the clinical treatment of gelsenicine-related poisoning and its toxicity mechanisms.

[Diagnostic value of the combinations of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid pathogen detection and cryptococcal antigen test in pulmonary cryptococcosis]

Objective: To evaluate the diagnostic value of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid pathogen detection combined with cryptococcal antigen test(CrAg) for pulmonary cryptococcosis(PC). Methods: A retrospective case analysis was performed on non-acquired immunodeficiency syndrome patients admitted to Ninghai First Hospital for suspected PC from January 2018 to December 2019. Fifty-nine patients were included. Sixteen cases (8 males and 8 females) were diagnosed with PC, aged from 18 to 76 years[an average age of (52±14) years], while 43 cases were diagnosed as having Non-PC. All patients had undergone both serum CrAg test and BALF pathogen detection(cultures and direct examination) combined with BALF-CrAg test. The sensitivity and specificity of the combined method of BALF was evaluated, and a parallel comparison of the diagnostic efficiencies of the two methods were made. Results: Of the 16 confirmed PC cases, serum CrAg tests were positive in 11 and negative in 5 cases, while the combined method showed that 14 were positive and 2 were negative. Compared with the clinical final diagnosis, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value showed that the serum CrAg tests were 68.8% (11/16), 97.7% (42/43), 91.7% (11/12), 89.3% (42/47) respectively, versus 87.5% (14/16), 100.0% (43/43), 100% (14/14), 95.6% (43/45) by the combined method of BALF. The results displayed no statistical difference between the two diagnostic methods (P =1.000). Among the 5 initially serum CrAg-negative cases, 4 were later confirmed as proven PC via the combined method of BALF and the other one by percutaneous lung biopsy. Conclusion: The combined method of BALF pathogen detection with BALF-CrAg showed a similar statistical efficiency rate for diagnosing pulmonary cryptococcosis compared with serum CrAg tests. It may serve as an efficient diagnosis method for PC cases with negative serum CrAg tests.

Pharmacokinetics of Chelerythrine and Its Metabolite after Oral and Intramuscular Administrations in Pigs

The objective of this study was to investigate the single- and multiple-dose pharmacokinetics of chelerythrine (CHE) and its metabolite, dihydrochelerythrine (DHCHE), after oral and IM administrations in pigs.Six crossbreed (Landrace × Large White) female pigs (7 to 8 weeks old; 24.1 ± 2.6 kg bw) administered oral and IM CHE at a dose of 0.1 mg/kg orally and intramuscularly in a cross-over design. Multiple oral administration was performed at 0.1 mg/kg a time, three times a day at 8-h intervals for three consecutive days. Blood samples were collected from the anterior vena cava and placed into heparinized centrifuge tubes before dosing (time 0 h) and at different times after oral oral and IM administrations. Pretreatment plasma was analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry.After IM administration, CHE and DHCHE rapidly reached peak concentrations (C_max, 69.79 ± 15.41 and 3.47 ± 1.23 ng/ml) at 0.42 ± 0.13 and 0.33 ± 0.13 h, respectively. After single oral administration, CHE and DHCHE rapidly increased to reach C_max of 5.04 ± 1.00 and 1.21 ± 0.35 ng/ml at 1.83 ± 0.26 and 1.67 ± 0.26 h, respectively. The half-life (T_1/2) was 2.03 ± 0.26 and 2.56 ± 1.00 h for CHE and DHCHE, respectively. After multiple oral administration, the average steady-state concentrations (C_ss) of CHE and DHCHE were 2.51 ± 0.40 and 0.6 ± 0.06 ng/ml, respectively.CHE is metabolized rapidly after a single oral administration, multiple daily doses and long-term use of CHE are recommended.

Pharmacokinetic Study of Multiple Components of Gelsemium elegans in Goats by Ultra-Performance Liquid Chromatography Coupled to Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Gelsemium elegans (G. elegans) has been used in traditional Chinese medicine. This plant is highly toxic to humans, but can promote the growth of pigs and goats in the veterinary clinic. It is a very complex mixture containing tens or hundreds of different components. Therefore, multiple-component pharmacokinetic studies of G. elegans are a major challenge due to the lack of authentic standards of the components. The purpose of this study was to investigate the plasma pharmacokinetics of multiple components after a single oral dose of G. elegans in goat using a sensitive ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry method for the simultaneous semiquantification of multiple alkaloids without standards. The method was validated in terms of the specificity, LOD, LOQ, linearity, accuracy, precision and matrix effects. To validate the global pharmacokinetic characteristics, the results obtained from the semiquantitative analysis of three authentic compounds (gelsemine, koumine and humantenmine) were compared with the absolute quantification from our recently published method. The results showed that the two methods had similar analytical results, and the obtained values of Tmax, T1/2 and MRT0-t of the three alkaloids were similar between the two methods. In addition, the values of Cmax and AUC0-t of the three alkaloids after normalization were close to the real values, which indicated that this semiquantitative method could be used in the pharmacokinetic study of multiplecomponents. Then the pharmacokinetic parameters of 23 other G. elegans alkaloids in goats were obtained. The results suggested that the gelsedine-type alkaloids were the major active ingredients that predict and explain the efficacy and toxicity of G. elegans.

Comparative metabolism of gelsenicine in liver microsomes from humans, pigs, goats and rats

RATIONALE

Gelsemium elegans (G. elegans) is highly toxic to humans and rats but has insecticidal and growth-promoting effects on pigs and goats. However, the mechanisms behind the toxicity differences of G. elegans are unclear. Gelsenicine, isolated from G. elegans, has been reported to be a toxic alkaloid.

METHODS

In this study, the in vitro metabolism of gelsenicine was investigated and compared for the first time using human (HLM), pig (PLM), goat (GLM) and rat (RLM) liver microsomes and high-performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (HPLC/MS).

RESULTS

In total, eight metabolites (M1-M8) were identified by using high-performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (HPLC/QqTOF-MS). Two main metabolic pathways were found in the liver microsomes of the four species: demethylation at the methoxy group on the indole nitrogen (M1) and oxidation at different positions (M2-M8). M8 was identified only in the GLM. The degradation ratio of gelsenicine and the relative percentage of metabolites produced during metabolism were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC/QqQ-MS/MS). The degradation ratio of gelsenicine in liver microsomes decreased in the following order: PLM ≥ GLM > HLM > RLM. The production of M1 decreased in the order of GLM > PLM > RLM > HLM, the production of M2 was similar among the four species, and the production of M3 was higher in the HLM than in the liver microsomes of the other three species.

CONCLUSIONS

Based on these results, demethylation was speculated to be the main gelsenicine detoxification pathway, providing vital information to better understand the metabolism and toxicity differences of G. elegans among different species.

Comparative toxicokinetic profiles of multiple-components of Gelsemium elegans in pigs and rats after a single oral administration

Gelsemium elegans Benth (G. elegans) is highly toxic to humans and rats, but has insecticides and growth promoting effects on pigs and goats. G. elegans is widely used in livestock, but its in vivo dynamics are entirely unknown. Hence, we investigated the toxicokinetic profiles of G. elegans alkaloids after a single oral dose of G. elegans to pigs (1.0 g/kg) and rats (0.1 g/kg). The results indicated that rats were more susceptible to the toxicity of G. elegans than pigs. The toxicokinetic parameters of 22 and 6 components were obtained in pigs and rats, respectively. The components included 9 and 5 gelsedine-type alkaloids in pigs and rats, respectively. The T_max results of the 5 gelsedine-type alkaloids indicated that these alkaloids were rapidly absorbed in pigs and rats. The T_1/2 values of the 5 gelsedine-type alkaloids indicated that the elimination rates of these alkaloids in pigs were slower than those in rats. In addition, the C_max and AUC results indicated that the degrees of absorption and exposure of most alkaloids in pigs were higher than those in rats except GS-2. However, the C_max value of GS-2 (11-methoxy-14-hydroxygelsenicine) in rats was greater than that of pigs, and the C_max value of 14-hydroxygelsenicine in pigs was merely greater than 3 times that of rats. The present results suggested that the cause of the toxicological differences species of G. elegans might be related to the degrees of absorption and exposure of gelsedine-type alkaloids, especially for the 14-hydroxygelsenicine and GS-2 in different animals.

Koumine Alleviates Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Intestinal Barrier Dysfunction in IPEC-J2 Cells by Regulating Nrf2/NF-κB Pathway

Gelsemium elegans Benth. (G. elegans), a traditional Chinese medicine, has great potential as an effective growth promoter in animals, however, the mechanism of its actin remains unclear. Here, we evaluated the protective effects of koumine extract from G. elegans against lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced intestinal barrier dysfunction in IPEC-J2 cells through alleviation of inflammation and oxidative stress. MTT and LDH assays revealed that koumine significantly reduced LPS cytotoxicity. Transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) and cell monolayer permeability assays showed that koumine treatment attenuated the LPS-induced intestinal barrier dysfunction with no particularly different effects in tight junction proteins such as ZO-1, claudin-1, and occludin. LPS-triggered inflammatory response was also suppressed by koumine, as evidenced by the downregulated inflammatory factors, including TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β, NO, iNOS, and COX-2, which was closely connected with the inhibition of NF-κB pathway for the decrease of phosphorylation of IκBα and NF-κB and nuclear translocation of p-p65. Amount of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and MDA induced by LPS was also reduced by koumine through activation of Nrf2 pathway, and increased in the levels of Nrf2 and HO-1 degradation of keap-1 to promote anti-oxidants, including superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT). To summarize, koumine-reduced the oxidative stress and inflammatory reaction triggered by LPS through regulation of the Nrf2/NF-κB signaling pathway and preventing intestinal barrier dysfunction.

Sanguinarine metabolism and pharmacokinetics study in vitro and in vivo

Sanguinarine (SA) is a benzo[c] phenanthridine alkaloid which has a variety of pharmacological properties. However, very little was known about the pharmacokinetics of SA and its metabolite dihydrosanguinarine (DHSA) in pigs. The purpose of this work was to study the intestinal metabolism of SA in vitro and in vivo. Reductive metabolite DHSA was detected during incubation of SA with intestinal mucosa microsomes, cytosol, and gut flora. After oral (p.o.) administration of SA, the result showed SA might be reduced to DHSA in pig intestine. After i.m. administration, SA and DHSA rapidly increased to reach their peak concentrations (C_max , 30.16 ± 5.85, 5.61 ± 0.73 ng/ml, respectively) at 0.25 hr. Both compounds were completely eliminated from the plasma after 24 hr. After single oral administration, SA and DHSA rapidly increased to reach their C_max (3.41 ± 0.36, 2.41 ± 0.24 ng/ml, respectively) at 2.75 ± 0.27 hr. The half-life (T_1/2 ) values were 2.33 ± 0.11 hr and 2.20 ± 0.12 hr for SA and DHSA, respectively. After multiple oral administration, the average steady-state concentrations (C_ss ) of SA and DHSA were 3.03 ± 0.39 and 1.42 ± 0.20 ng/ml. The accumulation indexes for SA and DHSA were 1.21 and 1.11. The work reported here provides important information on the metabolism sites and pharmacokinetic character of SA. It explains the reasons for low toxicity of SA, which is useful for the evaluation of its performance.

[Expression of Tim-3 on natural killer cells in patients with acute myeloid leukemia and its clinical significance]

目的

探讨负性共刺激分子Tim-3在初诊急性髓系白血病（AML）患者外周血自然杀伤细胞（NK细胞）表面的表达特征及其临床意义。

方法

采集2013年6月至2014年6月苏州大学附属第一医院血液内科收治的未经任何临床措施干预的39例AML患者外周血及28名健康志愿者的外周血，采用CD3⁻、CD56⁺、Tim-3⁺为标志，经免疫荧光标记和流式细胞术检测Tim-3在AML患者外周血NK细胞上的表达。

结果

初诊AML患者外周血NK细胞占淋巴细胞比例为（5.74±5.31）%，较正常对照组的（12.55±6.33）%显著下降（t=4.596，P<0.001）；初诊AML患者外周血NK细胞上Tim-3的表达水平为（42.67±19.08）%，较正常对照组的（60.99±20.69）%显著下降（t=3.781，P<0.001）。AML患者外周血NK细胞比例与其染色体核型相关（t=2.915，P<0.05）；Tim-3在AML患者NK细胞表达水平与患者诱导缓解率、危险分层相关（P值均<0.05）。

结论

AML患者外周血中NK细胞比例及Tim-3表达水平明显下降，Tim-3在AML患者外周血NK细胞上表达下调与AML的预后相关。

[Drugs endocrine therapy improves lower urinary tract symptoms in patients with prostate cancer and analysis of related factors]

Objective: To study the improvement of lower urinary tract symptoms and related influencing factors in patients with prostate cancer complicated with lower urinary tract symptoms after drugs endocrine therapy. Methods: The clinical data of 80 patients with prostate cancer with lower urinary tract symptoms and receiving drug endocrine therapy in Guizhou Provincial People's Hospital from March 2015 to June 2019 were analyzed retrospectively. All patients were followed up, and the mode of administration of the endocrine therapy, the time of administration, and the international prostate symptom score (IPSS2) and quality of life score (QOL2) after treatment were recorded. The improvement of IPSS score and quality of life score after endocrine therapy was observed. The correlation between variance and age, the prostate volume, PSA, tumor stage, Gleason score, symptom severity, medication mode, and medication time were analyzed by variance, chi-square test and paired sample t test. Results: The differences of QOL and IPSS before and after therapy were statistically significant (P<0.05). Chi-square test found that the effective rate of drug endocrine therapy was not related to age (χ²=0.800; P=0.371), tumor stage (χ²=0.094; P=0.759), PSA (χ²=0.651; P=0.420), prostate volume (χ²=0.216; P=0.642), Gleason score (χ²=0.157; P=0.692), symptom severity (χ²=0.457; P=0.499), medication mode (χ²=2.910; P=0.233), and medication time (χ²=4.159; P=0.385). Analysis of variance found that prostate volume and the severity of symptoms was significantly associated with improvement in lower urinary tract symptoms. Conclusions: Drug endocrine therapy can effectively improve the lower urinary tract symptoms of patients with prostate cancer, and the more severe the symptoms and prostate volumeof the patients, the more obvious the improvement of lower urinary tract symptoms. The age, tumor stage, PSA, Gleason score, time and manner of administration were not significantly correlated with improvement in lower urinary tract symptoms.

An analytical strategy to explore the multicomponent pharmacokinetics of herbal medicine independently of standards: Application in Gelsemium elegans extracts

The multicomponent pharmacokinetic study of herbal medicine is a great challenge due to the low plasma concentrations, large range of concentration scales, lack of authentic standards and uncertain interactions of the components. The aim of this work was to explore the in vivo pharmacokinetics of herbal medicine independently of authentic standards using an integrated analytical strategy. First, ion pairs of multiple components were tuned and selected, and then major parameters were optimized for derivative multiple reaction monitoring (DeMRM) by LC-MS/MS, which was combined with characterization of the chemical profiles of the herbal medicine by LC-QqTOF/MS. Second, different concentrations of herbal extracts were employed instead of authentic standards to construct calibration curves for the semiquantitative determination of multiple components in plasma. Taking Gelsemium elegans as an example, in addition to the fully validated and sufficient methodological results, a total of 27 alkaloid components, major bioactive constituents of Gelsemium elegans, were simultaneously monitored in pig plasma. The concentration-time profiles and pharmacokinetic properties of these 27 components were characterized. The absolute quantification of three components was compared with the results obtained using authentic standards, and the method showed very similar analytical characteristics, such as linearity, precision, accuracy, and the values of the pharmacokinetic parameters T_max, Vd, Cl and MRT. This analytical strategy was found to be capable of assessing herbal pharmacokinetics independently of specific authentic compounds for each component. This study was the first attempt to systematically reveal the in vivo pharmacokinetics of Gelsemium elegans. This strategy and methodology will find widespread use in the quantitative pharmacokinetic analysis of multiple components independently of standards for herbal medicine, among other applications.

[Genetic characterization of influenza A virus and assessment of vaccine efficacy in Yantai from 2014 to 2017]

In this study, the swabs were collected among patients with an influenza-like illness (ILI) admitted to 2 sentinel surveillance hospitals of Yantai from April 2014 to August 2017. All specimen were cultured and identified by hemagglutination inhibition assay. Complete sequences of Hemagglutinin (HA) of influenza A were amplified, sequenced and analyzed using molecular and phylogenetic methods. The potential vaccine efficacy were calculated using Pepitope model. The results showed that the antigenicity of A (H3N2) had changed greatly. 8 strains of influenza A (H1N1) pdm09 belonged to subclade 6B.1 and 14 strains clustered in 6B.2. 12 strains of influenza A (H3N2) fell into subgroup 3C.3a and 33 strains clustered in 3C.2a. Several residues at antigen sites and potential glycosylation sites had changed in influenza A strains. Vaccine efficacy of influenza A (H1N1) pdm09 in 2015/2016 and 2016/2017 seasons were 77.29% and 79.11% of that of a perfect match with vaccine strain, meanwhile vaccine efficacy of influenza A (H3N2) in 2014/2015, 2015/2016 and 2016/2017 were-5.18%, 16.97% and 42.05% separately. In conclusion, the influenza A virus circulated in Yantai from 2014 to 2017 presented continual genetic variation. The recommended vaccine strains still afforded protection against influenza A (H1N1) pdm09 strains and provided suboptimal protection against influenza A (H3N2) strains.

[The pathological characters of urothelial barrier in prostatic ducts of elderly SD rats]

Objective: To investigate the pathological characters of urothelial barrier in prostatic ducts of elderly male SD rats. Methods: Ten elderly male SD rats were anesthetized with chloral hydrate and then took the bladder, prostatic urethra and prostate tissues for serial pathological sections and HE staining. Immunohistochemical method was used to detect the expression of the Cytokeratin 7 (CK7), Cytokeratin 20 (CK20), Uroplakin Ⅲ (UP Ⅲ), Zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) and Occludin in issues, and to make densitometric analysis (IA) on immunohistochemical results of each antibody. Results: HE staining observed that urothelial umbrella cells exist in the bladder, prostatic urethra and proximal prostatic duct. Immunohistochemical method showed the CK7, UPⅢ, ZO-1 and Occludin were positive in bladder, prostatic urethra and prostatic duct, while CK20 was negative. CK7 and UPⅢ were positive in the proximal prostatic duct, and negative in the bottom of the ductal acinar lumen; ZO-1 and Occludin were positive in prostatic duct. The IOD/Area values of CK7 and UP Ⅲ, in bladder, prostatic urethra, proximal prostatic duct, the middle of prostatic duct and bottom of the ductal acinar lumen, were 0.16, 0.13, 0.06, 0.05, 0.00 and 0.17, 0.16, 0.08, 0.05, 0.00(P<0.05,respectively). The expression of ZO-1 and Occludin in bladder (0.14 and 0.13) were higher than those in other tissues (0.11-0.12 and 0.09-0.10, P<0.05); the expression of ZO-1 and Occludin, which in proximal prostatic duct to the middle of prostatic duct and bottom of the ductal acinar lumen, had no significant difference (0.12-0.11 and 0.09-0.09, P>0.05). The IA values of CK20 were extremely low (0.00-0.01, P>0.05). Conclusion: Urothelial barriers partially exist in the prostatic ducts of elderly male SD rats, and with the prostatic ducts gradually extending to the bottom of acinar lumen, the urothelial barriers disappear. The results lay a foundation for further study on the repair of urinary epithelial barrier after prostatectomy.

Procyanidin B2 from lotus seedpod regulate NO/ADMA/DDAH pathway to treat insomnia in rats

Recent studies show that nitric oxide/asymmetric dimethylarginine/dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase (NO/ADMA/DDAH) pathway may contribute to the development of sleep disorder. The objective of this study was to explore the inhibitory effect of procyanidin B2 from lotus seedpod (LSPC), a naturally occurring catechin compound, on insomnia and the mechanisms involved. The experiments were performed in brain from Sprague-Dawley rat control and insomniac rats treated or not with LSPC (15, 30, and 45 mg/kg, intragastrically) for 7 days. LSPC treatment reduced walking time and forelimb lifting-up frequency, cerebral levels of noradrenaline, glutamic acid, ADMA, sleep latency, and 8-isoprostane; increased sleep duration, cerebral concentrations of 5-hydroxytryptamine, γ-aminobutyric acid, and NO concomitantly with upregulated cerebral expression of DDAH 1, DDAH2, and neuronal NO synthases in insomniac rats. The present results suggest that LSPC may regulate NO/ADMA/DDAH pathway by inhibiting oxidative stress to treat insomnia in rats when sleep evaluation was achieved on the basis of behavioral criteria.

[Comparative observation of thulium laser resection of the prostate-tangerine technique and transurethral resection of the prostate for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia of various sizes]

Objective: To compare the efficiency and safety of thulium laser resection of the prostate-tangerine technique (TmLRP-TT) and transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) of various sizes. Methods: Clinical data of 249 BPH patients received TmLRP-TT or TURP were retrospectively collected. Patients were divided into small prostate group [prostate volume (PV)<40 ml], medium prostate group (40 ml≤PV<80 ml) and large prostate group (PV ≥ 80 ml) based on transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) results. Age, PV, Prostate-specific antigen (PSA), International prostate symptom score (IPSS), Quality of life (QoL), maximum of flow rate (Q(max)) and post-void residual urine (PVR) of patients received TmLRP-TT or TURP in each group were analyzed, as well as the perioperative data including operation time, hemoglobin and serum sodium level, transfusion, postoperative length of indwelling catheter and postoperative hospital stay. Furthermore, the postoperative complication rates of patients received the two operative methods in each group up to follow-up of 6 months were compared. Results: As for baseline indicators, there were no significant differences regarding age, prostate volume, PSA, IPSS, QoL, Qmax and PVR of patients received TmLRP-TT or TURP in each group (all P>0.05). In the small prostate group, there were no significant differences with operation time, hemoglobin and serum sodium level, transfusion, postoperative length of indwelling catheter and postoperative hospital stay received TmLRP-TT or TURP (all P>0.05). For the medium prostate group, patients received TmLRP-TT underwent longer operation time [(67.4±15.1) vs (57.5±11.5) min, P<0.001], but shorter length of indwelling catheter [(1.5±0.6) vs (3.1±0.9) d, P<0.001] and postoperative hospital stay [(3.5±0.9) vs (5.6±1.0) d, P<0.001], and there were no significant differences regarding transfusion rate (3/73 vs 1/78, P=0.280), hemoglobin [(9.8±9.0) vs (12.2±9.6) g/L, P=0.107] and serum sodium decrease [(2.07±3.65) vs (2.97±3.35) mmol/L, P=0.373]. In the large prostate group, patients received TmLRP-TT also underwent longer operation time [(86.5±14.3) vs (76.7±14.6) min, P=0.022], but less hemoglobin [(11.3±13.8) vs (23.3±15.0) g/L, P=0.006] and serum sodium decrease [(2.41±2.67) vs (4.00±6.22) mmol/L, P=0.042], lower transfusion rate (5/27 vs 0/24, P=0.026), and shorter length of indwelling catheter [(1.8±0.7) vs (4.3±1.5) d, P<0.001] as well as postoperative hospital stay [(3.7±1.1) vs (6.1±1.7) d, P<0.001]. Less overall complications were encountered in the medium (38/73 vs 24/78, P=0.008) and large (26/27 vs 10/24, P<0.001) prostate group who received TmLRP-TT, which was not seen in the small prostate group (P=0.589). Conclusions: TmLRP-TT and TURP are similarly efficient for the treatment of BPH of various sizes. For BPH patients with medium and large prostate, TmLRP-TT demonstrated significant advantages in reducing the overall complications, although the operation time was slightly longer.

Characterization of N-methylcanadine and N-methylstylopine metabolites in rat liver S9 by high-performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry

RATIONALE

N-Methylcanadine and N-methylstylopine are two types of isoquinoline alkaloids which are considered to be the main medicinally active constituents of the genus Papaveraceae. However, to date, no metabolism studies of N-methylcanadine and N-methylstylopine have been reported. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to investigate the in vitro metabolism of these two alkaloids in rat liver S9.

METHODS

N-Methylcanadine or N-methylstylopine was incubated with rat liver S9 for 1 h, and then the incubation mixture was processed with 15% trichloroacetic acid. High-performance liquid chromatography with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (HPLC/QqTOF-MS) as a reliable analytical method was used. The structural characterization of these metabolites was performed by the combination of the accurate MS/MS spectra and the known elemental composition.

RESULTS

As a result, a total of four metabolites of N-methylcanadine and five metabolites of N-methylstylopine in rat liver S9 were tentatively identified. The cleavage of the methylenedioxy group of the drugs was the main metabolic pathway of N-methylcanadine and N-methylstylopine.

CONCLUSIONS

The present study is the first in vitro metabolic investigation of N-methylcanadine and N-methylstylopine in rat liver S9 using a reliable HPLC/QqTOF-MS method. The metabolic pathways of N-methylcanadine and N-methylstylopine are tentatively proposed. This work lays the foundation for the in vivo metabolism of the two compounds in animals.

Paeoniflorin regulates GALNT2-ANGPTL3-LPL pathway to attenuate dyslipidemia in mice

N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase 2-Angiopoietin-like protein 3-lipoprotein lipase (GALNT2-ANGPTL3-LPL) pathway may be a useful pharmacologic objective for dyslipidemia. The present study was conducted to test the effect of paeoniflorin, a monoterpene Glycoside, on dyslipidemia in mice. Fifty mice were randomly divided into five groups (n = 10): three groups of apolipoprotein E-null (ApoE-/-) mice treated with paeoniflorin (10 or 20 or 30 mg/kg/day), untreated ApoE-/- mice group, and C57BL/6J control group. Six weeks after treatment, expression of hepatic ANGPTL3, hepatic GALNT2 and adipose tissue LPL, lipid levels in the liver and blood were quantified. Treatment with paeoniflorin (10 or 20 or 30 mg/kg) obviously down-regulated expression of ANGPTL3 and up-regulated expressions of GALNT2 and LPL concomitantly with elevated plasma high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level, reduced plasma concentrations of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, total cholesterol, triglyceride, malonaldehyde, and 8-isoprostane. The present results suggest that paeoniflorin regulates GALNT2-ANGPTL3-LPL pathway to attenuate dyslipidemia in mice.

Naringin Activates AMPK Resulting in Altered Expression of SREBPs, PCSK9, and LDLR To Reduce Body Weight in Obese C57BL/6J Mice

Previous investigations have shown molecular cross-talk among activated adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK), proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9), sterol regulatory element-binding proteins (SREBPs), and low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) and that it may be an innovative pharmacologic objective for treating obesity. We scrutinized the beneficial effect of naringin, a flavanone-7- O-glycoside, on obesity and the mechanisms in the present study. We arbitrarily divided 50 mice into five groups ( n = 10): 25 or 50 or 100 mg/kg/day naringin-treated obese mice (gavage for 8 weeks), untreated obese mice, and C57BL/6J control. After 8 weeks, body weight was 51.8 ± 4.4 in the untreated obese mice group, while the weights were 41.4 ± 4.1, 34.6 ± 2.2, and 28.0 ± 2.3 in 25, 50,100 mg/kg naringin groups, respectively. Moreover, naringin treatment significantly decreased plasma 8-isoprostane (an indicator of the oxidative stress) level, fat weight, liver weight, hepatic total cholesterol concentration, hepatic triglyceride concentration, plasma leptin level, plasma insulin content, plasma low-density lipoprotein cholesterol level, and plasma PCSK9 production concomitantly with down-regulated expression of SREBP-2, PCSK9, and SREBP-1, and up-regulated expression of p-AMPKα and LDLR. The present results suggest that naringin activates AMPK resulting in altered expression of SREBPs, PCSK9, and LDLR to reduce the body weight of obese C57BL/6J mice.

Identification of gelsemine metabolites in rat liver S9 by high-performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry

RATIONALE

Gelsemine has been extensively studied because of its anti-tumor, immunomodulatory, insecticidal itching and other significant effects. However, limited information on the pharmacokinetics and metabolism of gelsemine has been reported. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to investigate the in vitro metabolism of gelsemine in rat liver S9 by using rapid and accurate high-performance liquid chromatography/ quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (HPLC/QqTOF-MS).

METHODS

The incubation mixture was processed with 15% trichloroacetic acid. Multiple scans of gelsemine metabolites and accurate mass measurements were automatically performed simultaneously through data-dependent acquisition in only 30 min. The structural elucidations of these metabolites were performed by comparing their changes in accurate molecular masses and product ions with those of the parent drug.

RESULTS

Five metabolites of gelsemine were identified in rat liver S9. Of these, four metabolites of gelsemine were identified for the first time. The present results showed that the metabolic pathways of gelsemine are oxidation, demethylation, and dehydrogenation in rat liver S9.

CONCLUSIONS

In this study, metabolites of gelsemine in liver S9 were identified and elucidated firstly using the HPLC/QqTOF-MS method. The proposed metabolic pathways of gelsemine in liver S9 will provide a basis for further studies of the in vivo metabolism of gelsemine in animals and humans.

Attenuated heart rate recovery predicts risk of incident diabetes: insights from a meta-analysis

AIMS

To assess the association between attenuated heart rate recovery, a non-invasive measure of autonomic dysfunction, and risk of diabetes in the general population.

METHODS

Databases were searched for cohort studies up to May 2017 that reported the association of heart rate recovery with the risk of diabetes. The overall hazard ratios for slowest vs fastest heart rate recovery (the referent) and for every 10-beats-per-min decrement in heart rate recovery were calculated using a random effects meta-analysis model.

RESULTS

Four cohort studies with 430 incident cases of diabetes among a total of 9113 participants during a mean follow-up period of 8.1 years were included. Results showed that the slowest heart rate recovery was associated with a higher risk of diabetes (hazard ratio 1.66, 95% CI 1.16 to 2.38) vs the fastest heart rate recovery, and the hazard ratio of risk of diabetes for every 10-beats-per-min decrement in heart rate recovery was 1.29 (95% CI 1.13 to 1.48). No significant interaction effect was observed regarding the efficacy of 1-min and 2-min heart rate recovery in predicting risk of diabetes (both P_{for interaction} >0.60); however, a linear dose-response relationship existed for overall studies and for studies using 1-min heart rate recovery as the exposure (both P >0.60 for non-linearity).

CONCLUSIONS

Attenuated heart rate recovery is associated with an increased risk of diabetes in a dose-dependent manner, and measurement of heart rate recovery is worth recommending as part of diabetes risk assessment in clinical routines.

ANGPTL3 is part of the machinery causing dyslipidemia majorily via LPL inhibition in mastitis mice

Previous investigations have shown that inflammation induces changes in lipid and lipoprotein metabolism, and increased expression of angiopoietin-like protein 3 (ANGPTL3) contributes to the development of dyslipidemia. Here we investigated whether there is a correlation between increased ANGPTL3 expression and dyslipidemia in mastitis mice. Thirty mice were divided into two groups: control group and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus)-induced mastitis mice group. Changes in the levels of blood lipids [total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C)]; activity of myeloperoxidase (MPO); concentrations of plasma inflammation biomarkers [interferon-γ (IFNγ), tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα), and interleukin-1α (IL-1α)]; concentration of plasma ANGPTL3 protein; lipoprotein lipase (LPL) activities in postheparin plasma; expressions of hepatic N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase 2 (GALNT2), hepatic ANGPTL3 and adipose LPL were determined. The major results indicated specific pathological mammary tissue changes, elevated MPO activity, reduced GALNT2 mRNA expression, elevated ANGPTL3 mRNA and protein expression and reduced LPL mRNA and protein expression. In plasma samples the S.aureus infused mice displayed elevated ANGPTL3 protein concentration, TG, TC and LDL-C levels, and reduced postheparin LPL activities and HDL-C level. The data suggests that ANGPTL3 is part of the machinery causing dyslipidemia majorily via LPL inhibition in mastitis mice.

Kaempferol modulates Angiopoietin-like protein 2 expression to lessen the mastitis in mice

BACKGROUND

Mastitis is inflammation of a breast (or udder). Angiopoietin-like protein 2 (ANGPTL2) has been found as a key inflammatory mediator in mastitis. Purpose of this research was to investigate the mechanisms about repressing effect of kaempferol on mastitis.

METHODS

Forty mice were randomly divided into 4 groups (n=10): C57BL/6J control mice, untreated murine mastitis, 10mg/kg kaempferol treated murine mastitis (ip), and 30mg/kg kaempferol treated murine mastitis (ip). Primary cultured mouse mammary epithelial cells (MMEC) were indiscriminately divided into seven groups including control group, 10mmol/L vehicle of kaempferol group, 10μmol/L kaempferol treated group, 20μg/mL LPS treated group, 1μmol/L kaempferol plus LPS treated group, 3μmol/L kaempferol plus LPS treated group, and 10μmol/L kaempferol plus LPS treated group.

RESULTS

In murine mastitis, kaempferol (10 or 30mg/kg) treatment prevented mastitis development, decreased myeloperoxidase (MPO) production, interleukin (IL)-6 level, tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) concentration, and ANGPTL2 expression. In MMEC, kaempferol (1, 3 or 10μM) reduced MPO production, TNF-α concentration, IL-6 level, and ANGPTL2 expression.

CONCLUSIONS

The results in present study show that kaempferol modulates the expression of ANGPTL2 to lessen the mastitis in mice.

MicroRNA-143 inhibits cell growth by targeting ERK5 and MAP3K7 in breast cancer

This study aimed to investigate the function and mechanism of microRNA-143 (miR-143) in the occurrence and development of breast cancer (BC). A total of 30 BC tissues, 30 corresponding noncancerous tissues, and 10 normal control (NC) breast tissues were obtained to detect the levels of miR-143, extracellular signal-regulated kinase 5 (ERK5) and mitogen-activated protein 3 kinase 7 (MAP3K7) using RT-qPCR, western blotting or immunohistochemistry. The correlation of miR-143 with ERK5 or MAP3K7 was evaluated using Pearson correlation analysis. MCF-7 cells were transiently transfected with miR-143 mimic, miR-143 inhibitor, miR-143 mimic/inhibitor + si-ERK5, si-MAP3K7 or si-cyclin D1. Then, cell growth was evaluated by MTT assay and the expressions of phospho-ERK5 (p-ERK5), ERK5, p-MAP3K7, MAP3K7 and cyclin D1 were detected by western blotting. Results showed that, compared with noncancerous tissues or NC breast tissues, miR-143 level was decreased, while p-ERK5, ERK5, p-MAP3K7 and MAP3K7 expressions were increased in BC tissues (all P<0.01). The miR-143 level was negatively correlated with the mRNA level of ERK5 or MAP3K7 (r=-4.231 or r=-4.280, P<0.01). In addition, up-regulated miR-143 significantly decreased the expressions of p-ERK5, ERK5, p-MAP3K7, MAP3K7 and cyclin D1 (all P<0.01), as well as cell viability in MCF-7 cells (all P<0.05) while the effect of down-regulated miR-143 was the opposite. In conclusion, both ERK5 and MAP3K7 may be the target genes of miR-143. Increased expression of miR-143 can inhibit cell growth, which may be associated with ERK5 and MAP3K7 expressions in BC.

Comprehensive identification and structural characterization of target components from Gelsemium elegans by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry based on accurate mass databases combined with MS/MS spectra

This study reports an applicable analytical strategy of comprehensive identification and structure characterization of target components from Gelsemium elegans by using high-performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-QqTOF MS) based on the use of accurate mass databases combined with MS/MS spectra. The databases created included accurate masses and elemental compositions of 204 components from Gelsemium and their structural data. The accurate MS and MS/MS spectra were acquired through data-dependent auto MS/MS mode followed by an extraction of the potential compounds from the LC-QqTOF MS raw data of the sample. The same was matched using the databases to search for targeted components in the sample. The structures for detected components were tentatively characterized by manually interpreting the accurate MS/MS spectra for the first time. A total of 57 components have been successfully detected and structurally characterized from the crude extracts of G. elegans, but has failed to differentiate some isomers. This analytical strategy is generic and efficient, avoids isolation and purification procedures, enables a comprehensive structure characterization of target components of Gelsemium and would be widely applicable for complicated mixtures that are derived from Gelsemium preparations. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Structural elucidation of koumine metabolites by accurate mass measurements using high-performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry

RATIONALE

Koumine is one of the major components of total alkaloids from Gelsemium. Koumine possesses a variety of interesting pharmacological effects, including anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, and anxiolytic activities. It might be a promising lead drug because of its pharmacological activities and mild toxicity. However, little information is available on the metabolism of koumine.

METHODS

A rapid and accurate high-performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole-time-of-flight (HPLC/QqTOF) mass spectrometry method was applied to characterize koumine metabolites. Multiple scans of koumine metabolites, which were formed in rat liver S9, were automatically performed simultaneously through auto MS/MS mode acquisition in only a 30-min analysis. The structural elucidation of these metabolites was performed by comparing their changes in accurate molecular masses and product ions with those of the parent drug or metabolites.

RESULTS

As a result, a total of eleven metabolites of koumine were identified, of which nine new metabolites were found. The present results showed that the N-demethylenation, hydrogenation and the oxidation were the three main metabolic pathways of koumine.

CONCLUSIONS

This was the first investigation of in vitro metabolism of koumine in rat liver S9 using a sensitive and specific HPLC/QqTOF-MS method. The possible metabolic pathways of koumine were tentatively proposed based on the structural elucidations of these metabolites. This work may be useful in the in vivo metabolism of koumine in animals and humans. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Retarding viscous Rayleigh-Taylor mixing by an optimized additional mode

The Rayleigh-Taylor (RT) mixing induced by random interface disturbances between two incompressible viscous fluids is simulated numerically. The ensemble averaged spike velocity is found to be remarkably retarded when the random interface disturbances are superimposed with an optimized additional mode. The mode's wavenumber is selected to be large enough to avoid enhancing the dominance of long-wavelength modes, but not so large that its saturated spike and bubble velocities are too small to stimulate a growing effective density-gradient layer suppressing the long-wavelength modes. Such an optimized suppressing mode is expected to be found in the RT mixing including other diffusion processes, e.g., concentration diffusion and thermal diffusion.

Incoherence-coherence crossover and low-temperature Fermi-liquid-like behavior in AFe2As2 (A = K, Rb, Cs): evidence from electrical transport properties

We study the normal-state transport properties of AFe2As2 (A  =  K, Rb and Cs) single crystals using Hall coefficient, resistivity and magnetoresistance (MR) measurements. In all three materials, the Hall coefficient R H shows a strong temperature dependence, which is typical for multi-band systems. In particular, R H develops an upturn below a characteristic temperature [Formula: see text], which is in agreement with the incoherence-coherence crossover reported in recent nuclear magnetic resonance studies. A Fermi-liquid-like state, characterized by T (2) behavior of the resistivity and a positive orbital MR obeying Kohler's rule, emerges below T FL  ∼0.4 [Formula: see text]. The superconducting transition temperature T c experiences a simultaneous suppression with [Formula: see text] and T FL as the alkali ion's radius increases from A  =  K to A  =  Cs, suggesting that the unconventional superconductivity in the AFe2As2 series is related to the strength of the electronic coherence. A phase diagram, similar to that in the heavy fermion Kondo lattice system, is obtained. Based on all the experimental evidence, we argue that the physical properties of this family of heavily hole-doped Fe-based superconductors are controlled by the hybridization between itinerant carriers and localized orbitals, and the Kondo scenario could be effective in such a case.

Pedometer intervention and weight loss in overweight and obese adults with Type 2 diabetes: a meta-analysis

AIM

Although pedometer intervention is effective in increasing physical activity among adults with Type 2 diabetes, its impact on weight loss remains unclear. This meta-analysis was aimed to assess whether pedometer intervention promotes weight loss.

METHODS

Three different databases were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published in English up to April 2015. Studies were included if they investigated the effects of pedometer intervention on weight loss, as measured by BMI or weight. Effect sizes were aggregated using a random-effects model. Subgroup and meta-regression analyses were used to identify potential moderators. Eleven RCTs with 1258 participants were included. All enrolled participants were overweight or obese.

RESULTS

Pedometer intervention led to significantly decreased BMI [weighted mean difference (WMD) -0.15 kg/m(2) , 95% confidence interval (CI) -0.29 to -0.02 kg/m(2) ] and reduced weight (WMD -0.65 kg, 95% CI -1.12 to -0.17 kg). Dietary counselling seemed to be a key predictor of the observed changes. However, none of the following variables had a significant influence: step goal setting, baseline age, BMI, weight, sex distribution, disease duration, intervention duration, and baseline values or change scores for total or moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. After completion of the pedometer intervention, non-significant declines in BMI and weight were observed during the follow-up periods.

CONCLUSIONS

Pedometer intervention promotes modest weight loss, but its association with physical activity requires further clarification. Future studies are also required to document dietary and sedentary behaviour changes to facilitate the use of pedometers for weight loss in overweight and obese adults with Type 2 diabetes.

Identification of allocryptopine and protopine metabolites in rat liver S9 by high-performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry

RATIONALE

Allocryptopine (AL) and protopine (PR) have been extensively studied because of their anti-parasitic, anti-arrhythmic, anti-thrombotic, anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial activity. However, limited information on the pharmacokinetics and metabolism of AL and PR has been reported. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to investigate the in vitro metabolism of AL and PR in rat liver S9 using a rapid and accurate high-performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (HPLC/QqTOFMS) method.

METHODS

The incubation mixture was processed with 15% trichloroacetic acid (TCA). Multiple scans of AL and PR metabolites and accurate mass measurements were automatically performed simultaneously through data-dependent acquisition in only a 30-min analysis. The structural elucidations of these metabolites were performed by comparing their changes in accurate molecular masses and product ions with those of the precursor ion or metabolite.

RESULTS

Eight and five metabolites of AL and PR were identified in rat liver S9, respectively. Among these metabolites, seven and two metabolites of AL and PR were identified in the first time, respectively. The demethylenation of the 2,3-methylenedioxy, the demethylation of the 9,10-vicinal methoxyl group and the 2,3-methylenedioxy group were the main metabolic pathways of AL and PR in liver S9, respectively. In addition, the cleavage of the methylenedioxy group of the drugs and subsequent methylation or O-demethylation were also the common metabolic pathways of drugs in liver S9. In addition, the hydroxylation reaction was also the metabolic pathway of AL.

CONCLUSIONS

This was the first investigation of in vitro metabolism of AL and PR in rat liver S9. The detailed structural elucidations of AL and PR metabolites were performed using a rapid and accurate HPLC/QqTOFMS method. The metabolic pathways of AL and PR in rat were tentatively proposed based on these characterized metabolites and early reports. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Inhibitor of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) suppresses ovarian cancer growth, migration and invasion and enhances the effect of cisplatin in vitro

The aim of the present study was to investigate the anti-ovarian cancer effect of the inhibitor of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), WP1066. Western blot was used to detect the phosphorylation of STAT3 in ovarian cancer cell line SKOV3 and cisplatin-resistant ovarian cancer cell line SKOV3/DDP. MTT and colony-forming assays were performed to evaluate the viability and growth of ovarian cancer cells. The apoptosis of ovarian cancer cells was determined by flow cytometry. The wound healing assay and Transwell assay were performed to examine the migration and invasion of ovarian cancer cells. WP1066 significantly inhibited the phosphorylation of STAT3 in SKOV3 and SKOV3/DDP cells. WP1066 treatment inhibited the proliferation and clonogenicity of both SKOV3 and SKOV3/DDP cells. After WP1066 treatment for 24 h, the apoptosis rates of SKOV3 and SKOV3/DDP cells were significantly increased compared with the control cells. After treatment with WP1066, the reduction of the wound gaps was significantly less in both SKOV3 and SKOV3/DDP cells. WP1066 also significantly inhibited the invasion capacity of SKOV3 and SKOV3/DDP cells compared with the control group. Treatment with WP1066 combined with cisplatin significantly increased proliferation inhibition and apoptosis in SKOV3 and SKOV3/ DDP cells compared with treatment with cisplatin alone. A synergistic action between WP1066 and cisplatin on the proliferation and apoptosis of ovarian cancer cells was determined. In conclusion, inhibition of STAT3 may suppress the proliferation, migration and invasion, induce apoptosis and enhance the chemosensitivity of ovarian cancer cells, indicating that STAT3 is a new therapeutic target of ovarian cancer.

The metabolism of carbadox, olaquindox, mequindox, quinocetone and cyadox: an overview

The aim of this article is to get an overview of the metabolism of quinoxaline 1,4-di-N-oxides (QdNOs) used in food animals. The derivatives of QdNOs (carbadox, olaquindox, mequindox, quinocetone, and cyadox) are the potent synthetic antimicrobial agents that are used for improving the feed efficiency and controlling dysentery in food-producing animals. Studies have demonstrated that the toxicity of QdNOs is closely associated with the production of their metabolism, especially with the production of their reduced metabolites. To the best of our knowledge, no one has systematically compiled the metabolism data of QdNOs. Therefore, the metabolism of QdNOs in animals has been discussed in the review for the first time. These drugs undergo extensive metabolism prior to excretion. N-oxide group reduction is the major metabolic pathway of QdNOs. Moreover, the N1- and N4-oxide reductions of QdNOs by different reducing mechanisms are also described. Obvious differences in metabolic pathways for QdNOs were observed owing to the differences on the side chain of these drugs. Therefore, understanding the metabolic pathways of QdNOs in animals will provide the guides for further studies of metabolism and toxicology of these drugs, and will also provide abundant information for the food safety assessment.

Reductive metabolism of the sanguinarine iminium bond by rat liver preparations

BACKGROUND

Sanguinarine (SA) is a quaternary benzo[c]phenanthridine alkaloid that is mainly present in the Papaveraceae family. SA has been extensively studied because of its antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antitumor, antihypertensive, antiproliferative and antiplatelet activities. Metabolic studies demonstrated that SA bioavailability is apparently low, and the main pathway of SA metabolism is iminium bond reduction resulting in dihydrosanguinarine (DHSA) formation. Nevertheless, the metabolic enzymes involved in SA reduction are still not known in detail. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the rat liver microsomes and cytosol-induced SA iminium bond reduction, and to examine the effects of cytosol reductase inhibitors on the reductive activity.

METHODS

DHSA formation was quantified by HPLC. The possible enzymes responsible for DHSA formation were examined using selective individual metabolic enzyme inhibitors.

RESULTS

When SA was incubated with liver microsomes and cytosol in the absence of NAD(P)H, DHSA, the iminium bond reductive metabolite was formed. The reductase activity of the liver microsomes and cytosol was also enhanced significantly in the presence of NADH. The amount of DHSA formed in the liver cytosol was 4.6-fold higher than in the liver microsomes in the presence of NADH. The reductase activity in the liver cytosol was inhibited by the addition of flavin mononucleotide and/or riboflavin. Inhibition studies indicated that menadione, dicoumarol, quercetin and 7-hydroxycoumarin inhibited rat liver cytosol-mediated DHSA formation in the absence of NADH. However, only menadione and quercetin inhibited rat liver cytosol-mediated DHSA formation in the presence of NADH.

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggest that the SA iminium bond reduction proceeds via two routes in the liver cytosol. One route is direct non-enzymatic reduction by NAD(P)H, and the other is enzymatic reduction by possible carbonyl and/or quinone reductases in the liver cytosol.

Undaria pinnatifida soluble fiber regulates Angptl3-LPL pathway to lessen hyperlipidemia in mice

Angiopoietin-like protein 3 (Angptl3)-lipoprotein lipase (LPL) pathway may be a useful pharmacologic target for hyperlipidemia. The present study was conducted to test the effect of soluble fiber extracted from Undaria pinnatifida (UP), on hyperlipidemia in apolipoprotein E-deficient (ApoE(-/-)) mice. Forty mice were divided into four groups (n = 10): control group (C57BL/6J mice), ApoE(-/-) mice group, and two groups of ApoE(-/-) mice treated with UP fiber (5 or 10 % per day). UP soluble fiber treatment significantly decreased plasma and hepatic total cholesterol, triglycerides levels, plasma low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and malondialdehyde concentrations and increased plasma high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level and downregulated protein expression of Angptl3 concomitantly with upregulated protein expression of LPL. In addition, T0901317 caused elevated expression of hepatic Angptl3 protein, and the effect of T0901317 was also abrogated by UP soluble fiber in C57BL/6J mice. The present results suggest that the UP soluble fiber regulates Angptl3-LPL pathway to lessen hyperlipidemia in mice.

Inhibitory effect of sanguinarine on PKC-CPI-17 pathway mediating by muscarinic receptors in dispersed intestinal smooth muscle cells

This study investigated the inhibitory effects of sanguinarine (SA) on PKC-CPI-17 pathway in rat intestinal smooth muscle cells (ISMC). Previous studies indicate that the inhibitory effects of SA on ISMC contraction are possibly mediated by the Ca(2+) influx. ISMC was treated with 1 μM SA for 24h remarkably inhibited the mRNA expression of m2 and m3 receptors. ISMC treated with 1 or 3 μM SA for 30 min significantly decreased the mRNA expression of PKC-δ, PKC-ε, PKC-η, and CPI-17. 1 μM SA could markedly inhibit carbachol (CCh)-mediated increase PKC-δ, PKC-η, and CPI-17 mRNA but had no effect in PKC-ε.Treatment of ISMC with SA (1 μM, 30 min) caused a decrease in protein expression of PKC-δ. However, the expression of CPI-17 was significantly inhibited in a time-dependent manner. These results demonstrate that the inhibitory effect of SA is coupled with alteration of PKC-mediated signal transduction and intracellular Ca(2+) concentration.

Effect of Danofloxacin on Reactive Oxygen Species Production, Lipid Peroxidation and Antioxidant Enzyme Activities in Kidney Tubular Epithelial Cell Line, LLC-PK1

The purpose of this study was to investigate the possibility that oxidative stress was involved in danofloxacin-induced toxicity in renal tubular cells epithelial cell line (LLC-PK1). Confluent LLC-PK1 cells were incubated with various concentrations of danofloxacin. The extent of oxidative damage was assessed by measuring the reactive oxygen species (ROS) level, lipid peroxidation, cell apoptosis and antioxidative enzyme activities. Danofloxacin induced a concentration-dependent increase in the ROS production, not even cytotoxic conditions. Similarly, danofloxacin caused an about 4 times increase in the level of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances at the concentration of 400 μM for 24 hr, but it did not induce cytotoxicity and apoptosis. Antioxidant enzymes activities, such as superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT), were increased after treatment with 100, 200 and 400 μM of danofloxacin for 24 hr. The activity of glutathione peroxidase (GPX) was significantly decreased in a concentration-dependent manner. In addition, ROS production, lipid peroxidation and GPX decline were inhibited by additional glutathione and N-acetyl cysteine. These data suggested that danofloxacin could not induce oxidative stress in LLC-PK1 cells at the concentration (≤400 μM) for 24 hr. The increase levels of ROS and lipid peroxidation could be partly abated by the increase activities of SOD and CAT.

Identification of sanguinarine metabolites in pig liver preparations by accurate mass measurements using electrospray ionization hybrid ion trap/time-of-flight mass spectrometry

RATIONALE

Sanguinarine (SA) is currently used in veterinary medicine for animal husbandry as a natural component of feed additive Sangrovit. To date, SA metabolism in food-producing animals has not yet been reported. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to investigate the metabolism of SA in pig liver microsomes and cytosol.

METHODS

The SA incubations mixtures of microsomes and cytosol were processed by trichloroacetic acid (TCA) and acetonitrile. Then, the samples were analyzed using a sensitive and reliable method based on liquid chromatography combined with hybrid ion trap/time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-IT/TOFMS). The structural elucidations of these metabolites were performed by comparing the changes in the accurate molecular masses and product ions generated from precursor ions with those of the parent drug.

RESULTS

Seven metabolites were identified in pig liver preparations. Dihydrosanguinarine (DHSA, m/z 334) was the main metabolite formed in liver microsomes and the only one in cytosol. One oxidative metabolite and two O-demethylenated metabolites of SA (m/z 320) were found in the TCA-treated microsomal samples. However, SA pseudobase and two additional O-demethylenated metabolites of DHSA (m/z 322) were found only in the acetonitrile-treated microsomal samples.

CONCLUSIONS

It was demonstrated that different metabolites of SA were identified depending on the acidic or neural extraction conditions. A metabolic pathway of SA in pig was tentatively proposed based on these characterized metabolites and early reports.

Endoscopic submucosal dissection of gastric lesions by using a master and slave transluminal endoscopic robot: an animal survival study

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS

The feasibility of performing endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) using the Master and Slave Transluminal Endoscopic Robot (MASTER), a robotics-enhanced surgical system, has been shown in our previous study. This study aimed to further explore, in an animal survival study, the 2-week outcome of using MASTER to perform ESD.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

In this prospective study, ESD was performed on five female pigs (weighing 32.4 - 36.8 kg) under general anesthesia using the MASTER. The animals were observed for 2 weeks before being humanely killed for necropsy examination. The main outcome measures were completeness of resection, procedure-related complications, and survival at 2 weeks.

RESULTS

The procedure was successfully completed in all five pigs. It took a mean of 21.8 minutes (range 6 - 39 minutes) to complete the ESD of each gastric lesion. All lesions were excised en bloc; the average dimension of the lesions was 77 mm (range 25 - 104 mm). One pig sustained a small intraoperative perforation which was identified and successfully clipped. After completion of the ESD procedures, all pigs survived well for 2 weeks. Necropsy was performed, with intraoperative gastroscopy identifying all the ESD sites as healed. Histopathologic examination showed all ESD sites had healed with partial epithelialization. Microbiological tests of the peritoneal fluid showed only microbes typically found in pigs.

CONCLUSION

Performing ESD with MASTER was feasible and safe in this 2-week animal survival study.