Search

Gegen Qinlian Decoction (GQD), a classic Chinese herbal formula, has been widely used in Chinese clinic for centuries and is well defined in treating nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). However, the mechanism action of GQD on NAFLD is still rarely evaluated. The present study aims to investigate the effect of GQD on treatment of NAFLD in rats and to further explore the underlying mechanism. The rat NAFLD model established by high-fat-diet feeding was used in the research. Our results exhibited the liver lesions and steatosis was significantly alleviated in NAFLD rats treated with GQD via Oil Red O and H&E staining. Body weight and liver index in GQD groups were reduced significantly (P < 0.05). Moreover, the biochemical analyzer test results showed that GQD significantly decreased blood lipid levels total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and liver injury indicators alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP), while it increased the level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) (P < 0.05). The levels of interferon-β (IFN-β), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and malondialdehyde (MDA) after the GQD treatment were significantly lower, and then interleukin-2 (IL-2), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) levels were lifted significantly (P < 0.05). Further, GQD blocked the expression of NLRP3, ASC, caspase-1 mRNA, and proteins in the liver tissues significantly (P < 0.05). These findings indicated that GQD can ameliorate the hepatic steatosis and injury of NAFLD. Its possible mechanism involves the modulation of inflammatory cytokines and antioxidative stress and the inhibition of NLRP3 signal axis activation. The results support that GQD may be a promising candidate in the treatment of NAFLD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic carbon (C) occluded in phytolith (PhytOC) is stable in the soil for millennia and can be an important contributor to long-term C storage in forest ecosystems. In order to understand the effect of parent material and vegetation type on the production of PhytOC in plant litter in subtropical forests in China, we investigated the PhytOC concentration and stock in plant litter in four forest types, moso bamboo ( Phyllostachys edulis Moso), Chinese-fir ( Cunninghamia lanceolata ), evergreen broadleaf and mixed conifer-broadleaf forests, established on three parent materials (rhyolite, sandy shale and tuff). This study showed that: 1) both parent material and forest type significantly affected phytolith concentrations in litter, and there was a significant interaction between parent material and forest type. Plant litter in the moso bamboo forest developed on rhyolite and tuff had the highest phytolith concentrations followed by moso bamboo forest on sandy shale; 2) forest type but not parent material affected PhytOC concentrations in litter, with the highest in the moso bamboo forest; 3) both parent material and forest type significantly affected PhytOC stock in litter, without a significant interaction between the two factors. The moso bamboo forest had the highest PhytOC stock in its litter; and 4) the PhytOC stock returned to the soil in moso bamboo, Chinese-fir, evergreen broad-leaf and mixed coniferous forests was (mean ± SD) 14.66 ± 4.69, 2.87 ± 2.19, 6.22 ± 2.46 and 4.84 ± 1.82 kg ha −1 , respectively. Considering the area of the four respective forest types, the amount of C that can be entered into the soil in the form of PhytOC in litter was 2.08 × 10 5 , 1.19 × 10 5 , 5.68 × 10 5 and 2.75 × 10 4 t CO 2 -e, respectively, and therefore it indicates a great potential in long-term C storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Accurate electrode targeting was essential for the efficacy of deep brain stimulation (DBS). There is ongoing debate about the necessary of microelectrode recording (MER) in subthalamic nucleus (STN)-DBS surgery for accurate targeting. Objective: This study aimed to analyze the accuracy of imaging-guided awake DBS with MER in STN for Parkinson's disease in a single center. Methods: The authors performed a retrospective analysis of 161 Parkinson's disease patients undergoing STN-DBS at our center from March 2013 to June 2021. The implantation was performed by preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based direct targeting with intraoperative MER and macrostimulation testing. 285 electrode tracks with preoperative and postoperative coordinates were included to calculate the placement error in STN targeting. Results: 85.9% of electrodes guided by preoperative MRI were implanted without intraoperative adjustment. 31 (10.2%) and 12 (3.9%) electrodes underwent intraoperative adjustment due to MER and intraoperative testing, respectively. We found 86.2% (245/285) of electrodes with trajectory error ≤2 mm. The MER physiological signals length < 4 mm and ≥4 mm group showed trajectory error > 2 mm in 38.0% and 8.8% of electrodes, respectively. Compared to non-adjustment electrodes, the final positioning of MER-adjusted electrodes deviated from the center of STN. Conclusion: The preoperative MRI guided STN targeting results in approximately 14% cases that require electrode repositioning. MER physiological signals length < 4 mm at first penetration implied deviation off planned target. MER combined with intraoperative awake testing served to rescue such deviation based on MRI alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• QFA decoction PK and PD in hyperlipidemia and normal rats was studied. • QFA decoction shows antioxidant activity in the hyperlipidemia rats. • PK-PD model was achieved by a three-compartment PK model with sigmoid E m a x PD model. • Constructed model provided fundamental data for further study on applications of QFA. • Deeper studies help better inspect the pathogenesis of hyperlipidemia. Quzhou Fructus Aurantii (QFA) is an herb that is commonly used to alleviate inflammation in individuals dealing with obesity.To date, however, no systematic pharmacokinetic (PK) or pharmacodynamic (PD) analyses of the clinical efficacy of QFA under hyperlipemia-associated oxidative stress conditions have been conducted. The present study, was therefore designed to construct a PK-PD model for this herb, with the goal of linking QFA PK profiles to key therapeutic outlines to guide the therapeutic use of this herb in clinical settings. Rats were fed a high-fat diet in order to establish a model of hyperlipidemia, after which they were randomized into a normal control group (NCG), a normal treatment group (NTG), a model control group (MCG), and a model treated group (MTG) (n = 6 each). QAF decoction was used to treat rats in the NTG and MTG groups (25 g/kg), while equivalent volumes of physiological saline were administered to rats in the NCG and MCG groups. Plasma samples were collected from the mandibular vein for animals at appropriate time points and analyzed via high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). We evaluated PK properties for three QAF components and compared these dynamics between the NTG and MTG groups, while also measuring levels of lipid peroxidation (LPO) in the plasma of rats in all four treatment groups. We then constructed a PK-PD model based upon plasma neohesperidin, luteolin, and nobiletin concentrations and LPO levels using a three-compartment PK model together with a Sigmoid E m a x PD model. This model thereby enabled us to assess the antioxidative impact of neohesperidin, luteolin, and nobiletin on hyperlipidemia in rats. When comparing the NTG and MTG groups, we detected significant differences in the following parameters pertaining to neohesperidin, luteolin, and nobiletin: t 1 / 2 β , V1, t 1 / 2 γ , CL1 (p < 0.01) and AUC 0-t , T m a x , C m a x (p < 0.05). Relative to NTG group rats, AUC 0-t , T m a x and C m a x values significantly higher for MTG group rats (p < 0.01), while t 1 / 2 β , V1, and t 1 / 2 γ values were significantly lower in MTG group rats (p < 0.01) in MTG rats. QAF decoction also exhibited excellent PD efficacy in MTG rats, with significant reductions in plasma LPO levels relative to NTG rats (p < 0.01) following treatment. This therapeutic efficacy may be attributable to the activity of neohesperidin, luteolin, and nobiletin, as LPO levels and plasma concentrations of these compounds were negatively correlated in treated rats. Based upon Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) values, we determined that neohesperidin, luteolin, and nobiletin PK processes were consistent with a three-compartment model. Together, these findings indicated that three active components in QAF decoction (neohesperidin, luteolin, and nobiletin) may exhibit antioxidant activity in vivo. Our in vivo data indicated that neohesperidin, luteolin and nobiletin components of QAF decoctions exhibit distinct PK and PD properties. Together, these findings suggest that hyperlipidemia-related oxidative stress can significantly impact QFA decoction PK and PD parameters. Our data additionally offer fundamental insights that can be used to design appropriate dosing regimens for individualized clinical QAF decoction treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Subcallosal cingulate gyrus (SCG) is a target of deep brain stimulation (DBS) for treatment‐resistant depression. However, previous randomized controlled trials report that approximately 42% of patients are responders to this therapy of last resort, and suboptimal targeting of SCG is a potential underlying factor to this unsatisfactory efficacy. Tractography has been proposed as a supplementary method to enhance targeting strategy. We performed a connectivity‐based segmentation in the SCG region via probabilistic tractography in 100 healthy volunteers from the Human Connectome Project. The SCG voxels with maximum connectivity to brain regions implicated in depression, including Brodmann Area 10 (BA10), cingulate cortex, thalamus, and nucleus accumbens were identified, and the conjunctions were deemed as tractography‐based targets. We then performed deterministic tractography using these targets in additional 100 volunteers to calculate streamline counts compassing to relevant brain regions and fibers. We also evaluated the intra‐ and inter‐subject variance using test–retest dataset. Two tractography‐based targets were identified. Tractography‐based target‐1 had the highest streamline counts to right BA10 and bilateral cingulate cortex, while tractography‐based target‐2 had the highest streamline counts to bilateral nucleus accumbens and uncinate fasciculus. The mean linear distance from individual tractography‐based target to anatomy‐based target was 3.2 ± 1.8 mm and 2.5 ± 1.4 mm in left and right hemispheres. The mean ± SD of targets between intra‐ and inter‐subjects were 2.2 ± 1.2 and 2.9 ± 1.4 in left hemisphere, and 2.3 ± 1.4 and 3.1 ± 1.7 in right hemisphere, respectively. Individual heterogeneity as well as inherent variability from diffusion imaging should be taken into account during SCG‐DBS target planning procedure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]