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Painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy (pDPN) is a debilitating complication of diabetes. The aim of this retrospective study was to investigate the effectiveness of a Chinese herbal medicine regimen—the modified Huangqi Guizhi Wuwu Decoction (HGWD)—in the treatment of moderate-severe pDPN. The primary objective was to estimate the improvement in neuropathic pain severity. The secondary objective was to assess the response of common symptoms to the treatment. The change in patients’ blood glucose level during the whole treatment was also evaluated. By searching through our medical records of all the diabetic patients from January 2006 to January 2012, we identified and enrolled 30 moderate and severe pDPN patients in the study, for whom the treatment of neuropathic pain by regular pharmacotherapies had failed. The modified HGWD treatment was administered orally twice a day for 6 months. The numerical rating scale (NRS) level at month 6 was 2.57±2.30, significantly improved compared with the baseline level of 6.03±1.83 (P<0.05). The amelioration of 3 common symptoms, namely, limb pain, limb numbness, and insomnia, was evident, and the major response of common symptoms at month 6 including limb pain, insomnia, and limb coldness was significantly increased compared with the results at month 3 (P<0.05). Moreover, 2-hour postprandial blood glucose (2hPG) level decreased from 10.77±1.29 mmol/L at baseline to 9.66±0.60 mmol/L at month 6 (P<0.05). No serious adverse events occurred throughout the treatment period. The modified HGWD was effective in the treatment of moderate and severe pDPN and can thus be offered as a new alternative treatment option for pDPN patients who failed to respond to regular pharmaceutical therapies.

Phytochemicals in vegetables are important for human health, and their biosynthesis, metabolism and accumulation are affected by environmental factors. Light condition (light quality, light intensity and photoperiod) is one of the most important environmental variables in regulating vegetable growth, development and phytochemical accumulation, particularly for vegetables produced in controlled environments. With the development of light-emitting diode (LED) technology, the regulation of light environments has become increasingly feasible for the provision of ideal light quality, intensity and photoperiod for protected facilities. In this review, the effects of light quality regulation on phytochemical accumulation in vegetables produced in controlled environments are identified, highlighting the research progress and advantages of LED technology as a light environment regulation tool for modifying phytochemical accumulation in vegetables.

Introduction Latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (LADA) is regarded as one of the Insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus that progress slowly. It gradually became understood since 1970s. The onset usually appears in adulthood, the islet autoantibodies are positive and the function of β cell is declined rapidly. The treatment is insulin injection. Case presentation The case reported followed is a 37-year-old male patient who was newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. He abandoned oral hypoglycemic agents since they caused stomach indisposed. Before visiting, his islet autoantibodies were detected positive and he had never injected insulin before. We treated him with traditional Chinese herbals under the guidance of Traditional Chinese Medicine and differentiation, and achieved fine efficacy. Conclusion Because the initial presentation of LADA is similar to Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and examination is not in common use, misdiagnosis is not rare. Once LADA is diagnosed, the therapy must be adjusted. This case report indicated that Traditional Chinese Medicine might be an alternative treatment for LADA.

Diabetic nephropathy is a leading cause of chronic renal failure. Recently, Euonymus alatus showed therapeutic potential in the treatment of diabetes and its chronic complications. In this study, effects of Euonymus alatus and its mechanism in the treatment of diabetic nephropathy were investigated. Diabetic nephropathy was induced in Sprague-Dawley rats by uninephrectomy plus streptozotocin (STZ) administration. Euonymus alatus and irbesartan, as a positive control, were lavaged to these rats for 12 weeks. Our data showed that Euonymus alatus was efficient in lowering HbA1c, improving blood lipids, decreasing 24 h urine protein and protecting kidney function. Pathological studies found kidney damage, including extracellular matrix expansion and glomerulosclerosis, were improved by Euonymus alatus treatment. Further investigation found that the herb had a role in downregulating the expression of transform growth factor β1. In conclusion, Euonymus alatus has a protective role in diabetic nephropathy, which may be related to its downregulation of transform growth factor β1 expression.

Recycling of biogas slurry via vegetable production is a multi-benefit and sustainable utilization strategy regarding agriculture and environment. A glasshouse experiment was conducted to investiga...

Based on the rigid-plastic deformation finite element method and the heat transfer theories, the forming process of cross wedge rolling was simulated with the finite element software DEFORM-3D. The temperature field of the rolled piece during the forming process was analyzed. The results show that the temperature gradient in the outer of the work-piece is sometimes very large and temperature near the contact deformation zone is the lowest while temperature near the center of the rolled-piece keeps relatively stable and even rises slightly. Research results provide a basis for further study on metal flow and accurate shaping of work-piece during cross wedge rolling.

In this study, we investigated the effects of a Chinese herbal medicine formula Xiao-Gao-Jiang-Zhuo (XGJZ) in obese rats induced by a high-fat diet. Ten male rats in the normal group were fed with a standard diet. Another 50 male obese rats were induced by a 12-week high-fat diet feeding, and were randomly divided into five groups (n = 10 per group): the model group, the high-dose XGJZ group, the middle-dose XGJZ group, the low-dose XGJZ group, and the sibutramine group. After 14 weeks of treatment, body weight, abdominal fat, blood lipid and serum insulin level were measured, and the protein and gene expression of PTP1B in liver tissue was tested. Our data showed that the body weight of the high-dose and middle-dose groups and the sibutramine group had significant differences in comparison with the model group (p < 0.05), and all three dose groups had significantly reduced abdominal fat (p < 0.05). The triglyceride level of the three dose groups and the sibutramine group, and the total cholesterol level of the middle-dose group were all significantly reduced (p < 0.05). The serum insulin of the high-dose and middle-dose groups also decreased significantly (p < 0.05). The expression of hepatic PTP1B mRNA of the three dose groups decreased significantly in comparison with the model group (p < 0.05 or 0.01). The expression of hepatic PTP1B protein of the high-dose and middle-dose groups decreased significantly (p < 0.05). Our data suggested that XGJZ can modulate the body weight, abdominal fat and blood lipid in the obese rats, and this modulation might improve insulin resistance by inhibiting the PTP1B signal pathway.

Vegetables, the indispensable staple produce providing humans with many beneficial substances, are readily contaminated by nitrate, heavy metals and pesticides during conventional cultivation. In particular, off-season vegetables grown in protected systems with low light intensity do tend to accumulate more nitrate in tissues due to excess N fertilization driven by farmers' desire for high yields. Over-the-limit accumulation of the harmful substances in vegetables constitutes a serious hazard to human health globally. Soilless cultivation, currently a fraction of vegetable cultivation in China, is a promising cultivation method to decrease the accumulation of harmful substances through nutrient solution regulation and environmental factor control. However, conventional inorganic nutrient solutions present few quality benefits besides plant nutrition for the widely acknowledged formulations. Currently, high-quality vegetables are urgently desired by humans globally, but they are difficult to grow for lack of an effective and practical cultivation method to lower the accumulation of harmful substances and to improve nutritional quality simultaneously. Although some attempts have been made, few commercial formulations have been applied in practice. Biogas manure (biogas slurry and biogas dregs) is a by-product of biogas production. It has been shown to be a good fertilizer with abundant nutrients, amino acids and bioactive substances. In China, as a product of the recycling process of agricultural wastes, biogas manure is an ever-growing resource due to the rapid development of biogas projects. Therefore, the need to utilize biogas manure is an urgent issue that relates both to environment protection and nutrient resources utilization. In this paper, the updated research results on yield and the quality effects of vegetables cultivated with biogas dregs and the solutions modified from biogas slurry in China are summarized, highlighting the feasibility and benefits of biogas manure in high-quality vegetable production. It is concluded that biogas manure is an effective nutrient source for high-quality vegetable production based on its synergistic effects and effectiveness in yield and quality improvement (particularly depression effects on nitrate accumulation), and stress resistance. However, deliberate component regulations need to be developed for better yield and quality of vegetables under soilless cultivation due to the large variability of components of biogas manure caused by various combinations of fermentative materials.

Diabetic peripheral neuropathy is a common chronic complication of diabetes. Routine clinical management uses analgesics to relieve pain in combination with drugs for nerve repair. The drugs are often not effective for the severe pain cases, and these western medications also have side effects. We report a more effective treatment of diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain using a high dose of a traditional Chinese medicine, aconitum (including both Radix aconite preparata and Radix aconite kusnezoffii), in combination with Huangqi Guizhi Wuwu Tang (i.e., astragalus, cassia twig, white peony root, and spatholobi). In order to achieve stronger analgesic effects, we increased the clinical dosage of aconitum from 15 to 120 g. The aconitum was boiled for 6–8 hours, and licorice was also used to reduce potential toxicities of aconitum. In the four reported cases, the patients' neuropathic pain was remarkably reduced and the EMG profile was also improved with this treatment regimen. Adverse reactions were not observed during the therapy. Thus, aconitum represents a promising and safe treatment for the well-being of patients and their diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain. Future controlled clinical trials using traditional Chinese medicines containing aconitum in treating the neuropathic pain are warranted.

AIM: To assess the current clinical evidence of the effectiveness of Xiangshaliujunzi Decoction (XSLJZD) for the treatment of diabetic gastroparesis (DGP). METHODS: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were retrieved from seven major electronic databases including Medline, the Cochrane Library, Embase, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM), Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese Scientific Journal Database (VIP), and Wanfang Databases, using search dates from the beginning of the databases to May 2013. No language limitations were applied. We included RCTs that used XSLJZD or a modified XSLJZD compared with a control group for the treatment of DGP. The control groups included conventional treatment (Western medicinal treatment), placebo, and no treatment (blank), but not acupuncture. The main outcome index was clinical effectiveness, which was based on the gastric emptying test and variations in the gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms between the treatment and control groups after intervention. Data extraction, analysis, and quality assessment were conducted according to the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Review of Interventions, Version 5.1.0. RESULTS: Ten RCTs involving 867 patients (441 in the experimental groups, and 426 in the control groups) were identified, and the overall methodological quality was evaluated as generally low. In the treatment groups, all 10 trials used herbs alone as the treatment, whereas all control groups used prokinetic medicine. The period of intervention ranged from 2 to 8 wk. Three classes were used to evaluate treatment efficacy: significant effective, effective, and ineffective, and all trials used the clinical effective rate (based on the gastric emptying test and changes in GI symptoms) to evaluate efficacy. The data showed that the effects of XSLJZD for the treatment of DGP were superior to the control group (n = 867, RR =1.33, 95%CI: 1.24-1.42, Z = 8.11, P < 0.00001). Two trials recorded adverse events, and one trial reported follow-up. CONCLUSION: XSLJZD could restore the gastric emptying rate and improve symptoms. However, the evidence remains weak due to the poor methodological quality of the included studies.

The Chinese formula Tang-Min-Ling (TML), an improved product of the decoction of Dachaihu which has a history of more than 2000 years, has main constituents of Coptis chinensis Franch, Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, Rheum officinale Baill and Bupleurum chinense DC. A multi-central randomized controlled investigation performed previously by us has showed that TML has positive effects on regulating glycometabolism in type 2 diabetes (T2DM) patients, but the mechanisms remain unclear. Using Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima Fatty (OLETF) rats as an animal model with rosiglitazone as a positive control, we were able to detect TML's effect on the serum glucose, serum lipid, serum leptin and adiponcetin after oral administration for 12 weeks. We were also able to detect the insulin resistance level by a glucose clamp test and study the mechanisms of TML in improving insulin resistance by detecting skeletal muscle AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4). Results showed that TML significantly reduced the glucose area under a curve of the oral glucose tolerance test, and had a positive effect in regulating serum lipid metabolism. TML treatment also significantly reduced the serum leptin level, but it had no effect on the serum adiponectin level. The AMPK enzymatic activity and GLUT4 expression in Skeletal Muscle were also upregulated in the TML group. The results suggest that the Chinese medicine TML, which contains Coptis chinensis Franch as one of its components, improves glycometabolism and its possible mechanisms may involve in improvement of insulin resistance of OLETF rats.

The theoretical calculation of rolling force was presented in this paper. With the software ANSYS/LS-DYNA, the change feature of rolling force for the light area reduction shaft was analyzed through a comparison with that of the conventional area reduction rolled piece. It is shown that rolling force keeps increasing in the stretching zone, and attains the maximum value at the end of the stretching zone. And the rolling force can be significantly reduced by making void treatment on the dies. Then the effects of process parameters on rolling force were also obtained and the simulation results indicate that rolling force reduces with the increase of forming angle, but increases with the increase of stretching angle and stretching length.

We report an interesting case of delayed frontal abscess caused by a penetrating nonmissile foreign body, a bamboo stick in a 1.5-year-old male child. A parietal craniotomy was performed, and the brain abscess was resected along with the foreign body without any damage to the surrounding brain tissue. He also received the appropriate antibiotics. The child made a good recovery.