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Yi Mai Jian herbal formula (YMJ) is formulated with Eucommiae Folium, Astragali Radix, Ligustri Lucidi Fructus, and Elaeagnus Fructus to improve bone function in traditional Chinese medicine. The anti-osteoporotic effects of YMJ in bone metabolism were evaluated in ovariectomized (OVX) rats. The skeletal structure of the femur and vertebrae was analyzed after treating OVX rats with YMJ for 114 days. The results showed that YMJ significantly increased the bone mineral density (BMD) and trabecular number (Tb. N) of the femur and 5th lumbar vertebrae and reduced trabecular separation (Tb. Sp). Moreover, trabecular bone volume/total tissue volume (BV/TV), bone stiffness, and maximum femur load were significantly increased. The serum concentrations of NTX1 and PYD were significantly decreased. According to these results, YMJ could ameliorate osteoporosis in ovariectomized rats. Eucommiae Folium and Elaeagnus Fructus inhibited osteoclast differentiation, Ligustri Lucidi Fructus inhibited calcium reabsorption, Astragali Radix stimulated osteoblast proliferation, and Astragali Radix and Eucommiae Folium stimulated mineralization. Therefore, the combination of the four herbs into one formula, YMJ, could alleviate bone remodeling caused by low estrogen levels. We suggest that YMJ could be a healthy food candidate for preventing post-menopausal osteoporosis.

Background and aim: Du-Huo-Ji-Sheng-Tang (DHJST) is a Chinese herbal formula used for arthralgia and arthritis treatment clinically. This study aims to evaluate the joint-protecting efficacy of DHJST and to identify the active constituents as the evaluation marker. Experimental procedure: DHJST can be categorized into three recipes: Blood-tonifying-herbs Si-Wu-Tang (SWT), Wind-dampness-dispelling-herbs (WDH) and Qi-tonifying-herbs (TH). All formulas were used to explore the joint-protecting efficacies. Results and conclusion: s: Firstly, DHJST could decrease the arthritis progression in the monosodium-iodoacetate-induced rat and cure arthritis in the type II collagenase-induced rat. Further, in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells, DHJST, TH and Cinnamomum cassia (CC), an ingredient in TH, were the most potent nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) inhibitors. The major components, cinnamic aldehyde, showed the strongest NO and PGE2 inhibition. Up-regulated inducible NO synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 were inhibited by DHJST, TH, CC, and cinnamic aldehyde. In interleukin-1β-stimulated primary chondrocytes, upregulated iNOS was inhibited by DHJST, TH, Cinnamomum cassia, and cinnamic aldehyde. Upregulated matrix metalloprotease-13 was only inhibited by DHJST and TH and Eucommia ulmoides (EU) extract. Results suggest that DHJST presented joint-protective and cure arthritis effects. TH presented equal joint-protective effects as DHJST. The major anti-inflammatory ingredient in TH was Cinnamomum cassia in TH. And cinnamic aldehyde was the potent anti-inflammatory active compound in Cinnamomum cassia. Therefore, this study may facilitate the modern use of DHJST with TH as a simplified version but equally effective anti-osteoarthritic agents with cinnamic aldehyde as a quality control marker of DHJST and TH in osteoarthritis prevention or treatment.

A phenome-wide association study and polygenic risk score analysis identifies several loci linked to metabolic disease and type 2 diabetes in the Taiwanese population.

Abstract Background Poor oral health affects quality of life; oral health literacy studies are increasing as it plays an essential role in promoting oral health. However, little is known regarding the gender differences in oral health literacy and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) among older adults. This study aimed to explore the gender differences in oral health literacy and OHRQoL among community-dwelling older adults in Taiwan. Methods A cross-sectional study design with convenience sampling was undertaken to recruit participants at two community service centres. Data were collected using a structured survey consisted of the demographic characteristics, instrumental activities of daily living, nutrition assessment, oral health literacy and OHRQoL. The logistic regression was used to examine the gender differences in the relationship between oral health literacy and OHRQoL. Results A total of 202 participants completed the survey. Of which 56.4% (n = 114) were female. Logistic regression analyses showed that after controlling for age, instrumental activities of daily living, nutrition, education level, and average monthly income, better oral health literacy was associated with better oral health quality of life (p = 0.006) in men. Conclusions The relationship between oral health literacy and OHRQoL was only significant for men. No significant relationship between women’s oral health literacy and their OHRQoL. However, good OHRQoL is an integral part of overall health, but it is affected by differences in oral health and the accessibility of healthcare services. We suggest that gender-specific oral health literacy education should be offered through community health-education programs.

Paclitaxel frequently induces peripheral neuropathy and myelosuppression during cancer treatment. According to the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan, traditional Chinese medicine doctors widely use Xiang Sha Liu Jun Zi Tang (XSLJZT) to treat breast cancer patients who have received paclitaxel. We explored the combined therapeutic effects of XSLZJT with paclitaxel. XSLJZT did not exhibit significant cytotoxic effects on P388-D1 cells; however, the combination of XSLJZT (100 and 500 mg/kg) with paclitaxel prolonged the survival rate in P388–D1 tumor-bearing mice compared to paclitaxel-only. In addition, XSLJZT was found to enhance white blood cells (WBC) counts and promote leukocyte rebound in paclitaxel-induced leukopenia in mice. XSLJZT also reduced paclitaxel-induced mechanical pain and inhibited c-Fos protein expression in the L4-6 spinal cords of Wistar rats. Moreover, paclitaxel-induced shortening of the nerve fibers of dorsal root ganglion cells was ameliorated by pre-treatment with XSLJZT. Therefore, we suggest that XSLJZT could be used as an adjunct for cancer patients, as the formula could decrease paclitaxel-induced neuropathy and myelosuppression.

With the prevalence of obesity and other components of metabolic syndrome, Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become increasingly common. In recent years, much attention has been paid to various plant sources, hoping to find a treatment for NAFLD in plants. The Livsooth authentic herbal formula (LAH, 樂悠本草), a botanical drug formula combined with Puerariae lobatae radix, Lonicerae japonicae flos, Hoveniae semen, and Siraitiae fructus. This study used a network pharmacology approach to predict the potential mechanisms of LAH against NAFLD. Gene Ontology (GO) and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses have identified potential biochemical and signaling pathways. Subsequently, the potential mechanism of action of LAH on NAFLD predicted by network pharmacology analysis was validated in a high-fat diet (HFD)-induced NAFLD model in C57BL/6 mice. Our results demonstrated that LAH ameliorated hepatocyte steatosis in liver tissue by activating the AMPK pathway and decreasing serum triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein, glucose, and cholesterol. Besides, LAH increased the hepatic antioxidant enzymes activities, suggested that LAH improved oxidative stress markers in HFD induced NAFLD mice. In vitro experiments confirmed that the active component of LAH, puerarin, regulates lipid accumulation through the AMPK pathway. In conclusion, our study shows that network pharmacology predictions are consistent with experimental validation. LAH can be a candidate supplement for the prevention of NAFLD.

During the COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) outbreak, many people were infected, and the symptoms may persist for several weeks or months for recovering patients. This is also known as “long COVID” and includes symptoms such as fatigue, joint pain, muscle pain, et cetera. The COVID-19 virus may trigger hyper-inflammation associated with cytokine levels in the body. COVID-19 can trigger inflammation in the joints, which can lead to osteoarthritis (OA), while long-term COVID-19 symptoms may lead to joint damage and other inflammation problems. According to several studies, sesame has potent anti-inflammatory properties due to its major constituent, sesamin. This study examined sesamin’s anti-inflammatory, anti-osteoarthritis, and anti-COVID-19 effects. Moreover, in vivo and in vitro assays were used to determine sesamin’s anti-inflammatory activity against the RAW264.7 and SW1353 cell lines. Sesamin had a dose-dependent effect (20 mg/kg) in a monoiodoacetic acid (MIA)-induced osteoarthritis rat model. Sesamin reduced paw swelling and joint discomfort. In addition, the findings indicated that sesamin suppressed the expression of iNOS (inducible nitric oxide synthase) and COX-2 (cyclooxygenase-2) in the RAW264.7 cell line within the concentration range of 6.25–50 μM. Furthermore, sesamin also had a suppressive effect on MMP (matrix metalloproteinase) expression in chondrocytes and the SW1353 cell line within the same concentration range of 6.25–50 μM. To examine the anti-viral activity, an in silico analysis was performed to evaluate sesamin’s binding affinity with SARS-CoV-2 RdRp (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 RNA-dependent RNA polymerase) and human ACE2 (angiotensin-converting enzyme 2). Compared to the controls, sesamin exhibited strong binding affinities towards SARS-CoV-2 RdRp and human ACE2. Furthermore, sesamin had a higher binding affinity for the ACE2 target protein. This study suggests that sesamin shows potential anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity for drug development.

Mushrooms and Chinese traditional herbs have bioactive nutraceuticals with multiple therapeutic functions, including antioxidant and antibacterial activities and microbiome modulation properties. Mushroom-derived bioactive compounds are used in medicines for the treatment of neurological disorders with abnormal brain–gut–microbiome axis. This study examined the effects of KI Essence extract, a spleen-tonifying formula, on neurite growth, antioxidant activity, hypomyelination modulation, and the microbiome profile in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced maternal immune activation (MIA) offspring. The KI Essence extract induced PC12 cell neurite growth by increasing extracellular signal–regulated kinase (ERK) phosphorylation, promoting 2,2′-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging activity, reducing the level of tert-butylhydroperoxide–induced lipid peroxidation in brain homogenates, protecting PC12 cells from H2O2-induced cell death (through the inhibition of ERK phosphorylation), alleviating hypomyelination, and downregulating interleukin‐1β through LPS-activated microglia production; moreover, the numbers of Enterobacteriaceae, Actinobacteria, Peptostreptococcaceae, Erysipelotrichaceae, and Bifidobacterium bacteria in MIA offspring increased. In summary, the KI Essence extract promotes neurite outgrowth, alleviates oxidative stress and hypomyelination, and modulates microbiota dysbiosis in MIA offspring.

Electric field induced ion migration is a well-known phenomenon in perovskite, but the consequences are notorious, and thus needs to be prevented. Here, on the other hand, the authors cleverly manipulate this event for realising resistive random-access memory and light-emitting electrochemical cell in one device based on CsPbBr3 quantum dots.

Purpose: To establish an appropriate clinical protocol for early photoscreening in 12-to-24-month-old children at pediatric well-baby clinics. Methods: This prospective study included a total of 277 children aged 12–24 months who visited a pediatric well-baby clinic. All participants underwent: 1) inquiry of medical history; 2) photoscreening with PlusoptiX A12; and 3) comprehensive ophthalmologic examinations. The optimal referral cut-off point for PlusoptiX was determined by receiver operating characteristic analyses. A high-risk subgroup was defined as having a birth weight

Abstract Background The root major proteins of sweet potato trypsin inhibitors (SPTIs) or named sporamin, estimated for 60 to 80% water-soluble proteins, exhibited many biological activities. The human low-density lipoprotein (LDL) showed to form in vivo complex with endogenous oxidized alpha-1-antitrypsin. Little is known concerning the interactions between SPTIs and LDL in vitro. Results The thiobarbituric-acid-reactive-substance (TBARS) assays were used to monitor 0.1 mM Cu2+-mediated low-density lipoprotein (LDL) oxidations during 24-h reactions with or without SPTIs additions. The protein stains in native PAGE gels were used to identify the bindings between native or reduced forms of SPTIs or soybean TIs and LDL, or oxidized LDL (oxLDL). It was found that the SPTIs additions showed to reduce LDL oxidations in the first 6-h and then gradually decreased the capacities of anti-LDL oxidations. The protein stains in native PAGE gels showed more intense LDL bands in the presence of SPTIs, and 0.5-h and 1-h reached the highest one. The SPTIs also bound to the oxLDL, and low pH condition (pH 2.0) might break the interactions revealed by HPLC. The LDL or oxLDL adsorbed onto self-prepared SPTIs-affinity column and some components were eluted by 0.2 M KCl (pH 2.0). The native or reduced SPTIs or soybean TIs showed different binding capacities toward LDL and oxLDL in vitro. Conclusion The SPTIs might be useful in developing functional foods as antioxidant and nutrient supplements, and the physiological roles of SPTIs-LDL and SPTIs-oxLDL complex in vivo will investigate further using animal models.

Paclitaxel is a prescribed anticancer drug used to treat various cancers. It is a substrate of cytochrome P-450 (CYP-450) enzymes. Despite its efficacy, paclitaxel has severe side effects. Herbal medicines are commonly used to treat the side effects of chemotherapy. They can be administered before, during, and after chemotherapy. Xiang-Sha-Liu-Jun-Zi Tang (XSLJZT) is a herbal formula commonly used in breast cancer patients. The main purpose of this study was to assess the pharmacokinetic (PK) influence of XSLJZT on paclitaxel PK parameters, determine its effect on CYP-450 enzyme expression, and evaluate its effect on enzyme activity. Sprague Dawley rats were classified into pretreatment and co-treatment groups, where XSLJZT was pre-administered for 3, 5, and 7 days and co-administered 2 h before paclitaxel administration. The rat liver tissues and Hep-G2 cells were used to determine the effects of XSLJZT on CYP3A1/2 and CYP3A4 enzymes respectively. Western blot analysis was used to detect changes in the CYP3A1/2 and CYP3A4 enzymes expression. The influence of XSLJZT on enzyme activity was evaluated using human liver microsomes, and a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometric system was developed to monitor paclitaxel levels in rat plasma. Results demonstrated that XSLJZT increased the area under the concentration versus time curve (AUC) for paclitaxel in pretreatment groups by 2-, 3-, and 4-fold after 3, 5, and 7 days, respectively. In contrast, no significant change in the AUC was observed in the co-treatment group. However, the half-life was prolonged in all groups from 17.11 min to a maximum of 37.56 min. XSLJZT inhibited CYP3A1/2 expression in the rat liver tissues and CYP3A4 enzymes in Hep-G2 cells in a time-dependent manner, with the highest inhibition observed after 7 days of pretreatment in rat liver tissues. In the enzyme kinetics study, XSLJZT inhibited enzyme activity in a competitive dose-dependent manner. In conclusion, there is a potential interaction between XSLJZT and paclitaxel at different co-treatment and pretreatment time points.

Since the first discovery of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV) in China in 2009, SFTSV has rapidly spread through other Asian countries, including Japan, Korea, Vietnam and Pakistan, in chronological order. Taiwan reported its first discovery of SFTSV in sheep and humans in 2020. However, the prevalence of SFTSV in domestic and wildlife animals and the geographic distribution of the virus within the island remain unknown. A total of 1324 animal samples, including 803 domestic ruminants, 521 wildlife animals and 47 tick pools, were collected from March 2021 to December 2022 from 12 counties and one terrestrial island. The viral RNA was detected by a one-step real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Overall, 29.9% (240/803) of ruminants showed positive SFTSV RNA. Sheep had the highest viral RNA prevalence of 60% (30/50), followed by beef cattle at 28.4% (44/155), goats at 28.3% (47/166), and dairy cows at 27.5% (119/432). The bovine as a total of dairy cow and beef cattle was 27.8% (163/587). The viral RNA prevalence in ticks (predominantly Rhipicephalus microplus) was similar to those of ruminants at 27.7% (13/47), but wild animals exhibited a much lower prevalence at 1.3% (7/521). Geographically the distribution of positivity was quite even, being 33%, 29.1%, 27.5% and 37.5% for northern, central, southern and eastern Taiwan, respectively. Statistically, the positive rate of beef cattle in the central region (55.6%) and dairy cattle in the eastern region (40.6%) were significantly higher than the other regions; and the prevalence in Autumn (September–November) was significantly higher than in the other seasons (p < 0.001). The nationwide study herein revealed for the first time the wide distribution and high prevalence of SFTSV in both domestic animals and ticks in Taiwan. Considering the high mortality rate in humans, surveillance of other animal species, particularly those in close contact with humans, and instigation of protective measures for farmers, veterinarians, and especially older populations visiting or living near farms or rural areas should be prioritized.

It has become a strategic consensus of the international community for accelerating the deployment of 5G network. This paper presents an approach for the deployment of 5G base stations under the considerations of both the cost and the signal coverage. We formulate an optimization problem for the site selection and location of 5G macro and micro base stations. An implementation procedure is proposed in the paper for the cooperative operation and deployment scheme of optimizing the location of 5G heterogeneous base stations, which aims to optimally reduce the setup cost and strengthen the signal coverage while deploying 5G base stations. A series of numerical examples are solved in the paper to demonstrate the proposed approach, and a cost-benefit analysis is also conducted to determine the optimal deployment plan for the number of macro and micro base stations. In the conclusion, a balanced executable solution is presented to make the signal strength of all demand points in the studied 5G network reach the strongest under the budget constraint.

Small supernumerary marker chromosomes (sSMCs) derived from the chromosome 6 short arm are rare and their clinical significance remains unknown. No case with sSMC(6) without centromeric DNA has been reported. Partial trisomy and tetrasomy of distal 6p is a rare but clinically distinct syndrome. We report on a de novo mosaic sSMC causing partial tetrasomy for 6p23-p25.3 in a male infant with symptoms of being small for gestational age, microcephaly, facial dysmorphism, congenital eye defects, and multi-system malformation. Conventional cytogenetic analysis revealed a karyotype of 47,XY,+mar [25]/46,XY [22]. Array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) revealed mosaic tetrasomy of distal 6p. This is the first case of mosaic tetrasomy 6p23-p25.3 caused by an inverted duplicated neocentric sSMC with characteristic features of trisomy distal 6p. Comparison of phenotypes in cases with trisomy and tetrasomy of 6p23-p25.3 could facilitate a genotype–phenotype correlation and identification of candidate genes contributing to their presentation. The presentation of anterior segment dysgenesis and anomaly of the renal system suggest triplosensitivity of the FOXC1 gene. In patients with microcephaly growth retardation, and malformation of the cardiac and renal systems, presentation of anterior segment dysgenesis might be indicative of chromosome 6p duplication, and aCGH evaluation should be performed for associated syndromic disease.

Si-Wu-Tang (SWT), a traditional Chinese formula, is commonly used to relieve menstrual discomfort and climacteric syndrome. Water decoction (WD) and concentrated herbal extract (CHE) are the two most common formulations of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). However, few studies have reported the equivalency of these two formulations. In this study, 23 healthy volunteers were included to determine the pharmacokinetic (PK) equivalent dosage of WD and CHE, and 25 infertile women with follicular maldevelopment to evaluate the pharmacodynamic (PD) effects on menstrual disorders. The randomized, two-way crossover comparative PK study of SWT-WD and SWT-CHE analyzed the active component, ferulic acid. The results showed that clinical doses of 170 mL SWT-WD and 18 g SWT-CHE produced the same amount of ferulic acid in the blood. The PD study showed that patients who took both of these formulations had an initial luteinizing hormone/follicle-stimulating hormone ratio of

Abstract Purpose The dosimetric leaf gap (DLG) and multileaf collimator (MLC) transmission are two important systematic parameters used to model the rounded MLC leaf ends effect when commissioning an Eclipse treatment planning system (TPS). Determining the optimal DLG is a time consuming process. This study develops a simple and reliable method for determining the DLG using the cross-field dose width. Methods and materials A Varian TrueBeam linac with 6 MV, 10 MV, 6 MV flattening filter free (FFF) and 10 MV FFF photon beams and equipped with the 120 Millennium MLC and the Eclipse™ TPS was used in this study. Integral sliding fields and static slit MLC field doses with different gap widths were measured with an ionization chamber and GAFCHROMIC EBT3 films, respectively. Measurements were performed for different beam energies and at depths of 5 and 10 cm. DLGs were derived from a linear extrapolation to zero dose and intercepting at the gap width axis. In the ion chamber measurements method, the average MLC leaf transmission to the gap reading for each gap (R gT ) were calculated with nominal and cross-field dose widths, respectively. The cross-field dose widths were determined according to the dose profile measured with EBT3 films. Additionally, the optimal DLG values were determined using plan dose measurements, as the value that produced the closest agreement between the planned and measured doses. DLGs derived from the nominal and cross-field dose width, the film measurements, and the optimal process, were obtained and compared. Results The DLG values are insensitive to the variations in depth (within 0.07 mm). DLGs derived from nominal gap widths showed a significantly lower values (with difference about 0.5 mm) than that from cross-field dose widths and from film measurements and from plan optimal values. The method in deriving DLGs by correcting the nominal gap widths to the cross-field dose widths has shown good agreements to the plan optimal values (with difference within 0.21 mm). Conclusions The DLG values derived from the cross-field dose width method were consistent with the values derived from film measurements and from the plan optimal process. A simple and reliable method to determine DLG for rounded leaf-end MLC systems was established. This method provides a referable DLG value required during TPS commissioning.

Pomegranate (Punica granatum) is a heath with abundant hydrolysable tannin in its peel. This study demonstrated that POMx (70% acetone extract of pomegranate peels) significantly reduced interleukin (IL)-1β-induced inducible nitric oxide synthase, cyclooxygenase-2, and matrix metalloproteinase-13 protein expression in primary rat chondrocytes (PRCs). In the type II collagenase-induced osteoarthritis rat model, POMx (150 mg/kg) recovered the weight-bearing ratio changes in experimental animals, suggesting the alleviation of knee-related inflammation and nociception. Therefore, the major compound, punicalagin, was isolated from POMx. Punicalagin also significantly reduced IL-1β-induced inflammatory factors in PRCs and exerted significant antiosteoarthritis effects in the vivo model after 28-d treatment (concentration: 0.50 mg/kg). However, the IC50 values of POMx and punicalagin against prostaglandin E2 production were 83.2 and 36.0 μg/mL, respectively, and the concentration of punicalagin in POMx was 19.1%. Altogether, POMx can be used to develop functional foods for knee-related diseases, and punicalagin can act as an active ingredient.

Maternal immune activation (MIA) increases the risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in offspring. Microbial dysbiosis is associated with ASD symptoms. However, the alterations in the brain–gut–microbiota axis in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced MIA offspring remain unclear. Here, we examined the social behavior, anxiety-like and repetitive behavior, microbiota profile, and myelination levels in LPS-induced MIA rat offspring. Compared with control offspring, MIA male rat offspring spent less time in an active social interaction with stranger rats, displayed more anxiety-like and repetitive behavior, and had more hypomyelination in the prefrontal cortex and thalamic nucleus. A fecal microbiota analysis revealed that MIA offspring had a higher abundance of Alistipes, Fusobacterium, and Ruminococcus and a lower abundance of Coprococcus, Erysipelotrichaies, and Actinobacteria than control offspring, which is consistent with that of humans with ASD. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) method was applied to determine the relative importance of the microbiota, which indicated that the abundance of Alistipes and Actinobacteria was the most relevant for the profile of defective social behavior, whereas Fusobacterium and Coprococcus was associated with anxiety-like and repetitive behavior. In summary, LPS-induced MIA offspring showed an abnormal brain–gut–microbiota axis with social behavior deficits, anxiety-like and repetitive behavior, hypomyelination, and an ASD-like microbiota profile.

Chylothorax is a rare condition among neonates, although it is considered clinically significant, as it is difficult to manage in these patients. In addition, the course of chylothorax varies widely. Therefore, we aimed to elucidate the clinical features and effect of prenatal therapy on the prognosis of congenital chylothorax in neonates. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of all infants with congenital chylothorax who were admitted to National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan between January 2000 and December 2012. Their demographic characteristics, as well as their antenatal, perinatal, and postnatal information, were collected for our analysis of the mortality risk. Results: We found 29 infants who were diagnosed with congenital chylothorax during the study period. The median gestational age at birth was 34 weeks (range, 28–41 weeks), and 71% of the infants presented with hydrops fetalis. Most cases of congenital chylothorax were bilateral (bilateral: 86.2%, unilateral: 13.79%), and the overall survival rate was 59.6%. Among the cases with a prenatal diagnosis at ≤ 34 weeks of gestation, infants who received prenatal therapy had a significantly higher survival rate, compared to infants who did not receive prenatal therapy (76.9% vs. 11%, respectively; p = 0.008). Conclusion: We found that infants whose chylothorax was diagnosed ≤ 34 weeks of gestation, and who subsequently received prenatal therapy, experienced a better perinatal condition and exhibited improved postnatal outcomes.

Acne is a common skin condition observed in adolescents. Nutmeg (Myristica fragrans Houtt) (MF) is a well-known traditional Chinese medicine; its major toxic components, safrole and myristicin, are rich in essential oils. Essential oils of MF (MFO) were extracted by hydrodistillation; the residue was extracted using 50% methanol (MFE-M). The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of MFE-M against Cutibacterium acnes and Staphylococcus aureus was 0.64 mg. Four compounds were obtained from MFE-M: myristicin (1), (+)-erythro-Δ8′-7S,8R- dihydroxy-3,3,5′-trimethoxy-8-O-4′-neolignan (2), (+)-erythro-Δ8’-7-hydroxy-3,4,3’,5’-tetramethoxy 8-O-4-neolignan (3), and erythro-Δ8′-7-acetoxy-3,4,3′,5′-tetramethoxy-8-O-4′-neolignan (4). Compound 2 exerted the strongest antimicrobial activity, with MICs of 6.25 and 3.12 μg/mL against C. acnes and S. aureus, respectively. Moreover, 2 inhibited NO, PGE2, iNOS, and COX-2 levels in RAW 264.7 cells induced by LPS or heat-killed C. acnes; NO production at 50% inhibitory concentrations (IC50) was 11.07 and 11.53 μg/mL, respectively. Myristicin and safrole content was higher in MFO than in MFE-M. MFO and MFE-M caused no skin irritation after a single topical application in Wistar rats. MFE-M, with low safrole and myristicin content, did not cause skin irritation and exhibited an anti-acne effect; moreover, 2 was identified as the active substance. Therefore, MFE-M could be employed to develop anti-acne compounds for use in cosmetics.

Acne is a skin disease common in adolescents and increasingly common in the adult population. The major pathologic events of acne vulgaris include increased sebum production, retention hyperkeratosis, carrying commensal skin microbiota, and inflammation. In recent years, more than 10,000 compounds have been isolated and identified from marine organisms. The aim of this study was to discover the potential anti-acne activity of fraction 9 + 10 (SF-E) of Sinularia flexibilis extract and six cembrene diterpenoids. We found that the SF-E significantly reduced Cutibacterium acnes-induced edema in Wistar rat ears. The cembrene diterpenoids including 11-dehydrosinulariolide (SC-2), 3,4:8,11-bisepoxy-7-acetoxycembra-15(17)-en-1,12-olide (SC-7), and sinularin (SC-9) reduced nitric oxide (NO) production with 50% inhibitory concentration of 5.66 ± 0.19, 15.25 ± 0.25, and 3.85 ± 0.25 μM, respectively, and inducible NO synthase expression in RAW 264.7 cells. Moreover, treatment with SC-2, SC-7, and SC-9 significantly suppressed lipopolysaccharide- and heat-killed C. acnes-induced expression of proteins involved in mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway in both RAW 264.7 and HaCaT cells. After treatment with SC-2, SC-7, and SC-9, over-proliferation of HaCaT cells was significantly terminated. In summary, SC-2, SC-7, and SC-9 showed anti-inflammatory effects in RAW 264.7 cells, suggesting that these cembrene diterpenoids obtained from S. flexibilis are natural marine products with potential anti-acne activities.

Astragali Radix (Huang-Qi) is a popular herbal medicine commonly used as a constituent in tonic herbal preparations. Hedysarum polybotrys Handel-Mazzetti is one species used of Astragali Radix. In this study, the immunomodulatory properties of H. polybotrys were explored by LPS-activated and SNP-treated RAW 264.7 cells and splenocytes and, daunoblastina-induced leucopenia BALB/c mice. Formononetin was used as the bioactive marker to monitor the quality of the H. polybotrys extracts. H. polybotrys was extracted with hot-water and methanol, and MeOH extract partitioned with H2O (M-H) and ethyl acetate (M-EA) to yield four different fractions. M-EA had the highest formononetin and total proanthocyanidin content and showed stronger inhibitory effects on the production and expression of NO, PGE2, iNOS and COX-2 in LPS-activated RAW 264.7 cells and splenocytes than the other fractions. In addition, M-EA significantly stimulated the proliferation of LPS-activated RAW 264.7 cells and splenocytes, enhanced NO radicals scavenging and attenuated NO-induced cytotoxicity. Furthermore, M-EA also significantly increased the rate of recovery of white blood cells level in daunoblastina-induced leucopenia mice. These evidences suggest that this traditional Qi-tonifying herb has potential effects in clinical conditions when immune-enhancing and anti-inflammatory effect is desired.

Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is used to increase the flexibility of plastics for industrial products. However, the illegal use of the plasticizer DEHP in food and drinks has been reported in Taiwan in 2011. In order to assess the exact extent of the absorption of DEHP via the oral route, the aim of this study is to develop a reliable and validated ultra performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) method to evaluate the oral bioavailability of DEHP in rats. The optimal chromatographic separation of DEHP and butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP; used as internal standard) were achieved on a C18 column. The mobile phase was consisted of 5 mM ammonium acetate-methanol (11:89, v/v) with a flow rate of 0.25 mL/min. The monitoring ion transitions were m/z 391.4 → 149.0 for DEHP and m/z 313.3 → 149.0 for BBP. The mean matrix effects of DEHP at low, medium and high concentrations were 94.5 ± 5.7% and 100.1 ± 2.3% in plasma and feces homogenate samples, respectively. In conclusion, the validated UPLC-MS/MS method is suitable for analyzing the rat plasma sample of DEHP and the oral bioavailability of DEHP was about 7% in rats.

Wu-Chia-Pi medicated wine, composed nine Chinese medicines soaked in 35% alcohol, is widely used in Asia for its health-promoting functions. However, long-term consumption of alcohol could result in liver dysfunction. In this study, Wu-Chia-Pi solution (WCPS) and extract (WCPE) were prepared by modification of the principals given by the Committee on Chinese Medicine and Pharmacy in Taiwan. The aim of this study was to explore the protective effect of WCPS against carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced liver injury and to clarify its active component(s). Antioxidative effects of the test samples were evaluated via MDA inhibition, catalase activity and DPPH-scavenging assays. HPLC was used to analysis the active components. Results showed that WCPS (1 and 5 mL/kg) significantly prevented CCl4-induced liver injury without chronic liver toxicity. Referring to the antioxidative activities, WCPE displayed significant MDA inhibitory and DPPH-scavenging activities with IC50 values of 0.91 ± 0.03 and 0.60 ± 0.04 mg/mL, respectively. Catalase activity was also enhanced by treatment of WCPE, acteoside and quercetin. Therefore, we suggest that acteoside and quercetin are the major contributors to the antioxidative and hepatoprotective activities of WCPS, and a possible mechanism could be mediated through reduction of oxidative stress.

Cantharidin, an active component in mylabris, is used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) to treat scabies and hepatoma, but accompanied by hemorrhagic cystitis. Evidence shows that cantharidin induces human bladder carcinoma cell death through COX-2 overexpression in vitro. In TCM, Scutellaria baicalensis is usually used to cure mylabris-induced hematuria. This work was undertaken to determine the mechanisms of cantharidin-induced rat hemorrhagic cystitis and explore the uroprotective effect of S. baicalensis. In vitro results showed cantharidin could induce cytotoxicity through prostaglandin (PG)E2 overproduction of T24 cells. Boiling-water extract of S. baicalensis (SB-WE) could significantly inhibit PGE2 production and COX-2 expression in lipo-polysaccharide-induced RAW 264.7 cells, indicating obvious anti-inflammatory abilities. In vivo results indicated that cantharidin caused rat hemorrhagic cystitis with hematuria via c-Fos and COX-2 overexpression. SB-WE was given orally to cantharidin-treated rats, whereby hematuria level, elevated PGE2 and COX-2 protein overexpression were significantly and dose-dependently inhibited by SB-WE. The anti-inflammatory components of SB-WE are baicalin and wogonin, whose contents were 200.95 ± 2.00 and 31.93 ± 0.26 μg/mg, respectively. In conclusion, cantharidin induces rat cystitis through c-Fos and COX-2 over-expression and S. baicalensis can prevent the resulting hematuria because of its anti-inflammatory effects.

Background: Qi (氣 qì) refers to the vital energy of the body in Traditional Chinese medicines (TCM). Qi deficiency (氣虛 qì xū) is the most common symptom in cancer patients according to the concept of TCM. We hypothesized that cancer patients with Qi deficiency suffer from poor quality of life (QOL) and fatigue. Method: Among the 256 registered cancer patients screened at our outpatient clinic, a total of 198 were enrolled. The inclusion criteria were (1) age between 18 and 70 years, (2) cancer diagnosis confirmed by the professional physician, (3) being Chinese, and (4) Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status rating (PSR)≤3. The major outcome is the difference in QOL score in cancer patients with and without Qi deficiency. Results: The initial results showed statistically significant differences in WHO-QOL scores in physical, psychological, and social domains between the groups with and without Qi deficiency as well as the groups with and without cancerrelated fatigue (CRF). All patients with CRF present were also diagnosed as Qi deficient. In addition, among the patients with no CRF, 39.9% (69/173) were diagnosed as suffering from Qi deficiency, which led to poor QOL. Conclusions: The present study showed statistically significant difference in WHO-QOL scores in physical, psychological, and social domains between the groups with and without Qi deficiency as well as the groups with and without CRF. Cancer patients diagnosed with Qi deficiency or CRF have poor QOL. The concept of Qi deficiency in TCM might be applied to cancer health care.

Polygonum multiflorum Thunb. is a traditional herbal medicine that is rich in polyphenols. The major compound, 2,3,5,4′-tetrahydroxystilbene-2-O-β-d-glucoside (THSG) has many pharmacological activities, such as antioxidative and free radical-scavenging properties, and the abilities to reduce hyperlipidemia, prevent lipid peroxidation, and protect the cardiovascular system. In this study, the anti-osteoarthritis (OA) effects of THSG were explored using in vitro and in vivo models. THSG inhibited nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) production and inducible NO synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 expressions by lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. On the other hand, THSG inhibited PGE2 production and iNOS and matrix metalloproteinase-13 expressions by interleukin-1β-stimulated primary rat chondrocytes. Through a mono-iodoacetate-induced rat OA model assay, THSG reduced paw edema and improved the weight-bearing distribution. Therefore, THSG has anti-inflammatory activity and could be applied as a lead compound for the development as an OA drug.

The perceptions of historicity and mortality in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries in Britain have reshaped the forming representation of grief in poetry. This article attempts to study the cognitive [...]