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Renal fibrosis is a critical pathological process lead to a progressive loss of renal function. Jolkinolide B (JB) is a natural compound with anti-inflammatory activity from Euphorbia fischeriana Steud. The study evaluated the effect of JB on renal fibrosis in mice with unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO). The results showed that JB could decrease renal fibrotic area, reduce phosphorylation of NF-κB p65 and the release of TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β, restore the expression of vementin, α-SMA and E-cadherin, as well as TGF-β1 and p-smad2/3. In conclusion, JB might reduce renal fibrosis by inhibiting inflammation induced by NF-κB pathway and EMT mediated by TGF-β1/Smad pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Applying hermeneutic and phenomenological methodologies to his works Being and Time, Heidegger made an elaborate discussion on the spatiality to get rid of its conventional explanations and offered his existential/ontological theory of spatiality. Thus, he made theoretically an important contribution to revolutionizing people's thinking style and re-establishing and grasping the focuses, subjects and approaches in philosophical research. Based on a careful study on Heidegger's ideas about spatiality in the book Being and Time, the significance of theoretical achievements resulting from his study on the spatiality is highlit, and the defects and puzzled problems in his theory are revealed and analyzed profoundly. Then, the inherent limitedness and incompleteness of the idea about time in Heidegger's existential ontological theory is further revealed when the idea is used to answer the question of the significance of existence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the effect of open wedge tibial high osteotomy on patella position, anterior knee pain and joint function., Methods: From June 2016 to June 2021, 109 patients (111 knees) with medial knee osteoarthropathy treated by open wedge tibial high osteotomy were included according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, including 41 males and 68 females;the age ranged from 38 to 78 years old with an average of(57.98±7.07) years;the course of disease ranged from 1 to 36 months with an average of (8.58±6.91) months. The femoral tibial angle(FTA), medial proximal tibial angle(MPTA), weight bearing line(WBL) percentage, Caton Deschamps index (CD index), lateral patella tilt angle (LPTA) and lateral patella shift (LPS) were observed and compared before and after operation. Lysholm score was used to evaluate the knee function, visual analogue scale(VAS) was used to evaluate the degree of anterior knee pain, and Kellgren Lawrence(K-L) grading system was used to evaluate the progress of patellofemoral osteoarthritis., Results: All patients were followed up for 6 to 38 months with an average of (12.41±2.40) months. The preoperative FTA, MPTA, WBL percentage, CD index, and LPTA were significantly different from those at the last follow-up( P <0.05). There was no significant difference between before and after LPS operation( P =0.78). Lysholm score increased from (58.79±7.90) scores to (76.05±7.36) scores ( P <0.05). The VAS of anterior knee pain decreased from (3.28±1.95) scores to(1.07±1.75) scores( P <0.05). Knee patellofemoral osteoarthritis showed progressive changes, but there was no significant difference in K-L grading before and after operation ( P >0.05)., Conclusion: After open wedge tibial high osteotomy, the position of patella is lowered and the patella is tilted outward, but the knee function and anterior knee pain are significantly improved. Adverse changes in patella position caused by open wedge tibial high osteotomy may not affect clinical outcomes.

The present study compared active ingredients of tea from different sources to select tea type and the fraction of tea extracts for the highest anti-hyperglycemic activity, and to verify anti-hyperglycemic activity of the selected tea extract. Tea extracts were separated and enriched by molecular weight using ultra-filtration technology. The extracts were first screened by α -glucosidase inhibition assay, followed by using a rat inverted intestine sac system to measure the effect on glucose transport. Both alloxan-induced diabetic rat model and high-fat diet combined with streptozotocin-induced rat diabetes mellitus model were used to study the effects of active components on blood glucose, body weight, insulin resistance. The experimental results showed that the different kinds of tea extracts had different inhibitory effects on α -glucosidase, and the inhibitory effect of tea extract E on α -glucosidase was stronger. The effects of different components of tea extract E also varied greatly, of which Fraction AN protein had stronger inhibitory effect on α -glucosidase than other fragments, and Fraction AN protein had a strong inhibitory effect on glucose transport, reduced blood sugar and normalized insulin secretion in diabetic rats. The results suggest that a glycol-protein fraction(AN) from the extracts might be responsible for the anti-hyperglycemic activity of tea polysaccharides. The AN glycol-protein fraction has strong inhibitory effects on both α -glucosidase activity and glucose transport by the small intestine. It also reduced blood glucose level and normalized insulin secretion in diabetic rats, and has a protective effect on diabetic rats., Competing Interests: The authors of this article and the planning committee members and staff have no relevant financial relationships with commercial interests to disclose., (Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.)

Obesity and its associated metabolic disorders, including non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), have become major chronic diseases threatening public health. NAFLD is a chronic liver disorder that is strongly associated with type 2 diabetes and obesity. In this study, we investigated the effects and mechanism of Tangshen formula (TSF) on hepatic dyslipidemia and phenotypic switch of macrophage in db/db mice. Eight-week-old male C57BLKS/J db/m control and db/db mice were divided into 3 groups (namely db/m, db/db, db/db+TSF), and fed with TSF or distilled water for 12 weeks. It was found that after treatment with TSF, the triglycerides accumulation in db/db mice was decreased on the basis of oil red O staining with cryosections of liver tissues. And protein expressions of macrophage activation markers CD68 and F4/80 were decreased according to immunohistochemical analysis of hepatic sections. The mRNA level of TNF-α (M1 marker) was significantly decreased by TSF in db/db mice, but with no significant difference in Mrc1 and Arg1 (M2 marker). According to the results, TSF attenuated hepatic steatosis and relieved dyslipidemia, its mechanism may be correlated with the regulation of macrophage activation and phenotypic switch., Competing Interests: The authors of this article and the planning committee members and staff have no relevant financial relationships with commercial interests to disclose., (Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.)