scholarly journals Effect of Uygur medicine maturants on related factors of liver energy metabolism in rats

Author(s):  
Ainiwaer Talifu ◽  
Rapkat Samat ◽  
Yilifanjinag Kuerban ◽  
Mamatali Kader ◽  
Dilnur Tursun

Objective: To investigate the effects of five Uygur medicine maturants on the related factors of liver energy metabolism in rats. Methods: After 30 days of preparation and intragastric administration, the weight changes of rats were observed. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect Na[Formula: see text] K[Formula: see text] ATPase, Ca2[Formula: see text] Mg2[Formula: see text] ATPase and succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) activities; hepatic glycogen (HG) and muscle glycogen (MG) content, plasma triiodothyronine (T3), tetraiodothyronine (T4), and thyrotropin (TSH) content were detected. Results: The Kan (blood) quality regulator reduced the weight of rats, the Sapra regulator increased the weight of rats, the Savda maturant group, and the Balham maturant group increased the Na[Formula: see text] K[Formula: see text] ATPase, Ca2[Formula: see text] Mg2[Formula: see text] ATP, SDH activity, HG, MG, T3, T4, and TSH content of rats significantly, while the other groups had no significant effect on the energy metabolism-related factors. Conclusion: Five kinds of Uygur medicine maturants have effects on the related factors of energy metabolism in the liver of normal rats, and their elevation of serum thyroxine level is related, among which the effects of the Savda maturant group and the Balham maturant group are more significant.

2019 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 232-237 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jihong An

Objective: This study aims to investigate the expression and clinical significance of Th17 cells and related factors in peripheral blood of patients with Autoimmune Hepatitis (AIH). Methods: A retrospective selection of 100 patients with AIH were included as a study group, and 100 healthy volunteers in the outpatient clinic were selected as the control group. The levels of IL- 17, IL-6, IL-21 and TNF-α in peripheral blood of all subjects were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and the frequency of Th17 cells and Treg cells was detected by flow cytometry. Results: Results showed that the study group had higher levels of serum total bilirubin (TBil), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), γ -glutamyltranspeptidase (γ-GT), immunoglobulin G (IgG), immunoglobulin M (IgM), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) than the control group, as well as higher levels of IL-17, IL-6, IL-21 and TNF-α in serum. The frequency of Th17 cells in peripheral blood was higher in the study group, while the frequency of Treg cells was lower. Also, serum IL-17, TNF-α levels and Th17 cells frequency were positively correlated with ALT and AST, whereas Treg cells frequency were negatively correlated with ALT and AST levels. Conclusion: Our finding demonstrates that Th17 cell frequency and their related factors IL-17 and TNF-α, are associated with liver damage, which might be used to monitor AIH disease severity.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Qingfeng Ge ◽  
Bo Yang ◽  
Rui Liu ◽  
Donglei Jiang ◽  
Hai Yu ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) can cause serious damage to the human body and may cause various chronic diseases. Studies have found that lactic acid bacteria (LAB) have antioxidant and anti-aging effects, and are important resources for the development of microbial antioxidants. This paper was to explore the potential role of an antioxidant strain, Lactobacillus plantarum NJAU-01 screened from traditional dry-cured meat product Jinhua Ham in regulating D-galactose-induced subacute senescence of mice. A total of 48 specific pathogen free Kun Ming mice (SPF KM mice) were randomly allocated into 6 groups: control group with sterile saline injection, aging group with subcutaneously injection of D-galactose, treatments groups with injection of D-galactose and intragastric administration of 107, 108, and 109 CFU/mL L. plantarum NJAU-01, and positive control group with injection of D-galactose and intragastric administration of 1 mg/mL Vitamin C. Results The results showed that the treatment group of L. plantarum NJAU-01 at 109 CFU/mL showed higher total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) and the antioxidant enzymatic activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), and catalase (CAT) than those of the other groups in serum, heart and liver. In contrast, the content of the oxidative stress marker malondialdehyde (MDA) showed lower levels than the other groups (P < 0.05). The antioxidant capacity was improved with the supplement of the increasing concentration of L. plantarum NJAU-01. Conclusions Thus, this study demonstrates that L. plantarum NJAU-01 can alleviate oxidative stress by increasing the activities of enzymes involved in oxidation resistance and decreasing level of lipid oxidation in mice.


2015 ◽  
Vol 60 (3) ◽  
pp. 1226-1233 ◽  
Author(s):  
Petros Ioannou ◽  
Aggeliki Andrianaki ◽  
Tonia Akoumianaki ◽  
Irene Kyrmizi ◽  
Nathaniel Albert ◽  
...  

The modestin vitroactivity of echinocandins againstAspergillusimplies that host-related factors augment the action of these antifungal agentsin vivo. We found that, in contrast to the other antifungal agents (voriconazole, amphotericin B) tested, caspofungin exhibited a profound increase in activity against variousAspergillusspecies under conditions of cell culture growth, as evidenced by a ≥4-fold decrease in minimum effective concentrations (MECs) (P= 0. 0005). Importantly, the enhanced activity of caspofungin againstAspergillusspp. under cell culture conditions was strictly dependent on serum albumin and was not observed with the other two echinocandins, micafungin and anidulafungin. Of interest, fluorescently labeled albumin bound preferentially on the surface of germinatingAspergillushyphae, and this interaction was further enhanced upon treatment with caspofungin. In addition, supplementation of cell culture medium with albumin resulted in a significant, 5-fold increase in association of fluorescently labeled caspofungin withAspergillushyphae (P< 0.0001). Collectively, we found a novel synergistic interaction between albumin and caspofungin, with albumin acting as a potential carrier molecule to facilitate antifungal drug delivery toAspergillushyphae.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hanh Thi Duc Tran ◽  
Jan Hattendorf ◽  
Hung Manh Do ◽  
Thanh Tien Hoang ◽  
Hang Thi Hai Hoang ◽  
...  

Abstract Background The risk factors for scrub typhus in Vietnam remain unknown. Scrub typhus caused by Orientia tsutsugamushi often presents as an undifferentiated febrile illness and remains under appreciated due to the limited availability of diagnostic tests. This tropical rickettsial illness is increasingly recognized as an important cause of non-malaria acute undifferentiated fever in Asia. This study aimed to investigate behavioural and ecological related risk factors of scrub typhus to prevent this potentially life-threatening disease in Vietnam. Methods We conducted a clinical hospital-based active surveillance study, and a retrospective residence-enrolment date-age-matched case–control study in Khanh Hoa province, Vietnam, from August 2018 to March 2020. Clinical examinations, polymerase chain reaction and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay IgM tests were applied to define cases and controls. All enrolled participants filled out a questionnaire including demographic socio-economic status, personal behaviors/protective equipment, habitat connections, land use, and possible exposure to the vector. Multivariable conditional logistic regression was used to define the scrub typhus associated risk factors. Results We identified 44 confirmed cases and matched them with 152 controls. Among cases and controls, the largest age group was the 41–50 years old and males accounted for 61.4% and 42.8%, respectively. There were similarities in demographic characteristics between the two groups, with the exception of occupation. Several factors were significantly associated with acquisition of scrub typhus, including sitting/laying directly on household floor [adjusted OR (aOR) = 4.9, 95% CI: 1.6–15.1, P = 0.006], household with poor sanitation/conditions (aOR = 7.9, 95% CI: 1.9–32.9, P = 0.005), workplace environment with risk (aOR = 3.0, 95% CI: 1.2–7.6, P = 0.020), always observing mice around home (aOR = 3.7, 95% CI: 1.4–9.9, P = 0.008), and use of personal protective equipment in the field (aOR = 0.4, 95% CI: 0.1–1.1, P = 0.076). Conclusions Ecological and household hygiene-related factors were more associated with scrub typhus infection, than individual-level exposure activities in the hyper-endemic area. These findings support local education and allow people to protect themselves from scrub typhus, especially in areas with limitations in diagnostic capacity. Graphical abstract


Author(s):  
Shohei Kubota ◽  
Yuji Aoki ◽  
Tomomi Sskai ◽  
Katsumasa Kitamura ◽  
Teruaki Matsui ◽  
...  

Background: Some patients with a wheat allergy have been reported to show clinical cross-reactivity to barley. However, it is not clear whether the development of barley allergy in patients with a wheat allergy is due to cross-antigenicity between wheat and barley. In our study, we aimed to determine the clinical cross-reactivity and immunological cross-antigenicity of wheat and barley. Methods: We compared the results of barley oral food challenges (OFCs) before oral immunotherapy (OIT) for wheat with those after OIT in nine patients with a wheat allergy to estimate the clinical cross-reactivity of wheat and barley. Moreover, we performed enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) inhibition and immunoblotting inhibition using serum from seven patients allergic to wheat and barley. Results: Nine patients who had positive barley-OFC results performed before OIT for wheat were all negative on barley-OFC performed after OIT. In ELISA inhibition, preincubation of serum from patients allergic to wheat and barley with a high barley extract concentration inhibited binding of IgE to wheat extract by less than 10%. On the other hand, wheat and barley extracts equally inhibited binding to barley sIgE at high concentrations. In the immunoblotting inhibition test, the spots of wheat were inhibited but weakly by barley extracts, and most of the spots of barley were inhibited even by low concentrations of the wheat and barley extract. Conclusion: We showed that barley allergy associated with wheat allergy is caused by cross-reactivity from wheat. The OIT for wheat was one of the promising options for barley allergy.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wenjun Shi ◽  
Fei Yang ◽  
Liting Wang ◽  
Nankun Qin ◽  
Chengxiang Wang ◽  
...  

Abstract BackgroundPlantaginis semen has been widely used as folk medicine and health care food against hyperuricemia (HUA) and gout, but little was known about its pharmacological mechanism. MethodsThe model was established by potassium oxonate intragastric administration. 42 Sprague-Dawley (SD) male rats were randomly divided into the control group, model group, benzbromarone group (10 mg/kg) and three Plantaginis semen groups (n = 7). The Plantaginis semen groups were treated orally with Plantaginis semen at 0.9375, 1.875 and 3.75 g/kg for 28 days. The levels of serum uric acid (UA), creatinine (Cr), triacylglycerol (TG) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were detected using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits. Ultra performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time of flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF/MS) was used as the basis for serum lipidomics analysis, and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) was carried out for the pattern recognition and characteristic metabolites identification. The relative levels of critical regulatory factors of urate anion transporter 1(URAT1) and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/ protein kinases B (PI3K/Akt) were determined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). ResultsCompared with the model group, the levels of serum UA, Cr, and TG were significantly (p<0.01) decreased in benzbromarone and three Plantaginis semen groups and the level of serum TNF-α was significantly (p<0.05) decreased in benzbromarone and low dose of Plantaginis semen group. With lipidomics analysis, significant lipid metabolic perturbations were observed in HUA rats, 13 metabolites were identified as potential biomarkers and glycerophospholipid metabolism pathway was mostly affected. These perturbations can be partially restored via treatment of benzbromarone and Plantaginis semen. Additionally, the URAT1 and PI3K/Akt mRNA expression levels were significantly decreased (p<0.05) after treatment with benzbromarone and high dose of Plantaginis semen. ConclusionsPlantaginis semen had significant anti-HUA, anti-inflammatory and renal protection effects and could attenuate potassium oxonate-induced HUA through regulation of lipid metabolism disorder. Trial registrationNot applicable


Author(s):  
Qilin Wu ◽  
Qinlong Jing ◽  
Xiujuan Wang ◽  
Lili Yang ◽  
Yilan Li ◽  
...  

Guangzhou is believed to be the most important epicenter of dengue outbreaks in southern China. In this study, a longitudinal serological investigation of previous cases of dengue fever in Guangzhou was conducted to explore the persistence of IgG antibodies and related factors affecting the changes of antibody level. We recruited 70 dengue virus type 1 (DENV-1) primary infection cases at two years post infection for serological investigation and conducted a second follow-up in the 5th year of prognosis. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for DENV IgG antibody was examined in all study subjects. Potential factors associated with the concentration of serum total IgG antibody were determined by the generalized estimation equation (GEE). No significant difference in serum total IgG antibody positive rate between two follow-ups was observed (χ2 = 3.066, p = 0.080). However, there was a significant difference in the concentration of serum total IgG antibody between the two follow-ups (Z = 7.154, p < 0.001). The GEE showed that the antibody level in the five-year prognosis was mainly affected by the antibody level in the two-year prognosis (OR: 1.007, 95%CI: 1.005–1.009). In conclusion, the serum IgG antibodies of previous dengue fever cases can persist for a long time.


2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (22) ◽  
pp. 8606
Author(s):  
Shogo Moriwaki ◽  
Yuki Narimatsu ◽  
Keisuke Fukumura ◽  
Eiko Iwakoshi-Ukena ◽  
Megumi Furumitsu ◽  
...  

RFamide-related peptide-3 (RFRP-3), the mammalian ortholog of avian gonadotropin-inhibitory hormone (GnIH), plays a crucial role in reproduction. In the present study, we explored the other functions of RFRP-3 by investigating the effects of chronic intracerebroventricular infusion of RFRP-3 (6 nmol/day) for 13 days on energy homeostasis in lean male C57BL/6J mice. The infusion of RFRP-3 increased cumulative food intake and body mass. In addition, the masses of brown adipose tissue (BAT) and the liver were increased by the administration of RFRP-3, although the mass of white adipose tissue was unchanged. On the other hand, RFRP-3 decreased O2 consumption, CO2 production, energy expenditure, and core body temperature during a short time period in the dark phase. These results suggest that the increase in food intake and the decrease in energy expenditure contributed to the gain of body mass, including the masses of BAT and the liver. The present study shows that RFRP-3 regulates not only reproductive function, but also energy metabolism, in mice.


1994 ◽  
Vol 57 (2) ◽  
pp. 169-172 ◽  
Author(s):  
JAMES J. PESTKA ◽  
JUAN I. AZCONA-OLIVERA ◽  
RONALD D. PLATTNER ◽  
FIORENZA MINERVINI ◽  
M. BRUNO DOKO ◽  
...  

Seventy-one (71) food samples were analyzed for the mycotoxin fumonisin by a monoclonal antibody based competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Fumonisins were detected primarily in corn-based products with 7/12, 2/2 and 1/3 and 1/7 yellow cornmeal, blue cornmeal, corn muffin mix, and mixed grain cereal samples yielding positive results, respectively. When the positive samples and randomly selected negative samples were assessed by other methods, correlations (r values) between ELISA and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), ELISA and high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) and GC-MS and HPLC were 0.478 (p &lt; 0.05), 0.512 (p &lt; 0.05), and 0.946 (p &lt; 0.01), respectively. The results suggested that although the immunoassay could be used for screening of fumonisin in food samples, higher estimates were attained by ELISA than by the other two methods particularly in the more contaminated samples. These observations may result from differences in sample preparation among the methods or because of the presence of structurally related compounds in extracts that are detectable by ELISA but not the other two methods.


Author(s):  
Rosaleen Howard

This chapter discusses the working of evidentiality in Quechua narrative performance from the central highlands of Peru. In the Quechua narratives analysed, the grammatical marking of source and status of knowledge, and discursive ways of expressing evidence for knowing what is known, are shown to vary strikingly according to performance related factors. On the one hand, narrators base discursively expressed evidence for knowledge, and the veracity and authenticity of the stories they tell, on lived experience. On the other hand, in Huamalíes Quechua the assertion of knowledge and affirmation of validity are grammatically marked by evidential, epistemic modality, and tense suffixes. Taken together, the performative dimensions of discursively expressed evidence, and grammatical choices around evidentiality, constitute the epistemological underpinning of stories about the past in Huamalíes Quechua; both are taken into account in the mixed methods approach to the analysis of Quechua narrative adopted here.


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