PMID: 

Disabil Rehabil. 2020 Feb 18:1-12. Epub 2020 Feb 18. PMID: 32070137

Abstract Title: 

Effectiveness of Tai Chi for health promotion for adults with health conditions: a scoping review of Meta-analyses.

Abstract: 

To complete a scoping review of meta-analyses summarizing evidence of the effectiveness of Tai Chi for adults with health conditions.Meta-analyses were retrieved from Medline, Embase, AMED, CINAHL, SPORTDiscus, PsychINFO, Web of Science, PubMed Health and the Cochrane Library from database inception to early September 2018. Multistage deduplication and screening processes identified full-length, unique, peer-reviewed meta-analyses. Two people independently appraised 42 meta-analyses based on the GRADE system and organized results into 3 appendices subsequently collated into heterogeneous, statistically significant, and statistically insignificant tables.High"and"moderate"quality evidence indicates that Tai Chi can significantly benefit adults with health conditions including cancers, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, coronary heart disease, depression, heart failure, hypertension, low back pain, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, Parkinson's Disease and stroke. Outcomes included significant improvements in activities of daily living, balance, exercise capacity, gait, mastery, mental health, mobility, motor function, participation in daily life, physical function, quality of life, range of motion, and strength; with reductions in blood pressure, body mass index, depression, disability, dyspnea, falls, fatigue, pain, stiffness, and waist circumference.Healthcare providers now have information to advise clients with health conditions on the effectiveness of Tai Chi for overall health promotion.IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONTai Chi is a form of safe, enjoyable, light-to-moderate aerobic physical activity for adults that is inexpensive to implement in diverse community settings.Adults with health conditions require physical activity for prevention of secondary impairments and over-all health promotion.This scoping review of meta-analyses elucidates"high"and"moderate"quality evidence of the effectiveness of Tai Chi in improving important outcomes for people with numerous health conditions.This information can be useful for healthcare providers who wish to recommend effective community-based physical activity to clients they are serving.

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PMID: 

J Aging Phys Act. 2020 Mar 3:1-11. Epub 2020 Mar 3. PMID: 32131053

Abstract Title: 

Effectiveness of Tai Chi on Balance Improvement in Type 2 Diabetes Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Abstract: 

Balance impairments are a relevant problem in patients with diabetes, and interventions to manage this issue represent a public health need. This study reviewed the literature about the effectiveness of Tai Chi on balance improvement in patients with type 2 diabetes. Springerlink, MEDLINE, PubMed, CINAHL, Web of Science, Scopus, and Cochrane CENTRAL databases were screened. Randomized and nonrandomized controlled trials assessing balance in patients with type 2 diabetes enrolled in a Tai Chi program were considered eligible. Four studies were included in qualitative synthesis and in quantitative analysis (three randomized controlled trials and one pretest-posttest quasi-experimental study). Evidence supporting Tai Chi to improve balance in patients with type 2 diabetes was found (effect size: 0.52; 95% confidence interval [0.20, 0.84]); however, the analysis relied on a small number of studies, which raises concerns about the risk of bias. In conclusion, the results support the benefits of Tai Chi intervention to improve balance in patients with type 2 diabetes.

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PMID: 

Front Pharmacol. 2019 ;10:1694. Epub 2020 Feb 4. PMID: 32116685

Abstract Title: 

The Efficacy of Berberine-Containing Quadruple Therapy on Helicobacter Pylori Eradication in China: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials.

Abstract: 

Background: Berberine-containing quadruple therapy (adding berberine to the standard triple therapy) is being used to treatinfection, but the effects in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are still controversial. Therefore, a meta-analysis is needed to estimate the efficacy and safety of berberine-containing quadruple therapy oneradication.Methods: Ten databases were searched to find the available literature. RCTs about the efficacy and safety of berberine-containing quadruple therapy oneradication were included. The data oferadication rate, peptic ulcer healing rate, relieving rate of clinical symptoms and adverse events were extracted to appraise the net change with a fixed or randomized effect model.Results: A total of 13 articles were included in the analysis. Pooled results showed that the addition of berberine in standard triple therapy significantly improvederadication rate (RR 1.22; 95% CI 1.16 to 1.27; I= 12%), increased the peptic ulcer healing rate (RR 1.15; 95% CI 1.10 to 1.19; I= 44%), relieved the clinical symptoms (RR 1.11; 95% CI 1.06 to 1.17; I= 44%) and reduced the incidence of side events (RR 0.65; 95% CI 0.53 to 0.80; I= 58%) comparing to the standard triple therapy.Conclusions: The analysis showed that the addition of berberine in standard triple therapy could improveeradication rate and clinical symptom remission rate, accelerate ulcer healing, and reduce adverse events, which is very beneficial to clinical work in China.

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PMID: 

Chem Biodivers. 2020 Feb ;17(2):e1900609. Epub 2020 Jan 29. PMID: 31916412

Abstract Title: 

New Constituents from the Low Polar Fraction of the Fruits of Crataegus dahurica and Their Anti-Inflammatory Activity in RAW264.7 Cells.

Abstract: 

The fruit of Crataegus dahurica Koehne was used to treat the disease of infantile indigestion and dyspepsia as an ethnic medicine and food. As a continuous work on finding the active constituents from the edible herbs, four new biphenyl derivatives (1-4), together with two known compounds (5 and 6), were obtained from the petroleum ether fraction of the fruits of C. dahurica. Their structures were determined by the extensive 1D and 2D NMR spectra and HR-MS spectrometry. Furthermore, the anti-inflammatory activities of all the isolated compounds were investigated, in which compound 4 showed moderately inhibitory effects on NO production in RAW264.7 cells without inducing cytotoxicity.

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PMID: 

Med Sci Monit. 2020 Feb 17 ;26:e920170. Epub 2020 Feb 17. PMID: 32065826

Abstract Title: 

Total Flavonoid Extract from Hawthorn (Crataegus pinnatifida) Improves Inflammatory Cytokines-Evoked Epithelial Barrier Deficit.

Abstract: 

BACKGROUND Intestinal epithelial barrier dysfunction is involved in the development and pathogenesis of intestinal diseases, such as irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, and celiac disease. This study was performed to evaluate the ability of total flavonoid extract from hawthorn (TFH) to improve TNF-alpha-evoked intestinal epithelial barrier deficit. MATERIAL AND METHODS Caco-2 cells monolayers were exposed to TNF-alpha in different concentrations of TFH. Intestinal epithelial barrier function was evaluated using epithelial permeability and transepithelial electrical resistance (TER). RESULTS Our findings showed that TFH alleviated the increase of paracellular permeability and the decline of transepithelial electrical resistance (TER) evoked by TNF-alpha. Additionally, 24-h pre-incubation with TFH inhibited TNF-alpha-evoked secretion of pro-inflammatory factors (IL-6, IL-8, MCP-1, and IL-1ß). Furthermore, TFH inhibited TNF-alpha-evoked overexpression of pMLC and MLCK and alleviated breakdown of TJs protein (ZO-1 and occludin). The activations of Elk-1 and NFkappaBp65 were inhibited by TFH pre-incubation. CONCLUSIONS TFH can alleviate TNF-alpha-evoked intestinal epithelial barrier deficit via the NFkappaBp65-mediated MLCK-MLC signaling pathway.

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PMID: 

Biomed Pharmacother. 2020 Apr ;124:109849. Epub 2020 Jan 20. PMID: 31972356

Abstract Title: 

Vitexin attenuates myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury in rats by regulating mitochondrial dysfunction induced by mitochondrial dynamics imbalance.

Abstract: 

Vitexin (VT) is a main bioactive flavonoid compound derived from the dried leaf of hawthorn (Crataegus pinnatifida), a widely used Chinese traditional folk medicine. Recent studies have shown that vitexin presents cardioprotective effects in vivo and in vitro. Mitochondrial dysfunction is a salient feature of myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury (MIRI), but the potential mechanism is still unclear. This study investigated the cardioprotective effect of vitexin against MIRI and its possible mechanism. Isolated SD rat hearts were subjected to MIRI in a Langendorff perfusion system, and H9c2 cells were subjected to hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) in vitro. Ex vivo experiments showed improved left ventricular function and reduced infarct size in the vitexin group. Transmission electron microscopy showed that I/R caused outer mitochondrial membrane rupture, cristae disappearance and vacuolation, while vitexin reduced mitochondrial damage and ultimately reduced cardiomyocyte apoptosis. In vitro, vitexin protected H9c2 cells from H/R-induced mitochondrial dysfunction, significantly reducing ROS levels; improving mitochondrial activity, mitochondrial membrane potential and ATP content; markedly increasing MFN2 expression and reducing the recruitment of Drp1 in mitochondria. These results suggest a new protective mechanism of vitexin for ischemic heart disease treatment.

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PMID: 

Eur J Pharmacol. 2020 Apr 15 ;873:173007. Epub 2020 Feb 8. PMID: 32045602

Abstract Title: 

Vitexin protects against ethanol-induced liver injury through Sirt1/p53 signaling pathway.

Abstract: 

In the present study, we aimed to investigate the therapeutic effect of Vitexin on inhibiting ethanol-induced liver damage and explore the underling mechanism. In vitro, the injury was induced in LO2 cell by 100 mM ethanol. Cell viability, AST, oxidative stress, inflammation, apoptosis rate, and related gene and protein expressions were assessed. Alcoholic liver injury model was made by intragastric infusion of alcohol for 4 weeks on male KM mice. Liver index, AST, ALT, TC, TG, TP, TBIL in serum and liverpathology were evaluated. Meanwhile, the level of SOD, MDA and TNF-α also were detected by Kits. Quantitative RT-PCR and Western blotting analysis the Sirt1/p53 pathway related gene and protein expressions. In vitro, Vitexin restored cytoactive and inhibited the releasing of AST induced by ethanolin LO2 cell. Vitexin treatment significantly suppressed the elevation of aminotransferase, blood lipid, UA in mice. Vitexin ameliorated liver pathological changes induced by ethanol. Vitexin supplement restored the decrease of Sirt1/Bcl-2 expression, restrained the elevation of caspase3, cleaved caspse-3, p53 and ac-p53 expression in vivo and in vitro. Vitexin has a protective effect against ethanol-induced liver damage, and the underlying mechanism is probably through Sirt1/p53 mediated mitochondrial apoptotic pathway.

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PMID: 

Adv Clin Exp Med. 2020 Jan ;29(1):135-145. PMID: 32011832

Abstract Title: 

Vitexin improves neuron apoptosis and memory impairment induced by isoflurane via regulation of miR-409 expression.

Abstract: 

BACKGROUND: Anesthetics, such as isoflurane, sevoflurane, ketamine, and desflurane, are commonly used in clinics. Specifically, isoflurane is one of the most commonly used inhalational anesthetics, which can be used in surgery patients of all ages, including children.OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to investigate the mechanisms of vitexin against isoflurane-induced neurotoxicity.MATERIAL AND METHODS: Reference memory testing was performed for 5 days (4 trials, 2 per day) before anesthesia. Reversal testing was performed on the 3rd day after anesthesia. The cell viability and apoptosis of PC-12 cells were detected using MTT and TUNEL assays, respectively. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits were used to measure serum tumor necrosis factorα (TNF‑α), interleukin 6 (IL‑6), glutathione (GSH), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) concentrations. The concentration of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was detected using ROS measurement. Expression of miR-409 was determined using quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (qPT-PCR). Protein expression levels were detected using western blotting.RESULTS: Rats treated with isoflurane showed significant increases in the escape latency periods (ELP) and the apoptosis of hippocampus neuron cells; this effect was reversed by 3 mg/kg or 10 mg/kg of vitexin (p

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PMID: 

Molecules. 2020 Jan 13 ;25(2). Epub 2020 Jan 13. PMID: 31941156

Abstract Title: 

Tomatidine Represses Invasion and Migration of Human Osteosarcoma U2OS and HOS Cells by Suppression of Presenilin 1 and c-Raf-MEK-ERK Pathway.

Abstract: 

Osteosarcoma, which is the most prevalent malignant bone tumor, is responsible for the great majority of bone cancer-associated deaths because of its highly metastatic potential. Although tomatidine is suggested to serve as a chemosensitizer in multidrug-resistant tumors, the anti-metastatic effect of tomatidine in osteosarcoma is still unknown. Here, we tested the hypothesis that tomatidine suppresses migration and invasion, features that are associated with metastatic process in human osteosarcoma cells and also investigate its underlying pathway. Tomatidine, up to 100μM, without cytotoxicity, inhibited the invasion and migration capabilities of human osteosarcoma U2OS and HOS cells and repressed presenilin 1 (PS-1) expression of U2OS cells. After the knockdown of PS-1, U2OS and HOS cells' biological behaviors of cellular invasion and migratory potential were significantly reduced. While tomatidine significantly decreased the phosphorylation of c-Raf, mitogen/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (MEK), and extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK)1/2 in U2OS cells, no obvious influences on p-Jun N-terminal kinase, p38, and Akt, including their phosphorylation, were observed. In ERK 1 silencing U2 OS cells, tomatidine further enhanced the decrease of their migratory potential and invasive activities. We conclude that both PS-1 derived from U2OS and HOS cells and the c-Raf-MEK-ERK pathway contribute to cellular invasion and migration and tomatidine could inhibit the phenomenons. These findings indicate that tomatidine might be a potential candidate for anti-metastasis treatment of human osteosarcoma.

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PMID: 

Cancer Causes Control. 2020 Feb 25. Epub 2020 Feb 25. PMID: 32100191

Abstract Title: 

Tomato consumption and intake of lycopene as predictors of the incidence of prostate cancer: the Adventist Health Study-2.

Abstract: 

PURPOSE: Studies have controversially suggested that prostate cancer, the most common cancer among Western men, is less common among those with a high intake of tomato products and lycopene. We examine multivariable associations between the intake of tomatoes and lycopene, and risk of prostate cancer.METHODS: In a prospective study of 27,934 Adventist men without prevalent cancer, Cox proportional hazard regression analyses were used to address the objectives. Dietary measurement error was partially corrected with regression calibration.RESULTS: 1226 incident cases of prostate cancer, 355 of them aggressive, were identified during 7.9 years of follow-up. Consumption of canned and cooked tomatoes more than four times a week was associated with a HR = 0.72 (95% CI 0.55, 0.94, P = 0.02) comparing to risk in those never consuming this food. Treating this as a continuous variable, adjusting for confounders, produces a similar result, HR = 0.86 (95% CI 0.75, 0.99), comparing 64 g/day with zero intakes (questionnaire data). Regression calibration, although less precise, suggests a yet stronger and statistically significant inverse relationship, comparing a 24-h dietary recall intake of 71 g/day canned and cooked tomato product, with zero intake. Uncalibrated multivariable-adjusted competing risk analyses do not find differences in tomato associations between aggressive and non-aggressive prostate cancers although power for aggressive cancers is limited.CONCLUSION: Consumption of canned and cooked tomatoes may reduce the risk of prostate cancer. These products contain more available lycopene. However, an observational study cannot exclude confounding by some unidentified, prostate cancer preventive factor. Clinical Trial Registry: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03615599.

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