PMID: 

Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2019 ;2019:9146827. Epub 2019 Oct 23. PMID: 31772603

Abstract Title: 

Tai Chi Chuan Exercise Improves Lung Function and Asthma Control through Immune Regulation in Childhood Asthma.

Abstract: 

Background: Tai Chi Chuan (TCC) is an exercise of low to moderate intensity with key features of mindfulness, structural alignment, and flexibility to relax the body and mind in adults. Our previous study showed that TCC could improve the quality of life (QoL), pulmonary function, and fractional exhaled nitric oxide in asthmatic children. We further investigated whether the benefits induced by TCC were associated with immune regulation.Method: Six- to twelve-year-old children diagnosed with mild to severe persistent asthma for at least one year according to the Global Initiative for Asthma guidelines were enrolled from a tertiary pediatric allergy center in Taiwan. Asthmatic children were divided into two groups based on their choice: (1) the TCC group had a 60-minute TCC exercise session once weekly led by an instructor and (2) the control group kept their original activity levels. All other exercises were encouraged as usual. Pulmonary function tests, laboratory tests, standardized pediatric asthma QoL questionnaire (PAQLQ(S)), and childhood asthma control test (C-ACT) were performed before and after the TCC program (12 weeks). Data on medications and exacerbations were collected from medical records.Results: There were no differences between the TCC ( = 25) and control ( = 15) groups at baseline, except that the C-ACT showed significantly lower results in the TCC group (=0.045). After 12 weeks, the number of leukocytes (=0.041) and eosinophils (=0.022) decreased, while regulatory T cells increased significantly (=0.008) only in the TCC group. Lung functions (FEVand PEFR) were significantly improved in both the TCC (

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PMID: 

Arch Gerontol Geriatr. 2020 Jan 10 ;87:104011. Epub 2020 Jan 10. PMID: 31954228

Abstract Title: 

Impact of Tai Chi Yuttari-exercise on arteriosclerosis and physical function in older people.

Abstract: 

OBJECTIVES: This non-randomized controlled study investigated the impact of practicing Tai Chi Yuttari-exercise for 1 year on arteriosclerosis status and physical functioning of community-dwelling older people.METHODS: Vascular and physical function were compared between 45 and 44 individuals who had and had not participated in Tai Chi Yuttari classes for 1 year, respectively. Participants deemed unsuitable for exercise by a physician, unable to walk unaided, with severely limited activities of daily living, with serious circulatory or respiratory disease, undergoing treatment for an acute or chronic motor organ disease, with seriously impaired motor function of the upper or lower limbs, with a history of myocardial infarction or cerebral stroke within the previous 6 months, and with previous serious infection were excluded.RESULTS: The mean cardio-ankle vascular index improved significantly from 8.44 at baseline to 8.20 after 6 months in the intervention group; however, no significant difference was observed at 1 year. Conversely, compared with baseline, the functional reach, gait speed, and timed up-and-go test results improved significantly after 6 months in this group; these improvements were maintained after 1 year. No significant changes in arteriosclerosis or physical function were observed in thecontrol group.CONCLUSIONS: The practice of Tai Chi Yuttari-exercise is effective in maintaining and improving arteriosclerosis status and physical function in older people. However, it may be performed at least thrice a week for maintaining or improving arteriosclerosis status.

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PMID: 

Exp Ther Med. 2019 Nov ;18(5):3365-3374. Epub 2019 Sep 6. PMID: 31602210

Abstract Title: 

Angelicin inhibits the malignant behaviours of human cervical cancer potentially via inhibiting autophagy.

Abstract: 

Angelicin is an active compound isolated from the Chinese herb, which has been reported to exert antitumor effects by inhibiting malignant behaviors in several types of tumor, including proliferation, colony formation, migration and invasion. However, the effects of angelicin on human cervical cancer cells is yet to be elucidated. The present study evaluated the antitumor effects of angelicin on cervical cancer cells. The results demonstrated that cervical cancer cells were more sensitive to angelicin than cervical epithelial cells. At its IC, angelicin inhibited the proliferation of HeLa and SiHa cells by blocking the cell cycle at the G1/G0 phase and inhibiting other malignant behaviors, including colony formation, tumor formation in soft agar, migration and invasion. At the IC, angelicin induced cell death potentially by promoting apoptosis. By identifying the hallmarks of autophagy, it was observed that angelicin treatment caused the accumulation of microtubule associated protein 1 light chain 3-β (LC3B) in the cytoplasm of HeLa and SiHa cells. Western blotting results demonstrated that cleaved LC3B-II and autophagy related proteins (Atg)3, Atg7 and Atg12-5 were upregulated following angelicin treatment. It was also determined that the phosphorylation of mTOR was induced by angelicin treatment. Furthermore, the inhibition of angelicin-induced mTOR phosphorylation did not disrupt its inhibitory effect on autophagy, indicating that angelicin inhibited autophagy in an mTOR-independent manner. Taken together, the present results suggested that angelicin regulated malignant behaviors in cervical cancer cells by inhibiting autophagy in an mTOR-independent manner. Findings suggested that autophagy might be a potential therapeutic target for cervical cancer.

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PMID: 

Biofactors. 2019 Nov 23. Epub 2019 Nov 23. PMID: 31758846

Abstract Title: 

Angelica polysaccharide exhibits antitumor effect in neuroblastoma cell line SH-SY5Y by up-regulation of miR-205.

Abstract: 

Neuroblastoma (NB) is a serious disease with high-risk and poor prognosis in children. Survivors often have serious side effects. Angelica polysaccharide (AP) has been proved to exert antitumor function. Therefore, we explored the mechanism of this function in NB to accelerate the clinical application of AP in NB therapy. SH-SY5Y cells were transfected with miR-205 inhibitor and pretreated by AP. Cell activity, colonies number, and apoptosis were detected via Cell Counting Kit-8 assay, colony formation experiment, and flow cytometry, respectively. Targeting link between miR-205 and zinc finger E-box binding homeobox 1 (ZEB1) was measured via luciferase activity assay. Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and western blot was to examine levels of miR-205 and related factors. We found that AP suppressed cell activity and colony formation, whereas induced apoptosis in SH-SY5Y cells. Besides, AP also suppressed Epithelial-mesenchymal transition process and phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK1/2) signal passageways. Additionally, miR-205 was positively regulated by AP. AP played its antitumor functions through up-regulating miR-205. Target of miR-205 was ZEB1. Our study demonstrated that AP played its antitumor role in NB through positively regulation of miR-205, whose target gene was ZEB1.

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PMID: 

J Oncol. 2019 ;2019:9206951. Epub 2019 Nov 3. PMID: 31781219

Abstract Title: 

The Combination ofandInhibits Lung Cancer and Cachexia through Its Immunomodulatory Function.

Abstract: 

Lung cancer and its related cachexia are the leading cause of cancer death in the world. In this study, we report the inhibitory effect of the combined therapy ofand, on tumor growth and cachexia in tumor-bearing mice. Lewis lung carcinoma cells were inoculated into male C57BL/6 and CAnN.Cg-Foxn1nude mice. After tumor inoculation, mice were fed orally by the combination of AM and AS in different doses. In C57BL/6 mice, the combination of AM and AS significantly inhibited the growth of cancer tumor and prevented the loss of body weight and skeletal muscle. It also diminished the formation of free radicals and cytokines, stimulated the differentiation of NK and Tc cells, and rebalanced the ratios of Th/Tc cells, Th1/Th2 cytokines, and M1/M2 tumor-associated macrophages. The herbal combination also downregulated the expression of NFΒ, STAT3, HIF-1, and VEGF in tumors. In contrast, the findings were not observed in the nude mice. Therefore, the combination of AM and AS is confirmed to inhibit the progression of lung cancer, cancer cachexia, and cancer inflammation through the immunomodulatory function.

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PMID: 

Nutrients. 2019 Dec 30 ;12(1). Epub 2019 Dec 30. PMID: 31905851

Abstract Title: 

Evaluating the Memory Enhancing Effects ofin Mouse Models of Mild Cognitive Impairments.

Abstract: 

(1) Background: By 2050, it is estimated that 130 million people will be diagnosed with dementia, and currently approved medicines only slow the progression. So preventive intervention is important to treat dementia. Mild cognitive impairment is a condition characterized by some deterioration in cognitive function and increased risk of progressing to dementia. Therefore, the treatment of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a possible way to prevent dementia.reduces neuroinflammation, improves circulation, and inhibits cholinesterase, which can be effective in the prevention of Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia and the progression of mild cognitive impairment. (2) Methods:(AG) extract 1 mg/kg was administered to mildly cognitive impaired mice, models based on mild traumatic brain injury and chronic mild stress. Then, spatial, working, and object recognition and fear memory were measured. (3) Result:improved spatial learning, working memory, and suppressed fear memory in the mild traumatic brain injury model. It also improved spatial learning and suppressed cued fear memory in the chronic mild stress model animals. (4) Conclusions:can improve cognitive symptoms in mild cognitive impairment model mice.

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PMID: 

Ann Transl Med. 2019 Nov ;7(22):639. PMID: 31930040

Abstract Title: 

Wogonin improves functional neuroprotection for acute cerebral ischemia in rats by promoting angiogenesis via TGF-β1.

Abstract: 

Background: Previous studies showed that wogonin is a potential candidate for more effective treatment of neuronal and inflammatory disease and could offer neuroprotective activity in various models, but all these studies were. Our research aimed to investigate the neuroprotective effect of wogonin on focal cerebral ischemia in rats and uncover its potential mechanism.Methods: A total of 80 male SD rats were randomly divided into a sham operation group (Sham group, 20 rats), a normal saline group (NS group, 20 rats), and a wogonin intervention group (W2W group, 20 rats), while the remaining 20 rats were kept as a substitute. The model of focal cerebral ischemia (MCAO) was established by thread embolization. The neurological deficits were evaluated by the modified neurological deficit scale (mNSS). The laser confocal technique was used to observe the diameter, density, and total area of microvessel. Lastly, the expression of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) was detected by Western blot.Results: The mNSS scores of the NS group and Wn2W group were 6.57±1.13 and 4.39±0.92 respectively, and the difference between NS group and Wn2W group was statistically significant (P

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PMID: 

Nutr Metab (Lond). 2019 ;16:53. Epub 2019 Aug 17. PMID: 31428181

Abstract Title: 

Krill oil extract suppresses the proliferation of colorectal cancer cells through activation of caspase 3/9.

Abstract: 

Background: Currently available treatments for colorectal cancer (CRC) associate with numerous side-effects that reduce patients' quality of life. The effective nutraceuticals with high anti-proliferative efficacy and low side-effects are desirable. Our previous study has reported that free fatty acids extract (FFAE) of krill oil induced apoptosis of CRC cells, possibly associated with changes in mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP). The aims of this study were to compare the anti-proliferative efficacy of FFAE from krill oil on CRC cells with commonly used chemotherapeutic drug, Oxaliplatin, and to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying the anti-proliferative effects of krill oil with a focus on intrinsic mitochondrial death pathway.Methods: Three human CRC cell lines, including DLD-1, HT-29 and LIM-2405, and one mouse CRC cell line, CT-26, were treated with FFAE of KO and the bioactive components of krill oil, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) for 24 h and 48 h. Similarly, these cell lines were treated with Oxaliplatin, a commonly used drug for CRC treatment, for 24 h. The effects of FFAE of KO, EPA, DHA and Oxaliplatin on cell proliferation, mitochondrial membrane potential and reactive oxygen species (ROS) were determined via WST-1, JC-10, and ROS assays respectively. The expression of caspase-3, caspase-9 and DNA damage following treatments of FFAE of KO was investigated via western blotting and immunohistochemistry.Results: The FFAE of KO, EPA and DHA significantly inhibited cell proliferation and increased formation of ROS in all four cell lines ( 0.01). A small dose of FFAE from KO ranged from 0.06 μL/100 μL to 0.12 μL/100 μL containing low concentrations of EPA (0.13-0.52 μM) and DHA (0.06-0.26 μM) achieved similar anti-proliferative effect as Oxaliplatin ( 0.05). Treatments with the FFAE of KO, EPA and DHA (2:1 ratio) resulted in a significant increase in the mitochondrial membrane potential ( 

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PMID: 

Int Immunopharmacol. 2020 Jan 21 ;80:106196. Epub 2020 Jan 21. PMID: 31978803

Abstract Title: 

6-Gingerol ameliorates sepsis-induced liver injury through the Nrf2 pathway.

Abstract: 

Sepsis-induced liver injury is very common in intensive care units. Here, we investigated the effects of 6-gingerol on sepsis-induced liver injury and the role of the Nrf2 pathway in this process. 6-Gingerol is the principal ingredient of ginger that exerts anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. Using cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) to induce polymicrobial sepsis and related liver injury, we found that mice pre-treated with 6-Gingerol showed less incidences of severe liver inflammation and death than untreated CLP groups. 6-Gingerol administration also inhibited the expression of pyroptosis-related proteins, including NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3), IL-1β, and caspase-1. Consistent with these findings, 6-gingerol reduced the effects of pyroptosis induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) in RAW 264.7 cells, as evidenced by IL-1β and caspase-1 protein levels in the supernatant and propidium iodide (PI) staining. 6-Gingerol was shown to activate the Nrf2 pathway in vivo and in vitro. Notably, Nrf2 siRNA transfection nullified the inhibitory effects of 6-gingerol on pyroptosis in vitro. In summary, these findings suggested that 6-gingerol alleviated sepsis-induced liver injury by inhibiting pyroptosis through theNrf2 pathway.

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The Mediterranean Diet has been rated as the healthiest diet on the planet three years in a row, and as the meals are simple to prepare and truly delicious, it’s easy to follow