PMID: 

Am J Chin Med. 2019 Oct 23:1-17. Epub 2019 Oct 23. PMID: 31645123

Abstract Title: 

Role of EGFR/ErbB2 and PIK/AKT/e-NOS inAmeliorating Endothelial Dysfunction Induced by Oxidative Stress.

Abstract: 

(LBP) are the major ingredients of. In this study, we investigated the role of LBP in endothelial dysfunction induced by oxidative stress and the underlying mechanisms using thoracic aortic endothelial cells of rat (RAECs) as a model. We found that Ang II inhibits cell viability of RAECs with 10mol/L of Ang II treatment for 24h most potential (), the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is increased by Ang II treatment (), and the expression of Occludin and Zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) is decreased by Ang II treatment (). However, preincubation of cells with LBP could inhibit the changes caused by Ang II, LBP increased cell viability (), decreased the level of ROS (), and up-regulated the expression of Occludin () and ZO-1. In addition, Ang II treatment increased the expression of EGFR and p-EGFR (Try1172) and which can be inhibited by LBP. On the contrary, expression of ErbB2, p-ErbB2 (Try1248), PIK, p-e-NOS (Ser1177) (), and p-AKT (Ser473) () was inhibited by Ang II treatment and which can be increased by LBP. Treatment of the cells with inhibitors showed that the regulation of p-e-NOS and p-AKT expression by Ang II and LBP can be blocked by PIK inhibitor wortmannin but not EGFR and ErbB2 inhibitor AC480. Taken together, our results suggested that LBP plays a critical role in maintaining the integrality of blood vessel endothelium through reduced production of ROS via regulating the activity of EGFR, ErbB2, PIK/AKT/e-NOS, and which may offer a novel therapeutic option in the management of endothelial dysfunction.

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PMID: 

Int J Ophthalmol. 2019 ;12(9):1380-1385. Epub 2019 Sep 18. PMID: 31544030

Abstract Title: 

Broccoli sprouts juice prevents lens protein aggregation in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rat.

Abstract: 

AIM: To investigate the effect of broccoli sprouts juice in preventing lens protein aggregation in diabetic rat model.METHODS: Totally 25 male Wistar rats were divided into negative control group, diabetic group without juice treatment as positive control and diabetic group given broccoli sprouts juice 0.25, 0.5 and 1 g/d for 28d. Diabetic rat model was obtained by administering a single dose streptozotocin 65 mg/kg intraperitoneal. At the end of the study, all rats were examined for fasting blood sugar level (FBS), visual cataract score using slit lamp biomicroscope and lensαB-crystallin expression using Western blot method. Statistical analysis was performed using one way ANOVA with post hoc test, correlation test, and simple linear regression.RESULTS: Positive control group had the highest cataract score and lens aggregatedαB-crystallin expression. Broccoli sprout juice dose of 1 g/d group had the mildest cataract score, as well as the expression of lens aggregated αB-crystallin compared to treatments groups 1 and 2, opposite to lens native αB-crystallin expression. The broccoli sprout juice groups gave a significant decrease in cataract score, and also in lens aggregated αB-crystallin expression in diabetic rat models (

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PMID: 

Mar Drugs. 2019 Sep 27 ;17(10). Epub 2019 Sep 27. PMID: 31569771

Abstract Title: 

Protective Effects of Fucoxanthin against Alcoholic Liver Injury by Activation of Nrf2-Mediated Antioxidant Defense and Inhibition of TLR4-Mediated Inflammation.

Abstract: 

Fucoxanthin (Fx) is a natural extract from marine seaweed that has strong antioxidant activity and a variety of other bioactive effects. This study elucidated the protective mechanism of Fx on alcoholic liver injury. Administration of Fx was associated with lower pathological effects in liver tissue and lower serum marker concentrations for liver damage induced by alcohol. Fx also alleviated oxidative stress, and lowered the level of oxides and inflammation in liver tissue. Results indicate that Fx attenuated alcohol-induced oxidative lesions and inflammatory responses by activating the nuclear factor erythrocyte-2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)-mediated signaling pathway and down-regulating the expression of the toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)-mediated nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathway, respectively. Our findings suggest that Fx can be developed as a potential nutraceutical for preventing alcohol-induced liver injury in the future.

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PMID: 

Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2019 Oct 24. Epub 2019 Oct 24. PMID: 31668812

Abstract Title: 

Fucoidan exerts antidepressant-like effects in mice via regulating the stability of surface AMPARs.

Abstract: 

The inflammatory hypothesis is one of the most important mechanisms of depression. Fucoidan is a bioactive sulfated polysaccharide abundant in brown seaweeds with anti-inflammatory activity. However, the antidepressant effects of fucoidan on chronic stress-induced depressive-like behaviors have not been well elucidated. Here, we used two different depressive-like mouse models, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and chronic restraint stress (CRS) models, to explore the detailed molecular mechanism underlying its antidepressant-like effects in C57BL/6J mice by combining multiple behavioral, molecular and immunofluorescence experiments. Adenovirus-mediated overexpression of caspase-1 and pharmacological inhibitors were also used to clarify the antidepressant mechanisms of fucoidan. We found that acute administration of fucoidan did not produce antidepressant effects in the tail suspension test (TST) and forced swim test (FST). Interestingly, chronic fucoidan administration not only dose-dependently reduced stress-induced depressive-like behaviors in the TST, FST, sucrose preference test (SPT), and novelty-suppressed feeding test (NSFT), but also alleviated the downregulation of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)-dependent synaptic plasticity via inhibiting caspase-1-mediated inflammation in the hippocampus of mice. Moreover, fucoidan significantly ameliorated behavioral and synaptic plasticity abnormalities in the overexpression of caspase-1 in the hippocampus of mice. Furthermore, blocking BDNF abolished the antidepressant-like effects of fucoidan in mice. Therefore, our findings clearly indicate that fucoidan provides a potential supplementary noninvasive treatment for depression by inhibition of hippocampal inflammation.

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PMID: 

J Environ Pathol Toxicol Oncol. 2019 ;38(3):239-251. PMID: 31679311

Abstract Title: 

Anti-Inflammatory and Apoptotic Signaling Effect of Fucoxanthin on Benzo(A)Pyrene-Induced Lung Cancer in Mice.

Abstract: 

Fucoxanthin, a potent carotenoid present in various natural sources especially from seaweeds; it exhibits several biological effects like anti-neoplastic, anti-mutagenic, anti-diabetic, anti-obesity and anti-inflammatory actions. Fucoxanthin role in chemoprevention of lung cancer in mouse model induced using benzo(a)pyrene [B(a)P] has been presented here. Oral administration of fucoxanthin with and without B(a)P were studied, the results from our study shows that fucoxanthin significantly decreased tumor progression in mice exposed to B(a)P, the obtained data were correlated with increased antioxidant, apoptosis and decreased tumour marker and anti-apoptotic molecules. With respect to apoptosis, fucoxanthin treated animals shows increased apoptosis compared to tumor induced mice by increased expression of caspase 9 and 3 and decreased expression of anti-apoptotic Bcl2 protein. Finally, histopathological and immuno histochemical analysis also revealed that fucoxanthin shows potent anticancer agent by bringing back the damaged tissue treated with B(a)P and also decreases the expression of PCNA in cancer induced mice. The anticancer effect of fucoxanthin may be attributed by several independent mechanisms which play a important roles in the prevention of cancer development, there is also substantial evidences to show that fucoxanthin acts indirectly by increasing the antioxidant capacity of affected tissue and prepared to cope up with oxidative stress which is proved in our study. Thus from our study it is clearly established that fucoxanthin act as a persuasive anticancer drug against lung cancer.

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PMID: 

J Environ Pathol Toxicol Oncol. 2019 ;38(3):229-238. PMID: 31679310

Abstract Title: 

Assessment of the Therapeutic Effects of Fucoxanthin by Attenuating Inflammation in Ovalbumin-Induced Asthma in an Experimental Animal Model.

Abstract: 

Asthma has affected more than 300 million people worldwide and is considered one of the most debilitating global public health problems based on a recent statistical report from the Global Initiative for Asthma. Inflammation of the airways leads to the various interrelated mechanisms of innate and adaptive immunity acting mutually with the epithelium of the respiratory organ. Fucoxanthin is an orange or brown pigment which is naturally found in various seaweeds. To the best of our knowledge, there are no scientific claims or evidence of the curative effects of fucoxanthin against asthma. Hence, this present research was designed to investigate the curative activity of fucoxanthin against ovalbumin-induced asthma in a mouse model. Fucoxanthin (50 mg/kg) showed significant (P

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PMID: 

Psychiatry Res. 2019 Aug 31 ;281:112546. Epub 2019 Aug 31. PMID: 31622872

Abstract Title: 

Long distance ski racing is associated with lower long-term incidence of depression in a population based, large-scale study.

Abstract: 

Physical activity has been proposed to be beneficial for prevention of depression, although the importance of exercise intensity, sex-specific mechanisms, and duration of the effects need to be clarified. Using an observational study design, following 395,369 individuals up to 21 years we studied whether participation in an ultralong-distance cross-country ski race was associated with lower risk of developing depression. Skiers (participants in the race) and matched non-skiers from the general population (non-participants in the race) were studied after participation (same year for non-participation) in the race using the Swedish population and patient registries. The risk of depression in skiers (n = 197,685, median age 36 years, 38% women) was significantly lower, to nearly half of that in non-skiers (adjusted hazard ratio, HR 0.53) over the follow-up period. Further, a higher fitness level (measured as the finishing time to complete the race, a proxy for higher exercise dose) was associated with lower incidence of depression in men (adjusted HR 0.65), but not in women. Our results support the recommendations of engaging in physical activity as a preventive strategy decreasing the risk for depression in both men and women. Furthermore, the exercise could reduce risk for depressionin a dose-dependent matter, in particular in males.

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PMID: 

Zhongguo Zhen Jiu. 2019 Oct 12 ;39(10):1081-6. PMID: 31621261

Abstract Title: 

[Effect of electroacupuncture at Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway on inhibiting cartilage degeneration in rats with knee osteoarthritis].

Abstract: 

OBJECTIVE: To explore the action mechanism of electroacupuncture (EA) for knee osteoarthritis (KOA) based on Wnt/beta-catenin (Wnt/β-catenin) signaling pathway.METHODS: Ten rats were randomly selected into a sham-operation group among 50 male 2-month-old SD rats, and the KOA model was established in the remaining 40 rats by modified Hulth method. Four weeks after the model establishment, the rats were randomly divided into a model group, an experimental A group, an experimental B group and an experimental C group, 10 rats in each group. The rats in the sham-operation group and model group did not receive any intervention. The rats in the experimental A group were treated with EA at"Neixiyan"(EX-LE 4) and"Dubi"(ST 35) for 15 min. The rats in the experimental B group were treated with EA at"Neixiyan"(EX-LE 4) and"Dubi"(ST 35) for 30 min. The rats in the experimental C group were treated with EA at non-acupoint for 15 min. EA intervention was given once a day, five times a week, and totally 12-week treatment was given. After 12 weeks, the knee cartilage tissues were stained and the morphological changes were observed under light microscopy; the severity of cartilage degeneration was evaluated by modified Mankin's score; the content of interleukin-1β (IL-1β) in synovium tissues was detected by ELISA method; the content of Wnt-4, β-catenin and matrix metalloprotein-13 (MMP-13) in cartilage tissues was detected by Western blot method.RESULTS: Compared with the sham-operation group, in the model group the morphology and structure of cartilage were disordered, the number of cells was significantly reduced, the matrix was decontaminated and tidal line was incomplete; the Mankin's score was significantly increased (

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PMID: 

Front Behav Neurosci. 2019 ;13:239. Epub 2019 Oct 15. PMID: 31680895

Abstract Title: 

Effects of Acupuncture on Behavioral Stereotypies and Brain Dopamine System in Mice as a Model of Tourette Syndrome.

Abstract: 

Tourette syndrome (TS), a developmental neurobehavioral disorder, is characterized by involuntary behavioral stereotypies. Clinical studies have confirmed the positive effect of acupuncture on treating TS, but the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. In the present study, we used behavioral tests, Western blotting, double-immunofluorescence labeling, and fluorescence spectrophotometry to investigate whether acupuncture performed at acupoints"Baihui"(GV20) and"Yintang"(GV29) affected behavioral stereotypies and regulated the dopamine (DA) system in three different brain regions in Balb/c mice injected with 3,3'-iminodipropionitrile (IDPN) as a model for TS. We found that acupuncture alleviated behavioral stereotypies, down-regulated the expression of D1R and D2R in the striatum (STR) and substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc), and decreased the concentration of DA in the STR, SNpc, and prefrontal cortex (PFC) as well. Moreover, acupuncture reduced the expression of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) in the SNpc. Conclusively, acupuncture ameliorated behavioral stereotypies by regulating the DA system in the STR, SNpc, and PFC. Our findings provide novel evidence for the therapeutic effect of acupuncture on TS.

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PMID: 

Foods. 2019 Oct 1 ;8(10). Epub 2019 Oct 1. PMID: 31581550

Abstract Title: 

Oligosaccharides Isolated from MGO™ Manuka Honey Inhibit the Adhesion of,O157:H7 andto Human HT-29 cells.

Abstract: 

Historically, honey is known for its anti-bacterial and anti-fungal activities and its use for treatment of wound infections. Although this practice has been in place for millennia, little information exists regarding which manuka honey components contribute to the protective nature of this product. Given that sugar accounts for over 80% of honey and up to 25% of this sugar is composed of oligosaccharides, we have investigated the anti-infective activity of manuka honey oligosaccharides against a range of pathogens. Initially, oligosaccharides were extracted from a commercially-available New Zealand manuka honey-MGO™ Manuka Honey (Manuka Health New Zealand Ltd)-and characterized by High pH anion exchange chromatography coupled with pulsed amperiometric detection. The adhesion of specific pathogens to the human colonic adenocarcinoma cell line, HT-29, was then assessed in the presence and absence of these oligosaccharides. Manuka honey oligosaccharides significantly reduced the adhesion ofO157:H7 (by 40%),(by 30%), and(by 52%) to HT-29 cells. This activity was then proven to be concentration dependent and independent of bacterial killing. This study identifies MGO™ Manuka Honey as a source of anti-infective oligosaccharides for applications in functional foods aimed at lowering the incidence of infectious diseases.

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