Modified Huo-Luo-Xiao-Ling Dan Suppresses Adjuvant Arthritis by Inhibiting Chemokines and Matrix-Degrading Enzymes

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease affecting the joints that can lead to deformities and disability. The prolonged use of conventionally used drugs is associated with severe adverse reactions. Therefore, safer and less expensive therapeutic products are continually being sought. Huo-Luo-Xiao-Ling dan (HLXL), a traditional Chinese herbal mixture, and its modified versions possess anti-arthritic activity. In this paper, we examined the influence of modified HLXL on two of the key mediators of arthritic inflammation and tissue damage, namely, chemokines and matrix-metalloproteinases (MMPs) in the rat adjuvant-induced arthritis (AA) model of RA. We treated arthritic Lewis rats with HLXL (2.3 g/kg) by daily gavage beginning at the onset of AA. The control rats received the vehicle. At the peak phase of AA, rats were sacrificed and their draining lymph node cells (LNC) and spleen adherent cells (SAC) were tested. The HLXL-treated rats showed a significant reduction in the levels of chemokines (RANTES, MCP-1, MIP-1α, and GRO/KC), MMPs (MMP 2 and 9), as well as cytokines (IL-6 and IL-17) that induce them, compared to the control vehicle-treated rats. Thus, HLXL controls arthritis in part by suppressing the mediators of immune pathology, and it might offer a promising alternative/adjunct treatment for RA

Suppression of Ongoing Experimental Arthritis by a Chinese Herbal Formula (Huo-Luo-Xiao-Ling Dan) Involves Changes in Antigen-Induced Immunological and Biochemical Mediators of Inflammation

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is one of the major autoimmune diseases of global prevalence. The use of the anti-inflammatory drugs for the treatment of RA is associated with severe adverse reactions and toxicity. This limitation has necessitated the search for novel therapeutic products. We report here a traditional Chinese medicine-based herbal formula, Huo luo xiao ling dan (HLXL), which has potent antiarthritic activity as validated in the rat adjuvant-induced arthritis (AA) model. HLXL (2.3 g/Kg) was fed to Lewis (RT.11) rats daily by gavage beginning at the onset of arthritis and then continued through the observation period. HLXL inhibited the severity of ongoing AA. This suppression of arthritis was associated with significant alterations in the T cell proliferative and cytokine responses as well as the antibody response against the disease-related antigen, mycobacterial heat-shock protein 65 (Bhsp65). There was a reduction in the level of the proinflammatory cytokines IL-17 and IL-1β but enhancement of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 level. In addition, there was inhibition of both the anti-Bhsp65 antibody response and the serum level of nitric oxide. Thus, HLXL is a promising CAM modality for further testing in RA patients

Circulating Lysophosphatidylcholines in Early Pregnancy and Risk of Gestational Diabetes in Chinese Women.

ObjectivesThis study aimed to explore associations of lysophosphatidylcholines (LPCs) in early pregnancy with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), and whether LPCs mediated the associations of bile acids with GDM risk or had interactive effects with bile acids on GDM risk.DesignWe conducted a 1:1 nested case-control study (n = 486) from a large prospective pregnant women cohort in urban Tianjin, China. Blood samples were collected at their first antenatal care visit (median at 10th gestational week). LPCs were measured by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry analysis. Conditional binary logistic regression and restricted cubic spline analysis were used to identify cutoff points of these metabolites for GDM risk.ResultsOf the 6 detectable LPCs, LPC14:0 less than 0.24 nmol/mL, LPC15:0 at 0.45 nmol/mL or greater, and LPC18:0 at 18.00 nmol/mL or greater were independently associated with GDM risk. Adjustment for LPC18:0 slightly attenuated odds ratios (ORs) of deoxycholic acid (DCA, ≤ 0.36 nmol/mL) and glycoursodeoxycholic acid (GUDCA, ≤ 0.07 nmol/mL) for GDM, and the correlations of DCA and GUDCA with LPC18:0 were weak. However, the presence of DCA at 0.36 nmol/mL or less greatly amplified the adjusted OR of LPC18:0 at 18.00 nmol/mL or greater alone for GDM from 8.18 (2.51-26.7) up to 17.7 (6.64-47.1), with significant additive interaction. Similarly, the presence of GUDCA at 0.07 nmol/mL or less also greatly amplified the adjusted OR of LPC18:0 at 18.00 nmol/mL or greater alone for GDM from 17.2 (1.77-168) up to 73.8 (12.7-429), with significant additive interaction.ConclusionsLPCs in early pregnancy were associated with GDM risk. Low DCA or GUDCA greatly amplified the effect of high LPC18:0 on GDM, and its molecular mechanism is worth further investigations

YOLOX-DG robotic detection systems for large-scale underwater concrete structures

Summary: Large-scale complex underwater concrete structures have structural damage and the traditional damage detection method mostly uses manual identification, which is inaccurate and inefficient. Therefore, robotic detection systems have been proposed to replace manual identification for underwater concrete structures in ocean engineering. However, the highly corrosive and disruptive environment of the ocean poses great difficulties for the application. Here, we develop a manta ray-inspired underwater robot with well controllability to establish the damage datasets of underwater concrete structures, proposing the YOLOX-DG algorithm to improve the damage detection accuracy, and integrating the model into the robotic detection systems for underwater concrete damages. Eventually, the system is used for ocean testing in real applications (i.e., underwater marine harbors around the East China Sea), and satisfactory detection performance is obtained. The reported manta ray-inspired robotic detection system can be used to accurately monitor and analyze the underwater regions

Palaeoecological and palaeoenvironmental significance of some important spores and micro-algae in Quaternary deposits

Spores of ferns and allied plants, and micro-algae frequently occur in abundance in Quaternary deposits, but their palaeoenvironmental significance is seldom evaluated. This paper presents morphological descriptions of spores of Selaginella sinensis (Desv.) Spring, 1843 (Selaginellaceae) and Ceratopteris cf. thalictroides (L.) Brongniart, 1821 (Parkeriaceae) and the algae Pediastrum boryanum (Turpin) Meneghini, 1840, P. simplex Meyen, 1829, P. integrum Nageli, 1849 (all Hydrodictyaceae), Spiniferites Mantell, 1850, emend. Sarjeant, 1970 (Spiniferitaceae) and Concentricystes Rossignal, 1962, emend. Jiabo, 1978 (systematic position unclear), and discusses their occurrence in mostly Quaternary sedimentary successions. All are closely associated with aquatic habitats. Extant Selaginella sinensis often colonizes fairly wet hillsides and gaps between rocks, and shady sides of ravines and slopes; it is also found within thickets of trees and shrubs (boscages) and in forests with calcareous soils. Ceratopteris thalictroides, Pediastrum and Concentricystes inhabit freshwater lakes and both natural and artificial wetlands, such as paddy fields and ditches. Spiniferites is a salt-water genus and usually associated with the marine realm. Fossil and subfossil representatives of all of these taxa can be useful proxies of biodiversity and, therefore, also important for determining environmental conditions during the Quaternary period

Boswellia carterii Extract Inhibits TH1 Cytokines and Promotes TH2 Cytokines In Vitro

Traditional herbal formulas used to treat inflammatory arthritis in China and India include Boswellia carterii or Boswellia serrata. They both contain boswellic acids (BAs) which have been shown to exhibit anti-inflammatory and antiarthritic properties. This study tests the hypothesis that mixtures of BAs derived from B. carterii have immunomodulatory properties. B. carterii plant resin obtained from China was prepared as an ethanol extract, and the presence of seven BAs was confirmed by column chromatography, high-performance liquid chromatography, and UV laser desorption/ionization tandem mass spectroscopy. The extract was then tested for its ability to alter in vitro production of TH1 cytokines (interleukin-2 [IL-2] and gamma interferon) and TH2 cytokines (IL-4 and IL-10) by murine splenocytes. Delivery of the resin extract using ethanol as a solvent resulted in significant cellular toxicity not seen with the addition of ethanol alone. By contrast, delivery of the resin extract using a sesame oil solvent resulted in a dose-dependent inhibition of TH1 cytokines coupled with a dose-dependent potentiation of TH2 cytokines. These results indicate that a purified mixture of BAs from B. carterii plant resin exhibits carrier-dependent immunomodulatory properties in vitro

Effects of Mechanical Stirring and Ultrasound Treatment on the Separation of Graphite Electrode Materials from Copper Foils of Spent LIBs: A Comparative Study

In this paper, mechanical stirring and ultrasonic treatment are used to separate graphite electrode materials from copper foils in recycling spent lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Firstly, the effects of ultrasonic power (60–180 W), ultrasonic time (1–8 min), stirring speed (420–2000 rpm), and stirring time (1–8 min) on the abscission rate of active material on copper foil were studied. It was found that the peeling-off ratio of electrode material under ultrasonic treatment was 91.34% compared with stirring treatment (84.22%). The removal of electrode material from copper foil during stirring was mainly through mechanical scrubbing. As a comparison, the generation of the microjets induced by ultrasound, the local high-temperature and high-pressure environment, and the free radicals during ultrasonic treatment are the key factors to further improve electrode material removal efficiency. An integrated ultrasound-mechanical stirrer technique can achieve a high-efficient separation performance (approximately 100% peeling-off ratio) of anode electrode materials from copper foils. The effects of mechanical stirring speed, temperature, and treatment time on the peeling-off ratios of the ultrasound-mechanical stirrer-assisted system were investigated. Finally, the results of XRF (X-ray fluorescence spectrometer), XRD (X-ray diffraction), and SEM-EDS (scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy) showed that the as-separated graphite electrode material had high purity and contained almost no copper foil impurities. Numerical simulation analyses briefly showed that the difference between pressure and ultrasonic temperature changes in the boundary between different anode layers (graphite on copper foil in aqueous solution) was the main effective factor in the considerable separation of graphite from copper anode foil under ultrasonic-assisted delamination