(a,k)-Anonymous Scheme for Privacy-Preserving Data Collection in IoT-based Healthcare Services Systems

The widely use of IoT technologies in healthcare services has pushed forward medical intelligence level of services. However, it also brings potential privacy threat to the data collection. In healthcare services system, health and medical data that contains privacy information are often transmitted among networks, and such privacy information should be protected. Therefore, there is a need for privacy-preserving data collection (PPDC) scheme to protect clients (patients) data. We adopt (a,k)-anonymity model as privacy pretection scheme for data collection, and propose a novel anonymity-based PPDC method for healthcare services in this paper. The threat model is analyzed in the client-server-to-user (CS2U) model. On client-side, we utilize (a,k)-anonymity notion to generate anonymous tuples which can resist possible attack, and adopt a bottom-up clustering method to create clusters that satisfy a base privacy level of (a₁,k₁)-anonymity. On server-side, we reduce the communication cost through generalization technology, and compress (a₁,k₁)-anonymous data through an UPGMA-based cluster combination method to make the data meet the deeper level of privacy (a₂,k₂)-anonymity (a₁?≥?a₂, k₂ ≥?k₁). Theoretical analysis and experimental results prove that our scheme is effective in privacy-preserving and data quality.     

Relevant Features Selection for Automatic Prediction of Preterm Deliveries from Pregnancy ElectroHysterograhic (EHG) records

In this study, we proposed an approach able to predict whether a pregnant woman with contractions would give birth earlier than expected (i.e., before the 37 ^{t h} week of gestation (WG)). It only processes non-invasive electrohysterographic (EHG) signals fully automatically without assistance of an expert or an additional medical system. We used term and preterm EHG signals of 30-minutes duration collected between the 27 ^{t h} and the 32 ^{n d} WG. Preterm deliveries (<?37W G) had occurred in average 4.00 ± 1.88 weeks since recording dates. Each recording contains three bipolar channels. Using the Huang-Hilbert transform (HHT), we obtained up to twelve intrinsic mode functions (IMFs) for each signal. We found that the most relevant IMFs for both term and preterm records were IMF3 and IMF6. From these two IMFs, we extracted 8 most relevant features targeting EHG signal specificities. We investigated features classifications using support vector machine (SVM) for the 3 single-channels and for all their possible combinations. High discrimination power between term and preterm EHG records was obtained with linear-SVM classifiers. For almost all the cases, mean areas under curves (AUC) exceeded 0.92. A two-channel combination (7 features) achieved the best mean results with A c c u r a c y =?95.70%, S e n s i t i v i t y =?98.40%, S p e c i f i c i t y =?93.00% and A U C =?0.95. Results of the three-channel combination (9 features) were A c c u r a c y =?92.30%, S e n s i t i v i t y =?93.00%, S p e c i f i c i t y =?91.60% and A U C =?0.96. The best single-channel (8 features) gave the mean values: A c c u r a c y =?90.40%, S e n s i t i v i t y =?93.60% and A U C =?0.94. Thus, the advantage of our approach is the high diagnostic performance at low computational cost.     

Chinese Medicine for Idiopathic Parkinson's Disease: A Meta Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy of Chinese medicine(CM) adjunct to conventional medications for idiopathic Parkinson's disease(PD).Methods:Electronic English and Chinese databases including PubMed,Cochrane Library,Web of Science,Chinese Medical Current Contents,China National Knowledge Infrastructure,China Science and Technology Journal Database,Wanfang Med Database,and Traditional Chinese Medical Database System were used for key words searching in a highly sensitive search strategy.The extracted data was analyzed by the Review Manager 5.0.Results:Twelve trials involving 869 participants were included in the meta-analysis.Unified PD Rating Scale(UPDRS) I,Ⅱ,Ⅲ,Ⅳ scores and UPDRS Ⅰ-Ⅳ total scores were used to be the primary outcomes,Parkinson Disease Question-39(PDQ-39) and Scores of Chinese Medical Symptoms were the secondary outcomes.CM adjunct therapy had greater improvement in UPDRS Ⅰ[2 trials;standardized mean difference(SMD)-0.40,95%confidence interval(CI)-0.71 to-0.09;Z=2.49(P=0.01)],Ⅱ[5 trials;SMD-0.47,95%CI-0.69 to-0.25;Z=4.20(P0.01)],Ⅲ[5 trials;SMD-0.35,95%CI-0.57 to-0.13;Z=3.16(P=0.002)],Ⅳ scores[3 trials;SMD-0.32,95%CI-0.60 to-0.03;Z=2.17(P=0.03)],UPDRS Ⅰ-Ⅳ total scores[7 trials;SMD-0.36,95%CI-0.53 to-0.20;Z=4.24(P0.05)].PDQ-39 and Chinese medical symptoms compared to the conventional medication only.Conclusion:CM adjunct therapy has potential therapeutic benefits by decreasing UPDRS scores and reducing adverse effect.     

MIStore: a Blockchain-Based Medical Insurance Storage System

Currently, blockchain technology, which is decentralized and may provide tamper-resistance to recorded data, is experiencing exponential growth in industry and research. In this paper, we propose the MIStore, a blockchain-based medical insurance storage system. Due to blockchain’s the property of tamper-resistance, MIStore may provide a high-credibility to users. In a basic instance of the system, there are a hospital, patient, insurance company and n servers. Specifically, the hospital performs a (t, n)-threshold MIStore protocol among the n servers. For the protocol, any node of the blockchain may join the protocol to be a server if the node and the hospital wish. Patient’s spending data is stored by the hospital in the blockchain and is protected by the n servers. Any t servers may help the insurance company to obtain a sum of a part of the patient’s spending data, which servers can perform homomorphic computations on. However, the n servers cannot learn anything from the patient’s spending data, which recorded in the blockchain, forever as long as more than n ? t servers are honest. Besides, because most of verifications are performed by record-nodes and all related data is stored at the blockchain, thus the insurance company, servers and the hospital only need small memory and CPU. Finally, we deploy the MIStore on the Ethererum blockchain and give the corresponding performance evaluation.     

In Vitro Antifungal Activity of Some Traditional Persian Medicinal Plants on Pathogenic Fungi

Objective

To investigate the antifungal activities of the extracts and sub-fractions of Phlomis olivieri, Verbascum speciosum, Sambucus ebulus and Erigeron hyrcanicus, four Persian medicinal plants used in Iranian folk medicine.

Methods

Evaluation of the antifungal activity was performed on the clinical isolates of pathogenic fungi including Aspergillus fumigatus, A. flavus, Trichophyton mentagrophytes, T. rubrum, T. verrucosum, Microsporum canis, M. gypseum and Epidermophyton floccosum, and the yeast Candida albicans. The susceptibility tests were done by agar well diffusion method. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) of active extracts and sub-fractions were measured using method of National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards (NCCLS).

Results

Only P. olivieri sub-fractions were found to have fungicidal activity among the other investigated plants. The MIC and MFC was found to be high in petroleum ether, chloroform and ethyl acetate fractions (100 and 200 mg/mL) against the studied pathogenic fungi and the yeast Candida albicans. P. olivieri sub-fractions significantly inhibited the growth of all pathogenic fungi and the yeast studied.

Conclusion

If the antifungal activity of P. olivieri is confirmed by in vivo studies and if the responsible compound (s) is isolated and identified, it could be a good remedy for mycotic infections.

     

Innovative Perspectives of Integrated Chinese Medicine on H. pylori

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) treatment requires the development of more effective therapies, mainly owing to the challenges posed by the bacterial resistance to antibiotics. In China, critically high infection and antibiotic resistance rates have limited the application of classic H. pylori eradication therapies. Consequently, researchers are attempting to find new solutions by drawing from traditional medicine. This article reviews basic scientific and clinical progress in the use of integrated Chinese and Western medicine (IM) to treat H. pylori; describes the conflicting results between in vivo and in vitro studies in this regard; discusses the observed clinical effects of IM, with emphasis on traditional patent medicines; and proposes a role for IM in both the diagnosis and treatment of H. pylori, including the use of tongue manifestation as an early diagnostic method and capitalizing on IM’s direct and indirect methods for enhancing antibiotic effect.     

Healthcare Workers: Occupational Health Promotion and Patient Safety

The purpose of the present study was to explore the relation of work-related risk factors and well-being among healthcare workers and the impact on patient safety, using the Health and Work Survey (INSAT) and Mental Health Continuum - Short Form (MHC-SF). A sample of 361 Portuguese healthcare workers participated in this study. The results indicate some significant work-related risk factors: for emotional well-being, Impossible to express myself (β?=??0.977), Not having recognition by superiors (β?=??1.028) and Have to simulate good mood and/or empathy (β?=??1.007); for social well-being, Exposed to the risk of sexual discrimination (β?=??2.088), Career progress is almost impossible (β?=??1.518), and Have to hide my emotions (β?=??2.307); finally for psychological well-being Exposed to the risk of sexual discrimination (β?=??2.153), Career progress is almost impossible (β?=??1.377), and Have to simulate good mood and/or empathy (β?=??3.201). The results showed high levels of well-being despite the exposure of several risk factors at workplace. Regarding the work-related risk factors, the study showed that most of the participants are exposed to several risk factors at workplace (ranging from environmental risk factors, biological to physical), although psychosocial risk factors (work relations with superiors and colleagues, employment relations, and emotional demands) are the ones that most impact on well-being.     

Antimicrobial Agents from Selected Medicinal Plants in Libya

Objective: To test the in vitro antimicrobial efficacy of water and methanol extracts of 23 plant species that are commonly used in Libyan folk medicine. Methods: The antimicrobial activity was determined using the well-diffusion method. Four test microorganisms were used namely, Escherichia coli , Salmonella species, Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis . The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was determined for the high biologically active crude plant extracts. Results: Among 23 medicinal plants used in the study, only 5 methanolic extracts [Rosmarinus offcinalis L., Carduus marianium L., Lantana camara L., Rhus tripartite (ueria) Grande, and Thymus capitatus (L.) Hoffm (link)] showed the highest antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis and Salmonella species, while 22 methanolic and aqueous extracts showed moderate to weak antimicrobial activity on all tested organisms. However 19 of the extracts showed no activity at all against Gram –ve and Gram +ve microorganisms. MIC was found to be 1.25 mg/mL (Thymus capitatus), 3 mg/mL (Rhus tripartite), 4 mg/mL (Carduus marianium), 5 mg/mL (Rosamarinus officinalis) and 5 mg/mL (Lantana camara), respectively. Conclusions: The present results revealed that, crude methanolic extracts of the investigated Libyan folk medicinal plants exhibited mild to high in vitro antibacterial activities against Gram-positive and Gram-negative microorganisms.     

Differences in pathological characteristics and laboratory indicators in adult and pediatric patients with Henoch-Schönlein purpura nephritis

We aimed to investigate the differences in renal histopathological changes and laboratory parameters between adult and pediatric patients with Henoch-Schönlein purpura nephritis (HSPN), and to analyze the correlation between laboratory parameters and renal histopathological grading. A total of 139 patients diagnosed with HSPN between September 2010 and December 2014 at the First Hospital of Jilin University, China, were retrospectively reviewed. The clinical and pathological characteristics were examined and compared between the adult and the pediatric patients. A majority of adult (75.0%) and pediatric (66.2%) patients were categorized as pathological grade III HSPN. Adults having crescent lesions, interstitial fibrosis and renal artery involvement significantly outnumbered child counterparts (all P<0.05). Pathological grading showed a positive correlation with 24-h urine protein (r=0.307, P=0.009), microalbuminuria (r=0.266, P=0.000) and serum globulin (r=0.307, P=0.014), and a negative correlation with serum albumin (r=0.249, P=0.037) in pediatric patients with HSPN. Among adult patients with HSPN, histopathological grading showed a positive correlation with 24-h urine protein (r=0.294, P=0.015), microalbuminuria (r=0.352, P=0.006), α1-microglobulin (r=0.311, P=0.019) and immunoglobulin G (r=0.301, P=0.023) in urine, and serum creatinine (r=0.292, P=0.018). Further, a negative correlation between serum albumin and pathological grading was also observed (r=0.291, P=0.018). In conclusion, the severity of renal pathological lesions in HSPN patients is well reflected by the levels of proteinuria. Adult patients have more severe renal histopathological changes than pediatric patients.     

Systematic Heuristic Evaluation of Computerized Consultation Order Templates: Clinicians’ and Human Factors Engineers’ Perspectives

We assessed the usability of consultation order templates and identified problems to prioritize in design efforts for improving referral communication. With a sample of 26 consultation order templates, three evaluators performed a usability heuristic evaluation. The evaluation used 14 domain-independent heuristics and the following three supplemental references: 1 new domain-specific heuristic, 6 usability goals, and coded clinicians’ statements regarding ease of use for 10 sampled templates. Evaluators found 201 violations, a mean of 7.7 violations per template. Minor violations outnumbered major violations almost twofold, 115 (57%) to 62 (31%). Approximately 68% of violations were linked to 5 heuristics: aesthetic and minimalist design (17%), error prevention (16%), consistency and standards (14%), recognition rather than recall (11%), and meet referrers’ information needs (10%). Severe violations were attributed mostly to meet referrers’ information needs and recognition rather than recall. Recorded violations yielded potential negative consequences for efficiency, effectiveness, safety, learnability, and utility. Evaluators and clinicians demonstrated 80% agreement in usability assessment. Based on frequency and severity of usability heuristic violations, the consultation order templates reviewed may impede clinical efficiency and risk patient safety. Results support the following design considerations: communicate consultants’ requirements, facilitate information seeking, and support communication. While the most frequent heuristic violations involved interaction design and presentation, the most severe violations lacked information desired by referring clinicians. Violations related to templates’ inability to support referring clinicians’ information needs had the greatest potential negative impact on efficiency and safety usability goals. Heuristics should be prioritized in future design efforts.     

What kind of Relationship is Between Body Mass Index and Body Fat Percentage?

Although body mass index (BMI) and body fat percentage (BF%) are well known as indicators of nutritional status, there are insuficient data whether the relationship between them is linear or not. There are appropriate linear and quadratic formulas that are available to predict BF% from age, gender and BMI. On the other hand, our previous research has shown that artificial neural network (ANN) is a more accurate method for that. The aim of this study is to analyze relationship between BMI and BF% by using ANN and big dataset (3058 persons). Our results show that this relationship is rather quadratic than linear for both gender and all age groups. Comparing genders, quadratic relathionship is more pronounced in women, while linear relationship is more pronounced in men. Additionaly, our results show that quadratic relationship is more pronounced in old than in young and middle-age men and it is slightly more pronounced in young and middle-age than in old women.     

Effect of Health Education Based on Integrative Therapy of Chinese and Western Medicine for Adult Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Randomized Controlled Study

Objective: To investigate the effects of health education based on integrative therapy of Chinese and Western medicine for type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM) from the aspects of knowledge, attitude and practice(KAP), health-related quality of life(HRQo L), body mass index(BMI) and glucose control. Methods: Patients were individually randomized into intervention group(receiving integrative education, n=120) and control group(receiving usual education, n=120). The primary outcome was the changes in glycosylated hemoglobin A1c(HbA1c) levels after 3, 6, 9 and 12 months from baseline. Hierarchical linear models(HLMs) were used to assess within-group changes in outcomes over time and between-group differences in patterns of change. Secondary outcomes were KAP scores, HRQo L scores and BMI after 6 and 12 months, paired-sample t test was used to assess within-group changes in outcomes in 6 and 12 months, independent-sample t test was used to assess between-group differences in patterns of change. Results: HbA1c decreased statistically from baseline to 3 months, from 3 to 6 months, from 6 to 9 months and from 9 to 12 months in the intervention group(all P0.01); and decreased significantly from baseline to 3 months, and from 3 to 6 months in the control group(P0.01). There were significant between-group differences from baseline to 3 months(P=0.044), from 6 to 9 months(P0.01) and from 9 to 12 months(P0.01). Significant improvements in the intervention group along with significant between-group differences were found in KAP and HRQo L scores respectively(all P0.05). The number in the intervention group of normal weight increased from 56 at baseline to 81(6 months), 94(12 months), the number in the control group were 63(baseline), 69(6 months), 70(12 months), the χ~2 of hierarchical analysis of BMI were 6.93(P=0.075), 10.31(P=0.016), 15.53(P0.01), respectively. Conclusion: Health education based on integrative therapy of Chinese and Western medicine is beneficial to the control of T2DM and should be recommended for T2DM.     

Application of Bayesian Classifier for the Diagnosis of Dental Pain

Toothache is the most common symptom encountered in dental practice. It is subjective and hence, there is a possibility of under or over diagnosis of oral pathologies where patients present with only toothache. Addressing the issue, the paper proposes a methodology to develop a Bayesian classifier for diagnosing some common dental diseases (D?=?10) using a set of 14 pain parameters (P?=?14). A questionnaire is developed using these variables and filled up by ten dentists (n?=?10) with various levels of expertise. Each questionnaire is consisted of 40 real-world cases. Total 14*10*10 combinations of data are hence collected. The reliability of the data (P and D sets) has been tested by measuring (Cronbach’s alpha). One-way ANOVA has been used to note the intra and intergroup mean differences. Multiple linear regressions are used for extracting the significant predictors among P and D sets as well as finding the goodness of the model fit. A naïve Bayesian classifier (NBC) is then designed initially that predicts either presence/absence of diseases given a set of pain parameters. The most informative and highest quality datasheet is used for training of NBC and the remaining sheets are used for testing the performance of the classifier. Hill climbing algorithm is used to design a Learned Bayes’ classifier (LBC), which learns the conditional probability table (CPT) entries optimally. The developed LBC showed an average accuracy of 72%, which is clinically encouraging to the dentists.     

Gefitinib plus Fuzheng Kang'ai Formula(扶正抗癌方) in Patients with Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer with Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Mutation:A Randomized Controlled Trial

Objective: To evaluate the effect of Fuzheng Kang'ai Formula(扶正抗癌方, FZKA) plus gefitinib in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer with epidermal growth factor receptor(EGFR) mutations. Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted from 2009 to 2012 in South China. Seventy chemotherapynaive patients diagnosed with stage ⅢB/Ⅳ non-small cell lung cancer with EGFR mutations were randomly assigned to GF group [gefitinib(250 mg/day orally) plus FZKA(250 m L, twice per day, orally); 35 cases] or G group(gefitinib 250 mg/day orally; 35 cases) according to the random number table and received treatment until progression of the disease, or development of unacceptable toxicities. The primary endpoint [progression-free survival(PFS)] and secondary endpoints [median survival time(MST), objective response rate(ORR), disease control rate(DCR) and safety] were observed. Results: No patient was excluded after randomization. GF group had significantly longer PFS and MST compared with the G group, with median PFS of 12.5 months(95% CI 3.30–21.69) vs. 8.4 months(95% CI 6.30–10.50; log-rank P0.01), MST of 21.5 months(95% CI 17.28–25.73) vs. 18.3 months(95% CI 17.97–18.63; log-rank P0.01). ORR and DCR in GF group and G group were 65.7% vs. 57.1%, 94.3% vs. 80.0%, respectively(P0.05). The most common toxic effects in the GF group and G group were rash or acne(42.8% vs. 57.1%, P0.05), diarrhea(11.5% vs. 31.4%, P0.05), and stomatitis(2.9% vs. 8.7%, P0.05). Conclusion: Patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer selected by EGFR mutations have longer PFS, MST with less toxicity treated with gefitinib plus FZKA than gefitinib alone.     

Lactic acid bacterial extracts as anti-<Emphasis Type="Italic">Helicobacter pylori</Emphasis>: a molecular approach

Background

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection, the main cause of chronic gastritis, increases gastric cancer risk. Antibiotics-based H. pylori eradication treatment is 90 % effective. However, it is expensive and causes side effects and antibiotic resistance. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) could present a low-cost, large-scale alternative solution to prevent or decrease H. pylori colonization.

Aim

This work aimed to study the inhibitory effects of LAB strains on the growth and pathogenic activity of H. pylori stains. To this end, we have selected the most virulent H. pylori strains (out of 20 mucosal antral biopsies) regarding cellular vacuolization and induction of apoptosis/necrosis.

Method

The selection of H. pylori pathogenic strains (clinically pre-isolated) were based on their impact of VacA activities on Hep-2 cell line, induction of apoptosis and necrosis in Caco-2 cell line. The Inhibitory effect of LAB strains on the invasion was carried out using the Caco-2 and Hela cell lines, where, they were co-cultured with the pathogenic H. pylori in the presence or absence of LAB extracts. The effect of LAB extracts on TNF-α secretion which induced by H. pylori-LPS was carried out by RT-qPCR.

Results

L. bulgaricus DSMZ 20080, L. acidophilus and L. plantarum (studied previously and reported as high antioxidant candidate strains) showed the highest anti-pylori activities with inhibition ranged from 51.46 to 88.19 %, they preventing the adhesion, invasion and DNA fragmentation of cell lines. In addition, they could reduce the TNF-α expression by 62.13 %.

Conclusion

LAB extracts could inhibit the bacterial adhesion and invasion, gastric inflammation and DNA fragmentation induced by Helicobacter pylori.

     

Comparative Effect of Propolis of Honey Bee and Some Herbal Extracts on Candida Albicans

Objective: To determine the effect of propolis on Candida albicans and to compare it with the effects of some other herbal extracts and antibiotics on this pathogenic fungi. Methods: The extracts of propolis, Thymus vulgaris, Caryophillium aromaticus, Echinophora platyloba, Allium cepa and Cinnamomum zeylanicum were prepared and the antifungi effects of the extracts were examined on Candida albicans ATCC10231 using disc-diffusion assay and micro-broth dilution. The minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) and minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) as well as inhibition zone were evaluated and the anti fungi effects of herbal extracts were compared with amphotricin B and nystatin at the times of 24, 48 and 72 h. Data analysis was performed using t test. Results: Obtained results showed that propolis extract with MIC90 and MFC equal to 39 and 65 μg/mL, respectively, possess the highest antifungal activity when compared with other studied extracts. The extracts of Allium cepa and Thymus vulgaris, with MFC of 169 and 137 μg/mL, respectively, showed the lowest effects on the fungi. Also nystatin and amphotricin B yielded better effects on the tested fungi compared with the effects of all studied extracts on Candida albicans. Conclusions: Propolis extract is effective in controlling Candida albicans. However, the issue requires further investigation on samples in animals and performing toxicological examinations.     

Contribution of Water and Lipid Soluble Substances in the Relaxant Effects of Tymus Vulgaris Extract on Guinea Pig Tracheal Smooth Muscle in Vitro

Objective:To examine the relaxant effects of hydro-ethanolic,macerated aqueous(MA) and lipidfree macerated aqueous(LFMA) extract of Tymus vulgaris on tracheal chains of guinea pigs.Methods:The relaxant effects of five cumulative concentrations of each extract(0.4,0.8,1.2,1.6 and 2.0 g/100 mL) were compared with saline as negative control and five cumulative concentrations of theophylline(0.1,0.2,0.4,0.6 and 0.8 mmol/L) on precontracted tracheal smooth muscle of guinea pig with 60 mmol/L KCI(group 1) and 10 μmol/L methacholine(group 2,n=6 for each group).Results:In group 1 all concentrations of theophylline,three higher concentrations of hydro-ethanolic,two concentrations of LFMA and last concentration of MA extracts showed significant relaxant effects compared with that of saline(P0.05 or P0.01).Two lower concentrations of LFMA and all concentrations of MA except higher one caused contraction compared with saline(P0.05 or 0.01).In group 2 experiments,all concentrations of theophylline,hydro-ethanolic,MA and LFMA extracts showed significant relaxant effects compared to that of saline(P0.05 or P0.01).In both groups,the relaxant effect of all concentrations of hydro-ethanolic extract were significantly higher than most concentrations of others(P0.05 or P0.01).The relaxant effect of different concentrations of three extracts were significantly greater in group 2 compared with group 1 experiments(all P0.01).There were significantly positive correlations between the relaxant effects and concentrations for theophylline and ail extracts in both groups(P0.05 or P0.01).Conclusion:Hydro-ethanolic extract has a potent weaker relaxant effect for other extracts from Tymus vulgaris on tracheal chains of guinea pigs.     

Lignans-Rich Extract from Herpetospermum caudigerum Alleviate Physical Fatigue in Mice

Objective

To ascertain anti-fatigue constituents and mechanisms of Herpetospermum caudigerum.

Methods

The 80% ethanol extracts of Herpetospermum caudigerum were partitioned with chloroform, ethyl acetate and n-butanol, respectively. Male Kunming mice were divided into 13 groups with 16 mice in each group: a control group fed with water, 9 groups treated with 3 fractions of Herpetospermum caudigerum (chloroform fraction, ethyl acetate fraction and n-butanol fraction) at dose of 80, 160 and 320 mg/kg for the low-dose group, medium-dose group and high-dose group, 3 herpetrione (HPE) treated groups fed with HPE at dose of 15, 30, and 60 mg/kg for the low-dose group, medium-dose group and high-dose group. All animals were treated once per day for 30 days. Anti-fatigue activity was assessed through the forced swimming test and serum biochemical parameters including blood lactic acid (BLA), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), malondialdehyde (MDA), hepatic glycogen (HG), lactic dehydrogenase (LDH), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) determined following the recommended procedures provided by the commercial kits.

Results

Compared with the control group, the lignans extract (ethyl acetate fraction) of Herpetospermum caudigerum and HPE could signifificantly prolonged the exhaustive swimming time (P<0.05 or P<0.01), and also increased the HG levels (P<0.05 or P<0.01) and the activities of antioxidant enzymes (SOD, GPx and LDH, P<0.05 or P<0.01); BLA and MDA levels were decreased considerably in lignans extract and HPE treated groups (P<0.05 or P<0.01). HPE also could significantly decrease the BUN contents compared with the control group (P<0.05). The chloroform and n-butanol fraction showed no effect on swimming time and biochemical parameters.

Conclusions

The lignans extract had antifatigue activities and HPE may be partly responsible for the anti-fatigue effects of Herpetospermum caudigerum. The possible mechanisms of anti-fatigue activity were related to the decrease of BUN and BLA, the increase of the HG storage and protecting corpuscular membrane by preventing lipid oxidation via modifying several enzyme activities.

     

Potent Therapeutic Effects of Shouwu Jiangqi Decoction(首乌僵芪汤)on Polycystic Ovary Syndrome with Insulin Resistance in Rats

Objective:To investigate the effect of Shouwu Jiangqi Decoction(首乌僵芪汤,SJD) on polycystic ovary syndrome(PCOS) with insulin resistance(IR) in rats and to explore the underlining molecular mechanisms.Methods:A total of 51 female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 6 groups:control group(n=7),model group(n=8),SJD high-dose group(n=9),SJD medium-dose group(n=9),SJD low-dose group(n=9) and DMBG group(n=9).Radioimmunoassay was used to measure serum follicle-stimulating hormone(FSH),luteinizing hormone(LH) and testosterone concentrations and qRT-PCR and western blot were used to examine the expression levels of mRNA and protein respectively of insulin receptor substrate 1(IRS-1)and phosphatidylinositide 3-kinases(PI3K) p85α in different groups.Results:FSH level significantly decreased in the model group compared with the normal control(P0.01),and high-dose SJD and DMBG can significantly increase FSH level(P0.01).LH level showed a mild increase without statistic significance in the model group compared with the control and different dosages of SJD had no significance effect on LH level,while DMBG can significantly decrease LH level(P0.01).Testosterone level significantly increased in the model group compared with the control group(P0.01),and high-dose SJD and DMBG can significantly decrease testosterone level(P0.01).The expression of IRS-1 as well as PI3Kp85α were significantly decreased in the model group compared with the normal control group at both mRNA(P0.001) and protein(P0.01) level,and both high-dose SJD and DMBG can enhance IRS-1 and PI3 K expression(P0.05).Conclusions:SJD has potent therapeutic effects on PCOS with IR in rats.The therapeutic effects of SJD on IR and ovulatory dysfunction are probably achieved through correcting the defective insulin signaling transduction.