Artemisia vestita Wall., a traditional Tibetan medicine, has wide clinical application for inflammatory diseases. However, its molecular mechanism of anti-inflammatory effect is poorly understood. In the present study, we investigated the anti-inflammatory activity and underlying mechanism of the ethanol extract from Artemisia vestita (AV-ext) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced sepsis. Pretreatment with AV-ext significantly decreased the levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) in serum and liver and lung tissues, and improved the survival of mice with experimental sepsis. AV-ext also remarkably reduced the expression levels of TNF-alpha, interleukin-1beta and cyclooxygenase-2 in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages and dose dependently suppressed the activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), such as p38, extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK1/2) and c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK). Furthermore, pretreatment with AV-ext dose dependently inhibited the activation of nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB), as well as the degradation and phosphorylation of inhibitory kappaB (IkappaB) in LPS-activated RAW 264.7 macrophages. These results collectively reveal that AV-ext inhibits TNF-alpha release from macrophages by suppressing MAPK and NF-kappaB signaling pathways and suggest that AV-ext may be beneficial for the treatment of endotoxin shock or sepsis.
Artemisia vestita Wall., a traditional Tibetan medicine, has wide clinical application for inflammatory diseases. However, its molecular mechanism of anti-inflammatory effect is poorly understood. In the present study, we investigated the anti-inflammatory activity and under-lying mechanism of the ethanol extract from Artemisia vestita (AV-ext) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced sepsis. Pretreatment with AV-ext significantly decreased the levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in serum and liver and lung tissues, and improved the survival of mice with experimental sepsis. AV-ext also remarkably reduced the expression levels of TNF-α, interleukin-1β and cyclooxygenase-2 in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages and dose dependently suppressed the activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), such as p38, extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK1/2) and c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK). Furthermore, pretreatment with AV-ext dose dependently inhibited the activation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), as well as the degradation and phosphorylation of inhibitory κB (IκB) in LPS-activated RAW 264.7 macrophages. These results collectively reveal that AV-ext inhibits TNF-α release from macrophages by suppressing MAPK and NF-κB signaling pathways and suggest that AV-ext may be beneficial for the treatment of endotoxin shock or sepsis.
Fecal Tibetan medicines have a long history of application in China, with a good clinical efficacy. In order to promote the development and modernization of these medicines, we consulted ancient and modern Tibetan medicine literatures to collect and summarize the names, original species, natures, flavor, functions and processing methods of fecal Tibetan medicines. A total of 35 fecal Tibetan medicines were collected, such as Jiufen, Heibingpian, Langfen, Mafen, Goufen, Gezifen. The most commonly used medicines were Jiufen and Heibingpian. Both were mainly used for the treatment of indigestion, food abdominal distension, gastric ulcer, and other gastrointestinal diseases. At present, there are only a few studies on the active ingredients, pharmacodynamics and mechanism of action of these medicines. Therefore, further study shall be conducted. The regulation of gut microbiota may be a new way to evaluate the effectiveness of fecal Tibetan medicines and their mechanism of action.
To differentiate three medicinal Hippopahe species of seabuckthorn, a combined genetic and chemical identification method was established in this study. ITS2 and psbA-trnH were tested for identification of 3 species of seabuckthorn. Detection of the kimura 2-parameter (K2P) distance, the neighbor-joining (NJ) tree and the barcoding gap were used to assess the identification efficiency. ¹H-NMR based metabolic method was applied to acquire the profile of metabolites. PCA was used to analysis the metabolite data. The results indicated that DNA barcode combined ¹H-NMR based metabolic method is a powerful tool for the identification of 3 medicinal Hippopahe species of seabuckthorn. The finding demonstrated that different genetic variation and chemical constituents existed among 3 medicinal Hippopahe species of seabuckthorn. The combined identification method will improve the reliability of species discrimination and could be applicable to much other ethnic medicine which has various origins in China.
<i>Rheum tanguticum</i> is a widely used Chinese medicinal plant. Recently, because of the great demand, the wild populations have been declining rapidly. In this study, the levels of genetic variation of 11 wild and five cultivated populations of <i>R. tanguticum</i> were investigated by ISSR markers. The 13 selected ISSR primers amplified 306 polymorphic bands out of a total of 326 (93.87 %). Based on Nei’s gene diversity and Shannon’s index, the genetic diversity in cultivated populations of <i>R. tanguticum</i> (<i>H</i> = 0.2490; <i>I</i> = 0.3812; <i>H</i> <sub>B</sub> = 0.3033) was relatively lower than that of wild populations (<i>H</i> = 0.2666; <i>I</i> = 0.4124; <i>H</i> <sub>B</sub> = 0.3115), although no significant differences were identified. Assignment was performed with AFLPOP program, and XGM was the most likely source population of HM. The origins of the rest cultivated populations were admixture. UPGMA and PCoA analyses showed that wild and cultivated populations were not separated into two groups, indicating that a large number of wild genotypes were maintained in the cultivated gene pool. The coefficient of genetic differentiation between wild and cultivated populations was 0.0305 (<i>G</i> <sub>st</sub>), which was in good agreement with the results of analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA), in which, only 1.85 % of the total variance existed between groups of wild and cultivated populations, while 70.91 % occurred within populations and 27.24 % among populations. Together, these results indicated that cultivated populations were not genetically differentiated from wild populations. On the basis of this study, we have made some suggestions for the conservation and efficient management of the genetic resources of this important medicinal herb.
Abstract Ethnopharmacological relevance Herpetospermum caudigerum Wall. (HCW) is a traditional Tibetan medicine, which has been used to ameliorate liver injuries in the folk. Aim of the study Liver fibrosis has been recognized as a major lesion of the liver that leads to liver cirrhosis/hepatocarcinoma and even to death in the end. This study aims to demonstrate the protective effect of HCW against CCl 4 -induced liver injury in rats and to explore the underlying mechanisms. Materials and methods Hepatic fibrosis was induced by intraperitoneal injection of CCl 4. Liver function markers, fibrosis markers, serum anti-oxidation enzymes as well as elements levels were determined. Serum and liver tissues were subjected to NMR-based metabolomics and multivariate statistical analysis. Results HCW could significantly reduce the elevated levels of fibrosis markers such as hyaluronidase, laminin, Type III procollagen and Type IV collagen in the serum, improve the activities of the antioxidant enzymes, and effectively reverse the abnormal levels of elements in liver fibrosis rats. Correlation network analysis revealed that HCW could treat liver fibrosis by ameliorating oxidative stress, repairing the impaired energy metabolisms and reversing the disturbed amino acids and nucleic acids metabolisms. Conclusion This integrated metabolomics approach confirmed the validity of the traditional use of HCW in the treatment of liber fibrosis, providing new insights into the underlying mechanisms. Graphical abstract fx1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
This study established an HPLC fingerprint of Tibetan medicine Shaji Gao from different habitats and lay a foundation for Shaji Gao varieties identification and preparation process. The chromatographic condition was as follow: Agilent zorbax SB-C18 (4.6 mm x 250 mm, 5 μm) eluted with the mobile phases of acetonitrile and 0.4% phosphoric acid water in gradient mode. The flow rate was 1.0 mL x min(-1), and the detection wavelength was set at 360 nm. The fingerprints of 15 batches Shaji Gao were carried out by similarity comparation, 7 chromatographic peaks were extracted as the common peaks of fingerprint, 3 peaks were identified, which were quercetin, kaempferol and isorhamnetin. The similarity degrees of 14 batches of samples were above 0.9 and 1 batch of samples was below 0.9. This is the first established fingerprint of Shaji Gao by using HPLC. This method has good precision, stability and repeatability that it could provide basis for quality control and evaluation of Shaji Gao.
The ITS2 barcode was used toidentify Tibetan medicine "Dida", and tosecure its quality and safety in medication. A total of 13 species, 151 experimental samples for the study from the Tibetan Plateau, including Gentianaceae Swertia, Halenia, Gentianopsis, Comastoma, Lomatogonium ITS2 sequences were amplified, and purified PCR products were sequenced. Sequence assembly and consensus sequence generation were performed using the CodonCode Aligner V3.7.1. The Kimura 2-Parameter (K2P) distances were calculated using MEGA 6.0. The neighbor-joining (NJ) phylogenetic trees were constructed. There are 31 haplotypes among 231 bp after alignment of all ITS2 sequence haplotypes, and the average G±C content of 61.40%. The NJ tree strongly supported that every species clustered into their own clade and high identification success rate, except that Swertia bifolia and Swertia wolfangiana could not be distinguished from each other based on the sequence divergences. DNA barcoding could be used as a fast and accurate identification method to distinguish Tibetan medicine "Dida" to ensure its safe use.
Hippophae rhamnoides subsp. sinensis Rousi, Hippophae gyantsensis (Rousi) Y. S. Lian, Hippophae neurocarpa S. W. Liu & T. N. He and Hippophae tibetana Schlechtendal are typically used under one name “Shaji”, to treat cardiovascular diseases and lung disorders in Tibetan medicine (TM). A complete set of infrared (IR) macro-fingerprints of these four Hippophae species should be characterized and compared simply, accurately, and in detail for identification. In the present study, tri-step IR spectroscopy, which included Fourier transform IR (FT-IR) spectroscopy, second derivative IR (SD-IR) spectroscopy and two-dimensional correlation IR (2D-IR) spectroscopy, was employed to discriminate the four Hippophae species and their corresponding extracts using different solvents. The relevant spectra exhibited the holistic chemical compositions and variations. Flavonoids, fatty acids and sugars were found to be the main chemical components. Characteristic peak positions, intensities and shapes derived from FT-IR, SD-IR and 2D-IR spectra provided valuable information for sample discrimination. Principal component analysis (PCA) of spectral differences was performed to illustrate the objective identification. Results showed that the species and their extracts can be clearly distinguished. Thus, a quick, precise and effective tri-step IR spectroscopy combined with PCA can be applied to identify and discriminate medicinal materials and their extracts in TM research.
Background: One form of meditation intervention, the integrative body-mind training (IBMT) has been shown to improve attention, reduce stress and change self-reports of mood. In this paper we examine whether short-term IBMT can improve performance related to creativity and determine the role that mood may play in such improvement.Methods: Forty Chinese undergraduates were randomly assigned to short-term IBMT group or a relaxation training (RT) control group. Mood and creativity performance were assessed by the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) and Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking (TTCT) questionnaire respectively.
Results: As predicted, the results indicated that short-term (30 min per day for 7 days) IBMT improved creativity performance on the divergent thinking task, and yielded better emotional regulation than RT. In addition, cross-lagged analysis indicated that both positive and negative affect may influence creativity in IBMT group (not RT group).
Conclusions: Our results suggested that emotion-related creativity-promoting mechanism may be attributed to short-term meditation.
Ethnopharmacological relevance: Saussurea laniceps Hand.-Mazz. (SL) has long been used under the herbal name Tibetan 'Snow Lotus' for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, stomachache and dysmenorrhea in Tibetan folk medicine. Since herbal medicine (HM) is a synergistical system with multiple components, both of the metabolism and pharmacokinetic studies of HM are interdependent. This study aimed to develop an integrated strategy based on the UPLC-DAD-QTOF-MS technique for metabolism and pharmacokinetic studies of HM.Material and methods: SL was used here as a test herb to verify the feasibility of the proposed strategy. SL was administered to rats, then, the blood plasma, urine and feces were analyzed to determine the metabolic profiles. Using our strategy, umbelliferone and scopoletin were evaluated to be the key bioactive components. Their pharmacokinetic parameters were measured and biotransformation pathways were elucidated.Results: After oral administration of SL to rats, 17 components in blood, 10 components in urine and 2 components in feces were identified and characterized using our UPLC-DAD-QTOF-MS method. Umbelliferone, scopoletin and their metabolites were found to be the major components involved in the metabolism process. Literature reports also suggest that umbelliferone and scopoletin are responsible for the therapeutic effects of SL, thus these two components were selected as the active markers for pharmacokinetic study. In the test of validity, the established method presented good linearity with R-2> 0.99. The relative standard deviation value was below 13.9% for precision, and recovery studies for accuracy were found to be within the range 91.8-112.5%.Conclusion: The present strategy offers, simultaneously, precision in quantitative analysis (metabolism study) and accuracy in quantitative analysis (pharmacokinetic study) with greater efficiency and less costs, which is therefore reliably used for integrated metabolism and pharmacokinetic studies of HM. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
<p>This issue of the journal <em>Materials for Historical Research on Kanlho</em> (Kan lho'i lo rgyus dpyad gzhi'i yig rigs) provides short histories for over 80 Tibetan Buddhist monasteries in Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Gansu Province, China. (Ben Deitle 2009-07-15)</p>
Using diffusion tensor imaging, several recent studies have shown that training results in changes in white matter efficiency as measured by fractional anisotropy (FA). In our work, we found that a form of mindfulness meditation, integrative body–mind training (IBMT), improved FA in areas surrounding the anterior cingulate cortex after 4-wk training more than controls given relaxation training. Reductions in radial diffusivity (RD) have been interpreted as improved myelin but reductions in axial diffusivity (AD) involve other mechanisms, such as axonal density. We now report that after 4-wk training with IBMT, both RD and AD decrease accompanied by increased FA, indicating improved efficiency of white matter involves increased myelin as well as other axonal changes. However, 2-wk IBMT reduced AD, but not RD or FA, and improved moods. Our results demonstrate the time-course of white matter neuroplasticity in short-term meditation. This dynamic pattern of white matter change involving the anterior cingulate cortex, a part of the brain network related to self-regulation, could provide a means for intervention to improve or prevent mental disorders.
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This study was aimed to discuss and analyze the medication rules for prescriptions containing Pterocephali Herba in Chinese Medical Encyclopedia - Tibetan Medicine, Tibetan Medicine Prescription Modern Research and Clinical Application, and Interpretation of Common Tibetan Medicines based on the collection of Pterocephali Herba and by using the "Traditional Chinese Medicine Inheritance Support system(V2.0.1)",with the use of association rules, apriori algorithm and other data mining methods. The frequency of single drug, the frequency of drug combination, the association rule and the combination of core drugs were analyzed. Through collection of the prescriptions, a total of 215 prescriptions were included, involving a total of 376 herbs. Through the "frequency statistics", the prescriptions containing Pterocephali Herba were commonly used to treat cold fever, distemper virus and arthritis. The highest frequently (frequency≥15) used drugs were Corydalis Herba, Lagotidis Herba, and Gentianae Macrophyllae Radix, et al. The most frequently used drug combinations were "Pterocephali Herba, Corydalis Herba","Pterocephali Herba, Lagotidis Herba", and "Pterocephali Herba, Gentianae Macrophyllae Radix" et al. The prescriptions containing Pterocephali Herba were used to primarily treat disease for Tourette syndrome caused by the dampness heat toxin, fever, arthritis etc, such as pestilent toxicity, pneumonia and influenza, rheumatoid arthritis etc. The drugs in the prescriptions mostly had the effects of heat-clearing and detoxifying, anti-inflammatory, dispelling wind and dampness, often in compatible use with heat-clearing drugs. The drug use was concentrated and reflected the clear thought of prescription statutes.
Many philosophical and contemplative traditions teach that “living in the moment” increases happiness. However, the default mode of humans appears to be that of mind-wandering, which correlates with unhappiness, and with activation in a network of brain areas associated with self-referential processing. We investigated brain activity in experienced meditators and matched meditation-naive controls as they performed several different meditations (Concentration, Loving-Kindness, Choiceless Awareness). We found that the main nodes of the default-mode network (medial prefrontal and posterior cingulate cortices) were relatively deactivated in experienced meditators across all meditation types. Furthermore, functional connectivity analysis revealed stronger coupling in experienced meditators between the posterior cingulate, dorsal anterior cingulate, and dorsolateral prefrontal cortices (regions previously implicated in self-monitoring and cognitive control), both at baseline and during meditation. Our findings demonstrate differences in the default-mode network that are consistent with decreased mind-wandering. As such, these provide a unique understanding of possible neural mechanisms of meditation.
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Swertia mussotii Franch. and Swertia chirayita Buch.-Ham. have been commonly used under the same name "Zangyinchen" for the treatment of liver and gallbladder diseases in traditional Tibetan medicine. Detailed characterization and comparison of the complete set of metabolites of these two species are critical for their objective identification and quality control. In this study, a rapid, simple and comprehensive (1)H NMR-based metabolomics method was first developed to differentiate the two species. A broad range of metabolites, including iridoid glycosides, xanthones, triterpenoids, flavonoids, carbohydrates, and amino acids, were identified. Statistical analysis showed evident differences between the two species, and the major markers responsible for the differences were screened. In addition, quantitative (1)H NMR method (qHNMR) was used for the target analysis of the discriminating metabolites. The results showed that S. mussotii had significantly higher contents of gentiopicrin, isoorientin, glucose, loganic acid, and choline, whereas S. chirayita exhibited higher levels of swertiamarin, oleanolic acid, valine, and fatty acids. These findings indicate that (1)H NMR-based metabolomics is a reliable and effective method for the metabolic profiling and discrimination of the two Swertia species, and can be used to verify the genuine origin of Zangyinchen.
Swertia mussotii Franch. and Swertia chirayita Buch.-Ham. have been commonly used under the same name 'Zangyinchen' for the treatment of liver and gallbladder diseases in traditional Tibetan medicine. Detailed characterization and comparison of the complete set of metabolites of these two species are critical for their objective identification and quality control. In this study, a rapid, simple and comprehensive H-1 NMR-based metabolomics method was first developed to differentiate the two species. A broad range of metabolites, including iridoid glycosides, xanthones, triterpenoids, flavonoids, carbohydrates, and amino acids, were identified. Statistical analysis showed evident differences between the two species, and the major markers responsible for the differences were screened. In addition, quantitative H-1 NMR method (qHNMR) was used for the target analysis of the discriminating metabolites. The results showed that S. mussotii had significantly higher contents of gentiopicrin, isoorientin, glucose, loganic acid, and choline, whereas S. chirayita exhibited higher levels of swertiamarin, oleanolic acid, valine, and fatty acids. These findings indicate that H-1 NMR-based metabolomics is a reliable and effective method for the metabolic profiling and discrimination of the two Swertia species, and can be used to verify the genuine origin of Zangyinchen. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
<br>• A 1H NMR-based method is first developed to differentiate two <b>Swertia</b> species. • The two <b>Swertia</b> species exhibit significant differences in their metabolic profiling. • Nine metabolic markers responsible for the differences are screened out. • A qHNMR method is used for quantitative analysis of the discriminating metabolites. • The proposed 1H NMR-based metabolomics method is rapid, reliable and effective.<br><b>Swertia mussotii</b> Franch. and <b>Swertia chirayita</b> Buch.-Ham. have been commonly used under the same name “Zangyinchen” for the treatment of liver and gallbladder diseases in traditional Tibetan medicine. Detailed characterization and comparison of the complete set of metabolites of these two species are critical for their objective identification and quality control. In this study, a rapid, simple and comprehensive 1H NMR-based metabolomics method was first developed to differentiate the two species. A broad range of metabolites, including iridoid glycosides, xanthones, triterpenoids, flavonoids, carbohydrates, and amino acids, were identified. Statistical analysis showed evident differences between the two species, and the major markers responsible for the differences were screened. In addition, quantitative 1H NMR method (qHNMR) was used for the target analysis of the discriminating metabolites. The results showed that <b>S. mussotii</b> had significantly higher contents of gentiopicrin, isoorientin, glucose, loganic acid, and choline, whereas <b>S. chirayita</b> exhibited higher levels of swertiamarin, oleanolic acid, valine, and fatty acids. These findings indicate that 1H NMR-based metabolomics is a reliable and effective method for the metabolic profiling and discrimination of the two <b>Swertia</b> species, and can be used to verify the genuine origin of Zangyinchen.
The grief of bereavement is recognized as a severe psychosocial stressor that can trigger a variety of mental and physical disorders, and the long-lasting unresolved grief has a detrimental effect on brain functionality. Literature has documented mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) as an efficient treatment for improving well-being, specifically related to the mood and cognition, in a variety of populations. However, little attention has been devoted to neural mechanisms with regard to bereaved individuals' cognition after MBCT intervention. In this study, we recruited 23 bereaved participants who lost a significant relative within 6 months to 4 years to attend 8-week MBCT course. We used self-reporting questionnaires to measure emotion regulation and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) with the numerical Stroop task to evaluate the MBCT effect on executive control among the bereaved participants. The self-reported questionnaires showed improvements on mindfulness and reductions in grief, difficulties in emotion regulation, anxiety, and depression after the MBCT intervention. The fMRI analysis demonstrated two scenarios: (1) the activity of the fronto-parietal network slightly declined accompanied with significant improvements in the reaction time of incongruent trials; (2) the activities in the posterior cingulate cortex and thalamus were positively associated with the Texas Revised Inventory of Grief, implying emotional interferences on cognitive functions. Results indicated that MBCT facilitated the executive control function by alleviating the emotional interferences over the cognitive functions and suggested that the 8-week MBCT intervention significantly improved both executive control and emotion regulation in bereaved individuals.
BACKGROUND: Depressive symptoms complicate pain management for people with FM, with adverse consequences such as a greater need for pain medications and limited pain coping strategies. Determining risks and protective factors associated with depressive symptoms in persons with FM could inform the development and implementation of mental health interventions.AIMS: To formulate and test a behavioral activation model of depression with mindfulness as a protective factor for people with FM.
METHODS: We conducted an online cross-sectional survey with 117 adults with FM from community and clinic networks. Path analysis was used to assess the relationships of pain intensity, perceived stress, activity interference, pain catastrophizing and mindfulness with depressive symptoms.
RESULTS: Mindfulness has a negative direct association with depressive symptoms and a negative indirect association with depressive symptoms through perceived stress, activity interference and pain catastrophizing. Perceived stress, activity interference and pain catastrophizing had direct associations with depressive symptoms. Finally, perceived stress, activity interference and pain catastrophizing had indirect associations with depressive symptoms through pain intensity.
CONCLUSIONS: Mindfulness seems to play an important role as a protective factor against the negative effects of stress and depression among people with FM and should be included in mental health interventions for chronic pain.
BACKGROUND: Depressive symptoms complicate pain management for people with FM, with adverse consequences such as a greater need for pain medications and limited pain coping strategies. Determining risks and protective factors associated with depressive symptoms in persons with FM could inform the development and implementation of mental health interventions.AIMS: To formulate and test a behavioral activation model of depression with mindfulness as a protective factor for people with FM.
METHODS: We conducted an online cross-sectional survey with 117 adults with FM from community and clinic networks. Path analysis was used to assess the relationships of pain intensity, perceived stress, activity interference, pain catastrophizing and mindfulness with depressive symptoms.
RESULTS: Mindfulness has a negative direct association with depressive symptoms and a negative indirect association with depressive symptoms through perceived stress, activity interference and pain catastrophizing. Perceived stress, activity interference and pain catastrophizing had direct associations with depressive symptoms. Finally, perceived stress, activity interference and pain catastrophizing had indirect associations with depressive symptoms through pain intensity.
CONCLUSIONS: Mindfulness seems to play an important role as a protective factor against the negative effects of stress and depression among people with FM and should be included in mental health interventions for chronic pain.
BACKGROUND: Depressive symptoms complicate pain management for people with FM, with adverse consequences such as a greater need for pain medications and limited pain coping strategies. Determining risks and protective factors associated with depressive symptoms in persons with FM could inform the development and implementation of mental health interventions.AIMS: To formulate and test a behavioral activation model of depression with mindfulness as a protective factor for people with FM.
METHODS: We conducted an online cross-sectional survey with 117 adults with FM from community and clinic networks. Path analysis was used to assess the relationships of pain intensity, perceived stress, activity interference, pain catastrophizing and mindfulness with depressive symptoms.
RESULTS: Mindfulness has a negative direct association with depressive symptoms and a negative indirect association with depressive symptoms through perceived stress, activity interference and pain catastrophizing. Perceived stress, activity interference and pain catastrophizing had direct associations with depressive symptoms. Finally, perceived stress, activity interference and pain catastrophizing had indirect associations with depressive symptoms through pain intensity.
CONCLUSIONS: Mindfulness seems to play an important role as a protective factor against the negative effects of stress and depression among people with FM and should be included in mental health interventions for chronic pain.
In this study, a computer-based network pharmacology approach was applied to investigate the potential mechanism and important components of Rhodiola crenulata in the protection of H9c2 cells against hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂)-induced oxidative stress. The intestinal absorption liquid of R. crenulata enhanced the cell viability, maintained cell morphology and inhibited cell apoptosis in the H₂O₂-induced oxidative stress in H9c2. Then, computer-based network pharmacology was used to analyze the relevant mechanism. A total of 133 oxidative stress-related compounds were screened out; and 26 of them occupied the top 20%, and all of the compounds enriched in 43 oxidative stress-related key targets. Finally, a "compound-target-pathway-function" network was constructed. Based on the analysis of the network pharmacology, R. crenulata protected H9c2 cells against H₂O₂-induced oxidative stress probably by affecting apoptosis-related processes, such as cell death, nitric oxide metabolism, oxidative stress, mitochondrial mechanism, redox process, redox-related enzyme activty and other oxidative stress-related process. And salidroside, ethyl gallate and catechins, which were the main components of R. crenulata, played an important role in this process. Therefore, the potential mechanism and important components of R. crenulata revealed the protective effect on oxidative stress. This study shows a multi-component, multi-target and overall regulation effect of R. crenulata on the oxidative stress, and provides a reliable reference for subsequent systematic experimental studies for the pharmacodynamic material foundation and mechanism of action R. crenulata.
Liver disease is one of the most risk factors threatening human health. It is of great significance to find drugs that can treat liver diseases, especially for acute and chronic hepatitis, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and liver cancer. The search for drugs with good efficacy from traditional natural medicines has attracted more and more attention. Tibetan medicine, one of the China's traditional medical systems, has been widely used by the Tibetan people for the prevention and treatment of liver diseases for hundreds of years. The present paper summarized the natural Tibetan medicines that have been used in Tibetan traditional system of medicine to treat liver diseases by bibliographic investigation of 22 Tibetan medicine monographs and drug standards. One hundred and ninety three species including 181 plants, 7 animals, and 5 minerals were found to treat liver diseases in traditional Tibetan medicine system. The most frequently used species are Carthamus tinctorius, Brag-zhun, Swertia chirayita, Swertia mussotii, Halenia elliptica, Herpetospermum pedunculosum, and Phyllanthus emblica. Their names, families, medicinal parts, traditional uses, phytochemicals information, and pharmacological activities were described in detail. These natural medicines might be a valuable gift from the old Tibetan medicine to the world, and would be potential drug candidates for the treatment of liver diseases. Further studies are needed to prove their medicinal values in liver diseases treatment, identify bioactive compounds, elucidate the underlying mechanism of action, and clarify their side effects or toxicity with the help of modern phytochemical, pharmacological, metabonomics, and/or clinical trial methods.
Although the study of brain states is an old one in neuroscience, there has been growing interest in brain state specification owing to MRI studies tracing brain connectivity at rest. In this review, we summarize recent research on three relatively well-described brain states: the resting, alert, and meditation states. We explore the neural correlates of maintaining a state or switching between states, and argue that the anterior cingulate cortex and striatum play a critical role in state maintenance, whereas the insula has a major role in switching between states. Brain state may serve as a predictor of performance in a variety of perceptual, memory, and problem solving tasks. Thus, understanding brain states is critical for understanding human performance.
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