The aim of this study was to investigate the antidiabetic effects of a Tibetan medicine, Tang-Kang-Fu-San (TKFS), on experimental type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) rats and to explore its underlying mechanisms. Firstly two major chemical compositions of TKFS, gallic acid and curcumin, were characterized by HPLC fingerprint analysis. Next T2DM in rats was induced by high-fat diet and a low-dose streptozotocin (STZ 35 mg/kg). Then oral gavage administration of three different doses of TKFS (0.3 g/kg, 0.6 g/kg, and 1.2 g/kg) was given to T2DM rats. Experimental results showed that TKFS dramatically reduced the levels of fasting blood glucose, fasting blood insulin, triglyceride, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and HDL cholesterol, even though it did not alter the animal body weight. The downregulation of phosphorylation-AKT (p-AKT) and glucose transporter-4 (GLUT4) in skeletal muscle of T2DM rats was restored and abnormal pathological changes in pancreas tissues were also improved. Our work showed that TKFS could alleviate diabetic syndromes, maintain the glucose homeostasis, and protect against insulin resistance in T2DM rats, and the improvement of AKT phosphorylation and GLUT4 translocation in skeletal muscle would be one of its possible underlying mechanisms.
Dahuang Lidan Pian contains Rheum palmatum, Gymnadenia conopsea and Phyllanthus emblica, which has a significant effect in the treatment of alcoholic fatty liver, cholestasis and cholecystitis. The efficacy of the formula in traditional Chinese medicine was clearing heat and promoting diuresis, removing dampness, detoxifying and relieving jaundice. These three herbs are widely used in the traditional Chinese medicine, Mongolian medicine and Tibetan medicine. Therefore, the formula was a representative subject in the researches for ethno-drugs. In this research, computer aided drug design methods were used to predict the action targets of the formula. Protein interaction network (PIN) was then constructed, and molecular complex detection (MCODE) clustering algorithm was used to obtain the modules of the formula, so as to analyze the potential action mechanism. The results showed that Rh. palmatum and P. emblica may have a synergistic protective effect on liver function by acting on analogous targets and pathways. G. conopsea regulated metabolic balance of nutrients to strengthen physical fitness. The research explained the liver-protecting mechanism of Dahuang Lidan Pian based on the PIN analysis on molecular network, which provides an reference for the further study of Dahuang Lidan Pian.
In this paper, an efficient method was successfully established by the combination of macroporous resin (MR) and high-speed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC) for rapid enrichment and separation of aloe-emodin 8-O-β-D-glucoside, emodin 1-O-β-D-glucoside, emodin 8-O-β-D-glucoside and piceatannol 4'-O-β-D-(6″-O-gallate)-glucoside. Six kinds of macroporous resins were investigated in the first step and X-5 macroporous resin was selected for the enrichment of the target compounds. The recoveries of the target compounds reached 89.0, 85.9, 82.3 and 84.9% respectively after 40% ethanol elution. In the second step, the target compounds were separated by HSCCC with a two-phase solvent system composed of chloroform/ethyl acetate/methanol/water (8:1:6:5, v/v). The established method will be helpful for further characterization and utilization of Rheum tanguticum. The results demonstrate that MR coupled with HSCCC is a powerful technique for separation of bioactive compounds from natural products.
High throughput sequencing technology is also called Next Generation Sequencing (NGS), which can sequence hundreds and thousands sequences in different samples at the same time. In the present study, the culture-independent high throughput sequencing technology was applied to sequence the fungi metagenomic DNA of the fungal internal transcribed spacer 1(ITS 1) in the root of Sinopodophyllum hexandrum. Sequencing data suggested that after the quality control, 22 565 reads were remained. Cluster similarity analysis was done based on 97% sequence similarity, which obtained 517 OTUs for the three samples (LD1, LD2 and LD3). All the fungi which identified from all the reads of OTUs based on 0.8 classification thresholds using the software of RDP classifier were classified as 13 classes, 35 orders, 44 family, 55 genera. Among these genera, the genus of Tetracladium was the dominant genera in all samples(35.49%, 68.55% and 12.96%).The Shannon's diversity indices and the Simpson indices of the endophytic fungi in the samples ranged from 1.75-2.92, 0.11-0.32, respectively.This is the first time for applying high through put sequencing technol-ogyto analyze the community composition and diversity of endophytic fungi in the medicinal plant, and the results showed that there were hyper diver sity and high community composition complexity of endophytic fungi in the root of S. hexandrum. It is also proved that the high through put sequencing technology has great advantage for analyzing ecommunity composition and diversity of endophtye in the plant.
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Saussurea involucrata (Kar. et Kir.) Sch.-Bip. (Compositae) has long been used under the herbal name "Snow Lotus" for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, stomachache and dysmenorrhea in Uighur folk medicine. In traditional Tibetan medicine, Saussurea laniceps Hand.-Mazz. and Saussurea medusa Maxim. have also been used under the name "Snow Lotus" and prescribed for the treatment of pain and inflammatory conditions.AIM OF THE STUDY: The present study evaluated the pharmacological effects of three species of "Snow Lotus" in experimental inflammation and pain models, and determined the chemical compounds that may correlate with their pharmacological activities.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: The anti-inflammatory activities of the three herbs were observed by using carrageenan-induced paw edema in rats and xylene-induced ear edema in mice. Investigations on the analgesic effects were conducted, including acetic acid-induced writhing and hot-plate test. An UPLC-MS method was developed to analyze the chemical composition of the three herbs and of plasma samples after herb administration.
RESULTS: In rat paw edema model, the peak inhibitory effects of Saussurea laniceps and Saussurea involucrata (55.1% and 42.2%, respectively) were recorded with the dose of 400mg/kg at 3h post-carrageenan injection. In mouse ear edema model, oral administration of Saussurea laniceps, Saussurea involucrata and Saussurea medusa extract (400mg/kg) resulted in a significant inhibition of ear edema by 40.9%, 33.3%, and 9.1%, respectively. In the writhing test, oral administration of Saussurea laniceps extract (100, 200 and 400mg/kg) resulted in a significant inhibition of writhings by 13.5%, 22.3%, and 43.5%, respectively. In the hot-plate test, Saussurea laniceps extract significantly increased the latency of jumping response by 38.2% and 52.7% when treated orally at 200 and 400mg/kg in mice, respectively. Flavonoids, coumarins and lignins were found to be present in plasma after administration of the extracts and may be the basis of the observed pharmacological effects.
CONCLUSION: The results clearly demonstrated that Saussurea laniceps was most effective; Saussurea involucrata exhibited a moderate potency, whereas Saussurea medusa possessed little effect against the experimental edema and pains. This study also supported discrimination among the three herbs when using them in folk medicine.
The present study evaluated the pharmacological effects of three species <b>Saussurea</b> commonly used as the traditional herbal drug “Snow Lotus” in experimental inflammation and pain models, and determined the chemical compounds that may correlate with their pharmacological activities. The results clearly demonstrated that <b>Saussurea laniceps</b> was most effective; <b>Saussurea involucrata</b> exhibited a moderate potency, whereas <b>Saussurea medusa</b> possessed little effect against the experimental edema and pains. Flavonoids, coumarins and lignins were found to be present in plasma after administration of the extracts and may be the basis of the observed pharmacological effects.<br>Ethnopharmacological relevance: <b>Saussurea involucrata</b> (Kar. et Kir.) Sch.-Bip. (Compositae) has long been used under the herbal name “Snow Lotus” for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, stomachache and dysmenorrhea in Uighur folk medicine. In traditional Tibetan medicine, <b>Saussurea laniceps</b> Hand.-Mazz. and <b>Saussurea medusa</b> Maxim. have also been used under the name “Snow Lotus” and prescribed for the treatment of pain and inflammatory conditions.<br>Aim of the study: The present study evaluated the pharmacological effects of three species of “Snow Lotus” in experimental inflammation and pain models, and determined the chemical compounds that may correlate with their pharmacological activities.<br>Materials and methods: The anti-inflammatory activities of the three herbs were observed by using carrageenan-induced paw edema in rats and xylene-induced ear edema in mice. Investigations on the analgesic effects were conducted, including acetic acid-induced writhing and hot-plate test. An UPLC-MS method was developed to analyze the chemical composition of the three herbs and of plasma samples after herb administration.<br>Results: In rat paw edema model, the peak inhibitory effects of <b>Saussurea laniceps</b> and <b>Saussurea involucrata</b> (55.1% and 42.2%, respectively) were recorded with the dose of 400 mg/kg at 3 h post-carrageenan injection. In mouse ear edema model, oral administration of <b>Saussurea laniceps</b>, <b>Saussurea involucrata</b> and <b>Saussurea medusa</b> extract (400 mg/kg) resulted in a significant inhibition of ear edema by 40.9%, 33.3%, and 9.1%, respectively. In the writhing test, oral administration of <b>Saussurea laniceps</b> extract (100, 200 and 400 mg/kg) resulted in a significant inhibition of writhings by 13.5%, 22.3%, and 43.5%, respectively. In the hot-plate test, <b>Saussurea laniceps</b> extract significantly increased the latency of jumping response by 38.2% and 52.7% when treated orally at 200 and 400 mg/kg in mice, respectively. Flavonoids, coumarins and lignins were found to be present in plasma after administration of the extracts and may be the basis of the observed pharmacological effects.<br>Conclusion: The results clearly demonstrated that <b>Saussurea laniceps</b> was most effective; <b>Saussurea involucrata</b> exhibited a moderate potency, whereas <b>Saussurea medusa</b> possessed little effect against the experimental edema and pains. This study also supported discrimination among the three herbs when using them in folk medicine.
In order to find new anticancer drugs, a series of novel furoxan-based coumarin derivatives (<i>10a</i>-<i>k</i>) were synthesized and evaluated for their antiproliferative activities in vitro. All compounds displayed more potent inhibition on human cervical cancer HeLa cell proliferation than coumarin-3-carboxylic acid, and compounds <i>10b</i>,<i> 10c</i>,<i> 10f</i>,<i> 10h</i>, and <i>10i</i> with IC<sub>50</sub> values ranging from 0.88 to 5.95 μM were even stronger than doxorubicin (IC<sub>50</sub> = 10.21 μM). The further study showed that compound <i>10i</i> exerted the highest antiproliferative activity (IC<sub>50</sub> = 0.60 μM) against human breast cancer MCF-7 cells, and compound <i>10f</i> had broader spectrum antiproliferative activity against five cancer cells with IC<sub>50</sub> values in the low micromolar range of 1.86-9.85 μM. More interestingly, compound <i>10f</i> had little effect on normal intestinal epithelial CCD841 cells. Our findings suggest that these novel furoxan-based coumarin derivatives may provide a new framework for the discovery of novel antitumor agents for the intervention of human carcinoma cells.
This article is to share my contemplative practices in business education and develop a body of knowledge and a skill-set to be used to educate graduate and undergraduate business students to become responsible decision makers. Contemplative practices lead students to know how to integrate their lives and actualize the ideals of business. The practices demand participants to be aware of the process of teaching and learning in the formation of conscience. The contemplative practices will become productive when they are accepted as important norms and values in business education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]; Copyright of Journal of Higher Education Theory & Practice is the property of North American Business Press Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Background: This study examined the feasibility, safety and efficacy of an 8-week Relaxation Response (RR)-based group. Methods: Twenty-two depressed Chinese American immigrants were recruited. Outcomes measures were response and remission rates, the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression, Clinical Global Impressions Scale, Quality of Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction Questionnaire, and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support Scale. Results: Participants (N = 22) were 82% female, mean age was 53 (±12). After intervention, completers (N = 15) showed a 40% response rate and a 27% remission rate, and statistically significant improvement in most outcome measures. Discussion: The RR-based group is feasible and safe in treating Chinese American immigrants with depression.
Pursuing undergraduate medical training can be very stressful and academically challenging experience. A 5-week mindfulness-based stress management (MBSM/Mindful-Gym) program was developed to help medical students cope with stress. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention in reducing stress among students in a medical school in Malaysia. Seventy-five medical students participated in the program. They were stratified according to years of studies and randomly allocated to intervention (N = 37) and control groups (N = 38). The following outcome variables were measured at pre- and post-intervention: mindfulness (with Mindful Awareness Attention Scale); perceived stress (with Perceived Stress Scale); mental distress (with General Health Questionnaire), and self-efficacy (with General Self-efficacy Scale). Hierarchical multiple regressions were used to analyse the effect of group (intervention vs. control) on changes in the outcome variables. There were significant improvements at one week post-intervention in all outcome variables: mindfulness (β = 0.19, ΔR2 = 0.04, p = .040, f 2 = 0.05), perceived stress (β = −0.26, ΔR2 = 0.07, p = .009, f 2 = 0.10); mental distress (β = −0.28, ΔR2 = 0.10, p = .003, f 2 = 0.15); and self-efficacy (β = 0.30, ΔR2 = 0.09, p < .001, f 2 = 0.21). Six months after the intervention, those who had joined the program reported higher self-efficacy compared to those in the control group (β = 0.24, ΔR2 = 0.06, p = .020, f 2 = 0.08); but there was no difference in other outcome measures. More than 90 % of the participants found the program applicable in helping patients and all reported that they would recommend it to others. This study indicates that the program is potentially an effective stress management program for medical students in Malaysia.
<p>Within the past few decades, there has been a surge of interest in the investigation of mindfulness as a psychological construct and as a form of clinical intervention. This article reviews the empirical literature on the effects of mindfulness on psychological health. We begin with a discussion of the construct of mindfulness, differences between Buddhist and Western psychological conceptualizations of mindfulness, and how mindfulness has been integrated into Western medicine and psychology, before reviewing three areas of empirical research: cross-sectional, correlational research on the associations between mindfulness and various indicators of psychological health; intervention research on the effects of mindfulness-oriented interventions on psychological health; and laboratory-based, experimental research on the immediate effects of mindfulness inductions on emotional and behavioral functioning. We conclude that mindfulness brings about various positive psychological effects, including increased subjective well-being, reduced psychological symptoms and emotional reactivity, and improved behavioral regulation. The review ends with a discussion on mechanisms of change of mindfulness interventions and suggested directions for future research.</p>
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Within the past few decades, there has been a surge of interest in the investigation of mindfulness as a psychological construct and as a form of clinical intervention. This article reviews the empirical literature on the effects of mindfulness on psychological health. We begin with a discussion of the construct of mindfulness, differences between Buddhist and Western psychological conceptualizations of mindfulness, and how mindfulness has been integrated into Western medicine and psychology, before reviewing three areas of empirical research: cross-sectional, correlational research on the associations between mindfulness and various indicators of psychological health; intervention research on the effects of mindfulness-oriented interventions on psychological health; and laboratory-based, experimental research on the immediate effects of mindfulness inductions on emotional and behavioral functioning. We conclude that mindfulness brings about various positive psychological effects, including increased subjective well-being, reduced psychological symptoms and emotional reactivity, and improved behavioral regulation. The review ends with a discussion on mechanisms of change of mindfulness interventions and suggested directions for future research.
Within the past few decades, there has been a surge of interest in the investigation of mindfulness as a psychological construct and as a form of clinical intervention. This article reviews the empirical literature on the effects of mindfulness on psychological health. We begin with a discussion of the construct of mindfulness, differences between Buddhist and Western psychological conceptualizations of mindfulness, and how mindfulness has been integrated into Western medicine and psychology, before reviewing three areas of empirical research: cross-sectional, correlational research on the associations between mindfulness and various indicators of psychological health; intervention research on the effects of mindfulness-oriented interventions on psychological health; and laboratory-based, experimental research on the immediate effects of mindfulness inductions on emotional and behavioral functioning. We conclude that mindfulness brings about various positive psychological effects, including increased subjective well-being, reduced psychological symptoms and emotional reactivity, and improved behavioral regulation. The review ends with a discussion on mechanisms of change of mindfulness interventions and suggested directions for future research.
Within the past few decades, there has been a surge of interest in the investigation of mindfulness as a psychological construct and as a form of clinical intervention. This article reviews the empirical literature on the effects of mindfulness on psychological health. We begin with a discussion of the construct of mindfulness, differences between Buddhist and Western psychological conceptualizations of mindfulness, and how mindfulness has been integrated into Western medicine and psychology, before reviewing three areas of empirical research: cross-sectional, correlational research on the associations between mindfulness and various indicators of psychological health; intervention research on the effects of mindfulness-oriented interventions on psychological health; and laboratory-based, experimental research on the immediate effects of mindfulness inductions on emotional and behavioral functioning. We conclude that mindfulness brings about various positive psychological effects, including increased subjective well-being, reduced psychological symptoms and emotional reactivity, and improved behavioral regulation. The review ends with a discussion on mechanisms of change of mindfulness interventions and suggested directions for future research.
The present study investigated the relative effects of mindfulness, reappraisal and suppression in reducing sadness, and the extent to which implementation of these strategies affects cognitive resources in a laboratory context. A total of 171 Singaporean undergraduate participants were randomly assigned to receive brief training in mindfulness, reappraisal, or suppression prior to undergoing a sad mood induction. Individual adherence to Asian cultural values was assessed as a potential moderator of strategy effectiveness. Participants rated their mood and completed a Color-Word Stroop task before and after mood regulation instructions. Analyses using multi-level modelling showed that the suppression condition caused less robust declines in sadness over time compared to mindfulness. There was also a nonsignificant trend in which mindfulness was associated with greater sadness recovery compared to reappraisal. Suppression resulted in lower average sadness compared to mindfulness among those high on Asian cultural values, but not those low on Asian cultural values. Both mindfulness and reappraisal buffered against increases in Stroop interference from pre-to post-regulation compared to suppression. The findings highlight the advantage of mindfulness as a strategy effective not only in the regulation of sad mood, but also in the preservation of cognitive resources in the context of mood regulation.
PURPOSE: Breast cancer is the most common female cancer. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of yoga on lymphedema in breast cancer survivors.DESIGN: Repeated measures before and after the intervention. We enrolled 15 women with breast cancer who had not previously worn elastic clothing to treat lymphedema.
METHODS: The program was led by a certified trainer and consisted of 60-minute sessions, three times a week for 12 weeks. The volumes of the affected and normal limbs were measured. A self-assessed edema score was also recorded.
FINDINGS: Fifteen patients completed the program, none of whom suffered from complications related to exercise. There was no significant edema after exercise. No significant differences were noted in subgroup analysis by age or the affected arm.
CONCLUSIONS: Yoga does not induce lymphedema.
CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Lymphedema is usually treated with uncomfortable elastic clothing, and high-resistance exercise may induce edema. Yoga may be suitable for these patients.
BackgroundAlthough cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is considered a promising adjuvant to pharmacotherapy for treating bipolar disorder (BD), its efficacy is unproven. The present review and meta-analysis evaluated the treatment outcomes of patients with BD treated with CBT plus medication and compared these data with the outcomes of those who received standard care alone.
Methods
Electronic searches from inception to July 31, 2016, were performed using PubMed, Medline OVID, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, CINAHL plus, and PsycINFO. In the extensive electronic literature search, keywords such as “bipolar disorder,” “manic-depressive psychosis,” “bipolar affective disorder,” “bipolar depression,” “cognitive therapy,” “cognitive-behavioral therapy,” and “psychotherapy” were transformed into MeSH terms, and only randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were included. The pooled odds ratios (ORs) of relapse rates and Hedges’s g, along with 95% confidence intervals (CIs), for the mean differences in the levels of depression, mania, and psychosocial functioning were calculated. Further subgroup analyses were conducted according to the characteristics of the CBT approaches, patients, and therapists, if the data were available.
Result
A total of 19 RCTs comprising 1384 patients with type I or II BD were enrolled in our systematic review and meta-analysis. The main analysis revealed that CBT could lower the relapse rate (pooled OR = 0.506; 95% CI = 0.278 −0.921) and improve depressive symptoms (g = −0.494; 95% CI = −0.963 to −0.026), mania severity (g = −0.581; 95% CI = −1.127 to −0.035), and psychosocial functioning (g = 0.457; 95% CI = 0.106–0.809).
Conclusions
CBT is effective in decreasing the relapse rate and improving depressive symptoms, mania severity, and psychosocial functioning, with a mild-to-moderate effect size. Subgroup analyses indicated that improvements in depression or mania are more potent with a CBT treatment duration of ≥90 min per session, and the relapse rate is much lower among patients with type I BD.
Waldheimia glabra is traditionally used as incense and as an anti-influenza drug by Tibetans in China. Here, we collected W. glabra from the Gangs Rinpoche mountain at an altitude of 5200 m, and analyzed its essential oil by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) combined with the retention indices (RI). Twenty-seven compounds, representing 72.4% of the total essential oil, were identified, including α-bisabolol (20.2%), valeranone (11.8%), chamazulene (9.9%), spathulenol (8.2%), β-caryophyllene (6.1%), and caryophyllene oxide (5.2%). Bioactivity evaluation of the essential oil revealed that it exhibited potent anti-influenza effect on viruses H3N2 and anti-inflammatory effect by inhibiting the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced nitric oxide (NO) production in RAW 264.7 macrophages, but no anti-complementary activity.
Waldheimia glabra is traditionally used as incense and as an anti-influenza drug by Tibetans in China. Here, we collected W. glabra from the Gangs Rinpoche mountain at an altitude of 5200 m, and analyzed its essential oil by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) combined with the retention indices (RI). Twenty-seven compounds, representing 72.4% of the total essential oil, were identified, including α-bisabolol (20.2%), valeranone (11.8%), chamazulene (9.9%), spathulenol (8.2%), β-caryophyllene (6.1%), and caryophyllene oxide (5.2%). Bioactivity evaluation of the essential oil revealed that it exhibited potent anti-influenza effect on viruses H3N2 and anti-inflammatory effect by inhibiting the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced nitric oxide (NO) production in RAW 264.7 macrophages, but no anti-complementary activity.
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