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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.

BackgroundThis is a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) for a current episode of major depressive disorder. Methods Both English (PubMed, PsycINFO, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases) and Chinese (WanFang and CNKI) databases were systematically and independently searched. Standardized mean differences (SMDs) and risk ratio (RR) ± their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) based on the random effects model were calculated. Results A total of 11 RCTs with 12 treatment arms (n = 764; MBIs = 363; and control group = 401) were identified and analyzed. Compared to the control group, MDD subjects receiving MBIs showed significant reduction in depressive symptoms (n =722; SMD: −0.59, 95% CI: −1.01 to −0.17, I2 = 85%, p = 0.006) at post-MBIs assessment, but the significance disappeared by the end of posttreatment follow-up. Subgroup analyses revealed that positive benefits of MBIs was associated with studies that had treatment as usual (TAU) control group, Chinese participants, open label design, no gender predominance, subjects younger than 44.4 years, and Jadad score ≥ 3, other illness phase and MBIs as augmentation group. Conclusion This meta-analysis found that MBIs was associated with reduction of depression severity immediately after MBIs but not at follow up endpoint. Further, the positive effects of MBIs were mainly driven by outlying studies. Higher quality of RCTs with larger samples and longer study duration are needed to confirm the findings.

BackgroundThis is a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) for a current episode of major depressive disorder. Methods Both English (PubMed, PsycINFO, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases) and Chinese (WanFang and CNKI) databases were systematically and independently searched. Standardized mean differences (SMDs) and risk ratio (RR) ± their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) based on the random effects model were calculated. Results A total of 11 RCTs with 12 treatment arms (n = 764; MBIs = 363; and control group = 401) were identified and analyzed. Compared to the control group, MDD subjects receiving MBIs showed significant reduction in depressive symptoms (n =722; SMD: −0.59, 95% CI: −1.01 to −0.17, I2 = 85%, p = 0.006) at post-MBIs assessment, but the significance disappeared by the end of posttreatment follow-up. Subgroup analyses revealed that positive benefits of MBIs was associated with studies that had treatment as usual (TAU) control group, Chinese participants, open label design, no gender predominance, subjects younger than 44.4 years, and Jadad score ≥ 3, other illness phase and MBIs as augmentation group. Conclusion This meta-analysis found that MBIs was associated with reduction of depression severity immediately after MBIs but not at follow up endpoint. Further, the positive effects of MBIs were mainly driven by outlying studies. Higher quality of RCTs with larger samples and longer study duration are needed to confirm the findings.