Publications by authors named "Chwan Li Shen"

Background/objective: There is strong evidence that the tripartite interaction between glucose homeostasis, gut microbiota, and the host immune system plays a critical role in the pathophysiology of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). We reported previously that peanut shell extract (PSE) improves mitochondrial function in db/db mice by suppressing oxidative stress and inflammation in the liver, brain, and white adipose tissue. This study evaluated the impacts of PSE supplementation on glucose homeostasis, liver histology, intestinal microbiome composition, and the innate immune response in diabetic mice.

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Denervation-induced calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) activation and inflammation can result in muscle atrophy. Curcumin and bisdemethoxycurcumin are well known to exhibit an anti-inflammatory effect. In addition, curcumin has been shown to attenuate CaMKII activation in neuronal cells.

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Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is associated with increased inflammation and reactive oxygen species (ROS) in muscles, leading to basal satellite cell (SC) myogenic impairment (i.e., reduction in SC pool), which is critical for maintaining skeletal muscle mass.

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Background: Neuroinflammation and mitochondrial dysfunction have been implicated in the progression of neuropathic pain (NP) but can be mitigated by supplementation with gingerol-enriched ginger (GEG). However, the exact benefits of GEG for each sex in treating neuroinflammation and mitochondrial homeostasis in different brain regions and the colon remain to be determined.

Objective: Evaluate the effects of GEG on emotional/affective pain and spontaneous pain behaviors, neuroinflammation, as well as mitochondria homeostasis in the amygdala, frontal cortex, hippocampus, and colon of male and female rats in the spinal nerve ligation (SNL) NP model.

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Accumulating evidence shows a strong correlation between type 2 diabetes mellitus, mitochondrial dysfunction, and oxidative stress. We evaluated the effects of dietary peanut shell extract (PSE) supplementation on mitochondrial function and antioxidative stress/inflammation markers in diabetic mice. Fourteen db/db mice were randomly assigned to a diabetic group (DM in AIN-93G diet) and a PSE group (1% wt/wt PSE in AIN-93G diet) for 5 weeks.

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Background/aim: This study examined the effects of tocotrienols (TT) in conjunction with statin on glucose homeostasis, bone microstructure, gut microbiome, and systemic and liver inflammatory markers in obese C57BL/6J mice.

Materials And Methods: Forty male C57BL/6J mice were fed a high-fat diet (HFD) and assigned into four groups in a 2 (no statin vs. 120 mg statin/kg diet)×2 (no TT vs.

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Emerging evidence shows that the gut microbiota plays an important role in neuropathic pain (NP) via the gut-brain axis. Male rats were divided into sham, spinal nerve ligation (SNL), SNL + 200 mg GEG/kg BW (GEG200), and SNL + 600 mg GEG/kg BW (GEG600) for 5 weeks. The dosages of 200 and 600 mg GEG/kg BW for rats correspond to 45 g and 135 g raw ginger for human daily consumption, respectively.

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The relationship among gut microbiota, mitochondrial dysfunction/neuroinflammation, and diabetic neuropathic pain (DNP) has received increased attention. Ginger has antidiabetic and analgesic effects because of its anti-inflammatory property. We examined the effects of gingerols-enriched ginger (GEG) supplementation on pain-associated behaviors, gut microbiome composition, and mitochondrial function and neuroinflammation of colon and spinal cord in DNP rats.

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The cornerstones of good health are exercise, proper food, and sound nutrition. Physical exercise should be a lifelong routine, supported by proper food selections to satisfy nutrient requirements based on energy needs, energy management, and variety to achieve optimal metabolism and physiology. The human body is sustained by intermediary and systemic metabolism integrating the physiologic processes for cells, tissues, organs, and systems.

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Article Synopsis
  • The review examines the effectiveness of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) as a treatment for chronic daily headaches (CDH), highlighting challenges with standard medication.
  • A meta-analysis of 13 clinical trials involving 538 patients found that rTMS significantly reduced headache intensity and frequency immediately after treatment, but the benefits were only marginally sustained in follow-up periods.
  • The study raises questions about the cost-effectiveness of using rTMS regularly for CDH prophylaxis due to variability in treatment protocols and limited long-term efficacy.
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Background/aim: Oxidative stress, regulated by SOD2 and mitochondrial dynamics, contributes to muscle atrophy in diabetes. Ginger root extract (GRE) reduces oxidative stress. However, its effect on oxidative stress, mitochondrial dynamics, and muscle atrophy is not known in the diabetic muscle.

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This study examined the effects of turmeric bioactive compounds, curcumin C3 complex® (CUR) and bisdemethoxycurcumin (BDMC), on mechanical hypersensitivity and the gene expression of markers for glial activation, mitochondrial function, and oxidative stress in the spinal cord and amygdala of rats with neuropathic pain (NP). Twenty-four animals were randomly assigned to four groups: sham, spinal nerve ligation (SNL, an NP model), SNL+100 mg CUR/kg BW p.o.

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Article Synopsis
  • Tai Chi (TC) has been studied for its effects on inflammation and pain management in women with knee osteoarthritis, showing promising results in lowering inflammatory markers and improving pain.
  • A pilot study involved 12 postmenopausal women participating in TC over 8 weeks, with assessments on inflammatory biomarkers and brain function conducted before and after the exercise.
  • Results indicated that TC reduced certain pro-inflammatory oxylipins and had significant correlations between pain levels, inflammatory markers, and brain connectivity, suggesting potential therapeutic mechanisms for managing osteoarthritic pain.
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Background: A systematic and meta-analysis was conducted to examine the evidence of the effects of botulinum toxin A on chronic tension-type headache.

Methods: Cochrane, Embase, Ovid, ProQuest, PubMed, Scopus, Web-of-Science databases, and ClinicallTrials.gov registry were systematically searched for studies examining the effects of botulinum toxin A on tension-type headaches.

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Previously, we demonstrated that the administration of either geranylgeraniol (GGOH) or green tea polyphenols (GTP) improved bone health. This study examined the combined effects of GGOH and GTP on glucose homeostasis in addition to bone remodeling in obese mice. We hypothesized that GGOH and GTP would have an additive or synergistic effect on improving glucose homeostasis and bone remodeling possibly in part via suppression of proinflammatory cytokines.

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Background/aim: With diabetes, skeletal muscle mitochondrial quality (fusion, fission & mitophagy) and muscle mass are compromised. Geranylgeraniol (GGOH) can prevent mitochondrial damage, inflammation, and improve muscle health; however, the effect of GGOH on a diabetic model is not known. This study aimed to determine the effect of GGOH on mitochondrial quality and muscle mass in diabetic rats.

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Background Emerging research suggests hyperglycemia can increase intestinal permeability. Ginger and its bioactive compounds have been reported to benefit diabetic animals due to their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. In this study, we revealed the beneficial effect of gingerol-enriched ginger (GEG) on intestinal health (i.

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Natural bioactive compounds are proposed as alternatives in mitigating obesity-associated skeletal muscle dysfunction. The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that the combination of geranylgeraniol (GGOH) and green tea polyphenols (GTPs) can alleviate high-fat-diet (HFD)-induced muscle atrophy and alter gut microbiome composition. Male C57BL/6J mice fed an HFD were assigned to four groups (12 mice each) in a 2 (no GGOH vs.

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This paper presents a review of studies on the effects of local vibration training (LVT) on muscle strength along with the associated changes in neuromuscular and cell dynamic responses. Application of local/direct vibration can significantly change the structural properties of muscle cell and can improve muscle strength. The improvement is largely dependent on vibration parameters such as amplitude and frequency.

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Emerging evidence suggests an important role of the gut-brain axis in the development of neuropathic pain (NP). We investigated the effects of gingerol-enriched ginger (GEG) on pain behaviors, as well as mRNA expressions of inflammation tight junction proteins in GI tissues (colon) and brain tissues (amygdala, both left and right) in animals with NP. Seventeen male rats were randomly divided into three groups: Sham, spinal nerve ligation (SNL, pain model), and SNL+0.

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Fibromyalgia (FM) is a prevalent, chronic condition without a cure or reliable therapy. The etiopathogenesis of this syndrome is ambiguous, which has heightened the challenge of discovering treatments to minimize patients' painful symptoms. FM is characterized by diffuse musculoskeletal pain usually accompanied by functional pain syndromes, such as fatigue, sleep disturbances, cognitive difficulties, and mood issues.

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Introduction: Approximately half of adult Americans suffer from musculoskeletal disorders (MSD). Significant risk factors for musculoskeletal disorders include poor diet, obesity, and insufficient physical activity. Studies show that lifestyle change education and interventions reduce MSD risk factors.

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Among different types of chronic pain, neuropathic pain (NP), arising from damage to the nervous system, including peripheral fibers and central neurons, is notoriously difficult to treat and affects 7-10% of the general population. Currently available treatment options for NP are limited and opioid analgesics have severe side effects and can result in opioid use disorder. Recent studies have exhibited the role of dietary bioactive compounds in the mitigation of NP.

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A pre/post pilot study was designed to investigate neurobiological mechanisms and plasma metabolites in an 8-week Tai-Chi (TC) group intervention in subjects with knee osteoarthritis. Twelve postmenopausal women underwent Tai-Chi group exercise for 8 weeks (60 min/session, three times/week). Outcomes were measured before and after Tai Chi intervention including pain intensity (VAS), Brief Pain Inventory (BPI), Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), plasma metabolites (amino acids and lipids), as well as resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI, 10 min, eyes open), diffusion tensor imaging (DTI, 12 min), and structural MRI (4.

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Osteoporosis is a major health problem in postmenopausal women. Herein we evaluated the effects of 12-week tocotrienols (TT) supplementation on serum metabolites in postmenopausal, osteopenic women. Eighty-nine participants (59.

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