Fucoxanthin ameliorates ulcerative colitis by maintaining the epithelial barrier via blocking JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway.

Background: The clinical efficacies of Ulcerative colitis (UC) are far from satisfactory. Fucoxanthin (FUC) is a marine carotenoid that is abundant in seaweed and microalgae. It has been reported that FUC can possess anti-inflammatory and antioxidant.

A glucan from the stems of Acanthopanax senticosus: Structure and anticolorectal cancer activity.

ASPN-1, a novel glucan with a molecular weight of 33.31 kDa, was purified from Acanthopanax senticosus stems, characterized in structure, and evaluated for antitumor potential. The analysis of the structure of ASPN-1 revealed that it consisted of a backbone constructed from →4)-α-D-Glcp-(1 → glucosyls, branched at the O-3 position by an α-D-Glcp-(1 → residue and at the O-6 positions with α-D-Glcp-(1 → 6)-α-D-Glcp-(1 → and/or α-D-Glcp-(1 → residues.

Inhibitory effect of andrographolide on the expression of key regulatory genes in Staphylococcus epidermidis biofilm formation.

The purpose of this study was to explore the inhibitory effect of andrographolide on the expression of key regulatory genes involved in the biofilm formation of Staphylococcus epidermidis (SE). Taking the film-producing strain Staphylococcus epidermidis SE1457 as the research object, the effect of andrographolide on the formation of Staphylococcus epidermidis biofilms was analyzed via crystal violet staining, and biofilm models of SE adhesion, aggregation and maturity were established in vitro. RT‒PCR was used to detect the effects of the expression of icaA-, atlE-, aap- and luxS-related genes of andrographolide on biofilm formation in SE.

Segmental MRI pituitary and hypothalamus volumes post Fontan: An analysis of the Australian and New Zealand Fontan registry.

Objective: Short stature, central hypothyroidism and infertility are common in those with a Fontan circulation. Given that the Fontan circulation often results in hepatic portal venous congestion, we hypothesize that the hypothalamic-pituitary portal circulation is also affected, contributing to subsequent hypothalamic-pituitary axis dysfunction.

Methods: MRI data from the Australian and New Zealand Fontan Registry (86 cases) was compared to 86 age- and sex-matched normal published controls.

Clostridium butyricum, a future star in sepsis treatment.

Sepsis is a systemic inflammatory response syndrome of multiorgan failure caused by dysregulation of the host response to infection and is a major cause of death in critically ill patients. In recent years, with the continuous development of sequencing technology, the intestinal microecology of this disease has been increasingly studied. The gut microbiota plays a host-protective role mainly through the maintenance of normal immune function and the intestinal barrier.