Unveiling the hepatoprotective mechanisms of Desmodium heterocarpon (L.) DC: Novel flavonoid identification and Keap1/Nrf2 pathway activation.

Background: The pathophysiology of liver diseases is significantly influenced by oxidative stress, making its alleviation a key strategy for treatment. The Keap1/Nrf2 signaling pathway is the body's most crucial antioxidant defense mechanism. Traditional Chinese medicine, Desmodium heterocarpon (L.

[Tonglong Kaibi Prescription for the treatment of severe benign prostate hyperplasia: A clinical study].

Objective: To evaluate the clinical effect of the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) Tonglong Kaibi Prescription (TKP) in the treatment of severe BPH with kidney deficiency and blood stasis combined with damp heat syndrome.

Methods: We randomly divided 120 cases of severe BPH with kidney deficiency and blood stasis combined with damp heat syndrome into three groups of equal number, treated with TKP, doxazosin mesylate sustained-release tablets (the DM control), and TKP + DM, all for 8 weeks. We obtained the IPSS, TCM symptoms scores, quality of life (QOL) scores, maximum urinary flow rate (Qmax) and postvoid residual urine volume (PVR) from the patients before and after treatment and compared them among the three groups.

Mechanism Behind the Programmed Biosynthesis of Heterotrimeric Fungal Depside Thielavin A.

Thielavin A (1) is a fungal depside composed of one 3-methylorsellinic acid and two 3,5-dimethylorsellinic acid units. It displays diverse biological activities. However, the mechanism underlying the assembly of the heterotrimeric structure of 1 remains to be clarified.

Effects of aerobic exercise on cognitive function in adults with major depressive disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a highly prevalent psychiatric disorder that impairs the cognitive function of individuals. Aerobic exercise stands out as a promising non-pharmacological intervention for enhancing cognitive function and promoting brain health.While positive impacts of aerobic exercise on executive function in adults with depression have been documented, a comprehensive understanding of its benefits on overall cognitive function, including memory, attention, and processing speed, along with key moderating factors in adults with MDD, remains unexplored.

Extraction and characterization of anti-virus anthraquinones from Nicotiana tabacum-derived Aspergillus oryzae YNCA1220.

In this study, seven novel anthraquinones (1-7) and four described anthraquinones (8-11) were purified from Nicotiana tabacum-derived Aspergillus oryzae YNCA1220. It is worth noting that only analogs of 4 and 5 have been reported as natural products to date, while the nuclei of compounds 1-3, 6 and 7 were isolated for the first time in nature. Among them, compounds 1-3 bear an unusual anthra[2,3-b]furan-9,10-dione nucleus, 4 and 5 possess a rare 3-methyl-1H-pyrrol-2-yl substituent, and 6 and 7 are new framework anthraquinones bearing a 6-methyl-1,7-dihydro-2H-azepin-2-one ring.

[Pricking-reinforcing -reducing therapy improves semen quality and seminal plasma biochemical indexes in patients with varicocele infertility].

Objective: To investigate the effect of pricking-reinforcing -reducing therapy (PRRT) on the semen quality and seminal plasma biochemical indexes of varicocele (VC) infertility patients.

Methods: We randomly and equally assigned 160 patients with VC infertility into a PRRT and a control group, the former treated by PRRT and the latter with oral ShengjingCapsules. Before and after treatment, we obtained the semen parameters, sperm morphology, sperm survival rate, sperm acrosin activity, seminal plasma neutral α glucosidase and seminal plasma zinc in the patients and compared them between the two groups.

Effects of Exercise Training on Executive Functioning in Adults with Depression: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Background: Exercise is a promising nonpharmacological intervention to improve executive function (EF). However, results from randomized trials and meta-analyses examining the effects of exercise on working memory in adults with depression are mixed, and the influence of exercise on EF, as well as the key moderators of the relationship, remain inconclusive.

Objective: The present systematic review with meta-analysis examined the influence of exercise interventions on EF in adults with depression, and the influence of key moderating variables.

Ketoreductase Domain-Catalyzed Polyketide Chain Release in Fungal Alkyl Salicylaldehyde Biosynthesis.

Alkyl salicylaldehyde derivatives are polyketide natural products, which are widely distributed in fungi and exhibit great structural diversity. Their biosynthetic mechanisms have recently been intensively studied; however, how the polyketide synthases (PKSs) involved in the fungal alkyl salicylaldehyde biosyntheses release their products remained elusive. In this study, we discovered an orphan biosynthetic gene cluster of salicylaldehyde derivatives in the fungus sp.

Three new lanostane triterpenoids and two new amides from sp. with NLRP3 inflammasome inhibitory activity.

Three new lanostane triterpenoids () along with two new amides fatty compounds () were isolated from the ethyl acetate extract of a culture of the endophytic fungus gx-2. Their structures were identified by 1D and 2D NMR spectral data and HRESIMS. Compounds were evaluated for their anti-inflammatory and tyrosinase inhibition activities.

Regulatory effect of isovitexin on MAPK/NF-B signal in mice with acute ulcerative colitis.

The aim of this study was to investigate the anti-inflammatory effects and mechanism of isovitexin on ulcerative colitis mice and RAW264.7 cells. The results showed that isovitexin had strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, and could restore intestinal barrier integrity ( < 0.

Isoindolin-1-ones from the stems of Nicotiana tabacum and their antiviral activities.

In previous studies, several isoindolin-1-one analogs that exhibited significant anti-tobacco mosaic virus (anti-TMV) activities were isolated from Nicotiana tabacum. Since gene-editing mutants provide a new sample for the discovery of active metabolites, we focused on the stems of YN-18-23 (a mutant N. tabacum for gene editing with the alkaloid metabolic pathway cultivated by Yunnan Tobacco Company), which led to the isolation of four new (1-4) and four known (5-8) isoindolin-1-ones.

Isochromenes from the -derived endophytic fungus and their anti-tobacco mosaic virus activities.

Three new isochromenes, (5-methoxy-7-prenyl-1-isochromen-3-yl)methanol (), 3-(3-(hydroxymethyl)-5-methoxy-1-isochromen-7-yl)propan-1-ol (), and (5-methoxy-7-methyl-1-isochromen-3-yl)methanol (), along with three known analogues (-) were isolated from the fermentation products of a -derived endophytic fungus . Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods, including extensive 1 D and 2 D NMR techniques. Compounds - and were evaluated for their anti-tobacco mosaic virus (anti-TMV) activities.

[Magnetic resonance and magnetoelectric therapy combined with Danhong Tongjing Prescription for the treatment of CP/CPPS and its effects on secretory IgA, vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 and interleukin-8].

Objective: To investigate the therapeutic effect of magnetic resonance and magnetoelectric therapy (MRMT) combined with oral Danhong Tongjing Prescription (DTP) on chronic prostatitis / chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) and the changes in the levels of cytokine-secretory IgA (sIgA), vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) and interleukin-8 (IL-8) after treatment.

Methods: Totally 200 patients with CP/CPPS of the qi stagnation and blood stasis type were randomly divided into three groups to receive MRMT + DTP (n = 68), MRMT (n = 67) and DTP (n = 65), respectively, all for 12 weeks. After treatment, we compared the total effectiveness rate, patients' scores on NIH-CPSI and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome, and the expressions of sIgA, VCAM-1 and IL-8 in the EPS among the three groups of the patients.

[Danhong Tongjing Prescription versus microsurgery in the treatment of varicocele-induced infertility: A retrospective multivariate analysis of 218 cases].

Objective: To compared the traditional Chinese medicine Danhong Tongjing Prescription (DTP) and microsurgery in the treatment of varicocele (VC)-induced infertility and investigate the factors influencing the recovery of semen parameters of the patients.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data on 218 cases of VC-induced infertility with qi-deficiency and blood-stasis treated with DTP (n = 86) or by microsurgery (n = 132) in our hospital from January 2017 to July 2019, and compared the semen parameters between the two groups of patients after treatment. With age, course of disease, degree of VC, change of the testis volume, estrogen/testosterone (E/T) ratio and levels of FSH and LH as independent variables, and increased semen parameters after treatment as dependent variables, we constructed a multivariate linear regression model and identified statistically significant independent variables.

Cytochalasans from the Endophytic Fungus sp. shj2 and Their Antimigratory Activities.

Cytochalasans from the endophytic fungi featured structure diversity. Our previous study has disclosed that cytochalasans from the endophytic fungus sp. shj2 exhibited an antimigratory effect.

Branching and converging pathways in fungal natural product biosynthesis.

In nature, organic molecules with great structural diversity and complexity are synthesized by utilizing a relatively small number of starting materials. A synthetic strategy adopted by nature is pathway branching, in which a common biosynthetic intermediate is transformed into different end products. A natural product can also be synthesized by the fusion of two or more precursors generated from separate metabolic pathways.

Cyclopiazonic acid type indole alkaloids from Nicotiana tabacum-derived fungus Aspergillus versicolor and their anti-tobacco mosaic virus activities.

Indole alkaloids have attracted widespread attention of chemists and biologists. Therefore, the aim of this study is to screen more bioactivities indole alkaloids from the microorganisms. In this study, five undescribed CPA-type indole alkaloids, aspergillines F-J, and three known CPA-type indole alkaloids, aspergilline A, aspergilline C, and cyclopiamide E, were obtained from the Nicotiana tabacum-derived fungus Aspergillus versicolor.

[Lingze Tablets for BPH with kidney-deficiency, blood stasis and dampness resistance: A phase-Ⅳ open-label single-arm multicenter clinical study and safety evaluation].

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of Lingze Tablets in the treatment of BPH with kidney deficiency, blood stasis and dampness resistance.

Methods: Totally 235 eligible BPH patients, aged 50－80 years and meeting the inclusion criteria, were enrolled and treated with Lingze Tablets orally, 4 tablets per time, tid. Before and after an 8-week course of medication, IPSS, quality of life (QOL) and TCM syndromes scores were obtained from the patients.

Heterologous Biosynthesis of Tetrahydroxanthone Dimers: Determination of Key Factors for Selective or Divergent Synthesis.

Tetrahydroxanthone dimers are fungal products, among which secalonic acid D () is one of the most studied compounds because of its potent biological activity. Because the biosynthetic gene cluster of has been previously identified, we sought to heterologously produce in by expressing the relevant biosynthetic genes. However, our initial attempt of the total biosynthesis of failed; instead, it produced four isomers of due to the activity of an endogenous enzyme of .

Clinical profiles and outcomes of acute type A aortic dissection and intramural hematoma in the current era: lessons from the first registry of aortic dissection in China.

Background: Acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD) and acute type A intramural hematoma (ATAIMH) are life-threatening diseases with high mortality. To better understand their clinical features in the Chinese population, we analyzed the data from the first Registry of Aortic Dissection in China (Sino-RAD) to promote the understanding and management of the diseases.

Methods: All patients with ATAAD and ATAIMH enrolled in Sino-RAD from January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2016 were involved.

Two new sesquiterpene aryl esters from 012m.

Two new sesquiterpene aryl esters, armimelleolides A and B ( and ), and four known ones, were isolated from the EtOAc extract of 012 m by column chromatography on silica gel, reversed-phase C silica gel and semi-preparative HPLC. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic methods, including extensive 1 D NMR, 2 D NMR and MS. All these compounds showed potential antitumor activities against at least one of the human cancer cell lines (A549, HCT-116, M231 and W256), with IC ranging from 2.

A systematic review of Tuina for irritable bowel syndrome: Recommendations for future trials.

Objectives: This systematic review assessed whether Tuina (therapeutic massage) is more effective and safer than no treatment or routine medical treatment for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

Methods: Eleven databases were searched for randomized controlled trials of IBS diagnosed based on Manning or Rome criteria. Tuina with or without routine treatments (RTs) was tested against RTs.

Molecular Basis for the Biosynthesis of an Unusual Chain-Fused Polyketide, Gregatin A.

Gregatin A () is a fungal polyketide featuring an alkylated furanone core, but the biosynthetic mechanism to furnish the intriguing molecular skeleton has yet to be elucidated. Herein, we have identified the biosynthetic gene cluster of gregatin A () in sp. sh18 and investigated the mechanism that produces the intriguing structure of by in vivo and in vitro reconstitution of its biosynthesis.