Pentagalloylglucose reduces AGE-induced inflammation by activating Nrf2/HO-1 and inhibiting the JAK2/STAT3 pathway in mesangial cells.

Pentagalloylglucose (PGG), a gallotannin polyphenolic compound, has been found to possess a host of beneficial pharmacologic activities, such as anti-inflammatory and antioxidative activities. We previously demonstrated that PGG is capable of binding to the cell membrane of renal mesangial cells, but the pharmacological effect of PGG on diabetic renal injury and the underlying mechanisms are still not yet clear. In this study, the effects of PGG on Nrf2/HO-1 and JAK2/STAT3 signaling were explored in AGE-stimulated mesangial cells.

[" acupuncture" combined with speech training for post-stroke aphasia].

Objective: To verify the clinical efficacy of " acupuncture" combined with speech training for post-stroke aphasia.

Methods: A total of 68 patients with post-stroke aphasia were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group, 34 cases in each one. The patients in the control group were treated with basic therapy and speech rehabilitation exercises (mainly Schuell's aphasia stimulation therapy).

[Effects of moxibustion on learning and memory ability and the hippocampal BDNF/TrkB expressions in the rats of vascular dementia].

Objective: To explore the effects of (resolving stasis, promoting collateral circulation) moxibustion on learning and memory ability and the expressions of brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and tyrosine kinase B (TrkB) in the rats of vascular dementia (VD) in the microenvironment of neurovascular niche.

Methods: Using 2-vessel occlusion (2-VO), the VD rat models were duplicated. The neural stem cells (NSCs) labeled with lentiviral vector-mediated enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) were co-cultured with endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) to structure the NSCs + EPCs implant.

Danzhi Jiangtang Capsule ameliorates kidney injury via inhibition of the JAK-STAT signaling pathway and increased antioxidant capacity in STZ-induced diabetic nephropathy rats.

Danzhi Jiangtang Capsule (DJC), a traditional Chinese medicinal formula, has been used clinically in treating diabetes and diabetic nephropathy (DN). We previously demonstrated that DJC is capable of improving renal function in patients and rats with DN, but the mechanisms underlying these therapeutic benefits of DJC are not quite clear yet. In this study, STZ-induced diabetic rats were orally administered DJC for 8 weeks.

DJC Suppresses Advanced Glycation End Products-Induced JAK-STAT Signaling and ROS in Mesangial Cells.

The antidiabetic properties and anti-inflammatory effects of Danzhi Jiangtang Capsules (DJC) have been demonstrated in clinical and laboratory experiments. In this study, we explored whether DJC can ameliorate advanced glycation end products- (AGEs-) mediated cell injury and the precise mechanisms of DJC in treating diabetic nephropathy (DN). Western blot analysis was employed to assess the expressions of iNOS, COX2, and SOCS and the phosphorylation of JAK2, STAT1, and STAT3 in glomerular mesangial cells (GMCs) after treatment with DJC.

Brain responses to acupuncture are probably dependent on the brain functional status.

In recent years, neuroimaging studies of acupuncture have explored extensive aspects of brain responses to acupuncture in finding its underlying mechanisms. Most of these studies have been performed on healthy adults. Only a few studies have been performed on patients with diseases.