Neuroprotective Effects of Jitai Tablet, a Traditional Chinese Medicine, on the MPTP-Induced Acute Model of Parkinson’s Disease: Involvement of the Dopamine System

Jitai tablet (JTT) is a traditional Chinese medicine used to treat neuropsychiatric disorders. We previously demonstrated that JTT treatment led to increased level of dopamine transporter (DAT) in the striatum, thus indicating that JTT might have therapeutic potential for Parkinson’s disease (PD), which is characterized by dysregulated dopamine (DA) transmission and decreased striatal DAT expression. The aim of this study was to investigate the neuroprotective effect of JTT on MPTP-induced PD mice. Using locomotor activity test and rotarod test, we evaluated the effects of JTT (0.50, 0.15, or 0.05 g/kg) on MPTP-induced behavioral impairments. Tyrosine hydroxylase TH-positive neurons in the substantia nigra and DAT and dopamine D2 receptor (D2R) levels in the striatum were detected by immunohistochemical staining and/or autoradiography. Levels of DA and its metabolites were determined by HPLC. In MPTP-treated mice, behavioral impairments were alleviated by JTT treatment. Moreover, JTT protected against impairment of TH-positive neurons and attenuated the MPTP-induced decreases in DAT and D2R. Finally, high dose of JTT (0.50 g/kg) inhibited the MPTP-induced increase in DA metabolism rate. Taken together, results from our present study provide evidence that JTT offers neuroprotective effects against the neurotoxicity of MPTP and thus might be a potential treatment for PD

Anticancer activity of an extract from needles and twigs of Taxus cuspidata and its synergistic effect as a cocktail with 5-fluorouracil

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Botanical medicines are increasingly combined with chemotherapeutics as anticancer drug cocktails. This study aimed to assess the chemotherapeutic potential of an extract of <it>Taxus cuspidata </it>(<it>TC</it>) needles and twigs produced by artificial cuttage and its co-effects as a cocktail with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU).</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Components of <it>TC </it>extract were identified by HPLC fingerprinting. Cytotoxicity analysis was performed by MTT assay or ATP assay. Apoptosis studies were analyzed by H & E, PI, TUNEL staining, as well as Annexin V/PI assay. Cell cycle analysis was performed by flow cytometry. 5-FU concentrations in rat plasma were determined by HPLC and the pharmacokinetic parameters were estimated using 3p87 software. Synergistic efficacy was subjected to median effect analysis with the mutually nonexclusive model using Calcusyn1 software. The significance of differences between values was estimated by using a one-way ANOVA.</p> <p>Results</p> <p><it>TC </it>extract reached inhibition rates of 70-90% in different human cancer cell lines (HL-60, BGC-823, KB, Bel-7402, and HeLa) but only 5-7% in normal mouse T/B lymphocytes, demonstrating the broad-spectrum anticancer activity and low toxicity to normal cells of <it>TC </it>extract <it>in vitro</it>. <it>TC </it>extract inhibited cancer cell growth by inducing apoptosis and G₂/M cell cycle arrest. Most interestingly, <it>TC </it>extract and 5-FU, combined as a cocktail, synergistically inhibited the growth of cancer cells <it>in vitro</it>, with Combination Index values (CI) ranging from 0.90 to 0.26 at different effect levels from IC50 to IC90 in MCF-7 cells, CI ranging from 0.93 to 0.13 for IC40 to IC90 in PC-3M-1E8 cells, and CI < 1 in A549 cells. In addition, the cocktail had lower cytotoxicity in normal human cell (HEL) than 5-FU used alone. Furthermore, <it>TC </it>extract did not affect the pharmacokinetics of 5-FU in rats.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The combinational use of the <it>TC </it>extract with 5-FU displays strong cytotoxic synergy in cancer cells and low cytotoxicity in normal cells. These findings suggest that this cocktail may have a potential role in cancer treatment.</p

Impact of the five-pattern personality traits of traditional Chinese medicine on workplace violence and depression among nurses

Abstract Background Depression seriously damage the health of nurses. It is not conducive to the provision of medical services and hospital management. Meanwhile, nurses are a highly vulnerable group to workplace violence (WPV), increasing the risk of depression. Nurses with different personalities may have various views and feelings towards WPV, and their impact on depression may also vary. This study aims to reveal the impact of the five-pattern personality traits of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) on WPV and depression among nurses, providing a new perspective for managers to implement psychological interventions. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted. 2,788 valid questionnaires nationwide were collected based on Wenjuanxing from June to July 2024. We used Patient Health Questionnaire Depression Scale-9 item, The five- pattern Personality Traits of TCM Scale, and Workplace Violence Scale. We used latent class analysis, structural equation modeling, and simple slope analysis to analyze depression classes, mediating effects, and moderation effects, respectively. Results Depression is classified into three types: “Good mental health group” (34.2%), “Moderate depression group” (23.0%), and “Severe depression group” (42.8%). “Taiyang”, “Shaoyang”, and “Balance of Yin-Yang” personalities alleviate nurses’ feelings of WPV, thereby reducing the impact of WPV on depression. The values of mediating effect are -0.402, -0.393, and -0.426, respectively (P < 0.05). “Taiyin” personality exacerbate nurses’ perception of WPV, thereby increasing the impact of WPV on depression. The value of mediating effect is 0.418 (P < 0.05). “Taiyang” and “Shaoyang” personalities reduce the impact of WPV on depression of nurses, and the effect become more significant as the scores increase. The values of moderating effect are 0.033 and -0.0563 respectively (P < 0.05). “Taiyin” and “Shaoyin” personalities increase the impact of WPV on depression, and the effect become more significant as the scores increase. The values of moderating effect are -0.0444 and -0.0220 respectively (P < 0.05). Conclusions The prevalence of depression and WPV among Chinese nurses is serious. Excellent personality effectively improve the relationship between WPV and depression. Nursing managers should arrange suitable positions for nurses based on their different personality traits. At the same time, it is necessary to actively cultivate excellent personality traits in nurses to reduce the frequency of WPV and improve their mental health

Coded Excitation for Ultrasonic Testing: A Review

Originating in the early 20th century, ultrasonic testing has found increasingly extensive applications in medicine, industry, and materials science. Achieving both a high signal-to-noise ratio and high efficiency is crucial in ultrasonic testing. The former means an increase in imaging clarity as well as the detection depth, while the latter facilitates a faster refresh of the image. It is difficult to balance these two indicators with a conventional short pulse to excite the probe, so in general handling methods, these two factors have a trade-off. To solve the above problems, coded excitation (CE) can increase the pulse duration and offers great potential to improve the signal-to-noise ratio with equivalent or even higher efficiency. In this paper, we first review the fundamentals of CE, including signal modulation, signal transmission, signal reception, pulse compression, and optimization methods. Then, we introduce the application of CE in different areas of ultrasonic testing, with a focus on industrial bulk wave single-probe detection, industrial guided wave detection, industrial bulk wave phased array detection, and medical phased array imaging. Finally, we point out the advantages as well as a few future directions of CE

Interaction of anxiety and hypertension on quality of life among patients with gynecological cancer: a cross-sectional study

Abstract Background Patients with gynecological cancer are prone to anxiety, and many of them are accompanied by hypertension, which seriously affects the quality of life (QOL). The study was to explore the interaction of anxiety and hypertension on QOL, and the moderating effect of perceived social support (PSS) in the impact of anxiety and hypertension on QOL of patients with gynecological cancer. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2020, and 566 patients have been collected from the Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University. The Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy Genera tool (FACT-G), and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support Scale (MSPSS) were used. The interaction was analyzed by additive model, and the moderating effect was conducted by regression analysis and the simple slope analysis. Results We found that 68.8% of patients had poor QOL due to the interaction between anxiety and hypertension. The relative excess risk ratio (RERI) was 22.238 (95%CI:44.119–88.596); the attribution ratio (AP) was 0.688 (95%CI:0.234–1.142); The interaction index (S) was 3.466 (95%CI: 0.823–14.435). The interaction items of PSS and anxiety were negatively correlated with QOL (β = -0.219, P < 0.01) and explained an additional 4.0% variance (F = 68.649, Adjusted R2 = 0.399, ΔR2 = 0.040, P < 0.01); PSS and blood pressure interaction item was not associated with QOL (β = 0.013, F = 55.138, Adjusted R2 = 0.365, ΔR2 = 0.001, P = 0.730). Conclusions When anxiety and hypertension coexist, the QOL was affected. PSS played a moderating role in the impact of anxiety on QOL. Healthcare providers should take intervention measures to improve patients’ social support to reduce the impact of anxiety on QOL

Interaction of anxiety and hypertension on quality of life among patients with gynecological cancer: a cross-sectional study

Abstract Background Patients with gynecological cancer are prone to anxiety, and many of them are accompanied by hypertension, which seriously affects the quality of life (QOL). The study was to explore the interaction of anxiety and hypertension on QOL, and the moderating effect of perceived social support (PSS) in the impact of anxiety and hypertension on QOL of patients with gynecological cancer. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2020, and 566 patients have been collected from the Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University. The Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy Genera tool (FACT-G), and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support Scale (MSPSS) were used. The interaction was analyzed by additive model, and the moderating effect was conducted by regression analysis and the simple slope analysis. Results We found that 68.8% of patients had poor QOL due to the interaction between anxiety and hypertension. The relative excess risk ratio (RERI) was 22.238 (95%CI:44.119–88.596); the attribution ratio (AP) was 0.688 (95%CI:0.234–1.142); The interaction index (S) was 3.466 (95%CI: 0.823–14.435). The interaction items of PSS and anxiety were negatively correlated with QOL (β = -0.219, P &lt; 0.01) and explained an additional 4.0% variance (F = 68.649, Adjusted R2 = 0.399, ΔR2 = 0.040, P &lt; 0.01); PSS and blood pressure interaction item was not associated with QOL (β = 0.013, F = 55.138, Adjusted R2 = 0.365, ΔR2 = 0.001, P = 0.730). Conclusions When anxiety and hypertension coexist, the QOL was affected. PSS played a moderating role in the impact of anxiety on QOL. Healthcare providers should take intervention measures to improve patients’ social support to reduce the impact of anxiety on QOL. </jats:sec