bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Chemical Composition, Antioxidant Potential, and Blood Glucose Lowering Effect of Aqueous Extract and Essential Oil of Thymus Serrulatus Hochst. Ex Benth
Authors: Haile Tesfay , Cardoso Susana M. , de Oliveira Raphaelli Chirle , Pereira Olívia R. , Pereira Elisa dos Santos , Vizzotto Márcia , Nora Leonardo , Asfaw Adissu Alemayehu , Periasamy Gomathi , Karim Aman 
Published: April 2021

Thymus serrulatus, an endemic plant of Ethiopia, is traditionally used to cure various diseases and as a food ingredient. In the Ethiopian folk medicine, the decoction is orally taken as a remedy to treat diabetes and high blood pressure. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the antioxidant and antihyperglycemic effects of the aqueous extract and of the essential oil of Thymus serrulatus. The chemical composition of the aqueous extract was determined by LC-MS and the essential oil was characterized by GC-MS analysis. Radical scavenging assays, namely scavenging of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH•), hydroxyl (•OH), and nitric oxide (•NO), were used as a first approach to screen the potential antioxidant abilities of the samples. Alpha-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitory studies were also employed to evaluate the in vitro antihyperglycemic potential of the plant. The in vivo blood glucose lowering effect of the extracts was assessed using hypoglycemic activity and the oral glucose tolerance test in normal and in streptozotocin induced diabetic mice. When compared to the aqueous extract, the essential oil showed superior radical scavenging activity, particularly for •NO, as well as greater inhibitory potency against α-amylase and α-glucosidase (IC50 = 0.01 mg/ml and 0.11 mg/ml, respectively). Both tested samples showed a statistically significant antihyperglycemic effect. The aqueous extract at 600 mg/kg exerted maximum antihyperglycemic activity (44.14%), followed by the essential oil (30.82%). Body weight and glucose tolerance parameters were also improved by the samples both in normal and diabetic mice. The findings of this study support the hypothesis that aqueous extract and essential oil of T. serrulatus are promising therapeutic agents.
Pharmacokinetic Profile and Oral Bioavailability of Diosgenin, Charantin, and Hydroxychalcone From a Polyherbal Formulation
Authors: Salunkhe Ruchira , Gadgoli Chhaya , Naik Archana , Patil Nikita 
Published: April 2021

Background: Diosgenin, charantin, and hydroxychalcone are utilized for standardization of popular antidiabetic herbal drugs Trigonella foenum-graecum L. belonging to family Fabaceae, Momordica charantia L. belonging to family Cucurbitaceae, and Cinnamomum verum J. Presl belonging to family Lauraceae. However, no reports on the bioavailability of these markers were available. The present study was undertaken to determine the bioavailability and pharmacokinetic profile of the markers and formulations containing the herbs.Methods: The pharmacokinetic profile and absolute bioavailability of the pure active markers were determined in male Wistar rats by administrating individually the doses of 1.5 mg/kg i.v. and 15 mg/kg p.o., followed by estimation of serum levels of the markers at 0, 10, 30, 60, 120, and 240 mins till 24 h time points by a validated bioanalytical HPTLC method. Two standardized antidiabetic capsule formulations containing spray dried hydroalcoholic extracts of seeds of Trigonella foenum-graecum L. (42.8 mg equivalent to 0.95%w/w of diosgenin), fresh fruits of Momordica charantia L. (21.4 mg equivalent to 0.4% w/w of charantin), and bark of Cinnamomum verum J. Presl (10.71 mg equivalent to 0.079 %w/w hydroxychalcone) were prepared. In one formulation, piperine 1.5 mg was added along with the other herbal extracts mentioned. Bioavailability and pharmacokinetic profile of these two formulations were determined in male Wistar rats through estimating serum levels of active markers diosgenin, charantin, and hydroxychalcone at 0, 10, 30, 60, 120, and 240 mins till 24 h later oral administration of the formulations (Formulation without piperine F1 and formulation with Piperine F2).Results: Plasma concentrations were found to decline mono-exponentially following intravenous administration, and the mean elimination half-life (t1/2) was observed to be 7.93, 8.21, and 4.66 h, respectively. The absolute oral bioavailability of pure markers was observed to be 9.0 ± 0.2%, 8.18 ± 0.36%, and 10.54 ± 0.52% by the dose normalization method. The oral bioavailabilities of the formulations with respect to diosgenin, charantin, and hydroxychalcone were found to be 9.78, 10.743, and 8.07%, respectively. The formulation containing piperine indicated a significant (p &lt; 0.01) increase in the bioavailabilities of all the marker compounds.Conclusion: In conclusion, diosgenin and charantin have low bioavailabilities as compared to hydroxychalcone. The bioavailabilities of all the three marker compounds can be increased exponentially with the addition of piperine.
Relationship Between the Free and Total Methotrexate Plasma Concentration in Children and Application to Predict the Toxicity of HD-MTX
Authors: Dong Wei-Chong , Guo Jia-Liang , Wu Xi-Kun , Zhao Meng-Qiang , Li Hao-Ran , Zhang Zhi-Qing , Jiang Ye 
Published: April 2021

High-dose methotrexate (HD-MTX) can be highly effective as well as extremely toxic. Many drug molecules can bind to plasma proteins to different extents in vivo, whereas only the free drug can reach the site of action to exert a pharmacological effect and cause toxicity. However, free MTX concentrations in plasma have not been reported. Traditional analyses of free drugs are both cumbersome and inaccurate. We collected 92 plasma samples from 52 children diagnosed with ALL or NHL or other lymphomas that were treated with HD-MTX. The hollow fiber centrifugal ultrafiltration (HFCF-UF) was used to prepare plasma samples for analysis of the free MTX concentration. Protein precipitation was employed to measure the total MTX concentration. The HFCF-UF is a simple method involving a step of ordinary centrifugation; the validation parameters for the methodological results were satisfactory and fell within the acceptance criteria. A linearity coefficient r2 of 0.910 was obtained for the correlation between the free and total MTX plasma concentrations in 92 plasma samples. However, the free and total MTX concentrations was only weakly correlated in 16 clinical plasma specimens with total MTX concentrations &gt;2 μmol L−1 (r2 = 0.760). Both the free and total MTX concentrations at 42 h were negatively correlated with the creatinine clearance (CCr) level (P = 0.023, r = −0.236 for total MTX and P = 0.020, r = −0.241for free MTX, respectively). The free MTX concentration could not be accurately estimated from the total MTX concentration for patients with high MTX levels which are conditions under which toxic reactions are more likely to occur. High plasma MTX levels could become a predictor of the occurrence of MTX nephrotoxicity to draw people's attention. The proposed HFCF-UF method is a simple and accurate way to evaluate efficacy and toxicity in clinical therapeutic drug monitoring.
Comparison of the Efficacy of Danhong Injections at Different Time-points During the Perioperative Period of Acute Myocardial Infarction: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
Authors: He Qing-Ying , Yu Xin-Yu , Xiao Zheng , Sun Xin , Zhu Wei-Feng , Yi Xing-Qian , Chen Qian , Zhang Jia-Hui , Chen Shu-Xian , Zhou Xu , Nie He-Yun , Shang Hong-Cai , Chen Xiao-Fan 
Published: April 2021

Objectives: Danhong injections (DHI) are widely used in the treatment of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). As there are no guidelines for the timing of DHI in the peri-percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) period for AMI, we investigated the effects of DHI timing.Methods: We reviewed reports published before September 30, 2020 in PubMed, embase, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, the Chinese BioMedical database, Chinese VIP database, Wanfang database, and Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure database. Only randomized controlled trials of DHI with percutaneous coronary intervention for AMI were included. Methodological quality was assessed using the Cochrane evaluation manual 5.3.3 criteria. A meta-analysis was performed, and forest plots were drawn.Results: We included 23 studies which all revealed that patients in DHI groups had better efficacy than control groups. Subgroup analysis revealed that DHI administered intraoperatively and continued postoperatively was more effective in increasing left ventricular ejection fraction when compared to other time-points (p &lt; 0.001). The pre- and intraoperative use of DHI could improve reflow more effectively than conventional treatment, while the effect was not significant in the postoperative intervention study (p = 0.654). The 16 postoperative interventions revealed that the effect of DHI at 14 days was better than that at 7 and 10 days for hs-CRP (p = 0.013), the 10-days treatment produced better results for CK-MB than for the other treatments (p &lt; 0.001) and a dosage of 30 ml proved most effective for IL-6 (p &lt; 0.001).Conclusion: DHI proved to be superior to conventional Western medicine in reducing the incidence of adverse cardiac events, promoting reperfusion, improving cardiac function, reducing inflammatory factors, and protecting the myocardium. DHI should be administered early in the perioperative period and continued postoperatively because of its ability to improve cardiac function. Furthermore, in the PCI postoperative, 30 ml is recommended to inhibit IL-6 levels, for patients with high hs-CRP, a course of 14 days is most effective, for patients with obvious abnormalities of CK-MB, a 10-days course of treatment is recommended. However, due to the limited number and quality of the original randomized controlled trials, our conclusions need large, multi-centre RCTs to validation.
Inadequate Dosage May Lead to the Recurrence of Postoperative Pulmonary Hypertension in Patients With Congenital Heart Disease
Authors: Li Xinmei , Li Te 
Published: April 2021

Background: Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) associated with congenital heart disease (PAH-CHD) occurs predominantly among patients with uncorrected congenital heart disease (CHD). It is an intractable problem to control PAH continuously and stably after an operation.Methods: 1) OPLS-DA combined with S-plot was used to retrospectively analyze the results of preoperative and postoperative PAH and 39 biochemical indicators of 235 patients admitted to Fuwai Yunnan Cardiovascular Hospital from January 2019 to December 2020. 2) Combined with Meta-analysis, the recurrence in postoperative PAH was analyzed in terms of operation factors, doses administered, and age factors.Results: 1) 4 indicators (PAH, RBC, HGB, and CO2) that reflect the prognosis of patients had been found by OPLS-DA combined with S-plot. 2) The recurrence rate of postoperative PAH was 37.02%. The comprehensive therapeutic effect of interventional closure was better than that of surgical operation. PAH was not significantly higher again in patients who received either the instruction dose or the literature dose. Postoperative combination therapy (bosentan and sildenafil) was more effective than bosentan alone. Recovery after treatment was better in infants than in the other four age groups.Conclusion: OPLS-DA combined with S-plot was used for the first time to analyze clinical examination data. In this study, this method proved to be a feasible method for analyzing clinical data We recommend interventional closure as the first choice for patients with PAH-CHD. For postoperative oral therapy, we recommend the combination therapy (bosentan with sildenafil). To prevent the recurrence, the dose should be strictly prescribed according to the instructions, literature, or body surface area converted. Moreover, we recommend treatment at a young age in these patients.
Long Non-coding RNA MEG3 Promotes Renal Tubular Epithelial Cell Pyroptosis by Regulating the miR-18a-3p/GSDMD Pathway in Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Acute Kidney Injury
Authors: Deng Junhui , Tan Wei , Luo Qinglin , Lin Lirong , Zheng Luquan , Yang Jurong 
Published: April 2021

Background and Objective: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a complication of sepsis. Pyroptosis of gasdermin D (GSDMD)-mediated tubular epithelial cells (TECs) play important roles in pathogenesis of sepsis-associated AKI. Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) maternally expressed gene 3 (MEG3), an imprinted gene involved in tumorigenesis, is implicated in pyroptosis occurring in multiple organs. Herein, we investigated the role and mechanisms of MEG3 in regulation of TEC pyroptosis in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced AKI.Materials and Methods: Male C57BL/6 mice and primary human TECs were treated with LPS for 24 h to establish the animal and cell models, respectively, of sepsis-induced AKI. Renal function was assessed by evaluation of serum creatinine and urea levels. Renal tubule injury score was assessed by Periodic acid-Schiff staining. Renal pyroptosis was assessed by evaluating expression of caspase-1, GSDMD, and inflammatory factors IL-1β and IL-18. Cellular pyroptosis was assessed by analyzing the release rate of LDH, expression of IL-1β, IL-18, caspase-1, and GSDMD, and using EtBr and EthD2 staining. MEG3 expression in renal tissues and cells was detected using RT-qPCR. The molecular mechanisms of MEG3 in LPS-induced AKI were assessed through bioinformatics analysis, RNA-binding protein immunoprecipitation, dual luciferase reporter gene assays, and a rescue experiment.Results: Pyroptosis was detected in both LPS-induced animal and cell models, and the expression of MEG3 in these models was significantly up-regulated. MEG3-knockdown TECs treated with LPS showed a decreased number of pyroptotic cells, down-regulated secretion of LDH, IL-1β, and IL-18, and decreased expression of GSDMD, compared with those of controls; however, there was no difference in the expression of caspase-1 between MEG3 knockdown cells and controls. Bioinformatics analysis screened out miR-18a-3P, and further experiments demonstrated that MEG3 controls GSDMD expression by acting as a ceRNA for miR-18a-3P to promote TECs pyroptosis.Conclusion: Our study demonstrates that lncRNA MEG3 promoted renal tubular epithelial pyroptosis by regulating the miR-18a-3p/GSDMD pathway in LPS-induced AKI.
Mental Health Outcomes Among Civil Servants Aiding in Coronavirus Disease 2019 Control
Authors: Hu Qingqing , Hu Xiaochu , Zheng Beibei , Li Lanjuan 
Published: April 2021

Objective: To assess the psychiatric status of Chinese civil servants aiding in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) control.Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, Chinese civil servants have faced high workloads that may contribute to mental disorders. We assessed the prevalence of both depression and anxiety symptoms among civil servants in Jiangsu and surrounding provinces using the Chinese versions of the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) scale.Methods: The PHQ-9 and GAD-7 were used to assess the severity of symptoms of depression and anxiety, respectively. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to identify factors associated with mental health outcomes.Results: In total, 867 Chinese civil servants aiding in COVID-19 control were included in our study. Overall, 37.25 and 38.06% of all respondents reported having symptoms of depression and anxiety, respectively. Respondents who were younger and more educated and those who had fewer years of work experience had higher scores for both depression and anxiety. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that being a woman, being younger, having more education and having fewer years of work experience were associated with a higher risk of symptoms of depression and anxiety. However, whether they had experience combating infectious diseases or worked in frontline, there was no significant difference between respondents with and without experience, as well as between frontline and non-frontline workers, in both symptoms of depression and anxiety.Conclusions: The civil servants aiding in COVID-19 control reported suffering from varying degrees of mental disorders. Therefore, more attention should be devoted to the psychological distress of these civil servants.
Relationship Between Socio-Demographic Characteristics, Reproductive Health Behaviors, and Health Literacy of Women in Serbia
Authors: Maricic Milena , Stojanovic Goran , Pazun Vanja , Stepović Milos , Djordjevic Ognjen , Macuzic Ivana Zivanovic , Milicic Vesna , Vucic Veroljub , Radevic Svetlana , Radovanovic Snezana 
Published: April 2021

Introduction: Health literacy of women can significantly affect different aspects of reproductive health. The aim of this study was the assessment of relationship of health literacy, socio-demographic characteristics and reproductive health behaviors of women in Serbia.Methodology: This was a cross-sectional study on a random sample of women aged 18 and over from the territories of three Serbian regions, stratified according to age groups, region and type of settlement. A standardized version of the European Health Literacy Survey Questionnaire (HLS-EU-Q47) was used in assessing health literacy of women.Results: Based on the calculated index of health literacy, 9.6% of respondents had inadequate health literacy. Inadequate levels of health literacy were more common in women living in rural areas (OR = 1.111) and the poorer classes (OR = 5.122). Employed women (OP = 1.249), with good health (OR = 1.512) with a degree (OR = 1.535) had bigger odds to have adequate health literacy. Multivariate regression analysis showed the following significant predictors: commitment to the chosen gynecologist (OR = 1.530), contraceptive use (OR = 1.020), knowledge of the damages that could be caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV) (OR = 1.578), awareness of vaccine availability against HPV infection (OR = 1.217) and following the health-related topics (OR = 2.350).Conclusion: Limited levels of health literacy were significantly higher among middle-aged women, among those living in rural areas, among women who rated their health as poor or very poor, and who exhibited more negative patterns of reproductive health behavior, indicating the need for implementation of prevention programs and strategies with the aim of increasing the level of health literacy.
The Impact of IDH1 Mutation and MGMT Promoter Methylation on Recurrence-Free Interval in Glioblastoma Patients Treated With Radiotherapy and Chemotherapeutic Agents
Authors: Kurdi Maher , Shafique Butt Nadeem , Baeesa Saleh , Alghamdi Badrah , Maghrabi Yazid , Bardeesi Anas , Saeedi Rothaina , Al-Sinani Taghreed , Alghanmi Najla , Bari Mohammed O. , Samkari Alaa , Lary Ahmed I. 
Published: April 2021

The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between isocitrate dehydrogenase-1 (IDH1) mutation and O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) promoter methylation with recurrence-free interval in glioblastoma patients treated with chemoradiotherapies. Clinical data were collected from 82 patients with totally resected glioblastoma and treated with adjuvant therapies from 2014 to 2019. IDH1 mutation was assessed by immunohistochemistry and MGMT promoter methylation was assessed by different sequencing methods. IDH1 mutation was present in 32 cases and 50 cases were IDH1 wildtype; 54 and 28 patients had unmethylated and methylated MGMT promoter, respectively, Of the 82 patients, 62 patients received chemoradiotherapy while 20 patients only received radiation. Approximately, 61% of patients had a tumor recurrence after 1 year, and 39% showed a recurrence before 1 year of treatment. There was no significant relationship between IDH1 mutation and MGMT promoter methylation (p-value = 0.972). Patients with IDH1 mutation and their age &lt;50 years showed a significant difference in recurrence-free interval (p-value = 0.014). Difference in recurrence-free interval was also statistically observed in patients with unmethylated MGMT promoter and treated with chemoradiotherapies (p-value = 0.031), by which they showed a late tumor recurrence (p-value = 0.016). This revealed that IDH1 mutation and MGMT methylation are independent prognostic factors in glioblastoma. Although IDH1-mutant glioblastomas showed late tumor recurrence in patients less than 50 years old, the type of treatment modalities may not show additional beneficial outcome. Patients with unmethylated MGMT and IDH1 mutation, treated with different chemoradiotherapies, showed a late tumor recurrence.
Could Gnomoniopsis castaneae Be Used as a Biological Control Agent against Insect Pests?
Authors: Mantzoukas Spiridon , Lagogiannis Ioannis , Ntoukas Aristeidis , Tziros George T. , Poulas Konstantinos , Eliopoulos Panagiotis A. , Avtzis Dimitrios Ν. 
Published: April 2021

Gnomoniopsis castaneae is the cause of the chestnut brown rot but has been also regarded as an important mortality factor for the chestnut gall wasp Dryocosmus kuriphilus. The question to whether G. castaneae could serve as a natural biocontrol agent against insect pests is investigated in the present study. We used three serious insect pests as experimental model insects: Plodia interpuctella and Trogoderma granarium, which are important pests of stored products, and Myzus persicae, a cosmopolitan, serious pest of annual and perennial crop plants. Although chemical pesticides represent effective control means, they are also related to several environmental and health risks. In search for alternative pest management methods, scientific interest has been focused, inter alia, on the use of entomopathogenic fungi. While Isaria fumosorosea has long been recognized as an effective control agent against several pests, G.castaneae has been very little studied. The present study examined whether and to what extent G. castaneae and I. fumosorosea exhibit insecticidal activity against fourth-instar larvae of P. interpunctella and T. granarium and adults of M. persicae. Mortality was examined in interrelation with dosage and time exposure intervals. Both fungi exhibited pesticidal action. However, G. castaneae induced noteworthy mortality only at very high doses. In general, we concluded that G. castaneae failed to cause high insect pathogenicity at normal doses and may not be an efficient biocontrol agent compared with other entomopathogens. On the other hand, our study reiterates the pathogenic potential of I. fumosorosea. More studies are needed to further our insight into the potential of EF species as a component of IPM.