Xiaoyan Yang

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Recent reports have suggested that salidroside could protect cardiomyocytes from oxidative injury and stimulate glucose uptake in skeletal muscle cells by activating AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). The aim of this study was to evaluate the therapeutic effects of salidroside on diabetic mice and to explore the underlying mechanisms. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: The therapeutic effects of salidroside on type 2 diabetes were investigated. Increasing doses of salidroside (25, 50 and 100 mg·kg(-1) ·day(-1)) were administered p.o. to db/db mice for 8 weeks. Biochemical analysis and histopathological examinations were conducted to evaluate the therapeutic effects of salidroside. Primary cultured mouse hepatocytes were used to further explore the underlying mechanisms in vitro. KEY RESULTS: Salidroside dramatically reduced blood glucose and serum insulin levels and alleviated insulin resistance. Hypolipidaemic effects and amelioration of liver steatosis were observed after salidroside administration. In vitro, salidroside dose-dependently induced an increase in the phosphorylations of AMPK and PI3K/Akt, as well as glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β) in hepatocytes. Furthermore, salidroside-stimulated AMPK activation was found to suppress the expression of PEPCK and glucose-6-phosphatase. Salidroside-induced AMPK activation also resulted in phosphorylation of acetyl CoA carboxylase, which can reduce lipid accumulation in peripheral tissues. In isolated mitochondria, salidroside inhibited respiratory chain complex I and disturbed oxidation/phosphorylation coupling and moderately depolarized the mitochondrial membrane potential, resulting in a transient increase in the AMP/ATP ratio. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Salidroside exerts an antidiabetic effect by improving the cellular metabolic flux through the activation of a mitochondria-related AMPK/PI3K/Akt/GSK3β pathway.

This study determined preoperative predictors of movement and resting pain following total knee replacement (TKR). We hypothesized that younger patients with higher preoperative pain intensity, pain sensitivity, trait anxiety, pain catastrophizing, and depression would be more likely to experience higher postoperative movement pain than older patients with lower scores on these variables prior to surgery, and that predictors would be similar for resting pain. Demographics, analgesic intake, anxiety, depression, pain catastrophizing, resting pain, movement pain (ie, during active knee range of motion), and quantitative sensory tests were performed preoperatively on 215 participants scheduled for a unilateral TKR. On postoperative day 2, analgesic intake, resting pain, and movement pain were again assessed. Significant predictors of moderate or severe movement pain were higher preoperative movement pain, von Frey pain intensity, and heat pain threshold. People with severe movement pain preoperatively were 20 times more likely to have severe movement pain postoperatively. When the influence of preoperative movement pain was removed, depression became a predictor. Significant predictors of moderate to severe resting pain were higher preoperative resting pain, depression, and younger age. These results suggest that patients with higher preoperative pain and depression are more likely to have higher pain following TKR, and younger patients may have higher resting pain. Cutaneous pain sensitivity predicted movement pain but not resting pain, suggesting that mechanisms underlying movement pain are different from resting pain. Aggressive management of preoperative pain, pain sensitivity, and depression prior to surgery may facilitate postoperative recovery.

INTRODUCTION: Medicinal plants, and formulations prepared from them, have been used in China and Japan for thousands of years. Nowadays, ancient formulations of Traditional Chinese and Kampo (Japanese) Medicines coexist with Western herbal medicines (HMs) and complement each other. HMs are used for the treatment of mild and chronic diseases, as an adjunct therapy, to improve wellbeing and delay aging, or as healthy (functional) foods. AREAS COVERED: This article, a third part in a series of reviews, is focusing on history, use and regulation of the traditional and modern HMs in Japan and China. Materials available from legislative and governmental websites, PubMed and news media were used. Expert commentary: HMs are heavily regulated in both countries, often in a similar manner as conventional pharmaceutical drugs. The majority of herbal formulations are sold as over-the-counter medications supplied with leaflets describing indications and appropriate dosages for patients of different ages. Medical practitioners prescribe herbal formulations that are tailored to the needs of particular patients. Both countries had problems with adverse drug reactions and toxicity of single herbs and herbal formulations that have been investigated by authorities, and some drugs have been removed from the market.

Our previous experimental studies showed that dauricine could protect the brain from ischemic damage, but the underlying mechanisms were unknown. In this study, we investigated the effect of dauricine on the changes of the inflammation process induced by ischemia/reperfusion (I/R). After I/R, the enzyme activity of MPO, the expression of ICAM-1 and the transcription of IL-1beta and TNF-alpha mRNA were all significantly increased (p < 0.01). And after treatment with dauricine, they were all significantly reduced compared to the vehicle-treated I/R group (p < 0.05 or p < 0.01). These results suggest that dauricin attenuates the inflammation process induced by I/R. The neuroprotective effect of dauricine may partly due to the inhibition acute inflammation induced by I/R.