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Abstract: Ethnopharmacological relevance: Hydrocotyle sibthorpioides (Apiaceae) have been used as a folk remedy for the treatment of fever, edema, detoxication, throat pain, psoriasis and hepatitis B virus infections in China. The aim of this study is to isolate and identify an anti-HBV compound from this herb. Materials and methods: A compound (saponin) was isolated from the active ethanol extract using bioassay-guided screening. The structure of the saponin was elucidated by spectroscopic methods and compared with published data. The anti-HBV activity of the saponin was evaluated by detecting the levels of HBV antigens, extracellular HBV DNA, nuclear covalent closed circular DNA (cccDNA) and five HBV promoters in HepG2.2.15 cells. In addition, the levels of serum HBsAg/HBeAg, DHBV DNA, ALT/AST and hepatic pathological changes were analyzed in DHBV-infected ducks. Results: The chemical analysis indicated that the saponin isolated from Hydrocotyle sibthorpioides is asiaticoside. The pharmacodynamics experimental studies showed that asiaticoside effectively suppressed the levels of HBsAg/HBeAg, extracellular HBV DNA and intracellular cccDNA in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, experiments demonstrated that asiaticoside markedly reduced viral DNA transcription and replication by inhibiting the activities of core, s1, s2, and X gene promoters. In addition, asiaticoside markedly reduced DHBV replication without any obvious signs of toxicity. The levels of serum DHBV DNA, HBsAg/HBeAg were increased 3 days after drug withdrawal, but the levels rebounded slightly in the asiaticoside treatment groups compared with the 3TC treatment group. Moreover, analysis of the serum ALT/AST levels and the liver pathological changes indicated that asiaticoside could alleviate liver damage. Conclusions: Our results show that asiaticoside could efficiently inhibit HBV replication both in vitro and in vivo, and asiaticoside may be a major bioactive ingredient in Hydrocotyle sibthorpioides. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objective The goal of present study was to examine the influence of demographic characteristics, lifestyle, and metabolic factors on pressure-induced pain threshold. Design and Setting The study population comprised 2,517 healthy men at second-phase recruitment of a population-based cohort in China. The pressure pain threshold ( PPT) at two locations, triceps and inguinal lines, was obtained using a digital pressure algometer. Education and occupation, as well as lifestyle factors, were self-reported in a face-to-face interview. Blood lipid and fasting glucose were measured as a routine healthy check-up program. Results A lower PPT was found among men with younger age, higher level of education, and non-manual occupation. In addition, men with central obesity and moderate leisure time physical exercise were more sensitive to muscle mechanical stimuli. PPT was significantly correlated with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (β for triceps = 0.064, and β for inguinal lines = 0.052) in a multivariate linear regression model, after controlling for multiple variables. Elevated PPT was also found among subjects with hyperglycemia (both P for triceps and inguinal lines <0.001) and excess drinking ( P for triceps = 0.005). Conclusions It is important for physicians and researchers to consider these variables when evaluating pain sensitivity in clinic and in research. The underling mechanisms between these factors and pressure pain perception are worthy of further exploration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Pseudorabies virus (PRV) is a common pathogen in multiple animal species, particularly in pigs, which is now one of the most important factors on pig husbandry loss. This study isolated a PRV variation strain HNXY and performed the etiology characterization of HNXY. Moreover, the attenuated rHNXY-∆TK/∆gE presented satisfactory safety among susceptible animals, which It is worthy of doing more studies on this variation strain as PRV vaccine candidate. The outbreak of pseudorabies in China, caused by more virulent pseudorabies virus (PRV) than the classical strains, has led to considerable economic losses. In this study, PRV strain HNXY was isolated from the Henan province of China in 2015 from the pig farm with severe reproductive failure in sows and a high mortality in piglets. The 50% tissue culture infectious doses (TCID50) of HNXY in Vero cells were examined to be 106.5/mL, and the neutralisation titer against Bartha-K61 was significantly higher than against HNXY when tested with the serum from Bartha-K61 vaccinated pigs. The 50% lethal doses (LD50) of HNXY to six-week-old BALB/c mice and two-month-old PRV-free pigs were both 102.3 TCID50. HNXY was classified as genotype II, and numerous amino acid variations were found in gB, gE, gC, gD, TK, and RR1 proteins, compared with PRV from other countries or those prevalent in China before 2012. The attenuated rHNXY-∆TK/∆gE was further constructed, which presented significantly smaller plaques than HNXY, as well as the similar growth kinetics. rHNXY-∆TK/∆gE was confirmed to be non-pathogenic to six-week-old BALB/c mice and zero-day-old piglets. This study isolated updated PRV promising to develop into a new vaccine candidate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The ferritin is an important participant of iron-storage but its regulation and related factors were not well defined. The present objective was to explore the potential association between serum ferritin levels and sex hormones. Methods: 1999 Chinese men in the Fangchenggang Area Male Health and Examination Survey (FAMHES) were recruited in this cross-sectional study. Levels of serum ferritin, total testosterone (free testosterone was calculated from the total one), estradiol and sex hormone-binding protein were detected in venous blood samples. The effects of age, BMI, smoking as well as alcohol consumption were analyzed on ferritin levels, respectively, and then the Pearson’s correlation analysis was used to evaluate the association between ferritin levels and sex hormones adjusting for the above factors. Results: The age, BMI and alcohol consumption significantly affected serum ferritin levels, but there was no significant difference between smokers and nonsmokers. Ferritin levels were significantly and negatively associated with total testosterone (R = −0.205, P< 0.001), sex hormone-binding protein (R = −0.161, P<0.001) and free testosterone (R = −0.097, P<0.001). After age and alcohol consumption were adjusted, the above associations were still significant (R = −0.200, −0.181 and −0.083, respectively, all P<0.001). However, there was only borderline negative association between ferritin levels and estradiol (adjusted R = −0.039, P = 0.083). Conclusion: The large scale of epidemic results showed the significantly negative associations between serum ferritin levels and sex hormones, which may provide more clues to explore the potential regulation and biological mechanism of ferritin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To examine the association of endogenous sex hormones and sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) with C-reactive protein ( CRP) in Chinese men. Design and participants The study population comprised 1989 men at baseline recruitment of a population-based cohort in China. Participant information on risk factors was collected by a face-to-face interview and clinical examination. All subjects in the study were without taking any kind of medication for anti-inflammation purpose or treatment of hypogonadism and with CRP value less than 10 mg/l. Data were analysed using linear regression analyses. Results Higher levels of total testosterone ( TT, β = −0·114, 95% CI, −0·162 to −0·065), free testosterone (β = −0·059, 95% CI, −0·106 to −0·012) and SHBG (β = −0·116, 95% CI, −0·169 to −0·063) were statistically significantly related to lower levels of CRP, after adjustment for age, waist circumference ( WC), triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, fasting glucose, insulin, smoking status, hypertension, diabetes and family history of hypertension or diabetes. In the subgroup of men with body mass index ≥ 27·5 kg/m2 or with metabolic syndrome, findings for TT and SHBG were more pronounced, whereas the associations of TT with CRP were attenuated and nonstatistically significant among subjects with WC ≥ 90 cm or with insulin resistance. No associations were observed between estradiol, luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and CRP. Conclusions We have confirmed the association of androgens with reduced inflammation as measured by CRP in Chinese men. This is independent of conventional cardiovascular risk factors and is explained in part by markers of central obesity and insulin resistance, rather than metabolic syndrome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]