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Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are typical persistent organic pollutants that have been associated with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) in cohort studies. This review aims to comprehensively assess the molecular mechanisms of PCBs‐induced T2DM. Recent progress has been made in the research of PCBs in liver tissue, adipose tissue, and other tissues. By influencing the function of nuclear receptors, such as the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), pregnancy X receptor (PXR), and peroxisome proliferator activated receptor γ (PPARγ), as well as the inflammatory response, PCBs disrupt the balance of hepatic glucose and lipid metabolism. This is associated with insulin resistance (IR) in the target organ of insulin. Through androgen receptor (AR), estrogen receptor α/β (ERα/β), and pancreato‐duodenal‐homeobox gene‐1 (PDX‐1), PCBs affect the secretion of insulin and increase blood glucose. Thus, this review is a discussion on the relationship between PCBs exposure and the pathogenesis of T2DM. It is hoped to provide basic concepts for diabetes research and disease treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing carbon dioxide (CO2) promotes photosynthesis and mitigates heat stress‐induced deleterious effects on plants, but the regulatory mechanisms remain largely unknown. Here, we found that tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) plants treated with high atmospheric CO2 concentrations (600, 800, and 1000 µmol mol−1) accumulated increased levels of melatonin (N‐acetyl‐5‐methoxy tryptamine) in their leaves and this response is conserved across many plant species, including Arabidopsis, rice, wheat, mustard, cucumber, watermelon, melon, and hot pepper. Elevated CO2 (eCO2; 800 µmol mol−1) caused a 6.8‐fold increase in leaf melatonin content, and eCO2‐induced melatonin biosynthesis preferentially occurred through chloroplast biosynthetic pathways in tomato plants. Crucially, manipulation of endogenous melatonin levels by genetic means affected the eCO2‐induced accumulation of sugar and starch in tomato leaves. Furthermore, net photosynthetic rate, maximum photochemical efficiency of photosystem II, and transcript levels of chloroplast‐ and nuclear‐encoded photosynthetic genes, such as rbcL, rbcS, rbcA, psaD, petB, and atpA, significantly increased in COMT1 overexpressing (COMT1‐OE) tomato plants, but not in melatonin‐deficient comt1 mutants at eCO2 conditions. While eCO2 enhanced plant tolerance to heat stress (42°C) in wild‐type and COMT1‐OE, melatonin deficiency compromised eCO2‐induced thermotolerance in comt1 plants. The expression of heat shock proteins genes increased in COMT1‐OE but not in comt1 plants in response to eCO2 under heat stress. Further analysis revealed that eCO2‐induced thermotolerance was closely linked to the melatonin‐dependent regulation of reactive oxygen species, redox homeostasis, cellular protein protection, and phytohormone metabolism. This study unveiled a crucial mechanism of elevated CO2‐induced thermotolerance in which melatonin acts as an essential endogenous signaling molecule in tomato plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: During pregnancy many women may experience negative emotions and sleep disturbances. This systematic review and meta‐analysis was conducted to assess the efficacy of cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT‐I) or sleep disturbance in pregnant women. From the earliest available publications to 15 April 2022, seven electronic literature databases were searched: PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Embase, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Data, and VIP Database for Chinese Science and Technology Journal. Randomised controlled trials of CBT‐I in pregnant women with insomnia or sleep disorders were included. The methodological bias of the included studies was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias tool. The meta‐analysis was performed using RevMan 5.4 software. Stata Statistical Software: Release 15 was used for sensitivity analysis and publication bias. We included eight randomised controlled trials involving 743 pregnant women. Meta‐analysis showed that, compared with the control group, CBT‐I significantly improved the Insomnia Severity Index (mean difference [MD] = −4.25, 95% confidence interval [CI, −6.32, −2.19], p < 0.001), The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (MD = −3.30, 95% CI [−4.81, −1.79], p < 0.001), sleep onset latency (standardised mean difference [SMD] = −1.25, 95% CI [−2.01, −0.50], p = 0.001), anxiety (SMD = −0.99, 95% CI [−1.32, −0.67], p < 0.001), and depression (SMD = −0.40, 95% CI [−0.72, −0.07], p = 0.02). No significant differences were found in total sleep time (SMD = 0.31, 95% CI [−0.54, 1.17], p = 0.47) and sleep efficiency (SMD = 0.80, 95% CI [−0.53, 2.13], p = 0.24). CBT‐I significantly improved pregnant women's sleep quality, insomnia severity, depression, and anxiety. This meta‐analysis provides evidence that CBT‐I is valid for insomnia or sleep disturbances during pregnancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conjugated small‐molecule (CSM) phototheranostic agents that operate in the second near‐infrared (NIR‐II) region have garnered significant attention in the field of biomedicine. However, a lack of fluorescence‐emitting ability hinders their use in precise fluorescence imaging (FI)‐guided photothermal therapy (PTT). Herein, a two‐pronged fluorescence intensification strategy—molecular engineering for rational bandgap modulation and lipid‐intercalation to combat fluorescence quenching—is used to develop NIR‐II‐excited ultrabright donor–acceptor–donor‐based (D–A–D)‐based zwitterionic CSM nanoagent for tumor phototheranostics. The molecular engineering strategy produces the NIR‐II‐excited D–A–D‐based zwitterionic fluorophore (BTFQ) that exhibits a high NIR‐II fluorescence quantum yield (QY = 0.65%) in dichloromethane. More importantly, BTFQ complexed with liposome (DMPC) to form the zwitterion–liposome nanoagent (BTFQ/DMPC) shows a negligible loss of QY (0.63%) in aqueous media. Moreover, because BTFQ/DMPC possesses excellent photothermal conversion efficiency (PCE = 30.8%) performance, it can be used to realize efficient in vivo 1064 nm single‐photon high‐resolution NIR‐II FI guided NIR‐II PTT. This study introduces a new avenue for the development of NIR‐II‐excited NIR‐II FI/PTT agents for precise and effective tumor treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve bone metastases treatment efficacy, current strategies are focused on the integration of chemotherapy with phototheranostic. However, the success of phototheranostic approaches is hampered by the limited tissue penetration depth of near‐infrared‐I (NIR‐I) light (700–900 nm). In this study, a NIR‐II (1000–1700 nm) excitation phototheranostic (BTZ/Fe2+@BTF/ALD) is presented for NIR‐II fluorescence imaging and NIR‐II photoacoustic imaging‐guided NIR‐II photothermal therapy (PTT), chemotherapy, and chemodynamic therapy (CDT) of breast cancer bone metastases. This phototheranostic is developed by integrating a dopamine‐modified NIR‐II absorbing donor–acceptor–donor small molecule (BBT‐FT‐DA), the boronate anticancer drug bortezomib (BTZ), and Fe2+ ions, as CDT catalysts, into an amphiphilic PEGylated phospholipid modified with the bone‐targeting ligand alendronate. In acidic and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) over expression tumor microenvironment, the boronate–catechol linkage is cleaved and BTZ and Fe2+ ions are released to initiate the Fenton reaction, that is, chemotherapy and CDT, respectively, are initialized. It is confirmed using the murine 4T1 bone metastasis model that BTZ/Fe2+@BTF/ALD significantly suppresses the progression of tumor cells in the bone tissue via a synergistic NIR‐II PTT/chemotherapy/CDT effect. Overall, this work provides fresh insights to guide the development of NIR‐II phototheranostics for breast cancer bone metastases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

QiShenYiQi pill (QSYQ), a traditional Chinese medicine, is well known for improving the myocardial remodelling, but the dose‐effect relationship of its intervention in the reparative myocardial fibrosis is still unclear. We investigated the effect of QSYQ on the reparative myocardial fibrosis in cardiac myosin‐induced rats and explored its mechanism of action by regulating autophagy. The results indicated that QSYQ increased LVEF and LVFS, and decreased the LVEDD, LVESD, HMI, LVMI, myocardial inflammation histology score, and collagen volume fraction in a dose‐dependent manner. In addition, QSYQ declined the number of autophagosomes, down‐regulated the expression of myocardial Beclin‐1 and LC3B, up‐regulated the expression of myocardial p62 and increased the ratios of myocardial p‐PI3K/PI3K, p‐Akt/Akt and p‐mTOR/mTOR. We provided evidence for that QSYQ could inhibit excessive myocardial autophagy by regulating the PI3K/Akt‐mTOR pathway and can be a potential therapeutic approach in treating the cardiovascular diseases such as myocarditis and dilated cardiomyopathy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increased fat mass and fat redistribution are commonly observed in aging populations worldwide. Although decreased circulating levels of sex hormones, androgens and oestrogens have been observed, the exact mechanism of fat accumulation and redistribution during aging remains obscure. In this study, the receptor of follicle-stimulating hormone ( FSH), a gonadotropin that increases sharply and persistently with aging in both males and females, is functionally expressed in human and mouse fat tissues and adipocytes. Follicle-stimulating hormone was found to promote lipid biosynthesis and lipid droplet formation; FSH could also alter the secretion of leptin and adiponectin, but not hyperplasia, in vitro and in vivo. The effects of FSH are mediated by FSH receptors coupled to the Gαi protein; as a result, Ca2+ influx is stimulated, c AMP-response-element-binding protein is phosphorylated, and an array of genes involved in lipid biosynthesis is activated. The present findings depict the potential of FSH receptor-mediated lipodystrophy of adipose tissues in aging. Our results also reveal the mechanism of fat accumulation and redistribution during aging of males and females. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is widely believed that endometrial atrophy in postmenopausal women is due to an age-related reduction in estrogen level. But the role of high circulating follicle-stimulating hormone ( FSH) in postmenopausal syndrome is not clear. Here, we explored the role of high circulating FSH in physiological endometrial atrophy. We found that FSH exacerbated post- OVX endometrial atrophy in mice, and this effect was ameliorated by lowering FSH with Gonadotrophin-releasing hormone agonist (Gn RHa). In vitro, FSH inhibited endometrial proliferation and promoted the apoptosis of primary cultured endometrial cells in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, upregulation of caspase3, caspase8, caspase9, autophagy-related proteins ( ATG3, ATG5, ATG7, ATG12 and LC3) and downregulation of c-Jun were also observed in endometrial adenocytes. Furthermore, smad2 and smad3 showed a time-dependent activation in endometrial cells which can be partly inhibited by blocking the transforming growth factor beta receptor II (Tβ RII). In conclusion, FSH regulated endometrial atrophy by affecting the proliferation, autophagy and apoptosis of endometrial cells partly through activation of the transforming growth factor beta ( TGFβ) pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this research was to explore whether acupuncture could improve the absorption of baicalin from extracts of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi in normal rats. Twenty male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were divided randomly into two groups. Group A was treated with a combination of oral administration of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi extracts and acupuncture. Group B was treated only with oral administration of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi extracts, in the same dosage as Group A. After treatment, the plasma concentration of baicalin was detected and pharmacokinetic analysis was conducted using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The results showed that the plasma concentration of baicalin in Group A was significantly higher than in Group B, and that acupuncture at the acupoints Jizhong (Du6), Dazhui (Du14) and Zhongwan (Ren12) made the plasma concentration-time course of baicalin produce a bimodal phenomenon, increased the area under the curve ( AUC) and slowed the elimination of baicalin, thus significantly improving the absorption of baicalin from extracts of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi in rats. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present work was to determine whether dauricine could be used as a taxonomic marker for Menispermum dauricum DC., and to explore the correlation among RAPD, ecological markers and chemical markers. To this end, the chemical and genetic differences of 173 individual samples of M. dauricum from nine different sources were studied based on the relevant ecological factors including longitude, latitude, annual precipitation, mean temperature, annual accumulated temperature and mean sea level. The contents of dauricine in the sample rhizomes were assayed by HPLC with photodiode array detection. The leaves from the same sample were assayed using randomly amplified polymorphism DNA (RAPD). The genetic distances were then compared. Hierarchical cluster analysis and multiple linear stepwise regression analysis were used in the statistical analysis. The results indicated that the contents of dauricine were respectively correlated with the genetic distance ( r = 1.000), longitude ( r = 0.849), latitude ( r = 0.861), annual precipitation ( r = 0.903), mean temperature( r = 0.912), annual accumulated temperature ( r = 0.919) and mean sea level ( r = 0.925). It is concluded that the content of dauricine in M. dauricum is significantly correlated with genetic distance and ecological factors, and may be used as the taxonomic marker. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the report a patient who suffered from secondary amenorrhea for 6 years and primary infertility for 2 years due to pituitary atrophy was successfully cured with Chinese herbs. After orally administered Chinese herbs for 1 month, the patient menstruated once and became pregnant later. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the report a patient who suffered from threatened abortion was successfully cured with Chinese herbs. After treatment, vaginal bleeding stopped and the aching sensation in the loins and prolapsing sensation in the abdomen disappeared. The gestational ring changed from a crescent moon shape to a normal shape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the report an adolescent female patient who suffered from continuous lower abdominal distending pain with an ovarian cyst was successfully cured with Chinese herbs. Chinese herbs were orally administered for 18 days, after which all of the symptoms and the ovarian cyst disappeared. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increased fat mass and fat redistribution are commonly observed in aging populations worldwide. Although decreased circulating levels of sex hormones, androgens and oestrogens have been observed, the exact mechanism of fat accumulation and redistribution during aging remains obscure. In this study, the receptor of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), a gonadotropin that increases sharply and persistently with aging in both males and females, is functionally expressed in human and mouse fat tissues and adipocytes. Follicle-stimulating hormone was found to promote lipid biosynthesis and lipid droplet formation; FSH could also alter the secretion of leptin and adiponectin, but not hyperplasia, in vitro and in vivo. The effects of FSH are mediated by FSH receptors coupled to the Gαi protein; as a result, Ca(2+) influx is stimulated, cAMP-response-element-binding protein is phosphorylated, and an array of genes involved in lipid biosynthesis is activated. The present findings depict the potential of FSH receptor-mediated lipodystrophy of adipose tissues in aging. Our results also reveal the mechanism of fat accumulation and redistribution during aging of males and females., (© 2015 The Authors. Aging Cell published by the Anatomical Society and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)