We have investigated the role of Esculentoside A in the progression of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae infection in Human MLE-12 cells. The results of the studies show that Esculentoside A enhances the viability of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae-infected MLE-12 cells and suppresses cell apoptosis. EsA also suppresses mitochondrial damage and oxidative stress in lung epithelial cells caused by carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae infections. The data further confirmed that Esculentoside A could relieve mitochondrial damage, apoptosis, and oxidative stress in carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumonia-infected lung epithelial cells by regulating the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway.

This manuscript compares the effects of Rhodiola rosea, red goji berry, and Siraitia grosvenorii on the recovery of physical strength in athletes after aerobic exercise. Subjects were compared for the effects of different treatments on changes in physiological (heart rate, rating of perceived exertion, and vertical jump-and-reach performance) and biochemical (blood lactic acid, creatine kinase, and blood urea nitrogen) markers after four weeks of aerobic exercise. After four weeks of aerobic exercise, the heart rate of all groups of athletes increased rapidly, the level of fatigue deepened, the vertical jump-andreach performance decreased, and the levels of blood lactic acid, creatine kinase, and blood urea nitrogen all increased to varying degrees. At the 12th minute after exercise, the heart rate of the Rhodiola rosea group, the red goji berry group, and the Siraitia grosvenorii group recovered faster, the RPE value was lower, and the vertical jump-and-reach performance was better compared with the control, P < 0.05; moreover, the levels of all three biochemical markers were all significantly lower than those of the control group. In conclusion, the intake of these nutrients can promote the recovery of physical strength in athletes, accelerate the clearance of blood lactate, and inhibit the generation of creatine kinase and blood urea nitrogen. Therefore, they can be used as nutritional support for athletes during aerobic exercise.

To investigate the role of the Internet-based and health care cluster model in the nutritional management of infertile patients with polycystic ovary syndrome, we compared the body mass index, insulin resistance index, serum testosterone level, anxiety level, depression level, and disease-related quality of life status of the control group with those receiving regular healthy lifestyle guidance and management. Lifestyle management was carried out through assessment, screening, status analysis, setting body mass management goals, diet management, exercise management, behavior management, and health guidance. After the intervention, the body mass index, insulin resistance index, and serum testosterone levels of the intervention group were lower (P < 0.05) than those of the control group. The scores of the generalized anxiety scale and patient health questionnaire were lower than those of the control group; the scores of the revised patient survival quality scale were higher than those of the control group, and the differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05). The life nutrition management program based on the Internet and healthcare group model is beneficial in modifying the patients’ endocrine metabolic status, relieving anxiety and depression, and improving their quality of life.

This study was designed to explore whether Chinese herbals could enhance the clinical efficacy of levofloxacin and a combination of antituberculosis drugs. To this end, a group of pulmonary patients were treated with pyrazinamide, isoniazid, ethambutol, and levofloxacin (control), and the other group (treatment) also received a combination of extra Chinese herbal compounds. After 6 months of therapy, the total efficiency of lesion absorption in the treatment group was higher than in the control group. The treatment group had a higher peak expiratory flow rate, a higher percentage of forced vital capacity, a higher percentage of the first second of forced expiration, higher levels of immunoglobulin A, immunoglobulin G, immunoglobulin M, and CD4+, and lower levels of CD8+ compared to the control group. The levels of proinflammatory cytokines were lower, the sputum conversion rate was higher, and the recurrence rate was lower in the treatment group than the control group. After therapy, the treatment group had higher scores in the quality of daily life, spirit, appetite, fatigue, and sleep assessments. In conclusion, therapy with levofloxacin and antituberculosis drugs combined with Chinese herbal compounds for patients with pulmonary tuberculosis could effectively relieve the inflammatory reaction, promote lesion absorption, and thus improve their lung function and promote recovery.

The effect of Tongmai Tangyanming Capsules on diabetic retinopathy in zebrafish was investigated. Zebrafish were intraperitoneally injected with streptozotocin to stimulate diabetic retinopathy. Treatment of diabetic zebrafish with Tongmai Tangyanming Capsules diminished the progression of diabetic retinopathy by regulating the expression of pro-inflammatory biomarkers and nitric oxide. The results of this study offer an experimental basis for the use of this drug in diabetic retinopathy treatment and increase the selection of preventive drugs for diabetic retinopathy development.

Danggui Sini decoction is a traditional Chinese medicine preparation commonly used in the treatment of blood stasis syndrome through a mechanism yet to be defined. Therefore, we have explored its mechanism of action by combining pharmacology and gut microbiota analysis. To this end, female Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 5 groups, including the control group, the acute blood stasis group, the Danshen tablet-treated group, the low-dose Danggui Sini decoction group, and the high-dose Danggui Sini decoction group. Danggui Sini decoction led to a significant reduction in the changes in the whole blood viscosity and plasma viscosity of rats with acute blood stasis syndrome, improved the coagulation function and cardiopulmonary pathological injury, upregulated the plasma 6-keto prostaglandin F1α and endothelial nitric oxide synthase, and downregulated thromboxane B2 and endothelin-1. The high throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing results showed that Danggui Sini decoction reduced the number of pathogenic proteobacteria, significantly reduced erysipelas and suzericella, and increased the beneficial bacteria Roche, effectively improving the status of intestinal flora disorder in acute blood stasis rats. The Spearman correlation analyses showed that there was a close correlation between intestinal flora distribution and changes in blood stasis-related biochemical indices. In addition, network pharmacological analysis showed that the epidermal growth factor receptor, tumor protein p53, signal transducer and activator of transcription 3, vascular endothelial growth factor A, and hypoxia-inducible factor 1-alpha were the core targets of Danggui Sini decoction in alleviation of blood stasis. Further genetic ontological and pathway enrichment analyses suggested that the therapeutic effect of Danggui Sini decoction on blood stasis involved the lipid and atherosclerosis pathways, advanced glycation end-product-receptor for advanced glycation end-product signaling pathways in diabetic complications, fluid shear stress and atherosclerosis pathways, and hypoxia-inducible factors, 1-alpha signaling pathway, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase- protein kinase B signaling, and other pathways. These results are helpful in understanding the mechanism by which Danggui Sini decoction improves blood stasis and provide a reference for further research.

Patients with coronary heart disease and angina pectoris were divided into two groups (control and treatment) of 54 patients per group. The control group received puerarin, whereas the treatment group received puerarin plus nicorandil. Therapeutic outcomes of two treatments were compared by assessing lower left ventricular end systolic diameter, lower left ventricular end diastolic diameter, higher left ventricular ejection fraction, duration of angina pectoris, number of angina attacks, dosage of nitroglycerin needed, plasma viscosity, whole blood viscosity, fibrinogen level, pro-inflammatory markers, as well as 36-item Short Form Survey scores. The total therapeutic rate was better in the group receiving both puerarin and nicorandil than puerarin alone. No difference was discovered in the incidence of adverse reactions between the two groups. This led us to conclude that puerarin combined with nicorandil is more effective in treating coronary heart disease and angina pectoris and can improve cardiac functions, lessen chemodynamic indexes and inflammatory reactions of angina pectoris, and promote the quality of life of patients.

The aim of this randomized controlled trial was to analyze the effects of medium-term supplementation with hydrogen-rich water on brain metabolism, appetite-regulating hormones, body composition, and safety biomarkers in overweight adults. Twenty (n = 20, 10 females) apparently healthy adults with a body mass index >24.9 kg/m2 were assigned to receive 0.5 L per day of hydrogen-rich water (7.5 mg of hydrogen) or hydrogen-free water (tap water) for 12 weeks. Two-way analysis of variance with repeated measures revealed a significant difference between the two interventions in several body composition indices (P ≤ 0.05), with hydrogen-rich water superior to placebo to reduce waist circumference and mid-upper arm circumference by 1.31 cm (95% confidence interval, from –0.23 to 2.85) and 0.65 cm (95% confidence interval, from –0.10 to 1.40), respectively. Hydrogen-rich water outcompeted placebo to raise serum ghrelin levels, as the mean difference from the placebo group was 17.28 pmol/L (95% confidence interval, from 1.81 to 32.75) (P = 0.02). A non-significant strong positive trend (P = 0.10) was reported toward hydrogen-rich water being superior to placebo in augmenting total serum short-chain fatty acid levels, with a mean difference from the control group of 195.6 μmol/L (95% confidence interval, from –64.55 to 275.85). The mean fecal calprotectin levels were significantly reduced after hydrogen-rich water intervention for 19.7 μg/mg (95% confidence interval, from 0.31 to 39.09) (P = 0.03). Our findings advance hydrogen-rich water as a promising metabolic intervention in overweight adults, but further validation via multicentric longitudinal randomized controlled trials in metabolic and nutritional disorders is required.