Core prescription pattern of Chinese herbal medicine for depressive disorders in Taiwan: a nationwide population-based study

Diem Ngoc Hong Tran,I-Hsuan Hwang,Fun-Jou Chen,Yuan-Pu Tseng,Ching-Mao Chang,Shih-Jen Tsai,Jen-Lin Yang,Ta-Peng Wu,Chung-Hua Hsu,Fang-Pey Chen,Yen-Ying Kung 한국한의학연구원 2021 Integrative Medicine Research Vol.10 No.3

Background: Depressive disorders (DD) affect not only mood and behavior but also various physical functions. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been shown to have some benefits in treating DD. However, one formula or one single herb might be not show high efficacy when used to treat depression. Thus, this study aimed to examine the core prescription pattern of Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) among patients with DD in Taiwan as a reference for related research and clinical applications. Methods: All patients, who had been diagnosed with major depressive disorder or minor depression or dysthymia without any other baseline diseases and had at least one CHM outpatient clinical visit from 2002 to 2011, were extracted from three randomly sampled cohorts, namely the 2000, 2005 and 2010 cohorts of the National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) of Taiwan. The collected data was analyzed to explore the patterns of herbal products. Results: There were 197,146 patients with a diagnosis of DD and of these 1806 subjects had only a diagnosis of DD and utilized CHM. The most common formula was Gan-Mai-Da-Zao-Tang (12.19%), while Suan-Zao-Ren (3.99%) was the most commonly prescribed single herb. The core pattern of prescriptions consisted of a combination of Gan-Mai-Da-Zao-Tang, Jia-Wei-Xiao-Yao-San, Chai-Hu-Jia-Long-Gu-Mu-Li-Tang, He-Huan-Pi, Yuan-Zhi and Shi-Chang-Pu. Conclusions: This study describes the CHM core prescription pattern used to treat patients in Taiwan with DD and it is a potential candidate for study in future pharmacological or clinical trials targeting DD.

Kinesin Family Member 11 Enhances the Self-Renewal Ability of Breast Cancer Cells by Participating in the Wnt/β-Catenin Pathway

Yuan-yuan Pei,Gao-chi Li,Jian Ran,Xin-hong Wan,Feng-xiang Wei,Lan Wang 한국유방암학회 2019 Journal of breast cancer Vol.22 No.4

Purpose: Our previous studies have shown that kinesin family member 11 (KIF11) is markedly overexpressed in human breast cancer cells or tissues and positively correlated with distant metastasis and prognosis in patients with breast cancer, suggesting an important role in the regulation of cancer stem cells. Herein, we examined the role of KIF11 in breast cancer stem cells. Methods: In the current study, we validated our previous findings through analysis of data collected in The Cancer Genome Atlas. Endogenous KIF11 was stably silenced in MCF-7 and SKBR-3 cells. Flow cytometry was used to measure the proportion of side-population (SP) cells. Mammosphere culture and tumor implantation experiments in immunodeficient mice were used to assess the self-renewal ability of breast cancer cells. Real-time polymerase chain reaction, western blot, immunofluorescence staining, luciferase reporter assays and Wnt agonist treatment were conducted to investigate the signaling pathways regulated by KIF11. Results: We found that the expression level of KIF11 was positively correlated with stem cell-enrichment genes. The proportion of SP cells was significantly reduced in KIF11-silenced cells. Silencing endogenous KIF11 not only reduced the size and number of mammospheres in vitro, but also reduced the ability of breast cancer cells to form tumors in mice. Simultaneously, we found that KIF11 was involved in regulating the activation of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. Conclusion: Endogenous KIF11 enhances the self-renewal of breast cancer cells by activating the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, thereby enhancing the characteristics of breast cancer stem cells.

Current Evidence on the Association between rs3757318 of C6orf97 and Breast Cancer Risk: a Meta-Analysis

Hong, Yuan,Chen, Xue-Qin,Li, Jiao-Yuan,Liu, Cheng,Shen, Na,Zhu, Bei-Bei,Gong, Jing,Chen, Wei Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.19

Background: A common genetic variant rs3757318, located in intron of C6orf97, was firstly identified to be associated with breast cancer (BC) risk by a genome-wide association (GWA) study. However, subsequent validation studies with different ethnicities have yielded conflicting results. Materials and Methods: We performed a meta-analysis to synthesize all available data for evaluating the precise effect of this variant on BC susceptibility. Results: A total of 8 articles containing 11 studies with 62,891 cases and 65,635 controls were included in this meta-analysis. When compared to the G allele, the rs3757318-A allele was significantly associated with BC risk with the pooled OR of 1.21 (95% CI=1.15 - 1.29, P<0.001) but with obvious between-study heterogeneity (P=0.040). Stratified analysis suggested that diversity of ethnicity along with control source may explain part of the heterogeneity. Similarly, significant associations were also identified in heterozygote, homozygote, dominant and recessive genetic models. Sensitivity and publication bias analyses indicated robust stability of our results. Conclusions: Our present meta-analysis demonstrated that the variant rs3757318 is associated with increased BC risk. Nevertheless, further studies are needed to clarify the underlying biological mechanisms.

454 Pyrosequencing Analysis of Bacterial Diversity Revealed by a Comparative Study of Soils from Mining Subsidence and Reclamation Areas

( Yuan Yuan Li ),( Long Qian Chen ),( Hong Yu Wen ),( Tian Jian Zhou ),( Ting Zhang ),( Xia Li Gao ) 한국미생물 · 생명공학회 2014 Journal of microbiology and biotechnology Vol.24 No.3

Significant alteration in the microbial community can occur across reclamation areas suffering subsidence from mining. A reclamation site undergoing fertilization practices and an adjacent coal-excavated subsidence site (sites A and B, respectively) were examined to characterize the bacterial diversity using 454 high-throughput 16S rDNA sequencing. The dominant taxonomic groups in both the sites were Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Betaproteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria, Alphaproteobacteria, Deltaproteobacteria, Chloroflexi, and Firmicutes. However, the bacterial communities` abundance, diversity, and composition differed significantly between the sites. Site A presented higher bacterial diversity and more complex community structures than site B. The majority of sequences related to Proteobacteria, Gemmatimonadetes, Chloroflexi, Nitrospirae, Firmicutes, Betaproteobacteria, Deltaproteobacteria, and Anaerolineae were from site A; whereas those related to Actinobacteria, Planctomycetes, Bacteroidetes, Verrucomicrobia, Gammaproteobacteria, Nitriliruptoria, Alphaproteobacteria, and Phycisphaerae originated from site B. The distribution of some bacterial groups and subgroups in the two sites correlated with soil properties and vegetation due to reclamation practice. Site A exhibited enriched bacterial community, soil organic matter (SOM), and total nitrogen (TN), suggesting the presence of relatively diverse microorganisms. SOM and TN were important factors shaping the underlying microbial communities. Furthermore, the specific plant functional group (legumes) was also an important factor influencing soil microbial community composition. Thus, the effectiveness of 454 pyrosequencing in analyzing soil bacterial diversity was validated and an association between land ecological system restoration, mostly mediated by microbial communities, and an improvement in soil properties in coalmining reclamation areas was suggested.

Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Signal Transduction in Solid Tumors

Lei, Yuan-Yuan,Wang, Wei-Jia,Mei, Jin-Hong,Wang, Chun-Liang Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.20

Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) is an important signaling pathway in living beings in response to extracellular stimuli. There are 5 main subgroups manipulating by a set of sequential actions: ERK(ERK1/ERK2), c-Jun N(JNK/SAPK), p38 MAPK($p38{\alpha}$, $p38{\beta}$, $p38{\gamma}$ and $p38{\delta}$), and ERK3/ERK4/ERK5. When stimulated, factors of upstream or downstream change, and by interacting with each other, these groups have long been recognized to be related to multiple biologic processes such as cell proliferation, differentiation, death, migration, invasion and inflammation. However, once abnormally activated, cancer may occur. Several components of the MAPK network have already been proposed as targets in cancer therapy, such as p38, JNK, ERK, MEK, RAF, RAS, and DUSP1. Among them, alteration of the RAS-RAF-MEK-ERK-MAPK(RAS-MAPK) pathway has frequently been reported in human cancer as a result of abnormal activation of receptor tyrosine kinases or gain-of-function mutations in genes. The reported roles of MAPK signaling in apoptotic cell death are controversial, so that further in-depth investigations are needed to address these controversies. Based on an extensive analysis of published data, the goal of this review is to provide an overview on recent studies about the mechanism of MAP kinases, and how it generates certain tumors, as well as related treatments.

Transcriptome analysis of rice leaves in response to Rhizoctonia solani infection and reveals a novel regulatory mechanism

De Peng Yuan,Xiao Feng Xu,Hong Woo-Jong,Si Ting Wang,Xin Tong Jia,Yang Liu,Shuang Li,Zhi Min Li,Qian Sun,Qiong Mei,Shuai Li,정기홍,Song Hong Wei,Yuan Hu Xuan 한국식물생명공학회 2020 Plant biotechnology reports Vol.14 No.5

Sheath blight disease (ShB) severely afects rice production; however, the details of defense against ShB remain unclear. To understand the rice defense mechanism against ShB, an RNA sequencing analysis was performed using Rhizoctonia solani inoculated rice leaves after 48 h of inoculation. Among them, 3417 genes were upregulated and 2532 were downregulated when compared with the control group (>twofold or<1/2). In addition, the diferentially expressed genes were classifed via Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), and MapMan analyses. Fifty-nine GO terms and seven KEGG pathways were signifcantly enriched. A MapMan analysis demonstrated that the phytohormone and metabolic pathways were signifcantly altered. Interestingly, the expression levels of 359 transcription factors, including WRKY, MYB, and NAC family members, as well as 239 transporter genes, including ABC, MFS, and SWEET, were signifcantly changed in response to R. solani AG1-IA inoculation. Additionally, OsWRKY53 and OsAKT1 negatively regulate the defense response in rice against R. solani via gain of function study for OsWRKY53 and loss of function study for OsAKT1, respectively. Furthermore, several diferentially expressed genes contain R. solani-responsive cis acting regulatory elements in their promoter regions. Taken together, our analyses provide valuable information for the additional study of the defense mechanisms against ShB, and the candidate genes identifed in this study will be useful resource for future breeding to enhance resistance against ShB.

Frontiers in the Clinical Applications of Botulinum Toxin A as Treatment for Neurogenic Lower Urinary Tract Dysfunction

Yuan-Hong Jiang,Sheng-Fu Chen,Hann-Chorng Kuo 대한배뇨장애요실금학회 2020 International Neurourology Journal Vol.24 No.4

Patients with neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction (NLUTD) experience urinary incontinence with or without difficult urination, which might promote recurrent urinary tract infection (UTI) and exacerbate upper urinary tract function. Nonetheless, appropriate bladder management has been shown to reduce urological complications and improve quality of life. In addition to pharmacological therapy and surgical intervention, botulinum toxin A (BoNT-A) has been widely utilized in NLUTD. The therapeutic efficacy of detrusor BoNT-A injections for neurogenic detrusor overactivity due to spinal cord injury (SCI), multiple sclerosis, or other central nervous system lesions, such as cerebrovascular accident, Parkinson disease, early dementia, and pediatric NLUTD due to myelomeningocele, has been well established, with repeated BoNT-A injections every 6 to 9 months being necessary to maintain its therapeutic effects. Urethral BoNT-A injection can decrease urethral sphincter resistance and facilitate efficient voiding in patients with NLUTD who wish to preserve self-voiding. Detrusor BoNT-A injection can also decrease the occurrence of autonomic dysreflexia in patients with SCI, even after failed augmentation enterocystoplasty, with additional benefits including reduced UTI episodes and preserved renal function with repeated injections. However, this treatment does have some side effects. Complete informed consent for BoNT-A injection therapy with full disclosure of its potential complications should therefore be obtained before this procedure is undertaken.

Enhancing mucosal immunity in mice by recombinant adenovirus expressing major epitopes of porcine circovirus-2 capsid protein delivered with cytosine-phosphate-guanosine oligodeoxynucleotides

Hong-tao Chang,Xiu-yuan He,Yu-Feng Liu,Lu Chen,Quan-hai Guo,Qiu-ying Yu,Jun Zhao,Xin-wei Wang,Xia Yang,Chuan-qing Wang 대한수의학회 2014 Journal of Veterinary Science Vol.15 No.3

A recombinant replication-defective adenovirus expressingthe major epitopes of porcine circovirus-2 (PCV-2) capsidprotein (rAd/Cap/518) was previously constructed and shownto induce mucosal immunity in mice following intranasaldelivery. In the present study, immune responses induced byintranasal immunization with a combination of rAd/Cap/518and cytosine-phosphate-guanosine oligodeoxynucleotides(CpG ODN) were evaluated in mice. The levels ofPCV-2-specific IgG in serum and IgA in saliva, lung, andintestinal fluids were significantly higher in the groupimmunized with rAd/Cap/518 and CpG ODN than animalsimmunized with rAd/Cap/518 alone. The frequencies ofIL-2-secreting CD4+ T cells and IFN-γ-producing CD8+ T cellswere significantly higher in the combined immunizationgroup than mice immunized with rAd/Cap/518 alone. Thefrequencies of CD3+, CD3+CD4+CD8−, and CD3+CD4−CD8+T cells in the combined immunization group were similar tothat treated with CpG ODN alone, but significantly higherthan mice that did not receive CpG ODN. PCV-2 load afterchallenge in the combined immunization group wassignificantly lower than that in the phosphate-buffered salineplacebo group and approximately 7-fold lower in the grouptreated with CpG ODN alone. These results indicate thatrAd/Cap/518 combined with CpG ODN can enhance systemicand local mucosal immunity in mice, and represent apromising synergetic mucosal vaccine against PCV-2.

A case study on safety integrity level analysis for shale gas station

Yuan-Jian Yang,Chao Huang,Qiu-Yang Zhong,Hai-Jun Chen,Hong-Zhong Huang 대한기계학회 2021 JOURNAL OF MECHANICAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY Vol.35 No.12

Safety integrity level (SIL), as defined in IEC 61511, is a widely used safety performance measure for safety instrumented functions. Shale gas station is an important part of shale gas gathering and transportation system. To ensure the safety of its instrument system is of great significance to the safe and stable operation of the whole gathering and transportation system. This paper is motivated to conduct a case study on safety integrity analysis for shale gas station by using the layer of protection analysis method (LOPA). Firstly, the equipment under control (EUC) is identified. It is followed by the analysis of reaction reasons on safety instrumented function (SIF) from safety instrumented system (SIS). Finally, according to the identification of independent protection layer (IPL) and probability of failure on demand (PFD), the SIL analysis for every SIF is carried out. The result shows that the SIS of this shale gas station has reached the required of SIL and there is no need for further increase in SIS. Utilizing this method can accurately determine the reliability of the SIS in the station, and it can also be the reference of safe operation for this shale gas station.

A New Theory for Acupuncture: Promoting Robust Regulation

Yuan Xu,Yang Guo,Yuru Song,Kuo Zhang,Yiping Zhang,Qiang Li,Shouhai Hong,Yangyang Liu,Yi Guo 사단법인약침학회 2018 Journal of Acupuncture & Meridian Studies Vol.11 No.1

Robustness, an ability of biological networks to uphold their functionalities in the face of perturbations, is a key characteristic of all living systems. Acupuncture is a procedure in which fine needles are inserted into an individual at discrete points and then manipulated, with the intent of preventing and curing diseases. Acupuncture does not directly eliminate pathogenic factors or pathological tissue; rather, acupuncture enhances the ability of the human body to self-medicate itself by activating complex regulatory systems and by maintaining physiological homeostasis to prevent or treat diseases. From this point of view, the effect of acupuncture on the human body is more likely a kind of regulation to promote robustness. That is to say, acupuncture has the ability to promote robustness. In this article, we review the properties and functions of acupuncture in preventing and treating diseases and in maintaining health by enhancing robustness.