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.

Antioxidant Peptide Purified from Enzymatic Hydrolysates of Isochrysis Zhanjiangensis and Its Protective Effect against Ethanol Induced Oxidative Stress of HepG2 Cells

Mei-Fang Chen,Yuan Yuan Zhang,Mei Di He,Cheng Yong Li,Chun Xia Zhou,Peng Zhi Hong,Zhong-Ji Qian 한국생물공학회 2019 Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering Vol.24 No.2

Marine microalgae have been widely applied in cosmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, and functional foods. In the present study, we first investigated the hepatoprotective effects of peptide purified from microalgae, Isochrysis zhanjiangensis on HepG2 cells alcoholic injury. I. zhanjiangensis was hydrolyzed utilizing chymotrypsin, trypsin, pepsin, and by vitro gastrointestinal digestion. Among hydrolysates, the gastrointestinal hydrolysate showed relatively high free radical scavenging ability preliminarily and was purified with following sequential chromatography methods. The amino acid sequence and molecular mass of the purified peptide from I. zhanjiangensis (PIZ) was identified as Asn-Asp-Ala-Glu-Tyr-Gly-Ile-Cys-Gly-Phe (NDAEYGICGF; MW, 1088.16 Da) via Q-TOF ESI/MS. Additionally, PIZ attenuated ethanol-induced cytotoxicity and inhibited the production of intracellular reactive oxygen species by DCFH-DA assay. Western blot results showed that superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione (GSH) levels up-regulated with PIZ treatment before alcohol exposure while gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) protein expression down-regulated. These results provide an opportunity to discover new highly active peptide against alcohol toxicity in HepG2 cells.

Microwave-assisted Approach for the Rapid Enzymatic Digestion of Rapeseed Meal

Ju-Fang Li,Fang Wei,Lu-Lu Guo,Gang-You Yuan,Feng-Hong Huang,Mu-Lan Jiang,Yuan-Di Zhao,Xu-Yan Dong,Guang-Ming Li,Hong Chen 한국식품과학회 2010 Food Science and Biotechnology Vol.19 No.2

This study demonstrates the use of a new microwave-assisted approach for accelerating the enzymatic digestion of rapeseed meal. The effects of different microwave parameters, such as the time, temperature, and power level, on the degree of hydrolysis (DH) were investigated by using response surface methodology (RSM). The maximum predicted DH value (10.2%) was in good agreement with the value obtained experimentally using an alkaline protease, which was 12.57% under optimal conditions. In only 7 min, the microwave-assisted method achieved a DH value similar to that obtained by the conventional enzymatic digestion method (4 hr). Therefore,this new technique for rapid enzymatic digestion will improve the application of rapeseed meal in the preparation of protein hydrolysates for use in food and feed.

Risk Factors for Anxiety in Major Depressive Disorder Patients

Li-Min Xin,Lin Chen,Zhen-Peng Ji,Suo-Yuan Zhang,Jun Wang,Yan-Hong Liu,Da-Fang Chen,Fu-De Yang,Gang Wang,Yi-Ru Fang,Zheng Lu,Hai-Chen Yang,Jian Hu,Zhi-Yu Chen,Yi Huang,Jing Sun,Xiao-Ping Wang,Hui-Chun 대한정신약물학회 2015 CLINICAL PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY AND NEUROSCIENCE Vol.13 No.3

Objective: To analyze the sociodemographic and clinical factors related to anxiety in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). Methods: This study involved a secondary analysis of data obtained from the Diagnostic Assessment Service for People with Bipolar Disorders in China (DASP), which was initiated by the Chinese Society of Psychiatry (CSP) and conducted from September 1, 2010 to February 28, 2011. Based on the presence or absence of anxiety-related characteristics, 1,178 MDD patients were classified as suffering from anxious depression (n=915) or non-anxious depression (n=263), respectively. Results: Compared with the non-anxious group, the anxious-depression group had an older age at onset (t=−4.39, p<0.001), were older (t=−4.69, p<0.001), reported more lifetime depressive episodes (z=−3.24, p=0.001), were more likely to experience seasonal depressive episodes (χ2=6.896, p=0.009) and depressive episodes following stressful life events (χ2=59.350, p <0.001), and were more likely to have a family history of psychiatric disorders (χ2=6.091, p=0.014). Their positive and total scores on the Mood Disorder Questionnaire (MDQ) and the 32-item Hypomania Checklist (HCL-32) (p<0.05) were also lower. The logistic regression analysis indicated that age (odds ratio [OR]=1.03, p<0.001), a lower total MDQ score (OR=0.94, p=0.011), depressive episodes following stressful life events (OR=3.04, p<0.001), and seasonal depressive episodes (OR=1.75, p=0.039) were significantly associated with anxious depression. Conclusion: These findings indicate that older age, fewer subclinical bipolar features, an increased number of depressive episodes following stressful life events, and seasonal depressive episodes may be risk factors for anxiety-related characteristics in patients with MDD.

Effect of luteoin in delaying cataract in STZ-induced diabetic rats

Yuan Chen,Xiao-Bo Sun,Hong-e Lu,Fang Wang,Xiao-Hui Fan 대한약학회 2017 Archives of Pharmacal Research Vol.40 No.1

Luteolin, a flavonoid rich in many plants, hasshown various pharmacological effects including anti-inflammation,anti-oxidant, anti-tumor, cardioprotective andneuroprotective properties. At present, inflammation andoxidative stress have been recognized to be two importantcontributing factors to the development of diabetic cataract. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects ofluteolin on diabetes-induced oxidative stress and inflammationin the lens of rats. A diabetic rat model was inducedby intraperitoneally giving streptozotocin at a dosage of60 mg/kg, and then the rats were treated by orallyadministration of luteolin 25, 50 and 100 mg/kg for12 weeks. The results showed that luteolin administrationcould increase the antioxidant capacity such as glutathione(GSH) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity, anddecreased malondialdehyde (MDA) level in the lens ofdiabetic rats. Luteolin also inhibited diabetes-induced elevationof interleukin-1 beta (IL-1b), vascular endothelialgrowth factor and nuclear factor-jB (NF-jB) mRNA andprotein expression in lens. Moreover, in the high dosegroup (100 mg/kg), lens GSH level was decreased to normalcompared to control group. The degree of oxidativeand inflammatory damage was significantly reduced inluteolin-treated rats. These data suggested that luteolin canbe an effective protection candidate of diabetes-inducedlens neurodegeneration by inhibiting the levels of inflammatorymediators and oxidative stress.

Crosslinked Ionic Alginate and Cellulose-based Hydrogels for Photoresponsive Drug Release Systems

Fang Zhou,Shaohua Wu,Chris Rader,Jianwei Ma,Shaojuan Chen,Xiaoyan Yuan,E Johan Foster 한국섬유공학회 2020 Fibers and polymers Vol.21 No.1

In this work, photosensitive alginate and cellulose-based hydrogels with interpenetrating polymer networks weresuccessfully prepared from alginate, TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nanofibers (TEMPO-CNFs) and polyacrylamide,crosslinked by both Fe3+ and N,N'-methylenebis-acrylamide. The obtained hydrogels showed a clear relationship between themechanical properties and the content of the TEMPO-CNFs. The results indicated that the mechanical properties ofcrosslinked hydrogels were enhanced with the mass ratio of TEMPO-CNFs and alginate increased from 1/2 to 2. Moreover,the crosslinked ionic alginate and cellulose-based hydrogels with various TEMPO-CNFs contents exhibited aninterconnected porous morphology with an average pore size of ca. 130 μm, and demonstrated an increased cumulativerelease amount of BSA drugs under the ultraviolet irradiation. This study demonstrated that the as-prepared photoresponsivehydrogels would have a potential application as local drug release systems for wound dressings.

Safety and Efficacy of Adalimumab for Patients With Moderate to Severe Crohn`s Disease: The Taiwan Society of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (TSIBD) Study

( Chen Wang Chang ),( Shu Chen Wei ),( Jen Wei Chou ),( Tzu Chi Hsu ),( Chiao Hsiung Chuang ),( Ching Pin Lin ),( Wen Hung Hsu ),( Hsu Heng Yen ),( Jen Kou Lin ),( Yi Jen Fang ),( Horng Yuan Wang ),( 대한장연구학회 2014 Intestinal Research Vol.12 No.4

Background/Aims: Only moderate to severe Crohn`s Disease (CD) patients without a satisfactory conventional therapy effect are eligible to get reimbursement from the National Health Insurance of Taiwan for using adalimumab. These are more stringent criteria than in many Western countries and Japan and Korea. We aim to explore the efficacy of using adalimumab in CD patients under such stringent criteria. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted in nine medical centers in Taiwan and we collected the results of CD patients receiving adalimumab from Sep 2009 to Mar 2014. The clinical characteristics, response measured by CDAI (Crohn`s Disease Activity Index), adverse events and survival status were recorded and analyzed. CR-70, CR-100, and CR-150 were defined as attaining a CDAI decrease of 70, 100 or 150 points compared with baseline. Results: A total of 103 CD patient records were used in this study. Sixty percent of these patients received combination therapy of adalimumab together with immunomodulators. CR-70 was 68.7%, 74.5% and 88.4% after week 4, 8 and 12 of treatment, respectively. The steroid-free rate, complications and survival were 47.6%, 9.7% and 99% of patients, respectively. In considering the mucosal healing, only 25% patients achieve mucosal healing after treatment for 6 to12 months. Surgery was still needed in 16.5% of patients. Combination treatment of adalimumab with immunomodulators further decreased the level of CDAI at week 8 when compared with the monotherapy. Conclusions: Even under the stringent criteria for using adalimumab, the response rate was comparable to those without stringent criteria. (Intest Res 2014;12:287-292)

Effects of building information modeling prior knowledge on applying virtual reality in construction education: lessons from a comparison study

Chen Xingbin,Li Sining,Li Gengying,Xue Bin Zheng,Liu Bingsheng,Fang Yuan,서준오,김인한,Kim Jung In 한국CDE학회 2023 Journal of computational design and engineering Vol.10 No.5

Applying building information modeling (BIM) and virtual reality (VR) in construction education is an effective way to achieve better study motivation, learnability, creativity, and observation of the real world. However, whether different levels of BIM prior knowledge affect students’ VR experimental learning, if at all, has not been examined. Therefore, this study employs a teaching intervention experiment to access the VR learning process based on the BIM prior knowledge. A total of 47 students, from the Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, participated in the experiment. They were grouped according to whether they had taken the prior BIM tutorial section, with 23 participants in the group having completed the tutorial and 24 participants in the group that had not. Experiment materials were created and rendered via Autodesk Revit and Iris VR; the materials supported three tasks related to the underground design review scenarios and three other tasks about site planning review scenarios. After the experiment, a comparison study was done to discuss their differences based on VR task performances and satisfaction. The results revealed that the BIM prior knowledge mediated both the two-dimensional and three-dimensional navigations when students performed the tasks. Moreover, the relationship differences within the satisfactions showed that BIM prior knowledge effectively affected the learning outcomes. In conclusion, the comparison study implies that students’ BIM prior knowledge is efficacious in the students’ VR task performance and their VR satisfaction from cognitive and memory perspectives.

MiR-542-5p Inhibits Hyperglycemia and Hyperlipoidemia by Targeting FOXO1 in the Liver

Fang Tian,Hui-Min Ying,Yuan-Yuan Wang,Bo-Ning Cheng,Juan Chen 연세대학교의과대학 2020 Yonsei medical journal Vol.61 No.9

Purpose: This research was designed to investigate how miR-542-5p regulates the progression of hyperglycemia and hyperlipoidemia. Materials and Methods: An in vivo model with diabetic db/db mice and an in vitro model with forskolin/dexamethasone (FSK/DEX)-induced primary hepatocytes and HepG2 cells were employed in the study. Bioinformatics analysis was conducted to identifythe expression of candidate miRNAs in the liver tissues of diabetic and control mice. H&E staining revealed liver morphologyin diabetic and control mice. Pyruvate tolerance tests, insulin tolerance tests, and intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test were utilizedto assess insulin resistance. ELISA was conducted to evaluate blood glucose and insulin levels. Red oil O staining showed lipiddeposition in liver tissues. Luciferase reporter assay was used to depict binding between miR-542-5p and forkhead box O1 (FOXO1). Results: MiR-542-5p expression was under-expressed in the livers of db/db mice. Further in vitro experiments revealed that FSK/DEX, which mimics the effects of glucagon and glucocorticoids, induced cellular glucose production in HepG2 cells and in primaryhepatocytes cells. Notably, these changes were reversed by miR-542-5p. We found that transcription factor FOXO1 is a target ofmiR-542-5p. Further in vivo study indicated that miR-542-5p overexpression decreases FOXO1 expression, thereby reversing increasesin blood glucose, blood lipids, and glucose-related enzymes in diabetic db/db mice. In contrast, anti-miR-542-5p exertedan adverse influence on blood glucose and blood lipid metabolism, and its stimulatory effects were significantly inhibited by sh-FOXO1 in normal control mice. Conclusion: Collectively, our results indicated that miR-542-5p inhibits hyperglycemia and hyperlipoidemia by targeting FOXO1.

Square CFST columns under cyclic load and acid rain attack: Experiments

Fang Yuan,Mengcheng Chen,Hong Huang 국제구조공학회 2019 Steel and Composite Structures, An International J Vol.30 No.2

As China’s infrastructure continues to grow, concrete filled steel tubular (CFST) structures are attracting increasing interest for use in engineering applications in earthquake prone regions owing to their high section modulus, high strength, and good seismic performance. However, in a corrosive environment, the seismic resistance of the CFST columns may be affected to a certain extent. This study attempts to investigate the mechanical behaviours of square CFST members under both a cyclic load and an acid rain attack. First, the tensile mechanical properties of steel plates with various corrosion rates were tested. Second, a total of 12 columns with different corrosion rates were subjected to a reversed cyclic load and tested. Third, comparisons between the test results and the predicted ultimate strength by using four existing codes were carried out. It was found that the corrosion leads to an evident decrease in yield strength, elastic modulus, and tensile strain capacity of steel plates, and also to a noticeable deterioration in the ultimate strength, ductility, and energy dissipation of the CFST members. A larger axial force ratio leads to a more significant resulting deterioration of the seismic behaviour of the columns. In addition, the losses of both thickness and yield strength of an outer steel tube caused by corrosion should be taken into account when predicting the ultimate strength of corroded CFST columns.