No abstract

Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), an essential polyphenolic constituent found in tea leaves, possesses various potent biological activities. This research was undertaken to investigate the impact of EGCG against endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-mediated inflammation and to clarify the underlying molecular mechanism in type 2 diabetic kidneys. The male rats were randomized into four groups: normal, diabetic, low-dose EGCG, and high-dose EGCG. In type 2 diabetic rats, hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia noticeably caused renal structural damage and dysfunction and aggravated ER stress. Meanwhile, sustained ER stress activated the NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome and then upregulated the contents of inflammatory cytokines in the diabetic kidney. Following supplementation with 40 mg/kg and 80 mg/kg EGCG, hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia, and renal histopathological alterations and dysfunction were noticeably ameliorated; renal ER stress, NLRP3 inflammasome, and inflammatory response were markedly repressed in the EGCG treatment groups. In summary, the current study highlighted the renoprotective effects of EGCG in type 2 diabetes and its mechanisms are mainly associated with the repression of ER stress-mediated NLRP3 inflammasome overactivation.

Because of the high cost and safety of ultra-high magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), its application has certain limitations. Whereas 0.5–3 T MRI has been widely applied in hospitals, static magnetic fields (SMFs) have been shown to improve mice mental health and have anti-tumor potentials. Here, we compared the effects of the upward and downward 150 mT SMF groups with the sham group on C57BL/6J adult female mice. Locomotor and exploratory activity were also measured by behavioral tests, including the open field and elevated plus test. Additionally, physiology, pathology indicators and gut microbiota were examined. We found that 150 mT SMFs long-term exposure enhanced locomotive and exploratory activity of mice, especially the downward 150 mT SMF. Compared with the downward 150 mT SMF group, the movement speed and distance in the center area of the sham group were increased by 65.99% (p < 0.0001) and 68.58% (p = 0.0038), respectively. Moreover, compared to the sham group, downward 150 mT SMF increased the number of entrances to the center area by 67.0% (p = 0.0082) and time in the center area by 77.12% (p = 0.0054). Additionally, we observed that upward 150 mT SMF improved the number of follicles (~2.5 times, p = 0.0325) and uterine glands through increasing the total antioxidant capacity and reducing lipid peroxidation level in mice. Gut microbiome analysis showed that 150 mT SMFs long-term exposure improved the microbiota abundance (Clostridium, Bifidobacterium, Ralstonia and Yaniella) in the genus level, which may affect metabolism, anxiety and behavior in adult female mice. Our results demonstrated that 150 mT SMFs long-term exposure not only had good biosafety, but also improved athletic performance, emotion and the function of ovarian, uterine and gut microbiota abundance in adult female mice, which unraveled the potential of moderate long-term SMF exposure in clinical applications.