Astragaloside-IV promotes autophagy via the Akt/mTOR pathway to improve cellular lipid deposition.

The current study aimed to investigate the potential role of astragaloside IV (AS-IV) in improving cellular lipid deposition and its underlying mechanism. A fatty liver cell model was established by treating hepatoma cells with palmitic acid. AS-IV and SC79 were used for treatment. Oil Red O staining was applied to detect intracellular lipid deposition, and transmission electron microscopy was utilized to assess autophagosome formation. Immunofluorescence double staining was applied to determine microtubule-associated proteins 1A/1B light chain 3 (LC3) expression. Western blot analysis was performed to detect the expression of LC3, prostacyclin, Beclin-1, V-akt murine thymoma viral oncogene homolog (Akt), phosphorylated Akt, mTOR, and phosphorylated mTOR. Oil Red O staining revealed that AS-IV reduced intracellular lipid accumulation. Further, it increased autophagosome synthesis and the expression of autophagy proteins LC3 and Beclin-1 in the cells. It also reduced the phosphorylation levels of Akt and mTOR and the levels of prostacyclin. However, the effects of AS-IV decreased with SC79 treatment. In addition, LC3B + BODIPY493/503 fluorescence double staining showed that AS-IV reduced intracellular lipid deposition levels by enhancing autophagy. AS-IV can reduce lipid aggregation in fatty liver cells, which can be related to enhanced hepatocyte autophagy by inhibiting the Akt/mTOR signaling pathway.

LINC00958/miR-627 signal axis regulates the proliferation, migration, and invasion of thyroid papillary carcinoma cells by TRIM44.

Papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) has attracted much attention due to its high morbidity and severe metastasis. Long noncoding RNA ENST00000504230 (LncRNA ENST00000504230, known as LINC00958) was overexpressed in many cancers and associated with cancer development. However, its underlying mechanism in PTC remains unclear. PTC tissues and corresponding adjacent tissues were collected for measuring the expression of LINC00958 and miR-627. MiR-627 and TRIM44 expressions were measured in in vitro cultured PTC cell lines (B-cpap and IHH4 cells) transfected with sh-LINC00958 or miR-627 mimic using RT-qPCR and western blot. Cell proliferation, migration, and invasion were measured by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) and Transwell assays, respectively. Dual-luciferase reporter assay was performed to evaluate the target association between miR-627 and TRIM44. LINC00958 was up-regulated in PTC tissues and cells, while the expression of miR-627 was lowly expressed. Knockdown of LINC00958 inhibited the proliferation, migration, and invasion by elevating miR-627 expression in PTC cells. TRIM44 was confirmed as a target of miR-627. Overexpression of miR-627 in PTC inhibited the proliferation, migration, and invasion by down-regulating the expression of TRIM44. LINC00958 promoted proliferation, migration, and invasion in PTC by down-regulating miR-627 and activating TRIM44, indicating the potential therapeutic effect of LINC00958 on PTC.

An organophosphorus-mediated cross-Rauhut-Currier/Wittig domino reaction for the efficient synthesis of trisubstituted cyclopentenes.

An efficient organophosphorus-mediated cross-Rauhut-Currier/Wittig domino reaction of vinyl ketones with chalcones has been developed for the synthesis of trisubstituted cyclopentenes. The new synthetic method has the advantages of mild reaction conditions, high efficiency, environmental friendliness and satisfactory yields.

The proportion and associated factors of anxiety in Chinese adolescents with depression during the COVID-19 outbreak.

BACKGROUND: Given the serious impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on the mental health of Chinese adolescents, this study aimed to examine the proportion of anxiety and its correlates among Chinese adolescents with depression during the pandemic. METHODS: This cross-sectional online survey was conducted from February 20th to February 27, 2020 in China. Symptoms of depression and anxiety were assessed by the 20-item Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression (CES-D) and 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7), respectively. RESULTS: In this study, 3,498 adolescents with depression were identified. Of them, the proportion of anxiety was 45.1% (95% confidence interval [CI]=43.5%-46.8%). Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that being concerned about graduation (OR=1.25, P=0.002, 95% CI=1.09-1.43), sleep duration <6hr/day (OR=1.80, P<0.001, 95% CI=1.38-2.34), study duration >8hr/day (OR=1.21, P=0.02, 95% CI=1.03-1.42), and quantity of homework higher than before (OR=1.68, P<0.001, 95% CI=1.40-2.02) were positively associated with anxiety; the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases at a provincial level of 100-999 (OR=0.70, P<0.001, 95% CI=0.59-0.83) and 1,000-9,999 (OR=0.69, P=0.001, 95% CI=0.55-0.87) were negatively related to anxiety in adolescents with depression. LIMITATIONS: Because this was a cross-sectional online study, the causality between variables and anxiety could not be examined among depressed adolescents. The use of self-reported scales may lead to an underestimation of the proportion of anxiety among adolescents with depression. CONCLUSIONS: The symptoms of anxiety were common in adolescents with depression during the COVID-19 outbreak. Timing screening and targeted interventions are necessary to mitigate the risks of mental illness of adolescents.

Characterization of the complete chloroplast genome of Aconitum pendulum (Ranunculaceae), an endemic medicinal herb.

Aconitum pendulum is an endemic medicinal herb, which has effects of relieving pains and is widely used to treat frostbite, rheumatoid arthritis, and so on. In this study, we sequenced the complete chloroplast genome with Illumina sequencing technology. The complete chloroplast genome length is 155,597 bp, shows a typical tetrad structure, which manifests as one large and one small single copy (LSC and SSC) regions of 86,336 and 16,961 bp, isolated by two inverted repeat regions (IRs) of 26,150 bp. This study annotated altogether 131 unique genes, consisting of 86 protein-encoding genes, 8 rRNA, and 37 tRNA. According to the maximum likelihood phylogenetic tree based on 20 complete chloroplast genomes, A. pendulum shows close association with additional Aconitum subgenus. The chloroplast genome-wide for A. pendulum would help to conserving the precious natural populations.

The complete chloroplast genome of Polygonatum odoratum (Liliaceae), an endemic medicinal herb.

In this study, we sequenced the complete chloroplast genome of Polygonatum odoratum with Illumina sequencing technology. The complete chloroplast genome length is 156,082bp, shows a typical tetrad structure, which manifests as one large and one small single copy (LSC and SSC) regions of 85,009 and 18,513bp, isolated by two inverted repeat regions (IRs) of 26,280bp. This study annotated altogether 131 unique genes, consisting of 86 protein-encoding genes, 8 rRNA and 38tRNA. According to the maximum likelihood phylogenetic tree based on 8 complete chloroplast genomes, P. odoratum shows close association with additional Maianthemum genus. The chloroplast genome-wide for P. odoratum would help to conserving the precious natural populations.

The complete chloroplast genome of Polygonatum odoratum (Liliaceae), an endemic medicinal herb.

In this study, we sequenced the complete chloroplast genome of Polygonatum odoratum with Illumina sequencing technology. The complete chloroplast genome length is 156,082 bp shows a typical tetrad structure, which manifests as one large and one small single copy (LSC and SSC) regions of 85,009 and 18,513 bp, isolated by two inverted repeat regions (IRs) of 26,280 bp. This study annotated altogether 131 unique genes, consisting of 86 protein-encoding genes, 8 rRNA, and 38 tRNA. According to the maximum likelihood phylogenetic tree based on eight complete chloroplast genomes, P. odoratum shows a close association with additional Maianthemum genus. The chloroplast genome-wide for P. odoratum would help to conserve the precious natural populations.

Dynamic prostatic and laser-ablated lesion volume change after transperineal laser ablation in canine: preliminary observation and its clinical significance.

AIM: The purpose of this study is to observe the volume change of prostate and laser-ablated lesions in the canine and to explore the mechanism and clinical significance through histopathology. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Transperineal laser ablation (TPLA) was performed under the guidance of transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) in eight canines. Two canines were sacrificed 1 day and 1 week after TPLA, respectively. The remaining six canines were sacrificed after finishing transrectal contrast-enhanced ultrasound (TR-CEUS) at three phases. RESULTS: The prostatic volumes immediately following TPLA and 1 week later were larger than before TPLA (20.1 ± 3.9 vs 17.1 ± 3.8 ml; 21.7 ± 3.6 vs 17.1 ± 3.8 ml, p < 0.05), but 1 month later, returned to the preoperative level (17.4 ± 3.2 ml). At three time points, the mean volumes of laser-ablated lesions at 3 W/600 J were 0.6 ± 0.2, 1.1 ± 0.4, and 1.7 ± 0.5 ml, respectively, while those of laser-ablated lesions at 3 W/1200 J were 1.2 ± 0.2, 1.6 ± 0.3, and 2.2 ± 0.5 ml, respectively. The mean volumes of laser-ablated lesions increased significantly over time after TPLA (p < 0.050). CONCLUSION: The prostate volume transient enlarges after TPLA, which prompts for clinical application that it should prolong appropriately the duration of urinary catheterization to avoid acute urinary retention. Many inflammatory cells were observed in the laser-ablated lesions and adjacent normal prostate parenchyma through histopathology. It is speculated that the inflammatory response is involved in the progression of tissue damage.

Combinational Treatment of Doxorubicin With Neoadjuvant Docetaxel for Different Subtypes of Patients With Breast Cancer.

AIM: The aim of this study is to characterize the effect of chemotherapy drug doxorubicin with neoadjuvant drug docetaxel for different molecular subtypes. METHODS: A total of 83 patients with late-stage breast cancer were chosen to undergo treatment and compared to these patients to the combinational treatment to identify the molecular characteristics that can predict the responses. RESULTS: Total response rate is 81.9% (68/83 patients). Among them, 7 patients show pathological complete response of 8.4%, 12 patients show clinical complete response of 14.5%, 49 patients show partial response of 59%, and 15 patients show stable disease of 18.1%. The comparison among different subtypes of breast cancer, including luminal A, luminal B, basal-like, and ERBB2+ subtypes, did not show statistical significant differences to the treatment of combinational treatment for the complete response rate, including pathological complete response and clinical complete response. Comparing with luminal A and luminal B subtypes, the ERBB2+ and basal-like subtypes have better complete response and response rate rates. The disease-free survival rate and overall survival rate at 29 months after treatment did not show statistical significant differences among different subtypes of patients with breast cancer. CONCLUSION: The molecular subtypes of breast cancer can predict responses to the combinational treatment of doxorubicin with docetaxel, and ERBB2+ and basal-like subtypes have better response rate and complete response rate. There is correlation of estrogen receptor and KI-67 level changes with response rate as well, where KI-67 high patients are more sensitive to the treatment.

Two cases of high serum clozapine concentrations occurring during inflammation in Chinese patients.

Objective Serious infections or inflammations have been associated with serum clozapine concentration increases and sometimes with clozapine toxicity. Method These two cases describe Chinese patients (Case 1: a 57-year-old female nonsmoker with severe dermatitis and Case 2: a 47-year-old male nonsmoker with influenza and secondary infection). Results In both cases, the Drug Interaction Probability Scale established the presence of a probable drug-drug interaction. In both cases, the clozapine and the total clozapine concentration-to-dose ratios followed a temporal pattern (normal-high-normal), consistent with an inhibition of clozapine metabolism during peak inflammation. In the first case, the total clozapine concentration-to-dose ratio (8 with no/low inflammation: median of 3.10 and 2 at peak inflammation: median of 3.90) provided a significant difference (P = 0.044). In the second patient, because of the smaller sample size and reduced statistical power (4 with no infection: a median of 1.59 and 2 at peak infection: 3.46), the increase did not reach significance (P = 0.13). In the first case, the median baseline clozapine concentration-to-dose ratio increased by a factor of 1.45 from 2.00 to a peak of 2.89. To compensate for the inhibition of clozapine metabolism, the dose correction factor was 0.69 (1/1.45) or a decrease in dose of approximately one-third. In the second case, the median baseline clozapine concentration-to-dose ratio increased by a factor of 2.56 from 1.15 to a peak of 2.94. Conclusion This provided a dose correction factor of 0.40 (1/2.56) or approximately half the dose, similar to published cases in Caucasians with serious respiratory infections.

A Four-Component Cascade C-H Functionalization/Cyclization/Nucleophilic Substitution Reaction To Construct α-Functionalized Tetrahydroquinolines by the Strategy of in Situ Directing Group Formation.

A four-component cascade C-H functionalization/cyclization/nucleophilic substitution reactions of anilines, carboxylic anhydrides, propenol, and alkohols have been developed by a strategy of in situ directing group formation, affording an efficient and convenient synthesis of α-alkoxyl tetrahydroquinolines from basic starting materials. A plausible mechanism involving rhodium(III) catalytic C-H functionalization and double nucleophilic attacks is proposed. The nucleophilicity order of some alcohols is also obtained for the cascade reaction.

Complete mitochondrial genome of the aphid Hormaphis betulae (Mordvilko) (Hemiptera: Aphididae: Hormaphidinae).

The complete mitochondrial genome of Hormaphis betulae has been sequenced and annotated, which is the first representation from the aphid subfamily Hormaphidinae. This mitogenome is 15 088 bp long with an A + T content of 82.2%, containing 37 genes arranged in the same order as the putative ancestral arrangement of insects and a control region. All protein-coding genes start with an ATN codon and terminate with a TAA codon or a single T residue. All the 22 tRNAs, ranging from 61 to 78 bp, have the typical clover-leaf structure except for trnS (AGN). The lengths of rrnL and rrnS genes are 1275 and 776 bp, respectively. The control region is 509 bp long and located between rrnS and trnI, including three domains: an AT-rich zone, a poly-thymidine stretch, and a stem-loop region. The phylogenetic tree supports H. betulae as the basal lineage within Aphididae.

Morita-Baylis-Hillman Reaction of α,ß-Unsaturated Ketones with Allylic Acetates by the Combination of Transition-Metal Catalysis and Organomediation.

An intermolecular Morita-Baylis-Hillman (MBH) reaction of α,ß-unsaturated ketones with allylic acetates under the catalysis of 10 mol % of tetrakis(triphenylphosphine)palladium(0) and mediation of tributylphosphine has been developed in the presence of acetic acid, affording the desired α-coupling products. The MBH reaction has the advantages of good tolerance to many functional groups, excellent regioselectivity and E-stereoselectivity, and moderate to good yields.

Low levels of mannose-binding lectin at admission increase the risk of adverse neurological outcome in preterm infants: a 1-year follow-up study.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to explore the association between serum levels of mannose-binding lectin (MBL) at admission and neurodevelopmental outcomes in a group of Chinese preterm infants, observed prospectively, until 1-year of corrected age (CA). METHODS: All preterm infants used in this study were received from the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of our Hospital between 1 January 2012 and 31 August 2013. Serum levels of MBL and clinical data were obtained at the time of admission. The influence of MBL levels on neurological outcome was assessed by logistic regression analysis. Clinical follow-up was performed at 1 year. RESULTS: The study cohort consisted of 175 neonates at baseline and 105 finished the 1-year follow-up. The mean serum MBL levels at the time of admission were significantly lower in children with adverse neurological outcomes as compared with children with no adverse [0.53 (SD = 0.09) µg/ml versus 0.80 (SD = 0.17) µg/ml, respectively; t = 8.342, p < 0.0001]. In multivariate analysis, there was an increased risk of adverse neurological outcomes associated with MBL ≤ 0.68 µg/ml [odds ratios (OR) = 12.11, 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.31-30.32; p < 0.0001] after adjusting for possible factors. CONCLUSION: Preterm infants who had low levels of MBL at admission are exposed to an increased risk of adverse neurological outcomes.

Lipase immobilization on epoxy-activated poly(vinyl acetate-acrylamide) microspheres.

Poly(vinyl acetate-acrylamide) microspheres with an average diameter of 2-4µm were successfully prepared and characterized via SEM and FTIR. Then the microspheres were modified with epoxy groups through reacting with epichlorohydrin and used as carriers to covalently immobilize Candida rugosa lipase. The results revealed that agitation played an important role on epoxy activation and the immobilization ratio increased with the increase of the epoxy density. On the other hand, the specific activity of the immobilized lipase as well as the activity recovery declined gradually with the increase in the immobilization ratio from 72% to 93%, which were attributed to the steric hindrance effects caused by enzyme overloading. When epoxy density was 76µmol/g microsphere, the activity recovery reached the maximum at 47.5%, and the activity of the immobilized lipase was 261.3U/g microsphere. Moreover, the thermal stability of the immobilized lipase was much better than that of the free one, which indicated potential applications of the immobilized lipase.

Effect of poly(vinyl acetate-acrylamide) microspheres properties and steric hindrance on the immobilization of Candida rugosa lipase.

Poly(vinyl acetate-acrylamide) microspheres were synthesized in the absence or presence of isooctane via suspension polymerization and utilized as carriers to immobilize Candida rugosa lipase. When the hydrophobic/hydrophilic surface characteristics of the microspheres were modified by changing the ratio of vinyl acetate (hydrophobic monomer) to acrylamide (hydrophilic monomer) from 50:50 to 86:24, the immobilization ratio changed from 45% to 92% and the activity of the immobilized lipase increased from 202.5 to 598.0 U/g microsphere. Excessive lipase loading caused intermolecular steric hindrance, which resulted in a decline in lipase activity. The maximum specific activity of the immobilized lipase (4.65 U/mg lipase) was higher than that of free lipase (3.00 U/mg lipase), indicating a high activity recovery during immobilization.

[Expression of Cav-1, AQP1 and AQP5 in lung of acute pancreatitis-associated lung injury rats and the therapeutic role of Qingyitang].

OBJECTIVE: to investigate the expression and location of caveolin-1 (Cav-1), aquaporin 1 (AQP1) and AQP5 in the lung of acute pancreatitis-associated lung injury rats and to determine the role of these molecules in the pathologic progress and the potential therapeutic mechanisms of Qingyitang. METHODS: forty Wistar rats were randomly divided into sham operation (SHAM) group, acute lung injury (ALI) group, dexamethasone (DEX) group and Qingyitang (QYT) group. ALI was induced by reverse injection of deoxycholate into biliopancreatic duct of rats. Blood and lung tissues were collected after 24 h. Serum amylase, lung wet/dry (W/D) ratio and pathological section were detected to evaluate the degree of lung injury. reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction was taken to detect the mRNA levels of Cav-1, AQP1 and AQP5. Lipid rafts were prepared for detection of the distribution and expression level of Cav-1, AQP1 and AQP5 proteins by Western blot. RESULTS: the concentration of serum amylase, the value of W/D and the degree of pathological lung injury obviously increased in ALI rats. Cav-1, AQP1 and AQP5 were present in the lung while the mRNA level decreased in ALI rats. Cav-1 appeared mainly in lipid rafts and less in non-lipid rafts. AQP1 was localized to lipid rafts while AQP5 to non-lipid rafts. The localization of these three molecules in the lung of ALI rats did not change compared with SHAM rats while their protein levels decreased. Compared with ALI rats, the concentration of serum amylase, the value of W/D and the degree of pathological lung injury obviously decreased in DEX and QYT rats. The mRNA and the protein expression of Cav-1, AQP1 and AQP5 increased in various degrees by DEX or QYT treatment. CONCLUSION: Cav-1 and AQP1 are enriched in lipid rafts while AQP5 in non-lipid rafts. The down-regulated expression of these three molecules may play important role in acute pancreatitis-associated lung injury. DEX and QYT may relieve lung injury effectively by up-regulating the expressions of Cav-1, AQP1 and AQP5.

The associated factors to endometrial cavity fluid and the relevant impact on the IVF-ET outcome.

BACKGROUND: Endometrial cavity fluid (ECF) is a fluid accumulation within the endometrial cavity. The significance of ECF remains unclear during the program of in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET). The aim of the present study was to investigate the associated factors to ECF, visualized through ultrasound at the day of oocyte retrieval, and the relevant impact on the outcome of IVF-ET. METHODS: From the clinical data of 1557 infertility patients for IVF-ET program, 46 ECF patients were retrospectively selected as the ECF group; and another 134 patients with a bilateral salpingectomy and without ECF, selected as the control group. The demographics and the outcome of IVF-ET were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: The incidence of ECF was 2.95% (46/1557). Over half (28/46, 60.87%) of ECF patients had tubal infertility. Only 12 Of 46 ECF patients (26.09%) had visible hydrosalpinx on ultrasonography before ovarian stimulation. The cycle cancellation rate (4/46, 8.69%) of ECF group was not significantly higher than that of the control group (6/134, 4.48%; P > 0.05). Reasons for cycle cancellation in both groups were all the high risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS). No significant difference was found in clinical pregnancy rate between the patients with their ECF <3.5 mm in the anterior-posterior diameter (APD) and the control group (35.48% versus 30.47%; P > 0.05). No clinical pregnancy was found among those patients with their ECF equal or higher 3.5 mm in APD. CONCLUSIONS: It was tubal infertility, not hydrosalpinx, which was related to the development of ECF. Excessive ECF (equal or higher 3.5 mm in APD) at the day of oocyte retrieval would have a negative impact on the outcome of IVF-ET.

[Increasing cardiopulmonary bypass flow volume improves outcome of patient with carotid stenosis undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of increasing cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) flow volume in improving outcome of patients with carotid artery stenosis performed coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) procedure. METHODS: Fifty-one patients data collected from January 2006 to March 2008 and divided into two groups (A and B) based on the degree of the carotid artery stenosis diagnosed by ultrasound. Group A included 15 cases with one or both carotid artery stenosis more than 50%, 14 male and 1 female, aged (68.5 +/- 7.7) years old, 14 with hypertension, 2 with diabetes, 6 with myocardial infarction, 3 with cerebral infarction. Group B included 36 cases with stenosis less than 50%, 34 male and 2 female, aged (62.4 +/- 10.2) years old, 28 with hypertension, 7 with diabetes, 20 with myocardial infarction. Increasing CPB flow volume in A group to compare cerebral blood flow (CBF) within procedure in both groups. RESULTS: CPB flow volume in group A was much higher than it in group B (P = 0.001). Mean arterial blood pressure in group A was (67.0 +/- 9.1) mm Hg (1 mm Hg = 0.133 kPa), higher than group B (59.0 +/- 7.1) mm Hg (P = 0.009). There was no significant difference of CBF within procedure and neuropsychologic performance in both group as result. CONCLUSION: For the patients presenting with carotid artery stenosis undergoing the procedure of CABG with CPB, increasing CPB flow volume could improve significantly diseased side cerebral blood flow and might reduce neurological complications.