Effect of cardiac rehabilitation care after coronary intervention on cardiac function recovery and negative mood in patients with myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular disease, particularly myocardial infarction (MI) profound impact on patients' quality of life and places a substantial burden on the healthcare and economy systems. Developments in medical technology have led to the emergence of coronary intervention as an essential method for treating MI. AIM: To assess the effects of cardiac rehabilitation care on cardiac function recovery and negative emotions in MI after coronary intervention. METHODS: This study included a total of 180 patients with MI during the period from June 2022 to July 2023. Selected patients were divided into two groups: An observation group, which receiving cardiac rehabilitation care; a control group, which receiving conventional care. By comparing multiple observation indicators such as cardiac function indicators, blood pressure, exercise tolerance, occurrence of adverse cardiac events, and negative emotion scores between the two groups of patients. All the data were analyzed and compared between two groups. RESULTS: There were 44 males and 46 females in the observation group with an average age of 36.26 ± 9.88 yr; there were 43 males and 47 females in the control group, with an average age of 40.87 ± 10.5 yr. After receiving the appropriate postoperative nursing measures, the results of the observation group showed significant improvement in several indicators compared with the control group. Indicators of cardiac function, such as left ventricular end-diastolic internal diameter and left ventricular ejection fraction were significantly better in the observation group than in the control group (P < 0.05). Exercise endurance assessment showed that the 6-minute walking test distance was significantly increased in the patients of the observation group (P < 0.01). In addition, the incidence of adverse cardiac events was significantly lower in the observation group, and negative mood scores were significantly reduced (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Cardiac rehabilitation care after coronary intervention has a significant positive impact on functional recovery. This emphasizes the importance of cardiac rehabilitation care to improve patient recovery.

Mitochondrial stress adaptation promotes resistance to aromatase inhibitor in human breast cancer cells via ROS/calcium up-regulated amphiregulin-estrogen receptor loop signaling.

Many breast cancer patients harbor high estrogen receptor (ER) expression in tumors that can be treated with endocrine therapy, which includes aromatase inhibitors (AI); unfortunately, resistance often occurs. Mitochondrial dysfunction has been thought to contribute to progression and to be related to hormone receptor expression in breast tumors. Mitochondrial alterations in AI-resistant breast cancer have not yet been defined. In this study, we characterized mitochondrial alterations and their roles in AI resistance. MCF-7aro AI-resistant breast cancer cells were shown to have significant changes in mitochondria. Low expressions of mitochondrial genes and proteins could be poor prognostic factors for breast cancer patients. Long-term mitochondrial inhibitor treatments-mediated mitochondrial stress adaptation could induce letrozole resistance. ERα-amphiregulin (AREG) loop signaling was activated and contributed to mitochondrial stress adaptation-mediated letrozole resistance. The up-regulation of AREG-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) crosstalk activated the PI3K/Akt/mTOR and ERK pathways and was responsible for ERα activation. Moreover, mitochondrial stress adaptation-increased intracellular levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and calcium were shown to induce AREG expression and secretion. In conclusion, our results support the claim that mitochondrial stress adaptation contributes to AI resistance via ROS/calcium-mediated AREG-ERα loop signaling and provide possible treatment targets for overcoming AI resistance.

Chilling injury mechanism of hardy kiwifruit (Actinidia arguta) was revealed by proteome of label-free techniques.

Refrigeration is an important method to extend shelf life of hardy kiwifruit. However, the inappropriate storage temperature can lead to chilling injury in the fruit. We found that firmness, total soluble solids, and total polyphenolic content of the fruit exposed to 0℃ environment were apparently lower, and titratable acidity content, browning rate, weight loss rate, electrolyte leakage, proline content, and malondialdehyde content were higher obviously than 4℃. A total of 244 differentially expressed proteins were found result from differential temperatures, among which 113 were up-regulated and 131 were down-regulated. Subcellular localization results presented that the differentially expressed proteins which were affected by low temperature were located in cytoplasmic, chloroplast, nuclear, mitochondrial, plasma membrane, and extracellular. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis showed that the differentially expressed proteins were mainly participated in synthesis of citrate cycle, oxidative phosphorylation, fatty acid biosynthesis, and starch and sucrose metabolism. Protein-protein interaction results revealed that central proteins interaction points respectively are 30S ribosomal proteins, 30S ribosomal protein S7, chloroplastic, cell division cycle 5-like protein, 50S ribosomal protein, ribosomal protein, ribosomal protein L6 protein, and SRP54 subunit protein. The quality deviations of all identified peptides were mainly distributed within 10 ppm, and MS2 has an ideal andromeda score, with more than 87.82% peptide scores above 60 points, and the median peptide score of 99.28 points. Therefore, the results of this study provide important information for new gene revelation and gene interaction relationship in hardy kiwifruit of chilling injury. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Inhibition of cold damage in hardy kiwifruit under low temperature is very important work for the development of its storage industry. However, many qualities of fruit will deteriorate after long-term cold storage and those biological activities of the fruits are regulated by proteins. It is, therefore, of great significance to reveal the key proteins caused cold damage in hardy kiwifruit. Moreover, the study results could provide a scientific information for the quality improvement and genetic modification of hardy kiwifruit.

[Effects of aqueous extracts of gecko on stemness of hepatocellular carcinoma].

To explore the effects and mechanism of aqueous extracts of gecko on cancer stem cells properties of hepatocellular carcinoma. In vitro, MTT assay was used to detect the cells growth in Huh7 and Hep3B. Spheroid-forming assay and flow cytometry were performed to observe the the stemness of Huh7 and Hep3B cells. The protein expressions of ß-catenin, CD44, c-Myc, CCND1, Sox2, Oct4, Nanog and ABCG2 were detected by Western blot. Interacting proteins were detected by co-immunoprecipitation; and a subcutaneous xenograft model was used to detect the stemness of hepatoma carcinoma cells. The results indicated that aqueous extracts of gecko induced cell growth inhibition in a dose- and time-dependent manner, with the IC50 of (0.750±0.112) g•mL⁻¹ for Huh7 and (0.454±0.039) g•mL⁻¹ for Hep3B, respectively. The number and size of tumor spheres formed by hepatoma carcinoma cells were decreased after treatment by aqueous extracts of gecko(P<0.05); the proportions of cells staining with putative markers for cancer stem cells, such as CD133 and CD44, were decreased(P<0.05). After treatment with aqueous extracts of gecko, the expression levels of ß-catenin, CD44, c-Myc, CCND1, Sox2, Oct4, Nanog and ABCG2 were decreased. Co-immunoprecipitation results showed that the aqueous extracts of gecko could inhibit the interaction between LRP6 and Frizzled6, indicating that the aqueous extracts of gecko could inhibit the proliferation of hepatoma cells, the formation of tumor spheres and the proportion of tumor stem cells, and inhibit the Wnt signaling pathway by targeting LRP6 to prevent the formation of LRP6 and Frizzled6 complexes.

Serum sLOX-1 Levels Are Correlated with the Presence and Severity of Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

CONTEXT: Inflammation plays a critical role in the development and progression of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Lectin-like oxidized low-density lipoprotein receptor-1 (LOX-1) activation is involved in the pathophysiology of inflammatory process-related disorders. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to investigate whether serum soluble LOX-1 (sLOX-1) levels are associated with the presence and severity of OSA. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 137 OSA patients and 78 controls were recruited in this study. Serum sLOX-1 levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The severity of OSA was assessed by the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI). RESULTS: OSA patients had significantly higher serum sLOX-1 levels compared with controls. Serum sLOX-1 levels elevated with the increment of OSA severity. sLOX-1 was the independent predictor of OSA. Serum sLOX-1 levels were significantly correlated with AHI and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels. CONCLUSIONS: Serum sLOX-1 levels were independently correlated with the presence and severity of OSA. These findings revealed that sLOX-1 might function as a potential biomarker for monitoring the development and progression of OSA.

Resident intruder paradigm-induced aggression relieves depressive-like behaviors in male rats subjected to chronic mild stress.

BACKGROUND: Accumulating epidemiological evidence shows that life event stressors are major vulnerability factors for psychiatric diseases such as major depression. It is also well known that the resident intruder paradigm (RIP) results in aggressive behavior in male rats. However, it is not known how resident intruder paradigm-induced aggression affects depressive-like behavior in isolated male rats subjected to chronic mild stress (CMS), which is an animal model of depression. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Male Wistar rats were divided into 3 groups: non-stressed controls, isolated rats subjected to the CMS protocol, and resident intruder paradigm-exposed rats subjected to the CMS protocol. RESULTS: In the sucrose intake test, ingestion of a 1% sucrose solution by rats in the CMS group was significantly lower than in control and CMS+RIP rats after 3 weeks of stress. In the open-field test, CMS rats had significantly lower open-field scores compared to control rats. Furthermore, the total scores given the CMS group were significantly lower than in the CMS+RIP rats. In the forced swimming test (FST), the immobility times of CMS rats were significantly longer than those of the control or CMS+RIP rats. However, no differences were observed between controls and CMS+RIP rats. CONCLUSIONS: Our data show that aggressive behavior evoked by the resident intruder paradigm could relieve broad-spectrum depressive-like behaviors in isolated adult male rats subjected to CMS.

Monoamine neurotransmitters and fibroblast growth factor-2 in the brains of rats with post-stroke depression.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the changes in the levels of serotonin (5-HT), dopamine (DA), norepinephrine (NE) and fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2) in the brains of rats with post-stroke depression (PSD). A rat model of stroke was established by middle cerebral artery occlusion and the rats were randomly divided into two groups: Control and modification groups. The rats in the modification group had PSD, while the rats in the control group had experienced a stroke only. The PSD model was established by applying chronic mild stress to the individually housed rats. High-performance liquid chromatography was used to detect the levels of 5-HT, DA and NE, while western blotting was used to detect the FGF-2 protein expression levels in the frontal lobe and hippocampus. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction was also used to determine the mRNA expression levels of FGF-2 in the frontal lobes of the two groups. The levels of 5-HT, DA and NE in the frontal lobe and hippocampus of the rats in the PSD group were significantly lower than the levels observed in the rats in the stroke group (P<0.01). In addition, protein expression levels of FGF-2 in the frontal lobe of the rats in the PSD group were significantly lower when compared with the control group rats (P<0.01), however, the protein expression levels of FGF-2 in the hippocampus did not exhibit a statistically significant difference (P>0.05). The mRNA expression levels of FGF-2 in the frontal lobe of the rats in the modification group were significantly lower than the levels in the control group rats (P<0.01). Therefore, reduced levels of monoamine neurotransmitters and FGF-2 expression in the brains of rats with PSD are associated with the incidence of PSD.

[The effect of secondary lymphoid tissue chemokine and its receptor on chemotaxis of peripheral blood lymphocytes in the patients with Sjögren's syndrome].

AIM: To investigate the effect of secondary lymphoid tissue chemokine (SLTC) and its receptor CCL21/CCR7 on chemotaxis of peripheral blood lymphocytes in the patients with Sjögren's syndrome (SS) and explore their roles in the SS pathogenesis. METHODS: Thirty-one SS patients were selected, including 18 primary SS patients (pSS) and 13 secondary SS (sSS) patients. In addition, 20 healthy persons were selected as normal controls. Peripheral blood lymphocytes were isolated from all the SS patients and normal controls. The cell trans-membrane test with 24-well transwells was used to detect the effect of CCL21/CCR7 on the lymphocyte migration. RESULTS: In the presence of CCL21, the chemotactic indexes (CIs) of lymphocytes from pSS and sSS patients were 2.92±0.12 and 2.80±0.28, respectively. Both of them were significantly higher than that of normal controls (CI=1.32±0.11, P<0.01), while there was no difference between pSS and sSS patients. After anti-CCR7 mAb pretreatment, the lymphocyte CIs of pSS and sSS patients respectively, decreased significantly to 1.04±0.05 and 1.03±0.08 as compared with untreated controls. CONCLUSION: CCR7 is the one of the important factors resulting in lymphocyte migration. CCL21/CCR7 interaction mediates the migration of peripheral lymphocytes in SS patients and may be involved in the gland damage due to the infiltration of massive lymphocytes in exocrine glands in SS patients.

[Preparation, characterization and application of polyclonal antibody against human carboxylesterases-II].

AIM: To construct a prokaryotic plasmid expressing human carboxyles-terases-II (hCE-II ), purify the recombinant protein and investigate the rabbit polyclonal antibody against hCE-II . METHODS: A recombinant plasmid expressing pGEX-4T-1-hCE-II (hCE-II -GST) and pET-32a- hCE-II (hCE-II -His) was constructed and then it was expressed in E.coli BL21 induced by IPTG. The polyclonal antibody was prepared by immunizing the rabbits with the purified recombinant protein. The sensitivity and specificity of the antibody was detected using enzyme -linked immunosorbent assay, immunohistochem ical staining and Western blot analysis. RESULTS: The polyclonal antibody against hCE-II was successfully prepared. Western blot analysis showed that the antibody specifically reacted with the recombinant protein and natural human liver microsomal proteins. Immunohistochemis result demonstrated that the pAb could combine with liver cytoplasm protein but not vascular smooth muscle cell protein. CONCLUSION: The successful preparation of the pAb against hCE-II with high titer and specificity lays a foundation for the investigation of diagnosis kit of liver cancer.

[Changes of serum BAFF and IL-21 levels in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and their clinical significance].

AIM: To investigate the changes of serum BAFF and IL-21 levels in the patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and explore their clinical significance. METHODS: The serum levels of BAFF and IL-21 were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). RESULTS: The levels of serum BAFF and IL-21 in the patients with SLE were obviously higher than those in healthy control group. The BAFF level in the group of lupus nephritis (LN) with renal biopsy increased with pathologic aggravation and the IL-21 level in II, III, IV LN also increased, with the most obviously change in the type IV. The levels of BAFF and IL-21 obviously increased in SLE patients with Sjogren's syndrome (SS), but the levels of BAFF and IL-21 obviously tended to decrease in the patients after glucocorticosteroid treatment for a week, with the most significant decrease in BAFF. The changes of BAFF and IL-21 were related to major immune indexes in the patients with SLE. There was positive correlation between BAFF and IL-21 in IV LN. CONCLUSION: The levels of serum BAFF and IL-21 level are increased in the patients with SLE. The dysfunction and synergistic effect of T and B lymphocytes play different roles in the patients with different organ damage and pathoprocess respectively.

[Genetic polymorphisms of NQO1, GSTT1, GSTM1 and susceptibility to chronic benzene poisoning].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the relationship between genetic polymorphism of quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1), glutathione S-transferase theta 1 (GSTT1), glutathiones S-transferase mu 1 (GSTM1) and susceptibility to chronic benzene poisoning (BP). METHODS: The genotypes of NQO1, GSTT1, GSTM1 for 100 patients with benzene poisoning and 90 workers exposed to benzene who were engaged in the same working time and job title as patients with benzene poisoning were detected by PCR-RFLP and multi-PCR. RESULTS: There was a 2.82-fold (95% CI: 1.42 approximately 5.58, P < 0.05) increased risk of BP in the subjects with NQO1 C609T mutation genotype (T/T) compared with those carrying heterozygous (C/T) and wild type (C/C), and there was a 2.94-fold (95% CI: 1.25 approximately 6.90, P < 0.05) increased risk of BP in the subjects with NQO1 C609T T/T genotype compared with those carrying C/C genotype. The subjects with GSTT1 null genotype had a 1.91-fold (95% CI: 1.05 approximately 3.45, P < 0.05) increased risk of BP compared with those with GSTT1 non-null genotype. The interaction of two genes showed that there was a increased risk of BP in subjects with any two genotypes of NQO1 C609T T/T genotype and GSTT1 null genotype and GSTM1 null genotype, compared to the individual with any two genotypes of NQO1 C609T C/C genotype and GSTT1 non-null genotype and GSTM1 non-null genotype. The interaction of three genes showed that there was a 20.41-fold (95% CI: 3.79 approximately 111.11, P < 0.01) increased risk of BP in subjects with NQO1 C609T T/T genotype and GSTT1 null genotype and GSTM1 null genotype compared with those carrying NQO1 C609T C/T genotype and C/C genotype and GSTT1 non-null genotype and GSTM1 non-null genotype. CONCLUSIONS: The interaction of multi-genes may be an important role to BP. The genetic polymorphisms of 3 genes (NQO1, GSTT1 and GSTM1) led to declining of detoxifying ability in benzene metabolism, so the individual with NQO1 C609T T/T genotype, GSTT1 null genotype and GSTM1 null genotype is most susceptive to benzene. The results were consistent with that of the theoretic presumption. It could be suggested as a biomarker to assess the risk of benzene poisoning for individuals.

[Effect of the polymorphism of myeloperoxidase gene on the risk of benzene poisoning].

OBJECTIVE: To study the relationship between the polymorphism myeloperoxidase (MPO) gene and the genetic susceptibility to benzene toxicity in workers exposed to benzene and in patients with benzene poisoning. METHODS: Using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphisms (PCR-RFLP) techniques, the genotypes' polymorphism of MPO gene in 35 patients with chronic benzene poisoning, 46 workers exposed to benzene from the same workplace (as exposed control) and 26 controls were analyzed. RESULT: There were three (G/G, G/A and A/A) genotypes in the region of 463 bp upstream of MPO gene. The distribution frequency in G/G wild-type genotype in patients was 27.4% more than that in the exposed workers. The risk of benzene-hematotoxicity in those with G/G genotype was 2.8-fold higher than G/A + A/A genotype (OR = 2.835, 95% CI: 1.065 - 7.549, P < 0.05). The polymorphism of myeloperoxidase was not associated with gender specific. CONCLUSION: In the same benzene-exposed environment, the subjects with MPO-463 G/G genotype may be more susceptible to benzene toxicity.