Farnesoid X receptor activation protects against renal fibrosis via modulation of ß-catenin signaling.

OBJECTIVE: Activation of farnesoid X receptor (FXR), a bile acid nuclear receptor, may be implicated in the pathophysiology of diabetic nephropathy. We explored a possible role for FXR activation in preventing renal fibrosis in high fat diet (HFD)-fed mice. METHODS: We investigated the effects of HFD on mouse kidney and renal tubular epithelial cells both in vivo and in vitro, and observed the changes of FXR and ß-catenin pathway. FXR agonist was also used to alleviate this HFD-induced effect, and the interaction between FXR and ß-catenin was further verified. RESULTS: Mice were fed by a 60% kcal fat diet for 20 weeks developed the typical traits of metabolic syndrome with subsequent renal lipid accumulation and renal injury. Treatment with the FXR agonist CDCA or GW4064 decreased body weight, renal lipid accumulation, as well as renal injury. Moreover, renal ß-catenin signaling was activated and improved with FXR-agonist treatment in HFD-fed mice. To examine whether FXR affected ß-catenin signaling, and was involved in tubulo-interstitial fibrosis, we explored the FXR expression and function in ox-LDL induced-renal tubular injury. In rat proximal tubular epithelial cells (NRK-52E) stimulated by ox-LDL, FXR protein was decreased compared to control group, and phosphorylated (Ser675) ß-catenin was activated by ox-LDL in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Ox-LDL enhanced α-SMA and fibronectin expressions and reduced E-cadherin levels, whereas FXR agonism or FXR overexpression inhibited fibronectin and α-SMA expressions and restored E-cadherin. Moreover, FXR agonist treatment also decreased phosphorylated (Ser675) ß-catenin, nuclear translocation and ß-catenin-mediated transcription induced by ox-LDL in NRK-52E cells. We showed that FXR could bind with ß-catenin via the AF1 domain, and disrupt the assembly of the core ß-catenin/TCF4 complex. CONCLUSION: These experimental data suggest that FXR activation, via modulating ß-catenin signaling, may contribute to attenuating the development of lipid-mediated tubulo-interstitial fibrosis.

Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress: A Key Regulator of Cardiovascular Disease.

The problems associated with economic development and social progress have led to an increase in the occurrence of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), which affect the health of an increasing number of people and are a leading cause of disease and population mortality worldwide. Endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS), a hot topic of interest for scholars in recent years, has been confirmed in numerous studies to be an important pathogenetic basis for many metabolic diseases and play an important role in maintaining physiological processes. The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is a major organelle that is involved in protein folding and modification synthesis, and ERS occurs when several physiological and pathological factors allow excessive amounts of unfolded/misfolded proteins to accumulate. ERS often leads to initiation of the unfolded protein response (UPR) in a bid to re-establish tissue homeostasis; however, UPR has been documented to induce vascular remodeling and cardiomyocyte damage under various pathological conditions, leading to or accelerating the development of CVDs such as hypertension, atherosclerosis, and heart failure. In this review, we summarize the latest knowledge gained concerning ERS in terms of cardiovascular system pathophysiology, and discuss the feasibility of targeting ERS as a novel therapeutic target for the treatment of CVDs. Investigation of ERS has immense potential as a new direction for future research involving lifestyle intervention, the use of existing drugs, and the development of novel drugs that target and inhibit ERS.

The exploration of shared genes and molecular mechanisms of systemic lupus erythematosus and atherosclerosis.

OBJECTIVE: Despite widespread recognition, the mechanisms underlying the relationship between systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and atherosclerosis (AS) are still unclear. Our study aimed to explore the shared genetic signature and molecular mechanisms of SLE and AS using a bioinformatics approach. METHODS: Gene expression profiles of GSE50772 (contains peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 61 SLE patients and 20 normal samples) and GSE100927 (contains 69 AS plaque tissue samples and 35 control samples) were downloaded from the Gene Expression Database (GEO) before the differentially expressed genes were obtained using the "limma" package in R. The differential genes were then subjected to gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis using the DAVID online platform to annotate their functions. The intersection targets of PPI and WGCNA were used as key shared genes for SLE and AS with their diagnostic value as shared genes being verified through ROC curves. Finally, Cytoscape 3.7.2 software was used to construct a miRNA-mRNA network map associated with the shared genes. RESULTS: A total of 246 DEGs were identified, including 189 upregulated genes and 57 downregulated genes, which were mainly enriched in signaling pathways such as TNF signaling pathway, IL-17 signaling pathway, and NF-kB signaling pathway. The molecular basis for the relationship between SLE and AS may be the aforementioned signaling pathways. Following ROC curve validation, the intersection of PPI and WGCNA, as well as AQP9, CCR1, CD83, CXCL1, and FCGR2A, resulted in the identification of 15 shared genes. CONCLUSION: The study provided a new perspective on the common molecular mechanisms between SLE and AS, and the key genes and pathways that were identified as being part of these pathways may offer fresh perspectives and suggestions for further experimental research.

The role of flavonoids in the prevention and management of cardiovascular complications: a narrative review.

OBJECTIVE: Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the world's leading cause of death, affecting an estimated 17.9 million people. CVDs have been the primary risk factor for mortality in developed countries. Smoking, hypertension, diabetes, abdominal obesity, psychological stressors, insufficient vegetable and fruit intake could significantly alleviate the burden of disease. The present review sought to document the anti-hypertensive, anti-arrhythmic, anti-anginal, and anti-infarction effects of flavonoids. BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular disorders are the leading cause of death worldwide, affecting an estimated 17.9 million individuals. Strokes and heart attacks account for 4 out of every 5 deaths caused by cardiovascular disorders. Physical activity protects against a variety of chronic conditions at any age. A demographic program combined with a high-risk CVD prevention approach could dramatically minimize the disease burden in the coming years. By controlling weight and improving the body's use of insulin, physical activity decreases the risk of CVDs. Tobacco and smoking are other modifiable factors associated with the progression of cardiovascular disorders. Abnormal blood lipids are also linked to dietary habits. Daily flavonoid consumption is linked to a lower risk of heart disease. Flavonoids have been the subject of significant interest by experts in recent times due to wide spectrum of possible benefits they provide. polyphenolic compounds can be useful as adjunctive therapy for the management and cure of inflammatory diseases. METHODS: Literature related to cardiovascular effects of flavonoids was assessed on important database like PubMed, Scopus, ScienceDirect. The outcomes of various studies were documented. CONCLUSIONS: Flavonoids are fairly soluble in physiological media and thus are a potential candidate for the possible management of cardiovascular and associated disorders. Alleviating the oxidative stress induced by reactive oxygen species using anti-oxidant-rich flavonoids could lower the chances of platelet hyperactivation, heart disease, discomfort, and fibrosis. Flavonoid intake on a daily basis has been linked to a lower risk of heart failure. Polyphenolic compounds have the ability to be used as an adjunctive therapy in the prevention and control of cardiovascular and inflammatory diseases. Flavonoids have a role in the management of coagulation disorders.

lncRNA-XIST protects the hypoxia-induced cardiomyocyte injury through regulating the miR-125b-hexokianse 2 axis.

Ischemic injury in the heart is associated with low oxygen, leading to the damage of cardiomyocytes. The lncRNA-XIST is known to involve in post-ischemia myocardial remodeling. However, the roles and mechanism of XIST in the hypoxia-induced cardiomyocyte are still under investigation. Moreover, studies that elucidated the impaired glucose metabolism present new hallmark of ischemic cardiovascular injury. The objective of this study is to investigate the effects of lncRNA-XIST on cardiomyocyte injury under hypoxia. Here, we demonstrate that the XIST expressions of cardiomyocyte line, H9c2 were apparently suppressed by long-time hypoxia exposure under low glucose supply. On the contrary, miRNA-125b showed reverse expression pattern to XIST. We identified that XIST functioned as a ceRNA of miR-125b to downregulate its expression in both cell line and rat primary cardiomyocyte. Under low glucose supply, H9c2 cells exhibited increased susceptibility to hypoxia. We observed overexpression of XIST significantly elevated glycose metabolism rate under hypoxia, but overexpression of miR-125b inhibited glycose metabolism rate of cardiomyocyte under hypoxia. The glycolysis enzyme, hexokinase 2 (HK2) was validated as a direct target of miR-125b, which binds to the 3'-UTR region of HK2 mRNA in cardiomyocytes. Moreover, inhibition of miR-125b significantly protected the hypoxia-induced cardiomyocyte injury through restoration of glucose metabolism. Finally, we demonstrated that transfection of miR-125b in lncRNA-XIST overexpressed H9c2 cells effectively abolished the XIST-activated glucose metabolism and cardiomyocyte protection under hypoxia. The present study illustrates roles of the XIST-miR-125b-HK2 axis in the hypoxia-induced cardiomyocyte injury and proposes that maintaining glucose metabolism might be an effective approach for protection of cardiomyocyte injury.

Increased case finding of tuberculosis from sputum and sputum deposits after magnetic bead concentration of mycobacteria.

Concentration of mycobacteria from sputum by centrifugation prior to acid-fast microscopy increases case finding compared to direct microscopy of the sputum (direct smear). However, centrifugation has to be performed outside the safety cabinet and many laboratories do not have access to a centrifuge. Magnetic bead extraction of the mycobacteria is an alternative method that can be performed in a cabinet with just a magnet. Magnetic TB-Bead (Microsens Medtech Ltd) extraction of mycobacteria from sputum prior to microscopy was compared to direct smear on 78 sputum samples. Microscopy of the TB-Bead extracts identified all of 26 of the direct smear positive samples either with the same microscopy score or, in 19/27 of samples, with an increased microscopy score which aided microscopy detection. In addition, microscopy of the TB-Bead extracts identified 10 additional positive samples compared to direct smear; which represents a statistically significant increase in case finding of 38% (p = 0.002) compared to direct smear. In a separate study, TB-Beads enabled further 4 positive samples to be detected from 30 centrifuged pellets that were originally smear negative; two of these were subsequently found to be positive when the original deposits were reinvestigated by smear microscopy. By concentrating mycobacteria from sputum and sputum deposits, TB-Beads have been demonstrated to increase the number of positive sputum samples which could increase case-finding. The TB-Bead method is simple and rapid and compatible with use within a safety cabinet.

[Effect of dioxin on apoptosis of osteogenic sarcoma cells and regulation on gene expression of insulin-like growth factor binding protein 6].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of the environmental carcinogenic factor-TCDD (2, 3, 7, 8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin) on cell apoptosis and gene regulation of insulin-like growth factor binding protein 6 (IGFBP-6) in osteogenic sarcoma (SaOS-2) cells. METHODS: The SaOS-2 cells were cultured with TCDD (1 x 10(-9), 1 x 10(-8), 1 x 10(-7) mol/L) for 24 hours. The MTT reduction assay and flow cytometry were used to measure the cell proliferation and the cell apoptosis in TCDD-treated SaOS-2 cells. The Nitrophenol phosphate salt method was used to measure activity of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) in SaOS-2 cells. The IGFBP-6 mRNA and protein in SaOS-2 cells were detected by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and western blotting analysis. RESULTS: SaOS-2 cell proliferation was up-regulated with TCDD (1 x 10(-9), 1 x 10(-8), and 1 x 10(-7) mol/L) about 20%, 47% and 93% (18.4 +/- 4.5, 22.5 +/- 3.6 and 29.4 +/- 4.2), respectively. The synthesis of ALP was up-regulated about 28%, 95%, and 142% (1.12 +/- 0.28, 1.58 +/- 0.14 and 1.96 +/- 0.17), respectively (P < 0.05). The cell apoptosis was down-regulated in dose-dependent biological manner about 5%, 26% and 52%, respectively (P < 0.05). The expression of IGFBP-6 mRNA and protein was decreased in 1 x 10(-7) mol/L TCDD-treated SaOS-2 cells about 76% and 72% (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: TCDD at low concentration may have the negative effect on cell apoptosis and down-regulation on gene expression of IGFBP-6 in SaOS-2 cells.

[Synchronous measurement of concentrations of nitric oxide and nitric dioxide in flue gas by ultraviolet absorption analysis].

Ultraviolet absorption optical depths of NO and NO2 gas mixture with different concentrations were measured, using a high resolution grating monochromator. By correlating fast-varying discrete absorption and slow-varying continuous absorption with NO and NO2 contributions respectively, the mole concentrations of NO and NO2 were derived synchronously. The study results indicated that, when the total pressure of gas mixture approached to one atmospheric pressure, a strong tendency that two moles of NO2 were combined into one mole of N2O4 was found. The maximum conversion rate from NO2 to N2O4 was roughly 22.5%, resulting in the fact that the effective absorption cross-section of NO2-N2O4 mixture mainly depended on that of N2O4, which exhibited continuous characteristics in its absorption spectrum. The discrete absorption cross-section spectrum was broadened with the increase in the partial pressure of NO. It was shown that the integral of absorption cross-sections within a discrete absorption band had better linear correlation with NO concentration than the discrete absorption cross-section peak The measurement and derivation results indicated that, when the partial pressure of NO2 varied within 17-100 Pa, the average relative error for the derived NO2 concentration was 11.7%. When the partial pressure of NO varied within 63.8-181.62 Pa, the maximum and average relative error for the derivation of NO concentration was 16.9% and 9.6% respectively by using the spectrum integral method, while the corresponding data rose to 38.2% and 14.4% by using the spectral peak method. The technique can be applied to synchronous monitoring of NO and NO2 concentration with relatively simple measurement hardware.

Retinoic acid down-regulates bone morphogenetic protein 7 expression in rat with cleft palate.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of retinoic acid (RA) on expression of bone morphogenetic protein 7 (BMP-7) in rat fetus with cleft palate, and the effects of RA on proliferation and apoptosis of osteoblasts. METHODS: All-trans RA (ATRA) was used to induce congenital cleft palate in Wistar rat BMP-7 mRNA expression in maxillary bone tissue of fetal rats was measured by Northern blotting analysis. Flow cytometry and MTT assay were used to measure the apoptosis and proliferation of ATRA-treated MC-3T3-E1 cells. BMP-7 mRNA and protein expressions in ATRA-treated MC-3T3-E1 cells were detected by RT-PCR and Western blotting analysis. RESULTS: ATRA could induce cleft palate of rat fetus. The incidence rate of cleft palate induced by 100 mg/kg AT-RA (45.5%) was significantly higher than 50 mg/kg ATRA (12.5%, P < 0.05). BMP-7 mRNA expression decreased in maxillary bone tissue of rat fetus with cleft palate. MC-3T3-E1 cells proliferation treated with 1 x 10(-6) mol/L ATRA decreased by 60%, the cell apoptosis increased by 2 times. BMP-7 mRNA and protein levels in MC-3T3-E1 cells treated with 1 x 10(-6) mol/L ATRA decreased by 60% and 80%, respectively, compared with ATRA-untreated cells (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: BMP-7 may play an important role in embryonic palate development RA may possess the ability to down-regulate cell proliferation through regulation of BMP-7 gene expression.

Toxic effects of TCDD on osteogenesis through altering IGFBP-6 gene expression in osteoblasts.

Since 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) has reproductive and developmental toxicity as an estrogen antagonist, we investigated the effects of TCDD on osteogenesis in rat skeleton and the human female-responsive osteoblastic osteosarcoma cell line SaOS-2. Rat fetuses were exposed to 5, 10, or 15 microg/kg TCDD on gestation day (GD) 10. TCDD dose-dependently induced single or multiple rat fetal skeletal development malformations in vivo. In vitro, 10 nM TCDD significantly inhibited cell proliferation in the presence of 1 microM 17-beta-estradiol (E2) in SaOS-2 cells. Insulin-like growth factor binding protein 6 (IGFBP-6), as a crucial regulator in IGF system, plays an important role in osteogenesis and bone function. TCDD (15 microg/kg) induced a dramatic 3-fold increase in IGFBP-6 mRNA expression in rat fetal calvaria on GD 21. On the other hand, the concurrent treatment of 10 nM TCDD and 1 muM E2 resulted in a significant increase in IGFBP-6 mRNA and protein after 24 h in SaOS-2 cells, but TCDD and (or) E2 had no effect on the mRNA level of cytosolic aromatic hydrocarbon receptor. The functional estrogen-responsive element (ERE) [5'-CCT TCA CCT G-3'] (-9 to +1) in the IGFBP-6 promoter region was identified in this study for the first time as the ER genomic binding site. Collectively, these results suggest that TCDD can alter the expression of IGFBP-6 gene and exerts growth-inhibitory effects on osteogenesis. In addition, TCDD exhibits an anti-estrogenic effect through its interference with the binding of activated estrogen-liganded ER to the functional ERE in IGFBP-6 gene promoter.

[Study on temperature dependence of ultraviolet absorption cross sections of nitric oxide at high temperatures].

To study the temperature dependence of ultraviolet absorption characteristics of NO species in flue gas, the absorption cross sections of NO in the spectral region 200-230 nm at temperatures ranging from 285 to 410 K were measured using a grating monochromator with 0.2 nm resolution, a deuterium lamp and a specially-fabricated closed sample cell. The absorption spectrum of NO consists of discrete bands superimposed on a continuous base. Results indicated that discrete absorption bands were present with a fixed wavelength interval of roughly 10.5 nm. The peaks of discrete bands decreased first and started to increase later as the temperature rose from 285 to 410 K, with a maximum relative variation of 19.3%. Peak position and half width of the absorption peaks did not exhibit apparent change with the variation of temperature. Continuous absorption cross section increased monotonously with the temperature, and the variation gradient gradually decrease with wavelength red shift. The absorption cross section of NO should not be considered as constant when applied in online monitoring of NO concentration in flue gas. A compensation calculation of absorption cross section with respect to temperature effect is indispensable for the purpose of improving online measurement precision of NO concentration.