Engineered Mitochondrial Transplantation as An Anti-Aging Therapy.

Aging is an inevitable and complex biological process involving multi-factorial mechanisms. Mitochondrial dysfunction is a critical factor in the aging process, characterized by a decline in mitochondrial quality and activity, leading to aging and aging-related diseases. Therefore, mitochondria have become an attractive target in anti-aging therapies. Several senolytic drugs targeting mitochondria and antioxidant agents have been used in anti-aging research in the past few years. However, these strategies may cause adverse effects with long-term medication. In this extensive review, we propose "mitochondrial transplantation," which transfers healthy mitochondria from donor cells to recipient cells to replace damaged or dysfunctional mitochondria, as a new alternative strategy for treating mitochondrial dysfunction and aging-associated diseases. In this review, we introduce the contemporary landscape of mitochondrial transplantation, then discuss intensely the successful applications of mitochondrial transplantation therapy in aging diseases such as neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular aging, and reproductive aging, highlighting its translational potential. Finally, we summarize and prospect the challenges and opportunities mitochondrial transplantation faces in anti-aging therapy.

The relationship between sleep quality and anxiety and depression among older caregivers of centenarians in China: A cross-sectional study.

To explore the relationship between sleep quality and anxiety and depression in older caregivers. From April 2020 to November 2022, GAD-7, GDS-15, and PSQI were used to measure anxiety, depression, and sleep quality. The correlation of each variable was explored by regression analysis. Among 442 caregivers ≥ 65 years old, the prevalence of sleep disorders, anxiety, and depression was 40.5 %, 20.2 %, and 26.4 %. After adjustment for multiple potential confounders, anxiety (OR1.1; 95 % CI 1-1.2) and depression (OR 1.29; 95 % CI 1.21-1.38) were associated with sleep disorders. Daytime dysfunction components of PSQI measurements were associated with anxiety(P < 0.05). Meanwhile, sleep efficiency, sleep medication use, and daytime dysfunction components of PSQI measurements were associated with depression(P < 0.05). Therefore, the sleep quality of older caregivers is strongly related to anxiety and depression. It is necessary to provide sleep guidance or professional intervention for older caregivers to reduce anxiety and depression.

A study on the impact of the number of family generations on intergenerational support for centenarians: a study in a Chinese 'longevity city'.

BACKGROUND: As a natural source of support for the elderly, the family is an important channel for achieving a sense of security, happiness, and worthiness in old age. In this study, we analysed the characteristics of intergenerational support in families of centenarians and explored the impact of the number of family generations on intergenerational support. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional survey between April 2020 and January 2021 among 62 elderly people aged 99+ in Rugao, China, one of six 'longevity cities' in the world. Assisted by the researchers, centenarians completed questionnaires with details pertaining to general demographics, intergenerational support, and other aspects. We used a logistic regression model to analyse the influence of the number of family generations on intergenerational support that the centenarians received with respect to economic, living, and emotional aspects. RESULTS: Centenarians were primarily recipients of care in their families, and received intergenerational support mainly for their declined physical functions and limited self-care ability. The study results revealed that the greater the number of generations comprising the family, the greater was the intergenerational life care and emotional comfort provided for centenarians by the family. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, we found a positive effect of the number of family generations on intergenerational support for centenarians. The government and society should promote the tradition of respecting, caring for, and honouring the elderly while paying close attention to the dynamic changes in the family structure of centenarians in promoting high-quality and sustainable development of the people, economy, and society.

Puerarin extends the lifespan of Drosophila melanogaster by activating autophagy.

Lifespan longevity has attracted increasing attention with societal development. To counter the effects of aging on longevity, we focused on the natural chemicals of plants. In this study, we investigated the effects of puerarin supplementation on the lifespan of Drosophila melanogaster. Puerarin supplementation significantly extended the lifespan of D. melanogaster at 60 µM and 120 µM by upregulating proteasome subunit beta 5 (prosbeta5) and sirtuin-1 (Sirt1). However, puerarin-induced longevity of male flies (F0 generation) may not be passed on to descendants. Additionally, a puerarin diet for 10 and 25 days did not influence the body weight and food intake of male Canton-S flies. Puerarin significantly improved the climbing ability, starvation resistance, and oxidation resistance of male flies by upregulating the expression of Shaker, catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1), and Methuselah, and downregulating poly [ADP-ribose] polymerase (PARP-1) and major heat shock 70 kDa protein Aa (HSP70). Moreover, 120 µM puerarin supplementation for 25 days significantly increased adenosine 5' triphosphate (ATP) content by increasing adenosine 5'-monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase (AMPK) levels. Additionally, the puerarin diet for 25 days suppressed male fecundity in male flies by decreasing the levels of Bam and Punt. Mechanistically, puerarin enhanced lysosome-involved autophagy by promoting the expression of lysosome markers [ß-galactosidase and lysosomal associated membrane protein 1 (LAMP1)], and elevating the levels of autophagy-related genes, including autophagy-associated gene 1 (ATG1), ATG5, and ATG8b. However, puerarin decreased the phosphorylation of the target of rapamycin (TOR) protein. In conclusion, puerarin is a promising compound for improving the longevity of D. melanogaster by activating autophagy.

Healthy nutritional status among Centenarians in Rugao, China, is associated with bean consumption, daily activity, and muscle mass retention.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Nutritional status is presumed essential for healthy longevity. The city of Rugao in Jiangsu province recognized as a long-lived area on the coastal plain of China, with a higher proportion of centenarians than Chinese elsewhere or in the world at large. The nutritional status and related factors of centenarians in Rugao, along with muscle mass and activities of daily living (ADL) have been documented with a view to improved nutritional and health approaches to healthy ageing. METHODS AND STUDY DESIGN: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Rugao from April 2020 to December 2020. 116 local centenarians agreed to participate in the study. Nutritional status was evaluated by the Mini Nutritional Assessment Short Form (MNA-SF), and ADL was assessed by the Barthel Index (BI). Anthropometric data (e.g., calf circumference) and body composition data (e.g., skeletal muscle mass) were collected as muscle mass variables. RESULTS: The age of centenarians ranged from 100 to 109 years. According to MNA-SF assessment, only 6 (5.2%) of 116 centenarians were malnourished, and 57 (49.1%) were at risk of malnutrition. Binary logistic regression results indicated that prealbumin, albumin, bean product consumption, and current exercise status were independent determinants of centenarians' nutritional status. Centenarians with poor nutritional status tended to have worse muscle mass and BI scores. CONCLUSIONS: Nearly half of the centenarians maintained normal nutritional status, insofar as muscle mass condition and function were concerned. Frequent bean product consumption and routine exercise were conducive to healthier centenarian nutritional status.

[Obesity and hypertriglyceridemia: high risks for disease severity and mortality in COVID-19 patients].

As COVID-19 pandemic approaching its third year, more data have shown that obesity and hypertriglyceridemia are the high-risk factors for the major complications such as acute respiratory distress syndrome, thromboembolism, coagulopathy and cytokine storm, which are responsible for the majority of disease severity and mortality. In this review article, we have analyzed the public available clinical reports and laboratory research results of the COVID-19 studies by researchers and clinicians of many nations around the world. Many of these reports covered COVID-19 patients of different ethnic groups. We suggested that obesity and high triglycerides are high risks for severe COVID-19 and death. We also summarized the possible underlying molecular mechanism likely connecting the severe COVID-19 with obesity and hypertriglyceridemia. From public health perspective, we highlight the importance of the healthy diet and lifestyle in fighting against SARS-CoV-2 virus in long period of time.

Single-Cell Transcriptomics Reveals Longevity Immune Remodeling Features Shared by Centenarians and Their Offspring.

Centenarians, who show mild infections and low incidence of tumors, are the optimal model to investigate healthy aging. However, longevity related immune characteristics has not been fully revealed largely due to lack of appropriate controls. In this study, single-cell transcriptomic analysis of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) derived from seven centenarians (CEN), six centenarians' offspring (CO), and nine offspring spouses or neighbors (Control, age-matched to CO) are performed to investigate the shared immune features between CEN and CO. The results indicate that among all 12 T cell clusters, the cytotoxic-phenotype-clusters (CPC) and the naïve-phenotype-clusters (NPC) significantly change between CEN and ontrol. Compared to Control, both CEN and CO are characterized by depleted NPC and increased CPC, which is dominated by CD8+ T cells. Furthermore, CPC from CEN and CO share enhanced signaling pathways and transcriptional factors associated with immune response, and possesse similar T-cell-receptor features, such as high clonal expansion. Interestingly, rather than a significant increase in GZMK+ CD8 cells during aging, centenarians show accumulation of GZMB+ and CMC1+ CD8 T cells. Collectively, this study unveils an immune remodeling pattern reflected by both quantitative increase and functional reinforcement of cytotoxic T cells which are essential for healthy aging.

Construction of a survival nomogram for gastric cancer based on the cancer genome atlas of m6A-related genes.

Objective: Based on TCGA database, a prediction model for 1-, 3-, and 5-year overall survival rates of gastric cancer (GC) patients was constructed by analyzing the critical risk factors affecting the prognosis of gastric cancer patients. Method: Clinicopathological features as well as gene signature of GC patients were obtained from TCGA database. Patients were randomly divided into a training cohort and an internal validation cohort. Independent predictors of GC prognosis were analyzed by univariate and multivariate Cox analyses to construct nomogram. The accuracy and reliability of the model was further validated by calibration curves, ROC curves, and C-indexes, and the clinical utility of the model was analyzed by decision analysis curves. Result: Age, sex, N stage, M stage, METTL16, RBM15, FMR1, IGFBP1, and FTO were significantly associated with the prognosis of GC patients, and these predictors were further included in the construction of nomogram. The C-indexes for the training cohort and validation set were 0.735 and 0.688, respectively. The results of the ROC curve analysis indicated that the area under the curve (AUC) exceeded 0.6 in training and validation sets at 1, 3, and 5 years. Conclusion: We have constructed and validated a nomogram that provides individual survival condition prediction for GC patients. The prognostic model integrating gene signatures and clinicopathological characteristics would help clinicians determine the prognosis of patients with GC and develop individualized treatment plans.

Effects of Variability in Glycemic Indices on Longevity in Chinese Centenarians.

Background: Large fluctuations in blood glucose levels greatly impact the health and life span of elderly individuals. This study describes the characteristics of variability in glycemic indices in centenarians with the aim of emphasizing the importance of glycemic variability in elderly people. Methods: We recruited individuals from Rugao City, Jiangsu Province, China from April 2020 to May 2021. The study cohort included 60 centenarians and 60 first-generation offspring, as well as 20 randomly selected non-cohabitant control individuals aged 60-80 years. A FreeStyle Libre H (hospital version) continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) device (Abbott Ireland UK) was used to measure glycemic variability. The indices measured included the time in target glucose range (TIR), time below target glucose range (TBR), time above target glucose range (TAR), mean amplitude of glycemic excursions (MAGE), mean of daily differences (MODD), coefficient of variation (CV), standard deviation of blood glucose (SDBG), continuous overlapping net glycemic action (CONGA), glucose management indicator (GMI) and estimated glycated hemoglobin (eHbA1c). Logistic regression was used to analyze the association between glycemic variability and longevity. Results: Mean blood glucose (MBG), eHbA1c, GMI, mean fasting plasma glucose (M-FPG) and CONGA were lower in the centenarian group (p all < 0.05). PPGE-2 was higher in the control group than that measured in the centenarian and first-generation offspring groups (p < 0.05). There were no differences between the groups in MAGE, MODD, MAG, or TIR (p > 0.05). The risk of not achieving longevity increased with each one unit increase in MBG by 126% [2.26 (1.05-4.91)], eHbA1c by 67% [1.67 (1.03-2.72)], GMI by 568% [6.68 (1.11-40.30)], M-FPG by 365% [4.65 (1.57-13.75)], M-PPG1h by 98% [1.98 (1.18-3.31)], CONGA1 by 102% [2.02 (1.01-4.06)], Li by 200% [3.00 (1.04-8.61)], and PPGE-2 by 150% [2.50 (1.39-4.50)]. However, the risk of achieving longevity decreased with each unit increase of LBGI by 53% [0.47 (0.28-0.80)], ADRR by 60% [0.40 (0.18-0.86)], and TBR by 11% [0.89 (0.80-0.98)]. Conclusion: Fluctuation in blood glucose levels in centenarians is relatively small. Maintaining an average blood glucose level and keeping blood glucose fluctuations in the normal range is conducive to longevity.

Development and validation of a nomogram for predicting mild cognitive impairment in middle-aged and elderly people.

BACKGROUND: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a clinical cognitive impairment state between dementia and normal aging. Early identification of MCI is beneficial, and it can delay the development of dementia. We aimed to develop and validate a prediction model to predict MCI of middle-aged and elderly people (aged 45 years and over). METHODS: According to 478 middle-aged and elderly people (48-85 years old) from a cross-sectional study, we developed and validated a predictive nomogram. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression model and multivariate logistic regression analysis were used to select variables and develop a prediction model. The performance of the nomogram was evaluated in terms of its discriminative power, calibration, and decision curve analysis (DCA). RESULTS: The predictive nomogram was composed of the following: age, gender, education level, residence, and reading. The model showed good discrimination power (area under receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve was 0.8704) and good calibration. Similar results were seen in 10-fold cross-validation. The nomogram showed clinically useful in DCA analysis. CONCLUSION: This predictive nomogram provides researchers with a practical tool for predicting MCI. The variables included in this nomogram were readily available. The population used for this nomogram was middle-aged and elderly people.

BMI, Blood Pressure, and Plasma Lipids among Centenarians and Their Offspring.

BACKGROUND: The burden of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) is increasing substantially due to population growth and aging. Determining effective prevention and understanding the underlying mechanisms remain desirable pursuits for increasing the quality of life. As centenarians and their offspring may have genetic advantages, they may present with healthier cardiovascular-related profiles. METHODS: We launched a cross-sectional household-based survey of centenarian families, including 253 centenarians, 217 centenarian offspring, and 116 offspring spouses without centenarian parents from county-level Chinese longevity city Rugao. Among offspring and offspring spouses were the following arrangements: 101 paired offspring and offspring spouses who lived together, 116 unpaired offspring, and 16 unpaired spouses. We investigated their cardiovascular-related health status including waist circumference, body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, and plasma lipids and compared results among centenarians, centenarian offspring, and offspring spouses. RESULTS: Centenarians ranged from 99 to 109 years with a median age of 100 years. Centenarian offspring, with a median age of 70 years, and offspring spouses, with a median age of 69 years, shared similar age. Results of blood pressure, plasma lipid levels, and BMI displayed no significant difference between centenarian offspring and offspring spouses. However, centenarians appeared to have lower waist circumference, BMI, TC, LDL-C, TG, and diastolic blood pressure but higher levels of systolic blood pressure (p < 0.05). Multivariate analysis showed the prevalence of obesity, hypertension, and dyslipidemia was similar between centenarian offspring and offspring spouses, while centenarians appeared to have a lower prevalence of obesity and a higher prevalence of hypertension (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Centenarians and centenarian offspring did not present healthier BMI, blood pressure, or plasma lipids than offspring spouses. Further research on longevity and cardiovascular diseases are desirable.

Higher dietary diversity as a protective factor against depression among older adults in China: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Evidence suggests that poor mental health (MH) is a risk factor for the health of older adults. Dietary diversity is considered to be related to healthy aging. However, the relationship between diet and MH is still unclear. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between dietary diversity score (DDS) and anxiety and depression among centenarians and their offspring and spouses. METHODS: Our study was observational and cross-sectional. The Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7), the 15-item version of the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15), and the dietary frequency questionnaire were used to measure the status of anxiety, depression, and dietary diversity. Data were analyzed by Student's t-test, χ2 test, Mann-Whitney U test, correlational analysis, and univariate or multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS: Among the 288 older adults, 12.8% reported symptoms of depression, and 8.7% reported anxiety. People with a lower dietary diversity had higher rates of anxiety and depression. After controlling for age, place of residence, economic status, alcohol drinking, and physical activity, a lower DDS was found to be a risk factor for depressive symptoms [odds ratio (OR): 2.237; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.009-4.959; P=0.048]. DDS was negatively correlated with depression score in older adults (r=-0.224; P<0.001), especially offspring and their spouses (r=-0.275; P<0.001). However, no significant relationship was observed between DDS and anxiety. In addition, eating legumes (OR: 0.415; 95% CI: 0.188-0.920; P=0.030) and nuts (OR: 0.255; 95% CI: 0.116-0.561; P=0.001) at least once a week can act as protective factors for depression. Eating nuts (OR: 0.405; 95% CI: 0.168-0.978; P=0.044) and meat (OR: 0.396, 95% CI: 0.161-0.975; P=0.044) at least once a week can act as protective factors for anxiety. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest an association between low dietary diversity and a higher incidence of mental disorders. Further, the possibility of reverse causality cannot be ruled out. It is necessary to conduct further prospective studies.

Diabetes health management strategy based on internet plus graded diagnosis and treatment strategy.

BACKGROUND: Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a widespread chronic disease with high rates of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Managing risk factors can effectively prevent acute and chronic complications, improve quality of life, and reduce mortality. Therefore, implementation of a diabetes health management strategy is urgently needed. Emerging medical technologies have strengthened communication between patients and clinicians. The establishment and improvement of the graded diagnosis and treatment system has promoted the prevention, treatment, and management of diabetes. METHODS: A total of 300 patients diagnosed with T2D in the Health Management Center at the Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University were randomly divided into two groups: an internet plus graded diagnosis and treatment strategy group, and a control group. After 6 months, the physiological parameters, management indices, and complications were compared between the groups. RESULTS: Physiological indicators, such as body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and blood glucose were significantly alleviated in the Internet plus graded diagnosis and treatment strategy group. Management indicators (such as blood glucose monitoring compliance rate, diet control compliance rate, and exercise compliance rate) also improved substantially. The incidence of hypoglycemia was notably increased compared to the control group. CONCLUSIONS: The new health management strategy for diabetes can improve lifestyle, ameliorate physiological indicators, reduce the complication rate, and form a virtuous cycle. This provides a positive impact on the entire life-cycle health management of diabetes, and is worthy of further promotion.

Associated factors with interstitial lung disease and health-related quality of life in Chinese patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: The main purpose of this study was to investigate the current situation of primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD) in China. The relationships between social demography, disease activity, psychological status, clinical variables, and ILD were analyzed. Besides that, the quality of life (QoL) in pSS with ILD was also analyzed. METHODS: In the cross-sectional study, 101 pSS patients participated in this study. Under the guidance of the researchers, the European League Against Rheumatism Sjögren's Syndrome Disease Activity Index (ESSDAI), EULAR Sjögren's Syndrome Patient-Reported Index (ESSPRI), the Short-Form 36 health survey (SF-36), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI), Summated Xerostomia Inventory (SXI), and other related questionnaires were completed. Independent sample t tests, Mann-Whitney U test, chi-square test, and correlational analysis were used. RESULTS: The data showed that 28 (30.1%) pSS people with ILD. The occurrence and development of ILD were associated with disease duration, fatigue, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), neutrophils, albumin, and use of hormone. The survey also found that the QoL of pSS-ILD was significantly lower than non-ILD, especially the score in the dimension of role physical function. CONCLUSIONS: ILD was very common in pSS. ILD had a significant negative impact on the QoL of patients. Therefore, it is of great significance to strengthen the early intervention and drug treatment of pSS patients to prevent ILD and improve their QoL.Key Points• This cross-sectional study finds that the incidence of ILD in patients with pSS is 30.1%.• The occurrence and development of ILD is associated with disease duration, fatigue, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), neutrophils, albumin, and use of hormone.•The study also finds that the QoL of pSS-ILD is significantly lower than in patients with non-ILD, especially the score in the dimension of role physical function.

A meta-analysis of secondary osteoporosis in systemic lupus erythematosus: prevalence and risk factors.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence and risk factors of secondary osteoporosis (OP) in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and provide a theoretical basis for clinical prevention and treatment of SLE. METHODS: Take systematic review and meta-analysis of relevant studies. Data sources are CINAHL databases, PubMed, Embase, Wan Fang, Weipu, and CNKI databases. Eligibility criteria are cross-sectional or case-control studies which analyzed the prevalence and risk factors of OP in SLE. Two authors independently screened all studies; a third author verified and identify controversial studies. The quality of the included articles was evaluated. Stata 11 and Rev-Man 5.2 software were used for data processing. RESULTS: Thirty-one articles were included, with a total sample size of 3089 SLE, including 529 OP cases and 2560 non-OP cases. Meta-analysis showed that the prevalence of OP among SLE was 16% (95% CI (0.12, 0.19)). The risk of OP in SLE cases compared with controls was significantly greater with OR of 2.03 (95% CI 1.33-3.10, P = 0.001). Age, disease duration, cumulative glucocorticoid dose, duration of glucocorticoid therapy, SLICC, and menopause had significant differences between two groups. No statistical differences of daily glucocorticoid dose, SLEDAI, and BMI were found between OP and non-OP cases. CONCLUSIONS: Our study found a statistically significant increased risk of OP in SLE patients compared with controls. SLE patients should be actively screened for OP and its consequences. Larger longitudinal studies are needed to confirm this possible association. The prevalence of OP in SLE was 16%. Compared with controls, the risk of OP in SLE was 2.03. There were significant differences of age, disease duration, cumulative glucocorticoid dose, time of glucocorticoid, SLICC, and menopause, while daily glucocorticoid dose, SLEDAI, and BMI had no statistical differences between OP and non-OP cases.

The impact of systemic lupus erythematosus on health-related quality of life assessed using the SF-36: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

To identify the impact of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) domains compared with the results of healthy controls by systematically reviewing the literature. A systematic literature search was performed on MEDLINE, Web of Science and EMBASE until April, 2018 to obtain eligible studies reporting mean and standard deviation scores for each domain of the 36-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) in SLE patients and healthy controls. Random effect model was performed to summarize the scores of each domain. The forest plot was used to compare the scores of SLE patients with healthy controls. Review Manager (version 5.3) was adopted in the meta-analysis. In all, 13 studies were included in the work, including 1279 SLE patients and 1466 healthy controls. Compared with controls, patients with SLE had lower scores in all SF-36 dimensions (physical function, physical role function, body pain, general health, vitality, social function, emotional role function, mental health), especially in the physical role function. SLE does impair HRQoL to varying degrees. It is indispensable to measure and assess HRQoL of SLE patients regularly, which contributes to formulate targeted interventions appropriately and provide effective ways of management of the disease positively.

Ferulic acid induces proliferation and differentiation of rat osteoblasts in vitro through cGMP/PKGII/ENaC signaling.

Ferulic acid (FA) is an active component of the traditional Chinese herb Angelica sinensis. Numerous health benefits have been attributed to FA, but few studies have investigated the effects of FA on osteoblasts (Obs). Our work studied the effects of FA on proliferation, differentiation, and mineralization of rat calvarial Obs and examined the signaling pathways involved. Cell proliferation and differentiation were evaluated by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) assay kit, respectively. Cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP)-dependent protein kinase II (PKGII) expression was silenced by small interfering RNA (siRNA). The mRNA expression was investigated by semi-quantitative PCR. FA (40-2560 µM) promoted Ob proliferation and differentiation; at 40-640 µM, FA stimulated calcified nodule formation and increased the expression of osteogenic genes encoding osteopontin and collagen-l. FA (40-2560 µM) increased cGMP levels in Obs and upregulated the expression of PKGII, EnaCα, and ENaCγ mRNAs. Downregulated ENaCα mRNA expression in Obs transfected with the siRNA for PKGII was reversed when FA was introduced into Obs. These results demonstrated that FA promoted proliferation, differentiation, and mineralization of Obs in vitro, and enhanced osteogenic genes expression partly through the cGMP-PKGII-ENaC signaling pathway.

Probability-based non-local means filter for speckle noise suppression in optical coherence tomography images.

In this Letter, a probability-based non-local means filter is proposed for speckle reduction in optical coherence tomography (OCT). Originally developed for additive white Gaussian noise, the non-local means filter is not suitable for multiplicative speckle noise suppression. This Letter presents a two-stage non-local means algorithm using the uncorrupted probability of each pixel to effectively reduce speckle noise in OCT. Experiments on real OCT images demonstrate that the proposed filter is competitive with other state-of-the-art speckle removal techniques and able to accurately preserve edges and structural details with small computational cost.

Effect of triptolide on the regulation of ATP­binding cassette transporter A1 expression in lipopolysaccharide­induced acute lung injury of rats.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of triptolide on ATP­binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1) expression in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)­induced acute lung injury (ALI) in rats. Thirty male Sprague Dawley rats weighing 200­250 g were randomly divided into six groups: Normal (N, n=5), Control (C, n=5), LPS (L, n=5), Triptolide 25 µg (TP1, n=5), Triptolide 50 µg (TP2, n=5) and Triptolide 100 µg (TP3, n=5). The N group was not administered anything; the C group was administered 5 ml/kg normal saline intravenously and 7.5 ml/kg 1% dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) intraperitoneally; the L group was administered 5 mg/kg 0.1% LPS and 1% DMSO; and the TP1, TP2 and TP3 groups were separately injected with 0.1% LPS and 25, 50 or 100 µg/kg triptolide, respectively. All groups had the same liquid­injection volume. Arterial blood gases, tumor necrosis factor­α (TNF­α) and ABCA1 expression and general pathology were examined following the treatments. It was found that increasing the triptolide dose in the TP1­3 groups resulted in an increase in the expression of ABCA1 mRNA and protein. As compared with the L group, the ABCA1 expression showed a significant increase in TP2 and TP3 groups (P<0.05). In addition, the expression level of TNF­α was significantly increased in the L and TP1 groups, as compared with that in the N or C groups (P<0.05). Conversely, a marked decrease in TNF­α expression was detected in the TP2 and TP3 groups, as compared with the L or TP1 groups (P<0.05). In conclusion, this study found that triptolide could promote the expression of ABCA1 mRNA and protein and inhibit other inflammatory factors during LPS­induced ALI in rats. Regulating the expression of ABCA1 may be one of the protective mechanisms of triptolide. Furthermore, triptolide­induced increases in ABCA1 expression occurred in a dose­dependent manner between 25 and 100 µg/kg.

[Effects and mechanism of drug serum of prepared radix polygoni multiflori on rat osteoblast in vitro].

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of drug serum of prepared Radix Polygoni Multiflori on rat osteoblast (Ob) and its mechanism. METHODS: The animal serum was prepared by serum pharmacology means. The cells were getting by separating and inducing the SD neonatal rat skull bone. The proliferation and differentiation of Ob were detected by CCK-8, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity analysis. And RT-PCR method was used to determine the osteogenesis-related genes expression. RESULTS: Compared with control group, the groups with drug serum of prepared Radix Polygoni Mutiflori, 10%, 20% and 30% had an effect on promotion the proliferation significantly on Ob (P < 0.01). There was no concentration-related manner among groups. The 5% and 10% drug serum decreased ALP activity at the post-translation phase compared with control group, but higher doses (20% and 30%) did not have the same effect. However, drug serum of PR/MIN increased significantly osteogenesis-related genes (OC, ALP, Cbfalpha1) mRNA expression (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The drug serum of prepared Radix Polygoni Multiflori can stimulate osteoblast proliferation in vitro, and its mechanism may be associated with increasing osteogenesis-related genes expression.