Comprehensive meta-analysis of the effects of oral medroxyprogesterone acetate plus conjugated equine oestrogens on the lipid profile in women: Insights from randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: Menopause is associated with elevated cardiovascular risk due to the loss of the cardioprotective effect of oestrogens. Postmenopausal women are often prescribed hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in order to control menopause symptoms and correct hormone imbalances; however, HRT can impact serum lipids' concentrations. At present, data on the effect of the administration of medroxyprogesterone acetate plus conjugated equine oestrogens (MPACEE) on the lipid profile in females are uncertain, as the investigations conducted so far have produced conflicting results. Thus, we aimed to clarify the impact of MPACEE prescription on the serum lipids' values in women by means of a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs). METHODS: We employed a random-effects model based on the DerSimonian and Laird method to determine the combined estimates of the intervention's impact on the lipid profile. The computation of the weighted mean difference (WMD) and its corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) relied on the mean and standard deviation values from both the MPACEE and control group, respectively. RESULTS: A total of 53 RCTs were included in the meta-analysis with 68 RCT arms on total cholesterol (TC), 70 RCT arms on low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and triglycerides (TG), and 69 RCT arms on high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). Administration of MPACEE resulted in a significant reduction of TC (WMD = -11.93 mg/dL; 95% CI: -13.42, -10.44; p < .001) and LDL-C (WMD = -16.61 mg/dL; 95% CI: -17.97, -15.26; p < .001) levels, and a notable increase in HDL-C (WMD = 3.40 mg/dL; 95% CI: 2.93, 3.86; p < .001) and TG (WMD = 10.28 mg/dL; 95% CI: 7.92, 12.64; p < .001) concentrations. Subgroup analysis revealed that changes in the lipid profile were influenced by several factors: body mass index (for TC, HDL-C, TG), MPACEE dosages (for TC, LDL-C, HDL-C, TG), age (for TC, LDL-C, HDL-C, TG), durations of the intervention (for TC, LDL-C, HDL-C, TG), continuous/sequential administration of MPACEE (continuous for TC; sequential for LDL-C, TG) administration of MPACEE and serum lipids' concentrations before enrolment in the RCT (for TC, LDL-C, HDL-C, TG). CONCLUSIONS: MPACEE administration can influence serum lipids' concentrations in females by raising HDL-C and TG levels and reducing LDL-C and TC values. Therefore, postmenopausal women who suffer from hypercholesterolaemia might benefit from this type of HRT.

Assessing the Chemical-Free Oxidation of Trace Organic Chemicals by VUV/UV as an Alternative to Conventional UV/H2O2.

Low-pressure mercury lamps with high-purity quartz can emit both vacuum-UV (VUV, 185 nm) and UV (254 nm) and are commercially available and promising for eliminating recalcitrant organic pollutants. The feasibility of VUV/UV as a chemical-free oxidation process was verified and quantitatively assessed by the concept of H2O2 equivalence (EQH2O2), at which UV/H2O2 showed the same performance as VUV/UV for the degradation of trace organic contaminants (TOrCs). Although VUV showed superior H2O activation and oxidation performance, its performance highly varied as a function of light path length (Lp) in water, while that of UV/H2O2 proportionally decreased with decreasing H2O2 dose regardless of Lp. On increasing Lp from 1.0 to 3.0 cm, the EQH2O2 of VUV/UV decreased from 0.81 to 0.22 mM H2O2. Chloride and nitrate hardly influenced UV/H2O2, but they dramatically inhibited VUV/UV. The competitive absorbance of VUV by chloride and nitrate was verified as the main reason. The inhibitory effect was partially compensated by •OH formation from the propagation reactions of chloride or nitrate VUV photolysis, which was verified by kinetic modeling in Kintecus. In water with an Lp of 2.0 cm, the EQH2O2 of VUV/UV decreased from 0.43 to 0.17 mM (60.8% decrease) on increasing the chloride concentration from 0 to 15 mM and to 0.20 mM (53.5% decrease) at 4 mM nitrate. The results of this study provide a comprehensive understanding of VUV/UV oxidation in comparison to UV/H2O2, which underscores the suitability and efficiency of chemical-free oxidation with VUV/UV.

A colorimetric sensing strategy based on chitosan-stabilized platinum nanoparticles for quick detection of α-glucosidase activity and inhibitor screening.

α-Glucosidase (α-Glu) is implicated in the progression and pathogenesis of type II diabetes (T2D). In this study, we developed a rapid colorimetric technique using platinum nanoparticles stabilized by chitosan (Ch-PtNPs) to detect α-Glu activity and its inhibitor. The Ch-PtNPs facilitate the conversion of 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) into oxidized TMB (oxTMB) in the presence of dissolved O2. The catalytic hydrolysis of 2-O-α-D-glucopyranosyl-L-ascorbic acid (AA-2G) by α-Glu produces ascorbic acid (AA), which reduces oxTMB to TMB, leading to the fading of the blue color. However, the presence of α-Glu inhibitors (AGIs) hinders the generation of AA, allowing Ch-PtNPs to re-oxidize colorless TMB back to blue oxTMB. This unique phenomenon enables the colorimetric detection of α-Glu activity and AGIs. The linear range for α-Glu was found to be 0.1-1.0 U mL-1 and the detection limit was 0.026 U mL-1. Additionally, the half-maximal inhibition value (IC50) for acarbose, an α-Glu inhibitor, was calculated to be 0.4769 mM. Excitingly, this sensing platform successfully detected α-Glu activity in human serum samples and effectively screened AGIs. These promising findings highlight the potential application of the proposed strategy in clinical diabetes diagnosis and drug discovery.

[Network Meta-analysis of Chinese patent medicines in treatment of coronary heart disease complicated with heart failure].

The efficacy and safety of different Chinese patent medicines in the treatment of coronary heart disease complicated with heart failure were evaluated by network Meta-analysis. The randomized controlled trial(RCT) of Chinese patent medicines for coronary heart disease complicated with heart failure was retrieved from CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, SinoMed, PubMed, Web of Science, EMbase, and Cochrane Library with the time interval from inception to July 5, 2023. The quality of the included RCT was evaluated by the Cochrane's risk of bias assessment tool, and a network Meta-analysis was performed in Stata 16.0. Finally, a total of 82 RCTs were included, involving 9 298 patients and 11 Chinese patent medicines. Network Meta-analysis yielded the following results based on the surface under the cumulative ranking curve(SUCRA).(1)In terms of improving the clinical response rate, the top three interventions were Qishen Yiqi Dripping Pills + conventional western medicine, Zhenyuan Capsules + conventional western medicine, and Tongxinluo Capsules + conventional western medicine.(2) In terms of increasing left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF), the top three interventions were Shexiang Baoxin Pills + conventional western medicine, Compound Danshen Dripping Pills + conventional western medicine, and Tongxinluo Capsules + conventional western medicine.(3) In terms of reducing left ventricular end-diastolic diameter(LVEDD), the top three interventions were Shexiang Tongxin Dripping Pills + conventional western medicine, Tongxinluo Capsules + conventional western medicine, and Shexiang Baoxin Pills + conventional western medicine.(4) In terms of reducing N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide(NT-proBNP), the top three interventions were Shexiang Baoxin Pills + conventional western medicine, Qi-shen Yiqi Dripping Pills + conventional western medicine, and Compound Danshen Dripping Pills + conventional western medicine.(5) In terms of reducing hyper-sensitive C-reactive protein(hs-CRP), the top three interventions were Naoxintong Capsules + conventional western medicine, Shexiang Baoxin Pills + conventional western medicine, and Compound Danshen Dripping Pills + conventional western medicine.(6) In terms of increasing the distance of the six-minute walking trail(6MWT), the top three interventions were Zhen-yuan Capsules + conventional western medicine, Qili Qiangxin Capsules + conventional western medicine, and Qishen Yiqi Dripping Pills + conventional western medicine. The results showed that Chinese patent medicines combined with conventional western medicine can effectively improve the clinical response rate, LVEF, and 6MWT and reduce LVEDD, NT-proBNP, and hs-CRP. However, due to the overall low quality of the articles included and the few articles of some Chinese patent medicines, direct comparison between diffe-rent Chinese patent medicines remains to be carried out and the results need to be further verified.

Cellular Mechanism Underlying the Facilitation of Contractile Response Induced by Tumor Necrosis Factor-α in Mouse Tracheal Smooth Muscle.

The proinflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) augments intracellular Ca2+ signaling and contractile responses of airway smooth muscles, leading to airway hyperresponsiveness. However, the underlying mechanism has not been fully elucidated. This study aimed to investigate the cellular mechanism of the potentiated contraction of mouse tracheal smooth muscle induced by TNF-α. The results showed that TNF-α triggered facilitation of mouse tracheal smooth muscle contraction in an epithelium-independent manner. The TNF-α-induced hypercontractility could be suppressed by the protein kinase C inhibitor GF109203X, the tyrosine kinase inhibitor genistein, the Src inhibitor PP2, or the L-type voltage-dependent Ca2+ channel blocker nifedipine. Following TNF-α incubation, the α1C L-type Ca2+ channel (CaV1.2) was up-regulated in cultured primary mouse tracheal smooth muscle cells. Pronounced phosphotyrosine levels were observed in mouse tracheas. In conclusion, this study shows that TNF-α enhanced airway smooth muscle contraction via protein kinase C-Src-CaV1.2 pathways, which provides novel insights into the pathologic role of proinflammatory cytokines in mediating airway hyperresponsiveness.

Quercetin alleviates tubulointerstitial inflammation by inhibiting exosomes-mediated crosstalk between tubular epithelial cells and macrophages.

BACKGROUND: Tubulointerstitial inflammation (TII) is a critical pathological feature of kidney disease leading to renal fibrosis, and its treatment remains a major clinical challenge. We sought to explore the role of quercetin, a potential exosomes inhibitor, in exosomes release and TII. METHODS: The effects of quercetin on exosomes release and TII were examined by two TII mouse models: the unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) models and the LPS-induced mouse models. In vitro, exosomes-mediated crosstalk between tubular epithelial cells (TECs) and macrophages was performed to investigate the mechanisms by which quercetin inhibited exosomes and TII. RESULTS: In this study, we found that exosomes-mediated crosstalk between TECs and macrophages contributed to the development of TII. In vitro, exosomes released from LPS-stimulated TECs induced increased expression of inflammatory cytokines and fibrotic markers in Raw264·7 cells and vice versa. Interestingly, heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) or Hsp90 proteins could control exosomes release from TECs and macrophages both in vivo and in vitro. Importantly, quercetin, a previously recognized heat shock protein inhibitor, could significantly reduce exosomes release in TII models by down-regulating Hsp70 or Hsp90. Quercetin abrogated exosomes-mediated intercellular communication, which attenuated TII and renal fibrosis accordingly. CONCLUSION: Quercetin could serve as a novel strategy for treatment of tubulointerstitial inflammation by inhibiting the exosomes-mediated crosstalk between tubules and macrophages.

Tubular-specific CDK12 knockout causes a defect in urine concentration due to premature cleavage of the slc12a1 gene.

Cyclin-dependent kinase 12 (CDK12) plays a critical role in regulating gene transcription. CDK12 inhibition is a potential anticancer therapeutic strategy. However, several clinical trials have shown that CDK inhibitors might cause renal dysfunction and electrolyte disorders. CDK12 is abundant in renal tubular epithelial cells (RTECs), but the exact role of CDK12 in renal physiology remains unclear. Genetic knockout of CDK12 in mouse RTECs causes polydipsia, polyuria, and hydronephrosis. This phenotype is caused by defects in water reabsorption that are the result of reduced Na-K-2Cl cotransporter 2 (NKCC2) levels in the kidney. In addition, CKD12 knockout causes an increase in Slc12a1 (which encodes NKCC2) intronic polyadenylation events, which results in Slc12a1 truncated transcript production and NKCC2 downregulation. These findings provide novel insight into CDK12 being necessary for maintaining renal homeostasis by regulating NKCC2 transcription, which explains the critical water and electrolyte disturbance that occurs during the application of CDK12 inhibitors for cancer treatment. Therefore, there are safety concerns about the clinical use of these new anticancer drugs.

Quercetin inhibits testicular toxicity induced by the mixture of three commonly used phthalates in rats.

BACKGROUND: Phthalates (PEs), such as butyl benzyl phthalate, dibutyl phthalate and di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, are one of the most widely used plasticizers, and humans are increasingly exposed to them. Phytochemical quercetin (Que) is a typical flavonoid with several biological effects, such as antioxidative and anti-inflammatory. The present study was designed to explore the effect of Que on testicular toxicity caused by the mixture of three commonly used PEs (MPEs), and the underlying mechanism. Forty male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly and equally divided into five groups (n = 8). Rats in control the group were orally treated with the excipient. Rats in the MPEs group were orally administered with 900 mg kg-1 day-1 MPEs, whereas rats in the MPEs+L-Que, MPEs+M-Que and MPEs+H-Que groups were simultaneously treated with 900 mg kg-1 day-1 MPEs and, respectively, 10, 30 and 90 mg kg-1 day-1 Que for 30 days. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the testes weight, epididymides weight, serum testosterone, luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone and estradiol levels, and anogenital distance in the MPEs group were significantly decreased (P < 0.05). The testicular tissues were injured with atrophy of seminiferous tubules, hyperplasia of Leydig cells and arrest of spermatogenesis in the MPEs group. Testicular steroidogenic proteins (StAR, P450scc, CYP17A1 and 17ß-HSD, P450arom) were up-regulated, whereas P-element-induced wimpy testis proteins (PIWIL1 and PIWIL2) were down-regulated in the MPEs group (P < 0.05). However, the alterations of these parameters were inhibited in the MPEs+M-Que and MPEs+H-Que groups. CONCLUSION: MPEs disturbed steroid hormone metabolism and caused testicular injuries. Que could inhibit testicular toxicity of MPEs, which might relate to the improved regulation of steroid hormone metabolism. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

[Outcome indicators in clinical trials on traditional Chinese medicine treatment of microvascular angina].

This study reviewed the current status of the use of outcome indicators in randomized controlled trial(RCT) on traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) treatment of microvascular angina(MVA) and analyzed the existing problems and possible solutions, aiming to provide a basis for the design of high-quality RCT and the establishment of core outcome sets for MVA. CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, SinoMed, PubMed, EMbase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and 2 clinical trial registries were searched for the RCT on TCM treatment of MVA according to pre-defined criteria. The Cochrane's risk of bias assessment tool was used to evaluate the methodological quality of the included RCT and the use of outcome indicators was summarized. A total of 69 RCTs were included, from which 100 outcome indicators were extracted, with the frequency of 430. The extracted outcome indicators belonged to 8 domains: response rate, symptoms and signs, physical and chemical examinations, TCM efficacy, safety, quality of life, economic evaluation, and long-term prognosis. The indicators of physical and chemical examinations were the most(70 indicators with the frequency of 211), followed by those of response rate(7 indicators with the frequency of 73) and symptoms and signs(7 indicators with the frequency of 54). The outcome indicators with higher frequency were adverse reactions, angina attack frequency, clinical efficacy, endothelin-1, total duration of treadmill exercise, and hypersensitive C-reactive protein. The RCT on TCM treatment of MVA had the following problems: irregular reporting of adverse reactions, diverse indicators with low frequency, lack of attention to the application of endpoint indicators, insufficient use of TCM differentiation and efficacy indicators, non-standard evaluation criteria and failure to reflect the basic characteristics of TCM. A unified MVA syndrome differentiation standard should be established, on the basis of which an MVA treatment efficacy evaluation system and core outcome indicator set that highlights the characteristics of TCM with patient-reported outcomes as the starting point should be established to improve the clinical research and research value.

Cellular mechanism underlying the facilitation of contractile response induced by IL-25 in mouse tracheal smooth muscle.

Asthma is a common heterogeneous respiratory disease characterized by airway inflammation and airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) which is associated with abnormality in smooth muscle contractility. The epithelial cell-derived cytokine IL-25 is implicated in type 2 immune pathology including asthma, whereas the underlying mechanisms have not been fully elucidated. This study aims to investigate the effects of IL-25 on mouse tracheal smooth muscle contractility and elucidate the cellular mechanisms. Incubation with IL-25 augmented the contraction of mouse tracheal smooth muscles, which could be suppressed by the L-type voltage-dependent Ca2+ channel (L-VDCC) blocker nifedipine. Furthermore, IL-25 enhanced the cytosolic Ca2+ signals and triggered the upregulation of α1C L-VDCC (CaV1.2) in primary cultured mouse tracheal smooth muscle cells. Knocking down IL-17RA/IL-17RB receptors or inhibiting the transforming growth factor-ß-activated kinase 1 (TAK1)-tumor progression locus 2 (TPL2)-MAPK kinase 1/2 (MEK1/2)-ERK1/2-activating protein-1 (AP-1) signaling pathways suppressed the IL-25-elicited upregulation of CaV1.2 and hyperreactivity in tracheal smooth muscles. Moreover, inhibition of TPL2, ERK1/2 or L-VDCC alleviated the AHR symptom induced by IL-25 in a murine model. This study revealed that IL-25 potentiated the contraction of tracheal smooth muscle and evoked AHR via activation of TPL2-ERK1/2-CaV1.2 signaling, providing novel targets for the treatment of asthma with a high-IL-25 phenotype.

G protein-coupled estrogen receptor promotes acrosome reaction via regulation of Ca2+ signaling in mouse sperm†.

G protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER), a seven-transmembrane G protein-coupled receptor, mediates the rapid pre-genomic signaling actions of estrogen and derivatives thereof. The expression of GPER is extensive in mammal male reproductive system. However, the functional role of GPER in mouse sperm has not yet been well recognized. This study revealed that GPER was expressed at the acrosome and the mid-flagellum of the mouse sperm. The endogenous GPER ligand 17ß-estradiol and the selective GPER agonist G1 increased intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) in mouse sperm, which could be abolished by G15, an antagonist of GPER. In addition, the G1-stimulated Ca2+ response was attenuated by interference with the phospholipase C (PLC) signaling pathways or by blocking the cation channel of sperm (CatSper). Chlortetracycline staining assay showed that the activation of GPER increased the incidence of acrosome-reacted sperm. Conclusively, GPER was located at the acrosome and mid-flagellum of the mouse sperm. Activation of GPER triggered the elevation of [Ca2+]i through PLC-dependent Ca2+ mobilization and CatSper-mediated Ca2+ influx, which promoted the acrosome reaction of mouse sperm.

Activation of TRPV4 stimulates transepithelial K+ secretion in rat epididymal epithelium.

The maturation of sperms is dependent on the coordinated interactions between sperm and the unique epididymal luminal milieu, which is characterized by high K+ content. This study investigated the involvement of transient receptor potential vanilloid 4 (TRPV4) in the K+ secretion of epididymal epithelium. The expression level and cellular localization of TRPV4 and Ca2+-activated K+ channels (KCa) were analyzed via RT-PCR, real-time quantitative PCR, western blot and immunofluorescence. The functional role of TRPV4 was investigated using short-circuit current (ISC) and intracellular Ca2+ imaging techniques. We found a predominant expression of TRPV4 in the corpus and cauda epididymal epithelium. Activation of TRPV4 with a selective agonist, GSK1016790A, stimulated a transient decrease in the ISC of the epididymal epithelium. The ISC response was abolished by either the TRPV4 antagonists, HC067047 and RN-1734, or the removal of basolateral K+. Simultaneously, the application of GSK1016790A triggered Ca2+ influx in epididymal epithelial cells. Our data also indicated that the big conductance KCa (BK), small conductance KCa (SK) and intermediate conductance KCa (IK) were all expressed in rat epididymis. Pharmacological studies revealed that BK, but not SK and IK, mediated TRPV4-elicited transepithelial K+ secretion. Finally, we demonstrated that TRPV4 and BK were localized in the epididymal epithelium, which showed an increased expression level from caput to cauda regions of rat epididymis. This study implicates that TRPV4 plays an important role in the formation of high K+ concentration in epididymal intraluminal fluid via promoting transepithelial K+ secretion mediated by BK.

A Modified Vancomycin Molecule Confers Potent Inhibitory Efficacy against Resistant Bacteria Mediated by Metallo-ß-Lactamases.

Multidrug-resistant bacterial infections mediated by metallo-ß-lactamases (MßLs) have grown into an emergent health threat, and development of novel antimicrobials is an ideal strategy to combat the infections. Herein, a novel vancomycin derivative Vb was constructed by conjugation of triazolylthioacetamide and vancomycin molecules, characterized by reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and confirmed by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). The biological assays revealed that Vb effectively inhibited S. aureus and methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), gradually increased the antimicrobial effect of ß-lactam antibiotics (cefazolin, meropenem and penicillin G) and exhibited a dose-dependent synergistic antibacterial effect against eight resistant strains tested, which was confirmed by the time-kill curves determination. Most importantly, Vb increased the antimicrobial effect of meropenem against the clinical isolates EC08 and EC10 and E. coli producing ImiS and CcrA, resulting in a 4- and 8-fold reduction in MIC values, respectively, at a dose up to 32 µg/mL. This work offers a promising scaffold for the development of MßLs inhibitors, specifically antimicrobials for clinically drug-resistant isolates.

Interactive effects of dietary leucine and isoleucine affect amino acid profile and metabolism through AKT/TOR signaling pathways in blunt snout bream (Megalobrama amblycephala).

The purpose of this research is to explore the interaction between dietary leucine and isoleucine levels on whole-body composition, plasma and liver biochemical indexes, amino acids deposition in the liver, and amino acid metabolism of blunt snout bream (Megalobrama amblycephala). The test fish (average weight: 56.00 ± 0.55 g) were fed one of six diets at random containing two leucine levels (1.70% and 2.50%) and three isoleucine levels (1.00%, 1.20%, and 1.40%) for 8 weeks. The results showed that the final weight and weight gain rate were the highest in the fish fed low-level leucine and high-level isoleucine diets (P > 0.05). Furthermore, the crude lipid content was significantly adjusted by diets with diverse levels of leucine and isoleucine (P < 0.05). In addition, interactive effects of these two branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) were found on plasma total protein, blood ammonia, and blood urea nitrogen of test fish (P < 0.05). Additionally, the liver amino acid profiles were significantly influenced by the interactive effects of the two BCAAs (P < 0.05). Moreover, interactive effects of dietary leucine and isoleucine were significantly observed in the expressions of amino acid metabolism-related genes (P < 0.05). These findings suggested that dietary leucine and isoleucine had interaction. Meanwhile, the interaction between them was more conducive to the growth and quality improvement of blunt snout bream when the dietary leucine level was 1.70% and isoleucine level was 1.40%.

Briarenols W-Z: Chlorine-Containing Polyoxygenated Briaranes from Octocoral Briareum stechei (Kükenthal, 1908).

Briareum stechei is proven to be a rich source of 3,8-cyclized cembranoids (briarane) with a bicyclo[8.4.0] carbon core. In the present study, four previously unreported briaranes, briarenols W-Z (1-4), along with solenolide A (5), briarenolide M (6), briaexcavatolide F (7), and brianolide (8), were isolated and characterized through spectroscopic analysis, and the absolute configuration of 8 was corroborated by a single-crystal x-ray diffraction analysis. Briaranes 2 and 5 were found to induce significant inflammatory activity in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW 264.7 mouse macrophage cells by enhancing the expression of the inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) proteins.

Cellular mechanism underlying oxytocin-stimulated Cl- secretion in rat cauda epididymal epithelium.

The neurohypophyseal hormone oxytocin (OT) plays critical roles in lactation and parturition, while its function in male reproduction system is largely unknown. This study aims to investigate the effect of OT on regulating transepithelial ion transport in rat cauda epididymal epithelium. With the use of RT-PCR, Western blot, and immunohistochemical analysis, we found that OT receptor (OTR) was expressed and localized at the basal membrane of rat cauda epididymal epithelium. The short-circuit current (Isc) measurement showed that basolateral application of OT to the primary cultured rat cauda epididymal epithelial cells elicited an increase in Isc, which was abrogated by pretreating the epithelial cells with CFTRinh-172, a blocker of cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR). Pretreatment with the prostaglandin H synthase inhibitors indomethacin and piroxicam, or the nonselective antagonists of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) receptor EP2 or EP4, AH-6809, and AH-23848, significantly attenuated OT-stimulated Isc response. Furthermore, the generation of PGE2 was measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, demonstrating that OT induced a substantial increase in PGE2 release from primary cultured rat cauda epididymal epithelial cells. In conclusion, activation of OTR by OT triggered PGE2 release, resulting in CFTR-dependent Cl- secretion through paracrine/autocrine pathways in rat cauda epididymal epithelium.

eNOS-Nitric Oxide System Contributes to a Novel Antiatherogenic Effect of Leonurine via Inflammation Inhibition and Plaque Stabilization.

Leonurine (LEO) is a bioactive small molecular compound that has protective effects on the cardiovascular system and prevents the early progression of atherosclerosis; however, it is not clear whether LEO is effective for plaque stability. A novel mouse atherosclerosis model involving tandem stenosis (TS) of the right carotid artery combined with western diet (WD) feeding was used. Apolipoprotein E gene-deficient mice were fed with a WD and received LEO administration daily for 13 weeks. TS was introduced 6 weeks after the onset of experiments. We found that LEO enhanced plaque stability by increasing fibrous cap thickness and collagen content while decreasing the population of CD68-positive cells. Enhanced plaque stability by LEO was associated with the nitric oxide synthase (NOS)-nitric oxide (NO) system. LEO restored the balance between endothelial NOS(E)- and inducible NOS(iNOS)-derived NO production; suppressed the NF-κB signaling pathway; reduced the level of the inflammatory infiltration in plaque, including cytokine interleukin 6; and downregulated the expression of adhesion molecules. These findings support the distinct role of LEO in plaque stabilization. In vitro studies with oxidized low-density lipoprotein-challenged human umbilical vein endothelial cells revealed that LEO balanced NO production and inhibited NF-κB/P65 nuclear translocation, thus mitigating inflammation. In conclusion, the restored balance of the NOS-NO system and mitigated inflammation contribute to the plaque-stabilizing effect of LEO. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: LEO restored the balance between endothelial NOS and inducible NOS in NO production and inhibited excessive inflammation in atherosclerotic "unstable" and rupture-prone plaques in apolipoprotein E gene-deficient mice. The protective effect of LEO for stabilizing atherosclerotic plaques was due to improved collagen content, increased fibrous cap thickness, and decreased accumulation of macrophages/foam cells. So far, LEO has passed the safety and feasibility test of phase I clinical trial.

Cellular mechanisms underlying carbon monoxide stimulated anion secretion in rat epididymal epithelium.

Epididymal epithelium possesses active ion transport properties conducive to the maintenance of appropriate epididymal intraluminal microenvironment. The endogenous gasotransmitter carbon monoxide (CO) regulates numerous cellular processes including water and electrolyte transport in various epithelia. However, the functional role of CO in epididymal epithelium is still elusive. This study aims to explore the potential regulatory effect of CO on transepithelial ion transport in rat epididymis. Using qPCR technique, we verified that endogenous CO synthase heme oxygenase 1 was expressed in rat caput, corpus, and cauda epididymis. In addition, endogenous CO was detected in rat cauda epididymis. Ussing chamber experiments showed that CORM-2, a CO donor, induced an increase of the short-circuit current (ISC) in a concentration-dependent manner in rat cauda epididymal epithelium. The ISC response could be abrogated by removing the ambient Cl- or HCO3-. Interfering with the cAMP signaling pathway or blocking cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator (CFTR) partially suppressed the CO-stimulated ISC response. Moreover, the CO-evoked ISC response was significantly attenuated by blocking Ca2+-activated Cl- channel (CaCC) or chelating intracellular Ca2+. Elevation of intracellular Ca2+ level was also observed after CO stimulation in rat cauda epididymal epithelial cells. Collectively, this study demonstrated that CO stimulated anion secretion via activation of CFTR and CaCC in rat cauda epididymal epithelium, which might contribute to the formation of the appropriate microenvironment essential for sperm storage.

Briarenols Q-T: Briaranes from A Cultured Octocoral Briareum stechei (Kükenthal, 1908).

Our continuous chemical study of a cultured octocoral Briareum stechei led to the isolation of four new briarane diterpenoids, briarenols Q-T (1-4). The structures of new metabolites 1-4 were established by spectroscopic methods, and compounds 3 and 4 were found to inhibit the generation of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) from RAW 264.7 stimulated by lipopolysaccharides (LPS).

Hair growth potential of Salvia plebeia extract and its associated mechanisms.

Context: Although Salvia plebeia (SP) R. Brown (Labiatae) is known to possess various biological activities, the effects of SP on hair growth have not been elucidated.Objective: To investigate the hair growth potential of SP extract by using human dermal papilla cells (hDPCs) and C57BL/6 mice.Materials and methods: The entire SP plant sample was ground into powder and extracted with 99.9% methyl alcohol. Various concentrations of SP extract were added to hDPCs to evaluate the proliferation, migration, and factors related to hair growth and cycling. Effect of topical SP administration on hair regrowth was tested in vivo in male C57BL/6 mice for 21 days.Results: SP extract significantly increased the proliferation of cultured hDPCs at doses of 15.6 and 31.3 µg/mL compared to control group by 123% and 132%, respectively. Expression of hepatocyte growth factor increased while the level of TGF-ß1 and SMAD2/3 decreased when treated with SP extract. At the molecular level, the extract activated Wnt/ß-catenin signalling by raising ß-catenin and phospho-GSK3ß expression. SP extract also exerted anti-apoptotic and proliferative effects in hDPCs by increasing the Bcl-2/Bax ratio and activating cell proliferation-related proteins, ERK and Akt. Finally, the extract caused an induction of the anagen phase leading to significantly enhanced hair growth in treated male mice.Discussion and conclusion: Our results indicate that SP extract has the capacity to activate hDPCs into a proliferative state to promote hair growth. Further research is necessary to determine the bioactive components and their mechanisms of action responsible for SP-related hair growth effect.