Metabolic regulation of the plant epigenome.

Chromatin modifications shape the epigenome and are essential for gene expression reprogramming during plant development and adaptation to the changing environment. Chromatin modification enzymes require primary metabolic intermediates such as S-adenosyl-methionine, acetyl-CoA, alpha-ketoglutarate, and NAD+ as substrates or cofactors. The availability of the metabolites depends on cellular nutrients, energy and reduction/oxidation (redox) states, and affects the activity of chromatin regulators and the epigenomic landscape. The changes in the plant epigenome and the activity of epigenetic regulators in turn control cellular metabolism through transcriptional and post-translational regulation of metabolic enzymes. The interplay between metabolism and the epigenome constitutes a basis for metabolic control of plant growth and response to environmental changes. This review summarizes recent advances regarding the metabolic control of plant chromatin regulators and epigenomes, which are involved in plant adaption to environmental stresses.

S-Nitrosylation of the histone deacetylase HDA19 stimulates its activity to enhance plant stress tolerance in Arabidopsis.

Arabidopsis histone deacetylase HDA19 is required for gene expression programs of a large spectrum of plant developmental and stress-responsive pathways. How this enzyme senses cellular environment to control its activity remains unclear. In this work, we show that HDA19 is post-translationally modified by S-nitrosylation at 4 Cysteine (Cys) residues. HDA19 S-nitrosylation depends on the cellular nitric oxide level, which is enhanced under oxidative stress. We find that HDA19 is required for cellular redox homeostasis and plant tolerance to oxidative stress, which in turn stimulates its nuclear enrichment, S-nitrosylation and epigenetic functions including binding to genomic targets, histone deacetylation and gene repression. The Cys137 of the protein is involved in basal and stress-induced S-nitrosylation, and is required for HDA19 functions in developmental, stress-responsive and epigenetic controls. Together, these results indicate that S-nitrosylation regulates HDA19 activity and is a mechanism of redox-sensing for chromatin regulation of plant tolerance to stress.

Mechanistic exploration of Yiqi Liangxue Shengji prescription on restenosis after balloon injury by integrating metabolomics with network pharmacology.

CONTEXT: Yiqi Liangxue Shengji prescription (YQLXSJ) is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formula that has long been used for treatment after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). OBJECTIVE: To investigate the putative pharmacological mechanism of YQLXSJ on restenosis through an integrated approach utilizing metabolomics and network pharmacology. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into sham, model, YQLXSJ, and positive groups. YQLXSJ group received the treatment of YQLXSJ (6 g/kg/d, i.g.) and the positive group was treated with atorvastatin (2 mg/kg/d, i.g.). After 4 weeks, the improvement in intimal hyperplasia was evaluated by ultrasound, H&E staining, and immunofluorescence. UPLC-MS/MS technology was utilized to screen the differential metabolites. Network pharmacology was conducted using TCMSP, GeneCards, and Metascape, etc., in combination with metabolomics. Eventually, the core targets were acquired and validated. RESULTS: Compared to models, YQLXSJ exhibited decreased intima-media thickness on ultrasound (0.23 ± 0.02 mm vs. 0.20 ± 0.01 mm, p < 0.01) and reduced intima thickness by H&E (30.12 ± 6.05 µm vs. 14.32 ± 1.37 µm, p < 0.01). We identified 18 differential metabolites and 5 core targets such as inducible nitric oxide synthase (NOS2), endothelial nitric oxide synthase (NOS3), vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGFA), ornithine decarboxylase-1 (ODC1) and group IIA secretory phospholipase A2 (PLA2G2A). These targets were further confirmed by molecular docking and ELISA. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: This study confirms the effects of YQLXSJ on restenosis and reveals some biomarkers. TCM has great potential in the prevention and treatment of restenosis by improving metabolic disorders.

S100A4+ macrophages facilitate zika virus invasion and persistence in the seminiferous tubules via interferon-gamma mediation.

Testicular invasion and persistence are features of Zika virus (ZIKV), but their mechanisms are still unknown. Here, we showed that S100A4+ macrophages, a myeloid macrophage subpopulation with susceptibility to ZIKV infection, facilitated ZIKV invasion and persistence in the seminiferous tubules. In ZIKV-infected mice, S100A4+ macrophages were specifically recruited into the interstitial space of testes and differentiated into interferon-γ-expressing M1 macrophages. With interferon-γ mediation, S100A4+ macrophages down-regulated Claudin-1 expression and induced its redistribution from the cytosol to nucleus, thus increasing the permeability of the blood-testis barrier which facilitated S100A4+ macrophages invasion into the seminiferous tubules. Intraluminal S100A4+ macrophages were segregated from CD8+ T cells and consequently helped ZIKV evade cellular immunity. As a result, ZIKV continued to replicate in intraluminal S100A4+ macrophages even when the spermatogenic cells disappeared. Deficiencies in S100A4 or interferon-γ signaling both reduced ZIKV infection in the seminiferous tubules. These results demonstrated crucial roles of S100A4+ macrophages in ZIKV infection in testes.

Metabolic control of histone demethylase activity involved in plant response to high temperature.

Jumonji C (JmjC) domain proteins are histone lysine demethylases that require ferrous iron and alpha-ketoglutarate (or α-KG) as cofactors in the oxidative demethylation reaction. In plants, α-KG is produced by isocitrate dehydrogenases (ICDHs) in different metabolic pathways. It remains unclear whether fluctuation of α-KG levels affects JmjC demethylase activity and epigenetic regulation of plant gene expression. In this work, we studied the impact of loss of function of the cytosolic ICDH (cICDH) gene on the function of histone demethylases in Arabidopsis thaliana. Loss of cICDH resulted in increases of overall histone H3 lysine 4 trimethylation (H3K4me3) and enhanced mutation defects of the H3K4me3 demethylase gene JMJ14. Genetic analysis suggested that the cICDH mutation may affect the activity of other demethylases, including JMJ15 and JMJ18 that function redundantly with JMJ14 in the plant thermosensory response. Furthermore, we show that mutation of JMJ14 affected both the gene activation and repression programs of the plant thermosensory response and that JMJ14 and JMJ15 repressed a set of genes that are likely to play negative roles in the process. The results provide evidence that histone H3K4 demethylases are involved in the plant response to elevated ambient temperature.

Arabidopsis histone deacetylase HDA15 directly represses plant response to elevated ambient temperature.

Elevated ambient temperatures affect plant growth and substantially impact biomass and crop yield. Recent results have indicated that chromatin remodelling is critical in plant thermal responses but how histone modification dynamics affects plant thermal response has not been clearly demonstarted. Here we show that Arabidopsis histone deacetylase genes HDA9, HDA15 and HDA19 play distinct roles in plant response to elevated ambient temperature. hda9 and hda19 mutants showed a warm-temperature-insensitive phenotype at 27°C, whereas hda15 plants displayed a constitutive warm-temperature-induced phenotype at 20°C and an enhanced thermal response at 27°C. The hda19 mutation led to upregulation of genes mostly related to stress response at both 20 and 27°C. The hda15 mutation resulted in upregulation of many warm temperature-responsive as well as metabolic genes at 20 and 27°C, while hda9 led to differential expression of a large number of genes at 20°C and impaired induction of warm-temperature-responsive genes at 27°C. HDA15 is associated with thermosensory mark genes at 20°C and that the association is decreased after shifting to 27°C, indicating that HDA15 is a direct repressor of plant thermal-responsive genes at normal temperature. In addition, as hda9, the hda15 mutation also led to upregulation of many metabolic genes and accumulation of primary metabolites. Furthermore, we show that HDA15 interacts with the transcription factor HFR1 (long Hypocotyl in Far Red1) to cooperatively repress warm-temperature response. Our study demonstrates that the histone deacetylases target to different sets of genes and play distinct roles in plant response to elevated ambient temperature.

Effects of Xuezhitong in Patients with Hypertriglyceridemia: a Multicentre, Randomized, Double-Blind, Double Simulation, Positive Drug and Placebo Parallel Control Study.

BACKGROUD: Xuezhitong (XZT) is an extract of Allium macrostemon Bunge that has lipid-lowering properties. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of XZT on lipids in subjects with hypertriglyceridemia (HTG) without severe dyslipidaemia. METHODS: A total of 358 subjects with HTG were enrolled and randomly assigned to receive XZT (2700 mg daily), xuezhikang (XZK) (1200 mg daily) or placebo. The primary endpoint was the reduction or percent reduction in the TG level over 12 weeks of treatment. RESULTS: At the 12-week follow-up, a reduction in the TG level from baseline was observed in both groups, but the XZT and XZK groups demonstrated a significantly greater reduction than the placebo group (30.77%, 24.02% vs 11.59%, P < 0.0167); 70.54% of subjects in the XZT group and 62.30% of subjects in the XZK group demonstrated reductions in TG levels of at least 20%, compared with 41.67% of the subjects in the placebo group (P < 0.0167). Treatment with XZT capsules also demonstrated superior performance compared with the placebo with respect to the control of lipids (17.97% vs 5.00%), total cholesterol (TC) (14.18% vs 3.89%), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) (17.98% vs 2.95%), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) (21.47% vs 2.16%). Daily use of XZT for 12 weeks resulted in statistically significant (65.22% vs 38.30%, 25.00%; P < 0.0167) and clinically meaningful increases in HDL-C levels by ≥4 mg/dl compared with XZK and placebo. XZT was safe and well tolerated; the safety and tolerability profiles were similar across treatment groups. No subject experienced myopathy or markedly elevated liver transaminases or creatine kinase. CONCLUSIONS: XZT significantly reduced TG levels and was well tolerated. Longer-term studies in more diverse patient populations are needed to corroborate these findings. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: www.chictr.org.cn Identifier: ChiCTR1900025854.

Terpenoids from the Deep-Sea-Derived Fungus Penicillium thomii YPGA3 and Their Bioactivities.

A chemical study of the ethyl acetate (EtOAc) extract from the deep-sea-derived fungus Penicillium thomii YPGA3 led to the isolation of a new austalide meroterpenoid (1) and seven known analogues (28), two new labdane-type diterpenoids (9 and 10) and a known derivative (11). The structures of new compounds 1, 9, and 10 were determined by comprehensive analyses via nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and mass spectroscopy (MS) data. The absolute configurations of 1, 9, and 10 were determined by comparisons of experimental electronic circular dichroism (ECD) with the calculated ECD spectra. Compound 1 represented the third example of austalides bearing a hydroxyl group at C-5 instead of the conserved methoxy in other known analogues. To our knowledge, diterpenoids belonging to the labdane-type were discovered from species of Penicillium for the first time. Compound 1 showed cytotoxicity toward MDA-MB-468 cells with an IC50 value of 38.9 M. Compounds 2 and 11 exhibited inhibition against α-glucosidase with IC50 values of 910 and 525 M, respectively, being more active than the positive control acarbose (1.33 mM).

Effects of genome doubling on expression of genes regulating grain size in rice.

Rice is one of the most important staple crops. It has been the major focus in breeding program to improve grain yield. A unique feature of tetraploid rice is the increased grain size and weight compared to diploid. Therefore, investigating the effects of genome doubling on expression of genes regulating grain size is important for yield improvement in rice breeding program. In this study, we analyzed differential expression of six genes regulating grain size in young panicles of various developmental stages between diploid and tetraploid rice. Transgenic approaches were employed to explore the dosage effects on gene expression and grain size. The results showed that genome duplications did not influence the developmental patterns of rice growth, but enhanced plant height, leaf width and grain size. The grain length and width in Indica tetraploid increased significantly, but the grain length showed more obvious change than width in Japonica tetraploid. The expression levels were affected not only by the developmental stages, but also by genetic background. Upon genome doubling, the positive regulation gene GS5 and HGW expression levels were generally higher in tetraploid than the corresponding diploid. Negative regulation gene GS3 in Indica tetraploid tended to be down-regulated or silenced, but increased in Japonica tetraploid. Another negative regulation GW2 was up-regulated in Indica tetraploid and silenced in Japonica tetraploid. The extra copies of GW2 in diploid transgenic lines exerted a gene dosage effect that resulted in the higher expression level than that of wild type diploid and tetraploid, which causes small grain formation in transgenic lines. Our results will help to understand the function of genes regulating the grain size in the diploid and tetraploid, and provide a theoretical basis for yield improvement.

Phenotypic variation in hypocotyl elongation among elite sand rice (Agriophyllum squarrosum) lines.

Sand rice (Agriophyllum squarrosum), widely distributed in Central Arid Asia and prevalent in the sand dunes of northern China, presents a promising potential as a climate-resilient crop. The plasticity of hypocotyl growth is the key trait for sand rice to cope with wind erosion and sand burial, ensure seedling emergence, and determine plant architecture. In this study, we assessed the overall hypocotyl phenotype of six sand rice elite lines, which were collected from different regions of northern China, and selected by our group over past decade through common garden trials. Significant phenotypic variations were observed in thousand-seed weight (TSW), seedling emergence percentage, hypocotyl length and diameter, and seedling fresh weight among the lines. The elite line Aerxiang (AEX) exhibited excellent agronomic performance with superior and synchronous emergence, and high survival percentage, distinguishing itself as a prime candidate for further large-scale cultivation. Contrastingly, the lines from the arid regions showed markedly lower performance. Partial Least Squares Path Modeling (PLSPM) was used to assess the impact of seed provenance climate factors, including annual mean temperature (AMT) and annual mean precipitation (AMP), on trait variability among lines. The findings indicate a significant correlation between climate factors and hypocotyl length, highlighting the intricate adaptation of sand rice to local climate. The comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms behind phenotypic variations offers valuable insights for sand rice de novo domestication and innovative germplasm resources, and lays the foundation for ecological restoration in sandy areas.

Genomic variation induced by a low concentration of ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS) in quinoa 'Longli-4' variety.

Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa, 2n = 4x = 36), a super pseudocereal crop, has been introduced into China nearly 60 years. Many excellent varieties have been developed through massive selection; however, few are developed through mutagenesis breeding. In this study, the 'Longli-4' variety, locally cultivated in Gansu province, Northwest China, was selected for experimentation. The grains of 'Longli-4' were treated with ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS) at a concentration of 0.8% for 8 h. Nine plants from independent M2 families were randomly selected to investigate the mutagenesis effect of EMS on the quinoa genome. The results indicated that the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) induced by EMS were unevenly distributed across all 18 chromosomes, with an average mutation frequency of 91.2 SNPs/Mb, ranging from 4.5 to 203.5 SNPs/Mb. A significant positive correlation between the number of SNPs and chromosome length was identified through linear model analysis. Transitions from G/C to A/T were the most predominated in all variant categories, accounting for 34.4-67.2% of the mutations, and SNPs were significantly enriched in intergenic regions, representing 69.2-75.1% of the total mutations. This study provides empirical support for the application of low concentration EMS treatment in quinoa breeding.

Causal relationships between GLP1 receptor agonists, blood lipids, and heart failure: a drug-target mendelian randomization and mediation analysis.

BACKGROUND: Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP1R) agonists have been shown to reduce major cardiovascular events in diabetic patients, but their role in heart failure (HF) remains controversial. Recent evidence implies their potential benefits on cardiometabolism such as lipid metabolism, which may contribute to lowering the risk of HF. Consequently, we designed a Mendelian randomization (MR) study to investigate the causal relationships of circulating lipids mediating GLP1R agonists in HF. METHODS: The available cis-eQTLs for GLP1R target gene were selected as instrumental variables (IVs) of GLP1R agonism. Positive control analyses of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and body mass index (BMI) were conducted to validate the enrolled IVs. Two-sample MR was performed to evaluate the associations between GLP1R agonism and HF as well as left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). Summary data for HF and LVEF were obtained from two genome-wide association studies (GWASs), which included 977,323 and 40,000 individuals of European ancestry, respectively. The primary method employed was the random-effects inverse variance weighted, with several other methods used for sensitivity analyses, including MR-Egger, MR PRESSO, and weighted median. Additionally, multivariable MR and mediation MR were applied to identify potentially causal lipid as mediator. RESULTS: A total of 18 independent IVs were included. The positive control analyses showed that GLP1R agonism significantly reduced the risk of T2DM (OR = 0.79, 95% CI = 0.75-0.85, p < 0.0001) and decreased BMI (OR = 0.95, 95% CI = 0.93-0.96, p < 0.0001), ensuring the effectiveness of selected IVs. We found favorable evidence to support the protective effect of GLP1R agonism on HF (OR = 0.75, 95% CI = 0.71-0.79, p < 0.0001), but there was no obvious correlation with increased LVEF (OR = 1.01, 95% CI = 0.95-1.06, p = 0.8332). Among the six blood lipids, only low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) was both associated with GLP1R agonism and HF. The causal effect of GLP1R agonism on HF was partially mediated through LDL-C by 4.23% of the total effect (95% CI = 1.04-7.42%, p = 0.0093). CONCLUSIONS: This study supported the causal relationships of GLP1R agonists with a reduced risk of HF. LDL-C might be the mediator in this association, highlighting the cardiometabolic benefit of GLP1R agonists on HF.

The First Discovery of Marine Polyoxygenated Cembranolides as Potential Agents for the Treatment of Ulcerative Colitis.

Cembranolides are characteristic metabolites in marine soft corals, with complex structures and widespread biological activities. However, seldom has an intensive pharmacological study been done for these intriguing marine natural products. In this work, systematic chemical investigation was performed on Sinularia pedunculata by HSQC-based small molecule accurate recognition technology (SMART), resulting in the isolation and identification of 31 cembrane-type diterpenoids, including six new ones. In the bioassay, several compounds showed significant anti-inflammatory activities on the inhibition of NO production. The structure-activity relationship (SAR) was comprehensively analyzed, and two most bioactive and less toxic compounds 8 and 9 could inhibit inflammation through suppressing NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways, and reduce the secretion of inflammatory cytokines. In a mouse model of dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced acute colitis, 8 and 9 exhibited good anti-inflammatory effects and the ability to repair the colon epithelium, giving insight into the application of cembranolides as potential ulcerative colitis (UC) agents.

Multifaceted functions of histone deacetylases in stress response.

Histone deacetylases (HDACs) are important chromatin regulators essential for plant tolerance to adverse environments. In addition to histone deacetylation and epigenetic regulation, HDACs deacetylate non-histone proteins and thereby regulate multiple pathways. Like other post-translational modifications (PTMs), acetylation/deacetylation is a reversible switch regulating different cellular processes in plants. Here, by focusing on results obtained in arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) and rice plants, we analyze the different aspects of HDAC functions and the underlying regulatory mechanisms in modulating plant responses to stress. We hypothesize that, in addition to epigenetic regulation of gene expression, HDACs can also control plant tolerance to stress by regulating transcription, translation, and metabolic activities and possibly assembly-disassembly of stress granules (SGs) through lysine deacetylation of non-histone proteins.

Astragaloside IV for Heart Failure: Preclinical Evidence and Possible Mechanisms, A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the cardioprotective effects of astragaloside IV (AS-IV) in heart failure (HF). METHODS: PubMed, Excerpta Medica Database (EMBASE), Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Wanfang Database, Chinese Bio-medical Literature and Retrieval System (SinoMed), China Science and Technology Journal Database (VIP), and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) were searched from inception to November 1, 2021 for animal experiments to explore AS-IV in treating HF in rats or mice. The left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), left ventricular fractional shortening (LVFS), left ventricular end-diastolic dimension (LVEDD), left ventricular end-systolic dimension (LVESD), left ventricular weight-to-body weight (LVW/BW) and B-type brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) were recorded. The qualities of included studies were assessed by the risk of bias according to the Cochrane handbook. Meta-analysis was performed using Stata 13.0. RESULTS: Twenty-one articles involving 558 animals were considered. Compared with the control group, AS-IV improved cardiac function, specifically by increasing LVEF (mean difference (MD)=6.97, 95% confidence interval (CI)=5.92 to 8.03, P<0.05; fixed effects model) and LVFS (MD=7.01, 95% CI=5.84 to 8.81, P<0.05; fixed effects model), and decreasing LVEDD (MD=-4.24, 95% CI=-4.74 to -3.76, P<0.05; random effects model) and LVESD (MD=-4.18, 95% CI=-5.26 to -3.10, P<0.05; fixed effects model). In addition, the BNP and LVW/BW levels were decreased in the AS-IV treatment group (MD=-9.18, 95% CI=-14.13 to -4.22, P<0.05; random effects model; MD=-1.91, 95% CI=-2.42 to -1.39, P<0.05; random effects model). CONCLUSIONS: AS-IV is a promising therapeutic agent for HF. However, this conclusion needs to be clinically validated in the future.

Anti-inflammatory Therapy Progress in Major Adverse Cardiac Events after PCI: Chinese and Western Medicine.

Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is one of the leading causes of death in cardiovascular disease. Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is an important method for the treatment of coronary heart disease (CHD), and it has greatly reduced the mortality of ACS patients since its application. However, a series of new problems may occur after PCI, such as in-stent restenosis, no-reflow phenomenon, in-stent neoatherosclerosis, late stent thrombosis, myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury, and malignant ventricular arrhythmias, which result in the occurrence of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) that seriously reduce the postoperative benefit for patients. The inflammatory response is a key mechanism of MACE after PCI. Therefore, examining effective anti-inflammatory therapies after PCI in patients with ACS is a current research focus to reduce the incidence of MACE. The pharmacological mechanism and clinical efficacy of routine Western medicine treatment for the anti-inflammatory treatment of CHD have been verified. Many Chinese medicine (CM) preparations have been widely used in the treatment of CHD. Basic and clinical studies showed that effectiveness of the combination of CM and Western medicine treatments in reducing incidence of MACE after PCI was better than Western medicine treatment alone. The current paper reviewed the potential mechanism of the inflammatory response and occurrence of MACE after PCI in patients with ACS and the research progress of combined Chinese and Western medicine treatments in reducing incidence of MACE. The results provide a theoretical basis for further research and clinical treatment.

Trimethylamine N-Oxide in Heart Failure: A Meta-Analysis of Prognostic Value.

OBJECTIVE: The present study aimed to explore the prognostic value of trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) in heart failure (HF). METHODS: PubMed, Excerpta Medica Database (EMBASE), Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Wanfang Database, SINOMED, China Science and Technology Journal Database (VIP), and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) were searched up to June 1, 2021. Studies recording the major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) or all-cause mortality in HF patients and their circulating TMAO concentrations were included. Meta-analysis was performed using Stata 13.0. RESULTS: Ten articles (12 studies) involving 13,425 participants from 2014 to 2021 were considered. Compared to low-level TMAO, elevated TMAO was correlated with MACEs and all-cause mortality in HF (RR: 1.28, 95% CI: 1.17, 1.39, P < 0.0001, random-effects model and RR: 1.35, 95% CI: 1.28, 1.42, P < 0.0001, random-effects model, respectively). Consistent results were obtained in all examined subgroups as well as in the sensitivity analysis. CONCLUSION: Elevated TMAO may be an adverse prognostic indicator in patients with HF. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=267208.

Quercetin prevents isoprenaline-induced myocardial fibrosis by promoting autophagy via regulating miR-223-3p/FOXO3.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the common arrhythmias. Myocardial fibrosis (MF) is closely related to atrial remodeling and leads to AF. MF is the main cause of cardiovascular diseases and a pathological basis of AF. Thus, the underlying mechanism in MF and AF development should be fully elucidated for AF therapeutic innovation. Autophagy is a highly conserved lysosomal degradation pathway, and the relationship between autophagy and MF has been previously shown. Moreover, research reported that quercetin (Que) could ameliorate MF. The current study aimed to explore the mechanism of Que in MF. The results in this study showed that in clinical AF patients and in aged rats, miR-223-3p was high-expressed, while FOXO3 and autophagy pathway related proteins, such as ATG7, p62/SQSTM1 and the ratio of LC3B-II/LC3B-I were significantly inhibited. In vivo and in vitro studies, we found that Que can effectively inhibit the expression of miR-223-3p in AF model cells and rats myocardial tissues, and meanwhile enhance the expression of FOXO3 and activate the autophagy pathway, and significantly inhibit myocardial fibrosis, and improve myocardial remodeling in atrial fibrillation. All in all, in this study, we found that Que prevents isoprenaline-induced MF by increasing autophagy via regulating miR-223-3p/FOXO3.

Pre-clinical Evidence: Berberine as a Promising Cardioprotective Candidate for Myocardial Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury, a Systematic Review, and Meta-Analysis.

Objective: Myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury is one of the causes of most cardiomyocyte injuries and deaths. Berberine (BBR) has been suggested a potential to exert protective effects against myocardial I/R injury. This systematic review aims to determine the intrinsic mechanisms of BBR's protective effects in myocardial I/R injury. Methods: Seven databases were searched for studies performed from inception to July 2020. Methodological quality was assessed by SYRCLE's-RoB tool. Results: Ten studies including a total of 270 animals were included in this study. The methodology quality scores of the included studies ranged from 5 to 7 points. The meta-analysis we conducted demonstrated that BBR significantly reduced myocardial infarct size and the incidence of ventricular arrhythmia, compared to control groups (P < 0.00001). Cardiac function of animals in the BBR treatment group was also markedly increased (P < 0.00001). The index of myocardial apoptosis and the levels of biomarkers of myocardial infarction (LDH and CK) were also decreased in the BBR treatment groups compared to the control groups (P < 0.00001). Conclusions: The pre-clinical evidence, according to our study, showed that BBR is a promising therapeutic agent for myocardial I/R injury. However, this conclusion should be further investigated in clinical studies.

Specialised metabolites as chemotaxonomic markers of Coptosapelta diffusa, supporting its delimitation as sisterhood phylogenetic relationships with Rubioideae.

From the aerial extracts of Coptosapelta diffusa (Champ. ex Benth.) Steenis, twenty-one compounds were isolated and identified by means of column chromatography and NMR and MS techniques, respectively. Amongst, ten ones were determined to be undescribed compounds including six seco-iridoid glucosides (1-6), 2-(hydroxymethyl)-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroanthracene-9,10-dione (7) and three guaiane-type sesquiterpenes (15-17). Compounds 7, 8 and 9 exhibited inhibitory activities against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC25923 with MIC of 8, 4 and 8 µg/mL. The use of 1-6 (iridoids), 7-14 (anthraquinones) and 15-17 (sesquiterpenes) as chemotaxonomic markers for this species was evidenced. Structurally, 7-14 are similar to those anthraquinones isolated from other species of the family Rubiaceae, confirming their close phylogenetic relationship. Whereas, these iridoids and sesquiterpenes with unique structures provided chemotaxonomic evidence to support the genus Coptosapelta (the tribe Coptosapelteae) as a sister of the subfamily Rubioideae. These results contrast with the general producing tendency of indole alkaloids by the species of the subfamily Cinchonoideae, and merit chemotaxonomic significance for the delimitation of Coptosapelta.