The effects of starvation stress on intestinal morphology and flora of grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella).

Starvation stress can profoundly impact various physiological parameters in fish, including metabolism, behavior, meat quality, and reproduction. However, the repercussions of starvation on the intestinal microbiota of grass carp remain under-explored. This research aimed to elucidate the effects of a 28-day starvation period on the composition of the intestinal microbiota of grass carp. Tissue pathology assessments revealed significant alterations in the dimensions of intestinal villi in the foregut, midgut, and hindgut as compared to the controls. Specifically, dominant differences appeared in both the length and width of the villi. Moreover, a marked decline in the goblet cell population was observed across all the intestinal segments. 16S rDNA sequencing was used to investigate changes in the gut microbiota, which revealed distinct clustering patterns among the starved and control groups. While α diversity metrics remained consistent for the anterior intestine, significant deviations were recorded in the Shannon (midgut: ***P < 0.001; hindgut: *P < 0.05) and Simpson indices (midgut and hindgut: ***P < 0.001), demonstrating alterations in microbial richness and evenness. At the phylum level, Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Fusobacteria emerged as dominant groups post-starvation. Other bacterial taxa, such as Actinobacteria and Verrucomicrobia, decreased, whereas Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes showed a small increase. In summation, starvation induces considerable morphological and microbial shifts in the grass carp intestine, and thus, this study offers valuable insights into their cultivation strategies.

FerrylHb induces inflammation and cell death in grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) hepatocytes.

Grass carp hemorrhagic disease is a significant problem in grass carp aquaculture. It releases highly oxidizing hemoglobin (Hb) into tissues, induces rapid autooxidation, and subsequently discharges cytotoxic reactive oxygen species (ROS). However, the mechanism underlying Hb damage to the teleost remains unclear. Here, we employed ferrylHb and heme to incubate L8824 (grass carp liver) cells and quantitatively analyzed the corresponding molecular regulation using the RNA-seq method. Based on the RNA-seq analysis data, after 12 h of incubation of the L8824 cells with ferrylHb, a total of 3738 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified, 1824 of which were upregulated, and 1914 were downregulated. A total of 4434 DEGs were obtained in the heme treated group, with 2227 DEGs upregulated and 2207 DEGs downregulated. KEGG enrichment analysis data revealed that the incubation of ferrylHb and heme significantly activated the pathways related to Oxidative Phosphorylation, Autophagy, Mitophagy and Protein Processing in Endoplasmic Reticulum. The genes associated with NF-κB, autophagy and apoptosis pathways were selected for further validation by quantitative real-time RT-PCR (qRT-PCR). The results were consistent with the RNA-seq data. Taken together, the incubation of Hb and heme induced the molecular regulation of L8824, which consequently led to programmed cell death through multiple pathways.

Effects of feeding chicken egg yolk antibodies on intestinal cell apoptosis, oxidative stress and microbial flora of tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) infected with Streptococcus agalactiae.

Streptococcosis, the most common bacterial disease of fish in recent years, is highly infectious and lethal, and has become an important factor hindering the healthy and sustainable development of aquaculture. Chicken egg yolk antibody (IgY) has the advantages of high antigen specificity, inexpensive and easy to obtain, simple preparation, no toxic side effects, and in line with animal welfare, which is a green and safe alternative to antibiotics. In this study, the potential of specific IgY in the treatment of gastrointestinal pathogens was explored by observing the effects of specific IgY on intestinal flora, pathological tissue, apoptosis, oxidative stress, and inflammatory response of tilapia. We used the specific IgY prepared in the early stage to feed tilapia for 10 days, and then the tilapia was challenged with Streptococcus agalactiae. The results showed that feeding IgY before challenge had a small effect on the intestinal flora, and after challenge specific IgY decreased the proportion of Streptococcus and increased the diversity of the intestinal flora; in histopathology, specific IgY decreased tissue damage and maintained the integrity of tissue structure. Further study found that specific IgY can reduce intestinal epithelial cell apoptosis and reduce caspase activity; at the same time, the content of MDA was decreased, and the activities of SOD, CAT, GSH-Px and GR were increased. In addition, specific IgY can down-regulate the expression levels of IL-8 and TNF-α genes and up-regulate the expression levels of IL-10 and TGF-ß. The results of this study showed that specific IgY could improve the intestinal flora of tilapia infected with Streptococcus agalactiae, reduce intestinal cell apoptosis, oxidative stress injury and inflammatory response, thereby reducing tissue damage and protecting the health of tilapia. Overall, specific IgY can be further explored as a potential antibiotic alternative for gastrointestinal pathogen infections.

Passive protection of chicken egg yolk immunoglobulin (IgY) against Streptococcus agalactiae infection in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus).

IgY is an immunoglobulin primarily found in the serum and egg yolk of birds, amphibians, and reptiles. Recent years, IgY is considered to have a good application prospect in the immunodiagnostics and passive immunotherapy of aquatic diseases. In this study, we prepared a specific IgY against Streptococcus agalactiae in tilapia after immunizing the hens for 4 times. The result of ELISA detection showed that the IgY titers in water-soluble fraction (WSF) after 6 weeks of immunization reached 1:51200 and last for 4 weeks. Western blot (WB) analysis data showed that the specific IgY could recognize the target band, the specific IgY showed a concentration-dependent inhibitory effect on the growth of S. agalactiae, altered cell wall structure and aggluted of S. agalactiae. The quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis data suggested that the specific IgY downregulated the expression of pro-inflammatory factors (IL-8, TNF-α), upregulated the anti-inflammatory factors (IL-10, TGF-ß). In addition, the histopathological results showed that the specific IgY significantly decreased the pathological manifestations, dramatically improved the survival rates of tilapia in injection, feeding, and immersion experiments. Collectively, our findings demonstrated that the broad potential of specific IgY for the prevention and treatment of S. agalactiae infection in tilapia.

Exploration of the immune response of grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus) erythrocytes during bacterial infection.

In teleost blood, red blood cells (RBCs) are the most common type of cell, and they differ from mammalian RBCs in having a nucleus and other organelles. As nucleated cells, teleost RBCs contribute to the immune response against pathogens, but their antibacterial mechanism remains unclear. Here, we utilized RNA-Seq to analyze gene expression patterns of grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus) RBCs (GcRBCs) stimulated by Aeromonas hydrophila, Escherichia coli, and Staphylococcus aureus. Our transcriptomic data showed that bacterial stimulation generated many differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Furthermore, several inflammatory pathways responded to bacterial activation, and the TLR, IL-17, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) signaling pathways were significantly activated based on Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis. Furthermore, the findings of qRT-PCR showed markedly elevated expression of various cytokines, including IL-1ß, IL4, IL6, IL8, IL12, and TNFα, in GcRBCs after incubation with bacteria. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in GcRBCs was markedly increased after the cells were stimulated with the three bacteria, and the expression of superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and antioxidant enzymes, including catalase, was altered. Flow cytometry analysis showed that the apoptosis rate of GcRBCs was enhanced after stimulation with the three bacteria for different times. In summary, our findings reveal that bacterial stimulation activates the immune response of GcRBCs by regulating ROS release, cytokine expression, and the antioxidant system, leading to apoptosis of GcRBCs.

Mechanisms of persistent hemolysis-induced middle kidney injury in grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella).

Infection-induced hemolysis results in intravascular hemolysis, which releases hemoglobin (Hb) into the tissues. Free Hb exhibits cytotoxic, oxidative, and pro-inflammatory effects, leading to systemic inflammation, vascular constriction dysfunction, thrombosis, and proliferative vascular lesions. Currently, the impact of intravascular hemolysis on the middle kidney in fish is unclear. Here, the injection of phenylhydrazine (PHZ) was used to establish a persistent hemolysis model in grass carp. The determination results revealed that the PHZ-induced hemolysis caused conspicuous tissue damage in the kidneys of grass carp, increased the levels of Cr in the serum and the expression indicators of kidney injury-related genes in the middle kidney. Prussian blue staining indicated that PHZ-induced hemolysis significantly increased the deposition of iron ions in the kidneys of grass carp, and activated the expression levels of iron metabolism-related genes. The results of oxidative damage-related experiments indicate that under PHZ treatment, the activity of middle kidney cells decreases, and the production of oxidative damage markers malondialdehyde (MDA) and 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE) increases, simultaneously inhibiting the activity of antioxidant enzymes and upregulating the transcription levels of antioxidant enzyme-related genes. Additionally, the analysis of inflammatory factors revealed a significant upregulation of genes associated with inflammation induced by PHZ-induced hemolysis. The transcriptome analysis was performed to further explore the molecular regulatory effects of hemolysis on tissues, the analysis revealed the treatment of PHZ activated various of programmed cell death (PCD) pathways, including ferroptosis, apoptosis, and autophagy. In summary, this study found that sustained hemolysis in fish results in Hb and iron ion deposition in middle kidney, promoting oxidative damage, ultimately inducing various forms of PCD.

The infection of Aeromonas hydrophila activated Multiple programmed cell death pathways in red blood cells of Clarias fuscus.

In contrast to mammalian red blood cells (RBCs), Osteichthyes RBCs contain a nucleus and organelles, suggesting the involvement of more intricate mechanisms, particularly in the context of ferroptosis. In this study, we utilized RBCs from Clarias fuscus (referred to as Cf-RBCs) as a model system. We conducted RNA-seq analysis to quantify gene expression levels in Cf-RBCs after exposure to both Aeromonas hydrophila and lipopolysaccharides. Our analysis unveiled 1326 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in Cf-RBCs following 4 h of incubation with A. hydrophila, comprising 715 and 611 genes with upregulated and downregulated expression, respectively. These DEGs were further categorized into functional clusters: 292 related to cellular processes, 241 involved in environmental information processing, 272 associated with genetic information processing, and 399 linked to organismal systems. Additionally, notable changes were observed in genes associated with the autophagy pathway at 4 h, and alterations in the ferroptosis pathway were observed at 8 h following A. hydrophila incubation. To validate these findings, we assessed the expression of cytokines (DMT1, TFR1, LC3, and GSS). All selected genes were significantly upregulated after exposure to A. hydrophila. Using flow cytometry, we evaluated the extent of ferroptosis, and the group incubated with A. hydrophila for 8 h exhibited higher levels of lipid peroxidation compared with the 4-h incubation group, even under baseline conditions. An evaluation of the glutathione redox system through GSSG/GSH ratios indicated an increased ratio in Cf-RBCs after exposure to A. hydrophila. In summary, our data suggest that A. hydrophila may induce ferroptosis in Cf-RBCs, potentially by triggering the cystine/glutamate antiporter system (system XC-), while Cf-RBCs counteract ferroptosis through the regulation of the glutathione redox system. These findings contribute to our understanding of the iron overload mechanism in Osteichthyes RBCs, provide insights into the management of bacterial diseases in Clarias fuscus, and offer potential strategies to mitigate economic losses in aquaculture.

Clinical characteristics and detection of MYB-QKI fusions in patients with angiocentric glioma.

PURPOSE: Angiocentric glioma (AG), a benign tumor identified within the last two decades, was officially included in the 2007 WHO Classification of Tumors of the Central Nervous System, WHO grade I. The tumor is relatively rare, with only approximately 100 cases reported. We aim to complement the characteristics and long-term prognosis of AG, as well as to detect MYB-QKI fusions. METHODS: The characteristics of all cases collected between 1 March 2009 and 1 March 2023 at the Beijing Sanbo Brain Hospital, Capital Medical University, were summarized and analyzed. Additionally, all fourteen patients were tested for MYB-QKI fusions. RESULTS: AG more predominantly occurs in adolescents (median age 16.5-year-old), and commonly presents with drug-resistant epilepsy. AG is frequently localized in the supratentorial regions and only one patient is in the brainstem. Brain parenchyma atrophy, and stalk-like signs can observe in imaging. Pathologically, tumor cells are perivascular pseudorosettes, presenting immunoreactivity for GFAP, S-100, Vimentin, "dot-like" staining for EMA, and low proliferative activity. Focal cortex dysplasia was observed in four patients. Twelve of fourteen (85.7%) patients were found with MYB-QKI fusions. Completely surgical resection typically has a satisfactory prognosis with long-term follow-up. CONCLUSION: AG is a rare benign tumor with a favorable prognosis after complete resection, characterized by refractory epilepsy, frequently occurring in adolescents. MYB-QKI fusions were detected in most AG patients, as a good defining genetic alteration pathologically. The potential presence of focal cortical dysplasia (FCD) may affect the prognosis of epilepsy.

A Novel SAVE Score to Stratify Decompensation Risk in Compensated Advanced Chronic Liver Disease (CHESS2102): An International Multicenter Cohort Study.

INTRODUCTION: In patients with compensated advanced chronic liver disease (cACLD), the invasive measurement of hepatic venous pressure gradient is the best predictor of hepatic decompensation. This study aimed at developing an alternative risk prediction model to provide a decompensation risk assessment in cACLD. METHODS: Patients with cACLD were retrospectively included from 9 international centers within the Portal Hypertension Alliance in China (CHESS) network. Baseline variables from a Japanese cohort of 197 patients with cACLD were examined and fitted a Cox hazard regression model to develop a specific score for predicting hepatic decompensation. The novel score was validated in an external cohort (n = 770) from 5 centers in China, Singapore, Korea, and Egypt, and was further assessed for the ability of predicting clinically significant portal hypertension in a hepatic venous pressure gradient cohort (n = 285). RESULTS: In the derivation cohort, independent predictors of hepatic decompensation were identified including Stiffness of liver, Albumin, Varices, and platElets and fitted to develop the novel score, termed "SAVE" score. This score performed significantly better (all P < 0.05) than other assessed methods with a time-dependent receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.89 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.83-0.94) and 0.83 (95% CI: 0.73-0.92) in the derivation and validation cohorts, respectively. The decompensation risk was best stratified by the cutoff values at -6 and -4.5. The 5-year cumulative incidences of decompensation were 0%, 24.9%, and 69.0% in the low-risk, middle-risk, and high-risk groups, respectively ( P < 0.001). The SAVE score also accurately predicted clinically significant portal hypertension (AUC, 0.85 95% CI: 0.80-0.90). DISCUSSION: The SAVE score can be readily incorporated into clinical practice to accurately predict the individual risk of hepatic decompensation in cACLD.

Design of a Template-Based Electrophoretically Assisted Micro-Ultrasonic Machining Micro-Channel Machine Tool and Its Machining Experiment.

In order to achieve the high-precision and high-efficiency machining of micro-channels for hard and brittle materials, the authors innovatively proposed a new technology called template-based electrophoretically assisted micro-ultrasonic machining (TBEPAMUSM). This technology transfers the micro-channel shape punch-pin to the workpiece material through micro-ultrasonic machining to form a micro-channel. At the same time, it uses the electrophoretic properties of ultra-fine abrasive particles to ensure the existence of abrasive particles in the machining area by applying a DC electric field. According to the new technology machining principle, a machine tool of TBEPAMUSM was designed and developed. The machine tool hardware adopts a C-shaped structure, including a marble platform, an ultrasonic vibration system, a micro three-dimensional motion platform, a working fluid tank, and a pressure sensor. The machine tool intelligent control system is developed based on LabVIEW, including the initialization module, fast positioning module, constant force tool setting module, constant force control machining module, and real-time coordinate display module. Micro-channels with different structures are machined on single-crystal silicon and soda-lime glass using the designed machine tool and the developed control system. The results show that: when electrophoresis assistance is applied in machining, the edge chipping phenomenon of the micro-channel is significantly reduced, the surface roughness is reduced by about 20%, and the machining efficiency is increased by about 4%.

Targeting the Tumor Immune Microenvironment Could Become a Potential Therapeutic Modality for Aggressive Pituitary Adenoma.

OBJECT: This study aimed to explore the relationship between the aggressiveness and immune cell infiltration in pituitary adenoma (PA) and to provide the basis for immuno-targeting therapies. METHODS: One hundred and three patients with PA who underwent surgery at a single institution were retrospectively identified. The infiltration of macrophages and T-lymphocytes was quantitatively assessed. RESULTS: The number of CD68+ macrophages was positively correlated with Knosp (p = 0.003) and MMP-9 expression grades (p = 0.00). The infiltration of CD163+ macrophages differed among Knosp (p = 0.022) and MMP-9 grades (p = 0.04). CD8+ tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) were also positively associated with Knosp (p = 0.002) and MMP-9 grades (p = 0.01). Interestingly, MGMT expression was positively correlated with MMP-9 staining extent (p = 0.000). The quantities of CD8+ TILs (p = 0.016), CD68+ macrophages (p = 0.000), and CD163+ macrophages (p = 0.043) were negatively associated with MGMT expression levels. The number of CD68+ macrophages in the PD-L1 negative group was significantly more than that in the PD-L1 positive group (p = 0.01). The rate of PD-L1 positivity was positively correlated with the Ki-67 index (p = 0.046) and p53 expression (p = 0.029). CONCLUSION: Targeted therapy for macrophages and CD8+ TILs could be a helpful treatment in the future for aggressive PA. Anti-PD-L1 therapy may better respond to PAs with higher Ki-67 and p53 expression and more infiltrating CD68+ macrophages. Multiple treatment modalities, especially combined with immunotherapy could become a novel therapeutic strategy for aggressive PA.

Risk Factors for Early Hydrocephalus on Post Unilateral Thalamic Tumor Resection.

Objective: The outcome of surgical treatment for thalamic tumors is poor. Hydrocephalus is one of the most frequent postoperative complications after unilateral thalamic tumor resection. This study examined the relationship between surgical approaches, pathological grade, image characteristics, preoperative complications, extent of resection, and incidence of postoperative hydrocephalus. Methods: The study retrospectively reviewed clinical data from 80 patients who underwent resection of thalamic tumors between 2015 and 2021. Data on patient survival and disease progression status were obtained retrospectively to calculate overall survival (OS) and progression free survival (PFS). Results: No patients died during the perioperative period and two patients suffered postoperative coma. Tumors were totally resected in 44 cases (55 %), subtotally resected in 21 cases (26.25 %), and partially resected in 15 cases (18.75 %). Thirty-five cases of hydrocephalus occurred within 1 month after operation(43.75%). Surgical approaches associated with hydrocephalus were as follows: hydrocephalus occurred in seven cases after trans-frontal lateral ventricle approach for tumor resection (62.9%), in 17 cases after through parieto-occipital transventricular approach tumor resection (43.58%), and in one case after trans-frontal lateral ventricle approach for tumor resection + third ventriculostomy (7.1%). Postoperative muscle strength decrease occurred in 41 patients (51.25%). Longer PFS and OS were correlated with degree of resection in patients with thalamic glioblastoma (P < 0.05) and had no relationship with hydrocephalus. Conclusion: Surgical treatment of thalamic tumors is an effective therapeutic method. The incidence of postoperative hydrocephalus is not associated with tumor size, degree of tumor enhancement, peritumoral edema, tumor invasion, midline crossing, and pathological grade. The incidence of postoperative hydrocephalus was higher in patients with preoperative hydrocephalus and low resection degree, and lower in patients with endoscopic third ventriculostomy. The risk of early postoperative hydrocephalus in thalamic tumors is high. Intraoperative third ventriculostomy could reduce the incidence of early postoperative hydrocephalus. PFS and OS were longer in patients with thalamic glioblastoma with a high resection degree (P < 0.05) and were not associated with hydrocephalus.

Clinical Characteristics and Prognostic Risk Factors of Parasellar Chondrosarcoma.

Background: Parasellar chondrosarcomas are extremely rare. This study describes the characteristics of parasellar chondrosarcoma and analyzes the risk factors and prognosis based on the resection degree. Methods: Fifteen patients with pathologically diagnosed parasellar chondrosarcoma were retrospectively analyzed for the clinical data, surgical methods, and prognosis to identify relationships between the surgical resection degree, tumor recurrence, and imaging characteristics. Results: Twelve patients had eye dysfunction and ptosis. Differentiation from other parasellar tumors by imaging is difficult. The preoperative Karnofsky Performance Scale (KPS) score positively correlated with the tumor resection degree (p = 0.026) and negatively correlated with the maximum tumor diameter (p = 0.001). Tumor recurrence negatively correlated with the resection degree (p = 0.009). The postoperative KPS score positively correlated with the preoperative KPS score (p < 0.001) and tumor resection degree (p = 0.026), and negatively correlated with the maximum tumor diameter (p = 0.016) and age (p = 0.047). An improved KPS score positively correlated with the tumor resection degree (p = 0.039). Patients who underwent total resection of the chondrosarcoma had longer progression-free survival than those who underwent partial resection (p = 0.0322). Conclusion: Parasellar chondrosarcomas are difficult to resect completely. Preoperative KPS score is an important factor for the degree of resection. KPS score, age, maximum tumor diameter, and resection degree may be important prognostic factors.

Thickening of the walls of deep brain abscesses is associated with macrophage infiltration.

The present study aimed to compare the thickness of brain abscesses in the deep and the superficial brain and to investigate the factors that influence the capsule of brain abscesses. The thickness of the brain abscess wall was evaluated on imaging. Bacteriological examination was performed on the abscess pus and wall, and immunohistochemical staining was used to count the number of macrophages. Kaplan-Meier curves were used to analyze overall survival. The results indicated that the wall of deep-brain abscesses was thicker than that of superficial abscesses. There was a difference in the extent of macrophage infiltration of deep- and superficial-brain abscess walls, and differences in the extent of macrophage infiltration in the wall of brain abscesses caused by various microorganisms were statistically significant. Of note, among the brain abscesses caused by Staphylococcus, the extent of macrophage/microglia infiltration and the thickness of the wall of the deep-brain abscesses were greater than those of superficial-brain abscesses and there was a positive correlation between the number of macrophages and the thickness of the abscess wall. The overall survival (OS) of patients with deep-brain abscess was not significantly shorter than that of patients with superficial-brain abscess. Furthermore, OS was not significantly different among groups of patients receiving different types of treatment. In conclusion, the wall of deep-brain abscesses is thicker than that of superficial abscesses and the infiltration of macrophages is abundant. The thick wall of abscesses in the deep brain may be associated with macrophage infiltration.

A new bioluminescent imaging technology for studying oxidative stress in the testis and its impacts on fertility.

PURPOSE: Excessive oxidative stress (OS) leads to cellular dysfunctions and cell death and constitutes a major cause of male infertility. However, the etiologies of increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) in male infertility is not fully understood. One major limitation is the lack of an in vivo imaging system that can be used to effectively study the impact of excessive ROS in the testis. Recently, we discovered that the hepatocellular carcinoma reporter (HCR) mice previously generated in our laboratory also expressed luciferase in the spermatids of the testis. The goal of the current study is to use the HCR mice to detect OS in the testis and to investigate the potential use of this new system in studying OS-induced male infertility. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Bioluminescence imaging (BLI) was performed in HCR mice that were treated with peroxy caged luciferin-1 (PCL-1), an OS reporter, to establish a new mouse model for in vivo monitoring of the OS status inside the male reproductive tract. Subsequently, the effect of acetaminophen (APAP) overdose on the OS inside the testis and male fertility were determined. Lastly, APAP was co-administered with glutathione, an antioxidant reagent, to test if the HCR mice can serve as a model for the effective and rapid assessment of the potency of individual agents in modifying the OS inside the mouse testis. RESULTS: The OS level in the testis in the HCR mice was readily detected by BLI. The use of this new model led to the discovery that APAP caused a sudden rise of OS in the testis and was a potent toxicant for the male reproductive system. Moreover, administration of glutathione was effective in preventing the APAP-induced elevation of OS and in ameliorating all of the OS-induced anomalies in the testis. CONCLUSIONS: The HCR mice represent an excellent model for monitoring OS change in the mouse testis by real time BLI. APAP is a potent male reproductive toxicant and APAP-treated mice represent a valid model for OS-induced male infertility. This model can be used to study OS-induced damage in male reproductive tract and in assessing the effects of therapeutic agents on the relative levels of OS and male fertility.

Neopterin as a Predictor of Functional Outcome and Mortality in Chinese Patients with Acute Ischemic Stroke.

Immune responses and inflammation play an important role in the pathogenesis of ischemic stroke. We therefore evaluated the 6-month prognostic value of early measurement of serum neopterin levels, a marker of inflammation and immune system activation, in Chinese patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS). Consecutive AIS patients admitted to the emergency department were identified. Clinical information was collected. Serum concentration of neopterin and NIH stroke scale (NIHSS) were measured at the time of admission. Functional outcome was measured by modified Rankin scale (mRS) 6 months after admission. Multivariate analyses were performed using logistic regression models. During the inclusion period, 312 patients with first-ever AIS were included and 290 completed follow-up. The results indicated that the serum neopterin levels were significantly (P < 0.0001) higher in acutely ischemic stroke patients as compared to normal controls. Neopterin was an independent prognostic marker of 6-month functional outcome and death [odds ratio (OR) 4.33 (1.83-10.32) and 6.68 (2.44-12.13), respectively, P < 0.0001 for both, adjusted for NIHSS, other predictors and vascular risk factors] in patients with AIS. Neopterin improved the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of the NHISS score for functional outcome from 0.75 (95 % CI 0.69-0.83) to 0.85 (95 % CI 0.79-0.91; P < 0.001) and for mortality from 0.76 (95 % CI 0.68-0.85) to 0.87 (95 % CI 0.81-0.94; P < 0.001). Serum neopterin is a useful, independent tool to predict functional outcome and mortality 6 months after stroke.

Geniposide attenuates inflammatory response by suppressing P2Y14 receptor and downstream ERK1/2 signaling pathway in oxygen and glucose deprivation-induced brain microvascular endothelial cells.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Fructus gardenia is widely used for treatment of stroke and infectious diseases in Chinese medicine. Geniposide is the key bioactive compound related to the pharmacodynamic actions of gardenia on ischemic stroke. The molecular mechanism by which geniposide improves the ischemic brain injury was observed in the study. AIM OF THE STUDY: Recent studies showed that geniposide had protective activities against the inflammatory response in ischemic stroke. However, the molecular mechanism of geniposide anti-inflammatory role has not yet been fully elucidated. In this study, we investigated the effect of geniposide on the expression of P2Y14 receptor and downstream signaling pathway in brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMECs). MATERIALS AND METHODS: An in vitro model of cerebral ischemia in BMECs was established by oxygen-glucose-deprivation (OGD). To further confirm the specific effect of geniposide on P2Y14 receptor and downstream signaling pathways, we set up a UDP-glucose (an agonist of the P2Y14 receptor) stimulated model. After administration of geniposide, the expression of P2Y14 receptor, phosphorylation of RAF-1, mitogen activated protein kinase kinase1/2 (MEK1/2), extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2), level of interleukin-8 (IL-8), interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß), monocyte chemotactic protein 1 (MCP-1) in BMECs were determined. RESULTS: The mRNA and protein expression of P2Y14 in the rat BMECs were up-regulated in OGD-induced injury. After administration of Geniposide, the expression of P2Y14 receptor was significantly down-regulated, the phosphorylation of RAF-1, MEK1/2, ERK1/2 were suppressed. Similar data were obtained in UDP-glc stimulated model. We also observed that geniposide markedly declined the production of IL-8, IL-1ß and MCP-1 in OGD-induced BMECs. CONCLUSION: Geniposide exerted anti-inflammatory effects by interfering with the expression of P2Y14 receptor, which subsequently inhibits the downstream ERK1/2 signaling pathways and the release of the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-8, MCP-1, IL-1ß. Therefore, this study provides the evidence for gardenia's clinical application in cerebral ischemia.