Structural optimization method of rice precision direct seed-metering device based on multi-index orthogonal experimental.

Introduction: To improve the mechanization level of rice planting, a new type of direct seeding device for rice was designed. The device's structural properties will be crucial in determining its seeding performance. Structure optimization in the current seed metering device design process focuses on a single or few indexes, resulting in improved individual performance but imbalanced overall performance. Therefore, a structure optimization method of the direct seeding device based on a multi-index orthogonal experiment was proposed in this study. Methods: First, the DEM-MBD coupling method observed the factors and levels that affected the performance overall. Second, a test platform based on the electric drive control model was constructed, and a multi-index orthogonal test was devised. Finally, the structural parameters of the seed metering devices were optimized based on matrix analysis. Results: From the results, the primary and secondary levels of significance of factors were just as follows: hole diameter > hole number > adjustment angle. The following are the optimal parameters found by optimization analysis: the diameter of the hole was 12 mm, the number of holes was 10, and the adjustment angle was 80°. Validation tests were carried out and analyzed based on the optimal structural parameter combination. The qualification rate of seeds per hole, empty hole rate, average seed number, coefficient of variation of seed number, average hole spacing, and the variance coefficient of hole spacing are 93.07%, 0%, 9.39,14.04%, 22.84 cm, and 9.14%, respectively. Discussion: In comparison to traditional design and structural parameter optimization methods for rice precision seed metering device, this study not just to provides an optimization scheme for improving the overall performance of rice precision seed metering device, but also serves as a technical reference for the development and design of new rice precision seed metering device.

Hyperuricemia Predicts the Progression of Type 2 Diabetic Kidney Disease in Chinese Patients.

INTRODUCTION: Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) has a high global disease burden and substantially increases the risk of end-stage renal disease and cardiovascular events. High levels of serum uric acid (SUA), or hyperuricemia, may indicate patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) at risk for kidney disease. METHODS: This study explored the association between SUA levels and progression of kidney disease among patients with T2D. A cross-sectional study of 993 Chinese patients aged 20-75 years with T2D and DKD was conducted. Patients were stratified by progression risk of kidney disease based on estimated glomerular filtration rate and ratio of urinary albumin to creatinine, according to Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) criteria. Ordinal logistic regression was used to assess associations between SUA and different KDIGO risk categories. RESULTS: Among 768 patients in the final analysis, those with hyperuricemia and higher SUA were more likely to be assigned to higher KDIGO risk categories. Patients with SUA > 420 µmol/L were ninefold more likely to be in a higher KDIGO risk category than those with SUA < 300 µmol/L (odds risk 9.74, 95% confidence interval 5.47-17.33, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Hyperuricemia may be associated with higher risk of DKD progression in individuals with T2D.

Emerging role of aging in the progression of NAFLD to HCC.

With the aging of global population, the incidence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has surged in recent decades. NAFLD is a multifactorial disease that follows a progressive course, ranging from simple fatty liver, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) to liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). It is well established that aging induces pathological changes in liver and potentiates the occurrence and progression of NAFLD, HCC and other age-related liver diseases. Studies of senescent cells also indicate a pivotal engagement in the development of NAFLD via diverse mechanisms. Moreover, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+), silence information regulator protein family (sirtuins), and mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) are three vital and broadly studied targets involved in aging process and NAFLD. Nevertheless, the crucial role of these aging-associated factors in aging-related NAFLD remains underestimated. Here, we reviewed the current research on the roles of aging, cellular senescence and three aging-related factors in the evolution of NAFLD to HCC, aiming at inspiring promising therapeutic targets for aging-related NAFLD and its progression.

Elevated serum uric acid is not an independent risk factor for the occurrence of Type 2 diabetic kidney disease in Chinese populations.

Previous studies suggested that increased serum uric acid (SUA) level is an independent risk factor for albuminuria in Type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients. However, the association between SUA and onset of Type 2 DKD (T2DKD) remained to be clarified. This was a cross-sectional clinical study in which 1210 Chinese T2D patients were enrolled. According to the urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR), the cohort was divided into normal-albuminuria (UACR < 30 mg/g), micro-albuminuria (UACR 30-300 mg/g) and macro-albuminuria (UACR > 300 mg/g). The micro- and macro-albuminuria groups were combined into albuminuria category. Results showed that T2D patients with macro-albuminuria have significantly higher SUA than the other 2 groups (P < .001). In the binary logistic regression model, the subjects with SUA higher than 420 µmol/L were associated with a 2-fold increase in the odds of albuminuria (odds ratio = 2.024, 95% confidence interval: 1.232-3.325, P = .005), as compared with those with SUA lower than 300 µmol/L. Moreover, the multinomial regression analysis revealed that the subjects with SUA higher than 420 µmol/L had about 3-fold increase in the odds of macro-albuminuria (odds ratio = 3.758, 95% confidence interval: 2.051-6.885, P < .001), as compared with those with SUA lower than 300 µmol/L. However, SUA was not significantly associated with the presence of micro-albuminuria. Although the SUAwas not independently risk factor for micro-albuminuria, it was closely correlated with the development of macro-albuminuria in Chinese T2DKD patients. Elevated SUA may be useful for predicting the occurrence of macro-albuminuria but not onset of micro-albuminuria at the early stage of T2DKD.

Erythrocyte-biomimetic nanosystems to improve antitumor effects of paclitaxel on epithelial cancers.

Chemotherapy is a difficult treatment for cancer patients because of the low effective accumulation of chemo-drugs and their detrimental side effects. Nanoparticles have shown promise as a solution to these problems. However, the known differences in the porosity and vascularization of tumor vessels, and other factors, including the potential formation of a "protein crown," the short half-life time in circulation, and the low drug distribution, often limit their application. To address these problems, biomimetic nanoparticles coated with cell membranes have been developed and shown to have advantages such as prolonged circulation, high biocompatibility, and enhanced targeting abilities in drugs and nanoparticles, thus exhibiting good application prospects in cancer therapy for liver, lung, and melanoma cancers. Accordingly, we designed a PH-sensitive biomimetic nanodrug delivery system with a delicate "core-shell" structure based on red blood cell membranes. Briefly, core nanoparticles were synthesized by the self-assembly of natural amphoteric polymers, including hydrophilic carboxymethylcellulose sodium and hydrophobic stearic acid. For the shell structure, red blood cell membranes were modified using folic acid by a lipid tether (1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine) to increase tumor-targeting ability, whereas polyethylene glycol was inserted to decrease lipid tether modification-induced potential sequestration by either the mononuclear phagocyte system or the reticuloendothelial system. Via a series of formulation optimizations, paclitaxel was packaged into the red blood membrane-based core-shell nanoparticles with an average size of 226.9 ± 2.75 nm and a negative Zeta potential of -14.5 ± 0.3 mV. More importantly, the examinations focusing on CD47, a representative red blood cell membrane protein, revealed not only the successful establishment of the membrane shell but also the right-side-out membrane orientation on our core-shell nanoparticles. Our nanodrug delivery system showed good biocompatibility and sensitivity to acidic tumor microenvironments while effectively prolonging the circulation time of paclitaxel and further enhancing its antitumor effects on epithelial malignancies, including liver, lung, and melanoma cancers. In particular, our nanodrug delivery system significantly alleviated paclitaxel-induced renal toxicity. Taken together, our findings highlight that the red blood membrane-based core-shell nanoparticle is a promising biomimetic nanodrug delivery system for functionally delivering chemotherapeutic drugs, and it has promise in clinical applications.

Prediction of the Potential Mechanism of Triptolide in Improving Diabetic Nephropathy by Utilizing A Network Pharmacology and Molecular Docking Approach.

BACKGROUND: Triptolide (TP) is a major active component of colquhounia root tablet, which has been long been used in China to treat diabetic nephropathy (DN) due to its marked anti­inflammatory, antiproteinuric, and podocyte­protective effects. METHODS: This study investigated the anti-proteinuria activity and related signaling cascade of TP in DN by utilizing a network pharmacology and molecular docking approach. RESULTS: From the GeneCard, DisGeNET, and National Center for Biotechnology Information Gene databases, 1458 DN targets were obtained and input together with 303 TP targets into Venny2.1.0 for mapping and comparing. In total, 113 common targets of TP and DN were obtained, of which 7 targets were found to play an important role through theoretical inhibitory constant analysis. The common targets were further analyzed by Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes to identify the pathways related to the therapeutic effect of TP on DN. Among them, the seven targets were found to play key roles in six signaling pathways. The molecular docking results also showed TP had good binding ability to the seven targets. CONCLUSIONS: Analysis of the common targets and key pathways showed that TP can improve DN via its anti-nephritis, anti-renal fibrosis, antioxidant, and podocyte-protective effects, which might elucidate the mechanism by which TP improves renal function and reduces proteinuria in DN.

Dihydroartemisinin suppresses renal fibrosis in mice by inhibiting DNA-methyltransferase 1 and increasing Klotho.

Renal fibrosis is an unavoidable end result of all forms of progressive chronic kidney diseases (CKD). Discovery of efficacious drugs against renal fibrosis is in crucial need. In a preliminary study we found that a derivative of artemisinin, dihydroartemisinin (DHA), exerted strong renoprotection, and reversed renal fibrosis in adenine-induced CKD mouse model. In this study we investigated the anti-fibrotic mechanisms of DHA, particularly its specific target in renal cells. Renal fibrosis was induced in mice by unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) or oral administration of adenine (80 mg · kg-1), the mice received DHA (30 mg · kg-1 · d-1, i.g.) for 14 or 21 days, respectively. We showed that DHA administration markedly attenuated the inflammation and fibrotic responses in the kidneys and significantly improved the renal function in both the renal fibrosis mouse models. In adenine-treated mice, DHA was more effective than 5-azacytidine against renal fibrosis. The anti-fibrotic effects of DHA were also observed in TGF-ß1-treated HK-2 cells. In order to determine the target protein of DHA, we conducted pull-down technology coupled with shotgun proteomics using a small-molecule probe based on the structure of DHA (biotin-DHA). As a results, DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) was identified as the anti-fibrotic target of DHA in 3 different types of renal cell lines (HK-2, HEK293 and 3T3). We demonstrated that DHA directly bound to Asn 1529 and Thr 1528 of DNMT1 with a Kd value of 8.18 µM. In primary mouse renal tubular cells, we showed that DHA (10 µM) promoted DNMT1 degradation via the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. DHA-reduced DNMT1 expression effectively reversed Klotho promoter hypermethylation, which led to the reversal of Klotho protein loss in the kidney of UUO mice. This subsequently resulted in inhibition of the Wnt/ß-catenin and TGF-ß/Smad signaling pathways and consequently conferred renoprotection in the animals. Knockdown of Klotho abolished the renoprotective effect of DHA in UUO mice. Our study reveals a novel pharmacological activity for DHA, i.e., renoprotection. DHA exhibits this effect by targeting DNMT1 to reverse Klotho repression. This study provides an evidence for the possible clinical application of DHA in the treatment of renal fibrosis.

The occurrence of hypogonadotropic hypogonadism in Chinese men with type 2 diabetes.

CONTEXT: The previous studies showed that hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (HH) occurred commonly in men with type 2 diabetes. However, since all the cohorts tested were from American and European studies, the occurrence of HH/nongonadal illness (NGI) in Chinese populations is unclear. OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to explore the occurrence of HH/NGI in Chinese men with type 2 diabetes. Furthermore, the correlative factors and predictors of hypogonadism were investigated. DESIGN: We conducted a cross-sectional study of 637 Chinese men with type 2 diabetes aged 20-75 years in our clinic. The prevalence of HH/NGI was investigated by measuring serum total testosterone (TT), sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) in the enrolled subjects. Free testosterone (FT) was calculated by using SHBG and TT levels and hypogonadism was defined as TT lower than 10.4 nmol/L and calculated FT (cFT) lower than 0.225 nmol/L. The LH cut-off value for defining HH/NGI was 9.4 mIU/ml. RESULTS: The results suggested that 31.9% of male Chinese type 2 diabetes patients had hypogonadism and 26.5% of subjects in our cohort were determined as HH/NGI. The occurrence of hypogonadism was markedly correlated with body mass index (BMI). There was a significant association between TT, cFT and SHBG levels with BMI. TT levels are inversely correlated with BMI and homeostasis model assessment-estimated insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) while positively related with SHBG. The cFT levels were inversely correlated with age, LH, FSH, BMI and HOMA-IR. Multiple regression analysis suggested that SHBG, BMI and HOMA-IR were significant predictors of TT and cFT. CONCLUSION: Our present study offered the first evidence that the occurrence of HH/NGI in Chinese male type 2 diabetes was 26.5%. TT and cFT were significantly correlated with BMI, SHBG and HOMA-IR in Chinese men with type 2 diabetes.

Lack of miRNA-17 family mediates high glucose-induced PAR-1 upregulation in glomerular mesangial cells.

Upregulation of thrombin receptor protease-activated receptor 1 (PAR-1) is verified to contribute to chronic kidney diseases, including diabetic nephropathy; however, the mechanisms are still unclear. In this study, we investigated the effect of PAR-1 on high glucose-induced proliferation of human glomerular mesangial cells (HMCs), and explored the mechanism of PAR-1 upregulation from alteration of microRNAs. We found that high glucose stimulated proliferation of the mesangial cells whereas PAR-1 inhibition with vorapaxar attenuated the cell proliferation. Moreover, high glucose upregulated PAR-1 in mRNA level and protein expression while did not affect the enzymatic activity of thrombin in HMCs after 48 h culture. Then high glucose induced PAR-1 elevation was likely due to the alteration of the transcription or post-transcriptional processing. It was found that miR-17 family members including miR-17-5p, -20a-5p, and -93-5p were significantly decreased among the eight detected microRNAs only in high glucose-cultured HMCs, but miR-129-5p, miR-181a-5p, and miR-181b-5p were markedly downregulated in both high glucose-cultured HMCs and equivalent osmotic press control compared with normal glucose culture. So miR-20a was selected to confirm the role of miR-17 family on PAR-1 upregulation, finding that miR-20a-5p overexpression reversed the upregulation of PAR-1 in mRNA and protein levels induced by high glucose in HMCs. In summary, our finding indicated that PAR-1 upregulation mediated proliferation of glomerular mesangial cells induced by high glucose, and deficiency of miR-17 family resulted in PAR-1 upregulation.

Lipidomics Reveals Serum Specific Lipid Alterations in Diabetic Nephropathy.

In diabetes mellitus (DM), disorders of glucose and lipid metabolism are significant causes of the onset and progression of diabetic nephropathy (DN). However, the exact roles of specific lipid molecules in the pathogenesis of DN remain unclear. This study recruited 577 participants, including healthy controls (HCs), type-2 DM (2-DM) patients, and DN patients, from the clinic. Serum samples were collected under fasting conditions. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry-based lipidomics methods were used to explore the lipid changes in the serum and identify potential lipid biomarkers for the diagnosis of DN. Lipidomics revealed that the combination of lysophosphatidylethanolamine (LPE) (16:0) and triacylglycerol (TAG) 54:2-FA18:1 was a biomarker panel for predicting DN. The receiver operating characteristic analysis showed that the panel had a sensitivity of 89.1% and 73.4% with a specificity of 88.1% and 76.7% for discriminating patients with DN from HCs and 2-DM patients. Then, we divided the DN patients in the validation cohort into microalbuminuria (diabetic nephropathy at an early stage, DNE) and macroalbuminuria (diabetic nephropathy at an advanced stage, DNA) groups and found that LPE(16:0), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) (16:0/20:2), and TAG54:2-FA18:1 were tightly associated with the stages of DN. The sensitivity of the biomarker panel to distinguish between patients with DNE and 2-DM, DNA, and DNE patients was 65.6% and 85.9%, and the specificity was 76.7% and 75.0%, respectively. Our experiment showed that the combination of LPE(16:0), PE(16:0/20:2), and TAG54:2-FA18:1 exhibits excellent performance in the diagnosis of DN.

Serum integrative omics reveals the landscape of human diabetic kidney disease.

OBJECTIVE: Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is the most common microvascular complication of type 2 diabetes mellitus (2-DM). Currently, urine and kidney biopsy specimens are the major clinical resources for DKD diagnosis. Our study proposes to evaluate the diagnostic value of blood in monitoring the onset of DKD and distinguishing its status in the clinic. METHODS: This study recruited 1,513 participants including healthy adults and patients diagnosed with 2-DM, early-stage DKD (DKD-E), and advanced-stage DKD (DKD-A) from 4 independent medical centers. One discovery and four testing cohorts were established. Sera were collected and subjected to training proteomics and large-scale metabolomics. RESULTS: Deep profiling of serum proteomes and metabolomes revealed several insights. First, the training proteomics revealed that the combination of α2-macroglobulin, cathepsin D, and CD324 could serve as a surrogate protein biomarker for monitoring DKD progression. Second, metabolomics demonstrated that galactose metabolism and glycerolipid metabolism are the major disturbed metabolic pathways in DKD, and serum metabolite glycerol-3-galactoside could be used as an independent marker to predict DKD. Third, integrating proteomics and metabolomics increased the diagnostic and predictive stability and accuracy for distinguishing DKD status. CONCLUSIONS: Serum integrative omics provide stable and accurate biomarkers for early warning and diagnosis of DKD. Our study provides a rich and open-access data resource for optimizing DKD management.

Host Gasdermin D restrains systemic endotoxemia by capturing Proteobacteria in the colon of high-fat diet-feeding mice.

Gasdermin D (GSDMD) functions as a key pyroptotic executor through its secreted N-terminal domain (GSDMD-N). However, the functional relevance and mechanistic basis of the precise roles of host colonic GSDMD in high-fat diet (HFD)-induced gut dysbiosis and systemic endotoxemia remain elusive. In this study, we demonstrate that HFD feeding triggers GSDMD-N secretion of both T-lymphocytes and enterocytes in mouse colons. GSDMD deficiency aggravates HFD-induced systemic endotoxemia, gut barrier impairment, and colonic inflammation. More importantly, active GSDMD-N kills the Proteobacteria phylum via directly interacting with Cardiolipin. Mechanistically, we identify that the Glu236 (a known residue for GSDMD protein cleavage) is a bona fide important site for the bacterial recognition of GSDMD. Collectively, our findings explain the mechanism by which colonic GSDMD-N maintains low levels of HFD-induced metabolic endotoxemia. A GSDMD-N mimetic containing an exposed Glu236 site could be an attractive strategy for the treatment of HFD-induced metabolic endotoxemia.

Frutescone O from Baeckea frutescens Blocked TLR4-Mediated Myd88/NF-κB and MAPK Signaling Pathways in LPS Induced RAW264.7 Macrophages.

Frutescone O was isolated from the aerial parts of Baeckea frutescens L., which was commonly used as a folk medicinal material for treating anti-inflammatory disease in South East Asia. This study aimed to investigate the anti-inflammatory activity and related signaling cascade of Frutescone O (Fru) in LPS induced RAW264.7 cells. The anti-inflammation activity of Frutescone O was determined according to the inhibitory effects on the secretion of nitric oxide (NO), expression of inducible NO synthase, and pro-inflammatory cytokines. The regulation of Myeloid differentiation factor 88 (Myd88), inhibition of NF-κB, and MAPK pathways were further investigated for molecular mechanisms. Fru significantly decreased the expression of iNOS and the production of NO in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. It also dose-dependently suppressed LPS induced expression of IL-1ß, IL-6, and TNF-α. Furthermore, Fru remarkably inhibited the upregulation of NF-κB (p50) expression in the nucleus and the phosphorylation ratio of p38, JNK, ERK, and Myd88 signaling protein. The molecular docking and cellular thermal shift assay (CETSA) results indicated that Fru participated in a robust and stable interaction with the active site of TLR4-MD2. Thus, Fru suppressed the LPS induced inflammation in RAW264.7 cells by blocking the TLR4 mediated signal transduction through the NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways and inhibiting the Myd88 and iNOS expression.

Baeckein E suppressed NLRP3 inflammasome activation through inhibiting both the priming and assembly procedure: Implications for gout therapy.

BACKGROUND: Baeckein E (BF-2) was isolated from the aerial parts of Baeckea frutescens L., which has a long history of use in traditional medicine in Southeast Asia to treat inflammatory disease. PURPOSE: BF-2 was identified to have inhibitory activity on nucleotide oligomerization domain (NOD)-like receptor protein-3 inflammasome (NLRP3) activation. This study aimed to investigate the related signaling cascade of BF-2 in both lipopolysaccharides (LPS)/ATP induced pyroptosis in J774A.1 macrophages and its application in a mouse model of gout induced by monosodium urate crystal (MSU). METHODS: The effect of BF-2 on NLRP3 inflammasome activation and gouty arthritis was studied in J774A.1 macrophages and male C57BL/6 mice. The J774A.1 macrophages were primed with LPS and stained by propidium iodide (PI) for cell pyroptosis detection. A gout mouse model was established by subcutaneous injection of MSU crystals into the hind paw of C57BL/6 mice. Mice were then randomly divided into different groups. The concentrations of IL-1ß and IL-18 in both J774A.1 macrophage and gout mouse model were analyzed by ELISA. The NLRP3 inflammasome related protein expression was detected by western blot analysis. The inhibitory effects of BF-2 on NLRP3 inflammasome assembly were analyzed by immunoprecipitation assay. The roles of BF-2 in mitochondrial damage were imaged by Mito Tracker Green and Mito Tracker Red probes. The inhibitory effects of BF-2 on ROS production were imaged by DCF (2',7'-dichlorofluorescein diacetate) probe. RESULTS: The results demonstrated BF-2 could significantly suppress the cell pyroptosis and IL-1ß secretion in macrophages. Furthermore, BF-2 significantly inhibited NLRP3 inflammasome activation and reduced ankle swelling in the gout mouse model. In detail, it alleviated mitochondrial damage mediated oxidative stress and inhibited the assembly of NLRP3 inflammasome by affecting the binding of pro-Caspase 1 and ASC. Moreover, BF-2 blocked NLRP3 activation by inhibiting the MAPK/NF-κB signaling pathways. CONCLUSIONS: Results demonstrated BF-2 inhibited NLRP3 inflammasome activation in both LPS primed macrophages and mouse model of gout through blocking MAPK/NF-κB signaling pathway and mitochondrial damage mediated oxidative stress. This study strongly suggests BF-2 could be a promising drug candidate against inflammatory diseases associated with NLRP3 inflammasome activation.

UPLC-MS/MS Method for the Determination of Hyperoside and Application to Pharmacokinetics Study in Rat After Different Administration Routes.

A rapid and sensitive UPLC-MS/MS method was developed and fully validated for the quantification of hyperoside in rat plasma after intragastric, intraperitoneal and intravenous administration. Geniposide was used as an internal standard, and simple liquid-liquid extraction by ethyl acetate was utilized for to extracting the analytes from the rat plasma samples. Chromatographic separation was carried out on an InfinityLab Poroshell 120EC-C18column (2.1 mm × 50 mm, 1.9-Micro, Agilent technologies, USA). The mobile phase consisted of methanol (A) and water (B) (containing 0.1% acetic acid) at a flow rate of 0.4 mL/min. A run time of 3 min for each sample made it possible to analyze more than 300 plasma samples per day. The validated linear ranges of hyperoside were 2-1000 ng/mL in rat plasma. The intra-day and inter-day precision were within 2.6-9.3%, and accuracy were ± 8.6%. And the results of recovery and matrix interference studies were well within the accepted variability limits. Finally, this method was fully validated and successfully applied to the pharmacokinetic studies of hyperoside via different administration routes in rats.

Ainsliaea fragrans champ. Extract prevents cervicitis in BALB/c mice and regulates MyD88-NF-κB signaling pathway in MALP-2-stimulated RAW264.7 cells.

Ethnopharmacological relevance Ainsliaea fragrans Champ. (A. fragrans) is used to treat infection of the lower genital tract in gynecology, such as cervicitis and pelvic inflammatory disease. This study analyzed the therapeutic efficiency of A. fragrans on cervicitis and the inhibition mechanism of AF-p2 in MALP-2-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. Materials and methods The anti- Ureaplasma urealyticum (Uu) activity of A. fragrans and AF-p2 were determined by antimicrobial susceptibility testing. The activity of A. fragrans extracts (AFext) was evaluated in female BALB/c mice with cervicitis induced by Uu. Furthermore, the therapeutic mechanism of AFext and AF-p2 on myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88) pathway were studied in macrophage activating lipopeptide-2 (MALP-2) irritated RAW264.7 cells. Results AFext could suppress the proliferation of Uu in vitro, including the azithromycin resistant strains. Meanwhile, AFext prevented cervicitis caused by Uu infection in BALB/c mice. Moreover, both AFext and AF-p2 could significantly suppress the nitric oxide (NO) production as well as other proinflammatory cytokines (IL-1ß,IL-6,TNF-α) in MALP-2 stimulated RAW264.7 cells. Moreover, AF-p2 also down-regulated iNOS, p65, Iκ-Bα, MyD88 and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) levels in RAW264.7 cells. Conclusion This study indicated that AFext had a therapeutic effect in cervicitis induced by Uu infection. Furthermore, the lead compound AF-p2 showed an anti-infectious effect in MALP-2 irritated RAW264.7 cells through downregulating MyD88-NF-κB signaling pathway.

Housing temperature affects the circadian rhythm of hepatic metabolism and clock genes.

Environmental temperature remarkably impacts on metabolic homeostasis, raising a serious concern about the optimum housing temperature for translational studies. Recent studies suggested that mice should be housed slightly below their thermoneutral temperature (26°C). On the other hand, the external temperature, also known as a zeitgeber, can reset the circadian rhythm. However, whether housing temperature affects the circadian oscillators of the liver remains unknown. Therefore, we have compared the effect of two housing temperatures, namely 21°C (conventional; TC) and 26°C (thermoneutral; TN), on the circadian rhythms in mice. We found that the rhythmicity of food intake showed an advanced phase at TC, while the activity was more robust at TN, with a prolonged period onset. The serum levels of norepinephrine were remarkably induced at TC, but failed to oscillate rhythmically at both temperatures. Likewise, circulating glucose levels were increased but were non-rhythmic under TC. Both total cholesterol and triglycerides levels were induced at TN, but showed an advanced phase under TC. Additionally, the expression of hepatic metabolic genes and clock genes remained rhythmic at both temperatures, with the exception of G6Pase, Fasn, Cpt1a and Cry2, at TN. Nevertheless, the liver histology examination did not show any significant changes in response to housing temperature. Although the non-consistent trends of phase changes in each temperature, our results suggest a non-reductant role of temperature in mouse internal rhythmicity resetting. Thus, the temperature-controlled internal circadian synchronization within organs should be taken into consideration when optimizing housing temperature for mice.

[Research strategy thoughts about acupuncture-moxibustion treatment of chronic atrophic gastritis by suppressing apoptosis via circular RNA].

Chronic atrophic gastritis (CAG) is a common digestive disease in clinic. Previous experimental and clinical studies have shown that acupuncture has a positive effect for CAG. Apoptosis of gastric mucosal tissue has been shown to play an important role in the process of gastric atrophy and possibly further carcinogenesis in CAG, and the circular RNA (circRNA), a novel class of non-coding RNA, has been confirmed to play a regulatory role in the downstream pathway of apoptosis by many stu-dies. Accumulated findings of experimental studies showed that acupuncture and moxibustion interventions could suppress apoptosis of the cultured human gastric mucosal epithelial cells and lower apoptotic index of gastric mucosal cells in CAG rats. Therefore, circRNA is likely to mediate the inhibitory effect of acupuncture and moxibustion on apoptosis of gastric mucosal epithelial cells in CAG. In this paper, we systematically summarized 1) the regulation of circRNA on apoptosis, 2) the apoptosis and pathological mechanism of CAG, 3) the effect of acupuncture on apoptosis, and proposed that circRNA is highly likely to be involved in the positive effect of acupuncture and moxibustion interventions for CAG. It is recommended that researches should further reveal the scientific basis of acupuncture and moxibustion therapies in the treatment of CAG by exploring the role of related circRNAs and their downstream target proteins in the gastric mucosal tissues.

Chronopharmacology of simvastatin on hyperlipidaemia in high-fat diet-fed obese mice.

The chronopharmacology refers to the utilization of physiological circadian rhythms to optimize the administration time of drugs, thus increasing their efficacy and safety, or reducing adverse effects. Simvastatin is one of the most widely prescribed drugs for the treatment of hypercholesterolaemia, hyperlipidemia and coronary artery disease. There are conflicting statements regarding the timing of simvastatin administration, and convincing experimental evidence remains unavailable. Thus, we aimed to examine whether different administration times would influence the efficacy of simvastatin. High-fat diet-fed mice were treated with simvastatin at zeitgeber time 1 (ZT1) or ZT13, respectively, for nine weeks. Simvastatin showed robust anti-hypercholesterolaemia and anti-hyperlipidemia effects on these obese mice, regardless of administration time. However, simvastatin administrated at ZT13, compared to ZT1, was more functional for decreasing serum levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides, non-esterified free fatty acids and LDL cholesterol, as well as improving liver pathological characteristics. In terms of possible mechanisms, we found that simvastatin did not alter the expression of hepatic circadian clock gene in vivo, although it failed to change the period, phase and amplitude of oscillation patterns in Per2::Luc U2OS and Bmal1::Luc U2OS cells in vitro. In contrast, simvastatin regulated the expression of Hmgcr, Mdr1 and Slco2b1 in a circadian manner, which potentially contributed to the chronopharmacological function of the drug. Taken together, we provide solid evidence to suggest that different administration times affect the lipid-lowering effects of simvastatin.