The therapeutic effect of a novel GAPDH inhibitor in mouse model of breast cancer and efficacy monitoring by molecular imaging.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer is a serious threat to women's health with high morbidity and mortality. The development of more effective therapies for the treatment of breast cancer is strongly warranted. Growing evidence suggests that targeting glucose metabolism may be a promising cancer treatment strategy. We previously identified a new glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) inhibitor, DC-5163, which shows great potential in inhibiting tumor growth. Here, we evaluated the anticancer potential of DC-5163 in breast cancer cells. METHODS: The effects of DC-5163 on breast cancer cells were investigated in vitro and in vivo. Seahorse, glucose uptake, lactate production, and cellular ATP content assays were performed to examine the impact of DC-5163 on cellular glycolysis. Cell viability, colony-forming ability, cell cycle, and apoptosis were assessed by CCK8 assay, colony formation assay, flow cytometry, and immunoblotting respectively. The anticancer activity of DC-5163 in vivo was evaluated in a mouse breast cancer xenograft model. RESULTS: DC-5163 suppressed aerobic glycolysis and reduced energy supply of breast cancer cells, thereby inhibiting breast cancer cell growth, inducing cell cycle arrest in the G0/G1 phase, and increasing apoptosis. The therapeutic efficacy was assessed using a breast cancer xenograft mouse model. DC-5163 treatment markedly suppressed tumor growth in vivo without inducing evident systemic toxicity. Micro-PET/CT scans revealed a notable reduction in tumor 18F-FDG and 18F-FLT uptake in the DC-5163 treatment group compared to the DMSO control group. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that DC-5163 is a promising GAPDH inhibitor for suppressing breast cancer growth without obvious side effects. 18F-FDG and 18F-FLT PET/CT can noninvasively assess the levels of glycolysis and proliferation in tumors following treatment with DC-5163.

A new classification of periampullary diverticulum: cannulation of papilla on the inner margins of the diverticulum (Type IIa) is more challenging.

BACKGROUND: Periampullary diverticulum (PAD) may make the performance of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) in patients with choledocholithiasis more difficult and may increase complication rates. The present study evaluated the effects of PAD on first-time ERCP in patients with choledocholithiasis. METHODS: Outcomes were compared in patients with and without PAD and in those with four types of PAD: papilla located completely inside the diverticulum (type I), papilla located in the inner (type II a) and outer (type II b) margins of the diverticulum; and papilla located outside the diverticulum (type III). Parameters compared included cannulation time and rates of difficult cannulation, post-ERCP pancreatitis (PEP) and perforation. RESULTS: The median cannulation times in patients with types I, II a, II b, III PAD and in those without PAD were 2.0 min, 5.0 min, 0.67 min, 3.5 min, and 3.5 min, respectively, with difficult cannulation rates in these groups of 7.4%, 31.4%, 8.3%, 18.9%, and 23.2%, respectively. The rates of PEP in patients with and without PAD were 5.3% and 5.1%, respectively. Four patients with and one without PAD experienced perforation. CONCLUSIONS: The division of PAD into four types may be more appropriate than the traditional division into three types. Cannulation of type I and II b PAD was easier than cannulation of patients without PAD, whereas cannulation of type II a PAD was more challenging. PAD may not increase the rates of PEP.

Reconsidering treatment guidelines for acute myocardial infarction during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 affects healthcare resource allocation, which could lead to treatment delay and poor outcomes in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). We assessed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on AMI outcomes. METHODS: We compared outcomes of patients admitted for acute ST-elevation MI (STEMI) and non-STEMI (NSTEMI) during a non-COVID-19 pandemic period (January-February 2019; Group 1, n = 254) and a COVID-19 pandemic period (January-February 2020; Group 2, n = 124). RESULTS: For STEMI patients, the median of first medical contact (FMC) time, door-to-balloon time, and total myocardial ischemia time were significantly longer in Group 2 patients (all p < 0.05). Primary percutaneous intervention was performed significantly more often in Group 1 patients than in Group 2 patients, whereas thrombolytic therapy was used significantly more often in Group 2 patients than in Group 1 patients (all p < 0.05). However, the rates of and all-cause 30-day mortality and major adverse cardiac event (MACE) were not significantly different in the two periods (all p > 0.05). For NSTEMI patients, Group 2 patients had a higher rate of conservative therapy, a lower rate of reperfusion therapy, and longer FMC times (all p < 0.05). All-cause 30-day mortality and MACE were only higher in NSTEMI patients during the COVID-19 pandemic period (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: COVID-19 pandemic causes treatment delay in AMI patients and potentially leads to poor clinical outcome in NSTEMI patients. Thrombolytic therapy should be initiated without delay for STEMI when coronary intervention is not readily available; for NSTEMI patients, outcomes of invasive reperfusion were better than medical treatment.

The complete chloroplast genome of Waldheimia glabra.

Waldheimia glabra (Decne.) Rgl. 1879 (family Asteraceae) is a perennial herb with high economic and medicinal values. In this study, we sequenced the complete chloroplast (cp) genome of W. glabra by high-throughput Illumina sequencing. The size of the W. glabra cp genome is 151,499 bp, with overall GC content of 37.3%. It contains a large single copy and a small single copy region of 83,078 bp and 18,457 bp, respectively, separated by a pair of inverted repeats regions of 24,982 bp. We also discovered 131 genes, including 86 protein-coding genes, 37 transfer RNA genes, and 8 ribosomal RNA genes in the genome. The maximum-likelihood phylogenetic tree demonstrated that W. glabra is closely related to Leucanthemella linearis.

An Insight of the First Community Infected COVID-19 Patient in Beijing by Imported Case: Role of Deep Learning-Assisted CT Diagnosis.

In the era of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, imported COVID-19 cases pose great challenges to many countries. Chest CT examination is considered to be complementary to nucleic acid test for COVID-19 detection and diagnosis. We report the first community infected COVID-19 patient by an imported case in Beijing, which manifested as nodular lesions on chest CT imaging at the early stage. Deep Learning (DL)-based diagnostic systems quantitatively monitored the progress of pulmonary lesions in 6 days and timely made alert for suspected pneumonia, so that prompt medical isolation was taken. The patient was confirmed as COVID-19 case after nucleic acid test, for which the community transmission was prevented timely. The roles of DL-assisted diagnosis in helping radiologists screening suspected COVID cases were discussed.

[Relationship between inorganic elements in rhizosphere soil and rhizome radial striations in Ligusticum chuanxiong].

The study is aimed to reveal the fluctuation of the inorganic elements in the rhizosphere soil of Ligusticum chuanxiong during their whole growth period, and explore the relationship between that fluctuation and the formation of radial striations character in the rhizomes. During the cultivation period of L. chuanxiong, the rhizosphere soil samples were taken regularly, and the content of 26 inorganic elements were determined by X-ray fluorescence spectrometry(XRF). Then the difference between the radial striations and un-radial striations rhizomes were analyzed for their fluctuation of the inorganic elements. The results showed that there were different "key period" and "key elements" in the rhizosphere elements content of L. chuanxiong rhizome with radial and un-radial striations, and different element coordination and antagonistic relationship. The key fluctuation period of rhizosphere elements in un-radial striations group were in 0-60 and 60-150 days, of which 22 elements such as Na, Mg, Al were the key elements in 0-60 days, and 5 elements such as Sr, Hf, Pb, Co, Ce were the key elements in 60-150 days. The key fluctuation period of rhizosphere elements in radial striations group were in 0-60 and 210-270 days, of which four elements such as Na, Co, Ce, As are the key change elements in 0-60 days, and 18 elements such as Mg, Al, Si are the key change elements in 210-270 days. At the same time, the study showed that the fluctuation of inorganic elements in rhizosphere soil coincided with the growth and development process of L. chuanxiong and the key period of the formation of "radial striations rhizome". The key stage which the rapid growth of lateral buds of rhizome affected the formation of radial striations is 60-150 days after planting, while the increase of Sr and Co elements is likely to be an important reason for the expansion of lateral buds of rhizome and the failure to form typical "radial striations rhizome" in un-radial striations group.

The efficacy of different doses of ulinastatin in the treatment of severe acute pancreatitis.

BACKGROUND: Severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) is a severe form of inflammatory disease with a high mortality rate. Ulinastatin, a urinary trypsin inhibitor, has anti-inflammatory properties and may be beneficial to critically ill patients with SAP. Nevertheless, there is currently insufficient evidence to conclude whether there is a dose-effect relationship between ulinastatin and SAP treatment outcomes. The present study examined the efficacy of ulinastatin at different doses in the treatment of SAP. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted examining the clinical outcomes of 130 SAP patients. Patients were categorized into a control group and three groups receiving different daily doses of ulinastatin (200,000; 400,000; and 600,000 IU). The study compared the 1-week mortality rate; the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE-II) score; abdominal pain relief time; time to recover a normal heart and respiratory rate; blood amylase, glucose, C-reactive protein, and procalcitonin levels; and white blood cell (WBC) count among the different groups. RESULTS: The 400,000 and 600,000 IU groups had significantly lower mortality rates and WBC count compared to the 200,000 IU group (P<0.05). Furthermore, the 400,000 IU group had a significantly shorter abdominal pain relief time compared to the 200,000 IU group (P<0.05). Compared to the 200,000 IU group, the 600,000 IU group had significantly shorter time to recover a normal respiratory rate and a lower APACHE-II score (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Ulinastatin can improve the clinical outcomes of patients with SAP but efficacy varies with the dosage.

Therapeutic efficacy of shenmai injection as an adjuvant treatment in dilated cardiomyopathy: A protocol for systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Shenmai injection (SMI) is a Traditional Chinese Medicine patent prescription consisting of extractions from ophiopogonis radix and ginseng radix rubra. Clinical studies showed that SMI combined with conventional medicine treatment (CMT) can enhance the therapeutic efficacy for dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). However, there is still a lack of comprehensive and systematic evidence, which urgently requires us to verify its therapeutic efficacy. Hence, we provide a protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis. METHODS: The systematic search on the MEDLINE/PubMed, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang database, VIP database, the Cochrane Library, Embase and Chinese Biomedical Database (CBM) in Chinese and English language with dates ranging from the earliest record to August 8, 2019. Next, the quality of each trial was assessed according to the criteria of the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. Then, the outcome data were recorded and pooled by RevMan 5.3 software. RESULTS: The systematic review and meta-analysis aims to review and pool current clinical outcomes of SMI for the adjuvant treatment of DCM. CONCLUSION: This study will provide a high-quality evidence of SMI for the adjuvant treatment on DCM patients. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42019146369.

Differences in the Composition of Vaginal Microbiota between Women Exhibiting Spleen-Deficiency Syndrome and Women with Damp-Heat Syndrome, Two of the Most Common Syndromes of Vaginitis in Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Spleen-deficiency syndrome and damp-heat syndrome are the two most common syndromes of vaginitis in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Although it is known that the vaginal microbiota is closely associated with vaginitis, present studies have not fully elucidated the relationship between the composition of the vaginal microbiome and type of TCM syndrome because of the limitations in the present reductionist approaches. Samples of vaginal secretions were collected from patients with bacterial vaginitis and healthy subjects with spleen-deficiency syndrome and damp-heat syndrome, in order to analyze the constitution of the vaginal microflora using 16S rRNA sequencing methods that encompass taxonomic units, alpha diversity rarefaction curves, and principal component analyses. This prospective study indicated that there was a statistically significant difference in the composition of the vaginal microbiome between patients with spleen-deficiency syndrome and patients with damp-heat syndrome. Streptococcus was the dominant microbiota in patients with spleen-deficiency syndrome. This can serve as a biomarker for differentiating spleen-deficiency syndrome and damp-heat syndrome. In addition, as indicated by the findings on the samples, patients with bacterial vaginitis of dominant abundance in Pseudomonadaceae might be prone to manifest spleen-deficiency syndrome, while patients with bacterial vaginitis of dominant abundance in Prevotella might be prone to manifest damp-heat syndrome. These present findings can provide a new approach to acquire a scientific understanding of the syndromes of TCM, which in turn would benefit the development of personalized medicine, in terms of ancient medicine and complex biological systems.

Efficacy of ventilator for patients with atelectasis: A systematic review protocol of randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: This study aims to assess the efficacy and safety of ventilator for the treatment of atelectasis. METHODS: We will search Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, EBSCO, Chinese database Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and Wanfang data from inceptions to June 30, 2019 without language limitations. We will include randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of ventilator on evaluating the efficacy and safety of ventilator for atelectasis. We will use Cochrane risk of bias tool to assess the methodological quality for all included RCTs. RevMan 5.3 software will be used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: The primary outcome is lung function. The secondary outcomes comprise of airway pressure, mean arterial pressure, arterial blood gas, heart rate, respiratory rate, oxygen saturation, and adverse events. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study will provide most recent evidence of ventilator for the treatment of atelectasis. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42019139329.

Effect of Total Flavones from Cuscuta Chinensis on Anti-Abortion via the MAPK Signaling Pathway.

For centuries, the Chinese herb Cuscuta chinensis has been applied clinically for abortion prevention in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Total flavones extracted from Cuscuta chinensis (TFCC) are one of the active components in the herb and also display anti-abortion effect similar to the unprocessed material. However, how TFCC exerts the anti-abortion effect remains largely unknown. In this study, we aim at characterizing the anti-abortion effects of TFCC and its underlying molecular mechanism in vitro and in vivo using human primary decidua cells and a mifepristone-induced abortion model in rat, respectively. The damage to the decidua caused by mifepristone in vivo was reversed by TFCC treatment in a dosage-dependent manner. High dosage of TFCC significantly upregulated the expression of estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and prolactin receptor (PRLR) in decidua tissue but downregulated the expression of p-ERK. Furthermore, we detected higher level of p-ERK and p-p38 in primary decidua cells from spontaneous abortion while treatment by TFCC downregulated their expression. Our results suggest TFCC mediates its anti-abortion effect by interfering with MAPK signaling pathway.

TPD52L2 impacts proliferation, invasiveness and apoptosis of glioblastoma cells via modulation of wnt/ß-catenin/snail signaling.

Intratumoral heterogeneity greatly hinders efficiency of target therapy in glioblastoma (GBM). To decipher the underlying mechanisms of heterogeneity, patient-derived adult GBM cells were separately isolated from margins of T1 gadolinium enhancing tumor lesions (PNCs) and T1 gadolinium enhancing core lesions (ECs). Single clone culture was conducted in ECs and U87MG cell line to screen clones with distinct biological phenotypes. Single cell clones with diverse phenotypes were simultaneously separated from ECs and U87 cell line. PNCs, GCs(H) and U87(H) exhibited longer cellular protrusion than ECs, GCs(L) and U87(L), respectively. Cell strains with longer protrusion exhibited higher invasive ability and lower sensitivity to temozolomide (TMZ) and radiation. Subsequently, TPD52L2 was verified as the functional protein to regulate the cellular heterogeneity by the proteomics analysis. Downregulation of TPD52L2 enhanced cell invasion whereas inhibited cell proliferation rate and sensitivity to chemotherapy in vivo and in vitro, this condition was reversed when TPD52L2 was overexpressed. The invasiveness was facilitated by up-regulating CTNNB1/ß-catenin and SNAI1/Snail mediated EMT process. In addition, the clinical data of 88 GBM cases in our neurosurgery center was analyzed to reveal the influence of TPD52L2 in the prognosis of GBM. Low expression of TPD52L2 exacerbated prognosis of GBM patients received standard radiotherapy plus concomitant and adjuvant TMZ (Stupp strategy). Taken together, TPD52L2 is an important biomarker influencing GBM prognosis.

[RETRACTED ARTICLE] Therapeutic effect and potential mechanism of pioglitazone in rats with severe acute pancreatitis

Caspase recruitment domain-containing protein 9 (Card9) is located upstream of the nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) inflammatory pathways. This study investigated the therapeutic effect and potential mechanism of pioglitazone in rats with severe acute pancreatitis (SAP). SAP was induced by a retrograde infusion of 5.0% sodium taurocholate into the biliopancreatic duct of Sprague Dawley rats (n=54), which were then treated with pioglitazone. Blood and pancreatic tissues were harvested at 3, 6, and 12 h after SAP induction. Pancreatic pathological damage was evaluated by hematoxylin and eosin staining. Serum amylase, serum pro-inflammatory cytokines, and pancreatic myeloperoxidase (MPO) activities were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The expression of Card9 mRNA and protein in pancreatic tissues was detected by real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blotting. Pioglitazone had a therapeutic effect in treating rats with SAP by decreasing the level of amylase activity, ameliorating pancreatic histological damage, decreasing serum pro-inflammatory cytokine levels and tissue MPO activity, and downregulating the expression of NF-κB, p38MAPK, and Card9 mRNAs and proteins (P<0.05). The present study demonstrated that the inhibition of Card9 expression could reduce the severity of SAP. Card9 has a role in the pathogenic mechanism of SAP.

Therapeutic effect and potential mechanism of pioglitazone in rats with severe acute pancreatitis.

Caspase recruitment domain-containing protein 9 (Card9) is located upstream of the nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) inflammatory pathways. This study investigated the therapeutic effect and potential mechanism of pioglitazone in rats with severe acute pancreatitis (SAP). SAP was induced by a retrograde infusion of 5.0% sodium taurocholate into the biliopancreatic duct of Sprague Dawley rats (n=54), which were then treated with pioglitazone. Blood and pancreatic tissues were harvested at 3, 6, and 12 h after SAP induction. Pancreatic pathological damage was evaluated by hematoxylin and eosin staining. Serum amylase, serum pro-inflammatory cytokines, and pancreatic myeloperoxidase (MPO) activities were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The expression of Card9 mRNA and protein in pancreatic tissues was detected by real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blotting. Pioglitazone had a therapeutic effect in treating rats with SAP by decreasing the level of amylase activity, ameliorating pancreatic histological damage, decreasing serum pro-inflammatory cytokine levels and tissue MPO activity, and downregulating the expression of NF-κB, p38MAPK, and Card9 mRNAs and proteins (P<0.05). The present study demonstrated that the inhibition of Card9 expression could reduce the severity of SAP. Card9 has a role in the pathogenic mechanism of SAP.

Identification of triosephosphate isomerase as a novel allergen in Octopus fangsiao.

Octopus is an important mollusk in human dietary for its nutritional value, however it also causes allergic reactions in humans. Major allergens from octopus have been identified, while the knowledge of novel allergens remains poor. In the present study, a novel allergen with molecular weight of 28kDa protein was purified from octopus (Octopus fangsiao) and identified as triosephosphate isomerase (TIM) by mass spectrometry. TIM aggregated beyond 45°C, and its IgE-binding activity was affected under extreme pH conditions due to the altered secondary structure. In simulated gastric fluid digestion, TIM can be degraded into small fragments, while retaining over 80% of the IgE-binding activity. The full-length cDNA of O. fangsiao TIM (1140bp) was cloned, which encodes 247 amino acid residues, and the entire recombinant TIM was successfully expressed in Escherichia coli BL21, which showed similar immunoreactivity to the native TIM. Different intensity of cross-reactivity among TIM from related species revealed the complexity of its epitopes. Eight linear epitopes of TIM were predicted following bioinformatic analysis. Furthermore, a conformational epitope (A71G74S69D75T73F72V67) was confirmed by the phage display technology. The results revealed the physicochemical and immunological characteristics of TIM, which is significant in the development of hyposensitivity food and allergy diagnosis.

MiR-519a functions as a tumor suppressor in glioma by targeting the oncogenic STAT3 pathway.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is among the most aggressive primary brain tumors, with a median survival rate of 12-15 months. MicroRNAs have been implicated in GBM development as oncogenes or tumor suppressors. In this study, we demonstrated that miR-519a expression was frequently downregulated in GBM specimens and cell lines, and that low-levels miR-519a expression significantly correlated with poor outcomes associated with GBM. Analysis of The Cancer Genome Atlas also demonstrated that low miR-519a expression can predict poor clinical outcomes in classical and proneural GBM subtypes. Functionally, re-expression of miR-519a effectively reduced GBM cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. Mechanistically, we confirmed that the signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) 3'-UTR was a putative target of miR-519a, and that re-expression of STAT3 abrogated miR-519a function in GBM cells. Furthermore, we found that STAT3 expression negatively correlated with that of miR-519a in human GBM tissues. These results elucidated the prognostic value and tumor-suppressor role of miR-519a in GBM and further suggested it as a potential therapeutic target for GBM treatment.

[A multi-center, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial for effect of Longxue Tongluo capsule in treatment of patients of atherosclerotic thrombotic cerebral infarction with blood-stasis syndrome in convalescence].

To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of Longxue Tongluo capsule on patients of atherosclerotic thrombotic cerebral infarction convalescence with blood-stasis syndrome, a double-blind, randomized controlled, multi-center clinical trial was conducted. A total of 160 eligible patients were randomly divided into treatment group and control group, with 80 patients in each group, and all of them were orally given Troxerutin pill(three pills each time, three times daily). Longxue Tongluo capsule was applied in the treatment group, while placebo was applied in the control group(two capsules each time, three times daily) for 4 weeks. Main outcomes were measured by ITT analysis. The neurological function deficits scale showed a decrease of 5.17±2.60 in the treatment group, while 4.31±2.31 in the control group, with significant differences between the two groups(P<0.05); the reduction rate in the treatment group (37.2±15.8)% was significantly higher than that in the control group (29.9±15.3)%(P<0.05). In terms of the comprehensive curative effect by ITT, the effective rates in the treatment and control group were 31.6% and 13.5%, respectively(P<0.05). With respect to the efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine syndrome by ITT, the total effective rate of the treatment group was significantly higher than the control group 88.2% vs 68.9%, P<0.05. Three cases of adverse events occurred in this study, including 1 case of diarrhea in treatment group and 2 cases of skin itch and upper respiratory infection in control group. In conclusion, Longxue Tongluo capsule is effective and safe in the treatment of patients of atherosclerotic thrombotic cerebral infarction convalescence with blood-stasis syndrome, and can effectively alleviate the patients' nerve function defect degree and invalidism, with a good effect on blood stasis syndrome.

[Modulation by desensitized nicotinic receptors on metabolism of DA in striatum derived from the hemiparkinsonian model].

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of desensitized nicotinic receptors (nAChRs) on striatal dopaminergic system in the hemiparkinsonian rats treated with 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA). METHODS: We examined the effects of desensitized nAChRs on the levels of dopamine (DA) and its metabolites, mRNA expression of dopamine receptor D1,D2 and monoamine oxidase B (MAO-B) in the striatum of 6-OHDA-lesioned rats using high-performance liquid chromatography and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: The results showed that nAChRs desensitization following repeated nicotine stimulation could reverse significantly the decrease of striatal DA and its metabolites levels and the increase in DA turnover in lesioned side striatum of hemiparkinsonian rats. Dopamine D1 receptor mRNA expression increased significantly, whereas dopamine D2 receptor mRNA expression remained unchanged in lesioned side striatum of nicotine-treated rats compared to 6-OHDA-lesioned rats when nAChRs were desensitized. Meanwhile, nicotine-treated rats displayed a significant decrease in MAO-B mRNA expression in lesioned side striatum compared to 6-OHDA-lesioned rats after nAChRs desensitization. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that nAChRs desensitization could promote DA level, upregulate dopamine D1 receptor expression and downregulate MAO-B expression in striatum of hemiparkinsonian rats.