Exploring traditional Chinese medicine as a potential treatment for sarcopenia: A network pharmacology and data mining analysis of drug selection and efficacy.

Sarcopenia, as an increasingly pressing clinical issue, can be ameliorated through employment of traditional Chinese medicines. However, the current lack of specific pharmacological interventions for Sarcopenia necessitates further exploration of novel possibilities in traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of this condition, utilizing advanced methodologies such as web pharmacology and data mining. Screening the essential targets of Sarcopenia, conducting matching between target and active molecules, as well as active molecules and herbs. Employing data mining techniques to analyze the screening outcomes, and molecular docking to compare the binding activities of active molecules with target proteins. The approach of using herbs for the treatment of Sarcopenia involves 13 targets, with 414 active compounds and 367 types of herbs. Data mining reveals that the herbs used in treating Sarcopenia are primarily characterized by their bitter taste, exerting their effects through dispelling dampness and promoting blood circulation. Moreover, 2 new formulas are postulated. Furthermore, molecular docking analysis indicates that the main active components of the herbs can be observed to tightly bind with the targets. Through network pharmacology and molecular docking, our findings reveal that herbs contain 15 key active components and 5 key targets, which correspond to 7 major herbs and 2 new formulas. Academically, these findings hold significant reference value for the development of novel drugs targeting Sarcopenia.

Research on imbalanced data fault diagnosis of on-load tap changers based on IGWO-WELM.

Aiming at the problem of on-load tap changer (OLTC) fault diagnosis under imbalanced data conditions (the number of fault states is far less than that of normal data), this paper proposes an OLTC fault diagnosis method based on an Improved Grey Wolf algorithm (IGWO) and Weighted Extreme Learning Machine (WELM) optimization. Firstly, the proposed method assigns different weights to each sample ac-cording to WELM, and measures the classification ability of WELM based on G-mean, so as to realize the modeling of imbalanced data. Secondly, the method uses IGWO to optimize the input weight and hidden layer offset of WELM, avoiding the problems of low search speed and local optimization, and achieving high search efficiency. The results show that IGWO-WLEM can effectively diagnose OLTC faults under imbalanced data conditions, with an improvement of at least 5% compared with existing methods.

A Fault Diagnosis Scheme Using Hurst Exponent for Metal Particle Faults in GIL/GIS.

A diagnosis scheme using the Hurst exponent for metal particle faults in GIL/GIS is proposed to improve the accuracy of classification and identification. First, the diagnosis source signal is the vibration signal generated by the collision of metal particles in the electric field. Then, the signal is processed via variational mode decomposition (VMD) based on particle swarm optimization with adaptive parameter adjustment (APA-PSO). In the end, fault types are classified and identified by an SVM model, whose feature vector is composed of the Hurst exponents of each intrinsic mode function (IMF-H). Extensive experimental data verify the effect of this new scheme. The results exhibit that the classification performance of SVM is significantly improved by the new feature vector. Furthermore, the VMD based on APA-PSO with adaptive parameter adjustment can effectively enhance the decomposition quality.

Rosiglitazone alleviates myocardial apoptosis in rats with acute myocardial infarction via inhibiting TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway.

[This retracts the article DOI: 10.3892/etm.2020.8479.].

Lidocaine Suppresses Cell Proliferation and Aerobic Glycolysis by Regulating circHOMER1/miR-138-5p/HEY1 Axis in Colorectal Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Increasing evidence has uncovered the anticancer activity of lidocaine in many cancers. However, the role and the underlying molecular mechanism of lidocaine in colorectal cancer (CRC) remain poorly understood. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cell viability and apoptosis were measured by cell counting kit-8 assay and flow cytometry. Western blot was used to detect the protein of p53, CyclinD1, Pro-caspase-3, Cleaved-caspase-3, Pro-caspase-9, Cleaved-caspase-9, and hes-related family bHLH transcription factor with YRPW motif 1 (HEY1). Glycolytic metabolism was calculated by measuring the glucose consumption, lactate production and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) contents. The expression of circRNA homer scaffold protein 1 (circHOMER1), microRNA (miR)-138-5p and HEY1 mRNA was detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. The interaction between miR-138-5p and circHOMER1 or HEY1 was analyzed using the dual-luciferase reporter assay. In vivo experiments were performed using the murine xenograft model. RESULTS: Lidocaine suppressed CRC cell viability and aerobic glycolysis but promoted cell apoptosis in vitro as well as hindered tumor growth in vivo. CircHOMER1 was elevated in CRC tissues and cells, while lidocaine decreased circHOMER1 expression in CRC cells. Additionally, circHOMER1 overexpression reversed the anti-tumor activity of lidocaine in CRC cells. miR-138-5p was confirmed to interact with circHOMER1 and HEY1 in CRC cells directly, and circHOMER1 regulated HEY1 expression through repressing miR-138-5p expression. Besides, rescue assay indicated the anti-tumor activity mediated by lidocaine could be regulated by circHOMER1/miR-138-5p/HEY1 axis. CONCLUSION: Lidocaine mediated CRC cell viability loss, apoptosis induction and aerobic glycolysis inhibition by regulating circHOMER1/miR-138-5p/HEY1 axis, providing a novel treatment option for lidocaine to prevent the progression of CRC.

Rosiglitazone alleviates myocardial apoptosis in rats with acute myocardial infarction via inhibiting TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway.

Influence of rosiglitazone on the myocardial apoptosis in rats with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) via the Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling pathway was explored. A total of 30 healthy male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into group A (Sham group, n=10), group B (AMI model group, n=10) and group C (AMI model + rosiglitazone group, n=10) using a random number table. It was observed through H&E staining that group A had myocardial cells with normal morphology and infiltration of few inflammatory factors, while group B had swollen myocardial cells with disorderly and irregular morphology, large and dark-colored nuclei, infiltration of massive inflammatory factors, large amounts of fibrous tissue hyperplasia in the intercellular space, disorderly arranged, thickened and lengthened myocardial fibers with widened gaps. Moreover, group C exhibited infiltration of fewer inflammatory factors and more normal myocardial tissue structure compared with group B. According to the sirius-red staining results, group A had normally arranged myocardial cells with a small amount of collagen hyperplasia, while group B had collagen interstitial hyperplasia and higher content of myocardial collagen than group A. Compared with that in group B, the myocardial collagen deposit was substantially reduced in group C. TUNEL staining results showed that the apoptosis rate of rat myocardial cells in group B was obviously higher than that in group A (40.37 vs. 5.23%), and it was notably lower in group C than that in group B (24.82 vs. 40.37%). According to the western blot results, the protein expression levels of the inflammatory factors TLR-4 and NF-κB in rat myocardial tissues were notably raised in group B compared with those in group A, and they were evidently lower in group C than those in group B. Rosiglitazone inhibits the TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway to produce a myocardioprotective effect.

Effect of Remifentanil Combined Anesthesia on Cytokines and Oxidative Stress in Patients undergoing Laparoscopic Surgery for Colon Cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of remifentanil combined anesthesia on serum cytokines and oxidative stress indices in patients undergoing laparoscopic surgery for colon cancer. STUDY DESIGN: Experimental study. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY: Department of Anesthesiology, Yuhuangding Hospital Affiliated to Qingdao University, Yantai, China, from May 2016 to March 2018. METHODOLOGY: A total of 154 patients undergoing laparoscopic surgery for colon cancer were randomly divided into control group and observation group, with 77 cases in each group. Control group received fentanyl combined anesthesia, and observation group received remifentanil combined anesthesia. Levels of serum cytokines IL-8, IL-6, CRP, TNF- α and the levels of oxidative stress indices SOD, MDA, CAT, and GSH on the first day after operation were compared. Occurrence of adverse reactions during anesthesia recovery was observed and recorded in both groups. RESULTS: On the first day after surgery, levels of serum cytokines IL-8, IL-6, CRP, TNF- α and MDA in the observation group were lower than those in the control group (all p<0.001); levels of serum SOD, GSH, and CAT in the observation group were higher than those in the control group (all p<0.001). The frequency of adverse reactions such as nausea and vomiting, chills, restlessness, cough, and tachycardia in the observation group was lower than that in the control group (p=0.029, 0.016, 0.009, 0.025, and 0.003, respectively). CONCLUSION: Compared with fentanyl combined anesthesia, the remifentanil combined anesthesia can significantly reduce serum levels of cytokines IL-8, IL-6, CRP, TNF- α and oxidative stress level, and is, therefore, more secure for patients undergoing laparoscopic surgery for colon cancer.

Hesperetin attenuates ventilator-induced acute lung injury through inhibition of NF-κB-mediated inflammation.

Hesperetin, a major bioflavonoid in sweet oranges and lemons, has been reported to have anti-inflammatory properties. However, the effect of hesperetin on ventilator-induced acute lung injury has not been studied. In present study, we investigated the protective effect of hesperetin on ventilator-induced acute lung injury in rats. Rats were orally administered hesperetin (10, 20, or 40mg/kg) two hour before acute lung injury was induced by mechanical ventilation. Rats were then randomly divided into six groups: the lung protective ventilation group (n=20, LV group), injurious ventilation group (n=20, HV group), vehicle-treated injurious ventilation group (n=20, LV+vehicle group), hesperetin (10mg/kg)-treated acute lung injury group (n=20, HV+Hsp (10mg)), hesperetin (20mg/kg)-treated acute lung injury group (n=20, HV+Hsp (20mg)), and hesperetin (40mg/kg)-treated acute lung injury group (n=20, HV+Hsp (40mg)). The lung tissues and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid were isolated for subsequent measurements. Treatment with hesperetin dramatically improved the histology of lung tissue, and reduced the wet/dry ratio, myeloperoxidase activity, protein concentration, and production of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1ß, and MIP-2 in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of rats with ventilator-induced acute lung injury. Additionally, our study indicated that this protective effect of hesperetin results from its ability to increase the expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-γ and inhibit the activation of the nuclear factor (NF)-κB pathway. These results suggest that hesperetin may be a potential novel therapeutic candidate for protection against ventilator-induced acute lung injury.