Protective effects of salvianolic acid B on intestinal ischemia/reperfusion injury in rats by regulating the AhR/IL-22/STAT6 axis.

PURPOSE: Intestinal ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury (IIRI) is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Salvianolic acid B (Sal-B) could exert neuroprotective effects on reperfusion injury after cerebral vascular occlusion, but its effect on IIRI remains unclear. This study set out to investigate the protective effects of Sal-B on IIRI in rats. METHODS: The rat IIRI model was established by occluding the superior mesenteric artery and reperfusion, and they were pretreated with Sal-B and aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) antagonist CH-223191 before surgery. Pathological changes in rat ileum, IIRI degree, and intestinal cell apoptosis were evaluated through hematoxylin-eosin staining, Chiu's score scale, and TUNEL staining, together with the determination of caspase-3, AhR protein level in the nucleus, and STAT6 phosphorylation by Western blotting. The levels of inflammatory cytokines (IL-1ß/IL-6/TNF-α) and IL-22 were determined by ELISA and RT-qPCR. The contents of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione (GSH), and malondialdehyde (MDA) in intestinal tissues were determined by spectrophotometry. RESULTS: Sal-B alleviated IIRI in rats, evidenced by slight villi shedding and villi edema, reduced Chiu's score, and diminished the number of TUNEL-positive cells and caspase-3 expression. SAL-B alleviated inflammation and oxidative stress (OS) responses induced by IIRI. Sal-B promoted IL-22 secretion by activating AhR in intestinal tissue after IIRI. Inhibition of AhR activation partially reversed the protective effect of Sal-B on IIRI. Sal-B promoted STAT6 phosphorylation by activating the AhR/IL-22 axis. CONCLUSION: Sal-B plays a protective role against IIRI in rats by activating the AhR/IL-22/STAT6 axis, which may be achieved by reducing the intestinal inflammatory response and OS responses.

A Poly(carbazole-alt-triazole) with Thiabendazole Side Groups as an "On-Off-On" Fluorescent Probe for Detection of Cu(II) Ion and Cysteine.

A novel conjugated polymer PCZBTA-TBZ containing thiabendazole as recognition unit was synthesized via Suzuki coupling reaction, and its structural characterization, spectroscopic analysis and photophysical properties were investigated. In the metal ion response study, the addition of Cu2+ led to the occurrence of the photoinduced electron transfer (PET) mechanism, which significantly quenched the fluorescence of the polymer PCZBTA-TBZ with a quenching effect of 98%. Furthermore, I- can significantly quench the fluorescence of the polymer, but other anions have no such effect. According to the density functional theory calculation, compared with other polycarbazoles or other alternative copolymers containing carbazole, with alternating carbazole and triazole enhances the electron mobility and reduces the energy band gap of the polymer. Due to the strong coordination ability between Cu2+ and Cys, the adding Cys competes the Cu2+ in the [PCZBTA-TBZ-Cu2+] complex, blocking the occurrence of PET, and the fluorescence intensity of PCZBTA-TBZ is restored. The addition of other amino acids caused almost no change. The polymer is expected to be used for dual fluorescence detection of specific metal ions and Cys.

Effects of salvianolic acid A on intestinal microbiota and lipid metabolism disorders in Zucker diabetic fatty rats.

Salvianolic acid A (SalA) is the main water-soluble component isolated from Salvia miltiorrhiza. This study explored the influences of SalA on intestinal microbiota composition and lipid metabolism in Zucker diabetic fatty (ZDF) rats. The 6-week-old male ZDF rats were treated with distilled water (N = 10) and low dose (SalA 0.5 mg/kg/d, N = 10), medium dose (SalA 1 mg/kg/d, N = 10), and high dose (SalA 2 mg/kg/d, N = 10) of SalA, with the male Zucker lean normoglycemic rats of the same week age as controls (given distilled water, N = 10). The blood glucose, body weight, and food intake of rats were examined. After 7 and 8 weeks of continuous administration, oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and insulin tolerance test (ITT) were performed, respectively. Serum fasting insulin (FINS), total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), and free fatty acid (FFA) were determined. Liver tissues were stained using hematoxylin-eosin (HE) and oil red O staining. Fecal samples were analyzed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Small intestinal tissues were stained using HE and immunohistochemistry. The tight junction proteins (ZO-1/Occludin/Claudin-1) and serum levels of LPS/TNF-α/IL-6 were evaluated. SalA reduced insulin resistance, liver injury, serum FFA, liver TC and TG levels in ZDF rats, and improved lipid metabolism. After SalA treatment, intestinal microbiota richness and diversity of ZDF rats were promoted. SalA retained the homeostasis of intestinal core microbiota. SalA reduced intestinal epithelial barrier damage, LPS, and inflammatory cytokines in ZDF rats. Overall, SalA can sustain intestinal microbiota balance and improve the lipid metabolism of ZDF rats.

Assessing bilateral ankle proprioceptive acuity in stroke survivors: An exploratory study.

Background: Bilateral proprioception deficits were reported in stroke survivors. However, whether bilateral proprioception deficits exist in the ankle joint after stroke was unclear. Ankle proprioception is a significant predictor of balance dysfunction after stroke, and previous studies to date are lacking appropriate evaluation methods. Objectives: We want to determine whether the active movement extent discrimination apparatus (AMEDA) is a reliable tool for assessing ankle proprioceptive acuity in stroke survivors and the presence of deficits in ankle proprioception on the affected and unaffected sides in patients after stroke. Methods: Bilateral ankle proprioception was assessed in 20 stroke patients and 20 age-matched healthy controls using AMEDA. Test-retest reliability was assessed using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Results: The ICC in the affected and unaffected sides was 0.713 and 0.74, respectively. Analysis of variance revealed significant deficits in ankle proprioception in subacute stroke survivors vs. healthy controls (F = 2.719, p = 0.045). However, there were no significant differences in proprioception acuity scores between the affected and unaffected sides in patients after stroke (F = 1.14, p = 0.331). Conclusions: Stroke survivors had bilateral deficits in ankle proprioceptive acuity during active movements compared with age-matched healthy controls, underscoring the need to evaluate these deficits on both sides of the body and develop effective sensorimotor rehabilitation methods for this patient population. The AMEDA can reliably determine bilateral ankle proprioceptive acuity in stroke survivors.

IL-10 regulates Th17 response to inhibit hepatobiliary injury caused by Clonorchis sinensis infection in C57BL/6J mice.

Clonorchiasis caused by Clonorchis sinensis is a mainly foodborne parasitic disease. It can lead to hepatobiliary duct inflammation, fibrosis, obstructive jaundice, liver cirrhosis, and even cholangiocarcinoma. Interleukin (IL)-10 is an immune-regulatory cytokine which plays an immunosuppressive role during infection. Our previous study found that IL-10 was increased in mice with C. sinensis infection. However, the role and mechanism of IL-10 playing in hepatobiliary injury induced by C. sinensis infection remain unknown. Herein, Il10+/+ mice and Il10+/- C57BL/6J mice were infected with C. sinensis. It was found that IL-10 deficiency aggravated biliary hyperplasia and exacerbated periductal fibrosis induced by C. sinensis infection. Moreover, IL-10 deficiency increased CD4+T cells and CD8+T cells but not macrophages in the liver of mice with infection. There were no apparent differences in Th1 and Treg cells between Il10+/+ and Il10+/- mice infected with C. sinensis. However, the proportion of Th17 cells in CD4+T cells in Il10+/- infected mice was significantly higher than that in Il10+/+ infected mice. IL-10 deficiency also enhanced the increase of Th17 cells induced by ESPs stimulation in vitro. Taken together, our results suggest that IL-10 plays a protective role in hepatobiliary injury in C57BL/6J mice induced by C. sinensis infection via inhibiting Th17 cells, which could deepen our understanding of the immunopathology of clonorchiasis.

Lymphatic mapping and sentinel node biopsy in gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND: To determine the feasibility and significance of lymphatic mapping and sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) in patients with gastric cancer. METHODS: From August 1999 to January 2002, 27 gastric cancer patients underwent lymphatic mapping and sentinel lymph node biopsy using isosulfan blue dye. RESULTS: The success rate of SLNB was 96.3% (26 of 27). Accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity were 100%. There were no false negatives. In 26 successful cases, 8 patients had positive sentinel lymph nodes and 18 had negative sentinel nodes. Of 8 patients with positive sentinel nodes, 6 had positive sentinel nodes only at N1 lymph node station, 1 only at N2 station, and 1 had positive sentinel nodes at both N1 and N2 stations. Of 18 patients with negative sentinel lymph nodes, 9 patients had sentinel nodes only at N1, 3 only at N2, 5 at both N1 and N2, and 1 at both N1 and N3. There were no cases in which sentinel lymph nodes were the only sites of metastases. CONCLUSIONS: Sentinel lymph node biopsy using isosulfan blue dye in gastric cancer is a feasible procedure with high sensitivity and accuracy. Sentinel lymph nodes demonstrate the varied lymphatic drainage. If the sentinel nodes at N2 are positive, it will guide surgeons to do a more extended lymph node dissection in early stage gastric cancer.