Anti-Inflammatory Lindenane Sesquiterpenoid Dimers from the Roots of Sarcandra glabra.

Sarglaroids A-H (1-8), eight new lindenane dimers, and a monomer sarglaroid I (9), along with fourteen known analogues (10-23), were isolated from the roots of Sarcandra glabra. The planar structures and the absolute configurations were elucidated by HR-MS, NMR, ECD calculations, and X-ray diffraction crystallography. Sarglaroid A (1) was identified as a rare 8,9-seco lindenane dimer with a unique 5/5/5 tricyclic system. The biological evaluation showed that compounds 1 and 13 potently inhibited NO production with IC50 values at 19.8 ± 1.06 and 10.7 ± 0.25 µM, respectively, and had no cytotoxicity to RAW264.7 cells. Compound 6 significantly inhibited the LPS-/ATP-induced IL-1ß release by inactivating the NLRP3 inflammasome through inhibiting the initiation and assembly by affecting the K+ efflux. Compounds 2 and 3 inhibited the proliferation of MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 with IC50 values ranging from 5.4 to 10.2 µM.

Effect of three natural antioxidants on the structure and physicochemical properties of sweet potato starch noodles.

The study aimed to investigate the effect of three kinds of natural antioxidants (NAs), such as curcumin, tea polyphenols (TP), and lycopene, on sweet potato starch's structure and physicochemical properties of starch noodles. We found that the broken rates, iodine blue values, hardness, and chewiness of natural antioxidant starch noodles (NASN) were increased with the addition of the NAs. Additionally, the elasticity decreased with the addition of curcumin and lycopene, but it increased with the addition of TP. The cross-section structure of NASN obtained by scanning electron microscope (SEM) showed more holes appeared when adding NAs, and the additional amount had a pronounced effect on the microstructure of starch noodles (SN) regardless of the kind of NA added. The X-ray diffraction detection showed that some crystal forms were significantly damaged, and the addition of NAs affected the crystallization process of starch and produced a small proportion of new crystals in the NASNs. The protective effects of SN on NAs and their antioxidant capacities under dry and room temperature storage (DRTS) and wet and frozen storage (WFS) conditions were optimal as compared to those of flour noodles (FN). The results showed that adding NAs could improve the sensory quality and antioxidant function of starch noodles. In turn, the dense structure of starch noodles can also have a significant protective effect on antioxidants and their antioxidant activities, which is especially obvious under WFS conditions.

Combined culture experiment of mouse bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells and bioceramic scaffolds.

Articular cartilage injuries are common orthopedic conditions that severely affect the quality of life of patients. Tissue engineering can facilitate cartilage repair and the key points involve scaffolding and seed cell selection. Pre-experiments found a range of microstructures of bioceramic scaffolds suitable for chondrocyte adhesion and proliferation, and maintaining chondrocyte phenotype. Three-dimensional cultures of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell (BMSC) scaffolds were implanted into mice. According to the shape of the bioceramic scaffolds and the implantation time in vivo, RNA sequencing was performed on the removed scaffolds to explore the molecular mechanism. The in vitro bone plate culture can induce differentiation of chondrocytes, making culture different to that produced in vitro. Implantation of scaffolds in vivo increases the expression of bone-related genes. The ceramic rod-like material was found to be superior to the disc shape, and the bone repair effect was more marked with longer implantation times. Gene Ontology analysis revealed that 'cell chemotaxis', 'negative regulation of ossification' and 'bone development' pathways were involved in recovery. It was further confirmed that BMSCs were suitable as seed cells for cartilage tissue engineering, and that the ß-tricalcium phosphate scaffold maybe ideal as cartilage tissue engineering scaffold material. The present research provided new insights into the molecular mechanism of cartilage repair by BMSCs and bioceramic scaffolds. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that AMMECR1L-like protein, tumor necrosis factor-induced protein 2, inhibitor of nuclear factor-B kinase subunit and protein kinase C type and 'negative regulation of ossification' and 'bone development' pathways may be involved in osteoblast maturation and bone regeneration.

Bibliometric and Visualized Analysis of Scientific Publications on Atlantoaxial Spine Surgery Based on Web of Science and VOSviewer.

BACKGROUND: Atlantoaxial spine surgery is a challenge to spinal surgeons because of its proximity to neurovascular structures. This study aimed to identify and analyze the scientific publications in atlantoaxial spine surgery from different countries and institutions. METHODS: Clarivate Analytics Web of Science was used to search all articles for information on atlantoaxial spine surgery. The annual research, countries, journals, authors, institutions, citation frequency, and journal metrics were extracted. These results from countries and hotspots (keywords in publications) were subjected to co-occurrence analysis using VOSviewer, after which the top 100 most-cited articles were analyzed further. RESULTS: A total of 3161 articles were included. A trend toward an increasing number of publications on atlantoaxial spine surgery in recent years was evident. Among all countries, the United States contributed the most publications. Seth Gordhandas Sundarda Medical College had the highest number of publications among institutions. Among all research categories, fixation and fusion were the most common areas discussed. The screw-rod system described in the most-cited article (cited 823 times) appeared to be the most popular fixation method. With the development of C1 and C2 screw technology, the screw-rod system is becoming increasingly popular. CONCLUSIONS: The atlantoaxial spine surgery literature has grown continuously in recent years. The United States is the largest contributor in this field. Fixation and fusion are the most common areas, and fixation-related studies should be closely followed. The screw-rod fixation system is becoming increasingly popular.

The prognostic significance of the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and the platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio in giant cell tumor of the extremities.

BACKGROUND: In this study, the influence of the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and the platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) on the prognosis of giant cell tumor (GCT) of the extremities were investigated. METHODS: The clinical parameters of 163 patients who were diagnosed with GCT of the extremities between July 2008 and January 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. Optimal cutoff values of NLR and PLR were determined using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. According to optimal cutoff values, patients were divided into high NLR and low NLR groups or high PLR and low PLR groups. Kaplan-Meier and log-rank methods were used to compare the recurrence-free survival (RFS) between the high and low NLR groups, and between the high and low PLR groups. Univariate analysis was performed to determine the influence of age, gender, neutrophil count, lymphocyte count, platelet count, white blood cell count, tumor size, surgical approach and Campanacci stage on the prognosis of giant cell tumor of bone. The main predictors of RFS were determined by Cox multivariate regression analysis. RESULTS: The optimal cutoff value of NLR in giant cell tumor of the extremities was 2.32, which was used to classify patients into high and low NLR groups. The optimal cutoff value of PLR was 116.81, and was used to classify patients into high and low PLR groups. Campanacci stage, tumor maximum diameter, alkaline phosphatase, and C-reactive protein (CRP) were significantly associated with the high NLR and PLR. Cox multivariate regression analysis revealed that the Campanacci stage (HR = 3.28, 95% CI: 1.24~8.69) and NLR (HR = 4.18, 95% CI: 1.83~9.57) were independent prognostic factors for giant cell tumor of the extremities. CONCLUSION: As a novel inflammatory index, NLR has some predictive power for the prognosis of patients with giant cell tumor of the extremities.

Small-cell lung cancer with recurrent syncope as the initial symptom: A case report and literature review.

Small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) presenting with syncope as the initial symptom is rare in adults. This onset of tumour-induced syncope cannot be screened or differentiated by coronary angiography, magnetic resonance angiography of the neck or 24-hour dynamic electrocardiogram. We herein describe the case of a 61-year-old man who presented with recurrent syncope that resolved after the first course of chemotherapy (carboplatin plus etoposide) for SCLC. A mass measuring 57×53 mm was identified in the left hilum, and a diagnosis of limited-disease SCLC (T4N2M0, IIIB) was made. Considering the rapid and complete remission after the treatment of the primary lesion, we hypothesised that the syncope was neurogenic and associated with cancer. Thus, 8 similar cases retrieved from PubMed were reviewed and, for the first time, the mechanism underlying the syncope was identified, which may involve tumour location, neurobiology and other inducing factors. Thus, for the treatment of such SCLC patients, standard chemotherapy is crucial for preventing syncopal attacks.