The phytochemistry and pharmacology of three Rheum species: A comprehensive review with future perspectives.

BACKGROUND: Rheum palmatum, R. tanguticum, and R. officinale, integral species of the genus Rheum, are widely used across global temperate and subtropical regions. These species are incorporated in functional foods, medicines, and cosmetics, recognized for their substantial bioactive components. PURPOSE: This review aims to synthesize developments from 2014 to 2023 concerning the botanical characteristics, ethnopharmacology, nutritional values, chemical compositions, pharmacological activities, mechanisms of action, and toxicity of these species. METHODS: Data on the three Rheum species were gathered from a comprehensive review of peer-reviewed articles, patents, and clinical trials accessed through PubMed, Google Scholar, Web of Science, and CNKI. RESULTS: The aerial parts are nutritionally rich, providing essential amino acids, fatty acids, and minerals, suitable for use as health foods or supplements. Studies have identified 143 chemical compounds, including anthraquinones, anthrones, flavonoids, and chromones, which contribute to their broad pharmacological properties such as laxative, anti-diarrheal, neuroprotective, hepatoprotective, cardiovascular, antidiabetic, antitumor, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and antibacterial effects. Notably, the materials science approach has enhanced understanding of their medicinal capabilities through the evaluation of bioactive compounds in different therapeutic contexts. CONCLUSION: As medicinal and economically significant herb species, Rheum species provide both edible aerial parts and medicinal underground components that offer substantial health benefits. These characteristics present new opportunities for developing nutritional ingredients and therapeutic products, bolstering the food and pharmaceutical industries.

Changes in the nutrients, phytochemical profile and antioxidant activity of Rheum officinale Baill. leaf blades during different growth periods.

Rhubarb contains an abundance of compounds and nutrients that promote health through various activities; however, these activities are affected by the harvest season. In this paper, the changes in nutrients, phytochemical profiles and antioxidant activity of Rheum officinale leaf blades (LRO) during different growth periods were investigated. The results showed that LRO is a good source of protein, fiber, and minerals and contains abundant fatty acids; however, as the harvest time increased from March to July, the levels of protein and amino acid decreased, and the levels of other nutrients reached a maximum in May or June. LRO also contains flavonoids, terpenoids, and quinones. As the harvest time increased, the quinone content decreased, possibly due to the unstable chemical properties of quinones at high temperatures. The flavonoid contents reached a maximum in May or June. This study indicated that LRO is a source of nutrients and chemical components and can be used for functional food production. In addition, the nutrients and chemical components related to the antioxidant activity of LRO changed according to the harvest season.

Exploring gene biomarkers and targeted drugs for ferroptosis and cuproptosis in osteosarcoma: A bioinformatic approach.

Osteosarcoma predominantly affects adolescents and young adults and is characterized as a malignant bone tumor. In recent decades, substantial advancements have been achieved in both diagnosing and treating osteosarcoma. Resulting in enhanced survival rates. Despite these advancements, the intricate relationship between ferroptosis and cuproptosis genes in osteosarcoma remains inadequately understood. Leveraging TARGET and GEO datasets, we conducted Cox regression analysis to select prognostic genes from a cohort of 71 candidates. Subsequently, a novel prognostic model was engineered using the LASSO algorithm. Kaplan-Meier analysis demonstrated that patients stratified as low risk had a substantially better prognosis compared with their high-risk counterparts. The model's validity was corroborated by the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Additionally, we ascertained independent prognostic indicators, including clinical presentation, metastatic status, and risk scores, and crafted a clinical scoring system via nomograms. The tumor immune microenvironment was appraised through ESTIMATE, CIBERSORT, and single-sample gene set enrichment analysis. Gene expression within the model was authenticated through PCR validation. The prognostic model, refined by Cox regression and the LASSO algorithm, comprised two risk genes. Kaplan-Meier curves confirmed a significantly improved prognosis for the low-risk group in contrast to those identified as high-risk. For the training set, the ROC area under the curve (AUC) values stood at 0.636, 0.695, and 0.729 for the 1-, 3-, and 5-year checkpoints, respectively. Although validation set AUCs were 0.738, 0.668, and 0.596, respectively. Immune microenvironmental analysis indicated potential immune deficiencies in high-risk patients. Additionally, sensitivity to three small molecule drugs was investigated in the high-risk cohort, informing potential immunotherapeutic strategies for osteosarcoma. PCR analysis showed increased mRNA levels of the genes FDX1 and SQLE in osteosarcoma tissues. This study elucidates the interaction of ferroptosis and cuproptosis genes in osteosarcoma and paves the way for more targeted immunotherapy.

Transradial approach using a distal access catheter without guiding support for symptomatic intracranial vertebral artery and basilar artery stenosis: a multicenter experience and technical procedure.

BACKGROUND: There is little consensus on endovascular treatment for symptomatic intracranial posterior circulation stenosis via the transradial approach (TRA). We report our multicenter experience and technical procedures that directly used a distal access catheter (DAC) via TRA for the treatment of symptomatic intracranial vertebral (VA) and basilar (BA) artery stenosis. METHODS: From January 2019 to December 2020, 92 consecutive patients with severe symptomatic intracranial VA or BA stenosis were retrospectively collected and divided into two groups (TRA group and transfemoral approach (TFA) group) for neurointerventional treatment. The percentages of catheters reaching the V3/V4 segment of the VA and technical success, postoperative care conditions, preoperative outcomes and complications, long term clinical outcomes, and imaging follow-ups were observed. RESULTS: The catheter, CAT 5, reached the V4 segment of the VA in 37 TRA patients (88.1%). The duration of the procedure was significantly shorter in the TRA group than in the TFA group (median 48.0 min vs 55.5 min, p=0.037). More patients in the TRA group could walk within 2 hours after the procedure (85.7% vs 10.0%, p=0.000), and the duration of retaining catheterization in the TRA group was shorter (3.0±1.2 hours vs 11.7±5.6 hours, p=0.000). CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates the potential feasibility and safety of using a DAC via the TRA without guiding support for the treatment of symptomatic intracranial VA and BA stenosis. The TRA demonstrated some advantages over the standard TFA in terms of patient comfort. Further randomized controlled trials comparing the TRA and TFA for posterior circulation stenosis are needed.

SLC19A1 May Serve as a Potential Biomarker for Diagnosis and Prognosis in Osteosarcoma.

BACKGROUND: Osteosarcoma is the most frequent primary malignant tumor of bone. SLC19A1 has been explored as a novel biomarker in some cancers. In this research, the diagnostic and prognostic value of SLC19A1 expression in osteosarcoma was evaluated by bioinformatics analysis. Data were sourced from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. METHODS: Gene expression data and clinical materials of patients with osteosarcoma were collected from GSE42352 and GSE21257 datasets. The mRNA expression of SLC19A1 was compared between osteosarcoma cells and mesenchyme stem cells with the Wilcoxon rank-sum test. Moreover, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to determine the diagnostic merit of SLC19A1 for osteosarcoma. The relationship between SLC19A1 and clinicopathological characteristics was analyzed using logistic regression. Besides, the correlation between SLC19A1 and survival rate was assessed using Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression. The biological functions of SLC19A1 were annotated and evaluated through gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) and gene set variation analysis (GSVA). RESULTS: SLC19A1 was significantly highly expressed in osteosarcoma cells (p < 0.001). The ROC curve showed an area under the curve of 0.899, which indicated a high diagnostic value. High SLC19A1 expression showed a negative correlation with Huvos grade [odds ratio (OR) = 0.09 for III vs. I, p = 0.014]. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that the overall survival (OS) of the patients with high SLC19A1 expression was significantly poorer than the low SLC19A1 expression group (p = 0.016). The univariate analysis revealed that high SLC19A1 expression was associated with poor OS [p = 0.013, hazard ratio (HR) = 6.74, 95% CI = 1.49 - 30.46]. The multivariate analysis revealed that SLC19A1 expression (p = 0.014, HR = 8.03, 95% CI = 1.52 - 42.51) was independently correlated with OS. GSEA showed that genes in high expression group of SLC19A1 were enriched in KEGG pathways, including "Glyoxylate and dicarboxylate metabolism", "Oxidative phosphorylation", "Aminoacyl tRNA biosynthesis", "Base excision repair", "Pyrimidine metabolism" and "Proteasome". GSVA further suggested their importance in the progression of osteosarcoma. CONCLUSIONS: SLC19A1 may be a potential biomarker for diagnosis and prognosis in osteosarcoma.

The Special Considerations in the Surgical Management of Proximal Anterior Cerebral Artery Aneurysms.

BACKGROUND: Proximal anterior cerebral artery (A1) aneurysms are difficult to clip because of their frequent proximity to perforators, location behind the parent artery, or adherence to surrounding structures. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed a consecutive series of patients with A1 aneurysms and report the clinical status, radiologic findings, treatment methods, and outcome. RESULTS: This series included 19 male and 12 female patients with a mean age of 50 years. The morphology of the A1 aneurysms was fusiform in 2 patients and saccular in the remaining 29 patients. Multiple aneurysms were presented in 9 patients (29.0%). On admission, 26 patients (83.9%) presented with subarachnoid hemorrhage, 3 of whom had an additional intracerebral hematoma. All surgeries were performed with a standard pteriomal craniotomy. The mean Glasgow Outcome Scale score at final follow-up was 4.8 (interquartile range, 5, 5), with 26 patients (83.9%) rated as 5. The mean follow-up time was 38.5 months (range, 12-60 months). CONCLUSIONS: A1 aneurysms are rare but have their own complex characteristics and are difficult to treat. Meticulous analysis of the relevant angiographs is needed for their diagnosis. An important consideration in surgery is the preservation of perforators and prevention of rupture. Wide opening of the sylvian fissure and temporary control of the parent artery can facilitate dissection of the A1 aneurysms dome. Multiple intraoperative monitoring methods, such as microvascular Doppler ultrasonography and somatosensory and motor evoked potential monitoring, can reduce the relevant complications of surgery.

A microfluidic platform integrated with field-effect transistors for enumeration of circulating tumor cells.

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are one of the promising cancer biomarkers whose concentrations are measured not only in the initial diagnostic stages, but also as treatment progresses. However, the existing methods for CTC detection are relatively time-consuming and labor-intensive. In this study, a new microfluidic platform integrated with field-effect transistors (FETs) and chambers for the trapping of CTCs was developed. This novel design could not only trap CTCs from whole blood samples, but also enumerate them via FET sensing of CTC-specific aptamer-CTC complexes. The FET output signal was experimentally found to increase with the increasing number of captured CTCs. More importantly, the enumeration of spiked CTCs in blood samples could be achieved in accordance with the signals measured on the FET devices. We therefore believe that this automated system could be a useful tool for enumeration of CTCs.

Protective Effects of Astragaloside IV on Delayed Cerebral Vasospasm in an Experimental Rat Model of Subarachnoid Hemorrhage.

BACKGROUND: Delayed cerebral vasospasm is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). This study aimed to assess the effects of Astragaloside IV (AS-IV) on delayed cerebral vasospasm after SAH. METHODS: A rat model of SAH was established by puncturing one side of the internal carotid artery. Then, rats received daily intraperitoneal injections of AS-IV (20 mg/kg; SAH-AS-IV group), 0.1% dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) (SAH-DMSO group), or saline (SAH group) for 5 days; an additional control group consisted of rats receiving sham surgery and saline injections. Morphologic characteristics of the basilar artery (BA) were measured from histologic sections stained with hematoxylin and eosin and used as indicators of cerebral vasospasm. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect Toll-like receptor-4 (TLR4) and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) p65 protein levels in the BA. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to measure the plasma concentrations of tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-6. RESULTS: Compared with controls, the SAH-DMSO and SAH groups showed increased wall thickness and reduced luminal cross-sectional area (indicative of vasospasm) and increased TLR4 expression and enhanced NF-κB activation in the BA, as well as elevated plasma levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-6. Administration of AS-IV was associated with significant attenuation of all the aforementioned changes induced by SAH (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: AS-IV may attenuate delayed cerebral vasospasm after SAH through inhibition of TLR4/NF-κB-mediated inflammatory signaling pathways.

[Surgical management of proximal anterior cerebral artery (A1) aneurysms].

OBJECTIVE: To review our experience in surgical management of proximal anterior cerebral artery (A1) aneurysms in 23 patients. METHODS: Between January, 2004 and December, 2014, 23 patients (1.6%) with A1 aneurysms diagnosed by CTA or DSA were treated surgically. The "3H" therapy was adopted for postoperative prevention of cerebrovascular spasm. All the patients were followed up and examined with cerebrovascular CTA at 6, 12, 48 and 60 months after the operation with their Glasgow Outcome Scale score recorded. RESULTS: The patients consisted of 15 men and 8 women with an age range of 16 to 72 years (mean 51.3 years). The average diameter of the aneurysms was 5.8 mm, ranging from 3.2 to 9.7 mm. Twenty-two saccular aneurysms were found in these patients; 21 patients presented with SAH and two had vascular malformation. All the A1 aneurysms were managed through the pterional approach, and the mean postoperative Glasgow Outcome Scale score was 4.8. CONCLUSION: Thorough analysis of the angiographic data is essential for the diagnosis and treatment of A1 aneurysms. Preservation of the perforators and prevention of aneurysm rupture are critical during the surgery. Full exposure of the Sylvian fissure and temporary occlusion of the parent artery ensures safe and effective dissection of A1 aneurysms.

Increased HDAC3 and decreased miRNA-130a expression in PBMCs through recruitment HDAC3 in patients with spinal cord injuries.

The study was performed to investigate the molecular mechanism for SCI patients. The interaction between miRNA-130a and HDAC was demonstrated in PBMCs from SCI patients. Increased HDAC3 and decreased miRNA-130a were observed in PBMCs from AS patients. Next, HDAC3 loss-of-function or HAAC3 inhibition promoted the expression of miRNA-130a, and HDAC3 could be recruited to the promoter region of the gene, miRNA-130a, in PBMCs. In addition, linear regression analysis indicated that mRNA expression results were highly negative correlated between HDAC3 and miRNA-130a in PBMCs from SCI patients. Furthermore, miRNA-130a down expression increased the expression of HDAC3 in PBMCs. Loss-of-function of miRNA-130a promoted PBMCs apoptosis, but HDAC3 loss-of-function had no significant effect on the apoptotic cell. In addition, miR-130a overexpression decreased, whereas miR-130a inhibition increased, the expression of TNF-α in PBMCs. Furthermore, HDAC3 loss-of-function or HAAC3 inhibition associated with simultaneous up-regulation the expression of miR-130a and down-regulation the expression of TNF-α in PBMCs. In conclusion, HDAC3 regulated a distinct underlying molecular and pathogenic mechanism of SCI by forming a negative feedback loop with miR-130a and enhanced TNF-1α expression.