Diastolic dysfunction assessed by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging tissue tracking on normal-thickness wall segments in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

OBJECTIVES: Myocardial strain is reported to be a sensitive indicator of myocardial mechanical changes in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). The changes in the mechanics of the myocardium of normal wall thickness (< 12 mm) have yet to be well studied. This study aimed to evaluate the function of myocardial segments of normal thickness in patients with HCM. METHODS: Sixty-three patients with HCM and 30 controls were retrospectively enrolled in this retrospective study. Cine imaging, native and post-contrast T1 maps, T2 maps, and late gadolinium enhancement were performed. In addition, regional myocardial strain was assessed by cardiac magnetic resonance-tissue tracking. Strain parameters were compared between the controls and HCM patients with segments of the myocardium of normal thickness. Subgroup analysis was conducted in obstructive and non-obstructive HCM. Lastly, p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: In normal-thickness myocardial segments of HCM (n = 716), diastolic peak strain rates (PSRs) were significantly lower than in the control group (n = 480) (radial, - 2.43 [- 3.36, - 1.78] vs. - 2.67 [- 3.58, - 1.96], p = 0.002; circumferential, 1.28 [1.01,1.60] vs. 1.39 [1.14, 1.78], p < 0.001; and longitudinal, 1.16 [0.75,1.51] vs. 1.28 [0.90, 1.71], p < 0.001). The normal-thickness segments showed no significant difference in systolic PSRs between HCM and the controls. In the subgroup analysis, significantly decreased diastolic PSRs were noted in both obstructive and non-obstructive HCM, compared with the controls (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Diastolic changes in myocardial mechanics were observed in normal-thickness segments of HCM, occurring before morphological remodeling and systolic dysfunction developed. This finding contributed to a better understanding of the mechanical pathophysiology of HCM with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction. It may potentially aid in predicting disease progression and risk stratification.

Improving Robustness of High-Low-Order Coupled Networks against Malicious Attacks Based on a Simulated Annealing Algorithm.

Malicious attacks can cause significant damage to the structure and functionality of complex networks. Previous research has pointed out that the ability of networks to withstand malicious attacks becomes weaker when networks are coupled. However, traditional research on improving the robustness of networks has focused on individual low-order or higher-order networks, lacking studies on coupled networks with higher-order and low-order networks. This paper proposes a method for optimizing the robustness of coupled networks with higher-order and low-order based on a simulated annealing algorithm to address this issue. Without altering the network's degree distribution, the method rewires the edges, taking the robustness of low-order and higher-order networks as joint optimization objectives. Making minimal changes to the network, the method effectively enhances the robustness of coupled networks. Experiments were conducted on Erdos-Rényi random networks (ER), scale-free networks (BA), and small-world networks (SW). Finally, validation was performed on various real networks. The results indicate that this method can effectively enhance the robustness of coupled networks with higher-order and low-order.

CMR T1 mapping and strain analysis in idiopathic inflammatory myopathy: evaluation in patients with negative late gadolinium enhancement and preserved ejection fraction.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate whether cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) T1 mapping and strain parameters can detect early histological and functional myocardial changes in idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (IIM) with negative late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) and preserved ejection fraction. METHODS: Thirty consecutive patients with IIM (41.5 ± 15.4 years, 24 females) who did not have LGE or reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and 30 age- and gender-matched healthy controls (40.6 ± 14.2 years, 20 females) were recruited. Patients with IIM were further classified into two subgroups according to high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I (hs-cTnI) values: elevated hs-cTnI subgroup (n = 10) and normal hs-cTnI subgroup (n = 20). Myocardial native T1 values, extracellular volume (ECV) fractions, and strain parameters were analyzed in patients with IIM and healthy controls. RESULTS: Compared with healthy controls, patients with IIM had significantly prolonged native T1 values and increased ECV in each LV segment (p < 0.05). In further subgroup analysis, LV mid-slice native T1 values had the most power to discriminate between patients with elevated hs-cTnI and healthy controls (area under the curve = 0.92). There was no significant difference of global LV strain or strain rates between IIM patients and controls. CONCLUSIONS: Diffuse interstitial fibrosis can be detected by CMR T1 mapping in patients with IIM who do not have LGE or reduced LVEF or elevated hs-cTnI, and it may be a promising method for screening subclinical cardiac involvement in IIM. KEY POINTS: • Myocardial abnormality in IIM is often subclinical and leads to poor prognosis. • Conventional CMR parameters have limitations in early detection of cardiac function and tissue changes. • CMR T1 mapping techniques and myocardial strain analysis have the potential to provide detailed information on cardiac histology and function.

Antimelanogenic Effect of an Oroxylum indicum Seed Extract by Suppression of MITF Expression through Activation of MAPK Signaling Protein.

In this study, the antimelanogenic effect of an ethyl acetate fraction of Oroxylum indicum Vent. seeds (OISEA) and its underlying mechanisms in melan-a cells were investigated. Antimelanogenesis activity was confirmed by assessing inhibition of tyrosinase activity and melanin content in the cells. Both transcriptional and translational expression of microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF), tyrosinase, and tyrosinase related protein-1 and 2 (TYRP-1 and TYRP-2), were also examined. The results depicted that pretreatment of OISEA significantly inhibits not only tyrosinase activity, but melanin production and intracellular tyrosinase activity. By repressing the expression of tyrosinase, TYRP-1, TYRP-2, and MITF, OISEA interrupted melanin production. Additionally, OISEA interfered with the phosphorylation of p38, extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2), and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), with the reversal of OISEA-induced melanogenesis inhibition after treatment with the specific inhibitors SB239063, U0126, and SP600125. Overall, these results suggest that OISEA can stimulate p38, ERK1/2, JNK phosphorylation, and subsequent suppression of melanin, leading to the inhibition of melanogenic enzymes and melanin production, possibly owing to the presence of polyphenolic compounds.

Anti-Melanogenic Activities of Heracleum moellendorffii via ERK1/2-Mediated MITF Downregulation.

In this study, the anti-melanogenic effects of Heracleum moellendorffii Hance extract (HmHe) and the mechanisms through which it inhibits melanogenesis in melan-a cells were investigated. Mushroom tyrosinase (TYR) activity and melanin content as well as cellular tyrosinase activity were measured in the cells. mRNA and protein expression of microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF), tyrosinase (TYR), TYR-related protein-1 (TYRP-1) and -2 were also examined. The results demonstrate that treatment with HmHe significantly inhibits mushroom tyrosinase activity. Furthermore, HmHe also markedly inhibits melanin production and intracellular tyrosinase activity. By suppressing the expression of TYR, TYRP-1, TYRP-2, and MITF, HmHe treatment antagonized melanin production in melan-a cells. Additionally, HmHe interfered with the phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) 1/2, with reversal of HmHe-induced melanogenesis inhibition after treatment with specific inhibitor U0126. In summary, HmHe can be said to stimulate ERK1/2 phosphorylation and subsequent degradation of MITF, resulting in suppression of melanogenic enzymes and melanin production, possibly due to the presence of polyphenolic compounds.

Computer Vision for Gait Assessment in Cerebral Palsy: Metric Learning and Confidence Estimation.

Assessing the motor impairments of individuals with neurological disorders holds significant importance in clinical practice. Currently, these clinical assessments are time-intensive and depend on qualitative scales administered by trained healthcare professionals at the clinic. These evaluations provide only coarse snapshots of a person's abilities, failing to track quantitatively the detail and minutiae of recovery over time. To overcome these limitations, we introduce a novel machine learning approach that can be administered anywhere including home. It leverages a spatial-temporal graph convolutional network (STGCN) to extract motion characteristics from pose data obtained from monocular video captured by portable devices like smartphones and tablets. We propose an end-to-end model, achieving an accuracy rate of approximately 76.6% in assessing children with Cerebral Palsy (CP) using the Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS). This represents a 5% improvement in accuracy compared to the current state-of-the-art techniques and demonstrates strong agreement with professional assessments, as indicated by the weighted Cohen's Kappa ( κlw = 0.733 ). In addition, we introduce the use of metric learning through triplet loss and self-supervised training to better handle situations with a limited number of training samples and enable confidence estimation. Setting a confidence threshold at 0.95 , we attain an impressive estimation accuracy of 88% . Notably, our method can be efficiently implemented on a wide range of mobile devices, providing real-time or near real-time results.

The major factor of left ventricular systolic dysfunction in patients with cardiac amyloidosis: Amyloid overload or microcirculation impairment?

Purpose: Amyloid overload and microcirculation impairment are both detrimental to left ventricular (LV) systolic function, while it is not clear which factor dominates LV functional remodeling in patients with cardiac amyloidosis (CA). The purpose of this study was to investigate the major factor of LV systolic dysfunction using cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. Materials and methods: Forty CA patients and 20 healthy controls were included in this study. The CA group was divided into two subgroups by the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF): patients with reduced LVEF (LVEF < 50%, rLVEF), and patients with preserved LVEF (LVEF ≥ 50%, pLVEF). The scanning sequences included cine, native and post-contrast T1 mapping, rest first-pass perfusion and late gadolinium enhancement. Perfusion and mapping parameters were compared among the three groups. Correlation analysis was performed to evaluate the relationship between LVEF and mapping parameters, as well as the relationship between LVEF and perfusion parameters. Results: Remarkably higher native T1 value was observed in the rLVEF patients than the pLVEF patients (1442.2 ± 85.8 ms vs. 1407.0 ± 93.9 ms, adjusted p = 0.001). The pLVEF patients showed significantly lower slope dividing baseline signal intensity (slope%BL; rLVEF vs. pLVEF, 55.1 ± 31.0 vs. 46.2 ± 22.3, adjusted p = 0.001) and a lower maximal signal intensity subtracting baseline signal intensity (MaxSI-BL; rLVEF vs. pLVEF, 43.5 ± 23.9 vs. 37.0 ± 18.6, adjusted p = 0.003) compared to the rLVEF patients. CA patients required more time to reach the maximal signal intensity than the controls did (all adjusted p < 0.01). There was no significant correlation between LVEF and first-pass perfusion parameters, while significant negative correlation was observed between LVEF and native T1 (r = -0.434, p = 0.005) in CA patients. Conclusion: Amyloid overload in the myocardial interstitium may be the major factor of LV systolic dysfunction in CA patients, other than microcirculation impairment.

Effect of 2'-Fucosyllactose on Beige Adipocyte Formation in 3T3-L1 Adipocytes and C3H10T1/2 Cells.

2'-Fucosyllactose (2'-FL), the functional oligosaccharide naturally present in milk, has been shown to exert health benefits. This study was aimed to investigate the effect of 2'-fucosyllactose (2'-FL) on the browning of white adipose tissue in 3T3-L1 adipocytes and C3H10T1/2 cells. The results revealed that 2'-FL decreased lipid accumulations with reduced intracellular triglyceride contents in vitro. 2'-FL intervention increased the mitochondria density and the proportion of UCP1-positive cells. The mRNA expressions of the mitochondrial biogenesis-related and browning markers (Cox7a, Cyto C, Tfam, Ucp1, Pgc1α, Prdm16, Cidea, Elovl3, Pparα, CD137, and Tmem26) were increased after 2'-FL intervention to some extent. Similarly, the protein expression of the browning markers, including UCP1, PGC1α, and PRDM16, was up-regulated in the 2'-FL group. Additionally, an adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) inhibitor, compound C (1 µM), significantly decreased the induction of thermogenic proteins expressions mediated by 2'-FL, indicating that the 2'-FL-enhanced beige cell formation was partially dependent on the AMPK pathway. In conclusion, 2'-FL effectively promoted the browning of white adipose in vitro.

Fuzhuan Brick Tea Boosts Melanogenesis and Prevents Hair Graying through Reduction of Oxidative Stress via NRF2-HO-1 Signaling.

The anti-graying effect of the hexane fraction of Fuzhuan brick tea is investigated in Melan-A cells and C57BL/6 mice. As a result, it is found that reactive oxygen species-induced damage is associated with the reduction of melanogenesis in hair bulb melanocytes when reactive oxygen species generation in Melan-A cells occurred. The results revealed that the hexane fraction of Fuzhuan brick tea could remarkably reduce reactive oxygen species generation in Melan-A cells; meanwhile, it could increase the cellular tyrosinase and melanin content, as well as up-regulate the expression of tyrosinase, tyrosinase related protein-1, tyrosinase related protein-2, and microphthalmia-associated transcription factor, and activate the MAP-kinase pathway through activating the phosphorylation of p38 c-Jun N terminal kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase. Furthermore, high-pressure liquid chromatography analysis reveals that the tea's major ingredients in hexane fraction include gallic acid, theaflavin, theobromine, caffeine, epicatechin, and quercetin. Together, the current results suggest that Fuzhuan brick tea proves to protect from the damage of hydroquinone, which induces hair pigment loss.

Cardiac involvement in patients 1 year after recovery from moderate and severe COVID-19 infections.

Background: Some patients suffered persistent cardiac symptoms after hospital discharge following COVID-19 infection, including chest tightness, chest pain, and palpitation. However, the cardiac involvement in these patients remains unknown. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of COVID-19 infection on the cardiovascular system after 1 year of recovery in patients hospitalized with persistent cardiac symptoms. Materials and methods: In this prospective observational study, a total of 32 patients who had COVID-19 (11 diagnosed as severe COVID-19 and 21 as moderate) with persistent cardiac symptoms after hospital discharge were enrolled. Contrast-enhanced cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging was performed on all patients. Comparisons were made with age- and sex-matched healthy controls (n = 13), and age-, sex- and risk factor-matched controls (n = 21). Further analysis was made between the severe and moderate COVID-19 cohorts. Results: The mean time interval between acute COVID-19 infection and CMR was 462 ± 18 days. Patients recovered from COVID-19 had reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) (p = 0.003) and increased extracellular volumes (ECVs) (p = 0.023) compared with healthy controls. Focal late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) was found in 22 (68.8%) patients, mainly distributed linearly in the septal mid-wall or patchily in RV insertion point. The LGE extent in patients with severe COVID-19 was higher than that in patients with moderate COVID-19 (p = 0.009). Conclusion: This 1-year follow-up study revealed that patients with persistent cardiac symptoms, after recovering from COVID-19, had decreased cardiac function and increased ECV compared with healthy controls. Patients with COVID-19 predominately had a LGE pattern of septal mid-wall or RV insertion point. Patients with severe COVID-19 had greater LGE extent than patients with moderate COVID-19.

Using multi-parametric quantitative MRI to screen for cardiac involvement in patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathy.

Idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM) is a group of heterogeneous autoimmune systemic diseases, which not only involve skeletal muscle but also myocardium. Cardiac involvement in IIM, which eventually develops into heart failure, is difficult to identify by conventional examinations at early stage. The aim of this study was to investigate if multi-parametric cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging can screen for early cardiac involvement in IIM, compared with clinical score (Myositis Disease Activity Assessment Tool, MDAAT). Forty-nine patients of IIM, and 25 healthy control subjects with comparable age-range and sex-ratio were enrolled in this study. All subjects underwent CMR examination, and multi-slice short-axis and 4-chamber cine MRI were acquired to evaluate biventricular global circumferential strain (GCS) and global longitudinal strain (GLS). Native T1 and T2 mapping were performed, and post-contrast T1 mapping and LGE were acquired after administration of contrast. A CMR score was developed from native T1 mean and T2 mean for the identification of cardiac involvement in the IIM cohort. Using contingency tables MDAAT and CMR were compared and statistically analyzed using McNemar test. McNemar's test revealed no significant difference between CMR score and MDAAT (p = 0.454). CMR score had potential to screen for early cardiac involvement in IIM patients, compared to MDAAT.

Discriminating malignant from benign testicular masses using machine-learning based radiomics signature of appearance diffusion coefficient maps: Comparing with conventional mean and minimum ADC values.

PURPOSE: To develop a machine-learning-based radiomics signature of ADC for discriminating between benign and malignant testicular masses and compare its classification performance with that of minimum and mean ADC. METHODS: A total of ninety-seven patients with 101 histopathologically confirmed testicular masses (70 malignancies, 31 benignities) were evaluated in this retrospective study. Eight hundred fifty-one radiomics features were extracted from the preoperative ADC map of each lesion. The mean and minimum ADC values are part of the radiomics features. Thirty lesions were randomly selected to estimate the reliability of the features. The redundant features were eliminated using univariate analysis (independent t test and Mann-Whitney U test, where appropriate) and Spearman's rank correlation. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) algorithm was employed for feature selection and radiomics signature generation. The classification performance of the radiomics signature and minimum and mean ADC values were evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis and compared by DeLong's test. RESULTS: The whole lesion-based mean ADC showed no difference between benign and malignant testicular masses (P = 0.070, training cohort; P = 0.418, validation cohort). Compared with the minimum ADC, the ADC-based radiomics signature yielded a higher area under the curve (AUC) in both the training (AUC: 0.904, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.832-0.975) and validation cohorts (AUC: 0.868, 95% CI: 0.728-1.00). CONCLUSIONS: Conventional mean ADC values are not always helpful in discriminating between testicular benignities and malignancies. The minimum ADC and radiomics signature might be better alternatives, with the radiomics signature performing better than the minimum ADC.

Assessment of relationships among clinicopathological characteristics, morphological computer tomography features, and tumor cell proliferation in stage I lung adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Surgically resected stage I lung adenocarcinoma (ADC) has wide variation in prognosis. It is significant to identify high-risk patients and optimize therapeutic strategy. This study aimed to investigate the relationships among histological grade, serum tumor marker index (TMI), morphological computer tomography (CT) features, and a well-established prognosticator cell proliferation (Ki-67) in stage I ADC. METHODS: Preoperative CT was performed in 182 patients with stage I ADC confirmed by pathology. The Ki-67 expression was acquired by immunohistochemistry. TMI was the square root of standardized serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and cytokeratin 19 fragments (CYFRA 21-1) values. Tumor shadow disappearance rate (TDR) and other morphological CT features were interpreted by two radiologists. Histological grade, TMI, CT features were statistically evaluated to explore the associations with Ki-67 expression. RESULTS: In univariate analysis, gender, smoking history, pack-year, histological grade, TNM stage (IA and IB), serum CEA and CYFRA 21-1 status, TMI status, as well as TDR, long-axis diameter, short-axis diameter, lobulation, spiculation, attenuation types, vacuolation, vascular invasion, vascular convergence, thickened bronchovascular bundles, pleural attachment and peripheral fibrosis were significantly associated with Ki-67 expression (all P<0.05). Solid-predominant ADC had the highest Ki-67 expression, followed by micropapillary, papillary and acinar-predominant ADC, while lepidic-predominant ADC had the lowest Ki-67 expression (P<0.001). TDR was negatively correlated with Ki-67 (r =-0.478, P<0.001). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that gender, histological grade, TDR and attenuation types were independent factors associated with Ki-67 expression. CONCLUSIONS: Ki-67 expression differed distinctly according to ADC histological subtypes. High Ki-67 expression is independently associated with male patients of stage I ADC with worse differentiation, lower TDR and solid tumors, which might be of prognostic value for poor prognosis in stage I ADC.

Prunus mume Seed Exhibits Inhibitory Effect on Skin Senescence via SIRT1 and MMP-1 Regulation.

The Prunus mume seed is a by-product of the food industry, and we studied its potential as a food biomaterial, particularly for nutraceutical and inner beauty products. Alternative animal tests showed that an extract of P. mume ripened seed (PmRS) was not toxic on the skin. PmRS exhibited protective effects against ultraviolet- (UV-) induced skin aging in mice, confirmed by phenotypic indications, including increased collagen levels and decreased skin thickness. Compared with the UV-saline group, the UV-PmRS group showed increased levels of silent mating type information regulation 2 homolog 1 (SIRT1) and collagen and decreased matrix metalloproteinase- (MMP-) 1 expression. The protective effect of PmRS treatment against UVB-mediated cell viability was observed in vitro without any cytotoxicity, and PmRS prevented UVB-induced reactive oxygen species generation in HaCaT cells. PmRS downregulated MMP-1 and MMP-13 compared with the UVB-irradiated group. However, mRNA expressions of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 and SIRT1 were upregulated by PmRS treatment. MMP-1 and SIRT1 treated with PmRS were decreased and increased, respectively, at the protein level. Moreover, PmRS treatment reduced c-Jun N-terminal kinase and p38 phosphorylation compared with the UVB-treated group. We postulate that P. mume seed could be a useful ingredient in nutraceuticals and inner beauty-purpose foods.

Cardiac Involvement in Patients Recovered From COVID-2019 Identified Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

Objectives: This study evaluated cardiac involvement in patients recovered from coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) using cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR). Background: Myocardial injury caused by COVID-19 was previously reported in hospitalized patients. It is unknown if there is sustained cardiac involvement after patients' recovery from COVID-19. Methods: Twenty-six patients recovered from COVID-19 who reported cardiac symptoms and underwent CMR examinations were retrospectively included. CMR protocols consisted of conventional sequences (cine, T2-weighted imaging, and late gadolinium enhancement [LGE]) and quantitative mapping sequences (T1, T2, and extracellular volume [ECV] mapping). Edema ratio and LGE were assessed in post-COVID-19 patients. Cardiac function, native T1/T2, and ECV were quantitatively evaluated and compared with controls. Results: Fifteen patients (58%) had abnormal CMR findings on conventional CMR sequences: myocardial edema was found in 14 (54%) patients and LGE was found in 8 (31%) patients. Decreased right ventricle functional parameters including ejection fraction, cardiac index, and stroke volume/body surface area were found in patients with positive conventional CMR findings. Using quantitative mapping, global native T1, T2, and ECV were all found to be significantly elevated in patients with positive conventional CMR findings, compared with patients without positive findings and controls (median [interquartile range]: native T1 1,271 ms [1,243 to 1,298 ms] vs. 1,237 ms [1,216 to 1,262 ms] vs. 1,224 ms [1,217 to 1,245 ms]; mean ± SD: T2 42.7 ± 3.1 ms vs. 38.1 ms ± 2.4 vs. 39.1 ms ± 3.1; median [interquartile range]: 28.2% [24.8% to 36.2%] vs. 24.8% [23.1% to 25.4%] vs. 23.7% [22.2% to 25.2%]; p = 0.002; p < 0.001, and p = 0.002, respectively). Conclusions: Cardiac involvement was found in a proportion of patients recovered from COVID-19. CMR manifestation included myocardial edema, fibrosis, and impaired right ventricle function. Attention should be paid to the possible myocardial involvement in patients recovered from COVID-19 with cardiac symptoms.

MRI native T1 and T2 mapping of myocardial segments in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: tissue remodeling manifested prior to structure changes.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine the local myocardial segments in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) by MRI T1 and T2 mapping, and to investigate how tissue remodeling correlates with structural and functional remodeling in HCM. METHODS: 47 patients with HCM and 19 healthy volunteers were enrolled in this study. All subjects underwent cardiac MRI at 3.0 T. Native T1 and T2 values, end-diastolic wall thickness (EDTH), and percentage of systolic wall thickening (PSWT) were assessed in the left ventricular segments according to the American Heart Association model. Myocardial segments were categorized as normal, non-hypertrophic, mild-hypertrophic, moderate-hypertrophic, and severe-hypertrophic based on EDTH. The difference among all five groups, and the correlation between native T1 and T2 values, EDTH, and PSWT were evaluated. RESULTS: Native T1 and T2 values were significantly elevated in both non-hypertrophic and hypertrophic segments of HCM patients compared to controls (both p < 0.001). PSWT was preserved in non-hypertrophic segments (p = 0.838), while significantly impaired (p < 0.001) in hypertrophic segments. Native T1 value of severe hypertrophic segments in HCM was significantly higher than segments of mild and moderate hypertrophy (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: In HCM patients, the non-hypertrophic myocardial segments already demonstrated significantly elevated T1 and T2 values, despite normal wall thickness and preserved contraction function. The finding suggests that tissue remodeling may precede morphological and functional remodeling in HCM. MRI native T1 and T2 mapping can provide additional value for HCM diagnosis at an early stage. ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE: Myocardial tissue remodeling, as detected by MRI native T1 and T2 mapping, occurs earlier than morphological and functional changes in HCM patients.

Protection of UVB-Induced Photoaging by Fuzhuan-Brick Tea Aqueous Extract via MAPKs/Nrf2-Mediated Down-Regulation of MMP-1.

Ultraviolet B (UVB) irradiation is viewed as the principal inducer of skin photo-aging, associated with acceleration of collagen degradation and upregulation of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). The ethnic groups of southern/western China use Fuzhuan brick-tea (FBT) as a beverage and as a nutritional supplement. In this study, we scrutinized the antagonistic effects of aqueous extract of Fuzhuan-brick tea (FBTA) on skin photo-aging in UVB-exposed human keratinocyte (HaCaT) cells. FBTA exhibited strong antioxidant activity and quenched UVB-induced generation of cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) without showing any toxicity. FBTA was capable of combating oxidative stress by augmenting messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein levels of both phase I and phase II detoxifying enzymes, especially heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1), by upregulating the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)-mediated pathway in HaCaT cells via the phosphorylation of p38 and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK). FBTA also downregulated the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) while upregulating type I procollagen by modulating Nrf2 signaling in UVB-irradiated HaCaT cells. Collectively, our results show that FBTA might be useful as a functional food while being a good candidate in the development of cosmetic products and medicines for the remedy of UVB-induced skin photo-aging.

Spatholobus suberectus Exhibits Antidiabetic Activity In Vitro and In Vivo through Activation of AKT-AMPK Pathway.

Glucose deposition in peripheral tissue is an important parameter for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of Spatholobus suberectus (Ss) on glucose disposal in skeletal muscle cells and additionally explore its in vivo antidiabetic potential. Treatment of ethanolic extract of S. suberectus (EeSs) significantly enhanced the glucose uptake, mediated through the enhanced expression of GLUT4 in skeletal muscle via the stimulation of AKT and AMPK pathways in C2C12 cells. Moreover, EeSs have potential inhibitory action on α-glucosidase activity and significantly lowered the postprandial blood glucose levels in STZ-induced diabetic mice, associated with increased expression of GLUT4 and AKT and/or AMPK-mediated signaling cascade in skeletal muscle. Furthermore, administration of EeSs significantly boosted up the antioxidant enzyme expression and also mitigated the gluconeogenesis enzyme such as PEPCK and G-6-Pase enzyme expression in liver tissue of STZ-induced diabetic mice model. Collectively, these findings suggest that EeSs have a high potentiality to mitigate diabetic symptoms through stimulating glucose uptake in peripheral tissue via the activation of AKT and AMPK signaling cascade and augmenting antioxidant potentiality as well as blocking the gluconeogenesis process in diabetic mice.

Inhibition of melanogenesis by jineol from Scolopendra subspinipes mutilans via MAP-Kinase mediated MITF downregulation and the proteasomal degradation of tyrosinase.

In this study, the authors investigated the anti-melanogenic effects of 3,8-dihydroxyquinoline (jineol) isolated from Scolopendra subspinipes mutilans, the mechanisms responsible for its inhibition of melanogenesis in melan-a cells, and its antioxidant efficacy. Mushroom tyrosinase activities and melanin contents were determined in melan-a cells, and the protein and mRNA levels of MITF, tyrosinase, TYRP-1, and TYRP-2 were assessed. Jineol exhibited significant, concentration-dependent antioxidant effects as determined by DPPH, ABTS, CUPRAC, and FRAP assays. Jineol significantly inhibited mushroom tyrosinase activity by functioning as an uncompetitive inhibitor, and markedly inhibited melanin production and intracellular tyrosinase activity in melan-a cells. In addition, jineol abolished the expressions of tyrosinase, TYRP-1, TYRP-2, and MITF, thereby blocking melanin production and interfering with the phosphorylations of ERK1/2 and p38. Furthermore, specific inhibitors of ERK1/2 and p38 prevented melanogenesis inhibition by jineol, and the proteasome inhibitor (MG-132) prevented jineol-induced reductions in cellular tyrosinase levels. Taken together, jineol was found to stimulate MAP-kinase (ERK1/2 and p38) phosphorylation and the proteolytic degradation pathway, which led to the degradations of MITF and tyrosinase, and to suppress the productions of melanin.