Endoplasmic reticulum stress mediated the xanthohumol induced murine melanoma B16-F10 cell death.

Xanthohumol (XN) exerts a specific cytotoxicity in B16-F10 melanoma cells with cytoplasmic vacuoles formation. Further investigation showed XN inhibited cell proliferation in a time- and dose-dependent manner along with down-regulation of mitogen-activated protein kinase and up-regulation of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress marker Bip, CHOP and protein ubiquitination, which was relieved by the ER-stress inhibitor 4-PBA. Whereas no early apoptosis characteristics was identified during XN induced cell death. [Formula: see text].

Effects of the oligostilbenes from Iris lactea Pall. var. chinensis (Fisch.) Koidz on the adipocytes differentiation of 3T3-L1 cells.

The dried seeds of Iris lactea Pall. var. chinensis (Fisch.) Koidz, an important traditional Chinese medicine, are regarded to have effects of clearing heat, eliminating dampness and pharyngitis and so on. It has been used in the treatment of jaundice, diarrhea, leucorrhea and carbuncles. Previous phytochemical studies of Iris species showed the presence of flavones, isoflavones, triterpenes and stilbenes. In our previous research, we isolated five known oligostilbenes, vitisin A, vitisin B, vitisin C, vitisin D, and cis-vitisin A were successfully isolated from Iris lactea for the first time. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of these oligostilbenes on the differentiation and adipogenes in 3T3-L1 cells. Our results showed that vitisin A, vitisin B, cis-vitisin A significantly inhibited adipocytes differentiation and reduced lipid accumulation in 3T3-L1 cells. In addition, vitisin A, vitisin B, cis-vitisin A strongly suppressed the expression levels of adipocyte-specific genes including peroxisome proliferator activated receptor-γ (PPARγ), CCAAT/enhancer binding protein-α (C/EBPα) and adipocyte fatty acid binding protein 4 (FABP4). In contrast, vitisin C and vitisin D significantly promoted adipogenesis and increased intracellular lipid accumulation, while the two oligostilbenes markedly increased the expression of adipocyte marker genes. In the present study, we found that vitisin A, vitisin B and cis-vitisin A inhibit the adipogenesis and adipocytes differentiation by their influence on the expression of PPARγ, which leads to subsequenet downregulation of PPARγ mediated adipocyte-specific gene during adipogenesis.

High prevalence of headaches in patients with epilepsy.

BACKGROUND: To examine the association between headaches and epilepsy. METHODS: Consecutive adult epileptic patients who went to the outpatient clinic of the Epilepsy Center of PLA General Hospital between February 01, 2012, and May 10, 2013, were recruited into this study. A total of 1109 patients with epilepsy completed a questionnaire regarding headaches. RESULTS: Overall, 60.1% of the patients (male: 57.2%; female: 63.8%) reported headaches within the last year. The age-weighted prevalence of interictal migraine was 11.7% (male 8.9%, female 15.3%), which is higher than that reported in a large population-based study (8.5%, male 5.4%, female 11.6%) using the same screening questions. The prevalence of postictal headaches was 34.1% (males 32.7%, females 35.2%), and the presence of preictal headaches was 4.5% (males 4.3%, females 5.2%). The prevalence of headache yesterday in the general population was 4.8% (male 3.0%, female 6.6%). Thus, the prevalence of headaches, including migraine, is higher in epileptic patients in China. CONCLUSIONS: The high prevalence of postictal headaches confirms the frequent triggering of a headache by a seizure. A much lower frequency of preictal headaches, a condition in which the real triggering effect of the headache on the seizure might be difficult to prove.

Spodoptera litura larvae are attracted by HvAV-3h-infected S. litura larvae-damaged pepper leaves.

BACKGROUND: Herbivore-induced plant volatiles (HIPVs) are important self-defense outputs of pepper plants to resist insect pests. Ascoviruses are pathogenic to the larvae of most lepidopteran vegetable pests. However, whether Heliothis virescens ascovirus 3h (HvAV-3h)-infected Spodoptera litura larvae can change pepper leaf HIPVs is not well understood. RESULTS: Spodoptera litura larvae preferred S. litura-infested leaves, and this preference was stronger with longer duration of S. litura infestation. In addition, S. litura larvae significantly chose pepper leaves damaged by HvAV-3h-infected S. litura over the healthy pepper leaves. Results also showed that S. litura larvae preferred leaves mechanically damaged and treated with oral secretions from HvAV-3h infected-S. litura larvae in a simulation test. We captured the volatiles emitted by leaves under six treatments. Results showed that the volatile profile changed with the different treatments. Testing of volatile blends, prepared to the proportion released showed that the blend from simulated HvAV-3h-infected S. litura larvae-damaged plants was the most attractive to S. litura larvae. Further, we also found that some of the compounds significantly attracted S. litura larvae at specific concentrations. CONCLUSION: HvAV-3h-infected S. litura can alter the release of HIPVs in pepper plants and thus become more attractive to S. litura larvae. We speculate that this may be due to alterations in the concentration of some compounds (such as geranylacetone and prohydrojasmon) affecting the behavior of S. litura larvae. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Bone marrow stromal cells reverse the microglia type from pro-inflammatory tumour necrosis factor a microglia to anti-inflammatory CD206 microglia of middle cerebral artery occlusion rats through triggering secretion of CX3CL1.

The middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model has been extensively applied to study ischaemic stroke. This study attempted to clarify effect of bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) on infarct injury of MCAO rats. BMSCs were isolated and identified by staining CD29/CD44 and CD31/CD45. CX3CL1 silencing vector (pLVX-shRNA-CX3CL1) was generated and infected to BMSCs. pLVX-shRNA-CX3CL1 infected BMSCs were transplanted into brain tissue of MCAO rats. Real-time PCR was used to determine CX3CL1 expression. Infarct areas were stained with TTC to evaluate infarct size. Double-staining immunofluorescence was conducted to determine anti-inflammatory type CD206 and pro-inflammatory type tumour necrosis factor a (TNF-a) microglia. Isolated BMSCs were positively presented for CD29/CD44, and negatively for CD31/CD45. CX3CL1 was significantly lower in the BMSC + pLVX-shRNA2-CX3-CL1 group compared to the BMSCs + pLVX group (p < 0.05). According to TTC and neurological scores, MCAO rats were successfully generated. BMSCs transplantation significantly increased CD206 microglia and decreased TNF-a microglia. However, shRNA-CX3CL1-infected BMSCs remarkably reduced CD206 microglia and enhanced TNF-a microglia compared to the MCAO + BMSCs group. In conclusion, BMSCs reverse microglia from pro-inflammatory type TNF-a microglia to anti-inflammatory type CD206 microglia in the infarct region of MCAO rats (3rd to 7th days post BMSC transplantation), through triggering of CX3CL1 secretion. Therefore, the potential effects of CX3CL1 secreted by BMSCs would provide an insight for stem cell-dependent therapeutic strategies in treating ischaemic stroke-associated disorders.

Evaluation of clinical features of elderly epilepsy in China.

Recent data indicate that the prevalence and incidence of epilepsy are high among the elderly, many of whom will have concomitant neurodegenerative, cerebrovascular, or neoplastic disease. The aim of this study is to evaluate the clinical characteristics of elderly patients with epilepsy in China. We retrospectively reviewed the clinical records of 104 outpatients over 50 years of age (average: 63.8 years). The results showed that in the total 104 outpatients, 53 men and 51 women were studied. Twenty-seven (26.0%) patients had idiopathic epilepsy syndromes, and 15 (14.4%) patients were considered cryptogenic. Sixty-two (59.6%) patients had remote symptomatic epilepsy. According to the known etiological factors, cerebrovascular disease (53.2%) is the most common underlying cause, followed by craniocerebral trauma (16.1%), primary or metastatic neoplastic disease (16.1%), and others (14.5%). The most common type of seizure in the group studied was partial seizures (51.9%), followed by generalized seizures (37.5%). Forty-three patients (41.3%) were used combination medication and 61 patients (58.7%) were used single medication. In conclusions, this study provides important data for clinical and research purposes in China. Further research is indicated to confirm the clinical findings of the elderly people with epilepsy by a larger epidemiological study.

Long-term Effectiveness of Antiepileptic Drug Monotherapy in Partial Epileptic Patients: A 7-year Study in an Epilepsy Center in China.

BACKGROUND: It is important to choose an appropriate antiepileptic drug (AED) to manage partial epilepsy. Traditional AEDs, such as carbamazepine (CBZ) and valproate (VPA), have been proven to have good therapeutic effects. However, in recent years, a variety of new AEDs have increasingly been used as first-line treatments for partial epilepsy. As the studies regarding the effectiveness of new drugs and comparisons between new AEDs and traditional AEDs are few, it is determined that these are areas in need of further research. Accordingly, this study investigated the long-term effectiveness of six AEDs used as monotherapy in patients with partial epilepsy. METHODS: This is a retrospective, long-term observational study. Patients with partial epilepsy who received monotherapy with one of six AEDs, namely, CBZ, VPA, topiramate (TPM), oxcarbazepine (OXC), lamotrigine (LTG), or levetiracetam (LEV), were identified and followed up from May 2007 to October 2014, and time to first seizure after treatment, 12-month remission rate, retention rate, reasons for treatment discontinuation, and adverse effects were evaluated. RESULTS: A total of 789 patients were enrolled. The median time of follow-up was 56.95 months. CBZ exhibited the best time to first seizure, with a median time to first seizure of 36.06 months (95% confidential interval: 30.64-44.07). CBZ exhibited the highest 12-month remission rate (85.55%), which was significantly higher than those of TPM (69.38%, P = 0.006), LTG (70.79%, P = 0.001), LEV (72.54%, P = 0.005), and VPA (73.33%, P = 0.002). CBZ, OXC, and LEV had the best retention rate, followed by LTG, TPM, and VPA. Overall, adverse effects occurred in 45.87% of patients, and the most common adverse effects were memory problems (8.09%), rashes (7.76%), abnormal hepatic function (6.24%), and drowsiness (6.24%). CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that CBZ, OXC, and LEV are relatively effective in managing focal epilepsy as measured by time to first seizure, 12-month remission rate, and retention rate.

Clinical factors associated with postictal headache in Chinese patients with partial epilepsy.

PURPOSE: To investigate the incidence of postictal headache (PIH) and the factors potentially related to the occurrence of PIH in a Chinese epileptic center. METHODS: Consecutive adult patients with epilepsy, referred to the outpatient clinic of the Epilepsy Center of the PLA General Hospital between February 01, 2012, and May 10, 2013, were recruited to this study. 854 patients with partial epilepsy completed a questionnaire regarding headache, 466 patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), 82 patients with occipital lobe epilepsy (OLE) and 306 patients with frontal lobe epilepsy (FLE). A semi-structured interview was performed in those who confirmed headache. RESULTS: PIH occurred in 328 (38.41%) of the subjects. By type of epilepsy, PIH was found in 164 (35.19%) of the patients with TLE, 46 (56.01%) of the patients with OLE, and 118 (38.56%) of the patients with FLE. The incidence of PIH in OLE was significantly higher than in TLE and FLE (P<0.05). It occurs more frequently after generalized tonic-clonic seizures than other seizure types. Logistic regression analysis revealed that age at onset, type of seizure and classification of epilepsy were each significantly related to the occurrence of PIH. CONCLUSION: The results of our study revealed possible relationships between PIH and the region of epileptic focus and area of spread of epileptic discharges.

Comorbidity between headache and epilepsy in a Chinese epileptic center.

Here we investigated the characteristics and prevalence of headaches in patients with epilepsy in a Chinese epileptic center based on the International Classification of Headache Disorders, 2nd edition. We found that 60.14% (667/1109) of patients reported headaches. Headache was less prevalent in males (57.17%) than in females (63.75%). Interictal headaches were present in 34.62% of patients, and 139/1109 (12.53%) patients had interictal migraine, which was a higher percentage than reported in a large population-based study from the same area (9.3%) using the same screening question. In addition, 469 (70.31%) patients had postictal headache, migraine characteristics were present in 73.35% of these patients, and 15.35% also suffered from interictal migraine. Lastly, 8.85% patients had preictal headache. These results confirm that headache is very common in patients with epilepsy. Seizures often trigger postictal headaches with migraine features. The comorbidity of migraines and epilepsy should receive clinical attention, as it may influence antiepileptic drug choice, and the headache may require specific treatment.

Antiepileptic drug-induced skin reactions: a retrospective study and analysis in 3793 Chinese patients with epilepsy.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the incidence and clinical characteristics of AED-related skin reactions, along with factors influencing these reactions, in a sample of 3793 Chinese epileptic patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between February 1999 and April 2010, consecutive patients with epilepsy were studied retrospectively. A detailed survey of each patient's medical records concerning all treatment with AEDs was performed. RESULTS: A total of 3793 (2323 male) Chinese epileptic patients taking at least one AED were investigated. Overall, 137/3793 (3.61%) patients experienced a skin reaction following one out of 11 different of AEDs marketed in China. In this study, we found skin reactions from carbamazepine (CBZ) in 3.80% of exposures, from lamotrigine (LTG) in 11.11%, and from oxcarbazepine (OXC) in 8.92%. Skin reactions developed significantly more often in females than in males (4.97% vs. 2.76%), and a logistic regression analysis confirmed female gender as a factor linked to AED-related rashes (OR=1.84, p<0.001). LTG-induced rashes were more frequent in girls under age 13 than in women over the age of 13 (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: The incidence of skin reactions was somewhat higher for LTG, CBZ, and OXC, whereas valproic acid, levetiracetam, and topiramate were rarely associated with skin reactions. Caution should be exercised when prescribing certain AEDs, particularly CBZ, LTG, and OXC. Females have a higher risk for skin reactions compared to males, though further investigation is needed to discern the underlying mechanisms.

Influence of chemical structure on skin reactions induced by antiepileptic drugs--the role of the aromatic ring.

Here we assessed whether the presence of an aromatic ring as a commonality in chemical structures of AEDs can explain skin reaction. We found that 164 cases of skin reactions associated with the use of AEDs were reported. Aromatic AEDs were suspected in 88.41% (145/164) of patients with skin reactions versus 59.80% (2316/3873) of patients without skin reactions. The presence of an aromatic ring in the chemical structure was associated with a significant increased risk of skin reactions (adjusted ROR 3.50; 95% CI 2.29, 5.35). Among the aromatic AEDs, skin reactions were significantly associated with carbamazepine, lamotrigine, and oxarbazepine. These results confirm that the presence of an aromatic ring as a common feature in chemical structures of AEDs partly explains AED-skin reactions. Skin reactions were reported triple as frequently with aromatic AEDs than with non-aromatic AEDs.

Functional consequences of N- or C-terminal deletions of the delta subunit of chloroplast ATP synthase.

Mutagenesis was used to generate seven truncation mutants of the spinach (Spinacia oleracea) chloroplast ATP synthase delta subunit lacking 5, 11, 17, or 35 amino acid residues from the N-terminus or 3, 9, or 15 residues from the C-terminus. Interactions between these mutants and all other subunits of the chloroplast ATPase were investigated by a yeast two-hybrid system. The results indicate that the N-terminal deletions mainly affected interactions between the delta subunit and the other part of CF(1), but did not significantly affect interactions with the CF(0) sector. In contrast, C-terminal truncations of the delta subunit mainly affected its interaction with the CF(0) sector and caused little impairment in interactions with the other part of CF(1). The conformation of the delta subunit C-terminal domain seems to be more sensitive to the truncations, as shown by minimal expression driven by C-terminal deleted (nine residues) mutants. Further studies showed C-terminal truncations of the delta subunit greatly impaired its ability to restore cyclic photophosphorylation in NaBr vesicles, whereas N-terminal truncations had little effect on the ability of delta to plug the CF(0) channel. None of the mutants impaired ATP hydrolysis by CF(1).