[ANCA-negative granulomatosis with polyangiitis: a case report].

We reported a case of 73-year-old male with multiple pulmonary nodules and cavities. The patient was admitted with a chief complaint of "dry cough with shortness of breath for 3 months". Chest CT showed multiple irregular masses, nodules, and patchy lesions in both lungs, accompanied by the formation of cavities. He also had anemia and renal dysfunction. Despite given empirical anti-infective and anti-tuberculosis treatments, the pulmonary nodules progressed, and the cavities enlarged. Anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA) were negative twice. Bronchoscopic biopsy was performed. The mucosal pathology of the right middle lobe lesion showed little necrosis, focal granulomatous structure formation, and relevant vasculitis and remaining vessel wall structure in the necrosis lesions by elastic fiber staining. A clinical diagnosis of ANCA-negative necrotizing granulomatous polyangiitis was made and the patient was treated with glucocorticoids and cyclophosphamide. The nodules and cavities shrank, and some lesions were absorbed.

[Efficacy analysis of selective genicular artery embolization in the treatment of knee pain secondary to osteoarthritis].

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of selective genicular artery embolization for the treatment of the knee pain secondary to osteoarthritis. Methods: From October 2020 to July 2021, 17 patients (23 knees) aged (68±7) years with moderate to severe knee pain secondary to knee osteoarthritis were prospectively included in the General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University. There were 6 males and 11 females included in this research. Patients were assessed with knee pain, stiffness, and function with the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) at baseline, using the Kellgren-Lawrence (K-L) grading to evaluate the severity of KOA, and using the Magnetic Resonance Knee Osteoarthritis Score (MOAKS) to evaluate the MR imaging characteristics of the affected knee. Selective genicular artery embolization (GAE) was performed in all patients. The patients were followed up for 6 months after the procedure. Patients were assessed with the VAS score and WOMAC scale at 1 d, 1 week and 1, 3 and 6 months after the procedure to evaluate the clinical outcomes, including the improvement of knee joint pain, stiffness and function, as well as the occurrence of adverse reactions. Results: Three to seven genicular artery branches were superselected and embolized in 23 knees, and 4 to 7 genicular artery branches were embolized in 7 patients with K-L grade 4. The clinical improvement was 95.6% (22/23) at 1 month, 86.9% (20/23) at 3 months, and 91.3% (21/23) at 6 months. Twenty-three knees completed the 6-month follow-up, and the VAS score, WOMAC pain score, and total WOMAC score at 1, 3, and 6 months after surgery were (2.5±1.3), (3.4±2.4), and (19.7±9.8) points, (3.0±1.8), (4.5±3.4), and (22.3±11.3) points, (2.8±1.5), (4.1±3.0), and (20.5±11.0) points, which were lower than the (6.6±0.9), (11.4±2.6) and (47.0±12.0) points at baseline (all P<0.001). During the follow-up period, 7 patients had adverse reactions: 3 cases had skin ecchymosis in the femoral artery puncture area, 4 cases had knee joint stiffness and pain within 1 day after operation, which were relieved spontaneously in 1 week, 6 patients had joint clicking during extension and flexion activities after operation, of which 3 cases subsided spontaneously within 3 months after operation. None of the patients had major procedure-related adverse events. Conclusion: GAE has a high clinical improvement rate and a low incidence of adverse reactions in the treatment of the pain secondary to knee osteoarthritis, which provides a new treatment option for patients who fail to respond to conservative treatment.

[The application value of chronic disease self-management project in promoting pulmonary rehabilitation of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease].

Objective: To explore the role of chronic disease self-management program (CDSMP) in promoting pulmonary rehabilitation of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) . Methods: In June 2017 and December 2018, 380 COPD patients were selected from the health management center of Qilu Hospital of Shandong University during the same period. They were randomly divided into the experimental group and the control group. At the end of the study, 17 cases were lost to follow-up and 5 cases were withdrawn from the study. Finally, 175 and 183 patients in the experimental group and the control group completed the study. The experimental group was treated with CDSMP for 6 months, while the control group was not intervened. Lung function and blood gas analysis results, lung rehabilitation related indicators and SF-36 scores were compared between the two groups before and after intervention. The measurement data were expressed by Mean±SD, and the comparison between the two groups was performed by t test. The count data were expressed by frequency and constituent ratio (%) . Chi square test or rank sum test was used for comparison between groups. Results: After CDSMP intervention, compared with the control group, the 6MWD, weekly moderate intensity exercise time, weekly moderate intensity exercise frequency and self exercise efficacy score of the experimental group were significantly increased, and the single exercise duration was longer, the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05) . The physiological function score, general health score, physical energy score, mental health score and total score of the experimental group were higher, and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05) . Conclusion: CDSMP may have a certain effect in promoting lung rehabilitation in COPD patients.

[Several considerations on the establishment of a new public health and preventive medicine system in national level].

Based on the new mission of public health set in the Healthy China strategy and the insufficient response to COVID-19, this article pointed out the problems of the current public health and preventive medicine system from the macro-system level, meso-organization level, and micro-individual level, including insufficient strategic planning, resource input, institutional coordination, talent training and team building. It was creatively proposed that a disease prevention and control bureau should be set up outside the health commission to implement the vertical management at four levels, from national level to province-level, including autonomous region, municipality directly under the central government, city-level and district/county-level. The disease prevention and control bureau should consist of a strategic research institute, a center for disease prevention and control (CDC), a human resources training base, and a scientific research institute, which could perform their own duties and rely on each other. Enhancing the functions of strategic planning, overall coordination, and evidence-based decision-making in the original system, emphasizing the foresight and continuity of scientific research, and allowing the CDC to focus more on health management and emergency response could better facilitate in protecting the public health, improving the health and quality of life of the entire population, and guaranteeing the social stability and development.

High quality nursing of children with pneumonia complicated with heart failure.

Children with severe pneumonia often have heart failure. This study explored the clinical effect of high quality nursing intervention on children with pneumonia complicated with heart failure. In the study, 96 children with pneumonia complicated with heart failure were selected and randomly divided into a conventional nursing group (n=48) and a high quality nursing group (n=48). Based on the conventional nursing, the children in one group were given high quality nursing, and comprehensive nursing was carried out in aspects such as respiratory tract, medication, psychology and diet. Then, the heart rate, respiratory rate, heart failure correction time, hospitalization time, cost and nursing satisfaction were compared between the two groups. The results showed that the heart rate of the high quality nursing group was 145.37±8.72 times/min and the respiratory rate was 45.65±6.08 times/min, which were significantly lower than those of the conventional nursing group (P less than 0.05). The correction time of heart failure was about 32 h in the high quality nursing group, and the length and cost of hospitalization were significantly lower than those in the conventional nursing group (P less than 0.05). The nursing satisfaction of the patients' family members in the high quality nursing group was also higher (P less than 0.05). This study shows that high quality nursing can promote the recovery of children with pneumonia complicated with heart failure, and is worth popularizing widely in clinics.

[The relationship between gut microbiota and diet and nutrition related diseases].

The human gastro-intestinal tract is not only the habitat of gut microbiota, but also the main place that the body gets available nutrients. Therefore, the gut microbiota of human can be inseparable associated with the human nutrition. The common technologies used among gut microbiota research included metageonomic, metatranscriptomics, metaproteomics, and metabolomics. The research of gut microbiota based on above omics methods confirmed that diets were the main factors influencing the composition and expression of gut microbiota. The proportion, quantity, stable state, and metabolic changes of gut microbiota were closely related to obesity, diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, and other nutritional-related diseases. Reasonable dietary intervention can adjust the disorders of gut microbiota, which can achieve prevention and treatment of obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and other nutritional-related diseases. Although the single omics methods can be used to study the problems of some aspects of gut microbiota, the combination of multi-omics is needed to achieve the above objectives.

Integrated Drug Expression Analysis for leukemia: an integrated in silico and in vivo approach to drug discovery.

Screening for drug compounds that exhibit therapeutic properties in the treatment of various diseases remains a challenge even after considerable advancements in biomedical research. Here, we introduce an integrated platform that exploits gene expression compendia generated from drug-treated cell lines and primary tumor tissue to identify therapeutic candidates that can be used in the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Our framework combines these data with patient survival information to identify potential candidates that presumably have a significant impact on AML patient survival. We use a drug regulatory score (DRS) to measure the similarity between drug-induced cell line and patient tumor gene expression profiles, and show that these computed scores are highly correlated with in vitro metrics of pharmacological activity. Furthermore, we conducted several in vivo validation experiments of our potential candidate drugs in AML mouse models to demonstrate the accuracy of our in silico predictions.

Histidine supplementation improves insulin resistance through suppressed inflammation in obese women with the metabolic syndrome: a randomised controlled trial.

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: Increased inflammation and oxidative stress are associated with insulin resistance (IR) and metabolic disorders. Serum histidine levels are lower and are negatively associated with inflammation and oxidative stress in obese women. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of histidine supplementation on IR, inflammation, oxidative stress and metabolic disorders in obese women with the metabolic syndrome (MetS). METHODS: A total of 100 obese women aged 33-51 years with BMI ≥ 28 kg/m² and diagnosed with MetS were included following a health examination in the community hospital in this randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial. Participants were allocated to interventions by an investigator using sequentially numbered sealed envelopes and received 4 g/day histidine (n = 50) or identical placebo (n = 50) for 12 weeks. Participants then attended the same clinic every 2 weeks for scheduled interviews and to count tablets returned. Serum histidine, HOMA-IR, BMI, waist circumference, fat mass, serum NEFA, and variables connected to inflammation and oxidative stress were measured at baseline and 12 weeks. Participants, examining physicians and investigators assessing the outcomes were blinded to group assignment. In addition, the inflammatory mechanisms of histidine were also explored in adipocytes. RESULTS: At 12 weeks, a total of 92 participants completed this trail. Compared with the placebo group (n = 47), histidine supplementation significantly decreased HOMA-IR (-1.09 [95% CI -1.49, -0.68]), BMI (-0.86 kg/m² [95% CI -1.55, -0.17]), waist circumference (-2.86 cm [95% CI -3.86, -1.86]), fat mass (-2.71 kg [95% CI -3.69, -1.73]), serum NEFA (-173.26 µmol/l [95% CI -208.57, -137.94]), serum inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, -3.96 pg/ml [95% CI -5.29, -2.62]; IL-6, -2.15 pg/ml [95% CI -2.52, -1.78]), oxidative stress (superoxide dismutase, 17.84 U/ml [95% CI 15.03, 20.65]; glutathione peroxidase, 13.71 nmol/ml [95% CI 9.65, 17.78]) and increased serum histidine and adiponectin by 18.23 µmol/l [95% CI 11.74, 24.71] and 2.02 ng/ml [95% CI 0.60, 3.44] in histidine supplementation group (n = 45), respectively. There were significant correlations between changes in serum histidine and changes of IR and its risk factors. No side effects were observed during the intervention. In vitro study indicated that histidine suppresses IL6 and TNF mRNA expression and nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) protein production in palmitic acid-induced adipocytes in a dose-dependent manner, and these changes were diminished by an inhibitor of NF-κB. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: Histidine supplementation could improve IR, reduce BMI, fat mass and NEFA and suppress inflammation and oxidative stress in obese women with MetS; histidine could improve IR through suppressed pro-inflammatory cytokine expression, possibly by the NF-κB pathway, in adipocytes.

12S-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid levels link to coronary artery disease in Type 2 diabetic patients.

BACKGROUND: 12(S)-Hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (12(S)-HETE) is a metabolite of arachidonic acid. 12(S)-HETE is involved in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and diabetes. However, the correlation between 12(S)-HETE and coronary artery disease (CAD) in the diabetic patient is unclear. AIMS: The study investigated the relationship between 12(S)-HETE and CAD in Type 2 diabetes (T2D). METHODS: Plasma 12(S)- HETE levels were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 103 healthy controls (control), 109 diabetic patients without CAD (diabetic), and 152 diabetic patients with CAD (diabetic-CAD). RESULTS: 12(S)-HETE levels were higher in both diabetic and diabetic-CAD groups compared to control and in the diabetic-CAD group compared to the diabetic group. In the multiple linear stepwise regression analysis, 12(S)-HETE levels correlated independently with CAD, systolic blood pressure, and glycated hemoglobin. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that 12(S)-HETE levels are increased in diabetic patients with CAD, suggesting a role for atherosclerosis in T2D.

Taxonomic and ecophysiological characteristics of actinobacteria in soils of the dry steppe zone of the Selenga Highlands (Western Transbaikalia).

Arid habitats have recently attracted increasing attention in terms of biodiversity research and the discovery of new bacterial species. These habitats are among the target ecosystems suitable for isolating new strains of actinobacteria that are likely to produce new metabolites. This paper presents the results on the isolation of actinobacteria from soils of the dry steppe zone of the Selenga Highlands, the characterization of their taxonomic diversity, as well as ecological and trophic properties. The bacterial counts on ISP 4 medium ranged from 6.6 × 105 to 7.1 × 106 CFU/g. The highest bacterial counts were observed in the subsurface and middle horizons of the studied soils. 28 strains of Gram-positive bacteria represented by thin-branched mycelium, coccoid and bacilliform forms were isolated. According to the results of 16S rRNA gene analysis, the isolated strains were representatives of Streptomyces, Arthrobacter, Glycomyces, Kocuria, Microbacterium, Micromonospora, Nocardioides, Pseudarthrobacter, and Rhodococcus (Actinomycetota). One isolate that showed low 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity with previously isolated and validly described species was a new species of the genus Glycomyces. It was shown that all tested strains are mesophilic, prefer neutral or slightly alkaline conditions, have growth limits in the temperature range of 5-45 °C and pH 6-9. The optimal NaCl concentration for growth of most strains was 0-1 %. The strains under study were capable of utilizing a wide range of mono- and disaccharides and polyatomic alcohols as a carbon source. The isolated strains were capable of using both organic (proteins and amino acids) and inorganic (ammonium salts and nitrates) compounds as nitrogen sources. The examinations of extracellular enzymes showed that all isolates were capable of producing catalase and amylase; 78.6 % of the total number of isolates produced protease and lipase; 53.6 %, cellulase; and 28.6 %, urease. The data obtained expand current knowledge about the diversity of microbial communities in soils of the Selenga Highlands and also confirm the potential of searching for new actinobacteria species in these soils.

The effect of vitamin-mineral supplementation on CRP and IL-6: a systemic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Inflammation is regarded as a risk predictor for metabolic syndrome and atherogenesis. The objective of this study was to conduct a systematic review and a meta-analysis to confirm the effect of vitamin-mineral supplementation on cytokine levels. METHODS AND RESULTS: We searched the PubMed, EMBASE and Cochrane databases up to May 2009 for randomised controlled trials regarding the effect of vitamin-mineral supplementation on C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6). Eighteen trials with 1747 participants for CRP and nine trials with 1037 participants for IL-6 were included, respectively. Pooled estimates and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated by fixed- or random-effects model. No significant differences were observed for CRP and IL-6 reduction between the subjects with vitamin-mineral supplementation and placebo control. A dose-dependent manner for different body mass index (BMI) subgroups in CRP analysis was observed (weighted mean difference (WMD), -0.057; 95%CI: -0.753 to 0.639 for BMI<25; WMD, -0.426; 95%CI: -0.930 to 0.079 for 25 ≤ BMI < 30; WMD, -0.491; 95%CI: -1.407 to 0.424 for BMI ≥ 30). However, no significance was detected in meta-regression (-0.046, 95%CI: -0.135 to 0.044). Moreover, the best effect for reduction in CRP levels in a supplementation duration of 4 weeks-6 months (WMD, -0.449; 95%CI: -1.004 to 0.106) was observed compared with supplementation duration less than 4 weeks (WMD, -0.137; 95%CI, -0.816 to 0.541) and more than 6 months (WMD, -0.389; 95%CI, -1.034 to 0.257) without statistical significance (P = 0.059). CONCLUSION: No statistically significant evidences for the potential dose-dependent manner of BMI and best supplement duration were detected in this study. Large and well-designed studies are recommended to confirm this conclusion.

Curcumin improves insulin resistance in skeletal muscle of rats.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Curcumin has been reported to lower plasma lipids and glucose in diabetic rats, and to decrease body weight in obese rats, which may partly be due to increased fatty acid oxidation and utilization in skeletal muscle. METHODS AND RESULTS: Diabetic rats induced by high-fat diet plus streptozotocin (STZ, 30 mg/kg BW) were fed a diet containing 50, 150, or 250 mg/kg BW curcumin for 7 wk. Curcumin dose-dependently decreased plasma lipids and glucose and the dose 150 mg/kg BW appeared to be adequate to produce a significant effect. Curcumin supplementation reduced glucose and insulin tolerance measured as areas under the curve. L6 myotubes were treated with palmitate (0.25 mmol/L) in the presence of different levels of curcumin for 24 h in our in vitro experiment. Curcumin at 10 µmol/L was adequate to cause a significant increase in 2-deoxy-[(3)H]d-glucose uptake by L6 myotubes. Curcumin up-regulated expression of phosphorylated AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), CD36, and carnitine palmitoyl transferase 1, but down-regulated expression of pyruvate dehydrogenase 4 and phosphorylated glycogen synthase (GS) in both in vivo and in vitro studies. Moreover, curcumin increased phosphorylated acetyl COA carboxylase in L6 myotubes. The effects of curcumin on these enzymes except for GS were suppressed by AMPK inhibitor, Compound C. LKB1, an upstream kinase of AMPK, was activated by curcumin and inhibited by radicicol, an LKB1 destabilizer. CONCLUSION: Curcumin improves muscular insulin resistance by increasing oxidation of fatty acid and glucose, which is, at least in part, mediated through LKB1-AMPK pathway.

The diagnostic value of miR-21 combined with CT in patients with liver cancer.

PURPOSE: To explore the diagnostic value of miR-21 combined with computed tomography (CT) in patients with liver cancer. METHODS: A total of 112 patients in our hospital were confirmed liver cancer by examination, and were collected as cancer group. Another 100 patients with hepatic focal nodular hyperplasia in the same period were collected as control group. The diagnostic value of miR-21 and CT on liver cancer was observed. RESULTS: The level of miR-21 in cancer group was significantly higher than that in control group, the difference was statistically significant (p < 0.05). The alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) level was tested. It was found that the AFP level in cancer group was significantly higher than that in control group (p < 0.001). The correlation between AFP and miR-21 levels in liver cancer patients was detected. It turned out that AFP and miR-21 had correlation. According to receiver operating curve (ROC) calculation results, the best cut-off value for miR-21 diagnosis was 4.142. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of diagnosis of miR-21 alone were 64.29%, 87.00% and 75.00%, respectively. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of diagnosis of CT alone were 91.07%, 62.00% and 77.36%, respectively. There were 108 cases of true positive and 80 cases of true negative after combined diagnosis in the two groups. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of combined diagnosis were 96.43%, 80.00% and 88.68%, respectively. Comparing the value of single diagnosis and combined diagnosis, we found that the accuracy, sensitivity and specificity of combined diagnosis were significantly higher than that of single diagnosis (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: CT combined with miR-21 has great diagnostic value in liver cancer and may be a potential diagnostic indicator for liver cancer.

Fibroblast growth factor 18 alleviates hyperoxia-induced lung injury in mice by adjusting oxidative stress and inflammation.

OBJECTIVE: Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is one of the most common chronic lung diseases in infants, but the ways to prevent and treat BPD are still very limited. We tried to find an effective method for treating BPD by studying the effect of fibroblast growth factor 18 (FGF18) on hyperoxia-induced lung injury in mice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We placed newborn mice in high-oxygen environment (60-70%) and collected mouse lung tissue for histological examination at 3, 7, 14 and 21 days after birth. The correlation between FGF18 and BPD was studied by analyzing the expression of FGF18 in mouse lung tissue. In addition, we used exogenous FGF18 to stimulate primary mouse type II alveolar epithelial cells (AECs II), and detected changes in oxidative stress, inflammation and NF-κB signaling pathway activity of AECs II to analyze the effects of FGF18 on AECs II. RESULTS: From the 7th day after the birth of the mouse, the lung tissue of the hyperoxia-induced mice suffered significant lung injury relative to the control group. The expression of FGF18 in lung tissue induced by hyperoxia was lower than that in the control group. Cell viability of AECs II stimulated by exogenous FGF18 increased, and FGF18 also reduced oxidative stress and inflammation levels of AECs II and inhibited the AECs II injury caused by hyperoxia. NF-κB signaling pathway activity in hyperoxia-induced lung increased, while exogenous FGF18 could reduce the expression and phosphorylation of NF-κB p65 in AECs II. CONCLUSIONS: Hyperoxia-induced lung injury was accompanied by a decrease in FGF18. FGF18 can reduce oxidative stress and inflammation levels of AECs II by inhibiting the NF-κB signaling pathway, thereby reducing hyperoxia-induced cell injury.

Effects of multivitamin and mineral supplementation on adiposity, energy expenditure and lipid profiles in obese Chinese women.

BACKGROUND: Obese individuals are more likely to have either lower blood concentrations or lower bioavailability of minerals and/or vitamins. However, there are limited data on the effects of nutritional supplementation on body weight (BW) control, energy homeostasis and lipid metabolism in obese subjects. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of supplementation with multivitamin and multimineral on adiposity, energy expenditure and lipid profiles in obese Chinese women. DESIGN: A total of 96 obese Chinese women (body mass index (BMI) 28 kg m(-2)) aged 18-55 years participated in a 26-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled intervention study. Subjects were randomized into three groups, receiving either one tablet of multivitamin and mineral supplement (MMS), or calcium 162 mg (Calcium) or identical placebo daily during the study period. BW, BMI, waist circumference (WC), fat mass (FM), fat-free mass, resting energy expenditure (REE), respiratory quotient (RQ), blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose and serum insulin, total cholesterol (TC), low- and high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C and HDL-C) and triglycerides (TGs) were measured at baseline and 26 weeks. RESULTS: A total of 87 subjects completed the study. After 26 weeks, compared with the placebo group, the MMS group had significantly lower BW, BMI, FM, TC and LDL-C, significantly higher REE and HDL-C, as well as a borderline significant trend of lower RQ (P=0.053) and WC (P=0.071). The calcium group also had significantly higher HDL-C and lower LDL-C levels compared with the placebo group. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that, in obese individuals, multivitamin and mineral supplementation could reduce BW and fatness and improve serum lipid profiles, possibly through increased energy expenditure and fat oxidation. Supplementation of calcium alone (162 mg per day) only improved lipid profiles.

The effect of myocardial infarction-associated transcript 2 (Mirt2) and miR-101 on sepsis-induced myocardial injury in rats.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to explore the effect of myocardial infarction associated transcript 2 (Mirt2) and miR-101 on sepsis-induced myocardial injury in rats and its mechanism. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were divided into sham group, CLP group, CLP + adeno-associated virus (AAV)-lncRNA Mirt2 group, CLP + AAV-NC group and CLP + AAV-lncRNA Mirt2 + agomiR-101 group. Rat CLP model was constructed. PanoViewb1500 was used to detect left ventricular systolic blood pressure (LVSP), left ventricular end diastolic blood pressure (LVEDP), ejection fraction (EF) and fraction shortening (FS) values. Thereafter, Mirt2 and miR-101 expression levels were detected by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), myocardial pathological damage was detected by hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining, and Interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß) expression was by immunohistochemical staining. Next, enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was performed to detect the levels of serum inflammatory factors, tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), IL-1ß, Interleukin-6 (IL-6), myeloperoxidase (MPO), cardiac troponin I (cTn I) and creatine kinase isoenzyme (CK-MB). After that, Western blot was used to detect the expression of inflammatory factors and Phosphatidylinositol-3-kinases (PI3K)/protein-serine-threonine kinase (AKT) signaling pathway. Finally, Dual-Luciferase reporter gene assay was conducted to detect the relationship between Mirt2 and miR-101. RESULTS: Compared with those in the sham group, the cardiac function of the rats in the CLP group was significantly deteriorated, the cardiac structure was disordered, and the expression of pro-inflammatory related factors was significantly increased. Compared with those in CLP group, the cardiac function of the CLP + AAV-lncRNA Mirt2 group was alleviated, the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway was activated, the cardiac structure was slightly disordered, and the expression of pro-inflammatory related factors was reduced. To some extent, miR-101 could directly inhibit the effect of Mirt2. CONCLUSIONS: Mirt2 can silence miR-101 and inhibit myocardial inflammatory response in sepsis rats through the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway, thus improving cardiac structure and function.

Influences of miR-708 on cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury through targeted regulation of ADAM17.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to explore the influences of micro ribonucleic acid (miR)-708 on cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury by regulating a disintegrin and metalloprotease 17 (ADAM17) in a targeted manner. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The rat model of middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) was established, and the differentially expressed miRNAs in the cerebral tissues of rats with ischemia-reperfusion injury were detected via sequencing. The research was performed in control group (PC12 cells received no treatment), inhibitor group (the expression of miR-708 in PC12 cells was down-regulated using miR-708 inhibitor), and interference + inhibitor group [PC12 cells were co-treated with miR-708 inhibitor and ADAM17 small interfering RNA (siRNA)]. Then, the expression of ADAM17 in cells, proliferation ability of cells, and number of apoptotic cells were detected in each group. RESULTS: A total of 225 differentially expressed miRNAs were obtained through miRNA sequencing and bioinformatics analysis, of which miR-708, miR-169, miR-26, and miR-96 were highly expressed, whereas miR-122, miR-118, and miR-177 were lowly expressed in rats in ischemia-reperfusion group. Compared with that in control group, the level of miR-708 declined significantly in inhibitor group after treatment with miR-708 inhibitor. After treatment with miR-708 inhibitor, the protein expression level of ADAM17 in inhibitor group was evidently higher than that in control group, while its protein expression level in interference + inhibitor group was significantly decreased and restored, after interference of ADAM17 siRNA with protein expression. In comparison with control group, inhibitor group had increased apoptotic cells after miR-708 inhibitor treatment (p<0.05). Besides, after interference of ADAM17 siRNA with protein expression, there were a smaller number of apoptotic cells in interference + inhibitor group (p<0.05), showing mitigated apoptosis. Moreover, the proliferation ability of cells treated with miR-708 inhibitor in inhibitor group was weaker than that in control group (p<0.05), whereas the proliferation ability of cells in interference + inhibitor group was restored to a certain degree after ADAM17 siRNA interfered with the protein expression (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: MiR-708 can modulate ADAM17 in a targeted manner to affect cellular proliferation and apoptosis in cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury.

The effect of Fe doping on adsorption of CO2/N2 within carbon nanotubes: a density functional theory study with dispersion corrections.

An ab initio density functional theory (DFT) study with correction for dispersive interactions was performed to study the adsorption of N(2) and CO(2) inside an (8, 8) single-walled carbon nanotube. We find that the approach of combining DFT and van der Waals correction is very effective for describing the long-range interaction between N(2)/CO(2) and the carbon nanotube (CNT). Surprisingly, exohedral doping of an Fe atom onto the CNT surface will only affect the adsorption energy of the quadrupolar CO(2) molecule inside the CNT (20-30%), and not that of molecular N(2). Our results suggest the feasibility of enhancement of CO(2)/N(2) separation in CNT-based membranes by using exohedral doping of metal atoms.