Influence of the duration of orthokeratology lens cessation on patients' refractive status and corneal endothelial cells / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

AIM: To investigate the influence of the duration of orthokeratology lens cessation on patients' refractive status and corneal endothelial cells.METHODS: Adolescent myopia patients who wore orthokeratology lens from July 2019 to July 2020 and recently planned to stop wearing the lens were divided into mild group and severe group according to spherical equivalent. Refractive status, corneal morphology, corneal endothelial cells, and visual quality were measured at cessation and 1, 2 and 3mo after cessation.RESULTS: The corneal flat K values, steep K values and mean K values in the two groups were lower at cessation than those before wearing lenses. These values returned to the level before wearing lenses at 2mo after cessation(P>0.05). The corneal astigmatism, surface regularity index and surface asymmetry index in each group showed no statistically significant difference before wearing lenses and at 1, 2 and 3mo after cessation(P>0.05). There was no significant change in corneal endothelial cell density of the two groups at 1, 2 and 3mo after cessation compared with those before wearing lenses(P>0.05). The proportion of hexagonal cells in the two groups was lower at cessation than that before wearing lenses, and it returned to the level before wearing lenses at 1mo after cessation(P>0.05).CONCLUSION: Corneal morphology and corneal endothelial cells can be restored to the level before wearing orthokeratology lens at 3mo after cessation.

The role of sinusoidal endothelial cells in liver injury: a review / 中国血吸虫病防治杂志

Liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs) locate on the surface of hepatic sinusoids. As the first line of defense between the liver and blood, LSECs are the most abundant non-parenchymal cells in the liver. Under physiological conditions, LSECs may induce liver immune tolerance through participating in substance transport and metabolic waste removal, thereby maintaining liver homeostasis, and under pathological conditions, LSECs may promote liver immune response via antigen presentation. LSECs have been found to play a crucial regulatory role in maintaining the balance between liver regeneration and liver fibrosis. This article reviews the progress of researches on LSECs functions, LSECs changes in liver injury, signal pathways associated with regulation of LSECs functions, and the interaction between LSECs and other types of cells in the liver, aiming to elucidate the function of LSECs and their roles in liver diseases.

Effect of procalcitonin on lipopolysaccharide-induced expression of nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor protein 3 and caspase-1 in human umbilical vein endothelial cells / 中国当代儿科杂志

OBJECTIVES@#To study the effect of procalcitonin (PCT) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced expression of the pyroptosis-related proteins nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) and caspase-1 in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs).@*METHODS@#HUVECs were induced by LPS to establish a model of sepsis-induced inflammatory endothelial cell injury. The experiment was divided into two parts. In the first part, HUVECs were randomly divided into four groups: normal control, LPS (1 μg/mL), PCT (10 ng/mL), and LPS+PCT (n=3 each). In the second part, HUVECs were randomly grouped: normal control, LPS, and LPS+PCT of different concentrations (0.1, 1, 10, and 100 ng/mL) (n=3 each). Quantitative real-time PCR and Western blot were used to measure the mRNA and protein expression levels of NLRP3 and caspase-1 in each group.@*RESULTS@#In the first experiment: compared with the normal control group, the PCT, LPS, and LPS+PCT groups had significantly upregulated mRNA and protein expression levels of NLRP3 and caspase-1 (P<0.05); compared with the LPS group, the LPS+PCT group had significantly downregulated mRNA and protein expression levels of NLRP3 and caspase-1 (P<0.05). In the second experiment: compared with those in the LPS group, the mRNA and protein expression levels of NLRP3 and caspase-1 in the LPS+PCT of different concentrations groups were significantly downregulated in a concentration-dependent manner (P<0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#LPS can promote the expression of the pyroptosis-related proteins NLRP3 and caspase-1 in HUVECs, while PCT can inhibit the LPS-induced expression of the pyroptosis-related proteins NLRP3 and caspase-1 in HUVECs in a concentration-dependent manner.

Protective mechanism of salvianolic acid B on blood vessels / 中国中药杂志

Salvianolic acid B(Sal B) is the main water-soluble component of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge. Studies have found that Sal B has a good protective effect on blood vessels. Sal B can protect endothelial cells by anti-oxidative stress, inducing autophagy, inhibiting endoplasmic reticulum stress(ERS), inhibiting endothelial inflammation and adhesion molecule expression, inhibiting endothelial cell permeability, anti-thrombosis, and other ways. In addition, Sal B can alleviate endothelial cell damage caused by high glucose(HG). For vascular smooth muscle cell(VSMC), Sal B can reduce the synthesis and secretion of inflammatory factors by inhibiting cyclooxygenase. It can also play a vasodilatory role by inhibiting Ca~(2+) influx. In addition, Sal B can inhibit VSMC proliferation and migration, thereby alleviating vascular stenosis. Sal B also inhibits lipid deposition in the subendothelium, inhibits macrophage conversion to foam cells, and reduces macrophage apoptosis, thereby reducing the volume of subendothelial lipid plaques. For some atherosclerosis(AS) complications, such as peripheral artery disease(PAD), Sal B can promote angiogenesis, thereby improving ischemia. It should be pointed out that the conclusions obtained from different experiments are not completely consistent, which needs further research. In addition, previous pharmacokinetics showed that Sal B was poorly absorbed by oral administration, and it was unstable in the stomach, with a large first-pass effect in the liver. Sal B had fast distribution and metabolism in vivo and short drug action time. These affect the bioavailability and biological effects of Sal B, and the development of clinically valuable Sal B non-injectable delivery systems remains a great challenge.

Preliminary Results of Single-cell Transcriptome Sequencing in Renal Arterial Lesions of Takayasu Arteritis / 中国医学科学院学报

Objective To explore the preliminary application of single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) in the renal arterial lesions in Takayasu arteritis (TA) patients. Methods This study included 2 TA patients with renal artery stenosis treated by bypass surgery in the Department of Vascular Surgery,Beijing Hospital.The obtained 2 renal artery samples were digested with two different protocols (GEXSCOPE kit and self-made digestion liquid) before scRNA-seq and bioinformatics analysis. Results A total of 2920 cells were obtained for further analysis.After unbiased cluster analysis,2 endothelial cell subsets,2 smooth muscle cell subsets,1 fibroblast subset,2 mononuclear macrophage subsets,1 T cell subset,and 1 undefined cell subset were identified.Among them,the two subsets of smooth muscle cells were contractile and secretory,respectively.The results of scRNA-seq indicated that enzymatic hydrolysis with GEXSCOPE kit produced a large number of endothelial cells (57.46%) and a small number of immune cells (13.21%).However,immune cells (34.64%) were dominant in the cells obtained by enzymatic hydrolysis with self-made digestive liquid. Conclusion scRNA-seq can be employed to explore the cellular heterogeneity of diseased vessels in TA patients.Different enzymatic digestion protocols may impact the proportion of different cells.

Abnormal expression of miRNA-122 in cerebral infarction and related mechanism of regulating vascular endothelial cell proliferation and apoptosis by targeting CCNG1

Abstract Objective: To analyze the value of serum miRNA-122 expression in the diagnosis, severity, and prognosis of Acute Cerebral Infarction (ACI) and the correlation mechanism of serum miRNA-122 on the proliferation and apoptosis of vascular endothelial cells in ACI. Method: A total of 60 patients with ACI who were admitted to the emergency department of the Taizhou People's Hospital from January 1, 2019, to December 30, 2019, and 30 healthy controls during the same period were selected. General clinical data of all patients at admission were collected. Including age, sex, medical history, and inflammatory factors (C-Reactive Protein [CRP], Interleukin-6 [IL-6], Procalcitonin [PCT], Neutrophil Gelatinase-Associated Lipid carrier protein [NGAL]). The National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score at admission and short-term prognosis (the Modified Rankin Score [mRS]) score at 3 months after onset were recorded. The expression level of miRNA-122 in the serum of patients with ACI and normal controls was detected by reverse-transcription quantitative Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-QPCR), and the correlation between the expression level of miRNA-122 in the serum of patients with ACI and the level of inflammatory factors, NIHSS and mRS scores were analyzed. The expression levels of miRNA-122 in the serum of patients with ACI, normal people, and Human Umbilical cord Endothelial Cells (HUVECs) cultured in a blank control group were detected by RT-QPCR and statistically analyzed. MTT and flow cytometry was used to compare the proliferation and apoptosis of vascular endothelial cells in the miRNA-122 mimics and inhibitors transfection groups and the corresponding negative control group. The mRNA and protein levels of apoptosis-related factors Bax, Bcl-2, Caspase-3, and angiogenesis-related proteins Hes1, Notch1, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors (VEGF), and CCNG1 were detected by RT-QPCR and Western blot. Bioinformatics methods predicted CCNG1 to be the target of miRNA-122, and the direct targeting relationship between CCNG1 and miRNA-122 was verified by a dual-luciferase reporting assay. Result: Serum miRNA-122 expression in patients with ACI was significantly higher than that in healthy controls, with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.929, 95% Confidence Interval of 0.875‒0.983, and an optimal cut-off value of 1.397. The expression levels of CRP, IL-6, and NGAL in patients with ACI were higher than those in healthy control groups, p < 0.05; miRNA-122 was positively correlated with CPR, IL-6, NIHSS score, and mRS score. At 48h and 72h, the proliferation rate of HUVECs cells in the miRNA-122 mimics group decreased and the apoptosis rate increased. Cell proliferation rate increased, and apoptosis rate decreased significantly in the groups transfected with miRNA-122 inhibitors. The mRNA and protein levels of pro-apoptotic factors Bax and caspase-3 were significantly increased in the miRNA-122 mimics transfection group, while those of anti-apoptotic factor Bcl-2 were significantly decreased compared to those of the control group. The expression of Bax and Caspase-3 decreased, and the expression of anti-apoptotic factor Bcl-2 increased in the transfected miRNA-122 inhibitors group. mRNA expression levels of Hes1, Notch1, VEGF, and CCNG1 in the miRNA-122 mimic transfected group were significantly decreased, while mRNA expression levels in the miRNA-122 inhibitors transfected group were significantly increased. Bioinformatics showed that there was a miRNA-122 binding site in the 3′UTR region of CCNG1, and dual luciferase assay confirmed that CCNG1 was the target of miRNA-122.

Eucommia ulmoides extract attenuates angiotensin II-induced cardiac microvascular endothelial cell dysfunction by inactivating p53

Abstract Angiotensin II (AngII) causes endothelial dysfunction. Eucommia ulmoides extract (EUE) is documented to manipulate AngII, but its impact on cardiac microvascular endothelial cell (CMVEC) function remains unknown. This study determines the effects of EUE on AngII-treated CMVECs. CMVECs were treated with different concentrations of AngII or EUE alone and/or the p53 protein activator, WR-1065, before AngII treatment, followed by examinations of the apoptotic, migratory, proliferative, and angiogenic capacities and nitric oxide (NO), p53, von Willebrand factor (vWF), endothelin (ET)-1, endothelial NO synthase (eNOS), manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD), hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels. AngII induced CMVEC dysfunction in a concentration-dependent manner. EUE enhanced the proliferative, migratory, and angiogenic capacities and NO, MnSOD, and eNOS levels but repressed apoptosis and vWF and ET-1 levels in AngII-induced dysfunctional CMVECs. Moreover, AngII increased p53 mRNA levels, p-p53 levels in the nucleus, and p53 protein levels in the cytoplasm and diminishes HIF-1α and VEGF levels in CMVECs; however, these effects were counteracted by EUE treatment. Moreover, WR-1065 abrogated the mitigating effects of EUE on AngII-induced CMVEC dysfunction by activating p53 and decreasing HIF-1α and VEGF expression. In conclusion, EUE attenuates AngII-induced CMVEC dysfunction by upregulating HIF-1α and VEGF levels via p53 inactivation

Mitochondrial oxidative stress in vascular endothelial cell and atherosclerosis / 药学实践杂志

The injury of vascular endothelial cell function is the beginning of the pathological process of atherosclerosis. Mitochondrial oxidative stress is closely related to vascular endothelial cell function, which causes the dysfunction of vascular endothelial cell by inducing mitophagy, reducing nitric oxide production, inflammation, cellular metabolic imbalance and apoptosis. Meanwhile, vascular endothelial cell could also maintain their homeostasis by regulating mitochondrial oxidative stress. The molecular signaling pathways of the vascular endothelial cell injury caused by mitochondrial oxidative stress in the pathological process of atherosclerosis were outlined in this review, which provided reference for further research on the molecular mechanism between mitochondrial oxidative stress and endothelial damage.

miR-519d-3p alleviates high glucose-induced human retinal microvascular endothelial cells dysfunction and inhibits angiogenesis by targeting hypoxia inducible factor 1 subunit alpha / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

AIM:To clarify the effect of miR-519d-3p on high glucose-induced human retinal microvascular endothelial cells(HRMEC)dysfunction and angiogenesis, and to elucidate the regulatory mechanism of miR-519d-3p on hypoxia inducible factor 1 subunit alpha(HIF-1α).METHODS: The normal glucose(NG)and high glucose(HG)cell models were established by inducing HRMEC with 5 and 30 mmol/L glucose, respectively. Control group: HG cell model was transfected with negative control mimics; mannitol group: the control group was added with 25 mmol/L mannitol; miR-519d-3p overexpression group: HG cell model was transfected with miR-519d-3p mimics; miR-519d-3p combined with HIF-1α overexpression group: HG cell model was co-transfected with miR-519d-3p mimics and HIF-1α overexpression vector. The expression of miR-519d-3p in each group was tested by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR. The expression of HIF-1α protein in each group was tested by Western blotting. The binding sites between miR-519d-3p and HIF-1α were detected by luciferase reporter gene assay. The cell proliferation of each group was detected by CCK-8. The cell apoptosis of each group was tested by Hoechst 33342 staining. The protein expression of extracellular fluid inflammatory factors tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α), interleukin(IL)-1β and IL-6 in each group was tested by ELISA. The formation of new capillary lumen-like structures was detected by tubule formation assay.RESULTS: Compared with the NG, miR-519d-3p expression was significantly reduced in the HG cell model, while HIF-1α protein expression was significantly increased in the HG(all P&#x003C;0.01). Compared with the control group, HIF-1α protein expression was significantly reduced in the miR-519d-3p overexpression group(P&#x003C;0.01). The “CGUGAAA” sequence of miR-519d-3p could specifically bind to the “GCACUUU” sequence of HIF-1α 3'-untranslated region(3'-UTR). Compared with the control group, the miR-519d-3p overexpression group showed a significant increase in 24, 48 and 72h absorbance values, a significant decrease in cell apoptotic rate, a significant decrease in the concentrations of TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6, and a significant decrease in the number of new capillary lumen-like structures(all P&#x003C;0.01). Compared with the miR-519d-3p overexpression group, the miR-519d-3p combined with HIF-1α overexpression group showed a significant decrease in 24, 48 and 72h absorbance values, a significant increase in cell apoptotic rate, a significant increase in the concentrations of TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6, and a significant increase in the number of new capillary lumen-like structures(all P&#x003C;0.01). There was no difference between the control group and mannitol group in the comparison of the above indicators(all P&#x003E;0.05).CONCLUSION: miR-519d-3p expression is down-regulated while HIF-1α protein expression is up-regulated in high glucose induced HRMEC model. HIF-1α is a target gene of miR-519d-3p. The miR-519d-3p targets HIF-1α to increase cell proliferation and reduce cell apoptosis and inflammation, thereby alleviating high glucose-induced HRMEC dysfunction and inhibiting angiogenesis.

Research progress of the mechanism of traditional Chinese medicine in the prevention and treatment of athero-sclerosis based on miRNA regulation of vascular endothelial cell injury / 中国药房

The injury of vascular endothelial cells is not only the initial condition to promote the occurrence of early atherosclerosis （AS） plaques， but also an important link in the pathogenesis of AS. The microRNA （miRNA）， as an important medium of intercellular communication and gene regulatory factor， can affect vascular endothelial function and participate in the development of AS. The molecular mechanism of miRNA’s multi-target intervention in vascular endothelial cell injury has become a hot topic in the research of cardiovascular diseases. Monomers of traditional Chinese medicines such as ginsenoside Rb2 and paeonol， as well as traditional Chinese medicine for resolving phlegm and removing blood stasis could regulate miRNA to improve endothelial cell inflammation； astragaloside Ⅳ， dihydromyricetin and notoginsenoside could target miRNA and inhibit vascular endothelial oxidative stress； Danhong injection， Jianpi qutan and huayu prescription and paeonol could affect endothelial autophagy through miRNA； resveratrol， Bushen huoxue formula and Bushen tongmai formula could inhibit vascular endothelial aging by miRNA； dendrobine played an active role in regulating miRNA and improving endoplasmic reticulum stress. In the future， more in- depth research is needed on the effectiveness， mechanism of action， diagnosis and treatment plans， and safety of targeted regulation of miRNA for AS therapy by traditional Chinese medicine.

Femtosecond laser-assisted cataract phacoemulsification combined with goniosynechialysis in the treatment of primary acute angle-closure glaucoma with cataract / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

AIM: To investigate the clinical efficacy of femtosecond laser-assisted phacoemulsification combined with goniosynechialysis in the treatment of acute angle-closure glaucoma complicated with cataract.METHODS: A total of 53 patients(60 eyes)with primary acute angle closure glaucoma complicated with cataract admitted to our hospital from April 2020 to February 2021 were selected. They were divided into two groups according to the surgical method, with 28 cases(30 eyes)who were treated with femtosecond laser-assisted phacoemulsification combined with goniosynechialysis in group A, and 25 cases(30 eyes)who were treated with traditional cataract phacoemulsification combined with goniosynechialysis in group B. The effective phacoemulsification time(EPT)and cumulative dissipated energy(CDE)during surgery in two groups were recorded. Patients were followed up to 3mo after surgery, and the intraocular pressure, anterior chamber depth(ACD), best corrected visual acuity, corneal endothelial cell loss rate(ECL)and surgical complications were observed in both groups.RESULTS: The postoperative intraocular pressure was significantly decreased and ACD was significantly increased(all P&#x003C;0.05), and there was no difference between the two groups(all P&#x003E;0.05). The postoperative best corrected visual acuity of the two groups was significantly better than that before surgery(P&#x003C;0.05), and group A was significantly better than group B at 1d after surgery(P&#x003C;0.05). The EPT, CDE, ECL and incidence of complications(7% vs. 27%)in group A were significantly lower than those in group B(all P&#x003C;0.05).CONCLUSION: Femtosecond laser-assisted cataract phacoemulsification combined with goniosynechialysis in the treatment of primary acute angle-closure glaucoma combined with cataract has a significant therapeutic effect, which can effectively improve surgical safety, reduce the rate of corneal endothelial cell loss, and have fewer complications.

Different procedures combined with Toric intraocular lens implantation on age-related hard nuclear cataract / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

AIM:To compare the curative effect of different surgical methods combined with Toric intraocular lens(IOL)implantation on age-related hard nuclear cataract.METHODS:According to retrospective study, 104 patients(104 eyes)with age-related hard nuclear cataract confirmed in the hospital between January 2020 and December 2021 were enrolled. They were divided into phacoemulsification group(52 eyes, phacoemulsification combined with Toric IOL implantation)and small-incision group(52 eyes, small-incision split nuclear technique in horizontal space combined with Toric IOL implantation)according to different surgical methods. The best corrected distance visual acuity(BCDVA), corneal astigmatism, number of corneal endothelial cells, proportion of normal hexagonal cells, tear film function and complications were compared between the two groups.RESULTS:There was no significant difference in BCDVA(LogMAR)between the two groups before and at 3mo after surgery(all P&#x003E;0.05), while BCDVA(LogMAR)was better in small-incision group than phacoemulsification group at 1wk after surgery(0.15±0.04 vs. 0.20±0.05, P&#x003C;0.001). The corneal astigmatism of the patients in both groups was lower at 1wk and 3mo after surgery than that before surgery, and it was lower at 3mo than 1wk after surgery(all P&#x003C;0.05), while there was no significant difference in corneal astigmatism between the two groups before and after surgery(all P&#x003E;0.05). At 1wk and 3mo after surgery, number of corneal endothelial cells in small-incision group was more than that in phacoemulsification group(1wk after surgery: 2363.8±315.3 vs. 2231.4±326.4 cells/mm2, P&#x003C;0.05; 3mo after surgery: 2414.6±245.7 vs. 2322.9±221.0 cells/mm2, P&#x003C;0.05). Before and at 1wk after surgery, there was no significant difference in the proportion of normal hexagonal cells between the two groups(all P&#x003E;0.05). At 3mo after surgery, proportion of normal hexagonal cells in small-incision group was higher than that in phacoemulsification group(21.77%±1.91% vs. 20.59%±1.65%, P&#x003C;0.001). Before and at 3mo after surgery, there was no difference in break up time(BUT)or ocular surface disease index(OSDI)score between the two groups(P&#x003E;0.05). At 1wk after surgery, BUT in small-incision group was longer than that in phacoemulsification group(6.8±0.8 vs. 5.9±1.0s, P&#x003C;0.001)and OSDI score was lower than that in phacoemulsification group(17.62±5.47 vs. 20.34±6.18 points, P&#x003C;0.05). The incidence of postoperative complications in small-incision group was lower than that in phacoemulsification group(3.9% vs. 17.3%, P&#x003C;0.05).CONCLUSION: Small-incision split nuclear technique in horizontal space combined with Toric IOL implantation can significantly improve visual acuity and astigmatism in patients with age-related cataract, with slight damage to corneal endothelium and tear film function.

Mechanism of regulatory effect of recombinant human HMGB1 on endothelial cell angiogenesis / 器官移植

Objective To unravel the possible mechanism of the role of recombinant human high mobility group box 1 (rhHMGB1) protein in regulating the angiogenesis of endothelial cells. Methods Endothelial cells were divided into the control group, bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) supernatant group and rhHMGB1 group. The proliferation and survival of endothelial cells were detected by cell counting kit(CCK)-8 assay. The relative expression levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), Yes-associated protein (YAP), CD31 and hypoxia inducible factor (HIF)-1α proteins were determined by Western blot. The relative expression levels of VEGF, YAP, CD31 and HIF-1α messenger RNA (mRNA) were detected by real-time fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). The migration ability of endothelial cells was assessed by Transwell chamber test. The localization of YAP was detected by immunofluorescence staining. Results Compared with the control group, the migration rate of endothelial cells was increased in the rhHMGB1 group (P < 0.05), and the cell migration rate was enhanced over time. Compared with the control group, the relative expression levels of VEGF and p-YAP proteins were up-regulated in the MSC supernatant group, and the differences were statistically significant (both P < 0.05). Compared with the control group, the relative expression levels of VEGF and HIF-1α proteins, VEGF and CD31 mRNA and YAP and p-YAP proteins were up-regulated, and YAP/p-YAP ratio was increased in the rhHMGB1 group, and the differences were statistically significant (all P < 0.05). Compared with the MSC supernatant group, the relative expression levels of CD31 mRNA and YAP protein were up-regulated, and the YAP/p-YAP ratio was increased in the rhHMGB1 group, and the differences were statistically significant (all P < 0.05). Conclusions Exogenous high-concentration rhHMGB1 may promote the migration ability of endothelial cells and up-regulate the expression levels of angiogenesis-related proteins by regulating the recruitment of YAP to the nucleus.

Isoliquiritigenin suppresses the inflammatory response of vascular endothelial cells via HDAC3 / 西安交通大学学报(医学版)

【Objective】 To investigate the effect of isoliquiritigenin on inflammatory response of vascular endothelial cells and whether the regulatory effect of isoliquiritigenin on inflammation is mediated by histone deacetylase 3 (HDAC3). 【Methods】 Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were cultured in vitro and treated with LPS, different concentrations of isoliquiritigenin and HDAC3 specific inhibitor, respectively. Real-time PCR and Western blotting were used to detect the mRNA and protein expressions of inflammatory cytokines and HDAC3. Male C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into vehicle group and isoliquiritigenin treatment group. The vascular inflammation model of C57BL/6J mice was established by ligation of the left carotid arteries. The mRNA expressions of inflammatory cytokines and HDAC3 in the carotid arteries of mice were detected by Real-time PCR. A molecular docking study was performed to investigate the interaction between isoliquiritigenin and HDAC3. 【Results】 Compared with the vehicle group, isoliquiritigenin reduced the mRNA expressions of inflammatory cytokines NLRP3, IL-1β, IL-18, MCP-1 and ICAM-1 and decreased the expression of HDAC3 mRNA and protein in HUVECs stimulated with LPS. In addition, isoliquiritigenin also decreased the mRNA expressions of NLRP3, IL-1β and HDAC3 in carotid arteries of ligated C57BL/6J mice. The docking of isoliquiritigenin in the active site of HDAC3 showed that isoliquiritigenin might act through HDAC3. Furthermore, HDAC3 specific inhibitor RGFP966 further promoted the inhibitory effect of isoliquiritigenin on the expression of inflammatory cytokines in vascular endothelial cells. 【Conclusion】 These results suggest that isoliquiritigenin suppresses the inflammatory response of vascular endothelial cells via HDAC3.

Changes and effects of lymphatic vessels and lymphatic endothelial cells in lymph node metastasis of esophageal cancer / 中国胸心血管外科临床杂志

@#The lymphatic system is the main way of tumor metastasis and diffusion. Esophageal cancer is one of the typical cancers that are prone to metastasis through the lymphatic system. At present, an increasing number of studies show that the interaction between tumor cells and lymphatic endothelial cells is the first step in tumor lymphatic metastasis, but the underlying molecular mechanism is unclear. This article reviews the role and changes of tumor-related lymphatic vessels and lymphatic endothelial cells in the process of tumor lymphatic metastasis, which lays a foundation for further study of the specific molecular mechanism of esophageal cancer lymphatic metastasis and provides a new treatment direction for esophageal cancer patients.

Values of serum human epididymis protein 4, endothelial cell specific molecule-1 and epidermal growth factor receptor in the diagnosis of lung cancer / 肿瘤研究与临床

Objective:To investigate the diagnostic values of human epididymis protein 4 (HE4), endothelial cell specific molecule-1 (ESM-1) and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) for lung cancer.Methods:The clinical data of 90 patients with lung cancer and 50 patients with benign lung diseases diagnosed by the pathological examination in Tangshan People's Hospital from December 2019 to January 2021 were retrospectively analyzed, and 40 healthy physical examiners in the same period were selected as the controls. The serum HE4 levels were detected by electrochemiluminescence method. The serum ESM-1 and EGFR levels were tested by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The differences in serum HE4, ESM-1 and EGFR levels between the three groups were compared; logistic regression analysis was used to screen out the effective indicators for the diagnosis of lung cancer and to construct a prediction model for the diagnosis of lung cancer. Using pathological diagnosis result as the gold standard, the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was drawn, and the diagnostic efficacy of indicators for lung cancer was evaluated.Results:The levels of serum HE4 in lung cancer group, benign lung diseases group and healthy control group were 119.55 pmol/L (82.06 pmol/L, 189.00 pmol/L), 58.84 pmol/L (45.62 pmol/L, 69.41 pmol/L) and 42.67 pmol/L (37.09 pmol/L, 51.84 pmol/L), the levels of ESM-1 were 33.00 ng/ml (25.85 ng/ml, 47.40 ng/ml), 20.14 ng/ml (11.93 ng/ml, 28.90 ng/ml) and 15.39 ng/ml (11.84 ng/ml, 20.19 ng/ml), and the levels of EGFR were 46.60 pg/ml (37.45 pg/ml, 58.98 pg/ml), 32.77 pg/ml (26.27 pg/ml, 40.86 pg/ml) and 30.43 pg/ml (27.54 pg/ml, 35.75 pg/ml), and the differences in each indicator among the three groups were statistically significant (all P < 0.001). The levels of serum HE4, ESM-1 and EGFR in lung cancer group were higher than those in benign lung diseases group and healthy control group. In patients with lung cancer, logistic regression analysis was performed with HE4 (X 1), ESM-1 (X 2) and EGFR (X 3) as the independent variables and pathological diagnosis as the dependent variable, and a lung cancer prediction regression model was established: P = 0.171X 1+0.351X 2+0.184X 3-24.660. The accuracy of this model in predicting lung cancer could reach 98.5%, and serum HE4, ESM-1 and EGFR were risk factors for the occurrence of lung cancer (all P < 0.05). The area under ROC curve from high to low was HE4 (0.960), ESM-1 (0.942) and EGFR (0.859). The diagnostic sensitivity of serum HE4 63.67 pmol/L for lung cancer was 86.7%, and the specificity was 97.5%. Both serum HE4 ( r = 0.304, P = 0.004) and ESM-1 ( r = 0.416, P < 0.001) were correlated with EGFR. Conclusions:Serum HE4, ESM-1 and EGFR can be used as effective indicators for the diagnosis of lung cancer, and the prediction model established based on the three serum tumor markers is of good value for the diagnosis and prediction of lung cancer.

Effects of the key glycolytic enzyme PFKFB3 on the proliferation, migration and apoptosis of hemangioma-derived endothelial cells / 中华皮肤科杂志

Objective:To investigate the effect of the key glycolysis enzyme 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-biphosphatase 3 (PFKFB3) on the biological activity of hemangioma-derived endothelial cells (HemECs) .Methods:Totally, 4 proliferating infantile hemangioma (IH) tissues and 4 involuting IH tissues were collected. Primary HemECs were isolated from the proliferating IH tissues, and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) served as controls. Immunohistochemical study and Western blot analysis were performed to determine the expression of PFKFB3 in the IH tissues and HemECs, respectively. Cell counting kit-8 (CCK8) assay was conducted to evaluate the effect of PFK15 (a specific inhibitor of PFKFB3) at concentrations of 0 - 10 μmol/L on the proliferation of HemECs, and HemECs treated without PFKFB3 served as the control group. Some in vitro cultured HemECs were treated with 5 μmol/L PFK15, and served as a PFK15 intervention group, while HemECs treated without PFK15 served as a control group; then, the migratory ability of HemECs was assessed by Transwell assay, and the apoptosis level of HemECs was detected by flow cytometry. Comparisons between groups were performed by using t test or analysis of variance. Results:Immunohistochemical study showed that the positive rate of PFKFB3 was significantly higher in the proliferating IH tissues (74.34% ± 5.26%) than in the involuting IH tissues (41.46% ± 2.99%, t = 9.40, P < 0.001). Western blot analysis showed that the relative expression level of PFKFB3 was also significantly higher in HemECs (0.73 ± 0.05) than in HUVECs (0.45 ± 0.04, t = 8.50, P < 0.001). CCK8 assay revealed significantly decreased proliferative activity of HemECs in the 0.625-, 1.25-, 2.5-, 5-, and 10-μmol/L PFK15 groups compared with the control group (all P < 0.01). Compared with the control group, the PFK15 intervention group showed significantly decreased number of migratory HemECs (297 ± 15 vs. 422 ± 8, t = 12.59, P < 0.001), but significantly increased apoptosis rates of HemECs (6.69% ± 0.64% vs. 0.34% ± 0.07%, t = 17.07, P < 0.001) . Conclusion:The key glycolytic enzyme PFKFB3 was highly expressed in the proliferating IH tissues and HemECs, and the PFKFB3 inhibitor PFK15 could suppress the proliferation, migration, and increase the apoptosis of HemECs.

Research progress of ferroptosis in aortic dissection / 中华老年医学杂志

Aortic dissection, especially Stanford type A aortic dissection, is an acutely progressive and highly fatal cardiovascular disease.Early prevention and timely treatment can greatly reduce mortality and reduce the burden on families and society.However, due to the etiological mechanism is still unclear, the clinical treatment is still mainly surgery, and the early prevention and drug application are very limited.And some recent studies have found that ferroptosis may play an important role in the occurrence and development of aortic dissection, revealing the relationship between them may provide ideas for the prevention, treatment and scientific research of the disease.

Vascular endothelial cell dysfunction and Alzheimer's disease / 中国药理学与毒理学杂志

Alzheimer's disease(AD)is a neurode-generative disease with complex pathological mecha-nism characterized by accumulation of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain.Increasing evi-dence suggests that vascular dysfunction due to endothe-lial cell injury may have a pathogenic role in the occur-rence and development of AD.Malfunction of the blood-brain barrier caused by endothelial cell dysfunction is associated with the accumulation of several neurotoxic molecules within brain parenchyma,a reduction in cerebral blood flow,amyloid-β transfer and hypoxia,especially at the early stages of the disease.At the same time,it can-not be ignored that the peripheral arterial vascular endo-thelial cell dysfunction also seems to be closely related to the risk and the severity of symptoms of AD.Some mole-cules are thought to be messengers connecting the central and peripheral endothelial cells.Peripheral and central vascular endothelial cells communicate with each other and influence the progression of AD through some common mechanisms.In this review,we provide an ap-praisal of the endothelial cell dysfunction in cerebral and systemic vasculature,and give the evidence that vascular pathology is inextricably linked to disease onset and pro-gression of AD.

O-linked N-acetylglucosamine modification induced by lipopolysaccharide is involved in inflammatory signaling pathway in endothelial cells / 中华危重病急救医学

Objective:To explore whether the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced modification of O-linked N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) is involved in the inflammatory signaling pathway of endothelial cells.Methods:Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) were cultured in vitro, and cells in logarithmic growth phase were used for experiments. Cells were divided into blank control group, LPS group (2 000 mg/L LPS), O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT) overexpression (OGT-OE)+LPS group (plasmid transfection OGT+2 000 mg/L LPS), protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor+LPS group (10 μmol/L Go 6983+2 000 mg/L LPS), RhoA inhibitor+LPS group (40 μmol/L Rhoin hydrochloride+2 000 mg/L LPS), phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitor+LPS group (1 μmol/L SL-2052+2 000 mg/L LPS), serine/threonine kinase (Akt) inhibitor+LPS group (10 μmol/L PP2+2 000 mg/L LPS) and small interfering RNA (siRNA) treated Akt (si-AKT)+LPS group (si-Akt+2 000 mg/L LPS). After 24 hours of LPS treatment, real-time fluorescence quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was used to detect the transcription levels of inflammatory cytokines [interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1)]. The protein expression or phosphorylation of OGT, O-GlcNAc, Akt, extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38MAPK), nuclear factor-κB p65 (NF-κB p65), and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) were determined by Western blotting. Results:Compared with the blank control group, the expression of OGT and the modification of O-GlcNAc in the LPS group were decreased, while the expressions of phosphorylated ERK, p38MAPK, and STAT3 were increased, and the transcript levels of inflammatory cytokines were also significantly increased [IL-6 mRNA (2 -ΔΔCt): 4.71±0.60 vs. 1.03±0.29, TNF-α mRNA (2 -ΔΔCt): 1.89±0.11 vs. 1.04±0.35, ICAM-1 mRNA (2 -ΔΔCt): 2.06±0.18 vs. 1.02±0.21, VCAM-1 mRNA (2 -ΔΔCt): 2.94±0.57 vs. 1.01±0.17, all P < 0.05], indicating that LPS could decrease O-GlcNAc modification, activate inflammatory signaling pathways and increase inflammatory cytokines expression. Compared with the LPS group, the expressions of phosphorylated ERK, p38MAPK, NF-κB p65, and STAT3 in the endothelial cells of the OGT-OE+LPS group were decreased, and the expression of inflammatory factors were significantly decreased [IL-6 mRNA (2 -ΔΔCt): 0.12±0.01 vs. 0.90±0.17, TNF-α mRNA (2 -ΔΔCt): 0.31±0.01 vs. 0.91±0.14, ICAM-1 mRNA (2 -ΔΔCt): 0.64±0.02 vs. 1.13±0.16, VCAM-1 mRNA (2 -ΔΔCt): 0.11±0.01 vs. 0.93±0.11, all P < 0.05], indicating that the increase of OGT level could inhibit the partial activation of the endothelial inflammatory signal pathway under the LPS stimulation. Compared with the blank control group, the phosphorylation level of Akt in the LPS group was increased. Compared with the LPS group, both OGT expression and O-GlcNAc modification were down-regulated after pretreatment of PKC inhibitor, RhoA inhibitor, PI3K inhibitor, or Akt inhibitor. Compared with the LPS group, the transcript levels of IL-6, TNF-α and ICAM-1 in the PP2+LPS group were significantly decreased [IL-6 mRNA (2 -ΔΔCt): 1.46±0.16 vs. 3.55±0.87, TNF-α mRNA (2 -ΔΔCt): 0.98±0.14 vs. 1.76±0.10, ICAM-1 mRNA (2 -ΔΔCt): 1.39±0.24 vs. 2.04±0.13, all P < 0.05], but there was no significant change in VCAM-1. Compared with the LPS group, the expression of OGT and O-GlcNAc modification in the si-Akt+LPS group were decreased, while the transcript levels of inflammatory cytokines were also significantly decreased [IL-6 mRNA (2 -ΔΔCt): 0.75±0.03 vs. 0.99±0.09, TNF-α mRNA (2 -ΔΔCt): 0.69±0.01 vs. 1.10±0.08, ICAM-1 mRNA (2 -ΔΔCt): 0.76±0.01 vs. 0.99±0.02, VCAM-1 mRNA (2 -ΔΔCt): 0.93±0.08 vs. 1.20±0.21, all P < 0.05], indicating that Akt participated in the action process of LPS on OGT and affected the inflammatory factor expression. Conclusions:The decreased level of O-GlcNAc modification in endothelial cells stimulated with LPS promotes partial activation of inflammatory signaling pathways, mainly involving ERK, p38MAPK, and STAT3, and affects the expression of inflammatory factors. AKT may be involved in the effect of LPS on the inhibition of O-GlcNAc modification.