Effects of Setaria viridis on heavy metal enrichment tolerance and bacterial community establishment in high-sulfur coal gangue.

Plant enrichment and tolerance to heavy metals are crucial for the phytoremediation of coal gangue mountain. However, understanding of how plants mobilize and tolerate heavy metals in coal gangue is limited. This study conducted potted experiments using Setaria viridis as a pioneer remediation plant to evaluate its tolerance to coal gangue, its mobilization and enrichment of metals, and its impact on the soil environment. Results showed that the addition of 40% gangue enhanced plant metal and oxidative stress resistance, thereby promoting plant growth. However, over 80% of the gangue inhibited the chlorophyll content, photoelectron conduction rate, and biomass of S. viridis, leading to cellular peroxidative stress. An analysis of metal resistance showed that endogenous S in coal gangue promoted the accumulation of glutathione, plant metal chelators, and non-protein thiols, thereby enhancing its resistance to metal stress. Setaria viridis cultivation affected soil properties by decreasing nitrogen, phosphorus, conductivity, and urease and increasing sucrase and acid phosphatase in the rhizosphere soil. In addition, S. viridis planting increased V, Cr, Ni, As, and Zn in the exchangeable and carbonate-bound states within the gangue, effectively enriching Cd, Cr, Fe, S, U, Cu, and V. The increased mobility of Cd and Pb was correlated with a higher abundance of Proteobacteria and Acidobacteria. Heavy metals, such as As, Fe, V, Mn, Ni, and Cu, along with environmental factors, including total nitrogen, total phosphorus, urease, and acid phosphatase, were the primary regulatory factors for Sphingomonas, Gemmatimonas, and Bryobacter. In summary, S. viridis adapted to gangue stress by modulating antioxidant and elemental enrichment systems and regulating the release and uptake of heavy metals through enhanced bacterial abundance and the recruitment of gangue-tolerant bacteria. These findings highlight the potential of S. viridis for plant enrichment in coal gangue areas and will aid the restoration and remediation of these environments.

Effects of long-term herbaceous plant restoration on microbial communities and metabolic profiles in coal gangue-contaminated soil.

The soil microbial diversity in the gangue accumulation area is severely stressed by a variety of heavy metals, while the influence of long-term recovery of herbaceous plants on the ecological structure of gangue-contaminated soil is to be explored. Therefore, we analysed the differences in physicochemical properties, elemental changes, microbial community structure, metabolites and expression of related pathways in soils in the 10- and 20-year herbaceous remediation areas of coal gangue. Our results showed that phosphatase, soil urease, and sucrase activities of gangue soils significantly increased in the shallow layer after herbaceous remediation. However, in zone T1 (10-year remediation zone), the contents of harmful elements, such as Thorium (Th; 1.08-fold), Arsenic (As; 0.78-fold), lead (Pb; 0.99-fold), and uranium (U; 0.77-fold), increased significantly, whereas the soil microbial abundance and diversity also showed a significant decreasing trend. Conversely, in zone T2 (20-year restoration zone), the soil pH significantly increased by 1.03- to 1.06-fold and soil acidity significantly improved. Moreover, the abundance and diversity of soil microorganisms increased significantly, the expression of carbohydrates in soil was significantly downregulated, and sucrose content was significantly negatively correlated with the abundance of microorganisms, such as Streptomyces. A significant decrease in heavy metals was observed in the soil, such as U (1.01- to 1.09-fold) and Pb (1.13- to 1.25-fold). Additionally, the thiamin synthesis pathway was inhibited in the soil of the T1 zone; the expression level of sulfur (S)-containing histidine derivatives (Ergothioneine) was significantly up-regulated by 0.56-fold in the shallow soil of the T2 zone; and the S content in the soil significantly reduced. Aromatic compounds were significantly up-regulated in the soil after 20 years of herbaceous plant remediation in coal gangue soil, and microorganisms (Sphingomonas) with significant positive correlations with benzene ring-containing metabolites, such as Sulfaphenazole, were identified.

Efficacy and safety of tenapanor in hemodialysis patients with hyperphosphatemia: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized placebo-controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: The effects of tenapanor in reducing serum phosphorus in hemodialysis patients with hyperphosphatemia are uncertain and no relevant meta-analysis has been conducted. We performed a meta-analysis of randomized placebo-controlled trials to evaluate the efficacy and safety of tenapanor. METHODS: All randomized controlled trials of tenapanor were searched up to 1 August 2022. The primary endpoint was the change in serum phosphorus level from baseline with tenapanor and placebo. Data on drug-related adverse events (AEs), gastrointestinal AEs and diarrhea were collected to determine the safety of tenapanor. RESULTS: There were 533 patients throughout five trials that were eligible. Tenapanor significantly lowered blood phosphorus level by 1.79 mg/dl in the mean difference than the placebo. Diarrhea, gastrointestinal AEs, and drug-related AEs were more severe than placebo. CONCLUSIONS: This meta-analysis showed that although drug side effects were common, tenapanor significantly reduced serum phosphorus level in hemodialysis patients.

Tritium and Carbon-14 Contamination Reshaping the Microbial Community Structure, Metabolic Network, and Element Cycle in the Seawater Environment.

The potential ecological risks caused by entering radioactive wastewater containing tritium and carbon-14 into the sea require careful evaluation. This study simulated seawater's tritium and carbon-14 pollution and analyzed the effects on the seawater and sediment microenvironments. Tritium and carbon-14 pollution primarily altered nitrogen and phosphorus metabolism in the seawater environment. Analysis by 16S rRNA sequencing showed changes in the relative abundance of microorganisms involved in carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus metabolism and organic matter degradation in response to tritium and carbon-14 exposure. Metabonomics and metagenomic analysis showed that tritium and carbon-14 exposure interfered with gene expression involving nucleotide and amino acid metabolites, in agreement with the results seen for microbial community structure. Tritium and carbon-14 exposure also modulated the abundance of functional genes involved in carbohydrate, phosphorus, sulfur, and nitrogen metabolic pathways in sediments. Tritium and carbon-14 pollution in seawater adversely affected microbial diversity, metabolic processes, and the abundance of nutrient-cycling genes. These results provide valuable information for further evaluating the risks of tritium and carbon-14 in marine environments.

Grape Seed Proanthocyanidins Exert a Neuroprotective Effect by Regulating Microglial M1/M2 Polarisation in Rats with Spinal Cord Injury.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a highly disabling disorder for which few effective treatments are available. Grape seed proanthocyanidins (GSPs) are polyphenolic compounds with various biological activities. In our preliminary experiment, GSP promoted functional recovery in rats with SCI, but the mechanism remains unclear. Therefore, we explored the protective effects of GSP on SCI and its possible underlying mechanisms. We found that GSP promoted locomotor recovery, reduced neuronal apoptosis, increased neuronal preservation, and regulated microglial polarisation in vivo. We also performed in vitro studies to verify the effects of GSP on neuronal protection and microglial polarisation and their potential mechanisms. We found that GSP regulated microglial polarisation and inhibited apoptosis in PC12 cells induced by M1-BV2 cells through the Toll-like receptor 4- (TLR4-) mediated nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/serine threonine kinase (PI3K/AKT) signaling pathways. This suggests that GSP regulates microglial polarisation and prevents neuronal apoptosis, possibly by the TLR4-mediated NF-κB and PI3K/AKT signaling pathways.

Non-targeted metabolomics reveals the stress response of a cellulase-containing penicillium to uranium.

Human industrial activities have caused environmental uranium (U) pollution, resulting in uranium(VI) had radiotoxicity and chemical toxicity. Here, a cellulase-producing Penicillium fungus was screened and characterized by X-ray fluorescence (XRF), and Fourier transform infrared reflection (FT-IR), as well as by GC/MS metabolomics analysis, to study the response to uranium(VI) stress. The biomass of Penicillium decreased after exposure to 100 mg/L U. Uranium combined with carboxyl groups, amino groups, and phosphate groups to form uranium mineralized deposits on the surface of this fungal strain. The α-activity concentration of uranium in the strain was 2.57×106 Bq/kg, and the ß-activity concentration was 2.27×105 Bq/kg. Metabolomics analysis identified 118 different metabolites, as well as metabolic disruption of organic acids and derivatives. Further analysis showed that uranium significantly affected the metabolism of 9 amino acids in Penicillium. These amino acids were related to the TCA cycle and ABC transporter. At the same time, uranium exhibited nucleotide metabolism toxicity to Penicillium. This study provides an in-depth understanding of the uranium tolerance mechanism of Penicillium and provides a theoretical basis for Penicillium to degrade hyper-enriched plants.

Degradation of Uranium-Contaminated Decontamination Film by UV Irradiation and Microbial Biodegradation.

This research provides a complete degradation scheme for acrylic copolymer/cellulose acetate butyrate peelable decontamination films. This study analyzed the removal efficiency of uranium by peelable decontamination film. More importantly, the degradability of the films was evaluated by a combined treatment with UV radiation and microbial biodegradation. The results showed that UV radiation would rupture the surface of the decontamination films, which leaded the weight-average molecular weight decreased by 55.3% and number-average molecular weight decreased by 75.83%. Additionally, the microbial flora induced light-degradable decontamination film weight-average molecular weight and number-average molecular weight decreased by 9.3% and 30.73%, respectively. 16S rRNA microbial diversity analysis indicated that Pantoea, Xylella, Cronobacter, and Olivibacter were the major degrading bacteria genera. Among them, 4 key strains that can be stripped of decontamination films have been isolated and identified from the dominant degrading bacteria group. The results show that UV radiation combined with microbial flora can achieve rapid degradation of the decontamination films.

Integrating network pharmacology deciphers the action mechanism of Zuojin capsule in suppressing colorectal cancer.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Zuojin capsule (ZJC), a classical prescription, is outstanding in improving the conditions of patients with gastrointestinal diseases and colorectal cancer (CRC). Although ZJC has multi-ingredient and multi-target characteristics, its pharmacological effect on colorectal cancer and the underlying mechanism remain unclear. METHOD: Here, the activity of ZJC against CRC was evaluated by the experiments with CRC cells and HCT-116 xenografted mice. The key genes of CRC were obtained from the cancer genome atlas (TCGA). The genes potentially targeted by ZJC were collected from traditional Chinese medicine systems pharmacology (TCMSP) database. The underlying pathways related to selected targets were analyzed through gene ontology (GO) and pathway enrichment analyses. Western blot (WB), cellular thermal shift assay (CETSA), molecular docking and quantitative real-time PCR (QRT-PCR) were carried out to confirm the validity of the targets. RESULTS: In vitro and in vivo results indicated that ZJC may inhibit CRC cells and tumor growth. The network pharmacological analysis indicated that 22 compounds, 51 targets and 20 pathways were involved in the compound-target-pathway network. Our results confirmed that ZJC inhibited cycle progression, migration and induced apoptosis by targeting candidate genes (CDKN1A, Bcl2, E2F1, PRKCB, MYC, CDK2, and MMP9). We found that ZJC could directly change the protein level by regulating the protein stability and transcriptional activity of the target. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, combined network pharmacology and biological experiments proved that the main ingredients of ZJC such as quercetin, (R)-Canadine, palmatine, rutaecarpine, evodiamine, beta-sitosterol and berberine can target CDKN1A, Bcl2, E2F1, PRKCB, MYC, CDK2 and MMP9 to combat colorectal cancer. The results of this study provide a basic theory for the clinical trials of Zuojin Capsules against colorectal cancer.

Trefoil Factor 3 Inhibits Thyroid Cancer Cell Progression Related to IL-6/JAK/STAT3 Signaling Pathway.

OBJECTIVES: Abnormal expression of trefoil factor 3 (TFF3) in breast, stomach, and colon tumors may be related to the occurrence of tumors, suggesting its role in angiogenesis. In this study, the aim was to explore the role of TFF3 in thyroid cancer. METHODS: TFF3 expression analysis was performed via GEPIA and RT-PCR. To explore the effects of TFF3 on thyroid cancer cell motility, cell function assays were performed. Furthermore, GSEA pathway analysis and western blot were used to explore the mechanism by which TFF3 represses the progression of thyroid cancer cells. RESULTS: Here, we showed that low expression level of TFF3 in thyroid cancer is related to thyroid cancer nodal metastasis. The patients with low TFF3 expression showed worse disease-free survival than those with high level of TFF3. Underexpressed TFF3 increased cell motility and inhibited cell apoptosis. We found that the levels of IL-6, p-JAK2/JAK2, and pSTAT3/STAT3 were inhibited in the pcDNA-TFF3 group compared to the pcDNA-NC group and these factors were upregulated in the si-TFF3 group compared to the si-NC group in BCPAP and TPC-1 cells. CONCLUSION: TFF3 inhibits thyroid cancer cell progression related to IL-6/JAK/STAT3 signaling pathway.

α-Glucosidase Inhibition Action of Major Flavonoids Identified from Hypericum Attenuatum Choisy and Their Synergistic Effects.

Hypericum attenuatum Choisy is a traditional Chinese herbal plant with multiple therapeutic effects. In this study, bioactivity-guided fractionation of Hypericum attenuatum Choisy extracts afforded three major flavonoids (including astragalin, guaijaverin and quercetin), which possessed α-Glucosidase inhibitory activity with IC50 values of 33.90±0.68 µM, 17.23±0.75 µM and 31.90±0.34 µM, respectively. Circular dichroism analysis revealed that all the three compounds could interact with α-glucosidase by inducing conformational changes of the enzyme. Molecular docking results indicated that they could bind to the active site in α-glucosidase, and the binding force was driven mainly by hydrogen bond. Additionally, isobolographic analysis of the interactions between two compounds showed that all the combinations presented a synergistic α-glucosidase inhibitory effect at lower concentrations, and the combination between quercetin and guaijaverin or astragalin exhibited the best synergistic effect. This research might provide a theoretical basis for the application of Hypericum attenuatum Choisy in treating hyperglycemia.

Vitamin D/VDR signaling inhibits colitis by suppressing HIF-1α activation in colonic epithelial cells.

Vitamin D/vitamin D receptor (VDR) signaling is reported to have a protective effect on the onset or progression of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), and hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) activation is demonstrated to be closely associated with chemical-induced colitis. However, the association between vitamin D/VDR signaling and HIF-1α on IBD development remains a mystery. Here, we showed that HIF-1α expression was largely increased in the colonic epithelial cells of diseased tissues from patients with ulcerative colitis (UC). Consistently, HIF-1α activation was also improved in colonic epithelial cells upon TNFα treatment in a NF-κB pathway-dependent manner. HIF-1α inhibitors treatments ameliorated 2,4,6-trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid (TNBS)- or dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis in animal models. In cell or colitis animal models, vitamin D/VDR signaling suppressed HIF-1α overexpression in colonic epithelial cells via regulating NF-κB pathway, resulting in the inhibition of IFNγ and IL-1ß overproductions in these cells. Collectively, these data suggest that vitamin D/VDR signaling relieves colitis development in animal models, at least in part, by suppressing HIF-1α expression in colonic epithelial cells.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This study demonstrates vitamin D/VDR signaling inhibits colitis by suppressing HIF-1α activation in colonic epithelial cells. Since the effect of vitamin D/VDR signaling is only apparent on patients who seem to be vitamin D deficient, the benefits of vitamin D supplementation in patients who are not vitamin D deficient need to be proven.

Garlic (Allium sativum) based interplanting alters the heavy metals absorption and bacterial diversity in neighboring plants.

Heavy metals are naturally occurring elements that have a high atomic weight and let out in the environment by agriculture, industry, mining and therapeutic expertise and thrilling amassing of these elements pollutes the environment. In this study we have investigated the potential of garlic interplanting in promoting hyper accumulation and absorption of heavy metals to provide a basis for phytoremediation of polluted land. Monoculture and inter-plantation of garlic were conducted to investigate the absorption of cadmium and lead contamination in the land. A group of experiments with single planting (monoculture) of Lolium perenne, Conyza canadensis and Pteris vittata as accumulators were used. The results have shown that garlic has a potential as a hyper accumulate and absorb heavy metals. It was found that the accumulation of Cd and Pb was much higher with inter-planting. Garlic boosts up the absorption of heavy metals in Lolium perenne of Cd 66% and Pb 44% respectively. The Inter-planting of garlic with Pteris vittata promotes the Cd 26% and Pb 15%. While the maximum accumulation of Lead 87% and Cadmium 77% occurred in Conyza canadensis herb plant. The bacterial diversity in the soil was analyzed for each experimental soil and was found that the Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, and Planctomycetes were commonly abundant in both single planting (monoculture) of ryegrass and interplanting ryegrass with garlic habitats. Variances were observed in the bacterial floral composition of single (monoculture) and intercropping (interplant) soils. Relative abundance of bacterial taxa revealed that the proportion of Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, and Actinobacteria in the inter-planting group was slightly higher, while Firmicutes and Planctomycetes were low. This study provides the evidence to control the heavy metals contaminated soils with weed species. Growth promotion and heavy metal uptake of neighboring plants proved the specific plant-plant and plant-microbial associations with garlic plants. This inter-planting strategy can be used to improve heavy metal absorption.

Effects of diallyl trisulfide, an active substance from garlic essential oil, on structural chemistry of chitin in Sitotroga cerealella (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae).

The environmental pollution, evolution of resistance, and risks to human and aquatic animal health associated with pesticide application have attracted much attention globally. Herein, we tested the capacity of diallyl trisulfide (DAT) from garlic essential oil to control the destructive stored-product pest, Sitotroga cerealella. The effects of DAT on the total content of cuticular chitin and structure of adults S. cerealella were evaluated. This study was the first to investigate changes in chitin structure in adults due to exposure to DAT through Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray diffraction, and differential scanning calorimetry. The results of these analyses revealed that the cuticular chitin content of pests decreased after DAT treatment. DAT treatment also reduced thermal stability and crystallinity of chitin. These findings indicate that DAT is a potent biopesticide that is active against the moth, and establishes the basis for its use as an IPM and alternative to chitin synthesis inhibitors.

Analysis of accumulation and phytotoxicity mechanism of uranium and cadmium in two sweet potato cultivars.

The purpose of this study was to reveal the accumulation and phytotoxicity mechanism of sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.) roots following exposure to toxic levels of uranium (U) and cadmium (Cd). We selected two accumulation-type sweet potato cultivars as experimental material. The varietal differences in U and Cd accumulation and physiological metabolism were analyzed by a hydroponic experiment. High concentrations of U and Cd inhibited the growth and development of sweet potato and damaged the microstructure of root. The roots were the main accumulating organs of U and Cd in both sweet potato. Root cell walls and vacuoles (soluble components) were the main distribution sites of U and Cd. The chemical forms of U in the two sweet potato varieties were insoluble and oxalate compounds, while Cd mainly combined with pectin and protein. U and Cd changed the normal mineral nutrition metabolism in the roots, and also significantly inhibited the photosynthetic metabolism of sweet potatoes. RNA-seq showed that the cell wall and plant hormone signal transduction pathways responded to either U or Cd toxicity in both varieties. The inorganic ion transporter and organic compound transporter in roots of both sweet potato varieties are sensitive to U and Cd toxicity.

Clinical efficacy of targeted injection of drugs in combination with ozone in treatment of lumbar disc protrusion.

To investigate the clinical efficacy of targeted injection of drugs surrounding the protruded lumbar disc in combination with the ozone in treatment of lumbar disc protrusion. Between January 2017 and January 2019, a total of 120 patients with lumbar disc protrusion were recruited in this study and divided into the control group and observation group, with 60 patients in each group. Patients in the control group received the ozone treatment, while those in the observation group additionally took the targeted injection of betamethasone surrounding the protruded lumbar disc. Following one month of treatment, we compared the short-term efficacy, joint range of motion in bending forward or backward of the lumbar disc, limb function, life quality and functional disturbance before and after treatment. In the observation group, the short-term effectiveness rate was higher than that in the control group (P<0.05), while after treatment, the joint range of motion in bending forward or backward of lumbar disc in the observation group was improved when comparing to the control group (P<0.05). After treatment, BI and Fugl-Meyer scale were all higher in the observation than those in the control group (P<0.05), with a lower Oswestry score (P<0.05). Targeted injection of betamethasone surrounding the protruded lumbar disc in combination with the ozone performs well in short-term efficacy, conducive to the improvement of the lumbar disc function and limb function and alleviation in function disturbance. Thus, this strategy is worthy of being promoted in clinical practice.

Absorption and interaction mechanisms of uranium & cadmium in purple sweet potato(Ipomoea batatas L.).

The purpose of this study was to reveal the absorption and interaction mechanisms of uranium (U) & cadmium (Cd) in corps. Purple sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.) was selected as the experimental material. The absorption behavior of U and Cd in this crop and the effects on mineral nutrition were analyzed in a pot experiment. The interactions between U and Cd in purple sweet potato were analyzed using UPLC-MS metabolome analysis. The pot experiment confirmed that the root tuber of the purple sweet potato had accumulated U (1.68-5.16 mg kg-1) and Cd (0.78-2.02 mg kg-1) and would pose a health risk if consumed. Both U and Cd significantly interfered with the mineral nutrient of the roots. Metabolomics revealed that a total of 4865 metabolites were identified in roots. 643 (419 up; 224 down), 526 (332 up; 194 down) and 634 (428 up; 214 down) different metabolites (DEMs) were identified in the U, Cd, and U + Cd exposure groups. Metabolic pathway analysis showed that U and Cd induced the expression of plant hormones (the first messengers) and cyclic nucleotides (cAMP and cGMP, second messengers) in cells and regulated the primary/secondary metabolism of roots to induce resistance to U and Cd toxicity.

Unraveling response mechanism of photosynthetic metabolism and respiratory metabolism to uranium-exposure in Vicia faba.

As a natural radionuclide, uranium (U) has obvious phytotoxicity, the purpose of this study is to unravel the response mechanism of U on photosynthetic and respiratory metabolism in plants. Therefore, 14-day-old Vicia faba seedlings were exposed to 0-25 µM U during 72 h. U effects on growth parameters, physiological parameters of plants, and potential phytotoxicity mechanism were investigated by physiological analysis, and metabolome and transcriptome data. U significantly inhibited photosynthesis and respiration of plants. In metabolome analysis, 53 metabolites related to carbohydrate metabolism were identified (13 up-regulated, 12 down-regulated). In transcriptome analysis, U significantly inhibited the expression of photoreactive electron transport chain (up: 0; down: 31), Calvin cycle (up: 0; down: 12) and photorespiration pathway genes (up: 0; down: 8). U significantly inhibited the expression of cellular energy metabolic pathways genes (e.g., glycolysis, TCA cycle, and oxidative phosphorylation pathways) (up 8, down 18). We concluded that U inhibited the expression of genes involved in the photosynthetic metabolic pathway, which caused the decrease of photosynthetic rate. Meanwhile, U inhibited the expression of the electron transport chain genes in the mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation pathway, which leads to the abnormal energy supply of cells and the inhibition of root respiration rate.

A metabolomic, transcriptomic profiling, and mineral nutrient metabolism study of the phytotoxicity mechanism of uranium.

Uranium (U) is a nonessential element that is readily adsorbed and retained in plant roots, causing root damage plants, rather than being translocated to other parts of the plant. The phytotoxicity mechanism of U is poorly understood. In this study, Vicia faba, a model plant for toxicological research, was selected as experimental material to investigate the phytotoxicity mechanism of U. In this study, the effects of U on the growth and development, methonome, transcriptome and mineral nutrient metabolism of V. faba were studied under different U treatments (0-25 µM) by integrating metabolomics, transcriptomic, and mineral nutrient metabolism analysis techniques. The results showed that U accumulation in roots and aboveground parts reached 164.34-927.90 µg/pot, and 0.028-0.119 µg/pot, respectively. U was mainly accumulated in the cell wall of roots, which damaged the root microstructure and inhibited root growth and development. In terms of mineral nutrient metabolism, U treatment (0-25 µM) led to changes in mineral metabolic profiles of seedlings. In total, 612 different metabolites were identified in nontargeted metabolomics, including 309 significantly upregulated metabolites and 303 significantly downregulated metabolites. Using RNA-seq, 4974 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified under the high-concentration U treatment (25 µM), including 1654 genes significantly upregulated genes and 3320 genes significantly downregulated genes. Metabolic pathway analysis showed that a high concentration of U led to an imbalance of mineral nutrient metabolism in plants and changes in the metabolism and transcriptome pathway of plants, including alterations in the function of plasmodesmata and auxin signal transduction pathway. The latter finding may potentially explain the toxic effect of U on plant roots.

Effects of minimally invasive approaches on chronic subdural hematoma by novel YL-1 puncture needle and burr-hole methods.

The objective of this study is to investigate effects of minimally invasive approaches on outcome of chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) by novel YL-1 puncture needle and burr-hole methods. A retrospective analysis was performed in 158 hospitalized CSDH patients from January, 2013 to December, 2017 in Kunshan Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Patients' gender, age, history of trauma, volume of hematoma, hematoma location, application of urokinase, surgical approach, the operation time, hospitalized time, and CT scans 3 months after discharge were recorded. Prognostic indicators including symptom relief and post-hospital neuro-imaging findings were extracted to evaluate surgical efficacy. Statistical methods were conducted to evaluate surgical efficacy. Both YL-1 puncture needle and burr-hole surgeries had a satisfying follow-up (93.67%). There was non-significant group difference in follow-up results (p > 0.05). While YL-1 needle group needs less operation time ((p < 0.001) and hospitalized time (p < 0.001), gender (p = 0.144), age (p = 0.394), history of head trauma (p = 0.445), volume of hematoma (p = 0.068), hematoma location (p = 0.281), and application of urokinase (p = 0.545) were shown non-significantly associated with these two minimally invasive approaches. Volume of hematoma was significantly associated with follow-up outcomes (p = 0.016). Novel YL-1 puncture needle and classic burr-hole craniotomy are both proved to be safe and effective minimally invasive surgeries, which can provide an early intervention and minimally invasive strategy for neurosurgeons.

[Total alkaloids of Coptidis Rhizoma combined with exercise inhibits tumor growth of orthotopically transplanted 4T1 breast cancer mice by blocking cell cycle G_1/S transformation].

Breast cancer is one of the leading causes for cancer-related death among women worldwide. Coptidis Rhizoma has antibacterial,anti-inflammatory,anti-tumor and other pharmacological activities,but whether exercise could synergistically promote the role of RC in the treatment of breast cancer has not been reported. In this experiment,the effects and mechanism of total alkaloids of Coptidis Rhizoma combined with exercise on the tumor growth of orthotopically transplanted 4 T1 breast cancer were systemically studied in mice. Balb/C mice transplanted with 4 T1 cells in situ were used as models. The total alkaloids of RC(145 mg·kg-1·d-1) alone or in combination with exercise(10 m·min-1,30 min/time,5 times/week) were given for 28 days,and then the changes in body weight and tumor volume,tumor weight,interleukin-1ß(IL-1ß),serum estradiol(E2) content,and expression levels of estrogen receptor α(ERα),cell cycle related proteins CDK4,CDK6,cyclin D1,CDK2,and cyclin E in tumor tissues. The results showed that total alkaloids of Coptidis Rhizoma could significantly inhibit the growth of 4 T1 breast cancer in mice(P< 0. 01),and exercise significantly promoted the anti-tumor activity of total alkaloids of Coptidis Rhizoma(P<0. 01),and reduced E2 and IL-1ß levels in mice. Western blot and flow cytometry showed that the total alkaloids of Coptidis Rhizoma combined with exercise could down-regulate the protein expression levels of ERα,CDK4,CDK6,cyclin D1,CDK2 and cyclin E in cancer cells,block the transformation of G1/S in 4 T1 cell cycle,and inhibit DNA synthesis in breast cancer cells. The total alkaloids of Coptidis Rhizoma combined with exercise showed synergistic effect in inhibition of tumor growth in mice with orthotopically transplanted 4 T1 breast cancer.