Effect of white jade snail secretion on antioxidant capacity and intestinal microbial diversity in mouse model of acute gastric ulcer.

BACKGROUND: In the present work, acute gastric ulcer models were constructed by administering hydrochloric acid/ethanol. The mice ingested white jade snail secretion (WJSS) through gastric infusion. Ulcer areas in gastric tissue were recorded, and malondialdehyde (MDA) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were also measured. Notably, high-throughput 16S rDNA analysis of intestinal flora and determination of amino acid composition in feces were performed to understand the effect of WJSS on model mice. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the ulcer area in the WJSS low-, medium- and high-concentration groups declined by 28.02%, 39.57% and 77.85%, respectively. MDA content decreased by 24.71%, 49.58% and 64.25%, and SOD relative enzyme activity fell by 28.19%, 43.37% and 9.60%, respectively. The amounts of amino acids in the low-, medium- and high-concentration groups were slightly lower, and probiotic bacteria such as Bacteroidetes and Lactobacillales increased in different-concentration WJSS groups. Adding WJSS contributes to the establishment of beneficial intestinal flora and the absorption of amino acids. CONCLUSION: Our results showed that WJSS has a beneficial effect on inhibiting hydrochloric acid-ethanolic gastric ulcers, suggesting that WJSS has excellent potential as a novel anti-ulcer agent. Combined with ulcer area, MDA content, SOD content, gut probiotics and other indicators, a high concentration of WJSS had the best protective effect on acute gastric ulcer. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Pien Tze Huang alleviates Concanavalin A-induced autoimmune hepatitis by regulating intestinal microbiota and memory regulatory T cells.

BACKGROUND: Traditional Chinese medicine has used the drug Pien Tze Huang (PTH), a classic prescription, to treat autoimmune hepatitis (AIH). However, the precise mode of action is still unknown. AIM: To investigate the mechanism of PTH in an AIH mouse model by determining the changes in gut microbiota structure and memory regulatory T (mTreg) cells functional levels. METHODS: Following induction of the AIH mouse model induced by Concanavalin A (Con A), prophylactic administration of PTH was given for 10 d. The levels of mTreg cells were measured by flow cytometry, and intestinal microbiota was analyzed by 16S rRNA analysis, while western blotting was used to identify activation of the toll-like receptor (TLR)2, TLR4/nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), and CXCL16/CXCR6 signaling pathways. RESULTS: In the liver of mice with AIH, PTH relieved the pathological damage and reduced the numbers of T helper type 17 cells and interferon-γ, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin (IL)-1ß, IL-2, IL-6, and IL-21 expression. Simultaneously, PTH stimulated the abundance of helpful bacteria, promoted activation of the TLR2 signal, which may enhance Treg/mTreg cells quantity to produce IL-10, and suppressed activation of the TLR4/NF-κB and CXCL16/CXCR6 signaling pathways. CONCLUSION: PTH regulates intestinal microbiota balance and restores mTreg cells to alleviate experimental AIH, which is closely related to the TLR/CXCL16/CXCR6/NF-κB signaling pathway.

Treatment Outcomes in COVID-19 Patients with Brucellosis: Case Series in Heilongjiang and Systematic Review of Literature.

Objective: Clinical characteristics and outcome in COVID-19 with brucellosis patients has not been well demonstrated, we tried to analyze clinical outcome in local and literature COVID-19 cases with brucellosis before and after recovery. Methods: We retrospectively collected hospitalization data of comorbid patients and prospectively followed up after discharge in Heilongjiang Infectious Disease Hospital from January 15, 2020 to April 29, 2022. Demographics, epidemiological, clinical symptoms, radiological and laboratory data, treatment medicines and outcomes, and follow up were analyzed, and findings of a systematic review were demonstrated. Results: A total of four COVID-19 with brucellosis patients were included. One patient had active brucellosis before covid and 3 patients had nonactive brucellosis before brucellosis. The median age was 54.5 years, and all were males (100.0%). Two cases (50.0%) were moderate, and one was mild and asymptomatic, respectively. Three cases (75.0%) had at least one comorbidity (brucellosis excluded). All 4 patients were found in COVID-19 nucleic acid screening. Case C and D had only headache and fever on admission, respectively. Four cases were treated with Traditional Chinese medicine, western medicines for three cases, no adverse reaction occurred during hospitalization. All patients were cured and discharged. Moreover, one case (25.0%) had still active brucellosis without re-positive COVID-19, and other three cases (75.0%) have no symptoms of discomfort except one case fell fatigue and anxious during the follow-up period after recovery. Conducting the literature review, two similar cases have been reported in two case reports, and were both recovered, whereas, no data of follow up after recovery. Conclusion: These cases indicate that COVID-19 patients with brucellosis had favorable outcome before and after recovery. More clinical studies should be conducted to confirm our findings.

Evaluation of Comfort in Patients with Intestinal Fistula and Analysis of Influencing Factors.

Objective: To analyze the comfort and influencing factors in patients with enterocutaneous intestinal fistula (ECF) on hospital admission and propose targeted nursing intervention countermeasures. Methods: A total of 193 patients with EDF admitted to Hunan Provincial People's Hospital in China from May 2018 to February 2021 were selected for this study. Basic patient data were collected upon admission and the Kolcaba Comfort Scale was used to score comfort status. Univariate and multivariate analysis methods were used to analyze the influencing factors. Results: Patients with ECF have low comfort scores; the social, psychological, physiological and environmental dimensions were affected by 8, 7, 4 and 2 factors, respectively. The number of fistulas and skin condition in patients with ECF were the main physiological factors affecting patients. Conclusion: Paying attention to the fistula and surrounding skin care and strengthening psychological counseling can improve the comfort of patients with ECF.

Evidence and Mechanisms of Selenate Reduction to Extracellular Elemental Selenium Nanoparticles on the Biocathode.

Intracellular selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) production is a roadblock to the recovery of selenium from biological water treatment processes because it is energy intensive to break microbial cells and then separate SeNPs. This study provided evidence of significantly more extracellular SeNP production on the biocathode (97-99%) compared to the conventional reactors (1-90%) using transmission electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The cathodic microbial community analysis showed that relative abundance of Azospira oryzae, Desulfovibrio, Stenotrophomonas, and Rhodocyclaceae was <1% in the inoculum but enriched to 10-21% for each group when the bioelectrochemical reactor reached a steady state. These four groups of microorganisms simultaneously produce intracellular and extracellular SeNPs in conventional biofilm reactors per literature review but prefer to produce extracellular SeNPs on the cathode. This observation may be explained by the cellular energetics: by producing extracellular SeNPs on the biocathode, microbes do not need to transfer selenate and the electrons from the cathode into the cells, thereby saving energy. Extracellular SeNP production on the biocathode is feasible since we found high concentrations of C-type cytochrome, which is well known for its ability to transfer electrons from electrodes to microbial cells and reduce selenate to SeNPs on the cell membrane.

Rutaecarpine prevents the malignant biological properties of breast cancer cells by the miR-149-3p/S100A4 axis.

Background: Breast cancer (BC) is a frequent malignancy that endangers women's health, and its fatality rate ranks 1st among female malignancies. Research has shown that rutaecarpine (RUT), which is a Chinese herbal medicine, blocks the proliferation of cancer cells by a variety of molecular mechanisms. However, the possible effects and mechanism of RUT in the autophagy and angiogenesis of BC cells has not been clearly articulated. Methods: MiR-149-3p and S100A4 expression levels were assessed by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), and the optimal concentration and time of RUT was confirmed by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assays of the BC cells. After treatment, changes in cell proliferation and the cell cycle were evaluated by CCK-8 assays, clone formation assays, and flow cytometry, and the levels of apoptosis, autophagy, and angiogenesis-related proteins were identified by Western blot. The targeted regulation of miR-149-3p on S100A4 was also examined by luciferase reporter assays. Results: We found that RUT inhibited cell growth and upregulated miR-149-3p in MDA-MB-231 cells. In relation to the biological function activity, RUT attenuated proliferation and angiogenesis, and induced cell-cycle arrest and autophagy by miR-149-3p in the MDA-MB-231 cells. Additionally, miR-149-3p downregulated S100A4 by targeting binding to S100A4, and S100A4 was required for miR-149-3p to play a role in BC progression. We also discovered that an autophagy agonist (rapamycin) or an angiogenesis inhibitor (TNP-470) changed BC progression mediated by the RUT/miR-149-3p/S100A4 axis. Conclusions: RUT blocks the malignant behaviors of BC cells through the miR-149-3p/S100A4 axis and thus alters autophagy and angiogenesis. Thus, the RUT-mediated miR-149-3p/S100A4 axis might be an underlying therapeutic agent and target for BC.

Lipopeptide surfactin ameliorates the cell uptake of platensimycin and enhances its therapeutic effect on treatment of MRSA skin infection.

OBJECTIVES: The rapid development of drug-resistant bacteria, especially MRSA, poses severe threats to global public health. Adoption of antibiotic adjuvants has proved to be one of the efficient ways to solve such a crisis. Platensimycin and surfactin were comprehensively studied to combat prevalent MRSA skin infection. METHODS: MICs of platensimycin, surfactin or their combinations were determined by resazurin assay, while the corresponding MBCs were determined by chequerboard assay. Growth inhibition curves and biofilm inhibition were determined by OD measurements. Membrane permeability analysis was conducted by propidium iodide staining, and morphological characterizations were performed by scanning electron microscopy. Finally, the therapeutic effects on MRSA skin infections were evaluated in scald-model mice. RESULTS: The in vitro assays indicated that surfactin could significantly improve the antibacterial performance of platensimycin against MRSA, especially the bactericidal activity. Subsequent mechanistic studies revealed that surfactin not only interfered with the biofilm formation of MRSA, but also disturbed their cell membranes to enhance membrane permeability, and therefore synergistically ameliorated MRSA cellular uptake of platensimycin. Further in vivo assessment validated the synergistic effect of surfactin on platensimycin and the resultant enhancement of therapeutical efficacy in MRSA skin-infected mice. CONCLUSIONS: The combination of effective and biosafe surfactin and platensimycin could be a promising and efficient treatment for MRSA skin infection, which could provide a feasible solution to combat the major global health threats caused by MRSA.

Innovative utilization of herbal residues: Exploring the diversity of mechanisms beneficial to regulate anaerobic fermentation of alfalfa.

In order to increase the utilization of herbal residues, realize efficient utilization of resources, the bacterial community and anaerobic fermentation characteristics of alfalfa ensiling treated with 36 kinds of herbal residues were studied. All the herbal residues improved the anaerobic fermentation quality in different degrees, indicated by lower pH, NH3-N and butyric acid concentrations. However, the contents of lactic and acetic acids varied widely in silage with different herbal residues. Pearson's correlation analysis showed that the improved fermentation quality was closely associated with the variation of lactic acid bacteria community. Consequently, the herbal residues could improve anaerobic fermentation quality by stimulating desirable Lactobacillus species and inhibiting undesirable microbes. This study provides new insights for efficient utilization of herbal residues.

Effects of Motherwort Injection Versus Intramuscular Oxytocin for Preventing Postpartum Hemorrhage Among Women Who Underwent Cesarean Section.

Objectives: Subject to ethical constraints, real-world data are an important resource for evaluating treatment effects of medication use during pregnancy and the postpartum period. This study investigated whether motherwort injection, a traditional Chinese medicine preparation, was more effective than intramuscular (IM) oxytocin for preventing postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) in a real-world setting when intravenous (IV) oxytocin is administered. Methods: We conducted an active-controlled, propensity-score matched cohort study using an established pregnancy registry database. Women who underwent cesarean section and received IV oxytocin at the third stage of labor were included. We used an active-comparator design to minimize indication bias, in which we compared IM motherwort injection in the uterus versus IM oxytocin, both on top of IV oxytocin use. We applied 1:1 propensity-score matching (PSM) to balance patient baseline characteristics and used a logistic regression model to estimate treatment effect (i.e., risk difference (RD) and odds ratio (OR)) by using the counterfactual framework. The outcomes of interest were blood loss over 500 ml within 2 h after delivery (PPH, primary) and blood loss over 1,000 ml (severe PPH, secondary). We conducted four sensitivity analyses to examine the robustness of the results. Results: A total of 22,519 pregnant women underwent cesarean sections, among which 4,081 (18.12%) PPH and 480 (2.13%) severe PPH occurred. Among included women, 586 (2.60%) were administrated with IM motherwort injection, and 21,933 (97.40%) used IM oxytocin. After PSM, patient baseline characteristics were well balanced. Compared with IM oxytocin, the use of IM motherwort injection was associated with significantly lower risk of PPH (RD -25.26%, 95% CI -30.04% to -20.47%, p < 0.001; OR 0.25, 95% CI 0.18 to 0.32, p < 0.001) and severe PPH (RD -3.58%, 95% CI -5.87% to -1.30%, p < 0.001; OR 0.39, 95% CI 0.20 to 0.71, p < 0.002). Sensitivity analyses showed that the results were similar. Conclusion: With the use of data from a real-world setting, the findings consistently showed that among women undergoing cesarean section who had received IV oxytocin, the additional use of IM motherwort injection could achieve a lower risk of PPH as compared to the additional use of IM oxytocin. Our study suggested a paradigm for investigating the treatment effect of Chinese herbal medicine in the real-world practice setting.

[Mechanism of polyphyllin A in inhibition of proliferation and induction of apoptosis of gastric cancer cells by directly targeting ETS-1].

The present study investigated the mechanism of polyphyllin A(PPA) in inhibiting gastric cancer(GC) cells. GC cells(SGC7901 and MGC803 cell lines) were treated with PPA at different concentrations. The effect of PPA on the proliferation of GC cells was detected by MTT assay, real-time cell analysis(RTCA) assay, and clone-forming assay, respectively. Reactive oxygen species(ROS) of GC cells was detected by flow cytometry. The change of mitochondrial membrane potential was detected by JC-1 assay. The expression and phosphorylation levels of apoptosis-related proteins(caspase-9, caspase-3, and PARP) and proteins related to the signaling pathway(ETS-1, CIP2 A, and Akt) were detected by Western blot. The binding sites of PPA to ETS-1 were analyzed by molecular docking. The affinity of PPA and ETS-1 was detected by drug affinity responsive target stability(DARTS) assay. PPA had a significant inhibitory effect on the proliferation and colony formation of GC cells at a low concentration. The PPA groups showed increased ROS and decreased mitochondrial membrane potential. PPA down-regulated the precursor expression of caspase-9 and caspase-3 and promoted the cleavage of PARP, suggesting that PPA induced the apoptosis of GC cells through the mitochondrial pathway. PPA significantly reduced expression levels of CIP2 A and the phosphorylation of downstream Akt. Molecular docking showed that PPA bound to the ETS domain of ETS-1, the transcription factor of CIP2 A, and formed hydrogen bonds with Pro319 and Asp317. DARTS assay further confirmed that PPA significantly prevented the hydrolysis of ETS-1 by pronase, which was inductive of the direct binding effect of PPA and ETS-1. PPA inhibits the proliferation and induces the apoptosis of GC cells by directly targeting ETS-1 to down-regulate the ETS-1/CIP2 A/Akt signaling pathway.

[Mechanism of polyphyllin â targeting EGFR to affect proliferation and apoptosis of human breast cancer cells].

This study aims to investigate the molecular mechanism of polyphyllin Ⅰ(PPⅠ) inhibiting proliferation of human breast cancer cells. Human breast cancer BT474 and MDA-MB-436 cells were treated with different concentrations of PPⅠ, and then the effect of PPⅠ on cell proliferation was detected by MTT assay, trypan blue dye exclusion assay, real-time cell analysis, and clone forming assay, respectively. The apoptosis was detected by Annexin V-FITC/PI staining and then analyzed by flow cytometry. The change of mitochondrial membrane potential was detected by flow cytometry after fluorescent probe JC-1 staining. Western blot was used to detect protein expression and phosphorylation. Molecular docking was performed to detect the binding between PPⅠ and EGFR. The affinity between PPⅠ and EGFR was determined by drug affinity responsive target stability assay. The results indicated that PPⅠ inhibited the proliferation and colony formation of BT474 and MDA-MB-436 cells in a time-and concentration-dependent manner. The PPⅠ treatment group showed significantly increased apoptosis rate and significantly decreased mitochondrial membrane potential. PPⅠ down-regulated the expression of pro-caspase-3 protein, promoted the cleavage of PARP, and significantly reduced the phosphorylation levels of EGFR, Akt, and ERK. Molecular docking showed that PPⅠ bound to the extracellular domain of EGFR and formed hydrogen bond with Gln366 residue. Drug affinity responsive target stability assay confirmed that PPⅠ significantly prevented pronase from hydrolyzing EGFR, indicating that PPⅠ and EGFR have a direct binding effect. In conclusion, PPⅠ inhibited the proliferation and induced apoptosis of breast cancer cells by targeting EGFR to block its downstream signaling pathway. This study lays a foundation for the further development of PPⅠ-targeted drugs against breast cancer.

Enhanced suppression of soil-borne phytopathogenic bacteria Ralstonia solanacearum in soil and promotion of tomato plant growth by synergetic effect of green synthesized nanoparticles and plant extract.

AIMS: Because of severe economic losses and food security concerns caused by plant pathogenic bacteria, Ralstonia solanacearum, there is a need to develop novel control methods. This study was aimed to green synthesize the zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) through Withania coagulans leaf extracts and checked their antibacterial potential alone or in combination with W. coagulans leaf extract for the management of R. solanacearum causing bacterial wilt disease in tomato. METHODS AND RESULTS: ZnO NPs were synthesized through an eco-friendly approach using leaves extract of W. coagulans and characterized through various spectroscopic approaches, that is Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic, UV-visible spectroscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy. The antibacterial effect of W. coagulans leaf extract and ZnO NPs alone and in combination was tested in vitro and in vivo against bacterial wilt pathogen in tomato plants. The results showed that combine application of leaf extract and ZnO NPs inhibited in vitro growth of R. solanacearum more than applying alone. Three application times (0, 6 and 12 days before transplantation) of leaf extract, ZnONPs and their combine application were tested in vivo. The combine treatment and longest application time (12 days before transplantation) were more effective in suppressing soil population of R. solanacearum, reducing disease severity and enhancing plant growth than applying alone and smaller application time. CONCLUSION: It is concluded that W. coagulans leaf extract and ZnO NPs have strong antibacterial potential against R. solanacearum in vitro and in vivo. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF STUDY: The results of this study suggest the potential application of leaf extract and ZnO nanoparticles for controlling R. solanacearum as safe, eco-friendly and less expensive integrated disease management strategy in tomato crop.

Erxian Decoction modulates Th17/Treg cells differentiation through LFA-1/ICAM-1/STAT3 pathway in menopausal dry eye disease.

With the development of modern societies and the ageing of the population, the treatment of menopausal dry eye disease (MDED) has become a thorny issue for the medical profession. Erxian Decoction (EXD) is a traditional Chinese medicine prescription, which has performed good clinical effect on dry eye disease. In this research, we purposed to investigate the molecular mechanisms of EXD for the treatment of MDED. A MDED rat model was established, the results indicated that high concentration of EXD could significantly improve the tear secretion and tear film stability of the animal model. Next, we found that EXD worked through the LFA-1/ICAM-1/STAT3 pathway in the body, and EXD could regulate IL-17, IL-10, CTLA-4 and TGF-ß1 to get Th17/Treg balance. In vitro experiments, the results indicated that EXD affected the differentiation of CD4+ T cells into Th17/Treg cells by inhibiting the expression and activation of LFA-1 on CD4+ T cells, thus exerting immunotherapy effect. Our research provided the experimental basis and associated mechanisms for the clinical application of EXD in dry eye disease.

[Molecular mechanism of Fagopyri Dibotryis Rhizoma in treatment of acute lung injury based on network pharmacology and in vitro experiments].

The present study explored the mechanism of Fagopyri Dibotryis Rhizoma(FDR) and its main active components in the treatment of acute lung injury(ALI) based on the network pharmacology and the in vitro experiments. The main active components of FDR were obtained from the TCMSP database and screened by oral bioavailability and drug-likeness. The related target proteins of FDR were retrieved from the PubChem database, and the target genes related to ALI were screened out from the GeneCards database. A protein-protein interaction(PPI) network of compound target proteins and ALI target genes was constructed using STRING 11.0. Ingenuity Pathway Analysis(IPA) platform was used to analyze the common pathways of the potential compound target proteins of FDR and ALI target genes, thereby predicting the key targets and potential signaling pathways of FDR for the treatment of ALI. Finally, the potential pathways and key targets were verified by the in vitro experiments of lipopolysaccharide-induced RAW264.7 cells intervened by epicatechin(EC), the active component of FDR. The results of network pharmacology showed that 15 potential active components such as EC, procyanidin B1, and luteolin presumedly functioned in the treatment of ALI through nuclear transcription factor-κB(NF-κB) signaling pathway, transforming growth factor-ß(TGF-ß) signaling pathway, and adenosine 5'-monophosphate(AMP)-activated protein kinase(AMPK) signaling pathway through key targets, such as RELA(P65). The results of in vitro experiments showed that 25 µmol·L~(-1) EC had no toxicity to cells and could inhibit the expression of the p65-phosphorylated protein in the NF-κB signaling pathway to down-regulate the expression of downstream inflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α), IL-1ß and nitric oxide(NO), and up-regulate the expression of IL-10. These results suggested that the therapeutic efficacy of FDR on ALI was achieved by inhibiting the phosphorylation of p65 protein in the NF-κB signaling pathway and down-regulating the level of proinflammatory cytokines downstream of the signaling pathways.

Exploring the Addition of Herbal Residues on Fermentation Quality, Bacterial Communities, and Ruminal Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Paper Mulberry Silage.

This study aimed to investigate the influence of herbal residues on the fermentation quality and ruminal fermentation of paper mulberry silage. Clove, mint, and purple perilla residues were used as additives. Silage treatments were designed as control (no additives), 5% of clove, 5% of mint, and 5% of purple perilla. After 21 and 75 days of fermentation, the fermentation characteristics, bacterial communities, and ruminal greenhouse gas emissions in vitro incubation of paper mulberry were analyzed. The results showed that the used herbal residues could reduce the protein losses in paper mulberry silage based on the lower contents of ammoniacal nitrogen and nonprotein nitrogen. Compared with control, higher lactic acid and propionic acid contents were observed in the silages treated with mint and purple perilla but with a higher acetic acid content in clove treatment. Real-time sequencing technology (single-molecule real-time) revealed that Lactobacillus was the dominant bacteria in all silages at the genus level, whereas the bacterial abundance in the treated silages differed greatly from control at the species level. Lactobacillus hammesii abundance was the highest in control, whereas Lactobacillus acetotolerans was the first predominant in the treated silages. All the additives enhanced the digestibility of in vitro dry matter significantly. However, purple perilla decreased the production of total gas, methane, and carbon dioxide. The findings discussed earlier suggested that herbal residues have potential effects in improving fermentation quality, reducing protein loss, and modulating greenhouse gas emissions in the rumen of paper mulberry silage by shifting bacterial community composition.

Effect of Tongguan Capsules () on Restenosis after Coronary Stent Implantation: Study Protocol for A Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Although percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) had become widely employed therapeutic procedure for coronary artery disease, stent restenosis limited the benefits of this revascularization and the question how to prevent such events remained unresolved. While numerous empirical observations suggested Tongguan Capsules (), a patented Chinese Medicine, could decrease frequency and duration of angina pectoris attacks, evidence supporting its efficacy on restenosis remained inadequate. OBJECTIVE: This trial was designed to determine whether Tongguan Capsules would reduce restenosis rate in patients after successful stent implantation. METHODS: Approximately 400 patients undergoing percutaneous coronary stent deployment were enrolled and randomized to control group or Tongguan Capsules (4.5 g/d) for 3 months. All patients received standard anti-platelet, anti-coagulation and lipid-decreasing treatments, concurrently. The primary clinical endpoint was the 12-month incidence of the major adverse cardiovascular events (defined as cardiac death, myocardial infarction, and recurrence of symptoms requiring additional revascularization). The angiographic end point was restenosis rate at 6 months. CONCLUSION: This study would provide important evidence for the use of Tongguan Capsules in patients after stent implantation in combination with routine therapies, which may significantly reduce incidence of the restenosis so as to potentially improve the clinical outcomes. (registration number: ChiCTR-TRC- ChiCTR-IIR-17011407).

Effects of miR-384 and miR-134-5p Acting on YY1 Signaling Transduction on Biological Function of Gastric Cancer Cells.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the related influencing mechanism of miR-384 and miR-134-5p acting on Yin Yang 1 (YY1) signaling transduction on the biological function of gastric cancer (GC) cells. METHODS: miR-384, miR-134-5p and YY1 levels in human GC cell lines KATO III, MKN-45, SNU-1 and normal gastric cell line GES-1 were measured by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Dual luciferase reporter (DLR) gene assay and Western blot (WB) were employed for correlation analysis between miR-384, miR-134-5p and YY1. miR-384-inhibitor, miR-384-mimics, empty plasmid (miRNA-NC) and sh-YY1 were transfected into KATO III cells. Cell proliferation was determined by 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazolyl-2)-2,5-Diphenyl Tetrazolium Bromide (MTT), cell invasion was measured by Transwell, and apoptosis was analyzed by flow cytometry (FC). RESULTS: In KATO III, MKN-45 and SNU-1 cell lines, YY1 was upregulated while miR-384 and miR-134-5p were downregulated (P<0.001). The expression of miR-134-5p in the miR-134-5p-inhibitor group was significantly lower (P<0.001), while that in the miR-134-5p-mimics group was significantly higher (P<0.001). The expression of miR-384 in the miR-384-inhibitor group was significantly lower (P<0.001), and that in the miR-384-mimics group was significantly higher as compared to the NC group (P<0.001). Both miR-384 and miR-134-5p overexpression could inhibit cell proliferation and invasion, and promote apoptosis. As detected by WB, overexpressed miR-384 and miR-134-5p inhibited the expression of EMT-related molecular markers. Compared with sh-YY1, the number of cells in S phase decreased, the pro-apoptotic proteins boosted statistically, and the anti-apoptotic proteins declined notably after transfecting miR-134-5p-mimics/sh-YY1 or miR-384-mimics/sh-YY1 (P<0.05). The tumor growth rate of nude mice in miR-134-5p/sh-YY1 and miR-384/sh-YY1 groups were significantly lower than those in sh-YY1 group (all P<0.001). CONCLUSION: By targeting YY1 signaling transduction, miR-134-5p and miR-384 can alter the growth and apoptosis of GC cells, which are promising targets for new therapeutics of GC.

[Comparative Phosphorus Accumulation and Ca-P Content of Two Submerged Plants in Response to Light Intensity and Phosphorus Levels].

The micro-environment formed by the photosynthesis of submerged plants is conducive to the formation of CaCO3-P from co-precipitation of calcium and phosphorus in water, thereby permanently removing phosphorus from water to the bottom mud and avoiding secondary pollution after plants decay. However, CaCO3-P co-precipitation shows obvious specific-differences and environmental dependencies. In the present study, two different submerged plants, Myriophyllum aquaticum and Potamogeton crispus, were used as the research objects. Two variables, inorganic phosphorus level (0, 0.2, and 2 mg·L-1) and light intensity [66 µmol·(m2·s)-1 and 110 µmol·(m2·s)-1], were set. After cultivating for a week, the plant relative growth rate, plant total phosphorus, plant ash phosphorus, and Ca-P were measured to analyze the actual ability of phosphorus accumulation and clarify the effect of plant corruption on phosphorus increase in the water body. Results revealed that under various culture conditions, the relative growth rates (RGR) of P. crispus were significantly higher than those of M. aquaticum, and RGR reached the maximum at a P level of 2 mg·L-1 and a light intensity of 66 µmol·(m2·s)-1. The addition of inorganic phosphorus significantly affected plant ash phosphorus of the two plants (P. crispus 95.681%, M. aquaticum 85.432%), and the highest value of Ca-P content in the ash phosphorus of the two submerged plants appeared at a high phosphorus level. The total phosphorus in P. crispus was lower than that in M. aquaticum under various treatments, but the total ash phosphorus and Ca-P levels were higher than those in M. aquaticum. Consequently, M. aquaticum and P. crispus can effectively accumulate phosphorus during growth. However, the actual ability of P. crispus of removing phosphorus from water by the formation of CaCO3-P was higher than that of M. aquaticum at a P level of 2 mg·L-1.

Active Ingredients and Mechanism of Action of Rhizoma Coptidis against Type 2 Diabetes Based on Network-Pharmacology and Bioinformatics.

A pharmacological network of "component/target/pathway" for Rhizoma coptidis against type 2 diabetes (T2D) was established by network-pharmacology, and the active components of Rhizoma coptidis and its mechanism were explored. A literature-based and database study of the components of Rhizoma coptidis was carried out and screened by ADME parameters. The targets of Rhizoma coptidis were predicted by the ligand similarity method. Related pathways were analyzed with databases, and software was used to construct a "component/target/path" network. The mechanism was further confirmed by GEO database with R software. A total of 12 active components were screened from Rhizoma coptidis, involving 57 targets including MAPK1, STAT3, INSR, and 38 signaling pathways were associated with T2D. Related signaling pathways included essential pathways for T2D such as insulin resistance, and pathways that had indirect effect on T2D. It was suggested that Rhizoma coptidis may exert its effects against T2D through multi-component, multi-target, and multi-pathway forms.

Network Pharmacology-based Research of Active Components of Albiziae Flos and Mechanisms of Its Antidepressant Effect.

Albiziae Flos (AF) has been experimentally proven to have an antidepressant effect. However, due to the complexity of botanical ingredients, the exact pharmacological mechanism of action of AF in depression has not been completely deciphered. This study used the network pharmacology method to construct a component-target-pathway network to explore the active components and potential mechanisms of action of AF. The methods included collection and screening of chemical components, prediction of depression-associated targets of the active components, gene enrichment, and network construction and analysis. Quercetin and 4 other active components were found to exert antidepressant effects mainly via monoaminergic neurotransmitters and cAMP signaling and neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction pathways. DRD2, HTR1A, and SLC6A4 were identified as important targets of the studied bioactive components of AF. This network pharmacology analysis provides guidance for further study of the antidepressant mechanism of AF.