Stigmasterol alleviates allergic airway inflammation and airway hyperresponsiveness in asthma mice through inhibiting substance-P receptor.

CONTEXT: Stigmasterol has significant anti-arthritis and anti-inflammatory effects, but its role in immune and inflammatory diseases is still unclear. OBJECTIVE: The potential advantages of stigmasterol in asthma were explored in IL-13-induced BEAS-2B cells and asthmatic mice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The optimal target of stigmasterol was confirmed in asthma. After detecting the cytotoxicity of stigmasterol in BEAS-2B cells, 10 µg/mL and 20 µg/mL stigmasterol were incubated with the BEAS-2B cell model for 48 h, and anti-inflammation and antioxidative stress were verified. Asthmatic mice were induced by OVA and received 100 mg/kg stigmasterol for 7 consecutive days. After 28 days, lung tissues and BAL fluid were collected for the following study. To further verify the role of NK1-R, 0.1 µM WIN62577 (NK1-R specific antagonist), and 1 µM recombinant human NK1-R protein were applied. RESULTS: NK1-R was the potential target of stigmasterol. When the concentration of stigmasterol is 20 µg/mL, the survival rate of BEAS-2B cells is about 98.4%, which is non-toxic. Stigmasterol exerted anti-inflammation and antioxidant stress in a dose-dependent manner and decreased NK1-R expression in IL-13-induced BEAS-2B. Meanwhile, in vivo assay also indicated the anti-inflammation and antioxidant stress of stigmasterol after OVA challenge. Stigmasterol inhibited inflammation infiltration and mucus hypersecretion, and NK1-R expression. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: The protective effect of stigmaterol on asthma and its underlying mechanism have been discussed in depth, providing a theoretical basis and more possibilities for its treatment of asthma.

Image testing based on biomedical drug loading in cardiovascular drug care simulation for coronary heart disease.

Coronary heart disease is a common cardiovascular disease, and its therapeutic effect is affected by the distribution and absorption of drugs in the body. Biomedical drug-carrying image testing technology can provide a quantitative assessment of drug distribution and absorption in the body. This study aims to explore the application of biomedical drug-carrying image testing technology in the simulation of cardiovascular drug care in coronary heart disease, so as to provide reference for the optimization of drug treatment plan and individualized treatment. The study collected clinical data and medication regiments of patients with coronary heart disease. Then, the imaging examination of patients was carried out by selecting appropriate drug loading markers using the biomedical drug loading image examination technology. Then quantitative analysis was used to process the image data to quantitatively evaluate the distribution and absorption of drugs in the cardiovascular system. The quantitative data of drug distribution and absorption in patients with coronary heart disease have been obtained successfully by means of biomedical imaging. These data reveal the dynamic changes of drugs in the cardiovascular system, and help doctors optimize drug therapy, improve treatment effectiveness, and achieve personalized treatment.

Abnormal TPM2 expression is involved in regulation of atherosclerosis progression via mediating RhoA signaling in vitro.

Introduction: Ox-LDL (oxidized low-density lipoprotein)-induced endothelial cell injury and dysfunction of vascular smooth muscle cells play critical roles in the development of atherosclerosis (AS). Tropomyosin 2 (TPM2) has been implicated in cardiac diseases, but its critical role and regulatory mechanism in AS progression have not yet been elucidated. Material and methods: The expression of TPM2 was investigated in AS tissues. Ox-LDL was used to construct an AS in vitro model based on endothelial and vascular smooth muscle cells (HAECs and VSMCs). An overexpression assay was performed to evaluate the role of TPM2 in AS. Meanwhile, the involvement of the RhoA pathway in TPM2-mediated AS progression was evaluated using narciclasine. Results: Tropomyosin 2 was dramatically upregulated in both AS tissues and ox-LDL-induced HAECs. Overexpression of TPM2 attenuated ox-LDL-stimulated cell growth depression, inflammatory and adhesive responses in HAECs, as well as oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction. Additionally, VSMCs, impacted by TPM2-overexpressed HAECs, showed alleviated cellular processes which were abnormally activated by ox-LDL. Furthermore, depressed activation of the RhoA pathway was found in TPM2-overexpressed HAECs and activating the signaling rescued these effects of TPM2 exerted on ox-LDL-stimulated HAECs and VSMCs. Conclusions: TPM2 had an advantageous impact on ox-LDL-induced AS progression in vitro by mediating the RhoA pathway. This evidence might contribute to the therapy of AS.

The diagnostic value of echocardiography combined with serum Hcy and PCSK9 in coronary heart disease.

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is one of the most common cardiovascular diseases. This study analyzed the diagnostic value of echocardiography combined with serum homocysteine (Hcy) and proprotein convertase subtilisin 9 (PCSK9) in CHD. Here, 108 CHD patients were selected as the study group. Additionally, 108 patients with suspected CHD excluded by coronary angiography were selected as the control group. Serum Hcy and PCSK9 levels were detected by circulating enzymatic and biochemical analysis assay. The contrast echocardiography showed that the contrast agent filling velocity (ß) and the maximum number of microbubbles (A) in the study group were declined compared to the control group. Serum Hcy and PCSK9 levels in the study group were higher than those in the control group. In addition, ß, A, Hcy and PCSK9 are important influencing factors of CHD. The coronary artery disease branch numbers and the degree of stenosis in CHD patients were negatively correlated with ß and A values, and positively correlated with serum Hcy and PCSK9 levels. ß, A combined with serum Hcy and PCSK9 levels have diagnostic value for CHD, and are significantly correlated with the severity of CHD.

[Accumulation, Migration, and Transformation of Soil Phosphorus in Facility Agriculture and Its Influencing Factors].

The aim of this study was to apply phosphorus fertilizer scientifically and reasonably and reduce the pollution risk to the facility agricultural environment. Taking the facility agriculture concentration area in Daxing District of Beijing as the research object, the phosphorus content in soil (0-100 cm) of the facility agriculture profile with different planting years was measured and analyzed to explore the characteristics of phosphorus accumulation, migration, and transformation. The results showed that the contents of total phosphorus and available phosphorus in the surface soil of facility agriculture varied widely, which was significantly higher than that in the surrounding grain field soil, which was mainly related to the amount of phosphorus applied by farmers in different planting years. With the increase in soil depth, the contents of total phosphorus and available phosphorus decreased gradually, showing surface aggregation ω (total phosphorus) ranging from 0.38 to 2.58 g·kg-1 and ω (available phosphorus) ranging from 1.60 to 256.00 mg·kg-1. With the increase in planting years, the contents of soil total phosphorus and available phosphorus first increased and then decreased, reached a peak in approximately 15 years, then gradually decreased, tended to be stable, and generally remained at a high level. Inorganic phosphorus was mainly concentrated in the surface soil of the facility agriculture, in which Ca-P accounted for the largest proportion of inorganic phosphorus, up to 98.38%; Ca10-P was the main form of Ca-P, up to 78.70% of Ca-P, and Ca2-P accounted for the smallest proportion, only 9.50% of Ca-P. The contents of different forms of inorganic phosphorus showed the vertical distribution characteristics of enrichment in the surface soil and a decrease downward. There were differences in the proportion of different forms of inorganic phosphorus to total phosphorus in different soil depths, in which the change in Ca-P was obvious, whereas the change in Fe-P and 0-P was not significant, indicating that the migration and transformation of Fe-P and O-P in the facility agricultural soil was poor, and the migration and transformation of inorganic phosphorus was mainly Ca-P. According to the correlation and path analysis, the direct path coefficient of Ca2-P to available phosphorus was the largest (0.787), which was not only the main source of soil available phosphorus but also the main form of inorganic phosphorus migration and transformation. Under the condition of protected cultivation, soil phosphorus showed a large accumulation trend, the availability of Ca10-P was low, and the accumulation was large. How to improve this portion of phosphorus sources is the key to the management of protected soil phosphorus.

Association of Left Ventricular Hypertrophy With a Faster Rate of Renal Function Decline in Elderly Patients With Non-End-Stage Renal Disease.

BACKGROUND: Several studies have indicated that chronic kidney disease is independently associated with the presence of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH). However, little clinical data are currently available regarding the detailed correlation between LVH and renal function in elderly patients with non-end-stage renal disease. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 300 in- and outpatients (more than 60 years of age, non-end-stage renal disease), 251 with LVH and 49 without LVH, seen at Beijing Friendship Hospital from January 2000 to December 2010 were included in this retrospective study. One observation period of 12 months was used to detect rapid kidney function decline. The evaluations of cardiac structure and function were performed via echocardiography. The multivariable logistic analysis showed patients with LVH had a much higher risk of rapid kidney function decline than those without LVH. Additionally, the baseline left ventricular mass index was 140 (125-160) g/m(2) in the non-chronic kidney disease group, 152 (130-175) g/m(2) in the mild chronic kidney disease group (estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR)≥60 ml/min/1.73 m(2)), and 153 (133-183) g/m(2) in the severe chronic kidney disease group (eGFR<60 ml/min/1.73 m(2)), with a significant difference (P=0.009). CONCLUSIONS: Our data demonstrate that a high rate of renal function decline contributes to pathological LVH in non-end-stage renal disease elderly patients and that LVH is positively associated with renal function decline followed by an increased risk of rapid kidney function decline.