Identification and characterization of the chemical components of Iris tectorum Maxim. and evaluation of their nitric oxide inhibitory activity.

RATIONALE: Iris tectorum Maxim. is a traditional medicinal herb that is commonly used to treat inflammatory conditions. The present study investigated the fragmentation patterns of isoflavone glycosides and their qualitative analysis. In addition, lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW264.7 macrophages were used to evaluate the anti-inflammatory properties of I. tectorum Maxim. samples collected at different time points during the year. METHODS: High-performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC/QTOF-MS/MS) and HPLC with diode-array detection were employed for qualitative and quantitative analysis. The fragmentation patterns of the isoflavones were observed in negative electrospray ionization mode with collision-induced dissociation (CID). Their anti-inflammatory activity was assessed via nitric oxide (NO) production in LPS-treated RAW264.7 macrophages. RESULTS: A total of 15 chemical components were observed and tentatively identified using HPLC/QTOF-MS/MS. At low collision energy, the relative abundances of the aglycone radical anions Y0 - , [Y0 - H]-• , [Y0 - CH3 ]-• and [Y0 - H- CH2 ]-• were used for the structural characterization of tectoridin and tectorigenin-4'-O-ß-D-glucoside. The radical ions [Y0 - CH3 ]-• and [Y0 - H - 2CH3 ]-• were also employed to differentiate between iristectorin A and iristectorin B based upon their high-energy CID spectra. Levels of 9.02 mg/g of tectoridin and 1.04 mg/g of tectorigenin were found in samples collected in June, which exhibited 69.7% NO inhibitory activity. CONCLUSIONS: The characteristic fragmentation patterns enabled us to reliably identify isoflavone glycosides. The results of the quantitative determination and NO inhibitory activity offer insight into the optimal I. tectorum Maxim. harvesting time.

Profiling expression changes of genes associated with temperature and sex during high temperature-induced masculinization in the Nile tilapia brain.

Fish sex-determining mechanisms can be classified as genotypic (GSD), temperature (TSD), or genotypic plus temperature effects (GSD+TE). Previous studies have shown that culturing water temperature during thermosensitive periods (TSP) could affect the expression of many genes in the gonad in some fish. However, few studies have focused on gene expression changes in the brain after temperature treatment during TSP in fish species. In this study, three families were developed by crossing XX neomales with XX females and one of them was used for transcriptome analysis. The results showed that a total of 105, 3164 and 4666 DEGs were respectively obtained in FC (female control) vs. FT (high temperature-treated females at TSP), FC vs. MC (male control), and MC vs. FT comparison groups. By profiling analysis, we show that the mRNA expression levels of 16 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) exhibited significant downregulation or upregulation after high temperature treatment and reached a similar level as that in MC. Among the 16 DEGs, LOC100699848 (lysine specific demethylase 6A) and Jarid2 contained JmjC domain, showing the possible important role of JmjC domain in response to temperature treatment in Nile tilapia. Kdm6b (lysine demethylase 6B) and Jarid2 have been shown to play important roles in reptile TSD, showing the relative conservation of underlying regulation mechanisms between TSD in reptile and TSD or GSD+TE in fish species. Finally, the transcriptome profiling was validated by quantitative real-time PCR in nine selected genes. These results provide a direction for investigating the GSD+TE molecular mechanism in fish species.

Reflectance confocal microscopy and histological features of depigmentation after local corticosteroid injection.

BACKGROUND: Clinically, depigmentation after local corticosteroid injection is not rare. But there are less articles about its reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) and histological features. This study aimed to define the RCM features and histopathologic findings of hypopigmentation after local corticosteroid injection and to analyze the correlations between the above two methods. METHODS: Forty cases with hypopigmentation after local corticosteroid injection were used to analyze the clinical and RCM features. Subsequently, for 20 of 40, an excision biopsy of the same imaged areas for histopathologic examination was executed. RESULTS: Our results showed that all 40 cases had round or ellipse hypopigmented macules with obscure boundary and 26 of 40 lesions' long diameter went along limbs. The RCM features and the histological findings revealed all patients had variable degrees of epidermal thinning, flattening rete ridges, reduced melanin, and no inflammatory cell infiltration. MART-1 analysis revealed the number of melanocytes was normal but with no or less melanin by Fontana-Masson staining. CONCLUSIONS: Depigmentation after local corticosteroid injection was a kind of disease with intact melanocytes, whose function was impaired. RCM features offer a high consistency with histopathologic findings. It thus constitutes a promising adjuvant tool for its diagnosis and for therapeutic follow-up.

[Inhibition of SCD1 Activity Blocks Cell Cycle Progression and Impairs Proliferation in Breast Cancer Cells].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expression of stearoyl-CoA desaturase-1 (SCD1) in breast cancer cell lines. To analyze the effect of inhibiting SCD1 activity on the proliferation and cell cycle of MCF-7 breast cancer cell and its mechanism. METHODS: The expression of SCD1 protein were detected by Western blot techniques in breast cancer cell lines and humanskin fibroblasts.Cell viability of MCF-7 cells treated with MF-438 was measured using MTS assay and IC50 value was calculated.The distribution of cell cycle was determined by PI staining using flow cytometry.The expression of Cyclin D1 was detected by Western blot. The expression of Akt, pAkt, pAMPK and pACC were also detected by Western blot. RESULTS: The expression level of SCD1 in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells was significantly higher than that in HSF cells (P < 0.05).MF-438 showed a significant dose-dependent proliferation inhibition effect on MCF-7 cells cultured in low serum at a concentration ranging from 100 nmol/L to 100 µmol/L with an IC50 value of (3.9±0.45) µmol/L. After intervention of 5 µmol/L MF-438 in MCF-7 cells, the proportion of cells in S phase and G2/M phase was significantly decreased (P < 0.01), the proportion of cells in G0/G1 phase increased (P < 0.01), and the expression of Cyclin D1 was significantly decreased (P < 0.05); Meanwhile, the expression of pAkt and pAkt/Akt value were significantly decreased (P < 0.05) and the expression of pAMPK and pACC levels were significantly increased (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: SCD1 plays an important role in the occurrence and development of breast cancer. Inhibition of SCD1 activity can inhibit cell cycle progression and impair cell proliferation by down-regulating the Akt pathway and activating the AMPK pathway. Further research on SCD1 is expected to provide a new target for molecular targeted therapy of breast cancer.

Protective effect of MOTILIPERM in varicocele-induced oxidative injury in rat testis by activating phosphorylated inositol requiring kinase 1α (p-IRE1α) and phosphorylated c-Jun N-terminal kinase (p-JNK) pathways.

CONTEXT: MOTILIPERM was prepared as a mixture of extracts of three medicinal herbs [roots of Morinda officinalis How (Rubiaceae), outer scales of Allium cepa L. (Liliaceae) and seeds of Cuscuta chinensis Lamark (Convolvulaceae)]. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the role of reactive oxygen species (ROS)-based endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in a rat model of varicocele and the therapeutic efficacy of MOTILIPERM in this model. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty male rats were divided into five experimental groups: a normal control group (CTR + vehicle), a control group administered MOTILIPERM 200 mg/kg (CTR + M 200), a varicocele-induced control group (VC + vehicle) and two varicocele-induced groups administered MOTILIPERM 100 (VC + M 100) or 200 (VC + M 200) mg/kg for 4 weeks. Testis weights were recorded and serums were assayed for hormone concentrations. Tissues were subjected to semen analysis, histopathology, analyses of ER response protein expression levels and oxidative stress were assessed by measuring ROS, reactive nitrogen species (RNS), malondialdehyde (MDA) level and ratios of total glutathione (GSH)/oxidized GSH (GSSG). RESULTS: MOTILIPERM treatment of varicocele-induced groups significantly increased left testis weight, testosterone level, sperm motility, count and spermatogenic cell density. ER-response protein expression levels were dose-dependently decreased in VC + M 200 group compared with VC + vehicle group. MOTILIPERM treatment also decreased MDA and ROS/RNS level but increased GSH/GSSG ratio. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that ROS-related ER stress may play a major role in varicocele-induced infertility and MOTILIPERM, a novel compound targeting ROS-based ER stress, may be therapeutically useful in treatment of varicocele, or as a supplement for the treatment of infertility.

Could Testosterone Replacement Therapy in Hypogonadal Men Ameliorate Anemia, a Cardiovascular Risk Factor? An Observational, 54-Week Cumulative Registry Study.

PURPOSE: In this study we investigated if testosterone undecanoate attenuates anemia and the risk of cardiovascular disease in patients with hypogonadism. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A registry study consisted of 58 participants with a subnormal total testosterone level (less than 2.35 ng/ml) and at least mild symptoms of testosterone deficiency. All patients received an injection of 1,000 mg testosterone undecanoate at the initial visit, followed by injection at 6, 18, 30, 42 and 54 weeks. Serum hormones, hemoglobin, hematocrit, anemia risk factors, lipid profiles, whole blood viscosity and anthropometry were measured. RESULTS: Total testosterone (from mean ± SD 1.87 ± 1.09 to 5.52 ± 1.92 ng/ml, p <0.001) and free testosterone (from 3.04 ± 2.03 to 7.23 ± 2.90 pg/ml, p <0.001) were restored by testosterone undecanoate therapy. Hemoglobin and hematocrit significantly increased after testosterone undecanoate therapy by an average of 2.46 gm/dl (p <0.001) and 3.03% (p <0.001), respectively. The prevalence of anemia (from 29.6% to 10.0%) significantly decreased (p <0.001) and patients with anemia showed a significant increase in erythropoietin after testosterone undecanoate therapy (p = 0.047). A reduction in total cholesterol (from 165.89 ± 39.16 to 153.80 ± 154.27 mg/dl, p = 0.002), increased whole blood viscosity and increased hematocrit were observed until 54 weeks compared with baseline. However, whole blood viscosity and hematocrit stabilized after 18 weeks. CONCLUSIONS: After 54 weeks testosterone undecanoate decreased the prevalence of anemia and components of the metabolic syndrome. A longer duration of testosterone undecanoate therapy of more than 18 weeks may be effective and safe in reducing blood viscosity and improving anemia.

Effect of 4-chloro-7-trifluoromethyl-10H-benzo[4,5]furo[3,2-b]indole-1-carboxylic acid on the intraurethral pressure in a rat model of benign prostatic hyperplasia.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the effect of 4-chloro-7-trifluoromethyl-10H-benzo[4,5]furo[3,2-b]indole-1-carboxylic acid, a new benzofuroindole derivative, on the intraurethral pressure in a rat model of benign prostatic hyperplasia. METHODS: Benign prostatic hyperplasia was induced by testosterone and 17ß-estradiol, which were administered intramuscularly once a day for 12 weeks. The effects of 4-chloro-7-trifluoromethyl-10H-benzo[4,5]furo[3,2-b]indole-1-carboxylic acid and tamsulosin on the intraurethral pressure induced by the electrostimulation of hypogastric nerves after a single intravenous injection of 4-chloro-7-trifluoromethyl-10H-benzo[4,5]furo[3,2-b]indole-1-carboxylic acid (10 mg/kg) or tamsulosin (10 µg/kg) were evaluated in a benign prostatic hyperplasia model. The electrostimulation-induced intraurethral pressure was measured just before and after the injection of 4-chloro-7-trifluoromethyl-10H-benzo[4,5]furo[3,2-b]indole-1-carboxylic acid. Bodyweight and genitourinary organ weights were recorded, and serums and tissues were subjected to hormone assays and histopathology. In addition, the expression of α1-adrenoceptors in the prostate was measured by western blotting. RESULTS: The benign prostatic hyperplasia groups showed increased prostatic index, increased concentrations of testosterone, free testosterone and estradiol in serum, and increased epithelial thickness of the prostate. An injection of 4-chloro-7-trifluoromethyl-10H-benzo[4,5]furo[3,2-b]indole-1-carboxylic acid or tamsulosin significantly inhibited the elevation of electrostimulation-induced intraurethral pressure. In addition, 4-chloro-7-trifluoromethyl-10H-benzo[4,5]furo[3,2-b]indole-1-carboxylic acid did not cause a significant change in the blood pressure compared with tamsulosin. While the benign prostatic hyperplasia group showed increased the expression of α1-adrenoceptors, the 4-chloro-7-trifluoromethyl-10H-benzo[4,5]furo[3,2-b]indole-1-carboxylic acid or tamsulosin injection into a rat model of benign prostatic hyperplasia decreased the expression of α1-adrenoceptors. CONCLUSIONS: These findings show that 4-chloro-7-trifluoromethyl-10H-benzo[4,5]furo[3,2-b]indole-1-carboxylic acid might be beneficial for lowering the intraurethral pressure associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia, and it could represent a therapeutic option for benign prostatic hyperplasia patients.

The effects of MOTILIPERM on cisplatin induced testicular toxicity in Sprague-Dawley rats.

BACKGROUND: Cisplatin causes male infertility but the exact mechanism have not been clarified, yet. MOTILIPERM has been implicated in alleviation of infertility in Sprague-Dawley rats caused by cisplatin. We evaluated recovery effect of MOTILIPERM on cisplatin (CIS)-induced testicular toxicity in Sprague-Dawley rats. METHODS: Five groups were included. The groups are control (CTR), CTR + MOTILIPERM 200 mg/kg/day per oral, CIS 10 mg/kg i.v., CIS 10 mg/kg + MOTILIPERM 100 mg/kg/day, CIS 10 mg/kg + MOTILIPERM 200 mg/kg/day. CIS 10 mg/kg i.v. single dose was given before 100 mg/kg, or 200 mg/kg MOTILIPERM per oral daily for 28 days. Body and genital organs weight, epididymis sperm count, sperm motility, sperm apoptosis, testosterone level, MDA of testis tissue, spermatogenic cell density, and Johnsen's score were evaluated. Steroidogenic acute regulatory (StAR) protein, and Glucose-regulated protein-78 (GRP-78), phosphorylated Inositol-Requiring Transmembrane Kinase/Endoribonuclease 1 (IRE1) and phosphorylated c-jun-N-terminal kinase (p-JNK) were quantitated by western blot to show its signaling pathway. RESULTS: The body weight was decreased significantly in CIS 10 mg/kg, CIS 10 mg/kg + MOTILIPERM 100 mg/kg/day, CIS 10 mg/kg + MOTILIPERM 200 mg/kg/day compared with CTR (p < 0.001) however, it was increased in CIS 10 mg/kg + MOTILIPERM 100 mg/kg/day, CIS 10 mg/kg + MOTILIPERM 200 mg/kg/day compared with CIS 10 mg/kg. The decreased weight of epididymis and prostate were increased significantly in CIS 10 mg/kg + MOTILIPERM 100 mg/kg/day compared with CIS 10 mg/kg. Sperm count, sperm motility, sperm apoptosis, MDA of testis tissue, spermatogenic cell density, Johnsen's score, and total testosterone were also significantly improved by MOTILIPERM treatment. The levels of decreased StAR protein was significantly improved by MOTILIPERM administration, increased GRP-78 protein p-IRE1and p-JNK was also significantly decreased with MOTILIPREM treatment. CONCLUSION: The MOTILIPERM could be an effective medicine to reduce the toxic effect caused ER stress by CIS in the testis.

Visualization of the segment IV hepatic artery using 128-section MDCT angiography.

AIM: To visualize the segment IV hepatic artery and to evaluate the variations in anatomy using multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) angiography. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Six hundred and seventeen patients (381 men and 236 women; mean age 62.7 ± 8.1 years; age range 22-92 years) who underwent MDCT angiography performed using a 128-section MDCT system were included in the study. The segment IV hepatic arteries of 453 patients with adequate image quality were displayed using volume rendering (VR), maximum intensity projection (MIP), and multiplanar reconstruction (MPR), and were analysed regarding the origination and variation of the arteries by two radiologists and an anatomist retrospectively. RESULTS: Segment IV arteries were categorized into five different types according to their points of origin: left hepatic artery (LHA, 51.66%), right hepatic artery (RHA, 30.68%), proper hepatic artery (PHA, 5.3%), dual (12.14%), and triple (0.22%). Segment IV arteries arising from normal LHA, RHA, and PHA were found in 73.73% of patients, and those arising from variant LHA or RHA were found in 26.27%. The patterns RN2, LA2, LA3, LA4, PN2, PV1, DA1, DA2, DV3, and DV4 were first reported in the present study. CONCLUSIONS: MDCT angiography can evaluate normal as well as anatomical variants of segment IV arteries. Predicting arterial patterns of segment IV of the liver is important in planning and performing all radiological and surgical procedures in the liver, especially in hemi-liver graft procedures.

Separation and purification of bovine nasal cartilage-derived chondroitin sulfate and evaluation of its binding to bovine serum albumin.

This study employs an optimized and environmentally friendly method to extract and purify chondroitin sulfate (CS) from bovine nasal cartilage using enzymatic hydrolysis, ethanol precipitation, and DEAE Sepharose Fast Flow column chromatography. The extracted CS, representing 44.67 % ± 0.0016 of the cartilage, has a molecular weight of 7.62 kDa. Characterization through UV, FT-IR, NMR spectroscopy, and 2-aminoacridone derivatization HPLC revealed a high content of sulfated disaccharides, particularly ΔDi4S (73.59 %) and ΔDi6S (20.61 %). Interaction studies with bovine serum albumin (BSA) using fluorescence spectroscopy and molecular docking confirmed a high-affinity, static quenching interaction with a single binding site, primarily mediated by van der Waals forces and hydrogen bonding. The interaction did not significantly alter the polarity or hydrophobicity of BSA aromatic amino acids. These findings provide a strong foundation for exploring the application of CS in tissue engineering and drug delivery systems, leveraging its unique interaction with BSA for targeted delivery and enhanced efficacy.

A chondroitin sulfate purified from shark cartilage and bovine serum albumin interaction activity.

Chondroitin sulfate (CS) was extracted and purified from shark cartilage, and its interaction with bovine serum albumin (BSA) were studied. The content of chondroitin sulfate in shark cartilage was 29.97 % using the 1,9-dimethyl-methylene blue method. The molecular weight of CS was determined to be 62.464 kDa by high-performance gel permeation chromatography. UV and FT-IR spectroscopy identified the characteristics of CS and its functional group information. NMR spectroscopy and disaccharide derivatization revealed that CS was predominantly composed of disulfated disaccharides, specifically ΔDi4,6S. Fluorescence quenching experiments indicated that the interaction between CS and BSA exhibited static quenching, with a binding site number of 1. The binding process was primarily mediated by van der Waals forces and hydrogen bonds. Furthermore, synchronous and 3D fluorescence spectroscopy demonstrated that CS had minimal impact on the polarity and hydrophobicity of the microenvironment surrounding Tyr and Trp residues. UV-vis absorption and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy demonstrated the altered structure of BSA. The molecular docking analysis revealed that CS formed hydrogen bonds and salt bridges with BSA, predominantly binding to the IIA substructure domain of BSA. Investigating the interaction between CS and BSA holds the potential for enhancing its applications in drug delivery and tissue engineering endeavors.

Long-Term Efficacy and Safety of Stapokibart in Adults with Moderate-to-Severe Atopic Dermatitis: An Open-Label Extension, Nonrandomized Clinical Trial.

BACKGROUND: Stapokibart/CM310, a humanized monoclonal antibody targeting the interleukin-4 receptor α chain, has shown promising treatment benefits in patients with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis in previous phase II clinical trials. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to evaluate the long-term efficacy and safety of stapokibart in adults with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis. METHODS: Enrolled patients who previously completed parent trials of stapokibart received a subcutaneous stapokibart 600-mg loading dose, then 300 mg every 2 weeks up to 52 weeks. Efficacy outcomes included the proportions of patients with ≥ 50%/75%/90% improvements from baseline of parent trials in the Eczema Area and Severity Index, Investigator's Global Assessment, and weekly average of the daily Peak Pruritus Numerical Rating Scale. RESULTS: In total, 127 patients were enrolled, and 110 (86.6%) completed the study. At week 52, the Eczema Area and Severity Index-50/75/90 response rates were 96.3%, 87.9%, and 71.0%, respectively. An Investigator's Global Assessment 0/1 with a ≥ 2-point reduction was achieved in 39.3% of patients at week 16, increasing to 58.9% at week 52. The proportions of patients with ≥ 3-point and ≥ 4-point reductions in the weekly average of daily Peak Pruritus Numerical Rating Scale scores were 80.2% and 62.2%, respectively, at week 52. Improvement in patients' quality of life was sustained over a 52-week treatment period. Treatment-emergent adverse events occurred in 88.2% of patients, with an exposure-adjusted event rate of 299.2 events/100 patient-years. Coronavirus disease 2019, upper respiratory tract infection, and conjunctivitis were the most common treatment-emergent adverse events. CONCLUSIONS: Long-term treatment with stapokibart for 52 weeks showed high efficacy and good safety profiles, supporting its use as a continuous long-term treatment option for atopic dermatitis. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT04893707 (15 May, 2021).

The mitochondrial alternative oxidase pathway protects the photosynthetic apparatus against photodamage in Rumex K-1 leaves.

BACKGROUND: It is known that excess reducing equivalents in the form of NADPH in chloroplasts can be transported via shuttle machineries, such as the malate-oxaloacetate (OAA) shuttle, into the mitochondria, where they are efficiently oxidised by the mitochondrial alternative oxidase (AOX) respiratory pathway. Therefore, it has been speculated that the AOX pathway may protect plants from photoinhibition, but the mechanism by which this protection occurs remains to be elucidated. RESULTS: The observation that the malate-OAA shuttle activity and the AOX pathway capacity increased markedly after intense light treatment in Rumex K-1 leaves indicates that excess NADPH was transported from the chloroplasts and oxidised by the AOX pathway. The inhibition of the AOX pathway by salicylhydroxamic acid (SHAM) caused the over-reduction of the photosystem I (PSI) acceptor side, as indicated by the increases in the extent of reduction of P700+. Furthermore, the photosynthetic linear electron flow was restricted, which was indicated by the decreases in the PSII electron transport rate (ETR) and the photosynthetic O2 evolution rate. The restriction of the photosynthetic linear electron flow, which generates the thylakoid ΔpH, inevitably decreased the de-epoxidation of the xanthophyll cycle (ΔPRI). Therefore, the induction of non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) was suppressed when the AOX pathway was inhibited. The effect of the inhibition of the AOX pathway on NPQ induction was less at 20 mM NaHCO3 than at 1 mM NaHCO3. The suppression of NPQ induction by the inhibition of the AOX pathway was also observed during the induction phase of photosynthesis. In addition, the inhibition of the AOX pathway increased the accumulation of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), suggesting that the AOX pathway functions as an antioxidant mechanism. CONCLUSIONS: The inhibition of the AOX pathway resulted in the rapid accumulation of NADPH in the chloroplasts, which caused the over-reduction of the PSI acceptor side. Furthermore, the restriction of the photosynthetic linear electron flow due to the inhibition of the AOX pathway limited the generation of the thylakoid ΔpH and suppressed the induction of NPQ. Therefore, the mitochondrial AOX pathway protected the photosynthetic apparatus against photodamage by alleviating the over-reduction of the PSI acceptor side and accelerating the induction of NPQ in Rumex K-1 leaves.

The value of NSE to predict ICU mortality in patients with septic shock: A prospective observational study.

To investigate the predictive value of neuron-specific enolase (NSE) on intensive care unit (ICU) mortality in patients with septic shock. Seventy-five patients with septic shock hospitalized in the emergency intensive care unit (EICU) of Hebei General Hospital from March 2020 to September 2021 were included, and the patients' baseline characteristics and laboratory findings were collected. NSE levels on the first and fourth days after admission were retrieved. NSE% [(NSEday1 - NSEday4)/NSEday1 × 100%] and δNSE (NSEday1 - NSEday4) were calculated. The outcome indicator was ICU mortality. The patients were divided into the survivors group (n = 57) and the nonsurvivors group (n = 18). Multivariate analysis was performed to assess the relationship between NSE and ICU mortality. The predictive value of NSE was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. There were no significant differences in age, gender, systolic blood pressure (SBP), heart rate (HR), acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II score (APACHE II score), source of infection, and comorbidities between the 2 groups (all P > .05). Interleukin-6 (IL-6), NSE (day1), and NSE (day4) were significantly higher in patients in the nonsurvivors group (all P < .05), and there were no statistical differences in other laboratory tests between the 2 groups (all P > .05). APACHE II score, IL-6, lactate (Lac), total bilirubin (TBil), NSE (day1), and NSE (day4) showed a weak positive correlation with ICU mortality in patients with septic shock (all P < .05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that APACHE II score (odds ratio [OR] = 1.166, 95% confidence interval [95% confidence interval [CI]] 1.005-1.352, P = .042), IL-6 (OR = 1.001, 95% CI 1.000-1.001, P = .003) and NSE (day4) (OR = 1.099, 95% CI 1.027-1.176, P = .006) were independently associated with the ICU mortality of sepsis shock patients. The area under the curve (AUCs) of APACHE II score, IL-6, NSE (day1), and NSE (day4) for predicting prognosis were 0.650, 0.694, 0.758 and 0.770, respectively (all P < .05). NSE(day4) displayed good sensitivity and specificity (Sn = 61.11%, Sp = 91.23%) for predicting ICU mortality with a cutoff value of 25.94 ug/L. High-level NSE (day4) is an independent predictor of ICU mortality in sepsis shock patients, which may become a good alternate option for evaluating sepsis severity. More extensive studies are needed in the future to demonstrate the prognosis value of NSE.

Mitochondrial alternative oxidase pathway protects plants against photoinhibition by alleviating inhibition of the repair of photodamaged PSII through preventing formation of reactive oxygen species in Rumex K-1 leaves.

The purpose of this study was to explore how the mitochondrial AOX (alternative oxidase) pathway alleviates photoinhibition in Rumex K-1 leaves. Inhibition of the AOX pathway decreased the initial activity of NADP-malate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.82, NADP-MDH) and the pool size of photosynthetic end electron acceptors, resulting in an over-reduction of the photosystem I (PSI) acceptor side. The over-reduction of the PSI acceptor side further inhibited electron transport from the photosystem II (PSII) reaction centers to the PSII acceptor side as indicated by an increase in V(J) (the relative variable fluorescence at J-step), causing an imbalance between photosynthetic light absorption and energy utilization per active reaction center (RC) under high light, which led to the over-excitation of the PSII reaction centers. The over-reduction of the PSI acceptor side and the over-excitation of the PSII reaction centers enhanced the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which inhibited the repair of the photodamaged PSII. However, the inhibition of the AOX pathway did not change the level of photoinhibition under high light in the presence of the chloroplast D1 protein synthesis inhibitor chloramphenicol, indicating that the inhibition of the AOX pathway did not accelerate the photodamage to PSII directly. All these results suggest that the AOX pathway plays an important role in the protection of plants against photoinhibition by minimizing the inhibition of the repair of the photodamaged PSII through preventing the over-production of ROS.

Characterization of the programmed cell death induced by metabolic products of Alternaria alternata in tobacco BY-2 cells.

Alternaria alternata has received considerable attention in current literature and most of the studies are focused on its pathogenic effects on plant chloroplasts, but little is known about the characteristics of programmed cell death (PCD) induced by metabolic products (MP) of A. alternata, the effects of the MP on mitochondrial respiration and its relation to PCD. The purpose of this study was to explore the mechanism of MP-induced PCD in non-green tobacco BY-2 cells and to explore the role of mitochondrial inhibitory processes in the PCD of tobacco BY-2 cells. MP treatment led to significant cell death that was proven to be PCD by the concurrent cytoplasm shrinkage, chromatin condensation and DNA laddering observed in the cells. Moreover, MP treatment resulted in the overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS), rapid ATP depletion and a respiratory decline in the tobacco BY-2 cells. It was concluded that the direct inhibition of the mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC), alternative pathway (AOX) capacity and catalase (CAT) activity by the MP might be the main contributors to the MP-induced ROS burst observed in tobacco BY-2 cells. The addition of adenosine together with the MP significantly inhibited ATP depletion without preventing PCD; however, when the cells were treated with the MP plus CAT, ROS overproduction was blocked and PCD did not occur. The data presented here demonstrate that the ROS burst played an important role in MP-induced PCD in the tobacco BY-2 cells.

Exploring the sulfate patterns of chondroitin sulfate/dermatan sulfate and keratan sulfate in human pancreatic cancer.

This study was designed to explore the sulfation patterns of chondroitin sulfate (CS)/dermatan sulfate (DS), and keratan sulfate (KS) and the expression of carbohydrate sulfotransferases (CHSTs) in 26 pancreatic tumor and normal tissues. CS/DS and KS profiles were simultaneously determined. Pancreatic tumor tissues exhibited increased ΔDi-0S, ΔDi-4S, and ΔDi-6S levels, with absolute ΔDi-4S content being highest, followed by ΔDi-6S. However, as for the contents of KS-6S and KS-6S,6'S, there were no significant regular change. The expression levels of CHST1 and CHST4 were 37 and 15 times higher than those in normal tissues. PCA and OPLS-DA revealed that ΔDi-4S and ΔDi-6S levels could be reliably used to differentiate between healthy and cancerous tissues. The up-regulation of CHST3, CHST12, CHST13, and CHST15 was directly correlated with C-4 and C-6 sulfation. These data provide a foundation for future studies of the role of ΔDi-4S and ΔDi-6S in the progression of pancreatic cancer.

A parameterized shift-splitting preconditioner for saddle point problems.

Recently, Chen and Ma [A generalized shift-splitting preconditioner for saddle point problems, Applied Mathematics Letters, 43 (2015) 49-55] introduced a generalized shift-splitting preconditioner for saddle point problems with symmetric positive definite (1,1)-block. In this paper, I establish a parameterized shift-splitting preconditioner for solving the large sparse augmented systems of linear equations. Furthermore, the preconditioner is based on the parameterized shift-splitting of the saddle point matrix, resulting in an unconditional convergent fixed-point iteration, which has the intersection with the generalized shift-splitting preconditioner. In final, one example is provided to confirm the effectiveness.