Association between age, gender, and oral traumatic ulcerative lesions: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Oral traumatic ulcerative lesions (OTUL) are commonly encountered in clinical practice, yet there is limited research on their clinical characteristics and traumatic etiological factors. This retrospective study aimed to analyze the age, gender, clinical characteristics, and traumatic etiological factors in a large cohort of patients with OTUL and provide valuable insights for dental clinicians to optimize patient care and prevention strategies. METHODS: A total of 1543 patients with OTUL were enrolled in this study. Age, gender, medical history, clinical characteristics and traumatic etiological factors were collected and analyzed. Logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the significance of age and gender as factors related to OTUL. RESULTS: The study revealed significant variations in clinical characteristics and traumatic etiological factors among different age groups and between genders. Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that both age and gender were significant factors related to OTUL. CONCLUSION: The clinical characteristics of OTUL and traumatic etiological factors appear to be significantly different according to age and gender. More targeted prevention strategies should be implemented for all age and gender groups.

[Lipid-lowering effect of drug pair Scutellariae Radix-Coptidis Rhizoma based on lipomics].

This study investigated the mechanism of action of Scutellariae Radix-Coptidis Rhizoma(SR-CR) in intervening in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD) in rats based on lipidomics. Thirty-six SD rats were divided into a control group, a model group, SR-CR groups of different doses, and a simvastatin group, with six rats in each group. Rats in the control group were fed on a normal diet, while those in the remaining groups were fed on a high-lipid diet. After four weeks of feeding, drug treatment was carried out and rats were sacrificed after 12 weeks. Serum liver function and lipid indexes were detected using kits, and the pathomorphology of liver tissues was evaluated by hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining and oil red O staining. Changes in lipid levels in rats were detected using the LC-MS technique. Differential lipid metabolites were screened by multivariate statistical analysis, and lipid metabolic pathways were plotted. The changes in lipid-related protein levels were further verified by Western blot. The results showed that compared with the control group, the model group showed increased levels of alanine aminotransferase(ALT), aspartate aminotransferase(AST), total cholesterol(TC), triglyceride(TG), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-c)(P<0.01), and decreased levels of γ-glutamyl transferase(γ-GT) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-c)(P<0.01), which were significantly recovered by the intervention of SR-CR. HE staining and oil red O staining showed that different doses of SR-CR could reverse the steatosis in the rat liver in a dose-dependent manner. After lipidomics analysis, there were significant differences in lipid metabolism between the model group and the control group, with 54 lipids significantly altered, mainly including glycerolipids, phosphatidylcholine, and sphingolipids. After administration, 44 differential lipids tended to normal levels, which indicated that SR-CR groups of different doses significantly improved the lipid metabolism level in NAFLD rats. Western blot showed that SR-CR significantly decreased TG-synthesis enzyme 1(DGAT1), recombinant lipin 1(LPIN1), fatty acid synthase(FASN), acetyl-CoA carboxylase 1(ACC1), and increased the phosphorylation level of ACC1. These changes significantly decreased the synthesis of TG and increased the rate of its decomposition, which enhanced the level of lipid metabolism in the body and finally achieved the lipid-lowering effect. SR-CR can improve NAFLD by inhibiting the synthesis of fatty acids and TG.

Atrial cardiopathy and non-stenotic intracranial complicated atherosclerotic plaque in patients with embolic stroke of undetermined source.

OBJECTIVE: To assess (1) the association between atrial cardiopathy (AC) and non-stenotic intracranial complicated atherosclerotic plaque (NICAP) in patients with embolic stroke of undetermined source (ESUS) or small-vessel disease (SVD), and (2) the performance of previously proposed biomarkers to identify AC as the underlying aetiology in ESUS. METHODS: Based on our high-resolution MRI (HR-MRI) cohort, 403 subjects (243 ESUS and 160 SVD) were enrolled in the final analysis. All patients underwent intracranial HR-MRI to assess the presence of ipsilateral NICAP. Biomarkers of AC (ie, P-wave terminal force in lead V1 (PTFV1) on ECG, N-terminal probrain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T and left atrial diameter) were collected within 24 hours after admission. RESULTS: Among patients without ipsilateral NICAP, we found an association between the presence of AC (adjusted OR (aOR): 4.76, 95% CI 2.48 to 9.14), increased PTFV1 (aOR: 5.70, 95% CI: 2.43 to 13.39) and NT-proBNP (aOR: 1.65, 95% CI: 1.16 to 2.35) with ESUS. This association was not evident among patients with ipsilateral NICAP. The discrimination between ESUS versus SVD by AC/AC-related biomarkers was significantly improved after excluding ipsilateral NICAP. Similarly, the discrimination between ESUS and SVD by ipsilateral NICAP was notably augmented after excluding AC, PTFV1 and NT-proBNP. INTERPRETATION: AC is more prevalent in patients who had ESUS without ipsilateral NICAP compared with patients with, implying that AC and ipsilateral NICAP are two distinct, competing aetiologies of ESUS. Among the AC biomarkers studied in this analysis, PTFV1 seems to be the most informative.

Development of spirocyclic phosphoramidite-based hybrid diphosphorus ligands for enantioselective iridium-catalyzed hydrogenation of imines.

Unsymmetrical hybrid chiral diphosphorus ligands bearing a spirocyclic phosphoramidite scaffold have been developed and successfully applied in the iridium-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation of imines. With this newly developed chiral iridium catalytic system, a wide range of imines including sterically hindered ones could be hydrogenated to give the corresponding optically active amines in high yields (up to >99%) and with excellent enantioselectivities (up to >99% ee). The utility of this hydrogenation has been demonstrated by the preparation of the chiral fungicide (S)-benalaxyl.

Effect of Remote Ischemic Conditioning vs Usual Care on Neurologic Function in Patients With Acute Moderate Ischemic Stroke: The RICAMIS Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Preclinical and clinical studies have suggested a neuroprotective effect of remote ischemic conditioning (RIC), which involves repeated occlusion/release cycles on bilateral upper limb arteries; however, robust evidence in patients with ischemic stroke is lacking. Objective: To assess the efficacy of RIC for acute moderate ischemic stroke. Design, Setting, and Participants: This multicenter, open-label, blinded-end point, randomized clinical trial including 1893 patients with acute moderate ischemic stroke was conducted at 55 hospitals in China from December 26, 2018, through January 19, 2021, and the date of final follow-up was April 19, 2021. Interventions: Eligible patients were randomly assigned within 48 hours after symptom onset to receive treatment with RIC (using a pneumatic electronic device and consisting of 5 cycles of cuff inflation for 5 minutes and deflation for 5 minutes to the bilateral upper limbs to 200 mm Hg) for 10 to 14 days as an adjunct to guideline-based treatment (n = 922) or guideline-based treatment alone (n = 971). Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary end point was excellent functional outcome at 90 days, defined as a modified Rankin Scale score of 0 to 1. All end points had blinded assessment and were analyzed on a full analysis set. Results: Among 1893 eligible patients with acute moderate ischemic stroke who were randomized (mean [SD] age, 65 [10.3] years; 606 women [34.1%]), 1776 (93.8%) completed the trial. The number with excellent functional outcome at 90 days was 582 (67.4%) in the RIC group and 566 (62.0%) in the control group (risk difference, 5.4% [95% CI, 1.0%-9.9%]; odds ratio, 1.27 [95% CI, 1.05-1.54]; P = .02). The proportion of patients with any adverse events was 6.8% (59/863) in the RIC group and 5.6% (51/913) in the control group. Conclusions and Relevance: Among adults with acute moderate ischemic stroke, treatment with remote ischemic conditioning compared with usual care significantly increased the likelihood of excellent neurologic function at 90 days. However, these findings require replication in another trial before concluding efficacy for this intervention. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03740971.

[Activity of Codonopsis canescens against rheumatoid arthritis based on TLRs/MAPKs/NF-κB signaling pathways and its mechanism].

This paper aims to explore the activity of Codonopsis canescens extract against rheumatoid arthritis(RA) based on the Toll-like receptors(TLRs)/mitogen-activated protein kinases(MAPKs)/nuclear factor kappa B(NF-κB) signaling pathways and its mechanism. The ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight/mass spectrometry(UPLC-Q-TOF-MS) was used to identify the components of C. canescens extract. Forty-eight male SD rats were randomly divided into six groups, namely the normal group, the model group, the methotrexate(MTX) tablet group, and the low, medium, and high-dose C. canescens extract(ZDS-L, ZDS-M, and ZDS-H) groups, with 8 rats in each group. The model of collagen-induced arthritis in rats was induced by injection of bovine type Ⅱ collagen emulsion. MTX(2.5 mg·kg~(-1)), ZDS-L, ZDS-M, and ZDS-H(0.3 g·kg~(-1), 0.6 g·kg~(-1), and 1.2 g·kg~(-1)) were administrated by gavage. Rats in the normal group and the model group received distilled water. MTX was given once every three days for 28 days, and the rest medicines were given once daily for 28 days. Body weight, degree of foot swelling, arthritis index, immune organ index, synovial histopathological changes, and serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α), interleukin-1ß(IL-1ß), and interleukin-6(IL-6) were observed. Protein expressions of TLR2, TLR4, NF-κB p65, p38 MAPK, and p-p38 MAPK in rats were determined by Western blot. Thirty-four main components were identified by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS, including 15 flavonoids, 7 phenylpropanoids, 4 terpenoids, 4 organic acids, 2 esters, and 2 polyalkynes. As compared with the normal group, the body weight of the model group was significantly decreased(P<0.01), and foot swelling(P<0.05, P<0.01), arthritis index(P<0.01), and the immune organ index(P<0.01) were significantly increased. The synovial histopathological injury was obviously observed in the model group. The serum levels of inflammatory factors TNF-α, IL-1ß, and IL-6 were significantly increased(P<0.01), and the protein expression levels of TLR2, TLR4, NF-κB p65, p-p38 MAPK/p38 MAPK in the synovial tissue were significantly increased(P<0.01) in the model group. As compared with the model group, the body weights of the ZDS dose groups were increased(P<0.01), and the degree of foot swelling(P<0.01) and the arthritis index were decreased(P<0.05, P<0.01). The immune organ index was decreased(P<0.01) in the ZDS dose groups, and the synovial tissue hyperplasia and inflammatory cell infiltration were alleviated. The serum levels of TNF-α, IL-1ß, and IL-6 were significantly decreased(P<0.05, P<0.01), and the protein expression levels of TLR2, TLR4, NF-κB p65, p-p38 MAPK/p38 MAPK were decreased(P<0.05, P<0.01) in the ZDS dose groups. C. canescens extract containing apigenin, tricin, chlorogenic acid, aesculin, ferulic acid, caffeic acid, and oleanolic acid has a good anti-RA effect, and the mechanism may be related to the inhibition of TLRs/MAPKs/NF-κB signaling pathways.

Drp1-dependent mitochondrial fission in cardiovascular disease.

Mitochondria are highly dynamic organelles undergoing cycles of fusion and fission to modulate their morphology, distribution, and function, which are referred as 'mitochondrial dynamics'. Dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1) is known as the major pro-fission protein whose activity is tightly regulated to clear the damaged mitochondria via mitophagy, ensuring a strict control over the intricate process of cellular and organ dynamics in heart. Various posttranslational modifications (PTMs) of Drp1 have been identified including phosphorylation, SUMOylation, palmitoylation, ubiquitination, S-nitrosylation, and O-GlcNAcylation, which implicate a role in the regulation of mitochondrial dynamics. An intact mitochondrial homeostasis is critical for heart to fuel contractile function and cardiomyocyte metabolism, while defects in mitochondrial dynamics constitute an essential part of the pathophysiology underlying various cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). In this review, we summarize current knowledge on the critical role of Drp1 in the pathogenesis of CVDs including endothelial dysfunction, smooth muscle remodeling, cardiac hypertrophy, pulmonary arterial hypertension, myocardial ischemia-reperfusion, and myocardial infarction. We also highlight how the targeting of Drp1 could potentially contribute to CVDs treatments.

[Effect of Gegen Qinlian Decoction and it's different compatibility groups on gut microbiota in rats with acute enteritis based on high-throughput sequencing].

This study was designed to investigate the effect of Gegen Qinlian(GGQL) Decoction and its different compatibility groups on gut microbiota in rats with acute enteritis, and to explore the efficacy of GGQL Decoction in improving acute enteritis and gut microbiota. Male SD rats were randomly divided into control group, model group, positive control group(SASP), GGQL decoction group, Glycyrrhizae-free group(QGC), Puerariae-free group(QGG), Qinlian-free group(QQL), and Qinlian group(QL). The pathological sections and detection indexes of the rats were observed before and after modeling and administration. After 7 days of administration, fecal samples from 24 rats were collected and Illumina Miseq platform was used for high-throughput sequencing. From the anti-inflammatory and pharmacodynamic indicators, the effect was the most obvious in GGQL Decoction group, QGC group, QGG group and QL group(P<0.05). The alpha diversity and beta diversity showed that there were significant differences in the composition of intestinal flora in each group. As compared with the model group, the increased abundance and diversity of the flora caused by acute inflammation could be down-regulated in all groups except QQL group(P<0.05). The differential bacteria were explored by using LEfSe analysis, and the results showed that Bifidobacterium and other beneficial bacteria only appeared in the normal group. As compared with the normal group, Lactobacillus was significantly reduced(P<0.01), and Bacteroides, Flavonifractor and Clostridium_sensu_stricto_1 were up-regulated in model group(P<0.05, P<0.01). As compared with the model group, the number of Akkermansia was significantly increased(P<0.05), and the number of Clostridium_sensu_stricto_1 associated with intestinal inflammatory diseases was decreased in the GGQL Decoction group, QGC group and QL group. QGC group and QQL group caused the up-regulation of Ruminococcaceae and induced enrichment of Desulfovibrio which could lead to colon cell toxicity; QGG group caused the up-regulation of Proteobacteria and Burkhonderiales. The study suggests that the GGQL Decoction may play a role in the treatment of acute enteritis partially through improving the intestinal barrier, regulating the immune response and the structure of gut microbiota.

Concurrent identification of 11 major primary active compounds in Huangqin Qingfei Decoction by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry via liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry.

Huangqin Qinfei Decoction (HQD) is a traditional Chinese medicine that is administered for acute pneumonia, bronchial inflammation, acute bronchitis and acute lung infection. In this study, we used liquid chromatography linked with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) for the concurrent identification of 11 bioactive compounds; namely, baicalin, baicalein, wogonoside, scutellarin, wogonin, oroxylin A, geniposide, genipin, geniposidic acid, chlorogenic acid, and crocin-I, for the quality control of HQD. The evaluation was conducted on an Agilent Poroshell 120 EC-C18 (2.1mm×100mm, 2.7µm) with gradient elution in the mobile phase with 0.1% formic acid and 1mM/L ammonium acetate in water as solvent A and methanol as solvent B at a flow rate of 0.3mL/min in under 12 min. Mass spectrometric detection was conducted in the selected reaction monitoring mode utilizing electro spray ionization in the positive and negative modes. Every one of the calibration curves had good linearity with R2 >0.9992. Intra-day and inter-day accuracies for every one of the evaluated components were expressed as the relative standard deviation (RSD) from 1.72%-5.02% and 0.63%-5.99%, respectively. The recuperation of the 11 compounds that were measured at the three concentrations was within 94.05%-105.18%, with the RSD ≤ 6.26%. The use of this method was determined through the effective evaluation of 11 compounds in 5 batches of HQD. The confirmed method is precise, sensitive, and effective for identifying the contents of the chosen compounds in HQD for quality control.

Preparation of CeO2-Quantum Dots/Cu2O Nanocomposites with Enhanced Photocatalytic Properties.

To improve the efficiency of photocatalysts, a composite of CeO2-quantum dots/Cu2O (CeO2-QDs/Cu2O) was prepared through a one-step hydrothermal procedure in alkaline carbonate solution with Cu2(OH)2CO3 and Ce(NO3)3. 6H2O as precursors and glucose as reducing agent. The morphologies and structures of the prepared photocatalysts were well characterized utilizing Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), X-ray Diffractometry (XRD), X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and UV-Vis Diffuse Reflectance Spectrophotometer (DRS). The results indicated that the CeO2-QDs with 5 to 10 nm diameters were well dispersed and had a good contact with Cu2O. As observed in the photocatalytic experiments, Rhodamine B could be degraded more effectively under simulated sunlight using CeO2-QDs/Cu2O as the photocatalysts. Also, the obtained photocatalytic kinetics constant was higher than that in the experiments using CeO2 or Cu2O nano particles as photocatalysts. The enhanced photocatalytic activities might be attributed to the efficient separation of photo-generated charge carriers with the help of the p-n heterojunction and the morphology of quantum dots.

[Tissue distribution of TPGS modified artesunate liposome and its metabolites in rats].

Artesunate, which is a widely used anti-malaria medicine, can be made into liposome to overcome its poor bioactivity. Its tissue distribution in rats may change with different dosage forms, which therefore shall be studied after ARS-TPGS-Lipo was injected. Based on this experiment, ARS-TPGS-Lipo and ARS-Lipo were prepared by thin-film hydration method. LC-MS/MS method was used to simultaneously determine ARS and DHA in rat tissues at different time points. The results showed that this method was suitable for the content analysis of ARS and DHA in biological samples. The distribution of ARS and DHA in ARS-TPGS-Lipo, ARS-Lipo and ARS groups were quite different. The content of ARS-TPGS-Lipo in liver was the highest, with significant differences.ARS and DHA contents in ARS group eliminated rapidly. ARS and DHA contents in ARS-Lipo group were higher in liver and spleen, while those in ARS-TPGS-Lipo group significantly increased only in liver (P<0.05).

[Feasibility study of QAMS for quantitative analysis of multiple structural types of ingredients in Atractylodis Rhizome by GC].

In this study， quantitative analysis of multi-components with single marker(QAMS) was established and validated to simultaneously determine four sesquiterpenoids(ß-eudesmol， atractylon， atractylolideⅠ， atractylolide Ⅱ) in Atractylodis Rhizome based on the gas chromatographic method(GC). Using ß-eudesmol as the contrast， the relative correctionfactors(RCF) of the other three sesquiterpenoids were determined by GC. Within the line arranges，the values of RCF of ß-eudesmol to atractylon， atractylolideⅠand atractylolide Ⅱ were 0.823， 0.690 and 0.766， respectively. The RCF had a good reproducibility in various instruments， chromatographic columns. According to their RCF， we simultaneously determined four sesquiterpenoids in Atractylodis Rhizome only using one marker. The results of QAMS method were validated by comparing with that of internal standard method， and no obvious significant difference was found.

Extraction of ferulic acid and vanilla acid by hydrophobic ionic liquid 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate.

The study was carried out to evaluate the extraction efficiency of ferulic acid (FA) and vanilla acid (VA) from aqueous phase into IL phase. To achieve the highest extraction efficiency, the influence of varying key parameters was evaluated and optimized by response surface methodology based on Box-Behnken design, including phase volume ratio, extraction temperature and extraction time. FA (or VA) extraction under the optimal conditions were: phase volume ratio of 1.38 (1.28), extraction temperature of 66.34 °C (49.28 °C) and extraction time of 33.83 min (36.64 min) under optimum conditions an average extraction efficiency of 97.11 ± 1.05% for FA was achieved, while VA was 85.43 ± 1.62%. This was very close to the predicted value from the model, 98.05% (86.16%). Additionally, recycling and utilization of ILs were performed well with the recovery ratio for 81.0%. Based on thermodynamic analysis, FTIR and 1H NMR analysis, the combination of hydrophobic interaction and hydrogen-bond interaction resulted in the real extraction result above. It is desirable to provide a useful reference for the separation and purification of FA, VA, and extend the potential application of ionic liquid in the separation of natural active compounds with great prospects.

Esophageal insufflation computed tomography for the diagnosis and management of esophageal submucosal tumors.

BACKGROUND: The selection of therapy for benign esophageal lesions depends in part on whether the lesion extends to or through the esophageal muscle wall. The advent of endoscopic dissection of deep lesions has made this distinction important in the choice between different forms of advanced endoscopic therapy. The goal of this study was to evaluate esophageal insufflation computed tomography (EICT) for the diagnosis and management of esophageal submucosal tumors (SMTs). METHODS: Between April 2011 and May 2013 at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, 27 patients with esophageal SMTs diagnosed by gastroscopy were studied observationally. Entry criteria included tumors larger than 0.5 cm. We compared endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) and EICT to assess lesion depth and the relationship between the submucosal lesion and the esophageal wall using the resected lesion as the gold standard. RESULTS: Twenty-seven esophageal SMTs were evaluated. EUS and EICT accurately identified nine as superficial to the muscularis propria. EICT correctly identified the relation of the tumor extension and the outer esophageal wall in all 18 lesions that originated from the muscularis propria; only nine were correctly assessed by EUS (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: EICT enables improved judgment of the relation of esophageal lesions and the esophageal-mediastinal border. We propose EICT as a new, safe, effective, useful, simple and high-tolerance method for assessing the depth and relationships of esophageal submucosal lesions.

TGF-ß1 pathway affects the protein expression of many signaling pathways, markers of liver cancer stem cells, cytokeratins, and TERT in liver cancer HepG2 cells.

Liver cancer is one of the most common human malignancies, and transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-ß) pathway plays a key role in its pathogenesis. To study the relationship between TGF-ß pathway and the related protein expression of many signaling pathway, markers of stem cells, CK family, and others, liver cancer HepG2 cells were transfected with siRNA directed against TGF-ß1 or were treated with exogenous TGF-ß1. Then, these protein levels were measured by Western blotting. After siRNA transfection, TGF-ß1 protein level was decreased, indicating that the siRNA against it was effective. In exogenous TGF-ß1 group, the expression of smad4, smad2/3, and ß-catenin proteins was increased, whereas that of p-smad2/3, CD133, cleaved Notch1, and epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) proteins at 48 h was decreased. The expression of CK8 and CK18 proteins was increased at 24 h and was decreased at 48 and 96 h. In TGF-ß1-silenced group, the expression of smad2/3, ß-catenin, cleaved-notch1, and CK18 proteins was decreased, while that of smad4, p-smad2/3, CD133, EpCAM, and CK8 proteins was increased. TERT protein expression was slightly increased in exogenous TGF-ß1 group at 48 h and in TGF-ß1-silenced group at 96 h. TGF-ß1 did not affect the protein expression of CK19 and HIF-1. Thus, TGF-ß1 pathway plays an important role in cell regulation of liver cancer through the modulation of these proteins. These data will contribute to the understanding of the pathogenesis of liver cancer and the role of TGF-ß pathway in this process.

Two new fatty acids esters were detected in ginseng stems by the application of azoxystrobin and the increasing of antioxidant enzyme activity and ginsenosides content.

Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer is a valuable herb in China that has also gained popularity in the West because of its pharmacological properties. The constituents isolated and characterized in ginseng stems include ginsenosides, fatty acids, amino acids, volatile oils, and polysaccharides. In this study, the effects of fungicide azoxystrobin applied on antioxidant enzyme activity and ginsenosides content in ginseng stems was studied by using Panax ginseng C. A. Mey. cv. (the cultivar of Ermaya) under natural environmental conditions. The azoxystrobin formulation (25% SC) was sprayed three times on ginseng plants at different doses (150ga.i./ha and 225ga.i./ha), respectively. Two new fatty acids esters (ethyl linoleate and methyl linolenate) were firstly detected in ginseng stems by the application of azoxystrobin as foliar spray. The results indicated that activities of enzymatic antioxidants, the content of ginsenosides and two new fatty acids esters in ginseng stems in azoxystrobin-treated plants were increased. Azoxystrobin treatments to ginseng plants at all growth stages suggest that the azoxystrobin-induced delay of senescence is due to an enhanced antioxidant enzyme activity protecting the plants from harmful active oxygen species (AOS). The activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) in azoxystrobin-treated plants was about 1-3 times higher than that in untreated plants. And the effects was more significant (P=0.05) when azoxystrobin was applied at dose of 225ga.i./ha. This work suggests that azoxystrobin plays an important role in delaying of senescence by changing physiological and biochemical indicators and increasing ginsenosides content in ginseng stems.

Heavy metal contamination along the China coastline: A comprehensive study using Artificial Mussels and native mussels.

A comprehensive study was carried out to assess metal contamination in five cities spanning from temperate to tropical environment along the coastal line of China with different hydrographical conditions. At each of the five cities, Artificial Mussels (AM) were deployed together with a native species of mussel at a control site and a polluted site. High levels of Cr, Cu and Hg were found in Qingdao, high level of Cd, Hg and Pb was found in Shanghai, and high level of Zn was found in Dalian. Furthermore, level of Cu contamination in all the five cities was consistently much higher than those reported in similar studies in other countries (e.g., Australia, Portugal, Scotland, Iceland, Korea, South Africa and Bangladesh). Levels of individual metal species in the AM showed a highly significant correlation with that in the native mussels (except for Zn in Mytilus edulis and Cd in Perna viridis), while no significant difference can be found between the regression relationships of metal in the AM and each of the two native mussel species. The results demonstrated that AM can provide a reliable time-integrated estimate of metal concentration in contrasting environments over large biogeographic areas and different hydrographic conditions, and overcome the shortcomings of monitoring metals in water, sediment and the use of biomonitors.

Pre-existing interleukin 10 in cerebral arteries attenuates subsequent brain injury caused by ischemia/reperfusion.

Recurrent stroke is difficult to treat and life threatening. Transfer of anti-inflammatory gene is a potential gene therapy strategy for ischemic stroke. Using recombinant adeno-associated viral vector 1 (rAAV1)-mediated interleukin 10 (IL-10), we investigated whether transfer of beneficial gene into the rat cerebral vessels during interventional treatment for initial stroke could attenuate brain injury caused by recurrent stroke. Male Wistar rats were administered rAAV1-IL-10, rAAV1-YFP, or saline into the left cerebral artery. Three weeks after gene transfer, rats were subjected to occlusion of the left middle cerebral artery (MCAO) for 45 min followed by reperfusion for 24 h. IL-10 levels in serum were significantly elevated 3 weeks after rAAV1-IL-10 injection, and virus in the cerebral vessels was confirmed by in situ hybridization. Pre-existing IL-10 but not YFP decreased the neurological dysfunction scores, brain infarction volume, and the number of injured neuronal cells. AAV1-IL-10 transduction increased heme oxygenase (HO-1) mRNA and protein levels in the infarct boundary zone of the brain. Thus, transduction of the IL-10 gene in the cerebral artery prior to ischemia attenuates brain injury caused by ischemia/reperfusion in rats. This preventive approach for recurrent stroke can be achieved during interventional treatment for initial stroke.

Adjustment of the GRACE score by HemoglobinA1c enables a more accurate prediction of long-term major adverse cardiac events in acute coronary syndrome without diabetes undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention.

BACKGROUND: The Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events (GRACE) risk score is widely recommended for risk assessment in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Chronic hyperglycemia [hemoglobinA1c (HbA1c)] can independently predict major adverse cardiac events (MACEs) in patients with ACS. We investigated whether the prediction of MACEs with the GRACE score could be improved with the addition of HbA1c content in ACS patients without diabetes mellitus (DM) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). METHODS: We enrolled 549 ACS patients without DM who underwent PCI. The GRACE score and HbA1c content were determined on admission. Correlation was analyzed by Spearman's rank correlation. Cumulative MACE curve was calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Multivariate Cox regression was used to identify predictors of MACEs. Additionally, the predictive value of HbA1c content alone and combined with GRACE score was estimated by the area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (AUC), continuous net reclassification improvement (NRI) and integrated discrimination improvement (IDI). RESULTS: During a median of 42.3 months (interquartile range 39.3-44.2 months), 16 (2.9%) were lost to follow-up, and patients experienced 69 (12.9%) MACEs: 51 (9.6%) all-cause deaths and 18 (3.4%) nonfatal myocardial infarction cases. The GRACE score was positively associated with HbA1c content. Multivariate Cox analysis showed that both GRACE score and HbA1c content were independent predictors of MACEs (hazard ratio 1.030; 95% CI 1.020-1.040; p < 0.001; 3.530; 95% CI 1.927-6.466; p < 0.001, respectively). Furthermore, Kaplan-Meier analysis demonstrated increased risk of MACEs with increasing HbA1c content (log-rank 33.906, p < 0.001). Adjustment of the GRACE risk estimate by HbA1c improved the predictive value of the GRACE score [increase in AUC from 0.75 for the GRACE score to 0.80 for the GRACE score plus HbA1c, p = 0.012; IDI = 0.055, p < 0.001; NRI (>0) = 0.70, p < 0.001]. CONCLUSIONS: HbA1c content is positively associated with GRACE risk score and their combination further improved the risk stratification for ACS patients without DM undergoing PCI.

Up-regulation of IL-12 expression in patients with chronic hepatitis B is mediated by the PI3K/Akt pathway.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) replicates noncytopathically in hepatocytes, but HBV or proteins encoded by HBV genome could induce cytokines, chemokines expression by hepatocytes.IL-12 is a typical proinflammatory cytokine that plays a critical role in host defense against pathogens, including the HBV. However, the role of IL-12 in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) remains unclear. The aims of this study were to detect the expression of IL-12 in CHB patients and explore the molecular mechanism of HBV-induced IL-12 expression. The results showed that serum levels and hepatic expression of IL-12 were significantly upregulated in CHB patients. HBx protein increased IL-12 expression in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, inhibition of PI3K/Akt significantly decreased the HBx-induced IL-12 expression and Akt activation. Taken together, these results indicate that the molecular mechanism of HBV-induced IL-12 expression involves activation of the PI3K/Akt pathway by HBx, leading to transactivation of the IL-12 p35 and p40 promoters.