Comparative analysis of bioactive constituents and pharmacological activities from different parts of Nauclea officinalis.

The stems of Nauclea officinalis have been utilized as a crude drug in China, so other parts of the plant are abandoned, resulting in a waste of traditional Chinese medicine resources. To determine the distribution and content of the alkaloids, phenolic acids and iridoid in different organs (stem, branch, leaf and bark) of this plant, a reliable method has been established using LC-MS/MS. Nine constituents, namely strictosamide, vincosamide, chlorogenic acid, sweroside, naucleamide B, protocatechuic acid, pumiloside, vanillic acid and cryptochlorogenic acid, were simultaneously determined in 6 min. Meanwhile, the antipyretic, anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities were evaluated for comparative analysis of the pharmacological activity of different parts of N. officinalis. The results showed that the content of active components in other organs of N. officinalis was higher than that in stems, and the pharmacological effects of branches and leaves were also better. The established approach could be helpful for the quality control of N. officinalis, and also provide necessary information for the rational utilization of resources.

Development and validation of an LC-MS/MS method for the determination of DPHB in rat plasma and its application in pharmacokinetic studies.

The aim of the present study was to develop a rapid, specific and sensitive LC-MS/MS method for the determination of DPHB [7-(4″-hydroxy-3″-methoxyphenyl)-1-phenyl-4-hepten-3-one] in rat plasma using yakuchinone A as an internal standard (IS). n-Hexane was used for the extraction of DPHB from rat plasma. Chromatographic separation of DPHB was achieved using a Kinetex XB-C18 column (2.10 × 50 mm, 2.6 µm) at 40°C. The mobile phase consisted of water (containing 0.1‰ formic acid, A) and acetonitrile (containing 0.1‰ formic acid, B) under a gradient elution at a flow rate of 0.3 mL min-1 . Positive electrospray ionization and multiple reaction monitoring mode were used for detection. The selected precursor ion to product ion pairs, m/z 311.3 → 137.0 for DPHB and m/z 313.1 → 137.0 for yakuchinone A, were monitored. Good linearity was observed over the concentration range from 2 to 2000 ng mL-1 (r = 0.9969). The recovery efficiency of DPHB from rat plasma was 54.8-69.7%, while the matrix effect ranged from 99.7 to 113%. Intra- and inter-day precision and accuracy values were within ±15% at three different quality control concentration levels. This validated method was successfully applied to pharmacokinetic studies in rats after a single p.o. or i.v. dose of DPHB solution. The route of administration significantly influenced systemic exposure to DPHB, and low bioavailability of DPHB was observed. The method developed here will be further improved and used in future pharmacokinetic studies.

Tirofiban induces vasorelaxation of the coronary artery via an endothelium-dependent NO-cGMP signaling by activating the PI3K/Akt/eNOS pathway.

Tirofiban, a glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitor, is an antiplatelet drug extensively used in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and exerts an therapeutic effect on no-reflow phenomenon during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Previous studies elucidated the vasodilation caused by tirofiban in the peripheral artery. However, whether tirofiban exerts a vasodilator effect on the coronary artery is unclear. Our present study found that tirofiban induced endothelium-dependent vasodilation in a concentration- and time-dependent manner in the isolated rat coronary artery pre-constricted by 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT). Further study showed that incubation of human umbilical venous endothelial cells (HUVECs) with tirofiban increased NO production, which was ascribed to the increased eNOS phosphorylation. This was confirmed by the loss of the vasorelaxant effect of tirofiban in the presence of l-NAME (eNOS inhibitor) and L-NMMA (NOS inhibitor) but not SMT (iNOS inhibitor) on isolated rat coronary arteries. The vasorelaxation was also blocked by the PI3K inhibitors, wortmannin and LY294002, as well as the Akt inhibitor SH-5, indicating the role of PI3K and Akt in tirofiban-mediated vasodilation. Moreover, further study showed that soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC) inhibitor ODQ, or blockers of potassium channel (big-conductance calcium-activated potassium channel) blocked tirofiban-induced vasodilation of the coronary artery. These findings suggest that tirofiban induces vasorelaxation via an endothelium-dependent NO-cGMP signaling through the activation of the Akt/eNOS/sGC pathway.

SRY gene transferred by extracellular vesicles accelerates atherosclerosis by promotion of leucocyte adherence to endothelial cells.

We set out to investigate whether and how SRY (sex-determining region, Y) DNAs in plasma EVs (extracellular vesicles) is involved in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. PCR and gene sequencing found the SRY gene fragment in plasma EVs from male, but not female, patients; EVs from male patients with CAD (coronary artery disease) had a higher SRY GCN (gene copy number) than healthy subjects. Additional studies found that leucocytes, the major source of plasma EVs, had higher SRY GCN and mRNA and protein expression in male CAD patients than controls. After incubation with EVs from SRY-transfected HEK (human embryonic kidney)-293 cells, monocytes (THP-1) and HUVECs (human umbilical vein endothelial cells), which do not endogenously express SRY protein, were found to express newly synthesized SRY protein. This resulted in an increase in the adherence factors CD11-a in THP-1 cells and ICAM-1 (intercellular adhesion molecule 1) in HUVECs. EMSA showed that SRY protein increased the promoter activity of CD11-a in THP-1 cells and ICAM-1 in HUVECs. There was an increase in THP-1 cells adherent to HUVECs after incubation with SRY-EVs. SRY DNAs transferred from EVs have pathophysiological significance in vivo; injection of SRY EVs into ApoE-/- (apolipoprotein-knockout) mice accelerated atherosclerosis. The SRY gene in plasma EVs transferred to vascular endothelial cells may play an important role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis; this mechanism provides a new approach to the understanding of inheritable CAD in men.

Impaired dopamine D1 receptor-mediated vasorelaxation of mesenteric arteries in obese Zucker rats.

BACKGROUND: Obesity plays an important role in the pathogenesis of hypertension. Renal dopamine D1-like receptor-mediated diuresis and natriuresis are impaired in the obese Zucker rat, an obesity-related hypertensive rat model. The role of arterial D1 receptors in the hypertension of obese Zucker rats is not clear. METHODS: Plasma glucose and insulin concentrations and blood pressure were measured. The vasodilatory response of isolated mesenteric arteries was evaluated using a small vessel myograph. The expression and phosphorylation of D1 receptors were quantified by co-immunoprecipitation and immunoblotting To determine the effect of hyperinsulinemia and hyperglycemia on the function of the arterial D1 receptor, we studied obese Zucker rats (six to eight-weeks old) fed (6 weeks) vehicle or rosiglitazone, an insulin sensitizer (10 mg/kg per day) and lean Zucker rats (eight to ten-weeks old), fed high-fat diet to induce hyperinsulinemia or injected intraperitoneally with streptomycin (STZ) to induce hyperglycemia. RESULTS: In obese Zucker rats, the vasorelaxant effect of D1-like receptors was impaired that could be ascribed to decreased arterial D1 receptor expression and increased D1 receptor phosphorylation. In these obese rats, rosiglitazone normalized the arterial D1 receptor expression and phosphorylation and improved the D1-like receptor-mediated vasorelaxation. We also found that D1 receptor-dependent vasorelaxation was decreased in lean Zucker rats with hyperinsulinemia or hyperglycemia but the D1 receptor dysfunction was greater in the former than in the latter group. The ability of insulin and glucose to decrease D1 receptor expression and increase its phosphorylation were confirmed in studies of rat aortic smooth muscle cells. CONCLUSIONS: Both hyperinsulinemia and hyperglycemia caused D1 receptor dysfunction by decreasing arterial D1 receptor expression and increasing D1 receptor phosphorylation. Impaired D1 receptor-mediated vasorelaxation is involved in the pathogenesis of obesity-related hypertension.

Different accumulation profiles of multiple components between pericarp and seed of Alpinia oxyphylla capsular fruit as determined by UFLC-MS/MS.

Plant secondary metabolites are known to not only play a key role in the adaptation of plants to their environment, but also represent an important source of active pharmaceuticals. Alpinia oxyphylla capsular fruits, made up of seeds and pericarps, are commonly used in traditional East Asian medicines. In clinical utilization of these capsular fruits, inconsistent processing approaches (i.e., hulling pericarps or not) are employed, with the potential of leading to differential pharmacological effects. Therefore, an important question arises whether the content levels of pharmacologically active chemicals between the seeds and pericarps of A. oxyphylla are comparable. Nine secondary metabolites present in A. oxyphylla capsular fruits, including flavonoids (e.g., tectochrysin, izalpinin, chrysin, apigenin-4',7-dimethylether and kaempferide), diarylheptanoids (e.g., yakuchinone A and B and oxyphyllacinol) and sesquiterpenes (e.g., nootkatone), were regarded as representative constituents with putative pharmacological activities. This work aimed to investigate the abundance of the nine constituents in the seeds and pericarps of A. oxyphylla. Thirteen batches of A. oxyphylla capsular fruits were gathered from different production regions. Accordingly, an ultra-fast high performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry (UFLC-MS/MS) method was developed and validated. We found that: (1) the nine secondary metabolites were differentially concentrated in seeds and fruit capsules; (2) nootkatone is predominantly distributed in the seeds; in contrast, the flavonoids and diarylheptanoids are mainly deposited in the capsules; and (3) the content levels of the nine secondary metabolites occurring in the capsules varied greatly among different production regions, although the nootkatone levels in the seeds were comparable among production regions. These results are helpful to evaluating and elucidating pharmacological activities of A. oxyphylla capsular fruits. Additionally, it may be of interest to elucidate the mechanisms involved in the distinct accumulation profiles of these secondary metabolites between seeds and pericarps.

[HPLC fingerprint of Callicarpa nudiflora].

OBJECTIVE: To establish HPLC fingerprint method for the quality evaluation and discrimination of Callicarpa nudiflora. METHODS: The chromatographic fingerprint of the 12 samples was determined by injecting 20 microL of the sample solution each time on a reversed phase Agilent TC-C18 column with the gradient elution solvent system composed of 0.30% HAc solution and acetonitrile. The flow rate was 1.0 mL/min, the column temperature was maintained at 30 degrees C and the detection wavelength was set at 254 nm. RESULTS: The HPLC fingerprint of Callicarpa nudiflora was set up,which included 20 common peaks, and the similarities of 12 samples were basically more than 0.90. Also,3 components were identified. CONCLUSION: The method is accurate, repeatable, reliable and can fully reflect the chemical composition information, which can be used for the discrimination and the quality control of Callicarpa nudiflora.

Synergistic preparation and application in PCU of α-calcium sulfate hemihydrate whiskers from phosphogypsum and electrolytic manganese residue.

The α-calcium sulfate hemihydrate whiskers (α-CSHWs) were first prepared using phosphogypsum (PG) and electrolytic manganese residue (EMR) as raw materials for coating urea, demonstrating excellent controlled-release properties. The effects of different reaction conditions on α-CSHWs, achieved by optimizing the reaction time, the concentrations of NH4+, Mn2+, and other factors, were discussed. Results showed that when the EMR content was 25 wt%, the reaction temperature was 100 °C, and the reaction time was 3 h, α-CSHWs with a length-to-diameter ratio of 39 were obtained. Through experiments and density functional theory (DFT), the mechanism of α-CSHWs preparation was elucidated. The results show that the addition of EMR reduces the content of impurity ions PO43- and F- in PG while introducing NH4+ and Mn2+. Interestingly, both NH4+ and Mn2+ can reduce the nucleation time of α-CSHWs, while PO43-, Mn2+, and F- are more likely to adsorb on the (0 0 6) crystal plane of α-CSHWs, NH4+ readily adsorbs on the (4 0 0) crystal plane. The controlled-release performance of modified α-CSHWs incorporated into polyurethane-coated urea (PCU) was investigated, and it was found that the addition of Mα significantly prolonged the nutrient release period, with the period extending up to 116 days for coatings of 5wt% and above. This work not only enhances the efficiency of PG and EMR utilization but also serves as a reference for the straightforward synthesis and application of α-CSHWs.

Identification and validation of plasma AGRN as a novel diagnostic biomarker of hepatitis B Virus-related chronic hepatitis and liver fibrosis/cirrhosis.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to find novel biomarkers and develop a non-invasive, effective diagnostic model for hepatitis B Virus-related chronic hepatitis and liver fibrosis/cirrhosis. METHOD: Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was utilized to assess the expression of differentially expressed genes (AGRN, JAG1, CCL5, ID3, CCND1, and CAPN2) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from healthy subjects, chronic hepatitis B (CHB), and liver fibrosis/cirrhosis (LF/LC) patients. The molecular mechanisms underlying AGRN-regulated CHB were further explored and verified in LX2 cells, in which small interfering RNA (siRNA) was used to block AGRN gene expression. Finally, enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) was used to measure AGRN protein expression in 100 healthy volunteers, 100 CHB patients, and 100 LF/LC patients, and the efficacy of the diagnostic model was assessed by the Area Under the Curve (AUC). RESULTS: AGRN mRNA displayed a steady rise in the PBMCs of normal, CHB, and LF/LC patients. Besides, AGRN expression was markedly elevated in activated LX2 cells, whereas the expression of COL1 and α-SMA decreased when AGRN was inhibited using siRNA. In addition, downregulation of AGRN can reduce the gene expression of ß-catenin and c-MYC while upregulating the expression of GSK-3ß. Furthermore, PLT and AGRN were used to develop a non-invasive diagnostic model (PA). To identify CHB patients from healthy subjects, the AUC of the PA model was 0.951, with a sensitivity of 87.0% and a specificity of 91.0%. The AUC of the PA model was 0.922 with a sensitivity of 82.0% and a specificity of 90.0% when differentiating between LF/LC and CHB patients. CONCLUSION: The current study indicated that AGRN could be a potential plasma biomarker and the established PA model could improve the diagnostic accuracy for HBV-related liver diseases.

The Potential of the lncRNAs ADAMTSL4-AS1, AC067931 and SOCS2-AS1 in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells as Novel Diagnostic Biomarkers for Hepatitis B Virus-Associated Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Purpose: Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) might be closely associated with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) progression and could serve as diagnostic and prognostic markers. This study aimed to investigate lncRNA-based diagnostic biomarkers for hepatitis B virus (HBV)-associated HCC. Materials and Methods: High-throughput transcriptome sequencing was conducted on the liver tissues of 15 patients with HBV-associated liver diseases (5 with chronic hepatitis B [CHB], 5 with liver cirrhosis [LC], and 5 with HCC). Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to analyze lncRNA expressions. Potential diagnostic performance for HBV-associated HCC screening was evaluated. Results: Through trend analysis and functional analysis, we found that 8 lncRNAs were gradually upregulated and 1 lncRNA was progressively downregulated by regulation of target mRNAs and downstream HCC-associated signaling pathways. The validation of dysregulated lncRNAs in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and HCC tissues by qRT-PCR revealed that ADAMTSL4-AS1, SOCS2-AS1, and AC067931 were significantly increased in HCC compared with CHB and cirrhosis. Moreover, differentially expressed lncRNAs were aberrantly elevated in Huh7, Hep3B, HepG2, and HepG2.215 cells compared with LX2 cells. Furthermore, ADAMTSL4-AS1, SOCS2-AS1, and AC067931 were identified as novel biomarkers for HBV-associated HCC. For distinguishing HCC from CHB, ADAMTSL4-AS1, AC067931, and SOCS2-AS1 combined with alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) had an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.945 (sensitivity, 83.9%; specificity, 89.8%). Similarly, for distinguishing HCC from LC, this combination had an AUC of 0.871 (sensitivity, 91.1%; specificity, 68.2%). Furthermore, this combination showed the highest diagnostic ability to distinguish HCC from CHB and LC (AUC, 0.905; sensitivity, 91.1%; specificity, 75.3%). In particular, this combination identified AFP-negative (AFP < 20 ng/mL) (AUC = 0.814), small (AUC = 0.909), and early stage (AUC = 0.863) tumors. Conclusion: ADAMTSL4-AS1, SOCS2-AS1, and AC067931 combined with AFP in PBMCs may serve as a noninvasive diagnostic biomarker for HBV-associated HCC, especially AFP-negative, small, and early stage HCC.

Monocyte-to-High-Density Lipoprotein-Cholesterol Ratio Predicts Prognosis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Patients with Metabolic-Associated Fatty Liver Disease.

Purpose: The incidence of non-B and non-C hepatocellular carcinoma (NBNC-HCC) is increasing globally. Metabolically associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) has been a contributing factor to this rising trend in NBNC-HCC incidence. The monocyte-to-high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol ratio (MHR) is a new prognostic marker that connects systemic inflammation with disorders of lipid metabolism. Therefore, MHR may be a potential prognostic predictor of patients with MAFLD-related HCC (MAFLD-HCC). This study aims to investigate the relationship between the MHR and prognosis of patients with MAFLD-HCC and construct a novel prognostic prediction tool for MAFLD-HCC. Patients and Methods: This retrospective study of patients with MAFLD-HCC included training (n = 112) and internal validation (n = 37) cohorts. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression analysis was conducted to identify independent risk factors of survival. A visual nomogram was constructed to assess the performance of the two groups. Furthermore, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and calibration curves were used to verify the prognostic discriminative ability of this nomogram, even in the MHR, ALBI grade, and MHR-ALBI model. Results: Univariate and multivariate analyses revealed that extrahepatic metastases, Vascular invasion, Barcelona staging B, C, D, elevated ALBI Grade 3, C-reactive protein (CRP), and MHR were independent risk factors for the prognosis of MAFLD-HCC. Moreover, calibration plots showed good discrimination and consistency when the significant factors were entered into the nomogram. Meanwhile, the MHR strongly correlated with the prognosis of cancer under a background of MAFLD-HCC, with a sensitivity of 88.89% and a specificity of 79.61%. Importantly, the performance of the MHR alone (AUC = 86.2) was not only superior to the ALBI grade (AUC = 63.8) but was comparable to the combination of MHR and ALBI (AUC = 88.5). Conclusion: The novel nomogram demonstrated good value in predicting the overall survival of patients with MAFLD-HCC. The MHR may be a potential predictor of prognosis.

Research on the measurement and characteristics of museum visitors' emotions under digital technology environment.

What kind of emotional experience does the application of digital technology in museums create for museum visitors? Can it be measured accurately and in real-time? What are its characteristics? This paper utilizes EEG signals and the PAD emotional model as research methods to conduct real-time digital measurement of visitors' emotional experiences at Tianyi Pavilion Museum in Ningbo City, focusing on their physiological and psychological reactions.The results show that: (1) In a quasi-experimental environment, linear SVM, polynomial kernel SVM, and Gaussian kernel SVM can all accurately classify the emotional tendencies of museum visitors with success rate of over 72%. (2) In a quasi-experimental environment, it is feasible and reliable to measure the immediate digital emotional experiences of visitors using EEG signals and the PAD emotion model. Based on this, we can summarize the characteristics of emotional tendencies among different demographic groups of museum visitors.

Clinical application of radiofrequency ablation-assisted coaxial trocar biopsies for pulmonary nodules at a high risk of bleeding.

Context: The purpose of this study was to assess computed tomography (CT)-guided puncture biopsy of pulmonary nodules at a high risk of bleeding. First, a coaxial trocar technique was used to radiofrequency ablate small blood vessels in the puncture area, followed by a biopsy of the pulmonary nodule. Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of this procedure. Methods: In this retrospective research, we assessed the relevant data of 45 patients who had undergone needle biopsy of pulmonary nodules at a high risk of bleeding. Twenty-five of these patients had CT-guided coaxial radiofrequency ablation (RFA)-assisted biopsy (group A). The remaining 20 had undergone conventional CT-guided needle biopsy (group B). We equated the technical success rate and the incidence of complications such as bleeding, pneumothorax, and pain in the two groups of needle biopsies. Results: Both groups had a 100% success rate with puncture biopsy. The incidences of pneumothorax in groups A and B were 10% (2/20) and 24% (6/25), respectively; this difference is not significant (P > 0.050). The rates of bleeding in groups A and B were 10% (2/20) and 44% (11/25), respectively, and the rates of pain were 30% (6/20) and 60% (15/25), both of which were statistically significant (P = 0.030; P = 0.045, respectively). Conclusions: CT-guided coaxial trocar technique for RFA-assisted biopsy of pulmonary nodules at a high risk of bleeding is effective and safe and can significantly reduce the risk of biopsy-induced pulmonary hemorrhage.

LINC00886 Facilitates Hepatocellular Carcinoma Tumorigenesis by Sequestering microRNA-409-3p and microRNA-214-5p.

Purpose: As the major subtype of liver cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) suffers from high mortality and is prone to recurrence. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are well characterized to be pivotal players contributing to HCC pathogenesis and progression. Therefore, this study intended to probe the biological functions of LINC00886 in hepatocarcinogenesis. Patients and Methods: Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was applied to analysis of LINC00886, microRNA-409-3p (miR-409-3p), microRNA-214-5p (miR-214-5p), RAB10 and E2F2 expression. Subcellular localization of LINC00886 was identified through a fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) kit and a subcellular assay. Additionally, proliferated cells were determined with EdU as well as cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assays. Scratch and Transwell assays were applied to detect migratory and invasive cells. Apoptotic cells were measured via TUNEL staining assay. Furthermore, targeted binding between LINC00886 and miR-409-3p or miR-214-5p was validated utilizing dual-luciferase reporter assays. RAB10, E2F2 and NF-κB signaling-associated protein levels were evaluated utilizing Western blot. Results: LINC00886, RAB10 and E2F2 levels were aberrantly increased, with the abnormal expressed decline of miR-409-3p and miR-214-5p, in HCC tissues, cells and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Silencing LINC00886 attenuated the proliferative, migratory, invasive, and anti-apoptotic potential of HCC cells, while LINC00886 overexpression proceeded in the contrary direction. Mechanistically, miR-409-3p and miR-214-5p were validated as binding targets for LINC00886 and inverted the biological functions of LINC00886 during HCC progression. Furthermore, the LINC00886-miR-409-3p/miR-214-5p axis could regulate RAB10 and E2F2 expression via mediating NF-κB pathway activation in hepatocarcinogenesis. Conclusion: Our findings indicated that LINC00886 facilitated HCC progression via absorbing miR-409-3p or miR-214-5p to upregulate RAB10 and E2F2 through activation of NF-κB pathway, offering a promising novel target for HCC therapy.

lncRNA DLEU2 Accelerates Oral Cancer Progression via miR-30a-5p/RAP1B Axis to Regulate p38 MAPK Signaling Pathway.

Background: Oral cancer (OC) is common cancer in the world. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been shown to be involved in cancer regulation, including oral cancer (OC). The aim of this study was to investigate the role of lncRNA deleted in lymphocytic leukemia 2 (DLEU2) in oral cancer. Method: The Gene Expression Omnibus database was used to analyze differentially expressed lncRNA/microRNA (miRNA, miR)/mRNA. The expression levels of DLEU2, miR-30a-5p, and RAP1B in OC cells were detected by RT-qPCR. Dual-luciferase was used to analyze the binding of lncRNA/miRNA/mRNA. Cell Counting Kit-8 was used to measure cell proliferation. Transwell assay was used to inspect cell migration and invasion abilities. Western blot was used to detect MAPK pathway-related protein levels. Result: Our research shows that, in contrast to miR-30a-5p, DLEU2 or RAP1B was upregulated in OC cells, and high expression of DLEU2 or RAP1B was associated with poorer overall survival. Inhibiting the expression of DLEU2 slowed the proliferation and reduced the ability of migration and invasion of Tca8113 and CAL-27 cells. miR-30a-5p was predicted to interact with DLEU2 or RAP1B by bioinformatics, and dual-luciferase analysis confirmed this interaction. Notably, si-DLEU2 suppressed RAP1B expression and protein level, and after overexpression of RAP1B in OC cells, reversal of suppressed DLEU2 expression was observed. Furthermore, the inhibitory effect of si-DLEU2 on MAPK signaling was reversed by overexpression of RAP1B. Therefore, si-DLEU2 regulates MAPK signaling through the miR-30a-5p/RAP1B axis and inhibits OC development. Conclusion: DLEU2 contributed to proliferation, migration and invasion via miR-30a-5p/RAP1B axis to regulate MAPK signaling pathway in OC cells.

The effect and prognosis of combinative implantation by autologous-fat granule and prosthesis for breast reconstruction after radical mastectomy.

OBJECTIVES: In this study, we analyzed the effect and prognosis of combinative implantation of autologous-fat granule and prosthesis for breast reconstruction after radical mastectomy. METHODS: 73 cases of breast cancer patients hospitalized from March 2015 to March 2017 were chosen and separated into observation group (n=41) and control group (n=32) on the basis of the surgical methods. Both the two groups underwent modified radical mastectomy. In addition, the control group received prosthesis implantation for breast reconstruction, and the observation group was implanted with combination of prosthesis and autologous-fat granule transplantation. Thereafter, the surgical indexes, postoperative complications, aesthetic effects of breast reconstruction and prognosis of the two groups of patients were evaluated. RESULTS: The surgical duration of the observation group was obviously longer than that of the control group (P<0.05), while the two groups had insignificant difference in postoperative drainage duration and postoperative hospital stay (P>0.05). FACT-B score of both groups of patients one year after surgery was dramatically higher than that before surgery (P<0.05), and patients in observation group had remarkably higher scores than those in control group (P<0.05). The incidence of postoperative complications in observation group was substantially lower than that in control group (P<0.05). In addition, the aesthetic evaluation of the observation-group patients postoperatively was notably higher than that in control group (P<0.05), and there was no statistically significant difference in progression-free survival between the two groups (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: The combinative implantation of both prosthesis and autologous-fat granule for breast reconstruction after radical mastectomy is simple in operation procedure, and has better aesthetic outcome and safety. It satisfies the aesthetic demand of patients while having lesions resection, and does not affect the surgical effect of modified radical mastectomy, which is worthy of clinical promotion.

Inheritance and identification of molecular markers associated with a novel dwarfing gene in barley.

BACKGROUND: Dwarfing genes have widely been used in barley breeding program. More than 30 types of dwarfs or semidwarfs have been reported, but a few has been exploited in barley breeding because pleiotropic effects of dwarfing genes cause some undesired traits. The plant architecture of newly discovered dwarfing germplasm "Huaai 11" consisted of desirable agronomic traits such as shortened stature and early maturity. Genetic factor controlling the plant height in dwarf line Huaai 11 was investigated. RESULTS: The Huaai 11 was crossed with tall varieties Monker, Mpyt, Zhenongda 3, Zaoshu 3, Advance, Huadamai 1, Huadamai 6, Hyproly and Ris01508. All the F1 plants displayed tall trait. Both tall and dwarf plants appeared in all the F2 populations with a 3:1 segregation ratio, suggesting that dwarfism of Huaai 11 is controlled by a single recessive gene, btwd1. Allelism test indicated that this dwarfing gene in the Huaai 11 is nonallelic with the gene br, uzu, sdw1 and denso. Using a double haploid population derived from a cross of Huadamai 6 and Huaai 11 and SSR markers the novel dwarfing gene was mapped onto the long arm of chromosome 7H, and closely linked to Bmac031 and Bmac167 with genetic distance of 2.2 cM. CONCLUSION: Huaai 11 is a new source of dwarf for broadening the genetic base of dwarfism. This dwarf source was controlled by a recessive dwarfing gene btwd1, was mapped onto the long arm of chromosome 7H.

Connection of GLI1 variants to congenital heart disease susceptibility: A case-control study.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between glioma-associated oncogene homolog 1 (GLI1) rs2228226 and rs10783826 polymorphisms and congenital heart disease (CHD) risk in a Chinese Han population.Genotyping for our interested polymorphisms was performed using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism in 106 CHD patients and 112 healthy controls. Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium status in the control group was also checked via χ test. Differences in genotype and allele frequencies between the case and control groups were analyzed adopting Chi-Squared test as well, and the relative risk of CHD resulting from GLI1 genetic variants was checked via calculating odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (95%CI).CC genotype of rs2228226 showed significantly higher frequency in CHD patients than in controls (P = .011), indicating that it increased the disease risk (OR = 3.257, 95%CI = 1.280-8.287). Similarly, C allele of the polymorphism elevated CHD incidence by 1.609 folds, compared with G allele (OR = 1.609, 95%CI = 1.089-2.376). However, rs10783826 was not correlated with the occurrence of CHD.GLI1 rs2228226 polymorphism may be a risk factor for CHD in Chinese Han population, but not rs10783826.

[Ag85B and BCG enhance immune activity of dendritic cells in patients with initially treated tuberculosis].

Objective To investigate the regulatory effects of Mycobacterium tuberculosis major secreted protein Ag85B and Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) on the immune function of dendritic cells (DCs) in the patients with tuberculosis who have received an initial treatment. Methods The peripheral blood mononuclear cells were collected and separated in 26 healthy subjects and 31 patients with tuberculosis who had been treated initially. Every specimen was divided into 4 groups and DCs were induced and cultured. On the 6th day, the DCs in the three experimental groups were treated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS), BCG, Ag85B, respectively and no-treated DCs served as a control group. After 24-hour treatment, DCs were collected and examined for the levels of CD83, CD86, HLA-DR and CD11c using flow cytometry. Moreover, the levels of interleukin 12 (IL-12), IL-10 and interferon γ (IFN-γ) in the supernatants were measured by ELISA. Results The expression levels of CD83 and IL-10 in the patient control group were significantly lower than those in healthy subject control group. The levels of CD83, CD86 and IFN-γ in the Ag85B treated group were obviously high than those in the control group. The level of IFN-γ in the BCG treated group was significantly high than that in the control group. The levels of CD83, CD86, HLA-DR and IL-10 in the LPS treated group were remarkably higher than those in the control group. The levels of CD83, CD86 and IL-10 in the healthy subject LPS treated group were significantly higher than those in the healthy subject control group. Conclusion The immune-enhancing effect of Ag85B on DCs is superior to that of BCG in the patients with initially treated tuberculosis.

Effect of Alpinia officinarum Hance alcohol extracts on primary dysmenorrheal.

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of Alpinia officinarum Hance (A. officinarum) 80% alcohol extract on the primary dysmenorrhea. METHODS: A. officinarum 80% alcohol extract were enriched by macroporous adsorption resins. Female mice of primary dysmenorrhea model were established by oxytocin induction; the effects of A. officinarum 80% alcohol extract on primary dysmenorrhea were observed by body twist method; and the homogenate level of prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and Ca(2+) in the uterus were observed in oxytocin-induced female mice. RESULTS: The writhing frequency of primary dysmenorrhea mice was significantly decreased after treatment of A. officinarum 80% alcohol extract and the level of PGF2α, PGE2 and Ca(2+) in mice uterus was significantly decreased (P < 0.05, P < 0.01) in groups of mice treated with middle and high dosage of A. officinarum 80% alcohol extract compared with that of model group. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that A. Officinarum 80% alcohol extract can significantly relieve primary dysmenorrhea.