An Integrated Network Pharmacology and RNA-seq Approach for Exploring the Protective Effect of Andrographolide in Doxorubicin-Induced Cardiotoxicity.

PURPOSE: Doxorubicin (Dox) is clinically limited due to its dose-dependent cardiotoxicity. Andrographolide (Andro) has been confirmed to exert cardiovascular protective activities. This study aimed to investigate protective effects of Andro in Dox-induced cardiotoxicity (DIC). METHODS: The cardiotoxicity models were induced by Dox in vitro and in vivo. The viability and apoptosis of H9c2 cells and the myocardial function of c57BL/6 mice were accessed with and without Andro pretreatment. Network pharmacology and RNA-seq were employed to explore the mechanism of Andro in DIC. The protein levels of Bax, Bcl2, NLRP3, Caspase-1 p20, and IL-1ß were qualified as well. RESULTS: In vitro, Dox facilitated the downregulation of cell viability and upregulation of cell apoptosis, after Andro pretreatment, the above symptoms were remarkably reversed. In vivo, Andro could alleviate Dox-induced cardiac dysfunction and apoptosis, manifesting elevation of LVPWs, LVPWd, EF% and FS%, suppression of CK, CK-MB, c-Tnl and LDH, and inhibition of TUNEL-positive cells. Using network pharmacology, we collected and visualized 108 co-targets of Andro and DIC, which were associated with apoptosis, PI3K-AKT signaling pathway, and others. RNA-seq identified 276 differentially expressed genes, which were enriched in response to oxidative stress, protein phosphorylation, and others. Both network pharmacology and RNA-seq analysis identified Tap1 and Timp1 as key targets of Andro in DIC. RT-QPCR validation confirmed that the mRNA levels of Tap1 and Timp1 were consistent with the sequenced results. Moreover, the high expression of NLRP3, Caspase-1 p20, and IL-1ß in the Dox group was reduced by Andro. CONCLUSIONS: Andro could attenuate DIC through suppression of Tap1 and Timp1 and inhibition of NLRP3 inflammasome activation, serving as a promising cardioprotective drug.

Research Progress of Exosomal Non-Coding RNAs in Cardiac Remodeling.

Exosomes are vesicles with a size range of 50 to 200 nm and released by different cells, which are essential for the exchange of information between cells. They have attracted a lot of interest from medical researchers. Exosomal non-coding RNAs play an important part in pathological cardiac remodelings, such as cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, cardiomyocyte apoptosis, and cardiac fibrosis. This review summarizes the origins and functions of exosomes, the role of exosomal non-coding RNAs in the process of pathological cardiac remodeling, as well as their theoretical basis for clinical application.

P66Shc is increased in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of the patients with obstructive sleep apnea.

Objective: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is characterized by nocturnal intermittent hypoxemia and linked to oxidative stress. Evidence demonstrated that p66Shc plays a key role in regulating oxidative stress. This study aimed to investigate the expression of p66Shc in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of patients with OSA and the association with polysomnographic parameters. Methods: Fifty-four OSA subjects and 19 no OSA controls were enrolled in this study. All the subjects underwent standard polysomnography. P66Shc mRNA and protein levels in the PBMCs were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blotting. Plasma 3-nitrotyrosine (3-NT), oxidized low density lipoprotein (oxLDL), and advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP) were measured by ELISA method. Results: P66Shc mRNA and protein levels in PBMCs were significantly higher in OSA patients than in controls. P66Shc mRNA was positively correlated with plasma 3-NT, oxLDL, AOPP, hypopnea index (AHI), oxygen desaturation index (ODI), percentage of total sleep time with oxygen saturation (SaO2) below 90% (CT90), epworth sleepiness scale (ESS) and lymphocytes; negatively correlated with lowest SaO2 (LSaO2) and mean SaO2 (MSaO2). Further multivariate linear regression analysis showed that p66Shc mRNA levels were independently associated with AHI, MSaO2 and CT90. Conclusions: Oxidative stress regulator p66Shc may play a role in the pathophysiology of OSA and might serve as a potential biomarker for this disease.

Cardioprotective effect of isorhamnetin against myocardial ischemia reperfusion (I/R) injury in isolated rat heart through attenuation of apoptosis.

In this study, we investigated the effects of isorhamnetin on myocardial ischaemia reperfusion (I/R) injury in Langendorff-perfused rat hearts. Isorhamnetin treatment (5, 10 and 20 µg/mL) significantly alleviated cardiac morphological injury, reduced myocardial infarct size, decreased the levels of marker enzymes (LDH and CK) and improved the haemodynamic parameters, reflected by the elevated levels of the left ventricular developed pressure (LVDP), coronary flow (CF) and the maximum up/down velocity of left ventricular pressure (+dp/dtmax ). Moreover, isorhamnetin reperfusion inhibited apoptosis of cardiomyocytes in the rats subjected to cardiac I/R in a dose-dependent manner concomitant with decreased protein expression of Bax and cleaved-caspase-3, as well as increased protein expression of Bcl-2. In addition, I/R-induced oxidative stress was manifestly mitigated by isorhamnetin treatment, as showed by the decreased malondialdehyde (MDA) level and increased antioxidant enzymes activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px). These results indicated that isorhamnetin exerts a protective effect against I/R-induced myocardial injury through the attenuation of apoptosis and oxidative stress.

Activation of Keap1-Nrf2 signaling by 4-octyl itaconate protects human umbilical vein endothelial cells from high glucose.

High glucose (HG) induces oxidative injury to cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Recent studies have discovered 4-octyl itaconate (OI) as a novel and cell permeable Nrf2 (nuclear-factor-E2-related factor 2) activator. Its potential activity in HG-treated HUVECs was tested here. In HUVECs OI disrupted Keap1-Nrf2 association, causing Nrf2 protein accumulation and nuclear translocation, as well as transcription and expression of Nrf2-ARE-dependent genes, including HO1, NQO1 and GCLM. Significantly, pretreatment with OI potently inhibited HG (40 mM glucose)-induced death and apoptosis of HUVECs. Moreover, OI potently inhibited HG-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, lipid peroxidation, superoxide accumulation and mitochondrial depolarization in HUVECs. Activation of Nrf2 is required for OI-induced cytoprotection in HUVECs. Nrf2 shRNA or knockout (by CRISPR/Cas9 method) reversed OI-mediated HUVEC protection against HG. Further studies showed that Keap1 silencing or Cys151S mutation mimicked and nullified OI-induced activity in HUVECs. Taken together, we conclude that OI activates Keap1-Nrf2 signaling to protect HUVECs from HG.

Serum high-density lipoprotein correlates with serum apolipoprotein M and A5 in obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the correlation between serum levels of serum apolipoprotein M (ApoM), A5 (ApoA5), and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) in patients with obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) and study the effects of nasal continuous positive airway pressure treatment on these serum biomarkers. METHODS: Thirty OSAHS patients and 15 non-OSAHS probands as control were selected for the study. Serum HDL, ApoM, and ApoA5 levels in two groups were detected; differences and association among them were analyzed. Patients with moderate and severe OSAHS underwent 3-month auto-continuous positive airway pressure treatment, and a comparative study was conducted to investigate the changes in blood lipids, serum ApoM, and ApoA5. RESULTS: In comparison to the control group, the HDL, ApoM, and ApoA5 serum levels were lower (P < 0.05). HDL was positively correlated to ApoM and ApoA5 (P < 0.001), and ApoM was positively correlated to ApoA5 (r = 0.536, P < 0.001). HDL, ApoM, and ApoA5 were significantly increased in the patients of moderate and severe OSAHS after auto-continuous positive airway pressure treatment for 3 months (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The HDL level was significantly lower in OSAHS patients. The decrease in serum ApoM and ApoA5 in OSAHS patients was correlated to the severity of OSAHS and HDL levels. Auto-continuous positive airway pressure treatment increased serum levels of ApoM, ApoA5, and HDL in OSAHS patients.

Effect of Inducible Co-Stimulatory Molecule siRNA in Cerebral Infarction Rat Models.

BACKGROUND: T cell-induced inflammatory response and related cytokine secretion at the injury site may participate in the pathogenesis of cerebral infarction. Recent studies established inducible co-stimulatory molecule (ICOS) as a novel T cell-related factor for its activation and functions. We thus investigate the role of ICOS in cerebral infarction. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The siRNA of ICOS was first used to suppress the gene expression in cultured lymphocytes. An in vivo study was then performed by intravenous application of ICOS siRNA in cerebral infarction rats. Survival rates, neurological scores, serum tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1, and IL-17 levels were observed. RESULTS: The expression of ICOS in cultured lymphocytes was significantly suppressed by siRNA. In the in vivo study, the application of siRNA effectively lowered mortality rates of rats, in addition to the improvement of neurological behaviors and amelioration of cerebral tissue damage. Serum levels of TNF-α, IL-1 and IL-17 were all significantly suppressed after siRNA injection. CONCLUSIONS: ICOS siRNA can protect brain tissues from ischemia injuries after cerebral infarction, improve limb movement and coordination, lower the mortality rate of rats, and inhibit T cell-induced cytokines. These results collectively suggest the potential treatment efficacy of ICOS siRNA against cerebral infarction.

Characteristics of the fecal microbiome and metabolome in older patients with heart failure and sarcopenia.

Background: Increasing evidence supports that gut microbiota plays an important role in the development of cardiovascular diseases. The prevalence of sarcopenia is increasing in patients with heart failure. Muscle wasting is an independent predictor of death in heart failure patients. Aims: In this study, we aimed to explore the characteristics of gut microbiota and metabolites in heart failure patients with or without sarcopenia. Methods: Fecal samples of 33 heart failure patients without sarcopenia, 29 heart failure patients with sarcopenia, and 15 controls were collected. The intestinal microbiota was analyzed using 16S rRNA sequencing and the metabolites were detected using the gas chromatography-mass spectrometry method. Results: There were significant differences in the overall microbial community structure and diversity between control and heart failure patients with or without sarcopenia. However, no clear clustering of samples was observed in heart failure with and without sarcopenia patients. Several bacterial, particularly Nocardiaceae, Pseudonocardiaceae, Alphaproteobacteria, and Slackia were significantly enriched in the heart failure patients without sarcopenia, while Synergistetes was more abundant in the heart failure patients with sarcopenia. Isobutyric acid, isovaleric acid, and valeric acid were lower in heart failure patients with sarcopenia than that without sarcopenia but lacked significance. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that there are differences in the gut microbiota between control individuals and heart failure patients with or without sarcopenia. Modulating the gut microbiota may be a new target for the prevention and treatment of sarcopenia in heart failure patients.

Eupatilin inhibits pulmonary fibrosis by activating Sestrin2/PI3K/Akt/mTOR dependent autophagy pathway.

BACKGROUND: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive chronic inflammatory disease with poor clinical outcomes and ineffective drug treatment options. Eupatilin is a major component extracted from the traditional herbal medicine Artemisia asiatica Nakai. Notably, it was demonstrated to have an anti-fibrosis effect in endometrial fibrosis, vocal fold, and hepatic fibrosis. Its role and mechanism in IPF remain unclear. METHODS: This study used the TGF-ß1-induced human embryonic lung fibroblasts (MRC-5) activation, IPF lung fibroblasts, and bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis mice model. Western blot, immunofluorescence staining, quantitative real time-PCR, hematoxylin and eosin staining, Masson's trichrome staining, and immunohistochemistry were used to evaluate the effects of eupatilin on fibroblast activation, pulmonary fibrosis, and autophagy. The autophagosomes were observed with a transmission electron microscope (TEM). RNA sequencing was used to determine the signaling pathway and key regulator related to autophagy. RESULTS: Eupatilin significantly decreased the expression of Col1A1, fibronectin, α-SMA, and SQSTM1/p62. In contrast, it increased the expression of LC3B II/I and the number of autophagosomes in TGF-ß1 treated MRC-5, IPF lung fibroblasts, and bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis mice model; it also alleviated bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis. The KEGG pathway mapping displayed that PI3K/Akt and Sestrin2 were associated with the enhanced fibrogenic process. Eupatilin suppressed the phosphorylation of PI3K/Akt/mTOR. Autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine (3-MA) and Akt activator SC-79 abrogated the anti-fibrotic effect of eupatilin. Sestrin2 expression was also downregulated in TGF-ß1 treated lung fibroblasts and lung tissues of the bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis mice model. Furthermore, eupatilin promoted Sestrin2 expression, and the knockdown of Sestrin2 significantly aggravated the degree of fibrosis, increased the phosphorylation of PI3K/Akt/mTOR, and decreased autophagy. CONCLUSION: These findings indicate that eupatilin ameliorates pulmonary fibrosis through Sestrin2/PI3K/Akt/mTOR-dependent autophagy pathway.

Aspirin alleviates pulmonary fibrosis through PI3K/AKT/mTOR-mediated autophagy pathway.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic and irreversible lung disease with limited therapeutic options. Aspirin can alleviate liver, kidney, and cardiac fibrosis. However, its role in lung fibrosis is unclear. This study aims to investigate the effects of aspirin on lung fibroblast differentiation and pulmonary fibrosis. TGF-ß1-induced human embryonic lung fibroblasts, IPF lung fibroblasts, and bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis mouse model were used in this study. The results showed that aspirin significantly decreased the expression of Collagen 1A1, Fibronectin, Alpha-smooth muscle actin, and equestosome1, and increased the ratio of light chain 3 beta II/I and the number of autophagosome in vivo and in vitro; reduced bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis. Aspirin also decreased the ratios of phosphorylated phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase (p-PI3K)/PI3K, protein kinase B (p-AKT)/AKT, and mechanistic target of rapamycin (p-mTOR)/mTOR in vitro. Autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine, bafilomycin-A1, and AKT activator SC-79 abrogated the effects of aspirin. These findings indicate that aspirin ameliorates pulmonary fibrosis through a PI3K/AKT/mTOR-dependent autophagy pathway.

Non-coding RNAs: Important participants in cardiac fibrosis.

Cardiac remodeling is a pathophysiological process activated by diverse cardiac stress, which impairs cardiac function and leads to adverse clinical outcome. This remodeling partly attributes to cardiac fibrosis, which is a result of differentiation of cardiac fibroblasts to myofibroblasts and the production of excessive extracellular matrix within the myocardium. Non-coding RNAs mainly include microRNAs and long non-coding RNAs. These non-coding RNAs have been proved to have a profound impact on biological behaviors of various cardiac cell types and play a pivotal role in the development of cardiac fibrosis. This review aims to summarize the role of microRNAs and long non-coding RNAs in cardiac fibrosis associated with pressure overload, ischemia, diabetes mellitus, aging, atrial fibrillation and heart transplantation, meanwhile shed light on the diagnostic and therapeutic potential of non-coding RNAs for cardiac fibrosis.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea Impacts Cardiac Function in Dilated Cardiomyopathy Patients Through Circulating Exosomes.

Background: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is common and independently associated with heart failure. This study aimed to investigate the impact of OSA on heart function in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) as well as the possible mechanism related to exosomes regulated autophagy. Methods and Results: A total of 126 patients with DCM who underwent sleep evaluations were analyzed retrospectively. Cardiomyocytes were treated with exosomes isolated from untreated OSA patients and healthy controls. Fibrotic and hypertrophic markers were evaluated, and Akt/mTOR pathway-mediated autophagy was investigated. DCM patients with severe OSA had larger right ventricular end-diastolic diameter (RVEDd) and right atrial diameter (RAD) and increased N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels than DCM patients without OSA. Moreover, NT-proBNP and diabetes mellitus were independently correlated with the apnea-hypopnea index in multiple linear regression analysis. Treatment with OSA-derived exosomes significantly increased Col1A1, ANP, and BNP protein expression and decreased the expression of the autophagy markers LC3B II/I and beclin1. Rapamycin treatment significantly increased the decreased autophagy markers and attenuated the increased expression of Col1A1, ANP and BNP induced by OSA-derived exosomes. Conclusion: The severity of OSA is significantly associated with cardiac injury and remodeling. The underlying mechanism may be related to changed autophagy levels, which are regulated by circulating exosomes via the Akt/mTOR signaling pathway. This study may provide a new clue for the treatment of heart failure with OSA.

Dissecting the molecular mechanism of cepharanthine against COVID-19, based on a network pharmacology strategy combined with RNA-sequencing analysis, molecular docking, and molecular dynamics simulation.

OBJECTIVES: Recently, it has been reported that cepharanthine (CEP) is highly likely to be an agent against Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). In the present study, a network pharmacology-based approach combined with RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq), molecular docking, and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation was performed to determine hub targets and potential pharmacological mechanism of CEP against COVID-19. METHODS: Targets of CEP were retrieved from public databases. COVID-19-related targets were acquired from databases and RNA-seq datasets GSE157103 and GSE155249. The potential targets of CEP and COVID-19 were then validated by GSE158050. Hub targets and signaling pathways were acquired through bioinformatics analysis, including protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis and enrichment analysis. Subsequently, molecular docking was carried out to predict the combination of CEP with hub targets. Lastly, MD simulation was conducted to further verify the findings. RESULTS: A total of 700 proteins were identified as CEP-COVID-19-related targets. After the validation by GSE158050, 97 validated targets were retained. Enrichment results indicated that CEP acts on COVID-19 through multiple pathways, multiple targets, and overall cooperation. Specifically, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway is the most important pathway. Based on PPI network analysis, 9 central hub genes were obtained (ACE2, STAT1, SRC, PIK3R1, HIF1A, ESR1, ERBB2, CDC42, and BCL2L1). Molecular docking suggested that the combination between CEP and 9 central hub genes is extremely strong. Noteworthy, ACE2, considered the most important gene in CEP against COVID-19, binds to CEP most stably, which was further validated by MD simulation. CONCLUSION: Our study comprehensively illustrated the potential targets and underlying molecular mechanism of CEP against COVID-19, which further provided the theoretical basis for exploring the potential protective mechanism of CEP against COVID-19.

Inhibition of Sirt2 Alleviates Fibroblasts Activation and Pulmonary Fibrosis via Smad2/3 Pathway.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a fatal disease with unknown cause and limited treatment options. Its mechanism needs to be further explored. Sirtuin2 (Sirt2), a nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD)-dependent deacetylase, has been proved to be involved in the fibrosis and inflammation in the liver, kidney and heart. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the role of Sirt2 in pulmonary fibrosis. We found that Sirt2 expression was upregulated in transforming growth factor-ß1 (TGF-ß1) treated human embryonic lung fibroblasts. Sirt2 inhibitor AGK2 or the knockdown of Sirt2 expression by targeting small interfering RNA (siRNA) suppressed the fibrogenic gene α-SMA and Fibronectin expression in TGF-ß1 treated fibroblasts and primary lung fibroblasts derived from patients with IPF. In addition, Sirt2 inhibition suppresses the phosphorylation of Smad2/3. Co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) showed that there is interaction between Sirt2 and Smad3 in the TGF-ß1 treated lung fibroblasts. In bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis in mice, AGK2 treatment significantly mitigated the degree of fibrosis and decreased the phosphorylation of Smad2/3. These data suggest that Sirt2 may participate in the development of IPF via regulating the Smad2/3 pathway. Inhibition of Sirt2 would provide a novel therapeutic strategy for this disease.

Dendrobium Officinale Polysaccharide Attenuates Insulin Resistance and Abnormal Lipid Metabolism in Obese Mice.

Objectives: Dendrobium officinale polysaccharide (DOP) is the main active ingredient in a valuable traditional Chinese medicine, which exerts several pharmacological activities including hepatoprotection and hypoglycemic effects. However, the effects of DOP on obesity-associated insulin resistance (IR) and lipid metabolism remain unknown. This study aimed to investigate the role of DOP in IR and abnormal lipid metabolism in obese mice. Methods: IR models were established using 3T3-L1 adipocytes, C2C12 myocytes, and primary cultured hepatocytes exposed to palmitate acid. After treatment with DOP, insulin-stimulated glucose uptake, glucose release, and AKT phosphorylation was detected. Fasting blood glucose, fasting serum insulin, the glucose tolerance test (GTT), and the insulin tolerance test (ITT) were measured to evaluate IR of obese mice. Lipid analysis was conducted to evaluate the effects of DOP on lipid metabolism in obese mice. Results: In vitro, DOP treatment ameliorated palmitic acid-induced IR in adipocytes, myocytes, and hepatocytes. DOP regulated cellular insulin sensitivity via the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPAR-γ). Furthermore, administration of DOP significantly reduced the IR and visceral adipose tissue (VAT) inflammation of diet-induced obese (DIO) and the genetically-induced obesity mice (ob/ob) mouse models. In addition, DOP treatment attenuated the high-fat diet (HFD)-induced liver lipid accumulation by reducing liver triglycerides (TG), plasma free fatty acid (FFA), serum cholesterol (TC), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels, while increasing HDL-C levels. Conclusion: DOP could improve obesity-associated IR and abnormal lipid metabolism through its activities on PPAR-γ, and may serve as a potential therapeutic agent for obesity-associated insulin resistance and lipid metabolism disorder.

Osthole ameliorates acute myocardial infarction in rats by decreasing the expression of inflammatory-related cytokines, diminishing MMP-2 expression and activating p-ERK.

Osthole, the active constituent of Cnidium monnieri extracts, has been shown to have a diverse range of pharmacological properties. In the present study, we aimed to evaluate the cardioprotective effects of osthole in a rat model of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). The rats with AMI were treated with 1, 3 and 10 mg/kg of osthole or the vehicle for 4 weeks. The infarct size of the rats with AMI was measured, and casein kinase (CK), the MB isoenzyme of creatine kinase (CK-MB), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and cardiac troponin T (cTnT) activities in the rats with AMI were analyzed using commercially available kits. The nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), tumor necrosis factor­α (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-1ß and IL-6 levels in whole blood from rats with AMI were also detected using commercially available kits. The levels of Toll-like receptors 2/4 (TLR2/4) and nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-containing protein 1/2 (NOD1/2) were also detected by RT-qPCR. Moreover, the protein expression levels of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascades, including extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and p38, cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), as well as matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) were all assayed by western blot analysis. Our results revealed that osthole markedly reduced the infarct size, and the levels of CK, CK-MB, LDH and cTnT in the rats with AMI, and that these cardioprotective effects may be associated with the inhibition of inflammatory reactions, the reduction in MMP-2 activity and the activation of MAPK cascades.

piR-651 promotes tumor formation in non-small cell lung carcinoma through the upregulation of cyclin D1 and CDK4.

Piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs or piRs) are a novel class of non-coding RNAs that participate in germline development by silencing transposable elements and regulating gene expression. To date, the association between piRNAs and non­small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) has not yet been elucidated. In the present study, we have demonstrated that a significant increase in piR-651 expression occurs in NSCLC. Furthermore, the abnormal expression of piR-651 was associated with cancer progression in the patients with NSCLC. The upregulation of piR-651 in A549 cells caused a significant increase in cell viability and metastasis. The percentage of arrested cells in the G0/G1 phase was lower after piR-651 overexpression compared with the controls. We also examined the expression of oncogenes and cancer suppressor genes following piR-651 overexpression in NSCLC cells. Only the expression levels of cyclin D1 and CDK4 significantly correlated with piR-651 expression both in vivo and in vitro. Furthermore, by injecting nude mice with A549 cells transfected with piR-651 plasmids to establish a xenograft model, we demonstrated that there was a correlation between piR-651 overexpression and tumor growth, which was mediated by cyclin D1 and CDK4. These findings strongly support the notion that piR-651 induces NSCLC progression through the cyclin D1 and CDK4 pathway and it may have applications as a potential diagnostic indicator and therapeutic target in the management of NSCLC.

Baicalein pretreatment confers cardioprotection against acute myocardial infarction by activating the endothelial nitric oxide synthase signaling pathway and inhibiting oxidative stress.

Baicalein, a flavonoid purified from the root of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, is well known for its anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative properties. The present study aimed to evaluate the cardioprotective effect of baicalein in a rat model of acute myocardial infarction and investigate the potential molecular mechanisms of this effect. The acute myocardial infarction model was prepared by permanently occluding the left anterior descending artery. Baicalein and/or the endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) inhibitor L-NAME was injected prior to the induction of acute myocardial infarction. In the vehicle-treated group, acute myocardial infarction resulted in a markedly increased infarction size and elevated levels of plasma cardiac enzymes, including creatine kinase, the MB isoenzyme of creatine kinase, lactate dehydrogenase and cardiac troponin T, compared with those in the sham-surgery group. In the baicalein treatment group, the infarcted area and plasma levels of the cardiac enzymes were significantly decreased compared with those in the vehicle-treated group. In addition, pretreatment with baicalein potently increased the levels of eNOS protein and nitric oxide production in the infarcted rats. Furthermore, myocardial oxidative stress was attenuated by baicalein preconditioning following acute myocardial infarction. However, L-NAME inihibted the cardioprotective effects of baicalein. These data indicate that baicalein protects against acute myocardial infarction-induced injury by activating eNOS signaling and inhibiting oxidative stress.

Positive association of pro-inflammatory biomarkers and increased oxidative stress in the healthy elderly.

To investigate the relationship between oxidative stress and pro-inflammatory status in healthy elderly people. A total of 1205 healthy elderly Chinese people (age: 65-83 years old; 861 males, 344 females) who visited the Geriatric Department for a thorough physical examination between May 20 and July 23, 2008 were screened and 118 of them were recruited for further evaluation of oxidative stress (total antioxidation capacity, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, xanthine oxidase (XO) activity and serum hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) level) and pro-inflammatory status (serum C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) level). The total anti-oxidation capacity and SOD activity were decreased while the serum H(2)O(2) level and XO activity were elevated in groups with higher CRP or IL-6 level. Linear stepwise regression showed that body mass index (BMI), total antioxidation capacity, SOD activity, H(2)O(2) level and XO activity were predictors for CRP level, while age, BMI, H(2)O(2) level and XO activity were predictors for IL-6 level. Pro-inflammatory status is associated with increased oxidative stress in healthy elderly population.