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Furofuran lignans have been identified as the main substances responsible for the biological activities of the plant genus Phryma. Here, four new phrymarolin-type leptolignans A-D (7-10) and eight previously known lignans were isolated from P. leptostachya. Of these, nine exhibited significant antifeedant activity against armyworm (Mythimna separata) through a dual-choice bioassay, with the EC50 values ranging from 0.58 to 10.08 µg/cm2. In particular, the newly identified lignan leptolignan A (7) showed strong antifeedant activity, with an EC50 value of 0.58 ± 0.34 µg/cm2. Further investigation found that leptolignan A can inhibit the growth and nutritional indicators in the armyworm M. separata. The concentrations of two molting hormones, 20-hydroxyecdysone and ecdysone, were also found to decrease significantly following the treatment of the armyworms with the lignan, implying that the target of the P. leptostachya lignan may be involved in 20-hydroxyecdysone and ecdysone synthesis. These results enrich our knowledge of P. leptostachya metabolite structural diversity, and provide a theoretical basis for the control of armyworm using lignans.
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Lignans , Animals , Lignans/pharmacology , Lignans/chemistry , Ecdysterone/pharmacology , Ecdysterone/metabolism , Moths/drug effects , Moths/growth & development , Moths/metabolism , Ecdysone/metabolism , Molting/drug effects , Plant Extracts/pharmacology , Plant Extracts/chemistryABSTRACT
Objective:To evaluate the effect of Qishi Tongguan Prescription on pregnancy outcomes after interventional recanalisation in patients with tubal infertility (TFI).Methods:This was a retrospective study based on real-world and propensity score matching. Totally 260 patients with TFI from January 2020 to October 2021 in Shuguang Hospital of Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Pudong New Area were selected as observation subjects, and were divided into 123 cases in the TCM combination group and 137 cases in the control group based on whether they were treated with Qishi Tongguan Prescription in combination with interventional revascularization. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used as a covariate to obtain a new sample of inter group covariate equilibrium, and confounding factors that may affect the pregnancy outcome of TFI patients undergoing interventional recanalization surgery were used as covariates. The intrauterine pregnancy rate, ectopic pregnancy rate, biochemical pregnancy rate, early abortion rate and adverse reactions of the two groups of patients within 12 months of follow-up were compared, and the influence of TFI intervention and recanalization combined with Qishi Tongguan Prescription on intrauterine pregnancy rate was evaluated.Results:Age, years of infertility, type of infertility, history of miscarriage, history of ectopic pregnancy, history of biochemical pregnancy, history of uterine surgery, history of pelvic laparotomy, and degree of tubal patency had an effect on whether intrauterine pregnancy was achieved after interventional reversal in patients with TFI ( P<0.05), with age [ OR (95% CI) was 0.843 (0.769, 0.926)], history of pelvic laparotomy [ OR (95% CI) was 0.477 (0.248, 0.920)] and the degree of tubal obstruction [ OR (95% CI) was 0.152 (0.046, 0.500)] were independent factors ( P<0.01 or P<0.05). 81 patients were seen in each of the 2 groups after PSM, of whom the intrauterine pregnancy rates in the combined herbal group at 9 and 12 months after recanalisation were 48.1% (39/81) and 58.0% (47/81) respectively, compared with 32.1% (26/81) and 35.8% (29/81) in the control group, with statistical significance between the 2 groups ( χ2 values of 4.34 and 8.03, respectively, P<0.01); there was no statistical significance in the ectopic pregnancy rate, biochemical pregnancy rate and early abortion rate between the 2 groups ( P>0.05). There were no significant adverse reactions during the treatment. Conclusion:Qishi Tongguan Prescription combined with interventional recanalization can effectively improve the intrauterine pregnancy rate and shorten the waiting time for pregnancy in patients with TFI with higher safety.
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Depression is one of the common non-motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD). In the clinic, botulinum neurotoxin A (BoNT/A) has been used to treat depression. In this study, we investigated the mechanisms underlying the anti-depressive effect of BoNT/A in a PD mouse model. Mice were administered reserpine (3 µg/mL in the drinking water) for 10 weeks. From the 10th week, BoNT/A (10 U·kg-1·d-1) was injected into the cheek for 3 consecutive days. We showed that chronic administration of reserpine produced the behavioral phenotypes of depression and neurochemical changes in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) and striatum. BoNT/A treatment significantly ameliorated the depressive-like behaviors, but did not improve TH activity in SNpc of reserpine-treated mice. We demonstrated that BoNT/A treatment reversed reserpine-induced complement and microglia activation in the hippocampal CA1 region. Furthermore, BoNT/A treatment significantly attenuated the microglial engulfment of presynaptic synapses, thus ameliorating the apparent synapse and spine loss in the hippocampus in the reserpine-treated mice. Moreover, BoNT/A treatment suppressed microglia-mediated expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-1ß in reserpine-treated mice. In addition, we showed that BoNT/A (0.1 U/mL) ameliorated reserpine-induced complement and microglia activation in mouse BV2 microglial cells in vitro. We conclude that BoNT/A ameliorates depressive-like behavior in a reserpine-induced PD mouse model through reversing the synapse loss mediated by classical complement induced-microglial engulfment as well as alleviating microglia-mediated proinflammatory responses. BoNT/A ameliorates depressive-like behavior, and reverses synapse loss mediated by classical complement pathway-initiated microglia engulfment as well as alleviates microglia-mediated proinflammatory response in the reserpine-induced Parkinson's disease mouse model.
Subject(s)
Botulinum Toxins, Type A , Parkinson Disease , Mice , Animals , Parkinson Disease/drug therapy , Parkinson Disease/metabolism , Microglia/metabolism , Botulinum Toxins, Type A/metabolism , Botulinum Toxins, Type A/pharmacology , Reserpine/metabolism , Reserpine/pharmacology , Neuroinflammatory Diseases , Disease Models, Animal , Hippocampus/metabolism , Mice, Inbred C57BLABSTRACT
Objective:To study the main active components and potential mechanism of the treatment of ovarian cancer by Scutellariae Barbatae Herba - Cremastrae Pseudobulbus Pleiones Pseudobulbus based on network pharmacology and in vitro cell experiments.Methods:TCMSP and SwissTargetPrediction databases were used to retrieve and collect the active components and targets of Scutellariae Barbatae Herba - Cremastrae Pseudobulbus Pleiones Pseudobulbus, and four databases including GeneCards, OMIM, DrugBank and DisGeNET were used to search the targets related to ovarian cancer. After screening the common potential targets of Scutellariae Barbatae Herba - Cremastrae Pseudobulbus Pleiones Pseudobulbus and ovarian cancer, the STRING database was used to realize the construction of PPI network interacting with the proteins of the two common targets. DAVID database was used for GO and KEGG enrichment analysis. Cytoscape 3.9.0 software was used to construct the "active component-target-pathway" network. Finally, the key targets and pathways were validated in vitro. MTT method was used to detect the proliferation inhibition rate of human ovarian cancer SKOV3 cells with different concentrations of Quercetin and sitosterol. Human ovarian cancer SKOV3 cells were divided into control group, Quercetin group and sitosterol group according to the random number table method. After corresponding drug intervention for 48 hours, the effects of Quercetin and sitosterol on SKOV3 cell cloning ability were detected by clone formation experiment, the levels of Akt1, VEGFA, Caspase-3 mRNA in each group were detected by PCR, and the protein expressions of PI3K, Akt, p-Akt, Caspase-3, and VEGFA in cells were detected by Western blot.Results:Through screening, 29 effective chemical components in Scutellariae Barbatae Herba and 3 effective chemical components in Cremastrae Pseudobulbus Pleiones Pseudobulbus were obtained, including 2 components in total. 291 drug-related targets, 1969 potential targets of ovarian cancer were acquired. There were 137 common targets of "Scutellariae Barbatae Herba - Cremastrae Pseudobulbus Pleiones Pseudobulbus" and the drug-disease intersection of ovarian cancer. Through GO functional analysis, 930 items were obtained, involving 722 biological processes, 76 cellular components and 132 molecular functions. KEGG enrichment analysis involved 169 signaling pathways, including tumor pathway, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, P-53 signaling pathway, IL-17 signaling pathway, etc. In vitro experiment results showed that cell proliferation inhibition rate increased and cell cloning ability decreased in Quercetin and sitosterol groups; The levels of Akt1 and VEGFA mRNA in Quercetin group and sitosterol group decreased ( P<0.01 or P<0.05), the expression of Caspase-3 mRNA and protein increased ( P<0.01), and the expressions of PI3K, p-Akt and VEGFA protein decreased ( P<0.01). Conclusion:Scutellariae Barbatae Herba - Cremastrae Pseudobulbus Pleiones Pseudobulbus inhibits the occurrence and development of ovarian cancer through multi target and multi pathway synergistic effects, and can induce SKOV3 cell apoptosis by regulating the expressions of key genes such as AKT1, VEGFA, Caspase-3, and PI3K/Akt pathway.
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PURPOSE: Testicular sperm aspiration (TESA) is widely used to retrieve sperm from testis. Diagnostic testicular biopsy should not be routinely performed for azoospermia. Therefore, a good predictive model is needed before TESA. METHODS: A total of 1972 azoospermia patients constituted the modelling set, and 260 azoospermia patients from two other centres constituted the validation set. An integrated predictive model was built using logistic regression. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC), calibration and decision curve analyses were performed to evaluate the performance of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), semen volume, testicular volume and the integrated model. RESULTS: The FSH level was the best univariate predictor for successful sperm retrieval (SSR) and was better than semen volume and testicular volume alone (p<0.001, threshold 6.17 IU/L, modelling set area under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) 0.80, accuracy 0.79; validation set AUC 0.87, accuracy 0.78). The integrated predictive model had excellent accuracy for predicting SSR (modelling set: AUC 0.93, accuracy 0.89; validation set: AUC 0.96, accuracy: 0.89). Calibration curve analysis indicated that the integrated model calibration was good and better than that of FSH, semen volume and testicular volume alone. Decision curve analysis indicated with a threshold probability between 0.05 and 0.98, the integrated model added more benefit than treating either all or no patients. CONCLUSIONS: The integrated model has excellent discrimination and good calibration. It can help azoospermic men make better decisions before TESA. It should be noted that TESA is not the first-line treatment for non-obstructive azoospermia because of a low sperm retrieval rate.
Subject(s)
Azoospermia , Sperm Retrieval , Azoospermia/pathology , Cohort Studies , Follicle Stimulating Hormone , Humans , Male , Retrospective Studies , Semen , Spermatozoa/pathology , Testis/pathologyABSTRACT
Background: Poor sleep quality has been linked to lower semen quality, but it is unclear whether this result in decreased fertility. To address this question, we retrospectively evaluated the relationship between men's sleep quality and treatment outcomes in subfertile couples receiving assisted reproductive technology (ART). Patient Enrollment and Methods: From September 2017 to November 2019, 282 subfertile couples referred to a Chinese fertility clinic and eligible for ART procedures were enrolled in our study. Sociodemographic characteristics, life habits, and sleep habits in the year prior to ART were recorded. Sleep quality was measured using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). We first divided the patients into two groups based on sleep quality (good sleep: PSQI < 5 and poor sleep: PSQI ≥ 5). Then, the ART outcomes (fertilization rate, good quality embryo rate, implantation rate, positive pregnancy rate, clinical pregnancy rate, live birth rate, miscarriage rate, and birth weight) of each group were analyzed. Finally, multivariate linear and logistic regression analysis were used to examine the relationship between sleep quality (discrete variable or dichotomous variable) and ART outcomes. Results: The participants in the poor sleep group showed a lower fertilization rate of 60.13% (543/903) when compared with 67.36% for the good sleep group (902/1339), P < 0.001. The global PSQI score had a significant influence on birth weight (ß, -63.81; 95% CI, -119.91- -8.52; P = 0.047), and live birth rate (OR, 0.88; 95% CI, 0.78- 0.99; P = 0.047) after adjusting for the interfering factors. Men's sleep quality was unrelated to good quality embryos rate, implantation rate, positive pregnancy rate, clinical pregnancy rate, or miscarriage rate. Conclusion: Men's sleep quality was positively associated with fertilization rate, birth weight, and live birth rate among couples undergoing ART.
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OBJECTIVE@#To observe the effect of fire needling on psoriasis-like lesion and the signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) pathway in mice and compare the therapeutic effect between different interventions of fire needling therapy (surrounding technique of fire needling, fire needling at "Dazhui" [GV 14] and "Zusanli" [ST 36]).@*METHODS@#Thirty male BALB/c mice were randomized into a blank group, a model group, a dexamthasone group, a surrounding technique group and an acupoint group, 6 mice in each one. Except the blank group, the mice in the rest groups were established as psoriasis-like lesion model by topical application with imiquimod cream, once daily, consecutively for 8 days. From day 4 to day 8, in the dexamthasone group, gastric infusion with 0.2 mL dexamthasone was administered, once daily. On day 4, 6 and 8, in the surrounding technique group, fire needling was exerted around the skin lesion; and fire needling was applied to "Dazhui" (GV 14) and "Zusanli" (ST 36) in the acupoint group, once a day. The changes in skin lesion on the dorsal parts of mice were observed in each group to score the psoriasis area and severity index (PASI). Using HE staining, the dermal morphological changes and epidermal thickness were observed in the mice of each group. The positive expression of proliferating cell-associated antigen Ki-67 was determined by immunofluorescence. Immunohistochemistry method was used to determine the expressions of , and T cells of skin tissue in each group. Using real-time PCR, the expressions of interleukin (IL)-17, IL-22, tumor necrosis factor α(TNF-α) mRNA were determined. Western blot method was adopted to determine the protein expressions of STAT3 and p-STAT3 in skin tissue in each group.@*RESULTS@#Compared with the blank group, the scores of each item and the total scores of PASI, as well as the epidermal thickness were all increased in the mice of the model group (P<0.01). Except for the erythema scores of the dexamethasone group and the surrounding technique group, the scores of each item and the total scores of PASI, as well as the epidermal thickness were all decreased in each intervention group as compared with the model group (P<0.01). The infiltration scores and the total scores in the dexamethasone group and the acupoint group were lower than those in the surrounding technique group respectively (P<0.01, P<0.05). In comparison with the blank group, Ki-67 positive cell numbers and the numbers of , and T cells in skin tissue were increased in the mice of the model group (P<0.01). Ki-67 positive cell numbers and the numbers of , and T cells were reduced in each intervention group as compared with the model group (P<0.01), and the numbers of and T cells in the acupoint group were less than the surrounding technique group (P<0.01). Compared with the blank group, the mRNA expressions of IL-17, IL-22 and TNF-α and the ratio of p-STAT3 to STAT3 were all increased in the model group (P<0.01). The mRNA expressions of IL-17, IL-22 and TNF-α and the ratio of p-STAT3 to STAT3 were all decreased in each intervention group as compared with the model group (P<0.01, P<0.05). The mRNA expressions of IL-17, IL-22 and TNF-α in the acupoint group, as well as mRNA expression of IL-17 in the surrounding technique group were all lower than the dexamethasone group (P<0.01), while, the mRNA expression of IL-22 in the acupoint group was lower than the surrounding technique group (P<0.01).@*CONCLUSION@#Fire needling therapy improves skin lesion severity in imiquimod induced psoriasis-like lesion of the mice, which is probably related to the inhibition of STAT3 pathway activation and the decrease of Th17 inflammatory factors expression. The systemic regulation of fire needling at "Dazhui" (GV 14) and "Zusanli" (ST 36) is superior to the local treatment.
Subject(s)
Animals , Male , Mice , Dexamethasone/therapeutic use , Imiquimod/metabolism , Interleukin-17/metabolism , Ki-67 Antigen/metabolism , Mice, Inbred BALB C , Psoriasis/drug therapy , RNA, Messenger/metabolism , STAT3 Transcription Factor/pharmacology , Skin/pathology , Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/metabolismABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is one of the most prevalent inflammatory arthritis worldwide. However, the genes and pathways associated with macrophages from synovial fluids in RA patients still remain unclear. This study aims to screen and verify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) related to identifying candidate genes related to synovial macrophages in rheumatoid arthritis by bioinformatics analysis. METHODS: We searched the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, and GSE97779 and GSE10500 with synovial macrophages expression profiling from multiple RA microarray dataset were selected to conduct a systematic analysis. GSE97779 included nine macrophage samples from synovial fluids of RA patients and five macrophage samples from primary human blood of HC. GSE10500 included five macrophage samples from synovial fluids of RA patients and three macrophage samples from primary human blood of HC. Functional annotation of DEGs was performed, including Gene Ontology (GO) analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network of DEGs was established using the STRING database. CytoHubba was used to identify hub genes. MCODE was used to determine gene clusters in the interactive network. RESULTS: There were 2638 DEGs (1425 upregulated genes and 1213 downregulated ones) and 889 DEGs (438 upregulated genes and 451 downregulated ones) selected from GSE97779 and GSE10500, respectively. Venn diagrams showed that 173 genes were upregulated and 106 downregulated in both two datasets. The top 10 hub genes, including FN1, VEGFA, HGF, SERPINA1, MMP9, PPBP, CD44, FPR2, IGF1, and ITGAM, were identified using the PPI network. CONCLUSION: This study provides new insights for the potential biomarkers and the relevant molecular mechanisms in RA patients. Our findings suggest that the 10 candidate genes might be used in diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy of RA in the future. However, further studies are required to confirm the expression of these genes in synovial macrophages in RA and control specimen.
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BACKGROUND: The effects of sleep duration on semen quality have been documented in many epidemiological studies. However, the association between sleep quality and semen parameters and reproductive hormones is still unclear. PATIENTS ENROLLMENT AND METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study among 970 outpatients from the Reproductive Medicine Center in Zhejiang, China between October 2017 and July 2019. All participants delivered a semen sample, underwent a physical examination, and answered a questionnaire to provide the following information: demographics, life habits, and sleep habits. Sleep quality was measured using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). We first divided the patients into two groups according to sleep quality (good sleep: PQSI < 5 and poor sleep: PSQI ≥ 5). Then, we analyzed routine sperm parameters (semen volume, sperm total motility, progressive motility, sperm concentration, total sperm number, and normal sperm morphology) and reproductive hormones (follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, estrogen, testosterone, and prolactin) of each group. Finally, we used multivariate linear regression analysis and Spearman correlation coefficients to examine the relationship between sleep quality (discrete variable or dichotomous variable) and sperm parameters, reproductive hormones. RESULTS: A negative correlation was found between the general PSQI scores and several semen parameters: total motility (r= -0.187979, p< 0.001), progressive motility (r= -0.192902, p< 0.001), concentration (r= -0.167063, p< 0.001), total sperm number (r= -0.160008, p< 0.001), and normal sperm morphology (r= -0.124511, p< 0.001). However, there was no significant correlation between the semen volume, all reproductive hormones and the general PSQI scores. After adjusting for confounders, men with poor sleep had lower total motility (ß= -9.287; 95% CI, -12.050, -6.523), progressive motility (ß= -8.853; 95% CI, -11.526, -6.180), concentration (log scale, ß= -0.131; 95% CI, -0.181, -0.082), total sperm number (log scale, ß= -0.137; 95% CI, -0.189, -0.084), and normal sperm morphology (ß= -1.195; 95% CI, -1.844, -0.547), but semen volume and all reproductive hormones were not markedly altered. CONCLUSION: Poor sleep quality might be related to impaired semen quality, but we found no evidence that poor sleep quality affects reproductive hormones.
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Three halophilic archaeal strains, YJ-53T, ZS-5 and DYF38, were isolated from marine solar salterns located in different provinces of China. The three strains formed a single cluster (99.7-99.8 and 97.9-99.2â% similarities, respectively) that was separate from the current two members of Salinigranum (96.7-98.0 and 89.8-92.9â% similarities, respectively) on the basis of 16S rRNA and rpoB' gene sequence comparisons and phylogenetic analysis. Diverse phenotypic characteristics differentiated strains YJ-53T, ZS-5 and DYF38 from Salinigranum rubrum GX10T and Salinigranum salinum YJ-50-S2T. The major polar lipids of isolated strains were phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol phosphate methyl ester and two major glycolipids chromatographically identical to mannosyl glucosyl diether and sulfated mannosyl glucosyl diether, detected in the current members of Salinigranum. The OrthoANI and in silico DNA-DNA hybridization (DDH) values between the three strains were in the range of 97.7-98.4â% and 80.3-86.1 %, respectively, much higher than the threshold values proposed as species boundaries (average nucleotide identity 95-96â% and in silico DDH 70 %), revealing that the three strains represent one species. Results of comparative OrthoANI and in silico DDH analyses of the strains described in this study with validly described members of the genus Salinigranum supported that strains YJ-53T (=CGMCC 1.12860T=JCM 30238T), ZS-5 (=CGMCC 1.12867=JCM 30240) and DYF38 (=CGMCC 1.13779=JCM 33557) represent a novel species of the genus Salinigranum, for which the name Salinigranum halophilum sp. nov. is proposed.
Subject(s)
Euryarchaeota/classification , Phylogeny , Seawater/microbiology , China , DNA, Archaeal/genetics , Euryarchaeota/isolation & purification , Glycolipids/chemistry , Nucleic Acid Hybridization , Phospholipids/chemistry , RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/genetics , Sequence Analysis, DNA , Water MicrobiologyABSTRACT
Two halophilic archaeal strains, SHR37T and NEN6, were isolated from salt lakes located in the Tibet and Xinjiang regions of China. The two strains were found to form a single cluster (99.9% and 99.3% similarity, respectively) separating them from the six current members of Natronorubrum (94.7-96.9% and 86.1-90.8% similarity, respectively) on the basis of the 16S rRNA and rpoB' gene sequence similarities and phylogenetic analysis. Diverse phenotypic characteristics differentiate strains SHR37T and NEN6 from current Natronorubrum members. Their polar lipids are C20C20 and C20C25glycerol diether derivatives of PG, PGP-Me, and a major gycolipid chromatographically identical to disulfated mannosyl glucosyl diether (S2-DGD). Four minor unidentified gycolipids are also present. The OrthoANI and in silico DDH values of the two strains were 97.3% and 76.1%, respectively, which were much higher than the threshold values proposed as a species boundary (ANI 95-96% and in silico DDH 70%), which revealed that the two strains represent one species; the two values (ANI 79.0-81.9% and in silico DDH 23.5-25.7%) of the strains examined in this study and the current members of Natronorubrum are much lower than the recommended threshold values, suggesting that strains SHR37T and NEN6 represent a genomically different species of Natronorubrum. These results showed that strains SHR37T (= CGMCC 1.15233T = JCM 30845T) and NEN6 (= CGMCC 1.17161) represent a novel species of Natronorubrum, for which the name Natronorubrum halophilum sp. nov. is proposed.
Subject(s)
Halobacteriaceae/classification , Halobacteriaceae/genetics , Halobacteriaceae/isolation & purification , China , Classification , DNA, Archaeal , Genome, Archaeal , Glycolipids/chemistry , Halobacteriaceae/metabolism , Lakes , Phenotype , Phylogeny , RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/genetics , TibetABSTRACT
Objective:To observe the effect of Zengmian Yiliu (ZMYL) formula and its effective components (PAWU) on the growth inhibition of ovarian cancer stem cell transplanted tumor in nude mice and the Notch signal receptor (Notch) / Notch signal ligand 1 (Jagged1) signal pathway in tumor tissue. Method:Ovarian cancer stem cells were cultured in serum-free suspension to establish the transplanted tumor model of ovarian cancer stem cells in nude mice, and then divided into model group, ZMYL group (36 g·kg-1), PAWU group (5.8 g·kg-1), cisplatin (DDP) group (2.5 g·kg-1), and PAWU (5.8 g·kg-1) + DDP group (2.5 mg·kg-1).After successful modeling, the drugs were given by gavage for 21 days.To observe the effect of Zengmian Yiliu decoction and its effective components on tumor weight in nude mice, the morphological changes of tumor cells were observed under light microscope, immunohistochemistry and real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction(Real-time PCR)were used to detect the expressions of Notch 1, Jagged1, Hairy and enhancer of split 1 (Hes1) protein and mRNA in tumor tissues. Result:The tumor inhibition rates of ZMYL, PAWU, DDP and combination groups were 35.91%, 32.94%, 57.65% and 69.05%, respectively.Compared with the model group, the tumor weight of ZMYL group, PAWU group, DDP group and combination groups decreased significantly (P<0.05).Compared with PAWU group, the tumor weight of combination groups decreased significantly (P<0.05).Immunohistochemistry showed that compared with the model group, the positive expressions of Notch1, Jagged1 in ZMYL group, PAWU group, DDP group and combination groups were down-regulated (P<0.05),and the positive expressions of Hes1 in ZMYL group, DDP group and combination groups were down-regulated (P<0.05).Compared with combination groups, the positive expressions of Notch1, Jagged1 and Hes1 in ZMYL group, PAWU group, DDP group were up-regulated (P<0.05). Real time PCR showed that compared with the model group, the expressions of Notch1 mRNA in ZMYL group, PAWU group, DDP group and combination groups decreased significantly (P<0.05).Compared with model group, the expressions of Jagged1 and Hes1 mRNA in ZMYL group, PAWU group and combination groups decreased significantly (P<0.05).Compared with DDP group, the expressions of Notch1, Jagged1 and Hes1 mRNA in combination groups decreased significantly (P<0.05). Conclusion:The growth of ovarian cancer stem cells transplanted in nude mice can be inhibited by Zengmian Yiliu formula and its effective components.The effective components have a significant synergistic effect in the combination with cisplatin.Its mechanism is correlated to the inhibition of Notch/Jagged1 signaling pathway activation.
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Objective::To observe the expressions of tight junction proteins (claduin-1, claudin-7 occludin)of psoriasis-like lesions in mice, and clarify the effect of Yangxue Jiedu decoction on the epidermal barrier of psoriasis, so as to provide scientific basis for the treatment of psoriasis with Yangxue Jiedu decoction. Method::C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into control group, model group, methotrexate group and Yangxue Jiedu decoction.Methotrexate solution and water decoction of Yangxue Jiedu decoction were prepared, and the mice were given imiquimot to induce psoriasis-skin lesions after the hair was shaved.Daily photos were taken to record the forms of skin lesions and psoriasis area and severity index(PASI) scores.Water and oil test pens were used to detect skin moisture content. The pathological changes were observed by htoxylin eosin (HE) staining, and the epidermal thickness was measured.Ki67 was detected by immunofluorescence. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expressions of loricrin, CD3+ T lymphocyte infiltration and claduin-1, claudin-7, occludin.In addition, the expressions of claudin-7 and occludin in skin lesions were detected by Western blot.Meanwhile, interleukin-17(IL-17) (1 mg·L-1) was used to simulate the microenvironment of psoriasis skin lesions, and the intervention was conducted by making Yangxue component, Jiedu component and Yangxue Jiedu dry powder.The toxicity of the drug on Hacat cells was detected by cell counting kit-8(CCK-8)method.The effect of the drugs on the expressions of claudin-1, claudin-7, occludin in Hacat was detected by immunofluorescence assay. Result::Yangxue Jiedu decoction could significantly reduce the psoriasis skin lesions in mice, and reduce the PASI score and skin thickness (P<0.01). Compared with the model group, the skin moisture content in the lesion was increased (P<0.01). Abnormal expressions of ki67 and loricrin in epidermis and infiltration of CD3+ T cells were reduced (P<0.01). In addition, the expressions of claudin-1, claudin-7, occludin proteins (P<0.05), and the integrity of the tight junction structure were increased.In vitro studies, compared with the model group, the expressions of claudin-1, claudin-7, and occludin in the Yangxue Jiedu group and Yangxue group were increased (P<0.05). Compared with the model group, there was no statistically significant difference in protein expression in the Jiedu group. Conclusion::By regulating the expressions of tight junction proteins between keratinocytes, Yangxue Jiedu decoction can inhibit the abnormal proliferation and differentiation, and further restore the broken epidermal barrier.Yangxue Jiedu decoction plays a role in regulating tight junction mainly through Yangxue component.
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This study sought to evaluate the effects of Asiatic acid in LPS-induced BV2 microglia cells and 1-methyl-4-phenyl-pyridine (MPP+)-induced SH-SY5Y cells, to investigate the potential anti-inflammatory mechanisms of Asiatic acid in Parkinsons disease (PD). SH-SY5Y cells were induced using MPP+ to establish as an in vitro model of PD, so that the effects of Asiatic acid on dopaminergic neurons could be examined. The NLRP3 inflammasome was activated in BV2 microglia cells to explore potential mechanisms for the neuroprotective effects of Asiatic acid. We showed that Asiatic acid reduced intracellular production of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species and altered the mitochondrial membrane potential to regulate mitochondrial dysfunction, and suppressed the NLRP3 inflammasome in microglia cells. We additionally found that treatment with Asiatic acid directly improved SH-SY5Y cell viability and mitochondrial dysfunction induced by MPP+. These data demonstrate that Asiatic acid both inhibits the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome by downregulating mitochondrial reactive oxygen species directly to protect dopaminergic neurons from, and improves mitochondrial dysfunction in SH-SY5Y cells, which were established as a model of Parkinsons disease. Our finding reveals that Asiatic acid protects dopaminergic neurons from neuroinflammation by suppressing NLRP3 inflammasome activation in microglia cells as well as protecting dopaminergic neurons directly. This suggests a promising clinical use of Asiatic acid for PD therapy.
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Objective To compare the image quality of sinus coronal CT scan before and after the involvement of quality control circle (QCC) to explore QCC's effect.Methods A QCC team was founded in April 2014,in which 10 key steps of QCC activities were executed,and the related data from April to November 2014 were analyzed to determine the effect of QCC on coronary sinus CT examination.Results The rate of excellent film was increased from 69.5% to 96.3% after the involvement of QCC,and the desired requirement was met.Conclusion QCC contributes to improving coronary sinus CT examination and enhancing the ability of the members,and thus is worthy promoting clinically.
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Objective To explore coronary CT three-dimensional post-processing standardized display and the construction of digital teaching platform. Methods The conventional display positions of 3D post-processing image were summarized during daily coronary CTA examination, the common place was refined. The construction mode was explored for CTA digital teaching demonstration platform. Results Coronary CTA 3D post-processing standardized display with common and individual property contributed to enhancing the display of coronary images. The CTA digital teaching demonstration platform met the teaching requirements. Conclusion The coronary CT 3D post-processing standardized display and digital teaching platform facilitate the student to master related knowledge.
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Objective To compare the image quality of sinus coronal CT scan before and after the involvement of quality control circle (QCC) to explore QCC's effect.Methods A QCC team was founded in April 2014,in which 10 key steps of QCC activities were executed,and the related data from April to November 2014 were analyzed to determine the effect of QCC on coronary sinus CT examination.Results The rate of excellent film was increased from 69.5% to 96.3% after the involvement of QCC,and the desired requirement was met.Conclusion QCC contributes to improving coronary sinus CT examination and enhancing the ability of the members,and thus is worthy promoting clinically.
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It is widely understood that commensal microbiota contributes to the maintenance of intestinal homeostasis through dynamic interactions with a body's immunity. And the immune regulation is important for the influenza vaccine's effectiveness after body injection, however, the mechanism between commensal microbiota and vaccine's effectiveness remains unknown. The impact that individual bacteria species have on the balance of the systemic immune system beyond the local intestinal mucosal tissues also remains less clear, and the related mechanism is still unknown. In this study, through the administration of various antibiotics, we examined the balance of helper T cell subsets in mice after inoculating them with the influenza virus and then, attempted to imitate the clinical practice in which patients are always prescribed with an antibiotic treatment in flu season. The data indicates that the mice in each group present differential immune responses in terms of the makeup of helper T cell subsets, although the Th17 cell activity seems to not be involved in the systemic immune modulation in the mice that are susceptible to the intervention of antibiotic. Th1, Th2, and anti-inflammatory regulatory T cells have been implicated in the contribution to the systemic immune response influenced by the antibiotic-induced dysbiosis. Thus we believe that the normal intestinal flora could maintain the immune balance and inhibit the inflammatory responses, which may be useful for clinical application to take intestinal flora into consideration when influenza vaccination was used.
Subject(s)
Dysbiosis/etiology , Dysbiosis/immunology , Gastrointestinal Microbiome/immunology , Orthomyxoviridae Infections/immunology , Orthomyxoviridae/immunology , T-Lymphocyte Subsets/immunology , T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer/immunology , Animals , Disease Models, Animal , Humans , MiceABSTRACT
In the past decades, significant effort has been invested into the research and development of optical limiting materials and processes in order to develop practical solutions for the protection from laser beams. In this study, a new soluble graphene oxide based material (GO-Cz) has been synthesized through the covalent modification of graphene oxide (GO) with a carbazole derivative (Cz). The formation of an amido bond between the Cz group and GO has been confirmed by X-ray photoelectron and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. At the same concentration, both the nonlinear extinction coefficient and the imaginary third-order susceptibility were increased by a factor of ≈6.93 at 532â nm and ≈6.07 at 1064â nm relative to those of GO, as a result of the covalent grafting of the Cz moieties onto the GO surface. The GO-Cz dispersions exhibit a much better optical limiting performance than GO and GO/Cz blends at both 532 and 1064â nm due to the possible intramolecular electron-transfer between the GO and Cz moieties and the effective combination of the different nonlinear optical mechanisms.
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<p><b>OBJECTIVES</b>To investigate the clinical effect of sequential therapeutic intervention Yupei Qisun [compensating for weakness by invigorating Kidney (Shen) and Spleen (Pi) in advance] in Chinese medicine (CM) and hysteroscopic endometrial mechanical stimulation on the treatment of infertile patients with repeated implantation failure (RIF); and to study the differences in patients' endometrial thickness and type on the day of embryo transfer, serum hormone levels on embryo transfer day and clinical pregnancy outcomes.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>In the clinical study, 168 frozen-thawed embryo transfer (FET) cycles for couples with RIF conforming to the research protocol were randomly divided into three groups: a CM group with 56 cycles (CM combined with FET), a hysteroscopy group with 55 cycles (hysteroscopic endometrial mechanical stimulation), and a control group with 57 cycles (conventional FET). Differences in endometrial thickness on the embryo transfer day, levels of serum estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P) on the embryo transfer day, the E2/P ratio on the embryo transfer day, biochemical and clinical pregnancy rates, implantation rate, abnormal pregnancy rate and other indices were compared among the three groups.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Endometrial thickness, E2 and P levels, and the E2/P ratio on embryo transfer day and other factors had no significant differences among groups. The biochemical pregnancy, clinical pregnancy, and implantation rates of the CM and hysteroscopy groups were significantly higher than the control group (P<0.05), and there were no significant differences between these two groups. The abnormal pregnancy rate had no significant difference among the three groups.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Sequential therapy of Yupei Qisun could significantly improve the clinical outcomes of rif-fet cycles, being equivalent to hysteroscopic endometrial mechanical stimulation, and provided a reliable method to treat such infertile couples.</p>