XCHT alleviates the pancreatic fibrosis via VDR/NLRP3 signaling pathway in a mouse model of CP.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Xiao Chai Hu Tang (XCHT) derived from the classic medical book Shang Han Lun (Treatise on Febrile Diseases) in the Eastern Han Dynasty, which has been widely used in China and other Asian countries for the treatment of inflammation and fibrosis of chronic pancreatitis (CP), but the therapeutic mechanism of XCHT in pancreatic fibrosis remains unclear. AIM OF THE STUDY: This study aimed to evaluate the intervention effects and explore pharmacological mechanism of XCHT on inflammation and fibrosis in cerulein-induced CP model. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into five main groups, 10 animals in each: Control, CP model (50 µg/kg cerulein), high dose XCHT-treated CP group (60 g/kg XCHT), medium dose XCHT-treated CP group (30 g/kg XCHT) and low dose XCHT-treated CP group (15 g/kg XCHT). Different doses of XCHT were given to mice by gavage twice a day for 2 weeks after the CP model induction. Pancreatic tissues were harvested and the pancreatic inflammation and fibrosis were evaluated by histological score, Sirius red staining, and alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) immunohistochemical staining. ELISA, IHC and RT-qPCR were performed to detect the expression of Vitamin D3 (VD3) and Vitamin D receptor (VDR) in serum and pancreatic tissues, respectively. The expressions of NLRP3 inflammasome related genes and molecules were assayed by WB, IHC and RT-qPCR. RESULTS: The pathohistological results demonstrated that XCHT markedly inhibited the fibrosis and chronic inflammation of cerulein-induced CP, indicated by reduction of collagen I, collagen III, α-SMA, and NLRP3 expressions. XCHT significantly increased VD3 and VDR expression while reduced the pancreatic NLRP3 expression. Correspondingly, XCHT decreased the levels of NLRP3 downstream targets IL-1ß, TNF-α and IL-6. CONCLUSIONS: These results revealed that XCHT suppressed the pancreatic fibrosis and chronic inflammation in cerulein-induced CP model by enhancing the VD3/VDR expression and inhibiting the secretion of NLRP3-assoicated inflammatory factors.

Observed inequality in urban greenspace exposure in China.

Given the important role of green environments playing in healthy cities, the inequality in urban greenspace exposure has aroused growing attentions. However, few comparative studies are available to quantify this phenomenon for cities with different population sizes across a country, especially for those in the developing world. Besides, commonly used inequality measures are always hindered by the conceptual simplification without accounting for human mobility in greenspace exposure assessments. To fill this knowledge gap, we leverage multi-source geospatial big data and a modified assessment framework to evaluate the inequality in urban greenspace exposure for 303 cities in China. Our findings reveal that the majority of Chinese cities are facing high inequality in greenspace exposure, with 207 cities having a Gini index larger than 0.6. Driven by the spatiotemporal variability of human distribution, the magnitude of inequality varies over different times of the day. We also find that exposure inequality is correlated with low greenspace provision with a statistical significance (p-value < 0.05). The inadequate provision may result from various factors, such as dry cold climate and urbanization patterns. Our study provides evidence and insights for central and local governments in China to implement more effective and sustainable greening programs adjusted to different local circumstances and incorporate the public participatory engagement to achieve a real balance between greenspace supply and demand for developing healthy cities.

MicroRNA-211 attenuates cell proliferation in T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma through targeting TCF12.

T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma (T-LBL) is a class of highly aggressive hematologic neoplasms originating from progenitor T-lymphocytes. MicroRNA (miRNA) is an endogenous RNA molecule with 22 nucleotides in length. Accumulated evidence suggests that miRNA functions as a key regulator in human cancer. Herein, by in silico analysis, we found that miR-211 was a decreased miRNA in T-LBL in high-throughput sequencing data, which was subsequently verified in our cohort. Low miR-211 was closely correlated with bulky disease, high ann arbor stage, relapse and poor prognosis. miR-211 was regulated by N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification, specifically, m6A methyltransferase METTL14 methylated primary miR-211 (pri-miR-211), expediting pri-miR-211 processing via recruiting DGCR8. Functionally, miR-211 overexpression significantly reduced T-LBL cell viability, DNA synthesis rate and spheroid formation ability, whereas silencing of miR-211 had the opposite effects. In addition, we established the xenograft tumor model and found that miR-211 remarkably inhibited tumor growth in vivo. Further, TCF12 was the direct target of miR-211, miR-211 bound to TCF12 mRNA 3`-untranslated region (UTR) and increased its decay, overexpression of TCF12 could effectively rescue the weakened malignant behavior of T-LBL cells caused by miR-211 overexpression. Collectively, our data clearly demonstrate that miR-211 is a novel tumor suppressor in T-LBL, targeting of miR-211/TCF12 axis may be a potential treatment for T-LBL patients.

SDF-1 mediates mesenchymal stem cell recruitment and migration via the SDF-1/CXCR4 axis in bone defect.

INTRODUCTION: Recent studies have indicated the potential of stem cell therapy in combination with cytokines to restore the bone repair via migration and homing of stem cells to the defected area. The present study aimed to investigate the mobilization and recruitment of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in response to SDF-1. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Herein, the knockout rat model of the bone defect (BD) was treated with the induced membrane technique. Then, wild type Wistar rats and SDF-1-knockout rats were selected for the establishment of BD-induced membrane (BD-IM) models and bone-graft (BG) models. The number of MSCs was evaluated by flow cytometry, along with the expression pattern of the SDF-1/CXCR4 axis as well as osteogenic factors was identified by RT-qPCR and Western blot analyses. Finally, the MSC migration ability was assessed by the Transwell assay. RESULTS: Our data illustrated that in the induced membrane tissues, the number of MSCs among the BD-IM modeled rats was increased, whereas, a lower number was documented among BG modeled rats. Besides, we found that lentivirus-mediated over-expression of SDF-1 in BG modeled rats could activate the SDF-1/CXCR4 axis, mobilize MSCs into the defect area, and up-regulate the osteogenic proteins. CONCLUSIONS: Collectively, our study speculated that up-regulation of SDF-1 promotes the mobilization and migration of MSCs through the activation of the SDF-1/CXCR4 signal pathway.

Effects of CDK6 regulated by miR-298 on proliferation and apoptosis of thyroid cancer cells.

Effects of CDK6 regulated by miR-298 on proliferation and apoptosis of thyroid cancer cells were explored. Seventy-five cases of thyroid carcinoma and adjacent tissues were collected. The expression levels of miR-298 and CDK6 mRNA in tissues and cells were detected by RT-PCR. In addition, thyroid cancer cells and human normal thyroid cells Nthy-ori3-1 were purchased, with the former transfected with miR-298-mimics, miR-298-inhibitor, miR-NC, si-CDK6, si-NC, Sh-CDK6, Sh-NC to build cell models. Then the expression levels of miR-298 and CDK6 in thyroid cancer tissues and cells were detected by qRT-PCR, and the expression of CDK6, Bax, Bcl-2 and caspase-3 by WB. CCK-8 and flow cytometry were employed to detect cell proliferation and apoptosis, and dual luciferase report was adopted to determine the relationship between miR-298 and CDK6. miR-298 was underexpressed in thyroid cancer, and CDK6 was highly expressed in thyroid cancer. Cell experiments revealed that overexpression of miR-298 or inhibition of CDK6 expression could suppress cell proliferation, promote apoptosis, and significantly increase the expression levels of Bax and caspase-3 proteins, decrease Bcl-2 protein expression, which was contrary to the biological phenotype of cells after inhibition of miR-298 or further overexpression of CDK6. Dual luciferase report confirmed that miR-298 was a targeting site of CDK6. miR-298 can inhibit the proliferation of thyroid cells and promote apoptosis of thyroid cancer cells by regulating the expression of CDK6, which is expected to be a potential target for clinical application.

[Proventive and Therapentic Effects of Endothelial Progenitor Cells on Monocrotaline-Induced Hepatic Vein Occlusion Disease].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the preventive and therapeutic effects of endothelial progenitor cells on monocrotaline-induced hepatic vein occlusion disease in mice. METHODS: C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into 3 groups: saline group (n=15), monocrotaline group (n=15), and endothelial progenitor cell infusion group (n=15). Liver function (TBIL, ALT, AST), liver index, and serum levels of TNF-α and IL-6 were measured on the 8th day after intragastric administration. Hepatic sinusoidal endothelial cells, hepatic central venous endothelial cells and hepatocytes were observed by both HE and immunohistochemical staining. Hepatic fibrosis was observed by Masson's trichrome staining. RESULTS: By the light microscopy, the liver of the monocrotaline group showed moderate to the severe injuries of hepatic sinusoidal and central venous endothelial cells, and hepatic venous congestion. Masson staining showed moderate to severe hepatic fibrosis of central vein and hepatic sinus. In the endothelial progenitor cell group, hepatic sinusoidal and central venous endothelial cell injuries, and the fibrosis of central hepatic vein and hepatic sinus were mild to moderate. Hepatic venous congestion was reduced in comparison with that in the mice of the monocrotaline group. Compared with the endothelial progenitor cell group, the liver index was higher, the liver function was more abnormal, and the serum expression levels of TNF-α and IL-6 were higher in the monocrotaline group. CONCLUSION: The monocrotaline-induced damage of hepatic sinusoidal and central venous endothelial cells is an linitiating factor for hepatic vein occlusive disease. Infusion of endothelial progenitor cells can play a role in preventing and treating hepatic vein occlusion.

Who Could Not Avoid Exposure to High Levels of Residence-Based Pollution by Daily Mobility? Evidence of Air Pollution Exposure from the Perspective of the Neighborhood Effect Averaging Problem (NEAP).

It has been widely acknowledged that air pollution has a considerable adverse impact on people's health. Disadvantaged groups such as low-income people are often found to experience greater negative effects of environmental pollution. Thus, improving the accuracy of air pollution exposure assessment might be essential to policy-making. Recently, the neighborhood effect averaging problem (NEAP) has been identified as a specific form of possible bias when assessing individual exposure to air pollution and its health impacts. In this paper, we assessed the real-time air pollution exposure and residential-based exposure of 106 participants in a high-pollution community in Beijing, China. The study found that: (1) there are significant differences between the two assessments; (2) most participants experienced the NEAP and could lower their exposure by their daily mobility; (3) three vulnerable groups with low daily mobility and could not avoid the high pollution in their residential neighborhoods were identified as exceptions to this: low-income people who have low levels of daily mobility and limited travel outside their residential neighborhoods, blue-collar workers who spend long hours at low-end workplaces, and elderly people who face many household constraints. Public policies thus need to focus on the hidden environmental injustice revealed by the NEAP in order to improve the well-being of these environmentally vulnerable groups.

Down-regulation of microRNA-31-5p inhibits proliferation and invasion of osteosarcoma cells through Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway by enhancing AXIN1.

OBJECTIVES: Recently, the role of microRNA-31-5p (miR-31-5p) in gene expression regulation has been reported in various cancers. Studies have shown that Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway is involved in the proliferation and invasion of osteosarcoma (OS) cells. Therefore, this study aims to probe into the regulatory role of miR-31-5p targeting AXIN1 in OS cells through Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway. METHODS: Firstly, microarray expression profiles were used to screen differentially expressed miRNAs associated with OS. Next, OS and normal fibrous connective tissues as well as OS cell lines were obtained for investigating the role of miR-31-5p on OS. Then, the putative binding sites between miR-31-5p and AXIN1 were predicted and verified. The regulatory effects of miR-31-5p on proliferation and invasion as well as tumorigenic potential of OS cells targeting AXIN1 were also analyzed. Besides, the relationship between miR-31-5p and Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway was assessed by immunofluorescence staining. RESULTS: The microarray dataset GSE63939 showed that miR-31-5p and AXIN1 were involved in OS. miR-31-5p expression increased while the expression of AXIN1 decreased in OS tissues and cells. AXIN1 was identified as a target gene of miR-31-5p, intense expression of which inhibited the transcription of AXIN1. Down-regulated miR-31-5p suppressed proliferation, invasion and tumorigenicity of OS cells through promoting AXIN1. Decreased miR-31-5p activated Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway, as reflected by increased ß-catenin translocation into nuclei, through up-regulating the transcription of AXIN1. CONCLUSIONS: All in all, repression of miR-31-5p targets AXIN1 to activate the Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway, thus suppressing proliferation, invasion and tumorigenicity of OS cells.

Acylative Suzuki coupling of amides: acyl-nitrogen activation via synergy of independently modifiable activating groups.

A highly efficient palladium-catalyzed acylative cross-coupling of carboxylic amides with arylboronic acids has been achieved via synergistic activation of the C(acyl)-N bond by independently modifiable activating groups. Coupling of amides features not only good functional group tolerance but also modifiable reactivities to overcome steric hindrance.

Sustained release of PTX-incorporated nanoparticles synergized by burst release of DOX⋠HCl from thermosensitive modified PEG/PCL hydrogel to improve anti-tumor efficiency.

As drug therapies become increasingly sophisticated, the synergistic benefits of two or more drugs are often required. In this study, we aimed at improving anti-tumor efficiency of paclitaxel (PTX)-incorporated thermo-sensitive injectable hydrogel by the synergy of burst release of doxorubicin hydrochloride (DOX⋅HCl). Thermosensitive injectable hydrogel composed of nanoparticles assembled from amphiphilic copolymer poly(ε-caprolactone-co-1,4,8-trioxa[4.6]spiro-9-undecanone)-poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(ε-caprolaone-co-1,4,8-trioxa[4.6]spiro-9-undecanone) (PECT) was fabricated. Hydrophobic PTX and hydrophilic DOX⋅HCl were loaded simultaneously in the thermo-sensitive injectable hydrogel by a two-stage entrapment. Thermosensitive gelling behaviors of drug-loading PECT nanoparticle aqueous dispersions were studied. In vitro release profiles of PTX and DOX⋅HCl and in vivo anti-tumor effect by dual drugs from PECT hydrogel were investigated. The results showed that hydrophilic and hydrophobic drugs could be successfully entrapped in PECT hydrogel simultaneously without affecting its thermo-sensitive behavior. In vitro release profiles demonstrated the burst release of DOX⋅HCl and the sustained release of PTX. Anti-tumor effect was improved by a fast and tense attack caused by the burst release of hydrophilic DOX⋅HCl from hydrogel, which was continued by the sequent sustained release of PTX-incorporated nanoparticles and remnant DOX⋅HCl. Unintentionally, entrapped in PECT hydrogel, hydrophilic DOX⋅HCl was observed to have a sustained releasing pattern in vitro and in vivo.

Synthesis of diarylmethanes via metal-free reductive cross-coupling of diarylborinic acids with tosyl hydrazones.

This paper describes a practical and efficient procedure that takes advantage of diarylborinic acids as a cost-effective alternative to arylboronic acids for synthesis of diarylmethanes through metal-free reductive cross-coupling with N-tosylhydrazones of aromatic aldehydes and ketones. The procedure tolerates hydroxyl, halide, amine, and allyl functionality, complementary to the transition-metal catalyzed cross-coupling techniques.

Lactoferrin protects against lipopolysaccharide-induced acute lung injury in mice.

Lactoferrin (LF) plays various anti-inflammatory roles in inflammation experimentally induced by lipopolysaccharides (LPS). But the protective effects of LF on LPS-induced acute lung injury (ALI) have not been elucidated. In this study, we aimed to study the effects of LF on ALI caused by LPS in mice. At 1h before or after LPS injection, an intraperitoneal injection of LF (5mg/body) was administered. Lung specimens and the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were isolated for histopathological examinations and biochemical analyses 12h after LPS exposure. We found that both prophylactic and therapeutic administration of LF significantly decreased the W/D ratio of the lung and protein concentration in the BALF. LF significantly reduced the pulmonary myeloperoxidase activity and the number of total cells in the BALF 12h after LPS challenge. LF treatment markedly attenuated lung edema, alveolar hemorrhage and inflammatory cells infiltration. Moreover, LF also decreased the production of TNF-α and increased interleukin-10 in the BALF. These results firstly indicate that LF may protect against LPS-induced ALI in mice.

[Slide platelet aggregation test used as a monitor for patient treated with anti-pletelet drugs].

The aim was to verify the effectiveness of slide platelet aggregation test (SPAT) to monitor the inhibition effect of anti-platelet drugs. A group of eight healthy volunteers was examined for SPAT value and T(50) (time necessary for reaching 50% of total aggregation) induced by ADP, arachidonic acid (AA) and cationic propyl gallate (c-PG) respectively before and after administration of ASA in dose of 100 mg/day for 3 days. The group of 41 inpatients at the Department of Cardiovascular Disease treated with anti-platelet drugs and the group of 327 healthy blood donors were also examined for SPAT. The SPAT value of healthy volunteer samples stored at room temperature were measured hourly for four hours. The results showed that: (1) no significant difference was detected between the T(50) before and after ASA administration in health volunteer group when ADP was used as inducer, but a significant difference was detected in this group when AA or c-PG was used as inducer. There was significant linear correlation between SPAT value and T(50) induced by c-PG in health volunteer group before and after administration of ASA (r = 0.998, P = 0.000); (2) there was no significant difference between the SPAT value of health volunteer group before administration of ASA and the SPAT value of health blood donors group (P = 0.853), but there was a significant difference between the SPAT values before and after administration of ASA in health volunteer group (P = 0.000). There was significant difference when the SPAT value of the inpatients treated with anti-platelet drugs was compared with that of healthy blood donor group and with that of health volunteer group before and after administration of ASA (P = 0.000). The cut-off value of SPAT in health blood donor group was 44.6 +/- 11.7 seconds, reference value was from 21.1 seconds to 68.0 seconds; (3) there was no significant difference between SPAT values when platelets samples stored at room temperature for 1, 2, 3, 4 hours (P = 0.815). In conclusion, SPAT can rapidly monitor the inhibition effect of anti-platelet drugs and SPAT may have the similar clinic value with T(50) induced by c-PG.