[Effects of tetramethylpyrazine on pharmacokinetics in plasma and brain dialysate and neuropathic pain in rat model of spared sciatic nerve injury].

This study aims to explore the effects of tetramethylpyrazine(TMP) on pharmacokinetics in plasma and brain dialysate and neuropathic pain in the rat model of partial sciatic nerve injury(SNI), and to investigate the correlation between the analgesic effect of TMP and its concentrations in the plasma and brain dialysate. Male SD rats were randomized into Sham, SNI, and SNI+TMP groups. Mechanical stimulation with von frey filaments and cold spray method were employed to evaluate the mechanical sensitivity and cold sensitivity of rats. Another two groups, Sham+TMP and SNI+TMP, were used to intubate the common jugular vein and implant microdialysis probes into the anterior cingulate gyrus(ACC), respectively.After intraperitoneal injection of TMP at a dose of 80 mg·kg~(-1), automatic blood collection and intracerebral microdialysis(perfusion rate of 1 µL·min~(-1)) systems were used to collect the blood and brain dialysate for 24 h. HSS T3 C_(18) reversed-phase chromatographic column(2.1 mm×50 mm, 2.5 µm) was used for liquid chromatographic separation. Gradient elution was carried out with the mobile phase of methanol-water(containing 0.005% formic acid) at a flow rate of 0.25 mL·min~(-1). Electrospray ion source was used for mass spectrometry, and the scanning mode was multi-reaction monitoring under the positive ion mode. The ion pairs for quantitative analysis were TMP m/z 137/122 and aspirin m/z 179/137, respectively. DAS 2.11 was used to calculate the pharmacokinetic parameters. The optimal time of TMP to exert the analgesia effect and inhibit cold pain sensitivity was 60 min after treatment. The TMP in the plasma and brain dialysate of SNI rats showed the T_(max) of 15 min and 30 min, the C_(max) of(2 866.43±135.39) and(1 462.14±197.38) µg·L~(-1), the AUC_(0-t) of(241 463.30±28 070.31) and(213 115.62±32 570.07) µg·min·L~(-1), the MRT_(0-t) of(353.13±47.73) and(172.16±12.72) min, and the CL_Z of 0.73 and 0.36 L·min·kg~(-1), respectively. The analgesic effect of TMP had a significant correlation with the blood drug concentration in the ACC, which indicated that this method was suitable for the detection of TMP in rat plasma and brain dialysate. The method is accurate, reliable, and sensitive and can realize the important value of the application of correlation analysis theory of "automatic blood collection-microdialysis/PK-PD" in the research on neuropathic pain.

Mechanism of enhanced microalgal biomass and lipid accumulation through symbiosis between a highly succinic acid-producing strain of Escherichia coli SUC and Aurantiochytrium sp. SW1.

Microalgae, known for rapid growth and lipid richness, hold potential in biofuels and high-value biomolecules. The symbiotic link with bacteria is crucial in large-scale open cultures. This study explores algal-bacterial interactions using a symbiotic model, evaluating acid-resistant Lactic acid bacteria (LAB), stress-resilient Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus licheniformis, and various Escherichia coli strains in the Aurantiochytrium sp. SW1 system. It was observed that E. coli SUC significantly enhanced the growth and lipid production of Aurantiochytrium sp. SW1 by increasing enzyme activity (NAD-IDH, NAD-ME, G6PDH) while maintaining sustained succinic acid release. Optimal co-culture conditions included temperature 28 °C, a 1:10 algae-to-bacteria ratio, and pH 8. Under these conditions, Aurantiochytrium sp. SW1 biomass increased 3.17-fold to 27.83 g/L, and total lipid content increased 2.63-fold to 4.87 g/L. These findings have implications for more efficient microalgal lipid production and large-scale cultivation.

Immunomodulatory effect of Liangyi paste on the gut microbiota of mice.

Liangyi paste (LY) is a traditional Chinese medicine made from a mixture of Ginseng and Rehmanniae radix praeparata. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of LY on gut microbiota diversity in immunocompromised mice. The chemical composition of LY extract was analyzed using UPLC-Q-Orbitrap-MS/MS, and the differences in the structure and diversity of the intestinal microbiota of LY extract were examined using 16S rRNA. In this study, identified and analyzed 66 compounds from the LY. These compounds included 11 iridoids, 6 oligosaccharides, 21 protopanaxtriols, 23 protopanaxadiols, 2 OLE, 1 Ionone and 2 phenylethanoside, using advanced UPLC-Q-Orbitrap-MS/MS technology. Through the use of 16S rRNA analysis, the study found that LY significantly increased the relative abundance of the Firmicutes phylum in immunocompromised mice, while decreasing the abundance of the Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria phyla. At the genus level, LY significantly increased the relative abundance of beneficial bacteria such as Clostridium_sensu_stricto_l, Lactobacillus, and Limosilactobacillus in immunocompromised mice. Conversely, the paste extract decreased the relative abundance of harmful bacteria such as Enterococcus and Escherichia Shigella in immunocompromised mice. These findings highlight the potential of LY to serve as a natural dietary supplement for enhancing gut microbiota diversity and promoting gut health. The identification of numerous compounds within the paste extract demonstrates its complexity and potential as a source for further research and development. Additionally, the LY extract exerted a significant influence on both nucleotide and amino acid metabolism. To sum up, the findings suggest that the LY extract has the potential to modulate the structure and diversity of gut microbiota, as well as promote metabolic balance in immunocompromised mice.

Diagnostic performances of D-dimer, prothrombin time, and red blood cell distribution width for coronary artery lesion in children with acute stage Kawasaki disease.

Aim: To evaluate the performances of D-dimer, prothrombin time (PT), and red blood cell distribution width (RDW) for the diagnosis of coronary artery lesion (CAL) in acute stage Kawasaki disease (KD). Methods: Between January 2018 and January 2021, a total of 102 children with acute stage KD were included in this retrospective study. Among them, 36 KD children with CAL were divided into the CAL group, and 66 KD children without CAL were divided into the NCAL group. Independent predictors of CAL in acute stage KD were identified by using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis. Spearman correlations were used to evaluate the association between CAL in acute stage KD and different indicators. The diagnostic performance of different indicators for CAL in acute stage KD was analyzed by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Results: Compared with the NCAL group, children in the CAL group had significantly higher white blood cell count, lymphocyte count, platelet count, D-dimer, and RDW levels, but lower PT levels (all p < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis revealed that D-dimer (OR = 1.0, 95% CI: 1.004-1.012, p < 0.001), PT (OR = 0.4, 95% CI: 0.2-0.8, p = 0.01), and RDW (OR = 7.0, 95% CI: 2.6-19.2, p < 0.001) were independent predictors of CAL in children with acute stage KD. CAL showed a positive correlation with D-dimer (r = 0.4, p < 0.001) and RDW (r = 0.5, p < 0.001), and had a negative association with PT (r = -0.2, p < 0.05). The ROC curve analysis showed that the combination of the three indicators had the highest diagnostic performance for CAL in acute stage KD with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.922 (sensitivity, 86.1%; specificity, 89.4%), compared with D-dimer (AUC = 0.736), PT (AUC = 0.640), and RDW (AUC = 0.819) alone. Conclusion: A combination of D-dimer, PT, and RDW may help predict CAL in children with acute stage KD.

Association between the lean nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and risk of incident type 2 diabetes in a healthy population of Northwest China: a retrospective cohort study with a 2-year follow-up period.

Aims: We aimed to explore the metabolic features of lean nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (Lean-NAFLD) and its association with the risk of incident type 2 diabetes in young and middle-aged people. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 3001 participants who were enrolled in a health check-up program from January 2018 to December 2020 in the Health Management Center of Karamay People's Hospital. The age, sex, height, weight, body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, waist circumference (WC), fasting plasma glucose (FPG), lipid profiles, serum uric acid and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) of the subjects were collected. The cutoff point of BMI for lean nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is <25 kg/m2. A COX proportional hazard regression model was used to analyze the risk ratio of lean nonalcoholic fatty liver disease to type 2 diabetes mellitus. Results: Lean NAFLD participants had many metabolic abnormalities, such as overweight and obesity with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Compared with lean participants without nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, the fully adjusted hazard ratio (HR) for lean participants with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease was 3.83 (95% CI 2.02-7.24, p<0.01). In the normal waist circumference group (man<90cm, woman<80 cm), compared with lean participants without NAFLD, the adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) of incident type 2 diabetes for lean participants with NAFLD and overweight or obese participants with NAFLD were 1.93 (95% CI 0.70-5.35, p>0.05) and 4.20 (95% CI 1.44-12.22, p<0.05), respectively. For excess waist circumference (man≥90 cm, woman ≥80 cm) compared with lean participants without NAFLD, the adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) of incident type 2 diabetes for lean participants with NAFLD and overweight or obese participants with NAFLD were 3.88 (95% CI 1.56-9.66, p<0.05) and 3.30 (95% CI 1.52-7.14, p<0.05), respectively. Conclusion: Abdominal obesity is the strongest risk factor for type 2 diabetes in lean nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

[Plasma components of Danzhi Xiaoyao Formula and its mechanism of action in treating perimenopausal depression based on UPLC-Q-TOF-MS~E integrated with network pharmacology].

In this study, ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry(UPLC-Q-TOF-MS~E) was used to analyze the plasma components of Danzhi Xiaoyao Formula after oral administration. Forty-nine plasma components were found in the serum of rats by comparing the compound extract, drug-containing serum, and blank serum. Components, such as 6-hydroxycoumarin, poricoic acid F, deoxoglabrolide, 30-norhederagenin, kanzonol R, 3',6'-di-O-galloylpaeoniflorin, 16α-hydroxytrametenolic acid, 16-deoxyporicoic acid B, 3-O-acetyl-16α-hydroxytrametenolic acid, and 16α,25-dihydroxydehydroeburiconic acid, were first found in rat serum. Behavioral tests, including the tail suspension test, novel object recognition test, and novelty-suppressed feeding test, were conducted for behavioral analysis. It was confirmed that this formula had therapeutic effects on perimenopausal depression. Furthermore, in combination with the network pharmacology method, 53 core targets including MAPK1, HRAS, AKT1, EGFR, and ESR1 were screened, and these targets participated in 165 signaling pathways, including PI3K-AKT, AMPK, VEGFA, MAPK, and HIF-1. In summary, the potential effects of Danzhi Xiaoyao Formula in treating perimenopausal depression are associated with mechanisms in accelerating inflammation repair, improving neuroplasticity, affecting neurotransmitters, regulating estrogen levels, and promoting new blood vessel formation.

ICAM-1 mediated cell-cell adhesion exerts dual roles on human B cell differentiation and IgG production.

Intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) plays prominent roles in mediating cell-cell adhesion which also facilitates B cell activation and differentiation with the help from CD4+ T cells. Here, we have reported a unique phenomenon that increased ICAM-1 on purified human CD4+ T cells upon anti-CD3/CD28 stimulation enhanced CD4+ T-B cell adhesion whereas induced less B cell differentiation and IgG production. This was largely due to increased PD-1 expression on CD19hi B cells after coculturing with hyperactivated CD4+ T cells. Consequently, ICAM-1 blockade during CD4+ T cell-B cell coculture promoted IgG production with the activation of ERK1/2 and Blimp-1/IRF4 upregulation. Consistently, CD4+ T cells from moderate-to-severe SLE patients with high ICAM-1 expression mediated less IgG production after T-B coculture. Therefore, ICAM-1-mediated human CD4+ T-B cell adhesion provides dual roles on B cell differentiation and IgG production partially depending on expression levels of PD-1 on B cells, supporting cell adhesion and subsequent PD-1 induction as an alternative intrinsic checkpoint for B cell differentiation.

CD4+ T Cells Promote IgG Production in MHC-Independent and ICAM-1-Dependent Manners in Pristane-Induced Lupus Mice.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease characterized by autoantibody production and chronic inflammation. The etiology and pathogenesis of SLE are complicated in which dysfunction of CD4+ T cells is largely engaged. In this study, we investigated the manners of CD4+ T cells in antibody production in a lupus-like mouse model through peritoneal injection of pristane reagent. With the increase in total IgG/IgM and autoantibody production after 6 months, CD4+ T cells exhibited activated phenotypes with the elevated CD44, ICOS, OX40, and PD-1 expression. Pristane injection induced the increase in IgM levels in both wild-type and T cell-deficient TCRα -/- mice whereas IgG, IgG1, and IgG2a production was impaired. When adoptively transferring CD4+ T cells into T cell-deficient mice or coculturing CD4+ T cells and B cells in vitro, it was found that CD4+ T cells derived from pristane-treated mice could help the production of total IgG as well as IgG1/IgG2a in a more efficient manner both in vivo and in vitro. While MHC was dispensable for IgG production, ICAM-1 likely functioned as an attenuating factor for IgG production. Our study thus reveals that CD4+ T cells in pristane-treated mice play important roles in IgG production, which implies the critical roles in the induction of pathological autoantibodies in MHC-independent and ICAM-1-dependent manners.

Effect of stabilization malvids anthocyanins on the gut microbiota in mice with oxidative stress.

Malvids anthocyanins have been proven to have a significant antioxidant activity. However, natural anthocyanins are unstable as they are easily affected by temperature, light, and pH. They can produce copigmentation with caffeic acids, leading to the improvement of color stability. The objective of this research was to survey the anti-oxidative stress functional role of stabilization malvids anthocyanins (SMA) in vivo. Changes on the superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), catalase (CAT), total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in the serum and liver of oxidatively damaged mice of SMA were investigated. The effects of SMA on the diversity of gut microbiota in mice with oxidatively damage were also evaluated. Compared to oxidative damaged mice, SMA increased the activities of SOD, GSH-Px, CAT and T-AOC but decreased the levels of MDA in the serum and liver. SMA significantly changed the composition and diversity of the gut microbiota. Specifically, SMA increased the relative abundance of the phylum Firmicutes and decreased the relative abundance of the phyla Bacteroidetes. At the genus level, SMA significantly increased the relative abundance of Lactobacillus, but decreased the relative abundance of Bacteroides. In addition, SMA also reversed carbohydrate metabolism and amino acid metabolism to normal levels. It indicates that SMA could protect the body from oxidative damage and be used as a potential functional food to prevent diseases related to oxidative stress. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Anthocyanins provide protective effects against harmful effect of oxidative stress. Natural anthocyanins are safer and nutritious as compared to synthetic pigments. However, their stability is poor. The previous research done by this group showed that the anthocyanins content of variety of Vitis amurensis Rupr was as high as 180 mg/(100 g·FW), and the content of malvids anthocyanidin in its ingredients was the highest of all. Malvids anthocyanin and caffeic acid are bonded to produce stabilized malvids anthocyanins (SMA) high hydrostatic pressure technology, which has better stability. Our results indicate that SMA could increased the activities of antioxidant enzymes and altered the composition and diversity of the gut microbiota in mice with oxidative damage. The study will help to deepen the understanding of antioxidative stress mechanism of SMA and lay a foundation for the application of natural anthocyanidin in health aspect.

Biotransformation of Ginsenosides (Rb1 , Rb2 , Rb3 , Rc) in Human Intestinal Bacteria and Its Effect on Intestinal Flora.

Ginsenosides, including Rb1 , Rb2 , Rb3 and Rc, belong to protopanaxadiol-type saponins in Panax ginseng C. A. Mey. Their contents are high in P. ginseng. They could inhibit oxidant stress, enhance immunity, lower blood sugar, resist tumor cells and facilitate other physiological activities. This study aimed to explore the interaction between ginsenosides Rb1 , Rb2 , Rb3 and Rc and the intestinal flora of healthy people. It also sought to analyse the biotransformation products and pathways of these ginsenosides in in-vitro human intestinal bacteria and their effects on the diversity of human intestinal flora. Human intestinal bacteria were incubated with ginsenosides Rb1 , Rb2 , Rb3 and Rc at 37 °C under anaerobic conditions. Samples were taken at different timepoints. The transformed products were identified by rapid high-resolution liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. After 48 h of transformation, the transformed product of ginsenosides Rb1 , Rb2 , Rb3 and Rc was ginsenoside compound K. The transformation rates were 83.5 %, 88.7 %, 85.6 %, and 84.2 %. 16S rRNA sequencing technology was applied to the bioinformatic analysis of faecal samples incubated for 48 h. Relative to the blank control, the relative abundance of Firmicutes and Proteobacteria significantly increased at the phylum level. Moreover, the relative abundance of Bacteroidetes significantly decreased in ginsenosides Rb1 , Rb2 , Rb3 and Rc. At the genus level, the relative abundance of Escherichia significantly increased, whereas that of Dorea, Prevotella and Megasphaera significantly decreased in all groups. These results showed that Rb1 , Rb2 , Rb3 and Rc could improve the structure and diversity of human intestinal flora and balance the metabolic process.

[Mechanism of Chuanxiong Rhizoma intervention on central sensitization of Panx1-Src-NMDAR-2B signaling pathway in neuropathic pain model rats].

Excitatory toxicity(ET) is an important factor of neuropathic pain(NPP) induced by central sensitization(CS), and the association of pannexin-1(Panx1)-Src-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor subunit 2 B(NMDAR-2 B) is an important new pathway for ET to initiate CS. The present study confirmed whether the central analgesic effect of Chuanxiong Rhizoma extract(CRE) was achieved through the synchronous regulation of the brain and spinal pathways of Panx1-Src-NMDAR-2 B. In this study, dynamic and simulta-neo-us microdialysis of the brain and spinal cord in vivo combined with behavioristics, high performance liquid chromatography(HPLC)-fluorescence detection, microdialysis analysis(ISCUS~(flex)), ultrasensitive multifactorial electrochemiluminescence immunoassay, ELISA, and Western blot was employed to investigate the protein expression of NMDAR-2 B, Src, and Panx1, extracellular excitatory amino acids, cytokines, energy metabolites, and substance P in spinal dorsal horn(SDH) and anterior cingulate cortex(ACC) after CRE intervention with the rat model of spared sciatic nerve injury(SNI) as the experimental tool. Compared with the sham group, the SNI group exhibited diminished mechanical withdrawal threshold(MWT)(P<0.01), increased cold spray scores(P<0.01), glutamate(Glu), D-serine(D-Ser), and glycine(Gly) in extracellular fluids of ACC, and Glu, D-Ser, interleukin-1ß(IL-1ß), and lactic acid(Lac) in extracellular fluids of SDH(P<0.05), dwindled tumor necrosis factor(TNF-α)(P<0.05), and elevated protein levels of NMDAR-2 B, Src, and Panx1 in ACC(P<0.05). Compared with the SNI model rats, high-and medium-dose CRE(CRE-H/M) could potentiate the analgesic activity as revealed by the MWT test(P<0.05) and CRE-M enabled the decrease in cold spray scores(P<0.05). CRE-H/M could inhibit the levels of Glu, D-Ser and Gly in the extracellular fluids of ACC(P<0.05), and the levels of Glu in the extracellular fluids of SDH(P<0.05) in SNI rats. CRE-M significantly increased the levels of glucose(Gluc), Lac, interferon-gamma(IFN-γ), keratinocyte chemoattractant/human growth-regulated oncogenes(KC/GRO), and IL-4 in extracellular fluids of SDH in SNI rats(P<0.05). CRE-H/M/L could also inhibit the levels of NMDAR-2 B, Src and Panx1 in ACC and SDH in SNI rats(P<0.05). The central analgesic effect of CRE is presumedly related to the inhibited release of excitatory amino acid transmitters(Glu, D-Ser and Gly) in ACC and SDH of SNI rats, decreased protein expression of NMDAR-2 B, Src and Panx1 in the two regions, and the regulation of the Panx1-Src-NMDAR-2 B pathway in the spinal cord and brain. The above findings partially clarified the scientific basis of clinical analgesic effect of Chuanxiong Rhizoma.

Lamin B2 promotes the malignant phenotype of non-small cell lung cancer cells by upregulating dimethylation of histone 3 lysine 9.

The relationship between Lamin B2 and tumor proliferation and migration is unclear. We explored the impact of Lamin B2 on non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells. Tissue microarray and immunohistochemistry were combined to evaluate Lamin B2 expression and its relationship with the clinicopathological factors found in NSCLC. Western blotting, immunofluorescence analysis, and bioinformatics were used to investigate the effects of Lamin B2 on various regulatory pathways in cancer. Cytological experiments were conducted to evaluate Lamin B2 expression in tumor cells. We conducted co-immunoprecipitation and chromatin immunoprecipitation to explore the molecular mechanisms underlying the relationship between Lamin B2 and NSCLC and evaluate the results of rescue experiments. Lamin B2 was highly expressed in NSCLC and positively correlated with lymph node metastasis. In NSCLC, Lamin B2 interacted with Cyclin D1, upregulating G9α expression, thus increasing H3K9me2 levels. H3K9me2 binds to the promoter region of the E-cadherin gene (CDH1) to induce CDH1 silencing and promotes cancer cell migration. Thus, we found that Lamin B2 was highly expressed in NSCLC cells and promoted their migration by increasing H3K9me2 levels, which induced E-cadherin gene silencing.

Dominant protozoan species in rhizosphere soil over growth of Beta vulgaris L. in Northeast China.

This paper identified the dominant protozoan species in the four layers of rhizosphere soil during the six growth stages of Beta vulgaris L. and analyzed the correlations of the abundance and diversity of the dominant protozoan species with soil properties at different growth stages and soil depth. A total of 15 species of protozoa were identified; among them, Colpoda sp., Bodo sp., two kinds of Oxytricha sp., and Tachysoma sp. were the most dominant species of Beta vulgaris L. rhizosphere soil. The Colpoda sp. was eurytopic species in the Beta vulgaris L. rhizosphere soil and Tachysoma sp., Vorticella sp., Colpoda sp., Oxytricha sp.1, and Oxytricha sp. 2 were noted closely related to the acceleration function of circulation of N and P elements in soils. These dominant protozoan species were proposed to play a significant role of fertilization on N supply in rhizosphere soil during the initial growth of Beta vulgaris L.

Acute Fornix Deep Brain Stimulation Improves Hippocampal Glucose Metabolism in Aged Mice.

BACKGROUND: A beneficial memory effect of acute fornix deep brain stimulation (DBS) has been reported in clinical studies. The aim of this study was to investigate the acute changes in glucose metabolism induced by fornix DBS. METHODS: First, the Morris water maze test and novel object recognition memory test were used to confirm declined memory in aged mice (C57BL/6, 20-22 months old). Then, four groups of mice were used as follows: aged mice with stimulation (n = 12), aged mice with sham-stimulation (n = 8), adult mice (3-4 months old) with stimulation (n = 12), and adult mice with sham-stimulation (n = 8). Ipsilateral hippocampal glucose metabolism and glutamate levels were measured in vivo by microdialysis before, during, and after fornix DBS treatment. Histological staining was used to verify the localization of electrodes and mice with inaccurate placement were excluded from subsequent analyses. The effects of fornix DBS on extracellular glucose, lactate, pyruvate, and glutamate levels over time were analyzed by repeated-measures analysis of variance followed by Fisher's least significant difference post hoc test. RESULTS: The aged mice had a higher basal lactate/pyruvate ratio (LPR) and lactate/glucose ratio (LGR) than the adult mice (LPR: 0.34 ± 0.04 vs. 0.13 ± 0.02, t = 4.626, P < 0.0001; LGR: 6.06 ± 0.59 vs. 4.14 ± 0.36, t = 2.823, P < 0.01). Fornix DBS decreased the ipsilateral hippocampal pyruvate and lactate levels (P < 0.05), but the glucose levels were not obviously changed in aged mice. Similarly, the LGR and LPR also decreased in aged mice after fornix DBS treatment (P < 0.05). Glucose metabolism in adult mice was not significantly influenced by fornix DBS. In addition, fornix DBS significantly decreased the ipsilateral hippocampal extracellular levels of glutamate in aged mice (P < 0.05), while significant alterations were not found in the adult mice. CONCLUSIONS: The present study provides experimental evidence that fornix DBS could significantly improve hippocampal glucose metabolism in aged mice by promoting cellular aerobic respiration activity.

SATB2 suppresses non-small cell lung cancer invasiveness by G9a.

Special AT-rich sequence-binding protein 2 (SATB2) is a transcription factor, which plays an important role in transcriptional regulation and chromatin recombinant by combining with matrix attachment regions. More evidence shows that SATB2 is involved in progression of breast cancer, head and neck squamous cell carcinomas and osteosarcoma. However, the role of SATB2 in cancer initiation and progression is still not well understood. Our study identified that decreased expression of SATB2 was correlated with tumor progression and poor prognosis in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Furthermore, SATB2 suppressed lung cancer cell invasion and metastasis and regulated the expression of EMT-related proteins and histone methylation by G9a. In summary, SATB2 may act as a tumor suppressor gene in NSCLC.

[Effect of synchronous perfusion of NaN3 in changes in content of cholinergic neurotransmitter in medial prefrontal cortex and hippocampal extra-cellular fluid].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of synchronous perfusion of specific respiratory chain complex IV inhibitor sodium azide (NaN3) in brain on rat ventromedial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and acetylcholine (ACh) and choline (Ch) contents in hippocampal extra-cellular fluid, and establish the AD rat model induced by mitochondrial acute injury. METHOD: The synchronous dual-probe dual-channel brain microdialysis sampling technology was applied to synchronously perfuse modified Ringer's solution containing NaN3 (50 micro mol L-1) and neostigmine (2 micro mol L-1) into mPFC and hippocampus of conscious, freely moving normal rats, and continuously collect dialysates from different encephalic areas. Dynamic contents of ACh and Ch were determined by high performance liquid chromatography-post-column immobilized enzyme reactor-electrochemical process. RESULT: ACh and Ch contents in mPFC extracellular fluid of normal rats were higher than that in hippocampus. During the process of perfusion, NaN3 could significantly reduce ACh in mPFC/hippocampal extra-cellular fluid, but remarkably increase Ch, and constantly inhibit the recovery of ACh and Ch contents in mPFC/hippocampus. CONCLUSION: The synchronous perfusion of NaN3in rat mPFC and hippocampus can injure functions of the cholinergic nerve projection area, and cause the acute AD model with ACh and Ch metabolic disorders. This model can be used in pathogenetic and pharmacological studies.

Colorectal cancer concealment predicts a poor survival: a retrospective study.

OBJECTIVES: Understanding the situation of cancer awareness which doctors give to patients might lead to prognostic prediction in cases of of colorectal cancer (CRC). METHODS: Subsets of 10,779 CRC patients were used to screen the risk factors from the Cancer Registry in Pudong New Area in cancer awareness, age, TNM stage, and gender. Survival of the patients was calculated by the Kaplan-Meier method and assessed by Cox regression analysis. The views of cancer awareness in doctors and patients were surveyed by telephone or household. RESULTS: After a median observation time of 1,616 days (ranging from 0 to 4,083 days) of 10,779 available patients, 2,596 of the 4,561 patients with cancer awareness survived, whereas 2,258 of the 5,469 patients without cancer awareness and 406 of the 749 patients without information on cancer awareness died of the disease. All-cause and cancer- specific survival were poorer for the patients without cancer awareness than those with (P < 0.001 for each, log- rank test). Cox multivariate regression analysis showed that cancer concealment cases had significantly lower cancer-specific survival (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.299; 95 % confidence interval (CI): 1.200-1.407)and all-cause survival (HR = 1.324; 95 % CI: 1.227-1.428). Furthermore, attitudes of cancer awareness between doctors and patients were significantly different (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Cancer concealment, not only late-stage tumor and age, is associated with a poor survival of CRC patients.

[Analgesic effect of sinomenine on SSNI model rats and monoamine neurotransmitters in striatal extracellular fluid].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the analgesic effect of sinomenine on the neuropathic pain rat model induced by SSNI, and discuss its impact on monoamine neurotransmitters in striatal extracellular fluid. METHOD: Male SD rats were randomly divided into the sham operation group, the SSNI model group, the gabapentin group (100 mg x kg(-1)), the sinomenine high dose group (40 mg x kg(-1)) and the sinomenine low dose group (20 mg x kg(-1)). Mechanical hyperalgesia and cold pain sensitivity were evaluated by Von Frey hairs and cold spray. Striatum was sampled by microdialysis. High performance liquid chromatography-electrochemical detector (HPLC-ECD) were used to detect the content of such neurotransmitters as monoamine neurotransmitters noradrenaline (NE), dopamine (DA), 5-hydroxy tryptamine (5-HT) and their metabolites dihydroxyphenylacetic phenylacetic acid (DOPAC) and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA). RESULT: SSNI model rats showed significant improvement in mechanical withdrawal threshold and cold pain sensitivity, significant decrease in intracerebral NE and notable increase in DA, 5-HT and their metabolites. Compared with the model group, the sinomenine high dose group showed significant increase in mechanical withdrawal threshold at 60, 90, 180 and 240 min after abdominal administration (P < 0.01), significant decrease in cold pain sensitivity score during 30-240 min (P < 0.05). Sinomenine can significantly up-regulated NE content in striatal extracellular fluid during 45-135 min (P < 0.05), remarkably reduce DA content and DOPAC at 45, 75 and 135 min (P < 0.05), 5-HT content during 45-135 min, DOPAC during 75-165 min (P < 0.05), and 5-HIAA during 45-135 min (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Sinomenine has the intervention effect on neuropathic pain in SSNI model rats. Its mechanism may be related to disorder of monoamine neurotransmitters in striatal extracellular fluid.

[Analgesic effect of CQM on prosopalgia model rats and its impact on exciting amino acid neurotransmitters].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the analgesic effect of CQM on photochemically-induced prosopalgia model rats, and discuss its impact on the exciting amino acid neurotransmitter-glutamate (Glu). METHOD: Male SD rats were randomly divided into the sham operation group and the prosopalgia group. And the latter was subdivided into the model group, the gabapentin group (100 mg kg(-1)), and the CQM low-dose (35 mg x kg(-1)) and CQM high-dose (70 mg x kg(-1)) groups. The mechanical allodynia test was adopted to evaluate the pain behavior of rats, and reflect the efficacy with the mechanical withdrawal thresholds. The rat striatum extra-cellular fluid was collected by brain micro-dialysis. The Glu level of samples was measured by high performance liquid chromatography-fluorescene detector (HPLC-FLD). RESULT: Compared to the control group, the threshold of the mechanical allodynia of the IoN injury group was decreased significantly (P < 0.05), and the concentration of Glu was increased dramatically (P < 0.05). Compared to the model group, the mechanical allodynia of photochemically-induced prosopalgia model rats increased significantly (P < 0.01), with a notable increase in brain Glu concentration (P < 0.05). Compared with the model group, all of mechanical withdrawal thresholds increased. Among them, the CQM high-dose group showed a remarkably growth at three time points (P < 0.05), with the maximum up to (23 +/- 7.3) g. And the gabapentin group showed a remarkably growth at two time points (P < 0.05), with the maximum up to (20.5 +/- 9.2) g. All of the drug groups showed significantly lower Glu concentrations in rat brains than the model group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: CQM can ease the mechanical allodynia of photochemically-induced prosopalgia model rats. Its analgesic effect may be related to the decrease of Glu concentrations in striatum extra-cellular fluid.

Cancer incidence and patient survival rates among the residents in the Pudong New Area of Shanghai between 2002 and 2006.

With the growing threat of malignancy to health, it is necessary to analyze cancer incidence and patient survival rates among the residents in Pudong New Area of Shanghai to formulate better cancer prevention strategies. A total of 43,613 cancer patients diagnosed between 2002 and 2006 were recruited from the Pudong New Area Cancer Registry. The incidence, observed survival rate, and relative survival rate of patients grouped by sex, age, geographic area, and TNM stage were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier, life table, and Ederer II methods, respectively. Between 2002 and 2006, cancer incidence in Pudong New Area was 349.99 per 100,000 person-years, and the 10 most frequently diseased sites were the lung, stomach, colon and rectum, liver, breast, esophagus, pancreas, brain and central nervous system, thyroid, and bladder. For patients with cancers of the colon and rectum, breast, thyroid, brain and central nervous system, and bladder, the 5-year relative survival rate was greater than 40%, whereas patients with cancers of the liver and pancreas had a 5-year relative survival rate of less than 10%. The 1-year to 5-year survival rates for patients grouped by sex, age, geographic area, and TNM stage differed significantly (all P < 0.001). Our results indicate that cancer incidence and patient survival in Pudong New Area vary by tumor type, sex, age, geographic area, and TNM stage.