Discovery and pharmacological characterization of 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinoline derivatives as RORγ inverse agonists against prostate cancer.

The retinoic acid receptor-related orphan receptor γ (RORγ) is regarded as an attractive therapeutic target for the treatment of prostate cancer. Herein, we report the identification, optimization, and evaluation of 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinoline derivatives as novel RORγ inverse agonists, starting from high throughput screening using a thermal stability shift assay (TSA). The representative compounds 13e (designated as XY039) and 14a (designated as XY077) effectively inhibited the RORγ transcriptional activity and exhibited excellent selectivity against other nuclear receptor subtypes. The structural basis for their inhibitory potency was elucidated through the crystallographic study of RORγ LBD complex with 13e. Both 13e and 14a demonstrated reasonable antiproliferative activity, potently inhibited colony formation and the expression of AR, AR regulated genes, and other oncogene in AR positive prostate cancer cell lines. Moreover, 13e and 14a effectively suppressed tumor growth in a 22Rv1 xenograft tumor model in mice. This work provides new and valuable lead compounds for further development of drugs against prostate cancer.

Exploration of Novel Meso-C═N-BODIPY-Based AIE Fluorescent Rotors with Large Stokes Shifts for Organelle-Viscosity Imaging.

The research on fluorescent rotors for viscosity has attracted extensive interest to better comprehend the close relationships of microviscosity variations with related diseases. Although scientists have made great efforts, fluorescent probes for cellular viscosity with both aggregation-induced emissions (AIEs) and large Stokes shifts to improve sensing properties have rarely been reported. Herein, we first report four new meso-C═N-substituted BODIPY-based rotors with large Stokes shifts, investigate their viscosity/AIE characteristics, and perform cellular imaging of the viscosity in subcellular organelles. Interestingly, the meso-C═N-phenyl group-substituted probe 6 showed an obvious 594 nm fluorescence enhancement in glycerol and a moderate 650 nm red AIE emission in water. Further, on attaching CF3 to the phenyl group, a similar phenomenon was observed for 7 with red-shifted emissions, attributed to the introduction of a phenyl group, which plays a key role in the red AIE emissions and large Stokes shifts. Comparatively, for phenyl-group-free probes, both the meso-C═N-trifluoroethyl group and thiazole-substituted probes (8 and 9) exhibited good viscosity-responsive properties, while no AIE was observed due to the absence of phenyl groups. For cellular experiments, 6 and 9 showed good lysosomal and mitochondrial targeting properties, respectively, and were further successfully used for imaging viscosity through the preincubation of monensin and lipopolysaccharide (LPS), indicating that C═N polar groups potentially work as rotatable moieties and organelle-targeting groups, and the targeting difference might be ascribed to increased charges of thiazole. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the structural relationships of four meso-C═N BODIPY-based rotors with respect to their viscosity/AIE characteristics, subcellular-targeting ability, and cellular imaging for viscosity, potentially serving as AIE fluorescent probes with large Stokes shifts for subcellular viscosity imaging.

Diagnostic performance of gadoxetic acid-enhanced abbreviated magnetic resonance imaging protocol in small hepatocellular carcinoma (≤2 cm) in high-risk patients.

BACKGROUND: Biannual Ultrasound showed insufficient sensitivity in detecting small or early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Abbreviated magnetic resonance imaging (A-MRI) protocols with fewer sequences demonstrated higher HCC detection sensitivity than ultrasound with acceptable cost and examination time. PURPOSE: To compare the diagnostic performance of gadoxetic acid-enhanced A-MRI with a full sequence MRI (F-MRI) protocol for small HCC (≤2 cm) in cirrhotic or hepatitis B virus-infected high-risk patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Two hundred and four consecutive patients with 166 pathologically confirmed small HCC who underwent preoperative gadoxetic acid-enhanced MRI were retrospectively included. A-MRI set comprised T1-weighted hepatobiliary phase imaging, T2-weighted imaging, diffusion-weighted imaging and apparent diffusion coefficient mapping. Two independent radiologists blinded to clinical data assessed the A-MRI set and F-MRI set. Per-patient HCC and per-lesion HCC diagnostic performance were compared. RESULTS: Per-patient HCC detection sensitivity of A-MRI set was 93.8% and 91.2% for observer 1 and observer 2, and, for the F-MRI set, the per-patient HCC detection sensitivity was 96.6% and 95.2%, respectively. There was no significant difference in per-patient sensitivity, specificity and per-lesion HCC detection sensitivity between the two imaging sets for both readers. (P = 0.06-0.25) The A-MRI set showed higher sensitivity on HCC without arterial phase hyperenhancement, and the F-MRI set demonstrated with higher sensitivity on HCC with arterial phase hyperenhancement (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: A-MRI using diagnostic criteria including hypointensity on hepatobiliary phase plus mild to moderate hyperintensity on T2-weighted imaging or restricted diffusion demonstrated comparable sensitivity and specificity for small HCC compared to the F-MRI protocol in high-risk patients.

Deubiquitinase CYLD regulates excitatory synaptic transmission and short-term plasticity in the hippocampus.

The fate of proteins is determined by the addition of various forms of polyubiquitin during ubiquitin-mediated proteasomal degradation. Cylindromatosis (CYLD), a K63-specific deubiquitinase, is enriched in postsynaptic density fractions of the rodent central nervous system (CNS), but the synaptic role of CYLD in the CNS is poorly understand. Here we show that CYLD deficiency (Cyld-/-) results in reduced intrinsic hippocampal neuronal firing, a decrease in the frequency of spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents and a decrease in the amplitude of field excitatory postsynaptic potentials. Moreover, Cyld-/- hippocampus shows downregulated levels of presynaptic vesicular glutamate transporter 1 (vGlut1) and upregulated levels of postsynaptic GluA1, a subunit of the AMPA receptor, together with an altered paired-pulse ratio (PPR). We also found increased activation of astrocytes and microglia in the hippocampus of Cyld-/- mice. The present study suggests a critical role for CYLD in mediating hippocampal neuronal and synaptic activity.

Prognostic value of preoperative CT features for disease-free survival in patients with primary gastric gastrointestinal stromal tumors after resection.

PURPOSE: Tumor size is an important prognostic factor without consideration of the necrotic and cystic components within tumor for patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs). We aimed to extract the enhancing viable component from the tumor using computed tomography (CT) post-processing software and evaluate the value of preoperative CT features for predicting the disease-free survival (DFS) after curative resection for patients with primary gastric GISTs. METHODS: 132 Patients with primary gastric GISTs who underwent preoperative contrast-enhanced CT and curative resection were retrospectively analyzed. We used a certain CT attenuation of 30 HU to extract the enhancing tissue component from the tumor. Enhancing tissue volume and other CT features were assessed on venous-phase images. We evaluated the value of preoperative CT features for predicting the DFS after surgery. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were performed to find the independent risk factor for predicting the DFS. RESULTS: Of the 132 patients, 68 were males and 64 were females, with a mean age of 61 years. The median follow-up duration was 60 months, and 28 patients experienced disease recurrence and distant metastasis during the follow-up period. Serosal invasion (p < 0.001; HR = 5.277) and enhancing tissue volume (p = 0.005; HR = 1.447) were the independent risk factors for predicting the DFS after curative resection for patients with primary gastric GISTs. CONCLUSION: Preoperative contrast-enhanced CT could be useful for predicting the DFS after the surgery of gastric GISTs, and serosal invasion and enhancing tissue volume were the independent risk factors.

Diagnostic Performance of Contrast Enhanced CT Alone or in Combination with (Non-)Enhanced MRI for Colorectal Liver Metastasis.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: To compare the diagnostic performance of contrast enhanced CT (CE-CT), CE-CT combined with non-enhanced MRI (NE-MRI) or contrast enhanced MRI (CE-MRI) for colorectal liver metastasis (CRLM). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty-six colorectal cancer patients with 198 focal liver lesions who underwent preoperative abdominal CE-CT and MRI examinations were included respectively. The images were assessed independently by two readers in three protocols (1: CE-CT, 2: CE-CT+NE-MRI, 3: CE-CT+CE-MRI). The diagnostic performance of each protocol was analyzed by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and the areas under ROC (AUCs) were calculated and compared. RESULTS: The detection rates of protocol 2 were 90.9%-92.9% for liver lesions and 86.4%-89.6% for CRLM, and both significantly higher than protocol 1 of 82.8%-85.4% and 76.8%-80.8% (p<0.001-0.001), whereas similar to protocol 3 of 91.9%-94.4% and 87.2%-91.2% (p 0.250-1.000). The AUCs of protocol 2 were greater than protocol 1 for all lesions (0.914-0.934 vs. 0.779-0.799, p<0.001) and lesions < 10mm (0.726-0.776 vs. 0.528-0.561, p<0.001), and were not inferior to that of protocol 3 (0.929-0.949 in all lesions and 0.754-0.821 in lesion < 10mm, p 0.053-0.162). CONCLUSION: CE-CT combined with NE-MRI offered superior diagnostic performance for CRLM compared to CE-CT alone and showed comparable performance to CE-CT combined with CE-MRI.

Microvascular invasion of small hepatocellular carcinoma can be preoperatively predicted by the 3D quantification of MRI.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the importance of three-dimensional (3D) quantitative analysis during gadoxetic acid-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of microvascular invasion (MVI) and early recurrence (< 2 years) after surgery of single hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) ≤ 3 cm. METHODS: Two hundred fourteen patients with pathologically confirmed HCC (training cohort: n = 169; validation cohort: n = 45) were included retrospectively. The 3D quantitative parameters (volume, sphericity, and compacity) and conventional MRI features were analyzed. The significant predictors for MVI were identified using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses. Nomograms were constructed from the prediction model, and the relationship between the significant predictors and early recurrence rates was evaluated using the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: Tumor sphericity (odds ratio [OR] = 0.000; p < 0.001), non-smooth tumor margin (OR = 3.353; p = 0.015), and peritumoral hypointensity on hepatobiliary phase (HBP) (OR = 14.067; p = 0.003) were independent significant factors for MVI. When these three factors were combined, the diagnostic specificity of the training and validation cohorts was 97.0 (128/132) and 87.9 (29/33), respectively. The nomogram based on the predictive model performed satisfactorily in the training (C-index: 0.885) and validation (C-index: 0.869) cohorts. Early recurrence rates of patients with two or three significant factors were significantly higher than those with none in the training (29.1% vs. 10.2%, p = 0.007) and validation (36.4% vs. 6.7%, p = 0.037) cohorts. CONCLUSIONS: Lower sphericity combined with non-smooth tumor margin and peritumoral hypointensity on HBP are potential predictive factors for MVI and associated with early recurrence after surgery of HCC ≤ 3 cm. KEY POINTS: • Lower sphericity, non-smooth tumor margin, and peritumoral hypointensity on HBP were important indicators of the occurrence of MVI in HCC. • The combinational model prepared from these findings satisfactorily predicted MVI, and the presence of these predictors was associated with an early recurrence rate after surgical resection in HCC patients. • This model could help clinicians in the preoperative management of small HCC ≤ 3 cm.

Blockade of TMEM16A protects against renal fibrosis by reducing intracellular Cl- concentration.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Renal fibrosis is the final common outcome in most forms of chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, the underlying causal mechanisms remain obscure. The present study examined whether transmembrane member 16A (TMEM16A), a Ca2+ -activated chloride channel, contributes to the progression of renal fibrosis. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: Masson staining, western blot and immunohistochemistry were used to measure renal fibrosis and related proteins expression. MQAE was used to evaluate the intracellular Cl- concentration. KEY RESULTS: TMEM16A expression was significantly up-regulated in fibrotic kidneys of unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) and high-fat diet murine models and in renal samples of IgA nephropathy patients. In vivo knockdown of TMEM16A with adenovirus harbouring TMEM16A-shRNA or inhibition of TMEM16A channel activity with inhibitors CaCCinh-A01 or T16Ainh-A01 effectively prevented UUO-induced renal fibrosis and decreased protein expression of fibronectin, α-SMA and collagen in the obstructed kidneys. In cultured HK2 cells, knockdown or inhibition of TMEM16A suppressed TGF-ß1-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition, reduced snail1 expression and phosphorylation of Smad2/3 and ERK1/2, whereas overexpression of TMEM16A showed the opposite effects. TGF-ß1 increased [Cl- ]i in HK2 cells, which was inhibited by knockdown or inhibition of TMEM16A. Reducing [Cl- ]i significantly blunted TGF-ß1-induced Smad2/3 phosphorylation and profibrotic factors expression. The profibrotic effects of TGF-ß1 were also reduced by inhibition of serum- and glucocorticoid-inducible protein kinase 1 (SGK1). SGK1 was also suppressed by reducing [Cl- ]i. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS: Blockade of TMEM16A prevented the progression of kidney fibrosis, likely by suppressing [Cl- ]i/SGK1/TGF-ß1 signalling pathway. TMEM16A may be a potential new therapeutic target against renal fibrosis.

Utility of preoperative computed tomography features in predicting the Ki-67 labeling index of gastric gastrointestinal stromal tumors.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the value of preoperative computed tomography (CT) features including morphologic and quantitative features for predicting the Ki-67 labeling index (Ki-67LI) of gastric gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs). METHODS: We retrospectively included 167 patients with gastric GISTs who underwent preoperative contrast-enhanced CT. We assessed the morphologic features of preoperative CT images and the quantitative features including the maximum diameter of tumor, total tumor volume, mean total tumor CT value, necrosis volume, necrosis volume ratio, enhanced tissue volume, and mean CT value of enhanced tissue. Potential predictive parameters to distinguish the high-level Ki-67LI group (>4%, n = 125) from the low-level Ki-67LI group (≤4%, n = 42) were compared and subsequently determined in multivariable logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Growth pattern (p = 0.036), shape (p = 0.000), maximum diameter (p = 0.018), total tumor volume (p = 0.021), mean total tumor CT value (p = 0.009), necrosis volume (p = 0.006), necrosis volume ratio (p = 0.000), enhanced tissue volume (p = 0.027), and mean CT value of enhanced tissue (p = 0.004) were significantly different between the two groups. Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that lobulated/irregular shape (odds ratio [OR] = 3.817; p = 0.000) and high necrosis volume ratio (OR = 1.935; p = 0.024) were independent factors of high-level Ki-67LI. CONCLUSIONS: Higher necrosis volume ratio in combination with lobulated/irregular shape could potentially predict high expression of Ki-67LI for gastric GISTs.

Metabolomics Analysis of Chloriti Lapis on Brain Tissue of PTZ-kindled Epileptic Rats / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To explore the possible mechanism of Chloriti Lapis in the treatment of epilepsy by the metabonomics of brain tissue in pentylenetetrazol （PTZ）-kindled epileptic rats treated with Chloriti Lapis. Method:The epileptic animal model in rats was established by PTZ kindling， and the rats were divided into the control group， model group， carbamazepine group and Chloriti Lapis group. The brain tissue samples were detected by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry（UPLC/Q-TOF-MS）， and the experimental results were statistically analyzed by partial least squares-discriminant analysis （PLS-DA） and SPSS 18.0. Result:The metabolic fingerprints and metabolic profiles of the rat brain tissue were established， which showed that the metabolic profiles of each group had changed significantly and could be separated well among the groups. Moreover， the Chloriti Lapis group had a tendency to be closer to the control group than the carbamazepine group. Seven differential metabolites were screened， including phosphatidylserine （PS） （18∶0/18∶0）， <italic>L</italic>-glutamic acid， docosahexaenoyl ethanolamide， arachidonic acid， glucosylsphingosine， cholestane-3，7，12，24，25-pentol and lysophosphatidylcholine （LysoPC） （P-18∶0）. Except for docosahexaenoyl ethanolamide and LysoPC （P-18∶0）， Chloriti Lapis had significant intervening and regulating effects on the other five differential metabolites. There were 12 possible metabolic pathways that affected the metabolic disorder of PTZ-kindled rats， and 3 important metabolic pathways （pathway impact>0.1）， namely， <italic>D-</italic>glutamine and <italic>D-</italic>glutamate metabolism， alanine， aspartate and glutamate metabolism， and arachidonic acid metabolism， among which <italic>D-</italic>glutamine and <italic>D-</italic>glutamate metabolism was the most important metabolic pathways. Conclusion:From this point of view， Chloriti Lapis has a clear intervention effect on PTZ-kindled epileptic rats， which may be related to the intervention of the above differential metabolite contents and related metabolic pathways. It can reduce the toxic effect of excitatory neurotransmitters on neurons in brain tissue and inhibit the development of inflammation in brain tissue， so as to maintain the biological function of brain cells and slow down the occurrence of epilepsy.

Effect of Chloriti Lapis on Metal Elements in Brain and Plasma of PTZ-kindled Epileptic Rats / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To investigate the effect of Chloriti Lapis on metal elements in brain tissue and plasma of epileptic rats kindled by pentylenetetrazol （PTZ）， and to explore the possible material basis of Chloriti Lapis. Method:PTZ kindling method was used to establish epileptic rat model. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry （ICP-MS） and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometer （ICP-OES） were used to determine the contents of metal elements in brain tissue and plasma of the blank group， model group， carbamazepine group （0.1 g·kg^-1） and Chloriti Lapis group （2 g·kg^-1）. The data were statistically analyzed by SPSS 18.0 software. Result:Compared with the blank group， the contents of Sr， Sb and Ba in brain tissue of rats in the model group were significantly increased （<italic>P</italic><0.05， <italic>P</italic><0.01）， while the contents of Zn， Fe， Cu， K， Li， Co， Sn and Pb were significantly decreased （<italic>P</italic><0.05， <italic>P</italic><0.01）. Compared with the model group， the contents of Zn， Fe， K， Li， Co， As and Pb in brain tissue of rats in the Chloriti Lapis group were obviously increased （<italic>P</italic><0.05， <italic>P</italic><0.01）， while the contents of Sr and Sb were significantly decreased （<italic>P</italic><0.01）. These results showed that Chloriti Lapis had positive effect on the regulation of the content of metal elements in rat brain tissue to normal level， the intervention effect was clear， and the overall effect was better than that of carbamazepine group. The determination of 21 metal elements in plasma showed that compared with the blank group， the levels of K， Sr and Cd in the model group were significantly increased （<italic>P</italic><0.05）， and the contents of Li， Al， Ti and Cr were significantly decreased （<italic>P</italic><0.05）. Compared with the model group， the contents of Ca， K， Li， Al and V in the Chloriti Lapis group were obviously increased （<italic>P</italic><0.05， <italic>P</italic><0.01）， and the contents of Fe， Ti， Sr and Cd were significantly decreased （<italic>P</italic><0.05，<italic>P</italic><0.01）. The correlation analysis of metal elements among the groups showed that there were 17 pairs of elements had positively correlation in the brain tissue of rats， 2 pairs of elements had significant negative correlation. In the plasma of rats， 8 pairs of elements had significant positive correlation and 6 pairs of elements had significant negative correlation. Conclusion:The metal element groups represented by Zn， Fe， K， Li， Co， As， Pb， Sr， Sb， Ca， Al， V， Ti and Cd may be the effective material basis for Chloriti Lapis to interfere PTZ-kindled epileptic model rats， which may be related to the influence of these metal element groups on the release of neurotransmitters and the electrical balance of neurons， the regulation of abnormal synchronous discharge induced by Na⁺， K⁺， Ca²⁺ channel disorders and intervention of metabolism pathways in brain tissue related to epilepsy. It can make the excitatory and inhibitory activities restrain each other， and finally reach the normal physiological state of neurons and cells. The intervention effect of Chloriti Lapis group was better than that of carbamazepine group.

Metabonomics research on lung tissue of rats with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease treated with mineral Chinese medicine Chloriti Lapis / 中国中药杂志

To study the effect of mineral Chloriti Lapis on pulmonary metabolites and metabolic pathways in lung tissues of rats with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(AECOPD). The AECOPD rat model of phlegm heat syndrome was replicated by the method of smoking combined with Klebsiella pneumoniae infection. Except for using UPLC-Q-TOF-MS analysis, SPSS 18.0, SIMCA 13.0 and other software were also used for statistical analysis. Through literature search and online database comparison, the differential metabolites were identified, and the possible metabolic pathways were analyzed. After 15 days of administration, PLS-DA analysis was carried out on lung tissue samples of rats in each group. The results showed that the metabolic profiles of lung tissues of rats in each group could be well separated, which indicated that Chloriti Lapis and aminophylline had significant intervention effect on the lung metabolic profile of rats with AECOPD. Moreover, the metabolic profile of Chloriti Lapis group was closer to that of control group, and the intervention effect was better than that of aminophylline group. As a result, 15 potential differential metabolites were identified: phytosphingosine, sphinganine, tetradecanoylcarnitine, L-palmitoylcarnitine, elaidic carnitine, lysoPC[18∶2(9Z,12Z)], lysoPC(16∶0), lysoPC[18∶1(9Z)], lysoPC(18∶0), stearic acid, lysoPC(15∶0), arachidonic acid, docosapentaenoic acid, linoleic acid and palmitic acid. Among them, Chloriti Lapis could significantly improve the levels of 10 differential metabolites of phytosphingosine, tetradecanoylcarnitine, L-palmitoylcarnitine, elaidic carnitine, lysoPC[18∶2(9Z,12Z)], lysoPC(16∶0), lysoPC[18∶1(9Z)], stearic acid, lysoPC(15∶0), and palmitic acid(P<0.05). The intervention effect of Chloriti Lapis group was better than that of aminophylline group. Analysis of metabolic pathways showed that there were 8 possible metabolic pathways that could be affected, and three of the most important metabolic pathways(pathway impact>0.1) were involved: linoleic acid metabolism, arachidonic acid metabolism, and sphingolipid metabolism. Chloriti Lapis had obvious intervention effects on lung tissue-related metabolites and metabolic pathways in rats with AECOPD, and the effect was better than that of aminophyllinne.

Effects of mineral Chinese medicine Chloriti Lapis on contents of metal elements in plasma and lung tissue of acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(AECOPD) rats / 中国中药杂志

The effects of Chloriti Lapis on metal elements in plasma and lung tissue of acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease( AECOPD) rats were studied. The rat AECOPD model with phlegm heat syndrome was established by smoking combined with Klebsiella pneumoniae infection. After the rats were treated by Chloriti Lapis,the contents of metal elements in plasma and lung tissue were determined by inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy( ICP-OES) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry( ICP-MS). The changes in the contents of metal elements were analyzed by SPSS 18. 0. Further,the correlations of differential metal elements( including Cu/Zn ratio) with differential metabolites in plasma,lung tissue and urine of AECOPD rats treated with Chloriti Lapis were analyzed. The results showed that Chloriti Lapis significantly up-regulated the contents of Fe,Al,Mn,Cu,Zn,Sn( P<0. 05),V,Co( P< 0. 01) and Cu/Zn ratio( P< 0. 05),and significantly down-regulated the contents of Ti( P< 0. 05)and Pb( P<0. 05) in the model rat plasma. It significantly increased the content of Be( P<0. 05) and decreased the contents of Mg,Ti and Al( P<0. 01) in model rat lung tissue. The element profiles of normal group,model group and Chloriti Lapis group can be well separated. Chloriti Lapis group and other groups were clustered into two categories. The taurine in plasma and phytosphingosine in lung tissue had the strongest correlations with differential metal elements. The Fe,Al,Mg,Be,Ti,V,Mn,Cu,Zn,Sn,and Co in Chloriti Lapis may directly or indirectly participate in the intervention of AECOPD rats. This group of metal elements may be the material basis of Chloriti Lapis acting on AECOPD rats,and reduce the Cu/Zn value in vivo. It was further confirmed that Chloriti Lapis could interfere with the metabolic pathways of taurine and hypotaurine in plasma and urine as well as the sphingolipid metabolism pathway in lung tissue of AECOPD rats. In addition,this study confirmed that long-term smoking can cause high-concentration Cd accumulation in the lung and damage the lung tissue.

ClC-3 Deficiency Impairs the Neovascularization Capacity of Early Endothelial Progenitor Cells by Decreasing CXCR4/JAK-2 Signalling.

BACKGROUND: Endothelial progenitor cell (EPC) therapy has been suggested as a major breakthrough in the treatment of ischemic diseases. However, the molecular mechanism that underlies EPC functional regulation is still unclear. METHODS: We examined the angiogenic capacity of EPCs in a hindlimb ischemia model of wild-type and ClC-3 knockout mice. RESULTS: Mice lacking of ClC-3 exhibited reduced blood flow recovery and neovascularization in ischemic muscles 7 and 14 days after hind limb ischemia. Moreover, compared with wild-type EPCs, the hindlimb blood reperfusion in mice receiving ClC-3 knockout EPCs was significantly impaired, accompanied by reduced EPC homing and retention. In vitro, EPCs derived from ClC-3 knockout mice displayed impaired migratory, adhesive, and angiogenic activity. CXC chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4) expression was significantly reduced in EPC from ClC-3 knockout mice compared with wild-type. Moreover, the expression and phosphorylation of Janus kinase 2 (JAK-2), a downstream signalling of CXCR4, was also reduced in ClC-3 knockout EPC, indicating that CXCR4/JAK-2 signalling is dysregulated by ClC-3 deficiency. Consistent with this assumption, the migratory capacity of wild-type EPCs was attenuated by either CXCR4 antagonist AMD3100 or JAK-2 inhibitor AG490. More importantly, the impaired migratory capacity of ClC-3 knockout EPCs was rescued by overexpression of CXCR4. CONCLUSIONS: ClC-3 plays a critical role in the angiogenic capacity of EPCs and EPC-mediated neovascularization of ischemic tissues. Disturbance of CXCR4/JAK-2 signalling may contribute to the functional impairment of ClC-3 deficient EPCs. Thus, ClC-3 may be a potential therapeutic target for modulating neovascularization in ischemic diseases.

Hydrogen sulfide down-regulates BACE1 and PS1 via activating PI3K/Akt pathway in the brain of APP/PS1 transgenic mouse.

BACKGROUND: Endogenous hydrogen sulfide (H2S) may have multiple physiological functions in brain. Our previous study showed that H2S improved spatial memory impairment and decreased the production of Aß in APP/PS1 transgenic mice. However, many of the underlying mechanisms are not still being elucidated. The aim of the present study is to investigate the neuroprotective mechanisms of H2S involving in the activity of ß-secretase (BACE1), γ-secretase (PS1) and α-secretase (ADAM17). METHODS: Morris water maze was used to measure the behavior change. The levels of Aß40 and Aß42 were quantified using colorimetric ELISA kits and immunohistochemical analysis. The levels of BACE1, PS1, ADAM17, pAkt, pp38MAPK, pERK and pJNK were tested by Western blot analysis in normal mice, APP/PS1 transgenic mice and 50µmol/kg-NaHS-treated transgenic mice. On the basis of exogenous H2S treatment, LY294002 (inhibitors of PI3K/Akt) or PD98059 (inhibitors of MAPK/ERK) was injected into lateral cerebral ventricle. RESULTS: The levels of BACE1, PS1 and pp38MAPK were increased and ADAM17 were decreased in the APP/PS1 transgenic mice. After intraperitoneal administration of an H2S donor (NaHS) into APP/PS1 mice, the levels of BACE1, PS1 and pp38MAPK were reduced and ADAM17 increased. The level of pp38 MAPKs, pAkt and pERK1/2 was increased in APP/PS1 transgenic mice compared with normal mice (p<0.05). There was no difference in the expression of pJNK between AD transgenic mice and normal mice (p>0.05). These results demonstrated that LY294002 inhibited the effect of H2S on decreasing the BACE1 and PS1, reducing the level of Aß and improving memory impairment in APP/PS1 transgenic mice. PD98059 had no influence on the expression of BACE1 and PS1. CONCLUSIONS: H2S inhibits the expression of BACE1 and PS1 by activating PI3K/Akt pathway in AD.

Upregulation of RBFOX1 in the malformed cortex of patients with intractable epilepsy and in cultured rat neurons.

Mutations in RNA­binding Fox 1 (RBFOX1) are known to be associated with neurodevelopmental disorders including epilepsy, mental retardation and autism spectrum disorder. The deletion of the Rbfox1 gene in mice has been shown to result in heightened susceptibility to seizures. However, other studies have revealed mutations or the downregulation of RBFOX1 in specimens obtained from patients with epilepsy or malformations of cortical development (MCD). Generally, the expression of RBFOX1 varies according to tissue type. In this study, we demonstrated the upregulation of RBFOX1 protein in the cortex of patients with MCD and intractable epilepsy. Electrophysiological recordings of cultured rat cortical neurons with increased Rbfox1 expression also revealed a significantly increased amplitude of action potential (AP) and Na+ current density. Some of these neurons (26.32%) even displayed spontaneous, recurrent, epileptiform discharges (SREDs). Additionally, certain Rbfox1 target transcripts associated with epilepsy, including glutamate receptor, ionotropic, N-methyl D-aspartate 1 [Grin1, also known as N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor subunit NR1 (NMDAR1)], synaptosomal-associated protein, 25 kDa (SNAP­25 or Snap25) and sodium channel, voltage gated, type VIII, alpha subunit (Scn8a, also known as Nav1.6) were identified to be upregulated in these cultured cortical neurons with an upregulated Rbfox1 expression. These data suggest that the upregulation of RBFOX1 contributes to neuronal hyperexcitation and seizures. The upregulation of NMDAR1 (Grin1), SNAP­25 (Snap25) and Scn8a may thus be involved in Rbfox1­related neuronal hyperexcitation.

[Clinical efficacy observation of acupuncture at suliao (GV 25) on improving regain of consciousness from coma in severe craniocerebral injury].

OBJECTIVE: To compare the clinical therapeutic effects differences between acupuncture at Suliao (GV 25) and Shuigou (GV 26) on promoting regain of consciousness from coma in severe craniocerebral injury. METHODS: Based on regular emergency treatments of neurosurgery, eighty-two cases of craniocerebral injury who were under stable condition were randomly divided into an observation group (42 cases) and a control group (40 cases). Suliao (GV 25) was selected as main aupoint, while Laogong (PC 8) and Yongquan (KI 1), etc. were selected as adjuvant acupoints and Neiguan (PC 6), Sanyinjiao (SP 6), Yifeng (TE 17) and Wangu (GB 12), etc. were selected as matching acupoints in the observation group where a strong needle manipulation was applied to improve the regain of consciousness. The main acupoint of Shuigou (GV 26) along with identical adjuvant acupoints and matching acupoints in the observation group were selected in the control group with identical strong needle manipulation. The treatment was given once a day in both groups, five times per week and ten times were considered as one session. The immediate clinical symptoms after acupuncture at Suliao (GV 25) and Shuigou (GV 26) were observed as well as Glasgow coma scale (GCS) before the treatment, after 45 days and 90 days of treatment to assess the resuscitation time and rate. Also the clinical efficacy was compared between both groups. RESULTS: The occurrence rate of sneezing reflex was 85.7% (36/42) in the observation group, which was higher than 25.0% (10/40) in the control group (P < 0.01). The average resuscitation time was (64.6 +/- 19.4) days in the observation group, which was obviously shorter than (73.8 +/- 14. 6) days in the control group (P < 0.05). The resuscitation rate was 88.1% (37/42) in the observation group, which was similar to 75.0% (30/40) in the control group (P > 0.05). Compared before the treatment, GCS were both improved after the treatment in two groups (both P < 0.01). The 90-day GCS was 9.52 +/- 2.32 in the observation group, which was superior to 8.47 +/-2.14 in the control group (P < 0.05). The curative and markedly effective rate was 45.2% (19/42) in the observation group, which was superior to 22.5% (9/40) in the control group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The effect of acupuncture at Suliao (GV 25) on improving regain of consciousness from coma in severe craniocerebral injury is positive. It could specifically improve sneezing reflex and stimulate respiratory center, which has more obvious effect than acupuncture at Shuigou (GV 26).

UFLC/Q-TOF-MS based analysis on material base of atractylodis macrocephalae rhizoma stir-fried with wheat bran / 中国中药杂志

To establish a fingerprint spectrum for Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma stir-fried with wheat bran based on UFLC/Q-TOF-MS, and make a principal component analysis (PCA) with Markview software, in order to compare the changes of components between raw and processed Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma with raw wheat bran as the blank. The results showed that the changed in components raw Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma and Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma stir-fried with wheat bran were apparently observed by PCA. Six compounds were identified to have significant changes in mass fraction before and after being stir-fried, namely atractylenolide-I, atractylenolide-II, atractylenolide-III, atractylentrid, atractylon and an unknown compound. Among them, atractylenolide-I and atractylenolide-II generated from dehydration and dehydrogenation of atractylenolide-III may be the material base of Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma stir-fried with wheat bran for strengthening spleen.

[Fluorescence spectroscopy study of human serum albumin quenched by rifampicin capsules].

It is obvious that the albumin is a kind of important large biophysical molecular. The albumin is the main component of plasma within cell. It is also the matter basis of life phenomenon. The fluorescence spectroscopy of human serum albumin (HSA) and the interaction of HSA and the rifampicin capsules (lfp) were studied. When the rifampicin capsules (lfp) was added into HSA solution gradually, an interesting new phenomenon emerged in emission spectrum. The combination constant of rifampicin capsules (lfp) is about Ks = 5.149 x 10(4) L x mol(-1), and the dissociation constant is about Kd = 19.42 x 10(-6) mol x L(-1). The quenching process of rifampicin capsules (lfp)-HSA is not dynamic quenching, which resulted from the molecular diffusion and collision. That is the static quenching process resulting from the chemical component between molecules. The energy transfer efficiency between rifampicin capsules (lfp) and HSA is E=0.42. According to these calculation results, the combination position between the binding site of rifampicin capsules (lfp) and the tryptophane of HSA is about R=2.567 nm. The critical distance, when transfer efficiency equals 50%, is about R0 = 2.433 nm.

[Fluorescence spectroscopy study of humen serum albumin quenched by levofloxacin].

The fluorescence spectroscopy of humen serum albumin (HSA) and the interaction of HSA and the Levofloxacin were studied. When the Levofloxacin was added into HSA solution gradually, an interesting new phenomenon emerged in emission spectrum peak. The intensity of 343.70 nm emission peak of HSA decreased obviously and moved towards long-wavelength, which is atypical quenching phenomenon. It was found that the excitation peak of HSA was positioned at 286.70 nm also. A new emission peak emerged at 503.96 nm, which resulted from the Levofloxacin. The excitation peaks of 503.96 nm fluorescence of Levofloxacin were positioned at 300.16 nm and 336.16 nm. When Levoflaxasin was added into HSA gradually, the 300.16 nm and 336.16 nm excitation peaks moved towards long wavelength. The dissociation constant of Levofloxacin from HSA is about Kd = 3.65 x 10(-5) (mol x L(-1)). The combination constant of Levofloxacin is about Ks = 2.742 x 10(4) (L x mol(-1)). The quenching process of Levofloxacin-HSA is not dynamic quenching, which resulted from the molecular diffusion and collision. It is caused by the static quenching process resulting from the chemical component between molecules. The energy transfer efficiency between Levofloxacin and HSA is E = 0.372. According to these calculation results, the combination position between the binding site of Levofloxacin and the tryptophane of HSA is about R = 1.933 nm.