Ru-Ni Alloy Nanoparticles Loaded on N-Doped Amphiphilic Mesoporous Hollow Carbon@silica Spheres as Catalyst for the Hydrogenation of α-Pinene to cis-Pinane.

N-doped mesoporous carbon spheres (NHMC@mSiO2 ) encapsulated in silica shells were prepared by emulsion polymerization and domain-limited carbonization using ethylenediamine as the nitrogen source, and Ru-Ni alloy catalysts were prepared for the hydrogenation of α-pinene in the aqueous phase. The internal cavities of this nanomaterial are lipophilic, enhancing mass transfer and enrichment of the reactants, and the hydrophilic silica shell enhances the dispersion of the catalyst in water. N-doping allows more catalytically active metal particles to be anchored to the amphiphilic carrier, enhancing its catalytic activity and stability. In addition, a synergistic effect between Ru and Ni significantly enhances the catalytic activity. The factors influencing the hydrogenation of α-pinene were investigated, and the optimum reaction conditions were determined to be as follows: 100 °C, 1.0 MPa H2 , 3 h. The high stability and recyclability of the Ru-Ni alloy catalyst were demonstrated through cycling experiments.

Urotensin II activates the ferroptosis pathway through circ0004372/miR-124/SERTAD4 to promote the activation of vascular adventitial fibroblasts.

Both vascular adventitial fibroblasts (VAFs) and urotensin II (UII) play important roles in vascular remodeling diseases, but the mechanism of UII in VAFs is still unclear. UII inhibited miR-124 expression through up-regulating circ0004372 expression, thereby promoting SERTAD4 expression. UII significantly promoted the generation of ROS, MDA and 4-HNE, reduced the activities of SOD, GST and GR, increased Fe2+ concentration and inhibited GPX4 expression through circ0004372/miR-124/SERTAD4. Both UII and ferroptosis inducer Erastin significantly promoted the expression of α-SMA, Collagen I and TGF-ß1 in VAFs, but circ0004372 siRNA, miR-124 mimics, SERTAD4 siRNA or Ferrostatin-1 significantly inhibited the effect of UII and Erastin on cell activation. When co-transfected with circ0004372 siRNA and miR-124 inhibitors or miR-124 mimics and SERTAD4 overexpression vector, UII still significantly increased the expression of α-SMA, Collagen I and TGF-ß1. After transfection with circ0004372 overexpression vector, miR-124 inhibitors or SERTAD4 overexpression vector and then treating with UII and Ferrostatin-1, the expression of α-SMA, Collagen I and TGF-ß1 was still significant; when the circ0004372 overexpression vector and miR-124 mimics or miR-124 inhibitors and SERTAD4 siRNA were co-transfected and then UII and Ferrostatin-1 were added, the expression of α-SMA, Collagen I and TGF-ß1 was not significantly increased. Therefore, these results indicate that UII promotes the activation of VAFs through the circ0004372/miR-124/SERTAD4/ferroptosis pathway.

Baicalin inhibits oxidative injures of mouse uterine tissue induced by acute heat stress through activating the Keap1/Nrf2 signaling pathway.

Heat stress effect the physiological functions of body, and reproductive system is one of the most sensitive. It's imperative to find out suitable measures to alleviate harmful effects of heat stress. Baicalin is well-known with its antioxidative property. To examine whether Baicalin could reduce oxidative injures of uterine tissue in heat-stressed mice. The mice were divided into four groups: control (Con), Baicalin (Bai), heat stress (H) and heat stress plus Baicalin (H + Bai). The oxidative damage of uterine tissue was detected by ELISA, H&E staining, tunnel assay and immunohistochemical staining. The protein/mRNA expressions of Keap1/Nrf2 related factors were detected by Western blot or QPCR. The results showed that mice heat-stressed at 41 °C for 2 h induced macroscopic changes, significantly increased MDA content and reduced activities of antioxidant enzymes including SOD, CAT and GSH-Px of the uterine tissue. Compared with Con group, heat stress up-regulated caspase-3 and caspase-9, enhanced the apoptosis of endometrial epithelial and glandular epithelial cells, improved the HO-1 mRNA/protein and NQO1 protein expressions, while down-regulated the mRNA/protein of Keap1. Compared with H group, antioxidant enzyme activities, Nrf2 protein and Nrf2, NQO1 and GCLC mRNA expressions were significantly increased in the H + Bai group. While the uterine epithelial cells apoptosis, MDA contents, caspase-3, caspase-9 and Keap1 protein and HO-1 mRNA expressions were decreased in the H + Bai group of mice compared with that in H group. Briefly, acute heat stress causes oxidative injures and apoptosis of mouse uterine tissue and Baicalin protects uterine tissue from the damages possibly through Keap1/Nrf2 signaling pathway.

Baicalin enhances the thermotolerance of mouse blastocysts by activating the ERK1/2 signaling pathway and preventing mitochondrial dysfunction.

Heat stress causes oxidative damage and induces excessive cell apoptosis and thus affects the development and/or even causes the death of preimplantation embryos. The effects of baicalin on the developmental competence of heat-stressed mouse embryos were investigated in this experiment. Two-cell embryos were cultured in the presence of baicalin and subjected to heat stress (42 °C for 1 h) at their blastocyst stage followed by continuous culture at 37 °C until examination. The results showed that heat stress (H group) increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, apoptosis and even embryo death, along with reductions in both mitochondrial activity and membrane potential (ΔΨm). Both heat stress (H group) and inhibition of the ERK1/2 signaling pathway (U group) led to significantly reduced expression levels of the genes c-fos, AP-1 and ERK2, and the phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and c-Fos, along with significantly increased c-Jun mRNA expression and phosphorylation levels. These negative effects of heat stress on the ERK1/2 signaling pathway were neutralized by baicalin treatment. To explore the signal transduction mechanism of baicalin in improving embryonic tolerance to heat stress, mitochondrial quality and apoptosis rate in the mouse blastocysts were also examined. Baicalin was found to up-regulate the expression of mtDNA and TFAM mRNA, increased mitochondria activity and ΔΨm, and improved the cellular mitochondria quality of mouse blastocysts undergoing heat stress. Moreover, baicalin decreased Bax transcript abundance in blastocyst, along with an increase in the blastocyst hatching rate, which were negatively affected by heat stress. Our findings suggest that baicalin improves the developmental capacity and quality of heat-stressed mouse embryos via a mechanism whereby mitochondrial quality is improved by activating the ERK1/2 signaling pathway and inducing anti-cellular apoptosis.

The correlation between metabolic parameters in (18)F-FDG PET-CT and solid and micropapillary histological subtypes in lung adenocarcinoma / 中华肿瘤杂志

Objective: Solid and micropapillary pattern are highly invasive histologic subtypes in lung adenocarcinoma and are associated with poor prognosis while the biopsy sample is not enough for the accurate histological diagnosis. This study aims to assess the correlation and predictive efficacy between metabolic parameters in (18)F-fluorodeoxy glucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography ((18)F-FDG PET-CT), including the maximum SUV (SUV(max)), metabolic tumor volume (MTV), total lesion glycolysis (TLG) and solid and micropapillary histological subtypes in lung adenocarcinoma. Methods: A total of 145 resected lung adenocarcinomas were included. The clinical data and preoperative (18)F-FDG PET-CT data were retrospectively analyzed. Mann-Whitney U test was used for the comparison of the metabolic parameters between solid and micropapillary subtype group and other subtypes group. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and areas under curve (AUC) were used for evaluating the prediction efficacy of metabolic parameters for solid or micropapillary patterns. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to determine the prediction factors of the presence of solid or micropapillary subtypes. Results: Median SUV(max) and TLG in solid and papillary predominant subtypes group (15.07 and 34.98, respectively) were significantly higher than those in other subtypes predominant group (6.03 and 10.16, respectively, P<0.05). ROC curve revealed that SUV(max) and TLG had good efficacy for prediction of solid and micropapillary predominant subtypes [AUC=0.811(95% CI: 0.715~0.907) and 0.725(95% CI: 0.610~0.840), P<0.05]. Median SUV(max) and TLG in lung adenocarcinoma with the solid or micropapillary patterns (11.58 and 22.81, respectively) were significantly higher than those in tumors without solid and micropapillary patterns (4.27 and 6.33, respectively, P<0.05). ROC curve revealed that SUV(max) and TLG had good efficacy for predicting the presence of solid or micropapillary patterns [AUC=0.757(95% CI: 0.679~0.834) and 0.681(95% CI: 0.595~0.768), P<0.005]. Multivariate logistic analysis showed that the clinical stage (Stage Ⅲ-Ⅳ), SUV(max) ≥10.27 and TLG≥7.12 were the independent predictive factors of the presence of solid or micropapillary patterns (P<0.05). Conclusions: Preoperative SUV(max) and TLG of lung adenocarcinoma have good prediction efficacy for the presence of solid or micropapillary patterns, especially for the solid and micropapillary predominant subtypes and are independent factors of the presence of solid or micropapillary patterns.

Glutamine switches vascular smooth muscle cells to synthetic phenotype through inhibiting miR-143 expression and upregulating THY1 expression.

AIMS: Vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) are involved in the pathogenesis of many human cardiovascular diseases. They modulate their phenotype from "contractile" to "synthetic" in response to changes in local environmental cues. How glutamine regulates the differentiation of VSMCs and the underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown. MAIN METHODS: Here, we explored the effects of various doses of glutamine (0 mM, 1 mM, 2 mM, and 4 mM) on the proliferation, migration, and phenotypic switch of human VSMCs in vitro. Glutamine dose-dependently enhanced VSMC proliferation, and markedly increased VSMC migration. KEY FINDINGS: Notably, glutamine promoted the phenotypic switch of VSMCs towards a synthetic phenotype, as evidenced by significantly decreased expression of contractile markers myosin heavy chain 11 (MYH11) and calponin while increased expression of synthetic markers collagen I and vimentin. Importantly, these changes upon glutamine treatments were attenuated after additional treatments with glutamine metabolism inhibitor BPTES. Additionally, glutamine downregulated miR-143 expression, and miR-143 inactivation alone resulted in enhanced proliferation, migration, and promoted the synthetic phenotype of VSMCs. Moreover, Thy-1 cell surface antigen (THY1) was validated as a downstream target of miR-143, and THY1 expression was upregulated by glutamine in VSMCs. Furthermore, either miR-143 overexpression or THY1 silencing abolished the effect of glutamine on proliferation, migration, and phenotypic switch of VSMCs, supporting a novel glutamine-miR-143-THY1 pathway in modulating VSMC functions. SIGNIFICANCE: This study demonstrated a novel mechanism of glutamine in modulation of VSMC phenotypic switch by targeting miR-143 and THY1, and provides significant insight on targeted therapy of patients with cardiovascular diseases.

Coping Behaviors and Its Influential Factors for Caregivers of Children with Disabilities in Developed Areas in China / 中国康复理论与实践

Objective:To investigate the current status of coping behaviors among caregivers of children with disabilities in the context of rehabilitation and its influencing factors. Methods:From December, 2019 to January, 2020, and August to September, 2020, a total of 358 caregivers (parents) of children with disabilities were surveyed in Shanghai. They were evaluated in the context of rehabilitation of children with disabilities with Coping Health Inventory for Parents (CHIP). Multiple linear stepwise regression analysis was used to explore the influencing factors. Results:The total score of CHIP was (106.00±23.45) and the average score of CHIP was (2.36±0.52). Among the caregiver factor, mothers (B = 7.607, 95%CI 2.477 to 12.737, P = 0.004), and caregivers who didn't need to care for others (B = 5.758, 95%CI 1.174 to 10.343, P = 0.014) reported higher CHIP score. Among the child factors, higher CHIP score was reported in caregivers who had more partners (B = 2.925, 95%CI 1.233 to 4.618, P < 0.001), participated in public space activities more frequently (B = 3.906, 95%CI 1.743 to 6.068, P < 0.001) and perceived changes in rehabilitation outcomes (B = -16.832, 95%CI -31.471 to -2.193, P = 0.024); CHIP score was lower in thoses of 3 to < 6 years old (B = -7.914, 95%CI -15.157 to -0.671, P = 0.032) and with intellectual disability children (B = -11.153, 95%CI -21.360 to -0.947, P = 0.032). Among the environmental factors, caregivers who perceived more friendly social attitude (B = 2.560, 95%CI 0.615 to 4.505, P = 0.010) reported higher CHIP score. Conclusion:It is proposed to learn the coping needs of caregivers of children with disabilities in the context of rehabilitation. The coping behaviors of caregivers are influenced by multiple factors, such as children's individual, caregivers and environment.

Depression and Its Influencing Factors of Caregivers for Children with Disabilities / 中国康复理论与实践

Objective:To investigate the depression status of caregivers of children with disabilities and analyze the influencing factors. Methods:From August to September, 2020, a one-to-one interview was conducted using a convenience sampling method to determine the depression status of 334 caregivers of children with disabilities in Shanghai. Patient Health Questionnaire 9 Item (PHQ-9) was used to evaluate the depression status. The data were analyzed with univariate analysis from three aspects: caregiver, care recipient and environment. Then, the statistically significant variables were included in a dichotomous logistic regression. Results:The depression rate of 334 caregivers of children with disabilities was 35.9%. Among the caregiver factors, female caregivers had a higher risk of depression than male (OR = 2.193, 95%CI 1.131 to 4.254, P = 0.002). Among the care recipient factors, poor sleep quality (OR = 1.942, 5%CI 1.113 to 3.386, P < 0.05), emotional instability (OR = 17.456, 95%CI 2.534 to 120.240, P < 0.05) and types of disability (ORintelligence = 5.401, 95%CI 1.995 to 14.624; ORmental = 3.712, 95%CI 1.615 to 8.530; ORphysical = 2.913, 95%CI 1.330 to 6.379; P < 0.05) were associated with the depression of caregivers. Among the environmental factors, caregivers in rented housing had a higher risk of depression than those in owner-occupied housing (OR = 1.727, 95%CI 1.135 to 2.627, P < 0.05). Conclusion:The depression status of caregivers of children with disabilities is not optimistic, with higher rates of reported depression among female caregivers, caregivers in rented housing; caregivers of children with intellectual, mental and physical disabilities, and poor sleep quality and emotional instability.

Anxiety and Its Influencing Factors of Caregivers for Children with Disabilities / 中国康复理论与实践

Objective:To investigate the anxiety state and its influencing factors for caregivers of children with disabilities. Methods:From December, 2019 to January, 2020, and August to September, 2020, a total of 496 family caregivers of children with disabilities were surveyed in Shanghai. Crosstab was used to analyze the anxiety state and binary logistic regression analysis was used for identifying key factors. Results:There were 73.2% parents and 26.8% grandparents among 496 caregivers. Physical disabilities accounted most (26.0%) in the children. About 35.1% caregivers reported their anxiety state, and more than 10% reported moderate to severe anxiety. The results of logistic regression analysis showed that grandfather reported 0.318 times anxiety to mother (OR = 0.318, 95%CI 0.113 to 0.900, P = 0.031). Sleep problems (OR = 1.713, 95%CI 1.046 to 2.805, P = 0.032) and emotional functioning (ORgenerally = 0.057, 95%CI 0.009 to 0.340, P = 0.002; ORstable = 0.031, 95%CI 0.005 to 0.205, P < 0.001) of children were associated with the rate of caregiver-reported anxiety. Among family environment factors, monthly per capita household income (OR5000-< 10000 Yuan = 0.463, 95%CI 0.236 to 0.909, P = 0.025; OR≥ 10,000 Yuan = 0.325, 95%CI 0.160 to 0.660, P = 0.002) and housing status (OR = 0.356, 95%CI 0.208 to 0.608, P < 0.001) were associated with the rate of caregiver-reported anxiety. Among social environment factors, caregivers who were satisfied with current accessibility reported lower rate of anxiety (ORsatisfied = 0.136, 95%CI 0.031 to 0.602, P = 0.009). Conclusion:The anxiety state of caregivers of children with disabilities is higher than that of the general population. When caregivers are caring for a child with sleep problem or emotional issue, have low household income, or dissatisfied with the barrier-free environment, they may face higher risk of anxiety.

Quality of Life and It's Influencing Factors for Caregivers of Children with Disabilities / 中国康复理论与实践

Objective:To explore the quality of life of caregivers of children with disabilities and its influencing factors. Methods:From December, 2019 to January, 2020, and August to September, 2020, a total of 496 family caregivers of children with disabilities were surveyed in Shanghai. The 12-item Short-form Health Survey (SF-12) was used to measure the quality of life of 496 caregivers, and multiple linear regression was performed to analyze the related factors. Results:The score of physical component summary (PCS) of caregivers was (51.67±8.11), and the score of mental component summary (MCS) was (42.10±12.66). The scores of PCS were lower in caregivers with children aged 6 to 18 years (B = -1.783, 95%CI -3.279 to -0.287, P = 0.020), children with emotional instability (B = 2.719, 95%CI 1.254 to 4.184, P < 0.001), female caregivers (B = -3.765, 95%CI -6.578 to -0.953, P = 0.009), and caregivers who were relatively dissatisfied with the policy (B = 1.973, 95%CI 0.367 to 3.578, P = 0.016); and were higher in caregivers with children with speech disabilities (B = 3.463, 95%CI 0.053 to 6.873, P = 0.047). The types of disabilities of children (Bhearing = 9.465, 95%CI 5.107 to 13.823, P < 0.001; Bundetermined = 5.999, 95%CI 1.558 to 10.441, P = 0.008), playmates of children (B = 2.626, 95%CI 0.352 to 4.901, P = 0.024), education level of caregivers (Bhigh middle school = -4.701, 95%CI -8.028 to -1.374, P = 0.006; Bhigh school = -3.610, 95%CI -6.604 to -0.615, P = 0.018), family size (B = 2.616, 95%CI 0.479 to 4.753, P = 0.017) and per capita monthly income (B < 5000 Yuan= -6.572, 95%CI -9.136 to -4.008, P < 0.001; B5000 to < 10000 Yuan = -4.932, 95%CI -7.544 to -2.319, P < 0.001) were associated with the scores of MCS. Conclusion:The quality of life, especially the mental health, of caregivers of children with disabilities is poor. The influencing factors cover multiple dimensions such as caregivers, children, family and social environment.

Nutritional Status of Children with Disabilities in Developed Areas in China: a Case of Shanghai / 中国康复理论与实践

Objective:To explore the nutritional status and influencing factors among children with disabilities in developed areas. Methods:From December, 2019 to January, 2020, and August to September, 2020, a total of 480 caregivers of children with disabilities aged two to 18 years in Shanghai were investigated their heights and weights, and the body mass index (BMI) was calculated. The influencing factors were analyzed from the dimensions of children's personal, family and social characteristics based on the Ecological System Theory. Chi-square test and binary Logistic regression model were used to analyze the influencing factors associated with the nutritional status of children with disabilities. Results:The prevalence of thinness, overweight and obesity in 480 children was 23.75%, 13.54% and 13.33%, respectively. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that potato intake (OR = 0.420, 95%CI 0.197 to 0.893, P < 0.05) and caregivers' perception of child's weight (OR underweight = 4.188, 95%CI 1.488 to 11.787, P < 0.01) were associated with children's thinness. Types of disability (OR autism= 0.142, 95%CI 0.034 to 0.591, P < 0.01), the role of caregiver (OR father= 5.519, 95%CI 1.110 to 27.440, P < 0.05), and caregivers' perception of the child's weight (OR overweight = 5.669, 95%CI 1.112 to 28.903, P < 0.05) were associated with children's overweight/obesity. Conclusion:The prevalence of malnutrition among children with disabilities in Shanghai is higher than those typically-developing, especially thinness and obesity. The nutritional status is greatly affected by the type of disability, dietary intake and family characteristics.

Quality of Life and Influencing Factors for Children with Disabilities in Developed Areas in China: a Case of Shanghai / 中国康复理论与实践

Objective:To explore the current status of the quality of life of children with disabilities and its influencing factors. Methods:From December, 2019 to January, 2020, and August to September, 2020, a total of 285 family caregivers of children with disabilities were enrolled in Shanghai. The EuroQol-5 Dimension Questionnaire Youth Version (EQ-5D-Y) was used to measure the quality of life of 285 children with disabilities. The impact of individual factors, caregiver factors, and environmental factors (family factors and social factors) on children's quality of life were analyzed using multiple linear stepwise regression analysis. Results:The score of Visual Analog Scale (VAS) was (71.66±22.33). The quality of life were poorer for children with physical disabilities (B = -13.623, 95%CI -25.282 to -1.965, P = 0.022) or multiple disabilities (B = -14.911, 95%CI -27.445 to -2.377, P = 0.020), combined diseases (B = -8.995, 95%CI -14.780 to -3.210, P = 0.002), emotional instability (B = -4.414, 95%CI -7.433 to -1.395, P = 0.004), poor partnerships (B = 4.965, 95%CI 1.748 to 8.181, P = 0.003), no pre-school education (B = -7.757, 95%CI -12.954 to -2.561, P = 0.004) and grandparents as the main caregiver (B = -7.999, 95%CI -14.288 to -1.710, P = 0.013). Conclusion:The quality of life for children with disabilities is relatively poor and influenced by multiple factors such as children's individual, caregivers, and environment. The main influencing factors are individual factors and caregiver factors.

Current Situation Analysis of Care Support Needs in Children with Disabilities: from a Comprehensive Rehabilitation Perspective / 中国康复理论与实践

Objective:To investigate the care needs and influencing factors for caregivers of children with disabilities. Methods:From December, 2019 to January, 2020, and August to September, 2020, a total of 496 family caregivers of children with disabilities were surveyed in Shanghai. The Care Needs Assessment Tool for Children with Disabilities was used to measure the care needs rates and satisfaction, and multiple linear regression was performed to analyze the related factors. Results:The rate of total need was 71.8%, which was high in the information support (83.7%), spiritual support (75.9%) and financial support (74.1%), and was at an intermediate level in alternative service support (62.9%) and professional support (62.2%). The satisfaction of total need was 39.4%, which was at a intermediate level in the spiritual support (50.8%) and professional support (45.5%), and was at a low level in alternative service support (32.8%), financial support (32.3%) and information support (30.3%). The caregivers needed less support for thoses with higher public policy satisfaction (B = -3.252, 95%CI -5.370 to -1.134, P = 0.003) and the children with vision and speech disability, and undetermined disability (Bvision disability= -12.160, 95%CI -21.976 to -2.344, P = 0.015; Bspeech disability= -12.754, 95%CI -22.583 to -2.925, P = 0.011; Bundetermined disability= -16.553, 95%CI -24.714 to -8.392, P < 0.001), while mothers (B = 9.071, 95%CI 4.293 to 13.848, P < 0.001) needed more support than grandparents. The caregivers with higher public policy satisfaction (B = 7.392, 95%CI 5.523 to 9.262, P < 0.001), the children with vision disability, hearing disability and speech disability (Bvision disability= 8.612, 95%CI 0.081 to 17.144, P = 0.048; Bhearing disability= 8.686, 95%CI 1.920 to 15.451, P=0.012; Bspeech disability= 9.515, 95%CI 1.184 to 17.846, P = 0.025), lower barriers to social inclusion (B = 1.932, 95%CI 0.457 to 3.408, P = 0.010) and shorter average daily care hours (B = -4.123, 95%CI -6.247 to -1.999, P < 0.001) were more satisfactory for support. Conclusion:The care needs of children with disabilities are diverse, with the highest rate of need for information support and the lowest level of satisfaction. There is some variation in the care needs of children with different types of disabilities, family roles, average daily care hours and social environment characteristics.

Low Serum Uric Acid Levels Promote Hypertensive Intracerebral Hemorrhage by Disrupting the Smooth Muscle Cell-Elastin Contractile Unit and Upregulating the Erk1/2-MMP Axis.

Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is a catastrophic stroke with high mortality, and the mechanism underlying ICH is largely unknown. Previous studies have shown that high serum uric acid (SUA) levels are an independent risk factor for hypertension, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and ischemic stroke. However, our metabolomics data showed that SUA levels were lower in recurrent intracerebral hemorrhage (R-ICH) patients than in ICH patients, indicating that lower SUA might contribute to ICH. In this study, we confirmed the association between low SUA levels and the risk for recurrence of ICH and for cardiac-cerebral vascular mortality in hypertensive patients. To determine the mechanism by which low SUA effects ICH pathogenesis, we developed the first low SUA mouse model and conducted transcriptome profiling of the cerebrovasculature of ICH mice. When combining these assessments with pathological morphology, we found that low SUA levels led to ICH in mice with angiotensin II (Ang II)-induced hypertension and aggravated the pathological progression of ICH. In vitro, our results showed that p-Erk1/2-MMP axis were involved in the low UA-induce degradation of elastin, and that physiological concentrations of UA and p-Erk1/2-specific inhibitor exerted a protective role. This is the first report describing to the disruption of the smooth muscle cell (SMC)-elastin contractile units in ICH. Most importantly, we revealed that the upregulation of the p-Erk1/2-MMP axis, which promotes the degradation of elastin, plays a vital role in mediating low SUA levels to exacerbate cerebrovascular rupture during the ICH process.

Tanshinone IIA attenuates high glucose induced human VSMC proliferation and migration through miR-21-5p-mediated tropomyosin 1 downregulation.

The proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) play important roles in the development and progression of diabetes-related vascular complications. Recently, microRNAs (miRNAs) have been suggested to be involved in the pathogenesis of vascular diseases. This study was designed to investigate the influences of tanshinone IIA, an active compound extracted from Chinese herb Salvia miltiorrhiza, on the proliferation and migration of human aortic VSMCs (HASMCs). cultured in a high glucose medium and the underlying mechanisms related miRNAs. Using a miRNA microarray method, we profiled the miRNA expression signature in human aortic VSMCs (HASMCs) exposed to normal glucose, high glucose with and without Tanshinone IIA. Cell proliferation was measured with 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation assay. Cell migration was evaluated using transwell migration assay and wound scratch assay. Western blot was used to examine the expression of tropomyosin 1 (TPM1) and miRNA level was quantified by real-time PCR. The results showed that several miRNAs that were highly expressed in the high glucose group were significantly decreased in the high glucose with Tanshinone IIA group compared with the normal glucose group (P < 0.05). Among these miRNAs, miR-21-5p was significantly upregulated in the high glucose group and downregulated after Tanshinone IIA treatment (P < 0.05). The depletion of miR-21-5p in HASMCs resulted in decreased cell proliferation and migration (P < 0.05). Moreover, we found that Tanshinone IIA inhibited proliferation and migration partly through miR-21-5p-mediated TPM1 downregulation (P < 0.05). In conclusion, the present study demonstrates that Tanshinone IIA is able to protect HASMCs from high glucose-induced proliferation and migration through regulating expression of miRNAs.

The Associations of PMF1, ICAM1, AGT, TRIM65, FBF1, and ACOX1 Variants With Leukoaraiosis in Chinese Population.

Background: Leukoaraiosis (LA) is shown as white matter hyperintensities on T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging brain scans. Together with candidate gene association studies (CGAS), multiple genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have reported large numbers of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to be associated with LA in European populations. To date, no replication studies have been reported in independent Chinese samples. Methods: Here, we performed a candidate gene association study comprising 220 Chinese subjects with LA and 50 controls. Thirty-nine polymorphisms on 32 risk genes were selected from previous studies, and they were genotyped through matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). Genetic association analysis was firstly performed in all subjects with LA. Then, the same analysis was conducted in the six random sampling cohorts of 50 LA patients, respectively. Data analyses on the associations of SNPs with LA risk were evaluated through Pearson's χ2 and multivariate logistic regression tests. Results: We found that eight polymorphisms in six genes (PMF1, ICAM1, TRIM65, AGT, FBF1, and ACOX1) were significantly associated with LA in the genetic association tests. Except for those eight gene variants, 24 other polymorphisms were not found to be significantly associated with LA in general genetic model, dominant model, recessive model, or multiplicative model. Among those eight polymorphisms, rs2984613 in PMF1 showed significant association with LA in the cohort of 220 LA subjects, and such significant association remained in both general genetic model (OR: 0.262, 95% CI: 0.091-0.752, p adj = 0.030) and recessive model (OR: 0.323, 95% CI: 0.119-0.881, p adj = 0.038) when controlling for clinical variables. Seven other significant variants (rs5498 in ICAM1, rs699 in AGT, rs2305913 in FBF1, rs1135640 in ACOX1, and rs3760128, rs7214628, and rs7222757 in TRIM65) were identified in those six random sampling tests that were conducted in the adjusted cohorts of 50 LA patients. In addition, except for rs699 which showed detrimental effect and represented a risk variant for LA, seven other polymorphisms seemed to exert protective effects on LA and to reduce the risk of LA. It is necessary to confirm these associations in an independent cohort. Conclusions: This first replication study on multiple genes in an independent Chinese population did not replicate any risk polymorphisms for LA other than rs 699 in AGT but revealed the significantly negative associations of PMF1, ICAM1, TRIM65, FBF1, and ACOX1 polymorphisms with LA. It not only supported the strong ethnic differences in the genetics of LA but also indicated that those six identified genes may be involved in Chinese white matter lesions. Larger scales of CGAS and GWAS are necessary to confirm and decipher those ethnic-Han specific risk genes for LA in China.

Alkylation of isobutane and isobutene catalyzed by trifluoromethanesulfonic acid-taurine deep eutectic solvents in polyethylene glycol.

Conventional acidic catalysts for isobutane and isobutene alkylation exhibit low alkylate selectivity. Herein, we employed an acidic deep eutectic solvent, consisting of trifluoromethanesulfonic acid and taurine, in polyethylene glycol as the catalyst. Its high conversion rate and selectivity, as well as recyclability, make it suitable for alkylate gasoline preparation.

Effect of Comprehensive Therapy based on Chinese Medicine Patterns on Self-Efficacy and Effectiveness Satisfaction in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Patients.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of comprehensive therapy based on Chinese medicine (CM) patterns on self-efficacy and satisfaction with its effectiveness in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). METHODS: A total of 216 patients were randomly divided into the trial group (n =108) and the control group (n=108) based on the stratified and block randomization design. Patients in the trial group were treated with conventional Western medicine combined with Bufei Jianpi Granules (), Bufei Yishen Granules (), and Yiqi Zishen Granules () according to the CM patterns respectively, and patients in the control group were treated with conventional Western medicine. The COPD Self-Efficacy Scale (CSES) and the Effectiveness Satisfaction Questionnaire for COPD (ESQ-COPD) were employed in a 6-month treatment and in further 6 month follow-up visit. RESULTS: Among the 216 patients, 191 patients (97 in the trial group and 94 in the control group) fully completed the study. After 12-month treatment and follow-up, the mean scores of the trial group all continued to increase over time, which were significantly higher than those of the control group (P <0.05), and the improvement in the following trial group domain: negative affect domain (12.13%), intense emotional arousal domain (12.21%), physical exertion domain (11.72%), weather/environmental domain (13.77%), behavioral risk domain (7.67%) and total score (10.65%). The trial group also exhibited significantly higher mean scores in the ESQ-COPD (P <0.05) and the improvement in the following domain: capacity for life and work domain (30.59%), clinical symptoms domain (53.52%), effect of therapy domain (35.95%), convenience of therapy domain (35.54%), and whole effect domain (52.47%). CONCLUSIONS: Bufei Jianpi Granules, Bufei Yishen Granules and Yiqi Zishen Granules can improve the self-efficacy and satisfaction of COPD patients.

LncRNA-MIAT regulates fibrosis in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) by mediating the expression of miR-29a-3p.

AIM: This study aimed to investigate the molecular mechanism underlying the fibrosis in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). METHOD: Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was performed to measure the expression of potentially relevant microRNAs (miRNAs) and long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) in patients with HCM suffering from fibrosis and patients with HCM free of fibrosis. In addition, the regulatory relationship between lncRNAs and miR-29a was studied using a luciferase assay. Subsequently, area under the receiver-operating characteristics (ROC) curve (AUC) analysis was conducted to predict the diagnostic value of myocardial infarction-associated transcript (MIAT), miR-29a, H19, and MEG3 in patients with HCM. Finally, the predicted regulatory relationship betwe en miR-29a and MIAT was validated by transfecting cells with different plasmids. RESULT: miR-29a and MIAT were differently expressed between the fibrosis (+) HCM group and the fibrosis (-) HCM group, thus establishing a negative relationship between the expression of these two genes. In addition, both MIAT and miR-29a showed the ability to accurately predict the prognosis in patients with HCM. Furthermore, the luciferase activity of wild-type MIAT was evidently suppressed in cells transfected with miR-29a mimics, suggesting that the expression of miR-29a was apparently downregulated in the presence of MIAT. CONCLUSION: The results obtained in this study collectively indicated that the MIAT might be associated with the development of fibrosis (+) HCM via negatively regulating the expression of miR-29a.

Effect of Comprehensive Therapy based on Chinese Medicine Patterns on Self-Efficacy and Effectiveness Satisfaction in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Patients / 中国结合医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To evaluate the effect of comprehensive therapy based on Chinese medicine (CM) patterns on self-efficacy and satisfaction with its effectiveness in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).@*METHODS@#A total of 216 patients were randomly divided into the trial group (n =108) and the control group (n=108) based on the stratified and block randomization design. Patients in the trial group were treated with conventional Western medicine combined with Bufei Jianpi Granules (), Bufei Yishen Granules (), and Yiqi Zishen Granules () according to the CM patterns respectively, and patients in the control group were treated with conventional Western medicine. The COPD Self-Efficacy Scale (CSES) and the Effectiveness Satisfaction Questionnaire for COPD (ESQ-COPD) were employed in a 6-month treatment and in further 6 month follow-up visit.@*RESULTS@#Among the 216 patients, 191 patients (97 in the trial group and 94 in the control group) fully completed the study. After 12-month treatment and follow-up, the mean scores of the trial group all continued to increase over time, which were significantly higher than those of the control group (P <0.05), and the improvement in the following trial group domain: negative affect domain (12.13%), intense emotional arousal domain (12.21%), physical exertion domain (11.72%), weather/environmental domain (13.77%), behavioral risk domain (7.67%) and total score (10.65%). The trial group also exhibited significantly higher mean scores in the ESQ-COPD (P <0.05) and the improvement in the following domain: capacity for life and work domain (30.59%), clinical symptoms domain (53.52%), effect of therapy domain (35.95%), convenience of therapy domain (35.54%), and whole effect domain (52.47%).@*CONCLUSIONS@#Bufei Jianpi Granules, Bufei Yishen Granules and Yiqi Zishen Granules can improve the self-efficacy and satisfaction of COPD patients.