LncRNA AC125982.2 regulates apoptosis of cardiomyocytes through mir-450b-3p/ATG4B axis in a rat model with myocardial infarction.

Background: The occurrence and disability of myocardial infarction (MI) are on the rise globally, making it a significant contributor to cardiovascular mortality. Irreversible myocardial apoptosis plays a crucial role in causing MI. Long non-coding RNAs (LncRNAs) are key regulators of the cardiac remodeling process. Therefore, it is necessary to explore the effect of LncRNAs on cardiomyocyte apoptosis in MI. Methods: The rat-MI model was constructed, LncRNA-Seq and qPCR analyses were used to determine differentially expressed genes obtained from heart tissue of rats in the MI and sham groups. The miRanda software was used to predict the binding sites of LncRNA-miRNA and miRNA-mRNA, which were futhrer verified by dual luciferase assay. The LncRNA-miRNA-apoptosis pathway was further validated using hypoxia-exposed primary cardiomyocytes. Results: Compared to the sham group, 412 LncRNAs were upregulated and 501 LncRNAs were downregulated in MI-rat heart tissues. Among them, LncRNA AC125982.2 was most significantly upregulated in MI-rat heart tissues and hypoxic cardiomyocytes. Knockdown of AC125982.2 and ATG4B expression reversed hypoxia-induced apoptosis. In addition, transfection of mir-450b-3p inhibitor attenuated the protective effect of AC125982.2 knockdown. Moreover, we found that AC125982.2 modulated ATG4B expression by acting as a sponge for miR-450b-3p. Conclusion: Upregulated AC125982.2 expression regulates ATG4B by sponging miR-450b-3p, promoting cardiomyocyte apoptosis and contributing to rat MI development.

[Mechanism of Zhongfeng Xingnao Decoction in improving microcirculatory disorders in cerebral hemorrhage based on network pharmacology and molecular docking techniques].

This study aimed to explore the mechanism of Zhongfeng Xingnao Decoction(ZFXN) in intervening microcirculatory di-sorders in cerebral hemorrhage by network pharmacology and molecular docking techniques. The information on the components of ZFXN was obtained through the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform(TCMSP) database, and the predicted targets of chemical components were obtained from PubChem and SwissTargetPrediction. The relevant targets of cerebral hemorrhage and microcirculatory disorders were collected from the GeneCards database, and the common targets of the components and diseases were analyzed by the Database for Annotation, Visualization, and Integrated Discovery(DAVID) for Gene Ontology(GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG) enrichment analyses. Visualization of the correlation network was carried out using Cytoscape software to further screen important chemical components for molecular docking prediction with disease targets. The animal experiment validation was performed using modified neurological severity score(mNSS), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA), quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction(qRT-PCR), immunofluorescence, and Western blot to detect the effects of ZFXN intervention in mice with cerebral hemorrhage. The results showed that there were 31 chemical components and 856 targets in the four drugs contained in ZFXN, 173 targets for microcirculatory disorders in cerebral hemorrhage, and 57 common targets for diseases and components. The enrichment analysis showed that common targets were mainly involved in biological processes, such as cell proliferation and apoptosis, and signaling pathways, such as tumor pathway, viral infection, phosphoinositide-3-kinase/protein kinase B(PI3K/AKT) signaling pathway, and mitogen-activated protein kinase(MAPK) signaling pathway. Molecular docking results revealed that the common components ß-sitosterol of Rhei Radix et Rhizoma, Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma, and Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma Rubra showed good docking with proto-oncogene tyrosine-protein kinase(SRC), signal transducer and activator of transcription 3(STAT3), phosphoinositide-3-kinase catalytic alpha polypeptide gene(PIK3CA), recombinant protein tyrosine phosphatase non receptor type 11(PTPN11), AKT1, epidermal growth factor receptor(EGFR), calcium adhesion-associated protein beta 1(CTNNB1), vascular endothelial growth factor A(VEGFA), and tumor protein p53(TP53). Moreover, sennoside E of Rhei Radix et Rhizoma showed good docking with MAPK1. The results revealed that the ZFXN relieved the neural injury in mice with cerebral hemorrhage, decreased the expression of S100 calcium-binding protein B(S100ß), neuron specific enolase(NSE), matrix metalloproteinase 9(MMP9), tumor necrosis factor α(TNF-α), interleukin 1ß(IL-1ß), SRC, EGFR, CTNNB1, VEGFA, TP53, glial fibrillary acidic protein(GFAP), and leukocyte differentiation antigen 86(CD86), and increased the expression of p-PI3K, p-AKT, and zona occludens 1(ZO-1). The results indicate that ZFXN may inhibit neuronal apoptosis and inflammatory response through PI3K/AKT/p53 pathway to protect the blood-brain barrier, thereby slowing down microcirculatory impairment in cerebral hemorrhage.

Ambient nitrogen dioxide and cardiovascular diseases in rural regions: a time-series analyses using data from the new rural cooperative medical scheme in Fuyang, East China.

Most of studies relating ambient nitrogen dioxide (NO2) exposure to hospital admissions for cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) were conducted among urban population. Whether and to what extent these results could be generalizable to rural population remains unknown. We addressed this question using data from the New Rural Cooperative Medical Scheme (NRCMS) in Fuyang, Anhui, China. Daily hospital admissions for total CVDs, ischaemic heart disease, heart failure, heart rhythm disturbances, ischaemic stroke, and haemorrhagic stroke in rural regions of Fuyang, China, were extracted from NRCMS between January 2015 and June 2017. A two-stage time-series analysis method was used to assess the associations between NO2 and CVD hospital admissions and the disease burden fractions attributable to NO2. In our study period, the average number (standard deviation) of hospital admissions per day were 488.2 (117.1) for total CVDs, 179.8 (45.6) for ischaemic heart disease, 7.0 (3.3) for heart rhythm disturbances, 13.2 (7.2) for heart failure, 267.9 (67.7) for ischaemic stroke, and 20.2 (6.4) for haemorrhagic stroke. The 10-µg/m3 increase of NO2 was related to an elevated risk of 1.9% (RR: 1.019, 95% CI: 1.005 to 1.032) for hospital admissions of total CVDs at lag0-2 days, 2.1% (1.021, 1.006 to 1.036) for ischaemic heart disease, and 2.1% (1.021, 1.006 to 1.035) for ischaemic stroke, respectively, while no significant association was observed between NO2 and hospital admissions for heart rhythm disturbances, heart failure, and haemorrhagic stroke. The attributable fractions of total CVDs, ischaemic heart disease, and ischaemic stroke to NO2 were 6.52% (1.87 to 10.94%), 7.31% (2.19 to 12.17%), and 7.12% (2.14 to 11.85%), respectively. Our findings suggest that CVD burdens in rural population are also partly attributed to short-term exposure to NO2. More studies across rural regions are required to replicate our findings.

Pilose antler (Cervus elaphus Linnaeus) polysaccharide and polypeptide extract inhibits bone resorption in high turnover type osteoporosis by stimulating the MAKP and MMP-9 signaling pathways.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Pilose antler is a traditional Chinese medicine used to improve kidney function, strengthen tendons and bones, and prolong life, among other uses. It is widely employed in the treatment of osteoporosis. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the treatment of high turnover osteoporosis are not fully understood. AIM OF THE STUDY: The present study aimed to investigate the molecular mechanism underlying pilose antler polysaccharide and polypeptide extracts in inhibiting bone resorption in high turnover osteoporosis, and compare the effects of the two components alone and in combination to explore whether they could produce synergistic enhancement effects. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The quantitative and qualitative characteristics of pilose antler polysaccharide and polypeptide extracts were detected by UV-visible spectrophotometry and high-performance liquid chromatography. A rat model of retinoic acid-induced osteoporosis was used to evaluate the inhibitory effect of the extracts on bone resorption. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect the activity of factors related to high turnover type osteoporosis in rat serum. Western blotting was used to detect the expression of proteins related to the MAKP and MMP-9 signaling pathways in rat femurs. Fluorescence quantitative PCR was used to detect the transcription levels of genes related to the MAKP and MMP-9 signaling pathways in rat femur tissues. Hematoxylin and eosin staining were used to observe the osteoprotective effects of pilose antler polysaccharides and polypeptides. RESULTS: The yield of pilose antler polysaccharides was 8.3%, and was mainly composed of mannose, glucosamine hydrochloride, glucuronic acid, Galacturonic acid, Galactose hydrochloride, glucose, and galactose. The yield of the polypeptides was 26.2%, and eighty percent of the molecular weight of the antler polypeptides was 1.6 kDa-7kD, among which, the molecular weight of 7kD peptide accounted for 52% of the total. Both polysaccharides and peptides could reduce the activities of TRACP, OCN, ERK1, JNK, and MMP-9 in rat serum and reduce both the protein expression and gene transcription levels of ERK1, JNK, and MMP-9 in rat femur tissue with significant differences compared with the model group. Both extracts exerted significant protective effects on rat femur tissue. The effect of pilose antler polypeptides alone was better than that of polysaccharides either alone or in combination. CONCLUSIONS: Pilose antler polysaccharides, polypeptides, and their mixtures could inhibit the occurrence of bone resorption of high turnover osteoporosis by stimulating the MAKP and MMP-9 signaling pathways to reduce the expression of the ERK1, JNK, and MMP-9 genes and proteins, and could help alleviate bone loss caused by retinoic acid. Pilose antler polypeptides had a stronger effect on inhibiting bone resorption. The combination of the two components did not show synergistic enhancement effect, and the polysaccharide tended to moderate the inhibitory enhancement effect of the polypeptide.

CircHIPK3 promotes bone microvascular endothelial cell proliferation, migration and angiogenesis by targeting miR-7 and KLF4/VEGF signaling in steroid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head.

BACKGROUND: Circular RNA homeodomain interacting protein kinase 3 (circHIPK3) has been implicated in facilitating angiogenesis in various conditions. However, its role in steroid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) remains unclear. OBJECTIVES: To investigate whether circHIPK3 promotes bone microvascular activity and angiogenesis by targeting miR-7 and Krüppel-like factor 4 (KLF4)/vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) signaling in ONFH. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Fifty patients with steroid-induced ONFH undergoing hip-preserving surgery or total hip arthroplasty were included in this study. The expression of circHIPK3, miR-7 and KLF4 was evaluated using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in necrotic and healthy samples of the femoral head. Bone microvascular endothelial cells (BMECs) were extracted and cultured with 0.1 mg/mL hydrocortisone to create a hormonally deficient cell model. These BMECs were then transfected with either circHIPK3 overexpressing or silencing plasmids with or without miR-7 mimics. The MTT assays were used to detect cell proliferation. Scratch assays were used to assess the migration ability of the BMECs. The tube formation was carried out using an in vitro Matrigel angiogenesis assay. Annexin V-FITC/PI and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assays were used to assess the degree of apoptosis. Western blot assays were carried out to discern KLF4 and VEGF expression. The interactions of circHIPK3, miR-7 and KLF4 were confirmed using luciferase, RNA-binding protein immunoprecipitation (RIP), RNA pull-down, and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) assays. RESULTS: The circHIPK3 and KLF4 expression was decreased, whereas miR-7 expression was increased in necrotic tissues compared to non-necrotic samples. Both circHIPK3 and KLF4 expression correlated negatively with miR-7. The overexpression of circHIPK3 promoted the proliferative, migratory and angiogenic capabilities of the BMECs, while adding an miR-7 mimic reversed these effects. At the same time, the overexpression of circHIPK3 reduced the apoptosis rate of the BMECs and increased KLF4 and VEGF protein expression, but adding an miR-7 mimic reversed these effects. The FISH, RNA pull-down, RIP, and luciferase assays revealed an interaction between circHIPK3, miR-7 and KLF4. CONCLUSIONS: The circHIPK3 promotes BMEC proliferation, migration and angiogenesis by targeting miR-7 and KLF4/VEGF signaling.

Learning Skill Characteristics From Manipulations.

Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has increasingly become the main treatment for coronary artery disease. The procedure requires high experienced skills and dexterous manipulations. However, there are few techniques to model PCI skill so far. In this study, a learning framework with local and ensemble learning is proposed to learn skill characteristics of different skill-level subjects from their PCI manipulations. Ten interventional cardiologists (four experts and six novices) were recruited to deliver a medical guidewire to two target arteries on a porcine model for in vivo studies. Simultaneously, translation and twist manipulations of thumb, forefinger, and wrist are acquired with electromagnetic (EM) and fiber-optic bend (FOB) sensors, respectively. These behavior data are then processed with wavelet packet decomposition (WPD) under 1-10 levels for feature extraction. The feature vectors are further fed into three candidate individual classifiers in the local learning layer. Furthermore, the local learning results from different manipulation behaviors are fused in the ensemble learning layer with three rule-based ensemble learning algorithms. In subject-dependent skill characteristics learning, the ensemble learning can achieve 100% accuracy, significantly outperforming the best local result (90%). Furthermore, ensemble learning can also maintain 73% accuracy in subject-independent schemes. These promising results demonstrate the great potential of the proposed method to facilitate skill learning in surgical robotics and skill assessment in clinical practice.

Role of bilateral superior cervical sympathetic ganglion in myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury in mice: relationship with NLRP3 inflammasomes / 中华麻醉学杂志

Objective:To evaluate the role of bilateral superior cervical sympathetic ganglia (SCG) in myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury in mice and the relationship with NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasomes.Methods:Thirty-two healthy SPF male C57BL mice, aged 8-10 weeks, weighing 25-30 g, were divided into 4 groups ( n=8 each) by the random number table method: sham operation group (NS group), myocardial I/R group (NIR group), bilateral SCG excision group (SCGx group) and bilateral SCG excision + myocardial I/R group (SCGx+ IR group). The myocardial I/R injury model was prepared by ligating the anterior descending branch of the left coronary artery for 30 min followed by 24 h reperfusion in isoflurane-anesthetized mice. Bilateral superior cervical sympathectomy was performed at 3 days before reperfusion. Blood samples were collected from the inferior vena cava at 24 h of reperfusion for examination of pathological changes (by HE and WGA staining) and for measurement of serum creatine kinase isoenzymes (CK-MB) activity, cardiac troponin I (cTnI) concentration, norepinephrine (NE) concentration and lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) activity (by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay), superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity (by colorimetric method), myocardial reactive oxygen species (ROS) level (by DHE method), myocardial infarct size(by TTC method), and expression of interleukin-1beta (IL-1β), IL-6, IL-10, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), NLRP3 mRNA (by quantitativepolymerase chain reaction ), and expression of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), IL-1β, TNF-α, NLRP3, atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP)and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) (by Western blot). Results:Compared with NS group, the NE concentration was significantly decreased, and TH expression was down-regulated in SCGx group, and the serum CK-MB activity, concentrations of cTnI and NE, LDH activity and myocardial ROS level were significantly increased, SOD activity was decreased, the expression of IL-1β, TNF-α, NLRP3, ANP and BNP was up-regulated, and the expression of IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α and NLPR3 mRNA was up-regulated in NIR group ( P<0.05). Compared with SCGx group, the serum CK-MB activity, concentrations of cTnI and NE, LDH activity and myocardial ROS levels were significamtly increased, SOD activity was decreased, the expression of IL-1β, TNF-α, NLRP3, ANP and BNP was up-regulated, and the expression of IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α and NLPR3 mRNA was up-regulated in SCGx+ NIR group ( P<0.05). Compared with NIR group, the serum CK-MB activity, cTnI concentration, LDH activity and myocardial ROS level were significantly decreased, SOD activity was increased, the expression of IL-1β, TNF-α, NLRP3, ANP and BNP was down-regulated, the expression of IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α and NLPR3 mRNA was down-regulated, and myocardial infarct size was decreased in SCGx+ NIR group ( P<0.05). Conclusions:The mechanism by which bilateral SCG excision attenuates myocardial I/R injury is associated with decreased NLRP3 inflammatory inflammasome activation and inhibition of inflammatory responses in mice.

Effect of SR9009 on myocardial injury in endotoxemic mice / 中华麻醉学杂志

Objective:To evaluate the effect of SR9009 on myocardial injury in endotoxemic mice.Methods:Eighteen SPF healthy male C57BL/6 mice, aged 5 weeks, weighing 21-24 g, were divided into 3 groups ( n=6 each) by the random number table method: control group (C group), endotoxemia group (lipopolysaccharide [LPS] group) and endotoxemia + SR9009 group (LPS+ SR group). SR9009 50 mg/kg was intraperitoneally injected at 4: 00 p. m. in LPS+ SR group. The endotoxemic model was prepared by intraperitoneal injection of LPS 15 mg/kg at 10 a. m. on the second day in mice. The left ventricular function was monitored by echocardiography at 9 h after LPS injection. Blood samples were collected from the heart cavity under direct visualization for determination of the serum creatine kinase isoenzymes (CK-MB), lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) and cardiac troponin I (cTnI) levels by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Myocardial tissues were obtained and stained with HE for microscopic examination of the pathological changes (with a light microscope) and for determination of the expression of Beclin1, P62 and microtubule-associated protein 1 light cain 3 (LC3) (by Western blot), and the ratio of LC3Ⅱ to LC3Ⅰ was calculated. Results:Compared with group C, the ejection fraction and short-axis fractional shortening were significantly decreased, the left ventricular end-diastolic internal diameter and left ventricular end-systolic internal diameter were shortened, the left ventricular end-diastolic posterior wall thickness and left ventricular end-systolic posterior wall thickness were decreased, serum CK-MB, LDH and cTnI levels were increased, P62 expression in myocardial tissues was down-regulated, Beclin1 expression was up-regulated, LC3Ⅱ/LC3Ⅰ ratio was increased ( P<0.05), and the pathological changes were found in myocardial tissues in group LPS. Compared with group LPS, the ejection fraction and short-axis fractional shortening were significantly increased, the left ventricular end-systolic internal diameter was shortened, and the left ventricular end-diastolic posterior wall thickness was decreased ( P<0.05), no significant change was found the left ventricular end-diastolic internal diameter and left ventricular posterior end-systolic wall thickness ( P>0.05), the serum CK-MB, LDH and cTnI levels were decreased, and P62 expression in myocardial tissues was up-regulated, Beclin1 expression was down-regulated, LC3Ⅱ/LC3Ⅰ ratio was decreased ( P<0.05), and the pathological changes in myocardial tissues were significantly attenuated in LPS+ SR group. Conclusions:SR9009 can alleviate myocardial injury in endotoxemic mice, and the mechanism may be related to inhibition of autophagy.

Mechanism of Zhongfeng Xingnao Decoction in improving microcirculatory disorders in cerebral hemorrhage based on network pharmacology and molecular docking techniques / 中国中药杂志

This study aimed to explore the mechanism of Zhongfeng Xingnao Decoction(ZFXN) in intervening microcirculatory di-sorders in cerebral hemorrhage by network pharmacology and molecular docking techniques. The information on the components of ZFXN was obtained through the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform(TCMSP) database, and the predicted targets of chemical components were obtained from PubChem and SwissTargetPrediction. The relevant targets of cerebral hemorrhage and microcirculatory disorders were collected from the GeneCards database, and the common targets of the components and diseases were analyzed by the Database for Annotation, Visualization, and Integrated Discovery(DAVID) for Gene Ontology(GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG) enrichment analyses. Visualization of the correlation network was carried out using Cytoscape software to further screen important chemical components for molecular docking prediction with disease targets. The animal experiment validation was performed using modified neurological severity score(mNSS), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA), quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction(qRT-PCR), immunofluorescence, and Western blot to detect the effects of ZFXN intervention in mice with cerebral hemorrhage. The results showed that there were 31 chemical components and 856 targets in the four drugs contained in ZFXN, 173 targets for microcirculatory disorders in cerebral hemorrhage, and 57 common targets for diseases and components. The enrichment analysis showed that common targets were mainly involved in biological processes, such as cell proliferation and apoptosis, and signaling pathways, such as tumor pathway, viral infection, phosphoinositide-3-kinase/protein kinase B(PI3K/AKT) signaling pathway, and mitogen-activated protein kinase(MAPK) signaling pathway. Molecular docking results revealed that the common components β-sitosterol of Rhei Radix et Rhizoma, Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma, and Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma Rubra showed good docking with proto-oncogene tyrosine-protein kinase(SRC), signal transducer and activator of transcription 3(STAT3), phosphoinositide-3-kinase catalytic alpha polypeptide gene(PIK3CA), recombinant protein tyrosine phosphatase non receptor type 11(PTPN11), AKT1, epidermal growth factor receptor(EGFR), calcium adhesion-associated protein beta 1(CTNNB1), vascular endothelial growth factor A(VEGFA), and tumor protein p53(TP53). Moreover, sennoside E of Rhei Radix et Rhizoma showed good docking with MAPK1. The results revealed that the ZFXN relieved the neural injury in mice with cerebral hemorrhage, decreased the expression of S100 calcium-binding protein B(S100β), neuron specific enolase(NSE), matrix metalloproteinase 9(MMP9), tumor necrosis factor α(TNF-α), interleukin 1β(IL-1β), SRC, EGFR, CTNNB1, VEGFA, TP53, glial fibrillary acidic protein(GFAP), and leukocyte differentiation antigen 86(CD86), and increased the expression of p-PI3K, p-AKT, and zona occludens 1(ZO-1). The results indicate that ZFXN may inhibit neuronal apoptosis and inflammatory response through PI3K/AKT/p53 pathway to protect the blood-brain barrier, thereby slowing down microcirculatory impairment in cerebral hemorrhage.

Combining frog-leg lateral view may serve as a more sensitive X-ray position in monitoring collapse in osteonecrosis of the femoral head.

Load-bearing capacity of the bone structures of anterolateral weight-bearing area plays an important role in the progressive collapse in osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH). The purpose of this study is to assess the efficacy of combined evaluation of anteroposterior (AP) and frog-leg lateral (FLL) view in diagnosing collapse. Between December 2016 and August 2018, a total of 478 hips from 372 patients with ONFH (268 male, 104 female; mean age 37.9 ± 11.4 years) were retrospectively evaluated. All patients received standard AP and FLL views of hip joints. Japanese Investigation Committee (JIC) classification system was used to classify necrotic lesion in AP view. Anterior necrotic lesion was evaluated by FLL view. All patients with pre-collapse ONFH underwent non-operative hip-preserving therapy. The collapse rates were calculated and compared with Kaplan-Meier survival analysis with radiological collapse as endpoints. Forty-four (44/478, 9.2%) hips were classified as type A, 65 (65/478, 13.6%) as type B, 232 (232/478, 48.5%) as type C1 and 137 (137/478, 28.7%) as type C2. Three hundred cases (300/478, 62.5%) were collapsed at the initial time point. Two hundred and twenty six (226/300, 75.3%) hips and 298 (298/300, 99.3%) hips collapse were identified with AP view and FLL view, respectively. An average follow-up of 37.0 ± 32.0 months was conducted to evaluate the occurrence of collapse in 178 pre-collapse hips. Collapses occurred in 89 hips (50.0%). Seventy-seven (77/89, 86.5%) hips were determined with AP view alone and 85 (85/89, 95.5%) hips were determined with the combination of AP and FLL views. The collapse rates at five years were reported as 0% and 0%, 16.2% and 24.3%, 58.3% and 68.1% and 100% and 100% according to AP view alone or combination of AP and FLL views for types A, B, C1 and C2, respectively. The collapse can be diagnosed more accurately by combination of AP and FLL views. Besides, JIC type A and type B ONFH can be treated with conservative hip preservation, but pre-collapse type C2 ONFH should be treated with joint-preserving surgery. Type C1 needs further study to determine which subtype has potential risk of collapse.

Cholesterol Metabolic Markers for Differential Evaluation of Patients with Hyperlipidemia and Familial Hypercholesterolemia.

The cholesterol metabolism in humans can be indirectly reflected by measuring cholesterol metabolism marker levels. We aimed to investigate the association of cholesterol homeostasis markers on standard lipid profiling components in familial hypercholesteremia and hyperlipidemia patients. A total of 69 hyperlipidemia patients, 25 familial hypercholesteremia (FHC) patients, and 64 healthy controls were enrolled in this study. We performed routine testing of blood lipid water. Gas chromatography was used to determine the changes in the concentration of cholesterol synthesis (squalene, desmosterol, and lathosterol) and absorption markers (campesterol, sitosterol, and stigmasterol) in the blood. Baseline hyperlipidemia patients displayed significantly higher total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels in comparison to the control group, which was reflected in the increased levels of squalene, desmosterol, campesterol, and sitosterol observed (P < 0.05) in the hyperlipidemia patients. The desmosterol, lathosterol, campesterol, stigmasterol, and sitosterol were statistically different in the FHC group than the hyperlipidemic group (P < 0.05). The proportions of squalene/cholesterol, lathosterol/cholesterol, stigmasterol/cholesterol, and sitosterol/cholesterol in the FHC group were lower than those in the hyperlipidemic group; only desmosterol/cholesterol was higher than that in the hyperlipidemic group. Correlation studies between lipid metabolic factors showed that the proportion of moderate and strong correlations was much higher in the FHC group than in the other two groups (76.92% vs. 32.50% and 31.25%). Logistic regression analysis showed that the concentrations of glucose, LDL-C, lactosterol, and sitosterol were all independent risk factors for developing hyperlipidemia. This result was further confirmed by the ROC curve. These results indicated that the study of cholesterol synthesis and decomposition markers can serve as a reference index for related diseases caused by changes in its concentration.

Corrigendum: The Therapeutic Effect of Huo Xue Tong Luo Capsules in Association Research Circulation Osseous (ARCO) Stage II Osteonecrosis of the Femoral Head: A Clinical Study With an Average Follow-up Period of 7.95 Years.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.773758.].

Gas Chromatography and Flame-Ionization Detection of Non-Cholesterol Sterols as Indicators of Cholesterol Absorption and Synthesis in 158 Chinese Individuals with Normolipidemia, Hyperlipidemia, and Familial Hypercholesterolemia.

BACKGROUND There are limited studies on the effects of cholesterol homeostasis in populations at high risk for cardiovascular disease. We aimed to use gas chromatography and flame-ionization detection (GC-FID) of non-cholesterol sterols as indicators of cholesterol absorption and synthesis. Sterol indicators of cholesterol absorption included campesterol, stigmasterol, and sitosterol. Sterol indicators of cholesterol synthesis included squalene, 7-lathosterol, and desmosterol. MATERIAL AND METHODS A total of 158 participants were enrolled in 3 groups: healthy control (n=64), hyperlipidemia (n=69), and familial hypercholesterolemia (FH, n=25). Age, sex, blood pressure, blood glucose, and lipoprotein were collected, and cholesterol absorption and synthesis markers were determined by GC-FID. RESULTS All 6 cholesterol concentration indicators, except squalene, were significantly different among the 3 groups (all P<0.05); whereas in the ratio to cholesterol (%, sterols/cholesterol), only desmosterol and lathosterol were significantly different (P<0.05). Multifactorial regression analysis showed that triglycerides, total cholesterol, and desmosterol were independent risk factors affecting the development of hyperlipidemia (P<0.05). The efficacy of the ROC curve for the diagnosis of dyslipidemia was also higher for all 3 indices (Model 1, AUC=0.960). Model 1 was superior to Model 2 for the 6 indicators of cholesterol. For the FH and dyslipidemia groups, the 6-indicator model (Model 3) was shown to have a good diagnostic value (AUC=1.000). CONCLUSIONS The 6 sterol indicators of cholesterol absorption and synthesis had a dynamic course in all study participants. Desmosterol was an indicator of dyslipidemia. The combined use of the 6 sterol indicators differentiated between healthy individuals and patients with dyslipidemia and FH.

A Multilayer and Multimodal-Fusion Architecture for Simultaneous Recognition of Endovascular Manipulations and Assessment of Technical Skills.

The clinical success of the percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is highly dependent on endovascular manipulation skills and dexterous manipulation strategies of interventionalists. However, the analysis of endovascular manipulations and related discussion for technical skill assessment are limited. In this study, a multilayer and multimodal-fusion architecture is proposed to recognize six typical endovascular manipulations. The synchronously acquired multimodal motion signals from ten subjects are used as the inputs of the architecture independently. Six classification-based and two rule-based fusion algorithms are evaluated for performance comparisons. The recognition metrics under the determined architecture are further used to assess technical skills. The experimental results indicate that the proposed architecture can achieve the overall accuracy of 96.41%, much higher than that of a single-layer recognition architecture (92.85%). In addition, the multimodal fusion brings significant performance improvement in comparison with single-modal schemes. Furthermore, the K -means-based skill assessment can obtain an accuracy of 95% to cluster the attempts made by different skill-level groups. These hopeful results indicate the great possibility of the architecture to facilitate clinical skill assessment and skill learning.

Relationship between Rev-erbα and NLRP3 inflammasome during myocardial ischemia-reperfusion in diabetic rats / 中华麻醉学杂志

Objective:To evaluate the relationship between nuclear receptor subfamily 1, group D, member 1 (Rev-erbα) and NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome during myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) in diabetic rats.Methods:SPF-grade healthy male Sprague-Dawley rats, weighing 210-240 g, in which 1% streptozotocin 60 mg/kg was intraperitoneally injected to develop the model of type 1 diabetes mellitus.Eighteen non-diabetic rats were divided into 2 groups by the random number table method: non-diabetic sham operation group (NS group, n=6) and non-diabetic myocardial I/R group (NIR group, n=12). Thirty diabetic rats were divided into 3 groups by the random number table method: diabetic sham operation group (DS group, n=6), diabetic myocardial I/R group (DIR group, n=12), and diabetic myocardial I/R + Rev-erbα inhibitor SR8278 group (DIR+ SR group, n=12). Myocardial I/R model was developed by ligation of left anterior descending coronary artery for 30 min followed by reperfusion for 120 min.In DIR+ SR group, SR8278 2 mg/kg was injected via the femoral vein at 1 h before ischemia.At the end of reperfusion, blood samples from the right carotid artery were collected for determination of serum creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and cardiac troponin I (cTnI) levels (by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay). Then the rats were sacrificed, hearts were removed and myocardial tissues were obtained for determination of the percentage of myocardial infarct size (by TTC method) and expression of Rev-erbα, NLRP3 and IL-1β (by Western blot) and for microscopic examination of pathologic changes (by HE staining). Results:Compared with sham-operated rats, the serum concentrations of CK-MB, LDH and cTnI were significantly increased, the expression of Rev-erbα, NLRP3 and IL-1β in myocardial tissues was up-regulated ( P<0.05), and the pathological injury of myocardial tissues was obvious in myocardial I/R rats.Compared with NIR group, the percentage of myocardial infarct size and levels of serum CK-MB, LDH and cTnI were significantly increased, the expression of Rev-erb α, NLRP3 and IL-1β was up-regulated ( P<0.05), and the pathological injury of myocardial tissues was aggravated in DIR group.Compared with DIR group, the percentage of myocardial infarct size and serum CK-MB, LDH and cTnI levels were significantly decreased, the expression of Rev-erbα, NLRP3 and IL-1β was down-regulated ( P<0.05), and the pathological injury of myocardial tissues was reduced in DIR+ SR group. Conclusions:Rev-erbα can promote activation of NLRP3 inflammasome and is involved in the pathophysiological mechanism of myocardial I/R injury in diabetic rats.

Analysis on incidence trend of liver cancer in China, 2005-2016 / 中华流行病学杂志

Objective: To understand the incidence trend of liver cancer in China from 2005 to 2016, and explore the correlation between the incidence trend of liver cancer and the incidence trend of hepatitis B. Methods: The incidence data of liver cancer in China from 2005 to 2016 were collected from the Annual Report of Cancer Registry in China. The incidence data of hepatitis B were collected from China Public Health Science Data Center. World standardized incidence rate (WSR) was calculated according to the World Segi's population. Joinpoint regression model was used to analyze the trend of WSR of liver cancer [measured by average annual percentage change (AAPC)]. The age-period-cohort model was fitted to analyze the age, period and cohort effects in people aged 20- years and above. Pearson correlation coefficient was used to explore the correlation between the incidence of liver cancer and the incidence of hepatitis B. Results: The crude incidence of liver cancer in China showed a trend of first increase before 2009 and then relatively stable. The world standardized morbidity rate of liver cancer in China decreased from 19.11 per 100 000 in 2005 to 17.74 per 100 000 in 2016 (AAPC=-0.5%, 95%CI: -1.3%-0.3%, P=0.240). The incidence of liver cancer in male decreased significantly (AAPC=-1.0%, 95%CI: -1.5%--0.5%, P=0.001). The incidence of liver cancer in women increased from 2005 to 2010 [annual percentage change (APC)=1.7%, 95%CI: -0.1%-3.4%, P=0.059] but showed a significant decrease trend from 2010 to 2016 (APC=-1.6%, 95%CI: -2.3%--1.0%, P=0.001). From 2005 to 2016, the incidence of liver cancer showed a decreasing trend in urban areas (AAPC=-0.3%, 95%CI: -0.8%-0.3%, P=0.316) and rural areas (AAPC=-3.9%, 95%CI: -4.4%--3.3%, P<0.001). Risk for liver cancer increased with age, while the period effect showed a trend of first increase then decrease and cohort effect showed a decrease trend. The morbidity rates of both hepatitis B and liver cancer showed decrease trends from 2009 to 2016, and there was a significant correlation (r=0.71, 95%CI: 0.01-0.94, P=0.048). Conclusions: From 2005 to 2016, the morbidity rate of liver cancer in China showed a decrease trend, and there were significant gender and urban-rural area specific differences. Age effect had a great impact on the risk for liver cancer. With the progress of population aging in China, liver cancer is still a public health problem, to which close attention needs to be paid.

The Therapeutic Effect of Huo Xue Tong Luo Capsules in Association Research Circulation Osseous (ARCO) Stage II Osteonecrosis of the Femoral Head: A Clinical Study With an Average Follow-up Period of 7.95 Years.

Background: Huo Xue Tong Luo (HXTL) capsules are an oral preparation that could relieve pain and ameliorate osteonecrosis in patients with asymptomatic osteonecrosis of femoral head (ONFH). We wanted to verify whether it could be a treatment option for ARCO stage II ONFH. Methods: A total of 44 patients (66 hips) with ARCO stage II ONFH were recruited from June 1996 to October 2013 (clinical trial registry number: ChiCTR-RPC-15006,290). HXTL capsules were given under a specific protocol, and the endpoint was set as femoral head collapse. The clinical indicators [including visual analog scale (VAS) and Harris Hip Score (HHS)] and radiological indicators [including Tonnis classification, ARCO stage, Japanese Investigation Committee (JIC) classification, lateral preserved angle (LPA), anterior preserved angle (APA), and combined preserved angle (CPA)] before and after treatment were compared. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and Cox regression analysis were used to identify the risk factors associated with femoral head collapse. Result: Twenty-six males and 18 females with an average age of 38.3 ± 2.8 were followed for an average of 7.95 years. Forty-six of the 66 (69.7%) hips had no progression in pain or collapse, and patients exhibited a higher HHS (p < 0.05) after therapy. Twenty of the 66 (30.3%) hips progressed in Tonnis classification and ARCO stage, but only one of the 66 (1.5%) hips required total hip arthroplasty (THA). The Kaplan-Meier survivorship curve suggested that the survival rates were 96.97% at 5 years, 69.15% at 10 years, and 40.33% at 15 years. Patients with type A necrotic lesions on anteroposterior (AP) and frog-leg lateral (FLL) radiographs revealed 100% survival rates. Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that patients with an LPA ≤ 60.9 exhibited a 3.87 times higher risk of collapse of the femoral head [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.241-5.673] than did those patients with an LPA>60.9. Conclusion: HXTL capsules could be a treatment option for ARCO stage II ONFH, resulting in improved hip function and delayed progression to femoral head collapse, especially when the anterior and lateral portions of the femoral head were not affected. However, an LPA of less than 60.9° may be a risk factor for collapse of the femoral head. Clinical Trial Registration: [http://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?projZ10829].

Role of HDAC3 in high glucose hypoxia/reoxygenation injury to primary rat cardiomyocytes: the relationship with autophagy / 中华麻醉学杂志

Objective:To evaluate the role of histone deacetylase 3 (HDAC3) in high glucose hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) injury to primary rat cardiomyocytes and the relationship with autophagy.Methods:The primary cardiomyocytes extracted from newborn Sprague-Dawley rats, aged about 1-3 days, were divided into 5 groups ( n=24 each) according to the random number table method: control group (C group, glucose concentration 5.5 mmol/L), H/R group, high glucose group (H group, glucose concentration 30 mmol/L), high glucose H/R group (HH/R group), and high glucose H/R + HDAC3 inhibitor RGFP966 group (HH/R+ RG group). Fifty percent glucose injection was used to prepare high-glucose medium (final concentration 30 mmol/L). Cells were cultured in a hypoxic environment (5% CO 2-0.9% O 2-94.1% N 2) for 6 h, followed by reoxygenation in a normoxic environment for 2 h to establish the cardiomyocyte H/R model in H/R group.RGFP966 at a final concentration of 10 μmol/L was added at 24 h before H/R in HH/R+ RG group.At 2 h of reoxygenation, the cell viability was measured using CCK-8 kit, the activity of lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) in the cell supernatant was determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, the level of autophagy was detected with a confocal microscope after cells were transfected with autophagy double-labeled adenovirus (mRFP-GFP-LC3), and the expression of HDAC3, p62, LC3 Ⅱ and LC3 Ⅰ was detected using Western blot.LC3Ⅱ/LC3Ⅰ ratio was calculated. Results:Compared with group C, the cell viability was significantly decreased, and the activity of LDH in supernatant was increased in H/R and H groups, the number of autophagosomes was significantly increased, the expression of HDAC3 in cardiomyocytes was up-regulated, the expression of p62 was down-regulated, and the LC3 Ⅱ/I ratio was increased in group H/R, and the number of autophagosomes was significantly decreased, the expression of HDAC3 and p62 in cardiomyocytes was up-regulated, and the LC3 Ⅱ/I ratio was decreased in group H ( P<0.05). Compared with group H/R, the cell viability was significantly decreased, the activity of LDH in supernatant was increased, the number of autophagosomes was decreased, the expression of HDAC3 and p62 in cardiomyocytes was up-regulated, and the LC3 Ⅱ/I ratio was decreased in group HH/R ( P<0.05). Compared with group H, the cell viability was significantly decreased, the activity of LDH in supernatant was increased, the number of autophagosomes was increased, the expression of HDAC3 and p62 in cardiomyocytes was up-regulated, and the LC3 Ⅱ/I ratio was increased in group HH/R ( P<0.05). Compared with group HH/R, the cell viability was significantly increased, the activity of LDH in supernatant was decreased, the number of autophagosomes was increased, the expression of HDAC3 and p62 in cardiomyocytes was down-regulated, and the LC3 Ⅱ/I ratio was increased in group HH/R+ RG ( P<0.05). Conclusion:Up-regulation of HDAC3 expression is involved in high glucose H/R injury to primary rat cardiomyocytes, which is related to decreasing the level of autophagy.

Textual Research on Ranae Oviductus / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Ranae Oviductus has a good tonic effect and is commonly used for both medicine and food. The use of Ranae Oviductus was confused because the origin of Ranae Oviductus was roughly recorded in ancient herbal literatures. In order to clarify the confusing literatures and trace the origin of Ranae Oviductus，this paper conducted a textual research on the name，origin，distribution，harvesting and processing，efficacy of the Chinese medicine by consulting ancient herbal books，modern literatures and monographs of traditional Chinese medicine. The results of the textual research showed that Ranae Oviductus belongs to Manchu medicine，which was first applied by the Manchu people because of its tonic effect. The original animal of Ranae Oviductus has many names，which are all translated from Manchu language. By analyzing the descriptions of Ranidae in various herbal books，it is concluded that the earliest description of the original animals of Ranae Oviductus appeared in the Shengjing Tongzhi compiled by Agui in the Qing dynasty. After summarization of the taxonomic changes of some species of Rana，the original animals of Ranae Oviductus were preliminarily determined as Rana dybowskii，R. amurensis and R. huanrenensis. We excluded R. huanrenensis by its size and R. amurensis by its poor quality. Therefore，the original animal of Ranae Oviductus is R. dybowskii，the main production area is northeast China and the best capture time is in October. Ranae Oviductus is often eaten after being stewed. The study can provide the effective basis for the identification of the original animal of Ranae Oviductus，the distribution of production area and the utilization of resources.

Role of protein O-GlcNAc modification in oxidative stress injury in nerve cells of mice subjected to oxygen-glucose deprivation and restoration / 中华麻醉学杂志

Objective:To evaluate the role of protein O-linked beta-N-acetylglucosaminylation (O-GlcNAcylation) modification in oxidative stress injury in nerve cells of mice subjected to oxygen-glucose deprivation and restoration (OGD/R).Methods:The standard mouse hippocampal neuron cell line was inoculated on a culture plate or dish at a density of 5×10 4 cells/ml and divided into 4 groups ( n=20 each) using a random number table method: normal group (N group), O-(connection)N-acetylglucosamine hydrolase (OGA) inhibitor Thiamet G group (T group), OGD/R group (D/R group) and Thiamet G+ OGD/R complex sugar group (T-D/R group). The cells were exposed to a mixed gas of 94% N 2-5% CO 2-1% O 2 for 6 h in a low-glucose medium, then medium was replaced with a common medium for restoring oxygen and glucose, and the cells were cultured for 12 h. Thiamet G at a final concentration of 1 mmol/L was added to the culture medium at 4 h before OGD/R in T-D/R group, and the medium was replaced with a medium containing Thiamet G at a final concentration of 1 mmol/L at 4 h before extraction of cellular proteins.After oxygen and glucose restoration was completed, the accumulation of cellular ROS was measured using DCFH-DA staining, mitochondrial membrane potential was measured using Jc-1 staining, O-GlcNAc modification was determined by immunofluorescence, and the expression of nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), phosphorylated JNK (p-JNK), and p53 tumor suppressor gene (p53) was detected using Western blot. Results:Compared with group N, the expression of O-GlcNAc in nerve cells was significantly up-regulated in group T, and the accumulation of ROS in nerve cells was significantly increased, JC-1 monomer was increased, JC-1 polymer was decreased, Nrf2 expression was down-regulated, and the expression of p-JNK and p53 was up-regulated in group D/R, and the expression of O-GlcNAc in nerve cells was up-regulated, the accumulation of ROS was increased, the polymerization of JC-1 monomer and JC-1 was increased, Nrf2 expression was down-regulated, and the expression of p-JNK and p53 was up-regulated in group T-D/R ( P<0.05). Compared with group D/R, the expression of O-GlcNAc in nerve cells was significantly up-regulated, the accumulation of ROS was decreased, JC-1 monomer was decreased, JC-1 polymer was increased, the expression of Nrf2 was up-regulated, and the expression of p-JNK and p53 was down-regulated in group T-D/R ( P<0.05). Conclusion:When mouse nerve cells are subjected to OGD/R, the protein O-GlcNAc modification as an endogenous protective mechanism is enhanced, which can reduce oxidative stress injury, and the mechanism may be related to regulating the Nrf2-mediated JNK pathway.