Coxsackie B virus-induced myocarditis in a patient with a history of lymphoma: A case report and review of literature.

INTRODUCTION: In rare occasions, coxsackievirus infections can cause serious illness, such as encephalitis and myocarditis. The immunotherapies of cancer could increase the risk of myocarditis, especially when applying immune checkpoint inhibitors. Herein, we report a rare case of Coxsackie B virus-induced myocarditis in a patient with a history of lymphoma. CASE PRESENTATION: A 32-year-old woman was admitted to the hospital with recurrent fever for more than 20 days, and she had a history of lymphoma. Before admission, the positron emission tomography/computed tomography result indicated that the patient had no tumor progression, and she was not considered the cancer-related fever upon arriving at our hospital. Patient's red blood cell, platelet count, and blood pressure were decreased. In addition, she had sinus bradycardia and 3 branch blocks, which was consistent with acute high lateral and anterior wall myocardial infarction. During hospitalization, the patient had recurrent arrhythmia, repeated sweating, poor mentation, dyspnea, and Coxsackie B virus were detected in patient's blood samples by pathogen-targeted next-generation sequencing. The creatine kinase, creatine kinase MB, and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide were persistently elevated. Consequently, the patient was diagnosed with viral myocarditis induced by Coxsackie B virus, and treated with acyclovir, gamma globulin combined with methylprednisolone shock therapy, trimetazidine, levosimendan, sildenan, continuous pump pressors with m-hydroxylamine, entecavir, adefovir, glutathione, pantoprazole, and low-molecular-weight heparin. Her symptoms worsened and died. CONCLUSION: We reported a case with a history of lymphoma presented with fever, myocardial injury, who was ultimately diagnosed with Coxsackie B virus-induced myocarditis. Moreover, pathogen-targeted next-generation sequencing indeed exhibited higher sensitivity compared to mNGS in detecting Coxsackie B virus.

Macrophage P2Y6 receptor deletion attenuates atherosclerosis by limiting foam cell formation through phospholipase Cß/store-operated calcium entry/calreticulin/scavenger receptor A pathways.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Macrophage-derived foam cells play a causal role during the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. P2Y6 receptor (P2Y6R) highly expressed has been considered as a disease-causing factor in atherogenesis, but the detailed mechanism remains unknown. This study aims to explore P2Y6R in regulation of macrophage foaming, atherogenesis, and its downstream pathways. Furthermore, the present study sought to find a potent P2Y6R antagonist and investigate the feasibility of P2Y6R-targeting therapy for atherosclerosis. METHODS: The P2Y6R expression was examined in human atherosclerotic plaques and mouse artery. Atherosclerosis animal models were established in whole-body P2Y6R or macrophage-specific P2Y6R knockout mice to evaluate the role of P2Y6R. RNA sequencing, DNA pull-down experiments, and proteomic approaches were performed to investigate the downstream mechanisms. High-throughput Glide docking pipeline from repurposing drug library was performed to find potent P2Y6R antagonists. RESULTS: The P2Y6R deficiency alleviated atherogenesis characterized by decreasing plaque formation and lipid deposition of the aorta. Mechanically, deletion of macrophage P2Y6R significantly inhibited uptake of oxidized low-density lipoprotein through decreasing scavenger receptor A expression mediated by phospholipase Cß/store-operated calcium entry pathways. More importantly, P2Y6R deficiency reduced the binding of scavenger receptor A to CALR, accompanied by dissociation of calreticulin and STIM1. Interestingly, thiamine pyrophosphate was found as a potent P2Y6R antagonist with excellent P2Y6R antagonistic activity and binding affinity, of which the pharmacodynamic effect and mechanism on atherosclerosis were verified. CONCLUSIONS: Macrophage P2Y6R regulates phospholipase Cß/store-operated calcium entry/calreticulin signalling pathway to increase scavenger receptor A protein level, thereby improving foam cell formation and atherosclerosis, indicating that the P2Y6R may be a potential therapeutic target for intervention of atherosclerotic diseases using P2Y6R antagonists including thiamine pyrophosphate.

[Acute cerebral infarction following extracorporeal membrane oxygenation treatment in patients with cardiogenic shock: 2 cases report and review of the literature].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the diagnosis and treatment of acute cerebral infarction following extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) therapy in patients with cardiogenic shock to review the literature. METHODS: The clinical data of two patients with cardiogenic shock treated with veno-arterial ECMO (VA-ECMO) complicated with acute cerebral infarction admitted to department of intensive care unit (ICU) of Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University were retrospectively analyzed and the treatment experience was shared. RESULTS: Case 1 was a 46-year-old male patient who was admitted to the hospital on September 16, 2021, due to "repeated chest tightness, shortness of breath, syncope for 2+ years, and worsened for 15 days. Coronary artery angiography showed 3-vessel coronary artery disease lesions. On October 15, 2021, coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), pericardial fenestration and drainage, thoracic closed drainage, femoral bypass, thoracotomy exploration, and sternal internal fixation were performed under support of extracorporeal circulation. After surgery, the heart rate was 180-200 bpm, the blood pressure could not be maintained, and the improvement was not obvious after active drug treatment. The right femoral artery and femoral vein were intubated, VA-ECMO support treatment was performed, and the patient was transferred to the ICU. Intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) was treated on the day of transfer because the circulation could not be maintained. Due to acute cerebral infarction in the left hemisphere and right parieto-occipital lobe, subfalcine herniation, tentorial herniation, the patient ultimately died after withdrawing from ECMO. Case 2 was a 43-year-old male patient who was admitted to the hospital on June 29, 2021, with "fever for 8 days and vomiting for 4 days". Bedside ultrasound showed cardiac enlargement and diffuse wall motion reduction in the left and right ventricles. On June 30, 2021, the patient underwent catheterization through the right femoral artery and femoral vein, VA-ECMO support, and was transferred to ICU for treatment. Acute cerebral infarction on both sides of the cerebellum occurred, and after treatment, the patient was discharged with mild impairment of daily living ability. CONCLUSIONS: Strengthen monitoring of anticoagulation; regular neurological examination of patients undergoing ECMO therapy; ECMO under light sedation or awake can be performed if the condition permitsif the condition permits, perform light sedation or awake ECMO, which helpful for the early detection of nervous system injury.

[Hydrogen-rich water reduces cell damage by reducing excessive autophagy in mouse neuronal cells after oxygen glucose deprivation/reoxygenation].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether hydrogen-rich water exerts a protective effect against cellular injury by affecting the level of autophagy after oxygen glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R) in a mouse hippocampal neuronal cell line (HT22 cells). METHODS: HT22 cells in logarithmic growth phase were cultured in vitro. Cell viability was detected by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay to find the optimal concentration of Na2S2O4. HT22 cells were divided into control group (NC group), OGD/R group (sugar-free medium+10 mmol/L Na2S2O4 treated for 90 minutes and then changed to normal medium for 4 hours) and hydrogen-rich water treatment group (HW group, sugar-free medium+10 mmol/L Na2S2O4 treated for 90 minutes and then changed to medium containing hydrogen-rich water for 4 hours). The morphology of HT22 cells was observed by inverted microscopy; cell activity was detected by CCK-8 method; cell ultrastructure was observed by transmission electron microscopy; the expression of microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3) and Beclin-1 was detected by immunofluorescence; the protein expression of LC3II/I and Beclin-1, markers of cellular autophagy, was detected by Western blotting. RESULTS: Inverted microscopy showed that compared with the NC group, the OGD/R group had poor cell status, swollen cytosol, visible cell lysis fragments and significantly lower cell activity [(49.1±2.7)% vs. (100.0±9.7)%, P < 0.01]; compared with the OGD/R group, the HW group had improved cell status and remarkably higher cell activity [(63.3±1.8)% vs. (49.1±2.7)%, P < 0.01]. Transmission electron microscopy showed that the neuronal nuclear membrane of cells in the OGD/R group was lysed and a higher number of autophagic lysosomes were visible compared with the NC group; compared with the OGD/R group, the neuronal damage of cells in the HW group was reduced and the number of autophagic lysosomes was notably decreased. The results of immunofluorescence assay showed that the expressions of LC3 and Beclin-1 were outstandingly enhanced in the OGD/R group compared with the NC group, and the expressions of LC3 and Beclin-1 were markedly weakened in the HW group compared with the OGD/R group. Western blotting assay showed that the expressions were prominently higher in both LC3II/I and Beclin-1 in the OGD/R group compared with the NC group (LC3II/I: 1.44±0.05 vs. 0.37±0.03, Beclin-1/ß-actin: 1.00±0.02 vs. 0.64±0.01, both P < 0.01); compared with the OGD/R group, the protein expression of both LC3II/I and Beclin-1 in the HW group cells were notably lower (LC3II/I: 0.54±0.02 vs. 1.44±0.05, Beclin-1/ß-actin: 0.83±0.07 vs. 1.00±0.02, both P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Hydrogen-rich water has a significant protective effect on OGD/R-causing HT22 cell injury, and the mechanism may be related to the inhibition of autophagy.

Structure-based virtual screening for discovery of paederosidic acid from Paederia scandens as novel P2Y14R antagonist.

BACKGROUND: The activation of P2Y14 receptor (P2Y14R) promotes osteoclast formation and causes neuropathic pain, exhibiting possible link to osteoarthritis (OA). Given lack of P2Y14R antagonist, the present study aims to search a novel P2Y14R antagonist with low toxicity and high activity from natural products as a possible drug candidate in treatment of OA. METHODS: The role of P2Y14R on OA was verified using P2Y14R knockout (KO) rats. Molecular docking virtual screening strategy and activity test in P2Y14R stably-expressed HEK293 cells were used to screen target compound from natural product library. The MM/GBSA free energy calculation/decomposition technique was used to determine the principal interaction mechanism. Next, the binding of target compound to P2Y14R was examined using cellular thermal shift assay and drug affinity responsive target stability test. Finally, the therapeutic effect of target compound was performed in monosodium iodoacetate (MIA)-induced OA mouse model. To verify whether the effect of target compound was attributed to P2Y14R, we establish the osteoarthritis model in P2Y14R KO mice to perform pharmacodynamic evaluation. Importantly, to investigate the potential mechanism by which target compound attenuate OA, expressions of the major transcription factors involved in osteoclast differentiation were detected by western blot, while markers of nerve damage in dorsal root ganglion (DRG) were evaluated by RT-qPCR and immunofluorescence techniques. RESULTS: Deficiency of P2Y14R alleviated pain behavior and cartilage destruction in MIA-induced OA rats. 14 natural compounds were screened by Glide docking-based virtual screening, among which paederosidic acid exhibited the highest antagonistic activity to P2Y14R with IC50 of 8.287 µM. As a bioactive component extracted from Paederia scandens, paederosidic acid directly interacted with P2Y14R to enhance the thermostability and decrease the protease sensitivity of target protein, which significantly inhibited receptor activator for nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL)-mediated osteoclastogenesis. More importantly, paederosidic acid suppressed osteoclast formation by downregulating expressions of NFAT2 and ATP6V0D2, as well as relieved neuropathic pain by decreasing expressions of CGRP, CSF1 and galanin in DRG. CONCLUSIONS: Paederosidic acid targeted P2Y14R to improve OA through alleviating osteoclast formation and neuropathic pain, which provided an available strategy for developing novel drug leads for treatment of OA.

Discovery of Selective P2Y6R Antagonists with High Affinity and In Vivo Efficacy for Inflammatory Disease Therapy.

As a member of purinoceptors, the P2Y6 receptor (P2Y6R) plays a crucial role in modulating immune signals and has been considered as a potential therapeutic target for inflammatory diseases. On the basis of the speculated probable conformation and binding determinants of P2Y6R, a hierarchical strategy that combines virtual screening, bioassays, and chemical optimization was presented. A potent P2Y6R antagonist (compound 50) was identified to possess excellent antagonistic activity (IC50 = 5.914 nM) and high selectivity. In addition, binding assays and chemical pull-down experiments confirmed that compound 50 was nicely bound to P2Y6R. Notably, compound 50 could effectively ameliorate DSS-induced ulcerative colitis in mice through inhibiting the activation of NLRP3 inflammasome in colon tissues. Moreover, treatment with compound 50 reduced LPS-induced pulmonary edema and infiltration of inflammatory cells in mice. These findings suggest that compound 50 could serve as a specific P2Y6R antagonist for treating inflammatory diseases and deserve further optimization studies.

Dietary supplementation with jasmine flower residue improves meat quality and flavor of goat.

Jasmine flower residue (JFR) is a by-product retained in the production process of jasmine tea and can be used as an unconventional feed due to its rich nutrient value. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of the addition of JFR to the diet of goats on their meat quality and flavor. Twenty-four castrated Nubian male goats were randomly divided into two groups and fed a mixed diet containing 10% JFR (JFR, n = 12) or a conventional diet (CON, n = 12) for 45 days. Meat quality and flavor were measured at the end of the treatment. The addition of JFR to the diet could reduce the shear force of the longissimus dorsi muscle, as well as, the cross-sectional area and diameter of muscle fibers, indicating that the addition of JFR improved meat quality. JFR also increased the content of glutamic acid and ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (C18:3n3 and C20:5N3) and reduced the content of C24:1 and saturated fatty acid (C20:0 and C22:0). In addition, the use of JFR increased the content of acetaldehyde and hexanal in the meat. Furthermore, JFR introduced new volatile components in the meat. The umami, saltiness, and richness of the meat also improved. In conclusion, the addition of jasmine flower residue to the diet can improve the meat quality and flavor of goat.

Explorations on Thermodynamic and Kinetic Performances of Various Cationic Exchange Durations for Synthetic Clinoptilolite.

Various cation-exchanged clinoptilolites (M-CPs, M = Li+, Cs+, Ca2+, Sr2+) were prepared, and their exchanged thermodynamic (and kinetic) properties and adsorption performances for CH4, N2, and CO2 were investigated. The results demonstrated that the relative crystallinity of M-CPS decreased with the increase of exchange times. Their chemisorbed water weight loss gradually increased with the increasing exchange times, except that of Cs-x-CP. The ΔrGmθ values of exchange process of Li+, Cs+, Ca2+, or Sr2 presented the increased trend with the enhanced exchange times, but they decreased as the temperature increased. The negative ΔrGmθ values and the positive ΔrHmθ and ΔrSmθ values suggested that the exchanged procedure belonged to spontaneous, endothermic, and entropy-increasing behaviors; their kinetic performances followed a pseudo-second-order model. However, the calculated Ea values of exchange process showed the increased tendencies with the enhanced exchange times, indicating that the exchange process became more difficult. Finally, the preliminary adsorption results indicated that the maximum adsorption amount at 273 K and 1 bar was 0.51 mmol/g of CH4 and 0.38 mmol/g of N2 by (Na, K)-CP, and 2.32 mmol/g of CO2 by Li-6-CP.

[Differential gene expression and bioinformatics analysis in sepsis secondary to pneumonia].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze and screen the key genes of sepsis secondary to pulmonary infection by bioinformatics, and to provide theoretical basis for the basic research of the disease and find an ideal animal model program. METHODS: Experiment 1 (bioinformatics analysis): gene expression data sets of pulmonary infection secondary sepsis patients and multiple sepsis animal models were screened by Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) Database, and gene differences were analyzed by R software. Differential genes were analyzed by gene ontology (GO) analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis. Correlation analysis was conducted between differential genes and clinical symptoms in the data set of pulmonary infection secondary sepsis, and the correlation heat map between differential genes and clinical symptoms was drawn. Key genes were screened by weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) and protein-protein interaction network analysis (PPIN) clustering. Experiment 2 (sepsis animal model preparation): male mice weighing 21-25 g were randomly divided into the key genes group and the control (Sham) group. And cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) was used to establish mouse sepsis model, while the mice in sham group were performed by exposure of cecum. And all the mice were scarified 24 hours after surgery to extract the total RNA from lung tissue, real time fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was used to detect mRNA expression of key genes. RESULTS: Experiment 1 (bioinformatics analysis): 319 differential genes were showed by GSE 134364 and GSE 65682 data set analysis of pulmonary infection secondary sepsis. And there was no genetic difference between community acquired pneumonia (CAP) and hospital acquired pneumonia (HAP) in patients with pulmonary infection secondary to sepsis. Obvious differences existed between differential genes in animal models, and there was no common differential gene. Differential genes in patients and animal models were similarly enriched in GO function, mainly in cell differentiation, regulation of cell process, and regulation of cellular response to stimuli, there were significant differences in pathway enrichment, among which, CLP animal models showed higher consistency with patients. The key genes obtained by WGCNA and PPIN analysis were MAPK14, NLRC4 and LCN2. Experiment 2 (sepsis animal model preparation): animal experiment results showed that the mRNA expressions of MAPK14, NLRC4 and LCN2 in lung tissue of CLP model mice were significantly up-regulated compared with the sham group. CONCLUSIONS: MAPK14, NLRC4 and LCN2 are key genes involved in the regulation of biological processes of pulmonary sepsis secondary to infection, and are potential research directions of this disease. What's more, CLP animal model can better reflect the biological characteristics of patients with pulmonary infection secondary sepsis, and is one of the ideal animal model schemes for pulmonary infection secondary sepsis.

Cardiovascular Protective Effects of Plant Polysaccharides: A Review.

Cardiovascular disease is a kind of heart, brain, and blood vessel injury disease by the interaction of various pathological factors. The pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease is complex with various risk factors, including abnormally elevated blood pressure, glucose, and lipid metabolism disorders, atherosclerosis, thrombosis, etc. Plant polysaccharides are a special class of natural products derived from plant resources, which have the characteristics of wide sources, diverse biological activities, and low toxicity or side effects. Many studies have shown that plant polysaccharides improve cardiovascular diseases through various mechanisms such as anti-oxidative stress, restoring the metabolism of biological macromolecules, regulating the apoptosis cascade to reduce cell apoptosis, and inhibiting inflammatory signal pathways to alleviate inflammation. This article reviews the pharmacological effects and protective mechanisms of some plant polysaccharides in modulating the cardiovascular system, which is beneficial for developing more effective drugs with low side effects for management of cardiovascular diseases.

Plant Triterpenoids Regulate Endophyte Community to Promote Medicinal Plant Schisandra sphenanthera Growth and Metabolites Accumulation.

Beneficial interactions between endophytes and plants are critical for plant growth and metabolite accumulation. Nevertheless, the secondary metabolites controlling the feedback between the host plant and the endophytic microbial community remain elusive in medicinal plants. In this report, we demonstrate that plant-derived triterpenoids predominantly promote the growth of endophytic bacteria and fungi, which in turn promote host plant growth and secondary metabolite productions. From culturable bacterial and fungal microbial strains isolated from the medicinal plant Schisandra sphenanthera, through triterpenoid-mediated screens, we constructed six synthetic communities (SynComs). By using a binary interaction method in plates, we revealed that triterpenoid-promoted bacterial and fungal strains (TPB and TPF) played more positive roles in the microbial community. The functional screening of representative strains suggested that TPB and TPF provide more beneficial abilities to the host. Moreover, pot experiments in a sterilized system further demonstrated that TPB and TPF play important roles in host growth and metabolite accumulation. In summary, these experiments revealed a role of triterpenoids in endophytic microbiome assembly and indicated a strategy for constructing SynComs on the basis of the screening of secondary metabolites, in which bacteria and fungi join forces to promote plant health. These findings may open new avenues towards the breeding of high yielding and high metabolite-accumulating medicinal plants by exploiting their interaction with beneficial endophytes.

The role of P2Y6R in cardiovascular diseases and recent development of P2Y6R antagonists.

As a member of the P2Y receptor family with a typical 7-transmembrane structure, P2Y6 purinergic receptor (P2Y6R) belongs to the G-protein-coupled nucleotide receptor activating the phospholipase-C signaling pathway. P2Y6R is widely involved in a range of human diseases, including atherosclerosis and other cardiovascular diseases, gradually attracting attention owing to its inappropriate or excessive activation. In addition, it was reported that P2Y6R might regulate inflammatory responses by governing the maturation and secretion of proinflammatory cytokines. Hence, several P2Y6R antagonists have been subjected to evaluation as new therapeutic strategies in recent years. This review was aimed at summarizing the role of P2Y6R in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases, with an insight into the recent progress on discovery of P2Y6R antagonists.

LncRNA MEG3 inhibits the inflammatory response of ankylosing spondylitis by targeting miR-146a.

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a progressive systemic disease characterized by chronic inflammation response of the sacroiliac joint and spine. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are widely involved in the regulation of various diseases. However, the role of lncRNA maternally expressed gene 3 (MEG3) in the inflammatory response of AS has not been studied. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect the levels of inflammatory cytokines interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in tissues and cells. The expression levels of MEG3, microRNA-146a (miR-146a), and inflammatory cytokines were measured by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). Correlation between MEG3 or miR-146a and inflammatory cytokines was analyzed by Pearson analysis. Dual-luciferase reporter and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assays were used to clarify the interaction between MEG3 and miR-146a. MEG3 was downregulated in AS patients, negatively correlated with the levels of IL-1ß, IL-6, and TNF-α, and blocked the inflammatory response of AS. MiR-146a was upregulated in AS patients and could interact with MEG3. The expression of miR-146a was positively correlated with IL-1ß, IL-6, and TNF-α levels. Overexpression of miR-146a reversed the inhibitory effect of abnormal MEG3 expression on inflammatory cytokines. LncRNA MEG3 plays an anti-inflammatory role in AS partially through targeting miR-146a, which provides a potential new means for the treatment of AS patients.

Lactoferrin ameliorates aging-suppressed osteogenesis via IGF1 signaling.

Lactoferrin (LF) is an iron-binding glycoprotein that plays an important role in promoting bone formation and inhibiting bone resorption; however, its effects on senile osteoporosis remain unknown. This study aimed to investigate the effects and mechanism of LF intervention using a senile osteoporosis model (SAMP6 mice) and senescent osteoblasts. Micro-CT and hematoxylin and eosin staining demonstrated that the intragastric administration (2 g/kg/day) of LF could improve the bone mass and microstructure of SAMP6 mice. Furthermore, LF treatment improved bone metabolism and increased insulin-like growth factor 1 (Igf1) mRNA expression and activated phosphorylation status of AKT. Using osteoblasts passaged for ten generations as an in vitro senescence model, various markers associated with osteoblast formation and differentiation, as well as related indices of oxidative stress were analyzed. Our results revealed that after multiple generations, osteoblasts entered senescence, in conjunction with increased oxidative stress damage, reduced bone metabolism and enhanced expression of aging-related markers. While inhibiting oxidative stress, LF improved osteoblast proliferation by promoting the expression of osteogenesis markers, including alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, Igf1, bone gla protein (Bglap) and osteoprotegerin/receptor activator of nuclear factor-kB ligand (Opg/Rankl) mRNA and delayed senescence by decreasing the level of p16 and p21 expression. RNAI-mediated downregulation of IGF1 attenuated the effect of LF on osteogenesis. Therefore, the findings of the present study indicate that LF may promote osteogenesis via IGF1 signaling, thereby preventing senile osteoporosis.

Quality Evaluation of Gastrodia Elata Tubers Based on HPLC Fingerprint Analyses and Quantitative Analysis of Multi-Components by Single Marker.

Gastrodia elata (G. elata) tuber is a valuable herbal medicine used to treat many diseases. The procedure of establishing a reasonable and feasible quality assessment method for G. elata tuber is important to ensure its clinical safety and efficacy. In this research, an effective and comprehensive evaluation method for assessing the quality of G. elata has been developed, based on the analysis of high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) fingerprint, combined with the quantitative analysis of multi-components by single marker (QAMS) method. The contents of the seven components, including gastrodin, p-hydroxybenzyl alcohol, p-hydroxy benzaldehyde, parishin A, parishin B, parishin C, and parishin E were determined, simultaneously, using gastrodin as the reference standard. The results demonstrated that there was no significant difference between the QAMS method and the traditional external standard method (ESM) (p > 0.05, RSD < 4.79%), suggesting that QAMS was a reliable and convenient method for the content determination of multiple components, especially when there is a shortage of reference substances. In conclusion, this strategy could be beneficial for simplifying the processes in the quality control of G. elata tuber and giving references to promote the quality standards of herbal medicines.

Analysis of competing endogenous RNA network to identify the key RNAs associated with prostate adenocarcinoma.

OBJECTIVES: Prostate adenocarcinoma (PRAD) is the most common cancer in men. The aim of this study was to reveal the critical long non-coding RNA (lncRNAs), microRNA (miRNAs) and mRNAs involved in the pathogenesis of PRAD. METHODS: The level 3 mRNA and miRNA sequencing data of PRAD were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas database. Using the edgeR package of R, the differentially expressed mRNAs (DEGs), lncRNAs (DE-lncRNAs) and miRNAs (DE-miRNAs) between PRAD and normal tissues were screened. The Cox proportional hazards regression method in the survival package was used to select the lncRNAs significantly related to clinical characteristics. After the miRNA-lncRNA and miRNA-mRNA pairs were predicted, a regulatory network was constructed by the Cytoscape software. For the DEGs involved in the network, enrichment analysis was conducted by the Fisher algorithm. RESULTS: Compared to the normal samples, 25 DE-lncRNAs, 1421 DEGs and 68 DE-miRNAs were identified in the PRAD samples. The down-regulated MESTIT1 had a significantly negative correlation with overall survival. A total of 44 DE-miRNA-DE-lncRNA pairs were predicted, including the PCA3-miR-96 and UCA1-miR-96. Meanwhile, 33 DEGs targeted by miRNAs (for example, miR-96-CYP19A1) were found to correlate with cancers. CONCLUSION: Functional enrichment analysis showed that the reproductive development process (which involved TDRD1) was enriched for the DEGs implicated in the lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA regulatory network. The lncRNAs MESTIT1, PCA3, and UCA1; mRNAs CYP19A1 and TDRD1; as well as miR-96 might affect the pathogenesis of PRAD.

Changes in inflammatory factors in patients with osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture and influences of rehabilitation training on postoperative functional recovery and inflammation.

OBJECTIVE: To observe the changes in inflammatory factors in patients with osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture (OVCF). METHODS: 40 OVCF patients meeting inclusion criteria were collected, and randomly divided into rehabilitation therapy group (n=20) and traditional therapy group (n=20). 20 normal subjects were collected as control group. Venous blood was collected after admission, and the expression levels of IL-1 and IL-18 were detected via ELISA. Patients in rehabilitation therapy group received rehabilitation training post-operatively, while those in traditional therapy group received conventional therapy. The pain was evaluated using visual analogue scale (VAS) score, and the spinal function was evaluated using Oswestry disability index (ODI) score. The curative effect was evaluated at final follow-up. RESULTS: The expression levels of IL-1 and IL-18 of OVCF patients were significantly higher than those in normal subjects (p<0.01). The VAS and ODI scores in the rehabilitation therapy group were significantly lower than those in traditional therapy group from the 3rd month after operation (p<0.05). The expression levels of IL-1 and IL-18 in the rehabilitation therapy group were obviously lower than those in traditional therapy group from the 3rd month after operation (p<0.05). The effective rate in rehabilitation therapy group was higher than that in traditional therapy group. The expression levels of IL-1 and IL-18 in OVCF patients are increased. CONCLUSION: Rehabilitation training is beneficial to functional recovery and reduction of inflammation after OVCF operation.

Enhancing effects of basic fibroblast growth factor and fibronectin on osteoblast adhesion to bone scaffolds for bone tissue engineering through extracellular matrix-integrin pathway.

The present study aimed to investigate the effects of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and fibronectin (FN) on adhesion of osteoblasts seeded into bio-derived bone scaffolds. Rat calvarial osteoblasts were separated and their osteogenic phenotypes were determined by staining for alkaline phosphatase as well as alizarin red staining. The bio-derived bone scaffolds were prepared from the metaphysis of porcine femur and their physicochemical properties were assessed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction analysis. An MTT assay was used to detect the effects of bFGF and FN on osteoblast adhesion or proliferation on cell/scaffold constructs through blocking the extracellular matrix FN-integrin pathway by the Gly-Arg-Gly-Asp-Ser (GRGDS) peptide. Western blot analysis was used to measure the ß1 integrin levels. Based on the adhesion of osteoblasts stimulated by various concentrations of bFGF (0.1, 1, 10 and 100 ng/ml) on bio-derived bone scaffolds modified by various concentrations of FN (0.1, 1, 10 and 100 µg/ml), the cell/scaffold constructs were divided into four groups: i) Control, non-stimulated and non-modified group; ii) 10 µg/ml FN-modified group; iii) 100 ng/ml bFGF-stimulated group; iv) 10 µg/ml FN + 100 ng/ml bFGF group. Cell proliferation curves acquired by MTT assay and micrographs obtained by SEM showed that the combination of bFGF and FN significantly improved cell adhesion, particularly in the 10 µg/ml FN + 100 ng/ml bFGF group vs. the other groups, and the effect on cell adhesion was inhibited by 1 mmol/l GRGDS peptide through the FN-integrin pathway. Western blot results showed that the combination of bFGF and FN significantly enhanced ß1 integrin expression levels. These results suggested that osteoblasts stimulated by 100 ng/ml bFGF and bio-derived bone materials modified by 10 µg/ml FN should be combined to be applied in the bone tissue engineering.