Down-regulation of the Smad signaling by circZBTB46 via the Smad2-PDLIM5 axis to inhibit type I collagen expression / 老年心脏病学杂志（英文版）

BACKGROUND@#Abnormal type I collagen (COL1) expression is associated with the development of many cardiovascular diseases. The TGF-beta/Smad signaling pathway and circRNAs have been shown to regulate COL1 gene expression, but the underlying molecular mechanisms are still not fully understood.@*METHODS@#Gain- and loss-of-function experiments were prformed to study the effect of circZBTB46 on the expression of alpha 2 chain of type I collagen (COL1A2). Co-immunoprecipitation assay was performed to observe the interaction between two proteins. RNA immunoprecipitation assay and biotin pull-down assay were performed to observe the interaction of circZBTB46 with PDLIM5.@*RESULTS@#In this study, we investigated the role of circZBTB46 in regulating COL1A2 expression in human vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). We found that circZBTB46 is expressed in VSMCs and that TGF-beta inhibits circZBTB46 formation by downregulating KLF4 expression through activation of the Smad signaling pathway. CircZBTB46 inhibits the expression of COL1A2 induced by TGF-beta. Mechanistically, circZBTB46 mediates the interaction between Smad2 and PDLIM5, resulting in the inhibition of Smad signaling and the subsequent downregulation of COL1A2 expression. Furthermore, we found that the expression of TGF-beta and COL1A2 is decreased, while circZBTB46 expression is increased in human abdominal aortic aneurysm tissues, indicating that circZBTB46-mediated regulation of TGF-beta/Smad signaling and COL1A2 synthesis in VSMCs plays a crucial role in vascular homeostasis and aneurysm development.@*CONCLUSIONS@#CircZBTB46 was identified as a novel inhibitor of COL1 synthesis in VSMCs, highlighting the importance of circZBTB46 and PDLIM5 in regulating TGF-beta/Smad signaling and COL1A2 expression.

Hairy roots induction of Phellodendron chinense and production of its active constituents / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To introduce the hairy roots of Phellodendron chinense and determine the content of its active constituents.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>Transformed hairy roots of P. chinense were obtained by the transformation of Agrobacterium rhizogenes A4, R1600, ATCC15834 and R1000.</p><p><b>RESULT AND CONCLUSION</b>It was clearly demonstrated that T-DNA of A. rhizogenes Ri plasmid was integrated into the cells of hairy roots by PCR. The content of berberine hydrochlodride, which was determined by HPLC, was higher in hairy roots than that in the axenic plantet and callus.</p>

The relationship between hepatic expression, serum level of TGFbeta1 and the hepatic fibrosis in patients with viral hepatitis / 中华肝脏病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To detect the hepatic tissue and serum level of TGFbeta1 in patients with viral hepatitis, in order to clarify their relationship of the starting, developing of hepatic fibrosis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>This study included 92 patients with viral hepatitis. Liver puncture was performed in 31 patients. Hepatic collagen staining (Masson's three colors) and TGFbeta1 immunohistochemistry staining of the liver tissue specimens were performed, morphometric quantitative measurements of hepatic histological collagen and TGFbeta1 were made. The serum level of TGFFbeta1 was detected by ELISA.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The surface density of hepatic TGFbeta1 increased linearly with the elevation of fibrosis stage (P < 0.05), there were no significant differences between every two groups of G1, G2, G3 and G4 (P > 0.005). There was a closely positive correlation between the levels of TGFbeta1 in hepatic tissue and serum, the coefficient was 0.896 (P < 0.01). The levels of TGFbeta1 in tissue and serum both had positive correlation with hepatic collagen, coefficients were 0.863 and 0.667 (P < 0.001). The level of TGFbeta1 in tissue and serum both had positive correlation with serum levels of PCIII, HA, LN, CIV (P < 0.001).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>There was a closely relationship between the levels of TGFbeta1 in hepatic tissue and serum and liver fibrosis. The detection of TGFbeta1 in liver and serum are more sensitive than HA, LN, CIV in early period of hepatic fibrosis.</p>