Coixendide efficacy in combination with temozolomide in glioblastoma and transcriptome analysis of the mechanism.

The purpose of this study was to explore the role of coixendide (Coix) combine with temozolomide (TMZ) in the treatment of Glioblastoma (GBM) and explore its possible mechanism. CCK-8 was used to determine the inhibitory rate of Coix group, TMZ group and drug combination group on GBM cells, and the combination index (CI) was calculated to determine whether they had synergistic effect. Then RNA was extracted from each group, transcriptome sequencing was performed, and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified. The possible mechanism was analyzed by GO enrichment analysis and KEGG enrichment analysis. The CI of Coix and TMZ indicating a synergistic effect when TMZ concentration is 0.1 mg/ml and Coix concentration is 2 mg/ml. Transcriptome sequencing analysis showed that interferon (IFN) related genes were down-regulated by Coix and up-regulated by TMZ and combined drugs, however, the up-regulation induced by combined drugs was less than that of TMZ. Besides IFN related genes, cholesterol metabolism pathway were also been regulated. Coix and TMZ have synergistic effects in the treatment of GBM at certain doses. RNA-Seq results suggested that the abnormal on genetic materials caused by DNA damage induced by TMZ treatment can be sensed by IFN related genes and activates antiviral IFN signaling, causing the activation of repairing mechanism and drug resistance. Coix inhibits IFN related genes, thereby inhibits drug resistance of TMZ. In addition, the activation of ferroptosis and the regulation of DEGs in cholesterol metabolism pathway were also contributed to the synergistic effects of Coix and TMZ.

Vasa vasorum and plaque progression, and responses to atorvastatin in a rabbit model of atherosclerosis: contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging and intravascular ultrasound study.

OBJECTIVES: To serially investigate the relationship between vasa vasorum (VV) proliferation and plaque progression in vivo, and the effects of atorvastatin on VV and atherosclerosis as assessed by contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) and intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) imaging. METHODS: Carotid atherosclerosis was induced in rabbits with a high-cholesterol diet for 20 weeks and balloon injury. At week 16, following the imaging of the right common carotid arteries by CEUS and IVUS, 20 rabbits were randomised into a control or atorvastatin group (2 mg/kg/day). At week 20, CEUS and IVUS were repeated. Normalised maximal video-intensity enhancement (MVE) was calculated to quantify the density of VV. Plaque volume was determined by IVUS. RESULTS: When compared with the control group, lipid levels were not significantly lower following 4 weeks of atorvastatin administration. The increases in the normalised MVE over time were greater in the control group than in the atorvastatin group (p=0.001). The increase in plaque volume from 16 to 20 weeks was significantly greater in the control group than in the atorvastatin group (p=0.001). There was a positive relationship between changes in normalised MVE and plaque volume (r=0.72, p=0.002). CONCLUSIONS: There was a positive correlation between VV density and plaque progression. Atorvastatin significantly inhibits the development of adventitial VV and progression of atherosclerosis independent of lowering the cholesterol level.

Effect of statin therapy on the progression of coronary atherosclerosis.

BACKGROUND: An increasing number of authors employing intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) and virtual histology (VH-IVUS) have investigated the effect of statin use on plaque volume (PV) and plaque composition. However, inconsistent results have been reported. Therefore, we conducted a meta-analysis to determine the appropriate regimen of statins to effectively stabilize vulnerable coronary plaques. METHODS: Online electronic databases were carefully searched for all relevant studies. We compared mean values of PV and plaque composition between baseline and follow-up in patients receiving statin therapy. We pooled treatment effects and calculated mean differences (MD) with the 95% confidence interval (CI) using a random-effects model. By stratified analyses, we explored the influence of clinical presentation, dose and duration of statin treatment, and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) levels on the effects of statins. RESULTS: Seventeen studies involving 2,171 patients were analyzed. Statin therapy significantly decreased PV (-5.3 mm(3); 95% CI: -3.3 mm(3) to -7.2 mm(3) P < 0.001), without heterogeneity. When considering the dose and duration of statins used, only subgroups employing a high dose and long duration demonstrated a significant reduction in PV (p < 0.001). A significant decrease in PV was noted if achieved LDL-C levels were <100 mg/dL (p < 0.001). Statin treatment could induce a twofold decrease in PV in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) compared with that observed in patients with stable angina pectoris (SAP). A regressive trend was seen for necrotic core volume (MD: -2.1 mm(3); 95% CI: -4.7 mm(3) to 0.5 mm(3), P = 0.11). However, statin use did not induce a significant change for fibrotic, fibro-fatty, or dense calcium compositions. CONCLUSIONS: Our meta-analysis demonstrated that statin therapy (especially that involving a high dose and long duration and achieving <100 mg/dL LDL-C levels) can significantly decrease PV in patients with SAP or ACS. These data suggested that statins can be used to reduce the atheroma burden for secondary prevention by appropriately selecting the statin regimen. No significant change in plaque composition was seen after statin therapy.

A novel model of atherosclerosis in rabbits using injury to arterial walls induced by ferric chloride as evaluated by optical coherence tomography as well as intravascular ultrasound and histology.

This study aim was to develop a new model of atherosclerosis by FeCl(3)-induced injury to right common carotid arteries (CCAs) of rabbits. Right CCAs were induced in male New Zealand White rabbits (n = 15) by combination of a cholesterol-rich diet and FeCl(3)-induced injury to arterial walls. The right and left CCAs were evaluated by histology and in vivo intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) and optical coherence tomography (OCT) examinations of 24 hours (n = 3), 8 weeks (n = 6), and 12 weeks (n = 6) after injury. Each right CCA of the rabbits showed extensive white-yellow plaques. At eight and 12 weeks after injury, IVUS, OCT, and histological findings demonstrated that the right CCAs had evident eccentric plaques. Six plaques (50%) with evident positive remodeling were observed. Marked progression was clearly observed in the same plaque at 12 weeks after injury when it underwent repeat OCT and IVUS. We demonstrated, for the first time, a novel model of atherosclerosis induced by FeCl(3). The model is simple, fast, inexpensive, and reproducible and has a high success rate. The eccentric plaques and remodeling of plaques were common in this model. We successfully carried out IVUS and OCT examinations twice in the same lesion within a relatively long period of time.

Daming capsule restores endothelial dysfunction induced by high-fat diet.

BACKGROUND: Daming capsule (DMC), a traditional Chinese formula, has a lipid-modulating action with reduced adverse side effects as compared with other lipid lowering compounds. Since endothelial dysfunction often accompanies the hyperlipidemic state, we hypothesize that DMC might restore endothelial dysfunction produced by a high-fat (HF) diet. Importantly, we also investigate possible mechanisms involved in mediating the effects of DMC on vascular reactivity. METHODS: Rats were divided into four groups: control, HF diet, HF mixed DMC diet, HF mixed atorvastatin (ATV) diet. After 30 days, the thoracic cavity was exposed to remove the thoracic aorta for (i) histological examination; (ii) measurement of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) by western blot; and (iii) tension study of thoracic aortic ring. RESULTS: HF diet induced significant attenuation in the contraction and relaxation of rat aortic rings. Treatment with DMC significantly improved the relaxation of the aortic rings as compared with those from HF rats (P < 0.05), which was abolished by a nonspecific NOS inhibitor L-NAME. Moreover DMC significantly restored the decrease in eNOS expression induced by HF diet. Similar results were found in histopathologic changes. DMC failed to restore the loss of vasocontraction of aorta explained by an impairment of ATP-sensitive K+ channels (KATP) on the structure and/or function. DMC exerted the same protective effect as ATV, a positive control drug, on vascular injury produced by HF diet. CONCLUSION: DMC partially protects the aorta from HF-induced endothelial dysfunction via upregulation of the expression of eNOS.

Decreased expression of CD36 in circumvallate taste buds of high-fat diet induced obese rats.

Mammals spontaneously prefer lipid rich foods. Overconsumption of high-fat diet leads to obesity and related diseases. Recent findings indicate that taste may participate in the orosensory perception of dietary lipids and the fatty taste may contribute to a preference for and excessive consumption of dietary fat. CD36, a trans-membrane glycoprotein, which is located in the taste buds of circumvallate papillae of rodents, appears to be a plausible receptor for this fatty taste. Obese subjects present a stronger preference for fatty foods, though the mechanisms involved are complex and are not fully investigated. Our data from immunofluorescence and real-time RT-PCR showed that the expression levels of CD36 in circumvallate taste buds were significantly lower in high-fat diet induced obese rats as compared with that of control rats fed a normal diet. These results suggest that decreased expression of CD36 in circumvallate taste buds of high-fat diet induced obese rats may be associated with diminished fatty taste sensitivity and in order to compensate the preference for dietary fat, rats consume more fatty foods. Therapeutic strategies designed to alter or manipulate CD36 expression or function in taste buds may have important implications in treating obesity and related diseases.

Dynamic changes of inflammatory markers in brain after hemorrhagic stroke in humans: a postmortem study.

This histopathologic case-control study was designed to characterize the dynamic changes in protein expression of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappaB)/p65 subunit, macrophage inflammatory protein-2 (MIP-2), and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) in postmortem brains of patients with and without intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). Thirty-six human brains from patients with ICH and six control brains were included in this study. We found that expression levels of NF-kappaB/p65, MIP-2, and MMP-9 were each upregulated on the injured side of the hippocampus at times ranging from 2h to 5days post-ICH. Interestingly, the expression of all three markers was also upregulated on the uninjured side of the hippocampus and in the cerebellum, although to a lesser extent. These data suggest that inflammation occurs early and persists for several days after ICH in humans and could be involved in the progression of ICH-induced secondary brain damage.

Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor enhances bone marrow mononuclear cell homing to the liver in a mouse model of acute hepatic injury.

BACKGROUND: Experiments have reported that granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) can mobilize stem cells. However, few studies have examined the effect of G-CSF on bone marrow mononuclear cell (BMMC) mobilization, in particular regarding their capability to home to acutely injured liver. AIMS: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effort of G-CSF on BMMC homing to the liver following chemically-induced hepatic failure. METHODS: BMMC were isolated from mice, pre-labeled with PKH26 and infused into the mice in which hepatic injury had been induced followed by administration of G-CSF or vehicle. Livers were studied by fluorescent microscopy after transplantation of pre-labeled BMMC. RESULTS: PKH26 labeled cells were found in liver tissue at 102 ± 10 cells/high power field in the BMMC+G-CSF group and 30 ± 5 cells/high power field in the BMMC group, but none in the G-CSF group and the control group (P < 0.05). In the former two groups the majority of PKH26 labeled cells colocalized with proliferative cell nuclear antigen (PCNA). The number of PCNA positive cells in the BMMC+G-CSF group was 20 ± 4 cells/high power field, while in the BMMC group it was 14 ± 2 cells/high power field, in the G-CSF group 12 ± 2 cells/high power field, and 8 ± 1 cells/high power field in the control group. Moreover, albumin expression was increased in the BMMC+G-CSF treated group (149 ± 7/high power field) relative to the BMMC group (48 ± 6/high power field), the G-CSF group (44 ± 5/high power field) and the vehicle group (30 ± 6/high power field), with the former three groups showing elevated levels as compared to vehicle control (30 ± 6) (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Transplanted BMMC may home to injured liver, which appears to be enhanced by G-CSF administration.

The expression and the role of protease nexin-1 on brain edema after intracerebral hemorrhage.

Brain edema is one of the most frequent and serious complications of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), but how the ICH cause brain edema is unknown. Our studies were designed to investigate the regulation and distribution of protease nexin-1 (PN-1), thrombin and aquaporin-4 (AQP-4) in brain edema after ICH in rat and human brain in vivo. Our result showed that the severity of cerebral edema resulted from an acute stage of ICH. The PN-1-thrombin system modulated cerebral edema after ICH. Thrombin and AQP-4 increased to aggregate cerebral edema after ICH. In order to control the deleterious effect of thrombin's overexpression, PN-1 appeared quickly and abundantly to inhibit thrombin and lessen the cerebral edema. PN-1 was distributed in neurons and glial cells of cerebral cortex, hippocampus, thalamencephalon, basal ganglia, cerebellum and circum-encephalocoele in rat and human brain. The expression of AQP-4 is different between human and rat. Thus, we demonstrated that the animal experimental approach was, however, not sufficient by itself and needed to be corroborated by observations on human brains.