Fatigue and physical activity in post-CABG patients: the parallel mediation model of kinesiophobia and self-efficacy : a prospective multicentre and cross-sectional study in China.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to investigate how kinesiophobia and self-efficacy explain the relationship between fatigue and physical activity (PA) in post-coronary artery bypass grafting (post-CABG) patients over the age of 45. DESIGN: A prospective multicentre and cross-sectional study. SETTING: The study was conducted in four public tertiary hospitals in China. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 1278 patients who underwent CABG surgery were selected from the case pool, with their surgeries occurring between 3 and 19 months prior to selection. Out of 1038 patients who met the inclusion criteria and were invited to participate in the study, 759 patients agreed to participate and complete the questionnaire. Ultimately, 376 questionnaires were deemed eligible and included in the analysis. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: The questionnaire included the following scales: the Chinese version of the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI-20), the Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia Heart (TSK-SV Heart), the Cardiac Exercise Self-Efficacy Instrument (CESEI) and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Long (IPAQ-L). A serial mediation model was used to test whether the association between fatigue and PA was mediated by kinesiophobia and self-efficacy, in the overall sample and subsamples defined by age. RESULTS: The results confirmed that fatigue was directly (95% CI (-5.73 to -3.02)) associated with PA. Higher kinesiophobia (95% CI (-0.16 to -0.05)) or lower PA self-efficacy (95% CI (-0.11 to -0.02)) were parallel pathways through which higher fatigue impediment reduced PA levels. In both subgroups, the street pathways of kinesiophobia and self-efficacy were altered. In the age, 45-60 years group, kinesiophobia (Boot 95% CI (-0.19 to-0.05)) was a mediator of fatigue on PA levels, while in the 61-75 years age group, self-efficacy (Boot 95% CI (-0.17 to -0.04)) was a mediator of fatigue on PA levels. CONCLUSIONS: A clear relationship between fatigue and PA was mediated by both kinesiophobia and self-efficacy. Furthermore, our findings highlight the importance of adapting the intervention according to the age of the patients, mainly by reducing patients' kinesiophobia in patients aged 45-60 years and increasing patients' self-efficacy in patients aged 61-75 years. It may be possible to improve PA levels in post-CABG patients over 45 years of age by eliminating kinesiophobia and increasing self-efficacy.

LncRNA MTC-p65 Protein Mediates Skin Fibroblast Proliferation in Liaoning Cashmere Goat by Regulating the Nuclear Factor-Kappa B Signaling Pathway.

The aim of this study is to investigate the activation of NF-κB signaling pathway and the regulation of the expression of genes related to chorionic villus growth by the binding of LncRNA MTC (XLOC_005914) and p65 (transcription factor p65 [Capra hircus], XP_017898873.1). In addition, the regulation of LncRNA MTC and p65 binding on the proliferation of Liaoning Cashmere Goat skin fibroblasts is investigated. The upregulation of LncRNA MTC promoted the proliferation of skin fibroblasts, and the NF-κB signaling pathway played an important role in this process. Compared with the negative control (NC group), the expression of TNFα and NFKB2(NF-κB) genes was highly significantly up-regulated (P < 0.001), and NFKBIA(IκBɑ) genes were highly significantly down-regulated (P < 0.01) after LncRNA MTC overexpression (OE group). The expression levels of TNFα and NFκB-P-p65 proteins were upregulated in the OE group; NF-κB-p65 expression levels were upregulated in the nucleus, IκBα expression levels were downregulated in the cytoplasm, and P-IκBα expression levels were upregulated. LncRNA MTC and p65 proteins were co-localized in the cells. Meanwhile, LncRNA MTC and p65 protein showed significant nucleation in the OE group. RNA pull-down and LC-MS/MS verified that p65 protein was indeed an interacting protein of LncRNA MTC. LncRNA MTC binds to p65 protein, upregulates the expression of TNFα protein, nucleates p65 protein, and activates NF-κB signaling pathway to promote the proliferation of skin fibroblasts in Liaoning Cashmere Goat.

Effects of lncRNA MTC on protein expression in skin fibroblasts of Liaoning Cashmere goat based on iTRAQ technique.

Existing experiments have found a new intergenic lncRNA activated by melatonin, which is called lncRNA MTC. However, the regulatory mechanism of lncRNA MTC in Liaoning Cashmere goat skin fibroblasts has not been clarified. Specific knockdown of lncRNA MTC inhibits cell proliferation and increases apoptosis. iTRAQ reagent was used for relative and absolute quantification of proteins in lncRNA MTC-KD and NC groups to evaluate changes in protein expression during dermal fibroblast development following lncRNA MTC deletion. A total of 5931 proteins were found in Liaoning Cashmere goat skin fibroblasts, of which 123 were differentially expressed, including 32 up-regulated proteins and 91 down-regulated proteins. Of the 91 down-regulated proteins, 32 act mainly through related pathways (e.g., cell cycle, mitochondrial function, ribosomal structure, vesicular transport, cytoskeletal components and skin morphogenesis). LncRNA MTC facilitates the proliferation of Liaoning Cashmere goat skin fibroblasts by regulating ITGB5, TlN2, CTSS, POLG, RAP1B, CHAF1A, CDCA8 and other proteins involved in cell proliferation. The results of this study provide some candidate proteins for the in-depth investigation of the molecular mechanism of lncRNA MTC, which facilitates hair growth in cashmere goats and provides more insights into their regulatory networks and biochemical pathways.

Preparation of Betulinic Acid Galactosylated Chitosan Nanoparticles and Their Effect on Liver Fibrosis.

Aim: Liver fibrosis is mainly characterized by the formation of fibrous scars. Galactosylated chitosan (GC) has gained increasing attention as a liver-targeted drug carrier in recent years. The present study aimed to investigate the availability of betulinic acid-loaded GC nanoparticles (BA-GC-NPs) for liver protection. Covalently-conjugated galactose, recognized by asialoglycoprotein receptors exclusively expressed in hepatocytes, was employed to target the liver. Materials and Methods: Galactose was coupled to chitosan by chemical covalent binding. BA-GC-NPs were synthesized by wrapping BA into NPs via ion-crosslinking method. The potential advantage of BA-GC-NP as a liver-targeting agent in the treatment of liver fibrosis has been demonstrated in vivo and in vitro. Results: BA-GC-NPs with diameters <200 nm were manufactured in a virtually spherical core-shell arrangement, and BA was released consistently and continuously for 96 h, as assessed by an in vitro release assay. According to the safety evaluation, BA-GC-NPs demonstrated good biocompatibility at the cellular level and did not generate any inflammatory reaction in mice. Importantly, BA-GC-NPs showed an inherent liver-targeting potential in the uptake behavioral studies in cells and bioimaging tests in vivo. Efficacy tests revealed that administering BA-GC-NPs in a mouse model of liver fibrosis reduced the degree of liver injury in mice. Conclusion: The findings showed that BA-GC-NPs form a safe and effective anti-hepatic fibrosis medication delivery strategy.

Mediating effect of kinesiophobia between self-efficacy and physical activity levels in post-CABG patients: protocol for a prospective, multicentre, cross-sectional study in China.

INTRODUCTION: Physical activity (PA) can improve cardiac function, exercise capacity, and quality of life, in addition to reducing mortality by 20%-30% and preventing the recurrence of adverse cardiovascular events in patients following coronary artery bypass graft (CABG). However, PA levels are low in patients after CABG. This study intends to explore the mediating effect of kinesiophobia between self-efficacy and PA levels in patients following CABG. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The proposed study constitutes a prospective, multicentre and cross-sectional study comprising 413 patients. Four teaching hospitals with good reputations in CABG will be included in the study. All of them are located in Beijing, China, and provide medical service to the whole country. This study will assess the following patient-reported outcome measures: demographic information, International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Long, Social Support Rating Scale, Cardiac Exercise Self-Efficacy Instrument, Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia Heart. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This study conforms to the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki and relevant ethical guidelines. Ethical approval has been obtained from the Ethics Committee of The Sixth Medical Centre of PLA General Hospital (approval number: HZKY-PJ-2022-2). All study participants will provide written informed consent. Findings from this study will be published in Chinese or English for widespread dissemination of the results. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: Chinese Clinical Trial Register, ChiCTR2100054098.

Effects of different brisk walking intensities on adherence and cardiorespiratory endurance of cardiac rehabilitation among patients with CHD after PCI: protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

INTRODUCTION: Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is a critical treatment for patients with coronary heart disease after percutaneous coronary intervention. Unfortunately, participation and adherence of CR are unexpectedly poor. This study aims to test whether low-intensity or medium-intensity brisk walking is more helpful in improving early attendance, adherence and physical results. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This randomised controlled study will compare the effects of low-intensity and medium-intensity brisk walking to improve adherence and cardiopulmonary endurance. Participants will be randomly allocated to low-intensity or medium-intensity groups and will be followed-up for 8 weeks. Primary and secondary outcome data will be collected at baseline and at 2, 4 and 8 weeks. Primary outcomes measure changes in oxygen consumption (VO2) peak value (mL/kg/min), as well as adherence. Secondary outcomes include changes in body mass index, oxygen pulse, maximal metabolic equivalent, breathing reserve, vital capacity, ratio of forced expiratory volume in 1 s to forced vital capacity, Δoxygen consumption/Δwork rate (ΔVO2/ΔWR), minute ventilation/carbon dioxide production and self-efficacy. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval and informed consent form have been obtained from the Ethics Committee of Hebei General Hospital (approval number: NA-2021-03). The study background and main objective, as well as potential benefits and risks, will be fully explained to the participants and their families. Findings from this study will be published on academic journals in Chinese or in English for widespread dissemination of the results TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ChiCTR2100047568.

Vitamin A - modified Betulin polymer micelles with hepatic targeting capability for hepatic fibrosis protection.

Targeting hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) can improve the therapeutic efficacy of medicines used to treat hepatic fibrosis. The present work aimed to study the feasibility of homing devices with vitamin A(VA) chemically attached for delivering betulin(Bt)specifically to HSCs. The manufacture and characterisation of VA modified poly (ethylene glycol) -poly (lactide-co-glycolide) block copolymer micelles loaded with Bt (Bt/ VAPPMs) and their potential therapeutic benefits in vitro and in vivo are described in this paper. Bt/VAPPMs were made in a nearly spherical core-shell configuration with diameters under 200nm.In vitro release study showed that Bt/VAPPMs exhibited steady and continuous release for over 168 hours. Bt/VAPPMs had good biocompatibility at the cellular level, according to the safety evaluation, and elicited no inflammatory response in mice. More importantly, as uptake behavior studied in cells and bioimaging experiments in vivo, Bt/VAPPMs exhibited an instinctive liver- targeting capability to focus on activated HSCs. Efficacy tests revealed that administering Bt/VAPPMs effectively inhibits collagen I expression in LX-2 cells in vitro, and this effect was also seen in a mouse model of liver fibrosis. Overall, results demonstrated that Bt/VAPPMs is a promising drug delivery system that possesses specific HSCs targeting ability for treating hepatic fibrosis.

Study on the roles of melatonin in regulating dermal fibroblast growth in Liaoning cashmere goats by transcriptome sequencing.

In this study, the genes related to the Downy growth of Liaoning cashmere goats were screened for their expression with simultaneous melatonin administration, so as to investigate the effects of target genes on the proliferation of skin fibroblasts in this animal species. Genes related to the villus growth of skin fibroblasts were screened by in vitro transcriptome sequencing and verified by qPCR. In addition, gene overexpression and interference were used to study the effects of target genes on the proliferation of skin fibroblasts. Groups treated with M1_24H, M2_24H and M2_72H exhibited significant differences compared with the control group. Among them, the differentially expressed transcripts in the M2_72H group were significantly enriched in the TNF and NOD-like receptor signaling pathways, which are associated with the villus. In addition, eight differentially expressed genes were screened from the TNF and the NOD-like receptor signaling pathways. Verification by qPCR showed that the expression of TNF-α, IL-6, TNFAIP3, PYCARD and NFKBIA genes were significantly upregulated, which was consistent with the sequencing results. Melatonin treatments can significantly lead to an increase in the expression of IL-6 and TNF-α genes. Besides, melatonin treatments can affect cashmere growth in Liaoning cashmere goats by regulating several signaling pathways, including TNF, NOD-like receptor and NF-κB.

[Outcome indicators in randomized controlled trials on traditional Chinese medicine intervention for tension-type headache in recent five years].

To evaluate the application of outcome indicators in randomized controlled trials(RCTs) concerning the treatment of tension-type headache(TTH) with traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) in recent five years, so as to provide a basis for the study of core outcome set(COS) for TCM intervention in TTH. The RCTs on TCM treatment of TTH in recent five years were systematically retrieved from CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, CBM, EMbase, PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, ClinicalTrials.gov and China Clinical Trial Registry. After literature screening, data extraction and evaluation of the risk of bias, the outcome indicators in the included RCTs were subjected to qualitative analysis. The preliminary search yielded 19 042 articles, and 10 983 were left after the elimination of duplication. Finally, 52 RCTs(48 in Chinese and 4 in English) were included for qualitative analysis. The outcome indicators of RCTs included in this study were classified into seven domains: TCM syndrome, symptom and sign, physical and chemical detection, quality of life, long-term prognosis, economic evaluation, and safety event. The findings demonstrated that headache characteristic index in the symptom and sign domain was the index with the highest reporting frequency and reporting rate. Seventeen RCTs used TCM syndrome score as the outcome indicator. Further analysis revealed that there existed such problems in research design as non-distinction between primary and secondary outcome indicators, great difference in the adopted measurement tools for outcome indicators, and the neglect of measurement time of outcome indicators. Moreover, the syndrome indicators reflecting TCM advantages, objective evaluation indicators, safety and health-economic indicators were lacking. These limitations have affected the quality and reliability of RCTs on TTH treatment with TCM. It is suggested that the efficacy and characteristics of TCM should be combined into current clinical research, and the COS in RCTs regarding TCM treatment of TTH should be established according to internationally recognized standard procedures.

[Systematic review and Meta-analysis of efficacy and safety of gastrodin in treatment of tension-type headache].

The efficacy of gastrodin as a Chinese herbal medicine extract in the treatment of tension-type headache has been confirmed. This paper systematically reviewed the efficacy and safety of gastrodin in the treatment of tension-type headache, aiming to provide a new choice for the treatment of this disease. In this study, four Chinese databases, four English databases and two trial registries were searched from the date of establishment to September 2020. The related randomized controlled trials(RCTs) were screened out according to the predetermined criteria. The bias risk assessment tool developed by Cochrane collaboration was used to evaluate the quality of the reports. RevMan 5.4.1 was used for Meta-analysis, and GRADE system for the evidence-based evaluation on the quality of outcome indicators. A total of 177 articles were retrieved and 8 articles were finally included for analysis, with a total sample size of 1 091 cases, which included 565 cases in the treatment group and 526 cases in the control group. The overall quality of included stu-dies was not high. The results of Meta-analysis are as follows:(1)In terms of headache frequency, gastrodin group was better than wes-tern medicine group(MD=-2.90, 95%CI[-3.76,-2.03], P<0.000 01).(2)In terms of number of abnormal blood vessels in TCD, gastrodin group was better than western medicine group(MD=-88.96, 95%CI[-102.36,-75.55], P<0.000 01).(3)In terms of effective rate, gastrodin group was better than western medicine group(RR=1.47, 95%CI[1.29, 1.68], P<0.000 01). The results of subgroup analysis are as follows:(1)Effective rate based on age, for the patients upper age limit 40-46 years old, gastro-din group was better than western medicine group(RR=1.69, 95%CI[1.50, 1.90], P<0.000 01); for the patients upper age limit 55-60 years old, gastrodin group was better than western medicine group(RR=1.27, 95%CI[1.16, 1.38], P<0.000 01).(2)Effective rate based on dosage form, both the gastrodin capsules and injection groups were better than western medicine group(RR_(capsules)=1.42, 95%CI[1.08, 1.88], P=0.01; RR_(injection)=1.50, 95%CI[1.26, 1.77], P<0.000 01). GRADE evaluation showed that the above outcomes had low quality of evidence. Only one article detailed the occurrence of adverse reactions and thus the present study cannot make a positive conclusion on the safety of gastrodin in the treatment of tension-type headache. The small number and low quality of the included reports affected the reliability of the results. In the future, more high-quality randomized controlled trails are needed to improve the evaluation on the efficacy and safety of gastrodin in the treatment of tension-type headache.

[Systematic review and Meta-analysis of efficacy and safety of Toutongning Capsules in treatment of tension-type headache].

This study aims to systematically evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of Toutongning Capsules in the treatment of tension-type headache(TTH), so as to provide a corresponding basis for clinical treatment. Eight commonly used medical research databases and two clinical trial registration systems were retrieved with the time interval from the establishment of the database or system to November 2020. The randomized controlled trials of Toutongning Capsules in the treatment of TTH were screened out according to the pre-set criteria. The quality of the included papers was evaluated by the bias risk assessment tool in Cochrane Reviewers Handbook 6.1 and the data were statistically analyzed by RevMan v5.4 provided by Cochrane collaboration. A total of 13 studies were included and the quality of methodology was generally low. Meta-analysis showed that Toutongning Capsules assisted with western medicine therapy can effectively reduce the pain intensity(MD_(VAS)=-1.94,95%CI[-2.50,-1.38],P<0.000 01;MD_(NRS)=-0.83,95%CI[-0.86,-0.80],P<0.000 01), headache duration(SMD=-0.98,95%CI[-1.17,-0.79],P<0.000 01), headache frequency(MD=-1.01,95%CI[-1.16,-0.85],P<0.000 01), headache index(MD=-11.13,95%CI[-12.10,-10.16],P<0.000 01), anxiety and depression scale score(MD_(HAMA)=-4.02,95%CI[-6.58,-1.46],P=0.002;MD_(HAMD)=-2.67,95%CI[-4.04,-1.29],P=0.000 1), while Toutongning Capsules as monotherapy only reduced the headache score(MD=-2.24,95%CI[-2.97,-1.51],P<0.000 01). The available clinical studies demonstrate that Toutongning Capsules combined with western medicine in the treatment of TTH can improve the related outcome indicators, but the clinical safety and efficacy of Toutongning Capsules alone remain unclear. Due to the small number and low quality of the included studies, large-sample, multi-center, high-quality and strictly designed randomized controlled trials are still needed to verify the clinical efficacy in the future.

Arctigenin exhibits hepatoprotective activity in Toxoplasma gondii-infected host through HMGB1/TLR4/NF-κB pathway.

Toxoplasmosis is a parasitic zoonosis with the highest incidence in humans. Severe lesions due to acute toxoplasmosis have been recorded in the visceral organs including the liver, where hepatocytes and Kupffer cells are important innate immune cells. Arctigenin (AG) is a bioactive ingredient of Arctium lappa L. and increasing evidence suggests that AG exhibits anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) effects. However, the role of AG in acute liver damage induced by T. gondii infection remains unclear. In this study, we analyzed the effects of AG against T. gondii-induced liver damage by establishing an in vitro infection model using a murine liver cell line (NCTC-1469 cells) and an in vivo mouse model with acute T. gondii infection of virulent RH strain. In the current study, AG effectively attenuated hepatocytes apoptosis and inhibited the reproduction of T. gondii. The results of in vitro and in vivo studies showed that AG significantly reduced alanine aminotransferase/aspartate aminotransferase activities and lessened pathological damage of liver. Moreover, AG suppressed T. gondii-induced inducible nitric oxide synthase production. AG also attenuated liver inflammation by inhibiting T. gondii-induced activation of the high-mobility group box1/toll-like receptor 4/nuclear factor-kappa B (HMGB1/TLR4/NF-κB) signaling pathway. These findings demonstrated that AG exhibited prominent hepatoprotective activities in toxoplasmic liver injury with anti-inflammatory effects by inhibiting the HMGB1/TLR4/NF-κB signaling axis. Thus, this study provides the basis for the development of new drugs to treat toxoplasmic hepatitis.

Arctigenin ameliorates depression-like behaviors in Toxoplasma gondii-infected intermediate hosts via the TLR4/NF-κB and TNFR1/NF-κB signaling pathways.

Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) is a known neurotropic protozoan that remains in the central nervous system and induces neuropsychiatric diseases in intermediate hosts. Arctigenin (AG) is one of the major bioactive lignans of the fruit Arctium lappa L. and has a broad spectrum of pharmacological activities such as neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory and anti-T. gondii effects. However, the effect of AG against depressive behaviors observed in T. gondii-infected hosts has not yet been clarified. In the present study, we analyzed the effects of AG against T. gondii-induced depressive behaviors in intermediate hosts using a microglia cell line (BV2 cells) and brain tissues of BALB/c mice during the acute phase of infection with the RH strain of T. gondii. AG attenuated microglial activation and neuroinflammation via the Toll-like receptor/nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) and tumor necrosis factor receptor 1/NF-κB signaling pathways, followed by up-regulating the dopamine and 5-hydroxytryptamine levels and inhibiting the depression-like behaviors of hosts. AG also significantly decreased the T. gondii burden in mouse brain tissues. In conclusion, we elucidated the effects and underlying molecular mechanisms of AG against depressive behaviors induced by T. gondii infection.

Expression analysis of proteasome maturation protein (POMP) gene in Liaoning Cashmere goat.

Liaoning Cashmere goat is a precious genetic resource of China. To explore the relationship between POMP and cashmere growth, we analyzed the expression of POMP. POMP encodes a hudrophilic protein which is most closely related to bos. RT-PCR showed that POMP was expressed in skin, heart, liver, spleen, lung, and kidney tissues. Real-time PCR showed that the expression of POMP was more active in the secondary hair follicles than the primary hair follicles in anagen. In situ hybridization showed that POMP was obviously expressed in the Inner Root Sheath (IRS) but no expression in Outer Root. The treatment of fibroblasts with melatonin (MT), fibroblast growth factors 5 (FGF5) and insulin-like growth factors 1 (IGF-1) showed that MT/FGF5/IGF-1 much performance for inhibiting the expression of POMP; MT + FGF5 inhibited the expression of POMP; MT + IGF-1 promoted the expression of POMP. When Noggin expression is decreased by siRNA, the expression of POMP is inhibited. To sum up, POMP strongly expressed in the root sheath of hair follicles, related to the development of the primary and secondary hair follicle; In addition, by adding MT/FGF5/IGF-1 or interfering with the Noggin expression to regulate the expression of POMP, to control the growth of Liaoning Cashmere goat cashmere.

Expression of lipid-protein gene PLP2 in Liaoning cashmere goat.

The relationship between PLP2 gene and cashmere fiber quality of Liaoning cashmere goat was investigated. The sheep fibroblast cells were treated with exogenous cytokines and melatonin, independently, and RNA interference, RT-PCR and in situ hybridization were utilized for investigating the PLP2 gene regulation mechanism underlying the Liaoning cashmere growth. The results showed that the expression of PLP2 gene in the prosperous and degenerative stage is higher than that of the primary follicle, indicating that the PLP2 gene promotes the secondary follicle, wherein the gene is expressed only in the inner root sheath, suggesting its correlation to hair loss. The results of RT-PCR showed that the trend of FGF5 expression in PLP2 gene was positively regulated. The influence of MT on the expression of PLP2 gene was negatively regulated, and the inhibition was gradually enhanced with the passage of time. Studies have confirmed that the Noggin gene is an inhibitor of the BMP signaling pathway. After the noggin gene interferes with the lentivirus infection, the expression of the PLP2 gene is downregulated. Therefore, the PLP2 gene, along with the other suppressor genes including the noggin gene, might affect the development of hair follicles by inhibiting the BMP（Bone morphogenetic proteins）pathway.

Gene Expression and Localization of LAMTOR3 in the Skin Cells of Liaoning Cashmere Goats.

Liaoning cashmere goats are the most precious genetic resources in China. The function of LAMTOR3 [late endosomal/lysosomal adaptor, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), and mammalian target of rapamycin activator 3/MAPK scaffold protein 1] gene is expressed in the skin of Liaoning cashmere goats. In situ hybridization (ISH) found that LAMTOR3 is expressed in the inner root sheath (IRS) of hair follicles. During the anagen or catagen phase, the expression of LAMTOR3 is higher in secondary hair follicles than in primary hair follicles. Expression of LAMTOR3 in skin cells treated with melatonin or insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) is lower than in untreated cells. In addition, the simultaneous treatment of fibroblast growth factor 5 and melatonin decrease the expression of LAMTOR3 in skin cells. The simultaneous treatment with melatonin and 10-5 g/L IGF-1 or 10-4 g/L IGF-1 increases the expression of LAMTOR3 gene in skin cells. If Noggin expression is decreased, then LAMTOR3 expression is increased. This hypothesis suggested that LAMTOR3 influences the character of cashmere fiber, and it may regulate the development of hair follicle and cashmere growth by inducing the MAPK signaling pathway.

Far Infrared Irradiation Enhances Nutraceutical Compounds and Antioxidant Properties in Angelica gigas Nakai Powder.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of far infrared irradiation (FIR) on nutraceutical compounds, viz. total phenolic content, total flavonoids, and antioxidant capacity, of Angelica gigas Nakai (AGN). The FIR treatment was applied for 30 min with varied temperatures of 120, 140, 160, 180, 200, 220, and 240 °C. Results showed that FIR increased total phenolic and flavonoid content in AGN at 220 °C. The HPLC results revealed higher quantities of decursin (62.48 mg/g) and decursinol angelate (41.51 mg/g) at 220 °C compared to control (38.70 mg/g, 27.54 mg/g, respectively). The antioxidant capacity of AGN was also increased at 220 °C, as measured by 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), and the phosphomolybdenum (PPMD) method. A further increase of the FIR temperature caused a reduction of compound content. In addition, the results also showed a strong correlation between phenolic content and antioxidant properties of AGN powder. These findings will help to further improve the nutraceutical profile of AGN powder by optimizing the FIR conditions.

Long noncoding RNA and gene expression analysis of melatonin-exposed Liaoning cashmere goat fibroblasts indicating cashmere growth.

Cashmere produced from Liaoning cashmere goat is highly valuable. Melatonin is an important factor affecting cashmere growth and can regulate the growth cycle via effects on gene expression. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) regulate gene expression, but detailed studies of their effect on hair growth are lacking. To explore how lncRNA mediates the effects of melatonin on cashmere growth, we used RNA-Seq including a control condition (C) and three melatonin treatments (1.0 g/L 24 h (M1_24H), 0.2 g/L 24 h (M2_24H), 0.2 g/L 72 h (M2_72H)). M1_24H, M2_24H, and M2_72H had 32, 10, and 113 differentially expressed lncRNAs, respectively. Gene ontology (GO) and pathway analyses results showed that melatonin was most beneficial to cashmere growth at 0.2 g/L 72 h, and nuclear factor (NF)-κB signaling corresponding to an effect of LncRNA MTC was involved in hair follicle development. We found that melatonin upregulated XLOC_005914 lncRNA (LncRNA MTC). Proliferation increased in the 0.2 g/L 72 h condition and cells with high LncRNA MTC expression, but it was reduced in fibroblasts with knocked down LncRNA MTC expression. This is the first report that LncRNA MTC promotes fibroblast proliferation and regulates hair follicle development and cashmere growth by activating NF-κB signaling.

[Data-mining characteristics of adverse drug reactions and pharmacovi-gilance of Chinese patent drugs including Aconitum herbs].

The common Aconitum herbs in clinical application mainly include Aconiti Radix(Chuanwu), Aconiti Kusnezoffii Radix(Caowu) and Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparaia(Fuzi), all of which have toxicity. Therefore, the safety of using Chinese patent drugs including Aconitum herbs has become an hot topic in clinical controversy. Based on the data-mining methods, this study explored the characteristics and causes of adverse drug reactions/events (ADR/ADE) of the Chinese patent drugs including Aconitum, in order to provide pharmacovigilance and rational drug use suggestions for clinical application. The detailed ADR/ADE reports about the Chinese patent drugs including Aconitum herbs were retrieved in the domestic literature databases since 1984 to now. The information extraction and data-mining were conducted based on the platforms of Microsoft office Excel 2016, Clementine 12.0 and Cytoscape 3.3.0. Finally, 78 detailed ADR/ADE reports involving a total of 30 varieties were included. 92.31% ADR/ADE were surely or likely led by the Chinese patent drugs including Aconitum, mostly involving multiple system/organ damages with good prognosis, and even 1 case of death. The incidence of included ADRs/ADEs was associated with various factors such as the patient idiosyncratic, drug toxicity, as well as clinical medication. The patient age was most closely related to ADR/ADEs, and those aged from 60 to 69 were more easily suffered from the ADRs/ADEs of Chinese patent drugs including Aconitum. The probability of ADR/ADEs for the drugs including Chuanwu or Caowu was greater than that of Fuzi, and the using beyond the instructions dose was the most important potential safety hazard in the clinical medication process. For the regular and characteristics of ADR/ADEs led by Chinese patent drugs including Aconitum, special attention shall be paid to the elder patients or with the patients with allergies; strictly control the dosage and course of treatment, strengthen the safety medication education to public, and avoid misuse or abuse to ensure rational drug use.

Cashmere growth control in Liaoning cashmere goat by ovarian carcinoma immunoreactive antigen-like protein 2 and decorin genes.

OBJECTIVE: The study investigated the biological functions and mechanisms for controlling cashmere growth of Liaoning cashmere goat by ovarian carcinoma immunoreactive antigen-like protein 2 (OCIAD2) and decorin (DCN) genes. METHODS: cDNA library of Liaoning cashmere goat was constructed in early stages. OCIAD2 and DCN genes related to cashmere growth were identified by homology analysis comparison. The expression location of OCIAD2 and DCN genes in primary and secondary hair follicles (SF) was performed using in situ hybridization. The expression of OCIAD2 and DCN genes in primary and SF was performed using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). RESULTS: In situ hybridization revealed that OCIAD2 and DCN were expressed in the inner root sheath of Liaoning cashmere goat hair follicles. Real-time quantitative PCR showed that these genes were highly expressed in SF during anagen, while these genes were highly expressed in primary hair follicle in catagen phase. Melatonin (MT) inhibited the expression of OCIAD2 and promoted the expression of DCN. Insulin-like growth factors-1 (IGF-1) inhibited the expression of OCIAD2 and DCN, while fibroblast growth factors 5 (FGF5) promoted the expression of these genes. MT and IGF-1 promoted OCIAD2 synergistically, while MT and FGF5 inhibited the genes simultaneously. MT+IGF-1/MT+FGF5 inhibited DCN gene. RNAi technology showed that OCIAD2 expression was promoted, while that of DCN was inhibited. CONCLUSION: Activation of bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling pathway up-regulated OCIAD2 expression and stimulated SF to control cell proliferation. DCN gene affected hair follicle morphogenesis and periodic changes by promoting transforming growth factor-ß (TGF-ß) and BMP signaling pathways. OCIAD2 and DCN genes have opposite effects on TGF-ß signaling pathway and inhibit each other to affect the hair growth.