Efficacy of urokinase and alteplase intravenous thrombolysis in the treatment of acute phase cerebral infarction and impact on serum S-100ß and nerve growth factor levels.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy of urokinase and alteplase intravenous thrombolysis in the treatment of acute phase cerebral infarction and investigate their impact on serum S-100ß and nerve growth factor (NGF) levels. METHODS: Parameters assessed included NIHSS score reduction, vascular recanalization rates, mRS, Barthel Index, and adverse reactions. Post-treatment blood samples were also collected for further analysis. RESULTS: The clinical treatment effectiveness and Vascular recanalization rate in Group A was higher than in Group B, with p < 0.05. After treatment, the NIHSS score in Group A was lower than in Group B (p < 0.05), and the mRS score was slightly lower, but the difference was not significant (p > 0.05). After treatment, the levels of IL-6, TNF-α, and CRP in Group A were lower than in the control group (p < 0.05). The S-100ß level in Group A was lower than in Group B, and NGF level was higher than in Group B (p < 0.05). Group A had better prognosis. CONCLUSION: The efficacy and safety of both urokinase and alteplase intravenous thrombolysis for acute phase cerebral infarction have been demonstrated, yet disparities exist in neurological function recovery and regulation of biochemical indicators. Alteplase intravenous thrombolysis emerges as the superior option, displaying greater effectiveness and safety, alongside improved regulation of serum S-100ß and NGF levels. Tailoring treatment plans to individual patient characteristics and drug mechanisms is essential. Given these findings, the promotion of alteplase intravenous thrombolysis in the management of acute phase cerebral infarction is justified.

A fractal structural feature related to dynamic crossover in metallic glass-forming liquids.

The dynamic crossover in supercooled liquids initially predicted by model coupling theory has been widely accepted, but its underlying structural origin is still an open issue for glass-forming liquids. By molecular dynamics simulations of binary CuZr liquids, the present work verifies that high pressure could enhance this crossover, facilitating the studies on the structural features at the crossover temperature Tc. We discover that the topological connectivity of icosahedral clusters is responsible for this dynamic crossover, rather than all clusters. Tc is the temperature at which the connectivity degree between these clusters reaches a maximum and the dynamic heterogeneity begins to keep stable. Below Tc, the fractal topological structures appear in the medium-range order scale. The icosahedral clusters with a certain connectivity pattern can be regarded as a fractal structural unit. By employing the established fractal analysis method, the fractal dimension D of the icosahedral network is calculated. Our results indicate that the D value increases monotonically with increasing pressure and the fractal behavior of the icosahedral network is an inherent feature of metallic glasses. We also find similar fractal behavior in clusters with high local five-fold symmetry. Our findings shed light on the origin of a dynamic crossover in the deep supercooled region of metallic glasses and also demonstrate the important role of icosahedral clusters in uncovering the fractal behavior of metallic glass.

GEN-27 exhibits anti-inflammatory effects by suppressing the activation of NLRP3 inflammasome and NF-κB pathway.

Prolonged inflammation and deregulated cytokine production are associated with diversified inflammatory diseases. Genistein (GEN), the active and predominant isoflavonoid in dietary soybean, possesses anti-inflammatory activity. Our study aimed to assess the anti-inflammatory effects of GEN-27, a derivative of GEN, as well as explore the potential molecular mechanisms using lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW264.7 cells. In our study, we demonstrated that GEN-27 administration (1, 5, or 10 µM) dose-dependently inhibited nitrite and nitric oxide (NO) levels in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. Also, GEN-27 suppressed the release of LPS-induced pro-inflammatory cytokines including tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß), IL-6, and IL-18. Moreover, GEN-27 attenuated LPS-induced inducible NO synthase (iNOS), and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expressions at messenger RNA and protein levels, and reversed the promoter activity of iNOS in RAW264.7 cells. Mechanistically, GEN-27 abated LPS-induced reactive oxygen species production, as well as mitigated LPS-induced increase of caspase 1 activity and the protein levels of NOD-like receptor 3 (NLRP3), anti-apoptosis-associated speck-like protein-containing a CRAD (ASC), and caspase 1 in RAW264.7 cells in a dose-dependent manner. Similarly, GEN-27 dose-dependently weakened adenosine triphosphate-induced NLRP3 and IL-1ß in RAW264.7 cells. In addition, GEN-27 treatment significantly suppressed LPS-induced phosphorylation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) p65 and alleviated LPS-induced increase of transcriptional activity of NF-κB in RAW264.7 cells. In summary, these results revealed that GEN-27 exhibited anti-inflammatory effects by suppressing the activation of NLRP3 inflammasome and NF-κB pathway, suggesting that GEN-27 may be served as a promising therapeutic agent for the prevention and therapy of inflammatory-associated diseases.

Waterlogging-induced adventitious root formation in cucumber is regulated by ethylene and auxin through reactive oxygen species signalling.

Development of adventitious roots (ARs) at the base of the shoot is an important adaptation of plants to waterlogging stress; however, its physiological mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we investigated the regulation of AR formation under waterlogged conditions by hormones and reactive oxygen species (ROS) in Cucumis sativus L., an agriculturally and economically important crop in China. We found that ethylene, auxin, and ROS accumulated in the waterlogged cucumber plants. On the other hand, application of the ethylene receptor inhibitor 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP), the auxin transport inhibitor 1-naphthylphthalamic acid (NPA), or the NADPH oxidase inhibitor diphenyleneiodonium (DPI) decreased the number of ARs induced by waterlogging. Auxin enhanced the expression of ethylene biosynthesis genes, which led to ethylene entrapment in waterlogged plants. Both ethylene and auxin induced the generation of ROS. Auxin-induced AR formation was inhibited by 1-MCP, although ethylene-induced AR formation was not inhibited by NPA. Both ethylene- and auxin-induced AR formation were counteracted by DPI. These results indicate that auxin-induced AR formation is dependent on ethylene, whereas ethylene-induced AR formation is independent of auxin. They also show that ROS signals mediate both ethylene- and auxin-induced AR formation in cucumber plants.

Association of IL-6 -174G>C (rs1800795) polymorphism with cervical cancer susceptibility.

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a multifunctional cytokine that has been implicated in the etiology of cancer. Several case-control studies have been conducted to assess the association of IL-6 -174G>C (rs1800795) polymorphism with the risk of cervical cancer, yet with conflicting conclusions. To derive a more precise estimation of the relationship, we performed this meta-analysis updated to June 2018. A total of seven original publications were identified covering IL-6 -174G>C (rs1800795) polymorphism. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to assess the relationship strengths. Statistically significant relationship was observed between IL-6 -174G>C polymorphism and cervical cancer risk (OR = 0.61, 95% CI: 0.40-0.94 for GG vs. CC, and OR = 0.77, 95% CI: 0.64-0.93 for G vs. C). Moreover, the significant association was found among Asians (OR = 0.46, 95% CI: 0.29-0.75 for GG vs. CC, and OR = 0.70, 95% CI: 0.57-0.89 for G vs. C); hospital-based subgroup (OR = 0.53, 95% CI: 0.38-0.72 for GG vs. CC, and OR = 0.73, 95% CI: 0.61-0.87 for G vs. C); and Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium ≤0.05 (OR = 0.56, 95% CI: 0.37-0.86 for GG vs. GC, and OR = 0.66, 95% CI: 0.47-0.93 for G vs. C). This meta-analysis showed the evidence that the IL-6 -174G>C polymorphism was a low-penetrance susceptibility variant for cervical cancer. Further large-scale case-control studies are needed to confirm these results.

The C-S-A gene system regulates hull pigmentation and reveals evolution of anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway in rice.

Floral organs in rice (Oryza sativa) can be purple, brown, or red in color due to the accumulation of flavonoids, but the molecular mechanism underlying specific organ pigmentation is not clear. Here, we propose a C-S-A gene model for rice hull pigmentation and characterize it through genetic, molecular, and metabolomic approaches. Furthermore, we conducted phylogenetic studies to reveal the evolution of rice color. In this gene system, C1 encodes a R2R3-MYB transcription factor and acts as a color-producing gene, and S1 encodes a bHLH protein that functions in a tissue-specific manner. C1 interacts with S1 and activates expression of A1, which encodes a dihydroflavonol reductase. As a consequence, the hull is purple where functional A1 participation leads to high accumulation of cyanidin 3-O-glucoside. Loss of function of A1 leads to a brown hull color due to accumulation of flavonoids such as hesperetin 5-O-glucoside, rutin, and delphinidin 3-O-rutinoside. This shows a different evolutionary pathway of rice color in japonica and indica, supporting independent origin of cultivars in each subspecies. Our findings provide a complete perspective on the gene regulation network of rice color formation and supply the theoretical basis for extended application of this beneficial trait.

Effects of exogenous application of CPPU, NAA and GA4+7 on parthenocarpy and fruit quality in cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.).

In protected vegetable fields, plant growth regulators are often used to improve cucumber fruit growth. However, the effects of plant growth regulators on the appearance and nutritional quality of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) remain largely unknown. In the present study, 100 mg/L N-(2-chloro-4-pyridyl)-N'-phenylurea (CPPU), naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) or gibberellin A4+A7 (GA4+7) was applied to the female cucumber flowers 1 day before anthesis and at anthesis. The CPPU, NAA and GA4+7 treatments resulted in parthenocarpic fruits with similar weights, sizes and shapes as the pollinated fruits. NAA treatment did not affect the appearance and nutritional characteristics of cucumber at harvest and after storage. CPPU treatment increased the flesh firmness at harvest but decreased phenolic acid and vitamin C contents after storage. GA4+7 treatment decreased the flesh firmness but increased total flavonoids and protein content after storage.