The indicative effects of apolipoproteins on organic erectile dysfunction: bridging Mendelian randomization and case-control study.

The existing research on the association between apolipoproteins (Apos) and erectile dysfunction (ED) primarily relies on observational studies and does not distinguish between organic and psychogenic causes when diagnosing ED. It is difficult to believe that Apos play a role in psychogenic ED. To address these issues, our study explored the causal relationship between lipoproteins and ED using Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis and differentiate between organic and psychogenic ED through the use of nocturnal penile tumescence and rigidity (NPTR) monitoring. Multivariate MR analysis revealed significant causal associations between high-density lipoprotein (HDL), Apo A1, and Apo B/A1 with ED (OR and 95% CI were 0.33 (0.14-0.78), 3.58 (1.52-8.43), and 0.30 (0.13-0.66)). we conducted statistical and analytical analyses on the data of 212 patients using multivariate analyses and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Patients with organic ED had significantly lower levels of HDL, Apo A1 and Apo A1/B, whereas patients with organic ED had considerably higher levels of Apo B and low-density lipoprotein (LDL). The diagnostic value of Apos in predicting the risk of organic ED was evaluated using ROC curves. The results indicated that Apo A1 and Apo A1/B demonstrated good predictive value. HDL, Apo A1, and Apo A1/B have been identified as risk factors for ED in our study. Furthermore, our research highlights the significance of Apo A1 and Apo A1/Apo B in the development of organic ED and suggests their potential use as indicators to assess the risks associated with organic ED.

Theoretical framework for mixed-potential-driven catalysis.

Mixed-potential-driven catalysis is expected to be a distinctive heterogeneous catalytic reaction that produces products different from those produced by thermal catalytic reactions without the application of external energy. Electrochemically, the mechanism is similar to that of corrosion. However, a theory that incorporates catalytic activity as a parameter has not been established. Herein, we report the theoretical framework of mixed-potential-driven catalysis, including exchange currents, as a parameter of catalytic activity. The mixed potential and partitioning of the overpotential were determined from the exchange current by applying the Butler-Volmer equation at a steady state far from equilibrium. Mixed-potential-driven catalysis is expected to open new areas not only in the concept of catalyst development but also in the field of energetics of biological enzymatic reactions.

MW-9, a chalcones derivative bearing heterocyclic moieties, ameliorates ulcerative colitis via regulating MAPK signaling pathway / 中国药理学通报

Aim To investigate the therapeutic effect of the MW-9 on ulcerative colitis(UC)and reveal the underlying mechanism, so as to provide a scientific guidance for the MW-9 treatment of UC. Methods The model of lipopolysaccharide(LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophage cells was established. The effect of MW-9 on RAW264.7 cells viability was detected by MTT assay. The levels of nitric oxide(NO)in RAW264.7 macrophages were measured by Griess assay. Cell supernatants and serum levels of inflammatory cytokines containing IL-6, TNF-α and IL-1β were determined by ELISA kits. Dextran sulfate sodium(DSS)-induced UC model in mice was established and body weight of mice in each group was measured. The histopathological damage degree of colonic tissue was assessed by HE staining. The protein expression of p-p38, p-ERK1/2 and p-JNK was detected by Western blot. Results MW-9 intervention significantly inhibited NO release in RAW264.7 macrophages with IC50 of 20.47 mg·L-1 and decreased the overproduction of inflammatory factors IL-6, IL-1β and TNF-α(P<0.05). MW-9 had no cytotoxicity at the concentrations below 6 mg·L-1. After MW-9 treatment, mouse body weight was gradually reduced, and the serum IL-6, IL-1β and TNF-α levels were significantly down-regulated. Compared with the model group, MW-9 significantly decreased the expression of p-p38 and p-ERK1/2 protein. Conclusions MW-9 has significant anti-inflammatory activities both in vitro and in vivo, and its underlying mechanism for the treatment of UC may be associated with the inhibition of MAPK signaling pathway.

Outcomes and care practices of extremely preterm infants at 22-25 weeks' gestation age from the Chinese Neonatal Network / 中华儿科杂志

Objective: To describe the current status and trends in the outcomes and care practices of extremely preterm infants at 22-25 weeks' gestation age from the Chinese Neonatal Network (CHNN) from 2019 to 2021. Methods: This cross-sectional study used data from the CHNN cohort of very preterm infants. All 963 extremely preterm infants with gestational age between 22-25 weeks who were admitted to neonatal intensive care units (NICU) of the CHNN from 2019 to 2021 were included. Infants admitted after 24 hours of life or transferred to non-CHNN hospitals were excluded. Perinatal care practices, survival rates, incidences of major morbidities, and NICU treatments were described according to different gestational age groups and admission years. Comparison among gestational age groups was conducted using χ2 and Kruskal-Wallis tests. Trends by year were evaluated by Cochran-Armitage and Jonckheere-Terpstra tests for trend. Results: Of the 963 extremely preterm infants enrolled, 588 extremely preterm infants (61.1%) were male. The gestational age was 25.0 (24.4, 25.6) weeks, with 29 extremely preterm infants (3.0%), 88 extremely preterm infants (9.1%), 264 extremely preterm infants (27.4%), and 582 extremely preterm infants (60.4%) at 22, 23, 24, and 25 weeks of gestation age, respectively. The birth weight was 770 (680, 840) g. From 2019 to 2021, the number of extremely preterm infants increased each year (285, 312, and 366 extremely preterm infants, respectively). Antenatal steroids and magnesium sulfate were administered to 67.7% (615/908) and 51.1% (453/886) mothers of extremely preterm infants. In the delivery room, 20.8% (200/963) and 69.5% (669/963) extremely preterm infants received noninvasive positive end-expiratory pressure support and endotracheal intubation. Delayed cord clamping and cord milking were performed in 19.0% (149/784) and 30.4% (241/794) extremely preterm infants. From 2019 to 2021, there were significant increases in the usage of antenatal steroids, antenatal magnesium sulfate, and delivery room noninvasive positive-end expiratory pressure support (all P<0.05). Overall, 349 extremely preterm infants (36.2%) did not receive complete care, 392 extremely preterm infants (40.7%) received complete care and survived to discharge, and 222 extremely preterm infants (23.1%) received complete care but died in hospital. The survival rates for extremely preterm infants at 22, 23, 24 and 25 weeks of gestation age were 10.3% (3/29), 23.9% (21/88), 33.0% (87/264) and 48.3% (281/582), respectively. From 2019 to 2021, there were no statistically significant trends in complete care, survival, and mortality rates (all P>0.05). Only 11.5% (45/392) extremely preterm infants survived without major morbidities. Moderate to severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia (67.3% (264/392)) and severe retinopathy of prematurity (61.5% (241/392)) were the most common morbidities among survivors. The incidences of severe intraventricular hemorrhage or periventricular leukomalacia, necrotizing enterocolitis, and sepsis were 15.3% (60/392), 5.9% (23/392) and 19.1% (75/392), respectively. Overall, 83.7% (328/392) survivors received invasive ventilation during hospitalization, with a duration of 22 (10, 42) days. The hospital stay for survivors was 97 (86, 116) days. Conclusions: With the increasing number of extremely preterm infants at 22-25 weeks' gestation admitted to CHNN NICU, the survival rate remained low, especially the rate of survival without major morbidities. Further quality improvement initiatives are needed to facilitate the implementation of evidence-based care practices.

Astragaloside IV protects cardiomyocytes from hypoxic injury by regulating endoplasmic reticulum stress via eIF2α/CHOP signaling pathway.

Endoplasmic reticulum stress (ER stress) is suggested to promote cardiomyocyte apoptosis and ultimately lead to ischemic injury. Inhibition of ER stress-induced apoptosis may be a therapeutic strategy for MI injury. Astragaloside-IV (AST) from Astragalus membranaceus (Fisch) Bge, was reported to have cardioprotective properties. In this study, we investigated the protective effect of AST on cardiomyocytes against hypoxia injury by regulating ER stress and inhibiting apoptosis. H9c2 cardiomyocytes were divided into three groups, normal group, hypoxia group and AST group. Cell viability was determined by CCK-8 assay. Intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) production was detected by DCFH-DA (2,7- dichloro-dihydrofluorescein diacetate) florescent staining. The study showed that AST treatment could significantly increase the cell viability of H9c2 cells exposed to hypoxia. Furthermore, AST could restrain cell apoptosis and decrease the production of ROS. Compared with normal group, the protein levels of Bax, caspase-3, caspase-9, GRP78, p-eIF2α, and CHOP were enhanced in the hypoxia group, whereas the protein level of Bcl-2 was dramatically reduced. Compared with hypoxia group, AST markedly inhibited the phosphorylation of eIF2α and the expression of caspase-3, caspase-9 and CHOP, and promoted the protein expression of Bcl-2. Thus, AST can inhibit the ER stress-mediated apoptosis, partly through the eIF2α/CHOP pathway suppression to inhibit ER stress.

Artifact removal for unpaired thorax CBCT images using a feature fusion residual network and contextual loss.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) has become a more and more active cutting-edge topic in the international computed tomography (CT) research due to its advantages of fast scanning speed, high ray utilization rate and high precision. However, scatter artifacts affect the imaging performance of CBCT, which hinders its application seriously. Therefore, our study aimed to propose a novel algorithm for scatter artifacts suppression in thorax CBCT based on a feature fusion residual network (FFRN), where the contextual loss was introduced to adapt the unpaired datasets better. METHODS: In the method we proposed, a FFRN with contextual loss was used to reduce CBCT artifacts in the region of chest. Unlike L1 or L2 loss, the contextual loss function makes input images which are not aligned strictly in space available, so we performed it on our unpaired datasets. The algorithm aims to reduce artifacts via studying the mapping between CBCT and CT images, where the CBCT images were set as the beginning while planning CT images as the end. RESULTS: The proposed method effectively removes artifacts in thorax CBCT, including shadow artifacts and cup artifacts which can be collectively referred to as uneven grayscale artifacts, in the CBCT image, and perform well in preserving details and maintaining the original shape. In addition, the average PSNR number of our proposed method achieved 27.7, which was higher than the methods this paper referred which indicated the significance of our method. CONCLUSIONS: What is revealed by the results is that our method provides a highly effective, rapid, and robust solution for the removal of scatter artifacts in thorax CBCT images. Moreover, as is shown in Table 1, our method has demonstrated better artifact reduction capability than other methods.

Evaluation method of assistance effect of extravehicular activity glove exoskeleton under weightlessness / 中国康复理论与实践

ObjectiveTo establish a multi index fusion hand grip fatigue prediction model to evaluate the power-assisted effect of the glove exoskeleton prototype for extravehicular clothing. MethodsBP neural network algorithm was used to establish a hand fatigue prediction model. The related factors of hand fatigue were determined with isometric grasping fatigue experiment, and the input variables of BP neural network were determined as cylinder diameter, grasping force, grasping duration and root mean square of electromyography. The fatigue data corresponding to variables of each group were obtained through experiments and subjective fatigue measurement scales, and a fatigue evaluation model based on multi-source fusion of BP neural network algorithm was established. The relationship model between fatigue and assistance effect was established, and the assistance effect of the exoskeleton prototype was evaluated through the degree of fatigue relief. ResultsThe correlation coefficient was 0.974 between the predicted results of the model and the target value. Moreover, it effectively predicted the assistance effect of different prototypes. ConclusionThe BP neural network model established by combining the grasping strength, grasping object parameters and human electromyography can predict hand fatigue, which can be used to evaluate the assistance effect of glove exoskeleton and other hand aids.

A new macrocyclic flavonoid from Onychium japonicum / 药学学报

Seven compounds were isolated from Onychium japonicum by macroporous resin, silica gel, ODS, Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography and semi-preparative HPLC. Their structures were identified by NMR, MS and other spectroscopic methods as onychone A (1), quercetin (2), quercetin-3-O-α-L-rhamnoside (3), kaempferol-7-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (4), kaempferol-3-O-α-L-rhamnopyranoside (5), (-)-prunin (6), and norathyriol (7). Compound 1 is a novel macrocyclic flavonoid, and all the others are reported from this plant for the first time. In vitro cytotoxic activities of compounds 1-7 were evaluated by MTS testing with five cancer cell lines. Compound 7 exhibited weak cytotoxicity against tumor cell lines A549, SMMC-7721, and SW480.

Alterations in the intestinal microbiota of preterm infants with neurodevelopmental impairments: a prospective cohort study / 中国当代儿科杂志

OBJECTIVES@#To investigate the difference in intestinal microbiota between preterm infants with neurodevelopmental impairment (NDI) and those without NDI.@*METHODS@#In this prospective cohort study, the preterm infants who were admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit of Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region from September 1, 2019 to September 30, 2021 were enrolled as subjects. According to the assessment results of Gesell Developmental Scale at the corrected gestational age of 1.5-2 years, they were divided into two groups: normal (n=115) and NDI (n=100). Fecal samples were collected one day before discharge, one day before introducing solid food, and at the corrected gestational age of 1 year. High-throughput sequencing was used to compare the composition of intestinal microbiota between groups.@*RESULTS@#Compared with the normal group, the NDI group had a significantly higher Shannon diversity index at the corrected gestational age of 1 year (P<0.05). The principal coordinate analysis showed a significant difference in the composition of intestinal microbiota between the two groups one day before introducing solid food and at the corrected gestational age of 1 year (P<0.05). Compared with the normal group, the NDI group had a significantly higher abundance of Bifidobacterium in the intestine at all three time points, a significantly higher abundance of Enterococcus one day before introducing solid food and at the corrected gestational age of 1 year, and a significantly lower abundance of Akkermansia one day before introducing solid food (P<0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#There are significant differences in the composition of intestinal microbiota between preterm infants with NDI and those without NDI. This study enriches the data on the characteristics of intestinal microbiota in preterm infants with NDI and provides reference for the microbiota therapy and intervention for NDI in preterm infants.

Pan-cancer analysis of the prognostic and immunological role of PAQR4.

Progestin and adipoQ receptor family member 4 (PAQR4) is a protein-coding gene. Recent studies have shown that PAQR4 is related to the development of multiple cancers. However, there is no systematic pan-cancer analysis of this gene. In this study, the expression of PAQR4, correlations with clinical prognosis, immune situation, and its potential molecular functions and mechanisms in pan-cancer were explored by bioinformatics analysis. The Cancer Genome Atlas was applied to investigate the relations between PAQR4 and clinical features, prognostic effects, and tumor immune microenvironment. R software was used to perform statistical analysis and figure creation. The expression of PAQR4 in BLCA and KIRC was validated by qRT-PCR and immunohistochemistry, and its function was explored by cellular experiments. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that PAQR4 was up-regulated in multiple cancers and related to poor prognosis. The high expression of PAQR4 was closely associated with high tumor stage, immune cell infiltration, tumor mutation burden, and microsatellite instability in different cancer types. In addition, the high expression of PAQR4 also indicated involvement in the immune regulatory pathways. The involvement of PAQR4 in the immune regulation of different tumors was confirmed by GSEA enrichment analysis. Moreover, PAQR4 was highly expressed in bladder cancer and renal clear cell carcinoma tissues and cell lines. Cell proliferation, migration, and invasion of bladder cancer and renal clear cell carcinoma cell lines were significantly decreased after the knockdown of PAQR4. This study elucidated the role of PAQR4 in carcinogenesis as well as tumor immunity. PAQR4 may serve as a potential prognostic biomarker in a variety of cancers.

CKAP2L, a crucial target of miR-326, promotes prostate cancer progression.

BACKGROUND: The overexpression of aberrant cell cycle signaling pathway associated protein has been implicated in multiple malignancies and the identification of all-important one among is the crux of the precise targeted therapy. CKAP2L (Cytoskeleton Associated Protein 2 Like) plays a newish role in cancer progression through activation of the process of cell cycle and mitosis. In this study, we aim to delineate the prominent dysregulated expression of CKAP2L and comprehensively reveal its deregulation in prostate cancer.  METHOD: CKAP2L expression was examined in the normal and tumor tissues of prostate cancer patients with RT-QPCR and Western blot. IHC showed the different expression in normal prostate tissue, tissue of BPH, low Gleason Score and high Gleason Score prostate cancer patients. Transwell, colony formation, MTT and flow cytometry were performed to detected the changes in cellular function in vitro. The xenograft model was conducted for the changes in vivo. Dual luciferase and RIP proved the binding relation between CKAP2L and miR-326. RESULTS: In multiple datasets, CKAP2L was found upregulated and positively associated with Gleason grade and poor clinical outcomes of patients. shRNA mediated silence of CKAP2L suppressed cell proliferation, impaired monolayer formation, inhibited cell invasion. CKAP2L was confirmed to be the direct target of miR-326, which had a carcinostatic effect by binding the 3'untranslated regions (3'UTRs) of CKAP2L mRNA. The deletion of CKAP2L resulted in reduced expression of genes involved in the mitotic cell cycle such as multiple cyclin-dependent kinases and cyclins, but also several genes encoding proteins involved in chromosome segregation and spindle assembly. CONCLUSION: Taken together, CKAP2L plays a carcinogenic role in prostate cancer by regulates the expression of cycle-associated proteins.

Determining the protective effects of Ma-Mu-Ran Antidiarrheal Capsules against acute DSS-induced enteritis using 16S rRNA gene sequencing and fecal metabolomics / 中国天然药物

Ma-Mu-Ran Antidiarrheal Capsules (MMRAC) is traditional Chinese medicine that has been used to treat diarrhea caused by acute enteritis (AE) and bacillary dysentery in Xinjiang (China) for many years. However, the potential therapeutic mechanism of MMRAC for AE and its regulatory mechanism on host metabolism is unclear. This study used fecal metabolomics profiling with GC/MS and 16S rRNA gene sequencing analysis to explore the potential regulatory mechanisms of MMRAC on a dextran sulfate sodium salt (DSS)-induced mouse model of AE. Fecal metabolomics-based analyses were performed to detect the differentially expressed metabolites and metabolic pathways. The 16S rRNA gene sequencing analysis was used to assess the altered gut microbes at the genus level and for functional prediction. Moreover, Pearson correlation analysis was used to integrate differentially expressed metabolites and altered bacterial genera. The results revealed that six intestinal bacteria and seven metabolites mediated metabolic disorders (i.e., metabolism of amino acid, carbohydrate, cofactors and vitamins, and lipid) in AE mice. Besides, ten altered microbes mediated the differential expression of eight metabolites and regulated these metabolisms after MMRAC administration. Overall, these findings demonstrate that AE is associated with metabolic disorders and microbial dysbiosis. Further, we present that MMRAC exerts protective effects against AE by improving host metabolism through the intestinal flora.

Preoperative MRI-based deep learning radiomics machine learning model for prediction of the histopathological grade of soft tissue sarcomas / 中华放射学杂志

Objective:To investigate the value of a preoperatively MRI-based deep learning (DL) radiomics machine learning model to distinguish low-grade and high-grade soft tissue sarcomas (STS).Methods:From November 2007 to May 2019, 151 patients with STS confirmed by pathology in the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University were enrolled as training sets, and 131 patients in the Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University and the Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University were enrolled as external validation sets. According to the French Federation Nationale des Centres de Lutte Contre le Cancer classification (FNCLCC) system, 161 patients with FNCLCC grades Ⅰ and Ⅱ were defined as low-grade and 121 patients with grade Ⅲ were defined as high-grade. The hand-crafted radiomic (HCR) and DL radiomic features of the lesions were extracted respectively. Based on HCR features, DL features, and HCR-DL combined features, respectively, three machine-learning models were established by decision tree, logistic regression, and support vector machine (SVM) classifiers. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was used to evaluate the performance of each machine learning model and choose the best one. The univariate and multivariate logistic regression were used to establish a clinical-imaging factors model based on demographics and MRI findings. The nomogram was established by combining the optimal radiomics model and the clinical-imaging model. The AUC was used to evaluate the performance of each model and the DeLong test was used for comparison of AUC between every two models. The Kaplan-Meier survival curve and log-rank test were used to evaluate the performance of the optimal machine learning model in the risk stratification of progression free survival (PFS) in STS patients.Results:The SVM radiomics model based on HCR-DL combined features had the optimal predicting power with AUC values of 0.931(95%CI 0.889-0.973) in the training set and 0.951 (95%CI 0.904-0.997) in the validation set. The AUC values of the clinical-imaging model were 0.795 (95%CI 0.724-0.867) and 0.615 (95%CI 0.510-0.720), and of the nomogram was 0.875 (95%CI 0.818-0.932) and 0.786 (95%CI 0.701-0.872) in the training and validation sets, respectively. In validation set, the performance of SVM radiomics model was better than those of the nomogram and clinical-imaging models ( Z=3.16, 6.07; P=0.002,<0.001). Using the optimal radiomics model, there was statistically significant in PFS between the high and low risk groups of STS patients (training sets: χ2=43.50, P<0.001; validation sets: χ2=70.50, P<0.001). Conclusion:Preoperative MRI-based DL radiomics machine learning model has accurate prediction performance in differentiating the histopathological grading of STS. The SVM radiomics model based on HCR-DL combined features has the optimal predicting power and was expected to undergo risk stratification of prognosis in STS patients.

The protective effect of puerarin on MIN6 cell injury induced by palmitic acid / 中国药理学通报

Aim To evaluate the effects of puerarin (PR) on pancreatic islet MIN6 cell injury and apopto- sis induced by palmitic acirl ( PA).Methods MIN6 cells pretreated with 2 h different concentrations of PR were then co-cultured with 120 (xmol • L"1 PA for 24 h to establish the cell injury and apoptosis model.MTT, LDH,MDA and GSH were used to determine the dam¬age of MIN6 cells.AOEB fluorescence staining was used to detect the apoptosis of MIN6 cells.Western blot was used to detect the expressions of inflammation- related protein NF-kB , apoptosis-related factors Bcl-2 and Bax.Results Compared with model group, cell viability and GSH activity of puerarin administration groups increased, LDH and MDA contents decreased.the protein expressions of p-NF-KB and Bax were down-regulated, and the protein expressions of Bcl-2 were up-regulated (P <0.05).Conclusions Puerar- in ean improve the function of pancreatic islet cells by inhibiting apoptosis and inflammation, and ameliorate pancreatic islet MIN6 cell injury and apoptosis induced by palmitic acid-induced, alleviate MIN6 cell injury in¬duced by inflammatory factors, which may be achieved by down-regulating the expression of p-NF-KB and Bax proteins,and up-regulating the expression of Bcl-2 pro¬tein.

Silencing ACTG1 Expression Induces Prostate Cancer Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition Through MAPK/ERK Signaling Pathway.

Purpose: Metastatic prostate cancer (PCa) has become a major obstacle in the treatment of PCa. The study's purpose is to find biomarkers of tumor metastasis by proteomics and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and to design related experiments to study its role in the progress and metastasis of PCa. Method: We analyzed serum from primary PCa stage and metastatic stage of 12 patients to find metastatic PCa serum protein biomarkers using isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ). An effective diagnostic model based on validated biomarkers using logistic regression was established. In vivo and in vitro biological behavior experiments (wound healing, CCK8, and Transwell tests) were carried out after obtaining the biomarkers. Related mechanism has been studied, which may be associated with metastatic PCa. Result: Actin gamma 1 (ACTG1) is a potential biomarker in the metastasis of PCa. Bioinformatics and related experiments show that ACTG1 is high-expressed in PCa tissues and cells. In vivo and in vitro experiments illustrated that the ability of proliferation, migration, and invasion of PCa cells was significantly inhibited after the knockdown of ACTG1 expression. Surprisingly, ERK protein expression was downregulated after ACTG1 knockdown. At the same time, the expression of epithelial-mesenchymal transition-related markers in PCa cells decrease after treated with ERK1/2 inhibitor, which indicating that ACTG1 may affect the metastatic ability of PCa cells through MAPK/ERK signaling pathway. Conclusion: ACTG1 is a marker of metastasis PCa. It mediates cell proliferation and may regulate the metastasis of PCa through MAPK/ERK signaling pathway, which provides a useful theoretical basis for exploring the treatment of PCa.

Piperlongumine Analogs Promote A549 Cell Apoptosis through Enhancing ROS Generation.

Chemotherapeutic agents, which contain the Michael acceptor, are potent anticancer molecules by promoting intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. In this study, we synthesized a panel of PL (piperlongumine) analogs with chlorine attaching at C2 and an electron-withdrawing/electron-donating group attaching to the aromatic ring. The results displayed that the strong electrophilicity group at the C2-C3 double bond of PL analogs plays an important role in the cytotoxicity whereas the electric effect of substituents, which attached to the aromatic ring, partly contributed to the anticancer activity. Moreover, the protein containing sulfydryl or seleno, such as TrxR, could be irreversibly inhibited by the C2-C3 double bond of PL analogs, and boost intracellular ROS generation. Then, the ROS accumulation could disrupt the redox balance, induce lipid peroxidation, lead to the loss of MMP (Mitochondrial Membrane Potential), and ultimately result in cell cycle arrest and A549 cell line death. In conclusion, PL analogs could induce in vitro cancer apoptosis through the inhibition of TrxR and ROS accumulation.

Macrophages enhance lipopolysaccharide induced apoptosis via Ang1 and NF-κB pathways in human umbilical vein endothelial cells.

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) could induce apoptosis and dysfunction of endothelial cells. We aimed to reveal the effects of macrophages on cell proliferation and apoptosis in LPS induced human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). THP-1 derived macrophages and HUVECs were co-cultured in the presence of LPS. Cell viability was measured by Cell Counting Kit-8 and apoptosis was analyzed by flow cytometry. Expression of Ang1, the NF-κB component p65 was evaluated by western blot and quantitative PCR. Small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) were used to knockdown the expression of proinflammatory cytokines and p65 in HUVECs. Plasmid transfection-mediated overexpression of Ang1 was employed to see its effects on cell proliferation and apoptosis in HUVECs. Macrophages enhanced LPS-induced proliferation impairments and apoptosis in HUVECs, which could be attenuated by siRNA-mediated knockdown of cytokines TNF-α, IL-1ß, IL-6 and IL-12p70 in macrophages. The dysfunction of HUVECs was tightly associated with reduced Ang1 expression and increased phosphorylated p65 (p-65). Overexpression of Ang1 in HUVECs significantly decreased p-p65, suggesting negatively regulation of p-p65 by Ang1. Overexpression of Ang1, adding recombinant Ang1 or silencing of p65 substantially attenuated the dysfunction of HUVECs in terms of cell proliferation and apoptosis. In conclusions, THP-1-derived macrophages enhance LPS induced dysfunction of HUVECs via Ang1 and NF-κB pathways, suggesting new therapeutic targets for sepsis.

Transcriptomic analysis in Anemone flaccida rhizomes reveals ancillary pathway for triterpene saponins biosynthesis and differential responsiveness to phytohormones / 中国天然药物

Anemone flaccida Fr. Schmidt is a perennial medicinal herb that contains pentacyclic triterpenoid saponins as the major bioactive constituents. In China, the rhizomes are used as treatments for a variety of ailments including arthritis. However, yields of the saponins are low, and little is known about the plant's genetic background or phytohormonal responsiveness. Using one-quarter of the 454 pyrosequencing information from the Roche GS FLX Titanium platform, we performed a transcriptomic analysis to identify 157 genes putatively encoding 26 enzymes involved in the synthesis of the bioactive compounds. It was revealed that there are two biosynthetic pathways of triterpene saponins in A. flaccida. One pathway depends on β-amyrin synthase and is similar to that found in other plants. The second, subsidiary ("backburner") pathway is catalyzed by camelliol C synthase and yields β-amyrin as minor byproduct. Both pathways used cytochrome P450-dependent monooxygenases (CYPs) and family 1 uridine diphosphate glycosyltransferases (UGTs) to modify the triterpenoid backbone. The expression of CYPs and UGTs were quite different in roots treated with the phytohormones methyl jasmonate, salicylic acid and indole-3-acetic acid. This study provides the first large-scale transcriptional dataset for the biosynthetic pathways of triterpene saponins and their phytohormonal responsiveness in the genus Anemone.