Effects of Bulleyaconitine A on Extracellular Matrix Secretion and Expression of Related Proteins in Acetaldehyde-Activated Hepatic Stellate Cells.

Activated hepatic stellate cells differentiate into myofibroblasts, which synthesize and secrete extracellular matrix (ECM) leading to liver fibrosis. It was previously demonstrated that bulleyaconitine A (BLA), an alkaloid from Aconitum bulleyanum, inhibits proliferation and promotes apoptosis of human hepatic Lieming Xu-2 (LX-2) cells. In this study, we analyzed the effect of BLA on the production of ECM and related proteins by LX-2 cells activated with acetaldehyde (AA). The cells were randomized into the control group, AA group (cells activated with 400 µM AA), and BLA+AA group (cells cultured in the presence of 400 µM AA and 18.75 µg/ml BLA). In the BLA+AA group, the contents of collagens I and III and the expression of α-smooth muscle actin and transforming growth factor-ß1 (TGF-ß1) were statistically significantly higher than in the control, but lower than in the AA group. Expression of MMP-1 in the BLA+AA group was also significantly higher than in the AA group, but lower than in the control. Expression of TIMP-1 in the BLA+AA group was significantly higher than in the control, but lower than in the AA group. Thus, BLA suppressed activation and proliferation of LX-2 cells by inhibiting TGF-ß1 signaling pathway and decreasing the content of collagens I and III by reducing the MMP-1/TIMP-1 ratio.

NiCoO2 and polypyrrole decorated three-dimensional carbon nanofiber network with coaxial cable-like structure for high-performance supercapacitors.

Designing optimized nano-sized architecture is a promising approach to prepare high-performance electrode materials for supercapacitors. In this work, a hierarchical multi-shelled structure has been successfully synthesized, which consists of a 3D carbon nanofiber network as a supporting scaffold prepared by carbonization of aramid nanofiber aerogel, an intermediate polypyrrole (PPy) bonding layer and a NiCoO2 outer shell, just like a coaxial cable in the structure. The intermediate PPy layer facilitates the uniform deposition of NiCoO2 by providing more anchor sites, and enhances the electrical contact between carbon nanofiber network and NiCoO2 shell due to its high conductivity and good compatibility with two different substances. The synergistic effect of the hierarchical configuration endows the electrode material with a high specific capacitance of 1037 F g-1at 1 A g-1and excellent cycling stability (∼89% of initial capacitance after 7000 cycles). Moreover, an asymmetric supercapacitor based on the composite and activated carbon achieves a high energy density of 37.7 Wh kg-1 at a power density of 465 W kg-1 in 1.65 V. This work may provide a feasible strategy to design high-performance hybrid electrodes for energy storage devices.

[Systematic evaluation of neuromuscular blocking agents on prognosis of patients with moderate to severe acute respiratory distress syndrome].

Objective: To evaluate the prognostic impact of neuromuscular blocking agents (NMBA) on patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Method: Online search of MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, CNKI, CBM and other Chinese databases for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of NMBA in patients with ARDS from January 1994 to June 2019 was done, and literature was selected according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. The patients were divided into NMBA group and non-NMBA group according to whether NMBA was adopted or not. The prognostic indicators (ICU mortality, 28 d mortality, 90 d mortality) and NMBA-related complications (ICU acquired muscle weakness, barometric injury, pneumothorax) of the patients in the two groups were mainly analyzed. Meta-analysis of the data was performed using RevMan 5.0 software. Results: A total of 6 RCTs were included, and 1 502 patients were enrolled, including 761 in the NMBA group and 741 in the no-NMBA group. The 90-day mortality in the NMBA group and no-NMBA group were 38.8% and 42.6%, OR=0.87 (95%CI: 0.70-1.07, P=0.190); the 28-day mortality rates were 32.5% and 36.5%, OR=0.71 (95%CI: 0.45-1.11, P=0.130); ICU mortality rates were 31.8% and 43.8%, OR=0.60 (95%CI: 0.41-0.88, P=0.009). Conclusion: NMBA can reduce the ICU mortality of moderate to severe ARDS patients, but not reduce 28-day and 90-day mortality.

Overexpression of PKMYT1 indicates the poor prognosis and enhances proliferation and tumorigenesis in non-small cell lung cancer via activation of Notch signal pathway.

OBJECTIVE: The protein kinase, membrane­associated tyrosine/threonine 1 (PKMYT1) has been implicated as an important factor promoting the tumorigenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma and colorectal cancer. The current study was designed to explore the functional role of PKMYT1 in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell behaviors and to investigate the possible molecular mechanisms. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The expression levels of PKMYT1 in NSCLC tissues and cell lines were determined by quantitative Real Time-Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR). The clinical and prognostic significance of PKMYT1 in 153 cases of NSCLC was determined. We also evaluated the effects of KMYT1 on NSCLC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in vitro. Western blot was performed to assure whether PKMYT1 affected the Notch signal pathway and MET pathway. RESULTS: We observed that PKMYT1 expression was significantly up-regulated in both NSCLC tissues and cell lines. Higher expression of PKMYT1 was associated with clinical stage and lymph nodes metastasis. Clinical survival assays demonstrated that patients with high PKMYT1 expression had a shorter overall survival time than those with low PKMYT1 expression. Moreover, the multivariate analysis confirmed that increased expression of PKMYT1 was an independent predictor of overall survival. Functionally, knockdown of PKMYT1 in the NSCLC cell lines A549 and H1299 suppressed NSCLC cells proliferation, invasion and migration, and promoted apoptosis. In addition, the down-regulation of PKMYT1 resulted in the inhibition of EMT in NSCLC cells. Further mechanistic studies revealed that when PKMYT1 was silenced, the expression levels of Notch1, p21, and Hes1 were respectively downregulated, suggesting that PKMYT1 could promote the activity of the Notch signal pathway. CONCLUSIONS: PKMYT1 plays a significant role in NSCLC aggressiveness and clinical outcome, and may serve as a promising therapeutic target for this disease.

Expression of autophagy in different stages of neurogenic bladder after spinal cord injury in rats.

STUDY DESIGN: Experimental study. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the expression of autophagy in different stages of the neurogenic bladder after spinal cord injury (SCI) in rats. SETTING: Second Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, China. METHODS: A total of 36 Wistar rats were divided into the SCI and control groups. In total, six animals were killed and sampled from each group at 1, 4 and 14 days after surgery of T10-T11 level. BBB scale, residual urine volume and urinary bladder function score were estimated at each time point. The expression of microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3) and P62 was detected using western blot analysis, immunofluorescence staining or real-time PCR (RT-PCR). RESULTS: The locomotor functions of the hindlimbs and the bladder function of the SCI group rats were lost after surgery, but gradually recovered from 1 day. Western blot showed that the LC3-II/actin was higher in the SCI than in the control group. Immunofluorescence staining revealed that LC3 and P62 were expressed in bladder smooth muscle cell. RT-PCR showed a remarkably increased LC3 mRNA expression at 1, 4 and 14 days in the SCI than in the control group. The P62 mRNA level of the SCI bladder tissues did not differ from that of the control group at 1 day but decreased at 4 and 14 days after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Autophagy is activated during the recovery of the bladder after SCI and sustained. Autophagy may play an important role in bladder neurogenesis and may represent one of the mechanisms of bladder self-repair.

A new phenanthraquinone from the stems of Bauhinia variegata L.

A new phenanthraquinone, named bauhinione (1), has been isolated from Bauhinia variegata L., and its structure has been elucidated as 2,7-dimethoxy-3-methyl-9,10-dihydrophenanthrene-1,4-dione on the basis of spectroscopic analysis.

[Studies on constituents of the leaves of Lindera aggregata (Sims) Kosterm].

OBJECTIVE: To study the antibacterial and anti-inflammatory constituents of the leaves of Lindera aggrega. METHOD: Compounds were isolated by colum chromatography, and the structures were identified by spectroscopic methods. RESULT: Six compounds were isolated and identified as mixture of 6-Acetyllindenanolide B-1 and B-2(I), dehydrolindestrenolide (II), hydroxylinderstrenolide (III), linderalactone (IV), kameofero (V), beta-sitosterol (VI). CONCLUSION: These compounds were obtained from the leaves of Lindera aggregata for the first time.