The role of Nrf2 in the alteration of tight junction protein expression in choroid plexus epithelial cells created by lanthanum-activated MMP9 / 中华劳动卫生职业病杂志

Objective: To investigate the effect of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) in the alteration of tight junction protein expression in choroid plexus epithelial cells created by lanthanum-activated matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9) . Methods: In October 2020, immortalized rat choroid plexus epithelial cell line (Z310) cells were used as the blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier in vitro, and were divided into control group and 0.125, 0.25, 0.5 mmol/L lanthanum chloride (LaCl(3)) treatment group. After treating Z310 cells with different concentrations of LaCl(3) for 24 hours, the morphological changes of Z310 cells were observed under inverted microscope, the protein expression levels of MMP9, occludin and zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) were observed by cellular immunofluorescence method, and the protein expression levels of MMP9, tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinase1 (TIMP1) , occludin, ZO-1 and Nrf2 were detected by Western blotting. The level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in cells was detected by flow cytometry. Results: Compared with the control group, Z310 cells in the LaCl(3) treatment group were smaller in size, with fewer intercellular junctions, and more dead cells and cell fragments. The expression level of MMP9 protein in cells treated with 0.25 and 0.5 mmol/L LaCl(3) was significantly higher than that in the control group (P<0.05) , and the expression level of TIMP1 and tight junction proteins occudin and ZO-1 was significantly lower than that in the control group (P<0.05) . Compared with the control group, the ROS production level in the 0.25, 0.5 mmol/L LaCl(3) treatment group was significantly increased (P<0.05) , and the Nrf2 protein expression level in the 0.125, 0.25, 0.5 mmol/L LaCl(3) treatment group was significantly decreased (P<0.05) . Conclusion: Lanthanum may increase the level of ROS in cells by down regulating the expression of Nrf2, thus activating MMP9 to reduce the expression level of intercellular tight junction proteins occludin and ZO-1.

Research progress in mechanism of berberine's antitumor action / 中国中药杂志

Malignant tumor, an important factor threatening human life and health, brings huge economic burden to patients. At present, chemoradiotherapy is still the main treatment method for tumor diseases, but there are also great side effects when it plays a therapeutic role. Traditional Chinese medicine in the prevention and treatment of tumor diseases has many advantages such as few side effects, improving the physiological state of patients, and slowing down the side effects of radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Berberine is an effective component of rhizoma coptidis, with a very good antitumor effect. It can inhibit tumor cell proliferation, promote tumor cell apoptosis, inhibit tumor metastasis and angiogenesis, regulate tumor autophagy, reverse multi-drug resistance of tumor, regulate the body immunity, and affect tumor metabolic reprogramming to play its role. Compared with chemical preparations, berberine has a wide range of sources, with high safety and easy access, and has great potential in the prevention and treatment of malignant tumors. In this article, we would mainly review the research progress on the antitumor mechanism of berberine in recent years.

Short term effects of different omega-3 fatty acid formulation on lipid metabolism in mice fed high or low fat diet.

BACKGROUND: Bioactivities of Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) depend on their chemical forms. The present study was to investigate short term effects of triglyceride (TG), ethyl ester (EE), free fatty acid (FFA) and phospholipid (PL) forms of omega-3 fatty acid (FA) on lipid metabolism in mice, fed high fat or low fat diet. METHOD: Male Balb/c mice were fed with 0.7% different Omega-3 fatty acid formulation: DHA bound free fatty acid (DHA-FFA), DHA bound triglyceride (DHA-TG), DHA bound ethyl ester (DHA-EE) and DHA bound phospholipid (DHA-PL) for 1 week, with dietary fat levels at 5% and 22.5%. Serum and hepatic lipid concentrations were analyzed, as well as the fatty acid composition of liver and brain. RESULT: At low fat level, serum total cholesterol (TC) level in mice fed diets with DHA-FFA, DHA-EE and DHA-PL were significantly lower than that in the control group (P < 0.05). Hepatic TG level decreased significantly in mice fed diets with DHA-TG (P < 0.05), DHA-EE (P < 0.05) and DHA-PL (P < 0.05), while TC level in liver was significantly lower in mice fed diets with TG and EE compared with the control group (P < 0.05). At high fat level, mice fed diets with DHA-EE and DHA-PL had significantly lower hepatic TC level compared with the control diet (P < 0.05). Hepatic PL concentration experienced a significant increase in mice fed the diet with PL at high fat level (P < 0.05). Furthermore, both at low and high fat levels, hepatic DHA level significantly increased and AA level significantly decreased in all forms of DHA groups (P < 0.05), compared to control groups at two different fat levels, respectively. Additionally, cerebral DHA level in mice fed diets with DHA-FFA, DHA-EE and DHA-PL significantly increased compared with the control at high fat level (P < 0.05), but no significant differences were observed among dietary treatments for mice fed diets with low fat level. CONCLUSION: The present study suggested that not only total dietary fat content but also the molecular forms of omega-3 fatty acids contributed to lipid metabolism in mice. DHA-PL showed effective bioactivity in decreasing hepatic and serum TC, TG levels and increasing omega-3 concentration in liver and brain.

Associations between interleukin-1 polymorphisms and gastric cancers among three ethnicities.

AIM: To investigate the associations between interleukin (IL)-1B and IL-1RN polymorphisms and gastric cancers among the Tibet, Hui and Han ethnicities. METHODS: Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood of 210, 205, and 202 healthy volunteers and from 155, 158, and 197 gastric cancer patients from the Tibet, Hui, and Han populations, respectively. Polymorphisms in IL-1B and IL-1RN were analyzed by denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography. RESULTS: Carriers of the IL-1B-31 CC genotype had an increased risk of intestinal type gastric cancer [odds ratio (OR) = 2.17, P = 0.037] in the Tibet ethnicity. Carriers of the IL-1B 2/L genotype had an increased risk of both intestinal and diffuse types of gastric cancer (OR = 2.08, 2.31, P = 0.007, 0.016, respectively) in the Hui ethnicity. In the Han population, carriers of the IL-1B-31 CC, IL-1B-511CT, TT genotypes had increased risk of intestinal type gastric cancer (OR = 2.51, 2.74, 5.66, P = 0.005, 0.002, 0.000, respectively). CONCLUSION: IL-1B and IL-RN genotypes may differentially contribute to gastric cancer among the Tibet, Hui, and Han ethnicities in the Qinghai area of China.

Construction and Application of both Adolescent Multi-domain Risk Behavior Questionnaire and Risk Perception Questionnaire / 中华流行病学杂志

Objective According to the Domain Specific Theory (DST) in risk-taking, this study intended to construct adolescent risk-taking behavior questionnaire and risk perception questionnaire inferred many domains for studying the adolescent risk-taking behavior and risk perception. Methods With 422 middle school students in Yinchuan as subjects to develop the questionnaire. 2402 middle school students in Ningxia and Anhui were surveyed using the questionnaire. Results Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) indicated that both of the questionnaires contain four domains named society, recreation, safe and moral, and 33 items, which could explain 41.25% and 45.5% of the total variance respectively. The split-half reliability were 0.848, 0.890 and the coefficient of internal consistency were 0.900 and 0.938. The fit indices of confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were as follows: x2/df=8.36 and 6.73, RMSEA=0.066 and 0.054, NFI=0.97 and 0.97, CFI=0.97 and 0.97 separately. Gender difference in adolescent risk-taking behavior and risk perception were noticed, with F(1, 2288) =56.256, P<0.001 ,F(1, 2288) =10.766, P=0.05. The adolescent risk-taking behaviors increased with age, F(2, 2288) =140.067, P<0.001, while the risk perception decreased with age, F{2,2288) =54.900,P<0.001. Adolescent on the highest score was in the social risk, followed by recreation, morality and safety. Conclusion Our results showed the newly developed scales were reliable and valid enough to be applicable to measure the adolescent risk-taking behavior and risk perception.

Effect of Relevant Training on Understanding of Plant Reproduction in Preschoolers Aged 5 to 6 / 中国心理卫生杂志

Objective:To explore effect of relevant training on understanding of theory of naive biology for plant reproduction in 5- and 6-years old,and to attempt to provide demonstration for a debate of different views between domain universality and domain specificity cognitive development.Methods:48 preschoolers who did not comprehend concept of plant reproduction screened from 64 preschoolers ages 5 to 6 were surveyed by clinical method.Half of the 48 children were assigned to intervention group,the other to control group.The effects of intervention were compared by the experimental before-after design.Results:Relevant biological knowledge might widely accelerate 5- and 6-year-olds' understandings for plant reproduction,and 6-year-olds had more enhancement than 5-year-olds.Pass rates of intervention group were more 29.2% than control group in 5 year olds,and more 54.1% in 6 year olds.Conclusion:Acquiring specific knowledge will generally improve preschoolers' cognition on plant reproduction.Children' cognitive development is influenced jointly by both domain-specific and domain-general thinking.