AIM:To evaluate the global trends in and explore hotspots of high myopia(HM)research.METHODS:This bibliometric analysis was used to reveal the publication trends in HM research field based on the Web of Science Core C...AIM:To evaluate the global trends in and explore hotspots of high myopia(HM)research.METHODS:This bibliometric analysis was used to reveal the publication trends in HM research field based on the Web of Science Core Collection(WoSCC).VOSviewer version 1.6.13 software was used to analyze the data and construct a knowledge map including the yearly publication number,journals,countries,international collaborations,authors,research hotspots,and intellectual base in HM.RESULTS:The search engine found 3544 peer-reviewed publications on HM between 2010 and 2019,and the yearly research output substantially elevated over the past decade.China is the top publishing country,and Sun Yatsen University was the most active academic institution.Jonas JB is the top publishing scientist,and Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science(IOVS)was the most productive journal.The highest cited references mainly focused on epidemiology and management.The keywords formed 6 clusters:1)refractive surgery;2)etiology and clinical characteristics;3)the mechanism of eye growth;4)management for myopic maculopathy;5)vitrectomy surgical treatment;6)myopia-associated glaucoma-like optic neuropathy.CONCLUSION:The evaluation of development trends based on the data extracted from WoSCC can provide valuable information and guidance for ophthalmologists and public health researchers to improve management procedures in HM field.展开更多
The TIR-NBS 2 (TN2) gene from Arabidopsis thaliana (Arabidopsis), which encodes a TIR (the Toll and Interleukin-1 Receptor)-type of nucleotide binding site (NBS) receptor protein (TIR-NBS) that can cause cell death in...The TIR-NBS 2 (TN2) gene from Arabidopsis thaliana (Arabidopsis), which encodes a TIR (the Toll and Interleukin-1 Receptor)-type of nucleotide binding site (NBS) receptor protein (TIR-NBS) that can cause cell death in the model plant Nicotiana benthamiana (N. benthamiana). Nevertheless, the mechanism of TN2 signal initiation is still unclear. This research performed yeast two-hybrid and bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BIFC) assays to investigate interactions between proteins of TN2, and analyzed the influences of these interactors on TN2 function using N. benthamiana. EXO70B1, SOC3 and CPK5-VK were identified as interacting proteins of TN2 based on yeast two-hybrid and BIFC methods. Functional annotations of these interacting proteins indicate their involvement in multiple pathways, including exocytosis, positive regulation of abscisic acid-activated signaling pathway, regulation of stomatal closure, response to water deprivation, defense response, signal transduction and intracellular signal transduction. The transient assay results proclaimed that EXO70B1 can suppress cell death triggered by TN2 and TN2-TIR. These outcomes suggest that TN2 receptor may be participated in various pathways, and the protein level and activity are strictly controlled at multiple aspects, providing novel clues for elucidating the molecular mechanism of TN2 immune receptor in Arabidopsis resistance.展开更多
Scar formation resulting from burns or severe trauma can significantly compromise the structural integrity of skin and lead to permanent loss of skin appendages,ultimately impairing its normal physiological function.A...Scar formation resulting from burns or severe trauma can significantly compromise the structural integrity of skin and lead to permanent loss of skin appendages,ultimately impairing its normal physiological function.Accumulating evidence underscores the potential of targeted modulation of mechanical cues to enhance skin regeneration,promoting scarless repair by influencing the extracellular microenvironment and driving the phenotypic transitions.The field of skin repair and skin appendage regeneration has witnessed remarkable advancements in the utilization of biomaterials with distinct physical properties.However,a comprehensive understanding of the underlying mechanisms remains somewhat elusive,limiting the broader application of these innovations.In this review,we present two promising biomaterial-based mechanical approaches aimed at bolstering the regenerative capacity of compromised skin.The first approach involves leveraging biomaterials with specific biophysical properties to create an optimal scarless environment that supports cellular activities essential for regeneration.The second approach centers on harnessing mechanical forces exerted by biomaterials to enhance cellular plasticity,facilitating efficient cellular reprogramming and,consequently,promoting the regeneration of skin appendages.In summary,the manipulation of mechanical cues using biomaterial-based strategies holds significant promise as a supplementary approach for achieving scarless wound healing,coupled with the restoration of multiple skin appendage functions.展开更多
To tackle the challenges of intractable parameter tun-ing,significant computational expenditure and imprecise model-driven sparse-based direction of arrival(DOA)estimation with array error(AE),this paper proposes a de...To tackle the challenges of intractable parameter tun-ing,significant computational expenditure and imprecise model-driven sparse-based direction of arrival(DOA)estimation with array error(AE),this paper proposes a deep unfolded amplitude-phase error self-calibration network.Firstly,a sparse-based DOA model with an array convex error restriction is established,which gets resolved via an alternating iterative minimization(AIM)algo-rithm.The algorithm is then unrolled to a deep network known as AE-AIM Network(AE-AIM-Net),where all parameters are opti-mized through multi-task learning using the constructed com-plete dataset.The results of the simulation and theoretical analy-sis suggest that the proposed unfolded network achieves lower computational costs compared to typical sparse recovery meth-ods.Furthermore,it maintains excellent estimation performance even in the presence of array magnitude-phase errors.展开更多
Skin wound healing is a complex event, and interrupted wound healing process could lead to scar formation. The aim of this study was to examine the morphological changes of scar tissue. Pathological staining（HE stain...Skin wound healing is a complex event, and interrupted wound healing process could lead to scar formation. The aim of this study was to examine the morphological changes of scar tissue. Pathological staining（HE staining, Masson＇s trichrome staining, methenamine silver staining） was used to evaluate the morphological changes of regenerating epidermis in normal skin and scar tissue, and immunofluorescence staining to detect the expression of collagen Ⅳ, a component of basement membrane（BM）, and the expression of integrinβ4, a receptor for BM laminins. Additionally, the expression of CK14, CK5, and CK10 was measured to evaluate the proliferation and differentiation of keratinocytes in normal skin and scar tissue. The results showed that the structure of the skin was histologically changed in scar tissue. Collagen Ⅳ, expressed under the epidermis of normal skin, was reduced distinctly in scar tissue. Integrinβ4, expressed in the basal layer of normal skin, was found absent in the basal layer of scar tissue. Additionally, it was found that keratinocytes in scarring epidermis were more proliferative than in normal skin. These results indicate that during the skin wound healing, altered formation of BM may affect the proliferation of keratinocytes, reepithelial and tissue remodeling, and then result in scar formation. Thus, remodeling BM structure during wound repair may be beneficial for improving healing in cutaneous wounds during clinical practice.展开更多
AIM: To investigate whether dimethyl sulfoxide(DMSO) inhibits gut inflammation and barrier dysfunction following zymosan-induced systemic inflammatoryresponse syndrome and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome.METHODS: ...AIM: To investigate whether dimethyl sulfoxide(DMSO) inhibits gut inflammation and barrier dysfunction following zymosan-induced systemic inflammatoryresponse syndrome and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome.METHODS: Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups: sham with administration of normal saline(SS group); sham with administration of DMSO(SD group); zymosan with administration of normal saline(ZS group); and zymosan with administration of DMSO(ZD group). Each group contained three subgroups according to 4 h,8 h,and 24 h after surgery. At 4 h,8 h,and 24 h after intraperitoneal injection of zymosan(750 mg/kg),the levels of intestinal inflammatory cytokines [tumor necrosis factor-alpha(TNF-α) and interleukin(IL)-10] and oxides(myeloperoxidase,malonaldehyde,and superoxide dismutase) were examined. The levels of diamine oxidase(DAO) in plasma and intestinal mucosal blood flow(IMBF) were determined. Intestinal injury was also evaluated using an intestinal histological score and apoptosis of intestinal epithelial cells was determined by deoxynucleotidyl transferase d UTP nick end labeling(TUNEL) assay. The intestinal epithelial tight junction protein,ZO-1,was observed by immunofluorescence.RESULTS: DMSO decreased TNF-α and increased IL-10 levels in the intestine compared with the ZS group at the corresponding time points. The activity of intestinal myeloperoxidase in the ZS group was higher than that in the ZD group 24 h after zymosan administration(P < 0.05). DMSO decreased the content of malondialdehyde(MDA) and increased the activity of superoxide dehydrogenase(SOD) 24 h after zymosan administration. The IMBF was lowest at 24 h and was 49.34% and 58.26% in the ZS group and ZD group,respectively(P < 0.05). DMSO alleviated injury in intestinal villi,and the gut injury score was significantly lower than the ZS group(3.6 ± 0.2 vs 4.2 ± 0.3,P < 0.05). DMSO decreased the level of DAO in plasma compared with the ZS group(65.1 ± 4.7 U/L vs 81.1 ± 5.0 U/L,P < 0.05). DMSO significantly preserved ZO-1 protein expression and localization 24 h after zymosan administration. The TUNEL analysis indicated that the number of apoptotic intestinal cells in the ZS group was much higher than the ZD group(P < 0.05).CONCLUSION: DMSO inhibited intestinal cytokines and protected against zymosan-induced gut barrier dysfunction.展开更多
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the protective effect of neuroprotection against transient focal cerebral ischemia of the extract from Tianma(Rhizoma Gastrodiae) and the possible mechanisms underlying the action.METHODS: Ce...OBJECTIVE: To investigate the protective effect of neuroprotection against transient focal cerebral ischemia of the extract from Tianma(Rhizoma Gastrodiae) and the possible mechanisms underlying the action.METHODS: Cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury was induced through middle cerebral artery occlusion(MCAO). Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups: sham-operated,ischemia-reperfusion model, 102.6 mg/kg extract treated and 11.4 mg/kg extract treated groups. The extract was prepared from gastrodia elata with ethyl acetate. The effect of the extract tested on rat neurological de fi cits and Cerebral index, cerebral infarct volume, brain injury, terminal dexynucleotidyl transferase-mediated d UTP nick end labeling(TUNEL) and B-cell lymphoma-2(Bcl-2) positive cells.RESULTS: The extract was able to reduce neurological scores, cerebral index and cerebral infarction rate. The brain injury was also relieved by the extract. The results of immunofluorescence staining analysis indicated that the extract increased the expression of Bcl-2 and reduced TUNEL-positive cells significantly in the extract treated groups.CONCLUSION: These results suggested that the extract relieved ischemic injury induced by transient focal cerebral ischemia in rats, and this neuroprotective effect might be partially due to the attenuated apoptosis pathway.展开更多
Astrocytes play multifaceted and vital roles in maintaining neurophysiological function of the central nervous system by regulating homeostasis, increasing synaptic plasticity, and sustaining neuroprotective effects. ...Astrocytes play multifaceted and vital roles in maintaining neurophysiological function of the central nervous system by regulating homeostasis, increasing synaptic plasticity, and sustaining neuroprotective effects. Astrocytes become activated as a result of inflammatory responses during the progression of pathological changes associated with neurodegenerative disorders. Reactive astrocytes(neurotoxic A1 and neuroprotective A2) are triggered during disease progression and pathogenesis due to neuroinflammation and ischemia. However, only a limited body of literature describes morphological and functional changes of astrocytes during the progression of neurodegenerative diseases. The present review investigated the detrimental and beneficial roles of astrocytes in neurodegenerative diseases reported in recent studies, as these cells have promising therapeutic potential and offer new approaches for treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.展开更多
Microglia are resident immune cells in the central nervous system. During the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease, stimulatory factors continuously act on the microglia causing abnormal activation and unbalanced phen...Microglia are resident immune cells in the central nervous system. During the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease, stimulatory factors continuously act on the microglia causing abnormal activation and unbalanced phenotypic changes;these events have become a significant and promising area of research. In this review, we summarize the effects of microglial polarization and crosstalk with other cells in the central nervous system in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. Our literature search found that phenotypic changes occur continuously in Alzheimer’s disease and that microglia exhibit extensive crosstalk with astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, neurons, and penetrated peripheral innate immune cells via specific signaling pathways and cytokines. Collectively, unlike previous efforts to modulate microglial phenotypes at a single level, targeting the phenotypes of microglia and the crosstalk with other cells in the central nervous system may be more effective in reducing inflammation in the central nervous system in Alzheimer’s disease. This would establish a theoretical basis for reducing neuronal death from central nervous system inflammation and provide an appropriate environment to promote neuronal regeneration in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.展开更多
Ras homolog(Rho)-associated kinases(ROCKs)belong to the serine-threonine kinase family,which plays a pivotal role in regulating the damage,survival,axon guidance,and regeneration of neurons.ROCKs are also involved in ...Ras homolog(Rho)-associated kinases(ROCKs)belong to the serine-threonine kinase family,which plays a pivotal role in regulating the damage,survival,axon guidance,and regeneration of neurons.ROCKs are also involved in the biological effects of immune cells and glial cells,as well as the development of neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease,Parkinson’s disease,and multiple sclerosis.Previous studies by us and others confirmed that ROCKs inhibitors attenuated the symptoms and progression of experimental models of the abovementioned neurodegenerative diseases by inhibiting neuroinflammation,regulating immune imbalance,repairing the blood-brain barrier,and promoting nerve repair and myelin regeneration.Fasudil,the first ROCKs inhibitor to be used clinically,has a good therapeutic effect on neurodegenerative diseases.Fasudil increases the activity of neural stem cells and mesenchymal stem cells,thus optimizing cell therapy.This review will systematically describe,for the first time,the effects of abnormal activation of ROCKs on T cells,B cells,microglia,astrocytes,oligodendrocytes,and pericytes in neurodegenerative diseases of the central nervous system,summarize the therapeutic potential of fasudil in several experimental models of neurodegenerative diseases,and clarify the possible cellular and molecular mechanisms of ROCKs inhibition.This review also proposes that fasudil is a novel potential treatment,especially in combination with cell-based therapy.Findings from this review add support for further investigation of ROCKs and its inhibitor fasudil for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.展开更多
Dear Editor,In this letter,a novel hierarchical fusion framework is proposed to address the imperfect data property in complex medical image analysis(MIA)scenes.In particular,by combining the strengths of convolutiona...Dear Editor,In this letter,a novel hierarchical fusion framework is proposed to address the imperfect data property in complex medical image analysis(MIA)scenes.In particular,by combining the strengths of convolutional neural networks(CNNs)and transformers,the enhanced feature extraction,spatial modeling,and sequential context learning are realized to provide comprehensive insights on the complex data patterns.Integration of information in different level is enabled via a multi-attention fusion mechanism,and the tensor decomposition methods are adopted so that compact and distinctive representation of the underlying and high-dimensional medical image features can be accomplished[1].It is shown from the evaluation results that the proposed framework is competitive and superior as compared with some other advanced algorithms,which effectively handles the imperfect property of inter-class similarity and intra-class differences in diseases,and meanwhile,the model complexity is reduced within an acceptable level,which benefits the deployment in clinic practice.MIA has assumed a pivotal role in numerous critical clinical scenarios,where sophisticated image analysis techniques have proven instrumental in augmenting medical decision-making,facilitating individualized therapeutic interventions,and enhancing patient prognostication[2]−[4].展开更多
Multiple sclerosis is characterized by demyelination and neuronal loss caused by inflammatory cell activation and infiltration into the central nervous system.Macrophage polarization plays an important role in the pat...Multiple sclerosis is characterized by demyelination and neuronal loss caused by inflammatory cell activation and infiltration into the central nervous system.Macrophage polarization plays an important role in the pathogenesis of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis,a traditional experimental model of multiple sclerosis.This study investigated the effect of Fasudil on macrophages and examined the therapeutic potential of Fasudil-modified macrophages in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis.We found that Fasudil induced the conversion of macrophages from the pro-inflammatory M1 type to the anti-inflammatory M2 type,as shown by reduced expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase/nitric oxide,interleukin-12,and CD16/32 and increased expression of arginase-1,interleukin-10,CD14,and CD206,which was linked to inhibition of Rho kinase activity,decreased expression of toll-like receptors,nuclear factor-κB,and components of the mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway,and generation of the pro-inflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor-α,interleukin-1β,and interleukin-6.Crucially,Fasudil-modified macrophages effectively decreased the impact of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis,resulting in later onset of disease,lower symptom scores,less weight loss,and reduced demyelination compared with unmodified macrophages.In addition,Fasudil-modified macrophages decreased interleukin-17 expression on CD4^(+)T cells and CD16/32,inducible nitric oxide synthase,and interleukin-12 expression on F4/80^(+)macrophages,as well as increasing interleukin-10 expression on CD4^(+)T cells and arginase-1,CD206,and interleukin-10 expression on F4/80^(+)macrophages,which improved immune regulation and reduced inflammation.These findings suggest that Fasudil-modified macrophages may help treat experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis by inducing M2 macrophage polarization and inhibiting the inflammatory response,thereby providing new insight into cell immunotherapy for multiple sclerosis.展开更多
AIM： To explore the molecular mechanisms in lens development and the pathogenesis of Peters anomaly in Smad4 defective mice. METHODS： Le-Cre transgenic mouse line was employed to inactivate Smad4 in the surface ect...AIM： To explore the molecular mechanisms in lens development and the pathogenesis of Peters anomaly in Smad4 defective mice. METHODS： Le-Cre transgenic mouse line was employed to inactivate Smad4 in the surface ectoderm selectively. Pathological techniques were used to reveal the morphological changes of the anterior segment in Smad4 defective eye. Immunohistochemical staining was employed to observe the expression of E-cadherin, N- cadherin and α-SMA in anterior segment of Smad4 defective mice and control mice at embryonic （E） day 16.5. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction （qPCR） was performed to detect the expression of Snail, Zebl, Zeb2 and Twist2 in lens of Smad4 defective mice and control mice at E16.5. RESULTS： Conditional deletion of Smad4 on eye surface ectoderm resulted in corneal dysplasia, iridocorneal angle closure, corneolenticular adhesions and cataract resembling Peters anomaly. Loss of Smad4 function inhibited E-cadherin expression in the lens epithelium cells and corneal epithelium cells in Smad4 defective eye. Expression of N-cadherin was upregulated in corneal epithelium and corneal stroma. Both E-cadherin and N-cadherin were down-regulated at the future trabecular meshwork region in mutant eye. The qPCR results showed that the expression of Twist2 was increased significantly in the mutant lens （P〈0.01）. CONCLUSION： Smad4 is essential to eye development and likely a candidate pathogenic gene to Peters anomaly by regulating epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Twist2 can be regulated by Smad4 and plays an essential role in lens development.展开更多
An antifungal lipopeptide iturin A with strong activity against Fusarium oxysporum was produced by honey isolated strain Bacillus amyloliquefaciens BH072. For large-scale biocontrol application, the antifungal effect ...An antifungal lipopeptide iturin A with strong activity against Fusarium oxysporum was produced by honey isolated strain Bacillus amyloliquefaciens BH072. For large-scale biocontrol application, the antifungal effect was deeply demonstrated by structure and mode of action. Cyclic structure and second structure were determined based on situ acid hydrolysis and Fourier Transformed-Infra Red (FT-IR) Spectra analysis. Structure of α-helix was predicted which might be associated with activity. Afterwards, antifungal mechanism of iturin A on F. oxysporum were investigated from fungal cell wall to the plasma membrane and finally to intracellular proteins by morphological, activity of alkaline phosphatase (AKP), conductivity, Malondialdehyde (MDA) and SDS-PAGE detection. Antifungal damage appears on not only the spore germination and mycelium growth of F. oxysporum, but also the leakage of cellular proteins. Moreover, growth of F. oxysporum could be inhibited in the presence of iturin A at a MIC of 2.5 mg/mL. Considered with its high production in previous work, B. amyloliquefaciens strain BH072 and iturin A might be a promising candidate for biocontrol.展开更多
AIM： To design and investigate the efficacy of a modified nanostructured lipid carrier loaded with genistein（Gen-NLC） to inhibit human lens epithelial cells（HLECs） proliferation.·METHODS： Gen-NLC was made b...AIM： To design and investigate the efficacy of a modified nanostructured lipid carrier loaded with genistein（Gen-NLC） to inhibit human lens epithelial cells（HLECs） proliferation.·METHODS： Gen-NLC was made by melt emulsification method. The morphology, particle size（PS）, zeta potentials（ZP）, encapsulation efficiency（EE） and in vitro release were characterized. The inhibition effect of nanostructured lipid carrier（NLC）, genistein（Gen） and Gen-NLC on HLECs proliferation was evaluated by cell counting kit-8（CCK-8） assay, gene and protein expression of the proliferation marker Ki67 were evaluated with real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction（RT-q PCR） and immunofluorescence analyses.·RESULTS： The mean PS of Gen-NLC was 80.12±1.55 nm with a mean polydispersity index of 0.11±0.02. The mean ZP was-7.14 ±0.38 m V and the EE of Gen in the nanoparticles was 92.3% ±0.73%. Transmission electron microscopy showed that Gen-NLC displayed spherical-shaped particles covered by an outer-layer structure. In vitro release experiments demonstrated a prolonged drug release for 72 h. The CCK-8 assay results showed the NLC had no inhibitory effect on HLECs and Gen-NLC displayed a much more prominent inhibitory effect on cellular growth compared to Gen of the same concentration. The m RNA and protein expression of Ki67 in LECs decreased significantly in Gen-NLC group.·CONCLUSION： Sustained drug release by Gen-NLCs may impede HLEC growth.展开更多
The root of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi is traditionally used as medicine,and it has been confirmed that S.baicalensis Georgi has flavonoid chemical constituents,pharmacological activity and cosmetic efficacy.With ...The root of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi is traditionally used as medicine,and it has been confirmed that S.baicalensis Georgi has flavonoid chemical constituents,pharmacological activity and cosmetic efficacy.With the extensive application of S.baicalensis Georgi roots,the resource of S.baicalensis Georgi has been increasingly short.The above-ground part of stems and leaves of S.baicalensis Georgi has also been gradually recognized and developed.Studies have found that the chemical constituents from stems and leaves of S.baicalensis Georgi are also a group of flavonoids with a lot of pharmacological activity and have a great application value.Based on this,the present review will be reported on the chemical constituents and application of the roots,stems and leaves of S.baicalensis Georgi.展开更多
Objective The International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics(FIGO)2000 scoring system classifies gestational trophoblastic neoplasia(GTN)patients into low-and high-risk groups,so that single-or multi-agent chem...Objective The International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics(FIGO)2000 scoring system classifies gestational trophoblastic neoplasia(GTN)patients into low-and high-risk groups,so that single-or multi-agent chemotherapy can be administered accordingly.However,a number of FIGO-defined low-risk patients still exhibit resistance to single-agent regimens,and the risk factors currently adopted in the FIGO scoring system possess inequable values for predicting single-agent chemoresistance.The purpose of this study is therefore to evaluate the efficacy of risk factors in predicting single-agent chemoresistance and explore the feasibility of simplifying the FIGO 2000 scoring system for GTN.Methods The clinical data of 578 GTN patients who received chemotherapy between January 2000 and December 2018 were retrospectively reviewed.Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were carried out to identify risk factors associated with single-agent chemoresistance in low-risk GTN patients.Then,simplified models were built and compared with the original FIGO 2000 scoring system.Results Among the eight FIGO risk factors,the univariate and multivariate analyses identified that pretreatment serum human chorionic gonadotropin(hCG)level and interval from antecedent pregnancy were consistently independent predictors for both first-line and subsequent single-agent chemoresistance.The simplified model with two independent factors showed a better performance in predicting single-agent chemoresistance than the model with the other four non-independent factors.However,the addition of other co-factors did improve the efficiency.Overall,simplified models can achieve favorable performance,but the original FIGO 2000 prognostic system still features the highest discrimination.Conclusions Pretreatment serum hCG level and interval from antecedent pregnancy were independent predictors for both first-line and subsequent single-agent chemoresistance,and they had greater weight than other non-independent factors in predicting single-agent chemoresistance.The simplified model composed of certain selected factors is a promising alternative to the original FIGO 2000 prognostic system,and it shows comparable performance.展开更多
Background: Motor neuron degeneration or loss in the spinal cord is the characteristic phenotype of motor neuron diseases or spinal cord injuries. Being proliferative and located near neurons, astrocytes are considere...Background: Motor neuron degeneration or loss in the spinal cord is the characteristic phenotype of motor neuron diseases or spinal cord injuries. Being proliferative and located near neurons, astrocytes are considered ideal cell sources for regenerating neurons.Methods: We selected and tested different combinations of the small molecules for inducing the conversion of human and mouse astrocytes into neurons. Microscopic imaging and immunocytochemistry analyses were used to characterize the morphology and phenotype of the induced neurons while RT-q PCR was utilized to analyze changes in gene expression. In addition, whole-cell patch-clamp recordings were measured to examine the electrophysiological properties of induced neurons.Results: The results showed that human astrocytes could be rapidly and efficiently converted into motor neuronlike cells by treatment with defined small molecules, with a yield of over 85% motor neuron-like cells attained. The induced motor neuron-like cells expressed the pan-neuronal markers TUJ1, MAP2, Neu N, and Synapsin 1 and motor neuron markers HB9, ISL1, CHAT, and VACh T. During the conversion process, the cells did not pass through a proliferative neural progenitor cell intermediate. The induced motor neurons were functional, showing the electrophysiological properties of neurons. The same chemical cocktail could induce spinal cord astrocytes from an amyotrophic lateral sclerosis mouse model carrying a SOD1 mutation to become motor neuron-like cells that exhibited a decrease in cell survival and an increase in oxidative stress compared to that observed in wild-type MNs derived from healthy mice. Moreover, the chemical induction reduced oxidative stress in the mutant astrocytes.Conclusions: The results of the present study demonstrated the feasibility of chemically converting human and mouse astrocytes into motor neuron-like cells that are useful for neurodegenerative disease modeling and regenerative medicine.展开更多
OBJECTIVE:To explore the mechanistic effects of Yajieshaba(YJSB)on enhanced liver detoxification.METHODS:The effects of YJSB on alanine aminotransferase(ALT)and aspartate aminotransferase(AST)were assayed in five acut...OBJECTIVE:To explore the mechanistic effects of Yajieshaba(YJSB)on enhanced liver detoxification.METHODS:The effects of YJSB on alanine aminotransferase(ALT)and aspartate aminotransferase(AST)were assayed in five acute chemical liver injury models[carbon tetrachloride(CCU),D-galactosamine(D-Glan),4-acetamidophenol(AAP),thioacetamide(TAA)and 1-naphthyl isothiocyanate(ANIT)].Sleep latency and sleep time of pentobarbital sodium were tested in control mice and CCL model miceafter oral YJSB administration.The effects of YJSB on drug metabolism enzymes of liver microsomes were tested in control rats and CCI_4model rats.The levels of cytochrome P450(CYP450)and Cyt b5 in liver microsomes were assayed using the method by Omura and Sato,and activities of erythromycin N-demethylase(ERD)and aminopyrine N-demethyl(ADM)were evaluated by Nash colorimetry.Probe substrate-based high performance liquid chromatography(HPLC)methods were established for CYP3A4 and CYP1A2.RESULTS:The level of serum ALT was reduced by YJSB at 3.51 g/kg in the five models as follows:CCl_4>D-Glan,AAP,ANIT>TAA.YJSB treatment did not reduce the level of serum AST.YJSB at 3.51 g/kg prolonged the sleep latency in control mice and shortened the sleep time of control mice and CCl_4 model mice.For control rats,YJSB at 2.43 g/kg increased the levels of CYP450 and Cyt b5 and induced the activities of ERD and ADM;for liver injuries induced by CCI_4 in rats,YJSB at 2.43 g/kg increasedthe levels of CYP450 and Cyt b5.These results suggest that YJSB at 2.43 g/kg induces CYP3A4 and CYP1A2.CONCLUSION:These results suggest that YJSB enhanced liver detoxification and the mechanisms may be partially related to CYP3A4 and CYP1A2 induction.展开更多
基金Supported by Natural Science Key Research Project of the Education Department of Liaoning Province(No.ZD2020003)Natural Science Foundation of Liaoning Province(No.2019-MS-376)。
文摘AIM:To evaluate the global trends in and explore hotspots of high myopia(HM)research.METHODS:This bibliometric analysis was used to reveal the publication trends in HM research field based on the Web of Science Core Collection(WoSCC).VOSviewer version 1.6.13 software was used to analyze the data and construct a knowledge map including the yearly publication number,journals,countries,international collaborations,authors,research hotspots,and intellectual base in HM.RESULTS:The search engine found 3544 peer-reviewed publications on HM between 2010 and 2019,and the yearly research output substantially elevated over the past decade.China is the top publishing country,and Sun Yatsen University was the most active academic institution.Jonas JB is the top publishing scientist,and Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science(IOVS)was the most productive journal.The highest cited references mainly focused on epidemiology and management.The keywords formed 6 clusters:1)refractive surgery;2)etiology and clinical characteristics;3)the mechanism of eye growth;4)management for myopic maculopathy;5)vitrectomy surgical treatment;6)myopia-associated glaucoma-like optic neuropathy.CONCLUSION:The evaluation of development trends based on the data extracted from WoSCC can provide valuable information and guidance for ophthalmologists and public health researchers to improve management procedures in HM field.
文摘The TIR-NBS 2 (TN2) gene from Arabidopsis thaliana (Arabidopsis), which encodes a TIR (the Toll and Interleukin-1 Receptor)-type of nucleotide binding site (NBS) receptor protein (TIR-NBS) that can cause cell death in the model plant Nicotiana benthamiana (N. benthamiana). Nevertheless, the mechanism of TN2 signal initiation is still unclear. This research performed yeast two-hybrid and bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BIFC) assays to investigate interactions between proteins of TN2, and analyzed the influences of these interactors on TN2 function using N. benthamiana. EXO70B1, SOC3 and CPK5-VK were identified as interacting proteins of TN2 based on yeast two-hybrid and BIFC methods. Functional annotations of these interacting proteins indicate their involvement in multiple pathways, including exocytosis, positive regulation of abscisic acid-activated signaling pathway, regulation of stomatal closure, response to water deprivation, defense response, signal transduction and intracellular signal transduction. The transient assay results proclaimed that EXO70B1 can suppress cell death triggered by TN2 and TN2-TIR. These outcomes suggest that TN2 receptor may be participated in various pathways, and the protein level and activity are strictly controlled at multiple aspects, providing novel clues for elucidating the molecular mechanism of TN2 immune receptor in Arabidopsis resistance.
基金supported in part by the National Nature Science Foundation of China(92268206,81830064)the CAMS Innovation Fund for Medical Sciences(CIFMS,2019-I2M-5-059)+4 种基金the Military Medical Research Projects(145AKJ260015000X,2022-JCJQ-ZB-09600)the Military Key Basic Research of Foundational Strengthening Program(2020-JCJQ-ZD-256-021)the Science Foundation of National Defense Science and Technology for Excellent Young(2022-JCJQ-ZQ-017)the Military Medical Research and Development Projects(AWS17J005,2019-126)the Specific Research Fund of The Innovation Platform for Academicians of Hainan Province(YSPTZX202317).
文摘Scar formation resulting from burns or severe trauma can significantly compromise the structural integrity of skin and lead to permanent loss of skin appendages,ultimately impairing its normal physiological function.Accumulating evidence underscores the potential of targeted modulation of mechanical cues to enhance skin regeneration,promoting scarless repair by influencing the extracellular microenvironment and driving the phenotypic transitions.The field of skin repair and skin appendage regeneration has witnessed remarkable advancements in the utilization of biomaterials with distinct physical properties.However,a comprehensive understanding of the underlying mechanisms remains somewhat elusive,limiting the broader application of these innovations.In this review,we present two promising biomaterial-based mechanical approaches aimed at bolstering the regenerative capacity of compromised skin.The first approach involves leveraging biomaterials with specific biophysical properties to create an optimal scarless environment that supports cellular activities essential for regeneration.The second approach centers on harnessing mechanical forces exerted by biomaterials to enhance cellular plasticity,facilitating efficient cellular reprogramming and,consequently,promoting the regeneration of skin appendages.In summary,the manipulation of mechanical cues using biomaterial-based strategies holds significant promise as a supplementary approach for achieving scarless wound healing,coupled with the restoration of multiple skin appendage functions.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(62301598).
文摘To tackle the challenges of intractable parameter tun-ing,significant computational expenditure and imprecise model-driven sparse-based direction of arrival(DOA)estimation with array error(AE),this paper proposes a deep unfolded amplitude-phase error self-calibration network.Firstly,a sparse-based DOA model with an array convex error restriction is established,which gets resolved via an alternating iterative minimization(AIM)algo-rithm.The algorithm is then unrolled to a deep network known as AE-AIM Network(AE-AIM-Net),where all parameters are opti-mized through multi-task learning using the constructed com-plete dataset.The results of the simulation and theoretical analy-sis suggest that the proposed unfolded network achieves lower computational costs compared to typical sparse recovery meth-ods.Furthermore,it maintains excellent estimation performance even in the presence of array magnitude-phase errors.
基金supported in part by the National Nature Science Foundation of China(No.81372067)the National Basic Science and Development Program of China(973 Program,No.2012CB518105)
文摘Skin wound healing is a complex event, and interrupted wound healing process could lead to scar formation. The aim of this study was to examine the morphological changes of scar tissue. Pathological staining（HE staining, Masson＇s trichrome staining, methenamine silver staining） was used to evaluate the morphological changes of regenerating epidermis in normal skin and scar tissue, and immunofluorescence staining to detect the expression of collagen Ⅳ, a component of basement membrane（BM）, and the expression of integrinβ4, a receptor for BM laminins. Additionally, the expression of CK14, CK5, and CK10 was measured to evaluate the proliferation and differentiation of keratinocytes in normal skin and scar tissue. The results showed that the structure of the skin was histologically changed in scar tissue. Collagen Ⅳ, expressed under the epidermis of normal skin, was reduced distinctly in scar tissue. Integrinβ4, expressed in the basal layer of normal skin, was found absent in the basal layer of scar tissue. Additionally, it was found that keratinocytes in scarring epidermis were more proliferative than in normal skin. These results indicate that during the skin wound healing, altered formation of BM may affect the proliferation of keratinocytes, reepithelial and tissue remodeling, and then result in scar formation. Thus, remodeling BM structure during wound repair may be beneficial for improving healing in cutaneous wounds during clinical practice.
基金Supported by National 11th Five-Year Plan of China for Military Medical Projects,No.06Z055the National Natural Science Foundation of China,No.81301607
文摘AIM: To investigate whether dimethyl sulfoxide(DMSO) inhibits gut inflammation and barrier dysfunction following zymosan-induced systemic inflammatoryresponse syndrome and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome.METHODS: Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups: sham with administration of normal saline(SS group); sham with administration of DMSO(SD group); zymosan with administration of normal saline(ZS group); and zymosan with administration of DMSO(ZD group). Each group contained three subgroups according to 4 h,8 h,and 24 h after surgery. At 4 h,8 h,and 24 h after intraperitoneal injection of zymosan(750 mg/kg),the levels of intestinal inflammatory cytokines [tumor necrosis factor-alpha(TNF-α) and interleukin(IL)-10] and oxides(myeloperoxidase,malonaldehyde,and superoxide dismutase) were examined. The levels of diamine oxidase(DAO) in plasma and intestinal mucosal blood flow(IMBF) were determined. Intestinal injury was also evaluated using an intestinal histological score and apoptosis of intestinal epithelial cells was determined by deoxynucleotidyl transferase d UTP nick end labeling(TUNEL) assay. The intestinal epithelial tight junction protein,ZO-1,was observed by immunofluorescence.RESULTS: DMSO decreased TNF-α and increased IL-10 levels in the intestine compared with the ZS group at the corresponding time points. The activity of intestinal myeloperoxidase in the ZS group was higher than that in the ZD group 24 h after zymosan administration(P < 0.05). DMSO decreased the content of malondialdehyde(MDA) and increased the activity of superoxide dehydrogenase(SOD) 24 h after zymosan administration. The IMBF was lowest at 24 h and was 49.34% and 58.26% in the ZS group and ZD group,respectively(P < 0.05). DMSO alleviated injury in intestinal villi,and the gut injury score was significantly lower than the ZS group(3.6 ± 0.2 vs 4.2 ± 0.3,P < 0.05). DMSO decreased the level of DAO in plasma compared with the ZS group(65.1 ± 4.7 U/L vs 81.1 ± 5.0 U/L,P < 0.05). DMSO significantly preserved ZO-1 protein expression and localization 24 h after zymosan administration. The TUNEL analysis indicated that the number of apoptotic intestinal cells in the ZS group was much higher than the ZD group(P < 0.05).CONCLUSION: DMSO inhibited intestinal cytokines and protected against zymosan-induced gut barrier dysfunction.
基金Supported by Natural Science Foundation of China (Anti-ischemic Brain Injury and Neuroprotection Mechanisms of Phenolic Compounds Distributed in Brain from Gastrodia,No.81160514)Yunnan Applied Basic Research Projects (Protective Effect and Mechanisms of 4-Methoxybenzyl from Gastrodia Elata on the Neurovascular Unit,No.2014FB153)Traditional Chinese Medicine Education Innovation Fund of Yunnan Baiyao-Yunnan University of TCM (The Regulation Role of Ethyl Acetate Extract from Gastrodia Elata on NO Pathway,No.YB2014J04)
文摘OBJECTIVE: To investigate the protective effect of neuroprotection against transient focal cerebral ischemia of the extract from Tianma(Rhizoma Gastrodiae) and the possible mechanisms underlying the action.METHODS: Cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury was induced through middle cerebral artery occlusion(MCAO). Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups: sham-operated,ischemia-reperfusion model, 102.6 mg/kg extract treated and 11.4 mg/kg extract treated groups. The extract was prepared from gastrodia elata with ethyl acetate. The effect of the extract tested on rat neurological de fi cits and Cerebral index, cerebral infarct volume, brain injury, terminal dexynucleotidyl transferase-mediated d UTP nick end labeling(TUNEL) and B-cell lymphoma-2(Bcl-2) positive cells.RESULTS: The extract was able to reduce neurological scores, cerebral index and cerebral infarction rate. The brain injury was also relieved by the extract. The results of immunofluorescence staining analysis indicated that the extract increased the expression of Bcl-2 and reduced TUNEL-positive cells significantly in the extract treated groups.CONCLUSION: These results suggested that the extract relieved ischemic injury induced by transient focal cerebral ischemia in rats, and this neuroprotective effect might be partially due to the attenuated apoptosis pathway.
基金supported partially by the National Natural Science Foundation of China,No.81473577(to CGM)a grant from the Department of Science and Technology of Shanxi Province,China,No.201803D421073(to YQY)and No.201805D111009(to CGM)+2 种基金a grant from Shanxi Applied Basic Research Project,No.201901D211538(to LJS)Datong Bureau of Science and Technology of China,No.2019198(to CGM)Research Project Funds from Shanxi Scholarship Council of China,No.2014-7(to CGM)。
文摘Astrocytes play multifaceted and vital roles in maintaining neurophysiological function of the central nervous system by regulating homeostasis, increasing synaptic plasticity, and sustaining neuroprotective effects. Astrocytes become activated as a result of inflammatory responses during the progression of pathological changes associated with neurodegenerative disorders. Reactive astrocytes(neurotoxic A1 and neuroprotective A2) are triggered during disease progression and pathogenesis due to neuroinflammation and ischemia. However, only a limited body of literature describes morphological and functional changes of astrocytes during the progression of neurodegenerative diseases. The present review investigated the detrimental and beneficial roles of astrocytes in neurodegenerative diseases reported in recent studies, as these cells have promising therapeutic potential and offer new approaches for treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China,Nos. 82004028 (to LJS) and 81473577 (to CGM)China Postdoctoral Science Foundation,No. 2020M680912 (to LJS)+4 种基金Shanxi Applied Basic Research Project,No. 201901D211538 (to LJS)Leading Team of Medical Science and Technology of Shanxi Province,No. 2020TD05 (to CGM)Funds for Construction of Key Disciplines from Shanxi University of Chinese Medicine,Young Scientists Cultivation Project of Shanxi University of Chinese Medicine No. 2021PYQN-09 (to LJS)Basic Research Project of the Cultivation Plan of Scientific and Technological Innovation Ability of Shanxi University of Chinese Medicine,No. 2020PY-JC-02 (to LJS)Cardiovascular Special Fund Project of National Regional Traditional Chinese Medicine Medical Center of Affiliated Hospital of Shanxi University of Chinese Medicine in 2021, No. XGZX202115 (to LJS)。
文摘Microglia are resident immune cells in the central nervous system. During the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease, stimulatory factors continuously act on the microglia causing abnormal activation and unbalanced phenotypic changes;these events have become a significant and promising area of research. In this review, we summarize the effects of microglial polarization and crosstalk with other cells in the central nervous system in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. Our literature search found that phenotypic changes occur continuously in Alzheimer’s disease and that microglia exhibit extensive crosstalk with astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, neurons, and penetrated peripheral innate immune cells via specific signaling pathways and cytokines. Collectively, unlike previous efforts to modulate microglial phenotypes at a single level, targeting the phenotypes of microglia and the crosstalk with other cells in the central nervous system may be more effective in reducing inflammation in the central nervous system in Alzheimer’s disease. This would establish a theoretical basis for reducing neuronal death from central nervous system inflammation and provide an appropriate environment to promote neuronal regeneration in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, Nos.81473577 (to CGM), 81903596 (to QW), 82004028 (to LJS)China Postdoctoral Science Foundation, No.2020M680912 (to LJS)+2 种基金Open Project of The Key Laboratory of Medicinal Resources and Natural Pharmaceutical Chemistry, The Ministry of Education of China,No.2019004 (to CGM)Science and Technology Innovation Project of Shanxi Colleges of China, Nos.2019L0728 (to QW)Cultivation Project of Shanxi Universtity of Chinese Medicine of China, No.2019PY130 (to QW)
文摘Ras homolog(Rho)-associated kinases(ROCKs)belong to the serine-threonine kinase family,which plays a pivotal role in regulating the damage,survival,axon guidance,and regeneration of neurons.ROCKs are also involved in the biological effects of immune cells and glial cells,as well as the development of neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease,Parkinson’s disease,and multiple sclerosis.Previous studies by us and others confirmed that ROCKs inhibitors attenuated the symptoms and progression of experimental models of the abovementioned neurodegenerative diseases by inhibiting neuroinflammation,regulating immune imbalance,repairing the blood-brain barrier,and promoting nerve repair and myelin regeneration.Fasudil,the first ROCKs inhibitor to be used clinically,has a good therapeutic effect on neurodegenerative diseases.Fasudil increases the activity of neural stem cells and mesenchymal stem cells,thus optimizing cell therapy.This review will systematically describe,for the first time,the effects of abnormal activation of ROCKs on T cells,B cells,microglia,astrocytes,oligodendrocytes,and pericytes in neurodegenerative diseases of the central nervous system,summarize the therapeutic potential of fasudil in several experimental models of neurodegenerative diseases,and clarify the possible cellular and molecular mechanisms of ROCKs inhibition.This review also proposes that fasudil is a novel potential treatment,especially in combination with cell-based therapy.Findings from this review add support for further investigation of ROCKs and its inhibitor fasudil for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.
基金supported in part by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(62073271)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities of China(20720220076)the Natural Science Foundation for Distinguished Young Scholars of the Fujian Province of China(2023 J06010).
文摘Dear Editor,In this letter,a novel hierarchical fusion framework is proposed to address the imperfect data property in complex medical image analysis(MIA)scenes.In particular,by combining the strengths of convolutional neural networks(CNNs)and transformers,the enhanced feature extraction,spatial modeling,and sequential context learning are realized to provide comprehensive insights on the complex data patterns.Integration of information in different level is enabled via a multi-attention fusion mechanism,and the tensor decomposition methods are adopted so that compact and distinctive representation of the underlying and high-dimensional medical image features can be accomplished[1].It is shown from the evaluation results that the proposed framework is competitive and superior as compared with some other advanced algorithms,which effectively handles the imperfect property of inter-class similarity and intra-class differences in diseases,and meanwhile,the model complexity is reduced within an acceptable level,which benefits the deployment in clinic practice.MIA has assumed a pivotal role in numerous critical clinical scenarios,where sophisticated image analysis techniques have proven instrumental in augmenting medical decision-making,facilitating individualized therapeutic interventions,and enhancing patient prognostication[2]−[4].
基金supported by a grant from the Department of Science and Technology of Shanxi Province,China,No.20210302123477(to CL)Datong Bureau of Science and Technology of China,No.2020152(to CL)the Opening Foundation of Key Research Laboratory of Benefiting Qi for Acting Blood Circulation Method to Treat Multiple Sclerosis of State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine,No.2022-KF-03(to CL).
文摘Multiple sclerosis is characterized by demyelination and neuronal loss caused by inflammatory cell activation and infiltration into the central nervous system.Macrophage polarization plays an important role in the pathogenesis of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis,a traditional experimental model of multiple sclerosis.This study investigated the effect of Fasudil on macrophages and examined the therapeutic potential of Fasudil-modified macrophages in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis.We found that Fasudil induced the conversion of macrophages from the pro-inflammatory M1 type to the anti-inflammatory M2 type,as shown by reduced expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase/nitric oxide,interleukin-12,and CD16/32 and increased expression of arginase-1,interleukin-10,CD14,and CD206,which was linked to inhibition of Rho kinase activity,decreased expression of toll-like receptors,nuclear factor-κB,and components of the mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway,and generation of the pro-inflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor-α,interleukin-1β,and interleukin-6.Crucially,Fasudil-modified macrophages effectively decreased the impact of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis,resulting in later onset of disease,lower symptom scores,less weight loss,and reduced demyelination compared with unmodified macrophages.In addition,Fasudil-modified macrophages decreased interleukin-17 expression on CD4^(+)T cells and CD16/32,inducible nitric oxide synthase,and interleukin-12 expression on F4/80^(+)macrophages,as well as increasing interleukin-10 expression on CD4^(+)T cells and arginase-1,CD206,and interleukin-10 expression on F4/80^(+)macrophages,which improved immune regulation and reduced inflammation.These findings suggest that Fasudil-modified macrophages may help treat experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis by inducing M2 macrophage polarization and inhibiting the inflammatory response,thereby providing new insight into cell immunotherapy for multiple sclerosis.
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.81470617No.81371003)Colleges and Universities Scientific Research Project of Liaoning Province,China(No.L2014305)
文摘AIM： To explore the molecular mechanisms in lens development and the pathogenesis of Peters anomaly in Smad4 defective mice. METHODS： Le-Cre transgenic mouse line was employed to inactivate Smad4 in the surface ectoderm selectively. Pathological techniques were used to reveal the morphological changes of the anterior segment in Smad4 defective eye. Immunohistochemical staining was employed to observe the expression of E-cadherin, N- cadherin and α-SMA in anterior segment of Smad4 defective mice and control mice at embryonic （E） day 16.5. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction （qPCR） was performed to detect the expression of Snail, Zebl, Zeb2 and Twist2 in lens of Smad4 defective mice and control mice at E16.5. RESULTS： Conditional deletion of Smad4 on eye surface ectoderm resulted in corneal dysplasia, iridocorneal angle closure, corneolenticular adhesions and cataract resembling Peters anomaly. Loss of Smad4 function inhibited E-cadherin expression in the lens epithelium cells and corneal epithelium cells in Smad4 defective eye. Expression of N-cadherin was upregulated in corneal epithelium and corneal stroma. Both E-cadherin and N-cadherin were down-regulated at the future trabecular meshwork region in mutant eye. The qPCR results showed that the expression of Twist2 was increased significantly in the mutant lens （P〈0.01）. CONCLUSION： Smad4 is essential to eye development and likely a candidate pathogenic gene to Peters anomaly by regulating epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Twist2 can be regulated by Smad4 and plays an essential role in lens development.
文摘An antifungal lipopeptide iturin A with strong activity against Fusarium oxysporum was produced by honey isolated strain Bacillus amyloliquefaciens BH072. For large-scale biocontrol application, the antifungal effect was deeply demonstrated by structure and mode of action. Cyclic structure and second structure were determined based on situ acid hydrolysis and Fourier Transformed-Infra Red (FT-IR) Spectra analysis. Structure of α-helix was predicted which might be associated with activity. Afterwards, antifungal mechanism of iturin A on F. oxysporum were investigated from fungal cell wall to the plasma membrane and finally to intracellular proteins by morphological, activity of alkaline phosphatase (AKP), conductivity, Malondialdehyde (MDA) and SDS-PAGE detection. Antifungal damage appears on not only the spore germination and mycelium growth of F. oxysporum, but also the leakage of cellular proteins. Moreover, growth of F. oxysporum could be inhibited in the presence of iturin A at a MIC of 2.5 mg/mL. Considered with its high production in previous work, B. amyloliquefaciens strain BH072 and iturin A might be a promising candidate for biocontrol.
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation for Distinguished Young Scholars of China (No. 81100654)
文摘AIM： To design and investigate the efficacy of a modified nanostructured lipid carrier loaded with genistein（Gen-NLC） to inhibit human lens epithelial cells（HLECs） proliferation.·METHODS： Gen-NLC was made by melt emulsification method. The morphology, particle size（PS）, zeta potentials（ZP）, encapsulation efficiency（EE） and in vitro release were characterized. The inhibition effect of nanostructured lipid carrier（NLC）, genistein（Gen） and Gen-NLC on HLECs proliferation was evaluated by cell counting kit-8（CCK-8） assay, gene and protein expression of the proliferation marker Ki67 were evaluated with real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction（RT-q PCR） and immunofluorescence analyses.·RESULTS： The mean PS of Gen-NLC was 80.12±1.55 nm with a mean polydispersity index of 0.11±0.02. The mean ZP was-7.14 ±0.38 m V and the EE of Gen in the nanoparticles was 92.3% ±0.73%. Transmission electron microscopy showed that Gen-NLC displayed spherical-shaped particles covered by an outer-layer structure. In vitro release experiments demonstrated a prolonged drug release for 72 h. The CCK-8 assay results showed the NLC had no inhibitory effect on HLECs and Gen-NLC displayed a much more prominent inhibitory effect on cellular growth compared to Gen of the same concentration. The m RNA and protein expression of Ki67 in LECs decreased significantly in Gen-NLC group.·CONCLUSION： Sustained drug release by Gen-NLCs may impede HLEC growth.
基金Supported by Funding Project of Hebei Provincial Department of Education(ZD20131022,ZD2019057)First Batch Financial Support for Hebei Provincial Hundred Outstanding Innovative Talents in China.
文摘The root of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi is traditionally used as medicine,and it has been confirmed that S.baicalensis Georgi has flavonoid chemical constituents,pharmacological activity and cosmetic efficacy.With the extensive application of S.baicalensis Georgi roots,the resource of S.baicalensis Georgi has been increasingly short.The above-ground part of stems and leaves of S.baicalensis Georgi has also been gradually recognized and developed.Studies have found that the chemical constituents from stems and leaves of S.baicalensis Georgi are also a group of flavonoids with a lot of pharmacological activity and have a great application value.Based on this,the present review will be reported on the chemical constituents and application of the roots,stems and leaves of S.baicalensis Georgi.
文摘Objective The International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics(FIGO)2000 scoring system classifies gestational trophoblastic neoplasia(GTN)patients into low-and high-risk groups,so that single-or multi-agent chemotherapy can be administered accordingly.However,a number of FIGO-defined low-risk patients still exhibit resistance to single-agent regimens,and the risk factors currently adopted in the FIGO scoring system possess inequable values for predicting single-agent chemoresistance.The purpose of this study is therefore to evaluate the efficacy of risk factors in predicting single-agent chemoresistance and explore the feasibility of simplifying the FIGO 2000 scoring system for GTN.Methods The clinical data of 578 GTN patients who received chemotherapy between January 2000 and December 2018 were retrospectively reviewed.Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were carried out to identify risk factors associated with single-agent chemoresistance in low-risk GTN patients.Then,simplified models were built and compared with the original FIGO 2000 scoring system.Results Among the eight FIGO risk factors,the univariate and multivariate analyses identified that pretreatment serum human chorionic gonadotropin(hCG)level and interval from antecedent pregnancy were consistently independent predictors for both first-line and subsequent single-agent chemoresistance.The simplified model with two independent factors showed a better performance in predicting single-agent chemoresistance than the model with the other four non-independent factors.However,the addition of other co-factors did improve the efficiency.Overall,simplified models can achieve favorable performance,but the original FIGO 2000 prognostic system still features the highest discrimination.Conclusions Pretreatment serum hCG level and interval from antecedent pregnancy were independent predictors for both first-line and subsequent single-agent chemoresistance,and they had greater weight than other non-independent factors in predicting single-agent chemoresistance.The simplified model composed of certain selected factors is a promising alternative to the original FIGO 2000 prognostic system,and it shows comparable performance.
基金supported in part by the National Nature Science Foundation of China (81830064, 81721092)the National Key Research and Development Plan (2017YFC1103304)+1 种基金the CAMS Innovation Fund for Medical Sciences (CIFMS, 2019-I2M-5-059)the Military Medical Research and Development Projects (AWS17J005, 2019–126)。
文摘Background: Motor neuron degeneration or loss in the spinal cord is the characteristic phenotype of motor neuron diseases or spinal cord injuries. Being proliferative and located near neurons, astrocytes are considered ideal cell sources for regenerating neurons.Methods: We selected and tested different combinations of the small molecules for inducing the conversion of human and mouse astrocytes into neurons. Microscopic imaging and immunocytochemistry analyses were used to characterize the morphology and phenotype of the induced neurons while RT-q PCR was utilized to analyze changes in gene expression. In addition, whole-cell patch-clamp recordings were measured to examine the electrophysiological properties of induced neurons.Results: The results showed that human astrocytes could be rapidly and efficiently converted into motor neuronlike cells by treatment with defined small molecules, with a yield of over 85% motor neuron-like cells attained. The induced motor neuron-like cells expressed the pan-neuronal markers TUJ1, MAP2, Neu N, and Synapsin 1 and motor neuron markers HB9, ISL1, CHAT, and VACh T. During the conversion process, the cells did not pass through a proliferative neural progenitor cell intermediate. The induced motor neurons were functional, showing the electrophysiological properties of neurons. The same chemical cocktail could induce spinal cord astrocytes from an amyotrophic lateral sclerosis mouse model carrying a SOD1 mutation to become motor neuron-like cells that exhibited a decrease in cell survival and an increase in oxidative stress compared to that observed in wild-type MNs derived from healthy mice. Moreover, the chemical induction reduced oxidative stress in the mutant astrocytes.Conclusions: The results of the present study demonstrated the feasibility of chemically converting human and mouse astrocytes into motor neuron-like cells that are useful for neurodegenerative disease modeling and regenerative medicine.
基金Supported by the Natural Science Foundation of China(Detoxification Mechanisms of Dai Medicine Ya-Jie-Sha-Ba In Food Poisoning and Drug Toxicity,No.81160555)Key Project of Science Foundation by the Department of Education,Yunnan Province,China(Detoxification Mechanisms of Dai Medicine Ya-Jie-Sha-Ba,No.ZD201008)12th Five-year Key Construction Discipline of State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine"Dai Pharmacy"
文摘OBJECTIVE:To explore the mechanistic effects of Yajieshaba(YJSB)on enhanced liver detoxification.METHODS:The effects of YJSB on alanine aminotransferase(ALT)and aspartate aminotransferase(AST)were assayed in five acute chemical liver injury models[carbon tetrachloride(CCU),D-galactosamine(D-Glan),4-acetamidophenol(AAP),thioacetamide(TAA)and 1-naphthyl isothiocyanate(ANIT)].Sleep latency and sleep time of pentobarbital sodium were tested in control mice and CCL model miceafter oral YJSB administration.The effects of YJSB on drug metabolism enzymes of liver microsomes were tested in control rats and CCI_4model rats.The levels of cytochrome P450(CYP450)and Cyt b5 in liver microsomes were assayed using the method by Omura and Sato,and activities of erythromycin N-demethylase(ERD)and aminopyrine N-demethyl(ADM)were evaluated by Nash colorimetry.Probe substrate-based high performance liquid chromatography(HPLC)methods were established for CYP3A4 and CYP1A2.RESULTS:The level of serum ALT was reduced by YJSB at 3.51 g/kg in the five models as follows:CCl_4>D-Glan,AAP,ANIT>TAA.YJSB treatment did not reduce the level of serum AST.YJSB at 3.51 g/kg prolonged the sleep latency in control mice and shortened the sleep time of control mice and CCl_4 model mice.For control rats,YJSB at 2.43 g/kg increased the levels of CYP450 and Cyt b5 and induced the activities of ERD and ADM;for liver injuries induced by CCI_4 in rats,YJSB at 2.43 g/kg increasedthe levels of CYP450 and Cyt b5.These results suggest that YJSB at 2.43 g/kg induces CYP3A4 and CYP1A2.CONCLUSION:These results suggest that YJSB enhanced liver detoxification and the mechanisms may be partially related to CYP3A4 and CYP1A2 induction.
