Periplaneta americana extract improves recurrent oral ulcers through regulation of TLR4/NF-κB and Nrf2/HO-1 pathways.

Recurrent oral ulcers (ROUs) of oral mucosa disease are difficult to cure and relapse easily, and immune imLbalance or dysfunction is considered an essential factor in their occurrence and recurrence. Periplaneta americana extract (PAD), a raw material used in Kangfuxin Liquid and Yunnan Baiyao toothpaste, contains a variety of growth factors such as polypeptides and sticky sugar amino acids that promote tissue repair; this can encourage the growth of the granulation tissue and reduce inflammation on the wound surface. This study aimed to investigate the interventional potential of PAD on recurrent oral ulcers in rats and to elucidate the underlying mechanism of action involving the TLR4/NF-κB and Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathways.

Raman spectroscopy and bioinformatics-based identification of key genes and pathways capable of distinguishing between diffuse large B cell lymphoma and chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) are subtypes of non-Hogkin lymphoma (NHL) that are generally distinct form one cases, but the transformation of one of these diseases into the other is possible. Some patients with CLL, for instance, have the potential to develop Richter transformation such that they are diagnosed with a rare, invasive DLBCL subtype. In this study, bioinformatics analyses of these two NHL subtypes were conducted, identifying key patterns of gene expression and then experimentally validating the results.

Exploring Dimethylsulfoniopropionate as a potential treatment for Alzheimer's disease: A study using the 3 × Tg-AD mouse model.

Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD), the most common neurodegenerative disorder, affects a broad spectrum of aging populations. AD is characterized by pathological amyloid-β (Aβ) plaques and neurofibrillary tangles, leading to neural degeneration and cognitive decline. The lack of effective treatments for AD highlights the urgent need for novel therapeutic agents, particularly in the early stages.

Establishment and Verification of an Artificial Intelligence Prediction Model for Children With Sepsis.

Background: Early identification of high-risk groups of children with sepsis is beneficial to reduce sepsis mortality. This article used artificial intelligence (AI) technology to predict the risk of death effectively and quickly in children with sepsis in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU).

Study Design: This retrospective observational study was conducted in the PICUs of the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University from December 2016 to June 2019 and Shenzhen Children's Hospital from January 2019 to July 2020.

Application of serum Raman spectroscopy in rapid and early discrimination of aplastic anemia and myelodysplastic syndrome.

Background: Raman spectroscopy of hematological diseases has gained attention from various researchers. However, serum analysis of bone marrow failure (BMF), represented by aplastic anemia (AA) and myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) has not been fully investigated. In this study, we aimed at establishing a simple, non-invasive serum detection method for AA and MDS.

Bioinformatics and Raman spectroscopy-based identification of key pathways and genes enabling differentiation between acute myeloid leukemia and T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) are two of the most prevalent hematological malignancies diagnosed among adult leukemia patients, with both being difficult to treat and associated with high rates of recurrence and mortality. In the present study, bioinformatics approaches were used to analyze both of these types of leukemia in an effort to identify characteristic gene expression patterns that were subsequently validated Raman spectroscopy. For these analyses, four Gene Expression Omnibus datasets (GSE13204, GSE51082, GSE89565, and GSE131184) pertaining to acute leukemia were downloaded, and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were then identified through comparisons of AML and T-ALL patient samples using the R Bioconductor package.

Elucidating the Heterogeneity of Serum Metabolism in Patients with Myelodysplastic Syndrome and Acute Myeloid Leukemia by Raman Spectroscopy.

Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) is difficult to diagnose and classify because it has the potential to evolve into acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Raman spectroscopy and orthogonal partial least squares discrimination analysis (OPLS-DA) are used to systematically analyze peripheral blood serum samples from 33 patients with MDS, 25 patients with AML, and 29 control volunteers to gain insight into the heterogeneity of serum metabolism in patients with MDS and AML. AML patients show unique serum spectral data compared to MDS patients with considerably greater peak intensities of collagen (859 and 1345 cm) and carbohydrate (920 and 1123 cm) compared to MDS patients.

Elucidating the mitochondrial function of murine lymphocyte subsets and the heterogeneity of the mitophagy pathway inherited from hematopoietic stem cells.

Background: Mitochondria are mainly involved in ATP production to meet the energy demands of cells. Researchers are increasingly recognizing the important role of mitochondria in the differentiation and activation of hematopoietic cells, but research on how mitochondrial metabolism influence different subsets of lymphocyte at different stages of differentiation and activation are yet to be carried out. In this work, the mitochondrial functions of lymphocytes were compared at different differentiation and activation stages and included CD8 T lymphocytes, CD4 T lymphocytes, B lymphocytes, NK cells as well as their subsets.

Proteomics Evidence of the Role of TDMQ20 in the Cholinergic System and Synaptic Transmission in a Mouse Model of Alzheimer's Disease.

The interaction between copper ions and amyloid peptide Aβ has been reported to be involved in Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology. Based on copper coordination biochemistry, we designed specific copper chelators [tetradentate monoquinolines (TDMQs)] in order to regulate copper homeostasis in the AD brain and inhibit the deleterious oxidative stress catalyzed by copper-Aβ complexes. We previously reported that TDMQ20, a highly selective copper chelator selected as a drug candidate, was able to extract copper from the Cu-Aβ complex and restore cognitive and behavioral deficits in AD mouse models.

Cortical circuit dysfunction in a mouse model of alpha-synucleinopathy .

Considerable fluctuations in cognitive performance and eventual dementia are an important characteristic of alpha-synucleinopathies, such as Parkinson's disease and Lewy Body dementia and are linked to cortical dysfunction. The presence of misfolded and aggregated alpha-synuclein in the cerebral cortex of patients has been suggested to play a crucial role in this process. However, the consequences of a-synuclein accumulation on the function of cortical networks at cellular resolution are largely unknown.

Impact of α-synuclein spreading on the nigrostriatal dopaminergic pathway depends on the onset of the pathology.

Misfolded α-synuclein spreads along anatomically connected areas through the brain, prompting progressive neurodegeneration of the nigrostriatal pathway in Parkinson's disease. To investigate the impact of early stage seeding and spreading of misfolded α-synuclein along with the nigrostriatal pathway, we studied the pathophysiologic effect induced by a single acute α-synuclein preformed fibrils (PFFs) inoculation into the midbrain. Further, to model the progressive vulnerability that characterizes the dopamine (DA) neuron life span, we used two cohorts of mice with different ages: 2-month-old (young) and 5-month-old (adult) mice.

Rapid BMI Increases and Persistent Obesity in Small-for-Gestational-Age Infants.

In order to compensate for the early intrauterine growth restriction, small-for-gestational age (SGA) infants have "catch-up growth" after birth. Increased caloric intake has been suggested for SGA infants conventionally. It is important to determine if the early growth rate of body mass index (BMI) is associated with risk of persistent obesity later in life.

Vitexin regulates Epac and NLRP3 and ameliorates chronic cerebral hypoperfusion injury.

Chronic cerebral hypoperfusion (CCH), as a critical factor of chronic cerebrovascular diseases, has greatly influenced the health of patients with vascular dementia. Vitexin, a flavone C-glycoside (apigenin-8-C-β-D-glucopyranoside) that belongs to the flavone subclass of flavonoids, has been shown to possess antioxidant and anti-ischemic properties; however, the putative protective effects of vitexin on the CCH need further investigation. In the current study, the role of vitexin and its underlying mechanism were investigated with permanent bilateral common carotid artery occlusion (2VO) in rats as well as mouse hippocampal neuronal (HT22) cells with oxygen and glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R) injury model.

Epac1 Signaling Pathway Mediates the Damage and Apoptosis of Inner Ear Hair Cells after Noise Exposure in a Rat Model.

To investigate the role of the exchange protein directly activated by cAMP (Epac) signaling pathway in inner ear hair cell damage and apoptosis after noise exposure, we analyzed the expression level of Epac1 in a rat model of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL), based on rat exposure to a 4-kHz and 106-dB sound pressure level (SPL) for 8 h. Loss of outer hair cells (OHCs), mitochondrial lesions, and hearing loss were examined after treatment with the Epac agonist, 8-CPT, or the Epac inhibitor, ESI-09. The effects of 8-CPT and ESI-09 on cell proliferation and apoptosis were examined by CCK-8 assays, holographic microscopy imaging, and Annexin-V FITC/PI staining in HEI-OC1 cells.

Vitexin attenuates myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury in rats by regulating mitochondrial dysfunction induced by mitochondrial dynamics imbalance.

Vitexin (VT) is a main bioactive flavonoid compound derived from the dried leaf of hawthorn (Crataegus pinnatifida), a widely used Chinese traditional folk medicine. Recent studies have shown that vitexin presents cardioprotective effects in vivo and in vitro. Mitochondrial dysfunction is a salient feature of myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury (MIRI), but the potential mechanism is still unclear.

Growth of infants and young children born small for gestational age: growth restriction accompanied by overweight.

Objectives To compare growth profiles of children born small for gestational age (SGA) with those born the appropriate size for gestational age (AGA), and examine expected growth patterns for SGA in early childhood. Methods A survey on 23,871 SGA children was conducted in Shanghai. Data were collected at 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 18, 24, 36, 48, and 60 months of age (+30 days).

Simvastatin ameliorates low-dose streptozotocin-induced type 2 diabetic nephropathy in an experimental rat model.

The present study aims to study the possible renal protective effect of simvastatin in the development and progression of type 2 diabetic nephropathy. A rat model of T2DN was induced by high-fat diet together with single low-dose of streptozotocin. The diabetic rats were either given treatment or vehicle control for 13 weeks to develop nephropathy.