Micheliolide ameliorates severe acute pancreatitis in mice through potentiating Nrf2-mediated anti-inflammation and anti-oxidation effects.

Severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) is an acute inflammatory injury disease with significant mortality rate and currently without effective strategy being available. Inflammation and oxidative stress play central roles in the etiology of SAP. Micheliolide (MCL), an active monomeric component isolated from Michelia champaca, has been proved its multiple therapeutic properties including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-cancer.

Discovery and pharmacological characterization of 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinoline derivatives as RORγ inverse agonists against prostate cancer.

The retinoic acid receptor-related orphan receptor γ (RORγ) is regarded as an attractive therapeutic target for the treatment of prostate cancer. Herein, we report the identification, optimization, and evaluation of 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinoline derivatives as novel RORγ inverse agonists, starting from high throughput screening using a thermal stability shift assay (TSA). The representative compounds 13e (designated as XY039) and 14a (designated as XY077) effectively inhibited the RORγ transcriptional activity and exhibited excellent selectivity against other nuclear receptor subtypes.

The protective effects of icariin against testicular dysfunction in type 1 diabetic mice Via AMPK-mediated Nrf2 activation and NF-κB p65 inhibition.

Background: Owing to the early suffering age and the rising incidence of type 1 diabetes (T1D), the resulting male reproductive dysfunction and fertility decline have become a disturbing reality worldwide, with no effective strategy being available. Icariin (ICA), a flavonoid extracted from Herba Epimedium, has been proved its promising application in improving diabetes-related complications including diabetic nephropathy, endothelial dysfunction and erectile dysfunction. Ensuring the future reproductive health of children and adolescents with T1D is crucial to improve global fertility.

Development of a tetra-primer ARMS-PCR for identification of sika and red deer and their hybrids.

Accurate identification of deer-derived components is significant in food and drug authenticity. Over the years, several methods have been developed to authenticate these products; however, identifying whether female deer products are hybrids is challenging. In this study, the zinc finger protein X-linked (ZFX) gene sequences of sika deer (Cervus nippon), red deer (Cervus elaphus) and their hybrid offspring were amplified and sequenced, the X221 and X428 species-specific single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) loci were verified, and a tetra-primer amplification refractory mutation system (T-ARMS-PCR) assay was developed to identify the parent-of-origin of female sika deer, red deer, and their hybrid deer.

Simple and Efficient Synthesis of Diamino Derivatives of bis-1,2,4-oxadiazole Tandem Staudinger/aza-Wittig Reaction.

Unlabelled: Two efficient, scalable routes to bis-1,2,4-oxadiazole have been developed by tandem Staudinger/aza-Wittig reaction from the same starting material diaziglyoxime, isocyanates and triphenylphosphonium in good yields.

Background: Two convenient and efficient routes for synthesizing diamino derivatives of bis-1,2,4- oxadiazoles were described.

Objective: This study provides a simple protocol for the synthesis of bis-1,2,4-oxadiazoles.

The optimal vaccination strategy to control COVID-19: a modeling study in Wuhan City, China.

Background: Reaching optimal vaccination rates is an essential public health strategy to control the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This study aimed to simulate the optimal vaccination strategy to control the disease by developing an age-specific model based on the current transmission patterns of COVID-19 in Wuhan City, China.

Methods: We collected two indicators of COVID-19, including illness onset data and age of confirmed case in Wuhan City, from December 2, 2019, to March 16, 2020.

A five-compartment model of age-specific transmissibility of SARS-CoV-2.

Background: The novel coronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2, also called 2019-nCoV) causes different morbidity risks to individuals in different age groups. This study attempts to quantify the age-specific transmissibility using a mathematical model.

Methods: An epidemiological model with five compartments (susceptible-exposed-symptomatic-asymptomatic-recovered/removed [SEIAR]) was developed based on observed transmission features.

[Reconstructed Soil Vertical Profile Heavy Metal Cd Occurrence and Its Influencing Factors].

Aiming at the problem of heavy metal Cd pollution in mining wasteland under the high background value and superposition area of the historical mining source, a total of 30 samples were collected from the reclaimed soil of a historical sulfur mine in Southwest China. The total contents of Cadmium (Cd), Chromium (Cr), Nickel (Ni), Arsenic (As), and Mercury (Hg) in soil samples were analyzed. Scanning electron microscopy-electron diffraction spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) and BCR method for continuous extraction of heavy metals were used to analyze the occurrence of Cd under different soil thicknesses.

Formative Evaluation to Build an Online Parenting Skills and Youth Drug Prevention Program: Mixed Methods Study.

Background: Family-based drug prevention programs that use group-based formats with trained facilitators, such as the Strengthening Families Program (SFP), are effective in preventing underage drinking and youth drug use. However, these programs are resource-intensive and have high costs and logistical demands. Tailoring them for Web-based delivery is more cost-effective and makes it easier to scale these programs for widespread dissemination.

[Composition, Characteristics, and Accumulation of Antibiotics in the Soil in Agricultural Land].

Exploring the composition and accumulation of antibiotics in agricultural land soil for soil for quality management of agricultural land and control of antibiotic pollution is of great significance. A total of 95 soil samples were collected from farmland soil in a typical agricultural and sideline production base of northern China. In this study, the concentrations of 10 antibiotics, including tetracycline antibiotics (TCs), macrolide antibiotics (MLs), and sulfonamide antibiotics (SAs), were determined in soil samples from different land use types using HPLC-MS/MS.

Oxidized low-density lipoprotein stimulates epithelial sodium channels in endothelial cells of mouse thoracic aorta.

Background And Purpose: The epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) is expressed in endothelial cells and acts as a negative modulator of vasodilatation. Oxidized LDL (ox-LDL) is a key pathological factor in endothelial dysfunction. In the present study we examined the role of ENaC in ox-LDL-induced endothelial dysfunction and its associated signal transduction pathway.

Dietary salt blunts vasodilation by stimulating epithelial sodium channels in endothelial cells from salt-sensitive Dahl rats.

Background And Purpose: Our recent studies show that the reduced activity of epithelial sodium channels (ENaC) in endothelial cells accounts for the adaptation of vasculature to salt in Sprague-Dawley rats. The present study examines a hypothesis that enhanced ENaC activity mediates the loss of vasorelaxation in Dahl salt-sensitive (SS) rats.

Experimental Approach: We used the cell-attached patch-clamp technique to record ENaC activity in split-open mesenteric arteries.

ZNF307 (Zinc Finger Protein 307) Acts as a Negative Regulator of Pressure Overload-Induced Cardiac Hypertrophy.

Pathological cardiac hypertrophy is a key risk factor for heart failure. We found that the protein expression levels of the ZNF307 (zinc finger protein 307) were significantly increased in heart samples from both human patients with dilated cardiomyopathy and mice subjected to aortic banding. Therefore, we aimed to elucidate the role of ZNF307 in the development of cardiac hypertrophy and to explore the signal transduction events that mediate the effect of ZNF307 on cardiac hypertrophy, using cardiac-specific ZNF307 transgenic (ZNF307-TG) mice and ZNF307 global knockout (ZNF307-KO) mice.

Hydrogen peroxide suppresses TRPM4 trafficking to the apical membrane in mouse cortical collecting duct principal cells.

A Ca-activated nonselective cation channel (NSC) is found in principal cells of the mouse cortical collecting duct (CCD). However, the molecular identity of this channel remains unclear. We used mpkCCD cells, a mouse CCD principal cell line, to determine whether NSC represents the transient receptor potential (TRP) channel, the melastatin subfamily 4 (TRPM4).

AMP-Activated Protein Kinase Attenuates High Salt-Induced Activation of Epithelial Sodium Channels (ENaC) in Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells.

Recent studies suggest that the epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) is expressed in the endothelial cells. To test whether high salt affects the NO production via regulation of endothelial ENaC, human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were incubated in solutions containing either normal or high sodium (additional 20 mM NaCl). Our data showed that high sodium treatment significantly increased α-, β-, and γ-ENaC expression levels in HUVECs.

Development of a 9-locus X-STR multiplex PCR system for genetic analysis of three ethnic populations in China.

X-chromosome short tandem repeats (X-STR) analysis has been confirmed to be effective for kinship testing such as in deficiency paternity cases. The aim of this study was to develop a new multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) system that can simultaneously amplify 9 X-STR loci (GATA172D05, DXS10159, DXS6797, HPRTB, DXS10079, DXS6789, DXS9895, DXS10146 and GATA31E08) in the same PCR reaction, and to obtain the database of the 9 X-STR loci in three ethnic populations in China. The genetic data of 815 (404 females and 411 males) unrelated Han Chinese from Hubei province, and Yi and Zhuang Chinese from Yunnan province were analyzed by using this multiplex system.

[Research progress on the phenotype informative SNP in forensic science].

Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) refers to the single base sequence variation in specific location of the human genome. Phenotype informative SNP has gradually become one of the research hot spots in forensic science. In this paper, the forensic research situation and application prospect of phenotype informative SNP in the characteristics of hair, eye and skin color, height, and facial feature are reviewed.

Chronic kidney disease--is it a true risk factor of reduced clopidogrel efficacy in elderly patients with stable coronary artery disease?

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is an established predictor of recurrent ischemic events in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). This association has been partially ascribed to high post-treatment platelet reactivity (HPPR) according to platelet function testing. However, the influencing factors of HPPR are assay-dependent, and the relevant data of elderly patients with stable CAD are absent.

[Effect of endoplasmic reticulum stress in brain injury following chronic intermittent hypoxia in weanling rat].

Objective: To explore the role of endoplasmic reticulum stress in brain injury following chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH) in weanling rats.

Methods: A total of 48 male healthy Sprague-Dawley rats (3-4-week-old, 80-100 g) were randomly divided into 4 groups: 2-week-CIH (2IH) group, 4-week-CIH (4IH) group, 2-week-control (2C) group and 4-week-control (4C) group. The morphologic changes were observed by hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining and cell apoptosis detected by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling assay.

[Effects of obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome in children on multiple systems].

Objective: Obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) may cause serious morbidities, such as systemic hypertension, diabetes, and cor pulmonale. However, currently no many reports on study of OSAHS in children are available. This study aimed to explore the effects of OSAHS on children's multiple systems.

[RP-HPLC fingerprint for quality assessment of Radix Angelicae dahuricae].

Aim: To establish the RP-HPLC fingerprint analysis for the quality control of Radix Angelicae dahuricae.

Methods: HPLC fingerprint analysis method of Radix Angelicae dahuricae was developed. Kromasil C18 column (250 mm x 4.