Targeting and as a therapeutic strategy for dilated cardiomyopathy: A single-cell sequencing and mendelian randomization analysis.

Background: Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is widely recognized as a significant contributor to heart failure. Nevertheless, the absence of pharmaceutical interventions capable of reversing disease progression and improving prognosis underscores the imperative for additional research in this area.

Methods: First, we identified and evaluated three gene sets, namely "SC-DCM", "EP-DCM" and "Drug", using big data and multiple bioinformatics analysis methods.

[Tetramethylpyrazine regulates angiogenesis of endothelial cells in cerebral ischemic stroke injury via SIRT1/VEGFA signaling pathway].

This study aims to investigate whether tetramethylpyrazine(TMP) can stimulate angiogenesis in cerebral microvascular endothelial cells and alleviate cerebral ischemic stroke(CIS) and to explore the underlying mechanisms. In the animal study, adult Sprague-Dawley rats(n=15) were assigned into sham surgery(sham), middle cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion(MCAO/R), and MCAO/R+TMP(intraperitoneal injection of 20 mg·kg~(-1)) groups. The neurological function was evaluated by the Z-Longa method.

Hydroxyfasudil regulates immune balance and suppresses inflammatory responses in the treatment of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a central nervous system (CNS) disease with complicated etiology. Multifocal demyelination and invasion of inflammatory cells are its primary pathological features. Fasudil has been confirmed to improve experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), an animal model of MS.

Systemic evaluation of lymphocyte-bound C4d and immunoglobulins for diagnosis and activity monitoring of systemic lupus erythematosus.

Objective: To investigate the role of lymphocyte-bound C4d (LB-C4d: T-C4d, B-C4d) and immunoglobulins (LB-Igs: T-IgG, T-IgM, B-κ and B-λ) in the diagnosis and monitoring of SLE.

Design & Methods: The levels of C4d and Igs on peripheral lymphocytes were measured in 172 patients with SLE, 174 patients with other non-SLE inflammatory diseases and 100 healthy individuals. Immunobinding and blocking experiments were performed to characterize Igs from SLE patients to generate LB-C4d/Igs in vitro.

Best treatment options for occult breast cancer: A meta-analysis.

Objectives: Occult breast cancer (OBC) is a rare malignant breast tumor. Because of the rare cases and limited clinical experience, a huge therapeutic difference has existed all over the world and standardized treatments have yet been established.

Methods: A meta-analysis was conducted using MEDLINE and Embase databases to identify the choice of OBC surgical procedures in all studies: (1) patients undergoing axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) or sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) only; (2) patients undergoing ALND with radiotherapy (RT); (3) patients undergoing ALND with breast surgery (BS); (4) patients undergoing ALND with RT and BS; and (5) patients undergoing observation or RT only.

Curcumin alleviated oxidation stress injury by mediating osteopontin in nephrolithiasis rats.

Purpose: To explore the role and mechanism of curcumin (Cur) in reducing oxidative stress damage in rats with nephrolithiasis induced by ethylene glycol (EG).

Methods: Thirty male rats were divided into normal control, model, positive (10% potassium citrate), Cur-10 (10 mg/kg curcumin) and Cur-20 (20 mg/kg curcumin) groups.

Results: The results of kidney tissue section stained by hematoxylin-eosin and von Kossa showed that curcumin treatment can inhibit the formation of kidney stones.

The double-edged sword effects of active social media use on loneliness: The roles of interpersonal satisfaction and fear of missing out.

Introduction: Social media' impact on loneliness has attracted widespread scholarly attention. One hypothesis is that active social media use (ASMU) is associated with a decrease in loneliness. However, several empirical studies did not find a significant correlation between ASMU and loneliness, and ASMU may even increase loneliness.

Prognostic and predictive significance of serum soluble scavenger receptor A in acute primary basal ganglia hemorrhage: A prospective cohort study.

Background: Scavenger receptor A (SRA) can regulate immune response and is involved in pathophysiological processes of acute brain injury. We analyzed the prognostic role of serum soluble SRA in intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH).

Methods: In this prospective cohort study of 110 healthy controls and 110 patients with acute basal ganglia hemorrhage, serum soluble SRA concentrations were detected.

High Serum S100A12 Levels Predict Poor Outcome After Acute Primary Intracerebral Hemorrhage.

Objective: Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) triggers an inflammatory cascade that damages brain tissues and worsens functional outcome. S100A12 functions to promote brain inflammation. We aimed to investigate the relationship between serum S100A12 levels and functional outcome in ICH patients.

Ethyl Pyruvate-Derived Transdifferentiation of Astrocytes to Oligodendrogenesis in Cuprizone-Induced Demyelinating Model.

Astrocytes redifferentiate into oligodendrogenesis, raising the possibility that astrocytes may be a potential target in the treatment of adult demyelinated lesion. Upon the basis of the improvement of behavior abnormality and demyelination by ethyl pyruvate (EP) treatment, we further explored whether EP affects the function of astrocytes, especially the transdifferentiation of astrocytes into oligodendrogenesis. The results showed that EP treatment increased the accumulation of astrocytes in myelin sheath and promoted the phagocytosis of myelin debris by astrocytes in vivo and in vitro.

Overexpression of Spondin-2 Is Associated with Recurrence-Free Survival in Patients with Localized Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma.

Background: The spondin-2 (SPON2) gene is overexpressed in multiple malignant tumors and may promote tumor aggressiveness. However, its expression profile and functional roles in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) are still unclear.

Methods: SPON2 expression in ccRCC was evaluated using expression data from TCGA and GEO databases, then confirmed by local patient population (94 patients).

Prognostic value of admission serum glucose-phosphate ratio in predicting the 6-month outcome of patients with severe traumatic brain injury: A retrospective study.

Background: Serum glucose-phosphate ratio has been revealed to be associated with severity and prognosis of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. Objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between serum glucose-phosphate ratio and severe traumatic brain injury outcome.

Methods: Patients with severe traumatic brain injury were stratified in quartiles according to their serum glucose-phosphate ratio.

Clinical manifestations and risk factors of adenovirus respiratory infection in hospitalized children in Guangzhou, China during the 2011-2014 period.

To evaluate epidemiology and risk factors of severe adenovirus respiratory infection in hospitalized children in Guangzhou, China.A retrospective review study was conducted, and 542 children hospitalized for adenovirus respiratory infection, were included from January 2011 to December 2014. Patients were younger than 14 years.

Determination of serum tissue kallikrein levels after traumatic brain injury.

Background: Tissue kallikrein (TK) plays an important role in the kallikrein-kinin system. Its protective role has been demonstrated in traumatic brain injury (TBI). We attempted to determine relationship between serum TK levels and trauma severity in addition to clinical outcome in TBI.

Overexpression of COL5A1 promotes tumor progression and metastasis and correlates with poor survival of patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma.

Background And Aims: COL5A1 has been identified to be involved in metastasis of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) by bioinformatic analysis. This study aimed to investigate COL5A1 expression and its clinical significance in ccRCC. The function of COL5A1 in ccRCC was further investigated.

Serum Extracellular Superoxide Dismutase Is Associated with Diabetic Retinopathy Stage in Chinese Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

Extracellular superoxide dismutase (ecSOD) is the major extracellular scavenger of reactive oxygen species and associated with the diabetic complication in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). We aimed to investigate the serum ecSOD activity in Chinese patients with different stages of diabetic retinopathy (DR) and evaluate the association between the serum ecSOD activity and the severity of DR. A total of 343 T2DM patients were categorized into three groups: nondiabetic retinopathy (NDR) group, nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) group, and proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) group.

Salinity Effects on Strategies of Glycogen Utilization in Livers of Euryhaline Milkfish () under Hypothermal Stress.

The fluctuation of temperature affects many physiological responses in ectothermic organisms, including feed intake, growth, reproduction, and behavior. Changes in environmental temperatures affect the acquisition of energy, whereas hepatic glycogen plays a central role in energy supply for the homeostasis of the entire body. Glycogen phosphorylase (GP), which catalyzes the rate-limiting step in glycogenolysis, is also an indicator of environmental stress.

Inhibitory effects of lupane‑type triterpenoid saponins from the leaves of Acanthopanax gracilistylus on lipopolysaccharide-induced TNF‑α, IL‑1β and high‑mobility group box 1 release in macrophages.

Acanthopanax gracilistylus (AGS) has long been used in traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of various inflammatory diseases. 3‑O‑β‑D‑glucopyranosyl 3α, 11α‑dihydroxylup‑20(29)‑en‑28‑oic acid, acantrifoside A, acankoreoside D, acankoreoside B and acankoreoside A are major lupane‑type triterpenoid saponins derived from AGS. In the present study, these five saponins were isolated from AGS by chromatography and their anti‑inflammatory activities were investigated in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‑treated RAW264.

Decreased serum extracellular superoxide dismutase activity is associated with albuminuria in Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Aims: The aim of this study was to determine the activity of serum extracellular superoxide dismutase (ecSOD) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and healthy subjects, and to determine the prospective association between baseline serum ecSOD activity and the subsequent risk of albuminuria progression in a cohort of Chinese T2DM patients.

Methods: A total of 458 T2DM patients and 100 healthy subjects were assessed. After a median follow-up of 7.

Prevalence of dyslipidaemia and risk factors in Chinese coal miners: a cross-sectional survey study.

Background: Although coal miners are susceptible to dyslipidaemia owing to their highly risky and stressful working environment as well as unhealthy lifestyle, very few studies have focused on this issue thus far. Therefore, this study investigated the current epidemiological characteristics of dyslipidaemia among Chinese coal miners.

Methods: Demographic, anthropometric, and biochemical data were gathered from 4341 coal miners in China.

External validation of non-invasive prediction models for identifying ultrasonography-diagnosed fatty liver disease in a Chinese population.

Several prediction models for fatty liver disease (FLD) are available with limited externally validation and less comprehensive evaluation. The aim was to perform external validation and direct comparison of 4 prediction models (the Fatty Liver Index, the Hepatic Steatosis Index, the ZJU index, and the Framingham Steatosis Index) for FLD both in the overall population and the obese subpopulation.This cross-sectional study included 4247 subjects aged 20 to 65 years recruited from the north of Shanxi Province in China.

CD146 Promoter Polymorphism (rs3923594) Is Associated with Recurrence of Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma in Chinese Population.

Introduction: CD146 is a membrane signal receptor in tumor-induced angiogenesis. However, limited studies have focused on the CD146 promoter polymorphisms in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC).

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between polymorphisms located in the promoter region of the CD146 gene and characteristics of ccRCC in Chinese population.