Activation of SIRT1 by hyperbaric oxygenation promotes recovery of motor dysfunction in spinal cord injury rats.

Background: Hyperbaric oxygenation (HBO) therapy can improve locomotor dysfunction following spinal cord injury (SCI). Emerging evidence has demonstrated that sirtuin1 (SIRT1) exerts protective effects on neurons. However, whether HBO alleviates locomotor dysfunction by regulating SIRT1 is unclear.

Hypertension and cystatin C account for sex differences in serum homocysteine levels in acute coronary syndrome subjects with normal serum creatinine.

Background: Hyperhomocysteinemia is one of cardiovascular disease risk factors and fasting homocysteine levels are significantly elevated in male compared to female acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients with normal renal function. However, it is not known the sex related determinants of plasma homocysteine levels in ACS subjects without renal dysfunction.

Methods: A total of 165 ACS participants with normal plasma creatinine who underwent coronary angiography were included in the present study.

Visfatin is negatively associated with coronary artery lesions in subjects with impaired fasting glucose.

It is not determined whether serum visfatin levels are related to the presence and severity of coronary artery disease (CAD) in non-diabetic subjects. In this study, a total of 65 consecutive non-diabetic participants who underwent coronary angiography were enrolled. Serum visfatin and fasting glucose, as well as the serum total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglyceride, were measured in all participants before the procedure.

The effect of flipped classroom in multiple clinical skills training for clinical interns on Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCE).

Aims: The flipped classroom (FC) is a hybrid approach, combining online learning and face-to-face classroom activities. To comprehensively evaluate the role of the Flipped Classroom (FC) model in clinical skills teaching of medical interns and investigate the acceptance and recognition of FC and Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCE).

Methods: In the teaching of clinical skills, the students were further grouped into two groups- A and B (A = 37, B = 42), using a computer-based random digital method.

HBO-PC Promotes Locomotor Recovery by Reducing Apoptosis and Inflammation in SCI Rats: The Role of the mTOR Signaling Pathway.

Hyperbaric oxygen preconditioning (HBO-PC) has beneficial effects on the promotion of locomotor recovery by reducing apoptosis and inflammation after traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI). The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway has been implicated in apoptosis and inflammation in many pathophysiological conditions. However, whether HBO-PC improves traumatic SCI-induced locomotor dysfunction by regulating the mTOR signaling pathway and its downstream molecules remains unknown.

Acetylbritannilactone attenuates contrast-induced acute kidney injury through its anti-pyroptosis effects.

Contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI) is a severe complication caused by intravascular applied radial contrast media (CM). Pyroptosis is a lytic type of cell death inherently associated with inflammation response and the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines following caspase-1 activation. The aim of the present study was to investigate the protective effects of acetylbritannilactone (ABL) on iopromide (IOP)-induced acute renal failure and reveal the underlying mechanism.

Liraglutide protects high-glucose-stimulated fibroblasts by activating the CD36-JNK-AP1 pathway to downregulate P4HA1.

Background: Diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a serious complication of diabetes mellitus. It's known that glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and prolyl 4-hydroxylase subunit alpha-1 (P4HA1) have significant effect on cardiovascular function, but their interaction in cardiac fibroblasts (CFs) is still being unraveled.

Methods And Results: The present study demonstrated that glucose promotes CFs proliferation and cardiac fibrosis.

Liraglutide alleviates cardiac fibrosis through inhibiting P4hα-1 expression in STZ-induced diabetic cardiomyopathy.

Diabetic cardiomyopathy is an important contributor to morbidity and mortality of diabetic patients by causing heart failure. Interstitial and perivascular fibrosis plays a crucial role in diabetic cardiomyopathy. However, there is a lack of effective specific treatments available for diabetic cardiomyopathy.

Predictive value of fasting blood glucose for serious coronary atherosclerosis in non-diabetic patients.

Objective: To determine if high fasting blood glucose (FBG) level is an independent predictor of serious coronary lesions in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD).

Methods: We enrolled 64 patients who had symptoms of chest discomfort and who underwent coronary angiography. FBG was determined from blood samples and the extent of coronary artery lesions was analyzed according to Gensini score.

Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone and Its Analogues: Significance for MSCs-Mediated Angiogenesis.

Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are promising candidates for regenerative medicine because of their multipotency, immune-privilege, and paracrine properties including the potential to promote angiogenesis. Accumulating evidence suggests that the inherent properties of cytoprotection and tissue repair by native MSCs can be enhanced by various preconditioning stimuli implemented prior to cell transplantation. Growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH), a stimulator in extrahypothalamus systems including tumors, has attracted great attentions in recent years because GHRH and its agonists could promote angiogenesis in various tissues.

Amlodipine and atorvastatin improve ventricular hypertrophy and diastolic function via inhibiting TNF-α, IL-1β and NF-κB inflammatory cytokine networks in elderly spontaneously hypertensive rats.

This study aimed to examine the effects of amlodipine and atorvastatin alone or in combination on the regulation of inflammatory cytokines and the underlying mechanisms in elderly spontaneously hypertensive (SH) rats. The level of serum hs-CRP was detected with ELISA. The serum TNF-α and IL-1β levels were assessed by radioimmunity assay (RIA).

Isolation and culture of rat aortic valve interstitial cells.

Objective: Culturing aortic valve interstitial cells is a useful way to investigate the physiology and pathology of the aortic valve at the cellular level. The culture methods of the cells have been established in many species. However, the previous methods need some improvements.

Heparanase released from mesenchymal stem cells activates integrin beta1/HIF-2alpha/Flk-1 signaling and promotes endothelial cell migration and angiogenesis.

Heparanase plays important roles in tumor angiogenesis. Our previous study demonstrated that hypoxic preconditioning (HPC) enhanced the angiogenic and therapeutic effects of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), effects that were paralleled by enhanced heparanase expression. This study was designed to elucidate the role of heparanase in the improved therapeutic properties of HPC-MSCs and to explore underlying mechanisms using an ischemic rat hind limb model.

Hypoxia preconditioned mesenchymal stem cells prevent cardiac fibroblast activation and collagen production via leptin.

Aims: Activation of cardiac fibroblasts into myofibroblasts constitutes a key step in cardiac remodeling after myocardial infarction (MI), due to interstitial fibrosis. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been shown to improve post-MI remodeling an effect that is enhanced by hypoxia preconditioning (HPC). Leptin has been shown to promote cardiac fibrosis.

Transplantation of SIRT1-engineered aged mesenchymal stem cells improves cardiac function in a rat myocardial infarction model.

Background: Previous studies have demonstrated that biological aging has a negative influence on the therapeutic effects of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs)-based therapy. Using a rat myocardial infarction (MI) model, we tested the hypothesis that silent mating type information regulation 2 homolog 1 (SIRT1) may ameliorate the phenotype and improve the function of aged MSCs and thus enhance the efficacy of aged MSCs-based therapy.

Methods: Sixty female rats underwent left anterior descending coronary artery ligation and were randomly assigned to receiving: intramyocardial injection of cell culture medium (DMEM group); SIRT1 overexpression vector-treated aged MSCs (SIRT1-aged MSCs group) obtained from aged male SD rats or empty vector-treated aged MSCs (vector-aged MSCs group).

Leptin signaling is required for augmented therapeutic properties of mesenchymal stem cells conferred by hypoxia preconditioning.

Hypoxia preconditioning enhances the therapeutic effect of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). However, the mechanism underlying hypoxia-induced augmentation of the protective effect of MSCs on myocardial infarction (MI) is poorly understood. We show that hypoxia-enhanced survival, mobility, and protection of cocultured cardiomyocytes were paralleled by increased expression of leptin and cell surface receptor CXCR4.

SIRT1 ameliorates age-related senescence of mesenchymal stem cells via modulating telomere shelterin.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) senescence is an age-related process that impairs the capacity for tissue repair and compromises the clinical use of autologous MSCs for tissue regeneration. Here, we describe the effects of SIRT1, a NAD(+)-dependent deacetylase, on age-related MSCs senescence. Knockdown of SIRT1 in young MSCs induced cellular senescence and inhibited cell proliferation whereas overexpression of SIRT1 in aged MSCs reversed the senescence phenotype and stimulated cell proliferation.

Stem cell-based therapies for atherosclerosis: perspectives and ongoing controversies.

Atherosclerosis is a major contributor to life-threatening cardiovascular events, the leading cause of death worldwide. Since the mechanisms of atherosclerosis have not been fully understood, currently, there are no effective approaches to regressing atherosclerosis. Therefore, there is a dire need to explore the mechanisms and potential therapeutic strategies to prevent or reverse the progression of atherosclerosis.

Stability of tibial defect reconstruction with fibular graft and unilateral external fixation: a finite element study.

Tibial defect is generally caused by high-energy injury, tumor, osteomyelitis, development deformity and bone non-union after internal fixation. This study was to determine stability of tibial defect reconstruction with fibular graft (FG) of different lengths by single free vascularized fibular graft (SFVFG) and double-barrel free vascularized fibular graft (DBFVFG). The left lower extremity of a male volunteer was scanned with computer tomography scanner.

Preconditioning via angiotensin type 2 receptor activation improves therapeutic efficacy of bone marrow mononuclear cells for cardiac repair.

Background: The therapeutic efficiency of bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMMNCs) autologous transplantation for myocardial infarction (MI) remains low. Here we developed a novel strategy to improve cardiac repair by preconditioning BMMNCs via angiotensin II type 2 receptor (AT2R) stimulation.

Methods And Results: Acute MI in rats led to a significant increase of AT2R expression in BMMNCs.

Role of SIRT1 and AMPK in mesenchymal stem cells differentiation.

The differentiation capabilities of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) compromise with age and with in vitro passages which could impair the efficacy of cell therapy and tissue engineering. However, how to maintain these capabilities is not fully understood. Calorie restriction (CR, decreasing caloric intake by 30-40%) could extend longevity and reduce aging-related diseases.