Association of Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor Agonistic Autoantibodies With Outcomes in Patients With Acute Aortic Dissection.

Importance: Angiotensin II is significantly associated with the pathogenesis of acute aortic dissection. Angiotensin II type 1 receptor agonistic autoantibodies (AT1-AAs) can mimic the effect of angiotensin II.

Objective: To investigate the association between AT1-AAs and all-cause and cause-specific mortality risk in patients with acute aortic dissection.

[Platelet-rich plasma injection for the treatment of atrophic fracture nonunion].

Objective: To explore clinical effects of platelet rich plasma (PRP) injection in treating atrophic fracture nonunion.

Methods: From March 2015 to March 2017, 15 patients with atrophic fracture nonunion were treated with PRP injection, including 10 males and 5 females, aged from 23 to 56 years old with an average age of (40.0±9.

A meta-analysis of the comparing of the first-generation and next-generation TKIs in the treatment of NSCLC.

: The current standard approach to the treatment of patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) harboring epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI)-sensitizing mutations has been the treatment with a first-generation EGFR-TKIs. While, with resistance developed against first-generation EGFR-TKIs, second/third-generation TKIs have attracted all the attention, and replaced first-generation EGFR- TKIs upon disease progression due to the greater efficacy and more favorable tolerability. In the past few years, this strategy has been challenged by clinical evidence when next-generation EGFR-TKIs are used in patients with advanced NSCLC.

KPC1 alleviates hypoxia/reoxygenation-induced apoptosis in rat cardiomyocyte cells though BAX degradation.

Bax triggers cell apoptosis by permeabilizing the outer mitochondrial membrane, leading to membrane potential loss and cytochrome c release. However, it is unclear if proteasomal degradation of Bax is involved in the apoptotic process, especially in heart ischemia-reperfusion (I/R)-induced injury. In the present study, KPC1 expression was heightened in left ventricular cardiomyocytes of patients with coronary heart disease (CHD), in I/R-myocardium in vivo and in hypoxia and reoxygenation (H/R)-induced cardiomyocytes in vitro.

VEGF-A and VEGF-B Coordinate the Arteriogenesis to Repair the Infarcted Heart with Vagus Nerve Stimulation.

Background/aims: Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) suppresses arrhythmic activity and minimizes cardiomyocyte injury. However, how VNS affects angiogenesis/arteriogenesis in infarcted hearts, is poorly understood.

Methods: Myocardial infarction (MI) was achieved by ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) in rats.

Data on the involvement of Meox1 in balloon-injury-induced neointima formation of rats.

In the previous report, Meox1 was found to promote SMCs phenotypic modulation and injury-induced vascular remodeling by regulating the FAK-ERK1/2-autophagy signaling cascade (Wu et al., 2017) [1]. Here, we presented new original data on the involvement of Mesoderm/mesenchyme homeobox gene l (Meox1) in balloon-injury-induced neointima formation of rat.

Mesoderm/mesenchyme homeobox gene l promotes vascular smooth muscle cell phenotypic modulation and vascular remodeling.

Aims: To investigate the role of mesoderm/mesenchyme homeobox gene l (Meox1) in vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs) phenotypic modulation during vascular remodeling.

Methods And Results: By using immunostaining, Western blot, and histological analyses, we found that Meox1 was up-regulated in PDGF-BB-treated SMCs in vitro and balloon injury-induced arterial SMCs in vivo. Meox1 knockdown by shRNA restored the expression of contractile SMCs phenotype markers including smooth muscle α-actin (α-SMA) and calponin.

S100B promotes injury-induced vascular remodeling through modulating smooth muscle phenotype.

S100B is a biomarker of nervous system injury, but it is unknown if it is also involved in vascular injury. In the present study, we investigated S100B function in vascular remodeling following injury. Balloon injury in rat carotid artery progressively induced neointima formation while increasing S100B expression in both neointimal vascular smooth muscle (VSMC) and serum along with an induction of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA).

Exposure to phthalates in children aged 5-7years: Associations with thyroid function and insulin-like growth factors.

This study aimed to evaluate the associations between phthalate concentrations and thyroid function in preschool children. We collected demographic data and biological samples from 216 children aged 5-7years. We calculated urinary concentrations of eight mono-phthalate metabolites (mPAEs) separately for children from urban and rural areas and investigated their associations with thyroid function and growth hormones.

Phthalate levels and related factors in children aged 6-12 years.

Although previous studies showed that children are widely exposed to phthalates, the sources of phthalate exposure for school-aged children in China are not well understood. This study aimed to assess phthalate metabolite levels and explore the factors influencing exposure in children. We collected demographic data and biological samples from 336 children aged 6-12 years.

Vascular endothelial growth factor-C protects heart from ischemia/reperfusion injury by inhibiting cardiomyocyte apoptosis.

VEGF-C is a newly identified proangiogenic protein playing an important role in vascular disease and angiogenesis. However, its role in myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury remains unknown. The objective of this study was to determine the role and mechanism of VEGF-C in myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury.

PEP-1-SOD1 fusion proteins block cardiac myofibroblast activation and angiotensin II-induced collagen production.

Background: Oxidative stress is closely associated with cardiac fibrosis. However, the effect of copper, zinc-superoxide dismutase (SOD1) as a therapeutic agent is limited due to the insufficient transduction. This study was aimed to investigate the effect of PEP-1-SOD1 fusion protein on angiotensin II (ANG II)-induced collagen metabolism in rat cardiac myofibroblasts (MCFs).

VEGF-A promotes cardiac stem cell engraftment and myocardial repair in the infarcted heart.

Background: The objective of this study was to determine whether vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-A subtypes improve cardiac stem cell (CSC) engraftment and promote CSC-mediated myocardial repair in the infarcted heart.

Methods: CSCs were treated with VEGF receptor (VEGFR) inhibitors, VCAM-1 antibody (VCAM-1-Ab), or PKC-α inhibitor followed by the treatment with VEGF-A. CSC adhesion assays were performed in vitro.

PEP-1-CAT protects hypoxia/reoxygenation-induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis through multiple sigaling pathways.

Background: Catalase (CAT) breaks down H2O2 into H2O and O2 to protects cells from oxidative damage. However, its translational potential is limited because exogenous CAT cannot enter living cells automatically. This study is aimed to investigate if PEP-1-CAT fusion protein can effectively protect cardiomyocytes from oxidative stress due to hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R)-induced injury.

Apigenin sensitizes doxorubicin-resistant hepatocellular carcinoma BEL-7402/ADM cells to doxorubicin via inhibiting PI3K/Akt/Nrf2 pathway.

Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) is a redox- sensitive transcription factor regulating expression of a number of cytoprotective genes. Recently, Nrf2 has emerged as an important contributor to chemoresistance in cancer therapy. In the present study, we found that non-toxic dose of apigenin (APG) significantly sensitizes doxorubicin-resistant BEL-7402 (BEL-7402/ADM) cells to doxorubicin (ADM) and increases intracellular concentration of ADM.

PEP-1-CAT-transduced mesenchymal stem cells acquire an enhanced viability and promote ischemia-induced angiogenesis.

Objective: Poor survival of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) compromised the efficacy of stem cell therapy for ischemic diseases. The aim of this study is to investigate the role of PEP-1-CAT transduction in MSC survival and its effect on ischemia-induced angiogenesis.

Methods: MSC apoptosis was evaluated by DAPI staining and quantified by Annexin V and PI double staining and Flow Cytometry.

Acetylcholine induces mesenchymal stem cell migration via Ca2+ /PKC/ERK1/2 signal pathway.

Acetylcholine (ACh) plays an important role in neural and non-neural function, but its role in mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) migration remains to be determined. In the present study, we have found that ACh induces MSC migration via muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (mAChRs). Among several mAChRs, MSCs express mAChR subtype 1 (m1AChR).

[Effect of conditioned medium of mesenchymal stem cells on proliferation, migration and adhesion of human umbilical vein endothelial cells].

The aim of this study was to explore the effect of mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) conditioned medium (MSC-CM) on proliferation, migration and adhesion of human umbilical vein endothelial cell (CRL1730) and its mechanism. Isolation and purification of MSC were performed with the classic adhering method, the surface markers (CD29, CD90, CD45 and CD34) in MSC were detected by flow cytometry. MSC were treated and cultured for 3 d, the MSC-CM or MSC overexpressing stem cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1) conditioned medium (Ad-SDF-1-MSC-CM) were collected.

VEGF is essential for the growth and migration of human hepatocellular carcinoma cells.

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) plays a crucial role in tumor angiogenesis. VEGF induces new vessel formation and tumor growth by inducing mitogenesis and chemotaxis of normal endothelial cells and increasing vascular permeability. However, little is known about VEGF function in the proliferation, survival or migration of hepatocellular carcinoma cells (HCC).

[Effect of vascular endothelial growth factor on bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cell proliferation and the signaling mechanism].

Objective: To observe the effect of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) on bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) proliferation and explore the signaling mechanism involved.

Methods: MSC culture was performed following the classical whole bone marrow adhering method. The characteristics of MSC were identified by induction of multi-lineage differentiation and flow cytometry for surface marker analysis (CD34, CD45, CD29, and CD90).

The combined transduction of copper, zinc-superoxide dismutase and catalase mediated by cell-penetrating peptide, PEP-1, to protect myocardium from ischemia-reperfusion injury.

Background: Our previous studies indicate that either PEP-1-superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) or PEP-1-catalase (CAT) fusion proteins protects myocardium from ischemia-reperfusion-induced injury in rats. The aim of this study is to explore whether combined use of PEP-1-SOD1 and PEP-1-CAT enhances their protective effects.

Methods: SOD1, PEP-1-SOD1, CAT or PEP-1-CAT fusion proteins were prepared and purified by genetic engineering.

VEGF/SDF-1 promotes cardiac stem cell mobilization and myocardial repair in the infarcted heart.

Aims: The objective of this study was to investigate whether vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) secreted by mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) improves myocardial survival and the engraftment of implanted MSC in infarcted hearts and promotes recruitment of stem cells through paracrine release of myocardial stromal cell-derived factor-1α (SDF-1α).

Methods And Results: VEGF-expressing MSC ((VEGF)MSC)-conditioned medium enhanced SDF-1α expression in heart slices and H9C2 cardiomyoblast cells via VEGF and the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR). The (VEGF)MSC-conditioned medium markedly promoted cardiac stem cell (CSC) migration at least in part via the SDF-1α/CXCR4 pathway and involved binding to VEGFR-1 and VEGFR-3.

[VEGF promotes the proliferation of bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells through ERK1/2 signal pathway].

In order to explore the effect of VEGF on mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) proliferation and its possible signal transduction mechanism, MSC culture was performed with the classical bone marrow adhering method; characteristics of passage 3 rat MSC (P3MSC) was identified through multi-differentiation and surface marker assay (CD34, CD45, CD90, CD29); P3MSC were treated with 20 ng/ml VEGF, and the effect of VEGF on the MSC proliferation was measured during 12, 36 and 72 hours by MTT assay. Subsequently, P3MSC were treated with extracellular-signal regulated kinase (ERK1/2) inhibitor PD98059 (50 µmol/L) or p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38MAPK) inhibitor SB203580 (30 µmol/L) for 30 minutes, the culture medium was replaced with new medium including 20 ng/ml VEGF. After 72 hours, the effect of PD98059 or SB203580 on MSC proliferation mediated by VEGF was measured by MTT assay.

[Effect of adenovirus-mediated stromal cell-derived factor-alpha gene transfer on ventricular remodeling in rats with myocardial infarction].

Objective: To explore the effect of adenovirus-mediated human stromal cell-derived factor-1alpha (hSDF-1alpha) on ventricular remodeling in rats with myocardial infarction.

Methods: A recombinant adenoviral plasmid containing hSDF-1alpha cDNA was constructed using homologous recombination in bacteria and the recombinant adenovirus particles expressing hSDF-1alpha (AdV-SDF-1) were prepared. In rat models of myocardial infarction induced by left anterior descending artery occlusion, 1x10(10) PFU AdV-SDF-1 or PFU AdV-LacZ were injected at multiple sites into the infarcted myocardium 1 h after the operation, using 200 l cell-free PBS as the control.

[Protective effect of preconditioning with PEP-1-CAT fusion protein against myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats].

Objective: To investigate the transduction efficiency of purified PEP-1-CAT fusion protein into rat heart and the protective effect of the fusion protein against myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury.

Methods: PEP-1-CAT or CAT (500 microg) was injected in SD rats via the caudal vein, using normal saline as the control, and the hearts were harvested at 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 8, and 24 h after the injection.