[Tanshinone IIa attenuates vascular calcification through inhibition of NF-κB and β-catenin signaling pathways].

Tanshinone IIa is a key ingredient extracted from the traditional Chinese medicine Salvia miltiorrhiza (Danshen), and is widely used to treat various cardiovascular diseases. Vascular calcification is a common pathological change of cardiovascular tissues in patients with chronic kidney disease, diabetes, hypertension and atherosclerosis. However, whether Tanshinone IIa inhibits vascular calcification and the underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown.

N-Butylidenephthalide Inhibits the Phenotypic Switch of VSMCs through Activation of AMPK and Prevents Stenosis in an Arteriovenous Fistula Rat Model.

The phenotypic switch of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) plays a pivotal role in the development of vascular disorders, such as atherosclerosis, stenosis and restenosis, after vascular intervention. In our previous study, n-butylidenephthalide (BP) was reported to have anti-proliferating and apoptotic effects on VSMCs. The purpose of the current study is to further investigate its role in platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-induced VSMC phenotypic modulation in an arteriovenous fistula model.

[Mobilization of Heavy Metals in a Soil-Plant System and Risk Assessment in the Dabaoshan Mine Area, Guangdong Province, China].

This study analyzed heavy metal concentrations in mining/agricultural soil and plant samples from the Dabaoshan mining-impacted region, Guangdong Province, and evaluated the corresponding health risks. The results showed that most of the soil samples exhibited a pH<5, which, in some cases, facilitated the release of Cu, Pb, and Al from soil and hence affected the availability for plant uptake. Farmland in Shaxi town was found to be seriously polluted by Cd, whereas the mining area was seriously polluted by Cd, Pb, Cu, and As, which present potential ecological risks.