Influence of Xiaoyaosan on depressive-like behaviors in chronic stress-depressed rats through regulating tryptophan metabolism in hippocampus.

Background: Tryptophan metabolism has always been considered to play a vital role in mental disorder diseases, and how traditional Chinese formula Xiaoyaosan regulates the tryptophan metabolism is a complement to the pathogenesis of depression. This study established a depression rat model by the chronic immobilization stress (CIS) method and observed the change in tryptophan metabolism in hippocampus and the effects of Xiaoyaosan.

Methods: Forty-eight male Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into the following four groups: control group, CIS group, Xiaoyaosan group, and fluoxetine group.

Betulinic acid inhibits the migration and invasion of fibroblast-like synoviocytes from patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

The aggressive phenotype displayed by fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLSs) contributes to cartilage and bone destruction in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Betulinic acid has been demonstrated to have a positive therapeutic effect on tumor, inflammation and immune disorder, however, the effects of betulinic acid on RA FLSs have not been verified. Therefore, in the present study, we observed the effect of betulinic acid on the migration and invasion of RA FLSs and explored its underlying signal mechanisms.

Oligosaccharides as co-encapsulating agents: effect on oral Lactobacillus fermentum survival in a simulated gastrointestinal tract.

Objectives: Four kinds of oligosaccharides were used as co-encapsulating agents to test the effect of extrusion-based microencapsulation on protection of Lactobacillus fermentum L7 against exposure to simulated gastric and intestinal juices as well as long-term refrigeration storage at 4 °C.

Results: The combination of alginate with galacto-oligosaccharides, isomalto-oligosaccharides, fructo-oligosaccharides, and xylo-oligosaccharides, or alginate alone exhibited good properties of the beads. The diameters of the cell beads co-encapsulated with oligosaccharides and encapsulated with alginate alone were similar, in the range of 2.

Validity of Privacy-Protecting Analytical Methods That Use Only Aggregate-Level Information to Conduct Multivariable-Adjusted Analysis in Distributed Data Networks.

Distributed data networks enable large-scale epidemiologic studies, but protecting privacy while adequately adjusting for a large number of covariates continues to pose methodological challenges. Using 2 empirical examples within a 3-site distributed data network, we tested combinations of 3 aggregate-level data-sharing approaches (risk-set, summary-table, and effect-estimate), 4 confounding adjustment methods (matching, stratification, inverse probability weighting, and matching weighting), and 2 summary scores (propensity score and disease risk score) for binary and time-to-event outcomes. We assessed the performance of combinations of these data-sharing and adjustment methods by comparing their results with results from the corresponding pooled individual-level data analysis (reference analysis).

[Changes of DC Subsets and CD80 and CD86 Expression in Peri-pheral Blood of Patients with ITP and Their Correlation with Efficacy of Dexamethasone Treatment].

Objective: To analyze the changes of DC subsets and the expression of CD80 and CD86 in peripheral blood of ITP patients and their correlation with dexamethasone efficacy.

Methods: Peripheral blood sample of 80 cases of ITP and 20 normal controls from June 2015 to June 2017 in our hospital were retrospectively analyzed. The specific distribution of DC subsets in the peripheral blood of all the subjects was detected by flow cytometry, and the expressions of CD80 and CD86 were detected by ELISA.

Characterization of Protein Disulfide Linkages by MS In-Source Dissociation Comparing to CID and ETD Tandem MS.

Direct characterization of disulfide linkages in proteins by mass spectrometry has been challenging. Here, we report analysis of disulfide linkages in insulin variant, endothelin 3, and relaxin 2 by in-source dissociation (ISD) during LC-MS. A duplet insulin peptide from Glu-C digestion that contains peptides p1 and p2 (from chains A and B, respectively) was selected as a model peptide.

Comparison between kinetic and kinetic-kinematic driven knee joint finite element models.

Use of knee joint finite element models for diagnostic purposes is challenging due to their complexity. Therefore, simpler models are needed for studies where a high number of patients need to be analyzed, without compromising the results of the model. In this study, more complex, kinetic (forces and moments) and simpler, kinetic-kinematic (forces and angles) driven finite element models were compared during the stance phase of gait.

Abnormal Biomechanics at 6 Months Are Associated With Cartilage Degeneration at 3 Years After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction.

Purpose: To investigate the changes in landing biomechanics over a 3-year period and their correlation with cartilage degenerative changes in the medial tibiofemoral joint of the knee after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) using magnetic resonance T1ρ mapping.

Methods: Thirty-one anterior cruciate ligament-injured patients underwent magnetic resonance imaging of the injured knee before ACLR and 3 years after ACLR, as well as biomechanical analysis of a drop-landing task at 6 months and 3 years after ACLR. Sixteen healthy individuals were recruited and underwent knee magnetic resonance imaging and biomechanical assessment during a drop-landing task.

B-cell-specific-peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ deficiency augments contact hypersensitivity with impaired regulatory B cells.

Nuclear receptor peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPAR-γ) activation can prevent immunoinflammatory disorders and diabetes. B cells play protective roles during inflammation as well. However, the roles of endogenous PPAR-γ in the regulatory properties of B cells to relieve inflammation remain unknown.

DNA barcoding the flowering plants from the tropical coral islands of Xisha (China).

Aim: DNA barcoding has been widely applied to species diversity assessment in various ecosystems, including temperate forests, subtropical forests, and tropical rain forests. However, tropical coral islands have never been barcoded before due to the difficulties in field exploring. This study aims at barcoding the flowering plants from a unique ecosystem of the tropical coral islands in the Pacific Ocean and supplying valuable evolutionary information for better understanding plant community assembly of those particular islands in the future.

[Effect of progressive early bed exercise on blood flow in lower limb of patients on mechanical ventilation in intensive care unit].

Objective: To investigate the effect of progressive early bed physical activity on blood flow in lower limb of patients on mechanical ventilation in intensive care unit (ICU).

Methods: Adult patients with mechanical ventilation ≥ 72 hours admitted to ICU of the Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University from February 22nd to November 30th, 2016 were enrolled. The patients were randomly divided into experimental group and control group by random number table method.

[Influence of perioperative leukodeplated red blood cell transfusion on immune function of patients with bladder cancer].

Objective To investigate the effect of leukodeplated red blood cell (RBC) transfusion on immune function of patients with bladder cancer. Methods A total of 48 patients with bladder cancer who required perioperative RBC transfusion were randomized into two groups: 22 received leukodeplated RBC transfusion (Group I) and 26 received suspended RBC transfusion (Group II ). T-cell subgroup, natural killer cell activity, erythrocyte-C3b receptor rosette formation rate, and immunosuppressive acidic protein (IAP) level were determined for the two groups before and after transfusion, and the results were statistically analyzed.

Albiflorin inhibits the formation of THP-1-derived foam cells through the LOX-1/NF-κB pathway.

Background: Foam cells are characteristic pathologic cells of atherosclerosis (AS), they are lipid-loaded macrophages present on atherosclerotic lesions. A large number of studies has shown that the pathogenesis of AS is the result of interactions between the lipid metabolism disorders and chronic inflammatory responses in the body. Albiflorin can inhibit the inflammatory response and it has shown a therapeutic effect on certain inflammatory diseases.

Hypoxia promotes maintenance of the chondrogenic phenotype in rat growth plate chondrocytes through the HIF-1α/YAP signaling pathway.

The Hippo‑yes‑associated protein (YAP) signaling pathway was previously identified to serve an important role in controlling chondrocyte differentiation and post‑natal growth. Growth plate cartilage tissue is avascular, and hypoxia‑inducible factor (HIF)‑1α is essential for chondrocytes to maintain their chondrogenic phenotype in a hypoxic environment. In the present study, the role of hypoxia and HIF‑1α in the regulation of YAP in chondrocytes was investigated.

Single-Particle Tracking for the Quantification of Membrane Protein Dynamics in Living Plant Cells.

The plasma membrane is a sophisticated, organized, and highly heterogeneous structure that compartmentalizes cellular processes. To decipher the biological processes involving membrane proteins, it is necessary to analyze their spatiotemporal dynamics. However, it is difficult to directly assess the dynamics and interactions of biomolecules in living cells using traditional biochemical methods.

[Effect of PD-1, FOXP3 and CSF-1R Protein Expression on the Prognosis of Patients with Hodgkin's Lymphoma].

Objective: To investigate the effect of the expression of colony-stimulating factor 1 receptor (CSF-1R), forkhead box protein 3 (FOXP3) and programmed death 1 (PD-1) protein on the prognosis of patients with Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Methods: The clinical features and treatment schemes of 54 patients with Hodgkin's lymphoma treated in our hospital were recorded, the specimens were collected and the relevant micro-environment prognostic factors such as the protein expression of CSF-1R, FOXP3 and PD-1 were detected by immunohistochemical staining, and EB virus and EB virus-encoded RNA (EBER) were detected by in situ hybridization; the correlation between CSF-1R, FOXP3, PD-1 protein expression with prognosis of patients with Hodgkin lymphoma were analyzed; both the unvariate analysis and multivariate analysis (using Cox proportional hazard model) were uased to analyze the influence factors of prognosis.

Results: Among the 54 cases of Hodgkin's lymphoma, 22 cases (40.

[Progress of Researches on Brain Mechanism Underlying Regulatory Effect of Acupuncture Intervention on Visual Plasticity of Amblyopia].

Acupuncture therapy has a positive effect in the treatment of amblyopia. This article summarizes findings of the research on brain mechanisms underlying the regulatory effect of acupuncture on visual plasticity of amblyopia. In a multi-system and multi-level viewpoints, we elaborated brain mechanism underlying the regulatory effect of acupuncture on visual plasticity in amblyopia from the perspective of ultrastructure, plasticity, electrical activities, neural coding and visual microcirculation of the neurons of the visual cortex, and the targeting points from the visual center to the effector organ.

Sterols regulate endocytic pathways during flg22-induced defense responses in .

The plant transmembrane receptor kinase FLAGELLIN SENSING 2 (FLS2) is crucial for innate immunity. Although previous studies have reported FLS2-mediated signal transduction and endocytosis via the clathrin-mediated pathway, whether additional endocytic pathways affect FLS2-mediated defense responses remains unclear. Here, we show that the sterol-deficient mutant displays defects in immune responses induced by the flagellin-derived peptide flg22.

Inhibition of Prostate Cancer DU-145 Cells Proliferation by Oligopeptide (YVPGP) via PI3K/AKT/mTOR Signaling Pathway.

We investigated the antitumor mechanism of oligopeptide (AAP-H, YVPGP) in prostate cancer DU-145 cells in vitro and in vivo. Results indicated that AAP-H was nontoxic and exhibited antitumor activities. Cell cycle analysis indicated that AAP-H may arrest DU-145 cells in the S phase.

Association of -174G>C (rs1800795) polymorphism with cervical cancer susceptibility.

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a multifunctional cytokine that has been implicated in the etiology of cancer. Several case-control studies have been conducted to assess the association of -174G>C (rs1800795) polymorphism with the risk of cervical cancer, yet with conflicting conclusions. To derive a more precise estimation of the relationship, we performed this meta-analysis updated to June 2018.

LncRNA ANRIL regulates AML development through modulating the glucose metabolism pathway of AdipoR1/AMPK/SIRT1.

The long noncoding RNA ANRIL has been found to be abnormally expressed and play important roles in different cancers. However, the expression and function of ANRIL in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) remain to be declared. In this study, we found that ANRIL is up-regulated in AML patients at diagnosis and down-regulated in patients after complete remission (CR).

ETS-1 induces Sorafenib-resistance in hepatocellular carcinoma cells via regulating transcription factor activity of PXR.

Transcription factor E26 transformation specific sequence 1 (ETS-1) is a primary regulator in the metastasis of human cancer cells, especially hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells; and it would affect the prognosis of HCC patients who received chemotherapies. However, the regulatory role of ETS-1 in the resistance of HCC cells to molecular-targeting agent remains poorly understood. In the present work, we demonstrate that high ETS-1 expression correlates with poor prognosis of advanced HCC patients received Sorafenib treatment.

Chronic Kidney Disease Is Associated With Greater Bone Marrow Adiposity.

Bone marrow adiposity is associated with aging, osteoporosis, and reduced hematopoiesis, as well as anorexia nervosa, but little is known about the underlying mechanisms that affect marrow adiposity. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) may influence bone marrow adipose tissue (BMAT), possibly through loss of lean mass or higher circulating levels of sclerostin. To test these hypotheses, we investigated the cross-sectional association between estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) as a measure of kidney function and H-MRS-based measurement of vertebral BMAT (L1 to L4) in 475 older adults from the Age Gene/Environment Susceptibility (AGES)-Reykjavik study.

Novel ADAM-17 inhibitor ZLDI-8 enhances the in vitro and in vivo chemotherapeutic effects of Sorafenib on hepatocellular carcinoma cells.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the greatest life threats for Chinese people, and the prognosis of this malignancy is poor due to the strong chemotherapy resistance in patients. Notch pathway components mediate cell survival and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and also participate in the induction of multi-drug resistance (MDR). In the present study, we demonstrated the discovery of a novel inhibitor for Notch activating/cleaving enzyme ADAM-17, named ZLDI-8; it inhibited the cleavage of NOTCH protein, consequently decreased the expression of pro-survival/anti-apoptosis and EMT related proteins.

Physicochemical Properties and Biocompatibility Evaluation of Collagen from the Skin of Giant Croaker ().

Collagen and collagen peptides are widely used as cosmetic ingredients. In the present study, acid-solubilized collagen (ASC) and pepsin-solubilized collagen (PSC) were extracted from giant croaker () skin. The proline hydroxylation rates of ASC and PSC were 38.