An Integrated Network Pharmacology and RNA-seq Approach for Exploring the Protective Effect of Andrographolide in Doxorubicin-Induced Cardiotoxicity.

Purpose: Doxorubicin (Dox) is clinically limited due to its dose-dependent cardiotoxicity. Andrographolide (Andro) has been confirmed to exert cardiovascular protective activities. This study aimed to investigate protective effects of Andro in Dox-induced cardiotoxicity (DIC).

Eupatilin inhibits pulmonary fibrosis by activating Sestrin2/PI3K/Akt/mTOR dependent autophagy pathway.

Background: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive chronic inflammatory disease with poor clinical outcomes and ineffective drug treatment options. Eupatilin is a major component extracted from the traditional herbal medicine Artemisia asiatica Nakai. Notably, it was demonstrated to have an anti-fibrosis effect in endometrial fibrosis, vocal fold, and hepatic fibrosis.

Research Progress of Exosomal Non-Coding RNAs in Cardiac Remodeling.

Exosomes are vesicles with a size range of 50 to 200 nm and released by different cells, which are essential for the exchange of information between cells. They have attracted a lot of interest from medical researchers. Exosomal non-coding RNAs play an important part in pathological cardiac remodelings, such as cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, cardiomyocyte apoptosis, and cardiac fibrosis.

Characteristics of the fecal microbiome and metabolome in older patients with heart failure and sarcopenia.

Background: Increasing evidence supports that gut microbiota plays an important role in the development of cardiovascular diseases. The prevalence of sarcopenia is increasing in patients with heart failure. Muscle wasting is an independent predictor of death in heart failure patients.

Aspirin alleviates pulmonary fibrosis through PI3K/AKT/mTOR-mediated autophagy pathway.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic and irreversible lung disease with limited therapeutic options. Aspirin can alleviate liver, kidney, and cardiac fibrosis. However, its role in lung fibrosis is unclear.

Dissecting the molecular mechanism of cepharanthine against COVID-19, based on a network pharmacology strategy combined with RNA-sequencing analysis, molecular docking, and molecular dynamics simulation.

Objectives: Recently, it has been reported that cepharanthine (CEP) is highly likely to be an agent against Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). In the present study, a network pharmacology-based approach combined with RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq), molecular docking, and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation was performed to determine hub targets and potential pharmacological mechanism of CEP against COVID-19.

Methods: Targets of CEP were retrieved from public databases.

Non-coding RNAs: Important participants in cardiac fibrosis.

Cardiac remodeling is a pathophysiological process activated by diverse cardiac stress, which impairs cardiac function and leads to adverse clinical outcome. This remodeling partly attributes to cardiac fibrosis, which is a result of differentiation of cardiac fibroblasts to myofibroblasts and the production of excessive extracellular matrix within the myocardium. Non-coding RNAs mainly include microRNAs and long non-coding RNAs.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea Impacts Cardiac Function in Dilated Cardiomyopathy Patients Through Circulating Exosomes.

Background: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is common and independently associated with heart failure. This study aimed to investigate the impact of OSA on heart function in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) as well as the possible mechanism related to exosomes regulated autophagy.

Methods And Results: A total of 126 patients with DCM who underwent sleep evaluations were analyzed retrospectively.

Inhibition of Sirt2 Alleviates Fibroblasts Activation and Pulmonary Fibrosis Smad2/3 Pathway.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a fatal disease with unknown cause and limited treatment options. Its mechanism needs to be further explored. Sirtuin2 (Sirt2), a nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD)-dependent deacetylase, has been proved to be involved in the fibrosis and inflammation in the liver, kidney and heart.

Dendrobium Officinale Polysaccharide Attenuates Insulin Resistance and Abnormal Lipid Metabolism in Obese Mice.

Dendrobium officinale polysaccharide (DOP) is the main active ingredient in a valuable traditional Chinese medicine, which exerts several pharmacological activities including hepatoprotection and hypoglycemic effects. However, the effects of DOP on obesity-associated insulin resistance (IR) and lipid metabolism remain unknown. This study aimed to investigate the role of DOP in IR and abnormal lipid metabolism in obese mice.

Cardioprotective effect of isorhamnetin against myocardial ischemia reperfusion (I/R) injury in isolated rat heart through attenuation of apoptosis.

In this study, we investigated the effects of isorhamnetin on myocardial ischaemia reperfusion (I/R) injury in Langendorff-perfused rat hearts. Isorhamnetin treatment (5, 10 and 20 μg/mL) significantly alleviated cardiac morphological injury, reduced myocardial infarct size, decreased the levels of marker enzymes (LDH and CK) and improved the haemodynamic parameters, reflected by the elevated levels of the left ventricular developed pressure (LVDP), coronary flow (CF) and the maximum up/down velocity of left ventricular pressure (+dp/dt ). Moreover, isorhamnetin reperfusion inhibited apoptosis of cardiomyocytes in the rats subjected to cardiac I/R in a dose-dependent manner concomitant with decreased protein expression of Bax and cleaved-caspase-3, as well as increased protein expression of Bcl-2.

Activation of Keap1-Nrf2 signaling by 4-octyl itaconate protects human umbilical vein endothelial cells from high glucose.

High glucose (HG) induces oxidative injury to cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Recent studies have discovered 4-octyl itaconate (OI) as a novel and cell permeable Nrf2 (nuclear-factor-E2-related factor 2) activator. Its potential activity in HG-treated HUVECs was tested here.

piR-651 promotes tumor formation in non-small cell lung carcinoma through the upregulation of cyclin D1 and CDK4.

Piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs or piRs) are a novel class of non-coding RNAs that participate in germline development by silencing transposable elements and regulating gene expression. To date, the association between piRNAs and non‑small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) has not yet been elucidated. In the present study, we have demonstrated that a significant increase in piR-651 expression occurs in NSCLC.

Serum high-density lipoprotein correlates with serum apolipoprotein M and A5 in obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the correlation between serum levels of serum apolipoprotein M (ApoM), A5 (ApoA5), and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) in patients with obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) and study the effects of nasal continuous positive airway pressure treatment on these serum biomarkers.

Methods: Thirty OSAHS patients and 15 non-OSAHS probands as control were selected for the study. Serum HDL, ApoM, and ApoA5 levels in two groups were detected; differences and association among them were analyzed.

Osthole ameliorates acute myocardial infarction in rats by decreasing the expression of inflammatory-related cytokines, diminishing MMP-2 expression and activating p-ERK.

Osthole, the active constituent of Cnidium monnieri extracts, has been shown to have a diverse range of pharmacological properties. In the present study, we aimed to evaluate the cardioprotective effects of osthole in a rat model of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). The rats with AMI were treated with 1, 3 and 10 mg/kg of osthole or the vehicle for 4 weeks.

Effect of Inducible Co-Stimulatory Molecule siRNA in Cerebral Infarction Rat Models.

Background: T cell-induced inflammatory response and related cytokine secretion at the injury site may participate in the pathogenesis of cerebral infarction. Recent studies established inducible co-stimulatory molecule (ICOS) as a novel T cell-related factor for its activation and functions. We thus investigate the role of ICOS in cerebral infarction.

Baicalein pretreatment confers cardioprotection against acute myocardial infarction by activating the endothelial nitric oxide synthase signaling pathway and inhibiting oxidative stress.

Baicalein, a flavonoid purified from the root of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, is well known for its anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative properties. The present study aimed to evaluate the cardioprotective effect of baicalein in a rat model of acute myocardial infarction and investigate the potential molecular mechanisms of this effect. The acute myocardial infarction model was prepared by permanently occluding the left anterior descending artery.

Positive association of pro-inflammatory biomarkers and increased oxidative stress in the healthy elderly.

To investigate the relationship between oxidative stress and pro-inflammatory status in healthy elderly people. A total of 1205 healthy elderly Chinese people (age: 65-83 years old; 861 males, 344 females) who visited the Geriatric Department for a thorough physical examination between May 20 and July 23, 2008 were screened and 118 of them were recruited for further evaluation of oxidative stress (total antioxidation capacity, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, xanthine oxidase (XO) activity and serum hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) level) and pro-inflammatory status (serum C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) level). The total anti-oxidation capacity and SOD activity were decreased while the serum H(2)O(2) level and XO activity were elevated in groups with higher CRP or IL-6 level.