Berberine safeguards sepsis-triggered acute gastric damage and inhibits pyroptosis in gastric epithelial cells via suppressing the ubiquitination and degradation of Nrf2.

Berberine (BBR), a widely recognized traditional Chinese medicine, has attracted considerable attention for its promising anti-inflammatory effects. The activation of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) effectively safeguards against organ damage stemming from sepsis-induced oxidative stress and inflammatory responses. This study examined the potential of BBR in alleviating sepsis-induced acute gastric injury, with a particular focus on elucidating whether its mechanism of action involves the activation of the Nrf2 signaling pathway.

Unruptured sinus of valsalva aneurysm diagnosed by multimodal imaging.

We describe a rare case of unruptured right SOVA in a 52-year-old man who was successfully treated with right SOVA repair and right coronary artery reconstruction. Our case demonstrates the usefulness of transthoracic echocardiography, contrastive echocardiography, and transesophageal echocardiography in diagnosing SOVA.

Effects and mechanism of adenovirus-mediated phosphatase and tension homologue deleted on chromosome ten gene on collagen deposition in rat liver fibrosis.

Aim: To evaluate the effects of phosphatase and tension homologue deleted on chromosome ten () gene on collagen metabolism in hepatic fibrosis and the underlying mechanisms.

Methods: Rat primary hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) and human LX-2 cells were transfected with adenovirus containing cDNA constructs encoding wild-type (Ad-PTEN), mutant gene (Ad-G129E), and RNA interference constructs targeting the sequence short hairpin RNA to up-regulate and down-regulate the expression of . HSCs were assayed using fluorescent microscopy, real-time polymerase chain reaction, and western blotting.

Regulatory Effects and Mechanism of Adenovirus-Mediated PTEN Gene on Hepatic Stellate Cells.

Background: Tension homology deleted on chromosome ten (PTEN) is important in liver fibrosis.

Aims: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the PTEN gene effects and mechanism of action on hepatic stellate cells (HSCs).

Methods: The rat primary HSCs and human LX-2 cells were transfected by an adenovirus containing cDNA constructs encoding the wild-type PTEN (Ad-PTEN), the PTEN mutant G129E gene (Ad-G129E) and RNA interference targeting the PTEN sequence PTEN short hairpin RNA (PTEN shRNA), to up-regulate and down-regulate PTEN expression, respectively.

Discordances in ER, PR and HER2 receptors between primary and recurrent/metastatic lesions and their impact on survival in breast cancer patients.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency and prognostic impact of changes in the estrogen (ER), progesterone (PR) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) status between primary and recurrent/metastatic lesions (RML). We investigated 133 breast cancer patients for ER, PR and HER2 status of primary and RML and their follow-up records. Among 133 patients with RML, discordance rate for ER, PR, and HER2 was 18.

Prognostic role of nucleophosmin in colorectal carcinomas.

Aim: Recent research suggests that nucleophosmin (NPM) may be a prognostic marker in colorectal carcinomas (CRC). We here tested its use to predict the survival of CRC patients.

Methods: We investigated NPM expression by immunohistochemistry in histologically normal to malignant colorectal tissues and evaluated its association with clinicopathological variables.

Changes in ER, PR and HER2 receptors status after neoadjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer.

Previous studies have reported conflicting results regarding the impact of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) on estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) status in breast cancer. Our aim was to investigate whether NAC induces some selective change in the breast biomarkers. We retrospectively detected the immunohistochemical results of ER, PR and HER2 between the core biopsy and surgical excision specimens in 113 patients with NAC.

Prediction of coexistent carcinomas risks by subjective EIN diagnosis and comparison with WHO classification in endometrial hyperplasias.

Endometrial intraepithelial neoplasia (EIN) classification is proposed as a new diagnostic system to resolve the limitations of the World Health Organization (WHO) classification in routine practice. Our aim was to find out whether EIN classification excels the WHO classification regarding the accurate prediction of coexisting endometrial carcinomas (EC) in biopsy specimens. We retrospectively re-classified 139 WHO-classified endometrial hyperplasia (EH) cases by subjective EIN diagnosis and compared the incidence of coexisting carcinomas using two classification systems by re-evaluating biopsy and corresponding hysterectomy specimens.

Down-regulation of focal adhesion kinase by short hairpin RNA increased apoptosis of rat hepatic stellate cells.

Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) plays an essential role in the activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSC). The role of FAK on proliferation and apoptosis of fibronectin (FN)-stimulated HSC was investigated using short hairpin RNA (shRNA)-mediated gene silencing technology. FAK shRNA decreased the expressions of FAK, p-FAK (Tyr(397)), ERK(1), and p-ERK(1).

Specific shRNA targeting of FAK influenced collagen metabolism in rat hepatic stellate cells.

Aim: To investigate the effects and mechanism of disruption of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) expression on collagen metabolism in rat hepatic stellate cells (HSC).

Methods: The plasmids expressing FAK short hairpin RNA (shRNA) were transfected into HSC-T6 cells, and the level of FAK expression was determined by both real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (Q-PCR) and Western blotting analysis. The production of type I collagen and type III collagen in FAK-disrupted cells was analyzed by real-time Q-PCR.

[The influence of down-regulation of focal adhesion kinase by RNA interference on the adhesion and migration of rat hepatic stellate cells in vitro].

Objective: To investigate the role of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) in adhesion and migration of hepatic stellate cells (HSC).

Methods: Two recombinant plasmids expressing short hairpin RNAs (shRNAs) targeting FAK were constructed and one plasmid substantially suppressing FAK expression in HSC was selected. Real-time PCR and Western blot were used to detect the knockdown effects of FAK gene.