Publications by authors named "Xian-Zhong Xiao"

Background: Sepsis, which could cause a systemic inflammatory response, is a life-threatening disease with a high morbidity and mortality rate. There is evidence that brain injury may be related to severe systemic infection induced by sepsis. The brain injury caused by sepsis could increase the risk of mortality in septic patients, which seriously affects the septic patient's prognosis of survival.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • - The study investigated whether nicorandil can improve heart remodeling after a heart attack (myocardial infarction) and explored the mechanisms behind its effects.
  • - Results showed that nicorandil reduced heart enlargement, lessened cell death in heart tissue, and inhibited fibrosis by enhancing the expression of nucleolin and promoting autophagy, while also influencing specific signaling pathways.
  • - The findings suggest that nicorandil aids recovery from heart attacks by promoting autophagy and regulating key signaling molecules, which enhances heart function and reduces damage.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Shikonin (SHI) is an anti-inflammatory agent extracted from natural herbs. It is still unknown whether SHI ameliorates lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced cardiac dysfunction. This study aims to explore the protective effects of SHI on LPS-induced myocardial injury and its mechanism.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Endotoxemia can lead to systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), coagulation issues, and acute lung injury (ALI), driven by activation of key blood and vascular cells.
  • The study investigated the role of P-selectin glycoprotein ligand 1 (PSGL-1) using a mouse model of endotoxemia induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS), while also administering PSGL-1 antibodies.
  • Results indicated that blocking PSGL-1 reduced platelet and leukocyte activity, lessened inflammation, improved survival rates, and mitigated lung damage in the endotoxemic mice, highlighting PSGL-1's significant contribution to these conditions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objectives: To investigate the protective effect of ginsenoside Rg1 on relieving sepsis-induced lung inflammation and injury and .

Methods: Cultured human pulmonary epithelial cell line A549 was challenged with LPS to induce cell injury, and CLP mouse model was generated to mimic clinical condition of systemic sepsis. Rg1 was applied to cells or animals at indicated dosage.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Clopidogrel is a medication that inhibits platelet activation and aggregation, which is important during inflammation and endotoxemia (a severe immune response).
  • The study investigated how clopidogrel affects inflammation in mice after inducing it with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), focusing on platelet and leukocyte activation and their interactions.
  • Results showed that clopidogrel reduced lung damage, platelet-neutrophil aggregates, and inflammatory markers, suggesting it effectively dampens platelet activation and overall inflammation in endotoxemic conditions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Sepsis is a severe and progressive disease characterized by systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS). CD40 serves as a vital link between immune response and inflammation. This study was designed to investigate the potential association between a functional single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of (rs1883832) and susceptibility to sepsis.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The study investigated how puerarin affects vascular endothelial cell injury caused by lipopolysaccharide (LPS), focusing on the mechanisms behind this effect.
  • Using various assays, the researchers evaluated cell viability, morphological changes, and levels of inflammatory markers in cell culture supernatants.
  • The results showed that puerarin treatment reduced the harmful effects of LPS on endothelial cells by lowering inflammatory marker levels and inhibiting the activation of NF-κB, which is associated with inflammation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • - Nucleolin (NCL) is an essential RNA-binding protein involved in various cellular functions like chromatin stability and ribosome assembly, but its specific actions on microRNA (miRNA) expression are not well understood.
  • - The study created transgenic mice that overexpress NCL in the heart to analyze changes in miRNA profiles, revealing 11 miRNAs were upregulated and 4 downregulated compared to wild-type mice, confirmed by further testing.
  • - The findings suggest that the protective effects of NCL on heart cells may be linked to the miRNAs identified, indicating a potential regulatory role for NCL in cardiac health.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • - The study investigated how puerarin affects tissue factor (TF) expression triggered by oxidative low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL), which is known to contribute to atherosclerosis.
  • - Findings revealed that ox-LDL significantly increased TF expression in human endothelial cells, while puerarin treatment counteracted this effect by enhancing nitric oxide production and modifying specific signaling pathways.
  • - The results indicate that puerarin may be a promising therapeutic agent for reducing thrombosis risk in coronary artery disease by activating a particular signaling pathway and inhibiting harmful responses.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Oxidative stress and inflammation are hypothesized to contribute to the pathogenesis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Resveratrol (trans-3,5,4'-trihydroxystilbene) is known for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. The study aimed to investigate the effects of resveratrol in a rat model with COPD on the regulation of oxidative stress and inflammation via the activation of Sirtuin1 (SIRTl) and proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator-1α (PGC-1α).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Heat shock factor 1 (HSF1) is one of the most important transcriptional molecules in the heat shock process; however, HSF1 can also regulate the expression of other proteins. Dystrophin Dp71 is one of the most widely expressed isoforms of the dystrophin gene family. In our experiments, we showed for the first time that HSF1 can function as a transcriptional factor for endogenous Dp71 expression in vivo and in vitro.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Sepsis with subsequent multiple-organ dysfunction is a distinct systemic inflammatory response to concealed or obvious infection, and it is a leading cause of death in intensive care units. Thus, one of the key goals in critical care medicine is to develop novel therapeutic strategies that will affect favorably on outcome of septic patients. In addition to systemic response to infection, apoptosis is implicated to be an important mechanism of the death of immune cells, including neutrophils, macrophages, T lymphocytes, and dendritic cells, and it is usually followed by the development of multiple-organ failure in sepsis.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Sepsis with subsequent multiple organ dysfunction is a pronounced systemic inflammatory response to concealed or known infection and is a leading cause of death in intensive care units. The survival rate of severe sepsis and septic shock has not markedly improved in recent decades despite a great number of receptors and molecules involved in its pathogenesis have been found and taken as therapeutic targets. It is essential to thoroughly understand the host cell-mediated immunity involved in the development of sepsis and sepsis-related organ injury.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The study investigated the role of up-regulated protein 2 (MIP2) in cardioprotection during IPoC, showing that MIP2 levels significantly increased in both in vivo and in vitro models following IPoC treatment.
  • Results indicated that higher MIP2 expression reduced heart damage and apoptosis after injury, while blocking MIP2 with siRNA in H9c2 cells diminished the protective effects, showing its critical role in IPoC-mediated cardioprotection.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: To explore the role of cell-surface nucleolin in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated expression and secretion of TNF-alpha and IL-1beta in human THP-1 monocytes.

Methods: Immuno-fluorescence assay and Western blot were used to identify the expression of nucleolin on the surface of THP-1 monocytes. Inactivation of nucleolin was induced by anti-nucleolin monoclonal antibody blockage, and the expression and secretion of TNF-alpha and IL-1beta were observed by using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and enzyme linked immuno-sorbent assay (ELISA)respectively in LPS-mediated human THP-1 monocyte inflammatory model.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: To investigate the release and intracellular localization of high mobility group box chromosomal protein 1 (HMGB1) in the peripheral blood monocytes of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients and the inhibitive effect of thalidomide.

Methods: 19 RA patients and 20 healthy controls were included in the study. Monocytes were separated from peripheral blood with Ficoll density gradient centrifugation.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The study aimed to investigate how overexpressing the protein KLF4 affects cell death (apoptosis) in macrophages when subjected to heat stress.
  • Researchers inserted the KLF4 gene into a vector and introduced it into Raw264.7 macrophages, then analyzed the cells after exposing them to heat stress.
  • Results showed that macrophages with higher KLF4 levels had significantly increased apoptosis after heat stress, indicated by various assays confirming cell death and DNA fragmentation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: To investigate the mRNA and protein expression of high mobility group box chromosomal protein 1 (HMGB1) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and serum.

Methods: Levels of HMGB1mRNA were detected with reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in PBMC and levels of HMGB1 protein in PBMC and plasm were measured with Western blot in 38 patients with active rheumatoid arthritis (RA), 24 with inactive RA and 20 healthy controls. Ficoll density gradient centrifugation was used to separate PBMCs from peripheral blood.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Since the findings of Murry and Currie et al. that ischemic preconditioning (IPC) and heat shock response (HSR) could protect evidently myocardium against ischemia-reperfusion injury in the middle of 1980s, endogenous myocardial protection has drawn widespread attentions. A great quantity of studies completed during the past 25 years made much progress in endogenous myocardial protection.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: Cytokine mediated cell immunity is the main mode of anti-tumor immunity in organism, and the disequilibrium of cytokine network is the main cause of tumor cells escaping immunologic surveillance. High mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), a nuclear protein, has recently been identified as an important mediator of local and systemic inflammatory diseases when released into the extracellular milieu. In the present study, the investigators explored the clinical significance of alteration in the serum levels of HMGB1 in childhood acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) and the mechanism of HMGB1-induced tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha secretion in leukemic cells.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: To investigate the diagnostic value of heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) in central nervous system infection (CNSI) in children.

Methods: The level of HSP70 in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was determined in children with CNSI of different etiology. The concentration of HSP70 was determined in the CSF of 104 children, among them 13 patients had purulent meningitis (PM), 38 patients had acute viral meningitis (VM), 7 patients had tuberculous meningitis (TM), and 46 with no CNSI to serve as controls.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: To investigate the killing effects of VP(3) on nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell line CNE-2.

Methods: Plasmid expression vector pcDNA3.1(-) CMV.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: To observe the proliferation of SW480 cells exposed to different concentrations of CoCl2, and to examine the expression of hypoxiainducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1alpha) and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) during hypoxia to explore the chemotherapy resistance effect and role of HIF-1alpha and HO-1.

Methods: Methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTF) method was used to detect the proliferation of SW480 cells in the presence of fluorouracil (FU). RT-PCR was applied to examine the expression of HIF-1alpha and HO-1 mRNA in hypoxia.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF