Inflammasomes in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a leading liver disorder in the world. Inflammation is one of the most important pathological events during the development of NAFLD and also represents the hallmark between simple steatosis and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Inflammasomes are novel protein complex platforms assembled in response to pattern-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) and damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs).

TIPE2 Play a Negative Role in TLR4-Mediated Autoimmune T Helper 17 Cell Responses in Patients with Myasthenia Gravis.

Th17-related cytokines have been suggested to play a crucial role in myasthenia gravis (MG) pathogenesis.The tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α-induced protein 8-like-2 (TNFAIP8L2 or TIPE2), is a newly identified member of the tumor necrosis TNFAIP8 family which is an essential negative regulator of both innate and adaptive immunity. In the present study, the expression of TIPE2 mRNA and protein in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from healthy and MG subjects were detected by Real-time PCR and Western blotting.

Ovarian Transcriptome Analysis of Portunus trituberculatus Provides Insights into Genes Expressed during Phase III and IV Development.

Enhancing the production of aquatic animals is crucial for fishery management and aquaculture applications. Ovaries are specialized tissues that play critical roles in producing oocytes and hormones. Significant biochemical changes take place during the sexual maturation of Portunus trituberculatus, but the genetics of this process has not been extensively studied.

6-O-Picolinyl and 6-O-Picoloyl Building Blocks As Glycosyl Donors with Switchable Stereoselectivity.

Remote 6-O-picolinyl or 6-O-picoloyl substituents often provide high β-selectivity due to H-bond-mediated aglycone delivery (HAD). Herein it has been demonstrated that if the nitrogen atom of the 6-O-picolinyl or picoloyl moiety is temporarily blocked by coordination to a metal center (Pd), it cannot engage in HAD-mediated β-glycosylation. Hence, the stereoselectivity of 6-O-picolinyl/picoloyl-assisted glycosylations can be "switched" to α-selectivity.

Rapid Identification of Legionella Pathogenicity by Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy.

Objective: To establish Surface-enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) can be used as a rapid and reliable method to distinguish virulent strain and mild strain of L. pneumophila.

Methods: Mortality data were collected from company departments through administrative documents, death certificates, etc.

Bee's honey attenuates non-alcoholic steatohepatitis-induced hepatic injury through the regulation of thioredoxin-interacting protein-NLRP3 inflammasome pathway.

Purpose: We aim to examine whether honey ameliorates hepatic injury in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) animal and cell line steatosis models.

Methods: NASH was induced in female Sprague-Dawley rat by 8-week feeding with a high-fat diet. During the experiment, 5 g/kg honey was intragastrically fed daily.

Disruption of prostaglandin E2 receptor EP4 impairs urinary concentration via decreasing aquaporin 2 in renal collecting ducts.

The antidiuretic hormone arginine vasopressin is a systemic effector in urinary concentration. However, increasing evidence suggests that other locally produced factors may also play an important role in the regulation of water reabsorption in renal collecting ducts. Recently, prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) receptor EP4 has emerged as a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of nephrogenic diabetes insipidus, but the underlying mechanism is unknown.

[Cost-effectiveness of three-stage newborns hearing screening in Beijing].

Objective: To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of two-stage and three-stage hearing screenings for newborns.

Methods: Hearing screening was performed for the normal newborns born in 7 hospitals in Beijing from October 2010 to December 2012 by using two stage and three stage strategies as well as hearing diagnostic test, and the cost effectiveness evaluation of two strategies was conducted. The data about the cost of screening and diagnostic test were from the hospitals.

Antioxidant treatment enhances human mesenchymal stem cell anti-stress ability and therapeutic efficacy in an acute liver failure model.

One of the major problems influencing the therapeutic efficacy of stem cell therapy is the poor cell survival following transplantation. This is partly attributed to insufficient resistance of transplanted stem cells to oxidative and inflammatory stresses at the injured sites. In the current study, we demonstrated the pivotal role of antioxidant levels in human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUCMSCs) dynamic in vitro anti-stress abilities against lipopolysaccharide (LPS)/H2O2 intoxication and in vivo therapeutic efficacy in a murine acute liver failure model induced by D-galactosamine/LPS (Gal/LPS) by either reducing the antioxidant levels with diethyl maleate (DEM) or increasing antioxidant levels with edaravone.

Redox homeostasis and reactive oxygen species scavengers shift during ontogenetic phase changes in apple.

The change from juvenile to adult phase is a universal phenomenon in perennial plants such as apple. To validate the changes in hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) levels and scavenging during ontogenesis in apple seedlings, the H2O2 contents, its scavenging capacity, and the expression of related genes, as well as miR156 levels, were measured in leaf samples from different nodes in seedlings of 'Zisai Pearl' (Malus asiatica)×'Red Fuji' (M. domestica).

Alkyl-aryl ketone synthesis via nickel-catalyzed reductive coupling of alkyl halides with aryl acids and anhydrides.

The present work disclosed a considerably improved method for the construction of alkyl-aryl ketones by the direct coupling of unactivated alkyl bromides with 1.5 equiv. of acids.

Efficacy and safety of telbivudine in different trimesters of pregnancy with high viremia for interrupting perinatal transmission of hepatitis B virus.

Aim: We aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of telbivudine (LdT) on the intervention of mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) in different trimesters of pregnant women with high viral loads.

Methods: In this prospective cohort study, 160 cases of mothers with high viral loads were included. Eighty-two subjects received 600 mg/day LdT therapy.

A novel antioxidant multitarget iron chelator M30 protects hepatocytes against ethanol-induced injury.

The multitarget iron chelator, M30, is a novel antioxidant and protective agent against oxidative stress in a spectrum of diseases. However, there is no report regarding its role in liver diseases. Since oxidative stress is one of the major pathological events during the progression of alcoholic liver diseases, the protective effects and mechanisms of M30 on ethanol-induced hepatocyte injury were investigated in this study.

Lycium barbarum polysaccharide improves bipolar pulse current-induced microglia cell injury through modulating autophagy.

Blindness and visual impairments are heavy loads for modern society. Visual prosthesis is a promising therapy to treat these diseases. However, electric stimulation (ES)-induced damage of the optic nerve and adjacent cells are problems that must not be overlooked.

Jagged-1 signaling suppresses the IL-6 and TGF-β treatment-induced Th17 cell differentiation via the reduction of RORγt/IL-17A/IL-17F/IL-23a/IL-12rb1.

Jagged-1 signaling has recently been reported to be involved in the Th17 cell differentiation. However, little is known about its mechanisms. Soluble Jagged-1 was used to activate the Jagged-1-Notch signaling to interfere with the IL-6 and TGF-β-induced Th17 cell skewing.

Retinal structure and function preservation by polysaccharides of wolfberry in a mouse model of retinal degeneration.

Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a heterogeneous group of inherited disorders caused by mutations in a variety of genes that are mostly expressed by rod cells, which results in initial death of rod photoreceptors followed by gradual death of cone photoreceptors. RP is currently untreatable and usually leads to partial or complete blindness. Here, we explored the potential neuroprotective effects of polysaccharides of wolfberry, which are long known to possess primary beneficial properties in the eyes, on photoreceptor apoptosis in the rd10 mouse model of RP.

Cyclooxygenase-1 serves a vital hepato-protective function in chemically induced acute liver injury.

Cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1) is the constitutive form of the COX enzyme family, which produces bioactive lipids called prostanoids. Although the role of COX-2 in liver diseases has been studied, little is known about the function of COX-1 in liver injury. We aimed to investigate the role and mechanism of COX-1 in acute liver injury.

Efficacy of tenofovir disoproxil fumarate therapy in Chinese chronic hepatitis B patients after multiple antiviral failures.

Aim: In this prospective study, we aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) in Chinese chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients after multiple nucleoside/nucleotide analog (NA) treatment failures.

Methods: A total of 115 Chinese CHB patients with suboptimal response to two or more NA treatments were included in this study. All patients were changed to TDF (300 mg/day, oral administration) antiviral treatment for at least 72 weeks.

Ni-catalyzed reductive coupling of alkyl acids with unactivated tertiary alkyl and glycosyl halides.

This work highlights Ni-catalyzed reductive coupling of alkyl acids with alkyl halides, particularly sterically hindered unactivated tertiary alkyl bromides for the production of all carbon quaternary ketones. The reductive strategy is applicable to α-selective synthesis of saturated, fully oxygenated C-acyl glycosides through easy manipulations of the readily available sugar bromides and alkyl acids, avoiding otherwise difficult multistep conversions. Initial mechanistic studies suggest that a radical chain mechanism (cycle B, Scheme 1) may be plausible, wherein MgCl2 promotes the reduction of Ni(II) complexes.

The anti-inflammation effect of baicalin on experimental colitis through inhibiting TLR4/NF-κB pathway activation.

Background: Baicalin holds a protective effect on inflammatory responses in several diseases. However, its molecular mechanism of anti-inflammatory activity on ulcerative colitis (UC) remains unknown. The present study was conducted to verify whether the anti-inflammation effect of baicalin on experimental colitis is via inhibiting TLR4/NF-κB pathway activation.

Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells and derived hepatocyte-like cells exhibit similar therapeutic effects on an acute liver failure mouse model.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have exhibited therapeutic effects in multiple animal models so that are promising liver substitute for transplantation treatment of end-stage liver diseases. However, it has been shown that over-manipulation of these cells increased their tumorigenic potential, and that reducing the in vitro culture time could minimize the risk. In this study, we used a D-galactosamine plus lipopolysaccharide (Gal/LPS)-induced acute liver failure mouse model, which caused death of about 50% of the mice with necrosis of more than 50% hepatocytes, to compare the therapeutic effects of human umbilical cord MSCs (hUCMSCs) before and after induction of differentiation into hepatocyte (i-Heps).

High-fat diet induces significant metabolic disorders in a mouse model of polycystic ovary syndrome.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common female endocrinopathy associated with both reproductive and metabolic disorders. Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is currently used to induce a PCOS mouse model. High-fat diet (HFD) has been shown to cause obesity and infertility in female mice.

Comparative proteomic study reveals 17β-HSD13 as a pathogenic protein in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is characterized by a massive accumulation of lipid droplets (LDs). The aim of this study was to determine the function of 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase-13 (17β-HSD13), one of our newly identified LD-associated proteins in human subjects with normal liver histology and simple steatosis, in NAFLD development. LDs were isolated from 21 human liver biopsies, including 9 cases with normal liver histology (group 1) and 12 cases with simple steatosis (group 2).

Lycium barbarum polysaccharides therapeutically improve hepatic functions in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis rats and cellular steatosis model.

This study aimed to investigate the possible therapeutic effects and active components of Lycium barbarum polysaccharides (LBP) on a high fat diet-induced NASH rat model. We induced NASH in a rat model by voluntary oral feeding with a high-fat diet ad libitum for 8 weeks. After 8 weeks, 1 mg/kg LBP was orally administered for another 4 weeks with a high-fat diet.

Suppression of microglial activation is neuroprotective in a mouse model of human retinitis pigmentosa.

Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a photoreceptor-degenerative disease caused by various mutations and is characterized by death of rod photoreceptor cell followed by gradual death of cone photoreceptors. The molecular mechanisms that lead to rod and cone death are not yet fully understood. Neuroinflammation contributes to the progression of many chronic neurodegenerative disorders.