Anti-inflammatory naphthoquinone-monoterpene adducts and neolignans from Eugenia caryophyllata.

A phytochemical investigation on the buds of edible medicinal plant, Eugenia carvophyllata, led to the discovery of seven new compounds, caryophones A-G (1-7), along with two biogenetically-related known ones, 2-methoxy-7-methyl-1,4-naphthalenedione (8) and eugenol (9). Compounds 1-3 represent the first examples of C-5-C-1' connected naphthoquinone-monoterpene adducts with a new carbon skeleton. Compounds 4-7 are a class of novel neolignans with unusual linkage patterns, in which the C-9 position of one phenylpropene unit coupled with the aromatic core of another phenylpropene unit.

Modified Chinese disabilities of arm, shoulder and hand tool: Validity and reliability for upper extremity injuries.

Design: Clinimetric evaluation study.

Introduction: The Chinese Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH) questionnaire has necessitated the development of a revised version to the specific needs of individuals with upper extremity injuries with the progress of times and lifestyle changes.

Purpose Of The Study: This research aimed to evaluate the reliability and validity of Modified Chinese Disability of Arm, Shoulder and Hand (MC-DASH) questionnaire in individuals with upper extremity injuries.

Curcumin alleviates oxidative stress and inhibits apoptosis in diabetic cardiomyopathy via Sirt1-Foxo1 and PI3K-Akt signalling pathways.

Diabetes is a disorder of glucose metabolism, and over 90% are type 2 diabetes. Diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) is one of the type 2 diabetes complications, usually accompanied by changes in myocardial structure and function, together with cardiomyocyte apoptosis. Our study investigated the effect of curcumin on regulating oxidative stress (OS) and apoptosis in DCM.

Bidirectional Regulatory Mechanisms of Jaceosidin on Mitochondria Function: Protective Effects of the Permeability Transition and Damage of Membrane Functions.

Many natural products could induce apoptosis through mitochondrial pathways. However, direct interactions between natural products and mitochondria have rarely been reported. In this work, the effects and regulatory mechanisms of Jaceosidin on the isolated rat liver mitochondria have been studied.

Mitochondrial morphology and function impaired by dimethyl sulfoxide and dimethyl Formamide.

In this work, the effects of two non-ionic, non-hydroxyl organic solvents, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and dimethyl formamide (DMF) on the morphology and function of isolated rat hepatic mitochondria were investigated and compared. Mitochondrial ultrastructures impaired by DMSO and DMF were clearly observed by transmission electron microscopy. Spectroscopic and polarographic results demonstrated that organic solvents induced mitochondrial swelling, enhanced the permeation to H/K, collapsed the potential inner mitochondrial membrane (IMM), and increased the IMM fluidity.

Cost-effectiveness of Different Intra-articular Drug Injections on Wrist and/or Elbow Compromise in Patients With Established Rheumatoid Arthritis: Short-term Results of an Open Observational Evaluation.

Background: Intra-articular (IA) injections are an integral part of the management of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, there are few reports regarding the association between drug effectiveness and cost.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the cost-effectiveness of various combinations of IA injections of betamethasone, hyaluronic acid (HA) or etanercept for oligoarthritis in RA.

Spectroscopic, Polarographic, and Microcalorimetric Studies on Mitochondrial Dysfunction Induced by Ethanol.

Liver mitochondria are involved in several important life processes; mitochondrial dysfunction and disorders are implicated in several human diseases. Alcohol permeates all tissues of the body and exerts some intrinsic hepatotoxicity. In this work, our results demonstrated that ethanol caused a series of mitochondria permeability transition pore (MPTP) opening factors such as mitochondrial swelling, increased permeability of H and K, collapsed membrane potential, and increased membrane fluidity.

The Role of Autophagy in Rheumatic Disease.

Autophagy is an evolutionarily conserved degradation process in triggered by metabolic stress or environmental changes. Autophagy involves formation of autophagosomes, which fuse with lysosomes and degrade encapsulated intracellular components, such as long-lived and misfolded proteins, as well as intracellular organelles. Autophagy has been implicated in a wide variety of physiological and pathological conditions, and was recently implicated in the regulation of immunity and inflammation.

Performance of ultrasound to monitor Achilles enthesitis in patients with ankylosing spondylitis during TNF-a antagonist therapy.

Enthesitis is considered as the primary anatomical lesion in ankylosing spondylitis (AS). We aimed to investigate the potential of ultrasound to detect early changes after TNF-a antagonist therapy of Achilles enthesitis of AS patients. One hundred AS patients with active disease, requiring TNF-a antagonist therapy, were included (etanercept n = 25, infliximab n = 25, adalimumab n = 25, non-biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) n = 25).

Increased expression of human leucocyte antigen class I free heavy chains on monocytes of patients with spondyloarthritis and cells transfected with HLA-B27.

Human leucocyte antigen (HLA)-B27 expression is correlated with spondyloarthritis (SpA), but its role in disease pathogenesis remains unclear. The aim of the study was to determine whether HLA-B27 free heavy chain (FHC) contributes to SpA pathogenesis. Flow cytometry was used to analyse the FHC expression on CD3+ and CD14+ cells in the peripheral blood (PB) and synovial fluid (SF) from SpA patients, healthy controls, and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients.

Platelets induce a proinflammatory phenotype in monocytes via the CD147 pathway in rheumatoid arthritis.

Introduction: Activated platelets exert a proinflammatory action that can be largely ascribed to their ability to interact with monocytes. However, the mechanisms that promote dynamic changes in monocyte subsets in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have not been clearly identified. The aim of this study was to determine whether platelet activation and the consequent formation of monocyte-platelet aggregates (MPA) might induce a proinflammatory phenotype in circulating monocytes in RA.

CD147 up-regulates calcium-induced chemotaxis, adhesion ability and invasiveness of human neutrophils via a TRPM-7-mediated mechanism.

Objectives: We aimed to investigate whether CD147 can up-regulate the chemotactic, adhesive and invasive properties of human neutrophils and to determine the mechanism underlying this process.

Methods: Human promyelocytic leukaemia cells (HL-60) cells and peripheral blood or synovial fluid neutrophils were isolated from RA patients. Under cyclophilin A (CypA) stimulation, chemotaxis, adhesion potential and invasion ability were assessed using chemotaxis, adhesion and invasiveness assays.

Heme oxygenase-1 mediated memorial and revivable protective effect of ischemic preconditioning on brain injury.

Aims: Ischemic preconditioning (IPC) has short-term benefits for stroke patients. However, if IPC protective effect is memorial and the role of the intracellular protective protein heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) is not known.

Methods: Ischemic preconditioning and the corresponding sham control were achieved by blocking the blood flow of the left internal carotid artery for 20 min and 2 second, respectively, in rats.

Treatment of foot disease in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus using human umbilical cord blood mesenchymal stem cells: response and correction of immunological anomalies.

This study was designed to evaluate the distribution of Tregs/Th17/Th1 cells in type 2 diabetic patients with foot disease before and after human umbilical cord blood mesenchymal stem cell (hUCB-MSCs) transplantation. Fifteen diabetic patients with foot disease under insulin therapy received hUCB-MSC transplantation. The hUCB-MSCs were directly injected into the quadriceps thigh muscles in patients with foot disease (cell quantity at 2 x 10⁶ per point).

Long-term culture in vitro impairs the immunosuppressive activity of mesenchymal stem cells on T cells.

Improved knowledge of the immunological properties of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) creates a potential cell-mediated immunotherapeutic approach for arthritic diseases. The low frequency of MSCs necessitates their in vitro expansion prior to clinical use. As sequential passage has been used as the most popular strategy for expansion of MSCs, the effect of long-term culture on the immunological properties of MSCs is not clear.

Role of the frequency of blood CD4(+) CXCR5(+) CCR6(+) T cells in autoimmunity in patients with Sjögren's syndrome.

The blood CD4(+) CXCR5(+) T cells, known as "circulating" Tfh, have been shown to efficiently induce naïve B cells to produce immunoglobulin. They play an important role in certain autoimmune diseases. In the present study, we show for the first time that the frequency of CD4(+) CXCR5(+) T cells is increased in pSS patients and positively correlated with autoantibodies in the blood.

[The design of smart data collection system for EHR].

This paper presents the design of smart data collection system to deal with the drawbacks like EHR data second hand input which is time-consuming and EHR's poor usability. The system comprises security certification, information management and data transmission modules. Through WLAN, EHR data can transmit between smart terminals and server.

[Activation effects of BCR/ABL antigen on CML T cells mediated by protein transduction domain].

Aim: To study the activation effect of BCR/ABL antigen on T cells from CML patients mediated by protein transduction domain (PTD).

Methods: The fused plasmid containing PTD gene and b3a2 bcr/abl gene of CML was constructed by genetic engineering technique and was expressed in E.coli.

[Activating effects of protein transduction domain mediated BCR/ABL protein on CML T cells].

Objective: To study the activating effect of protein transduction domain (PTD) mediated BCR/ABL protein on T cells from CML patients.

Methods: The plasmid containing PTD and b3a2 bcr/abl of CML was constructed by genetic engineering and expressed in E. coli.

[Effects of simulated high altitude hypoxia on cognitive performance].

Aim: To investigate the effects of mild and moderate hypoxia on human cognitive performance.

Methods: Eighteen healthy young male volunteers performed a set of tests of human ergonomics at sea level (300 m in Xi'an) and simulated high altitude of 2 800 m, 3 600 m and 4 400 m for 1 h in hypobaric chamber, respectively.

Results: The performance of continuous recognition memory tests compared with the controls' was deteriorated significantly (P < 0.