Ramifloraolides A - D, four highly oxygenated picrotoxane-type sesquiterpenoids from the stems of Baccaurea ramiflora and their antithrombotic activity.

A phytochemical investigation of the ethanol extract from air-dried stems of Baccaurea ramiflora led to the isolation of four highly oxygenated picrotoxane-type sesquiterpenoids, ramifloraolides A - D (1-4). Their structures were elucidated by comprehensive spectroscopic data (HRESIMS, IR, 1D, and 2D NMR), and their absolute configuration of them were unambiguously determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Structurally, all compounds possess a unique [4.

Associations between the use of red yeast rice preparations and adverse health outcomes: An umbrella review of meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials.

Background: Red yeast rice (RYR), a natural lipid-lowering agent, is widely used in clinical practice. However, the existing meta-analyses concerning the safety of RYR preparations have yielded inconsistent results, and the credibility of the evidence has not been quantified.

Objective: This study was designed to evaluate the existing evidence and offer a comprehensive understanding of the associations between the use of RYR preparations and various adverse health outcomes.

The positive effects of postbiotic (SWF concentration®) supplemented diet on skin mucus, liver, gut health, the structure and function of gut microbiota of common carp (Cyprinus carpio) fed with high-fat diet.

Postbiotics are an emerging research interest in recent years, which shows that metabolites, lysate extracts, cell wall components and even culture supernatants of probiotics can also exhibit significant prebiotic effects. In this study postbiotic stress worry free concentration® (SWFC) were prepared from the composition of culture supernatant of Cetobacterium somerae and Lactococcus lactis. The positive effects of SWFC supplemented diets on the growth performance, skin mucus, liver and gut health, and intestinal microbiota profile of Cyprinus carpio fed with high fat diets were investigated.

Influences of dietary Eucommia ulmoides leaf extract on the hepatic lipid metabolism, inflammation response, intestinal antioxidant capacity, intestinal microbiota, and disease resistance of the channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus).

The purpose of the study was to investigate the effects of Eucommia ulmoides leaf extract (ELE) on the common occurrence of liver steatosis, chronic inflammation, oxidative stress, disturbance of gut microbiota, and disease susceptibility in high-fat diet-fed channel catfish. Channel catfish fed three diets, including a high-fat diet (11% crude fat) and ELE-supplemented diets containing 1‰ or 2‰ ELE for 4 weeks. The results showed the contents of liver triacylglycerol of 1‰ and 2‰ ELE groups were reduced, and ELE treatments decreased the expression of lipogenesis related genes (srebp-1c, pparγ, and acc-1), and increased the expression of lipolysis related genes (pparα).

Surface-Displayed Amuc_1100 From on ZHY1 Improves Hepatic Steatosis and Intestinal Health in High-Fat-Fed Zebrafish.

Fatty liver and intestinal barrier damage were widespread in most farmed fish, which severely restrict the development of aquaculture. Therefore, there was an urgent need to develop green feed additives to maintain host liver and intestinal health. In this study, a probiotic pili-like protein, Amuc_1100 (AM protein), was anchored to the surface of ZHY1, and the effects of the recombinant bacteria AM-ZHY1 on liver fat accumulation and intestinal health were evaluated.

Site-Specific Glycan-Masking/Unmasking Hemagglutinin Antigen Design to Elicit Broadly Neutralizing and Stem-Binding Antibodies Against Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N1 Virus Infections.

The highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 viruses with the capability of transmission from birds to humans have a serious impact on public health. To date, HPAI H5N1 viruses have evolved into ten antigenically distinct clades that could cause a mismatch of vaccine strains and reduce vaccine efficacy. In this study, the glycan masking and unmasking strategies on hemagglutinin antigen were used for designing two antigens: H5-dm/st2 and H5-tm/st2, and investigated for their elicited immunity using two-dose recombinant H5 (rH5) immunization and a first-dose adenovirus vector prime, followed by a second-dose rH5 protein booster immunization.

Simultaneous or Staged Decompressions for Patients with Tandem Spinal Stenosis.

Objective: To compare the clinical effects of cervical decompression first, lumbar decompression first, or simultaneous decompression of both lesions in the treatment of tandem spinal stenosis (TSS).

Methods: This is a retrospective analysis. From January 2013 to December 2018, 51 TSS patients underwent our surgery and postoperative investigation.

The role of fibroblast activation protein in progression and development of osteosarcoma cells.

To investigate the expression levels of fibroblast activation protein (FAP) in human osteosarcoma tissues and its possible correlations with clinical pathological characteristics of patients with osteosarcoma, and to explore the potential effects of FAP on progression and development of osteosarcoma. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) assay was initially performed to detect the expression levels of FAP in 66 tumor tissues and adjacent non-tumor tissues. Patients were sequentially divided into two groups based on different expression levels of FAP.

Ability of prebiotic polysaccharides to activate a HIF1α-antimicrobial peptide axis determines liver injury risk in zebrafish.

Natural polysaccharides have received much attention for their ability to ameliorate hepatic steatosis induced by high-fat diet. However, the potential risks of their use have been less investigated. Here, we show that the exopolysaccharides (EPS) from GG (LGG) and BL23 reduce hepatic steatosis in zebrafish fed a high-fat diet, while BL23 EPS, but not LGG EPS, induce liver inflammation and injury.

Bone morphogenetic protein and activin membrane-bound inhibitor suppress bone cancer progression in MG63 and SAOS cells via regulation of the TGF-β-induced EMT signaling pathway.

Bone cancer is one of the most common tumor types that occurs in bones and their affiliated tissues. The prognosis remains poor due to the limited number of effective therapeutic targets. Downregulation of bone morphogenetic protein and activin membrane-bound inhibitor (BAMBI) has been observed in human cancer cells and BAMBI reconstitution can inhibit growth and metastasis of human cancer cells.

Pentoxifylline decreases post-operative intra-abdominal adhesion formation in an animal model.

Background: Intra-abdominal adhesions develop after nearly every abdominal surgery, commonly causing female infertility, chronic pelvic pain, and small bowel obstruction. Pentoxifylline (PTX) is a methylxanthine compound with immunomodulatory and antifibrotic properties. The aim of this study was to investigate whether PTX can reduce post-operative intra-abdominal adhesion formation via collagen deposition, tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) level, inflammation, angiogenesis, and fibrosis.

Resuscitation Using Liposomal Vasopressin in an Animal Model of Uncontrolled Hemorrhagic Shock.

Background: Current research suggests that administration of vasopressin to patients with uncontrolled hemorrhagic shock (UHS) can avoid the detrimental effects associated with aggressive fluid resuscitation. However, vasopressin has a short half-life of 10~35 minutes in in vivo use and precludes its use in the pre-hospital setting. To increase the half-life of vasopressin, we proposed to synthesize liposome-encapsulated vasopressin and test it in a rat model of UHS.

Morphological and molecular characterization of actinosporeans infecting oligochaete Branchiura sowerbyi from Chinese carp ponds.

We surveyed the actinosporean stages of fish myxosporeans at fish farms in Jiangsu Province, China, from 2011 to 2014. During the surveys, we identified 7 actinosporean types from 4 collective groups: echinactinomyxon (1 type), triactinomyxon (1 type), aurantiactinomyxon (1 type), and neoactinomyxum (4 types), released by the oligochaete Branchiura sowerbyi. The morphological characteristics and DNA sequences of these types are described here.

New phylogenomic and comparative analyses provide corroborating evidence that Myxozoa is Cnidaria.

Myxozoa, a diverse group of morphologically simplified endoparasites, are well known fish parasites causing substantial economic losses in aquaculture. Despite active research, the phylogenetic position of Myxozoa remains ambiguous. After obtaining the genome and transcriptome data of the myxozoan Thelohanellus kitauei, we examined the phylogenetic position of Myxozoa from three different perspectives.

Induction of COX-2/PGE(2)/IL-6 is crucial for cigarette smoke extract-induced airway inflammation: Role of TLR4-dependent NADPH oxidase activation.

Exposure to cigarette smoke extract (CSE) leads to airway and lung inflammation through an oxidant-antioxidant imbalance. Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)) have been shown to play critical roles in respiratory inflammation. Here, we show that COX-2/PGE(2)/IL-6 induction is dependent on Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/NADPH oxidase signaling in human tracheal smooth muscle cells (HTSMCs).

Cigarette smoke extract induces COX-2 expression via a PKCalpha/c-Src/EGFR, PDGFR/PI3K/Akt/NF-kappaB pathway and p300 in tracheal smooth muscle cells.

Exposure to cigarette smoke extract (CSE) leads to airway or lung inflammation, which may be mediated through cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression and its product prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) synthesis. The aim of this study was to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying CSE-induced COX-2 expression in human tracheal smooth muscle cells (HTSMCs). Here, we describe that COX-2 induction is dependent on PKCalpha/c-Src/EGFR, PDGFR/PI3K/Akt/NF-kappaB signaling in HTSMCs.

Design and characterization of novel hybrid peptides from LFB15(W4,10), HP(2-20), and cecropin A based on structure parameters by computer-aided method.

The increasing problem of antibiotic resistance among pathogenic bacteria requires development of new antimicrobial agents. The pivotal assets of the antimicrobial peptide include potential for rapid bactericidal activity and low propensity for resistance. The four new antimicrobial hybrid peptides were designed based on peptides LFB15(W4,10), HP(2-20), and cecropin A according to the structure-activity relationship of the amphipathic and cationic antimicrobial peptides.