Mitochondrial replication, transcription, and function in obstructive sleep apnea.

We assessed mitochondrial replication, transcription, and function in the upper airways of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients and the effects of uvulopalatopharyngoplasty. Twenty subjects with mild and 40 with moderate to severe OSA requiring uvulopalatopharyngoplasty were included. Mitochondrial transcription factor A (TFAM) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1-alpha (PGC-1α) in uvula specimens were assessed by immunohistochemical staining, and their mRNA and protein expression was examined using reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction and western blotting, respectively.

Xinglou Chengqi Decoction improves neurological function in experimental stroke mice as evidenced by gut microbiota analysis and network pharmacology.

The current study was designed to explore the brain protection mechanism of Xinglou Chengqi Decoction (XCD) based on gut microbiota analysis and network pharmacology. A transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model of mice was established, followed by behavioral evaluation, TTC and TUNEL staining. Additionally, to investigate the effects of gut microbiota on neurological function after stroke, C57BL/6 mice were treated with anti-biotic cocktails 14 days prior to ischemic stroke (IS) to deplete the gut microbiota.

Continuous positive airway pressure affects mitochondrial function and exhaled PGC1-α levels in obstructive sleep apnea.

Subjects with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) exhibit systemic and upper airway oxidative stress and inflammation, which cause mitochondrial dysfunction. The intend of this study is to estimate mitochondrial function (mitochondrial DNA/nuclear DNA [Mt/N] ratio) and protein levels of peroxisome proliferator-coactivated receptor gamma co-activator 1-alpha (PGC1-α) in the exhaled breath condensate (EBC) and plasma before and after continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment. Twenty healthy individuals (control) and 40 subjects with severe or moderate OSA were recruited to undergo CPAP treatment and evaluation in a sleep study.

Global Analysis the Potential Medicinal Substances of Shuangxia Decoction and the Process via Mass Spectrometry Technology.

Shuangxia decoction is an effective traditional Chinese medicine formula for treating insomnia. Up to now, there has not been any report about the effective substances. An omics data processing method based on mass spectrometry technology is used to explore the chemical composition changes of Shuangxia decoction, the components absorbed into the blood and brain, and to explore the anti-insomnia mechanism based on molecular docking technology.

Effect of high-frequency low-intensity pulsed electric field on protecting SH-SY5Y cells against hydrogen peroxide and β-amyloid-induced cell injury via ERK pathway.

As the most common type of neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs), Alzheimer's disease (AD) is thought to be caused mainly by the excessive aggregation of β-amyloid protein (Aβ). However, a growing number of studies have found that reactive oxygen species (ROS) play a key role in the onset and progression of AD. The present study aimed to probe the neuroprotective effect of high-frequency low-intensity pulsed electric field (H-LIPEF) for SH-SY5Y cells against hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and Aβ-induced cytotoxicity.

Effects of continuous positive airway pressure on resolvin and matrix metalloproteinase-9 in patients with obstructive sleep apnea.

Purpose: Resolvin is a checkpoint controller in inflammation. Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) is an airway remodeling regulator. We evaluated the levels of resolvin and MMP-9 protein in the serum and exhaled breath condensate (EBC) before and after continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment.

Thermal cycling as a novel thermal therapy to synergistically enhance the anticancer effect of propolis on PANC‑1 cells.

Hyperthermia (HT) has shown potential in cancer therapy. In particular, it appears to sensitize cancer cells to chemotherapy. However, a major concern associated with HT is that the thermal dosage applied to the tumor cells may also harm the normal tissue cells.

Pharmacodynamic study on insomnia-curing effects of Shuangxia Decoction in Drosophila melanogaster.

The present study aimed to establish a pharmacodynamic method using the pySolo software to explore the influence of freeze-dried powders of Shuangxia Decoction (SXD) on the sleep of normal Drosophila melanogaster and the Drosophila melanogaster whose sleep was divested by light. The dose-effect and the time-effect relationships of SXD on sleep were examined. The effect-onset concentration of SXD was 0.

[Effects of ligustrazine on the mitochondrial structure and functions in the process myocardial hypertrophy].

Objective: To explore changes of mitochondrial structure and functions, as well as the protection of ligustrazine in the process of myocardial hypertrophy.

Methods: Neonatal myocardial cells were isolated and cultured with angiotensin II (Ang II) for 72 or 96 h. The total protein content was detected using BCA method.

Molecular evolution of cystine-stabilized miniproteins as stable proteinaceous binders.

Small cystine-stabilized proteins are desirable scaffolds for therapeutics and diagnostics. Specific folding and binding properties of the proteinaceous binders can be engineered with combinatorial protein libraries in connection with artificial molecular evolution. The combinatorial protein libraries are composed of scaffold variants with random sequence variation, which inevitably produces a portion of the library sequences incompatible with the parent structure.

[Non-apoptotic programmed cell death induced by extract of Spatholobus suberctus in human lung cancer A549 cells].

Objective: The goal of study is to explore the cytotoxic activity and its underlying mechanisms of the extract of Spatholobus suberctus in human lung cancer A549 cells.

Method: The inhibitory effects of the extract on proliferation of human lung cancer cell line A549 was measured by MTT cell viability assay and growth curve. Cell cycle was analyzed using flow cytometry.

Protease substrate site predictors derived from machine learning on multilevel substrate phage display data.

Motivation: Regulatory proteases modulate proteomic dynamics with a spectrum of specificities against substrate proteins. Predictions of the substrate sites in a proteome for the proteases would facilitate understanding the biological functions of the proteases. High-throughput experiments could generate suitable datasets for machine learning to grasp complex relationships between the substrate sequences and the enzymatic specificities.

Factor Xa active site substrate specificity with substrate phage display and computational molecular modeling.

Structural origin of substrate-enzyme recognition remains incompletely understood. In the model enzyme system of serine protease, canonical anti-parallel beta-structure substrate-enzyme complex is the predominant hypothesis for the substrate-enzyme interaction at the atomic level. We used factor Xa (fXa), a key serine protease of the coagulation system, as a model enzyme to test the canonical conformation hypothesis.

[Determination of 2,3,5,4'-tetrahydroxystilbene-2-O-beta-D-glucoside in yangan oral liquid by HPLC].

Objective: To establish the determination method of 2,3,5,4'-tetrahydroxystilbene-2-O-beta-D-glucoside in Yangan Oral Liquid.

Method: 2,3,5,4'-tetrahydroxystilbene-2-O-beta-D-glucoside was determined by HPLC on C18 column, in acetonitrile-water (14:86) solution as a mobile phase, detection wavelength as 320 nm.

Result: This method showed a good linear relationship.