Natural small molecule hinokitone mitigates NASH fibrosis by targeting regulation of FXR-mediated hepatocyte apoptosis.

Introduction: Liver fibrosis is the common fate of NASH and poses a major health threat with very limited pharmacological treatments.

Objectives: This study aims to investigate the preventive effect of hinokitone (HO), an isolated compound from Agathis dammara, on NASH fibrosis and its underlying mechanism.

Methods: To investigate the effect of HO on NASH fibrosis, C57BL/6 mice were either fed a high-fat diet (HFD) in conjunction with intraperitoneal injection of CCl for 8 weeks or single CCl for 14 days to establish mouse liver fibrosis model, and HO was administered by gavage simultaneously.

Hypoxia Reduces Mouse Urine Output via HIF1α-Mediated Upregulation of Renal AQP1.

Introduction: Patients with acute mountain sickness (AMS) due to hypoxia at high altitudes often exhibit abnormal water metabolism. Hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs) are major regulators of adaptive responses to hypoxia. As transcription factors, HIFs are involved in the regulation of erythropoiesis, iron metabolism, angiogenesis, energy metabolism, and cell survival by promoting the transcriptional expression of hundreds of target genes.

Naringenin ameliorates MASH fibrosis via regulating TAK1/MAPK/FoxO3a-mediated apoptosis in the activated hepatic stellate cells.

This study aims to explore the regulating effect and mechanism of naringenin (NGN) on the hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) apoptosis and its preventive effects on MASH fibrosis. C57BL/6 mice were subjected to either high-fat diet (HFD) plus carbon tetrachloride (CCl) injection (HFD + CCl) for 8 weeks to induce a MASH fibrosis model or bile duct ligation (BDL) to establish a liver fibrosis model, NGN was administered by gavage. LX2 cells were stimulated by oleic acid (OA) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (OA + LPS) to study the effects of NGN on activated hepatic stellate cell (HSC).

Firefighters' muscle activity change during firefighting training program.

Background: Research on muscle activity to reduce injuries during firefighting training has getting increasing attention.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess the activity changes in nine muscles of firefighters during the seven firefighting training programs, and to analyze the influence of different firefighting training programs on muscle activity.

Methods: Ten healthy male firefighters were recruited to measure the field surface electromyographic activities (including the percentage of Maximum Voluntary Contraction electromyography (% MVC) and the integrated electromyography value (iEMG)) during all the firefighting training programs.

Corticosteroids in the treatment of IgA nephropathy: lessons from the TESTING trial.

IgA nephropathy (IgAN), the most common form of primary glomerulonephritis, is mainly observed in young adults and children. Clinical and basic studies indicate the role of immunity in IgAN pathogenesis; however, corticosteroid therapy has been controversial in past decades. The TESTING study, initiated in 2012, is an international, multicenter, double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled trial that aimed to evaluate oral methylprednisolone's safety and long-term efficacy under conditions of optimized supportive treatment in patients with IgAN whose risk of progression is high.

Antrodia cinnamomea and its compound dehydroeburicoic acid attenuate nonalcoholic fatty liver disease by upregulating ALDH2 activity.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a prevalent liver disease, but currently has no specific medication in clinic. Antrodia cinnamomea (AC) is a medicinal fungus and it has been shown that AC can inhibit high fat diet (HFD)-induced lipid deposition in mouse livers, but the effective monomer in AC and mechanism against NAFLD remain unclear. It has been reported that aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) activation shows protective effects on NAFLD.

Hypertriglyceridemia: A Neglected Risk Factor for Ischemic Stroke?

Hypertriglyceridemia is caused by defects in triglyceride metabolism and generally manifests as abnormally high plasma triglyceride levels. Although the role of hypertriglyceridemia may not draw as much attention as that of plasma cholesterol in stroke, plasma triglycerides, especially nonfasting triglycerides, are thought to be correlated with the risk of ischemic stroke. Hypertriglyceridemia may increase the risk of ischemic stroke by promoting atherosclerosis and thrombosis and increasing blood viscosity.