The use of a novel non-steroidal mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist finerenone for the treatment of chronic heart failure: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: The non-steroidal mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist finerenone (BAY 94-8862) has been used to treat chronic heart failure (CHF) with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). However, conflicting results were reported for its efficacy and safety. The study aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of finerenone versus spironolactone or eplerenone in patients with chronic heart failure.

Tripartite motif 31 promotes resistance to anoikis of hepatocarcinoma cells through regulation of p53-AMPK axis.

Anoikis-resistance is an essential feature of cancer cells to obtain successful metastasis, whereas the molecular mechanism involved in this process of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells is not fully understood. Here we demonstrated that tripartite motif-containing (TRIM) 31, a new member of the TRIM family, was significantly upregulated in the anchorage-deprived HCC cells compared with their attached counterpart. When we blocked TRIM31 expression by its specific interference RNAs, the anoikis-resistance of HCC cells was significantly reversed.

Predictive value of spectral-domain optical coherence tomography features in assessment of visual prognosis in eyes with acute welding arc maculopathy.

Objective: To observe spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) features and to determine whether baseline OCT features can be used as predictors of visual acuity outcome in eyes with acute welding arc maculopathy.

Methods: This retrospective study enrolled twenty-two eyes of eleven subjects with acute welding arc maculopathy. All subjects were evaluated by SD-OCT at baseline and final visit.

Transcription regulators and hormones involved in the development of brown fat and white fat browning: transcriptional and hormonal control of brown/beige fat development.

The high prevalence of obesity and related metabolic complications has inspired research on adipose tissues. Three kinds of adipose tissues are identified in mammals: brown adipose tissue (BAT), beige or brite adipose tissue and white adipose tissue (WAT). Beige adipocytes share some characteristics with brown adipocytes such as the expression of UCP1.

Plant Homeodomain Genes Play Important Roles in Cryptococcal Yeast-Hypha Transition.

is a major opportunistic fungal pathogen. Like many dimorphic fungal pathogens, can undergo morphological transition from the yeast form to the hypha form, and its morphotype is tightly linked to its virulence. Although some genetic factors controlling morphogenesis have been identified, little is known about the epigenetic regulation in this process.

Knockout of Low Molecular Weight FGF2 Attenuates Atherosclerosis by Reducing Macrophage Infiltration and Oxidative Stress in Mice.

Background/aims: Fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) plays a predominant role during angiogenesis in the adventitia and in atherosclerotic plaque. A dilemma exists, however, as to whether angiogenic stimulation by FGF2 for the prevention and treatment of atherogenesis is feasible. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of the 18-kDa FGF-2 isoform on atherosclerosis progression in high-fat diet-fed apolipoprotein E knockout (ApoE-/-) mice.

Study the relevance between inflammatory factors and estradiol and their association with knee osteoarthritis in postmenopausal women.

Objective: To investigate whether serum levels of inflammatory factors and estradiol (E2) are involved in the pathogenesis of postmenopausal women with knee osteoarthritis (OA).

Patients And Methods: 58 randomly patients diagnosed with postmenopausal knee OA that underwent orthopedic surgery from October 2013 to October 2016 in our hospital were selected. These patients, considered as the experimental group, according to the degree of cartilage damage, were divided into light, medium and heavy groups.

A prognostic score model to determine which breast cancer patients with 1-3 positive lymph nodes after modified radical mastectomy should receive radiotherapy.

There is no consensus on the indication for postmastectomy radiotherapy (PMRT) in breast cancer patients with one to three positive lymph nodes. To identify patients for whom PMRT may be indicated, we used a prognostic score model with the SEER database to retrospectively analyze 8049 patients with one to three positive lymph nodes who underwent mastectomy with or without PMRT between 2010 and 2013. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that PMRT patients had better overall survival (OS) than no-PMRT patients ( < 0.

NOD2-RIP2 contributes to the inflammatory responses of mice in vivo to Streptococcus pneumoniae.

The objectives of this study were to investigate the role of the NOD2-RIP2 pathway in host responses to the gram-positive bacteria Streptococcus pneumoniae and to evaluate the effect of the RIP2 inhibitor gefitinib in a mouse model of S. pneumoniae meningitis. Mice were randomly divided into a normal saline control group (NS group), an S.

Differences in the expression profiles of claudin proteins in human nasopharyngeal carcinoma compared with non-neoplastic mucosa.

Background: Several studies have suggested that claudin proteins, which are the main components of tight junction structures, are related to the regulation of cell polarity and cell differentiation.

Method: To explore the expression profiles of the tight junction proteins claudin-2, - 5, - 8 and - 9 in nasopharyngeal carcinoma, IHC (immunohistochemical analysis), Western blot and real-time PCR were used to detect the expression profiles of these claudin proteins in nasopharyngeal carcinoma tissues and in non-neoplastic mucosal tissues.

Results: According to our study, the expression levels of claudin-2 and claudin-5 were reduced, while the expression of claudin-8 was increased in nasopharyngeal carcinoma tissues in comparison with non-neoplastic mucosal tissues.

Factors Affecting the Quality of Breast Quasistatic Ultrasound Elastograms.

Objectives: To explore factors affecting the quality of quasistatic ultrasound elastograms of the breast and to evaluate their accuracy in distinguishing benign and malignant breast lesions.

Methods: A total of 663 patients with 702 breast lesions were recruited. All patients received both conventional ultrasonography and quasistatic elastography.

Protective roles of hepatic GABA signaling in liver injury.

In addition to functioning as a neurotransmitter, γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) generates signals, via its type A or type B receptors (GABARs or GABARs), in various types of cells. Studies, including ours, show that GABAR-mediated auto- and paracrine GABAergic signaling occurs in rodent hepatocytes and cholangiocytes, protecting the liver against toxic injuries. This short article briefly introduces the GABA signaling system in rodent livers and discusses potential mechanisms by which the hepatic GABA signaling protects the liver function.

Polycomb subunit BMI1 determines uterine progesterone responsiveness essential for normal embryo implantation.

Natural and synthetic progestogens have been commonly used to prevent recurrent pregnancy loss in women with inadequate progesterone secretion or reduced progesterone sensitivity. However, the clinical efficacy of progesterone and its analogs for maintaining pregnancy is variable. Additionally, the underlying cause of impaired endometrial progesterone responsiveness during early pregnancy remains unknown.

Genome-wide DNA methylation drives human embryonic stem cell erythropoiesis by remodeling gene expression dynamics.

Aim: To investigate the role of DNA methylation during erythrocyte production by human embryonic stem cells (hESCs).

Methods: We employed an erythroid differentiation model from hESCs, and then tracked the genome-wide DNA methylation maps and gene expression patterns through an Infinium HumanMethylation450K BeadChip and an Ilumina Human HT-12 v4 Expression Beadchip, respectively.

Results: A negative correlation between DNA methylation and gene expression was substantially enriched during the later differentiation stage and was present in both the promoter and the gene body.

β-Arrestin-1 deficiency ameliorates renal interstitial fibrosis by blocking Wnt1/β-catenin signaling in mice.

Unlabelled: Despite substantial progress being made in understanding the mechanisms contributing to the pathogenesis of renal fibrosis, there are only a few therapies available to treat or prevent renal fibrosis in clinical use today. Therefore, identifying the key cellular and molecular mediators involved in the pathogenesis of renal fibrosis will provide new therapeutic strategy for treating patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). β-Arrestin-1, a member of β-arrestin family, not only is a negative adaptor of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), but also acts as a scaffold protein and regulates a diverse array of cellular functions independent of GPCR activation.

High Expression of S100A6 Predicts Unfavorable Prognosis of Lung Squamous Cell Cancer.

BACKGROUND S100 family of proteins is mainly involved in regulation of intracellular calcium homeostasis. Aberrant expression of S100 family members has been reported in many types of cancers. However, as a member of S100 family, the prognostic value of S100A6 for lung squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) has not been well-studied.

TRIM31 is upregulated in hepatocellular carcinoma and promotes disease progression by inducing ubiquitination of TSC1-TSC2 complex.

Tripartite motif (TRIM) 31 is a member of the tripartite motif-containing protein family, and TRIM family proteins are involved in a broad range of biological and pathological processes. However, the role of TRIM31 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) progression is not known. Here we demonstrated that TRIM31 expression was significantly upregulated in liver cancer tissues compared with paired distal non-cancerous liver tissues from HCC patients, and its overexpression was significantly correlated with advanced disease status.

Diagnostic efficacy of noninvasive liver fibrosis indexes in predicting portal hypertension in patients with cirrhosis.

Background: Recent data suggest that noninvasive liver fibrosis indexes could be useful for predicting esophageal varices (EV) in cirrhotic patients. However, thus far, the diagnostic efficacy of these indexes in predicting portal hypertension (PH) in cirrhotic patients has been poorly evaluated.

Aims: To evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of noninvasive liver fibrosis indexes in the diagnosis of PH.

miR612 is associated with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma development and metastasis, mediated through TP53.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) serve an important role in the regulation of gene expression. In the present study, differential expressions of miRNAs were compared between esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) tissues and normal esophageal tissues. In combination with miRNA target prediction databases, a significantly increased expression of miR‑612 was discovered in ESCC.

Propofol Affects Neurodegeneration and Neurogenesis by Regulation of Autophagy via Effects on Intracellular Calcium Homeostasis.

Background: In human cortical neural progenitor cells, we investigated the effects of propofol on calcium homeostasis in both the ryanodine and inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate calcium release channels. We also studied propofol-mediated effects on autophagy, cell survival, and neuro- and gliogenesis.

Methods: The dose-response relationship between propofol concentration and duration was studied in neural progenitor cells.

The prognostic value of nodal skip metastasis in resectable thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the incidence of nodal skip metastasis (NSM) to identify the risk factors that influence NSM and to assess the prognostic value of NSM in patients with thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC).

Patients And Methods: Between January 2009 and December 2013, 285 patients with ESCC with positive lymph nodes who underwent complete resection were enrolled.

Results: For the entire group, NSM occurred in 32.

The CNGRCLLII(KLAKLAK)2 peptide shows cytotoxicity against HUVECs by inducing apoptosis: An in vitro and in vivo study.

Fibrinogen Asn-Gly-Arg motif can specifically recognize and bind to Aminopeptidase N (CD13) on vascular endothelial cells in newly formed tumor vessels. Adipose-derived stem cells can serve as ideal vectors for gene therapy because of their ability of migrating to tumor tissues. First, this study was aimed to design a new peptide (CNGRCLLII(KLAKLAK)2) named CNAK which contains cyclic Asn-Gly-Arg motif and test its biological activity against human umbilical vein endothelial cells.

Boschniakia Rossica Polysaccharide Triggers Laryngeal Carcinoma Cell Apoptosis by Regulating Expression of Bcl-2, Caspase-3, and P53.

BACKGROUND Laryngeal cancer is a malignant head and neck tumor with high morbidity and high mortality in humans. Recently, treatments with Chinese medicines and their extracts have gradually received great attention, and studies suggest that Boschniakia rossica polysaccharide (BRP) has potential anti-tumor activity. Therefore, this study investigating the role of BRP in inducing apoptosis in human laryngeal carcinoma cells.

17β-estradiol protects against doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity in male Sprague-Dawley rats by regulating NADPH oxidase and apoptosis genes.

Doxorubicin (DOX) is one of the most effective chemotherapeutic agents for the treatment of a number of malignancies. However, its use is limited by serious cardiotoxic effects, for which there are currently no reliable pharmacologic therapies. Estrogen has exhibited protective effects against cardiac stressors in male and female animal models; however, its effects on DOX‑induced cardiotoxicity remain unknown.