Isorhamnetin ameliorates LPS-induced inflammatory response through downregulation of NF-κB signaling.

Isorhamnetin, a flavonoid mainly found in Hippophae fhamnoides L. fruit, has been known for its antioxidant activity and its ability to regulate immune response. In this study, we investigated whether isorhamnetin exerts potent antiinflammatory effects in RAW264.

Total Flavonoids of Astragalus Plays a Cardioprotective Role in Viral Myocarditis.

Background: Viral myocarditis is initiated by viral infection of myocardial tissue leading to dilated cardiomyopathy and congestive heart failure. Recent studies have linked viral myocarditis with dysfunctions in endoplasmic reticulum (ER) mediated Ca(2+) homeostasis and the unfolded protein response (UPR). Currently there are no effective treatments for this viral infection.

Halogenated carbazoles induce cardiotoxicity in developing zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos.

Halogenated carbazoles are increasingly identified as a novel class of environmental contaminants. However, no in vivo acute toxicity information on those compounds was available. In the present study, an in vivo zebrafish embryonic model (Danio rerio) was used to investigate the developmental toxicity of those halogenated carbazoles.

Synthesis and anti-inflammatory activity evaluation of a novel series of 6-phenoxy-[1,2,4]triazolo[3,4-a]phthalazine-3-carboxamide derivatives.

The transcription factor nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) controls many physiological processes including inflammation, immunity, and apoptosis. In this study, a novel series of 6-phenoxy-[1,2,4]triazolo[3,4-a]phthalazine-3-carboxamide derivatives were synthesized as potent anti-inflammatory agents, which acted on tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) as inhibitors of NF-κB activation. We showed that compounds 6h (6-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)-[1,2,4]triazolo[3,4-a]phthalazine-3-carboxamide) and 6i (6-(3-tolyloxy)-[1,2,4]triazolo[3,4-a]phthalazine-3-carboxamide) showed more prominent anti-inflammatory activity than other compounds, with similar activities as the reference drug dihydrotanshinone; compound 6i showed the lowest cellular toxicity among the tested compounds.

Prognostic Value and Clinicopathological Significance of p-stat3 Among Gastric Carcinoma Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

The overexpression of phosphorylated signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (p-stat3) was detected in a variety of human tumors. The published studies on p-stat3 expression among gastric carcinoma patients remain controversial.In order to clarify the prognosis value of p-stat3 with overall survival and its association with clinicopathological characteristics in gastric carcinoma, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Subject-driven titration of biphasic insulin aspart 30 twice daily is non-inferior to investigator-driven titration in Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes inadequately controlled with premixed human insulin: A randomized, open-label, parallel-group, multicenter trial.

Aims/introduction: The present study was to compare the efficacy and safety of subject-driven and investigator-driven titration of biphasic insulin aspart 30 (BIAsp 30) twice daily (BID).

Materials And Methods: In this 20-week, randomized, open-label, two-group parallel, multicenter trial, Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes inadequately controlled by premixed/self-mixed human insulin were randomized 1:1 to subject-driven or investigator-driven titration of BIAsp 30 BID, in combination with metformin and/or α-glucosidase inhibitors. Dose adjustment was decided by patients in the subject-driven group after training, and by investigators in the investigator-driven group.

Metabolic profile of Fructus Gardeniae in human plasma and urine using ultra high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution LTQ-orbitrap mass spectrometry.

1. In China, Fructus Gardeniae was used as a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) with a wide array of biological activities. The bioactive components identified in Fructus Gardeniae mainly included iridoids, flavonids, pigments, and so on.

Multiomic analysis of mice epilepsy models suggest that miR-21a expression modulates mRNA and protein levels related to seizure deterioration.

Epilepsy is now recognized as the second most common neurological disease in China. To determine the genetic cause of epileptic encephalopathy, we performed a multiomics study using mouse models of controls, anticonvulsant mice treated with five drugs and epileptic mice. Based on genome-wide profiling analysis, we discovered four genes in the epileptic mouse group with differentially-expressed mRNA.

Spontaneous epidural hematoma complicated by systemic lupus erythematosus: one case report.

In this study, an unusual case of intracranial hemorrhage is presented. It is spontaneous epidural hemorrhage, the complication of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus. In this case, a 29-year-old female presented with vomiting and continuous headache and computed tomography revealed the right frontal parietal and temporal epidural hematoma.

Resveratrol relieves ischemia-induced oxidative stress in the hippocampus by activating SIRT1.

Resveratrol, a naturally occurring phytoalexin, acts as an activator of sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) and has been shown to have a neuroprotective role in various models. Healthy adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to cerebral ischemia in order to study the protective effect of resveratrol on the brain following ischemia, and to investigate the effects of SIRT1 activation on the hippocampus. Untreated and resveratrol-treated rats were anesthetized prior to undergoing surgery to induce middle cerebral artery occlusion followed by reperfusion.

Current Research on Antiepileptic Compounds.

Epilepsy affects about 1% of the world's population. Due to the fact all antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) have some undesirable side effects and about 30% of epileptic patients are not seizure-free with the existing AEDs, there is still an urgent need for the development of more effective and safer AEDs. Based on our research work on antiepileptic compounds and other references in recent years, this review covers the reported work on antiepileptic compounds which are classified according to their structures.

Prediction of Stable Ruthenium Silicides from First-Principles Calculations: Stoichiometries, Crystal Structures, and Physical Properties.

We present results of an unbiased structure search for stable ruthenium silicide compounds with various stoichiometries, using a recently developed technique that combines particle swarm optimization algorithms with first-principles calculations. Two experimentally observed structures of ruthenium silicides, RuSi (space group P2(1)3) and Ru2Si3 (space group Pbcn), are successfully reproduced under ambient pressure conditions. In addition, a stable RuSi2 compound with β-FeSi2 structure type (space group Cmca) was found.

Fabrication of transparent SERS platform via interface self-assembly of gold nanorods and gel trapping technique for on-site real time detection.

A transparent SERS platform was fabricated via the gel-trapping method coupled with a liquid/liquid interface self-assembly technique. We employed gold nanorods as the building blocks for interface self-assembly because of their strong localized surface plasmons upon excitation by infrared radiation. Based on a "top cover" configuration, this transparent SERS platform endows high signal reproducibility for directly detecting liquid samples by confining the sample droplet into a regular shape.

Down-regulation of microRNA-155 attenuates retinal neovascularization via the PI3K/Akt pathway.

Purpose: We aimed to investigate the anti-angiogenic properties of miR-155 via in vitro and in vivo studies.

Methods: miR-155 was knocked down using lentivirus-mediated RNA interference. The proliferation, migration, and tube formation of human retinal microvascular endothelial cells (HRMECs) were measured using BrdU, Transwell, and Matrigel assays, respectively.

Isorhamnetin protects mice from lipopolysaccharide-induced acute lung injury via the inhibition of inflammatory responses.

Objective And Design: Isorhamnetin (Isor), a 3-O-methylated metabolite of quercetin, has shown antioxidant and anti-proliferative effects in previous studies. In this study, we investigated the anti-inflammatory effect of Isor on LPS-induced acute lung injury (ALI). Accordingly, we evaluated the effect of Isor on cytokine production elevated by LPS (1 μg/ml) in vitro.

LncRNA-GAS5 induces PTEN expression through inhibiting miR-103 in endometrial cancer cells.

Background: Growth arrest-specific 5 (GAS5) was reported to be implicated and aberrantly express in multiple cancers. However, the expression and mechanism of action of GAS5 were largely poor understood in endometrial carcinoma.

Results: According to the result of real-time reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and flow cytometry analysis, we identified that GAS5 was down-regulated in endometrial cancer cells and stimulated the apoptosis of endometrial cancer cells.

Decreased miR-187 induces retinal ganglion cell apoptosis through upregulating SMAD7 in glaucoma.

Background: Retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) are commonly experienced optic nerve diseases including glaucoma-induced injury that results in decrease of cell survival. However, the underlying mechanism remains to be elaborated. This present study was to focus on the miR-187 and Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) signal and investigated their roles in RGCs apoptosis and proliferation.

DNA methylation inhibitor, decitabine, promotes MGC803 gastric cancer cell migration and invasion via the upregulation of NEDD4‑1.

Gastric cancer is the fourth most common cancer type and the second leading cause of cancer‑associated mortality worldwide. Metastasis is a crucial feature of its progression. DNA methylation provides a key epigenetic signature in the epigenetic regulation pathway, and is implicated in transcriptional regulation.

Profiling of miRNA expression in immune thrombocytopenia patients before and after Qishunbaolier (QSBLE) treatment.

Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP), also known as idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, is an autoimmune disease characterized by low platelet count and increased bleeding tendency. Currently, glucocorticoid and splenectomy are the main therapies for ITP but with obvious side effects including tendency of relapse and risk of internal bleeding. In this study, we report the Mongolian medicine Qishunbaolier (QSBLE) can significantly and efficiently increase platelet count with a low recurrent rate and unnoticeable side effect.

Association Analysis of Genetic Variants with Type 2 Diabetes in a Mongolian Population in China.

The large scale genome wide association studies (GWAS) have identified approximately 80 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) conferring susceptibility to type 2 diabetes (T2D). However, most of these loci have not been replicated in diverse populations and much genetic heterogeneity has been observed across ethnic groups. We tested 28 SNPs previously found to be associated with T2D by GWAS in a Mongolian sample of Northern China (497 diagnosed with T2D and 469 controls) for association with T2D and diabetes related quantitative traits.

Chebulagic acid inhibits the LPS-induced expression of TNF-α and IL-1β in endothelial cells by suppressing MAPK activation.

Inflammatory response in the vasculature, including the overexpression of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-1β, has been demonstrated to increase the risk of thrombosis development. Chebulagic acid (CA) is a key chemical component in the traditional Mongolian anti-thrombotic drug Garidi-13, and has been suggested to exert anti-inflammatory and anti-infective effects. The present study aimed to evaluate the regulatory impact of CA on a number of biological processes, including lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation, LPS-promoted mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) activation and the expression of toll-like receptor (TLR)4 in EA.

Nesiritide Therapy Is Associated With Better Clinical Outcomes Than Dobutamine Therapy in Heart Failure.

To evaluate the therapeutic effects of dobutamine and nesiritide in the treatment of heart failure (HF), a meta-analysis of published studies was conducted. Computerized bibliographic databases in Chinese and English languages were carefully searched to identify the relevant literature. A total of 6 cohort studies were enrolled in current meta-analysis for statistical analyses.

A Graphene-like Oxygenated Carbon Nitride Material for Improved Cycle-Life Lithium/Sulfur Batteries.

Novel sulfur (S) anchoring materials and the corresponding mechanisms for suppressing capacity fading are urgently needed to advance the performance of Li/S batteries. Here, we designed and synthesized a graphene-like oxygenated carbon nitride (OCN) host material that contains tens of micrometer scaled two-dimensional (2D) rippled sheets, micromesopores, and oxygen heteroatoms. N content can reach as high as 20.