Effects of BLa80 on fecal and mucosal flora and stem cell factor/c-kit signaling pathway in simulated microgravity rats.

Background: Simulated microgravity environment can lead to gastrointestinal motility disturbance. The pathogenesis of gastrointestinal motility disorders is closely related to the stem cell factor (SCF)/c-kit signaling pathway associated with intestinal flora and Cajal stromal cells. Moreover, intestinal flora can also affect the regulation of SCF/c-kit signaling pathway, thus affecting the expression of Cajal stromal cells.

Combination Therapy with Baricitinib and Narrowband Ultraviolet B for Active Non-Segmental Vitiligo: A Retrospective Controlled Study.

Background: Vitiligo is a chronic autoimmune disease manifested by depigmented patches of skin devoid of melanocytes. Baricitinib, a JAK inhibitor selectively targeting JAK1/2, has shown preliminary efficacy for vitiligo. We aimed to assess the efficacy and tolerability of combination therapy with baricitinib and narrowband UV-B (NB-UVB) to treat active nonsegmental vitiligo (NSV).

Enhancement of antibacterial properties and biocompatibility of TiAlV by graphene oxide/strontium nanocomposite electrodepositing.

TiAlV is a widely used orthopedic implant material in clinics. Due to its poor antibacterial properties, surface modification is required to prevent peri-implantation infection. However, chemical linkers used for surface modification have generally been reported to have detrimental effects on cell growth.

Development and validation of the linked color imaging classification for endoscopic prediction of colorectal polyp histology.

Objective: Linked color imaging (LCI) is a recently developed technique that emphasizes differences in mucosal color. In this study we aimed to develop a LCI classification based on the Narrow-band Imaging International Colorectal Endoscopic Classification for predicting colorectal polyp histology and evaluate the validity and performance of the endoscopists in differentiating hyperplastic polyps from adenomas using the LCI classification.

Methods: A workshop involving six international experts from China and Japan with substantial experience with LCI developed the classification.

VK2 regulates slow-twitch muscle fibers expression and mitochondrial function via SIRT1/SIRT3 signaling.

Objectives: Skeletal muscle accounts for 80% of whole body insulin-stimulated glucose uptake, and it plays a key role in preventing and curing obesity and insulin resistance (IR). Vitamin K2 (VK2) plays a beneficial role in improving mitochondrial function through SIRT1 signaling in high-fat diet (HFD)-induced mice and palmitate acid (PA)-treated CC cells. A previous study also found VK2 increases oxidative muscle fibers and decreases glycolytic muscle fibers in obesity-induced mice, however, the underlying molecular mechanism of effect of VK2 on increasing oxidative fibers have not been well established.

Establishment of a diagnostic model of coronary heart disease for patients with diabetic foot.

This study aims to establish a diagnostic model of coronary heart disease (CHD) for diabetic foot (DF) patients.The clinical data of 489 hospitalized patients with DF were retrospectively analyzed in this case-control study. The patients were divided into the CHD group (DF with CHD, n = 212) and the control group (DF without CHD, n = 277).

42 °C heat stress pretreatment protects human melanocytes against 308-nm laser-induced DNA damage in vitro.

Vitiligo is a common depigment of skin disorder due to loss of functional melanocytes. Recently, the phototherapy with a 308-nm xenon-chloride excimer laser (UVB laser) is wildly used in vitiligo treatment. However, excessive UVB will induce photo-damage and photo-carcinogenesis in melanocytes.

Substitutions that lock and unlock the proton-coupled folate transporter (PCFT-SLC46A1) in an inward-open conformation.

The proton-coupled folate transporter (PCFT) mediates intestinal absorption of folates and their transport from blood to cerebrospinal fluid across the choroid plexus. Substitutions at Asp-109 in the first intracellular loop between the first and second transmembrane domains (TMDs) abolish PCFT function, but protein expression and trafficking to the cell membrane are retained. Here, we used site-directed mutagenesis, the substituted-cysteine accessibility method, functional analyses, and homology modeling to determine whether the D109A substitution locks PCFT in one of its conformational states.