Objective To investigate the effects and anti-atherosclerotic mechanism of rosiglitazone on the expression of ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1) and reverse cholesterol transport (RCT) in atherosclerotic rabbits. Methods Twelve rabbits were randomly divided into two groups (6 each): control group (only high cholesterol diet for 6 weeks), rosiglitazone group [high cholesterol diet plus rosiglitazone 0.5mg/(kg?d) for 6 weeks]. ABCA1 expression and [3H] cholesterol efflux rates were evaluated by flow cytometry and liquid scintillation spectrometry, respectively. Enzymatic methods were used to assay serum lipids levels and cholesterol contents in tissues, and the atherosclerotic area of aorta was calculated by professional image analysis software. Results For the rabbits of both control and rosiglitazone group, the serum levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (NHDL-C) and apolipoprotein A1 (apoA1) significantly went up when they took their cholesterol rich diet for 6 weeks (P0.05). Compared with control group, the ABCA1 expressions in monocytes, peritoneal macrophages, adipocytes and hepatocytes, as well as the cholesterol efflux rates in peritoneal macrophages, adipocytes and hepatocytes increased significantly (P

Atherosclerosis is a complex disease characterized by lipid accumulation in the vascular wall and influenced by multiple genetic and environmental factors. To understand the mechanisms of molecular regulation related to atherosclerosis better, a protein interaction network was constructed in the present study. Genes were collected in nucleotide database and interactions were downloaded from Biomolecular Object Network Database (BOND). The interactional data were imported into the software Cytoscape to construct the interaction network, and then the degree characteristics of the network were analyzed for Hub proteins. Statistical significance pathways and diseases were figured out by inputting Hub proteins to KOBAS2. 0. The complete pathway network related to atherosclerosis was constructed. The results identified a series of key genes related to atherosclerosis, which would be the potential promising drug targets for effective prevention.
Atherosclerosis ; genetics ; Databases, Factual ; Humans ; Protein Interaction Mapping ; methods ; Protein Interaction Maps ; Software

Objective To evaluate the inter-observer variability of static breast sonogram final assessment among observers with different breast imaging experience, using the first edition of the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System(BI-RADS) for ultrasound. Methods Thirty patients with 30 breast lesions were included who underwent beast lesions resection operation. A pathological diagnosis was available for all 30 lesions:16 (53%) malignant and 14 (47%) benign. Twelve radiologists independently reviewed two sonograms of each lesion, and assigned a final BI-RADS assessment category. Inter-observer variability was measured using kappa statistic. Positive predictive value(PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) for final assessment were also calculated. Results As for the experienced observers,kappa values of categories 3,4 and 5 were 0.72,0.28 and 0.60,NPV of category 3 was 93% ,PPV of category 5 was 97% ,all of which decreased as the breast imaging experience reduced. PPVs of categories 4a,4b and 4c were 56 % ,88% and 69%, respectively. Conclusions Using BI-RADS final assessment, radiologists with sufficient breast imaging experience can provide accurate and consistent assessment for breast ultrasonography,but the agreement of diagnosis decreased as the breast imaging experience reduced. The clinical feasibility of 4a,4b and 4c subcategories is uncertain.

Objective To establish the quality standard for Chanhou Zhuyu Capsules.Methods Leonurus Japonicus and Ligusticum chuanxiong in Chanhou Zhuyu Capsules were identified by TLC,and the content of stachydrine hydrochloride was determined by TLC Scanning.Results The quality identification by TLC was specific.Stachydrine hydrochloride had a good linearity in the range of 4.0～12.0 ?g,r=0.999 7,and the average recovery was 99.87 %,RSD=1.67 %.Conclusion The methods of identification and content determination are simple,reliable and reproducible.They can be used effectively for the quality control of Chanhou Zhuyu Capsules.

Objective:To observe the morphological changes of the deep lumbar multifidus (DM) during rest and movement among persons with chronic low back pain (cLBP) using ultrasound imaging.Methods:Twenty-one cLBP patients and 30 pain-free healthy controls were studied. The resting thickness of the DM muscle was measured, and then its cross-sectional area and thickness during maximum voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC). The results were correlated with pain intensity and duration.Results:The cLBP patients showed significant reductions in the DM′s resting thickness, and in its cross-sectional area and thickness during a MVIC compared with the healthy controls. The resting thickness of the DM was positively correlated with pain duration, but not with pain intensity.Conclusions:These results suggest that cLBP patients have atrophy and less thickness change during an MVIC. This should be considered in planning clinical rehabilitation training.

Contracture and spasticity of ankle joints were major sources of disability in neurological impairment including stroke and cerebral palsy, etc. The manual stretching used in physical therapy might be laborious and time-consuming to the therapists and the outcome was dependent on the experience and the subjectiveend feelingof the therapists. A device was developed that could safely stretch the an-kle joint to its extreme positions with quantitative control of the resistance torque and stretching velocity. Furthermore, it could satisfy a strong need for quantitative and objective measures of the impairment and rehabilitation outcome. This was just the meaning intelligent stretching referred to. This article described the origin of the concept of intelligent stretching and its definition, operational principle, and su-periority and weakness, as well as its application in ankle joint spasticity and contracture in patients with stroke and cerebral palsy.

Objective:To investigate the regulating molecules and acting mechanism of TAB182 in HR pathway.Methods:TAB182 in human breast cancer MCF-7 cells was knocked down by shRNA strategy, the TAB182 knockdown MCF-7 as the TAB182 knockdown group, and the MCF-7 cell using the shRNA negative control as the TAB182 negative control group. RNA sequencing and qRT-PCR were performed to screen and verify the differentially expressed genes of HR pathway related to TAB182 depression. Western blot was used to detect protein expression. Immunofluorescence staining of nuclear RAD51 and BrdU was used to check the 3′ ssDNA formation by the end resection. The cell cycle arrest and apoptosis were measured by flow cytometry. Cloning formation assay was used to evaluate the sensitivity TAB182-knockdown cells to radiation.Results:Both quantitative RNA sequencing and qRT-PCR assays showed that TAB182-knockdown significantly decreased the mRNA expression of RPA2( t=17.97, P<0.05). Compared with the TAB182 negative control group, the protein level of RPA2, the number of RAD51 foci, and the 3′ ssDNA-binding nuclear protein marker BrdU in TAB182-knockdown cells were significantly reduced. At 4, 8, and 12 h after actinomycin D treatment, the attenuation of RPA2 mRNA in the TAB182-knockdown cells was accelerated ( t=5.37, 3.79, 3.69, P<0.05). Compared with the TAB182 negative control group, the radiosensitivity and radiation-induced apoptosis in the TAB182-knockdown group were increased ( t=3.48, 11.05, P<0.05), and at 24 h after irradiation, the cell cycle block time was prolonged ( t=8.40, P<0.01). Conclusions:TAB182 plays a role in maintaining RPA2 mRNA stability, thereby promoting HR repair. TAB182 knockdown cells are highly sensitive to ionizing radiation.

Objective:To observe the inhibitory effect of berberine (BBR) on the apoptosis of human retinal vascular endothelial cells (hREC) under high glucose environment.Methods:hREC was divided into blank control group (NC group), high glucose group (HG group), BBR treatment group (BN group), and BBR+high glucose treatment group (BH group). The cells of each group were cultured in Dulbecco's modified eagle medium; 5.5 and 30.0 mmol/L glucose were added to the medium of the NC group and HG group, respectively; 5.0 mmol/L glucose and 5.0 mmol/L BBR was added to the BN group; 30.0 mmol/L glucose and 5.0 mmol/L BBR was added to the medium of the BH group. Flow cytometry was used to observe the apoptosis rate of each group. Western blotting was used to detect the relative expression levels of B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2), Bcl-2 related X protein (Bax), and Cytochrome C (Cyt-C) and cysteine aspastic acid-specific protease 3 (Caspase-3) proteins in each group of cells. The difference between the two groups was tested by t test, and the difference among multiple groups was analyzed by one-way analysis of variance. Results:The results of flow cytometry showed that compared with the NC group, the apoptosis rate of the HG group significantly increased, and the difference was statistically significant ( P<0.01); compared with the HG group, the apoptosis rate of the BH group significantly reduced, the difference was statistical significance ( P<0.05). Western blot test results showed that, compared with the NC group, the relative expression of Bax and Caspase-3 protein in the HG group increased, and the relative expression of Bcl-2 protein decreased. The difference was statistically significant ( P<0.01). Compared with the HG group, the relative expression of Bax, Cyt-C, and Caspase-3 protein in BH group cells decreased, and the relative expression of Bcl-2 protein increased, and the difference was statistically significant ( P<0.01). Conclusion:BBR can inhibit hREC apoptosis by affecting the expression of apoptotic protein under high glucose environment.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the role of the complement C3/C3aR signaling pathway in the prefrontal cortex and colon neuroglia cell interactions during meth-amphetamine(METH)addiction,to observe the effects of TLR4 inhibitors as well as complement C3 elimination on METH reward and relapse behavior,and to explore the neuroinflammatory mechanisms of complement C3 acti-vation in METH addiction.METHODS ①A 14 d and 28 d rat METH addiction model was established to observe the effects of TLR4 antagonist ibudilast 3 mg·kg-1 and 10 mg·kg-1 on self-administration,reward motivation,relapse,and natural reward behavior in METH-trained 14 d rats and the effects of 0.02 mg·kg-1 complement C3 antago-nist on self-administration behavior in METH-trained 28 d rats.② Differences in the expression of TLR4,NF-κB,GRP94,C3,cathepsin L,CD68,and GFAP in the pre-frontal cortex of each group were examined using West-ern blotting.③ In addition,the expression of ATF6 in the prefrontal cortex of each group and the effects on neuro-nal and microglia/macrophage INOS,CD206 GRP94,and complement C3/C3aR.RESULTS ① Endoplasmic reticulum stress occurred in neurons and microglia after METH exposure depending on GRP94 and unfolded pro-tein responses to the ATF6 pathway.In addition,it acti-vates the TLR4-NF-κB pathway.② Microglia with high complement C3/C3aR expression in the prefrontal cortex were recruited to synaptic pruning and phagocytic responses around neurons with high GRP94,comple-ment C3/C3aR expression and these effects were blocked by complement C3 antagonists.③ In the rec-tum,GRP94 functions as a molecular chaperone for com-plement C3 and cathepsin L.Crosstalk occurs between enteric neurons high in GRP94,complement C3,and macrophages high in C3aR,located in the submucosa,lamina propria,and muscular,respectively,and all of these effects are blocked by complement C3 antago-nists.④ Treatment with the TLR4 antagonist ibudilast inhibits self-administration,reward motivation,and cue-or METH-priming in METH-trained 14 d rats,but fails to affect natural reward behavior.Ibudilast treatment attenu-ates the TLR4-NF-κB inflammatory pathway and comple-ments C3/C3aR pathway in the prefrontal cortex.CON-CLUSION Activation of the complement C3/C3aR signal-ing pathway by TLR4-NF-κB inflammatory signaling in the prefrontal cortex mediates the METH addiction pro-cess,providing an experimental basis for the clinical treatment of METH addiction,and targeting TLR4/NF-κB inflammatory signaling and complement C3/C3aR may be a new way to intervene in METH addiction.

Objective To determine whether relative abundance of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations in plasma predicts clinical response to epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) in patients with advanced lung adenocarcinoma. Methods In this prospective study, adult patients with advanced lung adenocarcinoma were enrolled in our hospital from 1 April 2016 to 1 January 2017. EGFR mutations in tumor tissues were detected by ADx-amplification refractory mutation system (ADx-ARMS). EGFR mutations of plasma free tumor DNA were detected by ADx-ARMS and ADx-super amplification refractory mutation system (ADx-SuperARMS) at the same time. Patients with EGFR-mutant in tumor tissues and receiving EGFR-TKIs were finally enrolled. Plasma mutation-positive patients with both methods were high abundance group.Patients with positive mutations by ADx-SuperARMS but negative by ADx-ARMS were medium abundance group. Mutation-negative patients with both methods were recognized as low abundance group. The correlation between EGFR mutation abundance and clinical response to EGFR-TKIs were analyzed. Results Among 71 patients enrolled, 42 harbored EGFR mutations in plasma were detected by ADx-ARMS, while 53 were found by ADx-SuperARMS.There were 42 patients in high abundance group, 11 in medium group while the other 18 in low group. The objective response rates (ORRs) were 69.0%,7/11 and 10/18 in high, medium and low groups, respectively. The difference was significant between high and low abundances groups (P=0.006). Median progression-free survival (PFS) in high,medium and low groups were 11.0, 8.5 and 9.0 monthes, respectively (P<0.001). In patients with tumor 19-Del, the ORRs were 70.4%,5/7 and 6/11 in high,medium and low abundance groups, respectively. The median PFS of high abundance group was significantly longer than the other two groups (12.0 monthes vs 9.0, 9.0 monthes). As to subjects with L858R mutation, the ORRs were 10/15,2/4 and 3/6,respectively, with median PFS 9.6, 5.5 and 9.5 monthes. Conclusions The relative abundance of EGFR mutations in plasma predicts clinical response to EGFR-TKIs in patients with advanced lung adenocarcinoma. The higher the mutation abundance is, the better the efficacy of EGFR-TKIs is.