Objective To evaluate the role of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/Akt) signaling pathway in mild head hypothermia-induced reduction of global cerebral ischemiareperfusion (I/R) injury in rats.Methods Sixty male Sprague-Dawley rats,weighing 250-280 g,were randomly divided into 5 groups (n=12 each) using a random number table:sham operation group (group S),group I/R,mild hypothermia + I/R group (group H),mild hypothermia + I/R + solvent control group (group DM),and mild hypothermia + I/R + PI3K inhibitor LY294002 group (group LY).Global cerebral I/R was induced by modified four-vessel occlusion method described by Pulsinelli.In H group,when the hippocampal temperature was decreased to 33℃ using nasopharyngeal cooling,the bilateral common carotid arteries were occluded for 15 min followed by reperfusion,and hippocampal hypothermia was maintained at 32.5-33.5 ℃ for 1 h.In DM and LY groups,DMSO and LY294002 5 μl were injected into the left ventricle,respectively,and 20 min later the other procedures were similar to those previously described in group H.At 8 h of reperfusion,6 rats were sacrificed,and hippocampal specimens were obtained to detect the expression of pFoxO3a,Bcl-2 and Bax (by immuno-histochemistry).The expression of phosphor-Akt (p-Akt) was determined by Western blot.Results Compared with group S,the expression of p-Akt,pFoxO3a and Bcl-2 was significantly up-regulated in I/R,H and DM groups,the expression of Bcl-2 was down-regulated,and the ratio of Bcl-2/Bax was increased in H and DM groups,and the ratio of Bcl-2/Bax was decreased in I/R and LY groups.Compared with group I/R,the expression of p-Akt,pFoxO3a and Bcl-2 was significantly up-regulated,the expression of Bcl-2 was down-regulated,and the ratio of Bcl-2/ Bax was increased in H and DM groups.Compared with H and DM groups,the expression of p-Akt,pFoxO3a and Bcl-2 was down-regulated,the expression of Bax was up-regulated,and the ratio of Bcl-2/ Bax was decreased in group LY.Conclusion PI3K/Akt signaling pathway is involved in reduction of global cerebral I/R injury by mild head hypothermia in rats.

Objective To study the apoptosis of human colorectal cancer HT-29 cells induced by Aralia elata Seem leaf total saponin (ETS) and its effects on the expression of relevant proteins. Methods MTT assay was used to detect the proliferation of human colorectal cancer HT-29 cells cultivated with different concentrations (6.25, 12.5, 25, 50, 100, 200 mg/kg) of ETS. Hoechst33258 staining and laser confocal imaging were used to detect the apoptotic cells. Morphological changes were observed. The expressions of Bcl-2 and Bax were detected by immuno-histochemistry. Results ETS could induce apoptosis of HT-29 cells and apoptosis was in a dose-dependent manner in a certain range. ETS could decrease the expression of Bcl-2 and increase the expression of Bax in HT-29 cells (P<0.05, P<0.01), showing a significant dose-effect relationship. Conclusion ETS can induce the apoptosis of HT-29 cells, and the mechanism may be related to reducing the expression of Bcl-2 and increasing the expression of Bax.

Diabetic retinopathy (DR), one of the most serious complications of diabetes, has been associated with inflammatory processes. We have recently reported that interleukin (IL)-17A, a proinflammatory cytokine, is increased in the plasma of diabetic patients. Further investigation is required to clarify the role of IL-17A in DR. Ins2(Akita) (Akita) diabetic mice and high-glucose (HG)-treated primary Müller cells were used to mimic DR-like pathology. Diabetes induced retinal expression of IL-17A and IL-17 receptor A (IL-17RA) in Müller cells in contrast to ganglion cells. Further evidence demonstrated that retinal Müller cells cultured in vitro increased IL-17A and IL-17RA expression as well as IL-17A secretion in the HG condition. In both the HG-treated Müller cells and Akita mouse retina, the Act1/TRAF6/IKK/NF-κB signaling pathway was activated. IL-17A further enhanced inflammatory signaling activation, whereas Act1 knockdown or IKK inhibition blocked the downstream signaling activation by IL-17A. HG- and diabetes-induced Müller cell activation and dysfunction, as determined by increased glial fibrillary acidic protein, vascular endothelial growth factor and glutamate levels and decreased glutamine synthetase and excitatory amino acid transporter-1 expression, were exacerbated by IL-17A; however, they were alleviated by Act1 knockdown or IKK inhibition. In addition, IL-17A intravitreal injection aggravated diabetes-induced retinal vascular leukostasis, vascular leakage and ganglion cell apoptosis, whereas Act1 silencing or anti-IL-17A monoclonal antibody ameliorated the retinal vascular damage and neuronal cell apoptosis. These findings establish that IL-17A exacerbates DR-like pathology by the promotion of Müller cell functional impairment via Act1 signaling.
Animals ; Apoptosis ; Diabetic Retinopathy* ; Excitatory Amino Acids ; Ganglion Cysts ; Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein ; Glutamate-Ammonia Ligase ; Glutamic Acid ; Humans ; In Vitro Techniques ; Interleukin-17* ; Interleukins ; Intravitreal Injections ; Leukostasis ; Mice ; Neurons ; Pathology ; Plasma ; Retina ; Retinaldehyde ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A

BACKGROUND:At present,the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis is still unclear,and there is a lack of effective means to control the disease.Research on osteoarthritis is mostly concentrated in the field of immunity,and there are few studies in the field of oxidative stress. OBJECTIVE:To explore the roles of oxidative stress and immune infiltration in osteoarthritis and to predict related miRNAs and therapeutic agents. METHODS:The GSE55235 dataset(10 samples of osteoarthritis and 10 healthy control samples)and the GSE55457 dataset(10 samples of osteoarthritis and 10 healthy control samples)were obtained from the GEO database for merging to obtain their differentially expressed genes that were combined with oxidative stress genes to get the differentially expressed genes of oxidative stress.The differentially expressed genes of oxidative stress were analyzed for KEGG and GO enrichment,and the osteoarthritis pathways and biological processes were evaluated using GSEA enrichment analysis.The protein-protein interaction network was constructed using the STRING online website and Cytoscape software,and the Degree algorithm was run to get the key genes.The GSE1919 dataset was obtained from the GEO database as a validation dataset,and the key genes were analyzed by variance analysis and receiver operating characteristic curve analysis to get the core genes.In addition,immune infiltration was evaluated by CIBERSORT and the correlation between core genes and immune cells was explored.miRNA prediction of core genes was performed using TargetScan and target drugs were predicted using the DSigDB database. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Sixty-five differentially expressed genes and five core genes(IL1B,CXCL8,MYC,NFKBIA,JUN)associated with oxidative stress were identified.Enrichment analysis showed that differentially expressed genes associated with oxidative stress were concentrated in the pathways of oxidative stress,interleukin-17,osteoclast differentiation,fluid shear stress and atherosclerosis.The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for the five core genes exceeded 0.85,indicating their excellent specificity and sensitivity in diagnosing bone and joint conditions,as well as their close association with immune cells.The predicted miRNA was has-miR-3937,and the therapeutic small-molecule drugs were metformin,ionomycin and celecoxib.To conclude,oxidative stress and immune infiltration exist in osteoarthritis,and immune infiltration is involved in activating oxidative stress.The core genes and predicted miRNAs can be used as novel markers for the diagnosis of osteoarthritis,and small molecule drugs are predicted to treat osteoarthritis.

Objective:To analyze the changes of diagnosis and treatment before and after renal biopsy in adult patients with acute kidney disease (AKD), and to explore the value of renal biopsy in the diagnosis and treatment of AKD.Methods:It was a single-center retrospective observational study. The adult patients with AKD who underwent renal biopsy in the Department of Nephrology of the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2021 were enrolled. Demographic data, general clinical data, laboratory tests, and diagnosis and treatment data before and after renal biopsy were collected to analyze the concordance rate between clinical and pathological diagnoses, changes in treatment after renal biopsy, and bleeding complication.Results:A total of 575 patients diagnosed with AKD by renal biopsy were included in this study, with age of 51 (36, 63) years old and 359 males (62.4%). Among them, there were 293 patients (51.0%) of acute kidney injury, 348 patients (60.5%) of hypertension and 124 patients (21.6%) of diabetes. The peak serum creatinine was 272 (190, 477) μmol/L. The hemoglobin was 106 (86, 126) g/L. The 24-hour urine protein was 2.15 (0.79, 4.82) g. There were 347 patients (60.3%) of acute glomerular diseases, 136 patients (23.7%) of acute interstitial nephritis, 47 patients (8.2%) of thrombotic microangiopathy, and 45 patients (7.8%) of acute tubular necrosis. The most common types of acute glomerular diseases were IgA nephropathy and anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated glomerulonephritis, accounting for 22.3% (128/575) and 12.2% (70/575), respectively. The clinical diagnoses before renal biopsy were consistent with the renal histopathological diagnoses in 454 patients, with an accuracy rate of 79.0%. Following the renal biopsy, the treatment plan involving glucocorticoids or immunosuppressants was adjusted in 394 patients (68.5%). Significant post-biopsy bleeding occurred in 15 patients (2.6%), with 12 patients requiring blood transfusion and 1 patient requiring surgical intervention.Conclusions:Twenty-one clinical diagnoses do not match the pathological diagnoses in adult AKD patients, 68.5% of patients have changes in their treatment plans, and 2.6% of patients have significant hemorrhagic complications after renal biopsy. Clinicians need to carefully consider the benefits and risks and make individualized decisions about renal biopsy.

In this study,a method for detecting heavy metal ions using potentiometric sensor and voltammetric sensor was proposed.By exploiting the complementary advantages of potentiometric and voltammetric electrochemical sensor,the traditional electrochemical electrode without special material preparation and modification could be used for the wide range and accurate detection of heavy metal ions in actual water samples.During detection,the concentration of target ion was measured by a potentiometric electrochemical sensor to determine the concentration range.The amperometric electrochemical sensor was then used for calibration and accurate measurement in the appropriate concentration range.Taking copper ion(Cu2+)as an example,the prepared Cu2+water sample and the actual water sample were tested.First,the copper ion selective electrode was used to determine the concentration range of Cu2+in the sample.Then,based on the gold electrode in different concentration range(0.86-100 μg/L and 100-300 μg/L)using two different optimization parameter settings to calibrate the electrochemical sensor and measure,the test results had a good correlation with those by professional water quality testing institutions.The recoveries ranged from 86.7%to 103.0%.The experimental results showed that the combination of potential sensor and current sensor could improve the accuracy of detection of heavy metal ions in water samples by electrochemical sensor.

The present study evaluates different processing and drying methods and investigates their effects on the chemical components in Paeoniae Radix Alba via content determination. The fresh medicinal materials of Paeoniae Radix Alba collected from Bozhou of Anhui province were processed(boiled and peeled) and dried(hot air-dried, infrared-dried, and microwave-dried) at different temperatures(40, 50, 60 and 70 ℃), and the 11 components(monoterpene glycosides, polyphenols, tannin, and benzoic acid) in Paeoniae Radix Alba were determined by ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled to triple quadrupole with electrospray tandem mass spectrometry(UPLC-TQ-MS). Then the compounds in processed and dried samples were analyzed by partial least squares discriminant analysis(PLS-DA) and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis(OPLS-DA), and the contribution rates of differential components were evaluated by variable important in projection(VIP). The results indicated that the samples obtained by different processing and drying methods could be distinguished. Albiflorin, gallic acid, 1,2,3,4,6-pentakis-O-galloyl-β-D-glucose, and benzoic acid were the common differential components in boiled Paeoniae Radix Alba. Benzoic acid was the common differential component in peeled Paeoniae Radix Alba. Gallic acid was the common differential component in Paeoniae Radix Alba dried by different methods. The samples could not be distinguished after drying at different temperatures due to the lack of common differential components. This study is expected to provide a reference for the selection of processing and drying methods and the optimization of processing parameters.
Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; Paeonia ; Plant Extracts ; Tandem Mass Spectrometry

This study was designed to determine the metabolites of Zhali Nusi Prescription(ZLNSP) in rats. The ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-LTQ Orbitrap mass spectrometric(UHPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap-MS) and mass defect filter techniques were applied to analyze the metabolites of ZLNSP in rat plasma, bile, urine and feces. The biological samples were analyzed by ACQUITY UPLC BEH T_3 column(2.1 mm×100 mm,1.7 μm), with 0.1% formic acid water(A)-acetonitrile(B) as mobile phase, and the biological samples were analyzed in negative ion mode by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry(ESI-MS). An analytical method for biological samples of rats was established, and 8 prototype components and 36 metabolites were identified. The results showed that the metabolic pathways of the main components of ZLNSP in rats included methylation, glucuronidation, sulfation and so on. It provi-ded information for the therapeutic effect of ZLNSP in vivo.
Administration, Oral ; Animals ; Bile ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Feces ; Plasma ; Prescriptions ; Rats

This study aims to compare the differences of Paeonia lactiflora from different habitats by establishing fingerprint. The fingerprint of P. lactiflora was established by UPLC. The samples collected from Sichuan,Hebei,Henan,Shanxi and Anhui were analyzed. The common peaks were identified by UPLC-Q-TOF/MS. The relative peak area of the common peaks was analyzed through similarity evaluation system( 2012 edition) for chromatographic fingerprint of traditional Chinese medicine developed by the National Pharmacopoeia Commission. Twelve common peaks were obtained and ten components were identified by reference substance and literature comparison. The similarity of each sample to the reference fingerprint is greater than 0. 900. However,all samples were clearly divided into 5 groups according to habitats after PLS-DA analysis. The peaks 2,6( ethyl gallate),10( galloypaeoniflorin) and 12( benzoyl paeoniflorin) were found to be the main difference components between the samples from five different habitats through the VIP value map. The study found that the variety of ingredients in the different areas are basically similar. But there are some differences in the content of the four components. The results of this study can provide reference at choosing and utilizing P. lactiflora from different places comprehensively.
China ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; Ecosystem ; Paeonia ; chemistry ; Phytochemicals ; analysis ; Plant Roots ; chemistry

Objective:To investigate the effect of Chloriti Lapis on metal elements in brain tissue and plasma of epileptic rats kindled by pentylenetetrazol （PTZ）， and to explore the possible material basis of Chloriti Lapis. Method:PTZ kindling method was used to establish epileptic rat model. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry （ICP-MS） and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometer （ICP-OES） were used to determine the contents of metal elements in brain tissue and plasma of the blank group， model group， carbamazepine group （0.1 g·kg^-1） and Chloriti Lapis group （2 g·kg^-1）. The data were statistically analyzed by SPSS 18.0 software. Result:Compared with the blank group， the contents of Sr， Sb and Ba in brain tissue of rats in the model group were significantly increased （P<0.05， P<0.01）， while the contents of Zn， Fe， Cu， K， Li， Co， Sn and Pb were significantly decreased （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the contents of Zn， Fe， K， Li， Co， As and Pb in brain tissue of rats in the Chloriti Lapis group were obviously increased （P<0.05， P<0.01）， while the contents of Sr and Sb were significantly decreased （P<0.01）. These results showed that Chloriti Lapis had positive effect on the regulation of the content of metal elements in rat brain tissue to normal level， the intervention effect was clear， and the overall effect was better than that of carbamazepine group. The determination of 21 metal elements in plasma showed that compared with the blank group， the levels of K， Sr and Cd in the model group were significantly increased （P<0.05）， and the contents of Li， Al， Ti and Cr were significantly decreased （P<0.05）. Compared with the model group， the contents of Ca， K， Li， Al and V in the Chloriti Lapis group were obviously increased （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and the contents of Fe， Ti， Sr and Cd were significantly decreased （P<0.05，P<0.01）. The correlation analysis of metal elements among the groups showed that there were 17 pairs of elements had positively correlation in the brain tissue of rats， 2 pairs of elements had significant negative correlation. In the plasma of rats， 8 pairs of elements had significant positive correlation and 6 pairs of elements had significant negative correlation. Conclusion:The metal element groups represented by Zn， Fe， K， Li， Co， As， Pb， Sr， Sb， Ca， Al， V， Ti and Cd may be the effective material basis for Chloriti Lapis to interfere PTZ-kindled epileptic model rats， which may be related to the influence of these metal element groups on the release of neurotransmitters and the electrical balance of neurons， the regulation of abnormal synchronous discharge induced by Na⁺， K⁺， Ca²⁺ channel disorders and intervention of metabolism pathways in brain tissue related to epilepsy. It can make the excitatory and inhibitory activities restrain each other， and finally reach the normal physiological state of neurons and cells. The intervention effect of Chloriti Lapis group was better than that of carbamazepine group.