BACKGROUND:Shear stress can directly mediate the expression of endothelial cells, especially some cytokine genes whose codes are related to angiogenesis. Otherwise, flow shear stress of blood plays an importantly biological role in regulating vascular structure and function.OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects of laminar flow shear stress on the proliferation of vascular endothelial cells and the expression of protooncogene c-myc in human cerebral arteriovenous malformation.DESIGN: Randomized controlled study.SETTING: Department of Neurosurgery, Shenyang General Hospital of Military Area Command of Chinese PLA.MATERIALS: The experiment was carried out in the Neuromedical Institute, General Hospital of Shenyang Military Area Command of Chinese PLA from November 2006 to February 2007. Fresh samples of human cerebral arteriovenous malformation were derived from 20 patients who were of grade Spetzler Ⅱ -Ⅲ and received resection of human cerebral arteriovenous malformation in the Department of Neurosurgery, General Hospital of Shenyang Military Area Command of Chinese PLA in 2006. All cases were diagnosed with whole-brain angiography before operation. The main reagents and equipments were detailed as follows: M199 culture media (Gilbco BRL), quality fetal bovine serum (HyClone), endothelial cell growth supplement (ECGS; Sigma, USA), CO2 incubator (Forma Scientific, USA), flow cytometry analysis of cell cycle kit (BD Company), flow cytometer (FACS Calibur, BD Company), rat-anti-human c-myc monoclonal antibody (Santa Cruz Company, USA), and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) kit (Promega).METHODS: Tissue explants adherent method was used to culture vascular endothelial cells of human cerebral arteriovenous malformation, and then the cells were classified into 4 groups based on degree of shear stress, including control group, low shear stress group, moderate shear stress group and high shear stress group. Cultured endothelial cells of human cerebral arteriovenous malformation were put in a parallel plate flow chamber. In addition, cells in the low,moderate and high shear stress groups were stressed by low, moderate and high shear stress for 8 hours, respectively.However, shear stress in the control group was 0 Pa. Flow cytometry was used to measure proliferation index, and the expression of c-myc protein and c-myc mRNA were determined by immnocytochemistry and RT-PCR analysis respectively.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Expressions of c-myc protein and c-myc mRNA and proliferation index in endothelial cells under various degrees of shear stress.RESULTS: ① Proliferation index: Proliferation index was higher in the moderate and high shear stress groups than that in the control group (P ＜ 0.05, 0.01). ② Expression of c-myc protein: Immuneposjtjve expression of c-myc protein was gradually increased with the increase of shear stress and there were significant differences in the three shear stress groups as compared with control group (P ＜ 0.05-0.01). ③ Expression of c-myc mRNA: Proliferation index of endothelial cells was higher in the low and moderate shear stress groups than that in the control group (P ＜ 0.05).CONCLUSION: Flow shear stress can induce expression of c-myc and activate expression of c-myc gene based on gene transcription so as to promote the proliferation of vascular endothelial cells in human cerebral arteriovenous malformation

BACKGROUND:Antisense gene therapy offers immense promise for the management of human cerebral arteriovenous malformation through inhibiting expression of vascular endothelial growth factor and angiogenesis in endothelial cells.OBJECTIVE: To observe the inhibitory effect of vascular endothelial growth factor-antisense oligonucleotide (VEGF-ASODN) on the proliferation of vascular endothelial cells in human cerebral arteriovenous malformation.DESIGN: Observational contrast study.SETTING: Department of Neurosurgery, General Hospital of Shenyang Military Area Command of Chinese PLA.MATERIALS: The experiment was carried out in the Neuromedical Institute, General Hospital of Shenyang Military Area Command of Chinese PLA from August to December 2006. A total of 18 patients with human cerebral arteriovenous malformation were selected from Department of Neurosurgery, Shenyang General Hospital of Military Area Command of Chinese PLA. There were 12 males and 6 females and their mean age was 40 years. Cerebral arteriovenous malformation was classified based on Spetzler grade: grade Ⅱ (n =10) and grade Ⅲ (n=8). All cases were diagnosed with whole cerebral angiography before operation and they provided the confirmed consent. Main reagents were detailed as follows: endothelial cell growth supplements (ECGS, Sigma, USA), 391 DNA automatic synthetic device (Shanghai Shenggong Liyong Company, PE, USA), anaerobic incubator (DY-1, Zhejiang), human vascular endothelial growth factor enzyme-linked kit (TBD Company, Beijing), 96E enzyme-labeling device (ERMA, INC), cell cycle analytical reagent kit (BD Company), and flow cytometer (FACS Calibur, BD Company).METHODS: ①Experimental procedure: Tissue explants adherent method was used to culture vascular endothelial cells from human cerebral arteriovenous malformation. The third generated cells were used and randomly divided into antisense group, sense group and control group with four bottles of cells in each group. Sense and antisense phosphorothioate oligodeoxynucleotides of artificial vascular endothelial growth factor selected from the antisense group and the sense group were covered with positive liposomes, and then they were used to transfected vascular endothelial cells cultured from human cerebral arteriovenous malformation; however, cells in the control group were not dealt with any treatments. Cells in the three groups were incubated in anaerobic incubator (including 0.95 volume fraction of N2 and 0.05 volume fraction of CO2) at 37 ℃ for 2, 4 and 8 hours, respectively. ② Experimental evaluation: Cell cycles were measured, protein content of vascular endothelial growth factor was measured, and mRNA expression of vascular endothelial growth factor was also detected.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Expression of mRNA and protein of vascular endothelial growth factor and proliferation exponent at different times of hypoxia.RESULTS: ①mRNA expression of vascular endothelial growth factor: At 2, 4 and 8 hours after hypoxia, mRNA expression of vascular endothelial growth factor was higher than that before hypoxia in the control group (P ＜ 0.05);however, mRNA expression was lower in the antisense group than that in the control group (P ＜ 0.05). ② Protein content of vascular endothelial growth factor: At 2, 4 and 8 hours after hypoxia, protein content of vascular endothelial growth factor was higher than that before hypoxia in the control group (P ＜ 0.05); however, protein content was lower in the antisense group than that in the control group (P ＜ 0.05). ③ Proliferation exponent: At 4 and 8 hours after hypoxia,proliferation exponent of endothelial cells cultured from human cerebral arteriovenous malformation was higher than that before hypoxia in the control group (P ＜ 0.05); however, proliferation exponent was lower in the antisense group than that in the control group (P ＜ 0.05).CONCLUSION: Hypoxia may induce gene expression of vascular endothelial growth factor in endothelial cells at the transcriptional level. Antisense vascular endothelial growth factor can obviously inhibit gene expression of vascular endothelial growth factor cultured from human cerebral arteriovenous malformation and proliferation under hypoxic conditions.

Objective To analyze causes for postoperative coxa vara and anti-rotation nail cutting-out after treatment of brittle femoral intertrochanteric fractures with proximal femoral nails ( PFN ).Methods An retrospective study was done on 227 patients with intertrochanteric fracture treated with PFN from June 2006 to February 2009. The causes for postoperative coxa vara and anti-rotation nail cutting-out were analyzed. Harris score was used to evaluate the functional recovery of the hip joint. Results Of all, 221 patients were followed up for 12-48 months (mean 23 months) and six patients were died from serious internal disease within one year. According to Harris evaluation system, the results were excellent and good in 183 patients, fair in 30 and poor in 14. Postoperative coxa vara and anti-rotation nail cuttingout occurred in 16 patients, eight of whom received reoperation to remove internal fixation and skeletal traction at abducent position and the other eight received prosthetic replacement. Conclusions Treatment of proximal femoral fracture with PFN requires a high precision of reduction and operation. Many factors including lateral cortical bone conditions of tuberosity, postoperative patient's cognitive condition,use of improved Jensen-Evans classification and Singh's classification may affect operation outcome.

Objective: To search for specific metabolites in the lungs of pneumonia rats fed with a high-calorie diet, as well as explore the changes in the lung metabolites of young rats treated with Yinlai Decoction (YD) and its effects on inflammation-related metabolic pathways.Methods: Lipopolysaccharides (LPS) and a special high-calorie diet were used to induce Sprague Dawley (SD) rats to simulate the intestinal state of infant pneumonia. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry technology (LC-MS/MS) was used to detect metabolites in each group. Supervised orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) model values were used for the detection results to find the differential metabolites. The metabolic pathways that are involved with the differential metabolites were clarified through enrichment analysis and topological analysis. Finally, the T cell receptor signaling pathway (TCR) signal conversion was analyzed by the network pharmacology method. Results: In the high-calorie diet combined with pneumonia group (M3), a total of 55 metabolites were determined to be different from the normal group (N). A total of 36 metabolites were determined to be different from those in the lung metabolites of the YD treatment group (T1). YD had a regulatory effect on glutathione metabolism, arginine and proline metabolism, ascorbic acid and aldehyde metabolism and phenylalanine metabolism. And the small molecule metabolites could act on the FYN and lymphocyte-specific protein tyrosine kinase (LCK) target proteins in the TCR signaling pathway, thereby affecting the immune function of the lungs. Conclusion: A high-calorie diet can cause abnormal sphingolipid metabolism in the lungs of young rats, thereby creating chronic lung inflammation in young rats. YD has a beneficial effect when used to treat young rats with LPS-induced pneumonia fed on high-calorie diets. Its mechanisms of action may affect the body's immune pathways by regulating the oxidative stress pathway affected by glutathione metabolism.

Licorice is a common herb which has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries. More than 20 triterpenoids and nearly 300 flavonoids have been isolated from licorice. Recent studies have shown that these metabolites possess many pharmacological activities, such as antiviral, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antitumor and other activities. This paper provides a summary of the antiviral and antimicrobial activities of licorice. The active components and the possible mechanisms for these activities are summarized in detail. This review will be helpful for the further studies of licorice for its potential therapeutic effects as an antiviral or an antimicrobial agent.

Radiation therapy is an effective method to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors using high-energy X-ray or γ-ray. Radiation pneumonitis (RP) is one of the most serious complications of radiation therapy for thoracic cancers, commonly leading to serious respiratory distress and poor prognosis. Here, we prepared curcumin-loaded mesoporous polydopamine nanoparticles (CMPN) for prevention and treatment of RP by pulmonary delivery. Mesoporous polydopamine nanoparticles (MPDA) were successfully synthesized with an emulsion-induced interface polymerization method and curcumin was loaded in MPDA via π‒π stacking and hydrogen bonding interaction. MPDA owned the uniform spherical morphology with numerous mesopores that disappeared after loading curcumin. More than 80% curcumin released from CMPN in 6 h and mesopores recovered. CMPN remarkably protected BEAS-2B cells from γ-ray radiation injury by inhibiting apoptosis. RP rat models were established after a single dose of 15 Gy ⁶⁰Co γ-ray radiation was performed on the chest area. Effective therapy of RP was achieved by intratracheal administration of CMPN due to free radical scavenging and anti-oxidation ability, and reduced proinflammatory cytokines, high superoxide dismutase, decreased malondialdehyde, and alleviated lung tissue damages were observed. Inhaled CMPN paves a new avenue for the treatment of RP.

Chemotherapy is one of the major approaches for the treatment of metastatic lung cancer, although it is limited by the low tumor delivery efficacy of anticancer drugs. Bacterial therapy is emerging for cancer treatment due to its high immune stimulation effect; however, excessively generated immunogenicity will cause serious inflammatory response syndrome. Here, we prepared cancer cell membrane-coated liposomal paclitaxel-loaded bacterial ghosts (LP@BG@CCM) by layer-by-layer encapsulation for the treatment of metastatic lung cancer. The preparation processes were simple, only involving film formation, electroporation, and pore extrusion. LP@BG@CCM owned much higher 4T1 cancer cell toxicity than LP@BG due to its faster fusion with cancer cells. In the 4T1 breast cancer metastatic lung cancer mouse models, the remarkably higher lung targeting of intravenously injected LP@BG@CCM was observed with the almost normalized lung appearance, the reduced lung weight, the clear lung tissue structure, and the enhanced cancer cell apoptosis compared to its precursors. Moreover, several major immune factors were improved after administration of LP@BG@CCM, including the CD4⁺/CD8a⁺ T cells in the spleen and the TNF-α, IFN-γ, and IL-4 in the lung. LP@BG@CCM exhibits the optimal synergistic chemo-immunotherapy, which is a promising medication for the treatment of metastatic lung cancer.

Wound infection is becoming a considerable healthcare crisis due to the abuse of antibiotics and the substantial production of multidrug-resistant bacteria. Seawater immersion wounds usually become a mortal trouble because of the infection of Vibrio vulnificus. Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus, one kind of natural predatory bacteria, is recognized as a promising biological therapy against intractable bacteria. Here, we prepared a B. bacteriovorus-loaded polyvinyl alcohol/alginate hydrogel for the topical treatment of the seawater immersion wounds infected by V. vulnificus. The B. bacteriovorus-loaded hydrogel (BG) owned highly microporous structures with the mean pore size of 90 μm, improving the rapid release of B. bacteriovorus from BG when contacting the aqueous surroundings. BG showed high biosafety with no L929 cell toxicity or hemolysis. More importantly, BG exhibited excellent in vitro anti-V. vulnificus effect. The highly effective infected wound treatment effect of BG was evaluated on mouse models, revealing significant reduction of local V. vulnificus, accelerated wound contraction, and alleviated inflammation. Besides the high bacterial inhibition of BG, BG remarkably reduced inflammatory response, promoted collagen deposition, neovascularization and re-epithelization, contributing to wound healing. BG is a promising topical biological formulation against infected wounds.

Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is a pathological change caused by repeated injuries and repair dysfunction of the alveolar epithelium. Our previous study revealed that the residues Asn3 and Asn4 of peptide DR8 (DHNNPQIR-NH₂) could be modified to improve stability and antifibrotic activity, and the unnatural hydrophobic amino acids α-(4-pentenyl)-Ala and d-Ala were considered in this study. DR3penA (DHα-(4-pentenyl)-ANPQIR-NH₂) was verified to have a longer half-life in serum and to significantly inhibit oxidative damage, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and fibrogenesis in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, DR3penA has a dosage advantage over pirfenidone through the conversion of drug bioavailability under different routes of administration. A mechanistic study revealed that DR3penA increased the expression of aquaporin 5 (AQP5) by inhibiting the upregulation of miR-23b-5p and the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway, indicating that DR3penA may alleviate PF by regulating MAPK/miR-23b-5p/AQP5. Safety evaluation showed that DR3penA is a peptide drug without obvious toxicity or acute side effects and has significantly improved safety compared to DR8. Thus, our findings suggest that DR3penA, as a novel and low-toxic peptide, has the potential to be a leading compound for PF therapy, which provides a foundation for the development of peptide drugs for fibrosis-related diseases.

The antimicrobial peptide APKGVQGPNG (named YD), a natural peptide originating from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens CBSYD1, exhibited excellent antibacterial and antioxidant properties in vitro. These characteristics are closely related to inflammatory responses which is the central trigger for liver fibrosis. However, the therapeutic effects of YD against hepatic fibrosis and the underlying mechanisms are rarely studied. In this study, we show that YD improved liver function and inhibited the progression of liver fibrosis by measuring the serum transaminase activity and the expression of α-smooth muscle actin and collagen I in carbon tetrachloride-induced mice. Then we found that YD inhibited the level of miR-155, which plays an important role in inflammation and liver fibrosis. Bioinformatics analysis and luciferase reporter assay indicate that Casp12 is a new target of miR-155. We demonstrate that YD significantly decreases the contents of inflammatory cytokines and suppresses the NF-κB signaling pathway. Further studies show that transfection of the miR-155 mimic in RAW264.7 cells partially reversed the YD-mediated CASP12 upregulation, the downregulated levels of inflammatory cytokines, and the inactivation of the NF-κB pathways. Collectively, our study indicates that YD reduces inflammation through the miR-155–Casp12–NF-κB axis during liver fibrosis and provides a promising therapeutic candidate for hepatic fibrosis.