OBJECTIVE To investigate the hepatotoxicity mechanisms of ethanol extract of Radix Polygoni Multiflori (RPM) and Radix Polygoni Multiflori Praeparata (RPMP) by high-content screen assay.METHODS HepG2 cells were treated with RPM (10,25,50,100,200 and 300 mg·L-1) and RPMP (10,50,100,300,600 and 1200 mg· L-1) for 3-24 h,respectively.The cell viability was detected by a CellTiter-GloTM luminescent cell viability assay kit.Cell count,reactive oxygen species (ROS),mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP),glutathione (GSH),superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2),activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4),apoptosis,and cell cycles were investigated by high-content screen assay.Besides,SOD2 and ATF4 levels were confirmed by Western blotting.RESULTS RPM 300 mg· L-1 showed nearly 48 ％ reduction in cell viability compared with cell control (P＜0.01),while RPMP had no significant effect at the same concentration.Both RPM and RPMP decreased the level of MMP (P＜0.05) but incresed levels of GSH,ROS,SOD2 and ATF4 significantly (P＜0.05).Besides,RPM 200 mg· L-1 significantly increased the expression of SOD2 (P＜0.05) at 3 h by high-content screen assay,and the enhanced expression of ATF4 was shown at 6 h (P＜0.05).RPMP 300 mg· L-1 markedly increased the expression of ATF4 at 6 h (P＜0.05),while the expression of SOD2 significantly increased at 24 h (P＜0.05).CONCLUSION Both RPM and RPMP have some cytotoxicity,and the cytotoxicity of RPM is stronger than that of RPMP.The hepatotoxicity mechanisms of RPM and RPMP may be related to cell apoptosis caused by long-term oxidative stress and endoplasmic reticulum stress.

Objective:To investigate the relationship between double mutations of myosin heavy chain gene (MYH6) p.Gly743Arg and p.Glu1389Lys and the cardiac phenotype.Methods:Patients carrying double mutations in the MYH6 gene p.Gly743Arg and p.Glu1389Lys were screened from 52 unrelated left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) who were admitted to the Second Hospital of Chongqing Medical University from 2015 to 2020, and the genetic testing of peripheral blood of patients by second-generation whole-exome sequencing assay technology and genomic DNA of their family members Sanger sequencing was performed to validate the genomic DNA of the family members. The cardiac phenotype was evaluated by electrocardiogram, coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA), echocardiography, and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as adjuncts.Results:All whole-exome gene were detected in 52 unrelated patients with LVH, of which 1 patient (1.9%) had double mutations in MYH6 gene p.Gly743Arg and p.Glu1389Lys (proband). Two members of the maternal line of this patient carried p.Glu1389Lys mutation, but there was no obvious clinical phenotype. Two members of the paternal line carried p.Gly743Arg mutation and had obvious clinical phenotype of bradycardia, but there was no LVH. The male proband, aged 21 years old, presented with LVH and sinus bradycardia but no coronary artery stenosis on CTA before treatment, MRI showed that the left ventricular end diastolic diameter was 58 mm. After treatment with angiotensin receptor-enkephalinase inhibitor (ARNI), electrocardiogram showed that the heart rate increased significantly (from 43 bpm to 72 bpm). Echocardiography showed that the left ventricular end diastolic diameter decreased significantly (from 60 mm to 49 mm).Conclusions:The p.Glu1389Lys mutation of the MYH6 gene may not manifest the phenotype of heart disease. MYH6 gene p.Gly743Arg mutation may be manifested asymptomatic sinus bradycardia, but there is no LVH phenotype. The cardiac disease phenotype caused by the double mutations of p.Gly743Arg and p.Glu1389Lys in the MYH6 gene is more obvious. Asymptomatic LVH and sinus bradycardia can appear in adolescence, but the LVH phenotype can be reversed in a short period of time after ARNI treatment.

Tbx18,Wt1,and Tcf21 have been identified as epicardial markers during the early embryonic stage.However,the gene markers of mature epicardial cells remain unclear.Single-cell transcriptomic analysis was performed with the Seurat,Monocle,and CellphoneDB packages in R software with standard pro-cedures.Spatial transcriptomics was performed on chilled Visium Tissue Optimization Slides(10x Genomics)and Visium Spatial Gene Expression Slides(10x Genomics).Spatial transcriptomics analysis was performed with Space Ranger software and R software.Immunofluorescence,whole-mount RNA in situ hybridization and X-gal staining were performed to validate the analysis results.Spatial transcriptomics analysis revealed distinct transcriptional profiles and functions between epicardial tissue and non-epicardial tissue.Several gene markers specific to postnatal epicardial tissue were identified,including Msln,C3,Efemp1,and Upk3b.Single-cell transcriptomic analysis revealed that cardiac cells from wildtype mouse hearts(from embryonic day 9.5 to postnatal day 9)could be categorized into six major cell types,which included epicardial cells.Throughout epicardial development,Wt1,Tbx18,and Upk3b were consistently expressed,whereas genes including Msln,C3,and Efemp1 exhibited increased expression during the mature stages of development.Pseudotime analysis further revealed two epicardial cell fates during maturation.Moreover,Upk3b,Msln,Efemp1,and C3 positive epicardial cells were enriched in extracellular matrix signaling.Our results suggested Upk3b,Efemp1,Msln,C3,and other genes were mature epicardium markers.Extracellular matrix signaling was found to play a critical role in the mature epicardium,thus suggesting potential therapeutic targets for heart regeneration in future clinical practice.