Objective:To obtain the optimal conditions for separating catalpol from leaves of Rehmannia by selecting appropriate macroporous adsorption resins.Methods:The detection indication was the content of catalpol, which was determined by HPLC method. Twelve different kinds of macroporous adsorption resins were studied on the static capacity of adsorption and desorption, and H103 resin was selected for the research of separation and purification.Results:The H103 resin had a good capacity for adsorption and desorption.The best process of purifying catalpol by H103 resin was 1mg/ml concentration, the adsorption rate of 1-2 BV/h,the flow rate of 1-3 BV/h, and 8 BV with 10% alcohol.Conclusion:The method is simple and available, which can simplify the production process and lower costs.

More and more studies have shown that NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome has become the regulatory factor of inflammatory response and protective immunity, and the assembly and activation of NLRP3 inflammasomes are closely related to the anti-tumor immunity effect. Depending on the cell type and stimuli, activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome can induce immune cells to become polarized, hyperactive, or pyroptotic, releasing interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-18, which leads to cascade immune or inflammatory responses, and its role in tumor immunity has received extensive attention. Here, we review the mechanisms of the NLRP3 inflammasome enhancing CD8⁺ T cells-mediated anti-tumor immunity by inducing the pyroptosis of tumor cell, the pyroptosis or hyperactive state of dendritic cells (DCs), and the pyroptosis or polarization of the macrophages. Different anti-tumor immune roles of NLRP3 inflammasome activation in tumor cells and immune cells provide new directions for future research and may influence the development of next-generation immunotherapy.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of recombinant human interleukin-2 (rhIL-2) activated natural killer cells (rhIL-2-NK) on angiogenesis and cardiac function of rats with myocardial infarction (MI).

METHODSNatural killer cells (NKs) were isolated and activated by rhIL-2 in vitro. Untreated NKs were used as the control, the killing capacity of rhIL-2-NK were evaluated with cytotoxicity assay. Cardiac microvascular endothelial cells (CMECs) were cocultured with rhIL-2-NK. One hour after MI, rats were randomly divided into rhIL-2-NK group, NK group and blank control group and NK, rhIL-2-NK and PBS were injected directly in the infracted myocardium. At the 0, 1(st), 3(rd), 5(th), 7(th) and 20(th)th day after MI, the mRNA expression of monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1), Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-2 (IL-2) were was detected by q-PCR essay. At the end of the therapy, the platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1(CD31) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were evaluated through immunohistochemical assay, and the cardiac function observed with echocardiography, homodynamic measurements.

RESULTSThe NKs were isolated successfully and the CMEC were proliferated remarkably by coculturing with rhIL-2-NK (P < 0.01). The mRNA expression of MCP-1, TNF-α, CD31 and rhIL-2, VEGF were significantly upregulated in rhIL-2-NK group than in the PBS control group (P < 0.01). Four weeks after operation, LVEF was significantly higher in rhIL-2-NK group than in the PBS control group [(77.56 ± 15.67)% vs. (41.47 ± 12.21)%, P < 0.05)] and histomorphology assay revealed that the density of microvascular endothelial (MVD) of rhIL-2-NK group was significantly higher than that of PBS control group (17.35 ± 1.82 vs. 4.76 ± 0.92, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONSMyocardial injection of rhIL-2-NK could promote angiogenesis and improve cardiac function in MI rats.

Animals ; Heart ; physiology ; Humans ; Interleukin-2 ; pharmacology ; Killer Cells, Natural ; drug effects ; physiology ; Myocardial Infarction ; physiopathology ; Neovascularization, Physiologic ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Recombinant Proteins ; pharmacology

BACKGROUNDUrotensin II (UII) is a new vasoconstrictive peptide that may activate the adventitial fibroblasts. Transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) is an important factor that could induce the phenotypical transdifferentiation of adventitial fibroblasts. This study aimed to explore whether TGF-β1 is involved in UII-induced phenotypic differentiation of adventitial fibroblasts from rat aorta.

METHODSAdventitial fibroblasts were prepared by the explant culture method. TGF-β1 protein secretion from the cells was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The mRNA and protein expression of α-smooth nuscle actin (α-SM-actin), the marker of phenotypic differentiation from fibroblasts to myofibroblasts, were determined using real-time quantitative RT-PCR (real-time RT-PCR) and Western blotting, respectively.

RESULTSUII stimulated the secretion of TGF-β1 in cultured adventitial fibroblasts in a time-dependent manner. The secretion reached a peak at 24 hours, was higher by 69.8% (P < 0.01), than the control group. This effect was also concentration dependent. Maximal stimulation was reached at 10(-8) mol/L of UII (P < 0.01), which was increased by 59.9%, compared with in the control group (P < 0.01). The secretion of TGF-β1 induced by UII was significantly blocked by SB-710411 (10(-7) mol/L), a specific antagonist of UII receptor. In addition, both UII (10(-8) mol/L) and TGF-β1 significantly stimulated α-SM-actin mRNA and protein expression. Moreover, the α-SM-actin induced by UII was inhibited by the specific neutralizing antibody (20 µg/ml) of TGF-β1, while the α-SM-actin expression stimulated by TGF-β1 (20 ng/ml) was inhibited by SB-710411 (10(-7) mol/L), the UII receptor antagonist.

CONCLUSIONThis study suggests that UII could induce TGF-β1 secretion in adventitial fibroblasts via UT activation, and TGF-β1 might be involved in phenotypic differentiation from adventitial fibroblasts into myofibroblasts induced by UII, and TGF-β1 signaling might be one of the important pathways by which UII is involved in vascular fibrosis.

Actins ; analysis ; genetics ; Animals ; Aorta ; cytology ; Cell Transdifferentiation ; drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Fibroblasts ; cytology ; drug effects ; Male ; Myofibroblasts ; cytology ; Phenotype ; RNA, Messenger ; analysis ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Signal Transduction ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1 ; physiology ; Urotensins ; antagonists & inhibitors ; pharmacology

OBJECTIVETo determine evaluate the effect of health-promoting lifestyle on the outcomes of suboptimal health status (SHS).

METHODSA prospective population cohort was conducted by consecutively enrolling 5676 college students who took routine health examination from March to May 2013. The participants were assessed for baseline health status and lifestyle and 2972 participants with SHS were followed up for 1.5 years. Exposure was defined as an unhealthy lifestyle. The health-promoting lifestyle was assessed via the Health-promoting Lifestyle Profile (HPLP-II). SHS was evaluated using the medical examination report and Sub-health Measurement Scale V1.0 (SHMS V1.0).

RESULTSAmong the 2972 students with SHS, 422 showed recovery of the healthy status at 1.5 year follow-up, 579 showed progression into disease conditions, and 1971 remained in SHS. The participants with recovered health status presented with significant increase of SHMS V1.0 scores by 8.75∓6.95 points compared to the baseline assessment (t=-2.14, P=0.000) in physiological, psychological and social dimensions; they also showed a marked improvement of HPLP-II scores by 14.73 points in 6 dimensions (t=-15.34, P=0.000). Multivariable regression analyses with adjusted demographic variables revealed a significant association between health status and health-promoting lifestyle (P<0.05). Compared with a healthy lifestyle (minimal exposure), a 'poor' lifestyle (the highest level of exposure) was associated with a 30 times higher risk of developing SHS (OR: 30.598, 95% CI: 3.928-238.331), while a 'moderate' lifestyle (a relatively high-level exposure) had a 24 times higher risk of SHS (OR: 23.988, 95%CI: 14.695-39.158), and a suboptimal lifestyle had a nearly 4 times higher risk of SHS (OR: 4.306, 95%CI: 2.767-6.702).

CONCLUSIONs SHS may evolve into either a healthy or a disease condition. A unhealthy lifestyle is the important risk factor contributing to the progression of SHS into a disease condition, suggesting the importance of intervention of unhealthy lifestyles in promoting good health.

Health Behavior ; Health Status ; Healthy Lifestyle ; Humans ; Prospective Studies ; Regression Analysis ; Risk Factors ; Students

Accidents, Traffic ; Adult ; Fractures, Compression ; diagnostic imaging ; etiology ; pathology ; surgery ; Humans ; Male ; Radiography ; Spinal Fractures ; diagnostic imaging ; etiology ; pathology ; surgery

Objective: Patients with opioid use disorder (OUD) have impaired attention, inhibition control, and memory function. The aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2 ) gene has been associated with OUD and ALDH2 gene polymorphisms may affect aldehyde metabolism and cognitive function in other substance use disorder. Therefore, we aimed to investigate whether ALDH2 genotypes have significant effects on neuropsychological functions in OUD patients undergoing methadone maintenance therapy (MMT). Methods: OUD patients undergoing MMT were investigated and followed-up for 12 weeks. ALDH2 gene polymorphisms were genotyped. Connors’ Continuous Performance Test (CPT) and the Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised (WMS-R) were administered at baseline and after 12 weeks of MMT. Multivariate linear regressions and generalized estimating equations (GEEs) were used to examine the correlation between the ALDH2 genotypes and performance on the CPTs and WMS-R. Results: We enrolled 86 patients at baseline; 61 patients completed the end-of-study assessments. The GEE analysis showed that, after the 12 weeks of MMT, OUD patients with the ALDH2 *1/*2＋*2/*2 (ALDH2 inactive) genotypes had significantly higher commission error T-scores (p = 0.03), significantly lower hit reaction time T-scores (p = 0.04), and significantly lower WMS-R visual memory index scores (p = 0.03) than did patients with the ALDH2 1 */*1 (ALDH2 active) genotype. Conclusion OUD patients with the ALDH2 inactive genotypes performed worse in cognitive domains of attention, impulse control, and memory than did those with the ALDH2 active genotype. We conclude that the ALDH2 gene is important in OUD and is associated with neuropsychological performance after MMT.

ObjectiveTo investigate the association between intrahepatic portoportal venous collateral vascular formation and postoperative liver hyperplasia in patients undergoing liver partition and portal vein ligation. MethodsThe clinical data of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma who underwent liver partition and portal vein ligation at the Center of Hepato-Pancreatico-Biliary Surgery in the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University from April 2013 to June 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. All the patients were grouped according to the number of open collateral vessels in the liver after first-stage surgery， including the group with no formation of intrahepatic portoportal venous collateral vessel （IPCs=0）， the group with 1 formation of intrahepatic portoportal venous collateral vessel （IPCs=1）， and the group with more than 2 formations of intrahepatic portoportal venous collateral vessels （IPCs ≥ 2）. The differences in the distribution of the three groups in terms of preoperative， intraoperative and postoperative liver function， formation of intrahepatic portoportal venous collateral vessels on both sides， and second-stage surgery were analyzed firstly， and then multiple linear regression analysis was used to explore the factors affecting the number of IPCs. ResultsOf all the 37 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma who were finally included in this study， there were no significant differences in preoperative data between the three groups （P>0.05）. The surgical procedure was different between the three groups. The proportion of patients with ≥ 2 open vessels who underwent laparoscopic microwave ablation liver partition was greater than that of patients with split liver （57.14% vs. 42.56%，P=0.031）. There was a statistically significant difference in the daily hypertrophy volume of future liver remnant （FLR） ［IPCs ≥ 2 vs. IPCs=1 vs. IPCs=0，（14.25±8.81 vs. 20.65±9.85 vs. 30.10±19.31） mL，P=0.018］. There was no difference in the proportion of patients between the three groups who underwent second-stage resection （P=0.363）. However， the number of days between surgeries was significantly longer in those with ≥2 open collateral vessels than in those with no opening or only 1 opening （16.31±5.44 vs. 10.30±3.40 vs. 12.78±3.35） days，P=0.023. Multiple linear regression analysis found that the surgical procedure was the only factor affecting the number of intrahepatic collateral vessel openings （P=0.031）. The number of IPCs after laparoscopic microwave ablation liver partition and split liver was ［2.0 （1.5） vs. 1.0 （1.0），P=0.031］. ConclusionsThe number of IPCs after liver partition and portal vein right branch ligation is negatively associated with the hypertrophy rate of FLR and split of liver is recommended to reduce the formation of IPCs.

This study aimed to explore the main active ingredients and potential targets of Solanum nigrum(SN), so as to reveal the potential molecular mechanism of SN in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) based on network pharmacology and molecular docking. First,the main active ingredients and predictive targets of SN were collected in the traditional Chinese medicine systems pharmacology database and analysis platform(TCMSP). Then,the targets relating to HCC were collected through retrieval of integrated bio-pharmacological network database for traditional Korean medicine(PharmDB-K), oncogenomic database of hepatocellular carcinoma(OncoDB.hcc). The common targets of disease-drug component were selected through intersection between predictive targets and disease targets. Next, based on the String platform, protein-protein interaction network(PPI) model of the potential anti-HCC targets was constructed using the software Cytoscape 3.7.1. ClueGO and CluePedia APP in Cytoscape were used to analyze the gene function of SN in the treatment of HCC, and construct the main active ingredients-potential targets-signal pathways topology network of SN. Finally,DISCOVERY STUDIO software was applied in verifying the molecular docking between the key active ingredient and potential protein target. The results showed that there were 4 main active ingredients of SN, involving 22 potential targets relating to HCC and 7 signal pathways relating to potential anti-HCC targets of SN. Network analysis showed that SN may play a therapeutic role in HCC by acting on key targets, such as EGFR, TP53, MYC, CCND1 and CTNNB1. Molecular docking results showed that quercetin and EGFR could bind stably and interact through amino acid residues LEU718, LYS745 and GLN791. This study revealed the potential active ingredients and the possible molecular mechanism of SN for treatment of HCC, providing scientific basis for follow-up exploration of the molecular mechanism of SN against HCC.
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/drug therapy* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology* ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms/drug therapy* ; Molecular Docking Simulation ; Solanum nigrum/chemistry*

With the development of small-molecule immunotherapy drugs, its combination with the programmed cell death ligand 1/programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-L1/PD-1) antibodies would provide a new opportunity for cancer treatment. Therefore, targeting PD-L1/PD-1 axis by small-molecule drug is an attractive approach to enhance antitumor immunity and considered as the next generation of tumor immunotherapy. In the present study, we investigated the anti-tumor role of salvianolic acid B (SAB) by regulating the PD-L1 level in tumors. Changes of total PD-L1 and membrane PD-L1 levels were determined by Western blot, flow cytometry and PD-1/PD-L1 interaction assays. The expression of mRNA level of PD-L1 was detected by real-time PCR. The cytotoxicity of activated peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) cells toward co-cultured tumor cells was measured by cell impedance assay and crystal violet experiment. Surface plasma resonance technique was used to analyze the direct interaction between SAB and ubiquitin carboxyl-terminal hydrolase 2 (USP2). The antitumor effect of SAB in vivo was examined by C57BL/6 mice bearing MC38 xenograft tumor (all animal experiments were conducted in accordance with the Animal Ethics Committee of the Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences). Western blot and flow cytometry assay showed that SAB can significantly downregulate the abundance of PD-L1 in RKO and PC3 cells in dose- and time-dependent manner. PD-1/PD-L1 binding assay revealed that SAB reduces the binding of tumor cells to recombinant PD-1 protein. Mechanism studies revealed that SAB can bind directly to USP2 protein and inhibit its activity, thus promote the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway degradation of PD-L1 proteins. In addition, Cell impedance and crystal violet staining indicated that SAB enhances the killing activity of co-cultured PBMC cells toward tumor cells. MC38 tumor transplanted mouse experiments revealed that SAB treatment displayed significant suppression in the growth of MC38 tumor xenografts in C57BL/6 mice with an inhibition rate of 63.2% at 20 mg·kg^-1. Our results demonstrate that SAB exerts its anti-tumor activity by direct binding and inhibiting the activity of USP2 and reducing the PD-L1 level. Our study provides an important material basis and scientific basis for the potential application of SAB in tumor immunotherapy drug targeting USP2-PD-L1 axis.