Objective:To explore the causal relationships between human inflammatory proteins and keloids.Methods:This study was based on Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis. Human inflammatory proteins were considered as the exposure factors, and keloid was considered as the outcome. Data on 91 inflammatory proteins (14 824 samples) and keloids (668 samples) were obtained from the genome-wide association study database. A significance threshold was established to discern single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) significantly associated with inflammatory proteins as instrumental variables with the influence of weak instrumental variables being excluded. For the analysis of a single instrumental variable, the Wald ratio method was used; for the analysis of multiple instrumental variables, the inverse variance weighted (IVW) method was used as the primary method, with the weighted median method, simple mode method, weighted mode method, and MR-Egger method as supplementary methods to employ two-sample MR analysis to analyze the causal relationships between inflammatory proteins and keloids. Using the IVW method, weighted median method, and MR-Egger method to employ multi-sample MR (MVMR) analysis to evaluate the statistically significant inflammatory proteins in the above-mentioned two-sample MR analysis, thus validating their independent causal relationships with keloids. For SNPs of inflammatory proteins conformed to the hypothesis, the Cochran Q test was used to assess heterogeneity, the MR-Egger regression test and MR-PRESSO outlier test were used to evaluate horizontal pleiotropy, and the leave-one-out analysis was performed to assess reliability.Results:Seventy-five inflammatory proteins met the exposure factor criteria, with the number of SNPs reaching a significance threshold ranging from 1 to 7 082 (with F values all >10), indicating minimal potential for weak instrumental variable bias in this study. The IVW method analysis revealed significant causal relationships between eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E-binding protein 1 (4E-BP1), CD5, and osteoprotegerin and keloids (with odds ratios of 0.50, 0.61, and 0.71, respectively, 95% confidence intervals of 0.32-0.77, 0.41-0.89, and 0.52-0.97, respectively, P<0.05); the weighted median method confirmed a significant causal relationship between CD5 and keloids (with odds ratio of 0.61, 95% confidence interval of 0.38-0.97, P<0.05); the simple mode method, weighted mode method, and MR-Egger method confirmed no significant causal relationships between CD5 and osteoprotegerin and keloids ( P>0.05). The Wald ratio method analysis revealed a significant causal relationship between programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) and keloids (with odds ratio of 1.83, 95% confidence interval of 1.06-3.15, P<0.05). Thus IVW method results were considered as the standard. The IVW method analysis confirmed that 4E-BP1, CD5, osteoprotegerin, and PD-L1 maintained significant causal relationships with keloids (with odds ratios of 0.43, 0.58, 0.70, and 1.95, respectively, 95% confidence intervals of 0.28-0.67, 0.39-0.86, 0.51-0.95, and 1.16-3.27, respectively, P<0.05). The MR-Egger method confirmed significant causal relationships between 4E-BP1 and CD5 and keloids (with odds ratios of 0.41 and 0.58, respectively, 95% confidence intervals of 0.22-0.77 and 0.39-0.88, respectively, P<0.05). The weighted median method confirmed significant causal relationships between 4E-BP1 and PD-L1 and keloids (with odds ratios of 0.46 and 2.06, respectively, 95% confidence intervals of 0.26-0.82 and 1.11-3.81, respectively, P<0.05). The Cochran Q test assessment indicated no significant heterogeneity in the SNPs of CD5 and osteoprotegerin that had significant causal relationships with keloids ( P>0.05). The MR-Egger regression test and MR-PRESSO outlier test showed no significant horizontal pleiotropy in the SNPs of CD5 and osteoprotegerin that had significant causal relationships with keloids ( P>0.05). The leave-one-out analysis confirmed that the significant causal relationships between CD5 and osteoprotegerin and keloids remained stable after sequentially removing individual SNP. Conclusions:Two-sample MR analysis and MVMR analysis confirmed significant causal relationships between 4E-BP1, CD5, and osteoprotegerin and keloids, all of which are protective factors for keloids.

Objective:To explore the causal relationships between human inflammatory proteins and keloids.Methods:This study was based on Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis. Human inflammatory proteins were considered as the exposure factors, and keloid was considered as the outcome. Data on 91 inflammatory proteins (14 824 samples) and keloids (668 samples) were obtained from the genome-wide association study database. A significance threshold was established to discern single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) significantly associated with inflammatory proteins as instrumental variables with the influence of weak instrumental variables being excluded. For the analysis of a single instrumental variable, the Wald ratio method was used; for the analysis of multiple instrumental variables, the inverse variance weighted (IVW) method was used as the primary method, with the weighted median method, simple mode method, weighted mode method, and MR-Egger method as supplementary methods to employ two-sample MR analysis to analyze the causal relationships between inflammatory proteins and keloids. Using the IVW method, weighted median method, and MR-Egger method to employ multi-sample MR (MVMR) analysis to evaluate the statistically significant inflammatory proteins in the above-mentioned two-sample MR analysis, thus validating their independent causal relationships with keloids. For SNPs of inflammatory proteins conformed to the hypothesis, the Cochran Q test was used to assess heterogeneity, the MR-Egger regression test and MR-PRESSO outlier test were used to evaluate horizontal pleiotropy, and the leave-one-out analysis was performed to assess reliability.Results:Seventy-five inflammatory proteins met the exposure factor criteria, with the number of SNPs reaching a significance threshold ranging from 1 to 7 082 (with F values all >10), indicating minimal potential for weak instrumental variable bias in this study. The IVW method analysis revealed significant causal relationships between eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E-binding protein 1 (4E-BP1), CD5, and osteoprotegerin and keloids (with odds ratios of 0.50, 0.61, and 0.71, respectively, 95% confidence intervals of 0.32-0.77, 0.41-0.89, and 0.52-0.97, respectively, P<0.05); the weighted median method confirmed a significant causal relationship between CD5 and keloids (with odds ratio of 0.61, 95% confidence interval of 0.38-0.97, P<0.05); the simple mode method, weighted mode method, and MR-Egger method confirmed no significant causal relationships between CD5 and osteoprotegerin and keloids ( P>0.05). The Wald ratio method analysis revealed a significant causal relationship between programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) and keloids (with odds ratio of 1.83, 95% confidence interval of 1.06-3.15, P<0.05). Thus IVW method results were considered as the standard. The IVW method analysis confirmed that 4E-BP1, CD5, osteoprotegerin, and PD-L1 maintained significant causal relationships with keloids (with odds ratios of 0.43, 0.58, 0.70, and 1.95, respectively, 95% confidence intervals of 0.28-0.67, 0.39-0.86, 0.51-0.95, and 1.16-3.27, respectively, P<0.05). The MR-Egger method confirmed significant causal relationships between 4E-BP1 and CD5 and keloids (with odds ratios of 0.41 and 0.58, respectively, 95% confidence intervals of 0.22-0.77 and 0.39-0.88, respectively, P<0.05). The weighted median method confirmed significant causal relationships between 4E-BP1 and PD-L1 and keloids (with odds ratios of 0.46 and 2.06, respectively, 95% confidence intervals of 0.26-0.82 and 1.11-3.81, respectively, P<0.05). The Cochran Q test assessment indicated no significant heterogeneity in the SNPs of CD5 and osteoprotegerin that had significant causal relationships with keloids ( P>0.05). The MR-Egger regression test and MR-PRESSO outlier test showed no significant horizontal pleiotropy in the SNPs of CD5 and osteoprotegerin that had significant causal relationships with keloids ( P>0.05). The leave-one-out analysis confirmed that the significant causal relationships between CD5 and osteoprotegerin and keloids remained stable after sequentially removing individual SNP. Conclusions:Two-sample MR analysis and MVMR analysis confirmed significant causal relationships between 4E-BP1, CD5, and osteoprotegerin and keloids, all of which are protective factors for keloids.

Aim To investigate the effects of berberine combined with bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells ( BM-MSCs) on the energy metabolism of human um-bilical vein endothelial cells ( HUVECs ) under the condition of high glucose. Methods ①The state of cell reproduction and cell proliferating activity were de-termined by MTT assay. ②The cell cycle was detected by flow cytometry ( FCM ) . ③DNA damage of cells was measured by comet tail assay. ④The contents of ATP, ADP and AMP were determined by high perform-ance liquid chromatography ( HPLC ) and the level of energy charge ( EC) was calculated. ⑤The expression of CCR and COX mRNA was detected by reverse tran-scription-polymerase chain reaction ( RT-PCR) . ⑥The expressions of COX and CCR were detected by Western blot. Results ①The proliferating activity of HUVECs declined apparently and the proliferation decreased af-ter high glucose intervention. Meanwhile, the quantity of cells during S +G2 dropped dramatically and there was certain degree of damage to DNA. The berberine and BM-MSCs respectively improved the proliferating activity and the proliferation in different degrees, in-creased the quantity of cells during S+G2 and promo-ted the repair of DNA ( P <0 . 01 ) , and so did the combination of the two, with a better effect than each of them alone. ②After high glucose intervention and the damage caused, the content of both ATP and ADP of HUVECs was reduced, and EC level also declined significantly, while the content of AMP increased. The berberine and BM-MSCs respectively up-regulated the content of ATP and ADP ( P<0. 01 ) , and so did the combination of the two, with a better effect than each of them alone. ③After high glucose intervention and the damage caused, the expression of COX, CCR mR-NA and protein decreased obviously. Yet, all of the three gained a dramatic increase when the berberine, BM-MSCs or the combination of the two were added ( P<0. 01 or P <0. 05 ) , among which the combination worked more effectively. Conclusions The berber-ine, BM-MSCs and the joint use of the two could im-prove the energy metabolism of HUVECs, which had been damaged by high glucose, probably because the berberine and BM-MSCs could up-regulate the expres-sion of COX, CCR mRNA and protein, which leads to the hydrolyzation of glucose oxide and thus the im-provement of blood environment and the enhancement of glucose's supply and intake of HUVECs. Then, here comes the final result: the improvement of the energy metabolism of damaged vascular endothelial cells by high glucose.

BACKGROUND: An isodamine, a kind of alkaloid, is extracted from Anisodus tanguticus (Maxim.) Pascher and is also a good protective agent of cell. However, functional change of mitochondrion is the most sensitive index reflecting cell injury.OBJECTIVE: To study the effects of anisodamine on brain mitochondrial damage following global cerebral ischemia and reperfusion in domestic rabbits and explore its mechanism.DESIGN: Totally randomized controlled trials.SETTING: Emergency Department of Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology.MATERIALS: The experiment was carried out in the laboratory of Emergency Department, Tongji Hospital Affiliated to Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, from September to December in 2002. Thirty healthy domestic rabbits of either sex were used and randomized into sham-operation group, ischemia-reperfusion group and anisodamine group with 10 rabbits in each group.METHODS: The models of complete cerebral ischemia and reperfusion injury in rabbits were established by ligation of bilateral common carotids and vertebral arteries with systemic hypotension, ischemia lasting for 20 minutes followed by 2-hour reperfusion. Anisodamine group was injected with anisodamine at a dose of 10 mg/kg body mass via femoral vein one minute before reperfusion, and lasted for 2 hours at a dose of 5 mg/hour by micro-pump. Ischemia-reperfusion group was treated with normal saline of the same volume. Sham-operation group only underwent used to determine mitochondrial respiratory functions, including respiratory control rate (RCR), the ratio of adenosine diphosphate to oxygen nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide hydrogenated (NADH) oxidase, succinate oxidase and cytochrome C oxidase were measured by the oxygenmethod of Yagi.drial calcium (Ca2+) and malondiadhyde (MDA) in cortex.reperfusion group and anisodamine group, RCR, ADP/O, OPR levels were lower than those in sham-operation group [nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide chain: RCR: 2.34±0.18,3.58±0.29,4.07±0.38,P ＜ 0.05-0.01;ADP/O: 1.77±0.10,2.23±0.14,2.41±0.17,P ＜ 0.05-0.01; OPR: (5.27±0.78),(8.03±1.30), (9.63±1.50)μkat/g, P ＜ 0.05-0.01; flavin adenine dinucleotide chain: RCR: 1.47±0.23,2.53±0.28,2.84±0.36,P ＜ 0.05-0.01;ADP/O: 0.88±0.09,1.58±0.11,1.73±0.17 ,P ＜ 0.05-0.01; OPR: (6.05±1.13),(7.47±1.40), (8.62±1.60)μkat/g,P ＜ 0.05-0.01], and those were higher in chemia-reperfusion group and anisodamine group, the activities of respiratory chain oxidase of NADH, succinate and cytochrome C were lower than those in sham-operation group [NADH: (2.62±0.35), (4.55±0.48), (5.07±0.60)μkat/g;succinate: (1.48±0.17), (1.83±0.22), (2.10±0.28)μkat/g; cytochrome C:(5.03±1.12), (7.62±1.23), (9.00±1.53)μkat/g, P ＜ 0.05-0.01], and those were higher in anisodamine group than in ischemia-reperfusion group, the content of mitochondrial Ca2+ [(2.36±0.23), (1.39±0.17),(1.22±0.12) mg/g] and MDA [(36.38±10.42), (22.69±9.56), (19.74±7.26)μmol/g,(P ＜ 0.05-0.01 )] was higher than that in sham-operation group, and it was lower in anisodamine group than in ischemia-reperfusion group (P ＜ 0.01).CONCLUSION: Anisodamine can protect the brain against ischemiareperfusion injury at the level of mitochondria by antagonism of Ca2+, inhibition of lipid peroxidation, stabilization of mitochondrial membrane, alleviation of mitochondrial damage, and improvement of motochondrial respiratory functions and the activities of enzymes of respiratory chain.