Objective To investigate the effect and molecular mechanism of isolongifolene(ISO)on the apoptosis of intestinal epithelial cells and 2,4,6-trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid(TNBS)-induced Crohn's disease(CD)-like colitis in mice.Methods In the animal experiments,mice were randomly assigned to the wild type(WT)group,TNBS group and TNBS+ISO group,with 8 mice in each group.Colitis models of mice were established in the TNBS group and the TNBS+ISO group by rectal injection of TNBS.After modeling,the mice in the TNBS+ISO group were given ISO intervention via intragastric gavage(10 mg/kg),and the other two groups were given the same amount of normal saline via intragastric gavage.The mice were sacrificed on the 7th day.The changes in body mass,disease activity scores(DAI),and the colon length of mice were measured,and transepithelial electrical resistance(TEER)of the colon tissues was determined.The score of colon inflammation was calculated according to HE staining.The levels of intestinal mucosal inflammatory factors,including tumor necrosis factor alpha(TNF-α),interferon(IFN)-γ,interleukin(IL)-1 β,and IL-6,were measured by RT-PCR and ELISA.The apoptosis of colon tissue cells was determined by TUNEL assay.The expressions of apoptotic proteins(cleaved caspase-3/caspase-3 and Bax),an anti-apoptotic protein(Bcl-2),and tight junction proteins(ZO-1 and claudin-1)were detected by Western blot and immunofluorescence.In the cell experiment,TNF-α was used to induce intestinal epithelial cell Caco-2 apoptosis model,which was treated with ISO.Then,intervention with the AMPK inhibitor Compound C was given.TUNEL assay,Western blot assay,and immunofluorescence assay were performed to measure apoptosis and the expression of apoptosis proteins in the Caco-2 cells.Gene Ontology(GO)enrichment analysis was performed to predict the biological function of ISO.Then,the mechanism involved was verified by examination of the mice and Caco-2 cells.Western blot was performed to determine the expression levels of p-AMPK/AMPK and p-PGC1α in the colon tissues from the mice of different groups and Caco-2 cells.The apoptosis of the cells was determined by TUNEL assay.Results According to the results of the animal experiment,ISO could alleviate experimental colitis and intestinal barrier dysfunction,leading to improvements in body mass loss,colon length shortening,DAI score,inflammatory rating,and TEER values(all P＜0.05)in mice.Furthermore,ISO decreased the expression of pro-inflammatory factors TNF-α,IFN-γ,IL-1β,and IL-6 and increased the expression of the tight junction proteins ZO-1 and claudin-1(all P＜0.05).In the cell experiment,in a TNF-α-induced intestinal epithelial cell model,ISO was also found to protect intestinal barrier against damage.ISO reduced the proportion of apoptotic intestinal epithelial cells,reduced the expression of cleaved-caspase-3/caspase-3 and Bax,and upregulated the level of Bcl-2(all P＜0.05).GO enrichment predictive analysis showed that the role of ISO in improving CD-like enteritis might be associated with the negative regulation of apoptosis.Verification of the mechanism showed that the expression of p-AMPK and p-PGC1α in the mice colon tissue was significantly upregulated after ISO intervention(P＜0.05).In contrast,the AMPK inhibitor Compound C increased the apoptosis rate of ISO-treated Caco-2 cells and decreased the relative expression levels of ZO-1 and claudin-1(P＜0.05).Conclusion ISO reduces intestinal epithelial cell apoptosis at least in part by activating AMPK/PGC1α signaling pathway,thereby alleviating TNBS-induced intestinal barrier dysfunction and CD-like colitis in mice.

ObjectiveTo investigate the changes of surface electromyography (sEMG) of the flexors and extensors of the affected fingers after manual digitorum sensory stimulation (MDSS) in the hemiplegic patients after stroke. MethodsFrom April to August, 2020, 50 stroke patients in Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, the Second Hospital of Anhui Medical University accepted MDSS on the nail beds and the third knuckles of affected fingers, until the fingers extended actively. The tension of affected flexor pollicis brevis, flexor digitorum superficialis and extensor digitorum were assessed with modified Ashworth Scale (MAS) before and immediately after stimulation; while the root mean square (RMS) of sEMG of bilateral flexor pollicis brevis, flexor digitorum superficialis and extensor digitorum were recorded. ResultsThe MAS score of all the muscles decreased after stimulation (|Z| > 2.699, P < 0.01), while the RMS of affected extensor digitorum increased (t = -2.069, P < 0.05). Compared with the unaffected ones, RMS of affected flexor pollicis brevis and extensor digitorum decreased before and after stimulation (t > 2.450, P < 0.05). ConclusionMDSS may immediately relieve the spasm of flexors of hemiplegic fingers after stroke, which associates with the promoting muscle strength of the extensors.