Percutaneous coronary intervention and acute coronary syndrome are both closely tied to the frequently occurring complication of coronary microembolization (CME). Resveratrol (RES) has been shown to have a substantial cardioprotective influence in a variety of cardiac diseases, though its function and potential mechanistic involvement in CME are still unclear. The forty Sprague–Dawley rats were divided into four groups randomly: CME, CME + RES (25 mg/kg), CME + RES (50 mg/kg), and sham (10 rats per group). The CME model was developed. Echocardiography, levels of myocardial injury markers in the serum, and histopathology of the myocardium were used to assess the function of the cardiac muscle. For the detection of the signaling of TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB along with the expression of pyroptosisrelated molecules, ELISA, qRT-PCR, immunofluorescence, and Western blotting were used, among other techniques. The findings revealed that myocardial injury and pyroptosis occurred in the myocardium following CME, with a decreased function of cardiac, increased levels of serum myocardial injury markers, increased area of microinfarct, as well as a rise in the expression levels of pyroptosis-related molecules. In addition to this, pretreatment with resveratrol reduced the severity of myocardial injury after CME by improving cardiac dysfunction, decreasing serum myocardial injury markers, decreasing microinfarct area, and decreasing cardiomyocyte pyroptosis, primarily by blocking the signaling of TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB and also reducing the NLRP3 inflammasome activation. Resveratrol may be able to alleviate CME-induced myocardial pyroptosis and cardiac dysfunction by impeding the activation of NLRP3 inflammasome and the signaling pathway of TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB.

The material basis and mechanism of Chaenomelis Fructus in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis(RA) were explored by network pharmacology, and the potential anti-RA targets of Chaenomelis Fructus were verified by molecular docking and animal experiments. The active components and targets of Chaenomelis Fructus were searched against the Traditional Chinese Medicine System Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform. GeneCards, DisGeNET, and OMIM were used to obtain RA-related targets. The common targets shared by Chaenomelis Fructus and RA were considered as the potential targets of Chaenomelis Fructus in the treatment of RA. Cytoscape 3.9.0 was employed to establish a "traditional Chinese medicine-active component-common target-disease" network. The protein-protein interaction(PPI) network was established by STRING, and the core genes were visualized by RStudio 4.1.0. DAVID was used for Gene Ontology(GO) annotation and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG) pathway enrichment to predict and visualize the involved signaling pathways. Molecular docking was carried out with the active components screened out as ligands and RA core genes as the targets. Finally, the prediction results were verified by animal experiments. Four main active components of Chaenomelis Fructus were obtained, which corresponded to 137 targets. Chaenomelis Fructus and RA shared 37 common targets. GO annotation yielded 239 terms(P<0.05), and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis screened out 94 signaling pathways(P<0.05), mainly involving interleukin-17(IL-17), tumor necrosis factor, Toll-like receptor, and nuclear factor-kappa B(NF-κB) signaling pathways. Molecular docking results showed that the main active components of Chaenomelis Fructus bound well with the core targets of RA. The results of animal experiments proved that Chaenomelis Fructus can alleviate joint swelling in the mice with RA. The results of ELISA showed that Chaenomelis Fructus lowered the levels of interleukin-6(IL-6) and interleukin-1β(IL-1β). Western blot showed that Chaenomelis Fructus down-regulated the protein level of vascular endothelial growth factor A(VEGFA). Chaenomelis Fructus exerts anti-inflammatory effect and reduces pannus formation by regulating the core targets such as VEGFA, IL-1β, and IL6 in the treatment of RA. The findings of this study provide new ideas for the future treatment of RA with Chaenomelis Fructus.
Animals ; Mice ; Network Pharmacology ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ; Molecular Docking Simulation ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid/genetics* ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; NF-kappa B ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional

Objective To investigate the effects of microRNA( miR)-29a-3p on the proliferation and invasion of gastric cancer cells and analyze its related molecular mechanism. Methods The expression level of miR-29a-3p in gastric cancer cells was detected, and the role of miR-29a-3p in the proliferation, migration, and invasion of gastric cancer cells was evaluated. Western blotting and luciferase analysis showed that miR-29a-3p was directly bound to Serpinhl 3 ' -untranslated region(3' UTR). In addition, the effects of the miR-29a-3p/Serpinhl axis on the proliferation, migration, and invasion of gastric cancer cells were detected by MTT assay, colony formation assay, and Transwell assay in vitro. Results After transfection, the expression of miR-29a-3p in the miR-29a-3p mimic group was significantly higher than that in the miR-29a-3p negative control and blank group. After transfection, the proliferation of BGC823 cells decreased significantly. Luciferase analysis showed that miR-29a-3p inhibited the expression of Serpinhl by targeting the 3 ' UTR of Serpinhl. In addition, overexpression of miR-29a-3p significantly inhibited the proliferation, invasion, and migration of gastric cancer cells by targeting Serpinhl. Conclusion MiR-29a-3p can target Serpinhl and regulate the proliferation and invasion of gastric cancer cells.

Coronary microembolization (CME) is associated with cardiomyocyte apoptosis and cardiac dysfunction. Puerarin confers protection against multiple cardiovascular diseases, but its effects and specific mechanisms on CME are not fully known. Hence, our study investigated whether puerarin pretreatment could alleviate cardiomyocyte apoptosis and improve cardiac function following CME. The molecular mechanism associated was also explored. A total of 48 Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into CME, CME + Puerarin (CME + Pue), sham, and sham + Puerarin (sham + Pue) groups (with 12 rats per group). A CME model was established in CME and CME + Pue groups by injecting 42 μm microspheres into the left ventricle of rats. Rats in the CME + Pue and sham + Pue groups were intraperitoneally injected with puerarin at 120 mg/kg daily for 7 days before operation. Cardiac function, myocardial histopathology, and cardiomyocyte apoptosis index were determined via cardiac ultrasound, hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) and hematoxylin-basic fuchsin-picric acid (HBFP) stainings, and TdT-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) staining, respectively. Western blotting was used to measure protein expression related to the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt)/glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β) pathway. We found that, puerarin significantly ameliorated cardiac dysfunction after CME, attenuated myocardial infarct size, and reduced myocardial apoptotic index. Besides, puerarin inhibited cardiomyocyte apoptosis, as revealed by decreased Bax and cleaved caspase-3, and up-regulated Bcl-2 and PI3K/Akt/GSK-3β pathway related proteins. Collectively, puerarin can inhibit cardiomyocyte apoptosis and thus attenuate myocardial injury caused by CME. Mechanistically, these effects may be achieved through activation of the PI3K/Akt/GSK-3β pathway.

Coronary microembolization (CME) is associated with cardiomyocyte apoptosis and cardiac dysfunction. Puerarin confers protection against multiple cardiovascular diseases, but its effects and specific mechanisms on CME are not fully known. Hence, our study investigated whether puerarin pretreatment could alleviate cardiomyocyte apoptosis and improve cardiac function following CME. The molecular mechanism associated was also explored. A total of 48 Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into CME, CME + Puerarin (CME + Pue), sham, and sham + Puerarin (sham + Pue) groups (with 12 rats per group). A CME model was established in CME and CME + Pue groups by injecting 42 μm microspheres into the left ventricle of rats. Rats in the CME + Pue and sham + Pue groups were intraperitoneally injected with puerarin at 120 mg/kg daily for 7 days before operation. Cardiac function, myocardial histopathology, and cardiomyocyte apoptosis index were determined via cardiac ultrasound, hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) and hematoxylin-basic fuchsin-picric acid (HBFP) stainings, and TdT-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) staining, respectively. Western blotting was used to measure protein expression related to the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt)/glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β) pathway. We found that, puerarin significantly ameliorated cardiac dysfunction after CME, attenuated myocardial infarct size, and reduced myocardial apoptotic index. Besides, puerarin inhibited cardiomyocyte apoptosis, as revealed by decreased Bax and cleaved caspase-3, and up-regulated Bcl-2 and PI3K/Akt/GSK-3β pathway related proteins. Collectively, puerarin can inhibit cardiomyocyte apoptosis and thus attenuate myocardial injury caused by CME. Mechanistically, these effects may be achieved through activation of the PI3K/Akt/GSK-3β pathway.

Objective:To study the effect of levosimendan on coronary microembolization (CME)-induced myocardial injury and LOX-1/p38MAPK pathway.Methods:Microspheres were injected into coronary anterior descending branch to construct swine CME model, swine was given levosimendan by continuous intravenous drip for 24 h before modeling, and myocardial-specific overexpression of lectin-like oxidized low density lipoprotein receptor 1 (LOX-1) was achieved through coronary artery injection of adeno-associated virus (AAVs) at 2 weeks before modeling. Then, echocardiography was used to measure cardiac function; HE staining and HBFP staining were used to observe the pathological changes of myocardium and myocardial microinfarction area, respectively; ELISA was used to detect the serum level of cTnI; TUNLE staining was used to detect cardiomyocyte apoptotic index; the LOX-1, Bax, caspase-3 p12, Bcl-2, and p-p38 MAPK protein in myocardial tissue was observed by immunofluorescence method.Results:Compared to the sham group, the LVEF, LVFS, and CO value in the CME group were decreased, while the LVEDd value was increased significantly (all P<0.05); the area of myocardial micro-infarction, serum cTnI level and cardiomyocyte apoptotic rate in the CME group were increased significantly (all P<0.05); the protein levels of Bax, caspase-3 p12, LOX-1, and p-p38 MAPK were increased significantly, while the Bcl-2 level was decreased significantly ( P<0.05). Levosimendan pretreatment significantly improved cardiac dysfunction, reduced the area of myocardial micro-infarction and serum cTnI level, alleviated cardiomyocyte apoptosis, and significantly reduced the LOX-1 and p-p38 MAPK protein expression levels following CME (all P<0.05); while pretreatment with levosimendan and LOX-1 overexpression AAVs simultaneously abolished the effects of pretreatment with levosimendan alone (all P<0.05). Conclusion:Levosimendan alleviates CME-induced myocardial injury through inhibiting cardiomyocyte apoptosis mediated by LOX-1/p38 MAPK signaling pathway.

OBJECTIVE: To study the visual sensitivity threshold of physician's naked eye to the difference of nasolabial angle in edentulous jaw patients, and to provide a reference value for the study of aesthetic evaluation of soft tissue profile for the difference of nasolabial angle that can be recognized by human eyes. METHODS: Three-dimensional facial images of three edentulous patients with different diagnostic dentures introoral were obtained. Lateral screenshots of each patient's three-dimensional facial image with the same scale were obtained by using reverse engineering software (Geomagic studio 2014).The screenshot of the patient's three-dimensional facial image with suitable lip support (The suitable lip support was confirmed by both patients and prosthodontists who had clinical experience for more than 20 years) was taken as the reference picture, and the remaining pictures were grouped with it respectively. All the pictures were observed in random order by the subjects. Fifteen dentists were asked to judge the difference of nasolabial angle between the two pictures of each group on the computer screen. The difference of nasolabial angle between the two pictures in each group was measured and calculated. The ROC curve was drawn, and the best cut-off value was calculated as the visual sensitivity threshold. RESULTS: The data of the 15 subjects were used to draw ROC curves separately. The maximum and minimum best cut-off values were 5.55 degrees and 3.12 degrees respectively. The ROC curve of the whole 15 subjects was drawn after data aggregation, and the best cut-off value was 5.36 degrees (AUC=0.84>0.5, P=0.000<0.05). When the difference of nasolabial angle was above 5.36 degrees, the subjects could recognize it effectively. CONCLUSION There is a visual limit in the observation of the nasolabial angle with the naked eye. In this study, a visual sensitivity threshold of 5.36 degrees for the difference of the nasolabial angle was obtained. The difference of nasolabial angle below this value can be regarded as no clinical significance. This result provides a reference value for human eyes to recognize the difference of nasolabial angle in soft tissue profile aesthetic evaluation. It can be applied to the aesthetic evaluation of soft tissue profile and can be used as the error level of related research with nasolabial angle as an index for accuracy evaluation.
Esthetics ; Face ; Humans ; Jaw, Edentulous ; Lip ; Nose ; Visual Acuity

Objective To investigate the effects of ultrasound-targeted microbubble destructionmediated MicroRNA-21 on cardiomyocyte apoptosis after coronary microembolization (CME) in swine.Methods Twenty Bama miniature swine were randomLy (random number) divided into sham-operated,CME,CME plus gene transfection and CME plus ultrasound mediated gene transfection groups (n =5 per group).The CME model was established by microcatheter-mediated injection of microspheres into the left anterior descending artery.The sham-operated group were made by injection of saline instead.The CME plus ultrasound mediated gene transfection group was made by injection of plasmid-microbubble mixture through the marginal ear vein 4 days before CME established.Meanwhile,ultrasound treatment was given to the myocardium through chest wall.The CME plus gene transfection group was made by injection of plasmidmicrobubble mixture through the marginal ear vein 4 days before CME established without exposure to ultrasound.Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was examined by cardiac ultrasound.Tissue biopsy was stained with hematoxylin-eosin (HE) and hematoxylin basic fuchsin picric acid (HBFP) to measure the size of infarction area.Green fluorescent protein (GFP)-labeled gene expression was evaluated by fluorescent microscopy in frozen sections.Cardiomyocyte apoptosis was detected with terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-mediated dUTP nick end-labeling (TUNEL staining).The expression of PTEN mRNA was measured by fluorescent quantitative PCR.The levels of PTEN protein and Caspase-3 protein was measured by western blot.Results ①Compared to CME plus gene transfection group,the CME plus ultrasound mediated gene group had over eightfold expression of exogenous genes in myocardium (P ＜ 0.05) measured by using optical density of green fluorescence protein;② Compared with shamoperated group [(67.87 ±2.36)％],the LVEF of CME group [(50.94 ±3.52)％] and CME plus gene transfection group [(52.47 ±3.71)％] were markedly decreased (P ＜ 0.05).Compared with CME group,the CME plus ultrasound mediated gene transfection group [(64.79 ± 2.95)％] improved CME-induced cardiac dysfunction as evidenced by increased LVEF (P ＜ 0.05);③Compared with sham-operated group,the expression of PTEN mRNA and levels of PTEN protein and Caspase-3 protein in the CME group increased significantly (P ＜ 0.05).Compared with CME group,the levels of PTEN protein and Caspase-3 protein and the expression of PTEN mRNA in CME plus ultrasound mediated gene transfection group was dramatically decreased (P ＜ 0.05).Conclusions Ultrasound microbubble-mediated MicroRNA-21 transfection effectively improved CME-induced cardiac dysfunction by down-regulating the expression of targeted gene PTEN in myocardial cells,mainly reducing the post-CME myocardial cell apoptosis.

Objective To investigate the influence of atorvastatin (Lipitor) on the expression of programmed cell death 4 (PDCD4) in human CD4+T lymphocytes in vitro. Methods Human CD4+T cells obtained from healthy individuals were activated with PHA and treated with atorvastatin. The mRNA and protein expression levels of PDCD4 were detected by real-time PCR and western-blot respectively. Results The stimulation of PHA obviously increased the mRNA and protein expression of PDCD4 and the secretion of those serum cytokines. The expression of PDCD4 and the production of serum TNF-α were significantly decreased, whereas the serum levels of IL-10 were significantly increased after treated by different concentration of atorvastatin. The serum secretion of TNF-α was positive correlation with the expression of PDCD4 through the linear related analysis (r=0.782, P<0.01), and the secretion of IL-10 was negative correlation with the expression of PDCD4 (r=-0.653, P<0.05). Conclusion The anti-inflammatory effects of atorvastatin are mediated by down regulating the expression of PDCD4 in CD4+T cells.

Objective To investigate the effects of aggressive dosing of atorvastatin on the expression of SOCS1 in CD4 + Tlymphocytes from patients with unstable angina pectoris during peri-operative period of PCI.Methods A cohort of 50 patients with unstable angina pectoris were randomized (random number) to give pretreatment with either an aggressive dose (80 mg/d,n =25) or a routine dose (20 mg/d,n =25)of atorvastatin.Circulating CD4 +T cells were subsequently obtained prior to PCI,and also 18 h to 24 hours after PCI,using a magnetic cell sorting system (MACS).Fluorescence-based quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to measure expressions of SOCSI mRNA in the isolated CD4 + Tlymphocytes,and western blot analysis was used to detect levels of SOCS1 protein.Serum levels of IFN-γwere quantified using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs).Results Compared with routine dose group,the expressions of SOCS1 mRNA and protein levels were dramatically increased and those were higher in aggressive dose group following PCI (P ＜ 0.05).In contrast,serum levels of IFN-γsignificantly increased following PCI in both groups,but it was higher in routine dose group than in aggressive dose group (P ＜ 0.05).Conclusions Treatment with aggressive dosing of atorvastatin reduced the post-PCI myocardial inflammatory response in patients with unstable angina pectoris,possibly modulating by up-regulating SOCS1 expression in CD4 + Tlymphocytes.