Aim To explore the effeet of riboflavin on the establishment of pressure overload-induced heart failure model in mice by thoracic aortie constrietion (TAC ) and its preventive mechanism.Methods Eight-week-old SPF C57BL/6J mice were seleeted and divided into four groups; Sham group.Sham + ribofla¬vin group, TAC group and TAC + riboflavin group.A mouse heart failure model was constructed in the TAC group.The miee in the TAC + riboflavin group were given riboflavin by gavage one week before and eight weeks after the operation.The cardiac ultrasound inde¬xes, the changes of cardiac morphology and mitochon¬drial function indexes, the expression of apoptosis pro¬teins, ATP content, SCAD mRNA and protein expres¬sion, enzyme activity and flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) content in myocardial tissues were detected.Hie free fatty acid content in serum and myocardial tis¬sues were also detected.Results Compared with the sham group, the cardiac function indexes of the mice in the TAC group decreased, anrl typical heart failure occurred.Moreover, the expression of SCAD, enzyme activity, ATP and FAD content in the myocardium sig-nificantly decreased, and the free fatty acid content in myocardium and serum significantly increased.Com¬pared with the TAC group, after riboflavin treatment, the cardiac function of mice in TAC + Riboflavin group was significantly improved.In addition, ATP content, SCAD expression, enzyme activity and FAD content in myocardium all significantly increased, and free fatty acid content in myocardium and serum markedly de¬creased.Conclusions Riboflavin may improve myo-cardial energy metabolism by increasing FAD content and activating SCAD, thereby inhibiting pressure over¬load-induced heart failure in mice.

Schisandra sphenanthera is dioecious and only the fruits of female plants can be used as medicine and food. It is of great significance for the cultivation and production of S. sphenanthera to explore the differences between male and female plants at the non-flowering stage and develop the identification markers at non-flowering or seedling stage. In this study, the transcriptome of male and female leaves of S. sphenanthera at the non-flowering stage was sequenced by Illumina high-throughput sequencing technology and analyzed based on bioinformatics. A total of 236 682 transcripts were assembled by Trinity software and 171 588 were chosen as unigenes. Finally, 1 525 differentially expressed genes(DEGs) were identified, with 458 up-regulated and 1 067 down-regulated in female lea-ves. The down-regulated genes mainly involve photosynthesis, photosynthesis-antenna protein, carbon fixation in photosynthetic or-ganisms, and other pathways. Real-time quantitative PCR(qPCR) identified two genes between male and female leaves and one of them was a HVA22-like gene related to floral organ development and abscisic acid(ABA). Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) was applied to determine the content of ABA, auxin, gibberellin, and zeatin riboside(ZR) in leaves of S. sphenanthera. The results showed that the content of ABA and ZR in male leaves was significantly higher than that in female leaves. The involvement of down-regulated genes in female leaves in the photosynthesis pathway and the significant differences in the content of endogenous hormones between male and female leaves lay a scientific basis for analyzing the factors affecting sex differentiation of S. sphenanthera.
Abscisic Acid ; Gene Expression Profiling ; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant ; Plant Leaves/genetics* ; RNA-Seq ; Schisandra ; Transcriptome

Aim To study the therapeutic effect of 35% and 70% ethanol elution sites of Gardeniae Fructus extract on 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS)/ethanol induced ulcerative colitis (UC) in rats, and to identify the chemical composition of the active elution site using mass spectrometry. Methods The UC model induced by TNBS was used in rats, and the different eluted parts were administered by gavage at a dose of 2. lg/kg for 7 days. Body weight measurement , disease activity index (DAI) score, and pathological score of colon tissues were compared. Myeloperoxidase (MPO) , superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde ( MDA ) , nitric oxide ( NO ) , tumor necrosis factor-a (TNF-a) , interleukin in mouse colon tissue -6 (IL-6), interleukin-1 (3 (IL-ip) levels were compared among groups. Liquid-mass spectrometry was used to identify the chemical components of the parts with better efficacy. Results Compared with model group, the weight loss in 35% elution site group was significantly improved, the DAI and histopathology scores were markedly reduced, and the contents of MPO, NO, MDA, TNF-a, IL-6 and IL-1(3 in tissues were apparently reduced. SOD content increased significantly (P <0. 01). A total of 19 chemical components were identified by LC-MS, 11 of which were iri- doids. Conclusions The 35% elution site of Gardeni- a has obvious therapeutic effect on UC rats, and the iridoid component may be the material basis for its function.

A new lignan glucoside,(+)-fragransin A_2-4-O-β-D-glucopyranoside(1), has been isolated from the dry root of Paeonia lactiflora by column chromatography on silica gel, Sephadex LH-20, and MCI-gel resin, as well as preparative RP-HPLC. The structure of the new compound was elucidated by spectroscopic data analysis(MS, UV, IR, CD, 1 D and 2 D NMR) and chemical method. Compound 1 showed moderate inhibition against lipopolysaccharide induced nitric oxide production in RAW264.7 macrophages, with an IC_(50) value of 21.3 μmol·L~(-1).
Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Glucosides ; Lignans ; Paeonia ; Plant Extracts

Background: Malignant pleural effusion (MPE) is a complicated condition of patients with advanced tumors. Further dissecting the microenvironment of infiltrated immune cells and malignant cells are warranted to understand the immune-evasion mechanisms of tumor development and progression. Methods: The possible involvement of microRNAs (miRNAs) in malignant pleural fluid was investigated using small RNA sequencing. Regulatory T cell (Treg) markers (CD4, CD25, forkhead box P3), and Helios (also known as IKAROS Family Zinc Finger 2 [IKZF2]) were detected using flow cytometry. The expression levels of IKZF2 and miR-4772-3p were measured using quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. The interaction between miR-4772-3p and Helios was determined using dual-luciferase reporter assays. The effects of miR-4772-3p on Helios expression were evaluated using an in vitro system. Correlation assays between miR-4772-3p and functional molecules of Tregs were performed. Results: Compared with non-malignant controls, patients with non-small cell lung cancer had an increased Tregs frequency with Helios expression in the MPE and peripheral blood mononuclear cells. The verified downregulation of miR-4772-3p was inversely related to the Helios⁺ Tregs frequency and Helios expression in the MPE. Overexpression of miR-4772-3p could inhibit Helios expression in in vitro experiments. However, ectopic expression of Helios in induced Tregs reversed the effects induced by miR-4772-3p overexpression. Additionally, miR-4772-3p could regulate Helios expression by directly targeting IKZF2 mRNA. Conclusion Downregulation of miR-4772-3p, by targeting Helios, contributes to enhanced Tregs activities in the MPE microenvironment.

Dihydrochelerythrine was isolated from the ethanol extract of Corydalis yanhusuo by chromatographic and recrystallization techniques. To our knowledge, this is the first report that dihydrochelerythrine was found to be unstable. The NMR, HPLC, and LC-MS were applied to monitor the structural conversion process of dihydrochelerythrine. The results showed that when dissolved in polar deuteration solvent (e.g., DMSO-₆ & MeOD), dihydrochelerythrine is directly converted to chelerythrine gradually. However, if used non-polar reagent (e.g.,CD₂Cl₂), the sample of dihydrochelerythrine undergoes the formation of pseudobase, chelerythrine, and bimolecular ether then followed by oxidation to oxychelerythrine as the major final product. Which leads to this phenomenon maybe is that the C-6 in dihydrochelerythrine is highly reactive to nucleophiles, and is easily converted to different derivatives in different solvents attributed to the solvent effect. This finding will contribute to the extraction and isolation, bioactivity screening, and quality evaluation of medicinal materials containing dihydrochelerythrine and other similar derivatives.

OBJECTIVE: To systematically evaluate the clinical efficacy of nasal high-frequency ventilation (nHFV) in the treatment of neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (NRDS). METHODS: A literature search was performed in PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMBase (Ovid), Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, Chinese Journal Full-text Database, Wanfang Data, and Weipu Data to collect the randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that compared the clinical efficacy of nHFV and nasal continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP) in the treatment of NRDS. A Meta analysis was performed on the included RCTs using Rev Man 5.3 software after data extraction and quality evaluation by Cochrane 5.1.0. RESULTS: A total of 4 RCTs involving 218 patients were included. The Meta analysis showed that compared with the nCPAP group, the nHFV group had a significantly better treatment outcome (RR=1.73, 95%CI: 1.39-2.15, P<0.00001). There were no significant differences in the incidence rates of intraventricular hemorrhage, periventricular leukomalacia, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, necrotizing enterocolitis, pneumothorax and retinopathy of prematurity. CONCLUSIONS Compared with nCPAP, nHFV has better clinical efficacy in the treatment of NRDS, without increasing the risk of related complications.
High-Frequency Ventilation ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature ; Intermittent Positive-Pressure Ventilation ; Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Newborn ; Treatment Outcome

BACKGROUNDThe emergency department (ED) has a pivotal influence on the management of acute heart failure (AHF), but data concerning current ED management are scarce. This Beijing AHF Registry Study investigated the characteristics, ED management, and short- and long-term clinical outcomes of AHF.

METHODSThis prospective, multicenter, observational study consecutively enrolled 3335 AHF patients who visited 14 EDs in Beijing from January 1, 2011, to September 23, 2012. Baseline data on characteristics and management were collected in the EDs. Follow-up data on death and readmissions were collected until November 31, 2013, with a response rate of 92.80%. The data were reported as median (interquartile range) for the continuous variables, or as number (percentage) for the categorical variables.

RESULTSThe median age of the enrolled patients was 71 (58-79) years, and 46.84% were women. In patients with AHF, coronary heart disease (43.27%) was the most common etiology, and myocardium ischemia (30.22%) was the main precipitant. Most of the patients in the ED received intravenous treatments, including diuretics (79.28%) and vasodilators (74.90%). Fewer patients in the ED received neurohormonal antagonists, and 25.94%, 31.12%, and 33.73% of patients received angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors/angiotensin receptor blockers, beta-blockers, and spironolactone, respectively. The proportions of patients who were admitted, discharged, left against medical advice, and died were 55.53%, 33.58%, 7.08%, and 3.81%, respectively. All-cause mortalities at 30 days and 1 year were 15.30% and 32.27%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONSSubstantial details on characteristics and ED management of AHF were investigated. The clinical outcomes of AHF patients were dismal. Thus, further investigations of ED-based therapeutic approaches for AHF are needed.

Mogrol is the aglycone of seven kinds of mogrosides and siamenoside I. Mogrol has drawn more attention in recent years for its anti-leukemia and anti-diabetes activities. An ultra-high performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q-TOF/MS) method was applied to identify the main metabolites of mogrol in rat plasma. A liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method was developed and validated for determination of the main components in rat plasma. After an oral administration of 100 mg·kg^-1 mogrol in rats, 13 metabolites were detected along the main component of parent drug in the plasma. The major metabolites were oxidated and dehydrogenated products. In this study, mogrol was quantitative analyzed using lithium carbonate reagent with high sensitivity. The assay was linear in concentration range 5.00-1 000 ng·mL^-1 with intra-and inter-day precision within 9.3% and accuracy in range of -4.5% to 2.9%. Mogrol was absorbed into the blood very fast after oral administration, and the time to reach maximum concentration (t_max) was 1.67 h. The half-life (t_1/2) of mogrol in rats was 2.34 h, and the oral absolute bioavailability was 3.5%.

Heishui county, located in northwest Sichuan province, southwestern China, is an endemic area of zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis (VL) and is the most intractable area. VL is never destroyed in it. Asymptomatic dogs (Leishmania parasites have been diagnosed but clinically healthy) are considered to be a potential reservoir host in zoonotic VL area, and most can lead to infection of individuals, that is a new challenge for controlling VL in humans. The present study aimed to assess the Leishmania infection rate of asymptomatic dogs in Heishui county. Total 105 asymptomatic domestic dogs were gathered from 4 districts in Heishui county to investigate the infection rate with serological and molecular methods based on ELISA and kinetoplast minicircle DNA(kDNA) PCR, respectively. Out of 105 dogs, 44 (41.9%) were positive by more than 1 method; 21 (20.0%) were positive by ELISA, and 30 (28.6%) were positive by kDNA-PCR. Our study showed that Leishmania infection of domestic dogs which is clinically healthy is prevalent in the studied district, and the asymptomatic dogs infected by Leishmania may be the primary reason for the prevalence of visceral leishmaniasis in the area.
Animals ; China* ; Dogs* ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Epidemiology ; Humans ; Leishmania* ; Leishmaniasis, Visceral* ; Methods ; Parasites ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Prevalence