Dipsaci Radix is a commonly used Chinese herbal medicine in China, with triterpenoid saponins as the main active components. β-Amyrin synthase, a member of the oxidosqualene cyclase superfamily, plays a crucial role in the biosynthesis of oleanane-type triterpenoid saponins. Asperosaponin Ⅵ is an oleanane-type triterpenoid saponin. To explore the β-amyrin synthase genes involved in the biosynthesis of asperosaponin Ⅵ in Dipsacus asper, this study screened the candidate genes from the transcriptome data of D. asper. Two β-amyrin synthase genes, Da OSC1 and Da OSC2, were identified by phylogenetic analysis and correlation analysis. The coding sequences of Da OSC1 and Da OSC2 were 2 286 bp and 2 295 bp in length, encoding 761 and 764 amino acids,respectively. Multiple sequence alignments showed that Da OSC1 and Da OSC2 had three conserved motifs( DCTAE, QW, and MWCYCR) unique to the oxidosqualene cyclase family. Real-time quantitative PCR results showed that Da OSC1 and Da OSC2 had the highest expression levels in the roots. Compared with normal growth conditions, the low-temperature treatment significantly upregulated the expression of Da OSC1 and Da OSC2. Agrobacterium-mediated transient expression of Da OSC1 and Da OSC2 in Nicotiana benthamiana resulted in the production of β-amyrin, which suggested that Da OSC1 and Da OSC2 were able to catalyze the synthesis of β-amyrin. This study clarified the catalytic functions of two β-amyrin synthases in D. asper, analyzed their expression patterns in different tissue and at low temperatures. The findings provide a foundation for further studying the biosynthetic pathway and regulatory mechanism of asperosaponin Ⅵ in D. asper.
Intramolecular Transferases/chemistry* ; Phylogeny ; Plant Proteins/chemistry* ; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant ; Dipsacaceae/classification* ; Saponins/metabolism* ; Oleanolic Acid/metabolism*

Pathological vascular remodeling is a hallmark of various vascular diseases. Previous research has established the significance of andrographolide in maintaining gastric vascular homeostasis and its pivotal role in modulating endothelial barrier dysfunction, which leads to pathological vascular remodeling. Potassium dehydroandrographolide succinate (PDA), a derivative of andrographolide, has been clinically utilized in the treatment of inflammatory diseases precipitated by viral infections. This study investigates the potential of PDA in regulating pathological vascular remodeling. The effect of PDA on vascular remodeling was assessed through the complete ligation of the carotid artery in C57BL/6 mice. Experimental approaches, including rat aortic primary smooth muscle cell culture, flow cytometry, bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation assay, Boyden chamber cell migration assay, spheroid sprouting assay, and Matrigel-based tube formation assay, were employed to evaluate the influence of PDA on the proliferation and motility of smooth muscle cells (SMCs). Molecular docking simulations and co-immunoprecipitation assays were conducted to examine protein interactions. The results revealed that PDA exacerbates vascular injury-induced pathological remodeling, as evidenced by enhanced neointima formation. PDA treatment significantly increased the proliferation and migration of SMCs. Further mechanistic studies disclosed that PDA upregulated myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88) expression in SMCs and interacted with T-cadherin (CDH13). This interaction augmented proliferation, migration, and extracellular matrix deposition, culminating in pathological vascular remodeling. Our findings underscore the critical role of PDA in the regulation of pathological vascular remodeling, mediated through the MyD88/CDH13 signaling pathway.
Mice ; Rats ; Animals ; Myeloid Differentiation Factor 88/metabolism* ; Vascular Remodeling ; Cell Proliferation ; Vascular System Injuries/pathology* ; Carotid Artery Injuries/pathology* ; Molecular Docking Simulation ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular ; Cell Movement ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Signal Transduction ; Succinates/pharmacology* ; Potassium/pharmacology* ; Cells, Cultured ; Diterpenes ; Cadherins

Aim To investigate the dynamic time-course changes in neuronal cytoskeleton after acute ischemia and reperfusion in rats. Methods Reperfusion was performedin rats by blocking the middle cerebralarteryfor 90 min, then therats wereobserved and collected at different time points. The brain damage wasobserved by Nissl staining,and neurobehavioural function was evaluated with neurological deficit score and forelimb placement test. The cellular changes in the alternations of cytoskeletal elements including microtubule associated protein 2 (MAP2) and neurofilament heavy chain (NF-H) were observed by immunohistochemistry staining and Western blot. Impaired axons, dendrites and cytoskeletal alternations were detected by electron microscope. Results Brain damage and neurobehavioural function were gradually aggravated with the prolongation of reperfusion. Brain damage appeared earlier and more severe in striatum than in cortex. Moreover, decreased MAP2-related and increased NF-H-related immunoreactive intensities were found in the ischemic areas. Impaired cytoskeletal arrangement and reduced dense were indicated. Damaged cytoskeletal components such as microtubules and neurofilament arrangement, decreased axonal filament density, and swelled dendrites were observed after cerebral ischemia reperfusion by ultrastructural observations. Conclusions Different brain regions have diverse tolerance to ischemia-reperfusion injury. Major elements of neuronal cytoskeleton show dynamic responses to ischemia and reperfusion, which may further contribute to brain damage and neurological impairment following MCAO and reperfusion.

AIM:To establish and evaluate a colonoids model of intestinal barrier dysfunction with irritable bowel syndrome(IBS).METHODS:The colonic recess of 20～22 g male C57BL/6 mice were isolated and cultured in ma-trix glue to proliferate and differentiate into 3D hollow spheres with colonic epithelioid structure.The following experi-ments were carried out:(1)Colonoids and colonic tissues of mice were detected by immunofluorescence to identify colo-noids.(2)Fluorescein isothiocyanate dextran 4(FD4)evaluated the epithelial barrier function of colonoids.(3)To ex-plore the changes in the epithelial barrier of colonoids induced by interferon-γ(IFN-γ)at different concentrations and time points.FD4 and HE staining were used to evaluate the barrier function.RT-qPCR was used to detect the mRNA expres-sion of occludin and zonula occludens-1(ZO-1)in tight junctions of colonoids.Immunofluorescence was used to detect the distribution and localization of occludin and ZO-1 proteins.RESULTS:(1)The expression of EdU proliferation and in-testinal epithelial cell lineage markers in colonoids was consistent with that in mouse colonic tissues.(2)In the control group,FD4 did not infiltrate the colonoids lumen,but FD4 significantly infiltrated the colonoids lumen induced by ethyl-ene glycol-bis(β-aminoethyl ether)-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid(EGTA).(3)From 18 h,the IFN-γ at 60,100,200 and 240 ng/mL could significantly infiltrate into the cavity of colonoids(0.033,0.032,0.042 and 0.001),and the barri-er injury of colonoids could be seen by HE staining.After 18 h,all concentrations of IFN-γ could significantly decrease the mRNA expression of occludin and ZO-1,and the fluorescence of occludin and ZO-1 decreased significantly(P<0.05).CONCLUSION:(1)The cultured organoids are colonoids with complete epithelial barrier.(2)IFN-γ could in-duce the decrease of the transcriptional levels of occludin and ZO-1 in the tight junction of colonoids,the decrease of the expression of corresponding proteins,and the change of localization and distribution,thus increasing the epithelial perme-ability of colonoids.This model is highly consistent with the pathophysiological state of IBS colonic mucosal barrier dys-function,which provides a new tool and method for studying the direction of colonic mucosal barrier dysfunction in IBS.

In this study,the immunological characteristics of the PhoP protein were explored with a two-component system of Mycobacterium tuberculosis(Mtb).Bioinformatics was used to predict the B and T cell epitopes of the PhoP protein.A re-combinant expression plasmid was constructed by PCR analysis of the phoP sequence and cloning into the prokaryotic expres-sion vector pET-28a(+).Competent Escherichia coli BL21 cells were transformed with the recombinant plasmid and expres-sion was induced with IPTG.The recombinant PhoP protein was purified by affinity chromatography.Serum levels of PhoP-specific antibodies in Mtb-infected mice and tuberculosis(TB)patients were analyzed with an ELISA.BALB/c mice were im-munized with the PhoP recombinant protein by intramuscular injection.Sera of mice were collected and antibody titers were detected with an ELISA and specificity was assessed by West-ern blot analysis.Mouse splenocytes were isolated and the pro-portions of IFN-y-positive cells and cytokine levels were detec-ted with an ELISpot and ELISA,respectively.Bioinformatics i-dentified 24 B cell and 11 T cell epitopes of the PhoP protein.A prokaryotic recombinant vector of PhoP was successfully con-structed and the recombinant PhoP protein was obtained by purification.Specific antibody levels to PhoP in sera of Mtb in-fected mice and TB patients increased significantly,with preci-sion of 99.9％and 82.5％,and specificity of 100％,respectively.PhoP protein immunization successfully induced production of specific antibodies in mice.Stimulated by antigens in vitro,IL-2 and IFN-γ levels were significantly increased in the splenocytes of immunized mice.Immunization with the PhoP protein induce a humoral immune response and Thl-dominated cellular immu-nity,indicating that the PhoP protein was immunogenic with diagnostic efficacy for TB.These results lay a foundation to clari-fy the role of PhoP in Mtb infection and application for diagnosis and prevention of TB.

Aim To investigate the dynamic changes of neuronal cells at different time points following acute cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury by establishing a model of brain ischemia-reperfusion injury.Methods Thirty male Sprague-Dawley(SD)rats were ran-domly divided into six groups:sham group and cere-bral ischemia-reperfusion injury(IR)groups at differ-ent time points.Focal cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury model was established using the middle cerebral artery occlusion(MCAO)technique.The Longa sco-ring method was used to assess neurobehavioral scores in rats.After successful model preparation,routine paraffin sections were made,and TUNEL staining and immunohistochemistry staining with NeuN antibody were performed to observe cell apoptosis and neuronal cell survival,respectively.Immunohistochemistry stai-ning was also performed to investigate the changes in glial fibrillary acidic protein(GFAP)as a marker for astrocytes,ionized calcium-binding adapter molecule 1(IBA-1)as a marker for microglia,and CD31 as a marker for endothelial cells at different time points.Results No significant changes were observed in neu-ronal cells of the sham group at different time points.In the cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury groups,cell apoptosis was activated at IR3h and increased in quan-tity with morphological damage as time progressed.Ne-uN+neurons showed signs of ischemic injury after IR3h,with abnormal cell morphology.From 12 h,Ne-uN+neurons decreased in a time-dependent manner and reached their peak severity at 24 h.GFAP+astro-cytes decreased significantly after IR3h,while poorly labeled GFAP+astrocytes increased at IR 6 h and al-most disappeared in the infarcted area at 24 h and 48 h.The number of IBA-1+microglia-positive cells de-creased at IR3h,and their volume increased at IR6h.Microglial cell death was observed in the infarcted area at IR12h.CD31+endothelial cells around the infarc-ted cortex and striatum increased significantly after IR3h and persisted until 48 h.Conclusions After cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury,the number of ap-optotic cells increases with the prolongation of time,and NeuN+neurons exhibit the most severe damage at 24 h.GFAP+astrocytes and microglial cells gradually die over time.The number of CD31+endothelial cells increases significantly around the infarcted cortex and striatum after 3 h of reperfusion and persists until 48 h.

This study aims to explore the effect of Xiaoxuming Decoction on synaptic plasticity in rats with acute cerebral ischemia-reperfusion. A rat model of cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury was established by middle cerebral artery occlusion(MCAO). Rats were randomly assigned into a sham group, a MCAO group, and a Xiaoxuming Decoction(60 g·kg~(-1)·d~(-1)) group. The Longa score was rated to assess the neurological function of rats with cerebral ischemia for 1.5 h and reperfusion for 24 h. The 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride(TTC) staining and hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining were employed to observe the cerebral infarction and the pathological changes of brain tissue after cerebral ischemia, respectively. Transmission electron microscopy was employed to detect the structural changes of neurons and synapses in the ischemic penumbra, and immunofluorescence, Western blot to determine the expression of synaptophysin(SYN), neuronal nuclei(NEUN), and postsynaptic density 95(PSD95) in the ischemic penumbra. The experimental results showed that the modeling increased the Longa score and led to cerebral infarction after 24 h of ischemia-reperfusion. Compared with the model group, Xiaoxuming Decoction intervention significantly decreased the Longa score and reduced the formation of cerebral infarction area. The modeling led to the shrinking and vacuolar changes of nuclei in the brain tissue, disordered cell arrangement, and severe cortical ischemia-reperfusion injury, while the pathological damage in the Xiaoxuming Decoction group was mild. The modeling blurred the synaptic boundaries and broadened the synaptic gap, while such changes were recovered in the Xiaoxuming Decoction group. The modeling decreased the fluorescence intensity of NEUN and SYN, while the intensity in Xiaoxuming Decoction group was significantly higher than that in the model group. The expression of SYN and PSD95 in the ischemic penumbra was down-regulated in the model group, while such down-regulation can be alleviated by Xiaoxuming Decoction. In summary, Xiaoxuming Decoction may improve the synaptic plasticity of ischemic penumbra during acute cerebral ischemia-reperfusion by up-regulating the expression of SYN and PSD95.
Rats ; Animals ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Brain Ischemia/drug therapy* ; Reperfusion Injury/metabolism* ; Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery ; Neuronal Plasticity ; Reperfusion

Objectives: To investigate the role of donor change in the second hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT2) for hematological relapse of malignant hematology after the first transplantation (HSCT1) . Methods: We retrospectively analyzed patients with relapsed hematological malignancies who received HSCT2 at our single center between Mar 1998 and Dec 2020. A total of 70 patients were enrolled[49 males and 21 females; median age, 31.5 (3-61) yr]. Results: Forty-nine male and 21 female patients were enrolled in the trial. At the time of HSCT2, the median age was 31.5 (3-61) years old. Thirty-one patients were diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia, 23 patients with ALL, and 16 patients with MDS or other malignant hematology disease. Thirty patients had HSCT2 with donor change, and 40 patients underwent HSCT2 without donor change. The median relapse time after HSCT1 was 245.5 (26-2 905) days. After HSCT2, 70 patients had neutrophil engraftment, and 62 (88.6%) had platelet engraftment. The cumulative incidence of platelet engraftment was (93.1±4.7) % in patients with donor change and (86.0±5.7) % in patients without donor change (P=0.636). The cumulative incidence of CMV infection in patients with and without donor change was (64.0±10.3) % and (37.0±7.8) % (P=0.053), respectively. The cumulative incidence of grade Ⅱ-Ⅳ acute graft versus host disease was (19.4±7.9) % vs (31.3±7.5) %, respectively (P=0.227). The cumulative incidence of TRM 100-day post HSCT2 was (9.2±5.1) % vs (6.7±4.6) % (P=0.648), and the cumulative incidence of chronic graft versus host disease at 1-yr post-HSCT2 was (36.7±11.4) % versus (65.6±9.1) % (P=0.031). With a median follow-up of 767 (271-4 936) days, 38 patients had complete remission (CR), and three patients had persistent disease. The CR rate was 92.7%. The cumulative incidences of overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) 2 yr after HSCT2 were 25.8% and 23.7%, respectively. The cumulative incidence of relapse, OS, and DFS was (52.6±11.6) % vs (62.4±11.3) % (P=0.423), (28.3±8.6) % vs (23.8±7.5) % (P=0.643), and (28.3±8.6) % vs (22.3±7.7) % (P=0.787), respectively, in patients with changed donor compared with patients with the original donor. Relapses within 6 months post-HSCT1 and with persistent disease before HSCT2 were risk factors for OS, DFS, and CIR. Disease status before HSCT2 and early relapse (within 6 months post-HSCT1) was an independent risk factor for OS, DFS, and CIR post-HSCT2. Conclusion: Our findings indicate that changing donors did not affect the clinical outcome of HSCT2.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Adult ; Child, Preschool ; Child ; Adolescent ; Young Adult ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Hematologic Neoplasms/therapy* ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation/adverse effects* ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/therapy* ; Recurrence ; Graft vs Host Disease/etiology* ; Chronic Disease

This study investigated the effect of Xiaoxuming Decoction(XXMD) on the activation of astrocytes after cerebral ischemia/reperfusion(I/R) injury. The model of cerebral IR injury was established using the middle cerebral artery occlusion method. Fluorocitrate(FC), an inhibitor of astrocyte activation, was applied to inhibit astrocyte activation. Rats were randomly divided into a sham group, a model group, a XXMD group, a XXMD+FC group, and a XXMD+Vehicle group. Neurobehavioral changes at 24 hours after cerebral IR injury, cerebral infarction, histopathological changes observed through HE staining, submicroscopic structure of astrocytes observed through transmission electron microscopy, fluorescence intensity of glial fibrillary acidic protein(GFAP) and thrombospondin 1(TSP1) measured through immunofluorescence, and expression of GFAP and TSP1 in brain tissue measured through Western blot were evaluated in rats from each group. The experimental results showed that neurobehavioral scores and cerebral infarct area significantly increased in the model group. The XXMD group, the XXMD+FC group, and the XXMD+Vehicle group all alleviated neurobehavioral changes in rats. The pathological changes in the brain were evident in the model group, while the XXMD group, the XXMD+FC group, and the XXMD+Vehicle group exhibited milder cerebral IR injury in rats. The submicroscopic structure of astrocytes in the model group showed significant swelling, whereas the XXMD group, the XXMD+FC group, and XXMD+Vehicle group protected the submicroscopic structure of astrocytes. The fluorescence intensity and protein expression of GFAP and TSP1 increased in the model group compared with those in the sham group. However, the XXMD group, the XXMD+FC group, and XXMD+Vehicle group all down-regulated the expression of GFAP and TSP1. The combination of XXMD and FC showed a more pronounced effect. These results indicate that XXMD can improve cerebral IR injury, possibly by inhibiting astrocyte activation and down-regulating the expression of GFAP and TSP1.
Rats ; Animals ; Astrocytes ; Brain Ischemia/metabolism* ; Brain ; Reperfusion Injury/metabolism* ; Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery

Stroke is the second leading cause of death in the world, of which about 60 % - 80 % are ischemic stroke. Ischemic stroke will inevitably cause the damage of neurons in the core area. With the increase of ischemic time, other neurons in the ischemic penumbra will also die due to the loss of " signal connection", and further lead to body dysfunction. In view of the complexity of neuronal death mechanism after ischemic stroke, understanding the action principle of death mechanism can better save ischemic penumbra neurons. This review mainly expounds several main mechanisms and potential therapeutic targets of neuronal death after ischemic stroke, so as to provide basis and help for the improvement of action mechanism research and drug development.