Anti-Hepatitis B Virus Effect and Possible Mechanism of Action of 3,4-O-Dicaffeoylquinic Acid In Vitro and In Vivo

The anti-hepatitis B activity of 3,4-O-dicaffeoylquinic acid isolated from Laggera alata was studied using the D-galactosamine- (D-GalN-) induced hepatocyte damage model, HepG2.2.15 cells, and with HBV transgenic mice. In vitro results showed that 3,4-O-dicaffeoylquinic acid improved HL-7702 hepatocyte viability and markedly inhibited the production of HBsAg and HBeAg. At a concentration of 100 μg/mL, its inhibitory rates on the expression levels of HBsAg and HBeAg were 89.96% and 81.01%, respectively. The content of hepatitis B virus covalently closed circular DNA (HBV cccDNA) in HepG2.2.15 cells was significantly decreased after the cells were treated with the test compound. In addition, 3,4-O-dicaffeoylquinic acid significantly increased the expression of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) in HepG2.2.15 cells. In vivo results indicated that the test compound at concentrations of 100 μg/mL significantly inhibited HBsAg production and increased HO-1 expression in HBV transgenic mice. In conclusion, this study verifies the anti-hepatitis B activity of 3,4-O-dicaffeoylquinic acid. The upregulation of HO-1 may contribute to the anti-HBV effect of this compound by reducing the stability of the HBV core protein, which blocks the refill of nuclear HBV cccDNA. Furthermore, the hepatoprotective effect of this compound may be mediated through its antioxidative/anti-inflammatory properties and by the induction of HO-1 expression

Current Status of Standardization of Traditional Chinese Medicine in China

As an important component of traditional medicine, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is widely spread and applied in more than 100 countries across the world. The standardization of TCM is very important for the international application of Chinese medicine. In this paper, we have explained and analyzed the standardization situations of TCM in China with the purpose of providing reference for standardization and international development of TCM

Status of pediatric echocardiography clinical trials: a cross-sectional study of registered trials in ClinicalTrials.gov

BackgroundThe objective of this study is to analyze the characteristics of pediatric echocardiography clinical trials registered in ClinicalTrials.gov.MethodsA data set including pediatric echocardiography clinical trials was downloaded from ClinicalTrials.gov until May 13, 2022. We searched the PubMed, Medline, Google Scholar, and Embase databases to extract publication data. Pediatric echocardiography trial characteristics, application areas, and publication status were described. The secondary objectives were to evaluate factors associated with trial publication.ResultsWe identified 410 pediatric echocardiography reporting definite age, of which 246 were interventional and 146 were observational. Drug interventions were the most commonly studied (32.9%). The most applied area of pediatric echocardiography was congenital heart disease, followed by hemodynamics of preterm or neonatal infants, cardiomyopathy, inflammatory heart disease, pulmonary hypertension, and cardio-oncology. According to the primary completion data, 54.9% of the trials were completed before August 2020. 34.2% of the trials had been published within 24 months. Union countries and quadruple masking were more likely to be published.ConclusionEchocardiography is rapidly evolving in pediatric clinical applications, including anatomic imaging and functional imaging. Novel speckle tracking techniques have also been pivotal in the assessment of cancer therapeutics-related cardiac dysfunction. A small number of clinical trials in pediatric echocardiography are published in a timely fashion. Concerted efforts are needed to promote trial transparency

Efficacy and Safety of Everolimus for Maintenance Immunosuppression of Kidney Transplantation: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Background Conversion to everolimus is often used in kidney transplantation to overcome calcineurin inhibitor (CNI) nephrotoxicity but there is conflicting evidence for this approach. Objectives To investigate the benefits and harm from randomized clinical trials (RCTs) involving the conversion from CNI to everolimus after kidney transplantation. Methods Databases were searched up to March 2016. Two reviewers independently assessed trials for eligibility and quality, and extracted data. Results are expressed as risk ratio (RR) or mean difference (MD) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results Eleven RCTs, with a total of 1,633 patients, met the final inclusion criteria. Patients converted to everolimus had improved renal function at 1 year posttransplant with an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of 5.36 mL/min per 1.73 m2 greater than patients remaining on CNI (p = 0.0005) and the longer-term results (\u3e 1 year) of renal function was identical to that of 1 year. There was not a substantial difference in graft loss, mortality, and the occurrence of adverse events (AEs) or serious AEs. However, the risks of acute rejection and trial termination due to AEs with everolimus are respectively 1.82 and 2.63 times greater than patients staying on CNI at 1 year posttransplant (p = 0.02, p = 0.03, respectively). Further, those patients who converted to everolimus had a substantially greater risk of anemia, hyperlipidemia, hypercholesterolemia, hypokalemia, proteinuria, stomatitis, mouth ulceration, and acne. Conclusions Conversion from CNI to everolimus after kidney transplantation is associated with improved renal function in the first 5 years posttransplant but increases the risk of acute rejection at 1 year posttransplant and may not be well endured

Clonal status and clinicopathological observation of cervical minimal deviation adenocarcinoma

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Minimal deviation adenocarcinoma (MDA) of the uterine cervix is defined as an extremely well differentiated variant of cervical adenocarcinoma, with well-formed glands that resemble benign glands but show distinct nuclear anaplasia or evidence of stromal invasion. Thus, MDA is difficult to differentiate from other cervical hyperplastic lesions. Monoclonality is a major characteristic of most tumors, whereas normal tissue and reactive hyperplasia are polyclonal.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The clinicopathological features and clonality of MDA were investigated using laser microdissection and a clonality assay based on the polymorphism of androgen receptor (AR) and X-chromosomal inactivation mosaicism in female somatic tissues. </p> <p>Results</p> <p>The results demonstrated that the glands were positive for CEA, Ki-67, and p53 and negative for estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and high-risk human papilloma virus (HPV) DNA. The index of proliferation for Ki-67 was more than 50%. However, the stromal cells were positive for ER, PR, vimentin, and SM-actin. The clonal assay showed that MDA was monoclonal. Thus, our findings indicate that MDA is a true neoplasm but is not associated with high-risk HPV.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Diagnosis of MDA depends mainly on its clinical manifestations, the pathological feature that MDA glands are located deeper than the lower level of normal endocervical glands, and immunostaining.</p

Tetra­aqua­tetra­kis{μ3-3,3′-[(E,E)-ethane-1,2-diylbis(nitrilo­methyl­idyne)]benzene-1,2-diolato}octa­zinc(II) N,N-dimethyl­formamide hexa­solvate

The asymmetric unit of the title compound [Zn8(C16H12N2O4)4(H2O)4]·6C3H7NO, consists of eight ZnII cations, four tetra­valent anionic ligands, L 4− (L 4− = 3,3′-(1E,1′E)-(ethane-1,2-diylbis(azan-1-yl-1-yl­idene))bis­(methan-1-yl-1-yl­idene)dibenzene-1,2-bis­(olate), four coordinated water mol­ecules and six N,N-dimethyl­formamide solvate mol­ecules. The coordination complex comprises an octa­nuclear ZnII unit with its ZnII centers coordinated in two discrete distorted square-pyramidal geometries. Four ZnII atoms each coordinate to two nitro­gen atoms and two phenolate oxygen atoms from an individual L 4− ligand and one coordinated water mol­ecule. The other four ZnII atoms each bind to five phenolate oxygen atoms from three different L 4− ligands. In the crystal structure, the ZnII complex unit, coordinated water mol­ecules and dimethyl­formamide solvate mol­ecules are linked via O—H⋯O and C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds. Mol­ecules are connected by additional inter­molecular O—H⋯O and C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds, forming an extensive three dimensional framework

RNA-seq-based digital gene expression analysis reveals modification of host defense responses by rice stripe virus during disease symptom development in Arabidopsis

DEGs involved in protein phosphorylation at 14 dpi. (XLSX 52 kb

Analysis of small RNAs revealed differential expressions during pollen and embryo sac development in autotetraploid rice

Protein-protein interaction of meiosis-related genes with the targets predicted by the DEM associated with meiosis. Table S18. 21 nt-phasiRNAs triggered by the miR2118. Table S19. 24 nt-phasiRNAs triggered by the miR2275. Table S20. Overview of 24 nt TEs-siRNAs during pollen and embryo sac development of 02428-4x and 02428-2x. Table S21. Distribution of 24 nt TEs-siRNAs in autotetraploid and diploid rice. Table S22. Differentially expressed 24 nt TEs-siRNAs during pollen and embryo sac development of autotetraploid rice. Table S23. Anther length during pollen development stages in autotetraploid and diploid rice. Table S24. The stem–loop RT primers used in the present study. (XLSX 1012 kb