Regulation of non-classical immune parameters in immune thrombocytopenic purpura mice by a spleen-invigorating, qi-replenishing and blood-containing formula

AbstractObjectiveThis study investigated the regulatory effect of non-classical immune parameters on immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) mice by a spleen-invigorating, qi-replenishing and blood-containing formula (SQBF).MethodA total of 80 BALB/c mice were randomly divided into four equal groups (20 mice each): control group, model group, prednisone group and spleen-invigorating, qi-replenishing and blood-containing (SQBF) group. Mice in the model group, prednisone group, and SQBF group were administered anti-platelet serum to induce ITP. The dynamic variations of platelet counts in ITP mice were measured with an automatic blood analyzer before modeling and 48 h, and 8, 12 and 15 days following APS injection. Levels of β-endorphin (β-EP), vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) and salivary IgA (SIgA) were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) on 15th day of experiment.ResultsSQBF enhanced peripheral blood platelet counts in ITP mice similar to that of prednisone, and both groups showed a statistically significant response compared with the model group (P < .01). The SQBF significantly decreased β-EP levels compared with the model and prednisone intervention groups (P < .05), significantly increased the levels of VIP and SIgA in ITP mice compared with the model group (P < .05) and had significant protective effects on the thymus of ITP mice compared with the model group (P < .01).ConclusionsThe SQBF had a similar effect to prednisone with regards to enhancing peripheral blood platelet counts in ITP mice. Furthermore, it decreased β-EP levels and increased VIP and SIgA, and protected the thymus. This shows that, on base of the brain-gut axis functions, some non-classical immune vascular active factors or neurotransmitters are also involved in immune responses, and also have relationship with the onset of ITP and bleeding and/or hemostasis. It needs further study to determine whether a change in these active factors is related to immediate hemostasis

Prospektywne, trwające 6 miesięcy badanie poświęcone ocenie skuteczności i bezpieczeństwa stosowania walproinianu o przedłużonym uwalnianiu oraz jakości życia chorych na padaczkę stosujących ten lek

Celem tego prospektywnego, wieloośrodkowego badania, przeprowadzonego metodą otwartej próby, była ocena skuteczności i bezpieczeństwa stosowania walproinianu o przedłużonym uwalnianiu(ER, extender-release) oraz jego wpływu na jakość życia u chorych na padaczkę. Do badania włączono osoby z potwierdzonym rozpoznaniem padaczki. Uczestnikom przez 6 miesięcy podawano walproinian ER jako pierwszy lek w monoterapii lub w połączeniu z dotychczas stosowanym lekiem. Ocenę skuteczności i bezpieczeństwa leczenia przeprowadzono po 1 (V1), 3 (V3) i 6 miesiącach (V6) od rozpoczęcia badania. Do oceny jakości życia przed terapią i po 6 miesiącach leczenia użyto kwestionariusza QOLIE-31. W analizie uwzględniono 958 chorych na padaczkę. Wyjściowa częstość napadów padaczkowych wynosiła 8,56 na miesiąc. Średnia dawka podtrzymująca walproinianu ER wynosiła 750 mg na dobę. Liczba napadów padaczkowych w miesiącu, oszacowana podczas ostatniej wizyty, zmniejszyła się o 88,3% w stosunku do wartości wyjściowych. Nastąpiła poprawa jakości życia w zakresie następujących kategorii: &#8222;obawa przed napadami&#8221; (p = 0,000), &#8222;ogólna jakość życia&#8221; (p = 0,000), &#8222;funkcjonowanie społeczne&#8221; (p < 0,01) i &#8222;pytanie 31.&#8221; (ocena ogólnego stanu zdrowia) (p = 0,000). Odnotowano pogorszenie w zakresie aktywności życiowej (p = 0,000). We wczesnej fazie leczenia najczęstszymi działaniami niepożądanymi były suchość w jamie ustnej, zawroty głowy i jadłowstręt. Po 6 miesiącach pacjenci najczęściej skarżyli się na zwiększenie masy ciała, łysienie plackowate i drżenie. Wyniki badania dowodzą, że stosowanie walproinianu ER w monoterapii lub w terapii skojarzonej przez 6 miesięcy wiąże się z istotnie większym procentowym ograniczeniem częstości wszystkich rodzajów napadów w stosunku do wartości wyjściowych i z istotnie większym odsetkiem odpowiedzi na leczenie oraz odsetkiem chorych bez napadów. Ponadto terapia była dobrze tolerowana przez chorych i powodowała poprawę jakości życia. Polski Przegląd Neurologiczny 2010; 6 (4): 212&#8211;21

Global publication trends and research trends of necroptosis application in tumor: A bibliometric analysis

Introduction: Necroptosis is an alternative, caspase-independent programmed cell death that appears when apoptosis is inhibited. A gowing number of studies have reflected the link between necroptosis and tumors. However, only some systematical bibliometric analyses were focused on this field. In this study, we aimed to identify and visualize the cooperation between countries, institutions, authors, and journals through a bibliometric analysis to help understand the hotspot trends and emerging topics regarding necroptosis and cancer research.Methods: The articles and reviews on necroptosis and cancer were obtained from the Web of Science Core Collection on 16 September 2022. Countries, institutions, authors, references, and keywords in this field were visually analyzed by CtieSpace 5.8.R3, VOSviewer 1.6.18, and R package “bibliometrix.”Results: From 2006 to 2022, 2,216 qualified original articles and reviews on necroptosis in tumors were published in 685 academic journals by 13,009 authors in 789 institutions from 75 countries/regions. Publications focusing on necroptosis and cancer have increased violently in the past 16 years, while the citation number peaked around 2008–2011. Most publications were from China, while the United States maintained the dominant position as a “knowledge bridge” in necroptosis and cancer research; meanwhile, Ghent University and the Chinese Academy of Sciences were the most productive institutions. Moreover, only a tiny portion of the articles were multiple-country publications. Peter Vandenabeele had the most significant publications, while Alexei Degterev was most often co-cited. Peter Vandenabeele also gets the highest h-index and g-index in this research field. Cell Death and Disease was the journal with the most publications on necroptosis and cancer, which was confirmed to be the top core source by Bradford’s Law. At the same time, Cell was the leading co-cited journal, and the focus area of these papers was molecular, biology, and immunology. High-frequency keywords mainly contained those that are molecularly related (MLKL, NF-kB, TNF, RIPK3, RIPK1), pathological process related (necroptosis, apoptosis, cell-death, necrosis, autophagy), and mechanism related (activation, expression, mechanisms, and inhibition).Conclusion: This study comprehensively overviews necroptosis and cancer research using bibliometric and visual methods. Research related to necroptosis and cancer is flourishing. Cooperation and communication between countries and institutions must be further strengthened. The information in our paper would provide valuable references for scholars focusing on necroptosis and cancer

Association between serum keptin concentrations and insulin resistance: A population-based study from China

BACKGROUND Insulin resistance contributes to the cardio-metabolic risk. The effect of leptin in obese and overweight population on insulin resistance was seldom reported. METHODS A total of 1234 subjects (572 men and 662 women) aged ≥18 y was sampled by the procedure. Adiposity measures included BMI, waist circumference, hip circumference, WHR, upper arm circumference, triceps skinfold and body fat percentage. Serum leptin concentrations were measured by an ELISA method. The homeostasis model (HOMA-IR) was applied to estimate insulin resistance. RESULTS In men, BMI was the variable which was most strongly correlated with leptin, whereas triceps skinfold was most sensitive for women. More importantly, serum leptin levels among insulin resistant subjects were almost double compared to the subjects who had normal insulin sensitivity at the same level of adiposity in both men and women, after controlling for potential confounders. In addition, HOMA-IR increased significantly across leptin quintiles after adjustment for age, BMI, total energy intake, physical activity and smoking status in both men and women (p for trend <0.0001). CONCLUSIONS There was a significant association between HOMA-IR and serum leptin concentrations in Chinese men and women, independently of adiposity levels. This may suggest that serum leptin concentration is an important predictor of insulin resistance and other metabolic risks irrespective of obesity levels. Furthermore, leptin levels may be used to identify the cardio-metabolic risk in obese and overweight population.Hui Zuo, Zumin Shi, Baojun Yuan, Yue Dai, Gaolin Wu, Akhtar Hussai

Dihydroartemisinin Enhances Apo2L/TRAIL-Mediated Apoptosis in Pancreatic Cancer Cells via ROS-Mediated Up-Regulation of Death Receptor 5

BACKGROUND: Dihydroartemisinin (DHA), a semi-synthetic derivative of artemisinin, has recently shown antitumor activity in various cancer cells. Apo2 ligand or tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (Apo2L/TRAIL) is regarded as a promising anticancer agent, but chemoresistance affects its efficacy as a treatment strategy. Apoptosis induced by the combination of DHA and Apo2L/TRAIL has not been well documented, and the mechanisms involved remain unclear. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Here, we report that DHA enhances the efficacy of Apo2L/TRAIL for the treatment of pancreatic cancer. We found that combined therapy using DHA and Apo2L/TRAIL significantly enhanced apoptosis in BxPC-3 and PANC-1 cells compared with single-agent treatment in vitro. The effect of DHA was mediated through the generation of reactive oxygen species, the induction of death receptor 5 (DR5) and the modulation of apoptosis-related proteins. However, N-acetyl cysteine significantly reduced the enhanced apoptosis observed with the combination of DHA and Apo2L/TRAIL. In addition, knockdown of DR5 by small interfering RNA also significantly reduced the amount of apoptosis induced by DHA and Apo2L/TRAIL. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: These results suggest that DHA enhances Apo2L/TRAIL-mediated apoptosis in human pancreatic cancer cells through reactive oxygen species-mediated up-regulation of DR5