Th17 i IL-17 osiągają wyższe stężenia w przebiegu martwicy głowy kości udowej i są dodatnio skorelowane z nasileniem bólu

Objective: Synovitis associated with osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) is responsible for several clinical symptoms. However, the mechanisms underlying synovitis and the inflammatory environment remain unclear. This study analyzed the proinflammatory mediation expression of IL-17 and Th17, which perform key functions in regulating inflammatory processes in the inflamed synovium and peripheral blood in ONFH. Methods: Synovial fluid from the hips of 23 patients and 5 controls was collected during surgery, and peripheral blood samples were obtained from 34 patients and 9 controls. The expression of IL-17 in the synovium was detected by immunohistochemistry, and the levels of Th17 and IL-17 in the blood were measured by flow cytometry and ELISA. Pain assessment was performed for all the patients and controls. Results: An inflamed synovium was characterized by increased leukocyte infiltration and IL-17 expression in comparison with the control. Preoperative levels of Th17 and IL-17 were significantly higher in the peripheral blood of the ONFH group than those in the controls. The symptoms were also positively correlated with the Th17 levels of the ONFH patients. Conclusion: Th17 cells were recruited to an inflamed synovium, and inflammatory cytokine IL-17 was expressed at an increased level in the hip synovium of ONFH patients, which possibly contributed to clinical syndrome development. Overall, this study will help in identifying new therapeutic strategies for ONFH, especially the targeting of IL-17 to decrease inflammation and pain. Wstęp: Zapalenie błony maziowej związane z martwicą głowy kości udowej (osteonecrosis of the femoral head; ONFH) odpowiada za kilka objawów klinicznych, jednak mechanizmy leżące u podstaw zapalenia błony maziowej oraz środowisko zapalne pozostają niejasne. W niniejszym badaniu poddano analizie ekspresję mediatora zapalenia IL-17 na limfocytach Th17, które pełnią kluczową rolę w regulowaniu procesów zapalnych w objętej stanem zapalnym błonie maziowej i krwi obwodowej w przebiegu ONFH. Materiał i metody: Podczas zabiegów operacyjnych pobrano maź stawową ze stawów biodrowych 23 pacjentów i 5 osób z grupy kon­trolnej, natomiast próbki krwi obwodowej uzyskano od 34 pacjentów i 9 osób z grupy kontrolnej. Ekspresję IL-17 w błonie maziowej wykrywano za pomocą metody immunohistochemicznej, a stężenie Th17 i IL-17 we krwi mierzono metodą cytometrii przepływowej i metodą ELISA. U wszystkich pacjentów i osób z grupy kontrolnej oceniono parametr bólu. Wyniki: Cechą charakterystyczną objętej stanem zapalnym błony maziowej był wzrost nacieczenia limfocytarnego i ekspresji IL-17 w porównaniu z grupą kontrolną. Stężenie Th17 i IL-17 przed wykonaniem zabiegów operacyjnych było znacząco wyższe we krwi obwodowej pacjentów z martwicą głowy kości udowej niż grupy kontrolnej. Również objawy były u tych pacjentów dodatnio skorelowane z poziomem Th17. Wnioski: Limfocyty Th17 były rekrutowane do objętej stanem zapalnym błony maziowej, a cytokina zapalna IL-17 ulegała ekspresji na zwiększonym poziomie w błonie maziowej stawu biodrowego pacjentów z martwicą głowy kości udowej, co prawdopodobnie przyczyniło się do rozwoju zespołu objawów klinicznych. Uogólniając, niniejsze badanie może pomóc zidentyfikować nowe strategie terapeutyczne w martwicy głowy kości udowej, w szczególności ukierunkowane na IL-17 w celu zmniejszenia stanu zapalnego i bólu

Erzhi Pill® Repairs Experimental Liver Injury via TSC/mTOR Signaling Pathway Inhibiting Excessive Apoptosis

The present study aimed to investigate the mechanism of hepatoprotective effect of Erzhi Pill (EZP) on the liver injury via observing TSC/mTOR signaling pathway activation. The experimental liver injury was induced by 2-acetylaminofluorene (2-AAF) treatment combined with partial hepatectomy (PH). EZP treated 2-AAF/PH-induced liver injury by the therapeutic and prophylactic administration. After the administration of EZP, the activities of aspartic transaminase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (AKP), and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (γ-GT) were decreased, followed by the decreased levels of hepatocyte apoptosis and caspase-3 expression. However, the secretion of albumin, liver weight, and index of liver weight were elevated. Microscopic examination showed that EZP restored pathological liver injury. Meanwhile, Rheb and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) activation were suppressed, and tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) expression was elevated in liver tissues induced by 2-AAF/PHx and accompanied with lower-expression of Bax, Notch1, p70S6K, and 4E-EIF and upregulated levels of Bcl-2 and Cyclin D. Hepatoprotective effect of EZP was possibly realized via inhibiting TSC/mTOR signaling pathway to suppress excessive apoptosis of hepatocyte

The use of Rheum palmatum L. In the treatment of acute respiratory distress syndrome: a meta-analysis of randomized, controlled trials

Background: Chinese medicine theory shows that “lung being connected with large intestine”, and the modern western medicine also shows that the lung and intestinal tract affect each other in physiological and pathological conditions. If the lung ventilation dysfunction is caused by inflammatory exudate or secretions obstruction of the small airway ventilation, blood gas partial pressure is increased and intestinal gas absorption difficulty may lead to intestinal inflation and dysfunction (Wang N et al., 2011). Rheum palmatum L. can play the roles of anti-coagulation and anti-thrombosis, and improve microcirculation through lowering the endotoxin-induced permeability of microvascular tissue, reducing tissue oedema, decreasing inflammatory exudation and necrosis, and enhancing cyto-protection mechanism (Yang TZ et al., 2014). Therefore, systemic evaluation of the evidence pertaining to the usage of Rheum palmatum L. in treating acute lung injury and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) has significant clinical significance.Materials and Methods: Various Electronic Databases CBM, CNKI, VIP, Wanfang, PubMed and Cochrane Library were searched until December 2015. Numerous randomized-controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating the efficacy of Rheum palmatum L. for the treatment of acute lung injury and acute respiratory distress syndrome were collected. The quality of the included studies was evaluated and a meta-analysis was performed using the RevMan5.0 software.Results: Eight RCTs involving 489 patients were selected for this review. The results of the Meta-analysis revealed that Rheum palmatum L. therapy, combined with routine comprehensive treatment, was significantly superior to that of routine comprehensive treatment alone, in the areas of decreasing mortality, the mechanical ventilation time, the level of interleukin-6,8 and the untoward effect, and also in improving arterial blood gas (PaO2/FiO2, PaO2) (P<0.05).Conclusion: Compared with treatment with routine comprehensive alone, Rheum palmatum L. treatment combined with routine comprehensive, has been shown to effectively decrease the mortality, mechanical ventilation time and ameliorate the arterial blood gas, the cytokine levels, and the untoward effect. However, the evidence appears not to be very compelling due to the poor quality of the original studies.Keywords: Rheum palmatum L., Western medicine therapy, ALI/ARDS, Systematic Review, Meta-analysi

A Metalloprotease Homolog Venom Protein From a Parasitoid Wasp Suppresses the Toll Pathway in Host Hemocytes

Parasitoid wasps depend on a variety of maternal virulence factors to ensure successful parasitism. Encapsulation response carried out by host hemocytes is one of the major host immune responses toward limiting endoparasitoid wasp offspring production. We found that VRF1, a metalloprotease homolog venom protein identified from the endoparasitoid wasp, Microplitis mediator, could modulate egg encapsulation in its host, the cotton bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera. Here, we show that the VRF1 proenzyme is cleaved after parasitism, and that the C-terminal fragment containing the catalytic domain enters host hemocytes 6 h post-parasitism. Furthermore, using yeast two-hybrid and pull-down assays, VRF1 is shown to interact with the H. armigera NF-κB factor, Dorsal. We also show that overexpressed of VRF1 in an H. armigera cell line cleaved Dorsal in vivo. Taken together, our results have revealed a novel mechanism by which a component of endoparasitoid wasp venom interferes with the Toll signaling pathway in the host hemocytes

A Catalog of Luminous Infrared Galaxies in the IRAS Survey and the Second Data Release of the SDSS

We select the Luminous Infrared Galaxies by cross-correlating the Faint Source Catalogue (FSC) and Point Source Catalogue (PSC) of the IRAS Survey with the Second Data Release of the SDSS for studying their infrared and optical properties. The total number of our sample is 1267 for FSC and 427 for PSC by using 2$\sigma$ significance level cross-section. The "likelihood ratio" method is used to estimate the sample's reliability and for a more reliable subsample (908 for FSC and 356 for PSC) selection. Then a Catalog with both the infrared, optical and radio informations is presented and will be used in further works. Some statistical results show that the Luminous Infrared Galaxies are quite different from the Ultra-Luminous Infrared Galaxies. The AGN fractions of galaxies with different infrared luminosities and the radio to infrared correlations are consist with previous studies.Comment: 15 pages, 11 figures. Accepted by ChJAA. Reference adde

Proteomic Dissection of Cell Type-Specific H2AX-Interacting Protein Complex Associated with Hepatocellular Carcinoma

The replacement histone variant H2AX senses DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) and recruits characteristic sets of proteins at its phosphorylated (γ-H2AX) foci for concurrent DNA repair. We reasoned that the H2AX interaction network, or interactome formed in the tumor-associated DNA DSB environment such as in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells, where pre-neoplastic lesions frequently occur, is indicative of HCC pathogenic status. By using an in vivo dual-tagging quantitative proteomic method, we identified 102 H2AX-specific interacting partners in HCC cells that stably expressed FLAG-tagged H2AX at close to the endogenous level. Using bioinformatics tools for data-dependent network analysis, we further found binary relationships among these interactors in defined pathway modules, implicating H2AX in a multi-functional role of coordinating a variety of biological pathways involved in DNA damage recognition and DNA repair, apoptosis, nucleic acid metabolism, Ca2+-binding signaling, cell cycle, etc. Furthermore our observations suggest that these pathways interconnect through key pathway components or H2AX interactors. The physiological accuracy of our quantitative proteomic approach in determining H2AX-specific interactors was evaluated by both co-immunoprecipitation/ immunoblotting and confocal co-localization experiments performed on HCC cells. Due to their involvement in diverse functions, the H2AX interactors involved in different pathway modules, such as Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase1, 14-3-3ζ, coflin1, and peflin1, were examined for their relative H2AX binding affinities in paired hepatocytes and HCC cells. Treatment with the DSB-inducing agent bleomycin enhanced binding of these proteins to H2AX, suggesting an active role of H2AX in coordinating the functional pathways of each protein in DNA damage recognition and repair

THE USE OF RHEUM PALMATUM L. IN THE TREATMENT OF ACUTE RESPIRATORY DISTRESS SYNDROME: A META-ANALYSIS OF RANDOMIZED, CONTROLLED TRIALS

Background: Chinese medicine theory shows that “lung being connected with large intestine”, and the modern western medicine also shows that the lung and intestinal tract affect each other in physiological and pathological conditions. If the lung ventilation dysfunction is caused by inflammatory exudate or secretions obstruction of the small airway ventilation, blood gas partial pressure is increased and intestinal gas absorption difficulty may lead to intestinal inflation and dysfunction (Wang N et al., 2011). Rheum palmatum L. can play the roles of anti-coagulation and anti-thrombosis, and improve microcirculation through lowering the endotoxin-induced permeability of microvascular tissue, reducing tissue oedema, decreasing inflammatory exudation and necrosis, and enhancing cyto-protection mechanism (Yang TZ et al., 2014). Therefore, systemic evaluation of the evidence pertaining to the usage of Rheum palmatum L. in treating acute lung injury and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) has significant clinical significance. Materials and Methods: Various Electronic Databases CBM, CNKI, VIP, Wanfang, PubMed and Cochrane Library were searched until December 2015. Numerous randomized-controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating the efficacy of Rheum palmatum L. for the treatment of acute lung injury and acute respiratory distress syndrome were collected. The quality of the included studies was evaluated and a meta-analysis was performed using the RevMan5.0 software. Results: Eight RCTs involving 489 patients were selected for this review. The results of the Meta-analysis revealed that Rheum palmatum L. therapy, combined with routine comprehensive treatment, was significantly superior to that of routine comprehensive treatment alone, in the areas of decreasing mortality, the mechanical ventilation time, the level of interleukin-6,8 and the untoward effect, and also in improving arterial blood gas (PaO2/FiO2, PaO2) (

Synthesis of monodisperse Iron oxide nanoparticles without surfactants

Monodisperse iron oxide nanoparticles could be successfully synthesized with two kinds of precipitants through a precipitation method. As-prepared nanoparticles in the size around 10 nm with regular spherical-like shape were achieved by adjusting pH values. NaOH and NH 3 ⋅H 2 O were used as two precipitants for comparison. The average size of nanoparticles with NH 3 ⋅H 2 O precipitant got smaller and represented better dispersibility, while nanoparticles with NaOH precipitant represented better magnetic property. This work provided a simple method without using any organic solvents, organic metal salts, or surfactants which could easily obtain monodisperse nanoparticles with tunable morphology