Comparison Study of HPLC Profiles and Antioxidant Activities of Traditional Chinese Herb Abri Cantoniensis and Abri Mollis

Abri cantoniensis (AC) is regarded as a potent folk medicine for jaundice, hepatitis for long history worldwide. Abri Mollis (AM) is an alternative species of AC. In the present study, the high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) profile and antioxidant activities of these two species were compared. With the established HPLC fingerprint, 20 batches of AC and AM were efficiently distinguished. The antioxidant activities against DPPH radical of 20 batches of AC and AM were compared, and AC showed generally stronger antioxidant activities than AM, with IC50 value ranging from 14.19 to 65.06 μg/mL. Extract of AC was further separated into 4 fractions by serial extraction. Only ethyl acetate fraction (EF) and n-butanol fraction (BF) showed strong DPPH radical scavenging activities, with IC50 value of 48.32±4.70 and 62.72±3.03 μg/mL, respectively. These two fractions also showed potent cellular antioxidant

Gut mycobiome dysbiosis contributes to the development of hypertension and its response to immunoglobulin light chains

ObjectivesHuman gut microbiome has gained great attention for its proposed roles in the development of hypertension. The fungal microbiome in the human gut (i.e. the mycobiome) is beginning to gain recognition as a fundamental part of our microbiome. However, the existing knowledge of human mycobiome has never revealed the association between gut mycobiome and hypertension. It is known that inflammation and immunity contribute to human hypertension. Here, we sought to investigate whether gut mycobiome could predict the development of hypertension and its association with immunoglobulin light chains.Methods and materialsParticipants were classified into three cohorts: prehypertension (pre-HTN), hypertension (HTN), and normal-tension (NT) based on their blood pressure. Fresh samples were collected, and the ITS transcribed spacer ribosomal RNA gene sequence was performed. An immunoturbidimetric test was used to examine the serum levels of immunological light chains.ResultsSubjects in both of the states of pre-HTN and HTN had different fungal microbiome community compared to the NT group (FDR<0.05). Slightly higher levels of fungal richness and diversity were observed in the groups of pre-HTN and HTN. The relative abundance of Malassezia increased in the HTN group compared to that in the NT group, and the relative abundance of Mortierella enriched in the NT group. For the pre-HTN group, the relative abundance of Malassezia was positively associated with serum the concentration of light chain (LC) κ (r=0.510, P=0.044); for the HTN group, the relative abundance of Mortierella was positively associated with the serum concentration of LC κ (P<0.05), the relative abundance of Malassezia was positively associated with both the serum concentrations of LC κ and LC λ (r>0.30, P<0.05).ConclusionsOur present study demonstrated that gut fungal dysbiosis occurred in the state of prehypertension, and fungal dysbiosis can predict the dysregulation of serum light chains in hypertension patients. Further study on modulating gut fungal community should be focused on balancing the immunological features in hypertension

p97/VCP is highly expressed in the stem-like cells of breast cancer and controls cancer stemness partly through the unfolded protein response

p97/VCP, an evolutionarily concerned ATPase, partakes in multiple cellular proteostatic processes, including the endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-associated protein degradation (ERAD). Elevated expression of p97 is common in many cancers and is often associated with poor survival. Here we report that the levels of p97 positively correlated with the histological grade, tumor size, and lymph node metastasis in breast cancers. We further examined p97 expression in the stem-like cancer cells or cancer stem cells (CSCs), a cell population that purportedly underscores cancer initiation, therapeutic resistance, and recurrence. We found that p97 was consistently at a higher level in the CD4

CDCA2 Inhibits Apoptosis and Promotes Cell Proliferation in Prostate Cancer and Is Directly Regulated by HIF-1α Pathway.

Prostate cancer (PCa) is a major serious malignant tumor and is commonly diagnosed in older men. Identification of novel cancer-related genes in PCa is important for understanding its tumorigenesis mechanism and developing new therapies against PCa. Here, we used RNA sequencing to identify the specific genes, which are upregulated in PCa cell lines and tissues. The cell division cycle associated protein (CDCA) family, which plays a critical role in cell division and proliferation, is upregulated in the PCa cell lines of our RNA-Sequencing data. Moreover, we found that CDCA2 is overexpressed, and its protein level positively correlates with its histological grade, clinical stage, and Gleason Score. CDCA2 was further found to be upregulated and correlated with poor prognosis and patient survival in multiple cancer types in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset. The functional study suggests that inhibition of CDCA2 will lead to apoptosis and lower proliferation in vitro. Silencing of CDCA2 also repressed tumor growth in vivo. Loss of CDCA2 affects several oncogenic pathways, including MAPK signaling. In addition, we further demonstrated that CDCA2 was induced in hypoxia and directly regulated by the HIF-1α/Smad3 complex. Thus, our data indicate that CDCA2 could act as an oncogene and is regulated by hypoxia and the HIF-1αpathway. CDCA2 may be a useful prognostic biomarker and potential therapeutic target for PCa

Brain Activities Responding to Acupuncture at ST36 (zusanli) in Healthy Subjects: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Task-Based fMRI Studies

PurposeStomach 36 (ST36, zusanli) is one of the important acupoints in acupuncture. Despite clinical functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies of ST36 acupuncture, the brain activities and the neural mechanism following acupuncture at ST36 remain unclear.MethodsLiterature searches were conducted on online databases, including MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang database, WeiPu database, and China Biology Medicine, for task-based fMRI studies of acupuncture at ST36 in healthy subjects. Brain regions activated by ST36 acupuncture were systematically evaluated and subjected to seed-based d mapping meta-analysis. Subgroup analysis was conducted on control procedures, manual acupuncture, electrical acupuncture (EA), and acupuncture-specific activations. Meta-regression analysis was performed to explore the effects of needle retention time on brain activities following ST36 acupuncture stimulation. The activated brain regions were further decoded and mapped on large-scale functional networks to further decipher the clinical relevance of acupuncturing at ST36.ResultsA total of sixteen studies, involving a total of 401 right-handed healthy participants, that satisfied the inclusion criteria were included in the present meta-analysis. Meta-analysis showed that acupuncturing on ST36 positively activates the opercular part of the right inferior frontal gyrus (IFG.R), left superior temporal gyrus (STG.L), and right median cingulate/paracingulate gyri (MCG.R) regions. Needle retention time in an acupuncture session positively correlates with the activation of the left olfactory cortex, as shown in meta-regression analysis. Subgroup analysis revealed that EA stimulation may be a source of heterogeneity in the pooled results. Functional network mappings showed that the activated areas were mapped to the auditory network and salience network. Further functional decoding analysis showed that acupuncture on ST36 was associated with pain, secondary somatosensory, sound and language processing, and mood regulation.ConclusionAcupuncture at ST36 in healthy individuals positively activates the opercular part of IFG.R, STG.L, and MCG.R. The left olfactory cortex may exhibit positive needle retention time-dependent activities. Our findings may have clinical implications for acupuncture in analgesia, language processing, and mood disorders.Systematic Review Registrationhttps://inplasy.com/inplasy-2021-12-0035

The role of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 in early-onset post-stroke depression

BackgroundThe immune-inflammatory response has been widely considered to be involved in the pathogenesis of post-stroke depression (PSD), but there is ambiguity about the mechanism underlying such association.MethodsAccording to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th edition), depressive symptoms were assessed at 2 weeks after stroke onset. 15 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in genes of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO, including IDO1 and IDO2) and its inducers (including pro-inflammatory cytokines interferon [IFN]-γ, tumor necrosis factor [TNF]-α, interleukin [IL]-1β, IL-2 and IL-6) were genotyped using SNPscan™ technology, and serum IDO1 levels were detected by double-antibody sandwich enzyme-linked immune-sorbent assay.ResultsFifty-nine patients (31.72%) were diagnosed with depression at 2 weeks after stroke onset (early-onset PSD). The IDO1 rs9657182 T/T genotype was independently associated with early-onset PSD (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 3.008, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.157-7.822, p = 0.024) and the frequency of rs9657182 T allele was significantly higher in patients with PSD than that in patients with non-PSD (χ2 = 4.355, p = 0.037), but these results did not reach the Bonferroni significance threshold (p > 0.003). Serum IDO1 levels were also independently linked to early-onset PSD (adjusted OR = 1.071, 95% CI 1.002-1.145, p = 0.044) and patients with PSD had higher serum IDO1 levels than patients with non-PSD in the presence of the rs9657182 T allele but not homozygous C allele (t = -2.046, p = 0.043). Stroke patients with the TNF-α rs361525 G/G genotype had higher serum IDO1 levels compared to those with the G/A genotype (Z = -2.451, p = 0.014).ConclusionsOur findings provided evidence that IDO1 gene polymorphisms and protein levels were involved in the development of early-onset PSD and TNF-α polymorphism was associated with IDO1 levels, supporting that IDO1 which underlie strongly regulation by cytokines may be a specific pathway for the involvement of immune-inflammatory mechanism in the pathophysiology of PSD

Associations of vitamin D-related single nucleotide polymorphisms with post-stroke depression among ischemic stroke population

ObjectiveTo investigate the relationship between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) related to vitamin D (VitD) metabolism and post-stroke depression (PSD) in patients with ischemic stroke.MethodsA total of 210 patients with ischemic stroke were enrolled at the Department of Neurology in Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, from July 2019 to August 2021. SNPs in the VitD metabolic pathway (VDR, CYP2R1, CYP24A1, and CYP27B1) were genotyped using the SNPscan™ multiplex SNP typing kit. Demographic and clinical data were collected using a standardized questionnaire. Multiple genetic models including dominant, recessive, and over-dominant models were utilized to analyze the associations between SNPs and PSD.ResultsIn the dominant, recessive, and over-dominant models, no significant association was observed between the selected SNPs in the CYP24A1 and CYP2R1 genes and PSD. However, univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that the CYP27B1 rs10877012 G/G genotype was associated with a decreased risk of PSD (OR: 0.41, 95% CI: 0.18–0.92, p = 0.030 and OR: 0.42, 95% CI: 0.18–0.98, p = 0.040, respectively). Furthermore, haplotype association analysis indicated that rs11568820-rs1544410-rs2228570-rs7975232-rs731236 CCGAA haplotype in the VDR gene was associated with a reduced risk of PSD (OR: 0.14, 95% CI: 0.03–0.65, p = 0.010), whereas no significant association was observed between haplotypes in the CYP2R1 and CYP24A1 genes and PSD.ConclusionOur findings suggest that the polymorphisms of VitD metabolic pathway genes VDR and CYP27B1 may be associated with PSD in patients with ischemic stroke

Social exclusion of rural-urban migrants in transitional China

Thesis by publication.Thesis (PhD)--Macquarie University, Faculty of Business and Economics, Dept. of Marketing and Management, 2011.Includes bibliographical references.Introduction -- Article 1: The continuity and changes of the hukou system since the 1990s: a critical review -- Article 2: Hukou status and social exclusion of rural-urban migrants in transitional China -- Article 3: Dynamic changes of labour market and employment opportunities of migrant workers in transitional China: evidence from three metropolises -- Ariticle 4: Welfare program participation of rural migrants in contemporary China: a social exclusion perspective -- Article 5: Boundaries, exclusion and identity construction: experiences of rural migrants in urban China -- Article 6: Stay or return? Settlement intention and exclusion mechanism of rural migrants in the metropolises of China -- Conclusion.Most previous studies of China's transitional period have focused on the state's continuing role in restructuring the social classes, and how the former elite classes in state socialist China maintain their privileged position during the market transition. This study emphasizes the increasing importance of market forces in initiating and stabilizing social inequality, and the way that the market force affects institutional reforms in transitional China. -- Rural-urban migrants in China are the subject of this research project. One of the most important groups of contributors to China's recent three decades of economic growth, they are confronted with multi-dimensional social exclusion in urban society. Using both qualitative and quantitative data, the project examines five aspects of rural-urban migrants' social exclusion: the household registration system (hukou), employment opportunities, welfare entitlements, identity and settlement. The aspects of employment, welfare, identity and settlement have been highly associated with the hukou system. The project examines how those four aspects are detaching from the hukou system, thus demonstrating the increasing importance of market forces in the social exclusion of rural-urban migrants during this transitional period. -- This study presents two major findings. First, the trends of decentralization and marketization are important forces reforming the hukou and welfare systems. As local governments are more market- and economy-driven, the implementation of public policy centres on local economic interests. This is the major reason for the institutional exclusion of rural-urban migrants from welfare system. Second, market forces play an increasingly important role in resource redistribution, which was formerly the responsibility of government. These findings call for increasing reform to centralised public policy, with the state to take major responsibility in coordinating and enforcing a united labour market and social welfare system.Mode of access: World Wide Web.xvii, 309 p. ill. (some col.