An ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography method with electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry for simultaneous quantification of five phytohormones in medicinal plant Glycyrrhiza uralensis under abscisic acid stress

Journal of Natural Medicines - An efficient simplified method was developed to determine multiple classes of phytohormones simultaneously in the medicinal plant Glycyrrhiza uralensis....     

Association of chronic rhinosinusitis with bronchial asthma and its severity: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

Background:To explore the association of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) with bronchial asthma (BA) as well as its severity.Methods:A comprehensive database search will be performed from PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of science for related literatures. Heterogeneity test will be used to assess each outcome indicator. If heterogeneity statistics I² ≥ 50%, the random effects model will be applied; if I² < 50%, the fixed effects model will be performed. Sensitivity analysis will be performed in all models. STATA 15.0 software (Stata Corporation, College Station, TX) will be used for statistical analysis. Risk ratio (RR) will be used as the effect size for enumeration data. P < .05 is considered statistically significant.Conclusion:This study will evaluate the association of CRS with the prevalence of BA as well as its severity.OSF registration number:10.17605/OSF.IO/GCTM9.     

Music intervention on physiological and psychological responses of patients with cancer: A protocol for meta-analysis

Background:Cancer is a life-threatening condition and also one of the biggest challenges facing human health and the medical community. This meta-analysis was to investigate the effects of music intervention on physiological and psychological responses of patients with cancer.Methods and analysis:The following electronic databases will be searched from inception to December 2020: PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure Database, Chinese Science and the Wanfang Database. We only included music intervention vs placebo in cancer patients and pooled results were summarized by STATA 12.0 software. Two investigators independently selected the studies according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, extracted the data, and assessed the quality of the selected studies. The existence of statistical heterogeneity would be evaluated by Chi² test and its extension by the I² test (I² > 50% indicates high heterogeneity among studies). Publication bias was ruled out by funnel plot and statistically assessed by Begg test (P > .05 as no publication bias).Results:The study results will be published in relevant peer-reviewed journals and key findings will be presented at international scientific meetings.Conclusion:Our study aims to systematically assess the effects of music intervention in cancer patients, which will be provide clinical guidance for cancer patients.     

Three-dimensional honeycomb-like porous carbon derived from corncob for the removal of heavy metals from water by capacitive deionization

In this study, porous carbon (3DHPC) with a 3D honeycomb-like structure was synthesized from waste biomass corncob via hydrothermal carbonization coupled with KOH activation and investigated as a capacitive deionization (CDI) electrode material. The obtained 3DHPC possesses a hierarchal macroporous and mesoporous structure, and a large accessible specific surface area (952 m² g⁻¹). Electrochemical tests showed that the 3DHPC electrode exhibited a specific capacitance of 452 F g⁻¹ and good electric conductivity. Moreover, the feasibility of electrosorptive removal of chromium(vi) from an aqueous solution using the 3DHPC electrode was demonstrated. When 1.0 V was applied to a solution containing 30 mg L⁻¹ chromium(vi), the 3DHPC electrode exhibited a higher removal efficiency of 91.58% compared with that in the open circuit condition. This enhanced adsorption results from the improved affinity between chromium(vi) and the electrode under electrochemical assistance involving a non-faradic process. Consequently, the 3DHPC electrode with typical double-layer capacitor behavior is demonstrated to be a favorable electrode material for capacitive deionization.

A porous carbon electrode with a 3D honeycomb-like structure demonstrates a high removal efficiency for the removal of chromium(vi) from water.     

Real-time elastography evaluation of differential penetrating liver trauma in a rabbit model

Background

Real-time ultrasound elastography (RTE) is used to examine liver fibrosis and benign and malignant lesions, but its use for the diagnosis of liver trauma has not been examined. The purpose of this study was to examine the use of RTE for the evaluation of differential penetrating liver trauma in a rabbit model.

Activation of M 3 cholinoceptors attenuates vascular injury after ischaemia/reperfusion by inhibiting the Ca 2+/calmodulin‐dependent protein kinase II pathway

Background and Purpose

The activation of M ₃ cholinoceptors (M ₃ receptors) by choline reduces cardiovascular risk, but it is unclear whether these receptors can regulate ischaemia/reperfusion (I/R)‐induced vascular injury. Thus, the primary goal of the present study was to explore the effects of choline on the function of mesenteric arteries following I/R, with a major focus on Ca²⁺/calmodulin‐dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) regulation.

Experimental Approach

Rats were given choline (10 mg·kg⁻¹, i.v.) and then the superior mesenteric artery was occluded for 60 min (ischaemia), followed by 90 min of reperfusion. The M ₃ receptor antagonist, 4‐diphenylacetoxy‐N‐methylpiperidine methiodide (4‐DAMP), was injected (0.12 μg·kg⁻¹, i.v.) 5 min prior to choline treatment. Vascular function was examined in rings of mesenteric arteries isolated after the reperfusion procedure. Vascular superoxide anion production, CaMKII and the levels of Ca²⁺‐cycling proteins were also assessed.

Key Results

Choline treatment attenuated I/R‐induced vascular dysfunction, blocked elevations in the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and decreased the up‐regulated expression of oxidised CaMKII and phosphorylated CaMKII. In addition, choline reversed the abnormal expression of Ca²⁺‐cycling proteins, including Na⁺/Ca²⁺ exchanger, inositol 1,4,5‐trisphosphate receptor, sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca²⁺‐ATPase and phospholamban. All of these cholinergic effects of choline were abolished by 4‐DAMP.

Conclusions and Implications

Our data suggest that inhibition of the ROS‐mediated CaMKII pathway and modulation of Ca²⁺‐cycling proteins may be novel mechanisms underlying choline‐induced vascular protection. These results represent a significant addition to the understanding of the pharmacological roles of M ₃ receptors in the vasculature, providing a new therapeutic strategy for I/R‐induced vascular injury.

Linked Articles

This article is part of a themed section on Chinese Innovation in Cardiovascular Drug Discovery. To view the other articles in this section visit http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bph.2015.172.issue-23

Abbreviations

4‐DAMP

4‐diphenylacetoxy‐N‐methylpiperidine methiodide

CaMKII

Ca²⁺/calmodulin‐dependent protein kinase II

DHE

dihydroethidium

I/R

ischaemia/reperfusion

IP₃R

inositol 1,4,5‐trisphosphate receptor

NAC

N‐acetyl‐L‐cysteine

NCX

Na⁺/Ca²⁺ exchanger

PLB

phospholamban

ROS

reactive oxygen species

SERCA

sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca²⁺‐ATPase

SNP

sodium nitroprusside

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Paclitaxel-induced stress granules increase LINE-1 mRNA stability to promote drug resistance in breast cancer cells

Abnormal expression of long interspersed element-1 (LINE-1) has been implicated in drug resistance, while our previous study showed that chemotherapy drug paclitaxel (PTX) increased LINE-1 level with unknown mechanism. Bioinformatics analysis suggested the regulation of LINE-1 mRNA by drug-induced stress granules (SGs). This study aimed to explore whether and how SGs are involved in drug-induced LINE-1 increase and thereby promotes drug resistance of triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells. We demonstrated that SGs increased LINE-1 expression by recruiting and stabilizing LINE-1 mRNA under drug stress, thereby adapting TNBC cells to chemotherapy drugs. Moreover, LINE-1 inhibitor efavirenz (EFV) could inhibit drug-induced SG to destabilize LINE-1. Our study provides the first evidence of the regulation of LINE-1 by SGs that could be an important survival mechanism for cancer cells exposed to chemotherapy drugs. The findings provide a useful clue for developing new chemotherapeutic strategies against TNBCs.     

Higher Dosage of HIFU Treatment May Lead to Higher and Longer Efficacy for Moderate to Severe Perennial Allergic Rhinitis

Objectives: This study was to compare the efficacies and side effects of high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) treatment for perennial allergic rhinitis (PAR) with regular and increased dosage.Study design: A prospectively assembled cohort was retrospectively analyzed through visual analogue scale (VAS).Methods: Regular dosage of HIFU treatment was applied to 56 PAR patients in group A. An increased dosage as twice as the regular one was applied to 48 patients in group B. Nasal obstruction, sneezing, rhinorrhea and rhinocnesmus, which were recognized as the four main symptoms of allergic rhinitis (AR), were evaluated before treatment, 3 months after treatment, and 1 year after treatment. The satisfaction of patients was also evaluated at 1 year postoperatively. Biopsy of the inferior turbinate and morphometric analysis were applied to 11 patients in group A and 10 in group B before HIFU treatment and 3 months after treatment.Results: Comparing the AR symptoms before treatment, There is no statistical difference observed between group A and B (p>0.05). The four main symptoms at 3 months and 1 year after treatment were all significantly improved (p<0.01) in both group A and B. The VAS scores of AR symptoms in Group B were lower than those in Group A at the same stage after treatment, especially at 1 year after treatment (p<0.05). Comparing the results at 3 months and 1 year after treatment, a tendency of recurrence of these symptoms was observed statistically in group A (p<0.05), but not in group B (p>0.05). More cases of nasal dryness and perirhinal swelling were found in group B than those in group A (p<0.05), while all side effects were mild and temporary. Patients in group B were more satisfied than those in group A (p=0.0866 >0.05), though not statistically significant. More reduction of the eosinophils, other inflammatory cells, and the submucosal glands was observed after HIFU treatment in group B than that in group A (p<0.05).Conclusions: A proper increment of HIFU dosage may be recommended to meet the needs of more improvement of AR symptoms and less recurrence.