Alteration of cell cycle regulators correlates with survival in epithelial ovarian cancer patients

The p16-cyclinD1/CDK4-pRb pathway (RB pathway) and p14ARF-MDM2-p53 pathway (p53 pathway) work at the G1-S checkpoint, and the ATM-chk2-CDC25-cyclinB1/cdk1 pathway works at the G2-M checkpoint. The disruption of these pathways is thought to be related to the prognosis of human cancer. In this study, we analyzed the status of these pathways in 107 epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) patients by immunohistochemistry and evaluated the relationship of these results with chemotherapy response and the prognosis. Altered RB, p53, and G2 pathways were detected in 50.5% (54/107), 51.4% (55/107), and 33.6% (36/107) of cases, respectively. The overall survival (OS) of 77.3% for patients with a normal RB pathway was significantly higher than the OS of 50.0% for patients with an altered RB pathway (by Kaplan-Meier analysis, P = 0.0021). The OS of 66.2% for patients with a normal G2 pathway was significantly higher than the OS of 58.3% for patients with an altered G2 pathway (P = 0.0416). However, the status of the p53 pathway was not related to OS. By univariate and multivariate analyses, advanced stage, high histological grade, altered RB pathway, and altered G2 pathway were significant predictors of poor OS. However, there was no significant relationship between pathway status and chemotherapy response. The status of the RB pathway and of the G2 pathway were independent prognostic factors of EOC.     

A possible paracellular route for the resolution of hydrocephalic edema

Summary Considering the possibility of a paracellular route for edema resolution we studied the microvasculature of the subependymal and subcortical white matter in hydrocephalic rats. Normal adult rats were used as controls. After injection of kaolin suspension into the cisterna magna, the animals were killed at intervals of 1, 2, 4, and 8 weeks. In hydrocephalic rats at 1 week after kaolin injection, widening of the interendothelical cleft between the tight junction (dehiscence) was seen in 27 of 76 (35%) vessels. At 2 weeks after kaolin injection, the number of the dehiscences had increased (39/7:56%) and some were enlarged, forming interendothelial blisters. At 4 weeks in hydrocephalic rats, both dehiscences and blisters were still prominent (45/7363%) and at 8 weeks the dehiscences were still prominent, but the number of the blisters had decreased (25/8131%). The blisters and dehiscences were most pronounced in the corpus callosum and occipital regions. Following i.v. injection of horseradish peroxidase, the interendothelial dehiscences and blisters were completely devoid of the marker substance. These findings indicate that in obstructive hydrocephalus the tight junctions may constitute part of a paracellular pathway for the resorption of interstitial edema fluid.     

芍药汤及其加减方治疗溃疡性结肠炎的研究进展

芍药汤由黄连、黄芩、大黄、白芍、当归、木香、槟榔、肉桂,甘草构成。因其具有清热利湿、调气活血功效,后世医家皆推此方为治疗湿热泄痢之主方。现代临床应用中,除芍药汤原方,其加减方亦用于溃疡性结肠炎治疗,并可与其他方剂（痛泄要方、白头翁汤、参苓白术散等）、西药（美沙拉嗪、柳氮磺吡啶、英夫利昔单抗等）、中医针刺或艾灸等特色疗法联用。临床疗效结果显示芍药汤及其加减方能明显降低梅奥内镜（Mayo）评分、结肠黏膜病变（Baron）评分、中医证候积分等疾病评分,改善患者肠道症状效果显著且不良反应少。实验药理学研究显示芍药汤可通过抑制肿瘤坏死因子-α(TNF-α)、核转录因子-κB(NF-κB)、白细胞介素-1β(IL-1β)等促炎因子表达,上调白细胞介素-10(IL-10)等抑炎因子来减轻炎症反应;可通过调节炎症信号通路,阻断连环反应,减少细胞凋亡;可通过调节免疫轴平衡、调节免疫蛋白修复异常免疫屏障;可调节肠道菌群平衡、促进肠上皮细胞再生、改善黏膜通透性,从而恢复肠道内环境平衡以达到治疗溃疡性结肠炎的效果;其药物单体黄芩苷、芍药苷、黄连素等可起到抗炎、抗菌、调节代谢等作用。该文就芍药汤治疗溃疡性结肠炎...     

枳实-白术调节PINK1/Parkin信号通路介导的线粒体自噬改善慢传输型便秘大鼠结肠动力障碍

目的：基于线粒体自噬及磷酸酶及张力蛋白同源物诱导的蛋白激酶1(PINK1)/帕金蛋白(Parkin)通路观察枳实、白术及其配伍对慢传输型便秘大鼠结肠动力障碍的改善作用,为临床精准用药提供理论参考。方法：将56只雄性SD大鼠按体质量随机分成正常组、模型组、自然恢复组、枳实组、白术组、枳实-白术组和莫沙必利组,每组各8只。除正常组外,采用洛哌丁胺连续14 d灌胃(3 mg·kg^-1·d^-1)构建慢传输型便秘大鼠模型。造模成功后,除模型组继续洛哌丁胺诱导外,正常组和自然恢复组采用0.9%生理盐水灌胃,枳实组(1.35 g·kg^-1·d^-1)、白术组(2.7 g·kg^-1·d^-1)、枳实-白术组(4.05 g·kg^-1·d^-1)和莫沙必利组(1.56 mg·kg^-1·d^-1)大鼠分别给予相应的药物灌胃,连续7 d。观察药物对大鼠粪便数量、粪便含水率及小肠推进率的影响;苏木素-伊...     

薏苡附子败酱散对结肠癌细胞HCT116凋亡的影响及机制

目的：探究薏苡附子败酱散对结肠癌细胞HCT116凋亡的影响,并探讨其相关的细胞凋亡机制。方法：不同质量浓度(0.5、1、2、4、6、8、10、12、14、16 g·L^-1 )薏苡附子败酱散干预结肠癌细胞24、48、72 h,细胞增殖与活性检测-8(CCK-8)法检测细胞体外增殖的影响;设空白组、卡培他滨组(1.8 g·L^-1 )和薏苡附子败酱散组(6、10、14 g·L^-1 ),分别处理48 h,采用流式细胞技术检测细胞凋亡率,Hochest 33342荧光染色观察细胞凋亡形态,线粒体红色荧光探针(Mito-Tracker Red CMXRos)分析线粒体膜电位(MMP)变化,蛋白免疫印迹法(Western blot)检测线粒体凋亡途径相关蛋白B细胞淋巴瘤-2(Bcl-2)、Bcl-2相关X蛋白(Bax)、细胞色素C(Cyt C)、胱天蛋白酶(Caspase)-9、Caspase-3、活化的(cleaved) Caspase-9、cleaved Caspase-3的表达水平,实时荧光定量聚合酶链式反应(Real-time...     

中药调控膝骨关节炎相关信号通路的研究进展

随着中医药对膝骨关节炎（KOA）研究的不断深入,现代学者发现诸多中药可从分子层面干预信号通路延缓膝骨关节炎的进展。文中所述中药及其活性成分在干预膝骨关节炎的机制中与信号通路有着密切关系。中药及有效成分可在不同信号通路的传导下调控相应的靶向分子水平,抑制软骨炎性因子、细胞凋亡、软骨基质降解及促进软骨细胞自噬,以达到减轻滑膜炎性水肿和延缓软骨退变的目的。现对国内外中药干预KOA的研究进行系统性总结：黄芩素等可通过阻断磷脂酰肌醇3-激酶/蛋白激酶B（PI3K/Akt）信号通路,减少软骨细胞炎性因子、凋亡及促进自噬;山茱萸新苷Ⅰ等成分降低Janus激酶2/信号转导和转录激活因子3（JAK2/STAT3）通路磷酸化活性改善滑膜炎症、延缓软骨基质退变;丹酚酸A等中药活性成分可通过抑制核转录因子-κB（NF-κB）通路磷酸化,减轻炎症与软骨基质降解;大黄素等有效成分可降低Wnt/β-连环蛋白（Wnt/β-catenin）通路活性,抑制胶原蛋白与蛋白多糖分解;肉豆蔻苷等通过阻断p38丝裂原活化蛋白激酶（p38 MAPK）信号传导,抑制细胞凋亡;木通皂苷D等可增强核因子E₂相关因子2/血红素加氧酶1（Nrf2/HO-1）通路活性,抑制软骨细胞氧化应激;牛膝总皂苷等通过增强转化生长因子-β（TGF-β）/Smad信号传导,减少软骨基质降解;藏红花素通过激发河马/Yes相关蛋白（Hippo/YAP）活性抑制软骨炎症与凋亡因子增加;川芎嗪阻断Notch通路改善软骨细胞形态与异常;齐墩果酸等通过发挥雌激素信号通路,减轻软骨基质破坏与退变。以上总结旨在为今后开展KOA临床与实验研究提供借鉴。     

鹰嘴豆芽素A通过调节TLR4/NF-κB/NLRP3信号通路减轻卵清蛋白诱导哮喘大鼠的气道炎症

[目的] 探讨鹰嘴豆芽素A（BCA）通过调节Toll样受体4（TLR4）/核因子-κB（NF-κB）/NOD样受体蛋白3（NLRP3）信号通路对卵清蛋白（OVA）诱导哮喘大鼠气道炎症的影响。[方法] 将SD大鼠分为对照（CK）组、模型（Model）组、低剂量BCA组（BCA-L组,25 mg/kg）、高剂量BCA组（BCA-H组,100 mg/kg）、地塞米松阳性对照组（Dex组,1 mg/kg）、BCA-H+LPS（TLR4激活剂）组（100 mg/kg+0.1 mg/kg）,每组12只。除CK组,其他组均通过OVA诱导构建哮喘大鼠模型。建模成功24 h后,进行给药处理,给药每日1次,持续10 d。利用动物肺功能测定仪检测大鼠吸气阻力、呼气阻力、肺通气顺应性的变化;吉姆萨（Giemsa）染色检测支气管肺泡灌洗液（BALF）中细胞总数、淋巴细胞数、嗜酸性粒细胞数、中性粒细胞数;酶联免疫吸附剂测定（ELISA）检测BALF中肿瘤坏死因子-α（TNF-α）、白细胞介素-1β（IL-1β）、干扰素-γ（IFN-γ）水平;苏木精-伊红染色法（HE）染色检测大鼠肺组织病理变化;免疫组化检测大鼠肺组织中嗜酸性粒细胞趋化因子（Eotaxin）表达;蛋白质印迹法（Western Blot）检测大鼠肺组织中TLR4、p-NF-κB p65、NLRP3蛋白表达。[结果] 与CK组比较,Model组大鼠吸气阻力、呼气阻力、BALF中细胞总数、淋巴细胞数、嗜酸性粒细胞数、中性粒细胞数、TNF-α、IL-1β、IFN-γ水平升高,肺组织中的支气管及血管周围炎性细胞浸润明显,肺组织中Eotaxin阳性染色面积百分数、TLR4、p-NF-κB p65、NLRP3蛋白表达升高,肺通气顺应性降低（P<0.05）;与Model组比较,BCA-L组、BCA-H组、Dex组对应指标变化趋势与上述相反（P<0.05）;LPS减弱了高剂量BCA对哮喘大鼠气道炎症的改善作用。[结论] BCA可能通过抑制TLR4/NF-κB/NLRP3信号通路减轻OVA诱导哮喘大鼠的气道炎症。     

The Gut‒Breast Axis: Programming Health for Life

The gut is a pivotal organ in health and disease. The events that take place in the gut during early life contribute to the programming, shaping and tuning of distant organs, having lifelong consequences. In this context, the maternal gut plays a quintessence in programming the mammary gland to face the nutritional, microbiological, immunological, and neuroendocrine requirements of the growing infant. Subsequently, human colostrum and milk provides the infant with an impressive array of nutrients and bioactive components, including microbes, immune cells, and stem cells. Therefore, the axis linking the maternal gut, the breast, and the infant gut seems crucial for a correct infant growth and development. The aim of this article is not to perform a systematic review of the human milk components but to provide an insight of their extremely complex interactions, which render human milk a unique functional food and explain why this biological fluid still truly remains as a scientific enigma.     

Foxtail Millet Improves Blood Glucose Metabolism in Diabetic Rats through PI3K/AKT and NF-κB Signaling Pathways Mediated by Gut Microbiota

Foxtail millet (FM) is receiving ongoing increased attention due to its beneficial health effects, including the hypoglycemic effect. However, the underlying mechanisms of the hypoglycemic effect have been underexplored. In the present study, the hypoglycemic effect of FM supplementation was confirmed again in high-fat diet and streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats with significantly decreased fasting glucose (FG), glycated serum protein, and areas under the glucose tolerance test (p < 0.05). We employed 16S rRNA and liver RNA sequencing technologies to identify the target gut microbes and signaling pathways involved in the hypoglycemic effect of FM supplementation. The results showed that FM supplementation significantly increased the relative abundance of Lactobacillus and Ruminococcus_2, which were significantly negatively correlated with FG and 2-h glucose. FM supplementation significantly reversed the trends of gene expression in diabetic rats. Specifically, FM supplementation inhibited gluconeogenesis, stimulated glycolysis, and restored fatty acid synthesis through activation of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. FM also reduced inflammation through inhibition of the NF-κB signaling pathway. Spearman’s correlation analysis indicated a complicated set of interdependencies among the gut microbiota, signaling pathways, and metabolic parameters. Collectively, the above results suggest that the hypoglycemic effect of FM was at least partially mediated by the increased relative abundance of Lactobacillus, activation of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway, and inhibition of the NF-κB signaling pathway.     

腹主动脉瘤腔内修复术后感染病原菌及Hippo信号通路基因改变

目的探讨腹主动脉瘤腔内修复术(EVAR)后医院感染病原特点及Hippo信号通路基因、白细胞介素-17(Interleukin-17,IL-17)、IL-23改变。方法选择天津医院血管外科2017年5月-2020年3月收治腹主动脉瘤EVAR术后医院感染患者49例作为感染组,选择同期医院进行EVAR术后未发生医院感染患者60例作为非感染组。采用实时荧光定量逆转录聚合酶链反应(RT-PCR)法检测Hippo通路基因yap、taz、mst1相对表达水平,采用酶联免疫吸附法检测其辅助型T细胞17(Th17)促炎细胞因子白细胞介素-17(IL-17)、IL-23水平。结果49例患者共发生肺部感染33例(67.35%),尿路感染10例(20.41%),手术切口感染4例(8.16%),移植物感染2例(4.08%);感染病原以革兰阳性菌为主,共25株,占51.02%,革兰阴性菌共22株,占44.90%,真菌2株,占4.08%;感染组yap、taz、mst1基因相对表达水平和IL-17、IL-23水平高于非感染组(P<0.05)。结论腹主动脉瘤EVAR术后医院感染以肺部感染、尿路感染为主,应及时予以针对性预防;Hippo通路参与了感染发生过程,通过Th17促炎途径诱导炎症反应,其机制仍有待研究。