Cryptanshinone extract of Salvia miltiorrhiza stimulates pediatric acute myeloid leukemia stem cell apoptosis and the anti-inflammatory mechanism via accelerating microRNA-211-5p to supress Janus kinase 2/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 signaling pathway activation

This study was designed to explore cryptanshinone (CPT) extract of Salvia miltiorrhiza stimulating pediatric acute myeloid leukemia (AML) stem cell (LSC) apoptosis and anti-inflammatory mechanism via accelerating microRNA (miR)-211-5p to restrain Janus kinase 2 (JAK2)/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) pathway activation. Obtaining blood samples from pediatric acute myeloid leukemia patients and healthy volunteers and detecting miR-211-5p and JAK2 were performed. Purchase of the human AML cell line KG1a was conducted, and sorting of KG1a cells was to gain LSC. Test of miR-211-5p and JAK2, the phosphorylation of JAK2/STAT3 was implemented. Pretreatment of LSCs was with CPT. Variation of miR-211-5p and JAK2 in LSCs was via plasmid transfection to explore their actions in cell advancement with apoptosis and inflammation. Identification of the targeting of miR-211-5p with JAK2 was implemented. In results: MiR-211-5p was declined in endometrial cancer, while JAK2 was elevated; CPT was available to boost LSC apoptosis and restrain the inflammation; elevated miR-211-5p or repressive JAK2 was available to strengthen the acceleration of CPT on LSCs apoptosis and the repression of inflammation; MiR-211-5p targeted JAK2; augmented JAK2 was available to turn around the action of elevated miR-211-5p. We conclude that CPT extract of Salvia miltiorrhiza stimulated pediatric LSC apoptosis and restrained the inflammation via accelerating microRNA (miR)-211-5p to suppress JAK2/STAT3 pathway activation.

[Safety and efficacy of yellow zebra guide wire exchange system in the treatment of complete upper digestive stenosis]

To investigate the efficacy and safety of yellow zebra guide wire exchange system in the treatment of complete upper digestive stenosis. To analyze the success rate and adverse events, a retrospective analysis was conducted on patients with complete digestive stenosis in Zhongda Hospital Affiliated to Southeast University from May 2019 to April 2023 and the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from August 2011 to March 2015. A total of 41 patients were included, including 25 males and 16 females, aged (65±12) years (28-94 years). Among them, 40 patients were successfully inserted with yellow zebra guide wire and underwent endoscopic treatment using the outer tube replacement with hard steel wire, with 97.6% (40/41) effective rate. Eleven patients (27.5%) were accompanied by varying degrees of retrosternal pain, without complications such as bleeding or perforation.

SIRT3 Promotes the Development of Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma by Regulating Hexokinase 2 through the AKT Signaling Pathway

In the present study, we explored whether sirtuin-3 (SIRT3) regulates the proliferation and migration of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and investigated the mechanisms underlying the oncogene role of SIRT3. siRNA was used to transfect Eca109 cells and downregulate SIRT3. The proliferation and migration of Eca109 cells were examined by the CCK-8 assay, colony formation assay, Transwell assay, and scratch test. Quantitative real-time PCR and Western blotting were used to detect SIRT3, hexokinase 2, AKT, and p-AKT in Eca109 cells. Functional assays showed that downregulation of SIRT3 could inhibit the proliferation and migration of ESCC cells. Reduced SIRT3 expression downregulated hexokinase 2 expression and inhibited AKT activation in ESCC. These results indicated that SIRT3 promote ESCC development and progression by regulating hexokinase 2 through the AKT signaling pathway. SIRT3 promote ESCC proliferation and migration by regulating HK-2 through the AKT signaling pathway.

Vertebral Collapse Prevented Following Teriparatide Treatment in Postmenopausal Kümmell's Disease Patients with Severe Osteoporosis

OBJECTIVE

To compare the preventive effects of teriparatide and alendronate on the progression of vertebral body collapse in postmenopausal single-level Kümmell's disease (KD).

METHODS

From March 2013 to December 2020, the medical records for 53 postmenopausal single-level KD patients who received conservative treatment with teriparatide (25 patients, teriparatide group) or alendronate (28 patients, alendronate group) were retrospectively reviewed. Midsagittal computed tomography (CT) images were analyzed by ImageJ to assess the intravertebral bone formation (mineralized bone) by calculating the ratio of area of intravertebral mineralized bone (AIMB) to the area of fractured vertebral body (AFVB). The changes in radiological parameters of the fractured vertebral body including kyphosis angle (KA), anterior and posterior border heights (ABH and PBH) and spinal canal diameter (SCD), bone turnover biomarkers (BTMs), and bone mineral density (BMD) were analyzed to evaluate the therapeutic effect.

RESULTS

At month 12, the ratio of AIMB to AFVB was significantly greater in teriparatide group (54.28% ± 15.30%) than in alendronate group (35.57% ± 17.61%) (P < 0.001). Sagittal CT substantiated the formation of bone bridge in 16 patients in teriparatide group. No bone bridge was detected in alendronate group. The KA was significantly smaller and the ABH, PBH, and SCD was greater in teriparatide group than in alendronate group (all P < 0.001). The KA increments were significantly smaller in teriparatide group (3.98° ± 1.30°) than in alendronate group (11.43° ± 3.73°) (P < 0.001). The ABH and PBH decrement were significantly lower in teriparatide group (11.96% ± 1.93% and 2.80% ± 2.52%) than in alendronate group (37.04% ± 8.00% and 19.50% ± 8.22%) (both P < 0.001). The BTMs and BMD were significantly greater in the teriparatide group than in the alendronate group. In teriparatide group, KA increment was negatively correlated with the change in PINP (r = -0.781, P < 0.001) and the ratio of AIMB to AFVB (r = -0.592, P = 0.002) from baseline to month 12. The ABH decrement was negatively correlated with the change in PINP (r = -0.612, P = 0.001) and the ratio of AIMB to AFVB (r = -0.806, P < 0.001) from baseline to month 12.

CONCLUSIONS

In postmenopausal single-level KD patients, conservative treatment with teriparatide was better than alendronate at preventing the progressive vertebral collapse.

[mRNA genomics change and significance of important ion channel proteins in patients with atrial fibrillation]

Objective: To investigate the mRNA genomics changes and significance of important ion channel proteins in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), to reveal the mechanism of electrical remodeling in AF. Methods: Ninety patients with AF were chosen to receive the radiofrequency ablation (AF-RFA), 90 healthy subjects were included as the normal control group.The coronary sinus blood and peripheral venous blood were taken from each AF patient during the operation of AF-RFA.The genome-wide mRNA expression profile was analyzed with mRNA microarray chip, and the mRNA expression difference results for the major ion channel gene was further validated using Real-time PCR test. Results: The expression of twelve ion channel protein mRNA increased ≥2.0-fold, expression of 10 mRNA decreased ≥2.0-fold, among which K(+) channel gene KCNE4, KCND2, KCNN4 declined obviously, KCNA5 dropped 11.54-fold (P< 0.01); KCNS3, KCNS1, KCNG1, KCNG7 and Ca(+ +) channel gene CACNA2D3 increased significantly.Compared with autologous peripheral blood, 12 mRNAs of ion channel protein in coronary sinus blood of AF patients was differentially expressed ≥2.0-fold.Compared with control group in peripheral blood, 7 ion channel protein mRNA expression differences was ≥2.0-fold, and the KCNA5 gene expression was down by 8.13-fold.RT-PCR confirmed that the trend and extent of differential expression were consistent with the chip results.The results of myocardial tissue RT-PCR showed that CACNA1C, KCNC3, KCNG1 and KCNK7 mRNA were up-regulated in AF (P<0.05), and other ion channel mRNA expressions were down-regulated (P<0.05). KCNA5 was down-regulated most obvious. Conclusion: The down-regulation of KCNA5 gene expression in AF patients is most obvious, and more potassium ion channel expression differences are also significant, so that the potassium ion channel reconstruction may play a dominant or much more important role in AF electrical remodeling.

Genetic differentiation of Octopus minor (Mollusca, Cephalopoda) off the northern coast of China as revealed by amplified fragment length polymorphisms

Octopus minor (Sasaki, 1920) is an economically important cephalopod that is found in the northern coastal waters of China. In this study, we investigated genetic differentiation in fishery populations using amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLPs). A total of 150 individuals were collected from five locations: Dalian (DL), Yan-tai (YT), Qingdao (QD), Lianyungang (LY), and Zhoushan (ZS), and 243 reproducible bands were amplified using five AFLP primer combinations. The percentage of polymorphic bands ranged from 53.33 to 76.08%. Nei's genetic identity ranged from 0.9139 to 0.9713, and the genetic distance ranged from 0.0291 to 0.0900. A phylogenetic tree was constructed using the unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean, based on the genetic distance. The DL and YT populations originated from one clade, while the QD, LY, and ZS populations originated from another. The results indicate that the O. minor stock consisted of two genetic populations with an overall significantly analogous FST value (0.1088, P < 0.05). Most of the variance was within populations. These findings will be important for more sustainable octopus fisheries, so that this marine resource can be conserved for its long-term utilization.

[Evaluation of the antiatherosclerotic properties of natural compounds of plant origin on cell cultures of the human aortic intima]

Administration of alizole, berberine, pheonol and pheoniphlorine in doses of 30-100 micrograms/ml in the culture of the atherosclerotic human aortic intimal cells decreased the content of intracellular cholesterol by 35-41% and reduced the proliferative activity of the cells. In healthy donors administration of single doses of berberine and pheoniphlorine (0.9 g) increased the antiatherogenic potential of the serum which was estimated on the primary culture of the intimal cells.

[Antiatherogenic properties of the soy protein isolate 500 E]

Two and 4 hours after a single intake of 50 g of protein isolate soy 500 E in the food, the activity of lysosomal hydrolases in blood platelets, the cholesterol (CS) content in lipoprotein-containing immune complexes, and the accumulation of CS in the subendothelial cells of human aorta intima reduced in introduction into a culture of serum obtained after intake of protein isolate soy. Direct introduction of a isolate 500 E water-alcohol extract into a culture of atherosclerotic plaques of human aorta intima caused decrease of the CS content in the cells and their proliferation. Protein isolate soy, therefore, produces an antiatherogenic effect in a cell culture and causes the antiatherosclerotic properties of serum.