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Trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), a gut microbiota-dependent metabolite, has been shown to aggravate cardiovascular disease. However, the mechanisms of TMAO in the setting of cardiovascular disease progress remain unclear. Here, we aim to investigate the effects of TMAO on atherosclerosis (AS) development and the underlying mechanisms. Apoe –/– mice received choline or TMAO supplementation in a normal diet and a western diet for 12 weeks. Choline or TMAO supplementation in both normal diet and western diet significantly promoted plaque progression in Apoe–/– mice. Besides, serum lipids levels and inflammation response in the aortic root were enhanced by choline or TMAO supplementation. In particular, choline or TMAO supplementation in the western diet changed intestinal microbiota composition and bile acid metabolism. Therefore, choline or TMAO supplementation may promote AS by modulating gut microbiota in mice fed with a western diet and by other mechanisms in mice given a normal diet, even choline or TMAO supplementation in a normal diet can promote AS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In our study, patients who had a second delivery were categorised into the following 4 groups. Pelvic floor ultrasound data were compared during the 6th week after the second delivery. The incidence of cystoceles was highest in group A and lowest in group D. In addition, groups A and B had a higher rate of rectoceles or perineum descent. Similarly, the areas of the levator hiatus were higher in Groups A and B during Valsalva manoeuvres. The area of the levator hiatus from the resting state to the Valsalva manoeuvre effect had the greatest change in Group A. A comparison of the PR thickening rates among the four groups did not reveal significant differences. All second delivery methods can cause varying degrees of pelvic organ prolapse and decreased pelvic floor function; however, vaginal delivery as the second delivery mode may have a more significant effect in Chinese women. What is already known on this subject? Different modes of delivery have significantly different effects on female pelvic floor function. Pregnancy beyond 35 weeks of gestation has an effect on female pelvic floor function, irrespective of the mode of delivery. What do the results of this study add? This study analysed the impact of different delivery modes on Chinese female pelvic floor function. Parous women who underwent different modes of second delivery all demonstrated different degrees of pelvic organ prolapse, as well as pelvic floor function decline. What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? Our study will provide basic research of Chinese female pelvic floor function after a second delivery, which will be of clinical significance around the world, as well as in China. China will keep promoting further delivery as the aging population is increasing. If the developing countries want to promote the second delivery around the women, they have basic research and data to instruct the females. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The inhibitory effect of three degraded sesquiterpene lactones, iso-seco-tanapartholide, arteludooicinolide A and millifolide A isolated from Achillea millefolium L., on anti-human lung cancer cells was examined using MTT and reporter gene assays. Millifolide A has significant inhibitory effects on the proliferation of human lung cancer cells probably through inducing cell apoptosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is reported that dopamine D1 receptors in the medial prefrontal cortex play a role in the antidepressant actions of (R,S)-ketamine. However, its role in the antidepressant actions of (R)-ketamine, which is more potent than (S)-ketamine, is unknown. In the locomotion test, tail suspension test, forced swimming test and 1% sucrose preference test, pretreatment with dopamine D1 receptor antagonist SCH-23390 did not block the antidepressant effects of (R)-ketamine in the susceptible mice after chronic social defeat stress. These findings suggest that dopamine D1 receptors may not play a major role in the antidepressant actions of (R)-ketamine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Local binary pattern (LBP) is an important method for texture feature extraction of facial expression. However, it also has the shortcomings of high dimension, slow feature extraction and noeffective local or global features extracted. To solve these problems, a facial expression feature extraction method is proposed based on improved LBP. Firstly, LBP is converted into double local binary pattern (DLBP). Then by combining Taylor expansion (TE) with DLBP, DLBP-TE algorithm is obtained. Finally, the DLBP-TE algorithm combined with extreme learning machine (ELM) is applied in seven kinds of ficial expression images and the corresponding experiments are carried out in Japanese adult female facial expression (JAFFE) database. The results show that the proposed method can significantly improve facial expression recognition rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Parkinson's disease (PD) is a chronic and progressive neurodegenerative disorder. Although diet may influence the development of PD, the precise mechanisms underlying relationship between diet and PD pathology are unknown. Here, we examined whether dietary intake of glucoraphanin (GF), the precursor of a natural antioxidant sulforaphane in cruciferous vegetables, can affect the reduction of dopamine transporter (DAT) in the mouse striatum after repeated administration of MPTP (1‐methyl‐4‐phenyl‐1,2,3,6‐tetrahydropyridine). Methods: Normal food pellet or 0.1% GF food pellet was given into male mice for 28 days from 8‐week‐old. Subsequently, saline (5 mL/kg × 3, 2‐hour interval) or MPTP (10 mg/kg × 3, 2‐hour interval) was injected into mice. Immunohistochemistry of DAT in the striatum was performed 7 days after MPTP injection. Results: Repeated injections of MPTP significantly decreased the density of DAT‐immunoreactivity in the mouse striatum. In contrast, dietary intake of 0.1% GF food pellet significantly protected against MPTP‐induced reduction of DAT‐immunoreactivity in the striatum. Conclusion: This study suggests that dietary intake of GF food pellet could prevent MPTP‐induced dopaminergic neurotoxicity in the striatum of adult mice. Therefore, dietary intake of GF‐rich cruciferous vegetables may have beneficial effects on prevention for development of PD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim This study was to investigate the correlation between ovarian chocolate cysts and serum carbohydrate antigen ( CA)-125 levels and to demonstrate the effect of ultrasound-guided interventional sclerotherapy ( UGIS) on serum CA-125 levels. Methods Based on the serum CA-125 level, as determined by chemiluminescence detection prior to UGIS, 105 patients with ovarian chocolate cysts were divided into the normal group ( CA-125 ≤ 35 U/mL, 45 patients) and the abnormal group (35 U/mL < CA-125 ≤ 200 U/mL, 60 patients). There were six clinical indicators including age, disease duration, dysmenorrhea history, child-bearing history, abortion history and surgical history. The ultrasonography characteristics were cyst diameter, cyst wall thickness and the side on which the cyst occurred. The correlations between serum CA-125 levels pretreatment and the clinical indicators and ultrasonography characteristics was analyzed. The serum CA-125 levels pretreatment, 3 months post-treatment and 6 months post-treatment were compared. Results The pretreatment serum CA-125 levels of the 105 patients positively correlated with disease duration ( r = 0.3932, P = 0.0040), dysmenorrhea history ( r = 0.2351, P = 0.0111), cyst diameter ( r = 0.3415, P < 0.0001) and cyst wall thickness ( r = 0.4263, P < 0.0001). Compared with the pretreatment level, the mean serum CA-125 level in the abnormal group at 3 months post-treatment was significantly lower ( P < 0.01), and at 6 months post-treatment, the mean serum CA-125 level had decreased to a normal level ( P < 0.01). Conclusion UGIS significantly decreased abnormal serum CA-125 levels in patients with ovarian chocolate cysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]