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This study aims to investigate the effect of different ratios of soluble and insoluble dietary fiber (0/100, 25/75, 40/60, 55/45, 70/30, 85/15, 100/0) in rice bran treated with or without extrusion cooking on the physicochemical and structural properties of rice starch. As the ratio of soluble dietary fiber (SDF) increases, the PV (peak viscosity), FV (final viscosity), SB (setback value), and BD (breakdown value) of starch are significantly decreased, indicating that a higher SDF ratio can delay the short‐term retrogradation of starch. Compared with the unextruded rice bran SDF/IDF starch gel, the content of weak bond water and free water in the extruded rice bran SDF/IDF starch gel is higher while the content of strong bond water in the starch gel is lower at the same SDF/IDF ratio. Meanwhile, for the results X‐ray diffraction (XRD) and fourier transform infrared spectrum (FTIR), the rice starch with the extruded rice bran SDF/IDF ratio of 25:75 shows the lowest relative crystallinity of 3.48% and the lowest peak to height ratio of FTIR (1047 cm−1/1022 cm−1) of 1.0746, suggesting that the inhibition effect on rice starch retrogradation is better. This may be beneficial for the utilization of different ratios of SDF/IDF from extruded rice bran and physicochemical properties improvement of rice starch gel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we analyzed the mechanism of hydroxysafflor yellow A (HSYA) for treating ischemic stroke (IS) based on network pharmacology tools, and verified the kernel targets via animal experiments. The targets of HSYA were collected via PharmMapper server and the IS-related targets were searched using Genecards, Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man, Therapeutic Target, and Disgenet databases. The targets identified from the above two steps were overlapped to acquire candidate targets involved in the effects of HSYA for treating IS. Subsequently, the Database for Annotation, Visualization, and Integrated Discovery was used for gene ontology analysis and the Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes pathway analysis. Cytoscape 3.7.1 was applied to establish the component-target-pathway network. Potential core targets were obtained by protein-protein interaction analysis. Furthermore, Autodock Vina was used to identify core genes, and animal experiments was used to verify the expression level of core genes. On the basis of the modified neurologic severity score and the results of 2,3,5-Triphenyltetrazolium chloride and Hematoxylin-eosin staining, we confirmed that HSYA reduced the infarct volume in rats and protected neuronal cells in the hippocampal region after IS. Western blot and immunohistochemical staining showed that HSYA increased the expression of epidermal growth factor receptor, hypoxia inducible factor 1 alpha, and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (P < 0.05). The effects of HSYA on IS are mediated through several targets and pathways related to the regulation of oxidative stress and the renewal of cell and blood vessels while improving post-ischemic brain impairment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To explore the characteristics and risk factors for major mediastinal vessel invasion in different risk grades of thymic epithelial tumors (TETs) based on computed tomography (CT) imaging, and to develop prediction models of major mediastinal artery and vein invasion., Methods: One hundred and twenty-two TET patients confirmed by histopathological analysis who underwent thorax CT were enrolled in this study. Clinical and CT data were retrospectively reviewed for these patients. According to the abutment degree between the tumor and major mediastinal vessels, the arterial invasion was divided into grade I, II, and III (< 25%, 25 - 49%, and ≥ 50%, respectively); the venous invasion was divided into grade I and II (< 50% and ≥ 50%). The degree of vessel invasion was compared among different defined subtypes or stages of TETs using the chi-square tests. The risk factors associated with TET vascular invasion were identified using multivariate logistic regression analysis., Results: Based on logistic regression analysis, male patients (β = 1.549; odds ratio, 4.824) and the pericardium or pleural invasion (β = 2.209; odds ratio, 9.110) were independent predictors of 25% artery invasion, and the midline location (β = 2.504; odds ratio, 12.234) and mediastinal lymphadenopathy (β = 2.490; odds ratio, 12.06) were independent predictors of 50% artery invasion. As for 50% venous invasion, the risk factors include midline location (β = 2.303; odds ratio, 10.0), maximum tumor diameter larger than 5.9 cm (β = 4.038; odds ratio, 56.736), and pericardial or pleural effusion (β = 1.460; odds ratio, 4.306). The multivariate logistic model obtained relatively high predicting efficacy, and the area under the curve (AUC), sensitivity, and specificity were 0.944, 84.6%, and 91.7% for predicting 50% artery invasion, and 0.913, 81.8%, and 86.0% for 50% venous invasion in TET patients, respectively., Conclusion: Several CT features can be used as independent predictors of ≥50% artery or venous invasion. A multivariate logistic regression model based on CT features is helpful in predicting the vascular invasion grades in patients with TET., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Ma, Zhang, Yan, Lan, Feng, Wang, Yang, Hu and Cui.)

Objectives: To observe the change in ferroptosis in hippocampal neurons after hypoxia-ischemia (HI) in neonatal rats and investigate the related mechanism based on the TXNIP/Trx-1/GPX4 signaling pathway., Methods: Healthy neonatal Sprague-Dawley rats, aged 7 days, were randomly divided into three groups: sham-operation ( n =30), hypoxic-ischemic brain damage (HIBD) ( n =30) and siRNA (TXNIP siRNA) ( n =12). The classic Rice-Vannucci method was used to establish a neonatal rat model of HIBD. At 6 hours, 24 hours, 72 hours, and 7 days after modeling, Western blot was used to measure the protein expression of GPX4 in the hippocampal tissue at the injured side; at 24 hours after modeling, laser speckle imaging combined with hematoxylin-eosin staining was used to determine whether the model was established successfully; NeuN/GPX4 and GFAP/GPX4 immunofluorescence staining combined with Western blot and other methods was used to measure the protein expression of GPX4 and the signal molecules TXNIP and Trx-1 in the hippocampal tissue at the injured side; the kits for determining the content of serum iron and tissue iron were used to measure the change in iron content; quantitative real-time PCR was used to measure the mRNA expression of TXNIP, Trx-1, and GPX4., Results: At 6 hours, 24 hours, 72 hours, and 7 days after modeling, the HIBD group had a significantly lower protein expression level of GPX4 than the sham-operation group ( P <0.05). At 24 hours after modeling, the HIBD group had a significantly lower cerebral blood flow of the injured side than the sham-operation group ( P <0.05), with loose and disordered arrangement and irregular morphology of hippocampal CA1 neurons at the injured side. Compared with the sham-operation group, the HIBD group had a significantly higher number of TXNIP + cells and significantly lower numbers of Trx-1 + cells and NeuN + GPX4 + /NeuN + cells in the hippocampal CA1 region at the injured side ( P <0.05), with almost no GFAP + GPX4 + cells in the hippocampal CA1 region. Compared with the sham-operation group, the HIBD group and the siRNA group had significantly higher levels of serum iron and tissue iron in the hippocampus at the injured side ( P <0.05). Compared with the HIBD group, the siRNA group had significantly lower levels of serum iron and tissue iron in the hippocampus at the injured side ( P <0.05). The HIBD group and the siRNA group had significantly higher mRNA and protein expression levels of TXNIP than the sham-operation group ( P <0.05), and the siRNA group had significantly lower expression levels than the HIBD group ( P <0.05). The HIBD group and the siRNA group had significantly lower mRNA and protein expression levels of Trx-1 and GPX4 in the hippocampus at the injured side than the sham-operation group ( P <0.05), and the siRNA group had significantly higher expression levels than the HIBD group ( P <0.05)., Conclusions: HI induces ferroptosis of hippocampal neurons in neonatal rats by activating the TXNIP/Trx-1/GPX4 pathway, thereby resulting in HIBD.

Objective: To study the effect of different melatonin treatment regimens on long-term behavior and white matter damage in neonatal rats with hypoxic-ischemic brain damage (HIBD), and to seek an optimal melatonin treatment regimen., Methods: Healthy Sprague-Dawley rats, aged 7 days, were randomly divided into four groups: sham-operation, HIBD, single-dose immediate treatment (SDIT), and 7-day continuous treatment (7DCT), with 8 rats in each group. A neonatal rat model of HIBD was prepared according to the classical Rice-Vannucci method. On day 21 after HIBD, the Morris water maze test was used to evaluate spatial learning and memory abilities. On day 70 after HIBD, immunofluorescence assay was used to measure the expression of neuronal nuclear antigen (NeuN) in the cerebral cortex and the hippocampal CA1 region of neonatal rats, and double-label immunofluorescence was used to measure the expression of myelin basic protein (MBP) and neurofilament 200 (NF200) in the corpus striatum and the corpus callosum., Results: The results of the Morris water maze test showed that the SDIT and 7DCT groups had a significantly shorter mean escape latency than the HIBD group, and the 7DCT group had a significantly shorter mean escape latency than the SDIT group ( P < 0.05). The results of immunofluorescence assay for NeuN showed that the SDIT and 7DCT groups had a significantly higher number of NeuN + cells in the cerebral cortex and the hippocampal CA1 region than the HIBD group, and the 7DCT group had a significantly higher number than the SDIT group ( P < 0.05). MBP/NF200 double-label immunofluorescence showed that compared with the HIBD group, the SDIT group and the 7DCT group had significantly higher fluorescence intensities of MBP and NF200 in the corpus striatum, and the 7DCT group had significantly higher fluorescence intensities than the SDIT group ( P < 0.05); the 7DCT group had significantly higher fluorescence intensities of MBP and NF200 in the corpus callosum than the SDIT and HIBD groups ( P < 0.05)., Conclusions: Both SDIT and 7DCT can improve long-term behavior and reduce white matter damage in neonatal rats with HIBD, and 7DCT is more effective than SDIT.