Search

Rationale: Studies have shown the potential neuroprotective effect of xanthohumol, while whether xanthohumol has the ability of repairing cognitive impairment and its underlying mechanism still remains obscure. Objectives: To unravel the mechanism of xanthohumol repairing cognitive impairment caused by estrogen deprivation. Methods: C57BL/6 J female mice that underwent bilateral ovariectomy to establish cognitive decline model were randomly divided into three xanthohumol-treated groups and a saline-treated model group. For identifying the neuroprotective function of xanthohumol, Morris water maze (MWM) test and open field test (OFT) were conducted. After extracting total RNA of mouse hippocampus of different groups, mRNA-seq and microRNA (miRNA)-seq analysis were performed, and the differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMIs) and their target genes were further validated by qPCR. MiR-532-3p and its downstream gene Mpped1 were screened as targets of xanthohumol. Influence of miR-532-3p/Mpped1 to cognitive ability was examined via MWM test and OFT after stereotactic brain injection of Mpped1 overexpressed adeno-associated virus. The regulation of miR-532-3p on Mpped1 was confirmed in hippocampal neuronal cell line HT22 by luciferase reporter gene assay. Results: Xanthohumol treatment reversed the cognitive decline of OVX mice according to behavioral tests. By comparing miRNA levels of xanthohumol-treated groups with saline-treated group, we found that the main changed miRNAs were miR-122-5p, miR-532-3p, and miR-539-3p. Increased miR-532-3p in OVX mice was suppressed by xanthohumol treatment. Furthermore, the downstream gene of miR-532-3p, Mpped1, was also increased by xanthohumol and showed the capability of relieving cognitive impairment of OVX mice after overexpressed in hippocampus. The 3′ untranslated region of Mpped1 was identified as the target region of miR-532-3p, and agomiR-532-3p remarkably reduced the expression of Mpped1 mRNA. Conclusions: Xanthohumol has the ability of repairing cognitive impairment through removing the inhibition of miR-532-3p on Mpped1 in mouse hippocampus. This finding not only advances the understanding of neuroprotective mechanism of xanthohumol, but also provides novel treatment targets for dementia of postmenopausal women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Purpose: Increased high-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) levels were found in patients after acute ischemic stroke. The aim of this study was to examine whether the circulating HMGB1 levels could predict the 3-month post-stroke depression (PSD).Methods: The subjects were first-ever ischemic stroke patients who were hospitalized during the period from July 2020 to December 2020. HMGB1 concentrations were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay after admission. A 24-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale was performed to evaluate PSD at 3 months after stroke.Results: The analyses included 324 participants (mean age, 63.7 years; 171 male). Ninety-four patients (29.0%) were diagnosed as having PSD at 3 months. The median serum HMGB1 levels at admission was 7.5 ng/mL (IQR, 4.4-11.3 ng/mL). The PSD distribution across the HMGB1 quartiles ranged between 17.5% (first quartile) and 57.5% (fourth quartile). After covariate adjustments, the fourth quartile of HMGB1 was found to be associated with a higher risk of PSD (as compared with first HMGB1 quartile, odd ratio, 1.26; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.17-1.35; P < 0.001). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of HMGB1 was 0.726 (95% CI 0.660-0.792) for PSD. Similar results were found when HMGB1 was analyzed as continuous variable. Furthermore, the optimal cutoff point of circulating HMGB1 levels was 8.6 ng/mL, with a sensitivity of 69.2% and a specificity of 73.9%.Conclusions: This study demonstrated that higher HMGB1 levels in the acute phase of ischemic stroke were associated with increased risk of PSD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a temperature-dependent longitudinal tensile strength model for short-fiber-reinforced polymer composites (SFRPCs) is established based on the sensitivities of thermal-physical properties of polymer materials to temperature and our previous work. The effects of temperature, fiber orientation distribution, fiber length distribution and residual thermal stress are considered in this model. The theoretical model is verified by comparison with tensile strength of glass SFRPCs at different temperatures. Good agreement between the model predictions and experimental results is obtained, which indicates the reasonability of the proposed models. Furthermore, the comparisons between the present models and the classical models are discussed, and the influencing factors analysis for SFRPCs is also conducted in detail. This study can not only provide a potential convenient means for predicting the temperature-dependent tensile strength of SFRPCs, but also offer useful suggestions for the material evaluation, strengthening and design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, based on our previous study regarding the temperature-dependent yield strength for metallic materials and the existing strengthening theories, a physics-based temperature dependent compressive yield strength model for short fiber reinforced magnesium alloy matrix composites was developed. This model was verified by comparison with the experimental data of seven types of magnesium alloy matrix composites. Good agreement between the model predictions and the experimental data was obtained, which fully validates the reasonability of the present model. Moreover, based on the model and the existing material parameters, the influencing factor analysis for short fiber reinforced magnesium alloy matrix composites was systematically conducted. Some novel insights regarding the control mechanism of their temperature dependent compressive yield strengths were provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]