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To investigate the expression and clinical significance of Bridging INtegrator 1 (BIN1) and cyclin D2 (CCND2) in newly diagnosed cytogenetically heterogenous adult acute myeloid leukemia patients. Methods Real-time quantitative PCR (RQ-PCR) was used to detect the expression of BIN1 and CCND2 genes in 49 newly diagnosed adult patients with AML, and their clinical significance was analyzed. Results BIN1 and CCND2 genes are highly expressed in patients with AML, which suggest their potential as molecular markers. A statistical significant correlation was found between BIN1 expression with bone marrow blasts (P = 0.012), CD34 expression (P = 0.026), NLR (P = 0.019) and Karyotype risk (P = 0.005). There was a statistically significant correlation between CCND2 and age (P = 0.001), NLR (P = 0.046) Karyotype risk (P = 0.033). The expression level of BIN1 was related to early treatment response (CR or not) (P = 0.043). CCND2 expression was significantly correlated with overall survival (P = 0.013), but not with CR (P = 0.731). Conclusion BIN1 and CCND2 genes are highly expressed in patients with AML, suggesting the potential of these two genes as molecular markers. Moreover, high levels of CCND2 are associated with better prognosis, suggesting the possibility of these two genes as prognostic markers.

Self-assembly processes, while promising for enabling the fabrication of complexly organized nanomaterials from nanoparticles, are often limited in creating structures with multiscale order. These limitations are due to difficulties in practically realizing the assembly processes required to achieve such complex organizations. For a long time, a hierarchical assembly attracted interest as a potentially powerful approach. However, due to the experimental limitations, intermediate-level structures are often heterogeneous in composition and structure, which significantly impacts the formation of large-scale organizations. Here, we introduce a two-stage assembly strategy: DNA origami frames scaffold a coordination of nanoparticles into designed 3D nanoclusters, and then these clusters are assembled into ordered lattices whose types are determined by the clusters' valence. Through modulating the nanocluster architectures and intercluster bindings, we demonstrate the successful formation of complexly organized nanoparticle crystals. The presented two-stage assembly method provides a powerful fabrication strategy for creating nanoparticle superlattices with prescribed unit cells.

Objectives The purpose of this study is to investigate the antifibrosis and anti-oxidation of rhein in vivo and in vitro, and to evaluate potential mechanisms involved in the treatment of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Methods In experimental animal studies, CKD was established by 5/6 nephrectomy (5/6Nx). Serum creatinine (Scr) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) were determined. Histopathologic tests were performed by HE and Masson trichrome stained. The level of ROS was investigated by fluorescence microplate with the probe 2′, 7′-dichlorofluorescein diacetate (DCFH-DA). The protein expressions of p47phox and gp91phox were measured in 5/6Nx rats. In HK-2 cells, the expression of SIRT3 and Foxo3α was measured in SIRT3 knockdown conditions. The indicators of oxidation and fibrosisi were measured in SIRT3 knockdown conditions. Key findings The results showed that, in addition to reducing renal interstitial pathologic injury and collagen fibrils, rhein administration improved renal function. The protective mechanisms were attributed to active SIRT3/FOXO3α signalling pathway and then play the anti-oxidative capacity of rhein, as well as to subsequent antifibrotic effect. Conclusion Taken together, rhein protected kidney through SIRT3/FOXO3a involvement. The anti-oxidative capacity of rhein contributed to the protective effects including the subsequent antifibrotic responses.

DNA nanotechnology utilizes DNA double strands as building units for self-assembly of DNA nanostructures. The specific base-pairing interaction between DNA molecules is the basis of these assemblies. After decades of development, this technology has been able to construct complex and programmable structures. With the increase in delicate nature and complexity of the synthesized nanostructures, a characterization technology that can observe these structures in three dimensions has become necessary, and developing such a technology is considerably challenging. DNA assemblies have been studied using different characterization methods including atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy(SEM), and transmission electron microscopy(TEM). However, the three-dimensional(3D) DNA assemblies always collapse locally due to the dehydration during the drying process. Cryogenic electron microscopy(cryo-EM) can overcome the challenge by maintaining three-dimensional morphologies of the cryogenic samples and reconstruct the 3D models from cryogenic samples accordingly by collecting thousands of two-dimensional(2D) projection images, which can restore their original morphologies in solution. Here, we have reviewed several typical cases of 3D DNA-assemblies and highlighted the applications of cryo-EM in characterization of these assemblies. By comparing with some other characterization methods, we have shown how cryo-EM promoted the development of structural characterization in the field of DNA nanotechnology.

Programmable assembly of nanoparticles (NPs) into well-defined architectures has attracted attention because of tailored properties resulting from coupling effects. However, general and precise approaches to control binding modes between NPs remain a challenge owing to the difficulty in manipulating the accurate positions of the functional patches on the surface of NPs. Here, a strategy is developed to encage spherical NPs into pre-designed octahedral DNA origami frames (DOFs) through DNA base-pairings. The DOFs logically define the arrangements of functional patches in three dimensions, owing to the programmability of DNA hybridization, and thus control the binding modes of the caged nanoparticle with designed anisotropy. Applying the node-and-spacer approach that was widely used in crystal engineering to design coordination polymers, patchy NPs could be rationally designed with lower symmetry encoded to assemble a series of nano-architectures with high-order geometries.

Islet β cell mass reduction induced by glucose fluctuation is crucial for the development and progression of T2DM. Chikusetsu saponin IVa (CHS) had protective effects against DM and related injuries. Here we aimed to investigate the role of CHS in β cell injuries and its possible mechanism involved. Isolated rat islets, βTC3 cells and T2DM mice were used in this study. The results showed that CHS restored the secretion activity, promoted β cell survival by increasing β cell proliferation and decreasing apoptosis which induced by intermittent high glucose (IHG). In vivo, CHS protected β cell apoptosis to normalize blood glucose and improve insulin sensitivity in DM mice. Further studies showed that CHS activated Wnt3a signaling, inhibited HBP1, promoted β-catenin nuclear translocation, enhanced expressions of TCF7L2, GIPR and GLP-1R, inhibited p53, p27 and p21. The protective effect of CHS was remarkably suppressed by siRNAs against TCF7L2 or XAV-939 (a Wnt/β-catenin antagonist) in vitro and in β-catenin-/- mice. In conclusion, we identified a novel role of CHS in protecting β cell survival and regeneration by mechanisms involving the activation of Wnt3a/β-catenin/TCF7L2 signaling. Our results indicated the potential value of CHS as a possible intervention drug for T2DM.

Salvia miltiorrhiza-Dalbergia odorifera coupled-herbs (SMDOCH) has been used to treat coronary heart disease (CHD) for thousands of years, but its unclear bioactive components and mechanisms greatly limit its clinical application. In this study, for the first time, we used network pharmacology to elucidate the mechanisms of action of SMDOCH on CHD. We collected 270 SMDOCH-related targets from 74 bioactive components and 375 CHD-related targets, with 58 overlapping common targets. Next, we performed enrichment analysis for common-target network and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network. The results showed that SMDOCH affected CHD mainly through 10 significant signaling pathways in three biological processes: ‘vascular endothelial function regulation’, ‘inflammatory response’, and ‘lipid metabolism’. Six pathways belonged to the ‘vascular endothelial function regulation’ model, which primarily regulated hormone (renin, angiotensin, oestrogen) activity, and included three key upstream pathways that influence vascular endothelial function, namely KEGG:04933, KEGG:05418, and KEGG:04066. Three pathways, namely KEGG:04668, KEGG:04064, and KEGG:04620, belonged to the ‘inflammatory response’ model. One pathway (KEGG:04920) belonged to the ‘lipid metabolism’ model. To some extent, this study revealed the potential bioactive components and pharmacological mechanisms of SMDOCH on CHD, and provided a new direction for the development of new drugs for the treatment of CHD.

Mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative damage are closely related to the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD). The pharmacological mechanism of protocatechuic aldehyde (PCA) for PD treatment have retained unclear. The purposes of the present study were to clarify the neuroprotective effects of post-treatment of PCA for PD treatment by mitigating mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative damage, and to further determine whether its effects were mediated by the polo-like kinase 2/phosphorylated glycogen synthase kinase 3 β/nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2 (PLK2/p-GSK3β/Nrf2) pathways. We found that PCA improved 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1, 2, 3, 6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-induced behavioral deficits and dopaminergic cell loss. Moreover, PCA increased the expressions of PLK2, p-GSK3β and Nrf2, following the decrease of α-synuclein (α-Syn) in MPTP-intoxicated mice. Cell viability was increased and the apoptosis rate was reduced by PCA in 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium iodide (MPP+)-incubated cells. Mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), mitochondrial complex I activity and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in MPP+-incubated cells were also ameliorated by treatment with PCA. The neuroprotective effects of PCA were abolished by inhibition or knockdown of PLK2, whereas overexpression of PLK2 strengthened the protection of PCA. Furthermore, GSK3β and Nrf2 were involved in PCA-induced protection. These results indicated that PCA has therapeutic effects on PD by the PLK2/p-GSK3β/Nrf2 pathway.

Background: Multiple myeloma (MM), the second most hematological malignancy, the molecular mechanism and pathogenesis of the relapse of MM is poorly understood. This study aimed to identify novel prognostic model for MM and explore potential mechanism of relapse. Methods: Gene expression data,clinical data(GSE24080) and HTseq-Counts files were downloaded from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and TCGA database. Co-expression modules of genes were built by Weighted Correlation Network Analysis (WGCNA).KEGG and GO enrichment analysis were performed in each module. TATFs (tumor-associated transcription factors) were retrieved from the Cistrome. Twenty-two immune cell compositions was calculated by CIBERSORT algorithm.Univariate and multivariate Cox congression were performed and a predictive model by prognostic genes was constructed,the predictive power of the model was evaluated by Kaplan–Meier curve and time-dependent receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Results: A total of 940 DEGs were identified,and in WGCNA analysis, yellow, brown and sky-blue modules were most associated with clinic traits.The yellow module related with the cell cycle and the brown and sky-blue modules correlated with cytokine and its receptors, where the M2 macrophage fraction is positively correlated with CCL18, CCL2, CCL8, CXCL12 and CCl23 were positively correlated with plasma cells by Cibersort analysis.Prognostic genes were identified and two genes (TPX2,PRAM1) were finally identified to construct a risk model for predicting EFS.

Dalbergia Odorifera (DO) has been widely used for the treatment of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseasesinclinical. However, the effective substances and possible mechanisms of DO are still unclear. In this study, network pharmacology and molecular docking were used toelucidate the effective substances and active mechanisms of DO in treating ischemic stroke (IS). 544 DO-related targets from 29 bioactive components and 344 IS-related targets were collected, among them, 71 overlapping common targets were got. Enrichment analysis showed that 12 components were the possible bioactive components in DO, which regulating 9 important signaling pathways in 3 biological processes including ‘oxidative stress’ (KEGG:04151, KEGG:04068, KEGG:04915), ‘inflammatory response’(KEGG:04668, KEGG:04064) and ‘vascular endothelial function regulation’(KEGG:04066, KEGG:04370). Among these, 5 bioactive components with degree≥20 among the 12 potential bioactive components were selected to be docked with the top5 core targets using AutodockVina software. According to the results of molecular docking, the binding sites of core target protein AKT1 and MOL002974, MOL002975, and MOL002914 were 9, 8, and 6, respectively, and they contained 2, 1, and 0 threonine residues, respectively. And some binding sites were consistent, which may be the reason for the similarities and differences between the docking results of the 3 core bioactive components. The results of in vitro experiments showed that OGD/R could inhibit cell survival and AKT phosphorylation which were reversed by the 3 core bioactive components. Among them, MOL002974 (butein) had a slightly better effect. Therefore, the protective effect of MOL002974 (butein) against cerebral ischemia was further evaluated in a rat model of middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) by detecting neurological score, cerebral infarction volume and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) level. The results indicated that MOL002974 (butein) could significantly improve the neurological score of rats, decrease cerebral infarction volume, and inhibit the level of LDH in the cerebral tissue and serum in a dose-dependent manner. In conclusion, network pharmacology and molecular docking predicate the possible effective substances and mechanisms of DO in treating IS. And the results are verified by the in vitro and in vivo experiments. This research reveals the possible effective substances from DO and its active mechanisms for treating IS and provides a new direction for the secondary development of DO for treating IS.

Background. Saponin from Aralia taibaiensis (sAT) showed excellent antioxidative effects in several models; however, its effects on brain cells were unknown to us. The present study was designed to evaluate the protective effects of sAT on ischemia/reperfusion- (I/R-) induced injury and clarify its mechanisms. Methods. In vitro, HT22 cells were pretreated with sAT and then subjected to I/R. Apoptosis rate, mitochondrial function, and antioxidant proteins were measured. To clarify the mechanisms, siRNA were used. In vivo, sAT was pretreated through intragastric administration for 7 days and the I/R model was induced. The neurobehavioral scores, infarction volumes, and some cytokines in the brain were measured. Protein levels were investigated by Western blotting. Results. The results showed that sAT treatment significantly protected cells from I/R-induced cell apoptosis and mitochondrial dysfunction. The antioxidant protein levels were increased in a dose-dependent manner. Further study revealed that sAT induced the deacetylation and phosphorylation of PGC-1α and FOXO3a. sAT treatment also induced the phosphorylation levels of Akt and the expression levels of SIRT1. Using the specific targeted siRNA transfection, the interplay relationship between Akt, SIRT1, PGC-1α, and FOXO3a was verified. Furthermore, the same protective effects were also observed in rats subjected to I/R. Conclusion. sAT protected brain cells from I/R-induced mitochondrial oxidative stress and dysfunction through regulating the Akt/SIRT1/FOXO3a/PGC-1α pathway.

Background Previous studies had showed that Apelin 13 could protect against apoptosis induced by ischemic/reperfusion (I/R). However, the mechanisms whereby Apelin 13 protected brain I/R remained to be elucidated. The present study was designed to determine whether Apelin 13 provided protection through AMPK/GSK-3β/Nrf2 pathway. Methods In vivo, the I/R model was induced and Apelin 13 was given intracerebroventricularly 15 min before reperfusion. The neurobehavioral scores, infarction volumes, and some cytokines in the brain were measured. For in vitro study, PC12 cells were used. To clarify the mechanisms, proteases inhibitors or siRNA were used. Protein levels were investigated by western blotting. Results The results showed that Apelin 13 treatment significantly reduced infarct size, improved neurological outcomes, decreased brain edema, and inhibited cell apoptosis, oxidative stress, and neuroinflammation after I/R. Apelin 13 significantly increased the expression of Nrf2 and the phosphorylation levels of AMPK and GSK-3β. Furthermore, in cultured PC12 cells, the same protective effects were also observed. Silencing Nrf2 gene with its siRNA abolished the Apelin 13’s prevention of I/R-induced PC12 cell injury, oxidative stress, and inflammation. Inhibition of AMPK by its siRNA decreased the level of Apelin 13-induced Nrf2 expression and diminished the protective effects of Apelin 13. The interplay relationship between GSK-3β and Nrf2 was also verified with relative overexpression. Using selective inhibitors, we further identified the upstream of AMPK/GSK-3β/Nrf2 is AR/Gα/PLC/IP3/CaMKK. Conclusions In conclusion, the previous results showed that Apelin 13 protected against I/R-induced ROS-mediated inflammation and oxidative stress through activating the AMPK/GSK-3β pathway by AR/Gα/PLC/IP3/CaMKK signaling, and further upregulated the expression of Nrf2-regulated antioxidant enzymes.

BACKGROUND: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is one of the most malignant hematopoietic system diseases. Interferon stimulated exonuclease gene 20 (ISG20) is a protein induced by interferons or double-stranded RNA, which is associated with poor prognosis in several malignant tumors. However its expression in AML is unknown. OBJECTIVE: To explore the expression of ISG20 in AML and its prognostic significance. METHODS: The expression of ISG20 in AML patients was analyzed by GEPIA database, detected by qRT-PCR and their prognosis was followed-up. Chi-square test was used to identify the association between ISG20 expression and clinical characteristics of the patients. Kaplan-Meier analysis was performed to draw survival curves and Cox regression analysis to confirm the independent prognostic factors of AML patients. RESULTS: Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that whether to receive treatment, Karyotype, and ISG20 expression were related to overall survival time of AML patients (P< 0.05). Cox regression analysis showed that whether to receive treatment (HR = 0.248, 95% CI = 0.076–0.808, P= 0.021) and high expression of ISG20 (HR = 4.266, 95% CI = 1.118–16.285, P= 0.034) were independent unfavorable prognostic factors for AML patients. CONCLUSION: The high expression of ISG20 acts as a poor prognosis indicator in AML patients.

To investigate the expression and clinical significance of Bridging INtegrator 1 (BIN1) and cyclin D2 (CCND2) in newly diagnosed cytogenetically heterogenous adult acute myeloid leukemia patients. Methods Real-time quantitative PCR (RQ-PCR) was used to detect the expression of BIN1 and CCND2 genes in 49 newly diagnosed adult patients with AML, and their clinical significance was analyzed. Results BIN1 and CCND2 genes are highly expressed in patients with AML, which suggest their potential as molecular markers. A statistical significant correlation was found between BIN1 expression with bone marrow blasts (P = 0.012), CD34 expression (P = 0.026), NLR (P = 0.019) and Karyotype risk (P = 0.005). There was a statistically significant correlation between CCND2 and age (P = 0.001), NLR (P = 0.046) Karyotype risk (P = 0.033). The expression level of BIN1 was related to early treatment response (CR or not) (P = 0.043). CCND2 expression was significantly correlated with overall survival (P = 0.013), but not with CR (P = 0.731). Conclusion BIN1 and CCND2 genes are highly expressed in patients with AML, suggesting the potential of these two genes as molecular markers. Moreover, high levels of CCND2 are associated with better prognosis, suggesting the possibility of these two genes as prognostic markers.

We conducted a randomized, open-label, parallel-controlled, multicenter trial on the use of Shuanghuanglian (SHL), a traditional Chinese patent medicine, in treating cases of COVID-19. A total of 176 patients received SHL by three doses (56 in low dose, 61 in middle dose, and 59 in high dose) in addition to standard care. The control group was composed of 59 patients who received standard therapy alone. Treatment with SHL was not associated with a difference from standard care in the time to disease recovery. Patients with 14-day SHL treatment had significantly higher rate in negative conversion of SARS-CoV-2 in nucleic acid swab tests than the patients from the control group (93.4% vs. 73.9%, P = 0.006). Analysis of chest computed tomography images showed that treatment with high-dose SHL significantly promoted absorption of inflammatory focus of pneumonia, which was evaluated by density reduction of inflammatory focus from baseline, at day 7 (mean difference (95% CI), −46.39 (−86.83 to −5.94) HU; P = 0.025) and day 14 (mean difference (95% CI), −74.21 (−133.35 to −15.08) HU; P = 0.014). No serious adverse events occurred in the SHL groups. This study illustrated that SHL in combination with standard care was safe and partially effective for the treatment of COVID-19. Electronic Supplementary Material Supplementary material is available for this article at 10.1007/s11684-021-0853-6 and is accessible for authorized users.

Background Laminopathies caused by LMNA gene mutations are characterized by different clinical manifestations. Among them, cardiac involvement is one of the most severe phenotypes. Case presentation A 30-year-old man visited the hospital because of palpitations, shortness of breath, and fatigue. He also had muscular dystrophy, joint contractures, scoliosis, and mild dysphagia. A novel de novo heterozygous LMNA splice variant (c.810+1G>T) with dilated cardiomyopathy, Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy, and progressive cardiac conduction defect was identified by genetic analysis. The patient also presented with congenital aortic valve malformation, which has never been reported in laminopathies. Conclusions The LMNA mutation (c.810+1G>T) was identified for the first time, enriching the mutation spectrum of the LMNA gene. The correlation between an LMNA mutation and congenital aortic valve malformation deserves further study.

Chronic hyperlipidemia leads to pancreatic β-cell apoptosis and dysfunction through inducing oxidative stress. Chikusetsu saponin IVa (CHS) showed antioxidant and antidiabetic properties in our previous studies; however, its protective effects against lipotoxicity-induced β-cell oxidative stress and dysfunction are not clear. This study was designed to investigate the effects of CHS against lipotoxicity-induced β-cell injuries and its possible mechanism involved. High-fat (HF) diet and a low dose of streptozotocin- (STZ-) induced type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) model in vivo and βTC3 cells subjected to 0.5 mM palmitate (PA) to imitate the lipotoxic model in vitro were performed. Pancreatic functions, ROS, and antioxidant protein measurements were performed to evaluate the effects of CHS on cell injuries. Protein expression levels were measured by Western blotting. Furthermore, siRNA-targeted Nrf2, PI3K/Akt inhibitor (LY294002), or GSK-3β inhibitor (LiCl) was used to investigate the crosstalk relationships between proteins. As the results showed, CHS treatment inhibited apoptosis, promoted insulin release, and reduced oxidative stress. CHS treatment significantly increased the expression of Nrf2 in the cytoplasm and nuclear protein. The antioxidative and benefit effects of CHS were inhibited by siNrf2. The phosphorylation of IRS-2, PI3K, Akt, and GSK-3β was markedly increased by CHS which were inhibited by PA. In addition, inhibition of PI3K/Akt or GSK-3β with specific inhibitors dramatically abrogated the protective effects of CHS, revealing that the IRS-2/Akt/GSK-3β signaling axis was involved in the protective effects of CHS. These results demonstrate that CHS protected βTC3 cells against PA-induced oxidative stress and cell dysfunction through Nrf2 by the IRS-2/Akt/GSK-3β-mediated pathway.

Salvia miltiorrhiza (SM) coupled with Dalbergia odorifera (DO) has been used to relieve cardiovascular diseases in China for many years. Our previous studies have integrated that SM—the volatile oil of DO (SM-DOO)—has a cardioprotective effect on chronic myocardial ischemia based on a pharmacological method, but the cardioprotective mechanism has not been elucidated completely in the metabonomic method. In the present study, a metabonomic method based on high-performance liquid chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry (HPLC-Q-TOF-MS) was performed to evaluate the effects of SM-DOO on chronic myocardial ischemia induced by an ameroid constrictor, which was placed on the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) of pigs. Pigs were divided into three groups: sham, model, and SM-DOO group. With multivariate analysis, a clear cluster among the different groups was obtained and the potential biomarkers were recognized. These biomarkers were mainly related to energy metabolism, glucose metabolism, and fatty acid metabolism. Furthermore, the protein expressions of phosphorylated AMP-activated protein kinase (p-AMPK) and glucose transporter-4 (GLUT4) were significantly upregulated by SM-DOO. The result indicated that SM-DOO could regulate the above biomarkers and metabolic pathways, especially energy metabolism and glucose metabolism. By analyzing and verifying the biomarkers and metabolic pathways, further understanding of the cardioprotective effect of SM-DOO with its mechanism was evaluated. Metabonomic is a reliable system biology approach for understanding the cardioprotective effects of SM-DOO on chronic myocardial ischemia and elucidating the mechanism underlying this protective effect.

Background: Aidi injection (ADI)is a Chinese patent medicine with anti-cancer effect, which has been used to treat breast cancer (BC) in China for many years, but its potential pharmacological mechanism is still indeterminacy. In this resaearch, network pharmacology, a systematic and comprehensive approach, was used to reveal ADI's potential pharmacological mechanism in treating BC for the first time.Methods: Databases were used to collect targets related to the bioactive components of ADI and BC. the relevant networks were established by the string database, and were screened potential bioactive components and core targets. Eventually, core targets and pathway enrichment were analyzed by DAVID database.Results: As the results showed, we collected 99 bioactive ingredients,345 ADI-related targets after deduplication and 368 BC-related targets. Of these, 108 common targets were overlapped. We then performed an enrichment analysis on the common target network and the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network.Conclusion: The results showed that ADI may inhibit breast cancer through seven important signal pathways involved in the "regulation of vascular endothelial function", "inflammatory response" and "apoptosis” biological processes. Through further clustering and enrichment analysis of the PPI network of ADI’s bioactive component targets and BC-related targets, we found that cancer, ErbB, MAPK, TLR, chemokine, p53 and cell cycle signaling pathway, mainly contributed to the effects of ADI in treating BC. In conclusion, this study reveals the possible mechanism of ADI in treating BC, and provides a new direction for drug development for ADI in treating BC.

Inhibiting mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress has benefits effects for the treatment of cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury (CI/RI). Elabela/APLENR system had showed to be protective against ischemia/reperfusion induced injury in other tissue. However, whether Elabela had protective effects against CI/RI and its possible mechanisms were largely unknown. This study was designed to evaluate the effects of Elabela 32 (ELA32) against CI/RI. In vivo, behavioral test, infarct size and brain edema were evaluated on rats middle cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion (MCAO/R) model after treated by ELA32. In vitro, HT22 cells were subjected to glucose deprivation/reperfusion (OGD/R) and treated with ELA32 in presence of SIRT3-siRNA, or AMPK-siRNA, or Nrf2-siRNA. Cell viability, cell apoptosis, ROS and ATP levels, mitochondrial related proteins and oxidative related cytokines were measured by relative methods.As the results showed, neurological scores, infarct size, brain edema and injury cytokines were improved by ELA32 treatment in rats. Subsequently, we found that ELA32 inhibited cell apoptosis, mitochondrial dysfunction, and oxidative stress in a dose dependent manner in brain and HT22 cell. Western blotting results showed that ELA32 induced the deacetylation and phosphorylation of PGC-1α, the expression of Nrf2, SIRT3 and APLNR, and the phosphorylation of AMPK and Akt. Further, the crosstalk relationship between APLNR, SIRT3, AMPK, PGC-1α, Akt and Nrf2 were verified by the specific targeted siRNA transfection. The same effects on APLNR related pathways were also observed in rats.In conclusion, ELA32 improved mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress through regulating APLNR mediated AMPK/SIRT3/PGC-1α pathway and Akt/Nrf2 pathway. These results indicated that ELA32/APLNR system plays some role in central nervous system, and more studies should be performed to confirm these effects.

Chronic hyperlipidemia leads to pancreatic β-cell apoptosis and dysfunction through inducing oxidative stress. Chikusetsu saponin IVa (CHS) showed antioxidant and antidiabetic properties in our previous studies; however, its protective effects against lipotoxicity-induced β-cell oxidative stress and dysfunction are not clear. This study was designed to investigate the effects of CHS against lipotoxicity-induced β-cell injuries and its possible mechanism involved. High-fat (HF) diet and a low dose of streptozotocin- (STZ-) induced type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) model in vivo and βTC3 cells subjected to 0.5 mM palmitate (PA) to imitate the lipotoxic model in vitro were performed. Pancreatic functions, ROS, and antioxidant protein measurements were performed to evaluate the effects of CHS on cell injuries. Protein expression levels were measured by Western blotting. Furthermore, siRNA-targeted Nrf2, PI3K/Akt inhibitor (LY294002), or GSK-3β inhibitor (LiCl) was used to investigate the crosstalk relationships between proteins. As the results showed, CHS treatment inhibited apoptosis, promoted insulin release, and reduced oxidative stress. CHS treatment significantly increased the expression of Nrf2 in the cytoplasm and nuclear protein. The antioxidative and benefit effects of CHS were inhibited by siNrf2. The phosphorylation of IRS-2, PI3K, Akt, and GSK-3β was markedly increased by CHS which were inhibited by PA. In addition, inhibition of PI3K/Akt or GSK-3β with specific inhibitors dramatically abrogated the protective effects of CHS, revealing that the IRS-2/Akt/GSK-3β signaling axis was involved in the protective effects of CHS. These results demonstrate that CHS protected βTC3 cells against PA-induced oxidative stress and cell dysfunction through Nrf2 by the IRS-2/Akt/GSK-3β-mediated pathway.

The incidence of ischemic stroke, a life-threatening condition in humans, amongst Asians is high and the prognosis is poor. In the absence of effective therapeutics, traditional Chinese medicines have been used that have shown promising results. It is crucial to identify traditional Chinese medicine formulas that protect the blood-brain barrier, which is damaged by an ischemic stroke. In this study, we aimed to elucidate such formulas. Brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMECs) were used to establish an in vitro ischemia-reperfusion model for oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) experiments to evaluate the function of two traditional Chinese medicines, namely, astragaloside (AS-IV) and hydroxysafflor yellow A (HSYA), in protecting against BMEC. Our results revealed that AS-IV and HSYA attenuated the cell loss caused by OGD by increasing cell proliferation and inhibiting cell apoptosis. In addition, these compounds promoted the migration and invasion of BMECs in vitro. Furthermore, we found that BMECs rescued by AS-IV and HSYA could be functionally activated in vitro, with AS-IV and HSYA showing synergetic effects in rescuing BMECs survival in vitro by reducing the expression of PHLPP-1 and activating Akt signaling. Our results elucidated the potential of AS-IV and HSYA in the prevention and treatment of stroke by protecting against cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury.

Background: Buyang Huanwu Decoction (BYHWD) is one of the representative prescriptions for tonifying qi and promoting blood circulation. This formula has been widely used in Chinese clinical practice for treatment and prevention of ischemic cerebral vascular diseases. However, the mechanism and active compounds of BYHWD used in clinical practice for ischemic stroke are not well understood. The purpose of this study was to understand the potential active components of BYHWD and further explore its mechanism of improving ischemic stroke. Methods: This study was based on network pharmacology and bioinformatics analysis. The compounds of BYHWD were obtained from public databases. Oral bioavailability as well as drug-likeness were screened by using absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) criteria. Then, components of BYHWD, candidate targets of each component and known therapeutic targets of ischemic cerebral were collected. A network of compound-target genes and compound-ischemic cerebral was established by means of network pharmacology data sources. The enrichment of key targets and pathways was analyzed by using string database and DAVID database. In addition, we verified three key targets predicted by western blot analysis (IL6, VEGFA and HIF1A). Results: Network pharmacology analysis results of BYHWD identified 7 herbs, 42 compounds and 79 target genes associated to cerebral ischemia. The 10 key compounds were baicalein, beta-carotene, Baicalin, kaempferol, luteolin, quercetin, hydroxysafflor yellow A, isorhamnetin, Bifendate, formononetin,Calycosin, AstragalosideIV, Stigmasterol, sitosterol, Z-ligustilide, Dihydrocapsaicin. Core genes in this network were IL6, TNF, VEGFA, HIF1A, MAPK1, MAPK3, JUN, STAT3, IL1B and IL10. And pathways TNF, IL-17, Apoptosis, PI3K-Akt, Toll-like receptor, MAPK, NF-kappa B and HIF-1 signaling pathway, etc. related to ischemic stroke were identified. In vitro experiments, The results showed that compared with the control group (no treatment), BYHWD could significantly inhibit the expression of IL6 and increased the expression of HIF1A and VEGFA. Conclusions: Network pharmacology analysis can reveal close interactions between multi-components and multi-targets, and enhance our understanding of the potential effects of BYHWD in cerebral ischemia.

The intrinsic ultra-low lattice thermal conductivity (κL) of high performance thermoelectric Cu2S may arise from its multiform complex crystal structures while the further sharp drop of κL observed at elevating temperatures close to the phase transition to hexagonal high-chalcocite is of considerable interest. In this work, in-depth in-situ transmission electron microscopy investigations have been performed by either heating or electron irradiation to analyze the structural evolution of Cu2S. Multiple including new phase structures have been observed in Cu2S. Upon increasing the temperature, drastic structural changes took place including phase transition among different phases, formation of an intermediate phase, switching of crystal orientation and inverse phase transitions, which indicate multiple forms of Cu ordering with high temperature-sensitivity. Such tremendous structural evolution along with formation and movement of phase boundaries are believed to strongly scatter the phonons.

Background and aims Abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) is a chronic inflammatory disease in which signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), and disintegrin and metalloproteinase 17 (ADAM17) play important roles. However, it remains unclear whether ursolic acid (UA), a natural pentacyclic triterpenoid carboxylic acid, can have an impact on STAT3 and ADAM17 and hence influence the formation of AAA. The objective of this study was to characterize the potential effect of UA on the pathogenesis of AAA and on STAT3 and ADAM17. Methods Male ApoE-/- mice were infused with angiotensin II (AngII) (1000 ng/kg/min) for 4 weeks to induce AAAs. Daily intragastric gavage with 100 mg/kg UA or tap water containing Tween 80 as controls was provided. Immunohistochemistry, cell viability assay, colony formation, wound healing assay, and Western blot were used to explore the potential effect of UA on AAA. Results UA decreased the incidence of AngII-induced AAA in mice. UA alleviated the degradation of elastin fibers and inflammation and decreased the expression of MMP2, MMP9, ADAM17 and phospho-STAT3 (pSTAT3) in aorta of mice induced with AngII. UA inhibited the constitutive and stimuli-induced (AngII and tumor necrosis factor-α) expression of MMP2, MMP9, ADAM17 and pSTAT3 in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). Furthermore, UA decreased cell viability, and suppressed colony formation and wound healing in vitro. Conclusions We demonstrated that UA ameliorated the severity of AAA and exhibited an inhibitory effect on the expression of pSTAT3 and ADAM17. UA might emerge as a promising agent contributing to the prevention or treatment of AAA.

The present study was performed to investigate the potential role of Danshensu in therapeutic angiogenesis in ischemic myocardium and endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) function. The rat model of myocardial infarction (MI) injury was induced by left anterior descending coronary artery ligation for 14 days. Danshensu significantly alleviated myocardial ischemia injury by ameliorating left ventricular function and reducing infarct size. Furthermore, Danshensu potentiated post-ischemia neovascularization as evidenced by increased microvessel density in infarction boundary zone, as well as the expression of marker proteins vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF). Moreover, Danshensu notably promoted stromal cell-derived factor-1α (SDF-1α) level in plasma and C-X-C chemokine receptor type 4 (CXCR4) expression in peri-infarction myocardium, and AMD3100 (CXCR4 antagonist) could reverse the angiogenic and cardioprotective effects of Danshensu. For in vitro study, EPCs were isolated from bone marrow of rats. On the one hand, Danshensu provided significant cytoprotection against hypoxia insult by boosting EPCs viability and inhibiting apoptosis, and upregulated Akt phosphorylation. On the other hand, Danshensu enhanced proangiogenic functions of EPCs on cell migration and tube formation, and increased SDF-1α and CXCR4 expression. Likewise, the cytoprotection and proangiogenic functions of Danshensu on EPCs were partly negated by LY294002 (PI3K antagonist) and CXCR4 siRNA, respectively. Taken together, our results suggested that the cardioprotection of Danshensu in MI rats may be related to promoting myocardial neovascularization. The possible mechanisms may involve improving EPCs survival in hypoxia condition through Akt phosphorylation, and accelerating EPCs proangiogenic functions through SDF-1α/CXCR4 axis.

Lucilia sericata maggots have beneficial properties; however, their protective effects on burn wounds have yet to be fully elucidated. In the present study, a deep second-degree burn rat model was used to investigate the burn wound healing properties of aqueous extract of maggots (MAE). The anti-inflammatory, antioxidative and antibacterial activities were examined. In addition, the protein expression levels of Akt, vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) were detected by western blotting. The findings of the present study revealed that MAE treatment increased burn wound healing and hydroxyproline content in the burn-treated rats. A total of seven compounds (MAE-P1-P7) were separated from MAE and a comparative study was performed to identify the major active component. The results demonstrated that MAE-P6 exerted greater antibacterial activity compared with the other compounds. MAE-P6 treatment reduced tissue levels of malondialdehyde, tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-6, and increased superoxide dismutase activity. Furthermore, MAE-P6 increased the expression levels of VEGFA and reduced NF-κB expression through Akt, which was verified by treatment with the Akt-specific inhibitor, LY294002. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated that the beneficial effects of MAE on burn wound healing were due to its antibacterial, antioxidative and anti-inflammatory activities. MAE-P6 reduced the release of inflammatory cytokines via the Akt/NF-κB signaling pathway, and regulated angiogenesis and vasopermeability via the Akt/VEGFA pathway.

Aim The present study was to investigate the proangiogenic and cardioprotective effects of hydroxysafflor yellow A (HSYA) against myocardial infarction (MI) injury and the underlying mechanisms. Methods MI model was induced by ligation of the left coronary artery in normal and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) knockout mice and the ones receiving vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A) or stromal cell-derived factor-1α (SDF-1α) antagonists. They were treated with three doses or single dose of HSYA for 28 days. The cardiac function, endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) mobilization, angiogenesis, the expression of HO-1, VEGF-A, SDF-1α and apoptosis or fibrosis related proteins in the peri-infarct area were evaluated at respective times. We further examined the effect of HSYA on EPCs CXC chemokiner receptor 4 (CXCR4) expression and the role of SDF-1α on EPCs function in vitro. Results HSYA could dose dependently reduce left ventricular function impairment, myocardial apoptosis and fibrosis, and promote EPCs mobilization and myocardial neovascularization. Further, HO-1 knockout abolished HSYA-induced up-regulation of HO-1, VEGF-A and SDF-1α. VEGF antagonist significantly reduced HSYA-increased VEGF-A and SDF-1α levels and SDF-1 antagonist abolished HSYA-simulated up-regulation of SDF-1α. Meanwhile, HO-1 knockout, administration of VEGF and SDF-1 antibodies abrogated HSYA-promoted expression of the marker proteins of newborn microvessels and cardiac functional recovery. In vitro, HSYA dose dependently promoted (CXCR4) expression on EPCs. SDF-1α significantly accelerated EPCs function which was reversed by CXCR4 antagonist. Conclusion HSYA could promote EPCs function through the HO-1/VEGF-A/SDF-1α signaling cascade, which contributed largely to myocardial neovascularization and further improved cardiac function in MI mice.

Type 2 long QT syndrome (LQT2) is caused by loss-of-function mutations in KCNH2 gene. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy and mechanism of a calcium channel blocker, verapamil, to improve clinical manifestations in LQT2. A 42-year-old woman with a LQT2 phenotype underwent candidate gene screening. Therapeutic effects of verapamil were evaluated by QT-interval measurement and shock count of implantable cardioverter-defibrillator. The electrophysiological effect of verapamil was assessed in a LQT2 model using rabbit ventricular wedge preparations. Direct sequencing of her DNA revealed a heterozygous D609N mutation in KCNH2 . Acute administration of intravenous verapamil (10 mg/h) successfully abolished electrical storm and shortened the corrected QT (QTc) from 671 to 532 ms in the patient. However, long-term use of oral verapamil (240 mg daily) failed to completely prevent the torsades de pointes (TdP) recurrence over a 3-year follow-up period, whereas a low dose of oral verapamil (120 mg daily) totally suppressed the cardiac events in the following 12 months. In in vitro studies, verapamil preferentially abbreviated endocardial action potential duration leading to a reduction in the QT interval and transmural dispersion of repolarization, and suppressed early afterdepolarization. However, high concentration of verapamil caused a significant decrease in both myocardial effective refractory period (ERP) and post-repolarization refractoriness (PRR), which facilitated TdP in the LQT2 model. Our findings indicate a therapeutic role of verapamil in the management of LQT2 patients. However, an inappropriate dose of verapamil may offset beneficial effects by excessively shortening the ERP and PRR to increase the myocardial excitability.

Oxidative stress is closely related to the pathogenesis of ischemic stroke. Protocatechualdehyde (PCA) is a phenolic acid compound that has the putative antioxidant activities. The present study was aimed to investigate the molecular mechanisms involved in the antioxidative effect of PCA against cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. The experiment stroke model was produced in Sprague-Dawley rats via middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). To model ischemia-like conditions in vitro, differentiated SH-SY5Y cells were exposed to transient oxygen and glucose deprivation (OGD). Treatment with PCA significantly improved neurologic score, reduced infarct volume and necrotic neurons, and also decreased reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE), and 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) contents at 24 h after reperfusion. Meanwhile, PCA significantly increased the transcription nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) expressions in the ischemic cerebral cortex as shown by immunofluorescence staining and Western blot analysis. In vitro experiment showed that PCA protected differentiated SH-SY5Y cells against OGD-induced injury. Likewise, PCA also increased markedly the Nrf2 and HO-1 expressions in a dose-dependent manner. The neuroprotection effect of PCA was abolished by knockdown of Nrf2 and HO-1. Moreover, knockdown of protein kinase Cε (PKCε) also blocked PCA-induced Nfr2 nuclear translocation, HO-1 expression, and neuroprotection. Taken together, these results provide evidences that PCA can protect against cerebral ischemia-reperfusion-induced oxidative injury, and the neuroprotective effect involves the PKCε/Nrf2/HO-1 pathway.

Traditional Chinese medicines, including Radix Salvia miltiorrhiza (SM) and Lignum Dalbergia odorifera (DO) extracts, have historically been used to treat myocardial ischemia and other cardiovascular diseases. The volatile oil of DO (DOO) is one of the main components of DO. The aim of the present study was to assess the cardioprotective effects and possible underlying mechanisms of SM-DOO in pigs with ameroid constriction-induced chronic myocardial ischemia. An ameroid constrictor was placed around the left anterior descending coronary artery of pigs to induce chronic myocardial ischemia. At weeks 2, 6 and 8, myocardial injury markers and blood gas levels were detected. At week 8, coronary angiography, echocardiography and hemodynamics analysis were performed to evaluate myocardial function. Following sacrifice, myocardial tissue was collected and subjected to morphological, histopathological and apoptosis assays. Western blotting was used to detect the protein expression of Bcl-2 associated X (Bax), Bcl-2, Akt, phosphorylated (p)-Akt, glycogen synthase kinase (GSK)-3β and p-GSK-3β. It was revealed that SM-DOO treatment following chronic myocardial ischemia significantly downregulated the expression of myocardial injury markers, ameliorated myocardial oxygen consumption, increased collateralization, reduced regional cardiac dysfunction and limited the extent of myocardial damage. Furthermore, the results of an apoptosis assay revealed that the apoptosis rate was decreased, the expression of Bax decreased and Bcl-2 increased, and the ratio of Bcl-2/Bax was increased. Further experiments indicated that treatment with SM-DOO increased the phosphorylation of Akt and GSK-3β. These findings suggest that SM-DOO treatment ameliorates myocardial injury in a chronic myocardial ischemia model, and that the underlying mechanisms responsible may be associated with the activation of the Akt/GSK-3β signal pathway. Thus, experimental evidence that SM-DOO may be an effective drug for the prevention and treatment of chronic myocardial ischemia in clinical applications has been provided.

The interleukin (IL)‐6/glycoprotein (GP)130/signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT)3 pathway is emerging as a target for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma. IL‐6 binds to IL‐6R, forming a binary complex, which further combines with GP130 to transduce extracellular signaling by activating STAT3. Therefore, blocking the interaction between IL‐6 and GP130 may inhibit the IL‐6/GP130/STAT3 signaling pathway and its biological effects. It has been reported that bazedoxifene acetate (BAZ), a selective estrogen receptor modulator approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, could inhibit IL‐6/GP130 protein‐protein interactions. Western blot, immunofluorescence staining, wound healing and colony formation assays were used to detect the effect of BAZ on liver cancer cells. Cell viability was evaluated by MTT assay. Apoptosis of cells was determined using the Annexin V‐FITC detection kit. Mouse xenograft tumor models were utilized to evaluate the effect of BAZ in vivo. Our data showed that BAZ inhibited STAT3 phosphorylation (P‐STAT3) and expression of STAT3 downstream genes, inducing apoptosis in liver cancer cells. BAZ inhibited P‐STAT3 induced by IL‐6, but not by leukemia inhibitory factor. BAZ inhibited P‐STAT1 and P‐STAT6 less significantly as elicited by interferon‐α, interferon‐γ and IL‐4. In addition, pretreatment of BAZ impeded the translocation of STAT3 to nuclei induced by IL‐6. BAZ inhibited cell viability, wound healing and colony formation in vitro. Furthermore, tumor growth in HEPG2 mouse xenografts were significantly inhibited by daily intragastric gavage of BAZ. Our results suggest that BAZ inhibited the growth of hepatocellular carcinoma in vitro and in vivo, indicating another potential strategy for HCC prevention and therapy.

Graphene oxide aerogel (GOA) was prepared to serve as catalyst support for Pt nanoparticles for methanol electro-oxidation. Analyses by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were conducted to physically characterize the Pt/GOA catalyst. The results show that Pt/GOA has a 3D macroporous structure, which can not only accelerate mass transfer but also provide a larger efficient surface area for methanol oxidation. The results of electrochemical tests reveal that Pt/GOA has an electrochemical surface area as large as 95.5 m 2 g −1 , and its peak current density toward methanol oxidation is as high as 876 mA mg −1 Pt .

Display Omitted Aniline was used to form nitrogen-doped carbon layer on graphene nanosheets.Aggregation between graphene nanosheets was hindered.Electrochemical surface area of the catalyst is largely increased.Better catalytic activity and stability of Pt nanoparticles were achieved. In this paper, we utilize aniline to form nitrogen-doped carbon layer (NCL) to modify graphene nanosheets, which serve as the support of Pt nanoparticles for direct methanol fuel cell. NCL is expected to prevent the agglomeration between graphene nanosheets, leading to better performances of the catalyst. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) tests were performed to characterize physical properties of the prepared catalysts and cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry were conducted for the electrochemical activities and stabilities toward methanol electrooxidation. The results show that the aggregation between separated graphene sheets was reduced by the NCL, leading to better dispersion of Pt nanoparticles on the graphene nanosheets. This improvement makes Pt catalyst give better activity and stability toward methanol electrooxidation.

Ethnopharmacological relevance As a well-known traditional Chinese medicine the root bark of Aralia taibaiensis has traditionally been used as the medicine considered alleviating several disorders including diabetes mellitus (DM). Chikusetsu saponin IVa (CHS) has been defined as a major active ingredient of triterpenoid saponins extracted from Aralia taibaiensis. The scientific evidence of anti-diabetic effect for CHS remains unknown and the purpose of our study was to study its hypoglycemic and insulin secretagogue activities. Materials and methods In vivo studies were performed on type 2 diabetic mellitus (T2DM) rats given CHS for 28 days to test the antihyperglycemic activity. The in vitro effects and possible mechanisms of CHS on the insulin secretion in pancreatic β-cell line βTC3 were determined. Results Oral administration of CHS dose-dependently increased the level of serum insulin and decreased the rise in blood glucose level in an in vivo treatment. In vitro, CHS potently stimulated the release of insulin from βTC3 cells at both basal and stimulatory glucose concentrations, the effect which was changed by the removal of extracellular Ca2+. Two methods showed that CHS enhanced the intracellular calcium levels in βTC3 cells. CHS was capable of enhancing the phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated protein kinases C (PKC), which could be reversed by a PKC inhibitor (RO320432), and the insulin secretion induced by CHS was also inhibited by RO320432. Further study also showed that the insulinotropic effect, intracellular calcium levels and the phosphorylation of PKC were reduced by inhibiting G protein-coupled receptor 40 (GPR40) by a GPR40 inhibitor (DC126026). Conclusion These observations suggest that the signaling of CHS-induced insulin secretion from βTC3 cells via GPR40 mediated calcium and PKC pathways and thus CHS might be developed into a new potential for therapeutic agent used in T2DM patients.

Patients with type 2 diabetes have increased cardiovascular disease risk compared with those without diabetes. Hyperglycemia can induce reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, which contributes to the development of diabetic cardiomyopathy. Our previous study has demonstrated that the total saponins of Aralia taibaiensis (sAT), a frequently-used antidiabetic medicine in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), can scavenge free radicals in vitro and have good anti-oxidant ability on lipid peroxidation of rat liver microsomes. This work was designed to investigate whether sAT could protect the heart while it was used in the treatment of diabetes. Oxidative stress was induced in H9c2 cells by high glucose (33 mM) and glucose oxidase (15 mU, G/GO) and the protective effects of sAT were evaluated. Treatment of H9c2 cells with G/GO resulted in an increase in cell death, intracellular ROS level and cell oxidative injury, which were markedly reduced by sAT treatment. Further study revealed that sAT induced the nuclear translocation of Nrf2 and expression of its downstream targets. Moreover, Nrf2 siRNA markedly abolished the cytoprotective effects of sAT. sAT exerted cytoprotective effects against oxidative stress induced by hyperglycemia and the cardioprotective effects of sAT might be through the Nrf2/ARE pathway. Thus, sAT might be a promising candidate for the treatment of diabetic cardiomyopathy.