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The main aim of this study is to analyze antioxidant properties of Polygonatum odoratum fermented with bacteria, fungi and yeast. Antioxidant activities (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging, hydroxyl radical scavenging, and anti-lipid peroxidation abilities) were assessed in samples of flavones isolated from fermented P. odoratum (Mill.) druce samples. Fermentations using Lactobacillus, yeast and Aspergillus were investigated. Results showed that the antioxidant ability of Polygonatum odoratum flavones was decreased by the fermentation of Lactobacillus and yeast. Aspergillus niger fermentation improved the antioxidant ability of P. odoratum flavones. In this study, effective antioxidant activity was achieved in flavones fermented with Aspergillus niger than yeast and Lactobacillus species.

Recent years have witnessed the growing popularity of deep eutectic solvents (DESs) in the extraction of functional components. As a novel green alternative to organic reagents, DESs are environmentally friendly, non-toxic, inexpensive, and biodegradable. In the present study, tailor-made DESs were prepared and applied for the first time to extract flavonoids from rhizomes of Polygonatum odoratum. We also investigated the extraction process, extraction efficiency, and solvent recovery efficiency. The response surface methodology (RSM) was adopted to optimise total flavonoid extraction, and the DES was recovered through macroporous resin adsorption. The results show that the DES synthesised by choline chloride and lactic acid at a molar ratio of 1:2 was the most suitable extraction medium. Extraction conditions were optimised as follows: extraction temperature of 51 °C, DES water content of 27%, liquid–solid ratio of 22 mL/g, and extraction time of 21 min. Under these conditions, the extraction rate of total flavonoids reached 11.47 mg/g, close to that of the heat reflux extraction (HRE) with organic solvents. The adsorption and desorption experiments of flavonoids on three types of macroporous resins (HPD826, D101, and AB8) were carried out, and D101 showed higher adsorption/desorption capacities, successively followed by AB8 and HPD826. The extraction rate of the recycled DES reached 10.78 mg/g, putting the reuse rate at 93.98%. In conclusion, the developed DES combined with macroporous resin enrichment can be an alternative method for green and efficient extraction of bioactive flavonoids from plant materials.

Supercapacitors are widely used in power reserves and portable power devices because of their rapid charge and discharge rates and excellent cycle performance. Carbon materials have the characteris...

Polygonatum odoratum (Mill.) Druce (POD) is a natural plant widely used for food and medicine, thanks to its rich content of a strong antioxidant agent called homoisoflavones. However, food processing methods could affect the stability of POD flavones, resulting in changes to their antioxidant activity. This study attempts to evaluate the antioxidant activity of POD flavones subject to different processing methods and determines which method could preserve the antioxidant activity of POD flavones. Therefore, flavones were extracted from POD samples, which had been treated separately with one of the four processing methods: extrusion, baking, high-pressure treatment, and yeast fermentation. After that, the antioxidant activity of the flavones was subject to in vivo tests in zebrafish embryos. The results show that yeast fermentation had the least disruption to the antioxidant activity of POD flavones, making it the most suitable food processing method for POD. By contrast, extrusion and high-pressure treatment both slightly weakened the antioxidant activity of the flavones and should be avoided in food processing. The research results provide a reference for the development and utilization of POD and the protection of its biological activity.

Phytolacca americana var. huadongensis is described and illustrated as a new taxon from eastern China. This new variety differs from P. americana var. americana and var. rigida by the pendulous or arciform thyrsoid inflorescences and infructescences. This new taxon is also morphologically similar to P. sanguinea and P. thyrsiflora, from which can be distinguished by both the pendulous inflorescence (P. sanguinea and P. thyrsiflora have erect thyrsoid inflorescences), and the 10(11)-carpellate gynoecia (vs. 9-carpellate gynoecia in P. sanguinea and 6–9-carpellate gynoecia in P. thyrsiflora).

Phytolacca yunnanensis is described and illustrated as a new species from Yunnan Province, China. This new species is characterized by the distinctive dense translucent multicellular trichomes along the peduncles, raches, and pedicels of both racemose inflorescences and infructescences. These translucent multicellular trichomes, which were revealed by using stereomicroscope and SEM, represents the first discovery in the genus Phytolacca. P. yunnanensis resembles P. acinosa in sharing the free carpels, but differs by the 4-5-carpellate gynoecia. P. yunnanensis is also similar to P. exiensis by the number of carpels, but can be easily distinguished from the latter in having free carpels.

Due to the advantages of narrow energy distribution of plasmonic hot-electrons in Ag and the high density of states in the TiO2 conduction band, an Ag/TiO2 composite is considered to be an ideal combination to construct a plasmonic hot-electron photodetector with high detectivity and a high response speed. In this work, we fabricate a porous Ag/TiO2-Schottky-diode based plasmonic hot-electron photodetector. This detector shows a high detectivity of 9.8 × 1010 cmHz1/2/W and a fast response speed, with a rise and fall time of 112 μs and 24 μs, respectively, under 450 nm light illumination at zero bias voltage. In addition, the height of the Ag/TiO2 Schottky barrier can be decreased by removing the chemisorbed oxygen from the surface of TiO2 with ultraviolet light illumination, and as a result, the responsivity of the Ag/TiO2 plasmonic hot-electron photodetector at 450 nm can increase from 3.4 mA/W to 7.4 mA/W.

Five new Zn(II) coordination polymers, {[Zn2(HBPO)2(phen)2(H2O)2]·H2O}n (1), [Zn2(BPO)(H2BPO)(phen)4]·2(H2BPO)·4H2O (2), {[Zn(HBPO)(4,4′-bipy)0.5]·H2O}n (3), [Zn(HBPO)(dpe)0.5]n (4) and {[Zn2(HBPO)2(dpp)]·H2O}n (5), constructed from mixed ligand; bis(4-carboxylphenyl)phosphinic acid (H3BPO) and N-donor pyridine ligands (phen, 4,4′-bipy, dpe and dpp), have been synthesized and characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction, IR spectroscopy and elemental analyses. Intermolecular hydrogen bonds, π- π interaction and other intermolecular interaction are effective in stabilization of the crystal structure of these supramolecular complexes. The thermal stability and luminescence properties of compounds 1–5 in the solid state were studied too.

Five new cadmium(II) coordination polymers [Cd(HPBO)(2,2′-bipy)]n (C1), (H3PBO = 4,4′-(hydroxyphosphoryl)dibenzoic acid, 2,2′-bipy = 2,2′-bipyridine), [Cd(HPBO)(phen)]n (C2), (phen = 1,10-phenanthroline), [Cd(HPBO)(4,4′-bipy)0.5]n (C3) (4,4′-bipy = 4,4′-bipyridine), [Cd(HPBO)(dpe)0.5]n (C4), (dpe = 1,2-di(pyridin-4-yl)ethene), [Cd2(HPBO)2(dpp)]n (C5), (dpp = 1,3-di(pyridin-4-yl)propane) were synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, IR spectroscopy and single crystal X-ray diffraction. The thermal stabilities and luminescence properties of compounds C1–C5 were investigated. The N-donor ligands influence the coordination mods of the Cd(II) centers and dimensionality of the structures and H3PBO accept either bridging and chelating modes. C2 exhibits a 3-connected 2D network of a hcb topology with a point symbol of (63). C3 and C4 show the same unprecedented (4, 10)-connected 3D network with a point symbol of (412·511·618·73·8)(46)2. C5 presents a (4, 10)-connected 3D network of a deh1 topology with a point symbol of (3·45)2(34·412·510·614·73·82).

Human enterovirus 68 (EV68) is a primary etiological agent for respiratory illnesses, while no effective drug has yet used in clinics largely because the pathogenesis of EV68 is not clear. DNA damage response (DDR) responds to cellular DNA breaks and is also involved in viral replication. Three DDR pathways includes ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM), ATM and Rad3-related (ATR), and DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK). Natural products proved to be an excellent source for the discovery and isolation of novel antivirals. Among them, tanshinone IIA, resveratrol, silibinin, rutin and quercetin are reported to target DDR, therefore their roles in anti-EV68 are investigated in this study.This study investigated the anti-EV68 ability of various natural compounds related to DDR.The methods include cell counting, flow cytometry, western blot, Immunofluorescence staining, comet assays, quantitative real-time RT PCR and short interfering RNAs (siRNAs) for analysis of cell number, cell cycle, protein expression, protein location, DNA damage, mRNA level and knock down target gene, respectively.EV68 infection induced DDR. Down-regulation or inhibition of ATM or DNA-PK lowered DDR in EV68-infected cells and mitigated viral protein expression, however, down-regulation or inhibition of ATR unexpectedly up-regulated DDR, and promoted viral protein expression. Meanwhile tanshinone IIA, resveratrol, and silibinin inhibited ATM and/or DNA-PK activation and decreased viral proliferation, while rutin and quercetin inhibited ATR activation and promoted viral production. The role of them in ATM, DNA-PK and ATR activation was consistent with previous reports.Tanshinone IIA, resveratrol and silibinin inhibited EV68 proliferation through inhibiting ATM and/or DNA-PK activation, and they were effective anti-EV68 candidates.

In this paper, we fabricate ordered pore array (OPA) Ag film coated glass with the aid of polystyrene sphere (PS) array templates. This kind of OPA Ag coated glass has optical advantages of visible transparency, blue and near-infrared resistance. The average visible transmittance is 68%, including a transmission peak of 78% located at 570 nm, and low average transmittance of 48% in the blue light region that is not damaging to the eyes. The near-infrared light blocking rate is 67%, among which 40% light is reflected directly, indicating the reflection domination.

Targeting neuroinflammatory disturbances has been acknowledged as a potential strategy for treatment of depressive disorder in humans. Over-activation of tryptophan-degrading pathway by pro-inflammatory cytokines resulted in N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA)-mediated excitotoxicity, which is implicated in pathophysiology of depression. Gentiopicroside (Gent) has powerful anti-inflammatory property and exhibits promising antidepressant effect in an animal model of pain/depression dyad by down-regulating GluN2B-containing NMDA receptors. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the ability of Gent to abolish depressive-like behavior induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in mice. Acute administration of LPS (0.5 mg/kg, i.p.) increased immobility time in both forced swimming test (FST) and tail suspension test (TST) without affecting spontaneous locomotor activity, indicative of depressive-like behavior. Gent (50 mg/kg, i.p.) administered once a day for three consecutive days prevented the development of depressive-like behavior induced by LPS. The antidepressant-like effect was paralleled with restoration of LPS-induced alterations in brain inflammatory mediators (i.e. IL-1β and TNF-α). In addition, Gent prevented over-activation of indoleamine 2,3-double oxygen enzyme (IDO) and recovered GluN2B subunit expression in the PFC challenged by LPS. In conclusion, our results suggested that Gent pretreatment provided protection against LPS-induced depressive-like behavior and the effect appeared to be demonstrated, at least partially, by blocking various steps of tryptophan-degrading pathway.

Objective To observe the differences in analgesic effect of moxibustion at different intervention times on dysmenorrhea rats and explore its effect mechanism. Methods Forty-five female Wistar rats were randomly divided into blank control group (group A), model group (group B), pre-moxibustion group (group C), instant moxibustion group (group D) and pre-instant moxibustion group (group E), with 9 rats in each group. Cold-damp coagulation and stagnation type dysmenorrhea models were established. In group C, mild moxibustion on “Shenque (神阙 CV 8) ” and “Guānyuan (关元 CV 4)” was carried out from the time after modeling on the 8th day for 3 consecutive days. In group D, mild moxibustion was given as the same methods with group C after injection with oxytocin on the 11th day. In group E, mild moxibustion was given as the same methods from the time after modeling on the 8th day to that after injection with oxytocin on the 11th day for 4 consecutive days. The writhing behavior and the changes in levels of ET-1 and NO in uterine tissues of rats with dysmenorrhea in each group were observed. Results Comparison of the latent period: compared with (4.38 ± 1.06) min in group B, the latent period of rats in group C (9.67 ± 1.32) min, group D (11.78 ± 1.30) min and group E (15.00 ± 1.22) min obviously prolonged (all p Conclusion The analgesic effect of mild moxibustion at different intervention times on cold-damp coagulation and stagnation type dysmenorrhea rats was different, which was the most significant in pre-instant moxibustion group. One of the mechanisms of action may be related with the adjustment of abnormal levels of ET-1 and NO.

Two Cd(II) coordination polymers constructed from tris(p-carboxylphenyl)phosphine oxide (H3TPO), [Cd(HTPO)(1,4-bix)·3H2O]n (1) and [Cd2(HTPO)(HBPO)(H2O)2]n (2) (1,4-bix = 1,4-bis(imidazol-1-ylmethy...

This report preliminarily evaluates the efficacy and safety of cladribine, cytarabine, mitoxantrone, and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (CLAG-M) as bridging therapy to myeloablative allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT) in the treatment of patients with refractory or relapsed acute myeloid leukemia. Five patients with high-risk refractory or relapsed acute myeloid leukemia received the CLAG-M regimen and subsequent bridging to myeloablative allo-HCT between December 2014 and August 2015 in our hospital. The CLAG-M regimen consisted of cladribine 5 mg/m2 on days 1-5, cytarabine 2 g/m2 on days 1-5, granulocyte-colony stimulating factor 300 μg on days 0-5, and mitoxantrone 10 mg on days 1-5. At 3-8 days after CLAG-M, patients accepted myeloablative allo-HCTs. One patient (20%) died before stem cell infusion from treatment toxicity. Four patients (80%) underwent allo-HCT from matched sibling or haploidentical donors and all achieved complete remission. The median follow-up was 25 months (range, 22-31). Three patients (60%) survived, and 1 patient (20%) died owing to relapse 22 months after transplantation. Two patients (40%) among survivors achieved 2-year disease-free survival. The other survivor, who had survived for 31 months, experienced isolated central nervous system relapse 4 months after transplantation, but was cured by intrathecal injecting and cranial radiotherapy. CLAG-M bridging to myeloablative allo-HCT might be a well-tolerated and highly effective salvage regimen in patients with poor risk refractory or relapsed acute myeloid leukemia.

BackgroundSickle cell disease (SCD) is one of the most common genetic blood disorders. Identifying pathway aberrance in an individual SCD contributes to the understanding of disease pathogenesis and the promotion of personalized therapy. Here we proposed an individualized pathway aberrance method to identify the disturbed pathways in SCD.MethodsBased on the transcriptome data and pathway data, an individualized pathway aberrance method was implemented to identify the altered pathways in SCD, which contained four steps: data preprocessing, gene-level statistics, pathway-level statistics, and significant analysis. The changed percentage of altered pathways in SCD individuals was calculated, and a differentially expressed gene (DEG)-based pathway enrichment analysis was performed to validate the results.ResultsWe identified 618 disturbed pathways between normal and SCD conditions. Among them, 6 pathways were altered in > 80% SCD individuals. Meanwhile, forty-six DEGs were identified between normal and SCD conditions, and were enriched in heme biosynthesis. Relative to DEG-based pathway analysis, the new method presented richer results and more extensive application.ConclusionThis study predicted several disturbed pathways via detecting pathway aberrance on a personalized basis. The results might provide new sights into the pathogenesis of SCD and facilitate the application of custom treatment for SCD.

Single-molecule magnets in cobalt clusters is much less well known than it is in manganese(II)/(III)/(IV) clusters. To explore new types of cobalt clusters and their potential applications, a new mixed valence coordination polymer ([Co(III)3Co(II)2(mba)6(Hdtba) (H2O)4]n, H2dtba=2,2’-dithiodibenzoic acid, H2mba=2-mercaptobenzoic acid) (1) is constructed by employing cobalt chloride hexahydrate and H2mba as starting reactants under hydrothermal conditions. Single-crystal XRD studies indicate that 1 consists of a trinuclear cobalt(III)-sulfur cluster moiety and two discrete cobalt(II) nodes, which result in the formation of a covalent three-dimensional complex network. Similarly, the cobalt(III) cluster moiety acts as a building unit in this infinite coordination polymer 1 instead of the discrete and tiara-like clusters previously reported in the literature. Magnetic studies show its slow magnetic relaxation in the absence of an applied dc field, which is characteristic behavior of single-ion magnets, caused by the individual Co(II) ions.

To observe the effects of moxibustion at different times on prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α) and arginine vasopressin (AVP), in the uterine tissues of rats with dysmenorrhea due to cold-dampness retention, and to explore the differences and possible mechanisms of moxibustion at different times in easing pain in dysmenorrhea due to cold-dampness retention. Forty-three female Wistar rats were randomly divided into a blank control group (n=7), a model group (n=9), a pre-moxibustion group (n=9), an immediate-moxibustion group (n=9) and a pre-moxibustion plus immediatemoxibustion group (n=9). Rat models of primary dysmenorrhea due to cold-dampness retention were established using (0±1) °C ice water immersion method combined with injection of estradiol benzoate for 10 d, followed by injection of oxytocin on the 11th day. Rats in the 3 intervention groups received moxibustion to Shenque (CV 8) and Guanyuan (CV 4), 10 min for each acupoint, once a day. Rats in pre-moxibustion group were given mild moxibustion, beginning on the 8th day during modeling, for 3 continuous days; rats in immediate-moxibustion group were given one time mild moxibustion, immediately after injection of oxytocin on the 11th day during modeling; rats in pre-moxibustion plus immediate-moxibustion group were given mild moxibustion, beginning on the 8th day during modeling till immediately after injection of oxytocin on the 11th day during modeling, for 4 continuous days. The level of PGF2α in the rat uterine tissues was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and the levels of PGE2 and AVP in rat uterine tissues were measured by radioimmunoassay. Compared with the blank control group, the levels of PGF2α and AVP, the PGF2α/PGE2 ratio in the model group were significantly increased (P

Objective To explore the effect of moxibustion at “Shenque” ( CV 8) on the immune system of rats taking long-term exhaustive exercise. Method Thirty male SD rats were randomly divided into blank group, model group and moxibustion group with 10 rats in each group. Except the rats in blank group, all the rats were established into long-term exhaustive models through swimming again and again. Mild moxibustion at CV 8 for 15 min was carried out in the rats in moxibustion group after modeling. The treatment was conducted once every other day, and treatment for 10 times was needed. The exhaustive duration for each time was recorded, the levels of serum IgA, IgG, IgM and ACP were detected 24 h after the 10th exhaustive exercise, and the histomorphological changes of spleen were observed. Immunoturbidimetry was adopted for detecting the IgA level, and ELISA method was used for detecting the levels of IgG, IgM and ACP. Results The common exhaustive duration in moxibustion group was longer than that in model group, however, the time difference was statistically significant after the 5th exhaustive exercise ( P P P P Conclusion Moxibustion at CV 8 can improve the levels of immunoglobulin (IgG, IgA, IgM) of tired body for a long time, decrease the ACP level, and repair the damaged spleen tissues.

Objective To observe the effect of instant moxibustion on the levels of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), prostaglandin F2α (PGE2α) and arginine vasopressin (AVP) in the uterine tissues of dismenorrhea rats with cold-damp congealing and stagnation type and to explore its possible mechanism. Methods Female Wistar rats were randomly divided into blank group, model group, herble medicine group, pre-moxibustion group and instant moxibustion group, with 9 rats in each group. Cold-damp congealing and stagnation type primary dismenorrhea models were established by adopting (0±1)°C ice water-extraction method combined with estradiol benzoate injection method. After modeling on the 8th day, in herble medicine group, Tongjingbao granules was given to the rats by intragastric administration. In pre-moxibustion group, mild moxibustion was carried out at “Shenque” ( CV 8) and “Guānyuan” ( CV 4) of the rats for 10 min at each acupoint. In instant moxibustion group, moxibustion as that in pre-moxibustion group was conducted for once after injection with oxytocin on the 11th day. ELISA was adopted to detect the levels of PGE2 and PGE2α in the uterine tissues of rats, and radioimmunoassay was used for detection of AVP level in the uterine tissues of rats. Results Compared with the model group, the latent period of rats in herbal medicine group, pre-moxibustion group and instant moxibustion group obviously prolonged, the number of times of torsion reduced, and the total score of torsion decreased (P Conclusion Both pre-moxibustion and instant moxibustion can obviously inhibit spasmodic uterine smooth muscle contraction of rats with dismenorrhea, regulate imbalanced levels of PGE2α and PGE2, reduce the AVP level, so as to improve the uterine hypoxia-ischemia, and play a role in alleviating pain. The efficacy of instant moxibustion was superior to that of pre-moxibustion.

Background: The objective of the present study was to evaluate the role of the TGFβ/PDCD4/AP-1 pathway in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and its relationship to NPC prognosis. Methods: NPC tissues collected from 66 NPC patients were compared to 17 nasopharyngeal mucosa biopsy specimens collected as normal tissues. Immunohistochemical staining was performed to assess expression of transforming growth factor-β receptor I (TGFβRI), programmed cell death 4 (PDCD4) and activator protein-1 (AP-1). The Kaplan-Meier method was applied to evaluate NPC patient overall survival (OS) and progression-free-survival (PFS). Cox regression analysis was used to estimate independent prognostic factors for NPC. The human NPC cell line CNE2 was selected and treated with SB431542, an inhibitor of TGFβRI; expression of TGFβRI and PDCD4 in CNE2 cells was determined by western blotting. NPC tissues showed higher expression of TGFβRI and AP-1 but lower expression of PDCD4 than normal tissues (all P < 0.05). Results: The results of Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that TGFβRI-positive patients and AP-1-positive patients had shorter OS and PFS than TGFβRI-negative patients and AP-1-negative patients; additionally, PDCD4-positive patients had higher OS and PFS than PDCD4-negative patients. Cox regression analysis revealed that advanced tumor stage, overexpression of TGFβRI and AP-1, and low expression of PDCD4 were unfavorable factors influencing OS and PFS in NPC patients. Compared with the control group, expression of TGFβRI decreased and that of PDCD4 increased significantly in CNE2 cells treated with the inhibitor (all P < 0.05). These findings indicate that the TGFβ/PDCD4/AP-1 pathway may be associated with NPC development and progression. Conclusion: High expression of TGFβRI and AP-1 and low expression of PDCD4 may be unfavorable prognostic factors for NPC.

Single-material electrodes do not satisfy the demands of high-performance supercapacitors. Thus, to exploit the advantages of both oxides and carbon-based materials, a tightly packed Co3O4/C&S nanocomposite was fabricated by sintering a tightly packed cobalt(III) cluster-based coordination precursor at 400 ​°C. The coordination precursor, composites, and basic components were characterized, and the uniform nanocomposite was found to be composed of Co3O4 nanoparticles, incompletely carbonized C, and incompletely vulcanized S. When used as a supercapacitor electrode, the synthesized composite exhibited an exceptional electrochemical performance. More specifically, as the current density was increased from 0.5 to 10 Ag−1, 85.3% of the specific capacitance was retained. Moreover, >99.7% of the original specific capacitance was maintained after cycling for 20,000 cycles. This outstanding electrochemical performance was attributed to the highly stable electrode structure. These results indicate that a supercapacitor with electrodes composed of the as-prepared Co3O4/C&S composite show potential for use in commercial applications.

This study was designed to explore the effect and mechanism of miR-206/miR-613 on the expression of OATP1B1 gene. Bioinformatic analysis was used to predict the potential miRNAs target sites in 3’-untranslated region (3’-UTR) of OATP1B1 mRNA. The expression level of miR-206/miR-613 and OATP1B1 mRNA and protein was determined with RT-qPCR and Western blot, respectively. Luciferase assay was used to explore the exact mechanism of the effect of miR-206/miR-613 on the expression of OATP1B1 mRNA and protein. The results showed that the seed sequences of miR-206/miR-613 has perfect complementary with 3’-UTR of OATP1B1 mRNA in terms of sequence specificity. The secondary structure between miR-206/ miR-613 and 3’-UTR of OATP1B1 mRNA was rather stable. The OATP1B1 protein level was down-regulated by 24.7%, 38.8% by overexpression of miR-206/miR-613. The expression was up-regulated by 25%, 38.2% by inhibition of miR-206/miR-613. However, overexpression or inhibition of miR-206/miR-613 had no effect on the expression of OATP1B1 mRNA. The luciferase activity of p MIR/OATP1B1-WT luciferase reporter gene was decreased by 35% and 30% through overexpression of miR-206/miR-613. The expression was increased by 33.1% and 32.5% through inhibition of miR-206/miR-613. When the binding sites in the 3’-UTR of OATP1B1 mRNA complementary with miR-206/miR-613 was mutated, overexpression or inhibition of miR-206/miR-613 had no effect on the luciferase activity. Collectively, miR-206/miR-613 post-transcriptionally regulates the expression of OATP1B1 protein by directly targeting the 3’-UTR of OATP1B1 mRNA.

Gout and hyperuricemia are highly prevalent metabolic diseases caused by high level of uric acid. Amino acids (AAs) involve in various biochemical processes including the biosynthesis of uric acid. However, the role of AAs in discriminating gout from hyperuricemia remains unknown. Here, we report that the plasma AAs profile can distinguish acute gout (AG) from asymptomatic hyperuricemia (AHU). We established an LC-MS/MS-based method to measure the plasma AAs without derivatization for the AG and AHU patients, and healthy controls. We found that the plasma profiling of AAs separated the AG patients from AHU patients and controls visually in both principal component analysis and orthogonal partial least-squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) models. In addition, L-isoleucine, L-lysine, and L-alanine were suggested as the key mediators to distinguish the AG patients from AHU and control groups based on the S-plot analysis and variable importance in the projection values in the OPLS-DA models, volcano plot, and the receiver operating characteristic curves. In addition, the saturation of monosodium urate in the AA solutions at physiologically mimic status supported the changes in plasma AAs facilitating the precipitation of monosodium urate. This study suggests that L-isoleucine, L-lysine, and L-alanine could be the potential markers to distinguish the AG from AHU when the patients have similar blood levels of uric acid, providing new strategies for the prevention, treatment, and management of acute gout.

The mortality and incidence rates of colorectal cancer (CRC) vary widely worldwide. miR-338-3p inhibits tumor cell proliferation in several types of cancer, however, the role of miR-338-3p on CRC remains unknown. The aim of the current study was to investigate the cellular function of miRNA-338-3p (miR-338-3p) in CRC, the malignant behavior of CRC cells and the interaction between miR-338-3p and metastasis-associated in colon cancer-1 (MACC1). miR-338-3p expression was significantly decreased in CRC tissue compared with adjacent normal tissue. In the CRC cell line SW480, miR-338-3p overexpression suppressed cell proliferation and migration and induced G1/S cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. By contrast, miR-338-3p knockdown significantly enhanced cell proliferation and migration, and suppressed G1/S cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Furthermore, the dual-luciferase reporter assay confirmed MACC1 as a direct target of miR-338-3p. In addition, miR-338-3p overexpression reduced the level of MACC1 protein expression and MACC1 expression was significantly upregulated in CRC tissue samples. MACC1 siRNA significantly reduced CRC cell proliferation and migration, whilst cell apoptosis was significantly increased. In conclusion, miR-338-3p expression was decreased in CRC. miR-338-3p regulated the proliferation, apoptosis and migration of CRC cells by targeting MACC1.

Background Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a hepatotropic DNA virus, and its DNA may be a potent inflammatory molecule. Interferon-inducible protein 16 (IFI16), a newly discovered DNA sensor, plays an important role in the process of inflammation in viral infections. Our study sought to identify a correlation between IFI16 expression and inflammation in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and HBV-associated acute-on-chronic liver failure (HBV-ACLF). Methods We performed flow cytometry to measure IFI16 levels in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and used immunohistochemistry and western blotting to measure IFI16 protein levels in liver tissues. The cellular source of IFI16 was detected using double immunofluorescence. All datum were analyzed using SPSS 13.0 and GraphPad Prism 6. Results The number of IFI16+ cells was significantly associated with the degree of inflammation. In detail, the number of IFI16+ cells was higher in livers but lower in PBMCs in HBV-ACLF patients than those in CHB patients and healthy controls. There was no significant difference between CHB patients and healthy controls in numbers of IFI6+ cells in livers and PBMCs. There was no significant relationship between IFI16 expression levels and HBV parameters. Furthermore, IFI16 was expressed in the nucleus of Kupffer cells (KCs), endothelial cells, natural killer cells, dendritic cells, and hepatic stellate cells in healthy donors and CHB patients, but only in the cytoplasm of KCs in the livers of HBV-ACLF patients. Conclusions IFI16 was closely related to the degree of inflammation in CHB and HBV-ACLF patients and may serve as a vital contributor to the pathogeneses of liver damage in HBV-ACLF.