Eccrine sweat glands (ESGs) perform critical functions in temperature regulation in humans. Foxa1 plays an important role in ESG maturation and sweat secretion. Its molecular mechanism, however, remains unknown. This study investigated the expression of Foxa1 and Na-K-ATPase (NKA) in rat footpads at different development stages using immunofluorescence staining, qRT-PCR, and immunoblotting. Also, bioinformatics analysis and Foxa1 overexpression and silencing were employed to evaluate Foxa1 regulation of NKA. The results demonstrated that Foxa1 was consistently expressed during the late stages of ESGs and had a significant role in secretory coil maturation during sweat secretion. Furthermore, the mRNA abundance and protein expression of NKA had similar accumulation trends to those of Foxa1, confirming their underlying connections. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that Foxa1 may interact with these two proteins via binding to conserved motifs in their promoter regions. Foxa1 gain-of-function and loss-of-function experiments in Foxa1-modified cells demonstrated that the activities of NKA were dependent on the presence of Foxa1. Collectively, these data provided evidence that Foxa1 may influence ESG development through transcriptional regulation of NKA expression.

This study aimed to investigate the effect of WeChat-based education and rehabilitation program (WERP) on anxiety, depression, health-related quality of life (HRQoL), major adverse cardiac/cerebrovascular events (MACCE)-free survival, and loss to follow-up rate in unprotected left main coronary artery disease (ULMCAD) patients after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). In this randomized controlled study, 140 ULMCAD patients who underwent CABG were randomly assigned to WERP group (n=70) or control care (CC) group (n=70). During the 12-month intervention period, anxiety and depression (using hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS)) and HRQoL (using 12-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-12)) were assessed longitudinally. During the total 36-month follow-up period (12-month intervention and 24-month non-intervention periods), MACCE and loss to follow-up were recorded. During the intervention period, HADS-anxiety score at month 9 (M9) (P=0.047) and month 12 (M12) (P=0.034), anxiety rate at M12 (P=0.028), and HADS-D score at M12 (P=0.048) were all reduced in WERP group compared with CC group. As for HRQoL, SF-12 physical component summary score at M9 (P=0.020) and M12 (P=0.010) and SF-12 mental component summary score at M9 (P=0.040) and M12 (P=0.028) were all increased in WERP group compared with CC group. During the total follow-up period, WERP group displayed a trend of longer MACCE-free survival than that in CC group but without statistical significance (P=0.195). Additionally, loss to follow-up rate was attenuated in WERP group compared with CC group (P=0.033). WERP serves as an effective approach in optimizing mental health care and promoting life quality in ULMCAD patients after CABG.

Abstract Simazine was one of the most commonly used herbicides and was widely used to control broadleaf weeds in agriculture and forestry. Its widespread use had caused wide public concern for its high ecological toxicity. In order to remove simazine residues, 2 strains capable of effectively degrading simazine were isolated from the soil and named SIMA-N5 and SIMA-N9. SIMA-N5 was identified as Bacillus licheniformis by 16SrRNA sequence analysis, and SIMA-N9 was Bacillus altitudinis. According to the degradation ratio of simazine in a certain period of time, the degradation ability of different strains was evaluated. The degradation efficiency of simazine (5 mg/L) by SIMA-N9 could reach about 98% in 5d, and the strain SIMA-N5 could reach 94% under the same conditions. In addition, the addition of Pennisetum rhizosphere soil during the process of degrading simazine by strain SIMA-N9 could effectively improve the degradation efficiency. The strain SIMA-N9 has been developed as a microbial agent for the bioremediation of simazine contamination in soil. The new microbial agent developed by using SIMA-N9 has achieved satisfactory application effects. Based on the research results already obtained in this study, it was considered that strain SIMA-N9 and its live bacterial agent could play an important role in bioremediation of simazine pollution. This study could not only provide a set of solutions to the simazine pollution, but also provide a reference for the treatment of other pesticide pollution.

Atherosclerosis (AS) is a common vascular disease, which can cause apoptosis of vascular endothelial cells. Notoginsenoside R1 (NGR1) is considered an anti-AS drug. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are believed to play a vital role in cell apoptosis and angiogenesis. This study aimed to explore the mechanism of NGR1 for treating AS through miRNAs. Flow cytometry was used to detect the apoptosis rate. The levels of inflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-1β were detected using ELISA. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were measured using corresponding assay kits. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) assay was performed to detect miR-221-3p expression. Dual-luciferase reporter and RNA immunoprecipitation assays were carried out to examine the relationship between miR-221-3p and toll-like receptors 4 (TLR4). Also, western blot analysis was performed to determine the levels of TLR4 and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathway-related proteins. Oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) induced human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) apoptosis, inflammation, and oxidative stress. NGR1 alleviated the negative effect of ox-LDL through promoting the expression of miR-221-3p in HUVECs. TLR4 was a target of miR-221-3p, and its overexpression could reverse the inhibition effects of miR-221-3p on apoptosis, inflammation, and oxidative stress. NGR1 improved miR-221-3p expression to inhibit the activation of the TLR4/NF-κB pathway in ox-LDL-treated HUVECs. NGR1 decreased ox-LDL-induced HUVECs apoptosis, inflammation, and oxidative stress through increasing miR-221-3p expression, thereby inhibiting the activation of the TLR4/NF-κB pathway. This study of the mechanism of NGR1 provided a more theoretical basis for the treatment of AS.

This study explores the safety and effect of acute cerebral infarction treatment by microcatheter injection of tirofiban combined with a Solitaire AB stent and/or stent implantation. Emergency cerebral angiograms showing the responsible vascular occlusion of 120 acute cerebral infarction patients who underwent emergency endovascular thrombectomy were included in the study. These patients were randomly divided into two groups using the random number table method: treatment group (n=60) that received thrombectomy (with cerebral artery stents) combined with intracerebral injection of tirofiban and control group (n=60) that only received thrombectomy (with cerebral artery stents alone). The baseline data, cerebral angiography before and after surgery, hospitalization, and follow-up results of patients in these two groups were compared. Furthermore, the incidence of major adverse cerebrovascular events of these two groups was compared (90-day modified Rankin scale, a score of 0–2 indicates a good prognosis). The difference between baseline clinical data and brain angiography between these two groups was not statistically significant. Patients in the treatment group had a higher prevalence of thrombolysis in cerebral infarction grade 2b/3 than patients in the control group (88.3% (53/60) vs 66.7% (40/60), P=0.036). Moreover, the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale scores 7 days after surgery and the 90-day prognosis were all better for the patients who received tirofiban (P=0.048 and P=0.024). Mechanical thrombectomy with Solitaire AB stents in combination with the injection of tirofiban through a microcatheter appears to be safe and effective for the endovascular treatment of acute ischemic stroke.

Abstract We aimed to analyze the correlation between ABCG2 gene polymorphisms of 34 GG/(GA + AA) loci, 421 CC/(AC + AA) loci, and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) therapeutic effects via meta-analysis. With key words, the databases PubMed and EMBASE were searched for clinical studies on ABCG2 polymorphism and NSCLC. RR and 95% CIs were used to compute combined effects, followed by heterogeneity testing. Publication bias was examined using the funnel plot method. Review Manager 5.3 software was used for the meta-analysis. Ten studies were included. No evidence of heterogeneity exists in these studies. The results indicate that two polymorphic loci of ABCG2 gene (34 G>A, and 421 C>A) had no relationship with the curative effect of chemotherapy for NSCLC, except ABCG2 34G>A, which had a significant relationship with the skin toxicity complication. There was no significant relationship between these polymorphisms and complications (skin toxicity, diarrhea, interstitial pneumonia, liver dysfunction, and neutropenia). Begg’s test and Egger’s test indicated that there was no obvious publication bias. The meta-analysis indicated that there was no significant correlation between ABCG2 gene polymorphism and NSCLC outcomes.

Post-stroke depression (PSD) is a very common complication that leads to increased physical disability, poor functional outcome, and higher mortality. Therefore, early detection and treatment are very important. Since there are currently no specific guidelines for this disorder in China, the purpose of this study was to develop PSD guidelines and provide suggestions for clinicians and related workers.

ABSTRACT This study is to investigate the most efficient extractives of extracting oil recipe for stroke treatment and the protective effects on an oxygen and glucose deprivation model in PC12 cells. An orthogonal experimental design L9 (34) was carried out for oil recipe's optimization with supercritical CO2 fluid extraction. 2-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay were conducted to evaluate cell activity and indexes in the cell lysate. The result showed that the optimum extraction condition was 30 Mpa, 50 ºC, 100 min, the extracts were analyzed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry and among forty detected compounds 27 were identified, representing 80.86% of the total oil content. trans-Cinnamaldehyde (14.14%), piperine (9.32%), β-amyrin (6.79%), lupenone (6.28%), longifolene (6.07%), β-caryophyllene (5.21%), α-bisabolol (4.11%), and β-bisabolene (2.56%) were high mass fraction. Oil recipe could significantly attenuate PC12 cell damage, the lactate dehydrogenase release and decreased the malondialdehyde levels, glutathione peroxidase and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase activity, glutathione and nitric oxide content (p < 0.01) and increased the level of superoxide dismutase after oxygen and glucose deprivation. The protective mechanism may be related to oil recipe's antioxidant effect by scavenging free radicals.

Carbon sequestration in grassland soil has been paid considerable attention in recent decades. However, the changes of soil organic carbon (SOC) still need clarification under the effect of environmental factors in semi-arid area. Here, twenty sampling sites were selected to study the effects of plant community (plant cover, biomass, litter, composition and diversity) and environmental factors (i.e. mean annual precipitation, mean annual temperature) on SOC sequestration in the semi-arid grasslands. The results showed that SOC was significant positively related to mean annual precipitation, soil water content and soil pH. The higher above- and below-ground biomass, species evenness and diversity presented the higher SOC. Specially, the species richness and proportion of gramineous species functional group significantly increased SOC. Below-ground biomass affected SOC mainly in the top 30 cm soil. Our results suggest that higher plant species richness and gramineous species proportion play a positive role in increasing the potential of soil carbon sequestration in semi-arid grassland.

ABSTRACT The genus Aconitum has strong toxicity, but the acute toxicity of baked Aconitum flavum Hand.-Mazz., Ranunculaceae, was reduced significantly on the premise of keeping anti-inflammatory and anti-nociceptive activities. However, the risk associated with long-term use is unknown. In a sub-chronic toxicity study, rats were orally administered A. flavum at doses of 0.76–3.03 g/kg for 90 days and further recovered for 14 days. Our results showed that oral treatment with A. flavum for 90 days caused significant changes in some hematological indicators at doses of 3.03 and 1.52 g/kg, such as red blood cell, hemoglobin, mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular hemoglobin and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration. These results indicated that the A. flavum affects the structure and function of red blood cell. Furthermore, significant changes were observed in the white blood cell at dose of 3.03 g/kg in male rats, which confirmed tissue damage or toxicity. The liver function tests exhibited non-significant alterations in aspertate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase and avenin-like storage proteinsgene. But other parameters, such as total protein and albumin were obviously decreased at all doses. A. flavum also caused a significant decrease in glucose, cholesterol and triacylglyceride at all doses. For kidney function, there were significant elevations in urea and creatinine at doses of 3.03 and 1.52 g/kg. The levels of certain electrolytes (Na+, K+ and Cl-) were significantly different after 90 days of treatment with A. flavum (3.03 and 1.52 g/kg). Organs were observed by light microscopy after hematoxylin-eosin staining. Hemosiderin depositions in the spleen were observed in the A. flavum group. These data demonstrated that the subtoxicity of A. flavum was reduced considerably by baked, but the subchronic toxicity effects on the liver, kidney and spleen should not be ignored.

Abstract To study the hepatoprotective effect of the essential oil of Artemisia capillaris Thunb., Asteraceae, on CCl4-induced liver injury in mice, the levels of serum aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase, hepatic levels of reduced glutathione, activity of glutathione peroxidase, and the activities of superoxide dismutase and malondialdehyde were assayed. Administration of the essential oil of A. capillaris at 100 and 50 mg/kg to mice prior to CCl4 injection was shown to confer stronger in vivo protective effects and could observably antagonize the CCl4-induced increase in the serum alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase activities and malondialdehyde levels as well as prevent CCl4-induced decrease in the antioxidant superoxide dismutase activity, glutathione level and glutathione peroxidase activity (p < 0.01). The oil mainly contained β-citronellol, 1,8-cineole, camphor, linalool, α-pinene, β-pinene, thymol and myrcene. This finding demonstrates that the essential oil of A. capillaris can protect hepatic function against CCl4-induced liver injury in mice.

Aconitum flavum Hand.-Mazz., Ranunculaceae, has been used for the treatment of rheumatism, traumatic injury in folk and clinical medicine, but the alkaloids has high toxicity. This study was designed to investigate the acute toxicity, anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive activities of non-alkaloids fractions from A. flavum in rodents. The anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated by inflammatory models of dimethylbenzene-induced ear vasodilatation and acetic acid-induced capillary permeability enhancement test in mice and carrageenan-induced paw edema in rats whereas the antinociceptive activity was evaluated using acetic acid-induced writhes, hot plate test and formalin test in mice. The result showed that the LD50 value of BtOH and EtOAc fractions could not be determined as no lethality was observed up to 40 g/kg (p.o.) in mice. BtOH fraction significantly decreased the dimethylbenzene-induced ear vasodilatation, carrageenan-induced paw edema and acetic acid-induced capillary permeability. EtOAc fraction only significantly attenuated paw edema and capillary permeability at the dose of 500 mg/kg. In antinociceptive test, BtOH and EtOAc fractions significantly reduced the writhing number evoked by acetic acid injection and the licking time in both phases of the formalin test. Meanwhile BtOH and EtOAc fractions had significant effect on hot plate test after 90 min. Our data indicate that the BtOH and EtOAc fractions of NAF are no toxicity. BtOH and EtOAc fractions not only inhibit inflammatory and peripheral inflammatory pain but also have central antinociceptive effect.

BACKGROUND: Restricted space and close contact with conspecifics in captivity may be stressful for musk deer, as they are highly territorial and solitary in the wild. So we tested the effects of crowding on stress of forest musk deer (Moschus berezovskii) in heterosexual groups, using fecal cortisol analysis as a non-invasive method. 32 healthy adults during non-breeding seasons were chose as our experimental objects. Group 1 was defined as higher crowding condition, with 10-15 m²/deer (6 enclosures, 10♀ and 6♂); group 2 was defined as lower crowding condition, with 23-33 m²/deer (6 enclosures, 10♀ and 6♂). Every enclosure contained 1 male and 3 female. These patterns had been existed for years. RESULTS: The results showed that females in lower crowding condition (217.1 ± 9.5 ug/g) had significantly higher fecal cortisol levels than those in higher crowding condition (177.2 ± 12.1 ug/g). Interestingly, crowding seemed have no effect on male fecal cortisol levels (148.1 ± 9.1 ug/g and 140.5 ± 13.3 ug/g, respectively). At both groups, cortisol was significantly lower in males than in females. CONCLUSIONS: These results showed that chronic crowding may affect stress status of captive forest musk deer. The captive environment should consider the space need for musk deer.