Activation of JNKs is essential for BMP9-induced osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells

( Yan Fang Zhao ),( Jing Xu ),( Wen Juan Wang ),( Jin Wang ),( Juan Wen He ),( Li Li ),( Qian Dong ),( Yan Xiao ),( Xing Lian Duan ),( Xue Yang ),( Yi Wen Liang ),( Tao Song ),( Min Tang ),( Dan Zhao 생화학분자생물학회 2013 BMB Reports Vol.46 No.8

Although BMP9 is highly capable of promoting osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cell (MSCs), the molecular mechanism involved remains to be fully elucidated. Here, we explore the possible involvement and detail role of JNKs (c-Jun N-terminal kinases) in BMP9-induced osteogenic differentiation of MSCs. It was found that BMP9 stimulated the activation of JNKs in MSCs. BMP9-induced osteogenic differentiation of MSCs was dramatically inhibited by JNKs inhibitor SP600125. Moreover, BMP9-activated Smads signaling was decreased by SP600125 treatment in MSCs. The effects of inhibitor are reproduced with adenoviruses expressing siRNA targeted JNKs. Taken together, our results revealed that JNKs was activated in BMP9-induced osteogenic differentiation of MSCs. What is most noteworthy, however, is that inhibition of JNKs activity resulted in reduction of BMP9-induced osteogenic differentiation of MSCs, implying that activation of JNKs is essential for BMP9 osteoinductive activity. [BMB Reports 2013; 46(8): 422-427]

Protective Effects of Silibinin and Its Possible Mechanism of Action in Mice Exposed to Chronic Unpredictable Mild Stress

( Wen Jing Yan ),( Ying Chun Tan ),( Ji Cheng Xu ),( Xian Ping Tang ),( Chong Zhang ),( Peng Bo Zhang ),( Ze Qiang Ren ) 한국응용약물학회 2015 Biomolecules & Therapeutics(구 응용약물학회지) Vol.23 No.3

Silibinin, a natural flavonoid antioxidant isolated from extracts of the milk thistle herb, has recently been identified as having antihepatotoxic and anticancer properties. In this paper, we investigated the effects of silibinin on behavior and neuroplasticity in mice subjected to chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS). After 5 consecutive weeks of CUMS, the mice were treated with silibinin (100 mg/kg, 200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg by oral gavage) for 3 consecutive weeks. The results showed that silibinin administration significantly alleviated the CUMS-induced depressive-like behavior, including the total number of squares crossed and the frequency of rearing in the open field test, the immobility time in the tail suspension test and the forced swimming test. Furthermore, silibinin treatment increased the levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), serotonin (5-HT) and norepinephrine (NE) in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. Our study provides new insight into the protective effects of silibinin on the depressive status of CUMS mice, specifically by improving neuroplasticity and neurotransmission.

Implementation of online model updating with ANN method in substructure pseudo-dynamic hybrid simulation

Yan Hua Wang,Jing Lv,Yan Feng,Bo Wen Dai,Cheng Wang,Jing Wu,Zi Yan Chen 국제구조공학회 2021 Smart Structures and Systems, An International Jou Vol.28 No.2

Substructure pseudo-dynamic hybrid simulation (SPDHS) is an advanced structural seismic testing method which combines physical experiment and numerical simulation. Generally, the key components which display nonlinearity first are taken as experimental substructures for actual test, and the remaining parts are modeled in simulation. Model updating techniques can be effectively applied to enhance the model precision of nonlinear numerical elements. Specifically, the constitutive model of the experimental substructure is identified online by the instantaneously-measured data, and the corresponding numerical elements with similar hysteretic behaviors are updated synchronously. Artificial neural network (ANN) can recognize the system which cannot be represented by definite numerical model, and thus avoids the structural response distortion caused by the inherent numerical model defects. In this study, a framework for online model updating in SPDHS with ANN method is expanded to implement actual test validation. Moreover, the effectiveness of ANN method is demonstrated by practical tests of a two-story frame model with bending dampers. Additionally, the unscented Kalman filter technique and offline ANN identification approach are both examined in the test validation. The experimental results show that, under the identical loading history, the online ANN method can significantly reduce the model errors and improve the accuracy of SPDHS.

Serum Zinc Status and Helicobacter Pylori Infection in Gastric Disease Patients

Zhang, Wen-Hua,Wu, Xiao-Jing,Niu, Jing-Xiu,Yan, Hao,Wang, Xin-Zhuo,Yin, Xiao-Dong,Pang, Yan Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2012 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.13 No.10

The role of Helicobacter pylori status and serum zinc value in gastric disease patients and healthy controls were investigated. Cases used in this work were 45 gastric cancer patients, 44 with peptic ulcers, 52 suffering gastritis and 64 healthy controls, all diagnosed histologically with the controls undergoing medical checkups. Helicobacter pylori status and serum levels of Zn were determined by 13C-urea breath test and flame atomic absorption spectrophotometer, respectively. Our study showed that Helicobacter pylori infection has no change in gastritis, peptic ulcer and gastric cancer group, on the contrast, serum levels of Zn were significantly reduced in gastritis, peptic ulcer and gastric cancer group, compared with healthy controls, and the higher the Zn levels are, the more increased risk of gastric cancer. Helicobacter pylori infection is a cause of gastritis, peptic ulcers and even gastric cancer, while serum zinc level is an indicator of protection of gastric membranes against damage.

Crocetin Induces Cytotoxicity in Colon Cancer Cells Via p53-independent Mechanisms

Li, Cai-Yan,Huang, Wen-Feng,Wang, Qun-Li,Wang, Fan,Cai, E.,Hu, Bing,Du, Jia-Cheng,Wang, Jing,Chen, Rong,Cai, Xiao-Jing,Feng, Jing,Li, Hui-Hui Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2012 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.13 No.8

Objective: Crocin has been proposed as a promising candidate for cancer chemoprevention. The purpose of this investigation was to investigate the chemopreventive action and the possible mechanisms of crocin against human colon cancer cells in vitro. Methods: Cell proliferation was examined using MTT assay and the cell cycle distribution fractions were analyzed using fow cytometric analysis after propidium iodide staining. Apoptosis was detected using theTUNEL Apoptosis Detection Kit with laser scanning confocal microscope. DNA damage was assessed using the alkaline single-cell gel electrophoresis assay, while expression levels of p53, cdk2, cyclinA and P21 were examined by Western blot analysis. Results: Treatment of SW480 cells with crocetin (0.2, 0.4, 0.8 mmol/L) for 48 h signifcantly inhibited their proliferation in a concentration-dependent manner. Crocetin (0.8 mmol/L) signifcantly induced cell cycle arrest through p53-independent mechanisms accompanied by P21 induction. Crocetin (0.8 mmol/L) caused cytotoxicity in the SW480 cells by enhancing apoptosis and decreasing DNA repair capacity in a time-dependent manner. Conclusions: This report provides evidence that crocetin is a potential anticancer agent, which may be used as a chemotherapeutic drug.

Preoperative Neutrophil to Lymphocyte Ratio as a Prognostic Factor in Patients with Non-metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma

Wen, Ru-Min,Zhang, Yi-Jing,Ma, Sha,Xu, Ying-Li,Chen, Yan-Su,Li, Hai-Long,Bai, Jin,Zheng, Jun-Nian Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2015 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.16 No.9

Background: The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is a strong predictor of mortality in patients with colorectal, lung, gastric cancer, pancreatic and metastatic renal cell carcinoma. We here evaluated whether preoperative NLR is an independent prognostic factor for non-metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Materials and Methods: Data from 327 patients who underwent curative or palliative nephrectomy were evaluated retrospectively. In preoperative blood routine examination, neutrophils and lymphocytes were obtained. The predictive value of NLR for non-metastatic RCC was analyzed. Results: The NLR of 327 patients was $2.72{\pm}2.25$. NLR <1.7 and NLR ${\geq}1.7$ were classified as low and high NLR groups, respectively. Chi-square test showed that the preoperative NLR was significantly correlated with the tumor size (P=0.025), but not with the histological subtype (P=0.095)and the pT stage (P=0.283). Overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were assessed using the Kaplan-Meier method. Effects of NLR on OS (P=0.007) and DFS (P=0.011) were significant. To evaluate the independent prognostic significance of NLR, multivariate COX regression models were applied and identified increased NLR as an independent prognostic factor for OS (P=0.015), and DFS (P=0.019). Conclusions: Regarding patient survival, an increased NLR represented an independent risk factor, which might reflect a higher risk for severe cardiovascular and other comorbidities. An elevated blood NLR may be a biomarker of poor OS and DFS in patients with non-metastatic RCC.

Tumor Markers for Diagnosis, Monitoring of Recurrence and Prognosis in Patients with Upper Gastrointestinal Tract Cancer

Jing, Jie-Xian,Wang, Yan,Xu, Xiao-Qin,Sun, Ting,Tian, Bao-Guo,Du, Li-Li,Zhao, Xian-Wen,Han, Cun-Zhi Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.23

To evaluate the value of combined detection of serum CEA, CA19-9, CA24-2, AFP, CA72-4, SCC, TPA and TPS for the clinical diagnosis of upper gastrointestinal tract (GIT) cancer and to analyze the efficacy of these tumor markers (TMs) in evaluating curative effects and prognosis. A total of 573 patients with upper GIT cancer between January 2004 and December 2007 were enrolled in this study. Serum levels of CEA, CA19-9, CA24-2, AFP, CA72-4, SCC, TPA and TPS were examined preoperatively and every 3 months postoperatively by ELISA. The sensitivity of CEA, CA19-9, CA24-2, AFP, CA72-4, SCC, TPA and TPS were 26.8%, 36.2%, 42.9%, 2.84%, 25.4%, 34.6%, 34.2% and 30.9%, respectively. The combined detection of CEA+CA199+CA242+CA724 had higher sensitivity and specificity in gastric cancer (GC) and cardiac cancer, while CEA+CA199+CA242+SCC was the best combination of diagnosis for esophageal cancer (EC). Elevation of preoperative CEA, CA19-9 and CA24-2, SCC and CA72-4 was significantly associated with pathological types (p<0.05) and TNM staging (p<0.05). Correlation analysis showed that CA24-2 was significantly correlated with CA19-9 (r=0.810, p<0.001). The levels of CEA, CA19-9, CA24-2, CA72-4 and SCC decreased obviously 3 months after operations. When metastasis and recurrence occurred, the levels of TMs significantly increased. On multivariate analysis, high preoperative CA72-4, CA24-2 and SCC served as prognostic factors for cardiac carcinoma, GC and EC, respectively. combined detection of CEA+CA199+CA242+SCC proved to be the most economic and practical strategy in diagnosis of EC; CEA+CA199+CA242+CA724 proved to be a better evaluation indicator for cardiac cancer and GC. CEA and CA19-9, CA24-2, CA72-4 and SCC, examined postoperatively during follow-up, were useful to find early tumor recurrence and metastasis, and evaluate prognosis. AFP, TPA and TPS have no significant value in diagnosis of patients with upper GIT cancer.

Antimicrobial glycoalkaloids from the tubers of Stephania succifera

Yan-Bo Zeng,Dai-Jing Wei,Wen-Hua Dong,Cai-Hong Cai,De-Lan Yang,Hui-Min Zhong,Wen-Li Mei,Hao Fu Dai 대한약학회 2017 Archives of Pharmacal Research Vol.40 No.4

Three new glycoalkaloids, N-formyl-asimilobine-2-O-b-D-glucoside (1), (-)-1-O-b-D-glucoside-8-oxotetrahydropalmatine(2), and 1-N-monomethylcarbamateargentinine-3-O-b-D-glucoside (3) were isolated fromtubers of Stephania succifera. The structures were establishedbased on spectroscopic analysis, and the antimicrobialactivities of the three glycoalkaloids are reported.

Carotid Plaque Stiffness Measured with Supersonic Shear Imaging and Its Correlation with Serum Homocysteine Level in Ischemic Stroke Patients

Jing Shang,Wen Wang,Jun Feng,Guo-gang Luo,Ying Dang,Jian Sun,Yan-qiu Yang,Li-tao Ruan 대한영상의학회 2018 Korean Journal of Radiology Vol.19 No.1

Objective: To ascertain the feasibility of using shear wave velocity (SWV) in assessing the stiffness of carotid plaque by supersonic shear imaging (SSI) and explore preliminary clinical value for such evaluation. Materials and Methods: Supersonic shear imaging was performed in 142 patients with ischemic stroke, including 76 males and 66 females with mean age of 66 years (range, 45–80 years). The maximum, minimum, and mean values of SWV were measured for 129 carotid plaques. SWVs were compared between echolucent and echogenic plaques. Correlations between SWVs and serum homocysteine levels were investigated. Based on neurological symptom, the surrogate marker of vulnerable plaque (VP), binary logistic regression was performed and area under curve (AUC) of homocysteine only and homocysteine combing SWVmean was calculated respectively. Results: Echogenic plaques (n = 51) had higher SWVs than echolucent ones (n = 78) (SWVmin 3.91 [3.24−4.17] m/s vs. 1.51 [1.04−1.94] m/s; SWVmean, 4.29 [3.98−4.57] m/s vs. 2.09 [1.69−2.41] m/s; SWVmax, 4.67 [4.33−4.86] m/s vs. 2.62 [2.32−3.31] m/s all p values < 0.01). Pearson correlation analysis showed that stiffness of plaques was negatively correlated with homocysteine level. R values for SWVmin, SWVmean, and SWVmax were -0.205, -0.213, and -0.199, respectively. Binary logistic regression analysis showed that sex (p = 0.008), low-density lipoprotein (p = 0.015), triglycerides (p = 0.011), SWVmean (p = 0.004), and hyper-homocysteinemia (p = 0.010) were significantly associated with symptomatic ischemic stroke. Receiver operating characteristic curves revealed that SWVmean combing serum homocysteine level (AUC = 0.67) presented better diagnostic value than serum homocysteine only (AUC = 0.60) for symptomatic ischemic stroke. Conclusion: Supersonic shear imaging could be used to quantitatively evaluate stiffness of both echolucent and echogenic carotid plaques. More importantly, SWVs of plaques were not only correlated to serum homocysteine level, but also associated with symptomatic ischemic stroke, suggesting that SSI might be useful for understanding more about VP.

Characteristics and Risk Factors of Functional Dyspepsia Fulfilling the Rome IV Criteria Overlapping With Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, and Functional Constipation in South China

( Yan-qin Long ),( Wen-li Xu ),( Lu-xiu Li ),( Hui-qin He ),( Jing-jie Wang ),( Guo-dong Shan ),( Ning Dai ),( Hong-tan Chen ) 대한소화기기능성질환·운동학회 2024 Journal of Neurogastroenterology and Motility (JNM Vol.30 No.2

Background/Aims Functional dyspepsia (FD) overlapping with other gastrointestinal disorders are quite common. The characteristics of FD overlap in Chinese population with latest Rome IV criteria were unclear. This large-scale outpatient-based study assessed the characteristics of FD overlap in South China. Methods Consecutive FD patients visited the Gastroenterology Clinic at 2 tertiary medical centers in Hangzhou, China who fulfilled the Rome IV criteria were enrolled. Complete questionnaires related to the gastrointestinal symptoms (Rome IV criteria), Reflux Disease Questionnaire, anxiety and depression, quality of sleep and life, and demographic information were collected. Results Among the total of 3281 FD patients, 50.69% overlapped with gastroesophageal reflux disease, 21.46% overlapped with irritable bowel syndrome, 6.03% overlapped with functional constipation. FD overlap had higher proportion of single/divorced/widowed rate, high education level, being employed, drinking, night shift, unhealthy dietary habit than FD only (P < 0.05). They had higher frequency of consultation and economic burden, as well as lower scores in quality of life (P < 0.001). Multivariate logistic regression showed that increasing age, female, low body mass index, history of gastroenteritis, anxiety, depression, and poor sleep quality were independent risk factors for FD overlap. Conclusions FD overlap was quite common in China with high economic burden and poor quality of life, FD patients with history of gastroenteritis, anxiety, depression, and poor sleep quality were more likely to have overlap disorders. Awareness of the physical and psychosocial stressors in overlapping condition would help optimize the management of FD overlap in clinical practice. (J Neurogastroenterol Motil 2024;30:184-193)