Scutellarin Reduces Cerebral Ischemia Reperfusion Injury Involving in Vascular Endothelium Protection and PKG Signal

Flavonoid glycoside scutellarin(SCU)has been widely applied in the treatment of cerebral ischemic diseases in China.In this article,we conducted research on the working mechanisms of SCU in hypoxia reoxygenation(HR)injury of isolated cerebral basilar artery(BA)and erebral ischemia reperfusion(CIR)injury in rat models.In isolated rat BA rings,HR causes endothelial dysfunction(ED)and acetylcholine(ACh)induces endothelium-dependent vasodilation.The myography result showed that SCU(100μM)was able to significantly improve the endothelium-dependent vasodilation induced by Ach.However,SCU did not affect the ACh-induced relaxation in normal BA.Further studies suggested that SCU(10-1000μM)dose-dependently induced relaxation in isolated BA rings which were significantly blocked by the cGMP dependent protein kinase(PKG)inhibitor Rp-8-Br-cGMPs(PKGI-rp,4μM).Pre-incubation with SCU(500μM)reversed the impairment of endothelium-dependent vasodilation induced by HR,but the reversing effect was blocked if PKGI-rp(4μM)was added.The brain slice staining test in rats’model of middle cerebral artery occlusion(MCAO)induced CIR proved that the administration of SCU(45,90 mg/kg,iv)significantly reduced the area of cerebral infarction.The Western blot assay result showed that SCU(45 mg/kg,iv)increased brain PKG activity and PKG protein level after CIR surgery.In conclusion,our findings suggested that SCU possesses the ability of protecting brain cells against CIR injury through vascular endothelium protection and PKG signal.

Advances in experimental methods for root system architecture and root development

Plant roots play important roles in acquisition of water and nutrients, storage, anchoring, transport, and symbiosis with soil microorganisms, thus quantitative researches on root developmental processes are essential to understand root functions and root turnover in ecosystems,and at the same time such researches are the most difficult because roots are hidden underground. Therefore, how to investigate efficiently root functions and root dynamics is the core aspect in underground ecology. In this article, we reviewed some experimental methods used in root researches on root development and root system architecture, and summarized the advantages and shortages of these methods. Based on the analyses, we proposed three new ways to more understand root processes：（1） new experimental materials for root development;（2） a new observatory system comprised of multiple components, including many observatory windows installed in field, analysis software,and automatic data transport devices;（3） new techniques used to analyze quantitatively functional roots.

Effects of combined rTMS and visual feedback on the rehabilitation of supernumerary phantom limbs in a patient with spinal cord injury:A case report

BACKGROUND Supernumerary phantom limb(SPL)caused by spinal cord injury(SCI)has previously been reported in several studies.However,the mechanisms and management of SPL in SCI patients are still not fully understood.Herein,we report a rare case of SPL in a patient with incomplete SCI.CASE SUMMARY A 46-year-old man complained of four hands 7 d after SCI.He was diagnosed with SPL complicated with actual limb neuropathic pain.Following a period of treatment with neurotrophic agents and Chinese traditional and analgesic medications,SPL symptoms and actual limb pain did not improve.However,his symptoms gradually lessened after combined treatment with high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation(rTMS),a promising neuromodulation technique,over the M1 cortex and visual feedback.After 7 wk of this treatment,SPL disappeared completely and actual limb pain was significantly relieved.CONCLUSION Cerebral plasticity changes may be a mechanism underlying the occurrence of non-painful SPL in SCI patients,and high-frequency rTMS applied to the M1 cortex could be a promising treatment method for SPL.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome is Associated with Metabolic Syndrome among Adolescents and Youth in Beijing： Data from Beijing Child and Adolescent Metabolic Syndrome Study

Background： Obstructive sleep apnea （OSA） syndrome has a negative impact on the health of millions of adolescents and youth. The aim of this study was to evaluate the associations of OSA syndrome with obesity and cardiometabolic risk factors among adolescents and youth at risk for metabolic syndrome （MS）.Methods： A total of 558 subjects aged 14-28 years were recruited from the Beijing Child and Adolescent Metabolic Syndrome Study. Each underwent a 2-h oral glucose tolerance test （OGTT）, echocardiography, and liver ultrasonography. Anthropometric measures, blood levels of glucose, lipids, and liver enzymes were assessed. Subjects with high or low risk for OSA were identified by Berlin Questionnaire （BQ）. Results： Among the subjects in obesity, 33.7% of whom were likely to have OSAby BQ. Subjects with high risk for OSA had higher neck and waist circumference and fat mass percentage compared to those with low risk for OSA （P 〈 0.001 ）. Moreover, significant differences in levels of lipids, glucose after OGTT, and liver enzymes, as well as echocardiographic parameters were found between the two groups with high or low risk for OSA （P 〈 0.05）. The rates of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease （71.0% vs. 24.2%）, MS （38.9% vs. 7.0%）, and its components in high-risk group were significantly higher than in low-risk group. Conclusions： The prevalence of OSA by BQ was high in obese adolescents and youth. A high risk for OSA indicates a high cardiometabolic risk. Mechanisms mediating the observed associations require further investigation.

Xanthotoxin induces apoptosis in SGC-7901 cells through death receptor pathway

Objective： To investigate the effects of xanthotoxin from Apiaceae medicinal plants on cell proliferation and apoptosis, and explore its mechanism of action against human gastric carcinoma SGC-7901 cells in vitro.Methods： SGC-7901, HepG-2, MCF-7, and A549 cells were treated with different concentrations of xanthotoxin（10, 20, 60, 80, 100, 120, 140, and 160 μg/mL） for 48 h, and the cell viability（IC50） was determined by MTT assay; Xanthotoxin-induced apoptosis in cells was observed by using Hoechst 33258 Staining Kit and Annexin V-FITC Apoptosis Detection Kit; Flow cytometry was used to detect apoptosis related proteins of Fas/FasL, Bid, and DR5/TRAIL proteins in human gastric carcinoma SGC-7901 cells after being treated by xanthotoxin; The influence of xanthotoxin on Caspase-8 protein expression in the cells was determined by Flouormetric Assay Kit.Results： Xanthotoxin obviously inhibited SGC-7901, HepG-2, MCF-7, and A549 cells proliferation, and its inhibition was in a concentration-dependent manner; flow cytometry results showed that in a certain concentration range, xanthotoxin can increase the expression levels of Fas/FasL and DR5/TRAIL proteins in a concentration-dependence manner. The content of Bid protein in cells was increased, and it showed concentration-dependence.Conclusion： Xanthotoxin may induce SGC-7901 cells apoptosis in a certain concentration range through the Fas/FasL protein mediated death receptor pathway, or by DR5/TRAIL mediated death receptor pathway, and increase the expression level of death receptor protein, activation Caspase-8, activating downstream effect factor, inducing cell apoptosis, or activate Caspase-8 cutting activate protein Bid, and then enter the mitochondrial pathway, induction of apoptosis.