Punicalagin prevents obesity-related cardiac dysfunction through promoting DNA demethylation in mice

The aim of this study was to investigate whether punicalagin(PU)could prevent obesity-related cardiac dysfunction by promoting DNA demethy lation,and to explore its possible mechanism.C57BL/6J mice were fed with standard diet,high-fat diet(HFD),HFD supplemented with resveratrol,low-dose PU(LPU)and high-dose PU(HPU)for 8 weeks.Compared with HFD group,body weight was significantly lower in PU treatment groups,number of cardionwocytes and the protein level of myosin heavy chain 7B were significantly higher in PU treatment groups.Levels of 5-hydroxymethylcytosine and 5-formylcytosine were significantly lower in HFD group than in other groups.Compared with the HFD group,the protein level of ten-eleven translocation enzyme(TET)2 was significantly higher in PU treatment groups,p-AMP-activated protein kinase(AMPK)was significantly higher in LPU group.Levels of total antioxidant capacity and the protein levels of complexesⅡ/Ⅲ/Ⅴ,oxoglutarate dehydrogenase,succinate dehydrogenase B and fumarate hdrolase were significantly lower in HFD group than PU treatment group.The ratio of(succinic acid+fumaric acid)/a-ketoglutarate was significantly higher in HFD group than other groups.In conclusion,PU up-regulated TETs enzyme activities and TET2 protein stability through alleviating mitochondrial dysfunction and activating AMPK,so as to promote DNA demethylation,thus preventing obesity-related cardiac dysfunction.

Effects of daily telephone-based re-education before taking medicine on Helicobacter pylori eradication: A prospective single-center study from China

AIM: To investigate the effects of daily telephonebased re-education(TRE) before taking medicine for the eradication of Helicobacter pylori(H. pylori) on the compliance and the eradication rate in a Chinese patient population.METHODS : Aprospective, physician-blind e d, randomized, controlled clinical study was conducted. The patients were randomly assigned to receive TRE every day before taking medicine(TRE group) or no TRE(control group). The patients in the TRE group received regular instructions before taking medicine for the eradication of H. pylori during the entire courseof treatment through telephone calls. The patients in the control group received detailed instructions at the time of seeing a doctor for the guidance. The primary outcome was the H. pylori eradication rate after treatment. The secondary outcomes included the clinical remissions after treatment, adverse events, compliance, and patients' satisfaction.RESULTS: A total of 140 patients were randomized, 70 to the TRE group and 70 to the control group. As the primary outcome, the H. pylori eradication rates in the TRE and control groups were 62.7% and 71.2% in per protocol analysis(P = 0.230), and 52.9% and 52.9% in intention-to-treat analysis(P = 0.567), respectively. As the secondary outcomes, there were no significant differences in the patients' satisfaction between the two groups(good, 79.7% vs 76.9%; fair, 13.6% vs 19.2%; poor, 6.7% vs 3.9%, for the TRE group and control group, respectively; P > 0.05 for all); the rates of adverse effects were 15.2% and 63.5% in the TRE and control groups, respectively(P < 0.001); the compliance rates in the TRE and control groups were 85.7% and 74.3%, respectively(P = 0.069).CONCLUSION: Daily TRE before taking medicine had no significant impact on the patients' compliance, satisfaction, or H. pylori eradication, but reduced the rate of adverse events.

A natural nano-platform:Advances in drug delivery system with recombinant high-density lipoprotein

Developing natural nano-platforms with high biocompatibility and natural targeting ability represents great significance for drug delivery.High-density lipoprotein(HDL),a natural lipid-protein complex,plays important roles in physiological activities,particularly in reverse cholesterol transport(RCT)and be closely associated with atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases.Recent studies have demonstrated that HDLs have the potential to serve as ideal drug carriers.Recombinant HDLs(r HDLs)have been used to encapsulate substances such as small interfering RNA(siRNA),drugs,and contrast agents,fully utilizing the biocompatibility and targeting ability of r HDL in the body and providing new strategies for drug delivery and disease treatment.In this review,we discussed in detail the basic principles of HDL as a drug delivery system,the mechanisms of targeted drug delivery,and several methods for preparing HDL nanoparticles.Afterward,we comprehensively reviewed the applications of HDL as a drug carrier in cardiovascular diseases,cancer treatment(such as glioblastoma,breast cancer,hepatocellular carcinoma and urologic cancers)and some other fields.Finally,we reviewed the therapeutic effects and safety of HDL nanoparticles in clinical studies.Through a review and summary of these research advances,we aim to fully understand the potential of HDL as a drug carrier in clinical applications,providing valuable references and guidance for future research and expedites the translational application of HDL as drug carriers.