Identification of candidate biomarkers correlated with pathogenesis of postoperative peritoneal adhesion by using microarray analysis

BACKGROUND Postoperative peritoneal adhesion(PPA),characterized by abdominal pain,female infertility,and even bowel obstruction after surgery,has always been a major concern.The occurrence and formation of adhesion are from complex biological processes.However,the molecular mechanisms underlying the basis of microarray data profile,followed by peritoneal adhesion formation,are largely unknown.AIM To reveal the underlying pathogenesis of PPA at the molecular level.METHODS The gene expression profile was retrieved from the Gene Expression Omnibus database for our analysis.We identified a panel of key genes and related pathways involved in adhesion formation using bioinformatics analysis methods.We performed quantitative PCR and western blotting in vivo to validate the results preliminarily.RESULTS In total,446 expressed genes were altered in peritoneal adhesion.We found that several hub genes(e.g.,tumor necrosis factor,interleukin 1 beta,interleukin 6,CX-C motif chemokine ligand 1,C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 2)were marked as significant biomarkers.Functional analysis suggested that these genes were enriched in the Toll-like receptor signaling pathway.According to the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway and published studies,TLR4,myeloid differentiation primary response protein 88(MyD88),and nuclear factor kappa B(NF-κB)played essential roles in Toll-like signaling transduction.Here,we obtained a regulatory evidence chain of TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB/inflammatory cytokines/peritoneal adhesion involved in the pathogenesis of postoperative adhesion.The results of the microarray analysis were verified by the animal experiments.These findings may extend our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of PPA.CONCLUSION The regulatory evidence chain of TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB/inflammatory cytokines/peritoneal adhesion may play key roles in the pathogenesis of PPA.Future studies are required to validate our findings.

Identification of key genes involved in post-traumatic stress disorder:Evidence from bioinformatics analysis

BACKGROUND Post-traumatic stress disorder(PTSD)is a serious stress-related disorder.AIM To identify the key genes and pathways to uncover the potential mechanisms of PTSD using bioinformatics methods.METHODS Gene expression profiles were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus database.The differentially expressed genes(DEGs)were identified by using GEO2R.Gene functional annotation and pathway enrichment were then conducted.The gene-pathway network was constructed with Cytoscape software.Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction(qRT-PCR)analysis was applied for validation,and text mining by Coremine Medical was used to confirm the connections among genes and pathways.RESULTS We identified 973 DEGs including 358 upregulated genes and 615 downregulated genes in PTSD.A group of centrality hub genes and significantly enriched pathways(MAPK,Ras,and ErbB signaling pathways)were identified by using gene functional assignment and enrichment analyses.Six genes(KRAS,EGFR,NFKB1,FGF12,PRKCA,and RAF1)were selected to validate using qRT-PCR.The results of text mining further confirmed the correlation among hub genes and the enriched pathways.It indicated that these altered genes displayed functional roles in PTSD via these pathways,which might serve as key signatures in the pathogenesis of PTSD.CONCLUSION The current study identified a panel of candidate genes and important pathways,which might help us deepen our understanding of the underlying mechanism of PTSD at the molecular level.However,further studies are warranted to discover the critical regulatory mechanism of these genes via relevant pathways in PTSD.

Research on Mechanisms of Chinese Medicines in Prevention and Treatment of Postoperative Adhesion

Postoperative adhesion(PA)is currently one of the most unpleasant complications following surgical procedures.Researchers have developed several new strategies to alleviate the formation of PA to a great extent,but so far,no single measure or treatment can meet the expectations and requirements of clinical patients needing complete PA prevention.Chinese medicine(CM)has been widely used for thousands of years based on its remarkable efficacy and indispensable advantages CM treatments are gradually being accepted by modern medicine.Therefore,this review summarizes the formating process of PA and the efficacy and action mechanism of CM treatments,including their pharmacological effects,therapeutic mechanisms and advantages in PA prevention.We aim to improve the understanding of clinicians and researchers on CM prevention in the development of PA and promote the in-depth development and industrialization process of related drugs.