No abstract

Several studies have reported that microRNA (MIR) is involved in the pathogenesis and progression of ischemic diseases, including cerebral ischemia, and that MIR-22 may inhibit the inflammatory response and cell apoptosis, which contribute to ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. However, the specific function of MIR-22 in cerebral I/R injury remains far from clear. This study aimed to examine the potential protective effect of MIR-22 against cerebral I/R injury and its mechanism. As predicted, adenovirus-mediated MIR-22 overexpression markedly reduced the neurological score and infarct size (P < 0.05). We demonstrated that MIR-22 overexpression resulted in a reduction in inflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IL-6, COX-2, and iNOS, whereas the level of IL-10 was enhanced. MIR-22 overexpression significantly inhibited NF-κB activity by decreasing NF-κB coactivator NCOA1 expression. Furthermore, we found that MIR-22 could reduce the apoptotic rate of cortical neurons. Caspase-3 activity was inhibited by MIR-22, and the expression of the anti-apoptosis gene Bcl-2 in neurons was increased and that of the pro-apoptosis gene Bax decreased following MIR-22 overexpression. Our results suggest that MIR-22 could be used to treat cerebral I/R injury and that its neuroprotective effect may be attributed to a reduction in inflammation and apoptosis.

Portable, low-cost, and quantitative detection of cancer cells at home and in the field has the potential to revolutionize medical diagnostics. We first report the design and synthesis of highly efficient folic-acid-conjugated hydrogen-generation tube-in-tube CuO/CoO heterojunction nanofibers for highly sensitive and rapid recognition of cancer cells through a pressure signal under visible-light irradiation. The resultant nanofibers can dramatically enhance the hydrogen-generation activity of ammonia borane under visible-light irradiation. Such hydrogen-generation reaction can translate a molecular recognition event between folic acid and folate receptor to measurable pressure signal readout through a low-cost and portable pressure meter for target cancer cell detection. Limits of detection (LODs) down to 50 cells mL in only 15 min can be achieved. This result is superior to those of the other reported methods, indicating the superiority of the new pressure-based sensor in terms of sensitivity. The present study establishes the pressure meter as a useful tool for early clinical point-of-care cancer diagnosis.

Melatonin is an important hormone for regulating mammalian circadian biology and cellular homeostasis. Recent evidence has shown that melatonin exerts anti-nociception effects in both animals and humans. However, according to clinical trials, the anti-nociception effects of melatonin are still controversial. The aim of this meta-analysis was to investigate the anti-nociception effects of melatonin premedication. The primary outcome was the effects of melatonin on pain intensity. The secondary outcomes included the number of patients with analgesic requirements, total analgesic consumption, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels. In total, 19 studies were included in the current meta-analysis. The pooling data show that melatonin significantly decreased the pain intensity, as evidenced by the pain scores. Moreover, melatonin administration also reduced the proportion of patients with analgesic requirements and BDNF levels. However, the effects of melatonin on total analgesic consumption still require further confirmation. Collectively, the current meta-analysis supports the use of melatonin for anti-nociception.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the expression of estradiol and estrogen receptor α (ESRα) in severe preeclamptic (sPE) pregnancies compared with normal pregnancies. Sera and placentas were obtained from i) patients with sPE (n=25) and ii) a normal control group (n=25) who underwent elective Cesarean deliveries. Estradiol expression was assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs). ESRα expression was assessed by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis and western blot analysis. In preeclamptic pregnancies, estradiol was underexpressed (P<0.05), however, ESRα mRNA and protein levels were increased significantly in comparison with normal pregnancies (P<0.05). These results show that estradiol and ESRα are deregulated in preeclamptic pregnancies, which in turn suggests the involvement of these molecules in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia.

Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) based therapy is a promising approach to treat inflammatory disorders. However, therapeutic effect is not always achieved. Thus the mechanism involved in inflammation requires further elucidation. To explore the mechanisms by which MSCs respond to inflammatory stimuli, we investigated whether MSCs employed inflammasomes to participate in inflammation. Using in vitro and in vivo models, we found that canonical NLRP3 and non-canonical caspase-11 inflammasomes were activated in bone-associated MSCs (BA-MSCs) to promote the inflammatory response. The NLRP3 inflammasome was activated to mainly elicit IL-1β/18 release, whereas the caspase-11 inflammasome managed pyroptosis. Furthermore, we sought a small molecule component (66PR) to inhibit the activation of inflammasomes in BA-MSCs, which consequently improved their survival and therapeutic potential in inflammation bowel diseases. These current findings indicated that MSCs themselves could directly promote the inflammatory response by an inflammasome-dependent pathway. Our observations suggested that inhibition of the proinflammatory property may improve MSCs utilization in inflammatory disorders.

PLT counts, cellular morphologies, PLT membranes, cytoplasmic structures, aggregation rates, and hemostatic PLT function stored at 4°C for 10 to 14 days were better than those stored at 22°C for 5 days.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a group of small RNAs with a fundamental role in the regulation of gene expression. These RNAs have been shown to participate in various cellular and physiological processes, including cellular development, apoptosis, proliferation, and differentiation. Aberrant expression of several miRNAs was found to be involved in a large variety of neoplasms, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Previous studies have shown the existence of a large amount of stable miRNAs in human serum/plasma, which laid the foundation for studying the role of serum/plasma miRNAs in the diagnosis and prognosis of HCC. Here, we review the recent progress in research on serum miRNAs as biomarkers for HCC in Chinese patients.