Elevated Lp(a) and OxPL-apoB levels are associated with faster AS progression and need for aortic valve replacement. These findings support the hypothesis that Lp(a) mediates AS progression through its associated OxPL and provide a rationale for randomized trials of Lp(a)-lowering and OxPL-apoB-lowering therapies in AS. (Aortic Stenosis Progression Observation: Measuring Effects of Rosuvastatin [ASTRONOMER]; NCT00800800).

This paper presents results of an investigation and listing of tick species found in China during a survey in all 28 provinces. This will be a step towards a definitive list of tick species and their distribution. To date, the tick fauna of this area consists of 117 species in the following families: Argasidae-Argas (7 species), Carios (4 species) and Ornithodoros (2 species); Ixodidae-Amblyomma (8 species), Anomalohimalaya (2 species), Dermacentor (12 species), Haemaphysalis (44 species), Hyalomma (6 species), Ixodes (24 species) and Rhipicephalus (8 species). Some well known ticks carrying and transmitting many infectious agents to man and domestic animals are also found in China. These include Ixodes persulcatus, Haemaphysalis longicornis, Rhipicephalus sanguineus, R. (Boophilus) microplus and Hyalomma asiaticum. It is worth mentioning that Ixodes rangtangensis Teng and Haemaphysalis xinjiangensis Teng should be relegated to a synonym of I. moschiferi and Hae. danieli, respectively. The distribution of ticks over the provinces of China is also discussed. The information on ticks in some areas such as Henan is not exhaustive.

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Highlights d Oxidized phospholipids (OxPLs) accumulate in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) d OxPLs induce oxidative stress and mitochondrial damage, in part by modifying MnSOD d Neutralizing OxPLs improved mitochondrial function and biogenesis in NASH d Neutralizing OxPLs ameliorates NASH Authors

To assess adherence to antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) and factors associated with non-adherence in a sample of Chinese patients with epilepsy. Methods. A cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out on patients who had no change in treatment regimen over the last six months. Data on adherence to medication and related factors for each patient were gathered using a questionnaire. Results. Of a total of 368 patients studied, 48.1% of patients were non-adherent with regards to AEDs. There were no demographic differences (based on gender, age, seizure type, and rural or urban location) between adherent and non-adherent patients. Adherence was positively and significantly correlated with duration of illness (p=0.007). The primary reason for non-adherence was forgetfulness or not having medication on hand (69.6%), followed by a negative attitude (12.8%), a bad patient-prescriber relationship (9.5%), side effects (5.4%), inability to buy drugs (1.9%), and other reasons (0.8%). Conclusion. The non-adherence of epilepsy patients is common in China. Targeted management programs and communication strategies are necessary to improve adherence to AED treatments in patients with epilepsy and avoid the clinical consequences of poor adherence.

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a serious microvascular complication of diabetes mellitus that is closely associated with the degeneration and loss of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) caused by diabetic microangiopathy and subsequent oxidative stress and an inflammatory response. Microglial cells are classed as neurogliocytes and play a significant role in neurodegenerative diseases. Over-activated microglial cells may cause neurotoxicity and induce the death and apoptosis of RGCs. Crocin is one of the two most pharmacologically bioactive constituents in saffron. In the present study, we focused on the role of microglial cells in DR, suggesting that DR may cause the over-activation of microglial cells and induce oxidative stress and the release of pro-inflammatory factors. Microglial cells BV-2 and N9 were cultured, and high-glucose (HG) and free fatty acid (FFA) were used to simulate diabetes. The results showed that HG-FFA co-treatment caused the up-regulated expression of CD11b and Iba-1, indicating that BV-2 and N9 cells were over-activated. Moreover, oxidative stress markers and pro-inflammatory factors were significantly enhanced by HG-FFA treatment. We found that crocin prevented the oxidative stress and pro-inflammatory response induced by HG-FFA co-treatment. Moreover, using the PI3K/Akt inhibitor LY294002, we revealed that PI3K/Akt signaling plays a significant role in blocking oxidative stress, suppressing the pro-inflammatory response, and maintaining the neuroprotective effects of crocin. In total, these results provide a new insight into DR and DR-induced oxidative stress and the inflammatory response, which provide a potential therapeutic target for neuronal damage, vision loss, and other DR-induced complications.

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SUMMARY The LPA gene is the only monogenetic risk factor for calcific aortic valve stenosis (CAVS). Oxidized phospholipids (OxPL) and lysophosphatidic acid generated by autotaxin (ATX) from OxPL are pro-inflammatory. Aortic valve leaflets were categorized pathologically from Both ATX-apoB and ATX-apo(a) were measureable in plasma. Lp(a), autotaxin, OxPL and MDA epitopes progressively increased in immunostaining (p<0.001 for all). Six species of OxPL and LysoPA were identified following extraction from valve leaflets. The presence of a constellation of pathologically-linked, Lp(a)-associated molecules in plasma and in aortic valve leaflets of patients with CAVS suggest that Lp(a) is a key etiological factor in CAVS.