Astragaloside IV Binds with RhoA, Inhibits EndMT and Ameliorates Myocardial Fibrosis in Mice.

Astragaloside IV (ASIV), the main active component of the traditional Chinese medicine HuangQi, exhibits ameliorating effects on myocardial fibrosis through unclear mechanisms. To investigate the effects of ASIV on Endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndMT) in myocardial fibrosis, 10 ng/mL TGF-β1 was used to induce EndMT in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and a 5 mg/kg/d subcutaneous injection of Isoproterenol (ISO) was used to induce myocardial fibrosis in mice . The drug affinity-responsive target stability (DARTS) was used to identify the target proteins of ASIV in endothelial cells.

Berberine Sensitises Breast Cancer Cells to Radiation via the Attenuation of DNA Ligase III.

Berberine (BBR) is an isoquinoline alkaloid with a variety of biological activities, including anti-microbial and anti-tumoral activities. However, the cellular targets of BBR and the roles of BBR in the radiosensitivity of breast cancer cells are not well defined. In this study, we investigated the effects of BBR on the radiosensitivity of BT549 triple-negative breast cancer cells.

Widely Distributed Pigeon Paramyxovirus Sub-Genotypes Pose a Risk to Immunocompromised Humans.

Introduction: Pigeon paramyxovirus type 1 (PPMV-1) is an antigenic variant of Avian Orthoavulavirus 1 (AOAV-1) (Newcastle disease virus) with a global distribution that causes lethal infections in pigeon and dove species. AOAV-1's infecting humans normally cause mild, self-limiting conjunctivitis, but since 2003, PPMV-1 has been associated with an increased number of severe and lethal respiratory and neurological infections in immunocompromised persons in the Netherlands, the USA, France, China and Australia.

Methods: PPMV-1's isolated from free-living pigeons and doves across South Africa from 2012 to 2024 were sequenced using conventional or next generation technologies.

GADD45A is Essential for Granulosa Cells Differentiation and Ovarian Reserve in Human and Mice.

Diminished ovarian reserve (DOR) poses significant challenges in reproductive health, with emerging evidence implicating DNA damage repair pathways. While GADD45A is a critical regulator of DNA repair, cell cycle and apoptosis, its role in DOR pathogenesis remains unexplored. We employed transcriptome sequencing, qPCR and Western Blot analyses to compare GADD45A expression in granulosa cells (GCs) between DOR patients and controls.

Multi-Omics Analysis Revealed Characterization of Gastric Microbiome and Metabolome in Helicobacter pylori-Induced Progression of MASLD.

Background: Several clinical studies have demonstrated that Helicobacter pylori (Hp) infection may exacerbate the progression of Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD); however, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. This study aims to investigate the characterization of the gastric microbiome and metabolome in relation to the progression of MASLD induced by Hp infection.

Methods: We established a high-fat diet (HFD) obese mouse model, both with and without Hp infection, to compare alterations in serum and liver metabolic phenotypes.

Research Progress of Surfactant-Free Microemulsions: A Review.

Surfactant is usually considered the key component to form microemulsion. surfactant-based microemulsion (SBME) can also be called traditional microemulsion. It has a wide range of applications.

Progress of a Novel Dentistry Teaching Model Based on the Combination of Virtual Reality and Artificial Intelligence Technologies in Optimizing Cognitive Load: A Systematic Review.

Background: Virtual reality (VR) and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies have advanced significantly over the past few decades, expanding into various fields, including dental education.

Purpose: To comprehensively review the application of VR and AI technologies in dentistry training, focusing on their impact on cognitive load management and skill enhancement. This study systematically summarizes the existing literature by means of a scoping review to explore the effects of the application of these technologies and to explore future directions.

Transcriptomic analysis of immune and metabolic responses in largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) challenged with Citrobacter freundii.

Citrobacter freundii, a common zoonotic pathogen affecting humans, livestock and fish, is recognized for its substantial impact on largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) mortality. However, the mechanisms of C. freundii infection in largemouth bass remain poorly understood.

Analysis of peripheral blood antigens and their clinical value in oral lichen planus.

Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a chronic inflammatory disease of unknown aetiology, which is an oral potentially malignant disorder. Many investigators suggest that OLP may be a localized autoimmune response caused by cell-mediated autoimmunity to basal cells. However, it remains unclear whether allergens play a role in the pathogenesis of OLP.

TCR/BCR Secondary Rearrangement in Autoimmune Diseases: Molecular Mechanisms, Pathogenic Roles, and Therapeutic Frontiers.

Autoimmune diseases (AIDs) constitute a group of disorders where the immune system mistakenly attacks the body's tissues. The pathogenesis of AIDs involve a breakdown in immune tolerance, culminating in an immune response that targets autoantigens. In adaptive immunity, secondary rearrangement of T cell receptors (TCRs) and B cell receptors (BCRs) involves sequential V(D)J recombination events during lymphocyte development.

Molecular Mechanism of Butyrate Modulating Treg/Th17 Balance in UC Through cAMP-PKA/mTOR Axis.

Objective: This study aims to elucidate how butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid, regulates the Treg/Th17 balance in ulcerative colitis (UC) via the cAMP-PKA/mTOR signaling pathway, offering novel treatment strategies.

Methods: Dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) was used to induce ulcerative colitis in a mouse model. Various butyrate dosages were administered to the mice.

Diet-microbiome synergy: unraveling the combined impact on frailty through interactions and mediation.

Objective: This study analyzed data from the US population to examine how oral microbiome diversity and diet quality individually and synergistically affect frailty.

Methods: This study included 6,283 participants aged 20 years or older from the 2009-2010 and 2011-2012 NHANES cycles. A frailty index (FI) consisting of 36 items was developed, with items related to nutritional status excluded.

Fatty acid synthase in high and low lipid-producing strains of Mucor circinelloides: identification, phylogenetic analysis, and expression profiling during growth and lipid accumulation.

Fatty acid synthase (FAS) is one of the most important enzymes in lipid biosynthesis, which can catalyze the reaction of acetyl-CoA and malonyl-CoA to produce fatty acids. However, the structure, function, and molecular mechanism of FAS regulating lipid synthesis in the fungus Mucor circinelloides are unclear. In the present study, two encoding fas genes in the high lipid-producing strain WJ11 and low lipid-producing strain CBS277.

Single-Cell RNA Sequencing Reveals Potential Mechanism of RUNX3 Reshaping Tumor Microenvironment in Non-small-cell Lung Cancer.

Background: RUNX3 acts as a tumor suppressor gene in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), yet its specific biological mechanism is still unclear. This study aimed to uncover tumor microenvironment (TME) changes in NSCLC with varying RUNX3 expression statuses through single-cell RNA sequencing.

Patients And Methods: In total, seven patients with NSCLC with detailed pathological data were involved, with three both paracancerous and cancerous tissue samples.

Gut Microbes and Inflammation: Their Role in Spinal Cord Injury Progression and Secondary Damage.

This review article describes recent research advances in the relationship between spinal cord injury (SCI) and the gut microbiota and each other's inflammatory response. SCI is a serious neurological disease that directly damages physiological function. Recent studies have shown that SCI significantly affected the composition and function of the gut microbiota, and even caused intestinal inflammation.

Evidence for cognitive compensation mechanism in the postoperative delirium: a prospective multi-modal neuroimaging cohort study.

To explore the effect of brain cognitive compensation on the pathogenesis of postoperative delirium (POD) in the frontal glioma patients. Eighty-four adult patients with unilateral frontal glioma who underwent elective craniotomy and 37 healthy controls were recruited. Primary outcomes were POD during postoperative 1-7 days, as assessed by Confusion Assessment Method.

Assessment of Small Airways Function in Eosinophilic Preserved Ratio Impaired Spirometry.

Introduction: Preserved ratio impaired spirometry (PRISm) is an important phenotype of pulmonary function in clinical and public health practice. It is possible for some patients to have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) at an early stage. At present there is little research on the association of PRISm with type 2 (T2) inflammation biomarkers.

Bio-ethical issues of research in Sub-Saharan Africa.

This paper examines bioethical considerations of research conducted in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), where a notable scarcity persists in literature addressing region-specific bioethical issues. Although bioethics-related activities have encountered challenges surpassing existing protocol safeguards, emerging evidence demonstrates growing recognition of integrated scientific and ethical principles within African medical research. Maintaining research continuity in resource-limited settings necessitates bridging critical gaps between informed consent procedures and participants' actual understanding.

Production and functional characteristics of a novel hirudin variant with better anticoagulant activities than bivalirudin.

Current antithrombotic therapies face dual constraints of bleeding complications and monitoring requirements. Although natural hirudin provides targeted thrombin inhibition, its clinical adoption is hindered by sourcing limitations. This study developed a recombinant hirudin variant HMg (rHMg) with enhanced anticoagulant activity through genetic engineering and established cost-effective large-scale production methods.

Molecular characterization of endosomal self RNA Rmrp-engaged TLR3 dimerization to prime innate activation.

The pre-dimerization of endosome-localized RNA sensor Toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) is required for its innate recognition, yet how TLR3 pre-dimers are formed and precisely primed for innate activation remains unclear. Here, we demonstrate that endosome-localized self RNA Rmrp directly binds to TLR3 and induces TLR3 dimerization in the early endosome but does not interact with endosome-localized TLR7, TLR8, TLR9 or cytoplasmic RNA sensor RIG-I under homeostatic conditions. Cryo-EM structure of Rmrp-TLR3 complex reveals a novel lapped conformation of TLR3 dimer engaged by Rmrp, which is distinct from the activation mechanism by dsRNA and the specific structural feature at the 3'-end of Rmrp is critical for its functional interaction with TLR3.