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Oxidative stress, as an important pathogenic factor, plays a critical role in acetaminophen (APAP) overdose-induced acute liver failure (ALF). Thus, an antioxidative strategy may be a good way to alleviate APAP-induced liver damage. Previous research has reported that Orientin (Ori) possesses antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anticancer effects. This study aimed to explore whether Ori can protect against APAP-induced oxidative stress and to elucidate its underlying mechanism. Our results indicated that Ori alleviated APAP-induced hepatic pathological changes by reducing mouse mortality, inhibiting the expression of cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1), maintaining a normal liver structure, and reducing the levels of serum alanine transaminase (ALT) and serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST). Moreover, Ori protected against APAP-induced oxidative damage by decreasing the formation of malondialdehyde (MDA) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) and increasing the levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and the GSH-to-GSSG ratio. Moreover, Ori regulated APAP-induced hepatocyte apoptosis and mitochondrial dysfunction by inhibiting cytochrome c mitochondrial translocation and c-jun N-terminal kinase phosphorylation, promoting Bcl-2 expression and reducing Bax and caspase-3 cleavage. Furthermore, Ori not only obviously promoted Nrf2 nuclear translocation but also activated the antioxidant-related proteins HO-1, GCLC, GCLM and NQO1. Therefore, Ori prevented APAP-induced hepatocyte oxidative damage and mitochondrial dysfunction via Nrf2-mediated and JNK/cytochrome c/caspase-3 signaling pathways.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related diseases are among the major diseases that affect millions of people worldwide. These diseases are difficult to eradicate and thus pose a serious global health challenge. There is an urgent need to understand the cross talk mechanism between HBV and the host. Cholesterol-25-hydroxylase (CH25H) and its enzymatic product, 25-hydroxycholesterol (25HC), were previously shown to exhibit effective broad-spectrum antiviral activity. However, the role of CH25H in the regulation of HBV infection and replication remains unclear. The present study reported increased expression of CH25H in HBV-infected patients compared to healthy subjects. Importantly, higher expression of CH25H expression was found to be associated with low HBV replication. Additionally, the present study aimed to identify CH25H mutants, which would lack hydroxylase activity but retain antiviral activity toward HBV infection and replication. Interestingly, it was observed that both CH25H and its mutants interacted with HBx protein and inhibited nuclear translocation of HBx. In particular, CH25H interacted with the C-terminal region of HBx, while transmembrane region 3 of CH25H was found to be critical for CH25H-HBx interaction and inhibition of HBV replication. The study results suggested that 25HC promoted HBV infection but not HBV replication. Thus, the results of the present study suggested the involvement of a dual mechanism in CH25H-mediated regulation of HBV replication. The study clearly demonstrated cross talk between HBV and the host through CH25H-HBx axis.

NF-E2 p45-related factor 2 (Nrf2), which regulates the cellular antioxidant response, is a target for limiting tissue damage due to exposure to environmental toxicants, including arsenic. Daphnetin (Daph), a natural coumarin derivative, has been shown to induce remarkable antioxidant activity. The present study aimed to examine the protective effects and molecular mechanisms of Daph on arsenic-induced cytotoxicity in human lung epithelial cells. Our results demonstrate that Daph dramatically upregulated the antioxidant enzyme in a dose dependent manner, in association with induction of Nrf2 nuclear translocation and decreased Keap1 protein expression. Importantly, Daph also markedly induced the activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) phosphorylation. Furthermore, Daph antagonized the arsenic-induced decreases in cell viability and the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Notably, Daph pretreatment reversed the arsenic-induced decrease in anti-apoptotic factor B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) and the increase in pro-apoptotic factor Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax). The effects of Daph on Nrf2 and HO-1 activation, and arsenic-induced cell viability were largely weakened when Nrf2 was depleted in vitro. Accordingly, Daph might ameliorate arsenic-induced cytotoxicity and apoptosis, which may be linked to the induction of Nrf2-dependent antioxidant responses as well as stabilization of the anti-apoptotic factor Bcl-2 in human lung epithelial cells.

Owing to its broad-spectrum antivirus activities, interferon (IFN) is an important alternative agent for use in the treatment of hepatitis B virus (HBV)-infected patients; however, the mechanism involved in the inhibition of HBV infection and replication by IFN remains unclear. We previously reported that the induction of TRIM5γ is important in the IFN treatment of HBV patients as it promotes the degradation of the HBx protein, while the manner in which TRIM5γ is induced by IFN and how TRIM5γ interacts with HBx remain unestablished until date. Our present findings confirmed the TRIM5γ-HBx-DDB1 interactions in the HBV-infected Primary human hepatocytes (PHH), and we further found that STAT3, and not STAT1, was responsible for the induction of TRIM5γ upon IFN stimulation and that the zinc binding site His123 on the BBOX domain was a decisive site in the interaction between TRIM5γ BBOX and HBx. In addition, based on the BBOX domain, we detected a 7-amino acid peptide with the potential of promoting HBx degradation and inhibiting HBV replication. On the other hand, we noted that the TRIM5γ expression was inhibited by HBV in chronically HBV infected patients. Thus, our study identified the crucial role of STAT3 in the induction of TRIM5γ, as well as proposed a 7-amino acid, small peptide as a potential candidate for the development of therapeutic agents targeting HBx.

Angiotensin II (Ang II) contributes to renal dysfunction, while hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) protects against renal dysfunction. However, the relationship between Ang II and HGF in chronic kidney disease (CKD) remains unknown. This study aimed to investigate the effect of HGF on Ang II expression in CKD. A rat model of CKD was established using female Wistar rats subjected to 5/6 nephrectomy (5/6 Nx). HGF was overexpressed in rat renal tissues using PCI-neo-HGF. Immunohistochemical staining and western blot analysis of renal Ang II expression were performed in 5/6 Nx rats treated with vehicle (negative control), Lotensin (positive control), or HGF for different periods of time (before 5/6 Nx, 5 and 9 weeks after 5/6 Nx). Compared with the 0-week group (before 5/6 Nx group), the protein expression of Ang II was significantly induced in rat renal tissues at 5 and 9 weeks after 5/6 Nx (

To analyze the clinical and pathological features of patients with anti-neutrophilic cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitic (AASV)-kidney injury (AASVKI). From January 2015 to December 2018, a total of 101 AASVKI patients treated in the First Hospital of Jilin University were divided into 2 groups (the pANCA-positive group and the cANCA-positive group) for comparison; 63 patients were performed renal biopsy and divided into 3 groups according to pathological results [the non-crescent nephritis group (non-C), the crescent nephritis group (C), and the sclerotic nephritis group (S)] for comparison. Compared with the Group pANCA, Group cANCA exhibited higher incidence of eye involvement (P = 0.039) and skin mucosa destruction (P = 0.045), higher serum creatinine (Scr) (P

TRIM5γ, together with TRIM31, has been shown to promote HBx ubiquitination and degradation. This study aimed to explore whether a patient with HCC (hepatic cell carcinoma) having a small nucleotide inserted into the TRIM31 gene, which made a shorter transcript stop at 768 bp, would result in blocking the activity of TRIM31 in promoting HBx degradation. Besides, this study aimed to determine the binding region of the TRIM31-TRIM5γ-HBx complex. HBV (Hepatitis B virus) infection was reported to induce type-III IFN but not type-I or type-II IFNs, here TRIM31 was found to be a type III rather than a type I stimulated gene, which was indispensable in inhibiting the hepatitis B virus replication by the interferon families. Thus, this study further identified the critical role of TRIM31 in the host-hepatitis B virus interaction.

Oxidative stress is closely associated with the pathogenesis of various diseases. Orientin (Ori), a flavonoid component isolated from natural plants, possesses antioxidant activity. Accordingly, we focused on exploring the potential therapeutic effects of Ori on hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced oxidative impairment in RAW 264.7 cells and the underlying antioxidative mechanisms. Our findings suggested that Ori exposure effectively alleviated H2O2-stimulated cytotoxicity, inhibited reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, and glutathione (GSH) depletion, which were involved in induction of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) by enhancing the nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) translocation, decreasing the Keap1 protein expression, and increasing the antioxidant response element (ARE) activity. However, knockdown of Nrf2 and HO-1 with siRNA mostly abolished the cytoprotective effects against H2O2-induced cell oxidative injury, reduced the expression of Nrf2 and HO-1, respectively. Moreover, Ori exposure significantly induced a c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK) and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/serine/threonine kinase (AKT) phosphorylation, but JNK and PI3K/AKT inhibitors treatment effectively reduced levels of Ori-enhanced Nrf2 nuclear translocation and HO-1 protein expression, and blocked Ori-inhibited cytotoxicity and ROS accumulation triggered by H2O2 respectively. Taken together, Ori might exhibit a protective role against H2O2-stimulated oxidative damage by the induction of HO-1 expression through the activation of the JNK- and PI3K/AKT-Nrf2 signaling pathways.

Background: Lotensin has been shown to have a protective function in the early stage of chronic renal failure. However, its role in the intermediate and late stages of chronic renal failure remains largely unknown. The present study aimed to investigate the role and underlying mechanism of lotensin in advanced chronic kidney disease. Methods: Female Wistar rats were randomly divided into three groups (n = 10): sham group, 5/6 nephrectomy (5/6 Nx) group, and lotensin group (oral administration of lotensin for 9 weeks following 5/6 Nx). Rats were sacrificed and pathological parameters were measured. Western blot assay and immunohistochemical staining were performed to detect the expression of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) in kidney tissues. Results: Compared to the 5/6 Nx group, lotensin administration significantly decreased 5/6 Nx-induced elevation in blood urea nitrogen, serum creatinine and 24-h urinary protein excretion (UPE) rates, but markedly increased red blood cell count, plasma albumin and hemoglobin levels, along with improved renal morphology. Mechanistically, lotensin dramatically downregulated the renal expression of TGF-β1 and α-SMA induced by 5/6 Nx. Conclusions: Lotensin protects against advanced chronic kidney disease in rats with 5/6 Nx through the downregulation of TGF-β1 and α-SMA.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and its associated chronic infection remain serious health threats worldwide. However, there is still no impactful approach for clinical treatment of hepatitis B patients. Therefore, developing a better understanding of the interactions between HBV and its host is particularly important. HBV infection has been reported to induce type-III but not type-I or type-II interferon (IFN). In this study, we identified CBFβ, an HIV enhancer, as an HBV restriction factor that is specifically induced by type-III IFN in the early stages of HBV infection. Type-III IFN-induced IL-10 played an important role in the production of CBFβ. Interestingly, the interaction between CBFβ- and HBV-encoded regulatory protein X (HBx) enhanced the stability of CBFβ, but notably blocked HBx-mediated promotion of HBV replication. CBFβ expression was lower in HBV patients than in healthy persons, and the addition of serum from HBV patients inhibited CBFβ expression in HepG2 cells. On the contrary, HBV via HBsAg inhibited type-III IFN-induced CBFβ expression and decreased the anti-HBV activity of type-III IFN, suggesting that HBV inhibits antiviral interferon-stimulated gene (ISG) expression and induces IFN resistance. Collectively, our results demonstrate that type-III IFN-triggered and IL-10-induced CBFβ are crucial factors for inhibiting HBV replication, and the HBx-CBFβ-HBsAg axis reveals a new molecular mechanism of interaction between HBV and its hosts.

Inflammation is a complex response to diverse pathological conditions, resulting in negative rather than protective effects when uncontrolled. Orientin (Ori), a flavonoid component isolated from natural plants, possesses abundant properties. Thus, we aimed to discover the potential therapeutic effects of orientin on lipopolysaccharide- (LPS-) induced inflammation in RAW 264.7 cells and the underlying mechanisms. In our studies, we evaluated the effects of Ori on proinflammatory mediator production stimulated by LPS, including tumor necrosis factor- (TNF-) α, interleukin- (IL-) 6, IL-18, and IL-1β, along with prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and NO. Our data indicated that orientin dramatically inhibited the levels of these mediators. Consistent with these results, the expression levels of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) were also reduced. Further study demonstrated that such inhibitory effects of Ori were due to suppression of the nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) pathway and nucleotide-binding domain- (NOD-) like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome activation, which may contribute to its anti-inflammatory effects. Together, these findings show that Ori may be an effective candidate for ameliorating LPS-induced inflammatory responses.

Therapeutic administration of type I IFN (IFN-I) is a common treatment option for individuals suffering from hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. IFN-I therapy, however, has a relatively low response rate in HBV-infected patients and can induce serious side-effects, limiting its clinical efficacy. There is, thus, a clear need to understand the molecular mechanisms governing the influence of IFN-I therapy in HBV treatment in order to improve patient outcomes. In this study, we explored the interactions between HBV and IFITs (IFN-induced proteins with tetratricopeptide repeats), which are classical IFN-inducible genes. Specifically, we found that HBV patients undergoing IFN-I therapy exhibited elevated expression of IFITs in their peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). We further observed upregulation in the expressions of IFIT1, IFIT2, and IFIT3 in cells transfected with the pHBV1.3 plasmid, which yields infectious virions in hepatic cells. We additionally found that HBx, which is the only regulatory protein encoded within the HBV genome, activates NF-κB, which in turn directly drives IFIT3 transcription. When IFIT3 was overexpressed in HepG2 cells, HBV replication was enhanced. Together, these results suggest that IFIT genes may unexpectedly enhance viral replication, thus making these genes potential therapeutic targets in patients with HBV.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) remains a major cause of hepatic disease that threatens human health worldwide. Type I IFN (IFN-I) therapy is an important therapeutic option for HBV patients. The antiviral effect of IFN is mainly mediated via upregulation of the expressions of the downstream IFN-stimulated genes. However, the mechanisms by which IFN induces ISG production and inhibits HBV replication are yet to be clarified. TRIM14 was recently reported as a key molecule in the IFN-signaling pathway that regulates IFN production in response to viral infection. In this study, we sought to understand the mechanisms by which IFN restricts HBV replication. We confirmed that TRIM14 is an ISG in the hepatic cells, and that the pattern-recognition receptor ligands polyI:C and polydAdT induce TRIM14 dependent on IFN-I production. In addition, IFN-I-activated STAT1 (but not STAT3) directly bound to the TRIM14 promoter and mediated the induction of TRIM14. Interestingly, TRIM14 played an important role in IFN-I-mediated inhibition of HBV, and the TRIM14 SPRY domain interacted with the C-terminal of HBx, which might block the role of HBx in facilitating HBV replication by inhibiting the formation of the Smc-HBx-DDB1 complex. Thus, our study clearly demonstrates that TRIM14 is a STAT1-dependent ISG, and that the IFN-I-TRIM14-HBx axis shows an alternative way to understand the mechanism by which IFN-I inhibits virus replication.

Acetaminophen (APAP) overdose-induced fatal hepatotoxicity is majorly characterized by overwhelmingly increased oxidative stress while enhanced nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) is involved in prevention of hepatotoxicity. Although Licochalcone A (Lico A) upregulates Nrf2 signaling pathway against oxidative stress-triggered cell injury, whether it could protect from APAP-induced hepatotoxicity by directly inducing Nrf2 activation is still poorly elucidated. This study aims to explore the protective effect of Lico A against APAP-induced hepatotoxicity and its underlying molecular mechanisms. Our findings indicated that Lico A effectively decreased tert-butyl hydroperoxide (t-BHP)- and APAP-stimulated cell apoptosis, mitochondrial dysfunction and reactive oxygen species generation and increased various anti-oxidative enzymes expression, which is largely dependent on upregulating Nrf2 nuclear translocation, reducing the Keap1 protein expression, and strengthening the antioxidant response element promoter activity. Meanwhile, Lico A dramatically protected against APAP-induced acute liver failure by lessening the lethality; alleviating histopathological liver changes; decreasing the alanine transaminase and aspartate aminotransferase levels, malondialdehyde formation, myeloperoxidase level and superoxide dismutase depletion, and increasing the GSH-to-GSSG ratio. Furthermore, Lico A not only significantly modulated apoptosis-related protein by increasing Bcl-2 expression, and decreasing Bax and caspase-3 cleavage expression, but also efficiently alleviated mitochondrial dysfunction by reducing c-jun N-terminal kinase phosphorylation and translocation, inhibiting Bax mitochondrial translocation, apoptosis-inducing factor and cytochrome c release. However, Lico A-inhibited APAP-induced the lethality, histopathological changes, hepatic apoptosis, and mitochondrial dysfunction in WT mice were evidently abrogated in Nrf2-/- mice. These investigations firstly implicated that Lico A has protective potential against APAP-induced hepatotoxicity which may be strongly associated with the Nrf2-mediated defense mechanisms.

Oxidative stress is closely associated with the pathogenesis of various diseases. Orientin (Ori), a flavonoid component isolated from natural plants, possesses antioxidant activity. Accordingly, we focused on exploring the potential therapeutic effects of Ori on hydrogen peroxide (H

Studies on the association of dysnatraemia with all-cause mortality risk in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients have yielded inconsistent results. This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the association of hyponatremia or hypernatremia with all-cause mortality risk in CKD patients. An electronic literature search was performed in Web of Science, Pubmed and Embase databases from inception to March 2017 for available observational studies evaluating the association of dysnatraemia with all-cause mortality risk in CKD patients. Pooled hazard risk (HR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) was calculated for hyponatremia or hypernatremia vs. normonatremia. Seven studies that enrolled 742,979 CKD patients were identified. Baseline hyponatremia (HR 1.34; 95% CI: 1.15–1.57), and not hypernatremia (HR 1.12; 95%: CI 0.93–1.34), was independently associated with increased risk of all-cause mortality, when compared than the normonatremia category. In time-dependent analyses, both time-averaged hyponatremia (HR 1.65; 95% CI: 1.27–2.15) and hypernatremia (HR 1.41; 95% CI: 1.20–1.65) had a higher independent risk of all-cause mortality. Furthermore, subgroup analyses by type of patients, study design, sample size and follow-up duration revealed similar results across most of these analyses. Baseline hyponatremia and time-dependent hyponatremia or hypernatremia were independently associated with increased all-cause mortality risk in CKD patients.

Optimized study to the ratio of primeval ball loading in 4.0 × 6.0m overflow ball Mill of Yingezhuang gold mine, the research results showed that it pertains to low hard and brittle ores, the accurate size ball should be used rather than big size ball due to mainly fines mineral are produced in the process of comminution. As the yield of intermediate granularity between 8 to 0.45 mm reach up to 50.34%,the intermediate particles should be strengthened in grinding, -400 mesh content is about 40% and -10um content accounts for a quarter of the grind products what showed that particles size are not satisfied and unfavorable to subsequent separation. The optimum scheme of primeval ball loading is that: φ70: φ60: φ50: φ40= 15: 15: 30: 40 for φ4.0 × 6.0m overflow ball mill, the separate sizes contents is 64.19% between 0.15∼0.019 mm which increasing by 19.14% compare with 44.78% and the mill -200mesh utilization coefficient increasing 12.6 percents compare with 0.14 about original program when φ4.0 × 6.0m overflow ball mill work itself alone, in addition, the mill -200mesh utilization coefficient increasing 11.71 percents compare with 0.1503 about original program when φ4.0 × 6.0m overflow ball mill and φ3.6 × 6.0m grate ball mill are working together.

This article introduced an accurate to ascertain the size of fine grinding medium. Comparative grinding tests are done by using cast iron segment steel ball. Grinding test results showed that mill capacity and grinding efficiency of cast iron segment could be really superior to steel ball. Grinding and flotation indexes have gotten obvious improvement when applying optimized fine grinding medium for industrial experiment.