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Runing Fu,1,* Wenping Lian,1,* Bohao Zhang,2,* Gang Liu,3 Xinyu Feng,1 Yingjie Zhu,1 Jiuan Zhou,1 Xinyu Zhang,4 Shukai Wang,1 Huijuan Huo,1 Daxin Wang,1 Cui Liu,1 Saisai Gao,1 Yajie Ma,4 Mengle Peng1,* 1Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Third People’s Hospital of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450006, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450000, People’s Republic of China; 3The Center of Meige Syndrome, The Third People’s Hospital of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450006, People’s Republic of China; 4Department of Medical Affair, the Third People’s Hospital of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450006, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Mengle Peng; Yajie Ma, Email pengmengle1990@126.com; szsyywk@sina.comPurpose: Inflammatory markers are known to be associated with many diseases, but their role in Meige syndrome (MS) remains unclear. This study aimed to develop and validate a nomogram for the risk prediction of MS based on inflammatory markers.Patient Data and Methods: Data from 448 consecutive patients with MS at the Third People’s Hospital of Henan Province between January 2022 and December 2023 were retrospectively reviewed. The MS cohort was randomly divided into separate training and validation sets. A nomogram was constructed using a multivariate logistic regression model based on data from the training set. The model’s performance was validated through cross-validation, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, calibration curve analysis and decision curve analysis (DCA).Results: A total of five predictors, including red blood cell distribution width (RDW), hemoglobin (HGB), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), the lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR), and the systemic immune‐inflammation index (SII), were identified using multivariate logistic regression from a total of 11 variables. The cross-validation results indicated the stability of the model constructed with the above five predictors. The model showed moderate predictive ability, with an area under the ROC curve of 0.767 in the training set and 0.735 in the validation set. The calibration curve and DCA results indicate that the model has strong consistency and significant potential for clinical application.Conclusion: We constructed a nomogram based on five risk predictors, RDW, HGB, HDL-C, the LMR and the SII, to predict MS and enhance the predictive accuracy for identifying MS risk.Keywords: Meige syndrome, inflammatory marker, nomogram, LMR, SII

Lian W, Chen W. Drug Des Devel Ther. 2020;14:3385–3391. We, the Editor and Publisher of the journal Drug Design, Development and Therapy have retracted the published article. Following publication of the article, concerns were raised about the duplication of an image from Figure 4 with an image from an unrelated article. Specifically, The western blot image for Figure 4A, GAPDH, right, has been duplicated with a western blot image for Figure 2C, β-actin, from Feng Zhu, Shang-Nan Dai, Da-Lai Xu, Chao-Qun Hou, Tong-Tai Liu, Qiu-Yang Chen, Jun-Li Wu, Yi Miao, EFNB2 facilitates cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma via the p53/p21 pathway and EMT. Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy. 2020;125:109972. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopha.2020.109972. The corresponding author did not respond to our queries and was unable to provide a satisfactory explanation for how the images came to be duplicated or provide satisfactory original data for the study. As verifying the validity of published work is core to the integrity of the scholarly record, the Publisher and Editor requested to retract the article and the corresponding author was notified of this decision. We have been informed in our decision-making by our editorial policies and COPE guidelines. The retracted article will remain online to maintain the scholarly record, but it will be digitally watermarked on each page as “Retracted”.

Peng Wang,1,2,* Yueying Fan,2,* Wenqin Lian,2,* Yingjun Su,3 Hou’an Xiao,1 Chiyu Jia2 1Department of Burns and Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery, Xi’an Ninth Hospital, Xi’an, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Burns and Plastic and Wound Repair Surgery, Xiang’an Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Burns and Plastic Surgery, Plastic Surgery Hospital, Xi’an International Medical Center, Xi’an, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Chiyu Jia, Department of Burns and Plastic and Wound Repair Surgery, Xiang’an Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, People’s Republic of China, Email jiachiyu@qq.com Hou’an Xiao, Department of Burns and Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery, Xi’an Ninth Hospital, Xi’an, People’s Republic of China, Email xiaohouan@163.comObjective: To investigate the application of local rotation flaps for reconstruction of divided nevi of the penises in young male patients.Methods: A group of 8 patients of divided nevi of the penises who underwent wound reconstruction with local rotation flaps after surgical lesion removal was enrolled in a retrospective clinical study. Postoperative complication, sexual function and psychological traits were evaluated during the follow-up.Results: All patients, with ages ranged from 16 to 32 years (mean 23.25 years), were followed up for 6 to 48 months (mean 19.86 months). The patient’s average length of hospital stay was 7.85 day (7 to 15 days). The average dimension of the lesions was (2.31± 0.44) × (1.46± 0.48) cm2 on the glans and (1.38± 0.40) × (1.01± 0.46) cm2 on the inner prepuce plate. All patients had no postoperative infection and were satisfied with the postoperative outcome upon discharge. Five cases of benign intradermal nevi and 3 cases of compound nevi without malignant transformation were confirmed by pathological evaluation on the removed samples. The sexual function of all patients was unaffected postoperatively by male sexual function scale (BMSFI and IIEF-5) evaluation. The psychological status of depression, anxiety and stress was all improved after the surgical reconstruction confirmed by the psychological traits scale (DASS) evaluation.Conclusion: Reconstruction with the local rotation flap is a simple, safe and appropriate surgical procedure, achieves satisfactory cosmetic outcome, and maintains intact male sexual function when used for the repair of defect after removal of divided nevi of the penises.Keywords: divided nevi, local rotation flap, genital plastic surgery, postoperative, follow-up

Lin Zhu,* Wanyi Lian,* Zhiwen Yao, Xiao Yang, Ziyi Wang, Yupei Lai, Shiting Xu, Bingcheng Zhao, Kexuan Liu Department of Anesthesiology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Kexuan Liu; Bingcheng Zhao, Department of Anesthesiology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People’s Republic of China, Tel/Fax +86 020 61641881, Email liukexuan705@163.com; zhaobch@mail2.sysu.edu.cnPurpose: Intestinal ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury is an unresolved clinical challenge due to its high prevalence, difficulty in diagnosis, and lack of clinically effective therapeutic agents. Ferroptosis is a novel form of cell-regulated death that has been shown to play a role in various I/R models and has been shown to be immune-related. Further unraveling the molecular mechanisms associated with ferroptosis and immunity in intestinal I/R injury may lead to the discovery of potentially effective drugs.Methods: We obtained differentially expressed mRNAs (DEGs) in mouse intestinal tissues following intestinal I/R injury or sham surgery. Then, we extracted ferroptosis-related DEGs (FRGs) and immune-related DEGs (IRGs) from the DEGs. In addition, we performed functional analysis of FRGs and IRGs. Next, we used transcriptome sequencing from patients with intestinal I/R injury to validate the results. Then, we constructed transcription factors (TFs)-gene networks and gene-drug networks using mouse and human co-expressed FRGs (coFRG) and mouse and human co-expressed IRGs (coIRG). We also analyzed the composition of immune cells to reveal correlations between FRGs signatures and immune cells in the mouse and human gut. Finally, we validated these results through animal experiments.Results: We extracted 61 FRGs and 294 IRGs from mouse samples and performed PPI and functional analyses. We extracted 45 FRGs and 200 IRGs from human samples for validation, and identified 24 coFRGs,100 coIRGs and 6 hub genes (HSPA5, GDF15, TNFAIP3, HMOX1, CXCL2 and IL6) in both. We also predicted potential TF-gene networks for coFRGs and coIRGs, as well as predicted gene-drug pairs for hub genes. In addition, we found that the immune cells were altered in the early stages of intestinal I/R injury and that FRGs were closely associated with immune cells in mice and humans. Finally, we validated the hub genes in mouse samples.Conclusion: In conclusion, we identified ferroptosis and immunity-related genes to predict their correlations in intestinal I/R injury. We also predicated potential TF-genes network and potential therapeutic targets (HSPA5, GDF15, TNFAIP3, HMOX1, CXCL2 and IL6) to provide clues for further investigation of intestinal I/R injury.Keywords: intestinal ischemia-reperfusion injury, ferroptosis, immunity, RNA-seq, bioinformatics

Weibin Lian,1,* Xiaohua Jiang,2,* Liangqiang Li,1,* Qinglan Wang,1 Chengye Hong,1 Peidong Yang,1 Debo Chen1 1Department of Breast Surgery, Quanzhou First Hospital Affiliated to Fujian Medical University, Quanzhou, Fujian, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Orthopedics, Xiang’an Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Weibin Lian; Debo Chen Tel +86-15260819892; +86-13600738668Email weibinlian@fjmu.edu.cn; deboqz@163.comIntroduction: Recently, the significant regulatory effects of lncRNAs on the oncogenesis and growth of tumor have been demonstrated by an increasing number of research projects. A previous study showed that LL22NC03-N64E9.1 could promote the development of colorectal cancer, especially via enhanced cell proliferation. Similarly, this lncRNA should have comparable functions in breast cancer (BC), which requires in-depth investigation. Therefore, this study was designed to explore the correlation of LL22NC03-N64E9.1 with BC.Methods: qRT-PCR was used to assess the relative expression of LL22NC03-N64E9.1 in BC tissues. Cell viability examination and colony formation experiments were performed to investigate the role of LL22NC03-N64E9.1 in BC cell’s proliferation. Transwell assays were used to explore the effects of LL22NC03-N64E9.1 on BC cell’s migration. RNA immunoprecipitation, chromosome immunoprecipitation assay and rescue experiments were performed to analyze the association of LL22NC03-N64E9.1 with target proteins and genes in BC cells.Results: We identified that LL22NC03-N64E9.1 is an oncogene, upregulated in BC, which was verified in a cohort of 48 pairs of BC tissues. Based on the loss-of-function experiments, silencing LL22NC03-N64E9.1 expression significantly inhibited malignancy progression. In terms of the mechanism, LL22NC03-N64E9.1 acted on the enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) by direct binding, which promoted BC cell growth. Furthermore, in the promoters of KLF2, the trimethylation of H3K27 could be regulated by LL22NC03-N64E9.1 as the mediator.Conclusion: Relying on the LL22NC03-N64E9.1/EZH2/KLF2 pathway, the lncRNA LL22NC03-N64E9.1 was significantly associated with BC development and could, therefore, be a potential therapeutic target to block BC growth.Keywords: breast cancer, lncRNA, LL22NC03-N64E9.1, H3K27me3, KLF2

Wei Lian, Wensheng Chen Department of Gastroenterology, Southwest Hospital of Army Medical University, Chongqing, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Wensheng ChenDepartment of Gastroenterology, Southwest Hospital of Army Medical University, Gaotanyanzheng Street, Shapingba District, Chongqing 400038, People’s Republic of ChinaEmail wensheng_c1241@126.comBackground: Cyanidin-3-O-glucoside (C3G) is an important anthocyanin that can modulate digestive system functioning. Inflammation associated with severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) induces H2S production, which impairs the gastrointestinal (GI) system. We investigated the effects of C3G in attenuating SAP-associated colonic motility loss by examining the H2S level and activity of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway.Methods: A rat model of SAP was induced using sodium taurocholate, and the effect of C3G on colonic mobility, H2S production, and the inflammatory response was investigated. AMPK/mTOR pathway changes were detected to assess the pathways by which H2S influences colonic mobility in SAP-model rats. The mechanism underlying H2S function was further examined by subjecting colonic muscle cells (CMCs) to C3G, SAP plasma and an AMPK activator.Results: Administering C3G improved colonic motility but suppressed the inflammatory response and H2S production in the SAP-model rats, which was associated with inhibiting the AMPK/mTOR pathway. Furthermore, activating the AMPK/mTOR pathway in CMCs promoted inflammation but suppressed Ca2+ levels, even after administering C3G.Conclusion: Administering C3G may improve SAP-associated colonic mobility by inhibiting the H2S-mediated AMPK/mTOR pathway.Keywords: AMP-activated protein kinase, AMPK, cyanidin-3-O-glucoside, colonic motility, severe acute pancreatitis, hydrogen sulfide

Chuanwu Cao,* Shilong Han,* Yifeng Yuan, Yongfa Wu, Weishuai Lian, Xiaojun Zhang, Long Pan, Maoquan Li Department of Interventional and Vascular Surgery, Tenth People’s Hospital of Tongji University, Shanghai 200072, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Maoquan LiDepartment of Interventional and Vascular Surgery, Tenth People’s Hospital of Tongji University, 301 Middle Yan Chang Road, Shanghai 200072, People’s Republic of ChinaTel +86-021-66313506Email cjr.limaoquan@vip.163.comBackground: Circular RNAs are implicated in a variety of cancers. This investigation found that hsa_circ_0000291 expression was upregulated in gastric cancer (GC) cell lines, yet its role in GC has not yet been reported.Objective: To explore the effects of hsa_circ_0000291 on GC cell proliferation and invasion.Materials and methods: In the current research, we used the gastric cancer cell lines MGC803 and MKN-28 to study hsa_circ_0000291 function. The relationship between hsa_circ_0000291, miR-183 and ITGB1 was analyzed by firefly luciferase analysis and Western blots, and qRT-PCR approaches were used for protein and gene expression analysis, respectively. Tumor growth and metastasis were determined in nude mice xenografts using MKN-28 cells, with or without hsa_circ_000r0291 downregulation.Results: Our data showed that hsa_circ_0000291 was upregulated in GC cell lines, whereas hsa_circ_0000291 silencing suppressed cell metastasis and proliferation in in vivo and in vitro studies. Our results showed that the downregulation of hsa_circ_0000291 suppressed integrin beta 1 (ITGB1) expression via miR-183 “sponging,” which was validated by rescue experiments using the luciferase reporter assay. Our observations suggested that hsa_circ_0000291 silencing suppressed the aggressive, metastatic GC phenotype.Conclusion: Taken together, hsa_circ_0000291 knockdown inhibited GC cell metastasis and growth by regulating the miR-183/ITGB1 axis. Importantly, this approach could provide a therapy target and potential biomarker for the diagnosis and treatment of GC.Keywords: hsa_circ_0000291, miR-183, integrin beta 1, proliferation and migration, gastric cancer

Xiaoxiao Hu,1,* Weishuai Lian,1,* Xiaojun Zhang,2,* Xue Yang,3,* Jinxia Jiang,4 Maoquan Li1 1Department of Interventional Vascular Surgery, The Tenth People’s Hospital affiliated to Tongji University, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200072, China; 2Department of Interventional Catheter, The Tenth People’s Hospital affiliated to Tongji University, Shanghai, 200072, China; 3Department of Anesthesiology, Eastern Hospital Affiliated to Tongji University, Shanghai, 200120, China; 4Department of Emergency, The Tenth People’s Hospital affiliated to Tongji University, Shanghai, 200072, China *These authors contributed equally to this work Background: Diabetes mellitus, one of the most prevalent chronic metabolic diseases, causes many complications. Among the complications, one of the most common chronic complications is diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs).Objective: This study was conducted to investigate the efficacy of negative pressure wound therapy using vacuum-assisted closure (VAC) combined with photon therapy for the management of DFUs.Patients and methods: The study included a total of 69 patients with DFUs during the period from January 2014 to December 2015. All patients were diagnosed with DFUs with Wagner’s stage 2 or 3 and were divided into two groups – the VAC group in which patients received only VAC and the combined group in which patients received both VAC and photon therapy. Data on duration of the treatment, pre- and postoperative wound surface areas, dressing changing times, pain conditions assessed using visual analog scale scores, recurrence rate and amputation rate were collected.Results: Among all patients, 35 patients were divided into the VAC group and 34 patients into the combined group. Areas of foot ulcers for all patients ranged from 5 to 100 cm2. The treatment duration, dressing changing times and the peak value of visual analog scale scores were all significantly lower in the combined group compared with the VAC group (P

Marine protected areas (MPAs) can facilitate recovery of diminished stocks by protecting reproductive adults. To effectively augment fisheries, however, reproductive output must increase within the bounds of MPAs so that larvae can be exported to surrounding areas and seed the region. In response to dramatic declines of rockfishes (Sebastes spp.) in southern California by the late 1990s two large MPAs, the Cowcod Conservation Areas (CCAs), were established in 2001. To evaluate whether the CCAs affected rockfish productivity we evaluated the dynamics of 8 species that were, and 7 that were not, historically targeted by fishing. Abundances of 6/8 targeted and 4/7 non-targeted species increased regionally from 1998 to 2013. These upturns were probably affected by environmental conditions in addition to changes in fishing pressure as the presence of most species correlated negatively with temperature, and temperature was lower than the historic average in 11/15 years. Seventy-five per cent of the targeted, but none of the non-targeted species increased at a greater rate inside than outside the CCAs while controlling for environmental factors. Results indicate that management actions, coupled with favourable environmental conditions, facilitated the resurgence of multiple rockfish species that were targeted by intense fishing effort for decades.

Late embryogenesis abundant (LEA) proteins are important for promoting the growth and stress tolerance of plants. They are widely involved in plant growth regulation and responses to hormones and environmental factors. However, knowledge of the functions of the LEA gene in ginseng species remains limited. In this study, a Panax ginseng LEA gene (PgLEA) expression vector was constructed, and stable transgenic Arabidopsis lines were established. The PgLEA protein was classified in the LEA-2 subgroup. Reverse-transcription quantitative PCR analysis showed that the expression of PgLEA increased under 300 mM NaCl or 10 % (m/v) polyethylene glycol treatments. Under salt and osmotic stresses, overexpression of PgLEA in transgenic Arabidopsis plants improved germination rate, root length, and survival rate compared to wild-type plants. In response to drought or salt stress, transgenic plants increased proline accumulation, decreased malonaldehyde content and ion leakage. Furthermore, the transgenic plants exhibited significantly increased activity of superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, and catalase, and reduced accumulation of hydrogen peroxide and superoxide. Moreover, overexpression of PgLEA affected the expression of genes related to salt/drought stress. Taken together, PgLEA is a positive regulator of drought and salinity stress, and positively functioned in pleiotropic effects through regulating osmotic balance, reactive oxygen species scavenging and inducing transcription of stress-related genes. PgLEA may enable ginseng plants to adapt to adverse environments. The data presented herein imply that PgLEA may be useful for breeding new stress-tolerant ginseng cultivars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Late embryogenesis abundant (LEA) proteins are important for promoting the growth and stress tolerance of plants. They are widely involved in plant growth regulation and responses to hormones and environmental factors. However, knowledge of the functions of the LEA gene in ginseng species remains limited. In this study, a Panax ginseng LEA gene (PgLEA) expression vector was constructed, and stable transgenic Arabidopsis lines were established. The PgLEA protein was classified in the LEA-2 subgroup. Reverse-transcription quantitative PCR analysis showed that the expression of PgLEA increased under 300 mM NaCl or 10 % (m/v) polyethylene glycol treatments. Under salt and osmotic stresses, overexpression of PgLEA in transgenic Arabidopsis plants improved germination rate, root length, and survival rate compared to wild-type plants. In response to drought or salt stress, transgenic plants increased proline accumulation, decreased malonaldehyde content and ion leakage. Furthermore, the transgenic plants exhibited significantly increased activity of superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, and catalase, and reduced accumulation of hydrogen peroxide and superoxide. Moreover, overexpression of PgLEA affected the expression of genes related to salt/drought stress. Taken together, PgLEA is a positive regulator of drought and salinity stress, and positively functioned in pleiotropic effects through regulating osmotic balance, reactive oxygen species scavenging and inducing transcription of stress-related genes. PgLEA may enable ginseng plants to adapt to adverse environments. The data presented herein imply that PgLEA may be useful for breeding new stress-tolerant ginseng cultivars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For young fishes, growth of somatic tissues and energy reserves are critical steps for survival and progressing to subsequent life stages. When thermal regimes become supraoptimal, routine metabolic rates increase and leave less energy for young fish to maintain fitness-based activities and, in the case of anadromous fishes, less energy to prepare for emigration to coastal habitats. Thus, understanding how energy allocation strategies are affected by thermal regimes in young anadromous fish will help to inform climate-ready management of vulnerable species and their habitat. Blueback herring (Alosa aestivalis) are an anadromous fish species that remain at historically low population levels and are undergoing southern edge-range contraction, possibly due to climate change. We examined the effects of temperature (21°C, 24°C, 27°C, 30°C, 33°C) on survival, growth rate and energy reserves of juveniles collected from the mid-geographic range of the species. We identified a strong negative relationship between temperature and growth rate, resulting in smaller juveniles at high temperatures. We observed reduced survival at both 21°C and 33°C, increased fat and lean mass-at-length at high temperatures, but no difference in energy density. Juveniles were both smaller and contained greater scaled energy reserves at higher temperatures, indicating growth in length is more sensitive to temperature than growth of energy reserves. Currently, mid-geographic range juvenile blueback herring populations may be well suited for local thermal regimes, but continued warming could decrease survival and growth rates. Blueback herring populations may benefit from mitigation actions that maximize juvenile energy resources by increasing the availability of cold refugia and food-rich habitats, as well as reducing other stressors such as hypoxic zones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Growth rate and energy reserves are important determinants of fitness and are governed by endogenous and exogenous factors. Thus, examining the influence of individual and multiple stressors on growth and energy reserves can help estimate population health under current and future conditions. In young anadromous fishes, freshwater habitat quality determines physiological state and fitness of juveniles emigrating to marine habitats. In this study, the authors tested how temperature and food availability affect survival, growth and energy reserves in juvenile anadromous alewives (Alosa pseudoharengus), a forage fish distributed along the eastern North American continent. Field‐collected juvenile anadromous A. pseudoharengus were exposed for 21 days to one of two temperatures (21°C and 25°C) and one of two levels of food rations (1% or 2% tank biomass daily) and compared for differences in final size, fat mass‐at‐length, lean mass‐at‐length and energy density. Increased temperature and reduced ration both led to lower growth rates, and the effect of reduced ration was greater at higher temperature. Fat mass‐at‐length decreased with dry mass, and energy density increased with total length, suggesting size‐based endogenous influences on energy reserves. Lower ration also directly decreased fat mass‐at‐length, lean mass‐at‐length and energy density. Given the fitness implications of size and energy reserves, temperature and food availability should be considered important indicators of nursery habitat quality and incorporated in A. pseudoharengus life‐history models to improve forecasting of population health under climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The myeloblastosis (MYB) transcription factors are essential for plant stress responses. They can enhance plant tolerance to abiotic stresses (e.g., drought, salinity, and cold) via improved physiological and biochemical responses including the accumulation of metabolites. In this study, we constructed a Panax ginseng MYB4 (PgMYB4) gene expression vector and established the stable transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana lines to study the effects of this gene on plant stress tolerance. The germination rate and seedling taproot length were greater for the PgMYB4-overexpressing plants than for the wild-type plants. Accordingly, the overexpression of PgMYB4 in Arabidopsis enhanced seedling tolerance to drought, salt, and cold conditions. Under drought stress, the relative chlorophyll content decreased less, the proline content increased more, and the water loss rate decreased more in the transgenic plants than in the wild type. The expressions of stress-related genes responsive to dehydration 19A, responsive to dehydration 22, responsive to desiccation 29A, cold-regulated 15A, cold-regulated 47, and pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthase 1 were significantly upregulated in the transgenic Arabidopsis plants. Under high salt stress, the kinesin 1 (KIN1) expression was significantly upregulated in the transgenic plants. In response to the low temperature stress, the dehydration-responsive element binding protein 2A and KIN1 expressions increased dramatically in the transgenic Arabidopsis plants. Thus, PgMYB4 positively regulated the stress tolerance gene networks, which promoted the expression of anti-stress effector genes. This gene may be useful for ginseng breeding programs aiming to develop new cultivars with enhanced stress tolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expression of circ_0072309 in patients with ischemic stroke (IS) and in LIFR humanized mice with middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). Further, we explored the underlying mechanism of circ-0072309 in IS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The content of circ-0072309 in serum of patients with IS (n = 70) was measured by qRT-PCR, and the ROC curve was analyzed. LIFR humanized mice were used to measure the content of circ-0072309 in ischemic hemisphere by qRT-PCR and the protein expression of cleaved-caspase-3, cleavedcaspase- 8 were detected by Western blot. After that, the expression of miR-100 in serum of patients with IS and in ischemic hemisphere of MCAO mice were detected, and then, we analyzed the correlation between the expression of circ-0072309 and miR-100. The binding sites between circ-0072309 and miR-100 were predicted by online database. We detected whether cric-0072309 bind to miR-100 by Dual-Luciferase report in bEnd2. In addition, bEnd2 was treated with oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) to simulate injury of cerebral vascular after cerebral ischemia. After treated with miR-100 mimic or miR-100-inhibitor, we detected the cell survival and rate of cell apoptosis, and the content of cleaved-caspase-3 and caspase-8 protein. The target mRNA of miR-100 was predicted by bioinformatics analysis and analyzed by Dual-Luciferase. After treating bEnd2 with circ-0072309 and miR-100 mimic, we analyzed the cell survival and apoptosis to identify the potential regulatory mechanism. RESULTS: The results of qRT-PCR showed that the expression of circ-0072309 was significantly decreased while the content of miR- 100 was significantly increased in the serum of IS patients and in the ischemic hemisphere of MCAO mice. There was a negative correlation between the expression of circ-0072309 and miR- 100. The results of Dual-Luciferase showed that circ-0072309 could directly bind to miR-100. After treating bEnd2 with OGD, miR-100-mimic caused a decrease rate of cell survival and an increased rate of apoptosis. Dual-Luciferase showed that miR-100 regulated cell survival and apoptosis by directly binding to mTOR. By comparing treated bEnd2 with circ-0072309, co-transfected bEnd2 with circ-0072309 and miR-100 reduced cell survival and increased apoptosis. CONCLUSIONS: According to these results, this study revealed that the circ_0072309-miR- 100-mTOR regulatory axis could alleviate IS, and it may be a potential target for the treatment of IS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]