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Abstract To investigate the role of miR-223-3p in the modulatory effect of paeonol (Pae) on high glucose (HG)-induced endothelial cell apoptosis. HG (25 mmol/L) was used to induce cellular damage and apoptosis in the mouse cardiac microvascular endothelial cells (MCMECs). Various concentration of Pae was tested and 60 μmol/L Pae was selected for the subsequent studies. MCMECs were transfected with exogenous miR-223-3p mimics or anti-miR-223-3p inhibitors. Cell viability was assessed by MTT assay and apoptosis was quantified by flow cytometry. The expression of miR-223-3p and NLRP3 mRNA was measured using real-time quantitative RT-PCR, and protein level of NLRP3 and apoptosis-related proteins was detected by immunoblotting. Pae significantly attenuated HG-induced apoptosis of MCMECs in a concentration-dependent manner. In addition, Pae (60 µmol/L) significantly reversed HG-induced down-regulation of miR-223-3p and up-regulation of NLRP3. Pae (60 µmol/L) also significantly blocked HG-induced up-regulation of Bax and Caspase-3 as well as down-regulation of Bcl-2. Moreover, exogenous miR-223-3p mimics not only significantly attenuated HG-induced apoptosis, but also significantly suppressed NRLP-3 and pro-apoptotic proteins in the MCMECs. In contrast, transfection of exogenous miR-223-3p inhibitors into the MCMECs resulted in not only significantly increased apoptosis of the cells, but also significant suppression of NLRP3 and pro-apoptotic proteins in the cells. Pae attenuated HG-induced apoptosis of MCMECs in a concentration-dependent manner. MiR-223-3p may mediate the modulatory effects of Pae on MCMEC survival or apoptosis through targeting NLRP3 and regulating apoptosis-associated proteins.

Background Takotsubo syndrome has been reported in patients with COVID-19, although minimal data are available. This investigation assessed the incidence and impact of takotsubo syndrome on patients hospitalized with COVID-19. Methods A retrospective cohort study was conducted using International Statistical Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, codes to identify patients with a primary diagnosis of COVID-19 with or without takotsubo syndrome in the National Inpatient Sample 2020 database. Outcomes between groups were compared after propensity score matching for patient and hospital demographics and comorbidities. Results A total of 211,448 patients with a primary diagnosis of COVID-19 were identified. Of these, 171 (0.08%) had a secondary diagnosis of takotsubo syndrome. Before matching, patients with COVID-19 and takotsubo syndrome, compared with patients without takotsubo syndrome, were older (68.95 vs 64.26 years; P < .001); more likely to be female (64.3% vs 47.2%; P < .001); and more likely to have anxiety (24.6% vs 12.8%; P < .001), depression (17.5% vs 11.4%; P = .02), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (24.6% vs 14.7%; P < .001). The takotsubo syndrome group had worse outcomes than the non–takotsubo syndrome group for death (30.4% vs 11.1%), cardiac arrest (7.6% vs 2.1%), cardiogenic shock (12.9% vs 0.4%), length of hospital stay (10.7 vs 7.5 days), and total charges ($152,685 vs $78,468) (all P < .001). After matching and compared with the non–takotsubo syndrome group (n = 508), the takotsubo syndrome group (n = 170) had a higher incidence of inpatient mortality (30% vs 14%; P < .001), cardiac arrest (7.6% vs 2.8%; P = .009), and cardiogenic shock (12.4% vs 0.4%; P < .001); a longer hospital stay (10.7 vs 7.6 days; P < .001); and higher total charges ($152,943 vs $79,523; P < .001). Conclusion Takotsubo syndrome is a rare but severe in-hospital complication in patients with COVID-19.

Background: Gout is the most common inflammatory arthritis in adults. Gout is an arthritic disease caused by the deposition of monosodium urate crystal (MSU) in the joints, which can lead to acute inflammation and damage adjacent tissue. Hyperuricemia is the main risk factor for MSU crystal deposition and gout. With the increasing burden of gout disease, the identification of potential biomarkers and novel targets for diagnosis is urgently needed. Methods: For the analysis of this subject paper, we downloaded the human gout data set GSE160170 and the gout mouse model data set GSE190138 from the GEO database. To obtain the differentially expressed genes (DEGs), we intersected the two data sets. Using the cytohubba algorithm, we identified the key genes and enriched them through GO and KEGG. The gene expression trends of three subgroups (normal control group, intermittent gout group and acute gout attack group) were analyzed by Series Test of Cluster (STC) analysis, and the key genes were screened out, and the diagnostic effect was verified by ROC curve. The expression of key genes in dorsal root nerve and spinal cord of gout mice was analyzed. Finally, the clinical samples of normal control group, hyperuricemia group, intermittent gout group and acute gout attack group were collected, and the expression of key genes at protein level was verified by ELISA. Result: We obtained 59 co-upregulated and 28 co-downregulated genes by comparing the DEGs between gout mouse model data set and human gout data set. 7 hub DEGs(IL1B, IL10, NLRP3, SOCS3, PTGS2) were screened out via Cytohubba algorithm. The results of both GO and KEGG enrichment analyses indicate that 7 hub genes play a significant role in regulating the inflammatory response, cytokine production in immune response, and the TNF signaling pathway. The most representative hub genes SOCS3 and PTGS2 were screened out by Series Test of Cluster, and ROC analysis results showed the AUC values were both up to 1.000. In addition, we found that PTGS2 expression was significantly elevated in the dorsal root ganglia and spinal cord in monosodium urate(MSU)-induced gout mouse model. The ELISA results revealed that the expression of SOCS3 and PTGS2 was notably higher in the acute gout attack and intermittent gout groups compared to the normal control group. This difference was statistically significant, indicating a clear distinction between the groups. Conclusion: Through cross-species comprehensive analysis and experimental verification, SOCS3 and PTGS2 were proved to be new biomarkers for diagnosing gout and predicting disease progression.

Key Clinical Message AlphaMissense is proficient in predicting the clinical classification of missense variants. we utilized AlphaMissense to find disease‐relevant variants within a polymicrobial pulmonary infection case. Exome sequencing was performed in this patient, and AlphaMissense and Phenolyzer were combined to investigate disease‐relevant variants screening from exome sequencing results.

Abstract Transitional metal oxides (TMOs) with ultra‐high specific surface areas (SSAs), large pore volume, and tailored exposed facets appeal to significant interests in heterogeneous catalysis. Nevertheless, synthesizing the metal oxides with all the above features is challenging. Herein, the so‐called seeds/NaCl‐mediated growth method is successfully developed based on a bottom‐up route. First, the (Brunauer‐Emmett‐Teller) BET SSAs of TMOs prepared with this method are significantly higher, where the BET SSAs of CeO2, SnO2, Nb2O5, Fe3O4, Mn3O4, Mg(OH)2, and ZrO2 reached 187, 275, 518, 212, 147, 186, and 332 m2 g−1, respectively. Second, these TMOs exhibit unique mesoporous structures, generated mainly by the aggregation of rod‐like or other aspherical primary nanoparticles. More importantly, no environmental‐unfriendly organic surfactants or expensive metal alkoxides are involved in this method. Therefore, the entire synthesis protocol fully fitted the “green synthesis” definition, and the corresponding TMOs prepares displayed excellent catalytic performance.

Abstract Purpose/Aim To investigate the relationship between brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) and microvascular complications in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Materials and methods From 2019 to 2021, our hospital enrolled 322 patients with T2DM. Clinical information and biochemical indicators of patients were collected from the inpatient electronic medical record system and analyzed retrospectively. Fundus photography, nerve conduction testing, and sensory threshold measurement were all conducted on the subjects. We measured the pulse wave velocity on both sides of the arm and ankle, then averaged the results. The enrolled cases were divided into two groups based on the baPWV: Group 1 (

Promotion of new blood vessel formation is a new strategy for treating ischemic stroke. Non-coding miRNAs have been recently considered potential therapeutic targets for ischemic stroke. miR-181b has been shown to promote angiogenesis in hypoxia and traumatic brain injury model, while its effect on ischemic stroke remains elusive. In this study, we found that overexpression of miR-181b in brain microvascular endothelial cells subjected to oxygen-glucose deprivation in vitro restored cell proliferation and enhanced angiogenesis. In rat models of focal cerebral ischemia, overexpression of miR-181b reduced infarction volume, promoted angiogenesis in ischemic penumbra, and improved neurological function. We further investigated the molecular mechanism by which miR-181b participates in angiogenesis after ischemic stroke and found that miR-181b directly bound to the 3′-UTR of phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) mRNA to induce PTEN downregulation, leading to activation of the protein kinase B (Akt) pathway, upregulated expression of vascular endothelial growth factors, down-regulated expression of endostatin, and promoted angiogenesis. Taken together, these results indicate that exogenous miR-181b exhibits neuroprotective effects on ischemic stroke through activating the PTEN/Akt signal pathway and promoting angiogenesis.