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Aim This study aimed to investigate the effect of high glucose (HG) level on the proliferation, migration and invasion of trophoblasts and determine the role of placental growth factor (PLGF) in the process. Methods HTR8-S/Vneo was treated with different concentrations of d-glucose (0, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 μM) at different times (0, 6, 12 and 24 h). qRT-PCR and Western blot analyses were used to measure PLGF expression. The protein level of PLGF was measured by immunofluorescence. Cell proliferation was assessed with CCK-8 analysis. Wound healing and transwell assays were used to evaluate cell migration and invasion. Intercellular ROS was detected with DCFH-DA. Results After d-glucose treatment, the viability decreased in 25 and 30 μM groups. The HG group (25 μM) showed inhibited cell migration and invasion ability. The mRNA and protein levels of PLGF decreased under HG condition. Elevated ROS production was also detected in the HG group. Knocked-down PLGF expression enhanced increased ROS production and decreased cell migration and invasion, which reverted to the original levels after PLGF was overexpressed. Conclusion High glucose treatment inhibited HTR8-S/Vneo viability, migration and invasion by downregulating PLGF expression.

Objective Hepatocellular carcinima is one of the most common tumors in clinic and also one of the leading causes of death from cancer worldwide. Quercetin shows significant effects on blocking the development of various cancers. Methods We used the human hepatocellular carcinoma LM3 and nude mice tumor model to assess the effects of quercetin in hepatocellular carcinoma and clarify its mechanism of action. We collected LM3 cell line treated with different doses of quercetin at different time periods and determined the vital indexes. The liver tissues of mice were collected and used for western boltting (WB), Hematoxylin and Eosin (H&E) and TUNEL staining. Results Results indicated that quercetin suppressed the Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) growth both in vivo and in vitro. Quercetin could disturb LM3 cells proliferation and cell cycle distribution, thus inducing apoptosis. At the same time, quercetin inhibited LM3 cells migration and invasion and promoted HCC autophagy. These effects at least partly depended on the down‐regulation of the activation of JAK2 and STAT3 by quercetin. Conclusion Quercetin inhibited hepatocellular carcinoma progression by modulating cell apoptosis, migration, invasion, and autophagy; and its effects were at least partly related with the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway.

Background Liver fibrosis is a wound‐healing process of liver featured by the over‐deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM) and angiogenesis. However, the effective treatment is lacking. Procyanidin B2 (PB2) is a flavonoid extract abundant in grape seeds with anti‐oxidant, anti‐inflammatory and anti‐cancer properties. The present study aimed to determine effects of PB2 on liver fibrosis. Method The CCl4‐induced mouse liver fibrosis model and a human hepatic stellate cell (HSC) line (LX2 cells) were used to study the activation, ECM production and angiogenesis of HSCs through Western blotting analysis, immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence staining, flow cytometry and tubulogenesis assay. A Hedgehog (Hh) pathway inhibitor (cyclopamine) and Smoothened agonist (SAG) were used to investigate the role of PB2 on Hh pathway. Results The results showed that PB2 could inhibit the proliferation and induce apoptosis of HSCs. PB2 could also down‐regulate the expressions of VEGF‐A, HIF‐1α, α‐SMA, Col‐1 and TGF‐β1 of HSCs in vivo and in vitro. The application of SAG and cyclopamine proved that PB2 targets on Hh pathway. Conclusions PB2 inhibited the Hh pathway to suppress the activation, ECM production and angiogenesis of HSCs, therefore reverses the progression of liver fibrosis in vivo and in vitro.

High concentrations of plasma lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] have been inferred to be an independent risk factor for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, such as coronary artery diseases, restenosis, and stroke. Apolipoprotein(a) [apo(a)] is one of the most important components of Lp(a) and contributes greatly to the increased concentration of plasma Lp(a). As a critical positive transacting factor of apo(a) gene, Ets1 has been proven as a target gene of several miRNAs, such as miR-193b, miR-125b-5p, miR-200b, miR-1, and miR-499. In this study, a series of experiments on miRNAs and relative miRNAs inhibitor delivered HepG2 cells were conducted, and two miRNAs that downregulate the apo(a) by targeting the 3'-UTR of Ets1 were identified. Results showed that apo(a) and Ets1 were differentially expressed in SMMC7721 and HepG2 cell lines. Meanwhile, apo(a) and Ets1 were inversely correlated with several hepatic endogenous miRNAs, such as miR-125b-5p, miR-23b-3p, miR-26a-5p, and miR-423-5p, which were predicted to bind to Ets1. Results show that miR-125b-5p and miR-23b-3p mimics could inhibit the synthesis of apo(a) by directly targeting Ets1 in HepG2, thereby reducing the plasma Lp (a) concentration.

Gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) is one of the inhibitory neurotransmitters that may have the ability to regulate the appetite. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of dietary GABA, as a feed additive, on growth performance and antioxidant status of juvenile grass carp. Five isonitrogenous and isoenergetic experimental diets with graded levels of GABA (0, 20, 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg) were fed to grass carp juveniles (mean weight: 2.0 g) for 8 wk. The results showed that the specific growth rate (SGR) increased significantly with dietary GABA level up to the 100 mg/kg diet, and then decreased in the 200 mg/kg group (P 0.05). The survival rate was not significantly affected by dietary GABA level (P > 0.05). No significant difference was observed in the whole body composition among treatments (P > 0.05). The hepatopancreatic glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity increased significantly (P

(-)-Stepholidine is an active ingredient of the Chinese herb Stephania and naturally occurring tetrahydroprotoberberine alkaloid with mixed dopamine receptor D1 agonistic and dopamine receptor D2 antagonistic activities. In this work, a series of novel hexahydrobenzo[4,5]azepino [2,1-a]isoquinolines were designed and synthesized as ring-expanded analogues of (-)-Stepholidine. Initial pharmacological assays demonstrated that a benzazepine replacement was associated with significant increase in selectivity and functional reversal at dopamine receptor D1 . Compound-(-)-15e (Ki = 5.32 ± 0.01 nm) is more potent than (-)-Stepholidine (Ki = 13 nm) and was identified as a selective dopamine receptor D1 antagonist (IC50 = 0.14 μm). Moreover, molecular modeling suggested that (-)-15e might exert its dopamine receptor D1 antagonistic activities through interacting with the transmembrane helix 7 of dopamine receptor D1 .

A fast and simple analytical method was developed for the simultaneous determination of RH-5849 and indoxacarb in soil, rice straw, rice husk and brown rice. QuEChERS (quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged and safe) method was used for extraction, and liquid chromatography with tandem triple quadrupole mass spectrometry was used for quantification. The matrix-matched calibration plots were linear in the range between 25 and 5000 μg/L for soil, rice straw, rice husk and brown rice samples. All determination coefficients (R(2) ) were ≥0.9962. The limits of detection and quantification were 1.5 and 5 μg/kg, respectively. Recoveries at three fortification levels ranged between 79.5 and 97.9% with relative standard deviations

Silicon-based complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) transistors have achieved great success. However, the traditional development pathway is approaching its fundamental limits. Magnetoelectronics logic, especially magnetic-field-based logic, shows promise for surpassing the development limits of CMOS logic and arouses profound attentions. Existing proposals of magnetic-field-based logic are based on exotic semiconductors and difficult for further technological implementation. Here, a kind of diode-assisted geometry-enhanced low-magnetic-field magnetoresistance (MR) mechanism is proposed. It couples p-n junction's nonlinear transport characteristic and Lorentz force by geometry, and shows extremely large low-magnetic-field MR (>120% at 0.15 T). Further, it is applied to experimentally demonstrate current-controlled reconfigurable magnetoresistance logic on the silicon platform at room temperature. This logic device could perform all four basic Boolean logic including AND, OR, NAND and NOR in one device. Combined with non-volatile magnetic memory, this logic architecture with unique magnetoelectric properties has the advantages of current-controlled reconfiguration, zero refresh consumption, instant-on performance and would bridge the processor-memory gap. Our findings would pave the way in silicon-based magnetoelectronics and offer a route to make a new kind of microprocessor with potential of high performance.

Title compounds [(IV) and (VI)] are synthesized using an environmentally friendly and highly atom-economic procedure and readily available educts.

Magnetoresistance (MR), as a key property in magnetic-field sensing and magnetic storage, has been a long-term focus. In particular in silicon, which is the mainstream semiconductor of information technology, the MR phenomenon has attracted a lot of attention because of its fundamental interest and broad application potential. Here, a large MR in silicon, which is associated with impurity onsite Coulomb interaction and space charge limited current (SCLC), is observed at room temperature. In the presence of SCLC, delocalization of electrons in doubly occupied traps with a strong onsite Coulomb interaction leads to an S-shape negative differential conductance (SNDC). A large room temperature MR (>103% at 0.05 T) appears around the SNDC region. These findings will help to design high-performance silicon-based magnetic device (e.g., magnetic switch devices, magnetic logic devices) and pave the way for magnetoelectronics in silicon.