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A new periplogenin cardenolide, periplogulcoside (1), together with three known cardenolides, was isolated from the seeds ofAntiaris toxicaria. The structure of the new compound was characterized as periplogenin-3-O-β-d-glucopyranosyl-(1 → 4)-β-d-glucopyranoside (1) by spectroscopic methods including 1D and 2D NMR, HR-TOF-MS, and CD spectrometry, and the known compounds were identified by comparison of their NMR and HR-TOF-MS data with those reported in the literature. Compound1showed significant cytotoxicity against Hela and HepG-2 cell lines. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Heat shock proteins (HSPs), which function as chaperones, are activated in response to various environmental stressors. In addition to their role in diverse aspects of protein production, HSPs protect against harmful protein-related stressors. Calycosin exhibits numerous beneficial properties. This study aims to explore the protective effects of calycosin in the heart under heat shock and determine its underlying mechanism. H9c2 cells, western blot, TUNEL staining, flow cytometry, and immunofluorescence staining were used. The time-dependent effects of heat shock analyzed using western blot revealed increased HSP expression for up to 2 h, followed by protein degradation after 4 h. Hence, a heat shock damage duration of 4 h was chosen for subsequent investigations. Calycosin administered post-heat shock demonstrated dose-dependent recovery of cell viability. Under heat shock conditions, calycosin prevented the apoptosis of H9c2 cells by upregulating HSPs, suppressing p-JNK, enhancing Bcl-2 activation, and inhibiting cleaved caspase 3. Calycosin also inhibited Fas/FasL expression and activated cell survival markers (p-PI3K, p-ERK, p-Akt), indicating their cytoprotective properties through PI3K/Akt activation and JNK inhibition. TUNEL staining and flow cytometry confirmed that calycosin reduced apoptosis. Moreover, calycosin reversed the inhibitory effects of quercetin on HSF1 and Hsp70 expression, illustrating its role in enhancing Hsp70 expression through HSF1 activation during heat shock. Immunofluorescence staining demonstrated HSF1 translocation to the nucleus following calycosin treatment, emphasizing its cytoprotective effects. In conclusion, calycosin exhibits pronounced protective effects against heat shock-induced damages by modulating HSP expression and regulating key signaling pathways to promote cell survival in H9c2 cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Post-operative anxiety is common and may have significant impact on the post-operative recovery of the patients. Theatre nurse visits before surgery has been shown to reduce patient's anxiety levels following general surgery. Aim: To investigate the effect of pre-operative visits and counselling by intensive care unit (ICU) nurses on patient's anxiety levels following carotid endarterectomy. Methods: This is an open-label and randomized clinical trial. Patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy were divided into study (n =60) and control group (n =60). For the study group, in addition to routine pre-operational counselling by the surgeons, ICU nurses visited the patients and provided a structured counselling the day before surgery. For the control group, only routine pre-operative counselling was provided. Anxiety levels were assessed by Zung self-rating anxiety scale (SAS) the day before surgery and on the day after being discharged from ICU to the ward. Results: The two groups were comparable in age, sex, surgical methods, and duration of ICU stays. Following the surgery, the mean SAS score in the control group increased from 50.5±5.4 to 58.5±7.3 (p =0.03), whereas the mean SAS score in the study group reduced from 51.5±4.3 to 45.1±6.5 (p =0.02). The proportion of patients with anxiety symptoms in the control group was higher than in the study group following the surgery (58.3% vs. 33.3%, p =0.001). Conclusions: Pre-operative visits and counselling by ICU nurses could reduce patient's anxiety levels following carotid endarterectomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]