Apart from its basic antioxidant and anti‑inflammatory properties, schizandrin A (SchA), which is isolated from Fructus schisandra, can exert anticancer effects on multiple cancer types. However, to the best of our knowledge, there has been no study identifying the impacts of SchA on gastric cancer (GC). Therefore, the aim of the present study was to identify how SchA functioned to affect the progression of GC. To investigate the role of SchA in GC development, Cell Counting Kit‑8, colony formation, wound healing and Transwell assays were conducted to assess the viability, proliferation, migration and invasion of AGS cells, respectively. Then, the apoptosis rate and apoptosis‑ and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress‑related protein expression levels in AGS cells exposed to SchA were detected via TUNEL assays and western blotting, respectively. Subsequently, the aforementioned functional assays were performed again in AGS cells exposed to both SchA and the ER stress inhibitor 4‑phenylbutyric acid (4‑PBA) for the confirmation of the effect of SchA on ER stress in GC. It was found that SchA markedly decreased the viability, proliferation, migration and invasion, while it induced the apoptosis of AGS cells. Moreover, the markers of ER stress were elevated by SchA treatment in AGS cells. Nevertheless, 4‑PBA reversed the effects of SchA on the viability, proliferation, migration, invasion and apoptosis of AGS cells, accompanied by decreased expression of ER stress markers. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated that SchA induced the apoptosis and suppressed the proliferation, invasion and migration of GC cells by activating ER stress, which provides a theoretical basis for the use of SchA in the treatment of GC.
Numerous studies have reported the pathogenic roles of C-reactive protein (CRP) and complement activation in diabetic kidney disease (DKD) individually. However, considering the potent regulatory effect of CRP on complement activation, it remains unclear whether CRP participates in DKD pathogenesis by regulating complement activation. Moreover, this work focuses on complement activation in rats, which aims at settling the dispute that whether rat CRP can activate the complement system. To address this question, the complement effectors C3a, C5a, and C5b-9 were examined in human patients with diabetic nephropathy (DN) and wt, Crp-/- , and huCRPtg rats with STZ-diabetic DKD. The Crp-/- rats showed more C3a accumulation in blood and glomeruli than wt and huCRPtg rats. The balance between autophagy and apoptosis was evaluated in DKD rats, and Crp-/- rats showed increased podocyte autophagy compared with wt and huCRPtg rats. Meanwhile, stable CRP-overexpression and CRP-knockout cell lines were established and used to demonstrate that CRP suppresses C3a-induced podocyte autophagy under high-glucose conditions. We further verified that the inhibition of C3a-induced podocyte autophagy by CRP was dependent on C3aR expression and that this effect could be reversed with a C3aR antagonist and agonist. Therefore, our findings provide evidence that CRP suppresses podocyte autophagy to accelerate the development of DKD by inhibiting C3a/C3aR axis signaling, which may help in the development of a new therapeutic strategy for the management of podocyte autophagy and DKD. In addition, rat CRP has been shown to be identical to human CRP in the activation of autologous complement and interspecific complement.
Abstract Background Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is a chronic mucosal inflammation of the nasal cavity and sinuses. It is classified into CRS without nasal polyps and CRS with nasal polyps (CRSwNP). CRSwNP has high recurrence, especially CRSwNP with massive eosinophil infiltration which is mediated by type 2 inflammatory response. Melatonin is a hormone secreted by the pineal gland, it has powerful antioxidant and anti‐inflammatory effects in addition to regulating biological rhythms. There are no studies on melatonin for the treatment of CRS, so we aimed to explore whether melatonin could be used for the treatment of CRS. Materials and Methods In this study, we used melatonin to treat a cell model of CRS. Subsequently, MTT assay was performed to examine the cell viability of human nasal epithelial cells (HNEpCs), a reactive oxygen species (ROS) kit to detect ROS production, a malondialdehyde (MDA) kit to detect the MDA content in the cell culture supernatant, and an apoptosis kit and Western blot analysis to detect apoptosis. The expressions of Nrf2, HO‐1, IL‐33, TSLP, and IL‐25 were detected by Western blot analysis. Results Melatonin improved the viability of HNEpCs, reduced lipopolysaccharide‐induced ROS, reduced the MDA content, and inhibited their apoptosis. More importantly, melatonin reduced the expression of IL‐33 and TSLP, an important phenomenon for the treatment of CRSwNP. Conclusion Melatonin protects HNEpCs from damage in inflammation and reduces IL‐33 and TSLP expression of HNEpCs.
Practical explorations of transformable garment design are the core of my research, which aims to create sustainable design from an innovative perspective. This transformable design project creates a garment constructed from smaller components which can each be separated and recombined. The garment can be transformed, therefore, to reflect a wide variety of styles by detaching or replacing its individual components. This new, ecological design method for a multi-purpose garment reduces fabric waste, extends garment life span and engages the consumer in sustainable practices. Transformable garments have a unique advantage in that they can both attract consumers and contribute to sustainable fashion. While this transformable project demonstrates great potential for design which cannot be fully explored here, the study provides critical insight into designer and consumer interests and practices in fashion sustainability. Along with providing greater awareness of sustainability issues in the fashion industry, the designs in this project bring sustainable fashion ideals one step closer to the mainstream.
<p>Many consumers are contented with the fast fashion styles, abundant choices, and affordable price. However, other consumers and environmental advocates began to question about this fast fashion system, including the problems of overconsumption and disposable clothing. As a result, many fashion practitioners and scholars have been developing different strategies and methods to minimise the fabric waste, and prolong the product lifespan through innovative design. The objectives of this study are twofold: (1) to explore various techniques for creating transformable clothing and (2) to gain a deeper understanding of how individuals (entrepreneurs, designers, professors, and consumers) respond to their perceptions of transformable clothing, and issues of sustainability in China. This study consists of three stages – design experiments, in-depth interviews, and online surveys. In stage one, various design prototypes were developed, with one of them being selected as the visual stimuli for stages two and three. According to our results, many informants and online participants supported the concept of sustainable fashion as well as the idea of transformable garments. However, many professionals had numerous concerns regarding the production cost, practicality, adaptability, and saleability.</p>
'/%3e%3cuse xlink:href='%23a' transform='rotate(23.036 .093 25.536)'/%3e%3cuse xlink:href='%23a' transform='rotate(45.87 1.273 16.18)'/%3e%3cuse xlink:href='%23a' transform='rotate(69.945 .996 12.078)'/%3e%3cuse xlink:href='%23a' transform='rotate(20.66 -19.689 31.932)'/%3e%3c/svg%3e)
