Abstract The present study is to explore the interventional effects and potential mechanisms of Maslinic acid on heart damage in obesity hypertension. The rats were given SHR high-fat diet for 16 weeks. WGA staining and Masson staining were applied to detect heart structure and heart fibrosis degree. WB method was used to detect the expressions of ANP, BNP, P-MHC, TGF-β1, CTGF, Collagen I, Collagen III, Fibronectin and other proteins in SHR heart tissue. ELISA method was used to detect serum TNF-α, IL-6, and PAI-1 content. IF method was employed to detect the expression of Nrf2 in heart tissue. Maslinic acid can significantly improve the morphology of the heart tissue, reduce the hypertrophy and swelling of cardiomyocytes, inhibit the deposition of collagen fibers, and significantly inhibit the expressions of ANP, BNP, MYH7, CTGF, TGFpl, Fibronectin, CollagenI and CollagenIII proteins in the heart tissue. Maslinic acid can effectively inhibit TNF-a, IL-6 and PAI-1 expression, reduce heart inflammation, and significantly elevate Nrf2 level in heart tissue. Maslinic acid can significantly improve the heart structure of obese SHR, inhibit myocardial hypertrophy, cardiac fibrosis, and cardiac inflammation. The underlying mechanism may be related to elevating the expression of Nrf2 protein in the cytoplasm of heart tissue, promoting Nrf2 to enter the nucleus, thereby promoting the expression and activity of mitochondria-function-related proteins. The capabilities to inhibit the expression of hypertrophy-related proteins are also related.

The current study found that high Zeste White 10 interactor (ZWINT) expression is related to the poor prognosis of patients with a variety of cancers. This study mainly explored the relationship between the expression level of ZWINT and the prognosis of patients with lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). Briefly, four English databases and two high-throughput sequencing databases were searched and relevant data for meta-analysis were extracted. Pooled mean difference and 95% confidence interval (CI) were used to assess the relationships between clinical features and the expression of ZWINT. Pooled hazard ratio and 95% CI were also used to assess the relationships between clinical features and the expression level of ZWINT. This meta-analysis was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42021249475). A total of 16 high-quality datasets comprising 2,847 LUAD patients were included in this study. Higher ZWINT expression levels were found in patients younger than 65 years, males, and smokers, and were correlated with advanced TNM stages and poor prognosis. Notably, there was no publication bias in this meta-analysis. Overall, our findings indicate that ZWINT is a potential biomarker for poor prognosis and clinicopathological outcomes of patients with LUAD.

Background: Endoglucanase, one of three type cellulases, can randomly cleave internal p-1,4-linkages in cellulose polymers. Thus, it could be applied in agricultural and industrial processes. Results: A novel endoglucanase gene (JqCel5A) was cloned from Jonesia quinghaiensis and functionally expressed in Escherichia coli Rosetta (DE3). It contained 1722 bp and encoded a 573-residue polypeptide consisting of a catalytic domain of glycoside hydrolase family 5 (GH5) and a type 2 carbohydrate-binding module (CBM2), together with a predicted molecular mass of 61.79 kD. The purified JqCel5A displayed maximum activity at 55°C and pH 7.0, with 21.7 U/mg, 26.19 U/mg and 4.81 U/mg towards the substrate carboxymethyl cellulose, barley glucan and filter paper, respectively. Interestingly, JqCel5A exhibited high pH stability over a broad pH range of pH (3-11), and had good tolerance to a wide variety of deleterious chemicals including heavy metals and detergent. The catalytic mechanism of JqCel5A was also investigated by site mutagenesis and homology-modeling in this study. Conclusions: It was believed that these properties might make JqCel5A to be potentially used in the suitable industrial catalytic condition, which has a broad pH fluctuation and/or chemical disturbance.

The gram-positive spore-forming bacteria, Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) strains produced novel cellulases which could liberate glucose from soluble cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), and insoluble crystalline cellulose. The maximal cellulase activities were obtained after 60 hrs incubation at 28ºC in a LB broth medium with 1% CMC. Maximum CMCase activities were got at 40ºC and pH 4.0, respectively, and more than 50% of its maximal activity was retained at 40-60ºC for 1 hr, while approximately 40% of its maximal activity was also retained after incubating at 70ºC for 1 hr. Most metal ions and reagents such as Ca2+, Mg2+, Cd2+, Pb2+, Zn2+, Cu2+, EDTA, and SDS inhibited the enzyme activities, but K+ and Mn2+ activated the activities. The enzymes from Bacillus thuringiensis strains could be applied in bioconversion of lignocellulosic biomass into fermentable sugars.