Pheromones are ectohormones that play an important role in communication and behavior. Pheromones and pheromone receptor genes are important in mice and other mammals that rely heavily on pheromone cues to survive. Although there is controversy about whether pheromones and pheromone receptor genes have the same importance or are even active in humans, there are some hints that they might have roles in sociosexual behavior and mental disorders. The aim of this qualitative review was to provide an overview of the state of the art regarding pheromones and pheromone receptors in humans and their possible implications in human physiology and pathology. An electronic search was conducted in MEDLINE, PubMed and Scopus databases for articles published in English up to December 2018. The search concerned a possible role of pheromones and pheromone receptors in humans with implications for sociosexual behavior, mental disorders, the menstrual cycle and nutrition. Pheromone communication in humans has not been definitively demonstrated. However, the potential ability of putative pheromones to activate the hypothalamus, which controls the release of many hormones, suggests they could have a role in systemic functions in humans. Future confirmation of the effects of pheromones and pheromone receptors in humans could be useful in the prevention and treatment of various human disorders.OBJECTIVE The authors have sought to expound upon and shed a light on the rise of nootropics, which have gradually taken on a more and more relevant role in workplaces and academic settings. MATERIALS AND METHODS Multidisciplinary databases have been delved into by entering the following keys "nootropics", "cognitive enhancement", "workplace", "productivity", "ethics", "bioengineering". In addition, a broad-ranging search has been undertaken on institutional websites in order to identify relevant analysis and recommendations issued by international institutions and agencies. Papers and reports have been independently pored over by each author. This search strategy has led to the identification of 988 sources but only 64 were considered appropriate for the purposes of the paper after being selected by at least 3 of the authors, independently. RESULTS The notion of an artificially enhanced work performance - carried out by the 'superworker' - is particularly noteworthy and resonates with the conception of contemporary work on so many different levels the rising need and demands for higher degrees of flexibility and productivity on the job, the implications of a '24/7' society, where more and more services are available at any time, the ever greater emphasis on entrepreneurial spirit, individual self-reliance and self-improvement, and last but not least, the impact of an ageing society on economic standards and performance. CONCLUSIONS Moreover, it is worth mentioning that human enhancement technologies will predictably and increasingly go hand in hand with gene editing, bioengineering, cybernetics and nanotechnology. Applications are virtually boundless, and may ultimately affect all human traits (physical strength, endurance, vision, intelligence and even personality and mood).OBJECTIVE Retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) degenerative death is an evident hallmark of advanced age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The present study aims to evaluate the protective effects of S-allyl L-cysteine (SAC), a bioactive component from aged garlic extracts, on the oxidative stress-related apoptosis of RPE cells and to investigate the potential underlying mechanisms. MATERIALS AND METHODS Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay, flow cytometry, and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining were performed to evaluate the effects of SAC on the hydroquinone-treated human ARPE19 cells. The Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) production was measured by virtue of flow cytometry or determined under an inverted fluorescence microscope. Furthermore, the expression of antioxidant factor Nrf2, as well as downstream antioxidant genes, including NQO1, SOD1, SOD2, and HO1 was assessed in hydroquinone stimulated ARPE19 cells, in the presence or absence of SAC pretreatment. RESULTS Hydroquinone incitement contributed to a marked decrease in cell viability, but enhanced cell apoptosis, whereas SAC addition did not cause significant alterations. When cells were pre-treated with SAC, cell proliferation was dramatically enhanced whereas apoptosis was mitigated, and the ROS generation induced by hydroquinone was also significantly suppressed, indicating a prominent function of SAC in preventing ARPE19 cells from oxidant-related apoptosis. The elevated expression levels of Nrf2 and other antioxidant genes driven by hydroquinone were downregulated by SAC addition. CONCLUSIONS These data suggest that SAC can effectively attenuate hydroquinone-induced oxidative damage in human RPE cells. Our work is the first to demonstrate that SAC modulates oxidative stress-induced RPE apoptosis, thereby potentially proving new insights into the treatment of AMD.OBJECTIVE The aim of this study is to understand whether the responsiveness of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis to stress increases excessively with aging in senescence-accelerated mice-prone 10 (SAMP10) and to investigate the role of arachidonic acid (ARA) in this process. MATERIALS AND METHODS The area under the curve of CORT concentration (CORT-AUC), an index of the HPA axis responsiveness to stress, was assessed in SAMP10 subjected to a 30-minute restraint stress up to 120 minutes after the restraint stress onset. Furthermore, the HPA axis responsiveness was evaluated in aged SAMP10 fed 0.4% ARA-containing diet (ARA group) or control diet (CON group) for 4 weeks. Three weeks later, these mice were divided into a group with a 30-minute restraint stress (CON-S or ARA-S group) and a group without restraint stress (CON-NS or ARA-NS group). Hippocampi were collected after stress release and fatty acid and glucocorticoid receptor (GR) protein levels were evaluated in the nucleus and cytosol. RESULTS The CORT-AUC of aged SAMP10 was 21% significantly higher than that of young SAMP10. In the ARA group, hippocampal ARA was 0.5% significantly higher than that in the CON group. CORT-AUC in the ARA group was 24% significantly lower than that in the CON group. The ratio of GR protein levels in the nucleus and cytosol in the ARA-S group was 1.72 times significantly higher than that in the ARA-NS group but no difference was observed between the CON-S and CON-NS groups. CONCLUSIONS Dietary ARA seems to suppress age-related excessive enhancement of the HPA axis responsiveness via attenuation of age-related decline in hippocampal GR translocation into the nucleus after stress loading, which may contribute to an improvement of mental health.OBJECTIVE Midazolam and sufentanil are common analgesic and sedative drugs, but the effects and mechanisms of the combination of these two drugs on pancreatitis injury have not been fully elucidated. MATERIALS AND METHODS Rats pancreatitis model were randomly divided into 4 groups, model group, midazolam group, sufentanil group, and combined group, followed by an analysis of the general indicators, the onset time, duration, analgesic time, and adverse reactions, as well as pancreatic serological indicators. In addition, the level of the serum TNF-α and IL-1β was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and the reactive oxygen species (ROS) production was assessed by spectrophotometer, together with an analysis of the superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and the expression of HMGB1 and NF-κB mRNA in pancreatic tissue by Real Time-PCR. RESULTS Midazolam alone or in combination with sufentanil improved the general indicators along with long duration of sedative analgesia, reduced serum TNF-α, and IL-1β secretion and few adverse reactions. Meanwhile, the expression of HMGB1 and NF-κB was reduced and the pancreatic serum markers and ROS production were decreased with increased SOD activity. Compared with the model group, the differences were statistically significant (p less then 0.05), with more significant changes in the combined group (p less then 0.01). CONCLUSIONS Midazolam combined with sufentanil can inhibit the expression of HMGB1 and NF-κB, inhibit inflammation, thereby improving the sedative and analgesic effects, protecting pancreatic tissue, and reducing acute pancreatitis injury.OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to clarify the potential effect of zoledronic acid on alleviating oxidative stress and promoting bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) osteogenesis through the SIRT3/SOD2 pathway, thus alleviating the progression of osteoporosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS Relative expression levels of osteogenesis-related genes (ALP, RUNX2, and Bglap) were determined. Meanwhile, ALP activity and capacity of mineralization in BMSCs treated with different doses of zoledronic acid were measured. Subsequently, viability and ROS level in H2O2-induced BMSCs influenced by zoledronic acid treatment were assessed. The regulatory effect of zoledronic acid on the SIRT3/SOD2 pathway was detected by Western blot. Furthermore, the involvement of the SIRT3/SOD2 pathway in zoledronic acid-mediated BMSCs osteogenesis was evaluated. RESULTS Zoledronic acid treatment significantly up-regulated the levels of ALP, RUNX2, and Bglap. Meanwhile, it improved ALP activity and capacity of mineralization in BMSCs dose-dependently. H2O2 induction markedly suppressed viability and enhanced ROS level in BMSCs, which were reversed by zoledronic acid treatment. Besides, zoledronic acid protected H2O2-induced SIRT3 down-regulation and AC-SOD2/SOD2 up-regulation in BMSCs. In addition, silence of SIRT3 reversed the protective effects of zoledronic acid on osteogenesis of BMSCs. CONCLUSIONS Zoledronic acid alleviates the progression of osteoporosis. Meanwhile, it accelerates BMSCs osteogenesis by inhibiting oxidative stress via the SIRT3/SOD2 pathway.OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to investigate clinical effect, the quality of life, and prognosis of patients with hypertensive cerebral hemorrhage treated with aspirin combined with clopidogrel after decompressive craniectomy and removal of intracranial hematoma. PATIENTS AND METHODS The individual patient data of 120 patients with hypertensive cerebral hemorrhage admitted to Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical University from January 2015 to July 2016 were retrospectively analyzed. https://www.selleckchem.com/products/BafilomycinA1.html The patients were divided into a research group (62 cases) and a control group (58 cases). The control group was treated with aspirin, while the research group was treated with aspirin combined with clopidogrel. The prevalence of adverse reactions was compared between the two groups. Activity of daily living (ADL) was used to evaluate the quality of life. The amount of hematoma before and after operation was compared between the two groups. The prognosis of the two groups and the risk factors of postoperative rebleeding in patients with cerebral hemorrhage were analyzed. RESULTS The prevalence of adverse reactions in the research group was significantly higher than that in the control group (p less then 0.05). The ADL scores of both groups 14 days after the operation were higher than those before the operation (p less then 0.05), and the ADL scores of the research group were significantly lower than those of the control group 14 d after the operation (p less then 0.05). The amount of hematoma in the two groups after surgery was lower than that before surgery (p less then 0.05), and the amount of hematoma in the research group was higher than that in the control group (p less then 0.05). CONCLUSIONS The combination of aspirin and clopidogrel will increase the prevalence of adverse reactions and reduce the quality of life of patients after decompressive craniectomy and removal of intracranial hematoma in patients with hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage. Careful medication is required in clinic.