[Synchronous mucinous metaplasia and neoplasia of the female genital tract]

Objective: To describe the clinicopathological features of synchronous mucinous metaplasia and neoplasia of the female genital tract (SMMN-FGT). Methods: The sample consisted of 7 cases of SMMN-FGT recorded from November 2014 to September 2017 at Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Fudan University.PAP method was used in immunohistochemistry.Clinical histories were retrieved and pathological slides were reviewed. Results: The patients were 37 to 70 years old(mean 54 years old). All patients showed endometrial mucinous lesions associated with cervical lesions. Three cases were an admixture of minimal deviation adenocarcinoma(MDA) and gastrictype adenocarcinoma(GAS). Three cases were an admixture of lobular endocervical glandular hyperplasia (LEGH), atypical LEGH and focal gastrictype adenocarcinoma in situ, one of which had early invasive gastrictype adenocarcinoma.Endometrium showed a structure of LEGH in one patient with focal simple gastric mucinous metaplasia in her cervix. Gastric mucinous differentiation was found in unilateral fallopian tube in 6 patients. Ovarian mucinous lesions were found in 3 patients. p16 was negative staining in 6 cases and positive in 1 case. CK7 was diffusely positive in all lesions. CK20 and CDX2 were negative or only focally positive.The expression of MUC6 was strongly positive staining or focal staining. p53 in GAS and GAS in situ had mutant expression, but wild expression in MDA region. Patients were followed up for 2 to 34 months and no recurrence was found. Conclusions: SMMN-FGT is a series of rare mucinous lesions involving multiple areas of the female genital tract, including benign or malignant lesions with gastric differentiation. It is not related to infection with high-risk human papilloma virus. When cervical gastrictype lesions are found, SMMN-FGT should be considered and should be differentiated from metastatic mucinous adenocarcinoma.

[Determination of methylenedianiline in urine by high performance liquid chromatography-tandemmass spectrometry]

Objective: To develop a method for determination of metabolites of diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI) in urine, i.e. methylenedianiline (MDA) by high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass (LC-MS-MS) . Methods: Urine samples were prepared by hydrolyzation with sulfuric acid and extraction by acetonitrile, and then separated on a Shim-pack XR-ODS column, analyzed with high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) . The external solvent standard calibration were tested. Results: The linearity ranges were 0.05~20.00 μg/L, The related coefficients were 0.999 5. The limit of detection was 0.02 μg/L. The rats of recovery were 91.0%~103.4%. The relative standard deviations were between 2.7%~7.3%. Conclusion: The method was sensitive, accurate and suitable for the MDA determination in urine of MDI exposed population.

[Ovarian clear cell borderline tumour: a clinicopathologic analysis]

Objective: To investigate the clinical and pathological characteristics and prognosis of ovarian clear cell borderline tumor. Methods: A total of 12 cases of ovarian clear cell borderline tumors recorded were collected from May 2011 to December 2017 at Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Fudan University.Clinical histories were retrieved and pathological slides were reviewed. Results: The age of the patients ranged from 35 to 65 years with a mean age of 52 years. Seven cases were associated with cystic endometriosis of the ovary. All tumors consisted of irregular and crowded glands or cysts embedded in a fibromatous stroma. The cysts and glands were lined by mild to moderate atypical cells.CK7 and HNF-1β were expressed in all cases, and Naspin A was expressed in 11 cases. ARID1A expression was absent in 5 cases and p53 showed wild-type expression. None of the cases developed recurrence during follow-up ranging from 7 to 79 months. Conclusions: Ovarian clear cell borderline tumor may be associated with endometriosis and tumor suppressor gene ARIDA. The tumor has a good prognosis without recurrence and progression to carcinoma.

Successful conservative treatment of cervical pregnancy with uterine artery embolization followed by curettage: a report of 19 cases

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this retrospective study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of uterine artery embolization (UAE) followed by curettage for conservative management of cervical pregnancy.

DESIGN

Retrospective review.

SETTING

Peking University First Hospital.

SAMPLE

Patients with cervical pregnancy diagnosed by trans-vaginal ultrasound at Peking University First Hospital between January 2003 and December 2014.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed the clinical background and outcomes of patients with cervical pregnancy who underwent UAE followed by curettage for prevention of massive vaginal bleeding and removal of gestational tissue from the cervix. We also reviewed the literature on the role of UAE in the treatment of cervical pregnancy.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Clinical assessments included gestational age, gravidity, endocervical canal mass, serum beta-human chorionic gonadotrophin (β-HCG) level, blood loss, hospitalisation stay and expenses, time of resumption of menstruation and subsequent pregnancy outcomes.

RESULTS

A total of 19 patients with cervical pregnancy treated with UAE followed by curettage were identified. Curettage was performed 24-72 hours after UAE in 16 patients, within 24 hours after UAE in three patients. None of the patients underwent a hysterectomy as a result of cervical pregnancy. Of the nine patients with available follow-up information (median follow-up time 59 months), eight resumed normal menstruation and one had a term pregnancy with a normal vaginal delivery. Quick regression of serum β-HCG level, low blood loss and short hospital stay were observed.

CONCLUSION

UAE combined with curettage is a safe, effective and fertility-sparing choice for treatment of patients with cervical pregnancy.

TWEETABLE ABSTRACT

A serial of 19 patients with cervical pregnancy treated with UAE followed by curettage showed a good prognosis.

The naphthalene catabolic protein NahG plays a key role in hexavalent chromium reduction in Pseudomonas brassicacearum LZ-4

Soil contamination by PAH and heavy metals is a growing problem. Here, we showed that a new isolate, Pseudomonas brassicacearum strain LZ-4, can simultaneously degrade 98% of 6 mM naphthalene and reduce 92.4% of 500 μM hexavalent chromium [Cr (VI)] within 68 h. A draft genome sequence of strain LZ-4 (6,219,082 bp) revealed all the genes in the naphthalene catabolic pathway and some known Cr (VI) reductases. Interestingly, genes encoding naphthalene pathway components were upregulated in the presence of Cr (VI), and Cr (VI) reduction was elevated in the presence of naphthalene. We cloned and expressed these naphthalene catabolic genes and tested for Cr (VI) reduction, and found that NahG reduced 79% of 100 μM Cr (VI) in 5 minutes. Additionally, an nahG deletion mutant lost 52% of its Cr (VI) reduction ability compared to that of the wild-type strain. As nahG encodes a salicylate hydroxylase with flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) as a cofactor for electron transfer, Cr (VI) could obtain electrons from NADH through NahG-associated FAD. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of a protein involved in a PAH-degradation pathway that can reduce heavy metals, which provides new insights into heavy metal-PAH contamination remediation.

High-power Yb:GGG thin-disk laser oscillator: first demonstration and power-scaling prospects

We present the first demonstration of a thin-disk laser based on the gain material Yb:GGG. This material has many desirable properties for the thin-disk geometry: a high thermal conductivity, which is nearly independent of the doping concentration, a low quantum defect, low-temperature growth, and a broadband absorption spectrum, making it a promising contender to the well-established Yb:YAG for high-power applications. In continuous wave laser operation, we demonstrate output powers above 50 W, which is an order of magnitude higher than previously achieved with this material in the bulk geometry. We compare this performance with an Yb:YAG disk under identical pumping conditions and find comparable output characteristics (with typical optical-to-optical slope efficiencies >66%). Additionally, with the help of finite-element-method simulations, we show the advantageous heat-removal capabilities of Yb:GGG compared to Yb:YAG, resulting in >50% lower thermal lensing for thin Yb:GGG disks compared to Yb:YAG disks. The equivalent optical performance of the two crystals in combination with the easy growth and the significant thermal benefits of Yb:GGG show the large potential of future high-power thin-disk amplifiers and lasers based on this material, both for industrial and scientific applications.

The shifts of sediment microbial community phylogenetic and functional structures during chromium (VI) reduction

The Lanzhou reach of the Yellow River, located at the upstream of Lanzhou, has been contaminated by heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons over a long-time. We hypothesized that indigenous microbial communities would remediate those contaminants and some unique populations could play an important role in this process. In this study, we investigated the sediment microbial community structure and function from the Lanzhou reach. Sediment samples were collected from two nearby sites (site A and site B) in the Lanzhou reach along the Yellow River. Sediment geochemical property data showed that site A sediment samples contained significantly (p < 0.05) higher heavy metals than site B, such as chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), and copper (Cu). Both site A and B samples were incubated with or without hexavalent chromium (Cr (VI)) for 30 days in the laboratory, and Cr (VI) reduction was only observed in site A sediment samples. After incubation, MiSeq sequencing of 16S rRNA gene amplicons revealed that the phylogenetic composition and structure of microbial communities changed in both samples, and especially Proteobacteria, as the most abundant phylum increased from 45.1 % to 68.2 % in site A, and 50.1 % to 71.3 % in site B, respectively. Some unique OTUs and populations affiliated with Geobacter, Clostridium, Desulfosporosinus and Desulfosporosinus might be involved in Cr (VI) reduction in site A. Furthermore, GeoChip 4.0 (a comprehensive functional gene array) data showed that genes involved in carbon and nitrogen cycling and metal resistance significantly (p < 0.05) increased in site A sediment samples. All the results indicated that indigenous sediment microbial communities might be able to remediate contaminants like Cr (VI), and this information provides possible strategies for future bioremediation of the Lanzhou reach.

Serum Cyr61 as a potential biomarker for diagnosis of colorectal cancer

PURPOSE

To determine the sensitivity and specificity of serum Cyr61 as a potential biomarker for the diagnosis of colorectal cancer (CRC) and to assess the association between serum Cyr61 level and CRC clinicopathological status.

METHODS

We used an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to measure serum Cyr61 in patients with CRC, patients with colorectal adenomas, and healthy controls. We also analyzed the relationship between serum Cyr61 and clinicopathological features of CRC patients. The levels of serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) were quantified using the Roche Cobas 6000 Analyzer. The sensitivity and specificity of Cyr61, CEA, CA19-9 and CEA + CA19-9 were evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis.

RESULTS

The serum level of Cyr61 was significantly increased in CRC patients compared with colorectal adenoma patients and healthy controls (p < 0.001). Furthermore, the area under the ROC curve for Cyr61 was 0.935 (95 % confidence interval 0.902-0.968), higher than that for CEA + CA19-9 (0.827, 95 % confidence interval: 0.783-0.871). Use of a Cyr61 cutoff value of 92.0 pg/mL allowed distinguishing CRC patients and healthy controls with a sensitivity of 83 % and a specificity of 97 %. Among CRC patients, an elevated level of serum Cyr61 was significantly associated with more advanced TNM stage (p < 0.0042), lymph node metastasis (p < 0.0088), and vascular invasion (p = 0.0027).

CONCLUSION

Cyr61 has potential as a serum biomarker for the diagnosis of CRC and for assessment of the clinicopathological status of CRC.

A novel Pseudomonas gessardii strain LZ-E simultaneously degrades naphthalene and reduces hexavalent chromium

Combined pollutants with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and heavy metals have been identified as toxic and unmanageable contaminates. In this work, Pseudomonas gessardii strain LZ-E isolated from wastewater discharge site of a petrochemical company degrades naphthalene and reduces Cr(VI) simultaneously. 95% of 10mgL(-1) Cr(VI) was reduced to Cr(III) while 77% of 800mgL(-1) naphthalene was degraded when strain LZ-E was incubated in BH medium for 48h. Furthermore, naphthalene promotes Cr(VI) reduction in strain LZ-E as catechol and phthalic acid produced in naphthalene degradation are able to reduce Cr(VI) abiotically. An aerated bioreactor system was setup to test strain LZ-E's remediation ability. Strain LZ-E continuously remediated naphthalene and Cr(VI) at rates of 15mgL(-1)h(-1) and 0.20mgL(-1)h(-1) of 800mgL(-1) naphthalene and 10mgL(-1) Cr(VI) addition with eight batches in 16days. In summary, strain LZ-E is a potential applicant for combined pollution remediation.

The environmental endocrine disruptor p-nitrophenol interacts with FKBP51, a positive regulator of androgen receptor and inhibits androgen receptor signaling in human cells

The compound p-nitrophenol, which shows the anti-androgenic activity, can easily become anthropogenic pollutants and pose a threat to the environment and human health. Previous work indicates that the anti-androgenic mechanism of p-nitrophenol is complex and may involve several components in the AR signaling pathway, but the molecular details of how p-nitrophenol inhibits AR signaling are still not quite clear. Here, we characterized p-nitrophenol binds to the FK1 domain of an AR positive regulator FKBP51 with micromolar affinity and structural analysis of FK1 domain in complex with p-nitrophenol revealed that p-nitrophenol occupies a hydrophobic FK1 pocket that is vital for AR activity enhancement. Molecular dynamics simulation indicated that p-nitrophenol is stably bound to the FK1 pocket and the hotspot residues that involved p-nitrophenol binding are mainly hydrophobic and overlap with the AR interaction site. Furthermore, we showed that p-nitrophenol inhibits the androgen-dependent growth of human prostate cancer cells, possibly through down-regulating the expression levels of AR activated downstream genes. Taken together, our data suggests that p-nitrophenol suppresses the AR signaling pathway at least in part by blocking the interaction between AR and its positive regulator FKBP51. We believe that our findings could provide new guidelines for assessing the potential health effects of p-nitrophenol.

Association Analysis of Myosin Heavy-chain Genes mRNA Transcription with the Corresponding Proteins Expression of Longissimus Muscle in Growing Pigs

The goal of this work was to investigate the correlations between MyHC mRNA transcription and their corresponding protein expressions in porcine longissimus muscle (LM) during postnatal growth of pigs. Five DLY (Duroc×Landrace×Yorkshire) crossbred pigs were selected, slaughtered and sampled at postnatal 7, 30, 60, 120, and 180 days, respectively. Each muscle was subjected to quantity MyHCs protein contents through an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), to quantity myosin heavy-chains (MyHCs) mRNA abundances using real-time polymerase chain reaction. We calculated the proportion (%) of each MyHC to total of four MyHC for two levels, respectively. Moreover, the activities of several key energy metabolism enzymes were determined in LM. The result showed that mRNA transcription and protein expression of MyHC I, IIa, IIx and IIb in LM all presented some obvious changes with postnatal aging of pigs, especially at the early stage after birth, and their mRNA transcriptions were easy to be influenced than their protein expressions. The relative proportion of each MyHC mRNA was significantly positively related to that of its corresponding protein (p<0.01), and MyHC I mRNA proportion was positively correlated with creatine kinase (CK), succinate dehydrogenase (SDH), malate dehydrogenase (MDH) activities (p<0.05). These data suggested that MyHC mRNA transcription can be used to reflect MyHC expression, metabolism property and adaptive plasticity of porcine skeletal muscles, and MyHC mRNA composition could be a molecular index reflecting muscle fiber type characteristics.

Endometrial microbiome at the time of embryo transfer: next-generation sequencing of the 16S ribosomal subunit

PURPOSE

Characterization of the human microbiome has become more precise with the application of powerful molecular tools utilizing the unique 16S ribosomal subunit's hypervariable regions to greatly increase sensitivity. The microbiome of the lower genital tract can prognosticate obstetrical outcome while the upper reproductive tract remains poorly characterized. Here, the endometrial microbiome at the time of single embryo transfer (SET) is characterized by reproductive outcome.

METHODS

Consecutive patients undergoing euploid, SET was included in the analysis. After embryo transfer, performed as per routine, the most distal 5-mm portion of the transfer catheter was sterilely placed in a DNA free PCR tube. Next-generation sequencing of the bacteria specific 16S ribosome gene was performed, allowing genus and species calls for microorganisms.

RESULTS

Taxonomy assignments were made on 35 samples from 33 patients and 2 Escherichia coli controls. Of the 33 patients, 18 had ongoing pregnancies and 15 did not. There were a total of 278 different genus calls present across patient samples. The microbiome at time of transfer for those patients with ongoing pregnancy vs. those without ongoing pregnancy was characterized by top genera by sum fraction. Lactobacillus was the top species call for both outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

The data presented here show the microbiome at the time of embryo transfer can successfully be characterized without altering standard clinical practice. This novel approach, both in specimen collection and analysis, is the first step toward the goal of determining physiologic from pathophysiologic microbiota. Further studies will help delineate if differences in the microbiome at the time of embryo transfer have a reliable impact on pregnancy outcome.

Gankyrin facilitates follicle-stimulating hormone-driven ovarian cancer cell proliferation through the PI3K/AKT/HIF-1α/cyclin D1 pathway

Gankyrin is a regulatory subunit of the 26kD proteasome complex. As a novel oncoprotein, gankyrin is expressed aberrantly in cancers from several different sites and has been shown to contribute to oncogenesis in endometrial and cervical carcinomas. Neither gankyrin's contribution to the development of epithelial ovarian cancer nor its interaction with follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)-driven proliferation in ovarian cancer has been studied. Here we have found that gankyrin is overexpressed in ovarian cancers compared with benign ovarian cystadenomas and that gankyrin regulates FSH upregulation of cyclin D1. Importantly, gankyrin regulates PI3K/AKT signaling by downregulating PTEN. Prolonged AKT activation by FSH stimulation of the FSH receptor (FSHR) promotes gankyrin expression, which, in turn, enhances AKT activation by inhibiting PTEN. Overexpression of gankyrin decreases hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) protein levels, but has little effect on HIF-1α mRNA levels, which could be attributed to gankyrin mediating HIF-1α protein stability via the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. Reduction in HIF-1α protein stability led to attenuation of the binding with cyclin D1 promoter, resulted in abolishment of the negative regulation of cyclin D1 by HIF-1α, which promotes proliferation of ovarian cancer cells. Our results document that gankyrin regulates HIF-1α protein stability and cyclin D1 expression, ultimately mediating FSH-driven ovarian cancer cell proliferation.

The population structure of Staphylococcus aureus in China and Europe assessed by multiple-locus variable number tandem repeat analysis; clues to geographical origins of emergence and dissemination

To compare the genetic population structure of Staphylococcus aureus from China and Europe, 1294 human isolates were characterized by multiple-locus variable number tandem repeat analysis (MLVA). In total, MLVA identified 17 MLVA complexes (MCs), comprising 260 MLVA types (MTs) among the Chinese isolates and 372 MTs among the European isolates. The five most frequent MCs among the Chinese isolates belonged to MC398, MC5 subclade a, MC8, MC437 and MC7 and made up 55% of the sample. For the European isolates, the five most frequent MCs consisted of MC5 subclade a, MC45, MC8, MC30 and MC22, which accounted for 64% of the sample. Phylogeographic analysis of the major MCs shared between China and Europe points to a European origin of MC8 but cannot provide a consistent signal for MC5 subclade a, probably indicating a different origin. Diversity and frequency distributions of other lineages were also compared. Altogether, this study provides the first snapshot of two extant populations of S. aureus from Europe and China, and important clues on the emergence and dissemination of different lineages of S. aureus.

Developmental changes in the expression of the GLUT2 and GLUT4 genes in the longissimus dorsi muscle of Yorkshire and Tibetan pigs

Glucose transporter proteins 2 and 4 (GLUT2 and GLUT4) play important roles in glucose transport and energy metabolism. Changes in the levels of GLUT2 and GLUT4 mRNA were measured in longissimus dorsi muscle from the lean Yorkshire and fat Tibetan pig breeds at six different time points (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 months) with quantitative real-time polymerase chain reactions. The results showed that GLUT2 and GLUT4 mRNA were abundantly expressed in the longissimus dorsi muscle and that the developmental expression patterns were similar in both breeds. Tibetan pigs exhibited higher intramuscular fat and GLUT2 mRNA levels, while Yorkshire pigs exhibited a higher myofiber cross-sectional area (CSA) and GLUT4 mRNA levels. Furthermore, the changes in the GLUT4 mRNA levels were strongly and positively correlated with the CSA over a period of six months. These results exhibit time- and breed-specific expression patterns of GLUT2 and GLUT4, which highlight their potential as candidate genes for assessing adipose deposition and muscle development in pigs. These differences in the expression of GLUT family genes may also have indications for meat quality.

Prokaryotic arsenate reductase enhances arsenate resistance in Mammalian cells

Arsenic is a well-known heavy metal toxicant in the environment. Bioremediation of heavy metals has been proposed as a low-cost and eco-friendly method. This article described some of recent patents on transgenic plants with enhanced heavy metal resistance. Further, to test whether genetic modification of mammalian cells could render higher arsenic resistance, a prokaryotic arsenic reductase gene arsC was transfected into human liver cancer cell HepG2. In the stably transfected cells, the expression level of arsC gene was determined by quantitative real-time PCR. Results showed that arsC was expressed in HepG2 cells and the expression was upregulated by 3 folds upon arsenate induction. To further test whether arsC has function in HepG2 cells, the viability of HepG2-pCI-ArsC cells exposed to arsenite or arsenate was compared to that of HepG2-pCI cells without arsC gene. The results indicated that arsC increased the viability of HepG2 cells by 25% in arsenate, but not in arsenite. And the test of reducing ability of stably transfected cells revealed that the concentration of accumulated trivalent arsenic increased by 25% in HepG2-pCI-ArsC cells. To determine the intracellular localization of ArsC, a fusion vector with fluorescent marker pEGFP-N1-ArsC was constructed and transfected into.HepG2. Laser confocal microscopy showed that EGFP-ArsC fusion protein was distributed throughout the cells. Taken together, these results demonstrated that prokaryotic arsenic resistant gene arsC integrated successfully into HepG2 genome and enhanced arsenate resistance of HepG2, which brought new insights of arsenic detoxification in mammalian cells.

Effect of HGF on the apoptosis of rat corpus cavernosum smooth muscle cells induced by TGFβ1

Corpus cavernosum smooth muscle cells (CCSMCs) are important functional cells for penile erection. We evaluated the effect of transforming growth factor β1 (TGFβ1) and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) on the viability and apoptosis of CCSMCs in vitro. CCSMCs from healthy male Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups: a negative control group, a TGFβ1 group, a HGF group and a HGF+ TGFβ1 group. Differences in cell viability and apoptosis among groups were observed by 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5 diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay and flow cytometry. Western blot was used to detect the change of apoptosis-related proteins. The level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was detected by colorimetry. In the TGFβ1 group, the MTT values were obviously decreased at 12 h, 24 h, 48 h-0.320, 0.383 and 0.432 respectively. However, compared with the normal group, the apoptosis index was markedly increased, reaching 26.86% at the 48-h time point. After TGFβ1 treatment, the levels of cleaved caspase-3 and p-Smad2 were increased in the cells, but the levels of Bcl-xL, Bcl-2 and p-Akt were significantly lower. However, HGF co-treatment partially reversed these changes and could decrease the intracellular ROS level while increasing the Akt phosphorylation level. These results indicate that TGFβ1 might induce apoptosis of CCSMCs in vitro and that HGF could interfere with the above process through downregulation of apoptosis signalling and oxidative stress reaction.