Promotion of hepatic stellate cell activation and liver fibrosis by microRNA-33a-5p through targeting the Dickkopf-1-mediated wingless-related integration site/beta-catenin pathway

Liver fibrosis occurs in response to chronic liver injury and is characterized by the production of excess extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins, largely by activated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). Numerous studies have implicated micro-ribonucleic acids (miRNAs) in liver fibrosis, but the mechanisms remain unclear. Herein, HSC activation by miR-33a-5p during hepatic fibrosis was investigated. The miR-33a-5p was increased in the fibrotic mice and activated HSCs. AntagomiR-33a-5p inhibited HSC activation, proliferation, and migration in vitro, while simultaneously inducing apoptosis. The luciferase reporter assays indicated that the miR-33a-5p bound to the three prime untranslated region (3'UTR) of Dickkopf-1 (DKK1). Further investigation revealed that the miR-33a-5p targeted DKK1-modulated wingless-related integration site (Wnt)/β-catenin signaling directly to control hepatic fibrosis. Notably, the mice treated with antgomiR-33a-5p exhibited increased expression of DKK1 and reduced expression of fibrosis markers, along with reduced fibrosis. The RNA was isolated from activated and quiescent LX-2 cells and subsequently sequenced. Transcriptomic and bioinformatic analyses indicated strong downregulation of DKK1 during LX-2 cell activation. This paper presents the first demonstration of the miR-33a-5p-mediated modulation of liver fibrosis, with miR-33a-5p found to interact with DKK1, leading to regulation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling. The transcriptomic changes occurring during HSC activation were also defined. Overall, the findings suggest that both miR-33a-5p and DKK1 may be useful targets for treating liver fibrosis.

Postoperative pulmonary complications in older patients undergoing elective surgery with a supraglottic airway device or tracheal intubation

The two most commonly used airway management techniques during general anaesthesia are supraglottic airway devices and tracheal tubes. In older patients undergoing elective non-cardiothoracic surgery under general anaesthesia with positive pressure ventilation, we hypothesised that a composite measure of in-hospital postoperative pulmonary complications would be less frequent when a supraglottic airway device was used compared with a tracheal tube. We studied patients aged ≥ 70 years in 17 clinical centres. Patients were allocated randomly to airway management with a supraglottic airway device or a tracheal tube. Between August 2016 and April 2020, 2900 patients were studied, of whom 2751 were included in the primary analysis (1387 with supraglottic airway device and 1364 with a tracheal tube). Pre-operatively, 2431 (88.4%) patients were estimated to have a postoperative pulmonary complication risk index of 1-2. Postoperative pulmonary complications, mostly coughing, occurred in 270 of 1387 patients (19.5%) allocated to a supraglottic airway device and 342 of 1364 patients (25.1%) assigned to a tracheal tube (absolute difference -5.6% (95%CI -8.7 to -2.5), risk ratio 0.78 (95%CI 0.67-0.89); p < 0.001). Among otherwise healthy older patients undergoing elective surgery under general anaesthesia with intra-operative positive pressure ventilation of their lungs, there were fewer postoperative pulmonary complications when the airway was managed with a supraglottic airway device compared with a tracheal tube.

A pretreatment scheme for plasmid extraction contained sugar, high concentration lysozyme and mild lysozyme removal

To address the issue of low efficiency in extracting plasmid DNA (pDNA) from Lactobacillus plantarum by breaking the cell wall, we proposed an effective pretreatment scheme. This study investigated the impacts of lysozyme concentrations and glucose, as well as centrifugal forces during lysozyme removal in the pretreatment system. The efficiency of pDNA extraction was assessed using non-staining method, acridine orange staining method (AO staining) and agarose gel electrophoresis (AGE). Furthermore, the glucose high lysozyme method was compared to the commercial kit method and the lysozyme removal method using L. plantarum PC518, 9L15, JS193 and Staphylococcus aureus USA300. The results indicated that the pDNA extraction concentrations from the four tested strains were increased by 8.9, 7.2, 8.5 and 3.6 times, respectively, compared to the commercial kit method. Furthermore, they increased by 1.9, 1.5, 1.8, and 1.4 times, respectively, compared to the lysozyme removal method. The maximum average concentration of pDNA extraction (from L. plantarum PC518) reached 590.8 ± 31.9 ng/ul. In conclusion, the incorporation of sugar, high concentration lysozyme and mild lysozyme removal proved to be effective enhancements in improving the efficiency of pDNA extraction from L. plantarum. Using the pretreatment scheme, the concentration of pDNA extraction was significantly increased, approaching levels comparable to pDNA extraction from Gram-negative bacteria.

[UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS combined with network pharmacology for exploring antiinflammatory mechanism of Eurycoma longifolia]

OBJECTIVE

To explore the mechanisms that mediate the anti-inflammatory activity of Eurycoma longifolia.

METHODS

Kunming mouse models of xylene-induced ear swelling and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute pneumonia were used to compare the anti- inflammatory activities of aqueous and ethanol extracts of Eurycoma longifolia. UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS was used to identify the chemical composition in the ethanol extract of Eurycoma longifolia, based on which the potential antiinflammatory targets of Eurycoma longifolia were screened using the databases including SwissADME, SwissTargetPrediction, and Genecards. The String database was used to generate the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network, and Cytoscape was used for network topology analysis and screening the core targets. The enrichment of the core targets was analyzed using Metascape database, the core components and targets were docked with Autodock software, and the docking results were visualized using Pymol software. In a RAW264.7 cell model of LPS-induced inflammation, the Griess reagent was used to measure NO level, and Western blotting was performed to detect the expression levels of MAPK1, JAK2, and STAT3 proteins to verify the anti- inflammatory mechanism of Eurycoma longifolia.

RESULTS

The ethanol extract (75%) of Eurycoma longifolia (ELE) was the active site, which contained a total of 37 chemical components. These chemical compounds and diseases had 541 targets, involving the JAK/STAT3, cAMP and other signaling pathways. Twelve indicator components were identified, which all showed good results of molecular docking with two core targets involved in the signaling pathways. In the cell validation experiment, treatment of the cells with low-, medium-, and high-dose ELE significantly reduced NO release in the cells, and ELE at the medium dose significantly decreased the cellular expressions of JAK2 and STAT3.

CONCLUSION

The anti-inflammatory activity of Eurycoma longifolia is attributed primarily to its active ingredients bitter lignin and alkaloids, which may regulate the JAK/STAT3 signaling pathway by targeting JAK2 and STAT3.

Measurements of the Elliptic and Triangular Azimuthal Anisotropies in Central ^{3}He+Au, d+Au and p+Au Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200 GeV

The elliptic (v_{2}) and triangular (v_{3}) azimuthal anisotropy coefficients in central ^{3}He+Au, d+Au, and p+Au collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200  GeV are measured as a function of transverse momentum (p_{T}) at midrapidity (|η|<0.9), via the azimuthal angular correlation between two particles both at |η|<0.9. While the v_{2}(p_{T}) values depend on the colliding systems, the v_{3}(p_{T}) values are system independent within the uncertainties, suggesting an influence on eccentricity from subnucleonic fluctuations in these small-sized systems. These results also provide stringent constraints for the hydrodynamic modeling of these systems.

Baicalein Suppresses NLRP3 and AIM2 Inflammasome-Mediated Pyroptosis in Macrophages Infected by Mycobacterium tuberculosis via Induced Autophagy

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) continues to pose a significant threat to global health because it causes granulomas and systemic inflammatory responses during active tuberculosis (TB). Mtb can induce macrophage pyroptosis, which results in the release of IL-1β and causes tissue damage, thereby promoting its spread. In the absence of anti-TB drugs, host-directed therapy (HDT) has been demonstrated to be an effective strategy against TB. In this study, we used an in vitro Mtb-infected macrophage model to assess the effect of baicalein, derived from Scutellariae radix, on pyroptosis induced in Mtb-infected macrophages. Further, we investigated the molecular mechanisms underlying the actions of baicalein. The results of the study suggest that baicalein inhibits pyroptosis in Mtb-infected macrophages by downregulating the assembly of AIM2 and NLRP3 inflammasome and promoting autophagy. Further research has also shown that the mechanism by which baicalein promotes autophagy may involve the inhibition of the activation of the Akt/mTOR pathway and the inhibition of the AIM2 protein, which affects the levels of CHMP2A protein required to promote autophagy. Thus, our data show that baicalein can inhibit Mtb infection-induced macrophage pyroptosis and has the potential to be a new adjunctive HDT drug. IMPORTANCE Current strategies for treating drug-resistant tuberculosis have limited efficacy and undesirable side effects; hence, research on new treatments, including innovative medications, is required. Host-directed therapy (HDT) has emerged as a viable strategy for modulating host cell responses in order to enhance protective immunity against infections. Baicalein, extracted from Scutellariae radix, was shown to inhibit pyroptosis caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis-infected macrophages and was associated with autophagy. Our findings reveal that baicalein can be used as an adjunctive treatment for tuberculosis or other inflammatory diseases by regulating immune function and enhancing the antibacterial ability of the host. It also provides a new idea for exploring the anti-inflammatory mechanism of baicalein.

[Incidence and prognosis of olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions related to infection of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron strain: a national multi-center survey of 35 566 population]

Objective: This cross-sectional investigation aimed to determine the incidence, clinical characteristics, prognosis, and related risk factors of olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions related to infection with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron strain in mainland China. Methods: Data of patients with SARS-CoV-2 from December 28, 2022, to February 21, 2023, were collected through online and offline questionnaires from 45 tertiary hospitals and one center for disease control and prevention in mainland China. The questionnaire included demographic information, previous health history, smoking and alcohol drinking, SARS-CoV-2 vaccination, olfactory and gustatory function before and after infection, other symptoms after infection, as well as the duration and improvement of olfactory and gustatory dysfunction. The self-reported olfactory and gustatory functions of patients were evaluated using the Olfactory VAS scale and Gustatory VAS scale. Results: A total of 35 566 valid questionnaires were obtained, revealing a high incidence of olfactory and taste dysfunctions related to infection with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron strain (67.75%). Females(χ2=367.013, P<0.001) and young people(χ2=120.210, P<0.001) were more likely to develop these dysfunctions. Gender(OR=1.564, 95%CI: 1.487-1.645), SARS-CoV-2 vaccination status (OR=1.334, 95%CI: 1.164-1.530), oral health status (OR=0.881, 95%CI: 0.839-0.926), smoking history (OR=1.152, 95%CI=1.080-1.229), and drinking history (OR=0.854, 95%CI: 0.785-0.928) were correlated with the occurrence of olfactory and taste dysfunctions related to SARS-CoV-2(above P<0.001). 44.62% (4 391/9 840) of the patients who had not recovered their sense of smell and taste also suffered from nasal congestion, runny nose, and 32.62% (3 210/9 840) suffered from dry mouth and sore throat. The improvement of olfactory and taste functions was correlated with the persistence of accompanying symptoms(χ2=10.873, P=0.001). The average score of olfactory and taste VAS scale was 8.41 and 8.51 respectively before SARS-CoV-2 infection, but decreased to3.69 and 4.29 respectively after SARS-CoV-2 infection, and recovered to 5.83and 6.55 respectively at the time of the survey. The median duration of olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions was 15 days and 12 days, respectively, with 0.5% (121/24 096) of patients experiencing these dysfunctions for more than 28 days. The overall self-reported improvement rate of smell and taste dysfunctions was 59.16% (14 256/24 096). Gender(OR=0.893, 95%CI: 0.839-0.951), SARS-CoV-2 vaccination status (OR=1.334, 95%CI: 1.164-1.530), history of head and facial trauma(OR=1.180, 95%CI: 1.036-1.344, P=0.013), nose (OR=1.104, 95%CI: 1.042-1.171, P=0.001) and oral (OR=1.162, 95%CI: 1.096-1.233) health status, smoking history(OR=0.765, 95%CI: 0.709-0.825), and the persistence of accompanying symptoms (OR=0.359, 95%CI: 0.332-0.388) were correlated with the recovery of olfactory and taste dysfunctions related to SARS-CoV-2 (above P<0.001 except for the indicated values). Conclusion: The incidence of olfactory and taste dysfunctions related to infection with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron strain is high in mainland China, with females and young people more likely to develop these dysfunctions. Active and effective intervention measures may be required for cases that persist for a long time. The recovery of olfactory and taste functions is influenced by several factors, including gender, SARS-CoV-2 vaccination status, history of head and facial trauma, nasal and oral health status, smoking history, and persistence of accompanying symptoms.

Observation of Directed Flow of Hypernuclei _{Λ}^{3}H and _{Λ}^{4}H in sqrt[s_{NN}]=3 GeV Au+Au Collisions at RHIC

We report here the first observation of directed flow (v_{1}) of the hypernuclei _{Λ}^{3}H and _{Λ}^{4}H in mid-central Au+Au collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=3  GeV at RHIC. These data are taken as part of the beam energy scan program carried out by the STAR experiment. From 165×10^{6} events in 5%-40% centrality, about 8400 _{Λ}^{3}H and 5200 _{Λ}^{4}H candidates are reconstructed through two- and three-body decay channels. We observe that these hypernuclei exhibit significant directed flow. Comparing to that of light nuclei, it is found that the midrapidity v_{1} slopes of _{Λ}^{3}H and _{Λ}^{4}H follow baryon number scaling, implying that the coalescence is the dominant mechanism for these hypernuclei production in the 3 GeV Au+Au collisions.

Beam Energy Dependence of Triton Production and Yield Ratio (N_{t}×N_{p}/N_{d}^{2}) in Au+Au Collisions at RHIC

We report the triton (t) production in midrapidity (|y|<0.5) Au+Au collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=7.7-200  GeV measured by the STAR experiment from the first phase of the beam energy scan at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. The nuclear compound yield ratio (N_{t}×N_{p}/N_{d}^{2}), which is predicted to be sensitive to the fluctuation of local neutron density, is observed to decrease monotonically with increasing charged-particle multiplicity (dN_{ch}/dη) and follows a scaling behavior. The dN_{ch}/dη dependence of the yield ratio is compared to calculations from coalescence and thermal models. Enhancements in the yield ratios relative to the coalescence baseline are observed in the 0%-10% most central collisions at 19.6 and 27 GeV, with a significance of 2.3σ and 3.4σ, respectively, giving a combined significance of 4.1σ. The enhancements are not observed in peripheral collisions or model calculations without critical fluctuation, and decreases with a smaller p_{T} acceptance. The physics implications of these results on the QCD phase structure and the production mechanism of light nuclei in heavy-ion collisions are discussed.

De-Ammonium Ba0.18V2O4.95/NH4V4O10 Film Electrodes as High-Performance Cathode Materials for Magnesium-Ion Batteries

Magnesium-ion batteries (MIBs) have been pushed into the research boom in the post-lithium-ion batteries era due to their low cost, no dendrite hazard, and high capacity. However, finding suitable cathode materials to improve the slow kinetics of Mg²⁺ is an ongoing challenge. In this work, Ba_0.18V₂O_4.95/NH₄V₄O₁₀ film electrodes were grown in one step on indium tin oxide (ITO) conductive glass using a low-temperature liquid-phase deposition method. Temperature was used as the probe condition, and it was concluded that the films annealed at 400 °C had suitable crystallinity and de-ammonium lattice space. At lower current density, with 0.5 M Mg(ClO₄)₂/PC as the electrolyte, it exhibited an initial discharge capacity of 130.99 mA h m^-2 at 210 mA m^-2 and 106.52% capacity retention after 100 cycles. In addition, it exhibited excellent electrochemical performance in long-term cycling (92.98% capacity retention after 300 cycles at 600 mA m^-2). According to the results of ex situ X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), the removal of NH₄⁺ created more lattice space, assisting Ba_0.18V₂O_4.95 to increase the transfer channels of Mg²⁺, providing more active sites to promote diffusion kinetics (the average D_Mg²⁺ was 2.07 × 10^-12 cm² s^-1) and specific capacity. Therefore, these film electrodes for scalable Mg²⁺ storage are promising MIB cathode candidates that exhibit good performance advantages in storage applications.

Clinical value of GRACE score combined with DFR in predicting short-term prognosis of patients undergoing early PCI after thrombolysis for acute myocardial infarction

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the study was to investigate the clinical value of the Global Registry of Arterial Events in Acute Coronary Syndromes (GRACE) score combined with the D-dimer/fibrinogen ratio (DFR) in predicting the short-term prognosis of patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) early after thrombolysis for acute myocardial infarction (AMI).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A total of 102 patients who underwent PCI early after thrombolysis for AMI during April 2020 to January 2022 in our hospital were picked as study subjects. These subjects were assigned as the good prognosis group (without adverse cardiovascular events) and poor prognosis group (with adverse cardiovascular events) according to whether adverse cardiovascular events occurred during hospitalization and follow-up. Changes in GRACE scores and DFR levels in patients with different prognoses were analyzed. The GRACE score and DFR level of patients with different prognosis were analyzed. The clinic pathological characteristics were collected, and the risk factors for poor prognosis of AMI patients were analyzed by logistic risk regression; ROC curve was used to analyze the prognostic value of GRACE score combined with DFR in early PCI patients after AMI thrombolysis.

RESULTS

Compared with the good prognosis group, the GRACE score and DFR level in the poor prognosis group were much higher (p<0.001). Significant differences existed in blood pressure, ejection fraction, number of diseased branches, and Killip grading between the patients with good prognosis and those with poor prognosis (p<0.05). There existed no significant difference in clinical medication between the patients with good prognosis and those with poor prognosis (p>0.05). Logistic multivariate analysis indicated that GRACE score, DFR, ejection fraction, number of lesion branches, and Killip grade were all risk factors influencing the prognosis of patients undergoing early PCI after thrombolysis in AMI (p<0.05). The ROC curve was established and the area under the curve (AUC) of GRACE score, DFR, and combined detection were 0.815, 0.783, and 0.894, respectively, and the sensitivity and specificity were 80.24%, 60.42%, 83.71%, 66.78%, 91.42% and 77.83%, respectively. The AUC, sensitivity, and specificity of combined detection were higher than those of the two alone and had a higher predictive value for the short-term prognosis of patients.

CONCLUSIONS

The GRACE score combined with DFR was of great value in diagnosing the short-term prognosis of patients undergoing PCI early after thrombolysis for AMI. Furthermore, the GRACE score, DFR, ejection fraction, number of lesion branches, and Killip classification were all important factors influencing the short-term prognosis of patients, which were of great significance in determining the prognosis of patients.

Coupling in-syringe kapok fiber-supported liquid-phase microextraction with flow injection-mass spectrometry for rapid and green biofluid analysis: Determination of antidepressants as an example

Quantification of substances in biofluid samples (e.g., urine, blood, and cerebrospinal fluids) are useful for clinical diagnosis. In current study, a rapid and green strategy by coupling in-syringe kapok fiber-supported liquid-phase microextraction with flow-injection mass spectrometry was proposed. The natural kapok fiber was used as an oily extraction solvent (e.g., n-octanol) support material, and an in-syringe extraction device was conveniently constructed. The whole extraction processes, including sampling, washing and desorption, were conveniently conducted by simply pulling/pushing the syringe plunger, enabling rapid analyte enrichment and sample purification. The follow-up flow injection-mass spectrometry detection enabled rapid and high throughput analysis. As an example, the proposed method was applied to analyze antidepressants in plasma/urine, showing satisfied linearities (R² ≥0.993) in ranges of 0.2-1000 ng/mL. By employing the in-syringe extraction method prior to flow injection-mass spectrometry detection, the LOQs in plasma and urine were reduced by 25-80 folds and 5-25 folds, respectively. Besides, by employing ethanol and 80% ethanol as the desorption solvent and carrier solvent, respectively, the analytical method showed excellent greenness. In general, the integrated method provides a promising choice for rapid and green biofluid analysis.

A Salivary Gland Resident Macrophage Subset Regulating Radiation Responses

Radiotherapy of head and neck cancers frequently leads to irreversible hypofunction of salivary glands, which severely compromises the quality of life and is extremely difficult to treat. We found recently that salivary gland resident macrophages are sensitive to radiation and interact with epithelial progenitors and endothelial cells through homeostatic paracrine factors. Heterogeneous subpopulations of resident macrophages are present in other organs with distinct functions, whereas subpopulations of salivary gland resident macrophages with distinct functions or transcriptional profiles have not been reported yet. Using single-cell RNA sequencing, we found that mouse submandibular glands (SMGs) contain 2 distinct self-renewing resident macrophage subsets, an MHC-IIhi subset present in many other organs and an uncommon Csf2r+ subset. The main source of Csf2 in SMGs are innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) that rely on IL15 for maintenance, while the main source of IL15 protein is Csf2r+ resident macrophages, indicating a homeostatic paracrine interaction between these cells. Csf2r+ resident macrophages are the major source of hepatocyte growth factor (Hgf) that regulates homeostasis of SMG epithelial progenitors. Meanwhile, Csf2r+ resident macrophages are responsive to Hedgehog signaling that can rescue salivary function impaired by radiation. Consistently, irradiation persistently decreased numbers of ILCs and levels of IL15 and Csf2 in SMGs, which were all recovered by transient activation of Hedgehog signaling after radiation. Csf2r+ resident macrophages and MHC-IIhi resident macrophages share transcriptome profiles of perivascular macrophages and macrophages associated with nerves and/or epithelial cells in other organs, respectively, and such niche preferences were supported by lineage tracing and immunofluorescent staining. These findings reveal an uncommon resident macrophage subset that regulates the homeostasis of the salivary gland and is promising as the target to restore salivary gland function impaired by radiation.

Baicalin alleviates silica-induced lung inflammation and fibrosis by inhibiting TLR4/NF-?B pathway in rats

Silicosis is an occupational lung disease caused by inhaling silica dust. The disease is characterized by early lung inflammation and late irreversible pulmonary fibrosis. Here we report the effect of Baicalin, a main flavonoid compound from the roots of Chinese herbal medicine Huang Qin on silicosis in a rat model. Results showed Baicalin (50 or 100 mg/kg/day) can mitigate the silica-induced lung inflammation and reduce the harm of alveolar structure and the blue region of collagen fibers in rat lung at 28 days after administration. At the same time, Baicalin also diminished the level of interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta, interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) in lung tissues. The protein expression of collagen I (Col-1), alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA) and vimentin were down-regulated while E-cadherin (E-cad) was increased in Baicalin-treated rats. In addition, the Toll Like Receptor 4 (TLR4)/ nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB) pathway was enabled at 28 days after silica infusion, and the treatment of Baicalin diminished the expression of TLR4 and NF-?B in the lungs of rat with silicosis. These results suggested that Baicalin inhibited the pulmonary inflammatory and fibrosis in a rat model of silicosis, which could be attributed to inhibition of the TLR4/NF-kappaB pathway.

Baicalin alleviates silica-induced lung inflammation and fibrosis by inhibiting TLR4/NF-?B pathway in rats

Silicosis is an occupational lung disease caused by inhaling silica dust. The disease is characterized by early lung inflammation and late irreversible pulmonary fibrosis. Here we report the effect of Baicalin, a main flavonoid compound from the roots of Chinese herbal medicine Huang Qin on silicosis in a rat model. Results showed Baicalin (50 or 100 mg/kg/day) can mitigate the silica-induced lung inflammation and reduce the harm of alveolar structure and the blue region of collagen fibers in rat lung at 28 days after administration. At the same time, Baicalin also diminished the level of interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta, interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) in lung tissues. The protein expression of collagen I (Col-1), alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA) and vimentin were down-regulated while E-cadherin (E-cad) was increased in Baicalin-treated rats. In addition, the Toll Like Receptor 4 (TLR4)/ nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB) pathway was enabled at 28 days after silica infusion, and the treatment of Baicalin diminished the expression of TLR4 and NF-?B in the lungs of rat with silicosis. These results suggested that Baicalin inhibited the pulmonary inflammatory and fibrosis in a rat model of silicosis, which could be attributed to inhibition of the TLR4/NF-kappaB pathway.

Controllable reduction of NiCoO2@NiCo core-shell nanospheres on CNTs for high-performance electrochemical energy storage

The performances of energy storage devices are strongly dependent on the electrode materials. Owing to the high theoretical capacity, NiCoO₂ is a promising transition metal oxide for supercapacitors. Despite many efforts have been devoted, it still lacks of effective methods to overcome its shortcomings such as low conductivity and poor stability, in order to achieve its theoretical capacity. Herein, utilizing the thermal reducibility of trisodium citrate and its hydrolyzate, a series of NiCoO₂@NiCo/CNT ternary composites in which NiCoO₂@NiCo core-shell nanospheres deposited on CNT surface with adjustable metal contents are synthesized. Benefiting from the enhanced synergistic effect of both metallic core and CNTs, the optimized composite exhibits an extremely high specific capacitance (2660 F g^-1 at 1 A g^-1, the effective specific capacitance of the loaded metal oxide is 4199 F g^-1, close to the theoretical value), an excellent rate performance and stability, when the metal content is about 37%. After depolarized calculation, the energy storage mechanism of the composite is reasonably analyzed. By controlling the contents of hexamethylenetetramine, trisodium citrate and CNTs in the reactant, the roles of them are distinguished. This study reveals an efficient novel strategy for transition metal oxides to maximize the electrochemical performances.

[High expression of MYH9 inhibits apoptosis of non-small cell lung cancer cells through activating the AKT/c-Myc pathway]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the role of myosin heavy chain 9 (MYH9) in regulation of cell proliferation, apoptosis, and cisplatin sensitivity of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

METHODS

Six NSCLC cell lines (A549, H1299, H1975, SPCA1, H322, and H460) and a normal bronchial epithelial cell line (16HBE) were examined for MYH9 expression using Western blotting. Immunohistochemical staining was used to detect MYH9 expression in a tissue microarray containing 49 NSCLC and 43 adjacent tissue specimens. MYH9 knockout cell models were established in H1299 and H1975 cells using CRISPR/Cas9 technology, and the changes in cell proliferation cell were assessed using cell counting kit-8 (CCK8) and clone formation assays; Western blotting and flow cytometry were used to detect apoptosis of the cell models, and cisplatin sensitivity of the cells was evaluated using IC50 assay. The growth of tumor xenografts derived from NSCLC with or without MYH9 knockout was observed in nude mice.

RESULTS

MYH9 expression was significantly upregulated in NSCLC (P < 0.001), and the patients with high MYH9 expression had a significantly shorter survival time (P=0.023). In cultured NSCLC cells, MYH9 knockout obviously inhibited cell proliferation (P < 0.001), promoted cell apoptosis (P < 0.05), and increased their chemosensitivity of cisplatin. In the tumor-bearing mouse models, the NSCLC cells with MYH9 knockout showed a significantly lower growth rate (P < 0.05). Western blotting showed that MYH9 knockout inactivated the AKT/c- Myc axis (P < 0.05) to inhibit the expression of BCL2- like protein 1 (P < 0.05), promoted the expression of BH3- interacting domain death agonist and the apoptosis regulator BAX (P < 0.05), and activated apoptosis-related proteins caspase-3 and caspase-9 (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

High expression of MYH9 contributes to NSCLC progression by inhibiting cell apoptosis via activating the AKT/c-Myc axis.

The choice of spectral similarity algorithms influences suspected soil sample provenance

Similarity algorithms are commonly used in soil forensic applications to help identify similar samples from an existing reference library as possible source locations of unknown target samples. These algorithms are well-suited to compare soil spectra. However, different similarity algorithms may lead to different clusters of similar samples, and thus different strengths of evidence in forensic investigations. To quantify this, we conducted a study to evaluate the influence of seven similarity algorithms on soil provenance, using as a sample set a soil spectral library consisting of 280 soil profiles from Anhui Province, China. This library includes three spatial scales of datasets: provincial (DS_p), county (DS_c) and field (DS_f). A set of ten samples covering a wide range of spectra variations were selected from the DS_f dataset as the "unknown" samples, with the remaining being used as the reference samples. This study aimed to: (1) evaluate how several commonly-used similarity algorithms, namely Euclidean distance (ED), Mahalanobis distance (MD), Spectral angle mapper (SAM), and Spectral information divergence (SID), as well as variants of several of these measured in standardized principal component space computed from the spectra (ED_PCA, MD_PCA and SAM_PCA), influence the identification of the matched similar samples; (2) determine the overlap in sample selection between different similarity algorithms; (3) propose best practices for similarity algorithms applied to soil forensic analysis using spectroscopy. The use of different similarity algorithms did influence the selection of most similar samples. The similarity algorithms calculated in PC space (ED_PCA, MD_PCA and SAM_PCA) performed slightly better than their counterparts calculated in spectral space. Due to the availability of a detailed spectral library, regardless of the different similarity algorithms used, the matched most similar samples were all located close to the unknowns, mostly within 3 km, with one exception. That is, the varied choices of different similarity algorithms hardly influenced the conclusion of soil provenance in this case. In general, MD_PCA, SAM and ED were the best similarity algorithms overall. However, since there was no single best algorithms for all cases, we recommend the joint use of MD_PCA, SAM and ED as an ensemble. Indications of possible sample provenance from these similarity measured can be useful evidence to complement evidence from other methods in a forensic investigation.

[Analysis of 7 cases of pediatric acute myeloid leukemia with DEK-NUP214 fusion gene]

Objective: To investigate the clinical features, treatment regime, and outcome of pediatric acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with DEK-NUP214 fusion gene. Methods: The clinical data, genetic and molecular results, treatment process and survival status of 7 cases of DEK-NUP214 fusion gene positive AML children admitted to the Pediatric Blood Diseases Center of Institute of Hematology & Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences from May 2015 to February 2022 were analyzed retrospectively. Results: DEK-NUP214 fusion gene positive AML accounted for 1.02% (7/683) of pediatric AML diagnosed in the same period, with 4 males and 3 females. The age of disease onset was 8.2 (7.5, 9.5) years. The blast percentage in bone marrow was 0.275 (0.225, 0.480), and 6 cases were M5 by FAB classification. Pathological hematopoiesis was observed in all cases except for one whose bone marrow morphology was unknown. Three cases carried FLT3-ITD mutations, 4 cases carried NRAS mutations, and 2 cases carried KRAS mutations. After diagnosis, 4 cases received IAE induction regimen (idarubicin, cytarabine and etoposide), 1 case received MAE induction regimen (mitoxantrone, cytarabine and etoposide), 1 case received DAH induction regimen (daunorubicin, cytarabine and homoharringtonine) and 1 case received DAE induction regimen (daunorubicin, cytarabine and etoposide). Complete remission was achieved in 3 cases after one course of induction. Four cases who did not achieved complete remission received CAG (aclarubicin, cytarabine and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor), IAH (idarubicin, cytarabine and homoharringtonine), CAG combined with cladribine, and HAG (homoharringtonine, cytarabine and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor) combined with cladribine reinduction therapy, respectively, all 4 cases reached complete remission. Six patients received hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) after 1-2 sessions of intensive consolidation treatment, except that one case was lost to follow-up after complete remission. The time from diagnosis to HSCT was 143 (121, 174) days. Before HSCT, one case was positive for flow cytometry minimal residual disease and 3 cases were positive for DEK-NUP214 fusion gene. Three cases accepted haploid donors, 2 cases accepted unrelated cord blood donors, and 1 case accepted matched sibling donor. The follow-up time was 20.4 (12.9, 53.1) months, the overall survival and event free survival rates were all 100%. Conclusions: Pediatric AML with DEK-NUP214 fusion gene is a unique and rare subtype, often diagnosed in relatively older children. The disease is characterized with a low blast percentage in bone marrow, significant pathological hematopoiesis and a high mutation rate in FLT3-ITD and RAS genes. Low remission rate by chemotherapy only and very high recurrence rate indicate its high malignancy and poor prognosis. Early HSCT after the first complete remission can improve its prognosis.

[Correlation between pelvic relapses of rectal cancer after radical and R0 resection: A regression model-based analysis]

Objective: To propose a new staging system for presacral recurrence of rectal cancer and explore the factors influencing radical resection of such recurrences based on this staging system. Methods: In this retrospective observational study, clinical data of 51 patients with presacral recurrence of rectal cancer who had undergone surgical treatment in the Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Peking University People's Hospital between January 2008 and September 2022 were collected. Inclusion criteria were as follows: (1) primary rectal cancer without distant metastasis that had been radically resected; (2) pre-sacral recurrence of rectal cancer confirmed by multi-disciplinary team assessment based on CT, MRI, positron emission tomography, physical examination, surgical exploration, and pathological examination of biopsy tissue in some cases; and (3) complete inpatient, outpatient and follow-up data. The patients were allocated to radical resection and non-radical resection groups according to postoperative pathological findings. The study included: (1) classification of pre-sacral recurrence of rectal cancer according to its anatomical characteristics as follows: Type I: no involvement of the sacrum; Type II: involvement of the low sacrum, but no other sites; Type III: involvement of the high sacrum, but no other sites; and Type IV: involvement of the sacrum and other sites. (2) Assessment of postoperative presacral recurrence, overall survival from surgery to recurrence, and duration of disease-free survival. (3) Analysis of factors affecting radical resection of pre-sacral recurrence of rectal cancer. Non-normally distributed measures are expressed as median (range). The Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison between groups. Results: The median follow-up was 25 (2-96) months with a 100% follow-up rate. The rate of metachronic distant metastasis was significantly lower in the radical resection than in the non-radical resection group (24.1% [7/29] vs. 54.5% [12/22], χ²=8.333, P=0.026). Postoperative disease-free survival was longer in the radical resection group (32.7 months [3.0-63.0] vs. 16.1 [1.0-41.0], Z=8.907, P=0.005). Overall survival was longer in the radical resection group (39.2 [3.0-66.0] months vs. 28.1 [1.0-52.0] months, Z=1.042, P=0.354). According to univariate analysis, age, sex, distance between the tumor and anal verge, primary tumor pT stage, and primary tumor grading were not associated with achieving R0 resection of presacral recurrences of rectal cancer (all P>0.05), whereas primary tumor pN stage, anatomic staging of presacral recurrence, and procedure for managing presacral recurrence were associated with rate of R0 resection (all P<0.05). According to multifactorial analysis, the pathological stage of the primary tumor pN1-2 (OR=3.506, 95% CI: 1.089-11.291, P=0.035), type of procedure (transabdominal resection: OR=29.250, 95% CI: 2.789 - 306.811, P=0.005; combined abdominal perineal resection: OR=26.000, 95% CI: 2.219-304.702, P=0.009), and anatomical stage of presacral recurrence (Type III: OR=16.000, 95% CI: 1.542 - 166.305, P = 0.020; type IV: OR= 36.667, 95% CI: 3.261 - 412.258, P = 0.004) were all independent risk factors for achieving radical resection of anterior sacral recurrence after rectal cancer surgery. Conclusion: Stage of presacral recurrences of rectal cancer is an independent predictor of achieving R0 resection. It is possible to predict whether radical resection can be achieved on the basis of the patient's medical history.

[Cross-sectional study of low anterior resection syndrome in patients who have survived more than 5 years after sphincter-preserving surgery for rectal cancer]

Objective: In this study, we aimed to investigate the prevalence of low anterior resection syndrome (LARS) in patients who had survived for more than 5 years after sphincter-preserving surgery for rectal cancer and to analyze its relationship with postoperative time. Methods: This was a single-center, retrospective, cross-sectional study. The study cohort comprised patients who had survived for at least 5 years (60 months) after undergoing sphincter- preserving radical resection of pathologically diagnosed rectal adenocarcinoma within 15 cm of the anal verge in the Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Peking University People's Hospital from January 2005 to May 2016. Patients who had undergone local resection, had permanent stomas, recurrent intestinal infection, local recurrence, history of previous anorectal surgery, or long- term preoperative defecation disorders were excluded. A LARS questionnaire was administered by telephone interview, points being allocated for incontinence for flatus (0-7 points), incontinence for liquid stools (0-3 points), frequency of bowel movements (0-5 points), clustering of stools (0-11 points), and urgency (0-16 points). The patients were allocated to three groups based on these scores: no LARS (0-20 points), minor LARS (21-29 points), and major LARS (30-42 points). The prevalence of LARS and major LARS in patients who had survived more than 5 years after surgery, correlation between postoperative time and LARS score, and whether postoperative time was a risk factor for major LARS and LARS symptoms were analyzed. Results: The median follow-up time of the 160 patients who completed the telephone interview was 97 (60-193) months; 81 (50.6%) of them had LARS, comprising 34 (21.3%) with minor LARS and 47 (29.4%) with major LARS. Spearman correlation analysis showed no significant correlation between LARS score and postoperative time (correlation coefficient α=-0.016, P=0.832). Multivariate analysis identified anastomotic height (RR=0.850, P=0.022) and radiotherapy (RR=5.760, P<0.001) as independent risk factors for major LARS; whereas the postoperative time was not a significant risk factor (RR=1.003, P=0.598). The postoperative time was also not associated with LARS score rank and frequency of bowel movements, clustering, or urgency (P>0.05). However, the rates of incontinence for flatus (3/31, P=0.003) and incontinence for liquid stools (8/31, P=0.005) were lower in patients who had survived more than 10 years after surgery. Conclusions: Patients with rectal cancer who have survived more than 5 years after sphincter-preserving surgery still have a high prevalence of LARS. We found no evidence of major LARS symptoms resolving over time.

[DTX2 overexpression promotes migration and invasion of colorectal cancer cells through the Notch2/Akt axis]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the effect of changes in DTX2 expression level on migration and invasion of colorectal cancer (CRC) cells and explore the mechanism.

METHODS

Two CRC cell lines SW620 and LoVo were transfected with a specific shRNA targeting DTX2 (DTX2-shRNA) or a DTX2-overexpressing plasmid (pcDNA-DTX2), and the transfection efficiency was evaluated with RT-qPCR and Western blotting. Scratch and Transwell assays were used to assess the changes in migration and invasion ability of the transfected cells, and the cellular expression levels of Notch2, NICD, AKT, p-Akt and MMP-2/9 proteins were detected with Western blotting. The CRC cells were co-transfected with pcDNA-DTX2 and Notch2 siRNA to assess the effect of Notch2 knockdown on DTX2 overexpression-induced enhancement of cell migration and invasion.

RESULTS

The expression levels of DTX2 at both the mRNA and protein levels were significantly decreased in CRC cells transfected with DTX2- shRNA (P < 0.01) and increased in cells transfected with pcDNA-DTX2 (P < 0.01). Scratch and Transwell assays showed that the migration and invasion abilities of CRC cells were significantly lowered following DTX2 knockdown (P < 0.01) and were enhanced in cells with DTX2 overexpression (P < 0.01). The expression levels of Notch2, NICD, p-Akt and MMP-2 proteins decreased significantly in CRC cells with DTX2 knockdown (P < 0.05) and increased obviously in DTX2-overexpressing cells (P < 0.05). In both of the two CRC cell lines, transfection with Notch2 siRNA obviously reversed the effect of DTX2 overexpression in promoting cell migration and invasion (P < 0.01) and expressions of the related proteins.

CONCLUSION

DTX2 overexpression promotes migration and invasion of CRC cells through the Notch2/Akt axis, suggesting the potential of DTX2 as a new biological indicator of CRC.