Morphological and physiological responses of Dianthus spiculifolius high wax mutant to low-temperature stress

Cuticular wax plays a role in plant responses to environmental stresses. To understand the contribution of cuticular wax to plant responses to low-temperature stress, the morphological and physiological responses of a Dianthus spiculifolius high-wax (HW) mutant and wild type (WT) were compared. Under low-temperature stress (0 and -10 °C), HW plants showed a lower mortality rate and electrolyte leakage (El) than that WT plants. In plants treated with low-temperature stress (0 and -10 °C), HW mutant leaves exhibited higher soluble sugar and free proline contents and lower malondialdehyde contents than those WT leaves. The photosynthetic capacity, net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, and maximal photochemical efficiency of photosystem II in HW mutant leaves were the least inhibited by low temperature than those in WT leaves. The dewaxing experiments showed no significant difference in the phenotype and El between the dewaxed-treated HW mutant and WT leaves under low-temperatures stress, indicating that cuticular wax causes differences in resistance to low-temperatures between HW and WT. Principal component analysis and the membership function value of the physiological data showed that the average membership value of the HW mutant was greater than that in WT. In general, the results indicated that high cuticular wax contributes positively to the response to low-temperature stress by D. spiculifolius.

Correlation analysis of serum reproductive hormones and metabolites during multiple ovulation in sheep

BACKGROUND

The establishment of non-invasive diagnostic method for multiple ovulation prediction is helpful to improve the efficiency of multiple ovulation. The blood hormones and metabolites would be suitable indexes for this subject.

METHODS

In this study, 86 estrus ewes (65 of induced estrus (IE) and 21 of spontaneous estrus (SE)) were selected and the blood samples were collected at the day before follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) injection (1^st) and before artificial insemination (2^nd). The serum reproductive hormones ofFSH, luteinizing hormone (LH), 17β-Estradiol (E2), progesterone (P4) and anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) were measured through enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and the untargeted metabolomics analysis was processed through LC-MS/MS. The embryos were collected after 6.5 days of artificial insemination.

RESULTS

In total, 975 and 406 embryos were collected in IE and SE group, respectively. The analysis of reproductive hormones showed that concentrations of FSH, E2 and AMH were positive correlated with the embryo yield while concentrations of LH and P4 were negative correlated in both group at 1^st detection. At 2^nd detection, the trends of reproductive hormones were similar with 1^st except P4, which was positive correlated with embryo yield. The metabolomics analysis showed that 1158 metabolites (721 in positive iron mode and 437 in negative iron mode) were detected and 617 were annotated. In 1^st comparation of high and low embryonic yield populations, 56 and 53 differential metabolites were identified in IE and SE group, respectively. The phosphatidyl choline (PC) (19:0/20:5) and PC (18:2/18:3) were shared in two groups. In 2^nd comparation, 48 and 49 differential metabolites were identified in IE and SE group, respectively. The PC (18:1/18:2) and pentadecanoic acid were shared. Most differential metabolites were significantly enriched in amino acid, fatty acid metabolism, digestive system secretion and ovarian steroidogenesis pathways.

CONCLUSIONS

This study showed that FSH, P4, AMH, the PC relevant metabolites and some anomic acids could be potential biomarkers for embryonic yield prediction in ovine multiple ovulation. The results would help to explain the relation between blood material and ovarian function and provide a theoretical basis for the multiple ovulation prediction.

AaZFP3, a Novel CCCH-Type Zinc Finger Protein from Adonis amurensis, Promotes Early Flowering in Arabidopsis by Regulating the Expression of Flowering-Related Genes

CCCH-type zinc finger proteins (ZFP) are a large family of proteins that play various important roles in plant growth and development; however, the functions of most proteins in this family are uncharacterized. In this study, a CCCH-type ZFP, AaZFP3, was identified in the floral organ of Adonis amurensis. Quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) analysis revealed that AaZFP3 was widely expressed in the flowers of A.amurensis. Subcellular localization analysis showed that the AaZFP3 protein was mainly localized to the cytoplasm in tobacco and Arabidopsis. Furthermore, the overexpression of AaZFP3 promoted early flowering in Arabidopsis under both normal and relatively low-temperature conditions. RNA-sequencing and qPCR analyses revealed that the expression of multiple key flowering-time genes was altered in transgenic Arabidopsis overexpressing AaZFP3 compared to wild-type. Of these genes, FLOWERING LOCUS T (AtFT) expression was most significantly up-regulated, whereas FLOWERING LOCUS C (AtFLC) was significantly down-regulated. These results suggest that the overexpression of AaZFP3 promotes early flowering in Arabidopsis by affecting the expression of flowering-time genes. Overall, our study indicates that AaZFP3 may be involved in flowering regulation in A.amurensis and may represent an important genetic resource for improving flowering-time control in other ornamental plants or crops.

Group B Streptococcus (GBS) colonisation is dynamic over time, whilst GBS capsular polysaccharides-specific antibody remains stable

Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is a leading cause of adverse pregnancy outcomes due to invasive infection. This study investigated longitudinal variation in GBS rectovaginal colonization, serum and vaginal GBS capsular polysaccharide (CPS)-specific antibody levels. Non-pregnant women were recruited in the UK and were sampled every 2 weeks over a 12-week period. GBS isolates were taken from recto-vaginal swabs and serotyped by polymerase chain reaction. Serum and vaginal immunoglobulin G (IgG) and nasal immunoglobulin A (IgA) specific to CPS were measured by Luminex, and total IgG/A by ELISA. Seventy women were enrolled, of median age 26. Out of the 66 participants who completed at least three visits: 14/47 (29.8%) women that were GBS negative at screening became positive in follow-up visits and 16/19 (84.2%) women who were GBS positive at screening became negative. There was 50% probability of becoming negative 36 days after the first positive swab. The rate of detectable GBS carriage fluctuated over time, although serum, vaginal, and nasal CPS-specific antibody levels remained constant. Levels of CPS-specific antibodies were higher in the serum of individuals colonized with GBS than in non-colonized, but similar in the vaginal and nasal mucosa. We found correlations between antibody levels in serum and the vaginal and nasal mucosa. Our study demonstrates the feasibility of elution methods to retrieve vaginal and nasal antibodies, and the optimization of immunoassays to measure GBS-CPS-specific antibodies. The difference between the dynamics of colonization and antibody response is interesting and further investigation is required for vaccine development.

Saturated hydraulic conductivity of compacted steel slag-bentonite mixtures--A potential hydraulic barrier material of landfill cover

The feasibility of using steel slag and bentonite mixtures to construct the hydraulic barrier of a landfill cover was explored in the present study. Fine-grained steel slag (SS; particle diameter < 1 mm) and sodium-activated calcium bentonite (SACB) were used to prepare compacted specimens, and the saturated hydraulic conductivity (k_s) was measured using a flexible-wall permeameter. Influential factors including SACB content (BC), SS gradation, water-washing treatment of SS and compaction water content (ω_comp) were investigated. The hydraulic conductivity results were interpreted in microscopic scale through mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). It was found that when BC was below 10%, the k_s value of the specimens prepared with well graded SS was about one order of magnitude lower than that of the specimens prepared with poorly graded SS. This was due to less macropores caused by better SS gradation. Yet, the effects of SS gradation on k_s diminished as BC further increased to 15%, suggesting the dominant role of BC on k_s at high BC. Water-washing treatment of SS helped reduce k_s significantly to 1.2 × 10^-10 m/s at BC of 10%, owing to less multivalent cations and hence lower osmotic swelling reduction caused by cations. Controlling ω_comp 1-2% wetter than the optimum water content (ω_opt) also helped reduce k_s significantly, owing to the reduction of macropores. Accordingly, it is suggested to use well-graded SS mixed with 10% SACB and then compact at ω_comp slightly wetter than ω_opt to the degree of compaction greater than 90% in engineering practice.

TRIM22 inhibits osteosarcoma progression through destabilizing NRF2 and thus activation of ROS/AMPK/mTOR/autophagy signaling

Osteosarcoma (OS) is a malignant bone tumor that mainly occurs in adolescents. It is accompanied by a high rate of lung metastasis, and high mortality. Recent studies have suggested the important roles of tripartite motif-containing (TRIM) family proteins in regulating various substrates and signaling pathways in different tumors. However, the detailed functional role of TRIM family proteins in the progression of OS is still unknown and requires further investigations. In this study, we found that tripartite motif-containing 22 (TRIM22) was downregulated in OS tissues and was hence associated with better prognosis. In vitro and in vivo functional analysis demonstrated that TRIM22 inhibits proliferation and metastasis of OS cells. Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2), a redox regulator, was identified as a novel target for TRIM22. TRIM22 interacts with and accelerates the degradation of NRF2 by inducing its ubiquitination dependent on its E3 ligase activity but independent of Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (KEAP1). Further, a series of gain- and loss-of-function experiments showed that knockdown or overexpression of NRF2 reversed the functions of knockdown or overexpression of TRIM22 in OS. Mechanistically, TRIM22 inhibited OS progression through NRF2-mediated intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) imbalance. ROS production was significantly promoted and mitochondrial potential was remarkably inhibited when overexpressing TRIM22, thus activating AMPK/mTOR signaling. Moreover, TRIM22 was also found to inhibit Warburg effect in OS cells. Autophagy activation was found in OS cells which were overexpressed TRIM22, thus leading to autophagic cell death. Treatment with N-Acetylcysteine (NAC), a ROS scavenger or the autophagy inhibitor 3-Methyladenine (3-MA) abolished the decreased malignant phenotypes in TRIM22 overexpressing OS cells. In conclusion, our study indicated that TRIM22 inhibits OS progression by promoting proteasomal degradation of NRF2 independent of KEAP1, thereby activating ROS/AMPK/mTOR/Autophagy signaling that leads to autophagic cell death in OS. Therefore, our findings indicated that targeting TRIM22/NRF2 could be a promising therapeutic target for treating OS.

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TRIM22 inhibits proliferation and metastasis of OS cells.

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TRIM22 interacts with and accelerates NRF2 degradation by inducing its ubiquitination dependent on E3 ligase activity.

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TRIM22 inhibited OS progression through NRF2-mediated intracellular ROS imbalance.

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TRIM22 inhibits OS progression by promoting NRF2 degradation, thereby activating ROS/AMPK/mTOR/Autophagy signaling.

Effects of Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy Plus PD-1 Inhibitors for Patients With Transarterial Chemoembolization Refractory

Background and Aims

Patients with intermediate-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who are refractory to transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) have a poor prognosis. This study aimed to explore whether stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) combined with PD-1 inhibitors could improve the clinical outcomes of such patients.

Methods

This retrospective cohort study included patients with intermediate-stage HCC who were diagnosed with TACE refractoriness between January 2019 and December 2020 in the Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital and the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University. The patients were divided into two groups: (1) those who switched from TACE to receive stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) combined with PD-1 inhibitors; (2) those who continued TACE treatment and added PD-1 inhibitors. Progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and tumour response were assessed in both groups after becoming refractory to TACE treatment.

Results

Of the seventy-six patients included in this study, the median PFS was 19.6 months in the SBRT-IO group (n=31) and 10.1 months in the TACE-IO group (n=45, p<0.05). The SBRT-IO group also had a significantly higher OS than the TACE-IO group (p<0.05). The objective response rate (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR) were also better in the SBRT-IO group (ORR, 71.0% vs. 15.6%, OR=8.483, 95% CI 3.319-21.680, P < 0.001; DCR, 80.6% vs. 31.1%, OR=9.226, 95% CI 3.096-27.493, P < 0.001).

Conclusions

SBRT combined with a PD-1 inhibitor improves PFS and OS in TACE-refractory patients with intermediate-stage HCC. Therefore, this therapy is a suitable option in cases of TACE treatment failure.

Guidelines for Diagnosis and Treatment of Hepatocellular Carcinoma with Portal Vein Tumor Thrombus in China (2021 Edition)

Portal vein tumor thrombus (PVTT) is very common and it plays a major role in the prognosis and clinical staging of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We have published the first version of the guideline in 2016 and revised in 2018. Over the past several years, many new evidences for the treatment of PVTT become available, especially for the advent of new targeted drugs and immune checkpoint inhibitors which have further improved the prognosis of PVTT. So, the Chinese Association of Liver Cancer and Chinese Medical Doctor Association revised the 2018 version of the guideline to adapt to the development of PVTT treatment. Future treatment strategies for HCC with PVTT in China would depend on new evidences from more future clinical trials.

Short- and long-term effects of 3.5-23.0 Tesla ultra-high magnetic fields on mice behaviour

OBJECTIVES

Higher static magnetic field (SMF) enables higher imaging capability in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which encourages the development of ultra-high field MRIs above 20 T with a prerequisite for safety issues. However, animal tests of ≥ 20 T SMF exposure are very limited. The objective of the current study is to evaluate mice behaviour consequences of 3.5-23.0 T SMF exposure.

METHODS

We systematically examined 112 mice for their short- and long-term behaviour responses to a 2-h exposure of 3.5-23.0 T SMFs. Locomotor activity and cognitive functions were measured by five behaviour tests, including balance beam, open field, elevated plus maze, three-chamber social recognition, and Morris water maze tests.

RESULTS

Besides the transient short-term impairment of the sense of balance and locomotor activity, the 3.5-23.0 T SMFs did not have long-term negative effects on mice locomotion, anxiety level, social behaviour, or memory. In contrast, we observed anxiolytic effects and positive effects on social and spatial memory of SMFs, which is likely correlated with the significantly increased CaMKII level in the hippocampus region of high SMF-treated mice.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study showed that the short exposures to high-field SMFs up to 23.0 T have negligible side effects on healthy mice and may even have beneficial outcomes in mice mood and memory, which is pertinent to the future medical application of ultra-high field SMFs in MRIs and beyond.

KEY POINTS

• Short-term exposure to magnetic fields up to 23.0 T is safe for mice. • High-field static magnetic field exposure transiently reduced mice locomotion. • High-field static magnetic field enhances memory while reduces the anxiety level.

A minimally invasive strategy to evacuate hematoma by synergy of an improved ultrasonic horn with urokinase: an in-vitro study

OBJECTIVES

In this study, Ultrasound Needle-an improved minimally invasive ultrasonic horn device was used to explore its potential of synergizing with urokinase in enhancing clots lysis in an in-vitro intracranial hematoma model.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

10 ml bovine blood was incubated for 3 h at 37 ℃, and coagulated into clot to mimic intracranial hematoma in-vitro. Ultrasound Needle was an improved ultrasonic horn with a fine tip (1.80 mm) and metallic sheath, and had a frequency of 29.62 kHz. 10000 IU urokinase was injected through the metallic sheath during the vibration of Ultrasound Needle tip to lyse the clots for 8 minutes under different working parameter settings (n = 8) to explore the influence of parameters Amplitude (%) and Duty (%) on clot lysis weight (W₀ ). The maximum temperatures were measured by an infrared thermometer during the treatment process. The W₀ of different treatment groups (US (Ultrasound Needle), US+NS (normal saline), UK (urokinase), US+UK, n = 8) were compared to verify the synergistic lysis effect of Ultrasound Needle combined with urokinase at optimal working parameters (40% Amplitude, 20% Duty; input power 4.20 W; axial tip-vibration amplitude 69.17 μm). Clots samples after treatment were fixed overnight for macroscopic examination. And fluorescent frozen sections and scanning electron microscopy examination were performed to show microscopic changes in clots and evaluate the cavitation effect of Ultrasound Needle on promoting drug diffusion within the clots.

RESULTS

The clot lysis weight W₀ increased with the parameters Amplitude (%) and Duty (%), reached a peak (2.435±0.137 g) at 40% Amplitude and 20% Duty (input power 4.20 W), and then decreased. Higher Amplitude (%) and Duty (%) led to higher maximum temperature, and W₀ was negatively correlated with the maximum temperature after the peak (r = -0.958). At the optimal parameter setting, the maximum temperature was 33.8±0.9 ℃, and the W₀ of the US+UK group was more than 4 times of UK alone group (2.435±0.137 g vs 0.607±0.185 g). Fluorescent frozen sections confirmed that the ultrasound energy of Ultrasound Needle could mechanically damage the clot tissues and promote the intra-clots drug diffusion. Macroscopic examination showed that US+UK group caused larger clots lysis area than UK alone group (2.08 cm² vs 0.65 cm² ). In addition, electron microscopy examination exhibited that the fibrin filaments of the clots in US+UK group were lysed more thoroughly compared to single treatment groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Ultrasound Needle, an improved ultrasonic horn device, can mechanically damage the clot tissues and exhibit an excellent synergistic lysis effect with thrombolytic drugs. Therefore, Ultrasound Needle has great potential in providing a new minimally invasive strategy for rapid intracranial hematoma evacuation. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Staphylococcus aureus lipoproteins play crucial roles in inducing inflammatory responses and bacterial internalization into bovine mammary epithelial cells

Bovine mastitis is caused by bacterial infection and characterized by inflammatory and infectious processes. Staphylococcus aureus frequently causes subclinical mastitis in dairy cows. In this study, we aimed to investigate the roles of S. aureus lipoproteins in inducing inflammatory responses and in mediating bacterial internalization into bovine mammary epithelial cells (bMECs). The results showed that TLR2 expression in bMECs infected with S. aureus isogenic mutant deficient in lipoprotein maturation was decreased compared to that in bMECs infected with wild-type S. aureus. Lipoproteins from S. aureus and the engagement of TLR2 were essential for inducing the activation of MAPK and NF-κB signaling, and stimulating the secretion of the inflammatory mediators tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 8 (CXCL8). The production of prostaglandin E₂ (PGE₂) and the expression of PTGS2 in S. aureus-infected bMECs were dependent on the presence of bacterial lipoproteins. Furthermore, bacterial lipoproteins contributed to S. aureus internalization into bMECs. These findings suggest the S. aureus lipoproteins are key immunobiologically active compounds that trigger inflammatory responses in bMECs and play an important role in S. aureus internalization into bMECs.

Hexagonal MBene (Hf2BO2): A Promising Platform for the Electrocatalysis of Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

Hexagonal MAB (h-MAB) phases and their two-dimensional (2-D) derivatives (h-MBenes) have emerged as promising materials since the discovery of Ti₂InB₂. Herein, we identified that a possible h-MBene, 2-D Hf₂BO₂, can be an excellent platform for the electrocatalysis of hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) by density functional theory calculations. We proposed two approaches of transition metal (TM) modifications by atom deposition and implanting to optimize the HER performance of 2-D Hf₂BO₂. It is revealed that a moderate charge reduction of surface O, which is induced by the introduction of TM atoms, is conductive to a higher catalytic performance. The synergistic effect between implanted TM atoms and Hf₂BO₂ matrix can efficiently activate the surface by broadening O-p orbitals and shifting up p-band center, especially for V, Cr, and Mo as dopants, which can reduce the Gibbs free energy (ΔG_H*) from 0.939 to -0.04, 0.05 and -0.04 eV, respectively. Interestingly, this effect works within a local region and the activity can also be evaluated by bond length of Hf-O, in addition to ΔG_H*. This work suggests that due to its excellent electrocatalysis properties, h-MBenes can open up a new area for 2-D materials and will stimulate researchers to explore the synthesis of h-MAB phases and the stripping of h-MBenes.

Replication protein A associates with nucleolar R loops and regulates rRNA transcription and nucleolar morphology

Here, Feng and Manley report novel functions of the DNA replication and repair factor replication protein A (RPA) in control of nucleolar homeostasis. Their findings both indicate new roles for RPA in nucleoli through pre-rRNA transcriptional control and also emphasize that RPA function in nucleolar homeostasis is linked to R-loop resolution under both physiological and pathological conditions.

The nucleolus is an important cellular compartment in which ribosomal RNAs (rRNAs) are transcribed and where certain stress pathways that are crucial for cell growth are coordinated. Here we report novel functions of the DNA replication and repair factor replication protein A (RPA) in control of nucleolar homeostasis. We show that loss of the DNA:RNA helicase senataxin (SETX) promotes RPA nucleolar localization, and that this relocalization is dependent on the presence of R loops. Notably, this nucleolar RPA phenotype was also observed in the presence of camptothecin (CPT)-induced genotoxic stress, as well as in SETX-deficient AOA2 patient fibroblasts. Extending these results, we found that RPA is recruited to rDNA following CPT treatment, where RPA prevents R-loop-induced DNA double-strand breaks. Furthermore, we show that loss of RPA significantly decreased 47S pre-rRNA levels, which was accompanied by increased expression of both RNAP II-mediated “promoter and pre-rRNA antisense” RNA as well as RNAP I-transcribed intragenic spacer RNAs. Finally, and likely reflecting the above, we found that loss of RPA promoted nucleolar structural disorganization, characterized by the appearance of reduced size nucleoli. Our findings both indicate new roles for RPA in nucleoli through pre-rRNA transcriptional control and also emphasize that RPA function in nucleolar homeostasis is linked to R-loop resolution under both physiological and pathological conditions.

[Clinical and prognostic study of anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor encephalitis children with paroxysmal sympathetic hyperactivity syndrome]

The data of clinical characteristics, medical cost and prognosis of 22 anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (anti-NMDAR) encephalitis children from the Department of Neurology, Capital Institute of Pediatrics between May 2018 and January 2021 were analyzed, and 6 of them occurred paroxysmal sympathetic hyperactivity syndrome (PSH). It was found that the anti-NMDAR encephalitis children with PSH had severer consciousness disorder [median Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score at admission: 7.5], longer duration of consciousness disorder (median time: 53 days), higher hospitalization cost (median cost: 230 000 RMB), severer neurological injury at onset [median modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score at admission: 4], and longer recovery time of neurological function (median time of mRS score recovered to 0-2: 7 months), compared with those without PSH (all P<0.05). Therefore, more attention should be paid to sympathetic excited symptoms of anti NMDAR encephalitis, and thus identify and intervene early on PSH to reduce the neurological damage and economic burden.

Liver resection versus intensity-modulated radiation therapy for treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma with hepatic vein tumor thrombus: a propensity score matching analysis

Background

The presence of hepatic vein tumor thrombus (HVTT) is a major determinant of survival outcomes in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. This study compared survival outcomes between liver resection (LR) and intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) in HCC patients with HVTT.

Methods

Data from patients who underwent LR or IMRT for HCC with HVTT at the Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital were retrospectively analyzed. Their survival outcomes were compared before and after propensity score matching (PSM).

Results

Three hundred and seven HCC patients with HVTT who underwent either LR (n=140) or IMRT (n=167) were enrolled. PSM matched 82 pairs of patients. The overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) rates were significantly higher for patients in the LR group than those in the IMRT group. On subgroup analysis, significantly better survival outcomes were obtained after LR than IMRT in patients with peripheral type of HVTT (pHVTT) and major type of HVTT (mHVTT). However, similar survival outcomes were obtained after LR and IMRT when the HVTT had developed into inferior vena cava tumor thrombus (IVCTT).

Conclusions

LR resulted in significantly better survival outcomes in HCC patients with HVTT when compared to IMRT. Once the HVTT had developed IVCTT, LR and IMRT resulted in similarly bad survival outcomes.

Proliferation of bovine endometrial epithelial cells is promoted by prostaglandin E2-PTGER2 signaling through cell cycle regulation

It is known that prostaglandin E₂ (PGE₂) induces proliferation of epithelia in bovine endometrial explants, however, the detailed mechanism of regulation of PGE₂ in inducing bovine endometrial epithelial cell (bEEC) proliferation is unclear. In this study, we determined whether proliferation of bEECs is promoted by PGE₂-prostaglandin E receptor 2 (PTGER2) signaling activation through cell cycle regulation. The results demonstrated that bEECs proliferation was induced by treatment of PGE₂ and PTGER2 agonist butaprost. These processes were down-regulated by PTGER2 antagonist AH6809 and CDK inhibitors (LEE011, CDK2 Inhibitor II and Ro 3306). PGE₂ and butaprost induced cyclins (A, B1, D1, D3 and E2), cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs, 1, 2, 4 and 6), and epidermal growth factor (EGF) expression were inhibited by AH6809 treatment in bEECs. Moreover, proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), and PTGER2 expression in bEECs were up-regulated by PGE₂ and butaprost treatment. Our data demonstrate that PGE₂-PTGER2 signaling activation has a direct molecular association with cell cycle regulation and cell proliferation in bEECs. Collectively, these findings will improve our understanding of the roles for PGE₂-PTGER2 signaling activation in the physiological and pharmacological processes of bovine endometrium.

Chemotherapy Augmentation Using Low-Intensity Ultrasound Combined with Microbubbles with Different Mechanical Indexes in a Pancreatic Cancer Model

The aim of the study was to explore the optimal mechanical indexes (MIs) for low-intensity ultrasound (LIUS) combined with microbubbles to enhance tumor blood perfusion and improve drug concentration in pancreatic cancer-bearing nude mice. Fifty-four nude mice bearing bilateral pancreatic tumors on the hind legs were randomly divided into three groups (the MI was set at 0.3, 0.7 and 1.1 in groups A, B and C, respectively). Five nude mice in each group were intravenously injected with the fluorescent dye DiR iodide (DiIC18(7),1,1'-dioctadecyl-3,3,3',3'-tetramethylindotricarbocyanine iodide); for each mouse, one tumor was treated with LIUS combined with microbubbles, and the contralateral tumor was exposed to sham ultrasound. In vivo fluorescence imaging was performed to detect the enrichment of intratumoral DiR iodide. Twelve mice in each group were intravenously injected with doxorubicin (DOX) and underwent ultrasound therapy as described above. Tumor blood perfusion changes were quantitatively evaluated with pre- and post-treatment contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS, MI = 0.08). One hour after the post-treatment CEUS, nude mice were sacrificed to determine the DOX concentration in tumor tissue; one mouse in each group was sacrificed after ultrasound treatment for tumor hematoxylin-eosin staining examination. CEUS quantitative analysis and in vivo fluorescence images confirmed that LIUS at MI = 0.3 combined with microbubbles was able to enhance tumor blood flow and increase regional fluorescence dye DiR iodide concentration. The DOX concentration on the therapeutic side was significantly higher than that on the control side after ultrasound-stimulated (MI = 0.3) microbubble cavitation (USMC) treatment (1.45 ± 0.53 μg/g vs. 1.07 ± 0.46 μg/g, t = -5.163, p = 0.001). However, in groups B and C, there were no significant differences in DOX concentration between the therapeutic and control sides (Z = -0.297, -0.357, p = 0.766, 0.721). No hemorrhage or other tissue damage was observed in hematoxylin-eosin-stained tumor specimens of both sides in all groups. LIUS at MI = 0.3 combined with microbubbles was able to enhance tumor blood perfusion and improve local drug concentration in nude mice bearing pancreatic cancer.

Serum cholesterol efflux capacity is associated with coronary plaque progression in patients with coronary heart disease

Background

Coronary plaque progression is a major risk factor of adverse cardiac events in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD). Emerging evidence showed that attenuated high-density lipoprotein (HDL) function measured by cholesterol efflux capacity (CEC) was associated with development of atherosclerosis independent of HDL cholesterol level. In this study, we sought to investigate whether CEC is a predictor for coronary plaque progression in CHD patients.

Methods

We consecutively enrolled CHD patients from January 2017 to August 2019 in our Hospital who underwent elective percutaneous coronary intervention and had at least one non-target coronary lesion. Follow-up coronary angiography were performed at around 12 months. Fluorescence-labeled cholesterol and J774 macrophages were used to measure the CEC of ApoB-depleted serum sample from all patients. Quantitative coronary angiography (QCA) was performed both at baseline and follow-up to analyze the plaque progression.

Results

A total of 430 CHD patients with 586 non-target coronary lesions were included in the final analysis. During a mean follow-up time of 381.04±59.52 days, patients with decreased CEC presented more severe plaque progression (net luminal loss in highest to lowest CEC quartile: 0.22±0.42mm vs 0.20±0.41mm vs 0.13±0.36mm vs 0.11±0.34mm, p=0.035). In multivariate analysis, baseline CEC was independently associated with coronary plaque progression after adjustment for traditional risk factors including HDL cholesterol and ApoA-I, no matter treated as categorical variable (OR: 0.382 [95% CI 0.180–0.781] for highest to lowest quartile) or continuous variable (OR: 0.522 [95% CI 0.373–0.714] for per SD increase]. Furthermore, CEC demonstrated a better power in predicting coronary plaque progression compared with HDL cholesterol concentration (AUC=0.644 vs 0.514).

Conclusions

This study suggests that HDL function reflected by serum CEC is an independent predictor for coronary plaque progression in CHD patients.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding sources: Public grant(s) – National budget only. Main funding source(s): National Natural Science Foundation of China, Shanghai Municipal Commission of Health and Family Planning