A case of a vaginal Brenner tumor without a gland mimicking a borderline tumor: unusual morphology and diagnostic pitfalls

Brenner tumor is a rare neoplasm of the vagina. This tumor is diagnosed according to the criteria of ovarian tumors. We report here a 64-year-old postmenopausal woman with a 2.0-cm sessile vaginal polyp for 9 years. Microscopic examination showed unusual features of no gland appearing in the tumor, but the other two characteristic components of transitional islands and dense fibrous stroma were observed. The tumor was diagnosed as a vaginal Brenner tumor on the basis of the definition proposed by the World Health Organization classification of female reproductive organ tumors. In our case, part of the epithelial nests of the Brenner tumor showed basaloid cell differentiation with peripheral palisading, and irregular papillary hyperplasia was observed around the epithelial nests similar to a borderline tumor. However, no mitotic activity or nuclear atypia was present in either the epithelial or stromal components. The presence of epithelial nests requires attention in the medical history of the patient. Our patient did not have a history of primary urothelial carcinoma. Our patient’s benign vaginal Brenner tumor with different morphological characteristics supports the current notion that Walthard nests might act as possible precursor lesions.

Identifying Mild Cognitive Impairment with Random Forest by Integrating Multiple MRI Morphological Metrics

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) exhibits a high risk of progression to Alzheimer's disease (AD), and it is commonly deemed as the precursor of AD. It is important to find effective and robust ways for the early diagnosis of MCI. In this paper, a random forest-based method combining multiple morphological metrics was proposed to identify MCI from normal controls (NC). Voxel-based morphometry, deformation-based morphometry, and surface-based morphometry were utilized to extract morphological metrics such as gray matter volume, Jacobian determinant value, cortical thickness, gyrification index, sulcus depth, and fractal dimension. An initial discovery dataset (56 MCI/55 NC) from the ADNI were used to construct classification models and the performances were testified with 10-fold cross validation. To test the generalization of the proposed method, two extra validation datasets including longitudinal ADNI data (30 MCI/16 NC) and collected data from Xuanwu Hospital (27 MCI/32 NC) were employed respectively to evaluate the performance. No matter whether testing was done on the discovery dataset or the extra validation datasets, the accuracies were about 80% with the combined morphological metrics, which were significantly superior to single metric (accuracy: 45% ∼76%) and also displayed good generalization across datasets. Additionally, gyrification index and cortical thickness derived from surface-based morphometry outperformed other features in MCI identification, suggesting they were some key morphological biomarkers for early MCI diagnosis. Combining the multiple morphological metrics together resulted in a significantly better and reliable identification model, which may be helpful to assist in the clinical diagnosis of MCI.

The phosphorylation of phosphoglucosamine mutase GlmM by Ser/Thr kinase STK mediates cell wall synthesis and virulence in Streptococcus suis serotype 2

Streptococcus suis serotype 2 (SS2) is an important zoonotic pathogen that causes serious economic losses in the pig industry. Phosphorylation is an important mechanism of protein modification. Recent studies have reported that the serine/threonine kinase (STK) gene contributes to the growth and virulence of SS2. However, the mechanism underlying the regulatory functions of STK in SS2 has not been thoroughly elucidated to date. In this study, phosphoproteomic analysis was performed to determine substrates of the STK protein. Twenty-two proteins with different cell functions were identified as potential substrates of STK. Phosphoglucosamine mutase (GlmM) was selected for further investigation among them. In vitro phosphorylation assay and immunoprecipitation assay indicated that GlmM was phosphorylated by STK at the Ser-101 site and the phosphorylation level of GlmM can be affected. We observed that compared to the wild-type strain ZY05719, the glmM-deficient strain (ΔglmM) and the glmM S101A point mutation strain (CΔglmM S101A) showed aberrant cell morphology and attenuated virulence, including enlarged cell volume, absent capsule, decreased resistance, lower survival caused by unusual peptidoglycan synthesis, and significantly attenuated pathogenicity in a mouse infection model. Additionally, compared to ZY05719 and CΔglmM, GlmM enzyme acivities and peptidoglycan concentrations of the stk-deficient strain (Δstk), CΔglmM S101A decreased significantly. These experiments revealed that STK phosphorylates GlmM at the Ser-101 site to impact GlmM enzyme activity and control cell wall peptidoglycan synthesis to affect SS2 pathogenicity.

The II-I Phase Transition Behavior of Butene-1 Copolymers with Hydroxyl Groups

The crystallization and II–I phase transition of functionalized polybutene-1 with hydroxyl groups were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry. The results show that the incorporated hydroxyl groups increase the nucleation density but decrease the growth rate in melt crystallization. Interestingly, for the generated tetragonal form II, the presence of polar hydroxyl groups can effectively accelerate the phase transition into the thermodynamically stable modification of trigonal form I, especially with stepwise annealing and high incorporation. Using stepwise annealing, II–I phase transition was enhanced by an additional nucleation step performed at a relatively low temperature, and the optimal nucleation temperature to obtain the maximum transition degree was ‒10 °C, which is independent from the content of hydroxyl groups. Furthermore, the accelerating effect of hydroxyl groups on the II–I transition kinetics can be increased by reducing the crystallization temperature when preparing form II crystallites. These results provide a potential molecular design approach for developing polybutene-1 materials.

Human immune deficiency virus-related structural alterations in the brain are dependent on age

Currently, it is still unknown whether human immune deficiency virus (HIV)‐related structural alterations in the brain are dependent on age. With people living with HIV at different ages, we aim to investigate age‐specific structural alterations in HIV patients. Eighty‐three male HIV patients and eighty‐three age‐matched male controls were enrolled, and high‐resolution T1 weighted images were collected and analyzed with four morphological metrics. Then, statistical analyses were respectively conducted to ascertain HIV effects, age effects, and medication effects in brain structure of HIV patients, and the relationship with neuropsychological evaluations were further explored. Finally, discriminative performances of these structural abnormalities were quantitatively testified with three machine learning models. Compared with healthy controls, HIV patients displayed lower gray matter volumes (GMV), lower gyrification index, deeper sulcus depth, and larger cortical thickness (CTH). Age‐specific differences were found in GMV and CTH: young‐aged HIV patients displayed more obvious morphological alterations than middle‐aged HIV patients when comparing corresponding age‐matched healthy controls. Furthermore, age‐specific long‐term medication effect of combination antiretroviral therapy were also presented. Additionally, several subcortical structural changes were negatively associated with language, attention and motor functions. Finally, three machine learning models demonstrated young‐aged HIV patients were easier to be recognized than middle‐aged HIV patients. Our study indicated young‐aged HIV patients were more vulnerable to HIV infection in brain structure than middle‐aged patients, and future studies should not ignore the age effect in studying the HIV‐related abnormalities.

Novel circular RNA circSOBP governs amoeboid migration through the regulation of the miR-141-3p/MYPT1/p-MLC2 axis in prostate cancer

BACKGROUND

Metastatic prostate cancer is a fatal disease despite multiple new approvals in recent years. Recent studies revealed that circular RNAs (circRNAs) can be involved in cancer metastasis. Defining the role of circRNAs in prostate cancer metastasis and discovering therapeutic targets that block cancer metastasis is of great significance for the treatment of prostate cancer.

METHODS

The circSOBP levels in prostate cancer (PCa) were determined by qRT-PCR. We evaluated the function of circSOBP using a transwell assay and nude mice lung metastasis models. Immunofluorescence assay and electron microscopic assay were applied to determine the phenotypes of prostate cancer cells' migration. We used fluorescence in situ hybridization assay to determine the localization of RNAs. Dual luciferase and rescue assays were applied to verify the interactions between circSOBP, miR-141-3p, MYPT1, and phosphomyosin light chain (p-MLC2).

RESULTS

We observed that circSOBP level was significantly lower in PCa specimens compared with adjacent noncancerous prostate specimens, and was correlated with the grade group of PCa. Overexpression of circSOBP suppressed PCa migration and invasion in vitro and metastasis in vivo. CircSOBP depletion increased migration and invasion and induced amoeboid migration of PCa cells. Mechanistically, circSOBP bound miR-141-3p and regulated the MYPT1/p-MLC2 axis. Moreover, the depletion of MYPT1 reversed the inhibitory effect of circSOBP on the migration and invasion of PCa cells. Complementary intronic Alu elements induced but were not necessary for the formation of circSOBP. The nuclear export of circSOBP was mediated by URH49.

CONCLUSION

Our results suggest that circSOBP suppresses amoeboid migration of PCa cells and inhibits migration and invasion through sponging miR-141-3p and regulating the MYPT1/p-MLC2 axis.

Effect of strontium ranelate on rabbits with steroid-induced osteonecrosis of femoral head through TGF-β1/BMP2 pathway

OBJECTIVE

To study the effect of strontium ranelate (SR) on steroid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head (SIONFH) in rabbits and its regulatory mechanism.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The ONFH model was established in 30 rabbits using steroid and they were randomly divided into Control group, Model group, and SR group. After SR intervention, the rabbits were sacrificed and sampled. The pathological injury of the femoral head in each group was detected via hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining, the level of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the femoral head in each group was detected via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) and protein expression levels of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), as well as the bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2) in the femoral head in each group, were determined using Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blotting.

RESULTS

The rabbit model of SIONFH was successfully established. Compared with Control group, the Model group had a severer pathological injury of the femoral head, a lower level of VEGF in the femoral head, significantly decreased mRNA and protein levels of TGF-β1 and BMP2. Compared with Model group, the SR group had markedly improved pathological injury of the femoral head, a higher level of VEGF in the femoral head, significantly increased mRNA and protein levels of TGF-β1, as well as BMP2.

CONCLUSIONS

SR can remarkably improve the pathological injury of the femoral head and increase the expression of VEGF in SIONFH rabbits, whose potential mechanism may be related to the activation of the TGF-β1/BMP2 signaling pathway.

MiR-19a suppress apoptosis of myocardial cells in rats with myocardial ischemia/reperfusion through PTEN/Akt/P-Akt signaling pathway

OBJECTIVE

To detect differentially expressed micro ribonucleic acids (miRNAs) in rats with myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (MIR), and to explore the influence of miR-19a on MIR rats and its mechanism.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Firstly, the Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were used to prepare MIR models, RNAs were extracted, and miRNA sequencing analysis was carried out to determine differentially expressed miRNAs related to MIR. Secondly, the predicted target genes of miR-19a were collected, and WebGestalt was applied to analyze gene ontology (GO) and pathway enrichment. Thirdly, the expression of the related proteins and the apoptosis of myocardial cells in MIR rats were detected via Western blotting. Fourthly, the interaction between miR-19a and the target gene phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) was examined through Luciferase reporter assay.

RESULTS

Compared with that in the Sham operation (Sham) group, the miR-19a expression in rat myocardial tissues in the MIR group was significantly increased (p<0.05). Compared with those in the miR-negative control (miR-NC) group, the messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein expressions of PTEN in the miR-19a group were notably decreased (p<0.05). In comparison with the miR-NC group, miR-19a group had elevated expression of phosphorylated protein kinase B (p-Akt) (p<0.05). The Luciferase reporter gene assay manifested the direct binding of miR-19a to PTEN mRNA.

CONCLUSIONS

MiR-19a inhibits the PTEN expression by directly binding to the 3'-UTR of PTEN mRNA, thus activating the Akt/p-Akt signaling pathway to suppress the apoptosis of myocardial cells in MIR injury.

Correlation between Sarcopenia and Arteriosclerosis in Elderly Community Dwellers: A Multicenter Study

BACKGROUND

Evidence suggests that arteriosclerosis and sarcopenia (decreased muscle mass) share some of their many causes. However, after controlling for confounding factors, it is unclear whether the presence of arteriosclerosis correlates with sarcopenia.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this paper is to explore whether sarcopenia is associated with arteriosclerosis.

DESIGN

A multicenter cross-sectional community-based study.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 2511 elderly subjects from six Chinese community health service centers in Anhui province were surveyed through an e-health promotion system to collect basic data and measurements of brachial-ankle pulse wave (baPWV), body composition, and handgrip strength (HGS). Pearson's correlation and binary logistic regression analyses were performed to identify associations between sarcopenia and high baPWV.

RESULTS

The prevalence rates of sarcopenia were 12.9% in men and 15.3% in women according to the 2019 standard of Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia. Among subjects with high baPWV, the proportion of sarcopenia was higher compared to those with normal baPWV (men: 17.7% vs. 3.7%; women: 20.4% vs. 4.9%, both p<0.001). Binary logistic regression analysis revealed that sarcopenia was associated with high baPWV (p<0.0001, odds ratio=1.619) after adjusting for confounding factors. HGS slightly and negatively correlated with baPWV (-0.19 in men and -0.18 in women).

CONCLUSIONS

The intertwined pathophysiological mechanisms shared by arteriosclerosis and sarcopenia are potential targets for future interventions to reduce morbimortality in subjects with both disorders. Upcoming prospective studies and clinical trials are expected to advance these findings.

GPU-based fast processing for a distributed acoustic sensor using an LFM pulse

We carried out a fast processing investigation based on a graphics processing unit (GPU) for a distributed acoustic sensor using a linear frequency modulation pulse. The moving window cross-correlation calculations are realized on the GPU, which makes use of parallel computing. We analyzed the effect of the thread number in a block on the GPU streaming multiprocessor utilization efficiency and then compared the acceleration under different calculation scales. By maximizing the streaming multiprocessor utilization efficiency and large calculation scale, a maximum acceleration ratio of 86.01 was obtained.

Are fetal gender and gestational age related to the size of cisterna magna?

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this article was to explore whether the gestational age(GA)and gender could affect the size of the cisterna magna (CM).

METHODS

This study that included pregnant women who were between 20 ∼ 39⁺⁶. The recorded included BPD, HC, anteroposterior diameter of CM and gender. The fetuses were divided into normal and isolated enlargement of the CM (IECM)group for statistical analysis.

RESULTS

Seven hundred ninety six fetuses with normal CM, 412 cases were boys and 384 cases were girls. 73 fetuses with IECM, 59 cases were boys and 14 cases were girls. The anteroposterior diameter of the CM increased with GA during 20-26⁺⁶weeks. After 27 weeks, the anteroposterior diameter of CM became stable. In the IECM group, the mean anteroposterior of male and female fetuses were 1.31 ± 0.18 cm and 1.24 ± 0.15 cm, respectively. The IECM fetus accounted for 8.4% of the total number of fetuses, male IECM accounted for 14.3% of normal male fetus, and female fetus was 3.6%, which showed that male fetus had a higher rate of IECM than female (χ2 = 21.6, p<.001).

CONCLUSIONS

There is a gender difference between normal fetuses and IECM fetuses. Based on our finding, it is reasonable to establish the normal value of CM according to the gender difference.

Protocol for Monitoring DNA-Triggered cGAS/STING Signaling in Mammalian Cells and Mice

Innate immunity is the first layer of defense against infection in mammals and is tightly regulated. We monitored cGAS/STING signaling upon ISD90 or 2′,3′-cGAMP stimulation in EA.hy926 cells by western blotting, RT-PCR, and ELISA analyses to reveal signaling activation and IFNβ production. In addition, we also include an HSV-1 infected mouse model to further reveal procedures in analyzing cGAS/STING signaling in mice. This protocol could be applied to studies focusing on cell culture or mouse models to investigate cGAS/STING signaling.

For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Zhang et al. (2020).

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A protocol to monitor cGAS/STING signaling at protein and mRNA levels

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Western blotting analyses to monitor key phosphorylation events

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RT-PCR and ELISA analyses to determine IFNβ levels

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Mouse model of HSV-1 infection to measure cGAS/STING in vivo

Mental health problems and correlates among 746 217 college students during the coronavirus disease 2019 outbreak in China

AIMS

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is a major public health concern all over the world. Little is known about the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on mental health in the general population. This study aimed to assess the mental health problems and associated factors among a large sample of college students during the COVID-19 outbreak in China.

METHODS

This cross-sectional and nation-wide survey of college students was conducted in China from 3 to 10 February 2020. A self-administered questionnaire was used to assess psychosocial factors, COVID-19 epidemic related factors and mental health problems. Acute stress, depressive and anxiety symptoms were measured by the Chinese versions of the impact of event scale-6, Patient Health Questionnaire-9 and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, respectively. Univariate and hierarchical logistic regression analyses were performed to examine factors associated with mental health problems.

RESULTS

Among 821 218 students who participated in the survey, 746 217 (90.9%) were included for the analysis. In total, 414 604 (55.6%) of the students were female. About 45% of the participants had mental health problems. The prevalence rates of probable acute stress, depressive and anxiety symptoms were 34.9%, 21.1% and 11.0%, respectively. COVID-19 epidemic factors that were associated with increased risk of mental health problems were having relatives or friends being infected (adjusted odds ratio = 1.72-2.33). Students with exposure to media coverage of the COVID-19 ≥3 h/day were 2.13 times more likely than students with media exposure <1 h/day to have acute stress symptoms. Individuals with low perceived social support were 4.84-5.98 times more likely than individuals with high perceived social support to have anxiety and depressive symptoms. In addition, senior year and prior mental health problems were also significantly associated with anxiety or/and depressive symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

In this large-scale survey of college students in China, acute stress, anxiety and depressive symptoms are prevalent during the COVID-19 pandemic. Multiple epidemic and psychosocial factors, such as family members being infected, massive media exposure, low social support, senior year and prior mental health problems were associated with increased risk of mental health problems. Psychosocial support and mental health services should be provided to those students at risk.

[Observation and analysis of lens turbidity lesion induced by low intensity 635 nm laser radiation]

Objective: To study the characteristics of the lens turbidity after long-term exposure to low intensity 635nm laser. Methods: Cluster sampling method was adopted to select 812 employees in a laser leveler workshop in a city of Guangdong Province from January 2014 to December 2018. They were divided into the control group, diffuse reflection (DR) group and direct vision (DV) group for retrospective observation and analysis of lens turbidity. The laser irradiation intensity of each group was investigated, the position and shape of lens opacity were analyzed, and the influencing factors were statistically analyzed with the repeated measurement data of dichotomy. Results: The laser irradiance and radiant exposure of DV group were between 0.72×10(-4) and 9.92×10(-4) mW/cm(2) and between 2.61×10(-2) and 1.53 J/cm(2), respectively. The subjects were mainly diagnosed with lens turbidity lesion, especially for the DV group. Most of lesions occurred in the pole and periphery of the anterior cortex. The lesions exhibited multipoint patterns with greyish white color. The turbidity rates in DV group (before work and work for 1, 2, 3 years) were 0%, 1.99% (8/402) , 4.98% (20/402) and 6.72% (27/402) , respectively, in the order of observation points. The statistical analysis of single factor effect showed that the turbidity rate was higher in DV group and higher in the second year in the DV group (P<0.01) . Multi-factor analysis of the laser effect on the lens showed that the main effect between groups, between the observation point were statistically significant (P<0.05) , but no statistical significance in the interaction between group×observation points (P>0.05) . Conclusion: Lens turbidity lesion can be caused by long-term exposure to low intensity 635 nm laser, so the product safety classification should be strictly strengthened. It is necessary to strengthen the protection of laser photochemical damage in the production process.

Comprehensive role of prostate-specific antigen identified with proteomic analysis in prostate cancer

Current treatments including androgen deprivation fail to prevent prostate cancer (PrCa) from progressing to castration-resistant PrCa (CRPC). Accumulating evidence highlights the relevance of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in the development and progression of PrCa. The underlying mechanism whereby PSA functions in PrCa, however, has yet been elucidated. We demonstrated that PSA knockdown attenuated tumorigenesis and metastasis of PrCa C4-2 cells in vitro and in vivo, whereas promoted the apoptosis in vitro. To illuminate the comprehensive role of PSA in PrCa, we performed an isobaric tag for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ)-based proteomic analysis to explore the proteomic change induced by PSA knockdown. Among 121 differentially expressed proteins, 67 proteins were up-regulated, while 54 proteins down-regulated. Bioinformatics analysis was used to explore the mechanism through which PSA exerts influence on PrCa. Protein-protein interaction analysis showed that PSA may mediate POTEF, EPHA3, RAD51C, HPGD and MCM4 to promote the initiation and progression of PrCa. We confirmed that PSA knockdown induced the up-regulation of MCM4 and RAD51C, while it down-regulated POTEF and EPHA3; meanwhile, MCM4 was higher in PrCa para-cancerous tissue than in cancerous tissue, suggesting that PSA may facilitate the tumorigenesis by mediating MCM4. Our findings suggest that PSA plays a comprehensive role in the development and progression of PrCa.

Optical fiber laser refractometer based on an open microcavity Mach-Zehnder interferometer with an ultra-low detection limit

A fiber laser refractometer based on an open microcavity Mach-Zehnder interferometer (OMZI) is proposed. The open microcavity is constructed by embedding a segment single-mode fiber (SMF) into two multi-mode fiber (MMF) joints with lateral offset for liquid sample, which has the advantages of micro sensing element and easy fabrication. The transmission characteristics of the MMF-assisted OMZI are investigated by simulating and manufacturing the OMZIs with different microcavity lengths and offset distances. By inserting the MMF-assisted OMZI into the erbium-doped fiber ring laser (FRL) cavity, the lasing wavelength can be used to detect the refractive index (RI) change of the medium in the microcavity. Experimental results show a high sensitivity of -2953.444 nm/RIU within the measurement range of 1.33302∼1.33402. More importantly, with the combination of OMZI and FRL, the proposed fiber laser refractometer realizes ultra-low detection limit (DL) and high-quality factor Q, which are two orders of magnitude better than that of previous reports.

von Willebrand factor promotes platelet-induced metastasis of osteosarcoma through activation of the VWF-GPIb axis

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Immunohistochemistry results directly show VWF is increased during tumor progression.

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VWF is expressed as low molecular weight multimer in OS cell line SAOS2.

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VWF promotes platelet-induced metastasis of OS through VWF-GPIb pathway.

von Willebrand factor (VWF) is exclusively expressed in endothelial cells (ECs) and megakaryocytes, which plays a crucial role in the initiation of arterial thrombosis. Recent studies have shown that VWF is also expressed in osteosarcoma (OS) cells and participates in adhesion of cancer cells to platelets, thus promoting metastasis of OS cells. However, it is unclear how OS cell-derived VWF-platelet interaction contributes to the metastasis of OS. We hypothesized that the interaction is mediated by the binding between VWF A1 and GPIbα of platelets, a molecular mechanism similar to that of thrombosis. The increased expression of VWF in SAOS2 cells may contribute to the enhancement of platelet adhesion through the VWF-GPIb pathway, which could promote the migration and invasion capacities of SAOS2 cells in vitro. Antibodies that block the pathway could significantly inhibit the platelet-induced metastasis of OS cells. Our results suggest a theoretical basis for the development of new anti-OS metastasis drugs, and further enrich the mechanism of OS metastasis.

History of uses, phytochemistry, pharmacological activities, quality control and toxicity of the root of Stephania tetrandra S. Moore: A review

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

the root of Stephania tetrandra S. Moore, known as Fangji in China (Chinese: ), is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) with a long history of use. Fangji is a type of medicine used to treat various diseases, including rheumatism, arthralgia, edema and beriberi, unfavorable urination, and eczema.

AIM OF THIS REVIEW

There are many newly published reports on the history of uses, phytochemistry, pharmacological activity, quality control and toxicity of Fangji; however, no comprehensive systematic review exists. Therefore, the purpose of this review is to compile the latest and most comprehensive information on Fangji and provide a scientific basis for future research.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A systematic literature search was conducted using multiple electronic databases, including SciFinder, Web of Science, PubMed, Science Direct, ACS Publications, J-stage, SpringerLink, Thieme, Wiley, and CNKI. Information was also collected from journals and Chinese Pharmacopoeia.

RESULT

Thus far, there were uses of Fangji against 20 different diseases/disorders, such as relieving edema and rheumatism pain, treating cough and asthma, treating enuresis, astringent urine and beriberi edema, purging blood and damp heat, and dispelling wind evil and dampness, etc. 48 compounds have been isolated from Fangji, belonging to alkaloids, flavonoids, and steroids, other compounds. The crude extracts and isolated compound of Fangji have shown a wide range of pharmacological activities, such as anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective activities, as well as role in reoxygenation, and antimicrobial effect, etc. Moreover, qualitative and quantitative analyses of quality control are reviewed, including qualitative analyses for the identification of compounds, as well as fingerprint and quantitative analyses by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and capillary electrochromatography (CE). In the toxicity study, the hepatotoxicity, hepatorenal toxicity, nephrotoxicity, subacute and acute toxicities of the alcohol extract and water extract of Fangji, and tetrandrine were studied in-vitro and in-vivo experiments.

CONCLUSION

In the history of uses, Fangji can be used to treat a variety of diseases, most of which are manifested in removing wind and dampness. In recent years, the phytochemistry of Fangji has rarely been reported. The pharmacological activities of Fangji mainly focus on the compounds, tetrandrine and fangchinoline, and there are a few reports on the pharmacological studies of other compounds in Fangji. Moreover, the quality control of Fangji lacks a standard fingerprint to distinguish Fangji from other easily-confused medicinal materials. In the toxicity study, there is no report on the mechanism of toxicity research. Therefore, further studies on such mechanisms are needed.

Streptavidin Promotes DNA Binding and Activation of cGAS to Enhance Innate Immunity

cGAS/STING signaling plays an essential role in sensing cytosolic DNA. cGAS activity is regulated by posttranslational modifications and binding partners. cGAS interactome largely includes mammalian or viral proteins. Whether and how bacterial proteins bind cGAS to modulate innate immunity remain elusive. Here, we found streptavidin, a secreted bacterial protein, selectively bound cGAS to promote DNA-induced cGAS activation and interferon-β production. Mechanistically, streptavidin enhanced DNA binding and cGAS phase separation, therefore facilitating cGAS activation. Using an HSV-1-infected mouse model, we found streptavidin nanoparticles facilitated HSV-1 clearance through improving innate immunity. Considering the clinical usage of streptavidin as an immune stimulant and drug delivery vehicle and its biotechnological usage for biotin-labeled protein purification and detection, our studies not only provide an example for a bacterial protein regulating cGAS activity but also suggest caution needs to be taken when using streptavidin in various applications given to its ability to induce innate immunity.

Proteomic analysis of bEnd.3 cells infected with wild-type and stk-deficient strains of Streptococcus suis serotype 2 reveals protein and pathway regulation

Streptococcus suis serotype 2 (SS2) is a zoonotic pathogen causing meningitis in humans and pigs. However, information on the comparative protein expression of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) following SS2 infection is limited. Deletion of the serine/threonine kinase (stk) gene can decrease the ability of SS2 to invade the BBB. In the present study, bEnd.3 cells were used as the BBB model, and a SILAC comparative quantitative proteomic study of bEnd.3 cells infected with the SS2 ZY05719 or Δstk strain was performed to determine the differences between these strains infections. Compared with ZY05719-infected cells, 241 proteins were highly upregulated, and 81 were significantly downregulated in Δstk-infected cells. The obtained data revealed major changes in the proteins involved in RNA process, host cytoskeleton, tight junction disruption and immune response. Some differentially expressed proteins were screened by quantitative real-time PCR to examine their regulation at the transcriptional level, and western blot analysis was used to validate the changes of some selected proteins at the translational level. The results obtained in this study may be useful to understand the host response to SS2 infection and provide crucial clues to decipher how STK expression in SS2 helps the bacteria penetrate the BBB. SIGNIFICANCE: A SILAC comparative quantitative proteomic assay was performed in bEnd.3 cells infected with the SS2 ZY05719 or Δstk strain. 241 upregulated and 81 downregulated differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were identified. DEPs are involved in RNA process, host cytoskeleton, tight junction disruption and immune response. Some DEPs were examined by qPCR and western blot assays, which were similar to those of their corresponding proteins in the quantitative proteomics analysis.

Dual drug-loaded nano-platform for targeted cancer therapy: toward clinical therapeutic efficacy of multifunctionality

Background

Poor targeting and penetration of chemotherapy drugs in solid tumors, and the development of resistance to chemotherapeutic agents are currently hindering the therapy of breast cancer; meanwhile, breast cancer metastasis is one of the leading causes of death in breast cancer patients. With the development of nanotechnology, nanomaterials have been widely used in tumor therapy.

Results

A multi-functional nano-platform containing gambogic acid (GA) and paclitaxel (PTX) was characterized by a small size, high encapsulation efficiency, slow release, long systemic circulation time in vivo, showed good targeting and penetrability to tumor tissues and tumor cells, and exhibited higher anti-tumor effect and lower systemic toxicity in BALB/c mice bearing 4T1 tumor. GA not only overcame the multidrug resistance of PTX by inhibiting P-glycoprotein (P-gp) activity in MCF-7/ADR cells, but also inhibited MDA-MB-231 cells migration and invasion, playing a crucial role in preventing and treating the lung metastasis of breast cancer caused by PTX; meanwhile, the synergistic anti-tumor effect of GA and PTX has also been verified in vitro and in vivo experiments.

Conclusion

Our data described the better recognition and penetration of tumor cells of R9dGR-modified versatile nanosystems containing GA and PTX, which exerted one stone three birds clinical therapeutic efficacy of multifunctionality.