Dnmt3a is required for the tumor stemness of B16 melanoma cells

The relationship of carcinogenesis and DNA methyltransferases has attracted extensive attention in tumor research. We reported previously that inhibition of de novo DNA methyltransferase 3a (Dnmt3a) in murine B16 melanoma cells significantly suppressed tumor growth and metastasis in xenografted mouse model. Here, we further demonstrated that knockdown of Dnmt3a enhanced the proliferation in anchor-independent conditions of B16 cells, but severely disrupted its multipotent differentiation capacity in vitro. Furthermore, transforming growth factor β1, a key trigger in stem cell differentiation and tumor cell epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), mainly induced apoptosis, but not EMT in Dnmt3a-deficient B16 cells. These data suggested that Dnmt3a is required for maintaining the tumor stemness of B16 cells and it assists B16 cells to escape from death during cell differentiation. Thus it is hypothesized that not only extraordinary self-renewal ability, but also the capacity of multipotent differentiation is necessary for the melanoma tumorigenesis. Inhibition of multipotent differentiation of tumor cells may shed light on the tumor treatment.

TGFBI Promotes Tumor Growth and is Associated with Poor Prognosis in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Purpose: In a previous study, we found that transforming growth factor beta-induced (TGFBI) is a hub gene strongly associated with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), using gene chip meta-analysis and PPI network analysis. Thus, the present study was established to explore the role of TGFBI in the pathogenesis of OSCC and to define the underlying mechanisms.

Methods: The correlations between TGFBI expression and the clinicopathological features and prognosis of OSCC were analyzed. Then, TGFBI-knockout HSC-3 cell lines were constructed using the CRISPR/Cas9 system. Cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in vitro were determined by cell counting, CCK-8, colony formation, and Transwell assays. Moreover, a xenograft animal study was implemented to determine the tumorigenicity and metastatic ability associated with TGFBI in vivo. The genes and pathways differentially expressed after TGFBI knockout were determined using transcriptional sequencing and bioinformatics.

Results: TGFBI expression was significantly higher in OSCC than in normal tissue. Its high expression was also correlated with high stage and was predictive of poor prognosis, as we expected. Knockout of TGFBI inhibited cell proliferation and clone formation, and enhanced cell migration and invasion in vitro. Besides, the xenograft animal study showed that TGFBI knockout suppressed tumor growth and metastasis in vivo. Furthermore, transcriptome sequencing revealed that genes associated with cell proliferation, metastasis, and inflammatory responses exhibited a change of expression upon TGFBI knockout. GO and KEGG analyses indicated that the function of TGFBI is related to responses to bacteria and inflammatory responses.

Conclusions: TGFBI overexpression can promote OSCC and is associated with poor prognosis in OSCC patients. TGFBI knockout can inhibit cell proliferation and metastasis in vivo. TGFBI may alter cell responses to bacteria, which causes an imbalance in the immune inflammatory response and promotes the development of OSCC.

Abstract 4976: Ex vivo functional characterization and in vivo efficacy validation of human CD40 agonistic antibodies in the human CD40 knock-in model (CD40 HuGEMM)

CD40 receptor is a member of TNF-receptor superfamily, broadly expressed on the surface of antigen-presenting cells (APC) including B cells, dendritic cells (DC), macrophages, monocytes, and non-APC like platelets, endothelial cells and even some tumor cells. CD40 is essential for APC activation and signalling via ligation of CD40 ligand located on helper T cells and CD40 on APC to mediate licensing (activating) of APC. Ligation of CD40 on DCs, for example, can induce increased surface expression of costimulatory and MHC molecules, production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, and enhanced T cell activation. CD40 ligation on resting B cells can increase its antigen-presenting function and proliferation. In contrast to its critical role in the induction of effective innate and adaptive immune responses, CD40 signalling on certain malignant cells, particularly B cell lymphomas, triggers tumor apoptosis. The dual function of CD40 signalling provide unique opportunities for the use of agonistic CD40 antibodies in cancer immunotherapy. Indeed, several CD40 monoclonal antibodies are now in different stages of clinical development, some shown promising preliminary results in combination with other cancer immunotherapies. However, we are lacking preclinical models to evaluate efficacy of therapeutic CD40 agonistic antibodies, which usually don’t cross-bind to mouse targets. To fill this gap, we developed a human CD40 knock-in model (CD40 HuGEMM), of which mouse exon 2-5 are replaced by human counterparts. These KI mice express a chimeric CD40 with human extracellular domain & mouse trans-membrane and intracellular sequences. We have characterized the human CD40 expression of CD40 HuGEMM on a broad spectrum of mouse cells, such as lymphocytes, macrophages, DCs, and endothelial cells. In addition, we confirmed that human CD40 antibodies bind to the chimeric m/hCD40 recombinant protein, and lead to increased expression of MHCII on the B cells. Finally, the in vivo efficacy study indicates that human CD40 antibody treatment lead to robust anti-tumor response and contribute to better survival of the mice. Taken together, our CD40 HuGEMM provides a powerful preclinical model to assess the efficacy of the human-specific CD40 agonistic antibodies. It may also serve as a model for proof of concept studies of CD40 agonistic antibodies with other therapies.

Citation Format: Daniel Xianfei He, Lei Zheng, Ruilin Sun, Annie Xiaoyu An, Jian Fei, Henry Qixiang Li, Davy Xuesong Ouyang. Ex vivo functional characterization and in vivo efficacy validation of human CD40 agonistic antibodies in the human CD40 knock-in model (CD40 HuGEMM) [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 4976.

Abstract 2375: Developing double knock-in models of human immune checkpoint targets (dKI HuGEMM) for efficacy assessment of combinatorial therapeutic antibodies

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), i.e. PD1, PDL1 and CTLA4 therapeutic antibodies, have led to long-term survival in many late stage solid tumor patients. Despite their revolutionary clinical impact, the overall response rate is still low. One major roadblock is that compensatory immune inhibitory pathways are turned on to protect tumor cells from being attacked by T cells. Various combinatory ICI treatments have now been investigated in clinical trials to tackle this challenge. We have previously reported the development of immune checkpoint target humanized mice (HuGEMM) through CRISPR-Cas9 knock-in. We have generated PD1 and CTLA4 HuGEMM mice and used them for efficacy assessment of corresponding therapeutic antibodies. We have also generated human PDL1 expressing MC38 cells and PDL1 HuGEMM, and demonstrated robust efficacy of several PDL1 therapeutic antibodies. Here we report the establishment of double knock-in (dKI) mice of ICI targets, i.e., PD1/PDL1 and PD1/CTLA4 dKI HuGEMM, and use them as tools to test immunotherapies with PD1/PDL1 and PD1/CTLA4 combos. Similar to clinical benefit of PD1 and CTLA4 combo shown in the melanoma and NSCLC patients, we found combined treatment of Nivolumab and Ipilimumab antibody leads to 103% TGI in the corresponding PD1/CTLA4 dKI-HuGEMM, with complete tumor remission in 80% of treated mice. These mice remained disease free throughout a tumor re-challenge study for over 40 days. We have also developed PD1/PDL1 dKI HuGEMM and tested combined treatment of Atezolizumab and Nivolumab. Interestingly, we observed improved efficacy in the combo treatment group despite the two ICIs are thought to target the same PD1/PDL1 axis. Monotherapies may not fully release the PD1/PDL1 blockade due to complicity of multiple compatible ligands & receptors, including PDL2 and B7-1. We have also tested PD1/OX40 combo treatment with dKI HuGEMM, which is reported separately. Taken together, Our dKI HuGEMM models offer robust tests on ICI combinations, as well as combos of ICIs with other anti-tumor therapeutic modalities.

Citation Format: Lei Zheng, Daniel Xianfei He, Ruilin Sun, Annie Xiaoyu An, Jian Fei, Henry Qixiang Li, Davy Xuesong Ouyang. Developing double knock-in models of human immune checkpoint targets (dKI HuGEMM) for efficacy assessment of combinatorial therapeutic antibodies [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 2375.

Longevity Effect of Liuwei Dihuang in Both Caenorhabditis Elegans and Aged Mice

Liuwei Dihuang (LWDH), a famous traditional Chinese medicine, is widely used in the clinical treatment of aging-related diseases in China. However, its pharmacological mechanisms are not clear. In the present study, we evaluated the lifespan extension effect of LWDH in C. elegans and mice and revealed its underlying mechanisms. The results showed that LWDH significantly extended the lifespan of C. elegans in a dose-dependent manner. LWDH also conferred protection to nematodes against oxidative stress and reduced their fat storage. Genetics analysis and microarray data showed that the longevity effect of LWDH was attributed to the regulation of the innate immune response, proteolysis, lipid metabolism, and the oxidation-reduction process and was dependent on daf-16. Among the six herbs in the formula, Radix Rehmanniae Preparata and Fructus Macrocarpii contributed most to the longevity effect of this medicine, while the other four components had a synergistic effect on the longevity effect of the prescription. The lack of any single herb reduced the efficacy of the complete formula. LWDH also extended the lifespan and reduced both the weight and oxidant stress status in aged mice. Taken together, these results suggested that LWDH might function in a multi-target manner to extend the lifespan in both C. elegans and aged mice, and the best effect was achieved with the complete formula.

Case report of neonate Pierre Robin sequence with severe upper airway obstruction who was rescued by finger guide intubation

Background

Pierre Robin Sequence (PRS) patients are known for their triad of micrognathia, glossoptosis, and airway obstruction. Their airway can be a challenge even for the most experienced pediatric anesthesiologist.

Case presentation

We report the case of a 9 day old 3.5 kg boy diagnosed with PRS, cleft palate, and a vallecular cyst with severe upper airway obstruction. The combination of PRS, cleft palate and the presence of vallecular cyst made this a cascade reaction of difficult airway. Due to his unique anatomy, we didn’t appreciate how difficult his airway was until multiple attempts with high-tech equipment failed. Ultimately it was the finger guide intubation, this old technique without any equipment, that rescued this patient from lose of airway.

Conclusions

The boy was successfully rescued by finger guided intubation. Finger guide intubation should be added to the anesthesiologist’s newborn rescue intubation training.

Inflammation associated with chronic heart failure leads to enhanced susceptibility to depression

Epidemiological and clinicopathological studies indicate that there is a high risk for chronic heart failure (CHF) in patients suffering from neuropsychiatric disorders, such as depression. However, it is unclear whether CHF causes depression, and the underlying mechanisms of this association remain largely unknown. In this study, mice with myocardial infarction and CHF were used to investigate behavioral alterations as well as changes in the brain-heart axis. During the first 6 months, abnormalities in neuropsychiatric behaviors were detected in mice with CHF. Using the sucrose preference test, a 9 months course of CHF resulted in two subgroups: mice with a significant decrease in sucrose preference, defined herein as "susceptible" (Sus), and mice with a normal sucrose preference, defined herein as "resilient." Compared to the resilient and sham-operated animals, the Sus mice displayed imbalances in glutamate transmission and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activation, abnormal synaptic plasticity, and increased inflammatory responses. Furthermore, abnormal kynurenine metabolism was detected in Sus mice. Our results suggest that long-term CHF increases inflammatory responses in the central nervous system and leads to depression in Sus mice.

Constraining the Spin-Dependent WIMP-Nucleon Cross Sections with XENON1T

We report the first experimental results on spin-dependent elastic weakly interacting massive particle (WIMP) nucleon scattering from the XENON1T dark matter search experiment. The analysis uses the full ton year exposure of XENON1T to constrain the spin-dependent proton-only and neutron-only cases. No significant signal excess is observed, and a profile likelihood ratio analysis is used to set exclusion limits on the WIMP-nucleon interactions. This includes the most stringent constraint to date on the WIMP-neutron cross section, with a minimum of 6.3×10^{-42}  cm^{2} at 30  GeV/c^{2} and 90% confidence level. The results are compared with those from collider searches and used to exclude new parameter space in an isoscalar theory with an axial-vector mediator.

Pravastatin regulates host foreign-body reaction to polyetheretherketone implants via miR-29ab1-mediated SLIT3 upregulation

Host rejection to biomaterials can induce uncontrolled foreign-body reactions (FBR), resulting in a dense fibrous encapsulation that blocks mass transport and/or communication between the host and the implant. Adequate angiogenesis between the body and the implant has been implicated as a key regulator for overcoming FBR. Thus, approaches for stimulating neovascularization and/or suppressing FBR are under investigation. In this study, pravastatin (Pra) was loaded onto a 3D network surface of sulfonated polyetheretherketone (SP) to achieve superior local drug effects. The SP loaded with Pra (SP-Pra) promoted angiogenesis and mitigated FBR via miR-29 dependent SLIT3 upregulation in wild-type (WT) mice. miR-29a and miR-29b1 were significantly downregulated in the SP-Pra capsule compared to levels in the SP capsule, while SLIT3 and neovascularization were substantially upregulated in WT mice. However, the above effects presented in the WT mice were not detected in miR-29ab1 knockout mice which was generated by the CRISPR/Cas9 approach. Overall, the results suggest that miR-29 plays a critical role in reducing FBR to these implants by targeting SLIT3. Suppression of FBR by SP-Pra implants offers the potential to improve the performance of current medical devices.

First Results on the Scalar WIMP-Pion Coupling, Using the XENON1T Experiment

We present first results on the scalar coupling of weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) to pions from 1  t yr of exposure with the XENON1T experiment. This interaction is generated when the WIMP couples to a virtual pion exchanged between the nucleons in a nucleus. In contrast to most nonrelativistic operators, these pion-exchange currents can be coherently enhanced by the total number of nucleons and therefore may dominate in scenarios where spin-independent WIMP-nucleon interactions are suppressed. Moreover, for natural values of the couplings, they dominate over the spin-dependent channel due to their coherence in the nucleus. Using the signal model of this new WIMP-pion channel, no significant excess is found, leading to an upper limit cross section of 6.4×10^{-46}  cm^{2} (90% confidence level) at 30  GeV/c^{2} WIMP mass.

The pretreatment of chronic restraint stress exerts little impact on the progression of heart failure in mice

Stress is a potent risk factor for depression. Chronic stress can exacerbate and induce symptoms of depression. Clinical studies suggested that depressive patients are more likely to develop coronary artery diseases. However, the causal relationship between depression and heart failure progression remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to explore the relevance between stress and heart failure (HF) in a mouse model subjected to chronic restraint stress and left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) ligation. Mice were restrained for 3 h daily for 21 days and the processes were repeated once 3 months later. After the repeated chronic restraint stress, mice showed dramatically increased immobility time in the forced swim test, indicating a state of despair. Restrained and control mice were further subjected to LAD ligation surgery. Echocardiography was conducted 1 week, 2 weeks, and 1 month afterward. LAD-operated mice showed a significant decrease in the values of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), and there was no difference in the LVEF values between the restrained and control mice. Relevant gene expression, neurotransmitter system, glial activation, and morphology of the heart-brain axis were comprehensively evaluated. We found no overall differences between the restrained and control mice with HF. Our results revealed that the repeated chronic restraint stress may have little effects on the progression of heart failure.

Efficient synthesis of amino acid polymers for protein stabilization

Poly-l-glutamate exerts substantial protein stabilization during lyophilization by preventing protein aggregation.

The anti-oxidation and anti-aging effects of Ganoderma lucidum in Caenorhabditis elegans

As a traditional herbal medicine, the clinical efficacy of Ganoderma lucidum (G. lucidum, also known as Lingzhi in China) has been proved by clinical research and a large number of animal experiments. However, its pharmacological mechanism is not clear. Here, we used the Caenorhabditis elegans as an animal model to study the anti-oxidative stress and anti-aging effects of G. lucidum water extract. Our results showed that G. lucidum effectively promoted the nematodes to resist the oxidative stress of paraquat and heavy metal Cr⁶⁺, and significantly prolonged the lifespan of the nematodes. The underlining mechanisms were further investigated by focusing on the signaling pathways that regulate the stress responses and the lifespan. We found that G. lucidum protected the nematode against the insults of paraquat and heavy metals through the diet restriction pathway and the mTOR/S6K signaling pathway, respectively. Whereas, the effect of G. lucidum on the longevity of the nematode mainly depended on the germline signaling pathway. Microarray assays were conducted to reveal the gene expression profiles. The expression levels of 2746 genes were significantly changed during the aging process, of which 34 genes were reversed in their expression by the treatment of G. lucidum in aged nematodes. These results suggest that G. lucidum regulates the biophysiological processes in the nematodes through multiple signaling pathways.

Fluid resuscitation via the rectum ameliorates hemodynamic disorders through adjusting aquaporin expression in an experimental severe acute pancreatitis model

Acute pancreatitis is an acute abdominal disease, with 10-20% of the cases deteriorating rapidly, accompanied by persistent organ failure and further development into severe acute pancreatitis (SAP). The aim of the present study was to investigate the mechanism of fluid resuscitation via the rectum in the early stages of SAP and the role of aquaporins (AQPs). An SAP model was constructed by injection of 5% sterile sodium taurocholate into the biliopancreatic duct of Sprague Dawley rats, and the mean arterial pressure (MAP) was continuously monitored via femoral artery catheterization. At 30 min after the construction of the SAP model, the rats in the fluid resuscitation groups were resuscitated with normal saline at a rate of 4 ml/kg/h through the venous or the rectal route. The AQP and Na⁺-K⁺-ATPase levels, and the correlation of the MAP and colon AQPs at the early stages of SAP were analyzed. The results demonstrated that the mRNA level of AQP-3 and AQP-4 in the distal colon decreased significantly in the group subjected to fluid resuscitation via the rectum, while no significant differences were identified in the Na⁺-K⁺-ATPase levels of the colon in that group. Furthermore, a negative correlation was identified between the expression of AQPs and the MAP (P<0.01). Thus, fluid resuscitation via the rectum appears to ameliorate hemodynamic disorders through adjusting the expression of AQP-3 and AQP-4 in the distal colon in an experimental SAP model.

Increased frequency of circulating Tfh cells in patients with acute pancreatitis

Considered as true helper cells for B cells in antibody response, Tfh cells are associated with inflammation and immune abnormality. Acute pancreatitis is an acute abdominal disease characterized by inflammatory response and immune disorder. Thus, our objective was to study the frequency of circulating Tfh cells, together with the Tfh cell-related CD4⁺ T cells and inflammatory factors in patients with acute pancreatitis. We first examined the frequency of circulating Tfh cell subsets by detecting the expression of CXCR5, PD-1, ICOS and IL-21 by flow cytometry analysis. Then we investigated the abundance of helper T cells and Treg cells. In addition, the plasma level of IgA, IgM, and Tfh cell-related inflammatory factor were detected by cytometric bead array. We showed that the frequency of circulating Tfh cells increased significantly in patients of acute pancreatitis, including CD4⁺CXCR5⁺ cells, CD4⁺CXCR5⁺PD-1⁺ cells, CD4⁺CXCR5⁺ICOS⁺ cells, and CD4⁺CXCR5⁺IL-21⁺ cells. Also, increases in plasma IL-1, IL-6, IL-8, IL-17, IL-21 and IgA were observed in patients with acute pancreatitis compared to HCs. This finding indicates that Tfh cells play a vital role in the development and progression of acute pancreatitis that is dependent on IL-6 and IL-21.

Vacuum Sealing Drainage Therapy for Refractory Infectious Wound on 16 Renal Transplant Recipients

BACKGROUND

Refractory infectious wounds on renal transplantation (RT) recipients significantly prolong hospital stay, increase medical costs, and threaten allograft survival. Vacuum sealing drainage (VSD) therapy is a new technique for managing wounds based on the principle of application of controlled negative pressure. The aim of this study was to summarize the efficacy and safety of VSD therapy in the management of refractory infectious wounds following RT.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This is a retrospective study of a cohort of 661 consecutive patients who received renal transplants over a period of 3 years in which the data were collected and analyzed retrospectively.

RESULTS

Out of the 661 patients, 16 (2.4%) developed refractory wound infection following RT. Nineteen organisms were identified by culture from all patients, including 10 patients infected with 1 or more bacteria, 2 patients with fungal infection, and 4 patients with both. Specifically, mucormycosis was demonstrated in 4 patients, pan-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae in 2 patients, and Acinetobacter baumannii in 2 patients. All 16 patients were treated with VSD therapy for a median of 37 days (range, 6-111 days). The number of VSD sets used ranged from 4 to 28 sets (mean, 11.1 sets). A combination of antibiotics, debridement, and VSD therapy lead to 100% (16 of 16) wound healing. No VSD-relevant adverse events were observed.

CONCLUSIONS

VSD therapy is an effective and safe adjunct to conventional treatment modalities for the management of refractory wound infection following RT.

Tafa-2 plays an essential role in neuronal survival and neurobiological function in mice

Tafa is a family of small secreted proteins with conserved cysteine residues and restricted expression in the brain. It is composed of five highly homologous genes referred to as Tafa-1 to -5. Among them, Tafa-2 is identified as one of the potential genes responsible for intellectual deficiency in a patient with mild mental retardation. To investigate the biological function of Tafa-2 in vivo, Tafa-2 knockout mice were generated. The mutant mice grew and developed normally but exhibited impairments in spatial learning and memory in Morris water maze test and impairments in short- and long-term memory in novel object recognition test, accompanied with increased level of anxiety-like behaviors in open-field test and elevated plus maze test, and decreased level of depression-like behaviors in forced-swim test and tail-suspension test. Further examinations revealed that Tafa-2 deficiency causes severe neuronal reduction and increased apoptosis in the brain of Tafa-2-/- mice via downregulation of PI3K/Akt and MAPK/Erk pathways. Conformably, the expression levels of CREB target genes including BDNF, c-fos and NF1, and CBP were found to be reduced in the brain of Tafa-2-/- mice. Taken together, our data indicate that Tafa-2 may function as a neurotrophic factor essential for neuronal survival and neurobiological functions.

Dark Matter Search Results from a One Ton-Year Exposure of XENON1T

We report on a search for weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) using 278.8 days of data collected with the XENON1T experiment at LNGS. XENON1T utilizes a liquid xenon time projection chamber with a fiducial mass of (1.30±0.01)  ton, resulting in a 1.0 ton yr exposure. The energy region of interest, [1.4,10.6]  keV_{ee} ([4.9,40.9] keV_{nr}), exhibits an ultralow electron recoil background rate of [82_{-3}^{+5}(syst)±3(stat)]  events/(ton yr keV_{ee}). No significant excess over background is found, and a profile likelihood analysis parametrized in spatial and energy dimensions excludes new parameter space for the WIMP-nucleon spin-independent elastic scatter cross section for WIMP masses above 6  GeV/c^{2}, with a minimum of 4.1×10^{-47}  cm^{2} at 30  GeV/c^{2} and a 90% confidence level.

The Aβ Containing Brain Extracts Having Different Effects in Alzheimer's Disease Transgenic Caenorhabditis elegans and Mice

Background: The deposition of β-sheet rich amyloid in senile plaques is a pathological hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD), which is thought to cause neuronal dysfunction. Previous studies have strongly implicated that intracerebral infusion of brain extract containing aggregated β-amyloid (Aβ) is able to induce cerebral amyloidosis thus causing neuronal damage and clinical abnormalities in rodents and nonhuman primates, which are reminiscent of a prion-like mechanism. Prion disease has been documented in cases of prion-contaminated food consumption. Methods: We investigated whether cerebral transmission of Aβ was possible via oral administration of Aβ-rich brain extract in non-susceptible and susceptible host mice by immunohistochemistry, western blotting and behavior tests. Also brain extracts were supplied to AD transgenic Caenorhabditis elegans, and paralysis curve were conducted, following detection of Aβ amyloid. RNA sequencing of nematodes was applied then inhibitors for relevant dysregulated genes were used in the paralysis induction. Results: The oral treatment of AD brain extract or normal brain extract neither aggravated nor mitigated the Aβ load, glial activation or the abnormal behaviors in recipient Amyloid precursor protein/presenilin 1 (APP/PS1) mice. Whereas, a significant improvement of AD pathology was detected in worms treated with Aβ-rich or normal brain extracts, which was attributable to the heat-sensitive components of brain extracts. Transcriptome sequencing of CL4176 nematodes suggested that brain extracts could delay worm paralysis through multiple pathways, including ubiquitin mediated proteolysis and Transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) signaling pathway. Inhibitors of the ubiquitin proteasome system and the TGF-β signaling pathway significantly blocked the suppressive effects of brain extracts on worm paralysis. Conclusions: Our results suggest that systemic transmissible mechanisms of prion proteopathy may not apply to β amyloid, at least in terms of oral administration. However, brain extracts strongly ameliorated AD pathology in AD transgenic nematodes partially through TGF-β signaling pathway and ubiquitin mediated proteolysis, which indicated that some natural endogenous components in the mammalian tissues could resist Aβ toxicity.

Liver Transplant Recipients With End-Stage Renal Disease Largely Benefit From Kidney Transplantation

BACKGROUND

The incidence of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) after liver transplant (LT) has increased. The actual benefit of kidney transplantation (KT) is not completely understood in LT recipients with ESRD.

METHODS

We analyzed Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients data for all KT candidates with prior LT from 1998 to 2014; the benefits of KT relative to remaining on dialysis were compared by means of multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analysis.

RESULTS

The number of these KT candidates with prior LT has tripled from 98 in 1998 to 323 in 2015; LT recipients with ESRD remaining on dialysis have a 2.5-times increase in the risk of liver graft failure and a 3.6-times increase in the risk of patient death compared with these patients receiving KT. The adjusted liver graft and patient survival rates after donors from donation after cardiac death or expanded-criteria donor kidney transplantation were significantly higher than in patients remaining on dialysis in LT recipients with ESRD.

CONCLUSIONS

The number of referrals to KT with prior LT is increasing at a rapid rate. Remaining on dialysis in LT recipients with ESRD has profound increased risks of liver graft failure and patient death in comparison to receiving a KT. LT recipients with ESRD can benefit from expanded-criteria donor and donation after cardiac death kidney transplantation.

Gpr97/Adgrg3 ameliorates experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis by regulating cytokine expression

Multiple sclerosis and its primary animal model, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), are inflammatory diseases of the central nervous system (CNS) characterized by immune-mediated demyelination and neurodegeneration that may be mediated by inhibition of the nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling pathway. Gpr97, encoded by Adgrg3, has been reported to regulate the activity of NF-κB. In this study, using a previously established Adgrg3-knockout mouse model, we investigated the roles of Gpr97 in the development of autoimmune CNS disease in mice. We found a marked increase in the expression of Adgrg3 in spinal cords of mice with EAE. Adgrg3-deficient (Adgrg3-/-) mice with EAE exhibited increases in peak severity and the cumulative disease score compared with littermate controls, followed by a notable increase of leukocyte infiltration and more extensive demyelination. The percentages of Th1/Th17 cells in the CNS were significantly increased in Adgrg3-/- mice and accompanied by high levels of interleukin (IL)-6, interferon-γ, tumor necrosis factor-α, and IL-17. An in vitro culture assay verified that Gpr97 regulated proinflammatory cytokine production. Taken together, our results show that Gpr97 plays an important role in the development of EAE and may have a therapeutic potential for the treatment of CNS autoimmunity.

Tracing the dynamic expression of the Nfκb2 gene during inflammatory processes by in vivo bioluminescence imaging in transgenic mice

Nfκb2(p52/p100) plays essential roles in many chronic inflammatory diseases. Tracing the dynamic expression of Nfκb2 during different biological processes in vivo can provide valuable clues to understand the biological functions of this gene and develop anti-inflammatory drugs. In this study, B6-Tg(Nfκb2-luc)^Mlit transgenic mouse line, a mouse model in which the expression of firefly luciferase gene is under the control of a 14.6-kb mouse Nfκb2 promoter, was generated to monitor the expression of p52/p100 in vivo. Bioluminescence imaging was used for tracking the luciferase signal in living mice in a variety of inflammatory processes, including LPS-induced sepsis and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The data of in vivo bioluminescence imaging in this mouse model showed that luciferase activity coincided with the endogenous p52/p100 expression. Moreover, dexamethasone or aspirin, two routine anti-inflammatory drugs, could decrease the high-level expression of luciferase induced by LPS. Overall, our results suggest that the B6-Tg(Nfκb2-luc)^Mlit mice represent a valuable reporter mouse model not only to monitor the expression of p52/p100 in physiological or pathological processes but also to evaluate the effects of various anti-inflammatory drug treatments in vivo.

Rdh13 deficiency weakens carbon tetrachloride-induced liver injury by regulating Spot14 and Cyp2e1 expression levels

Mitochondrion-localized retinol dehydrogenase 13 (Rdh13) is a short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase involved in vitamin A metabolism in both humans and mice. We previously generated Rdh13 knockout mice and showed that Rdh13 deficiency causes severe acute retinal light damage. In this study, considering that Rdh13 is highly expressed in mouse liver, we further evaluated the potential effect of Rdh13 on liver injury induced by carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄). Although Rdh13 deficiency showed no significant effect on liver histology and physiological functions under regular culture, the Rdh13^-/- mice displayed an attenuated response to CCl₄-induced liver injury. Their livers also exhibited less histological changes and contained lower levels of liver-related metabolism enzymes compared with the livers of wild-type (WT) mice. Furthermore, the Rdh13^-/- mice had Rdh13 deficiency and thus their liver cells were protected from apoptosis, and the quantity of their proliferative cells became lower than that in WTafter CCl₄ exposure. The ablation of Rdh13 gene decreased the expression levels of thyroid hormone-inducible nuclear protein 14 (Spot14) and cytochrome P450 (Cyp2e1) in the liver, especially after CCl₄ treatment for 48 h. These data suggested that the alleviated liver damage induced by CCl₄ in Rdh13^-/- mice was caused by Cyp2e1 enzymes, which promoted reductive CCl₄ metabolism by altering the status of thyroxine metabolism. This result further implicated Rdh13 as a potential drug target in preventing chemically induced liver injury.