[Construction and validation of a nomogram model of early related factors for hepatic insufficiency after hemihepatectomy]

Objectives: To investigate the early related factors for hepatic insufficiency after hemihepatectomy and to construct and validate a nomogram model. Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study.There were 207 patients with liver tumor who underwent hemihepatectomy in the Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery,Cancer Hospital,Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences from October 2016 to December 2022. Using the random number method,patients were randomly divided into a model group(n=166) and a validation group(n=41) according to an 4︰1 ratio. There were 118 males and 48 females in the modeling group,with an age (M(IQR)) of 59.0(13.3) years (range: 22.0 to 81.0 years),42 patients in the group with postoperative liver insufficiency and 124 patients in the group without postoperative liver insufficiency. There were 32 males and 9 females in the validation group, with an age of 54.0(19.0) years (rang: 25.0~81.0 years). The first results of the peripheral blood test of patients within 24 hours after surgery were collected,and the independent related factors for incomplete postoperative liver function were determined by multivariate Logistic regression analysis,and related factors of postoperative incomplete liver function were screened by best subset selection. A nomogram model of the risk of postoperative hepatic insufficiency after hemihepatectomy was constructed using R software,followed by internal and external validation of the model. Results: Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that elevated D-dimer level and decreased antithrombin Ⅲ (AT-Ⅲ) activity within 24 hours after surgery were independent related factors for the development of postoperative hepatic insufficiency in hemihepatectomized patients. The results of the best subset selection showed that ALT,D-dimer, and AT-Ⅲ activity levels within 24 hours postoperatively were the most relevant factors for postoperative hepatic insufficiency. The R software was applied to build a nomogram prediction model based on the above three indicators in the model set,and the receiver operating characteristic(ROC) curve of the model showed an area under the curve of 0.803 and the calibration curve showed a U-index of -0.012 for the model(P=0.977). The results of the clinical decision analysis and the clinical impact curve indicated that the model had good clinical utility. The internal validation results of the Bootstrap method suggested that the model had reasonable consistency. The area under the ROC curve of the validation group model was 0.806,suggesting that the model had a good generalization prediction ability. Conclusions: The levels of ALT,D-dimer,and AT-Ⅲ activity within 24 hours after hemihepatectomy are valuable indicators for predicting liver insufficiency after hemihepatectomy. The nomogram model is reliable and can be used as an indicator for close postoperative monitoring.

Leg disorders in broiler chickens: a review of current knowledge

Ensuring improved leg health is an important prerequisite for broilers to achieve optimal production performance and welfare status. Broiler leg disease is characterized by leg muscle weakness, leg bone deformation, joint cysts, arthritis, femoral head necrosis, and other symptoms that result in lameness or paralysis. These conditions significantly affect movement, feeding and broiler growth performance. Nowadays, the high incidence of leg abnormalities in broiler chickens has become an important issue that hampers the development of broiler farming. Therefore, it is imperative to prevent leg diseases and improve the health of broiler legs. This review mainly discusses the current prevalence of broiler leg diseases and describes the risk factors, diagnosis, and prevention of leg diseases to provide a scientific basis for addressing broiler leg health problems.

BRF2 is mediated by microRNA-409-3p and promotes invasion and metastasis of HCC through the Wnt/β-catenin pathway

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common cancers worldwide. Its invasiveness and ability to metastasize contributes to an extremely high patient mortality. However, the molecular mechanisms that underlie the characteristics of HCC progression are not well understood. BRF2 has been shown to be an oncogene in a number of tumors; however, its role in HCC has not yet been thoroughly examined. In this study, we identified and validated BRF2 as an oncogene in HCC, providing a new insight into HCC pathogenesis and therapeutic possibilities. We showed that BRF2 expression was significantly upregulated in HCC cell lines and tissues, while BRF2 depletion suppressed HCC metastasis and invasion. We then examined the upstream regulation of BRF2 and identified miR-409-3p as being predicted to bind to the 3' UTR of BRF2. We used a luciferase activity assay and functional verification to show that BRF2 is downregulated by miR-409-3p. Finally, we used bioinformatic analysis to show that BRF2 may be related to early HCC development through the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway.

nc-RNA-mediated high expression of CDK6 correlates with poor prognosis and immune infiltration in pancreatic cancer

BACKGROUND

Emerging evidence manifests that cyclin-dependent kinase 6 (CDK6) plays an essential part in the initiation and progression of several types of human cancer, and its descending expression is correlated with an adverse prognosis. However, the precise role of CDK6 in Pancreatic cancer (PC) remains obscure.

AIMS

To identify the potential ceRNA regulatory axis of CDK6 in PC and explore its relationship with immune cells and immune checkpoints.

MATERIALS & METHODS

Using The Cancer Genome Atlas TCGA and GTEx data analyze the expression and survival of CDK6 in patients in pan-cancer, and cellular experiments were performed to verify the effect of CDK6 on cell function. Using GEPIA and STARBASE databases to analyze prognosis, expression and survival, and identify non coding RNA (ncRNA) that mediates CDK6 overexpression. The TIMER 2.0 database was used for immune correlation analysis.

RESULTS

We revealed CDK6 might be an oncogene in PC, and the HOXA11-AS /NR2F1-AS1- miR-454-3p axis was identified as the possible upstream ncRNA-associated pathway of CDK6 in PC. In addition, CDK6 show significant association with three immune checkpoints (PD-L1, PD-L2, and HAVCR2), the infiltration level of immune cells, and immunity biomarkers.

DISCUSSION

We discussed some applications of CDK6 in breast cancer, melanoma, and hemorrhagic malignancies. The role of miR-15a-5p, HOXA11-AS and NR2F1-AS1 in tumor development was also discussed based on existing studies. The potential mechanism of CDK6 affecting immune cells in pancreatic cancer was discussed.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, these results established that nc-RNA-mediated high expression of CDK6 is associated with patient outcomes and immune invasion in pancreatic cancer.

Inhibition of STAT3 signaling contributes to the anti-melanoma effects of chrysoeriol

BACKGROUND

Melanoma is an aggressive malignancy with a high mortality rate. Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), an oncoprotein, is considered as an effective target for treating melanoma. Chrysoeriol is a flavonoid compound, and possesses anti-tumor activity in lung cancer, breast cancer and multiple myeloma; while whether it has anti-melanoma effects is still not known. Chrysoeriol has been shown to restrain STAT3 signaling in an inflammation mouse model.

PURPOSE

In this study, the anti-melanoma effects of chrysoeriol and the involvement of STAT3 signaling in these effects were investigated.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

CCK8 assays, 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU) staining, Annexin V-FITC/PI staining, Western blot analyses of cleaved caspase-9 and wound healing assays were used to study the anti-melanoma effects of chrysoeriol in cell models. A B16F10 melanoma bearing mouse model was used to evaluate the in vivo anti-melanoma effects of chrysoeriol. Indicators of cell proliferation, cell apoptosis and angiogeneis in melanoma tissues were detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining. Immune cells in melanoma tissues were analyzed by flow cytometry. STAT3-overactivated cell models were used to investigate the involvement of STAT3 signaling in the anti-melanoma effects of chrysoeriol. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) assays were conducted to determine whether chrysoeriol binds to Src, an upstream kinase of STAT3.

RESULTS

The results of cell experiments showed that chrysoeriol dose-dependently inhibited viability, proliferation and migration of, and induced apoptosis in, A375 and B16F10 melanoma cells. Chrysoeriol inhibited the phosphorylation of STAT3, and downregulated the expression of STAT3-target genes involved in melanoma growth and metastasis. Mouse studies showed that chrysoeriol restrained melanoma growth and tumor-related angiogenesis, and altered compositions of immune cells in melanoma microenvironment. Chrysoeriol also inhibited STAT3 signaling in B16F10 allografts. Chrysoeriol's viability-inhibiting effects were attenuated by over-activating STAT3 in A375 cells. Furthermore, chrysoeriol bound to the protein kinase domain of Src, and suppressed Src phosphorylation in melanoma cells and tissues.

CONCLUSION

This study, for the first time, demonstrates that chrysoeriol has anti-melanoma effects, and these effects are partially due to inhibiting STAT3 signaling. Our findings indicate that chrysoeriol has the potential to be developed into an anti-melanoma agent.

[Clinical effect of minimally invasive duodenum preserving pancreatic head resection for benign and pre-malignant lesions of pancreatic head]

Objective: To examine the clinical effect of minimally invasive duodenum preserving pancreatic head resection(DPPHR) for benign and pre-malignant lesions of pancreatic head. Methods: The clinical data of patients with diagnosis of benign or pre-malignant pancreatic head tumor were retrospectively collected and analyzed,all of them underwent laparoscopic or robotic DPPHR between October 2015 and September 2021 at Division of Gastrointestinal and Pancreatic surgery,Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital. Thirty-three patients were enrolled with 10 males and 23 females. The age(M(IQR)) was 54(32) years old(range: 11 to 77 years old) with body mass index of 21.9(2.9)kg/m²(range: 18.1 to 30.1 kg/m²). The presenting symptoms included abdominal pain(n=12), Whipple triad(n=2), and asymptomatic(n=19), among them there were 7 patients with hypertension and 1 patient with diabetes mellitus. There were 19 patients diagnosed as American Society of Anesthesiologists class Ⅰ and 14 patient as class Ⅱ. The student t test,U test, χ² test or Fisher exact test was used to compare continuous data or categorized data,respectively. All the perioperative data and metabolic morbidity were analyzed and experiences on minimally invasive DPPHR was concluded. Results: Fourteen patients underwent laparoscopic DPPHR,while the rest of 19 patients received robotic DPPHR. Indocyanine green fluorescence imaging was used in 19 patients to guide operation. Five patients were performed pancreatico-gastrostomy and the rest 28 patients underwent pancreaticojejunostomy. Pathological outcomes confirmed 9 solid pseudo-papillary neoplasms, 9 intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms, 7 serous cystic neoplasms, 6 pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors, 1 mucous cystic neoplasm, 1 chronic pancreatitis. The operative time was (309.4±50.3) minutes(range:180 to 420 minutes),and the blood loss was (97.9±48.3)ml(range:20 to 200 ml). Eighteen patients suffered from postoperative complications,including 3 patients experienced severe complications(Clavien-Dindo Grade ≥Ⅲ). Pancreatic fistula occurred in 16 patients,including 8 patients with biochemical leak,7 patients with grade B pancreatic fistula and 1 patient with grade C pancreatic fistula. No one suffered from the duodenal necrosis and none perioperative death was occurred. The length of hospital stay was 14(7) days (range:6 to 87 days). The follow-up was 22.6(24.5)months(range:2 to 74 months). None suffered from recurrence or metastasis. During the follow-up,all the patients were free of refractory cholangitis. Moreover,in the term of endocrine dysfunction,no postoperative new onset of diabetes mellitus were observed in the long-term follow-up. However,in the view of exocrine insufficiency,pancreatic exocrine insufficiency and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) was complicated in 2 and 1 patient,respectively,with the supplement of pancreatic enzyme,steatorrhea and weight loss relieved,but NAFLD was awaited to be seen. Conclusions: Minimally invasive DPPHR is feasible and safe for benign or pre-malignant lesions of pancreatic head. Moreover,it is oncological equivalent to pancreaticoduodenectomy with preservation of metabolic function without refractory cholangitis.

Inhibition of Src/STAT3 signaling-mediated angiogenesis is involved in the anti-melanoma effects of dioscin

Angiogenesis plays an important role in the growth and metastasis of solid tumors including melanoma. Inhibiting tumor-associated angiogenesis is a tactic in treating melanoma. Dioscin restrains angiogenesis in colon tumor and has anti-melanoma effects in cell and animal models. In a previous study, we found that dioscin inhibits Src/STAT3 signaling in melanoma cells. Activation of the Src/STAT3 pathway has been shown to promote tumor angiogenesis. This study aimed to determine whether dioscin's anti-melanoma effects is related to inhibiting Src/STAT3 signaling-mediated angiogenesis. In a B16F10 allograft mouse model, we found that dioscin inhibited melanoma growth and angiogenesis. To exclude the impact of tumor growth on angiogenesis, a chicken chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) model was used to verify the anti-angiogenic effect of dioscin. Results showed that dioscin suppressed vessel formation in CAM. To determine if tumor secreted pro-angiogenic cytokines are involved in the anti-angiogenic effect of dioscin, conditioned media from dioscin-treated A375 melanoma cells were used to culture human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), and tube formation was monitored. It was observed that the tube formation of HUVECs was inhibited. Mechanistic studies revealed that dioscin inhibited the activation of Src and STAT3, and lowered mRNA and protein levels of STAT3 transcriptionally-regulated genes, in B16F10 melanomas. ELISA assays showed that dioscin decreased the secretion of MMP-2, MMP-9 and VEGF from A375 cells. Over-activation of STAT3 lessened the effects of dioscin in decreasing the secretion of pro-angiogenic cytokines from melanoma cells, and in inhibiting tube formation of HUVECs cultured with conditioned media from melanoma cell cultures. In summary, we for the first time demonstrated that inhibiting Src/STAT3 signaling-mediated angiogenesis is involved in the anti-melanoma effects of dioscin. This study provides further pharmacological groundwork for developing dioscin as an anti-melanoma agent.

Comparative efficacy of 10 Chinese herbal injections combined with GP regimen chemotherapy for patients with advanced NSCLC a systematic review and network meta-analysis

Background: Numerous studies have indicated that some Chinese herbal injections (CHIs) might have a beneficial treatment effect when used in combination with chemotherapy. However, the results of these studies have been inconsistent. The aim of this network meta-analysis (NMA) was to evaluate and compare the clinical efficacy and safety of different CHIs combined with gemcitabine plus cisplatin (GP) regimen chemotherapy with that of GP regimen chemotherapy alone in the treatment of patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Materials and Methods: Eight databases were systematically searched to identify randomized clinical trials (RCTs) from the date of inception of the database to August 11, 2021. The primary outcome measures were the objective response rate (ORR) and adverse reactions (including nausea and vomiting, and leukopenia). The secondary outcome measures were median survival time (MST) and quality of life (QOL). The quality of the included studies was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias tool. Standard pair-wise and Bayesian NMAs were carried out to compare the effectiveness and safety of different CHIs combined with GP regimen chemotherapy using WinBUGS 14 and Stata 15.1 software. Sensitivity analysis and Egger's test were also performed to check robust. Results: A total of 92 eligible RCTs involving 7,728 patients and 10 CHIs were included. The results showed that Kangai injection (KAI), Kanglaite injection (KLT), Aidi injection and Compound Kushen (CKSI) injection displayed obvious advantages in both efficacy and safety. Aidi+GP (79.0%) showed great advantages of ORR, and KAI+GP and KLT+GP had the lowest probability in terms of leukopenia (4.4%) and nausea and vomiting (24.2%). Besides, KLT+GP was shown to positively affect MST. According to the subgroup analyses, CHIs might have a limited effect in reducing adverse reactions, and have a similar effect in squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma. Conclusions: KAI+GP of adjuvant drugs, Aidi+GP and CKSI+GP of anticancer drugs appeared to be the advantageous treatment options for patients with advanced NSCLC, owing to its superior therapeutic performance and reduced adverse reactions. KLT+GP might prolong survival. Nevertheless, additional results from multicenter trials and high-quality studies will be pivotal in supporting our findings.

Effect of p18 on endothelial barrier function by mediating vascular endothelial Rab11a-VE-cadherin recycling

Endothelial barrier integrity requires recycling of VE-cadherin to adherens junctions. Both p18 and Rab11a play significant roles in VE-cadherin recycling. However, the underlying mechanism and the role of p18 in activating Rab11a have yet to be elucidated. Performing in vitro and in vivo experiments, we showed that p18 protein bound to VE-cadherin before Rab11a through its VE-cadherin-binding domain (aa 1-39). Transendothelial resistance showed that overexpression of p18 promoted the circulation of VE-cadherin to adherens junctions and the recovery of the endothelial barrier. Silencing of p18 caused endothelial barrier dysfunction and prevented Rab11a-positive recycling endosome accumulation in the perinuclear recycling compartments. Furthermore, p18 knockdown in pulmonary microvessels markedly increased vascular leakage in mice challenged with lipopolysaccharide and cecal ligation puncture. This study showed that p18 regulated the pulmonary endothelial barrier function in vitro and in vivo by regulating the binding of Rab11a to VE-cadherin and the activation of Rab11a.

[Study on difference of effect of Huoxue drugs and Yiqi Huoxue drugs on tumor metastasis based on immune remodeling]

Tumor metastasis is an important cause of tumor treatment failure. Its molecular mechanism is closely related to tumor cells remodeling immune cells and immunosuppressive microenvironment, so as to create a suitable soil for tumor cell invasion and growth. "Huoxue Huayu" is one of the important therapeutic principles in cancer treatment, but the influence of Huoxue drugs on tumor metastasis has been controversial in clinical application. In this paper, we systematically summarized the comparative study of Huoxue drugs and Yiqi Huoxue drugs in tumor metastasis in recent years, and discussed the differences of molecular mechanisms of Huoxue drugs and Yiqi Huoxue drugs in anti-tumor metastasis from the perspective of immune remodeling, so as to provide scientific basis for clinical rational application of Huoxue drugs and Yiqi Huoxue drugs.

The characteristics and related factors of insomnia among postoperative patients with gastric cancer: a cross-sectional survey

Purpose

This study aims to explore the characteristics and related factors of insomnia of patients after operation for gastric cancer.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey was carried out and finally 115 patients with insomnia after operation for gastric cancer were included. The general information, gastric cancer-related information, sleep quality, and other symptoms were investigated.

Results

① The Pittsburgh sleep quality index score of most insomnia patients after gastric cancer surgery was 11-15 points, and the sleep quality rating was “poor”. ② The sleep quality of patients with insomnia after surgery for gastric cancer is related to the number of chemotherapy cycles, fatigue, and depression. ③ The probability of reduced sleep quality with the number of chemotherapy cycles >6 is 3.640 times that of ≤6. The probability of reduced sleep quality during moderate to severe fatigue was 4.390 times that of patients with no or mild fatigue.

Conclusion

Attention to related factors may be associated with improvement of sleep quality in patients with gastric cancer after surgery.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00520-021-06295-6.

[Exploration and practice of post-marketing survival benefit evaluation of Chinese patent medicine for cancer]

Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) is an important feature of cancer treatment in China. The methods to tap the advantages of TCM, reasonably evaluate and accurately apply Chinese patent medicines have become current research hotspots and difficulties. TCM takes syndrome differentiation and treatment as the core, with the characteristics of overall regulation and multi-targets efficacy. Therefore, the post-marketing survival benefit evaluation of Chinese patent medicines for cancer is different from that in modern medicine. The primary treatment goals in cancer patients include to improve the disease control rate and prolong their survival time. At present, Chinese patent medicines for cancer patients are lacking indepth studies on survival benefit at the post-marketing stage. In addition, the characteristics of individualized treatment with TCM have also increased the complexity of clinical research on TCM. Therefore, it is of certain practical significance and necessity to evaluate the survival benefit of Chinese patent medicines for cancer after marketing. Based on this, in this paper, we first summarized the technical methodological means of survival benefit evaluation at this stage, and then explored the post-marketing survival benefit evaluation of Chinese patent medicines for cancer from three aspects: the evaluation of cancer treatment effect based on survival time and quality of life, treatment-related toxicity and the auxiliary effect of TCM, and the improvement effect for tumor-related symptoms. Based on the practices of early clinical researches, and according to the insufficient efficacy evaluation of current clinical research on Chinese patent medicines, this paper proposed to improve the evaluation system for clinical researches on Chinese patent medicines, establish the evaluation method with TCM characteristics, clarify the dominant population, lay a theoretical foundation for the evaluation of post-marketing survival benefits of Chinese patent medicines for cancer in the future, and promote the modernization process of TCM.

Similarities and differences between multiple inflammatory syndrome in children associated with COVID-19 and Kawasaki disease: clinical presentations, diagnosis, and treatment

BACKGROUND

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection has been spreading rapidly around the world, while "multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children" (MIS-C) is a new type of syndrome that has now been reported in many countries. Similar and different characteristics between KD and MIS-C have been reported in a variety of literature. We aimed to focus on reviewing clinical presentations, diagnosis, and treatment of KD and MIS-C.

METHODS

We searched articles in the electronic databases, including the Cochrane Library database, EMBASE, and MEDLINE with the keywords "multiple inflammatory syndrome" and/or "COVID-19" and/or "Kawasaki disease" and "children".

RESULTS

Main presentations of MIS-C and KD include fever, rashes, mucous membrane involvement, conjunctivitis, hands and feet erythema/edema, and cervical lymphadenopathy. However, compared with the highest incidence of KD among some Asian countries, MIS-C is common among Black and Hispanic children. MIS-C is common in older children and teenagers, whereas classic KD is common in children under five years of age. Gastrointestinal symptoms, shock, and coagulopathy are common in MIS-C patients but are not common in classic KD. Cardiac manifestations are more common than KD, including myocarditis with cardiac dysfunction and coronary artery dilation or aneurysms. Severe cases in MIS-C present with vasodilated or cardiogenic shock that requires fluid resuscitation, muscular support, and even mechanical ventilation and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), whereas KD rarely presents with these manifestations and requires these treatments. Increased serum ferritin, leukopenia, lymphopenia and thrombocytopenia are common in MIS-C. However, thrombocytosis is a characteristic feature of KD. Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) and moderate-high dose aspirin are still a standard recommended treatment for KD. In addition to the above-mentioned medications, steroids and biological drugs are frequently used in patients with MIS-C. Most of the children with KD have a good prognosis; however, the long-term clinical outcomes of MIS-C are not clear.

CONCLUSIONS

The overall presentation and treatment of MIS-C appear to overlap with KD. However, there are still great differences between the syndromes, and it is controversial to say whether MIS-C is a new entity or is a "severe type" of KD.

Comparative efficacy of Chinese herbal injections combined with GP regimen chemotherapy for patients with advanced NSCLC: A protocol for systematic review and network meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Many research has indicated that some Chinese herb injections (CHIs) might be beneficial in combination with chemotherapy, however, with inconsistent results. Hence, the purpose of this network meta-analysis is to evaluate different CHIs plus cisplatin and gemcitabine (GP) with GP alone in terms of clinical efficacy and safety for treating patients with advanced NSCLC.

METHODS

A comprehensive systematic search of clinical randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published in the PubMed, Embase, Web of Science (ISI), Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), China National Knowledge Infrastructure Database (CNKI), Chinese Scientific Journals Full-Text Database (VIP), Wanfang Database and China Biological Medicine Database (CBM) databases will be conducted to identify eligible studies up to the date of May 2020. The primary outcome measures objective response rate and adverse reactions (nausea and vomiting, leukopenia). The secondary outcome measures median survival time (MST), disease control rate, and quality of life. The methodological qualities, including the risk of bias, will be evaluated using the Cochrane risk of bias assessment tool, while confidence in the cumulative evidence will be evaluated using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach. The network meta-analysis will be performed using WinBUGS 14 and Stata 15.1 software.

RESULTS

Based on the current evidence, the potential rank of the efficacy and safety of CHIs plus GP chemotherapy for advanced NSCLC will be assessed, and a prioritization regimen will be summarized.

CONCLUSION

Evidence from this systematic review could be useful for patients, clinical practitioners, and guideline-makers to select an optimum proposal of CHIs plus GP for advanced NSCLC.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

It is not necessary for ethical approval because it is based on published studies. The protocol will be disseminated in a peer-reviewed journal or presented at a topic-related conference.

PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER

CRD42020167142.

Ultrasound as an effective technique to reduce higher alcohols of wines and its influencing mechanism investigation by employing a model wine

In this paper, in order to investigate the effects of ultrasound irradiation on the higher alcohols of wines, the parameters including ultrasound time, temperature and power were optimized by the response surface methodology, and the model wine solution was employed to explore the mechanism of ultrasonically decreasing the higher alcohols. The results indicate that the maximum decreasing of higher alcohols could be obtained under the ultrasound conditions of 30 min, 30 °C and 150 W, and the final content was 306.75 mg/L with the reduction rate of 40.44%, suggesting a modification of wine quality due to the negative effects of excessive contents on wine. Regarding the results of model wine, it indicates that the decrease could be definitely affected by factors, such as tartaric acid and ions in wine, which might be attributed to the free radicals generated from ultrasound cavitation and its subsequent reactions. In summary, all the results may help to understand the effects of ultrasound irradiation on improving the sensory properties of wine by decreasing the higher alcohols.

Inhibiting the Src/STAT3 signaling pathway contributes to the anti-melanoma mechanisms of dioscin

Late stage melanoma is associated with a high mortality rate. Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) is currently a target for melanoma treatment as it is constitutively activated with high frequency in melanoma. Dioscin is a natural steroid saponin that is present in several medical herbs. A previous study demonstrated that dioscin inhibits STAT3 signaling in a cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury rat model. Furthermore, dioscin has been reported to exert anti-melanoma effects in B16 melanoma cells and a B16 allograft mouse model. The present study investigated whether inhibition of STAT3 signaling is involved in the anti-melanoma effects of dioscin. The results of the present study demonstrated that dioscin significantly decreased viability, induced apoptosis and suppressed migration of human A375 melanoma cells and murine B16F10 melanoma cells. Furthermore, dioscin inhibited the phosphorylation of STAT3 and Src (an upstream kinase of STAT3), and downregulated mRNA levels of STAT3-targeted genes, including B-cell lymphoma-2, cyclin D1 and matrix metalloproteinase-2. In addition, overexpression of STAT3 decreased the anti-proliferative effects of dioscin. Overall, the results of the present study indicate that inhibiting the Src/STAT3 signaling pathway contributes to the anti-melanoma molecular mechanisms of dioscin. These results provide further pharmacological groundwork for developing dioscin as a novel anti-melanoma agent.

TMEM45A is involved in renal fibrosis in rats by regulating Jagged1/Notch pathway

Fibrosis, or the excess deposition of fibrous tissue, is a critical feature of chronic kidney disease. Here, using renal fibrotic rat as a model, which was established via 5/6 nephrectomy (Nx), the role of TMEM45A transmembrane protein in renal fibrosis was investigated. The results indicated that 5/6 Nx gradually led to histopathological abnormalities and loss of kidney function in rats, which correlated with upregulation of TMEM45A and Notch1. Interestingly, in NRK-49F renal cells, overexpression of TMEM45A resulted in up-regulation of extracellular matrix (ECM) components as well as induction of Notch-1 and Jagged-1. These effects were weakened by DAPT, an inhibitor of the Notch pathway, suggesting an important role of Notch signaling in mediating the functions of TMEM45A in NRK-49F cells Moreover, TMEM45A knockdown by TMEM45A siRNA in NRK-49F cells diminished TGF-b1-induced upregulation of ECM components, inflammatory cytokines, Notch-1 and Jagged-1. Correspondingly, TGF-beta 1 exhibited pro-fibrogenic like effect in NRK-49F cells and induced TMEM45A and Jagged1/Notch expression. Collectively, these results demonstrate that TMEM45A plays an important role in renal fibrosis by regulating ECM components and Jagged1/Notch pathway.

A Toolkit of CRISPR-Based Genome Editing Systems in Drosophila

The last couple of years have witnessed an explosion in development of CRISPR-based genome editing technologies in cell lines as well as in model organisms. In this review, we focus on the applications of this popular system in Drosophila. We discuss the effectiveness of the CRISPR/Cas9 systems in terms of delivery, mutagenesis detection, parameters affecting efficiency, and off-target issues, with an emphasis on how to apply this powerful tool to characterize gene functions.

A plasmid-based method to quantitate homologous recombination frequencies in gram-negative bacteria

A method is described which enables quantitative evaluation of the ability of gram-negative bacterial cells to perform homologous recombination between DNA molecules. This method is particularly useful in cases where the stringency of rec mutations is to be determined. The procedure is based on a wide-host-range vector (pRK404) in which two unequally truncated and overlapping fragments of the neo gene were cloned. When introduced into gram-negative bacteria either by transformation or by conjugation, molecules of this plasmid, pBX404-7, undergo unequal crossing-over leading to the restoration of a functional neo gene. The stringency of putative rec mutations can thus be determined by measuring the frequency at which kanamycin-resistant colonies appear in bacterial strains harboring pBX404-7.