Data on electroconvulsive seizure in mice, effects of anesthesia on immediate early gene expression

Although electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is one of the most effective treatments for severe mood and psychotic disorders, the mechanisms underlying its therapeutic effects remain unknown. Electroconvulsive stimulation (ECS), the animal model for ECT, can be used to investigate the potential therapeutic mechanisms of ECT in rodents. ECS produces numerous effects in the brain, such as increasing levels of growth factors, inducing dendritic sprouting, and stimulating neurogenesis. It also induces high-level expression of immediate early genes (IEGs) that have been implicated in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia, such as early growth response 3 (Egr3) and activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein (Arc), a validated downstream target of Egr3 [1-3]. However, the effect of isoflurane anesthesia preceding ECS on IEG response in mice has not been well characterized. This article provides immunofluorescent data of the activity responsive IEG ARC in the dorsal and ventral dentate gyrus of wildtype (WT) mice following ECS with or without anesthesia, as well as following sham ECS. The data in this article relate to a published article that employed serial ECS in mice to investigate the requirement of Egr3 in the neurobiological effects of this model of ECT [4]. The ability to study the effects of serial ECS has been limited in mice due to high rates of mortality during seizure. Administration of isoflurane anesthesia prior to ECS significantly reduces rodent mortality, irrespective of the number of times ECS is applied [5]. Since general anesthesia is administered to patients prior to ECT, use of isoflurane prior to ECS also more closely models the clinical use of ECT [6].

MbovP0725, a secreted serine/threonine phosphatase, inhibits the host inflammatory response and affects metabolism in Mycoplasma bovis

Mycoplasma species are able to produce and release secreted proteins, such as toxins, adhesins, and virulence-related enzymes, involved in bacteria adhesion, invasion, and immune evasion between the pathogen and host. Here, we investigated a novel secreted protein, MbovP0725, from Mycoplasma bovis encoding a putative haloacid dehalogenase (HAD) hydrolase function of a key serine/threonine phosphatase depending on Mg2+ for the dephosphorylation of its substrate pNPP, and it was most active at pH 8 to 9 and temperatures around 40°C. A transposon insertion mutant strain of M. bovis HB0801 that lacked the protein MbovP0725 induced a stronger inflammatory response but with a partial reduction of adhesion ability. Using transcriptome sequencing and quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction analysis, we found that the mutant was upregulated by the mRNA expression of genes from the glycolysis pathway, while downregulated by the genes enriched in ABC transporters and acetate kinase-phosphate acetyltransferase pathway. Untargeted metabolomics showed that the disruption of the Mbov_0725 gene caused the accumulation of 9-hydroxyoctadecadienoic acids and the consumption of cytidine 5'-monophosphate, uridine monophosphate, and adenosine monophosphate. Both the exogenous and endogenous MbvoP0725 protein created by purification and transfection inhibited lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α mRNA production and could also attenuate the activation of MAPK-associated pathways after LPS treatment. A pull-down assay identified MAPK p38 and ERK as potential substrates for MbovP0725. These findings define metabolism- and virulence-related roles for a HAD family phosphatase and reveal its ability to inhibit the host pro-inflammatory response.

IMPORTANCE

Mycoplasma bovis (M. bovis) infection is characterized by chronic pneumonia, otitis, arthritis, and mastitis, among others, and tends to involve the suppression of the immune response via multiple strategies to avoid host cell immune clearance. This study found that MbovP0725, a haloacid dehalogenase (HAD) family phosphatase secreted by M. bovis, had the ability to inhibit the host pro-inflammatory response induced by lipopolysaccharide. Transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses were used to identify MbovP0725 as an important phosphatase involved in glycolysis and nucleotide metabolism. The M. bovis transposon mutant strain T8.66 lacking MbovP0725 induced a higher inflammatory response and exhibited weaker adhesion to host cells. Additionally, T8.66 attenuated the phosphorylation of MAPK P38 and ERK and interacted with the two targets. These results suggested that MbovP0725 had the virulence- and metabolism-related role of a HAD family phosphatase, performing an anti-inflammatory response during M. bovis infection.

MRI-based bone marrow radiomics for predicting cytogenetic abnormalities in multiple myeloma

AIM

To develop a radiomics signature applied to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-images to predict cytogenetic abnormalities in multiple myeloma (MM).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Patients with newly diagnosed MM were enrolled retrospectively from March 2019 to September 2022. They were categorised into the high-risk cytogenetics (HRC) group and standard-risk cytogenetics (SRC) group. The patients were allocated randomly at a ratio of 7:3 into training and validation cohorts. Volumes of interest (VOI) was drawn manually on fat suppression T2-weighted imaging (FS-T2WI) and copied to the same location of the T1-weighted imaging (T1WI) sequence. Radiomics features were extracted from two sequences and selected by reproducibility and redundant analysis. The least absolute shrinkage selection operation (LASSO) algorithm was applied to build the radiomics signatures. The performance of the radiomics signatures to distinguish HRC with SRC was evaluated by ROC curves. The area under the curve (AUC), specificity, and sensitivity were also calculated.

RESULTS

A total of 105 MM patients were enrolled in this study. The four and 11 most significant and relevant features were selected separately from T1WI and FS-T2WI sequences to build the radiomics signatures based on the training cohort. Compared to the T1WI sequence, the radiomics signature based on the FS-T2WI sequence achieved better performance with AUCs of 0.896 and 0.729 in the training and validation cohorts respectively. A sensitivity of 0.833, specificity of 0.667, and Youden index of 0.500 were achieved for the FS-T2WI radiomics signature in the validation cohort.

CONCLUSIONS

The radiomics signature based on MRI provides a non-invasive and convenient tool to predict cytogenetic abnormalities in MM patients.

The Identification of a Novel Nucleomodulin MbovP467 of Mycoplasmopsis bovis and Its Potential Contribution in Pathogenesis

Mycoplasmopsis bovis is a causative agent of crucial diseases in both dairy and beef cattle leading to substantial economic losses. However, limited control measures for M. bovis-related diseases exist due to a lack of understanding about the virulence factors of this pathogen, a common challenge in mycoplasma research. Consequently, this study aimed to characterize a novel nucleomodulin as a virulence-related factor of M. bovis. Employing bioinformatic tools, we initially predicted MbovP467 to be a secreted protein with a nuclear localization signal based on SignalP scores and the cNLS (Nuclear Localization Signal) Mapper, respectively. Subsequently, the MbovP467 gene was synthesized and cloned into a pEGFP plasmid with EGFP labeling to obtain a recombinant plasmid (rpEGFP-MbovP467) and then was also cloned in pET-30a with a consideration for an Escherichia coli codon bias and expressed and purified for the production of polyclonal antibodies against the recombinant MbovP467 protein. Confocal microscopy and a Western blotting assay confirmed the nuclear location of MbovP467 in bovine macrophages (BoMacs). RNA-seq data revealed 220 up-regulated and 20 down-regulated genes in the rpEGFP-MbovP467-treated BoMac group compared to the control group (pEGFP). A GO- and KEGG-enrichment analysis identified associations with inflammatory responses, G protein-coupled receptor signaling pathways, nuclear receptor activity, sequence-specific DNA binding, the regulation of cell proliferation, IL-8, apoptotic processes, cell growth and death, the TNF signaling pathway, the NF-κB signaling pathway, pathways in cancer, and protein families of signaling and cellular processes among the differentially expressed up-regulated mRNAs. Further experiments, investigating cell viability and the inflammatory response, demonstrated that MbovP467 reduces BoMac cell viability and induces the mRNA expression of IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α, and apoptosis in BoMac cells. Further, MbovP467 increased the promoter activity of TNF-α. In conclusion, this study identified a new nucleomodulin, MbovP467, for M. bovis, which might have an important role in M. bovis pathogenesis.

Antibody level comparison after porcine epidemic diarrhea vaccination via different immunization routes

Porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) is a disease extremely harmful to pig health. Intramuscular and Houhai acupoint injections are the main immunization routes to prevent and control PED. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of these two routes in pregnant sows based on serum IgG, IgA, and neutralizing antibody levels. PED virus (PEDV) immunoprophylaxis with live-attenuated and inactivated vaccines was administered. The vaccinations for the intramuscular injections elevated IgG and neutralizing antibody levels more than Houhai acupoint injections at most timepoints after immunization. However, the anti-PEDV IgA antibodies induced by vaccination with the two immunization routes did not differ significantly. In conclusion, intramuscular injections are better than Houhai acupoint injections for PEDV vaccination of pregnant sows.

Abnormal cell wall structure caused by boron nutrient imbalance in orchards could affect psyllid feeding behaviour, resulting in epidemic variation of Asian citrus psyllid

The control of Huanglongbing (HLB), one of the most destructive pests of citrus, relies heavily on the reduction of Asian citrus psyllid (ACP), Diaphorina citri Kuwayama. An in-depth understanding of ACP feeding behaviours among citrus plants is urgent for comprehensive management of orchards. An investigation was conducted in 37 citrus orchards in HLB epidemic areas, sampling shoots in the area with aggregation feeding of ACP (ACPf) and shoots in a neighbouring area without ACP feeding (CK), to study the interaction between leaf chemical composition and ACP psyllid feeding behaviours. Results of FTIR showed a strong absorption peak intensity, mainly representing functional groups originating from cell wall components in the leaf with ACP feeding. As compared with the control, cell wall components, such as alkali-soluble pectin, water-soluble pectin, total soluble pectin, cellulose, and hemicellulose, of the cell wall of ACPf increased by 134.0%, 14.0%, 18.0%, 12.5%, and 20.35%, respectively. These results suggest that cell wall mechanical properties significantly decreased in the term of decreases in pectin performance and cellulose mechanical properties. In addition, there was a remarkably lower boron (B) content in leaves and cell wall components with ACP feeding. Further analysis indicated that leaf B content significantly affected leaf cell wall components. Taken together, we provide evidence to demonstrate that the regional distribution of nutrient imbalance in orchards could affect psyllid feeding behaviour by weakening the cell wall structure, resulting in epidemic variation in ACP. This could help us to understand the management of psyllid infections in orchards with unbalanced nutrition.

QTL Detection and Candidate Gene Identification for Eating and Cooking Quality Traits in Rice (Oryza sativa L.) via a Genome-Wide Association Study

The eating and cooking quality (ECQ) directly affects the taste of rice, being closely related to factors such as gelatinization temperature (GT), gel consistency (GC) and amylose content (AC). Mining the quantitative trait loci (QTLs), and gene loci controlling ECQ-related traits is vital. A genome-wide association study on ECQ-related traits was conducted, combining 1.2 million single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with the phenotypic data of 173 rice accessions. Two QTLs for GT, one for GC and five for AC were identified, of which two were found in previously reported genes, and six were newly found. There were 28 positional candidate genes in the region of qAC11. Based on a linkage disequilibrium (LD) analysis, three candidate genes were screened within the LD region associated with AC. There were significant differences between the haplotypes of LOC_Os11g10170, but no significant differences were found for the other two genes. The qRT-PCR results showed that the gene expression levels in the accessions with high ACs were significantly larger than those in the accessions with low ACs at 35d and 42d after flowering. Hap 2 and Hap 3 of LOC_Os11g10170 reduced the AC by 13.09% and 10.77%, respectively. These results provide a theoretical and material basis for improving the ECQ of rice.

Identification of Differential Circular RNA Expression Profiles and Functional Networks in Human Macrophages Induced by Virulent and Avirulent Mycobacterium tuberculosis Strains

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are noncoding RNAs with diverse functions. However, most Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb)-related circRNAs remain undiscovered. In this study, we infected THP-1 cells with virulent and avirulent M.tb strains and then sequenced the cellular circRNAs. Bioinformatic analysis predicted 58,009 circRNAs in all the cells. In total, 2035 differentially expressed circRNAs were identified between the M.tb-infected and uninfected THP-1 cells and 1258 circRNAs were identified in the virulent and avirulent M.tb strains. Further, the top 10 circRNAs were confirmed by Sanger sequencing, among which four circRNAs, namely circSOD2, circCHSY1, circTNFRSF21, and circDHTKD1, which were highly differentially expressed in infected cells compared with those in uninfected cells, were further confirmed by ring formation, specific primers, and RNase R digestion. Next, circRNA-miRNA-mRNA subnetworks were constructed, such as circDHTKD1/miR-660-3p/IL-12B axis. Some of the individual downstream genes, such as miR-660-3p and IL-12B, were previously reported to be associated with cellular defense against pathological processes induced by M.tb infection. Because macrophages are important immune cells and the major host cells of M.tb, these findings provide novel ideas for exploring the M.tb pathogenesis and host defense by focusing on the regulation of circRNAs during M.tb infection.

Comparative Proteomic Analysis of Secretory Proteins of Mycoplasma bovis and Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. mycoides Investigates Virulence and Discovers Important Diagnostic Biomarkers

The most important pathogenic Mycoplasma species in bovines are Mycoplasma bovis (M. bovis) and Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. mycoides (Mmm). Mmm causes contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP), which is a severe respiratory disease widespread in sub-Saharan Africa but eradicated in several countries, including China. M. bovis is an important cause of the bovine respiratory disease complex (BRD), characterized worldwide by pneumonia, arthritis, and mastitis. Secreted proteins of bacteria are generally considered virulence factors because they can act as toxins, adhesins, and virulent enzymes in infection. Therefore, this study performed a comparative proteomic analysis of the secreted proteins of M. bovis and Mmm in order to find some virulence-related factors as well as discover differential diagnostic biomarkers for these bovine mycoplasmas. The secretome was extracted from both species, and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry was used, which revealed 55 unique secreted proteins of M. bovis, 44 unique secreted proteins of Mmm, and 4 homologous proteins. In the M. bovis secretome, 19 proteins were predicted to be virulence factors, while 4 putative virulence factors were identified in the Mmm secretome. In addition, five unique secreted proteins of Mmm were expressed and purified, and their antigenicity was confirmed by Western blotting assay and indirect ELISA. Among them, Ts1133 and Ts0085 were verified as potential candidates for distinguishing Mmm infection from M. bovis infection.

An atypical GdpP enzyme linking cyclic nucleotide metabolism to osmotic tolerance and gene regulation in Mycoplasma bovis

Nucleotide second messengers play an important role in bacterial adaptation to environmental changes. Recent evidence suggests that some of these regulatory molecular pathways were conserved upon the degenerative evolution of the wall-less mycoplasmas. We have recently reported the occurrence of a phosphodiesterase (PDE) in the ruminant pathogen Mycoplasma bovis, which was involved in c-di-AMP metabolism. In the present study, we demonstrate that the genome of this mycoplasma species encodes a PDE of the GdpP family with atypical DHH domains. Characterization of M. bovis GdpP (MbovGdpP) revealed a multifunctional PDE with unusual nanoRNase and single-stranded DNase activities. The alarmone ppGpp was found unable to inhibit c-di-NMP degradation by MbovGdpP but efficiently blocked its nanoRNase activity. Remarkably, MbovGdpP was found critical for the osmotic tolerance of M. bovis under K+ and Na+ conditions. Transcriptomic analyses further revealed the biological importance of MbovGdpP in tRNA biosynthesis, pyruvate metabolism, and several steps in genetic information processing. This study is an important step in understanding the role of PDE and nucleotide second messengers in the biology of a minimal bacterial pathogen.

Hyperon Polarization along the Beam Direction Relative to the Second and Third Harmonic Event Planes in Isobar Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200 GeV

The polarization of Λ and Λ[over ¯] hyperons along the beam direction has been measured relative to the second and third harmonic event planes in isobar Ru+Ru and Zr+Zr collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200  GeV. This is the first experimental evidence of the hyperon polarization by the triangular flow originating from the initial density fluctuations. The amplitudes of the sine modulation for the second and third harmonic results are comparable in magnitude, increase from central to peripheral collisions, and show a mild p_{T} dependence. The azimuthal angle dependence of the polarization follows the vorticity pattern expected due to elliptic and triangular anisotropic flow, and qualitatively disagrees with most hydrodynamic model calculations based on thermal vorticity and shear induced contributions. The model results based on one of existing implementations of the shear contribution lead to a correct azimuthal angle dependence, but predict centrality and p_{T} dependence that still disagree with experimental measurements. Thus, our results provide stringent constraints on the thermal vorticity and shear-induced contributions to hyperon polarization. Comparison to previous measurements at RHIC and the LHC for the second-order harmonic results shows little dependence on the collision system size and collision energy.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis Fatty Acyl-CoA Synthetase fadD33 Promotes Bacillus Calmette-Guérin Survival in Hostile Extracellular and Intracellular Microenvironments in the Host

Tuberculosis, caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tb), remains a significant global health challenge. The survival of M. tb in hostile extracellular and intracellular microenvironments is crucial for its pathogenicity. In this study, we discovered a Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) mutant B1033 that potentially affected mycobacterium pathogenicity. This mutant contained an insertion mutation gene, fadD33, which is involved in lipid metabolism; however, its direct role in regulating M. tb infection is not well understood. Here, we found that the absence of fadD33 reduced BCG adhesion and invasion into human pulmonary alveolar epithelial cells and increased the permeability of the mycobacterial cell wall, allowing M. tb to survive in the low pH and membrane pressure extracellular microenvironment of the host cells. The absence of fadD33 also inhibited the survival of BCG in macrophages by promoting the release of proinflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and tumors necrosis factor-α, through the mitogen-activated protein kinase p38 signaling pathway. Overall, these findings provide new insights into M. tb mechanisms to evade host defenses and might contribute to identifying potential therapeutic and vaccine targets for tuberculosis prevention.

ALKBH5 Stabilized N6-Methyladenosine-Modified LOC4191 to Suppress E. coli-Induced Apoptosis

E. coli is a ubiquitous pathogen that is responsible for over one million fatalities worldwide on an annual basis. In animals, E. coli can cause a variety of diseases, including mastitis in dairy cattle, which represents a potential public health hazard. However, the pathophysiology of E. coli remains unclear. We found that E. coli could induce global upregulation of m6A methylation and cause serious apoptosis in bovine mammary epithelial cells (MAC-T cells). Furthermore, numerous m6A-modified lncRNAs were identified through MeRIP-seq. Interestingly, we found that the expression of LOC4191 with hypomethylation increased in MAC-T cells upon E. coli-induced apoptosis. Knocking down LOC4191 promoted E. coli-induced apoptosis and ROS levels through the caspase 3-PARP pathway. Meanwhile, knocking down ALKBH5 resulted in the promotion of apoptosis through upregulated ROS and arrested the cell cycle in MAC-T cells. ALKBH5 silencing accelerated LOC4191 decay by upregulating its m6A modification level, and the process was recognized by hnRNP A1. Therefore, this indicates that ALKBH5 stabilizes m6A-modified LOC4191 to suppress E. coli-induced apoptosis. This report discusses an initial investigation into the mechanism of m6A-modified lncRNA in cells under E. coli-induced apoptosis and provides novel insights into infectious diseases.

The Safety and Protective Efficacy Evaluation of an Attenuated M. bovis-BoHV-1 Bivalent Vaccine in Rabbits

Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) is a global prevalent multifactorial infection primarily caused by viral and bacterial coinfections. In China, Mycoplasma bovis (M. bovis) and bovine herpesvirus type 1 (BoHV-1) are the predominant pathogens associated with BRD. Our previous study involved the development of attenuated M. bovis HB150 and BoHV-1 gG-/tk- vaccine strains, which were thoroughly assessed for their safety profiles and protective efficacy in cattle. In this study, we applied a combination of vaccines in varying ratios and used a rabbit model to determine the safety and protective efficacy. We used PCR/RT-PCR to detect the postimmunization and challenge shedding of M. bovis and BoHV-1. Additionally, we measured antibody titers and the expression of IFN-β and TNF-α to evaluate the humoral and cellular immune responses, respectively. Furthermore, we performed a histopathological analysis to assess lung damage. Our study provides evidence of the safety and effectiveness of the bivalent M. bovis-BoHV-1 vaccine in rabbits, particularly when applying a combination of 1.0 × 108 CFU of M. bovis HB150 and 1.0 × 106 TCID50 of the BoHV-1 gG-/tk- strain. The bivalent vaccine significantly enhanced both the long-term antibody immune response and cellular protection against the M. bovis and BoHV-1 challenge. These findings provide a valuable model for the potential application in cattle.

Soluble expression and purification of recombinant bovine ferritin H-chain

Ferritin is a potential medicine delivery vehicle and vaccine platform, and its efficient expression is a prerequisite for widespread application. This study introduces a soluble expression strategy for recombinant bovine ferritin heavy chain (rFTH) in a prokaryotic system and an improved protein purification method. The amplified rFTH gene was ligated into the prokaryotic expression vector pET30a. The recombinant vectors with the N-terminal His-tag(N-His) or C-terminal His-tag(C-His) were translated and expressed separately. The results showed that the solubility of rFTH with C-His was significantly higher than that with N-His. The expression of rFTH with C-His was attempted at 37 °C and 16 °C, respectively. The results showed that the proportion of soluble protein expressed at 37 °C was more than 90%, higher than that expressed at 16 °C. Then rFTH with C-His was purified successfully using anion exchange chromatography, modified PEG precipitation, and dialysis. The rFTH protein was characterized using SDS-PAGE, Native-PAGE, Western blot, transmission electron microscopy, and dynamic light scattering. The results demonstrated that the purified rFTH protein self-assembled into ferritin nanoparticles with a regular shape and uniform size. This study sheds new light on the soluble expression of ferritin and provides a foundation for the construction of bovine ferritin nanoparticle production platforms.

Discriminating minimal residual disease status in multiple myeloma based on MRI: utility of radiomics and comparison of machine-learning methods

AIM

To explore the possibility of discriminating minimal residual disease (MRD) status in multiple myeloma (MM) based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and identify optimal machine-learning methods to optimise the clinical treatment regimen.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 83 patients were analysed retrospectively. They were divided randomly into training and validation cohorts. The regions of interest were segmented and radiomics features were extracted and analysed on two sequences, including T1-weighted imaging (WI) and fat saturated (FS)-T2WI, and then radiomics models were built in the training cohort and evaluated in the validation cohort. Clinical characteristics were calculated to build a traditional model. A combined model was also built using the clinical characteristics and radiomics features. Classification accuracy was assessed using area under the curve (AUC) and F1 score.

RESULTS

In the training cohort, only the bone marrow (BM) infiltrate ratio (p=0.005) was retained after univariate and multivariable logistic regression analysis. In T1WI, the linear support vector machine (SVM) achieved the best performance compared to other classifiers, with AUCs of 0.811 and 0.708 and F1 scores of 0.792 and 0.696 in the training and validation cohorts, respectively. Similarly, in FS-T2WI sequence, linear SVM achieved the best performance with AUCs of 0.833 and 0.800 and F1 score of 0.833 and 0.800. The combined model constructed by the FS-T2WI-linear SVM and BM infiltrate ratio outperformed the traditional model (p=0.050 and 0.012, Delong test), but showed no significant difference compared with the radiomics model (p=0.798 and 0.855).

CONCLUSION

The linear SVM-based machine-learning method can offer a non-invasive tool for discriminating MRD status in MM.

Evaluation of Antiviral Activity of Ivermectin against Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis Virus in Rabbit Model

Infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR) caused by bovine herpes virus 1 (BoHV-1) can lead to enormous economic losses in the cattle industry. Vaccine immunization is preferentially used to decrease its transmission speed and resultant clinical signs, rather than to completely stop viral infection. Therefore, a drug effective in treating IBR is urgently needed. Our previous work demonstrated that ivermectin significantly inhibited viral replication in a cell infection model. This study aimed to investigate its antiviral effects in vivo by using a rabbit infection model. The viral inhibition assay was first used to confirm that ivermectin at low concentrations (6-25 nM) could reduce viral titers (TCID50) significantly (p < 0.001) at 24 h post-infection. In rabbits, ivermectin was administrated with one to three doses, based on the recommended anti-parasite treatment dosage (0.2 mg/kg bodyweight) through subcutaneous injection at different days post-infection in the treated IBRV infection groups, while non-treated infection group was used as the control. The infected rabbits showed hyperthermia and other clinical signs, but the number of high-fever rabbits in the ivermectin treatment groups was significantly lower than that in the non-treated infection group. Furthermore, in ivermectin treatment groups, the cumulative clinical scores correlated negatively with drug doses and positively with delay of administration time post-infection. The overall nasal shedding time in ivermectin-treated groups was two days shorter than the non-treated challenge group. At the same time point, the titer of neutralizing antibodies in the treatment group with triple doses was higher than the other two-dose groups, but the difference between the treatment groups decreased with the delay of drug administration. Correspondingly, the serious extent of lung lesions was negatively related to the dosage, but positively related to the delay of drug administration. The qPCR with tissue homogenates showed that the virus was present in both the lung tissues and trigeminals of the infected rabbits. In conclusion, ivermectin treatment had therapeutic effect by decreasing clinical signs and viral shedding, but could not stop virus proliferation in lung tissues and trigeminals.

Induction Chemotherapy and Toripalimab for Larynx Preservation in Resectable Locally Advanced Laryngeal/Hypopharyngeal Carcinoma: Preliminary Results of INSIGHT Study

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

Previous studies have demonstrated excellent pathological response of induction PD-1 inhibitor with chemotherapy for locally advanced head and neck cancer. To our knowledge, there is scarce evidence on induction chemotherapy (ICT) and PD-1 inhibitor in organ preservation for patients (pts) with laryngeal/hypopharyngeal carcinoma. Hence, the aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and toxicities of ICT and PD-1inhibitor (Toripalimab) followed by radiotherapy or surgery, for pts with resectable locally advanced laryngeal/hypopharyngeal carcinoma.

MATERIALS/METHODS

This isa single-arm phase II study. Pts with histopathologic confirmed, resectable locally advanced laryngeal/hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma and ECOG PS 0-1 were eligible. Three cycles of ICT (paclitaxel 175 mg/m d1, cisplatin 25 mg/m d1-3) combined with PD-1 inhibitor (Toripalimab 240 mg d0) were given. Response assessment (RECIST 1.1) was performed post-ICT. Patients with complete response (CR)/partial response (PR) of primary tumor received concurrent chemoradiation, followed by maintenance therapy of Toripalimab for eight cycles. Otherwise, patients were referred to surgery, followed by adjuvant radiation (RT)/chemoradiation (CRT), and then maintenance therapy of Toripalimab. The primary endpoint is larynx-preservation (LP) rate at 3 months post-RT. Forty-two patients were planned. Based on a two-stage Fleming design (one-sided α:10%, power: 80%), if at least 22 patients attained LP of the first 27 patients in stage I or at least thirty-two pts attained LP of the 42 patients at the end of stage II, the null hypothesis would be rejected. The cohort would enroll 15 more pts in stage II if 19-21 pts in stage I observed LP, and the study would be terminated if the number of pts with LP were less than 18 in stage I.

RESULTS

A total of 27 pts were enrolled. By the cut-off date Feb 8, 2023, all reached at least 3 months of follow-up post-RT. Median age was 63 (53-74) years with 92.6% male. Hypopharyngeal cancer accounted for 66.7%. There were 74.1% who were T3 to T4, and 77.7% were N2 to N3. Six cases had primary invasion of esophagus and five pts underwent pretreatment tracheostomy. ORR of ICT was 85.2%. Afterward, 21 pts were treated with concurrent CRT, while 6 pts received surgery of primary tumor. At 3 months post-RT, 23 pts attained organ preservation and the LP rate was 85.2%. With a median follow-up of 13.5 months, 1-year OS rate, PFS rate and LP survival rate was 83.1%, 79.5% and 79.4%, respectively. During ICT, 22.2% of pts experienced grade 3-4 treatment-related AEs (TRAEs). The most common grade 3-4 TRAEs were nausea and neutrophil count decreased.

CONCLUSION

The primary endpoint LP rate was met. In this cohort of extensive locally advanced laryngeal/hypopharyngeal carcinoma, ICT and Toripalimab followed by radiotherapy or surgery resulted in satisfactory short-term LP rate and encouraging survival.

Low Dose Fractionated Radiation Therapy as a Chemo-Potentiator of Salvage Temozolomide (TMZ) for Recurrent Anaplastic Astrocytoma (AA) and Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM): A Single-Arm Phase I/II Trial

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

Cell survival curves demonstrate low-dose radiation hypersensitivity, with steepest cell kill at 0.3-0.5 Gy/fx. This phase 1/2 study assessed the safety and efficacy of low-dose fractionated radiation therapy (LDFRT) as a chemopotentiator of concurrent TMZ for patients with recurrent GBM or AA.

MATERIALS/METHODS

Patients with recurrent GBM or AA s/p standard of care therapy and ≥12 months from prior RT and ≥2 months from prior TMZ were eligible to receive 0.5 Gy of RT twice daily for 10 fx with concurrent TMZ (150-200 mg/m2), both delivered in 5 consecutive days of a 28-day cycle for up to 6 cycles, followed by 6 more cycles of adjuvant TMZ. In phase 1, hematologic toxicity was assessed 1 month after starting therapy. Brain MRIs were obtained every 2 months, or every 1 month in cases of potential progression. Progression was defined by RANO criteria. Pseudoprogression consisted of MRI changes independent of clinical deterioration or steroid use that stabilize/reverse without oncologic intervention. The primary endpoint was 1-year overall survival (OS), with a lower bound of an 80% CI >28% deemed promising for further study based on historical data. Secondary endpoints were rates of pseudoprogression and hematologic toxicity.

RESULTS

Thirty-one patients were enrolled/analyzed. Grade 3-4 acute hematologic toxicity was seen in 8 (27%) patients. Median follow-up was 9.5 (range: 0.1-66.3) months (mos). Median and 1-yr OS were 9.6 (95% CI = 7.0-15.4) mos and 34.5% (95% CI = 20.9%-57.0%). The lower bound of the 80% CI for 1-yr OS was 24.8%. 77% of patients experienced pseudoprogression, with a median time to pseudoprogression from start of LDFRT of 1.9 (95% CI = 1.7-4.4) mos and median duration of 3.6 (95% CI = 1.6-Not estimable) mos. Patients with pseudoprogression had improved OS vs. those without (N = 6; median 10.6 vs 3.9 mos, HR = 0.12 [95% CI = 0.03-0.40]; P < 0.01).

CONCLUSION

LDFRT in the re-irradiation setting for GBM or AA was safe. High rates of pseudoprogression were observed at strikingly low RT doses, with improved OS amongst patients with vs. without pseudoprogression. While pseudoprogression is common at definitive doses of brain RT, it is rare at palliative doses (e.g., 30 Gy/10 fx). Thus, low-dose RT hypersensitivity may be elicited by LDFRT with TMZ for patients with GBM/AA. Further study is needed to optimally apply this radiobiological property to improve patient outcomes.

Improving Cancer Care by Incorporating the Patient's Voice in Symptom Management (IMPROVE): A Multicenter-Prospective Pilot Study

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

IMPROVE is a prospective multicenter pilot study. It evaluates whether routine physician review of patient-reported outcomes measures (PROMs) during radiotherapy alters physicians' perception of cancer patients' treatment-related toxicity and influences symptom management.

MATERIALS/METHODS

We are enrolling patients with thoracic or gastrointestinal cancers amenable to conventional-fractionated radiotherapy. Patients may receive concurrent chemotherapy. Patients report (1) symptoms, using PRO-CTCAE measures, (2) the most burdensome symptom, and (3) how symptoms interfere with daily activities. Patients complete the measures before seeing their physician during each on-treatment visit. During weekly visits and before reviewing the patient's PROMs, physicians rate the symptom burden for each patient from 0 to 10, using available clinical data. These data include vital signs, lab work, physical exams, nursing assessments, and physicians' clinical judgment. After reviewing the patients' PROMs, physicians re-rate each patient's symptom burden and report any changes in recommended interventions. Changes could include (1) additional counseling, (2) new medications or interventions, (3) referrals to other services, or (4) further testing or evaluation. After each patient's course of radiotherapy, providers complete a Clinician Feedback Form about the impact of PROM review on symptom perception and management during treatment. This study commenced November 11, 2020 at a multi-site tertiary academic cancer center (using electronic or paper questionnaires) and July 21, 2021 at a multi-site community cancer center (using paper forms).

RESULTS

To be determined.

CONCLUSION

To be determined.

Methodological and Reporting Quality of Non-Inferiority or Equivalence Designs: A Systematic Review of Trial Characteristics, Design Consideration and Interpretation in Breast Cancer Radiotherapy Trials

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

To investigate the methodological and reporting quality of non-inferiority (NI)/equivalence trials of breast cancer radiotherapy and to provide suggestions for future NI/equivalence trials.

MATERIALS/METHODS

Prospective phase III randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing different radiation modalities in patients with breast cancer and designed or interpreted as NI/equivalence were identified in PubMed, EMBASE and Cochrane library. Two reviewers independently extracted data on trial characteristics, statistical design assumptions and analysis considerations, primary end point results and conclusions. The relationship between the number of published trials and the year of publication was assessed by simple linear regression. Trials with pre-specified NI margins as absolute risk differences were reevaluated using margins as relative risk differences.

RESULTS

A total of 1490 records were screened and 41 articles published between January 1, 2001 and May 9, 2022 were selected for full text review. A total of 21 trials were included (18 designed as NI and 3 as equivalence). Publication of these trials increased over time (p = 0.023). Trial interventions included dose fractionation (n = 10), partial/whole breast irradiation (n = 8) and tumor bed boost (n = 3). Eleven (52.4%) trials clearly described the non-efficacy benefits. The primary endpoints included 5-year local recurrence (LR) (n = 11), 5-year locoregional recurrence (n = 3), acute/late toxicities (n = 5), 2-year LR and cosmetic outcome (n = 1), and 10-year LR (n = 1). Only seven (33.3%) trials provided justification of the margins. The absolute and relative risk margins were both mentioned in nine (42.9%) trials' methods and reported in six (28.6%) trials' results. The analyzed populations were intention-to-treat (ITT) in 10, both ITT and per-protocol in 9 trials. Seventeen (81%) trials reported confidence interval (CI), with twelve reporting CI that agreed with the type I error used in sample size calculation, but only eight (38.1%) reported p value for NI/equivalence test. Fifteen (71.4%) trials concluded NI/equivalence. Five (23.8%) trials had misleading conclusions (four for not mentioning small sample size insufficient to confirm NI/equivalence and one for inconsistent with the published results). Thirteen (61.9%) trials reported that the protocol's initial accrual target was not met, with ten (47.6%) owing to overestimation of event rates. For trials that met NI only based on absolute margin, three of eight (37.5%) trials were classified as inconclusive with the assumed relative margins.

CONCLUSION

The use of NI/equivalence trials of breast cancer radiotherapy has dramatically increased recently, but there is substantial room for improvement in the methodological and reporting quality of NI/equivalence trials.

Stage IIIA Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Treatment and Outcomes: A Single Institution Retrospective Analysis

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

Treatment of locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains challenging, with a multitude of treatment options available for Stage III patients. We hypothesized that Stage IIIA outcomes differ by treatment received.

MATERIALS/METHODS

We performed a retrospective review of NSCLC patients ≥18 years old with Stage IIIA disease treated 1/1/2010-03/01/2022. Demographics, treatment received, treatment outcomes, and failure patterns were collected. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were assessed using Kaplan-Meier analysis. Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA was used to compare groups.

RESULTS

Of 352 patients identified, 160 had Stage IIIA NSCLC with a median follow-up of 29.1 months. Patients had a median age of 63 years, 79 (49.4%) were male, and 137 (85.6%) were current/former smokers (with 30 median pack-years). Patients were treated as follows: 17 (11%) surgery alone (S), 91 (57%) definitive radiation ± chemotherapy (CRT), 52 (33%) neoadjuvant therapy followed by surgery (Neo). 6 (12%) of the Neo group received chemoimmunotherapy, and 21 (51%) of the 41 CRT patients received adjuvant immunotherapy. Between the three groups, there were no significant differences in tumor size as measured by T-staging (p = 0.83) and baseline FEV1/FVC (p = 0.92). Median PFS was 33.5mo (95% CI 13.2-NA) for group S, 18.4mo (95% CI 12.7-42.2) for CRT, and 19.7mo (95% CI 13.9-NA) for Neo with no significant intergroup difference (p = 0.72). Median OS was 33.5mo (95% CI 13.2-NA) for S, 48.7mo (95% CI 36.0-88.9) for CRT, and 50.9mo (95% CI 41.9-NA) for Neo with no significant intergroup difference (p = 0.94). Among the 17 primary surgical patients, 11 (65%) experienced failure: 6 (35%) local, 5 (29%) regional, and 7 (41%) distant. Among the 91 CRT patients, 57 (63%) experienced failure: 40 (44%) local, 35 (38%) regional, and 28 (31%) distant. Among the 52 Neo patients, 26 (50%) experienced failure: 14 (27%) local, 15 (29%) regional, and 17 (33%) distant. There were no significant differences in rates of local failure (p = 0.26), regional failure (p = 0.59), distant failure (p = 0.79), or any failure (p = 0.41) among the three treatment groups. The most common locations for distant failure were pleural effusions (n = 15, 29%), CNS (n = 14, 27%), and bone (n = 11, 21%).

CONCLUSION

In this single institution retrospective study, we find no significant differences in PFS, OS, and failure patterns between patients with Stage IIIA NSCLC treated with definitive (chemo)radiation and neoadjuvant therapy. Numeric improvement in PFS in surgery-only patients is consistent with expected patient selection of this group. Further work in the immunotherapy era is needed.

Local Time-to-Event Endpoint Under-Reporting and Variability in Pancreatic Cancer Trials Involving Radiotherapy

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

The role of radiotherapy (RT) for pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains controversial, with recent studies showing conflicting results. Importantly, endpoints used to evaluate efficacy in recent RT trials for PDAC have been highly variable. As variability in time-to-event (TTE) endpoint definitions is demonstrated to influence outcomes in other cancers, it is critical that radiation oncologists develop consensus around optimal endpoint definitions to use in future PDAC trial design. Thus, we conducted a systematic review of PDAC trials involving RT to characterize the frequency and variability in local TTE endpoint reporting.

MATERIALS/METHODS

An electronic database search was conducted of PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library to identify phase 2 and 3 clinical trials published from 2010-2022 of localized PDAC involving RT that reported any TTE endpoint (e.g., local control). After excluding duplicates, two independent reviewers screened full-text manuscripts for inclusion. Trial characteristics and local TTE endpoints/definitions were tabulated.

RESULTS

Three hundred twenty references were screened and 79 trials were included, of which 73 (92%) were phase 2 and 26 (33%) were randomized. Twenty (25%) trials reported a local TTE endpoint; these were local control (LC; N = 6), local progression-free survival (LPFS; N = 4), freedom from local progression (N = 6), locoregional progression-free interval (N = 1), cumulative incidence of local recurrence (N = 1), time to failure of sustained LC (N = 1), and local disease-free survival (N = 1). LC (N = 6) had 5 unique definitions and was undefined once; 1 definition included death as an event. LPFS (N = 4) had 3 definitions; 2 did not consider death an event. Among trials with local TTE endpoints, 9 trials specified the definition of a local recurrence/progression. Four trials defined local recurrence based on RT volumes; one counted clinical evidence of recurrence (e.g., tumor bleed); and one counted a rise in tumor markers without evidence of distant metastases. The index time ("time-zero") was defined for local TTE endpoints in 10 trials, including start of RT (N = 4) or chemo (N = 1), end of RT (N = 1), diagnosis (N = 1), enrollment (N = 1), and time of surgery (N = 1).

CONCLUSION

Few pancreatic cancer trials involving RT report local TTE endpoints, with significant heterogeneity in endpoints used and their definitions. Development of consensus endpoint definitions will be critical for future PDAC trial design.

Prognostic Value of Lymph Node-to-Primary Tumor Ratio of PET Standardized Uptake Value for Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma: A Recursive Partitioning Risk Stratification Analysis

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

To evaluate the prognostic value of the lymph node-to-primary tumor ratio (NTR) of positron emission tomography (PET) standardized uptake value (SUV) for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients treated with induction chemotherapy (IC).

MATERIALS/METHODS

Four hundred and sixty-seven locoregionally advanced NPC patients with pretreatment 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) PET/computed tomography (CT) scans between September 2017 and November 2020 were retrospectively reviewed. All patients underwent IC plus intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT). The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to determine the optimal cut-off value of SUV NTR. Kaplan-Meier method was used to evaluate survival rates. The recursive partitioning analysis (RPA) was performed to construct a risk stratification model.

RESULTS

The optimal cut-off value of SUV NTR was 0.74. Multivariate analyses showed that SUV NTR and overall stage were independent predictors for distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) and regional recurrent-free survival (RRFS). Therefore, an RPA model based on the endpoint of DMFS was generated and categorized the patients into three distinct risk groups: RPA I (low-risk: SUV NTR<7.4 and stage III), RPA II (medium-risk: SUV NTR<7.4 and stage IVa, or SUV NTR≥7.4 and stage III), and RPA III (high-risk: SUV NTR≥7.4 and stage IVa), with a 3-year DMFS of 98.9%, 93.4%, and 84.2%, respectively. ROC analysis showed that the RPA model had superior predictive efficacy than the SUV NTR or overall stage alone.

CONCLUSION

SUV NTR was an independent prognosticator for distant metastasis and regional recurrence in locoregionally advanced NPC. The RPA risk stratification model base on SUV NTR provides improved DMFS and RRFS prediction over the 8th edition of the TNM staging system.

Metagenomic reconstructions of caecal microbiome in Landes, Roman and Zhedong White geese

1. The caecal microbiota in geese play a crucial role in determining the host's health, disease status and behaviour, as evidenced by extensive epidemiological data. The present investigation conducted 10× metagenomic sequencing of caecal content samples obtained from three distinct goose species, namely Landes geese, Roman geese and Zhedong White geese (n = 5), to explore the contribution of the gut microbiome to carbohydrate metabolism.2. In total, 337GB of Illumina data were generated, which identified 1,048,575 complete genes and construction of 331 metagenomic bins, encompassing 78 species from nine phyla. Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria and Bacteria were identified as the dominant phyla while Prevotella, Bacteroides, Streptococcus, and Subdoligranulum were the most abundant genera in the caecum of geese.3. The genes were allocated to 375 pathways using the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genome (KEGG) analysis. The most abundant classes in the caecum of geese were confirmed to be glycoside hydrolases (GHs), glycosyl transferases (GTs), as identified through the carbohydrate-active enzyme (CAZyme) database mapping. Subdoligranulum variabile and Mediterraneibacter glycyrrhizinilyticus were discovered to potentially facilitate carbohydrate digestion in geese.4. Notwithstanding, further investigation and validation are required to establish a connection between these species and CAZymes. Based on binning analysis, Mediterraneibacter glycyrrhizinilyticus and Ruminococcus sp. CAG:177 are potential species in LD geese that contribute to the production of fatty liver.

Predictive value of total ischaemic time and T1 mapping after emergency percutaneous coronary intervention in acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction

AIM

To investigate the predictive value of ischaemic time and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMRI) T1 mapping in acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 127 patients with STEMI treated by primary PCI were studied. All patients underwent CMRI with native T1 and extracellular volume (ECV) measurement, 61 of whom also had 4-month follow-up data. The total ischaemic (symptom onset to balloon, S2B) time expressed in minutes was recorded. CMRI cine, T1 mapping, and late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) images were analysed to evaluate left ventricular (LV) function, T1 value, ECV, and myocardial infract (MI) scar characteristics, respectively. The correlation between S2B time and T1 mapping was evaluated. The predictive values of S2B time and T1 mapping for large final infarct size were estimated.

RESULTS

The incidence of microvascular obstruction (MVO) increased with the prolongation of ischaemia time. Regardless of MVO or not, ECV in myocardial infarction (ECVMI) was significantly correlated with S2B time (r=0.61, p<0.001), while native T1 in MI (T1MI) was not (r=-0.19, p=0.029). In the 4-month follow-up, native T1MI was improved (1385.1 ± 90.4 versus 1288.6 ± 74 ms, p<0.001). Furthermore, ECVMI was independently associated with final larger infarct size (AUC = 0.89, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.81-0.98, p<0.001) in multivariable regression analysis.

CONCLUSION

ECVMI was correlated with total ischaemic time and was an independent predictor of final larger infarct size.

Patterns of Failure in Pediatric and Young Adult Rhabdomyosarcoma

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

To characterize patterns of failure in pediatric and young adult patients with rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) from a single institution with over 20 years of experience.

MATERIALS/METHODS

Patients diagnosed with RMS from 2000 to 2022 were identified retrospectively. Time to failure was calculated from diagnosis. Local only failure was defined as first failure at the primary site without distant failure. Distant failure was defined as first failure outside of the primary site with or without local failure. Cumulative incidence (CI) of failure was calculated using death as a competing risk. Fine-Gray regression was used to evaluate impact of prognostic factors.

RESULTS

Ninety-five patients were eligible. Median age was 7.28 years (range 0 - 35 years), 41% of patients were >10 years old. Median follow up was 33.3 months. Approximately half (n = 47, 49.5%) of the tumors demonstrated alveolar histology. FOXO1 fusion status was available in 76 (80%) patients, of which 7 out of 37 alveolar tumors (18.9%) were FOXO1 fusion negative. The majority of tumors presented with unfavorable primary site (n = 72, 75.8%) and advanced stage (Stage III and IV, n = 72, 75.8%). The 5-yr CI of local only failure and distant failure for the entire cohort was 19.0% (95% CI 11.3, 28.3) and 34.6% (24.0, 45.5%), respectively. The predominant pattern of failure by Group was: Groups 1&2: Local only (5yr CI 14.8%), Group 3: Distant (5yr CI: 25.9%), Group 4: Distant (5yr CI: 67.6%). CI of distant failure by primary site was higher in perianal/gluteal (n = 2/5, 5yr CI 60.0%) and extremity (n = 8/19, 5yr CI 45.9%) sites. Of the 28 distant failures, 10 (36%) also had a local failure component. CI of local only failure by primary site was higher in parameningeal head and neck (n = 6/25, 5yr CI 30%) and bladder/prostate (n = 2/12, 5yr CI 23%) sites. The following were associated with an increased CI of distant failures: increasing age (HR 1.08, p<0.01), alveolar vs. embryonal histology (HR 3.01, p = 0.0095), FOXO1 fusion positive vs. negative (HR 2.8, p = 0.02) and Group IV vs. Groups I/II (HR 7.7, p = 0.0007). FOXO1 fusion and alveolar histology were associated with older age and Group IV, both of which were independently associated with increased distant failure on multivariate analysis.

CONCLUSION

Failures were predominantly distant in older patients and patients with Group IV RMS, both of which were associated with FOXO1 fusion and alveolar histology, highlighting the need to improve therapies in this population. Local only failures were highest in parameningeal head and neck and bladder/prostate primaries, highlighting the need to improve local control strategies at these sites.

Progression-Free Survival as a Surrogate Endpoint of Overall Survival in Patients with Locally Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Treated with Chemoradiotherapy: Trial-Level Meta-Analysis and Individual-Level Analysis of NRG/RTOG 0617 and PROCLAIM

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

Overall Survival (OS) is the gold standard endpoint in randomized clinical trials (RCTs) of Locally Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (LA-NSCLC). Intermediate endpoints that can be observed at earlier time points and predict OS would improve trial efficiency and expedite the adoption of proven interventions.

MATERIALS/METHODS

Atrial-level meta-analysis was conducted using a weighted regression analysis to quantify the correlation between PFS and OS hazard ratios (HRs). Large (n≥ 100) contemporary RCTs in LA-NSCLC that used platinum-based chemoradiation were included. An individual-level surrogacy analysis based on Prentice criteria was performed to evaluate if PFS could reliably predict OS using NRG/RTOG 0617 (NCT00533949), a phase III RCT of dose escalated CRT. The individual-level correlation between PFS and OS was validated using PROCLAIM (NCT00686959) control arm.

RESULTS

Nineteen RCTs comprising a total of 5525 patients (pts) were included in the trial-level meta-analysis. A moderately high correlation was observed between PFS HR and OS HR (R2 = 0.68, 95% CI = 0.42-0.94). Individual-level analysis of NRG/RTOG 0617 showed that, as reported, RT dose was associated with OS (HR = 1.28, 95% CI = 1.04-1.58, p = 0.02) and PFS (HR = 1.21, 95% CI = 0.99-1.46, p = 0.06). Progressive disease (PD) was highly associated with OS, where pts having PD within 6mo or 12mo had a significantly higher mortality risk than those not having PD within 6mo or 12 mo, respectively, in landmark analysis (PD within 6mo: HR = 2.56, 95% CI = 1.82-3.59, p<0.0001; PD within 12mo: HR = 3.18, 95% CI = 2.45-4.12, p<0.0001). Accounting for PD moderately reduced RT dose effect on OS (HR = 1.21, 95% CI = 0.98-1.49), suggesting RT dose effect on OS may be mediated partially through PD. The association between OS and PD occurrence within 6mo or 12mo was similar in PROCLAIM control arm (PD within 6mo: HR = 2.06, 95% CI = 1.48-2.86, p<0.0001; PD within 12mo: HR = 2.02, 95% CI = 1.38-2.95, p<0.0001).

CONCLUSION

A moderately high trial-level surrogacy between PFS and OS was identified in trial-level meta-analysis. PD occurrence also reliably predicted OS at the individual patient level in both NRG/RTOG 0617 and PROCLAIM. These results support the use of PFS as a valid endpoint in clinical trials of LA-NSCLC.

Radiotherapy Alone vs. Concurrent or Adjuvant Chemoradiotherapy for Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Patients with Negative Epstein-Barr Virus DNA Post-Induction Chemotherapy

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

Induction chemotherapy (IC) plus concurrent chemoradiotherapy has been recommended as the standard treatment for locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (LA-NPC). However, concurrent chemotherapy was associated with increased toxicities, poor tolerance, and low completion rates. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy and toxicity of IC+ radiotherapy (RT) and IC+ concurrent or adjuvant chemoradiotherapy (IC+CCRT/AC) in patients with negative post-IC EBV DNA.

MATERIALS/METHODS

A total of 547 NPC patients with negative plasma EBV DNA post-IC were included. Patients were classified into the IC+RT group and the IC+ concurrent or adjuvant chemoradiotherapy (IC+CCRT/AC) group. Locoregional relapse-free survival (LRFS), distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS), overall survival (OS), and progression-free survival (PFS) were estimated and compared using the Kaplan-Meier method. Propensity-score matching (PSM) was performed to balance the variables.

RESULTS

The median follow-up time was 37 months. The 3-year LRFS, DMFS, OS, and PFS rates for the whole group were 92.2%, 92.4%, 96.4%, and 84.4%, respectively. There was no significant difference in LRFS, DMFS, OS, and PFS between the IC+RT and the IC+CCRT/AC group both before PSM (3-year rates of 91.1% vs. 92.6%, p = 0.94; 95.6% vs. 91.5%, p = 0.08; 95.2% vs. 96.8%, p = 0.80; 85.9% vs. 84.0%, p = 0.38) and after PSM (90.7% vs. 92.7%, p = 0.77; 96.8% vs. 93.7%, p = 0.29; 94.5% vs. 93.9%, p = 0.57; 84.7% vs. 85.6%, p = 0.96). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that treatment schedule was not an independent predictor for survival rates. Patients in the IC+RT group had fewer treatment-related acute toxicities and better tolerance.

CONCLUSION

IC+RT displayed similar survival outcomes as IC+CCRT/AC for NPC patients with negative post-IC EBV DNA. Our current data seems not to support the routine use of concurrent or adjuvant chemotherapy after IC for unselected patients.

Association of Overall Survival Benefit Profile of Radiotherapy with Progression-Free Survival after Chemotherapy for Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

Benefit of radiotherapy (RT) after chemotherapy (CT) of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) remains controversial. It is unknown whether improved progression-free survival (PFS) by RT translate into an overall survival (OS) benefit. To address this question, our research comprehensively evaluated the risk-benefit assessment of RT in DLBCL through an in-depth examination of previously reported data from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and retrospective comparative studies.

MATERIALS/METHODS

After screening and quality control, this study included 7 randomized controlled trials and 52 retrospective studies of combined-modality therapy (CMT) versus CT alone. The correlation between PFS and OS was evaluated using the Pearson linear correlation coefficient at trial- and study arm-level. A risk-benefit assessment to describe the OS benefit of RT was performed in meta-analyses of pooled HROS with PFS patterns.

RESULTS

In RCTs, strong correlations were found between HRPFS and HROS at trial-level (r = 0.876), and PFS and OS at treatment arm-level, regardless of treatments (r = 0.945-0.964 for all, CMT or CT). In retrospective studies, similar correlations between HRPFS and HROS (r = 0.639-0.650), and PFS and OS rates (r = 0.882-0.910) were observed, independent of treatments or rituximab. Adding RT into rituximab-based CT increased the average PFS rate from 63.6 ± 18.9% to 81.5 ± 10.6% (P<0.001), with differential OS benefits of RT between studies. Patients can be stratified into four PFS patterns (>80%, >60-80%, >40-60%, and ≤40%); absolute gain in OS from RT ranged from ≤5% at PFS >80% to ∼21% at PFS ≤40%, with pooled-HROS from 0.70 (95% CI, 0.51-0.97) to 0.48 (95% CI, 0.36-0.63) after rituximab-based CT. Linear analysis revealed an OS advantage of CMT over CT alone in a PFS-dependent manner.

CONCLUSION

We demonstrate a varied OS benefit profile of RT upon different PFS patterns, and provide valuable evidence for making treatment decisions and designing clinical trials. Future strategies to select the use of RT will need careful tailoring in clinical practice or within RCT to optimize outcome.

Inulin has a beneficial effect by modulating the intestinal microbiome in a BALB/c mouse model

Food allergy is an important health problem that affects human quality of life and socioeconomic development, and its treatment requires improvement. Intestinal flora dysbiosis is closely associated with food allergies. A sensitised mouse model was established by the intraperitoneal injection of ovalbumin (OVA). The mice were randomly divided into four groups: control, model, high-dose (H), and low-dose (L) inulin. The mice were administered water containing different concentrations of inulin four weeks before the OVA injection. Body weight changes were monitored. After the last OVA injection, the mice were scored for allergic reactions. The levels of total immunoglobulin E (IgE) and diamine oxidase (DAO) in the serum and secretory IgA (sIgA) in the small intestinal mucus were measured, and 16S rRNA sequencing of the faecal flora was performed to evaluate microbial parameters. The intestinal flora biomarkers, correlations between them, and biochemical indicators were analysed. Inulin treatment had no effect on the body weight of OVA-sensitised mice but attenuated allergic reactions and intestinal injury in mice. Compared with the control group, the model group had significantly higher levels of serum DAO and IgE and significantly lower levels of intestinal mucus IgA. IgA levels in the intestinal mucus of mice treated with inulin prior to OVA sensitisation were higher than those in non-inulin-treated OVA-sensitised mice. Furthermore, analysis of operational taxonomic units showed that inulin treatment decreased the abundance of Alloprevotella, Rikenellaceae RC9, Eubacterium siraeum, and Eubacterium xylanophilum, and increased the abundance of Blautia and Lachnospiraceae. Serum DAO levels were positively associated with Eubacterium siraeum, Alloprevotella, Eubacterium xylanophilum, and Odoribacter and negatively associated with Blautia, Tyzzerella, Alistipes, Desulfovibrionaceae, and Ruminococcaceae UCG005. In addition, IgE levels were positively associated with Eubacterium siraeum, Alloprevotella, Eubacterium xylanophilum, Odoribacter, and Citrobacter and negatively associated with Blautia, unclassified Ruminococcaceae, and Alistipes. IgA exhibited significant positive correlation with Blautia, norank_f_Eubacterium coprostanoligenes, Alistipes, norank Desulfovibrionaceae, Muribaculum, and Ruminococcaceae U C G 005 and significant negative correlation with Eubacterim siraeum, Eubacterium xylanophilum, Odoribacter, and Citrobacter. Inulin exerts a protective effect against food allergies in mice, which is partially mediated by alterations in the gut microbiota.

Molecular Characterization of UL50 (dUTPase) Gene of Bovine Herpes Virus 1

Bovine herpes virus -1 (BoHV-1) infection leads to upper respiratory tract infection, conjunctivitis and genital disorders in cattle. To control BoHV-1, it is important to understand the role of viral proteins in viral infection. BoHV-1 has several gene products to help in viral replication in infected cell. One such gene is deoxyuridine triphosphate nucleotidohydrolase (dUTPase) also known as UL50. In this study, we analyzed the amino acid sequence of UL50 (dUTPase) using bioinformatics tools and found that it was highly conserved among herpesvirus family. Then, it was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli Rosetta (DE3), induced by isopropy1-b-D-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG) and the recombinant UL50 protein was purified to immunize rabbits for the preparation of polyclonal antiserum. The results indicated that the UL50 gene of BoHV-1 was composed of 978 nucleotides, which encoded 323 amino acids. Western blot analysis revealed that polyclonal sera against UL50 reacted with a band of 34 kDa. Furthermore, immunofluorescence assay showed that UL50 localized in the cytoplasmic area. Taken together, UL50 was successfully cloned, expressed and detected in BoHV-1-infected cells and was localized in the cytoplasm to help in the replication of BoHV-1 in infected cells.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pharmacokinetics and safety of Padsevonil in healthy Chinese subjects and comparison of two sampling methods for Padsevonil quantification

OBJECTIVE

Padsevonil (PSL) is a novel antiepileptic drug candidate that inhibits seizure activity in both presynaptic and postsynaptic ways. The pharmacokinetic (PK) profiles and volumetric absorptive microsampling (VAMS) application of PSL in the Chinese population are limited. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the PK profile of PSL and its 2 metabolites, the safety of PSL, and compare the PK profile of PSL from samples collected using the VAMS technique with that of conventional venous samples in healthy Chinese subjects.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled single-dose study, the participants received either 200 mg PSL or placebo. Blood samples for the PK variables were collected using both the traditional venous method and the VAMS Mitra® technique at the scheduled time points. The PK parameters of PSL and 2 metabolites were calculated, and the concentration agreement of VAMS and venous samples were also evaluated.

RESULTS

A total of 14 subjects were enrolled. The concentration-time profile of PSL showed rapid absorption with a median tmax of 1.25 h (range: 0.5 to 3.0), followed by an apparent biphasic disposition. For PSL, the geometric means of AUC(0-t), AUC, Cmax, and t1/2 were 6,573 h*ng/mL, 6,588 h*ng/mL, 1,387 ng/mL, and 5.275 h, respectively. The geometric mean body weight-normalized AUC(0-t), AUC, and Cmax were 5,712 h*ng/mL, 5,725 h*ng/mL, and 1,205 ng/mL, respectively. The AUC(0-t), AUC, Cmax of PSL and metabolites in VAMS-dried blood were all lower than those in plasma. The Passing-Bablok regression showed that the PSL and metabolite concentrations obtained by VAMS analysis were comparable to those obtained by plasma at some time points. The most frequently reported treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) were somnolence and dizziness. There were no serious TEAEs, severe TEAEs, discontinuations due to TEAEs, or deaths reported during this study. No clinically significant laboratory, vital signs, electrocardiograph (ECG), or physical examination results were reported.

CONCLUSIONS

PSL has a favorable PK profile after single-dose oral administration and good safety properties in healthy Chinese volunteers. The regression analysis results of VAMS and plasma indicated that the application of VAMS for therapeutic drug monitoring in novel antiepileptic drug development is promising and needs further validation.

Serial electroconvulsive Seizure alters dendritic complexity and promotes cellular proliferation in the mouse dentate gyrus; a role for Egr3

BACKGROUND

Despite being one of the safest, most effective treatments for severe mood disorders, the therapeutic mechanisms of electroconvulsive therapy remain unknown. Electroconvulsive seizure (ECS) induces rapid, high-level expression of immediate early genes (IEGs) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), in addition to stimulation of neurogenesis and dendritic remodeling of dentate gyrus (DG) neurons. We have previously shown that this upregulation of BDNF fails to occur in the hippocampus of mice lacking the IEG Egr3. Since BDNF influences neurogenesis and dendritic remodeling, we hypothesized that Egr3-/- mice will exhibit deficits in neurogenesis and dendritic remodeling in response to ECS.

OBJECTIVE

To test this hypothesis, we examined dendritic remodeling and cellular proliferation in the DG of Egr3-/- and wild-type mice following repeated ECS.

METHODS

Mice received 10 daily ECSs. Dendritic morphology was examined in Golgi-Cox-stained tissue and cellular proliferation was analyzed through bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) immunohistochemistry and confocal imaging.

RESULTS

Serial ECS in mice results in dendritic remodeling, increased spine density, and cellular proliferation in the DG. Loss of Egr3 alters the dendritic remodeling induced by serial ECS but does not change the number of dendritic spines or cellular proliferation consequences of ECS.

CONCLUSION

Egr3 influences the dendritic remodeling induced by ECS but is not required for ECS-induced proliferation of hippocampal DG cells.

Epidemiological Survey and Risk Factor Analysis of 14 Potential Pathogens in Golden Snub-Nosed Monkeys at Shennongjia National Nature Reserve, China

Golden snub-nosed monkeys (Rhinopithecus roxellanae) belong to Class A, the highest level of endangered primate species. Exploring the infection status of potential pathogens in golden snub-nosed monkeys is important for controlling associated diseases and protecting this species. The objective of this study was to investigate the seroprevalence for a number of potential pathogens and the prevalence of fecal adenovirus and rotavirus. A total of 283 fecal samples were collected from 100 golden snub-nosed monkeys in December 2014, June 2015, and January 2016; 26 blood samples were collected from 26 monkeys in June 2014, June 2015, January 2016 and November 2016 at Shennongjia National Reserve in Hubei, China. The infection of 11 potential viral diseases was examined serologically using an Indirect Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay (iELISA) and Dot Immunobinding Assays (DIA), while the whole blood IFN-γ in vitro release assay was used to test tuberculosis (TB). In addition, fecal Adenovirus and Rotavirus were detected using Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). As a result, the Macacine herpesvirus-1 (MaHV-1), Golden snub-nosed monkey cytomegalovirus (GsmCMV), Simian foamy virus (SFV) and Hepatitis A virus (HAV) were detected with the seroprevalence of 57.7% (95% CI: 36.9, 76.6), 38.5% (95% CI: 20.2, 59.4), 26.9% (95% CI: 11.6, 47.8), and 7.7% (95% CI: 0.0, 84.2), respectively. Two fecal samples tested positive for Adenovirus (ADV) by PCR, with a prevalence of 0.7% (95% CI: 0.2, 2.5), and further, the amplification products were sequenced. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that they belonged to the HADV-G group. However, other pathogens, such as Coxsackievirus (CV), Measles virus (MeV), Rotavirus (RV), Simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV), Simian type D retroviruses (SRV), Simian-T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (STLV-1), Simian varicella virus (SVV), Simian virus 40 (SV40) and Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (TB) were negative in all samples. In addition, a risk factor analysis indicated that the seroprevalence of MaHV-1 infection was significantly associated with old age (≥4 years). These results have important implications for understanding the health status and conservation of the endangered golden snub-nosed monkey population at Shennongjia Nature Reserve.

Measurement of Sequential ϒ Suppression in Au+Au Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200 GeV with the STAR Experiment

We report on measurements of sequential ϒ suppression in Au+Au collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200  GeV with the STAR detector at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) through both the dielectron and dimuon decay channels. In the 0%-60% centrality class, the nuclear modification factors (R_{AA}), which quantify the level of yield suppression in heavy-ion collisions compared to p+p collisions, for ϒ(1S) and ϒ(2S) are 0.40±0.03(stat)±0.03(sys)±0.09(norm) and 0.26±0.08(stat)±0.02(sys)±0.06(norm), respectively, while the upper limit of the ϒ(3S) R_{AA} is 0.17 at a 95% confidence level. This provides experimental evidence that the ϒ(3S) is significantly more suppressed than the ϒ(1S) at RHIC. The level of suppression for ϒ(1S) is comparable to that observed at the much higher collision energy at the Large Hadron Collider. These results point to the creation of a medium at RHIC whose temperature is sufficiently high to strongly suppress excited ϒ states.

Beam Energy Dependence of Fifth- and Sixth-Order Net-Proton Number Fluctuations in Au+Au Collisions at RHIC

We report the beam energy and collision centrality dependence of fifth and sixth order cumulants (C_{5}, C_{6}) and factorial cumulants (κ_{5}, κ_{6}) of net-proton and proton number distributions, from center-of-mass energy (sqrt[s_{NN}]) 3 GeV to 200 GeV Au+Au collisions at RHIC. Cumulant ratios of net-proton (taken as proxy for net-baryon) distributions generally follow the hierarchy expected from QCD thermodynamics, except for the case of collisions at 3 GeV. The measured values of C_{6}/C_{2} for 0%-40% centrality collisions show progressively negative trend with decreasing energy, while it is positive for the lowest energy studied. These observed negative signs are consistent with QCD calculations (for baryon chemical potential, μ_{B}≤110  MeV) which contains the crossover transition range. In addition, for energies above 7.7 GeV, the measured proton κ_{n}, within uncertainties, does not support the two-component (Poisson+binomial) shape of proton number distributions that would be expected from a first-order phase transition. Taken in combination, the hyperorder proton number fluctuations suggest that the structure of QCD matter at high baryon density, μ_{B}∼750  MeV at sqrt[s_{NN}]=3  GeV is starkly different from those at vanishing μ_{B}∼24  MeV at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200  GeV and higher collision energies.

[Levofloxacin combined with cellulase can eradicate bacille Calmette-Guerin biofilm infection]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the inhibitory effects of levofloxacin (LEV) combined with cellulase against bacille CalmetteGuerin (BCG) biofilms in vitro.

METHODS

The mature growth cycle of BCG biofilms was determined using the XTT method and crystal violet staining. BCG planktonic bacteria and BCG biofilms were treated with different concentrations of LEV and cellulose alone or jointly, and the changes in biofilm biomass were quantified with crystal violet staining. The mature BCG biofilm was then treated with cellulase alone for 24 h, and after staining with SYTO 9 and Calcofluor White Stain, the number of viable bacteria and the change in cellulose content in the biofilm were observed with confocal laser scanning microscopy. The structural changes of the treated biofilm were observed under scanning electron microscopy.

RESULTS

The MIC, MBC and MBEC values of LEV determined by broth microdilution method were 4 μg/mL, 8 μg/mL and 1024 μg/mL, respectively. The combined treatment with 1/4×MIC LEV and 2.56, 5.12 or 10.24 U/mL cellulase resulted in a significant reduction in biofilm biomass (P < 0.001). Cellulase treatments at the concentrations of 10.24, 5.12 and 2.56 U/mL all produced significant dispersion effects on mature BCG biofilms (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

LEV combined with cellulose can effectively eradicate BCG biofilm infections, suggesting the potential of glycoside hydrolase therapy for improving the efficacy of antibiotics against biofilmassociated infections caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

A new allele PEL9 GG identified by genome-wide association study increases panicle elongation length in rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Considering the male sterile line has the phenomenon of panicle enclosure, panicle elongation length (PEL) plays an important role in hybrid rice seed production. However, the molecular mechanism underlying this process is poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the PEL phenotypic values of 353 rice accessions across six environments, which shows abundant phenotypic variation. Combining the 1.3 million single-nucleotide polymorphisms, we performed a genome-wide association study on PEL. Three quantitative trait loci (QTL) qPEL4, qPEL6, and qPEL9 were identified as significantly associated with PEL, of which qPEL4 and qPEL6 were previously reported QTLs and qPEL9 was novel. One causal gene locus, PEL9, was identified and validated. The PEL of accessions carrying allele PEL9 ^GG was significantly longer than that of those carrying allele PEL9 ^TT. We also demonstrated that the outcrossing rate of female parents carrying allele PEL9 ^GG increased by 14.81% compared with that of the isogenic line carrying allele PEL9 ^TT in an F₁ hybrid seed production field. The allele frequency of PEL9^GG increased gradually with an increase in latitude in the Northern Hemisphere. Our results should facilitate the improvement of the PEL of the female parent of hybrid rice.

Gut microbiome variations in Rhinopithecus roxellanae caused by changes in the environment

BACKGROUND

The snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus roxellanae) is an endangered animal species mainly distributed in China and needs to be protected. Gut microbiome is an important determinant of animal health and population survival as it affects the adaptation of the animals to different foods and environments under kinetic changes of intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Therefore, this study aimed to elucidate gut fecal microbiome profiles of snub-nosed monkeys affected by several extrinsic and intrinsic factors, including raising patterns (captive vs. wild), age, sex, and diarrheal status to provide a reference for making protection strategies.

RESULTS

The 16S rRNA gene sequencing was firstly used to pre-check clustering of 38 fecal samples from the monkeys including 30 wild and 8 captive (5 healthy and 3 diarrheal) from three Regions of Shennongjia Nature Reserve, Hubei Province, China. Then the 24 samples with high-quality DNA from 18 wild and 6 captive (4 healthy and 2 diarrheal) monkeys were subjected to shotgun metagenomic sequencing to characterize bacterial gut microbial communities. We discovered that the raising pattern (captive and wild) rather than age and sex was the predominant factor attributed to gut microbiome structure and proportionality. Wild monkeys had significantly higher bacterial diversity and lower Bacteroidetes/Firmicutes ratios than captive animals. Moreover, the gut microbiomes in wild healthy monkeys were enriched for the genes involved in fatty acid production, while in captive animals, genes were enriched for vitamin biosynthesis and metabolism and amino acid biosynthesis from carbohydrate intermediates. Additionally, a total of 37 antibiotic resistant genes (ARG) types were detected. Unlike the microbiome diversity, the captive monkeys have a higher diversity of ARG than the wild animals.

CONCLUSION

Taken together, we highlight the importance of self-reprogramed metabolism in the snub-nosed monkey gut microbiome to help captive and wild monkeys adapt to different intrinsic and extrinsic environmental change.

Novel mycoplasma nucleomodulin MbovP475 decreased cell viability by regulating expression of CRYAB and MCF2L2

Nucleomodulins are secreted bacterial proteins whose molecular targets are located in host cell nuclei. They are gaining attention as critical virulence factors that either modify the epigenetics of host cells or directly regulate host gene expression. Mycoplasma bovis is a major veterinary pathogen that secretes several potential virulence factors. The aim of this study was to determine whether any of their secreted proteins might function as nucleomodulins. After an initial in silico screening, the nuclear localization of the secreted putative lipoprotein MbovP475 of M. bovis was demonstrated in bovine macrophage cell line (BoMac) experimentally infected with M. bovis. Through combined application of ChIP-seq, Electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) analysis, MbovP475 was determined to bind the promoter regions of the cell cycle central regulatory genes CRYAB and MCF2L2. MbovP475 has similar secondary structures with the transcription activator-like effectors (TALEs). Screening of various mutants affecting the potential DNA binding sites indicated that the residues ²⁴²NI²⁴³ within MbovP475 loop region of the helix-loop-helix domain were essential to its DNA binding activity, thereby contributing to decrease in BoMac cell viability. In conclusion, this is the first report to confirm M. bovis secretes a conserved TALE-like nucleomodulin that binds the promoters of CRYAB and MCF2L2 genes, and subsequently down-regulates their expression and decreases BoMac cell viability. Therefore, this study offers a new understanding of mycoplasma pathogenesis.