PI3K/AKT/mTORC1 signalling pathway regulates MMP9 gene activation via transcription factor NF-κB in mammary epithelial cells of dairy cows

Matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9) plays a pivotal role in mammary ductal morphogenesis, angiogenesis and glandular tissue architecture remodeling. However, the molecular mechanism of MMP9 expression in mammary epithelial cells of dairy cows remains unclear. This study aimed to explore the underlying mechanism of MMP9 expression. In this study, to determine whether the PI3K/AKT/mTORC1/NF-κB signalling pathway participates in the regulation of MMP9 expression, we treated mammary epithelial cells with specific pharmacological inhibitors of PI3K (LY294002), mTORC1 (Rapamycin) or NF-κB (Celastrol), respectively. Western blotting results indicated that LY294002, Rapamycin and Celastrol markedly decreased MMP9 expression and P65 nuclear translocation. Furthermore, we found that NF-κB (P65) overexpression resulted in elevated expression of MMP9 protein and activation of MMP9 promoter. In addition, we observed that Celastrol markedly decreases P65-overexpression-induced MMP9 promoter activity. Moreover, the results of the promoter assay indicated that the core regulation sequence for MMP9 promoter activation may be located at -420 ∼ -80 bp downstream from the transcription start site. These observations indicated that the PI3K/AKT/mTORC1 signalling pathway is involved in MMP9 expression by regulating MMP9 promoter activity via NF-κB in the mammary epithelial cells of dairy cows.

25-Hydroxycholesterol regulates lysosome AMP kinase activation and metabolic reprogramming to educate immunosuppressive macrophages

Macrophages are critical to turn noninflamed "cold tumors" into inflamed "hot tumors". Emerging evidence indicates abnormal cholesterol metabolites in the tumor microenvironment (TME) with unclear function. Here, we uncovered the inducible expression of cholesterol-25-hydroxylase (Ch25h) by interleukin-4 (IL-4) and interleukin-13 (IL-13) via the transcription factor STAT6, causing 25-hydroxycholesterol (25HC) accumulation. scRNA-seq analysis confirmed that CH25Hhi subsets were enriched in immunosuppressive macrophage subsets and correlated to lower survival rates in pan-cancers. Targeting CH25H abrogated macrophage immunosuppressive function to enhance infiltrating T cell numbers and activation, which synergized with anti-PD-1 to improve anti-tumor efficacy. Mechanically, lysosome-accumulated 25HC competed with cholesterol for GPR155 binding to inhibit the kinase mTORC1, leading to AMPKα activation and metabolic reprogramming. AMPKα also phosphorylated STAT6 Ser564 to enhance STAT6 activation and ARG1 production. Together, we propose CH25H as an immunometabolic checkpoint, which manipulates macrophage fate to reshape CD8+ T cell surveillance and anti-tumor response.

A basaloid carcinoma with multilocular thymic cyst mimicking a mediastinal teratoma

This case report details a rare thymic basaloid carcinoma initially misinterpreted as a mediastinal teratoma, underscoring the diagnostic challenges posed by such tumors. A 71-year-old female presented with an asymptomatic anterior mediastinal tumor discovered incidentally during a routine health examination. Surgical intervention, followed by pathological and immunohistochemical analysis including CK-pan, p63, p40, and CD117 molecules, led to a definitive diagnosis of basaloid carcinoma of the thymus. This case highlights the critical importance of differential diagnosis in mediastinal lesions, especially those presenting with multilocular thymic cysts on chest CT. The subxiphoid video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery enabled complete tumor resection with minimal trauma and favorable postoperative outcomes. The patient opted against further radiotherapy or chemotherapy and she has survived for over eight months without recurrence. This case report contributes to the growing understanding of thymic basaloid carcinoma, a rare and potentially aggressive thymic carcinoma subtype. It emphasizes the necessity for precise surgical techniques and enhanced diagnostic acumen among cardiothoracic surgeons and oncologists.

Colour Doppler Sonography of the Ovarian Vein: Recognition and Associated Lesions

AIM

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic value of colour Doppler sonography for ovarian veins. The clinical incidence of ovarian venous lesions is relatively low and often overlooked. The ovarian veins are located deep in the pelvis, and they are relatively elongated, which could make medical imaging more difficult. Therefore, there is limited literature on the diagnosis of ovarian venous disease. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic value of colour Doppler sonography towards ovarian vein.

METHODS

A total of 37 consecutive patients with clinically suspected ovarian venous disorders were included. All the patients underwent colour Doppler sonography. CTV was performed in 31 patients, while retrograde phlebography was performed in 6 patients. CT/phlebography was the established diagnostic criterion for ovarian vein disorders. The SPSS 22.0 program was used for statistical analysis. Sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values for colour Doppler sonography were calculated. k-test was used to evaluate consistency between colour Doppler sonography and CT/phlebography.

RESULTS

In the 37 patients,18 cases were positive for ovarian vein disorders and 19 cases were negative, as assessed with colour Doppler sonography. The associated lesions included ovarian vein thrombosis (7 cases), ovarian varicocele (3 cases), and ovarian venous leiomyoma (8 cases). The calculated values of sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive value were 94.4%, 94.7%, 94.4%, and 94.7%, respectively. The overall accuracy rate was 94.9%. The k level of the degree of agreement between CT/phlebography and colour Doppler sonography was 0.892.

CONCLUSION

Colour doppler sonography can provide sufficient imaging information. In clinical ultrasonography, attention should be paid to recognizing and detecting ovarian venous lesions.

Pulse Accumulation Approach Based on Signal Phase Estimation for Doppler Wind Lidar

Coherent Doppler wind lidar (CDWL) uses transmitted laser pulses to measure wind velocity distribution. However, the echo signal of CDWL is easily affected by atmospheric turbulence, which can decrease the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of lidar. To improve the SNR, this paper proposes a pulse accumulation method based on the cross-correlation function to estimate the phase of the signal. Compared with incoherent pulse accumulation, the proposed method significantly enhances the correlation between signals from different periods to obtain high SNR gains that arise from pulse accumulation. Using simulation, the study evaluates the effectiveness of this phase estimation method and its robustness against noise in algorithms which analyze Doppler frequency shifts. Furthermore, a CDWL is developed for measuring the speed of an indoor motor turntable and the outdoor atmospheric wind field. The phase estimation method yielded SNR gains of 28.18 dB and 32.03 dB for accumulation numbers of 500 and 1500, respectively. The implementation of this method in motor turntable speed measurements demonstrated a significant reduction in speed error-averaging 9.18% lower than that of incoherent accumulation lidar systems. In experiments that measure atmospheric wind fields, the linear fit curve slope between the measured wind speed and the wind speed measured via a commercial wind-measuring lidar can be reduced from 1.146 to 1.093.

A novel method for septal reduction therapy by three-dimensional guided transvenous intraseptal pulsed-field ablation

BACKGROUND

Pulsed-field ablation (PFA) is a nonthermal method for achieving selective cell death with little inflammation response. However, there are no reports of PFA for septal reduction therapy (SRT).

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness and safety of PFA for SRT.

METHODS

A novel transvenous intraseptal PFA method with 3-dimensional (3D) guidance was introduced in Yorkshire pigs. Electrocardiographic parameters, transthoracic echocardiography, and histopathology were used to evaluated.

RESULTS

The maximum injury diameter of intramyocardial PFA increased with electric field intensity. After PFA, bipolar electrogram amplitude and pacing threshold measured by the PFA electrodes significantly decreased (F = 6.945, P = .007) or increased (F = 5.842, P = .024), respectively. In the ablated septal region, motion amplitude and systolic wall thickening rate significantly decreased and remained at low levels (motion amplitude: F = 20.793, P = .000; systolic wall thickening rate: F = 14.343, P = .000); however, septal thickness did not significantly change after PFA (F = 1.503, P = .248). Histologic examination showed specific cardiomyocyte death with gradually increased hyperchromatic cytoplasm and nuclear pyknosis, without obvious inflammatory cell infiltration in acute phase. TUNEL stain for fragmented DNA showed extensively positive in the ablation region 24 hours after PFA. During PFA, no sustained ventricular arrhythmia or atrioventricular conduction block occurred.

CONCLUSION

A novel intraseptal PFA method with 3D guidance was described. Intraseptal PFA resulted in effective myocardial injury and local hypokinesis without significant acute edema. Histologic examination showed widely programmed cardiomyocyte death with little inflammatory cell infiltration.

Optical properties of recycled zirconia for dental applications

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

While waste zirconia can be recycled, whether the optical properties of recycled zirconia match those of commercially available zirconia is unclear.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this in vitro study was to evaluate the optical properties of recycled zirconia by assessing its color, translucency, and opalescence across different thicknesses and shades.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Sixty specimens were prepared from 3 mol% yttria-stabilized tetragonal zirconia polycrystal blocks (Lava Plus; 3M ESPE) (group C); 60 other specimens were prepared from waste blocks of the same zirconia (group R). The specimens were further categorized into 4 subgroups (n=15) based on their thicknesses (1.0 mm or 1.5 mm) and shades (A1 or A3). Specimen color was measured with a spectrophotometer (Easyshade Advance 4.0; Vita ZahnFabrik). The parameters of color difference (ΔE00), translucency (TP), contrast ratio (CR), and opalescence (OP) were calculated. Grain size analysis was performed using scanning electron microscopy. Data were analyzed with analysis of variance (ANOVA) (α=.05).

RESULTS

Significant differences in translucency and opalescence were observed between groups C and R in all specimens (P<.001). Group R exhibited a range of TP (4.89 to 11.27), CR (0.74 to 0.91), and OP (3.36 to 8.65) values. The ΔE00 values between groups C and R ranged from 13.99 to 21.31. Both thickness and shade significantly affected the ΔE00 values (P<.001). The grain size in group C was not significantly different from that in group R (F=0.364, df=1, P=.555). The TP and OP values of group R decreased with increasing thickness (P<.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Recycled zirconia was less translucent and opalescent than commercially available zirconia. The color difference between commercially available and recycled zirconia exceeded the acceptable threshold, even when using the same staining procedure. Recycled zirconia exhibited reduced translucency and opalescence with increasing thickness.

Enhancing the inhibition of dental erosion and abrasion with quercetin-encapsulated hollow mesoporous silica nanocomposites

Introduction: Dental erosion and abrasion pose significant clinical challenges, often leading to exposed dentinal tubules and dentine demineralization. The aim of this study was to analyse the efficacy of quercetin-encapsulated hollow mesoporous silica nanocomposites (Q@HMSNs) on the prevention of dentine erosion and abrasion. Method: Q@HMSNs were synthesized, characterized, and evaluated for their biocompatibility. A total of 130 dentine specimens (2 mm × 2 mm × 2 mm) were prepared and randomly distributed into 5 treatment groups (n = 26): DW (deionized water, negative control), NaF (12.3 mg/mL sodium fluoride, positive control), Q (300 μg/mL quercetin), HMSN (5.0 mg/mL HMSNs), and Q@HMSN (5.0 mg/mL Q@HMSNs). All groups were submitted to in vitro erosive (4 cycles/d) and abrasive (2 cycles/d) challenges for 7 days. The specimens in the DW, NaF, and Q groups were immersed in the respective solutions for 2 min, while treatment was performed for 30 s in the HMSN and Q@HMSN groups. Subsequently, the specimens were subjected to additional daily erosion/abrasion cycles for another 7 days. The effects of the materials on dentinal tubule occlusion and demineralized organic matrix (DOM) preservation were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The penetration depth of rhodamine B fluorescein into the etched dentine was assessed using confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). The erosive dentine loss (EDL) and release of type I collagen telopeptide (ICTP) were measured. The data were analysed by one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with post hoc Tukey's test (α = 0.05). Results: Q@HMSNs were successfully synthesized and showed minimal toxicity to human dental pulp stem cells (HDPSCs) and gingival fibroblasts (HGFs). Q@HMSNs effectively occluded the dentinal tubules, resulting in a thicker DOM in the Q@HMSN group. The CLSM images showed more superficial penetration in the HMSN and Q@HMSN groups than in the quercetin, NaF, and DW groups. The Q@HMSN group exhibited a significantly lower EDL and reduced ICTP levels compared to the other groups (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Q@HMSNs hold promise for inhibiting dentine erosion and abrasion by promoting tubule occlusion and DOM preservation.

Activating Tumor-Selective Liquid Metal Nanomedicine through Galvanic Replacement

Advanced chemotherapeutic strategies including prodrug and nanocatalytic medicine have significantly advanced tumor-selective theranostics, but delicate prodrug screening, tedious synthesis, low degradability/biocompatibility of inorganic components, and unsatisfied reaction activity complicate treatment efficacies. Here, the intrinsic anticancer bioactivity of liquid metal nanodroplets (LMNDs) is explored through galvanic replacement. By utilizing a mechano-degradable ligand, the resultant size of the aqueous LMND is unexpectedly controlled as small as ≈20 nm (LMND20). It is demonstrated that LMND20 presents excellent tumor penetration and biocompatibility and activates tumor-selective carrier-to-drug conversion, synchronously depleting Cu2+ ions and producing Ga3+ ions through galvanic replacement. Together with abundant generation of reactive oxygen species, multiple anticancer pathways lead to selective apoptosis and anti-angiogenesis of breast cancer cells. Compared to the preclinical/clinical anticancer drugs of tetrathiomolybdate and Ga(NO3 )3 , LMND20 administration significantly improves the therapeutic efficacy and survival in a BCap-37 xenograft mouse model, yet without obvious side effects.

Integrinβ-1 in disorders and cancers: molecular mechanisms and therapeutic targets

Integrinβ-1 (ITGB1) is a crucial member of the transmembrane glycoprotein signaling receptor family and is also central to the integrin family. It forms heterodimers with other ligands, participates in intracellular signaling and controls a variety of cellular processes, such as angiogenesis and the growth of neurons; because of its role in bidirectional signaling regulation both inside and outside the membrane, ITGB1 must interact with a multitude of substances, so a variety of interfering factors can affect ITGB1 and lead to changes in its function. Over the past 20 years, many studies have confirmed a clear causal relationship between ITGB1 dysregulation and cancer development and progression in a wide range of benign diseases and solid tumor types, which may imply that ITGB1 is a prognostic biomarker and a therapeutic target for cancer treatment that warrants further investigation. This review summarizes the biological roles of ITGB1 in benign diseases and cancers, and compiles the current status of ITGB1 function and therapy in various aspects of tumorigenesis and progression. Finally, future research directions and application prospects of ITGB1 are suggested. Video Abstract.

Conversion of monoclonal IgG to dimeric and secretory IgA restores neutralizing ability and prevents infection of Omicron lineages

The emergence of Omicron lineages and descendent subvariants continues to present a severe threat to the effectiveness of vaccines and therapeutic antibodies. We have previously suggested that an insufficient mucosal immunoglobulin A (IgA) response induced by the mRNA vaccines is associated with a surge in breakthrough infections. Here, we further show that the intramuscular mRNA and/or inactivated vaccines cannot sufficiently boost the mucosal secretory IgA response in uninfected individuals, particularly against the Omicron variant. We thus engineered and characterized recombinant monomeric, dimeric, and secretory IgA1 antibodies derived from four neutralizing IgG monoclonal antibodies (mAbs 01A05, rmAb23, DXP-604, and XG014) targeting the receptor-binding domain of the spike protein. Compared to their parental IgG antibodies, dimeric and secretory IgA1 antibodies showed a higher neutralizing activity against different variants of concern (VOCs), in part due to an increased avidity. Importantly, the dimeric or secretory IgA1 form of the DXP-604 antibody significantly outperformed its parental IgG antibody, and neutralized the Omicron lineages BA.1, BA.2, and BA.4/5 with a 25- to 75-fold increase in potency. In human angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) transgenic mice, a single intranasal dose of the dimeric IgA DXP-604 conferred prophylactic and therapeutic protection against Omicron BA.5. Thus, dimeric or secretory IgA delivered by nasal administration may potentially be exploited for the treatment and prevention of Omicron infection, thereby providing an alternative tool for combating immune evasion by the current circulating subvariants and, potentially, future VOCs.

Primary mediastinal Ewing's sarcoma presenting with sudden and severe chest pain: a case report

Ewing's sarcoma, characterized by small round cell morphology, is a rare malignancy, with mediastinal Ewing's sarcoma being even less common. This case describes a distinctive presentation of primary mediastinal Ewing's sarcoma in a 32-year-old male presenting with sudden and severe chest pain. Initial evaluation excluded cardiac and pulmonary emergencies, revealing a posterior mediastinal mass through advanced imaging. The patient's clinical symptoms significantly improved following the complete resection of the tumor via thoracoscopy. Subsequent analysis incorporating imaging, histological, immunohistochemical and genetic findings led to the conclusive diagnosis of primary mediastinal Ewing's sarcoma.

Application of Computed Tomography Scanning Parameters Combined with Serum Cripto-1 in the Diagnosis of Renal Cell Carcinoma

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to analyse the clinical value of computed tomography (CT) scanning parameters combined with serum teratoma-derived growth factor-1 (Cripto-1) in the diagnosis of renal cell carcinoma (RCC).

METHODS

A retrospective analysis was conducted on 256 patients with renal tumour admitted to our hospital from July 2020 to December 2022. They were divided into malignant group (n = 180) and benign group (n = 76) based on the final pathological results. All subjects underwent CT scans and serum Cripto-1 testing. The CT signs and serum Cripto-1 levels of the patients were analysed, and their diagnostic efficacy was evaluated.

RESULTS

The pathological diagnosis results showed 180 cases of malignant tumours, including 73 cases of clear cell carcinoma, 60 cases of papillary RCC and 47 cases of chromophobe cell carcinoma as well as 76 cases of benign tumour, including 31 cases of renal angiomyolipoma, 25 cases of eosinophilic tumour and 20 cases of renal fibroma. The malignant group had significantly higher incidence of cystic necrosis, uneven enhancement and rapid progression than the benign group (p < 0.01). The incidence of calcification was not statistically different between the two groups (p > 0.05). The malignant group had lower CT value of focus (p < 0.01) and relative corrected CT value of the renal cortex (p < 0.05), and significantly higher serum levels of Cripto-1 (p < 0.01) than the malignant group. The area under the curve of the combined diagnosis was significantly higher than that of serum Cripto-1 alone and comprehensive diagnosis of CT parameters (pcombined diagnosis vs serum Cripto-1 < 0.001, pcombined diagnosis vs comprehensive diagnosis of CT parameters = 0.002). The sensitivity of the combined diagnosis was also higher than that of serum Cripto-1 and CT parameters alone.

CONCLUSIONS

The combination of CT scanning parameters and serum Cripto-1 has high value in the diagnosis of renal tumours, and the area under the curve and sensitivity of the combined diagnosis are high. This work provides reference for clinical diagnosis and treatment of renal tumours.

SP1-activated USP27X-AS1 promotes hepatocellular carcinoma progression via USP7-mediated AKT stabilisation

BACKGROUND

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) continues to pose a significant threat to patient survival. Emerging evidence underscores the pivotal involvement of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in the cancer process. Nevertheless, our understanding of the roles and processes of lncRNAs in HCC remains limited.

METHODS

The expression level of USP27X-AS1 was assessed in an HCC patient cohort through a combination of bioinformatics analysis and qRT-PCR. Subsequent biological experiments were conducted to delve into the functional aspects of USP27X-AS1. Additional molecular biology techniques, including RNA pulldown and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP), were employed to elucidate the potential mechanisms involving USP27X-AS1 in HCC. Finally, CUT-RUN assay and other investigations were carried out to determine the factors contributing to the heightened expression of USP27X-AS1 in HCC.

RESULTS

High expression of the novel oncogene USP27X-AS1 predicted poor prognosis in HCC patients. Further investigation confirmed that USP27X-AS1 promoted the proliferation and metastasis of HCC by enabling USP7 to interact with AKT, which reduced level of AKT poly-ubiquitylation and enhanced AKT protein stability, which improves protein stabilisation of AKT and promotes the progression of HCC. Moreover, we also revealed that SP1 binds to USP27X-AS1 promoter to activate its transcription.

CONCLUSIONS

Novel oncogenic lncRNA USP27X-AS1 promoted HCC progression via recruiting USP7 to deubiquitinate AKT. SP1 transcriptionally activated USP27X-AS1 expression. These findings shed light on HCC and pointed to USP27X-AS1 as a potential predictive biomarker and treatment target for the malignancy.

[10-Methacryloyloxydecyl dihydrogen phosphate in resin-to-zirconia bonding durability: a systematic review and meta-analysis]

Objective: To systematically assess the durability of the 10-methacryloyloxydecyl dihydrogen phosphate (10-MDP) pretreated resin-to-zirconia bonding and conducted a meta-analysis to provide clinical guidance on zirconia bonding strategies. Methods: A comprehensive search was conducted on PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, CNKI, and Wanfang database to identify relevant studies on the resin-to-zirconia bonding after surface pretreatment with 10-MDP. Strict inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied to select appropriate literature and extract essential information and data. The included studies were categorized based on aging methods (water storage, thermocycling, or both), 10-MDP application methods (within primer, adhesive, resin cement, or both), and additional surface treatments (alumina sandblasting, tribochemical silica coating, acid etching, laser etching, and plasma treatment) and were analyzed by Review Manager 5.4. The evaluation indicator was the bonding strength of zirconia after surface pretreatment with 10-MDP. Results: A total of 72 studies were included in the systematic review, with 68 studies eligible for the meta-analysis. The bonding strength of zirconia decreased significantly after aging [P<0.001; mean difference (MD): 5.58; 95%CI: 5.11-6.05]. No significant differences in bonding strength of zirconia were observed after aging when employing various application methods of 10-MDP (all P>0.05). The bonding strength of zirconia was significantly enhanced after aging when 10-MDP was applied in conjunction with additional surface treatments, as compared to the application of 10-MDP alone (P<0.001; MD: 10.17; 95%CI: 8.20-12.14). Conclusions: The bonding strength of zirconia pretreated with 10-MDP exhibited a reduction after undergoing water storage or thermocycling. The application of 10-MDP with additional surface treatments enhanced the bonding strength of zirconia after aging, while the application methods of 10-MDP did not exert an influence.

Comparison of the efficacy of febuxostat vs. benzbromarone in the treatment of gout: a meta-analysis in Chinese gout patients

OBJECTIVE

Febuxostat and benzbromarone are two common drugs for the treatment of gout, but the clinical efficacy of these two drugs is controversial. This meta-analysis aimed to compare the efficacy of febuxostat and benzbromarone in the treatment of gout.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library were searched for articles related to febuxostat and benzbromarone in the treatment of gout from inception to January 7, 2023. Titles and abstracts were reviewed in accordance with predesigned inclusion and exclusion criteria, and data were extracted independently. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) was used to evaluate the quality of the studies, and the continuous variables were expressed as the standard mean square error (SMD) by STATA 16 (Stata Corp., College Station, TX, USA). The sensitivity analysis was conducted by randomly removing a study, and the heterogeneity was analyzed by funnel plots and Egger's test.

RESULTS

According to the search strategy, a total of 1,043 publications were retrieved from the three aforementioned databases, of which 45 publications were excluded due to duplication. Fourteen studies remained after screening titles and abstracts, and a total of 7 studies met the inclusion criteria after a comprehensive evaluation of the 14 studies. Meta-analysis showed that the uric acid (UA)-reducing effect of febuxostat is better than that of benzbromarone, while febuxostat showed a better ability to improve the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and reduce Cr and blood urea nitrogen (BUN). In terms of hepatotoxicity, benzbromarone was not as potent as febuxostat in increasing alanine transaminase (ALT) and aspartate transaminase (AST), suggesting that benzbromarone has less hepatotoxicity. Moreover, there was no significant difference in the effect on blood lipid levels between the two drugs.

CONCLUSIONS

The beneficial effect of febuxostat on renal function-related indexes such as the eGFR, Cr and BUN is significant, while benzbromarone is more effective in reducing UA and has relatively less hepatotoxicity. The specific efficacy of the two drugs needs to be confirmed by further research.

The relationship between TGF-β1 and cognitive function in the brain

Transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), a multifunctional cytokine, plays a pivotal role in synaptic formation, plasticity, and neurovascular unit regulation. This review highlights TGF-β1's potential impact on cognitive function, particularly in the context of neurodegenerative disorders. However, despite the growing body of evidence, a comprehensive understanding of TGF-β1's precise role remains elusive. Further research is essential to unravel the complex mechanisms through which TGF-β1 influences cognitive function and to explore therapeutic avenues for targeting TGF-β1 in neurodegenerative conditions. This investigation sheds light on TGF-β1's contribution to cognitive function and offers prospects for innovative treatments and interventions. This review delves into the intricate relationship between TGF-β1 and cognitive function.

Recurrence of pulmonary sarcomatoid carcinoma presenting as haemothorax: a case report

Pulmonary sarcomatoid carcinoma (PSC) is a rare and highly invasive malignant tumour. It has similar clinical manifestations and imaging features to ordinary lung cancer. This current case report describes a 65-year-old male patient who had a mass in the apicoposterior segment of the left upper lobe with haemoptysis. Imaging studies revealed a central parenchymal mass surrounded by areas of ground-glass opacity, strongly indicating the presence of a pulmonary malignancy. Intraoperatively, the tumour was discovered to have invaded the chest wall and exhibited a significant propensity for bleeding. Consequently, a left upper lobe resection accompanied by extensive pleural debridement were performed. Subsequent postoperative histopathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of PSC. Unfortunately, 1 month after the surgery, the patient presented with left-sided haemothorax. Despite employing various haemostatic interventions, the patient eventually succumbed to haemorrhagic shock. This study provides a treatment strategy reference for patients with PSC presenting as haemothorax.

Effects of dietary dihydromyricetin on growth performance, antioxidant capacity, immune response and intestinal microbiota of shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei)

A 56-day culture trial was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary dihydromyricetin (DMY) on growth performance, antioxidant capacity, immune response and intestinal microbiota of shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei). 840 healthy shrimp (1.60 ± 0.21 g) in total were fed with four different levels of DMY diets at 0 (Control), 100 (D1), 200 (D2), and 300 (D3) mg/kg, respectively. Samples were collected after the culture trial, and then, a 7-day challenge experiment against Vibrio parahaemolyticus was conducted. The results demonstrated that DMY significantly enhanced the activity of protease, amylase and lipase as well as the expression of lipid and protein transport-related genes (P < 0.05). The results of plasma lipid parameters indicated that DMY reduced lipid deposition, manifested by significantly (P < 0.05) decreased plasma total cholesterol (T-CHO), triglyceride (TG) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). The expression of genes involved in fatty acid β-oxidation and triglyceride catabolism was significantly up-regulated (P < 0.05), and genes involved in triglyceride synthesis were significantly down-regulated in DMY groups when compared to control group (P < 0.05). Moreover, dietary DMY also significantly (P < 0.05) increased the total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), antioxidant enzymes activity and glutathione (GSH) content of shrimp, and a significant increase of total hemocytes count (THC), phagocytic rate (PR), antibacterial activity (AA) and bacteriolytic activity (BA) was observed in DMY groups (P < 0.05). The addition of DMY to the diet significantly augmented immune response by up-regulating the expression of genes related to toll-like receptors (Toll) signaling pathway, immune deficiency (IMD) signaling pathway and intestinal mucin. Furthermore, dietary DMY could modulate the composition and abundance of intestinal microbiota. In conclusion, DMY showed promising potential as a functional feed additive for shrimp to improve the growth performance and physiological health.

Decreased risk of radiation pneumonitis with concurrent use of renin-angiotensin system inhibitors in thoracic radiation therapy of lung cancer

Background

Radiation pneumonitis (RP) is the primary dose-limiting toxicity associated with radiotherapy. This study aimed to observe the effects of renin-angiotensin system inhibitors in Chinese patients with lung cancer who received thoracic radiation.

Methods

Patients with lung cancer who received thoracic radiation at a total dose of ≥45 Gray between October 2017 and December 2022 were enrolled in this study. We retrospectively evaluated the factors influencing grade 2 or higher RP.

Results

A total of 320 patients were enrolled in this study; 62 patients were identified as angiotensin receptor blockers or angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor users. Additionally, 99 patients (30.9%) had grade 2 or higher RP, and the incidence in the renin-angiotensin system inhibitor group was 17.7% (11 out of 62 patients). Patients in the renin-angiotensin system inhibitors (RASi) group were older and had a higher percentage of males, lower percentage of ECOG score 0, higher percentage of hypertension, and higher percentage of adenocarcinoma than those in the non-RASi group. ECOG score [hazard ratio (HR) = 1.69, p = 0.009], history of smoking (HR = 1.76, p = 0.049), mean dose (HR = 3.63, p = 0.01), and RASi (HR = 0.3, p = 0.003) were independent predictive factors for RP. All subgroups benefited from RASi.

Conclusion

This study showed that oral RASi administration has the potential to mitigate the incidence of grade 2 or higher RP in patients with lung cancer undergoing thoracic radiotherapy. To validate and further substantiate these findings, additional prospective research is warranted.

Immunotoxicity and the mechanisms of aflatoxin B1-induced growth retardation in shrimp and alleviating effects of bile acids

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is one of the most toxic mycotoxins prevalent in the environment and food chain, posing severe health risks to humans and animals. Bile acids are natural detergents synthesized from cholesterol and play a key role in the excretion of toxins in vertebrates. Here, pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) served as an animal model to examine the toxicity mechanisms of AFB1 and assess the potential alleviating effects of bile acids against AFB1. Our results revealed that AFB1 exposure significantly inhibited the growth performance and immune response of shrimp, accompanied by AFB1 accumulation and histological damage. Mechanistically, AFB1-induced DNA damage activated DNA repair mechanisms and induced the arrest of cell cycle via the ATR-cyclin B/cdc2 pathway. Additionally, AFB1 directly suppressed the immune response and growth performance of shrimp by inhibiting Toll and IMD pathways and the secretion of digestive enzymes. Notably, dietary bile acids significantly reduced AFB1 accumulation and alleviated AFB1-induced growth retardation and immunotoxicity in shrimp, and CCKAR, ATR, and Relish may be key mediators of the alleviating effects of bile acids. Our study provided new insights into the toxicity mechanisms of AFB1 in invertebrates and highlighted the potential of bile acids to alleviate AFB1 toxicity.

Effect of Terazosin Hydrochloride Combined with Interventional Embolisation on Prostate Volume and Quality of Life of Elderly Patients with Prostatic Hyperplasia

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to explore the effect of terazosin hydrochloride combined with interventional embolisation on prostate volume and quality of life (QOL) of elderly patients with prostatic hyperplasia (PH).

METHODS

The clinical data of 175 elderly patients with PH admitted to Central Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University from July 2020 to July 2022 were selected for retrospective analysis. Based on different treatment regimens, 89 patients who received interventional embolisation alone were included in the control group (CG), and 86 patients undergoing interventional embolisation combined with terazosin hydrochloride were included in the study group (SG). The prostate volume, serum indicators, adverse reactions and QOL of the two groups before and after treatment were compared between the two groups.

RESULTS

Before treatment, no significant difference in 36-item short-form health survey (SF-36) scores, serum tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) was observed in both groups (p > 0.05). After treatment, the SF-36 score in the SG was 78.20 ± 6.84 points, which was significantly higher than that in the CG (72.67 ± 5.94 points). In addition, the SG had remarkably lower residual urine volume and prostate volume, higher maximum flow rate and lower TNF-α and PSA levels compared with the CG (p < 0.05). The adverse reaction rate of the SG was only 4.65%, which was significantly lower than that of the CG (14.61%, p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Terazosin hydrochloride combined with interventional embolisation overtly reduces the prostate volume and improves the clinical symptoms of patients with fewer side effects, which has a certain clinical application value.

NAD+ exhaustion by CD38 upregulation contributes to blood pressure elevation and vascular damage in hypertension

Hypertension is characterized by endothelial dysfunction and arterial stiffness, which contribute to the pathogenesis of atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases. Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) is an indispensable cofactor in all living cells that is involved in fundamental biological processes. However, in hypertensive patients, alterations in NAD+ levels and their relation with blood pressure (BP) elevation and vascular damage have not yet been studied. Here we reported that hypertensive patients exhibited lower NAD+ levels, as detected by high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS), in both peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and aortas, which was parallel to vascular dysfunction. NAD+ boosting therapy with nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) supplement reduced BP and ameliorated vascular dysfunction in hypertensive patients (NCT04903210) and AngII-induced hypertensive mice. Upregulation of CD38 in endothelial cells led to endothelial NAD+ exhaustion by reducing NMN bioavailability. Pro-inflammatory macrophages infiltration and increase in IL-1β generation derived from pro-inflammatory macrophages resulted in higher CD38 expression by activating JAK1-STAT1 signaling pathway. CD38 KO, CD38 inhibitors treatment, or adeno-associated virus (AAV)-mediated endothelial CD38 knockdown lowered BP and improved vascular dysfunction in AngII-induced hypertensive mice. The present study demonstrated for the first time that endothelial CD38 activation and subsequently accelerated NAD+ degradation due to enhanced macrophage-derived IL-1β production was responsible for BP elevation and vascular damage in hypertension. NAD+ boosting therapy can be used as a novel therapeutic strategy for the management of hypertensive patients.

Assessment of common risk factors of diabetes and chronic kidney disease: a Mendelian randomization study

Background

The increasing prevalence of diabetes and its significant impact on mortality and morbidity rates worldwide has led to a growing interest in understanding its common risk factors, particularly in relation to chronic kidney disease (CKD). This research article aims to investigate the shared risk factors between type 1 diabetes (T1D), type 2 diabetes (T2D), and CKD using a Mendelian randomization (MR) design.

Methods

The study utilized genome-wide association study (GWAS) datasets for T1D, T2D, and CKD from the FinnGen research project. GWAS summary statistics datasets for 118 exposure traits were obtained from the IEU OpenGWAS database. MR analyses were conducted to examine the causal relationships between exposure traits and each of the three outcomes. Multiple methods, including inverse-variance weighted, weighted median, and MR-Egger, were employed for the MR studies.

Results

Phenome-wide MR analyses revealed that eosinophil percentage exhibited a significant and suggestive causal association with T1D and CKD, respectively, suggesting its potential as a shared risk factor for T1D and CKD. For T2D, 34 traits demonstrated significant associations. Among these 34 traits, 14 were also significantly associated with CKD, indicating the presence of common risk factors between T2D and CKD, primarily related to obesity, height, blood lipids and sex hormone binding globulin, blood pressure, and walking pace.

Conclusion

This research has uncovered the eosinophil percentage as a potential common risk factor for both T1D and CKD, while also identifying several traits, such as obesity and blood lipids, as shared risk factors for T2D and CKD. This study contributes to the understanding of the common risk factors between diabetes and CKD, emphasizing the need for targeted interventions to reduce the risk of these diseases.

[Association between cognitive function and probability of prodromal Parkinson's disease in middle aged and elderly people aged 55 years and above in 4 provinces in China]

Objective: To analyze probability of prodromal Parkinson's disease (pPD) and assess the association between global cognitive function and cognitive domain function and probability of pPD in ≥55 years old middle-aged and elderly people in Hebei, Zhejiang, Shaanxi and Hunan Provinces in China. Methods: Data were collected from dataset of the Community-based Cohort Study on Nervous System Disease 2020. We selected 4 634 Alzheimer disease and Parkinson's disease free persons aged ≥55 years with completed information on demographics, disease history, cognitive test, and risk factors of Parkinson's disease for this study. Cognitive function was assessed using Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scale (Chinese version). Calculation of probability of pPD and assessment of possible/probable pPD were performed according to the criteria published by the International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society. Multivariate linear regression model was used to analyze the association between cognitive function and probability of pPD. Results: The M (Q1,Q3) of global cognitive function and cognitive domains in terms of memory, execution, visuospatial function, language, attention and orientation were 25 (20, 30), 13 (11, 15), 10 (7, 12), 6 (4, 7), 5 (4, 6), 15 (12, 18) and 6 (6, 6) points, respectively. The M(Q1,Q3) of probability of pPD was 0.42% (0.80%, 1.73%), and the proportion of the study subjects with possible/probable pPD was 0.4%. Differences in the distribution of probability of pPD were significant among groups by total cognitive score quartiles (P<0.001), and the difference in proportions of study subjects with possible/probable pPD was significant and showed decline trend (P=0.001). After adjusted for confounders, the results of multivariate linear regression analyses showed that probability of pPD in the Q2, Q3 and Q4 group decreased by 23.4%, 31.2% and 20.1% compared with Q1 group, and corresponding β values were 0.766 (95%CI: 0.702-0.836), 0.688 (95%CI: 0.631-0.751) and 0.799 (95%CI: 0.730-0.875), respectively, the trend was significant (P<0.001). Higher index scores of execution, visuospatial function, language, attention and orientation were highly related to lower probability of pPD (P<0.001). Conclusion: Declines in global cognitive function and cognitive domains of execution, visuospatial function, language, attention and orientation might increase the probability of pPD in middle-aged and elderly people, suggesting the importance of cognitive intervention in early stage for pPD prevention.

CXCR4 Expressed by Tumor-Infiltrating B Cells in Gastric Cancer Related to Survival in the Tumor Microenvironment: An Analysis Combining Single-Cell RNA Sequencing with Bulk RNA Sequencing

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), gastric cancer (GC) is the fourth leading cause of tumor-related mortality globally and one of the most prevalent malignant tumors. To better understand the role of tumor-infiltrating B cells (TIBs) in GC, this work used single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-Seq) and bulk RNA sequencing (bulk RNA-Seq) data to identify candidate hub genes. Both scRNA-Seq and bulk RNA-Seq data for stomach adenocarcinoma (STAD) were obtained from the GEO and TCGA databases, respectively. Using scRNA-seq data, the FindNeighbors and FindClusters tools were used to group the cells into distinct groups. Immune cell clusters were sought in the massive RNA-seq expression matrix using the single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA). The expression profiles were used in Weighted Gene Coexpression Network Analysis (WGCNA) to build TCGA's gene coexpression networks. Next, univariate Cox regression, LASSO regression, and Kaplan-Meier analyses were used to identify hub genes in scRNA-seq data from sequential B-cell analyses. Finally, we examined the correlation between the hub genes and TIBs utilizing the TISIDB database. We confirmed the immune-related markers in clinical validation samples using reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry (IHC). 15 cell clusters were classified in the scRNA-seq database. According to the WGCNA findings, the green module is most associated with cancer and B cells. The intersection of 12 genes in two separate datasets (scRNA and bulk) was attained for further analysis. However, survival studies revealed that increased C-X-C motif chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4) expression was linked to worse overall survival. CXCR4 expression is correlated with active, immature, and memory B cells in STAD were identified. Finally, RT-PCR and IHC assays verified that in GC, CXCR4 is overexpressed, and its expression level correlates with TIBs. We used scRNA-Seq and bulk RNA-Seq to study STAD's cellular composition. We found that CXCR4 is highly expressed by TIBs in GC, suggesting that it may serve as a hub gene for these cells and a starting point for future research into the molecular mechanisms by which these immune cells gain access to tumors and potentially identify therapeutic targets.

Cox Regression Analysis of Prognostic Factors of Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy in Patients with Bladder Cancer

OBJECTIVE

This paper aims to explore the prognostic factors of intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) in patients with bladder cancer by Cox regression analysis and to provide evidence for prolonging the survival of patients and improving the treatment status.

METHODS

A total of 153 cases of patients with bladder cancer who received IMRT were selected as research objects, and their clinical data were retrospectively analyzed and followed up. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was conducted to calculate the median survival period, univariate and multivariate Cox regression were used to analyze the prognostic factors of IMRT in patients with bladder cancer, and receiver operating characteristic curve was adopted to evaluate the prediction efficiency of influencing factors.

RESULTS

Patients were followed up for 9-40 months, and 55 patients died by the end of the follow-up. The median survival time was 30 months, and the 3-year survival rate was 64.05% (98/153). Univariate analysis showed that T stage, total cystectomy, lymph node, pathological type and hydronephrosis influenced the prognosis of IMRT for patients with bladder cancer (p < 0.05). Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed T3 stage (odds ratio (OR) = 0.149, 0.068-0.327), T4 stage (OR = 27.639, 3.677-207.758), lymph node presence (OR = 0.152, 0.050-0.467), pathological type (OR = 0.086, 0.025-0.296) and hydronephrosis (OR = 7.402, 1.161-47.192) were independent factors affecting the prognosis of IMRT in patients with bladder cancer (p < 0.05), while total cystectomy (OR = 1.037, 0.171-6.301) was not an independent factor affecting the prognosis of IMRT in patients with bladder cancer (p > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

T stage, lymph nodes, nontransitional cell carcinoma with pathological type and hydronephrosis can influence the prognostic effect of IMRT in patients with bladder cancer.

Stent-assisted coiling of intracranial carotid ophthalmic segment aneurysm segment aneurysms: Long-term follow-up from a single center

Background

To evaluate the efficacy of stent-assisted coiling (SAC) for the treatment of carotid ophthalmic segment aneurysm segment aneurysms (OSAs) of the internal carotid artery (ICA) through detailed long-term follow-up of a large patient cohort.

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed 88 consecutive patients with OSAs between January 2009 and January 2020 ​at our center. Angiographic results were evaluated using the modified Raymond grading system and clinical outcomes were evaluated using the mRS scale. The primary endpoints were major aneurysm recurrence and poor clinical outcomes for at least 18 months of follow-up. The patients were asked to attend clinical follow-up assessments and possibly undergo DSA or MR via telephone.

Results

We enrolled 88 patients with 99 OSAs treated with coiling, of whom 76 were treated with SAC. The coiling procedures were successful in all 88 patients. Overall, complications occurred in 8 patients (9.1%). No procedure-related mortality was observed. 67 (76.1%) experienced immediate aneurysm occlusion at the end of the procedure. Long-term angiographic follow-up (18 months) was available in 45/88 aneurysms (51%) (average 18.7 ​± ​5.2 months). Four patients continued their follow-up for 5 years after initial aneurysm treatment. After a clinical follow-up time of 28.7 months (range, 12-51 months), 85 patients (95.5%) achieved favorable clinical outcomes (mRS scores of 0-2).

Conclusions

This study indicates that SAC treatment is a safe and effective therapeutic alternative for ruptured and unruptured OSAs. The procedural risks are low with relatively long-term effectiveness.

Characterization and removal mechanism of a novel enrofloxacin-degrading microorganism, Microbacterium proteolyticum GJEE142 capable of simultaneous removal of enrofloxacin, nitrogen and phosphorus

In the study, a novel ENR-degrading microorganism, Microbacterium proteolyticum GJEE142 was isolated from aquaculture wastewater for the first time. The ENR removal of strain GJEE142 was reliant upon the provision of limited additional carbon source, and was adaptative to low temperature (13 ℃) and high salinity (50‰). The ENR removal process, to which intracellular enzymes made more contributions, was implemented in three proposed pathways. During the removal process, oxidative stress response of strain GJEE142 was activated and the bacterial toxicity of ENR was decreased. Strain GJEE142 could also achieve the synchronous removal of ammonium, nitrite, nitrate and phosphorus with the nitrogen removal pathways of nitrate → nitrite → ammonium → glutamine → glutamate → glutamate metabolism and nitrate → nitrite → gaseous nitrogen. The phosphorus removal was implemented under complete aerobic conditions with the assistance of polyphosphate kinase and exopolyphosphatase. Genomic analysis provided corresponding genetic insights for deciphering removal mechanisms of ENR, nitrogen and phosphorus. ENR, nitrogen and phosphorus in both actual aquaculture wastewater and domestic wastewater could be desirably removed. Desirable adaptation, excellent performance and wide distribution will make strain GJEE142 the hopeful strain in wastewater treatment.

Genome-Wide Identification and Functional Characterization of FAR1-RELATED SEQUENCE (FRS) Family Members in Potato (Solanum tuberosum)

FAR1-RELATED SEQUENCE (FRS) transcription factors are generated by transposases and play vital roles in plant growth and development, light signaling transduction, phytohormone response, and stress resistance. FRSs have been described in various plant species. However, FRS family members and their functions remain poorly understood in vegetative crops such as potato (Solanum tuberosum, St). In the present study, 20 putative StFRS proteins were identified in potato via genome-wide analysis. They were non-randomly localized to eight chromosomes and phylogenetic analysis classified them into six subgroups along with FRS proteins from Arabidopsis and tomato. Conserved protein motif, protein domain, and gene structure analyses supported the evolutionary relationships among the FRS proteins. Analysis of the cis-acting elements in the promoters and the expression profiles of StFRSs in various plant tissues and under different stress treatments revealed the spatiotemporal expression patterns and the potential roles of StFRSs in phytohormonal and stress responses. StFRSs were differentially expressed in the cultivar "Xisen 6", which is exposed to a variety of stresses. Hence, these genes may be critical in regulating abiotic stress. Elucidating the StFRS functions will lay theoretical and empirical foundations for the molecular breeding of potato varieties with high light use efficiency and stress resistance.

Constructing liquid metal/metal-organic framework nanohybrids with strong sonochemical energy storage performance for enhanced pollutants removal

With endogenous redox systems and multiple enzymes, the storage and utilization of external energy is general in living cells, especially through photo/ultrasonic synthesis/catalysis due to in-situ generation of abundant reactive oxygen species (ROS). However, in artificial systems, because of extreme cavitation surroundings, ultrashort lifetime and increased diffusion distance, sonochemical energy is rapidly dissipated via electron-hole pairs recombination and ROS termination. Here, we integrate zeolitic imidazolate framework-90 (ZIF-90) and liquid metal (LM) with opposite charges by convenient sonosynthesis, and the resultant nanohybrid (LMND@ZIF-90) can efficiently capture sonogenerated holes and electrons, and thus suppress electron-hole pairs recombination. Unexpectedly, LMND@ZIF-90 can store the ultrasonic energy for over ten days and exhibit acid-responsive release to trigger persistent generation of various ROS including superoxide (O₂•^-), hydroxyl radicals (•OH), and singlet oxygen (¹O₂), presenting significantly faster dye degradation rate (short to seconds) than previously reported sonocatalysts. Moreover, unique properties of gallium could additionally facilitate heavy metals removal through galvanic replacement and alloying. In summary, the LM/MOF nanohybrid constructed here demonstrates strong capacity for storing sonochemical energy as long-lived ROS, enabling enhanced water decontamination without energy input.

Detachment of Dodecane from Silica Surfaces with Variable Surface Chemistry Studied Using Molecular Dynamics Simulation

The adsorption and detachment processes of n-dodecane (C₁₂H₂₆) molecules were studied on silica surfaces with variable surface chemistry (Q², Q³, Q⁴ environments), using molecular dynamics simulations. The area density of the silanol groups varied from 9.4 to 0 per nm². The shrinking of the oil-water-solid contact line was a key step for the oil detachment, due to water diffusion on the three-phase contact line. The simulation results showed that oil detachment was easier and faster on a perfect Q³ silica surface which had (≡Si(OH))-type silanol groups, due to the H-bond formation between the water and silanol groups. When the surfaces contained more Q² crystalline type which had (≡Si(OH)₂)-type silanol groups, less oil detached, due to the formations of H-bonds among the silanol groups. There were no silanol groups on the Si-OH 0 surface. Water cannot diffuse on the water-oil-silica contact line, and oil cannot detach from the Q⁴ surface. The detachment efficiency of oil from the silica surface not only depended on the area density, but also on the types of silanol groups. The density and type of silanol groups depend on the crystal cleavage plane, particle size, roughness, and humidity.

B-Box proteins BBX28 and BBX29 interplay with PSEUDO-RESPONSE REGULATORS to fine-tune circadian clock in Arabidopsis

As an endogenous time-keeping mechanism, the circadian clock benefits plant fitness and adaptation to the rhythmically changed diel environments. The key components within the core oscillator of plant circadian clock have been extensively characterised, however, the fine-tuning circadian regulators are still less identified. Here, we demonstrated that BBX28 and BBX29, the two B-Box V subfamily members lacking DNA-binding motifs, are involved in the regulation of Arabidopsis circadian clock. Over-expressing either BBX28 or BBX29 significantly lengthened circadian period, whereas loss-of-function of BBX28 rather than BBX29 displayed a modestly long period in free-running condition. Mechanistically, BBX28 and BBX29 interacted with core clock components PRR5, PRR7 and PRR9 in nucleus to augment their transcriptional repressive activities. RNA-sequencing analysis further revealed that BBX28 and BBX29 shared 686 common differentially expressed genes (DEGs) including a subset of known direct transcriptional targets of PRR proteins within core oscillator, including CCA1, LHY, LNKs and RVE8 etc. Intriguingly, PRR proteins can feedback repress BBX28 and BBX29 transcription by associating with their promoters. Together, our findings unmasked an exquisite mechanism in which BBX28 and BBX29 interplay with PRR proteins to fine-tune the circadian pace.

Fluid-structure interaction analysis of airflow, structural mechanics and aerosol dynamics in a four-generation acinar model

Elucidating the aerosol dynamics in the pulmonary acinar region is imperative for both health risk assessment and inhalation therapy, especially nowadays with the occurrence of the global COVID-19 pandemic. During respiration, the chest's outward elastic recoil and the lungs' inward elastic recoil lead to a change of transmural pressure, which drives the lungs to expand and contract to inhale and expel airflow and aerosol. In contrast to research using predefined wall motion, we developed a four-generation acinar model and applied an oscillatory pressure on the model outface to generate structure deformation and airflow. With such tools at hand, we performed a computational simulation that addressed both the airflow characteristic, structural mechanics, and aerosol dynamics in the human pulmonary acinar region. Our results showed that there is no recirculating flow in the sac. The structural displacement and stress were found to be positively related to the change of model volume and peaked at the end of inspiration. It was noteworthy that the stress distribution on the acinar wall was significantly heterogeneous, and obvious concentrations of stress were found at the junction of the alveoli and the ducts or the junction of the alveoli and alveoli in the sac. Our result demonstrated the effect of breathing cycles and aerosol diameter on deposition fraction and location of aerosols in the size range of 0.1-5 μm. Multiple respiratory cycles were found necessary for adequate deposition or escape of submicron particles while having a negligible influence on the transport of large particles, which were dominated by gravity. Our study can provide new insights into the further investigation of airflow, structural mechanics, and aerosol dynamics in the acinar depth.

Toxoplasmosis in ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta) and a peahen (Pavo cristatus) in a zoological collection caused by the common toxoplasma genotype in wild animals in the US

Toxoplasmosis is caused by the ubiquitous Apicomplexan protozoan Toxoplasma gondii. This pathogen affects domestic and wildlife species, but prosimians including ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta) are highly susceptible to infection with high mortality rates. Avian species are considered resistant to infection and are often used in surveillance efforts to determine genotypes of T. gondii present in geographical areas. This study describes the gross and histologic lesions of an outbreak of toxoplasmosis in a university-run zoological collection involving three ring-tailed lemurs and a peahen (Pavo cristatus). DNA was extracted from the liver of the lemurs and peahen to determine the genotype of T. gondii by polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP), which revealed that all samples were ToxoDB PCR-RFLP genotype #5 (haplogroup 12) that is common in wildlife in North America.

In Situ Preparation of Three-Dimensional Porous Nickel Sulfide as a Battery-Type Supercapacitor

A one-step sulfurization method to fabricate Ni₃S₂ nanowires (Ni₃S₂ NWs) directly on a Ni foam (NF) was developed as a simple, low-cost synthesis method for use as a supercapacitor (SC), aimed at optimizing energy storage. Ni₃S₂ NWs have high specific capacity and are considered a promising electrode material for SCs; however, their poor electrical conductivity and low chemical stability limit their applications. In this study, highly hierarchical three-dimensional porous Ni₃S₂ NWs were grown directly on NF by a hydrothermal method. The feasibility of the use of Ni₃S₂/NF as a binder-free electrode for achieving high-performance SCs was examined. Ni₃S₂/NF exhibited a high specific capacity (255.3 mAh g^-1 at a current density of 3 A g^-1), good rate capability (2.9 times higher than that of the NiO/NF electrode), and competitive cycling performance (capacity retention of specific capacity of 72.17% after 5000 cycles at current density of 20 A g^-1). Owing to its simple synthesis process and excellent performance as an electrode material for SCs, the developed multipurpose Ni₃S₂ NWs electrode is expected to be a promising electrode for SC applications. Furthermore, the synthesis method of self-growing Ni₃S₂ NW electrodes on 3D NF via hydrothermal reactions could potentially be applied to the fabrication of SC electrodes using a variety of other transition metal compounds.

Single and combined effects of polystyrene nanoplastics and Cd on submerged plants Ceratophyllum demersum L

Nanoplastics (NPs) and heavy metals are widely distributed in aquatic ecosystem, posing a potential threat to ecosystem function. Submerged macrophytes play an important role in water purification and maintaining ecological functions. However, the coupled effects of NPs and cadmium (Cd) on submerged macrophytes physiology and the mechanisms involved are still unclear. Here, the potential effects of single and co-Cd/PSNPs exposure on Ceratophyllum demersum L. (C. demersum) were explored. Our results showed that NPs aggravated the inhibition of Cd on plant growth ate (a decrease of 35.54 %), reduced chlorophyll synthesis (a decrease of 15.84 %), and disrupted the antioxidant enzyme system (a decrease of 25.07 % on SOD activity) of C. demersum. Massive PSNPs adhered to the surface of C. demersum when exposed to co-Cd/PSNPs while they did not adhere when exposed to single-NPs. The metabolic analysis further demonstrated that co-exposure down-regulated plant cuticle synthesis and that Cd exacerbated the physical damage and shadowing effects of NPs. In addition, co-exposure upregulated pentose phosphate metabolism, leading to the accumulation of starch grains. Furthermore, PSNPs reduced Cd enrichment capacity of C. demersum. Our results unraveled distinct regulatory networks for submerged macrophytes exposed to single and composite of Cd and PSNPs, providing a new theoretical basis for assessing the risks of heavy metals and NPs in the freshwater environment.

A framework for testing pathways from prenatal stress-responsive hormones to cardiovascular disease risk

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a leading cause of death globally, with the prevalence projected to keep rising. Risk factors for adult CVD emerge at least as early as the prenatal period. Alterations in stress-responsive hormones in the prenatal period are hypothesized to contribute to CVD in adulthood, but little is known about relations between prenatal stress-responsive hormones and early precursors of CVD, such as cardiometabolic risk and health behaviors. The current review presents a theoretical model of the relation between prenatal stress-responsive hormones and adult CVD through cardiometabolic risk markers (e.g., rapid catch-up growth, high BMI/adiposity, high blood pressure, and altered blood glucose, lipids, and metabolic hormones) and health behaviors (e.g., substance use, poor sleep, poor diet and eating behaviors, and low physical activity levels). Emerging evidence in human and non-human animal literatures suggest that altered stress-responsive hormones during gestation predict higher cardiometabolic risk and poorer health behaviors in offspring. This review additionally highlights limitations of the current literature (e.g., lack of racial/ethnic diversity, lack of examination of sex differences), and discusses future directions for this promising area of research.

Plasmodium falciparum has evolved multiple mechanisms to hijack human immunoglobulin M

Plasmodium falciparum causes the most severe malaria in humans. Immunoglobulin M (IgM) serves as the first line of humoral defense against infection and potently activates the complement pathway to facilitate P. falciparum clearance. A number of P. falciparum proteins bind IgM, leading to immune evasion and severe disease. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unknown. Here, using high-resolution cryo-electron microscopy, we delineate how P. falciparum proteins VAR2CSA, TM284VAR1, DBLMSP, and DBLMSP2 target IgM. Each protein binds IgM in a different manner, and together they present a variety of Duffy-binding-like domain-IgM interaction modes. We further show that these proteins interfere directly with IgM-mediated complement activation in vitro, with VAR2CSA exhibiting the most potent inhibitory effect. These results underscore the importance of IgM for human adaptation of P. falciparum and provide critical insights into its immune evasion mechanism.

Building an improved transcription factor-centered yeast one hybrid system to identify DNA motifs bound by protein comprehensively

BACKGROUND

Identification of the motifs bound by a transcription factor (TF) is important to reveal the function of TF. Previously, we built a transcription factor centered yeast one hybrid (TF-Centered Y1H) that could identify the motifs bound by a target TF. However, that method was difficult to comprehensively identify all the motifs bound by a TF.

RESULTS

Here, we build an improved TF-Centered Y1H to comprehensively determine the motifs bound by a target TF. Recombination-mediated cloning in yeast was performed to construct a saturated prey library that contains 7 random base insertions. After TF-Centered Y1H screening, all the positive clones were pooled together to isolate pHIS2 vector. The insertion regions of pHIS2 were PCR amplified and the PCR product was subjected to high-throughput sequencing. The insertion sequences were then retrieved and analyzed using MEME program to identify the potential motifs bound by the TF. Using this technology, we studied the motifs bound by an ethylene-responsive factor (BpERF2) from birch. In total, 22 conserved motifs were identified, and most of them are novel cis-acting elements. Both the yeast one hybrid and electrophoretic mobility shift assay verified that the obtained motifs could be bound by BpERF2. In addition, chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) study further suggested that the identified motifs can be bound by BpERF2 in cells of birch. These results together suggested that this technology is reliable and has biological significance.

CONCLUSION

This method will have wide application in DNA-protein interaction studies.

Recognizing schizophrenia using facial expressions based on convolutional neural network

OBJECTIVE

Facial expressions have been served as clinical symptoms to convey mental conditions in psychiatry. This paper proposes to recognize patients with schizophrenia (SCZ) using their facial images based on deep learning algorithm, and to investigate objective differences in facial expressions between SCZ patients and healthy controls using deep learning algorithm and statistical analyses.

METHODS

The study consists of two parts. The first part recruited 106 SCZ patients and 101 healthy controls, and videotaped their facial expressions through a fixed experimental paradigm. The video data were randomly divided into two sets, one for training a convolutional neural network (CNN) with the classification of "healthy control" or "SCZ patient" as output and the other for evaluating the classification result of the trained CNN. In the second part, all facial images of the recruited participants were put into another CNN separately, which was priorly trained with a facial expression database and will output the most likely facial expressions of the recruited participants. Statistical analyses were performed on the obtained facial expressions to find out the objective differences in facial expressions between the two recruited groups.

RESULTS

The trained CNN achieved an overall accuracy of 95.18% for classifying "healthy control" or "SCZ patient." Statistical results on the obtained facial expressions demonstrated that the objective differences between the two recruited groups were statistically significant (p < .05).

CONCLUSIONS

Facial expressions hold great promise as SCZ clues with the help of deep learning algorithm. The proposed approach would be potentially applied to mobile devices for autorecognizing SCZ in the context of clinical and daily life.

Abstract 592: Therapeutical antibody against LILRB2 enhances antitumor immunity by reprogramming M2 macrophage

M2 macrophage is critical in maintaining an immune-suppressive microenvironment inside the tumor. Here we developed a LILRB2 antagonist antibody KA-1769 for reprogramming M2 macrophage to M1 phenotype. KA-1769 binds to LILRB2 with higher affinity (KD=0.67nM) than MK-4830 (KD=7.4nM). And it also binds to LILRB1 with weak affinity (KD=41nM) but not to other LILR family members. KA-1769 blocks bindings of HLA-G to both LILRB1 and LILRB2. Macrophage derived from monocyte with M-CSF stimulation polarizes to M1 phenotype in the presence of KA-1769 by increasing expression of CD86, MHCII, and TNF-α and decreasing expression of CD14, CD206, CD163, and IL-10. KA-1769 accelerates T cell proliferation when co-cultured with macrophage. In a syngeneic Lewis lung carcinoma murine model with LILRB2-transgenic mice, injection of KA-1769 significantly suppressed tumor growth. It decreased the tumor's myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC) and CD4+ CD25+ FoxP3+ Treg population. Based on these preclinical data, KA-1769 is an excellent therapeutical antibody for enhancing antitumor immunity.

Citation Format: Chen Su, Yanping Feng, Hui Zhao, Meng Zhang, Longtan Luo, Feng Hao, Jinying Ning, Guojin Wu. Therapeutical antibody against LILRB2 enhances antitumor immunity by reprogramming M2 macrophage [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 592.

Immunoglobulin M perception by FcμR

Immunoglobulin M (IgM) is the first antibody to emerge during embryonic development and the humoral immune response¹. IgM can exist in several distinct forms, including monomeric, membrane-bound IgM within the B cell receptor (BCR) complex, pentameric and hexameric IgM in serum and secretory IgM on the mucosal surface. FcμR, the only IgM-specific receptor in mammals, recognizes different forms of IgM to regulate diverse immune responses^2-5. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unknown. Here we delineate the structural basis of the FcμR-IgM interaction by crystallography and cryo-electron microscopy. We show that two FcμR molecules interact with a Fcμ-Cμ4 dimer, suggesting that FcμR can bind to membrane-bound IgM with a 2:1 stoichiometry. Further analyses reveal that FcμR-binding sites are accessible in the context of IgM BCR. By contrast, pentameric IgM can recruit four FcμR molecules to bind on the same side and thereby facilitate the formation of an FcμR oligomer. One of these FcμR molecules occupies the binding site of the secretory component. Nevertheless, four FcμR molecules bind to the other side of secretory component-containing secretory IgM, consistent with the function of FcμR in the retrotransport of secretory IgM. These results reveal intricate mechanisms of IgM perception by FcμR.

Recent Advances in Bioorthogonal Click Chemistry for Enhanced PET and SPECT Radiochemistry

Due to their high reaction rate and reliable selectivity, bioorthogonal click reactions have been extensively investigated in numerous research fields, such as nanotechnology, drug delivery, molecular imaging, and targeted therapy. Previous reviews on bioorthogonal click chemistry for radiochemistry mainly focus on ¹⁸F-labeling protocols employed to produce radiotracers and radiopharmaceuticals. In fact, besides fluorine-18, other radionuclides such as gallium-68, iodine-125, and technetium-99m are also used in the field of bioorthogonal click chemistry. Herein, to provide a more comprehensive perspective, we provide a summary of recent advances in radiotracers prepared using bioorthogonal click reactions, including small molecules, peptides, proteins, antibodies, and nucleic acids as well as nanoparticles based on these radionuclides. The combination of pretargeting with imaging modalities or nanoparticles, as well as the clinical translations study, are also discussed to illustrate the effects and potential of bioorthogonal click chemistry for radiopharmaceuticals.