New insight into gut microbiota-derived metabolites to enhance liver regeneration via network pharmacology study

We intended to identify favourable metabolite(s) and pharmacological mechanism(s) of gut microbiota (GM) for liver regeneration (LR) through network pharmacology. We utilized the gutMGene database to obtain metabolites of GM, and targets associated with metabolites as well as LR-related targets were identified using public databases. Furthermore, we performed a molecular docking assay on the active metabolite(s) and target(s) to verify the network pharmacological concept. We mined a total of 208 metabolites in the gutMGene database and selected 668 targets from the SEA (1,256 targets) and STP (947 targets) databases. Finally, 13 targets were identified between 61 targets and the gutMGene database (243 targets). Protein-protein interaction network analysis showed that AKT1 is a hub target correlated with 12 additional targets. In this study, we describe the potential microbe from the microbiota (E. coli), chemokine signalling pathway, AKT1 and myricetin that accelerate LR, providing scientific evidence for further clinical trials.

Clinical outcomes of percutaneous coronary intervention and rotational atherectomy using second generation drug eluting stents: a Korean multicentre analysis

Background

The aim of this study was to compare the clinical outcomes of different second generation drug-eluting stents (DES) in patients with calcified coronary lesions who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention using rotational atherectomy.

Methods

This study was based on a multicentre registry which enrolled patients with calcified coronary artery disease who received RA during between January 2010 and October 2019 from 9 tertiary centres in Korea. The primary outcome was target-vessel failure (TVF), defined as the compositae of cardiac death, target-vessel myocardial infarction (MI), and target-vessel revascularisation (TVR). The secondary outcomes were all-cause death, cardiac death, target vessel MI, TVR, cardiovascular accident, stent thrombosis, and total bleeding.

Results

540 patients who underwent PCI after RA were enrolled and followed up for a median period of 16.1 months. From this registry, 439 patients who were treated using second generation DES were selected for further analysis. They were divided into four groups based on the characteristics of the stents used during the procedure. [Group I cobalt-chromium sirolimus eluting stent (CoCr-SES): Ultimaster 48 & Orsiro 30, Group II platinum-chromium everolimus eluting stent (PtCr-EES): Synergy 93 & Promus 70, Group III cobalt-chromium everolimus eluting stent (CoCr-EES): Xience 105, Group IV zotarolimus eluting stent (ZES): Resolute 93] There was no inter-group difference in procedural success rates, and the primary outcome of TVF showed no difference across the four groups (I: 10.3%, II: 13.5%, III: 13.3%, IV: 15.1%, log-rank p=0.922). Even after multivariate Cox regression analysis, there was no significant difference in TVF, or the secondary outcomes of all-cause death, cardiac death, target vessel MI, TVR, cardiovascular accident, stent thrombosis, and total bleeding.

Conclusions

There was no difference in procedural success rates and clinical outcomes between four different types of second-generation DES (CoCr-SES, PtCr-EES, CoCr-EES, ZES) in patients who underwent PCI using RA.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding sources: None.

Communicating Personal Risk Profiles of Alzheimer's Disease to Older Adults: A Pilot Trial

Communicating personal Alzheimer's disease risk profiles based on validated risk algorithms may improve public knowledge about risk reduction, and initiate action. This proof of concept pilot trial aimed to test whether this is feasible and potentially effective and/or harmful. Older at-risk adults (N=24) were provided with their personal Alzheimer's disease risk profile online, which contained information on their personal risk level, scores and tailored recommendations to manage modifiable risk factors. After receiving the risk profile, participants were significantly more accurate in identifying risk and protective factors, and revised their perceived risk to be lower than their initial estimate. There was no apparent harm seen in psychological distress or dementia-related worry. This shows preliminary support for the feasibility of delivering personal dementia risk profiles to low risk, help-seeking older adults in an online format. A definitive trial examining behavioural outcomes and testing in groups with higher risk profiles is now warranted.

Dissolution enhancement of sorafenib tosylate by co-milling with tetradecanol post-extracted using supercritical carbon dioxide

Sorafenib (SOR) is an important multikinase inhibitor for the treatment of cancers. It is commercially available (Nexavar from Bayer) in the form of sorafenib tosylate (SORt) due to its very low solubility. Studies have been made to further improve the dissolution behavior of the tosylate form (SORt), which could ultimately moderate the currently high daily dose. In the present study, SORt nanoparticles (SORt-NP) were prepared through a process that combined two industrially well-accepted techniques of co-milling and supercritical extraction. SORt was co-milled with hydrophilic polymers and tetradecanol, and the tetradecanol was post-extracted using supercritical carbon dioxide. The process enabled the formation of SORt-NP without using any toxic organic solvents, and the drug/excipient ratio (1:0.38) was substantially higher than determined in other studies (1:5.4-10). The enhanced dissolution behavior of SORt-NP was possible with an optimized number of milling cycles. Combining co-milling and supercritical extraction was able to form overall porous network structures with reduced crystallite size, which accelerated the dissolution of SORt-NP. The current method could be easily extended to other poorly soluble drugs as a general approach to improve their dissolution behaviors.

The metabolic suppressor 3-iodothyronamine enhances lipolysis in 3T3-L1 adipocytes via activation of the adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase/forkhead box O1 signaling pathway

Obesity is a major health concern in modern societies as it is linked to diverse chronic diseases, such as diabetes, cancer, stroke, and skeletomuscular disorders. This study aimed to investigate the lipolytic potency of the metabolic suppressor 3-iodothyronamine (T1AM) and its molecular mechanism in differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Cells stained with Oil Red O showed a remarkable accumulation of lipid droplets by 20-d post-differentiation and a plateau at 26 - 30 day. Treatment with 100 μM T1AM for 6 h increased the liberation of free fatty acids (FFAs) and glycerol (P < 0.05) detected in the culture media. However, this stimulatory effect was significantly suppressed by ATGListatin, an inhibitor of adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL), suggesting that ATGL plays a rate-limiting role in triglyceride (TG) turnover. To understand the lipolytic mechanism, immunoblotting and confocal image analyses of the T1AM-treated and control groups were conducted. The elevated lipolysis was accompanied by increases in the phosphorylation of adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (p-AMPK), nuclear localization of forkhead box O1 (FoxO1), and expression of monoacylglycerol lipase (MGL) protein (P < 0.05). Finally, the treated cells exhibited downregulated expression of acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) relative to p-ACC and increased protein expression of carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1 (CPT1) (P < 0.05). Taken together, T1AM showed lipolytic potency via activation of the AMPK/FoxO1/ATGL/MGL axis for decomposing TGs to FFAs and glycerol and of the AMPK/ACC/CPT1 pathway in facilitating the mobilization of FFAs into the mitochondria, highlighting its therapeutic potential for the treatment of obesity.

A smartphone application for treating depressive symptoms: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Depression is a commonly occurring disorder linked to diminished role functioning and quality of life. The development of treatments that overcome barriers to accessing treatment remains an important area of clinical research as most people delay or do not receive treatment at an appropriate time. The workplace is an ideal setting to roll-out an intervention, particularly given the substantial psychological benefits associated with remaining in the workforce. Mobile health (mhealth) interventions utilising smartphone applications (apps) offer novel solutions to disseminating evidence based programs, however few apps have undergone rigorous testing. The present study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a smartphone app designed to treat depressive symptoms in workers.

METHODS

The present study is a multicentre randomised controlled trial (RCT), comparing the effectiveness of the intervention to that of an attention control. The primary outcome measured will be reduced depressive symptoms at 3 months. Secondary outcomes such as wellbeing and work performance will also be measured. Employees from a range of industries will be recruited via a mixture of targeted social media advertising and Industry partners. Participants will be included if they present with likely current depression at baseline. Following baseline assessment (administered within the app), participants will be randomised to receive one of two versions of the Headgear application: 1) Intervention (a 30-day mental health intervention focusing on behavioural activation and mindfulness), or 2) attention control app (mood monitoring for 30 days). Participants will be blinded to their allocation. Analyses will be conducted within an intention to treat framework using mixed modelling.

DISCUSSION

The results of this trial will provide valuable information about the effectiveness of mhealth interventions in the treatment of depressive symptoms in a workplace context.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

The current trial is registered with the Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ( ACTRN12617000547347 , Registration date: 19/04/2017).

A Dual Phosphodiesterase Inhibitor, Zardaverine (Type 3/4), Enhances Motility of Frozen-thawed Boar Sperm

BACKGROUND

Cryopreserved semen is useful for animal breeding via artificial insemination (AI); however, the use of frozen-thawed boar sperm is limited due to cryodamage.

OBJECTIVE

The goal of this study was to improve post-thaw motility of boar semen by supplementing the thawing medium with a phosphodiesterase inhibitor, Zardaverine.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Thawed boar semen samples were treated with different concentrations of Zardaverine (0, 20, 50, 75, 100 µM) and the motility was evaluated using a computer-assisted sperm analyser. Toxic effects (sperm viability, DNA integrity, mitochondrial activity) were examined by eosin-nigrosin staining, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay and MitoTracker.

RESULTS

Sperm motility values included curvilinear velocity, rectilinear speed, average value, linearity index, straightness index, and progressive motility. The kinetic values were significantly higher with the 50 uM Zardaverine supplementation compared to non-treated control. Furthermore, there were no toxic effects of the Zardaverine treatment.

CONCLUSION

The dual phosphodiesterase inhibitor (type 3/4) Zardaverine significantly enhanced the motility of thawed spermatozoa without adverse effects.

First Measurement of Transverse-Spin-Dependent Azimuthal Asymmetries in the Drell-Yan Process

The first measurement of transverse-spin-dependent azimuthal asymmetries in the pion-induced Drell-Yan (DY) process is reported. We use the CERN SPS 190  GeV/c π^{-} beam and a transversely polarized ammonia target. Three azimuthal asymmetries giving access to different transverse-momentum-dependent (TMD) parton distribution functions (PDFs) are extracted using dimuon events with invariant mass between 4.3  GeV/c^{2} and 8.5  GeV/c^{2}. Within the experimental uncertainties, the observed sign of the Sivers asymmetry is found to be consistent with the fundamental prediction of quantum chromodynamics (QCD) that the Sivers TMD PDFs extracted from DY have a sign opposite to the one extracted from semi-inclusive deep-inelastic scattering (SIDIS) data. We present two other asymmetries originating from the pion Boer-Mulders TMD PDFs convoluted with either the nucleon transversity or pretzelosity TMD PDFs. A recent COMPASS SIDIS measurement was obtained at a hard scale comparable to that of these DY results. This opens the way for possible tests of fundamental QCD universality predictions.

eHealth interventions for the prevention of depression and anxiety in the general population: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Anxiety and depression are associated with a range of adverse outcomes and represent a large global burden to individuals and health care systems. Prevention programs are an important way to avert a proportion of the burden associated with such conditions both at a clinical and subclinical level. eHealth interventions provide an opportunity to offer accessible, acceptable, easily disseminated globally low-cost interventions on a wide scale. However, the efficacy of these programs remains unclear. The aim of this study is to review and evaluate the effects of eHealth prevention interventions for anxiety and depression.

METHOD

A systematic search was conducted on four relevant databases to identify randomized controlled trials of eHealth interventions aimed at the prevention of anxiety and depression in the general population published between 2000 and January 2016. The quality of studies was assessed and a meta-analysis was performed using pooled effect size estimates obtained from a random effects model.

RESULTS

Ten trials were included in the systematic review and meta-analysis. All studies were of sufficient quality and utilized cognitive behavioural techniques. At post-treatment, the overall mean difference between the intervention and control groups was 0.25 (95% confidence internal: 0.09, 0.41; p = 0.003) for depression outcome studies and 0.31 (95% CI: 0.10, 0.52; p = 0.004) for anxiety outcome studies, indicating a small but positive effect of the eHealth interventions. The effect sizes for universal and indicated/selective interventions were similar (0.29 and 0.25 respectively). However, there was inadequate evidence to suggest that such interventions have an effect on long-term disorder incidence rates.

CONCLUSIONS

Evidence suggests that eHealth prevention interventions for anxiety and depression are associated with small but positive effects on symptom reduction. However, there is inadequate evidence on the medium to long-term effect of such interventions, and importantly, on the reduction of incidence of disorders. Further work to explore the impact of eHealth psychological interventions on long-term incidence rates.

Does Internet-based guided-self-help for depression cause harm? An individual participant data meta-analysis on deterioration rates and its moderators in randomized controlled trials

BACKGROUND

Almost nothing is known about the potential negative effects of Internet-based psychological treatments for depression. This study aims at investigating deterioration and its moderators within randomized trials on Internet-based guided self-help for adult depression, using an individual patient data meta-analyses (IPDMA) approach.

METHOD

Studies were identified through systematic searches (PubMed, PsycINFO, EMBASE, Cochrane Library). Deterioration in participants was defined as a significant symptom increase according to the reliable change index (i.e. 7.68 points in the CES-D; 7.63 points in the BDI). Two-step IPDMA procedures, with a random-effects model were used to pool data.

RESULTS

A total of 18 studies (21 comparisons, 2079 participants) contributed data to the analysis. The risk for a reliable deterioration from baseline to post-treatment was significantly lower in the intervention v. control conditions (3.36 v. 7.60; relative risk 0.47, 95% confidence interval 0.29-0.75). Education moderated effects on deterioration, with patients with low education displaying a higher risk for deterioration than patients with higher education. Deterioration rates for patients with low education did not differ statistically significantly between intervention and control groups. The benefit-risk ratio for patients with low education indicated that 9.38 patients achieve a treatment response for each patient experiencing a symptom deterioration.

CONCLUSIONS

Internet-based guided self-help is associated with a mean reduced risk for a symptom deterioration compared to controls. Treatment and symptom progress of patients with low education should be closely monitored, as some patients might face an increased risk for symptom deterioration. Future studies should examine predictors of deterioration in patients with low education.

Observation of a New Narrow Axial-Vector Meson a1(1420)

The COMPASS Collaboration at CERN has measured diffractive dissociation of 190  GeV/c pions into the π(-)π(-)π(+) final state using a stationary hydrogen target. A partial-wave analysis (PWA) was performed in bins of 3π mass and four-momentum transfer using the isobar model and the so far largest PWA model consisting of 88 waves. A narrow peak is observed in the f0(980)π channel with spin, parity and C-parity quantum numbers J(PC)=1(++). We present a resonance-model study of a subset of the spin-density matrix selecting 3π states with J(PC)=2(++) and 4(++) decaying into ρ(770)π and with J(PC)=1(++) decaying into f0(980)π. We identify a new a1 meson with mass (1414(-13)(+15))  MeV/c2 and width (153(-23)(+8))  MeV/c2. Within the final states investigated in our analysis, we observe the new a1(1420) decaying only into f0(980)π, suggesting its exotic nature.

3-Iodothyronamine-mediated metabolic suppression increases the phosphorylation of AMPK and induces fuel choice toward lipid mobilization

Despite broad medical application, induction of artificial hypometabolism in vitro and its biochemical consequence have been rarely addressed. This study aimed to elucidate whether 3-iodothyronamine (T1AM) induces hypometabolism in an in vitro model with activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and whether it leads to a switch in primary fuel from carbohydrates to lipids as observed in in vivo models. Mouse C2C12 myotube and T1AM, a natural derivative of thyroid hormone, were used in this study. The oxygen consumption rate (OCR) decreased in a dose-dependent manner in response to 0-100 μM T1AM for up to 10 h. Upon 6-h of exposure to 75 μM T1AM, the OCR was reduced to 60 vs. ~ 95% for the control. The intracellular [AMP]/[ATP] was 1.35-fold higher in T1AM-treated cells. RT-PCR and immunoblotting analyses revealed that treated cells had upregulated p-AMPK/AMPK (1.8-fold), carnitine palmitoyl transferase 1 mRNA, and pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase, and downregulated acetyl CoA carboxylase (0.4-fold) and pyruvate dehydrogenase phosphatase. The treated cells had darker periodic acid-Schiff staining with 1.2-fold greater glycogen content than controls. Taken together, the hypometabolic response of myotubes to T1AM was dramatic and accompanied by increases in both the relative abundance of AMP and AMPK activation, and fuel choice favoring lipids over carbohydrates. These results are consistent with the general trends observed for rodent models and true hibernators.

Machine learning methods enable predictive modeling of antibody feature:function relationships in RV144 vaccinees

The adaptive immune response to vaccination or infection can lead to the production of specific antibodies to neutralize the pathogen or recruit innate immune effector cells for help. The non-neutralizing role of antibodies in stimulating effector cell responses may have been a key mechanism of the protection observed in the RV144 HIV vaccine trial. In an extensive investigation of a rich set of data collected from RV144 vaccine recipients, we here employ machine learning methods to identify and model associations between antibody features (IgG subclass and antigen specificity) and effector function activities (antibody dependent cellular phagocytosis, cellular cytotoxicity, and cytokine release). We demonstrate via cross-validation that classification and regression approaches can effectively use the antibody features to robustly predict qualitative and quantitative functional outcomes. This integration of antibody feature and function data within a machine learning framework provides a new, objective approach to discovering and assessing multivariate immune correlates.

Celastrol overcomes HSP72 gene silencing-mediated muscle atrophy and induces myofiber preservation

To elucidate a potential anabolic role of heat shock proteins (HSPs) in myofiber preservation, we assessed the effect of HSP70 gene silencing versus its overexpression on skeletal muscle atrophy or rescue. HSP72 gene expression was silenced by pre-treatment with HSP72 siRNA in cultured rat L6 myotubes, and the pro-anabolic effect of HSPs was examined in the absence or presence of the HSP inducer celastrol (CEL). Compared to the negative control (NC), both nuclear accumulation and phosphorylation of heat shock transcription factor 1 remained high under the 6-h treatment of CEL. The HSP72 siRNA treatment significantly decreased HSP72 mRNA and protein expression and myotube diameter. CEL treatment, however, markedly increased the HSP72 expression and rendered the myotube size recovered to the NC level even in the siRNA-treated cells. Moreover, the HSP72 siRNA upregulated forkhead box O3 (FoxO3) expression in the nucleus while CEL increased p-FoxO3 exclusively in the cytoplasm, thus leaving the p-FoxO3/FoxO3 balanced to the NC level by siRNA + CEL treatment. The atrophic effect of HSP72 siRNA was consistent with the upregulation of atrogin-1 and proteasome activity but CEL treatment abrogated such effect by activation of Akt1, ribosomal S6 kinase (S6K) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2), irrespective of HSP72 silencing. These results suggest that CEL-mediated overexpression of HSP72 overcomes the atrophic effect of HSP72 gene silencing via both enhancement of FoxO3 phosphorylation and activation of Akt1-ERK1/2 signaling pathway.

Polyfunctional Fc-effector profiles mediated by IgG subclass selection distinguish RV144 and VAX003 vaccines

The human phase 2B RV144 ALVAC-HIV vCP1521/AIDSVAX B/E vaccine trial, held in Thailand, resulted in an estimated 31.2% efficacy against HIV infection. By contrast, vaccination with VAX003 (consisting of only AIDSVAX B/E) was not protective. Because protection within RV144 was observed in the absence of neutralizing antibody activity or cytotoxic T cell responses, we speculated that the specificity or qualitative differences in Fc-effector profiles of nonneutralizing antibodies may have accounted for the efficacy differences observed between the two trials. We show that the RV144 regimen elicited nonneutralizing antibodies with highly coordinated Fc-mediated effector responses through the selective induction of highly functional immunoglobulin G3 (IgG3). By contrast, VAX003 elicited monofunctional antibody responses influenced by IgG4 selection, which was promoted by repeated AIDSVAX B/E protein boosts. Moreover, only RV144 induced IgG1 and IgG3 antibodies targeting the crown of the HIV envelope V2 loop, albeit with limited coverage of breakthrough viral sequences. These data suggest that subclass selection differences associated with coordinated humoral functional responses targeting strain-specific protective V2 loop epitopes may underlie differences in vaccine efficacy observed between these two vaccine trials.

Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) increases corticosterone in male and female rats

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in the genes for pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) and the PAC1 receptor have been associated with several psychiatric disorders whose etiology has been associated with stressor exposure and/or dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. In rats, exposure to repeated variate stress has been shown to increase PACAP and its cognate PAC1 receptor expression in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), a brain region implicated in anxiety and depression-related behaviors as well as the regulation of HPA axis activity. We have argued that changes in BNST PACAP signaling may mediate the changes in emotional behavior and dysregulation of the HPA axis associated with anxiety and mood disorders. The current set of studies was designed to determine whether BNST PACAP infusion leads to activation of the HPA axis as determined by increases in plasma corticosterone. We observed an increase in plasma corticosterone levels 30min following BNST PACAP38 infusion in male and female rats, which was independent of estradiol (E2) treatment in females, and we found that plasma corticosterone levels were increased at both 30min and 60min, but returned to baseline levels 4h following the highest dose. PACAP38 infusion into the lateral ventricles immediately above the BNST did not alter plasma corticosterone level, and the increased plasma corticosterone following BNST PACAP was not blocked by BNST corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH) receptor antagonism. These results support others suggesting that BNST PACAP plays a key role in regulating stress responses.

Effect of Cytochalasin B pretreatment on developmental potential of ovine oocytes vitrified at the germinal vesicle stage

Oocyte cryopreservation remains a challenge in most mammalian species because of their sensitivities to chilling injuries. Relaxation of the cytoskeleton during vitrification may improve post-thaw viability and pre-implantation embryo development. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of cytochalasin B (CB) pre-treatment before vitrification on viability, frequencies of in vitro fertilisation (IVF) and subsequent development of ovine cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) vitrified at the germinal vesicle (GV) stage using cryoloop. COCs obtained at slaughter were randomly divided into two groups and incubated with or without 7.5µg/mL CB for 60 min. Oocytes from each group were then vitrified using a cryoloop or used as toxicity and controls. Oocytes were then matured, fertilised, and cultured in vitro for 7 days. Viability following vitrifiaction and warming, fertilisation events following IVF and subsequent pre-implantation embryo development were evaluated. No significant differences were observed in survival rates between CB treated and non-treated oocytes in both vitrified and toxicity groups. Frequencies of fertilisation were increased in CB-vitrified group (oocytes pre-treated with CB before vitrification) than those vitrified without CB pre-treatment (57.0% vs 40.7%). Cleavage was significantly lower (P < 0.05) in vitrified and CB-vitrified oocytes at both 24 hpi (12.5% vs 9.1%) and 48 hpi (25.0% vs 16.2%) than in other groups. Based on the numbers of cleaved oocytes, (48 hpi), 16.1% and 18.8% of the cleaved embryos developed to blastocysts in both vitrified and CB-vitrified groups. These values did not differ significantly from those obtained in CB-control group (37.8%). No significant differences were observed in mean cell numbers per blastocyst between all groups. In conclusion, pre-treatment of ovine GV oocytes with cytochalasin B as cytoskeleton stabilizer before vitrification increased frequencies of in vitro fertilisation and subsequently resulted in production of good quality late stage pre-implantation embryos following IVF.

Natural variation in Fc glycosylation of HIV-specific antibodies impacts antiviral activity

While the induction of a neutralizing antibody response against HIV remains a daunting goal, data from both natural infection and vaccine-induced immune responses suggest that it may be possible to induce antibodies with enhanced Fc effector activity and improved antiviral control via vaccination. However, the specific features of naturally induced HIV-specific antibodies that allow for the potent recruitment of antiviral activity and the means by which these functions are regulated are poorly defined. Because antibody effector functions are critically dependent on antibody Fc domain glycosylation, we aimed to define the natural glycoforms associated with robust Fc-mediated antiviral activity. We demonstrate that spontaneous control of HIV and improved antiviral activity are associated with a dramatic shift in the global antibody-glycosylation profile toward agalactosylated glycoforms. HIV-specific antibodies exhibited an even greater frequency of agalactosylated, afucosylated, and asialylated glycans. These glycoforms were associated with enhanced Fc-mediated reduction of viral replication and enhanced Fc receptor binding and were consistent with transcriptional profiling of glycosyltransferases in peripheral B cells. These data suggest that B cell programs tune antibody glycosylation actively in an antigen-specific manner, potentially contributing to antiviral control during HIV infection.

Reduced motor unit discharge rates of maximal velocity dynamic contractions in response to a submaximal dynamic fatigue protocol

Fatigability is highly task dependent wherein motor unit (MU) discharge rates and recruitment thresholds are affected differently depending on whether contractions are performed at maximal or submaximal intensities. Although much is described for isometric tasks, the behavior of MU properties during the production of maximal velocity dynamic contractions following submaximal fatiguing contractions is unknown. In seven young men, we evaluated changes in MU recruitment thresholds and MU discharge rates of the anconeus muscle during both submaximal and maximal dynamic elbow extensions following a submaximal dynamic fatiguing protocol of moderate intensity to velocity task failure. Velocity and power of the maximal dynamic contractions declined ∼45 and ∼55%, respectively, but these variables were unchanged for the submaximal target velocity contractions. Discharge rates of the 12 MUs at task failure were unchanged for submaximal dynamic contractions, but were decreased ∼20% for maximal dynamic and ballistic isometric contractions at task failure. MU recruitment thresholds of submaximal dynamic contractions decreased 52% at task failure, but were similar throughout the fatiguing protocol for maximal contractions. These findings support the concept of a common neural mechanism responsible for the relative declines in MU discharge rate associated with submaximal fatigability in both isometric and dynamic contractions.

High-throughput, multiplexed IgG subclassing of antigen-specific antibodies from clinical samples

In vivo, the activity of antibodies relies critically on properties of both the variable domain, responsible for antigen recognition, and the constant domain, responsible for innate immune recognition. Here, we describe a flexible, microsphere-based array format for capturing information about both functional ends of disease-specific antibodies from complex, polyclonal clinical serum samples. Using minimal serum, we demonstrate IgG subclass profiling of multiple antibody specificities. We further capture and determine the subclass of epitope-specific antibodies. The data generated in this array provides a profile of the humoral immune response with multi-dimensional metrics regarding properties of both variable and constant IgG domains. Significantly, these properties are assessed simultaneously, and therefore information about the relationship between variable and constant domain characteristics is captured, and can be used to predict functions such as antibody effector activity.

Interleukin-8 and its receptor CXCR2 in the tumour microenvironment promote colon cancer growth, progression and metastasis

BACKGROUND

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a leading cause of death in the United States. Increased level of interleukin-8 (IL-8) and CXCR2 on tumours and in the tumour microenvironment has been associated with CRC growth, progression and recurrence in patients. Here, we aimed to evaluate the effects of tissue microenvironment-encoded IL-8 and CXCR2 on colon cancer progression and metastasis.

METHODS

A novel immunodeficient, skin-specific IL-8-expressing transgenic model was generated to evaluate colon cancer growth and metastasis. Syngeneic mouse colon cancer cells were grafted in CXCR2 knockout (KO) mice to study the contribution of CXCR2 in the microenvironment to cancer growth.

RESULTS

Elevated levels of IL-8 in the serum and tumour microenvironment profoundly enhanced the growth of human and mouse colon cancer cells with increased peri-tumoural angiogenesis, and also promoted the extravasation of the cancer cells into the lung and liver. The tumour growth was inhibited in CXCR2 KO mice with significantly reduced tumour angiogenesis and increased tumour necrosis.

CONCLUSION

Increased expression of IL-8 in the tumour microenvironment enhanced colon cancer growth and metastasis. Moreover, the absence of its receptor CXCR2 in the tumour microenvironment prevented colon cancer cell growth. Together, our study demonstrates the critical roles of the tumour microenvironment-encoded IL-8/CXCR2 in colon cancer pathogenesis, validating the pathway as an important therapeutic target.

A hybrid approach to survival model building using integration of clinical and molecular information in censored data

In medical society, the prognostic models, which use clinicopathologic features and predict prognosis after a certain treatment, have been externally validated and used in practice. In recent years, most research has focused on high dimensional genomic data and small sample sizes. Since clinically similar but molecularly heterogeneous tumors may produce different clinical outcomes, the combination of clinical and genomic information, which may be complementary, is crucial to improve the quality of prognostic predictions. However, there is a lack of an integrating scheme for clinic-genomic models due to the P ≥ N problem, in particular, for a parsimonious model. We propose a methodology to build a reduced yet accurate integrative model using a hybrid approach based on the Cox regression model, which uses several dimension reduction techniques, L₂ penalized maximum likelihood estimation (PMLE), and resampling methods to tackle the problem. The predictive accuracy of the modeling approach is assessed by several metrics via an independent and thorough scheme to compare competing methods. In breast cancer data studies on a metastasis and death event, we show that the proposed methodology can improve prediction accuracy and build a final model with a hybrid signature that is parsimonious when integrating both types of variables.

79 DEVELOPMENTAL COMPETENCE OF OVINE OOCYTES VITRIFIED AT GERMINAL VESICLE STAGE: IN VITRO FERTILIZATION, PARTHENOGENETIC ACTIVATION, AND SOMATIC CELL NUCLEAR TRANSFER

Oocyte cryopreservation represents an important development in the field of assisted reproductive technologies. This study investigated the effects of vitrification on spindle morphology following subsequent in vitro maturation (IVM), cleavage, and development following IVF and parthenogenetic activation. The developmental competence of ovine oocytes vitrified at the germinal vesicle (GV) stage, matured, and used as cytoplast recipients for somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) was also determined. Cumulus–oocyte complexes obtained at slaughter were divided into 3 groups: 1) untreated (control), 2) toxicity (exposed to vitrification solutions without freezing), and 3) vitrified (2008 Reprod. Fertil. Dev. 20, 122). At 24 hpm (hours post onset of maturation), oocytes were subjected to 1) immunostaining, 2) IVF, or 3) activation by 2 different protocols [calcium ionophore, cycloheximide, and cytochalasin B (CA+CHX/CB), or strontium and CB (Sr/CB)]. The SCNT was performed as previously described (2010 Reprod. Fertil. Dev. 22, 1000–1014). Presumptive zygotes were cultured in vitro for 7 days. No significant differences (P > 0.05; chi-square) were observed in the frequencies of oocytes with normal spindle configuration between vitrified, toxicity, and control groups (50.0, 54.9, and 70.4%, respectively). Cleavage 24, 48 hpi, and morula development (5 days pi) were significantly decreased (P < 0.01) in the vitrified group (17.3, 42.9, and 36.4%) compared with toxicity (47.0, 85.3, and 60.7%) and control (68.9, 89.7, and 62.6%) groups. Blastocyst development significantly decreased (P < 0.01) in the vitrified group (12.3%) compared with toxicity (42.7%) and control (40.4%) groups. Based on cleaved embryos, no significant difference was observed between vitrified and control groups (29.4 v. 45.1%). Post-activation, cleavage 24 hpa (hours post-activation, 6.2 v. 3.8%) and 48 hpa (28.4 v. 27.5%) was significantly lower (P < 0.05) in vitrified oocytes activated by (CA+CHX/CB and Sr/CB) than other groups. No blastocyst developed from vitrified oocytes activated by CA+CHX/CB; however, 3.8% developed from Sr/CB oocytes. This was significantly (P < 0.05) lower than toxicity and control (20.0 and 27.3%) groups. Following SCNT, high frequencies of enucleation (99%) and fusion (98%) were achieved in vitrified and control groups. Cleavage 24 and 48 hpa significantly decreased (P < 0.05) in the vitrified group (31.0 and 48.0%) compared with the control (55.1 and 85.0%). No significant differences were observed in morula (38.0 v. 46.7%) and blastocyst (13.0 v. 23.4%) development. The proportion of cleaved embryos that developed to blastocyst stages was similar in both groups (27.0%). No significant differences (t-test) were observed in total cell numbers, apoptotic nuclei, and proportion of diploid embryos. In conclusion, ovine oocytes vitrified at GV stage can be matured, fertilized, and develop in vitro with high developmental potential. Strontium can be used effectively for activation of vitrified/thawed ovine oocytes. Vitrified/thawed ovine oocytes were used successfully for the first time as recipient cytoplasts for SCNT and produced high frequencies of good-quality blastocyst stage embryos.