Design, synthesis, and bioevaluation of 1h-pyrrolo[3,2-c]pyridine derivatives as colchicine-binding site inhibitors with potent anticancer activities

A new series of 1H-pyrrolo[3,2-c]pyridine derivatives were designed and synthesised as colchicine-binding site inhibitors. Preliminary biological evaluations showed that most of the target compounds displayed moderate to excellent antitumor activities against three cancer cell lines (HeLa, SGC-7901, and MCF-7) in vitro. Among them, 10t exhibited the most potent activities against three cancer cell lines with IC50 values ranging from 0.12 to 0.21 μM. Tubulin polymerisation experiments indicated that 10t potently inhibited tubulin polymerisation at concentrations of 3 μM and 5 μM, and immunostaining assays revealed that 10t remarkably disrupted tubulin microtubule dynamics at a concentration of 0.12 μM. Furthermore, cell cycle studies and cell apoptosis analyses demonstrated that 10t at concentrations of 0.12 μM, 0.24 μM, and 0.36 μM significantly caused G2/M phase cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. The results of molecular modelling studies suggested that 10t interacts with tubulin by forming hydrogen bonds with colchicine sites Thrα179 and Asnβ349. In addition, the prediction of physicochemical properties disclosed that 10t conformed well to the Lipinski's rule of five.

A liquid crystal in situ gel based on rotigotine for the treatment of Parkinson's disease

One of the most common neurodegenerative illnesses is Parkinson's disease (PD). Rotigotine (RTG) is a dopamine agonist that exerts anti-Parkinsonian effects through dopamine receptor agonism to improve motor symptoms and overall performance in PD patients. In this study, an in situ liquid crystal gel called rotigotine-gel (RTG-gel) was developed using soya phosphatidyl choline (SPC) and glycerol dioleate (GDO) to provide long-acting slow-release benefits of rotigotine while minimizing side effects. This study prepared the RTG-gel precursor solution using SPC, GDO, and ethanol (in the ratio of 54:36:10, w/w/w). The internal structures of the gel were confirmed by crossed-polarized light microscopy (PLM), small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The rheological properties of the RTG-gel precursor solution indicate a favorable combination of low viscosity and excellent flowability. The gel that produced during water absorption was also highly viscous and structurally stable, which helped to maintain the drug delayed release at the injection site. In vitro release assays showed that the in vitro release of RTG-gel followed Ritger-Peppas. The RTG-gel precursor solution was administered by subcutaneous injection, and the results of in vivo pharmacokinetic tests in SD rats showed that the plasma elimination half-life (t1/2) was 59.28 ± 16.08 h; the time to peak blood concentration (Tmax) was 12.00 ± 10.32 h, and the peak concentration (Cmax) was 29.9 ± 10.10 ng/mL. The blood concentration remained above 0.1 ng/mL for 20 days after administration and was still detectable after 31 days of administration, and the bioavailability of RTG can reach 72.59%. The results of in vitro solvent exchange tests showed that the RTG-gel precursor solution undergoes rapid exchange upon contact with PBS, and the diffusion of ethanol can reach 48.1% within 60 min and 80% within 8 h. The results of cytotoxicity test showed 89.27 ± 4.32% cell survival after administration of the drug using RTG-gel. The results of tissue extraction at the administration site showed that healing of the injection site without redness and hemorrhage could be observed after 14 days of injection. The results of tissue section of the administered site showed that the inflammatory cells decreased and granulation tissue appeared after 14 days of administration, and there was basically no inflammatory cell infiltration after 35 days of administration, and the inflammatory reaction was basically eliminated. It shows that RTG-gel has some irritation to the injection site, but it can be recovered by itself in the later stage, and it has good biocompatibility. In summary, RTG-gel might be a potential RTG extended-release formulation for treating PD.

Spin Unlocked Vortex Beam Generation on Nonlinear Chiroptical Metasurfaces

Optical vortices with spin and orbital angular momentum (SAM and OAM) states offer multiple degrees of freedom for manipulating optical fields and thus enable great potentials in optical information processing. Recently, the optical metasurface has become an important platform for vortex beam generation and steering. However, the strong spin-orbit interaction on such metasurfaces usually leads to spin locked OAM generation, which limits the complete control of the angular momentum state of light. Here, we propose to solve this constraint using geometric phase controlled nonlinear chiroptical metasurfaces. The metasurface consists of two types of plasmonic meta-atoms which have opposite handedness and exhibit a strong spin-dependent circular dichroism effect. By encoding specific phase singularities and phase gradients to different channels, we experimentally demonstrate the spin unlocked second harmonic beam steering. The proposed nonlinear chiroptical metasurfaces may have important applications in developing multifunctional nonlinear optical devices.

Dispersive hierarchically porous composites based on defective MOFs as mixed-mode stationary phases for chromatographic separation

Defective metal-organic frameworks-based composites with excellent separation properties were obtained. The mesoporous metal-organic frameworks were selected and deliberately designed to be deficient, and they were then combined with polyacrylamide to be modified on the surface of silica microspheres. The prepared composites were employed as mixed-mode stationary phase in chromatographic separation, and they were compared to both conventional microporous metal-organic framework-based columns and commercial columns. It showed improved selectivity and retention toward both hydrophilic and hydrophobic analytes, allowing for the effective separation of nine nucleosides and nucleobases, eight alkaloids, six antibiotics, and five alkylbenzenes. Additionally, the column was used to effectively separate the active ingredients in the daring substance of honeysuckle, revealing a wide range of possible applications. For the same batch of analytes, three batches of distinct materials demonstrated consistent separation effects. It also demonstrated excellent chromatographic repeatability and stability, with relative standard deviations of the retention time and/or column efficiency being found to be less than 0.8% and 0.9%, respectively. The dispersive hierarchically porous composites were demonstrated to be effective in chromatographic separation, and the results expanded the potential uses of defective MOFs with dispersed multi-level pores.

Adenosine-modulating synthetic high-density lipoprotein for chemoimmunotherapy of triple-negative breast cancer

Adenosine (ADO) is a common chemotherapy-associated immune checkpoint that hinders anti-tumor immunity-mediated efficacy of chemotherapy. Herein, we created a synthetic high-density lipoprotein (sHDL) by co-assembly of a doxorubicin (DOX)-apolipoprotein A1 mimetic peptide conjugate, PSB-603 (an A2BR inhibitor), phospholipid, and cholesterol oleate with a microfluidic-based method. The obtained DP-sHDL showed a self-promoted drug delivery to cancer cells via remodeling tumor microenvironment. DP-sHDL could trigger the release of ATP from cancer cells and inhibit its conversion into ADO. Consequently, DP-sHDL, while increasing immunogenic cell death, reduced intratumoral ADO levels by 58%. This treatment improved both the density and activity of CD8+ T cells as well as NK cells and relieved the immunosuppressive microenvironment, and led to a substantial inhibition of 4T1 tumor growth, thereby extending the survival of mice. The efficacy of DP-sHDL could be further improved when used in combination with immune checkpoint blockade therapy. We envision that this platform provides a simple yet promising strategy to enhance anti-tumor response of chemotherapy by relieving treatment-associated immunosuppression.

A promising natural product in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma therapy by targeting PIM1

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common and aggressive type of B-cell lymphoma. Unfortunately, about one-third of patients either relapse after the initial treatment or are refractory to first-line therapy, indicating a need for new treatment modalities. PIM serine/threonine kinases are proteins that are associated with genetic mutations, overexpression, or translocation events in B-cell lymphomas. We conducted an integrative analysis of whole-exome sequencing in 52 DLBCL patients, and no amplification, mutation, or translocation of the PIM1 gene was detected. Instead, analyses of TCGA and GTEx databases identified that PIM1 expression was increased in DLBCL samples compared to normal tissue, and high expression levels were associated with poor overall survival. Moreover, interference of PIM1 significantly suppressed DLBCL cell proliferation. In addition, we identified anwulignan, a natural small-molecule compound, as a PIM1 inhibitor. Anwulignan directly binds to PIM1 and exerts antitumor effects on DLBCL in vitro and in vivo by inducing apoptosis, cell cycle arrest, and autophagic cell death. Furthermore, we identified an effective synergistic combination between anwulignan and chidamide. Our findings suggested that PIM1 could be a therapeutic target and prognostic factor for DLBCL, and anwulignan holds promise for future development as a natural product for treatment.

Perceived Epidemic Impacts and Mental Symptom Trajectories in Adolescents Back to School After COVID-19 Restriction: A Longitudinal Latent Class Analysis

PURPOSE

This study aimed to assess the impacts of COVID-19 epidemic on various life aspects and identify the trajectories of common mental symptoms among adolescents back to school after COVID-19 restriction. Furthermore, potential predictors associated with those trajectories were investigated.

METHODS

This longitudinal study, with five data collection points and a total follow-up of 68.4 days, was conducted among 1,393 junior high school students (mean age: 13.8 years; male, 53.3%) shortly after school reopened during the first COVID-19 outbreak in China. Questions on sociodemographics and perceived COVID-19 epidemic impacts were completed at the baseline while the Patient Health Questionnaire, Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale, and Insomnia Severity Index were measured throughout the study for depression, anxiety, and insomnia symptoms, respectively. Trajectories of mental symptoms were classified by longitudinal latent class analysis, and the associated predictive factors were identified with multinomial regression modelling.

RESULTS

Our study revealed high but steadily declining prevalence of depression, anxiety, and insomnia symptoms (p trend < .001). Five distinctive trajectories were identified for both depression and anxiety ("resistance," "low symptom," "recovery," "chronic dysfunction," and "delayed dysfunction") and three for insomnia ("resistance," "low symptom," and "chronic dysfunction"). Besides the significant association between the mental symptom trajectories and students' perceived COVID-19 impacts on study practice, family income, and family relationship, female gender, lower school grade, and higher body mass index were found to be predictive of high severity trajectories.

DISCUSSION

Our findings may help locate the most psychologically vulnerable adolescents during the epidemic and foster better implementation of targeted intervention.

Application of the New Irrigation Protocol to Reduce Recurrence Rate in the Management Of Periprosthetic Joint Infection

OBJECTIVE

Irrigation is a conventional treatment for acute and chronic periprosthetic joint infections (PJI). However, there has been no unified standard for irrigation during surgery for PJI in the past, and the efficacy is uncertain. The purpose of this study is to create a new irrigation protocol to enhance the infection control rate and reduce the postoperative recurrence rate of PJI patients.

METHODS

We conducted a single-institution retrospective review with a total of 56 patients who underwent revision total hip or knee arthroplasties due to PJI from January 2011 to January 2022. Conventional irrigation (CI) was used in 32 cases, and standard operating procedure of irrigation (SOPI) was used in 24. The CI protocol carries out an empirical irrigation after debridement, which is quite random. Our SOPI protocol clearly stipulates the soaking concentration and time of hydrogen peroxide and povidone-iodine. The irrigation is carried out three times, and tissue samples are taken from multiple parts before and after irrigation, which are sent for microbial culture. The important statistical indicators were the rate of positive microbiological culture and postoperative recurrence rate with an average follow-up of 24 average months.

RESULTS

The drainage volume was lower in the SOPI group than in the CI group on postoperative day 3 (p < 0.01) and 7 (p = 0.016). In addition, the percentage of positive microbiological cultures after the third irrigation was less than that before (p < 0.01) and after (p < 0.01) the first irrigation. The most common causative organism was Staphylococcus aureus, which was detected in 25.0% and 12.5% of the SOPI and CI groups, respectively. The failure rate at the final follow-up was 8.3% and 31.3% (p = 0.039) for the SOPI and CI groups, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Compared with the traditional CI method, SOPI standardized the soaking time of hydrogen peroxide and povidone-iodine, increased the frequency of and irrigation, and proved that microorganisms were almost completely removed through the microbial culture of multiple tissues. SOPI has the potential to become a standardized irrigation process worthy of promotion, effectively reducing the postoperative recurrence rate of PJI patients.

Reliable and fast automatic artifact rejection of Long-Term EEG recordings based on Isolation Forest

Long-term electroencephalogram (Long-Term EEG) has the capacity to monitor over a long period, making it a valuable tool in medical institutions. However, due to the large volume of patient data, selecting clean data segments from raw Long-Term EEG for further analysis is an extremely time-consuming and labor-intensive task. Furthermore, the various actions of patients during recording make it difficult to use algorithms to denoise part of the EEG data, and thus lead to the rejection of these data. Therefore, tools for the quick rejection of heavily corrupted epochs in Long-Term EEG records are highly beneficial. In this paper, a new reliable and fast automatic artifact rejection method for Long-Term EEG based on Isolation Forest (IF) is proposed. Specifically, the IF algorithm is repetitively applied to detect outliers in the EEG data, and the boundary of inliers is promptly adjusted by using a statistical indicator to make the algorithm proceed in an iterative manner. The iteration is terminated when the distance metric between clean epochs and artifact-corrupted epochs remains unchanged. Six statistical indicators (i.e., min, max, median, mean, kurtosis, and skewness) are evaluated by setting them as centroid to adjust the boundary during iteration, and the proposed method is compared with several state-of-the-art methods on a retrospectively collected dataset. The experimental results indicate that utilizing the min value of data as the centroid yields the most optimal performance, and the proposed method is highly efficacious and reliable in the automatic artifact rejection of Long-Term EEG, as it significantly improves the overall data quality. Furthermore, the proposed method surpasses compared methods on most data segments with poor data quality, demonstrating its superior capacity to enhance the data quality of the heavily corrupted data. Besides, owing to the linear time complexity of IF, the proposed method is much faster than other methods, thus providing an advantage when dealing with extensive datasets.

UPLC-Q-Exactive/MS based analysis explore the correlation between components variations and anti-influenza virus effect of four quantified extracts of Chaihu Guizhi decoction

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Chaihu Guizhi decoction (CGD) is a classic Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) prescription for the treatment of influenza and fever, composes of Bupleuri Radix (Chaihu), Cinnamomi Ramulus (Guizhi), Scutellariae Radix (Huangqin), Codonopsis Radix (Dangshen), Glycyrrhizae Radix Et Rhizoma Praeparata Cum Melle (Zhigancao), Pinelliae Rhizoma Praeparatum (Fabanxia), Zingiberis Rhizoma Recens (Shengjiang), Paeoniae Radix Alba (Baishao) and Jujubae Fructus (Dazao) in the ratio of 12:4.5:4.5:4.5:3:6:4.5:4.5:4. The efficacy of TCM, if there are differences, depends on the different extraction methods and extracted components.

AIM OF THE STUDY

This study was to evaluate the anti-influenza virus effect of CGD extracts with different extraction methods, analyze the components and explore their correlation.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

CGD were prepared with four extraction methods respectively, the traditional decoction (TD), two steps alcohol-water extraction (AWE), alcohol reflux extraction (AE) and water reflux extraction (WE). Based on the influenza mouse model, the efficacy of anti-influenza virus in vivo of the four CGD extracts were evaluated with the therapeutic index of body weight, rectal temperature, lung index, thymus index and lung viral load of mice. The chemical components in four CGD extracts, and compounds absorbed in rats blood with prototypes or metabolites were identified by UPLC-Q-Exactive/MS. The partial least squares (PLS) method was used to explore the correlation between the components variation in CGD extracts and the comprehensive efficacy index. The potential effective components were further accessed by molecular docking.

RESULTS

Comparing with the other three extracts, AWE has the best anti-influenza effect. It could ameliorate the symptoms caused by influenza virus infection in mice, increase body weight and rectal temperature, reduce the lung index and virus load in lung tissue. 129, 144, 140 and 129 components were identified from TD, AWE, AE, and WE respectively. The identified components were mainly including flavonoids, terpenoids, organic acids, phenylpropanoids, amino acids, nucleosides, phenols, alkaloids, etc. 43 prototypes and 49 metabolites of CGD were detected in rat plasma after oral administration. Seven components, cinnamaldehyde, wogonoside, baicalin, baicalein, gallic acid, oroxylinA-7-O-glucuronide and coumarin, showed significant correlation with anti-influenza effects, all of which had good binding activity with NA, IL-6, STAT3, AKT1, EGFR and TNF.

CONCLUSION

Two steps alcohol-water extraction was optimal for CGD preparation. Cinnamaldehyde, wogonoside, oroxylinA-7-O-glucuronide, coumarin, gallic acid, baicalein and baicalin play a certain essential role in anti-influenza effects and may be taken as a potential maker compounds for quality evaluation of CGD.

Single scanning of CBCT and intraoral scanning for guided implantation in terminal dentitions with multi-unit metal restorations: technical note

When anatomical landmarks are missing or obstructed by metal artefacts, it is challenging to accurately merge cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) and intraoral scanning (IOS) information, and the accuracy of the implant surgical guides would be compromised. This article describes a novel technical note using oral wound dressings and flowable resin as additional new radiopaque fiducial landmarks to design surgical guides for full-arch immediate implant placement. This technical note provided an accurate, convenient, and cost-effective option for the clinician.

Constructing nursing quality indicators for intraoperative acquired pressure injury in cancer patients based on guidelines

Cancer patients have a high incidence of intraoperative acquired pressure injury (IAPI). Constructing IAPI quality indicators can reduce the incidence of pressure injury, but there are a lack of these indicators targeting cancer patients. Based on this, this study develops a system of quality indicators for IAPI. Thirty-four potential indicators were included based on the literature review. The 26 experts were asked to rate the importance and feasibility of each indicator using three rounds of email survey. The authoritative coefficient ranged from 0.92 to 0.94. After three rounds of Delphi expert consultation, nine nursing quality indicators were identified for IAPI in cancer patients. The mean importance or feasibility ratings ranged from 4.77 to 5.81 on a six-point scale, with variation coefficients ranging from 0.07 to 0.26. The percentage of full score for potential indicators ranged from 23.10% to 80.80%. Over three rounds, the Kendall's W coefficients ranged from 0.157 to 0.354 (P < .01). The absolute and relative importance and feasibility of the nine indicators were identified as potentially valid measures of nursing quality indicators for IAPI in cancer patients. This instrument is the first set of IAPI quality indicators developed specifically for cancer patients, and it should be useful for evaluating and improving the quality of IAPI in this population.

FBLN5 was Regulated by PRDM9, and Promoted Senescence and Osteogenic Differentiation of Human Periodontal Ligament Stem Cells

OBJECTIVES

Periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs) are ideal seed cells for periodontal tissue regeneration. Our previous studies have indicated that the histone methyltransferase PRDM9 plays an important role in human periodontal ligament stem cells (hPDLSCs). Whether FBLN5, which is a downstream gene of PRDM9, also has a potential impact on hPDLSCs is still unclear.

METHODS

Senescence was assessed using β-galactosidase and Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Osteogenic differentiation potential of hPDLSCs was measured through Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity assay and Alizarin red detection, while gene expression levels were evaluated using western blot and RT-qPCR analysis.

RESULTS

FBLN5 overexpression promoted the osteogenic differentiation and senescence of hPDLSCs. FBLN5 knockdown inhibited the osteogenic differentiation and senescence of hPDLSCs. Knockdown of PRDM9 decreased the expression of FBLN5 in hPDLSCs and inhibited senescence of hPDLSCs. Additionally, both FBLN5 and PRDM9 promoted the expression of phosphorylated p38 MAPK, Erk1/2 and JNK. The p38 MAPK pathway inhibitor SB203580 and the Erk1/2 pathway inhibitor PD98059 have the same effects on inhibiting the osteogenic differentiation and senescence of hPDLSCs. The JNK pathway inhibitor SP600125 reduced the senescence of hPDLSCs.

CONCLUSION

FBLN5 promoted senescence and osteogenic differentiation of hPDLSCs via activation of the MAPK signaling pathway. FBLN5 was positively targeted by PRDM9, which also activated the MAPK signaling pathway.

Novel Pt(IV) prodrug self-assembled nanoparticles with enhanced blood circulation stability and improved antitumor capacity of oxaliplatin for cancer therapy

Pt(IV) compounds are regarded as prodrugs of active Pt(II) drugs (i.e. cisplatin, carboplatin, and oxaliplatin) and burgeoned as the most ideal candidates to substitute Pt(II) anticancer drugs with severe side effects. Nanoparticle drug delivery systems have been widely introduced to deliver Pt(IV) prodrugs more effectively and safely to tumors, but clinical outcomes were unpredictable owing to limited in vivo pharmacokinetics understanding. Herein, a novel Pt(IV) prodrug of oxaliplatin(OXA) was synthesized and prepared as self-assembled micellar nanoparticles(PEG-OXA NPs). In vitro, PEG-OXA NPs rapidly released biologically active OXA within 5 min in tumor cells while remaining extremely stable in whole blood or plasma. Importantly, the pharmacokinetic results showed that the AUC_0-∞, and t_1/2 values of PEG-OXA NPs were 1994 ± 117 h·µg/mL and 3.28 ± 0.28 h, respectively, which were much higher than that of free OXA solution (2.03 ± 0.55 h·µg/mL and 0.16 ± 0.07 h), indicating the longer drug circulation of PEG-OXA NPs in vivo. The altered pharmacokinetic behavior of PEG-OXA NPs remarkably contributed to improve antitumor efficacy, decrease systemic toxicity and increase tumor growth inhibition compared to free OXA. These findings establish that PEG-OXA NPs have the potential to offer a desirable self-delivery platform of platinum drugs for anticancer therapeutics.

BMP6 participates in the pathogenesis of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis by regulating osteopenia

Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is a complex disease characterized by three-dimensional structural deformities of the spine. Its pathogenesis is associated with osteopenia. Bone-marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) play an important role in bone metabolism. We detected 1919 differentially expressed mRNAs and 744 differentially expressed lncRNAs in BMSCs from seven patients with AIS and five patients without AIS via high-throughput sequencing. Multiple analyses identified bone morphogenetic protein-6 (BMP6) as a hub gene that regulates the abnormal osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs in AIS. BMP6 expression was found to be decreased in AIS and its knockdown in human BMSCs significantly altered the degree of osteogenic differentiation. Additionally, CAP1-217 has been shown to be a potential upstream regulatory molecule of BMP6. We showed that CAP1-217 knockdown downregulated the expression of BMP6 and the osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs. Simultaneously, knockout of BMP6 in zebrafish embryos significantly increased the deformity rate. The findings of this study suggest that BMP6 is a key gene that regulates the abnormal osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs in AIS via the CAP1-217/BMP6/RUNX2 axis.

The role of perivascular adipose tissue-secreted adipocytokines in cardiovascular disease

Perivascular adipose tissue and the vessel wall are connected through intricate bidirectional paracrine and vascular secretory signaling pathways. The secretion of inflammatory factors and oxidative products by the vessel wall in the diseased segment has the ability to influence the phenotype of perivascular adipocytes. Additionally, the secretion of adipokines by perivascular adipose tissue exacerbates the inflammatory response in the diseased vessel wall. Therefore, quantitative and qualitative studies of perivascular adipose tissue are of great value in the context of vascular inflammation and may provide a reference for the assessment of cardiovascular ischemic disease.

The lung-gut crosstalk in respiratory and inflammatory bowel disease

Both lung and gut belong to the common mucosal immune system (CMIS), with huge surface areas exposed to the external environment. They are the main defense organs against the invasion of pathogens and play a key role in innate and adaptive immunity. Recently, more and more evidence showed that stimulation of one organ can affect the other, as exemplified by intestinal complications during respiratory disease and vice versa, which is called lung-gut crosstalk. Intestinal microbiota plays an important role in respiratory and intestinal diseases. It is known that intestinal microbial imbalance is related to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), this imbalance could impact the integrity of the intestinal epithelial barrier and leads to the persistence of inflammation, however, gut microbial disturbances have also been observed in respiratory diseases such as asthma, allergy, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and respiratory infection. It is not fully clarified how these disorders happened. In this review, we summarized the latest examples and possible mechanisms of lung-gut crosstalk in respiratory disease and IBD and discussed the strategy of shaping intestinal flora to treat respiratory diseases.

Purification Effect of PES-C Ultrafiltration Membrane Incorporated with Emodin on Acanthopanax Senticosus Injection

A new PES-C/emodin ultrafiltration membrane was prepared by blending natural emodin with phenolphthalein polyethersulfone (PES-C) and was used to purify an acanthopanax senticosus injection in this study. Regarding the purified acanthopanax senticosus injection, its color became lighter, and its clarity increased. On the contrary, for an acanthopanax senticosus injection containing macromolecules, its color deepened, and its turbidity increased. Thermal stability of the purified acanthopanax senticosus injection was the best, followed by the original solution of the acanthopanax senticosus injection, and the acanthopanax senticosus injection containing macromolecules was the worst. The fingerprint spectrum of the purified acanthopanax senticosus injection was similar to the original solution of the acanthopanax senticosus injection, the relative peak area of each single peak was greater than 0.95, and the relative peak area of the total peak was greater than 0.96. Compared with the original solution of the acanthopanax senticosus injection, the histamine release amount and cell degranulation rate of the acanthopanax senticosus injection containing macromolecules increased, while those of the purified acanthopanax senticosus injection decreased, which reduced the risk of allergic reaction to a certain extent. "Inverse proof" confirmed that the acanthopanax senticosus injection containing macromolecules had certain liver and kidney toxicity, which indirectly proved that the liver and kidney toxicity of the purified acanthopanax senticosus injection was effectively reduced.

Clinicopathological features and correlation analysis of male breast cancer

To analyze and compare the clinicopathological characteristics of male breast cancer (MBC) among Chinese patients and those from East Asia and other regions. Clinicopathological data from 3 kinds of data sources, including 31 MBC patients in Jiangsu Provincial Hospital (JPH) from 2014 to 2021 in China, 20 literature data on East Asian MBC patients from 2014 to 2021, and 3102 MBC patients registered in the surveillance, epidemiology, and end results (SEER) database from 2014 to 2019, were collected and retrospectively analyzed. The average ages of first-diagnosis MBC patients in JPH and East Asian patients were 59.7 and 62.3 years old, respectively, which were younger than those of SEER patients (66.5 years old). Between East Asian and SEER patients, the status or rates of main breast cancer type, estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2, breast subtype, and TNM stage were relatively close, and their differences were not statistically significant (P > .05). Differences were observed in chemotherapy, surgery, pathological grade, and lymph node positivity (P < .01). Furthermore, no statistically significant difference was observed between the JPH and East Asian patients (all P > .05). In JPH and SEER, linear regression relationships were observed between the lymph node positivity rate, tumor size, and histological grade. JPH and East Asian MBC patients were younger than SEER patients. Between East Asian and SEER patients, the status of the main breast cancer type, estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2, breast subtype, and TNM stage were similar, but there were differences in chemotherapy, surgery, pathological grade, and lymph node positivity. The findings of this study should prove to be helpful to deepen our understanding of East Asian MBC.

Adsorption Characteristics of Heavy Metals Pb2+ and Zn2+ by Magnetic Biochar Obtained from Modified AMD Sludge

Acid mine drainage (AMD) sludge can be used to prepare adsorbent materials for the removal of heavy metals in water, which is an effective means for its resource utilization. Magnetic modified biochar (MMB), which can be recovered by magnetic separation, was prepared from sludge generated from the carbonate rock neutralization treatment of AMD and rice straw agricultural waste. Unmodified biochar (UMB) was obtained from rice straw and chemically modified and treated by ultraviolet radiation to produce MMB. The Pb²⁺ and Zn²⁺ adsorption capacities of UMB and MMB were investigated. Simultaneously, the materials were characterized by SEM, FTIR, BET, and ZETA. The results showed that the specific surface area (130.89 m²·g^-1) and pore volume (0.22 m²·g^-1) of MMB were significantly increased compared to those of UMB (9.10 m²·g^-1 and 0.05 m²·g^-1, respectively). FTIR images showed that MMB was successfully loaded with Fe₃O₄. The adsorption process of Pb²⁺ and Zn²⁺ onto MMB was consistent with the Langmuir adsorption isotherm and second-order kinetic models, with maximum adsorption capacities of 329.65 mg·g^-1 and 103.67 mg·g^-1, respectively. In a binary system of Pb²⁺ and Zn²⁺, MMB preferentially binds Pb²⁺. The adsorption efficiencies of MMB reached >80% for Pb²⁺ and Zn²⁺.

Effects of theophylline combined with inhaled corticosteroids on patients with moderate and severe asthma and changes of T lymphocyte subsets in peripheral blood

Introduction

Asthma is a common respiratory disease. Theophylline combined with inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) is a promising therapy for asthma. This study explored the therapeutic effects of ICS combined with theophylline on moderate and severe asthma patients and T lymphocyte subsets (CD3+CD8+ T cells) in peripheral blood.

Material and methods

A total of 202 moderate and severe asthma patients were selected, with 101 treated with theophylline combined with ICS and 101 treated with ICS alone as controls. Lung function [forced expiratory volume within 1 second (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), and peak expiratory flow (PEF)] were tested using a spirometer. Asthma symptom control was evaluated by asthma control tests (ACT). The life quality was evaluated using the Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (AQLQ). The number and percentage of CD3+ T, CD3+CD4+ T and CD3+CD8+ T cells in peripheral blood mononuclear cells were assessed by flow cytometry. The correlation between CD3+CD8+ T cells and lung function and asthma control of patients after combination therapy was analyzed by Pearson correlation analysis.

Results

Compared with moderate and severe patients treated with ICS alone, theophylline improved the efficacy of ICS. Theophylline combined with ICS decreased IL-4 and IL-6 levels, and CD3+ T and CD3+CD8+ T cell number and percentage. After combined treatment, CD3+ CD8+ T cells in peripheral blood of patients were positively correlated with lung function and negatively correlated with asthma control.

Conclusions

The additional use of theophylline improved the efficacy of corticosteroids in asthma patient treatment and reduced inflammation level and CD3+ T and CD3+CD8+ T cell contents in peripheral blood.

Pathologically high intraocular pressure induces mitochondrial dysfunction through Drp1 and leads to retinal ganglion cell PANoptosis in glaucoma

Glaucoma is a common neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive retinal ganglion cell (RGC) loss and visual field defects. Pathologically high intraocular pressure (ph-IOP) is an important risk factor for glaucoma, and it triggers molecularly distinct cascades that control RGC death and axonal degeneration. Dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1)-mediated abnormalities in mitochondrial dynamics are involved in glaucoma pathogenesis; however, little is known about the precise pathways that regulate RGC injury and death. Here, we aimed to investigate the role of the ERK1/2-Drp1-reactive oxygen species (ROS) axis in RGC death and the relationship between Drp1-mediated mitochondrial dynamics and PANoptosis in ph-IOP injury. Our results suggest that inhibiting the ERK1/2-Drp1-ROS pathway is a potential therapeutic strategy for treating ph-IOP-induced injuries. Furthermore, inhibiting Drp1 can regulate RGC PANoptosis by modulating caspase3-dependent, nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor-containing pyrin domain 3(NLRP3)-dependent, and receptor-interacting protein (RIP)-dependent pathways in the ph-IOP model. Overall, our findings provide new insights into possible protective interventions that could regulate mitochondrial dynamics to improve RGC survival.

Patient-specific 3D printed models for enhanced learning of immediate implant procedures and provisionalization

INTRODUCTION

This study aimed to describe the fabrication, implementation and evaluation of 3D-printed patient-specific models for unskilled students to enhance learning in immediate implant procedures and provisionalization.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The individualized simulation models were designed and processed based on CT and digital intraoral scanning of a patient. Thirty students performed simulation implant surgery and provisionalized the implant sites on the models and answered questionnaires to assess their perceptions before and after the training. The scores of the questionnaires were analysed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test.

RESULTS

Significant differences before and after training were found in the students' responses. Students reported better results in understanding of surgical procedures, knowledge in prosthetically driven implantology, understanding of minimally invasive tooth extraction, confirming the accuracy of surgical template, usage of the guide rings and usage of the surgical cassette after simulation training. The overall expenditure on the simulation training involving 30 students amounted to 342.5 USD.

CONCLUSIONS

The patient-specific and cost-efficient 3D printed models are helpful for students to improve theoretical knowledge and practical skills. Such individualized simulation models have promising application prospects.

Clinicopathological characteristics and cancer-specific prognosis of primary pulmonary lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma: a population study of the US SEER database and a Chinese hospital

Introduction

Primary pulmonary lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma (PPLELC) is a rare histological type of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), which accounts for less than 1% of NSCLC. Currently, there is no well-recognized treatment guideline for PPLELC.

Methods

We identified PPLELC patients from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) dataset between 2000 and 2015 (n = 72) as well as from our medical center between 2014 and 2020 (n = 16). All diagnoses were confirmed by pathological testing, and the clinicopathological characteristics of patients were retrieved and summarized. Survival analyses were conducted using the Kaplan-Meier analysis and log-rank tests. Multivariate survival analysis was performed with the Cox regression hazards model.

Results

The median age at diagnosis of the PPLELC cohort was 64 years, ranging from 15 to 86 years. The percentages of patients with TNM stages I, II, III, and IV were 52.3%, 10.2%, 20.5%, and 17.0%, respectively. Among the 88 cases, lesion resection was performed in 69 cases (78.4%), 16 cases (18.1%) received beam radiation, and 40 cases (45.5%) underwent chemotherapy. In the SEER dataset of lung cancer, the percentage of PPLELC in the Asian race (0.528‰) was almost 10 times higher than that in the white (0.065‰) and black (0.056‰) races. Patients with TNM stage III-IV exhibited a worse prognosis than those with TNM stage I-II (p = 0.008), with a 5-year cancer-specific survival (CSS) rate of 81.8% for TNM stage I-II and 56.2% for TNM stage III-IV. Specifically, the N stage and M stage were the leading prognostic factors, not the T stage and tumor size. Moreover, patients who underwent surgery had significantly better outcomes than those who did not (p = 0.014). Additional multivariate analysis indicated that the TNM stage was an independent prognosis factor for CSS (HR, 3.31; 95% CI, 1.08-10.14).

Conclusion

PPLELC is a rare tumor with Asian susceptibility. Although the prognosis of PPLELC is better than that of other subtypes of NSCLC, it remains unsatisfactory for advanced-stage disease. The current treatment options for PPLELC include surgical resection, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and immune therapy. Among these options, patients with surgical resection have better survival rates in this study. However, large-scale clinical research trials will be necessary to develop effective treatment guidelines for PPLELC.

IGH::CD274 (PD-L1) rearrangement in diffuse large B cell lymphoma and its therapeutic implication

Diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) expresses abundant programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1), which shields tumor cells from immune attacks through the PD-L1/PD-1 signaling axis. The mechanism of PD-L1 overexpression includes the deletion of the 3'end of PD-L1, which increases its mRNA stability, and the gain or amplification of PD-L1. Previous studies found two cases of DLBCL carrying an IGH::PD-L1 by whole genome sequencing. We describe two more such cases by a targeted DNA next-generation sequencing (NGS) capable of detecting IGH rearrangements, leading to PD-L1 overexpression. DLBCL with PD-L1 overexpression is often resistant to R-CHOP (rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin hydrochloride, vincristine and prednisolone). Our patients responded to a combination of R-CHOP and a PD-1 inhibitor.

Translocator protein 18 kDa regulates retinal neuron apoptosis and pyroptosis in glaucoma

Glaucoma is the leading cause of blindness worldwide. However, our insufficient understanding of the pathogenesis of glaucoma has limited the development of effective treatments. Because recent research has highlighted the importance of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) in various diseases, we investigated their roles in glaucoma. Specifically, we detected expression changes of ncRNAs in cell and animal models of acute glaucoma. Further analysis revealed that the Ier2/miR-1839/TSPO axis was critical to cell loss and retinal damage. The knockdown of Ier2, the overexpression of miR-1839, and the silencing of TSPO effectively prevented retinal damage and cell loss. Furthermore, we found that the Ier2/miR-1839/TSPO axis regulated the pyroptosis and apoptosis of retinal neurons through the NLRP3/caspase1/GSDMD, cleaved-caspase3 pathways. In addition to high expression in the retina, TSPO expression was found to be significantly higher in the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus (DLG) of the brain in the pathologically high intraocular pressure (ph-IOP) rat model, as well as in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of glaucoma patients with high IOP. These results indicate that TSPO, which is regulated by Ier2/miR-1839, plays an important role in the pathogenesis of glaucoma, and this study provides a theoretical basis and a new target for the diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma.

The Interaction of 2D Materials With Circularly Polarized Light

2D materials (2DMs), due to spin-valley locking degree of freedom, exhibit strongly bound exciton and chiral optical selection rules and become promising material candidates for optoelectronic and spin/valleytronic devices. Over the last decade, the manifesting of 2D materials by circularly polarized lights expedites tremendous fascinating phenomena, such as valley/exciton Hall effect, Moiré exciton, optical Stark effect, circular dichroism, circularly polarized photoluminescence, and spintronic property. In this review, recent advance in the interaction of circularly polarized light with 2D materials covering from graphene, black phosphorous, transition metal dichalcogenides, van der Waals heterostructures as well as small proportion of quasi-2D perovskites and topological materials, is overviewed. The confronted challenges and theoretical and experimental opportunities are also discussed, attempting to accelerate the prosperity of chiral light-2DMs interactions.

Silk fibroin-chitosan aerogel reinforced by nanofibers for enhanced osteogenic differentiation in MC3T3-E1 cells

Proper bone scaffolds should be biocompatible, mechanically robust and porous for cell migration. Here, pure silk fibroin (SF)- chitosan (CS) aerogel scaffolds reinforced with different amount of SF nanofibers (SF-CS/NF_1%, SF-CS/NF_2% and SF-CS/NF_3%) are prepared for bone regeneration. Surface morphology and composition were analyzed to ensure successful integration of each component. Incorporating 3 % nanofibers endowed the aerogels with a resistance to 3.5 times the compressive stress of the pure SF-CS aerogels. The benefits of nanofibers were also confirmed by the high porosity of 72.3 ± 1.3 %, the regulated pore size and the high-water uptake ratio of 1770.4 ± 156.8 %. Enhanced cell viability of the aerogel scaffolds was verified with Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assays, and confocal microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images were taken to assess the cell migration and distribution. The cell differentiation on the aerogel scaffolds was evaluated with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Significantly higher level of Collagen type I (Col-I), osteocalcin (OCN), osteopontin (OPN), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) expression was observed on SF-CS/NF_3% aerogels. This biocompatible nanofiber-reinforced aerogel scaffold facilitates osteogenic differentiation by rougher surface, enhanced mechanical strength and well-regulated pores. Thus, as-prepared scaffolds may be further applied in bone regeneration field.

Mahuang Xixin Fuzi decoction protects the BALB/c-nude mice infected with influenza A virus by reducing inflammatory cytokines storm and weakly regulating SIgA immune response

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Mahuang Xixin Fuzi Decoction (MXF), as a classical prescription of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), has been used to treat the immunocompromised individuals infected with influenza A virus (IAV).

AIM OF THE STUDY

The study aims to explore the regulatory of MXF on inflammation and secretory immunoglobulin A (SIgA) antibodies immune response in BALB/c-nude mice infected with IAV.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The BALB/c-nude mice were infected with IAV, then different dosages of MXF were orally administrated to the mice. The weight, rectal temperature, spontaneous activity, spleen index, lung index, pathological changes of lung tissues, and the relative mRNA expression level of H1N1 M gene were measured for the purpose of valuing the antiviral effect of MXF. The expression levels of cytokines in lungs and immunoglobulin A (IgA) in serum of BALB/c-nude mice were determined with Cytometric Bead Array System (CBA). SIgA in bronchoalveolar lavage fluids (BALF) was detected with Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). The mRNA and protein expression levels of B cell activating factor (BAFF), chemokine receptors 10 (CCR10), and polymeric immunoglobulin receptor (pIgR) in the lung tissues, which are related to the secretion of SIgA, were determined by using RT-PCR and Western blot.

RESULTS

MXF could alleviate the clinical features and reduce the severity of viral lung lesions, including improving the body weight, rectal temperature and spontaneous activity of nude mice infected with IAV, increasing spleen index, decreasing lung index, alleviating pathological damage, and decreasing the relative expression level of H1N1 M gene. Levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-2 (IL-2), interleukin-12p70 (IL-12p70), and interleukin-17A (IL-17A) were also significantly decreased after treatment with MXF. Interferon-γ (IFN-γ), an antiviral cytokine, was significantly up-regulated in high dose MXF (3.12 g/kg) group. Moreover, after MXF treatment, the expressions of SIgA in BALF and IgA in serum were both at relatively low levels. And the mRNA and protein expressions of BAFF, CCR10, and pIgR were significantly decreased after treatment with MXF.

CONCLUSIONS

MXF has obviously protective effects on BALB/c-nude mice infected with IAV by inhibiting virus replication, calming inflammatory cytokine storm, and regulating SIgA immune response weakly.

Preparation of red mud-based zero-valent iron materials by biomass pyrolysis reduction: Reduction mechanism and application study

Zero-valent iron (ZVI) materials have been developed and applied to treat various pollutants due to their strong reducing properties and large specific surface area. Red mud contains a large amount of iron oxide and therefore can be used as a source of iron base for the preparation of ZVI materials. Industrial reduction of iron oxides to prepare ZVI materials requires high temperatures resulting in high energy consumption and high costs. Biomass can be pyrolyzed at low temperatures to release large amounts of reducing gas, which can efficiently reduce red mud to obtain ZVI at lower temperatures. Therefore, this paper studied the pyrolysis of five biomasses, corn straw, wheat straw, rice husk, pine wood and coffee grounds, and compared the reduction of iron oxide in red mud at different temperatures for different biomass feedstocks. The results showed that the biomass could reduce most of the iron oxide in red mud to ZVI at 800 °C, which was at least 100 °C lower than the conventional iron reduction temperature. The reducing gas greatly facilitated the conversion of iron oxide to ZVI in this process. Moreover, the material has a good removal effect on both gentian violet and methylene blue. A low-energy and low-cost method was explored for the preparation of ZVI materials, and the resource utilization of biomass and red mud was realized.

Discovery of the potential neuraminidase inhibitors from Polygonum cuspidatum by ultrafiltration combined with mass spectrometry guided by molecular docking

Neuraminidase is an important target in the treatment of the influenza A virus. Screening natural neuraminidase inhibitors from medicinal plants is crucial for drug research. This study proposed a rapid strategy for identifying neuraminidase inhibitors from different crude extracts (Polygonum cuspidatum, Cortex Fraxini, and Herba Siegesbeckiae) using ultrafiltration combined with mass spectrometry guided by molecular docking. Firstly, the main component library of the three herbs was established, followed by molecular docking between the components and neuraminidase. Only the crude extracts with numbers of potential neuraminidase inhibitors identified by molecular docking were selected for ultrafiltration. This guided approach reduced experimental blindness and improved efficiency. The results of molecular docking indicated that the compounds in Polygonum cuspidatum demonstrated good binding affinity with neuraminidase. Subsequently, ultrafiltration-mass spectrometry was employed to screen for neuraminidase inhibitors in Polygonum cuspidatum. A total of five compounds were fished out, and they were identified as trans-polydatin, cis-polydatin, emodin-1-O-β-D-glucoside, emodin-8-O-β-D-glucoside, and emodin. The enzyme inhibitory assay showed that they all had neuraminidase inhibitory effects. In addition, the key residues of the interaction between neuraminidase and fished compounds were predicted. In all, this study could provide a strategy for the rapid screening of the potential enzyme inhibitors from medicinal herbs.

Rare adult pilocytic astrocytoma of the septum pellucidum with novel RIN2::BRAF fusion

Pilocytic astrocytoma is mostly a pediatric tumor with the majority of patients under age 20. Although tumors can occur throughout neuraxis, most tumors are in the cerebellum and optic chiasm. Pilocytic astrocytoma in unusual locations is often associated with different genetic alterations than the classic KIAA1549::BRAF fusion. We report a rare adult pilocytic astrocytoma of the septum pellucidum that presented with progressive headache. A detailed genomic evaluation found a fusion between BRAF and a novel partner RIN2, a gene overexpressed in both low-grade glioma and glioblastoma. The RIN2::BRAF transcript encodes a chimeric protein containing a dimerization domain SH2 and an intact kinase domain, consistent with a prototypic oncogenic kinase rearrangement. In addition, we discuss the potential oncogenic mechanisms of BRAF signaling and its implication in targeted therapy with kinase inhibitors.

Self-attention enabled deep learning of dihydrouridine (D) modification on mRNAs unveiled a distinct sequence signature from tRNAs

Dihydrouridine (D) is a modified pyrimidine nucleotide universally found in viral, prokaryotic, and eukaryotic species. It serves as a metabolic modulator for various pathological conditions, and its elevated levels in tumors are associated with a series of cancers. Precise identification of D sites on RNA is vital for understanding its biological function. A number of computational approaches have been developed for predicting D sites on tRNAs; however, none have considered mRNAs. We present here DPred, the first computational tool for predicting D on mRNAs in yeast from the primary RNA sequences. Built on a local self-attention layer and a convolutional neural network (CNN) layer, the proposed deep learning model outperformed classic machine learning approaches (random forest, support vector machines, etc.) and achieved reasonable accuracy and reliability with areas under the curve of 0.9166 and 0.9027 in jackknife cross-validation and on an independent testing dataset, respectively. Importantly, we showed that distinct sequence signatures are associated with the D sites on mRNAs and tRNAs, implying potentially different formation mechanisms and putative divergent functionality of this modification on the two types of RNA. DPred is available as a user-friendly Web server.

Trending prevalence of healthcare-associated infections in a tertiary hospital in China during the COVID-19 pandemic

BACKGROUND

The purpose of this study was to demonstrate both the four-year prevalence trend of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) in a large tertiary hospital and the trend regarding the prevalence of HAIs following the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in order to provide evidence of hospital infection management during the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS

Based on the hospital's electronic nosocomial infection databases related to HAIs, we retrospectively identified the HAI cases to assess the epidemiological characteristics of HAIs from January 1, 2018, to December 31, 2021, in a large tertiary hospital in China. Similarly, the trends of HAIs after the COVID-19 outbreak and the seasonal variation of HAIs were further analyzed.

RESULTS

The HAI cases (n = 7833) were identified from the inpatients (n = 483,258) during the 4 years. The most frequently occurring underlying cause of HAIs was respiratory tract infections (44.47%), followed by bloodstream infections (11.59%), and urinary tract infections (8.69%). The annual prevalence of HAIs decreased from 2.39% in 2018 to 1.41% in 2021 (P = 0.032), with the overall prevalence of HAIs significantly decreasing since the outbreak of COVID-19 (2.20% in 2018-2019 vs. 1.44% in 2020-2021, P < 0.001). The prevalence of respiratory tract infections decreased most significantly; whereas, overall, the prevalence of HAIs was significantly greater during the winter compared with the rest of the year.

CONCLUSIONS

Not only did the annual prevalence of HAIs decrease from 2018 to 2021, but it also significantly decreased since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly respiratory tract infections. These results provide evidence for the need to prevent HAIs, especially during the winter season.

LWJ-M30, a conjugate of DM1 and B6, for the targeted therapy of colorectal cancer with improved therapeutic effects†

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most prevalent cancers worldwide as well as a significant cause of mortality. The conventional treatment could cause serious side effects and induce drug resistance, recurrence and metastasis of cancers. Hence, specific targeting of cancer cells without affecting the normal tissues is currently an urgent necessity in cancer therapy. The emerging of peptide–drug conjugates (PDC) is regarded as a promising approach to address malignant tumors. LWJ-M30, a conjugate of DM1 and B6 peptide, targeted transferrin receptors (TfRs) on the surface of the CRC cells, showing a powerful anti-cancer effect. LWJ-M30 significantly inhibited the HCT116 cells proliferation and migration in vitro. LWJ-M30 also dramatically decreased the level of polymeric tubulin, while the disruption of microtubules caused the cell cycle to be arrested in the G2/M phase. LWJ-M30 induced the HCT116 cells apoptosis both in vivo and in vitro. The results in vivo demonstrated that LWJ-M30 could inhibit the HCT116 growth without affecting the mouse body weight. Taking these results together, our data indicated that LWJ-M30 could improve the therapeutic effects of DM1 while reducing the systemic toxicity in normal tissues.

LWJ-M30 targeted TfR, dramatically decreased the level of polymeric tubulin, while the disruption of microtubules meant the cell cycle was arrested in the G2/M phase and thus caused cells apoptosis.

Integrated analysis of long non-coding RNAs and mRNAs associated with glaucoma in vitro

INTRODUCTION

In recent years, the biological functions and important roles of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been widely reported in many diseases. Although glaucoma is the leading cause of blindness worldwide, the specific mechanisms of lncRNAs in the pathogenesis and progression of glaucoma remain unclear. Our research aims to elucidate the differentially expressed lncRNAs and mRNAs in glaucoma and to provide a basis for further exploration of the specific mechanism of action of lncRNAs in the progression of glaucoma.

METHODS

We performed RNA sequencing on samples from a pressurized model of R28 cells and performed bioinformatics analyses on the sequencing results. The expression consistency of lncRNAs in clinical samples from patients with glaucoma or cataracts was detected using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR).

RESULTS

RNA sequencing results showed that lncRNAs in cluster 5 were upregulated with increasing stress after typing all significantly altered lncRNAs using k-means in a cellular stress model. KEGG analysis indicated that they were associated with neurodegenerative diseases. Differentially expressed lncRNAs were verified by RT-qPCR, and the lncRNA expression levels of AC120246.2 and XLOC_006247 were significantly higher in the aqueous humor (AH) of patients with glaucoma than in those with cataracts. For LOC102551819, there was almost no expression in the AH and trabecular meshwork in patients with glaucoma but high expression was observed in the iris.

CONCLUSION

Our research proposes potential diagnostic or intervention targets for clinical applications as well as a theoretical basis for more in-depth research on the function of lncRNAs in glaucoma.

Targeting Cell Membranes, Depleting ROS by Dithiane and Thioketal-Containing Polymers with Pendant Cholesterols Delivering Necrostatin-1 for Glaucoma Treatment

Glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide, characterized by progressive vision loss due to the selective damage to retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and their axons. Oxidative stress is generally believed as one key factor of RGCs death. Recently, necroptosis was identified to play a key role in glaucomatous injury. Therefore, depletion of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and inhibition of necroptosis in RGCs has become one of treatment strategies for glaucoma. However, existing drugs without efficient drug enter into the retina and have controlled release due to a short drug retention. Herein, we designed a glaucomatous microenvironment-responsive drug carrier polymer, which is characterized by the presence of thioketal bonds and 1,4-dithiane unit in the main chain for depleting ROS as well as the pendant cholesterols for targeting cell membranes. This polymer was adopted to encapsulate an inhibitor of necroptosis, necrostatin-1, into nanoparticles (designated as NP1). NP1 with superior biosafety could scavenge ROS in RGCs both in vitro and in vivo of an acute pathological glaucomatous injury model. Further, NP1 was found to effectively inhibit the upregulation of the necroptosis pathway, reducing the death of RGCs. The findings in this study exemplified the use of nanomaterials as potential strategies to treat glaucoma.

The Predictive Value of CA-125 and Hb for Ocular Metastasis in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients

Objective

To explore the risk factors of ocular metastasis (OM) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) by analyzing the demographic characteristics and serum markers.

Methods

From July 2002 to December 2012, 1064 HCC patients were included in our study. The chi-squared test and Student's t-test were used to assess the difference between OM and any other metastasis (NOM). Receiver operating curve (ROC) was used to analyze the diagnostic value of serum biomarkers in HCC patients with OM.

Results

The incidence of OM in HCC patients was 1.88% in our research. There are no significant differences in age, gender, or histopathology in the OM group and the group without any metastasis. Binary logistic regression analysis presented that compared with the patients without cancer metastasis, carbohydrate antigen 125 (CA-125) and hemoglobin (Hb) were risk factors in hepatocellular carcinoma patients with OM (P < 0.05). The ROC curve analysis showed that the areas under the CA-125, Hb, and CA125+Hb curves were 0.877, 0.554, and 0.431, and the cutoff values of CA-125 and Hb each were 115.78 u/mL and 120.50 g/L.

Conclusion

Our data suggest that CA-125 and Hb are risk indicators in hepatocellular carcinoma patients with OM, and that CA-125+Hb has potentially greater utility in diagnosing hepatocellular carcinoma.

Dephosphorylation of ERK1/2 and DRP1 S585 regulates mitochondrial dynamics in glutamate toxicity of retinal neurons in vitro

There are many theories surrounding the pathogenesis of glaucoma, and glutamate excitatory toxicity has been suggested to play an important role. Some studies have shown that glutamate excitatory toxicity is associated with mitochondrial dynamics; however, the relationship between glutamate excitatory toxicity and mitochondrial dynamics in the pathogenesis of glaucoma remains unclear. In this study, the glutamate transporter inhibitor, threohydroxyaspartate, was used to simulate the glutamate excitatory toxicity cell model of rat retinal neurons in vitro, and the changes in the level of proteins related to mitochondrial dynamics, mitochondrial morphology, and length of neuronal axons were measured. We found that in the glutamate excitotoxicity model, retinal neurons can promote mitochondrial fusion by reducing the phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and its downstream protein DRP1 S585, and enhance its ability to resist the excitotoxicity of glutamate. At the same time, the DRP1-specific inhibitor, Mdivi-1, could promote the mitochondrial fusion of retinal neurons.

Mahuang Xixin Fuzi decoction ameliorates apoptosis via the mitochondrial-mediated signaling pathway in MCM cells

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Mahuang Xixin Fuzi Decoction (MXF), as a classical prescription of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), has been used to treat the symptoms of fever, nasal congestion and headache in elderly people for almost a thousand years.

AIM OF THE STUDY

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects and possible mechanisms of MXF on thermal stimulation-induced mouse cardiac myocytes (MCM) cell apoptosis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The apoptosis of the MCM cell model was induced by a PCR-calculated temperature control system with a gradual heating pattern at 43 °C for 1 h. The cytotoxic effects were determined using real-time cell analyzer (RTCA) technology. Annexin V-FITC/7-AAD staining, and JC-1 fluorescence were used to assess apoptosis. Specific substrates, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs), and Western blotting were used to identify proteins in the mitochondrial-mediated pathway. The identification of chemical components in the mouse heart was performed by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry analysis.

RESULTS

MXF inhibited apoptosis through the mitochondrial-mediated signaling pathway, including ameliorating ∆Ψm reduction, blocking mitochondrial Cyt C release, reducing Bax levels and increasing Bcl-2 levels, suppressing caspase-9 and caspase-3 activation in cytoplasmic fractions. Moreover, the components of MXF that act on the heart are mainly ephedra alkaloids and aconitine alkaloids.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings demonstrated that MXF treatment markedly reduced MCM cell apoptosis induced by thermal stimulation, which may be ascribed to the mitochondrial-mediated signaling pathway.

Effect of magnesium supplementation on pregnancy outcome in gestational diabetes mellitus patients: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Conflicting evidence exists regarding the effectiveness of magnesium supplementation during pregnancy in gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) patients. This meta-analysis examines the effect of magnesium on glycemic indices and metabolic status in GDM. We searched databases for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) conducted, and after applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, a total of four RCTs were considered eligible for the analysis. Outcome parameters included markers for glycemic control and metabolic status. A total of four RCTs with 198 participants (control = 99; magnesium supplemented = 99) were selected for the analysis. Magnesium supplementation resulted in a significant reduction in markers of glycemic control-fasting plasma glucose (standard mean difference ( μ ^ ) = -0.83; 95% CI: [-1.13, -0.54]; p-value <.0001), and insulin levels ( μ ^  = -0.95; 95% CI: [-1.38, -0.52]; p-value <.0001). Also, Mg intake resulted in altered oxidative stress markers TAC ( μ ^  = 1.09; 95% CI: [0.10, 2.07]; p-value = .03) of the pregnant women. No significant effect on GSH and CRP levels was observed. This study provides evidence of the positive effects of magnesium intervention on insulin sensitivity and oxidative stress in GDM patients.

Fe-C-based materials: synthesis modulation for the remediation of environmental pollutants-a review

Presently, the rapid pace in the discovery of emerging aquatic pollutants is increasing the demand for the remediation and treatment of our natural resources. Regarding this, nanotechnology is being considered the potential solution for contaminated water remediation with techniques such as filtration, adsorption, catalysis, and desalination. For this purpose, zerovalent iron (ZVI) is being widely used in the remediation of environmental pollutants due to its large specific surface area and high reactivity. However, ZVI is easy to agglomerate and oxidize, limiting its application in the real environment. Therefore, the present study was designed to discuss the preparation and characterization methods of ZVI composite materials, factors affecting adsorption, the removal effect, and adsorption mechanism of different pollutants by Fe-C materials because the optimization and modification of nano-zero-valent iron is a hot research topic nowadays in this field. Moreover, this paper does also analyze the possibility of the practical application prospects of the team's technology for preparing iron-carbon materials. Thus, this information will be helpful for the development and application of Fe-C-based technologies for water and soil remediation and the prediction of the future research direction of Fe-C composite materials.

Integrated analysis to reveal potential therapeutic targets and prognostic biomarkers of skin cutaneous melanoma

Skin cutaneous melanoma (SKCM) is a malignant tumor with high mortality rate in human, and its occurrence and development are jointly regulated by genes and the environment. However, the specific pathogenesis of SKCM is not completely understood. In recent years, an increasing number of studies have reported the important role of competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) regulatory networks in various tumors; however, the complexity and specific biological effects of the ceRNA regulatory network of SKCM remain unclear. In the present study, we obtained a ceRNA regulatory network of long non-coding RNAs, microRNAs, and mRNAs related to the phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) in SKCM and identified the potential diagnostic and prognostic markers related to SKCM. We extracted the above three types of RNA involved in SKCM from The Cancer Genome Atlas database. Through bioinformatics analysis, the OIP5-AS1-hsa-miR-186-5p/hsa-miR-616-3p/hsa-miR-135a-5p/hsa-miR-23b-3p/hsa-miR-374b-5p-PTPRC/IL7R/CD69 and MALAT1-hsa-miR-135a-5p/hsa-miR-23b-3p/hsa-miR-374b-5p-IL7R/CD69 ceRNA networks were found to be related to the prognosis of SKCM. Finally, we determined the OIP5-AS1-PTPRC/IL7R/CD69 and MALAT1-IL7R/CD69 axes in ceRNA as a clinical prognostic model using correlation and Cox regression analyses. Additionally, we explored the possible role of these two axes in affecting gene expression and immune microenvironment changes and the occurrence and development of SKCM through methylation and immune infiltration analyses. In summary, the ceRNA-based OIP5-AS1-PTPRC/IL7R/CD69 and MALAT1-IL7R/CD69 axes may be a novel and important approach for the diagnosis and prognosis of SKCM.

Downregulating EVA1C exerts the potential to promote neuron growth after neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy injury associated with alternative splicing

Neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (NHIE) is one of the major diseases in newborns during the perinatal stage, which globally is the main reason for children's morbidity and mortality. However, the mechanism of NHIE still remains poorly clear. In this study, the 7-day-old rats were subjected to hypoxic-ischemia (HI), then brain damage was detected. Afterward, the expression of eva-1 homolog C (EVA1C) was measured in vitro by establishing the oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) model in SHSY5Y cells and human fetal neurons. Subsequently, the potential function and mechanism of EVA1C were explored by silencing EVA1C and alternative splicing prediction. As a result, obvious neurobehavioral impairment and brain infarction were detected through Zea-Longa score and TTC staining; meanwhile, neuron injury was tested by HE and Nissl staining post HI. Moreover, it was found that the expression of EVA1C was notably upregulated in SHSY5Y cells and human fetal neurons after OGD. In addition, cell survival and growth were increased after silencing EVA1C, which might be associated with alternative splicing. In conclusion, EVA1C interference exhibited potential in promoting neuron survival and growth, associated with exon skipping with the alternative splicing site in 34613318:34687258, which may provide the basis for the therapeutic target and mechanism research of NHIE.

Regression modeling of restricted mean survival time for left-truncated right-censored data

The restricted mean survival time (RMST) is a clinically meaningful summary measure in studies with survival outcomes. Statistical methods have been developed for regression analysis of RMST to investigate impacts of covariates on RMST, which is a useful alternative to the Cox regression analysis. However, existing methods for regression modeling of RMST are not applicable to left-truncated right-censored data that arise frequently in prevalent cohort studies, for which the sampling bias due to left truncation and informative censoring induced by the prevalent sampling scheme must be properly addressed. The pseudo-observation (PO) approach has been used in regression modeling of RMST for right-censored data and competing-risks data. For left-truncated right-censored data, we propose to directly model RMST as a function of baseline covariates based on POs under general censoring mechanisms. We adjust for the potential covariate-dependent censoring or dependent censoring by the inverse probability of censoring weighting method. We establish large sample properties of the proposed estimators and assess their finite sample performances by simulation studies under various scenarios. We apply the proposed methods to a prevalent cohort of women diagnosed with stage IV breast cancer identified from surveillance, epidemiology, and end results-medicare linked database.

An affinity interaction guided two-dimensional separation system for the screening of neuraminidase inhibitors from Reynoutria japonica Houtt. roots

Discovering bioactive compounds from medicinal herbs is crucial for drug discovery. Ultrafiltration is often used in the screening of bioactive compounds from natural herbs because of its simple and rapid operations. However, the ultrafiltration results are often disturbed by the undissolved compounds and the non-target compounds, which reduces the accuracy of the results. Herein, an affinity interaction guided two-dimensional (2D) separation system was developed. Discovery of the potential neuraminidase (NA) inhibitors from the dried roots of Reynoutria japonica Houtt. (RRJ) was used as an example. Only the small molecules showing affinity interaction with NA could be screened by the affinity interaction guided 2D separation system. Firstly, the NA and crude extract were incubated to form a sample solution (containing NA-inhibitor complexes, NA, and three types of small molecules with different polarities) by affinity interaction. Then the sample solution was separated and detected by the 2D separation system. This aimed to reduce the interference of the undissolved compounds and non-target compounds, and pick out the NA-inhibitor complexes (NA-Is). The collected NA-Is were denatured to release small molecular inhibitors (Is) for LC-MS/MS analysis. Compared with the ultrafiltration, more obvious peak area differences were observed in the results, and four potential NA inhibitors were successfully identified. In all, we provided a simple strategy with better performance in the screening of natural bioactive compounds.

Spotlight on pyroptosis: role in pathogenesis and therapeutic potential of ocular diseases

Pyroptosis is a programmed cell death characterized by swift plasma membrane disruption and subsequent release of cellular contents and pro-inflammatory mediators (cytokines), including IL‐1β and IL‐18. It differs from other types of programmed cell death such as apoptosis, autophagy, necroptosis, ferroptosis, and NETosis in terms of its morphology and mechanism. As a recently discovered form of cell death, pyroptosis has been demonstrated to be involved in the progression of multiple diseases. Recent studies have also suggested that pyroptosis is linked to various ocular diseases. In this review, we systematically summarized and discussed recent scientific discoveries of the involvement of pyroptosis in common ocular diseases, including diabetic retinopathy, age-related macular degeneration, AIDS-related human cytomegalovirus retinitis, glaucoma, dry eye disease, keratitis, uveitis, and cataract. We also organized new and emerging evidence suggesting that pyroptosis signaling pathways may be potential therapeutic targets in ocular diseases, hoping to provide a summary of overall intervention strategies and relevant multi-dimensional evaluations for various ocular diseases, as well as offer valuable ideas for further research and development from the perspective of pyroptosis.

Taxanes prodrug-based nanomedicines for cancer therapy

Malignant tumor remains a huge threat to human health and chemotherapy still occupies an important place in clinical tumor treatment. As a kind of potent antimitotic agent, taxanes act as the first-line broad-spectrum cancer drug in clinical use. However, disadvantages such as prominent hydrophobicity, severe off-target toxicity or multidrug resistance lead to unsatisfactory therapeutic effects, which restricts its wider usage. The efficient delivery of taxanes is still quite a challenge despite the rapid developments in biomaterials and nanotechnology. Great progress has been made in prodrug-based nanomedicines (PNS) for cancer therapy due to their outstanding advantages such as high drug loading efficiency, low carrier induced immunogenicity, tumor stimuli-responsive drug release, combinational therapy and so on. Based on the numerous developments in this filed, this review summarized latest updates of taxanes prodrugs-based nanomedicines (TPNS), focusing on polymer-drug conjugate-based nanoformulations, small molecular prodrug-based self-assembled nanoparticles and prodrug-encapsulated nanosystems. In addition, the new trends of tumor stimuli-responsive TPNS were also discussed. Moreover, the future challenges of TPNS for clinical translation were highlighted. We here expect this review will inspire researchers to explore more practical taxanes prodrug-based nano-delivery systems for clinical use.