[Dislocation into the anterior chamber and spontaneous repositioning of a dexamethasone intravitreal implant: a case report]

A 61-year-old male patient presented with blurred vision in the right eye for 1 day. The patient had previously undergone phacoemulsification with intraocular lens implantation (10 years ago) and intravitreal implantation of dexamethasone (due to uveitis) in the eye. There was edema in the inferior cornea, along with Descemet membrane folds. The rod-shaped dexamethasone implant was visible in the inferior anterior chamber. Without pupil dilation, the patient was asked to keep a supine position and avoid head tilting for 1 day. The implant spontaneously relocated into the vitreous cavity, resulting in a reduction of corneal edema. This suggests that the dislocation of the intravitreal implant into the anterior chamber may be caused by a local zonular abnormality, and the dislocated implant has the potential to reposition itself spontaneously.

Anisotropic magnetoresistance and electronic features of the candidate topological compound praseodymium monobismuthide

PrBi, a sister member of the rare-earth monopnictide family, is an excellent candidate for studying extreme magnetoresistance and nontrivial topological electronic states. In this study, we perform angular magnetoresistance measurements as well as bulk and surface band structure calculations on this compound. PrBi's magnetoresistance is revealed to be significantly angle-dependent and shows a fourfold symmetry as always observed in the nonmagnetic isostructural counterparts, including LaSb, LaBi, and LuBi. Its angular magnetoresistance can be reproduced well using the semiclassical two-band model. The deduced parameters suggest that PrBi hosts an elongated electron pocket with a mobility anisotropy of ∼3.13 and is slightly uncompensated in its carrier concentration. Our bulk and surface band structure calculations confirm the anisotropic electronic features. Moreover, we reveal that a nodal-line-shaped surface state appears at the X̄ point, and is associated with the quadratic dispersion along the -X̄ direction, and the linear type-I Dirac dispersion along the X̄-M̄ direction. Owing to the type-I Dirac dispersion feature, PrBi could serve as a promising material platform for studying many unexpected physical properties, such as the highly anisotropic transport and valley polarization of electrons.

Intracranial plaque characteristics on high-resolution MRI and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels: association and clinical relevance in acute cerebral infarction

AIM

To investigate the association between intracranial plaque characteristics and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels, and their combined effects on the occurrence of acute cerebral infarction (ACI).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

One hundred and forty-three patients with recent ischaemic events in the territory of middle cerebral artery or basilar artery were enrolled and divided into the ACI group (n=93) and non-ACI group (n=50) according to clinical data and diffusion-weighting imaging (DWI) results. All recruited patients underwent high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to assess intracranial plaque characteristics, including plaque enhancement, standardised wall index, stenosis ratio, T1 hyperintense component, remodelling pattern, plaque area, plaque burden, and maximum wall thickness. hs-CRP levels were further grouped into the low group (<1 mg/l), the intermediate group (1-3 mg/l), and the high group (≥3 mg/l). Multivariate logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic curve were constructed to evaluate the association between intracranial plaque characteristics and hs-CRP levels, as well as their synergistic effects on determining the occurrence of ACI.

RESULTS

High hs-CRP levels were associated with strong plaque enhancement (p<0.001, odds ratio [OR] = 7.497). Strong plaque enhancement (p=0.002, OR=2.109) and high hs-CRP levels (p=0.009, OR=3.893) were independently associated with the occurrence of ACI after adjustments for sex, age, and other traditional atherosclerotic risk factors. The combination of hs-CRP levels and strong plaque enhancement provided incremental information to determine ACI with an AUC of 0.823, which was significantly higher than that of strong plaque enhancement (0.711) and hs-CRP levels (0.686), respectively.

CONCLUSION

High hs-CRP levels were associated with strong plaque enhancement. The synergistic effects of hs-CRP levels and strong plaque enhancement provided incremental effects on the occurrence of ACI.

[Research advances on the mechanism of refractory healing of diabetic foot ulcer]

The number of patients with diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) has increased progressively year by year. Refractory DFU has brought great burden to the country and individuals. How to accelerate the healing of DFU has become the main emphasis of research. However currently, the mechanism of its refractory healing is not fully elucidated, and the correlation between the various mechanisms are not high. Therefore, its clinical standardization, and precise clinical diagnosis and treatment still face several challenges. Based on the progress of clinical research and basic research at home and abroad, this paper reviewed the specific mechanisms that lead to refractory DFU, with the focus on chronic inflammation, bacteria biofilm formation, high oxidative stress, growth factor inhibition, impaired microcirculation, and accumulation of advanced glycation end products.

[Early outcomes of excimer laser atherectomy for below-the-knee lesions in patients with diabetic foot]

Objective: To evaluate the clinical outcomes of excimer laser atherectomy (ELA) in the treatment of diabetic foot with below-the-knee(BTK) lesions. Methods: The clinical data of 11 patients with diabetic foot with BTK lesions who underwent ELA at Department of Vascular Surgery,Zhongshan Hospital of Fudan University and Department of Vascular and Wound Treatment Center,Jinshan Hospital of Fudan University from September 2019 to May 2021 were retrospectively analyzed.There were 10 males and 1 female,aged 70.5 years(range:41 to 83 years).There were 20 lesions in 12 limbs,including 19 chronic total occlusion.All of the limbs were classified as Rutherford class 5 and suffered ulceration.The surgical efficacy,complications and ankle brachial index(ABI) after operation were record. Results: All patients underwent the operation successfully,the technical success rate was 12/12.No distal embolization,flow-limiting dissection,perforation or bailout stenting was occurred.The follow-up period was 8.2 months(range:3 to 13 months).The ABI increased from 0.58(range:0.24 to 1.57) before operation to 0.88(range:0.68 to 1.05) after operation.At 3 months after the operation,1 limb (1/12) underwent endovascular operation again due to restenosis,ulcers were healed in 5 limbs(5/12),and no amputation (limb/toe),death or loss of follow-up patients.Six months after the operation,2 patients were lost to follow-up and 2 died,ulcers were healed in 6 limbs(6/8),1 limb (1/8) underwent toe amputation due to prolonged healing of ulcers of toe. Conclusion: ELA is feasible and effective in the treatment of DF with BTK lesions,providing a new option of debulking atherectomy in such a group of patients.

[Debulking strategy of endovascular treatment for lower extremity artery lesions]

Objective: To explore the debulking strategy of lower extremity artery lesions. Methods: Retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 101 patients underwent debulking therapy at Department of Vascular Surgery,Zhongshan Hospital,Fudan University from June 2019 to June 2020.There were 74 males and 27 females,aged (73.2±11.7)years (range:35 to 93 years).There were 31 cases in Rutherford class 3,39 cases in class 4 and 31 cases in class 5. Hypertension occurred in 72 patients. One hundred and forty lesions were treated in 101 patients. Among them, there were 13 lesions(9.3%) in iliac artery,72 lesions(51.4%) in superficial femoral artery,41 (29.3%) lesions in popliteal artery,10 lesions(7.1%) in tibiofibular trunk,and 4 lesions(2.9%) in below the knee artery.Percutaneous mechanical thrombectomy (PMT) was mainly used in acute thrombosis,excimer laser ablation (ELA) was mainly used for chronic in-stent restenosis and chronic stenosis or totally occlusive lesions,while directional atherectomy (DA) was mainly used for short calcified lesions. Results: All of the patients underwent debulking therapy. Eighty-two lesions(58.6%,82/140) were treated by PMT, 56 (40.0%,56/140) were treated by ELA,and 2 (1.4%,2/140) were treated by DA.The ankle-brachial index of the patient was 0.44±0.19 before surgery, 0.87±0.17 immediately after surgery (t=-16.26, P<0.01), and 0.81±0.20 at 6 months after surgery(t=-14.67,P<0.01),and 0.79±0.15 (t=-14.12,P<0.01) at 12 months after surgery. At 12 months,the primary patency was 86.1% (87/101),mortality was 5.0% (5/101), freedom from major-amputation survival rate was 93.1% (94/101),and target lesion reintervention rate was 9.9% (10/101). Conclusions: Debulking is feasible and effective to eliminate the arterial contents and maximize the acquisition of lumen.Selection of suitable debulking methods for different segments and lesions would be helpful to improve the technical success and obtain satisfactory results.

OP0018 PREDICTING RESPONSES TO ANTI-TNF TREATMENTS IN RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS PATIENTS FROM GENETIC AND CLINICAL DATA USING A MACHINE LEARNING APPROACH

Background:

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors are key therapies in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, a third of patients fail to respond to these agents, and there are no reliable predictors for response. Predictive models, potentially based on clinical and genomic data, are vital to personalizing therapy. The Dialogue for Reverse Engineering Assessments and Methods (DREAM) RA Responder Challenge invited research teams to create models for patient response to anti-TNF therapy. The winning model relied heavily on limited genetic input and was unable to correctly predict responses in a large number of individuals.

Objectives:

We compared non-linear and linear analytic methods to predict response and non-response to anti-TNF treatment for RA patients in the DREAM database, using moth clinical variables and a large number of potential genome-wide predictors.

Methods:

DREAM data on anti-TNF treated RA patients were accessed through Synapse (synapse.sagebase.org). Analogously to the DREAM challenge, we were provided with the clinical and genomic data of 2706 patients with at least moderate disease activity according to their composite disease activity scores for 28 joints (DAS28). In contrast to the previous analysis that focused on single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) based on existing knowledge of RA, we used the full genome-wide dataset of 2.5 million SNPs. We first reduced this to 284 SNPs by considering the marginal p-value of 0.001 for each SNP based on whether or not it predicted response. Then, we removed SNPs with borderline significant p-values if they were in linkage disequilibrium with the most significant SNPs. Instead of predicting a binary outcome of responder or non-responder, we trained both linear (e.g. least absolute shrinkage and selection operator, or LASSO) and non-linear models (e.g. Random Forest) to predict a continuous outcome, the change in DAS28 from baseline to 3-12 months after initiation of anti-TNF therapy. We split the patients into training (N=2031) and testing (N=675) subsets and used the predicted response scores to evaluate the true binary response labels for the test patients.

Results:

The best performing method was Random Forest (RF), a non-linear model that uses decision trees to progressively separate subjects into groups based on the most predictive features. Support Vector Regression (SVR) also out-performed linear methods. Compared to only clinical covariates such as age and sex, adding SNPs improved the prediction from an area under the receiver operating curve (AUROC) of 0.63 to 0.67, i.e., 0.04 improvement. This AUROC of 0.67 was 0.046 greater than the DREAM challenge winner.

Conclusion:

Non-linear methods such as RF and SVR gave larger predictive improvements compared to linear methods. This may imply some interaction between SNPs and clinical covariatesas potential predictors of response to anti-TNF therapy in RA. We are further investigating these 284 SNPs and their interactions in this regard.

References:

[1]Guan, Y., Zhang, H., Quang, D., Wang, Z., Parker, S., Pappas, D. A., Kremer, J. M., & Zhu, F. (2019). Machine Learning to Predict Anti-Tumor Necrosis Factor Drug Responses of Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients by Integrating Clinical and Genetic Markers. Arthritis & rheumatology (Hoboken, N.J.), 71(12), 1987–1996. https://doi.org/10.1002/art.41056

[2]Sieberts, S. K., Zhu, F., García-García, J., Stahl, E., Pratap, A., Pandey, G., Pappas, D., Aguilar, D., Anton, B., Bonet, J., Eksi, R., Fornés, O., Guney, E., Li, H., Marín, M. A., Panwar, B., Planas-Iglesias, J., Poglayen, D., Cui, J., Falcao, A. O., … Mangravite, L. M. (2016). Crowdsourced assessment of common genetic contribution to predicting anti-TNF treatment response in rheumatoid arthritis. Nature communications, 7, 12460. https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms12460

Figure.

Disclosure of Interests:

None declared

[Application and value of excimer laser ablation in the treatment of lower limb atherosclerotic obliterans]

Objective: To evaluate the results of excimer laser ablation (ELA) in the treatment of lower limb atherosclerotic obliterans (ASO). Methods: From June 2019 to March 2020, patients who underwent ELA combined with drug-coated balloon (DCB) for lower limb atherosclerotic obliterans (ASO) were enrolled. Demographics, lesion characteristics, procedure-related outcomes and complications were collected and analyzed. Results: Thirty patients were enrolled, including 21 males and 9 females. The mean age was (76.5±10.5) years. The mean lesion length was (11.7±6.4) cm. A total of 41 lesions, including in-stent restenosis (ISR) in 12 (29.3%), chronic totally occlusion (CTO) at initial treatment in 24 (58.5%), and severe stenosis in 5 (12.2%) patients. Sixteen (51.6%) patients were classified as Peripheral Arterial Calcium Scoring System (PACSS) category 4. The technical success rate was 93.5%. Incidence of distal embolization and bailout stenting was 12.9% and 6.5%, respectively. The mean follow-up time was (6.6±3.0) months. Ankle-brachial index (ABI) was significantly increased from 0.43(0.32,0.55) preoperatively to 0.91(0.87,1.01) postoperatively (Z=-5.43, P<0.01) and 0.82(0.73,1.02) (Z=-3.99, P<0.01) three months after surgery. The 3-month major-amputation free survival rate was 96.7%, primary patency rate was 100%, the target lesion reintervention (TLR) rate was 0 and ulcer healing rate was 76.9%. Conclusion: Debulking of ELA is feasible and effective for both ISR and CTO at initial treatment, providing a new option for DCB preparation and reducing stent implantation.

Disease progression in patients with COVID-19: a retrospective cohort study in China

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical features of disease progression among patients with COVID-19 to help early identification of patients at high risk.DESIGN: This was a retrospective, multi-centre cohort study. From 10 January to 29 February 2020, all cases diagnosed with COVID-19 at 24 hospitals (with complete medical records) in Jiangsu Province, China were recruited. The primary outcome was deterioration in condition, i.e., the dramatic progression from asymptomatic or mild or moderate status into severe or critically ill status during 14 days´ follow-up.RESULTS: Of the 625 patients in Jiangsu, none died; 597 patients were asymptomatic or had mild or moderate disease on admission, of whom 36 (6%) experienced disease deterioration to become severe or critically ill.CONCLUSION: Disease deterioration to severe or critically ill status was associated with age, pulmonary opacity score, lymphocyte count on admission and exposure to the pandemic centre in Wuhan.

Perspectives from Young South African and Zimbabwean Women on Attributes of Four (Placebo) Vaginal Microbicide Delivery Forms

Introduction

Incorporating end-user input into the design of new vaginal microbicides for women is key to optimizing their uptake, consistent use, and, ultimately, success in combatting the heterosexual HIV epidemic.

Methods

The Quatro Study assessed four placebo forms of vaginally inserted HIV-microbicides among young microbicide-naïve African women: on-demand film, insert and gel, and monthly ring. Participants randomly used each product for 1 month and provided product satisfaction ratings (1–5 scale), and opinions on product attributes and potential alternative designs. Qualitative data were collected through focus group discussions at study exit. Multivariable associations between attribute opinions and overall product rating were examined using Poisson regression models with robust standard errors to assess the attributes most influential to satisfaction.

Results

Overall opinions of products and their individual attributes were generally positive; all products were rated either 4 or a 5 by ≥ 50% of participants. Attributes related to ease of use and interference with normal activities were the most salient predictors of satisfaction. Preferences for duration of use tended toward relatively shorter use periods for the ring (i.e., 1–3 months vs. 12 months) and for coitally independent dosing for the on-demand products.

Conclusions

How well a product fit in with participants’ lifestyles was important to their overall satisfaction. For on-demand products, greater flexibility around timing of use was desired, to avoid coital dependency of the dosing.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1007/s10461-019-02576-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Polo-like kinase 1 inhibition results in misaligned chromosomes and aberrant spindles in porcine oocytes during the first meiotic division

Polo-like kinase 1 (Plk1), a type of serine/threonine protein kinase, has been implicated in various functions in the regulation of mitotic processes. However, these kinase's roles in meiotic division are not fully understood, particularly in the meiotic maturation of porcine oocytes. In this study, the expression and spatiotemporal localization of Plk1 were initially assessed in the meiotic process of pig oocytes by utilizing Western blotting with immunofluorescent staining combined with confocal microscopy imaging technique. The results showed that Plk1 was expressed and exhibited a dynamic subcellular localization throughout the meiotic process. After germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD), Plk1 was detected prominently around the condensed chromosomes and subsequently exhibited a similar subcellular localization to α-tubulin throughout subsequent meiotic phases, with particular enrichment being observed near spindle poles at MI and MII. Inhibition of Plk1 via a highly selective inhibitor, GSK461364, led to the failure of first polar body extrusion in porcine oocytes, with the majority of the treated oocytes being arrested in GVBD. Further subcellular structure examination results indicated that Plk1 inhibition caused the great majority of oocytes with spindle abnormalities and chromosome misalignment during the first meiotic division. The results of this study illustrate that Plk1 is critical for the first meiotic division in porcine oocytes through its influence on spindle organization and chromosome alignment, which further affects the ensuing meiotic cell cycle progression.

DRP1 inhibition rescues retinal ganglion cells and their axons by preserving mitochondrial integrity in a mouse model of glaucoma

Glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness and is characterized by slow and progressive degeneration of the optic nerve head axons and retinal ganglion cell (RGC), leading to loss of visual function. Although oxidative stress and/or alteration of mitochondrial (mt) dynamics induced by elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) are associated with this neurodegenerative disease, the mechanisms that regulate mt dysfunction-mediated glaucomatous neurodegeneration are poorly understood. Using a mouse model of glaucoma, DBA/2J (D2), which spontaneously develops elevated IOP, as well as an in vitro RGC culture system, we show here that oxidative stress, as evidenced by increasing superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2) and mt transcription factor A (Tfam) protein expression, triggers mt fission and loss by increasing dynamin-related protein 1 (DRP1) in the retina of glaucomatous D2 mice as well as in cultured RGCs exposed to elevated hydrostatic pressure in vitro. DRP1 inhibition by overexpressing DRP1 K38A mutant blocks mt fission and triggers a subsequent reduction of oxidative stress, as evidenced by decreasing SOD2 and Tfam protein expression. DRP1 inhibition promotes RGC survival by increasing phosphorylation of Bad at serine 112 in the retina and preserves RGC axons by maintaining mt integrity in the glial lamina of glaucomatous D2 mice. These findings demonstrate an important vicious cycle involved in glaucomatous neurodegeneration that starts with elevated IOP producing oxidative stress; the oxidative stress then leads to mt fission and a specific form of mt dysfunction that generates further oxidative stress, thus perpetuating the cycle. Our findings suggest that DRP1 is a potential therapeutic target for ameliorating oxidative stress-mediated mt fission and dysfunction in RGC and its axons during glaucomatous neurodegeneration. Thus, DRP1 inhibition may provide a new therapeutic strategy for protecting both RGCs and their axons in glaucoma and other optic neuropathies.

Preservation of forelimb function by UPF1 gene therapy in a rat model of TDP-43-induced motor paralysis

Nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) is an RNA surveillance mechanism that requires upframeshift protein 1 (UPF1). This study demonstrates that human UPF1 exerts protective effects in a rat paralysis model based on the amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)-associated protein, TDP-43 (transactive response DNA-binding protein 43 kDa). An adeno-associated virus vector (AAV9) was used to express TDP-43 throughout the spinal cord of rats, inducing reproducible limb paralysis, to recapitulate the paralysis in ALS. We selected UPF1 for therapeutic testing based on a genetic screen in yeast. The expression of human TDP-43 or human UPF1 in the spinal cord was titrated to less than twofold over the respective endogenous level. AAV9 human mycUPF1 clearly improved overall motor scores in rats also expressing TDP-43. The gene therapy effect of mycUPF1 was specific and reproducible compared with groups receiving either empty vector or green fluorescent protein vector controls. The gene therapy maintained forelimb motor function in rats that would otherwise become quadriplegic. This work helps validate UPF1 as a novel therapeutic for ALS and other TDP-43-related diseases and may implicate UPF1 and NMD involvement in the underlying disease mechanisms.

Orexin A-mediated stimulation of 3β-HSD expression and testosterone production through MAPK signaling pathways in primary rat Leydig cells

BACKGROUND

Orexin A (ORA) regulates food intake, energy metabolism, gastrointestinal and reproductive functions.

AIM

The purpose of this study was to demonstrate whether the expression of 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3β-HSD) and testosterone was stimulated by ORA and mediated through mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) in rat Leydig cells.

METHODS

Primary Leydig cells were isolated from male rat testes, cultured, and treated with ORA under various conditions.

RESULTS

Orexin receptor 1 (OX (1) R) mRNA, but not orexin receptor 2 mRNA, was detected in primary Leydig cells. ORA up-regulated the expression of OX( 1) R mRNA and protein in a dose-responsive manner and increased the phosphorylation of extracellular receptor kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) and p38 MAPK levels, but did not affect the phosphorylation of the JNK MAPK. Phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and p38 MAPKs by ORA was blocked with U0126 and SB203580 inhibitors, respectively. An OX(1)R-specific inhibitor, SB334867, also blocked the phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and p38 by ORA. Inhibitor treatment also blocked 3β-HSD expression and testosterone production.

CONCLUSIONS

These results demonstrate that ORA activation of OX(1)R up-regulates 3β-HSD expression and testosterone production via the ERK1/2 and p38 MAPKs signaling pathways in primary rat Leydig cells.

Effects of cumulus cells on in vitro maturation of oocytes and development of cloned embryos in the pig

The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of porcine cumulus cells (CC) in oocyte maturation and somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) embryo development in vitro. Denuded pig oocytes were co-cultured with CC or routinely cultured in maturation medium without a feeder layer. Porcine CC inactivated with mitomycin C or non-inactivated were used for the feeder layer in co-culture with porcine SCNT embryos to investigate comparatively the developmental competence of cloned embryos. The DNA damage aspects of apoptosis and expression pattern of genes implicated in apoptosis (Fas/FasL) as well as the mRNA expression of DNA methyltransferase (Dnmt1, Dnmt3a) of porcine SCNT embryos were also evaluated by comet assay or real-time RT-PCR, respectively. The results showed that co-culture with CC improved the extrusion rate of pbI (49.3% vs 31.5%, p<0.05) and survival rate (75.7% vs 53.3%, p<0.05) of denuded oocytes, but had no effects on blastocyst developmental rate or 2-cell-stage survival rate of in vitro fertilization embryos. Co-culture with CC inactivated by mitomycin C improved the blastocyst developmental rate (26.6% vs 13.0%, p<0.05) and decreased the apoptotic incidence (27.6% vs 46.2%, p<0.05) of porcine cloned embryos. Co-culture with inactivated CC reduced Fas and FasL mRNA expression of cloned embryos at the blastocyst stage compared with NT controls (p<0.05), but there were no differences in Dnmt1 and Dnmt3a mRNA expression among groups. Co-culture with inactivated cumulus cell monolayer significantly increased blastocyst formation and decreased the apoptotic incidence in porcine cloned embryos during in vitro development.

Identification of microRNA-target interaction in APRIL-knockdown colorectal cancer cells

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) regulate mammalian gene expression by targeting mRNAs and have key roles in several cellular processes, including differentiation, development, apoptosis and cancer pathomechanisms. Our previous studies have confirmed that a proliferation-inducing ligand (APRIL) gene is overexpressed in colorectal cancer (CRC) tumors and SW480 cells. To study the potential mechanisms of APRIL gene in the occurrence and development of the CRC, herein, we investigated whether APRIL-knockdown had the inhibitory effect on the growth of SW480 cells and had the simultaneous expression changes of miRNAs and mRNAs by microarrays. Our results suggest that siRNA-APRIL can effectively inhibit the growth of SW480 cells in vitro and in vivo and several miRNAs via specific pathways might be involved in regulating the phenotype of loss-of-function in APRIL-knockdown SW480 cells. Thus, our study highlights the possible mechanisms of miRNA-target regulating the function of APRIL gene in CRC cells, moreover, siRNA-APRIL holds great promise as a novel gene therapy approach for APRIL- positive CRC treatment.

Elaboration of an electroporation protocol for large plasmids and wild-type strains of Bacillus thuringiensis

AIMS

To elaborate an effective electroporation protocol for large plasmids and wild type strains of Bacillus thuringiensis.

METHODS AND RESULTS

The effect of DNA desalting, wall-weakening agency, cell growth conditions, electroporation solutions, and electric fields on electroporation efficiency was evaluated to optimize electroporation conditions for B. thuringiensis. By using this improved method, the greatest efficiency was reached 2 x 10(10 )CFU microg(-1) with pHT304, which is 10(4) times higher than previously reported. Four large plasmids (29.1, 44.9, 58 and 60 kb) were successfully transferred into the acrystalliferous B. thuringiensis strain BMB171; these results have not been achieved with previous protocols. Three wild type B. thuringiensis strains which could not be transformed previously were also transferred successfully.

CONCLUSIONS

This improved method is more efficient for small plasmids; it is also appropriate for large plasmids and wild type B. thuringiensis strains which were not transformed by previous procedures.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

The present study established an effective electroporation protocol for large plasmids and wild type strains of B. thuringiensis. This method is well suited for the cloning and expression of huge DNA fragments such as gene clusters in B. thuringiensis. It also can be used as a reference method for other Bacillus strains that are refractory to electroporate.

[Noninvasive monitoring of the hepatocellular carcinoma growth by the method of 1H and 23Na nuclear magnetic resonance]

Using diffusion weighted 1H, single-quantum 23Na and triple-quantum-filtered 23Na magnetic resonance imaging water apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), total tissue Na+ and intracellular Na+ were monitored in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in rats and in the surrounding liver tissue. The tumor water ADC was approximately 50% higher compared to the nearby healthy liver tissue but did not increase during 28 days of tumor growth (double time 3.9 days). The HCC growth was associated with an increase in both total tissue and intracellular 23Na signal intensity especially after 21 days post-cell inoculation reflecting possible changes in extracellular space and in intracellular ionic metabolism.

The expression analysis of ICOS-L on activated T cells and immature dendritic cells as well as malignant B cells and Grave's-disease-derived thyroid tissues by two novel mAbs against human ICOS-L

ICOS-L, a newly identified member of B7 superfamily, plays an important role in immune responses. In this article, we report on two novel mouse anti-human ICOS-L monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) named as 11C4 and 12B11, whose specificities were verified by methods of flow cytometry, western blotting, and epitope competition assay. The two mAbs bound to distinct ICOS-L epitopes on B cells. Interestingly, mAb 11C4 could well recognize ICOS-L molecule on activated T cells and Jurkat cell lines, which is different from commercial anti-ICOS-L mAb (clone number MIH12) and the other mAb 12B11. In addition, we found that the expression of ICOS-L molecule was only detected on the surface of immature monocyte-derived dendritic cells (Mo-DCs) and was sharply decreased after induction of mature Mo-DCs activated by tumor necrosis factor-alpha or CD40. Furthermore, we showed that 11C4 could effectively suppress the maturation of Mo-DCs in vitro as evidenced by the low expression of CD80, CD86, CD83, and human leukocyte antigen-DR, which suggested that ICOS-L may be involved in the maturation of Mo-DCs. Using immunohistochemistry staining with mAb 11C4, the expression of ICOS-L was found in B lymphoma tissues and thyroid tissues from the Grave's disease but not in thyroid adenoma and normal thyroid tissues.

Characterization and functional study of five novel monoclonal antibodies against human OX40L highlight reverse signalling: enhancement of IgG production of B cells and promotion of maturation of DCs

OX40 ligand (OX40L), a molecule originally identified as human gp34, is an important co-stimulatory molecule during immune response. In this study, we report on five functional mouse anti-human OX40L monoclonal antibodies named as 9H10, 4C12, 8D10, 4H4 and 1G1, characterized by means of flow cytometry, Western blot and competition assay. These monoclonal antibodies bound to distinct OX40L epitopes on activated B cells and dendritic cells (DCs) and two of them could suppress the proliferation of T lymphocytes co-stimulated by mature DCs. Furthermore, we demonstrated that our monoclonal antibodies, such as 9H10 and 4C12, could trigger OX40L reverse signal that enhanced IgG production of B cells and promoted maturation of DCs as evidenced by the upexpression of CD80, CD86, CD83 and CXCR4 and monoclonal antibody 9H10 could also promote anti-CD40 monoclonal-antibody-stimulated DCs in order to induce T cells to secrete more interleukin-2 and interferon-gamma, which suggested that OX40L signals could strengthen the effect of CD40 signals on promoting Th1 differentiation.

Epi-inositol regulates expression of the yeast INO1 gene encoding inositol-1-P synthase

Myo-inositol exerts behavioral effects in animal models of psychiatric disorders and is effective in clinical trials in psychiatric patients. Interestingly, epi-inositol exerts behavioral effects similar to myo-inositol, even though epi-inositol is not a substrate for synthesis of phosphatidylinositol. We postulated that the behavioral effects of epi-inositol may be due to its effects on gene expression. Yeast INO1expression was measured in northern blots. INM1 was determined by beta-galactosidase activity in a strain containing the fusion gene INM1-lacZintegrated into the genome. Epi-inositol affects regulation of expression of the INO1 gene (encoding inositol-1-P synthase), even though it cannot support growth of an inositol auxotroph (suggesting that, as in mammalian cells, it is not incorporated into phosphatidylinositol). Like myo-inositol, although to a lesser extent, epi-inositol causes a significant reduction in INO1 expression, and reverses the lithium- or valproate-induced increase in INO1 expression. However, it does not affect regulation of INM1 (encoding inositol monophosphatase), the expression of which is up-regulated by myo-inositol. The observed regulatory effects of epi-inositol on expression of the most highly regulated gene in the inositol biosynthetic pathway may help to explain how this inositol isomer can exert behavioral effects without being incorporated into phosphatidylinositol.