Early-Life Exposure of Pigs to Topsoil Alters miRNA and mRNA Expression in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells

Exposure to less-hygienic conditions during early childhood has been associated with stimulation and development of the immune system. A recent study indicated that exposure of piglets to soil-borne microbes during lactation was related with modulation of gut microbiota and immune function. To identify the potential molecular mechanisms and pathways impacted by early-life topsoil exposure, we analyzed the messenger RNA (mRNA) and micro-RNA (miRNA) expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from these piglets. Total RNA was extracted from the PBMCs of piglets exposed to topsoil only from d 4–d 21 of life (mRNA n = 6; miRNA n = 5) or unexposed control pigs (mRNA n = 6; miRNA n = 8) at 11, 20, and 56 days of age. Small RNA and mRNA were sequenced with 50-bp single-end reads using Illumina chemistry. Sequence data were quality checked with FASTQC software and aligned to the Sscrofa 11.1 genome with the STAR aligner for mRNA and mirDeep2 for miRNA. Differential expression (DE) analysis was performed using PROC Glimmix of SAS to evaluate changes in expression due to topsoil exposure over time with genes declared DE at a false discovery rate (FDR) of q < 0.10. A total of 138 mRNA and 21 miRNAs were identified as DE for the treatment by age interaction. Ontology enrichment analysis of DE mRNA revealed Gene ontology (GO) terms directly involved in the connection between T-cell and antigen-presenting cells that are associated with T-cell activation. Key regulatory genes identified include PTPRJ, ITGB3, TRBV30, CD3D, mir-143, mir-29, and mir-148a. While these results require validation, this study provides data supporting the hypothesis that less-hygienic environments during early life may contribute to the development of the immune system.

Cisd2 slows down liver aging and attenuates age-related metabolic dysfunction in male mice

The liver plays a pivotal role in mammalian aging. However, the mechanisms underlying liver aging remain unclear. Cisd2 is a pro‐longevity gene in mice. Cisd2 mediates lifespan and healthspan via regulation of calcium homeostasis and mitochondrial functioning. Intriguingly, the protein level of Cisd2 is significantly decreased by about 50% in the livers of old male mice. This down‐regulation of Cisd2 may result in the aging liver exhibiting non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) phenotype. Here, we use Cisd2 transgenic mice to investigate whether maintaining Cisd2 protein at a persistently high level is able to slow down liver aging. Our study identifies four major discoveries. Firstly, that Cisd2 expression attenuates age‐related dysregulation of lipid metabolism and other pathological abnormalities. Secondly, revealed by RNA sequencing analysis, the livers of old male mice undergo extensive transcriptomic alterations, and these are associated with steatosis, hepatitis, fibrosis, and xenobiotic detoxification. Intriguingly, a youthful transcriptomic profile, like that of young 3‐month‐old mice, was found in old Cisd2 transgenic male mice at 26 months old. Thirdly, Cisd2 suppresses the age‐associated dysregulation of various transcription regulators (Nrf2, IL‐6, and Hnf4a), which keeps the transcriptional network in a normal pattern. Finally, a high level of Cisd2 protein protects the liver from oxidative stress, and this is associated with a reduction in mitochondrial DNA deletions. These findings demonstrate that Cisd2 is a promising target for the development of therapeutic agents that, by bringing about an effective enhancement of Cisd2 expression, will slow down liver aging.

Efficacy of HLA-compatible Platelet Transfusion for Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia Refractory to Platelet Transfusion

Introduction/Objective

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients often require transfusion support during induction chemotherapy. Platelet transfusion refractoriness (PTR) may develop due to HLA alloimmunization. Management of immune-refractory patients with HLA-compatible platelet transfusions is labor intensive and associated with increased costs. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of HLA-compatible platelet units in AML patients.

Methods

Newly diagnosed AML patients undergoing induction chemotherapy in our institute between 2015 and 2018 were identified. Platelet counts and platelet transfusion data from initiation of chemotherapy until platelet recovery (> 20K/µL and increased consistently) were extracted. A 24-hour posttransfusion corrected count increment (CCI) was calculated to evaluate the efficacy of each platelet transfusion. PTR was declared if a patient had a 24-hour CCI < 4K following two consecutive transfusions. Student’s t-test was used for statistical analysis. Results were presented as mean ± SE, * if p < 0.05.

Results

We identified 39 patients with newly diagnosed AML. PTR developed in 22/39 (56%) patients during induction chemotherapy. The average CCI was higher among those without PTR compared to those with PTR (8,408 ± 585 vs. 2,923 ± 360*), and overall platelet transfusion burden (in number of units) was lower (7.29 ± 1.0 vs. 18.55 ± 1.71*). HLA antibodies were identified in 3/22 (14%) PTR patients, as 6/22 (27%) were tested. The average CCI during HLA matched transfusions for these 3 patients was higher than that with random units (2,059 ± 149 vs. -126 ± 306*). Compared to HLA-negative PTR patients receiving random units, the average CCI for HLA-compatible transfusions was still lower, though not significantly (2,059 ± 149 vs. 3,099 ± 390, p = 0.33), while the number of HLA- compatible units transfused was significantly higher (31.0 ± 3.0 vs. 16.6 ± 1.45*).

Conclusion

In a cohort of newly diagnosed AML patients undergoing induction chemotherapy whose PTR was associated with detectable HLA antibodies, transfusion support with HLA-matched products did not lead to reduced overall platelet transfusion rates and CCI remains in the refractory range. This suggests that use of HLA matched platelets among newly diagnosed AML patients with PTR, even in the setting of detectable HLA antibodies, does not appear to result in reduced overall product utilization.

Muscle atrophy-related myotube-derived exosomal microRNA in neuronal dysfunction: Targeting both coding and long noncoding RNAs

In mammals, microRNAs can be actively secreted from cells to blood. miR‐29b‐3p has been shown to play a pivotal role in muscle atrophy, but its role in intercellular communication is largely unknown. Here, we showed that miR‐29b‐3p was upregulated in normal and premature aging mouse muscle and plasma. miR‐29b‐3p was also upregulated in the blood of aging individuals, and circulating levels of miR‐29b‐3p were negatively correlated with relative appendicular skeletal muscle. Consistently, miR‐29b‐3p was observed in exosomes isolated from long‐term differentiated atrophic C2C12 cells. When C2C12‐derived miR‐29b‐3p‐containing exosomes were uptaken by neuronal SH‐SY5Y cells, increased miR‐29b‐3p levels in recipient cells were observed. Moreover, miR‐29b‐3p overexpression led to downregulation of neuronal‐related genes and inhibition of neuronal differentiation. Interestingly, we identified HIF1α‐AS2 as a novel c‐FOS targeting lncRNA that is induced by miR‐29b‐3p through down‐modulation of c‐FOS and is required for miR‐29b‐3p‐mediated neuronal differentiation inhibition. Our results suggest that atrophy‐associated circulating miR‐29b‐3p may mediate distal communication between muscle cells and neurons.

Progerin in muscle leads to thermogenic and metabolic defects via impaired calcium homeostasis

Mutations in lamin A (LMNA) are responsible for a variety of human dystrophic and metabolic diseases. Here, we created a mouse model in which progerin, the lamin A mutant protein that causes Hutchinson–Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS), can be inducibly overexpressed. Muscle‐specific overexpression of progerin was sufficient to induce muscular dystrophy and alter whole‐body energy expenditure, leading to premature death. Intriguingly, sarcolipin (Sln), an endoplasmic reticulum (ER)‐associated protein involved in heat production, is upregulated in progerin‐expressing and Lmna knockout (Lmna^−/−) skeletal muscle. The depletion of Sln accelerated the early death of Lmna^−/− mice. An examination at the molecular level revealed that progerin recruits Sln and Calnexin to the nuclear periphery. Furthermore, progerin‐expressing myoblasts presented enhanced store‐operated Ca²⁺ entry, as well as increased co‐localization of STIM1 and ORAI1. These findings suggest that progerin dysregulates calcium homeostasis through an interaction with a subset of ER‐associated proteins, resulting in thermogenic and metabolic abnormalities.

Upregulation of Cisd2 attenuates Alzheimer's-related neuronal loss in mice

CDGSH iron-sulfur domain-containing protein 2 (Cisd2), a protein that declines in an age-dependent manner, mediates lifespan in mammals. Cisd2 deficiency causes accelerated aging and shortened lifespan, whereas persistent expression of Cisd2 promotes longevity in mice. Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most prevalent form of senile dementia and is without an effective therapeutic strategy. We investigated whether Cisd2 upregulation is able to ameliorate amyloid β (Aβ) toxicity and prevent neuronal loss using an AD mouse model. Our study makes three major discoveries. First, using the AD mouse model (APP/PS1 double transgenic mice), the dosage of Cisd2 appears to modulate the severity of AD phenotypes. Cisd2 overexpression (∼two-fold) significantly promoted survival and alleviated the pathological defects associated with AD. Conversely, Cisd2 deficiency accelerated AD pathogenesis. Secondly, Cisd2 overexpression protected against Aβ-mediated mitochondrial damage and attenuated loss of neurons and neuronal progenitor cells. Finally, an increase in Cisd2 shifted the expression profiles of a panel of genes that are dysregulated by AD toward the patterns observed in wild-type mice. These findings highlight Cisd2-based therapies as a potential disease-modifying strategy for AD. © 2019 The Authors. The Journal of Pathology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland.

Hepatocellular carcinoma-related cyclin D1 is selectively regulated by autophagy degradation system

Dysfunction of degradation machineries causes cancers, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Overexpression of cyclin D1 in HCC has been reported. We previously reported that autophagy preferentially recruits and degrades the oncogenic microRNA (miR)-224 to prevent HCC. Therefore, in the present study, we attempted to clarify whether cyclin D1 is another oncogenic factor selectively regulated by autophagy in HCC tumorigenesis. Initially, we found an inverse correlation between low autophagic activity and high cyclin D1 expression in tumors of 147 HCC patients and three murine models, and these results taken together revealed a correlation with poor overall survival of HCC patients, indicating the importance of these two events in HCC development. We found that increased autophagic activity leads to cyclin D1 ubiquitination and selective recruitment to the autophagosome (AP) mediated by a specific receptor, sequestosome 1 (SQSTM1), followed by fusion with lysosome and degradation. Autophagy-selective degradation of ubiquitinated cyclin D1 through SQSTM1 was confirmed using cyclin D1/ubiquitin binding site (K_33-238 R) and phosphorylation site (T286A) mutants, lentivirus-mediated silencing autophagy-related 5 (ATG5), autophagy-related 7 (ATG7), and Sqstm1 knockout cells. Functional studies revealed that autophagy-selective degradation of cyclin D1 plays suppressive roles in cell proliferation, colony, and liver tumor formation. Notably, an increase of autophagic activity by pharmacological inducers (amiodarone and rapamycin) significantly suppressed tumor growth in both the orthotopic liver tumor and subcutaneous tumor xenograft models. Our findings provide evidence of the underlying mechanism involved in the regulation of cyclin D1 by selective autophagy to prevent tumor formation.

CONCLUSION

Taken together, our data demonstrate that autophagic degradation machinery and the cell-cycle regulator, cyclin D1, are linked to HCC tumorigenesis. We believe these findings may be of value in the development of alternative therapeutics for HCC patients. (Hepatology 2018;68:141-154).

Degenerative effects of cobalt-chloride treatment on neurons and microglia in a porcine retina organ culture model

In order to understand the pathological processes of retinal diseases, experimental models are necessary. Cobalt, as part of the vitamin B12 complex, is important for neuronal integrity. However, it is known that high quantities of cobalt induce cytotoxic mechanisms via hypoxia mimicry. Therefore, we tested the degenerative effect of cobalt chloride (CoCl₂) on neurons and microglia in a porcine retina organ culture model. Organotypic cultures of porcine retinas were cultured and treated with different concentrations of CoCl₂ (0, 100, 300 and 500 μM) for 48 h. After four and eight days, CoCl₂ induced a strong degeneration of the porcine retina, starting at 300 μM. A loss of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs, Brn-3a), amacrine cells (calretinin) and bipolar cells (PKCα) was observed. Additionally, a high expression of hypoxia induced factor-1a (HIF-1a) and heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) was noted at both points in time. Also, the Caspase 3 protein was activated and P21 expression was induced. However, only at day four, the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio was increased. The effect of CoCl₂ was not restricted to neurons. CoCl₂ concentrations reduced the microglia amount (Iba1) and activity (Iba1 + Fc_γ-Receptor) at both points in time. These damaging effects on microglia were surprising, since CoCl₂ causes hypoxia and a pro-inflammatory environment. However, high concentrations of CoCl₂ also seem to be toxic to these cells. Similar degenerative mechanisms as in comparison to retinal ischemia animal models were observed. In summary, an effective and reproducible hypoxia-mimicking organotypic model for retinal degeneration was established, which is easy to handle and ready for drug studies.

Progressive versus Nonprogressive Intracranial Dural Arteriovenous Fistulas: Characteristics and Outcomes

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

A minority of intracranial dural arteriovenous fistulas progress with time. We sought to determine features that predict progression and define outcomes of patients with progressive dural arteriovenous fistulas.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We performed a retrospective imaging and clinical record review of patients with intracranial dural arteriovenous fistula evaluated at our hospital.

RESULTS

Of 579 patients with intracranial dural arteriovenous fistulas, 545 had 1 fistula (mean age, 45 ± 23 years) and 34 (5.9%) had enlarging, de novo, multiple, or recurrent fistulas (mean age, 53 ± 20 years; P = .11). Among these 34 patients, 19 had progressive dural arteriovenous fistulas with de novo fistulas or fistula enlargement with time (mean age, 36 ± 25 years; progressive group) and 15 had multiple or recurrent but nonprogressive fistulas (mean age, 57 ± 13 years; P = .0059, nonprogressive group). Whereas all 6 children had fistula progression, only 13/28 adults (P = .020) progressed. Angioarchitectural correlates to chronically elevated intracranial venous pressures, including venous sinus dilation (41% versus 7%, P = .045) and pseudophlebitic cortical venous pattern (P = .048), were more common in patients with progressive disease than in those without progression. Patients with progressive disease received more treatments than those without progression (median, 5 versus 3; P = .0068), but as a group, they did not demonstrate worse clinical outcomes (median mRS, 1 and 1; P = .39). However, 3 young patients died from intracranial venous hypertension and intracranial hemorrhage related to progression of their fistulas despite extensive endovascular, surgical, and radiosurgical treatments.

CONCLUSIONS

Few patients with dural arteriovenous fistulas follow an aggressive, progressive clinical course despite treatment. Younger age at initial presentation and angioarchitectural correlates to venous hypertension may help identify these patients prospectively.

A quantum cascade laser-based water vapor isotope analyzer for environmental monitoring

A field-deployable mid-infrared quantum cascade laser-based spectrometer was designed and developed for measurements of H2(16)O and H2(18)O at 7.12 μm. H2(16)O and H2(18)O absorption features at 1390.52 cm(-1) and 1389.91 cm(-1), respectively, accessible within current tuning range of the laser, were targeted. The target lines were carefully selected to assure similar absorption levels and similar temperature sensitivities of the line strength due to comparable lower state energies. A real-time spectral fitting algorithm was implemented for isotopic concentration retrieval. Detection limits for H2(16)O and H2(18)O of 2.2 ppm and 7.0 ppb, respectively, were achieved at a dew point of 14 °C (volume mixing ratio of 15,766 ppm) in 1 s integration time, which resulted in a δ(18)O isotopic ratio measurement precision of 0.25‰. The ultimate minimum detection limits obtained after 160 s integration time for H2(16)O and H2(18)O, and δ(18)O measurements were 0.6 ppm, 1.7 ppb, and 0.05‰, respectively.

Impact of Pichia guilliermondii on sow, litter, and weaned pig immune performance

Three groups of gestating gilts and sows (Exp. 1; n = 98) were used to determine the effects of Pichia guilliermondii (Pg), a whole yeast product (CitriStim, ADM Alliance Nutrition), on dam and litter immune parameters. At breeding, gilts and sows were allotted to 1 of 3 treatments maintained through lactation: sow control (SC) diet or SC supplemented with 0.1 (S1) or 0.2% (S2) Pg. Pigs from groups 1 (Exp. 2) and 2 (Exp. 3) were weaned (21 d) and allotted in a 3 (SC, S1, or S2) × 2 [nursery with Pg (NPg) or without Pg (NC)] factorial arrangement in a randomized complete block design. In Exp. 2 blood samples were collected on days 5 and 28 postweaning for analysis. In Exp. 3, 36 pigs were individually penned and challenged with lipopolysaccharide (25 μg/kg BW intramuscular; 0 h). Individual BW, ADFI, and rectal temperature (RT) were collected at -48, -24, 0, 24, and 48 h and blood samples were collected at 0, 5, and 24 h for analysis. In Exp. 1, total neutrophil count (NEU) and neutrophil:lymphocyte ratio (NLR) were greater on day 110 of gestation (P < 0.05) in S1 than SC. At weaning there was a liner increase (P < 0.05) in NEU, NLR, and percentage of total leukocytes (PTL) that were NEU as level of Pg increased in sow diets. In Exp. 2, pigs from S1 had increased (P < 0.05) overall IgG than SC. The PTL that were eosinophils was greater in pigs from S2 fed NPg on day 5 than NC (P < 0.05) and increased in all pigs from S2 on day 28 (sow linear, P < 0.1). On day 28, total leukocytes and eosinophils were increased in pigs from SC [quadratic response (Q), P < 0.05]. In Exp. 3, a linear increase (P < 0.05) in ADFI was observed at -24 to 0 h, -48 to 0 h, and 24 to 48 h as the level of Pg increased in sow diets. There was a linear increase in RT at -48, -24, 0, and 5 h with increasing Pg inclusion in sow diets (P < 0.05). However, RT decreased more from 5 to 24 h in pigs from sows receiving Pg. The number of monocytes and PTL that were monocytes were higher in S2 compared to SC and S1 (P < 0.05). Also, NEU were reduced at 5 h in S1 (P < 0.05), NLR was lower in S2 at 0 h and S1 at 5 h, IL-1β concentration was greater in SC at 0 h and S1 at 5 h, and IL-6 concentration was greater in S2 at 0 h and S1 at 5 h (P < 0.05). Furthermore, blood urea N (BUN) was higher in NC at 0 and 5 h than NPg (P < 0.05). In conclusion, Pg appears to impact immune response criteria of sows and weaned pigs.

Lymphoma, thymoma and the wooden man: stiff-person syndrome post-thymoma excision and non-Hodgkin lymphoma remission

Stiff-person syndrome (SPS) is an uncommon yet under-diagnosed, neuromuscular disorder characterised by progressive muscle rigidity with superimposed painful muscle spasms triggered by tactile, auditory or emotional stimulation. We describe the world's first case report of typical SPS in a patient with previously excised thymoma and treated non-Hodgkin lymphoma. This is of relevance because of the increasingly elucidated autoimmune aetiology of SPS.

1.12 Tb/s superchannel coherent PM-QPSK InP transmitter photonic integrated circuit (PIC)

In this work, a 10-wavelength, polarization-multiplexed, monolithically integrated InP coherent QPSK transmitter PIC is demonstrated to operate at 112 Gb/sec per wavelength and total chip superchannel bandwidth of 1.12 Tb/s. This demonstration suggests that increasing data capacity to multi-Tb/s per chip is possible and likely in the future.