New evidence for gut-muscle axis: Lactic acid bacteria-induced gut microbiota regulates duck meat flavor

The interaction between gut microbiota and muscles through the gut-muscle axis has received increasing attention. This study attempted to address existing research gaps by investigating the effects of gut microbiota on meat flavor. Specifically, lactic acid bacteria were administered to ducks, and the results of e-nose and e-tongue showed significantly enhanced meat flavor in the treatment group. Further analyses using GC-MS revealed an increase in 6 characteristic volatile flavor compounds, including pentanal, hexanal, heptanal, 1-octen-3-ol, 2,3-octanedione, and 2-pentylfuran. Linoleic acid was identified as the key fatty acid that influences meat flavor. Metagenomic and transcriptomic results further confirmed that cecal microbiota affects the duck meat flavor by regulating the metabolic pathways of fatty acids and amino acids, especially ACACB was related to fatty acid biosynthesis and ACAT2, ALDH1A1 with fatty acid degradation. This study sheds light on a novel approach to improving the flavor of animal-derived food.

3-Dimentional printing of polysaccharides for water-treatment: A review

Biological polysaccharides such as cellulose, chitin, chitosan, sodium alginate, etc., serve as excellent substrates for 3D printing due to their inherent advantages of biocompatibility, biodegradability, non-toxicity, and absence of secondary pollution. In this review we comprehensively overviewed the principles and processes involved in 3D printing of polysaccharides. We then delved into the diverse application of 3D printed polysaccharides in wastewater treatment, including their roles as adsorbents, photocatalysts, biological carriers, micro-devices, and solar evaporators. Furthermore, we assessed the technical superiority and future potential of polysaccharide 3D prints, envisioning its widespread application. Lastly, we remarked the challenging scientific and engineering aspects that require attention in the scientific research, industrial production, and engineering utilization. By addressing these key points, we aimed to advance the field and facilitate the practical implementation of polysaccharide-based 3D printing technologies in wastewater treatment and beyond.

Identification, characterisation and expression analysis of peanut sugar invertase genes reveal their vital roles in response to abiotic stress

KEY MESSAGE

Sucrose invertase activity is positively related to osmotic and salt stress resistance in peanut. Sucrose invertases (INVs) have important functions in plant growth and response to environmental stresses. However, their biological roles in peanut are still not fully revealed. In this research, we identified 42 AhINV genes in the peanut genome. They were highly conserved and clustered into three groups with 24 segmental duplication events occurred under purifying selection. Transcriptional expression analysis exhibited that they were all ubiquitously expressed, and most of them were up-regulated by osmotic and salt stresses, with AhINV09, AhINV23 and AhINV19 showed the most significant up-regulation. Further physiochemical analysis showed that the resistance of peanut to osmotic and salt stress was positively related to the high sugar content and sucrose invertase activity. Our results provided fundamental information on the structure and evolutionary relationship of INV gene family in peanut and gave theoretical guideline for further functional study of AhINV genes in response to abiotic stress.

Ectopic Expression of MADS-Box Transcription Factor VvAGL12 from Grape Promotes Early Flowering, Plant Growth, and Production by Regulating Cell-Wall Architecture in Arabidopsis

The MADS-box family, a substantial group of plant transcription factors, crucially regulates plant growth and development. Although the functions of AGL12-like subgroups have been elucidated in Arabidopsis, rice, and walnut, their roles in grapes remain unexplored. In this study, we isolated VvAGL12, a member of the grape MADS-box group, and investigated its impact on plant growth and biomass production. VvAGL12 was found to localize in the nucleus and exhibit expression in both vegetative and reproductive organs. We introduced VvAGL12 into Arabidopsis thaliana ecotype Columbia-0 and an agl12 mutant. The resulting phenotypes in the agl12 mutant, complementary line, and overexpressed line underscored VvAGL12's ability to promote early flowering, augment plant growth, and enhance production. This was evident from the improved fresh weight, root length, plant height, and seed production, as well as the reduced flowering time. Subsequent transcriptome analysis revealed significant alterations in the expression of genes associated with cell-wall modification and flowering in the transgenic plants. In summary, the findings highlight VvAGL12's pivotal role in the regulation of flowering timing, overall plant growth, and development. This study offers valuable insights, serving as a reference for understanding the influence of the VvAGL12 gene in other plant species and addressing yield-related challenges.

Disruption of peritrophic matrix chitin metabolism and gut immune by chlorantraniliprole results in pathogenic bacterial infection in Bombyx mori

Chlorantraniliprole (CAP) is widely used in pest control, and its environmental residues affect the disease resistance of non-target insect silkworms. Studies have demonstrated that changes in gut microbial communities of insects are associated with susceptibility to pathogens. In the present study, we examined the effects of CAP exposure on the immune system and gut microbial community structure of silkworms. The results showed that after 96 h of exposure to low-concentration CAP, the peritrophic matrix (PM) of silkworm larvae was disrupted, and pathogenic bacteria invaded hemolymph. The trehalase activity in the midgut was significantly decreased, while the activities of chitinase, β-N-acetylglucosaminidase, and chitin deacetylase were increased considerably, resulting in decreased chitin content in PM. In addition, exposure to CAP reduced the expressions of key genes in the Toll, IMD, and JAK/STAT pathways, ultimately leading to the downregulation of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) genes and alterations in the structure of the gut microbial community. Therefore, after infection with the conditional pathogen Enterobacter cloacae (E. cloacae), CAP-exposed individuals exhibited significantly lower body weight and higher mortality. These findings showed that exposure to low-concentration CAP impacted the biological defense system of silkworms, changed the gut microbial community structure, and increased silkworms' susceptibility to bacterial diseases. Collectively, these findings provided a new perspective for the safety evaluation of low-concentration CAP exposure in sericulture.

Constitutive expression of AtSINA2 from Arabidopsis improves grain yield, seed oil and drought tolerance in transgenic soybean

The SEVEN IN Absentia (SINA), a typical member of the RING E3 ligase family, plays a crucial role in plant growth, development and response to abiotic stress. However, its biological functions in oil crops are still unknown. Previously, we reported that overexpression of AtSINA2 in Arabidopsis positively regulated the drought tolerance of transgenic plants. In this work, we demonstrate that ectopic expression of AtSINA2 in soybean improved the shoot growth, grain yield, drought tolerance and seed oil content in transgenic plants. Compared to wild type, transgenic soybean produced greater shoot biomass and grain yield, and showed improved seed oil and drought tolerance. Physiological analyses exhibited that the increased drought tolerance of transgenic plants was accompanied with a higher chlorophyll content, and a lower malondialdehyde accumulation and water loss during drought stress. Further transcriptomic analyses revealed that the expressions of genes related to plant growth, flowering and stress response were up- or down-regulated in transgenic soybean under both normal and drought stress conditions. Our findings imply that AtSINA2 improved both agricultural production and drought tolerance, and it can be used as a candidate gene for the genetic engineering of new soybean cultivars with improved grain yield and drought resistance.

Mechanism of autophagy induced by low concentrations of chlorantraniliprole in silk gland, Bombyx mori

Chlorantraniliprole (CAP) is widely used in the control of agricultural pests, and its residues can affect the formation of silkworm (Bombyx. mori) cocoon easily. To accurately evaluate the toxicity of CAP to silkworms and clarify the mechanism of its effect on silk gland function, we proposed a novel toxicity evaluation method based on the body weight changes after CAP exposure. We also analyzed the Ca²⁺-related ATPase activity, characterized energy metabolism and transcriptional changes about the autophagy key genes on the downstream signaling pathways. The results showed that after a low concentration of CAP exposed for 96 h, there were CAP residues in the silk glands of B. mori, the activities of Ca²⁺-ATPase and Ca²⁺-Mg²⁺-ATPase decreased significantly (P ≤ 0.01), and the activation of AMPK-related genes AMPK-α and AMPK-β were up-regulated by 6.39 ± 0.02-fold and 12.33 ± 1.06-fold, respectively, reaching a significant level (P ≤ 0.01)). In addition, the autophagy-related genes Atg1, Atg6, Atg5, Atg7, and Atg8 downstream AMPK were significantly up-regulated at 96 h (P ≤ 0.05). The results of immunohistochemistry and protein expression assay for autophagy marker Atg8 further confirmed the occurrence of autophagy. Overall, our results indicate that CAP exposure leads to autophagy in the silk gland of B. mori and affects their physiological functions, which provides guidance for the evaluation of toxicity of low concentration environmental CAP residues to insects.

Molecular characterization of a novel strain of Bacillus halotolerans protecting wheat from sheath blight disease caused by Rhizoctonia solani Kühn

Rhizoctonia solani Kühn naturally infects and causes Sheath blight disease in cereal crops such as wheat, rice and maize, leading to severe reduction in grain yield and quality. In this work, a new bacterial strain Bacillus halotolerans LDFZ001 showing efficient antagonistic activity against the pathogenic strain Rhizoctonia solani Kühn sh-1 was isolated. Antagonistic, phylogenetic and whole genome sequencing analyses demonstrate that Bacillus halotolerans LDFZ001 strongly suppressed the growth of Rhizoctonia solani Kühn sh-1, showed a close evolutionary relationship with B. halotolerans F41-3, and possessed a 3,965,118 bp circular chromosome. Bioinformatic analysis demonstrated that the genome of Bacillus halotolerans LDFZ001 contained ten secondary metabolite biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) encoding five non-ribosomal peptide synthases, two polyketide synthase, two terpene synthases and one bacteriocin synthase, and a new kijanimicin biosynthetic gene cluster which might be responsible for the biosynthesis of novel compounds. Gene-editing experiments revealed that functional expression of phosphopantetheinyl transferase (SFP) and major facilitator superfamily (MFS) transporter genes in Bacillus halotolerans LDFZ001 was essential for its antifungal activity against R. solani Kühn sh-1. Moreover, the existence of two identical chitosanases may also make contribution to the antipathogen activity of Bacillus halotolerans LDFZ001. Our findings will provide fundamental information for the identification and isolation of new sheath blight resistant genes and bacterial strains which have a great potential to be used for the production of bacterial control agents.

IMPORTANCE

A new Bacillus halotolerans strain Bacillus halotolerans LDFZ001 resistant to sheath blight in wheat is isolated. Bacillus halotolerans LDFZ001 harbors a new kijanimicin biosynthetic gene cluster, and the functional expression of SFP and MFS contribute to its antipathogen ability.

Effects of glyphosate on the growth, development, and physiological functions of silkworm, Bombyx mori

Glyphosate is an herbicide widely used worldwide, but whether it is safe to nontarget organisms is controversial. In this study, the lepidopteran model insect silkworm was used to investigate the effects of glyphosate residues. The LC50 (72 h) of glyphosate on silkworm was determined to be 14875.98 mg/L, and after exposure to glyphosate at 2975.20 mg/L (a concentration comparable to that used for weed control in mulberry fields), silkworm growth was inhibited by 9.00%, total cocoon weight was lowered by 10.53%, feed digestibility was decreased by 7.56%, and the activities of alpha-amylase and trypsin were reduced by 10.41% and 21.32%, respectively. Pathological analysis revealed that glyphosate exposure led to significantly damaged midgut, along with thinner basal layer, shedding microvilli, blurred cytoplasmic membrane, and appearance of vacuoles. Exposure to glyphosate also led to accumulation of peroxides in the intestinal tissue; the messenger RNA transcription of SOD, Cu/Zn-SOD, and Mn-SOD was all significantly upregulated by glyphosate treatment for 24 h, while CAT transcription was increased at 24, 48, and 72 h. The activity of SOD was increased significantly at 24 h, while significant activity changes were observed for CAT at 72 and 96 h. These results indicated that exposure to glyphosate caused oxidative stress in the midgut of silkworm and affected the midgut's physiological function. This study provides important insights in evaluating the impact of glyphosate residues in the environment on nontarget organisms.

Detection of Farmland Obstacles Based on an Improved YOLOv5s Algorithm by Using CIoU and Anchor Box Scale Clustering

It is necessary to detect multi-type farmland obstacles in real time and accurately for unmanned agricultural vehicles. An improved YOLOv5s algorithm based on the K-Means clustering algorithm and CIoU Loss function was proposed to improve detection precision and speed up real-time detection. The K-Means clustering algorithm was used in order to generate anchor box scales to accelerate the convergence speed of model training. The CIoU Loss function, combining the three geometric measures of overlap area, center distance and aspect ratio, was adopted to reduce the occurrence of missed and false detection and improve detection precision. The experimental results showed that the inference time of a single image was reduced by 75% with the improved YOLOv5s algorithm; compared with that of the Faster R-CNN algorithm, real-time performance was effectively improved. Furthermore, the mAP value of the improved algorithm was increased by 5.80% compared with that of the original YOLOv5s, which indicates that using the CIoU Loss function had an obvious effect on reducing the missed detection and false detection of the original YOLOv5s. Moreover, the detection of small target obstacles of the improved algorithm was better than that of the Faster R-CNN.

Imbalance of intestinal microbial homeostasis caused by acetamiprid is detrimental to resistance to pathogenic bacteria in Bombyx mori

The neonicotinoid insecticide acetamiprid is widely applied for pest control in agriculture production, and its exposure often results in adverse effects on a non-target insect, Bombyx mori. However, only few studies have investigated the effects of exposure to sublethal doses of neonicotinoid insecticides on gut microbiota and susceptibility to pathogenic bacteria. In this study, we aimed to explore the possible mechanisms underlying the acetamiprid-induced compositional changes in gut microbiota of silkworm and reduced host resistance against detrimental microbes. This study indicated that sublethal dose of acetamiprid activated the dual oxidase-reactive oxygen species (Duox-ROS) system and induced ROS accumulation, leading to dysregulation of intestinal immune signaling pathways. The evenness and structure of bacterial community were altered. Moreover, after 96 h of exposure to sublethal dose of acetamiprid, several bacteria, such as Pseudomonas sp (Biotype A, DOP-1a, XW34) and Staphylococcus sp (RCB1054, RCB314, X302), invaded the silkworm hemolymph. The survival rate and bodyweight of the acetamiprid treated silkworm larvae inoculated with Enterobacter cloacae (E. cloacae) were significantly lower than the acetamiprid treatment group, suggesting that acetamiprid reduced silkworm resistance against pathogens. These findings indicated that acetamiprid disturbed gut microbial homeostasis of Bombyx mori, resulting in changes in gut microbial community and susceptibility to detrimental microbes.

Characterization of 67 Confirmed Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats Loci in 52 Strains of Staphylococci

Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), which is one of the most important species of Staphylococci, poses a great threat to public health. Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) and their CRISPR-associated proteins (Cas) are an adaptive immune platform to combat foreign mobile genetic elements (MGEs) such as plasmids and phages. The aim of this study is to describe the distribution and structure of CRISPR-Cas system in S. aureus, and to explore the relationship between CRISPR and horizontal gene transfer (HGT). Here, we analyzed 67 confirmed CRISPR loci and 15 companion Cas proteins in 52 strains of Staphylococci with bioinformatics methods. Comparing with the orphan CRISPR loci in Staphylococci, the strains harboring complete CRISPR-Cas systems contained multiple CRISPR loci, direct repeat sequences (DR) forming stable RNA secondary structures with lower minimum free energy (MFE), and variable spacers with detectable protospacers. In S. aureus, unlike the orphan CRISPRs away from Staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec), the complete CRISPR-Cas systems were in J1 region of SCCmec. In addition, we found a conserved motif 5'-TTCTCGT-3' that may protect their downstream sequences from DNA interference. In general, orphan CRISPR locus in S. aureus differed greatly from the structural characteristics of the CRISPR-Cas system. Collectively, our results provided new insight into the diversity and characterization of the CRISPR-Cas system in S. aureus.

Changes in microbial community and enzyme activity in soil under continuous pepper cropping in response to Trichoderma hamatum MHT1134 application

To clarify the control effects of Trichoderma hamatum strain MHT1134 on Fusarium wilt in continuous pepper cropping fields and its regulatory effects on soil microecology, the physical and chemical properties, enzyme activities, community structures of soil samples from five field types were analysed. Samples were taken from fields that had been continuously planted for 1, 5, 9 years, and applied the strain MHT1134 for 1 and 2 years. The MHT1134 control effects on pepper wilt after application 1 year and 2 years were 63.03% and 70.21%, respectively. 4 kinds of physical and chemical indexes and 6 kinds of enzyme activities in soil were increased. With the continuous cropping years increased, the microbial abundance and diversity decreasing significantly. The relative abundances of Fusarium, Gibberella increased along with the planting years, but decreased after the MHT11134 application. However, the relative abundances of Trichoderma and Chaetomium significantly increased. Additionally, as the cropping years increased, the soil abundance of Actinobacteria gradually decreased, but it significantly increased from 17.56 to 22.44% after the MHT1134 application. Thus, strain MHT1134 effectively improved the microbial community structure of the soil, and it also positively affected soil quality. A continuous application may improve the control effect.

Cloning and functional analysis of autophagy-related gene 7 in Bombyx mori, silkworm

Silkworm (Bombyx mori) is an important economic insect and an attractive model system. A series of autophagy-related genes (Atgs) are involved in the autophagic process, and these Atgs have been proved to play important roles in the development. Atg7 stands at the hub of two ubiquitin-like systems involving Atg8 and Atg12 in the autophagic vesicle. In the present study, we cloned and characterized a BmAtg7 gene in Bombyx mori. The open reading frame (ORF) of BmAtg7 was 1908 bp in length, and it encoded a polypeptide of 635 amino acids. BmAtg7 was highly expressed in the posterior silk gland, fatbody, and epidermis. The expression profile of BmAtg7 in the fatbody showed an increasing tendency from day 1 of the 5th instar to the prepupal stage. After chlorantraniliprole (CAP) exposure, the transcriptional level of BmAtg7 was continuously decreased. After depletion of BmAtg7 by RNAi, the expressions of BmAtg7, BmAtg8, and BmEcr were all downregulated, while the expression of BmJHBP2 was upregulated. However, depletion of BmAtg7 did not prevent the metamorphosis of silkworm from larvae to pupae, while the occurrence of such process was delayed. After the 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) treatment, the expression characteristics of these four genes (BmAtg7, BmAtg8, BmEcr and BmJHBP2) were contrary to the results after depletion of BmAtg7. Our results suggested that although CAP exposure could significantly inhibit the expression of BmAtg7 continuously, the changes of BmAtg7 was not the key factor in CAP-induced metamorphosis defects.

Low concentration acetamiprid-induced oxidative stress hinders the growth and development of silkworm posterior silk glands

Acetamiprid is a new type of nicotinic insecticide that is widely used in pest control. Its environmental residues may cause silkworm cocooning disorder. In this study, silkworms that received continuous feeding of low concentration acetamiprid (0.15 mg/L) showed significantly decreased silk gland index and cocooning rate. Gene expression profiling of posterior silk glands (PSGs) revealed that the differentially expressed genes were significantly enriched in oxidative stress-related signal pathways with significant up-regulation. The contents of both H₂O₂ and MDA were increased, along with significantly elevated SOD and CAT activities, all of which reached maximal values at 48 h when H₂O₂ and MDA's contents were 10.46 and 7.98 nmol/mgprot, respectively, and SOD and CAT activities were 5.51 U/mgprot and 33.48 U/gprot, respectively. The transcription levels of antioxidant enzyme-related genes SOD, Mn-SOD, CuZn-SOD, CAT, TPX and GPX were all up-regulated, indicating that exposure to low concentration acetamiprid led to antioxidant response in silkworm PSG. The key genes in the FoxO/CncC/Keap1 signaling pathway that regulates antioxidant enzyme activity, FoxO, CncC, Keap1, NQO1, HO-1 and sMaf were all up-regulated during the whole process of treatment, with maximal values being reached at 72 h with 2.91, 1.46, 1.82, 2.52, 2.32 and 4.01 times of increases, respectively. These results demonstrate that exposure to low concentration acetamiprid causes oxidative stress in silkworm PSG, which may be the cause of cocooning disorder in silkworm. Our study provides a reference for the safety evaluation of environmental residues of acetamiprid on non-target insects.

The mechanism of damage to the posterior silk gland by trace amounts of acetamiprid in the silkworm, Bombyx mori

Acetamiprid is a new neonicotinoid insecticide widely used in the prevention and control of pests in agriculture. However, its residues in the environment affect the cocooning of the silkworm, Bombyx mori (B. mori), a non-target insect. To investigate the mechanism of damage, B. mori larvae were fed with trace amounts of acetamiprid (0.15 mg/L). At 96 h after exposure, the larvae showed signs of poisoning and decreased body weight, resulting in reduced survival and ratio of cocoon shell. At 48 h and 96 h after exposure, the residues in the posterior silk gland (PSG), which is responsible for synthesizing silk fibroin, were 0.72 μg/mg and 1.21 μg/mg, respectively, as measured by high performance liquid chromatography, indicating that acetamiprid can accumulate in the PSG. Moreover, pathological sections and transmission electron microscopy also demonstrate the damage of the PSG by acetamiprid. Digital gene expression (DGE) and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis revealed that genes related to metabolism, stress responses and inflammation were significantly up-regulated after exposure. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis showed that the transcript levels of FMBP-1 and FTZ-F1 (transcription factors for synthesizing silk protein) were up-regulated by 2.55-and 1.56-fold, respectively, and the transcript levels of fibroin heavy chain (Fib-H), fibroin light chain (Fib-L), P25, Bmsage and Bmdimm were down-regulated by 0.75-, 0.76-, 0.65-, 0.44- and 0.40-fold, respectively. The results indicate that accumulated acetamiprid causes damage to the PSG and leads to reduced expression of genes responsible for synthesizing silk fibroin. Our data provide reference for evaluating the safety of acetamiprid residues in the environment for non-target insects.

Induction of ER stress, antioxidant and detoxification response by sublethal doses of chlorantraniliprole in the silk gland of silkworm, Bombyx mori

Sublethal doses of chlorantraniliprole (CAP) disrupt spinning disorder in the silkworm Bombyx mori (B. mori) and cause reduced cocoon production. In the present study, we investigated the effects of trace amounts of CAP on morphology and gene expression of the B. mori silk gland, found the posterior silk gland cells were possessed of disintegrated Endoplasmic reticulum (ER), unevenly distributed chromatin after exposure to CAP (0.01 mg/L). Gene expression analysis revealed that IRE1 and ATF6 ER stress-signaling pathways were inhibited, the PERK/CncC pathway was activated. Digital gene expression (DGE) analysis showed that detoxification-related genes, antioxidant genes and genes involved in ER protein processing pathway were expressed differentially in CAP-treated silkworm larvae. Notably, the transcript levels of the detoxification-related genes (CYP4M5, CYP6AB4, GSTD3 and GSTS1) and the antioxidant genes (CAT, TPX and SOD) were significantly increased, and the expression of ER protein processing-related genes (Sec61β, Sec61γ, Sec23α and ERGIC-53) was significantly decreased after CAP exposure. The results showed that sublethal doses of CAP exposure caused ER stress, oxidative damage to the silk gland and the perturbation of protein processing in ER, thereby probably leading to abnormal growth of the silk gland and triggering the spinning failure in silkworm.

[Preliminary results of Chinese magnetic sphincter augmentation in treating gastroesophageal reflux disease]

Objective: To examine the preliminary clinical efficacy of Chinese magnetic sphincter augmentation (MSA) in the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Methods: According to the enrollment criteria for the MSA developed by ShengJieKang Co. and Shanghai Chest Hospital (SS-MSA) clinical trial, a total of 19 GERD patients were treated with SS-MSA from August 2018 to January 2020 at Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University. The majority of registered cases were male patients with age of (32.2±7.3) years (range: 22 to 50 years), height of (170.7±6.2) cm (range: 160 to 179 cm) and weight of (65.2±10.3) kg (range: 47.5 to 90.0 kg). SS-MSA was implanted via laparoscopy. The major evaluation indexs of postoperative efficacy were the total time of acid exposure within 24 hours and the total number of reflux. Secondary efficacy indicators included: (1) evaluation of the average daily dose of proton pump inhibitor medications; (2) the score of GERD health related quality of life questionnaire (GERD-Q) before and after MSA implantation. Paired design t-test was used to evaluate the efficacy of the SS-MSA. Results: A total of 19 patients underwent SS-MSA surgery successfully. The history of the GERD were 19 (54) months (M(Q(R))). The operation time was 63 (22) minutes and the in-hospital stay was 3 (2) days. No obvious surgical complications occurred. Postoperative adverse events included 14 cases with mild to moderate dysphagia exited after surgery, gradually eased within 1 to 3 months, 1 case with the removal of the device after 1 month of severe swallowing difficulties, 1 case of diarrhea. No corrosion, perforation, displacement occurred. The GERD-Q score (11.0(4.5) vs. 6(1.0), t=4.274, P=0.013), 24-hour acid exposure time (6.2(4.8)% vs. 0.1(0.9)%, t=5.814, P=0.004), and Demeester score (23.72(16.20) vs. 0.96(3.10), t=6.678, P=0.003) were significantly decreased 1 year after surgery(n=5). Proton pump inhibitor reuse rates were 6/18, 5/15, 3/10, and 1/5 in 1, 3, 6 and 12 months after the operation, respectively. Conclusions: SS-MSA implantation is feasible and safe with short hospital stay and rare perioperative complications. The preliminary results is good after 1 year follow-up. It could be expected to be an ideal substitutive for future GERD treatment.

The mechanism of sublethal chlorantraniliprole exposure causing silkworm pupation metamorphosis defects

BACKGROUND

Chlorantraniliprole (CAP) is widely used in agriculture and forestry to prevent and control pests. The effects of environmental CAP residue on non-target insect metamorphosis have not been reported. Our research aimed to investigate the sublethal effect of CAP on larva-pupa transformation in silkworm, and explore the mechanism of sublethal CAP exposure-mediated pupation metamorphosis defects.

RESULT

Sublethal CAP exposure affected the growth and development of silkworm larvae and caused defects in pupation metamorphosis. After CAP exposure, formation the of prepupa procuticle, ecdysial membrane and new epidermis was inhibited. Also, the level of 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) and mRNA levels of the 20E signaling pathway-related genes EcR, USP, E74, E75 and Ftz-f1 were significantly reduced. Moreover, genes involved in chitin synthesis, such as ChsA, CDA1 and CDA2, were downregulated. Injection of 20E led to the upregulation of chitin synthesis-related genes and increased formation of new epidermis in CAP-treated silkworm. However, injection of 20E failed to prevent downregulation of Ftz-f1 and the defects in pupation metamorphosis.

CONCLUSION

Our results suggested that 20E is a target hormone of CAP exposure-mediated epidermis formation phenotype. Ftz-f1 was silenced by CAP and might be a direct target gene of sublethal CAP exposure. Our study provided new evidence of the effects of sublethal CAP exposure on insect development and metamorphosis. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.

Effects of sublethal phoxim exposure and lower food intake on nutrient metabolism in the midguts of Bombyx mori

Silkworm (Bombyx mori) is an economically important insect. However, the survival of silkworms has been significantly affected by the assault of chemical pesticides on mulberry trees through aerial application and water currents. Phoxim is a broad-spectrum organophosphorus insecticide widely used in China. Currently, very little is known about the non-neuronal effects of sublethal exposure to phoxim. The purpose of this study was to investigate the non-neuronal effects of sublethal phoxim exposure in the silkworm midgut, with a focus on nutrient metabolism. After phoxim treatment, lipase activity in the silkworm was shown to be up-regulated at 24 h before a decreasing trend was seen. Meanwhile, α-amylase activity showed the opposite trend. The expression levels of mitochondrial respiratory chain-related genes were all up-regulated at 24 h before falling continuously. To ensure that the effects of phoxim on nutrient metabolism were not simply a consequence of a decrease in mulberry consumption, the silkworms were treated with a reduced-food diet before the digestive enzyme activities and the transcription levels of mitochondrial respiratory chain-related genes were analyzed. Our results showed that the patterns in the reduced-diet and phoxim-exposed silkworm were markedly different, suggesting the alterations in the phoxim-exposed silkworm cannot readily be explained by nutrient deprivation.

Responses of detoxification enzymes in the midgut of Bombyx mori after exposure to low-dose of acetamiprid

Bombyx mori is an important economic insect. However, the environmental pollution caused by the widespread use of neonicotinoid insecticides has significantly affected the safe production of sericulture. In this paper, we determined the LC₅₀ of acetamiprid, a kind of neonicotinoid insecticides, to 5th instar silkworm larvae, examined its residues in hemolymph and midgut of silkworm after continuous exposure to low-dose of acetamiprid, and investigated the transcription level of detoxifying-related genes and the activity of detoxifying enzymes. The results showed that acetamiprid was highly toxic (24-h LC₅₀, 1.50 mg/L) to silkworm larvae. After continuous exposure to low-dose of acetamiprid (0.15 mg/L), the acetamiprid residue concentrations in hemolymph and midgut were 0.90 and 0.58 μg/mg, respectively, at 48 h, but all decreased at 96 h. At 24 h of acetamiprid exposure, the transcription levels of CYP4M5 and CYP6AB4 and the P450 enzyme activity were significantly enhanced. However, the transcription levels of CarE and CarE-11 and the activity of CarE enzymes were both inhibited by acetamiprid exposure. After 24 h-72 h of acetamiprid exposure, the transcription levels of GSTe3 and GSTd1 were significantly up-regulated, and the GST enzyme activity was also significantly elevated from 48 h to 96 h. Furthermore, the expression levels of FoxO, CncC and Keap1, the key upstream genes of detoxification enzymes, showed a similar trend as the GST genes. These results indicated that acetamiprid was reduced in midgut and the expression of GSTs was upregulated may via FoxO/CncC/Keap1 signaling pathway, which plays a key role in detoxification responses.

Identification of the nucleotide exchange factor BmGrpE and its role under high-temperature stress in silkworm, Bombyx mori

The high-temperature stress gene GrpE plays an important role in coping with high-temperature stress. The mutation of key sites of this gene can improve the high-temperature resistance of organisms. In the present study, using complementary DNAs from the silkworm fat body as the template, the open reading frame sequence of the GrpE gene (BmGrpE) was amplified and was found to be 644 bp in length and encode a protein with a predicted molecular weight of 24.1 kDa. The presence of a binding site for the heat shock transcription factor (Hsf1) at -1440 bp upstream of its coding region indicates that BmGrpE may respond to high-temperature stress. BmGrpE was constitutively expressed throughout developmental stages, with the highest level observed in the 5th instar larvae stage. Moreover, in 5th instar larvae (the 3th day), BmGrpE was expressed in all tissues examined, with the highest levels in the fat body, silk gland, and midgut. Interestingly, under high-temperature stress, TiO₂ nanoparticle treatment increased the messenger RNA levels of BmGrpE in the fat body and silk gland. After treatment with dsRNA of BmGrpE, the cell viability of BmN cells was significantly decreased under 34°C and H₂ O₂ stress (p < .05). Mutation of BmGrpE (H163L) enhanced the resistance of BmN cells under high-temperature stress. These results provide new clues for the study of molecular mechanisms of insect resistance to high temperatures.

Effects of phoxim pesticide on the immune system of silkworm midgut

Silkworm (Bombyx mori) is an important economic insect. Bombyx mori, which is exposed to sublethal doses of pesticides, has a low or no mortality rate, while it is susceptible to infections triggered by foreign pathogens. The immune regulatory mechanism of silkworms caused by trace pesticides still remains unclear. The midgut is the major organ of silkworm for digestion and nutrient absorption, and it plays a critical defensive role against pathogens. In the present study, the silkworm was susceptible to Enterobacter cloacae sp. (E. cloacae) after exposure to sublethal dose of phoxim. The body weight and survival rate of the phoxim-E. cloacae co-treatment group were significantly decreased after 120 h of treatment compared with the phoxim treatment group. The immune responses and expressions of immune-related genes were dysregulated in the midgut of silkworm following exposure to phoxim. Digital gene expression (DGE) analysis revealed that 44 immune response-related and immune defense-related genes were differentially expressed. qRT-PCR results indicated that the transcriptional levels of antimicrobial peptide genes Bmdefensin1, BmcecA, Bmglv1, Bmglv2, Bmmoricin and BmmoricinB3 were down-regulated by 0.77-, 0.37-, 0.05-, 0.19-, 0.34- and 0.54-fold, respectively. The transcriptional levels of Toll signaling pathway genes Bmcactus, Bmspatzle and Bmrel were down-regulated by 0.4-, 0.37- and 0.96-fold, respectively. Peritrophic membrane (PM) protein-related genes BmCBP-02, BmPM-41, BmPM-43 and BmCDA7 were down-regulated by 0.18-, 0.02-, 0.66- and 0.16-fold, respectively. The expressions of Toll signaling pathway genes were down-regulated at 48 h and 72 h. Immune deficiency (IMD) and Janus kinase and signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK/STAT) signaling pathway genes were dysregulated after phoxim exposure. These results indicated that phoxim might cause damage to the PM and reduce the immune response of the silkworm, leading to susceptibility of silkworm to disease and damage from foreign pathogens.

Effects of TiO2 nanoparticles on intestinal microbial composition of silkworm, Bombyx mori

The widespread use of nanomaterials has raised concerns about the potential impact of nanoparticles on human health and the natural environment. Although high doses of TiO₂ nanoparticles (NPs) are toxic to animals, low doses of TiO₂ NPs have been shown to benefit their growth and immune functions. Intestinal microorganisms are critical in maintaining the normal life activities and ensuring the health of their host. The intestinal microorganisms of lepidopteran insects can promote growth and development, foster insecticide resistance, and improve resilience against diseases. However, to date, there is no report on the effects of TiO₂ NPs on the intestinal microbiota of lepidopteran insects. In this work, we examined the effects of a low dose of TiO₂ NPs (5 mg/L) on the intestinal microbiota of silkworm (Bombyx mori). The results showed that the exposure to TiO₂ NPs did not alter the dominant species of intestinal microbiota significantly, but changed the abundance of individual species of intestinal microorganisms. Specifically, exposure to TiO₂ NPs increased the uniformity of intestinal microorganisms. The abundance of Lachnospiraceae_NK4A136_group, involved in the metabolism of nutrients, as well as the abundance of Pseudomonas and Sphingomonas, both involved in detoxification and disease resistance, was increased. Meanwhile, among the non-dominant species, the conditional pathogenic bacteria Serratia exhibited decreased abundance. In addition, exposure to TiO₂ NPs also increased the abundance of norank_f_Bacteroidales_S24-7_group, which could help relieve inflammation and regulate immune functions. The current study is the first to report the effects of TiO₂ NPs on the intestinal microbiota of lepidopteran insects. The results demonstrated that TiO₂ NPs could alter the composition of the intestinal microbiota of B. mori, and thus promote its growth and development, regulate its immune functions, and enhance its resistance to insecticide.

Effects of phoxim exposure on gut microbial composition in the silkworm, Bombyx mori

Organophosphate pesticides are widely applied worldwide for agricultural purposes, and their exposures often result in adverse effects on Bombyx mori. The insect gut is a complicated ecosystem inhabited by a large number of microbes that play important roles in insect physiology and behavior. Recent studies have reported that alteration of their microbiota due to stressful conditions or environmental changes has been linked to a compromised health status and a susceptibility to diseases. In the present study, we aimed to assess the effects of phoxim exposure on intestinal microbes in silkworms. The results showed that phoxim exposure increased the bacterial community evenness and altered the structure of gut microbiota in silkworm larvae. The abundances of several genera, such as Methylobacterium and Aurantimonadaceae, in phoxim-treated larval guts were significantly reduced compared with the H₂O-treated group, whereas the abundances of non-dominant bacteria, such as Staphylococcus, were significantly increased. Moreover, phoxim inhibited the expressions of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) at the mRNA level and enhanced the pathogenesis of Enterobacter cloacae (E. cloacae) against silkworm larvae, suggesting that the immune system was inhibited after phoxim exposure. Therefore, the gut microbial community shifts were apparent after phoxim exposure. The compositional and structural changes of intestinal microbes caused by phoxim exposure might affect the normal function of the intestinal tract of silkworm. These results highlighted the importance of the gut bacterial community when investigating the mechanisms of midgut injury after pesticide exposure in Bombyx mori.

The mechanism of damage in the midgut of Bombyx mori after chlorantraniliprole exposure

Silkworm (Bombyx mori) is an economic insect of the Lepidoptera. Chlorantraniliprole (CAP) exposure results in reduced growth and development of B. mori and failure in cocooning, seriously affecting the development of sericulture. To study the mechanisms underlying the damage to silkworm caused by sublethal doses of CAP, we examined the oxidative damage, the activities of digestive enzymes in midgut, and the expressions of midgut-related genes at the mRNA level. We found that CAP exposure inhibited the growth of silkworm, decreased the body mass and caused the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) [the levels of O₂^-, H₂O₂ and lipid peroxidation (MDA) were increased by 1.62-, 1.87- and 1.46-fold, respectively]. Moreover, we also found that the midgut cells were disintegrated, microvilli disappeared, the stroma became thinner, and the chromatin of nucleus became aggregated after CAP exposure by the analysis of transmission electron microscopy (TEM). In addition, the activities of digestive enzymes were dysregulated in midgut (the activities of α-amylase and trypsin were decreased 0.69- and 0.20-fold, respectively). Furthermore, digital gene expression (DGE) profiling analysis revealed that the expressions of oxidative phosphorylation pathway and antioxidant defense system related genes in midgut were decreased, indicating that it was the oxidative damage in midgut caused by CAP that mainly affected the growth of silkworm, rather than the toxicological effects of CAP. Collectively, this study provided valuable insights into the toxic effects of CAP on insects.

Mechanism of trace acetamiprid-caused reproductive disorders in silkworm, Bombyx mori

BACKGROUND

Neonicotinoid insecticides are widely used in the prevention and control of pests in agriculture and forestry, but they can also affect the development of nontarget economic insects. In order to determine the effects of trace acetamiprid on the development of reproductive system of silkworm, we studied the gonad development and endogenous hormone metabolism in silkworms exposed to trace acetamiprid.

RESULT

The silkworm showed mild poisoning symptoms after being exposed to trace acetamiprid (0.01 mg L^-1 ). After 96 h of acetamiprid exposure, the body weight of silkworm was decreased by 7.67% and the ovary and fallopian tube were abnormally developed. The egg production in adults was decreased by 197 ± 29, and the egg weight was decreased by 0.52 ± 0.01 mg. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis showed that the relative expression levels of ovarian development-related genes Vg, Ovo, Otu, Sxl-S and Sxl-L were downregulated by 0.71, 0.77, 0.47, 0.67 and 0.88-fold, respectively. The transcriptional expression of ecdysone metabolism-related gene (EcR) in the ovary was downregulated by 0.46-fold while the expression of juvenile hormone-related gene (JHBP2) was upregulated by 1.36-fold. In hemolymph of acetamiprid exposed larvae, the content of ecdysone was reduced whereas the content of juvenile hormone was increased.

CONCLUSION

Trace acetamiprid may cause reproductive dysfunction in silkworms through regulating the metabolism of endogenous hormones. Our study provides a reference for elucidating the mechanism of acetamiprid-induced reproductive disorders in insects. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.

The mechanism of damage by trace amounts of acetamiprid to the midgut of the silkworm, Bombyx mori

Acetamiprid is widely used for agricultural pest control. However, it remains poorly understood whether the environmental residues of acetamiprid have the potential effects on economic insect. In this study, we evaluated the effects of acetamiprid on silkworm growth and development. The exposure to trace amounts of acetamiprid significantly decreased body weight, viability, and spinning ability. In addition, the activity of trypsin in the midgut was decreased after exposure. DGE and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis revealed that the significantly differentially expressed genes were mainly involved in nutrient metabolism, stress responses, and inflammation pathways. These results, in combination with hematoxylin-eosin staining and transmission electron microscopy, indicated that acetamiprid could cause oxidative damage to midgut, lead to inflammatory responses, and affect the activities of midgut digestive enzymes, thus resulting in abnormal growth and development. Our findings greatly contributed to the evaluation of the effects of acetamiprid residues on other nontarget beneficial insect.

Constitutive expression of GmF6'H1 from soybean improves salt tolerance in transgenic Arabidopsis

Coumarin plays a pivotal role in plant response to biotic stress, as well as in the mediation of nutrient acquisition. However, its functions in response to abiotic stresses are largely unknown. In this work, a homologous gene, GmF6'H1, of AtF6'H1, which encodes the enzyme catalyzing the final rate-limiting step in the biosynthesis pathway of coumarin, was isolated from soybean. GmF6'H1 protein shares very high amino acid identity with AtF6'H1, and expression of GmF6'H1 in atf6'h1 can successfully restore the decreased coumarin production in the T-DNA insertion mutant. Further study revealed that the expression of GmF6'H1 in soybean was remarkably induced by salt stress. Constitutive expression of GmF6'H1 in Arabidopsis, driven by 35S promoter, significantly enhanced the resistance to salt of transgenic Arabidopsis. All these results suggest that GmF6'H1 can be used as a potential candidate gene for the engineering of plants with improved resistance to both biotic and abiotic stresses.

Patterns of Drug-Resistant Bacteria in a General Hospital, China, 2011-2016

Drug-resistant bacteria has been a threat to public life and property. We described the trends and changes in antibiotic resistance of important pathogens in a general hospital in Zhengzhou, China from 2011 to 2016, to control antimicrobial-resistant bacteria in hospital and provide support to clinicians and decision-making departments. Five dominant bacteria were enrolled based on the data from the general hospital during 6 years. The results of antimicrobial susceptibility testing were interpreted according to Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI). From 2011 to 2016, a total of 19,260 strains of bacteria were isolated, of which Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii accounted for 51.98%. The resistance rate of K. pneumoniae and E. coli to carbapenem was less than 15%, but resistance of K. pneumoniae to carbapenems increased with time and resistance of E. coli to meropenem increased. The rate of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) production among K. pneumoniae and E. coli was decreasing. For most antibiotics, the resistance rate of ESBL-positive isolates was higher than that of ESBL-negative isolates, excluding carbapenems and cefoxitin. For S. aureus, the rate of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) was stable. Resistance of S. aureus to mostly antibiotics decreased with time. Besides polymyxin B, P. aeruginosa and A. baumannii showed high resistance to other antibiotics. For A. baumannii, the resistance rate to mostly antibiotics was increasing. The bacteria showed high levels of resistance and multiple drug resistance. Continuous surveillance and optimizing the use of antibiotics are essential.

Drug-resistant bacteria has been a threat to public life and property. We described the trends and changes in antibiotic resistance of important pathogens in a general hospital in Zhengzhou, China from 2011 to 2016, to control antimicrobial-resistant bacteria in hospital and provide support to clinicians and decision-making departments. Five dominant bacteria were enrolled based on the data from the general hospital during 6 years. The results of antimicrobial susceptibility testing were interpreted according to Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI). From 2011 to 2016, a total of 19,260 strains of bacteria were isolated, of which Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii accounted for 51.98%. The resistance rate of K. pneumoniae and E. coli to carbapenem was less than 15%, but resistance of K. pneumoniae to carbapenems increased with time and resistance of E. coli to meropenem increased. The rate of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) production among K. pneumoniae and E. coli was decreasing. For most antibiotics, the resistance rate of ESBL-positive isolates was higher than that of ESBL-negative isolates, excluding carbapenems and cefoxitin. For S. aureus, the rate of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) was stable. Resistance of S. aureus to mostly antibiotics decreased with time. Besides polymyxin B, P. aeruginosa and A. baumannii showed high resistance to other antibiotics. For A. baumannii, the resistance rate to mostly antibiotics was increasing. The bacteria showed high levels of resistance and multiple drug resistance. Continuous surveillance and optimizing the use of antibiotics are essential.

Effects of chlorantraniliprole exposure on detoxification enzyme activities and detoxification-related gene expression in the fat body of the silkworm, Bombyx mori

Chlorantraniliprole (CAP) can induce excessive calcium release from muscle of insects, causing muscle paralysis until death, and its residues in farmland can cause poisoning in Bombyx mori (B. mori), resulting in the failure of cocooning. No reports have investigated the effects of CAP exposure on detoxification enzyme activities and detoxification-related gene expression in B. mori. In the present study, we treated mulberry leaves with CAP by the leaf-dipping method, and then B. mori larvae were continuously fed with the polluted mulberry leaves. Moreover, the detoxification enzyme activities and the expressions of detoxification-related genes in the fat body of B. mori were examined. The results showed that at 24 h after CAP exposure, the activities of P450 and GST enzymes were all significantly increased, with P450 enzymes responding fastest. CarE enzyme activity was up-regulated in 24 h, and then it was decreased compared with the control group. Furthermore, the expressions of the key genes in the PI3K/Akt/CncC signaling pathway (PI3K, PDK, Akt, CncC and Keap1) at the mRNA were significantly increased. Western blotting analysis revealed that Akt was inhibited at the protein level, resulting in decreased expression of Keap1 and increased expression of CncC. These results indicated that the PI3K/Akt/CncC signaling pathway in the fat body of B. mori responded to CAP exposure and regulated the expressions of downstream detoxification enzymes, thus enhancing the detoxifying capability of B. mori.

Abstract 2503: Predicting drug sensitivity to a novel BCL-2 and BCL-xL dual inhibitor in solid tumor PDX trials

Background: BCL-2, an anti-apoptotic protein and oncogene, has been considered one of the top 10 targets for cancer drug development. The inhibition of BCL-2 and other anti-apoptotic proteins will help to restore the apoptotic pathway. Aiming to target much diverse BCL-2 family protein dependency in solid tumors, we have developed a potent BCL-2 and BCL-xL dual inhibitor APG-1252, which is currently in phase 1 trials for solid tumors in USA, China and Australia. Mechanistically, BCL-2 and BCL-xL protect cells from cell death by sequestering pro-death BH3-only proteins like BIM. Thus, BCL-2 and BCL-xL inhibitors are designed to disrupt the protein complexes and release pro-death proteins to trigger downstream apoptotic cascade. In this study, we intended to further understand the mechanism of action of APG-1252 in vivo and factors regulating its sensitivity. To this end, we conducted trials in SCID mice carrying patient-derived xenograft (PDX) tumors, and studied target engagement.

Methods and Experiments: We first selected eleven gastric and esophageal cancer PDX models that bore high levels of BCL-xL (BCL-xLhigh) but normal levels of MCL-1 (MCL-1nor) based on the gene expression profiles and the consideration of that BCL-xL may play a major role in tumorigenesis in solid tumors and MCL-1 a resistant factor for the dual inhibitor. Mice bearing PDX tumors were intravenously treated with 100 mg/kg of APG-1252 twice per week for three weeks. At the end of treatments, tumor samples were collected. An advanced ELISA system (MSD, Meco Scale Discovery) and Western blotting were performed to detect BCL-2 and BCL-xL protein complex and individual proteins.

Results: 1. The MSD assays revealed dominant BCL-xL:BIM complex signals in the solid tumor PDX samples in comparison with hematological malignancy cell lines, in which BCL-2:BIM was the major complex. 2. The dual inhibitor treatment disrupted BCL-xL:BIM complex, thus BCL-xL:BIM complex may serves as a pharmacodynamic (PD) marker for target engagement. 3. BCL-2 family protein profiles showed high BCL-xL and MCL-1 levels in the solid tumor PDXs. The treatment with APG-1252 led to a significant increase in BCL-2 protein levels, while there was no major change on pro-apoptotic BH3-only proteins BIM and PUMA. 4. The more efficacious responders to the treatment exhibited a more substantial decrease in BCL-xL:BIM complex signals and low MCL-1 protein levels, whereas a much less significant decrease in BCL-xL:BIM complex and higher MCL-1 levels were found in the poor or non-responders.

Conclusion: Both BCL-xL protein and BCL-xL:BIM complex are dominant in the solid tumor PDX tissues. The decrease of BCL-xL:BIM complex indicates the on-target activity after the treatment with APG-1252. Thus, the complex may be used to monitor the target engagement and, potentially, a predictive biomarker for APG-1252 efficacy. These assays may be applied to patient samples to guide the clinical trials.

Citation Format: Jing Deng, Xiaojing Huang, Guoqin Zhai, Tingting Mao, Yan Yin, Douglas D. Fang, Dajun Yang, Yifan Zhai. Predicting drug sensitivity to a novel BCL-2 and BCL-xL dual inhibitor in solid tumor PDX trials [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 2503.

[Experiences of esophageal replacement with ileocolon graft: a series of 34 cases]

Objective: To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of esophageal replacement with ileocolon graft. Methods: Totally 34 cases of esophageal replacement with ileocolon graft from July 2015 to November 2017 at Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University were analyzed retrospectively, including 24 male and 10 female, aging from 7 to 72 years old. Esophageal replacement with ileocolon graft by right and/or middle colic artery as a blood supply using retrosternal route except one subcutaneous route. The primary esophageal disease, postoperative complication rate and quality of life were analyzed. Results: The overall postoperative complication rate was 23.5% (8/34), cervical anastomotic leakage rate of 5.9% (2/34), necrosis of colon graft of 5.9% (2/34). There were 3 patients experienced re-operation including 2 patients with colon graft necrosis and 1 patient with intestinal obstruction after ERC. One patient with colon graft necrosis died of septic shock after reoperation. Six cases of cervical esophago-jejunal anastomosis stenosis and 1 case of diarrhea occurred in the later time. All patients were followed up for a median time of 9 months (range: 1 to 28 months), 32 cases survived but 1 patient died until last follow-up by the end of December 2017. Conclusion: Esophageal replacement with ileocolon graft by right and/or middle colic artery as a blood supply using retrosternal route was safe and effective.

Classification of water contamination developed by 2-D Gabor wavelet analysis and support vector machine based on fluorescence spectroscopy

The identification of the specific categories of pollutants in the urban water supply system is necessary. Traditional detection methods are based mainly on common water quality indicators. However, inspecting these water quality indicators is made difficult by issues such as long analysis time, insufficient sensitivity, need for reagents, and generation of waste liquid. These problems hinder high-frequency water detection and monitoring. In this study, three-dimensional (3D) fluorescence spectroscopy is adopted as a monitoring method for water quality. An identification method based on two-dimensional (2D) Gabor wavelets and support vector machine (SVM) multi-classification is also proposed. The Delaunay triangulation method for interpolation is used to pre-process 3D fluorescence spectra and thereby eliminate Rayleigh scattering and Raman scattering. A 2D Gabor wavelet function generated by filters of different scales and rotation angles is proposed to extract the features of the spectra. The block statistics method, based on Gabor feature description, is employed to enhance the efficiency in describing spectra features. Then, multiple SVM classifiers are used in pollutant classification and recognition. By comparing the proposed method with principal component analysis, which is a commonly used feature extraction method, this study finds that the application of 2D Gabor wavelets and block statistics can effectively describe the characteristics of 3D fluorescence spectra. Moreover, 2D Gabor wavelets achieve high classification accuracy, especially for substances with closely positioned or overlapping characteristic peaks.

DT-13 inhibited the proliferation of colorectal cancer via glycolytic metabolism and AMPK/mTOR signaling pathway

BACKGROUND

Emerging hallmark of cancer is reprogrammed cellular metabolism, increased glycolytic metabolism is physiological characteristic of human malignant neoplasms. Saponin monomer 13 of the dwarf lilyturf tuber (DT-13) is the main steroidal saponin from Liriopes Radix, which has been reported to exert anti-inflammation and anti-tumor activities but low toxicity to normal tissue. However, the effect of DT-13 on metabolism process is still unclear.

PURPOSE

This study aims to characterize the role of DT-13 in glucose metabolism in colorectal cancer cells, and investigate whether the metabolism process is involved in the anti-cancer response of DT-13.

METHODS

Colony formation assay was employed to determine anti-proliferative effect induced by DT-13 at 2.5, 5, 10 μM. Apoptosis and cell cycle arrest were detected by Annexin V/PI staining and PI staining, respectively. Genetic inhibition of glycolytic metabolism was carried out by knockdown of GLUT1. Orthotopic implantation mouse model of colorectal cancer was used to assess in vivo antitumor effect of DT-13 (0.625, 1.25, 2.5 mg/kg). The chemoprevention effect of DT-13 (10mg/kg) was evaluated by using C57BL/6J APC^min mice model. Glycolytic-related key enzymes and AMPK pathway were detected by using quantitative real-time PCR, western blotting, and immunohistochemical staining.

RESULTS

Our results showed that cell proliferation was significantly inhibited by DT-13 in a dose-dependent manner. DT-13 inhibited glucose uptake, ATP generation, and reduced lactate production. Furthermore, DT-13 remarkably inhibited GLUT1 expression in both mRNA and protein levels. Knocking down of GLUT1 led to reduced inhibition of glucose uptake after DT-13 treatment. Moreover, deletion of GLUT1 decreased inhibitory ratio of DT-13 on cancer growth. Orthotopic implantation mouse model of colorectal cancer further confirmed that DT-13 inhibited colorectal cancer growth via blocking GLUT1 in vivo. In addition, C57BL/6J APC^min mice model revealed that DT-13 dramatically reduced the total number of spontaneous adenomas in intestinal, which further confirmed the anti-tumor activity of DT-13 in colorectal cancer. Furthermore, the mechanistically investigation showed DT-13 activated AMPK and inhibited m-TOR to block cancer growth in vitro.

CONCLUSION

DT-13 is a potent anticancer agent for colorectal cancer.

The silk gland damage and the transcriptional response to detoxifying enzymes-related genes of Bombyx mori under phoxim exposure

Silk gland is a major organ of Bombyx mori for the synthesis and secretion of silk protein. Phoxim exposure can be toxic to B. mori and causes a decrease of fibroin synthesis, finally affecting the silk production in industry. To study the mechanism of metabolism and detoxification of silk gland under phoxim exposure, we measured the residual quantity of phoxim in silk gland and hemolymph after phoxim exposure, and the detoxifying enzymes-related genes and enzyme activity were also investigated. Results indicated that the residual amount of phoxim existed up to 24 h in silk gland compared with that in hemolymph, suggesting that phoxim can accumulate in the silk glands within a certain time course. The transcriptional levels of PI3K/Akt genes, including Akt, Tor1, p70s6k and 4e-bp, were up-regulated by 6.919, 1.358, 10.766 and 7.708-fold, respectively. The expression of two downstream genes (CncC and Keap1) was up-regulated by 1.939 and 3.373-fold, respectively. In addition, the transcriptional levels of detoxification-related genes including CYP6AB, CYP306A, CarE2, GST1 and GSTd1 were up-regulated by 1.731, 1.221, 1.366, 1.376 and 6.591-fold, respectively. The enzymatic activity of CYP450, CarE and GST were increased over time. These results provided possible insights into the injury of silk gland and the transcriptional response to detoxifying enzymes-related genes in silkworm after phoxim exposure.

Experimental study on TGF-β1-mediated CD147 expression in oral submucous fibrosis

OBJECTIVE

Although previous evidence indicates that CD147 is closely involved in the progression of organ fibrosis and various signaling pathways have been proven to regulate its expression, the role of CD147 in oral submucous fibrosis (OSF) remains largely unknown.

METHODS

In this study, we investigated the expression of CD147 and transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) in human samples of an OSF tissue array by immunohistopathology. Pearson's correlation analysis was conducted to explore the correlation between CD147 and TGF-β1. Immunofluorescence and Western blotting were used to investigate to levels of CD147 in Human Oral Keratinocytes (HOKs) followed by TGF-β1 or LY2157299, an inhibitor of TGF-β1 receptor and arecoline stimulation.

RESULTS

We found that CD147 was highly expressed in both HOKs and the fibrotic oral mucosa and that this expression was correlated with TGF-β1 expression. Additionally, CD147 levels were significantly associated with the fibrosis stage. The TGF-β1 signaling pathway was found to be mainly responsible for CD147 up-regulation after arecoline treatment whereas inhibition of TGF-β1 down-regulated CD147 expression.

CONCLUSION

Our findings suggest arecoline promotes CD147 expression via the TGF-β1 signaling pathway in HOKs, whereas overexpression of CD147 may promote OSF progression.

Cloning and Functional Analysis of CncC and Keap1 Genes in Silkworm

CncC/keap1-ARE is an important signaling pathway for detoxification and antioxidation in Diptera and Coleoptera insects. However, such a signaling pathway has not been studied in Bombyx mori. In this study, BmCncC and Bmkeap1 genes were cloned, their amino acid sequences were analyzed, and each functional domain was mapped. Through phylogenetic analysis and sequence comparison among multiple species, we found that the Neh1 motif of CncC was highly conserved and the DLG motif was replaced by the DMG motif in Neh2. Conformational analysis showed that Neh1 of BmCncC forms a hairpin structure to bind DNA. The DGR region of Bmkeap1 contained abundant β sheets, which was involved in the recognition of Neh2. The transcription and expression analyses showed that both BmCncC and Bmkeap1 were highly expressed in the first instar larvae, and these two genes were expressed at a high level in the reproductive gland, fat body, and head. The transcriptional and expression levels of Akt and BmCncC in the fat body were significantly upregulated, and the expression of Bmkeap1 was downregulated after the phoxim treatment in silkworm. The transcriptional levels of CncC-regulated detoxification enzymes GST, cyp4M5, cyp6AE2, and cyp9G3 were increased by 4.026-, 5.246-, 3.821-, and 9.787-fold, respectively, while the activities of GST and CYP450 were increased by 1.521- and 1.231-fold, respectively, after phoxim treatment. These results indicated that the BmCncC/Bmkeap1 signaling pathway was activated by phoxim, leading to the expression of downstream detoxifying enzymes and detoxification of phoxim in silkworm.

Silencing of TGIF sensitizes MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cells to cisplatin-induced apoptosis

The present study was designed to explore the sensitivity of MDA-MB-231 cells to cisplatin after silencing the expression of TG-interacting factor (TGIF) protein. Cell viability was measured using an MTT assay. Cell apoptosis was detected by the annexin V and dead cell assay and the Hoechst staining assay. Protein expression was analyzed using western blot analysis. A colony formation assay was also performed. It was observed that cisplatin reduced the expression of TGIF protein in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Silencing TGIF significantly suppressed the cell proliferation and colony formation in MDA-MB-231 cells with the treatment of cisplatin. Results indicated that silencing TGIF could dramatically increase the cisplatin-induced apoptosis rate in MDA-MB-231 cells. The expression of PARP and caspase-3 proteins was correlated with the effect that silencing TGIF enhanced cisplatin sensitivity in MDA-MB-231 cells. The present data showed that silencing TGIF promoted apoptotic sensitivity that was induced by cisplatin in MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cells and suggested that TGIF might be a therapeutic target for improving the chemotherapy response in triple-negative breast cancer.