Applying image features of proximal paracancerous tissues in predicting prognosis of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Most of the methods using digital pathological image for predicting Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) prognosis have not considered paracancerous tissue microenvironment (PTME), which are potentially important for tumour initiation and metastasis. This study aimed to identify roles of image features of PTME in predicting prognosis and tumour recurrence of HCC patients.

METHODS

We collected whole slide images (WSIs) of 146 HCC patients from Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital (SYSM dataset). For each WSI, five types of regions of interests (ROIs) in PTME and tumours were manually annotated. These ROIs were used to construct a Lasso Cox survival model for predicting the prognosis of HCC patients. To make the model broadly useful, we established a deep learning method to automatically segment WSIs, and further used it to construct a prognosis prediction model. This model was tested by the samples of 225 HCC patients from the Cancer Genome Atlas Liver Hepatocellular Carcinoma (TCGA-LIHC).

RESULTS

In predicting prognosis of the HCC patients, using the image features of manually annotated ROIs in PTME achieved C-index 0.668 in the SYSM testing dataset, which is higher than the C-index 0.648 reached by the model only using image features of tumours. Integrating ROIs of PTME and tumours achieved C-index 0.693 in the SYSM testing dataset. The model using automatically segmented ROIs of PTME and tumours achieved C-index of 0.665 (95% CI: 0.556-0.774) in the TCGA-LIHC samples, which is better than the widely used methods, WSISA (0.567), DeepGraphSurv (0.593), and SeTranSurv (0.642). Finally, we found the Texture SumAverage Skew HV on immune cell infiltration and Texture related features on desmoplastic reaction are the most important features of PTME in predicting HCC prognosis. We additionally used the model in prediction HCC recurrence for patients from SYSM-training, SYSM-testing, and TCGA-LIHC datasets, indicating the important roles of PTME in the prediction.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results indicate image features of PTME is critical for improving the prognosis prediction of HCC. Moreover, the image features related with immune cell infiltration and desmoplastic reaction of PTME are the most important factors associated with prognosis of HCC.

Reactive Oxygen Species Activate a Ferritin-Linked TRPV4 Channel under a Static Magnetic Field

Magnetogenetics has shown great potential for cell function and neuromodulation using heat or force effects under different magnetic fields; however, there is still a contradiction between experimental effects and underlying mechanisms by theoretical computation. In this study, we aimed to investigate the role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in mechanical force-dependent regulation from a physicochemical perspective. The transient receptor potential vanilloid 4 (TRPV4) cation channels fused to ferritin (T4F) were overexpressed in HEK293T cells and exposed to static magnetic fields (sMF, 1.4-5.0 mT; gradient: 1.62 mT/cm). An elevation of ROS levels was found under sMF in T4F-overexpressing cells, which could lead to lipid oxidation. Compared with the overexpression of TRPV4, ferritin in T4F promoted the generation of ROS under the stimulation of sMF, probably related to the release of iron ions from ferritin. Then, the resulting ROS regulated the opening of the TRPV4 channel, which was attenuated by the direct addition of ROS inhibitors or an iron ion chelator, highlighting a close relationship among iron release, ROS production, and TRPV4 channel activation. Taken together, these findings indicate that the produced ROS under sMF act on the TRPV4 channel, regulating the influx of calcium ions. The study would provide a scientific basis for the application of magnetic regulation in cellular or neural regulation and disease treatment and contribute to the development of the more sensitive regulatory technology.

New clerodane diterpenoids from Callicarpa pseudorubella and their antitumor proliferative activity

Six previously undescribed clerodane diterpenes, cardorubellas A-F (1-6), along with seven known ones (7-13), were isolated from the aerial parts of Callicarpa pseudorubella. Their chemical structures were established by analysis of 1D and 2D NMR, HR-ESI-MS, X-ray diffraction, and electronic circular dichroism (ECD) data. Notably, cardorubella B (2) represented the first examples of naturally occurring succinic anhydride-containing clerodane diterpenes derivatives. The anti-proliferative activities of these compounds were assessed. Remarkably, compound 2 exhibited comparable inhibitory activity against HEL cell lines, surpassing the positive control with an IC50 value of 14.01 ± 0.77 μM, compared to 17.02 ± 4.70 μM for 5-fluorouracil.

IL-36 Regulates Neutrophil Chemotaxis and Bone Loss at the Oral Barrier

Tissue-specific mechanisms regulate neutrophil immunity at the oral barrier, which plays a key role in periodontitis. Although it has been proposed that fibroblasts emit a powerful neutrophil chemotactic signal, how this chemotactic signal is driven has not been clear. The objective of this study was to investigate the site-specific regulatory mechanisms by which fibroblasts drive powerful neutrophil chemotactic signals within the oral barrier, with particular emphasis on the role of the IL-36 family. The present study found that IL-36γ, agonist of IL-36R, could promote neutrophil chemotaxis via fibroblast. Single-cell RNA sequencing data disclosed that IL36G is primarily expressed in human and mouse gingival epithelial cells and mouse neutrophils. Notably, there was a substantial increase in IL-36γ levels during periodontitis. In vitro experiments demonstrated that IL-36γ specifically activates gingival fibroblasts, leading to chemotaxis of neutrophils. In vivo experiments revealed that IL-36Ra inhibited the infiltration of neutrophils and bone resorption, while IL-36γ promoted their progression in the ligature-induced periodontitis mouse model. In summary, these data elucidate the function of the site-enriched IL-36γ in regulating neutrophil immunity and bone resorption at the oral barrier. These findings provide new insights into the tissue-specific pathophysiology of periodontitis and offer a promising avenue for prevention and treatment through targeted intervention of the IL-36 family.

Network pharmacology analysis and clinical efficacy of the traditional Chinese medicine Bu-Shen-Jian-Pi. Part 3: Alleviation of hypoxia, muscle-wasting, and modulation of redox functions in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this clinical study is to obtain evidence for the clinical efficacy of Bu-Shen-Jian-Pi formula (BSJP), a traditional Chinese medicine, used for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a relatively rare, progressive and usually fatal disease possibly associated with alterations in tissue redox status, hypoxia, and muscular injury.

BACKGROUND

The active agents in BSJP formula† causing apoptosis, modulation of redox changes, and alterations in the immune status have been studied previously by us using cell cultures. The findings from these investigations have been incorporated into pharmacology databases employed in our analysis of BSJP using network pharmacology analysis/artifical intelligence. This information has been used here in the design of the investigation and to optimize evaluation of the clinical efficacy and usefulness of this herbal medicine, as far as possible using evidence-based medicine criteria.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The design of the study was a randomized multi-center, controlled clinical trial in 127 patients with confirmed diagnoses of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Patients and investigator were double-blinded. Clinical efficacy was determined using the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Symptom Score in Integrative Treatment Scale (ALS-SSIT) and the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Rating Scale-Revised (ALSFRS-R), together with tests of limb muscle strength using the manual muscle test (MMT), forced vital capacity (FVC), and clinical chemistry laboratory tests over a 20-week observation period.

RESULTS

The scores of ALS-SSIT in the BSJP group increased significantly (22%) after treatment. The ALSFRS-R score in the BSJP group decreased significantly after treatment (19%). The rate of decrease in muscle function (MMT score) in most BSJP patients was lower than that in the control group, where the differences in the scores for the trapezius and triceps brachii were statistically significant compared to the control group. The fall in FVC in the BJSP group was significantly slower than in the control group. There were no marked differences observed in the frequency of side effects. Serum vitamin D3 levels in the BSJP group showed greater increases compared to the control group.

CONCLUSION

BSJP treatment reduced the rate of progression of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis according to the ALS-SSITS and ALSFRS scores and significantly reduced the rate of deterioration in muscle function in the limbs of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients. The modes of action of BSJP in treating amyotrophic lateral sclerosis are probably diverse and multi targeted, some of which may involve regulation of serum vitamin D3 and alleviation of the impairments in liver and kidney function.

Network pharmacology analysis and clinical efficacy of the traditional Chinese medicine Bu-Shen-Jian-Pi. Part 1: Biogenic components and identification of targets and signaling pathways in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients

BACKGROUND

There is evidence that Bu-Shen-Jian-Pi (BSJP), a traditional Chinese medicine, has curative effects in patients suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a progressive and potentially fatal hypoxic condition.

OBJECTIVE

To identify biogenic components in BSJP extracts having potential pharmacological efficacy in ALS.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Biogenic components in BSJP and their potential pharmacological targets and signaling pathways in ALS were identified and assessed using network pharmacology/hub node analysis.

RESULTS

Network pharmacology analysis identified icariin, naringenin, kaempferol, quercetin, and formononetin as core components in BSJP with potential activity involving mitochondrial protection in patients with ALS.

CONCLUSION

Network pharmacology analysis proved to be a successful screening tool for obtaining information from scientific databases on the pharmacology of biogenic components in BSJP showing potential therapeutic activity in ALS.

Tanshinone analog inhibits castration-resistant prostate cancer cell growth by inhibiting glycolysis in an AR-dependent manner

Androgen receptor (AR) is one of the key targets for the treatment of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). Current endocrine therapy can greatly improve patients with CRPC. However, with the change of pathogenic mechanism, acquired resistance often leads to the failure of treatment. Studies have shown that tanshinone IIA (TS-IIA) and its derivatives have significant antitumor activity, and have certain AR-targeting effects, but the mechanism is unknown. In this study, the TS-IIA analog TB3 was found to significantly inhibit the growth of CRPC in vitro and in vivo. Molecular docking, cellular thermal shift assay, and cycloheximide experiments confirmed that AR was the target of TB3 and promoted the degradation of AR. Furthermore, TB3 can significantly inhibit glycolysis metabolism by targeting the AR/PKM2 axis. The addition of pyruvic acid could significantly alleviate the inhibitory effect of TB3 on CRPC cells. Besides, the knockdown of AR or PKM2 also could reverse the effect of TB3 on CRPC cells. Taken together, our study suggests that TS-IIA derivative TB3 inhibits glycolysis to prevent the CRPC process by targeting the AR/PKM2 axis.

Network pharmacology analysis and clinical efficacy of the traditional Chinese medicine Bu-Shen-Jian-Pi. Part 2: Modulation of hypoxia, redox status, and mitochondrial protection in a neuroblastoma cell line, SH-SY5Y

OBJECTIVE

To examine the mitochondrial protective effects of icariin, naringenin, kaempferol, and formononetin, potentially active agents in Bu-Shen-Jian-Pi formula (BSJP) identified using network pharmacology analysis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Mitochondrial protection activity was determined using a hypoxia-reoxygenation in vitro model based on the neuroblastoma cell line SH-SY5Y and measurements of anti-ferroptotic activity.

RESULTS

Icariin, naringenin, kaempferol, and formononetin showed mitochondrial protective activity involving diverse signaling pathways. The cytoprotective effects of formononetin depended on the inhibition of ferroptosis. Hypoxia-reoxygenation stimulation induced ferroptosis in SH-SY5Y cells.

DISCUSSION

Ferroptosis is a key mechanism in nervous system diseases and is associated with hypoxia-reoxygenation injury. Naringenin and kaempferol were devoid of anti-ferroptotic activity.

CONCLUSION

Evidence has been obtained showing that the core components: icariin, naringenin, kaempferol, and formononetin in BSJP formula have anti-hypoxic and mitochondrial protective activity of potential clinical importance in the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and patients with symptoms of hypoxia.

Detection of chlorophyll content based on optical properties of maize leaves

The chlorophyll content reflects plants' photosynthetic capacity, growth stage, and nitrogen status. Maize is one of the three widely planted gain crops in the world. In order to offer useful information for the development of chlorophyll content detectors of maize leaves, a single integrating sphere system was used to measure the transmittance and reflectance spectra of maize leaves over the wavelength range of 500-950 nm. The linear relationships of transmittance and reflectance with chlorophyll content were investigated. The feature wavelengths (FWs) sensitive to chlorophyll content were extracted from the full transmittance and reflectance spectra using the successive projections algorithm (SPA). The partial least squares regression (PLSR) models for predicting the chlorophyll content were established using the full spectra and extracted FWs. The results showed that there were obvious linear relationships between transmittance and reflectance with chlorophyll content of maize leaves and the best linear relationships were found at 709 nm and 714 nm, respectively, with the linear correlation coefficients of 0.801 and 0.696, and the root-mean-squares error (RMSEP) of 0.321 mg·g-1 and 0.405 mg·g-1, respectively. Eight and 6 FWs were extracted from the transmittance and reflectance spectra, respectively. The PLSR model established using the selected FWs from transmittance spectra had better prediction performance with RMSEP of 0.208 mg·g-1 than using full transmittance spectra. The built PLSR models using the full reflectance spectra and extracted FWs had poor robustness. This research offers some theoretical basis for developing a maize leaf chlorophyll content detector based on transmittance or reflectance.

Event-free survival by residual cancer burden with pembrolizumab in early-stage TNBC: exploratory analysis from KEYNOTE-522

BACKGROUND

KEYNOTE-522 demonstrated statistically significant improvements in pathological complete response (pCR) with neoadjuvant pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy and event-free survival (EFS) with neoadjuvant pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy followed by adjuvant pembrolizumab in patients with high-risk, early-stage triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Prior studies have shown the prognostic value of the residual cancer burden (RCB) index to quantify the extent of residual disease after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. In this preplanned exploratory analysis, we assessed RCB distribution and EFS within RCB categories by treatment group.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A total of 1174 patients with stage T1c/N1-2 or T2-4/N0-2 TNBC were randomized 2 : 1 to pembrolizumab 200 mg or placebo every 3 weeks given with four cycles of paclitaxel + carboplatin, followed by four cycles of doxorubicin or epirubicin + cyclophosphamide. After surgery, patients received pembrolizumab or placebo for nine cycles or until recurrence or unacceptable toxicity. Primary endpoints are pCR and EFS. RCB is a prespecified exploratory endpoint. The association between EFS and RCB was assessed using a Cox regression model.

RESULTS

Pembrolizumab shifted patients into lower RCB categories across the entire spectrum compared with placebo. There were more patients in the pembrolizumab group with RCB-0 (pCR), and fewer patients in the pembrolizumab group with RCB-1, RCB-2, and RCB-3. The corresponding hazard ratios (95% confidence intervals) for EFS were 0.70 (0.38-1.31), 0.92 (0.39-2.20), 0.52 (0.32-0.82), and 1.24 (0.69-2.23). The most common first EFS events were distant recurrences, with fewer in the pembrolizumab group across all RCB categories. Among patients with RCB-0/1, more than half [21/38 (55.3%)] of all events were central nervous system recurrences, with 13/22 (59.1%) in the pembrolizumab group and 8/16 (50.0%) in the placebo group.

CONCLUSIONS

Addition of pembrolizumab to chemotherapy resulted in fewer EFS events in the RCB-0, RCB-1, and RCB-2 categories, with the greatest benefit in RCB-2. These findings demonstrate that pembrolizumab not only increased pCR rates, but also improved EFS among most patients who do not have a pCR.

Discovery of tricyclic PARP7 inhibitors with high potency, selectivity, and oral bioavailability

PARP7 has been recently identified as an effective drug target due to its specific role in tumor generation and immune function recovery. Herin, we report the discovery of compound 8, which contained a tricyclic fused ring, as a highly selective PARP7 inhibitor against other PARPs. In particular, compound 8 strongly inhibits PARP7 with an IC50 of 0.11 nM, and suppresses the proliferation of NCI-H1373 lung cancer cells with an IC50 of 2.5 nM. Compound 8 exhibits a favorable pharmacokinetic profile with a bioavailability of 104 % in mice, and 78 % in dogs. Importantly, daily treatment of 30 mg/kg of 8 induced 81.6 % tumor suppression in NCI-H1373 lung xenograft mice tumor models, which is significantly better than the clinical candidate, RBN-2397. These intriguing features highlight the promising advantages of 8 as an antitumor agent.

Short sleep duration is associated with worse quality of life in Parkinson's disease: A multicenter cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVE

To characterize sleep duration and investigate its association with quality of life among Parkinson's Disease (PD) patients.

METHODS

In this multicenter cross-sectional study, 970 PD patients were divided into five groups based on self-reported sleep duration: <5, ≥5 to <6, ≥6 to <7, ≥7 to ≤8, and >8 h. The quality of life was evaluated using the 39-Item Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire (PDQ-39). Multivariable linear regression analysis, subgroup analysis, and mediation analysis were conducted to examine the association between sleep duration and quality of life.

RESULTS

In multivariable linear regression model, patients with sleep duration (<5 h) had significantly higher PDQ-39 scores (β = 8.132, 95 % CI: 3.99 to 12.266), especially in mobility, activities of daily living, emotional well-being, stigma, social support, cognition, communication, and bodily discomfort (p < 0.05). The association between sleep duration (<5 h) and worse quality of life was more pronounced in patients with higher HY stage, longer disease duration, and sleep disorders. Moreover, a significant indirect effect of sleep duration (<5 h) on quality of life was observed, with UPDRS I, UPDRS II, and UPDRS IV scores acting as mediators.

CONCLUSIONS

Short sleep duration (<5 h) is associated with worse quality of life among PD patients. This association was stronger among patients with advanced PD and sleep disorders, while non-motor symptoms and motor complications were identified as significant mediators in this association. These findings highlight the significance of adequate sleep duration and suitable interventions for sleep may help improve quality of life.

A novel L-shaped ortho-quinone analog as PLK1 inhibitor blocks prostate cancer cells in G2 phase

Prostate cancer is the most common malignant tumor among men worldwide. Currently, the main treatments are radical prostatectomy, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and endocrine therapy. However, most of them are poorly effective and induce side effects. Polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) regulates cell cycle and mitosis. Its inhibitor BI2536 promotes the therapeutic effect of nilotinib in chronic myeloid leukemia, enhances the sensitivity of neural tube cell tumors to radiation therapy and PLK1 silencing enhances the sensitivity of squamous cell carcinoma to cisplatin. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the PLK1 inhibitor L-shaped ortho-quinone analog TE6 on prostate cancer. In vitro on prostate cancer cells showed that TE6 inhibited PLK1 protein expression and consequently cell proliferation by blocking the cell cycle at G2 phase. In vivo on a subcutaneous tumor model in nude mice confirmed that TE6 effectively inhibited tumor growth in nude mice, inhibited PLK1 expression and regulated the expression of cell cycle proteins such as p21, p53, CDK1, Cdc25C, and cyclinB1. Thus, PLK1 was identified as the target protein of TE6, these results reveal the critical role of PLK1 in the growth and survival of prostate cancer and point out the ability of TE6 on targeting PLK1, being a potential drug for prostate cancer therapy.

Radiomics-based machine learning and deep learning to predict serosal involvement in gallbladder cancer

OBJECTIVE

Our study aimed to determine whether radiomics models based on contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) have considerable ability to predict serosal involvement in gallbladder cancer (GBC) patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 152 patients diagnosed with GBC were retrospectively enrolled and divided into the serosal involvement group and no serosal involvement group according to paraffin pathology results. The regions of interest (ROIs) in the lesion on all CT images were drawn by two radiologists using ITK-SNAP software (version 3.8.0). A total of 412 features were extracted from the CT images of each patient. The Mann‒Whitney U test was applied to identify features with significant differences between groups. Seven machine learning algorithms and a deep learning model based on fully connected neural networks (f-CNNs) were used for radiomics model construction. The prediction efficacy of the models was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis.

RESULTS

Through the Mann‒Whitney U test, 75 of the 412 features extracted from the CT images of patients were significantly different between groups (P < 0.05). Among all the algorithms, logistic regression achieved the highest performance with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.944 (sensitivity 0.889, specificity 0.8); the f-CNN deep learning model had an AUC of 0.916, and the model showed high predictive power for serosal involvement, with a sensitivity of 0.733 and a specificity of 0.801.

CONCLUSION

Radiomics models based on features derived from CECT showed convincing performances in predicting serosal involvement in GBC.

Bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloid fangchinoline derivative HY-2 inhibits breast cancer cells by suppressing BLM DNA helicase

The high expression of BLM (Bloom syndrome) DNA helicase in tumors involves its strong association with cell expansion. Bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloids own an antitumor property and have developed as candidates for anticancer drugs. This paper aimed to study the antitumor effect of fangchinoline derivative HY-2 by targeting BLM642-1290 DNA helicase, and then explore its inhibitory mechanism on proliferation of MDA-MB-435 breast cancer cells. We confirmed that the mRNA and protein levels of BLM DNA helicase in breast cancer were higher than those in normal tissues. HY-2 could inhibit the DNA binding, ATPase and DNA unwinding of BLM642-1290 DNA helicase with enzymatic assay. HY-2 could also inhibit the DNA unwinding of DNA helicase in cells. In addition, HY-2 showed an inhibiting the MDA-MB-435, MDA-MB-231, MDA-MB-436 breast cancer cells expansion. The mRNA and protein levels of BLM DNA helicase in MDA-MB-435 cells increased after HY-2 treatment, which might contribute to HY-2 inhibiting the DNA binding, ATPase and DNA unwinding of BLM DNA helicase. The mechanism of HY-2 inhibition on BLM DNA helicase was further confirmed with the effect of HY-2 on the ultraviolet spectrogram of BLM642-1290 DNA helicase and Molecular dynamics simulation of the interacting between HY-2 and BLM640-1291 DNA helicase. Our study provided some valuable clues for the exploration of HY-2 in the living body and developing it as an anticancer drug.

Bioactivities of Steroids and Sesquiterpenes from the Branches and Leaves of Aglaia lawii

Five undescribed steroids and one sesquiterpene, named Aglaians A-F, along with sixteen known analogs, have been isolated from the branches and leaves of Aglaia lawii. Its structure was elucidated by IR, HRESIMS, 1D and 2D NMR, quantum-chemical calculations, electronic circular dichroism (ECD) calculations, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. The cytotoxic and antibacterial activities of six human tumor cell lines were evaluated (MDA-MB-231, MCF-7, Ln-cap, A549, HeLa, and HepG-2), and four strains of bacteria (Bacterium subtilis, Phytophthora cinnamomic, Acrogenic bacterium, and Ralstonia solanacearum). The bioassay results indicated that compounds 3 and 5 exhibited moderate antitumor activity with IC50 values ranging from 16.72 to 36.14 μM. Furthermore, compounds 3-5 possess antibacterial activities against four bacteria with MIC values of 25-100 μM.

The m7G Reader NCBP2 Promotes Pancreatic Cancer Progression by Upregulating MAPK/ERK Signaling

PDAC is one of the most common malignant tumors worldwide. The difficulty of early diagnosis and lack of effective treatment are the main reasons for its poor prognosis. Therefore, it is urgent to identify novel diagnostic and therapeutic targets for PDAC patients. The m7G methylation is a common type of RNA modification that plays a pivotal role in regulating tumor development. However, the correlation between m7G regulatory genes and PDAC progression remains unclear. By integrating gene expression and related clinical information of PDAC patients from TCGA and GEO cohorts, m7G binding protein NCBP2 was found to be highly expressed in PDAC patients. More importantly, PDAC patients with high NCBP2 expression had a worse prognosis. Stable NCBP2-knockdown and overexpression PDAC cell lines were constructed to further perform in-vitro and in-vivo experiments. NCBP2-knockdown significantly inhibited PDAC cell proliferation, while overexpression of NCBP2 dramatically promoted PDAC cell growth. Mechanistically, NCBP2 enhanced the translation of c-JUN, which in turn activated MEK/ERK signaling to promote PDAC progression. In conclusion, our study reveals that m7G reader NCBP2 promotes PDAC progression by activating MEK/ERK pathway, which could serve as a novel therapeutic target for PDAC patients.

Design, Synthesis, anti-inflammatory activity Evaluation, preliminary exploration of the Mechanism, molecule Docking, and structure-activity relationship analysis of batatasin III analogs

Most clinical drugs used to treat inflammation have serious gastrointestinal, renal, and cardiovascular side effects during long-term treatment. The development of new anti-inflammatory agents from natural products and their derivatives is a powerful approach to overcome these adverse effects. Batatasin III, a bibenzyl natural product, has been found to have anti-inflammatory activity. Compared with other anti-inflammatory agents, batatasin III has a simple and unique structure. Therefore, batatasin III and its analogs might have the potential to treat inflammation with only mild adverse effects as a new type of anti-inflammatory agent. Herein, we synthesized 26 batatasin III analogs and evaluated the anti-inflammatory activity in vitro. Analog 21 significantly inhibited (p < 0.01) nitric oxide production with an IC50 value of 12.95 μM. Western blot analysis further revealed that 21 reduced iNOS, phosphorylated p65, and β-catenin expression in a concentration-dependent manner. These results indicated that 21 could be a potential lead compound for developing a drug candidate for ulcerative colitis. Molecular docking analysis showed that p65 might be a potential target of 21 for the treatment of inflammatory disease. In addition, we analyzed the structure-activity relationship of the analogs, which provides a basis for future structural modifications.

A Self-Assembly Nano-Prodrug for Combination Therapy in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Stem Cells

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) displays a highly aggressive nature that originates from a small subpopulation of TNBC stem cells (TNBCSCs), and these TNBCSCs give rise to chemoresistance, tumor metastasis, and recurrence. Unfortunately, traditional chemotherapy eradicates normal TNBC cells but fails to kill quiescent TNBCSCs. To explore a new strategy for eradicating TNBCSCs, a disulfide-mediated self-assembly nano-prodrug that can achieve the co-delivery of ferroptosis drug, differentiation-inducing agent, and chemotherapeutics for simultaneous TNBCSCs and TNBC treatment, is reported. In this nano-prodrug, the disulfide bond not only induces self-assembly behavior of different small molecular drug but also serves as a glutathione (GSH)-responsive trigger in controlled drug release. More importantly, the differentiation-inducing agent can transform TNBCSCs into normal TNBC cells, and this differentiation with chemotherapeutics provides an effective approach to indirectly eradicate TNBCSCs. In addition, ferroptosis therapy is essentially different from the apoptosis-induced cell death of differentiation or chemotherapeutic, which causes cell death to both TNBCSCs and normal TNBC cells. In different TNBC mouse models, this nano-prodrug significantly improves anti-tumor efficacy and effectively inhibits the tumor metastasis. This all-in-one strategy enables controlled drug release and reduces stemness-related drug resistance, enhancing the chemotherapeutic sensitivity in TNBC treatment.

Thioredoxin-interacting protein-activated intracellular potassium deprivation mediates the anti-tumour effect of a novel histone acetylation inhibitor HL23, a fangchinoline derivative, in human hepatocellular carcinoma

INTRODUCTION

Hyperactivated histone deacetylases (HDACs) act as epigenetic repressors on gene transcription and are frequently observed in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Although multiple pharmacological HDAC inhibitors (HDACis) have been developed, none is available in human HCC.

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the pharmacological effects of a fangchinoline derivative HL23, as a novel HDACi and its molecular mechanisms through TXNIP-mediated potassium deprivation in HCC.

METHODS

Both in vitro assays and orthotopic HCC mouse models were used to investigate the effects of HL23 in this study. The inhibitory activity of HL23 on HDACs was evaluated by in silico studies and cellular assays. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) was conducted to confirm the regulation of HL23 on acetylation mark at TXNIP promoter. Genome-wide transcriptome analysis together with bioinformatic analysis were conducted to identify the regulatory mechanisms of HL23. The clinical significance of TXNIP and HDACs was evaluated by analysing publicly available database.

RESULTS

HL23 exerted compatible HDACs inhibition potency as Vorinostat (SAHA) while had superior anti-HCC effects than SAHA and sorafenib. Both in vitro and in vivo studies showed HL23 significantly suppressed HCC progression and metastasis. HL23 significantly upregulated TXNIP expression via regulating acetylation mark (H3K9ac) at TXNIP promoter. TXNIP was responsible for anti-HCC activity of HL23 through mediating potassium channel activity. HDAC1 was predicted to be the target of HL23 and HDAC1lowTXNIPhigh could jointly predict promising survival outcome of patients with HCC. Combination treatment with HL23 and sorafenib could significantly enhance sorafenib efficacy.

CONCLUSION

Our study identified HL23 as a novel HDACi through enhancing acetylation at TXNIP promoter to trigger TXNIP-dependent potassium deprivation and enhance sorafenib efficacy in HCC treatment.

Theoretical and Computational Analysis of the Thermal Quasi-Geostrophic Model

This work involves theoretical and numerical analysis of the thermal quasi-geostrophic (TQG) model of submesoscale geophysical fluid dynamics (GFD). Physically, the TQG model involves thermal geostrophic balance, in which the Rossby number, the Froude number and the stratification parameter are all of the same asymptotic order. The main analytical contribution of this paper is to construct local-in-time unique strong solutions for the TQG model. For this, we show that solutions of its regularised version α -TQG converge to solutions of TQG as its smoothing parameter α → 0 and we obtain blow-up criteria for the α -TQG model. The main contribution of the computational analysis is to verify the rate of convergence of α -TQG solutions to TQG solutions as α → 0 , for example, simulations in appropriate GFD regimes.

Silver-Catalyzed Chlorocyclization for the Synthesis of 3-Chloro-2H-chromenes

A silver-catalyzed chlorocyclization reaction of aryl 3-aryl-2-propyn-1-yl ethers in the presence of NCS under darkness was accomplished, which provides a straightforward and efficient access to 3-chloro-2H-chromenes.

Probing Transcriptional Crosstalk between Cryptochromes and Iron-sulfur Cluster Assembly 1 (MagR) in the Magnetoresponse of a Migratory Insect

Many organisms can sense and respond to magnetic fields (MFs), with migratory species in particular utilizing geomagnetic field information for long-distance migration. Cryptochrome proteins (Crys) along with a highly conserved Iron-sulfur cluster assembly protein (i.e., MagR) have garnered significant attention for their involvement in magnetoresponse (including magnetoreception). However, in vivo investigations of potential transcriptional crosstalk between Crys and MagR genes have been limited. The brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens, is a major migratory pest insect and an emerging model for studying MF intensity-related magnetoresponse. Here, we explored in vivo transcriptional crosstalk between Crys (Cry1 and Cry2) and MagR in N. lugens. The expression of Crys and MagR were found to be sensitive to MF intensity changes as small as several micro-teslas. Knocking down MagR expression led to a significant downregulation of Cry1, but not Cry2. The knockdown of either Cry1 or Cry2 individually did not significantly affect MagR expression. However, their double knockdown resulted in significant upregulation of MagR. Our findings clearly indicate transcriptional crosstalk between MagR and Crys known to be involved in magnetoresponse. This work advances the understanding of magnetoresponse signaling and represents a key initial step towards elucidating the functional consequences of these novel in vivo interactions.

Circ_0020256 induces fibroblast activation to drive cholangiocarcinoma development via recruitment of EIF4A3 protein to stabilize KLF4 mRNA

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are a kind of stromal cells in the cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) microenvironment, playing crucial roles in cancer development. However, the potential mechanisms of the interaction between CCA cells and CAFs remain obscure. This work investigated the role of circ_0020256 in CAFs activation. We proved circ_0020256 was up-regulated in CCA. High circ_0020256 expression facilitated TGF-β1 secretion from CCA cells, which activated CAFs via the phosphorylation of Smad2/3. Mechanistically, circ_0020256 recruited EIF4A3 protein to stabilize KLF4 mRNA and upregulate its expression, then KLF4 bound to TGF-β1 promoter and induced its transcription in CCA cells. KLF4 overexpression abrogated the inhibition of circ_0020256 silencing in TGF-β1/Smad2/3-induced CAFs activation. Furthermore, CCA cell growth, migration, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition were favored by CAFs-secreted IL-6 via autophagy inhibition. We also found circ_0020256 accelerated CCA tumor growth in vivo. In conclusion, circ_0020256 promoted fibroblast activation to facilitate CCA progression via EIF4A3/KLF4 pathway, providing a potential intervention for CCA progression.

Design of Orally-bioavailable Tetra-cyclic phthalazine SOS1 inhibitors with high selectivity against EGFR

KRAS mutations (G12C, G12D, etc.) are implicated in the oncogenesis and progression of many deadliest cancers. Son of sevenless homolog 1 (SOS1) is a crucial regulator of KRAS to modulate KRAS from inactive to active states. We previously discovered tetra-cyclic quinazolines as an improved scaffold for inhibiting SOS1-KRAS interaction. In this work, we report the design of tetra-cyclic phthalazine derivatives for selectively inhibiting SOS1 against EGFR. The lead compound 6c displayed remarkable activity to inhibit the proliferation of KRAS(G12C)-mutant pancreas cells. 6c showed a favorable pharmacokinetic profile in vivo, with a bioavailability of 65.8% and exhibited potent tumor suppression in pancreas tumor xenograft models. These intriguing results suggested that 6c has the potential to be developed as a drug candidate for KRAS-driven tumors.

Application of Laparoscopic Hepatectomy Combined with Intraoperative Microwave Ablation in Colorectal Cancer Liver Metastasis

Laparoscopic hepatectomy is a common treatment for colorectal cancer liver metastasis. Previously, a sufficient number of functional liver masses had to be maintained during laparoscopic hepatectomy, with a residual liver volume of >40% in cirrhotic patients and >30% in non-cirrhotic patients. The high incidence of complications such as bleeding, bile leakage, or liver failure due to the exposure and difficulty of the resection of specific liver segments such as S2 and S7 reduces the success rate of liver resection. At present, microwave ablation is mainly applied in the treatment of liver metastasis using a percutaneous approach, which makes it difficult to identify hidden parts or small lesions. For some liver segments, the percutaneous puncture of liver segment 7 (S7) is likely to pass through the thoracic cavity, and the percutaneous puncture of liver segment 2 (S2) adjacent to the diaphragm is likely to injure the diaphragm and heart; these issues restrict the application of percutaneous ablation in colorectal cancer liver metastasis. Considering multiple lesions, laparoscopic microwave ablation combined with hepatectomy was performed in this study. The location of the lesions was determined by contrast-enhanced ultrasound under laparoscopy, and small lesions that were difficult to detect before the operation were identified. For the scattered lesions, which had diameters less than 3 cm and were difficult to resect, ablation was adopted to substitute hepatectomy. This technique helped to more explicitly locate the tumors, simplified the operation procedures, reduced the risk of complications such as bleeding and bile leakage, shortened the operation time, accelerated the postoperative recovery, significantly improved the success rate of operation, and enhanced the clinical prognosis of colorectal cancer liver metastasis by surgical resection.

Response to Magnetic Field-Induced Stress on the Demographics and anti-ROS Activity of Aphid Macrosiphum rosae L. (Hemiptera:Aphididae)

Magnetic field plays an essential role for many species, including the migratory pest aphid. Our previous study investigated the long-term exposure of static magnetic fields on the growth development and productivity of the aphid Macrosiphum rosae, however, it is necessary to expand the knowledge of short-term exposure on the insects for a wider spectrum of magnetic field radiation. To achieve this, aphid nymphs were exposed to four magnetic field of induction at 0.065T, 0.1T, 0.176T and 0.28T for 4min under laboratory conditions. The results showed that the short-term magnetic radiation significantly prelonged the four instar development while shortened the first, second and third instar period. 0.28 T radiations caused significantly difference in the parameters of TPOP, adult longevity and total longevity (3.2d, 7.07d, and 8.82d, compared with the control of 4.94d, 8.06d, and 10.23d, respectively). Population parameter of r was 0.057d-1 with 0.28 T compared with the control of 0.150 d-1. The SOD, CAT and POD activity increased more than 30% in static magnetic fields compared with the controls. Our study presents a feasible evidence showing the growth development change as a representative disturbing symptom for short-term exposure to magnetic fields, and the static magnetic field applied being capable of modifying the fitness components and antioxidant defense in aphids.

Diversity, antibacterial and phytotoxic activities of culturable endophytic fungi from Pinellia pedatisecta and Pinellia ternata

BACKGROUND

Endophytic fungi of medicinal plants, as special microorganisms, are important sources of antibacterial compounds. However, the diversity and antibacterial activity of endophytic fungi from Pinellia Tenore have not been systematically studied.

RESULTS

A total of 77 fungi were isolated from roots, stems, leaves, and tubers of Pinellia ternata and P. pedatisecta. All fungi were belonged to five classes and twenty-five different genera. Biological activities tests indicated that 21 extracts of endophytic fungi exhibited antibacterial activities against at least one of the tested bacteria, and 22 fermentation broth of endophytic fungi showed strong phytotoxic activity against Echinochloa crusgalli with the inhibition rate of 100%. Furthermore, four compounds, including alternariol monomethyl ether (1), alternariol (2), dehydroaltenusin (3) and altertoxin II (4), and three compounds, including terreic acid (5), terremutin (6), citrinin (7), were isolated from Alternaria angustiovoidea PT09 of P. ternata and Aspergillus floccosus PP39 of P. pedatisecta, respectively. Compound 5 exhibited strong antibacterial activities against Escherichia coli, Micrococcus tetragenus, Staphylococcus aureus, and Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae with the inhibition zone diameter (IZD) of 36.0, 31.0, 33.7, 40.2 mm and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of 1.56, 3.13, 1.56, 1.56 μg/mL respectively, which were better than or equal to those of positive gentamicin sulfate. The metabolite 7 also exhibited strong antibacterial activity against P. syringae pv. actinidiae with the IZD of 26.0 mm and MIC value of 6.25 μg/mL. In addition, the compound 7 had potent phytotoxic activity against E. crusgalli with the inhibition rate of 73.4% at the concentration of 100 μg/mL.

CONCLUSIONS

Hence, this study showed that endophytic fungi of P. ternata and P. pedatisecta held promise for the development of new antibiotic and herbicide resources.

A novel class of C14-sulfonate-tetrandrine derivatives as potential chemotherapeutic agents for hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most common malignancy of the liver, exhibits high recurrence and metastasis. Structural modifications of natural products are crucial resources of antitumor drugs. This study aimed to synthesize C-14 derivatives of tetrandrine and evaluate their effects on HCC. Forty C-14 sulfonate tetrandrine derivatives were synthesized and their in vitro antiproliferative was evaluated against four hepatoma (HepG-2, SMMC-7721, QGY-7701, and SK-Hep-1) cell lines. For all tested cells, most of the modified compounds were more active than the lead compound, tetrandrine. In particular, 14-O-(5-chlorothiophene-2-sulfonyl)-tetrandrine (33) exhibited the strongest antiproliferative effect, with half-maximal inhibitory concentration values of 1.65, 2.89, 1.77, and 2.41 μM for the four hepatoma cell lines, respectively. Moreover, 33 was found to induce apoptosis via a mitochondria-mediated intrinsic pathway via flow cytometry and western blotting analysis. In addition, colony formation, wound healing, and transwell assays demonstrated that 33 significantly inhibited HepG-2 and SMMC-7721 cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, indicating that it might potentially be a candidate for an anti-HCC therapy in the future.

Intestinal Nutrition Played a Vital Important Role in an Intestinal Perforation Patient with Chronic Constipation: A Case Report

Introduction

Nutrition treatment is important in the critically ill patient. Nutritional therapy should be instituted as soon as possible if indicated.

Case presentation

A 64-year-old woman with malnutrition and intestinal obstruction with gastrointestinal bleeding came to our emergency room. She had a history of constipation. After CT scan, we found perforations in the digestive tract. Because she could not tolerate surgery and parenteral nutrition (PN), we chose to start enteral nutrition (EN). She recovered after the initiation of EN.

Discussion

Chronic constipation may cause intestinal obstruction, which is rare but fatal. Providers should evaluate the nutritional status for the intensive care patient and start PN/EN at once if necessary. EN may help the closure of perforations.

Conclusion

EN may play a vital important role even in the patients who have perforations in the digestive tract. Chronic constipation may cause obstruction and perforation, which are rare but fatal.

FLI1 Regulates Histamine Decarboxylase Expression to Control Inflammation Signaling and Leukemia Progression

Aim

Histamine decarboxylase (HDC) catalyzes decarboxylation of histidine to generate histamine. This enzyme affects several biological processes including inflammation, allergy, asthma, and cancer, although the underlying mechanism is not fully understood. The present study provides a novel insight into the relationship between the transcription factor FLI1 and its downstream target HDC, and their effects on inflammation and leukemia progression.

Methods

Promoter analysis combined with chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIp) was used to demonstrate binding of FLI1 to the promoter of HDC in leukemic cells. Western blotting and RT-qPCR were used to determine expression of HDC and allergy response genes, and lentivirus shRNA was used to knock-down target genes. Proliferation, cell cycle, apoptosis assays and molecular docking were used to determine the effect of HDC inhibitors in culture. An animal model of leukemia was employed to test the effect of HDC inhibitory compounds in vivo.

Results

Results presented herein demonstrate that FLI1 transcriptionally regulates HDC by direct binding to its promoter. Using genetic and pharmacological inhibition of HDC, or the addition of histamine, the enzymatic product of HDC, we show neither have a discernable effect on leukemic cell proliferation in culture. However, HDC controls several inflammatory genes including IL1B and CXCR2 that may influence leukemia progression in vivo through the tumor microenvironment. Indeed, diacerein, an IL1B inhibitor, strongly blocked Fli-1-induced leukemia in mice. In addition to allergy, FLI1 is shown to regulate genes associated with asthma such as IL1B, CPA3 and CXCR2. Toward treatment of these inflammatory conditions, epigallocatechin (EGC), a tea polyphenolic compound, is found strongly inhibit HDC independently of FLI1 and its downstream effector GATA2. Moreover, the HDC inhibitor, tetrandrine, suppressed HDC transcription by directly binding to and inhibiting the FLI1 DNA binding domain, and like other FLI1 inhibitors, tetrandrine strongly suppressed cell proliferation in culture and leukemia progression in vivo.

Conclusion

These results suggest a role for the transcription factor FLI1 in inflammation signaling and leukemia progression through HDC and point to the HDC pathway as potential therapeutics for FLI1-driven leukemia.

Increased Dietary Niacin Intake Improves Muscle Strength, Quality, and Glucose Homeostasis in Adults over 40 Years of Age

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Age-related loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength begins at 40 years of age, and limited evidence suggests that niacin supplementation increases levels of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide in mouse muscle tissue. In addition, skeletal muscle has a key role in the body's processing of glucose. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the relationship between dietary niacin and skeletal muscle mass, strength, and glucose homeostasis in people aged 40 years and older.

METHODS

This study was an American population-based cross-sectional analysis using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Considering that some outcomes are only measured in specific survey cycles and subsamples, we established three data sets: a grip strength dataset (2011-2014, n=3772), a body mass components dataset (2011-2018, n=3279), and a glucose homeostasis dataset (1999-2018, n=9189). Dietary niacin and covariates were measured in all survey cycles. Linear regression or logistic regression models that adjusted for several main covariates, such as physical activity and diet, was used to evaluate the relationship between dietary niacin and grip strength, total lean mass, appendicular lean mass, total fat, trunk fat, total bone mineral content, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), fasting blood glycose, fasting insulin and sarcopenia risk. Subgroup analyses, a trend test, an interaction test, and a restricted cubic spline were used for further exploration.

RESULTS

Higher dietary niacin intake was significantly correlated with higher grip strength (β 0.275, 95% confidence intervals [CI] 0.192-0.357), higher total lean mass (β 0.060, 95% CI 0.045-0.074), higher appendicular lean mass (β 0.025, 95% CI 0.018-0.033), and higher total bone mineral content (β 0.005, 95% CI 0.004-0.007). By contrast, higher dietary niacin intake was significantly associated with lower total fat (β -0.061, 95% CI -0.076 to -0.046), lower trunk fat (β -0.041, 95% CI -0.050 to -0.032) and lower sarcopenia risk (OR 0.460, 95% CI 0.233 to 0.907). In addition, dietary niacin significantly reduced HOMA-IR, fasting blood glucose (in participants without diabetes), and fasting insulin (p <0.05).

CONCLUSION

Niacin is associated with improved body composition (characterized by increased muscle mass and decreased fat content) and improved glucose homeostasis in dietary doses. Dietary niacin supplementation is a feasible way to alleviate age-related muscular loss.

Copper-Catalyzed Oxidative Selective Cyclization/C-N Cross-Coupling of Two Tryptamines to Access 3a-Tryptamine-Pyrroloindolines

Transition-metal-catalyzed C-N bond formation reactions have been widely studied in recent decades, but site-selective intermolecular C-N cross-coupling between the carbon and nitrogen sites of two identical molecules is less explored....

Immunogenic cell death-associated biomarkers classification predicts prognosis and immunotherapy efficacy in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

Introduction

Immunogenic cell death (ICD) is a sort of regulated cell death (RCD) sufficient to trigger an adaptive immunological response. According to the current findings, ICD has the capacity to alter the tumor immune microenvironment by generating danger signals or damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs), which may contribute in immunotherapy. It would be beneficial to develop ICD-related biomarkers that classify individuals depending on how well they respond to ICD immunotherapy.

Methods and results

We used consensus clustering to identify two ICD-related groupings. The ICD-high subtype was associated with favorable clinical outcomes, significant immune cell infiltration, and powerful immune response signaling activity. In addition, we developed and validated an ICD-related prognostic model for PDAC survival based on the tumor immune microenvironment. We also collected clinical and pathological data from 48 patients with PDAC, and patients with high EIF2A expression had a poor prognosis. Finally, based on ICD signatures, we developed a novel PDAC categorization method. This categorization had significant clinical implications for determining prognosis and immunotherapy.

Conclusion

Our work emphasizes the connections between ICD subtype variations and alterations in the immune tumor microenvironment in PDAC. These findings may help the immune therapy-based therapies for patients with PDAC. We also created and validated an ICD-related prognostic signature, which had a substantial impact on estimating patients' overall survival times (OS).

Rapid Evolution of a Fragment-like Molecule to Pan-Metallo-Beta-Lactamase Inhibitors: Initial Leads toward Clinical Candidates

With the emergence and rapid spreading of NDM-1 and existence of clinically relevant VIM-1 and IMP-1, discovery of pan inhibitors targeting metallo-beta-lactamases (MBLs) became critical in our battle against bacterial infection. Concurrent with our fragment and high-throughput screenings, we performed a knowledge-based search of known metallo-beta-lactamase inhibitors (MBLIs) to identify starting points for early engagement of medicinal chemistry. A class of compounds exemplified by 11, discovered earlier as B. fragilis metallo-beta-lactamase inhibitors, was selected for in silico virtual screening. From these efforts, compound 12 was identified with activity against NDM-1 only. Initial exploration on metal binding design followed by structure-guided optimization led to the discovery of a series of compounds represented by 23 with a pan MBL inhibition profile. In in vivo studies, compound 23 in combination with imipenem (IPM) robustly lowered the bacterial burden in a murine infection model and became the lead for the invention of MBLI clinical candidates.

[Study on the consistency of IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 of peripheral whole blood and venous serum in children]

This study aimed to explore the consistency of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) by detecting peripheral whole blood and venous serum among children. As a cross-sectional study, children who were aged 0-14 as well as received physical examinations in the Child Healthcare Department of the Children's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University during January 2022 to April 2022 were enrolled in this study. Meanwhile, both of peripheral whole blood and venous serum samples were collected, and the levels of IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 were assayed individually via chemiluminescence immunoassay (CLIA). Additionally, linear regression equation was used to analyze the correlation of results between two categories of samples, while Inter-class Correlation Coefficient (ICC) was used to evaluate the consistency of test results among two types of samples. The change trends of IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 with age were analyzed at the same time. A total of 203 valid matched samples were collected, including 117 boys and 86 girls. Peripheral whole blood was well correlated with serum IGF-1 (r=0.986, P<0.001) and IGFBP-3 (r=0.974, P<0.001), and the linear regression equation is shown as follows: (IGF-1) _{venous serum} =1.047×(IGF-1) _{peripheral whole blood}-6.840; (IGFBP-3) _{venous serum}=0.924×(IGFBP-3) _{peripheral whole blood}+0.396. The correlation and consistency were still persisted after being stratified by sex and age. ICC of IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 were 0.983 and 0.967, respectively which provided an excellent strength of agreement. The levels of IGF-1 or IGFBP-3 in boys' and girls' peripheral whole blood and serum showed significant statistical differences among various age groups (all P<0.001), and also increased significantly with age (all P _trend<0.001). In conclusion, the results of IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 in peripheral whole blood and venous serum had positive comparability that could be mutually recognized. The detection of IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 in peripheral whole blood had great potential for young age children by providing guidance for nutritional intervention, growth and development assessment.

Slower progression of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis with external application of a Chinese herbal plaster–The randomized, placebo-controlled triple-blinded ALS-CHEPLA trial

Background

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a chronic neurodegenerative disease characterized by gradually increasing damage to the upper and lower motor neurons. However, definitive and efficacious treatment for ALS is not available, and oral intake in ALS patients with bulbar involvement is complicated due to swallowing difficulties.

Hypothesis/purpose

This study investigated whether the external plaster application of the herbal composition Ji-Wu-Li efficiently slows ALS progression because prior studies obtained promising evidence with oral herbal applications.

Study design

The randomized, triple-blinded study compared the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of the application of Ji-Wu-Li plaster (JWLP) with placebo plaster (PLAP).

Methods

In total, 120 patients with definite ALS, clinically probable ALS, or clinically probable laboratory-supported ALS were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to receive JWLP or PLAP. Patients were treated and observed for 20 weeks. The primary outcome was the ALSFRS-R score, while the secondary outcomes were the ALS-SSIT score and weight loss.

Results

The mean±SD decrease in the ALSFRS-R over 20 weeks differed by 0.84 points in a group comparison (JWLP, −4.44 ± 1.15; PLAP, −5.28 ± 1.98; p = 0.005). The mean increase in the ALS-SSIT over 20 weeks differed by 2.7 points in a group comparison (JWLP, 5.361.15; PLAP, 8.06 ± 1.72; p < 0.001). The mean weight loss over 20 weeks differed by 1.65 kg in a group comparison (JWLP, −3.98 ± 2.61; PLAP, −5.63 ± 3.17; p = 0.002). Local allergic dermatitis suspected as causal to the intervention occurred in 10 of 60 participants in the JWLP group and 9 of 60 participants in the PLAP group. Systemic adverse events were mild, temporary, and considered unrelated to the intervention.

Conclusion

The JWLP showed clinical efficacy in the progression of ALS, as measured by the ALSFRS-R, ALS-SSIT, and weight loss in a randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Because skin reactions occurred in both groups, the covering material needs improvement. All of the Ji Wu Li herbal ingredients regulate multiple mechanisms of neurodegeneration in ALS. Hence, JWLP may offer a promising and safe add-on therapy for ALS, particularly in patients with bulbar involvement, but a confirmative long-term multicentre study is required.

Seed germination traits and dormancy classification of 27 species from a degraded karst mountain in central Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau: seed mass and moisture content correlate with germination capacity

In degraded karst ecosystem, vegetation restoration efforts almost exclusively rely on planted seedlings, but this is not effective to maintain community diversity and resilience. As seed functional traits, seed dormancy and germination are key to community assembly. Unfortunately, these elements are commonly overlooked in restoring degraded ecosystems. This work classifies seed dormancy of 27 species with different life forms that are common on a degraded karst mountain. We examined the effects of temperature regime and light conditions on percentage germination and assessed the relationships between seed traits and germination index using a partial least squares regression (PLSR). Approximately 48% of the investigated species had physiological dormancy, 37% were non-dormant, 7% had morphophysiological dormancy, 4% had morphological dormancy and 4% had physical dormancy. We found that 94% (15 out of 16) species had maximum germination in warm temperature regimes (20/13 and 25/18 °C), while the remaining species required cool temperatures (10/4 °C). PLSR analysis indicated a significant positive correlation between seed mass and T_50m (time to 50% final germination), and a negative correlation between seed moisture content and percentage germination. Our findings indicate that seed traits are important factors in seed-based restoration practice. F. esculentum, O. opipara, P. fortuneana and S. salicifolia are recommended for direct seeding during the early rainy season to restore seriously degraded lands in subtropical karst regions.

Diverse flavonoids from the roots of Indigofera stachyodes

Three new flavonoids , 4'- O - β - D -glucopyranosyl-2 S ,3 R -3,7-dihydroxy-3'-methoxyflavan ( 1 ), (3 R )-7,4'-dihydroxy-5,3'-methoxychalcone ( 2 ), (3 S )-7,2',3'-trihydroxy-6,4'-dimethoxylisoflavan ( 3 ), and one new natural occurring product, (3 S )-6,2',3'-trihydroxy-7,4'-dimethoxylisoflavan ( 4 ), together with eleven known ones ( 5 - 15 ), were isolated from the roots of Indigofera stachyodes . The structures of these compounds were confirmed by UV, IR, MS, and NMR spectroscopic analysis. The absolute configurations of new compounds were elucidated by ECD spectra and chemical method. All the isolated flavonoids were screened for their antioxidant abilities to scavenge DPPH and ABTS + . As results, compounds 2 - 4 , 10 , and 15 exhibited remarkable scavenging activity against both ABTS + and DPPH, with the IC 50 values less than 20 μ M. In addition, compounds 1 , 6 - 9 , and 13 exhibited potential antioxidant scavenging activities, IC 50 values were in the rang of 17.96～85.91 μ M.

Reliable reference genes for gene expression analyses under the hypomagnetic field in a migratory insect

Manipulating the hypomagnetic field (HMF), which is the absence or significant weakening (<5 μT) of the geomagnetic field (GMF), offers a unique tool to investigate magnetic field effects on organismal physiology, development, behavior and life history. Reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) has been utilized to study changes in gene expression associated with exposure to the HMF. However, selecting appropriate reference genes (RGs) with confirmed stable expression across environments for RT-qPCR is often underappreciated. Using three algorithms (BestKeeper, NormFinder, and GeNorm), we investigated the expression stability of eight candidate RGs when exposed to the HMF condition versus local GMF during developmental from juveniles to adults in the migratory insect pest, the brown planthopper Nilaparvata lugens. During the nymphal stage, RPL5 & α-TUB1, EF1-α & ARF1, RPL5 & AK, EF1-α & RPL5, and ARF1 & AK were suggested as the most stable RG sets in the 1st to 5th instars, respectively. For 1- to 3-day-old adults, AK & ARF1, AK & α-TUB1, AK & ARF1 and EF1-α & RPL5, AK & α-TUB1, AK & EF1-α were the optimal RG sets for macropterous and brachypterous females, respectively. ACT1 & RPL5, RPL5 & EF1-α, α-TUB1 & ACT1 and EF1-α & RPL5, ARF1 & ACT1, ACT1 & ARF1 were the optimal RG sets for macropterous and brachypterous males, respectively. These results will facilitate accurate gene expression analyses under the HMF in N. lugens. The verification approach illustrated in this study highlights the importance of identifying reliable RGs for future empirical studies of magnetobiology (including magnetoreception) that involve magnetic field intensity as a factor.

Evidence of decoupling of surface and bulk states in Dirac semimetal Cd3As2

Dirac semimetals have attracted a great deal of current interests due to their potential applications in topological quantum computing, low-energy electronic devices, and single photon detection in the microwave frequency range. Herein are results from analyzing the low magnetic (B) field weak-antilocalization behaviors in a Dirac semimetal Cd₃As₂thin flake device. At high temperatures, the phase coherence lengthl_ϕfirst increases with decreasing temperature (T) and follows a power law dependence ofl_ϕ∝T^-0.4. Below ∼3 K,l_ϕtends to saturate to a value of ∼180 nm. Another fitting parameterα, which is associated with independent transport channels, displays a logarithmic temperature dependence forT > 3 K, but also tends to saturate below ∼3 K. The saturation value, ∼1.45, is very close to 1.5, indicating three independent electron transport channels, which we interpret as due to decoupling of both the top and bottom surfaces as well as the bulk. This result, to our knowledge, provides first evidence that the surfaces and bulk states can become decoupled in electronic transport in Dirac semimetal Cd₃As₂.

The Leaves of Cyclocarya paliurus: A Functional Tea with Preventive and Therapeutic Potential of Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has become a universal and chronic global public health concern and causes multiple complex complications. In order to meet the rapidly growing demand for T2DM treatment, increased research has been focused on hypoglycemic drugs. Cyclocarya paliurus (Batal.) Iljinsk is the only living species of the genus Cyclocarya Iljinskaja, whose leaves have been extensively used as a functional tea to treat obesity and diabetes in China. An enormous amount of very recent pharmacological research on the leaves of C. paliurus has demonstrated that they carry out numerous biological activities, such as hypoglycemic, anti-inflammatory, and intestinal microbiota regulation. Multiple in vitro and in vivo studies have also shown that the extracts of C. paliurus leaves are innocuous and safe. This study aims to provide an up-to-date review of the botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacological effects against diabetes, toxicology, and clinical studies of C. paliurus leaves, in hopes of promoting a better understanding of their role in the prevention and treatment of T2DM.

Bioactive Bibenzyl Enantiomers From the Tubers of Bletilla striata

Six new bibenzyls (three pairs of enantiomers), bletstrins D-F (1-3), were isolated from the ethyl acetate-soluble (EtOAc) extract of tubers of Bletilla striata (Thunb.) Rchb f. Their structures, including absolute configurations, were determined by 1D/2D NMR spectroscopy, optical rotation value, and experimental electronic circular dichroism (ECD) data analyses, respectively. Compounds 1-3 possess a hydroxyl-substituted chiral center on the aliphatic bibenzyl bridge, which represented the first examples of natural bibenzyl enantiomers from the genus of Bletilla. The antibacterial, antitumor necrosis factor (anti-TNF-α), and neuroprotective effects of the isolates have been evaluated. Compounds 3a and 3b were effective against three Gram-positive bacteria with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 52-105 μg/ml. Compounds 2a and 2b exhibited significant inhibitory effects on TNF-α-mediated cytotoxicity in L929 cells with IC₅₀ values of 25.7 ± 2.3 μM and 21.7 ± 1.7 μM, respectively. Subsequently, the possible anti-TNF-α mechanism of 2 was investigated by molecular docking simulation. Furthermore, the neuroprotective activities were tested on the H₂O₂-induced PC12 cell injury model, and compounds 2b, 3a, and 3b (10 μM) could obviously protect the cells with the cell viabilities of 57.86 ± 2.08%, 64.82 ± 2.84%, and 64.11 ± 2.52%, respectively.