[Impact of the depth of remission by induction chemotherapy on the prognosis of limited stage small cell lung cancer]

Objective: To evaluate the effect of depth of remission of induction chemotherapy on the overall prognosis of limited stage small cell lung cancer (L-SCLC). Methods: The study was a retrospective, L-SCLC patients who contained complete imaging data and underwent consecutive standardized treatments at the Department of Thoracic Radiation and Medical Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University between January 2013 and June 2021 were included. To delineate the volume of tumor before and after induction chemotherapy and to calculate the depth of remission caused by the induced chemotherapy. The time receiver operating characteristic (timeROC) method was used to determine the optimal predictors for prognosis, multi-factor analysis using Cox risk proportional model. Results: A total of 104 patients were included in this study. The median PFS and OS of this cohort were 13.7 months and 20.9 months, respectively. It was observed by timeROC analysis that residual tumor volume after induction chemotherapy had the optimal predictive value of PFS at 1 year (AUC=0.86, 95% CI: 0.78~0.94) and OS at 2 years (AUC=0.76, 95% CI: 0.65~0.87). Multivariate analysis showed residual tumor volume after induction chemotherapy was the independent prognostic factor to PFS (HR=1.006, 95% CI: 1.003~1.009, P<0.01) and OS (HR=1.009, 95% CI: 1.005~1.012, P<0.001). For those whose residual tumor volume remitted to less than 10 cm(3) after induction chemotherapy, the favorable long-term outcomes could be achieved, regardless of their initial tumor load. Conclusion: The depth of remission of induction chemotherapy could be a promising prognostic predictor to the L-SCLC and provide the individualized treatment guidance.

The effect of green coffee extract supplementation on obesity indices: critical umbrella review of interventional meta-analyses

Despite a multitude of investigations assessing the impact of green coffee extract supplementation on obesity indices, there is still a great deal of heated debate regarding the benefits of this intervention in obesity management. Therefore, in order to clarify the effect of green coffee extract on waist circumference (WC), body mass index (BMI) and body weight (BW), we conducted an umbrella review of interventional meta-analyses. The Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed/Medline, and Embase databases were searched using specific keywords and word combinations. The umbrella meta-analysis was performed using the Stata software version 17 (Stata Corp. College Station, Texas, USA). We pooled effect sizes (ES) and confidence intervals (CI) for the outcomes using the random effects model (the DerSimonian and Laird method). In total, 5 eligible meta-analyses were included in the final quantitative assessment. Data pooled from 5 eligible papers revealed that green coffee extract can reduce BW (WMD: -1.22 kg, 95% CI: -1.53 to -0.92, p < 0.001), BMI (WMD: -0.48 kg/m², 95% CI: -0.67 to -0.29, p < 0.001) and WC (WMD: -0.55 cm, 95% CI: -0.80 to -0.31, p < 0.001). Subgroup analyses highlighted that green coffee extract supplementation in dosages ≤600 mg/day and interventions lasting >7 wk are more likely to decrease BW. The present umbrella meta-analysis confirms the beneficial effects of green coffee extract in reducing WC, BMI, and BW. Thus, we may infer that green coffee extract can be used as a complementary therapy in the management of obesity.

Effects of Using Aluminum Sulfate as an Accelerator and Acrylic Acid, Aluminum Fluoride, or Alkanolamine as a Regulator in Early Cement Setting

Aluminum sulfate was employed as the main accelerator in order to explore new non-chloride and alkali-free cement accelerators. Acrylic acid, aluminum fluoride, or alkanolamine were used as regulators to further accelerate cement setting. The setting time, compressive, and flexural strengths in cement early strength progress were detected, and both the cement (raw material) and hydrated mortar were fully characterized. The cement setting experiments revealed that only loading acrylic acid as the regulator would decrease the setting time of cement and increase the compressive and flexural strengths of mortar, but further introduction of aluminum fluoride or alkanolamine improved this process drastically. In the meantime, structural characterizations indicated that the raw material (cement) used in this work was composed of C₃S (alite), while hydrated mortar consisted of quartz and C₃A (tricalcium aluminate). During this transformation, the coordination polyhedron of Al³⁺ was changed from a tetrahedron to octahedron. This work puts forward a significant strategy for promoting the activity of aluminum sulfate in cement setting and would contribute to the future design of new non-chloride and alkali-free cement accelerators.

[Outcomes and the role of adjuvant therapy of limited stage small cell lung cancer undergoing surgical treatment]

Objective: To investigate the outcomes of limited stage small cell lung cancer (L-SCLC) undergoing surgical therapy and to explore the value of adjuvant therapy for those patients. Methods: A retrospective analysis was initialed for the L-SCLC patients who underwent the surgical treatment in the Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University from January 2012 to December 2018. The median disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) were calculated by Kaplan-Meier method. Cox regression was used to explore the prognostic factors. Results: A total of 44 patients were included in our study. The median DFS was 25 months, 1- and 2-year DFS rate were 70.2% and 51.9%, respectively. The median OS was 41 months, 1- and 2- year OS rate were 88.4% and 69.9%, respectively. Multivariate analysis showed male (RR=6.56, P=0.03), T3-4 (RR=6.23, P=0.01), pathological lymph node metastasis (RR=6.52, P=0.03) and adjuvant radiotherapy (RR=0.13, P=0.002) were associated with disease relapse significantly. Moreover, pathological lymph node metastasis (RR=3.62, P=0.01) coupled with sufficient adjuvant chemotherapy (≥4 cycles) (RR=0.12, P=0.01) were independent prognostic factors of OS. Conclusions: Surgical therapy may be an alternative primary treatment for L-SCLC. Additional adjuvant radiotherapy can reduce the risk of recurrence. Giving sufficient course of adjuvant chemotherapy can improve OS.

Highly Active Catalytic Ruthenium/TiO2 Nanomaterials for Continuous Production of γ-Valerolactone

Green energy production from renewable sources is an attractive, but challenging topic to face the likely energy crisis scenario in the future. In the current work, a series of versatile Ru/TiO₂ catalysts were simply synthesized and employed in continuous-flow catalytic transfer hydrogenation of industrially derived methyl levulinate biowaste (from Avantium Chemicals B.V.) to form γ-valerolactone. Different analytical techniques were applied in the characterization of the as-synthesized catalysts, including XRD, SEM, energy-dispersion X-ray spectroscopy, TEM, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The effects of various reaction conditions (e.g., temperature, concentration, and flow rate) were investigated. Results suggested that optimum dispersion and distribution of Ru on the TiO₂ surface could efficiently promote the production of γ-valerolactone; the 5 % Ru/TiO₂ catalyst provided excellent catalytic performance and stability compared with commercial Ru catalysts.

Modelling climate change impacts on nutrients and primary production in coastal waters

There is high confidence that the anthropogenic increase of atmospheric greenhouse gases (GHGs) is causing modifications in the Earth's climate. Coastal waterbodies such as estuaries, bays and lagoons are among those most affected by the ongoing changes in climate. Being located at the land-sea interface, such waterbodies are subjected to the combined changes in the physical-chemical processes of atmosphere, upstream land and coastal waters. Particularly, climate change is expected to alter phytoplankton communities by changing their environmental drivers (especially climate-related), thus exacerbating the symptoms of eutrophication events, such as hypoxia, harmful algal blooms (HAB) and loss of habitat. A better understanding of the links between climate-related drivers and phytoplankton is therefore necessary for projecting climate change impacts on aquatic ecosystems. Here we present the case study of the Zero river basin in Italy, one of the main contributors of freshwater and nutrient to the salt-marsh Palude di Cona, a coastal waterbody belonging to the lagoon of Venice. To project the impacts of climate change on freshwater inputs, nutrient loadings and their effects on the phytoplankton community of the receiving waterbody, we formulated and applied an integrated modelling approach made of: climate simulations derived by coupling a General Circulation Model (GCM) and a Regional Climate Model (RCM) under alternative emission scenarios, the hydrological model Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) and the ecological model AQUATOX. Climate projections point out an increase of precipitations in the winter period and a decrease in the summer months, while temperature shows a significant increase over the whole year. Water discharge and nutrient loads simulated by SWAT show a tendency to increase (decrease) in the winter (summer) period. AQUATOX projects changes in the concentration of nutrients in the salt-marsh Palude di Cona, and variations in the biomass and species of the phytoplankton community.

Investigation of a New Microcapsule Membrane Combining Alginate, Chitosan, Polyethylene Glycol and Poly-L-Lysine for Cell Transplantation Applications

Microencapsulation of living cells may serve as an alternative therapy for patients requiring organ transplants. One of the limiting factors in the progress of such therapy is attaining a biocompatible and mechanically stable polymer. The current study investigates the potential of a novel membrane combining alginate, chitosan, polyethylene glycol (PEG) and poly-L-lysine (PLL) with the objective of proposing a membrane suitable for cell entrapment that may overcome some of the shortcomings of the widely studied alginate-poly-L-lysine-alginate (APA) capsules. The novel microcapsule was formulated using a 1.5% alginate solution coated with 0.05% chitosan, 0.1% PEG and 0.05% poly-L-lysine with a final layer of 0.1% alginate. Microcapsules having a diameter of 450 ± 30 μm were prepared. Upon citrate treatment, the membrane remained intact and retained its spherical structure. The membrane was able to support liver cell proliferation and the encapsulated cells were capable of secreting proteins. The study demonstrated that the new membrane can be used for cell entrapment. However, further investigations are needed to assess its potential for long term transplantation and usage in the development of bioartificial organs.

Designer hydrogenated wrinkled yolk@shell TiO2 architectures towards advanced visible light photocatalysts for selective alcohol oxidation

Advanced wrinkled yolk@shell-TiO₂ architectures were prepared via three sequential steps and provided excellent visible-light photocatalytic activities in selective alcohol oxidation.

Wheat bran valorisation: Towards photocatalytic nanomaterials for benzyl alcohol photo-oxidation

In this work, we have successfully synthesized a set of titania photocatalytic nanocomposites by the incorporation of different TiO₂ content on wheat bran residues. The obtained catalysts were characterized by different techniques including UV-Vis spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) while their photocatalytic activity was investigated in the oxidation of benzyl alcohol under UV light irradiation. Benzaldehyde yields were ca. 20%, with conversion in the systems of ca. 33% of benzyl alcohol by using 10%Ti-Bran catalyst, as compared to 33% yield to the target product (quantitative conversion of benzyl alcohol) using commercial pure TiO₂ (P-25). The photocatalytic activity results indicate that designed waste-derived nanomaterials with low TiO₂ content can efficiently photocatalyze the conversion of benzyl alcohol with relative high selectivity towards benzaldehyde.

IL-22-induced antimicrobial peptides are key determinants of mucosal vaccine-induced protection against H. pylori in mice

Despite the recent description of the mucosal vaccine-induced reduction of Helicobacter pylori natural infection in a phase 3 clinical trial, the absence of immune correlates of protection slows the final development of the vaccine. In this study, we evaluated the role of interleukin (IL)-22 in mucosal vaccine-induced protection. Gastric IL-22 levels were increased in mice intranasally immunized with urease+cholera toxin and challenged with H. felis, as compared with controls. Flow cytometry analysis showed that a peak of CD4+IL-22+IL-17+ T cells infiltrating the gastric mucosa occurred in immunized mice in contrast to control mice. The inhibition of the IL-22 biological activity prevented the vaccine-induced reduction of H. pylori infection. Remarkably, anti-microbial peptides (AMPs) extracted from the stomachs of vaccinated mice, but not from the stomachs of non-immunized or immunized mice, injected with anti-IL-22 antibodies efficiently killed H. pylori in vitro. Finally, H. pylori infection in vaccinated RegIIIβ-deficient mice was not reduced as efficiently as in wild-type mice. These results demonstrate that IL-22 has a critical role in vaccine-induced protection, by promoting the expression of AMPs, such as RegIIIβ, capable of killing Helicobacter. Therefore, it can be concluded that urease-specific memory Th17/Th22 cells could constitute immune correlates of vaccine protection in humans.

Targeting interferon-α: a promising approach for systemic lupus erythematosus therapy

System lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease with multicellular pathogeneic components.Recent studiessuggestan importantrole for interferon-a (IFN) in the immunopathogenesis of SLE. Data demonstrating a correlationbetween IFN-a and SLE disease severity range from elevated IFN-a levels in patients’serum and induction of IFN-regulated genes in peripheral blood mononuclear cells, to drug induced lupus disease in hepatitis C or cancer patients treated with recombinant IFN-a. In addition, mouse models of lupus in which the IFNR is deleted fail to develop disease manifestations. Thus, targetingIFN-a promises to be therapeuticallyefficacious for SLE.

Evolution of the HCV viral population from a patient with S282T detected at relapse after sofosbuvir monotherapy

Clinical phase II/III studies of the nucleotide analogue HCV NS5B inhibitor sofosbuvir (SOF) have demonstrated high efficacy in HCV-infected patients in combination therapy. To date, resistance to SOF (S282T in NS5B) has rarely been detected in patients. In this study, we investigated the evolution of S282T viral variants detected in one HCV genotype 2b-infected patient who relapsed following 12 weeks of SOF monotherapy. Deep sequencing of the NS5B gene was performed on longitudinal plasma samples at baseline, days 2 and 3 on SOF, and longitudinal samples post-SOF treatment through week 48. Intrapatient HCV evolution was analysed by maximum-likelihood phylogenetic analysis. Deep sequencing analysis revealed a low level pre-existence of S282T at 0.05% of viral sequences (4/7755 reads) at baseline and 0.03% (6/23 415 reads) at day 2 on SOF. Viral relapse was detected at week 4 post-treatment where 99.8% of the viral population harboured S282T. Follow-up analysis determined that S282T levels diminished post-treatment reaching undetectable levels 24-48 weeks post-SOF. Phylogenetic analysis together with the persistence of unique post-treatment mutations in all post-SOF samples suggested that growth of wild type resulted from reversion of the S282T mutant to a wild type and not outgrowth of the baseline wild-type population. Our data suggest that a very low level of pre-existing S282T at baseline in this patient was enriched and transiently detected following SOF monotherapy. Despite relapse with drug resistance to SOF, this patient was successfully retreated with SOF plus ribavirin for 12 weeks and is now cured from HCV infection.

Activity-dependent depression of neuronal sodium channels by the general anaesthetic isoflurane

BACKGROUND

The mechanisms by which volatile anaesthetics such as isoflurane alter neuronal function are poorly understood, in particular their presynaptic mechanisms. Presynaptic voltage-gated sodium channels (Na(v)) have been implicated as a target for anaesthetic inhibition of neurotransmitter release. We hypothesize that state-dependent interactions of isoflurane with Na(v) lead to increased inhibition of Na(+) current (I(Na)) during periods of high-frequency neuronal activity.

METHODS

The electrophysiological effects of isoflurane, at concentrations equivalent to those used clinically, were measured on recombinant brain-type Na(v)1.2 expressed in ND7/23 neuroblastoma cells and on endogenous Na(v) in isolated rat neurohypophysial nerve terminals. Rate constants determined from experiments on the recombinant channel were used in a simple model of Na(v) gating.

RESULTS

At resting membrane potentials, isoflurane depressed peak I(Na) and shifted steady-state inactivation in a hyperpolarizing direction. After membrane depolarization, isoflurane accelerated entry (τ(control)=0.36 [0.03] ms compared with τ(isoflurane)=0.33 [0.05] ms, P<0.05) and slowed recovery (τ(control)=6.9 [1.1] ms compared with τ(isoflurane)=9.0 [1.9] ms, P<0.005) from apparent fast inactivation, resulting in enhanced depression of I(Na), during high-frequency stimulation of both recombinant and endogenous nerve terminal Na(v). A simple model of Na(v) gating involving stabilisation of fast inactivation, accounts for this novel form of activity-dependent block.

CONCLUSIONS

Isoflurane stabilises the fast-inactivated state of neuronal Na(v) leading to greater depression of I(Na) during high-frequency stimulation, consistent with enhanced inhibition of fast firing neurones.

Toward environmentally-benign utilization of nonmetallic fraction of waste printed circuit boards as modifier and precursor

Electronic waste, including printed circuit boards, is growing at an alarming rate due to the accelerated technological progress and the shorter lifespan of the electronic equipment. In the past decades, due to the lack of proper economic and environmentally-benign recycling technologies, a major fraction of e-waste generated was either destined to landfills or incinerated with the sole intention of its disposal disregarding the toxic nature of this waste. Recently, with the increasing public awareness over their environment and health issues and with the enaction of more stringent regulations, environmentally-benign recycling has been driven to be an alternative option partially replacing the traditional eco-unfriendly disposal methods. One of the most favorable green technologies has been the mechanical separation of the metallic and nonmetallic fraction of the waste printed circuit boards. Although metallic fraction, as the most profitable component, is used to generate the revenue of the separation process, the nonmetallic fraction (NMF) has been left isolated. Herein, the recent developments in the application of NMF have been comprehensively reviewed and an eco-friendly emerging usage of NMF as a value-added material for sustainable remediation has been introduced.

Global microRNA profiles and signaling pathways in the development of cardiac hypertrophy

Hypertrophy is a major predictor of progressive heart disease and has an adverse prognosis. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) that accumulate during the course of cardiac hypertrophy may participate in the process. However, the nature of any interaction between a hypertrophy-specific signaling pathway and aberrant expression of miRNAs remains unclear. In this study, Spague Dawley male rats were treated with transverse aortic constriction (TAC) surgery to mimic pathological hypertrophy. Hearts were isolated from TAC and sham operated rats (n=5 for each group at 5, 10, 15, and 20 days after surgery) for miRNA microarray assay. The miRNAs dysexpressed during hypertrophy were further analyzed using a combination of bioinformatics algorithms in order to predict possible targets. Increased expression of the target genes identified in diverse signaling pathways was also analyzed. Two sets of miRNAs were identified, showing different expression patterns during hypertrophy. Bioinformatics analysis suggested the miRNAs may regulate multiple hypertrophy-specific signaling pathways by targeting the member genes and the interaction of miRNA and mRNA might form a network that leads to cardiac hypertrophy. In addition, the multifold changes in several miRNAs suggested that upregulation of rno-miR-331*, rno-miR-3596b, rno-miR-3557-5p and downregulation of rno-miR-10a, miR-221, miR-190, miR-451 could be seen as biomarkers of prognosis in clinical therapy of heart failure. This study described, for the first time, a potential mechanism of cardiac hypertrophy involving multiple signaling pathways that control up- and downregulation of miRNAs. It represents a first step in the systematic discovery of miRNA function in cardiovascular hypertrophy.

Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) mediates arsenite inhibition of UVB-induced cellular apoptosis in mouse epidermal Cl41 cells

Inorganic arsenic is an environmental human carcinogen, and has been shown to act as a co-carcinogen with solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation in mouse skin tumor induction even at low concentrations. However, the precise mechanism of its co-carcinogenic action is largely unknown. Apoptosis plays an essential role as a protective mechanism against neoplastic development in the organism by eliminating genetically damaged cells. Thus, suppression of apoptosis is thought to contribute to carcinogenesis. It is known that cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) can promote carcinogenesis by inhibiting cell apoptosis under stress conditions; and our current studies investigated the potential contribution of COX-2 to the inhibitory effect of arsenite in UV-induced cell apoptosis in mouse epidermal Cl41 cells. We found that treatment of cells with low concentration (5 μM) arsenite attenuated cellular apoptosis upon UVB radiation accompanied with a coinductive effect on COX-2 expression and nuclear factor-κB (NFκB) transactivation. Our results also showed that the COX-2 induction by arsenite and UVB depended on an NFκB pathway because COX-2 co-induction could be attenuated in either p65-deficient or p50-deficient cells. Moreover, UVB-induced cell apoptosis could be dramatically reduced by the introduction of exogenous COX-2 expression, whereas the inhibitory effect of arsenite on UVB-induced cell apoptosis could be impaired in COX-2 knockdown C141 cells. Our results indicated that COX-2 mediated the anti-apoptotic effect of arsenite in UVB radiation through an NFκB-dependent pathway. Given the importance of apoptosis evasion during carcinogenesis, we anticipated that COX-2 induction might be at least partially responsible for the co-carcinogenic effect of arsenite on UVB-induced skin carcinogenesis.

Opposing consequences of IL-23 signaling mediated by innate and adaptive cells in chemically induced colitis in mice

The interleukin-23 (IL-23) pathway has emerged as a promising therapeutic target for inflammatory bowel disease. Although the pathogenic role of IL-23 receptor (IL-23R) on T lymphocytes is well established, its function on innate immune cells has not been thoroughly examined. Here we investigate the consequence of IL-23R deletion in dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis. In IL23R(-/-) and IL23p19(-/-) mice, we observed decreased weight loss and reduced leukocyte infiltrate following DSS exposure. Surprisingly, when the IL-23R(-/-) allele was crossed into Rag2(-/-) mice, we observed exacerbated disease, increased epithelial damage, reduced pSTAT3 in the epithelium, and delayed recovery of IL23R(-/-)Rag2(-/-) mice. This phenotype was rescued with exogenous IL22-Fc, and epithelial pSTAT3 was restored. Depletion of Thy1(+) innate lymphoid cells eliminated the majority of IL-22 production in the colon lamina propria of DSS-treated Rag2(-/-) mice, suggesting that these are the major IL-23 responsive innate cells in this context. In summary, we provide evidence for opposing consequences of IL-23R on innate and adaptive lymphoid cells in murine colitis.

Dichroic ATR-FTIR spectroscopy on oriented α-helical poly(l-lysine) multilayered with polyanions

The preparation and spectroscopic and microscopic characterization of oriented polyelectrolyte multilayers (PEM) interesting for defined nanostructured functional materials and surfaces are reviewed. Oriented PEM were generated by consecutively adsorbing α-helical poly(l-lysine) (PLL) and oppositely charged polyanions like poly(vinylsulfate) (PVS) or poly(styrene sulfonate) (PSS) at silicon substrates texturized by parallel nanoscopic surface grooves, respectively. Dichroic Attenuated Total Reflexion Fourier Transform Infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy was used to study the conformation and macromolecular order of stiff polyelectrolytes within PEM. High order parameters up to S=0.82 (S=1 for high, S=0 for low order) were obtained from the dichroic ratios of the Amide I and Amide II bands suggesting a significant alignment of charged α-helical polypeptides in PEM. For PEM consisting of PLL/polyanion the S values significantly increased with increasing molecular weight of PLL and with decreasing molecular weight of the polyanion. These spectroscopic findings were supported by SFM images on PEM-PLL/PVS with high molecular PLL and PEM-PLL/PSS with low molecular PSS, which both showed anisotropically oriented worm-like structures, while PEM-PLL/PVS with low molecular PLL and PEM-PLL/PSS with high molecular PSS showed no orientation features.

Modulation of matrix metalloproteinase-9 and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 in RAW264.7 cells by irradiation

Radiation-induced pulmonary injury is a severe complication affecting the quality of life of patients. Although the pathophysiology of the process is not fully understood, we hypothesized that it is potentially related to macrophages and their secretion of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9). Macrophages are a type of inflammatory cell that synthesize hundreds of bioactive substances and enzymes. MMP-9 is closely involved in the maintenance of the basilar membrane, and leads to increased extracellular matrix deposition within the lung, which is a characteristic feature of radiation-induced lung fibrosis. We examined the role of ionizing radiation in modulating the production of MMP-9 in a macrophage cell line. RAW264.7 cells were irradiated with various doses of γ-rays, and then MMP-9 and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1) levels were determined at several time points. RT-PCR revealed a marked increase in the levels of MMP-9 mRNA, which peaked at 24 h post-irradiation and had begun to decline by 48 h. By contrast, TIMP-1 mRNA experienced only a slight increase at 24 h post-irradiation, reaching significance at 48 h post-irradiation. Western blot analysis demonstrated an increased expression of MMP-9 protein in the irradiated cells, while TIMP-1 protein levels were not notably changed. Dexamethasone inhibited the increased expression of MMP-9 protein induced by ionizing radiation. These results indicate that MMP-9 expression by RAW264.7 cells, and an imbalance between MMP-9 and TIMP-1, may be involved in radiation-induced lung injury.

Enhanced radiosensitivity of SW480 cells via TRAIL up-regulation mediated by Egr-1 promoter

Radiosensitization of cancer cells to irradiation could improve the efficacy of radiotherapy. The early transcriptional factor (Egr-1) promoter induced expression of downstream genes after irradiation. TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) is known to induce apoptosis in malignant cells, but displayed little or no toxicity on normal cells. In this study, we constructed pcDNA3.1-Egr-1-TRAIL (pEgr.1-TRAIL) recombinant plasmid and evaluated its effect on human colon cancer cell line SW480. pEgr.1-TRAIL transfection combined with radiotherapy caused dramatically elevation of TRAIL expression both in mRNA and protein levels, much lower radiobiological parameters in clonogenic assays, accompanied by remarkably increase in apoptosis ratio. Furthermore, pEgr.1-TRAIL transfected cells displayed higher proportion in G0/G1 phase. Our results suggested that pEgr.1-TRAIL can sensitize SW480 cells to radiation, and the radiosensitization is related to cell cycle changes and apoptosis mediated by up-regulation of TRAIL expression. These findings support the potential future application of genetic radiotherapy against carcinoma.

In-Situ-ATR-FTIR Detection of Protein Sorption at Polyelectrolyte Multilayers: Variation of the Thickness

In-situ ATR FTIR spectroscopy was used to study protein adsorption at polyelectrolyte multilayers (PEM). PEM were fabricated by consecutively adsorbing poly(ethyleneimine) (PEI) and poly(acrylic acid) (PAC) analogously to the technique introduced by Decher at silicon internal reflection elements in an in-situ ATR cell. The thickness of PEM of PEI/PAC could be varied by pH value, concentration and number of adsorption steps. At this PEM system adsorption of human serum albumin was studied under electrostatically attractive conditions in dependence of the thickness. Evidence was found, that HSA was predominantly bound in the uncompensated outermost layer region rather than in the bulk phase of the PEM.

IL-22 in mucosal immunity

Recent studies in infectious disease and autoimmune disease models have revealed that interleukin (IL)-22 might have both proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory functions. There is, however, lack of evidence for IL-22 directly repressing immune responses of leukocytes. We propose that IL-22 promotes innate immunity of tissues, as well as repairing and healing mechanisms during inflammation. Consequently, the restoration of tissue homeostasis helps to attenuate the inflammatory responses involving various immune cells.

In-vitro analysis of APA microcapsules for oral delivery of live bacterial cells

Oral administration of microcapsules containing live bacterial cells has potential as an alternative therapy for several diseases. This article evaluates the suitability of the alginate-poly-L-lysine-alginate (APA) microcapsules for oral delivery of live bacterial cells, in-vitro, using a dynamic simulated human gastro-intestinal (GI) model. Results showed that the APA microcapsules were morphologically stable in the simulated stomach conditions, but did not retain their structural integrity after a 3-day exposure in simulated human GI media. The microbial populations of the tested bacterial cells and the activities of the tested enzymes in the simulated human GI suspension were not substantially altered by the presence of the APA microcapsules, suggesting that there were no significant adverse effects of oral administration of the APA microcapsules on the flora of the human gastrointestinal tract. When the APA microcapsules containing Lactobacillus plantarum 80 (LP80) were challenged in the simulated gastric medium (pH = 2.0), 80.0% of the encapsulated cells remained viable after a 5-min incubation; however, the viability decreased considerably (8.3%) after 15 min and dropped to 2.6% after 30 min and lower than 0.2% after 60 min, indicating the limitations of the currently obtainable APA membrane for oral delivery of live bacteria. Further in-vivo studies are required before conclusions can be made concerning the inadequacy of APA microcapsules for oral delivery of live bacterial cells.

Immune response in silico (IRIS): immune-specific genes identified from a compendium of microarray expression data

Immune cell-specific expression is one indication of the importance of a gene's role in the immune response. We have compiled a compendium of microarray expression data for virtually all human genes from six key immune cell types and their activated and differentiated states. Immune Response In Silico (IRIS) is a collection of genes that have been selected for specific expression in immune cells. The expression pattern of IRIS genes recapitulates the phylogeny of immune cells in terms of the lineages of their differentiation. Gene Ontology assignments for IRIS genes reveal significant involvement in inflammation and immunity. Genes encoding CD antigens, cytokines, integrins and many other gene families playing key roles in the immune response are highly represented. IRIS also includes proteins of unknown function and expressed sequence tags that may not represent genes. The predicted cellular localization of IRIS proteins is evenly distributed between cell surface and intracellular compartments, indicating that immune specificity is important at many points in the signaling pathways of the immune response. IRIS provides a resource for further investigation into the function of the immune system and immune diseases.

Needlelike and spherical polyelectrolyte complex nanoparticles of poly(l-lysine) and copolymers of maleic acid

We report on the bulk and surface properties of dispersions consisting of nonstoichiometric polyelectrolyte complex (PEC) nanoparticles. PEC nanoparticles were prepared by mixing poly(l-lysine) (PLL) or poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDADMAC) with poly(maleic acid-co-alpha-methylstyrene) (PMA-MS) or poly(maleic acid-co-propylene) (PMA-P). The monomolar mixing ratio was n-/n+ = 0.6, and the concentration ranged from 1 to 6 mmol/L. Subsequent centrifugation enabled the separation of the excess polycation, resulting in a stable coacervate phase further used in the experiments. The bulk phase parameters turbidity and hydrodynamic radius (R(h)) of the PEC nanoparticles showed a linear dependence on the total polymer content independently of the mixed polyelectrolytes. This can be interpreted by the increased collision probability of the polyelectrolyte chains when the overlap concentration is approached or exceeded. Different morphologies of the cationic PEC nanoparticles, which were solution-cast onto Si supports, were obtained by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The combinations of PLL/PMA-MS and PDADMAC/PMA-MS revealed more or less hemispherical particle shapes, whereas that of PLL/PMA-P revealed an elongated needlelike particle shape. Circular dichroism and attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) measurements proved the alpha-helical conformation for the PEC PLL/PMA-P and the random coil conformation for the PEC PLL/PMA-MS. We conclude that stiff alpha-helical PLL induces anisotropic elongated PEC nanoparticles, whereas randomly coiled PLL forms isotropic spherical PEC nanoparticles.

Clinical effects and mechanism of chanlibao in accelerating second stage of labor

To observe the clinical effects and the mechanism of Chanlibao (CLB, a preparation of Chinese herbal medicine) in accelerating second stage of labor, primiparae were divided into 3 groups at random. CLB or oxytocin (OTC) was given to the CLB group (n = 80) and the OTC group (n = 52) respectively. The third group served as controls (n = 29). The control group consisted of women experiencing natural labor and to whom no drug was given. The time of second stage of labor and prognosis of mother and newborn of different groups were observed and compared. And intrauterine pressure and fetal heart rate were monitored by means of electronic monitoring. Isolated uterine muscular tissue was used to observe the reactivity to CLB. The results showed that the time of second stage of labor and postpartum hemorrhage in the CLB group were less than those in the control group and the average intrauterine pressure in the former was higher than that in latter, so was the contraction strength of isolated uterine muscle, but with no difference as compared with the OTC group. No side effect of CLB was found. It is concluded that CLB could obviously strengthen uterine contraction and accelerate second stage of labor. Moreover, it is inexpensive, convenient and free of side effect. It can be used as a new, safe and effective alternative for improving prognosis of mother and newborn, especially those not indicated for oxytocin or profuse infusion.

Friend of GATA-1 represses GATA-3-dependent activity in CD4+ T cells

The development of naive CD4+ T cells into a T helper (Th) 2 subset capable of producing interleukin (IL)-4, IL-5, and IL-13 involves a signal transducer and activator of transcription (Stat)6-dependent induction of GATA-3 expression, followed by Stat6-independent GATA-3 autoactivation. The friend of GATA (FOG)-1 protein regulates GATA transcription factor activity in several stages of hematopoietic development including erythrocyte and megakaryocyte differentiation, but whether FOG-1 regulates GATA-3 in T cells is uncertain. We show that FOG-1 can repress GATA-3-dependent activation of the IL-5 promoter in T cells. Also, FOG-1 overexpression during primary activation of naive T cells inhibited Th2 development in CD4+ T cells. FOG-1 fully repressed GATA-3-dependent Th2 development and GATA-3 autoactivation, but not Stat6-dependent induction of GATA-3. FOG-1 overexpression repressed development of Th2 cells from naive T cells, but did not reverse the phenotype of fully committed Th2 cells. Thus, FOG-1 may be one factor capable of regulating the Th2 development.

Unexpected characteristics of the IFN-gamma reporters in nontransformed T cells

Analysis of the IFN-gamma promoter has primarily been conducted by transient expression of reporter constructs in transformed cells. However, the activity of cis elements may differ when expressed transiently compared with their activity within native chromatin. Furthermore, the transcription factors and signaling mechanisms in transformed cells may differ from those in normal T cells. To analyze IFN-gamma promoter regulation in normal T cells, we developed a novel retroviral bottom-strand reporter system to allow the chromatin integration of promoter regions in primary developing T cells. As controls, both the IL-2 and IL-4 promoters were inducible in this system, with the IL-4 reporter having Th2-specific activity. Strikingly, the IFN-gamma promoter exhibited constitutive activity in both Th1 and Th2 subsets, in contrast to the behavior of the endogenous IFN-gamma gene, which is inducible only in Th1 cells. In mapping this activity, we found that the AP-1/GM-CSF site in the distal promoter element is the most critical element for the constitutive activity. Transgenic reporter lines for the IFN-gamma promoter confirmed the constitutive behavior of the isolated IFN-gamma promoter. This constitutive activity was resistant to inhibition by cyclosporin A and was independent of Stat4 and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase. These results suggest that IFN-gamma promoter regulation may require cis elements residing either downstream or >3.4 kb upstream of the transcriptional start site, involving repression of constitutive activity.