Self-delivery of a metal-coordinated anti-angiogenic nanodrug with GSH depleting ability for synergistic chemo-phototherapy

Synergistic chemo-phototherapy has offered tremendous potential in cancer treatment. Nevertheless, nanosystems usually suffer from the complexity of multicomponents (polymeric or inorganic materials), which results in carrier-related toxicity issues. Moreover, the GSH over-expression of tumor cells seriously compromises ROS therapeutic efficiency. Herein, we designed a self-delivered nanodrug via Cu(II) coordination-driven co-self-assembly of celastrol (CST, a chemo-drug with anti-angiogenesis activity) and indocyanine green (ICG, a photosensitizer) for synergistic chemo-phototherapy with GSH depletion. The nanodrug was further cloaked by an erythrocyte membrane (RBC) to prolong the circulation time. Within the tumor microenvironment, the nanodrug would be disassembled upon intracellular GSH triggering. Moreover, the released Cu(II) could efficiently deplete the GSH, thus damaging the ROS-scavenging system and amplifying the phototherapeutic efficiency upon laser irradiation. The in vivo experiments validated the highly effective accumulation at tumor sites, potent tumor growth inhibition, and inappreciable systemic toxicity. The tumor microenvironment-responsive coordination-driven self-assembled biomimetic nanodrug may hold potential applications in tumor theranostics.

[Analysis of specific sIgE detection of house dust mites and aspergillus fumigatus in 2 535 patients with respiratory allergic diseases and respiratory infectious diseases in the Guangzhou area]

Objective: To compare the specific IgE positive rates of the patients between allergic respiratory diseases and respiratory infectious diseases in Guangzhou, the relationship between the co-sensitization of house dust mite (HDM) allergen and Aspergillus fumigatus (AF) allergen and asthma, allergic rhinitis with asthma, pneumonia, upper respiratory infections, bronchitis, serum total immunoglobulin E (total Immunoglobulin E, tIgE) and age were analyzed, to provide the basis for the prevention and treatment of respiratory allergic diseases and respiratory infectious diseases in this area. Methods: A total of 2 535 patients with confirmed respiratory allergic diseases and respiratory infectious diseases were selected retrospectively from the outpatient or inpatient department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University from April 2017 to June 2021 and detected HDM and AF specific IgE (sIgE) by the ImmunoCAP system. The age range was 1 to 89 years. The median age was 5 years. The average age was 9. ≤3 years old group n=894, 4-6 years old group n=721, 7-18 years old group n=615, 19-49 years old group n=207, >49 years old group n=98. There were 1 596 males (62.96%) and 939 females (37.04%). There were 1 279 cases of allergic diseases and 1 256 cases of respiratory infectious diseases. The different disease groups were divided into asthma group (411 cases), allergic rhinitis group (458 cases), allergic rhinitis combined with asthma group (410 cases), pneumonia group (463 cases), upper respiratory tract infection group (299 cases) and bronchitis group (494 cases). The difference of specific IgE (sIgE) and tIgE between HDM and AF was analyzed. For statistical analysis, continuous variables were tested by Mann-Whitney U. Classification data by chi-square test or Fisher's exact test. Results: 1 313 (51.79%) patients were sIgE positive for HDM allergen, 65 (2.56%) were sIgE positive for AF allergen, and 50 (1.97%) were both positive. In the respiratory allergic disease group, 877 cases (68.57%,877/1 279) were positive for HDM allergen sIgE, 57 cases (4.46%,57/1 279) were positive for AF allergen sIgE, and 44 cases (3.44%,44/1 279) were both positive; 436 cases (34.71%,436/1 256) of respiratory infectious diseases were positive for HDM allergen sIgE, 8 cases (0.64%,8/1 256) were positive for AF allergen sIgE, and 6 cases (0.48%,6/1 256) were both positive. In monosensitization, the HDM allergen sIgE sensitization rate was the highest in the allergic rhinitis & asthma group, at 80.24% (329/410). The positive rate of HDM allergen sIgE in male patients was 53.76%(858/1 596), and the positive rate in female patients was 46.22%(434/939), and the difference between the two was statistically significant (χ²=13.449, P<0.001). In polysensitization, asthma patients (5.35%,22/411) had the highest positive rate of HDM sensitization with AF, followed by allergic rhinitis patients (3.06%,14/458), allergic rhinitis with asthma (1.95%,8/410). The positive rate of respiratory infectious diseases such as pneumonia (0.43%,2/463), upper respiratory infections (0.33%,1/299), and bronchitis (0.61%,3/494) with AF was extremely low. The positive rate of HDM combined with AF in infants(≤3 years old group,0.34%, 3/894; 4-6 years old group, 0.97%, 7/721)was significantly lower than that in teenagers and adults(7-18 years old group,3.58%, 22/615; 19-49 years old group,6.28%, 13/207;>49 years old group,5.10%, 5/98).In the patients with HDM and AF combined sensitization, HDM sIgE levels were distributed in all grades, and AF sIgE levels were mainly in grades 1, 2, and 3. Conclusion: The positive rate of HDM combined with AF was higher in patients with respiratory allergic diseases such as asthma, allergic rhinitis, and allergic rhinitis combined with asthma, suggesting that clinical attention should be paid to the combination of HDM and AF in patients with asthma and allergic rhinitis, especially adults, more likely to be combined with AF.

[Association of SCN2A, ABCB1 and CYP2C19*3 with genetic susceptibility to major depressive disorder]

Objective: Due to genetic factors might increase the risk of depression, this study investigated the genetic risk factors of depression in Chinese Han population by analyzing the association between 13 candidate genes and depression. Methods: 439 depression patients and 464 healthy controls were included in this case-control study. Case group consisted of 158 males and 281 females, aged (29.84±14.91) years old, who were hospitalized in three departments of the affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University including Affective Disorders Department, Adult Psychiatry Department and Geriatrics Department, from February 2020 to September 2021. The control group consisted of 196 males and 268 females, aged (30.65±12.63) years old. 20 loci of 13 candidate genes in all subjects were detected by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. Age difference was compared using the student's t-test, the distributions of gender and genotype were analyzed with Pearson's Chi-square test. The analyses of Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, allele frequency and the genetic association of depression were conducted using the corresponding programs in PLINK software. Results: PLINK analysis showed that SCN2A rs17183814, ABCB1 rs1045642, CYP2C19*3 rs4986893 and NAT2*5A rs1799929 were associated with depression before Bonferroni correction (χ²=10.340, P=0.001; χ²=11.010, P=0.001; χ²=9.781, P=0.002; χ²=4.481, P=0.034). The frequencies of minor alleles of above loci in the control group were 12.07%, 43.64%, 2.59% and 3.88%, respectively. The frequencies of minor alleles of loci mentioned above in the case group were 17.43%, 35.99%, 5.47% and 6.04%, respectively. OR values were 1.538, 0.726, 2.178 and 1.592, respectively. After 1 000 000 permutation tests using Max(T) permutation procedure, the four loci were still statistically significant, the empirical P-value were 0.002, 0.001, 0.003 and 0.042, respectively. However, only three loci including SCN2A rs17183814, ABCB1 rs1045642 and CYP2C19 rs4986893 had statistical significance after Bonferroni correction, the adjusted P-value were 0.026, 0.018 and 0.035, respectively. Conclusion: SCN2A rs17183814, ABCB1 rs1045642 and CYP2C19*3 rs4986893 were associated with depression's susceptibility in Chinese Han population. The A allele of SCN2A rs17183814 and CYP2C19*3 rs4986893 were risk factors for depression, while the T allele of ABCB1 rs1045642 was a protective factor for depression.

Dexmedetomidine alleviates traumatic spinal cord injury in rats via inhibiting apoptosis induced by endoplasmic reticulum stress

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the protective effect of dexmedetomidine (Dex) on traumatic spinal cord injury (TSCI) and to evaluate the involvement of inhibition of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress response in the potential mechanism.

METHOD

Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into five groups. The hind limb locomotor function of rats was evaluated at 1, 3 and 7 days after the operation. At 7 days after the operation, spinal cord specimens were obtained for hematoxylin and eosin (H&E), Nissl and TUNEL staining, as well as immunofluorescence and Western blot analyses to detect the level of apoptosis and the levels of proteins related to ER stress.

RESULTS

7 days after the operation, Dex treatment promoted the recovery and also inhibited apoptosis of neurons in the spinal cord. Additionally, Dexinhibited the expression of proteins related to ER stress response after spinal cord injury.

CONCLUSIONS

Dex improves the neurological function of rats with TSCI and reduces apoptosis of spinal cord neurons. The potential mechanism is related to the inhibition of the ER stress response.

[Efficacy of 1 384 cases of peritoneal carcinomatosis underwent cytoreductive surgery plus hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy]

Objective: Peritoneal carcinomatosis refers to a group of heterogeneous (primary or secondary) malignancies in the surface of the peritoneum. Cytoreductive surgery (CRS) plus hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) is a comprehensive treatment strategy aiming at peritoneal carcinomatosis. This study analyzed the efficacy and safety of CRS+HIPEC in patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis, and explored prognostic factors. Methods: In this descriptive case-series study, the clinicopathological data of 1384 consecutive patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis treated in Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University (330 patients) and Shijitan Hospital of Capital Medical University (1054 patients) from January 2004 to January 2020 were collected retrospectively. Treatment patterns of CRS+HIPEC characteristics (operative time, number of resected organs, number of stripped peritoneum, number of anastomosis, and HIPEC regimens), safety [blood loss volume, postoperative severe adverse event (SAE) and treatment outcome], survival time and prognostic factors influencing survival were analyzed. The SAE was defined as grade III-IV adverse event according to the Peritoneal Surface Oncology Group International Textbook. Perioperative period was defined from the day of CRS+HIPEC to postoperative 30th day. OS was calculated from the day of CRS+HIPEC to the date of death or the last follow-up. Kaplan-Meier method was used for survival analysis, and log-rank test was used for comparison between groups. Cox regression model was used to identify the prognostic factors. Results: Among 1384 peritoneal carcinomatosis patients, 529 (38.2%) were male; median age was 55 (10-87) years old; median body mass index (BMI) was 22.6 kg/m(2); peritoneal carcinomatosis of 164 (11.8%) patients were from gastric cancer, 287 (20.7%) from colorectal cancer, 356 (25.7%) from pseudomyxoma peritonei, 90 (6.5%) from malignant peritoneal mesothelioma, 300 (21.7%) from gynecological cancer or primary peritoneal carcinoma, and 187 (13.5%) from retroperitoneal sarcoma, lung cancer, breast cancer, and other rare tumors. The median duration of CRS+HIPEC was 595 (90-1170) minutes, median number of resected organs was 2 (0-10), median number of resected peritoneal area were 4 (0-9), median peritoneal cancer index (PCI) was 21(1-39). Completeness of cytoreduction (CC) score of 0-1 was observed in 857 cases (61.9%). Regarding HIPEC regimens, there were 917 cases (66.3%) with cisplatin plus docetaxel, 183 cases (13.2%) with cisplatin plus mitomycin, 43 cases (3.1%) with adriamycin plus ifosfamide, and the other 240 cases (17.3%) with modified regimens. Perioperative SAE developed in 331 peritoneal carcinomatosis patients (23.9%) with 500 cases, of whom 21 patients (1.5%) died during the perioperative period due to ineffective treatment, while the others recovered after active treatment. During median follow-up time of 8.6 (0.3-82.7) months, there were 414 deaths (29.9%). The median OS was 38.2 months (95% CI: 30.6-45.8), and the 1-, 3-, 5-year survival rate was 73.5%, 50.4% and 39.3%, respectively. The median OS of peritoneal carcinomatosis patients from gastric cancer, colorectal cancer, pseudomyxoma peritonei, malignant peritoneal mesothelioma and female genital cancer or primary peritoneal carcinomatosis was 11.3 months (95% CI: 8.9-13.8), 18.1 months (95% CI: 13.5-22.6), 59.7 months (95% CI: 48.0-71.4), 19.5 months (95% CI: 6.0-33.0) and 51.7 months (95% CI: 14.6-88.8), respectively, and the difference among groups was statistically significant (P<0.001). Univariate and multivariate analyses revealed that the primary gastric cancer (HR=4.639, 95% CI: 1.692-12.724), primary colorectal cancer (HR=4.292, 95% CI: 1.957-9.420), primary malignant peritoneal mesothelioma (HR=2.741, 95% CI: 1.162-6.466), Karnofsky performance status (KPS) score of 60 (HR=4.606, 95% CI: 2.144-9.895), KPS score of 70 (HR=3.434, 95% CI: 1.977-5.965), CC score of 1 (HR=2.683, 95% CI: 1.440~4.999), CC score of 2-3 (HR=3.661,95% CI: 1.956-6.852) and perioperative SAE (HR=2.588, 95% CI: 1.846-3.629) were independent prognostic factors influencing survival with statistically significant differences (all P<0.05). Conclusions: CRS+HIPEC is an effective integrated treatment strategy for patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis, which can prolong survival with acceptable safety. Preoperative evaluation of patients' general condition is necessary and CRS+HIPEC should be carefully considered to perform for patients with preoperative KPS score <80. During the operation, the optimal CRS should be achieved on condition that safety is granted. In addition, it is necessary to prevent perioperative SAE to reduce the risk of death in peritoneal carcinomatosis patients.

[A comparison of clinical characteristics between patients with and without"recurrence"RNA positive with COVID-19]

Objective: To analysis the clinical characteristics of"recurrence"RNA positive patients with Coronavirus disease 2019 （COVID-19） and compared with those without"recurrence". Methods: 98 patients with COVID-19 in Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital and designated treatment hospitals in Quanzhou were included in this study from February 2020 to April 2020. There were 55 males and 43 females， aged from15 to 83 years， with a median age of 57.5 years， in which 20 cases were complicated with basic diseases. 15 of these patients had been diagnosed and hospitalized had been found as"recurrence"2019-nCoV RNA positive after discharge while the other 83 cases were all negative. The clinical classification of all patients was common type. Clinical data of the COVID-19 RNA"recurrence"patients were collected， and general situations， symptoms， laboratory examinations and CT images were also observed and analyzed. The patients were divided into 2019-nCoV"recurrent"group and 2019-nCoV"non-recurrent"group. There are 10 males and 5 females in 2019-nCoV"recurrent"group while 45 males and 38 females in"non-recurrent"group （χ²=0.800，P=0.371）. The age of 2019-nCoV"recurrent"group （57±21） was higher than that of"non-recurrent"group（53±17）. 8 of 15 the COVID-19"recurrent"group patients and 12 of 83"non-recurrent"patients have basic diseases. IgG and IgM of 2019-nCoV， IL-6， procalcitonin， ESR， CRP， BNP and other serum biochemical index levels were measured and compared between groups. Results: （1） The proportion of patients with common type of COVID-19 was 15.3% during 2-week medical observation after discharge. （2） All of the 2019-nCoV"recurrent"patients were hospitalized due to COVID-19 RNA positive， when they were quarantined after discharged from hospital. All the patients with mild symptoms which were clarified as common type， including 5 cases of fever， 6 cases of cough， 5 cases of expectoration， and 2 cases of slight shortness of breath. The time of symptoms appeared on （5.73±2.82） days after discharge. （3） The serum procalcitonin of all 2019-nCoV"recurrent"group patients were normal（all<0.05 ng/ml）. The BNP of"recurrent"group （151±171） ng/L， was higher than that of"non-recurrent"group （63±78） ng/L （t = 3.207， P = 0.000）. There was no significant difference in laboratory tests like leukocyte ［（6.17±2.4） and （6.04±2.41）×10⁹/L］， lymphocyte［（1.59±0.52） and （1.32±0.64）×10⁹/L］， CRP ［（12.54±28.20） and （21.74±25.63）mg/L］， ESR ［（31.07±28.72） and （34.10±22.16）mm/1 h］， AST ［（24.73±9.15） and （30.24±23.20）U/L］， ALT ［（22.60±12.82） and （36.47±34.12）U/L）， LDH ［（268±208） and （270±164）U/L］， D-dimer ［（0.60±0.50） and （0.84±0.98）μg/L］， ferritin ［（294±195） and （395±319）μg/L］， IL-6 ［（9.17±6.42） and （14.28±17.74）ng/L］ and BUN （5.77±2.66） and （4.74±2.81）U/L］ between"recurrent"and"non-recurrent"groups （all P>0.05）. （4） In"recurrent"group， ground glass， exudative or solid lesions could be found in most of the chest CT performed on re-admission. Meanwhile， fibrosis lesion was relatively rare. （5） There were no secondary transmissions were found to be caused by the 2019-nCoV"recurrent"group patients. Conclusions: Most of the 2019-nCoV patients had underlying diseases and active lesions were still found in CT images， so the possibility of virus replication may still exist. All"recurrent"patients had mild illness which may suggest that they were in recovery stage, and no evidence of transmission is found.

LPS Enhances the Chemosensitivity of Oxaliplatin in HT29 Cells via GSDMD-Mediated Pyroptosis

Introduction

Pyroptosis induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is a dissolved form of cell death. The molecular marker gasdermin D, specifically GSDMD-N, is critically required for the induction of pyroptosis. Recently, there have been studies showing that LPS is closely related to tumor biology.

Methods

Specimens from 40 patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) were collected. Eight- to twelve-week-old C57BL6 male mice (n=30) were raised. Immunohistochemistry and Western blot were performed to test the expression of GSDMD. Moreover, cytotoxicity assay, IL-18 and IL-1β ELISA, Annexin V and PI stain, and wound healing assay were also made. Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA) was used to verify the expression of GSDMD and overall survival of CRC patients with a high/low expression of GSDMD.

Results

In the research, we showed that the poor prognosis in CRC patients was significantly related to the GSDMD expression and significantly down-regulated in human colorectal cancer (CRC) tissues. Treatment with LPS, but not TNF-α, induced pyroptosis via promoting the expression of GSDMD and GSDMD-N membrane translocation and enhanced chemosensitivity in response to L-OHP in HT29 cells. Furthermore, the enforced expression of GSDMD in HT29 cells reduced cell survival and induced cell death.

Discussion

These results of studies suggest that the low expression of GSDMD correlates with a poor CRC prognosis, and that pyroptosis induced by LPS may improve the anti-cancer effect of L-OHP, inhibiting the tumorigenesis of CRC by activating GSDMD. Our findings lay the foundation for further development of GSDMD serving as an important prognostic biomarker and a valid CRC therapeutic target.

[SAMHD1 acts at stalled replication forks to prevent interferon induction]

DNA replication is an extremely complex process, involving thousands of replication forks progressing along chromosomes. These forks are frequently slowed down or stopped by various obstacles, such as secondary DNA structures, chromatin-acting proteins or a lack of nucleotides. This slowing down, known as replicative stress, plays a central role in tumour development. Complex processes, which are not yet fully understood, are set up to respond to this stress. Certain nucleases, such as MRE11 and DNA2, degrade the neo-replicated DNA at the level of blocked forks, allowing the replication to restart. The interferon pathway is a defense mechanism against pathogens that detects the presence of foreign nucleic acids in the cytoplasm and activates the innate immune response. DNA fragments resulting from genomic DNA metabolism (repair, retrotransposition) can diffuse into the cytoplasm and activate this pathway. A pathological manifestation of this process is the Aicardi-Goutières syndrome, a rare disease characterized by chronic inflammation leading to neurodegenerative and developmental problems. In this encephalopathy, it has been suggested that DNA replication may generate cytosolic DNA fragments, but the mechanisms involved have not been characterized. SAMHD1 is frequently mutated in the Aicardi-Goutières syndrome as well as in some cancers, but its role in the etiology of these diseases was largely unknown. We show that cytosolic DNA accumulates in SAMHD1-deficient cells, particularly in the presence of replicative stress, activating the interferon response. SAMHD1 is important for DNA replication under normal conditions and for the processing of stopped forks, independent of its dNTPase activity. In addition, SAMHD1 stimulates the exonuclease activity of MRE11 in vitro. When SAMHD1 is absent, degradation of neosynthesized DNA is inhibited, which prevents activation of the replication checkpoint and leads to failure to restart the replication forks. Resection of the replication forks is performed by an alternative mechanism which releases DNA fragments into the cytosol, activating the interferon response. The results obtained show, for the first time, a direct link between the response to replication stress and the production of interferons. These results have important implications for our understanding of the Aicardi-Goutières syndrome and cancers related to SAMHD1. For example, we have shown that MRE11 and RECQ1 are responsible for the production of DNA fragments that trigger the inflammatory response in cells deficient for SAMHD1. We can therefore imagine that blocking the activity of these enzymes could decrease the production of DNA fragments and, ultimately, the activation of innate immunity in these cells. In addition, the interferon pathway plays an essential role in the therapeutic efficacy of irradiation and certain chemotherapeutic agents such as oxaliplatin. Modulating this response could therefore be of much wider interest in anti-tumour therapy.

[Clinical evaluation of tumor-stroma ratio in pseudomyxoma peritonei from the appendix]

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the effect of tumor-stroma ratio (TSR) on disease progression and prognosis of pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP) from the appendix.

METHODS

The study included 30 PMP patients with complete individual patient data, who underwent cytoreductive surgery (CRS) plus hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) in Beijing Shijitan Hospital. Image-Pro Plus was used to quantitatively analyze the proportion of tumor and stromal areas in hematoxylin-eosin staining pathological images, from which TSR was derived. Correlation studies were conducted to evaluate the relationships between TSR and clinicopathological features, immunohistochemical characteristics, and prognosis of PMP.

RESULTS

Among 30 PMP patients, there were 16 males (53.3%) and 14 females (46.7%), with the mean age of (54.9±2.3) years. There were 15 cases (50.0%) of low-grade mucinous carcinoma peritonei (LMCP) and high-grade mucinous carcinoma peritonei (HMCP), respectively, with vascular tumor emboli occurring in 4 cases (13.3%), nerve invasion occurring in 3 cases (10.0%), and lymphatic metastasis occurring in 4 cases (13.3%). The median peritoneal cancer index (PCI) score was 36 (range: 3-39). The median TSR was 8% (range: 2%-24%), with TSR≤10% in 19 cases (63.3%) and TSR>10% in 11 cases (36.7%). Immunohistochemistry showed that 16 cases (53.3%) had Ki67 label index ≤ 50% and 14 cases (46.7%) > 50%. The mutation rate of p53 was 56.7% and the loss rate of MMR protein was 11.8%. In addition, the expression rates of MUC2, MUC5AC, CDX2, CK7, and CK20 were 66.7%, 100.0%, 82.6%, 56.0%, and 92.3%, respectively. There were significant correlations between TSR and histopathological types, nerve invasion, Ki67 label index, and p53 mutation (P<0.05 for all). At the end of the last follow-up, 21 patients (70.0%) died and 9 patients (30.0%) survived, including 6 patients survived with tumor. The median overall survival (OS) was 12.7 months (95%CI: 10.4-11.5 months), and the 1-, 2-, and 3-year survival rates were 60.5%, 32.3%, and 27.7%, respectively. The median OS was 19.4 months (95%CI: 3.0-35.9 months) in the TSR≤10% group, versus 12.6 months (95%CI: 0.7-24.5 months) in the TSR>10% group (χ2=3.996, P=0.046).

CONCLUSION

TSR is correlated with histopathological types, tumor proliferation, invasion behaviors and prognosis of PMP, thus could be a new prognostic indicator for PMP.

[Establishment and characterization of patient derived xenograft model of malignant peritoneal mesothelioma in nude mice]

Objective: To establish patient derived xenograft (PDX) model of malignant peritoneal mesothelioma (MPM), and to identify the key characteristics of tumor biology of the model, so as to provide an experiment platform for studying the pathologic mechanisms and new therapeutic strategies for MPM. Methods: Surgically excised MPM tumor tissues were inoculated subcutaneously in BALB/c-nu/nu mice for 3 stable passages. In the 4th passage, the subcutaneous tumors were harvested under aseptic conditions, cleaned and made into MPM tumor cell homogenate. Four nude mice (two males and two females) were selected and one male and one female nude mouse were inoculated in the abdominal cavity at the dose of 100 μL, others were inoculated at a dose of 200 μL. The PDX model of MPM was established. The changes of body mass in nude mice were measured regularly, the extent of abdominal and pelvic tumors was judged by experimental peritoneal cancer index (ePCI) score, and the pathologic characteristics of tumors were analyzed. Results: The subcutaneous and abdominal animal models of MPM were successfully established. The subcutaneous tumor model grew into tumor on the 20th day, followed by a slow growth stage between the 20th and 29th day, then a rapid growth stage between the 30th and 57th day. According to the dose of tumor cells (100, 200 μL) and timing (14th and 69th days after grafting), the abdominal tumor model successfully simulated the early and late clinical stages of MPM. The HE staining results of the MPM nude mice model showed that the tumor was epithelial mesothelioma and invaded most of the organs, including liver, spleen, pancreas, mesentery. Immunohistochemical staining for calretinin, cytokeratin 5/6, WT1 and Ki-67 were positive. Whole-genome exon sequencing identified 26 and 36 high frequency gene mutations in tumors derived from the PDX model and clinical sample from patients, including 21 common gene mutations. Conclusions: The PDX model of MPM is established. The model is characterized by highly malignant tumor with rapid growth and high invasiveness.

Analyses of microRNA166 gene structure, expression, and function during the early stage of somatic embryogenesis in Dimocarpus longan Lour

MicroRNA166 (miR166) contributes to post-transcriptional regulation by binding the mRNAs of HD-ZIP III genes, which affects plant growth and development. The structural characteristics, expression, and functions of miR166 genes during the early somatic embryogenesis stage in Dimocarpus longan remain unknown. We isolated the transcripts of pri-miR166 S78 with two transcription initiation sites (TSSs) and pri-miR166 S338 with one TSS. These sequences contain potential smORFs and encode different miRNA peptides (miPEPs). Additionally, their promoters contain cis-acting elements responsive to diverse stimuli. The pre-miR166 S78 and pre-miR166 S338 expression levels were up-regulated in response to 2,4-D, abscisic acid, and ethylene. Although the expression patterns induced by hormones were similar, there were differences in the extent of the response, with pre-miR166 S338 more responsive than pre-miR166 S78. Thus, miRNA transcription and maturation are not simply linearly correlated. Moreover, pre-miR166 S78 and pre-miR166 S338 expression levels were down-regulated, whereas ATHB15 (target gene) expression was up-regulated, from the longan embryonic callus to the globular embryo stages. These results are indicative of a negative regulatory relationship between miR166 and ATHB15 during the early somatic embryogenesis stage in longan. At the same stages, miR166a.2-agomir, miR166a.2-antagomir, and miPEP166 S338 increased or decreased the expression of miR166a.2 and ATHB15, but with no consistent patterns or linear synchronization, from which we've found some reasons for it.

[Establishment of patient derived xenograft model of high-grade mucinous carcinoma peritonei accompanied with signet ring cells and identification of biological characteristics]

Objective: To establish the patient derived xenograft (PDX) model of pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP), and identify the key characteristics of tumor biology of this model, in order to provide a reliable model for studying the pathological mechanisms and new therapeutic strategies of PMP. Methods: PMP tumor tissue was obtained from surgery and cut into pieces after washing. Then tumor pieces were implanted subcutaneously in BAL B/c-nu mice for 6 stable passages. In the 7th passage, tumor tissue was implanted orthotopically into abdomen. Subcutaneous tumor and orthotopic tumor were then homogenized to make tumor cell suspension, implanted into abdomen of 10 BAL B/c-nu mice through midline laparotomy, 100 μl for each. The key experimental parameters including body weight changes in the observation period, experimental peritoneal cancer index (ePCI) score at the autopsy, histopathological and immunohistochemical characteristics, and gene expression profiles by high-throughput whole-genome exon sequencing were detected and recorded. Results: The successful rate of established orthotopic PDX model of human PMP was 100% (10/10). The animals showed smooth body weight increases after tumor inoculation until day 27, then the body weight began to decrease steadily. Widespread tumor dissemination of PMP tumor through the whole abdomen was found by autopsy, including the diaphragm, liver, spleen, stomach, kidney, parietal peritoneum, bowel and mesenterium. Gelatinous ascites was also observed in abdominopelvic cavity. The ePCI score ranged from 5 to 9, with a 8 of median ePCI. Histopathological studies showed peritoneal mucinous carcinomatosis accompanied with signet ring cells (PMCA-S), obvious tumor cell atypia and parenchymal invasion.Immunohistochemistry showed the expressions of MUC1, MUC2, MUC5AC, CEA, CA199, CK20, CDX-2 and Ki-67 were positive, MUC6, CK7 and p53 were negative. Whole-exome sequencing identified that the most significant genetic alteration is the exon10 missense mutation c. 1621A>C of KIT gene, the mutation abundance was 89.7%. Conclusion: PDX model of PMCA-S is successfully established, which displays the characters of high-degree malignancy, high proliferation and strong aggressiveness.

[Pathological prognostic factors of pseudomyxoma peritonei]

Objective: To analyze the pathological features of pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP) in correlation with the survival status and independent prognostic factors. Methods: One-hundred and fifty-five PMP specimens were collected at Beijing Shijitan Hospital, Capital Medical University, from 2012 to 2018. Conventional histopathological evaluation was performed to document the primary tumor site, histopathological type, lymph nodes metastasis, tumor emboli in the blood and lymph vessels, nerve invasion and cellular density. The immunohistochemical parameters including Ki-67, p53, MMR-related protein, MUC2 and MUC5AC were analyzed. Clinical follow-up data were reviewed to correlate with pathological prognostic factors using Kaplan-Meier estimator and Cox proportional hazards regression model for univariate and multivariate analysis. Results: Among 155 PMP patients, there were 77 males and 78 females. There were 98 cases (63.2%) of low-grade peritoneal mucinous carcinomatosis, 49 cases (31.6%) of high-grade peritoneal mucinous carcinomatosis, 8 cases (5.2%) of high-grade mucinous carcinoma peritonei with signet ring cells; only 15 cases (9.7%) with lymph node metastasis; 18 cases (11.6%) with tumor emboli in the blood and lymph vessels; 8/126 (6.3%) were positive dMMR; 100 cases (64.5%) had Ki-67 label index <50%, and 56 cases(36.1%) presented with mutant type p53. Univariate analysis revealed 11 survival-related pathological parameters including gender, age, primary tumor site, histopathological type, lymph node metastasis, tumor emboli in the blood and lymph vessels, nerve invasion, cellular density, Ki-67 label index rate, p53 and dMMR. Multivariate analysis identified 4 independent prognostic factors including the histopathological type (HR 59.78, P<0.01), lymph node metastasis (HR 3.74, P=0.028), nerve invasion (HR 7.81, P=0.007) and dMMR (HR 9.82, P<0.01). Conclusions: Histopathological type is the most important prognostic factor of PMP with dMMR as an independent molecular prognostic indicator.

Removal of sulfonamides from wastewater in the UV/TiO2 system: effects of pH and salinity on photodegradation and mineralization

The effects of salinity on the photodegradation and mineralization of sulfonamides in the UV/TiO₂ system were investigated. The goals of this study were to analyze the effects of pH and salinity on the sulfonamide concentration and total organic carbon (TOC) during the removal of sulfonamides in a UV/TiO₂ system. Four sulfonamides - sulfadiazine (SDZ), sulfamethizole (SFZ), sulfamethoxazole (SMX) and sulfathiazole (STZ) - were selected as parent compounds. The photodegradation and mineralization rates of sulfonamides in the UV/TiO₂ system satisfy pseudo-first-order kinetics. Direct photolysis degraded sulfonamides but sulfonamides cannot be mineralized. The photodegradation and mineralization rate constants in all experiments followed the order pH 5 > pH 7 > pH 9. At pH 5, the mineralization rate constants of SMX, SFZ, SDZ and STZ were 0.015, 0.009, 0.012 and 0.011 min^-1, respectively. The addition of NaCl inhibited the mineralization of the four tested sulfonamides more than it inhibited their photodegradation. The inhibitory effect of chloride ions on the removal of sulfonamides in the UV/TiO₂ system was attributed to the scavenging by chloride ions of hydroxyl radicals (HO•) and holes and the much lower reactivity of chlorine radicals thus formed, even though the chlorine radicals were more abundant than HO•.

[Performance of matrix assisted laser desorption ionization time of flight biotyper system in clinical bacteria identification]

Objective: To evaluate the performance of MALDI Biotyper system in identification of clinically isolated pathogens so as to provide a new rapid identification method. Methods: Total 21 270 pathogens strains, isolated from the First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical Universityduring Nov. 2015 to Dec. 2016, were identified by VITEK-Ⅱ, API and MALDI Biotyper system, respectively.The isolated strains were confirmed by DNA sequencing. Results: The identification of common bacteria with MALDI Biotyper and phenotypic system is highly consistent (>95% and >90%). Among 43 strains of anaerobic bacteria, MALDI Biotyper could identify 90.7% bacteria to species level and 97.7% bacteria to genus level with the statistical significance(χ(2)=6.76, P<0.01), while phenotypic system only identified 65.1% bacteria to species and 69.8% bacteria to genus. Also, no statistical significance was shown for Trichosporon and Candida(P>0.05). MALDI Biotyper could identify 76% filamentous fungi and all of Actinomycetes, Nocardia, Mycobacterium and Legionella to genus level. Conclusions: MALDI Biotyper is an easy-performed, sensitive method for the identification of clinically isolated pathogens. Additionally, the pretreatment and reference database has the effect on identification.

Performance evaluation of a chemiluminescence microparticle immunoassay for CK-MB

BACKGROUND

To verify and evaluate the performance characteristics of a creatine kinase phosphokinase isoenzymes MB (CK-MB) assay kit, which produced by Xiamen Innodx Biotech Co. Ltd.

METHODS

Evaluation was carried out according to "Guidelines for principle of analysis performance evaluation of in vitro diagnostic reagent." The performance parameters included detection limit, linearity range, reportable range, recovery test, precision verification, interference test, cross-reactivity, matrix effect, and method comparison.

RESULTS

The detection limit was 0.1 ng/mL. The assay had clinical linearity over range of 0.1 ng/mL-500 ng/mL. Reportable range was from 0.1 ng/mL to 1000 ng/mL. The average percent of recovery was 99.66%. The coefficient of variation (CV) for within-run and between-run of low CK-MB sample was 5.55% and 6.16%, respectively. As for high-level sample, it was 7.88% and 7.80%. In medical decision level, the relative deviation (Bias) of all interference tests was lower than 15%. When the sample had mild-hemolysis; hemoglobin ≤15 g/L; triglyceride ≤17 mmol/L; bilirubin ≤427.5 μmol/L; rheumatoid factor ≤206U/mL, there was no significant interference to be found. Moreover, assay kit had no cross-reaction with CK-MM and CK-BB. At last, total diagnostic accuracy of kit was 93.24%, when compared with refer kit.

CONCLUSION

Overall the results of the verification study indicated the performance of kit is met the requirements of the clinical test.

SM22α inhibits lamellipodium formation and migration via Ras-Arp2/3 signaling in synthetic VSMCs

We previously demonstrated that smooth muscle (SM) 22α promotes the migration activity in contractile vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). Based on the varied functions exhibited by SM22α in different VSMC phenotypes, we investigated the effect of SM22α on VSMC migration under pathological conditions. The results demonstrated that SM22α overexpression in synthetic VSMCs inhibited platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-BB-induced cell lamellipodium formation and migration, which was different from its action in contractile cells. The results indicated two distinct mechanisms underlying inhibition of lamellipodium formation by SM22α, increased actin dynamic stability and decreased Ras activity via interference with interactions between Ras and guanine nucleotide exchange factor. The former inhibited actin cytoskeleton rearrangement in the cell cortex, while the latter significantly disrupted actin nucleation activation of the Arp2/3 complex. Baicalin, a herb-derived flavonoid compound, inhibited VSMC migration via upregulation of SM22α expression in vitro and in vivo. These data suggest that SM22α regulates lamellipodium formation and cell migration in a phenotype-dependent manner in VSMCs, which may be a new therapeutic target for vascular lesion formation.

[A clinical analysis for sudden sensorineural hearing loss withcontralateral sensorineural hearing loss]

Objective:To analyze the clinical characteristics and prognosis,and to learn the impact factors of patients with sudden sensorineural hearing loss with contralateral sensorineural hearing loss(SSHLwCSHL).Method:Clinical data of 63 cases of patients with SSHLwCSHL were analyzed systematically,including all the clinical manifestations,audiologic characteristics and the effect assessment,and compared with that of unilateral sudden sensorineural hearing loss(USSHL) and bilateral sudden sensorineural hearing loss(BSSHL).Base on those,we summarized comprehensively the development and prognosis characteristics of the disease.Result:The incidence of SSHLwCSHL was 8.3 percent of overall patients with SSNHL.SSHLwCSHL occurs more commonly in male patients,with more vertigo,diabetes mellitus,and lipid panel abnormalities compared with other groups.Hearing curve and the degree of hearing loss of the prevalence ear of SSHLwCSHL was statistically significant difference with USSHL(P<0.05).Most common reason of the contralateral hearing loss was sudden sensorineural hearing loss(49%),and 59% patients of SSHLwCSHL suffered hearing loss of other ear after 2-10 years after contralateral hearing loss.The total effective rate was 14.3%,1 in 63 patients cured,1 excellence and 6 effective.The total effective rate was 9.5% in patients with severe or profound sensorineural hearing loss in the contralateral ear,which was lower than that of patients with moderate and moderately severe sensorineural hearing loss in the contralateral-ear(P=0.021).Conclusion:SSHLwCSHL has complex condition.The prognosis for improvement is poor.Recognition of similarities and differences between bilateral and unilateral SSNHL can help in counseling and managing the patients.

Association between MYC rs9642880[T] allele and bladder cancer risk: a meta-analysis

A single nucleotide polymorphism of MYC rs9642880 (G>T) at the 8q24.1 locus is thought to be associated with bladder cancer risk based on the results of genome-wide association studies, but the results remain inconclusive. To assess the association between rs9642880[T] allele and bladder cancer risk, we performed this meta-analysis including 18 case-control studies and involving 23,084 cases and 97,164 controls. Electronic searches for publications were conducted to determine the association between this variant and prostate cancer in several databases. The last search update was August 4, 2014. We used odds ratios and 95%CIs to evaluate the strength of the associations. The overall results suggested that the rs9642880[T] allele was associated with bladder cancer susceptibility (T vs G, odds ratio = 1.18, 95%CI = 1.14-1.22). In subgroup analysis by ethnicity and source of controls, the risk remained significant. The present meta-analysis suggests that the MYC rs9642880[T] allele is significantly associated with bladder cancer risk.

TRAF6-Mediated SM22α K21 Ubiquitination Promotes G6PD Activation and NADPH Production, Contributing to GSH Homeostasis and VSMC Survival In Vitro and In Vivo

RATIONALE

Vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) survival under stressful conditions is integral to promoting vascular repair, but facilitates plaque stability during the development of atherosclerosis. The cytoskeleton-associated smooth muscle (SM) 22α protein is involved in the regulation of VSMC phenotypes, whereas the pentose phosphate pathway plays an essential role in cell proliferation through the production of dihydronicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate.

OBJECTIVE

To identify the relationship between dihydronicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate production and SM22α activity in the development and progression of vascular diseases.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We showed that the expression and activity of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) are promoted in platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-BB-induced proliferative VSMCs. PDGF-BB induced G6PD membrane translocation and activation in an SM22α K21 ubiquitination-dependent manner. Specifically, the ubiquitinated SM22α interacted with G6PD and mediated G6PD membrane translocation. Furthermore, we found that tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor (TRAF) 6 mediated SM22α K21 ubiquitination in a K63-linked manner on PDGF-BB stimulation. Knockdown of TRAF6 decreased the membrane translocation and activity of G6PD, in parallel with reduced SM22α K21 ubiquitination. Elevated levels of activated G6PD consequent to PDGF-BB induction led to increased dihydronicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate generation through stimulation of the pentose phosphate pathway, which enhanced VSMC viability and reduced apoptosis in vivo and in vitro via glutathione homeostasis.

CONCLUSIONS

We provide evidence that TRAF6-induced SM22α ubiquitination maintains VSMC survival through increased G6PD activity and dihydronicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate production. The TRAF6-SM22α-G6PD pathway is a novel mechanism underlying the association between glucose metabolism and VSMC survival, which is beneficial for vascular repair after injury but facilitates atherosclerotic plaque stability.

Synthesis, hydrolytic DNA-cleaving activities and cytotoxicities of EDTA analogue-tethered pyrrole-polyamide dimer-based Ce(IV) complexes

Two EDTA analogue-tethered C2-symmetrical dimeric monopyrrole-polyamide 5 and dipyrrole-polyamide 6, and their corresponding Ce(IV) complexes Ce-5 and Ce-6 were synthesized and fully characterized. Agarose gel electrophoresis studies on pBR322 DNA cleavage indicate that complexes Ce-5 and Ce-6 exhibited potent DNA-cleaving activities under physiological conditions. The maximal first-order rate constants (kmax's) were (0.42 ± 0.02) h(-1) for Ce-5 and (0.52 ± 0.02) h(-1) for Ce-6, respectively, suggesting that both complexes catalyzed the cleavage of supercoiled DNA by up to approximately 10(8)-fold. Complex Ce-6 exhibited ca 10-fold higher overall catalytic activity (kmax/KM) than Ce-5, which may be ascribed to its higher DNA-binding affinity. Inhibition experiments and a model study convincingly suggest that both complexes Ce-5 and Ce-6 functioned as hydrolytic DNA-cleavers. In addition, both complexes were found to display moderate inhibitory activity toward A549 and HepG-2 cells.

A technique for measuring dynamic friction coefficient under impact loading

We develop a novel setup based on the split Hopkinson pressure bar technique to test the dynamic friction coefficient under impact loading. In the setup, the major improvement is that the end of the incident bar near the specimen is wedge-shaped, which results in a combined compressive and shear loading applied to the specimen. In fact, the shear loading is caused by the interfacial friction between specimen and bars. Therefore, when the two loading force histories are measured, the friction coefficient histories can be calculated without any assumptions and theoretical derivations. The geometry of the friction pairs is simple, and can be either cuboid or cylindrical. Regarding the measurements, two quartz transducers are used to directly record the force histories, and an optical apparatus is designed to test the interfacial slip movement. By using the setup, the dynamic friction coefficient of PTFE/aluminum 7075 friction pairs was tested. The time resolved dynamic friction coefficient and slip movement histories were achieved. The results show that the friction coefficient changes during the loading process, the average data of the relatively stable flat plateau section of the friction coefficient curves is 0.137, the maximum normal pressure is 52 MPa, the maximum relative slip velocity is 1.5 m/s, and the acceleration is 8400 m(2)/s. Furthermore, the friction test was simulated using an explicit FEM code LS-DYNA. The simulation results showed that the constant pressure and slip velocity can both be obtained with a wide flat plateau incident pulse. For some special friction pairs, normal pressure up to a few hundred MPa, interfacial slip velocities up to 10 m/s, and slip movement up to centimeter-level can be expected.

Enhancement of the Schottky barrier height of Au/ZnO nanocrystal by zinc vacancies using a hydrothermal seed layer

Various seed layers were prepared on a Si substrate using the sol-gel (SG) or hydrothermal (HT) method and then ZnO nanocrystal was grown on the seed layer by an HT process. Au/ZnO nanocrystal Schottky diodes (SDs) were fabricated to study the effects of various seed layers on the electrical properties of Au/ZnO SDs. The observations showed that large numbers of Zn vacancies were present near the interface of Au/ZnO with an HT seed layer. The Zn vacancy plays an acceptor-like role, which raises the barrier height of the Au/ZnO SDs to 0.79 eV with a rectifying ratio of more than 8000. Hence, a non-surface-treated Au/ZnO SD was achieved as compared to those of other reported oxygen-plasma treated surfaces. In contrast, oxygen vacancies appear near the interface of Au/ZnO with an SG seed layer. The O vacancy plays a donor-like role, which reduces the barrier height of Au/ZnO, leading to an Ohmic behavior in the I-V characteristics. Zn out-diffusion is found during Au evaporation by of x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements.

Clinical and Prognostic Significance of Protocadherin-10 (PCDH10) Promoter Methylation in Bladder Cancer

Objective:

To investigate the clinical and prognostic significance of protocadherin-10 (PCDH10) promoter methylation in serum-derived DNA from patients with bladder cancer.

Methods:

PCDH10 promoter methylation status was determined using methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction of DNA extracted from serum of patients with bladder cancer, and age- and sex-matched controls. Clinical and pathological details of bladder cancer were recorded.

Results:

PCDH10 promoter methylation was detected in 59/117 (50.4%) of patients with bladder cancer, and none of 37 (0%) controls. Methylation was significantly associated with advanced stage (T2 - T4), high grade (G3), tumour recurrence and larger tumour size (> 3 cm). In addition, methylation was associated with significantly worse survival and was an independent predictor of overall survival.

Conclusion:

Serum-based analysis of PCDH10 promoter methylation may represent a useful noninvasive biomarker of malignant behaviour and outcome in bladder cancer.

The significance of fragile histidine triad protein as a molecular prognostic marker of bladder urothelial carcinoma

OBJECTIVES

The role and clinical significance of fragile histidine triad (FHIT) gene in the pathogenesis of bladder urothelial carcinoma (UC) and the potential of Fhit protein as a prognostic biomarker for UC were investigated.

METHODS

FHIT expression was determined according to semiquantitative immunohistochemical staining for Fhit protein levels in normal bladder and bladder UC tissues. Associations between FHIT expression, clinicopathological features and survival were evaluated.

RESULTS

This study evaluated 42 cases of normal bladder and 125 cases of bladder UC; bladder UC cases had a median follow-up of 53.5 months. Immuno histochemistry showed that 95.2% of normal cases and 47.2% of bladder UC cases, respectively, were positive for Fhit protein; this difference was statistically significant. There was a significant association between negative FHIT expression in bladder UC and advanced tumour stage, high pathological grade, large tumour size, tumour recurrence and reduced survival time, but no association with age, gender, tumour number or tumour shape.

CONCLUSIONS

The FHIT gene may have an important role in the pathogenesis of bladder UC and was expressed at lower levels in bladder UC compared with normal bladder tissue. Using Fhit protein as a biomarker could provide important information about patient prognosis.

A technique for combined dynamic compression-shear test

It is critically important to study the dynamic response of materials under a combined compression-shear loading for developing constitutive laws more accurately and fully. We present a novel technique to achieve the combined compression and shear loadings at high strain rates. The main apparatus consists of a strike bar, an incident bar, and two transmission bars. The close-to-specimen end of the incident bar is wedge-shaped with 90°. In each experiment, there are two identical specimens, respectively, agglutinated between one side of the wedge and one of transmission bars. When a loading impulse travels to specimens along the incident bar, because of the special geometrical shape, the specimen-incident bar interface gets an axial and a transverse velocity. Specimens endure a combined compression-shear loading at high strain rates. The compression stress and strain of the specimens are deduced from signals recorded by strain gages mounted on the bars. The shear stress is measured by two piezoelectric transducers of quartz (Y-cut with rotation angle 17.7°) embedded at the close-to-specimen end of transmission bars; the shear strain is measured with a novel optical technique, which is based on the luminous flux method. An analytic model was proposed and validated by the numerical simulations. The simulation results yield good agreement with the analytic results. The proposed technique was then validated through experiments carried out on lead specimens, by comparing experimental results with that of the split Hopkinson pressure bar experiments.

Purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray analysis of a thermostable direct haemolysin from Grimontia hollisae

Vibrio hollisae, a halophilic species recently reclassified as Grimontia hollisae, is a causative agent of gastroenteritis and septicaemia. One important pathogenic Vibrio factor, thermostable direct haemolysin (TDH), has been purified and crystallized in two crystal forms using the vapour-diffusion method. The crystals belonged to an orthorhombic space group, with unit-cell parameters a = 104.8, b = 112.4, c = 61.3 Å and a = 122.9, b = 123.3, c = 89.8 Å. The crystals contained either four or eight molecules per asymmetric unit, with predicted solvent contents of 49.4 and 46.3% and Matthews coefficients (V(M)) of 2.4 and 2.3 Å(3) Da(-1), respectively. These crystals were suitable for structure determination, which would yield structural details related to the cytotoxicity and oligomeric structure of this pore-forming toxin.

Clinical Significance of CDH13 Promoter Methylation in Serum Samples from Patients with Bladder Transitional Cell Carcinoma

H-cadherin (CDH13; also known as T-cadherin), which functions as a tumour suppressor, is frequently silenced by promoter methylation in human cancers including bladder transitional cell carcinoma (TCC). This study investigated the clinical significance of methylation of the CDH13 gene promoter in serum from patients with bladder TCC. Methylation status of CDH13 in serum samples from 127 patients with primary bladder TCC and 41 healthy volunteers (controls) was examined by methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction. CDH13 methylation was found in 39 patients with bladder TCC (30.7%) but in no controls. CDH13 methylation was significantly associated with advanced tumour stage, high-grade tumour, large tumour size, tumour recurrence and poor prognosis. The results suggested that CDH13 methylation in serum may be a potential predictive biomarker for malignancy in bladder TCC, and an independent pre-therapeutic predictor of outcome. Demonstration of CDH13 methylation in serum may facilitate in the prediction of which patients require more aggressive additional post-operative systemic therapy.

Butanol Production by a Butanol-Tolerant Strain of Clostridium acetobutylicum in Extruded Corn Broth

By employing serial enrichment, a derivative of Clostridium acetobutylicum ATCC 824 was obtained which grew at concentrations of butanol that prevented growth of the wild-type strain. The parent strain demonstrated a negative growth rate at 15 g of butanol/liter, whereas the SA-1 mutant was still able to grow at a rate which was 66% of the uninhibited control. SA-1 produced consistently higher concentrations of butanol (from 5 to 14%) and lower concentrations of acetone (12.5 to 40%) than the wild-type strain in 4 to 20% extruded corn broth (ECB). Although the highest concentration of butanol was produced by SA-1 and the wild-type strain in 14% ECB, the best solvent ratio with respect to optimizing butanol and decreasing acetone occurred between 4 and 8% ECB for SA-1. SA-1 demonstrated higher conversion efficiency to butanol than the wild-type strain at every concentration of ECB tested. Characterization of the wild-type and SA-1 strain in 6% ECB demonstrated the superiority of the latter in terms of growth rate, time of onset of butanol production, carbohydrate utilization, pH resistance, and final butanol concentration in the fermentation broth.

Effect of extracorporeal shock wave therapy on the biochemical composition and metabolic activity of tenocytes in normal tendinous structures in ponies

REASONS FOR PERFORMING STUDY

Extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) has recently been introduced as a new therapy for tendon injuries in horses, but little is known about the basic mechanism of action of this therapy.

OBJECTIVES

To study the effect of ESWT on biochemical parameters and tenocyte metabolism of normal tendinous structures in ponies.

METHODS

Six Shetland ponies, free of lameness and with ultrasonographically normal flexor and extensor tendons and suspensory ligaments (SL), were used. ESWT was applied at the origin of the suspensory ligament and the mid-metacarpal region of the superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) 6 weeks prior to sample taking, and at the mid-metacarpal region (ET) and the insertion on the extensor process of the distal phalanx (EP) of the common digital extensor tendon 3 h prior to tendon sampling. In all animals one front leg was treated and the other front leg was used as control. After euthanasia, tendon explants were harvested aseptically for in vitro cell culture experiments and additional samples were taken for biochemical analyses.

RESULTS

In the explants harvested 3 h after treatment, glycosaminoglycan (GAG) and protein syntheses were increased (P<0.05). The synthesis of all measured parameters was decreased 6 weeks after ESWT treatment. Biochemically, the level of degraded collagen was increased 3 h after treatment (P<0.05). Six weeks after treatment, there was a decrease of degraded collagen and GAG contents. DNA content had not changed in either tendon samples or explants after culturing.

CONCLUSIONS

ESWT causes a transient stimulation of metabolism in tendinous structures of ponies shortly after treatment. After 6 weeks metabolism has decreased significantly and GAG levels are lower than in untreated control limbs.

POTENTIAL RELEVANCE

The stimulating short-term effect of ESWT might accelerate the initiation of the healing process in injured tendons. The long-term effect seems less beneficial. Further research should aim at determining the duration of this effect and at assessing its relevance for end-stage tendon quality.

Preliminary study on wilcoxon learning machines

As is well known in statistics, the resulting linear regressors by using the rank-based Wilcoxon approach to linear regression problems are usually robust against (or insensitive to) outliers. This motivates us to introduce in this paper the Wilcoxon approach to the area of machine learning. Specifically, we investigate four new learning machines, namely Wilcoxon neural network (WNN), Wilcoxon generalized radial basis function network (WGRBFN), Wilcoxon fuzzy neural network (WFNN), and kernel-based Wilcoxon regressor (KWR). These provide alternative learning machines when faced with general nonlinear learning problems. Simple weights updating rules based on gradient descent will be derived. Some numerical examples will be provided to compare the robustness against outliers for various learning machines. Simulation results show that the Wilcoxon learning machines proposed in this paper have good robustness against outliers. We firmly believe that the Wilcoxon approach will provide a promising methodology for many machine learning problems.

Immune responses of pigs to commercialized emulsion FMD vaccines and live virus challenge

The immune response to structural and non-structural proteins (NSPs) was studied on sequential serum samples in swine from O/Taiwan/97 FMDV challenge studies, outbreaks and after vaccination. The results showed that pigs vaccinated with a commercial vaccine prior to or after infection maintained high neutralizing antibody titers with gradual decline from peak titers over the duration of this study. However, neutralizing antibody titers in non-vaccinated pigs only reached moderate levels 2-4 weeks post infection and remained low thereafter. For the 3B and 3ABC NSP antibody ELISA responses, there were gradually decreasing levels of NSP antibody over time. In multiple vaccinations, all pigs showed significant increases in neutralizing antibodies after booster vaccination. For the 3B NSP antibody ELISA after vaccination, the mean S/P ratios for pigs vaccinated with all three FMD vaccines were all below the 0.23 cut-off value set by the manufacture, but some sera from individual vaccinated pigs gave results above this cut-off after primary or secondary vaccination. However, with the 3ABC NSP antibody ELISA, all sera from vaccinated pigs had negative results for NSP antibody for all time points.

Comparison of sensitivity and specificity in three commercial foot-and-mouth disease virus non-structural protein ELISA kits with swine sera in Taiwan

Three commercialized ELISA kits for the detection of antibodies to the non-structural proteins (NSPs) of FMD virus were compared, using sera from uninfected, vaccinated, challenged and naturally infected pigs. The kinetics of the antibody response to NSPs was compared on sequential serum samples in swine from challenge studies and outbreaks. The results showed that ELISA A (UBI) and ELISA B (CEDI) had better sensitivity than that of the 3ABC recombinant protein-based ELISA C (Chekit). The peak for detection of antibodies to NSPs in ELISA C was significantly delayed in sera from natural infection and challenged swine as compared to the ELISA A and B. The sensitivity of the three ELISAs gradually declined during the 6-month post-infection as antibodies to NSP decline. ELISA kits A and B detected NSP antibody in 50% of challenged pigs by the 9-10th-day and 7-8th-day post-challenge, respectively. ELISA B and C had better specificity than ELISA A on sequential serum samples obtained from swine immunized with a type O FMD vaccine commercially available in Taiwan. Antibody to NSPs before vaccination was not detected in swine not exposed to FMD virus, however, antibody to NSPs was found in sera of some pigs after vaccination. All assays had significantly lower specificity when testing sera from repeatedly vaccinated sows and finishers in 1997 that were tested after the 1997 FMD outbreak. However, when testing sera from repeatedly vaccinated sows or finishers in 2003-2004, the specificity for ELISAs A, B and C were significantly better than those in 1997. This effect was less marked for ELISA A. The ELISA B was the best test in terms of the highest sensitivity and specificity and the lowest reactivity with residual NSP in vaccinates.

Relationship between chlorine consumption and chlorination by-products formation for model compounds

The objective of this research is to investigate the relationship between chlorine decay and the formations of disinfection by-products (DBP), including trichloromethane (TCM) and chloroacetic acid (CAA) in the presence of four model compounds, i.e., resorcinol, phloroglucinol, p-hydroxybenzoic acid, and m-hydroxybenzoic acid. The chlorine degradation in model compounds with OH and/or COOH functional groups were rapid after chlorination. The TCM yields of carboxylic group substituted compounds (3-hydroxybenzoic acid [3-HBA], 4-hydroxybenzoic acid [4-HBA]) were found to be lower than that of the m-dihydroxy substituted compounds. Phloroglucinol, with one more OH substitution group than resorcinol, tends to form significant amounts of CAA after chlorination. However, it was observed that with the COOH substitution of 3-HBA and 4-HBA tend to exhibit more CAA formation potential than resorcinol. The developed parallel second and first-order reaction model for chlorine demand has been successfully utilized for TCM, CAA and DBP formation modeling. A high correlation between CAA and TCM was observed for the model compounds.

San-Huang-Xie-Xin-Tang attenuates inflammatory responses in lipopolysaccharide-exposed rat lungs

In this study, the potential anti-inflammatory effect of San-Huang-Xie-Xin-Tang (SHXT) and its main component baicalin on LPS-induced lung injury were investigated and compared to the profile of dexamethasone (DEXA) in a pre-clinical animal model. Post-treatment with SHXT (75 mg/kg), baicalin (1.5 mg/kg) and DEXA (0.5 mg/kg), significantly inhibited LPS-induced hypotension, lung edema and acute survival rates. Western blotting analysis results indicated that all of them significantly inhibited LPS-induced iNOS, TGF-beta, p38MAPK, and ICAM-1 expressions in the lung tissues. Results from ELISA analysis showed that SHXT, baicalin and DEXA all decreased plasma levels of IL-1beta, TNF-alpha, and MCP-1 caused by LPS. Based on these findings, SHXT and baicalin decreased plasma concentrations of IL-1beta, TNF-alpha, MCP-1, and expressions of TGF-beta, ICAM-1, phosphorylated p38 MAPK, and iNOS, which were associated with lung injury and lethality. These evidences indicated that SHXT and baicalin showed strong anti-inflammatory activity, similar to that observed for DEXA, and therefore implicated that herbal SHXT might be therapeutically useful for the treatment of endotoxic lung injury.

Extracellular Matrix Compositon of the Equine Superficial Digital Flexor Tendon: Relationship with Age and Anatomical Site

The objectives of the present study were to test the hypotheses that: (1) the composition of the extracellular matrix of the equine superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) shows great functional similarities with articular cartilage, i.e. that significant differences exist in biochemical composition of differently loaded areas (which in the case of tendons may be more apparent as tendon shows more obvious differences than cartilage); and (2) that, as in articular cartilage, no substantial alterations in biochemical composition take place during ageing once adulthood has been attained. Tendon samples were taken from 60 adult slaughter horses from a central area at cross-section in the mid-metacarpal region and at the height of the proximal sesamoid bones (sesamoid region) of the SDFT. Contents of collagenous and non-collagenous components were determined. None of the parameters were correlated with age in either region, except for a significant increase in pentosidine cross-links with age in the sesamoid region. Between the two anatomical regions, there were significant differences in all variables, except for hydroxylysylpyridinoline cross-links. It was concluded that in the equine SDFT, similar to articular cartilage, most molecular parameters are not influenced by age in mature horses, indicating a low remodelling rate. Tendon composition is clearly different between regions, apparently reflecting different specific modes of biomechanical loading at the points sampled.

Efficacy of foot-and-mouth disease vaccine in pigs with single dose immunization

Two experiments were conducted to demonstrate the efficacy of a commercial foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) vaccine in pigs born to well-vaccinated sows at various ages with a single injection under field conditions. The first experiment showed that single dose vaccination of pigs could be conducted at an age younger than 10 weeks. Second experiment demonstrated that pigs vaccinated once at the age of 8 weeks had mean serum neutralization (SN) titer of 1.89+/-0.95 log(10)SN(50) with full protection by challenge test at the age of 24 weeks. Results indicate that the most appropriate age for single dose FMD vaccination in pigs born to well-vaccinated sows would be at 8 weeks.

Appendicitis in infancy

Acute appendicitis is the most common cause of abdominal pain requiring surgery in children. But it is an uncommon entity in young children and rare in infants. During a 10-year period, between January 1991 and December 2000, 7 infants (age from 17 days to 8 months) were treated for acute appendicitis at Changhua Christian Hospital. All of the preoperative symptoms and signs, the duration between admission and operation, pathology reports, and laboratory data were reviewed. There were no specific clinical signs and symptoms. The duration between admission and operation ranged from 2 hours to 5 days (mean: 31.4 hours). The pathology reports revealed 3 were gangrenous, 3 were gangrenous with perforation and one was suppurative. There was one death. Pseudomonas aeruginosa was cultured from blood, ascites, bile or stool in 6 cases (85.7%). Early diagnosis of acute appendicitis in infants is still difficult. Although the mortality has declined, the morbidity still remains high. The high percentage of infection by Pseudomonas aeruginosa should be further evaluated in infantile appendicitis.

Optimization of foot-and-mouth disease vaccination protocols by surveillance of neutralization antibodies

An appropriate immunization program for pigs in a foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) endemic area was proposed based on data analysis obtained from serological surveillance in Taiwan, after an intensive vaccination program. To provide an adequate passive immunity for piglets, gilts that have completed two basic vaccinations must be boosted once before breeding. To achieve an efficient response to the FMD vaccine for piglets born to well vaccinated sows, vaccination need to be delayed until 10-12 weeks of ages for the first immunization, followed by a boost 4 weeks later.

Association between serum inflammatory cytokines and disease activity in juvenile idiopathic arthritis

Circulating interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta), IL-6, tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), osteocalcin, and conventional parameters of inflammation were examined serially in 14 children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) to determine any correlation with the disease activity. Serum IL-1beta was undetectable in all JIA patients. Serum IL-6, white blood cell counts, platelet counts, erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein levels were significantly elevated in the active phase of JIA, whereas hemoglobin levels were significantly lower. Osteocalcin levels were decreased and TNF-alpha increased in active JIA status, but these differences showed no statistical significance. We concluded that inflammatory cytokines play an important role in JIA. Monitoring IL-6 in children with JIA is useful in determining disease activity and response to therapy. These findings confirm earlier reports.

Studies of silyl-accelerated 1,5-hydrogen migrations in vinylcyclopropanes

Thermal 1,5-hydrogen (retro-ene) rearrangements of 1-silylmethylated 2-vinylcyclopropanes have been studied. cis-1-Silylmethyl-2-vinylcyclopropanes 17 and 19 undergo facile 1,5-hydrogen transposition upon mild thermolysis in benzene or toluene solution (80-110 degrees C) to give nearly quantitative yields of ring-opened 1-silyl-1,4-diene products. These reactions occur at temperatures at least 100 degrees C lower than those of the nonsilylated substrates. The silicon center and its ligands influence both the rate and stereoselectivity of diene formation, with the triphenylsilyl substrate providing the fastest reaction and highest (exclusive) stereoselectivity in forming the diene, regardless of the E/Z geometry of the vinylcyclopropane. The trimethylsilyl and triethoxysilyl compounds (19b and 19c) rearrange more slowly and with lower stereoselectivity. It is proposed that the rearrangement process takes place via a concerted suprafacial migration by one of two diastereotopic methylene hydrogens through a transition state having the silyl-carbon bond antiperiplanar to the breaking C-C bond of the cyclopropane ring. This conformational arrangement leads to weakening of the cyclopropane ring bond through orbital hyperconjugation, which facilitates the hydrogen transfer. The corresponding trans-1-silylmethyl-2-vinylcyclopropanes are thermally stable under these conditions. In contrast, cis-1-stannylmethyl-2-vinylcyclopropanes 19d,e undergo loss of the stannyl group at room temperature to afford a ring-opened 1,5-diene product 25 through a process that may take place by initial 1,5-stannyl migration.