Reducing the risk of tooth injury in anterior maxillary interdental osteotomy for cleft lip and palate patients using a surgical navigation technique

The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical feasibility of preventing tooth injury from anterior maxillary interdental osteotomy by using a surgical navigation technique. A retrospective review was conducted on cleft lip and palate patients treated with anterior maxillary osteotomy followed by distraction osteogenesis between August 2019 and May 2022. Patients operated on through image guidance were enrolled in the navigation group, while those who were operated on freehand were enrolled in the freehand group. Tooth injuries were identified on postoperative images. Linear and angular deviations of the osteotomy line were measured. Twelve patients were enrolled in the study, seven in the navigation group and five in the freehand group. Altogether, 24 osteotomy lines and 53 adjacent teeth were evaluated. The dental injury rate was 3% in the navigation group and 27% in the freehand group (P = 0.016). The average linear deviations (mean ± standard deviation) were 0.67 ± 0.30 mm and 2.05 ± 1.33 mm, respectively (P < 0.001), while the average angular deviations were 1.67 ± 0.68° and 11.41 ± 7.46°, respectively (P < 0.001). The results suggest that navigation was able to reduce the tooth injury risk compared with freehand interdental osteotomies in crowded dental arches.

Designing asymmetrical TMN4 sites via phosphorus or sulfur dual coordination as high-performance electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution reaction

The development ofhighly efficient oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalysts based on more cost-effective and earth-abundant elements is of great significance and still faces a huge challenge. In this work, a series of transition metal (TM)embedding a newly-defined monolayer carbon nitride phase is theoretically profiled and constructed as a catalytic platform for OER studies. Typically, a four-step screening strategy was proposed to rapidly identified high performance candidates and the coordination structure and catalytic performance relationship was thoroughly analyzed. Moreover, the eliminating criterion was established to condenses valid range based on the Gibbs free energy of OH*. Our results reveal that the as-constructed 2FeCN/P exhibits superior activity toward OER with an ultralow overpotential of 0.25 V, at the same time, the established 3FeCN/S configuration performed well as abifunctional OER/ORR electrocatalysis with extremely low overpotential ηOER/ηORR of 0.26/0.48 V. Overall, this work provides an effective framework for screening advanced OER catalysts, which can also be extended to other complex multistep catalytic reactions.

Artificial Space Weathering to Mimic Solar Wind Enhances the Toxicity of Lunar Dust Simulants in Human Lung Cells

During NASA's Apollo missions, inhalation of dust particles from lunar regolith was identified as a potential occupational hazard for astronauts. These fine particles adhered tightly to spacesuits and were unavoidably brought into the living areas of the spacecraft. Apollo astronauts reported that exposure to the dust caused intense respiratory and ocular irritation. This problem is a potential challenge for the Artemis Program, which aims to return humans to the Moon for extended stays in this decade. Since lunar dust is "weathered" by space radiation, solar wind, and the incessant bombardment of micrometeorites, we investigated whether treatment of lunar regolith simulants to mimic space weathering enhanced their toxicity. Two such simulants were employed in this research, Lunar Mare Simulant-1 (LMS-1), and Lunar Highlands Simulant-1 (LHS-1), which were added to cultures of human lung epithelial cells (A549) to simulate lung exposure to the dusts. In addition to pulverization, previously shown to increase dust toxicity sharply, the simulants were exposed to hydrogen gas at high temperature as a proxy for solar wind exposure. This treatment further increased the toxicity of both simulants, as measured by the disruption of mitochondrial function, and damage to DNA both in mitochondria and in the nucleus. By testing the effects of supplementing the cells with an antioxidant (N-acetylcysteine), we showed that a substantial component of this toxicity arises from free radicals. It remains to be determined to what extent the radicals arise from the dust itself, as opposed to their active generation by inflammatory processes in the treated cells.

Gene expression insights: Chronic stress and bipolar disorder: A bioinformatics investigation

Bipolar disorder (BD) is a psychiatric disorder that affects an increasing number of people worldwide. The mechanisms of BD are unclear, but some studies have suggested that it may be related to genetic factors with high heritability. Moreover, research has shown that chronic stress can contribute to the development of major illnesses. In this paper, we used bioinformatics methods to analyze the possible mechanisms of chronic stress affecting BD through various aspects. We obtained gene expression data from postmortem brains of BD patients and healthy controls in datasets GSE12649 and GSE53987, and we identified 11 chronic stress-related genes (CSRGs) that were differentially expressed in BD. Then, we screened five biomarkers (IGFBP6, ALOX5AP, MAOA, AIF1 and TRPM3) using machine learning models. We further validated the expression and diagnostic value of the biomarkers in other datasets (GSE5388 and GSE78936) and performed functional enrichment analysis, regulatory network analysis and drug prediction based on the biomarkers. Our bioinformatics analysis revealed that chronic stress can affect the occurrence and development of BD through many aspects, including monoamine oxidase production and decomposition, neuroinflammation, ion permeability, pain perception and others. In this paper, we confirm the importance of studying the genetic influences of chronic stress on BD and other psychiatric disorders and suggested that biomarkers related to chronic stress may be potential diagnostic tools and therapeutic targets for BD.

A novel tetragonal T-C2N supported transition metal atoms as superior bifunctional catalysts for OER/ORR: From coordination environment to rational design

Single-atom catalysts with particular electronic structures and precisely regulated coordination environments delivering excellent activity for oxygen-evolution reaction (OER) and oxygen-reduction reaction (ORR) are highly desirable for renewable energy applications. In this work, a novel tetragonal carbon nitride T-C2N monolayer with remarkable stability was predicted by using the RG2 method. Inspired by the well-defined atomic structures and just right N4 aperture of T-C2N substrate, the electrocatalytic performance of a series of transition metal single-atoms anchored on porous T-C2N matrix (TM@C2N) have been systematically investigated. In addition, machine learning (ML) method was employed with the gradient boosting regression GBR model to deeply explore the complex controlling factors and offer direct guidance for rational discovery of desirable catalysts. On this basis, the coordination environment of the central TM active sites has been tailored by incorporating heteroatoms. Impressively, the Co@C2N/B-C, Rh@C2N/SC and Rh@C2N/SN exhibit significantly enhanced OER/ORR activity with notably low ηOER/ηORR of 0.39/0.32, 0.26/0.35 and 0.37/0.27 V, respectively. Our work provides insights into the rational design, data-driven, performance regulation, mechanism analysis and practical application of TMNC catalysts. Such a systematic theoretical framework can also be expanded to many other kinds of catalysts for energy storage and conversion.

The surgical strategy and technical nuances of in situ side-to-side bypass for the management of complex intracranial aneurysms

Background

Despite continuous advances in microsurgical and endovascular techniques, the treatment of complex aneurysms remains challenging. Aneurysms that are dilemmatic for conventional clipping or endovascular coiling often require bypass as part of a strategy to reduce the risk of ischemic complications. In anatomically favorable sites, the intracranial-intracranial in situ bypass may be an appealing choice. This article details the surgical strategies, operative nuances, and clinical outcomes of this technique with a consecutive series in our department.

Methods

A retrospective review of a prospectively maintained neurosurgical patient database was performed to identify all patients treated with side-to-side in situ bypass from January 2016 to June 2022. In total, 12 consecutive patients, including 12 aneurysms, were identified and included in the series. The medical records, surgical videos, neuroimaging studies, and follow-up clinic notes were reviewed for every patient.

Results

Of the 12 aneurysms, there were 5 middle cerebral artery aneurysms, 4 anterior cerebral artery aneurysms, and 3 posterior inferior cerebellar artery aneurysms. The morphology of the aneurysms was fusiform in 8 patients and saccular in the remaining 4 patients. There were 3 patients presented with subarachnoid hemorrhage. The treatment modality was simple in situ bypass in 8 cases and in situ bypass combined with other modalities in 4 cases. Bypass patency was confirmed in all cases by intraoperative micro-doppler probe and (or) infrared indocyanine green (ICG) video angiography intraoperatively and with digital subtraction angiography (DSA) or computed tomography angiography (CTA) postoperatively. None of the patients developed a clinically manifested stroke due to the procedure though a callosomarginal artery was intentionally removed in one patient. The median follow-up period was 16.2 months (6-36). All patients had achieved improved or unchanged modified Rankin scale scores at the final follow-ups.

Conclusion

Cerebral revascularization technique remains an essential skill for the treatment of complex aneurysms. The in situ bypass is one of the most effective techniques to revascularize efferent territory when vital artery sacrifice or occlusion is unavoidable. The configuration of in situ bypass should be carefully tailored to each case, with consideration of variations in anatomy and pathology of the complex aneurysms.

The economic burden of coronary heart disease in mainland China

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to systematically evaluate the current economic burden of coronary heart disease (CHD) in mainland China and provide a reference for the formulation of policies to reduce the economic burden of CHD.

STUDY DESIGN

A systematic literature review was conducted of empirical studies on the economic burden of CHD over the past 20 years.

METHODS

PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, China Knowledge Resource Integrated Database and the WANFANG database were comprehensively searched for relevant articles published between 1 January 2000 and 22 December 2021. Content analysis was used to extract the data, and Stata 17.0 software was used for analysis. The median values were used to describe trends.

RESULTS

A total of 35 studies were included in this review. The annual median per-capita hospitalisation expense and the average expense per hospitalisation were $3544.40 ($891.64-$18,371.46) and $5407.34 ($1139.93-$8277.55), respectively. The median ratio on medical consumables expenses, drug expenses, medical examination expenses and treatment expenses were 41.59% (12.40%-63.73%), 26.90% (7.30%-60.00%), 9.45% (1.65%-33.40%) and 10.10% (2.36%-66.00%), respectively. The median per-capita hospitalisation expense in the eastern, central and western regions were $9374.45 ($2056.13-$18,371.46), $4751.5 ($2951.95-$8768.93) and $3251.25 ($891.64-$13,986.38), respectively. The median average expense per hospitalisation in the eastern and central regions were $6177.15 ($1679.15-$8277.55) and $1285.49 ($1239.93-$2197.36), respectively. The median average length of stay in the eastern, central and western regions were 9.3 days, 15.2 days and 16.1 days, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The economic burden of CHD is more severe in mainland China than in developed countries, especially in terms of the direct economic burden. In terms of the types of direct medical expenses, a proportion of medical examination expenses, treatment expenses and drug expenses were lowest in the eastern region, but medical consumables expenses were the highest in this region. This study provides guidance for the formulation of policies to reduce the economic burden of CHD in mainland China.

A Multiomics Analysis of the Close Connection between Intratumoral Microbiota and Immune Cell Infiltration in Colorectal Cancer

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

The colorectal intratumoral microbiome and its association with the expression of the tumor genome and immune cell infiltration remain poorly characterized. Our study aims to investigate the relationship between intratumoral microbiota with tumor immune infiltration, patient prognosis, and potential downstream signaling pathways.

MATERIALS/METHODS

We collected biopsy samples of tumor tissue and paracancerous tissue from 92 patients with colorectal cancer, and acquired microbiota profiling in these samples using 16s rRNA sequencing. Meanwhile, the immune markers including CD8, FOXP3, CD163, PD-1 and PD-L1 were stained by immunohistochemistry (IHC) to identify the immune infiltration in tumors. Furthermore, we used The Cancer Genome Atlas and The Cancer Microbiome Atlas databases to conduct multiomics analysis on tumor flora and patient survival, tumor gene expression profile and potential downstream pathways.

RESULTS

There was a significant difference in α-diversity (p = 0.00051) and β-diversity (p = 0.004) between tumor and paracancerous tissues. The β-diversity of intratumoral bacterial differed by colorectal cancer tumor stage (early vs. late stage, p = 0.049) and location (left vs. right colon, p = 0.04). Stage-related flora cluster (Porphyromonas, Lachnoclostridium, Bacteroides, Aggregatibacter, and Hungatella) were identified and found to be associated with poor prognosis in colorectal cancer patients (HR = 1.79, p = 0.015). By IHC staining, we found that expression of PD-1 and FOXP3 was significantly reduced at low abundance of stage-related bacterial cluster (p<0.05). Among of them, Hungatella was negatively associated with CD8+T cell infiltration (p<0.05) in tumor. Besides, tumor-location related flora cluster (Bacteroides and Blautia) were identified and found to be associated with good prognosis in colorectal cancer patients (HR = 0.52, p = 0.011). Expression of CD163 was decreased at high abundance of location-related bacterial cluster (p<0.05). Among of them, Blautia was negatively correlated with tumor-associated macrophage infiltration(p<0.05). Furthermore, we found that the stage-related flora cluster was positively connected with the pathway of bile acid metabolism, whereas the location-dependent cluster was negatively correlated with this pathway.

CONCLUSION

We found specific intratumoral bacterial clusters that were related to tumor stage and location, and the clusters were strongly associated with tumor immune infiltration and patient prognosis. Our findings may provide new viewpoint for future research between intratumoral microbiota, metabolism pathway and tumor microenvironment.

Perturbation of Gut Microbiota Modulated the Abscopal Effects of Immunoradiotherapy in Rectal Cancer

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

The abscopal effect-the regression of malignancies outside the irradiation zone-can be increased by combining radiotherapy (RT) with immunotherapy. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether the gut microbiota affected the abscopal effect following immunoradiotherapy (iRT) in rectal cancer.

MATERIALS/METHODS

Bilateral MC38 subcutaneous tumors (primary and abscopal tumor) were established in C57/B6 mice with or without oral antibiotic treatment (preadministration of vancomycin, streptomycin, and ampicillin 14 days before therapy). Mice with or without antibiotic therapy were then randomized into eight groups to receive one of four treatments: (1) RT to the primary tumor + anti-PD-1 therapy (iRT), (2) RT to the primary tumor (RT), (3) anti-PD-1 therapy (anti-PD-1), and (4) no treatment. Flow cytometry was used to determine the composition and function of immune cells in the primary and abscopal tumors as well as in the spleen. 16S rRNA sequencing was used to assess the gut microbiome alteration following antibiotic intervention. Multiple bioinformatics were then explored to investigate the impact of specific flora that related to abscopal antitumor effect.

RESULTS

We found that radiation on primary tumors exhibited cytotoxic effect in nonirradiated (abscopal) tumors (p=0.0057, RT vs. untreated group; p=0.0037, iRT vs. anti-PD-1 group). In contrast, abscopal tumors were resistant to the anticancer effects of RT when antibiotics were given (p=0.5374, RT + antibiotics vs. untreated group + antibiotics; p=0.42, iRT + antibiotics vs. anti-PD-1 + antibiotics group). Comparing the RT+antibiotics group to the RT group, we discovered that the number of CD8+CD44+ T cells decreased significantly in both abscopal tumors (p<0.001) and spleens (p=0.0061). In anti-PD-1-treated groups, antibiotics significantly reduced the number of CD8+GranzymeB+ T cells in primary tumors (p=0.0061) and CD4+CD25+ T cells in spleens (p<0.001). In iRT-treated groups, the antibiotic reduced the fraction of CD4+INF-γ+ cells in abscopal tumors (p=0.0134), and increased the number of CD4+PD-1+ T cells in spleens (p<0.001). Moreover, we found that both α- and β-diversity decreased significantly in the gut microbiota after antibiotic treatment (p=0.0079 and p<0.001, respectively). The abundance of g_Alistipes, g_Lactobacillus, g_Lachnospiraceae and g__Lactobacillus fell dramatically in the presence of antibiotics. In addition, functional analyses of Picrust2 and KEGG revealed that antibiotic therapy had the most profound impact on the D-Alanine metabolism pathway (p<0.001).

CONCLUSION

We found that the alteration of the gut microbiome by antibiotics significantly affects the local and systemic antitumoral effect of iRT, our results may provide new insight on how gut modification converts the local anticancer effects of RT into a systemic response that targets metastatic tumors.

PARP Inhibitor Plus Radiotherapy Reshapes IDH1 Mutation Tumor Immune Suppression Microenvironment Potentiating the Efficiency of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

Isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1) mutations confer gain-of-function activity by converting α-ketoglutarate (α-KG) to the oncometabolite D-2-hydroxyglutarate (D-2HG). IDH mutant tumors have fewer tumor-infiltrating CD8+ T cells and reduced PD-L1 expression compared with their wild type (WT) counterparts. In addition, 2-HG can directly inhibit the killing and proliferative functions of CD8+ T lymphocytes, and suggesting that 2-HG promotes an immunosuppressive TME. Several studies have shown that 2-HG can inhibit homologous recombination (HR) and weaken the DNA damage response (DDR), making them more sensitive to poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors and radiotherapy (RT). At the same time, RT and PARP inhibition (PARPi) have been considered to be a new direction to stimulate antitumor immunity. Therefore, our study intends to use RT + PARPi to reverse the immunosuppressive microenvironment caused by IDH1 mutations, thereby promoting the therapeutic effect of immune checkpoint inhibitors.

MATERIALS/METHODS

We compared the immune responses of clinical tissue samples and TCGA data from either IDH1mut or IDH1WT low-grade gliomas. We then established IDH1mut-overexpressing MC38 and GL261 cell lines to determine the antitumor effect of RT + PARPi. Apoptosis and immunogenic death markers were detected by flow cytometry, western blot (WB) and ELISA in these cell lines. Tumor growth and mouse survival curves were observed in both an MC38 subcutaneous and GL261 orthotopic tumor model. Changes in the composition of the immune microenvironment were assessed using flow cytometry. The mechanisms underpinning these compositional shifts were then further interrogated using various techniques, including WB, immunofluorescence, qRT-PCR, CRISPR/Cas9, and CD8+ T cell migration experiments.

RESULTS

We observed that CD8+ T cell infiltration and expression of the chemokines CXCL10 and CCL5 of CD8+ T cells in IDH1mut tumors were significantly downregulated by immunohistochemistry and TCGA analysis. Gene enrichment analysis using the TCGA database found that IDH1 mutations downregulated interferon (IFN)-related signaling pathways. RT + PARPi induces more DNA damage and actives the CGAS-STING pathway compared with monotherapy, leading to more expression of IFN-β, CXCL10 and CCL5 at mRNA and protein level. In the MC38 subcutaneous tumor model, we found that RT + PARPi increased the infiltration of CD8+ T cells while enhancing the killing function of CD8+ T cells. We observed these same effects in the GL261 orthoma model, as well as increased proliferation function of CD8+ T cells. In addition, RT + PARPi increased the expression of PD-L1 and enhanced the therapeutic effect of immune checkpoint inhibitors.

CONCLUSION

RT + PARPi reshapes the IDH1mut tumor immune suppression microenvironment, thereby potentiating the antitumor effect and efficiency of immune checkpoint inhibitor.

[Epidemiological characteristics of imported malaria cases after malaria elimination in Yixing City of Jiangsu Province]

OBJECTIVE

To analyse the epidemiological characteristics of imported malaria cases after malaria elimination in Yixing City, Jiangsu Province, so as to provide reference for malaria prevention and control in grassroots healthcare institutions.

METHODS

All data pertaining to malaria cases reported in Yixing City from 2016 to 2022 were retrieved from Chinese Disease Control and Prevention Information System, and the data pertaining to vector monitoring and human malaria parasite infections from 2016 to 2022 were collected for a descriptive statistical analysis.

RESULTS

A total of 14 imported malaria cases were reported in Yixing City from 2016 to 2022, including 12 cases with Plasmodium falciparum malaria, one case with P. vivax malaria and one case with P. ovale malaria, and all cases acquired infections in Africa and then returned to Yixing City. Malaria cases were reported across 2016 to 2022 except in 2020 and 2021. Malaria cases were predominantly reported during the period between December and February of the next year, and workers were the predominant occupation. The institutions where malaria was initially diagnosed included county-level general hospitals, county-level disease prevention and control institutions and grassroots healthcare centers, and there were 10 cases with definitive diagnosis of malaria on the day of initial diagnosis, with a 64.29% (9/14) correct rate of initial diagnosis. There were 5 cases diagnosed with severe malaria, and the standardized response rate was 100.00% following the "1-3-7" surveillance and response strategy. Of all malaria vectors, only Anopheles sinensis was monitored in Yixing City from 2016 to 2022, and all humans were tested negative for blood smears exceptimportedmalariacases.

CONCLUSIONS

The correct rate of initial malaria diagnosis was not high in healthcare institutions in Yixing City from 2016 to 2022, and there are still multiple challenges for prevention of re-establishment of imported malaria.

Screening quality markers (Q-markers) of Xiaoer Chaige Tuire Oral Liquid by in vitro sequential metabolism and in vivo biopharmaceutical analysis

BACKGROUND

Xiaoer Chaige Tuire Oral Liquid (XCT) is a preparation composed of 7 traditional Chinese medicines including Bupleuri Radix, Puerariae Lobatae Radix, Scutellariae Radix, Gypsum Fibrosum, Artemisiae Annuae Herba, Paeoniae Radix Alba and Glycyrrhizae Radix Et Rhizoma Praeparata Cum Melle in proportion. According to traditional Chinese medicine theory, it has the function of dispelling wind evil and relieving exterior syndrome, clearing summer heat and dampness, and reducing internal heat. So, it is indicated for pediatric upper respiratory tract infection caused by exogenous wind-heat. Modern pharmacological studies have indicated that XCT has a variety of activities such as anti-inflammation and antivirus.

PURPOSE

To screen potential quality markers (Q-markers) of XCT by tracking in vivo bioactive compounds concomitantly using in vitro sequential metabolism and in vivo biopharmaceutical analysis.

METHODS

In vitro metabolic models including artificial gastric juice, intestinal juice, intestinal microbiota, Caco-2 cell monolayer and liver S9 were employed to simulate metabolism of main compounds of XCT in the body. High performance liquid chromatography with diode-array detection (HPLC-DAD) was used to quantitatively determine main components of XCT preparation and its sequential metabolism samples. Ultra performance liquid chromatography with QExactive Orbitrap tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-QExactive-HF-x-Orbitrap-MS) was used to qualitatively determine in vivo components of XCT preparation in rat plasma and metabolites obtained with liver S9 fraction of rats.

RESULTS

Twenty-five compounds were identified from the preparation of XCT. Sequential in vitro metabolism studies indicated that most of these compounds except baicalin and baicalein were stable in artificial gastric juice, albiflorin, glycyrrhizic acid, gallic acid and baicalein were unstable in artificial intestinal juice, daidzin, liquiritin and genistin were hydrolyzed into their aglycones daidzein, liquiritigenin and genistein by intestinal microbiota, and 7 compounds thereout including benzoic acid, puerarin, 3'-methoxypuerarin, paeoniflorin, scopoletin, daidzein and liquiritigenin were shown to be well absorbed with Caco-2 cell monolayer model. These 7 compounds were demonstrated to be metabolized via hydroxylation and glycosylation by liver S9 system. Ten components of XCT preparation including puerarin, baicalin, wogonoside, benzoic acid, daidzein, baicalein, wogonin, oroxylin A, isoscopoletin and isoliquiritigenin were identified from rat plasma by in vivo biopharmaceutical analysis. Most of the compounds screened with both in vitro and in vivo metabolic studies were shown to be active against inflammation and influenza virus.

CONCLUSIONS

A screening strategy for potential quality markers (Q-markers) of XCT preparation based on tracking in vivo bioactive compounds using the combination of in vitro sequential metabolism and in vivo biopharmaceutical analysis was established. With this strategy, a total of 12 compounds including puerarin, daidzein, benzoic acid, baicalin, baicalein, wogonoside, wogonin, oroxylin A, 3'-methoxypuerarin, paeoniflorin, scopoletin and liquiritigenin were screened to be potential Q-markers of XCT, which provides a material basis for quality control and development of XCT.

An objective, quantitative, dynamic assessment of facial movement symmetry changes after orthognathic surgery

The aim of this study was to generate a quantitative dynamic assessment of facial movement symmetry changes after orthognathic surgery. Twenty-five patients diagnosed with skeletal class III malocclusion with facial asymmetry who underwent bimaxillary surgery were recruited. The patients were asked to perform a maximum smile that was recorded using a three-dimensional facial motion capture system preoperatively (T0), 6 months postoperatively (T1), and 12 months postoperatively (T2). Eleven facial landmarks were selected to analyse the cumulative distance and average speed during smiling. The absolute differences for the paired landmarks between the sides were analysed to reflect the symmetry changes. The results showed that the asymmetry index of the cheilions at T2 was significantly lower than that at T0 (P = 0.004), as was the index of the mid-lateral lower lips (P = 0.006). The mean difference in cheilions was 2.13 ± 1.41 mm at T0, 1.33 ± 1.09 mm at T1, and 1.00 ± 0.98 mm at T2. The facial total mobility at T1 was significantly lower than that at T0 (P < 0.001), while the total mobility at T2 was significantly higher than that at T1 (P = 0.012). The orthognathic surgical correction of facial asymmetry was able to improve the associated asymmetry of facial movements.

Hierarchical Density-Aware Dehazing Network

The commonly used atmospheric model in image dehazing cannot hold in real cases. Although deep end-to-end networks were presented to solve this problem by disregarding the physical model, the transmission map in the atmospheric model contains significant haze density information, which cannot simply be ignored. In this article, we propose a novel hierarchical density-aware dehazing network, which consists of a the densely connected pyramid encoder, a density generator, and a Laplacian pyramid decoder. The proposed network incorporates density estimation but alleviates the constraint of the atmospheric model. The predicted haze density then guides the Laplacian pyramid decoder to generate a haze-free image in a coarse-to-fine fashion. In addition, we introduce a multiscale discriminator to preserve global and local consistency for dehazing. We conduct extensive experiments on natural and synthetic hazy images, which prove that the proposed model performs favorably against the state-of-the-art dehazing approaches.

P12.09.B Extracellular vesicle derived-miR-146a increases melanoma brain metastasis progression via Notch signalling pathway dysregulation

Background

Melanoma has the highest tropism of any cancer to metastasize to the brain, and 40% of late-stage patients develop brain metastasis. Invasion, survival, and progression of tumors is dependent on the support of the surrounding microenvironment; therefore, modulation of neighboring cells is a key factor in metastasis. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are important in cell-to-cell signalling, shuttling proteins, RNA and DNA to alter the surroundings into a favorable tumor microenvironment. Our aims were to investigate the role of melanoma brain metastasis (MBM) derived EVs in MBM development to find possible contributing mechanisms to cancer progression for eventual therapeutic targeting.

Material and Methods

MBM-EVs isolated via sequential ultracentrifugation were injected into mice as a pre-treatment prior to intracardial injection of MBM cells. EVs were co-cultured with normal human astrocytes (NHA) to investigate phenotypic changes. MiRNA sequencing was performed on EVs collected from MBM cells and compared to NHA and melanocytes to determine a candidate miRNA for targeting. In situ hybridization was utilized to evaluate the level of miRNA in clinical patient MBM samples. Functional in vivo validation was performed by injecting miRNA knockout MBM cells into mice. Sequencing of NHA in the presence or absence of target miRNA mimic was used to determine downstream targets.

Results

Mice primed with EVs had a significant increase in MBM tumor burden, compared to non-primed mice. Co-culture with MBM-EVs resulted in NHA activation in vitro, with increased proliferation, invasion, cytokine production, and upregulation of GFAP. MiR-146a was highly upregulated in MBM EVs, and miR-146a mimics activated NHA. Patient samples had a significant increase in miR-146a expression, compared to healthy brain controls. MiR-146a knockdown in MBM mice models reduced MBM burden and prolonged animal survival. Sequencing of NHA determined NUMB, an inhibitor of the Notch signalling pathway, as a target of miR-146a. Numb and other downstream Notch proteins expression was significantly altered in NHA in the presence of both MBM-EVs and miR-146a.

Conclusion

In conclusion, EVs are important regulators of MBM and establish tumor-supporting reactive astrocytes by delivery of miR-146a. MiR-146a alters Notch signalling in astrocytes via inhibition of the tumor suppressor gene NUMB. Elevated miR-146a levels in patients suggests a potential clinical intervention is possible via miR-146a targeting.

Integrating Metabolomics and Network Analysis for Exploring the Mechanism Underlying the Antidepressant Activity of Paeoniflorin in Rats With CUMS-Induced Depression

Background: Paeoniflorin (PF) represents the major bioactive constituent of the traditional Chinese medicine plant Paeonia suffruticosa (Ranunculaceae), which has a long history as a folk medicine in Asian. Paeoniflorin, a bitter pinene monoterpene glycoside, has antidepressant effects, but its potential therapeutic mechanism has not been thoroughly explored.

Methods: Experimental depression in rats was established by the chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) combined with orphan method, and the efficacy of paeoniflorin on depression was evaluated by the sucrose preference test and open field test. The antidepressant mechanism of paeoniflorin was investigated by metabolomic and network pharmacology. The relevant pathways of biomarkers highlighted in metabolomics were explored, and the possible targets of paeoniflorin in the treatment of depression were further revealed through network analysis. The binding activity of paeoniflorin to key targets was verified by molecular docking.

Results: Metabolomics showed that rats with CUMS-induced depression had urine metabolic disorders, which were reversed by paeoniflorin through the regulation of metabolic pathways. Metabolites that play a key role in the function of paeoniflorin include citric acid, thiamine monophosphate, gluconolactone, 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid and stachyose. Key predicted targets are SLC6A4, TNF, IL6 and SLC6A3. An important metabolic pathway is the Citrate cycle (TCA cycle).

Conclusion: Network integrative analysis in this study showed that paeoniflorin could improve depressive-like symptoms in model rats with CUMS-induced depression and overall correct the disordered metabolic profile through multiple metabolic pathways.

POS1029 EFFECTS OF TREATMENT WITH RISANKIZUMAB ON MINIMAL DISEASE ACTIVITY (MDA) AND DISEASE ACTIVITY IN PSORIATIC ARTHRITIS (DAPSA): AN ANALYSIS OF THE KEEPsAKE-1 AND -2 TRIALS

Background

Risankizumab (RZB) is a monoclonal antibody that specifically inhibits interleukin 23.

Objectives

To evaluate the achievement of Minimal Disease Activity (MDA), its components, and achievement of Disease Activity in PsA Low Disease Activity and Remission (DAPSA LDA+REM, [DAPSA score ≤14]) in patients receiving RZB or placebo (PBO) in the KEEPsAKE 1 and 2 clinical trials.

Methods

KEEPsAKE-1 and -2, double-blind, phase 3 trials, evaluated the efficacy of RZB versus PBO for the treatment of adult patients with active psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Patients were randomized (1:1) to receive subcutaneous RZB 150 mg or PBO at weeks 0, 4, and 16. The open label extension began at Week 24 with all patients receiving RZB 150 mg every 12 weeks thereafter. Achievement of MDA, its components, and achievement of DAPSA LDA+REM are reported using non-responder imputation.

Results

MDA achievement at Week 52 in KEEPsAKE-1 was 37.9% for patients originally randomized to RZB and 27.4% for patients originally randomized to PBO. In KEEPsAKE-2, MDA achievement was 27.2% and 33.8% for patients originally randomized to RZB and PBO, respectively. Achievement of MDA and its components are presented in Figure 1. In KEEPsAKE-1, at Week 52 59.2% of patients originally randomized to RZB and 51.4% of patients originally randomized to PBO achieved DAPSA LDA+REM. At Week 52 in KEEPsAKE-2, DAPSA LDA+REM was achieved by 44.6% of patients originally randomized to RZB and 46.6% of patients originally randomized to PBO (Figure 1).

Conclusion

Patients treated with RZB demonstrate achievement of MDA, its components, and DAPSA LDA+REM at Weeks 24 and 52.

Acknowledgements

AbbVie Inc, participated in the study design; study research; collection, analysis and interpretation of data; and writing, reviewing, and approving of this abstract for submission. AbbVie funded the research for this study and provided writing support for this abstract. Medical writing assistance was provided by Trisha Rettig, Ph.D. of AbbVie

Disclosure of Interests

Joseph F. Merola Consultant of: Amgen, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Abbvie, Dermavant, Eli Lilly, Novartis, Janssen, UCB, Sanofi, Regeneron, Sun Pharma, Biogen, Pfizer and Leo Pharma, Iain McInnes Consultant of: AbbVie, Amgen, Astra Zeneca, Compugen, Cabaletta, Evelo, Janssen, Lilly, Novartis, Pfizer, Sanofi, and UCB, Grant/research support from: AbbVie, Amgen, Astra Zeneca, Janssen, Lilly, Novartis, Pfizer, UCB, Arthur Kavanaugh Consultant of: AbbVie Inc., Amgen, Astra-Zeneca, BMS, Celgene, Centocor-Janssen, Pfizer, Roche, and UCB, Grant/research support from: AbbVie Inc., Amgen, Astra-Zeneca, BMS, Celgene, Centocor-Janssen, Pfizer, Roche, and UCB, Peter Nash Speakers bureau: Abbvie, Amgen, Janssen, Lilly, Novartis, Pfizer, UCB, BMS, Rocje, Sanofi, Gilead/Galapagos, MSD, Samsung, Celgene, Amgen, Boehringer, Consultant of: Abbvie, Amgen, Janssen, Lilly, Novartis, Pfizer, UCB, BMS, Rocje, Sanofi, Gilead/Galapagos, MSD, Samsung, Celgene, Amgen, Boehringer, Grant/research support from: Abbvie, Amgen, Janssen, Lilly, Novartis, Pfizer, UCB, BMS, Rocje, Sanofi, Gilead/Galapagos, MSD, Samsung, Celgene, Amgen, Boehringer, Zhenyi Xue Shareholder of: AbbVie Inc., Employee of: AbbVie Inc., Vassilis Stakias Shareholder of: AbbVie Inc., Employee of: AbbVie Inc., Ann Eldred Shareholder of: AbbVie Inc., Employee of: AbbVie Inc., Sandra Ciecinski Shareholder of: AbbVie Inc., Employee of: AbbVie Inc., Kevin Douglas Shareholder of: AbbVie Inc., Employee of: AbbVie Inc., Laura Coates Speakers bureau: AbbVie, Amgen, Biogen, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Galapagos, Gilead, Janssen, Medac, Novartis, Pfizer and UCB, Consultant of: AbbVie, Amgen, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol Myers Squibb, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Gilead, Galapagos, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer and UCB, Grant/research support from: AbbVie, Amgen, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Janssen, Novartis and Pfizer

POS1032 RISANKIZUMAB FOR ACTIVE PSORIATIC ARTHRITIS: INTEGRATED SUBGROUP ANALYSIS FROM 2 DOUBLE-BLIND, PLACEBO-CONTROLLED, PHASE 3 STUDIES (KEEPsAKE 1 AND KEEPsAKE 2)

Background

Risankizumab (RZB), a monoclonal antibody that specifically inhibits interleukin 23, is being investigated as a treatment for adults with psoriatic arthritis (PsA).

Objectives

We report the proportion of patients with active PsA treated with RZB vs placebo who achieved ≥20% improvement in American College of Rheumatology criteria (ACR20) by baseline demographics and by concomitant or prior medication use subgroups.

Methods

KEEPsAKE 1 (NCT03675308) and KEEPsAKE 2 (NCT03671148) are ongoing, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 studies. Patients with active PsA with an inadequate response or intolerance to conventional synthetic disease-modifying, anti-rheumatic drug (csDMARD; KEEPsAKE 1 and 2) and/or biologic therapy (KEEPsAKE 2) received RZB 150 mg or placebo (1:1). The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients achieving ≥20% improvement in ACR criteria (ACR20) at week 24.

Results

In KEEPsAKE 1 (RZB, n=483; placebo, n=481) and KEEPsAKE 2 (RZB, n=224; placebo, n=219), baseline demographics and characteristics were generally balanced between treatment groups. In this integrated analysis, a greater proportion of patients receiving RZB vs placebo achieved ACR20 at week 24, regardless of age (<65 years, ≥65 years, ≥65 to <75 years, ≥75 years), sex, body mass index (<25 kg/m2, ≥25 to <30 kg/m2, ≥30 kg/m2), race (White, non-White), PsA duration (≤5 years, >5 to ≤10 years, >10 years), baseline hs-CRP (<3 mg/L, ≥3 mg/L), concomitant csDMARD at baseline (any csDMARD, any methotrexate, none), or prior biologics use (yes, no). The proportion of RZB-treated patients who achieved ACR20 was generally similar across most assessed demographic or prior treatment subgroups. No new safety concerns were observed with RZB.

Conclusion

RZB demonstrates efficacy vs placebo for active PsA as shown by greater proportions of patients achieving ACR20 at week 24, regardless of baseline demographics, concomitant csDMARD use at baseline, or prior biologic use.

Acknowledgements

AbbVie Inc. participated in the study design; study research; collection, analysis, and interpretation of data; funded the research for this study. Medical writing assistance, funded by AbbVie, was provided by Alicia Salinero, PhD, of JB Ashtin.

Disclosure of Interests

Joseph F. Merola Consultant of: Amgen, Bristol-Myers Squibb, AbbVie, Dermavant, Eli Lilly, Novartis, Janssen, UCB, Sanofi, Regeneron, Sun Pharma, Biogen, Pfizer and Leo Pharma, Kristina Callis-Duffin Consultant of: Amgen/Celgene, AbbVie, Boehringer-Ingelheim, Bristol-Myers Squibb, CorEvitas, Janssen, Lilly, Novartis, and Pfizer, Grant/research support from: Amgen/Celgene, AbbVie, Boehringer-Ingelheim, CorEvitas, Lilly, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer, Byron Padilla Shareholder of: AbbVie Inc., Employee of: AbbVie Inc., Zhenyi Xue Shareholder of: AbbVie Inc., Employee of: AbbVie Inc., Huzefa Photowala Shareholder of: AbbVie Inc., Employee of: AbbVie Inc., Blair Kaplan Shareholder of: AbbVie Inc., Employee of: AbbVie Inc., Iain McInnes Consultant of: AbbVie, AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol Myers, Celgene, Janssen, Leo, Lilly, Novartis, Pfizer, and UCB, Grant/research support from: AbbVie, AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol Myers, Celgene, Janssen, Leo, Lilly, Novartis, Pfizer, and UCB

Saikosaponin D exerts antidepressant effect by regulating Homer1-mGluR5 and mTOR signaling in a rat model of chronic unpredictable mild stress

BACKGROUND

Many studies about depression have focused on the dysfunctional synaptic signaling in the hippocampus that drives the pathophysiology of depression. Radix Bupleuri has been used in China for over 2000 years to regulate liver-qi. Extracted from Radix Bupleuri, Saikosaponin D (SSD) is a pharmacologically active substance that has antidepressant effects. However, its underlying mechanism remains unknown.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) paradigm was used as a rat model of depression. SD rats were randomly assigned to a normal control (NC) group or one exposed to a CUMS paradigm. Of the latter group, rats were assigned to four subgroups: no treatment (CUMS), fluoxetine-treated (FLU), high-dose and low-dose SSD-treated (SSDH and SSDL). SSD was orally administrated of 1.50 mg/kg and 0.75 mg/kg/days for three weeks in the SSDH and SSDL groups, respectively. Fluoxetine was administrated at a dose of 2.0 mg/kg/days. SSD's antidepressant effects were assessed using the open field test, forced swim test, and sucrose preference test. Glutamate levels were quantified by ELISA. Western blot and immunochemical analyses were conducted to quantify proteins in the Homer protein homolog 1 (Homer1)-metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5) and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathways in the hippocampal CA1 region. To measure related gene expression, RT-qPCR was employed.

RESULTS

CUMS-exposed rats treated with SSD exhibited increases in food intake, body weight, and improvements in the time spent in the central are and total distance traveled in the OFT, and less pronounced pleasure-deprivation behaviors. SSD also decreased glutamate levels in CA1. In CA1 region of CUMS-exposed rats, SSD treatment increased mGluR5 expression while decreasing Homer1 expression. SSD also increased expressions of postsynaptic density protein 95 (PSD95) and synapsin I (SYP), and the ratios of p-mTOR/mTOR, p-p70S6k/p70S6k, and p-4E-BP1/4E-BP1 in the CA1 region in CUMS-exposed rats.

CONCLUSIONS

SSD treatment reduces glutamate levels in the CA1 region and promotes the expression of the synaptic proteins PSD-95 and SYP via the regulation of the Homer1-mGluR5 and downstream mTOR signaling pathways. These findings suggest that SSD could act as a natural neuroprotective agent in the prevention of depression.

[Establishment of artificial neural network model for predicting lymph node metastasis in patients with stage Ⅱ-Ⅲ gastric cancer]

Objective: To establish a neural network model for predicting lymph node metastasis in patients with stage II-III gastric cancer. Methods: Case inclusion criteria: (1) gastric adenocarcinoma diagnosed by pathology as stage II-III (the 8th edition of AJCC staging); (2) no distant metastasis of liver, lung and abdominal cavity in preoperative chest film, abdominal ultrasound and upper abdominal CT; (3) undergoing R0 resection. Case exclusion criteria: (1) receiving preoperative neoadjuvant chemotherapy or radiotherapy; (2) incomplete clinical data; (3) gastric stump cancer.Clinicopathological data of 1231 patients with stage II-III gastric cancer who underwent radical surgery at the Fujian Medical University Union Hospital from January 2010 to August 2014 were retrospectively analyzed. A total of 1035 patients with lymph node metastasis were confirmed after operation, and 196 patients had no lymph node metastasis. According to the postoperative pathologic staging. 416 patients (33.8%) were stage Ⅱ and 815 patients (66.2%) were stage III. Patients were randomly divided into training group (861/1231, 69.9%) and validation group (370/1231, 30.1%) to establish an artificial neural network model (N+-ANN) for the prediction of lymph node metastasis. Firstly, the Logistic univariate analysis method was used to retrospectively analyze the case samples of the training group, screen the variables affecting lymph node metastasis, determine the variable items of the input point of the artificial neural network, and then the multi-layer perceptron (MLP) to train N+-ANN. The input layer of N+-ANN was composed of the variables screened by Logistic univariate analysis. Artificial intelligence analyzed the status of lymph node metastasis according to the input data and compared it with the real value. The accuracy of the model was evaluated by drawing the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and obtaining the area under the curve (AUC). The ability of N+-ANN was evaluated by sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive values, negative predictive values, and AUC values. Results: There were no significant differences in baseline data between the training group and validation group (all P>0.05). Univariate analysis of the training group showed that preoperative platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR), preoperative systemic immune inflammation index (SII), tumor size, clinical N (cN) stage were closely related to postoperative lymph node metastasis. The N+-ANN was constructed based on the above variables as the input layer variables. In the training group, the accuracy of N+-ANN for predicting postoperative lymph node metastasis was 88.4% (761/861), the sensitivity was 98.9% (717/725), the specificity was 32.4% (44/136), the positive predictive value was 88.6% (717/809), the negative predictive value was 84.6% (44/52), and the AUC value was 0.748 (95%CI: 0.717-0.776). In the validation group, N+-ANN had a prediction accuracy of 88.4% (327/370) with a sensitivity of 99.7% (309/310), specificity of 30.0% (18/60), positive predictive value of 88.0% (309/351), negative predictive value of 94.7% (18/19), and an AUC of 0.717 (95%CI:0.668-0.763). According to the individualized lymph node metastasis probability output by N+-ANN, the cut-off values of 0-50%, >50%-75%, >75%-90% and >90%-100% were applied and patients were divided into N0 group, N1 group, N2 group and N3 group. The overall prediction accuracy of N+-ANN for pN staging in the training group and the validation group was 53.7% and 54.1% respectively, while the overall prediction accuracy of cN staging for pN staging in the training group and the validation group was 30.1% and 33.2% respectively, indicating that N+-ANN had a better prediction than cN stage. Conclusions: The N+-ANN constructed in this study can accurately predict postoperative lymph node metastasis in patients with stage Ⅱ-Ⅲ gastric cancer. The N+-ANN based on individualized lymph node metastasis probability has better accurate prediction for pN staging as compared to cN staging.

EPA and DHA differentially coordinate the crosstalk between host and gut microbiota and block DSS-induced colitis in mice by a reinforced colonic mucus barrier

Background: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the colon with a continuously remitting and relapsing course. Its etiology is closely related to abnormal interactions between host and gut microbiota. The mucus barrier lining the gastrointestinal tract is necessary to coordinate host and gut microbiota interaction by nourishing and modulating the microbiota. Differential effects of the anti-inflammatory fatty acids docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) on UC progression in mice were firstly addressed by our previous work; here, the mechanism for their respective effects were further uncovered from host-microbiome crosstalk based on mucus barrier modulation to pave the way for UC therapy. Methods: Assessment of the disease activity index and histopathology score was conducted in mice with dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis pre-treated with different doses of EPA and DHA. Mucin generation, glycosylation and secretion were evaluated by a combination of electron microscopy, specific mucous staining, and qPCR. Western blotting was used to analyze the underlying molecular events. Fecal short chain fatty acids were detected using gas chromatography, and the gut microbial composition was analyzed using 16S rRNA sequencing. Results: Compared with DHA, the more potent inhibitory effect of high dose EPA on DSS-induced colitis was reconfirmed, which was underlain by a reinforced mucus layer as indicated by increased mucin granule release, mucus layer stratification and markedly upregulated expression of the key modulators involved in goblet cell differentiation. In turn a remarkably enhanced mucus barrier in the EPA group functioned to modulate the gut microbiome, as demonstrated by the enriched abundance of the phylum Bacteroidetes and mucin-degrading bacterium Akkermansia muciniphila producing acetic and propionic acids. Conclusions: EPA and DHA differentially coordinate the interaction between the host and the gut microbiota and relieve mucus barrier disruption in DSS-induced colitis. EPA may develop into a promising adjunctive therapy for UC.

Extracellular Vesicles: Emerging Roles in Developing Therapeutic Approach and Delivery Tool of Chinese Herbal Medicine for the Treatment of Depressive Disorder

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are lipid bilayer-delimited particles released by cells, which play an essential role in intercellular communication by delivering cellular components including DNA, RNA, lipids, metabolites, cytoplasm, and cell surface proteins into recipient cells. EVs play a vital role in the pathogenesis of depression by transporting miRNA and effector molecules such as BDNF, IL34. Considering that some herbal therapies exhibit antidepressant effects, EVs might be a practical delivery approach for herbal medicine. Since EVs can cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB), one of the advantages of EV-mediated herbal drug delivery for treating depression with Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) is that EVs can transfer herbal medicine into the brain cells. This review focuses on discussing the roles of EVs in the pathophysiology of depression and outlines the emerging application of EVs in delivering CHM for the treatment of depression.

Effects of fructose from apple and honey on serum uric acid in young Chinese: Randomized crossover trials

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Overconsumption of drinks containing fructose increases the risk for hyperuricemia and gout. Comparative analysis evaluating the indicators of serum uric acid (SUA) load caused by natural food-derived fructose and pure fructose in sweeteners is lacking. We aimed to uncover the effect of fructose from apple and honey and pure fructose powder on the SUA concentration of healthy young Chinese individuals.

METHODS AND STUDY DESIGN

Two randomized crossover trials were performed. The participants were randomly assigned to consume apple or honey (test food) or pure fructose powder (reference food); one week later, the groups' dietary intervention was switched. Blood samples were collected at 0, 30, 60, and 120 min after meal to measure the SUA and blood glucose concentrations.

RESULTS

At 30 and 60 min, the SUA concentration in participants consuming apple or honey was lower than in those consuming fructose powder. At 120 min, the SUA concentration of participants consuming apple returned to baseline. The areas under the curve (AUC) within 2 h (2h- AUCs) of SUA exhibited the trend of fructose >honey >apple. The 2h-AUC ratio between test food and reference food was determined using the uric acid index to assess the efficiency of food-derived fructose in increasing the SUA concentration. The uric acid index of honey was higher than that of apple. Men had higher postprandial SUA concentration than women.

CONCLUSIONS

Food-derived fructose caused a lighter load on uric acid metabolism than pure fructose. Uric acid index can be useful for distinguishing fructose-containing foods.

Mechanism of berberine hydrochloride interfering with biofilm formation of Hafnia alvei

The mechanism of berberine hydrochloride (BBH) inhibiting the biofilm formation of Hafnia alvei was investigated in this study. The antibiofilm potential of BBH was evaluated by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) as well as crystal violet staining. The quorum-sensing (QS) inhibition was revealed by determination of QS-related genes expression and related signal molecules production using real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The binding of BBH to receptor proteins was simulated by molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations. It was found that BBH at sub-minimum inhibitory concentrations (sub-MICs) significantly reduced the biofilm formation of H. alvei in a dose dependent manner. BBH inhibited the bacterial swimming motility, decreased the transcription of halI and halR genes, and reduced the production of signal molecule C14-HSL. It bound to HalR protein mainly through Van der Waals force and electrostatic interaction force. Based on these results, it was concluded that BBH inhibits the biofilm formation of H. alvei and the mechanism is related to its interference with QS through down-regulating the expression of halI and halR genes.

Efficacy and safety of Xiaoyao pills for mild to moderate depression: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Depression is one of the most frequent and severe psychiatric conditions. Many chemical drugs to treat depression are associated with adverse reactions and have shortcomings. Traditional Chinese medicine is of great significance in the prevention and treatment of depression. Xiaoyao pills has achieved good results in clinical application, which has the advantages of quick effect and no obvious adverse reactions. The aim of our study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Xiaoyao pills on mild to moderate depression patients.

METHODS

This study is a multi-centre, double-blinded, randomized and placebo-controlled clinical trial. A total of 108 participants are assigned to three groups: Xiaoyao pill group taking Xiaoyao pills twice daily for 4 weeks, placebo group taking placebos twice daily for 4 weeks and normal group without taking any drug. The primary and secondary outcome measures are the Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD) and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Syndrome Scale. The assessment is at baseline (before treatment initiation), 1 week, 2 weeks 4 weeks after the first treatment. Exploratory outcome is also assessed to explore the mechanism of Xiaoyao pills at baseline and 4 weeks.

DISCUSSION

The results from this study will provide clinical evidence on the efficacy and safety of Xiaoyao pills in patients with mild to moderate depression with syndrome of liver stagnation and spleen deficiency.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov ISRCTN12746343. Registered on September 25, 2020.

Fabrication of a boron-doped nanocrystalline diamond grown on an WC–Co electrode for degradation of phenol

Cemented carbide (WC–Co) is applied as the substrate instead of conventional ones such as Si, Ti, and Nb, on which nanocrystalline BDD films are deposited by hot filament chemical vapor deposition. Then the WC–Co/BDD electrodes are investigated by Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM), Micro-Raman Spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), a four-point probe method, accelerated life test (ALT), and electrochemical analysis. According to the results, the BDD films deposited on the WC–Co substrate are highly uniform and pinhole-free with a grain size of 100 nm and a low compressive stress. The WC–Co/BDD electrode has a wide potential window of 3.8 V and low background currents in 0.5 mol L⁻¹ H₂SO₄ electrolytes and shows a quasi-reversible behavior in the K₃[Fe(CN)₆] redox system. The electrode has a service life of more than 400 h in the ALT with 3 mol L⁻¹ H₂SO₄ electrolytes at a constant current density of 1 A cm⁻². These electrochemical performances of BDD films on the WC–Co substrate is similar to or even slightly better than that on the commonly used substrates. Finally, phenol is used as a pollutant to test the activity of the WC–Co/BDD electrode. The results of replicated experiments show that the average COD reduces from the initial 5795 to 85 mg L⁻¹, and the average current efficiency is about 46%. This suggests that the WC–Co/BDD electrode has a good mineralization capacity in phenol with a high concentration.

WC–Co is applied as the substrate instead of conventional ones, on which nanocrystalline BDD films are deposited by HFCVD. WC–Co/BDD electrode like the standard BDD shows a wide potential window and a good mineralization capacity in phenol.

Pentagram-type Ln15 (Ln = Dy, Tb, Eu, Sm, Ho) clusters with different anion templates: magnetic and luminescence properties

Five pentagram-type Ln15 clusters with different anion templates were obtained. The pentagonal skeleton is composed of five cubane-like [Ln4(μ3-OH)4] building units. The magnetic properties and the luminescence behavior were investigated.

BI-1 ameliorates myocardial injury by activating the mitochondrial unfolded protein response and FUNDC1-related mitophagy in cardiorenal syndrome type 3

It has been suggested that mitochondrial dysfunction underlies the myocardial injury seen following cardiorenal syndrome type 3 (CRS-3). Both mitophagy and the mitochondrial unfolded protein response (UPR^mt) are protective programs that preserve mitochondrial homeostasis. Here, we explored whether Bax inhibitor-1 (BI-1) overexpression attenuates CRS-3-related myocardial injury through activation of mitophagy and the UPR^mt in cardiomyocytes. Following CRS-3 induction via renal ischemia-reperfusion injury, BI-1 transgenic (BI1^TG) mice showed greater preservation of myocardial integrity and relaxation function and less cardiomyocyte apoptosis than wild-type (WT) mice. Moreover, BI-1 overexpression attenuated CRS-3-mediated myocardial inflammation, as indicated by decreased MCP-1 and IL-6 expression and normalized ATP production in cardiomyocytes. After CRS-3 induction, mitophagy was inhibited in cardiomyocytes from WT mice, as indicated by both decreased Fundc1 transcription and mt-Keima fluorescence, and modest activation of the UPR^mt, denoted by a slight increase in Atf6 mRNA levels. By contrast, activation of mitophagy and marked UPR^mt upregulation were observed in cardiac tissue from BI1^TG mice. shRNA-mediated silencing of Fundc1 or Atf6 greatly impaired mitochondrial metabolism and survival in cultured cardiomyocytes overexpressing BI-1. Thus, upregulation of BI-1 expression aimed at activating mitophagy and the UPR^mt may represent a useful therapeutic approach for the treatment of CRS-3.

Antidepressant Mechanism of Traditional Chinese Medicine Formula Xiaoyaosan in CUMS-Induced Depressed Mouse Model via RIPK1-RIPK3-MLKL Mediated Necroptosis Based on Network Pharmacology Analysis

Background: Depression is a stress-related disorder that seriously threatens people's physical and mental health. Xiaoyaosan is a classical traditional Chinese medicine formula, which has been used to treat mental depression since ancient times. More and more notice has been given to the relationship between the occurrence of necroptosis and the pathogenesis of mental disorders. Objective: The purpose of present study is to explore the potential mechanism of Xiaoyaosan for the treatment of depression using network pharmacology and experimental research, and identify the potential targets of necroptosis underlying the antidepressant mechanism of Xiaoyaosan. Methods: The mice model of depression was induced by chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) for 6 weeks. Adult C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into five groups, including control group, chronic unpredictable mild stress group, Xiaoyaosan treatment group, necrostatin-1 (Nec-1) group and solvent group. Drug intervention performed from 4^th to 6^th week of modeling. The mice in Xiaoyaosan treatment group received Xiaoyaosan by intragastric administration (0.254 g/kg/d), and mice in CUMS group received 0.5 ml physiological saline. Meanwhile, the mice in Nec-1 group were injected intraperitoneally (i.p.) with Nec-1 (10 mg/kg/d), and the equivalent volume of DMSO/PBS (8.3%) was injected into solvent group mice. The behavior tests such as sucrose preference test, forced swimming test and novelty-suppressed feeding test were measured to evaluate depressive-like behaviors of model mice. Then, the active ingredients in Xiaoyaosan and the related targets of depression and necroptosis were compiled through appropriate databases, while the "botanical drugs-active ingredients-target genes" network was constructed by network pharmacology analysis. The expressions of RIPK1, RIPK3, MLKL, p-MLKL were detected as critical target genes of necroptosis and the potential therapeutic target compounds of Xiaoyaosan. Furthermore, the levels of neuroinflammation and microglial activation of hippocampus were measured by detecting the expressions of IL-1β, Lipocalin-2 and IBA1, and the hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) stained was used to observe the morphology in hippocampus sections. Results: After 6-weeks of modeling, the behavioral data showed that mice in CUMS group and solvent group had obvious depressive-like behaviors, and the medication of Xiaoyaosan or Nec-1 could improve these behavioral changes. A total of 96 active ingredients in Xiaoyaosan which could regulate the 23 key target genes were selected from databases. Xiaoyaosan could alleviate the core target genes in necroptosis and improve the hippocampal function and neuroinflammation in depressed mice. Conclusion: The activation of necroptosis existed in the hippocampus of CUMS-induced mice, which was closely related to the pathogenesis of depression. The antidepressant mechanism of Xiaoyaosan included the regulation of multiple targets in necroptosis. It also suggested that necroptosis could be a new potential target for the treatment of depression.

The utility of combined neuroendoscopic- and laparoscopic-assisted ventriculo- peritoneal shunt as a treatment for patients with communicating hydrocephalus

BACKGROUND:

Ventriculo-peritoneal shunt (VPS) is one of the routine methods used to treat communicating hydrocephalus.

OBJECTIVE:

To sum up the clinical effectiveness of ventriculo-peritoneal shunt (VPS), assisted with neuroendoscopy and laparoscopy, for the treatment of patients with communicating hydrocephalus.

METHODS:

From January 2010 to 2014, we performed VPS surgery on 209 patients with communicating hydrocephalus, using neuroendoscopy and laparoscopy, which helped to implant the shunt catheter in a suitable position in the ventricles and abdominal cavity, respectively. The subsequent survival following the surgery was analyzed using Kaplan-Meier analysis.

RESULTS:

A total of 209 patients received 255 VPSs or revisions and all the operations were successfully completed. Open operation or oraniotomy was not needed for any technical complications, while 46 revisions were performed. After the operations, 203 patients with communicating hydrocephalus exhibited improvement of symptoms following surgery. The follow-up period ranged from one month to four years; the shunt surgery efficiencies were 91.0%, 86.7%, 83.9%, and 82.0% in the first, second, third, and fourth years, respectively.

CONCLUSION:

For ventriculo-peritoneal shunt, laparoscopy and neuroendoscopy can help to implant shunt catheter in a suitable position, in the ventricles or abdominal cavity, respectively. Hence, the combination of the two techniques can reduce the failure rate of VPS, and has an obvious impact on survival following the surgery.

MVGAN: Multi-View Graph Attention Network for Social Event Detection

Social networks are critical sources for event detection thanks to the characteristics of publicity and dissemination. Unfortunately, the randomness and semantic sparsity of the social network text bring significant challenges to the event detection task. In addition to text, time is another vital element in reflecting events since events are often followed for a while. Therefore, in this article, we propose a novel method named Multi-View Graph Attention Network (MVGAN) for event detection in social networks. It enriches event semantics through both neighbor aggregation and multi-view fusion in a heterogeneous social event graph. Specifically, we first construct a heterogeneous graph by adding the hashtag to associate the isolated short texts and describe events comprehensively. Then, we learn view-specific representations of events through graph convolutional networks from the perspectives of text semantics and time distribution, respectively. Finally, we design a hashtag-based multi-view graph attention mechanism to capture the intrinsic interaction across different views and integrate the feature representations to discover events. Extensive experiments on public benchmark datasets demonstrate that MVGAN performs favorably against many state-of-the-art social network event detection algorithms. It also proves that more meaningful signals can contribute to improving the event detection effect in social networks, such as published time and hashtags.

The Diagnostic Value of Conventional MRI and CT Features in the Identification of the IDH1-Mutant and 1p/19q Co-Deletion in WHO Grade II Gliomas

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES

The classification of patients based on pathology and molecular features is important for improving WHO grade II glioma patient prognosis, especially for the initially diagnosed patients. Less invasive and more convenient methods for the prediction of the pathological type and gene status are desired.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This study investigates the ability to use conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) features for determining the Isocitrate Dehydrogenase (IDH)-mutant and 1p/19q-codeletion status, through a retrospective review of information obtained from 189 WHO grade II glioma patients. Diffuse astrocytoma (IDH-mutant), Diffuse astrocytoma (IDH- wildtype) and Oligodendroglioma (IDH-mutant and 1p/19q co-deletion) were included in this cohort. All patients were divided into IDH-mutant group and IDH-wildtype group according to the IDH R132H mutation status. Moreover, all patients were divided into 1p/19q co-deletion group and 1p/19q non-codeletion group according to the 1p and 19q chromosome status. Patients underwent pre-operative CT and MRI scans, followed by operation and histopathological analyses, including immunohistochemistry and polymerase chain reaction analysis for IDH mutants, and fluorescence capillary electrophoresis analysis for the 1p/19q co-deletion. The χ² test, logistical regression and receiver operating characteristic curve analysis were conducted for statistical analysis.

RESULTS

IDH-mutant group patients exhibited a higher calcification frequency (25.2% vs 2.4%, p = 0.006) and lower frequency of T1 enhancement (20.4% vs 38.1%, p = 0.028) comparing patients in IDH-wildtype group, while 1p/19q co-deletion group patients exhibited a higher calcification frequency (46.67% vs 2.6%, p < 0.001) and lower homogenous signal frequency in T2WI (12.0% vs 31.6%, p = 0.014), sharp lesion margins (14.7% vs 43.0%, p = 0.010), T2/fluid attenuated inversion recovery mismatch signs (22.7% vs 50.9%, p = 0.001), and subventricular zone involvement (64.0% vs 15.8%, p = 0.021) comparing patients in 1p/19q non-codeletion group. According to the results of receiver operating characteristic analysis, these features were observed to have certain diagnostic abilities, especially with regard to combination parameters, which had a high diagnostic capability, with an area under the curve of 0.848.

CONCLUSION

Conventional MRI and CT features, which still represent the most convenient and widely used predictive method, might be a promising noninvasive predictor for differentiating between varied WHO grade II gliomas. Patients with calcification and T1 nonenhancement are more likely to be IDH-mutant. Moreover, patients with noncalcification, homogenous signal, sharp lesion margins, subventricular zone involvement on T2 and T2/fluid attenuated inversion recovery mismatch signs are more likely to be 1p/19q non-codeletion.

Isorhapontigenin ameliorates cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury via modulating Kinase Cε/Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway

BACKGROUND

Isorhapontigenin (ISO) has been shown to have antioxidant activity. This study aimed to investigate the antioxidant effects of ISO on cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury and its possible molecular mechanisms.

METHODS

Focal cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury (MCAO/R) model and primary cortical neurons were established an oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD / R) injury model. After 24 hr of reperfusion, the neurological deficits of the rats were analyzed and HE staining was performed, and the infarct volume was calculated by TTC staining. In addition, the reactive oxygen species (ROS) in rat brain tissue, the content of 4-Hydroxynonenal (4-HNE), and 8-hydroxy2deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) were detected. Neuronal cell viability was determined by MTT assay. Western blot analysis was determined for protein expression.

RESULTS

ISO treatment significantly improved neurological scores, reduced infarct volume, necrotic neurons, ROS production, 4-HNE, and 8-OHdG levels. At the same time, ISO significantly increased the expression of Nrf2 and HO-1. The neuroprotective effects of ISO can be eliminated by knocking down Nrf2 and HO-1. In addition, knockdown of the PKCε blocked ISO-induced nuclear Nfr2, HO-1 expression.

CONCLUSION

ISO protected against oxidative damage induced by brain I/R, and its neuroprotective mechanism may be related to the PKCε/Nrf2/HO-1 pathway.

Effects of oregano essential oil as an antibiotic growth promoter alternative on growth performance, antioxidant status, and intestinal health of broilers

This experiment was conducted to assess the comparative effects of dietary antibiotics and oregano essential oil (OEO) addition on growth performance, antioxidant status and intestinal health of broilers. A total of 384 one-day-old broilers were randomly allocated to 4 treatments with 6 replicates of 16 broilers each. The 4 treatments were: an antibiotic-free control diet (control), control + 20 mg/kg colistin sulfate and 20 mg/kg virginiamycin (antibiotics), control + 200 mg/kg natural oregano essential oil (NOEO), and control + 200 mg/kg synthetic oregano essential oil (SOEO). The experiment lasted for 42 d. Results showed that birds fed with OEO had greater (P < 0.05) average daily gain (ADG) and lower (P < 0.05) feed conversion ratio (FCR) than those fed with control diet during d 1 to 21. Besides, birds fed with NOEO had the greatest (P < 0.05) ADG in the four groups during d 22 to 42. The serum oxidative stress parameters showed that OEO improved (P < 0.05) the activities of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione reductase (GR) of birds on day 21 and the activity of total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) of birds on d 42. Relative to control, NOEO increased (P < 0.05) the activity of T-AOC in jejunum and decreased (P < 0.05) the level of malondialdehyde (MDA) in serum and jejunum. Moreover, OEO supplementation increased (P < 0.05) the concentrations of sIgA in duodenum and jejunum, Lactobacillus and total anaerobes in cecum, as well as activities of trypsin, chymotrypsin, lipase and amylase in duodenum, but restrained (P < 0.05) the amount of Escherichia coli. The NOEO supplementation increased (P < 0.05) total anaerobes of broilers on d 42 and the villus height to crypt depth ratio (VH/CD) of ileum. These results suggest that OEO improved antioxidant status and intestinal health of broilers which contributed to the growth performance improvement of broilers. Dietary OEO supplementation can be a promising alternative to antibiotic growth promoters for improving poultry production.

Differential effects of EPA and DHA on DSS-induced colitis in mice and possible mechanisms involved

BACKGROUND

The anti-inflammatory effect of n-3 PUFAs has been widely documented. Emerging evidence suggests that the main component of n-3 PUFAs, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), may have differential effects in ulcerative colitis (UC). It was aimed to clarify their differential effects in UC.

METHODS

Eight-week-old male C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into 7 groups, namely control, UC model, salicylazosulfapyridine (SASP), low-dose DHA, high-dose DHA, low-dose EPA, and high-dose EPA. DHA, EPA and SASP treatment groups were orally treated accordingly for 9 weeks. During the 5th to 9th week the control group was given distilled water, while other groups were given distilled water with 2% dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) to induce UC. Body weight loss, diarrhea, and stool bleeding were recorded to calculate the disease activity index (DAI). The level of tight junction proteins Claudin-1 and Occludin, and cytokines including TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β as well as inflammatory cell markers such as MPO, F4/80, and MCP-1 in the intestinal epithelium were measured using western blotting. Activation of IL-6/STAT3 and NLRP3/IL-1β inflammatory pathways was also assessed. Levels of proliferation-related proteins of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway with c-myc, Cyclin-D1, and PCNA were detected.

RESULTS

EPA, superior to DHA, significantly attenuated DSS-induced colitis evidenced by reduced DAI scores, cytokine production and inflammatory cell infiltration. Mechanically, EPA triggered a marked up-regulation of Claudin-1 and Occludin with down-regulation of their up-stream Akt and ERK. EPA also inhibited NLRP3/IL-1β and IL-6/STAT3 inflammatory pathways and up-regulated the Wnt/β-catenin pathway.

CONCLUSIONS

EPA is more suitable to be used for the treatment of UC than DHA.

AB0343 THE CHARACTERISTICS OF T CELLS IN SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS PATIENTS WITH ANXIETY BASED ON MACHINE LEARNING

Background:

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease, the immune system of patients to be disordered, especially in T cell subsets1. They were prone to mental diseases, anxiety particularly, which lead to suicide2. The recent study had reported that CD4+ T cells in the peripheral blood played the key role in like anxiety behavior of mice3. Although there showed that the level of serum TNF-α in SLE patients with anxiety was higher than without anxiety4, finding the important special mediators especially in T cell subsets was still necessary for the prevention of anxiety in SLE patients.

Objectives:

In total, 108 SLE patients, which met the diagnostic criteria of the American Society of rheumatology (v1997), were enrolled in this study from Affilliated Hospital of Nantong University, China. Exclusion criteria included other autoimmune diseases and active infection (including hepatitis B or C virus, Epstein-Barr virus, human immunodeficiency virus or Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection).

Methods:

We surveyed the abundance of 74 immune cell subpopulations from 108 SLE patients using flow cytometry, and investigated their differences between patients with and without anxiety (24 versus 84). Moreover, machine learning including Lasso regression, Random forest (RF) and Sparsity partial least squares discriminant analysis (sPLS-DA) was employed to build models and futher selected important features for the classification of SLE patients with anxiety.

Results:

SLE patients with anxiety showed higher body mass index (BMI) and lower quality of life. In their peripheral blood, the proportion of internal cell subsets composition of Th cell and Treg cells changed. By machine learning, we finally found that BMI and PD1-CD28- Treg played important rules to developing lupus anxiety.

Conclusion:

In this study, machine learning was applied to build models to select the most important T cell subset in SLE patients with anxiety. These findings suggested that BMI and imbalance of PD1-CD28- Treg containing effector memory Treg cells and effector Treg cells mostly played important roles in the development of SLE anxiety.

Disclosure of Interests:

None declared

POS0787 BERBERINE MODULATE LUPUS SYNDROME VIA THE REGULATION OF GUT MICROBIOTA IN MRL/LPR MICE

Background:

Intestinal flora disorder and immune abnormalities have been reported in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients1,2. Berberine (BBR) showed significant effects in regulating the intestinal flora, repairing gut barriers and regulating immune cells3,4. While few reports mentioned the abnormal gut microbiota and metabolites in Chinese SLE patients.

Objectives:

Our investigation tried to illustrate the relationship between gut microbiota, intestinal metabolites and disease activity in Chinese SLE patients. And the effect of BBR to intestinal dysbacteriosis, multiple organ damages and over-activated immune system in MRL/Lpr mice.

Methods:

16S high-throughput (16S rRNA) sequence, qRT-PCR and gas chromatography technology were used to determine the gut microbiota and metabolites in 104 SLE patients from Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, China. BBR was orally treated to the MRL/Lpr mice in low, medium and high doses. After 6 weeks treatment, mice were sacrificed. Serum, faeces and organs were collected for further studies.

Results:

Chinese SLE patients showed higher abundance of Bacteroidetes and lower abundance of Firmcutes. The results of qRT-PCR showed high Firmcutes/Bacteroidetes (F/B) ratio of SLE patients. The F/B ratio was negative correlated with SLE disease activity index (SLEDA) score. Almost all the tested short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) found statistically significant results in SLE and LN (lupus nephritis) patients, especially the propanoic acid and butyric. BBR altered the relative abundance of Bacteroides and Verrucomicrobia and the butyric acid content in colon of MRL/Lpr mice. The increase of tight junction protein also indicated the gut barrier was repaired by BBR. Treg and Tfr cells in spleen and mesenteric lymph node (MLN) were increased. These results revealed a positive therapeutic effect of berberine on SLE from gut microbiota to immune status.

Conclusion:

Our study highlights current status of intestinal dysbacteriosis in Chinese patients with SLE and differences in intestinal metabolites among patients with different disease states. The regulation of intestinal flora and the repairment of gut barrier by intestinal metabolites in BBR treated mice seemed to be the factor that directed the immune responses and disease outcomes. The ultimate goal of our study was to determine the beneficial effects of regulating the gut microbiota on the treatment of SLE. The application of berberine is a relatively safe and convenient way. In the coming investigations, we plan to focus on the study of berberine and its metabolites on intestinal function and systemic immunity.

References:

[1]Guo, M. et al. Alteration in gut microbiota is associated with dysregulation of cytokines and glucocorticoid therapy in systemic lupus erythematosus. Gut microbes11, 1758-1773, doi:10.1080/19490976.2020.1768644 (2020).

[2]Mu, Q. et al. Control of lupus nephritis by changes of gut microbiota. Microbiome5, 73, doi:10.1186/s40168-017-0300-8 (2017).

[3]Habtemariam, S. Berberine pharmacology and the gut microbiota: A hidden therapeutic link. Pharmacological research155, 104722, doi:10.1016/j.phrs.2020.104722 (2020).

[4]Cui, H. et al. Berberine Regulates Treg/Th17 Balance to Treat Ulcerative Colitis Through Modulating the Gut Microbiota in the Colon. Frontiers in pharmacology9, 571, doi:10.3389/fphar.2018.00571 (2018).

Figure 1.

Disclosure of Interests:

None declared

POS0761 INVESTIGATION ON THE EFFECT AND MECHANISM OF ABNORMALLY ACTIVATED CD8+ T CELLS FROM BONE MARROW ON HEMATOPOIETIC STEM CELLS IN PATIENTS WITH SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS

Background:

SLE is an autoimmune disease characterized by the abnormal function of lymphocytes. The impairment of hematopoietic function of bone marrow participates in its pathogenesis, in which T cells play an important role. However, study on bone marrow T cells in SLE patients is very limited.

Objectives:

This study aims to characterize the phenotype and molecular characteristics of abnormally activated CD8+T cells in bone marrow of SLE patients and explore the mechanism of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) reduction caused by the abnormally activated CD8+T cells in bone marrow of patients with SLE.

Methods:

A total of 8 SLE patients and 5 age- and sex-matched controls were recruited in our study. Among them, 3 SLE patients and 4 donors were collected bone marrow and peripheral blood samples for Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) and functional studies. BM and peripheral T cell subsets were measured by flow cytometry. Plasma cytokines and secreted immunoglobulins were detected by Luminex. Disease activity of SLE patients was measured using the SLE Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI). All analyses were performed using R language and Flowjo 9.

Results:

In the present study, SLE patients had increased CD8+T%αβT cells and decreased CD4+T%αβT cells in bone marrow of SLE, compared to healthy controls. A large number of CD38+HLADR+CD8+T cells existed in the bone marrow and peripheral blood of SLE patients. Those patients also showed reduced number of HSCs, and with a downward trend of the numbers of peripheral red blood cells, white blood cells, neutrophils, hemoglobin, and platelets. By scRNA-seq, the CD38+HLADR+CD8+T cells contained high levels of GZMK, GZMA, PRF1, IFNG, and TNF in the bone marrow of SLE patients. the CD38+HLADR+CD8+T cells exhibited significant relationship with HSCs, white blood cells, neutrophils, and platelets.

Conclusion:

These findings demonstrated that the abnormally activated CD8+T cells in bone marrow can reduce the number of HSCs by the expression of killer molecules, which contributes to the impairment of hematopoietic function and the development of SLE. This project focuses on the specific bone marrow T cell subset in SLE. The completement of this project provides information for exploring the mechanism of hematopoiesis involvement.

References:

[1]Anderson E, Shah B, Davidson A, Furie R. Lessons learned from bone marrow failure in systemic lupus erythematosus: Case reports and review of the literature. Semin Arthritis Rheum. 2018;48(1):90-104.

[2]Sun LY, Zhou KX, Feng XB, Zhang HY, Ding XQ, Jin O, Lu LW, Lau CS, Hou YY, Fan LM. Abnormal surface markers expression on bone marrow CD34+cells and correlation with disease activity in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. Clin Rheumatol. 2007;26(12):2073-2079.

Acknowledgements:

We want to thank Lu Meng, Teng Li, Wei Zhou, and Jiaxin Guo for their assistance with this study.

Disclosure of Interests:

None declared

PPARγ: The Central Mucus Barrier Coordinator in Ulcerative Colitis

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an idiopathic, long-term inflammatory disorder of the colon, characterized by a continuous remitting and relapsing course. The intestinal mucus barrier is the first line at the interface between the host and microbiota and acts to protect intestinal epithelial cells from invasion. Data from patients and animal studies have shown that an impaired mucus barrier is closely related to the severity of UC. Depletion of the mucus barrier is not just the strongest but is also the only independent risk factor predicting relapse in patients with UC. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ), a nuclear transcription regulator, is involved in the regulation of inflammatory cytokine expression. It is also known to promote mucus secretion under pathological conditions to expel pathogenic bacteria or toxins. More important, PPARγ has been shown to affect host-microbiota interactions by modulating the energy metabolism of colonocytes and the oxygen availability of the intestinal microbiome. It is well known that gut microbiota homeostasis is essential for butyrate generation by the commensal bacteria to supply energy resources for colonocytes. Therefore, it can be speculated that PPARγ, as a central coordinator of the mucus barrier, may be a promising target for the development of effective agents to combat UC.

Influence of progestational stress on BDNF and NMDARs in the hippocampus of male offspring and amelioration by Chaihu Shugan San

BACKGROUND

Progestational stress has been proven to be a risk for the neural development of offspring, especially in the hippocampus. However, whether Chaihu Shugan San (CSS) can ameliorate hippocampal neural development via the regulation of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDAR) 2A (NR2A) and 2B (NR2B), and the mechanism of such action remains unclear.

METHODS

Thirty-six female rats were randomly allocated into control, chronic immobilization stress (CIS) and CSS groups according to the random number table, respectively. The male offspring were fed for 21 days after birth then randomly divided into the same three groups (6 rats/group) as the female rats. Female rats, except for the control group, underwent 21-day CIS to established a progestational stress anxiety-like model which was evaluated by body weight, the elevated plus-maze (EPM) test and serum dopamine (DA) measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The expression levels of estrogen receptors (ERα/ERβ) and progesterone receptor (PR) in female rat ovaries were quantified by real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and Western blot analysis. The hippocampal tissue in the 21-day offspring was observed by hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining. The concentration of BDNF, NR2A, and NR2B were measured by RT-qPCR and immunohistochemistry in the CA3 and dentate gyrus (DG) regions of offsprings' hippocampus.

RESULTS

Compared with the female control group, significant differences in body weight, EPM test and DA concentration were observed in the CIS group, meanwhile, the concentration of ERα (P < 0.05), PR (P < 0.05) and ERβ in the ovaries were decreased. In the offsprings' hippocampus of the CIS group, the chromatin of the nucleus was edge set and with condensed and irregular morphology nucleus, and the cytoplasm was unevenly stained with spaces around the cells, moreover, the expression levels of BDNF, NR2A, and NR2B were also declined (P < 0.05). However, Chaihu Shugan San reversed these changes, especially the BDNF in the DG region (P < 0.05), and NR2A and NR2B in the CA3 and DG region (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

CSS could ameliorate the neural development of the hippocampus in offspring damaged by anxiety-like progestational stress in female rats via regulating the expression levels of ERα, ERβ, and PR in female rat ovaries and BDNF, NR2A, and NR2B in the hippocampus of their offspring.