Recent Progress in Mass Spectrometry-Based Single-Cell Metabolic Analysis

Single-cell analysis enables the measurement of biomolecules at the level of individual cells, facilitating in-depth investigations into cellular heterogeneity and precise interpretation of the related biological mechanisms. Among these biomolecules, cellular metabolites exhibit remarkable sensitivity to environmental and biochemical changes, unveiling a hidden world underlying cellular heterogeneity and allowing for the determination of cell physiological states. However, the metabolic analysis of single cells is challenging due to the extremely low concentrations, substantial content variations, and rapid turnover rates of cellular metabolites. Mass spectrometry (MS), characterized by its high sensitivity, wide dynamic range, and excellent selectivity, is employed in single-cell metabolic analysis. This review focuses on recent advances and applications of MS-based single-cell metabolic analysis, encompassing three key steps of single-cell isolation, detection, and application. It is anticipated that MS will bring profound implications in biomedical practices, serving as advanced tools to depict the single-cell metabolic landscape.

Enabling Uniform and Stable Lithium-Ion Diffusion at the Ultrathin Artificial Solid-Electrolyte Interface in Siloxene Anodes

Constructing a stable and robust solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) has a decisive influence on the charge/discharge kinetics of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), especially for silicon-based anodes which generate repeated destruction and regeneration of unstable SEI films. Herein, a facile way is proposed to fabricate an artificial SEI layer composed of lithiophilic chitosan on the surface of two-dimensional siloxene, which has aroused wide attention as an advanced anode for LIBs due to its special characteristics. The optimized chitosan-modified siloxene anode exhibits an excellent reversible cyclic stability of about 672.6 mAh g-1 at a current density of 1000 mA g-1 after 200 cycles and 139.9 mAh g-1 at 6000 mA g-1 for 1200 cycles. Further investigation shows that a stable and LiF-rich SEI film is formed and can effectively adhere to the surface during cycling, redistribute lithium-ion flux, and enable a relatively homogenous lithium-ion diffusion. This work provides constructive guidance for interface engineering strategy of nano-structured silicon anodes.

N-Terminalized Ti3 C2 Tx MXene for Supercapacitor with Extraordinary Pseudocapacitance Performance

MXenes have demonstrated significant potential in electrochemical energy storage, particularly in supercapacitors, owing to their exceptional properties. The surface terminal groups of MXene play a pivotal role in pseudocapacitive mechanism. Considering the hindered electrolyte ion transport caused by -F terminal groups and the limited ion binding sites associated with -O terminal groups, this study proposes a novel strategy of replacing -F with -N terminal groups. The modulated MXene-N electrode, featuring a substantial number of -N terminal groups, demonstrates an exceptionally high gravimetric capacitance of 566 F g-1 (at a scan rate of 2 mV s-1 ) or 588 F g-1 (at a discharge rate of 1 A g-1 ) in 1 м H2 SO4 electrolyte, and the potential window is significantly increased. Furthermore, subsequent spectra analysis and density functional theory calculations are employed to investigate the mechanism associated with -N terminal groups. This work exemplifies the significance of terminal modulation in the context of electrochemical energy storage.

Hypoglycemic Effect of Edible Fungi Polysaccharides Depends on Their Metabolites from the Fermentation of Human Fecal Microbiota

Edible fungi polysaccharides are widely sourced and have various physiological activities, including hypoglycemic. Current studies mainly focus on the hypoglycemic activity of polysaccharides themselves, while the strength of the hypoglycemic activity of edible fungi polysaccharides from different sources remained elusive. This study compared the hypoglycemic activity of different edible fungi polysaccharides after in vitro fermentation by fecal bacteria, combined with non-targeted metabolomics and 16S rDNA analysis, to screen out potential key metabolites related to the hypoglycemic activity. The results show that the fermentation supernatants of all four edible fungi polysaccharides significantly increased the glucose consumption and glycogen synthesis of IR-HepG2, also up-regulated the level of hexokinase and down-regulated the level of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase. All fermentation supernatants could alleviate the insulin resistance of IR-HepG2 cells by regulating the expression levels of genes related to the IRS-1/PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Gingerglycolipid A, sphinganine 1-phosphate, matricin, tricarballylic acid, N-carbamoylputrescine, nomega-acetylhistamine, tyramine, and benzamide could be considered as potential key metabolites to evaluate the hypoglycemic effects. Their levels were strongly positively correlated with the abundance of Candidatus_Stoquefichu, Faecalibacterium, Coprococcus, Bacteroides, Eubacterium_ventriosum_group, Anaerostipes, Parabacteroides, and Agathobacter. These metabolites and microorganisms are closely related to the hypoglycemic activity of edible fungi polysaccharides.

Atherosclerotic Autoantigen ALDH4A1 as a Novel Immunological Indicator for Plaque Erosion in Patients with ST Segment Elevated Myocardial Infarction

OBJECTIVE

 Aldehyde dehydrogenase 4A1 (ALDH4A1) was recently reported to be a novel autoantigen of atherosclerosis. However, its role in different phenotypes of acute coronary syndrome remains unclear. Herein, we planned to explore the circulating and regional expression of ALDH4A1 in patients with plaque rupture (PR) and plaque erosion (PE) determined by optical coherence tomography (OCT).

METHODS AND RESULTS

 After applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, a prospective series of 312 patients with ST segment elevated myocardial infarction (STEMI), including 161 patients with PR and 151 patients with PE determined by OCT, were enrolled for plasma ALDH4A1 testing. In addition, ALDH4A1 was quantified using immunofluorescence in aspirated coronary thrombus samples obtained from 31 patients with PR and 25 patients with PE. In addition, we established an atherosclerosis mouse model and analyzed the distribution of ALDH4A1 expression in different mouse organs. Furthermore, we compared the level of ALDH4A1 in the spleen and carotid artery between Apoe-/- and C57 mice. The results showed that the plasma level of ALDH4A1 was significantly higher in STEMI patients with PE than in those with PR (4.6 ng/mL [2.2-8.7] vs. 3.5 ng/mL [1.6-5.6] p = 0.005). The expression of ALDH4A1 in aspirated coronary thrombi was also significantly higher in patients with PE than in those with PR (mean gray value: 32.0 [23.6-40.6] vs. 16.8 [14.0-24.5], p < 0.001). In animal models, the expression of ALDH4A1 is much higher in the spleen than in other organs, and the level of ALDH4A1 is significantly elevated in the spleen and carotid artery of Apoe-/- mice compared with C57 mice.

CONCLUSION

 The high levels of ALDH4A1 in the plasma and aspirated coronary thrombi independently correlated with PE in patients with STEMI. These results suggested that ALDH4A1 is involved in the mechanism of PE and serves as a promising biomarker and treatment target for patients with PE.

Water Extract of Portulaca Oleracea Inhibits PEDV Infection-Induced Pyrolysis by Caspase-1/GSDMD

Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) belongs to the coronavirus family and the coronavirus genus, causing contact enteric infection in pigs. It is one of the most serious diseases that threatens the pig industry. However, there is currently no specific drug to prevent and treat the disease, indicating that we need to be vigilant about the spread of the disease and the development of anti-PEDV drugs. The dried aerial parts of the plant Portulaca oleracea in the family Portulacaceous, whose decoction can be used to treat acute enteritis, dysentery, diarrhea, and other diseases. This study explored the potential mechanism of water extract of Portulaca oleracea (WEPO) in PEDV-induced pyroptosis in Vero cells. PEDV decreased the viability of Vero cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner, causing cell damage, upregulating the level of intracellular Nlrp3, and inhibiting the level of Gasdermin D (GSDMD) and the activation of Caspase-1. WEPO can inhibit PEDV-induced pyroptosis, reduce the elevation of inflammatory factors caused by infection, and exhibit a dose-dependent effect. Knockdown of Caspase-1 and GSDMD separately can induce the production of the inflammatory factor IL-1β to significantly decrease and increase, respectively. These results suggest that WEPO can inhibit cell pyroptosis caused by PEDV and that the Caspase-1 and GSDMD pathways play an important role in this process.

Immune escape of SARS-CoV-2 variants to therapeutic monoclonal antibodies: a system review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Omicron's high transmissibility and variability present new difficulties for COVID-19 vaccination prevention and therapy. In this article, we analyzed the sensitivity of vaccine-induced antibodies as well as the effect of booster vaccinations against Omicron sublineages.

METHODS

We looked for Randomized Controlled Trials and cohort studies that reported the COVID-19 vaccines against Omicron sublineages up to 28 July 2022 through PubMed, the Cochrane Library, EMBASE, and Web of Science. Quantitative synthesis was carried out using Stata 16.0 and RevMa5.3, then the serum NT50 and antibody sensitivity to neutralize Omicron sublineages were assessed before and after booster vaccination. This study was registered with PROSPERO number CRD42022350477.

RESULTS

This meta-analysis included 2138 patients from 20 studies, and the booster vaccination against Omicron sublineages showed a significant difference compared to 2 dosage: BA.1/BA.1.1 (SMD = 0.80, 95% CI: 0.75-0.85, P = 0.00), BA.2/BA.2.12.1 (SMD = 0.77, 95% CI: 0.69-0.85, P = 0.00), BA.3 (SMD = 0.91, 95% CI: 0.83-1.0, P = 0.00), and BA.4/5 (SMD = 0.77, 95% CI: 0.60-0.94, P = 0.00). The sensitivity of vaccines-induced antibodies decreased by at least 5-folds after booster vaccination, particularly in the case of BA.4/5 which had the most notable decline in vaccine effectiveness.

CONCLUSION

After the booster vaccination, the NT50 and the neutralization ability of vaccine-induced antibodies increased, but the susceptibility of antibodies decreased compared with the control virus, which may be a clue for future Omicron sublineages prevention.

Characterization of VvmiR166s-Target Modules and Their Interaction Pathways in Modulation of Gibberellic-Acid-Induced Grape Seedless Berries

Exogenous GA is widely used to efficiently induce grape seedless berry development for significantly improving berry quality. Recently, we found that VvmiR166s are important regulators of response to GA in grapes, but its roles in GA-induced seedless grape berry development remain elusive. Here, the precise sequences of VvmiR166s and their targets VvREV, VvHB15 and VvHOX32 were determined in grape cv. 'Rosario Bianco', and the cleavage interactions of VvmiR166s-VvHB15/VvHOX32/VvREV modules and the variations in their cleavage roles were confirmed in grape berries. Exogenous GA treatment significantly induced a change in their expression correlations from positive to negative between VvmiR166s and their target genes at the seeds during the stone-hardening stages (32 DAF-46 DAF) in grape berries, indicating exogenous GA change action modes of VvmiR166s on their targets in this process, in which exogenous GA mainly enhanced the negative regulatory roles of VvmiR166s on VvHB15 among all three VvmiR166s-target pairs. The transient OE-VvmiR166a-h/OE-VvHB15 in tobacco confirmed that out of the VvmiR166 family, VvmiR166h/a/b might be the main factors in modulating lignin synthesis through inhibiting VvHB15, of which VvmiR166h-VvHB15-NtPAL4/NtCCR1/NtCCR2/NtCCoAMT5/NtCOMT1 and VvmiR166a/b-VvHB15-NtCAD1 are the potential key regulatory modules in lignin synthesis. Together with the GA-induced expression modes of VvmiR166s-VvHB15 and genes related to lignin synthesis in grape berries, we revealed that GA might repress lignin synthesis mainly by repressing VvCAD1/VvCCR2/VvPAL2/VvPAL3/Vv4CL/VvLac7 levels via mediating VvmiR166s-VvHB15 modules in GA-induced grape seedless berries. Our findings present a novel insight into the roles of VvmiR66s that are responsive to GA in repressing the lignin synthesis of grape seedless berries, with different lignin-synthesis-enzyme-dependent action pathways in diverse plants, which have important implications for the molecular breeding of high-quality seedless grape berries.

MoO2 Nanoclusters Embedded in Hierarchical Nitrogen Doped Carbon Nanoflower as Electrocatalytic Mediators in Aqueous Zinc-Tellurium Batteries: Enhancing Electrochemical Kinetics of Tellurium Redox Reaction

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) are considered to be one of the most promising devices for large-scale energy storage systems owing to their high theoretical capacity, environmental friendliness, and safety. However, the ionic intercalation or surface redox mechanisms in conventional cathode materials generally result in unsatisfactory capacities. Conversion-type aqueous zinc-tellurium (Zn-Te) batteries have recently gained widespread attention owing to their high theoretical specific capacities. However, it remains an enormous challenge to improve the slow kinetics of the aqueous Zn-Te batteries. Here, MoO2 nanoclusters embedded in hierarchical nitrogen-doped carbon nanoflower (MoO2 /NC) hosts are successfully synthesized and loaded with Te in aqueous Zn-Te batteries. Benefitting from the highly dispersed MoO2 nanoclusters and hierarchical nanoflower structure with a large specific surface area, the electrochemical kinetics of the Te redox reaction are significantly improved. As a result, the Te-MoO2 /NC electrode exhibits superior cycling stability and a high specific capacity of 493 mAh g-1 at 0.1 A g-1 . Meanwhile, the conversion mechanism is systematically explored using a variety of ex situ characterization methods. Therefore, this study provides a novel approach for enhancing the kinetics of the Te redox reaction in aqueous Zn-Te batteries.

Modified staging system of positive lymph nodes based nomogram in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma

BACKGROUND

Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA) presents the similar trend and prevalence of lymph node metastasis to other biliary tract cancer. There is still a necessity and possibility for the current classification of lymph node in the 8th TNM of iCCA, which is the same as the criteria of hepatoma carcinoma (HCC), to further improve the prognostic capacity. We aim to explore the optimal positive lymph nodes cutoff value that could predict the survival outcomes of patients with iCCA and further establish a prognostic nomogram.

METHOD

Clinical characteristics were retrospectively collected in 292 patients with iCCA from Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center (SYSUCC) for preliminary analysis. A retrospective analysis of 107 patients with iCCA in the First Hospital of Dalian Medical University (FHDMU) was performed for verification. R software was used to determine the optimal cutoff value of positive lymph nodes (PLN) and further establish the nomogram with the Cox regression model in the primary cohort.

RESULTS

In those patients who were graded into the N1 stage in 8th TNM staging system, the patients with PLN between 1 and 3 showed significantly better overall survival than those patients with more than 4 PLN (P < 0.0001). Moreover, there was a significant correlation between the new PLN classification and adverse clinical characteristic including Micro Invasion (P = 0.001), Lymph Vessel Invasion (P = 0.040), Satellite Sites (P < 0.001), and Tumor Size (P = 0.005). The PLN and ELN were both independent prognostic factors for survival outcomes in the multivariate analysis, and further showed large contribution to the nomogram. The nomogram achieved a satisfied C-index of 0.813 for overall survival (OS), 0.869 for progression-free survival (PFS) in the primary cohort, and 0.787 for OS, 0.762 for PFS in the validation cohort.

CONCLUSION

The modified classification of PLN in iCCA could accurately stratify the N1 stage patients in 8th TNM staging system into two groups with significantly different overall survival. The development of this nomogram can offer new evidence to precisely post-operative management of iCCA patients.

[Molecular features of 109 patients with chronic myelomonocytic leukemia in a single center]

Objective: To explore the molecular features of chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) . Methods: According to 2022 World Health Organization (WHO 2022) classification, 113 CMML patients and 840 myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) patients from March 2016 to October 2021 were reclassified, and the clinical and molecular features of CMML patients were analyzed. Results: Among 113 CMML patients, 23 (20.4%) were re-diagnosed as acute myeloid leukemia (AML), including 18 AML with NPM1 mutation, 3 AML with KMT2A rearrangement, and 2 AML with MECOM rearrangement. The remaining 90 patients met the WHO 2022 CMML criteria. In addition, 19 of 840 (2.3%) MDS patients met the WHO 2022 CMML criteria. At least one gene mutation was detected in 99% of CMML patients, and the median number of mutations was 4. The genes with mutation frequency ≥ 10% were: ASXL1 (48%), NRAS (34%), RUNX1 (33%), TET2 (28%), U2AF1 (23%), SRSF2 (21.1%), SETBP1 (20%), KRAS (17%), CBL (15.6%) and DNMT3A (11%). Paired analysis showed that SRSF2 was frequently co-mutated with ASXL1 (OR=4.129, 95% CI 1.481-11.510, Q=0.007) and TET2 (OR=5.276, 95% CI 1.979-14.065, Q=0.001). SRSF2 and TET2 frequently occurred in elderly (≥60 years) patients with myeloproliferative CMML (MP-CMML). U2AF1 mutations were often mutually exclusive with TET2 (OR=0.174, 95% CI 0.038-0.791, Q=0.024), and were common in younger (<60 years) patients with myelodysplastic CMML (MD-CMML). Compared with patients with absolute monocyte count (AMoC) ≥1×10(9)/L and <1×10(9)/L, the former had a higher median age of onset (60 years old vs 47 years old, P<0.001), white blood cell count (15.9×10(9)/L vs 4.4×10(9)/L, P<0.001), proportion of monocytes (21.5% vs 15%, P=0.001), and hemoglobin level (86 g/L vs 74 g/L, P=0.014). TET2 mutations (P=0.021) and SRSF2 mutations (P=0.011) were more common in patients with AMoC≥1×10(9)/L, whereas U2AF1 mutations (P<0.001) were more common in patients with AMoC<1×10(9)/L. There was no significant difference in the frequency of other gene mutations between the two groups. Conclusion: According to WHO 2022 classification, nearly 20% of CMML patients had AMoC<1×10(9)/L at the time of diagnosis, and MD-CMML and MP-CMML had different molecular features.

Quantitative haplotype-resolved analysis of mitochondrial DNA heteroplasmy in Human single oocytes, blastoids, and pluripotent stem cells

Maternal mitochondria are the sole source of mtDNA for every cell of the offspring. Heteroplasmic mtDNA mutations inherited from the oocyte are a common cause of metabolic diseases and associated with late-onset diseases. However, the origin and dynamics of mtDNA heteroplasmy remain unclear. We used our individual Mitochondrial Genome sequencing (iMiGseq) technology to study mtDNA heterogeneity, quantitate single nucleotide variants (SNVs) and large structural variants (SVs), track heteroplasmy dynamics, and analyze genetic linkage between variants at the individual mtDNA molecule level in single oocytes and human blastoids. Our study presented the first single-mtDNA analysis of the comprehensive heteroplasmy landscape in single human oocytes. Unappreciated levels of rare heteroplasmic variants well below the detection limit of conventional methods were identified in healthy human oocytes, of which many are reported to be deleterious and associated with mitochondrial disease and cancer. Quantitative genetic linkage analysis revealed dramatic shifts of variant frequency and clonal expansions of large SVs during oogenesis in single-donor oocytes. iMiGseq of a single human blastoid suggested stable heteroplasmy levels during early lineage differentiation of naïve pluripotent stem cells. Therefore, our data provided new insights of mtDNA genetics and laid a foundation for understanding mtDNA heteroplasmy at early stages of life.

Single-cell individual full-length mtDNA sequencing by iMiGseq uncovers unexpected heteroplasmy shifts in mtDNA editing

The ontogeny and dynamics of mtDNA heteroplasmy remain unclear due to limitations of current mtDNA sequencing methods. We developed individual Mitochondrial Genome sequencing (iMiGseq) of full-length mtDNA for ultra-sensitive variant detection, complete haplotyping, and unbiased evaluation of heteroplasmy levels, all at the individual mtDNA molecule level. iMiGseq uncovered unappreciated levels of heteroplasmic variants in single cells well below the conventional NGS detection limit and provided accurate quantitation of heteroplasmy level. iMiGseq resolved the complete haplotype of individual mtDNA in single oocytes and revealed genetic linkage of de novo mutations. iMiGseq detected sequential acquisition of detrimental mutations, including large deletions, in defective mtDNA in NARP/Leigh syndrome patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells. iMiGseq identified unintended heteroplasmy shifts in mitoTALEN editing, while showing no appreciable level of unintended mutations in DdCBE-mediated mtDNA base editing. Therefore, iMiGseq could not only help elucidate the mitochondrial etiology of diseases, but also evaluate the safety of various mtDNA editing strategies.

Identification of miRNAs-mediated seed and stone-hardening regulatory networks and their signal pathway of GA-induced seedless berries in grapevine (V. vinifera L.)

BACKGROUND

Stone-hardening stage is crucial to the development of grape seed and berry quality. A significant body of evidence supports the important roles of MicroRNAs in grape-berry development, but their specific molecular functions during grape stone-hardening stage remain unclear.

RESULTS

Here, a total of 161 conserved and 85 species-specific miRNAs/miRNAs* (precursor) were identified in grape berries at stone-hardening stage using Solexa sequencing. Amongst them, 30 VvmiRNAs were stone-hardening stage-specific, whereas 52 exhibited differential expression profiles during berry development, potentially participating in the modulation of berry development as verified by their expression patterns. GO and KEGG pathway analysis showed that 13 VvmiRNAs might be involved in the regulation of embryo development, another 11 in lignin and cellulose biosynthesis, and also 28 in the modulation of hormone signaling, sugar, and proline metabolism. Furthermore, the target genes for 4 novel VvmiRNAs related to berry development were validated using RNA Ligase-Mediated (RLM)-RACE and Poly(A) Polymerase-Mediated (PPM)-RACE methods, and their cleavage mainly occurred at the 9th-11th sites from the 5' ends of miRNAs at their binding regions. In view of the regulatory roles of GA in seed embryo development and stone-hardening in grape, we investigated the expression modes of VvmiRNAs and their target genes during GA-induced grape seedless-berry development, and we validated that GA induced the expression of VvmiR31-3p and VvmiR8-5p to negatively regulate the expression levels of CAFFEOYL COENZYME A-3-O-METHYLTRANSFERASE (VvCCoAOMT), and DDB1-CUL4 ASSOCIATED FACTOR1 (VvDCAF1). The series of changes might repress grape stone hardening and embryo development, which might be a potential key molecular mechanism in GA-induced grape seedless-berry development. Finally, a schematic model of miRNA-mediated grape seed and stone-hardening development was proposed.

CONCLUSION

This work identified 30 stone-hardening stage-specific VvmiRNAs and 52 significant differential expression ones, and preliminary interpreted the potential molecular mechanism of GA-induced grape parthenocarpy. GA negatively manipulate the expression of VvCCoAOMT and VvDCAF1 by up-regulation the expression of VvmiR31-3p and VvmiR8-5p, thereby repressing seed stone and embryo development to produce grape seedless berries.

Physiological and comparative proteomic analysis provides new insights into the effects of shade stress in maize (Zea mays L.)

BACKGROUND

Shade stress, a universal abiotic stress, suppresses plant growth and production seriously. However, little is known regarding the protein regulatory networks under shade stress. To better characterize the proteomic changes of maize leaves under shade stress, 60% shade (S) and supplementary lighting (L) on cloudy daylight from tasseling stage to physiological maturity stage were designed, the ambient sunlight treatment was used as control (CK). Isobaric tag for relative and absolute quantification (iTRAQ) technology was used to determine the proteome profiles in leaves.

RESULTS

Shading significantly decreased the SPAD value, net photosynthetic rate, and grain yield. During two experimental years, grain yields of S were reduced by 48 and 47%, and L increased by 6 and 11%, compared to CK. In total, 3958 proteins were identified by iTRAQ, and 2745 proteins were quantified including 349 proteins showed at least 1.2-fold changes in expression levels between treatments and CK. The differentially expressed proteins were classified into photosynthesis, stress defense, energy production, signal transduction, and protein and amino acid metabolism using the Web Gene Ontology Annotation Plot online tool. In addition, these proteins showed significant enrichment of the chloroplasts (58%) and cytosol (21%) for subcellular localization.

CONCLUSIONS

60% shade induced the expression of proteins involved in photosynthetic electron transport chain (especially light-harvesting complex) and stress/defense/detoxification. However, the proteins related to calvin cycle, starch and sucrose metabolisms, glycolysis, TCA cycle, and ribosome and protein synthesis were dramatically depressed. Together, our results might help to provide a valuable resource for protein function analysis and also clarify the proteomic and physiological mechanism of maize underlying shade stress.

A feasible CT feature to differentiate focal-type autoimmune pancreatitis from pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND

To investigate whether the relative computed tomography (CT) value (rCT) of adjacent pancreatic parenchyma can distinguish focal-type autoimmune pancreatitis (fAIP) from pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC).

METHODS

A total of 13 patients with fAIP and 20 patients with PDAC were included in this study. The rCT was calculated as the ratio of the CT value of adjacent pancreatic parenchyma to that of muscle. The diagnostic performance of rCT for discriminating fAIP from PDAC was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis.

RESULTS

Both fAIP and PDAC presented hyper-fibrosis histologically and delayed enhancement on CT examination. Moreover, the pancreatic parenchyma of fAIP presented serious inflammation. The mean rCT of the parenchyma was significantly lower in fAIP than in PDAC in all phases. The best diagnostic performance of the rCT value was found in the pancreatic phase, with an area under the ROC curve of 0.912, while the areas under the ROC curve of the portal and delayed phases were 0.812 and 0.754, respectively. The optimal cut-off value for distinguishing fAIP from PDAC was 1.62 in the pancreatic phase.

CONCLUSIONS

The rCT of the pancreatic parenchyma during the pancreatic phase may be a feasible CT feature for differentiating fAIP from PDAC.

The prognosis impact of hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) plus cytoreductive surgery (CRS) in advanced ovarian cancer: the meta-analysis

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Previous studies about the prognostic value of the HIPEC have yielded controversial results. Therefore, this study aims to assess the impact of HIPEC on patients with ovarian cancer.

RESULTS

We included 13 comparative studies, and found that the overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) in HIPEC groups were superior to groups without HIPEC treatment in the all total population (HR = 0.54,95% CI:0.45 to 0.66, HR = 0.45, 95% CI: 0.32 to 0.62). Additionally, the subgroup analysis showed that patients with advanced primary ovarian cancers also gained improved OS and PFS benefit from HIPEC (HR = 0.59,95% CI:0.46 to 0.75, HR = 0.41,95% CI:0.32 to 0.54). With regard to recurrent ovarian cancer, HIPEC was associated with improved OS (HR = 0.45,95% CI:0.24 to 0.83), but for the PFS, no correlation was observed between HIPC group and the non-HIPEC group (HR = 0.55,95% CI:0.27 to 1.11). HIPEC also led to favorable clinical outcome (HR = 0.64,95% CI:0.50 to 0.82, HR = 0.36,95% CI:0.20 to 0.65) for stage III or IV ovarian cancer with initial diagnosis.

CONCLUSION

The review indicated that HIPEC-based regimens was correlated with better clinical prognosis for patients with primary ovarian cancers. For recurrent ovarian cancers, HIPEC only improved the OS but did not elicit significant value on the PFS.

New Insight into the Molecular Mechanism of the FUT2 Regulating Escherichia coli F18 Resistance in Weaned Piglets

Escherichia coli (E. coli) F18 is the main pathogen responsible for post-weaning diarrhea (PWD) in piglets. Resistance to E. coli F18 depends on the expression of the cognate receptors in the intestinal epithelial cells. However, the molecular mechanism of E. coli F18 resistance in weaned piglets remains unclear. Here, we performed a comparative transcriptome study of the duodenal tissue from Sutai E. coli F18 sensitive and resistant pigs by RNA-seq, and pig α(1,2) fucosyltransferase 2 (FUT2) was identified as a host differentially expressed gene controlling the E. coli F18 infection. Function analysis showed that the FUT2 expression was high in the duodenum and jejunum, with higher levels detected in sensitive individuals than in resistant individuals (p < 0.01). Expression levels of FUT2 were upregulated in IPEC-J2 cells after lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induction or E. coli stimulation. FUT2 knockdown decreased the adhesion of E. coli F18 to IPEC-J2 cells (p < 0.05). FUT2 overexpression markedly increased the adhesion of E. coli F18 to IPEC-J2 cells (p < 0.05 or p < 0.01). Furthermore, the FUT2 mRNA levels correlated with methylation levels of the mC-22 site in the specificity protein 1 (Sp1) transcription factor (p < 0.05). Electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSA) showed that Sp1 interacts with the wild-type FUT2 promoter DNA, but not with methylated DNA. Our data suggested that FUT2 methylation at the mC-22 site inhibits Sp1 binding to the FUT2 promoter, thereby reducing FUT2 expression and enhancing E. coli F18 resistance in weaned piglets. These observations highlight FUT2 as a promising new target for combating E. coli F18 susceptibility in weaned piglets.

Increased MMAB level in mitochondria as a novel biomarker of hepatotoxicity induced by Efavirenz

Background

Efavirenz (EFV), a non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI), has been widely used in the therapy of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Some of its toxic effects on hepatic cells have been reported to display features of mitochondrial dysfunction through bioenergetic stress and autophagy, etc. However, alteration of protein levels, especially mitochondrial protein levels, in hepatic cells during treatment of EFV has not been fully investigated.

Methods

We built a cell model of EFV-induced liver toxicity through treating Huh-7 cells with different concentrations of EFV for different time followed by the analysis of cell viability using cell counting kit -8 (CCK8) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) using 2',7'-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate (DCFH-DA) and MitoSox dye. Proteomic profiles in the mitochondria of Huh-7 cells stimulated by EFV were analyzed. Four differentially expressed proteins were quantified by real time RT-PCR. We also detected the expression of mitochondrial precursor Cob(I)yrinic acid a,c-diamide adenosyltransferase (MMAB) by immunohistochemistry analysis in clinical samples. The expression levels of MMAB and ROS were detected in EFV-treated Huh-7 cells with and without shRNA used to knock down MMAB, and in primary hepatocytes (PHC). The effects of other anti-HIV drugs (nevirapine (NVP) and tenofovirdisoproxil (TDF)), and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) were also tested. Amino acid analysis and fatty aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH3A2) expression after MMAB expression knock-down with shRNA was used to investigate the metabolic effect of MMAB in Huh-7 cells.

Results

EFV treatment inhibited cell viability and increased ROS production with time- and concentration-dependence. Proteomic study was performed at 2 hours after EFV treatment. After treated Huh-7 cells with EFV (2.5mg/L or 10 mg/L) for 2 h, fifteen differentially expressed protein spots from purified mitochondrion that included four mitochondria proteins were detected in EFV-treated Huh-7 cells compared to controls. Consistent with protein expression levels, mRNA expression levels of mitochondrial protein MMAB were also increased by EFV treatment. In addition, the liver of EFV-treated HIV infected patients showed substantially higher levels of MMAB expression compared to the livers of untreated or protease inhibitor (PI)-treated HIV-infected patients. Furthermore, ROS were found to be decreased in Huh-7 cells treated with shMMAB compared with empty plasmid treated with EFV at the concentration of 2.5 or 10 mg/L. MMAB was increased in EFV-treated Huh-7 cells and primary hepatocytes. However, no change in MMAB expression was detected after treatment of Huh-7 cells and primary hepatocytes with anti-HIV drugs nevirapine (NVP) and tenofovirdisoproxil (TDF), or hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), although ROS was increased in these cells. Finally, knockdown of MMAB by shRNA induced increases in the β-Alanine (β-Ala) production levels and decrease in ALDH3A2 expression.

Conclusions

A mitochondrial proteomic study was performed to study the proteins related to EFV-inducted liver toxicity. MMAB might be a target and potential biomarker of hepatotoxicity in EFV-induced liver toxicity.

Catenary optics for achromatic generation of perfect optical angular momentum

The catenary is the curve that a free-hanging chain assumes under its own weight, and thought to be a "true mathematical and mechanical form" in architecture by Robert Hooke in the 1670s, with nevertheless no significant phenomena observed in optics. We show that the optical catenary can serve as a unique building block of metasurfaces to produce continuous and linear phase shift covering [0, 2π], a mission that is extremely difficult if not impossible for state-of-the-art technology. Via catenary arrays, planar optical devices are designed and experimentally characterized to generate various kinds of beams carrying orbital angular momentum (OAM). These devices can operate in an ultra-broadband spectrum because the anisotropic modes associated with the spin-orbit interaction are almost independent of the incident light frequency. By combining the optical and topological characteristics, our approach would allow the complete control of photons within a single nanometric layer.