Piperine ameliorates psoriatic skin inflammation by inhibiting the phosphorylation of STAT3

Psoriasis is a common chronic inflammatory skin disease that is easy to relapse and difficult to cure. Piperine is the main alkaloid extracted from black pepper, and its role in psoriasis has not been previously reported. We identified that piperine ameliorated M5-induced psoriatic skin lesions. Furthermore, piperine alleviated psoriasis pathological features including epidermal hyperplasia and inflammatory cell infiltration, decreased the expression of psoriasis-characteristic cytokines, chemokines and proteins in IMQ-induced psoriasiform dermatitis. Moreover, we determined that piperine inhibited the phosphorylation of STAT3 in M5- and IMQ-induced psoriasis-like skin lesions. Our data demonstrated that piperine ameliorated psoriatic skin inflammation by inhibiting the phosphorylation of STAT3. Therefore, piperine may be one potential compound candidate for psoriasis therapy, providing new strategies for clinical intervention.

Improved hospital discharge and cost savings with esophageal cooling during left atrial ablation

BACKGROUND

Left atrial ablation to obtain pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) for the treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF) is a technologically intensive procedure utilizing innovative and continually improving technology. Changes in the technology utilized for PVI can in turn lead to changes in procedure costs. Because of the proximity of the esophagus to the posterior wall of the left atrium, various technologies have been utilized to protect against thermal injury during ablation. The impact on hospital costs during PVI ablation from utilization of different technologies for esophageal protection during ablation has not previously been evaluated.

OBJECTIVE

To compare the costs of active esophageal cooling to luminal esophageal temperature (LET) monitoring during left atrial ablation.

METHODS

We performed a time-driven activity-based costing (TDABC) analysis to determine costs for PVI procedures. Published data and literature review were utilized to determine differences in procedure time and same-day discharge rates using different esophageal protection technologies and to determine the cost impacts of same-day discharge versus overnight hospitalization after PVI procedures. The total costs were then compared between cases using active esophageal cooling to those using LET monitoring.

RESULTS

The effect of implementing active esophageal cooling was associated with up to a 24.7% reduction in mean total procedure time, and an 18% increase in same-day discharge rate. TDABC analysis identified a $681 reduction in procedure costs associated with the use of active esophageal cooling after including the cost of the esophageal cooling device. Factoring in the 18% increase in same-day discharge resulted in an increased cost savings of $2,135 per procedure.

CONCLUSIONS

The use of active esophageal cooling is associated with significant cost-savings when compared to traditional LET monitoring, even after accounting for the additional cost of the cooling device. These savings originate from a per-patient procedural time savings and a per-population improvement in same-day discharge rate.

Kynureninase contributes to the pathogenesis of psoriasis through pro-inflammatory effect

Kynureninase (KYNU) is a key enzyme in the tryptophan metabolism pathway with elevated expression in psoriatic lesions relative to normal skin. However, whether KYNU contributes to the pathogenesis of psoriasis remains unknown. We sought to investigate the role of KYNU in psoriasis and its possible regulation mechanism. In the results, KYNU is upregulated in psoriatic skin samples from patients or animal models compared with normal skin control which was assayed in psoriatic patient samples, IMQ-induced psoriasis-like skin inflammation in BABL/c mice and M5-stimulated keratinocyte cell lines by immunohistochemistry (IHC). KYNU knockdown had a trivial impact on keratinocyte proliferation, but significantly inhibited the production of inflammatory cytokines in HaCaT, HEKα, and HEKn cells by quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and western blot analysis. The 3'-untranslated region of KYNU contains a conserved target site of a skin-specific microRNA (miRNA), miR-203a, as predicted by TargetScan software. Furthermore, miR-203a exhibited an inversed expression kinetics to KYNU during the development of IMQ-induced psoriasis-like skin inflammation in BABL/c mice. Overexpression of miR-203 subsequently leading to the inhibition of KYNU, could significantly reduce the production of M5-induced, psoriasis-related inflammatory factors in keratinocytes. Finally, KYNU inhibitors could alleviate the pathological phenotypes in IMQ-mice. Our study supported the contributive role of KYNU in the development of psoriasis and provided preliminary evidence for KYNU as a potential therapeutic target in psoriasis.

Serotonergic-Muscarinic Interaction within the Prefrontal Cortex as a Novel Target to Reverse Schizophrenia-Related Cognitive Symptoms

Recent studies revealed that the activation of serotonergic 5-HT_1A and muscarinic M₁, M₄, or M₅ receptors prevent MK-801-induced cognitive impairments in animal models. In the present study, the effectiveness of the simultaneous activation of 5-HT_1A and muscarinic receptors at preventing MK-801-induced cognitive deficits in novel object recognition (NOR) or Y-maze tests was investigated. Activators of 5-HT_1A (F15599), M₁ (VU0357017), M₄ (VU0152100), or M₅ (VU0238429) receptors administered at top doses for seven days reversed MK-801-induced deficits in the NOR test, similar to the simultaneous administration of subeffective doses of F15599 (0.05 mg/kg) with VU0357017 (0.15 mg/kg), VU0152100 (0.05 mg/kg), or VU0238429 (1 mg/kg). The compounds did not prevent the MK-801-induced impairment when administered acutely. Their activity was less evident in the Y-maze. Pharmacokinetic studies revealed high brain penetration of F15599 (brain/plasma ratio 620%), which was detected in the frontal cortex (FC) up to 2 h after administration. Decreases in the brain penetration properties of the compounds were observed after acute administration of the combinations, which might have influenced behavioral responses. This negative effect on brain penetration was not observed when the compounds were administered repeatedly. Based on our results, prolonged administration of a 5-HT_1A activator with muscarinic receptor ligands may be effective at reversing cognitive decline related to schizophrenia, and the FC may play a critical role in this interaction.

Structural studies of RNase M5 reveal two-metal-ion supported two-step dsRNA cleavage for 5S rRNA maturation

All species transcribe ribosomal RNA in an immature form that requires several enzymes for processing into mature rRNA. The number and types of enzymes utilized for these processes vary greatly between different species. In low G + C Gram-positive bacteria including Bacillus subtilis and Geobacillus stearothermophilus, the endoribonuclease (RNase) M5 performs the final step in 5S rRNA maturation, by removing the 3'- and 5'-extensions from precursor (pre) 5S rRNA. This cleavage activity requires initial complex formation between the pre-rRNA and a ribosomal protein, uL18, making the full M5 substrate a ribonucleoprotein particle (RNP). M5 contains a catalytic N-terminal Toprim domain and an RNA-binding C-terminal domain, respectively, shown to assist in processing and binding of the RNP. Here, we present structural data that show how two Mg²⁺ ions are accommodated in the active site pocket of the catalytic Toprim domain and investigate the importance of these ions for catalysis. We further perform solution studies that support the previously proposed 3'-before-5' order of removal of the pre-5S rRNA extensions and map the corresponding M5 structural rearrangements during catalysis.

Structures of B. subtilis Maturation RNases Captured on 50S Ribosome with Pre-rRNAs

The pathways for ribosomal RNA (rRNA) maturation diverge greatly among the domains of life. In the Gram-positive model bacterium, Bacillus subtilis, the final maturation steps of the two large ribosomal subunit (50S) rRNAs, 23S and 5S pre-rRNAs, are catalyzed by the double-strand specific ribonucleases (RNases) Mini-RNase III and RNase M5, respectively. Here we present a protocol that allowed us to solve the 3.0 and 3.1 Å resolution cryoelectron microscopy structures of these RNases poised to cleave their pre-rRNA substrates within the B. subtilis 50S particle. These data provide the first structural insights into rRNA maturation in bacteria by revealing how these RNases recognize and process double-stranded pre-rRNA. Our structures further uncover how specific ribosomal proteins act as chaperones to correctly fold the pre-rRNA substrates and, for Mini-III, anchor the RNase to the ribosome. These r-proteins thereby serve a quality-control function in the process from accurate ribosome assembly to rRNA processing.

Estimation of transverse mixing coefficient in streams using M5, MARS, GA, and PSO approaches

Transverse mixing coefficient is one of the key elements of pollutant in two-dimensional modeling. In this study, four data-driven models, M5 model tree, multivariate adaptive regression splines (MARS), genetic algorithm (GA), and particle swarm optimization (PSO), were used to estimate the transverse mixing coefficient. For this purpose, techniques with a wide range of experimental and field data were performed to train and test the data-driven models. Statistical analysis and Monte Carlo simulation were used to validate the performance of each model. Based on statistical indices, the efficiency of M5 and MARS models was better than GA and PSO algorithms. In straight streams, M5 and MARS provided similar performances, but the MARS model estimated the transverse mixing coefficient more accurately in meander streams. In meander streams, the performance of all models was lower than straight streams due to the lack of experimental and field measurements for large meandering streams. Applying Monte Carlo simulation showed that the MARS model overestimated the transverse mixing coefficient in many cases. In addition, the results of global sensitivity analysis showed that 70% of output variance was determined by main effects in the M5 model and 30% by interaction effects. In this regard, the most influential parameters were flow depth and shear velocity, while the average velocity was the least influential factor.

Solar radiation forecasting using MARS, CART, M5, and random forest model: A case study for India

Solar radiation is a critical requirement for all solar power plants. As it is a time-varying quantity, the power output of any solar power plant is also time variant in nature. Hence, for the prediction of probable electricity generation for a few days in advance, for any solar power plant, forecasting solar radiation a few days into the future is vital. Hourly forecasting for a few days in advance may help a utility or ISO in the bidding process. In this study, 1-day-ahead to 6-day-ahead hourly solar radiation forecasting was been performed using the MARS, CART, M5 and random forest models. The data required for the forecasting were collected from a solar radiation resource setup, commissioned by an autonomous body of the Government of India in Gorakhpur, India. From the results, it was determined that, for the present study, the random forest model provided the best results, whereas the CART model presented the worst results among all four models considered.

Reducing Viral Inhibition of Host Cellular Apoptosis Strengthens the Immunogenicity and Protective Efficacy of an Attenuated HSV-1 Strain

Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1), a member of α herpesviruses, shows a high infectivity rate of 30%-60% in populations of various ages. Some herpes simplex (HSV) vaccine candidates evaluated during the past 20 years have not shown protective efficacy against viral infection. An improved understanding of the immune profile of infected individuals and the associated mechanism is needed. HSV uses an immune evasion strategy during viral replication, and various virus-encoded proteins, such as ICP47 and Vhs, participate in this process through limiting the ability of CD8⁺ cytotoxic T lymphocytes to recognize target cells. Other proteins, e.g., Us3 and Us5, also play a role in viral immune evasion via interfering with cellular apoptosis. In this work, to study the mechanism by which HSV-1 strain attenuation interferes with the viral immune evasion strategy, we constructed a mutant strain, M5, with deletions in the Us3 and Us5 genes. M5 was shown to induce higher neutralizing antibody titers and a stronger cellular immune response than our previously reported M3 strain, and to prevent virus infection more effectively than the M3 strain in an in vivo mouse challenge test.

The Muscarinic Acetylcholine Receptor M5: Therapeutic Implications and Allosteric Modulation

The muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (mAChR) subtype 5 (M₅) was the most recent mAChR to be cloned and has since emerged as a potential therapeutic target for a number of indications. Early studies with knockout animals have provided clues to the receptor's role in physiological processes related to Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia, and addiction, and until recently, useful subtype-selective tools to further probe the pharmacology of M₅ have remained elusive. Small-molecule allosteric modulators have since gained traction as a means by which to selectively examine muscarinic pharmacology. This review highlights the discovery and optimization of M₅ positive allosteric modulators (PAMs) and negative allosteric modulators (NAMs).

An extensive experimental survey of regression methods

Regression is a very relevant problem in machine learning, with many different available approaches. The current work presents a comparison of a large collection composed by 77 popular regression models which belong to 19 families: linear and generalized linear models, generalized additive models, least squares, projection methods, LASSO and ridge regression, Bayesian models, Gaussian processes, quantile regression, nearest neighbors, regression trees and rules, random forests, bagging and boosting, neural networks, deep learning and support vector regression. These methods are evaluated using all the regression datasets of the UCI machine learning repository (83 datasets), with some exceptions due to technical reasons. The experimental work identifies several outstanding regression models: the M5 rule-based model with corrections based on nearest neighbors (cubist), the gradient boosted machine (gbm), the boosting ensemble of regression trees (bstTree) and the M5 regression tree. Cubist achieves the best squared correlation ( R²) in 15.7% of datasets being very near to it, with difference below 0.2 for 89.1% of datasets, and the median of these differences over the dataset collection is very low (0.0192), compared e.g. to the classical linear regression (0.150). However, cubist is slow and fails in several large datasets, while other similar regression models as M5 never fail and its difference to the best R² is below 0.2 for 92.8% of datasets. Other well-performing regression models are the committee of neural networks (avNNet), extremely randomized regression trees (extraTrees, which achieves the best R² in 33.7% of datasets), random forest (rf) and ε-support vector regression (svr), but they are slower and fail in several datasets. The fastest regression model is least angle regression lars, which is 70 and 2,115 times faster than M5 and cubist, respectively. The model which requires least memory is non-negative least squares (nnls), about 2 GB, similarly to cubist, while M5 requires about 8 GB. For 97.6% of datasets there is a regression model among the 10 bests which is very near (difference below 0.1) to the best R², which increases to 100% allowing differences of 0.2. Therefore, provided that our dataset and model collection are representative enough, the main conclusion of this study is that, for a new regression problem, some model in our top-10 should achieve R² near to the best attainable for that problem.

Discovery and Optimization of Potent and CNS Penetrant M5-Preferring Positive Allosteric Modulators Derived from a Novel, Chiral N-(Indanyl)piperidine Amide Scaffold

The pharmacology of the M₅ muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (mAChR) is the least understood of the five mAChR subtypes due to a historic lack of selective small molecule tools. To address this shortcoming, we have continued the optimization effort around the prototypical M₅ positive allosteric modulator (PAM) ML380 and have discovered and optimized a new series of M₅ PAMs based on a chiral N-(indanyl)piperidine amide core with robust SAR, human and rat M₅ PAM EC₅₀ values <100 nM and rat brain/plasma K_p values of ∼0.40. Interestingly, unlike M₁ and M₄ PAMs with unprecedented mAChR subtype selectivity, this series of M₅ PAMs displayed varying degrees of PAM activity at the other two natively G_q-coupled mAChRs, M₁ and M₃, yet were inactive at M₂ and M₄.

M5 receptor activation produces opposing physiological outcomes in dopamine neurons depending on the receptor's location

Of the five muscarinic receptor subtypes, the M5 receptor is the only one detectable in midbrain dopaminergic neurons, making it an attractive potential therapeutic target for treating disorders in which dopaminergic signaling is disrupted. However, developing an understanding of the role of M5 in regulating midbrain dopamine neuron function has been hampered by a lack of subtype-selective compounds. Here, we extensively characterize the novel compound VU0238429 and demonstrate that it acts as a positive allosteric modulator with unprecedented selectivity for the M5 receptor. We then used VU0238429, along with M5 knock-out mice, to elucidate the role of this receptor in regulating substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) neuron physiology in both mice and rats. In sagittal brain slices that isolate the SNc soma from their striatal terminals, activation of muscarinic receptors induced Ca2+ mobilization and inward currents in SNc dopamine neurons, both of which were potentiated by VU0238429 and absent in M5 knock-out mice. Activation of M5 also increased the spontaneous firing rate of SNc neurons, suggesting that activation of somatodendritic M5 increases the intrinsic excitability of SNc neurons. However, in coronal slices of the striatum, potentiation of M5 with VU0238429 resulted in an inhibition in dopamine release as monitored with fast scan cyclic voltammetry. Accordingly, activation of M5 can lead to opposing physiological outcomes depending on the location of the receptor. Although activation of somatodendritic M5 receptors on SNc neurons leads to increased neuronal firing, activation of M5 receptors in the striatum induces an inhibition in dopamine release.

Long noncoding RNA MALAT-1 is a new potential therapeutic target for castration resistant prostate cancer

PURPOSE

To understand the role of MALAT-1 in prostate cancer we evaluated its expression in prostate cancer tissues and cell lines. We also studied the therapeutic effects of MALAT-1 silencing on castration resistant prostate cancer cells in vitro and in vivo.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction was used to detect MALAT-1 expression in prostate cancer tissues and cell lines. siRNA against MALAT-1 was designed and the silencing effect was examined by quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. The biological effects of MALAT-1 siRNA on cells were investigated by examining cell proliferation using a cell counting kit and cell colony assays as well as cell migration by in vitro scratch assay, cell invasion by Transwell® invasion assay and cell cycle by flow cytometry. We further investigated the effect of therapeutic siRNA targeting MALAT-1 on castration resistant prostate cancer in vivo.

RESULTS

MALAT-1 was up-regulated in human prostate cancer tissues and cell lines. Higher MALAT-1 expression correlated with high Gleason score, prostate specific antigen, tumor stage and castration resistant prostate cancer. MALAT-1 down-regulation by siRNA inhibited prostate cancer cell growth, invasion and migration, and induced castration resistant prostate cancer cell cycle arrest in the G0/G1 phases. Importantly, intratumor delivery of therapeutic siRNA targeting MALAT-1 elicited delayed tumor growth and reduced metastasis of prostate cancer xenografts in castrated male nude mice, followed by the concomitant prolongation of survival of tumor bearing mice.

CONCLUSIONS

MALAT-1 may be needed to maintain prostate tumorigenicity and it is involved in prostate cancer progression. Thus, MALAT-1 may serve as a potential therapeutic target for castration resistant prostate cancer.