Single-Cell Transcriptomic Profiling Unveils Dynamic Immune Cell Responses during Haemonchus contortus Infection

BACKGROUND

Haemonchus contortus is a parasite widely distributed in tropical, subtropical, and warm temperate regions, causing significant economic losses in the livestock industry worldwide. However, little is known about the genetics of H. contortus resistance in livestock. In this study, we monitor the dynamic immune cell responses in diverse peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) during H. contortus infection in goats through single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-Seq) analysis.

METHODS AND RESULTS

A total of four Boer goats, two goats with oral infection with the L3 larvae of H. contortus and two healthy goats as controls, were used in the animal test. The infection model in goats was established and validated by the fecal egg count (FEC) test and qPCR analysis of the gene expression of IL-5 and IL-6. Using scRNA-Seq, we identified seven cell types, including T cells, monocytes, natural killer cells, B cells, and dendritic cells with distinct gene expression signatures. After identifying cell subpopulations of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the case and control groups, we observed the upregulation of multiple inflammation-associated genes, including NFKBIA and NFKBID. Kyoto Encyclopedia of the Genome (KEGG) enrichment analysis revealed significant enrichment of NOD-like receptor pathways and Th1/Th2 cell differentiation signaling pathways in CD4 T cells DEGs. Furthermore, the analysis of ligand-receptor interaction networks showed a more active state of cellular communication in the PBMCs from the case group, and the inflammatory response associated MIF-(CD74 + CXCR4) ligand receptor complex was significantly more activated in the case group, suggesting a potential inflammatory response.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study preliminarily revealed transcriptomic profiling characterizing the cell type specific mechanisms in host PBMCs at the single-cell level during H. contortus infection.

[Periodic dynamic observation and analysis of cellular and humoral immunity indexes of adults infected with Omicron BA.1]

Objective: To analyze the immunological characteristics and antibody changes of patients infected with the Omicron BA.1 and evaluate the possibility of secondary infection. Methods: A total of 104 patients infected with Omicron BA.1 in the Jinnan District of Tianjin from January 8 to February 2, 2022, were included in the study. The control group and case group were matched 1∶1 based on age, sex and vaccination status. Serum was collected from the case group and control group at 3, 6 and 9 months after infection. The serum levels of interleukin4 (IL-4), IL-5 and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), as well as the positive rates of IgG, IgG1 and IgG2, were detected by ELISA. Results: The highest concentration of IFN-γ in the case group at 6 months after infection was 145.4 pg/ml, followed by a decrease in concentration. The concentrations of IL-4 and IL-5 began to decrease at 6 months after infection (all P<0.001). There was no significant difference in the IgG2 positive rate between the case group and the control group at 6 months after BA.1 infection. However, at 9 months, there was a significant decrease compared to the control group (P=0.003). The ratio of IFN-γ/IL4 at 3 months after infection in the case group was lower than that in the control group (P<0.001). There was no significant difference in the ratio between the case group and the control group at 9 months after infection. Conclusion: The cellular immune function has been impaired at 3 months after infection with BA.1, and the specific cellular immune and humoral immune functions decrease significantly after 6 months, and the risk of secondary infection increases.

MicroRNA-23a-3p overexpression represses proliferation and accelerates apoptosis of granular cells in polycystic ovarian syndrome by targeting HMGA2

OBJECTIVE

Granular cells (GCs) are involved in polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) progression. MicroRNA (miR)-23a downregulation is linked to PCOS development. Therefore, this research explored the influences of miR-23a-3p on GC proliferation and apoptosis in PCOS.

METHODS

Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and western blotting were conducted to examine miR-23a-3p and HMGA2 expression in GCs of patients with PCOS. Then, miR-23a-3p and/or HMGA2 expression was altered in GCs (KGN and SVOG), after which miR-23a-3p, HMGA2, Wnt2, and β-catenin expression, GC viability, and GC apoptosis were measured by RT-qPCR and western blotting, MTT assay, and flow cytometry, respectively. A dual-luciferase reporter gene assay was utilized to assess the targeting relationship between miR-23a-3p and HMGA2. Finally, GC viability and apoptosis were tested after the combined treatment of miR-23a-3p mimic and pcDNA3.1-HMGA2.

RESULTS

miR-23a-3p was poorly expressed but HMGA2 was overexpressed in GCs of patients with PCOS. Mechanistically, HMGA2 was negatively targeted by miR-23a-3p in GCs. Furthermore, miR-23a-3p inhibition or HMGA2 upregulation elevated viability and reduced apoptosis of KGN and SVOG cells, along with increased Wnt2 and β-catenin expression. In KNG cells, HMGA2 overexpression abrogated the impacts of miR-23a-3p overexpression on GC viability and apoptosis.

CONCLUSIONS

Collectively, miR-23a-3p decreased HMGA2 expression to block the Wnt/β-catenin pathway, thereby depressing viability and facilitating apoptosis of GCs.

Dietary cholecalciferol and 25-hydroxycholecalciferol supplementation interact to modulate reproductive performance, egg quality, serum antioxidant capacity, intestinal morphology and tibia quality of breeder geese

1. A study was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary cholecalciferol (vitamin D3) and 25-hydroxycholecalciferol (25-OH-D3) supplementation on the reproductive performance, egg quality, eggshell ultrastructure, serum hormone level and antioxidant capacity, intestinal morphology and tibia quality of breeder geese during the laying period.2. The trial was designed as a 3 × 3 factorial arrangement with three levels (300, 400 and 500 IU/kg) of vitamin D3 supplementation and three levels (25, 50 and 75 μg/kg) of 25-OH-D3 supplementation in a 10-wk feeding trial.3. The results showed that the combined supplementation of 400 IU/kg vitamin D3 and 50 μg/kg 25-OH-D3 had a better feed conversion ratio and a higher egg laying rate than the other groups. Vitamin D3 supplementation significantly increased the rate of qualified eggs for hatching, eggshell strength and thickness, serum testosterone and progesterone levels, serum total superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase activities, tibia ash content and bone mineral density (P < 0.05). Dietary 25-OH-D3 supplementation significantly increased serum glutathione peroxidase activity and duodenal villus height and villus height-to-crypt-depth ratio (P < 0.05). The geese receiving 500 IU/kg vitamin D3 and 75 µg/kg 25-OH-D3 had the highest tibia calcium and phosphorous content among all groups (P < 0.05).4. Feeding 400 IU/kg vitamin D3 plus 50 µg/kg 25-OH-D3 gave optimal effects on feed conversion ratio and egg laying rate. This combination could be a nutritional strategy for increasing the laying rate, eggshell quality, serum hormone levels and serum antioxidant function regardless of 25-OH-D3 supplementation. Supplementation of 50 μg/kg 25-OH-D3 could be a recommended dose for improving the serum antioxidant capacity and intestinal morphology regardless of vitamin D3 supplementation.

Alpha-Ketoglutarate Regulates Tnfrsf12a/Fn14 Expression via Histone Modification and Prevents Cancer-Induced Cachexia

Previous studies have shown that inhibition of TNF family member FN14 (gene: TNFRSF12A) in colon tumors decreases inflammatory cytokine expression and mitigates cancer-induced cachexia. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the regulation of FN14 expression remain unclear. Tumor microenvironments are often devoid of nutrients and oxygen, yet how the cachexic response relates to the tumor microenvironment and, importantly, nutrient stress is unknown. Here, we looked at the connections between metabolic stress and FN14 expression. We found that TNFRSF12A expression was transcriptionally induced during glutamine deprivation in cancer cell lines. We also show that the downstream glutaminolysis metabolite, alpha-ketoglutarate (aKG), is sufficient to rescue glutamine-deprivation-promoted TNFRSF12A induction. As aKG is a co-factor for histone de-methylase, we looked at histone methylation and found that histone H3K4me3 at the Tnfrsf12a promoter is increased under glutamine-deprived conditions and rescued via DM-aKG supplementation. Finally, expression of Tnfrsf12a and cachexia-induced weight loss can be inhibited in vivo by DM-aKG in a mouse cancer cachexia model. These findings highlight a connection between metabolic stress and cancer cachexia development.

Vitamin B6 is governed by the local compartmentalization of metabolic enzymes during growth

Vitamin B6 is a vital micronutrient across cell types and tissues, and dysregulated B6 levels contribute to human disease. Despite its importance, how B6 vitamer levels are regulated is not well understood. Here, we provide evidence that B6 dynamics are rapidly tuned by precise compartmentation of pyridoxal kinase (PDXK), the rate-limiting B6 enzyme. We show that canonical Wnt rapidly led to the accumulation of inactive B6 by shunting cytosolic PDXK into lysosomes. PDXK was modified with methyl-arginine Degron (MrDegron), a protein tag for lysosomes, which enabled delivery via microautophagy. Hyperactive lysosomes resulted in the continuous degradation of PDXK and B6 deficiency that promoted proliferation in Wnt-driven colorectal cancer (CRC) cells. Pharmacological or genetic disruption of the coordinated MrDegron proteolytic pathway was sufficient to reduce CRC survival in cells and organoid models. In sum, this work contributes to the repertoire of micronutrient-regulated processes that enable cancer cell growth and provides insight into the functional impact of B6 deficiencies for survival.

Correlation between Polyphenol Contents and Antioxidant Activities in Different Echinacea Purpurea Varieties

OBJECTIVE

Polyphenols are complex compounds containing multiple phenolic hydroxyl groups. They are widely distributed in plants and have antioxidant activities. Whether the antioxidant activities of the cultivated varieties of Echinacea are similar to or better than those of the wild ones and the relationship between the accumulation of polyphenols and their antioxidant activities are still not clear.

METHODS

Folin-Ciocalteu method, high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging assay, ferric ion reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay, 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6)-sulfonic acid (ABTS) radical scavenging assay, and Fe2+ chelating ability assay were used, respectively, to detect the total polyphenols and 5 kinds of caffeic acid derivatives (chicoric acid, caffeic acid, caftaric acid, chlorogenic acid, and 1,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid) in the roots, stems, leaves, and flowers, and the antioxidant activities of 3 varieties of Echinacea: E. purpurea L., cultivar E. purpurea 'Aloha', and E. purpurea 'White Swan'.

RESULTS

E. purpurea L. had the highest contents of total polyphenols, 5 caffeic acid derivatives and antioxidant activities, followed by E. purpurea 'White Swan' and E. purpurea 'Aloha', respectively. E. purpurea 'White Swan' had the strongest ability to remove the DPPH, ABTS•+ and free radicals, and to chelate Fe2+; E. purpurea L. had the strongest ability to reduce FRAP. The correlation analyses revealed that the contents of total polyphenols and caffeic acid derivatives of E. purpurea L. and E. purpurea 'White Swan' were correlated with their antioxidant activities.

CONCLUSION

E. purpurea L. was the most appropriate material for the development of medicinal plants. E. purpurea 'White Swan' could be used as a substitute for E. purpurea L. in terms of its antioxidant activity.

A Novel Assessment of Metabolic Pathways in Peritoneal Metastases from Low-Grade Appendiceal Mucinous Neoplasms

BACKGROUND

There is a paucity of targeted therapies for patients with pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP) secondary to low-grade appendiceal mucinous neoplasms (LAMNs). Dysregulated metabolism has emerged as a hallmark of cancer, and the relationship of metabolomics and cancer is an area of active scientific exploration. We sought to characterize phenotypic differences found in peritoneal metastases (PM) derived from LAMN versus adenocarcinoma.

METHODS

Tumors were washed with phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), microdissected, then dissociated in ice-cold methanol dried and reconstituted in pyridine. Samples were derivatized in tert-butyldimethylsilyl (TBDMS) and subjected to gas chromatography-coupled mass spectrometry. Metabolites were assessed based on a standard library. RNA sequencing was performed, with pathway and network analyses on differentially expressed genes.

RESULTS

Eight peritoneal tumor samples were obtained and analyzed: LAMNs (4), and moderate to poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma (colon [1], appendix [3]). Decreases in pyroglutamate, fumarate, and cysteine in PM from LAMNs were found compared with adenocarcinoma. Analyses showed the differential gene expression was dominated by the prevalence of metabolic pathways, particularly lipid metabolism. The gene retinol saturase (RETSAT), downregulated by LAMN, was involved in the multiple metabolic pathways that involve lipids. Using network mapping, we found IL1B signaling to be a potential top-level modulation candidate.

CONCLUSIONS

Distinct metabolic signatures may exist for PM from LAMN versus adenocarcinoma. A multitude of genes are differentially regulated, many of which are involved in metabolic pathways. Additional research is needed to identify the significance and applicability of targeting metabolic pathways in the potential development of novel therapeutics for these challenging tumors.

[Clinical observation of bow-tie adjustable suture technique for overcorrection in intermittent exotropia]

Objective: To investigate the clinical effects of the bow-tie adjustable suture technique in managing overcorrection in patients with intermittent exotropia after surgery. Methods: This was a retrospective case series study. Clinical data were collected from children with intermittent exotropia who underwent strabismus correction surgery, including the bow-tie adjustable suture technique and conventional techniques, at the Department of Strabismus and Pediatric Ophthalmology, Shanxi Eye Hospital, from January 2020 to September 2021. Children with postoperative esodeviation≥15 prism diopters (PD) within the first 6 days were treated differently based on the surgical technique and their individual conditions, including suture adjustment and conservative treatment. The overcorrection rate and its changes among different surgical groups, the recovery of ocular alignment and binocular visual function after different treatment methods in children with overcorrection on the sixth postoperative day, and the postoperative complications in different surgical groups were observed. Statistical analysis was performed using independent samples t-test, Wilcoxon rank-sum test, repeated-measures analysis of variance, Bonferroni test, chi-square test, or Fisher's exact probability test, as appropriate. Results: A total of 643 children who underwent intermittent exotropia correction surgery were included in the study. Among them, 325 children underwent the bow-tie adjustable suture technique, with 185 males and 140 females, and the mean age was (9.50±2.69) years. The remaining 318 children underwent conventional techniques, with 176 males and 142 females, and the mean age was (9.90±2.67) years. There were no statistically significant differences in age and gender distribution between the two surgical groups (all P>0.05). On the first postoperative day, among children who underwent the bow-tie adjustable suture technique, 40 had an esodeviation of≥10 PD, resulting in an overcorrection rate of 12.3% (40/325), while among children who underwent conventional techniques, 32 had an esodeviation of≥10 PD, resulting in an overcorrection rate of 10.1% (32/318). On the sixth postoperative day, these rates decreased to 5.5% (18/325) and 3.1% (10/318) in the two groups, respectively. At 1, 6, and 12 months postoperatively, the overcorrection rate in children who underwent the bow-tie adjustable suture technique was 0, while in children who underwent conventional techniques, the overcorrection rate did not show a significant decrease compared to before surgery. The differences between the two surgical groups were statistically significant (all P<0.05). On the sixth postoperative day, among children with an esodeviation of≥15 PD, 13 underwent suture adjustment and 7 received conservative treatment. The results of repeated-measures analysis of variance showed statistically significant differences in near and distance esodeviation angles among children who received different treatment methods (F=145.20, 106.87, both P<0.001), as well as statistically significant differences in near and distance esodeviation angles at different time points within each group of children (F=81.67, 35.09, both P<0.001). There were also significant differences in the trends of change in near and distance esodeviation angles at different time points among children who received different treatment methods (F=79.90, 36.73, both P<0.001). Further pairwise comparisons showed significant differences in near and distance esodeviation angles between the sixth postoperative day and 1, 6, and 12 months postoperatively in children who underwent suture adjustment (all P<0.05), while no statistically significant differences were observed in children who received conservative treatment (all P>0.05). At 12 months postoperatively, among the 13 children who underwent suture adjustment, 12 achieved stereopsis, while among the 7 children who received conservative treatment, all became stereo-blind after removing the prismatic correction. No serious complications occurred in any of the children postoperatively. Conclusion: The proportion of children with intermittent exotropia who achieved orthotropic alignment one year after surgery was relatively low among those who had an overcorrection of≥15 PD on the sixth postoperative day. The bow-tie adjustable suture technique is a simple and effective approach for managing overcorrection in patients with intermittent exotropia. Adjusting the sutures on the sixth postoperative day can reduce the overcorrection rate and is considered a safe and effective method.

SAPS3 subunit of protein phosphatase 6 is an AMPK inhibitor and controls metabolic homeostasis upon dietary challenge in male mice

Inhibition of AMPK is tightly associated with metabolic perturbations upon over nutrition, yet the molecular mechanisms underlying are not clear. Here, we demonstrate the serine/threonine-protein phosphatase 6 regulatory subunit 3, SAPS3, is a negative regulator of AMPK. SAPS3 is induced under high fat diet (HFD) and recruits the PP6 catalytic subunit to deactivate phosphorylated-AMPK, thereby inhibiting AMPK-controlled metabolic pathways. Either whole-body or liver-specific deletion of SAPS3 protects male mice against HFD-induced detrimental consequences and reverses HFD-induced metabolic and transcriptional alterations while loss of SAPS3 has no effects on mice under balanced diets. Furthermore, genetic inhibition of AMPK is sufficient to block the protective phenotype in SAPS3 knockout mice under HFD. Together, our results reveal that SAPS3 is a negative regulator of AMPK and suppression of SAPS3 functions as a guardian when metabolism is perturbed and represents a potential therapeutic strategy to treat metabolic syndromes.

Impact of human coronavirus infections on paediatric patients at a tertiary paediatric hospital: a retrospective study of the prepandemic era

BACKGROUND

Human coronaviruses (HCoVs) are important respiratory pathogens in humans and animals. Most HCoVs are emerging pathogens, with five known human pathogens identified in the last two decades.

AIM

To examine the clinical course of HCoV infection in children to improve understanding of severity and outcomes.

METHODS

A retrospective review was undertaken of all encounters of children with known HCoV infection at a tertiary paediatric hospital from January 2015 to January 2018. Electronic medical records were reviewed for demographic data, HCoV type, viral co-pathogens, time to testing, need for hospitalization, requirement for higher-level care (HLC) including intensive care unit management and requirement for oxygen support, radiographic findings suggestive of lower respiratory tract (LRT) disease, and length of stay (LOS).

FINDINGS

In total, 450 encounters for 430 different patients were identified, with the majority (85%) being inpatient. OC43 was the most common HCoV. Younger patients (age <5 years) had higher probability of hospitalization [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 2.2, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.2-4.1], requirement for HLC (aOR 1.8, 95% CI 1.0-3.1) and presence of LRT findings on chest radiographs (aOR 1.7, 95% CI 1.01-2.9). Clinical outcomes did not differ between HCoV types, except LOS which was longer for 229E. Fifty-two (11%) encounters were detected after 3 days of hospitalization (median 25.5 days), suggesting possible nosocomial infection.

CONCLUSION

HCoVs are important respiratory pathogens in the paediatric population, especially among patients aged <5 years who are at increased risk for severe disease. The role of HCoVs as hospital-acquired pathogens may be underappreciated.

Effects of Dietary Phytochemicals on DNA Damage in Cancer Cells

With the increasing incidence of cancer worldwide, the prevention and treatment of cancer have garnered considerable scientific attention. Traditional chemotherapeutic drugs are highly toxic and associated with substantial side effects; therefore, there is an urgent need for developing new therapeutic agents. Dietary phytochemicals are important in tumor prevention and treatment because of their low toxicity and side effects at low concentrations; however, their exact mechanisms of action remain obscure. DNA damage is mainly caused by physical or chemical factors in the environment, such as ultraviolet light, alkylating agents and reactive oxygen species that cause changes in the DNA structure of cells. Several phytochemicals have been shown inhibit the occurrence and development of tumors by inducing DNA damage. This article reviews the advances in phytochemical research; particularly regarding the mechanisms related to DNA damage and provide a theoretical basis for future chemoprophylaxis research.

Integrative analysis reveals a clinicogenomic landscape associated with liver metastasis and poor prognosis in hepatoid adenocarcinoma of the stomach

Hepatoid adenocarcinoma of the stomach (HAS) is a rare subtype of gastric cancer (GC) that histologically resembles hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Despite its low incidence, HAS had a poor 5-year survival rate. Currently, the linkages between clinicopathological and genomic features of HAS and its therapeutic targets remain largely unknown. Herein, we enrolled 90 HAS patients and 270 stage-matched non-HAS patients from our institution for comparing clinicopathological features. We found that HAS had worse overall survival and were more prone to develop liver metastasis than non-HAS in our cohort, which was validated via meta-analysis. By comparing whole-exome sequencing data of HAS (n=30), non-HAS (n=63), and HCC (n=355, The Cancer Genome Atlas), we identified a genomic landscape associated with unfavorable clinical features in HAS, which contained frequent somatic mutations and widespread copy number variations. Notably, signaling pathways regulating pluripotency of stem cells affected by frequent genomic alterations might contribute to liver metastasis and poor prognosis in HAS patients. Furthermore, HAS developed abundant multiclonal architecture associated with liver metastasis. Encouragingly, target analysis suggested that HAS patients might potentially benefit from anti-ERBB2 or anti-PD-1 therapy. Taken together, this study systematically demonstrated a high risk of liver metastasis and poor prognosis in HAS, provided a clinicogenomic landscape underlying these unfavorable clinical features, and identified potential therapeutic targets, laying the foundations for developing precise diagnosis and therapy in this rare but lethal disease.

A happy cell stays home: When metabolic stress creates epigenetic advantages in the tumor microenvironment

A paradox of fast-proliferating tumor cells is that they deplete extracellular nutrients that often results in a nutrient poor microenvironment in vivo. Having a better understanding of the adaptation mechanisms cells exhibit in response to metabolic stress will open new therapeutic windows targeting the tumor’s extreme nutrient microenvironment. Glutamine is one of the most depleted amino acids in the tumor core and here, we provide insight into how important glutamine and its downstream by-product, α-ketoglutarate (αKG), are to communicating information about the nutrient environment. This communication is key in the cell’s ability to foster adaptation. We highlight the epigenetic changes brought on when αKG concentrations are altered in cancer and discuss how depriving cells of glutamine may lead to cancer cell de-differentiation and the ability to grow and thrive in foreign environments. When we starve cells, they adapt to survive. Those survival “skills” allow them to go out looking for other places to live and metastasize. We further examine current challenges to modelling the metabolic tumor microenvironment in the laboratory and discuss strategies that consider current findings to target the tumor’s poor nutrient microenvironment.

Optimization of the moving averaging-moving differential algorithm for Φ-OTDR

The moving averaging-moving differential (MA-MD) algorithm is widely adopted for event recognition and positioning in phase-sensitive optical time-domain reflectometry (Φ-OTDR) vibration sensing. In this paper, two theorems about the two critical parameters of this algorithm, the MA window width and the MD interval, are found, proved, and verified. According to them we can not only obtain an optimal signal-to-noise ratio and avoid missing the vibration signal but also greatly improve the signal-searching efficiency. Work in this paper is of essential importance for understanding the characteristics of the MA-MD algorithm and will remarkably benefit its practical applications.

Long-Term Survival of a Lynch Syndrome Patient With Eight Primary Tumors: A Case Report

With the modern technological developments in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, the survival rate of cancer patients has increased. On the other hand, the incidence of multiple primary tumors is increasing annually. Lynch syndrome (LS), an autosomal dominant disorder with germline mutations in DNA mismatch repair genes, increases the risk of cancer in patients carrying those mutations. In this report, we present an extremely rare case of an 81-year-old male patient with eight primary malignancies and LS. The patient is still alive having survived for more than 41 years since the initial discovery of the first tumor. The eighth and most recently diagnosed primary cancer was a malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor. Although there have been numerous reports of malignancies in LS, malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors have not been reported previously with LS. Here, we report, to the best of our knowledge, the first case of a malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor with LS.

Left atrial anatomical variations correlate with atrial fibrillation sources near the left atrial ridge

Funding Acknowledgements

Type of funding sources: None.

Background

Anatomical variations and characteristics of the left atrium (LA) may have a previously undescribed effect on source locations in atrial fibrillation (AF). Electrographic flow (EGF) mapping is a novel method used to estimate cardiac action potential flow in the atria that can detect AF sources in patients with persistent AF. The EGF technology offers a revolutionary mapping possibility for AF, however, it is not commercially available yet.

Purpose

This is the first study aiming to investigate the relationship between anatomical characteristics of the LA and non-PV sources detected by EGF in patients with persistent AF.

Methods

We collected cardiac computed tomography (CT) and EGF data from patients who underwent radiofrequency catheter ablation (CA) for persistent AF. EGF mapping creates a spatial and temporal reconstruction of electric potentials derived from endocardial unipolar electrograms. By analyzing EGF maps obtained during CA procedures, we localized non-PV sources in the LA. Patients with individual stable sources with a source activity above threshold (leading source present in more than &gt; 26% of the time) were classified as having an S-Type EGF signature with source-dependent AF. Patients with no stable active source pattern and no leading source with a source activity above threshold were characterized as having a C-Type EGF signature consistent with source-independent AF. We assessed LA anatomical characteristics including size, LAA length, LAA ostial diameter, trajectory of the left superior pulmonary vein (LSPV) and its relation to the LAA on cardiac CT scans. Abutting LAA-LSPV was defined as cases when the LSPV touched the posterior aspect of LAA, and the maximal distance between the two structures was less than 2 mm. Those cases where the distance between LAA and LSPV was more than 2 mm were defined as non-abutting LAA-LSPV.

Results

Thirty patients were included in this study (mean age 62.4±6.8 years):23 patients had an S-Type EGF signature (77%), and 7 patients had a C-Type EGF signature (23%). We identified 10 patients with AF sources near the LA ridge, while twenty patients had no leading source near the LA ridge. LA anatomical characteristics, LAA length and ostial diameter showed no correlation with the presence of a leading source near the ridge. We described 19 patients with abutting LAA-LSPV, and 11 patients with non-abutting LAA-LSPV. Three out of 19 patients presented with a leading source near ridge in the abutting LAA-LSPV group, while 7 out of 11 patients presented with a leading source near ridge in the non-abutting LAA-LSPV group (p=0.01).

Conclusion

Our data suggests that non-abutting LAA-LSPV is associated with the presence of AF sources near the LA ridge.

Use of a neural network to generate a whole atrium 3D reconstruction of electrographic flow and basket catheter geometry from biosignals alone

Funding Acknowledgements

Type of funding sources: None.

Background

Electrographic flow (EGF) mapping detects and quantifies patterns of electrical wavefront propagation in the atrial myocardium from basket catheter recordings. However, no single catheter can map the entire endocardial surface simultaneously. Creating panoramic maps of the whole atrium may be possible by reconstructing multiple basket positions obtained within a few minutes of each other.

Purpose

Present a method of 3D reconstruction of EGF maps generated from individual basket recordings using QRS morphologies and CT anatomies.

Methods

EGF maps were generated from unipolar signals recorded over 1 minute from 64-pole basket catheters. QRS morphologies recorded by each individual electrode were used to train a neural network (NN) on the reconstruction of the basket geometries in 3D. The NN uses the similarities between QRS morphologies to represent multiple recordings in one coherent 3D space and spatially integrate phenomena across multiple recordings without any external navigation system.

Results

A basket catheter was placed in the superior vena cava of a chronic AF canine model. The catheter was manually pulled back in steps of 5mm under fluoroscopic supervision. After reconstruction of the 3D electrode positions, a successive displacement of 3.5±1.2mm per step was reproduced. We applied the proposed method on recordings of 18 patients where an EGF source was identified. Independently, an expert determined the source locations on a 3rd party navigation system, based on 10 predefined regions in the left atrium. In 83% of the cases, the proposed method projected the sources in the same or adjacent region.

Conclusion

Novel 3D reconstruction from QRS signatures enables integration of EGF maps from multiple basket recordings that can be aligned with CT anatomy. Due to the real-time EGF map acquisition, synthesizing maps from more than 1 basket position provides a more panoramic visualization of complex atrial flow patterns.

Efficacy and safety of neoadjuvant sintilimab, oxaliplatin and capecitabine in patients with locally advanced, resectable gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma: early results of a phase 2 study

Immune checkpoint inhibitors have greatly improved the prognoses of diverse advanced malignancies, including gastric and gastroesophageal junction (G/GEJ) cancer. However, the role of anti-programmed cell death protein-1 treatment in the neoadjuvant setting remains unclear. This phase 2 study aimed to evaluate sintilimab plus CapeOx as a neoadjuvant regimen in patients with advanced resectable G/GEJ adenocarcinoma. Eligible patients with resectable G/GEJ adenocarcinoma stage cT3-4NanyM0 were enrolled. Patients received neoadjuvant treatment with sintilimab (3 mg/kg for cases <60 kg or 200 mg for those ≥60 kg on day 1) plus CapeOx (oxaliplatin at 130 mg/m² on D1 and capecitabine at 1000 mg/m² two times per day on D1-D14) every 21 days, for three cycles before surgical resection, followed by adjuvant treatment with three cycles of CapeOx with the same dosages after surgical resection. The primary endpoint was pathological complete response (pCR) rate. Secondary endpoints included objective response rate, tumor regression grade per Becker criteria, survival and safety. As of July 30, 2020, 36 patients were enrolled. Totally 7 (19.4%) patients had GEJ cancer, and 34 (94.4%) patients were clinical stage III cases. A total of 35 (97.2%) patients completed three cycles of neoadjuvant treatment, and 1 patients received two cycles due to adverse events. All patients underwent surgery and the R0 resection rate was 97.2%. In this study, pCR and major pathological response were achieved in 7 (19.4%, 95% CI: 8.8% to 35.7%; 90% CI: 10.7% to 33.1%) and 17 (47.2%, 95% CI: 31.6% to 64.3%) patients, respectively. Thirty-one patients received adjuvant treatment. By December 20, 2021, three patients died after disease relapse, and two patients were alive with relapse. Median disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) were not reached. The 1-year DFS and OS rates were 90.3% (95% CI: 80.4% to 100.0%) and 94.1% (95% CI: 86.5% to 100.0%), respectively. The most common (>1 patient) grade 3 treatment-related adverse events during neoadjuvant treatment were anemia and neutropenia (n=5 each, 13.9%). No serious adverse events (AEs) or grade 4-5 AEs were observed. Sintilimab plus oxaliplatin/capecitabine showed promising efficacy with encouraging pCR rate and good safety profile in the neoadjuvant setting. This combination regimen might present a new option for patients with locally advanced, resectable G/GEJ adenocarcinoma. Trial registration; NCT04065282.

[Short-term outcomes of prism treatment in a manner of reducing prism diopters step by step for small-angle acute acquired concomitant esotropia]

Objective: To investigate the short-term efficacy of the prism treatment in a manner of reducing prism diopters step by step for small-angle acute acquired concomitant esotropia (AACE). Methods: Retrospective case series study. The clinical data of 17 AACE patients with strabismus ≤25 prism degrees (PD) including 6 males and 11 females, aged 14 to 60 years, who underwent the prism treatment in the Strabismus and Pediatric Ophthalmology Clinic of Shanxi Eye Hospital from October 2018 to June 2020 were collected. The prism treatment was conducted by a step-by-step reduction of prism diopters. An under-corrected prism was applied to the patient for the first time, and the degree of the prism was reduced gradually with the decrease in the degree of strabismus. Statistical analysis was performed after 6 months of treatment. The treatment success was defined as obtaining orthotropia and deleting diplopia when prism glasses were weaned off. The strabismus degree, Worth 4 dot test results, near stereopsis (Titmus stereopsis) and synoptophore fusion function before and after treatment were compared, and the factors affecting the curative effect were analyzed. Statistical methods mainly included paired t-test, Wilcoxon rank sum test, the Fisher exact test and univariate logistic regression analysis. Results: Among these 17 patients, 15 had myopia and 2 had emmetropia. Pretherapeutic esodeviation was (13.94±5.83) PD at near (33 cm), and was (15.76±5.24) PD at distance (6 m). After 6 months of treatment, 7 patients were successfully cured. The deviation angle at distance [(10.60±7.16) PD] and near [(9.80±6.00) PD] of the remaining 10 patients at 6 months after prismatic treatment was significantly smaller than that before treatment [(17.50±5.40) PD and (16.10±5.47) PD; t=3.69, 4.10; both P<0.01]. The Titmus stereogram showed that 2 cases had no stereopsis, 6 cases had peripheral stereopsis, 3 cases had macular stereopsis, and 6 cases had foveal stereopsis before treatment. Stereopsis was significantly improved at 6 months after prismatic treatment, with 3 cases havimg macular stereopsis and 14 cases having foveal stereopsis (Z=-2.99; P<0.01). The Worth-4-dot test disclosed that, the number of patients who saw four lamps at distance and near was 0 and 2 before treatment, and 7 and 9 after treatment, respectively, and the difference was statistically significant (both P<0.05). The divergent fusional amplitude and convergent fusional amplitude in the synoptophore at 6 month after treatment was not significantly different from that before treatment (both P>0.05). The efficacy of treatment was not significantly related to the duration from onset to treatment, the pretherapeutic esodeviation, the Titmus stereoacuity, cycloplegic refractive error, and age (all P>0.05). None of the 7 patients, who were successfully cured had a recurrence of esotropia or diplopia during the observation period of 6 to 24 months (median, 11 months). Conclusions: Prism treatment in a manner of step-by-step reduction of prism diopters can significantly diminish the degree of esotropia and improve the binocular function in small-angle AACE. Furthermore, some patients could be cured, achieving orthophoria without diplopia.

Revealing the transcriptional heterogeneity of organ‐specific metastasis in human gastric cancer using single‐cell RNA Sequencing

Background

Deciphering intra‐ and inter‐tumoural heterogeneity is essential for understanding the biology of gastric cancer (GC) and its metastasis and identifying effective therapeutic targets. However, the characteristics of different organ‐tropism metastases of GC are largely unknown.

Methods

Ten fresh human tissue samples from six patients, including primary tumour and adjacent non‐tumoural samples and six metastases from different organs or tissues (liver, peritoneum, ovary, lymph node) were evaluated using single‐cell RNA sequencing. Validation experiments were performed using histological assays and bulk transcriptomic datasets.

Results

Malignant epithelial subclusters associated with invasion features, intraperitoneal metastasis propensity, epithelial–mesenchymal transition‐induced tumour stem cell phenotypes, or dormancy‐like characteristics were discovered. High expression of the first three subcluster‐associated genes displayed worse overall survival than those with low expression in a GC cohort containing 407 samples. Immune and stromal cells exhibited cellular heterogeneity and created a pro‐tumoural and immunosuppressive microenvironment. Furthermore, a 20‐gene signature of lymph node‐derived exhausted CD8⁺ T cells was acquired to forecast lymph node metastasis and validated in GC cohorts. Additionally, although anti‐NKG2A (KLRC1) antibody have not been used to treat GC patients even in clinical trials, we uncovered not only malignant tumour cells but one endothelial subcluster, mucosal‐associated invariant T cells, T cell‐like B cells, plasmacytoid dendritic cells, macrophages, monocytes, and neutrophils may contribute to HLA‐E‐KLRC1/KLRC2 interaction with cytotoxic/exhausted CD8⁺ T cells and/or natural killer (NK) cells, suggesting novel clinical therapeutic opportunities in GC. Additionally, our findings suggested that PD‐1 expression in CD8⁺ T cells might predict clinical responses to PD‐1 blockade therapy in GC.

Conclusions

This study provided insights into heterogeneous microenvironment of GC primary tumours and organ‐specific metastases and provide support for precise diagnosis and treatment.

A Case Report of Mucoepidermoid Carcinoma With Extensive Keratinization in Parotid: Expanding the Morphologic Spectrum

Mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC) is the most common malignant tumor of salivary glands in children and young adults. Typically, it is composed of squamoid, mucin-producing and intermediate-types cells. However, overt keratinization is rare. To the best of our knowledge, extensive keratinization or keratin pearls in MEC has never been reported. Keratinization or keratin pearls are regard "practically never seen in low-grade MEC". Herein, we report a case of a 34-year-old woman who presented with a tumor in right parotid gland for 2 months. Microscopically, the tumor was composed of extensive squamous cells with overt keratin pearls, intermediate cells and few scattered mucous cells. MAML2 gene break-apart and CRTC1-MAML2 gene fusion were detected by fluorescence in situ hybridization. This is the first report to describe a MEC case with extensive squamous metaplasia and overt keratin pearls formation, which expands the morphologic spectrum of MEC.

Using DFB laser self-injection locked to an optical waveguide ring resonator as a light source of Φ-OTDR

A distributed feedback (DFB) semiconductor laser self-injection locked to an optical waveguide ring resonator (OWRR) is used in a phase-sensitive optical time-domain reflectometry (Φ-OTDR) vibration sensing system as its light source. A frequency-hopping-free period of more than 100 s is realized. A spatial resolution of 13 m at 4700 m and simultaneous measurement of two vibration sources are realized. The measurable vibration frequency is from 8 Hz to the upper limit of the sampling theorem. These satisfactory performances demonstrate that the DFB laser locked to an OWRR is not only cost effective, but also stable and reliable for Φ-OTDR sensing.

Single-cell RNA-seq analysis identifies unique chondrocyte subsets and reveals involvement of ferroptosis in human intervertebral disc degeneration

OBJECTIVE

Nucleus pulposus (NP) plays a central role in disc degeneration pathogenesis, however, as a heterogeneous tissue, cell subsets in NP and their corresponding biological process in intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) are unreported.

METHOD

Nucleus pulposus were isolated from normal control and IVDD, and then subjected to single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq). Unsupervised clustering of the cells based on the gene expression profiles using the Seurat package and passed to tSNE for clustering visualization. Rat model of disc degeneration was built to validate the pathways identified by scRNA-Seq.

RESULTS

Seven chondrocyte subsets were revealed in NP based on differential gene expression, among which 4 subsets (C1-C4) were reported for the first time. Furthermore, GO and KEGG analyses discovered that ferroptosis pathways were enriched. Rat model of disc degeneration was built (n = 6/group, control vs. model) to validate the pathways identified by scRNA-Seq. Iron levels of NP were significantly higher in model group than control group (means 0.712 vs. 0.248, respectively, mg/gpro, p = 0.0026), and the levels of Heme Oxygenase 1 (HO-1) were also elevated in model group (means 14.33 vs. 5.16 IOD, respectively, p = 0.0002). However, the levels of ferritin light chain (FTL) were significantly decreased in model group compared to control group (means 26.17 vs. 9.00 FTL⁺ cell number, respectively, p = 0.0011).

CONCLUSIONS

Novel chondrocyte subsets in nucleus pulposus were discovered through scRNA-Seq, which provided novel insight to understand the pathological change during the development of IVDD. Ferroptosis participated in disc degeneration pathogenesis and it might serve as a new target for intervening IVDD.

The B56α subunit of PP2A is necessary for mesenchymal stem cell commitment to adipocyte

Adipose tissue plays a major role in maintaining organismal metabolic equilibrium. Control over the fate decision from mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to adipocyte differentiation involves coordinated command of phosphorylation. Protein phosphatase 2A plays an important role in Wnt pathway and adipocyte development, yet how PP2A complexes actively respond to adipocyte differentiation signals and acquire specificity in the face of the promiscuous activity of its catalytic subunit remains unknown. Here, we report the PP2A phosphatase B subunit B56α is specifically induced during adipocyte differentiation and mediates PP2A to dephosphorylate GSK3β, thereby blocking Wnt activity and driving adipocyte differentiation. Using an inducible B56α knock-out mouse, we further demonstrate that B56α is essential for gonadal adipose tissue development in vivo and required for the fate decision of adipocytes over osteoblasts. Moreover, we show B56α expression is driven by the adipocyte transcription factor PPARγ thereby establishing a novel link between PPARγ signaling and Wnt blockade. Overall, our results reveal B56α is a necessary part of the machinery dictating the transition from pre-adipocyte to mature adipocyte and provide fundamental insights into how PP2A complex specifically and actively regulates unique signaling pathway in biology.

Whole-exome sequencing of alpha-fetoprotein producing gastric carcinoma reveals genomic profile and therapeutic targets

Alpha-fetoprotein producing gastric carcinoma (AFPGC) is a rare and aggressive subtype of gastric cancer. However, little is known about the genomic features of this disease. We perform whole-exome sequencing analysis of AFPGC, and identify 34 significantly mutated genes. Somatic copy number alterations analysis reveals several significant focal amplifications (e.g. 19q12, 17q12) and focal deletions (e.g. 1p36.11, 9p21.3), and some of these negatively affect the patient prognosis. Comparative analyses reveal that AFPGC has distinct genomic features from gastric cancer of The Cancer Genome Atlas as well as four molecular subtypes. Several frequently altered genes with potential as therapeutic targets are identified in AFPGC. Further analysis reveals that AFPGC with amplification of CCNE1 at 19q12 and/or ERBB2 at 17q12 show poorer survival and more aggressive. Subsequently, based on our established patient-derived xenograft models for AFPGC, translational research is performed and the therapeutic value of targeting CCNE1 and ERBB2 is validated. In this work, we provide an understanding of genomic characteristics of AFPGC and propose a platform to explore and validate the genome-guided personalized treatment for this disease.

Robot-assisted laparoscopic resection of a pelvic solitary fibrous tumor

Solitary fibrous tumor (SFT) is a rare soft tissue neoplasm of mesenchymal origin. SFT is most commonly located in the thoracic cavity (in approximately 80% of cases), but can also develop rarely in the pelvis. A 47-year-old man presented to our hospital with a pelvic tumor that was discovered during a health checkup. We performed transperitoneal robotic resection of the pelvic tumor. Intraoperative blood loss and the console time were 100 mL and 2 hours 42 minutes, respectively, and no intraoperative or postoperative complications were recorded. Histologic analysis revealed a pelvic SFT with negative surgical margins. The patient was followed-up for 13 months with no evidence of tumor recurrence. To our knowledge, this is the first report of robot-assisted laparoscopic resection of a pelvic SFT.

Publication trends and hotspots in enhanced recovery after surgery: 20-year bibliometric analysis

We evaluated enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) research and used bibliometric analysis to quantitatively and qualitatively predict research hotspots through extracting relevant publications from the core collection of the Web of Science database.

Sintilimab plus oxaliplatin/capecitabine (CapeOx) as neoadjuvant therapy in patients with locally advanced, resectable gastric (G)/esophagogastric junction (GEJ) adenocarcinoma

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Background: The application of anti-programmed death 1 (PD-1) antibodies in neoadjuvant setting has not been well established. This phase 2 study (NCT04065282) was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of sintilimab plus CapeOx as neoadjuvant therapy for resectable G/GEJ adenocarcinoma. Methods: Patients with histologically confirmed resectable G/GEJ adenocarcinoma (stage cT3-4NxM0) were enrolled to receive neoadjuvant therapy with sintilimab (3mg/kg for wt < 60kg, 200mg for wt ≥60kg, Q3W) plus CapeOx (oxaliplatin 130mg/m2 iv D1, capecitabine 1000mg/m2 bid po D1-14, Q3W) for 3 cycles. Gastrectomy was scheduled within 4 weeks after last dose of neoadjuvant treatment. Tumor imaging evaluation was performed at baseline and within 1 week before gastrectomy. The primary endpoint was pathological complete response (pCR) per Becker criteria. Results: As of August 4, 2020, 36 pts were enrolled. Patients who had received gastrectomy after neoadjuvant treatment (n = 26) were included in this analysis. 25 (96.2%) pts completed 3 cycles of neoadjuvant treatment, except one completed 2 cycles due to grade 3 AST increased. All pts received complete resection (R0). 6 (23.1%) pts achieved pCR (TRG1a) and 14 (53.8%) pts achieved major pathologic response (MPR, TRG1a/b). 3 pts had partial response (ORR was 3/5 among pts with target lesions) and no patients progressed per RECIST 1.1 before surgery. Among 18 pts who received PET-CT evaluation per PERCIST, 11 (61.1%) achieved partial metabolic response (PMR). Neoadjuvant treatment-related AEs (neoTRAEs) to any drug were reported in 25 (96.2%) pts. Mostly TRAEs were grade 1-2, and only 6 (23.1%) pts experienced grade 3 TRAEs (Neutropenia in 4 pts, Leukopenia, Thrombocytopenia, AST increased, and GGT increased in 1 pt each). One patient experienced grade 1 hypothyroidism which is considered to be immune-related AE. There is no serious peri-operative complication and mortality. Conclusions: Sintilimab plus oxaliplatin/capecitabine showed promising efficacy with high pCR and MPR rate and well-tolerated safety profile in neoadjuvant settings. This combination regimen might present a new option for patients with locally advanced, resectable G/GEJ adenocarcinoma. Clinical trial information: NCT04065282.

A novel genomic classification system of gastric cancer via integrating multidimensional genomic characteristics

BACKGROUND

Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the leading causes of cancer deaths with high heterogeneity. There is currently a paucity of clinically applicable molecular classification system to guide precise medicine.

METHODS

A total of 70 Chinese patients with GC were included in this study and whole-exome sequencing was performed. Unsupervised clustering was undertaken to identify genomic subgroups, based on mutational signature, copy number variation, neoantigen, clonality, and essential genomic alterations. Subgroups were characterized by clinicopathological factors, molecular features, and prognosis.

RESULTS

We identified 32 significantly mutated genes (SMGs), including TP53, ARID1A, PIK3CA, CDH1, and RHOA. Of these, PREX2, PIEZO1, and FSIP2 have not been previously reported in GC. Using a novel genome-based classification method that integrated multidimensional genomic features, we categorized GC into four subtypes with distinct clinical phenotypes and prognosis. Subtype 1, which was predominantly Lauren intestinal type, harbored recurrent TP53 mutation and ERBB2 amplification, high tumor mutation burden (TMB)/tumor neoantigen burden (TNB), and intratumoral heterogeneity, with a liver metastasis tendency. Subtype 2 tended to occur at an elder age, accompanying with frequent TP53 and SYNE1 mutations, high TMB/TNB, and was associated with poor prognosis. Subtype 3 and subtype 4 included patients with mainly diffuse/mixed type tumors, high frequency of peritoneal metastasis, and genomical stability, whereas subtype 4 was associated with a favorable prognosis.

CONCLUSIONS

By integrating multidimensional genomic characteristics, we proposed a novel genomic classification system of GC associated with clinical phenotypes and provided a new insight to facilitate genome-guided risk stratification and disease management.

Multiple-Scale Analysis of Water Quality Variations and Their Correlation with Land use in Highly Urbanized Taihu Basin, China

Understanding the relationship between land use and water quality at different scales is essential in the restoration and protection of water quality. On March 2014, we collected 97 samples in highly urbanized Taihu Basin and analyzed their water quality characteristics. Spatial differences in water quality were evident in sub-basins. The Hu Xi zone with the largest forest area had the best water quality among all the sub-basins. The correlation analysis indicated that the proportions of forest and construction land were significantly associated with multiple water quality variables from buffer to sub-basin scale. Farmland was significantly related to NO₃-N at the sub-basin scale. The impact of landscape metrics at the sub-basin was insignificant. Forest and construction land in the 1-2 km buffer zone appeared to have a greater influence on the water quality than the buffers with smaller distance. These results are beneficial toward the understanding of water quality status in highly urbanized watersheds and provide a reference for water quality conservation and land use management in the future.

A higher level of total bile acid in early mid-pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of gestational diabetes mellitus: a prospective cohort study in Wuhan, China

PURPOSE

To assess the longitudinal associations between maternal total bile acid (TBA) levels during early mid-pregnancy and the subsequent risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).

METHODS

In a prospective cohort study, pregnant women who were enrolled prior to gestational week 16 were followed until delivery. TBA levels were tested during weeks 14-18 of gestation. Using logistic regression, we analyzed the associations between quartiles of TBA and GDM based on a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) at 24-28 gestational weeks.

RESULTS

The GDM rate was 7.9% (114/1441). The mean TBA level was higher in women with GDM than in those without GDM (2.1 ± 2.0 vs 1.5 ± 1.0 µmol/L, P = 0.000). The highest TBA level quartile (2.1-10.7 µmol/L) had a 1.78-fold (95% CI 1.01, 3.14) increased risk of GDM compared with that of the lowest quartile (0.0-0.8 µmol/L) after adjusting for pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI), gestational, age at TBA test and other confounders. High TBA levels were involved in the fasting glucose level rather than that at 1 h and 2 h after OGTT in all participants.

CONCLUSIONS

Pregnant women with higher serum TBA levels during early mid-pregnancy have a higher risk of developing GDM. TBA may be a new risk factor for GDM.

Dietary glutamine supplementation suppresses epigenetically-activated oncogenic pathways to inhibit melanoma tumour growth

Tumour cells adapt to nutrient deprivation in vivo, yet strategies targeting the nutrient poor microenvironment remain unexplored. In melanoma, tumour cells often experience low glutamine levels, which promote cell dedifferentiation. Here, we show that dietary glutamine supplementation significantly inhibits melanoma tumour growth, prolongs survival in a transgenic melanoma mouse model, and increases sensitivity to a BRAF inhibitor. Metabolomic analysis reveals that dietary uptake of glutamine effectively increases the concentration of glutamine in tumours and its downstream metabolite, αKG, without increasing biosynthetic intermediates necessary for cell proliferation. Mechanistically, we find that glutamine supplementation uniformly alters the transcriptome in tumours. Our data further demonstrate that increase in intra-tumoural αKG concentration drives hypomethylation of H3K4me3, thereby suppressing epigenetically-activated oncogenic pathways in melanoma. Therefore, our findings provide evidence that glutamine supplementation can serve as a potential dietary intervention to block melanoma tumour growth and sensitize tumours to targeted therapy via epigenetic reprogramming.

Subnanosecond phase transition dynamics in laser-shocked iron

Iron is one of the most studied chemical elements due to its sociotechnological and planetary importance; hence, understanding its structural transition dynamics is of vital interest. By combining a short pulse optical laser and an ultrashort free electron laser pulse, we have observed the subnanosecond structural dynamics of iron from high-quality x-ray diffraction data measured at 50-ps intervals up to 2500 ps. We unequivocally identify a three-wave structure during the initial compression and a two-wave structure during the decaying shock, involving all of the known structural types of iron (α-, γ-, and ε-phase). In the final stage, negative lattice pressures are generated by the propagation of rarefaction waves, leading to the formation of expanded phases and the recovery of γ-phase. Our observations demonstrate the unique capability of measuring the atomistic evolution during the entire lattice compression and release processes at unprecedented time and strain rate.

A New Framework for Performing Cardiac Strain Analysis from Cine MRI Imaging in Mice

Cardiac magnetic resonance (MR) imaging is one of the most rigorous form of imaging to assess cardiac function in vivo. Strain analysis allows comprehensive assessment of diastolic myocardial function, which is not indicated by measuring systolic functional parameters using with a normal cine imaging module. Due to the small heart size in mice, it is not possible to perform proper tagged imaging to assess strain. Here, we developed a novel deep learning approach for automated quantification of strain from cardiac cine MR images. Our framework starts by an accurate localization of the LV blood pool center-point using a fully convolutional neural network (FCN) architecture. Then, a region of interest (ROI) that contains the LV is extracted from all heart sections. The extracted ROIs are used for the segmentation of the LV cavity and myocardium via a novel FCN architecture. For strain analysis, we developed a Laplace-based approach to track the LV wall points by solving the Laplace equation between the LV contours of each two successive image frames over the cardiac cycle. Following tracking, the strain estimation is performed using the Lagrangian-based approach. This new automated system for strain analysis was validated by comparing the outcome of these analysis with the tagged MR images from the same mice. There were no significant differences between the strain data obtained from our algorithm using cine compared to tagged MR imaging. Furthermore, we demonstrated that our new algorithm can determine the strain differences between normal and diseased hearts.

α-Ketoglutarate attenuates Wnt signaling and drives differentiation in colorectal cancer

Genetic-driven deregulation of the Wnt pathway is crucial but not sufficient for colorectal cancer (CRC) tumourigenesis. Here, we show that environmental glutamine restriction further augments Wnt signaling in APC mutant intestinal organoids to promote stemness and leads to adenocarcinoma formation in vivo via decreasing intracellular alpha-ketoglutarate (aKG) levels. aKG supplementation is sufficient to rescue low-glutamine induced stemness and Wnt hyperactivation. Mechanistically, we found that aKG promotes hypomethylation of DNA and histone H3K4me3, leading to an upregulation of differentiation-associated genes and downregulation of Wnt target genes, respectively. Using CRC patient-derived organoids and several in vivo CRC tumour models, we show that aKG supplementation suppresses Wnt signaling and promotes cellular differentiation, thereby significantly restricting tumour growth and extending survival. Together, our results reveal how metabolic microenvironment impacts Wnt signaling and identify aKG as a potent antineoplastic metabolite for potential differentiation therapy for CRC patients.

Establishment of a novel human cell line retaining the characteristics of the original pancreatic adenocarcinoma, and evaluation of MEK as a therapeutic target

Pancreatic cancer is a lethal solid malignancy with limited therapeutic options. The development of novel therapeutic drugs requires adequate new cell line models. A new pancreatic cancer cell line, designated PDXPC1, was established from one pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) patient-derived xenograft. The PDXPC1 cells were stably cultured for >2 years and had a stable short tandem repeat profile. The PDXPC1 cell line retained the key mutations of the primary tumor, along with the epithelial origin and other important protein expression. The PDXPC1 cells induced rapid in vivo tumor growth, both subcutaneously and orthotopically, in a mouse model with an elevated CA199 level. The PDXPC1 cells showed weak growth, invasion and migration potency compared to another pancreatic cancer cell line, but were relatively resistant to multiple anti-cancer drugs. Interestingly, the MEK inhibitor trametinib significantly inhibited the proliferation of PDXPC1 cells, and not that of Panc-1 cells, by inactivating MEK/ERK/MYC signaling and activating the apoptotic pathway via Bcl-2 degradation. In conclusion, the PDXPC1 cell line, capturing the major characteristics of the primary tumor, may be a suitable tool for studying the underlying mechanisms of chemo-resistance in PDAC and developing new targeted therapeutic options.

Human infection with a novel reassortant Eurasian-avian lineage swine H1N1 virus in northern China

Influenza A virus infections occur in different species, causing mild to severe respiratory symptoms that lead to a heavy disease burden. Eurasian avian-like swine influenza A(H1N1) viruses (EAS-H1N1) are predominant in pigs and occasionally infect humans. An influenza A(H1N1) virus was isolated from a boy who was suffering from fever and headache and designated as A/Tianjin-baodi/1606/2018(H1N1). Full-genome sequencing and phylogenetic analysis revealed that A/Tianjin-baodi/1606/2018(H1N1) is a novel reassortant EAS-H1N1 containing gene segments from EAS-H1N1 (HA and NA), classical swine H1N1(NS) and A(H1N1)pdm09(PB2, PB2, PA, NP and M) viruses. The isolation and analysis of A/Tianjin-baodi/1606/2018(H1) provide further evidence that EAS-H1N1 poses a threat to human health and greater attention should be paid to surveillance of influenza virus infection in pigs and humans.

Diazoxide induces endoplasmic reticulum stress-related neuroprotection mediated by p38 MAPK against Aβ25-35 insults

OBJECTIVE

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) -resident caspase-12 was identified as a mediator of Aβ neurotoxicity. Recent evidence indicates that mitochondrial ATP-sensitive potassium (KATP) channel openers mediate their neuroprotective role by adjusting ER stress pathways, but the molecular details remain largely unknown and have been investigated.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this study, the protein expression levels of calreticulin (CRT) and caspase-12 activation and phosphorylated p38 MAPK were observed by immunoblotting in cultured PC12 cells from different groups: treatment with Aβ25-35 (group Aβ25-35), treatment with diazoxide (group diazoxide), pretreatment with diazoxide and then exposure to Aβ25-35 (group diazoxide + Aβ25-35), pretreatment with p38 MAPK inhibitor SB 203580 and then exposure to diazoxide and Aβ25-35 (group SB 203580 + diazoxide + Aβ25-35), and the control (group control).

RESULTS

In response to the treatment with Aβ25-35 (10 µM) for 24 h, the protein expression levels of CRT and caspase-12 activation were increased and phosphorylated p38 MAPK was decreased significantly. Diazoxide reduced CRT overexpression and caspase-12 activation and increased the up-regulation of phosphorylated p38 MAPK. When SB 203580 was presented before exposure to diazoxide and Aβ25-35, CRT expression was markedly suppressed, and the inhibition effect of diazoxide on caspase-12 activation was almost eliminated.

CONCLUSIONS

We showed that diazoxide induced ERS-related neuroprotection mediated by p38 MAPK against Aβ25-35 insults. From the clinical point of view, these results are of considerable importance for the understanding of AD pathogenesis. However, further studies are required to explore more detailed mechanisms of the observed effects.

Linc-ROR promotes endometrial cell proliferation by activating the PI3K-Akt pathway

OBJECTIVE

To observe the expressions of Linc-ROR and proteins in the PI3K-Akt pathway in an ectopic lesion of adenomyosis.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The expression of Linc-ROR in the ectopic endometrium, eutopic endometrium, and normal endometrium of adenomyosis was detected by qRT-PCR. Western blot was used to detect the protein expressions of PI3K-Akt in endometriosis and lesion endometriosis. Cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay was utilized to detect cell proliferative activity. After interfering or overexpressing Linc-ROR, protein expressions of the PI3K-Akt pathway were detected by Western blot.

RESULTS

Linc-ROR expression in the ectopic endometrium of adenomyosis was higher than that in the eutopic endometrium and normal endometrium, and the expression level of PTEN in adenomyosis tissues was decreased, whilst expression levels of Akt, p-Akt, p-PTEN were increased. Clinical data of enrolled patients indicated that there was a relationship between Linc-ROR expression and the type and severity of dysmenorrhea of adenomyosis. However, no relationship was observed between Linc-ROR expression and age, cesarean section, uterine surgery, and menstrual cycle. Cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay showed that the proliferative activity of cells was significantly decreased after knockdown of Linc-ROR in the adenomyosis cells. Western blot revealed that the expression level of PTEN increased but the expression levels of p-Akt, p-PTEN and p-PDK1 decreased. Overexpression of Linc-ROR obtained the opposite results.

CONCLUSIONS

Linc-ROR is highly expressed in the ectopic endometrium of adenomyosis, and it can promote the proliferative activity of endometrial cells by activating the PI3K-Akt pathway.