Single Transition-Metal Atom Anchored on a Rhenium Disulfide Monolayer: An Efficient Bifunctional Electrocatalyst for the Oxygen Evolution and Oxygen Reduction Reactions

Developing efficient oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) bifunctional electrocatalysts is attractive for rechargeable metal-air batteries. Meanwhile, single metal atoms embedded in 2D layered transition metal chalcogenides (TMDs) have become a very promising catalyst. Recently, many attentions have been paid to the 2D ReS2 electrocatalyst due to its unique distorted octahedral 1T' crystal structure and thickness-independent electronic properties. Here, the catalytic activity of different transition metal (TM) atoms embedded in ReS2 using the density functional theory is investigated. The results indicate that TM@ReS2 exhibits outstanding thermal stability, good electrical conductivity, and electron transfer for electrochemical reactions. And the Ir@ReS2 and Pd@ReS2 can be used as OER/ORR bifunctional electrocatalysts with a lower overpotential for OER (ηOER ) of 0.44 V and overpotentials for ORR (ηORR ) of 0.26 V and 0.27 V, respectively. The excellent catalytic activity is attributed to the optimal adsorption strength for oxygen intermediates coming from the effective modulation of the electronic structure of ReS2 after Ir/Pd doping. The results can help to deeply understand the catalytic activity of TM@ReS2 and develop novel and highly efficient OER/ORR electrocatalysts.

Efficacy evaluation and metabolomics analysis of raw and salt-processed Achyranthes bidentata Radix in zebrafish larvae for osteoporosis treatment

Osteoporosis, characterized by reduced bone density and the deterioration of bone tissue, poses a significant health challenge. The mechanisms underlying the protective effects of both raw and salt-processed Achyranthes bidentata Radix in osteoporosis remains unclear. This study endeavors to unravel and analyze the therapeutic mechanisms of these two forms of Achyranthes bidentata Radix in osteoporotic zebrafish larvae, utilizing GC/MS-based metabolomics. Zebrafish larvae were categorized into five groups: blank control, model, positive control, and groups treated with raw and salt-processed Achyranthes bidentata Radix. Following drug administration, notable enhancements were observed in both mineralized bone area and cumulative optical density. Various data mining techniques were employed, encompassing principal component analysis, orthogonal projections to latent structures discriminant analysis, and metabolic pathway analysis. These analyses unveiled 26 differential endogenous metabolites with significant biological implications in the zebrafish osteoporosis model. Among these metabolites, 12 (including acetamide, L-lactic acid, threonine, glycerol, rhamnose, azelaic acid, palmitic acid, inositol, stearic acid, hexadecane, sucrose, and glyceryl monostearate) were validated using standard compounds, exhibiting strong linear correlation coefficients (R2) ranging from 0.9917 to 0.9999. Furthermore, the method demonstrated excellent repeatability, as evidenced by relative standard deviation (RSD) values below 7.37%. The average spiked recoveries of the standard compounds fell within the range of ± 15%, ranging from 85.45% to 114.28%. Additionally, the stability of the standard compounds was confirmed after three freeze-thaw cycles, with RSD values remaining below 14.40%. Collectively, the metabolomic analysis unearthed potential biomarkers that could serve as indicators of the therapeutic effects of raw and salt-processed Achyranthes bidentata Radix on osteoporosis. This research offers valuable insights into the potential utilization of these herbal remedies as natural interventions for osteoporosis.

Intravesical chemotherapy synergize with an immune adjuvant by a thermo-sensitive hydrogel system for bladder cancer

Surgical resection remains the prefer option for bladder cancer treatment. However, the effectiveness of surgery is usually limited for the high recurrence rate and poor prognosis. Consequently, intravesical chemotherapy synergize with immunotherapy in situ is an attractive way to improve therapeutic effect. Herein, a combined strategy based on thermo-sensitive PLEL hydrogel drug delivery system was developed. GEM loaded PLEL hydrogel was intravesical instilled to kill tumor cells directly, then PLEL hydrogel incorporated with CpG was injected into both groins subcutaneously to promote immune responses synergize with GEM. The results demonstrated that drug loaded PLEL hydrogel had a sol-gel phase transition behavior in response to physiological temperature and presented sustained drug release, and the PLEL-assisted combination therapy could have better tumor suppression effect and stronger immunostimulating effect in vivo. Hence, this combined treatment with PLEL hydrogel system has great potential and suggests a clinically-relevant and valuable option for bladder cancer.

Comprehensive metabolic profiles of Achyranthes bidentate in rat serum via ultra-high performance liquid chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry and their correlation with osteoinductive activity

The osteoinductive effect of crude and salt-processed Achyranthes bidentata is associated with the serum metabolites. Grey relationship analysis between the serum metabolites and osteoinductive effect will help to clarify the bioactive serum metabolites. First, an ultra-high performance liquid chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry method was used to develop serum metabolic fingerprint of rats after oral administration of crude and salt-processed Achyranthes bidentata. The MS¹ and MS² data of serum metabolites were scanned in the range of m/z 100-1500 and 50-1200, respectively. The chemical structures of the metabolites were thoroughly elucidated. Two prototypes and twelve metabolites have been identified. Second, osteoblasts were cultured with the drug-containing serum at different time points. The osteoinductive effect of crude and salt-processed Achyranthes bidentata was evaluated by detecting the proliferation rate and alkaline phosphatase activity of osteoblasts. Third, grey correlation analysis was utilized to elucidate the spectral-effect relationship between serum metabolic fingerprints and osteoinductive effect. Finally, the correlation coefficients of ten metabolites, i.e., oleanolic acid, poststerone-M1, chikusetsusaponin V-M1, oleanolic acid-M2, oleanolic acid-M4, spinacoside D-M1, chikusetsusaponin I-M1, betavulgaroside IV-M2, chikusetsusaponin IVa and achyranthoside IV-M1 were above 0.7. Collectively, our work will provide helpful knowledge for the future research on Achyranthes bidentata.

Anti-Inflammatory and Anti-Osteoclastogenesis Activities of Different Kinds of Zanthoxylum bungeanum Seed Oil in vitro

Our previous study has exhibited that one kind of Zanthoxylum bungeanum seed oil (ZSO), extracted from Zanthoxylum bungeanum seed, had inhibitory effects on osteoclastogenesis. However, the anti-osteoclastogenesis activities of different kinds of ZSO are scarcely reported. Since inflammation is related to bone loss and osteoporosis, in this study, three kinds of ZSO, Zanthoxylum schinifolium Siebold et Zucc seed oil (ZSSO), Zanthoxylum armatum DC. seed oil (ZDSO) and Zanthoxylum bungeanum maximum seed oil (ZBSO), were obtained with Soxhlet extraction and their fatty acid constituents were detected by GC-FID. RAW264.7 macrophages induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) were used to evaluate the inhibitory effects of three kinds of ZSO on inflammation via detecting the expression levels of inflammatory factors by RT-qPCR. Moreover, RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis was applied to demonstrate the anti-osteoclastogenesis activities of them through tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) staining and RT-qPCR. The GC-FID results exhibited that the highest constituent in ZSSO and ZDSO was oleic acid (OA) and palmitoleic acid (PLA), respectively. While linoleic acid (LA) and α-Linolenic acid (ALA) in ZBSO were dominant. At the concentration of 0.5 μL/mL, all three kinds of ZSO could decrease the expression levels of inducible NO synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) in LPS-induced macrophages. At the concentration of 0.25 μL/mL, only ZSSO could decrease the expression levels of iNOS and COX-2, which implied the inhibitory effects of ZSSO were stronger than other ZSOs. The number of RANKL-induced osteoclasts and the expressions of nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB), TNF-α and IL-6 in the cells were decreased after being treated with ZSOs at the concentration of 0.5 μL/mL, while the number of RANKL-induced osteoclasts after treated with ZBSO were less than those treated with other ZSOs, this indicated that the anti-osteoclastogenesis effect of ZBSO were stronger than other ZSOs. In conclusion, the fatty acid compositions of three major kinds of ZSO were compared and the content of unsaturated fatty acids especially ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in ZBSO were the highest among them. All ZSOs tested had anti-inflammatory and anti-osteoclastogenesis activities. And their anti-osteoclastogenesis effects might be related to the suppression of the NF-κB pathway.

Release of Interface Confined Water Significantly Improves Dentin Bonding

Water residue and replacement difficulty cause insufficient adhesive infiltration in demineralized dentin matrix (DDM), which produces a defective hybrid layer and thus a bonding durability problem, severely plaguing adhesive dentistry for decades. In this study, we propose that the unique properties of a highly hydrated interface of the porous DDM can give rise to 1 new type of interface, confined liquid water, which accounts for most of the residue water and may be the main cause of insufficient infiltration. To prove our hypothesis, 3 metal ions with increasing binding affinity and complex stability (Na⁺, Ca²⁺, and Cu²⁺) were introduced respectively to coordinate negatively charged groups such as -PO₄^3-, -COO^- abundant in the DDM interface. Strong chelation of Ca²⁺ and Cu²⁺ rapidly released the confined water, significantly improving penetration of hydrophobic adhesive monomers, while Na⁺ had little effect. A significant decrease of defects in the hybrid layer and a much decreased modulus gap between the hybrid layer and the adhesive layer greatly optimized the microstructure and micromechanical properties of the tooth-resin bonding interface, thus improving the effectiveness and durability of dentin bonding substantially. This study paves the way for a solution to the core scientific issue of contemporary adhesive dentistry: water residue and replacement in dentin bonding, both theoretically and practically.

Enhancing the oxygen reduction activity by constructing nanocluster-scaled Fe2O3/Cu interfaces

Interface engineering is a promising strategy to enhance the catalytic performance of electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). However, it is still a challenge to modulate the size into a suitable range (e.g., nanocluster-scale) to make the most of the interface. Moreover, the explicit mechanism of the interface for enhancing catalytic performance is still elusive. Herein, a model catalyst (FeCu@NC) loaded with nanocluster-scaled Fe₂O₃/Cu interfaces was prepared by modulating the metal components of the precursor to explore the enhancement of interface engineering for the ORR. Benefiting from the synergistic effect of the strong interfacial coupling effects of Fe₂O₃/Cu and optimized microstructure, FeCu@NC exhibited superior ORR activity and zinc-air battery performance. Experimental and theoretical calculations revealed that the presence of the Fe₂O₃/Cu interface breaks the traditional cognition to endow the Cu atoms (intrinsically inferior for the ORR) with a slight positive charge, which serves as the active sites for the ORR. This study provides a novel insight into the design of advanced electrocatalysts for the ORR by interface engineering.

Ethnopharmacology of Rubus idaeus Linnaeus: A critical review on ethnobotany, processing methods, phytochemicals, pharmacology and quality control

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Rubus idaeus Linnaeus (RI) is a Chinese herbal medicine that has been widely used in China for a long time to reinforce the kidney, nourish the liver, improve vision, and arrest polyuria.

AIM OF THE STUDY

This work aims to evaluate the recent progress of the chemical composition, pharmacological activity, pharmacokinetics, metabolism, and quality control and of Rubus idaeus, which focuses on the insufficiency of existing research and will shed light on future studies of Rubus idaeus.

METHODS

Literatures about "Rubus idaeus","Red raspberry" and "Fupenzi"are retrieved by browsing the database, such as Web of Science (http://www.webofknowledge.com/wos), Pubmed (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/), CNKI (http://www.cnki.net/), and Wanfang Data (http://www.wanfangdata.com.cn). In addition, related textbooks and digital documents are interrogated to provide a holistic and critical review of the topic. The period of the literature covered from 1981 to 2022.

RESULTS

Approximately 194 compounds have been isolated from Rubus idaeus, which is rich in phenols, terpenoids, alkaloids, steroids, and fatty acids. Numerous investigations have demonstrated that Rubus idaeus exhibits many pharmacological activities, including hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic, anti-Alzheimer effect, anti-osteoporosis, hepatoprotective, anti-cancer, neuroprotective, anti-bacteria and skin care, etc. However, it is worth noting that most of the research is not associated with the conventional effect, such as reducing urination and treating opacity of the cornea.

CONCLUSION

The effectiveness of Rubus idaeus has been proved by its long-term clinical application. The research on the pharmacological activity of Rubus idaeus has flourished. In many pharmacological experiments, only the high-dose group can achieve the corresponding efficacy, so the efficacy of Rubus idaeus needs to be further interrogated. Meanwhile, the relationship between pharmacological activity and specific compounds of Rubus idaeus has not been clarified yet. Last but not least, studies involving toxicology and pharmacokinetics are very limited. Knowledge of bioavailability and toxicological behavior of Rubus idaeus can help understand the herb's pharmacodynamic and safety profile.

Successful weaning from the invasive respiratory support after nusinersen treatment in a child with SMA type 1: A case report

BACKGROUND

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is an autosomal recessive disease, which can be classified into 4 types according to the symptom onset age and the highest physical developmental milestone. Among them, type 1 SMA is the most severe form that affects infants younger than 6 months. Permanent assisted ventilation is usually needed for infants with type 1 SMA before the age of 2 years due to the rapid progression of disease. Nusinersen can improve the motor function of SMA patients, but its effect on respiratory function varies. In the present study, we reported a case of child with type 1 SMA who was successfully weaned from the invasive respiratory support after nusinersen treatment.

CASE PRESENTATION

A girl aged 6 years and 5 months was admitted for SMA in the Children's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University for 18 times. She received the first administration of nusinersen in November 2020 at the age of 5 years and 1 month. At the age of 6 years and 1 month following 6 loading doses, we tried to wean the child from the invasive ventilation for non-invasive respiratory support using a nasal mask. At present, the patient shows oxygen saturation (SpO₂) above 95% without ventilator support during the daytime, and no signs of dyspnea. A non-invasive home ventilator was used at nighttime for the sake of safety. The CHOP INTEND score increased by 11 points from the first loading dose to the sixth. She can now move her limbs against gravity, take in food orally and perform partial vocal function.

CONCLUSIONS

We reported a child with type 1 SMA who was successfully weaned from the 2-years invasive ventilation after 6 loading doses, and now only need non-invasive ventilation 12 h per day. It is suggested that even a late nusinersen treatment can improve respiratory and motor function in SMA patients, and wean them from mechanical ventilation, thus improve the quality of life and reduce the medical cost.

Photoassisted Electrochemical Hydrogen Evolution Reaction of MFe2O4@Ultrathin Black Phosphorus Amorphous-Crystalline Interface

Exploring highly active, stable, and low-cost catalysts for photoelectrochemical hydrogen evolution reaction (PE-HER) is vital in the field of energy conversion. Herein, we construct a new amorphous crystalline interface that amorphous iron-based spinel oxide (A-MFe₂O₄ (M = Ni, Co, Zn)) is uniformly anchored on the crystalline exfoliated black phosphorus (C-EBP) nanosheets via electrochemical and solvothermal strategies. Among these A-MFe₂O₄@C-EBP catalysts, more oxygen defects of A-NiFe₂O₄@C-EBP interface provide a larger effective electrochemical active area of 32.33 mF cm^-2 as well as a turnover frequency of 0.44 s^-1 and allow for an optimum equilibrium of the hydrogen-containing adsorption intermediates. Furthermore, A-NiFe₂O₄@C-EBP exhibits significant PE-HER performance with an overpotential of 42 mV at 10 mA cm^-2 under visible-light irradiation. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations show that the amorphous-crystalline composite structure causes a large number of oxygen defects enhancing the intrinsic activity of A-NiFe₂O₄@C-EBP, which A-NiFe₂O₄@C-EBP significantly improves its adsorption capacity for H* for HER and has the lowest Gibbs free energy change for HER. This study not only provides a superior multifunctional amorphous-crystalline interface catalysts but also helps to understand the catalytic mechanism of PE-HER.

Observation of a Strongly Isospin-Mixed Doublet in ^{26}Si via β-Delayed Two-Proton Decay of ^{26}P

β decay of proton-rich nuclei plays an important role in exploring isospin mixing. The β decay of ^{26}P at the proton drip line is studied using double-sided silicon strip detectors operating in conjunction with high-purity germanium detectors. The T=2 isobaric analog state (IAS) at 13 055 keV and two new high-lying states at 13 380 and 11 912 keV in ^{26}Si are unambiguously identified through β-delayed two-proton emission (β2p). Angular correlations of two protons emitted from ^{26}Si excited states populated by ^{26}P β decay are measured, which suggests that the two protons are emitted mainly sequentially. We report the first observation of a strongly isospin-mixed doublet that deexcites mainly via two-proton decay. The isospin mixing matrix element between the ^{26}Si IAS and the nearby 13 380-keV state is determined to be 130(21) keV, and this result represents the strongest mixing, highest excitation energy, and largest level spacing of a doublet ever observed in β-decay experiments.

Polygenic risk scores for mood disorders predict future strokes in women: a Mendelian randomization study

Objectives

Mood disorders and strokes are often comorbid, and their health toll worldwide is huge. This study characterizes prognostic and etiological roles of mood disorders in stroke.

Methods

We tested if genetic susceptibilities for mood disorders could predict future strokes using the Malmö Diet and Cancer cohort (24 631 individuals). Additionally, Mendelian randomization was employed to further examine the causality using summary statistics from large genome wide association studies (mood disorders: up to 287,932 individuals; strokes: up to 446,696 individuals).

Results

Among 24,366 stroke-free participants at baseline, 2,632 individuals developed strokes, 2,172 of them ischemic, during a follow-up of up to 25 years. After all adjustments, participants in the highest quintile (5th quintile) of polygenic risk scores (PRS) for mood disorders had 1.46x (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.22–1.74) higher risk of strokes and 1.45x (95% CI: 1.19–1.77) higher risk of ischemic strokes compared to the lowest quintile (1st quintile) of PRS in women. Univariable and multivariable Mendelian randomization analyses showed that mood disorders had causal effect on smoking (odds ratio (OR) = 1.19, 95% CI: 1.07–1.31), type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D, OR=1.22, 95% CI: 1.04–1.43) and women's body mass index (BMI, coefficient = 0.11, 95% CI: 0.01–0.21), whereas causal effects for smoking, T2D and BMI on stroke/ischemic stroke were consistently observed.

Conclusion

Our results suggest that mood disorders can cause stroke through smoking, T2D and BMI. Using PRS, women, who benefit from prevention and treatment of smoking, T2D and BMI, could possibly be early identified to prevent mood disorders and strokes.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding sources: Other. Main funding source(s): Swedish Research Council, Swedish Heart and Lung Foundation, Skåne University Hospital Foundations, Lund University Diabetes Center - Industrial Research Center from the Swedish Foundation of Strategic Research, Region Skåne Grants, Swedish Stroke Foundation, Swedish society of medicine, Söderström König Foundation, Emil and Wera Cornell Foundation, Hjelt Foundation, and Diabetes Research and Wellness Foundation Sweden.

A Multi-Omics Analysis Reveals Anti-Osteoporosis Mechanism of Four Components from Crude and Salt-Processed Achyranthes bidentata Blume in Ovariectomized Rats

The root of Achyranthes bidentata Blume (AB) is a well-known traditional Chinese medicine for treating osteoporosis. Plenty of studies focused on the pharmacological mechanism of the whole extract; however, the contribution of different components to the anti-osteoporosis effect remains unknown. The aim of this study is to explore the anti-osteoporosis mechanism of different components of crude and salt-processed AB under the guidance of network pharmacology, metabolomics, and microbiomics. First, network pharmacology analysis was applied to constructing the compound-target-disease network of AB to provide a holistic view. Second, the anti-osteoporosis effects of the four components were evaluated in female Wistar rats. The subjects were divided into a normal group, a model group, a 17α-estradiol (E2)-treated group, a polysaccharide-component-treated groups, and a polysaccharide-knockout-component-treated groups. All the serum, urine, and feces samples of the six groups were collected after 16 weeks of treatment. Biochemical and microcomputed tomography (μCT) parameters were also acquired. Coupled with orthogonal partial least-squares discrimination analysis, one dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) was used to monitor serum metabolic alterations. A total of twenty-two biomarkers, including lipids, amino acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids, glucose, and so on were identified for the different components-treated groups. Through pathway analysis, it is indicated that glyoxylate and dicarboxylate metabolism, glycine, serine, and threonine metabolism, alanine, aspartate, and glutamate metabolism, d-glutamine, and d-glutamate metabolism were the major intervened pathways. Levels of these biomarkers shifted away from the model group and were restored to normal after treatment with the four components. In addition, 16S rDNA sequencing demonstrated that the abundance of Anaerofilum, Rothia, and Turicibacter bacteria was positively correlated with an anti-osteoporosis effect, whereas the abundance of Oscillospira was negatively correlated. The osteoprotective effect of the polysaccharide components of crude and salt-processed AB is related to the regulation of the abundance of these gut microbiota.

Construction of a Microfluidic Platform With Core-Shell CdSSe@ZnS Quantum Dot-Encoded Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide Microspheres for Screening and Locating Matrix Metalloproteinase-2 Inhibitors From Fruits of Rosa roxburghii

The microfluidic platform is a versatile tool for screening and locating bioactive molecules from functional foods. Here, a layer-by-layer assembly approach was used to fabricate core-shell CdSSe@ZnS quantum dot encoded superparamagnetic iron oxide microspheres, which served as a carrier for matrix metalloproteinase-2. The matrix metalloproteinase-2 camouflaged magnetic microspheres was further incorporated into a homemade microfluidic platform and incubated with extracts of fruits of Rosa roxburghii. The flow rate of the microfluidic platform was tuned. The major influencing parameters on ligand binding, such as dissociate solvents, incubation pH, ion strength, temperature, and incubation time were also optimized by using ellagic acid as a model compound. The specific binding ligands were sent for structure elucidation by mass spectrometry. The absolute recovery of ellagic acid ranged from 101.14 to 102.40% in the extract of R. roxburghii under the optimal extraction conditions. The linearity was pretty well in the range of 0.009–1.00 mg·ml⁻¹ (R² = 0.9995). The limit of detection was 0.003 mg·ml⁻¹. The relative SDs of within-day and between-day precision were <1.91%. A total of thirteen ligands were screened out from fruits of R. roxburghii, which were validated for their inhibitory effect by enzyme assay. Of note, eleven new matrix metalloproteinase-2 inhibitors were identified, which may account for the antitumor effect of fruits of R. roxburghii.

An emerging strategy for tracing the anti-erectile dysfunction components of raw and salt-processed semens of Astragali Complanati by combinatory liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry-based quantitative analysis, efficacy assessment on impotent rats and partial least squares regression

Semens of Astragali Complanati own anti-erectile dysfunction effect, however, the components which contribute to the anti-erectile dysfunction effect remain unclear. This work raised a strategy that integrating liquid chromatography coupled mass spectrometry-based quantitative analysis, anti-erectile dysfunction assessment on impotent rats and their relationship analysis for pinpointing anti-erectile dysfunction components from semens of Astragali Complanati. For simultaneous quantification of seven major components in raw and salt-processed semens of Astragali Complanati, an accurate and reliable liquid chromatography- mass spectrometry method was developed under multiple reaction monitoring mode. Of note, chloramphenicol was employed as the internal standard. The method showed good linearity and repeatability, where the recovery rates of each component ranged from 98.1 to 104.7%, and the precisions of intra-day and inter-day were all within 3.4%. After the method has been used for quantification of the seven major components in ten batches of raw and salt-processed semens of Astragali Complanati. Then, the anti-erectile dysfunction effects of raw and salt-processed semens of Astragali Complanati were evaluated on impotent rats. Grey relationship analysis and partial least squares regression were combined for elucidating the relationship. As a result, complanatuside, astragalin, complanatoside B and kaempferol were found to be responsible for anti-erectile dysfunction effect of Astragali Complanati. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Pharmacokinetic, Metabolism, and Metabolomic Strategies Provide Deep Insight Into the Underlying Mechanism of Ginkgo biloba Flavonoids in the Treatment of Cardiovascular Disease

Ginkgo biloba, known as the “living fossil,” has a long history of being used as botanical drug for treating cardiovascular diseases and the content of flavonoids as high as 24%. More than 110 different kinds of flavonoids and their derivatives have been separated from G. biloba, including flavones, flavonols, biflavonoids, catechins, and their glycosides, etc., all of which display the ability to dilate blood vessels, regulate blood lipids, and antagonize platelet activating factor, and protect against ischemic damage. At present, many types of preparations based on G. biloba extract or the bioactive flavonoids of it have been developed, which are mostly used for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. We herein review recent progress in understanding the metabolic regulatory processes and gene regulation of cellular metabolism in cardiovascular diseases of G. biloba flavonoids. First, we present the cardioprotective flavonoids of G. biloba and their possible pharmacological mechanism. Then, it is the pharmacokinetic and liver and gut microbial metabolism pathways that enable the flavonoids to reach the target organ to exert effect that is analyzed. In the end, we review the possible endogenous pathways toward restoring lipid metabolism and energy metabolism as well as detail novel metabolomic methods for probing the cardioprotective effect of flavonoids of G. biloba.

[Prenatal diagnosis and clinical outcomes of 297 fetuses with conotruncal defects]

Objective: To analyze the prenatal diagnosis results and pregnancy outcomes of conotruncal defects (CTD) fetuses, and to explore the correlation between the CTD and chromosome diseases. Methods: A total of 297 cases of invasive prenatal diagnosis and chromosome analysis were collected at the Prenatal Diagnosis Center of Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center due to CTD from January 1st, 2011 to December 31th, 2019. According to ultrasonic diagnosis, CTD fetuses were divided into 6 subtypes: tetralogy of Fallot (109 cases), pulmonary atresia (30 cases), transposition of the great arteries (77 cases), double outlet right ventricle (53 cases), truncus arteriosus (14 cases) and interrupted aortic arch (14 cases). According to whether they were combined with intracardiac or extracardiac abnormalities, they were divided into simple group (134 cases), combined with other intracardiac abnormalities group (86 cases), combined with extracardiac abnormalities group (20 cases), combined with intracardiac and extracardiac abnormalities group (37 cases) and only combined with ultrasound soft marker group (20 cases), the last 4 groups were referred as non-simple types. The chromosome test results and pregnancy outcomes of each type and group were analyzed retrospectively. Results: Among the 297 CTD fetuses, the chromosome abnormality rate was 17.5% (52/297). There were 21 cases of abnormal chromosome number, 28 cases of pathogenetic copy number variantions and 3 cases of mosaics. All the 19 cases of micropathogenic fragments smaller than 5 Mb were detected by chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA). Among all the subtypes of CTD, the chromosomal abnormality rate of truncus arteriosus was the highest, at 7/14; while the rate of transposition of the great arteries was the lowest, at 5.2% (4/77). There were significant differences in the rate of chromosomal abnormalities between simple and non-simple types [10.4% (14/134) vs 23.3% (38/163); χ²=8.428, P=0.004]. In each group, the chromosomal abnormality rate was the highest in the combined with intracardiac and extracardiac abnormalities group, at 37.8% (14/37), and the lowest in the simple group, at 10.4% (14/134). There was no significant difference in the rate of chromosomal abnormalities in all subtypes of simple group (all P>0.05). Among 112 cases of live birth, 1 case was 22q11.2 microdeletion syndrome, 5 cases of postnatal clinical diagnosis and prenatal ultrasound diagnosis were not completely consistent, 5 cases died after birth. Conclusions: The incidence of chromosomal abnormalities is high in fetuses with CTD. CTD fetuses with concurrent extrapardiac malformations are more likely to incorporate chromosomal abnormalities. CMA technology could be used as a first-line genetic detection method for CTD. After excluding chromosomal abnormalities, most of the children with CTD have good prognosis.

Genera of phytopathogenic fungi: GOPHY 4

This paper is the fourth contribution in the Genera of Phytopathogenic Fungi (GOPHY) series. The series provides morphological descriptions and information about the pathology, distribution, hosts and disease symptoms, as well as DNA barcodes for the taxa covered. Moreover, 12 whole-genome sequences for the type or new species in the treated genera are provided. The fourth paper in the GOPHY series covers 19 genera of phytopathogenic fungi and their relatives, including Ascochyta, Cadophora, Celoporthe, Cercospora, Coleophoma, Cytospora, Dendrostoma, Didymella, Endothia, Heterophaeomoniella, Leptosphaerulina, Melampsora, Nigrospora, Pezicula, Phaeomoniella, Pseudocercospora, Pteridopassalora, Zymoseptoria, and one genus of oomycetes, Phytophthora. This study includes two new genera, 30 new species, five new combinations, and 43 typifications of older names.

Taxonomic novelties: New genera:Heterophaeomoniella L. Mostert, C.F.J. Spies, Halleen & Gramaje, Pteridopassalora C. Nakash. & Crous; New species:Ascochyta flava Qian Chen & L. Cai, Cadophora domestica L. Mostert, R. van der Merwe, Halleen & Gramaje, Cadophora rotunda L. Mostert, R. van der Merwe, Halleen & Gramaje, Cadophora vinacea J.R. Úrbez-Torres, D.T. O’Gorman & Gramaje, Cadophora vivarii L. Mostert, Havenga, Halleen & Gramaje, Celoporthe foliorum H. Suzuki, Marinc. & M.J. Wingf., Cercospora alyssopsidis M. Bakhshi, Zare & Crous, Dendrostoma elaeocarpi C.M. Tian & Q. Yang, Didymella chlamydospora Qian Chen & L. Cai, Didymella gei Qian Chen & L. Cai, Didymella ligulariae Qian Chen & L. Cai, Didymella qilianensis Qian Chen & L. Cai, Didymella uniseptata Qian Chen & L. Cai, Endothia cerciana W. Wang. & S.F. Chen, Leptosphaerulina miscanthi Qian Chen & L. Cai, Nigrospora covidalis M. Raza, Qian Chen & L. Cai, Nigrospora globospora M. Raza, Qian Chen & L. Cai, Nigrospora philosophiae-doctoris M. Raza, Qian Chen & L. Cai, Phytophthora transitoria I. Milenković, T. Májek & T. Jung, Phytophthora panamensis T. Jung, Y. Balci, K. Broders & I. Milenković, Phytophthora variabilis T. Jung, M. Horta Jung & I. Milenković, Pseudocercospora delonicicola C. Nakash., L. Suhaizan & I. Nurul Faziha, Pseudocercospora farfugii C. Nakash., I. Araki, & Ai Ito, Pseudocercospora hardenbergiae Crous & C. Nakash., Pseudocercospora kenyirana C. Nakash., L. Suhaizan & I. Nurul Faziha, Pseudocercospora perrottetiae Crous, C. Nakash. & C.Y. Chen, Pseudocercospora platyceriicola C. Nakash., Y. Hatt, L. Suhaizan & I. Nurul Faziha, Pseudocercospora stemonicola C. Nakash., Y. Hatt., L. Suhaizan & I. Nurul Faziha, Pseudocercospora terengganuensis C. Nakash., Y. Hatt., L. Suhaizan & I. Nurul Faziha, Pseudocercospora xenopunicae Crous & C. Nakash.; New combinations:Heterophaeomoniella pinifoliorum (Hyang B. Lee et al.) L. Mostert, C.F.J. Spies, Halleen & Gramaje, Pseudocercospora pruni-grayanae (Sawada) C. Nakash. & Motohashi., Pseudocercospora togashiana (K. Ito & Tak. Kobay.) C. Nakash. & Tak. Kobay., Pteridopassalora nephrolepidicola (Crous & R.G. Shivas) C. Nakash. & Crous, Pteridopassalora lygodii (Goh & W.H. Hsieh) C. Nakash. & Crous; Typification: Epitypification:Botrytis infestans Mont., Cercospora abeliae Katsuki, Cercospora ceratoniae Pat. & Trab., Cercospora cladrastidis Jacz., Cercospora cryptomeriicola Sawada, Cercospora dalbergiae S.H. Sun, Cercospora ebulicola W. Yamam., Cercospora formosana W. Yamam., Cercospora fukuii W. Yamam., Cercospora glochidionis Sawada, Cercospora ixorana J.M. Yen & Lim, Cercospora liquidambaricola J.M. Yen, Cercospora pancratii Ellis & Everh., Cercospora pini-densiflorae Hori & Nambu, Cercospora profusa Syd. & P. Syd., Cercospora pyracanthae Katsuki, Cercospora horiana Togashi & Katsuki, Cercospora tabernaemontanae Syd. & P. Syd., Cercospora trinidadensis F. Stevens & Solheim, Melampsora laricis-urbanianae Tak. Matsumoto, Melampsora salicis-cupularis Wang, Phaeoisariopsis pruni-grayanae Sawada, Pseudocercospora angiopteridis Goh & W.H. Hsieh, Pseudocercospora basitruncata Crous, Pseudocercospora boehmeriigena U. Braun, Pseudocercospora coprosmae U. Braun & C.F. Hill, Pseudocercospora cratevicola C. Nakash. & U. Braun, Pseudocercospora cymbidiicola U. Braun & C.F. Hill, Pseudocercospora dodonaeae Boesew., Pseudocercospora euphorbiacearum U. Braun, Pseudocercospora lygodii Goh & W.H. Hsieh, Pseudocercospora metrosideri U. Braun, Pseudocercospora paraexosporioides C. Nakash. & U. Braun, Pseudocercospora symploci Katsuki & Tak. Kobay. ex U. Braun & Crous, Septogloeum punctatum Wakef.; Neotypification:Cercospora aleuritis I. Miyake; Lectotypification: Cercospora dalbergiae S.H. Sun, Cercospora formosana W. Yamam., Cercospora fukuii W. Yamam., Cercospora glochidionis Sawada, Cercospora profusa Syd. & P. Syd., Melampsora laricis-urbanianae Tak. Matsumoto, Phaeoisariopsis pruni-grayanae Sawada, Pseudocercospora symploci Katsuki & Tak. Kobay. ex U. Braun & Crous.

Citation: Chen Q, Bakhshi M, Balci Y, Broders KD, Cheewangkoon R, Chen SF, Fan XL, Gramaje D, Halleen F, Horta Jung M, Jiang N, Jung T, Májek T, Marincowitz S, Milenković T, Mostert L, Nakashima C, Nurul Faziha I, Pan M, Raza M, Scanu B, Spies CFJ, Suhaizan L, Suzuki H, Tian CM, Tomšovský M, Úrbez-Torres JR, Wang W, Wingfield BD, Wingfield MJ, Yang Q, Yang X, Zare R, Zhao P, Groenewald JZ, Cai L, Crous PW (2022). Genera of phytopathogenic fungi: GOPHY 4. Studies in Mycology101: 417–564. doi: 10.3114/sim.2022.101.06.

[The effect of anti-VEGF therapy on the expression levels of TGF-β and related microRNAs in the vitreous of patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy]

Objective: To investigate the effect of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapy on the expression levels of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) and its related microRNAs in the vitreous of patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). Methods: This cross-sectional study included 67 patients (67 eyes), 38 males and 29 females, aged (54.37±11.70) years, who underwent vitrectomy from June 2020 to February 2021. There were 45 PDR patients (45 eyes), including 29 patients (29 eyes) without anti-VEGF therapy in the disease group and 16 patients (16 eyes) who were admitted at 7 days after anti-VEGF therapy in the treatment group. The other 22 idiopathic macular hole patients (22 eyes) were in the negative control group. The microRNA (hsa-miR-24-3p and hsa-miR-197-3p) levels in the vitreous of 36 patients (12 cases randomly chosen from each group) were detected by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. The levels of TGF-β and VEGF-A in the vitreous of 67 patients were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Target gene prediction of hsa-miR-24-3p and hsa-miR-197-3p was performed on RNAhybrid, miRanda and TargetScan7.2 databases, and pathway enrichment analyses were conducted for all target mRNAs. One-way ANOVA was used to compare the levels of growth factors and microRNAs among the three groups, and the least significant difference method was used for multiple comparisons between groups. Pearson correlation test was used to analyze the correlation between growth factors and microRNAs. Results: The expression levels of VEGF-A, TGF-β, hsa-miR-24-3p and hsa-miR-197-3p were (158.15±17.72) pg/ml, (640.47±24.80) pg/ml, 0.81±0.11 and 1.07±0.15 in the control group, (1 047.54±26.61) pg/ml, (3 553.17±92.61) pg/ml, 8.50±2.33 and 12.23±3.38 in the disease group, and (778.10±27.73) pg/ml, (3 376.02±78.83) pg/ml, 4.54±0.67 and 3.90±0.65 in the treatment group, respectively. All indicators were significantly higher in the disease group than those in the control group (F=355.581, 440.538, 7.546 and 7.546; all P<0.05). The expression levels of VEGF-A, hsa-miR-24-3p and hsa-miR-197-3p in the treatment group were significantly lower than those in the disease group (all P<0.05). The concentration of TGF-β was not statistically significantly lower in the treatment group compared to the disease group. The concentrations of VEGF-A and TGF-β were significantly positively correlated with the expression levels of hsa-miR-24-3p and hsa-miR-197-3p in the vitreous of randomly chosen 36 patients (r=0.48, 0.51, 0.40 and 0.42; all P<0.05). Pathway enrichment analysis showed that some target mRNAs of hsa-miR-24-3p and hsa-miR-197-3p were involved in VEGF and TGF-β signal pathways. Conclusions: In the vitreous of patients with PDR, hsa-miR-24-3p and hsa-miR-197-3p were positively related to VEGF-A and TGF-β, and may be potential risk factors. Anti-VEGF treatment can significantly reduce the expression level of TGF-β-related microRNAs, namely hsa-miR-24-3p and hsa-miR-197-3p, but cannot effectively reduce the concentration of TGF-β, suggesting that combined anti-TGF treatment may be beneficial for delaying the progression of PDR. Furthermore, it may be a new research direction of PDR to validate the target mRNAs of hsa-miR-24-3p and hsa-miR-197-3p involved in VEGF and TGF-β signal pathways. (Chin J Ophthalmol, 2021, 57: 922-929).

Association between distance to tertiary hospital and cardiovascular outcomes in coronary artery disease patients

Background

The impact of distance from residence to Tertiary Referral Hospital and cardiovascular (CV) outcomes in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) is unknow. Despite longer travel distances hinder access to healthcare and may worsen CV outcomes, we hypothesize that Mediterranean lifestyle and behaviors in distant rural areas may be associated with a reduced risk of CV death and events.

Purpose

To investigate the association between travel distance to Tertiary Hospital and mid-term cardiovascular outcomes in a population of CAD patients in Southern Spain.

Methods

Retrospective study including all patients discharged after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) at a high-volume center in Southern Spain during 2018. Those belonging to another healthcare area were excluded. One-way driving distances from residence to hospital were computed using Google Maps Distance Matrix API with R package “gmapsdistance”. Patients were stratified into tertiles according to travel distance (short, STD; intermediate, ITD; and long, LTD). Kaplan-Meier (KM) and Multivariable Cox regression (adjusted for age, sex, atrial fibrillation, cancer history, prior revascularization and clinical presentation) were used to assess the impact of travel distance on CV death and a composite outcome of MACE (Myocardial Infarction, unplanned PCI and CV death).

Results

Of 1005 patients discharged after PCI during the study period, 966 met the selection criteria. Flowchart and baseline characteristics by distance groups are presented in Figure 1. Median travel distance tertiles were 6.1 (STD), 41.7 (ITD) and 78.4 (LTD). During a median follow-up of 31 (IQR 28–35) months, 50 cardiovascular deaths [STD 27 (8.4%), ITD 13 (4%), LTD 10 (3.1%), p=0.006)] and 63 MACE occurred [STD 45 (13.9%), ITD 37 (11.5%), LTD 26 (8.1%), p=0.060)]. KM curves for the three distance groups are shown in Figure 2. In univariable and multivariable Cox models, longer travel distances were associated with better outcomes, as for every 10 Km increase, there was a 11% and 7% decrease in the hazards of CV death (HR adj: 0.89, CI 0.82–0.98, p=0.029) and of MACE (HR adj: 0.93, CI 0.87–0.99, p=0.025), respectively.

Conclusion

Travel distance was inversely associated with CV events in a population of CAD patients in Southern Spain. Patients in the first tertile of distance had a higher rate of CV death. Multicenter studies involving other Mediterranean regions are needed to confirm these findings and to look for explanations.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding sources: None. Flowchart and baseline characteristicsSurvival curves by distance groups

Instantaneous wave-free ratio for the assessment of nonculprit lesions in patients with acute coronary syndrome

Background

A physiological assessment with the fractional flow reserve (FFR) or instantaneous wave-free ratio (iFR) is strongly recommended by the European Guidelines of Revascularization to guide percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) decision making in intermediate coronary stenosis. However, data supporting its use in the pro-inflammatory setting of ACS is weak.

Purpose

To analyze the usefulness of a physiological coronary evaluation with iFR of nonculprit lesions in patients with ACS.

Methods

Retrospective multicenter study including patients with ACS and underwent successful revascularization of the culprit vessel and had other nonculpritlesions physiologically evaluated with the iFR between January 2017 and December 2019. The primary endpoint was a composite of cardiac death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, stent thrombosis and new revascularization (MACEs).

Results

A total of 356 patients with 472 nonculprit lesions were included. The mean age was 66±11 years. The clinical presentation was non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) in 235 patients and ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) in 121 patients. After a mean follow-up period of 22±10 months, the primary endpoint occurred in 32 patients (9%). There were no differences in outcomes regarding iFR induced treatment strategy (patients with all lesions revascularized vs. patients with at least one lesion deferred for revascularization, 10.5 vs 8.4%, p=0.476).

Conclusion

The use of the iFR to guide percutaneous coronary intervention decision making in nonculprit lesions seems to be safe, with an acceptable percentage of MACEs at the mid-term follow-up.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding sources: None. FlowchartSurvival curves by iFR and ACS group

Tailored Biosensors for Drug Screening, Efficacy Assessment, and Toxicity Evaluation

Biosensors have been flourishing in the field of drug discovery with pronounced developments in the past few years. They facilitate the screening and discovery of innovative drugs. However, there is still a lack of critical reviews that compare the merits and shortcomings of these biosensors from a pharmaceutical point of view. This contribution presents a critical and up-to-date overview on the recent progress of tailored biosensors, including surface plasmon resonance, fluorescent, photoelectrochemical, and electrochemical systems with emphasis on their mechanisms and applications in drug screening, efficacy assessment, and toxicity evaluation. Multiple functional nanomaterials have also been incorporated into the biosensors. Representative examples of each type of biosensors are discussed in terms of design strategy, response mechanism, and potential applications. In the end, we also compare the results and summarize the major insights gained from the works, demonstrating the challenges and prospects of biosensors-assisted drug discovery.

MiR-181a Promotes Spermatogenesis by Targeting the S6K1 Pathway

Approximately 15% of couples suffer from infertility worldwide, and male factors contribute to about 30% of total sterility cases. However, there is little progress in treatments due to the obscured understanding of underlying mechanisms. Recently microRNAs have emerged as a key player in the process of spermatogenesis. Expression profiling of miR-181a was carried out in murine testes and spermatocyte culture system. In vitro cellular and biochemical assays were used to examine the effect of miR-181a and identify its target S6K1, as well as elucidate the function with chemical inhibitor of S6K1. Human testis samples analysis was employed to validate the findings. miR-181a level was upregulated during mouse spermatogenesis and knockdown of miR-181a attenuated the cell proliferation and G1/S arrest and increased the level of S6K1, which was identified as a downstream target of miR-181a. Overexpression of S6K1 also led to growth arrest of spermatocytes while inhibitor of S6K1 rescued the miR-181a knockdown-mediated cell proliferation defect. In human testis samples of azoospermia patients, low level of miR-181a was correlated with defects in the spermatogenic process. miR-181a is identified as a new regulator and high level of miR-181a contributes to spermatogenesis via targeting S6K1.

[Mesenchymal Stem Cells Cultured in 3D System Inhibit Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Cells Through p38 MAPK and CXCR4/AKT Pathways by IL-24 Regulating]

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is prevalent worldwide and has a high mortality rate. Even if mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are suggested as cancer treatment, the studies of their effects on NSCLC cells contradict each other, mainly due to utilization of two-dimensional (2D) culture system. Three-dimensional (3D) culture systems resemble tissue organization in vivo. Here we comprehensively explore the inhibitory effects of MSCs on NSCLC cells in a 3D culture system. We confirmed that the inhibitory effects of 3D-cultured MSCs (3D-MSCs) on the proliferation and migration of NSCLC cells are greater than that of the 2D-cultured MSCs. 3D-MSCs overexpress IL-24, which serve as the key factor enhancing antitumor effects of MSCs. In these cells, IL-24 affects p38 MAPK and CXCR4/AKT pathways. Overall, this study provides the support for use of MSCs in tumor.

[Analysis of families with fetal congenital abnormalities but negative prenatal diagnosis by whole exome sequencing]

Objective: To evaluate the value of whole exome sequencing (WES) in prenatal clinical application. Methods: A total of 1 152 cases of congenital abnormal [including structural malformation, nuchal translucency (NT) thickening and intrauterine growth restriction] with traditional prenatal diagnosis [including G-band karyotype analysis and chromosome microarray analysis (CMA)] negative were analyzed. The congenital abnormal fetuses were divided into retrospective group and prospective group according to the time of WES detection, that is whether the pregnancy termination or not. According to the specific location of fetal malformation and their family history, the cohort was divided into subgroups. The clinical prognosis of all fetuses were followed up, and the effect of WES test results on pregnancy decision-making and clinical intervention were analyzed. According to the follow-up results, the data of fetuses with new phenotypes in the third trimester or after birth were re-analyzed. Results: Among 1 152 families who received WES, 5 families were excluded because of nonbiological parents. Among the remaining 1 147 families, 152 fetuses obtained positive diagnosis (13.3%,152/1 147), including 74 fetuses in the retrospective group (16.1%,74/460) and 78 fetuses in the prospective group (11.4%,78/687). In fetuses with negative CMA and G-band karyotype analysis results but new phenotypes in the third trimester or after birth, the positive rate by WES data re-analysis was 4.9% (8/163). A total of 34 (21.3%, 34/160) fetuses were directly affected by the corresponding positive molecular diagnosis. Among 68 cases of live births with diagnostic variation grade 4, 29 cases (42.7%, 29/68) received appropriate medical intervention through rapid review of WES results. Conclusions: WES could increase the detection rate of abnormal fetuses with negative G-banding karyotype analysis and CMA by 13.3%. Prenatal WES could guide pregnancy decision-making and early clinical intervention. It might be an effective strategy to pay attention to the special follow-up of the third trimester and postnatal fetus and to re-analyze the WES data.

Tracing anti-osteoporosis components from raw and salt-processed semen of Cuscuta chinensis by employing a biochemometrics strategy that integrates ultrasonic-assisted extraction, quantitation, efficacy assessment in zebrafish, and grey relationship analysis

Semen of Cuscuta chinensis has been reported to have an anti-osteoporosis effect, however, the components which account for the anti-osteoporosis effect have not been clarified. In this work we propose a biochemometrics strategy that integrates quantitation, anti-osteoporosis evaluation in zebrafish, and grey relationship analysis for the identification of anti-osteoporosis components from the semen of Cuscuta chinensis. In the beginning, a precise and accurate liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method was established for simultaneous quantitation of seven major components in crude and salt-processed Cuscuta chinensis. The mode of multiple reaction monitoring was used. Chloramphenicol was selected as the internal standard. The method showed good linearity and repeatability. The recovery rates of each component ranged from 95.4 to 103.9%. The precisions of intra-day and inter-day were all within 5.0%. The method was then applied for quantitation of the seven major components in 11 batches of crude and salt-processed Cuscuta chinensis. Subsequently, the anti-osteoporosis effects of crude and salt-processed Cuscuta chinensis were evaluated in zebrafish. Principle component analysis, grey relationship analysis, and partial least squares regression were applied for deciphering the relationship between the contents of seven major components and the anti-osteoporosis effects. Hyperin, p-hydroxycinnamic acid, and astragalin were found to be the major anti-osteoporosis components.

MiR-21-5p in macrophage-derived extracellular vesicles affects podocyte pyroptosis in diabetic nephropathy by regulating A20

OBJECTIVES

Podocyte pyroptosis, characterized by inflammasome activation, plays an important role in inflammation-mediated diabetic nephropathy (DN). Our study aimed to investigate whether miR-21-5p in macrophage-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) could affect podocyte injury in DN.

METHODS

EVs were extracted after the treatment of RAW 264.7 (mouse macrophage line) with high glucose (HG). The podocyte pyroptosis was determined using the flow cytometry and the western blot. After the knockdown of miR-21-5p in HG-induced RAW264.7 cells, we injected the extracted EVs into DN model mice.

RESULTS

The level of miR-21-5p was higher in HG-stimulated macrophage-derived EVs than in normal glucose-cultured macrophage-derived EVs. The co-culture of EVs and podocytes promoted reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and activation of inflammatory in MPC5 cells (mouse podocyte line). However, restraint of miR-21-5p in EVs reduced ROS production and inhibit inflammasome activation in MPC5 cells, thereby reducing podocytes injury. Meanwhile, we found that miR-21-5p inhibited the A20 expression through binding with its 3'-untranslated regions in MPC5 cells. Further studies showed that A20 was also involved in the regulation of miR-21-5p of RAW 264.7-derived EVs on MPC5 injury. At the same time, it was also proved in the DN model mice that miR-21-5p in macrophage-derived EVs could regulate podocyte injury.

CONCLUSION

MiR-21-5p in macrophage-derived EVs can regulate pyroptosis-mediated podocyte injury by A20 in DN.

Senescent thyroid tumor cells promote their migration by inducing the polarization of M2-like macrophages

PURPOSE

An in-depth understanding of the mechanism of thyroid cancer progression will help identify patients with thyroid cancer with a high risk of recurrence and metastasis. Although studies have pointed out that the senescence of thyroid tumor cells may stimulate TAMs and cause a series of changes. However, the role of TAMs in aging thyroid cancer cells is still unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the function of TAMs in aging thyroid cancer cells.

METHODS

We conducted in vitro model studies based on the K1 cell line to induce tumor cell senescence and study its effect on the differentiation of macrophages, flow cytometry was used to confirm polarization of macrophages, transwell assay was used to confirm changes of invasion and migration of tumor cells.

RESULT

Our data indicate that aging thyroid tumor cell lines trigger the polarization of M2-like macrophages, accompanied by increased expression of CCL17, CCL18, IL-18, and TGFβ1. This event is caused by the activation of the NFκB pathway upregulation of CXCL2 and CXCL3 is related. Further studies have shown that differentiated M2-like macrophages promote tumor cell migration (but have no effect on cell proliferation).

CONCLUSION

Our study indicating that the interaction between tumor and TAMs also occurs in the advanced stages of thyroid tumors and will lead to faster tumors progress.

[Observation and analysis of systemic reactions to house dust mite subcutaneous immunotherapy in 362 patients with allergic rhinitis]

Objective: To investigate the frequency and severity of systemic reactions (SRs) to standardized house dust mite subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT) in patients with perennial allergic rhinitis (AR), and to analyze the clinical risk factors. Methods: The clinical data of 362 patients including 209 males and 153 females, aged from 5 to 55 years old receiving SCIT at the Department of Otorhinolaryngology, the Third People's Hospital of Changzhou were collected from May 2014 to July 2017. The SRs were classified as early-onset and delayed-onset, and 4 grades (grade Ⅰ to Ⅳ) to assess severity. The records of SRs were retrospectively analyzed, including the numbers/frequencies, symptoms and signs, onset of reaction and treatment. And the relationships between SRs and patient's age, gender, allergen injection dose, accompanied allergic diseases were explored. All the statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS 19.0. Results: There were 57 cases (15.75%) of SRs in 362 patients. All the patients received a total of 12 308 injections and 111 SRs (0.90%) were observed. Among them, 31 (27.93%) were early-onset reactions and 80 (72.07%) were delayed-onset reactions; most of the SRs were grade Ⅰ reactions (n=83, 74.78%), followed by grade Ⅱ (n=25, 22.52%), grade Ⅲ (n=3, 2.70%), and no fatal reactions occurred. The incidence of SRs in patients>14 years old was higher than that in patients ≤14 years old according to the number of cases and injections (35.14% vs 13.54%, 2.34% vs 0.76%, χ(2) value was 11.679, 28.162, respectively, all P<0.05), but no significant differences of SRs were observed in gender (18.66% vs 11.76%, 5.98% vs 5.62%, χ(2) value was 3.166, 0.095, respectively, all P>0.05). Fifteen SRs (13.51%) occurred during the build-up phase and 96 (86.49%) during the maintenance phases. SRs could occur in lots of dose phases, and 95 (85.59%) were distributed at high concentrations more than 40 000 SQ-U. The incidence of SRs in patients with multiple allergic diseases was significantly higher than that in patients with AR alone, with asthma or atopic dermatitis (30.67% vs 11.85%, χ(2)=15.875, P<0.001). Meanwhile, the incidence of SRs in patients with pure AR was also significantly lower than that in patients with other allergic diseases (5.26% vs 20.56%, χ(2)=13.783, P<0.001). Conclusions: The incidence of SRs is less than 1% according to the injection times, the severity of SRs is mostly slight, and the safety and tolerance are good during standardized house dust mite SCIT in perennial AR patients. Delayed-onset SRs are more common. The incidence of SRs is significantly correlated with age, high dose of allergen vaccine injection, and concomitant other allergic diseases (asthma, atopic dermatitis, etc).

Large Isospin Asymmetry in ^{22}Si/^{22}O Mirror Gamow-Teller Transitions Reveals the Halo Structure of ^{22}Al

β-delayed one-proton emissions of ^{22}Si, the lightest nucleus with an isospin projection T_{z}=-3, are studied with a silicon array surrounded by high-purity germanium detectors. Properties of β-decay branches and the reduced transition probabilities for the transitions to the low-lying states of ^{22}Al are determined. Compared to the mirror β decay of ^{22}O, the largest value of mirror asymmetry in low-lying states by far, with δ=209(96), is found in the transition to the first 1^{+} excited state. Shell-model calculation with isospin-nonconserving forces, including the T=1, J=2, 3 interaction related to the s_{1/2} orbit that introduces explicitly the isospin-symmetry breaking force and describes the loosely bound nature of the wave functions of the s_{1/2} orbit, can reproduce the observed data well and consistently explain the observation that a large δ value occurs for the first but not for the second 1^{+} excited state of ^{22}Al. Our results, while supporting the proton-halo structure in ^{22}Al, might provide another means to identify halo nuclei.

A study of regulatory effects of TLR4 and NF-κB on primary biliary cholangitis

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the regulatory effects of the Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and the nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of the activated B cells (NF-κB) on primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) and to analyze the possible mechanisms.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 24 C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into M group (n=12, intraperitoneally injected with polyinosinic acid-polycytidine acid (PolyI:C) for 12 consecutive weeks, 2 times/week) and C group (n=12, intraperitoneally injected with the same volume of normal saline). After 12 weeks, the mice were sacrificed to collect liver tissues. Then, an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit was used to detect the content of interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-10, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) in liver tissues. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining assay was performed to observe the pathological changes of liver tissues, and measure the levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) in peripheral blood of mice. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate-biotin nick end-labeling (TUNEL) staining was applied to determine cell apoptosis in liver tissues. The relative messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) expression levels of TLR4 and NF-κB in liver tissues were detected by quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR). Western blotting was adopted to measure the protein expressions of TLR4, NF-κB, myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88), B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2)/Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax), and Caspase-3.

RESULTS

Compared with that in C group, the content of IL-6 and TNF-α in liver tissues in M group was significantly increased (p<0.01), but the level of IL-10 was statistically downregulated (p<0.01). According to HE staining, liver damage of mice in M group was evidently severer than that in C group, and the levels of ALT and AST in M group were significantly higher than those in C group (p<0.01). The amount of TUNEL-positive cells in liver tissues in M group was significantly greater than that in C group (p<0.01). The levels of TLR4 and NF-κB mRNA in liver tissues from M group were significantly elevated in comparison with the C group (p<0.01). Compared with those in C group, the expressions of TLR4, NF-κB, MyD88, and Caspase-3 proteins in M group showed statistical increases in liver tissues (p<0.01), whereas that of Bcl-2/Bax was significantly declined (p<0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

PBC activates the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway, induces the release of inflammatory factors and produces a large number of apoptotic proteins, which results in liver damage and cell apoptosis in mice.

AXIN2 gene silencing reduces apoptosis through regulating mitochondria-associated apoptosis signaling pathway and enhances proliferation of ESCs by modulating Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway

OBJECTIVE

Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) mainly originate from totipotent cells in early-stage of mammalian embryo and could proliferate in a manner of un-limitation. This study aimed to investigate roles of Axin2 in proliferation of ESCs and explore the associated mechanisms.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Axis inhibition protein 2 (AXIN2) over-expression (LV5-AXIN2) and AXIN2 RNA interfere (LV3-AXIN2-RNAi) vectors were structured and transfected into H9 cells. 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2-H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) was used to evaluate cell proliferative activity. Flow cytometry analysis was employed to measure apoptosis of H9 cells. AXIN2, β-catenin, transcription factor 4 (TCF4), c-myc, c-jun and Cyclin D mRNA levels and protein expressions were determined using quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and Western blotting assay.

RESULTS

LV5-AXIN2 and LV3-AXIN2-RNAi were successfully structured with higher transfecting efficacy. AXIN2 gene silencing remarkably increased proliferative activity and AXIN2 treatment significantly induced apoptosis of H9 cells, comparing with blank vector group (p<0.05). AXIN2 gene silencing significantly enhanced B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) expression and remarkably inhibited cleaved caspase-3 expression comparing to that in blank vector group (p<0.05). AXIN2-RNAi treatment significantly enhanced and AXIN2 over-expression significantly reduced β-catenin and TCF4 expression, comparing to that in blank vector group (p<0.05). AXIN2 gene silence activated down-stream molecules of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, including c-jun, c-myc, and Cyclin D1 (p<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

AXIN2 gene silencing reduced apoptosis by regulating mitochondria-associated apoptosis signaling pathway and enhanced proliferation by modulating molecules in Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. Therefore, targeting of aberrant apoptosis and AXIN2 might be a novel clinical strategy to inhibit aging and enhance self-renewal of ESCs.

P5753Jailed pressure wire to assess the side branch result for bifurcation lesions treated by provisional stenting strategy: iFR as a new index

Purpose

To analyze the feasibility and efficacy of the jailed pressure wire technique for bifurcation lesions treated by provisional stenting strategy and to assess the physiological side branch (SB) result using instantaneous wave free ratio (iFR).

Methods

Between June 2017 and December 2018, 50 patients who presented a bifurcation lesion considered appropriate for provisional stenting strategy were included in the study. Pressure wire was passed to side branch before treatment. Main vessel (MV) and side branch (SB) was predilated at the operator criteria. iFR determination was obtained in the SB baseline and after MV stenting (leaving the pressure wire jailed). Afterwards, the wire was removed to MV ostium to discard the possibility of drift. SB postdilation was performed if SB iFR was less than 0,89 (according to vessel thresholds established in clinical trials), evaluating the result by a new iFR determination.

Results

The mean age was 64±10 years. Sixteen patients (32%) had diabetes. Clinical presentation was stable angina in 26 patients (52%), non-STEMI in 19 patients (38%) and STEMI (non culprit lesion) in 5 patients (10%). The most frequent bifurcation type according to Medina classifications was 1,1,0 (21 patients, 42%). Seventeen patients (34%) had a true bifurcation lesion. The MV and SB reference diameter was 3,0±0,5 mm and 2,25±0,5 mm respectively. Most of the bifurcations were located at the left anterior descending artery/diagonal branch (27 bifurcations, 54%). Ten patients (20%) presented a distal left main bifurcation. Baseline SB iFR was 0,78±0,2. Under continuous SB iFR monitoring MV stenting was performed by trapping the pressure wire. After MV stenting, the SB iFR changed to 0,90±0,1. We confirmed the presence of drift in 5 patients (10%). In these cases, recalibration of the wire and SB rewiring was performed in 4 cases. In the remaining patient, rewiring was not possible even using specific coronary wires.

According to SB IFR, postdilation was necessary in 14 patients (28%). Final SB iFR was 0,94±0,03. A second stent was not necessary in any patient because final SB iFR was higher than 0.89 in all cases. We observed discordance between angiographic and physiological result in 17 cases (34%). All the wires could be removed. Forty wires (80%) were microscopically analyzed. Some grade of microscopic damage was found in 32 wires (80%), all of them distal to the pressure sensor. However, only one of these wires (2%) presented severe damage, and no case of fracture was observed.

After a mean follow up time of 10±6 months only one patient (2%) presented a major cardiac adverse event (acute coronary syndrome due to voluntary cessation of dual antiplatelet therapy).

Conclusions

The use of jailed pressure wire to monitor SB results for bifurcations treated by provisional stenting seems to be safe. The iFR index seems to provide new physiological information about the significance of the SB stenosis.

MiR-302 a/b/c suppresses tumor angiogenesis in hepatocellular carcinoma by targeting MACC1

OBJECTIVE

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a hypervascularized tumor. Aberrant angiogenesis is the main cause, which results in cancer growth and progression. It has been showed that microRNA-302 cluster (miR-302) may be associated with angiogenesis. Here, we aimed to identify the role of miR-302a/b/c in the regulation of cell angiogenesis in HCC.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

MRNA expression of miR-302a/b/c and MACC1 was detected by quantitative Real Time-Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR). The protein of MACC1 was measured using Western blot. Cells proliferation, migration, and invasion abilities were investigated via Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay or transwell assay, respectively. Tube formatting assays were used to explore the tube formation capacity. The interaction among miR-302a/b/c was analyzed by luciferase assay.

RESULTS

The expression of miR-302a/b/c was greatly reduced while MACC1 expression, whether mRNA or protein was conspicuously elevated in HCC tissues and cells. Then, functional experiment results showed miR-302a/b/c overexpression and MACC1 down-regulation inhibited the proliferation, migration, invasion ability, and tube formation capacity of HUVECs. In addition, we detected that miR-302a/b/c directly targeted MACC1 and suppressed MACC1 expression, and miR-302a/b/c could suppress tumor angiogenesis in HCC by targeting MACC1.

CONCLUSIONS

MiR-302a/b/c may function as a potential suppressor of tumor angiogenesis in HCC by targeting MACC1, indicating a promising target for HCC therapy.

Collection, particle sizing and detection of airborne viruses

Viruses that affect humans, animals and plants are often dispersed and transmitted through airborne routes of infection. Due to current technological deficiencies, accurate determination of the presence of airborne viruses is challenging. This shortcoming limits our ability to evaluate the actual threat arising from inhalation or other relevant contact with aerosolized viruses. To improve our understanding of the mechanisms of airborne transmission of viruses, air sampling technologies that can detect the presence of aerosolized viruses, effectively collect them and maintain their viability, and determine their distribution in aerosol particles, are needed. The latest developments in sampling and detection methodologies for airborne viruses, their limitations, factors that can affect their performance and current research needs, are discussed in this review. Much more work is needed on the establishment of standard air sampling methods and their performance requirements. Sampling devices that can collect a wide size range of virus-containing aerosols and maintain the viability of the collected viruses are needed. Ideally, the devices would be portable and technology-enabled for on-the-spot detection and rapid identification of the viruses. Broad understanding of the airborne transmission of viruses is of seminal importance for the establishment of better infection control strategies.

Normal human skin is superior to monkey oesophagus substrate for detection of circulating BP180-NC16A-specific IgG antibodies in bullous pemphigoid

BACKGROUND

Bullous pemphigoid (BP) is the most common autoimmune subepidermal blistering skin disease. Two antigens have been identified as targets of circulating autoantibodies (autoAbs) - BP180 and BP230 - with BP180 being a critical transmembrane adhesion protein of basal keratinocytes of the epidermis. The noncollagenous domain 16A (NC16A) of BP180 is the immunodominant epitope in patients with BP, and anti-BP180-NC16A IgG antibodies (Abs) correlate to disease activity. Routine serological testing and follow-up of BP relies on indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) of serum Abs, commonly performed on monkey oesophagus (ME), and/or enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) testing on recombinantly produced fragments of BP180 and BP230 (BP180-NC16A, BP230-C/N).

OBJECTIVES

To determine if NC16A epitopes are well represented on ME substrate.

METHODS

Sera from different BP cohorts were tested by IIF on ME and normal human skin (NHS). To confirm findings, affinity-purified anti-BP180-NC16A/BP230 polyclonal Abs and recombinant anti-BP180-NC16A/BP230 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) were used.

RESULTS

For sensitive detection of BP180-NC16A-specific IgG Abs, sections of NHS are superior to the widely used ME. Confirmation comes from polyclonal affinity-purified anti-BP180-NC16A/BP230 Abs, and by mAbs cloned from a patient with active BP.

CONCLUSIONS

Use of NHS is preferable over ME in routine IIF testing for BP. These results are of clinical relevance because anti-BP180-NC16A IgG titres are correlated to disease activity and detecting them reliably is important for screening, diagnosis and follow-up of patients with BP.