The atypical antidepressant tianeptine confers neuroprotection against oxygen-glucose deprivation

Proregenerative and neuroprotective effects of antidepressants are an important topic of inquiry in neuropsychiatric research. Oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) mimics key aspects of ischemic injury in vitro. Here, we studied the effects of 24-h pretreatment with serotonin (5-HT), citalopram (CIT), fluoxetine (FLU), and tianeptine (TIA) on primary mouse cortical neurons subjected to transient OGD. 5-HT (50 μM) significantly enhanced neuron viability as measured by MTT assay and reduced cell death and LDH release. CIT (10 μM) and FLU (1 μM) did not increase the effects of 5-HT and neither antidepressant conferred neuroprotection in the absence of supplemental 5-HT in serum-free cell culture medium. By contrast, pre-treatment with TIA (10 μM) resulted in robust neuroprotection, even in the absence of 5-HT. Furthermore, TIA inhibited mRNA transcription of candidate genes related to cell death and hypoxia and attenuated lipid peroxidation, a hallmark of neuronal injury. Finally, deep RNA sequencing of primary neurons subjected to OGD demonstrated that OGD induces many pathways relating to cell survival, the inflammation-immune response, synaptic dysregulation and apoptosis, and that TIA pretreatment counteracted these effects of OGD. In conclusion, this study highlights the comparative strength of the 5-HT independent neuroprotective effects of TIA and identifies the molecular pathways involved.

Interplay of metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease and papillary thyroid carcinoma: insights from a Chinese cohort

PURPOSE

Thyroid cancer is one of a set of extrahepatic cancers that closely linked to metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD). However, the connection between MAFLD and the characteristics of papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) remains unexplored.

METHODS

Between Jan 2020 and Oct 2022, surgical cases of PTC patients were examined at the first Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University. Clinical data extracted from the electronic medical system underwent a rigorous comparison between two groups, classified based on MAFLD criteria, using logistic regression analysis.

RESULTS

In this study of 4,410 PTC patients, 18.3% had MAFLD. MAFLD emerged as a distinct risk factor for lymph node metastasis (OR = 1.230, 95% CI 1.018-1.487) in this cohort, especially in females (OR = 1.321, 95% CI 1.026-1.702) and those with BMI ≥ 23 kg/m2 (OR = 1.232, 95% CI 1.004-1.511). The presence of MAFLD was found to significantly elevate the risk of BRAF V600E mutation in both subgroups characterized by FIB-4 score ≥ 1.3 (OR = 1.968, 95% CI 1.107-3.496) and BMI < 23 kg/m2 (OR = 2.584, 95% CI 1.012-6.601). Moreover, among the subset of individuals without non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), it was noted that MAFLD considerably increased the likelihood of tumor multifocality (OR = 1.697, 95% CI 1.111-2.592). Nevertheless, MAFLD did not exhibit any correlation with increased tumor size, extra-thyroidal extension (ETE), or later TNM stage in PTC.

CONCLUSION

In this cross-sectional study, we discovered a significant association between MAFLD and increased occurrences of lymph node metastasis. Furthermore, MAFLD was linked to a higher chance of BRAF V600E mutation and the presence of multiple tumors in certain subgroups.

Enterococcus-derived tyramine hijacks α2A-adrenergic receptor in intestinal stem cells to exacerbate colitis

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is characterized by dysbiosis of the gut microbiota and dysfunction of intestinal stem cells (ISCs). However, the direct interactions between IBD microbial factors and ISCs are undescribed. Here, we identify α2A-adrenergic receptor (ADRA2A) as a highly expressed GPCR in ISCs. Through PRESTO-Tango screening, we demonstrate that tyramine, primarily produced by Enterococcus via tyrosine decarboxylase (tyrDC), serves as a microbial ligand for ADRA2A. Using an engineered tyrDC-deficient Enterococcus faecalis strain and intestinal epithelial cell-specific Adra2a knockout mice, we show that Enterococcus-derived tyramine suppresses ISC proliferation, thereby impairing epithelial regeneration and exacerbating DSS-induced colitis through ADRA2A. Importantly, blocking the axis with an ADRA2A antagonist, yohimbine, disrupts tyramine-mediated suppression on ISCs and alleviates colitis. Our findings highlight a microbial ligand-GPCR pair in ISCs, revealing a causal link between microbial regulation of ISCs and colitis exacerbation and yielding a targeted therapeutic approach to restore ISC function in colitis.

Microbial metabolite steers intestinal stem cell fate under stress

Recently in Cell Metabolism, Wei et al.1 unveiled a brain-to-gut pathway that conveys psychological stress to intestinal epithelial cells, leading to their dysfunction. This gut-brain axis involves a microbial metabolite, indole-3-acetate (IAA), as a niche signal that hampers mitochondrial respiration to skew intestinal stem cell (ISC) fate.

Event-free survival by residual cancer burden with pembrolizumab in early-stage TNBC: exploratory analysis from KEYNOTE-522

BACKGROUND

KEYNOTE-522 demonstrated statistically significant improvements in pathological complete response (pCR) with neoadjuvant pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy and event-free survival (EFS) with neoadjuvant pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy followed by adjuvant pembrolizumab in patients with high-risk, early-stage triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Prior studies have shown the prognostic value of the residual cancer burden (RCB) index to quantify the extent of residual disease after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. In this preplanned exploratory analysis, we assessed RCB distribution and EFS within RCB categories by treatment group.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A total of 1174 patients with stage T1c/N1-2 or T2-4/N0-2 TNBC were randomized 2 : 1 to pembrolizumab 200 mg or placebo every 3 weeks given with four cycles of paclitaxel + carboplatin, followed by four cycles of doxorubicin or epirubicin + cyclophosphamide. After surgery, patients received pembrolizumab or placebo for nine cycles or until recurrence or unacceptable toxicity. Primary endpoints are pCR and EFS. RCB is a prespecified exploratory endpoint. The association between EFS and RCB was assessed using a Cox regression model.

RESULTS

Pembrolizumab shifted patients into lower RCB categories across the entire spectrum compared with placebo. There were more patients in the pembrolizumab group with RCB-0 (pCR), and fewer patients in the pembrolizumab group with RCB-1, RCB-2, and RCB-3. The corresponding hazard ratios (95% confidence intervals) for EFS were 0.70 (0.38-1.31), 0.92 (0.39-2.20), 0.52 (0.32-0.82), and 1.24 (0.69-2.23). The most common first EFS events were distant recurrences, with fewer in the pembrolizumab group across all RCB categories. Among patients with RCB-0/1, more than half [21/38 (55.3%)] of all events were central nervous system recurrences, with 13/22 (59.1%) in the pembrolizumab group and 8/16 (50.0%) in the placebo group.

CONCLUSIONS

Addition of pembrolizumab to chemotherapy resulted in fewer EFS events in the RCB-0, RCB-1, and RCB-2 categories, with the greatest benefit in RCB-2. These findings demonstrate that pembrolizumab not only increased pCR rates, but also improved EFS among most patients who do not have a pCR.

DDX20 positively regulates the interferon pathway to inhibit viral infection

The DEAD-box (DDX) family comprises RNA helicases characterized by the conserved sequence D(Asp)-E(Glu)-A(Ala)-D(Asp), participating in various RNA metabolism processes. Some DDX family members have been identified for their crucial roles in viral infections. In this study, RNAi library screening of the DDX family unveiled the antiviral activity of DDX20. Knockdown of DDX20 enhanced the replication of viruses such as vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) and herpes simplex virus type I (HSV-1), while overexpression of DDX20 significantly diminished the replication level of these viruses. Mechanistically, DDX20 elevated the phosphorylation level of IRF3 induced by external stimuli by facilitating the interaction between TBK1 and IRF3, thereby promoting the expression of IFN-β. The increased IFN-β production, in turn, upregulated the expression of interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs), including Cig5 and IFIT1, thereby exerting the antiviral effect. Finally, in an in vivo infection study, Ddx20 gene-deficient mice exhibited increased susceptibility to viral infection. This study provides new evidence that DDX20 positively modulates the interferon pathway and restricts viral infection.

Presepsin as a prognostic biomarker in COVID-19 patients: combining clinical scoring systems and laboratory inflammatory markers for outcome prediction

BACKGROUND

There is still limited research on the prognostic value of Presepsin as a biomarker for predicting the outcome of COVID-19 patients. Additionally, research on the combined predictive value of Presepsin with clinical scoring systems and inflammation markers for disease prognosis is lacking.

METHODS

A total of 226 COVID-19 patients admitted to Beijing Youan Hospital's emergency department from May to November 2022 were screened. Demographic information, laboratory measurements, and blood samples for Presepsin levels were collected upon admission. The predictive value of Presepsin, clinical scoring systems, and inflammation markers for 28-day mortality was analyzed.

RESULTS

A total of 190 patients were analyzed, 83 (43.7%) were mild, 61 (32.1%) were moderate, and 46 (24.2%) were severe/critically ill. 23 (12.1%) patients died within 28 days. The Presepsin levels in severe/critical patients were significantly higher compared to moderate and mild patients (p < 0.001). Presepsin showed significant predictive value for 28-day mortality in COVID-19 patients, with an area under the ROC curve of 0.828 (95% CI: 0.737-0.920). Clinical scoring systems and inflammation markers also played a significant role in predicting 28-day outcomes. After Cox regression adjustment, Presepsin, qSOFA, NEWS2, PSI, CURB-65, CRP, NLR, CAR, and LCR were identified as independent predictors of 28-day mortality in COVID-19 patients (all p-values < 0.05). Combining Presepsin with clinical scoring systems and inflammation markers further enhanced the predictive value for patient prognosis.

CONCLUSION

Presepsin is a favorable indicator for the prognosis of COVID-19 patients, and its combination with clinical scoring systems and inflammation markers improved prognostic assessment.

Exploration of lncRNA/circRNA-miRNA-mRNA network in patients with chronic atrophic gastritis in Tibetan plateau areas based on DNBSEQ-G99 RNA sequencing

A higher incidence of chronic atrophic gastritis (CAG) is generally considered as a precancerous lesion in gastric cancer (GC). The aim of this study was to identify potential molecules involved in the pathogenesis of CAG in the Tibetan plateau, hoping to help the diagnosis and management of the disease. Atrophic and non-atrophic gastric mucosal tissue samples were collected from seven patients with chronic gastritis (CG). Differentially expressed lncRNAs, circRNAs, miRNAs, and mRNAs between CAG and chronic non-atrophic gastritis (CNAG) groups were identified based on DNBSEQ-G99 RNA sequencing. Subsequently, competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) regulatory networks (lncRNA/circRNA-miRNA-mRNA networks) were constructed. Two datasets (GSE153224 and GSE163416), involving data from non-Tibetan plateau areas, were used to further screen out Tibetan plateau key mRNAs, followed by the common genes of Tibetan plateau key and ferroptosis-related mRNAs were also identified. Functional enrichment analyses were performed to investigate the biological functions of Tibetan plateau mRNAs in the CAG. A total of seven lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA relationship pairs and 424 circRNA-miRNA-mRNA relationship pairs were identified in this study. The relationship pairs of hsa_circ_0082984-hsa-miR-204-5p-CACNG8, lncRNA DRAIC/has_circ_0008561-hsa-miR-34a-5p-AR/GXYLT2, lncRNA GAS1RR/RGMB-AS1/hsa_circ_0008561-hsa-miR-3614-5p-TMEM216/SUSD5, and LINC00941/hsa_circ_0082984-hsa-miR-873-3p-TMC5 can be involved in the pathogenesis of CAG. Additionally, eight common genes of Tibetan plateau key and ferroptosis-related differentially expressed mRNAs (DEmRNAs) (CBS, SLC2A4, STAT3, ALOX15B, ATF3, IDO1, NOX4, and SOCS1) were identified in CAG. The common genes of Tibetan plateau key and ferroptosis-related DEmRNAs can play a role in the JAK-STAT signaling pathway. This study identified important molecular biomarkers that may be involved in regulating the pathological mechanisms of CAG in the Tibetan plateau, which provides potential research directions for future research.

Circular RNA circZFPM2 regulates cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and survival

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) constitutes the most common genetic cardiac disorder. However, current pharmacotherapeutics are mainly symptomatic and only partially address underlying molecular mechanisms. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a recently discovered class of non-coding RNAs and emerged as specific and powerful regulators of cellular functions. By performing global circRNA-specific next generation sequencing in cardiac tissue of patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy compared to healthy donors, we identified circZFPM2 (hsa_circ_0003380). CircZFPM2, which derives from the ZFPM2 gene locus, is a highly conserved regulatory circRNA that is strongly induced in HCM tissue. In vitro loss-of-function experiments were performed in neonatal rat cardiomyocytes, human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs), and HCM-patient-derived hiPSC-CMs. A knockdown of circZFPM2 was found to induce cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and compromise mitochondrial respiration, leading to an increased production of reactive oxygen species and apoptosis. In contrast, delivery of recombinant circZFPM2, packaged in lipid-nanoparticles or using AAV-based overexpression, rescued cardiomyocyte hypertrophic gene expression and promoted cell survival. Additionally, HCM-derived cardiac organoids exhibited improved contractility upon CM-specific overexpression of circZFPM2. Multi-Omics analysis further promoted our hypothesis, showing beneficial effects of circZFPM2 on cardiac contractility and mitochondrial function. Collectively, our data highlight that circZFPM2 serves as a promising target for the treatment of cardiac hypertrophy including HCM.

Bile acids modified by the intestinal microbiota promote colorectal cancer growth by suppressing CD8+ T cell effector functions

Concentrations of the secondary bile acid, deoxycholic acid (DCA), are aberrantly elevated in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients, but the consequences remain poorly understood. Here, we screened a library of gut microbiota-derived metabolites and identified DCA as a negative regulator for CD8+ T cell effector function. Mechanistically, DCA suppressed CD8+ T cell responses by targeting plasma membrane Ca2+ ATPase (PMCA) to inhibit Ca2+-nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT)2 signaling. In CRC patients, CD8+ T cell effector function negatively correlated with both DCA concentration and expression of a bacterial DCA biosynthetic gene. Bacteria harboring DCA biosynthetic genes suppressed CD8+ T cells effector function and promoted tumor growth in mice. This effect was abolished by disrupting bile acid metabolism via bile acid chelation, genetic ablation of bacterial DCA biosynthetic pathway, or specific bacteriophage. Our study demonstrated causation between microbial DCA metabolism and anti-tumor CD8+ T cell response in CRC, suggesting potential directions for anti-tumor therapy.

DHX9 maintains epithelial homeostasis by restraining R-loop-mediated genomic instability in intestinal stem cells

Epithelial barrier dysfunction and crypt destruction are hallmarks of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Intestinal stem cells (ISCs) residing in the crypts play a crucial role in the continuous self-renewal and rapid recovery of intestinal epithelial cells (IECs). However, how ISCs are dysregulated in IBD remains poorly understood. Here, we observe reduced DHX9 protein levels in IBD patients, and mice with conditional DHX9 depletion in the intestinal epithelium (Dhx9ΔIEC) exhibit an increased susceptibility to experimental colitis. Notably, Dhx9ΔIEC mice display a significant reduction in the numbers of ISCs and Paneth cells. Further investigation using ISC-specific or Paneth cell-specific Dhx9-deficient mice demonstrates the involvement of ISC-expressed DHX9 in maintaining epithelial homeostasis. Mechanistically, DHX9 deficiency leads to abnormal R-loop accumulation, resulting in genomic instability and the cGAS-STING-mediated inflammatory response, which together impair ISC function and contribute to the pathogenesis of IBD. Collectively, our findings highlight R-loop-mediated genomic instability in ISCs as a risk factor in IBD.

A method for predicting drugs that can boost the efficacy of immune checkpoint blockade

Combination therapy is a promising therapeutic strategy to enhance the efficacy of immune checkpoint blockade (ICB); however, predicting drugs for effective combination is challenging. Here we developed a general data-driven method called CM-Drug for screening compounds that can boost ICB treatment efficacy based on core and minor gene sets identified between responsive and nonresponsive samples in ICB therapy. The CM-Drug method was validated using melanoma and lung cancer mouse models, with combined therapeutic efficacy demonstrated in eight of nine predicted compounds. Among these compounds, taltirelin had the strongest synergistic effect. Mechanistic analysis and experimental verification demonstrated that taltirelin can stimulate CD8+ T cells and is mediated by the induction of thyroid-stimulating hormone. This study provides an effective and general method for predicting and evaluating drugs for combination therapy and identifies candidate compounds for future ICB combination therapy.

IL-36 Regulates Neutrophil Chemotaxis and Bone Loss at the Oral Barrier

Tissue-specific mechanisms regulate neutrophil immunity at the oral barrier, which plays a key role in periodontitis. Although it has been proposed that fibroblasts emit a powerful neutrophil chemotactic signal, how this chemotactic signal is driven has not been clear. The objective of this study was to investigate the site-specific regulatory mechanisms by which fibroblasts drive powerful neutrophil chemotactic signals within the oral barrier, with particular emphasis on the role of the IL-36 family. The present study found that IL-36γ, agonist of IL-36R, could promote neutrophil chemotaxis via fibroblast. Single-cell RNA sequencing data disclosed that IL36G is primarily expressed in human and mouse gingival epithelial cells and mouse neutrophils. Notably, there was a substantial increase in IL-36γ levels during periodontitis. In vitro experiments demonstrated that IL-36γ specifically activates gingival fibroblasts, leading to chemotaxis of neutrophils. In vivo experiments revealed that IL-36Ra inhibited the infiltration of neutrophils and bone resorption, while IL-36γ promoted their progression in the ligature-induced periodontitis mouse model. In summary, these data elucidate the function of the site-enriched IL-36γ in regulating neutrophil immunity and bone resorption at the oral barrier. These findings provide new insights into the tissue-specific pathophysiology of periodontitis and offer a promising avenue for prevention and treatment through targeted intervention of the IL-36 family.

Tyrosine phosphatase SHP2 aggravates tumor progression and glycolysis by dephosphorylating PKM2 in gastric cancer

Gastric cancer (GC) is among the most lethal human malignancies, yet it remains hampered by challenges in fronter of molecular-guided targeted therapy to direct clinical treatment strategies. The protein tyrosine phosphatase Src homology 2 domain-containing phosphatase 2 (SHP2) is involved in the malignant progression of GC. However, the detailed mechanisms of the posttranslational modifications of SHP2 remain poorly understood. Herein, we demonstrated that an allosteric SHP2 inhibitor, SHP099, was able to block tumor proliferation and migration of GC by dephosphorylating the pyruvate kinase M2 type (PKM2) protein. Mechanistically, we found that PKM2 is a bona fide target of SHP2. The dephosphorylation and activation of PKM2 by SHP2 are necessary to exacerbate tumor progression and GC glycolysis. Moreover, we demonstrated a strong correlation between the phosphorylation level of PKM2 and adenosine 5'-monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase (AMPK) in GC cells. Notably, the low phosphorylation expression of AMPK was negatively correlated with activated SHP2. Besides, we proved that cisplatin could activate SHP2 and SHP099 increased sensitivity to cisplatin in GC. Taken together, our results provide evidence that the SHP2/PKM2/AMPK axis exerts a key role in GC progression and glycolysis and could be a viable therapeutic approach for the therapy of GC.

Deficiency of immunoglobulin IgSF6 enhances antibacterial effects by promoting endoplasmic reticulum stress and the inflammatory response in intestinal macrophages

Immunoglobulin superfamily (IgSF) members are known for their role as glycoproteins expressed on the surface of immune cells, enabling protein-protein interactions to sense external signals during immune responses. However, the functions of immunoglobulins localized within subcellular compartments have been less explored. In this study, we identified an endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-localized immunoglobulin, IgSF member 6 (IgSF6), that regulates ER stress and the inflammatory response in intestinal macrophages. Igsf6 expression is sustained by microbiota and significantly upregulated upon bacterial infection. Mice lacking Igsf6 displayed resistance to Salmonella typhimurium challenge but increased susceptibility to dextran sulfate sodium-induced colitis. Mechanistically, deficiency of Igsf6 enhanced inositol-requiring enzyme 1α/-X-box binding protein 1 pathway, inflammatory response, and reactive oxygen species production leading to increased bactericidal activity of intestinal macrophages. Inhibition of reactive oxygen species or inositol-requiring enzyme 1α-X-box binding protein 1 pathway reduced the advantage of Igsf6 deficiency in bactericidal capacity. Together, our findings provide insight into the role of IgSF6 in intestinal macrophages that modulate the ER stress response and maintain intestinal homeostasis.

Matrine suppresses hepatocellular carcinoma tumorigenesis by modulating circ_0055976/miR-1179/lactate dehydrogenase A axis

BACKGROUND

Matrine has been identified to have anticancer activity in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Circ_0055976 was highly expressed in HCC. Here, we investigated the function and relationship of Matrine and circ_0055976 in HCC tumorigenesis.

METHODS

Cell proliferation and invasion were detected using Cell Counting Kit-8, 5-Ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU), colony formation and transwell assays, respectively. Cell aerobic glycolysis was evaluated by detecting glucose consumption, lactate production, and the ratios of ATP/ADP. Levels of genes and proteins were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting. The target relationship between miR-1179 and circ_0055976 or lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA) was analyzed by dual-luciferase reporter assay. The mouse xenograft model was established to conduct the in vivo assay.

RESULTS

Matrine suppressed HCC cell proliferation, invasion and anaerobic glycolysis in vitro. Circ_0055976 was highly expressed in HCC tissues and cells, and was reduced by Matrine treatment. Moreover, overexpression of circ_0055976 reversed the anticancer effects of Matrine in HCC cells. Mechanistically, circ_0055976/miR-1179/LDHA formed an axis. Circ_0055976 knockdown or miR-1179 overexpression impaired HCC cell proliferation, invasion, and anaerobic glycolysis, which were reversed by miR-1179 inhibition or LDHA overexpression. Meanwhile, forced expression of LDHA abolished the regulatory effects of Matrine on HCC cells. In the clinic, Matrine impeded HCC tumor growth in vivo, and this effect was boosted after circ_0055976 silencing.

CONCLUSION

Matrine suppressed HCC cell proliferation, invasion, and anaerobic glycolysis via circ_0055976/miR-1179/LDHA axis, providing a new insight into the clinical application of Matrine in HCC treatment.

A role for dopamine in control of the hypoxic ventilatory response via D2 receptors in the zebrafish gill

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter involved in oxygen sensing and control of reflex hyperventilation. In aquatic vertebrates, oxygen sensing occurs in the gills via chemoreceptive neuroepithelial cells (NECs), but a mechanism for dopamine in autonomic control of ventilation has not been defined. We used immunohistochemistry and confocal microscopy to map the distribution of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), an enzyme necessary for dopamine synthesis, in the gills of zebrafish. TH was found in nerve fibers of the gill filaments and respiratory lamellae. We further identified dopamine active transporter (dat) and vesicular monoamine transporter (vmat2) expression in neurons of the gill filaments using transgenic lines. Moreover, TH- and dat-positive nerve fibers innervated NECs. In chemical screening assays, domperidone, a D2 receptor antagonist, increased ventilation frequency in zebrafish larvae in a dose-dependent manner. When larvae were confronted with acute hypoxia, the D2 agonist, quinpirole, abolished the hyperventilatory response. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction confirmed expression of drd2a and drd2b (genes encoding D2 receptors) in the gills, and their relative abundance decreased following acclimation to hypoxia for 48 h. We localized D2 receptor immunoreactivity to NECs in the efferent gill filament epithelium, and a novel cell type in the afferent filament epithelium. We provide evidence for the synthesis and storage of dopamine by sensory nerve terminals that innervate NECs. We further suggest that D2 receptors on presynaptic NECs provide a feedback mechanism that attenuates the chemoreceptor response to hypoxia. Our studies suggest that a fundamental, modulatory role for dopamine in oxygen sensing arose early in vertebrate evolution.

Croton tiglium L. seeds ameliorate loperamide-induced constipation via regulating gastrointestinal hormones and gut microbiota before and after processing

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Crotonis Fructus (CF), the seeds of Croton tiglium L., have been commonly used in the treatment of constipation for more than two thousand years in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). CF needs to be processed before clinical use and Crotonis Semen Pulveratum (CP) is the processed cream of CF, which could reduce the drastic purgative action and gastrointestinal damages. However, the mechanism of CF and CP in the treatment of constipation is still unclear.

AIM OF THE STUDY

This study was to evaluate the effects of CF and CP on loperamide-induced constipation and the underlying mechanism.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The chemical compositions of CF and CP were analyzed by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS. Constipated mouse model was established by loperamide (9.6 mg/kg, b.w., i.g.) for two weeks. After successful modeling, the mice were treated with CF or CP (45.5 and 136.5 mg/kg, b.w., i.g.) once a day for seven days. The physiological status, defecation indices, defecation time, and intestinal propulsion rate in mice were measured. Histopathologic examination and serum biochemical parameters were further estimated. 16S rDNA gene sequencing was carried out to characterize the effects of CF and CP on intestinal microbiome structure. Spearman correlation analysis was also performed to explore the association between gut microbiotic abundance and serum indices.

RESULTS

The results verified the therapeutic effects of CF and CP on loperamide-induced constipation. CF and CP could significantly ameliorate the reduction of fecal number, fecal weight, fecal water content, and intestinal propulsion rate in mice with constipation, and the first stool defecation time was also obviously reduced. Moreover, CF and CP could regulate the secretion of gastrointestinal hormones and inflammatory factors induced by constipation. Histopathologic examination showed that CP was superior to CF in relieving pathological injury and inflammatory cell infiltration. According to 16S rDNA sequencing, CF and CP treatment could improve gut microbiota disturbance in mice with constipation and the abundance of opportunistic pathogens such as Parabacteroides, Parasutterella and Bacillus remarkably declined, while the levels of beneficial bacterial such as Candidatus_Arthromitus significantly increased. Besides, CP may play a better role in correcting the intestinal flora disorder than CF, which was more obvious in the high-dose group. In addition, phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of diterpenoids and alkaloids in CF and CP.

CONCLUSIONS

CF and CP could ameliorate loperamide-induced constipation by regulating gastrointestinal hormones secretion, reducing the levels of inflammatory cytokines and improving the disturbance of gut microbiota. Moreover, CP was superior to CF in the enrichment of beneficial bacteria and reduction of harmful bacteria and histopathological damage induced by constipation, which may be related to the changes in the species and content of diterpenoids after processing. The study provides new evidence for the processing mechanism and clinical application of CF and CP.

The predictive value of serum IL-17A and IL-6 expression in postoperative recurrence in patients with intrauterine adhesion

BACKGROUND

The recurrence rate of intrauterine adhesions (IUA) was high. At present, there are few studies on the relationship between proinflammatory factors IL-17A and IL-6 and IUA. The expression of serum IL-17A and IL-6 in IUA patients and their predictive value for postoperative recurrence were retrospectively analyzed.

METHODS

A total of 90 IUA patients who underwent hysteroscopic adhesion lysis in our hospital from January 2020 to January 2023 were selected as the IUA group. Patients were divided into mild, moderate, and severe IUA groups. At the same time, 60 cases of secondary infertility patients with normal endometrium were selected as the control group. The clinical baseline characteristics and serum levels of IL-17A and IL-6 were compared between control group and IUA group. To analyze the correlation and predictive value of IL-17A and IL-6 expression levels with the recurrence rate of IUA patients.

RESULTS

The preoperative levels of IL-17A and IL-6 in the IUA group were significantly higher than those in the control group. The higher the levels of inflammatory factors IL-17A and IL-6, the deeper the degree of IUA. Multivariate analysis showed that pregnancy, curettage history, IL-17A, and IL-6 levels were risk factors for IUA recurrence. In addition, the specificity and area under the curve of combining baseline data with postoperative serum IL-17A and IL-6 for predicting IUA were higher than those predicted separately.

CONCLUSION

The expression levels of serum IL-17A and IL-6 can be used as a value index to evaluate postoperative recurrence in IUA patients.

Comparative Transcriptome Analysis of High- and Low-Growth Genotypes of Eucalyptus urophylla in Response to Long-Term Nitrogen Deficiency

Nutrients play important roles in the growth and development of most plant species. However, in perennial trees, the function of nutrients in different genotypes is poorly understood. Three different nutrient levels (low, sufficient, and high nutrient levels) were applied to two contrasting Eucalyptus urophylla cultivars (a high-growth cultivar ZQUA44 and a low-growth cultivar ZQUB15), and growth and expression levels were analyzed. Although the growth traits of both genotypes under nutrient starvation treatment were much lower than under abundant nutrients, tree height, crown width, and biomass of different ZQUA44 tissues were much higher than those of ZQUB15 at all three nutrient levels. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) clustered into six subclusters based on their expression patterns, and functional annotation showed that the DEGs involved in glutathione metabolism and flavonoid biosynthesis may be responsible for nutrient starvation across different genotypes, while the DEGs involved in carotenoid biosynthesis and starch and sucrose metabolism may have a range of functions in different genotypes. The DEGs encoding the MYB-related family may be responsible for nutrient deficiency in all genotypes, while B3 may have different functions in different genotypes. Our results demonstrate that different genotypes may form different pathways to coordinate plant survival when they face abiotic stresses.

Distribution and Elimination of Deltamethrin Toxicity in Laying Hens

Deltamethrin, an important pyrethroid insecticide, is frequently detected in human samples. This study aims to assess the potential effects of deltamethrin on human health and investigate the patterns of residue enrichment and elimination in 112 healthy laying hens. These hens were administered 20 mg·kg-1 deltamethrin based on their body weight. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used to investigate the residue enrichment pattern and elimination pattern of deltamethrin in the hens. The results indicated a significant increase in the concentration of deltamethrin in chicken manure during the treatment period. By the 14th day of administration, the concentration of deltamethrin in the stool reached 13,510.9 ± 172.24 μg·kg-1, with a fecal excretion rate of 67.56%. The pulmonary deltamethrin concentration was the second highest at 3844.98 ± 297.14 μg·kg-1. These findings suggest that chicken feces contain substantial amounts of deltamethrin after 14 days of continuous administration, and that it can easily transfer to the lungs. After 21 days of drug withdrawal, the residual concentration of deltamethrin in the fat of laying hens was 904.25 ± 295.32 μg·kg-1, with a half-life of 17 days and a slow elimination rate. In contrast, the lungs showed relatively low elimination half-lives of 0.2083 days, indicating faster elimination of deltamethrin in this tissue. These results highlight differences in the rate of deltamethrin elimination in different tissues during drug withdrawal. The fat of laying hens exhibited the highest residue of deltamethrin and the slowest elimination rate, while the lungs showed the fastest elimination rate. Moreover, deltamethrin was found to accumulate in the edible tissues of eggs and laying hens, suggesting that humans may be exposed to deltamethrin through food.

Identification of Potential Differentially-Methylated/Expressed Genes in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a chronic inflammatory lung disease that causes obstructed airflow from the lungs. DNA methylation can regulate gene expression. Understanding the potential molecular mechanism of COPD is of great importance. The aim of this study was to find differentially methylated/expressed genes in COPD. DNA methylation and gene expression profiles in COPD were downloaded from the dataset, followed by functional analysis of differentially-methylated/expressed genes. The potential diagnostic value of these differentially-methylated/expressed genes was determined by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. Expression validation of differentially-methylated/expressed genes was performed by in vitro experiment and extra online datasets. Totally, 81 hypermethylated-low expression genes and 121 hypomethylated-high expression genes were found in COPD. Among which, 9 core hypermethylated-low expression genes (CD247, CCR7, CD5, IKZF1, SLAMF1, IL2RB, CD3E, CD7 and IL7R) and 8 core hypomethylated-high expression genes (TREM1, AQP9, CD300LF, CLEC12A, NOD2, IRAK3, NLRP3 and LYZ) were identified in the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network. Moreover, these genes had a potential diagnostic utility for COPD. Some signaling pathways were identified in COPD, including T cell receptor signaling pathway, cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, hematopoietic cell lineage, HTLV-I infection, endocytosis and Jak-STAT signaling pathway. In conclusion, differentially-methylated/expressed genes and involved signaling pathways are likely to be associated with the process of COPD.

ICBcomb: a comprehensive expression database for immune checkpoint blockade combination therapy

The success of immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) promotes the immunotherapy to be a new pillar in cancer treatment. However, the low response rate of the ICB therapy limits its application. To increase the response rate and enhance efficacy, the ICB combination therapy has emerged and its clinical trials are increasing. Nevertheless, the gene expression profile and its pattern of ICB combination were not comprehensively studied, which limits the understanding of the ICB combination therapy and the identification of new drugs. Here, we constructed ICBcomb (http://bioinfo.life.hust.edu.cn/ICBcomb/), a comprehensive database, by analyzing the human and mouse expression data of the ICB combination therapy and comparing them between groups treated with ICB, other drugs or their combinations. ICBcomb contains 1399 samples across 29 cancer types involving 52 drugs. It provides a user-friendly web interface for demonstrating the results of the available comparisons in the ICB combination therapy datasets with five functional modules: [1, 2] the 'Dataset/Disease' modules for browsing the expression, enrichment and comparison results in each dataset or disease; [3] the 'Gene' module for inputting a gene symbol and displaying its expression and comparison results across datasets/diseases; [4] the 'Gene Set' module for GSVA/GSEA enrichment analysis on the built-in gene sets and the user-input gene sets in different comparisons; [5] the 'Immune Cell' module for immune cell infiltration comparison between different groups by immune cell abundance analysis. The ICBcomb database provides the first resource for gene expression profile and comparison in ICB combination therapy, which may provide clues for discovering the mechanism of effective combination strategies and new combinatory drugs.

Monophosphoryl lipid A-assembled nanovaccines enhance tumor immunotherapy

Therapeutic cancer nanovaccines can induce strong antitumor immunity and establish long-term immune memory and have shown potential for curing tumors in some clinical trials. However, weak immunogenicity and safety concerns of nanocarriers limit the clinical translation of some therapeutic nanovaccines. Here, we developed minimal-component cancer nanovaccines, monophosphoryl lipid A (MPLA)-assembled nanovaccines (MANs), that could facilitate the clinical application of nanovaccines. The MANs were formed by protein antigens extracted from chemotherapy-induced tumor cell cultures and the amphiphilic immune adjuvant MPLA. Compared with free chemotherapy-induced antigens, MANs can activate the Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)-mediated signalling pathway and promote adaptive immunity against tumor antigens. Mechanistic analysis indicated that MANs induced antigen capture of DCs and promoted the activation of DCs and T cells, thereby optimizing the ratio of CD8+ T/Tregs in tumors and facilitating the transformation of the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) from "cold" to "hot". In a CT26 colorectal cancer model, MANs+αPD-1 significantly improved the efficacy of αPD-1 treatment. Our work offers a strategy for designing minimal-component cancer nanovaccines with potential clinical benefits. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: To address the weak immunogenicity of cancer vaccines and the safety concerns of nanocarriers, we prepared MPLA-assembled nanovaccines (MANs) using chemotherapy induced antigens and the immune adjuvant MPLA to promote cancer vaccines to clinical practice. MANs effectively internalized tumor antigens and induced DC maturation, indicating that the initial anti-tumor response had been activated. MANs+αPD-1 induced APCs, CD8+ T cells and memory T cells with positive anti-tumor effects to migrate to tumor tissue, thus leading to the transformation of the tumor immune microenvironment from "cold" to "hot". At the animal level, the combination of MANs and αPD-1 exerted synergistic effects and significantly enhanced tumor immunotherapy. Therefore, the treatment regimen of MANs+αPD-1 has potential clinical benefits.

ERK/MEK Pathway Regulates Th17 Cell Differentiation in Patients with Pemphigus Vulgaris

Background

T helper (Th) cells are involved in the pathogenesis of pemphigus vulgaris (PV). However, the mechanism still needs more exploration.

Aims

This study aimed to evaluate the molecular mechanism of the dysregulation of Th17 cells in the peripheral blood of patients with PV.

Materials and Methods

Serum levels of IL-17 and anti-Dsg3 titres in patients with PV were analysed using ELISA. The mRNA expression of retinoic acid orphan receptor γt (RORγt) in CD4+ T cells was detected using reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (qPCR). The number of Th17 cells was examined using flow cytometry. Western blot analysis and immunofluorescent staining were also performed to investigate the expression levels of ERK/MAPK signalling proteins and Th17 lineage-associated proteins.

Results

The proportion of Th17 cells and Th17 spectrum-associated proteins (p-STAT3, RORγt and IL-17) were upregulated in CD4+ cells in PV patients. The increased transcriptional levels of RORγt and IL-17 correlated positively with the severity of PV. Elevated phosphorylation of the ERK signalling factors was found in the collected CD4+ T cells in PV patients. The inhibition of the ERK signalling pathway significantly reduced the differentiation of Th17 cells in PV patients in vitro.

Conclusion

Th17 cells are essential in the dysregulation of PV, and ERK signalling is involved in Th17-type immunity and promotes the development of PV. The study here provides us with a potential therapeutic target for PV.

Crotonis Fructus-induced gut microbiota and serum metabolic disorders in rats

Crotonis Fructus (CF), a poisonous traditional laxative, has been used to treat constipation, edema, ascites, and inflammation for more than 2000 years. However, CF possesses toxicity and its toxic mechanism is still unclear. Thus, this research explored the deleterious impacts and underlying mechanisms of CF by evaluating alterations in gut microbiota composition and metabolites. High-throughput sequencing was employed on the 16S rDNA gene to explore the intestinal flora. The untargeted metabolomics method was utilized for evaluating serum metabolomics analysis. The results showed that CF could induce obvious hepatic and gastrointestinal damage by histopathologic morphology of the liver, stomach, duodenum, and colon. According to 16S rDNA sequencing, CF can cause gut microbiota disturbance in rats, and the abundance of opportunistic pathogens such as Clostridia_UCG_014_unclassified increased significantly, while the levels of beneficial bacterial Lactobacillus remarkably declined after CF treatment. Additionally, metabolomics analysis demonstrated that CF may induce toxicity by disrupting the glycerophospholipid metabolism pathway and metabolites such as phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine. Moreover, a correlation study revealed the link between intestinal flora, serum metabolites, and toxicity-related biochemical markers. The results provide a new idea for the research and clinical application of toxic traditional medicine. KEY POINTS: • Crotonis Fructus could affect the gut flora and serum metabolic disruption in SD rats. • Crotonis Fructus could promote the proliferation of harmful bacteria and inhibit beneficial bacteria. • Glycerophospholipid metabolism was disturbed by Crotonis Fructus.

The microprotein encoded by exosomal lncAKR1C2 promotes gastric cancer lymph node metastasis by regulating fatty acid metabolism

Lymph node metastasis (LNM) is the prominent route of gastric cancer dissemination, and usually leads to tumor progression and a dismal prognosis of gastric cancer. Although exosomal lncRNAs have been reported to be involved in tumor development, whether secreted lncRNAs can encode peptides in recipient cells remains unknown. Here, we identified an exosomal lncRNA (lncAKR1C2) that was clinically correlated with lymph node metastasis in gastric cancer in a VEGFC-independent manner. Exo-lncAKR1C2 secreted from gastric cancer cells was demonstrated to enhance tube formation and migration of lymphatic endothelial cells, and facilitate lymphangiogenesis and lymphatic metastasis in vivo. By comparing the metabolic characteristics of LN metastases and primary focuses, we found that LN metastases of gastric cancer displayed higher lipid metabolic activity. Moreover, exo-lncAKR1C2 encodes a microprotein (pep-AKR1C2) in lymphatic endothelial cells and promotes CPT1A expression by regulating YAP phosphorylation, leading to enhanced fatty acid oxidation (FAO) and ATP production. These findings highlight a novel mechanism of LNM and suggest that the microprotein encoded by exosomal lncAKR1C2 serves as a therapeutic target for advanced gastric cancer.

Do Victims Really Help Their Abusive Supervisors? Reevaluating the Positive Consequences of Abusive Supervision

Do victims really help their abusive supervisors? Does abusive supervision have any positive consequence? The study aims to address this concern through extending the work by Tröster and Van Quaquebeke (2021). Using subordinates' self-reports, Tröster and Van Quaquebeke (2021) found that abusive supervision in high-quality leader-member exchange (LMX) relationship motivates subordinates to blame themselves, subsequently making them feel guilty and make up for it by being more helpful. By integrating both subordinates' and supervisors' perspectives, and using multi-wave, multi-source, and multi-level data collected in China, we obtain three major findings. First, as a replication of their findings, LMX moderates the direct effect of abusive supervision on workplace self-blame, and the indirect effect of abusive supervision on workplace guilt via workplace self-blame. The positive direct and indirect effects are stronger when LMX quality is higher. Second, different from their findings, LMX moderates the indirect effect of abusive supervision on supervisor-directed helping (evaluated by supervisors) via workplace self-blame and workplace guilt such that the negative indirect effect is stronger when LMX quality is higher. Third, as an extension, supervisor-evaluated LMX (SLMX) moderates the effect of workplace guilt on supervisor-directed helping such that the negative effect is stronger when SLMX is lower-quality. Put together, LMX and SLMX moderate the indirect effect of abusive supervision on supervisor-directed helping via workplace self-blame and workplace guilt. The negative indirect effect is stronger when LMX quality is higher, but SLMX quality is lower. Our study challenges previous speculations on the positive or beneficial consequences of abusive supervision, and thus contributes to the literature on abusive supervision.

Chemotherapy-induced nanovaccines implement immunogenicity equivalence for improving cancer chemoimmunotherapy

Several chemoimmunotherapies have been approved by the FDA for the treatment of various cancers. Chemotherapy has the potential to improve the efficacy of immunotherapy by inducing immunogenic cell death (ICD) of tumor cells, promoting the release of tumor associated antigens (TAAs), tumor specific antigens (TSAs) and damage associated molecular patterns (DAMPs), and disrupting immunosuppressive microenvironments by tumor debulking. Unfortunately, systemic administration of chemotherapeutics carries side effects of blunting anti-cancer immune response through systemic immunosuppression, which deserves to be explored as an inner contradiction in chemoimmunotherapy. Here, we proposed the hypothesis of "immunogenicity equivalence" in chemoimmunotherapy that chemotherapeutics-induced immunogenic antigens and DAMPs in vitro that can subsequently be incorporated into nanovaccines, which will possess comparable immunostimulatory potential when compared to tumors treated with systemic chemotherapy in vivo. The proteomic analysis confirmed that our nanovaccines contained TAAs, TSAs and DAMPs. Improvement in treatment outcomes in tumor-bearing mice receiving anti-PD-1 and chemotherapy-induced nanovaccines was then observed. Furthermore, we demonstrated the feasibility of replacing long-term chemotherapy with nanovaccines in chemoimmunotherapy. Our nanovaccine strategy would be a general choice for formulating cancer vaccines in personalized medicine.

Matrine inhibits hepatocellular carcinoma cell malignancy through the circ_0013290/miR-139-5p/MMP16 pathway

BACKGROUND

Previous studies have shown the anticancer effect of Matrine on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); however, the underlying mechanism is still indistinct.

METHODS

The expression of circular RNA_0013290 (circ_0013290), microRNA-139-5p (miR-139-5p), matrix metallopeptidase 16 (MMP16), CyclinD1 and N-cadherin was analyzed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, Western blotting or immunohistochemistry assay. Cell viability, proliferation, apoptosis, invasion and tube formation were analyzed by cell counting kit-8, 5-Ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine, flow cytometry analysis, transwell invasion and tube formation assays, respectively. The associations among circ_0013290, miR-139-5p and MMP16 were predicted by starbase online database, and identified by dual-luciferase reporter and RNA pull-down assays. A xenograft mouse model assay was conducted to disclose the effects of circ_0013290 and Matrine on tumor tumorigenesis in vivo.

RESULTS

Circ_0013290 and MMP16 expression were significantly upregulated, while miR-139-5p was downregulated in HCC tissues and cells compared with the matched normal liver tissues and cells. Matrine treatment inhibited HCC cell proliferation, invasion and tube formation but induced cell apoptosis, accompanied by the decrease of CyclinD1 and N-cadherin expression; however, these effects were counteracted when circ_0013290 expression was increased. MiR-139-5p depletion or MMP16 introduction relieved Matrine-induced effects in HCC cells. The regulation of circ_0013290 toward HCC cell processes involved MMP16. With respect to the mechanism, circ_0013290 acted as a miR-139-5p sponge, and miR-139-5p targeted MMP16 in HCC cells. Besides, circ_0013290 regulated MMP16 expression through miR-139-5p. Further, circ_0013290 depletion enhanced the inhibitory effects of Matrine on tumor tumorigenesis.

CONCLUSION

Matrine inhibited HCC cell malignancy through the circ_0013290/miR-139-5p/MMP16 pathway, suggesting that Matrine is a potential therapeutic agent for HCC.

Platinum Twin and Triplet Drugs Improve Chemoimmunotherapy

Several chemoimmunotherapy regimens have been approved by the U.S. FDA, verifying the great clinical value and potential of the strategy. However, the immunomodulatory function of chemotherapy was insufficient, which did not provide extra overall survival benefits, especially in a head-to-head comparison of chemoimmunotherapy versus immunotherapy. Here, we engineered twin and triplet drugs derived from an immunogenic chemotherapeutic drug (oxaliplatin) and small-molecule inhibitors of negative immunoregulation pathways (COX2 and IDO) in tumors as an improved chemotherapeutic component within chemoimmunotherapy. The twin and triplet drugs exhibited significantly improved synergy with anti-PD-1 in a CT26 colorectal mouse tumor model. Mechanistic analyses revealed that the drug induced immunogenic cell death and restored tumor immune microenvironment toward tumor clearance in vivo, resulting in a great decrease in tumor-infiltrating Tregs and an increase in the CD8+ T/Treg ratio when combined with anti-PD-1. Our work expands the application of platinum twin drugs in combination with an immune checkpoint blockade.

Folic Acid Protects Against Kidney Damage in Mice with Diabetic Nephropathy by Inhibiting M1 Macrophage Polarization via Nuclear Factor-k-gene Binding Pathway

Kidney damage is one of the most common complications of diabetes, and inflammation caused by macrophage infiltration plays an important role. Folic acid (FA), a water-soluble vitamin, was previously found to affect inflammation by regulating macrophage polarization. In our study, we aimed to investigate the effect of FA on renal injury in mice with diabetic nephropathy (DN). We found that FA treatment ameliorated diabetic metabolic parameters in mice with DN, including reducing 24-hour food consumption, 24-hour urine volume and 24-hour water intake and increasing body weight and serum insulin. Of note, FA treatment improved renal functional and structural damage in mice with DN. In addition, FA treatment significantly reduced the number of renal infiltrating M1 macrophages, inflammatory cytokine FA stimulation significantly reduced the increase in F4/80+CD86+ cell ratio, inflammatory factor content and p-p65/p65 protein expression induced by high glucose exposure in RAW264.7 cells. All in all, our results indicated that FA protects against kidney damage in mice with DN by inhibiting M1 macrophage polarization, and its mechanism may be related to the inhibition of nuclear factor-k-gene binding (NF-kB) signaling pathway.

Bonding Behavior of Cement Mortar Retrofitting for Adobe Masonry Wallette with Groove, Wire Mesh, Shear Dowel, and Sticky Rice Paste

Damaged adobe masonry is essential to retrofit not only for continued use by less developed populations but also for historical preservation and vernacular landmark maintenance. Coating mortar on adobe can greatly improve the static load-carrying capacity of adobe masonry Wallette. Four retrofitting methods are carried out to enhance the cooperation of mortar and adobe; these four methods focus on the factors of roughness, shear dowel, and mesh size and a novel biological and traditional Chinese binder, sticky rice pulp. The mortar coating with the four bonding enhancement methods can greatly increase both the compressive and lateral load-carrying capacities, with a maximum improvement of 177 and 743%, respectively. The bonding strength has a negative effect on the compressive load-carrying capacity; on the other hand, it has a positive effect on the lateral load-carrying capacity. A range analysis is also carried out, which shows that the shear dowel depth has the greatest effect on both load situations, followed by the wire mesh size.

Impact of Regional Collaborative Network on the Rescue of Patients with ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction First Visit to non-PCI Hospitals

Objective

To assess the effect of a regional collaborative network on the treatment of ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients first admitted to non- percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) hospitals.

Methods

Using data from Kunshan Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine's chest pain center database, patients were grouped based on the establishment of the regional collaborative rescue network. Key timepoints and in-hospital complications were analyzed.

Results

A total of 152 ST-elevation myocardial infarction patients were included in the study. Compared to control group, symptom-to-balloon time (S-B), time of first medical contact to balloon and inter-hospital referral time in observation group were significantly shorter [(314.03 ± 209.26) min vs (451.27 ± 290.44) min, P = .001], [(115.32 ± 54.73) min vs (191.67 ± 130.30) min, P = .001], [(55.09 ± 37.23) min vs (112.67 ± 95.90) min, P = .001], but time of symptom to first medical contact were not statistically significant[(210.27±217.07) min vs (239.61 ± 200.92) min, P = .136].The incidence of heart failure and total complications during hospitalization decreased [7 (8.14%) vs 13 (19.70%), P = .037] and [14 (16.28%) vs 24 (36.36%), P = .004]. However no statistically significant difference were observed in rate of death during hospitalization [2 (2.33%) vs 3 (4.55%), P = .450], ventricular fibrillation [2 (2.33%) vs 3 (4.55%), P = .450], left ventricular thrombosis [2 (2.33%) vs 4 (6.06%), P = .244] and recurrent myocardial infarction[1 (1.16%) vs 1 (1.52%), P = .851].

Conclusions

The regional cooperative rescue network notably reduces ischemic and referral times for STEMI patients, lowering the incidence of heart failure during their hospital stay.

Etomidate Depresses Spontaneous Complex Spikes Activity of Cerebellar Purkinje Cells via Cannabinoid 1 Receptor in vivo in Mice

INTRODUCTION

Complex spikes (CSs) activity of cerebellar Purkinje cells plays critical roles in motor coordination and motor learning by transferring information to cerebellar cortex, which is an accessible and useful model for neurophysiological investigation. Etomidate is an ultrashort-acting nonbarbiturate intravenous anesthetic, which inhibits the spontaneous activity of cerebellar Purkinje cells through activation of GABAA and glycine receptors in vivo in mice. However, the effect of etomidate on the spontaneous CSs activity of cerebellar Purkinje cells in living mouse is not clear.

METHODS

We here investigated the effects of etomidate on spontaneous CSs activity of cerebellar Purkinje cell in urethane-anesthetized mice by electrophysiology recording technique and pharmacological methods.

RESULTS

Our results showed that cerebellar surface perfusion of etomidate significantly depressed the activity of spontaneous CSs, which exhibited decreases in the number of spikelets and the area under curve (AUC) of the CSs. The etomidate-produced inhibition of CSs activity was persisted in the presence of GABAA and glycine receptors antagonists. However, application of cannabinoid 1 (CB1) receptor antagonist, AM-251, completely blocked the etomidate-induced inhibition of CSs. Furthermore, application of the CB1 receptor agonist, WIN55212-2, induced a decrease of CSs. Moreover, in the presence of a specific protein kinase A (PKA) inhibitor, KT5720, etomidate failed to produce decreases in the spikelets number and the AUC of the spontaneous CSs.

CONCLUSION

These results indicate that cerebellar surface application of etomidate facilitates CB1 receptor activity resulting in a depression of spontaneous CSs activity of Purkinje cells via PKA signaling pathway in mouse cerebellar cortex. Our present results suggest that the etomidate administration may impair the function of cerebellar cortical neuronal circuitry by inhibition of the climbing fiber - Purkinje cells synaptic transmission through activation of CB1 receptors in vivo in mice.

Theoretical and Computational Analysis of the Thermal Quasi-Geostrophic Model

This work involves theoretical and numerical analysis of the thermal quasi-geostrophic (TQG) model of submesoscale geophysical fluid dynamics (GFD). Physically, the TQG model involves thermal geostrophic balance, in which the Rossby number, the Froude number and the stratification parameter are all of the same asymptotic order. The main analytical contribution of this paper is to construct local-in-time unique strong solutions for the TQG model. For this, we show that solutions of its regularised version α -TQG converge to solutions of TQG as its smoothing parameter α → 0 and we obtain blow-up criteria for the α -TQG model. The main contribution of the computational analysis is to verify the rate of convergence of α -TQG solutions to TQG solutions as α → 0 , for example, simulations in appropriate GFD regimes.

Autophagy benefits the in vitro and in vivo clearance of Talaromyces marneffei

Talaromycosis, namely Talaromyces marneffei infection, is increasing gradually and has a high mortality rate even under antifungal therapy. Although autophagy acts differently on different pathogens, it is a promising therapeutic strategy. However, information on autophagy in macrophages and animals upon infection by T. marneffei is still limited. Therefore, several models were employed here to investigate the role of autophagy in host defense against T. marneffei, including RAW264.7 macrophages as in vitro models, different types of Caenorhabditis elegans and BALB/c mice as in vivo models. We applied the clinical T. marneffei isolate SUMS0152 in this study. T. marneffei-infected macrophages exhibit increased formation of autophagosomes. Further, macrophage autophagy promoted by rapamycin or Earle's balanced salt solution (EBSS) inhibited the viability of intracellular T. marneffei. In vivo, compared with uninfected Caenorhabditis elegans, the wild-type nematodes upregulated the expression of the autophagy-related gene lgg-1 and atg-18, and nematodes carrying GFP reporter were induced to form autophagosomes (GFP::LGG-1) after T. marneffei infection. Furthermore, the knockdown of lgg-1 significantly reduced the survival rate of T. marneffei-infected nematodes. Likewise, the autophagy activator rapamycin reduced the fungal burden and suppressed lung inflammation in a mouse model of infection. In conclusion, autophagy is essential for host defense against T. marneffei in vitro and in vivo. Therefore, autophagy may be an attractive target for developing new therapeutics to treat talaromycosis.

Biological Evaluation of the Antibacterial Retinoid CD437 in Cutibacterium acnes Infection

Acne vulgaris is a complex skin disease involving infection by Cutibacterium acnes, inflammation, and hyperkeratinization. We evaluated the activity of the retinoid 6-[3-(adamantyl)-4-hydroxyphenyl]-2-naphthalene carboxylic acid (CD437) and 16 other retinoid analogs as potential anti-C. acnes compounds and found that CD437 displayed the highest antimicrobial activity with an MIC against C. acnes (ATCC 6919 and HM-513) of 1 μg/mL. CD437 demonstrated an MBC of 2 μg/mL compared to up to 64 μg/mL for the retinoid adapalene and up to 16 μg/mL for tetracycline, which are commonly used clinically to treat acne. Membrane permeability assays demonstrated that exposure of C. acnes ATCC 6919 to CD437 damaged the integrity of C. acnes ATCC 6919 bacterial membranes, and this finding was confirmed with scanning electron microscopy. Additionally, CD437 downregulated the expression of C. acnes ATCC 6919 virulence factors, including the genes encoding Christie-Atkins-Munch-Petersen factor 1 (CAMP1), CAMP2, glycerol-ester hydrolase B (GehB), sialidase B, and neuraminidase. In a mouse skin infection model of C. acnes ATCC 6919, topical treatment with CD437 ameliorated skin lesions and reduced the bacterial burden in situ (P < 0.001). In human NHEK primary cells, CD437 reduced the transcriptional levels of the coding genes for inflammatory cytokines (interleukin-1α, ~10-fold; interleukin-6, ~20-fold; interleukin-8, ~30-fold; and tumor necrosis factor-alpha, ~6-fold) and downregulated the transcriptional levels of KRT10 (~10-fold), FLG (~4-fold), and TGM1 (~2-fold), indicating that CD437 can diminish inflammation and hyperkeratinization. In summary, CD437 deserves further attention for its dual function as a potential acne therapeutic that potentially acts on both the pathogen and the host.

Combined systemic immune-inflammatory index and prognostic nutritional index predict outcomes in advanced non-small cell lung cancer patients receiving platinum-doublet chemotherapy

Background

Systemic immune-inflammatory index (SII) and prognostic nutritional index (PNI) could evaluate the therapeutic efficacy and prognosis in different tumors. However, no studies investigated the SII-PNI score to predict outcomes in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients treated with platinum-doublet chemotherapy. The aim of this study was to investigate the SII-PNI score in predicting outcomes in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients treated with platinum-doublet chemotherapy.

Materials and methods

Our study retrospectively analyzed clinical data from 124 patients with advanced NSCLC receiving platinum-doublet chemotherapy. The SII and PNI were calculated based on peripheral blood cell counts and serum albumin, and the optimal cut-off values were determined using receiver operating characteristic (ROC). All patients were divided into three groups according to the SII-PNI score. The association between the SII-PNI score and the clinicopathological characteristics of the patients was examined. The Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression models were used to assess progression-free survival (PFS)and overall survival (OS).

Results

There was no significant correlation between SII, PNI at baseline and chemotherapy response in patients with advanced NSCLC (p&gt;0.05). However, after receiving 4 cycles of platinum-doublet chemotherapy, the SII of the SD group (p=0.0369) and PD group (p=0.0286) was significantly higher than that of the PR group. At the same time, the PNI of the SD group (p=0.0112) and the PD group (p=0.0007) was significantly lower than that of the PR group. The PFS of patients with SII-PNI scores of 0, 1, and 2 were 12.0, 7.0, and 5.0 months, and the OS of patients with SII-PNI scores of 0, 1, and 2 were 34.0, 17.0, and 10.5 months, respectively. There was statistical significance among the three groups (all p &lt;0.001). Multivariate analyses showed that the chemotherapy response of progressive disease (PD) (HR, 3.508; 95% CI, 1.546-7.960; p=0.003) and SII-PNI score of 2 (HR, 4.732; 95% CI, 2.561-8.743; p &lt; 0.001) were independently associated with a shorter OS. The uses of targeted drugs (HR, 0.543; 95% CI, 0.329-0.898; p=0.017) and immune checkpoint inhibitors (HR, 0.218; 95% CI, 0.081-0.584; p=0.002) were protective factors for OS in patients with NSCLC.

Conclusion

Compared with baseline parameters, the correlation between SII, PNI after 4 cycles of chemotherapy and the chemotherapy effect was more significant. The SII-PNI score after 4 cycles of chemotherapy is an effective prognostic biomarker for advanced NSCLC patients treated with platinum-doublet chemotherapy. Patients with a higher SII-PNI score had a worse prognosis.

Nanonitrator: novel enhancer of inorganic nitrate’s protective effects, predicated on swarm learning approach

Inorganic nitrate is an indispensable nutrient that has been used in experimental studies for the prevention and treatment of several diseases. However, the short half-life of nitrate limits its clinical application. To increase the usability of nitrate and overcome the challenges of traditional combination drug discovery through large-scale high-throughput biological experiments, we developed a swarm learning-based combination drug prediction system that identified vitamin C as the drug of choice to be combined with nitrate. Employing microencapsulation technology, we used vitamin C, sodium nitrate, and chitosan 3000 as the core materials to prepare a nitrate nanoparticle, which we named Nanonitrator. The long-circulating delivery ability of nitrate by Nanonitrator significantly increased the efficacy and effect duration of nitrate in irradiation-induced salivary gland injury, without compromising safety. Nanonitrator at the same dose could better maintain intracellular homeostasis than nitrate (with or without vitamin C), emphasizing its potential for clinical use. More importantly, our work provides a method for incorporating inorganic compounds into sustained-release nanoparticles.

Significantly increased Raman enhancement enabled by hot-electron-injection-induced synergistic resonances on anisotropic ReS2 films

Two-dimensional (2D) materials are an excellent platform for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). However, a poor detection sensitivity hinders their practical application. Exciton resonance (μ_ex) can improve SERS significantly by lending intensity to nearby charge-transfer resonance. Coincidentally, for ReS₂, the enhanced μ_ex can be achieved through the injection of excited-state electrons which can adjust the energy band to the SERS detection range. Moreover, ReS₂ has strong anisotropic properties, which adds an additional dimension for SERS. Therefore, ReS₂ is an ideal candidate to realize highly sensitive anisotropic SERS. In this paper, the metallic T phase of ReS₂ is introduced to the semiconducting Td phase by phase engineering. The photoinduced electron tunneling from the T phase to the Td phase can tune exciton emissions to the visible region, which effectively facilitates the photoinduced charge transfer processes. With RhB as the probe molecule, the synergistic resonance effects improve the limit of detection to 10^-9 M with the enhancement factor up to about 10⁸. Meanwhile, the obtained ultrasensitive SERS substrates also show good uniformity, stability as well as unique anisotropy. Our results open a new perspective in the improvement of the SERS performance.

Dietary nitrate improves jaw bone remodelling in zoledronate-treated mice

Bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (BRONJ) is a serious complication that occurs in patients with osteoporosis or metastatic bone cancer treated with bisphosphonate. There is still no effective treatment and prevention strategy for BRONJ. Inorganic nitrate, which is abundant in green vegetables, has been reported to be protective in multiple diseases. To investigate the effects of dietary nitrate on BRONJ-like lesions in mice, we utilized a well-established mouse BRONJ model, in which tooth extraction was performed. Specifically, 4 mM sodium nitrate was administered in advance through drinking water to assess the short- and long-term effects on BRONJ. Zoledronate injection could induce severe healing inhibition of the tooth extraction socket, while addition of pretreating dietary nitrate could alleviate the inhibition by reducing monocyte necrosis and inflammatory cytokines production. Mechanistically, nitrate intake increased plasma nitric oxide levels, which attenuated necroptosis of monocytes by downregulating lipid and lipid-like molecule metabolism via a RIPK3 dependent pathway. Our findings revealed that dietary nitrate could inhibit monocyte necroptosis in BRONJ, regulate the bone immune microenvironment and promote bone remodelling after injury. This study contributes to the understanding of the immunopathogenesis of zoledronate and supports the feasibility of dietary nitrate for the clinical prevention of BRONJ.

Karst vegetation coverage detection using UAV multispectral vegetation indices and machine learning algorithm

BACKGROUND

Karst vegetation is of great significance for ecological restoration in karst areas. Vegetation Indices (VIs) are mainly related to plant yield which is helpful to understand the status of ecological restoration in karst areas. Recently, karst vegetation surveys have gradually shifted from field surveys to remote sensing-based methods. Coupled with the machine learning methods, the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) multispectral remote sensing data can effectively improve the detection accuracy of vegetation and extract the important spectrum features.

RESULTS

In this study, UAV multispectral image data at flight altitudes of 100 m, 200 m, and 400 m were collected to be applied for vegetation detection in a karst area. The resulting ground resolutions of the 100 m, 200 m, and 400 m data are 5.29, 10.58, and 21.16 cm/pixel, respectively. Four machine learning models, including Random Forest (RF), Support Vector Machine (SVM), Gradient Boosting Machine (GBM), and Deep Learning (DL), were compared to test the performance of vegetation coverage detection. 5 spectral values (Red, Green, Blue, NIR, Red edge) and 16 VIs were selected to perform variable importance analysis on the best detection models. The results show that the best model for each flight altitude has the highest accuracy in detecting its training data (over 90%), and the GBM model constructed based on all data at all flight altitudes yields the best detection performance covering all data, with an overall accuracy of 95.66%. The variables that were significantly correlated and not correlated with the best model were the Modified Soil Adjusted Vegetation Index (MSAVI) and the Modified Anthocyanin Content Index (MACI), respectively. Finally, the best model was used to invert the complete UAV images at different flight altitudes.

CONCLUSIONS

In general, the GBM_all model constructed based on UAV imaging with all flight altitudes was feasible to accurately detect karst vegetation coverage. The prediction models constructed based on data from different flight altitudes had a certain similarity in the distribution of vegetation index importance. Combined with the method of visual interpretation, the karst green vegetation predicted by the best model was in good agreement with the ground truth, and other land types including hay, rock, and soil were well predicted. This study provided a methodological reference for the detection of karst vegetation coverage in eastern China.

Increased Dietary Niacin Intake Improves Muscle Strength, Quality, and Glucose Homeostasis in Adults over 40 Years of Age

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Age-related loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength begins at 40 years of age, and limited evidence suggests that niacin supplementation increases levels of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide in mouse muscle tissue. In addition, skeletal muscle has a key role in the body's processing of glucose. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the relationship between dietary niacin and skeletal muscle mass, strength, and glucose homeostasis in people aged 40 years and older.

METHODS

This study was an American population-based cross-sectional analysis using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Considering that some outcomes are only measured in specific survey cycles and subsamples, we established three data sets: a grip strength dataset (2011-2014, n=3772), a body mass components dataset (2011-2018, n=3279), and a glucose homeostasis dataset (1999-2018, n=9189). Dietary niacin and covariates were measured in all survey cycles. Linear regression or logistic regression models that adjusted for several main covariates, such as physical activity and diet, was used to evaluate the relationship between dietary niacin and grip strength, total lean mass, appendicular lean mass, total fat, trunk fat, total bone mineral content, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), fasting blood glycose, fasting insulin and sarcopenia risk. Subgroup analyses, a trend test, an interaction test, and a restricted cubic spline were used for further exploration.

RESULTS

Higher dietary niacin intake was significantly correlated with higher grip strength (β 0.275, 95% confidence intervals [CI] 0.192-0.357), higher total lean mass (β 0.060, 95% CI 0.045-0.074), higher appendicular lean mass (β 0.025, 95% CI 0.018-0.033), and higher total bone mineral content (β 0.005, 95% CI 0.004-0.007). By contrast, higher dietary niacin intake was significantly associated with lower total fat (β -0.061, 95% CI -0.076 to -0.046), lower trunk fat (β -0.041, 95% CI -0.050 to -0.032) and lower sarcopenia risk (OR 0.460, 95% CI 0.233 to 0.907). In addition, dietary niacin significantly reduced HOMA-IR, fasting blood glucose (in participants without diabetes), and fasting insulin (p <0.05).

CONCLUSION

Niacin is associated with improved body composition (characterized by increased muscle mass and decreased fat content) and improved glucose homeostasis in dietary doses. Dietary niacin supplementation is a feasible way to alleviate age-related muscular loss.

Identification of candidate aberrant differentially methylated/expressed genes in asthma

BACKGROUND

Asthma is an important non-communicable disease worldwide. DNA methylation is associated with the occurrence and development of asthma. We are aimed at assuring differential expressed genes (DEGs) modified by aberrantly methylated genes (DMGs) and pathways related to asthma by integrating bioinformatics analysis.

METHODS

One mRNA dataset (GSE64913) and one gene methylation dataset (GSE137716) were selected from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Functional enrichment analysis was performed using GeneCodies 4.0 database. All gene expression matrices were analyzed by Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) software. STRING was applied to construct a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network to find the hub genes. Then, electronic validation was performed to verify the hub genes, followed by the evaluation of diagnostic value. Eventually, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was utilized to detect the expression of hub genes.

RESULTS

In total, 14 hypomethylated/high-expression genes and 10 hypermethylated/low-expression genes were obtained in asthma. Among them, 10 hub genes were identified in the PPI network. Functional analysis demonstrated that the differentially methylated/expressed genes were primarily associated with the lung development, cytosol and protein binding. Notably, HLA-DOA was enriched in asthma. FKBP5, WNT5A, TM4SF1, PDK4, EPAS1 and GMPR had potential diagnostic value for asthma.

CONCLUSION

The project explored the pathogenesis of asthma, which may provide a research basis for the prediction and the drug development of asthma.

[Study on the consistency of IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 of peripheral whole blood and venous serum in children]

This study aimed to explore the consistency of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) by detecting peripheral whole blood and venous serum among children. As a cross-sectional study, children who were aged 0-14 as well as received physical examinations in the Child Healthcare Department of the Children's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University during January 2022 to April 2022 were enrolled in this study. Meanwhile, both of peripheral whole blood and venous serum samples were collected, and the levels of IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 were assayed individually via chemiluminescence immunoassay (CLIA). Additionally, linear regression equation was used to analyze the correlation of results between two categories of samples, while Inter-class Correlation Coefficient (ICC) was used to evaluate the consistency of test results among two types of samples. The change trends of IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 with age were analyzed at the same time. A total of 203 valid matched samples were collected, including 117 boys and 86 girls. Peripheral whole blood was well correlated with serum IGF-1 (r=0.986, P<0.001) and IGFBP-3 (r=0.974, P<0.001), and the linear regression equation is shown as follows: (IGF-1) _{venous serum} =1.047×(IGF-1) _{peripheral whole blood}-6.840; (IGFBP-3) _{venous serum}=0.924×(IGFBP-3) _{peripheral whole blood}+0.396. The correlation and consistency were still persisted after being stratified by sex and age. ICC of IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 were 0.983 and 0.967, respectively which provided an excellent strength of agreement. The levels of IGF-1 or IGFBP-3 in boys' and girls' peripheral whole blood and serum showed significant statistical differences among various age groups (all P<0.001), and also increased significantly with age (all P _trend<0.001). In conclusion, the results of IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 in peripheral whole blood and venous serum had positive comparability that could be mutually recognized. The detection of IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 in peripheral whole blood had great potential for young age children by providing guidance for nutritional intervention, growth and development assessment.

Red blood cell-based vaccines for ameliorating cancer chemoimmunotherapy

Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy has shown promising antitumor effects, but its immune response rate remains unsatisfactory. In recent years, chemotherapy has been proven to have synergistic effects with ICB therapy because some chemotherapeutic agents can enhance the immunogenicity of tumor cells by inducing immunogenic cell death (ICD). However, it cannot be ignored that chemotherapy often shows limited therapeutic efficacy due to high cytotoxicity, drug resistance, and some other side effects. Herein, we report a strategy to improve cancer immunotherapy by utilizing red blood cell-based vaccines (RBC-vaccines) where chemotherapy-induced tumor antigens (cAgs) are anchored onto red blood cells (RBCs) via the EDC/NHS-mediated amine coupling reaction. In this work, RBC-vaccines administered subcutaneously are primarily devoured by dendritic cells (DCs) and significantly improve the efficacy of αPD-1 (anti-programmed cell death 1) treatment by increasing the infiltration of intratumoral CD8⁺ and CD4⁺ T cells and elevating the intratumoral ratio of CD8⁺ T cells to regulatory T cells in the CT-26 colon cancer model. Finally, based on the rejection of tumor rechallenge in cured mice, the combination therapy of RBC-vaccines and αPD-1 can induce the expansion of memory T cells and thereby establish a long-term antitumor immune response. Taken together, the proposed RBC-vaccines have great potential to improve chemoimmunotherapy. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Immunotherapy, especially immune checkpoint blockade therapy, has made great contributions to the treatment of some advanced cancers. Unfortunately, the great majority of patients with cancer do not benefit from immunotherapy. To enhance the response rate of immunotherapy, we developed red blood cell-based vaccines (RBC-vaccines) against cancers where antigens were harvested from chemotherapy-treated cancer cells and then attached to erythrocytes via covalent surface modification. Such RBC-vaccines could provide a wide variety of tumor antigens and damage-associated molecular patterns without the use of any extra ingredients to trigger a stronger antitumor immune response. More importantly, the combination of RBC-vaccines with PD-1 blockade could significantly improve the efficacy of cancer immunotherapy and induce durable antitumor immunity.