Changes in carbohydrate metabolism and soil microorganisms under the stress of polyamide and polyethylene nanoplastics during rice (Oryza sativa L.) growth

Nanoplastics (NPs) presence in agricultural soils can affect plant growth and impact the quality of agricultural products. To investigate the effect of polyamide (PA) NPs and polyethylene (PE) NPs on carbohydrate metabolism and soil microorganisms during rice growth, rice seedlings were exposed to soil containing 2 g/kg of 100 nm PA or 100 nm PE powder for 33 d. The results revealed that 100 nm PE reduced shoot length and dry weight of rice by 4.14 % and 15.68 %, respectively. Analyzing the expression of hexokinase-2 (HXK), phosphofructokinase-1 (PFK), pyruvate kinase (PK) and isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH), which are four genes related to carbohydrate metabolism, 100 nm PA decreased the expression of PFK and increased the expression of PK and IDH. 100 nm PE increased the expression of HXK, PFK, PK, and IDH. The results of soil microorganisms showed that 100 nm PA significantly effects on 3 bacterial phyla (Bacteroidota, Deinococcota, and Desulfobacterota), whereas 100 nm PE significantly effects on phylum Rozellomycota, class Umbelopsidomycetes, and an unclassified Firmicutes. Our study provides direct evidence of the negative effects of PA and PE on rice, which may be important for assessing the risk of NPs on agroecosystems.

Artificial intelligence-assisted ultrasound image analysis to discriminate early breast cancer in Chinese population: a retrospective, multicentre, cohort study

Background

Early diagnosis of breast cancer has always been a difficult clinical challenge. We developed a deep-learning model EDL-BC to discriminate early breast cancer with ultrasound (US) benign findings. This study aimed to investigate how the EDL-BC model could help radiologists improve the detection rate of early breast cancer while reducing misdiagnosis.

Methods

In this retrospective, multicentre cohort study, we developed an ensemble deep learning model called EDL-BC based on deep convolutional neural networks. The EDL-BC model was trained and internally validated on B-mode and color Doppler US image of 7955 lesions from 6795 patients between January 1, 2015 and December 31, 2021 in the First Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University (SW), Chongqing, China. The model was assessed by internal and external validations, and outperformed radiologists. The model performance was validated in two independent external validation cohorts included 448 lesions from 391 patients between January 1 to December 31, 2021 in the Tangshan People's Hospital (TS), Chongqing, China, and 245 lesions from 235 patients between January 1 to December 31, 2021 in the Dazu People's Hospital (DZ), Chongqing, China. All lesions in the training and total validation cohort were US benign findings during screening and biopsy-confirmed malignant, benign, and benign with 3-year follow-up records. Six radiologists performed the clinical diagnostic performance of EDL-BC, and six radiologists independently reviewed the retrospective datasets on a web-based rating platform.

Findings

The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of the internal validation cohort and two independent external validation cohorts for EDL-BC was 0.950 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.909-0.969), 0.956 (95% [CI]: 0.939-0.971), and 0.907 (95% [CI]: 0.877-0.938), respectively. The sensitivity values were 94.4% (95% [CI]: 72.7%-99.9%), 100% (95% [CI]: 69.2%-100%), and 80% (95% [CI]: 28.4%-99.5%), respectively, at 0.76. The AUC for accurate diagnosis of EDL-BC (0.945 [95% [CI]: 0.933-0.965]) and radiologists with artificial intelligence (AI) assistance (0.899 [95% [CI]: 0.883-0.913]) was significantly higher than that of the radiologists without AI assistance (0.716 [95% [CI]: 0.693-0.738]; p < 0.0001). Furthermore, there were no significant differences between the EDL-BC model and radiologists with AI assistance (p = 0.099).

Interpretation

EDL-BC can identify subtle but informative elements on US images of breast lesions and can significantly improve radiologists' diagnostic performance for identifying patients with early breast cancer and benefiting the clinical practice.

Funding

The National Key R&D Program of China.

Anti-rheumatoid arthritis potential of Rhododendron molle G. Don leaf extract in adjuvant induced arthritis rats

AIM OF THE STUDY

The aim of this study was to test the anti-rheumatic arthritis effects of Rhododendron molle G. Don leaf extract in arthritis rats and inflammatory RAW 264.7 cells. Preliminary analysis and comparison of potential medicinal components of three polar extracts by HPLC and UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

SD rats were subcutaneously injected with complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) to induce inflammation on the right hind paw. RAW 264.7 cells were induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to established cell inflammatory model. The volume of rat hind paw was measured with a volume meter to detect swelling, and the weight of rats was measured with an electronic balance. The severity of arthritis in rats was evaluated by arthritis score. The pathological sections of rat hind paw joints were observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining, and the contents of IL-6 and IL-1β in serum were detected. qRT-PCR was used to detect the expression of IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α and COX-2 genes in RAW 264.7 cells. The release of nitric oxide was measured by Griess reaction. The expression levels of IL-6 and IL-1β were detected by Western-Blot.

RESULTS

and discussion: The chloroform extract from R. molle leaves (CERL), Ethyl acetate extract from R. molle leaves (EERL), n-butanol extract from R. molle leaves (BERL) could significantly inhibit hind paws swelling and reduce arthritis index in arthritis rats. And it showed dose dependence. Compared with tripterygium glycosides (TG) tablets, an effective drug of RA treatment, CERL have better anti-RA effect after administration. In addition, the three kinds of the polar extracts of Rhododendron molle leaves (PERL) had lower toxicity, with the LD₅₀ 279.87, 239.65, 500.08 (mg/kg) respectively, while TG group's LD₅₀ was 96.00 (mg/kg). In vitro experiments showed that the three PERLs can significantly inhibit the level of pro-inflammatory factors and inflammatory mediator, such as TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, COX-2 and NO, which were consistent with their anti-RA ability. Among the three kinds of PERLs, CERL showed the best inhibitory activity.

CONCLUSION

The R. molle leaf is a potential medicinal part for the treatment of RA. This study explored the anti-RA and anti-inflammatory activities of CERL, EERL, BERL, which laid a foundation for further promoting the clinical application of R. molle.

Potential Anti-Inflammatory Components of Rhododendron molle G. Don Leaf Extracts in LPS-Induced RAW 264.7

As a traditional Chinese medicine, Rhododendron molle G. Don has a long history of treating rheumatoid arthritis. In this study, RAW 264.7 cells induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) were established as cell inflammatory model to evaluate the anti-inflammatory activity of chloroform extract from R. molle leaves (CERL), ethyl acetate extract from R. molle leaves (EERL) and butanol extract from R. molle leaves (BERL) and analyze the potential anti-inflammatory components of R. molle. Potential anti-inflammatory components analysis of CERL were performed by HPLC and UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS. Prediction of potential anti-inflammatory components by molecular docking experiments. Compared with negative control group, 25 μg/mL CERL could reduce the release level of NO by 62 %, and the mRNA expression levels of COX-2, IL-6, IL-1β and TNF-α were reduced by 69.74 %, 86.25 %, 77.94 % and 56.80 %, respectively. Western-Blot showed similar results. CERL, EERL and BERL exerted their inhibitory activity in dose-dependent manner. All results showed that the higher the concentration, the better the anti-inflammatory activity. CERL showed the best inhibitory activity, the second was EERL, and then was BERL. 21 terpenoids and 4 flavonoids were identified in CERL by UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS. Molecular docking results showed that triterpenoids in CERL had better interaction with target proteins (TNF-α, IL-1β). It indicated that triterpenoids may be potential anti-inflammatory components of R. molle leaves. This study explored the anti-inflammatory activities of CERL, EERL, BERL, which laid a foundation for further promoting the clinical application of R. molle.

Haemorrhagic Retinal Detachment Treated by Drainage Sclerotomy Combined with Subretinal and Submacular tPA

Introduction To evaluate the therapeutic effect of a new drainage procedure for treating subretinal hemorrhage (SRH) in hemorrhagic retinal detachment (RD) in patients with polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV). Methods Forty-three eyes with hemorrhagic RD attributable to PCV underwent vitrectomy. External drainage via sclerotomy was performed in 25 eyes and internal drainage via retinotomy was performed in 18 eyes, respectively. Based on different surgical techniques, the external drainage group was divided into simple external drainage subgroup (10 eyes), external drainage combined with intravitreal injections of recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) subgroup (7 eyes), and external drainage combined with subretinal and/or submacular injections of tPA subgroup (8 eyes); The internal drainage group was divided into small retinotomy subgroup (7 eyes) and large retinotomy subgroup (11 eyes). The anatomic reattachment of the retina and postoperative complications were compared between different groups and subgroups. Results The external drainage technique had shorter mean operation time, higher retinal reattachment rate and fewer postoperative complications rate compared to the internal drainage procedure. The subfoveal hemorrhage subsided significantly sooner in the large retinotomy subgroup and external drainage combined with subretinal and/or submacular injections of tPA subgroup compared to the small retinotomy subgroup and the external drainage without tPA group (p < 0.05). The small retinotomy subgroup had higher rates of hemorrhage and elevated IOP compared to other subgroups during the first week of the postoperative period (p < 0.05). Discussion/Conclusion Our results suggest that external drainage SRH combined with subretinal and/or submacular injections of tPA can make the operation simpler, shorten the operation time, reduce the postoperative complications with rapid regression of subfoveal hemorrhage, resulting in an effective and safe therapeutic strategy for treating hemorrhagic RD.

Comparison of the accuracy of axial length measurement by different imaging methods in Sprague Dawley rats

Background

Obtaining accurate axial length (AL) is very important for the establishment of animal models of myopia. The purpose of this study is to compare the accuracy of Quantel A-B scan, OD-1 A scan, and vernier caliper in measuring AL in Sprague Dawley (SD) rats.

Methods

In total, 60 5-week-old SD rats were divided into female rat group (n = 30) and male rat group (n = 30). Quantel A-B scan and OD-1 A scan were, respectively, used to measure the AL of both eyes of each living rat, and vernier caliper was used to measure the anterior-posterior diameter of each rat's eyeball. Besides, the correlation between refractive error (RE) and AL measured by different instruments was evaluated, and the accuracy of the three measurement methods was compared according to gender and left/right eyes.

Results

There were significant differences in AL and diopter of SD rats at the same age (p < 0.05). the AL of male rats was greater than that of female rats, while diopter (D) was the opposite; There was no significant difference in AL and D between left and right eyes in the same SD rats (p > 0.05); There were statistical differences among the three measurement methods (p < 0.05), AL measured by vernier caliper was the largest, followed by Quantel A-B scan, OD-1 A scan; Difference in AL between male and female was not statistically significant between the results obtained by Quantel A-B scan and vernier caliper (p > 0.05), but there were statistically significant differences between the other two measurement methods (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

Sex is the influencing factor of AL and RE. Imaging measurement can accurately measure the AL in living small rodents. Compared with OD-1 A scan, Quantel A-B scan may be more accurate.

Flavonoid Metabolic Profiles and Gene Mapping of Rice (Oryza sativa L.) Purple Gradient Grain Hulls

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) grain hull color is an easily observable trait and regarded as a crucial morphological marker in rice breeding. Here, a purple gradient grain hull mutant (pg) was found from natural mutations of a straw-white grain hull rice variety IARI 6184B (Orzya sativa L. subsp. indica). The color of the mutant grain hulls changed from straw-white to pink, then purple, and finally brownish-yellow. Ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) identified 217 flavonoids, including 18 anthocyanins, among which cyanidin O-syringic acid had the highest concentration in pink (66.2 × 10⁶) and purple (68.0 × 10⁶) grain hulls. The relative contents of hesperetin O-malonyl-hexoside, apigenin derivatives, genistein derivatives, and kaempferol 3-O derivatives were consistently downregulated during pg grain hull development. Conversely, 12 anthocyanins were upregulated in colored hulls, and cyanidin 3-O-malonylhexoside was abundant only in pink and purple grain hulls. Moreover, the candidate gene was mapped into a 1.38 Mb region on chromosome 4 through bulked segregant analysis based on deep sequencing (BSA-seq) and gene mapping approaches. These results increased our understanding of anthocyanin biosynthesis in rice grains, helping rice breeders to select new rice varieties with desirable grain traits.

Metabolomic Profiling of Dongxiang Wild Rice Under Salinity Demonstrates the Significant Role of Amino Acids in Rice Salt Stress

Dongxiang common wild rice is a precious rice germplasm resource for the study and improvement of salt tolerance in rice.The metabolism profile of Dongxiang wild rice (DXWR) under salinity was determined by high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS) to find differential metabolites and screen potential biomarkers for salt-tolerant rice varieties. A global untargeted metabolism analysis showed 4,878 metabolites accumulated in seedlings of Dongxiang wild rice. Principal component analysis (PCA) and orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) results provided a clear metabolism discrimination between DXWR under control and DXWR under salinity. A total of 90 metabolites were significantly changed (49 upregulated and 41 downregulated) under salinity, of which the largest increase was in DL-2-Aminoadipic acid (27.08-fold) and the largest decrease was in L-Carnitine (0.014-fold). Amino acids and nuclear glycosides were mainly upregulated, while carbohydrates and organic acids were mainly downregulated in the salt-treated group. Among the top 10 upregulated metabolites, five kinds of differential metabolites were amino acids. According to the survival rates of the seedlings under salinity, we selected three backcross inbred lines of DXWR with survival rates above 80% as salt-tolerant progenies (pro-DS) and three backcross inbred lines with survival rates below 10% as non-salt-tolerant progenies (pro-NDS) for an amino acid change analysis. This analysis found that the change in L-Asparagine (2.59-fold) was the biggest between pro-DS and pro-NDS under salinity, revealing that the contents of L-Asparagine may be one of the indices we can use to evaluate the salt tolerance of rice varieties.

In Vitro Propagation, Huperzine A Content and Antioxidant Activity of Three Genotypic Huperzia serrata

Huperzia serrata is a traditional herb and endangered Chinese medicinal material, which has attracted much attention due to its production of Huperzine A (HupA). In vitro propagation of H. serrata is considered a new way to relieve the resource pressure of H. serrata. In this study, three different genotypic wild H. serrata were used for in vitro propagation. Then, the antioxidant activity and the content of HupA in the regenerated H. serrata were investigated. The results showed the survival rate of the explant was increased to 25.37% when using multiple sterilization processes. The best induction medium for H. serrata was the Schenk and Hildebrandt (SH) medium supplemented with 0.5 mg·L^-1 Naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) and 0.1 mg·L^-1 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), where the regeneration rate of the explant was to 57.04%. The best proliferation medium was the SH medium with NAA (1.0 mg·L^-1), as the biomass of in vitro tissue increased 164.17 ± 0.41 times. High-performance liquid chromatography analysis showed that the in vitro culture of three genotypes could produce HupA and the content of HupA was 53.90-87.17 µg·g^-1. The antioxidant experiment showed that the methanol extract of in vitro H. serrata had higher antioxidant activity than that of wild H. serrata. This study provides a reliable in vitro H. serrata culture protocol and laid an important foundation for the antioxidant capacity of the thallus and the content of HupA.

Cytological Observation and Transcriptome Comparative Analysis of Self-Pollination and Cross-Pollination in Dendrobium Officinale

Dendrobium officinale is a rare and traditional medicinal plant with high pharmacological and nutritional value. The self-incompatibility mechanism of D. officinale reproductive isolation was formed in the long-term evolution process, but intraspecific hybridization of different germplasm resources leads to a large gap in the yield, quality, and medicinal value of D. officinale. To investigate the biological mechanism of self-incompatibility in D. officinale, cytological observation and the transcriptome analysis was carried out on the samples of self-pollination and cross-pollination in D. officinale. Results for self-pollination showed that the pollen tubes could grow in the style at 2 h, but most of pollen tubes stopped growing at 4 h, while a large number of cross-pollinated pollen tubes grew along the placental space to the base of ovary, indicating that the self-incompatibility of D. officinale may be gametophyte self-incompatibility. A total of 63.41 G basesum of D. officinale style samples from non-pollinated, self-pollination, and cross-pollination by RNA-seq were obtained, and a total of 1944, 1758, and 475 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the comparison of CK (non-pollinated) vs. HF (cross-pollination sample), CK vs. SF (self-pollination sample) and SF vs. HF were identified, respectively. Forty-one candidate genes related to self-incompatibility were found by function annotation of DEGs, including 6 Ca²⁺ signal genes, 4 armed repeat containing (ARC) related genes, 11 S-locus receptor kinase (SRK) related genes, 2 Exo70 family genes, 9 ubiquitin related genes, 1 fatty acid related gene, 6 amino acid-related genes, 1 pollen-specific leucine-rich repeat extensin-like protein (LRX) related gene and 1 lectin receptor-like kinases (RLKs) related gene, showed that self-incompatibility mechanism of D. officinale involves the interaction of multiple genes and pathways. The results can provide a basis for the study of the self-incompatibility mechanism of D. officinale, and provide ideas for the preservation and utilization of high-quality resources of D. officinale.

Transcription Factors Rc and OsVP1 Coordinately Regulate Preharvest Sprouting Tolerance in Red Pericarp Rice

Red pericarp associates with seed dormancy or preharvest sprouting (PHS) tolerance in crops. To identify this association's molecular mechanism, a PHS mutant Osviviparous1 (Osvp1) was characterized in rice and crossed with Kasalath, a red pericarp cultivar with Rc (red coleoptiles) genotype. Among the dehulled seeds of F₂ progenies, RcRcvp1vp1 seeds performed a lower PHS rate than rcrcvp1vp1 seeds and showed shallower pigmentation than RcRcVP1VP1 seeds. Kasalath and SL9 (an RcRcVP1VP1 substitution line with Nipponbare background) showed more ABA sensitivity than the Nipponbare (rcrcVP1VP1) by the germination assay, and the transcriptional abundance of ABA signal genes OsABI2, OsSnRK2, OsVP1, ABI5, and especially OsVP1 increased in the red pericarp line SL9. Moreover, OsVP1 can directly bind Rc (bHLH) promoter by yeast one-hybrid, which activates Rc and OsLAR expression in red pericarp rice. Furthermore, a luciferase complementation imaging assay showed that OsVP1 interacts with transcriptions factors Rc and OsC1. These results indicate that OsVP1 promotes proanthocyanidin accumulation through the interaction among OsVP1, Rc, and OsC1 and then increases the plant's ABA sensitivity and PHS resistance.

Variability of Volatile Compounds in the Medicinal Plant Dendrobium officinale from Different Regions

Dendrobium officinale Kimura et Migo, a rare and traditional medicinal plant, contains many nutrients such as polysaccharides, alkaloids, amino acids and so on. Different growth environment and intraspecific hybridization of different germplasm resources lead to large differences in the yield, quality and medicinal value of D. officinale. Here, the volatile compounds of D. officinale from four producing regions (Zhejiang, Fujian, Yunnan and Jiangxi) were analyzed to provide a certain reference value for the selection of a specific medicinal component in D. officinale breeding. Fresh stems of D. officinale germplasm resources were collected, and the chemical constituents were determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. A total of 101 volatile compounds were identified, of which esters and alcohols accounted for 23 and 22. Hexacosane is the highest relative content of all volatile components. The highest content of hexacosane was observed in YA1 from Yunnan was 34.41%, and the lowest (23.41%) in JA1 from Jiangxi. Moreover, 5-10 unique substances were determined in different regions. A total of 17 medicinal components were detected, and three unique medicinal components were detected only in YA1, revealing that YA1 can provide raw materials for the application of specific medicinal substances extraction. A total of four toxic components were detected, but no toxic components were detected in JA1 from Jiangxi, suggested that the germplasm resources from Jiangxi could be exploited efficiently for breeding superior D. officinale specimens. The results provide a theoretical basis for the collection, protection and utilization of D. officinale germplasm resources in different regions.

The Anti-Inflammatory Properties of Rhododendron molle Leaf Extract in LPS-Induced RAW264.7

Rhododendron molle G.Don is a well-known traditional medicine which has been used to treat rheumatic inflammation. In this study, an inflammatory model of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 cells was established to analyze the anti-inflammatory effect and potential mechanism of the methanol extract of R. molle leaves (RLE). The production of NO and the expression of tumor necrosis factor by LPS were detected by Griess reaction and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The mRNA expression of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, COX-2 and iNOS was measured by qRT-PCR assay. Griess and qRT-PCR showed that the RLE could significantly concentration-dependently inhibit NO production and the expression of many pro-inflammatory cytokines and inflammatory-related enzymes. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis indicated that RLE could inhibit LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages activation. The protein level of TNF-α and IL-1β were decreased over 50 % at 100 μg/ml of RLE, as detected by ELISA. These results indicated that RLE had strong anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory activity.

A Network Meta-Analysis of Surgical Treatment in Patients With Early Breast Cancer

BACKGROUND

In early breast cancer treatment, the preferred surgical regimen remains a topic of controversy, and conventional pairwise meta-analysis cannot provide a hierarchy based on clinical trial evidence. Therefore, a network meta-analysis was performed both for direct and indirect comparisons and to assess the survival outcomes of surgical regimens.

METHODS

Randomized clinical trials comparing different surgical regimens for the treatment of early breast cancer were identified. Overall survival (OS) and disease-free-survival (DFS) were analyzed using random-effects network meta-analysis on the hazard ratio (HR) scale and calculated as combined HRs and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). All statistical tests were two-sided.

RESULTS

The network meta-analysis compared 11 different surgical regimens that consisted of 13 and 17 direct comparisons between strategies for OS (34 trials; n = 23 587 patients) and DFS (32 trials; n = 22 552 patients), respectively. The values of surface under the cumulative ranking for OS and DFS after mastectomy (M)+radiotherapy (RT) were observed to be the largest. Breast-conserving surgery (BCS)+axillary node sampling+RT almost achieved the threshold for inferiority compared with the other surgical treatment arms and was statistically significantly associated with worse OS (HR = 0.51, 95% CI = 0.24 to 0.94; HR = 0.48, 95% CI = 0.22 to 0.92; HR = 0.51, 95% CI = 0.23 to 0.96). No statistically significant difference between BCS+sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB)+RT vs BCS+SLNB+intraoperative RT was observed in carrying out network meta-analysis (HR = 0.95, 95% CI = 0.64 to 1.36).

CONCLUSIONS

M+RT has the most favorable survival outcomes among the various surgical regimens for the treatment of early breast cancer patients. For patients who receive BCS, SNLB has more favorable outcomes than axillary node sampling. Intraoperative RT and postoperative RT have similar outcomes in patients who receive SLNB.

Downregulation of miR-33 Has Protective Effect Against Aβ₂₅₋₃₅-Induced Injury in SH-SH-SY5Y Cells

Background

Alzheimer disease (AD) is a significant health issue for the elderly, and there are at present no clinically effective anti-AD agents. Prevention of Aβ-induced neurotoxicity is proposed as a possible modality for treatment of AD. miR-33 has been proven to promote Aβ secretion and impair Aβ clearance in neural cells. The present study assessed whether miR-33 is involved in AD pathology.

Material/Methods

miR-33 level was detected by qRT-PCR. The Akt/mTOR pathway was analyzed by Western blot analysis. Neuron inflammation and oxidative stress were measured using commercial detection kits. Flow cytometry and Western blot assay were conducted to assess cell apoptosis, and Western blot assay was used to assess synaptic protein levels.

Results

miR-33 expression level was markedly upregulated in SH-SY5Y cells treated with Aβ_25–35. miR-33 knockdown suppressed inflammation, oxidative stress, and cell apoptosis. In addition, miR-33 knockdown improved synaptic plasticity, and the protective effect of miR-33 knockdown was discovered through suppressing activation of the Akt/mTOR signaling pathway.

Conclusions

Taken together, these findings suggest that miR-33 knockdown protects against Aβ_25–35-induced inflammation, oxidative stress, apoptosis, and synaptic damage by suppressing activation of the Akt/mTOR pathway.

Presence or absence of choroidal hyper-transmission by SD-OCT imaging distinguishes inflammatory from neovascular lesions in myopic eyes

PURPOSE

To compare the characteristics of choroidal transmission in punctate inner choroidopathy (PIC) with or without choroidal neovascularization (CNV) and myopic CNV (mCNV) using spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT).

METHODS

This retrospective observational case series includes 22 consecutive myopic patients (22 eyes) recruited from April 2016 until April 2018 who complained of acute blurring of vision and showed evidence of hyper-reflective material on SD-OCT imaging. Each patient underwent a comprehensive eye examination and imaging with fundus fluorescein angiography (FFA), SD-OCT, and SD-OCT angiography (SD-OCTA). Based on the results of SD-OCTA imaging and the color fundus imaging, the patients were divided into 2 groups: a group with myopic choroidal neovascularization (mCNV group, n = 10 eyes) and a group with PIC and no evidence of CNV at baseline (PIC group, n = 12 eyes). Four eyes diagnosed with PIC developed secondary PIC-CNV during follow-up. The characteristics of choroidal transmission in these eyes using SD-OCT imaging were compared.

RESULTS

At baseline, none of the PIC lesions showed any evidence of blood flow within the lesions on OCTA imaging. However, all of the eyes with mCNV showed flow signals within the subretinal neovascularization on SD-OCTA and subretinal or intra-retinal fluid on SD-OCT imaging. These eyes with mCNV showed subretinal hyper-reflectivity associated with choroidal hypo-transmission accompanied by retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and ellipsoid zone (EZ) disruption. In eyes with PIC inflammatory lesions, disruption of both the RPE and EZ were observed in 33% of the inflammatory lesions, and disruption of the EZ alone was observed in 67% of the lesions at the baseline. They all showed a hyper-reflective subretinal lesion located above RPE. Three cases (25%) showed evidence of choroidal hyper-transmission at the baseline, while the remaining had normal transmission within the first month after onset. Hyper-transmission then developed in all the lesions as the disease progressed. Four cases of PIC (33%) developed PIC-related CNV that showed choroidal hypo-transmission along with hyper-transmission with disruption of the RPE and EZ. In cases with PIC-related CNV, evidences of neovascularization on SD-OCTA imaging were all detected afterwards. No intra-retinal fluid was detected before secondary CNV occurred.

CONCLUSION

SD-OCT imaging can noninvasively differentiate and track the progression of inflammatory lesions and myopic CNV by using the presence of choroidal hyper-transmission as a sign of just an inflammatory lesion and the presence hypo-transmission as a sign of a secondary CNV, which provides a convenient strategy for diagnosis and treatment of these lesions.

ZnSe/CdSe core–shell nanoribbon arrays for photocatalytic applications

Core–shell structures can improve the properties of materials due to their special structure and have attracted considerable attention for their applications in many fields.

Advances in the Detection, Mechanism and Therapy of Chronic Kidney Disease

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is characterized by the gradual loss of renal mass and functions. It has become a global health problem, with hundreds of millions of people being affected. Both its incidence and prevalence are increasing over time. More than $20,000 are spent on each patient per year. The economic burden on the patients, as well as the society, is heavy and their life quality worsen over time. However, there are still limited effective therapeutic strategies for CKD. Patients mainly rely on dialysis and renal transplantation, which cannot prevent all the complications of CKD. Great efforts are needed in understanding the nature of CKD progression as well as developing effective therapeutic methods, including pharmacological agents. This paper reviews three aspects in the research of CKD that may show great interests to those who devote to bioanalysis, biomedicine and drug development, including important endogenous biomarkers quantification, mechanisms underlying CKD progression and current status of CKD therapy.

[Analysis of changes in clinical characteristics and laboratory indexes of 54 cases of acute fatty liver of pregnancy]

Objective: To investigate the changes in clinical characteristics and laboratory indexes before and after the termination of pregnancy in patients with acute fatty liver of pregnancy (AFLP). Methods: Patients with acute fatty liver of pregnancy who had been admitted to the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University and Chongqing Municipal People's Hospital of Jiangbei District between 2007 and 2018 were selected. Clinical characteristics and complications during diagnosis and treatment, changes in blood coagulation, liver and kidney function, and postpartum recovery were collected for retrospectively analysis. Results: 54 cases with average gestational age of 35.0±1.7 weeks at third trimester of pregnancy with AFLP were treated. The most common gastrointestinal symptoms were yellow urine, nausea and vomiting. All patients had elevated bilirubin. 90.7% patients had changes in blood coagulation function and 68.5% had elevated serum creatinine. Transaminase levels were dropped rapidly within 1-2 days after the termination of pregnancy. Total bilirubin recovery was slow and partially recovered after 6-8 days. Serum creatinine and BUN increased slightly after delivery, reaching a peak at 3-4 days and then began to deplete. There was slight change in prothrombin time and fibrinogen after delivery, but returned to normal level after 5-6 days. The most common complications were AKI (74.1%), LF (42.6%), PPH (40.7%) and DIC (33.3%). Twenty-three of the 54 cases (42.6%) progressed to acute liver failure. AFLP complicated with ALF course was significantly longer than healthy controls, and the disease severity was significantly increased, with a mortality rate of 17.4% (4/23), and 0 in healthy controls. The difference was statistically significant. Conclusion: Early diagnosis and termination of pregnancy are the key factors to determine the prognosis of pregnant patients with acute fatty liver. Blood coagulation function does not deteriorate after termination of pregnancy and renal function begins to recover after 4 days with slight restoration of liver function. The control of complications is an important factor to determine the prognosis of patients.

[Optimal treatment regimen for patients with HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B after suboptimal response to 24 weeks of Peg-IFN α-2a]

Objective: To investigate the optimal treatment regimen for patients with HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B (CHB) after suboptimal response to 24 weeks of pegylated interferon (Peg-IFN) α-2a. Methods: A total of 188 patients with HBeAg-positive CHB who had suboptimal response to 24 weeks of Peg-IFN α-2a were randomly divided into entecavir group (n = 93) and telbivudine group (n = 95). The two groups received entecavir 0.5 mg/d and telbivudine 0.6 g/d, respectively, for 208 weeks. After 208 weeks of treatment, the following indices were assessed: HBeAg clearance rate and seroconversion rate, hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA clearance rate (HBV DNA < 500 IU/ml), safety, and drug resistance rate. The data were subjected to intention-to-treat (ITT) analysis and per protocol (PP) analysis. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed for the drugs used and baseline characteristics in patients with or without HBeAg seroconversion, and stratification analysis was performed based on the baseline HBeAg level. Results: Six cases in the entecavir group and four cases in the telbivudine group did not complete the treatment. Sequential entecavir and telbivudine were well tolerated and safe for all patients. There was a significant difference in HBV DNA clearance rate at 52 weeks of treatment between the entecavir group and the telbivudine group (ITT analysis: 93.55% [87/93] vs 77.89% [74/95], χ (2) = 9.363, P = 0.002; PP analysis: 93.10% [81/87] vs 76.92% [70/91], χ (2) = 9.049, P = 0.003). The suppression rates of HBV DNA at 208 weeks of treatment were 95.70% (89/93) vs 92.63% (88/95) (ITT analysis) and 95.40% (83/87) vs 92.31% (84/91) (PP analysis). There was a significant difference in HBeAg seroconversion rate at 208 weeks of treatment between the entecavir group and the telbivudine group (ITT analysis: 38.71% [36/93] vs 62.11% [59/95], χ (2) = 10.290, P = 0.001; PP analysis: 41.38% [36/87] vs 64.84% [59/91], χ (2) = 9.833, P = 0.002). Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses suggested that sequential use of telbivudine, male sex, and the baseline level of HBeAg were significantly associated with HBeAg seroconversion at 208 weeks of treatment (P = 0.003, hazard ratio [HR] = 0.386; P = 0.009, HR = 0.303; P = 0.001, HR = 3.502). Conclusion: For patients with HBeAg-positive CHB after suboptimal response to 24 weeks of Peg-IFNα-2a, sequential use of telbivudine is the optimal treatment regimen according to the baseline level of HBeAg (baseline guidance). The incidence of HBeAg seroconversion during 208 weeks of sequential treatment can be significantly increased according to the HBeAg decline curve in early treatment (24 weeks) and 104 weeks (response guidance).

Inverted ZnSe/CdSe core–shell nanobelts with type-I behavior: preparation, photoelectrochemical and photocatalytic performances

ZnSe nanobelts were prepared by a thermal evaporation method, and inverted ZnSe/CdSe core–shell nanobelts were formed by coating a narrow-gap CdSe shell outside the as-prepared wide-gap ZnSe nanobelt through a cation replacement process.

Influence of Quantum-Well Width on the Electroluminescence Properties of AlGaN Deep Ultraviolet Light-Emitting Diodes at Different Temperatures

The influence of quantum-well (QW) width on electroluminescence properties of AlGaN deep ultraviolet light-emitting diodes (DUV LEDs) was studied at different temperatures. The maximum external quantum efficiency (EQE) ratios of LED with 3.5 nm QW to that with 2 nm increased from 6.8 at room temperature (RT) to 8.2 at 5 K. However, the ratios for LED with 3.5 nm QW to that with 5 nm QW decreased from 4.8 at RT to 1.6 at 5 K. The different changes of EQE ratios were attributed to the decrease of non-radiative recombination and the increase of volume of the active region. From theoretical analysis, the LED with 2-nm wells had a shallowest barrier for electron overflow due to the quantum-confined effect, whereas the LED with 5-nm wells showed the least overlap of electron and hole due to the large internal field. Therefore, the LED with 3.5 nm QW had the highest maximum EQE at the same temperature. As temperature decreased, the current for maximum EQE decreased for all the LEDs, which was believed to be due to the increase of electron which overflowed out of QWs and the decrease of hole concentration. The results were helpful for understanding the combination of polarization effect and electron overflow in DUV LEDs.

Computational model of wound healing: EGF secreted by fibroblasts promotes delayed re-epithelialization of epithelial keratinocytes

It is widely agreed that keratinocyte migration plays a crucial role in wound re-epithelialization. Defects in this function contribute to wound reoccurrence causing significant clinical problems. Several in vitro studies have shown that the speed of migrating keratinocytes can be regulated by epidermal growth factor (EGF) which affects keratinocyte's integrin expression. The relationship between integrin expression (through cell-matrix adhesion) stimulated by EGF and keratinocyte migration speed is not linear since increased adhesion, due to increased integrin expression, has been experimentally shown to slow down cell migration due to the biphasic dependence of cell speed on adhesion. In our previous work we showed that keratinocytes that were co-cultured with EGF-enhanced fibroblasts formed an asymmetric migration pattern, where, the cumulative distances of keratinocytes migrating toward fibroblasts were smaller than those migrating away from fibroblasts. This asymmetric pattern is thought to be provoked by high EGF concentration secreted by fibroblasts. The EGF stimulates the expression of integrin receptors on the surface of keratinocytes migrating toward fibroblasts via paracrine signaling. In this paper, we present a computational model of keratinocyte migration that is controlled by EGF secreted by fibroblasts using the Cellular Potts Model (CPM). Our computational simulation results confirm the asymmetric pattern observed in experiments. These results provide a deeper insight into our understanding of the complexity of keratinocyte migration in the presence of growth factor gradients and may explain re-epithelialization failure in impaired wound healing.

Resting state fMRI reveals the altered synchronization of BOLD signals in essential tremor

Essential tremor (ET) is one of the most common movement disorders in humans. Nevertheless, there remain several controversies surrounding ET, such as whether it is a disorder of abnormal neuronal oscillations within the tremor network. In this work, the resting-state fMRI data were collected from 17 ET patients and 17 age- and gender-matched healthy controls. First, using FOur-dimensional (spatiotemporal) Consistency of local neural Activities (FOCA) the abnormal synchronization of fMRI signals in ET patients were investigated. Then, global functional connectivity intensity (gFCI) and density (gFCD) were analyzed in the regions exhibiting significant FOCA differences. Compared with healthy controls, patients with ET showed the increased FOCA values found in the bilateral cuneus, the left lingual gyrus, the left paracentral lobule, the right middle temporal gyrus, the bilateral precentral gyrus, the right postcentral gyrus, the pallidum and putamen. Decreased FOCA values in ET patients were located in the frontal gyrus, the bilateral anterior cingulate and the medial dorsal nucleus of right thalamus. In ET patients, significant changes in gFCI and gFCD were located in the cuneus, the middle temporal gyrus and the middle frontal gyrus. Changes in gFCI were also found in the medial frontal gyrus and thalamus in addition to changes in gFCD in the precentral gyrus. Our results provided further evidence that ET might present with abnormal spontaneous activity in the tremor network, including motor-related cotex, basal ganglia and thalamus, as well as distributed non-motor areas. This work also demonstrated that FOCA and functional connectivity have the potential to provide important insight into the pathophysiological mechanism of ET.

Comparison of 208-week sequential therapy with telbivudine and entecavir in HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B patients with suboptimal responses to 24 weeks of Peg-IFNα-2a therapy: An open-labelled, randomized, controlled, "real-life" trial

The purpose of the study was to compare the efficacy and safety of 208-week sequential therapy with telbivudine and entecavir in HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients with suboptimal responses to 24 weeks of Peg-IFNα-2a therapy. This was an open-label, randomized, controlled, "real-life" trial. HBeAg-positive CHB patients with serum HBV DNA ≥5.0 lg IU/mL and a < 1 lg IU/mL decline of HBsAg level from baseline who underwent at least 24 weeks of Peg-IFNα-2a therapy were included. Enrolled patients were randomized to receive either telbivudine (600 mg/d, n = 95) or entecavir (0.5 mg/d, n = 95) for 208 consecutive weeks. Six patients were lost to follow-up (4 patients in the telbivudine group and 2 in the entecavir group). Treatment was combined with adefovir when week 24 HBV DNA levels declined to <2 lg IU/mL versus baseline, when viral breakthrough occurred during treatment,or when HBV DNA remained detectable at 52 weeks (HBV DNA ≥500 IU/mL). Responses and safety were assessed after 208 weeks of treatment. There were no significant differences among the baseline characteristics, including age, gender, and ALT, HBV DNA, HBsAg or HBeAg levels. After 208 weeks of treatment, there was no significant difference in the rates of undetectable HBV DNA (HBV DNA<500 IU/mL) between the telbivudine group and the entecavir group (84/91,92.31% vs 88/93,94.62%, respectively, P = .525). More patients in the telbivudine group than the entecavir group achieved HBeAg clearance (74.73% vs 46.24%, respectively, P < .001) and HBeAg seroconversion (64.84% vs 38.71%, respectively, P < .001). Univariate analysis (Enter, a = 0.05) of both groups showed that telbivudine, male gender and baseline HBeAg levels were significantly correlated with HBeAg seroconversion after 208 weeks of sequential therapy. Cox regression analysis (Enter, a = 0.05) of the telbivudine group showed that the HBeAg seroconversion rate at 208 weeks was significantly correlated with gender (male) (P = .006, HR=4.406), baseline HBeAg level (P = .005, HR=0.433) and 24 w-HBeAg level reduction of more than 0.5 lg IU/ml from baseline (P = .027, HR=0.487). All patients tolerated sequential telbivudine treatment; only slightly elevated creatine kinase levels were observed. Stratification analysis found that patients with baseline HBeAg levels less than 3 lg COI who switched to telbivudine may have had significantly improved HBeAg seroconversion rates. In conclusion, telbivudine promotes HBeAg seroconversion that merits investigation in HBeAg-positive CHB patients with suboptimal responses to 24 weeks of Peg-IFNα-2a therapy. We would suggest that patients with baseline HBeAg levels under 3 lg COI switch to telbivudine to achieve higher HBeAg seroconversion rates and use the early reductions in HBeAg levels (24 weeks) to guide treatment.

The association between obesity related adipokines and risk of breast cancer: a meta-analysis

The risk of breast cancer is significantly increased among obese women as the deleterious adipokines can be over secreted and beneficial adipokines can be hyposecreted. We aim to evaluate the association between obesity-associated adipokines and breast cancer. We searched PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Chinese Biomedical Literature (CBM) databases for studies reporting association of obesity related adipokines with breast cancer published before Sept. 15, 2015. Initially, 26783 publications were identified, and later, 119 articles were selected for further meta-analysis. Out of these 119 studies, twenty-six studies had reported adipokine levels among obese and non-obese healthy subjects and ninety-three studies had reported adipokine levels among patients with breast cancer. The subjects with BMI >25 kg/m2 had significantly lower adiponectin levels and higher leptin and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) levels than those with BMI <25 kg/m2. Decreased concentrations of adiponectin, and increased concentrations of leptin, IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α, resistin and visfatin were significantly associated with risk of breast cancer. Adipokine levels were strongly associated with breast cancer among Asian women as compared to non-Asian women. Our results might explain the relationship of obesity, adipokine levels and risk of breast cancer, especially in Asian women.

Multi-tract percutaneous nephrolithotomy combined with EMS lithotripsy for bilateral complex renal stones: our experience

Background

The treatment of bilateral complex renal stones is a tough challenge for urologists. This study aimed to evaluate the efficiency and safety of bilateral ultrasonography-guided multi-tract percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) combined with EMS lithotripsy for the treatment of such cases.

Methods

Twenty-seven patients suffering from bilateral complex renal calculi underwent t bilateral multi-tract PCNL. The PCNL began with the establishment of percutaneous nephrostomy access, which was achieved under ultrasound guidance followed by stone fragment and removal by EMS lithotripsy. The same processes were then performed on the ipsilateral and contralateral renal units until the operation terminated. Sheaths left in situ to provide the tracts for the two-stage and the three-stage PCNL procedures. Peri- and postoperative clinical data were collected and analysed.

Results

Renal stones of both sides were completely cleared within three PCNL sessions in 24 cases. Among them, four, thirteen, and seven cases underwent single, second-stage and third-stage procedures, respectively. The total stone-free rate was 88.9%. Three patients failed to receive complete stone clearance. Mean operation time was 78.7 (26–124) min, the mean estimated blood loss was 97.3 (30–250) ml, and the mean length of hospital stay was 18 (10–31) days. No patient required blood transfusion and postoperative fever occurred in 6 cases. Within the follow-up period, stone recurrence occurred in 6 patients.

Conclusions

Ultrasonography-guided multi-tract PCNL using EMS is an efficient method for the treatment of complex renal calculi. According to our experience, it is safe to make multiple tracts on both sides simultaneously.

[Efficacy of 104-week sequential therapy with telbivudine or entecavir in HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B patients with suboptimal responses to 24-week therapy with pegylated interferon-α-2a]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the efficacy and safety of 104-week sequential therapy with telbivudine or entecavir in HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients with suboptimal responses to 24-week pegylated interferon-α-2a (PEG-IFN-α-2a) therapy.

METHODS

A total of 130 HBeAg-positive CHB patients with HBV DNA≥5.0 lg IU/ml and a reduction in HBsAg quantitation < 1 lg IU/ml compared with baseline who received PEG-IFN-α-2a therapy for 24 weeks were enrolled and randomly divided into telbivudine group and entecavir group, and 5 of them were lost. HBeAg clearance rate and seroconversion rate, HBV DNA clearance rate, safety, and drug resistance rate at week 104 were observed. The t-test, chi-square test, or multivariate Cox regression analysis were used for statistical analysis of different types of data.

RESULTS

At week 104 of treatment, HBV DNA clearance rate showed no significant difference between the telbivudine group and entecavir group (P = 0.363), and the telbivudine group had significantly higher HBeAg clearance rate and HBeAg seroconversion rate than the entecavir group (HBeAg clearance rate: 61.29% vs 23.81%, P < 0.01; HBeAg seroconversion rate: 51.61% vs 19.05%, P < 0.01). Male sex and telbivudine therapy were baseline predictors of HBeAg seroconversion. The multivariate Cox regression analysis (Forward LR, a = 0.05) showed that the presence or absence of HBeAg seroconversion at week 104 was significantly associated with male sex (HR = 4.917), a reduction in HBsAg > 0.5 lg IU/ml at week 12 of treatment compared baseline (HR = 3.514), and a reduction in HBeAg > 1 lg COI at week 12 of treatment compared baseline (HR = 8.651).

CONCLUSION

In HBeAg-positive CHB patients with suboptimal responses to 24-week PEG-IFNα-2a therapy, the sequential therapy with telbivudine helps achieve better HBeAg clearance rate and seroconversion rate compared with the sequential therapy with entecavir and can be used as a therapeutic regimen for such patients. A reduction in HBeAg > 1 lg COI at week 12 of treatment compared baseline can be used as a predictive factor for HBeAg seroconversion at week 104.

A Controlled Release Codelivery System of MSCs Encapsulated in Dextran/Gelatin Hydrogel with TGF-β3-Loaded Nanoparticles for Nucleus Pulposus Regeneration

Mesenchymal stem cell- (MSC-) based therapy is regarded as a potential tissue engineering strategy to achieve nucleus pulposus (NP) regeneration for the treatment of intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD). However, it is still a challenge to induce MSC differentiation in NP-like cells when MSCs are implanted into the NP. The purpose of this study was to construct poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) nanoparticles as carriers for TGF-β3 controlled release and establish a codelivery system of a dextran/gelatin hydrogel with the nanoparticles for long-term processing of discogenesis differentiation. TGF-β3-loaded PLGA nanoparticles were prepared by the double-emulsion solvent evaporation method and seeded uniformly into the hydrogel. Morphological observations, an assessment of the release kinetics of TGF-β3, a cytotoxic assay, a cell proliferation test, a biochemical content assay, qRT-PCR, and immunohistological analyses of the codelivery system were conducted in the study. The results showed that the TGF-β3-loaded nanoparticles could release TGF-β3 gradually. The codelivery system exhibited favorable cytocompatibility, and the TGF-β3 that was released could induce MSCs to NP-like cells while promoting ECM-related biosynthesis. These results suggest this codelivery system may be employed as a promising carrier for discogenesis of MSCs in situ.

A meta-analysis of biomarkers for the prognosis of triple-negative breast cancer patients

Identification of biomarkers that has the ability to predict triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) prognosis especially in patients undergoing chemotherapy is very important. Methods: The cohort studies that reported association between chemotherapy biomarker expression and survival outcome in TNBC patients were included in our analysis. Results: The promising markers that emerged for the prediction of disease-free survival and overall survival included Ki67, BRCA1 methylation and LC3B. Furthermore, Ki67 appeared to be also significantly associated with worse disease-free survival in TNBC patients who received anthracycline-based chemotherapy. Conclusion: This meta-analysis demonstrated that in TNBC patients receiving chemotherapy, Ki67 is a predictor for poor prognosis, BRCA1 methylation and LC3B are also potential prognostic markers. In addition, the TNBC patients with high Ki67 expression seems to display resistance to anthracycline-based chemotherapy.

Changes in tension regulates proliferation and migration of fibroblasts by remodeling expression of ECM proteins

Wound healing is a complicated but highly organized process in which cell migration and proliferation are actively involved. However, the process by which mechanical stretch regulates the proliferation and migration of human skin fibroblasts (HFs) and keratinocytes is poorly understood. Using a house built mechanical stretch device, we examined the HFs extracellular matrix (ECM) components changes under non-stretch, static stretch or cyclic stretch conditions. We further investigated the changes in ECM component protein expression levels in keratinocytes and analyzed the effects of individual ECM component on keratinocyte proliferation and migration. Particularly, the roles of calcium/calmodulin-dependent serine protein kinase (CASK) in the HF proliferation under cyclic stretch were investigated. Cyclic stretch suppressed HF proliferation compared with HFs without stretch or with static stretch. Cyclic stretch also led to a significant reduction in the levels of collagen I and a marked increase of fibronectin in HFs ECM. By contrast, collagen I levels increased and fibronectin levels decreased in response to non-stretch and static stretch conditions. After cyclic stretch, the proliferation of keratinocytes was inhibited by the cyclic stretch-induced ECM in HFs. The inoculation of keratinocytes with single ECM component suggested that collagen I was more capable of inducing cell proliferation than fibronectin, while it had less impact on cell migration compared with fibronectin. Furthermore, cyclic stretch induced by proliferation inhibition was associated with altered integrin β1-CASK signal pathway. The present results demonstrated the existence of HF-ECM-keratinocyte 'cross-talk' in cutaneous tissues. Thus, the integrin β1-CASK signal pathway in HFs may be involved in the outside-in signal transduction of extracellular stretch and the altered ECM component expression.

Genome-wide analysis of Dongxiang wild rice (Oryza rufipogon Griff.) to investigate lost/acquired genes during rice domestication

BACKGROUND

It is widely accepted that cultivated rice (Oryza sativa L.) was domesticated from common wild rice (Oryza rufipogon Griff.). Compared to other studies which concentrate on rice origin, this study is to genetically elucidate the substantially phenotypic and physiological changes from wild rice to cultivated rice at the whole genome level.

RESULTS

Instead of comparing two assembled genomes, this study directly compared the Dongxiang wild rice (DXWR) Illumina sequencing reads with the Nipponbare (O. sativa) complete genome without assembly of the DXWR genome. Based on the results from the comparative genomics analysis, structural variations (SVs) between DXWR and Nipponbare were determined to locate deleted genes which could have been acquired by Nipponbare during rice domestication. To overcome the limit of the SV detection, the DXWR transcriptome was also sequenced and compared with the Nipponbare transcriptome to discover the genes which could have been lost in DXWR during domestication. Both 1591 Nipponbare-acquired genes and 206 DXWR-lost transcripts were further analyzed using annotations from multiple sources. The NGS data are available in the NCBI SRA database with ID SRP070627.

CONCLUSIONS

These results help better understanding the domestication from wild rice to cultivated rice at the whole genome level and provide a genomic data resource for rice genetic research or breeding. One finding confirmed transposable elements contribute greatly to the genome evolution from wild rice to cultivated rice. Another finding suggested the photophosphorylation and oxidative phosphorylation system in cultivated rice could have adapted to environmental changes simultaneously during domestication.

Genome-wide identification of conserved microRNA and their response to drought stress in Dongxiang wild rice (Oryza rufipogon Griff.)

OBJECTIVES

To identify drought stress-responsive conserved microRNA (miRNA) from Dongxiang wild rice (Oryza rufipogon Griff., DXWR) on a genome-wide scale, high-throughput sequencing technology was used to sequence libraries of DXWR samples, treated with and without drought stress.

RESULTS

505 conserved miRNAs corresponding to 215 families were identified. 17 were significantly down-regulated and 16 were up-regulated under drought stress. Stem-loop qRT-PCR revealed the same expression patterns as high-throughput sequencing, suggesting the accuracy of the sequencing result was high. Potential target genes of the drought-responsive miRNA were predicted to be involved in diverse biological processes. Furthermore, 16 miRNA families were first identified to be involved in drought stress response from plants.

CONCLUSION

These results present a comprehensive view of the conserved miRNA and their expression patterns under drought stress for DXWR, which will provide valuable information and sequence resources for future basis studies.

Chaperonin CCT-mediated AIB1 folding promotes the growth of ERα-positive breast cancer cells on hard substrates

Clinical observations have revealed a strong association between estrogen receptor alpha (ERα)-positive tumors and the development of bone metastases, however, the mechanism underlying this association remains unknown. We cultured MCF-7 (ERα-positive) on different rigidity substrates. Compared with cells grown on more rigid substrates (100 kPa), cells grown on soft substrates (10 kPa) exhibited reduced spreading ability, a lower ratio of cells in the S and G2/M cell cycle phases, and a decreased proliferation rate. Using stable isotope labeling by amino acids (SILAC), we further compared the whole proteome of MCF-7 cells grown on substrates of different rigidity (10 and 100 kPa), and found that the expression of eight members of chaperonin CCT increased by at least 2-fold in the harder substrate. CCT folding activity was increased in the hard substrate compared with the soft substrates. Amplified in breast cancer 1 (AIB1), was identified in CCT immunoprecipitates. CCT folding ability of AIB1 increased on 100-kPa substrate compared with 10- and 30-kPa substrates. Moreover, using mammalian two-hybrid protein-protein interaction assays, we found that the polyglutamine repeat sequence of the AIB1 protein was essential for interaction between CCTζ and AIB1. CCTζ-mediated AIB1 folding affects the cell area spreading, growth rate, and cell cycle. The expressions of the c-myc, cyclin D1, and PgR genes were higher on hard substrates than on soft substrate in both MCF-7 and T47D cells. ERα and AIB1 could up-regulate the mRNA and protein expression levels of the c-myc, cyclin D1, and PgR genes, and that 17 β-estradiol could enhance this effects. Conversely, 4-hydroxytamoxifen, could inhibit these effects. Taken together, our studies demonstrate that some ERα-positive breast cancer cells preferentially grow on more rigid substrates. CCT-mediated AIB1 folding appears to be involved in the rigidity response of breast cancer cells, which provides novel insight into the mechanisms of bone metastasis.

Asymmetric migration of human keratinocytes under mechanical stretch and cocultured fibroblasts in a wound repair model

Keratinocyte migration during re-epithelization is crucial in wound healing under biochemical and biomechanical microenvironment. However, little is known about the underlying mechanisms whereby mechanical tension and cocultured fibroblasts or keratinocytes modulate the migration of keratinocytes or fibroblasts. Here we applied a tensile device together with a modified transwell assay to determine the lateral and transmembrane migration dynamics of human HaCaT keratinocytes or HF fibroblasts. A novel pattern of asymmetric migration was observed for keratinocytes when they were cocultured with non-contact fibroblasts, i.e., the accumulative distance of HaCaT cells was significantly higher when moving away from HF cells or migrating from down to up cross the membrane than that when moving close to HF cells or when migrating from up to down, whereas HF migration was symmetric. This asymmetric migration was mainly regulated by EGF derived from fibroblasts, but not transforming growth factor α or β1 production. Mechanical stretch subjected to fibroblasts fostered keratinocyte asymmetric migration by increasing EGF secretion, while no role of mechanical stretch was found for EGF secretion by keratinocytes. These results provided a new insight into understanding the regulating mechanisms of two- or three-dimensional migration of keratinocytes or fibroblasts along or across dermis and epidermis under biomechanical microenvironment.

YGL138(t), encoding a putative signal recognition particle 54 kDa protein, is involved in chloroplast development of rice

BACKGROUND

Normal development of chloroplast is vitally important to plants, but its biological mechanism is still far from fully being understood, especially in rice.

RESULTS

In this study, a novel yellow-green leaf mutant, ygl138, derived from Nipponbare (Oryza sativa L. ssp. japonica) treated by ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS), was isolated. The mutant exhibited a distinct yellow-green leaf phenotype throughout development, reduced chlorophyll level, and arrested chloroplast development. The phenotype of the ygl138 mutant was caused by a single nuclear gene, which was tentatively designed as YGL138(t). The YGL138(t) locus was mapped to chromosome 11 and isolated into a confined region of 91.8 kb by map-based cloning. Sequencing analysis revealed that, Os11g05552, which was predicted to encode a signal recognition particle 54 kDa (SRP54) protein and act as a chloroplast precursor, had 18 bp nucleotides deletion in the coding region of ygl138 and led to a frameshift. Furthermore, the identity of Os11g05552 was verified by transgenic complementation.

CONCLUSIONS

These results are very valuable for further study on YGL138(t) gene and illuminating the mechanism of SRP54 protein involving in chloroplast development of rice.

[Influence of histatin 1 on the proliferation and migration of HaCaT cells]

OBJECTIVE

To study the influence of histatin 1 (Hst1) on the proliferation and migration of human epidermal cell line HaCaT.

METHODS

(1) HaCaT cells were routinely cultured and divided into control group, 100, 30, and 3 µg/mL Hst1 groups, 10 ng/mL recombinant human epidermal growth factor (rhEGF) group, and 30 µg/mL Hst1 + 10 ng/mL rhEGF group, according to the random number table (the same dividing method used for following grouping), with 27 samples in each group. NO stimulating factor was added in control group, while Hst1 and(or) rhEGF in corresponding concentration(s) was (were) added in the latter 5 groups. Cell proliferation was assayed by cell counting method at post culture hour (PCH) 24, 48, and 72. (2) HaCaT cells were divided into control group and 100, 30, and 3 µg/mL Hst1 groups, with 27 samples in each group. NO stimulating factor was added in control group, while Hst1 in corresponding concentration was added in the latter 3 groups. Cell cycle was assayed with flow cytometry at PCH 24, 48, and 72, and PI was calculated. (3) HaCaT cells were divided into control group, 30 µg/mL Hst1 group, 10 ng/mL rhEGF group, 30 µg/mL Hst1 + 10 ng/mL rhEGF group, 15 µg/mL Hst1 + 5 ng/mL rhEGF group, and 15 µg/mL Hst1 + 10 ng/mL rhEGF group, with 10 samples in each group. NO stimulating factor was added in control group, while Hst1 and(or) rhEGF in corresponding concentration(s) was (were) added in the latter 5 groups. Cells in each group were divided into two portions: cells in one portion were treated by mitomycin C for 2 hours, while cells in the other portion were not. Scratching assay was conducted in both portions of cells. Cell migration was measured at post scratching hour (PSH) 0, 16, and 24, and the wound-area healing rate was calculated. Data were processed with analysis of variance, and LSD- t test or Dunnett t test was applied in paired comparison among groups.

RESULTS

(1) At PCH 24, the cell numbers in 10 ng/mL rhEGF group and 30 µg/mL Hst1 + 10 ng/mL rhEGF group were significantly higher than that in control group (with t values respectively 3.813, 5.410, P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). Except for cell numbers in 30 µg/mL Hst1 group and 3 µg/mL Hst1 group at PCH 48, cell numbers in the other groups as treated by Hst1 and (or) rhEGF were significantly higher than those in control group at PCH 48 and 72 (with t values from 7.754 to 24.979, P values all below 0.01). At PCH 72, the cell number was obviously higher in 100 µg/mL Hst1 group [(19.21 ± 0.59)×10⁴] than in 30 µg/mL Hst1 group [(16.19 ± 0.53)×10⁴)] and 3 µg/mL Hst1 group [(15.38 ± 0.13)×10⁴], with t values respectively 11.391, 19.017, P values all below 0.01. The cell number was higher in 30 µg/mL Hst1 + 10 ng/mL rhEGF group than in 30 µg/mL Hst1 group, 3 µg/mL Hst1 group, and 10 ng/mL rhEGF group (with t values from 4.579 to 34.884, P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). Cell numbers in all groups increased with prolongation of time. (2) Compared with those in control group at PCH 24 and 48, the percentage of cells in G0/G1 phase was decreased, the percentage of cells in S phase was increased (except for cell percentage of 30 µg/mL Hst1 group at PCH 24), and PI value was significantly increased in 100 µg/mL Hst1 group and 30 µg/mL Hst1 group (with t values from 4.752 to 16.104, P values all below 0.01). The PI value in 3 µg/mL Hst1 group was obviously higher than that in control group only at PCH 48 (t = 4.609, P < 0.01). At PCH 72, only the PI value in 100 µg/mL Hst1 group was higher than that in control group (t = 8.005, P < 0.01). Compared among the groups treated by Hst1, the percentage of cells in G0/G1 phase showed an elevating trend, and the percentage of cells in S phase and the PI value showed a declining trend along with the decrease in Hst1 concentration at each time point. Compared within each group treated by Hst1, the percentage of cells in G0/G1 phase declined first and then elevated, while the percentage of cells in S phase and the PI value elevated first and then declined along with prolongation of time. (3) Without treatment of mitomycin C, the wound-area healing rate in 30 µg/mL Hst1 group (75.9 ± 3.9)% at PSH 16 was significantly higher than those in control group and 10 ng/mL rhEGF group [(53.0 ± 3.5)%, (61.7 ± 2.5)%, with t values respectively 12.241, 7.598, P values all below 0.01], but lower than those in 30 µg/mL Hst1 + 10 ng/mL rhEGF group, 15 µg/mL Hst1 + 5 ng/mL rhEGF group, and 15 µg/mL Hst1 + 10 ng/mL rhEGF group [(95.0 ± 4.1)%, (97.0 ± 3.7)%, (80.5 ± 5.9)%, with t values from -11.324 to -2.502, P < 0.05 or P < 0.01]. After being treated by mitomycin C, the wound-area healing rate in 30 µg/mL Hst1 group at PSH 16 [(54.1 ± 4.5)%] was higher than that in control group [(35.8 ± 5.7)%, t = 7.790, P < 0.01], but lower than that in the same Hst1 concentration but without mitomycin C treatment group (t = -10.863, P < 0.01). There was no statistically significant difference in the wound-area healing rate between 30 µg/mL Hst1 group and other groups treated by Hst1 and rhEGF at PSH 16 (with t values from 0.061 to 2.030, P values all above 0.05). Compared within each group with or without treatment of mitomycin C, the wound-area healing rate at PSH 16 was not significantly different from that at PSH 24 (with F values from 0.856 to 3.062, P values all above 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Hst1 can promote the proliferation and migration of HaCaT cells. It has synergic effect with rhEGF on the promotion of cell proliferation, but their synergic effect on cell migration is not obvious.

[Effect of substrate stiffness on biological behavior of fibroblasts]

OBJECTIVE

To study the effect of substrate stiffness on proliferation, migration of fibroblast and integrin β(1) expression in fibroblast.

METHODS

Fibroblasts were inoculated on silicon substrate with stiffness of (16.2 ± 0.5), (19.8 ± 1.1), and (200.1 ± 2.6) kPa. After being cultured for 5 days or 6 days, cells were counted and cell proliferative activities (recorded as absorbance value) were assessed with methyl thiazolyl blue (MTT). After being cultured for 3 days, cell cycle was detected and proliferation index (PI) was calculated. The cell scratch test was used for determination of cell migration rate on post scratch day (PSD) 0 (the day of scratch), 1, 2, and 3. After being cultured for 2 days, the expression of integrin β(1) was determined by flow cytometry with fluorescence. Data were processed with one-way analysis of variance.

RESULTS

(1) The proliferative speed and proliferative activity of fibroblasts were all increased along with the increase in substrate stiffness. PI of fibroblasts inoculated on silicon substrate with stiffness of (16.2 ± 0.5), (19.8 ± 1.1), and (200.1 ± 2.6) kPa was respectively 24.8%, 27.4%, 32.4%. On PSD 2, migration rate of fibroblasts inoculated on silicon substrate with stiffness of (19.8 ± 1.1) and (200.1 ± 2.6) kPa was respectively (91.4 ± 5.1)%, (100.0 ± 1.3)%, which were higher than that of fibroblasts inoculated on silicon substrate with stiffness of (16.2 ± 0.5) kPa [(55.8 ± 6.8)%, with F value respectively 3.5, 4.0, P values all below 0.01]. (3) The expression rate of integrin β(1) in fibroblasts inoculated on silicon substrate with stiffness of (16.2 ± 0.5) kPa was the lowest (43.22%), and that in fibroblast inoculated on silicon substrate with stiffness of (200.1 ± 2.6) kPa was the highest (81.26%).

CONCLUSIONS

Substrate stiffness may have a great effect on proliferation and migration of fibroblast during the process of wound healing and scar formation, which can be related to regulation of integrin β(1) expression.

Junction temperature measurement of light emitting diode by electroluminescence

Junction temperature (JT) is a key parameter of the performance and lifetime of light emitting diodes (LEDs). In this paper, a mobile instrument system has been developed for the non-contact measurement of JTs of LED under LabVIEW control. The electroluminescence (EL) peak shift of the LED is explored to measure the JT. Commercially available high power blue LEDs are measured. A linear relation between emission peak shift and JT is found. The accuracy of the JT is about 1 °C determined by the precision of the emission peak shift, ±0.03 nm, at 3σ standard deviation for blue LED. Using this system, on-line temperature rise curves of LED lamps are determined.

Substrate stiffness regulates the proliferation, migration, and differentiation of epidermal cells

The aim of this study was to investigate the role of substrate stiffness on the proliferation, migration, and differentiation of epidermal cells. To investigate the effects of substrate stiffness on wound healing, epidermal cells were chosen and inoculated on silicone substrate with different values of Young's modulus of elasticity. The cell growth curve, MTT method, and cell cycle detection were used to investigate proliferation, and the scratch test was used to investigate cell migration. Fluorescence flow cytometry was used to study epidermal cell differentiation. The proliferation and migration of epidermal cells favoured stiffer surfaces. A highly stiff surface stimulated epidermal cell proliferation and migration and increased re-epithelialisation, but inhibited differentiation. The candidate pathways mediating epidermal cell proliferation and migration are linked to cell anchoring to substrates by integrin-mediated focal adhesion.

Complex nanostructures synthesized from nanoparticle colloids under an external electric field

We present a novel method to synthesize complex nanostructured films through oriented connection of nanoparticles under an external electric field. Silver is taken as an example to validate the feasibility of this fabrication approach. The building blocks of the prepared silver films are able to be adjusted from nanoparticle to nanoflower, nanoplate, nanoslat, dendrite, and so forth, by either varying the deposition current density or changing the electrode. The obtained Ag complex structures show high SERS sensitivity. Importantly, this method can be extended to fabricate complex nanostructures of other materials, such as Cu(2)O. Further study of this new fabrication method may supply a simple and green method to realize various complicated nanostructures of different materials. The mechanism investigation is also important in understanding the assembly behavior of nanoparticles in the colloid under an external electric filed.

Id1 induces tubulogenesis by regulating endothelial cell adhesion and cytoskeletal organization through β1-integrin and Rho-kinase signalling

The inhibitor of differentiation 1 (Id1) protein is required for tubulogenesis, but the molecular signalling pathways remain unclear. Overexpression (Id1-t) or down-regulation (si-Id1) of Id-1 in cell lines, were used to study the function of Id1. The expression of Id1 and β1-integrin was assessed by Western blotting. Up-regulation of Id1 in human umbilical vascular endothelial cells (HUVECs) activated the expression of β1-integrin and promoted cell adhesion and spreading. Conversely, down-regulation of Id1 suppressed β1-integrin expression and inhibited tubulogenesis. By using a β1-integrin antibody to inhibit β1-integrin function, we demonstrated that Id1-induced cell adhesion and tubulogenesis were mediated by β1-integrin. In addition, HUVECs overexpressing Id1 were able to promote capillary tube formation through cytoskeleton reorganization and cell contraction. Finally, the Rho-kinase inhibitor Y27632 inhibited tubulo-genesis induced by Id1. Our findings provide evidence that Id1 regulates tubulogenesis in vitro through β1-integrin and Rho-kinase signalling.

[Effect of calcium on the activity and expression of integrin beta1 promoter in HaCaT cells and cell migration]

OBJECTIVE

To study the effect of calcium on the activity and protein expression of integrin beta1 promoter in human immortal keratinocyte colony HaCaT cell and cell migration.

METHODS

(1) HaCaT cells were cultured in vitro (12-slot plate) and divided into 5 groups according to the random number table, with 18 slots in each group: reporter plasmid pGL3 promoter (positive control group, PC), pGL3 empty vector (negative control group, NC), pGL3-1756 bp (total length promoter group, TL), pGL3-1442 bp (distal promoter group, D), and pGL3-261 bp (proximal promoter group, P) was respectively used to transfect HaCaT cells in non-serum RPMI 1640 culture medium with 0.00, 0.03, 0.09, 0.30, 0.80, or 1.20 mmol/L calcium (3 slots in each group with each concentration). Luciferase activity was detected with dual-luciferase reporter assay system 24 hours after transfection. (2) HaCaT cells steadily transfected with small interfering RNA-integrin beta1 vector (steadily transfected in brief) constructed in our laboratory were normally cultured and divided into 6 parts according to the random number table. And then they were treated with former 6 different concentrations of calcium, with 3 samples for each concentration. Expression level of integrin beta1 protein was determined with Western blot. (3) Normal and steadily transfected HaCaT cells were cultured in 6-slot plate, 18 slots for each kind of cells. They were cultured with former 6 kinds of calcium culture media (divided according to the random number table, with 3 slots of cells for each concentration) for 12 hours after scratch test. Cell migration rate was observed and determined. (4) Data were processed with one-way analysis of variance and independent samples t test.

RESULTS

(1) The luciferase activity of cells in TL group increased from 0.16+/-0.09 to 0.39+/-0.09 and 0.35+/-0.05 (with t value respectively 3.143, 3.140, P values all below 0.05) as calcium concentration increasing from 0.00 mmol/L to 0.09 and 0.30 mmol/L, and it decreased as calcium concentration increased to 0.80 and 1.20 mmol/L. The change pattern of luciferase activity of cells along with calcium concentration in D group was similar to that in TL group, but its activity (0.56+/-0.32, 0.64+/-0.06) at the concentration of 0.09, 0.30 mmol/L was respectively higher than that in TL group (with t value respectively 0.887, 6.122, P values all below 0.05). There was no obvious influence of calcium in either concentration on the luciferase activity of cells in P group. (2) The expression amount of integrin beta1 of steadily transfected HaCaT cells cultured with 0.03, 0.09, 0.30, 0.80, 1.20 mmol/L calcium (0.58+/-0.09, 1.40+/-0.29, 1.41+/-0.09, 0.99+/-0.10, 1.16+/-0.15) were all increased as compared with that cultured with 0.00 mmol/L calcium (0.53+/-0.10, with t value respectively 0.687, 4.880, 11.210, 5.578, 6.199, P values all below 0.05). (3) Migration speed of normal HaCaT cells cultured with 0.09, 0.30 mmol/L calcium increased obviously as compared with that cultured with 0.00 mmol/L calcium, and it slowed down when cultured with 0.80, 1.20 mmol/L calcium. There was no obvious difference of migration rate among steadily transfected HaCaT cells treated with different concentration of calcium.

CONCLUSIONS

Distal promoter region of integrin beta1 plays a vital role in regulating integrin beta1 transcription in human epidermal cells. And calcium regulates activity, protein expression of integrin beta1 promoter and cell migration.

Room temperature synthesized rutile TiO(2) nanoparticles induced by laser ablation in liquid and their photocatalytic activity

TiO(2) nanoparticles were prepared by one-step pulsed laser ablation of a titanium target immersed in a poly-(vinylpyrrolidone) solution at room temperature. The products were systematically characterized by x-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Raman spectroscopy and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The results indicated that the rutile TiO(2) nanocrystalline particles were one-step synthesized at room temperature and the mean size in diameter is about 50 nm with a narrow size distribution. A probable formation process was proposed on the basis of the microstructure and the instantaneous plasma plume induced by the laser. Photocatalytic activity was monitored by degradation of a methylene blue solution. The as-prepared rutile TiO(2) nanoparticles demonstrate a good photocatalytic performance. This work shows that pulsed laser ablation in liquid media is a good method to synthesize some nanosized materials which are difficult to produce by other conventional methods.