[High expression of the stemness-associated molecule Nanog in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma tissues promotes tumor invasion and metastasis by activating the TGF-β signaling pathway]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the expression of Nanog and its regulatory relationship with MMP-2/MMP-9 proteins in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC).

METHODS

We detected Nanog and MMP-2/MMP-9 protein expressions in 127 ESCC tissues and 82 adjacent normal tissues using immunohistochemistry and explored their correlations with the clinicopathological parameters and prognosis of the patients. GEO database was utilized to analyze the pathways enriched with the stemness-related molecules including Nanog, and TIMER online tool was used to analyze the correlations among TβR1, MMP-2, and MMP-9 in esophageal cancer.

RESULTS

Nanog and MMP-2/MMP-9 proteins were significantly upregulated in ESCC tissues and positively intercorrelated. Their expression levels were closely correlated with infiltration depth and lymph node metastasis of ESCC but not with age, gender, or tumor differentiation. The patients with high expressions of Nanog and MMP-2/MMP-9 had significantly shorter survival time. Bioinformatics analysis showed enrichment of stemness-associated molecules in the TGF-β signaling pathway, and the expressions of MMP-2/MMP-9 and TβR1 were positively correlated. In cultured ESCC cells, Nanog knockdown significantly decreased the expression of TβR1, p-Smad2/3, MMP-2, and MMP-9 and strongly inhibited cell migration.

CONCLUSION

The high expressions of Nanog, MMP-2, and MMP-9, which are positively correlated, are closely related with invasion depth, lymph node metastasis, and prognosis of ESCC. Nanog regulates the expressions of MMP-2/MMP-9 proteins through the TGF-β signaling pathway, and its high expression promotes migration of ESCC cells.

Does gestational diabetes mellitus increase the risk of cardiovascular disease? A Mendelian randomization study

PURPOSE

In recent years, epidemiological studies have revealed the relationship between gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and cardiovascular disease (CVD). In this study, we utilized Mendelian randomization (MR) to investigate the potential causal impact of GDM on cardiovascular disease for the first time.

METHODS

 We retrieved summary statistics from published genome-wide association studies. MR was first performed using significant SNPs extracted from the eighth data release of the FinnGen study. Next, a replication analysis for coronary artery disease (CAD) was conducted in another European ancestry population to validate our findings. Finally, mediation analysis was carried out to assess potential mediation effects.

RESULTS

Our data analysis revealed that genetically predicted GDM was significantly associated with increased CAD risk (OR 1.10, 95% CI 1.02-1.18, p 0.006). Replication analysis confirmed a significant genetic association between GDM and CAD (OR 1.07, 95% CI 1.02-1.12, p 0.003) in another European ancestry population. Mediation analysis indicated no significant mediation effect by type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) on the GDM-CAD relationship (mediation effect β [95% CI]: 0.005 [-0.003, -0.017]).

CONCLUSION

Women with a prior history of GDM face an elevated risk of future CAD. This increased risk of CAD cannot be solely attributed to the subsequent onset of diabetes. Regular CAD risk assessment and primary prevention strategies are of paramount importance for women with a history of GDM.

[Mechanism of noise induced hidden hearing loss based on proteomics]

Objective: To explore the mechanism of noise-induced hidden hearing loss by proteomics. Methods: In October 2022, 64 SPF male C57BL/6J mice were divided into control group and noise exposure group with 32 mice in each group according to random sampling method. The noise exposure group was exposed to 100 dB sound pressure level, 2000-16000 Hz broadband noise for 2 h, and the mouse hidden hearing loss model was established. Auditory brainstem response (ABR) was used to test the change of hearing threshold of mice on the 7th day after noise exposure, the damage of basal membrane hair cells was observed by immunofluorescence, and the differentially expressed proteins in the inner ear of mice in each group were identified and analyzed by 4D-Label-free quantitative proteomics, and verified by Western blotting. The results were statistically analyzed by ANOVA and t test. Results: On the 7th day after noise exposure, there was no significant difference in hearing threshold between the control group and the noise exposure group at click and 8000 Hz acoustic stimulation (P>0.05) . The hearing threshold in the noise exposure group was significantly higher than that in the control group under 16000 Hz acoustic stimulation (P<0.05) . Confocal immunofluorescence showed that the basal membrane hair cells of cochlear tissue in noise exposure group were arranged neatly, but the relative expression of C-terminal binding protein 2 antibody of presynaptic membrane in middle gyrus and basal gyrus was significantly lower than that in control group (P<0.05) . GO enrichment analysis showed that the functions of differentially expressed proteins were mainly concentrated in membrane potential regulation, ligand-gated channel activity, and ligand-gated ion channel activity. KEGG pathway enrichment analysis showed that differentially expressed proteins were significantly enriched in phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase-protein kinase B (PI3K-Akt) signaling pathway, NOD-like receptor signaling pathway, calcium signaling pathway, etc. Western blotting showed that the expression of inositol 1, 4, 5-trisphosphate receptor 3 (Itpr3) was increased and the expression of solute carrier family 38 member 2 (Slc38a2) was decreased in the noise exposure group (P<0.05) . Conclusion: Through proteomic analysis, screening and verification of the differential expression proteins Itpr3 and Slc38a2 in the constructed mouse noise-induced hidden hearing loss model, the glutaminergic synaptic related pathways represented by Itpr3 and Slc38a2 may be involved in the occurrence of hidden hearing loss.

Small extracellular vesicles facilitate epithelial-mesenchymal transition in chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps via the miR-375-3p/QKI axis

BACKGROUND

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP). However, the involvement of small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) in EMT and their contributions to CRSwNP has not been extensively investigated.

METHODS

SEVs were isolated from nasal mucosa through ultracentrifugation. MicroRNA sequencing and reverse-transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction were employed to analyze the differential expression of microRNAs carried by sEVs. Human nasal epithelial cells (hNECs) were used to assess the EMT-inducing effect of sEVs/microRNAs. EMT-associated markers were detected by western blotting and immunofluorescence. Dual-luciferase reporter assay was performed to determine the target gene of miR-375-3p. MicroRNA mimic, lentiviral, and plasmid transduction were used for functional experiments.

RESULTS

In line with the greater EMT status in eosinophilic CRSwNP (ENP), sEVs derived from ENP (ENP-sEVs) could induce EMT in hNECs. MiR-375-3p was elevated in ENP-sEVs compared to that in control and nonENP. MiR-375- 3p carried by ENP-sEVs facilitated EMT by directly targeting KH domain containing RNA binding (QKI) at seed sequences of 913-919, 1025-1033, and 2438-2444 in 3'-untranslated region. Inhibition of QKI by miR-375-3p overexpression promoted EMT, which could be reversed by restoration of QKI. Furthermore, the abundance of miR-375-3p in sEVs was closely correlated with the clinical symptom score and disease severity.

CONCLUSIONS

MiR-375-3p-enriched sEVs facilitated EMT by suppressing QKI in hNECs. The association of miR-375-3p with disease severity underscores its potential as both a diagnostic marker and a therapeutic target for the innovative management of CRSwNP.

Determination of the Handedness of Urea Inclusion Compounds

Since the discovery of urea inclusion compounds (UICs) in 1940, the handedness of this chiral helical system has not been established experimentally. Here three UIC systems containing only light atoms were studied. The optical rotations were first measured, and the absolute structures of the enantiomorphic domains of three UICs were determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction (SCXRD). The correlation between the optical rotation and the absolute configuration of the UICs was finally established, showcasing the power of absolute structure determination by SCXRD, which is essential in structural chemistry and pharmaceutical research.

Determination of the Handedness of Urea Inclusion Compounds

Invited for the cover of this issue is the group of Bo Wang at Biogen. The image depicts the sectored chiral domains of urea inclusion compounds. Read the full text of the article at 10.1002/chem.202302217.

Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine for menopausal mood disorder: a randomized controlled trial

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to analyze the effectiveness of acupuncture combined with Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) on mood disorder symptoms for menopausal women.

METHODS

A total of 95 qualified Chinese participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups: 31 in the acupuncture combined with CHM group (combined group), 32 in the acupuncture combined with CHM placebo group (acupuncture group) and 32 in the CHM combined with sham acupuncture group (CHM group). The patients were treated for 8 weeks and followed up for 4 weeks. The data were collected using the Greene Climacteric Scale (GCS), self-rating depression scale (SDS), self-rating anxiety scale (SAS) and safety index.

RESULTS

The three groups each showed significant decreases in the GCS, SDS and SAS after treatment (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the effect on the GCS total score and the anxiety domain lasted until the follow-up period in the combined group (p < 0.05). Within the three groups, there was no difference in GCS and SAS between the three groups after treatment (p > 0.05). However, the combined group showed significant improvement in the SDS, compared with both the acupuncture group and the CHM group at 8 weeks and 12 weeks (p < 0.05). No obvious abnormal cases were found in any of the safety indexes.

CONCLUSIONS

The results suggest that either acupuncture, or CHM or combined therapy offer safe improvement of mood disorder symptoms for menopausal women. However, the combination therapy was associated with more stable effects in the follow-up period and a superior effect on improving depression symptoms.

Influence of statin use on prognosis of patients with renal cell cancer: a meta-analysis

Background

Statin may confer anticancer efficacy, while the studies evaluating the influence of statin on survival of patients with renal cell cancer (RCC) yielded inconsistent results. A systematic review and meta-analysis was performed to investigate the association between statin use and survival of patients with RCC.

Materials and Methods

Cohort studies were identified by search of PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases according to the objective of the meta-analysis. A random-effect model incorporating the possible between-study heterogeneity was used for meta-analysis. Subgroup analyses according to study characteristics were also performed.

Results

Seventeen cohort studies involving 42528 patients with RCC were available for the meta-analysis. Results showed that statin use was associated with a better overall survival (OS, hazard ratio [HR]: 0.73, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.65 to 0.84, p < 0.001; I² = 40%), progression progression-free survival (PFS, HR: 0.82, 95% CI: 0.68 to 0.98, p = 0.03; I² = 52%), and cancer-specific survival (CSS, HR: 0.76, 95% CI: 0.59 to 0.99, p = 0.04; I² = 38%). Besides, for the outcome of OS and PFS, subgroup analyses showed similar results in patients with surgical and non-surgical anticancer treatments, and in patients with stage I-III and stage IV RCC (p values for subgroup difference all > 0.05).

Conclusions

Statin use may be associated with improved survival outcomes in patients with RCC. Although prospective clinical studies should be considered to validate these results, these findings suggest that statins may be potential adjuvant therapy for patients with RCC.

[Establishment and validation of a nomogram for predicting prognosis of gastric neuroendocrine neoplasms based on data from 490 cases in a single center]

OBJECTIVE

To develop and validate a nomogram for predicting outcomes of patients with gastric neuroendocrine neoplasms (G-NENs).

METHODS

We retrospectively collected the clinical data from 490 patients with the diagnosis of G-NEN at our medical center from 2000 to 2021. Log-rank test was used to analyze the overall survival (OS) of the patients. The independent risk factors affecting the prognosis of G-NEN were identified by Cox regression analysis to construct the prognostic nomogram, whose performance was evaluated using the C-index, receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve, area under the ROC curve (AUC), calibration curve, DCA, and AUDC.

RESULTS

Among the 490 G-NEN patients (mean age of 58.6±10.92 years, including 346 male and 144 female patients), 130 (26.5%) had NET G1, 54 (11.0%) had NET G2, 206 (42.0%) had NEC, and 100 (20.5%) had MiNEN. None of the patients had NET G3. The numbers of patients in stage Ⅰ-Ⅳ were 222 (45.3%), 75 (15.3%), 130 (26.5%), and 63 (12.9%), respectively. Univariate and multivariate analyses identified age, pathological grade, tumor location, depth of invasion, lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis, and F-NLR as independent risk factors affecting the survival of the patients (P < 0.05). The C-index of the prognostic nomogram was 0.829 (95% CI: 0.800-0.858), and its AUC for predicting 1-, 3- and 5-year OS were 0.883, 0.895 and 0.944, respectively. The calibration curve confirmed a good consistency between the model prediction results and the actual observations. For predicting 1-year, 3-year and 5-year OS, the TNM staging system and the nomogram had AUC of 0.033 vs 0.0218, 0.191 vs 0.148, and 0.248 vs 0.197, respectively, suggesting higher net benefit and better clinical utility of the nomogram.

CONCLUSION

The prognostic nomogram established in this study has good predictive performance and clinical value to facilitate prognostic evaluation of individual patients with G-NEN.

Synovitis mediates the association between bone marrow lesions and knee pain in osteoarthritis: data from the Foundation for the National Institute of Health (FNIH) Osteoarthritis Biomarkers Consortium

OBJECTIVES

Although subchondral bone marrow lesions (BMLs) and synovitis have been well acknowledged as important sources of pain in knee osteoarthritis (KOA), it is unclear if synovitis plays the mediating role in the relationship between BMLs and knee pain.

METHODS

We analyzed 600 subjects with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the Foundation for National Institutes of Health Osteoarthritis Biomarkers Consortium (FNIH) cohort at baseline and 24-month. BMLs and synovitis were measured according to the MRI Osteoarthritis Knee Score (MOAKS) scoring system. BMLs were scored in five subregions. A summary synovitis score of effusion and Hoffa-synovitis was calculated. Knee pain was evaluated using the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC). Linear regression models were applied to analyze the natural direct effect (NDE) of BMLs and synovitis with knee pain, respectively, and natural indirect effect (NIE) mediated by synovitis.

RESULTS

590 participants (58.8% females, with a mean age of 61.5) were included in the present analyses. For NDE, knee pain was cross-sectionally associated with medial femorotibial BMLs (β = 0.23, 95% CI: 0.09, 0.38) and synovitis (β = 0.40, 95% CI: 0.20, 0.60). Longitudinal associations retained significant [medial femorotibial BMLs (β = 0.37, 95% CI: 0.21, 0.53); synovitis (β = 0.72, 95% CI: 0.45, 0.99)]. In the NIE analyses, synovitis mediated the association between medial femorotibial BML and knee pain at baseline (β = 0.051, 95% CI: 0.01, 0.09) and over 24 months (β = 0.079, 95% CI: 0.023, 0.15), with the mediating proportion of 17.8% and 22.4%, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Synovitis partially mediates the association between medial femorotibial BMLs and knee pain.

Probing ^{93m}Mo Isomer Depletion with an Isomer Beam

The isomer depletion of ^{93m}Mo was recently reported [Chiara et al., Nature (London) 554, 216 (2018)NATUAS0028-083610.1038/nature25483] as the first direct observation of nuclear excitation by electron capture (NEEC). However, the measured excitation probability of 1.0(3)% is far beyond the theoretical expectation. In order to understand the inconsistency between theory and experiment, we produce the ^{93m}Mo nuclei using the ^{12}C(^{86}Kr,5n) reaction at a beam energy of 559 MeV and transport the reaction residues to a detection station far away from the target area employing a secondary beam line. The isomer depletion is expected to occur during the slowdown process of the ions in the stopping material. In such a low γ-ray background environment, the signature of isomer depletion is not observed, and an upper limit of 2×10^{-5} is estimated for the excitation probability. This is consistent with the theoretical expectation. Our findings shed doubt on the previously reported NEEC phenomenon and highlight the necessity and feasibility of further experimental investigations for reexamining the isomer depletion under low γ-ray background.

The Application Value of the Renal Region of Interest Corrected by Computed Tomography in Single-Kidney Glomerular Filtration Rate for the Evaluation of Patients With Moderate or Severe Hydronephrosis

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the application value of the renal region of interest (ROI) corrected by computed tomography (CT) in single-kidney glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in patients with hydronephrosis. Methods: A total of 46 patients with hydronephrosis were divided into four groups based on their degree of unilateral hydronephrosis: a normal group (left kidney and right kidney) and three abnormal groups (mild, moderate, and severe hydronephrosis). GFR was measured using the two-sample method (tGFR). The single-kidney GFR of each patient was derived from differential renal function values in dynamic renal imaging multiplied by GFR. The single-kidney GFRs, including GFR from the Gates method (gGFRsingle) and CT area-corrected GFR (aGFRsingle), were compared with tGFRsingle. A paired-sample t-test and Pearson's test were used for data analysis. p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: There were no significant differences between aGFRsingle and tGFRsingle in patients in the normal, mild hydronephrosis, and moderate hydronephrosis groups (t = -0.604∼1.982, all p > 0.05), but there was a significant difference between them in the severe hydronephrosis group (t = 2.302, p < 0.05). There were no significant differences between gGFRsingle and tGFRsingle in the normal and mild hydronephrosis groups (t = 0.194∼0.962, all p > 0.05), but there was a significant difference between them in the moderate and severe hydronephrosis groups (t = 3.321, 3.494, p < 0.05). Both gGFRsingle and aGFRsingle were correlated with tGFRsingle, with aGFRsingle being more strongly correlated (r = 0.890, p < 0.001). Conclusion: In patients with moderate hydronephrosis, aGFRsingle is more strongly correlated with tGFRsingle than gGFRsingle. However, in patients with severe hydronephrosis and accompanying renal morphological changes, the aGFRsingle measured by the renal ROI area-correction method using CT has higher accuracy and better clinical application value than the conventional gGFRsingle.

Overexpression of zinc-finger protein 677 inhibits proliferation and invasion by and induces apoptosis in clear cell renal cell carcinoma

Recent studies have demonstrated that zinc-finger protein 677 (ZNF677) acts as a tumor suppressor gene in cancer. However, the expression and function of ZNF677 in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) are still unclear. In this study, we used bioinformatics analysis and in vitro experiments to investigate the expression of ZNF677 in ccRCC tissues and the malignant biological behavior of ZNF677 in 786–0 cells. We demonstrated that ZNF677 is hypermethylated in ccRCC and is associated with clinicopathological features. The results of the functional assays indicate that ZNF677 inhibits tumor cell proliferation and invasion and induces apoptosis. Further prognostic analysis indicated that low expression of ZNF677 is associated with shorter overall survival. Additionally, ZNF677 overexpression suppressed the invasion and epithelial-mesenchymal transition of 786–0 cells by inactivating the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. This is the first report to evaluate the influence of ZNF677 on ccRCC cells malignant biological behavior. The results indicate that high expression of ZNF677 could be considered as a favorable prognostic indicator for ccRCC.

[Efficacy of mitomycin C 0.02% for prevention of haze after transepithelial photorefractive keratectomy for mild and moderate myopia]

Objective: To investigate the efficacy of mitomycin C (MMC) 0.02% for prevention of haze after transepithelial photorefractive keratectomy (Trans-PRK) for mild and moderate myopia. Methods: Retrospective cohort study. We reviewed medical records of 295 patients (588 eyes) who underwent Trans-PRK with or without use of MMC. There were 45 patients (90 eyes) in the mild myopia group (aged between 18 and 41 years; 37 males and 8 females; myopia diopter <3.00 D) and 250 patients (498 eyes) in the moderate myopia group (aged between 18 and 46 years; 168 males and 82 females; myopia diopter: 3.00 to 6.00 D). The two groups were divided into subgroups with MMC 0.02% and without MMC, respectively. The time of intraoperative application of MMC, if there was, was 15 s and 30 s in the mild myopia group and the moderate myopia group, respectively. The mean follow-up time was 6 months. Postoperative best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), spherical equivalent (SE) and haze were analyzed and compared using an independent Student t-test or Mann-Whitney U test between subgroups. Haze variables were compared using chi-square statistics. Results: Haze was quantified with Fantes from grade 0.5 to 4. In the mild myopia group, all haze grades were 0.5 within 3 months. The incidence of haze was 6.25% (2/32) in eyes treated with MMC and 8.62% (5/58) in eyes treated without MMC; there was no statistical significance (χ²=0.00, P>0.999). In the moderate myopia group, the incidence of haze was 9.19% (24/261) in eyes treated with MMC within 3 months; the grade was 0.5 in 91.67% (22/24) of eyes with haze and 1 in 8.33% (2/24). The incidence of haze was 29.53% (70/237) in eyes treated without MMC; the grade was 0.5 in 60.00% (42/70) of eyes with haze, 1 in 18.57% (13/70), and 2 in 5.71% (4/70) within 3 months, and 0.5 in 15.71% (11/70) after 3 months (χ²=12.36, P=0.002). In the mild myopia group, BCVA was 5.0(5.0, 5.1) versus 5.0(5.0, 5.1) in the subgroups with MMC and without MMC (Z=-0.34, P=0.733). In the moderate myopia group, BCVA was 5.0(5.0, 5.1) versus 5.0(5.0, 5.1) in the subgroups with and without MMC (Z=-2.05, P=0.040). In the mild myopia group, SE was (0.33±1.07) D versus (0.32±0.57) D in the subgroups with and without MMC (t=0.25, P=0.805). In the moderate myopia group, SE was (0.66±0.85) D versus (0.53±0.67) D in the subgroups with and without MMC (t=2.97, P=0.003). Conclusions: MMC 0.02% was effective in preventing haze after Trans-PRK in the treatment of moderate myopia. However, it was not effective in mild myopia.

D-Galactose-Induced Accelerated Aging Model on Auditory Cortical Neurons by Regulating Oxidative Stress and Apoptosis in Vitro

OBJECTIVES

Age-related hearing loss (ARHL) is much more prevalent with age, affecting not only peripheral but central auditory system. We have previously established an aging model of peripheral auditory system in vitro using cultured cochlear basilar membrane. However, there is no ideal accelerated aging model on central auditory system in vitro. To establish the aging model, auditory cortical neurons (ACNs) were primary cultured and treated with either vehicle or different doses of D-galactose (D-gal). We studied the effect of D-gal on ACNs by evaluating the hallmarks of aging, including cell proliferation, oxidative stress, mitochondrial function, and neuronal apoptosis. Compared with the control group, cell viability was significantly inhibited in the D-gal-treated group in a dose-dependent manner. The production of reactive oxygen species was strongly increased in the D-gal-treated group. Meanwhile, the level of 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine, which is a biomarker of DNA oxidative damage, was even higher in the D-gal-treated group than that in the control group. Conversely, the levels of ATP and mitochondrial membrane potential were notably decreased in the D-gal-treated group contrast to that in the control group. Furthermore, the number of neuronal apoptosis in the D-gal-treated group, compared with that in the control group, was dramatically increased in a dose-dependent approach. Together, our results demonstrate that ACNs treated with D-gal in vitro display senescence characteristics by regulating oxidative stress and apoptosis, indicating accelerated aging model on ACNs are successfully established. And the model provides a promising approach for exploring underlying mechanisms of the ARHL.