Functional evaluation of the role of C-type lectin domain family 16A at the chromosome 16p13 locus

The type 1 diabetes-associated 16p13 locus contains the CLEC16A gene. Its preferential immune cell expression suggests involvement in autoimmunity. Given its elevated expression in dendritic and B cells - known professional antigen-presenting cells (APCs) - we hypothesize that C-type lectin domain family 16 member A (CLEC16A) may be involved in T cell co-stimulation and consequent activation and proliferation. We also sought to identify CLEC16A's subcellular localization. The effect of the CLEC16A knock-down (KD) on B cell co-stimulation and activation of T cells was tested in human lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs) by co-culture with CD4(+) T cells. T cell activation and proliferation were determined by flow-cytometric analysis of CD69 and CD25 expression and carboxyfluorescein succinimidyl ester (CFSE) dilution, respectively. CLEC16A subcellular localization in K562 cells was examined by immunofluorescence. We show that the CLEC16A KD did not affect the tested indices of lymphoblastoid cell line (LCL) APC capacity. Additionally, the percentage of activated T cells following LCL co-culture was not affected significantly by the CLEC16A KD. T cells co-cultured with KD or control LCLs also exhibited similar cell division profiles. CLEC16A co-localized with an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) marker, suggesting that it may be an ER protein. In conclusion, CLEC16A may not be involved in T cell co-stimulation. Additional studies on CLEC16A, accounting for its ER localization, are needed to uncover its biological role.

Barcoded pyrosequencing analysis of the bacterial community of Daqu for light-flavour Chinese liquor

The bacterial community of Daqu affects its characteristics and functions by their metabolic products, such as amylase, protease, esterase. In this study, barcoded pyrosequencing was used to analyse the bacterial communities of three kinds of Daqu for light-flavour Chinese liquor brewing. A total of 13672 sequences were identified as bacterial sequences. The Shannon index of QC, HX and GT for clusters sharing 97% homology was 5·0, 4·2 and 4·2, respectively, indicating that QC had the highest biodiversity. The Good's coverage index of QC, HX and GT was 88·2, 93·4 and 93%, respectively, indicating that the vast majority of phylotypes have been detected. Among the three kinds of Daqu, the majority of annotated reads were assigned to two phyla (Firmicutes and Actinobacteria). The phylum Firmicutes was the most abundant group in QC (74·2%), HX (81·4%) and GT (98·6%), and the phylum Actinobacteria was the second in QC (23·9%), HX (17·9%) and GT (1·1%). There were many lactic acid bacteria in all three kinds of Daqu QC (45·8%), HX (46·3%) and GT (24·7%). In addition, the most abundant family in GT was Bacillus, accounting for 65·0%, while in HX, the families Thermoactinomycetaceae and Streptomycetaceae accounted for 19·5 and 14·1%, respectively, and in QC, 13·1% were Streptomycetaceae, 12·2% were heterofermentative Leuconostocaceae.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

There are three kinds of Daqu (starter material) used for famous Chinese light-flavour liquor brewing, that is Qingcha, Hongxin and Houhuo. Since Daqu was fermented in an open environment, the microbiology communities were different with different kind of Daqu. Objective bacterial communities determined by barcoded pyrosequencing help to speculate possible metabolic productions, even to guess the function of many kind of Daqu in light-flavour liquor brewing.

Long-term outcome of HLA-haploidentical hematopoietic SCT without in vitro T-cell depletion for adult severe aplastic anemia after modified conditioning and supportive therapy

HLA-haploidentical hematopoietic SCT (HSCT) is an option for severe aplastic anemia (SAA) patients. Here, we evaluated the outcomes of 26 adult-SAA patients who received HLA-haploidentical HSCT in five transplant centers in southwestern China. Most of the patients in this study failed prior therapy and were transfused heavily before the transplantation. The patients received fludarabine+cyclophosphamide+antithymocyte globulin as conditioning regimens and then unmanipulated peripheral blood plus marrow transplantation. Micafungin, i.v. Ig and recombinant human TPO were used for post-grafting infection prevention and supportive care. Of 26 patients, 25 achieved engraftment at a median of 13 days (range, 11-19 days) after HSCT. One of 25 patients experienced graft rejection and did not achieve sustained engraftment after second HSCT. Therefore, the final engraftment rate was 92.3%. Three of 25 (12%) patients developed acute GVHD, 10 of 25 (40%) patients developed chronic GVHD (9 with limited whereas the other with extensive). The OS rate was 84.6% and the average follow-up time was 1313.2 (738-2005) days for surviving patients. This encouraging result suggests that HLA-haploidentical HSCT is an effective therapeutic option for adults with acquired SAA if an HLA-identical donor is not available.

Therapeutic effects of orally administrated antioxidant drugs on acute noise-induced hearing loss

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to investigate the dose-dependent therapeutic effect of the orally administrated antioxidant drugs [4-hydroxy alpha-phenyl-tert-butylnitrone (4-OHPBN) and N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC)] on acute noise-induced hearing loss because oral administration is the most commonly used method of drug administration due to its convenience, safety, and economical efficiency.

METHODS

Thirty chinchilla were exposed to a 105 dB octave band noise centered at 4 kHz for 6 h and randomly assigned to a control group (saline only) and three experimental groups [4-OHPBN (10 mg/kg) plus NAC (20 mg/kg), 4-OHPBN (20 mg/kg) plus NAC (50 mg/kg), and 4-OHPBN (50 mg/kg) plus NAC (100 mg/kg)]. The drugs were orally administrated beginning 4 h after noise exposure and then administered twice daily for the next 2 days. Permanent auditory brainstem response threshold shifts, distortion product otoacoustic emission threshold shifts, and the percentage of missing outer hair cell were determined.

RESULTS

The oral administration significantly reduced permanent hearing threshold shift, distortion product otoacoustic emission threshold shift, and the percentage of missing outer hair cell in a dose-dependent manner.

DISCUSSION

This result demonstrates that orally administered drugs can treat acute noise-induced hearing loss in a dose-dependent manner. This suggests that oral administration was effective in treating acute noise-induced hearing loss as in intraperitoneal administration.

An anti-leishmanial thiadiazine agent induces multiple myeloma cell apoptosis by suppressing the nuclear factor kappaB signalling pathway

Background:

Nuclear factor κB (NFκB) has a critical role in the pathophysiology of multiple myeloma. Targeting NFκB is an important strategy for anti-myeloma drug discovery.

Methods:

Luciferase assay was used to evaluate the effects of DETT on NFκB activity. Annexin V–PI double staining and immunoblotting were used to evaluate DETT-induced cell apoptosis and suppression of NFκB signalling. Anti-myeloma activity was studied in nude mice.

Results:

DETT downregulated IKKα, β, p65, and p50 expression and inhibited phosphorylation of p65 (Ser536) and IκBα. Simultaneously, DETT increased IκBα, an inhibitor of the p65/p50 heterodimer, even in the presence of stimulants lipopolysaccharide, tumour necrosis factor-α, or interleukin-6. DETT inhibited NFκB transcription activity and downregulated NFκB-targeted genes, including Bcl-2, Bcl-XL, and XIAP as measured by their protein expression. Deregulation of NFκB signalling by DETT resulted in MM cell apoptosis characterised by cleavage of caspase-3, caspase-8, and PARP. Notably, this apoptosis was partly blocked by the activation of NFκB signalling in the presence of TNFα and IL-6. Moreover, DETT delayed myeloma tumour growth in nude mice without overt toxicity.

Conclusion:

DETT displays a promising potential for MM therapy as an inhibitor of the NFκB signalling pathway.

Membrane microdomain determines the specificity of receptor-mediated modulation of Kv7/M potassium currents

The Kv7/M current is one of the major mechanisms controlling neuronal excitability, which can be modulated by activation of the G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) via distinct signaling pathways. Membrane microdomains known as lipid rafts have been implicated in the specificity of various cell signaling pathways. The aim of this study was to understand the role of lipid rafts in the specificity of Kv7/M current modulation by activation of GPCR. Methyl-β-cyclodextrin (MβCD), often used to disrupt the integrity of lipid rafts, significantly reduced the bradykinin receptor (B2R)-induced but not muscarinic receptor (M1R)-induced inhibition of the Kv7/M current. B2R and related signaling molecules but not M1R were found in caveolin-containing raft fractions of the rat superior cervical ganglia. Furthermore, activation of B2R resulted in translocation of additional B2R into the lipid rafts, which was not observed for the activation of M1R. The increase of B2R-induced intracellular Ca(2+) was also greatly reduced after MβCD treatment. Finally, B2R but not M1R was found to interact with the IP3 receptor. In conclusion, the present study implicates an important role for lipid rafts in mediating specificity for GPCR-mediated inhibition of the Kv7/M current.

HER2 status in gastric cancers: a retrospective analysis from four Chinese representative clinical centers and assessment of its prognostic significance

BACKGROUND

HER2 has a predictive value in gastric cancer. However, its association with prognosis remains uncertain. The aim of our study was to estimate the HER2-positive rate in Chinese gastric cancers, compare the classical fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) method with the novel bright-field dual color silver-enhanced in situ hybridization (DSISH) detection system, and evaluate the relationship between the HER2 status and prognosis.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Seven hundred and twenty-six resected gastric cancers separately from four clinical centers in China were examined for HER2 by immunohistochemistry (IHC), FISH, and DSISH.

RESULTS

The HER2-positive rate was 13%. The consistency between FISH and DSISH results was high (99%; κ = 0.958; P < 0.001). Tumor heterogeneity and polysomy were the main reasons for inconsistency. There was no significant difference in the 3-year overall survival (OS) between HER2-positive and -negative patients (P = 0.959). Multivariate analysis showed that HER2 was not an independent prognostic factor.

CONCLUSION(S)

HER2 overexpression and amplification occur in a significant number of Chinese gastric cancer patients. Given the obvious advantages and high consistency with FISH, DSISH was superior for evaluating HER2 amplification in gastric cancer. HER2 was not a prognostic factor for gastric cancer in our study.

HER2 status in gastric cancers: a retrospective analysis from four Chinese representative clinical centers and assessment of its prognostic significance

BACKGROUND

HER2 has a predictive value in gastric cancer. However, its association with prognosis remains uncertain. The aim of our study was to estimate the HER2-positive rate in Chinese gastric cancers, compare the classical fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) method with the novel bright-field dual color silver-enhanced in situ hybridization (DSISH) detection system, and evaluate the relationship between the HER2 status and prognosis.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Seven hundred and twenty-six resected gastric cancers separately from four clinical centers in China were examined for HER2 by immunohistochemistry (IHC), FISH, and DSISH.

RESULTS

The HER2-positive rate was 13%. The consistency between FISH and DSISH results was high (99%; κ = 0.958; P < 0.001). Tumor heterogeneity and polysomy were the main reasons for inconsistency. There was no significant difference in the 3-year overall survival (OS) between HER2-positive and -negative patients (P = 0.959). Multivariate analysis showed that HER2 was not an independent prognostic factor.

CONCLUSION(S)

HER2 overexpression and amplification occur in a significant number of Chinese gastric cancer patients. Given the obvious advantages and high consistency with FISH, DSISH was superior for evaluating HER2 amplification in gastric cancer. HER2 was not a prognostic factor for gastric cancer in our study.

Histological improvement of long-term antiviral therapy in chronic hepatitis B patients with persistently normal alanine aminotransferase levels

The aim of this study was to evaluate the histological outcomes of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients with persistently normal alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels after long-term antiviral therapy. Paired liver biopsies before and after lamivudine (LAM) treatment in CHB patients with normal and elevated ALT levels were compared. Histological response was defined as a 1-point decrease according to the Scheuer scoring system, without worsening of fibrosis between pretreatment and posttreatment biopsies. Among the 48 patients who underwent paired liver biopsies, 17 had persistently normal baseline ALT level and 31 had elevated ALT level. The median age of the patients was 44 years and 72.9% of the patients were male. The median duration of antiviral treatment was 44.5 months (range 14-104). Long-term follow-up of liver biopsies revealed that 82.4% of patients in the normal ALT group and 61.3% in the elevated ALT group had a baseline fibrosis score of 4, which was reduced to 17.6% and 38.7% after long-term therapy, respectively, indicating reversal of cirrhosis in a large proportion of both groups, especially in patients with normal baseline ALT levels. Long-term antiviral treatment could achieve significant histological improvement in CHB patients with fibrosis or cirrhosis, regardless of ALT level.