Iron Deposition Leads to Neuronal α-Synuclein Pathology by Inducing Autophagy Dysfunction

Growing evidence has indicated that iron deposition in the substantia nigra plays an important role in Parkinson’s disease (PD). However, the underlying mechanism is still elusive. Using primary dopaminergic neurons and SH-SY5Y cells cultured in vitro, we observed that iron loading increased α-synuclein and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in these cells but did not affect the intracellular α-synuclein mRNA levels. Furthermore, iron loading significantly downregulated Beclin-1 levels and decreased the ratio of microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 isoforms (LC3 II/LC3 I). However, a significant change in the levels of autophagy-related gene 5 (Atg5) was not observed in either neurons or SH-SY5Y cells after iron treatment. After treatment with rapamycin, the iron loading-induced increase in the α-synuclein level was significantly reversed and ROS generation was alleviated in both cultured neurons and SH-SY5Y cells. These results indicate that the inhibition of autophagy is critical for the pathological alterations in α-synuclein induced by iron loading. Moreover, treatment with vitamin E did not affect the increase in the α-synuclein levels but significantly eliminated the iron-induced ROS production. Together, our study shows that autophagy dysfunction contributes to iron-induced α-synuclein pathology.

Enhanced Activities of Blood Thiamine Diphosphatase and Monophosphatase in Alzheimer's Disease

Background

Thiamine metabolites and activities of thiamine-dependent enzymes are impaired in Alzheimer’s disease (AD).

Objective

To clarify the mechanism for the reduction of thiamine diphosphate (TDP), an active form of thiamine and critical coenzyme of glucose metabolism, in AD.

Methods

Forty-five AD patients clinically diagnosed and 38 age- and gender-matched control subjects without dementia were voluntarily recruited. The contents of blood TDP, thiamine monophosphate (TMP), and thiamine, as well as the activities of thiamine diphosphatase (TDPase), thiamine monophosphatase (TMPase), and thiamine pyrophosphokinase (TPK), were assayed by high performance liquid chromatography.

Results

Blood TDP contents of AD patients were significantly lower than those in control subjects (79.03 ± 23.24 vs. 127.60 ± 22.65 nmol/L, P<0.0001). Activities of TDPase and TMPase were significantly enhanced in AD patients than those in control subjects (TDPase: 1.24 ± 0.08 vs. 1.00 ± 0.04, P < 0.05; TMPase: 1.22 ± 0.04 vs. 1.00 ± 0.06, P < 0.01). TPK activity remained unchanged in AD as compared with that in control (0.93 ± 0.04 vs. 1.00 ± 0.04, P > 0.05). Blood TDP levels correlated negatively with TDPase activities (r = -0.2576, P = 0.0187) and positively with TPK activities (r = 0.2426, P = 0.0271) in all participants.

Conclusion

Enhanced TDPase and TMPase activities may contribute to the reduction of TDP level in AD patients. The results imply that an imbalance of phosphorylation-dephosphorylation related to thiamine and glucose metabolism may be a potential target for AD prevention and therapy.

Hepatitis B virus X protein and hypoxia‑inducible factor-1α stimulate Notch gene expression in liver cancer cells

Increasing evidence has demonstrated that Notch genes, including Notch1, Notch2, Notch3 and Notch4, are involved in carcinogenesis. However, the expression and regulation of Notch genes in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissues have not been fully investigated. In the present study, immunohistochemical and quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) analyses were performed to examine the expression of Notch genes in normal human liver, HBV-related HCC and paired peritumoral tissues. Additionally, qPCR and western blotting were utilized to investigate the impact of hepatitis B virus X protein (HBx) and hypoxia‑inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) on the regulation of Notch gene expression. The immunohistochemical and qPCR results showed that the expression levels of Notch1, Notch3 and Notch4 were significantly higher in HCC tissues than the levels in peritumoral and normal liver tissues. However, no significant difference in Notch2 expression was found between HCC and peritumoral tissues. Among the four Notch genes, immunohistochemical analyses found that only the increased level of Notch3 in HCC tissues was positively correlated with vascular invasion of liver cancer (P<0.05). Moreover, we found that overexpression of both HBx and HIF-1α increased the expression of Notch1, Notch3 and Notch4 in HepG2 and Bel-7404 cell lines. In summary, the present study demonstrated that Notch1, Notch3 and Notch4 were upregulated in HCC tissues and that HBx and HIF-1α may be the factors that cause the overexpression of Notch genes. Furthermore, the increased expression of Notch3 was closely related to the vascular invasiveness of HCC.

[Effects of anti-PD-L1 monoclonal antibody and EGFR-TKI on the expression of PD-L1 and function of T lymphocytes in EGFR-mutated lung cancer cells]

Objective: To investigate the effects of anti-PD-L1 monoclonal antibody and EGFR-TKI on expression of soluble PD-L1 and function of T lymphocytes in EGFR-mutated lung cancer cells. Methods: Flow cytometry was used to analyze the expression of membrane PD-LI. ELISA was performed to detect the level of sPD-L1 in the supernatant of cultured EGFR-mutated and wild type lung cancer cells before and after erlotinib treatment.After treated with anti-PD-L1 monoclonal antibody alone and in combination with erlotinib, the proliferation of T lymphocytes in co-culture system was measured using Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay. The expression levels of PD-LI and IFN-γ in tumor cells and T lymphocytes treated with erlotinib in co-culture system were analyzed by flow cytometry and ELISA, respectively. Results: PD-L1 was highly expressed in EGFR-mutated lung cancer PC9 cells (78.7±3.1)% and HCC827 cells (82.7±2.6)%.After treated with erlotinib, the expression rates of membrane PD-L1 in PC9 and HCC827 cells were down-regulated (64.7%±3.1% and 73.0%±2.6%, respectively), significantly lower than that in the two cell lines without erlotinib treatment (P<0.05), and the expression levels of sPD-L1 in the supernatant of PC9 and HCC827 cells were also down-regulated (0.680±0.120)ng/ml and (0.903±0.047)ng/ml, respectively, significantly lower than that in the two cell lines without erlotinib treatment (P<0.01). However, no significant changes of membrane PD-L1 and sPD-L1 expression were found in EGFR wild type lung cancer cells (H1299 and A549) before and after erlotinib treatment. In the co-culture system composed of T cells and EGFR-mutated lung cancer cells, treatment with erlotinib alone promoted the proliferation of T lymphocytes (P<0.05), and combined treatment of anti-PD-L1 monoclonal antibody with erlotinib had a stronger effect (P<0.05). In the co-culture system composed of T cells and EGFR wild type cell lines, the proliferation of T cells was not changed after using erlotinib alone or combination of erlotinib and anti-PD-L1 monoclonal antibody (P>0.05). Before and after treatment with erlotinib, the secretion levels of IFN-γ were (856.0±70.3)pg/ml and (1 697.3±161.0)pg/ml, respectively, showing a significant difference (P<0.001). The expression rates of membrane PD-L1 were (76.2±0.5)% and (50.9±0.9)%, respectively, also showing a significant difference (P<0.001). However, no significant changes in the expression of IFN-γ and membrane PD-L1 were found in the co-culture system composed of T cells and A549 cells. Conclusions: Anti-PD-L1 monoclonal antibody combined with EGFR-TKI can effectively promote the proliferation and secretion function of T lymphocytes in the microenvironment of EGFR-mutated lung cancer cells.

Selective Production of Toluene from Biomass-Derived Isoprene and Acrolein

Toluene is a basic chemical that is currently produced from petroleum resources. In this paper, we report a new route for the effective synthesis of toluene from isoprene and acrolein, two reactants readily available from biomass, through a simple two-step reaction. The process includes Diels-Alder cycloaddition of isoprene and acrolein in a Zn-containing ionic liquid at room temperature to produce methylcyclohex-3-enecarbaldehydes (MCHCAs) as intermediates, followed by M (M=Pt, Pd, Rh)/Al₂ O₃ -catalyzed consecutive dehydrogenation-decarbonylation of the MCHCAs at 573 K to generate toluene with an overall yield up to 90.7 %. Model reactions indicated that a synergistic inductive effect of the C=C double bond and the aldehyde group in MCHCA plays a key role in initiating the consecutive dehydrogenation-decarbonylation, and that methyl benzaldehydes are the key intermediates in the gas-phase transformation of MCHCAs. Microcalorimetric adsorption of CO on different catalysts showed that decarbonylation of the substrate occurs more likely on the strong adsorption sites. To the best of our knowledge, it is the first report of Pt/Al₂ O₃ -catalyzed consecutive dehydrogenation-decarbonylation of a given compound in one reactor. This work provides a highly efficient and environmental friendly route to toluene by utilizing two compounds that can be prepared from biomass.

Outcomes of standard dose EC-MPS with low exposure to CsA in DCD renal transplantation recipients with DGF

AIMS

The lower limit of exposure to cyclosporine A (CsA) has not yet been established in donation after cardiac death (DCD) renal transplantation recipients with delayed graft function (DGF) receiving enteric-coated mycophenolate sodium (EC-MPS) therapy. Stable and adequate mycophenolic acid (MPA) dosing may facilitate lower CsA exposure after DCD renal transplantation in recipients with DGF without compromising safety.

METHODS

A 12-month, single-centre open-label prospective trial was performed in our centre. According to their DGF risk index using the previous DGF prediction models, we divided up the patients on oral CsA into either a DGF group (n = 26) and no DGF group (n = 48). All of the patients initially received the standard EC-MPS dosing (1440 mg/day). The initial dose of CsA in the low risk of DGF group was 4.5 mg/kg/day and in the high risk of DGF group was 2.5 mg/kg/day. Efficacy parameters, safety and tolerability were assessed over a 12-month study period.

RESULTS

The incidence of DGF was 18.5% in the 162 DCD recipients. Between the DGF group and the no DGF group, the 1-year patient survival and graft survival were not significantly different. The incidence of BPAR was higher in the DGF group (26.9% vs. 8.3%, p = 0.032). Most patients in the DGF group had recovery of renal function after 1 month. The adverse events between the two groups were not significantly different. The daily EC-MPS doses of the DGF group were significantly higher than the no DGF group before the 6-month follow-up period. There were no significant differences between the two groups regarding the mean AUC levels during the follow-up period.

CONCLUSIONS

These results show that low expose CsA with standard dosing of EC-MPS and thymoglobulin was efficacious, safe and well-tolerated in DCD renal transplant recipients with DGF in China. Furthermore, stable and adequate MPA exposure helped to reduce the dose of and exposure to CsA. Thus, this may lead to less-induced nephrotoxicity and better renal function recovery.

Evolution and heterogeneity of non-hereditary colorectal cancer revealed by single-cell exome sequencing

Recently single-cell whole-exome sequencing (scWES) has deeply expanded and sharpened our knowledge of cancer evolution and subclonality. Herein, with scWES and matched bulk whole-exome sequencing (bulk WES) on two colorectal cancer (CRC) patients with normal or adenomatous polyps, we found that both the adenoma and cancer were of monoclonal origin, and both shared partial mutations in the same signaling pathways, but each showed a specific spectrum of heterogeneous somatic mutations. In addition, the adenoma and cancer further developed intratumor heterogeneity with the accumulation of nonrandom somatic mutations specifically in GPCR, PI3K-Akt and FGFR signaling pathways. We identified novel driver mutations that developed during adenoma and cancer evolution, particularly in OR1B1 (GPCR signaling pathway) for adenoma evolution, and LAMA1 (PI3K-Akt signaling pathway) and ADCY3 (FGFR signaling pathway) for CRC evolution. In summary, we demonstrated that both colorectal adenoma and CRC are monoclonal in origin, and the CRCs further diversified into different subclones with heterogeneous mutation profiles accumulating in GPCR, PI3K-Akt and FGFR signaling pathways. ScWES provides evidence for the importance of mutations in certain pathways that would not be as apparent from bulk sequencing of tumors, and can potentially establish whether specific mutations are mutually exclusive or occur sequentially in the same subclone of cells.

Early experience with the Venus p‑valve for percutaneous pulmonary valve implantation in native outflow tract

Introduction

The Venus p‑valve (MedTech, Shanghai, China) is a self-expanding percutaneous heart valve designed to be implanted in a native patched right ventricle outflow tract. The worldwide clinical experience with this valve is just beginning and the results have so far been encouraging. We present our initial early experience implanting the Venus p‑valve in the native right ventricle outflow tract of patients with Tetralogy of Fallot repaired with a transannular patch.

Methods

In 10 selected patients a procedure for percutaneous pulmonary valve implantation was performed using the Venus p‑valve. The patients mean age was 32 years (13–57), mean weight 59.6 kg (40–80). All patients had Tetralogy of Fallot with moderate to severe pulmonary regurgitation and an indication for pulmonary valve replacement.

Results

The implantation procedure was successful in all the patients resulting in an immediately functional valve. No procedure-related complications were observed. Follow-up after 12 months (4–21) resulted in an improvement in NYHA class. There was a reduction of the mean right ventricle diastolic volume from 139 ml/m² (105–179) to 78 ml/m² (65–100) and improvement in the regurgitation fraction from 42% (29–58) to 1% (0–5), as seen on routine cardiac magnetic resonance 6 months after the implantation. No stent fractures have been observed so far.

Conclusion

Percutaneous pulmonary valve implantation with the Venus p‑valve resulted in a safe and effective procedure. The valve has predictable and sustained functional competence, resulting in clinical improvement in the patients.

[Anti-inflammatory and analgesia effects of electroacupuncture device of point injection on rats of inflammatory pain]

OBJECTIVE

To explore the anti-inflammatory and analgesia mechanism of electroacupuncture (EA) device of point injection (PI) on rats of inflammatory pain.

METHODS

48 Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were randomly assigned into a control group, a model group, an EA+PI group, an EA device of PI (EAPI) group, an EA group and a PI group, eight rats in each one. The rats in the control group were subcutaneously injected with 50 μL of liquid paraffin oil solvent into the dorsum of left hindpaw, while rats in the remaining groups were treated with 50 μL of complete freund's adjuvant (CFA) at identical location to induce the model of inflammatory pain. After model establishment, the rats in the EA+PI group, EAPI group, EA group and PI group were treated with EA+PI,EA device of PI, EA and PI, respectively, once every other day (the 2nd day, 4th day and 6th day). Each treatment was given for 30 min. The mechanical withdrawal threshold, thermal withdrawal threshold and foot swelling before and 1 d to 6 d after model establishment were observed; the western blotting method was applied to measure IL-1β expression in inflammatory tissue of skin.

RESULTS

After model establishment, compared with the control group, the mechanical withdrawal threshold and thermal withdrawal threshold were reduced (all P<0.05) and the foot swelling was increased in the rest groups (all P<0.05). After treatment, the mechanical withdrawal threshold and thermal withdrawal threshold in the EAPI group were significantly increased compared with those in the EA+PI group, EA group and PI group (all P<0.05), but the foot swelling was reduced (all P<0.05). The IL-1β expression in the model group was higher than that in the control group (P<0.05); after treatment, the IL-1β expression in the EAPI group was lower than that in the model group, EA group and PI group (all P<0.05), but no significantly different from that in the EA+PI group (P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The efficacy of EA device of PI on inflammatory pain is superior to EA combined with PI, EA alone and PI alone, which is suitable for further popularization and application.

Development of a Fluorescence Detection System Using Optical Parametric Oscillator (OPO) Laser Excitation for in Vivo Diagnosis

In this work, the development and applications of a fluorescence detection system using optical parametric oscillator (OPO) laser excitation for in vivo disease diagnosis including oral carcinoma are described. The optical diagnosis system was based on an OPO laser for multi-wavelength excitation and time-resolved detection. The pulsed Nd-YAG-pumped OPO laser system (6 ns, 20 Hz) is compact and has a rapid, broad, and uniform tuning range. Time-gated detection of intensified charge-coupled device (ICCD) making use of external triggering was used to effectively eliminate the laser scattering and contribute to the highly sensitive in vivo measurements. Artificial tissue-simulating phantoms consisting of polystyrene microspheres and tissue fluorophores were tested to optimize the gating parameters. 51-ns gate width and 39-ns gate delays were determined to be the optimal parameters for sensitive detection. in vivo measurements with the optical diagnosis system were applied to esophagus, stomach, and small intestine using an endoscope in canine animal studies. The rapid tuning capability of the optical diagnosis system contributed greatly to the optimization of wavelength for the observation of porphyrin in the small intestine. When the small intestine was thoroughly washed with water, the emission band which corresponds to porphyrin disappeared. Based on this observation, it was concluded that the detected signal was yielded by porphyrin-containing bile secretion. Also, multispectral analyses using multiple excitations from 415 to 480 nm at 5 nm intervals confirmed the porphyrin detection in the small intestine. The optical diagnosis system was also applied to the detection of human xenograft of oral carcinoma in mice using 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) which is a photodynamic therapy (PDT) drug. Significant differences in protoporphyrin IX fluorescence intensity between normal and tumor tissue could be obtained 2 hours after the injection of 5-ALA into mice due to the preferential accumulation of 5-ALA in tumors. Results reported herein demonstrate potential capabilities of the LIF-OPO system for in vivo disease diagnosis.

Effectiveness and safety of Mobi-C for treatment of single-level cervical disc spondylosis

Aims

In order to evaluate the effectiveness of the Mobi-C implant in cervical disc degeneration, a randomised study was conducted, comparing the Mobi-C prosthesis arthroplasty with anterior cervical disc fusion (ACDF) in patients with single level cervical spondylosis.

Patients and Methods

From January 2008 to July 2009, 99 patients were enrolled and randomly divided into two groups, those having a Mobi-C implant (n = 51; 30 men, 21 women) and those undergoing ACDF (n = 48; 28 men, 20 women).The patients were followed up for five years, with the primary outcomes being the Japanese Orthopaedic Association score, visual analogue scale for pain and the incidence of further surgery. The secondary outcomes were the Neck Disability Index and range of movement (ROM) of the treated segment.

Results

The incidence of further surgery was found to be statistically significant between the two groups (p = 0.49), with seven ACDF patients requiring further surgery and only one Mobi-C patient requiring re-operation. There were significant differences (p < 0.001) between the two groups in the ROM of the treated segment. However, both Mobi-C surgery and ACDF surgery were effective in improving the patient’s clinical symptoms. Take home message: Mobi-C implant surgery is a safe alternative to ACDF surgery in cervical disc degeneration. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2016;98-B:829–3.

Hydrogenolysis of Glycerol to 1,3-propanediol under Low Hydrogen Pressure over WOx -Supported Single/Pseudo-Single Atom Pt Catalyst

Single/pseudo-single atom Pt catalyst was prepared on mesoporous WOx . The large surface area and abundant oxygen vacancies of WOx improve the Pt dispersion and stabilize the Pt isolation. This newly prepared catalyst exhibited outstanding hydrogenolysis activity under 1 MPa H2 pressure with a very high space-time yield towards 1,3-propanediol (3.78 g gPt (-1)  h(-1) ) in Pt-W catalysts. The highly isolated Pt structure is thought to contribute to the excellent H2 dissociation capacity over Pt/WOx . The high selectivity towards 1,3-propanediol is attributed to the heterolytic dissociation of H2 at the interface of Pt and WOx (providing specific Brønsted acid sites and the concerted dehydration-hydrogenation reaction) and the bond formation between glycerol and WOx , which favors/stabilizes the formation of a secondary carbocation intermediate as well as triggers the redox cycle of the W species (W(6+) ⇄W(5+) ).

Hepcidin and ferroportin expression in breast cancer tissue and serum and their relationship with anemia

OBJECTIVE

Our correlation study investigated the relationships of the expression of hepcidin and ferroportin (fpn) in tissues and serum from breast cancer (bca) patients and the relationships of hepcidin and fpn with anemia.

METHODS

We used elisa and immunohistochemistry to detect the expression of hepcidin and fpn in tissue and serum from 62 individuals with bca, and we analyzed correlations between hepcidin and fpn expression in tissue and in serum. At the same time, we evaluated the relationships between hepcidin, fpn, and anemia.

RESULTS

Mean serum hepcidin was 8.18 ± 3.75 μg/L in bca patients with anemia and 4.53 ± 2.07μg/L in those without anemia, a statistically significant difference (t = 3.7090, p < 0.01). Mean serum fpn was obviously lower in the anemia group than in the non-anemia group (1.77 ± 0.51 μg/L vs. 2.46 ± 0.52 μg/L, t = 3.5115, p < 0.01). Serum hepcidin and hemoglobin were negatively correlated (r = -0.502, p < 0.01); however, serum fpn was positively correlated with hemoglobin, and serum hepcidin was negatively correlated with fpn. The rates of hepcidin and fpn expression in bca tissues were 50.0% and 61.2% respectively, but no association with anemia was observed. We also observed no relationship between expression of hepcidin and fpn in serum and in tissue.

CONCLUSIONS

In bca patients, expression of hepcidin in serum was high, but expression of fpn was low, suggesting that serum hepcidin plays a major role in anemia in those patients. Expression of hepcidin and fpn in bca tissue showed no correlation with their expression in serum and no clear relationship with anemia.

Preparation of BaSnO3 and Ba0.96La0.04SnO3 by reactive core–shell precursor: formation process, CO sensitivity, electronic and optical properties analysis

A facile method for preparing pure and La doped BaSnO₃ by reactive core–shell precursor was proposed and clear evidence of conduction band filling in La doped BaSnO₃ was presented.