LncRNA HOTAIRM1 inhibits the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma by inhibiting the Wnt signaling pathway

OBJECTIVE

To explore the possible role of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) HOTAIRM1 in the pathogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and its underlying mechanism.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

LncRNA HOTAIRM1 expressions in 30 pairs of hepatocellular carcinoma tissues and paracancerous tissues were detected by quantitative Reverse Transcriptase-Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR). The survival analysis and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve were introduced to explore the relationship between lncRNA HOTATRM expressions and prognosis of HCC patients. The correlation between progression-free survival (PFS) and clinical variables of HCC patients was estimated by single-factor and multiple-factor regression analysis, respectively. Overexpression plasmid of lncRNA HOTAIRM1 was designed and transfected into HCC cells according to the instructions of Lipofectamine 2000. Cell proliferation and apoptosis were detected by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay and flow cytometry, respectively. Moreover, expressions of apoptosis-related genes and the Wnt pathway-related proteins were detected by Western blot.

RESULTS

Lower lncRNA HOTAIRM1 expressions were observed in the HCC tissues than those of the paracancerous tissues. ROC curve indicated a high sensitivity and specificity of lncRNA HOTAIRM1 for HCC. PFS in HCC patients was correlated with tumor size and lncRNA HOTAIRM1 expression, whereas not correlated with age, sex, GGT, AFP, Child-Pugh grade, HBsAg, cirrhosis, number of tumors, micro-vessel metastasis, tumor differentiation, and TNM stage of HCC. Overexpression of HOTAIRM1 led to decreased proliferative ability and increased apoptosis of HepG2 and HHCC cells. In addition, overexpressed lncRNA HOTAIRM1 remarkably increased the expression of apoptosis promotor Bax, but decreased the expressions of apoptosis inhibitors Bcl-2 and Bid. Meanwhile, expressions of related proteins in the Wnt pathway were decreased as well.

CONCLUSIONS

HOTAIRM1, which was downregulated in HCC, might inhibit the proliferative ability and promote the apoptosis of HCC cells by suppressing the Wnt pathway, thereby inhibiting the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Simultaneous determinations of four major bioactive components in Acacia catechu (L.f.) Willd and Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi extracts by LC-MS/MS: Application to its herb-herb interactions based on pharmacokinetic, tissue distribution and excretion studies in rats

BACKGROUND

Acacia catechu (L.f.) Willd (ACW) and Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi (SBG) are two famous herbs and often used in many traditional Chinese compound prescriptions. In clinical practice, ACW-SBG couple as a famous traditional herb couple, was widely used for treating infantile cough, phlegm and fever which caused by pulmonary infection. Meanwhile, a standardized bioflavonoid composition-UP446 with ACW extract and SBG extract has been used in both special nutritional products and joint care dietary supplements. However, its herb-herb interactions based on absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion (ADME) study had not been investigated.

PURPOSE

The aim of this study was to evaluate potential pharmacokinetic, tissue distribution and excretion interactions between ACW and SBG, and to provide useful information for the development of suitable dosage forms and clinical applications.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

A sensitive and reliable LC-MS/MS method was established to the quantification of four major bioactive components in rat biological samples. The method was validated for accuracy, precision, linearity, range, selectivity, lower limit of quantification (LLOQ), recovery, and matrix effect. All validation parameters met the acceptance criteria according to regulatory guidelines. Based on this, we obtained and compared the parameters about pharmacokinetics, tissue distribution and excretion of four major bioactive components in this study.

RESULTS

This work revealed that the parameters including plasma pharmacokinetics, tissue distribution and excretion of (+)-catechin (C), (-)-epicatechin (EC), baicalin (BL) and baicalein (BLE) in single administration had significant differences compared co-administration. The results illustrated that interactions between two herbs are related to the effect of competitive gastrointestinal absorption inhibition and drug metabolism by liver metabolic enzymes. Moreover, the alteration of C and EC in the tissue of lung maybe could enhance the pharmacological activity for treating pulmonary infection.

CONCLUSION

This is the first report to evaluate the pharmacokinetics, tissue distribution and excretion of co-administration of ACW or SBG to rats and compared its properties of four major bioactive components. The results demonstrate that herb -herb interactions occurred in this herb couple.

[Cyclopexy on cyclodialysis cleft guided by anterior segment optic coherence tomography]

Objective: To analyze the accuracy of cyclopexy on traumatic cyclodialysis cleft guided by anterior segment optic coherence tomography (AS-OCT). Methods: Fifty-six eyes of 56 consecutive patients[41 males, 15 females, with a mean age of (43.14±13.85) years]who diagnosed with traumatic cyclodialysis cleft confirmed by ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM) and underwent cyclopexy surgery at Shanxi Eye Hosiptal from July 2013 to February 2016 were included in the study. Patients were measured with the AS-OCT system before cyclopexy. AS-OCT findings of the cyclodialysis clefts were recorded. Localizing and suturing the clefts was guided by AS-OCT imaging. Preoperative and postoperative visual acuity (VA), intraocular pressure (IOP) and anterior chamber depth (ACD) were recorded and analyzed. Results: Imaging of preoperative AS-OCT of the 56 eyes showed an annular ciliary body detachment, a cyclodialysis cleft and shallow anterior chamber. The ciliary body detachment detected by AS-OCT showed an echo free zone between the annular ciliary body and the sclera. The cyclodialysis cleft showed a new pathway between the anterior chamber and the suprachoroidal space. AS-OCT imaging showed that the extent of cyclodialysis clefts ranged from 30 degrees to 240 degrees, which had a 0 degree to 20 degrees difference compared with UBM imaging. Localizing and suturing of the cyclodialysis clefts was guided by AS-OCT imaging. The best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was 0.21±0.17 at baseline and 0.29±0.21 at five days postoperatively. The initial and final BCVA showed a remarkable difference after treatment (t=-4.98, P<0.01). The mean intra-ocular pressure (IOP) was (8.33±2.29) mmHg before surgery and (15.40±2.34) mmHg at five days postoperatively. There was a significant difference of IOP between preoperative and postoperative period (t=-16.590, P<0.01). The mean ACD was (1.94±0.45) mm preoperatively and (2.69±0.44) mm at five days postoperatively. There was also a significant difference of ACD between preoperative and postoperative period (t=-10.276, P<0.01). The postoperative reexamination found that ciliary body detachment or cyclodialysis clefts was not observed in the 56 eyes by AS-OCT. Conclusions: As a non-invasive method, AS-OCT is accurate, correlating well with UBM in the examination of cyclodialysis cleft, and can localize the extent of clefts before cyclopexy.

[Clinical characteristics and survival analysis of de novo grade 3 or transformed follicular lymphoma patients]

Objective: To evaluate the clinical characteristics and survival outcomes of patients with de novo grade 3 or transformed follicular lymphoma (FL). Methods: Fifty-two patients treated at Peking University Cancer Hospital between January 2009 and September 2017 were assessed, including 28 patients with FL 3A grade, 13 patients with FL 3B grade, 11 patients with transformed FL. Baseline characteristics, survival and prognostic factors were analyzed. Results: ① Twenty-six male and 26 female patients were enrolled, including 28 patients with FL 3A grade, 13 patients with FL 3B grade, 11 patients with transformed FL. ②The 3-year progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) for the entire cohort were 56.0% and 80.6%, respectively. Patients with international prognostic index (IPI) score 0-1 demonstrated significantly better 3-year PFS (80.3% vs 20.1%; t=18.902, P<0.001) and OS (95.7% vs 57.0%; t=10.406, P<0.001) than patients with IPI score 2-3. Three-year PFS (94.1% vs 37.2% vs 25.2%; P=0.002) and OS (100.0% vs 76.0% vs 59.8%; P=0.020) were also significantly different among patients with FLIPI 1 score 0-1, 2, ≥3. FLIPI 2 score was also identified as a prognostic factor for 3-year PFS (68.4%, 0, 0; P=0.001) and OS(87.5%, 76.2%, 0; P=0.003). ③Multivariate analysis indicated a significant association of PFS (HR=3.536, P=0.015) and OS (HR=15.713, P=0.015) with IPI. FLIPI 2 was associated with OS (score 0-1, HR=0.078, P=0.007; score 2, HR=0.080, P=0.022). Conclusion: De novo grade 3 or transformed FL might be a group of curable disease with current treatment strategies. IPI is still a prognostic tool in this scenario.

35.88 attenuation lengths and 3.32 bits/photon underwater optical wireless communication based on photon-counting receiver with 256-PPM

We designed a photon-counting receiver system for long-distance underwater wireless laser communication at different code rate Reed-Solomon (RS) and low-density parity check (LDPC) codes. The symbol error rate (SER) performance of the LDPC and RS codes with different signal-to-noise ratios was analyzed. The effects of the background noise, pulse stretching, and frame synchronization were considered in our receiver system. A water tank experiment confirmed that the 1/2-code-rate RS (255,127) is an excellent coding strategy for communication distances in the range of 90-130 m in Jerlov II water. We constructed a communication link with a SER of 6.31 × 10^-4 in a distance of 120-m distance in Jerlov II water for RS (255,127) with 256-pulse-position modulation (PPM) at bandwidth of 13.7 MHz. The maximum link loss was -136.8 dB at λ = 532 nm. The attenuation lengths Natt were 35.88, which were equal at link distances up to 249.2 m in clear ocean water (Jerlov IB water type). The photon counting receiver system can achieve a receiving performance of 3.32 bits/photon. To the best of our knowledge, this is the longest communication attenuation length ever reported under 1 mJ single pulse energy for a narrow field-of-view photon-counting receiver system.

Drug-Drug Interactions Between PA-824 and Darunavir Based on Pharmacokinetics in Rats by LC-MS-MS

Currently, patients with co-infection with HIV and tuberculosis are treated with more than one drug. PA-824 a new chemical entity and a member of a class of compounds known as nitroimidazo-oxazines, has significant antituberculosis activity and a unique mechanism of action. Darunavir (PrezistaTM) is a new protease inhibitor of HIV-1. A simple, sensitive and rapid LC-MS-MS method has been developed and validated for simultaneous determination of PA-824 and darunavir. Chromatographic separation was achieved on Agilent Eclipse plus C18 column (100 mm × 2.1 mm, 3.5 μm) using gradient elution of acetonitrile-water (90:10, v/v) with fast gradient elution at a flow rate of 0.6 mL/min and run time of 4.5 min. The mass spectrometer was run in positive electrospray ionization mode using multiple reaction monitoring to monitor the mass transitions. The method was validated for accuracy, precision, linearity, range, selectivity, lower limit of quantification, recovery and matrix effect. All validation parameters met the acceptance criteria according to regulatory guidelines. The method had been successfully applied to a pharmacokinetic study of fixed dose administration of PA-824, darunavir and their combination in rats. The results indicated that when co-administration of darunavir could decrease the amount of PA-824 in vivo and extend the elimination half-life.

[The Changes of HIF-1α and VEGF-A in Myocardial Tissue of Rats with Arrhythmias]

OBJECTIVES

To observe the expression changes of hypoxia inducible factor-1α（HIF-1α） and vascular endothelial growth factor-A （VEGF-A） in rats with arrhythmias, and to explore the differences of the expression pattern in the two indicators of acute myocardial ischemia caused by arrhythmias and coronary insufficiency.

METHODS

The arrhythmia was induced by CaCl₂, and the expression changes of HIF-1α and VEGF-A were detected by immunohistochemistry, Western blotting and real-time PCR within 6 h after the arrhythmia in rats.

RESULTS

The expression of HIF-1α and VEGF-A showed diffuse in the myocardial tissue of rats died from arrhythmias. Both of them increased in the early arrhythmia, then decreased. Extensive myocardial ischemia happened at the beginning of arrhythmia occurrence and its range didn't expand with time.

CONCLUSIONS

The expressions of HIF-1α and VEGF-A in myocardium of the rats with arrhythmia can provide evidence for the differential diagnosis of acute myocardial ischemia caused by fatal arrhythmia and coronary insufficiency.

[Feasibility and value of index of microcirculatory resistance in patients with acute myocardial infarction after primary percutaneous coronary intervention]

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility of detecting index of microcirculatory resistance (IMR) and the relationship between IMR and left ventricular (LV) systolic function after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Methods: The patients with first AMI received primary PCI in Peking University Third Hospital were enrolled from January 2014 to March 2016. IMR were measured immediately after PCI by using pressure/temperature wire. The relationship between IMR and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) assessed by echocardiography at first day and 6 months after admission was evaluated. Results: Twenty-eight patients with anterior wall AMI were enrolled, with an average age (56±13) years. The success rate of IMR detection was 100%. The mean IMR was (33±18 )mmHg·s. There was no complication related to intravenous adenosine triphosphate (ATP) (140 μg· kg(-1)· min(-1)). The IMR was negatively correlated with TIMI blood flow grade after primary PCI (r=-0.386, P=0.043), and positively correlated with female gender, CK peak value and TnT peak value (r=0.430, P=0.022; r=0.431, P=0.025; r=0.434, P=0.024). After 6 months of follow-up, no adverse cardiovascular events (including cardiac death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, malignant arrhythmia, unplanned revascularization, hospitalization for unstable angina pectoris and severe heart failure requiring hospitalization) occurred. LVEF increased significantly compared with the first day after PCI (0.54±0.08 vs 0.47±0.06, P=0.001), and IMR was negatively correlated with LVEF after 6 months (r=-0.477, P=0.014). Multivariable linear regression analysis showed that CK peak and IMR were predictors of LVEF after six months ( β=-0.595, t=-3.814, P=0.01; β=-0.352, t=-2.26, P=0.036). Conclusions: Immediate detection of IMR in patients with anterior wall AMI after PCI is safe and feasible. The immediate IMR after PCI reflects the extent of myocardial necrosis and myocardial perfusion, and is a predictor of LVEF at 6 months after PCI.

Phloretin exerts hypoglycemic effect in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats and improves insulin resistance in vitro

The present study investigated the possible antiobesity and hypoglycemic effects of phloretin (Ph). In an attempt to discover the hypoglycemic effect and potential mechanism of Ph, we used the streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats and (L6) myotubes. Daily oral treatment with Ph for 4 weeks significantly (P<0.05) reduced postprandial blood glucose and improved islet injury and lipid metabolism. Glucose consumption and glucose tolerance were improved by Ph via GOD–POD method. Western blot results revealed that the expression of Akt, PI3K, IRS-1, and GLUT4 were upregulated in skeletal muscle of type 2 diabetes (T2D) rats and in L6 myotubes by Ph. The immunofluorescence studies confirmed that Ph improved the translocation of GLUT4 in L6 myotubes. Ph exerted hypoglycemic effects in vivo and in vitro, hence it may play an important role in the management of diabetes.

[Myocardial protection of remote ischemic postconditioning during primary percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction]

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the cardioprotection of remote ischemic postconditioning (RIPostC) in patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) who underwent primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

METHODS

Forty-six STEMI patients undergoing primary PCI at Peking University Third Hospital from January to April 2014 were randomized to RIPostC group (n=23) and control group (n=23).The RIPostC protocol was started within 1 min after reflow by thrombus aspiration or balloon inflation and consisted of 3 cycles of 5 min/5 min ischemia/reperfusion by cuff inflation/deflation of the lower left limb. The enzymatic infarct size, rate of complete ST segment resolution, corrected thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) frame count (CTFC) in infarct-related artery (IRA) and plasma levels of malondialdehyde(MDA), endothelin-1(ET-1), tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) of the two groups were compared.

RESULTS

There was no significant difference in enzymatic infarct size between the two groups (P>0.05). The rate of complete ST-segment resolution was significantly higher in RIPostC group than in control group (60.9%vs. 30.4%,P=0.04). There was a trend toward lower CTFC in RIPostC group than that in control group, but the difference was not statistically significant(28 ± 11 vs. 33 ± 11, P = 0.10). However, in the subgroup of anterior wall myocardial infarction CTFC in RIPostC group was significantly lower, compared with control group (25±9 vs. 39±10, P=0.01).There were lower plasma levels of MDA,ET-1,TNFα in RIPostC group than in control group at different time points after primary PCI (P<0.05).

CONCLUSION

In STEMI patients undergoing primary PCI, RIPostC may improve myocardial perfusion and attenuate ischemia reperfusion injury with the underlying mechanisms involving reduction of oxidative stress, protection of endothelial function and inhibition of inflammatory response.

Formation, structure and electrochemical performance of nano-sized Li2FeSiO4/C synthesized with the co-incorporation of citric acid and glucose followed by a two-step annealing

Nano-sized Li₂FeSiO₄/C composites are synthesized using a simple recipeviathe co-incorporation of citric acid and glucose with various molar ratios followed by a two-step annealing.

Application of cell engineering technology to the tumour immunotherapeutic drug: a review

The concept of cell engineering is frequently mentioned in recent years. It's a comprehensive technology which is very powerful and useful. By using it, scientists can produce many kinds of proteins and other biological moleculars in large scale that are in great demand for the human being. Among these products, most can be used for tumor immunotherapy and have been confirmed to be very effective in tumour control or subsidiary treatment. Of them, most common and useful drugs include three sorts; tumour vaccines, cell factors and monoclonal antibodies. The paper will discuss in detail related drugs application advances in tumour immunotherapy.

[The change of nerve growth factor and brain derived neurotrophic factor in neurons of cerebral cortex of adult rat following local ischemia]

OBJECTIVE

To acquire knowledge about the change of nerve growth factor (NGF) and brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in neurons of cerebral cortex of adult rat following local ischemia.

METHODS

Using specific antiserums of NGF and BDNF by immunohistochemical ABC method.

RESULTS

NGF-like and BDNF-like immunoreactions distributed mainly in the neurons of the third and fifth layers in cerebral cortex. After local ischemia, the average gray degrees of NGF and BDNF in neurons of cerebral cortex both decreased on the operated side more than on the un-operated side.

CONCLUSION

This experiment demonstrated that the levels of NGF and BDNF in neurons of cerebral cortex following ischemia were upregulated apparently, suggesting that NGF and BDNF may play an important role in the process of neurons' reaction after ischemia.

Total synthesis of (+)-amphidinolide P. [corrected]

The convergent enantiocontrolled total synthesis of the 15-membered macrolactone (-)-amphidinolide P is reported. Key transformations include a Sakurai allylation, a Stille coupling for the formation of a fully functionalized acyclic precursor, and intramolecular transesterification.

5-chloro-2'-deoxyuridine cytotoxicity results from base excision repair of uracil subsequent to thymidylate synthase inhibition

The lack of a phenotypic alteration of 5-hydroxymethyluracil (hmUra) DNA glycosylase (hmUDG) deficient Chinese hamster V79mut1 cells exposed to DNA-damaging agents known to produce hmUra has raised the question whether there might be DNA substrates other than hmUra for hmUDG. Based on the structural similarity between 5-chlorouracil (ClUra) and hmUra and the observations that 5-chloro-2'-deoxyuridine (CldUrd) induces base excision repair (BER) events, we asked whether hmUDG or some other DNA BER enzyme is responsible for the removal of ClUra from DNA. An in vivo flow cytometry assay with FITC-anti-BrdUrd (which cross-reacts with CldUrd) showed that exogenous CldUrd is incorporated into DNA. However, both in vivo and in vitro experiments indicated that ClUra is not excised from DNA by hmUDG or other DNA glycosylase activities. The absence of removal of ClUra by hmUDG raised the question whether DNA strand breaks occurred subsequent to thymidylate synthase inhibition, leading to deoxyuridine incorporation, followed by cleavage of uracil from DNA by uracil DNA glycosylase (UDG). An in vivo thymidylate synthase activity assay in V79 cells demonstrated that CldUrd treatment inhibits thymidylate synthase as effectively as 5-fluoro-2'-deoxyuridine (FdUrd) treatment. Uracil, a known UDG inhibitor, partially reverses the cytotoxic effects of CldUrd on V79 cells, thus confirming that CldUrd induced cytotoxicity is a result of UDG activity. Our results demonstrated that while CldUrd is not directly repaired from DNA, its cytotoxicity is directly due to the UDG removing uracil subsequent to inhibition of thymidylate synthase by CldUMP.

Cellular response to latent TGF-beta1 is facilitated by insulin-like growth factor-II/mannose-6-phosphate receptors on MS-9 cells

This study was conducted to explore the mechanism of activation of TGF-beta1 which is critical to its role in many physiological and pathological conditions. We have previously demonstrated that latent TGF-beta1 modulates ECM through interaction with IGF-II/M6P receptors on dermal fibroblasts. In this report, we provide evidence that large (270 kDa) but not small (46 kDa) M6P receptors facilitate the cellular response to LTGF-beta1 released from genetically modified cells. As a source of LTGF-beta1, PA317 cells were transfected with either pLin-TGF-beta1 vector or pLin vector with no TGF-beta1 insert using calcium phosphate precipitation. Conditioned medium from transfected cells was removed after 3 days and used to evaluate the latency and bioactivity of TGF-beta1 using ELISA and mink lung epithelial cell growth inhibition assay, respectively. The level of TGF-beta1 was 20-fold greater (2142 +/- 369 vs 102 +/- 23 pg/ml) in conditioned medium derived from pLin-TGF-beta1-transfected cells than in that of controls. Various volumes of this conditioned medium were then used to treat MS-9, SR-2, and MS cells bearing the large, small, and no IGF-II/M6P receptors, respectively, for 24 h. [(3)H]Thymidine incorporation, used as an index for cell proliferation, showed a markedly lower level of proliferation in MS-9 cells in response to a given concentration of LTGF-beta1 than was seen in SR-2 and MS cells. Interestingly, under similar experimental conditions, either addition of M6P at 1 mM concentration or anti-TGF-beta1 antibody abrogated the MS-9 cell proliferative response to LTGF-beta1. In contrast, the inhibitory response of these three cell strains to heat-activated conditioned medium was the same. As another measure of LTGF-beta1-induced cellular response, the expression of mRNA for pro alpha1(I) of type I collagen was also evaluated. A marked increase in expression of this transcript in MS-9 cells in response to LTGF-beta1 was observed. To further examine the possible correlation between the large IGF-II/M6P receptors and cellular responses to LTGF-beta1, expression of IGF-II/M6P receptors at the protein and mRNA levels were evaluated by ligand binding and RT-PCR, respectively. Using (125)I-IGF-II as a ligand, the number of specific IGF-II/M6P receptors was found to be threefold greater on MS-9 than on SR-2 and MS cells. This finding was consistent with the level of IGF-II/M6P receptor mRNA detected by RT-PCR in MS-9 cells. In conclusion, the result of this study shows a direct link between large but not small IGF-II/M6P receptors on MS-9 cells and their response to LTGF-beta1.