A Novel ABC Score Predicts Mortality in Non-ST-Segment Elevation Acute Coronary Syndrome Patients Who underwent Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

OBJECTIVE

 In the present study, we aimed to establish a novel score to predict long-term mortality of non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS) patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

METHODS

 A total of 2,174 NSTE-ACS patients from the CORFCHD-ZZ study were enrolled as the derivation cohort. The validation cohort including 1,808 NSTE-ACS patients were from the CORFCHD-PCI study. Receiver operating characteristic analysis and area under the curve (AUC) evaluation were used to select the candidate variables. The model performance was validated internally and externally. The primary outcome was cardiac mortality (CM). We also explored the model performance for all-cause mortality (ACM).

RESULTS

 Initially, 28 risk factors were selected and ranked according to their AUC values. Finally, we selected age, N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide, and creatinine to develop a novel prediction model named "ABC" model. The ABC model had a high discriminatory ability for both CM (C-index: 0.774, p < 0.001) and ACM (C-index: 0.758, p < 0.001) in the derivation cohort. In the validation cohort, the C-index of CM was 0.802 (p < 0.001) and that of ACM was 0.797 (p < 0.001), which suggested good discrimination. In addition, this model had adequate calibration in both the derivation and validation cohorts. Furthermore, the ABC score outperformed the GRACE score to predict mortality in NSTE-ACS patients who underwent PCI.

CONCLUSION

 In the present study, we developed and validated a novel model to predict mortality in patients with NSTE-ACS who underwent PCI. This model can be used as a credible tool for risk assessment and management of NSTE-ACS after PCI.

[Relationships among the periodontal biotype characteristics in the maxillary anterior]

OBJECTIVE

To explore the correlation among gingival thickness (GT), underlying alveolar bone thickness (BT), and other periodontal biotype characteristics in the maxillary anterior.

METHODS

A total of 40 young volunteers with healthy periodontal were involved in this research. The periodontal probe was previously used to divide the gingiva from thick to thin. Two records were measured by cone beam CT (CBCT) GT, which was measured at the cement-enamel junction level; and BT, which was measured at 3 locations: 1, 3, 5 mm below the alveolar crest. Oral and gypsum measurements were used to analyze the associations of the crown width/crown length ratio (CW/CL), the keratinized mucosa width (KM), and the free gingival margin curvature.

RESULTS

Significant difference in the GT was observed between the thick and thin biotypes, which were divided by periodontal probe (P<0.01). Difference was observed in each periodontal biotype characteristic between the thick (GT≥1 mm) and thin biotypes (GT<1 mm) (P<0.05). BT was positively associated with GT (r=0.293, P=0.001), CW/CL (r=0.273, P=0.003), KM (r=0.291, P=0.001), and free gingival margin curvature (r=0.290, P=0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The transparency of the probing in the sulcus could analyze the GT qualitatively. The thick and thin biotypes have different periodontal biotype characteristics. Compared with individuals with thick biotype, those with thin biotype are susceptible to risk dental aesthetic.

The crystal structure of 5-bromopicolinic acid monohydrate, C6H6BrNO3

C6H6BrNO3, triclinic, P1̄ (no. 2), a = 7.0407(5) Å, b = 7.1597(6) Å, c = 8.3808(7) Å, α = 75.844(4)°, β = 94.562(4)°, γ = 76.306(4)°, V = 373.61(5) Å3, Z = 4, R gt(F) = 0.0205, wR ref(F2 ) = 0.0527, T = 150(2) K.

A Predictive Scoring System Based on Inflammatory and Tumor Markers for Gastric Cancer Patients Undergoing Curative Resection

Purpose

Inflammation is closely associated with prognosis in gastric cancer (GC). We aimed to assess the predictive value of existing inflammatory and tumor markers in GC, to establish a systemic score based on valuable predictors for early risk stratification of patients, and to create a nomogram for individual risk prediction.

Patients and Methods

We retrospectively analyzed 401 GC patients who underwent curative gastrectomy from 2007 to 2016.

Results

Through univariate and multivariate survival analysis, age (>60 years), depth of invasion (pT3–4), lymph node invasion (pN1–3), histologic classification (poor), adjuvant chemotherapy (no), albumin fibrinogen ratio (AFR) (<13.33), and carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) (>27 U/mL) independently indicated inferior disease-free survival (DFS). In addition, depth of invasion, lymph node invasion, histologic classification, adjuvant chemotherapy, AFR, and CA19-9 were incorporated in the prediction of cancer-specific survival (CSS). A combined AFR and CA19-9 prognostic score (CACPS) was established. Lower AFR (<13.33) and higher CA19-9 (>27 U/mL) were allocated 1 point each in the CACPS (range, 0–2). CACPS can be used as an independent predictor for DFS and CSS in multivariate analysis (for DFS: CACPS 1: HR=2.039, 95% CI: 1.357–3.065, P=0.001; CACPS 2: HR=2.419, 95% CI: 1.397–4.186, P=0.002; for CSS: CACPS 1: HR=2.035, 95% CI: 1.292–3.205, P=0.002; CACPS 2: HR=2.255, 95% CI: 1.252–4.059, P=0.007), with a higher CACPS indicating poor survival according to Kaplan–Meier curves (both P<0.001). Moreover, a nomogram for DFS and CSS was generated using the significant characteristics in the multivariate analysis, which exhibited high accuracy (for DFS: C-index=0.743, 95% CI: 0.698–0.788; for CSS: C-index=0.766, 95% CI: 0.718–0.814) versus tumor–node–metastasis staging (for DFS: C-index=0.692, 95% CI: 0.650–0.734; for CSS: C-index=0.720, 95% CI: 0.675–0.764).

Conclusion

Preoperative CACPS exhibited high accuracy in predicting prognosis for GC patients who underwent curative resection.

Doxorubicin pretreatment enhances FAPα/survivin co-targeting DNA vaccine anti-tumor activity primarily through decreasing peripheral MDSCs in the 4T1 murine breast cancer model

The tumor microenvironment (TME) provides necessary nutrition for tumor growth and recruits immunosuppressive factors including regulatory T cells and myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) to inhibit the anti-tumor immune response induced by immunotherapy. As a main TME component, cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs) can restrain T cell infiltration and activity through extracellular matrix remodeling. Vaccines targeting fibroblast-activating protein α (FAPα), which is mainly expressed on the CAF surface, can eliminate CAFs in tumors and regulate the TME, enhancing the potency of T cell-mediated anti-tumor effects. However, the anti-tumor effects were not fully realized as the tumor induces a large number of peripheral MDSCs during its growth, rendering the body of mice in an immunosuppressive state and preventing the vaccine from inducing effective anti-tumor immune responses. Here, we developed a dual-targeted DNA vaccine OsFS, targeting tumor matrix antigen FAPα and tumor cell antigen survivin simultaneously, exhibited enhanced antineoplastic effects in an established breast cancer model. Moreover, doxorubicin (Dox) pretreatment to remove the peripheral MDSCs induced to regulate the peripheral immune environment could further facilitate the anti-tumor activity of the vaccine. These results indicated that combination treatment of the tumor cells and the TME dual-targeting vaccine plus Dox could effectively realize the anti-tumor activity of the vaccine by decreasing immunosuppressive factors and inducing more tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, which may offer important guidance for clinical research regarding the combination of the DNA vaccine with low-dose Dox.

Gut Microbiome-Based Diagnostic Model to Predict Coronary Artery Disease

In the present study, we aimed to characterize gut microbiome and develop a gut microbiome-based diagnostic model in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). Prospectively, we collected 309 fecal samples from Central China and Northwest China and carried out the sequencing of the V3-V4 regions of the 16S rRNA gene. The gut microbiome was characterized, and microbial biomarkers were identified in 152 CAD patients and 105 healthy controls (Xinjiang cohort, n = 257). Using the biomarkers, we constructed a diagnostic model and validated it externally in 34 CAD patients and 18 healthy controls (Zhengzhou cohort, n = 52). Fecal microbial diversity was increased in CAD patients compared to that in healthy controls (P = 0.021). Phylum Bacteroidetes was increased in CAD patients versus healthy controls (P = 0.001). Correspondingly, 48 microbial markers were identified through a 10-fold cross-validation on a random forest model, and an area under the curve (AUC) of 87.7% (95% CI: 0.832 to 0.916, P < 0.001) was achieved in the Xinjiang cohort (development cohort, n = 257). Notably, an AUC of 90.4% (95% CI: 0.848 to 0.928, P < 0.001) was achieved using combined analysis of gut microbial markers and clinical variables. This model provided a robust tool for the prediction of CAD. It could be widely employed to complement the clinical assessment and prevention of CAD.

Triglyceride to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio as a predictor of long-term mortality in patients with coronary artery disease after undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention: a retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

It has been confirmed that the triglyceride to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (THR) is associated with insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome. However, to the best of our knowledge, only a few studies with small sample sizes have investigated the relationship between THR and coronary artery disease (CAD). Therefore, we aimed to assess the correlation between the THR and long-term mortality in patients with CAD after undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in our study that enrolled a large number of patients.

METHODS

A total of 3269 post-PCI patients with CAD were enrolled in the CORFCHD-ZZ study from January 2013 to December 2017. The mean follow-up time was 37.59 ± 22.24 months. Patients were divided into two groups according to their THR value: the lower group (THR < 2.84, n = 1232) and the higher group (THR ≥ 2.84, n = 2037). The primary endpoint was long-term mortality, including all-cause mortality (ACM) and cardiac mortality (CM). The secondary endpoints were major adverse cardiac events (MACEs) and major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCEs).

RESULTS

In our study, ACM occurred in 124 patients: 30 (2.4%) in the lower group and 94 (4.6%) in the higher group (P = 0.002). MACEs occurred in 362 patients: 111 (9.0%) in the lower group and 251 (12.3%) in the higher group (P = 0.003). The number of MACCEs was 482: 152 (12.3%) in the lower group and 320 (15.7%) in the higher group (P = 0.008). Heart failure occurred in 514 patients: 89 (7.2%) in the lower group and 425 (20.9%) in the higher group (P < 0.001). Kaplan-Meier analyses showed that elevated THR was significantly related to long-term ACM (log-rank, P = 0.044) and the occurrence of heart failure (log-rank, P < 0.001). Multivariate Cox regression analyses showed that the THR was an independent predictor of long-term ACM (adjusted HR = 2.042 [1.264-3.300], P = 0.004) and heart failure (adjusted HR = 1.700 [1.347-2.147], P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

An increased THR is an independent predictor of long-term ACM and heart failure in post-PCI patients with CAD.

Reduced Consolation Behaviors in Physically Stressed Mandarin Voles: Involvement of Oxytocin, Dopamine D2, and Serotonin 1A Receptors Within the Anterior Cingulate Cortex

BACKGROUND

Consolation is a type of empathy-like behavior that has recently been observed in some socially living rodents. Despite the growing body of literature suggesting that stress affects empathy, the relationship between stress and consolation remains understudied at the preclinical level. Here, we examined the effects of chronic emotional stress or physical stress exposure on consolation and emotional behaviors by using the socially monogamous mandarin vole (Microtus mandarinus) in both males and females.

METHOD/RESULTS

Physical stress voles were exposed to 14-day social defeat stress, whereas emotional stress voles vicariously experienced the defeat of their partners. We found that physical stress, but not emotional stress, voles showed reduced grooming toward their defeated partners and increased anxiety- and despair-like behaviors. Meanwhile, physical stress voles exhibited decreased neural activity in the anterior cingulate cortex, which is centrally involved in empathy. The densities of oxytocin receptors, dopamine D2 receptors, and serotonin 1A-receptors within the anterior cingulate cortex were significantly decreased in the physical stress group compared with controls. All the behavioral and physiological changes were similar between the sexes. Finally, we found that the reduced consolation behavior and some anxiety-like syndromes in physical stress voles could be alleviated by pretreatment with an oxytocin receptor, D2 receptors, or serotonin 1A-receptor agonist within the anterior cingulate cortex, whereas injections of corresponding receptor antagonists to the control voles decreased the consolation behavior and increased some anxiety-like behaviors.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results indicated that chronic physical stress exposure impaired consolation and induced anxiety-like behaviors in mandarin voles and oxytocin receptors, 5-HT1A receptors, and D2 receptors within the anterior cingulate cortex may play important roles in these processes.

[Comparison of antibiotics and saline irrigation with tube drainage in the treatment of postoperative abdominal and pelvic infectious effusion]

Objective: To compare the efficiency of saline irrigation, antibiotics irrigation and high-concentration antibiotics perfusion with tube drainage in the treatment of infectious effusion. Methods: Clinical and sonographic features of abdominal and pelvic infectious effusion of 64 patients with malignant tumor collected from September 2013 to September 2017 were retrospectively analyzed. The changes of effusion size and temperature, catheterization time were evaluated in saline irrigation group and antibiotics irrigation group. The catheterization time was compared between antibiotics irrigation group and high-concentration antibiotics perfusion group. Results: The effective rates of the saline irrigation group and the antibiotics irrigation group were 68.6% and 86.8%, respectively, and the times of catheterization were 11.9±8.4 days and 7.8±4.8 days, respectively, with significantly statistical difference (both P<0.05). However, the effective rates of the antibiotics irrigation group and the high concentration antibiotic perfusion group were 86.8% and 100.0%, respectively (P=0.067), while the times of catheterization were 7.8±4.8 days and 3.6±3.1 days, respectively (P<0.001). Conclusion: The antibiotic irrigation with tube drainage, especially the high concentration perfusion is more effective than saline in the treatment of abdominal and pelvic infection effusion.

A DNA vaccine expressing an optimized secreted FAPα induces enhanced anti-tumor activity by altering the tumor microenvironment in a murine model of breast cancer

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), major components of the tumor microenvironment (TME), promote tumor growth and metastasis and inhibit the anti-tumor immune response. We previously constructed a DNA vaccine expressing human FAPα, which is highly expressed by CAFs, to target these cells in the TME, and observed limited anti-tumor effects in the 4T1 breast cancer model. When the treatment time was delayed until tumor nodes formed, the anti-tumor effect of the vaccine completely disappeared. In this study, to improve the safety and efficacy, we constructed a new FAPα-targeted vaccine containing only the extracellular domain of human FAPα with a tissue plasminogen activator signal sequence for enhanced antigen secretion and immunogenicity. The number of CAFs was more effectively reduced by CD8⁺ T cells induced by the new vaccine. This resulted in decreases in CCL2 and CXCL12 expression, leading to a significant decrease in the ratio of myeloid-derived suppressor cells in the TME. Moreover, when mice were treated after the establishment of tumors, the vaccine could still delay tumor growth. To facilitate the future application of the vaccine in clinical trials, we further optimized the gene codons and reduced the homology between the vaccine and the original sequence, which may be convenient for evaluating the vaccine distribution in the human body. These results indicated that the new FAPα-targeted vaccine expressing an optimized secreted human FAPα induced enhanced anti-tumor activity by reducing the number of FAPα⁺ CAFs and enhancing the recruitment of effector T cells in the 4T1 tumor model mice.

Involvement of oxytocin and GABA in consolation behavior elicited by socially defeated individuals in mandarin voles

Consolation, which entails comforting contact directed toward a distressed party, is a common empathetic response in humans and other species with advanced cognition. Here, using the social defeat paradigm, we provide empirical evidence that highly social and monogamous mandarin voles (Microtus mandarinus) increased grooming toward a socially defeated partner but not toward a partner who underwent only separation. This selective behavioral response existed in both males and females. Accompanied with these behavioral changes, c-Fos expression was elevated in many of the brain regions relevant for emotional processing, such as the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, paraventricular nucleus (PVN), basal/basolateral and central nucleus of the amygdala, and lateral habenular nucleus in both sexes; in the medial preoptic area, the increase in c-Fos expression was found only in females, whereas in the medial nucleus of the amygdala, this increase was found only in males. In particular, the GAD67/c-Fos and oxytocin (OT)/c-Fos colocalization rates were elevated in the ACC and PVN, indicating selective activation of GABA and OT neurons in these regions. The "stressed" pairs matched their anxiety-like behaviors in the open-field test, and their plasma corticosterone levels correlated well with each other, suggesting an empathy-based mechanism. This partner-directed grooming was blocked by pretreatment with an OT receptor antagonist or a GABA_A receptor antagonist in the ACC but not by a V1a subtype vasopressin receptor antagonist. We conclude that consolation behavior can be elicited by the social defeat paradigm in mandarin voles, and this behavior may be involved in a coordinated network of emotion-related brain structures, which differs slightly between the sexes. We also found that the endogenous OT and the GABA systems within the ACC are essential for consolation behavior in mandarin voles.

Comprehensive evaluation of medullary thyroid carcinoma before surgery

BACKGROUND

Medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) is a rare disease, but it exhibits more aggressive behaviors. The aim of this study was to improve the diagnostic accuracy of MTC before surgery by analyzing the clinical and ultrasonic data of patients with MTC.

METHODS

The study included 71 patients (96 lesions) with histopathologically proven MTC between April 2011 and September 2016 in the Cancer Hospital of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College. The clinical characteristics and sonographic findings were retrospectively reviewed and compared between the ultrasonic correct diagnosis group and the ultrasonic misdiagnosis group with the t test or Mann-Whitney U test for quantitative parameters and the χ test or Fisher exact test for qualitative parameters.

RESULTS

Compared with the ultrasonic correct diagnosis group, the proportion of the cystic change in the ultrasonic misdiagnosed group was high (25.0% vs. 4.2%), the uncircumscribed margin and irregular shape proportions were low (20.8%, 58.3% vs. 74.7%, 87.3%), calcification was relatively rare (20.8% vs. 56.3%), and rich vascularity was relatively rare (25.0% vs. 78.9%).

CONCLUSIONS

In the case of atypical MTC, such as cystic change, circumscribed margin, regular shape, no calcification, no rich vascularity, and normal cervical lymph nodes, MTC is easily misdiagnosed as benign by ultrasound. Therefore, ultrasound, cytology and serum calcitonin should be comprehensively evaluated for a preoperative diagnosis of MTC.

Voluntary Wheel Running Reverses Deficits in Social Behavior Induced by Chronic Social Defeat Stress in Mice: Involvement of the Dopamine System

Voluntary exercise has been reported to have a therapeutic effect on many psychiatric disorders and social stress is known to impair social interaction. However, whether voluntary exercise could reverse deficits in social behaviors induced by chronic social defeat stress (CSDS) and the underlying mechanism remain unclear. The present study shows CSDS impaired social preference and induced social interaction deficiency in susceptible mice. Voluntary wheel running (VWR) reversed these effects. In addition, CSDS decreased the levels of tyrosine hydroxylase in the ventral tegmental area and the D2 receptor (D2R) in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) shell. These changes can be recovered by VWR. Furthermore, the recovery effect of VWR on deficits in social behaviors in CSDS mice was blocked by the microinjection of D2R antagonist raclopride into the NAc shell. Thus, these results suggest that the mechanism underlying CSDS-induced social interaction disorder might be caused by an alteration of the dopamine system. VWR may be a novel means to treat CSDS-induced deficits in social behaviors via modifying the dopamine system.

[Variations of peripheral blood autoantibody, immunoglobuliln, and complement levels in patients with non-lactational mastitis and their clinical significances]

OBJECTIVE

To detect the variations in peripheral blood levels of autoantibodies, immunoglobulilns and complements in patients with non-lactational mastitis and investigate whether non-lactational mastitis is an autoimmune disease with immune dysfunction.

METHODS

Seven-eight patients with non-lactational mastitis treated in our hospital between September 2013 and May 2015 and 88 healthy women (control) were examined for peripheral blood levels of antinuclear antibody (ANA), anti-histone antibody (AHA), immunoglobulins (IgA, IgM, and IgG) and complements (C3, C4, and total complements).

RESULTS

s Of the 78 patients with non-lactational mastitis, 50 (64.10%) were positive of ANA showing mainly the granular and cytoplasmic granular fluorescence patterns, and the positivity rate was significantly higher than that in the control group (P<0.000). Twenty-eight (36.00%) of the patients were positive of AHA, a rate significantly higher than that in the control group (P<0.000). The levels of IgA, IgM, C4, and total complements levels were all significantly elevated in the patients compared with those in the control group (P<0.05).

CONCLUSION

Patients with non-lactational mastitis have abnormal changes in peripheral blood levels of immunoglobulins and complements with high positivity rates for ANA and AHA, indicating that non-lactational mastitis is an autoimmune disease with immune dysfunction.

Inhibition of Cardiomyogenesis in Embryocarcinoma Cells Induced by Long-Term High Level of Glucose

BACKGROUND/AIMS

Cardiac myocytes constitute the first differentiated cell type during mammalian heart formation with the ability to beat spontaneously and rhythmically. Hyperglycemia is a primary risk factor for cardiovascular disease in pre-gestational diabetes mellitus (PGDM). However, the impact that hyperglycemia has on cardiac progenitors or on precursors differentiation remains poorly understood. The aim of the present study is to investigate whether hyperglycemia affects cardiomyogenesis of embryocarcinoma cells.

METHODS

P19CL6 cells differentiation induced by 1% DMSO was evaluated under either normal glucose (5.6 mmol/L) or high level of glucose concentrations (20 mmol/L or 40 mmol/L). To investigate the effect of long-term high level of glucose on cardiomyocytes differentiation, sarcomeric α-actinin, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor coactivator-1 (PGC-1α), transcription factor GATA4 and Nkx2.5 were assessed by qRT-PCR analysis, western blot and immunofluorescence.

RESULTS

We observed that long-term high level of glucose markedly reduced P19CL6 cells differentiation into cardiomyocytes. The change in PGC-1α expression was consistent with changes in cardiac muscle myosin expression after exposure to 20 mmol/L or 40 mmol/L of glucose. On the other hand, the high level of glucose concentration profoundly decreased both GATA4 and Nkx2-5 expressions from day 6 to day 12 after differentiation, which was induced by 1% DMSO.

CONCLUSION

Our results elucidate that the effect resulting from the long-term exposure of cardiac progenitors to high level of glucose is associated with decreased expression of GATA4 and Nkx2.5, providing a novel mechanism by which high glucose is able to affect cell differentiation.

Linking magmatism with collision in an accretionary orogen

A compilation of U-Pb age, geochemical and isotopic data for granitoid plutons in the southern Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB), enables evaluation of the interaction between magmatism and orogenesis in the context of Paleo-Asian oceanic closure and continental amalgamation. These constraints, in conjunction with other geological evidence, indicate that following consumption of the ocean, collision-related calc-alkaline granitoid and mafic magmatism occurred from 255 ± 2 Ma to 251 ± 2 Ma along the Solonker-Xar Moron suture zone. The linear or belt distribution of end-Permian magmatism is interpreted to have taken place in a setting of final orogenic contraction and weak crustal thickening, probably as a result of slab break-off. Crustal anatexis slightly post-dated the early phase of collision, producing adakite-like granitoids with some S-type granites during the Early-Middle Triassic (ca. 251–245 Ma). Between 235 and 220 Ma, the local tectonic regime switched from compression to extension, most likely caused by regional lithospheric extension and orogenic collapse. Collision-related magmatism from the southern CAOB is thus a prime example of the minor, yet tell-tale linking of magmatism with orogenic contraction and collision in an archipelago-type accretionary orogen.

Sinomonas halotolerans sp. nov., an actinobacterium isolated from a soil sample

A novel actinobacterial strain, designated CFH S0499(T), was isolated from a soil sample collected from Catba island in Halong Bay, Vietnam. The cells were observed to be Gram-stain positive, aerobic, non-motile, curved rods. The strain was found to grow optimally at 28 °C and pH 7.0. Growth was found to occur at 0-7 % NaCl. Chemotaxonomically, the peptidoglycan type was determined to be of the A3α type, with glutamic acid, glycine, alanine and lysine as the major cell wall amino acids. The whole cell sugars were found to contain mannose, galactose, glucose, ribose and rhamnose. The polar lipids were identified as diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylinositol, glycolipids and two unidentified phospholipids. The major fatty acids were identified as anteiso-C15:0, iso-C15:0, anteiso-C17:0 and iso-C16:0 and the predominant respiratory quinone as MK-9 (H2), with a minor amount of MK-10 (H4) and MK-8 (H2). The G+C content of the genomic DNA was determined to be 71.8 mol%. The 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis showed that strain CFH S0499(T) should be assigned to the genus Sinomonas and is closely related to members of the species Sinomonas atrocyanea DSM 20127(T) (98.3 %), Sinomonas soli CW 59(T) (98.28 %), Sinomonas flava CW 108(T) (98.26 %), Sinomonas mesophila MPLK 26(T) (97.5 %) and Sinomonas notoginsengisoli SYP-B 575(T) (95.8 %). DNA-DNA hybridizations showed low values (49.1-54.5 %) between strain CFH S0499(T) and its four closest neighbours. Based on phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and phylogenetic analysis, strain CFH S0499(T) is concluded to represent a novel species of the genus Sinomonas, for which the name Sinomonas halotolerans sp. nov. is proposed, with CFH S0499(T) as the type strain (=CCTCC AB2014300(T) = KCTC 39116(T)).

A Brassica napus PHT1 phosphate transporter, BnPht1;4, promotes phosphate uptake and affects roots architecture of transgenic Arabidopsis

Phosphorus (P) is one of the essential nutrient elements for plant development. In this work, BnPht1;4 gene, encoding a phosphate transporter of PHT1 family, was isolated from Brassica napus. BnPht1;4 possesses the major characteristic of PHT1 high-affinity Pi transporters in plants, such as plasma-membrane localization and 12 transmembrane-spanning domains. Quantitative reverse-transcription PCR analysis and promoter activity assay showed BnPht1;4 was inert in plants under Pi sufficient conditions. However, expression of this gene was remarkably enhanced in roots under Pi deficient conditions. Interestingly, under low Pi conditions, its promoter activity is impaired in tips of elongated roots, suggesting that the high-affinity Pi transporter may be not involved in low Pi response at root tip area. The experimental results also indicated that BnPht1;4 induction by Pi deficiency is dependent on the existence of sugar. In 35S:BnPht1;4 transgenic Arabidopsis, the increase of Pi availability resulted in the change of root architecture under Pi deficient conditions, showing longer primary roots and lower lateral root density than that of wild type. By cis-element analysis, two P1BS and two W-box elements were found in BnPht1;4 promoter. Yeast one-hybrid assay indicated that PHR1 could bind to the BnPht1;4 promoter. P1BS elements in BnPht1;4 promoter are essential for BnPht1;4 induction in Pi starvation response. Furthermore, WRKY75 could bind to the BnPht1;4 promoter, in which W-box elements are important for this binding. These results indicated BnPht1;4 may be dually controlled by two family regulators under low Pi responses. Thus, our data on the regulative mechanism of high-affinity Pi transporter in Pi starvation response will be valuable for B. napus molecular agriculture.

In vitro synergistic antitumor efficacy of sequentially combined chemotherapy/icotinib in non‑small cell lung cancer cell lines

The concurrent administration of chemotherapy and epidermal growth factor receptor‑tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR‑TKIs) has previously produced a negative interaction and failed to confer a survival benefit to non‑small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients compared with first‑line cytotoxic chemotherapy. The present study aimed to investigate the optimal schedule of the combined treatment of cisplatin/paclitaxel and icotinib in NSCLC cell lines and clarify the underlying mechanisms. HCC827, H1975, H1299 and A549 human NSCLC cell lines with wild‑type and mutant EGFR genes were used as in vitro models to define the differential effects of various schedules of cisplatin/paclitaxel with icotinib treatments on cell growth, proliferation, cell cycle distribution, apoptosis, and EGFR signaling pathway. Sequence‑dependent antiproliferative effects differed among the four NSCLC cell lines, and were not associated with EGFR mutation, constitutive expression levels of EGFR or downstream signaling molecules. The antiproliferative effect of cisplatin plus paclitaxel followed by icotinib was superior to that of cisplatin or paclitaxel followed by icotinib in the HCC827, H1975, H1299 and A549 cell lines, and induced more cell apoptosis and G0/G1 phase arrest. Cisplatin and paclitaxel significantly increased the expression of EGFR phosphorylation in the HCC827 cell line. However, only paclitaxel increased the expression of EGFR phosphorylation in the H1975 cell line. Cisplatin/paclitaxel followed by icotinib influenced the expression of p‑EGFR and p‑AKT, although the expression of p‑ERK1/2 remained unchanged. The results suggest that the optimal schedule of the combined treatment of cisplatin/paclitaxel and icotinib differed among the NSCLC cell lines. The results also provide molecular evidence to support clinical treatment strategies for NSCLC patients.

Novel TBX1 loss-of-function mutation causes isolated conotruncal heart defects in Chinese patients without 22q11.2 deletion

Background

TBX1 and CRKL haploinsufficiency is thought to cause the cardiac phenotype of the 22q11.2 deletion syndrome. However, few unequivocal mutations of TBX1 and CRKL have been discovered in isolated conotrucal heart defects (CTDs) patients. The aim of the study was to screen the mutation of TBX1 and CRKL in isolated CTDs Chinese patients without 22q11.2 deletion and identify the pathomechanism of the missense mutations.

Methods

We enrolled 199 non-22q11.2 deletion patients with CTDs and 139 unrelated healthy controls. Gene sequencing were performed for all of them. The functional data of mutations were obtained by in vitro transfection and luciferase experiments and computer modelling.

Results

Screening of the TBX1 coding sequence identified a de novo missense mutation (c.385G → A; p.E129K) and a known polymorphism (c.928G → A; p.G310S). In vitro experiments demonstrate that the TBX1^E129K variant almost lost transactivation activity. The TBX1^G310S variant seems to affect the interaction of TBX1 with other factors. Computer molecular dynamics simulations showed the de novo missense mutation is likely to affect TBX1-DNA interaction. No mutation of CRKL gene was found.

Conclusions

These observations suggest that the TBX1 loss-of-function mutation may be involved in the pathogenesis of isolated CTDs. This is the first human missense mutation showing that TBX1 is a candidate causing isolated CTDs in Chinese patients without 22q11.2 deletion.

Suppression of lung cancer cell invasion by LKB1 is due to the downregulation of tissue factor and vascular endothelial growth factor, partly dependent on SP1

LKB1 encodes a serine/threonine kinase generally inactivated in many human cancers, which mediates cancer cell proliferation, migration and differentiation. Recent studies indicated that LKB1 exhibits potent anti-metastatic activity. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms of this activity remain unclear. In this study, we re‑introduced LKB1 into A549 lung cancer cells that lack the LKB1 gene to investigate how LKB1 affects tumor invasiveness and metastasis. We demonstrated that overexpression of the LKB1 protein in lung cancer cells resulted in significant inhibition of invasion. Furthermore, transfected lung cancer cells with LKB1 suppressed tissue factor (TF) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression at both the mRNA and protein levels. Here, we provided evidence showing that downregulation of TF and VEGF by LKB1 is correlated well with the inhibition of cell invasion. Overexpression of the LKB1 protein in human lung cancer is significantly associated with a decrease in activity and expression of the transcription factor SP1. Constitutive activation of the transcription factor Sp1 plays a critical role in TF and VEGF overexpression. We conclude that suppression of lung cancer cell invasion by LKB1 through downregulation of TF and VEGF may partly depend on its inhibitory effect on the transcription factor Sp1. Collectively, our data provide a novel molecular mechanism for the antitumor activity of LKB1 and may help further improve its effectiveness in controlling lung cancer growth and invasion.

Expression and significance of the novel tumor-suppressor gene SMG-1 in hepatocellular carcinoma

Recent studies have demonstrated that SMG-1, a newly characterized member of the family of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-related protein kinases (PIKKs), is involved in tumorigenesis as a new tumor suppressor. However, its expression and significance in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain obscure. The present study investigated SMG-1 expression in HCC tissue specimens, aimed at defining the association with clinicopathological significance. Both immunohistochemistry and qRT-PCR were employed to analyze SMG-1 expression in 157 HCC and corresponding distant normal tissue specimens. The results revealed that expression of SMG-1 was significantly lower in the HCC tissue specimens than that in the distant normal tissues. Moreover, a lower expression level of SMG-1 was significantly correlated with serum α-fetoprotein level (P=0.001), poorly differentiated tumors (P=0.009) and more advanced TNM stage (P<0.001). Further study showed that SMG-1 expression was exactly associated with tumor differentiation and clinical stage in HCC. Kaplan-Meier analysis indicated that low SMG-1 expression was related to poor overall survival, and the prognostic impact of SMG-1 was further confirmed by stratified survival analysis. Importantly, multivariate analysis revealed that low SMG-1 expression was an independent prognostic marker for an unfavorable overall survival. We conclude that SMG-1 is downregulated in HCC and may represent a promising biomarker for predicting the prognosis of HCC, including the prognosis of early-stage patients.

Two Brassica napus genes encoding NAC transcription factors are involved in response to high-salinity stress

The NAC protein family is one of the novel classes of plant-specific transcription factors. In this study, two genes (BnNAC2 and BnNAC5) encoding the putative NAC transcription factors were identified in Brassica napus. Sequence analysis revealed that the deduced BnNAC proteins contain conserved N-terminal region (NAC domain) and highly divergent C-terminal domain. Yeast transactivation analysis showed that BnNAC2 could activate reporter gene expression, suggesting that BnNAC2 functions as a transcriptional activator. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis revealed that BnNAC2 was preferentially expressed in flowers, whereas BnNAC5 mRNAs accumulated at the highest level in stems. Further experimental results indicated that the two genes are high-salinity-, drought- and abscisic acid (ABA)-induced. Overexpression of BnNAC2 and BnNAC5 genes in yeast (Schizosaccharomyces pombe) remarkably inhibited the growth rate of the host cells, and enhanced the cells sensitive to high-salinity and osmotic stresses. Complementation test indicated that BnNAC5 could recover the defects such as salt-hypersensitivity and accelerated-leaf senescence of vni2 T-DNA insertion mutant. Several stress-responsive genes including COR15A and RD29A were enhanced in the complemented plants. These results suggest that BnNAC5 may perform the similar function of VNI2 in response to high-salinity stress and regulation of leaf aging. Key message BnNAC2 and BnNAC5 are salt-, drought- and ABA-induced genes. Overexpression of BnNAC5 in Arabidopsis vni2 mutant recovered the mutant defects (salt-hypersensitivity and accelerated-leaf senescence) to the phenotype of wild type.