CBCT evaluation of root canal morphology and anatomical relationship of root of maxillary second premolar to maxillary sinus in a western Chinese population

BACKGROUND

To evaluate the root anatomy, root canal morphology and the anatomical relationship between the roots and maxillary sinus of maxillary second premolars by CBCT in a western Chinese population.

METHODS

A total of 1118 CBCT scans of the maxillary second premolars were collected from West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University. Information below were measured on axial, coronal and sagittal sections, recorded and evaluated properly: the number of roots and canals, the morphology of canal system classified by Vertucci standard, the inter-orifice distance of canal orifices, the curvature of each canal and the distance from root tip to maxillary sinus floor.

RESULTS

Among the 1118 teeth, 94.2% (1053) are single-rooted and 55.1% (616) have one canal. Type I (55.1%) is the commonest root canal morphology followed by Type II (31.9%). The mean inter-orifice distance (IOD) for multi-canal teeth ranging from 2.72 ± 0.32 to 3.41 ± 0.11 mm. Of 1622 canals, 38.8% (630) curvature are mesiodistal and 30.9% (501) are straight canals. The distance from root tip to maxillary sinus floor increased with age and the mean distance of single-rooted ones is 2.47 ± 3.45 mm.

CONCLUSIONS

All kinds of canal morphology category can be detected in maxillary second premolars. The IOD might be a predictable factor for root canal morphology. Roots of maxillary second premolars are related to maxillary sinus which should be treated carefully.

Characterization of serum adiponectin and leptin in healthy perinatal dairy cows or cows with ketosis, and their effectson ketosis involved indices

We investigated changes in concentrations of ADP (adiponectin), LEP (leptin), BHBA (beta-hydroxybutyric acid), NEFA (non-esterified fatty acid), Glucose (Glu) and INS (insulin) in serum of healthy perinatal dairy cows and cows with ketosis. Twenty-one healthy cows and seventeen cows with ketosis from a herd of a total 60 Holstein cows (near dry period i.e. 56 days antepartum) were selected. Blood was collected through the tail vein every 7 days, from 56 day antepartum to 56 day postpartum. Serum ADP, LEP, BHBA, NEFA, Glu, and INS concentrations were determined, and ketosis was diagnosed through serum BHBA (≥1.2 mmol/L). We showed the concentration of serum adipokines and energy balancing indices were stable during antepar- tum period. However, ADP concentration increased while LEP decreased, and there were a significant increase in cows with ketosis compared to that of in healthy cows. Serum BHBA and NEFA concentrations increased significantly at first, and then gradually decreased in both healthy cows and cows with ketosis. However, cows with ketosis showed higher concentrations of BHBA and NEFA which restored later. The serum concentration of Glu in both healthy dairy cows and cows with ketosis showed a decreasing trend. INS concentration in healthy cows was decreased while it was increased in cows with ketosis. The results reflect the extent of hypo- glycemia and lipid mobilization postpartum, suggest IR exists in cows with ketosis while serum ADP and LEP might play roles in the development of ketosis.

d-Alanine metabolic pathway, a potential target for antibacterial drug designing in Enterococcus faecalis

Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis) is associated with persistent root canal infection because of its biofilm and various virulence factors. However, E. faecalis exhibits extensive drug resistance. d-Alanine (D-Ala) metabolism is essential for bacterial peptidoglycan biosynthesis. d-cycloserine (DCS), a second line drug used in the treatment of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection, can inhibit two key enzymes in D-Ala metabolism: alanine racemase and d-alanine-d-alanine ligase. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of D-Ala metabolism on E. faecalis growth, cell wall integrity, biofilm formation and virulence gene expression by additional DCS with or without D-Ala. The results showed that DCS inhibited the planktonic growth and biofilm formation of E. faecalis in a dose-dependent manner. Both the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum biofilm inhibition concentration (MBIC) of DCS against E. faecalis were 200 μg/ml, whereas 50 μg/ml of DCS could inhibit planktonic growth and biofilm formation effectively. The addition of DCS also resulted in bacterial cell wall damage, biofilm surface roughness increase and biofilm adhesion force reduction. Moreover, the treatment of DCS downregulated the expression of asa1, esp, efaA, gelE, sprE, fsrB and ace genes. However, all of these inhibitory effects of DCS could be rescued by the addition of exogenous D-Ala. Meanwhile, DCS exhibited no toxicity to HGEs and HOKs. Therefore, D-Ala metabolic pathway in E. faecalis is a potential target for drug designing.

The potential neurological effect of the COVID-19 vaccines: A review

The coronavirus disease 2019 caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) has become a pandemic with people infected in almost all countries. The most efficient solution to end this pandemic is a safe and efficient vaccine. Classic platforms are used to develop vaccines including live‐attenuated vaccine, inactivated vaccine, protein subunit vaccine, and viral vector. Nucleic acid vaccine uses next‐generation platforms for their development. Vaccines are now rushing to the market. Eleven candidates are in advance development. These comprise inactivated vaccines, viral vector vaccine, nucleic acid vaccine, and the protein subunit vaccine platform, which are now quite advanced in trials in various geographic and ethnic populations. The reported severe adverse effects raised the worries about their safety. It becomes critical to know whether these vaccines will cause neurologic disorders like previously recognized vaccine‐related demyelinating diseases, fever‐induced seizure, and other possible deficits. We reviewed the most promising COVID‐2 vaccines with a particular interest in mechanism(s) and adverse effect(s). We exemplify potential neurological problems these vaccines could cause by looking at previous studies. The current evidence indicated a minor risk of the acute neurological disorders after the application. The observation of the long‐time effect is still needed.

Scientific considerations for global drug development

Requiring regional or in-country confirmatory clinical trials before approval of drugs already approved elsewhere delays access to medicines in low- and middle-income countries and raises drug costs. Here, we discuss the scientific and technological advances that may reduce the need for in-country or in-region clinical trials for drugs approved in other countries and limitations of these advances that could necessitate in-region clinical studies.

Oxypurinol pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics in healthy volunteers: Influence of BCRP Q141K polymorphism and patient characteristics

The missense variant, breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP) p.Q141K, which encodes a reduced function BCRP, has been linked to poor response to allopurinol. Using a multifaceted approach, we aimed to characterize the relationship(s) between BCRP p.Q141K, the pharmacokinetics (PK) and pharmacodynamics (PD) of oxypurinol (the active metabolite of allopurinol), and serum uric acid (SUA) levels. A prospective clinical study (NCT02956278) was conducted in which healthy volunteers were given a single oral dose of 300 mg allopurinol followed by intensive blood sampling. Data were analyzed using noncompartmental analysis and population PK/PD modeling. Additionally, electronic health records were analyzed to investigate whether clinical inhibitors of BCRP phenocopied the effects of the p.Q141K variant with respect to SUA. Subjects homozygous for p.Q141K had a longer half‐life (34.2 ± 12.2 h vs. 19.1 ± 1.42 h) of oxypurinol. The PK/PD model showed that women had a 24.8% lower volume of distribution. Baseline SUA was affected by p.Q141K genotype and renal function; that is, it changed by 48.8% for every 1 mg/dl difference in serum creatinine. Real‐world data analyses showed that patients prescribed clinical inhibitors of BCRP have higher SUA levels than those that have not been prescribed inhibitors of BCRP, consistent with the idea that BCRP inhibitors phenocopy the effects of p.Q141K on uric acid levels. This study identified important covariates of oxypurinol PK/PD that could affect its efficacy for the treatment of gout as well as a potential side effect of BCRP inhibitors on increasing uric acid levels, which has not been described previously.

Drugs in COVID-19 Clinical Trials: Predicting Transporter-Mediated Drug-Drug Interactions Using In Vitro Assays and Real-World Data

Numerous drugs are currently under accelerated clinical investigation for the treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19); however, well‐established safety and efficacy data for these drugs are limited. The goal of this study was to predict the potential of 25 small molecule drugs in clinical trials for COVID‐19 to cause clinically relevant drug‐drug interactions (DDIs), which could lead to potential adverse drug reactions (ADRs) with the use of concomitant medications. We focused on 11 transporters, which are targets for DDIs. In vitro potency studies in membrane vesicles or HEK293 cells expressing the transporters coupled with DDI risk assessment methods revealed that 20 of the 25 drugs met the criteria from regulatory authorities to trigger consideration of a DDI clinical trial. Analyses of real‐world data from electronic health records, including a database representing nearly 120,000 patients with COVID‐19, were consistent with several of the drugs causing transporter‐mediated DDIs (e.g., sildenafil, chloroquine, and hydroxychloroquine). This study suggests that patients with COVID‐19, who are often older and on various concomitant medications, should be carefully monitored for ADRs. Future clinical studies are needed to determine whether the drugs that are predicted to inhibit transporters at clinically relevant concentrations, actually result in DDIs.

The Role of Neutrophil Extracellular Traps in Periodontitis

Periodontitis is a chronic, destructive disease of periodontal tissues caused by multifaceted, dynamic interactions. Periodontal bacteria and host immunity jointly contribute to the pathological processes of the disease. The dysbiotic microbial communities elicit an excessive immune response, mainly by polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs). As one of the main mechanisms of PMN immune response in the oral cavity, neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) play a crucial role in the initiation and progression of late-onset periodontitis. NETs are generated and released by neutrophils stimulated by various irritants, such as pathogens, host-derived mediators, and drugs. Chromatin and proteins are the main components of NETs. Depending on the characteristics of the processes, three main pathways of NET formation have been described. NETs can trap and kill pathogens by increased expression of antibacterial components and identifying and trapping bacteria to restrict their spread. Moreover, NETs can promote and reduce inflammation, inflicting injuries on the tissues during the pro-inflammation process. During their long-term encounter with NETs, periodontal bacteria have developed various mechanisms, including breaking down DNA of NETs, degrading antibacterial proteins, and impacting NET levels in the pocket environment to resist the antibacterial function of NETs. In addition, periodontal pathogens can secrete pro-inflammatory factors to perpetuate the inflammatory environment and a friendly growth environment, which are responsible for the progressive tissue damage. By learning the strategies of pathogens, regulating the periodontal concentration of NETs becomes possible. Some practical ways to treat late-onset periodontitis are reducing the concentration of NETs, administering anti-inflammatory therapy, and prescribing broad-spectrum and specific antibacterial agents. This review mainly focuses on the mechanism of NETs, pathogenesis of periodontitis, and potential therapeutic approaches based on interactions between NETs and periodontal pathogens.

Long non-coding RNA LINC00665 promotes metastasis of breast cancer cells by triggering EMT

OBJECTIVE

In recent years, studies have found that abnormally expressed long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) is closely associated with the progression of breast cancer (BCa). Some lncRNAs have been identified to be involved in the regulation of BCa cell invasion and metastasis. In this research, LINC00665 was found to be abnormally expressed in BCa tissues and cells, and its regulatory effects on invasion and metastasis of BCa were explored. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression characteristics of LINC00665 in BCa, and its regulatory role in BCa progression.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

LINC00665 expressions in BCa tissue samples and normal ones were collected from GEPIA database. The expression of LINC00665 in BCa tissues and cell lines was further confirmed by quantitative Real Time-Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR). After knockdown of LINC00665 expression in BCa cells by transfection of small interfering RNA, cell migration and invasion abilities were examined by cell wound healing and transwell assay. Expressions of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related markers in BCa cells were examined using qRT-PCR and Western blot.

RESULTS

LINC00665 was highly expressed in BCa tissues and cell lines, and the high expression of LINC00665 could be used to predict a poor prognosis of BCa patients. In addition, the results of in vitro cell experiments showed that the migration and invasion ability of BCa cells were remarkably attenuated after downregulation of LINC00665. At the same time, qRT-PCR and Western blot results revealed that downregulation of LINC00665 was able to inhibit the expressions of EMT-related genes in BCa cells.

CONCLUSIONS

LINC00665 is highly expressed in BCa tissues and cell lines, which could predict poor prognosis of BCa patients. In addition, LINC00665 may promote the malignant metastasis of BCa cells by affecting the EMT process.

Anticaries activity of GERM CLEAN in Streptococcus mutans and Candida albicans dual-species biofilm

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the antimicrobial effects of a peptide containing novel oral spray GERM CLEAN on dual-species biofilm formed by Streptococcus mutans and Candida albicans and to investigate whether GERM CLEAN inhibits the demineralization procedure of bovine enamel in vitro.

METHODS

The antimicrobial effects of GERM CLEAN on dual-species biofilm were analyzed by initial adherence rate calculation, water-insoluble exopolysaccharides quantification, total biomass quantification, and colony-forming units (CFUs) counting. Scanning electron microscopy and confocal laser scanning microscopy were applied to evaluate the impacts of GERM CLEAN on the biofilm structure. Further, the effects of GERM CLEAN on acidogenicity of dual-species were appraised via glycolytic pH drop analysis and hydroxyapatite dissolution measurement. The percentage of Surface Microhardness Reduction (%SMHR) evaluation, Atomic Force Micrograph (AFM) examination, and Transverse Microradiography (TMR) analysis after pH cycling were used to determine whether GERM CLEAN inhibited the demineralization of bovine enamel.

RESULTS

GERM CLEAN decreased the adherence rate, water-insoluble EPS production, biofilm formation, and acidogenicity of the dual-species. Moreover, GERM CLEAN significantly inhibited the demineralization status of bovine enamels.

CONCLUSION

This peptide containing novel oral spray GERM CLEAN has antimicrobial potential toward the dual-species. GERM CLEAN can also impede the demineralization procedure of enamel.

Pro-osteogenesis and in vivo tracking investigation of a dental implantation system comprising novel mTi implant and HYH-Fe particles

Insufficient early osteogenesis seriously affects the later stage osteogenic quality and osseointegration of dental implants. To promote early osteogenesis, we first designed a Ti dental implant with a built-in magnet (mTi) to produce a local static magnetic field (SMF). Then, a dental implantation system comprising the mTi implant and the superparamagnetic hydroxyapatite (HA:Yb/Ho-Fe, named HYH-Fe) particles was implanted into the alveolar bone of beagles. The results showed that the mTi + HYH-Fe group displayed better early osteogenesis and later stage osseointegration than the Ti + HA and mTi + HA groups. A combination of the local SMF (mTi) and superparamagnetic HYH-Fe particles had a positive effect on the pro-osteogenesis of Ti implants. The results also indicated that week 10 could be adopted as the key time point to evaluate the early osteogenic effect of the mTi + HYH-Fe implantation system, which would be a promising prospect for promotion of osteogenesis, in vivo tracking investigation of material-bone relationships, and clinical applications.

Discovery of the acetyl cation, CH3CO+, in space and in the laboratory

Using the Yebes 40m and IRAM 30m radiotelescopes, we detected two series of harmonically related lines in space that can be fitted to a symmetric rotor. The lines have been seen towards the cold dense cores TMC-1, L483, L1527, and L1544. High level of theory ab initio calculations indicate that the best possible candidate is the acetyl cation, CH3CO+, which is the most stable product resulting from the protonation of ketene. We have produced this species in the laboratory and observed its rotational transitions Ju = 10 up to Ju = 27. Hence, we report the discovery of CH3CO+ in space based on our observations, theoretical calculations, and laboratory experiments. The derived rotational and distortion constants allow us to predict the spectrum of CH3CO+ with high accuracy up to 500 GHz. We derive an abundance ratio N(H2CCO)/N(CH3CO+)~44. The high abundance of the protonated form of H2CCO is due to the high proton affinity of the neutral species. The other isomer, H2CCOH+, is found to be 178.9 kJ mol-1 above CH3CO+. The observed intensity ratio between the K=0 and K=1 lines, ~2.2, strongly suggests that the A and E symmetry states have suffered interconversion processes due to collisions with H and/or H2, or during their formation through the reaction of H 3 + with H2CCO.

Correlated Sensory and Sympathetic Innervation Between the Acupoint BL23 and Kidney in the Rat

Objective: To investigate the sensory and sympathetic innervations associated with both acupoint “Shenshu” (BL23) and kidney in the rat for insight into the neuronal correlation between the Back-Shu Point and its corresponding visceral organ.

Methods: The BL23 and kidney were selected as the representative acupoint and visceral organ in this study, in which their local nerve fibers were examined by using double fluorescent immunohistochemistry with calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH). Meanwhile, their neuronal correlation in the dorsal root ganglia (DRGs), spinal cord, and sympathetic (paravertebral) chain were investigated using a double fluorescent neural tracing technique with Alexa Fluor 488 and 594 conjugates with cholera toxin subunit B (AF488/594-CTB).

Results: The local tissue of acupoint BL23 and the fibrous capsule of kidney distributed abundantly with CGRP- and TH-positive nerve fibers, corresponding to their sensory and sympathetic innervation. On the other hand, the sensory neurons associated with acupoint BL23 and kidney were labeled with AF488/594-CTB and distributed from thoracic (T) 11 to lumbar (L) 3 DRGs and from T10 to L2 DRGs, respectively, in which some of them in T12-T13 DRGs were simultaneously labeled with both AF488/594-CTB. Also, postganglionic neurons associated with both acupoint BL23 and kidney were found in the sympathetic chain at the same spinal segments but separately labeled with AF488-CTB and AF594-CTB.

Conclusion: Our study demonstrates the neural characteristics of the acupoint BL23 and kidney in the rat from the perspective of neurochemistry and neural pathways, providing an example for understanding the neuronal correlation between the Back-Shu Points and their corresponding visceral organs. These results suggest that the stimulation of the Back-Shu Points may regulate the activities of the target-organs via the periphery sensory and sympathetic pathways.

Visualizing the Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide Immunoreactive Innervation of the Rat Cranial Dura Mater with Immunofluorescence and Neural Tracing

The aim of this study was to examine the distribution and origin of the calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP)-immunoreactive sensory nerve fibers of the cranial dura mater using immunofluorescence, three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction and retrograde tracing technique. Here, the nerve fibers and blood vessels were stained using immunofluorescence and histochemistry techniques with CGRP and fluorescent phalloidin, respectively. The spatial correlation of dural CGRP-immuoreactive nerve fibers and blood vessels were demonstrated by 3D reconstruction. Meanwhile, the origin of the CGRP-immunoreactive nerve fibers were detected by neural tracing technique with fluorogold (FG) from the area around middle meningeal artery (MMA) in the cranial dura mater to the trigeminal ganglion (TG) and cervical (C) dorsal root ganglia (DRGs). In addition, the chemical characteristics of FG-labeled neurons in the TG and DRGs were also examined together with CGRP using double immunofluorescences. Taking advantage of the transparent whole-mount sample and 3D reconstruction, it was shown that CGRP-immunoreactive nerve fibers and phalloidin-labeled arterioles run together or separately forming a dural neurovascular network in a 3D view, while the FG-labeled neurons were found in the ophthalmic, maxillary, and mandibular branches of TG, as well as the C2-3 DRGs ipsilateral to the side of tracer application in which some of FG-labeled neurons presented with CGRP-immunoreactive expression. With these approaches, we demonstrated the distributional characteristics of CGRP-immunoreactive nerve fibers around the blood vessels in the cranial dura mater, as well as the origin of these nerve fibers from TG and DRGs. From the perspective of methodology, it may provide a valuable reference for understanding the complicated neurovascular structure of the cranial dura mater under the physiological or pathological condition.

[Study on classification and identification of depressed patients and healthy people among adolescents based on optimization of brain characteristics of network]

To enhance the accuracy of computer-aided diagnosis of adolescent depression based on electroencephalogram signals, this study collected signals of 32 female adolescents (16 depressed and 16 healthy, age: 16.3 ± 1.3) with eyes colsed for 4 min in a resting state. First, based on the phase synchronization between the signals, the phase-locked value (PLV) method was used to calculate brain functional connectivity in the θ and α frequency bands, respectively. Then based on the graph theory method, the network parameters, such as strength of the weighted network, average characteristic path length, and average clustering coefficient, were calculated separately ( P < 0.05). Next, using the relationship between multiple thresholds and network parameters, the area under the curve (AUC) of each network parameter was extracted as new features ( P < 0.05). Finally, support vector machine (SVM) was used to classify the two groups with the network parameters and their AUC as features. The study results show that with strength, average characteristic path length, and average clustering coefficient as features, the classification accuracy in the θ band is increased from 69% to 71%, 66% to 77%, and 50% to 68%, respectively. In the α band, the accuracy is increased from 72% to 79%, 69% to 82%, and 65% to 75%, respectively. And from overall view, when AUC of network parameters was used as a feature in the α band, the classification accuracy is improved compared to the network parameter feature. In the θ band, only the AUC of average clustering coefficient was applied to classification, and the accuracy is improved by 17.6%. The study proved that based on graph theory, the method of feature optimization of brain function network could provide some theoretical support for the computer-aided diagnosis of adolescent depression.

LncRNA SAMD12-AS1 down-regulates P53 to promote malignant progression of glioma

OBJECTIVE

To study the expression level of long non-coding RNA (LncRNA) SAMD12-AS1 in glioma and its influence on the invasive ability of glioma cells; meanwhile, the regulation mechanism of LncRNA SAMD12-AS1 promoting the development of glioma was further explored.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The expression level of SAMD12-AS1 in 40 pairs of tumor tissue specimens and paracancerous ones collected from glioma patients were examined through Real Time quantitative-Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR) method, and the interplay between SAMD12-AS1 expression and clinical indicators of glioma patients was also analyzed. Meanwhile, the expression of SAMD12-AS1 in glioma cell lines was further verified by qRT-PCR. In addition, SAMD12-AS1 knockdown model was constructed using glioma cell lines (T98-G and U87). Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), cell wound healing test, and transwell assays were conducted to examine the impact of SAMD12-AS on glioma cell functions. Additionally, whether it exerted its biological characteristics through P53 was finally explored.

RESULTS

qPCR results in the study revealed that SAMD12-AS1 expression in tumor tissue specimens of glioma patients was remarkably higher than that in the adjacent ones, and the difference was statistically significant. Compared with patients with low expression of SAMD12-AS1, patients with high expression of SAMD1-AS1 had a higher incidence of lymph node or distant metastasis. In addition, compared to the NC group, knocking down SAMD12-AS1 markedly attenuated the proliferation rate, as well as the invasiveness and migration ability of glioma cells. Subsequently, in glioma tissues, it was verified that P53 expression was remarkably decreased and negatively correlated with SAMD12-AS1. Finally, cell recovery experiment also demonstrated that there may exist a mutual regulation between SAMD12-AS1 and P53, which then together affected the malignant progression of glioma.

CONCLUSIONS

LncRNA SAMD12-AS1 may accelerate the invasion and migratory capacities of glioma cells by modulating P53, and its expression was confirmed to be significantly relevant to the incidence of lymph node or distant metastasis.

[Survey of related factors of maternal venous thromboembolism in nine hospitals of China]

Objective: To investigate and analyze disease status and risk factors of venous thromboembolism (VTE) during pregnancy and puerperium in our country. Methods: Clinical datas were collected from 575 patients diagnosed with VTE during pregnancy and puerperium and hospitalized in nine medical institutions in our country from January 1, 2015 to November 30, 2019, and retrospectively analyzed it's disease status and risk factors. Results: (1) The proportion of VTE in pregnancy and puerperium was 50.6% (291/575) and 49.4% (284/575), respectively. Four patients died, the mortality rate was 0.7% (4/575). The cause of death was pulmonary embolism. (2) The location of VTE during pregnancy and puerperium was mainly in the lower limb vascular (76.2%, 438/575), followed by pulmonary vessels (7.1%, 41/575). (3) In the risk factors of VTE, cesarean section accounted for 32.3% (186/575), maternal advance age accounted for 27.7% (159/575), braking or hospitalization during pregnancy accounted for 13.6% (78/575), other risk factors accounted for more than 5% were previous VTE, obesity, preterm birth, assistant reproductive technology conception and so on, pre-eclampsia and multiple pregnancy accounted for 4.9% (28/575) respectively. In addition, some patients with VTE did not have any of the above risk factors, and the incidence rate was as high as 23.1% (133/575). Conclusions: The occurrence of VTE during pregnancy and puerperium is related to multiple risk factors, and could lead to matemal death, It is very necessary to screen VTE risk factors for all pregnant women, to make corresponding prevention and control measures.

Deorphaning a solute carrier 22 family member, SLC22A15, through functional genomic studies

The human solute carrier 22A (SLC22A) family consists of 23 members, representing one of the largest families in the human SLC superfamily. Despite their pharmacological and physiological importance in the absorption and disposition of a range of solutes, eight SLC22A family members remain classified as orphans. In this study, we used a multifaceted approach to identify ligands of orphan SLC22A15. Ligands of SLC22A15 were proposed based on phylogenetic analysis and comparative modeling. The putative ligands were then confirmed by metabolomic screening and uptake assays in SLC22A15 transfected HEK293 cells. Metabolomic studies and transporter assays revealed that SLC22A15 prefers zwitterionic compounds over cations and anions. We identified eight zwitterions, including ergothioneine, carnitine, carnosine, gabapentin, as well as four cations, including MPP⁺ , thiamine, and cimetidine, as substrates of SLC22A15. Carnosine was a specific substrate of SLC22A15 among the transporters in the SLC22A family. SLC22A15 transport of several substrates was sodium-dependent and exhibited a higher Km for ergothioneine, carnitine, and carnosine compared to previously identified transporters for these ligands. This is the first study to characterize the function of SLC22A15. Our studies demonstrate that SLC22A15 may play an important role in determining the systemic and tissue levels of ergothioneine, carnosine, and other zwitterions.

[Microstructural characteristics of lymphatic vessels in skin tissues of acupoints "Taichong" and "Yongquan" in the rat]

OBJECTIVE

To provide a new method for investigating the histological characteristics of acupoints by obser-ving the microstructure of the lymphatic vessels in the skin tissue of "Taichong" (LR3) and "Yongquan" (KI1) regions.

METHODS

Six male SD rats were used in the present study. The skin tissue of LR3 and KI1 from the hind foot were taken following transcardial perfusion with 4% paraformaldehyde. The skin tissues were cut into sagittal sections with a freezing microtome and stained by fluorescent immunohistochemistry with lymphatic vessel endothelial hyaluronan receptor 1 (LYVE-1), calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), and phalloidin for displaying the lymphatic vessels, nerve fibers, and blood vessels, separately. The samples were viewed and recorded using fluorescent microscope and laser scanning confocal microscope.

RESULTS

In the skin tissue of LR3 and KI1 regions, the lymphatic vessels, nerve fibers, and blood vessels were labeled with LYVE-1, CGRP and phalloidin, respectively. The lymphatic capillaries were found to start from the enlarged blind end and distribute in the dermis and subcutaneous tissues with various forms, crisscrossing. Abundant blood capillaries at various thickness distributed around the lymphatic capillaries in a parallel or crossed pattern, intermingled with free nerve fibers.

CONCLUSION

The lymphatic capillaries, blood capillaries and nerve fibers extensively distribute in the skin tissues of LR3 and KI1 regions in rats, suggesting an involvement of the immunomodulation in the effects of acupuncture in pathological conditions, despite being not limited to the acupoint regions in the distribution of lymphatic capillaries.

Influences of hucMSC-exosomes on VEGF and BMP-2 expression in SNFH rats

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the influences of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes (hucMSC-exosome) on steroid-induced necrosis of the femoral head (SNFH) and the expressions of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) in rats.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A total of 20 male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into SNFH group and SNFH + hucMSC-exosome group using a random number table. Prednisolone acetate (24.5 mg/kg) was injected twice a week to establish the rat model of SNFH, and hucMSC-exosome in a certain dose was additionally injected into the marrow cavity in SNFH + hucMSC-exosome group. After 3 weeks, the influences of hucMSC-exosome on the pathological changes and apoptosis of the femoral head in SNFH rats were detected via hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) staining and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining. In addition, the expressions of cluster of differentiation 31 (CD31), VEGF, and BMP-2 in bone tissues in both groups were detected via immunohistochemical staining, and the messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) and protein expression levels of VEGF and BMP-2 in necrotic bone tissues in both groups were detected via Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blotting.

RESULTS

The results of H&E staining revealed that the fibrous callus formation was good, the new trabecular structure was more obvious, the number of vacuum cleft declined, and there were fewer enlarged adipocytes in SNFH + hucMSC-exosome group compared with SNFH group. The results of TUNEL staining showed that the number of apoptotic cells in femoral head tissues was smaller in SNFH + hucMSC-exosome group (p<0.05). According to the results of immunohistochemistry, hucMSC-exosome could increase the expression of vascular endothelial marker CD31 in SNFH rats (p<0.05). Besides, the results of RT-PCR, immunostaining and Western blotting manifested that both the mRNA and protein levels of BMP-2 and VEGF in femoral head tissues were significantly increased in SNFH + hucMSC-exosome group (p<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

HucMSC-exosome can improve SNFH in rats, whose mechanism may be related to the up-regulation of VEGF and BMP-2 by exosomes.

Drug Metabolites Potently Inhibit Renal Organic Anion Transporters, OAT1 and OAT3

Human OAT1 and OAT3 play major roles in renal drug elimination and drug-drug interactions. However, there is little information on the interactions of drug metabolites with transporters. The goal of this study was to characterize the interactions of drug metabolites with OAT1 and OAT3 and compare their potencies of inhibition with those of their corresponding parent drugs. Using HEK293 cells stably transfected with OAT1 and OAT3, 25 drug metabolites and their corresponding parent drugs were screened for inhibitory effects on OAT1-and OAT3-mediated 6-carboxyfluorescein uptake at a screening concentration of 200 μM for all but 3 compounds. 20 and 24 drug metabolites were identified as inhibitors (inhibition > 50%) of OAT1 and OAT3, respectively. Seven drug metabolites were potent inhibitors of either or both OAT1 and OAT3 with K_i values less than 1 μM. 22 metabolites were more potent inhibitors of OAT3 than OAT1. Importantly, one drug and four metabolites were predicted to inhibit OAT3 at unbound plasma concentrations achieved clinically (C_max,u/K_i values ≥ 0.1). In conclusion, our study highlights the potential interactions of drug metabolites with OAT1 and OAT3 at clinically relevant concentrations, suggesting that drug metabolites may modulate therapeutic and adverse drug response by inhibiting renal drug transporters.

Prevalence of middle mesial canal and radix entomolaris of mandibular first permanent molars in a western Chinese population: an in vivo cone-beam computed tomographic study

Background

The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of the middle mesial canal (MMC) and radix entomolaris (RE) in mandibular first permanent molars in a western Chinese population using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT).

Methods

A total of 1174 CBCT images of the mandibular first molars were collected from West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University. The following information was recorded and evaluated: the detection rate and location of the MMC and RE, the curvature of the RE, the canal configuration and bilateral symmetry.

Results

The detection rates of the MMC and RE were 3.41 and 25.04%, respectively, as calculated by individuals, and 1.79 and 22.15%, respectively, as calculated by total teeth. The average curvature in the buccolingual (BL) orientation (40.63 ± 14.39°) was significantly larger than that in the mesiodistal (MD) orientation (17.64 ± 7.82°) (p < 0.05). Of 587 patients, 71.72% (421/587) had bilateral symmetry according to the root canal morphology. The prevalence of three-rooted mandibular first molars was higher in males than in females, while the prevalence of two-rooted mandibular first molars was higher in females than in males.

Conclusions

Our results showed that the RE could be detected in almost 1/4 of the western Chinese population; thus, RE detection requires special attention and careful assessment in endodontic treatment.

The activities of drug inactive ingredients on biological targets

Excipients, considered "inactive ingredients," are a major component of formulated drugs and play key roles in their pharmacokinetics. Despite their pervasiveness, whether they are active on any targets has not been systematically explored. We computed the likelihood that approved excipients would bind to molecular targets. Testing in vitro revealed 25 excipient activities, ranging from low-nanomolar to high-micromolar concentration. Another 109 activities were identified by testing against clinical safety targets. In cellular models, five excipients had fingerprints predictive of system-level toxicity. Exposures of seven excipients were investigated, and in certain populations, two of these may reach levels of in vitro target potency, including brain and gut exposure of thimerosal and its major metabolite, which had dopamine D3 receptor dissociation constant K _d values of 320 and 210 nM, respectively. Although most excipients deserve their status as inert, many approved excipients may directly modulate physiologically relevant targets.

Bacterial metabolism rescues the inhibition of intestinal drug absorption by food and drug additives

Food and drug products contain diverse and abundant small-molecule additives (excipients) with unclear impacts on human physiology, drug safety, and response. Here, we evaluate their potential impact on intestinal drug absorption. By screening 136 unique compounds for inhibition of the key intestinal transporter OATP2B1 we identified and validated 24 potent OATP2B1 inhibitors, characterized by higher molecular weight and hydrophobicity compared to poor or noninhibitors. OATP2B1 inhibitors were also enriched for dyes, including 8 azo (R-N=N-R') dyes. Pharmacokinetic studies in mice confirmed that FD&C Red No. 40, a common azo dye excipient and a potent inhibitor of OATP2B1, decreased the plasma level of the OATP2B1 substrate fexofenadine, suggesting that FD&C Red No. 40 has the potential to block drug absorption through OATP2B1 inhibition in vivo. However, the gut microbiomes of multiple unrelated healthy individuals as well as diverse human gut bacterial isolates were capable of inactivating the identified azo dye excipients, producing metabolites that no longer inhibit OATP2B1 transport. These results support a beneficial role for the microbiome in limiting the unintended effects of food and drug additives in the intestine and provide a framework for the data-driven selection of excipients. Furthermore, the ubiquity and genetic diversity of gut bacterial azoreductases coupled to experiments in conventionally raised and gnotobiotic mice suggest that variations in gut microbial community structure may be less important to consider relative to the high concentrations of azo dyes in food products, which have the potential to saturate gut bacterial enzymatic activity.

FRI0463 IDENTIFICATION OF EARLY CLINICAL AND LABORATORY CHARACTERISTICS OF MACROPHAGE ACTIVATION SYNDROME ASSOCIATED WITH SYSTEMIC JUVENILE IDIOPATHIC ARTHRITIS

Background:

Macrophage activation syndrome (MAS) is a severe, potentially life-threatening complication of systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (SJIA). However, early recognition of MAS remains challenging. Because it is clinically heterogeneous, hemophagocytosis is often not detected, and histopathological features lack the specificity associated with hemophagocytic syndromes. In addition, it is often difficult to distinguish early MAS from SJIA or sepsis-like syndromes.

Objectives:

To identify early clinical and laboratory characteristics of MAS associated with SJIA.

Methods:

This is a retrospective cohort study of 149 SJIA patients treated at the Children’s Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine between January 2010 to December 2017. All patients fulfilled 2001 ILAR criteria for SJIA, and 27 fulfilled 2016 Classification Criteria for MAS. We evaluated the clinical and laboratory features of SJIA patients with MAS and compared them to those without MAS. We focused our analysis on early MAS, which was defined as the time when the initial clinical and/or laboratory abnormalities suggestive of MAS were first detected.

Results:

The clinical features associated with early MAS were hypotension, absence of arthritis and lymphadenopathy, bone marrow hemophagocytosis, central nervous system dysfunction, and gastrointestinal involvement. The best laboratory parameters for early MAS detection were platelet counts ≤275.0 × 109/L, lactate dehydrogenase >596.0 U/L, aspartate aminotransferase >47.0 U/L, erythrocyte sedimentation rates ≤41.0 mm/h, ferritin >1400.0 ng/mL, D-dimer >1.40 mg/L, triglyceride >1.30 mmol/L, alanine aminotransferase >33.0 U/L, C-reactive protein ≤68.0 mg/L, fibrinogen ≤4.1 g/L, absolute neutrophil counts ≤5.2 × 109/L, serum total protein ≤66.0 g/L, and white blood cell ≤9.8 × 109/L. The combination of cytokines of IFN-γ >17.1 pg/mL and IL-10 >7.8 pg/mL were found to be a specific and good prognostic cytokine pattern for early recognition of MAS, the sensitivity and specificity as 71.4% and 98.2%.(Table 1, Fig 1, 2)

Table 1.

Identification of clinical and Cytokine characteristics differentiating patients with MAS onset from SJIA patients without MAS

CharacteristicsSensitivity (%)Specificity (%)OR (95% CI)p valueClinical characteristicsHypotension35.598.433.0 (6.8–160.1)0.000Absence of Arthritis77.485.219.8 (7.4–52.7)0.000Hemophagocytosis in the bone marrow28.697.314.5 (2.0–107.5)0.009Central nervous system involvement25.891.03.5 (1.3–9.7)0.015Gastrointestinal involvement22.691.83.3 (1.1–9.4)0.029Absence of lymphadenopathy77.451.62.6 (1.1–6.1)0.027Cytokine levelsIFN-γ >17.1 pg/mL82.183.649.5 (15.6–156.9)0.000IL-10 >7.8 pg/mL78.693.123.5 (7.9–69.5)0.000IFN-γ >17.1 pg/mL and IL-10 >7.8 pg/mL71.498.2142.5 (28.2–720.6)0.000

OR, odds ratio. CI, confidence interval. PLT, platelet. LDH, lactate dehydrogenase. AST, aspartate aminotransferase. ESR, erythrocyte sedimentation rate. FER, ferritin. D-D, D-dimer. TG, triglycerides. ALT, alanine aminotransferase. CRP, C-reactive protein. FIB, fibrinogen. ANC, absolute neutrophil count; TP, total protein. WBC, white blood cells. ALB, albumin. IL, interleukin. IFN, interferon.

Fig 1.

Comparison of clinical characteristics in the MAS process. * P < 0.05. ** P < 0.01. CNS involvement: Central nervous system involvement.

Fig 2.

Comparison of serum cytokine levels in the MAS process. * P < 0.05. ** P < 0.01.

Conclusion:

Sudden hypotension, absence of arthritis, and significantly increased IFN-γ and IL-10 levels are important clinical and laboratory markers for early MAS identification in addition to the traditional features of SJIA-associated MAS.

References:

(not show references here)

Disclosure of Interests:

None declared

Staged horizontal bone augmentation for dental implants in aesthetic zones: A prospective randomized controlled clinical trial comparing a half-columnar bone block harvested from the ramus versus a rectangular bone block from the symphysis

In this study, the clinical outcomes of horizontal ridge augmentation using half-columnar bone grafts from the ramus (group I: 27 patients, 32 implants) versus rectangular bone grafts from the symphysis (group II: 19 patients, 27 implants) were compared; grafts were combined with organic bovine bone and collagen membrane. Cone beam computed tomography images were obtained preoperatively, immediately after restoration (baseline), and 1 year after loading. Four months after grafting, horizontal bone resorption at the alveolar crest did not differ significantly between the two groups (P=0.291). At 4mm apical to the alveolar crest, horizontal bone resorption in group I was significantly less than that in group II (P=0.041). One year after loading, horizontal bone resorption in group I was lower than that in group II, with no significant difference. The residual thickness of the labial bone at the implant site in group I was significantly higher than that in group II. Horizontal ridge augmentation with either a half-columnar autogenous graft from the ramus or a rectangular autogenous graft from the symphysis can provide acceptable results in aesthetic regions. The half-columnar group demonstrated better graft stability both at 4 months after augmentation and 1 year after loading.

Brassinosteroids are involved in ethylene-induced Pst DC3000 resistance in Nicotiana benthamiana

Plant immunity is regulated by a huge phytohormone regulation network. Ethylene(ET) and brassinosteroids (BRs) play critical roles in plant response to biotic stress; however, the relationship between BR and ET in plant immunity is unclear. We used chemical treatments, genetic approaches and inoculation experiments to investigate the relationship between ET and BR in plant defense against Pst DC3000 in Nicotiana benthamiana. Foliar applications of ET and BR enhanced plant resistance to Pst DC3000 inoculation, while treatment with brassinazole (BRZ, a specific BR biosynthesis inhibitor) eliminated the ET induced plant resistance to Pst DC3000. Silencing of DWARF 4(DWF4, a key BR biosynthetic gene), BRASSINOSTEROID INSENSITIVE 1 (BRI1, aBR receptor) and BRASSINOSTEROID-SIGNALING KINASE 1 (BSK1, downstream of BRI1) also neutralised the ET-induced plant resistance to Pst DC3000. ET can induce callose deposition and reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation to resistPst DC3000, BRZ-treated and gene-silenced were completely eliminate this response. Our results suggest BR is involved in ET-induced plant resistance, the involvement of ET in plant resistance is possibly by the induction of callose deposition and ROS accumulation, in a BR-dependent manner.

Effect of evidence-based nursing intervention on upper limb function in postoperative radiotherapy patients with breast cancer

To investigate the effect of evidence-based nursing (EBN) intervention on upper limb function in postoperative breast cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy.A total of 126 breast cancer patients who had received postoperative radiotherapy in the Union Hospital affiliated with Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology from September 2017 to September 2018 were randomly divided into 2 groups, namely, experimental and control groups, with 63 cases in each group. Both the control and experimental groups received routine postoperative radiotherapy followed by traditional and EBN interventions, respectively. All patients were followed up for 6 months and differences in the upper limb function after nursing intervention were compared between the 2 groups.The scores of self-rating anxiety scale (SAS), self-rating depression scale (SDS), and short form-36 survey (SF-36) in the 2 groups had no statistical significance before intervention. After the EBN intervention, the SAS and self-rating depression scale scores of patients in the experimental group were lower than that of those in the control group. In the experimental group, 90.67% of the patients had an excellent score for the University of California, Los Angeles shoulder score, which was higher than that of the control group (73.92%). The Mayo Elbow Performance Score of the experimental group (95.01) was higher than that of the control group (91.33). The total length of the sum of arm circumference in the experimental group was (128.39 cm) lower than that of the control group (143.66 cm). The scores of SF-36 in the overall health, physical pain, mental health, and physiological functions of the patients in the experimental group were higher than those of the control group. All of these parameters' differences between the 2 groups were of statistical significance (P < .05).EBN can positively influence the negative emotional state of breast cancer patients after radiotherapy. At the same time, it is helpful in reducing the degree of lymph node edema on the affected side of the upper limb, thereby improving the function of the shoulder joint, which has a positive effect on the upper limb function.

Effect of MicroRNA-20a on Osteogenic Differentiation of Human Adipose Tissue-Derived Stem Cells

Osteogenic differentiation of human adipose tissue-derived stem cells (hASCs) is a complex process that is regulated by multiple factors, including microRNAs (miRNAs). The miRNA miR-20a was shown to promote bone formation from bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells. However, the role of miR-20a in osteogenic differentiation of hASCs remains unclear. In this study, we systematically evaluated the function of miR-20a in regulating hASC osteogenesis in vitro. hASCs were transduced with miR-20a-overexpressing and miR-20a-sponge lentiviral vectors, with green fluorescent protein (GFP) as a control. The results showed that miR-20a transcription was upregulated after hASC mineralization. Compared with the miR-20a-sponge, GFP, and hASC groups, the miR-20a-overexpressing group showed higher alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity on days 7 and 14. Moreover, the mRNA level of ALP increased significantly in the miR-20a-overexpressing group on day 14. Furthermore, the protein of the target gene PPARγ was decreased, and the osteogenic differentiation-associated proteins ALP, osteocalcin, and RUNX2 were upregulated. hASCs anchored to HA/β-TCP revealed a healthy polygonal morphology and developed cytoplasmic extensions. miR-20a promoted osteogenic differentiation of the cell scaffold. Taken together, these data -confirm that miRNA-20a promotes the osteogenesis of hASCs in vitro, and its essential role in vivo needs further -investigation.

Interactions of Oral Molecular Excipients with Breast Cancer Resistance Protein, BCRP

Mechanistic-understanding-based selection of excipients may improve formulation development strategies for generic drug products and potentially accelerate their approval. Our study aimed at investigating the effects of molecular excipients present in orally administered FDA-approved drug products on the intestinal efflux transporter, BCRP (ABCG2), which plays a critical role in drug absorption with potential implications on drug safety and efficacy. We determined the interactions of 136 oral molecular excipients with BCRP in isolated membrane vesicles and identified 26 excipients as BCRP inhibitors with IC₅₀ values less than 5 μM using ³H-cholecystokinin octapeptide (³H-CCK8). These BCRP inhibitors belonged to three functional categories of excipients: dyes, surfactants, and flavoring agents. Compared with noninhibitors, BCRP inhibitors had significantly higher molecular weights and SLogP values. The inhibitory effects of excipients identified in membrane vesicles were also evaluated in BCRP-overexpressing HEK293 cells at similar concentrations. Only 1 of the 26 inhibitors of BCRP identified in vesicles inhibited BCRP-mediated ³H-oxypurinol uptake by more than 50%, consistent with the notion that BCRP inhibition depends on transmembrane or intracellular availability of the inhibitors. Collectively, the results of this study provide new information on excipient selection during the development of drug products with active pharmaceutical ingredients that are BCRP substrates.

Ceria nanoparticles promoted the cytotoxic activity of CD8+ T cells by activating NF-κB signaling

Cytotoxic CD8+ T cells (CTLs) are crucial for controlling intracellular pathogens as well as cancer. However, how to promote the cytotoxic activity of CTL cells in vitro and in vivo remains largely unknown. On the other hand, ceria nanoparticles (CNPs) are widely used in biomedical fields, but the role of CNPs in CTL cells is still unclear. In this study, we found that the activated antigen-specific (P14) and nonspecific CD8+ T cells with CNP treatment both produced more cytokines, including interleukin-2 (IL-2) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and released more effector molecules, such as granzyme B and perforin, and then exhibited higher killing activity of P14 cells in vitro and stronger viral clearance capacity of CTL cells in vivo. Mechanistically, the activated P14 cells with CNP treatment inhibited the production of reactive oxygen species, and therefore promoted the activity of NF-κB signaling. Importantly, while the P14 cells were simultaneously treated by IMD-0354, a specific inhibitor of NF-κB signaling, the increases of IL-2 and TNF-α productions and granzyme B and perforin releases were remedied, and the P14 cells eventually exhibited the natural killing activity in vitro. Thus, our results demonstrated that CNP treatment promoted the cytotoxic activity of CTL cells and provide new ideas in the usage of CNPs and fascinating pharmacological potentials for clinical application, especially cancer immunotherapy.

Predicting effective drug combinations using gradient tree boosting based on features extracted from drug-protein heterogeneous network

Background

Although targeted drugs have contributed to impressive advances in the treatment of cancer patients, their clinical benefits on tumor therapies are greatly limited due to intrinsic and acquired resistance of cancer cells against such drugs. Drug combinations synergistically interfere with protein networks to inhibit the activity level of carcinogenic genes more effectively, and therefore play an increasingly important role in the treatment of complex disease.

Results

In this paper, we combined the drug similarity network, protein similarity network and known drug-protein associations into a drug-protein heterogenous network. Next, we ran random walk with restart (RWR) on the heterogenous network using the combinatorial drug targets as the initial probability, and obtained the converged probability distribution as the feature vector of each drug combination. Taking these feature vectors as input, we trained a gradient tree boosting (GTB) classifier to predict new drug combinations. We conducted performance evaluation on the widely used drug combination data set derived from the DCDB database. The experimental results show that our method outperforms seven typical classifiers and traditional boosting algorithms.

Conclusions

The heterogeneous network-derived features introduced in our method are more informative and enriching compared to the primary ontology features, which results in better performance. In addition, from the perspective of network pharmacology, our method effectively exploits the topological attributes and interactions of drug targets in the overall biological network, which proves to be a systematic and reliable approach for drug discovery.

LncRNA SNHG8 promotes the development and chemo-resistance of pancreatic adenocarcinoma

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to investigate the role of small nucleolar RNA host gene 8 (SNHG8) in the pathogenesis of pancreatic adenocarcinoma and to explore the possible underlying mechanism.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

SNHG8 expression in 40 pairs of pancreatic adenocarcinoma tissues and para-cancerous tissues, as well as 10 normal pancreas tissues was detected by quantitative Real Time-Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR). Survival analysis was conducted to explore the correlation between SNHG8 expression and the prognosis of pancreatic adenocarcinoma patients. After the transfection of SNHG8 siRNA into pancreatic adenocarcinoma cells, the proliferation and cell cycle were detected by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay and flow cytometry, respectively. Meanwhile, cell apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry and Western blot. The regulatory effect of SNHG8 on the chemo-sensitivity of pancreatic adenocarcinoma cells was assessed by CCK-8 assay.

RESULTS

The expression of SNHG8 in pancreatic adenocarcinoma tissues was significantly higher than that of para-cancerous tissues and normal pancreatic tissues. Pancreatic adenocarcinoma patients with higher expression of SHNG8 presented shorter overall survival than those with lower expression. Meanwhile, SNHG8 expression was correlated with tumor stage and differentiation level, whereas not correlated with age, sex, tumor location and lymph node metastasis of pancreatic adenocarcinoma patients. In vitro results showed that SNHG8 knockdown significantly decreased the proliferative ability, prolonged G0/G1 phase and increased the apoptosis of Hs766T and PANC-1 cells. Western blot results elucidated that SNHG8 knockdown remarkably downregulated the protein expression levels of cleaved caspase-3 and cleaved PARP in Hs766T and PANC-1 cells. In addition, SNHG8 significantly decreased the chemo-sensitivity of pancreatic adenocarcinoma cells.

CONCLUSIONS

SNHG8 is highly expressed in pancreatic adenocarcinoma tissues and is negatively correlated with its prognosis. Moreover, SNHG8 promotes cell proliferation and cell cycle, whereas inhibits cell apoptosis and reduces the chemo-sensitivity of pancreatic adenocarcinoma cells.

[Research progress on interactions between Candida albicans and common oral pathogens]

Increasing numbers of microbiome studies have enabled the development of a greater understanding of how antagonistic and synergetic microbial interactions influence disease outcomes. Candida albicans is an opportunistic pathogen that is commonly found in human oral microflora. In a healthy oral environment, Candida albicans may potentially but sig-nificantly influence the balance between the oral bacterial ecosystem and the host, leading tooral diseases. The aim of this study is to review the correlation between Candida albicans and oral pathogens and provide a deeper understanding of the nature of oral infec-tious diseases.

Brain Function Network Analysis of Children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Based on Adaptive Sparse Representation Method

Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), as a neuro-developmental disorder, has a great impact on children's life. Brain function network analysis is one of the crucial means for ADHD diagnosis. To better understand the ADHD, the method combined with Adaptive Sparse Representation (ASR) method and graph theory was proposed to achieve the global functional network. First, ASR was applied to calculate the correlation to construct the brain function network. Second, the obtained optimal threshold based on an absolute selection strategy aimed to reduce the weak correlative connections. In order to understand the differences between the ADHD and the normal, graph theory was utilized for brain network evaluation. The connection sensitivity of ASR of the simulated data is 88.89% shows the validity of the proposed method. The experiments were conducted on clinical resting-state fMRI data of 30 ADHD patients and 30 normal persons. Compared to the normal, the average shortest path of the ADHD was 24% higher, the average degree distribution of the ADHD was 21% lower, the local efficiency of the ADHD was 14% higher and the global efficiency of the ADHD was 19% lower. Meanwhile, there were significant differences of the node efficiency between the ADHD and the normal in the temporal lobe and occipital cortex. The experimental results showed that the proposed method could show more clearly the differences between the normal and the ADHD.

The Cortical Network of Emotion Regulation: Insights From Advanced EEG-fMRI Integration Analysis

The ability to perceive and regulate emotion is a key component of cognition that is often disrupted by disease. Current neuroimaging studies regarding emotion regulation have implicated a number of cortical regions and identified several EEG features of interest, including the late positive potential and frontal asymmetry. Unfortunately, currently applied methods generally lack in the resolution necessary to capture focal cortical activity and explore the causal interactions between brain regions. In this paper, electroencephalography (EEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data were simultaneously recorded from 20 subjects undergoing emotion processing and regulation tasks. Cortical activity with high-spatiotemporal resolution and accuracy was reconstructed using a novel multimodal EEG/fMRI integration method. A detailed causal brain network associated with emotion processing and regulation was then identified, and the network changes that facilitate different emotion conditions were investigated. The cortical activity of the ventrolateral prefrontal (VLPFC) and posterior parietal cortices depicted conditionally-sensitive spike and wave patterns evidenced in inter-regional communication. The VLPFC was found to behave as a main network source, with conditionally-specific interactions supporting emotional shifts. The results provide unique insight into the cortical activity that supports emotional perception and regulation, the origins of known EEG phenomena, and the manner in which brain regions coordinate to affect behavior.

MicroRNAs in the Intestine: Role in Renewal, Homeostasis, and Inflammation

The mammalian intestine is not only an organ for food digestion and nutrient absorption but also an integral part of the immune and endocrine systems. The intestinal epithelium under stressful environments requires epithelial cells to rapidly elicit changes in gene expression patterns to regulate their survival, adapt to stress, and maintain epithelial homeostasis. Recently, miRNAs have emerged as a novel class of posttranscriptional gene regulators that are fundamentally involved in many aspects of intestinal epithelial differentiation, architecture, and barrier function. In this review, we highlight the critical roles of miRNAs in both the crypt-villus axis of cellular self-renewal and inflammation in the mammalian intestinal mucosa and their impact on the microbiota. We also discuss the functions of specific miRNAs within the intestine to better understand the cellular mechanisms that promote intestinal homeostasis, and the influence of dietary components in the regulation of endogenous miRNA in the study of nutrition and gene regulation in intestinal health.

Isolation and characterization of the Staphylococcus aureus bacteriophage vB_SauS_SA2

A novel bacteriophage vB_SauS_SA2 (hereafter designated SA2) that infects Staphylococcus aureus was isolated. At a multiplicity of infection (MOI) of 0.1, phage SA2 had a latent period of about 10 min with a burst size of 293 PFUs/infected cell (PFU, plaque forming unit). Phage SA2 had a double-stranded DNA genome with a length of 89,055 bp and a G + C content of 31.9%. The genome contained 130 open reading frames (ORFs), 28 of which had assigned functions, and 18 were unique. One tRNA gene (tRNA^Asn) was discovered, and no virulence genes were identified. Its genome showed very low similarity with phage genomes deposited in public databases (75% nucleotide identity and 7% query coverage). The unique characteristics of phage SA2 led to the proposal of a new Siphoviridae genus named ‘SA2likevirus’.

Nuclear Dependence of the Transverse Single-Spin Asymmetry in the Production of Charged Hadrons at Forward Rapidity in Polarized p+p, p+Al, and p+Au Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200 GeV

We report on the nuclear dependence of transverse single-spin asymmetries (TSSAs) in the production of positively charged hadrons in polarized p^{↑}+p, p^{↑}+Al, and p^{↑}+Au collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200  GeV. The measurements have been performed at forward rapidity (1.4<η<2.4) over the range of transverse momentum (1.8<p_{T}<7.0  GeV/c) and Feynman x (0.1<x_{F}<0.2). We observed positive asymmetries for positively charged hadrons in p^{↑}+p collisions, and significantly reduced asymmetries in p^{↑}+A collisions. These results reveal a nuclear dependence of TSSAs for charged-hadron production in a regime where perturbative techniques are applicable. These results provide new opportunities to use p^{↑}+A collisions as a tool to investigate the rich phenomena behind TSSAs in hadronic collisions and to use TSSAs as a new handle in studying small-system collisions.

Unraveling the functional role of the orphan solute carrier, SLC22A24 in the transport of steroid conjugates through metabolomic and genome-wide association studies

Variation in steroid hormone levels has wide implications for health and disease. The genes encoding the proteins involved in steroid disposition represent key determinants of interindividual variation in steroid levels and ultimately, their effects. Beginning with metabolomic data from genome-wide association studies (GWAS), we observed that genetic variants in the orphan transporter, SLC22A24 were significantly associated with levels of androsterone glucuronide and etiocholanolone glucuronide (sentinel SNPs p-value <1x10-30). In cells over-expressing human or various mammalian orthologs of SLC22A24, we showed that steroid conjugates and bile acids were substrates of the transporter. Phylogenetic, genomic, and transcriptomic analyses suggested that SLC22A24 has a specialized role in the kidney and appears to function in the reabsorption of organic anions, and in particular, anionic steroids. Phenome-wide analysis showed that functional variants of SLC22A24 are associated with human disease such as cardiovascular diseases and acne, which have been linked to dysregulated steroid metabolism. Collectively, these functional genomic studies reveal a previously uncharacterized protein involved in steroid homeostasis, opening up new possibilities for SLC22A24 as a pharmacological target for regulating steroid levels.

Identification of suspicious invasive placentation based on clinical MRI data using textural features and automated machine learning

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to investigate whether intraplacental texture features from routine placental MRI can objectively and accurately predict invasive placentation.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

This retrospective study includes 99 pregnant women with pathologically confirmed placental invasion and 56 pregnant women with simple placenta previa. All participants underwent magnetic resonance imaging after 24 gestational weeks. The placenta was segmented in sagittal images from both turbo spin echo (TSE) and balanced turbo field echo (bTFE) sequences. Textural features were extracted from the both original and Laplacian of Gaussian (LoG)-filtered MRI images. An automated machine learning algorithm was applied to the extracted feature sets to obtain the optimal preprocessing steps, classification algorithm, and corresponding hyper-parameters.

RESULTS

A gradient boosting classifier using all textual features from original and LoG-filtered TSE images and bTFE images identified by the automated machine learning algorithm achieved the optimal performance with sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and area under ROC curve (AUC) of 100%, 88.5%, 95.2%, and 0.98 in the prediction of placental invasion. In addition, textural features that contributed to the prediction of placental invasion differ from the features significantly affected by normal placenta maturation.

CONCLUSIONS

Quantifying intraplacental heterogeneity using LoG filtration and texture analysis highlights the different heterogeneous appearance caused by abnormal placentation relative to normal maturation. The predictive model derived from automated machine learning yielded good performance, indicating the proposed radiomic analysis pipeline can accurately predict placental invasion and facilitate clinical decision-making for pregnant women with suspicious placental invasion.

KEY POINTS

• The intraplacental texture features have high efficiency in prediction of invasive placentation after 24 gestational weeks. • The features with dominated predictive power did not overlap with the features significantly affected by gestational age.