A far-red-emitting fluorescence probe for selective and sensitive detection of no in live cells and in C. elegans

Nitric oxide (NO), a ubiquitous intracellular and intercellular messenger molecule, plays vital roles in many physiological processes and is closely related to many diseases. Although a lot of fluorescent probes have been developed for real-time detection of NO successfully, the probes still suffer from poor tissue permeability and limited selectivity. In this study, a novel far-red fluorescent probe ZJL-3 based on rhodamine fluorescent dye was designed, synthesized, and used for NO determination. The probe contains a rhodamine as fluorophore and o-phenylenediamino as recognition unit. Upon addition of NO, the probe ZJL-3 showed an obvious far-red emission at 637 nm. The results of fluorescence spectrum experiments indicated that probe ZJL-3 exhibited desirable selectivity to NO. Furthermore, probe ZJL-3 has low cytotoxicity and was applied for the detection of exogenous and endogenous NO in RAW264.7 cells and C. elegans with satisfactory results.

Lipids and Lipid Derivatives for RNA Delivery

RNA-based therapeutics have shown great promise in treating a broad spectrum of diseases through various mechanisms including knockdown of pathological genes, expression of therapeutic proteins, and programmed gene editing. Due to the inherent instability and negative-charges of RNA molecules, RNA-based therapeutics can make the most use of delivery systems to overcome biological barriers and to release the RNA payload into the cytosol. Among different types of delivery systems, lipid-based RNA delivery systems, particularly lipid nanoparticles (LNPs), have been extensively studied due to their unique properties, such as simple chemical synthesis of lipid components, scalable manufacturing processes of LNPs, and wide packaging capability. LNPs represent the most widely used delivery systems for RNA-based therapeutics, as evidenced by the clinical approvals of three LNP-RNA formulations, patisiran, BNT162b2, and mRNA-1273. This review covers recent advances of lipids, lipid derivatives, and lipid-derived macromolecules used in RNA delivery over the past several decades. We focus mainly on their chemical structures, synthetic routes, characterization, formulation methods, and structure-activity relationships. We also briefly describe the current status of representative preclinical studies and clinical trials and highlight future opportunities and challenges.

HMGN5 promotes invasion and migration of colorectal cancer through activating FGF/FGFR pathway

OBJECTIVE

To detect the expression of high-mobility group nucleosome-binding domain 5 (HMGN5) in colorectal cancer tissues, to explore the function of HMGN5 on the proliferation and metastasis of colorectal cancer cells, and to further study the molecular mechanism of HMGN5 in the malignant progression of colorectal cancer (CRC).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The cancer tissues and para-carcinoma tissues were harvested from 40 patients with CRC. The expression of HMGN5 was detected via quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), and the relation between HMGN5 and clinical indexes of CRC patients was further analyzed. The CRC HT29 and HCT116 cell lines with high expression levels of HMGN5 were selected, and the HMGN5 knockdown model was established. The functions of HMGN5 on CRC cells were stated by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay and transwell migration assay. Then, the association between HMGN5 and fibroblast growth factor 12 (FGF12) was further explored via Dual-Luciferase reporter assay and reverse assay.

RESULTS

The qRT-PCR showed that HMGN5 expression was significantly rising in cancer tissues compared to the control group. The incidence rate of lymph node metastasis and distant metastasis was higher in higher expression HMGN5 group than the lower expression HMGN5 group. The results of cell function experiments revealed that silence of HMGN5 could suppress the proliferation and migration of HT29 and HCT116. In addition, it was found using qRT-PCR that knockdown of HMGN5 could significantly down-regulate the expressions of FGF12, FGFR, PI3K and AKT in HT29 and HCT116 cells. The targeted binding relation between HMGN5 and FGF12 was also indicated by the dual-luciferase reporter assay. The consequence of qRT-PCR manifested that FGF12 expression markedly rose in CRC tissues, which had a positive correlation with HMGN5. Moreover, reverse assay indicated that the inhibitory effect of HMGN5 knockdown on the malignant progression of CRC could be reversed by recombinant FGF12, indicating once again that there is a mutual regulatory effect between HMGN5 and FGF12.

CONCLUSIONS

HMGN5 can increase the proliferative and migrative capacity of CRC cells via targeted binding to FGF12. In addition, clinical data analyses demonstrate that HMGN5 is intimately related to the incidence rate of lymph node metastasis and distant metastasis in patients with CRC.

Betalain exerts cardioprotective and anti-inflammatory effects against the experimental model of heart failure

Betalain is a natural plant pigment known to elicit various biological activities. However, studies on the protective effect of betalain against heart failure have not reported yet. The experimental model of heart failure was created in Wistar rats using isoproterenol (ISO). The animals were randomly assigned into four groups such as sham-control, ISO-induced heart failure, betalain pretreated before ISO induction (50 mg/kg/day), and betalain drug control group were maintained for 6 weeks. At the end of the experimental period, anti-oxidant enzymes, inflammatory markers, matrix proteins, cardiac-specific markers, and micro RNAs were elucidated using RT-PCR, and ELISA analysis. The results demonstrated that the rats induced with ISO displayed an abnormality in cardiac functions, increased oxidative stress markers (p < 0.01), inflammatory cytokines (p < 0.01) while abrogated the expression of miR-18a, and increased miR-199a. While betalain pre-treated rats prevented the cardiac failure significantly (p < 0.01) with improved anti-oxidant enzymes, abrogated the inflammatory signals with restored matrix proteins, cardiac biomarker genes, and attenuated miR-423 and miR-27 compared to heart failure rats. The results of the study suggest that the betalain treatment protected the hearts from failing via microRNA mediated activation the anti-inflammatory signaling and restoring the matrix protein modulation.

[Risk factors of blood loss during liver transplantation in children with biliary atresia and its influence on prognosis]

Objectives: To study the risk factors for massive intraoperative blood loss in children with biliary atresia who underwent liver transplantation for the first time,and to analyze their impacts on graft survival,hospital stay and postoperative complications. Methods: The data of 613 children with biliary atresia who underwent liver transplantation at Department of Pediatric Organ Transplantation,Tianjin First Central Hospital from January 2015 to December 2018 were collected and analyzed. There were 270 males and 343 females, aged 7.4 (3.9) months (range: 3.2 to 148.4 months), the body weight of the recipients were (7.8±3.5) kg (range: 4.0 to 43.3 kg).According to the 85^th quad of estimated blood loss(EBL),they were divided into two groups:massive EBL group(96 cases) and non massive EBL group(517 cases). The age,height,weight and other factors between the two groups were analyzed and compared. Univariate Logistic regression and multiple stepwise regression were used to determine the risk factors of massive EBL. Then,the postoperative complications of the two groups,including portal vein thrombosis and portal vein anastomotic stenosis etc.,were analyzed and compared by chi square test. Kaplan Meier curve and log rank test were used to analyze the recipient and graft survival rate of the two groups. Results: During the study period,713 transplants were performed and 613 patients were enrolled in the study. Ninety-six patients(15.7%) had massive EBL,and the postoperative hospital stay was 21(16) days(range:2 to 116 days),the hospital stay of non-massive EBL group was 22(12)days(range:3 to 138 days)(U=24 224.0,P=0.32). Univariate Logistic regression analysis showed that the recipient's weight,Kasai portoenterostomy,platelet count,operation time and cold ischemia time were the risk factors of massive EBL during biliary atresia transplantation. Multiple regression analysis showed that cold ischemia time ≥10 hours,prolonged operation time(≥8 hours) and body weight<5.5 kg were important independent risk factors for massive EBL.The incidence of portal vein thrombosis,hepatic vein stenosis,intestinal leakage and pulmonary infection in patients with massive EBL were significantly higher than those without massive EBL(3.1% vs. 0.8%,9.4% vs. 2.1%,6.3% vs. 0.8%,30.2% vs. 20.1%,all P<0.05). The 3-year overall graft and recipient survival rate were significantly lower in patients with massive EBL than those without massive EBL(87.5% vs. 95.7%,P=0.001;84.4% vs. 95.4%,P<0.01,respectively). Conclusions: In children with biliary atresia who underwent liver transplantation for the first time,the effective control of intraoperative bleeding should shorten the operation time and reduce the cold ischemia time as far as possible,on the premise of ensuring the safety of operation. For children without growth disorder,the weight of children should be increased to more than 5.5 kg as far as possible to receive the operation. Reducing intraoperative bleeding is of great significance to the prognosis of children.

CORRELATION BETWEEN SUBCLINICAL HYPOTHYROIDISM AND DYSLIPIDEMIA IN WOMEN IN NORTHEAST CHINA

CONTEXT

It is well known that thyroid hormones are important, being involved in affects the metabolism of carbohydrate, protein, lipids. The relationship between thyroid hormones and lipid metabolism is the focus of recent research.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the relationship between subclinical hypothyroidism and lipid metabolism in women.

DESIGN

We conducted an epidemiological survey of thyroid diseases among women in Northeast China from September 2014 to December 2014.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

A total of 1397 women underwent physical examinations and laboratory tests for thyroid function and lipid metabolism.

RESULTS

We found that the detection rate of subclinical hypothyroidism was 13.03%. Patients with subclinical hypothyroidism showed significantly higher levels of triglyceride (1.69±1.9 vs. 1.45±1.4) and the risk of hyper triglyceridemia in women with thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) levels ≥10mIU/L was 4.96-fold higher compared with that in the normal population (P<0.01).

CONCLUSION

Disorders of lipid metabolism in women with subclinical hypothyroidism show a direct correlation with the level of TSH, and the risk of hyper triglyceridemia is significantly increased when the level of TSH ≥10mIU/L.

ORAOV1-B Promotes OSCC Metastasis via the NF-κB-TNFα Loop

Metastasis, a powerful prognostic indicator of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), is chiefly responsible for poor cancer outcomes. Despite an increasing number of studies examining the mechanisms underlying poor outcomes, the development of potent strategies is hindered by insufficient characterization of the crucial regulators. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have recently been gaining interest as significant modulators of OSCC metastasis; however, the detailed mechanisms underlying lncRNA-mediated OSCC metastasis remain relatively uncharacterized. Here, we identified a novel alternative splice variant of oral cancer overexpressed 1 (ORAOV1), named as ORAOV1-B, which was subsequently validated as an lncRNA and correlated with OSCC lymph node metastasis; significantly increased invasion and migration were observed in ORAOV1-B-overexpressing OSCC cells. RNA pulldown and mass spectrometry identified Hsp90 as a direct target of ORAOV1-B, and cDNA microarrays suggested TNFα as a potential downstream target of ORAOV1-B. ORAOV1-B was shown to directly bind to and stabilize Hsp90, which maintains the function of client proteins, receptor-interaction protein, and IκB kinase beta, thus activating the NF-κB pathway and inducing TNFα. Additionally, TNFα reciprocally enhanced p-NF-κB-p65 and the downstream epithelial-mesenchymal transition. ORAOV1-B effects were reversed by a TNFα inhibitor, demonstrating that TNFα is essential for ORAOV1-B-regulated metastatic ability. Consistent epithelial-mesenchymal transition in the ORAOV1-B group was demonstrated via an orthotopic model. In the metastatic model, ORAOV1-B significantly contributed to OSCC-related lung metastasis. In summary, the novel splice variant ORAOV1-B is an lncRNA, which significantly potentiates OSCC invasion and metastasis by binding to Hsp90 and activating the NF-κB-TNFα loop. These findings demonstrate the versatile role of ORAOV1 family members and the significance of genes located within 11q13 in promoting OSCC. ORAOV1-B might serve as an attractive OSCC metastasis intervention target.

[Forensic Individual Identification Based on the New Coding Method of Oral Pano-ramic Tomography]

Abstract

Objective To discuss a new coding method for individual identification based on oral panoramic tomography, analyze the diversity of different coding modules in nonhomologous images and the consistency and the matching rate of the coding indexes of different coding modules in homologous images, and evaluate the application value of the different modules and the new coding method in individual identification. Methods The oral panoramic tomography images of 1 000 patients with permanent teeth were collected retrospectively. Each patient had two images taken at different times （called the Early database and the Late database according to the chronological order）. Each image was coded according to the designed coding method. A computer program was designed to compare the diversity of different modules, and calculate the diversity and consistency of different coding modules as well as the matching rate of the coding indexes. Results The diversity of the 4 modules that reflected teeth characteristics was much higher than that of other modules in the same database. The highest diversity was noticed in the module of right mandibular teeth in samples of both databases. The coding consistencies of the 4 modules were all above 50%. Besides, 90.2% of the matching rates of indexes of homologous images were over 80%. Conclusion The 4 modules have higher application value in individual identification, especially the right mandibular teeth. The coding method has a certain value in forensic individual identification.

Redox-sensitive polymeric micelles with aggregation-induced emission for bioimaging and delivery of anticancer drugs

BACKGROUND

Nano-drug delivery systems show considerable promise for effective cancer therapy. Polymeric micelles have attracted extensive attention as practical nanocarriers for target drug delivery and controlled drug delivery system, however, the distribution of micelles and the release of the drug are difficult to trace in cancer cells. Therefore, the construction of a redox-sensitive multifunctional drug delivery system for intelligent release of anticancer drugs and simultaneous diagnostic imaging and therapy remains an attractive research subject.

RESULTS

To construct a smart drug delivery system for simultaneous imaging and cancer chemotherapy, mPEG-ss-Tripp was prepared and self-assembled into redox-sensitive polymeric micelles with a diameter of 105 nm that were easily detected within cells using confocal laser scanning microscopy based on aggregation-induced emission. Doxorubicin-loaded micelles rapidly released the drug intracellularly when GSH reduced the disulfide bond. The drug-loaded micelles inhibited tumor xenografts in mice, while this efficacy was lower without the GSH-responsive disulfide bridge. These results establish an innovative multi-functional polymeric micelle for intracellular imaging and redox-triggered drug deliver to cancer cells.

CONCLUSIONS

A novel redox-sensitive drug delivery system with AIE property was constructed for simultaneous cellular imaging and intelligent drug delivery and release. This smart drug delivery system opens up new possibilities for multifunctional drug delivery systems.

MiR-223-5p inhibitor suppresses microglia inflammation and promotes Nrg-1 in rats of spinal cord injury

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to investigate the role of microRNA-233-5p (miR-233-5p) in spinal cord injury (SCI), and to explore the possible underlying mechanism.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Microglia were first isolated from neonate rats and cultured in a suitable environment in vitro. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and interleukin-4 (IL-4) were used to activate microglia. The expressions of miR-223-5p, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and arginase 1 (Arg-1) were measured by qRT-PCR, respectively. After transfection of miR-233-5p inhibitor, the expression levels of miR-223-5p, iNOS and Arg-1 in cells were detected as well. A moderate SCI model was successfully established in rats (10 g fallen on T10 spinal cord at the height of 5 cm). Subsequently, inflammation indexes at miR-223-5p peak moment were observed. Meanwhile, its neuro-protective effect at 28 days after SCI was estimated. Finally, Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan (BBB) rating scale was applied to evaluate the hindlimb locomotor function of rats at 1, 3, 7, 14, 21, 28 days after SCI.

RESULTS

MiR-223-5p inhibitor significantly promoted M2 microglia expression and degenerated M1 microglia expression in vitro. SCI elevated the level of miR-223-5p in injured spinal cord tissues within one week, which reached a peak at 5 days after injury. Meanwhile, miR-223-5p inhibitor remarkably reduced the expressions of inflammatory factors, including interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) at 3 days after SCI, as well as increased neuregulin1 (NRG-1) expression. However, miR-223-5p inhibitor significantly declined the levels of apoptosis key enzyme-caspase-3 and glia reaction marker-glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) at 7 and 28 days after SCI, respectively. As a result, BBB rating scale demonstrated that hindlimb locomotor function was significantly recovered in miR-223-5p injection group.

CONCLUSIONS

MiR-223-5p was up-regulated in M1 microglia, whereas down-regulated in M2 microglia. MiR-223-5p inhibitor could significantly increase M2 microglia expression, while decrease M1 microglia expression in vitro. In vivo, miR-223-5p inhibitor suppressed the inflammatory response and reinforced NRG-1 level to reduce glia reaction and neuron apoptosis. Thereby, its treatment promoted the hindlimb locomotor function of rats.

No pulsed radio emission during a bursting phase of a Galactic magnetar

Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are millisecond-duration radio transients of unknown physical origin observed at extragalactic distances^1-3. It has long been speculated that magnetars are the engine powering repeating bursts from FRB sources^4-13, but no convincing evidence has been collected so far¹⁴. Recently, the Galactic magnetar SRG 1935+2154 entered an active phase by emitting intense soft γ-ray bursts¹⁵. One FRB-like event with two peaks (FRB 200428) and a luminosity slightly lower than the faintest extragalactic FRBs was detected from the source, in association with a soft γ-ray/hard-X-ray flare^18-21. Here we report an eight-hour targeted radio observational campaign comprising four sessions and assisted by multi-wavelength (optical and hard-X-ray) data. During the third session, 29 soft-γ-ray repeater (SGR) bursts were detected in γ-ray energies. Throughout the observing period, we detected no single dispersed pulsed emission coincident with the arrivals of SGR bursts, but unfortunately we were not observing when the FRB was detected. The non-detection places a fluence upper limit that is eight orders of magnitude lower than the fluence of FRB 200428. Our results suggest that FRB-SGR burst associations are rare. FRBs may be highly relativistic and geometrically beamed, or FRB-like events associated with SGR bursts may have narrow spectra and characteristic frequencies outside the observed band. It is also possible that the physical conditions required to achieve coherent radiation in SGR bursts are difficult to satisfy, and that only under extreme conditions could an FRB be associated with an SGR burst.