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.

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.

Periodontal Inflammation Primes the Systemic Innate Immune Response

The presence of periodontal diseases (PDs) often strongly correlates with other severe chronic inflammatory conditions, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and arthritis. However, the mechanisms through which these diseases interact are unclear. In PD, tissue and bone destruction in the mouth is driven by elevated recruitment of polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs), which are primed and recruited from the circulation to sites of inflammation. We predicted that systemic effects on PMN mobilization or priming could account for the interaction between PD and other inflammatory conditions. We tested this using a mouse model of ligature-induced PD and found elevated PMN counts specifically in bone marrow, supporting a systemic effect of periodontal tissue inflammation on PMN production. In contrast, mice with induced peritonitis had elevated PMN counts in the blood, peritoneum, and colon. These elevated counts were further significantly increased when acute peritonitis was induced after ligature-induced PD in mice, revealing a synergistic effect of multiple inflammatory events on PMN levels. Flow cytometric analysis of CD marker expression revealed enhanced priming of PMNs from mice with both PD and peritonitis compared to mice with peritonitis alone. Thus, systemic factors associated with PD produce hyperinflammatory PMN responses during a secondary infection. To analyze this systemic effect in humans, we induced gingival inflammation in volunteers and also found significantly increased activation of blood PMNs in response to ex vivo stimulation, which reverted to normal following resolution of gingivitis. Together, these results demonstrate that periodontal tissue inflammation has systemic effects that predispose toward an exacerbated innate immune response. This indicates that peripheral PMNs can respond synergistically to simultaneous and remote inflammatory triggers and therefore contribute to the interaction between PD and other inflammatory conditions. This suggests larger implications of PD beyond oral health and reveals potential new approaches for treating systemic inflammatory diseases that interact with PD.

Advances in SARS-CoV-2: a systematic review

OBJECTIVE

In December 2019, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection broke out in Wuhan, China. However, we still lack a comprehensive understanding of this emerging virus. In this manuscript, we collected relevant articles and reviewed the characteristics about SARS-CoV-2.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We performed an online search on PubMed and Web of Science with the keywords COVID-19, 2019-nCoV and SARS-CoV-2, and summarized the epidemiology, virology, clinical features and treatments of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

RESULTS

We retrieved 157 published papers about SARS-CoV-2 from January, 2020 to April, 2020. We found that SARS-CoV-2 was a kind of virus with low mortality rate and high infectivity. This virus can enter human cells through angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) in alveoli and activate immune response in human body. SARS-CoV-2 infection can be classified as asymptomatic, mild, common, severe, and critical. We summarized antiviral drugs against SARS-CoV-2, such as remdesivir, hydroxychloroquine and favipiravir. Because the vaccine of SARS-CoV-2 is developing, more clinical studies are needed to verify the safety and efficacy of these treatments.

CONCLUSIONS

SARS-CoV-2 is a novel coronavirus that has caused a global pandemic. We should pay more attention to prevent SARS-CoV-2 and try to control it sooner.

[Current status of the clinical practice and analysis on the ratioanl prescription of antiarrhythmic drugs in Chinese patients with atrial fibrillation: Results from the Chinese Atrial Fibrillation Registry (CAFR) trial]

Objective: To explore the practice patterns and the related factors of oral antiarrhythmic drug (AAD) treatment in Chinese patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), and to evaluate the compliance of AAD application to atrial fibrillation management guidelines. Methods: From August 2011 to August 2016, medical records from 18 014 patients with AF were analyzed based on data from the Chinese Atrial Fibrillation Registry trial. Patients were divided into AAD group (7 788 cases, 43.23%) and non-AAD group (10 226 cases, 56.77%) according to whether AAD was used at baseline or at the time of first use during follow-up. Amiodarone (4 129 cases, 53.02%) and propafenone (3 211 cases, 41.23%) were the mostly prescribed AAD and subgroup analysis was performed accordingly. Medical records were analyzed by random forest regression to evaluate the use of AAD and related factors in patients with AF, and the rationality of AAD was analyzed according to the guidelines for the management of atrial fibrillation. Result: A total of 18 014 patients were included in this study, of which 60.48% (10 895/18 014) were male patients, 22.65% (4 081/18 014) were elderly patients(≥75 years old), there were 7 788 patients (43.23%) in AAD group, and 10 226 patients(56.77%) in non-AAD group. Compared with the non-AAD group, the elderly patients (≥75 years old, 13.74%(1 070/7 788) vs. 29.44%(3 011/10 226)), persistent AF (28.95% (2 250/7 788) 45.80% (4 683/10 226)), heart failure(8.29% (646/7 788) vs. 21.95% (2 245/10 226)), stroke and (or) TIA(12.15% (946/7 788) vs. 19.95% (2 040/10 226)), renal dysfunction(16.36%(1 274/7 788) vs. 29.37% (3 003/10 226)), and high thromboembolism risk(60.17% (4 748/7 788) vs. 76.40% (7 813/10 226)) were less prevalent in the AAD subgroup (P<0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that patients in tertiary hospitals (OR=3.72, 95%CI 3.17-4.37) were more likely to use AAD, elderly patients (≥75 years old, OR=0.47, 95%CI 0.39-0.55), persistent atrial fibrillation (OR=0.66, 95%CI 0.60-0.72), and patients with heart failure (OR=0.54, 95%CI 0.47-0.63), stroke and (or) TIA (OR=0.77, 95%CI 0.68-0.87), renal dysfunction (OR=0.75, 95%CI 0.59-0.95) and high thromboembolism risk(OR=0.7, 95%CI 0.58-0.84) were more likely not to use AAD(P<0.05). In the AAD group, amiodarone and propafenone were the most commonly used AAD, accounting for 53.02% (4 129/7 788) and 41.23% (3 211/7 788), respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that patients with persistent atrial fibrillation (OR=4.57, 95%CI 3.94-5.29) and coronary heart disease (OR=4.14, 95%CI 3.03-5.64), heart failure (OR=2.07, 95%CI 1.48-2.89), non-ischemic cardiomyopathy (OR=4.84, 95%CI 2.41-9.73) were more likely to use amiodarone, and those with normal left ventricular ejection fraction (OR=0.31, 95%CI 0.15-0.65) and low thromboembolism risk (OR=0.78, 95%CI 0.63-0.97) were more likely to use propafenone (P<0.001). The overall incidence of AAD treatment, which was not indicated by the guidelines was 6.5% (480/7 340); 5.1% (212/4 129) in the amiodarone group and 8.3% (268/3 211) in the propafenone group, respectively. Compared with the rational AAD use group, the proportion of irrational drug use was higher in the elderly (≥75 years old) (20.4% (98/480) vs. 12.9% (887/6 860)), patients of high thromboembolism risk (77.1% (379/480) vs. 59.0% (4 047/6 860)), and in non-tertiary hospitals (7.1% (34/480) vs. 3.3% (299/6 860)), but lower in men(50.8% (244/480) vs. 64.5% (4 427/6 860)), P<0.001. Conclusions: The patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, who were treated with AAD, were mostly patients with fewer complications, and the patients who were treated with amiodarone were mostly patients with persistent atrial fibrillation, patients were more likely to complicate with organic heart disease. The incidence of AAD that do not comply with the guidelines was low, and it was more common in non-tertiary hospitals and the elder patients with high thromboembolism risk.

Low dose novel PARP-PI3K inhibition via nanoformulation improves colorectal cancer immunoradiotherapy

Multimodal therapy is often used in oncology to overcome dosing limitations and chemoresistance. Recently, combination immunoradiotherapy has shown great promise in a select subset of patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). Furthermore, molecularly targeted agents delivered in tandem with immunotherapy regimens have been suggested to improve treatment outcomes and expand the population of responding patients. In this study, radiation-sensitizing small molecules niraparib (PARP inhibitor) and HS-173 (PI3K inhibitor) are identified as a novel combination that synergistically enhance toxicity and induce immunogenic cell death both in vitro and in vivo in a CRC model. These inhibitors were co-encapsulated in a polymer micelle to overcome solubility limitations while minimizing off-target toxicity. Mice bearing syngeneic colorectal tumors (CT26) were administered these therapeutic micelles in combination with X-ray irradiation and anti-CTLA-4 immunotherapy. This combination led to enhanced efficacy demonstrated by improved tumor control and increased tumor infiltrating lymphocytes. This report represents the first investigation of DNA damage repair inhibition combined with radiation to potentiate anti-CTLA-4 immunotherapy in a CRC model.