Cryptotanshinone ameliorates the pathogenicity of Streptococcus suis by targeting suilysin and inflammation

AIMS

Streptococcus suis is a highly zoonotic pathogen that is a serious threat to human health and the development of the pig industry worldwide. The virulence factors produced during S. suis infection play an important role, and the pore-forming activity of suilysin is considered an important virulence-related factor, especially in meningitis. Treatment of S. suis infection with traditional antibiotics is becoming increasingly challenging due to bacterial resistance. The purpose of this study is to verify the role of cryptotanshinone in the process of S. suis infection and provide a new drug precursor for the treatment of S. suis infection.

METHODS AND RESULTS

In this study, we used circular dichroism spectroscopy to demonstrate that cryptotanshinone alters the secondary structure of suilysin. The results of the antibacterial activity and haemolysis assays showed cryptotanshinone could inhibit the pore-forming activity of suilysin without affecting bacterial growth or its expression. We also showed that cryptotanshinone reduces bacterial damage and penetration in vitro, reduce the S. suis-induced inflammatory response and provide protection against bacterial infections in vivo and in vitro.

CONCLUSIONS

Cryptotanshinone is a potential compound precursor for treating S. suis infection.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

Cryptotanshinone may be a promising leading compound for S. suis infection and related diseases.

LncRNA RUSC1-AS1 promotes the proliferation of hepatocellular carcinoma cells through modulating NOTCH signaling

The long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) RUSC1-AS1 has been reported to be dysregulated in the progression of many cancers. Also, RUSC1-AS1 had been detected to be highly expressed in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma and breast cancer cells, suggesting that RUSC1-AS1 may be a biomarker for cancers. However, the biological role and regulatory mechanism of RUSC1-AS1 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain unknown. In this study, we found that RUSC1-AS1 was upregulated in HCC tissues and cells, and predicted unfavorable prognosis of HCC patients. The function assays including colony formation, EdU, TUNEL assay revealed that RUSC1-AS1 facilitated HCC cell proliferation and inhibited HCC cell apoptosis. Furthermore, mechanism assays including luciferase reporter assay and RIP assay demonstrated that RUSC1-AS1 could directly bind to hsa-miR-7-5p. Besides, hsa-miR-7-5p targeted and negatively regulated NOTCH3 expression. Moreover, RUSC1-AS1 sponged hsa-miR-7-5p to upregulate NOTCH3 and to trigger the NOTCH signaling pathway. The rescue assays depicted that RUSC1-AS1 regulated HCC cell proliferation and apoptosis through modulating NOTCH signaling. In conclusion, lncRNA RUSC1-AS1 promoted the proliferation and reduced the apoptosis of HCC cells through activation of NOTCH signaling via hsa-miR-7-5p/NOTCH3 axis.

[Application of intestinal stent in prevention of anastomotic leakage after rectal cancer operation]

Objective: To observe preventive effect of intestinal stent against anastomotic leakage after rectal cancer operation. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was carried out. Clinical data of 107 patients with low rectal cancer undergoing laparoscopic radical resection from January 2015 to August 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. Intestinal stent was placed intraoperatively in 48 cases and was not placed in 59 cases. Postoperative Wexner score for anal function and incidence of anastomotic leakage were compared between patients with and without intstinal stent. Results: There was no significant differences in age, distance between tumor and the anal verge, operative time and postoperative Wexner score for anal function between the two groups (all P>0.05). After a month of follow-up, the incidence of anastomotic leakage was 16.9% (10/59) in the non-stent group, while no anastomotic leakage was found in the stent group (P=0.002). Conclusion: Placement of intestinal stent can effectively prevent anastomotic leakage after low rectal cancer surgery.

Phytoremediation of heavy metals under an oil crop rotation and treatment of biochar from contaminated biomass for safe use

The disposal of contaminated plants limits the use of phytoremediation. Therefore, the disposal of contaminated sunflower was investigated after determining the phytoremediation of heavy metals under an oil crop rotation of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L)-sesame (Sesamum indicum L.). In the field experiment, the extraction efficiency of sunflower-sesame rotation was 0.07% for lead (Pb); 1.37% for zinc (Zn); 1.10% for copper (Cu); and 6.12% for cadmium (Cd). Contaminated sunflower stems were pyrolyzed at different temperature. The biochar produced at 300 °C was extracted in a two-step process (acid-extraction from biochar and metals precipitation in alkaline condition). At pH = 1, 65.67% of the Cd and much potassium (K) were extracted. After acid-extraction, adjust the pH of filtrate to 10, metals were precipitated and then separated from the K-enriched solution. Therefore, pyrolysis can process contaminated residues, and the biochar extracts can be reutilized as fertilizer to off-site crop production. Thus, an oil crop-rotation system, in addition to creating economic benefits, can be used by local farmers in contaminated soils.

Clinical characteristics of COVID-19-infected cancer patients: a retrospective case study in three hospitals within Wuhan, China

Background

Cancer patients are regarded as a highly vulnerable group in the current Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. To date, the clinical characteristics of COVID-19-infected cancer patients remain largely unknown.

Patients and methods

In this retrospective cohort study, we included cancer patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 from three designated hospitals in Wuhan, China. Clinical data were collected from medical records from 13 January 2020 to 26 February 2020. Univariate and multivariate analyses were carried out to assess the risk factors associated with severe events defined as a condition requiring admission to an intensive care unit, the use of mechanical ventilation, or death.

Results

A total of 28 COVID-19-infected cancer patients were included; 17 (60.7%) patients were male. Median (interquartile range) age was 65.0 (56.0–70.0) years. Lung cancer was the most frequent cancer type (n = 7; 25.0%). Eight (28.6%) patients were suspected to have hospital-associated transmission. The following clinical features were shown in our cohort: fever (n = 23, 82.1%), dry cough (n = 22, 81%), and dyspnoea (n = 14, 50.0%), along with lymphopaenia (n = 23, 82.1%), high level of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (n = 23, 82.1%), anaemia (n = 21, 75.0%), and hypoproteinaemia (n = 25, 89.3%). The common chest computed tomography (CT) findings were ground-glass opacity (n = 21, 75.0%) and patchy consolidation (n = 13, 46.3%). A total of 15 (53.6%) patients had severe events and the mortality rate was 28.6%. If the last antitumour treatment was within 14 days, it significantly increased the risk of developing severe events [hazard ratio (HR) = 4.079, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.086–15.322, P = 0.037]. Furthermore, patchy consolidation on CT on admission was associated with a higher risk of developing severe events (HR = 5.438, 95% CI 1.498–19.748, P = 0.010).

Conclusions

Cancer patients show deteriorating conditions and poor outcomes from the COVID-19 infection. It is recommended that cancer patients receiving antitumour treatments should have vigorous screening for COVID-19 infection and should avoid treatments causing immunosuppression or have their dosages decreased in case of COVID-19 coinfection.

Evaluation of synuclein-γ levels by novel monoclonal antibody in saliva and cancer tissues from oral squamous cell carcinoma patients

The clinical value of synuclein-γ (SNCG) in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) was evaluated by detecting the expression of SNCG in saliva and tissues and its correlation with clinicopathological parameters (age, gender, ethnicity, degree of differentiation, clinical stage, and lymph node metastasis). Salivary samples were collected from 79 patients with OSCC, 31 patients with oral premalignant lesions (OPMLs), such as oral lichen planus, oral leukoplakia, and erythema, and 80 controls, and levels of SNCG in salivary samples were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Tissue expression in formalin-fixed tissue biopsies of 94 cases of OSCC and 30 adjacent normal tissues was analyzed by immunohistochemistry (IHC) using an antibody against SNCG. The results showed that the salivary levels of SNCG in patients with OSCC and OPMLs were significantly higher than those detected in the control group (p<0.001). The immunohistochemical results showed that SNCG was highly expressed in tumor cells of OSCC patients, with low expression in the adjacent normal epithelium (p<0.001, OR=6.074). Salivary SNCG level correlated with differentiation (p=0.022). Besides, the expression of SNCG in OSCC tissues was also significantly associated with differentiation (p<0.001).

[Effects of parental rearing patterns and their consistency on the emotional and behavioral problems of preschool children]

Objective: To explore the effect of parental rearing patterns and their consistency on the emotional and behavioral problems of preschool children. Methods: From October to November 2017, 27 987 children aged 3 to 6 years old from 109 kindergartens in 11 cities of Hubei, Anhui and Jiangsu Provinces were selected by using the cluster sampling method. A total of 27 200 valid questionnaires which were completed by subjects' parents were collected. The emotional and behavioral problems of preschool children were collected by "strengths and difficulties questionnaire" and the parental rearing patterns were evaluated by the "Parental Behavior Scale". The differences in emotional and behavioral abnormality rates of preschool children with different characteristics were analyzed; with emotional and behavioral problems as dependent variables and parental support/participation and compulsion/hostility as independent variables, the multivariate logistic regression model was used to analyze the effect of parental rearing patterns and their consistency on the emotional and behavioral problems of preschool children. Results: The age of children was (4.35±0.96) years old, and 51.4% of children were 13 975 males. There were 24 634 (90.6%) urban children and 17 916 (65.9%) only children. Both parents with strong support/participation accounted for 14.9%, and those with poor support/participation accounted for 11.9%; both parents with strong compulsion/hostility accounted for 15.2%, and those with low compulsion/hostility accounted for 11.3%. The rates of emotional symptoms, conduct behavior, hyperactive behavior, peer interaction, total difficulty score, and abnormal prosocial behavior of preschool children were 9.5%, 9.5%, 18.2%, 24.5%, 11.2%, and 10.2%, respectively. The multivariate logistic regression model analysis showed that after adjusting for gender, only child, living area, family economic status, mother's age and education level, father's education level, and other factors, compared with fathers/mothers with strong support/participation and low compulsion/hostility and parents with strong support/participation and low compulsion/hostility, preschool children who had fathers/mothers with poor support/participation and strong compulsion/hostility or parents with poor support/participation and strong compulsion/hostility were more likely to have emotional symptoms, conduct behavior, hyperactive behavior, peer interaction, total difficulty score, and abnormal prosocial behavior (P<0.05). Conclusions: Parental rearing patterns and their consistency are related to the emotional and behavioral problems of preschool children.

[Hearing assessment and follow-up study of aeonatal deafness gene screening homozygous mutation infants]

Objective:To analyze the hearing assessment characteristics and follow-up of some deafness gene screening homozygous infants in Zhuhai. Method:The clinical data of 28 newborns with homozygous mutations transferred to Zhuhai Maternal and Child Health Hospital from Feb. 1, 2015 to Oct. 25, 2018 in hospitals of Zhuhai City were retrospectively analyzed. All the children were screened for hearing. The hearing characteristics and long-term follow-up results of homozygous mutations at different gene sites were analyzed by auditory diagnosis and behavioral follow-up from 1 to 3 years. Result:Fourteen cases of GJB2 c.109G>A with a homozygous mutation, 11 cases passed the hearing screening, the audiological diagnosis was normal, and the behavior test and follow-up were normal from 1 to 3 years. Hearing screening was not passed in 3 newborns, mild to moderate abnormalities of single or bilateral ears were diagnosed by audiology, 1 000 Hz without positive, and middle ear lesions were diagnosed. Eight cases of GJB2 c.235del C homozygous mutation were followed up by behavioral audiometry and follow-up from 1 to 3 years after cure. Among them, 5 cases were diagnosed as severe hearing impairment of bilateral ears and 3 cases as mild and moderate hearing impairment. One case of GJB3 547G>A homozygous mutation was followed up for 1-3 years, and all of them failed to pass the follow-up of behavioral audiometry and follow-up. Four cases of SLC26A4 IVS7-2A>G, 1 case of SLC26A4 1229C>T homozygous mutation, all of them failed to pass the neonatal hearing screening. All the patients were diagnosed as severe hearing impairment of binaural hearing, and the follow-up of 1-3 years' follow-up did not pass the follow-up tests. Conclusion:GJB2 C.235del C, SLC26A4 IVS7-2A>G locus homozygous mutation infant hearing impairment was mainly severe hearing impairment in bilateral ears, and there was no change in 1-3 years follow-up. GJB2 C.109G A homozygous mutant infants had normal hearing, and it was suggested that they should be followed up closely. It is very important to give correct and reasonable genetic counseling to parents with GJB2 C.109G A homozygous mutation without unnecessary panic.

[A follow-up study of abnormal mutation in neonatal deafness gene screening]

Objective: To screen, diagnose and follow up the abnormal mutation in the gene screening of neonatal deafness. Methods: A total of 24161 newborns born in Zhuhai Maternal and Child Health Hospital from February 1, 2015 to January 31, 2008 were screened for hearing and deafness genes, and audiological screening, diagnosis and 1-3 years follow-up were carried out for the newborns with positive gene screening. Results: There were 991 cases of deafness gene mutation (533 males and 458 females), and the rate of abnormal mutation was 4.10%(991/24 161). Among them, 921 cases were single heterozygous mutation, 130 cases were failed in primary hearing screening, 11 cases were failed in secondary hearing screening, 8 cases were abnormal in audiological diagnosis finally. In these 8 cases, 3 were diagnosed as otitis media and passed audiological follow-up after cure, 2 cases of single ear sensorineural injury caused by high-risk factors, passed after close audiological follow-up, and the other 3 cases were closely audiological follow-up while none of them were successfully sequenced. All of them were moderate to severe sensorineural deafness, 1 case was heterozygous mutation at 3 loci of GJB2(c.235delC,c.408C>A,c.134G>A), 1 case was heterozygous mutation at 2 loci of GJB2(c.235delC, c.109G>A), and 1 case was single heterozygous mutation of GJB2(c.235delC). The remaining 913 cases who passed the primary screening, secondary screening or hearing diagnosis were followed up for 1 to 3 years. Three cases of multiple heterozygous mutation were found in gene screening(2 cases were SLC26A4 2168A>G, IVS7-2A>G, 1 case was GJB2 c.176_191del 16bp, c.299_300del AT), all of them passed both primary and secondary hearing screening. In these 3 cases, the final audiological diagnosis was moderate sensorineural deafness in both ears, with no improvement in the follow-up of 1-3 years. There were 9 monogenic homozygous mutations, 7 failed in primary hearing screening, 3 failed in secondary hearing screening and also failed in audiological diagnosis and 1-3 years' audiological follow-up, all of whom were GJB2 c.235 del C homozygous mutations, and one of whom had a definite family history of deafness. The remaining 6 cases of homozygous mutation diagnosed by primary screening, secondary screening or hearing diagnosis were GJB2 c109G>A homozygous mutation, and passed the 1-3 years' hearing follow-up. 58 children with mtDNA mutations, including 2 with 12S rRNA 1494C>T homozygous mutation, 47 with 1555A>G homozygous mutation, and 9 with 1555A>G heterozygous mutation, all passed the primary or secondary hearing screening, and were instructed to ban ototoxic drugs for the whole life, and passed the 1-3 years' hearing follow-up. Conclusions: The audiological follow-up of children with monogenic heterozygous mutations in deafness gene screening is generally normal. In case of abnormality, the influencing factors such as otitis media should be excluded at first. In case of unexplained moderate to severe sensorineural deafness, the whole-gene sequencing should be performed to find possible pathogenic factors. The children with homozygous mutation or compound heterozygous mutation in gene screening, most of whom show different degrees of hearing loss, should be followed up for a long time, and provide parents with scientific and reasonable genetic counseling according to the mutation genes and loci,. The hearing of drug-induced deafness gene carriers is normal after birth. Parents should be advised to strengthen prevention and follow-up is generally enough.

A novel, rapid and simple method for detecting brucellosis based on rapid vertical flow technology

AIMS

To prevent the spread of brucellosis, a simple and rapid vertical flow technology (RVFT) for the detection of antibodies targeting brucellosis was developed.

METHODS AND RESULTS

In this study, Brucella sp. lipopolysaccharide was purified and used to detect brucellosis antibodies. Sheep IgG was used as a negative control. Colloidal gold-labeled recombinant staphylococcus aureus protein A was sprayed on a fibreglass membrane to prepare immunogold pads. Rapid vertical flow technology was used to detect Brucella in 1668 Sheep, 2743 bovine, 674 red deer and 420 human samples. The results indicated that the accuracy of this assay can reach 98%.

CONCLUSIONS

The established RVFT uses a single multifunctional buffer that can be used to detect antibodies in serum, plasma, whole blood and other biological samples while preserving the advantages of lateral-flow immunoassays.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

This technology would be of great use in primary medical units and veterinary stations, and it is of great significance for the control of epidemic diseases.

Local dermal application of a compound lidocaine cream in pain management of cancer wounds

The aim of this study was to explore the analgesic effect of local application of compound lidocaine/prilocaine cream on cancer wounds during wound care in order to reduce the amount of morphine intake or completely replace the systemic morphine administration and optimize the protocol for cancer wound pain management. All patients were enrolled with a visual analog scale (VAS) pain score ≥4. Before wound care, 60 patients were randomly divided into 2 groups of 30 each: morphine group (10 mg tablet); topical 5% compound lidocaine cream group (0.2 g/cm²). VAS scores, heart rate, and Kolcaba comfort level were recorded for the two groups 10 min before and 10, 15, 20, and 25 min after wound care and data were analyzed statistically. The means for the pain score and heart rate of the topical lidocaine/prilocaine cream group were lower than those of the morphine group (P<0.01) and the Kolcaba comfort level was higher (P<0.01). Local dermal application of the compound lidocaine cream can be used as an alternative to the systemic morphine administration in cancer wound care for its safety and effectiveness. In addition, it can improve the patients' comfort and quality of life.

Complete genomic sequence of tea-oil camellia deltapartitivirus 1, a novel virus from Camellia oleifera

Three viral contig sequences, which represented complete genome of a novel virus with three dsRNAs of 1,712 nucleotides (nt) (dsRNA1), 1,504 nt (dsRNA2) and 1,353 nt (dsRNA3), were found in tea-oil camellia plants by high-throughput sequencing analysis. The three dsRNAs were re-sequenced by RT-PCR cloning. The largest dsRNA, dsRNA1, had a single open reading frame (ORF) that encoded a putative 52.7-kDa protein of a putative viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp). DsRNA2 and dsRNA3 were predicted to encode putative capsid proteins (CPs) of 40.47 kDa and 40.59 kDa, respectively. The virus, which is provisionally named "tea-oil camellia deltapartitivirus 1",  shared amino acid sequence itentities of 36.09-69.18% with members of the genus Deltapartitivirus on RdRp. Phylogenetic analysis based on RdRp also placed the new virus and other deltapartitiviruses together in a group, suggesting that this virus should be considered a new member of the genus Deltapartitivirus.

Experimental atopic dermatitis is dependent on the TWEAK/Fn14 signaling pathway

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-like weak inducer of apoptosis (TWEAK) acts through its receptor fibroblast growth factor inducible 14 (Fn14), and participates in skin inflammation. Both TWEAK and Fn14 are highly expressed in skin lesions of patients with atopic dermatitis. The purpose of this study was to further explore the effect of Fn14 inhibition on experimental atopic dermatitis. Experimental atopic dermatitis was induced in the wild-type and Fn14 knock-out BALB/c mice. The effect of TWEAK/Fn14 interaction on keratinocytes was studied in an in-vitro model of atopic dermatitis. Fn14 deficiency ameliorates skin lesions in the mice model, accompanied by less infiltration of inflammatory cells and lower local levels of proinflammatory cytokines, including TWEAK, TNF-α and interleukin (IL)-17. Fn14 deficiency also attenuates the up-regulation of TNFR1 in skin lesions of atopic dermatitis. Moreover, topical TWEAK exacerbates skin lesion in the wild-type but not in the Fn14 knock-out mice. In vitro, TWEAK enhances the expressions of IL-17, IL-18 and IFN-γ in keratinocytes under atopic dermatitis-like inflammation. These results suggest that Fn14 deficiency protects mice from experimental atopic dermatitis, involving the attenuation of inflammatory responses and keratinocyte apoptosis. In the context of atopic dermatitis-like inflammation, TWEAK modulates keratinocytes via a TNFR1-mediated pathway.

[Analysis of mental state of allergic rhinitis patients in Chengdu city by symptom check list 90 (SCL-90) scale]

Objective: To analyse the mental state of patients with allergic rhinitis (AR) in Chengdu. Methods: One thousand five hundred and thirty-six AR patients from Sichuan Provincial Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine Hospital, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Sichuan People's Hospital, Sichuan Second Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine were selected from July 2013 to January 2018. Eight hundred and twenty-seven patients were screened into study group by inclusion and exclusion standards. The symptom check list 90 (SCL-90) was used to group and score the mental state of these patients according to nine classification criteria: gender, BMI, age, marital status, monthly salary, disease duration, living environment, education level and working environment. Then, the scores were compared within groups. Inter-group comparison was made between the study group and the Chinese norm, and the positive factors for psychological disorders were extracted. Four symptoms in the study group, i.e. nasal itching, sneezing, clear discharge and nasal congestion, were scored on the visual analogue scale (VAS). SPSS 19.0 software was used to carry out statistical analysis. Partial correlation analysis was performed between the positive factors and the symptom scores by multiple regression statistical method. Results: The total score of SCL-90 in the study group was 2.64±0.25, which was accorded with mild to moderate mental health impairment. There were 124 (15.0%) without mental health damage, 176 (21.3%) with mild damage, 474 (57.3%) with mild to moderate damage, 41 (5.0%) with moderate to severe damage and 12 (1.4%) with severe damage. The in-group comparison showed that the top three categories of different items were the living environment, gender and working environment. The scores of somatization, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, interpersonal sensitivity, depression, anxiety, psychosis, other (sleep, diet) and total average score of urban residents were higher than that of country residents (3.29±0.61 vs 2.65±0.50, 2.81±0.77 vs 2.05±0.38, 3.10±0.19 vs 2.49±0.67, 3.40±0.84 vs 2.49±0.70, 3.04±0.64 vs 2.33±0.51, 3.02±0.55 vs 2.40±0.77, 3.40±0.41 vs 2.52±0.77, 2.91±0.11 vs 2.29±0.40, Z value was 4.88, 5.25, 4.57, 5.91, 5.09, 4.63, 5.55, -4.55, respectively, all P<0.05). Women scored higher than man for somatization, interpersonal sensitivity, depression and others (2.66±0.51 vs 2.00±0.45, 3.37±0.47 vs 2.63±0.51, 3.44±0.57 vs 2.85±0.52, 3.47±0.36 vs 2.76±0.45, Z value was -5.10, -5.51, -4.86, -5.28, respectively, all P<0.05). The scores of somatization, interpersonal sensitivity, psychosis and other (sleep, diet) were higher in the indoor group than those in the outdoor group (3.49±0.64 vs 2.78±0.46, 3.33±0.30 vs 2.56±0.68, 3.28±0.60 vs 2.67±0.31, 3.50±0.85 vs 2.85±0.37, Z value was 5.31, 5.79, 4.89, 5.00, respectively, all P<0.05). The outdoor group scored higher on obsessive-compulsive symptoms, anxiety and hostility (3.44±0.40 vs 2.83±0.35, 3.40±0.50 vs 2.57±0.93, 3.34±0.88 vs 2.69±0.56, Z value was 4.96, 6.22, 5.08, respectively, all P<0.05). The inter-group comparison found that depression, anxiety, psychosis and other (sleep, diet) could be partially correlated with VAS scores as 4 positive factors. The results of partial correlation analysis showed that depression was positively correlated with sneezing and nasal runny discharge, anxiety was positively correlated with nasal itching and nasal obstruction, psychosis was positively correlated with nasal itching and sneezing, and other (sleep, diet) was positively correlated with nasal runny discharge and nasal obstruction. Conclusion: AR patients have mild to moderate mental health impairments, which are correlated with AR symptoms.

TNF-α differently regulates TRPV2 and TRPV4 channels in human dental pulp cells

AIM

To investigate the influence of tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α on transient receptor potential channel vanilloid subfamily type 2 (TRPV2) and TRPV4 channels in human dental pulp cells (HDPCs), and explore the potential downstream signalling pathway mediating this process.

METHODOLOGY

Immunofluorescence staining and ratiometric calcium imaging were used to confirm the expression and activation of TRPV2 and TRPV4 channels. Different regulations of 1 and 10 ng mL^-1 as well as short- and long-term TNF-α treatments to TRPV2 and TRPV4 response were examined by RT-qPCR, Western blot analysis, flow cytometry and ratiometric calcium imaging. Functions of TNF receptor (TNFR)1 and p38 MAPK signalling pathways in this process were also detected by respective inhibitors. Immunoelectron microscopy (IEM) was used to examine long-term effect of TNF-α on TRPV2 expression at the subcellular level. Data were analysed statistically with t-test, and one-way analysis of variance was used with the non-parametric Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests. The level of significance was set at P < 0.05.

RESULTS

TRPV2 and TRPV4 channels were activated by respective agonists in HDPCs. Neither TRPV2 nor TRPV4 channels were upregulated by 1 ng mL^-1 TNF-α (P > 0.05). TRPV2, but not TRPV4, was upregulated by 10 ng mL^-1 TNF-α (P < 0.05). Both short- and long-term treatments with 10 ng mL^-1 TNF-α significantly enhanced TRPV2 responses, whereas only short-term treatment of TNF-α increased TRPV4 response (P < 0.05). Moreover, the inhibitors of TNFR and p38 both significantly decreased the TNF-α-induced up-regulation of TRPV channels (P < 0.05). At the subcellular level, prolonged TNF-α treatment significantly increased the functional expression of the TRPV2 channel especially in the nucleus, endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria.

CONCLUSIONS

Low and high concentrations, as well as short- and long-term TNF-α treatments regulated the activity of TRPV2 and TRPV4 channels in HDPCs differently, and this effect might be mediated by TNFR1 and p38 MAPK signalling pathways. IEM was used to confirm that prolonged TNF-α treatment significantly increased the functional expression of the TRPV2 channel at a subcellular level.

Characteristics of coronary artery atherosclerotic plaques in chronic kidney disease: evaluation with coronary CT angiography

AIM

To determine the characteristics of coronary artery atherosclerotic plaques in chronic kidney disease (CKD) with coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Sixty-six patients with CKD who underwent coronary CTA were analysed retrospectively. The extent, distribution, and types of plaques and stenosis severity were evaluated. The imaging features were compared between dialysis and non-dialysis groups. In the dialysis group, the imaging features were compared between diabetes and non-diabetes patients.

RESULTS

In total, 152 coronary vessels (2.3±1.3 per patient) and 306 segments (4.6±3.5 per patient) were found to have plaques. The most common diseased coronary vessel was the left anterior descending (LAD) artery (53 vessels, 34.9%) followed by the left circumflex (LCX) artery (39 vessels, 25.7%), and right coronary artery (RCA; 37 vessels, 24.3%) in sequence. The most commonly involved coronary artery segment was the middle segment of LAD artery (14.1%). Calcified plaques (65.9%) were detected more frequently than mixed (25.6%) or non-calcified (8.5%) plaques (p<0.001). Among the degrees of coronary stenosis, minimal stenosis (55.8%) was the most common (p<0.001). The majority of calcified plaques were non-obstructive plaques (n=134, 78.2%), while about half of non-calcified (n=14, 63.6%) and mixed plaques (n=30, 45.5%) were obstructive plaques (p<0.001).

CONCLUSION

A heavy plaque burden was detected in CKD patients at coronary CTA. Non-obstructive calcified plaque was the most common imaging feature. CKD patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus had more obstructive mixed plaques.

Can we perform esophagectomy for esophageal cancer patients with concomitant liver cirrhosis? A comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis

Liver cirrhosis is sometimes encountered in esophageal cancer patients intended for surgery. However, the impact of liver cirrhosis on patients with surgically treated esophageal cancer remains unclear. Therefore, we conducted the first meta-analysis focusing on current topic. We comprehensively searched relevant studies in Pubmed, Embase, and Web of Science on September 3, 2018. Data for analysis included both short-term (including morbidity and mortality rates) and long-term (5-year survival rate) outcomes. Our meta-analysis was conducted by using the STATA 12.0 package. We finally included a total of six cohort studies involving a total of 1426 patients (161 cirrhotic patients and 1265 noncirrhotic patients). Meta-analysis showed that cirrhotic patients had a significantly higher morbidity rate (risk ratio (RR) = 1.226; 95% Confidence interval (CI) = [1.043, 1.442]; P = 0.014) than noncirrhotic patients. For specific complications, cirrhotic patients had a significantly higher rate of pulmonary complications (RR = 2.354; 95%CI = [1.376, 4.026]; P = 0.002) and pleural effusion (RR = 2.414; 95%CI = [1.482, 3.613]; P < 0.001) than noncirrhotic patients and there was a trend toward a higher rate of anastomotic leak (RR = 1.759; 95%CI = [0.945, 3.274]; P = 0.075) in cirrhotic patients. Moreover, cirrhotic patients also had a significantly higher mortality rate (RR = 2.529; 95%CI = [1.480, 4.324]; P = 0.001) than noncirrhotic patients. Cirrhotic patients tended to yield a lower 5-year survival rate than those noncirrhotic patients after surgical resection of esophageal cancer (RR = 0.715; 95%CI = [0.492, 1.039]; P = 0.079). In conclusion, liver cirrhosis was significantly correlated with high morbidity and mortality rates. However, there was no sufficient evidence of unfavorable survival in cirrhotic patients. Esophagectomy can be performed for certain esophageal cancer patients with concomitant liver cirrhosis with acceptable operative risks, providing that careful preoperative evaluation and patient selection have been achieved.

Molecular characterization and detection of two carlaviruses infecting cactus

Two large contigs with sequence similarities to different carlaviruses were identified by high-throughput sequencing in samples from a cactus plant. The complete genomes of the two viruses, tentatively named "cactus carlavirus 1" (CCV-1) and "cactus carlavirus 2" (CCV-2), were determined to be 8,441 and 8,396 nucleotides long, respectively, excluding the poly(A) tail. These viruses have the typical genomic organization of members of the genus Carlavirus. CCV-1 appears to be a cactus isolate of the carlavirus HSO-2016a, with 90.1% nucleotide sequence identity between the two virus genomes, whereas CCV-2 may be classified as a member of a new species. The sequences of CCV-2 and other carlaviruses are 48.9-60.0% identical at the whole-genome level.

[Occupational characteristics and clinical manifestations of 245 cases of occupational brucellosis]

Objective: To analyse epidemiological, clinical characteristics and laboratory examination results of 245 occupational brucellosis form 2008 to 2018, which providing theoretical basis for prevention and control of occupational brucellosis. Methods: Based on the China Center for Disease Control and Prevention Information System, a database of occupational brucellosis cases in HunlunBuir from January 2008 to July 2018 was established. The Epidemiological characteristics, Clinical manifestation, laboratory examination of 245 occupational brucellosis and 359 without occupational brucellosis were comparatively analyzed about the same period. Results: Among the 245 patients, 219 were males, 254 in 359, malese were significantly higher than control group (χ(2)=21.331, P<0.05) . Fever, fatigue, hyperhidrosis and splenomegaly are common in patients with occupational brucellosis and non occupational brucellosis. Arthralgia (54.3%/44.8%) and CRP (81.2%/71.3%) were significantly also higher than control group (χ(2)=5.193, P<0.05; χ(2)=7.704, P<0.05) Fever, hyperhidrosis, fatigue and splenomegaly were common clinical manifestation and signs in the two groups. Brucellosis can cause a variety of complications, including osteoarticular hematological system and hepatic involvement, some patients with multiple system damage. Conclusion: The incidence of occupational brucellosis in HulunBuir is concentrated in agriculture and animal husbandry. Veterinarians are the main occupational groups, Occupational health interventions should be strengthened for key occupational hazards, regular occupational health examination, avoid chronic brucellosis and protect the health of key occupational groups.