Critical Role of Notch-1 in Mechanistic Target of Rapamycin Hyperactivity and Vascular Inflammation in Patients With Takayasu Arteritis

OBJECTIVE

Takayasu arteritis (TA) is a major type of large vessel vasculitis characterized by progressive inflammation in vascular layers. In our recent study we identified a central role of mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) hyperactivity in proinflammatory T cell differentiation in TA. This study was undertaken to explore potential mechanisms underpinning T cell-intrinsic mTOR hyperactivity and vascular inflammation in TA, with a focus on Notch-1.

METHODS

Notch-1 expression and activity was determined according to Notch-1, activated Notch-1, and HES-1 levels. We detected mTOR activity with intracellular expression of phosphorylated ribosomal protein S6. Differentiation of proinflammatory T cells was analyzed by detecting Th1 and Th17 lineage-determining transcription factors. The function of Notch-1 was evaluated using γ-secretase inhibitor DAPT and gene knockdown using a short hairpin RNA (shRNA) strategy. We performed our translational study using humanized NSG mouse chimeras in which human vasculitis was induced using immune cells from TA patients.

RESULTS

CD4+ T cells from TA patients exerted Notch-1^high , leading to mTOR hyperactivity and spontaneous maldifferentiation of Th1 cells and Th17 cells. Blockade of Notch-1 using DAPT and Notch-1 shRNA efficiently abrogated mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1) activation and proinflammatory T cell differentiation. Mechanistically, Notch-1 promoted mTOR expression, interacted with mTOR, and was associated with lysosomal localization of mTOR. Accordingly, systemic administration of DAPT and CD4+ T cell-specific gene knockdown of Notch-1 could alleviate vascular inflammation in humanized TA chimeras.

CONCLUSION

Expression of Notch-1 is elevated in CD4+ T cells from TA patients, resulting in mTORC1 hyperactivity and proinflammatory T cell differentiation. Targeting Notch-1 is a promising therapeutic strategy for the clinical management of TA.

High accuracy spectroscopy of 3- and 4-body Λ hypernuclei at Jefferson Lab

JLab E12-19-002 Experiment is planned to measure the Λ-binding energies of 3ΛH [Jπ = 1/2+ or 3/2+(T = 0)] and 4ΛH (1+) at JLab Hall C. The expected accuracy for the binding-energy measurement is |ΔBtotal Λ | ≃ 70 keV. The accurate spectroscopy for these light hypernuclei would shed light on the puzzle of the small binding energy and short lifetime of 3ΛH, and the chargesymmetry breaking in the ΛN interaction. We aim to perform the experiment in 2025.

Study of Λn FSI with Λ quasi-free productions on the 3H(e, e′K+)X reaction at JLab

Abstract. An nnΛ is a neutral baryon system with no charge. The study of the pure Λ-neutron system such as nnΛ gives us information on the Λn interaction. The nnΛ search experiment (E12-17-003) was performed at JLab Hall A in 2018. In this article, the Λn FSI was investigated by a shape analysis of the 3H(e, e′K+)X missing mass spectrum, and a preliminary result for the Λn FSI study is given.

Cross-section measurement of virtual photoproduction of iso-triplet three-body hypernucleus, Λnn

Missing-mass spectroscopy with the 3H(e, e′K+) reaction was carried out at Jefferson Lab’s (JLab) Hall A in Oct–Nov, 2018. The differential cross section for the 3H(γ∗, K+)Λnn was deduced at ω = Ee − Ee′ = 2.102 GeV and at the forward K+-scattering angle (0° ≤ θγ∗K ≤ 5°) in the laboratory frame. Given typical predicted energies and decay widths, which are (BΛ, Γ) = (−0.25, 0.8) and (−0.55, 4.7) MeV, the cross sections were found to be 11.2 ± 4.8(stat.)+4.1−2.1(sys.) and 18.1 ± 6.8(stat.)+4.2−2.9(sys.) nb/sr, respectively. The obtained result would impose a constraint for interaction models particularly between Λ and neutron by comparing to theoretical calculations.

Dapansutrile ameliorated chondrocyte inflammation and osteoarthritis through suppression of MAPK signaling pathway

INTRODUCTION

Osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the most common joint diseases in the elderly population. Proinflammatory cytokines, such as Interleukin-1β (IL-1β), play an important role in the development and progression of OA. Dapansutrile is a specific inhibitor of the NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome and exhibits anti-inflammatory properties.

METHODS

In this study, we investigated the protective effect and the underlying mechanism of dapansutrile on cartilage degeneration in vitro and in vivo. In the present study, chondrocytes were isolated from rats and then were treated with dapansutrile. After that, the expression of (Cox-2, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), Mmp-3, Mmp-9, Mmp-13 and IL-10) were evaluated at RNA level, then the expression of (COX-2, MMP-3, MMP-9, MMP-13, SOX-9 and COL2) were evaluated at protein level. Subsequently, the activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway was tested using western blotting (WB). Additionally, the rat OA model was developed to evaluate the protective effects of dapansutrile in vivo.

RESULTS

The results showed that dapansutrile had no obvious cytotoxicity on rat chondrocytes at 24 h (0, 1, 2, 5 and 10 μM). Dapansutrile significantly decreased IL-1β-induced upregulation of COX2, iNOS, matrix metalloproteinase 3 (MMP3), 9 (MMP9) and 13 (MMP13), and reversed IL-1β-induced the downregulation of IL-10, SOX9 and COL2. Dapansutrile also inhibited IL-1β-induced upregulation of the MAPK signaling pathway by downregulating the expression levels of phospho-ERK, and phospho-P38 in a concentration dependent manner. In addition, dapansutrile exhibited protective effects in rat OA model with lower Mankin's score and Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI) score.

CONCLUSION

Our study suggested that dapansutrile effectively inhibited chondrocyte inflammation by suppressing MAPK signaling pathway in vitro, and ameliorated cartilage degeneration in vivo, indicating an anti-inflammatory effect in OA treatment.

Study of the Λ/Σ0 electroproduction in the low-Q2 region at JLab

We performed an experiment using tritium and hydrogen cryogenic gas targets at Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (JLab) in 2018 (E12-17-003)[1, 2]. In this article, we discuss the Λ/Σ0 hyperon electroproduction from hydrogen target. Elementary Λ/Σ0 hyperon production processes are important not only for an absolute mass scale calibration in our experiment, but also for the study of the electroproduction mechanisms themselves. In this article, we reported the results of the differential cross section for the p(e, e’K+)Λ/Σ0 reaction at Q2 ∼ 0.5 (GeV/c)2.

Urinary complement proteins and risk of end-stage renal disease: quantitative urinary proteomics in patients with type 2 diabetes and biopsy-proven diabetic nephropathy

PURPOSE

To investigate the association between urinary complement proteins and renal outcome in biopsy-proven diabetic nephropathy (DN).

METHODS

Untargeted proteomic and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) functional analyses and targeted proteomic analysis using parallel reaction-monitoring (PRM)-mass spectrometry was performed to determine the abundance of urinary complement proteins in healthy controls, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients, and patients with T2DM and biopsy-proven DN. The abundance of each urinary complement protein was individually included in Cox proportional hazards models for predicting progression to end-stage renal disease (ESRD).

RESULTS

Untargeted proteomic and functional analysis using the KEGG showed that differentially expressed urinary proteins were primarily associated with the complement and coagulation cascades. Subsequent urinary complement proteins quantification using PRM showed that urinary abundances of C3, C9, and complement factor H (CFAH) correlated negatively with annual estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) decline, while urinary abundances of C5, decay-accelerating factor (DAF), and CD59 correlated positively with annual rate of eGFR decline. Furthermore, higher urinary abundance of CFAH and lower urinary abundance of DAF were independently associated with greater risk of progression to ESRD. Urinary abundance of CFAH and DAF had a larger area under the curve (AUC) than that of eGFR, proteinuria, or any pathological parameter. Moreover, the model that included CFAH or DAF had a larger AUC than that with only clinical or pathological parameters.

CONCLUSION

Urinary abundance of complement proteins was significantly associated with ESRD in patients with T2DM and biopsy-proven DN, indicating that therapeutically targeting the complement pathway may alleviate progression of DN.

Molecular dynamics simulation of metallic Al-Ce liquids using a neural network machine learning interatomic potential

Al-rich Al-Ce alloys have the possibility of replacing heavier steel and cast irons for use in high-temperature applications. Knowledge about the structures and properties of Al-Ce alloys at the liquid state is vital for optimizing the manufacture process to produce desired alloys. However, reliable molecular dynamics simulation of Al-Ce alloy systems remains a great challenge due to the lack of accurate Al-Ce interatomic potential. Here, an artificial neural network (ANN) deep machine learning (ML) method is used to develop a reliable interatomic potential for Al-Ce alloys. Ab initio molecular dynamics simulation data on the Al-Ce liquid with a small unit cell (∼200 atoms) and on the known Al-Ce crystalline compounds are collected to train the interatomic potential using ANN-ML. The obtained ANN-ML model reproduces well the energies, forces, and atomic structure of the Al₉₀Ce₁₀ liquid and crystalline phases of Al-Ce compounds in comparison with the ab initio results. The developed ANN-ML potential is applied in molecular dynamics simulations to study the structures and properties of the metallic Al₉₀Ce₁₀ liquid, which would provide useful insight into the guiding experimental process to produce desired Al-Ce alloys.

Prognosis after neoadjuvant chemoradiation or chemotherapy for locally advanced gastro-oesophageal junctional adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND

Trials typically group cancers of the gastro-oesophageal junction (GOJ) with oesophageal or gastric cancer when studying neoadjuvant chemoradiation and perioperative chemotherapy, so the results may not be fully applicable to GOJ cancer. Because optimal neoadjuvant treatment for GOJ cancer remains controversial, outcomes with neoadjuvant chemoradiation versus chemotherapy for locally advanced GOJ adenocarcinoma were compared retrospectively.

METHODS

Data were collected from all patients who underwent neoadjuvant treatment followed by surgery for adenocarcinoma located at the GOJ at a single high-volume institution between 2002 and 2017. Postoperative major complications and mortality were compared between groups using Fisher's exact test. Overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were assessed by log rank test and multivariable Cox regression analyses. Cumulative incidence functions were used to estimate recurrence, and groups were compared using Gray's test.

RESULTS

Of 775 patients, 650 had neoadjuvant chemoradiation and 125 had chemotherapy. These groups were comparable in terms of clinical tumour and lymph node categories, although the chemoradiation group had greater proportions of white men, complete pathological response to chemotherapy, and smaller proportions of diffuse cancer, poor differentiation, and neurovascular invasion. Postoperative major complications (20.0 versus 17.6 per cent) and 30-day mortality (1.7 versus 1.6 per cent) were not significantly different between the chemoradiation and chemotherapy groups. After adjustment, type of therapy (chemoradiation versus chemotherapy) was not significantly associated with OS (hazard ratio (HR) 1.26, 95 per cent c.i. 0.96 to 1.67) or DFS (HR 1.27, 0.98 to 1.64). Type of recurrence (local, regional, or distant) did not differ after neoadjuvant chemoradiation versus chemotherapy.

CONCLUSION

In patients undergoing surgical resection for locally advanced adenocarcinoma of the GOJ, OS and DFS did not differ significantly between patients who had neoadjuvant chemoradiation compared with chemotherapy.

Red-emissive carbon nanodots for highly sensitive ferric(III) ion sensing and intracellular imaging

Ferric(III) ions (Fe³⁺) are one of the most abundant metal ions in environmental and biological systems. The determination of Fe³⁺ has attracted great attention for healthcare concerns. In this work, we have developed a novel fluorescence method for the sensing and intracellular imaging of Fe³⁺ based on the prepared red-emissive carbon nanodots. The nanoprobes are synthesized via a microwave method using ammonium fluoride and o-phenylenediamine as carbon precursors, which exhibit excellent optical properties and low toxicity. More importantly, the carbon nanodots show high selectivity towards Fe³⁺ against other interfering ions. The sensitivity is also high with the limit of detection as low as 0.05 μM. Meanwhile, the carbon nanodots have been successfully used for fluorescence imaging of cells and could be quenched by intracellular Fe³⁺. These results suggest that the red-emissive carbon nanodots have diverse potential utilities in biomedical fields.

1632 Improving Excision Margins in Skin Oncology

Aim

There are 152,000 new non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) cases in the UK every year, and excision and reconstruction of basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) and squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) form a significant part of the clinical workload in plastic surgery. In this quality improvement project, we aimed to identify and improve our unit’s compliance of guidelines for excision margins for NMSCs.

Method

A retrospective audit was undertaken in June 2020 to determine compliance with British Association of Dermatology and local guidelines on excision margins for NMSCs. A repeat audit was undertaken in October 2020 following quality improvement interventions.

Results

The first audit cycle examined 66 lesions in total. Guidelines were met in 53% (BCCs) and 50% (SCCs) of lesions. 12% of lesions had unclear documentation of margins. 16 lesions had margins that were too small as according to the risk factors present. These findings were presented to the department, and a new operative note template specifically designed for skin oncology was launched. Key audit findings were displayed along with the guidelines on posters. A repeat cycle was undertaken in October 2020, which examined 52 lesions. Significant improvement was seen with 100% documentation, and excision margin guideline compliance rate of 71% (BCCs) and 79% (SCCs).

Conclusions

Adequate excision margins in skin oncology is vital to ensure complete excision and to minimise the risk of recurrence. Our project demonstrates significant improvement in excision margin compliance through the launch of a specific operative note template and information posters.

A randomized controlled trial of intranasal oxytocin in Phelan-McDermid syndrome

Background

Phelan-McDermid syndrome (PMS) is a rare neurodevelopmental disorder caused by haploinsufficiency of the SHANK3 gene and characterized by global developmental delays, deficits in speech and motor function, and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Monogenic causes of ASD such as PMS are well suited to investigations with novel therapeutics, as interventions can be targeted based on established genetic etiology. While preclinical studies have demonstrated that the neuropeptide oxytocin can reverse electrophysiological, attentional, and social recognition memory deficits in Shank3-deficient rats, there have been no trials in individuals with PMS. The purpose of this study is to assess the efficacy and safety of intranasal oxytocin as a treatment for the core symptoms of ASD in a cohort of children with PMS.

Methods

Eighteen children aged 5–17 with PMS were enrolled. Participants were randomized to receive intranasal oxytocin or placebo (intranasal saline) and underwent treatment during a 12-week double-blind, parallel group phase, followed by a 12-week open-label extension phase during which all participants received oxytocin. Efficacy was assessed using the primary outcome of the Aberrant Behavior Checklist-Social Withdrawal (ABC-SW) subscale as well as a number of secondary outcome measures related to the core symptoms of ASD. Safety was monitored throughout the study period.

Results

There was no statistically significant improvement with oxytocin as compared to placebo on the ABC-SW (Mann–Whitney U = 50, p = 0.055), or on any secondary outcome measures, during either the double-blind or open-label phases. Oxytocin was generally well tolerated, and there were no serious adverse events.

Limitations

The small sample size, potential challenges with drug administration, and expectancy bias due to relying on parent reported outcome measures may all contribute to limitations in interpreting results.

Conclusion

Our results suggest that intranasal oxytocin is not efficacious in improving the core symptoms of ASD in children with PMS.

Trial registration NCT02710084.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13229-021-00459-1.

[Clinical features and gene mutation analysis of patients with Alagille syndrome]

Objective: To analyze the clinical manifestations and gene mutations of patients with Alagille Syndrome (ALGS) to improve diagnosis and provide a boarder spectrum of gene mutagenesis. Methods: A retrospective study was performed in 18 ALGS patients admitted to Xi'an Children's Hospital from January 2016 to January 2020. Clinical characteristics, biochemical parameters, gene mutations and prognosis were collected and analyzed. Next-generation sequencing of liver disease-related gene panels or the whole exome was carried out for the probands. Mutations of candidate genes were verified by Sanger sequencing in their family members. Based on the comparison with a well-known database of disease, the harmfulness and structures of proteins with novel mutations were predicted, and the pathogenicity was evaluated. Results: There were 9 males and 9 females with ALGS in this study, and the age of initial diagnosis was 2.5 (1.9, 6.8) months. All patients initially presented with cholestasis, with other symptoms including 15 cases of special facial features, 11 cases of butterfly vertebrae, 10 cases of congenital heart disease, 5 cases of posterior corneal embryonic ring (among 16 cases with ophthalmological examination), and 1 case of polycystic kidney disease. A total of 14 JAG1 gene mutations and 6 NOTCH2 gene mutations were identified. Among these newly identified mutations, 6 were associated with JAG1 gene, including c.1213delA (p.T405Lfs*7), c.1270dupG(p.A424Gfs*5), c.1741dupG(p.A581Gfs*8), c.3045delC (p.I1016Ffs*20), c.2000-2A>C and c.625C>A(p.H209N); 4 were associated with NOTCH2 gene, including c.6961dupG(p.A2321Gfs*79), c.518G>T(p.G173V), c.6157C>T(p.R2053C) and c.710G>A(p.R237Q). Sixteen patients were followed up for (37.9±31.5) months. Among these cases, 2 died of liver failure (1 case underwent Kasai operation due to misdiagnosis with biliary atresia), 1 improved after liver transplantation, and 13 were in stable condition after medical treatment. Conclusions: The phenotypes of ALGS are diverse, genetic detection can help diagnosis. The JAG1 and NOTCH2 genes showed a wide array of mutations, with many novel mutations identified in this study.

Nicotinamide improves NAD+ levels to protect against acetaminophen-induced acute liver injury in mice

Acetaminophen (APAP) overdose causes acute liver injury (ALI). Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) is an essential coenzyme, and NAD⁺ is oxidized type which synthesized from nicotinamide (NAM). The present study aimed to investigate the role of NAD⁺ in ALI and protective property of NAM. The mice were subjected to different doses APAP. After 8 hours, the serum activities of alaninetransaminase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST), the hepatic NAD⁺ level and nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT) expression were determined. Then, the mice were pretreated with NAM (800 mg/kg), the hepatoprotective effects and the key antioxidative molecules were evaluated. Our findings indicated that APAP resulted in remarkable NAD⁺ depletion in a dose-dependent manner accompanied by NAMPT downregulation, and NAM pretreatment significantly elevated the NAD⁺ decline due to upregulation of NAMPT. Moreover, the downregulated Kelch-like ECH-associated protein-1 (Keap1), upregulated nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and its translocation activation after NAM administration were confirmed, which were in accordance with improved superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione (GSH) levels. Finally, NAM dramatically exhibited hepatoprotective effects by reducing the liver index and necrotic area. This study has suggested that APAP impairs liver NAD⁺ level and NAM is able to improve hepatic NAD⁺ to activate antioxidant pathway against APAP-induced ALI.

Aberrant CREB1 activation in prostate cancer disrupts normal prostate luminal cell differentiation

The molecular mechanisms of luminal cell differentiation are not understood well enough to determine how differentiation goes awry during oncogenesis. Using RNA-Seq analysis, we discovered that CREB1 plays a central role in maintaining new luminal cell survival and that oncogenesis dramatically changes the CREB1-induced transcriptome. CREB1 is active in luminal cells, but not basal cells. We identified ING4 and its E3 ligase, JFK, as CREB1 transcriptional targets in luminal cells. During luminal cell differentiation, transient induction of ING4 expression is followed by a peak in CREB1 activity, while JFK increases concomitantly with CREB1 activation. Transient expression of ING4 is required for luminal cell induction; however, failure to properly down-regulate ING4 leads to luminal cell death. Consequently, blocking CREB1 increased ING4 expression, suppressed JFK, and led to luminal cell death. Thus, CREB1 is responsible for the suppression of ING4 required for luminal cell survival and maintenance. Oncogenic transformation by suppressing PTEN resulted in constitutive activation of CREB1. However, the tumor cells could no longer fully differentiate into luminal cells, failed to express ING4, and displayed a unique CREB1 transcriptome. Blocking CREB1 in tumorigenic cells suppressed tumor growth in vivo, rescued ING4 expression, and restored luminal cell formation, but ultimately induced luminal cell death. IHC of primary prostate tumors demonstrated a strong correlation between loss of ING4 and loss of PTEN. This is the first study to define a molecular mechanism whereby oncogenic loss of PTEN, leading to aberrant CREB1 activation, suppresses ING4 expression causing disruption of luminal cell differentiation.

[Study of cytokines in peripheral blood and lung of rats exposed to hard metal dust]

Objective: To study the dynamic changes of cytokines in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and serum of hard metal lung disease (HMLDR) rats. Methods: In March 2019, the rats were randomly divided into 6 groups, each group included 8 rats: control (C) group include 3 groups, hard metal (HM) group include 3 groups. 10 mg HM were administered in HM group by using the pulmonary endotracheal tube. After 4, 8 and 12 week, the BALF and serum were collected for the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) of matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) , tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) . Results: There was no abnormality in behavior, diet and fur of rats in C and HM group at each exposure time. There was no significant difference in body weight between the two groups of rats (P>0.05) . Compared with the C group, the expression of MMP-1 in BALF of rats in HM group were significantly higher in all stages (4, 8 and 12 weeks after exposure) (P<0.05) , the expression of TIMP-1 in BALF of rats in HM group were significantly higher in 8 and 12 weeks after exposure (P<0.05) . However, there was no significant difference in serum MMP-1 and TIMP-1 levels between the two groups in each stage (P>0.05) . There was no significant difference in TNF-α. level in BALF and serum between C and HM group in all stages (P>0.05) . Conclusion: Expression of MMP-1 and TIMP-1 in BALF have reference value in the HMLD auxiliary diagnosis.

Accurate Determination of the Neutron Skin Thickness of ^{208}Pb through Parity-Violation in Electron Scattering

We report a precision measurement of the parity-violating asymmetry A_{PV} in the elastic scattering of longitudinally polarized electrons from ^{208}Pb. We measure A_{PV}=550±16(stat)±8(syst) parts per billion, leading to an extraction of the neutral weak form factor F_{W}(Q^{2}=0.00616  GeV^{2})=0.368±0.013. Combined with our previous measurement, the extracted neutron skin thickness is R_{n}-R_{p}=0.283±0.071  fm. The result also yields the first significant direct measurement of the interior weak density of ^{208}Pb: ρ_{W}^{0}=-0.0796±0.0036(exp)±0.0013(theo)  fm^{-3} leading to the interior baryon density ρ_{b}^{0}=0.1480±0.0036(exp)±0.0013(theo)  fm^{-3}. The measurement accurately constrains the density dependence of the symmetry energy of nuclear matter near saturation density, with implications for the size and composition of neutron stars.

Ultrasensitive electrochemical detection of miRNA coupling tetrahedral DNA modified gold nanoparticles tags and catalyzed hairpin assembly

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play key regulatory roles in a number of biological processes, which act as critical biomarkers for clinical diagnosis. There are urgent needs to develop advanced tools for accurate and convenient analysis of miRNA in biological circumstances. In this study, an ultrasensitive electrochemical biosensor for miRNA assay is fabricated. Tetrahedral DNA modified gold nanoparticles tags are applied with optimized orientation, which are able to recruit a large number of electrochemical species for remarkable signal responses. Benefiting from the excellent amplification efficiency of the association of strand displacement amplification and catalyzed hairpin assembly, the established method shows ultrahigh sensitivity with the limit of detection as low as 10 aM. A wide linear range from 10^-17 to 10^-7 M is achieved. In addition, this method is capable to specifically discriminate interfering miRNAs with slightly different sequences. The successful assessment of miRNA levels in human serum samples also demonstrates good practical utility. Therefore, the proposed method has great potential to the applications of miRNA expression profiling and biological studies.