Mesalazine hollow suppositories based on 3D printing for treatment of ulcerative colitis

Mesalazine (MSZ) suppositories are a first-line medication for the localized treatment of ulcerative colitis (UC). However, the frequent defecation of patients with UC influences the retention of the suppository in the rectum and multiple doses have to be applied. Here, a mesalazine hollow suppository (MHS) is developed using three-dimensional (3D) printing. The MHS is composed of an inner supporting spring and an outer MSZ-loaded curved hollow shell. Springs were prepared using fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D printing with thermoplastic urethane filaments, followed by splitting. The optimal parameters, including elasticity, filament diameter, spring inner diameter, and filament distance, were screened. The shell was prepared by FDM 3D printing utilizing MSZ, polyvinyl alcohol, and polyethylene glycol, which were assembled with springs to obtain FDM 3D-printed MHS (F-MHS); if 3D-printed metal molding was used in preparing shell, mold-formed MHS (M-MHS) was obtained. The F-MHS exhibited faster MSZ release than the M-MHS; therefore, the molding method is preferable. The inserted M-MHS was retained in the rat rectum for 5 h without affecting defecation. M-MHS alleviated tissue damage of UC rats and reduced inflammation with low levels of myeloperoxidase and proinflammatory cytokines. Personalized MHS is a promising medication for the localized treatment of UC.

Application of the suture anchor in the treatment of Hoffa fractures of the lateral femoral condyle

BACKGROUND

To evaluate the feasibility and clinical effect of the suture anchor combined with external fixation in the treatment of the lateral femoral condyle Hoffa fracture.

METHODS

In this study, a retrospective study was conducted to analyze the feasibility of treating fourteen patients (eight men and six women) with Hoffa fractures admitted to our Hospital from January 2016 to October 2021 with combined external fixation using incisional reduction anchor nailing. The age of the patients ranged from 23 to 45 years, with an average of 37.5 years. According to Letenneur's classification, there were eight cases of type I, three cases of type II, and three cases of type III. The functional assessment of Letenneur was used to measure the clinical outcome.

RESULTS

All patients had one-stage wound healing, and all patients were followed up for 12 to 18 months after surgery, and all fractures healed well, with normal knee flexion and extension activities, and no complications such as fracture displacement, anchor nail loosening, or fracture malunion were observed. The clinical outcome was evaluated according to the functional evaluation criteria of Letenneur et al. The clinical outcome of fourteen patients: excellent in thirteen cases and good in one case, with an overall excellent rate of 100%.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study results indicate that the use of anchor nailing combined with external fixation for Hoffa fractures of the femoral condyle has some clinical reference significance because it is less invasive, has fewer complications, does not require secondary removal, and is worthy of clinical application.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Retrospectively registered.

Combined genomic and transcriptomic analysis reveals the contribution of tandem duplication genes to low-temperature adaptation in perennial ryegrass

Perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) is an agronomically important cool-season grass species that is widely used as forage for ruminant animal production and cultivated in temperate regions for the establishment of lawns. However, the underlying genetic mechanism of the response of L. perenne to low temperature is still unclear. In the present study, we performed a comprehensive study and identified 3,770 tandem duplication genes (TDGs) in L. perenne, and evolutionary analysis revealed that L. perenne might have undergone a duplication event approximately 7.69 Mya. GO and KEGG pathway functional analyses revealed that these TDGs were mainly enriched in photosynthesis, hormone-mediated signaling pathways and responses to various stresses, suggesting that TDGs contribute to the environmental adaptability of L. perenne. In addition, the expression profile analysis revealed that the expression levels of TDGs were highly conserved and significantly lower than those of all genes in different tissues, while the frequency of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) from TDGs was much higher than that of DEGs from all genes in response to low-temperature stress. Finally, in-depth analysis of the important and expanded gene family indicated that the members of the ELIP subfamily could rapidly respond to low temperature and persistently maintain higher expression levels during all low temperature stress time points, suggesting that ELIPs most likely mediate low temperature responses and help to facilitate adaptation to low temperature in L. perenne. Our results provide evidence for the genetic underpinning of low-temperature adaptation and valuable resources for practical application and genetic improvement for stress resistance in L. perenne.

Bidirectional causal relationship between depression and frailty: a univariate and multivariate Mendelian randomisation study

BACKGROUND

cumulative evidence from cohort studies suggested that there were inconsistent conclusions as to whether there was a bidirectional association between depression and frailty. Therefore, this study used a bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomisation (MR) study to investigate the causal relationship between depression and frailty.

METHODS

we performed univariate and multivariate bidirectional MR analyses to assess the causal association between depression and frailty. Independent genetic variants associated with depression and frailty were selected as instrumental variables. Inverse variance weighted (IVW), MR-Egger, weighted median and weighted mode were mainly used in univariate MR analysis. Multivariate MR (MVMR) analyses used multivariable inverse variance-weighted methods to individually and jointly adjust for three potential confounders, body mass index (BMI), age at menarche (AAM) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR, adjusted for BMI).

RESULTS

univariate MR analysis showed a positive causal relationship between depression and risk of frailty (IVW, odds ratio (OR) = 1.30, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.23-1.37, P = 6.54E-22). Causal relationship between frailty and risk of depression (IVW, OR = 1.69, 95% CI = 1.33-2.16, P = 2.09E-05). MVMR analysis revealed that the bidirectional causal association between depression and frailty remained after adjusting for three potential confounders, BMI, AAM and WHR (adjusted for BMI), individually and in combination.

CONCLUSIONS

our findings supported a causal relationship between genetically predicted depression and frailty in both directions.

Fibroblast growth factor 15, induced by elevated bile acids, mediates the improvement of hepatic glucose metabolism after sleeve gastrectomy

BACKGROUND

Fibroblast growth factor (FGF) 15/19, which is expressed in and secreted from the distal ileum, can regulate hepatic glucose metabolism in an endocrine manner. The levels of both bile acids (BAs) and FGF15/19 are elevated after bariatric surgery. However, it is unclear whether the increase in FGF15/19 is induced by BAs. Moreover, it remains to be understood whether FGF15/19 elevations contribute to improvements in hepatic glucose metabolism after bariatric surgery.

AIM

To investigate the mechanism of improvement of hepatic glucose metabolism by elevated BAs after sleeve gastrectomy (SG).

METHODS

By calculating and comparing the changes of body weight after SG with SHAM group, we examined the weight-loss effect of SG. The oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) test and area under the curve of OGTT curves were used to assess the anti-diabetic effects of SG. By detecting the glycogen content, expression and activity of glycogen synthase as well as the glucose-6-phosphatase (G6Pase) and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (Pepck), we evaluated the hepatic glycogen content and gluconeogenesis activity. We examined the levels of total BA (TBA) together with the farnesoid X receptor (FXR)-agonistic BA subspecies in systemic serum and portal vein at week 12 post-surgery. Then the histological expression of ileal FXR and FGF15 and hepatic FGF receptor 4 (FGFR4) with its corresponding signal pathways involved in glucose metabolism were detected.

RESULTS

After surgery, food intake and body weight gain of SG group was decreased compare with the SHAM group. The hepatic glycogen content and glycogen synthase activity was significantly stimulated after SG, while the expression of the key enzyme for hepatic gluconeogenesis: G6Pase and Pepck, were depressed. TBA levels in serum and portal vein were both elevated after SG, the FXR-agonistic BA subspecies: Chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA), lithocholic acid (LCA) in serum and CDCA, DCA, LCA in portal vein were all higher in SG group than that in SHAM group. Consequently, the ileal expression of FXR and FGF15 were also advanced in SG group. Moreover, the hepatic expression of FGFR4 was stimulated in SG-operated rats. As a result, the activity of its corresponding pathway for glycogen synthesis: FGFR4-Ras-extracellular signal regulated kinase pathway was stimulated, while the corresponding pathway for hepatic gluconeogenesis: FGFR4- cAMP regulatory element-binding protein- peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator-1α pathway was suppressed.

CONCLUSION

Elevated BAs after SG induced FGF15 expression in distal ileum by activating their receptor FXR. Furthermore, the promoted FGF15 partly mediated the improving effects on hepatic glucose metabolism of SG.

AGK Potentiates Arterial Thrombosis by Affecting Talin-1 and αIIbβ3-Mediated Bidirectional Signaling Pathway

BACKGROUND

AGK (acylglycerol kinase) was first identified as a mitochondrial transmembrane protein that exhibits a lipid kinase function. Recent studies have established that AGK promotes cancer growth and metastasis, enhances glycolytic metabolism and function fitness of CD8+ T cells, or regulates megakaryocyte differentiation. However, the role of AGK in platelet activation and arterial thrombosis remains to be elaborated.

METHODS

We performed hematologic analysis using automated hematology analyzer and investigated platelets morphology by transmission electron microscope. We explored the role of AGK in platelet activation and arterial thrombosis utilizing transgenic mice, platelet functional experiments in vitro, and thrombosis models in vivo. We revealed the regulation effect of AGK on Talin-1 by coimmunoprecipitation, mass spectrometry, immunofluorescence, and Western blot. We tested the role of AGK on lipid synthesis of phosphatidic acid/lysophosphatidic acid and thrombin generation by specific Elisa kits.

RESULTS

In this study, we found that AGK depletion or AGK mutation had no effect on the platelet average volumes, the platelet microstructures, or the expression levels of the major platelet membrane receptors. However, AGK deficiency or AGK mutation conspicuously decreased multiple aspects of platelet activation, including agonists-induced platelet aggregation, granules secretion, JON/A binding, spreading on Fg (fibrinogen), and clot retraction. AGK deficiency or AGK mutation also obviously delayed arterial thrombus formation but had no effect on tail bleeding time and platelet procoagulant function. Mechanistic investigation revealed that AGK may promote Talin-1Ser425 phosphorylation and affect the αIIbβ3-mediated bidirectional signaling pathway. However, AGK does not affect lipid synthesis of phosphatidic acid/lysophosphatidic acid in platelets.

CONCLUSIONS

AGK, through its kinase activity, potentiates platelet activation and arterial thrombosis by promoting Talin-1 Ser425 phosphorylation and affecting the αIIbβ3-mediated bidirectional signaling pathway.

HIPK1 Inhibition Protects against Pathological Cardiac Hypertrophy by Inhibiting the CREB-C/EBPβ Axis

Inhibition of pathological cardiac hypertrophy is recognized as an important therapeutic strategy for heart failure, although effective targets are still lacking in clinical practice. Homeodomain interacting protein kinase 1 (HIPK1) is a conserved serine/threonine kinase that can respond to different stress signals, however, whether and how HIPK1 regulates myocardial function is not reported. Here, it is observed that HIPK1 is increased during pathological cardiac hypertrophy. Both genetic ablation and gene therapy targeting HIPK1 are protective against pathological hypertrophy and heart failure in vivo. Hypertrophic stress-induced HIPK1 is present in the nucleus of cardiomyocytes, while HIPK1 inhibition prevents phenylephrine-induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy through inhibiting cAMP-response element binding protein (CREB) phosphorylation at Ser271 and inactivating CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein β (C/EBPβ)-mediated transcription of pathological response genes. Inhibition of HIPK1 and CREB forms a synergistic pathway in preventing pathological cardiac hypertrophy. In conclusion, HIPK1 inhibition may serve as a promising novel therapeutic strategy to attenuate pathological cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure.

Highly efficient near-infrared electrochemiluminescence resonance energy transfer system for biosensing: Nonmetallic plasmon Mediated well-matched energy donor-acceptor pair

Herein, a well-matched energy donor-acceptor pair strategy was designed to construct highly efficient NIR ECL-RET system. In detail, an ECL amplification system consisting of SnS₂ quantum dots decorated Ti₃C₂ MXene nanocomposites (SnS₂ QDs-Ti₃C₂) as the energy donor were developed via a one-pot method, and the nanocomposites exhibited highly efficient NIR ECL emission due to the surface-defect effect generated by the oxygen-containing functional groups in MXene. Nonmetallic plasmon hydrated defective tungsten oxide nanosheets (dWO₃•H₂O) were utilized as energy acceptors because of its strong surface plasmon resonance effect in Vis-NIR absorption range. Compared with non-defective tungsten oxide hydrate nanosheets (WO₃•H₂O), the overlapping area between ECL spectrum of SnS₂ QDs-Ti₃C₂ and UV-vis spectrum of dWO₃•H₂O was increased by 2.1 times, and the results showed that more efficient quenching effect was obtained. As a proof of concept, tetracycline (TCN) aptamer and its complementary chain were served as a bridge to connect the energy donor and acceptor, achieving the successful construction of NIR ECL-RET aptasensor. The as-fabricated ECL sensing platform exhibited a low detection limit of 6.2 fM (S/N = 3) within a wide linear range from 10 fM to 10 μM. Besides, the NIR ECL-RET aptasensor also showed excellent stability, reproducibility and selectivity, providing a promising tool to detect TCN in real samples. This strategy offered a universal and effective method in constructing highly efficient NIR ECL-RET system for developing rapid, sensitive and accurate biological detection platform.

Phylogenomics and morphological evolution of the mega-diverse genus Artemisia (Asteraceae: Anthemideae): implications for its circumscription and infrageneric taxonomy

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Artemisia is a mega-diverse genus consisting of ~400 species. Despite its medicinal importance and ecological significance, a well-resolved phylogeny for global Artemisia, a natural generic delimitation and infrageneric taxonomy remain missing, owing to the obstructions from limited taxon sampling and insufficient information on DNA markers. Its morphological characters, such as capitulum, life form and leaf, show marked variations and are widely used in its infrageneric taxonomy. However, their evolution within Artemisia is poorly understood. Here, we aimed to reconstruct a well-resolved phylogeny for global Artemisia via a phylogenomic approach, to infer the evolutionary patterns of its key morphological characters and to update its circumscription and infrageneric taxonomy.

METHODS

We sampled 228 species (258 samples) of Artemisia and its allies from both fresh and herbarium collections, covering all the subgenera and its main geographical areas, and conducted a phylogenomic analysis based on nuclear single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) obtained from genome skimming data. Based on the phylogenetic framework, we inferred the possible evolutionary patterns of six key morphological characters widely used in its previous taxonomy.

KEY RESULTS

The genus Kaschgaria was revealed to be nested in Artemisia with strong support. A well-resolved phylogeny of Artemisia consisting of eight highly supported clades was recovered, two of which were identified for the first time. Most of the previously recognized subgenera were not supported as monophyletic. Evolutionary inferences based on the six morphological characters showed that different states of these characters originated independently more than once.

CONCLUSIONS

The circumscription of Artemisia is enlarged to include the genus Kaschgaria. The morphological characters traditionally used for the infrageneric taxonomy of Artemisia do not match the new phylogenetic tree. They experienced a more complex evolutionary history than previously thought. We propose a revised infrageneric taxonomy of the newly circumscribed Artemisia, with eight recognized subgenera to accommodate the new results.

[Molecular epidemiology and clinical characteristics of six cases of CA-MRSA pneumonia after influenza]

Objective: To summarize and analyze the strains' molecular epidemiology and clinical characteristics of 6 strains of post-influenza community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) pneumonia. Methods: Six cases of CA-MRSA pneumonia after influenza from 2014 to 2022 were retrospectively collected and CA-MRSA strains from each patient were cultured. Then, SCCmec typing, MLST typing, and spa typing were performed on the samples, which also included the procedures for the detection of virulence factors. Antibiotic susceptibility test was then performed on all 6 strains. Results: ST59-t437-Ⅳ was the predominant type in all the strains of CA-MRSA(2/6). Leukocidin (PVL) was detected in 5 cases, and hemolysin α (HLAα) and phenol soluble regulatory protein α (PSMα) were detected in 6 cases. Five of the cases included in this study were diagnosed with severe pneumonia. In terms of treatment, 4 cases received antiviral therapy, and 5 patients with severe pneumonia received anti-infection treatment with vancomycin as the first choice and were discharged after improvement of their condition. Conclusions: The molecular types and virulence factors of CA-MRSA after influenza infection could vary considerably. Our experiments also showed that secondary CA-MRSA infection after influenza was more common in young people with no underlying diseases and could cause severe pneumonia. Vancomycin and linezolid were the first-line drugs for treating CA-MRSA infection and were highly effective in improving the condition of diagnosed patients. We highlighted the importance of referring patients with severe pneumonia after influenza for etiological tests to determine whether they had CA-MRSA infection, so that they could be properly treated with anti-influenza agents and receive appropriate anti-CA-MRSA infection treatment.

Fresh and Browned Lotus Root Extracts Promote Cholesterol Metabolism in FFA-Induced HepG2 Cells through Different Pathways

Browning of fresh-cut plants is mainly attributed to the enzymatic browning of phenolic compounds induced by polyphenol oxidase (PPO), producing browning products such as anthraquinones, flavanol oxides, and glycosides, which are usually considered to be non-toxic. Could browning bring any benefits on behalf of their bioactivity? Our previous study found that browned lotus root extracts (BLREs) could reduce the cholesterol level in obese mice as fresh lotus root extracts (FLREs) did. This study aimed to compare the mechanisms of FLRE and BLRE on cholesterol metabolism and verify whether the main component's monomer regulates cholesterol metabolism like the extracts do through in vitro experiments. Extracts and monomeric compounds are applied to HepG2 cells induced by free fatty acids (FFA). Extracellular total cholesterol (TC) and triglyceride (TG) levels were also detected. In addition, RT-PCR and Western blot were used to observe cholesterol metabolism-related gene and protein expression. The in vitro results showed that BLRE and FLRE could reduce TC and TG levels in HepG2 cells. In addition, BLRE suppressed the synthesis of cholesterol. Meanwhile, FLRE promoted the synthesis of bile acid (BA) as well as the clearance and efflux of cholesterol. Furthermore, the main monomers of BLRE also decreased cholesterol synthesis, which is the same as BLRE. In addition, the main monomers of FLRE promoted the synthesis of BAs, similar to FLRE. BLRE and FLRE promote cholesterol metabolism by different pathways.

Landscape of gene mutation in Chinese thyroid cancer patients: Construction and validation of lymph node metastasis prediction model based on clinical features and gene mutation marker

OBJECTIVES

Reporting the clinicopathological information of thyroid cancer (TC) patients from a central medical center of east China, and constructing the nomogram predicting lymph node metastasis (LNM).

METHODS

We collected the patients who underwent thyroid cancer surgery in our institute from July 1, 2019 to July 31, 2021, a total of 253 subjects were enrolled. We used HiPure FFPE DNA Kit to extract DNA and RNApure FFPE Kit to extract RNA from the paraffin sections of tumor tissue, the extracted DNA samples and RNA samples were used for NGS sequencing. The clinical and pathological information of TCGA-THCA cohort was obtained as the validation cohort. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the independent prognostic factor, and the nomogram was subsequently constructed by "rms" R package.

RESULTS

Secondary cases contained more mutation of BRAF (90.48% vs. 62.07%) and TERT (33.0% vs. 3.0%), as compared with primary cases. Primary patients with positive lymph node were younger (40.9 ± 10.8 vs. 45.3 ± 11.8, p = 0.0031) and contained advanced TI-RADS levels (4c: 22.8% vs. 8.3%, 5: 6.5% vs. 0/0%, p = 1.878e-03), as well as more RET genetic alteration (16.3% vs. 2.7%, p = 2.566e-03). We chose age, tumor diameter, RET fusion, and gender to construct the LNM predicting nomogram. Calibration plot, DCA curve, and the clinical impact plot verified the preferable prognostic value of the nomogram, with an AUC value of 0.724 (0.656-0.792). We successfully validated the prognostic value of the nomogram in TCGA-THCA cohort. RET fusion might impact the process of protein digestion and absorption, cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, ECM-receptor interaction, focal adhesion.

CONCLUSION

We provide a novel nomogram to predict the LNM for TC patients, including the features of patient's age, gender, tumor diameter, and RET alteration. Further studies from multiple medical centers are essential to validate the nomogram.

Oral konjac glucomannan for prevention of ionizing radiation-induced injury by regulating gut microbiota and increasing short chain fatty acids

Ionizing radiation-induced injury commonly happens in radiotherapy, leading to damages of the hematopoietic and gastrointestinal systems. Radioprotective medications are mainly applied in hospitals, although only injections are available and their gut protection is limited. Here, oral konjac glucomannan (KGM), a natural macromolecule and soluble dietary fiber, was used against ionizing radiation-induced injury. The mice were fed with KGM (0.4 g/kg) for 3 days or injected with a clinical medication amifostine before 6.5 Gy γ-ray whole body irradiation (WBI) or 13 Gy whole abdominal irradiation (WAI). In the WBI experiments, KGM improved blood cell recovery and bone marrow cell proliferation in the femur and spleen, though its effect was weaker than or similar to that of amifostine. In the WBI experiments, the gut protection of KGM was similar to or a little better than that of amifostine, involving regenerated crypts numbers, villus length, and gut permeability. Moreover, KGM remarkably enhanced the survival rates of WBI and WAI mice, consistent with amifostine. KGM, as a prebiotic, enhanced gut microbiota abundance, probiotic numbers, and short chain fatty acid production, maintaining gut homeostasis. Moreover, KGM inhibited the apoptosis of irradiated human intestinal epithelial cells. KGM is a promising natural macromolecule against ionizing radiation-induced injury.

Development and validation of a preoperative nomogram for predicting the surgical difficulty of laparoscopic colectomy for right colon cancer: a retrospective analysis

BACKGROUND

In laparoscopic right hemicolectomy for right colon cancer, complete mesocolic excision is a standard procedure that involves extended lymphadenectomy and blood vessel ligation. This study aimed to establish a nomogram to facilitate evaluation of the surgical difficulty of laparoscopic right hemicolectomy based on preoperative parameters.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The preoperative clinical and computed tomography-related parameters, operative details, and postoperative outcomes were analyzed. The difficulty of laparoscopic colectomy was defined using the scoring grade reported by Escal et al . with modifications. Multivariable logistic analysis was performed to identify parameters that increased the surgical difficulty. A preoperative nomogram to predict the surgical difficulty was established and validated.

RESULTS

A total of 418 consecutive patients with right colon cancer who underwent laparoscopic radical resection at a single tertiary medical center between January 2016 and May 2022 were retrospectively enrolled. The patients were randomly assigned to a training data set ( n =300, 71.8%) and an internal validation data set ( n =118, 28.2%). Meanwhile, an external validation data set with 150 consecutive eligible patients from another tertiary medical center was collected. In the training data set, 222 patients (74.0%) comprised the non-difficulty group and 78 (26.0%) comprised the difficulty group. Multivariable analysis demonstrated that adipose thickness at the ileocolic vessel drainage area, adipose area at the ileocolic vessel drainage area, adipose density at the ileocolic vessel drainage area, presence of the right colonic artery, presence of type III Henle's trunk, intra-abdominal adipose area, plasma triglyceride concentration, and tumor diameter at least 5 cm were independent risk factors for surgical difficulty; these factors were included in the nomogram. The nomogram incorporating seven independent predictors showed a high C-index of 0.922 and considerable reliability, accuracy, and net clinical benefit.

CONCLUSIONS

The study established and validated a reliable nomogram for predicting the surgical difficulty of laparoscopic colectomy for right colon cancer. The nomogram may assist surgeons in preoperatively evaluating risk and selecting appropriate patients.

Effects of sericin on oxidative stress and PI3K/AKT/mTOR signal pathway in cryopreserved mice ovarian tissue

Ovarian tissue cryopreservation is an effective fertility protective strategy for preadolescent female cancer patients, whose tumor treatment cannot be delayed. In the present study, the effects of sericin, as an antioxidant, on mice ovarian tissue freezing and thawing were investigated. Mice ovarian tissues were cryopreserved and thawed in medium containing 0.5% or 1%sericin (w/v), and 0.1 mM melatonin. Then, the follicular morphology was observed. The levels of antioxidant enzymes were determined, including glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD), total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) and catalase (CAT). Moreover, the levels of nitric oxide (NO), malondialdehyde (MDA) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were also tested. Besides, apoptosis-related proteins Bcl-2 and Bax were determined. Our results showed that 1% sericin maintained follicular morphology, inhibited apoptosis, decreased MDA and NO levels, and boosted endogenous antioxidant enzyme levels, while had no significant effect on LDH levels. Furthermore, these effects may be related with the activation of the phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT)/mammalian target of Rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway, as demonstrated by increased PI3K, p-AKT and mTOR levels. These findings demonstrate that 1% sericin may reduce oxidative stress and protect ovarian tissues during freezing and thawing via PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway.

Efficacy and safety of anticoagulation in atrial fibrillation patients with intracranial hemorrhage: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: The benefits and risks of starting anticoagulation therapy, such as direct oral anticoagulations (DOACs) or warfarin, in atrial fibrillation (AF) patients with a history of intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) remain controversial. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to compare the safety and efficacy of starting oral anticoagulation (OAC) and non-oral anticoagulation in these patients.

Methods: PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Embase were searched from inception to 01 May 2022 for randomized controlled trials and cohort studies, reporting effectiveness and safety outcomes for anticoagulation therapy in atrial fibrillation patients with intracranial hemorrhage. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) and the Cochrane Collaboration tool were used to evaluate bias risks for all randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and cohort studies. An effects model was applied to calculate adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) for randomized controlled trials and cohort studies.

Results: We analyzed data from two randomized controlled trials (304 patients) and seven Cohort studies (17,477 patients). Compared to non-oral anticoagulation, starting oral anticoagulation therapy reduced the risk of Ischemic Stroke/Systemic Embolism (SE) (aHR: 0.64, 95% CI: 0.55–0.57) and all-cause death (aHR: 0.53, 95% CI: 0.35–0.80) in atrial fibrillation patients and a prior history intracranial hemorrhage. Starting oral anticoagulation therapy did not increase the risk of recurrent intracranial hemorrhage (aHR: 1.07, 95% CI: 0.66–1.74), but increased the risk of major bleeding (aHR: 1.38, 95% CI: 1.00–1.91) than no oral anticoagulation therapy. The DOACs had a lower risk of Ischemic Stroke/SE (aHR: 0.84, 95% CI: 0.70–1.00), recurrent intracranial hemorrhage (aHR: 0.63, 95% CI: 0.49–0.82), and all-cause death (aHR: 0.65, 95% CI: 0.48–0.88) compared to warfarin. According to subgroup analyses, starting oral anticoagulation therapy have a higher risk of recurrent intracranial hemorrhage than non-oral anticoagulation therapy (aHR: 1.57, 95% CI: 1.36–1.81) for Asians.

Conclusion: After intracranial hemorrhage in atrial fibrillation patients, restarting or initiating oral anticoagulation therapy decreased the risk of Ischemic Stroke/SE and all-cause death but did not increase the risk for recurrent intracranial hemorrhage. Direct oral anticoagulations have better efficacy and safety than warfarin if oral anticoagulation therapy is started. However, starting oral anticoagulation increases the risk for recurrent intracranial hemorrhage in the Asian region.

Spatial scale applicability of 4-Scale geometrical optics model canopy reflectance simulation

Accurately clarifying the applicable spatial scale of 4-Scale model is conducive to improving the accuracy of its application in canopy reflectance simulation of different vegetation types, and to further improving the inversion accuracy of leaf area index, canopy density, and other parameters. Two forest plots (one for broad-leaved forest and one for mixed forest) with each area of 100 m×100 m in Maoershan Experimental Forest Farm, Shangzhi, Heilongjiang, were divided into the spatial scales of 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 m, respectively. The 4-Scale model was used to simulate forest canopy reflectance. Local mean method, the nearest neighbor method, bilinear interpolation method, and cubic convolution method were used to convert Sentinel-2 images with spatial resolution of 10 m to other scales, with the results being evaluated. The simulated canopy reflectance and remote sensing pixel reflectance were compared and analyzed. The spatial scale of mixed forest and broad-leaved forest suitable for high-precision inversion parameters of 4-Scale model was determined. The results showed that the 4-Scale model underestimated the pixel forest canopy reflectance as a whole. The canopy reflectance of mixed forest and broad-leaved forest had the worst simulation effect at the 20 m scale. Both the root mean square error (RMSE) and the mean absolute error from (MAE) of red and near-infrared band were large. When the scale was >20 m, the simulation effect became better. The applicability of the model was the best when the mixed forest was 40 m and the broad-leaved forest was 30 m. The mean and standard deviation of the reflectance difference between the simulated value and the remote sensing pixel were the minimum in the red and near near-infrared bands, with the minimum RMSE and MAE. The simulation results of mixed forest and broad-leaved forest at 10 m scale were not stable, the rule of mean and standard deviation was inconsistent, and the difference between RMSE and MAE was large under the same band.

Loganin attenuates neuroinflammation after ischemic stroke and fracture by regulating α7nAChR-mediated microglial polarization

Fracture in acute stage of ischemic stroke can increase inflammatory response and enhance stroke injury. Loganin alleviates the symptoms of many inflammatory diseases through its anti-inflammatory effect, but its role in ischemic stroke and fracture remains to be explored. Here, mice were handled with permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (pMCAO) followed by tibial fracture 1 day later to establish a pMCAO+fracture model. Loganin or Methyllycaconitine (MLA, a specific a7nAchR inhibitor) were intragastrically administered 2 or 0.5 h before pMCAO, respectively. And mouse motor function and infarct volume were evaluated 3 days after pMCAO. We found that loganin alleviated the neurological deficit, cerebral infarction volume, and neuronal apoptosis (NeuN⁺ TUNEL⁺ ) in mice with pMCAO+fracture. And loganin suppressed pMCAO+fracture-induced neuroinflammation by promoting M2 microglia polarization (Iba1⁺ CD206⁺ ) and inhibiting M1 microglia polarization (Iba1⁺ CD11b⁺ ). While administration with MLA reversed the protective effect of loganin on pMCAO+fracture-induced neurological deficit and neuroinflammation. Next, LPS was used to stimulate BV2 microglia to simulate pMCAO+fracture-induced inflammatory microenvironment in vitro. Loganin facilitated the transformation of LPS-stimulated BV2 cells from M1 pro-inflammatory state (CD11b⁺ ) to M2 anti-inflammatory state (CD206⁺ ), which was antagonized by treatment with MLA. And loganin induced autophagy activation in LPS-stimulated BV2 cells by activating a7nAchR. Moreover, treatment with rapamycin (an autophagy activator) neutralized the inhibitory effect of MLA on loganin induced transformation of BV2 cells to M2 phenotype. Furthermore, BV2 cells were treated with LPS, LPS + loganin, LPS + loganin+MLA, or LPS + loganin+MLA+ rapamycin to obtain conditioned medium (CM) for stimulating primary neurons. Loganin reduced the damage of primary neurons caused by LPS-stimulated BV2 microglia through activating a7nAchR and inducing autophagy activation. In conclusion, loganin played anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective roles in pMCAO + fracture mice by activating a7nAchR, enhancing autophagy and promoting M2 polarization of microglia.

Potential applications of drug delivery technologies against radiation enteritis

INTRODUCTION

The incidence of abdominal tumors, such as colorectal and prostate cancers, continually increases. Radiation therapy is widely applied in the clinical treatment of patients with abdominal/pelvic cancers, but it often unfortunately causes radiation enteritis (RE) involving the intestine, colon, and rectum. However, there is a lack of suitable treatment options for effective prevention and treatment of RE.

AREAS COVERED

Conventional clinical drugs for preventing and treating RE are usually applied by enemas and oral administration. Innovative gut-targeted drug delivery systems including hydrogels, microspheres, and nanoparticles are proposed to improve the prevention and curation of RE.

EXPERT OPINION

The prevention and treatment of RE have not attracted sufficient attention in the clinical practice, especially compared to the treatment of tumors, although RE takes patients great pains. Drug delivery to the pathological sites of RE is a huge challenge. The short retention and weak targeting of conventional drug delivery systems affect the therapeutic efficiency of anti-RE drugs. Novel drug delivery systems including hydrogels, microspheres, and nanoparticles can allow drugs long-term retention in the gut and targeting the inflammation sites to alleviate radiation-induced injury.

Tandem Multimerization Can Enhance the Structural Homogeneity and Antifungal Activity of the Silkworm Protease Inhibitor BmSPI39

Previous studies have shown that BmSPI39, a serine protease inhibitor of silkworm, can inhibit virulence-related proteases and the conidial germination of insect pathogenic fungi, thereby enhancing the antifungal capacity of Bombyx mori. The recombinant BmSPI39 expressed in Escherichia coli has poor structural homogeneity and is prone to spontaneous multimerization, which greatly limits its development and application. To date, the effect of multimerization on the inhibitory activity and antifungal ability of BmSPI39 remains unknown. It is urgent to explore whether a BmSPI39 tandem multimer with better structural homogeneity, higher activity and a stronger antifungal ability can be obtained by protein engineering. In this study, the expression vectors of BmSPI39 homotype tandem multimers were constructed using the isocaudomer method, and the recombinant proteins of tandem multimers were obtained by prokaryotic expression. The effects of BmSPI39 multimerization on its inhibitory activity and antifungal ability were investigated by protease inhibition and fungal growth inhibition experiments. In-gel activity staining and protease inhibition assays showed that tandem multimerization could not only greatly improve the structural homogeneity of the BmSPI39 protein, but also significantly increase its inhibitory activity against subtilisin and proteinase K. The results of conidial germination assays showed that tandem multimerization could effectively enhance the inhibitory ability of BmSPI39 on the conidial germination of Beauveria bassiana. A fungal growth inhibition assay showed that BmSPI39 tandem multimers had certain inhibitory effects on both Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Candida albicans. The inhibitory ability of BmSPI39 against these the above two fungi could be enhanced by tandem multimerization. In conclusion, this study successfully achieved the soluble expression of tandem multimers of the silkworm protease inhibitor BmSPI39 in E. coli and confirmed that tandem multimerization can improve the structural homogeneity and antifungal ability of BmSPI39. This study will not only help to deepen our understanding of the action mechanism of BmSPI39, but also provide an important theoretical basis and new strategy for cultivating antifungal transgenic silkworms. It will also promote its exogenous production and development and application in the medical field.

A metabonomic study to explore potential markers of asymptomatic hyperuricemia and acute gouty arthritis

BACKGROUND

Acute gouty arthritis (AGA) is a metabolic disease with acute arthritis as its main manifestation. However, the pathogenesis of asymptomatic hyperuricemia (HUA) to AGA is still unclear, and metabolic markers are needed to early predict and diagnose. In this study, gas chromatography (GC)/liquid chromatography (LC)-mass spectrometry (MS) was used to reveal the changes of serum metabolites from healthy people to HUA and then to AGA, and to find the pathophysiological mechanism and biological markers.

METHODS

Fifty samples were included in AGA, HUA, and healthy control group, respectively. The metabolites in serum samples were detected by GC/LC-MS. According to the statistics of pairwise grouping, the statistically significant differential metabolites were obtained by the combination of multidimensional analysis and one-dimensional analysis. Search the selected metabolites in KEGG database, determine the involved metabolic pathways, and draw the metabolic pathway map in combination with relevant literature.

RESULTS

Using metabonomics technology, 23 different serum metabolic markers related to AGA and HUA were found, mainly related to uric acid metabolism and inflammatory response caused by HUA/AGA. Three of them are completely different from the previous gout studies, nine metabolites with different trends from conventional inflammation.

CONCLUSIONS

In conclusion, we analyzed 150 serum samples from AGA, HUA, and healthy control group by GC/LC-MS to explore the changes of these differential metabolites and metabolic pathways, suggesting that the disease progression may involve the changes of biomarkers, which may provide a basis for disease risk prediction and early diagnosis.

Enhanced Thermoelectric Performance of CoSb3 Thin Films by Ag and Ti Co-Doping

The Skutterudites CoSb₃ material has been the focus of research for the conversion applications of waste heat to electricity due to its ability to accommodate a large variety of ions in the cages that have been proven effective in improving the thermoelectric performance. Although the co-doped CoSb₃ bulk materials have attracted increasing attention and have been widely studied, co-doped CoSb₃ thin films have been rarely reported. In this work, Ag and Ti were co-doped into CoSb₃ thin films via a facile in situ growth method, and the influence of doping content in the thermoelectric properties was investigated. The results show that all the Ag and Ti co-doped CoSb₃ thin films contain a pure well-crystallized CoSb₃ phase. Compared to the un-doped thin film, the co-doped samples show simultaneous increase in the Seebeck coefficient and the electrical conductivity, leading to a distinctly enhanced power factor. The high power factor value can reach ~0.31 mWm^-1K^-2 at 623 K after appropriate co-doping, which is two times the value of the un-doped thin film we have been obtained. All the results show that the co-doping is efficient in optimizing the performance of the CoSb₃ thin films; the key point is to control the doping element content so as to obtain high thermoelectric properties.