MiR-155 regulates oral squamous cell carcinoma Tca8113 cell proliferation, cycle, and apoptosis via regulating p27Kip1

OBJECTIVE

P27Kip1 is the one of the negative regulators of the cell cycle that plays an important role in regulating cell cycle and inhibiting cell proliferation by restraining cell in G1 phase. P27Kip1 downregulation maybe related to the occurrence of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). It was found that miR-155 significantly upregulated in OSCC tissue. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that miR-155 may bind with the 3'-UTR of p27Kip1. This study investigated the role of miR-155 in regulating p27Kip1 and affecting Tca8113 cell proliferation, cycle, and apoptosis.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A total of 46 cases of OSCC patients received treatment in our hospital were enrolled to obtain tumor tissue. Another 25 normal oral mucosa samples were selected as control to detect the relationship between miR-155 and p27Kip1 expressions. Dual luciferase assay was adopted to confirm the targeted relationship between miR-155 and p27Kip1. Flow cytometry was applied to test cell apoptosis and cell cycle. CCK-8 assay was used to evaluate cell proliferation. Caspase-3 activity was detected by spectrophotometry.

RESULTS

MiR-155 upregulated, while p27Kip1 declined in OSCC tissue compared with normal oral mucosa. Their expressions were related to TNM stage. MiR-155 targeted suppressed p27Kip1 expression. MiR-155 mimic and/or pEGFP-p27Kip1 transfection obviously declined p27Kip1 expression, blocked cell cycle in G1 phase, reduced cell proliferation, enhanced Caspase-3 activity, and increased cell apoptosis in Tca8113 cells.

CONCLUSIONS

MiR-155 increased, while p27Kip1 reduced in OSCC tissue. Inhibition of miR-155 upregulated p27Kip1 expression, blocked cell cycle in G1 phase, weakened cell proliferation, and induced cell apoptosis.

[Direct anterior approach versus posterolateral approach for total hip arthroplasty in the lateral decubitus position]

Objective: To compare the clinical efficacy of the direct anterior approach (DAA) and the posterolateral approach (PLA) for total hip arthroplasty (THA) in the lateral decubitus position. Methods: From July to December, 2014, 104 patients randomly divided into two equal groups of the DAA group and the PLA group underwent unilateral primary THA procedures.All procedures were performed by the same surgeon in the Department of Orthopaedics, the Affiliated Anhui Provincial Hospital of Anhui Medical University.General data, perioperative index, postoperative function and radiological evaluation were recorded and statistically analyzed. Results: The patients had an average follow-up of 14 (range, 10-16) months.No significant differences were detected with respect to the operation time, incision length, preoperative Hb concentration and transfusion rate between two groups (P> 0.05 for all comparisons). However, there were significant differences associated with the intraoperative bleeding, postoperative drainage and postoperative Hb concentration in the two groups(P<0.05 for all comparisons). The DAA group showed significant superior outcomes compared with the PLA group in the Harris hip scores [(83.6±7.1) vs (79.8±6.6), P<0.05], WOMAC[ (28.9±6.1) vs (36.1±6.9), P<0.001], and VAS pain scores[ (2.2±0.9) vs (2.9±1.1), P<0.05]at 1 month after surgery. No differences were seen between the study groups in the evaluation of radiography and the incidence of adverse event (P> 0.05 for all comparisons). Conclusions: Compared with the posterolateral approach, the present study shows the exciting results in patients underwent the DAA THA in the lateral decubitus position at early follow-up.The advantages of THA using the DAA include less operative trauma, alleviation of postoperative pain, and faster postoperative rehabilitation. It is a safe, reliable and effective surgery approach.

Grass Hosts Harbor More Diverse Isolates of Puccinia striiformis Than Cereal Crops

Puccinia striiformis causes stripe rust on cereal crops and many grass species. However, it is not clear whether the stripe rust populations on grasses are able to infect cereal crops and how closely they are related to each other. In this study, 103 isolates collected from wheat, barley, triticale, rye, and grasses in the United States were characterized by virulence tests and simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. Of 69 pathotypes identified, 41 were virulent on some differentials of wheat only, 10 were virulent on some differentials of barley only, and 18 were virulent on some differentials of both wheat and barley. These pathotypes were clustered into three groups: group one containing isolates from wheat, triticale, rye, and grasses; group two isolates were from barley and grasses; and group three isolates were from grasses and wheat. SSR markers identified 44 multilocus genotypes (MLGs) and clustered them into three major molecular groups (MG) with MLGs in MG3 further classified into three subgroups. Isolates from cereal crops were present in one or more of the major or subgroups, but not all, whereas grass isolates were present in all of the major and subgroups. The results indicate that grasses harbor more diverse isolates of P. striiformis than the cereals.

Persistently high glucose levels in young children with type 1 diabetes

OBJECTIVES

The aim of the study was to characterize glucose levels and variability in young children with type 1 diabetes (T1D).

METHODS

A total of 144 children of 4-10 yr old diagnosed with T1D prior to age 8 were recruited at five DirecNet centers. Participants used a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) every 3 months during an 18-month study. Among the 144 participants, 135 (mean age 7.0 yr, 47% female) had a minimum of 48 h of CGM data at more than five of seven visits and were included in analyses. CGM metrics for different times of day were analyzed.

RESULTS

Mean hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) at the beginning and end of the study was 7.9% (63 mmol/mol). Fifty percent of participants had glucose levels >180 mg/dL (10.0 mmol/L) for >12 h/d and >250 mg/dL (13.9 mmol/L) for >6 h/d. Median time <70 mg/dL (3.9 mmol/L) was 66 min/d and <60 mg/dL (3.3 mmol/L) was 39 min/d. Mean amplitude of glycemic excursions (MAGE) was lowest overnight (00:00-06:00 hours). The percent of CGM values 71-180 mg/dL (3.9-10.0 mmol/L) and the overall mean glucose correlated with HbA1c at all visits. There were no differences in CGM mean glucose or coefficient of variation between the age groups of 4 and <6, 6 and <8, and 8 and <10.

CONCLUSIONS

Suboptimal glycemic control is common in young children with T1D as reflected by glucose levels in the hyperglycemic range for much of the day. New approaches to reduce postprandial glycemic excursions and increase time in the normal range for glucose in young children with T1D are critically needed. Glycemic targets in this age range should be revisited.

Home Use of an Artificial Beta Cell in Type 1 Diabetes

BACKGROUND

The feasibility, safety, and efficacy of prolonged use of an artificial beta cell (closed-loop insulin-delivery system) in the home setting have not been established.

METHODS

In two multicenter, crossover, randomized, controlled studies conducted under free-living home conditions, we compared closed-loop insulin delivery with sensor-augmented pump therapy in 58 patients with type 1 diabetes. The closed-loop system was used day and night by 33 adults and overnight by 25 children and adolescents. Participants used the closed-loop system for a 12-week period and sensor-augmented pump therapy (control) for a similar period. The primary end point was the proportion of time that the glucose level was between 70 mg and 180 mg per deciliter for adults and between 70 mg and 145 mg per deciliter for children and adolescents.

RESULTS

Among adults, the proportion of time that the glucose level was in the target range was 11.0 percentage points (95% confidence interval [CI], 8.1 to 13.8) greater with the use of the closed-loop system day and night than with control therapy (P<0.001). The mean glucose level was lower during the closed-loop phase than during the control phase (difference, -11 mg per deciliter; 95% CI, -17 to -6; P<0.001), as were the area under the curve for the period when the glucose level was less than 63 mg per deciliter (39% lower; 95% CI, 24 to 51; P<0.001) and the mean glycated hemoglobin level (difference, -0.3%; 95% CI, -0.5 to -0.1; P=0.002). Among children and adolescents, the proportion of time with the nighttime glucose level in the target range was higher during the closed-loop phase than during the control phase (by 24.7 percentage points; 95% CI, 20.6 to 28.7; P<0.001), and the mean nighttime glucose level was lower (difference, -29 mg per deciliter; 95% CI, -39 to -20; P<0.001). The area under the curve for the period in which the day-and-night glucose levels were less than 63 mg per deciliter was lower by 42% (95% CI, 4 to 65; P=0.03). Three severe hypoglycemic episodes occurred during the closed-loop phase when the closed-loop system was not in use.

CONCLUSIONS

Among patients with type 1 diabetes, 12-week use of a closed-loop system, as compared with sensor-augmented pump therapy, improved glucose control, reduced hypoglycemia, and, in adults, resulted in a lower glycated hemoglobin level. (Funded by the JDRF and others; AP@home04 and APCam08 ClinicalTrials.gov numbers, NCT01961622 and NCT01778348.).

Transcriptional repression of IFNβ1 by ATF2 confers melanoma resistance to therapy

The resistance of melanoma to current treatment modalities represents a major obstacle for durable therapeutic response, and thus, the elucidation of mechanisms of resistance is urgently needed. The crucial functions of Activating Transcription Factor-2 (ATF2) in the development and therapeutic resistance of melanoma have been previously reported, although the precise underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we report a protein kinase C epsilon (PKCε)- and Activating Transcription Factor-2 (ATF2)-mediated mechanism that facilitates resistance by transcriptionally repressing the expression of IFNβ1 and downstream type-I IFN signaling, which is otherwise induced upon exposure to chemotherapy. Treatment of early stage melanomas expressing low levels of PKCε with chemotherapies relieves its transcriptional repression of IFNB1, resulting in impaired S-phase progression, a senescence-like phenotype, and increased cell death. This response is lost in late stage metastatic melanomas expressing high levels of PKCε. Notably, nuclear ATF2 and low expression of IFNβ1 in melanoma tumor samples correlates with poor patient responsiveness to biochemotherapy or neoadjuvant IFN-α2a. Conversely, cytosolic ATF2 and induction of IFNβ1 coincides with therapeutic responsiveness. Collectively, we identify an IFNβ1-dependent, cell autonomous mechanism that contributes to the therapeutic resistance of melanoma via the PKCε-ATF2 regulatory axis.

Stress response of Chlorella pyrenoidosa to nitro-aromatic compounds

Handling of two nitro-aromatic compounds, 4-nitroaniline (4NA) and 4-nitrophenol (4NP), simultaneously by Chlorella pyrenoidosa was investigated. Algae would secrete or degrade nitro-aromatic compounds depending on different environmental conditions, in which the mode of handling was determined by the relative formation and degradation rate of the compound. Repeated intermittent trigger with externally added 4NA would induce the continuous secretion of 4NA by algae. Simultaneous exposure of both 4NA and 4NP to algae at normal condition would induce the algae to secrete both compounds. An increase in 4NA exposure concentration would elevate both 4NA and 4NP secretion, and that would be inhibited by the stress conditions of starving or lack of oxygen. Increased 4NA degradation per production rate induced by starving or lack of oxygen might explain the subsequent decrease in 4NA secretion in the presence of 4NP in algae. For 4NP in the presence of 4NA, secretion at normal condition was completely stopped and turned to degradation mode in stress conditions. The decreased formation and increased degradation of 4NP during starving for replenishing energy would explain the net degradation of 4NP in starving condition. The condition of lack of oxygen would inhibit the 4NP formation from 4NA via oxidative deamination, while the degradation of 4NP might not be significantly affected because alternative pathway of degradation via nitro-reduction was available. It may lead to the degradation rate exceeding the formation and explain the net degradation of 4NP in the condition of lack of oxygen.

Virulence and Molecular Analyses Support Asexual Reproduction of Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici in the U.S. Pacific Northwest

Wheat stripe rust, caused by Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici, occurs every year and causes significant yield losses in the U.S. Pacific Northwest (PNW). A large number of P. striiformis f. tritici races are identified every year and predominant races have changed rapidly. Barberry and mahonia plants, which have been identified under controlled conditions as alternate hosts for the fungus, are found in the region. However, whether sexual reproduction occurs in the P. striiformis f. sp. tritici population under natural conditions is not clear. To determine the reproduction mode of the P. striiformis f. sp. tritici population using virulence and molecular markers, a systematic collection of leaf samples with a single stripe of uredia was made in 26 fields in the PNW in 2010. In total, 270 isolates obtained from the PNW collection, together with 66 isolates from 20 other states collected in the same year, were characterized by virulence tests and simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. In total, 21 races and 66 multilocus genotypes (MLGs) were detected, of which 15 races and 32 MLGs were found in the PNW. Cluster analysis with the SSR marker data revealed two genetic groups, which were significantly correlated to the two virulence groups. The analyses of genotype/individual ratio, multilocus linkage disequilibrium, and heterozygosity strongly supported asexual reproduction for the pathogen population in the PNW, as well as other regions of the United States.

Molecular mapping of genes Yr64 and Yr65 for stripe rust resistance in hexaploid derivatives of durum wheat accessions PI 331260 and PI 480016

This manuscript reports two new genes ( Yr64 and Yr65 ) for effective resistance to stripe rust and usefulness of their flanking SSR markers for marker-assisted selection. Stripe rust, caused by Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici (Pst), is one of the most important diseases of wheat worldwide and resistance is the best control strategy. Durum wheat accessions PI 331260 and PI 480016 were resistant to all tested Pst races. To transfer the resistance genes to common wheat and map them to wheat chromosomes, both accessions were crossed with the stripe rust-susceptible spring wheat 'Avocet S'. Resistant F3 plants with 42 chromosomes were selected cytologically and by rust phenotype. A single dominant gene for resistance was identified in segregating F4 lines from each cross. F6 populations for each cross were developed from single F5 plants and used for genetic mapping. Different genes from PI 331260 and PI 480016 were mapped to different loci in chromosome 1BS using simple sequence repeat markers. The gene from PI 331260 was flanked by Xgwm413 and Xgdm33 in bin 1BS9-0.84-1.06 at genetic distances of 3.5 and 2.0 cM; and the gene from PI 480016 was flanked by Xgwm18 and Xgwm11 in chromosome bin C-1BS10-0.50 at 1.2 and 2.1 cM, respectively. Chromosomal locations and race and allelism tests indicated that the two genes are different from previously reported stripe rust resistance genes, and therefore are named as Yr64 from PI 331260 and Yr65 from PI 480016. These genes and their flanking markers, and selected common wheat lines with the genes should be valuable for diversifying resistance genes used in breeding wheat cultivars with stripe rust resistance.

The novel BH-3 mimetic apogossypolone induces Beclin-1- and ROS-mediated autophagy in human hepatocellular carcinoma [corrected] cells

Apogossypolone (ApoG2), a novel derivative of gossypol, exhibits superior antitumor activity in Bcl-2 transgenic mice, and induces autophagy in several cancer cells. However, the detailed mechanisms are not well known. In the present study, we showed that ApoG2 induced autophagy through Beclin-1- and reactive oxygen species (ROS)-dependent manners in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells. Incubating the HCC cell with ApoG2 abrogated the interaction of Beclin-1 and Bcl-2/xL, stimulated ROS generation, increased phosphorylation of ERK and JNK, and HMGB1 translocation from the nucleus to cytoplasm while suppressing mTOR. Moreover, inhibition of the ROS-mediated autophagy by antioxidant N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC) potentiates ApoG2-induced apoptosis and cell killing. Our results show that ApoG2 induced protective autophagy in HCC cells, partly due to ROS generation, suggesting that antioxidant may serve as a potential chemosensitizer to enhance cancer cell death through blocking ApoG2-stimulated autophagy. Our novel insights may facilitate the rational design of clinical trials for Bcl-2-targeted cancer therapy.