The molecular chaperone sigma 1 receptor mediates rescue of retinal cone photoreceptor cells via modulation of NRF2

Sigma 1 receptor (Sig1R), a putative molecular chaperone, has emerged as a novel therapeutic target for retinal degenerative disease. Earlier studies showed that activation of Sig1R via the high-affinity ligand (+)-pentazocine ((+)-PTZ) induced profound rescue of cone photoreceptor cells in the rd10 mouse model of retinitis pigmentosa; however the mechanism of rescue is unknown. Improved cone function in (+)-PTZ-treated mice was accompanied by reduced oxidative stress and normalization of levels of NRF2, a transcription factor that activates antioxidant response elements (AREs) of hundreds of cytoprotective genes. Here, we tested the hypothesis that modulation of NRF2 is central to Sig1R-mediated cone rescue. Activation of Sig1R in 661W cone cells using (+)-PTZ induced dose-dependent increases in NRF2-ARE binding activity and NRF2 gene/protein expression, whereas silencing Sig1R significantly decreased NRF2 protein levels and increased oxidative stress, although (+)-PTZ did not disrupt NRF2-KEAP1 binding. In vivo studies were conducted to investigate whether, in the absence of NRF2, activation of Sig1R rescues cones. (+)-PTZ was administered systemically for several weeks to rd10/nrf2+/+ and rd10/nrf2-/- mice. Through post-natal day 42, cone function was significant in rd10/nrf2+/+, but minimal in rd10/nrf2-/- mice as indicated by electroretinographic recordings using natural noise stimuli, optical coherence tomography and retinal histological analyses. Immunodetection of cones was limited in (+)-PTZ-treated rd10/nrf2-/-, though considerable in (+)-PTZ-treated rd10/nrf2+/+mice. The data suggest that Sig1R-mediated cone rescue requires NRF2 and provide evidence for a previously-unrecognized relationship between these proteins.

Hollow S-nitrosothiols nanoparticle with polymeric brushes for nitric oxide (NO)-releasing as tumor targeted chemotherapy

A kind of tumor targeting nitric oxide donor nanoparticle with brushes is described in this paper. The poly(4-vinylphenylboronic acid) polymeric brush, which shows glucose and pH dual responsiveness, endows the ability of hollow S-nitrosothiols nanoparticle to accurate recognition and binding with the sialic acid over-expressed type tumor cells, such as HepG2 and MCF-7 cells. In vitro experiments, including cells capture and release experiments, confocal fluorescence microscope characterization, cytotoxicity assay with different cells, demonstrate the selective recognition and the controlled NO release to kill tumor cells for these S-nitrosothiols nanoparticles. Low concentration of the released NO from the S-nitrosothiols nanoparticles in the transmission would participate physiological activity and avoid serious side effects because the endogenous nature and the physiological necessity to regulate normal biological functions. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report about polymer nanoparticles as NO donors with functional brushes to selectively identify tumor cells and release NO in a controlled manner.

Erratum: Observation of D^{0} Meson Nuclear Modifications in Au+Au Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200 GeV [Phys. Rev. Lett. 113, 142301 (2014)]

This corrects the article DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.113.142301.

IL-37 inhibits IL-4/IL-13-induced CCL11 production and lung eosinophilia in murine allergic asthma

BACKGROUND

IL-37 is emerging as an anti-inflammatory cytokine, particularly in innate inflammation. However, the role of IL-37 in Th2-mediated allergic lung inflammation remains uncertain. We sought to determine the role and the underlying mechanisms of IL-37 in the development of house dust mites (HDM)-induced murine asthma model.

METHODS

We examined the effect of IL-37 administration during the sensitization or challenge phase on Th2-mediated allergic asthma induced by inhaled HDM. Cellular source of CCL11 and distribution of IL-37 receptors, IL-18Rα and IL-1R8, were determined in HDM-exposed lungs. Finally, we examined the effect of IL-37 on CCL11 production and STAT6 activation in different primary lung structural cell types upon IL-4/IL-13 stimulation.

RESULTS

IL-37 had no effect on HDM sensitization, but when administrated during the challenge phase, significantly attenuated pulmonary eosinophilia, CCL11 production, and airway hyper-reactivity (AHR). Interestingly, IL-37 treatment had no significant effects on lung infiltrating T cells and Th2 cytokine production. Intranasal co-administration of CCL11 reversed the inhibiting effect of IL-37 on HDM-induced pulmonary eosinophilia and AHR. Furthermore, we demonstrated that CCL11 was primarily expressed by fibroblasts and airway smooth muscle cells (AMSC), while IL-37 receptors by tracheobronchial epithelial cells (TEC). In vitro study showed that IL-37 inhibited IL-4/IL-13-induced STAT6 activation and CCL11 production by fibroblasts and AMSC, which was dependent on its direct action on TEC. Moreover, cell contact was required for the inhibitory effect of IL-37-treated TEC.

CONCLUSIONS

IL-37 attenuates HDM-induced asthma, possibly by inhibiting IL-4/IL-13-induced CCL11 production by fibroblasts and AMSC via its direct act on TEC.

[Clinical application of negative pressure dressing in the full-thickness skin grafting]

Objective: To investigate the effect of different negative pressure of wound negative pressure dressing (NPD) on the survival of full-thickness skin grafts of patients. Methods: One hundred and eleven patients who need skin grafting, conforming to the inclusion criteria were hospitalized in our unit from August 2012 to March 2017, and their clinical data were retrospectively analyzed. Forty-seven patients hospitalized from August 2012 to October 2015 were assigned into traditional treatment group. Sixty-four patients hospitalized from November 2015 to March 2017 were divided into -9.975 kPa negative pressure treatment group (n=34) and -13.300 kPa negative pressure treatment group (n=30). Patients in traditional treatment group received conventional dressing after full-thickness skin grafting. Patients in -9.975 kPa and -13.300 kPa negative pressure treatment groups received -9.975 kPa and -13.300 kPa NPD based on traditional treatment after vacuum sealing, respectively. Dot necrosis area of skin grafts and erosion and escharosis of graft edges of patients in the three groups on post operation day 10 were observed. The percentage of dot necrosis area of skin grafts and occurrence rate of erosion and escharosis of skin graft edges were calculated, respectively. Data were processed with chi-square test, Fisher's exact test, and Kruskal-Wallis H test. Results: Percentages of dot necrosis area of skin grafts of patients in traditional treatment group and -9.975 kPa and -13.300 kPa negative pressure treatment groups were 17.81%, 3.20%, and 3.00%, respectively. Percentage of dot necrosis area of skin grafts of patients in traditional treatment group was significantly higher than that in -9.975 kPa and -13.300 kPa negative pressure treatment groups (Z=-5.770, -4.690, P<0.001). Percentages of dot necrosis area of skin grafts of patients in -9.975 kPa and-13.300 kPa groups were close (Z=-0.619, P>0.05). The occurrence rates of erosion and escharosis of skin graft edges of patients in traditional treatment group and -9.975 kPa and -13.300 kPa negative pressure treatment groups were 78.7% (37/47), 32.4 (11/34), and 36.7% (11/30), respectively. Erosion and escharosis of skin graft edges of patients in -9.975 kPa and -13.300 kPa negative pressure treatment groups were better than those in traditional treatment group (P<0.001). Erosion and escharosis of skin graft edges of patients in -9.975 kPa and -13.300 kPa negative pressure treatment groups were close (P>0.05). Conclusions: The use of -9.975 kPa and -13.300 kPa NPD in skin grafts after full-thickness skin grafting significantly diminishes the occurrence rates of dot necrosis area of skin grafts and erosion and escharosis of graft edges.

MicroRNA-21 promotes cell proliferation by targeting tumor suppressor TET1 in colorectal cancer

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) regulate gene expression by binding to mRNA, and can function as oncogenes or tumor suppressors depending on the target. TET1 acts as tumor-suppressor, which is downregulated in colorectal cancers (CRC) and inhibits cell growth. However, it has not been studied as to whether miRNAs, suppressing target expression by binding to the 3'UTR, regulate TET1 expression in colorectal cancers. Here, our study found that miR-21 has matching sites on TET1. In the tumor tissue samples from 50 patients with CRC, the expression of miR-21 was upregulated compared with that in adjacent tissue samples while the expression of TET1 showed a significant decrease. In addition, miR-21 expression was negatively correlated with the expression of TET1. Moreover, low expression of miR-21 by the transfection of colorectal cancer cell lines with miR-21 inhibitors, the effect on TET1 expression was opposite to the change of miR-21 expression. Furthermore, our results indicated that miR-21 promoted proliferation of colorectal cancer cells by targeting TET1. These findings may provide a theoretical basis for clarifying the physiological and pathological role of miR-21 in colorectal cancer.

Exploiting coumarin-6 as ancillary ligands in 1,10-phenanthroline Ir(iii) complexes: generating triplet photosensitisers with high upconversion capabilities

A series of new Ir(iii) complexes incorporating 3-(2-benzothiazolyl)-7-(diethylamino)coumarin (coumarin 6) and ethynylpyrene (EP) functionalised 1,10-phenanthroline (phen) were developed. [Ir(iii)(coumarin 6)₂(3-EP-phen)](PF₆) (Ir-3) proved to be the most promising material in triplet photosensitising applications. Highly absorbing at λ = 485 nm (ε = 1.31 × 10⁵ M^-1 cm^-1), it exhibits high upconversion and singlet oxygen quantum yields (Φ_UC = 27.5%, Φ_Δ = 81.5%) and an exemplary upconversion capability (η = 3.60 × 10⁶ M^-1 cm^-1).

Mechanisms of sphingosine-1-phosphate-mediated vasoconstriction of rat afferent arterioles

AIM

Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) influences resistance vessel function and is implicated in renal pathological processes. Previous studies revealed that S1P evoked potent vasoconstriction of the pre-glomerular microvasculature, but the underlying mechanisms remain incompletely defined. We postulated that S1P-mediated pre-glomerular microvascular vasoconstriction involves activation of voltage-dependent L-type calcium channels (L-VDCC) and the rho/rho kinase pathway.

METHODS

Afferent arteriolar reactivity was assessed in vitro using the blood-perfused rat juxtamedullary nephron preparation, and diameter was measured during exposure to physiological and pharmacological agents.

RESULTS

Exogenous S1P (10^-9 -10^-5 mol L^-1 ) evoked concentration-dependent vasoconstriction of afferent arterioles. Superfusion with nifedipine, a L-VDCC blocker, increased arteriolar diameter by 39 ± 18% of baseline and significantly attenuated the S1P-induced vasoconstriction. Superfusion with the rho kinase inhibitor, Y-27632, increased diameter by 60 ± 12% of baseline and also significantly blunted vasoconstriction by S1P. Combined nifedipine and Y-27632 treatment significantly inhibited S1P-induced vasoconstriction over the entire concentration range tested. In contrast, depletion of intracellular Ca²⁺ stores with the Ca²⁺ -ATPase inhibitors, thapsigargin or cyclopiazonic acid, did not alter the S1P-mediated vasoconstrictor profile. Scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS) or inhibition of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase activity significantly attenuated S1P-mediated vasoconstriction.

CONCLUSION

Exogenous S1P elicits potent vasoconstriction of rat afferent arterioles. These data also demonstrate that S1P-mediated pre-glomerular vasoconstriction involves activation of L-VDCC, the rho/rho kinase pathway and ROS. Mobilization of Ca²⁺ from intracellular stores is not required for S1P-mediated vasoconstriction. These studies reveal a potential role for S1P in the modulation of renal microvascular tone.

Effects of caponization and ovariectomy on objective indices related to meat quality in chickens

Capons and ovariectomized chickens are birds that have been gonadectomized to improve the meat quality. This study investigated the effects of caponization and ovariectomy on physical, chemical, and fatty acid and amino acid profiles of meat from Beijing-You chickens (a Chinese local breed) at market age (17 wk). All birds (20 capons, 20 ovariectomized, and 40 controls) were reared under the same conditions. Breast muscle fiber diameter and area were significantly smaller and the fiber density was higher in capons and ovariectomized chickens than in controls (P < 0.05). Compared with controls, caponization and ovariectomy significantly decreased breast muscle shear values and redness (a*), as well as increased yellowness (b*), hue (H*), and chroma (C*) (P < 0.05). There was significantly more intramuscular fat (IMF) in capons than in controls (P < 0.05), and there was a tendency for more inosine-5΄-monophosphate (IMP) in capons than in controls (P = 0.10). The levels of IMF and IMP in ovariectomized chickens were significantly higher than those in controls (P < 0.05). Capons and ovariectomized chickens exhibited a significantly higher content of palmitic acid (C16:0), palmitoleic acid (C16:1) and oleic acid (C18:1), together with a lower content of stearic acid (C18:0), arachidonic acid (C20:4), and lignoceric acid (C24:0) compared to controls (P < 0.05). The total saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fatty acids as well as amino acid composition were not affected by gonadectomy (P > 0.05). Overall, this study indicates that both caponization and ovariectomy likely improve the meat quality of the breast muscle based on the objective indices of IMF, appearance (color), texture, and minor change of the fatty acid profile; ovariectomy improves flavor-related indices.

Novel crosstalk between KLF4 and ZEB1 regulates gemcitabine resistance in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most lethal malignancies with broad resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs. Krüppel-like factor 4 (KLF4) is a candidate tumor suppressor in PDAC. However, the precise role of KLF4 in gemcitabine resistance of PDAC remains largely unclear. In this study, we demonstrated that gemcitabine inhibited KLF4 expression. Moreover, gemcitabine also reduced the levels of miR‑200b and miR‑183, but promoted ZEB1 expression in PDAC cells. KLF4 knockdown blocked the expression of miR‑200b and miR‑183, and inversely, KLF4 overexpression promoted the expression of miR‑200b and miR‑183, suggesting that KLF4 positively regulated the expression of miR‑200b and miR‑183. Moreover, KLF4 knockdown enhanced ZEB1 expression and gemcitabine resistance while KLF4 overexpression induced the opposite effect. ChIP assays verified that KLF4 positively regulated the expression of miR‑200b and miR‑183 by directly binding to their promoters. Then, miR‑200b and miR‑183 directly inhibited ZEB1 expression by targeting its 3'UTR region. ZEB1 knockdown attenuated gemcitabine resistance in PDAC cells. KLF4 overexpression promoted gemcitabine sensitivity of PDAC in vivo by negatively regulating ZEB1 expression. Our results revealed that novel crosstalk between KLF4 and ZEB1 regulated gemcitabine resistance in PDAC.

Analysis of the safety and efficacy of combined extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy and percutaneous nephrolithotomy for the treatment of complex renal calculus

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the safety and efficacy of extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) combined with percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) for treatment of complex renal calculus.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Seventy-eight patients diagnosed with complex renal calculus and who accepted treatment in our hospital were consecutively selected. Patients were divided randomly into the observation group (n=40) treated by combined ESWL and PCNL and the control group (n=38) treated by PCNL. The effect of treatment between the two groups was compared.

RESULTS

The stone-free rate at 3 months after surgery was higher in the observation group than in the control group. There were no differences in the rates of complications (including infection, hemorrhage, collection system perforation and laceration, peripheral organ impairment, and urination extravasation). There were gradual decreases of serum creatinine in the observation group at 4 weeks after extubation of the double J catheter and at 3 months after surgery, while there were no apparent decreases in the control group. The levels of cysteine protease inhibitor and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin in both groups increased at 4 weeks after extubation of the double J catheter, and decreased at 3 months after surgery. The decreases were more apparent in the observation group compared with the control group, and the differences were statistically significant (p<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Combined use of ESWL and PCNL to treat complex renal calculus can improve the stone-free rate and renal function, and does not increase the complication rate. It is, therefore, safe and effective.

FOXC1: an emerging marker and therapeutic target for cancer

The Forkhead box C1 (FOXC1) transcription factor is involved in normal embryonic development and regulates the development and function of many organs. Most recently, a large body of literature has shown that FOXC1 plays a critical role in tumor development and metastasis. Clinical studies have demonstrated that elevated FOXC1 expression is associated with poor prognosis in many cancer subtypes, such as basal-like breast cancer (BLBC). FOXC1 is highly and specifically expressed in BLBC as opposed to other breast cancer subtypes. Its functions in breast cancer have been extensively explored. This review will summarize current knowledge on the function and regulation of FOXC1 in tumor development and progression with a focus on BLBC as well as the implications of these new findings in cancer diagnosis and treatment.

Abstract P6-09-55: “Quality, not quantity”: 10X hot-spot (HS) analysis of lymphocyte markers (CD3, CD8, CD4, CD20) in tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) is superior to whole tumor (WT) analysis in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC)

This abstract was withdrawn by the authors.

Abstract P4-12-14: Folate receptor alpha (FOLR1) expression in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC)

Background Folate receptor alpha (FOLR1) has been identified as a potential prognostic and therapeutic target in breast cancer. The limited studies evaluating the role of FOLR1 in breast cancer have shown that FOLR1 protein expression is enriched in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Newly developed anti-FOLR1 therapy could potentially be used for patients with TNBC for whom few therapeutic options exist. We sought to evaluate FOLR1 protein expression in a cohort of patients with TNBC to determine its prevalence and prognostic value. Design Immunohistochemistry was performed for FOLR1 (26B3.F2, Biocare, RTU) on tissue microarray (TMA) slides consisting of 62 primary TNBC. Membranous staining in ≥5% of cells was deemed positive in a given case. Statistical analyses correlating FOLR1 protein expression with clinicopathologic parameters and clinical outcome [disease-free survival (DSF) and overall survival (OS) (range: 16 to 196 months, mean: 111 months)] were performed. Results 62 cases of primary TNBC from 61 patients were studied. All patients were female and the mean age was 55 years (range 30 to 91 years). Histologically, almost all tumors were invasive ductal carcinoma (94%; 58/62) and grade 3 (89%; 55/62). Most were pT1 tumors (71%; 44/62) or pT2 (27%; 17/62). For the majority of patients, the nodal status was N0 (61%; 38/62) or N1 (24%; 15/62) and the stage was 1 (53%; 33/62) or 2 (32%; 20/62). Most cases were negative for FOLR1 (84%; 52/62). FOLR1 expression did not correlate with any clinicopathologic parameters, DFS or OS (P&gt;0.05). Conclusion Similar to other studies, we found no correlation with FOLR1 expression and common clinicopathologic parameters and clinical outcome in TNBC. While FOLR1 expression has been previously reported to confer poor prognosis in breast cancer (all types), our findings suggest that in TNBC specifically, FOLR1 expression is not prognostically significant.

Citation Format: Cui X, McIntire PJ, Ginter PS, Irshaid L, Chen Z, Shin SJ. Folate receptor alpha (FOLR1) expression in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2016 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2016 Dec 6-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P4-12-14.

Abstract P4-12-15: Triple-negative breast cancers (TNBCs) rich in infiltrating stromal plasma cells have improved disease-free survival and overall survival

Background Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) have emerged as a prognostic indicator in patients with TNBC. Furthermore, lymphocyte-predominant breast cancer (LPBC), defined as those containing ≥50% stromal TILs has been shown to be associated with better prognosis. While cell-mediated immunity has received much of the credit for anti-tumor responses, the International TILs Working Group recommends that the assessment of stromal density of TILs should incorporate all mononuclear cells including plasma cells. Very little is known about the role of humoral immunity, particularly the role of plasma cells in the anti-tumoral response in breast cancer. We sought to evaluate the prognostic value of plasma cells in the setting of stromal TIL assessment of TNBC. Design Morphologic assessment of TILs was performed on a representative H&E slide of 76 cases of primary TNBC. For each case, the stromal density of TILs was estimated and then classified as LPBC or non-LPBC using a cutoff of ≥50% for the former. Also, the plasma cell intensity defined as the mean percentage of stromal plasma cells of five 40x high power microscopic fields of TILs was recorded at 5% increments. Statistical analyses were performed using disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) (range: 16 to 196 months, mean: 110 months) as primary endpoints. Results Plasma cell intensity was dichotomized at 12.5% and predictive of OS [.21, 95% confidence interval (CI) .05-.93, P = 0.0401)]. A positive dose related response trended toward significance for each 5% increase in plasma cell intensity (.97, 95% CI .93-1.01, P = 0.1168). Disease-free survival also trended positively towards significance (.39, 95% CI .13-1.20, P = 0.0991). When comparing LPBC, tumors rich in plasma cells (&gt;12.5% of TILs) trended towards longer DFS (.17, 95% CI .02-1.62, P = 0.1226) when compared to plasma cell poor LPBC. Conclusion In addition to the cell-mediated immune response in TNBC, our findings suggest that humoral immunity may also play a role in predicting recurrence and survival in these patients. Our findings suggest that inclusion of an additional parameter of plasma cell intensity may be prognostically valuable in TIL assessment of TNBC.

Citation Format: McIntire PJ, Cui X, Ginter PS, Irshaid L, Chen Z, Shin SJ. Triple-negative breast cancers (TNBCs) rich in infiltrating stromal plasma cells have improved disease-free survival and overall survival [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2016 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2016 Dec 6-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P4-12-15.