SLC14A1: a novel target for human urothelial cancer

Urinary bladder cancer is the second commonly diagnosed genitourinary malignancy. Previously, bio-molecular alterations have been observed within certain locations such as chromosome 9, retinoblastoma gene and fibroblast growth factor receptor-3. Solute carrier family 14 member 1 (SLC14A1) gene encodes the type-B urea transporter (UT-B) which facilitates the passive movement of urea across cell membrane, and has recently been related with human malignancies, especially for bladder cancer. Herein, we discussed the SLC14A1 gene and UT-B protein properties, aiming to elucidate the expression behavior of SLC14A1 in human bladder cancer. Furthermore, by reviewing some well-established theories regarding the carcinogenesis of bladder cancer, including several genome wide association researches, we have bridged the mechanisms of cancer development with the aberrant expression of SLC14A1. In conclusion, the altered expression of SLC14A1 gene in human urothelial cancer may implicate its significance as a novel target for research.

Altered gut microbiota in RA: implications for treatment

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease with progressive joint disorder. The complex interplay of genetic and environmental influences is important for the development of the disease. A growing body of evidence has shed light on the association of dysbiosis of gut microbiota with RA. Certain gut microbial strains have been shown to inhibit or attenuate immune responses in RA experimental models, suggesting that specific species among intestinal commensal bacteria may play either a pathogenic or a protective role in the development of RA. Oral intake of probiotics/prebiotics can therefore represent a therapeutic approach for RA treatment. However, the relevant scientific work has only just begun, and the available data in this field remain limited. Fortunately, utilization of new sequencing technologies allows expanded research on the association of intestinal bacterial flora and human diseases to be attempted. In this review, we summarize the role of gut microbiota in RA progression and address how specific bacterial strains regulate the immune response in disease process. Probiotics/prebiotics in the treatment of RA is also discussed.

Transplantation of Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Efficiently Rescues Thioacetamide-Induced Acute Liver Failure in Mice

BACKGROUND

We aimed to investigate the efficacy of adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cell (ADMSC) transplantation in acute liver failure caused by thioacetamide in mice as well as its underlying mechanism by comparing transplantation routes.

METHODS

ADMSCs were isolated from inguinal fat pads of enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) transgenic mice and analyzed regarding their surface markers and differentiation potential. Acute liver failure models were established by infusion of thioacetamide, and then we injected EGFP-ADMSCs or phosphate-buffered saline solution by intrasplenic or intravenous route. The restoration of biologic functions of the livers receiving transplantation was assessed by means of a variety of approaches, such as survival rates, live function parameters, histology, localization of EGFP-ADMSCs, and immunofluorescence analysis.

RESULTS

ADMSCs were positive for CD90 and CD44 and negative for CD34 and had adipogenic and osteogenic differentiation potential. And they prevented the release of liver injury biomarkers. Transplantation via tail vein provided a significant survival benefit, but no significant differences were observed in the intrasplenic pathway and between the 2 pathways in our animal experiments. Furthermore, the transplanted cells were well integrated into injured livers and produced albumin and cytokeratin-8.

CONCLUSIONS

Direct transplantation of ADMSCs is an effective treatment for acute liver failure rather than intrasplenic transplantation. The transplanted ADMSCs exhibit the potential to differentiate into hepatocyte-like cells in the injured livers. Thus, ADCMSCs would be a potential option for treatment of acute liver failure.

Mucin expression profile of benign and malignant cervical tissues and correlation with clinical-pathologic parameters

PURPOSE

To detect the expression of mucins in diverse benign and malignant cervical tissues of cervical disease.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

158 cases of cervical tissues were collected. Sections were stained with monoclonal antibodies against MUC1, MUC2, MIUC4, MUC5AC, and MUC20 by immunohistochemistry.

RESULTS

Normal cervical epithelium showed high expr ession of MUC1I, MUC4, and MUC5AC, partial expression of MUC20, and no MUC2. With the development from chronic cervicitis, cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CI7N) to cervical squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), the expression of MUC1, NMUC4, and MUC20 was statistically significant. The expression of MUCl was related with the depth of invasion and clinical stage of SCC. The positive rates of MUC4 and MUC20 were associated with the degree of differentiation and clinical stage of SCC. There was a correlation between the expression of MUC4, MUC 1, and MUC20 in cervical squamous lesions.

CONCLUSION

Mucins may be involved in the development of cervical cancer.

Synergistic Effect of the MTHFR C677T and EPHX2 G860A Polymorphism on the Increased Risk of Ischemic Stroke in Chinese Type 2 Diabetic Patients

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the combined effect of MTHFR C677T (rs1801133) and EPHX2 G860A (rs751141) polymorphism and ischemic stroke in Chinese T2DM patients. This case-control study included a total of 626 Chinese T2DM patients (236 T2DM patients with ischemic stroke and 390 T2DM patients without ischemic stroke). The rs1801133 and rs751141 were genotyped using real-time polymerase chain reaction. Statistical analysis was performed with SPSS 17.0. Results showed that the combined effect of MTHFR TT and EPHX2 GG or GA + AA genotype has a higher risk of ischemic stroke compared with the control group (combined effect of MTHFR CC and EPHX2 GA + AA genotypes; OR = 3.46 and OR = 3.42, resp.; P = .001 and P = .002, resp.). The A allele showed marked association with a lower risk of ischemic stroke in patients with the lowest Hcy levels under additive, recessive, and dominant genetic models (OR = 0.45, OR = 0.11, and OR = 0.44, resp.; P = .002, P = .035, and P = .008, resp.), which was not observed in medium or high Hcy level groups. In conclusion, the T allele of rs1801133 and the G allele of rs751141 may be risk factors of ischemic stroke in the Chinese T2DM population.

Association of a type 2 diabetes genetic risk score with insulin secretion modulated by insulin sensitivity among Chinese Hans

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is characterized by insulin resistance and impaired insulin secretion. The present study aimed to identify the influence of insulin sensitivity on the genetic risk of impaired insulin secretion among a Chinese Han population. For 3229 controls and 1994 treatment-naïve T2D, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from 24 T2D-related genomic loci were genotyped and a genetic risk score (GRS) was constructed. Results showed that GRS was associated with insulin secretion and disposition indices in both controls and treatment-naïve T2Ds. Upon stratifying the participants into tertiles by the Matsuda index, we observed an inhibitory relationship between the GRS and insulin secretion in low insulin sensitive but not in high insulin sensitive controls and treatment-naïve T2Ds. Moreover, low insulin sensitive individuals exhibited more severe impairment in insulin secretion and beta cell response to insulin sensitivity with an increase in risk alleles. Our findings identified that the association of GRS with insulin secretion was strongly modulated by insulin sensitivity in both controls and T2Ds of Chinese Han. It indicates that insulin sensitization should be emphasized in prevention and treatment of T2D for beta cell protection.

Genetic variants associated with lean and obese type 2 diabetes in a Han Chinese population: A case-control study

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is highly phenotypically heterogeneous. Genetics of the heterogeneity of lean and obese T2D is not clear. The aim of the present study was to identify the associations of T2D-related genetic variants with the risks for lean and obese T2D among the Chinese Han population. A case-control study consisting of 5338 T2D patients and 4663 normal glycemic controls of Chinese Han recruited in the Chinese National Diabetes and Metabolic Disorders Study was conducted. T2D cases were identified according to the 1999 World Health Organization criteria. Lean T2D was defined as T2D patient with a body mass index (BMI) <23 kg/m, whereas obese T2D was defined as T2D patient with a BMI ≥28 kg/m. Twenty-five genome-wide association studies previously validated T2D-related single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were genotyped. A genotype risk score (GRS) based on the 25 SNPs was created. After adjusting for multiple covariates, SNPs in or near CDKAL1, CDKN2BAS, KCNQ1, TCF7L2, CDC123/CAMK1D, HHEX, and TCF2 were associated with the risk for lean T2D, and SNPs in or near KCNQ1 and FTO were associated with the risk for obese T2D. The results showed that the GRS for 25 T2D-related SNPs was more strongly associated with the risk for lean T2D (Ptrend = 2.66 × 10) than for obese T2D (Ptrend = 2.91 × 10) in our study population. Notably, the T2D GRS contributed to lower obesity-related measurements and greater β-cell dysfunction, including lower insulin levels in oral glucose tolerance test, decreased insulinogenic index, and Homeostasis Model Assessment for β-cell Function. In conclusion, our findings identified T2D-related genetic loci that contribute to the risk of lean and obese T2D individually and additively in a Chinese Han population. Moreover, the study highlights the contribution of known T2D genomic loci to the heterogeneity of lean and obese T2D in Chinese Hans.

Bone mineral density is associated with left ventricular diastolic function in men with type 2 diabetes

AIMS

Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) is associated with chronic heart failure and cardiomyopathy. Furthermore, low bone mineral density (BMD) predicts incident heart failure. Abnormal diastolic function reflects early changes in cardiac function and plays a key role in the development of heart failure. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between BMD with left ventricular (LV) diastolic function in men with T2DM.

METHODS

In all, 344 men with T2DM and 331 age-matched control subjects were enrolled. BMD measurements were performed. LV diastolic function and structure were assessed by echocardiographic evaluation.

RESULTS

BMD was lower in men with T2DM than in controls. There were significant differences in the level of parameters reflecting cardiac structure and LV diastolic function between two groups. Moreover, LV diastolic function and structure parameters also showed significant differences as BMD reduced in T2DM group. BMD at femoral neck was correlated with LV diastolic function parameters in T2DM after adjusting for confounding factors. Multivariable logistic analysis revealed that osteopenia and osteoporosis were associated with diastolic dysfunction compared to the control in men with T2DM. However, no association between BMD and LV diastolic function was found in subjects without T2DM.

CONCLUSION

Osteoporosis may be an independent factor for LV diastolic dysfunction in men with T2DM. Our data suggested that early detection of abnormal BMD should warrant for early search of undetected LV diastolic dysfunction in diabetic men.

Investigating how the attributes of self-associated drug complexes influence the passive transport of molecules through biological membranes

Relatively little is known about how drug self-association influences absorption into the human body. This study presented two hydrophobic membranes with a series of solutions containing different types of tetracaine aggregates with the aim of understanding how the attributes of supramolecular aggregate formation influenced passive membrane transport. The data showed that aqueous solutions of the unprotonated form of tetracaine displayed a significantly higher (p < 0.05) passive membrane transport compared to solutions with mixtures of the unprotonated and protonated drug microspecies (e.g. transport through the skin was 0.96 ± 0.31 μg cm⁻² min⁻¹ and 1.59 ± 0.26 μg cm⁻² min⁻¹ respectively). However, despite an enhanced rate of drug transport and a better membrane partitioning the unionised molecules showed a significantly longer (p < 0.05) lag time to membrane penetration compared solutions rich in the ionised microspecies. Analytical characterisation of the solutions applied to the apical surface of the membranes in the transport studies showed that larger tetracaine aggregates with smaller surface charge gave rise to the longer lag times. These large aggregates demonstrated more extensive intermolecular bonding and therefore, it was suggest that it was the enhanced propensity of the unionised species to form tightly bound drug aggregates that caused the delay in the membrane penetration.

Titanium induced polarity inversion in ordered (In,Ga)N/GaN nanocolumns

We report on the formation of polarity inversion in ordered (In,Ga)N/GaN nanocolumns grown on a Ti-masked GaN-buffered sapphire substrate by plasma assisted molecular beam epitaxy. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy and electron energy-loss spectroscopy reveal a stacking fault-like planar defect at the homoepitaxial GaN interface due to Ti incorporation, triggering the generation of N-polar domains in Ga-polar nanocolumns. Density functional theory calculations are applied to clarify the atomic configurations of a Ti monolayer occupation on the GaN (0002) plane and to prove the inversion effect. The polarity inversion leads to an enhanced indium incorporation in the subsequent (In,Ga)N segment of the nanocolumn. This study provides a deeper understanding of the effects of Ti mask in the well-controlled selective area growth of (In,Ga)N/GaN nanocolumns.

The Association of Type 2 Diabetes Loci Identified in Genome-Wide Association Studies with Metabolic Syndrome and Its Components in a Chinese Population with Type 2 Diabetes

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is prevalent in type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients. The comorbidity of MetS and T2D increases the risk of cardiovascular complications. The aim of the present study was to determine the T2D-related genetic variants that contribute to MetS-related components in T2D patients of Chinese ancestry. We successfully genotyped 25 genome wide association study validated T2D-related single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) among 5,169 T2D individuals and 4,560 normal glycemic controls recruited from the Chinese National Diabetes and Metabolic Disorders Study (DMS). We defined MetS in this population using the harmonized criteria (2009) combined with the Chinese criteria for abdominal obesity. The associations between SNPs and MetS-related components, as well as the associations between SNPs and risk for T2D with or without MetS, were subjected to logistic regression analysis adjusted for age and sex. Results showed that the T2D risk alleles of rs243021 located near BCL11A, rs10830963 in MTNR1B, and rs2237895 in KCNQ1 were related to a lower risk for abdominal obesity in T2D patients (rs243021: 0.92 (0.84, 1.00), P = 4.42 × 10⁻²; rs10830963: 0.92 (0.85, 1.00), P = 4.07 × 10⁻²; rs2237895: 0.89 (0.82, 0.98), P = 1.29 × 10⁻²). The T2D risk alleles of rs972283 near KLF14 contributed to a higher risk of elevated blood pressure (1.10 (1.00, 1.22), P = 4.48 × 10⁻²), while the T2D risk allele of rs7903146 in TCF7L2 was related to a lower risk for elevated blood pressure (0.74 (0.61, 0.90), P = 2.56 × 10⁻³). The T2D risk alleles of rs972283 near KLF14 and rs11634397 near ZFAND6 were associated with a higher risk for elevated triglycerides (rs972283: 1.11 (1.02, 1.24), P = 1.46 × 10⁻²; rs11634397: 1.14 (1.00, 1.29), P = 4.66 × 10⁻²), while the T2D risk alleles of rs780094 in GCKR and rs7903146 in TCF7L2 were related to a lower risk of elevated triglycerides (rs780094: 0.86 (0.80, 0.93), P = 1.35 × 10⁻⁴; rs7903146: 0.82 (0.69, 0.98), P = 3.18 × 10⁻²). The genotype risk score of the 25 T2D-related SNPs was related to a lower risk for abdominal obesity (P_trend = 1.29 × 10⁻²) and lower waist circumference (P = 2.20 × 10⁻³). Genetic variants of WFS1, CDKAL1, CDKN2BAS, TCF7L2, HHEX, KCNQ1, TSPAN8/LGR5, FTO, and TCF2 were associated with the risk for T2D with MetS, as well as the risk for development of T2D with at least one of the MetS components (P < 0.05). In addition, genetic variants of BCL11A, GCKR, ADAMTS9, CDKAL1, KLF14, CDKN2BAS, TCF7L2, CDC123/CAMK1D, HHEX, MTNR1B, and KCNQ1 contributed to the risk for T2D without MetS (P < 0.05). In conclusion, these findings highlight the contribution of T2D-related genetic loci to MetS in a Chinese Han population. The study also provides insight into the pleotropic effects of genome-wide association loci of diabetes on metabolic regulation.

K(+) regulates Ca(2+) to drive inflammasome signaling: dynamic visualization of ion flux in live cells

P2X₇ purinergic receptor engagement with extracellular ATP induces transmembrane potassium and calcium flux resulting in assembly of the NLRP3 inflammasome in LPS-primed macrophages. The role of potassium and calcium in inflammasome regulation is not well understood, largely due to limitations in existing methods for interrogating potassium in real time. The use of KS6, a novel sensor for selective and sensitive dynamic visualization of intracellular potassium flux in live cells, multiplexed with the intracellular calcium sensor Fluo-4, revealed a coordinated relationship between potassium and calcium. Interestingly, the mitochondrial potassium pool was mobilized in a P2X₇ signaling, and ATP dose-dependent manner, suggesting a role for mitochondrial sensing of cytosolic ion perturbation. Through treatment with extracellular potassium we found that potassium efflux was necessary to permit sustained calcium entry, but not transient calcium flux from intracellular stores. Further, intracellular calcium chelation with BAPTA-AM indicated that P2X₇-induced potassium depletion was independent of calcium mobilization. This evidence suggests that both potassium efflux and calcium influx are necessary for mitochondrial reactive oxygen generation upstream of NLRP3 inflammasome assembly and pyroptotic cell death. We propose a model wherein potassium efflux is necessary for calcium influx, resulting in mitochondrial reactive oxygen generation to trigger the NLRP3 inflammasome.

Diagnostic performance of magnetic resonance imaging for acute pulmonary embolism: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

With ongoing technical developments, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has notably evolved for the assessment of the pulmonary vasculature. However, uncertainty persists about the performance of MRI for the diagnosis of acute pulmonary embolism (APE).

OBJECTIVES

To clarify the comprehensive role of MRI in diagnosing APE.

METHODS

Studies were identified through a search of Pubmed and Ovid databases, and the QUADAS-2 tool was applied for quality assessment of the included studies.

RESULTS

Fifteen studies based on patients and nine based on vessels were retrieved. The patient-based analysis yielded an overall sensitivity of 0.75 (95% confidence interval, 0.70-0.79) and 0.84 (0.80-0.87) for all patients and patients with technically adequate images, respectively, with an overall specificity of 0.80 (0.77-0.83) and 0.97 (0.96-0.98) and a pooled diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) of 51.07 (18.36-142.05) and 155.22 (86.83-277.47). On average, MRI was technically inadequate in 18.89% of patients (range, 2.10%-27.70%). A direct comparison of different MRI modalities showed that the combined MRI test had the highest pooled DOR and the lowest proportion of inconclusive images. Of note, heterogeneity and moderate quality were observed. On a vessel basis, the MRI had high sensitivity and specificity in larger-order vessels, but a significantly lower sensitivity of 0.55 (0.50-0.60) for subsegmental APE.

CONCLUSIONS

On a patient-based level, MRI yields high diagnostic accuracy for the detection of APE, especially in technically adequate images, and the inconclusive MRI examinations mainly result from motion artifact and poor arterial opacification. The combined MRI test appears to be a more promising diagnostic tool with greater power of discrimination than single techniques. From a vessel-based perspective, MRI exhibits a high diagnostic capability with proximal arteries, but lacks sensitivity for peripheral embolism.

Interaction between DNA/histone methyltransferases and their inhibitors

Epigenetic research has recently become one of the hotspots in the field of bioscience and drug design. DNA methylation and histone methylation serve a critical function in influencing gene expression and genome function. The inhibition of DNA and histone methyltransferases (DNMTs and HMTs) is a promising approach for the therapeutic treatment of numerous diseases, including cancer. This work reviews the recent achievements in methyltransferase crystallographic structure resolution and bioactive inhibitor screening. We discuss the features of DNA and HMT structures, as well as the mechanism and structure-function relationship of transferase inhibitors, to elucidate how methyltransferase and inhibitor interactions occur both internally and externally. This study briefly reviews the biological function, as well as the inhibitor discovery and development, of DNA/histone methyltransferases.

Intraspecific and interspecific attraction of three Tomicus beetle species during the shoot-feeding phase

The shoot beetles Tomicus minor, Tomicus yunnanensis, and Tomicus brevipilosus have been decimating Pinus yunnanensis trees for more than 30 years in Southwestern China. To understand the chemical ecological relationship between pines and Tomicus, and among the three beetle species, we compared the attraction of these beetles to damaged shoots, extracts from damaged shoots, and volatiles from damaged shoots collected by the dynamic headspace sampling method. Experiments were performed using a modified open-arena olfactometer. The male T. minor and both sexes of T. brevipilosus were more strongly attracted to damaged shoots than to undamaged shoots and they showed attraction to shoots damaged by the same species. Female T. minor and both sexes of T. yunnanensis were attracted to shoots damaged by female T. brevipilosus. The three beetle species were attracted to shoot extracts and dynamic headspace volatiles from shoots damaged by the same species and sex. Female T. minor and male T. yunnanensis were also attracted to dynamic headspace volatiles from shoots damaged by both sexes of T. brevipilosus. The results suggested that specific semiochemicals that are induced or produced by T. brevipilosus also attract T. minor and T. yunnanensis. The semiochemicals in damaged shoots affect the attraction of the three beetle species and play an important chemical communication role in weakening the host trees during the beetles' shoot-feeding phase.

Evaluation of clinical measurements and development of new diagnostic criteria for Takayasu arteritis in a Chinese population

OBJECTIVES

Takayasu arteritis (TA) is a chronic granulomatous large-vessel vasculitis. When diagnosing TA, the criteria designed by the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) are used commonly but they were just classification criteria. There is an urgent need for a new set of diagnostic criteria.

METHODS

One hundred and thirty-one TA patients and 132 control patients with other types of vascular disease were enrolled and both groups were distributed into a "training set" and a "validation set". All general information as well as clinical, laboratory and imaging data were collected. After comparing all the medical records of two groups in the training set, logistic regression and clinical judgment were used to form the new criteria for TA. The new criteria were tested by the validation set.

RESULTS

New TA diagnostic criteria within total score 26 include age (<40 years), female, chest pain/chest distress, amaurosis, vascular bruits, a decreased/absent pulse, involvement of the aortic arch or its major branches, and involvement of the abdominal aorta or its branches. Patients with a score ≥ 8 were diagnosed as TA. The sensitivity and specificity of our new criteria were 91.92% and 93.94%, respectively, higher than those of the ACR criteria (75.76%, 85.86%) and the Ishikawa criteria (56.57%, 94.95%). The areas under the ROC curves of the new criteria and ACR criteria were 0.981 and 0.868, respectively (p<0.001). Sensitivity and specificity tested in the validation set were 90.63% and 96.97%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The new diagnostic criteria exhibited high sensitivity and specificity and have demonstrated to be feasible in the diagnosis of TA.

Mobile phone intervention and weight loss among overweight and obese adults: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

We conducted a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials to examine the association of mobile phone intervention with net change in weight-related measures among overweight and obese adults. We searched electronic databases and conducted a bibliography review to identify articles published between the inception date of each database and March 27, 2014. Fourteen trials (including 1,337 participants in total) that met the eligibility criteria were included. Two investigators independently abstracted information on study characteristics and study outcomes. Net change estimates comparing the intervention group with the control group were pooled across trials using random-effects models. Compared with the control group, mobile phone intervention was associated with significant changes in body weight and body mass index (weight (kg)/height (m)(2)) of -1.44 kg (95% confidence interval (CI): -2.12, -0.76) and -0.24 units (95% CI: -0.40, -0.08), respectively. Subgroup analyses revealed that the associations were consistent across study-duration and intervention-type subgroups. For example, net body weight changes were -0.92 kg (95% CI: -1.58, -0.25) and -1.85 kg (95% CI: -2.99, -0.71) in trials of shorter (<6 months) and longer (≥6 months) duration, respectively. These findings provide evidence that mobile phone intervention may be a useful tool for promoting weight loss among overweight and obese adults.

Use of an intra-aortic balloon pump with chronic renal cardiac surgery

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the protective effect of an intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) on renal function during open-heart surgery in patients with chronic renal insufficiency.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Seventeen patients with moderate renal insufficiency who underwent cardiac pulmonary bypass surgery were randomly assigned to receive either IABP or usual care (control group). In the IABP group, the IABP was inserted immediately after anesthesia, and built-in counterpulsation was continued during aortic blockade. The IABP was gradually removed when postoperative hemodynamics and renal function was recovered. Clinical parameters related to renal function, including urine output and serum creatinine levels, were recorded perioperatively.

RESULTS

Urine volume during surgery, postoperative usage of diuretics, and mechanical ventilation time were better in the IABP group than in the control group. Serum creatinine increased after surgery in both groups, but the increase was significantly smaller in the IABP group.

CONCLUSIONS

Preoperative use of IABP in patients with moderate renal insufficiency undergoing cardiac surgery can help protect renal function and may improve prognosis.