[Drugs endocrine therapy improves lower urinary tract symptoms in patients with prostate cancer and analysis of related factors]

Objective: To study the improvement of lower urinary tract symptoms and related influencing factors in patients with prostate cancer complicated with lower urinary tract symptoms after drugs endocrine therapy. Methods: The clinical data of 80 patients with prostate cancer with lower urinary tract symptoms and receiving drug endocrine therapy in Guizhou Provincial People's Hospital from March 2015 to June 2019 were analyzed retrospectively. All patients were followed up, and the mode of administration of the endocrine therapy, the time of administration, and the international prostate symptom score (IPSS2) and quality of life score (QOL2) after treatment were recorded. The improvement of IPSS score and quality of life score after endocrine therapy was observed. The correlation between variance and age, the prostate volume, PSA, tumor stage, Gleason score, symptom severity, medication mode, and medication time were analyzed by variance, chi-square test and paired sample t test. Results: The differences of QOL and IPSS before and after therapy were statistically significant (P<0.05). Chi-square test found that the effective rate of drug endocrine therapy was not related to age (χ²=0.800; P=0.371), tumor stage (χ²=0.094; P=0.759), PSA (χ²=0.651; P=0.420), prostate volume (χ²=0.216; P=0.642), Gleason score (χ²=0.157; P=0.692), symptom severity (χ²=0.457; P=0.499), medication mode (χ²=2.910; P=0.233), and medication time (χ²=4.159; P=0.385). Analysis of variance found that prostate volume and the severity of symptoms was significantly associated with improvement in lower urinary tract symptoms. Conclusions: Drug endocrine therapy can effectively improve the lower urinary tract symptoms of patients with prostate cancer, and the more severe the symptoms and prostate volumeof the patients, the more obvious the improvement of lower urinary tract symptoms. The age, tumor stage, PSA, Gleason score, time and manner of administration were not significantly correlated with improvement in lower urinary tract symptoms.

[A multivariate model for predicting induction response and prognosis in core binding factor acute myeloid leukemia]

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and prognostic factors in core binding factor (CBF) acute myeloid leukemia (AML) under current therapy modalities, therefore optimizing the treatment strategies. Methods: Standard cytological and immune methods including next generation sequencing (NGS) were used for risk stratification. Complete remission (CR) rate, disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) were assessed by multivariate Logistic and Cox regression models in a total of 206 adults (aged 16-65 years) with CBF-AML, including 152 AML patients with t(8;21) and 54 with inv(16). Results: The CR rate of inv(16) patients after first course was 54/54(100%), significantly higher than that of t(8;21) patients [127/147(86.4%), P=0.005]. The fusion transcript level and KIT mutation were independent factors related to CR rate in t(8;21) patients (P=0.044 and 0.027; respectively). DFS and OS in inv(16) patients tended to be more superior than that in t(8;21) patients (P=0.066 for DFS; P=0.306 for OS; respectively). Multivariate Cox identified negative expression of CD(19) and female gender the independent predictors of inferior DFS in t(8;21) patients (P=0.000 for CD(19); P=0.006 for sex; respectively). Analysis of combining CD(19) with gender indicated that females/CD(1)(9-)subpopulation had significantly poor DFS than did males/CD(19)(+) ones (Bonferroni-P<0.000 01). The number of mutations in each patient, FLT3-ITD and additional karyotype abnormalities did not affect CR rate and DFS (all P>0.05). Conclusions: Patients with inv(16) have better induction response than those with t(8;21). High level of fusion transcripts and positive KIT mutation are associated with low CR rate in t(8;21) patients. Negative CD(19) expression and female gender are independent predictors of inferior DFS in t(8;21) patients.

Genetic determinates for conjugated linolenic acid production in Lactobacillus plantarum ZS2058

AIMS

To investigate the genetic determinates for conjugated linolenic acid (CLNA) production in Lactobacillus plantarum ZS2058, a high CLNA producer.

METHODS AND RESULTS

After culturing with α-linolenic acid (ALA) in the medium, the fatty acid compositions of supernatant fluid and cell pellets were analysed via GC-MS. cis9,trans11,cis15-CLNA was identified to be the predominant isomer. And during CLNA production, 10-hydroxy-cis12-cis15-octadecenoic acid (10-HOEA) and 10-oxo-cis12-cis15-octadecenoic acid (10-OXOA) were accumulated. The E. coli recombinants harbouring genes encoding myosin-cross-reactive antigen (MCRA), short-chain dehydrogenase/oxidoreductase (DH) and acetoacetate decarboxylase (DC), respectively, were analysed for their roles in CLNA production. The results indicated that MCRA converted ALA to 10-HOEA, following converted to 10-OXOA by DH. While with the combination of three recombinants, ALA could be transformed into CLNA plus 10-HOEA and 10-OXOA. When the three genes were deleted, none of the L. plantarum ZS2058 knockout mutants could produce any CLNA, after complementation, and all the complementary mutants recovered the CLNA-production ability at similar levels as the wild strain.

CONCLUSIONS

Lactobacillus plantarum ZS2058 produced CLNA from ALA with 10-HOEA and 10-OXOA as intermediates. The triple-component isomerase of MCRA, DH and DC was the unique genetic determinant for CLNA generation.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

The current results firstly provided conclusive evidence that the triple-component isomerase complex was shared by both CLA and CLNA production in lactobacilli.

Knockdown of long non-coding RNA LUCAT1 reverses high glucose-induced cardiomyocyte injury via targeting CYP11B2

OBJECTIVE

Diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) is one of the major complications in patients with diabetes mellitus. Recently, long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been well concerned for their roles in the progression of multiple diseases, including DCM. In this research, we aimed to explore the role of lncRNA LUCAT1 in cardiomyocyte injury and apoptosis induced by high glucose (HG) in vitro.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

High glucose-induced (HG-induced) AC16 cardiomyocytes transfected with LUCAT1 shRNA were constructed. LUCAT1 expression was detected by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Subsequently, cell proliferation and cell apoptosis were detected after LUCAT1 knockdown in HG-induced AC16 cells. Moreover, RT-qPCR and Western blot assay were performed to explore the potential underlying mechanism of LUCAT1 in DCM.

RESULTS

The expression of LUCAT1 was significantly upregulated in HG-treated AC16 cardiomyocytes. Moreover, knockdown of LUCAT1 could reverse cardiomyocyte injury and apoptosis through downregulating CYP11B2.

CONCLUSIONS

We first demonstrated that knockdown of LUCAT1 could reverse HG-induced cardiomyocyte injury by down-regulating CYP11B2. Our findings might offer a new direction for interpreting the mechanism of DCM development.

P5024Pathogenic mechanism of DSG2-F531C mutation caused arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy

Objective

Mutations in the Desmoglein-2 (DSG2) are associated with arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC). We previously identified a highly conserved F531C (c.1592T>G) variant of the cardiac desmosome gene DSG2 in the proband with a positive family history. The aim of this study is to investigate the mechanism(s) of DSG2-F531C variant in the pathogenesis of ARVC.

Methods

A large Han Chinese family with five generations was enrolled in this study, physical and clinical examinations were performed. Seven members were diagnosed with ARVC. Subsequently five desmosomal genes (PKP2, DSG2, DSP, DSC2 and JUP), TMEM43 and PLN were sequenced directly from genomic DNA. Seven patients diagnosed with ARVC were homozygous for DSG2-F531C, while five members of the family with normal phenotype were heterozygous for DSG2-F531C. To further explore the role of DSG2-F531C in ARVC pathogenesis, we generated a knock-in (KI) mouse model, which was carrying the mouse equivalent form (DSG2-F536C) of this variant.

Results

The homozygous KI mice (DSG2-F536C+/+) revealed a robust cardiomyopathy phenotype with left ventricular systolic dysfunction, histopathology showed accumulation of collagen, spotty calcification and fat droplets with extensive fibrosis in ventricular tissue in all DSG2-F536C+/+ mice. Further detections showed widening of the intercalated disc and regional loss of DSG2 in the hearts of these mice. The marked reduction in immunoreactive signal for sodium voltage-gated channel alpha subunit 5 (NaV1.5) was observed with no apparent changes in plakoglobin and connexin-43. In addition, dramatically elevated expression of transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) was also found in the DSG2 mutant mice. Intriguingly, the heterozygous KI mice (DSG2-F536C+/−) expressed a similar level of TGF-β1 versus homozygous ones (DSG2-F536C+/+), but exhibited slight changes in morphology.

Conclusions

The DSG2-F536C KI mice produce a similar pathological phenotype of human ARVC, which supports DSG2-F531C as a causative mutation for ARVC. Additionally, the DSG2-F536C+/+ mutation induced cardiac fibrosis through the activation of TGF-β1 signaling will open new opportunities for further mechanistic and therapeutic studies in DSG2-related ARVC.

Acknowledgement/Funding

National Key R&D Program of China [2017YFC0909400); National Key Basic Research Program of China [973 program No. 2013CB531105]

[Efficacy analysis of fecal microbiota transplantation in the treatment of 2010 patients with intestinal disorders]

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) for intestinal disorders. Methods: A retrospectively descriptive cohort study was carried out. Clinical data of 2010 patients who underwent FMT and received follow-up for more than 3 months from May 2014 to November 2018 were collected, including 1,206 cases from Tongji University Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital and 804 cases from Nanjing Eastern Military General Hospital. Of the 2,010 patients, 797 were male and 1,213 were female, with a mean age of (49.4±16.5) years old. Inclusion criteria were those with indications for FMT and voluntary treatment of FMT. Pregnant or lactating women, patients with end-stage disease, cases who were participating or participated in other clinical trials within 3 months, and patients with previous bowel history of pathogen infection, oral antibiotics or proton pump inhibitors (PPI) for the recent2 weeks, and those at immunosuppressive state were excluded. Informed consent was obtained from the enrolled patients and their families. There were 1,356 cases of constipation, 175 cases of inflammatory bowel disease, 148 cases of chronic diarrhea, 127 cases of radiation enteritis, 119 cases of irritable bowel syndrome, and 85 cases of autism (complicating with intestinal disorders). FMT donor requirements: (1) 18 to 30 years old non-relatives, non-pregnant healthy adults with healthy lifestyle and good eating habits as volunteers to participate in fecal donation; (2) no administration of antibiotics within 3 months; (3) no chronic diseases such as constipation, irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, etc., no autoimmune disease, not in immunosuppressive state, no history of malignant disease; (4) negative pathogen examination of infectious diseases (hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, syphilis, HIV, etc.); (5) negative fecal examination (C.difficile, dysentery bacillus, Shigella, Campylobacter, parasites, etc.). The donor requirements after enrollment: (1) physical examination was reviewed once every two months, and the result still met the above requirements; (2) 16S rRNA sequencing was performed for every fecal donation in order to ensure that the composition and diversity of the fecal flora was stable and reliable. The preparation of the stool suspension referred to the Amsterdam criteria and the preparation process was less than 1 hour. The preparation of the FMT capsule was processed by pre-freezing the stool suspension after the preparation of the above suspension, and the frozen sample was transferred into a freeze dryer for freezing. The dried and lyophilized powder was encapsulated in capsules, and the capsule shell was made of acid-resistant hypromellose capsule (No.0) and pediatric-specific capsule (No.3), sealed and packaged in a-20℃ refrigerator. Three ways of accepting FMT treatment pathways included 6-day transplantation after the placement of the nasointestinal tube, 6-day oral FMT capsule transplantation and one-time transplantation through colonoscopy. Intestinal preparation (nasointestinal tube feeding of polyethylene glycol until watery stool) was carried out before transplantation. Other treatments were stopped during treatment and follow-up, and any medication was not recommended when necessary. Results: Of the 2010 patients, 1,497 cases received nasointestinal tube transplantation (nasointestinal tube group), 452 cases oral capsule transplantation (oral capsule group) and 61 cases colonoscopy (colonoscopy group). At 3 time points of 3, 12, and 36 months after FMT, the clinical cure rates and the clinical improvement rates were 41.3% (560/1 356), 35.2% (320/909), 31.4% (69/220), and 29.0% (393/1 356), 27.8% (253/909), 29.1% (64/220), respectively in constipation patients; 33.1% (58/175), 29.9% (35/117), 24.5% (12/49), and 31.4% (55/175), 27.4% (32/117), 57.1% (28/49), respectively in inflammatory bowel disease patients; 87.8% (130/148), 81.8% (81/99), 78.3% (36/46), and 8.1% (12/148), 7.1% (7/99), 4.3% (2/46), respectively in chronic diarrhea patients; 61.4% (78/127), 56.5% (48/85), 47.6% (20/42), and 21.2% (27/127), 15.3% (13/85), 14.3% (6/42), respectively in radiation enteritis patients; 53.8% (64/119), 45.0% (36/80), 6/15, and 21.0% (25/119), 26.2% (21/80), 4/15, respectively in irritable bowel syndrome patients; 23.5% (20/85), 22.8% (13/57), 20.0%(5/25), and 55.3% (47/85), 49.1% (28/57), 40.0% (10/25), respectively in autism patients. Meanwhile the clinical cure rates and the clinical improvement rates at 3, 12, and 36 months were 47.7% (714/1 497), 42.8% (425/994), 39.1% (128/327), and 29.1% (436/1 497), 27.0% (268/994), 28.1% (92/327), respectively in the nasointestinal tube group; 38.7% (175/452), 30.2% (91/301), 33.3% (16/48), and 24.3% (110/452), 26.2% (79/301), 25.0% (12/48), respectively in the oral capsule group; 34.4% (21/61), 32.7% (17/52), 18.2% (4/22), and 21.3% (13/61), 13.5% (7/52), 45.5% (10/22), respectively in colonoscopy group. No serious adverse events occurred during treatment and follow-up period. The adverse event of nasointestinal tube group presented higher ratio of discomfort in respiratorytract accounting for 13.1% (196/1497); the oral capsule group had a higher proportion of nausea and vomiting when swallowing capsules accounting for 7.1% (32/452); the colonoscopy group was mainly diarrhea, accounting for 37.7% (23/61). The above symptoms disappeared after the nasointestinal tube was removed, or after treatment ended, or within 1 to 3 days after hospitalization. Conclusion: FMT is a safe and effective method for the treatment of intestinal dysfunction.

Effects of bisphenol A exposure on DNA integrity and protamination of mouse spermatozoa

BACKGROUND

Bisphenol A is widely used in the manufacture of polycarbonate plastics and has caused increasing concern over its potential adverse impacts on spermatogenesis. However, the effect of bisphenol A on spermiogenesis is yet to be explored.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate whether bisphenol A has adverse effects on DNA integrity and protamination of spermatogenic cell.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Newborn male mice were subcutaneously injected with bisphenol A (0.1, 5 mg/kg body weight, n = 15) or coin oil (control group, n = 20) daily from post-natal day 1 until 35. At post-natal day 70, epididymis caudal spermatozoa and testes were collected. Sperm count, sperm motility, and sperm morphology were analyzed. The sperm chromatin structure assay was performed to examine the sperm DNA fragmentation. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) method was used to assess apoptosis of spermatogenic cells. The ultrastructural features of testicular sections were examined under a transmission electron microscope. Western blot and RT-PCR were used to detect the expression levels of transition protein (Tnp) 1 and Tnp2, protamine (Prm) 1 and Prm2 protein, and mRNA in mice testes.

RESULTS

Bisphenol A significantly reduced sperm counts, impaired sperm motility, and increased the percentage of malformed spermatozoa. Poor sperm chromatin integrity and increased TUNEL-positive spermatogenic cells were also observed in mice exposed to bisphenol A. Ultrastructural analysis of testes showed that bisphenol A exposure caused incomplete chromatin condensation, retention of residual cytoplasm, and abnormal acrosome formation. In addition, the relative expression levels of Tnp2 and Prm2 in mice testes decreased significantly in bisphenol A groups.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

Our findings identified that neonatal bisphenol A exposure may negatively contribute to the sperm quality in adult mice. Mechanistically, we showed that bisphenol A reduced sperm chromatin integrity along with increased DNA damage, which may be due to poor protamination of spermatozoa.

Two linked TBXT (brachyury) gene polymorphisms are associated with the tailless phenotype in fat-rumped sheep

T‐box transcription factor T (TBXT), encoding the brachyury protein, is an embryonic nuclear transcription factor involved in mesoderm formation and differentiation. Previous studies indicate that TBXT mutations are responsible for the tailless or short‐tailed phenotype of many vertebrates. To verify whether the tailless phenotype in fat‐rumped sheep is associated with TBXT mutations, exon 2 of the TBXT gene for 301 individuals belonging to 13 Chinese and Iranian sheep breeds was directly sequenced. Meanwhile, 380 samples were used to detect the genotypes of the candidate variations by mapping to their reads databases in the Sequence Read Archive repository of GenBank. The results showed that one missense mutation, c.334G>T (GGG>TGG) with a completely linked synonymous variant c.333G>C (CCG>CCC) was found to be associated with the ‘tailless’ characteristic in typical fat‐rumped sheep breeds. The c.334G>T transversion led to the conversion of glycine to tryptophan at the 112th amino acid in the T‐box domain of the brachyury protein. In addition, crossbreeding experiments for long‐tailed and tailless sheep showed that CT/CT allele of nucleotides (nt) 333 and 334, a recessive mutation, would cause sheep tails to be shorter, suggesting that these two linked variants at nucleotides 333 and 334 in TBXT are probably causative mutations responsible for the tailless phenotype in sheep.

Carvedilol alleviates the biliary cirrhosis through inhibiting the endoplasmic reticulum stress

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the effects of carvedilol on inflammation, apoptosis, and hepatic fibrosis caused by biliary cirrhosis and its mechanisms in mice.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

60 male C57/BL6 mice were randomly divided into sham-operation group (Sham group, n=20), biliary cirrhosis group (BDL group, n=20) and carvedilol group (CAR group, n=20). The CAR group was treated with gavage using 12.5 mg/kg carvedilol, once a day for 14 consecutive days, while the Sham group and BDL group were treated with gavage using the equivalent normal saline. After that, the mice in Sham group received the laparotomy under chloral hydrate anesthesia, followed by direct abdominal closure. The mice in BDL group and CAR group received the common bile duct ligation after anesthesia for modeling. After modeling, the survival rate of mice in each group was detected, and the blood and liver tissues were taken for detection. The morphological changes in liver tissues and apoptosis in mice in each group were detected and compared. The levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), total bilirubin (TBIL), superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA), hydroxyproline, and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) were also detected. The mRNA expression levels of pro-inflammatory factors, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), transforming growth factor β-1 (TGF-β1), α-SMA and collagen-1 were detected via reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The protein expression levels of CHOP (CCAAT-enhancer-binding protein homologous protein), activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4), ATF6, inositol-requiring enzyme 1 (IRE1), phosphorylated Jun N-terminal kinase (pJNK), α-SMA, and collagen-1, were detected via Western-blotting.

RESULTS

Our study showed that carvedilol could significantly alleviate the biliary cirrhosis in mice, and improve the survival rate of mice. The ALT, AST and TBIL levels, severity of cirrhosis, and number of apoptotic cells in CAR group were significantly lower than those in BDL group. The levels of α-SMA and hydroxyproline in CAR group were also significantly lower than those in BDL group. The activity of SOD in CAR group was significantly higher than that in BDL group; the above differences were statistically significant (p<0.05). In addition, it was also found that carvedilol could down-regulate the mRNA expression levels of iNOS, COX-2 and TGF-β1, down-regulate the mRNA and protein expression levels of α-SMA and collagen-1, and negatively regulate the ATF4-CHOP, ATF6-CHOP and IRE1-pJNK signaling pathways.

CONCLUSIONS

Carvedilol has a significant effect on alleviating the biliary cirrhosis in mice, and its relevant mechanism may be that carvedilol inhibits the endoplasmic reticulum stress through the negative regulation of ATF4-CHOP, ATF6-CHOP and IRE1-pJNK signaling pathways, which needs to be confirmed by further in vitro experiments.

Pedunculoside attenuates pathological phenotypes of fibroblast-like synoviocytes and protects against collagen-induced arthritis

Objectives: The discovery of alternative and well-tolerated anti-arthritic drugs, especially from natural products, is becoming an area of active research. Pedunculoside (PE) is a novel triterpene saponin extracted from the dried bark of Ilex rotunda Thunb. Limited published papers have reported its pharmacological properties, including anti-inflammatory, anti-myocardial ischaemia, anti-liver injury, and hypocholesterolaemic activities. However, the effect of PE on rheumatoid arthritis (RA) remains unknown. Here, we investigated the anti-arthritic effect of PE in both in vitro and in vivo models. Method: The inhibitory effects of PE on proliferation, migration, and production of inflammatory mediators in primary fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLSs) were examined by a 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine incorporation assay, wound-healing assay, and real-time polymerase chain reaction, respectively. Cellular signalling mechanisms were analysed by Western blot. The in vivo studies were performed using a collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) rat model. Multiple methods, including arthritis scoring, enzyme-linked immunoassay, radiography, and histopathological assessment, were used to evaluate the therapeutic effects of PE on CIA rats. Results: The in vitro studies revealed that PE significantly inhibited proliferation and migration of FLSs. PE also decreased the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin-1β (IL-1β), IL-6, IL-8, and tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). Western blot results suggested that PE suppressed TNF-α-stimulated activation of p38 and extracellular signal-regulated kinase. The in vivo studies showed that PE treatment significantly inhibited synovial inflammation and bone destruction in CIA rats. Conclusion: These results demonstrate that PE exerts an inhibitory role in FLSs and CIA rats, and therefore may have therapeutic value for the treatment of RA.

Large-scale turbulence structures in a laboratory-scale boundary layer under steady and gusty wind inflows

Experiments on turbulence structures and features of a wind field under steady inflow and gusty wind inflows were implemented in a straight-through wind tunnel. Streamwise and wall-normal velocity components were measured using a streamline constant temperature anemometer (streamline CTA). Power spectra analyses revealed the existence of very large-scale motions (VLSMs) under both steady and gusty wind inflows; but new gusty scale motions (GSMs) were revealed under only gusty wind inflows. The GSMs might originate from an ordered external driving force that forces hairpin packets to align coherently in groups with a length scale related to the gust inflow condition. The streamwise wavelength of VLSMs is independent of inflow conditions, while the turbulent energy of VLSMs is associated with the wall-normal height and local mean streamwise velocity. In particular, the streamwise wavelength of GSMs increases linearly with the average value and period of sinusoidal gusty wind inflows, and the turbulent energy of GSMs is sensitive to the wall-normal height and all characteristic parameters of gusty wind inflows, including the average value, amplitude and period. Considerable wall-normal airflows induced by gusty wind inflows were detected and these are negatively correlated with the variation in gusty streamwise velocity, and root mean square (RMS) values of the gusty wall-normal velocity tended to increase linearly with the average value and amplitude of gusty wind inflows.

Effects of Winter Cover Crops on Rice Pests, Natural Enemies, and Grain Yield in a Rice Rotation System

Rotations that include winter cover crops are widely used in agricultural systems and can provide numerous agroecological and economic benefits. However, the effects of winter cover crops on arthropod diversity, specifically rice pests and related natural enemies in rice rotation systems, are still largely unknown. We compared the effects of three winter cover crops, rapeseed, Brassica napus L. (Brassicales: Brassicaceae), Chinese milkvetch, Astragalus sinicus L. (Fabales: Fabaceae), and garlic, Allium sativum L. (Asparagales: Amaryllidaceae), on arthropods species diversity and evenness, densities of populations of major rice pests and major natural enemies, and grain yield in an experimental double cropping rotational rice field in Jiangxi Province, China. We did not observe any effects of cover crops on arthropod species diversity and evenness. The presence of prior cover crops also had no effect on the number of plants infested by the two major rice pests, Chilo suppressalis Walker (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) and Cnaphalocrocis medinalis (Guenée) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae). Our study did not show any effects of rapeseed and Chinese milkvetch on grain yield. However, grain yield was increased in the garlic treatment. Our results suggest that although the winter cover crops we tested in our study do not affect the number of rice plants infected by major rice pests, they do not negatively affect the arthropod community and grain yields in rice rotation systems. Therefore, planting of winter cover crops may increase agricultural land utilization and have an overall economic benefit in rice rotational systems.

[Long non-coding RNA HULC affects downstream-related targets to regulate migration and invasion of hepatoma cells]

Objective: To investigate the effects of long non-coding RNA HULC on downstream related targets regulating the migration and invasion of hepatoma cells and theirs mechanism of action. Methods: The expression of highly upregulated in liver cancer (HULC) in hepatocellular carcinoma, and adjacent normal liver tissues and different hepatocellular carcinoma cells were detected by qPCR. The correlation between clinicopathological data of HULC and liver cancer patients were analyzed. Dual-luciferase reporter gene detected the interaction between HULC and miR-186. CCK-8 assay was used to detect the effect of HULC on proliferation of hepatocellular carcinoma cells. The change in hepatocellular carcinoma cell invasions ability after HULC inhibition was detected by transwell invasion assay and migration ability after inhibition of HULC was assessed by scratch assay. Differences between groups were compared using one-way ANOVA. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Compared with adjacent normal liver tissue, the expression of HULC in hepatocellular carcinoma was significantly higher [(1.79 ± 0.25) vs. (0.23 ± 0.05), P < 0.05]. The expression level of HULC was highest in hepatocellular carcinoma HepG3 cells. HULC specifically banded to the 3'UTR of miR-186 and regulated the expressional activity of miR-186. After inhibiting the expression of HULC, the proliferation of hepatocellular carcinoma cells was 72 h (0.35 ± 0.09) vs. (0.82 ± 0.16), P < 0.05; 96 h (0.42 ± 0.08) vs.(1.28 ± 0.19), P < 0.05), and the ability of migration and invasion was relatively decreased in 24 h (11.2% ± 1.6%) vs. (23.5% ± 3.6%), P < 0.05; 48 h (18.6% ± 3.0%) vs. (38.6% ± 5.6%), P < 0.05; 72 h (43.6% ± 5.3% ) vs. (69.6% ± 7.6%), P < 0.05]. After inhibiting the expression of HULC, the tumor volume and body weight of tumor-bearing mice were significantly reduced [volume (2.89 ± 0.29) cm(3) vs. (0.89 ± 0.18) cm(3), P < 0.05, body weight (3.18 ± 0.41) g vs. (0.45 ± 0.09) g, P < 0.05]. Conclusion: HULC plays an important role in the occurrence and development of hepatocellular carcinoma and can influence the biological behavior of hepatoma cells by regulating the expression of downstream-related targets.

Prevalence of bovine tuberculosis in the Aksu Region of Xinjiang, China, between 1985 and 2016

ABSTRACT Prevalence of bovine tuberculosis infection in cattle in Aksu Prefecture determined by intradermal tuberculin skin test (TST), between 1985 and 2016. Cattle were analyzed according to region, feeding pattern, herds and age. A total of 890,009 cattle were tested, with overall bovine tuberculosis prevalence of 0.13% (1172/890009). Statistically significant difference was found in feeding pattern and herds. Prevalence in cows (0.19%, 615/327022) was higher than that in beeves (P< 0.01, OR= 1.903, 95% CI = 1.696 to 2.134). Significant difference (P< 0.01; OR= 2.238, 95%; CI= 1.937 to 2.585) was evident for rates for bovine tuberculosis in the peasant household (0.12%, 942/802343) and farm groups (0.26%, 230/87666). The overall prevalence of bTB was decreased in the Aksu Prefecture, especially the positive rate was under 0.1% in 2010s. We concluded that the control measures forbovine tuberculosis in the Aksu region cattle herds are effective.

[Antifibrotic effect of pirfenidone on orbital fibroblasts in patients with thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy and its mechanisms]

Objective: To investigate the effects of pirfenidone on orbital fibroblasts (OFs) from patients with thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO) and its underlying mechanisms. Methods: OFs from patients with TAO were isolated and cultured in DMEM. Cells were divided into four groups and treated with 0, 250, 500 and 1 000 μg/ml pirfenidone for 24, 48 or 72 hours, respectively. Cell proliferation was detected by tetramethyl azo salt (MTT) assay, and cell viability was determined by trypan blue. Transforming growth factor (TGF) β1 mRNA level was determined by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). Type Ⅰ and type Ⅲ collagen secreted from cultured cells were measured by enzyme-linked immuno sorbent assay (ELISA). Results: (1) The primary cultured OFs had typical fibroblast spindle-like morphology. (2) MTT assay showed that pirfenidone treatment significantly inhibited the proliferation of OFs in a dose-dependent manner (P<0.05) with the proliferation rates of pirfenidone treated groups of -15.31%, -24.92%, -48.53% from 250, 500, 1 000 μg/ml after 72 h, respectively, in which the inhibition effect of 1 000 μg/ml pirfenidone was significantly different from the other two treated groups (P<0.05). There were no significant differences in the inhibitory effect of the same concentration group among different time points at 24 h, 48 h and 72 h (P>0.05). Trypan blue showed that the survival rate of OFs in different concentrations of pirfenidone from 0,250, 500, 1 000 μg/ml at 72 h were 78.37%, 79.21%, 78.24% and 76.28%, respectively. There were no significant differences between each drug treated and the control group (P>0.05). (3) RT-qPCR results showed that the mRNA expression levels of TGFβ1 at 250, 500, 1 000 μg/ml pirfenidone treated groups at 72 h were 0.760±0.010, 0.440±0.006, and 0.290±0.002, respectively. Compared with the control group (0.950±0.014), the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). Moreover, TGFβ1 mRNA expression level in 1 000 μg/ml pirfenidone treated group was significantly lower than those in the other two treated groups (all P<0.05). The secretion of type Ⅰ collagen (0.633±0.006, 0.527±0.003 and 0.402±0.008) and type Ⅲ collagen (0.511±0.003, 0.439±0.007 and 0.223±0.006) in 250, 500 and 1 000 μg/ml pirfenidone treated groups at 72 h were significantly lower than those in the control group (0.794±0.005, 0.527±0.007, all P<0.05). Type Ⅰ and type Ⅲ collagen secretion in 1 000 μg/ml pirfenidone treated group were significantly lower than those in the other two groups (P<0.05). Conclusions: Pirfenidone inhibits the cell proliferation, TGFβ1 expression and collagen secretion of OFs, which may contribute to the anti-fibrotic effect of pirfenidone.

RNA-Seq analysis of duck embryo fibroblast cell gene expression during the early stage of egg drop syndrome virus infection

Egg drop syndrome virus (EDSV), a member of the family Adenoviridae and an economically important pathogen with a broad host range, leads to markedly decreased egg production. However, the molecular mechanism underlying the host-EDSV interaction remains unclear. Here, we performed high-throughput RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) to study the dynamic changes in host gene expression at 6, 12, and 24 hours post-infection in duck embryo fibroblasts (DEFs) infected with EDSV. Atotal of 441 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified after EDSV infection. Gene Ontology category and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analysis revealed that these DEGs were associated with multiple biological functions, including signal transduction, host immunity, virus infection, cell apoptosis, cell proliferation, and pathogenicity-related and metabolic process signaling pathways. We screened and identified 12 DEGs for further examination by using qRT-PCR. The qRT-PCR and RNA-Seq results were highly consistent. This study analyzed viral infection and host immunity induced by EDSV infection from a novel perspective, and the results provide valuable information regarding the mechanisms underlying host-EDSV interactions, which will prove useful for the future development of antiviral drugs or vaccines for poultry, thus benefiting the entire poultry industry.

Multicolor fluorescent imaging by space-constrained computational spectral imaging

Spectral imaging is a powerful technique used to simultaneously study multiple fluorophore labels with overlapping emissions. Here, we present a computational spectral imaging method, which uses sample spatial fluorescence information as a reconstruction constraint. Our method addresses both the under-sampling issue of compressive spectral imaging and the low throughput issue of scanning spectral imaging. With simulated and experimental data, we have demonstrated the reconstruction precision of our method in two and three-color imaging. We have experimentally validated this method for differentiating cellular structures labeled with two red-colored fluorescent proteins, tdTomato and mCherry, which have highly overlapping emission spectra. Our method has the advantage of totally free wavelength choice and can also be combined with conventional filter-based sequential multi-color imaging to further improve multiplexing capability.

Abstract OT2-01-01: Not presented

This abstract was not presented at the conference.

Citation Format: Yang B, Wu J. Not presented [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2018 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2018 Dec 4-8; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(4 Suppl):Abstract nr OT2-01-01.

Numerical Simulations of Realistic Lead Trajectories and an Experimental Verification Support the Efficacy of Parallel Radiofrequency Transmission to Reduce Heating of Deep Brain Stimulation Implants during MRI

Patients with deep brain stimulation (DBS) implants may be subject to heating during MRI due to interaction with excitatory radiofrequency (RF) fields. Parallel RF transmit (pTx) has been proposed to minimize such RF-induced heating in preliminary proof-of-concept studies. The present work evaluates the efficacy of pTx technique on realistic lead trajectories obtained from nine DBS patients. Electromagnetic simulations were performed using 4- and 8-element pTx coils compared with a standard birdcage coil excitation using patient models and lead trajectories obtained by segmentation of computed tomography data. Numerical optimization was performed to minimize local specific absorption rate (SAR) surrounding the implant tip while maintaining spatial homogeneity of the transmitted RF magnetic field (B₁⁺), by varying the input amplitude and phase for each coil element. Local SAR was significantly reduced at the lead tip with both 4-element and 8-element pTx (median decrease of 94% and 97%, respectively), whereas the median coefficient of spatial variation of B₁⁺ inhomogeneity was moderately increased (30% for 4-element pTx and 20% for 8-element pTx) compared to that of the birdcage coil (17%). Furthermore, the efficacy of optimized 4-element pTx was verified experimentally by imaging a head phantom that included a wire implanted to approximate the worst-case lead trajectory for localized heating, based on the simulations. Negligible temperature elevation was observed at the lead tip, with reasonable image uniformity in the surrounding region. From this experiment and the simulations based on nine DBS patient models, optimized pTx provides a robust approach to minimizing local SAR with respect to lead trajectory.

Numerical Simulations of Realistic Lead Trajectories and an Experimental Verification Support the Efficacy of Parallel Radiofrequency Transmission to Reduce Heating of Deep Brain Stimulation Implants during MRI

Patients with deep brain stimulation (DBS) implants may be subject to heating during MRI due to interaction with excitatory radiofrequency (RF) fields. Parallel RF transmit (pTx) has been proposed to minimize such RF-induced heating in preliminary proof-of-concept studies. The present work evaluates the efficacy of pTx technique on realistic lead trajectories obtained from nine DBS patients. Electromagnetic simulations were performed using 4- and 8-element pTx coils compared with a standard birdcage coil excitation using patient models and lead trajectories obtained by segmentation of computed tomography data. Numerical optimization was performed to minimize local specific absorption rate (SAR) surrounding the implant tip while maintaining spatial homogeneity of the transmitted RF magnetic field (B₁⁺), by varying the input amplitude and phase for each coil element. Local SAR was significantly reduced at the lead tip with both 4-element and 8-element pTx (median decrease of 94% and 97%, respectively), whereas the median coefficient of spatial variation of B₁⁺ inhomogeneity was moderately increased (30% for 4-element pTx and 20% for 8-element pTx) compared to that of the birdcage coil (17%). Furthermore, the efficacy of optimized 4-element pTx was verified experimentally by imaging a head phantom that included a wire implanted to approximate the worst-case lead trajectory for localized heating, based on the simulations. Negligible temperature elevation was observed at the lead tip, with reasonable image uniformity in the surrounding region. From this experiment and the simulations based on nine DBS patient models, optimized pTx provides a robust approach to minimizing local SAR with respect to lead trajectory.

Clinical and genetic features of Chinese patients with lichen and macular primary localized cutaneous amyloidosis

BACKGROUND

Primary localized cutaneous amyloidosis (PLCA) is a chronic pruritic skin disorder. The genetic basis of familial (f)PLCA involves mutations in the oncostatin M receptor (OSMR) and interleukin-31 receptor A (IL31RA) genes, but the disease pathophysiology is not fully understood.

AIM

To investigate the OSMR mutation spectrum in patients with sporadic (s)PLCA/fPLCA, lichen/macular PLCA in mainland China.

METHODS

This study was carried out on 64 patients with sPLCA, along with 36 with fPLCA and 10 unaffected individuals collected from 23 unrelated Chinese families. Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood samples. Mutation screening of 17 OSMR exons was performed by Sanger sequencing.

RESULTS

PLCA lesions are typically localized to the shins, forearm and back. Sequence analysis of OSMR exons demonstrated that the OSMR missense mutation rate in patients with fPLCA (63.89%) was significantly higher than that in patients with sPLCA (34.38%). The male/female ratio of patients carrying a homozygous OSMR mutation (0.29) was significantly lower than that of patients carrying a heterozygous OSMR mutation (1.08; P < 0.05) and of patients with wildtype OSMR (1.75; P < 0.01). Age of onset of PLCA with OSMR homozygous mutation (median age 20 years) was earlier than that of PLCA with OSMR heterozygous mutation (median age 32 years; P < 0.01) or PLCA with wildtype genotype (median age 32 years; P < 0.01).

CONCLUSION

The present data indicate OSMR mutations as not only the main cause of fPLCA, but also the potential source of the pathogenesis of sPLCA, although the exact molecular mechanism remains unknown.

Impact of lactic acid fermentation on acids, sugars, and phenolic compounds in black chokeberry and sea buckthorn juices

The aim of this research was to study the potential of malolactic fermentation to modify the composition of the juices of sea buckthorn, chokeberry and lingonberry. Juices were prepared with and without pectinolytic enzyme treatment, followed by fermentation with commercially available strains of Lactobacillus plantarum, originally isolated from fermented plant materials. The juices before and after the fermentation were analyzed with GC-FID, HPLC-DAD, and HPLC-MS. Enzyme treatment significantly increased the phenolic content in the juices by 11-50%. None of strains showed ability to ferment lingonberry juice. On the other hand, L. plantarum DSM 10492 and DSM 20174 converted all malic acid to lactic acid in sea buckthorn and chokeberry juices, respectively. Fermentation with DSM 10492 reduced the content of flavonols by 9-14% and hydroxycinnamic acids by 20-24% in chokeberry juice. Flavonol glycosides and sugars in sea buckthorn as well as anthocyanins in chokeberry remained unaffected by the fermentation.

[Protective effects and mechanism of keratinocyte growth factor combined with hypoxia inducible factor-1α on intestinal crypt epithelial cells of rats with hypoxia stress]

Objective: To investigate the protective effects and mechanism of keratinocyte growth factor (KGF) combined with hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) on intestinal crypt epithelial cells (IEC-6) of rats with hypoxia stress. Methods: (1) The routinely cultured IEC-6 of rats were collected and divided into normoxia blank group, normoxia KGF group, normoxia HIF-1α group, and normoxia combine group, according to the random number table, and then the previous mediums were respectively replaced with dulbecco's modified eagle medium (DMEM), medium with 0.5 ng/mL KGF, medium with 10.0 ng/mL HIF-1α, and medium with 0.5 ng/mL KGF and 30.0 ng/mL HIF-1α. And the cells were cultured in cell incubator with oxygen volume fraction of 21% for 24 hours. (2) Another batch of routinely cultured IEC-6 were collected and divided into normoxia control group, hypoxia control group, hypoxia KGF group, hypoxia HIF-1α group, and hypoxia combine group, according to the random number table. The previous mediums were replaced with DMEM, DMEM, medium with 0.5 ng/mL KGF, medium with 10.0 ng/mL HIF-1α, and medium with 0.5 ng/mL KGF and 30.0 ng/mL HIF-1α respectively. And then, the cells in normoxia control group were cultured routinely for 24 hours, and cells in the other 4 groups were cultured in cells incubator of 3 gases, with oxygen volume fraction of 5% for 24 hours. Cells cultured in normoxic and hypoxic incubators were collected, with 3 samples in each group, and morphological changes of cells were observed with optical microscope. Cells cultured in normoxic and hypoxic incubators were collected, with 3 samples in each group, and survival rates of cells were detected by cell count kit 8. Cells in normoxia control group and cells cultured in hypoxic incubator were collected, with 3 samples in each group. The cell cycle changes and apoptosis rates were detected by flow cytometer, the content of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) was detected by ultraviolet spectrophotometer, and protein expression of p53 was detected by Western blotting. Data were processed with one-way analysis of variance and least significant difference test. Results: (1) After being cultured for 24 h, cells cultured in normoxic incubator grew well with oval or round shapes and clear cytoplasm, and cells cultured in hypoxic incubator showed irregular shapes such as fusiform or starlike shape, with black particle in cytoplasm. (2) After being cultured for 24 h, cell survival rates of normoxia blank group, normoxia KGF group, normoxia HIF-1α group, and normoxia combine group were (107.4±8.7)%, (109.8±2.9)%, (115.8±7.4)%, and (112.8±10.6)% respectively. There was no significantly statistical difference in general comparison of cell survival rates among the above groups (F=0.685, P=0.586). After being cultured for 24 h, cell survival rates of hypoxia control group, hypoxia KGF group, hypoxia HIF-1α group, and hypoxia combine group were (35.1±4.6)%, (52.9±6.8)%, (56.2±3.1)%, and (71.2±9.6)% respectively, which were significantly lower than (106.3±12.3)% of normoxia control group (P<0.001). Survival rates of cells in hypoxia KGF group, hypoxia HIF-1α group, and hypoxia combine group were significantly higher than the rate of cells in hypoxia control group (P=0.023, 0.009, <0.001). Survival rate of cells in hypoxia combine group was significantly higher than the rates of cells in hypoxia KGF group and hypoxia HIF-1α group (P=0.017, 0.045). (3) After being cultured for 24 h, percentage of cells in G1 phase in hypoxia control group was significantly higher than that of cells in normoxia control group (P=0.030), percentages of cells in S phase in hypoxia control group, hypoxia KGF group, and hypoxia HIF-1α group were obviously lower than the percentage of cells in normoxia control group (P=0.020, 0.031, 0.026), and percentages of cells in different phases in other groups were close to those of cells in normoxia control group (P=0.516, 0.107, 0.052, 0.985, 0.637, 0.465, 0.314, 0.591). After being cultured for 24 h, percentages of cells in G1 phase in hypoxia control group, hypoxia KGF group, and hypoxia HIF-1α group were obviously higher than the percentage of cells in hypoxia combine group (P=0.001, 0.030, 0.014), and percentages of cells in S phase in the above 3 groups were obviously lower than the percentage of cells in hypoxia combine group (P=0.001, 0.012, 0.010). (4) After being cultured for 24 h, compared with that of cells in normoxia control group, apoptosis rate of cells in hypoxia control group obviously increased (P=0.018), and apoptosis rate of cells in hypoxia combine group obviously decreased (P=0.008). After being cultured for 24 h, compared with that of cells in hypoxia control group, apoptosis rates of cells in hypoxia KGF group and hypoxia combine group obviously decreased (P=0.004, 0.001). Apoptosis rate of cells in hypoxia combine group was obviously lower than those of cells in hypoxia KGF group and hypoxia HIF-1α group (P=0.032, 0.002). (5) After being cultured for 24 h, compared with that of cells in normoxia control group, the content of ATP of cells in hypoxia combine group changed unobviously (P=0.209), and content of ATP of cells in the other groups obviously decreased (P= <0.001, 0.001, 0.002). Content of ATP of cells in hypoxia HIF-1α group and hypoxia combine group was obviously higher than that of cells in hypoxia control group (P=0.044, 0.001). Content of ATP of cells in hypoxia combine group was obviously higher than that of cells in hypoxia KGF group and hypoxia HIF-1α group (P=0.011, 0.020). (6) After being cultured for 24 h, protein expressions of p53 of cells in hypoxia control group, hypoxia KGF group, and hypoxia HIF-1α group were obviously higher than that of cells in normoxia control group (P<0.001), and protein expression of p53 of cells in hypoxia combine group was obviously lower than those of cells in hypoxia control group, hypoxia KGF group, and hypoxia HIF-1α group (P=0.001, 0.001, 0.002). Conclusions: KGF combined with HIF-1α have significant protective effects on IEC-6 of rats with hypoxia stress, and can improve its survival in hypoxic environment by inhibiting cell cycle arrest, reducing the level of apoptosis, and increasing level of energy metabolism.

Active ingredients of Inula helenium L. exhibits similar anti-cancer effects as isoalantolactone in pancreatic cancer cells

Isoalantolactone is one of the major active ingredients from Inula helenium L. However, it is low cost-effective to isolate isoalantolactone from Inula helenium L. In this study, we optimized the extraction strategy and obtained a mixture of active ingredients with exact proportion (termed as F35), which were alloalantolactone, alantolactone and isoalantolactone at the ratio of 1/5/4 respectively. The anti-tumor activity of F35 was compared with isoalantolactone on pancreatic cancer cells. As a result, F35 showed nearly the same anti-proliferation activity as isoalantolactone in two cell lines. Both F35 and isoalantolactone could induce mitochondrion-related apoptosis at the concentration of 6 μg/ml. In addition, F35 inhibited colony-formation and migration of PANC-1 and SW1990 cells. To conclude, F35 exhibited similar anti-proliferation and anti-migration effect as isoalantolactone on two pancreatic cancer cell lines, suggesting that alantolactone or alloalantolactone might have comparable anti-tumor effect as isoalantolactone.

Comparing two classification schemes for seizures and epilepsy in rural China

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The International League against Epilepsy (ILAE) updated the classifications of seizures and epilepsies in 2017. The 2017 classifications were compared with the 1980s classifications in rural China.

METHODS

People with epilepsy receiving treatment under the National Epilepsy Control Programme were recruited from rural areas in China. Their seizures and epileptic syndrome were classified using the 1980s ILAE classification system and then re-classified according to the 2017 system. Differences in seizure, epilepsy and aetiology classifications were identified.

RESULTS

A total of 597 individuals (58% males, aged 6-78 years) were included. Amongst them 535 (90%) had a single seizure type, 57 (9.55%) had two types and five (0.84%) had three. There was complete agreement between the 1981 and 2017 classifications for the 525 individuals with focal seizures. Seizures originally classified as generalized in 10 of 65 individuals were re-classified as unknown in the 2017 classification. Compared to the 1980s classifications, the proportion of individuals with unknown seizures and unknown epilepsy increased from 1.2% (7/597) to 2.8% (17/597, P = 0.002), and unknown aetiology increased from 32% (189/597: 182 cryptogenic and seven unclassified) to 39% (230/597; P < 0.001) in the 2017 classifications.

CONCLUSIONS

The 1980s and 2017 classifications had 100% agreement in classifying focal seizures and epilepsy in rural China. A small but significant proportion of generalized seizures and epilepsy and aetiologies classified in the old classifications were re-classified to unknown in the new classifications. These results highlight the need for improvement in clinical evaluation of people with epilepsy in resource-poor settings.

Distinct functions of CXCR3+ and CCR4+CD4+ T-cells accumulated in human tuberculosis pleural fluid

BACKGROUND

Chemokine receptors and their ligands play a prominent role in regulating leucocyte migration. In the local milieu of inflammation, a high concentration of chemokines can recruit different chemokine receptor-expressing lymphocytes.

OBJECTIVE

To understand the distinct immunological functions of CXC chemokine receptor 3 (CXCR3⁺) and CC chemokine receptor 4 (CCR4⁺) cluster of differentiation 4 (CD4⁺) T-cells accumulated in human tuberculosis (TB) pleural fluid after tuberculous antigen stimulation.

METHODS

Mononuclear cells were isolated from the peripheral blood of healthy donors, cord blood and TB pleural fluid, and expression of CXCR3 and CC chemokine receptor 4 (CCR4), cytokines and cytolytic molecules by CD4⁺ T-cells with or without stimulation were analysed using fluorescence-activated cell sorting.

RESULTS

CXCR3 and CCR4 expression on CD4⁺ T-cells from pleural fluid mononuclear cells (PFMCs) was significantly higher than in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). T-cell receptor signalling resulted in the upregulation of CXCR3 and CCR4 expression on CD4⁺ T-cells from cord blood mononuclear cells (CBMCs) and PBMCs in a time-dependent manner, but not from PFMCs. After stimulation with Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigens, CXCR3⁺CCR4^-CD4⁺ T-cells were dominated by multifunctional T-helper 1 cells; however, CXCR3⁺CCR4⁺CD4⁺ T-cells exhibited cytotoxicity and degranulation by expressing granzyme B, perforin, CD107a/b and tumour necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand.

CONCLUSION

Our results indicated that CXCR3 or CCR4 expression on CD4⁺ T-cells had different biological activities against tuberculous infection, and could be a potential marker for the diagnosis of TB.

Apical U-shape splitting technique for undercut areas of the anterior alveolar ridge: a prospective non-randomized controlled study

The aim of this study was to investigate a novel apical U-shape splitting technique for horizontal bone augmentation in undercut areas and to compare its efficacy with that of guided bone regeneration (GBR). This was a prospective non-randomized controlled clinical trial. A total of 36 patients, who presented with a labial undercut that was not able to house a normally inclined implant, underwent the new technique or GBR. Radiographic and clinical data were obtained preoperatively, immediately after surgery, and 12 months after surgery. Pairwise comparisons of changes in ridge width gain, marginal bone loss, and pink aesthetic score were performed; correlations with pristine ridge morphology were investigated. The results showed similar marginal bone loss in the two groups. The overall ridge width gains in the new technique group (2.56±1.92mm) and GBR group (0.73±1.21mm) differed significantly (P<0.05). The pink aesthetic score was higher for the new technique group (11.75±1.22) than for the GBR group (9.25±1.86) (P<0.01). The morphology of the concavity had different impacts on regeneration in the two groups. The apical U-shape splitting technique, as a safe and effective alternative to GBR, provided a significant increase in bone volume gain where labial fenestration was inevitable during implant placement.

[Performance of matrix assisted laser desorption ionization time of flight biotyper system in clinical bacteria identification]

Objective: To evaluate the performance of MALDI Biotyper system in identification of clinically isolated pathogens so as to provide a new rapid identification method. Methods: Total 21 270 pathogens strains, isolated from the First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical Universityduring Nov. 2015 to Dec. 2016, were identified by VITEK-Ⅱ, API and MALDI Biotyper system, respectively.The isolated strains were confirmed by DNA sequencing. Results: The identification of common bacteria with MALDI Biotyper and phenotypic system is highly consistent (>95% and >90%). Among 43 strains of anaerobic bacteria, MALDI Biotyper could identify 90.7% bacteria to species level and 97.7% bacteria to genus level with the statistical significance(χ(2)=6.76, P<0.01), while phenotypic system only identified 65.1% bacteria to species and 69.8% bacteria to genus. Also, no statistical significance was shown for Trichosporon and Candida(P>0.05). MALDI Biotyper could identify 76% filamentous fungi and all of Actinomycetes, Nocardia, Mycobacterium and Legionella to genus level. Conclusions: MALDI Biotyper is an easy-performed, sensitive method for the identification of clinically isolated pathogens. Additionally, the pretreatment and reference database has the effect on identification.

Clinicopathologic charcterization of sorafenib-induced endoplasmic reticulum stress in human liver cancer cells

Sorafenib (Sor) is clinical standard therapy for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, detailed molecular mechanism behind Sor-exerted pharmacological effect remains unknown. In this study, sera samples, staged hepatic cancer tissues from Sor-treated patients with advanced HCC were harvested for a group of biochemical tests and immunoassays. Compared to non-treated control, blood contents of alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), alphafetoprotein (AFP), fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) were decreased in Sor-treated HCC patients, while the level of interleukin 10 (IL-10) were increased. As well, reduced triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (T-CHOL), interferon gamma (IFN-γ), and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) levels in sera were checked in Sor-treated HCC patients. In comparison with non-treated cancer sections, Sor-treated HCC cells showed decreased positive cells of proliferative marker for proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and metastasized biomarker for cytokeratin 19 (CK19). In addition, elevated immunofluorescence-labeled cells of endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-stress markers of activating transcription factor 6 (ATF6), eukaryotic initiation factor 2α kinase (eIF2α), glucose-regulated protein (GRP-78), X-box binding protein 1 (XBP1) were observed in Sor-treated HCC livers. Further, validated data from Western blot assay exhibited that hepatocellular expressions of ATF6, eIF2α, GRP78, XBP1 in Sor-treated HCC liver cells were up-regulated. Briefly, our present clinicopathologic findings indicate that Sor-induced ER stress may be responsible for therapeutic mechanism against advanced HCC. In addition, induction of intracellular ER stress functions as a promising strategy for treating advanced HCC.

[Analysis on voluntary blood donation and associated factors in men who have sex with men in 3 cities in China]

Objective: To assess the prevalence of blood donation and associated factors in men who have sex with men (MSM) in China. Methods: Our observational study was conducted between January and August, 2017 in 3 cities: Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Wuxi. Eligible participants were MSM (≥18 years old) who had either ≥2 male sex partners or unprotected anal sex with casual partners, or had been diagnosed with STI in the past 6 months. A self-completed tablet-based questionnaire was used to collect the information about MSM's socio-demographic characteristics, sexual behaviors and blood donation history. Results: A total of 603 MSM were enrolled in our study, including 302 in Guangzhou, 152 in Shenzhen and 149 in Wuxi, with a mean age of 27.9 years (SD=7.8). Overall, 29.2% (176/603) of the MSM reported a history of blood donation, and 33.1% (100/302)in Guangzhou, 27.6% (42/152) in Shenzhen and 22.8% (34/149) in Wuxi, the differences were not significant (χ(2)=6.421, P=0.093). Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that MSM had ever tested for HIV for ≥2 times in the past 12 months (vs. MSM tested for HIV one time, aOR=1.49, 95%CI: 1.08-2.19) or who had ever used gay dating app (vs. MSM who not used gay dating app, aOR=2.13, 95%CI: 1.12-4.44) were more likely to donate blood. Conclusions: Blood donation was common in MSM in China. Health education about blood donation in MSM should be strengthened to ensure the blood safety.

Evaluation of the readout electronics based on the center of gravity method for position sensitive radiation detection

In the application of position sensitive radiation detection, the center of gravity method is often used to obtain better spatial resolution. In order to obtain the resolution degradation caused by the readout electronics, an evaluation method is put forward in this paper. The principle of the method is to simulate the signal distribution on sense wires of the MWPC (Multiwire Proportional Chamber) detector. The evaluation software quantizes the simulated data and drives the digital to analog converter to generate test signals. The readout electronics is evaluated with these stimulus signals according to the readout scale. An evaluation board based on this method is implemented. Tests are carried out in the laboratory to evaluate a readout circuit for the MWPC detector. The position resolution contributed by the electronics is better than 15 μm when the swtiching frenquency of the switch array is 12.5 MHz. The test results proved that the evaluation method is correct and practical. It can greatly simplify the evaluation of the readout electronics.

Note: Calibration of majority isotopes for enriched and depleted uranium fission chambers by using the elimination method with fast neutrons

Calibrated miniature pulse fission chambers (MPFCs) can be used for absolute measurement of the fission reaction rate in neutronic experiments. Absolute measurements require the effective number of fissionable atoms (ENFAs) in the coating of the chambers. An elimination method was proposed to calibrate the MPFCs embodying highly enriched and depleted uranium, using 14.75 MeV fast neutrons from the D-T reaction. The ENFAs of ²³⁵U in enriched uranium MPFC and ²³⁸U in depleted uranium MPFC are 8.39 × 10¹⁸ and 9.55 × 10¹⁸, with the uncertainties of 5.27% and 4.76%, respectively.