Proteomic characteristics of PM2.5 -induced differentially expressed proteins in human renal tubular epithelial cells

Human renal epithelial (HK-2) cells were treated with PM_2.5 (50 μg/mL) from Shenzhen and Taiyuan, proteomics and bioinformatics were used to screen the differentially expressed proteins (DEPs). A total of 577 DEPs were screened after HK-2 cells exposed to Shenzhen PM_2.5, of which 426 were up-regulated and 151 were down-regulated. A total of 1250 DEPs were screened in HK-2 cells after exposure to Taiyuan PM_2.5, of which 488 were up-regulated and 185 were down-regulated. The top 10 proteins with the highest number of nodes were screened using the interaction network map of DEPs. HK-2 cells exposed to Shenzhen PM_2.5 contained CYR61, CTGF, and THBS1 proteins, while HK-2 cells exposed to Taiyuan PM_2.5 contained ALB, FN1, and CYR61 proteins. Additionally, PM_2.5 components were detected, PM_2.5 samples from Shenzhen and Taiyuan induced obvious changes in DEPs expression, the difference in DEPs between the two cities was probably associated with the different PM_2.5 components.

Role of Clusterin/NF-κB in the secretion of senescence-associated secretory phenotype in Cr(VI)-induced premature senescent L-02 hepatocytes

Hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] and its compounds have caused serious environmental pollution and health damage. Senescent cells can actively change the surrounding environment by secreting some factors, which are called senescence associated secretory phenotype (SASP). Our previous work has confirmed that premature senescent hepatocytes induced by Cr(VI) expressed high level of Clusterin (CLU) and secrete interleukin-6 (IL-6) and IL-8. CLU is involved in the regulation of tumor development and drug resistance, but whether CLU regulates SASP components and participates in Cr(VI)-induced malignant transformation is unclear. In this study we demonstrated that Cr(VI) induced the secretion of tumor promoting components of SASP such as IL-6, IL-8, and granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) in senescent L-02 hepatocytes, while the levels of the anti-tumor components of SASP such as chemokine (c-x-c motif) ligand-1 (CXCL-1) and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) were not altered. CLU shRNA interference significantly reduced the levels of IL-6, IL-8, and GM-CSF in the culture medium of senescent cells, suggesting CLU may regulate SASP. The NF-κB inhibitor PDTC significantly alleviated Cr(VI)-induced increase of IL-6, IL-8, and GM-CSF, confirming that NF-κB can regulate the tumor promoting components of SASP. CLU shRNA interference aggravated the inhibitory effect of PDTC on SASP secretion, indicating that CLU regulated the secretion of SASP in Cr(VI)-induced senescent hepatocytes through the NF-κB signaling. We speculated that SASP secreted by Cr(VI)-induced premature senescent hepatocytes was tightly related to the carcinogenic effect of Cr(VI). Therefore, elucidation of upstream regulatory mechanism of SASP is of great significance. In addition to further clarifying the carcinogenic mechanisms associated with Cr(VI), we could also seek out new targets for treatment of Cr(VI)-related cancer.

A combination of genome-wide association study and selection signature analysis dissects the genetic architecture underlying bone traits in chickens

The bones of chicken play an important role in supporting and protecting the body. The growth and development of bones have a substantial influence on the health and production performance in chickens. However, genetic architecture underlying chicken bone traits is not well understood. The objectives of this study are to dissect the genetic basis of bone traits in chickens and to identify valuable genes and genetic markers for chicken breeding. We performed a combination of genome-wide association study (GWAS) and selection signature analysis (fixation index values and nucleotide diversity ratios) in an F₂ crossbred experimental population with different genetic backgrounds (broiler × layer) to identify candidate genes and significant variants related to femur, shank, keel length, chest width, metatarsal claw weight, metatarsal length, and metatarsal circumference. A total of 545 individuals were genotyped based on the whole genome re-sequencing method (26 F₀ individuals were re-sequenced at 10 × coverage; 519 F₂ individuals were re-sequenced at 3 × coverage). A total of 2 028 112 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) remained to carry out analysis after quality control and imputation. The integration of GWAS and selection signature analysis indicated that all significant SNPs responsible for bone traits were mainly localized on chicken chromosomes 1, 4, and 27. Finally, we identified 21 positional candidate genes that might regulate chicken bone growth and development, including LRCH1, RB1, FNDC3A, MLNR, CAB39L, FOXO1, LHFP, TRPC4, POSTN, SMAD9, RBPJ, PPARGC1A, SLIT2, NCAPG, NKX3-2, CPZ, SPOP, NGFR, SOST, ZNF652, and HOXB3. Additionally, an array of uncharacterized genes was identified. The findings provide an in-depth understanding of the genetic architecture of chicken bone traits and offer a molecular basis for applying genomics in practical chicken breeding.

A folate-targeted PEGylated cyclodextrin-based nanoformulation achieves co-delivery of docetaxel and siRNA for colorectal cancer

Docetaxel (DTX) is a chemotherapeutic agent used for a range of cancers, but it has little activity against colorectal cancer (CRC). However, combination therapy with other therapeutic agents is a potential strategy to enhance the efficacy of DTX in CRC treatment. The nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling pathway is implicated in a variety of malignancies (e.g., CRC), and the blockade of NF-κB may increase the sensitivity of cancer cells to chemotherapy. The application of small interference RNA (siRNA) to inhibit the translation of complementary mRNA has demonstrated the potential for cancer gene therapy. In this study, an amphiphilic cationic cyclodextrin (CD) nanoparticle modified with PEGylated folate (FA; a ligand to target folate receptor on CRC) has been developed for co-delivery of DTX and siRNA (against the RelA, a subunit of NF-κB) in the treatment of CRC. The resultant co-formulation (CD.DTX.siRelA.PEG-FA) achieved cell-specific uptake indicating the function of the folate targeting ligand. The CD.DTX.siRelA.PEG-FA nanoparticle enhanced the apoptotic effect of DTX with the downregulation of RelA expression, which significantly retarded the growth of CRC in mice, without causing significant toxicity. These results suggest that the FA-targeted PEGylated CD-based co-formulation provides a promising strategy for combining DTX and siRNA in treating CRC.

Identification of a special cell type as a determinant of the kidney tropism of SARS-CoV-2

The kidney tropism of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) has been well‐validated clinically and often leads to various forms of renal damage in coronavirus disease‐2019 (COVID‐19) patients. However, the underlying mechanisms and diagnostic approaches remain to be determined. We interrogated the expression of virus‐related host factors in single‐cell RNA sequencing (scRNA‐seq) datasets of normal human kidneys and kidneys with pre‐existing diseases and validated the results with urinary proteomics of COVID‐19 patients and healthy individuals. We also assessed the effects of genetic variants on kidney susceptibility using expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) databases. We identified a subtype of tubular cells, which we named PT‐3 cells, as being vulnerable to SARS‐CoV‐2 infections in the kidneys. PT‐3 cells were enriched in viral entry factors and replication and assembly machinery but lacked antiviral restriction factors. Immunohistochemistry confirmed positive staining of PT‐3 cell marker SCL36A2 on kidney sections from COVID‐19 patients. Urinary proteomic analyses of COVID‐19 patients revealed that markers of PT‐3 cells were significantly increased, along with elevated viral receptor angiotensin‐converting enzyme 2. We further found that the proportion of PT‐3 cells increased in diabetic nephropathy but decreased in kidney allografts and lupus nephropathy, suggesting that kidney susceptibility varied among these diseases. We finally identified several eQTLs that regulate the expression of host factors in kidney cells. PT‐3 cells may represent a key determinant for the kidney tropism of SARS‐CoV‐2, and detection of PT‐3 cells may be used to assess the risk of renal infection during COVID‐19.

Chicken C/EBPζ gene: Expression profiles, association analysis, and identification of functional variants for abdominal fat

CCAAT enhancer binding protein ζ (C/EBPζ) plays an important role in adipose proliferation and differentiation in humans. However, very little is known about the effect of C/EBPζ on the growth and development of adipose tissues in domesticated animals. The present study attempted to investigate the mRNA expression profiles of chicken C/EBPζ in a variety of tissues; analyze the association of its variants with abdominal fat; and identify the functional variants for abdominal fat. The tissue expression profiles revealed that C/EBPζ was highly expressed in 19 tissues obtained from broilers. The expression level of C/EBPζ in fat broilers was significantly lower than that in lean broilers in the duodenum, ileum, cecum, kidney, pectoral muscle, and liver (P < 0.05). Among 170 polymorphic loci of C/EBPζ, 9 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) demonstrated a significant association with chicken abdominal fat traits (P < 0.05) as well as significant discrepancies in their allelic frequencies between fat and lean birds. Particularly, only C/EBPζ g.7085A>C exhibited significant correlation with abdominal fat traits (P < 0.00015) using the Bonferroni method. The results revealed that, in preadipocyte immortalized cells (ICPI), the luciferase activity of the A allele of g.7085A>C locus was remarkably stronger than that of the C allele (P < 0.05). In silico analysis showed that g.7085A>C locus was located in the binding region of the transcription factor SOX5, which possesses the ability to transform C/EBPζ transcription efficiency through binding with SOX5. In summary, the data obtained from this study suggested that C/EBPζ is a potential candidate gene responsible for abdominal fat deposition in chicken and that g.7085A>C is a functional SNP that can be promisingly leveraged for marker assisted selection (MAS) in future chicken breeding programs.

Evaluation of the sphericity index of the fetal heart during middle and late pregnancy using fetalHQ

OBJECTIVE

To explore the feasibility of the fetal heart quantitative technique (fetalHQ) for evaluating the sphericity index (SI) of the fetal heart during middle and late pregnancy.

METHODS

Ninety-six normal fetuses in middle and late gestation who underwent systemic ultrasound examination in the Department of Ultrasound of the Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital of Hunan Province in November 2020 were enrolled, and dynamic images of the four-chamber view of the fetal heart were collected. The correlation between the global sphericity index (GSI), ventricular 24-segment SI, and gestational age (GA) was analyzed, and the differences between the left and right ventricular 24-segment SI were compared.

RESULTS

The success rate of fetalHQ analysis was 93.75%. There was no significant linear correlation between GSI and ventricular 24-segment SI and GA (all ps > .05). The differences in SI between segments 1 and 9 and 15 and 24 in the left and right ventricles were statistically significant (all ps < .05), while the differences in SI between segments 10 and 14 were not statistically significant (all ps > .05). In segments 1-9, the SI of the right ventricle was smaller than that of the left ventricle, indicating that the right ventricle was significantly more spherical than the left ventricle. In segments 15-24, the opposite was true.

CONCLUSION

FetalHQ is a simple and reliable method for evaluating the GSI and 24-segment SI of the left and right ventricles. It can provide some theoretical basis for the clinical quantitative evaluation of fetal heart geometry and lay a foundation for the quantitative evaluation of fetal heart function in cases of structural and functional abnormalities.

OP0042 BLOCKING OF CD103+ TISSUE RESIDENT MEMORY T CELLS (TRM) AS A THERAPEUTIC STRATEGY IN SJOGREN’S SYNDROME

Background:

Tissue-resident memory T cells (TRM), are a recently identified T cells population featuring tissue localization and expression of markers of tissue homing, CD69 and CD103. Recently, the expansion of CD8+ TRMs and their involvement in the sialadenitis was described in a murine model of SS. However, CD4+ and CD8+ TRM’s functional relevance in pSS is still not fully understood, and the TRM therapeutic targeting unexplored.

Objectives:

The study aimed to address the role of CD4+ and CD8+ TRMs in the pathogenesis of pSS and to explore the therapeutic targeting of the tissue residency marker of TRM CD103.

Methods:

An animal model of experimental (ESS) obtained by immunization of female C57BL/6 mice (n=10) with salivary glands (SG) protein extract and Freund’s complete adjuvant used to investigate the dynamic of infiltration of SG by CD4+ and CD8+ TRMs, their frequency, and the impact of CD103 blockade. For the therapeutic intervention, at 10-weeks post-immunization, the salivary gland was cannulated via Wharton’s duct, and an anti-CD103 neutralizing antibody or vehicle-injected. The mice’s saliva flow rate was assessed, and SGs were analyzed by Flow-cytometry and immunohistochemistry (IHC).

The frequency and localization of TRMs was analyzed in minor SG of sicca syndrome (nSS) and pSS patients (n=39) by flow cytometry and IHC. The expression of genes involved in the tissue retention of TRMs was assessed in SG by RT-PCR.

Results:

Upon the ESS progression, a significant progressive increase in CD45+CD103+ cells frequency was observed from 5wk to 20wk post-immunization (p<0.001), where the CD8+ were the most abundant, followed by CD4+. Consistently, CD103+CD8+ T cells were detected within the lymphocytic infiltration of SG from ESS mice. Sorted purified SG CD10+CD3+CD8+ T cells showed higher Granzyme B, TNF-alpha expression compared to CD103-CD3+CD8+ at both mRNA and protein levels. Notably, ESS mice treated with anti-CD103 showed improvement in salivary function (p<0.05) and reduced lymphocytic infiltrations measured as focus score (FS) (p<0.01) and area-fraction (p<0.01). Consistently, anti-CD103 treatment consistently reduced CD103+ cells and IFN-gamma+, Granzyme B+, and TNFa+ CD8+ cells. We next performed phenotypic analysis of CD45+CD103+ immune cells in the SG of pSS patients observing an increase in both with CD8+CD103+CD69+ and CD4+CD103+CD69+ (p<0.05). Finally, IHC showed that the expansion of TRMs in pSS salivary glands was accompanied by a down-regulation of E-cadherin glandular expression and their migration outside the epithelium in the context of inflammatory infiltrates. SG of patients with pSS showed a significant up-regulation of BLIMP1, KFL-2, and S1PR1 and down-regulation of ITGB2. CXCL9 and CXCL10, and IL-15 involved in the tissue recruitment and long-term survival of TRMs were significantly modulated in pSS salivary glands.

Conclusion:

TRM are expanded and activated in the SG of pSS and ESS, participating in the organization of tissue inflammation. Although the mechanisms behind this expansion are still not fully understood, CD103 could be a valuable novel therapeutic target to prevent lymphocytic infiltrations and glandular destruction in Sjogren syndrome.

Disclosure of Interests:

None declared

POS0833 A RETROSPECTIVE COHORT STUDY IN CHINESE PATIENTS WITH ADULT POLYMYOSITIS AND DERMATOMYOSITIS: RISK OF COMORBIDITIES AND SUBCLASSIFICATION USING MACHINE LEARNING

Background:

Idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (IIM), also known as myositis, refers to a group of heterogeneous disorders including polymyositis (PM), dermatomyositis (DM), inclusion body myositis and immune-mediated necrotising myopathy. Phenotype, pathogenesis, and prognosis vary due to multi-organ involvement and comorbidities. With the clinical application of MSAs, a new classification system for myositis was explored to reduce confusion between subgroups. But it is far from showing the full picture of myositis due to high heterogeneity. Therefore, it is necessary to systematically evaluate the relevant risk factors of myositis for ILD, other rheumatic diseases, and malignancy for better clinical vigilance. And further exploring the subclassification of myositis is critical.

Objectives:

To identify the risk factors in Chinese patients with adult polymyositis and dermatomyositis for their comorbidities and explore a subclassification system.

Methods:

Clinical records of 397 patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathies were retrospectively reviewed. Logistic regression was used to identify potential risk factors for interstitial lung disease (ILD), other rheumatic diseases, and malignancy after bivariate analysis. Hierarchical clustering and decisional tree were utilized to identify subgroups and explore a subclassification system.

Results:

A total of 119 polymyositis and 191 dermatomyositis patients were included. Anti-PM/Scl, anti-Ro52, anti-aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase and anti-MDA5 (adjusted odds ratios (AOR)=4.779, 1.917, 5.092 and 7.714 respectively) antibodies were risks (p<0.05), whereas overlapping malignancy was protective (AOR=0.107; p=0.002) for ILD across polymyositis, dermatomyositis and the total group. In subgroup models, Raynaud’s phenomenon, arthralgia and semi-quantitative anti-nuclear antibody (AOR=51.233, 4.261, 3.047 respectively) were risks for other overlapping rheumatic diseases (p<0.05). For overlapping malignancy, male and anti-TIF1γ antibodies (AOR=2.533, 16.949) were risks (p<0.05), whereas disease duration and combination of ILD (AOR=0.954, 0.106) were protective in the total group (p<0.05); while anti-NXP2 antibodies were identified as risk factors (AOR=73.152; p=0.038) in polymyositis. Hierarchical clustering suggested a subclassification with 6 subgroups: malignancy overlapping dermatomyositis, classical dermatomyositis, polymyositis with severe muscle involvement, dermatomyositis with ILD, polymyositis with ILD, and overlapping of myositis with other rheumatic diseases according to the characteristics of grouped patients. Accuracy of the classification and regression trees model was 0.768 (95% CI 0.711 to 0.819) on training set and 0.633 (95%CI 0.499 to 0.754) on test set.

Conclusion:

Accompanying ILD, other rheumatic diseases and malignancy are strongly associated with clinical manifestation and myositis-specific or myositis-associated autoantibodies among Chinese polymyositis and dermatomyositis patients. The subclassification system proposed a more precise phenotype defining toward stratified treatments.

Acknowledgements:

The study was supported by the Natural Science Foundation of China [No. 81803932] and the Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province [No. 2018030310025 and 2017A030313868]. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript

Disclosure of Interests:

None declared

An Editing-Site-Specific PCR Method for Detection and Quantification of CAO1-Edited Rice

Genome-edited plants created by genome editing technology have been approved for commercialization. Due to molecular characteristics that differ from classic genetically modified organisms (GMOs), establishing regulation-compliant analytical methods for identification and quantification of genome-edited plants has always been regarded as a challenging task. An editing-site-specific PCR method was developed based on the unique edited sequence in CAO1-edited rice plants. Test results of seven primer/probe sets indicated that this method can identify specific CAO1-edited rice from other CAO1-edited rice and wild types of rice with high specificity and sensitivity. The use of LNA (locked nucleic acid) in a probe can efficiently increase the specificity of the editing-site-specific PCR method at increased annealing temperature which can eliminate non-specific amplification of the non-target. The genome-edited ingredient content in blinded samples at the level of 0.1% to 5.0% was accurately quantified by this method on the ddPCR platform with RSD of <15% and bias in the range of ±17%, meeting the performance requirements for GMO detection method. The developed editing-site-specific PCR method presents a promising detection and quantification technique for genome-edited plants with known edited sequence.

The role of PKA/PP2B-mediated Drp1 phosphorylation and the subsequent EGFR inhibition in Cr(VI)-induced premature senescence

In recent years, frequent hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] pollution incidents have severely damaged the ecology and endangered the public health. It is well known that cell senescence could promote the carcinogenesis, thus the related research on the occurrence of premature senescence is of great significance to the elucidation of the carcinogenic mechanism of Cr(VI). We previously confirmed that long-term low-dose Cr(VI) exposure induced premature senescence, but the key molecular events that determine the occurrence of premature senescence are still unclear. In the present study, we found that Cr(VI) induced phosphorylation of dynamin-relatedprotein 1 (Drp1)-S637 site in premature senescent cells, which was accompanied with the decrease of mitochondrial fission. We also demonstrated that the phosphorylation status of Drp1-S637 after Cr(VI) exposure was related to the antagonism of PKA/PP2B, and continuous dephosphorylation of Drp1-S637 attenuated premature senescence caused by Cr(VI). The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) overexpression significantly alleviated the occurrence of premature senescence, and the expressions of EFGR and its downstream molecules were related to the phosphorylation status of Drp1-S637. In brief, we revealed the role of PKA/PP2B-mediated Drp1 phosphorylation and the subsequent EGFR inhibition in Cr(VI)-induced premature senescence. This study is the first time to link the phosphorylation of Drp1 with Cr(VI)-induced premature senescence, in order to find the key molecular events that determine the occurrence of premature senescence and demonstrate the molecular mechanism of abnormal elongated mitochondria formation in the senescence process. The significance of this study is to explore the carcinogenesis of Cr(VI) and provide new ideas and strategies for the targeted treatment of Cr(VI)-related cancers.

Research on Evaluation of Meteorological Disaster Governance Capabilities in Mainland China Based on Generalized λ-Shapley Choquet Integral

According to the United Nations report, climate disasters have intensified in the past 20 years, and China has the largest number of disasters in the world. So the study of meteorological disaster governance capacities is critically important for China. We designed a meteorological disaster governance capacity evaluation system to calculate the evaluation values by using the generalized λ-Shapley Choquet integral, a method that considers the interaction between indicators. We used various official statistical yearbooks and internal data of China Meteorological Administration (CMA) and weight intervals set by meteorologists for each level of indicators to calculate the evaluation values of meteorological disaster governance capacity in mainland provinces, from 2014 to 2018. We compared them with other methods (entropy weight method, Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to an Ideal Solution (TOPSIS), and Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP)), and the results showed that the results calculated by the designed interaction method provided in this paper are more stable and differentiated. The results show that provincial meteorological disaster governance capacities in Mainland China are characterized by uneven development and a pro-slight polarization phenomenon. This leads to policy recommendations: Provinces should strengthen the construction of meteorological disaster information; provinces with outstanding capacity must strengthen the experience sharing with provinces with lower capacity.

PLGA nanoparticles delivering CPT-11 combined with focused ultrasound inhibit platinum resistant ovarian cancer

Background

Ovarian cancer cells show resistance to platinum drugs treatment, which brings a big challenge to clinical therapeutics. This study aimed to construct effective drug delivering nanoparticles specifically targeting ovarian cancer cell.

Methods

Poly lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) were used to form Nano-spheres by double emulsion method, and to deliver CPT-11. Connected with targeted LHRH-a molecules, their effects were tested by ovarian cancer cell A2780/DDP in vitro and in vivo.

Results

We successfully constructed PLGA nanoparticles carrying LHRH-a (Luteinizing hormone releasing hormone analogue) and CPT-11 (irinotecan HCl trihydrate), which can specifically target LHRH receptor high expression ovarian cancer cell A2780/DDP (cisplatin). Combined with focused ultrasound in vitro, LHRH-a/CPT-11/PLGA nanoparticles significantly inhibited the proliferation of A2780/DDP cells (a cisplatin-resistant A2780 cell line), and the cells were obviously arrested at S phase. Both the mRNA expression and protein level of Caspase3 increased, while Bcl-2 and MMP2 declined, which promoted apoptosis. In vivo, LHRH-a/CPT-11/PLGA nanoparticles bind specifically with LHRH receptor on xenograft tumors of A2780/DDP. With focused ultrasound, LHRH-a/CPT-11/PLGA nanoparticles inhibited the growth of A2780/DDP xenograft tumors significantly. The expression level of VEGF, Bcl-2 and MMP2 reduced, while Caspase3 increased in tumors.

Conclusions

CPT-11 delivering PLGA nanoparticles with LHRH-a specifically target ovarian cancer cell A2780/DDP, and work locally when combined with focused ultrasound. They increase local drug concentration and reduce side effects. This research may provide a new effective therapeutic strategy for recurrent platinum resistant ovarian cancer.

A functional variant in the promoter region of IGF1 gene is associated with chicken abdominal fat deposition

Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) plays an important role in the regulation of cell growth, proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. Previously several studies revealed that genotypes of chicken IGF1 c.-366A > C were significantly associated with abdominal fat weight and body weight in chickens. But the underlying mechanism is still unknown. To investigate the mechanism underlying the association, herein, we performed IGF1 gene mRNA expression profiling, a dual-luciferase reporter assay and electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA). Quantitative real-time PCR results showed that IGF1 gene was widely expressed in 14 tissues. The mRNA expression levels of IGF1 gene in both abdominal fat and jejunum were significantly higher in fat broilers than in lean broilers. However, the opposite results were observed in the pancreas. The reporter gene assay showed that the promoter luciferase activity of allele A was significantly higher than that of allele C (P < 0.05). In addition, the luciferase activity of allele A promoted by the transcription factor AP1 and OCT1 was higher than that of allele C (P < 0.05). Electrophoretic mobility shift assay result showed that allele A binding to the transcription factor AP1 and OCT1 was stronger than that of allele C. All in all, our data indicated that the IGF1 gene c.-366A > C is a functional SNP responsible for chicken adipose deposition.

MiR-802 inhibits the malignant biological behavior of oral squamous cell carcinoma by targeting proto-oncogene MET

OBJECTIVE

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is one of the frequently occurring malignancies, but effective treatments are lacking. It is believed that exploring new molecular targets could help us to improve the treatment of OSCC. Therefore, we hope to find a new miRNA target to control OSCC.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

qPCR and Western blots were used to test the expressions of miR-802 and target gene in OSCC tissues and cell lines. Luciferase reporter assay was performed to check whether miR-802 could directly target MET. CCK-8, wound healing, cell invasion, colony formation, and tumor growth assays were used to determine the functions of miR-802 and MET in the malignant biological behavior of OSCC.

RESULTS

The results suggested that miR-802 was low expressed in OSCC tissues and cell lines. Overexpression of miR-802 inhibited the cell viability, colony formation, migration and invasion of Tca8113 and SCC9 cells, and tumor growth in vivo. It was predicted that miR-802 might target the mRNA of proto-oncogene MET. Overexpressing miR-802 suppressed the expression of wild-type MET at both protein and mRNA levels in Tca8113 and SCC9 cells. Moreover, the expression of MET was high and significantly correlated with the low expression of miR-802 in OSCC tissues. Overexpression of MET in Tca8113 and SCC9 cells reduced the tumor-suppressive effects, which was induced by miR-802 overexpression.

CONCLUSIONS

MiR-802 suppresses the malignant biological behavior of OSCC by targeting proto-oncogene MET. This work provides a new potential molecular target for treating OSCC.

Identification and functional analysis of senescence-associated secretory phenotype of premature senescent hepatocytes induced by hexavalent chromium

Hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] is a common heavy metal pollutant that can cause a number of human disease, including inflammation and cancer. Senescent cells can secrete a variety of molecules known as senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP). Our previous studies have confirmed that Cr(VI) can induce premature senescence in L02 hepatocytes, but the composition and the function of the related SASP are still unknown. In order to understand the components of SASP secreted by senescent L02 hepatocytes under the action of Cr(VI), we applied LC-MS/MS-based label-free protein quantification. We found that three SASP components including Coactosin-like protein 1 (COTL1), Alpha-enolase (ENO1), and Peroxiredoxin 2 (PRDX2) were up-regulated, which were confirmed by western blotting and qRT-PCR. Evidence suggested that SASP may promote the development of tumor through chronic inflammatory response, therefore we identified and analyzed the potential biological functions and signaling pathways of these three SASP components using GO and KEGG methods. The interaction between SASP components was analyzed by STRING, and verified by Co-IP. We also found that ENO1 and PRDX2, which have direct interaction, can inhibit the growth and proliferation of wildtype hepatocytes and premature senescent hepatocytes, but can promote the proliferation and behavioral changes of liver tumor cells. The present study provides valuable clues for elucidation of the carcinogenic mechanism of Cr(VI), especially for further prevention and targeted treatment of Cr(VI)-related cancer.

Microenvironmental regulation of intestinal stem cells in the inflamed intestine

The rapid renewal of intestinal epithelium during homeostasis requires balanced proliferation and differentiation of intestinal stem cells (ISCs) at the base of crypt. Upon intestinal inflammation, the vigorous expansion of surviving ISCs is responsible for epithelial repair. However, it is not well depicted how ISCs adapt to the inflammatory conditions within intestinal tissue and support epithelial repair. In the intestinal inflammation, niche cells around ISCs along with their secreted niche factors can facilitate the regeneration of ISCs via niche signals. Additionally, the growth of ISCs can respond to inflammatory cells, inflammatory cytokines, and inflammatory signals. Understanding the adaptive mechanism of ISCs in supporting intestinal epithelial regeneration during inflammation is a focus on the treatment for patients with intestinal inflammation. Here, we aim to present an overview of how ISCs adapt to the acute inflammation to support intestinal repair, with a focus on the roles and interaction of niche signals.

Hierarchical CoP Nanostructures on Nickel Foam as Efficient Bifunctional Catalysts for Water Splitting

A highly active and cheap catalyst is also key to hydrogen production by water splitting. However, most of the high-efficiency catalysts reported to date only are catalytically active for either the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) or the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), which makes the development of multifunctional catalysts more meaningful. Here, for the first time, Co(CO₃ )_0.5 OH^. 0.11 H₂ O (CHCH) as precursor with different microstructures on the surface of nickel foam (NF) was obtained using a facile hydrothermal method. The CoP/NF catalyst was obtained after thermal phosphating that retained the microhierarchical structure of the precursor and greatly improved the catalytic performance, with a highly efficiency performance as HER and OER dual-functional catalyst. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations showed that the possible reason for the excellent performance of the CoP/NF layered structure is an increase in the number of of surface defects and an increased active surface area. The results reported in this paper show that CoP/NF, a layered bifunctional electrocatalyst, is a cost-effective and efficient water-splitting electrode. This finding can offer the opportunity for the commercial use of excess electric energy for large-scale water splitting hydrogen production.

Impact of marital status on the prognosis of liver cancer patients without surgery and the critical window

BACKGROUND

Liver cancer (LC) is the second leading cause of cancer-associated mortality. However, the critical time window during the marital status may influence the prognosis of LC is still unknown.

METHODS

Information on a total of 4,933 patients diagnosed with primary LC who had not undergone surgery was collected from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database to analyze the impact of marital status on the risk of cancer-specific mortality (CSM). All confirmed patients were monitored from January 1, 2010 until December 31, 2015 for the occurrence of death. We performed 1:1 propensity score matching among the married and non-married groups to eliminate dissimilarities in age, sex, race and clinical characteristics. Cox proportional hazards regression model was adopted to investigate the associations between marital status and the risk of CSM.

RESULTS

Married patients were significantly negatively associated with the risk of CSM among patients compared to non-married status, with a hazard ratio (HR) [95% confidence interval (CI)] of 1.15 (1.07-1.23). The strongest associations were observed for patients with Grade II, American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) I and III. Furthermore, the protective effect of marriage on the prognosis of LC was independent of sex, age, race, grade, AJCC and SEER stage. Unmarried or separated patients may have a worse prognosis.

CONCLUSIONS

Marriage was strongly associated with a positive prognosis among patients with LC, especially in the critical window of Grade II, AJCC I and III. This study highlights the important impact of marriage on cancer prognosis.

Proteomic characteristics and identification of PM2.5-induced differentially expressed proteins in hepatocytes and c-Myc silenced hepatocytes

Proteomics and bioinformatics were applied to explore PM_2.5-induced differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) in hepatocytes (L02 cells) and c-Myc-silenced hepatocytes. L02 cells and c-Myc-silenced hepatocytes were treated with PM_2.5 for 24 h. Fifty-two DEPs were screened in L02 hepatocytes, of which 28 were upregulated and 24 were downregulated. Forty-one DEPs were screened in the c-Myc-silenced hepatocytes, of which 31 were upregulated and 10 were downregulated. GO analysis showed that DEPs in L02 cells were mainly concentrated in the cytosol and were involved in biological processes such as the response to metal ions. DEPs in c-Myc-silenced cells were mainly enriched in the extracellular space and were involved in lipoprotein metabolism. KEGG analysis showed that DEPs in L02 cells were mainly involved in arachidonic acid metabolism and mineral absorption. DEPs in c-Myc-silenced cells were mainly enriched in pathways involving nerve absorption, complement and coagulation cascades, and other pathways. Twenty key proteins, including Metallothionein-2A (MT2A), Metallothionein-1X (MT1X), zinc transporter ZIP10 (SLC39A10) and Serine protease 23 (PRSS23) were screened in two groups through analysis of protein-protein interactions. Based on the identification of the selected DEPs, PRSS23 and SLC39A10 might be the potential biomarker of PM_2.5-induced carcinogenesis, which provide the scientific basis for further research into the carcinogenic mechanisms of PM_2.5.

[Perioperative safety and feasibility of simultaneous off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting with non-cardiac surgical procedures of moderate-to-severe severity]

Objective: To examine the perioperative safety and feasibility of simultaneous off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCAB) with non-cardiac surgical procedures of moderate-to-severe severity. Methods: The perioperative results of 54 patients underwent simultaneous OPCAB with non-cardiac surgical procedures from September 2013 to January 2019 at Department of Cardiac Surgery, Peking University First Hospital were assessed retrospectively. There were 46 males and 8 females, aging (65.8±8.8) years (range: 41 to 85 years). All simultaneous non-cardiac surgical procedures, including vascular (n=1), thoracic (n=26), general (n=12) and urologic surgical procedures (n=15), were assessed to be of moderate-to-severe grade by operative severity scoring system. Perioperative results were compared between the OPCAB patients who underwent simultaneous non-cardiac surgical procedures (n=54) and 1∶2 matched patients who underwent isolated OPCAB performed most recently by the same cardiac team with similar procedures accordingly (n=108), using t test, Mann-Whitney U test, χ² test or Fisher exact test. Results: All baseline factors were matched between the two groups, with no significant difference on European system for cardiac operative risk evaluation (EuroSCORE) Ⅱ (1.185(0.758)% vs. 1.215(0.905)%, Z=‒0.036, P=0.972). No perioperative death was observed in the two groups. Although patients underwent simultaneous non-cardiac surgical procedures showed prolonged operation duration time ((324.9±97.1) minutes vs. (166.7±36.7) minites, t=11.564, P<0.01) and increased intraoperaive blood loss ((462.2±269.6) ml vs. (304.5±177.8) ml, t=3.866, P<0.01), primary postoperative complications, including perioperative myocardial infarction, atrial fibrillation, perioperative stroke, acute renal failure, wound infection, and bleeding reoperation did not show significant differences between the two groups (all P>0.05), while total blood transfusion volume, mechanical ventilation time and intensive care unit residence time also showed no significant differences between the two groups (all P>0.05). Conclusion: Simultaneous OPCAB with non-cardiac surgical procedures of moderate-to-severe severity in patients with operative indications are safe and feasible, and are not associated with increased postoperative risks when compared with isolated OPCAB.

Keap1-Nrf2 pathway up-regulation via hydrogen sulfide mitigates polystyrene microplastics induced-hepatotoxic effects

Microplastics, which are new types of environmental pollutants, are recently receiving widespread attention worldwide. Hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) as the third endogenous gaseous mediator had protective effects in multiple physiological and pathological conditions. However, the protective role of H₂S in microplastics-induced hepatotoxocity remain unclear. In this study, our data showed that H₂S significantly suppressed inflammation, apoptosis and oxidative stress induced by polystyrene microplastics (mic-PS) (20 mg/kg b.w.) in the liver. Strikingly, although mic-PS exposure increased the expression of nuclear factor-E2-related factor (Nrf2), it did not influence the levels of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and NAD(P)H: quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQOl) in the L02 hepatocytes. Immunofluorescence assay showed that sodium hydrosulfide (NaHS) reduced micro-Ps-induced hepatic apoptosis by facilitating nuclear accumulation of Nrf2. Simultaneously, flow cytometry also showed that NaHS could prevent mic-PS-induced accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by increasing the expression of HO-1 and NQO1. Furthermore, inhibition of HO-1 could reverse the hepatic protective effects of NaHS during mic-PS exposure. Mechanistically, H₂S elevating the HO-1 and NQO1 expression by facilitating nuclear accumulation of Nrf2, and consequently reducing mic-PS-induced hepatic apoptosis and inflammation. This study unveils the hepatotoxic effects of MPs and suggest NaHS have protective effects on mic-PS-induced liver damage.

In vivo respiratory toxicology of cooking oil fumes: Evidence, mechanisms and prevention

BACKGROUND

As cooking is an essential part of people's daily life, cooking oil fumes (COF) has been recognized as one of the major indoor air pollutant. Mounting epidemiological evidence has indicated that COF exposure is significantly associated with an increased risk of various health effects including lung cancer, but toxicological studies are very limited.

OBJECTIVES

We conduct a systematic study to provide toxicological evidence of COF exposure on the lungs, to examine the underlying toxicological mechanism, and to suggest intervention measures to mitigate this toxicity.

METHODS

A total 96 female rats were randomly divided into control groups, COF exposure groups (0.2, 2, 20 mg/kg) and vitamin E protection groups, receiving appropriate treatment for 30 days. First we measured airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) followed by a lung histological analysis to investigate the toxicological effects of COF. We next analyzed the biomarkers of oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis to examine the underlying toxicological mechanism, and finally we investigated the protective effects of vitamin E against the toxicity of COF.

RESULTS

AHR measurement indicated that the airway resistance increased with the COF dose and the lung histological assay showed narrowing of the airway lumen, which provided evidence of the toxicological effects of COF. The biomarkers of oxidative stress (ROS and MDA), pro-inflammation (TNF-α and IL-1β), and apoptosis (NF-κB and Caspase-3) were all significantly increased with COF dose. We observed that above toxicological effects and biomarker levels induced by COF were significantly ameliorated after administration of VE.

CONCLUSION

The toxicity of cooking oil fumes on the lungs is clear from the evidence and mechanism, and can be ameliorated by vitamin E. We suggested that oxidative stress may be primarily responsible for the observed cooking oil fumes-induced toxicity.

Recent developments in the difunctionalization of alkenes with C–N bond formation

Various alkene difunctionalization reactions involving nitridization, diamination, azidation, oxyamination, carboamination, aminohalogenation, and nitration are introduced in this review.

An accurate, high-speed, portable bifunctional electrical detector for COVID-19

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by SARS-CoV-2, has rapidly spread and caused a severe global pandemic. Because no specific drugs are available for COVID-19 and few vaccines are available for SARS-CoV-2, accurate and rapid diagnosis of COVID-19 has been the most crucial measure to control this pandemic. Here, we developed a portable bifunctional electrical detector based on graphene fieldeffect transistors for SARS-CoV-2 through either nucleic acid hybridization or antigen-antibody protein interaction, with ultra-low limits of detection of ~0.1 and ~1 fg mL^-1 in phosphate buffer saline, respectively. We validated our method by assessment of RNA extracts from the oropharyngeal swabs of ten COVID-19 patients and eight healthy subjects, and the IgM/IgG antibodies from serum specimens of six COVID-19 patients and three healthy subjects. Here we show that the diagnostic results are in excellent agreement with the findings of polymerase chain reaction-based optical methods; they also exhibit rapid detection speed (~10 min for nucleic acid detection and ~5 min for immunoassay). Therefore, our assay provides an efficient, accurate tool for high-throughput point-of-care testing.

ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL

Supplementary material is available in the online version of this article at 10.1007/s40843-020-1577-y.