Sirtuin 5 is required for mouse survival in response to cardiac pressure overload

In mitochondria, the sirtuin SIRT5 is an NAD+-dependent protein deacylase that controls several metabolic pathways. Although a wide range of SIRT5 targets have been identified, the overall function of SIRT5 in organismal metabolic homeostasis remains unclear. Given that SIRT5 expression is highest in the heart and that sirtuins are commonly stress-response proteins, we used an established model of pressure overload-induced heart muscle hypertrophy caused by transverse aortic constriction (TAC) to determine SIRT5's role in cardiac stress responses. Remarkably, SIRT5KO mice had reduced survival upon TAC compared with wild-type mice but exhibited no mortality when undergoing a sham control operation. The increased mortality with TAC was associated with increased pathological hypertrophy and with key abnormalities in both cardiac performance and ventricular compliance. By combining high-resolution MS-based metabolomic and proteomic analyses of cardiac tissues from wild-type and SIRT5KO mice, we found several biochemical abnormalities exacerbated in the SIRT5KO mice, including apparent decreases in fatty acid oxidation and glucose oxidation as well as an overall decrease in mitochondrial NAD+/NADH. Together, these abnormalities suggest that SIRT5 deacylates protein substrates involved in cellular oxidative metabolism to maintain mitochondrial energy production. Overall, the functional and metabolic results presented here suggest an accelerated development of cardiac dysfunction in SIRT5KO mice in response to TAC, explaining increased mortality upon cardiac stress. Our findings reveal a key role for SIRT5 in maintaining cardiac oxidative metabolism under pressure overload to ensure survival.

3D hierarchical flower-like nickel ferrite/manganese dioxide toward lead (II) removal from aqueous water

A functionalized magnetic nickel ferrite/manganese dioxide (NiFe₂O₄/MnO₂) with 3D hierarchical flower-like and core-shell structure was synthesized by a facile hydrothermal approach and applied for the removal of Pb(II) ions from aqueous solutions. Batch adsorption experiments were conducted to study the effect of solution pH, initial Pb(II) concentration, and dose of absorbents on the Pb(II) removal by NiFe₂O₄/MnO₂. The NiFe₂O₄/MnO₂ nanocomposites showed the fast Pb(II) adsorption performance with the maximum adsorption capacity of 85.78mgg^-1. The adsorption kinetics of Pb(II) onto NiFe₂O₄/MnO₂ obeyed a pseudo-second-order model. The isothermal experimental results indicated that the Langmuir model was fitted better than the Freundlich model, illustrating a monolayer adsorption process for Pb(II) onto NiFe₂O₄/MnO₂. Meanwhile, the NiFe₂O₄/MnO₂ was easily separated from the solution by an external magnet within a short period of time and still exhibited almost 80% removal capacity after six regenerations. The NiFe₂O₄/MnO₂ is expected to be a new promising adsorbent for heavy metal removal.

A novel FOXM1 isoform, FOXM1D, promotes epithelial-mesenchymal transition and metastasis through ROCKs activation in colorectal cancer

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a critical event in metastasis of colorectal cancer (CRC). Rho/ROCKs signaling has a pivotal role in orchestrating actin cytoskeleton, leading to EMT and cancer invasion. However, the underlying mechanisms for ROCKs activation are not fully understood. Here, we identified FOXM1D, a novel isoform of Forkhead box M1 (FOXM1) that has a pivotal role in ROCKs activation by directly interacting with coiled-coil region of ROCK2. FOXM1D overexpression significantly polymerizes actin assembly and impairs E-cadherin expression, resulting in EMT and metastasis in xenograft mouse model and knockdown of FOXM1D has the opposite effect. Moreover, a high FOXM1D level correlates closely with clinical CRC metastasis. FOXM1D-induced ROCKs activation could be abrogated by the ROCKs inhibitors Y-27632 and fasudil. These observations indicate that the FOXM1D-ROCK2 interaction is crucial for Rho/ROCKs signaling and provide novel insight into actin cytoskeleton regulation and therapeutic potential for CRC metastasis.

Different Phenotypes of the Two Chinese Probands with the Same c.889G>A (p.C162Y) Mutation in COCH Gene Verify Different Mechanisms Underlying Autosomal Dominant Nonsyndromic Deafness 9

OBJECTIVES

By analyzing the different phenotypes of two Chinese DFNA9 families with the same mutation located in the intervening region between the LCCL and vWFA domains of cochlin and testing the functional changes in the mutant cochlin, we investigated the different pathogeneses for mutations in LCCL and vWFA domains.

METHODS

Targeted next-generation sequencing for deafness-related genes was used to identify the mutation in the proband in family #208. The probands of family #208 and family #32 with the same p.C162Y mutation were followed for more than 3 years to evaluate the progression of hearing loss and vestibular dysfunction using pure-tone audiometry, caloric testing, electrocochleogram, vestibular-evoked myogenic potential, and video head-impulse test. The disruption of normal cleavage to produce secreted LCCL domain fragments and the tendency to form aggregations of mutant cochlins were tested by in vitro cell experiments.

RESULTS

The two families showed different clinical symptoms. Family #32 was identified as having early-onset, progressive sensorineural hearing loss, similar to the symptoms in DFNA9 patients with cochlin mutations in the vWFA domain. The proband of family #208 endured late-onset recurrent paroxysmal vertigo attacks and progressively deteriorating hearing, similar to symptoms in those with cochlin mutations in the LCCL domain. We therefore suggest that the disrupted cleavage of the LCCL domain fragment is likely to cause vestibular dysfunction, and aggregation of mutant cochlin caused by mutations in the vWFA domain is responsible for early-onset hearing loss. The p.C162Y mutation causes either disruption of LCCL domain fragment cleavage or aggregation of mutant cochlin, resulting in the different phenotypes in the two families.

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrates that DFNA9 families with the same genotype may have significantly different phenotypes. The mutation site in cochlin is related to the pathological mechanism underlying the different phenotypes.

DC-SIGN promotes allergen uptake and activation of dendritic cells in patients with atopic dermatitis

BACKGROUND

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common inflammatory skin disease, concomitant with allergic reactions to allergens. However, the exact mechanisms of allergen-induced immune responses in AD are not clear. The aim of this study is to explore the role of DC-SIGN in capturing and processing glycan-containing allergens and in the subsequent DC activation and T helper cell polarization in AD patients.

METHODS

DC-SIGN expression on DCs from AD patients was analysed by confocal microscopy and flow cytometry. DC-SIGN binding to common allergens was determined by ELISA. Activation of monocyte-derived dendritic cells (Mo-DCs) by allergens was analysed by evaluation of pro-inflammatory cytokines production, and their impact on T-cell responses was investigated by a DC-T cell coculture.

RESULTS

DC-SIGN expression was higher on DCs in the lesional skin of AD patients compared with that of healthy controls and was correlated with disease severity. DC-SIGN could bind to many common allergens including house dust mite allergen (Der p2) and egg white allergen (Gal d2). Mo-DCs showed measurable expression of DC-SIGN and a concentration-dependent uptake of Der p2 and Gal d2, which was inhibited by mannan and anti-DC-SIGN Abs. Der p2 and Gal d2 induced the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including TNF-α and IL-6, by DCs from AD patients and facilitated Th2 and Th22 cell polarization.

CONCLUSIONS

Binding of common allergens by DC-SIGN on DCs may initiate allergen sensitization of AD or provoke the relapse of AD. Regulating the allergen-DC-SIGN interaction might be a promising strategy to prevent or intervene in the progress of AD.

Metabolomics-identified metabolites associated with body mass index and prospective weight gain among Mexican American women

Objective

Obesity is a metabolic disease. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms linking metabolic profiles and weight gain are largely unknown.

Methods

Here, we used semi‐targeted metabolomics to assay 156 metabolites selected from 25 key metabolic pathways in plasma samples from 300 non‐smoking healthy women identified from Mano‐A‐Mano, the Mexican American Cohort study. The study subjects were randomly divided into two cohorts: training (N = 200) and testing (N = 100) cohorts. Linear regression and Cox proportional hazard regression were used to assess the effect of body mass index (BMI) at baseline on metabolite levels and the effects of metabolites on significant weight gain during a 5‐year follow‐up.

Results

At baseline, we observed 7 metabolites significantly associated with BMI in both training and testing cohorts. They were Methyl succinate, Asparagine, Urate, Kynurenic acid, Glycine, Glutamic acid, and Serine. In further analysis, we identified 6 metabolites whose levels at baseline predicted significant weight gain during 5‐year follow‐up in both cohorts. They were Acetylcholine, Leucine, Hippuric acid, Acetylglycine, Urate, and Xanthine.

Conclusions

The findings establish the baseline metabolic profiles for BMI, and suggest new metabolic targets for researchers attempting to understand the molecular mechanisms of weight gain and obesity.

Investigation of Cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen 4 Polymorphisms in Gastric Cardia Adenocarcinoma

To assess the potential effects of Cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA4) gene polymorphisms on susceptibility to gastric cardia adenocarcinoma (GCA), we genotyped four polymorphisms (rs733618 A>G, rs16840252 C>T, rs231775 G>A and rs3087243 G>A) in CTLA4 and calculated odds ratios (ORs) with the corresponding 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) for the genotype and allele distributions between GCA cases and controls. The CTLA4 genotypes were determined by the polymerase chain reaction-ligase detection reaction (PCR-LDR) analysis in 330 GCA patients and 608 unrelated cancer-free controls. In this case-control study, there was no significant difference in the genotype and allele distributions of four CTLA4 polymorphisms between GCA patients and controls. However, haplotype association analysis indicated that compared with CTLA4 Grs733618 Crs16840252 Grs231775 Crs3087243 , CTLA4 Grs733618 Crs16840252 Ars231775 Grs3087243 and Ars733618 Crs16840252 Grs231775 Ars3087243 haplotypes conferred increased risks of GCA (OR = 6.46, 95% CI = 1.33-31.28; P = 0.012; both); however, CTLA4 Ars733618 Crs16840252 Ars231775 Grs3087243 and Ars733618 Trs16840252 Grs231775 Grs3087243 haplotypes conferred decreased risks of GCA (P = 0.001 and P = 0.011, respectively). These results highlight that the rare CTLA4 haplotypes may affect the development of GCA in the Chinese population.

Disrupted Brain Connectivity Patterns in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Type 2 diabetes is associated with an increased risk of dementia. This study investigated the global connectivity patterns in the brains of patients with type 2 diabetes by using a functional MR imaging technique.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Forty patients and 43 age-, sex-, and education-matched healthy controls underwent resting-state functional imaging in a 3T MR imaging unit. Degree centrality, a commonly used measurement of global connectivity, was computed for a full-brain exploration of the regions influenced by type 2 diabetes. We then examined the functional connectivity of each region by using the seed-based approach. Finally, voxelwise correlation analyses were performed to explore the relationship among the connectivity changes, cognitive performance, and diabetes-related variables.

RESULTS

Patients exhibited decreased degree centrality in the left lingual gyrus and increased centrality in the right insula and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (corrected P < .05). The occipital network anchored in the lingual gyrus showed extensively reduced connectivity, while the network connectivity of the insula and cingulate cortex (mostly included in the salience network) was significantly elevated (corrected P < .05). Correlational analyses revealed that in the diabetic group, impaired visual memory and executive function performance were correlated with occipital hypoconnectivity, while higher fasting plasma glucose levels and better executive functioning were related to anterior cingulate cortex hyperconnectivity (all corrected P values < .05). Similar effects were not detected in the controls.

CONCLUSIONS

This preliminary study shows that network connectivity is altered in patients with type 2 diabetes, which may provide critical insight into the neural substrate of diabetes-related cognitive decline.

Improved survival associated with a balanced structure between adenomatous and squamous components in patients with adenosquamous carcinoma of the lung

BACKGROUND

Primary adenosquamous carcinoma (ASC) of the lung is rare and its biological behavior has not yet been thoroughly described. The aim of this study was to analyze the clinicopathological characteristics and prognostic factors associated with ASC.

MATERIALS

Clinical records of patients with ASC of the lung who underwent surgery between October 2008 and December 2014 in a single institution were retrospectively reviewed.

RESULTS

A total of 205 patients were identified. Patients with balanced structural components had significantly better prognosis than those with squamous (p = 0.014) or adenomatous (p < 0.001) predominance, and those with N0, N1, and N2 ASC (N0 vs. N1 [ p = 0.031] and N1 vs. N2 [p = 0.037], respectively), or stage I, II and IIIA ASC (stage I vs. II [p = 0.021] and stage II vs. IIIA [p = 0.007], respectively) had significant differences with respect to overall survival (OS). Multivariate analysis identified structural components (p = 0.011), tumor, node and metastasis (TNM) status (p < 0.001), and adjuvant chemotherapy (p = 0.008) as significantly prognostic factors for OS, and structural components (p = 0.030), TNM stage (p < 0.001) and adjuvant chemotherapy (p = 0.005) as the corresponding variables for disease-free survival.

CONCLUSIONS

A balanced structure between adenomatous and squamous components in patients with primary ASC of the lung was associated with better prognosis.

A pilot study on association between phthalate exposure and missed miscarriage

OBJECTIVE

The incidence of missed miscarriage has been increasing during the past decade in China and the etiology of about half of the cases remains unclear. Exposure to phthalates has been considered as a risk factor. The aim of this paper is to assess the association between exposure to phthalates and missed miscarriage.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A case-control study was performed including 150 cases of missed miscarriage and 150 matched controls with normal pregnancies. The levels of phthalate exposure were compared between the two groups by measuring 13 phthalate metabolites in urine samples. Blood samples were collected for serum hormone measurement to assess the relationship between serum hormone level and phthalate exposure.

RESULTS

The urinary levels of metabolites of di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) and dimethyl phthalate (DMP) were significantly higher in the cases than in the controls. A strong dose-response relationship was observed between urinary metabolite levels and the odds of missed miscarriage. Monomethyl phthalate (MMP), a metabolite of DMP, and mono-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (MEHP), a metabolite of DEHP, each had significant negative correlation with maternal serum hormone levels.

CONCLUSIONS

In the current study, exposure to DEHP and DMP was found to be associated with missed miscarriage. Interruption of hormone synthesis by DMP and DEHP metabolites represents a plausible mechanism of phthalate reproductive toxicity.

Ex Vivo Liver Resection and Autotransplantation for End-Stage Alveolar Echinococcosis: A Case Series

The role of autotransplantation in end-stage hepatic alveolar echinococcosis (AE) is unclear. We aimed to present our 15-case experience and propose selection criteria for autotransplantation. All patients were considered to have unresectable hepatic AE by conventional resection due to critical invasion to retrohepatic vena cava, hepatocaval region along with three hepatic veins, and the tertiary portal and arterial branches. All patients successfully underwent ex vivo extended right hepatectomy and autotransplantation without intraoperative mortality. The median autograft weight was 706 g (380-1000 g); operative time was 15.5 hours (11.5-20.5 hours); and anhepatic time was 283.8 minutes (180-435 min). Postoperative hospital stay was 32.3 days (12-60 days). Postoperative complication Clavien-Dindo grade IIIa or higher occurred in three patients including one death that occurred 12 days after the surgery due to acute liver failure. One patient was lost to follow-up after the sixth month. Thirteen patients were followed for a median of 21.6 months with no relapse. This is the largest reported series of patients with end-stage hepatic AE treated with liver autotransplantation. The technique requires neither organ donor nor postoperative immunosuppressant. The early postoperative mortality was low with acceptable morbidity. Preoperative precise assessment and strict patient selection are of utmost importance.

Polystyrene controlled growth of zerovalent nanoiron/magnetite on a sponge-like carbon matrix towards effective Cr(vi) removal from polluted water

Epoxide functionalized polystyrene controlled growth of zerovalent nanoiron/magnetite on a sponge-like carbon matrix (nZVI/Fe₃O₄@C) nanocomposites show a unique Cr(vi) removal performance over a wide pH range.

Hexavalent chromium induced tunable surface functionalization of graphite

Graphite with the oxygen related functional groups was achieved by functionalized with hexavalent chromium in certain conditions.

Magnetoresistive polyaniline–silicon carbide metacomposites: plasma frequency determination and high magnetic field sensitivity

Both negative permittivity and high magnetic field resistance sensitivity are observed in silicon carbide/polyaniline nanocomposites.

Quantitative Profiling of Post-translational Modifications by Immunoaffinity Enrichment and LC-MS/MS in Cancer Serum without Immunodepletion

A robust method was developed and optimized for enrichment and quantitative analysis of posttranslational modifications (PTMs) in serum/plasma samples by combining immunoaffinity purification and LC-MS/MS without depletion of abundant proteins. The method was used to survey serum samples of patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), breast cancer (BC), and nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Peptides were identified from serum samples containing phosphorylation, acetylation, lysine methylation, and arginine methylation. Of the PTMs identified, lysine acetylation (AcK) and arginine mono-methylation (Rme) were more prevalent than other PTMs. Label-free quantitative analysis of AcK and Rme peptides was performed for sera from AML, BC, and NSCLC patients. Several AcK and Rme sites showed distinct abundance distribution patterns across the three cancer types. The identification and quantification of posttranslationally modified peptides in serum samples reported here can be used for patient profiling and biomarker discovery research.

Strengthened Magnetoresistive Epoxy Nanocomposite Papers Derived from Synergistic Nanomagnetite-Carbon Nanofiber Nanohybrids

Novel papers based on epoxy nanocomposites with magnetite and carbon nanofiber (CNF) nanohybrids, without any surface modification to the nanofillers, show combined conductive, magnetic, and magnetoresistive properties. Negative magnetoresistance (MR) is observed in synthesized epoxy nanohybrid papers for the first time. These papers have potential applications for flexible electronics, magnetoresistive sensors, and the printing industry.