Ceramide accumulation accelerates nucleus pulposus cells degradation by p38MAPK activation

The article "Ceramide accumulation accelerates nucleus pulposus cells degradation by p38MAPK activation, by W.-J. Wu, J. Wang, J. Liang, Q. Zhou, Y. Liang, published in Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci 2020; 24 (19): 9787-9796-DOI: 10.26355/eurrev_202010_23187-PMID: 33090381" has been withdrawn from the authors due to inaccuracies (there are some errors and incorrect data). The Publisher apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause. https://www.europeanreview.org/article/23187.

[Risk factors and nutritional status analysis in patients with liver cirrhosis and concomitant chronic periodontitis]

Objective: To study and explore the prevalence, characteristics, preliminary risk factors, as well as their relationship with nutritional scores in liver cirrhotic patient with chronic periodontitis. Methods: 163 patients with liver cirrhosis who were hospitalized in the Hepatology Division, Department of Internal Medicine at Tianjin Third Central Hospital from June to September 2018 were enrolled as the case group, while the control group consisted 140 healthy individuals enrolled during the same period. Periodontal examination, biochemical examination and oral hygiene habits were investigated. The prevalence of periodontitis in the two groups was compared, and the risk factors of severe periodontitis were conducted by multivariate regression analysis. Results: The prevalence of chronic periodontitis was significantly higher in patients with liver cirrhosis than healthy control population, and the differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05). The prevalence of severe periodontitis and full edentulous jaws was significantly higher in patients with liver cirrhosis than healthy control group, and the differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05 and P < 0.001). Compared with the healthy control group, the depth of periodontal pocket and the degree of attachment loss were significantly increased in the liver cirrhosis group (P < 0.001). Multivariate regression analysis showed that liver cirrhosis was the independent risk factors for both groups of patients with severe periodontitis (χ (2) = 11.046, P < 0.001). Univariate and multivariate regression analysis showed that toothbrushing frequency, nutritional risk score, prealbumin level and Child-Pugh grade were independent risk factors for occurrence of severe periodontitis in liver cirrhotic patient (χ (2) = 5.252, P = 0.022; χ (2) = 24.162, P < 0.001; χ (2) = 4.159, P = 0.041; χ (2) = 9.249, P = 0.002). Conclusion: The prevalence of periodontitis is significantly higher in patients with liver cirrhosis than healthy individuals, and liver cirrhosis is an independent risk factor for the occurrence of severe periodontitis. Toothbrushing frequency, nutritional risk score, prealbumin level and Child-Pugh grade are risk factors for severe periodontitis in patients with liver cirrhosis.

Properties of a New Group of Cosmic Nuclei: Results from the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer on Sodium, Aluminum, and Nitrogen

We report the properties of sodium (Na) and aluminum (Al) cosmic rays in the rigidity range 2.15 GV to 3.0 TV based on 0.46 million sodium and 0.51 million aluminum nuclei collected by the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer experiment on the International Space Station. We found that Na and Al, together with nitrogen (N), belong to a distinct cosmic ray group. In this group, we observe that, similar to the N flux, both the Na flux and Al flux are well described by the sums of a primary cosmic ray component (proportional to the silicon flux) and a secondary cosmic ray component (proportional to the fluorine flux). The fraction of the primary component increases with rigidity for the N, Na, and Al fluxes and becomes dominant at the highest rigidities. The Na/Si and Al/Si abundance ratios at the source, 0.036±0.003 for Na/Si and 0.103±0.004 for Al/Si, are determined independent of cosmic ray propagation.

Proteomics analysis of hip articular cartilage identifies differentially expressed proteins associated with osteonecrosis of the femoral head

OBJECTIVE

The cartilage degeneration that accompanies subchondral bone necrosis plays an important role in the development of osteonecrosis of femoral head (ONFH). To better understand the molecular basis of cartilage degradation in ONFH, we compared the proteomic profiles of ONFH cartilage with that of fracture control.

DESIGN

Hip cartilage samples were collected from 16 ONFH patients and 16 matched controls with femoral neck fracture. Proteomics analysis was conducted using tandem mass tag-based quantitation technique. Gene ontology (GO) analysis, KEGG pathway and protein-protein interaction analysis were used to investigate the functions of the altered proteins and biological pathways. Differentially expressed proteins including alpha-2-HS-glycoprotein (AHSG) and Cytokine-like protein 1 (Cytl1) were validated by Western blot (WB) and immunohistochemistry (IHC).

RESULTS

303 differentially expressed proteins were identified in ONFH cartilage with 72 up-regulated and 231 down-regulated. Collagen turnover, glycosaminoglycan biosynthesis, metabolic pathways, and complement and coagulation cascades were significantly modified in ONFH cartilage. WB and IHC confirmed the increased expression of AHSG and decreased expression of Cytl1 in ONFH cartilage.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results reveal the implication of altered protein expression in the development of ONFH, and provide novel clues for pathogenesis studies of cartilage degradation in ONFH.

Ceramide accumulation accelerates nucleus pulposus cells degradation by p38MAPK activation

OBJECTIVE

Ceramide is a lipid molecule that regulates life activities such as cell differentiation, proliferation, apoptosis, and aging. However, whether ceramide plays a role in the intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) is not clear. The aim of this study is to explore the effect of ceramide during the nucleus pulposus (NP) cells degeneration.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We used human NP cells and passaged them until the fourth generation to analyze the content of ceramide. Cell-permeable C6-ceramide was used to upregulate ceramide expression, and myriocin was used to inhibit the accumulation of ceramide. To understand the relation between p38MAPK and ceramide, SB203580 was used to inhibit the activation of p38MAPK. We tested the viability of NP cells by the detection of collagen II and p16 expression, the proliferation, and the apoptosis of NP cells.

RESULTS

Ceramide content was increased in NP cells from passage 1 (P1) to P4. The upregulation of ceramide accelerated the P1 NP cell degeneration by the reduction of collagen II production and proliferative cells population, increased p16 expression, and apoptotic cells population. However, the suppression of ceramide delayed the degeneration of P4 NP cells in the previous aspects. The accumulation of ceramide activated the phosphorylation of p38MAPK, and the inhibition of p38MAPK activation also alleviated the C6-ceramide-induced NP cell degeneration.

CONCLUSIONS

Ceramide accumulates during NP cell degradation, and the upregulated ceramide contributes to the NP cells degeneration by p38MAPK activation.

Cerebral Venous Thrombosis in COVID-19: A New York Metropolitan Cohort Study

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection is associated with hypercoagulability. We sought to evaluate the demographic and clinical characteristics of cerebral venous thrombosis among patients hospitalized for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) at 6 tertiary care centers in the New York City metropolitan area.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We conducted a retrospective multicenter cohort study of 13,500 consecutive patients with COVID-19 who were hospitalized between March 1 and May 30, 2020.

RESULTS

Of 13,500 patients with COVID-19, twelve had imaging-proved cerebral venous thrombosis with an incidence of 8.8 per 10,000 during 3 months, which is considerably higher than the reported incidence of cerebral venous thrombosis in the general population of 5 per million annually. There was a male preponderance (8 men, 4 women) and an average age of 49 years (95% CI, 36-62 years; range, 17-95 years). Only 1 patient (8%) had a history of thromboembolic disease. Neurologic symptoms secondary to cerebral venous thrombosis occurred within 24 hours of the onset of the respiratory and constitutional symptoms in 58% of cases, and 75% had venous infarction, hemorrhage, or both on brain imaging. Management consisted of anticoagulation, endovascular thrombectomy, and surgical hematoma evacuation. The mortality rate was 25%.

CONCLUSIONS

Early evidence suggests a higher-than-expected frequency of cerebral venous thrombosis among patients hospitalized for COVID-19. Cerebral venous thrombosis should be included in the differential diagnosis of neurologic syndromes associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection.

[Evaluation of the effect of the water-saving irrigation project on Oncomelania hupensis control in hilly regions of Yixing City, Jiangsu Province]

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the effect of the water-saving irrigation project on Oncomelania hupensis snail control in hilly regions of Yixing City, Jiangsu Province.

METHODS

A retrospective survey combined with cross-sectional investigation was employed. The implementation of the water-saving irrigation development project in Yixing City from 2005 to 2007 was retrospectively collected, and the snail status was collected in regions where the water-saving irrigation project was located and the project-affected regions from 2003 to 2018, to examine the effect of the project on snail control. In addition, a cross-sectional survey was performed to investigate the destruction of the water-saving irrigation project in 2018.

RESULTS

A total of 22 water-saving irrigation projects were implemented in 5 townships in hilly regions of Yixing City from 2005 to 2007, where snail habitats were treated covering 266.97 hm². Before the implementation of the project from 2003 to 2006, cumulative 47.87 hm² snail habitats were detected in regions where the project was located, and no snails were found in regions where the project was located from the implementation of the project in 2006 to 2018. However, a few snails were found in the project-affected regions in 2017 and 2018. In addition, there were problems found in the later-stage maintenance and management of the project.

CONCLUSIONS

The water-saving irrigation projects shows a high efficiency on snail control in hilly regions of Yixing City. The later-stage maintenance of the project and monitoring of snails remain to be intensified to enhance the snail control efficiency of the water-saving irrigation project.

Mocetinostat suppresses epidural fibrosis following laminectomy by inhibiting myofibroblast activation and increasing apoptosis

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the effect and mechanism of mocetinostat on diminishing epidural fibrosis. Dysregulated wound repair usually occurs after injury or surgery and is featured by excessive scar tissue contributed by fibrosis. Increasing researches demonstrated that histone acetylation, an epigenetic alteration, plays a crucial role in fibrosis. However, the mechanism of the complicated process remains unclear. In the current study, the effect of histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor mocetinostat in a rat model of epidural fibrosis was detected, and it was discovered that mocetinostat suppressed myofibroblast activation and increased apoptosis by reducing Akt/GSK3b signaling.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

First, the levels of histone acetylation in the patients' epidural fibroblasts were analyzed. Then, mRNAs and proteins obtained from human fibroblasts following TGF-β activation and mocetinostat treatment in vitro were used to examine the influence of mocetinostat on the activation and survival of fibroblasts, so as to explore the related mechanism of mocetinostat. The laminectomy model was established in rats to observe the therapeutic effect of mocetinostat on epidural scar tissues.

RESULTS

In this research, it was found that the increase of HDAC1 in human dura scar was accompanied by the aggravation of fibrosis. In addition, cell assay demonstrated that mocetinostat inhibited fibroblast activation and accelerated apoptosis by inhibiting Akt/GSK3b pathway. In the rat model, mocetinostat weakened scar hyperplasia and collagen deposition and effectively inhibited the process of epidural fibrosis.

CONCLUSIONS

The above results indicate that mocetinostat inhibits HDAC1 expression and decreases the conduction of the AKT/GSK3b pathway in fibroblasts, leading to myofibroblast activation and apoptosis elevation. Hence, mocetinostat ameliorates epidural fibrosis.

Properties of Heavy Secondary Fluorine Cosmic Rays: Results from the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer

Precise knowledge of the charge and rigidity dependence of the secondary cosmic ray fluxes and the secondary-to-primary flux ratios is essential in the understanding of cosmic ray propagation. We report the properties of heavy secondary cosmic ray fluorine F in the rigidity R range 2.15 GV to 2.9 TV based on 0.29 million events collected by the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer experiment on the International Space Station. The fluorine spectrum deviates from a single power law above 200 GV. The heavier secondary-to-primary F/Si flux ratio rigidity dependence is distinctly different from the lighter B/O (or B/C) rigidity dependence. In particular, above 10 GV, the F/Si/B/O ratio can be described by a power law R^{δ} with δ=0.052±0.007. This shows that the propagation properties of heavy cosmic rays, from F to Si, are different from those of light cosmic rays, from He to O, and that the secondary cosmic rays have two classes.

Properties of Iron Primary Cosmic Rays: Results from the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer

We report the observation of new properties of primary iron (Fe) cosmic rays in the rigidity range 2.65 GV to 3.0 TV with 0.62×10^{6} iron nuclei collected by the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer experiment on the International Space Station. Above 80.5 GV the rigidity dependence of the cosmic ray Fe flux is identical to the rigidity dependence of the primary cosmic ray He, C, and O fluxes, with the Fe/O flux ratio being constant at 0.155±0.006. This shows that unexpectedly Fe and He, C, and O belong to the same class of primary cosmic rays which is different from the primary cosmic rays Ne, Mg, and Si class.

Clinical significance and potential mechanisms of miR-223-3p and miR-204-5p in squamous cell carcinoma of head and neck: a study based on TCGA and GEO

Objective

To explore the clinical significance and mechanisms of altered miRNAs in squamous cell carcinoma of head and neck (SCCHN) and provide references for SCCHN diagnosis and prognosis.

Method

Differential expressed miRNAs (DEMs) in SCCHN were screened through gene expression omnibus (GEO) DataSets and verified by the cancer genome atlas (TCGA) database. Next, the overall survival analysis, receiver operating characteristics, and clinical correlation analysis were adopted to filter the miRNAs with diagnostic and prognostic values. Finally, functional enrichment analyses were conducted for inquiring into the mechanisms of miRNAs.

Results

Total 103 DEMs (p < 0.05, fold change ≥ 2) in SCCHN were screened out from GSE124566. Partly, the expression levels of the selected (12/17) miRNAs were verified by TCGA. Followed, of the 12 miRNAs, two miRNA expression levels were associated with the overall survival, and five miRNAs showed diagnostic values (AUC ≥ 0.85). Besides, miR-223-3p and miR-204-5p expression levels were correlated to certain clinical features. Epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) related biological process and energy metabolism controlling related AMPK signaling pathway might mediate the roles of miR-223-3p and miR-204-5p, respectively.

Conclusion

With diagnostic and prognostic values, miR-223-3p and miR-204-5p may be involved in the progression of SCCHN through EMT-related biological process and energy balance related AMPK signaling pathway, respectively.

Has-miR-17 increases the malignancy of gastric lymphoma by HSP60/TNFR2 pathway

The purpose of this study was to investigate the expression and mechanism of miR-17 in gastric lym-phoma. miR-17mimics, miR-17 inhibitors and negative controls were transfected into human gastric lymphoma cell line cyp6d. The proliferation, invasion and apoptosis of cyp6d cells were detected by CCK-8, Transwell and TUNEL methods, respectively. The expression and clinicopathological features of miR-17 in gastric lymphoma were analyzed by real-time quantitative PCR. The target gene of miR-17 was predicted by targetscan 7.2, and the expression of miR-17 related protein was detected by Western blot. The results showed that the expression of miR-17 in gastric lymphoma was significantly higher than that in normal tissues (P < 0.05), which was closely related to lymph node metastasis, tumor size and distant metastasis (P < 0.05). The high expression of miR-17 significantly promoted the proliferation and invasion of cyp6d cells and inhibited apoptosis (P < 0.05). The high expression of miR-17 can regu¬late the expression of HSP60 and TNFR2. It has been found that miR-17 can promote the development of gastric lymphoma by regulating HSP60/TNFR2 pathway, which is a potential molecular target for the diagnosis and treatment of gastric lymphoma.

MicroRNA-28-5p regulates glioma cell proliferation, invasion and migration by targeting SphK1

The article "MicroRNA-28-5p regulates glioma cell proliferation, invasion and migration by targeting SphK1, by H.-S. Chen, A.-Q. Lu, P.-Y. Yang, J. Liang, Y. Wei, Y.-W. Shang, Q. Li, published in Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci 2019; 23 (15): 6621-6628-DOI: 10.26355/eurrev_201908_18551-PMID: 31378904" has been withdrawn from the authors stating that "after our follow-up experiments and in-depth research, we found that the previous experimental data had some loopholes and deviations. After the experiment was improved, we found that some experimental data could not be repeated again. To avoid academic adverse effects, we ask the magazine to withdraw the manuscript". The Publisher apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause. https://www.europeanreview.org/article/18551.