Endoscopy biopsy is not efficiency enough for diagnosis of mucinous colorectal adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND

Endoscopy biopsy (EB) is the standard diagnostic method for colorectal cancer (CRC), whereas its accuracy and efficiency in mucinous adenocarcinoma (MAC) initial diagnosis is unclear.

METHODS

The initial EB and postoperative specimen (PS) pathological diagnosis of MAC from two centers were retrospectively collected and analyzed. The accuracy and efficiency of initial EB compared with PS pathological diagnosis were analyzed. The potential factors which would affect the initial EB diagnosis of MAC were analyzed.

RESULTS

280 and 78 eligible cases were enrolled in this study from two centers respectively. The initial EB diagnosis accuracy for MAC were 84.62% and 83.33%. However, among the cases of PS diagnosis with MAC, the diagnostic efficiency of initial EB was only 36.49% and 32.50% respectively. Lower tumor differentiation and more EB number were associated with an increased probability for the EB diagnosis of MAC, but only tumor differentiation was an independent diagnositic factor for EB in the two cohorts.

CONCLUSIONS

The accuracy of initial EB with MAC is high, but the diagnostic efficiency was extremely low. Tumor differentiation and EB number were associated with the diagnosis efficiency of MAC before surgery.

miR-29a-3p enhances the radiosensitivity of oral squamous cell carcinoma cells by inhibiting ADAM12

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most common malignant tumor in the head and neck, and radiotherapy is the main approach for this disease, while irradiation resistance is a huge challenge that influences radiosensitivity. This study aims to determine the role and function of miR-29a-3p and ADAM12 in the radiosensitivity of OSCC cells. The expression pattern of ADAM12 in OSCC cells was searched in TCGA database. The binding of miR-29a-3p and ADAM12 was predicted by Starbase and verified using dual luciferase reporter gene assay. The RNA or protein expressions of miR-29a-3p and ADAM12 were measured by RT-qPCR or western blot. OSCC cell lines were treated by various γ-ray irradiation dosages before the alteration on miR-29a-3p expression and on the cell viability, proliferation, migration and cell apoptosis was detected. ADAM12 was highly expressed in OSCC cells, whose expression in resistant cells was positively correlated with irradiation dosage. Overexpression of ADAM12 in OSCC cells lead to increased cell proliferation and migration ability as well as inhibited cell apoptosis. miRNAs potentially binding ADAM12 in PITA, microT, miRmap and targetscan were screened, among which miR-29a-3p had the maximum differential expression levels in OSCC cells determined by RT-qPCR. Overexpression of miR-29a-3p resulted in suppressed cell viability, proliferation, migration ability and increased cell apoptosis, while this expression pattern can be partially counteracted by ADAM12 overexpression in OSCC cells. miR-29a-3p through targeting and inhibiting AMDM12 enhances the radiosensitivity of OSCC cells.

Screening of a Plesiomonas shigelloides phage and study of the activity of its lysis system

Plesiomonas shigelloides is an important fish pathogen that causes significant losses in aquaculture. Phage therapy is a new approach to overcome the problem of multidrug-resistant bacteria. Herein, a virulent phage of P. shigelloides was isolated from the intestines of grass carp. This phage belongs to the Siphoviridae family and was designated PSP01. The optimal multiplicity of infection of PSP01 was 1 with a latent period of 30 min and a lytic period of 140 min. Good activity was observed over a wide range of temperatures (-20 °C-50 °C), pH values (3-12), and NaCl concentrations (0.1-3.5%). The phage PSP01 lysis cassette is composed of 3 genes, HolPSP, LysPSP-1 and LysPSP-2. Expression of HolPSP or LysPSP-2 in Escherichia coli resulted in bacterial lysis, and a synergistic effect was observed when the HolPSP and LysPSP-1 proteins were co-expressed. In-frame deletion uncovered an important role of the transmembrane domain (TMD) in HolPSP and the signal peptide (SP) in LysPSP-2 for bacterial lysis function. The protective effects of phage PSP01 were investigated by intraperitoneal injection into grass carp infected with P. shigelloides, showing a 33.3% increase in the survival rate of the infected grass carp. Pathological analysis of the spleens from the infected grass carp revealed alleviation of the pathological symptoms. In conclusion, isolation and bacterial lysis investigations of phage PSP01 provide a new tool for the control of fish pathogens and possesses potential for aquaculture applications.

[Mechanism of volatile oil from Alpinia oxyphylla in treating Alzheimer's disease based on GC-MS and network pharmacology]

To study the material basis and mechanism of volatile oil from Alpinia oxyphylla in treating Alzheimer's disease(AD) based on GC-MS and network pharmacology. Ingredients of volatile oil from A.oxyphylla were analyzed by GC-MS. Targets of those ingredients were obtained through Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform(TCMSP). Relevant targets of AD were obtained through such databases as DrugBank, STITCH, OMIM. Intersection targets of ingredients and diseases were obtained by Online Venny map, and PPI network was established by STRING to screen out core targets. Gene ontology(GO) functional enrichment analysis and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis were performed by DAVID. The "ingredients-target-pathway" network was constructed by software Cytoscape 3.8.1 to screen out potential active ingredients of volatile oil from A.oxyphylla in the treatment of AD. The results showed that a total of 6 active ingredients were screened from the volatile oil of A.oxyphylla by GC-MS, 17 targets corresponding to 6 active ingredients were found in TCMSP database, and 3 448 AD targets were found in DrugBank database. "Ingredients-target-pathway" network and PPI network showed there were 4 potential active ingredients in the treatment of AD and 4 core targets. GO analysis and KEGG analysis showed 34(P<0.05) and 5(P<0.05) pathways, respectively, including nerve ligand receptor interaction, calcium signaling pathway, cholinergic synapse and 5-hydroxytryptaminergic synapse. This suggested that volatile oil from A.oxyphylla could synergistically treat AD by regulating calcium balance, cholinergic balance and phosphorylation. This study provided reference and guidance for further study of volatile oil from A.oxyphylla in the treatment of AD.

Functional hit 1 (FH1)-based rapid and efficient generation of functional hepatocytes from human mesenchymal stem cells: a novel strategy for hepatic differentiation

Background

Because the liver is central to the physiology of the body, primary hepatocytes are widely used in liver pathology and physiological research, such as liver drug screening, bioartificial liver support system, and cell therapy for liver diseases. However, the source of primary hepatocytes is limited. We describe a novel non-transgenic protocol that facilitates the rapid generation of hepatocyte-like cells from human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hUC-MSCs), providing a new source of functional hepatocytes.

Methods

In this study, we used hUC-MSCs and human induced pluripotent cells (iPSCs) derived mesenchymal stem cells (iMSCs) to investigate the new induction strategy. Passage 3 MSCs were induced into hepatocyte-like cells using small-molecule compounds combined with cell factors in vitro. Functional hit 1 (FH1), a promising small molecule compound was achieved to replace HGF in the hepatocyte maturation stage to induce the hepatocyte-like cells differentiation.

Results

We rapidly induced hUC-MSCs and human iMSCs into hepatocyte-like cells within 10 days in vitro, and the cells were morphologically similarly to both hepatocytes derived from the hepatocyte growth factor (HGF)-based method and the primary hepatocytes. They expressed mature hepatocyte special genes and achieved functions such as glycogen storage, albumin expression, urea secretion, cytochrome P450 activity, Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) uptake, and indocyanine green (ICG) uptake.

Conclusions

We successfully established a small-molecule protocol without using HGF to differentiate MSCs into hepatocyte-like cells, which provides a rapid and cost-effective platform for in vitro studies of liver disease.

A review about industrialization of Chinese materia medica decoction pieces

Chinese materia medica decoction pieces (CMMDPs), one of the three pillars of the Chinese materia medica industry, are a key link in the Chinese materia medica industrial chain. Industrialization is the only way for the modernization of CMMDPs. This review mainly summarizes the characteristics, history, current situation and prospect of CMMDPs industry, providing a new reference for promoting the flourishing development of the industrialization of CMMDPs and for serving massive health industry. The literature was collected from databases including Web of Science, PubMed, Elsevier and CNKI (Chinese). CMMDPs industry has the characteristics of regionalism, resource dependency, customer diversity and low industrial concentration. Deeply processed products include traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formula granules, small-packed decoction pieces, ultrafine decoction pieces, puffed decoction pieces, compressed decoction pieces and instant decoction pieces. Integration of treatment and processing at the place of origin is emerging. However, there is still room for improvement, for example, the manufacturing technologies of CMMDPs industry need to be continually improved. The management of CMMDPs' normalized production also needs to be strengthened. The quality of CMMDPs should be strengthened supervision and it should establish the objective and feasible quality evaluation system for CMMDPs. At present, China has attached unprecedented importance to the development of TCM, and issued a number of supporting policies, sparing no effort to support its development.

The effect of marital and insurance status on the survival of elderly patients with stage M1b colon cancer: a SEER-based study

BACKGROUND

Colon cancer is largely implicated in elderly patients (age ≥ 60 years). The prognosis of patients diagnosed with the M1b stage is vastly poor. Marital and insurance status has been considered important prognostic factors in various cancer types. However, how these factors influence elderly patients with stage M1b colon cancer remains to be explored. This study aims to uncover the role of marital and insurance status in the survival of elderly patients with stage M1b colon cancer.

METHODS

We retrieved data for patients diagnosed with stage M1b colon cancer between 2010 and 2016 from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. Our analysis of the clinicopathological features, overall survival (OS), and cancer-specific survival (CSS) was based on the marital and insurance status, respectively.

RESULTS

In sum, 5709 stage M1b colon cancer patients with complete information from SEER were enrolled for analysis. The OS and CSS of the Non-married group were poorer compared to that of the Married group. The OS and CSS of the Uninsured group were poorer than both of the Insured group and Medicaid group. However, OS was comparable between Uninsured group and Medicaid groups. The findings allude that marital and insurance status potentially impact the long-term survival of elderly patients with M1b colon cancer. The subgroup survival analyses revealed the lowest risk for death among the Insured Married group based on the comparison of the OS and CSS across all other groups. Moreover, Univariate and multivariate analyses revealed race, marital status, surgery, and chemotherapy as independent predictors for OS, whereas insurance status, surgery,and chemotherapy were independent predictors for CSS in elderly patients with M1b colon cancer.

CONCLUSION

The marital and insurance status greatly impact the survival of elderly patients with M1b colon cancer. Therefore, it is imperative to provide more support to this vulnerable patient group who are lonely and uninsured, particularly in the psychological and health insurance aspect.

Accurate prediction and genome-wide association analysis of digital intramuscular fat content in longissimus muscle of pigs

Intramuscular fat (IMF) content is a critical indicator of pork quality that affects directly the purchasing desire of consumers. However, to measure IMF content is both laborious and costly, preventing our understanding of its genetic determinants and improvement. In the present study, we constructed an accurate and fast image acquisition and analysis system, to extract and calculate the digital IMF content, the proportion of fat areas in the image (PFAI) of the longissimus muscle of 1709 animals from multiple pig populations. PFAI was highly significantly correlated with marbling scores (MS; 0.95, r²  = 0.90), and also with IMF contents chemically defined for 80 samples (0.79, r²  = 0.63; more accurate than direct analysis between IMF contents and MS). The processing time for one image is only 2.31 s. Genome-wide association analysis on PFAI for all 1709 animals identified 14 suggestive significant SNPs and 1 genome-wide significant SNP. On MS, we identified nine suggestive significant SNPs, and seven of them were also identified in PFAI. Furthermore, the significance (-log P) values of the seven common SNPs are higher in PFAI than in MS. Novel candidate genes of biological importance for IMF content were also discovered. Our imaging systems developed for prediction of digital IMF content is closer to IMF measured by Soxhlet extraction and slightly more accurate than MS. It can achieve fast and high-throughput IMF phenotype, which can be used in improvement of pork quality.

Safety assessment of subtilisin QK in rats

BACKGROUND

Subtilisin QK is a serine protease in the subtilisin family, and is fermented by Bacillus subtilis QK02. The fibrinolytic activity of subtilisin QK was measured by detecting low molecular weight degradation products using a spectrophotometric method developed by Japan Bio Science Laboratory Co., Ltd. Subtilisin QK powder can maintain its fibrinolytic activity for more than 24 months when it is stored at room temperature and protected from light. Our previous results showed that subtlisin QK directly degraded cross-linked fibrins in the fibrin plate assay and effectively inhibited thrombosis in the mouse thrombus model. The aim of this study was to determine the acute toxicity, potential subchronic toxicity, and safety pharmacology of subtilisin QK in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats.

METHODS

In the acute toxicity study, a single oral dose of 100,000 FU/kg was administered to 10 female and 10 male SD rats. In the 28-day subchronic toxicity, 60 female and 60 male SD rats were randomly assigned to four experimental groups (daily oral dose of 0, 2500, 7500 and 25,000 FU/kg). In the safety pharmacology study, 20 female and 20 male SD rats were randomly assigned to four experimental groups (single oral dose of 0, 500, 1500 and 5000 FU/kg).

RESULTS

No death occurred and no adverse effects were observed in the acute toxicity study at a dose of 100,000 FU/kg. In the 28-day subchronic toxicity study, several hematological and blood biochemical parameters showed increases or decreases; however, due to the lack of a dose-response relationship, these differences were considered unrelated to treatment. In the safety pharmacology study, no adverse effects were observed on the central nervous of SD rats post-administration up to a dose of 5000 FU/kg subtilisin QK.

CONCLUSION

The results showed that oral consumption of subtilisin QK is of low toxicological concern. No adverse effects were observed at doses of 2500, 7500, and 25,000 FU/kg in the 28-day subchronic toxicity, and the no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) of subtilisin QK was 25,000 FU/kg.

Characteristics of colorectal carcinoma patients with PMS2 defects detected by immunohistochemistry

Lynch syndrome is the most prevalent form of familial colorectal cancer (CRC) and is caused by pathogenic germline mismatch repair (MMR) gene mutations. MLH1, MSH2 and MSH6 mutations have been well studied, but the rate and characteristics of PMS2 mutations are rare, especially in China. This study enrolled 1706 unselected patients with CRC who underwent colorectal resection from June 2016 to November 2018, the MMR status and clinicopathological features were analysed. A total of 11.8% of patients with CRC had defects in at least one MMR-related protein. Among them, 8.3% were identified with PMS2 defects, and 3.1% of patients had isolated PMS2 defects. Compared with MMR-proficient CRC, PMS2-defect CRC occurred more frequently in the right colon and less frequently in the rectum, had more poorly differentiated and mucinous carcinoma cases, and had fewer perineural invasions and a lower pN stage but a more advanced pT stage and a larger tumour size. In the cases with PMS2 defect, there were fewer tumours in the right colon, fewer poorly differentiated cases and smaller tumour sizes than in the cases with both MLH1 and PMS2 defects. In addition, in cases with isolated PMS2 defects, there were more tumours in the right colon and, more mucinous carcinoma cases than in cases with MMR-proficient CRCs, but had a similar cancer onset age. This study identified the rate, clinicopathological and age characteristics of PMS2 defects in CRCs in China and highlighted the importance of universal screening and germline detection of PMS2 in CRC.

Hemicolectomy Does Not Provide Survival Benefit for Right-Sided Mucinous Colon Adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND

The extent of bowel resection is widely debated in colon cancer surgery. Right hemicolectomy (RHC) and partial colectomy (PC) are the most common operation options for right-sided colon cancer (RCC). However, there are still no treatment guidelines or published studies to guide surgical options for mucinous adenocarcinoma (MAC) of RCC.

METHODS

Patients with MAC and non-specific adenocarcinoma (AC) of RCC who underwent RHC and PC from 2010 to 2015 in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database were retrieved. The general characteristics and survival were compared and analyzed.

RESULTS

A total of 27,910 RCC patients were enrolled in this study, among them 3,413 were MAC. The results showed that race, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) level, perineural invasion (PNI), tumor size, tumor location, TNM stage, liver metastasis, chemotherapy were significantly different between MAC and AC groups. The MAC group had similar dissected lymph nodes, but more positive lymph nodes than the AC group. The overall survival (OS) of the MAC group was poorer than that of the AC group, but cancer-specific survival (CSS) was similar between the two groups. The RHC subgroup of the MAC group had more patients of age ≤60 years, larger tumor size, cecum/ascending colon location and dissected lymph nodes than the PC subgroup, but similar positive lymph nodes, perioperative mortality, OS and CSS as the PC subgroup. Moreover, the univariate and multivariable analyses for the survival of RCC patients with MAC showed that RHC might not be a superior predictor for OS and CSS compared with PC.

CONCLUSIONS

RHC could not dissect more positive lymph nodes or provide long-term survival benefits for RCC patients with MAC compared with PC. This study could provide some evidence for surgery treatment selection for MAC of RCC, which has important clinical value in individual management of colon cancer patients.

Acute and Subchronic Toxicities and Safety Pharmacology Studies of a Bacillus Subtilisin in Dogs

Subtilisin NAT, a Bacillus subtilisin, is widely applied as a functional food and considered to be one of the most exploitable potential oral thrombolytic agents. Subtilisin QK, another Bacillus subtilisin, is a serine protease fermented by Bacillus subtilis 02 and has a better thrombolytic effect. Therefore, subtilisin QK is typically used for evaluating the safety of Bacillus subtilisins. Here, we conduct several good laboratory practice (GLP)-compliant studies in non-rodent animal, i.e., in Beagle dogs, including acute toxicity, subchronic toxicity, and safety pharmacology studies. No adverse effects were evident in the acute and 28-d subchronic toxicity studies at doses up to 40000 FU/kg and 16000 FU/kg/d, respectively. In evaluating the pharmacological safety of up to 2000FU/kg subtilisin QK, we found no significant differences between the electrocardiograms, blood pressures, and respiration of beagle dogs. These findings suggest the safety of Bacillus subtilisin, providing reliable pharmacological and toxicological data for its development and popularization as a functional food and drug.

Controlled generation of luminescent centers in hexagonal boron nitride by irradiation engineering

Luminescent centers in the two-dimensional material hexagonal boron nitride have the potential to enable quantum applications at room temperature. To be used for applications, it is crucial to generate these centers in a controlled manner and to identify their microscopic nature. Here, we present a method inspired by irradiation engineering with oxygen atoms. We systematically explore the influence of the kinetic energy and the irradiation fluence on the generation of luminescent centers. We find modifications of their density for both parameters, while a fivefold enhancement is observed with increasing fluence. Molecular dynamics simulations clarify the generation mechanism of these centers and their microscopic nature. We infer that V_NC_B and [Formula: see text] are the most likely centers formed. Ab initio calculations of their optical properties show excellent agreement with our experiments. Our methodology generates quantum emitters in a controlled manner and provides insights into their microscopic nature.

[The role of time-series propagation map and activity path of confirmed cases in the analysis and determination of COVID-19 epidemic]

Objective: The time sequence transmission map and the cases travel track were used to explain the chain of transmission, describe the characteristics of transmission and analyze the mode of epidemic of novel coronavirus pneumonia, so as to provide evidence for the relevant government departments to carry out epidemic prevention and control. Methods: The time sequence transmission map and the cases travel track table were drawn, according to the time of incidence, age, sex, number of close contacts and their interrelations. Results: At the end of February 10, 2020, 63 COVID-19 cases were reported in the research area. Among them, 57 cases were confirmed (1 deaths) and 6 cases were asymptomatic, 57 cases were imported cases (90.48%), 36 cases were reported by cluster epidemic (57.14%) among friends and relatives. Cases have been spread to the fourth generation. Conclusion: The time sequence transmission map and the cases travel track showed that, in the research area, the epidemic situation of COVID-19 was mainly caused by imported case, and the clustering transmission was the major spread model. The time sequence transmission map and the cases travel track are worth popularizing in the prevention and control of major infectious diseases.

Integrated Analysis of the Functions and Prognostic Values of RNA-Binding Proteins in Colorectal Cancer

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common malignant tumors. Selecting effective treatment for CRC patients, especially in the early stages, remains a challenge because of the lack of adequate biomarkers. Recent evidence suggests that RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) play a vital role in development and progression of carcinogenesis. However, their mechanisms in cancer progression are still limited. The role of RBPs in CRC has been poorly understood. There were 1,542 reported RBPs analyzed between CRC tissues and normal tissues using the Wilcoxon test to identify differentially expressed RBPs (DE RBPs). Then, the potential functions and the prognostic value of these DE RBPs were explored through systematic bioinformatics analysis. There were 177 DE RBPs identified between CRC tissues and normal tissues. A protein–protein interaction network was constructed based on DE RBPs, and critical modules were screened. A regulatory network between prognostic DE RBPs and differentially expressed transcription factors was constructed. Besides, a risk signature was built based on prognostic DE RBPs, which is able to predict overall survival of CRC patients with high accuracy. In conclusion, the results provided a comprehensive understanding of the functions of RBPs in CRC, as well as an RBP-related prognostic signature.