A preliminary study: proteomic analysis of exosomes derived from thyroid-stimulating hormone-stimulated HepG2 cells

BACKGROUND

Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) plays an important role in the regulation of lipid metabolism. However, little is known about the role that exosomes play in the process of TSH-induced lipotoxicity in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). As a preliminary step, the present study set out to investigate alterations in protein expression in exosomes derived from TSH-stimulated HepG2 cells.

METHODS

HepG2 cells were treated with TSH, exosomes were collected, and proteins were identified by mass spectrometry (MS). Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genome (KEGG) pathway analysis were performed to analyze the identified proteins.

RESULTS

TSH treatment significantly increased exosomal production and changed the exosomal proteomic profile in HepG2 cells. Among the 1728 proteins, 140 identified proteins were upregulated and seven proteins were downregulated. GO analysis and KEGG analysis revealed that these proteins were involved in multiple processes including metabolism, apoptosis, and inflammation.

CONCLUSION

Our preliminary study demonstrated that exosomes derived from TSH-stimulated hepatocytes were increased and showed a specific altered spectrum of proteins, many of which were involved in metabolism, signal transduction, apoptosis, and inflammation. This study offers new insights into the pathogenesis of TSH-induced lipotoxicity in NAFLD.

Efficacy of laparoscopic gastric bypass vs laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy in treating obesity combined with type-2 diabetes

OBJECTIVE

This prospective study compared the efficacy and safety of laparoscopic gastric bypass and laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy in treating overweight and obese patients with BMI>28 kg/m² and type-2 diabetes.

METHODS

Patients were randomized into a gastric bypass group (n = 77) or a gastrectomy group (n = 80). The surgery time, intraoperative blood loss, recovery time, and hospitalization time were collected. BMI, waistline, hipline, C-peptide level, insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR), and their blood and lipid profile were also measured.

RESULTS

Surgery time and blood loss were significantly higher in the gastrectomy group, when compared to the gastric bypass group (P < 0.05). In both groups, the levels of BMI, waist circumference and hip circumference (but not their ratio) gradually and significantly decreased after surgery compared with baseline (P < 0.05), and no significant difference was found between these two groups. The C-peptide level, HOMA-IR, fasting blood glucose, 2-hour postprandial blood glucose and glycosylated haemoglobin gradually and significantly decreased after surgery compared with the values before treatment (P < 0.05). The levels of total cholesterol, triglyceride, LDL, and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 were also lower after surgery in both groups, while HDL and glucagon-like peptide-1 were significantly higher after surgery compared with the values before treatment (P < 0.05). However, no significant difference was found between these two groups of patients.

CONCLUSION

Both laparoscopic gastric bypass and laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy improved the BMI and diabetic conditions of overweight/obese diabetics, while laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy had a shorter surgical time and less blood loss.

[A pediatric-inspired regimen for adolescents and young adults with Philadelphia chromosome-negative acute lymphoblastic leukemia: results from a single center]

目的

探索应用类似儿童方案治疗Ph染色体阴性青少年及年轻成人急性淋巴细胞白血病（ALL）患者的疗效和安全性。

方法

回顾性分析2012年1月至2018年11月在北京协和医院确诊并且应用统一的类似儿童ALL方案治疗的71例15～39岁Ph染色体阴性ALL/淋巴母细胞淋巴瘤(LBL)初治患者的临床资料和生存数据。

结果

71例患者中，男性46例（64.8%）；中位年龄为20（15～38）岁。B-ALL/LBL占69.0%（49/71）。高危ALL占ALL总数的35.5%。诱导治疗的完全缓解率为93.0%。中位随访时间为44个月。2年累积复发率为34.6%（95% CI 27.0%～42.2%）。5年无病生存（DFS）率和总生存（OS）率分别为56.3%和64.3%。完成4个疗程化疗后一线行异基因造血干细胞移植组与化疗组患者的5年OS率差异无统计学意义（P>0.05）。非高危ALL患者的预计5年DFS率和OS率分别为63.1%和73.7%，明显高于高危ALL患者的32.0%和44.4%（P值均<0.001）。不良事件主要为血流感染、真菌感染、股骨头坏死，发生率与既往报道相当。

结论

类似儿童ALL方案是一种对Ph染色体阴性青少年及年轻成人ALL/LBL患者较为安全和有效的治疗方案。

Polarization-dependent vibrational shifts on dielectric substrates

The interaction of light with matter at surfaces of dielectrics strongly depends on polarization. Here, we present the first infrared spectroscopic evidence for significant polarization effects in the spectroscopic detection of adsorbate vibrational frequencies. In addition to much larger peak intensities for p-polarized light relative to s-polarization, a small but distinct blue shift was identified for CO adsorbed at the surfaces of two prototype dielectric substrates, CeO2(111) and CaCO3(10.4). A simulation using a layer model yields very good agreement with experiment.

Small RNA sequencing reveals miRNAs important for hypoxic adaptation in the Tibetan chicken

1. The Tibetan chicken, which is an indigenous breed living on the Tibetan Plateau, exhibits hypoxic adaptations to its high-altitude environment. However, the molecular mechanism behind this hypoxic adaptation is still unclear. This study aimed to investigate differentially expressed miRNAs involved in hypoxic adaptation through high-throughput RNA sequencing. 2. Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to verify the differentially expressed miRNAs and their target genes in chicken embryonic heart tissues and fibroblasts. Luciferase reporter assays were performed to confirm the relationship between miRNAs and target genes. 3. The study identified 37 differentially expressed miRNAs in Tibetan chicken embryonic heart tissues, including 20 up- and 17 down-regulated miRNAs, compared to those found in lowland chickens. Differentially expressed miRNAs were mainly involved in biological processes, such as cell cycle arrest, toll-like receptor signalling pathways, and I-kappa B kinase/NF-kappa B signalling. The data showed that gga-miR-34 c-5p was significantly upregulated in Tibetan chicken tissues and hypoxic fibroblasts, while EHHADH, a target gene of gga-miR-34 c-5p, was downregulated. Moreover, gga-miR-34 c-5p dramatically decreased the luciferase activity of the wild EHHADH, whereas no effect on the mutational EHHADH was found. 4. This study identified miRNA expression profiles in the Tibetan chicken and suggested that miR-34 c-5p acts as a novel miRNA associated with hypoxic adaptation. This facilitates the understanding of molecular mechanisms that underlie long-term exposure to hypoxia.

Preliminary experience with promethazine hydrochloride injection in the sclerotherapy of oral mucocele

Mucoceles are common in the minor salivary and sublingual glands. Sclerotherapy is a possible treatment strategy for mucoceles. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical outcomes of sclerotherapy with promethazine hydrochloride injection in treating mucoceles. Thirty-seven patients were enrolled. Sclerotherapy was performed with promethazine hydrochloride injection (25mg/ml) through the mucosa. Patients were followed up at 1, 3, and 6 months after the last sclerotherapy. Clinical data were reviewed. The lesions (range 2-30mm in diameter) occurred on the ventral tongue tip (20 patients), lower lip (11 patients), and floor of the mouth (six patients). The amount of sclerosant per injection ranged from 0.2ml to 1ml. At the 6-month follow-up, 33 patients showed resolution with no recurrence. One patient showed a significant response with a 5-mm-diameter nodule remaining after two sclerotherapies. Three patients who underwent two or more sclerotherapies failed to show an improvement. The overall cure rate was 91.9% (96.8% for mucoceles of the minor salivary gland, 66.7% for ranulas). Complications were rare and mild. Sclerotherapy with promethazine hydrochloride injection for the treatment of mucoceles is safe. It is effective for mucoceles of the minor salivary glands, but its application for ranulas requires further investigation.

[Novel compound heterozygous LoF mutations in SRD5A2 may result in disorders of sex development]

Objective: To investigate the novel genetic cause associated with hypospadias and the strategy for preventing offspring genetic defects in these patients. Methods: In March 2019, a patient with gonadal dysplasia (hypospadias associated with cryptorchidism) was referred to Shanghai General Hospital. His secondary sex characters, level of sex hormones and the development of male reproductive system was assessed through physical examination, sex hormone examination, male reproductive system B-ultrasound and computed tomography (CT). Whole-exome sequencing (WES) was preformed to investigate the pathogenic genetic variations associated with hypospadias and cryptorchidism. Also, Sanger sequencing was conducted to verify the WES results in the pedigree. Semen analysis was used to assess the fertility of the proband and the SRD5A2 gene analysis of his spouse was performed to assess the risk of genetic defects in the offspring. Results: The patient suffered from gonadal dysplasia (hypospadias associated with cryptorchidism). Physical examination showed an inverted triangular distribution of pubic hair, small penis and the volume of the testis was 8 ml. Sex hormone examination revealed the level of FSH, LH, Pituitary prolactin (PRL), estrogen (E(2)), testosterone (T), and sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) was 25.81 U/L, 10.84 U/L, 21.09 μg/L, 153 pmol/L, 16.95 nmol/L, and 36.15 nmol/L respectively. B-ultrasound and computed tomography (CT) showed left inguinal testis. Also, semen analysis illustrated that the volume was 0.05 ml and sperm concentration<2×10(6)/ml, suggesting oligospermia in this case. WES sequencing and Sanger sequencing showed compound heterozygous LoF mutations in SRD5A2 [NM_000348.3:C.679C>T(p.Arg227Ter) and NM_000348.3:C.16C>T(p.Gln6Ter)] in this patient. And there were no pathogenic genetic variations of SRD5A2 in the spouse. Conclusion: Novel compound heterozygous LoF mutations in SRD5A2[NM_000348.3:C.679C>T(p.Arg227Ter) and NM_000348.3:C.16C>T(p.Gln6Ter)] may be the primary cause of disorders of sex development.

OP0216 DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION OF PATIENT-LEVEL PREDICTION MODELS FOR ADVERSE HEALTH OUTCOMES AMONGST ADULT RA PATIENTS INITIATING FIRST-LINE TREATMENT OF METHOTREXATE MONOTHERAPY: A MULTINATIONAL REAL-WORLD COHORT ANALYSIS INCLUDING 164,735 SUBJECTS

Background:

EULAR guidelines recommend the early initiation of methotrexate (MTX) monotherapy as soon as possible after the diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Evaluating patient-level risks for adverse outcomes after MTX initiation would allow clinicians to provide more personalised care.

Objectives:

To develop and validate patient-level prediction models for adverse health outcomes including leukopenia, pancytopenia, infection (serious, opportunistic, all), cardiovascular disease (CVD) (myocardial infarction (MI), stroke), and cancer (breast, colorectal, uterus) in adult RA patients initiating first-line treatment of MTX monotherapy

Methods:

Health data from claims and electronic health records were used including patients from 7 European countries (Spain, Estonia, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, France, and the UK), the United States of America, Australia, and Japan. All RA patients initiating first-line treatment of MTX monotherapy with at least one year of prior observation were included. Prediction models for the outcomes were developed for a time at risk of 3 months (infections, leukopenia, pancytopenia), 2 years (MI and stroke), and 5 years (cancers) on the Optum© De-Identified Clinformatics® Data Mart Database. Models were developed using LASSO logistic regression and were evaluated using the area under the receiver operator characteristic curve (AUROC) for discrimination and graphically assessed for calibration. The models were externally validated on all other databases.

Results:

A total of 21,307 subjects were used for training and validated against 143,427 patients from 14 sites. MI (AUROC internal 0.77, AUROC external ranging from 0.49 to 0.78), stroke (AUROC internal 0.78, AUROC external ranging from 0.68 to 0.79) and serious infection (AUROC internal 0.75, AUROC external ranging from 0.63 to 0.79) had good predictive validity [Table 1]. Discrimination for all other outcomes was lower, with all AUC<0.7 in internal validation. For detailed results see:https://data.ohdsi.org/ehdenRaPrediction/

Table 1.

Internal (Optum) and external validation results: AUC ROC for discrimination

DatabaseAcute MI within 2yStroke within 2ySerious Infection within 3mOptum (internal)0.770.780.75PanTher0.760.780.74IQVIA_AMBEMR0.760.72CCAE0.730.730.66IQVIA_GERMANY0.640.70IQVIA_THIN0.620.65MDCR0.680.680.67IQVIA_HOSPITAL0.670.630.61MDCD0.720.790.63JMDC0.490.750.71IQVIA_LPDFRANCE0.69Estonia0.670.770.82IQVIA_AUS0.58IPCI0.68SIDIAP0.650.75

Conclusion:

Clinical tools were developed that successfully identify subjects at risk of MI, stroke and serious infection at the initiation of first-line MTX therapy. The developed algorithms had good transportability and generally, the models with high AUROC had adequate internal calibration although some external validations show they could benefit from recalibration. For short-term opportunistic and all infections, as well as 5-year cancer models, we were unable to achieve a high enough AUROC to warrant validating externally.

Disclosure of Interests:

Cynthia Yang: None declared, Ross Williams: None declared, Joel Swerdel Shareholder of: J&J shares, Grant/research support from: Full-time employment salary from Janssen, Consultant of: Janssen employee, Employee of: Janssen, Paid instructor for: Janssen employee, have instructed at conferences, Speakers bureau: Janssen employee, have spoken at conferences, Meghna Jani Speakers bureau: Grifols, Talita Duarte-Salles: None declared, Katerina Chatzidionysiou Consultant of: AbbVie, Pfizer, Lilly., Daniel Prieto-Alhambra Grant/research support from: Professor Prieto-Alhambra has received research Grants from AMGEN, UCB Biopharma and Les Laboratoires Servier, Consultant of: DPA’s department has received fees for consultancy services from UCB Biopharma, Speakers bureau: DPA’s department has received fees for speaker and advisory board membership services from Amgen, Patrick Ryan: None declared, Peter Rijnbeek: None declared

Rat NaV1.7 loss-of-function genetic model: Deficient nociceptive and neuropathic pain behavior with retained olfactory function and intra-epidermal nerve fibers

Recapitulating human disease pathophysiology using genetic animal models is a powerful approach to enable mechanistic understanding of genotype–phenotype relationships for drug development. Na_V1.7 is a sodium channel expressed in the peripheral nervous system with strong human genetic validation as a pain target. Efforts to identify novel analgesics that are nonaddictive resulted in industry exploration of a class of sulfonamide compounds that bind to the fourth voltage-sensor domain of Na_V1.7. Due to sequence differences in this region, sulfonamide blockers generally are potent on human but not rat Na_V1.7 channels. To test sulfonamide-based chemical matter in rat models of pain, we generated a humanized Na_V1.7 rat expressing a chimeric Na_V1.7 protein containing the sulfonamide-binding site of the human gene sequence as a replacement for the equivalent rat sequence. Unexpectedly, upon transcription, the human insert was spliced out, resulting in a premature stop codon. Using a validated antibody, Na_V1.7 protein was confirmed to be lost in the brainstem, dorsal root ganglia, sciatic nerve, and gastrointestinal tissue but not in nasal turbinates or olfactory bulb in rats homozygous for the knock-in allele (HOM-KI). HOM-KI rats exhibited normal intraepidermal nerve fiber density with reduced tetrodotoxin-sensitive current density and action potential firing in small diameter dorsal root ganglia neurons. HOM-KI rats did not exhibit nociceptive pain responses in hot plate or capsaicin-induced flinching assays and did not exhibit neuropathic pain responses following spinal nerve ligation. Consistent with expression of chimeric Na_V1.7 in olfactory tissue, HOM-KI rats retained olfactory function. This new genetic model highlights the necessity of Na_V1.7 for pain behavior in rats and indicates that sufficient inhibition of Na_V1.7 in humans may reduce pain in neuropathic conditions. Due to preserved olfactory function, this rat model represents an alternative to global Na_V1.7 knockout mice that require time-intensive hand feeding during early postnatal development.

THU0228 PROTECTIVE EFFECT OF LEFLUNOMIDE ON THE SALIVARY SECRETION OF SUBMANDIBULAR GLAND IN THE NOD MOUSE

Background:

A study of 15 PSS patients showed that leflunomide had no significant effect on the decrease of salivary flow rate and the formation of lymphocytic infiltrates in salivary glands[1]. However, due to the small number of samples included in this study and the small size of human salivary gland biopsies, the therapeutic effect of leflunomide may be underestimated. At present, there is no further study on this issue, the effect of leflunomide on Sjogren’s syndrome is still not clear.

Objectives:

To investigate the therapeutic effect of leflunomide on salivary gland secretion dysfunction in the NOD mice with Sjogren’s syndrome.

Methods:

The NOD mice were randomly divided into four groups: preventive drug group, preventive control group, therapeutic drug group, and therapeutic control group. Salivary flow rate was measured after pilocarpine stimulation; After hematoxylin and eosin staining, the average number and area of infiltrating lesions were compared; The percentage of CD3+T, CD4+T, CD8+T, CD44+CD62L-CD4+T, CD19+B, and CD138+B cells in submandibular gland and spleen were detected by flow cytometry; The levels of serum inflammatory factors TNF-a, IL-17A and IL-6 were detected by CBA method.

Results:

The salivary flow rate (t = -5.81, P<0.001; z =-3.61,P<0.05), the number of infiltrating foci(t=3.95,P<0.01; t=4.94,P<0.001)and the average area of infiltrating foci(t=3.18.61,P<0.05; z=2.35,P<0.05)in the treatment groups were significantly ameliorated. CD4+T cells(t=2.39 P<0.05; t´=3.82 P<0.01)and CD44+CD62L-CD4+T cells(t´=3.53,P<0.05; t´=3.36,P<0.05)in the submandibular gland were significantly decreased. CD3+T(t=6.08, P<0.001; t=2.76,P<0.05),CD4+T(t´=3.73,P<0.05; t=2.39, P<0.05), CD19+B(t=5.88,P<0.001; t´=4.23, P<0.01) and CD138+B (t=4.30, P<0.001; t=4.46, P<0.01) cells in the spleen were also significantly decreased. In addition, the serum IL-17A of the treatment group reduced to lower level(t=4.15,p<0.01;t=3.36,p<0.01),and the TNF-a level of the preventive drug group decreased(t=4.56; p<0.001).

Figure 1.

Leflunomide reduced lymphocyte infiltration and improved salivary gland function in NOD mice. A-D: Histology of the submandibular glands of NOD mice in control and treated groups. E-H: The comparison of the submandibular gland index, salivary flow rate, number of infiltrating foci and average area of the submandibular gland, between the control and treated groups. (mean±SD; n=7 per group; * P<0.05, ** P<0.01, *** P<0.001).

Figure 2.

Changes of lymphocyte subsets in submandibular gland and spleen A-L: Frequencies of CD3+ T cells, CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, CD44+ CD62L-CD4+T cells, CD19+ T cells and CD138+ B cells in the SMG tissues and the spleen collected from treated group and control group. (mean±SD; n=7 per group; * P<0.05, ** P<0.01, *** P<0.001).

Figure 3.

The proinflammatory cytokine levels of TNF-α, IL-17, and IL-6 in the serum samples from the treated and control group. (mean±SD; n=7 per group; * P<0.05, ** P<0.01, *** P<0.001).

Conclusion:

Leflunomide may prevent and improve salivary gland hypofunction and inhibit immune activation in NOD mice, providing a theoretical basis for evaluating leflunomide in the treatment of Sjogren’s syndrome.

References:

[1]Van Woerkom JM, Kruize A A, Geenen R, et al. Safety and efficacy of leflunomide in primary Sjögren’s syndrome: a phase II pilot study [J]. Ann. Rheum. Dis, 2007, 66(8): 1026-32.

DOI:10.1136/ard.2006.060905.

Acknowledgments :

The authors thank the Center for Scientific Research of Anhui Medical University for valuable help in our experiment.

Disclosure of Interests: :

None declared

[Needs of pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV infection and related barriers among men who have sex with men]

Objective: To understand the actual needs for the pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV infection and the factors hindering PrEP utilization in men who have sex with men (MSM). Methods: Participants were recruited by using MSM social application software Blued 6.5.0 and through MSM peer referral, sample size was 600. An electronic questionnaire survey was conducted anonymously with guidance of investigators via "Questionnaire Star" platform. The contents of the survey included demographic characteristics of the participants, the awareness of PrEP related knowledge, willingness and concerns about using PrEP, actual need for PrEP and self-efficacy of using PrEP. Results: A total of 622 MSM completed the survey, of whom 56.4% (351/622) and 4.3% (27/622) ever heard of and received PrEP, respectively. The need assessment of PrEP showed that 67.2% (418/622) of the participants had actual needs for PrEP and 21.2% (132/622) used PrEP with good self-efficacy. Structural equation modeling analysis showed that the awareness of PrEP related knowledge and concerning about PrEP utilization in MSM played a direct positive role in their self-efficiency of using PrEP, and the effect coefficients were 0.08 and 0.13, respectively. MSM self-discrimination indirectly affected the self-efficiency of using PrEP through concerns about PrEP use, the effect coefficient was 0.035. The result of generalized linear mixed model analysis demonstrated that the utilization of PrEP can improve the self-efficacy of using PrEP (OR=5.55), which increased by 0.14 times and 0.07 times with the increase of 1 score of the awareness of PrEP related knowledge and concern about using PrEP respectively. In addition, this survey found that in the participants, the main concerns about using PrEP were side effects, HIV prevention effect and its expense, accounting for 61.1% (380/622), 60.1% (374/622) and 53.2% (331/622), respectively. Most participants hoped to obtain PrEP services from CDC, MSM social organization and internet, accounting for 75.6% (470/622), 65.4% (407/622), and 63.8% (397/622), respectively. Conclusions: MSM showed difference of high need but low utilization of PrEP services. Low awareness of PrEP related knowledge, concerns about the prevention effect, side effects and expense of PrEP as well as self-discrimination were the factors hindering the use of PrEP in MSM. It is necessary to establish a suitable PrEP service model to meet the needs for PrEP in MSM.

0461 Blunted Baroreflex Sensitivity and Reduced Morning Parasympathetic Activity in Sleep-Onset Insomnia

Introduction

Insomnia is a risk factor for hypertension and cardiovascular events, and this association is strongest for sleep-onset insomnia. However, little is known about insomnia on cardiovascular modulation, especially soon after morning awakening, the peak period of time for cardiovascular incidents. This study explored morning cardiovascular function in individuals with sleep-onset insomnia by analysing heart rate variability, blood pressure variability, and baroreflex sensitivity.

Methods

Sleep structure of the participants (15 good sleepers and 13 individuals with sleep-onset insomnia) was measured by laboratory polysomnography, followed by continuous recordings of the participant’s blood pressure and heart rate for 10 min in the morning.

Results

When compared to the good sleepers, the insomnia group showed significant reductions in total sleep time, a longer sleep-onset latency, and reduced sleep efficiency. The sleep structure, including durations of sleep stages, numbers of awakenings and arousal index did not differ between the groups. After morning awakening (averaged time: 12.33 ± 10.48 min), the shorter R-R intervals, lower total power, and lower high-frequency power of heart rate variability were observed among individuals with sleep-onset insomnia, compared with good sleepers. Elevated slopes of systolic and diastolic blood pressure, as well as lower baroreflex sensitivity, were also shown in the insomnia group. Indices of sympathetic activity, including low-frequency percentage of heart rate variability or low-frequency power of blood pressure variability, did not differ between the groups.

Conclusion

Weak vagal activity and blunted baroreflex sensitivity were evident among sleep-onset insomnia. These findings indicate difficulty in initiating sleep, without significant sleep fragmentation, can independently affect morning cardiovascular function. This study provides a possible link between sleep-onset insomnia and risk of cardiovascular events.

Support

N/A

NWChem: Past, present, and future

Specialized computational chemistry packages have permanently reshaped the landscape of chemical and materials science by providing tools to support and guide experimental efforts and for the prediction of atomistic and electronic properties. In this regard, electronic structure packages have played a special role by using first-principle-driven methodologies to model complex chemical and materials processes. Over the past few decades, the rapid development of computing technologies and the tremendous increase in computational power have offered a unique chance to study complex transformations using sophisticated and predictive many-body techniques that describe correlated behavior of electrons in molecular and condensed phase systems at different levels of theory. In enabling these simulations, novel parallel algorithms have been able to take advantage of computational resources to address the polynomial scaling of electronic structure methods. In this paper, we briefly review the NWChem computational chemistry suite, including its history, design principles, parallel tools, current capabilities, outreach, and outlook.

First Measurement of Λ_{c} Baryon Production in Au+Au Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200 GeV

We report on the first measurement of the charmed baryon Λ_{c}^{±} production at midrapidity (|y|<1) in Au+Au collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200  GeV collected by the STAR experiment at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. The Λ_{c}/D^{0} [denoting (Λ_{c}^{+}+Λ_{c}^{-})/(D^{0}+D[over ¯]^{0})] yield ratio is measured to be 1.08±0.16  (stat)±0.26  (sys) in the 0%-20% most central Au+Au collisions for the transverse momentum (p_{T}) range 3<p_{T}<6  GeV/c. This is significantly larger than the pythia model calculations for p+p collisions. The measured Λ_{c}/D^{0} ratio, as a function of p_{T} and collision centrality, is comparable to the baryon-to-meson ratios for light and strange hadrons in Au+Au collisions. Model calculations including coalescence hadronization for charmed baryon and meson formation reproduce the features of our measured Λ_{c}/D^{0} ratio.

MicroRNA‑24 attenuates diabetic vascular remodeling by suppressing the NLRP3/caspase‑1/IL‑1β signaling pathway

Vascular remodeling plays an important role in the pathogenesis of diabetic cardiovascular complications. Previous published research has indicated that microRNA-24 (miR-24) is involved in diabetic vascular remodeling, but the underlying molecular mechanisms have yet to be fully elucidated. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether adenovirus-mediated miR-24 overexpression can suppress the NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3)-related inflammatory signaling pathway and attenuate diabetic vascular remodeling. The carotid arteries of diabetic rats were harvested and prepared for analysis. Reverse transcription-quantitative PCR and western blotting assays were used to detect the expressions of related mRNAs and proteins. Morphological examinations, including hematoxylin and eosin, immunohistochemical and Masson’s trichrome staining, were also performed. The results of the present study demonstrated that miR-24 upregulation suppressed neointimal hyperplasia and accelerated reendothelialization in the injured arteries, lowered the expression of NLRP3, apoptosis-associated speck-like protein, caspase-1, proliferating cell nuclear antigen, CD45, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-18 and tumor necrosis factor-α, and increased the expression of CD31, smooth muscle (SM) α-actin and SM-myosin heavy chain. These data indicated that miR-24 overexpression can attenuate vascular remodeling in a diabetic rat model through suppressing the NLRP3/caspase-1/IL-1β signaling pathway.

[Establishment of mouse model and preliminary screening of serum biomarkers for Candidemia]

Objective: To establish mouse models of Candidemia, and investigates statistically significant polypeptide peaks to provide auxiliary diagnosis of this disease. Methods: A total of 170 specific pathogen free adult male ICR mice with body mass of 27-30 g were completely randomly divided into Candida albicans infection group (n=80), Candida parapsilosis infection group (n=80) and the normal control group (n=10), and the two kinds of Candidemia mouse models were established via tail vein injection. The serum samples were analyzed by Matrix-assisted laser desorption-ionization time of flight mass spectrometry and relevant software, and the polypeptide peaks with significant differences were screened to establish diagnostic models. Results: A total of 65 differential polypeptide peaks were obtained compared with the Candida albicans infection group and the normal control group. Combined with m/z 1 100.4, 1 581.0, 3 808.0 as differential polypeptide peaks to established the diagnostic model, the sensitivity was 95.24%(40/42), the specificity was 90.63%(29/32), the accuracy rate was 93.24%(69/74), and the AUC value of the ROC curve was 0.972(95%CI: 0.941-1.000). A total of 73 differential polypeptide peaks were obtained compared with Candida parapsilosis infection group and the normal control group. Combined with m/z 1 433.2, 1 148.5, 4 093.5, 4 522.2, 8 140.9, 8 234.6 as differential polypeptide peaks to established the diagnostic model, the sensitivity was 95%(38/40), the specificity was 81.25%(26/32), the accuracy rate was 88.89%(64/72), and the AUC value of the ROC curve was 0.953(95%CI: 0.903-1.000). A total of 78 differential polypeptide peaks were obtained compared with Candida albicans infection group and Candida parapsilosis infection group. Combined with m/z 2 736.9, 8 091.5, 8 153.7 as differential polypeptide peaks to established the diagnostic model, the accuracy of distinguishing C. albicans infection from C. parapsilosis infection was 98.78%(81/82). Conclusions: Successfully screened the differential polypeptides and established the related diagnostic models. Which is helpful to find serum biomarkers for the auxiliary diagnosis of Candidemia, and provides a basis for the early diagnosis and the rational use of drugs.

[Transmission routes of 2019-novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV)]

Since the outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, at the end of 2019, it has demonstrated China's ability to identify unknown pathogens. At present, reports showed that the main transmission routes are respiratory droplets and indirect contact, other vertical transmission routes have yet to be confirmed. This review discusses the possible transmission routes of 2019-novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV), based on currently research, the main transmission routes are respiratory droplets and indirect contact, fecal-oral might bepossible, while aerosol, tear (conjunctival) and mother-to-fetus still have yet to be confirmed, providing a reference basis for 2019-nCoV prevention and control and public protection.

Differences in the gut microbiota between Cercopithecinae and Colobinae in captivity

The gut microbiome of captive primates can provide a window into their health and disease status. The diversity and composition of gut microbiota are influenced by not only host phylogeny, but also host diet. Old World monkeys (Cercopithecidae) are divided into two subfamilies: Cercopithecinae and Colobinae. The diet and physiological digestive features differ between these two subfamilies. Accordingly, highthroughput sequencing was used to examine gut microbiota differences between these two subfamilies, using data from 29 Cercopithecinae individuals and 19 Colobinae individuals raised in captivity. Through a comparative analysis of operational taxonomic units (OTUs), significant differences in the diversity and composition of gut microbiota were observed between Cercopithecinae and Colobinae. In particular, the gut microbiota of captive Old World monkeys clustered strongly by the two subfamilies. The Colobinae microbial diversity was higher than that of Cercopithecinae. Additionally, Firmicutes, Lactobacillaceae, Veillonellaceae, and Prevotella abundance were higher in Cercopithecinae, while Bacteroidetes, Ruminococcaceae, Christensenellaceae, Bacteroidaceae, and Acidaminococcaceae abundance were higher in Colobinae. PICRUSt analysis revealed that the predicted metagenomes of metabolic pathways associated with proteins, carbohydrates, and amino acids were significantly higher in Colobinae. In the context of host phylogeny, these differences between Cercopithecinae and Colobinae could reflect adaptations associated with their respective diets. This well-organized dataset is a valuable resource for future related research on primates and gut microbiota. Moreover, this study may provide useful insight into animal management practices and primate conservation.

Multifunctional nanocomposites MGO/FU-MI inhibit the proliferation of tumor cells and enhance the effect of chemoradiotherapy in vivo and in vitro

PURPOSE

The limitation of surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy in the treatment of cancer and the rise of the application of nanomaterials in the field of biomedicine have promoted the application of various nanomaterials in the combination of radiotherapy and chemotherapy in the treatment of cancer. To improve the efficiency of cancer treatment, the multifunctional nanocomposites MGO/FU-MI (MGO/FU-MI NCs) were used for combination chemotherapy and radiotherapy to verify its effectiveness in treating tumors.

METHODS

The proliferation activity of MGO/FU-MI NCs on MC-38 and B16 cells was detected by CCK-8, and the level of apoptosis and reactive oxygen species were detected by flow cytometry. To verify its efficacy in the combination of chemoradiotherapy, different treatment regimens were developed for several groups of tumor-bearing mice.

RESULTS

The MGO/FU-MI NCs can induce apoptosis, stimulate ROS production, and inhibit cell proliferation. In vivo experiments, when MGO/FU-MI NCs are used alone for chemotherapy, have a certain therapeutic effect on mouse tumors. When MGO/FU-MI NCs are combined with radiation, the tumor volume can be significantly reduced and the survival time of mice is significantly prolonged.

CONCLUSION

The MGO/FU-MI NCs are very effective in the treatment of tumors when combined with radiotherapy and chemotherapy, and have the potential to be a combination of radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

Quantitative Analysis of DCE-MRI and RESOLVE-DWI for Differentiating Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma from Nasopharyngeal Lymphoid Hyperplasia

To explore the ability of quantitative dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) analysis and readout segmentation of long variable echo-trains diffusion weighted imaging (RESOLVE-DWI) to distinguish nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) from nasopharyngeal lymphoid hyperplasia (NPLH). Twenty-five patients with NPC and 30 patients with NPLH were evaluated. Three quantitative DCE-MRI parameters (Ktrans, Kep and Ve) and the apparent diffusion coeffcient (ADC) of lesions were calculated. The two independent samples t test or Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare the parameters between NPC and NPLH group. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to assess the diagnostic ability for distinguishing NPC from NPLH. A P value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. The difference in Ktrans value between the NPC group and the NPLH group was statistically significant, and the value of the NPC group was larger than that of the NPLH group. There was no statistical difference in Kep and Ve between the two groups. The ADC value of NPC group was smaller than that of NPLH group, and the difference was statistically significant. ROC curve analysis showed that both Ktrans and ADC were effective in diagnosing NPC and the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.773 and 0.704, respectively. In addition, the combination of Ktrans and ADC demonstrated the obviously improved AUC of 0.884. DCE-MRI and RESOLVE-DWI are effective in differentiating NPC from NPLH, especially the combination of the two models.

Effect of Perioperative Glucose-Insulin-Potassium Therapy in Patients Undergoing On-Pump Cardiac Surgery: A Meta-Analysis

OBJECTIVE

The role of glucose-insulin-potassium (GIK) infusion during cardiac surgery has held interest for so many years without a clear answer. The aim of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the effect of GIK therapy on outcomes in patients undergoing on-pump cardiac surgery.

METHODS

A comprehensive online review was performed in The Web of Science, Embase, Medline, PubMed, and The Cochrane Library databases from 2000 to 2019. Eligible studies included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that compared GIK treatment with placebo or standard care during on-pump cardiac surgery. Risk ratios (RR) were used for binary outcomes and mean difference (MD) was used for continuous variables; both with their 95% confidence intervals (CI).

RESULTS

A total of 18 RCTs involving 2,131 patients met the inclusion criteria. Compared with the control group, the GIK treatment significantly reduced in-hospital mortality (RR = 0.56, 95% CI: 0.32-0.97; P = .04), postoperative myocardial infarctions (MI) (RR = 0.71, 95% CI: 0.56-0.91; P = .006), the use of inotropic support (RR = 0.53, 95% CI: 0.45-0.63; P < .00001), and length of stay in the intensive care unit (ICU) (MD = -0.33, 95% CI: -0.52--0.14; P = .0007). Moreover, GIK treatment seemed to be associated with fewer postoperative atrial fibrillation (AF) (RR = 0.81, 95% CI: 0.64-1.03; P = .09).

CONCLUSIONS

In patients undergoing on-pump cardiac surgery, GIK infusion has a beneficial role in mortality during hospital stay and demonstrates superior efficacy versus standard care for reduction in postoperative MI, AF, ICU length of stay as well as inotropic agent requirements.

Hepatic artery classification based on three-dimensional CT

BACKGROUND

Precise classification of the hepatic artery is helpful for preoperative surgical planning in hepatobiliary-pancreatic surgery. However, the anatomy of hepatic arteries is variable. This study investigated anatomical variation using three-dimensional visualization and evaluation (3DVE) to develop a nomenclature system.

METHODS

The origin and course of the hepatic artery were tracked and analysed by using three-dimensional visualization of CT images acquired between 2013 and 2017. The new classification and nomenclature system, named CRL, was developed based on the origins of the common, right and left hepatic arteries.

RESULTS

Scans from 770 adults were evaluated. Preoperative 3DVE correlated better with surgical findings than the original CT images alone. Using the CRL classification system, hepatic arteries were divided into nine subtypes. Only 87·4-89·2 per cent of the hepatic arteries of 610 living-donor liver transplant donors were depicted in Michels', Hiatt's or Varotti's classification, compared with 100 per cent identified by the CRL classification. The CRL classification was validated against external data sets from previous studies, with 99·6-100·0 per cent of patients classified by the CRL system.

CONCLUSION

The CRL classification covers hepatic artery variants and may be used for planning liver surgery.

Benign temporomandibular joint tumours with extension to infratemporal fossa and skull base: condyle preserving approach

This article introduces a modified surgical approach combining condylotomy with posterior disc attachment release for the resection of large non-malignant masses located in the infratemporal fossa and involving the skull base. This retrospective study included 14 patients treated at Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University between January 2010 and December 2016. Clinical evaluations (visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain, maximum inter-incisal opening (MIO), and complications) and radiological findings (magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT)) were collected pre- and postoperatively. All patients had satisfactory surgical exposure and complete resection of the neoplasms. During an average follow-up of 54.8 months, no clinical or radiographic signs of recurrence were reported. MIO increased from 28mm preoperatively to 35.4mm postoperatively (P<0.001). The pain VAS score changed from 5.4 preoperatively to 0.7 postoperatively (P<0.001). Neural function was normal for all patients. Postoperative MRI and CT scans showed a satisfactory disc position and condyle morphology, with no resorption. Three-dimensional reconstruction of the postoperative CT scan also demonstrated healing of the skull base defects. The modified surgical approach combining condylotomy with posterior disc attachment release is suitable for the removal of large non-malignant masses involving the infratemporal fossa and skull base.

Prospective randomized comparison of cerebrospinal fluid aspiration and conventional popping methods using 27-gauge spinal needles in patients undergoing spinal anaesthesia

Background

Performing spinal anaesthesia using the conventional popping method with a 27-gauge (27G) spinal needle is technically difficult. In this study, we compared the aspiration and conventional popping method for spinal anaesthesia using 27G Quincke-type needles.

Methods

This prospective, randomized study enrolled 90 patients, aged 19 to 65 years, with American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status I-III, who were undergoing spinal anaesthesia. Patients were randomly assigned to one of two groups using a computer-generated random number table: patients receiving spinal anaesthesia using the aspiration method, in which the needle is advanced with continuous aspiration, or the conventional popping method. The primary outcome measure was the success rate of the first attempt to perform dural puncture. Number of attempts and passages, withdrawal cases, successful attempt time, total procedure time, and actual depth of dural puncture were recorded.

Results

Eighty-eight patients were included in the study. In the aspiration group, the success rate of first attempt for dural puncture was 93.3%, compared with 72.1% in the popping group (P = 0.019). Success involving needle withdrawal was recorded in 4 (8.9%) patients in the aspiration group and 13 (30.2%) in the popping group (P = 0.024). In the popping group, the number of attempts was significantly higher (P = 0.044), and total procedure time was significantly longer (P = 0.023). Actual depths of dural puncture were deeper in the popping group than in the aspiration group (P = 0.019).

Conclusions

The aspiration method using a 27G Quincke-type needle offers clinical benefits for dural puncture compared with the conventional popping method for spinal anaesthesia.

Trial registration

Clinical research information service number: KCT0002815, registered 21/Apr/2018. Retrospectively registered.

Ultrafast Transient Spectroscopy of Trans-Polyacetylene in the Midinfrared Spectral Range

Trans-polyacetylene [t-(CH)_{x}] possesses twofold ground state degeneracy. Using the Su-Schrieffer-Heeger Hamiltonian, scientists predicted charged solitons to be the primary photoexcitations in t-(CH)_{x}; this prediction, however, has led to sharp debate. To resolve this saga, we use subpicosecond transient photomodulation spectroscopy in the mid-IR spectral range (0.1-1.5 eV) in neat t-(CH)_{x} thin films. We show that odd-parity singlet excitons are the primary photoexcitations in t-(CH)_{x}, similar to many other nondegenerate π-conjugated polymers. The exciton transitions are characterized by two photoinduced absorption (PA) bands at 0.38 and 0.6 eV, and an associated photoluminescence band at ∼1.5  eV having similar polarization memory. The primary excitons undergo internal conversion within ∼100  fs to an even-parity (dark) singlet exciton with a PA band at ∼1.4  eV. We also find ultrafast photogeneration of charge polarons when pumping deep into the polymer continuum band, which are characterized by two other PA bands in the mid-IR and associated photoinduced IR vibrational modes.

Paediatric tuberculosis among the foreign-born: utility of the Canadian TB immigration medical surveillance programme

BACKGROUND

There are few data on the utility of screening paediatric immigrants for tuberculosis (TB) in low TB burden countries.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the utility of the Canadian immigration medical examination and TB Medical Surveillance (TBMS) for detecting paediatric TB disease.

DESIGN

A 10-year population-based retrospective cohort study of foreign-born children (ages 0-10 years) and adolescents (ages 11-17 years) immigrating to Ontario, Canada, using linked immigration and public health databases.

RESULTS

Among 232 169 individuals (median follow-up of 5.7 years), active TB was diagnosed at or after immigration in 125 cases (20 children and 105 adolescents), at an overall rate of 54/100 000 (14/100 000 children, 116/100 000 adolescents). All cases originated from 34 countries. Active TB was diagnosed in 0/419 children and 10/418 adolescents referred for medical surveillance, representing only 8.0% of all cases. TBMS referrals were correlated with a previous diagnosis of TB (κ = 0.8) and were driven by country of origin (e.g., hazard ratio 31.2 for the Philippines). Rates of pre-immigration TB diagnosis varied considerably among high TB burden countries.

CONCLUSIONS

The current Canadian system detects little TB disease, and reveals very different rates of pre-immigration paediatric TB diagnosis in different high TB burden countries. These data provide a basis for improving TB screening strategies for immigrants to low TB burden countries.

Effects of fermented wheat-rice distillers dried grains with solubles on meat quality and amino acid profile in broilers

The aim of this experiment was to evaluate the effects of replacing distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) with fermented DDGS (FDDGS) on meat quality and serum amino acid profiles in Chinese yellow broilers. Forty-eight 42-day-old male Chinese yellow broilers were randomly allotted to the treatments. Each treatment was replicated six times with four birds per replicate. Both groups received a basal corn-soybean diet that was supplemented with either 20% DDGS or 20% FDDGS. Broilers were euthanized at 70 days old. The right half of each breast was evaluated for meat quality. Both breast and thigh meats were evaluated for proximate and fatty acid composition. Serum from blood samples was analysed to quantify relative amounts of free amino acids. Breast meat from broilers supplemented with FDDGS had a lower pH and less drip loss than those supplemented with DDGS (P <0.05). No differences were detected between treatments in the proximate composition of breast and thigh meat (P >0.05). Myristic acid (C14:0) concentration of thigh muscles was reduced for broilers supplemented with FDDGS compared with those supplemented with DDGS (P＜0.05). Concentrations of lysine, taurine, alpha-aminoadipic acid, glycine, and 3-methylhistidine in serum were all lower for broilers supplemented with FDDGS than for those supplemented with DDGS (P＜ 0.05). Meanwhile, the serum phosphoserine concentration of the FFDS-supplemented broilers was greater than those supplemented with DDGS (P＜0.05). In conclusion, replacing 20% DDGS with a like amount of FDDGS can be recommended for diets of growing broiler chickens.Keywords: fatty acids, meat quality, shear force

Characterization of an aerosol generation system to assess inhalation risks of aerosolized nano-enabled consumer products

Objective: The aerosolization of common nano-enabled consumer products such as cosmetics has significantly increased engineered nanoparticle inhalation risks. While several studies have investigated the impact of cosmetic dermal exposures, inhalation hazards of aerosolized cosmetics are much less known but could pose considerable harm to users due to potential co-exposure of nanoparticles and other product components.Materials and Methods: In this study, we developed a fully automated aerosol generation system to examine the aerosol properties of four aerosolized nano-enabled cosmetics using real-time monitoring and sampling instrumentation. Physicochemical characterization of aerosols was conducted using scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX). Characterization and calibration of animal exposure pods coupled to the system were also performed by measuring and comparing particle concentrations between pods.Results and Discussion: Results show peak emissions are shade dependent and varied between 12,000-22,000 particles/cm³ with modal diameters ranging from 36 nm-1.3 µm. SEM-EDX analysis determined that the original products and collected aerosols have similar morphological features consisting of micron-sized particles decorated with nanoparticles and crystalline structures. Mean total particle concentration in pods at 5 and 10 mg/m³ target levels were 2.22E + 05 #/cm³ and 4.33E + 05 #/cm³, respectively, with <10% variability between pods.Conclusions: The fully automated exposure platform described herein provides reproducible aerosol generation, conforms to recommended guidelines on chemical testing, and therefore is suitable for future in vivo toxicological assessments to examine potential respiratory hazards of aerosolized nano-enabled consumer products.

Demographic characteristics and spatial clusters of recent HIV-1 infections among newly diagnosed HIV-1 cases in Yunnan, China, 2015

BACKGROUND

The characteristics of recent HIV infections can provide the information about the dynamics of HIV transmission. Yunnan is one of the provinces hardest-hit by HIV-1 in China. To further understand the characteristics of the HIV-1 epidemic in Yunnan, we analyzed the prevalence of recent HIV-1 infections among newly diagnosed cases, identified the associated factors and explored the spatial distribution of recent HIV-1 infections.

METHODS

Residual plasma samples from HIV-1 diagnostic tests were preserved. The associated information was collected from China HIV/AIDS case reporting system. Recent HIV-1 infections were estimated by combining the information about disease progression and BED- capture enzyme immunoassay (CEIA). The proportions of recent HIV-1 infections among newly diagnosed cases stratified by demographic characteristics were analyzed. The spatial clusters of recent HIV-1 infections were investigated by spatial scan statistics.

RESULTS

Among 6119 HIV/AIDS cases were newly reported between January 2015 and June 2015 in Yunnan Province, 9.3% (570/6119) were estimated as recent infections. Female, aged below 25 years and homosexual contact were more associated with the higher proportion of recent HIV-1 infections. Among the different demographic sub-groups, men who have sex with men (MSM) aged < 25 years and ≥ 50 years had a higher chance of being diagnosed as recent infections, heterosexually infected men aged ≥25 years had a lower chance of being diagnosed as recent infections. In the sub-groups with different screening approaches, the highest proportion of recent infections (16.1%) was found among women diagnosed by testing during pregnancy and childbirth. In the sub-groups with different contact histories, the higher proportion of recent infections was found among the female cases having commercial heterosexual contacts (16.4%) and MSM (19.7%). The statistically significant spatial clusters of recent infections attributed to heterosexual contact, homosexual contact and intravenous drug injection were identified, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The investigation of recent HIV infections among newly diagnosed cases supplements the routine HIV surveillance, and reveals the characteristics of ongoing HIV transmission. Our finding identified the potential sub-populations and geographic areas in need of services or improved interventions.

Correlations of serum VEGF and MMP-2 levels with CLM in CRC patients and effects of TACE on their expressions

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the correlations of serum vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) levels with colorectal liver metastasis (CLM) in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC), and determine the effects of transhepatic arterial chemoembolization (TACE) on their expressions.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A total of 110 CRC patients treated in the department of interventional radiology of our hospital from May 2013 to May 2016 were randomly enrolled. All patients received treatment of TACE after surgery. During surgery, 10 mL venous blood was taken, and the protein levels of VEGF and MMP-2 in serum were detected via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The correlations of VEGF and MMP-2 levels with clinicopathological features of patients were analyzed. The values of VEGF and MMP-2 in predicting CLM were analyzed using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Moreover, changes in serum VEGF and MMP-2 levels in CRC patients were analyzed before TACE, and at 1 and 6 months after TACE.

RESULTS

The median VEGF and MMP-2 levels in serum of CRC patients were 64.8 ng/mL and 114.4 ng/mL, respectively, which were significantly higher than those in healthy control group (5.3 ng/mL and 6.8 ng/mL) (p<0.05). The expressions of VEGF and MMP-2 in serum of CRC patients were correlated with the depth of tumor infiltration, Dukes' staging, CLM and lymph node metastasis (p<0.05). Logistic regression analyses showed that the expression levels of VEGF and MMP-2 were positively correlated with CLM (p<0.05). The ROC curve revealed that the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of serum VEGF in the diagnosis of CLM were 62.2%, 78.5% and 80.2%, respectively. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of serum MMP-2 in the diagnosis of CLM were 68.9%, 85.5% and 82.2%, respectively. The serum VEGF levels in CRC patients before TACE, and at 1 and 6 months after TACE were (64.8±58.8) ng/mL, (43.1±27.3) ng/mL and (24.8±12.3) ng/mL, respectively, showing a downward trend (p<0.05). The serum MMP-2 levels in CRC patients before TACE, and at 1 and 6 months after TACE were (114.4±136.2) ng/mL, (73.4±58.5) ng/mL and (39.6±30.4) ng/mL, respectively, also indicating a reducing trend (p<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The levels of VEGF and MMP-2 in portal vein serum of CRC patients can be used as effective indexes for judging the prognosis of CRC and predicting CLM. Patients with high expression of VEGF and MMP-2 should be actively treated with TACE after surgery to improve the survival rate.

Research on ketamine in mediating autophagy and inhibiting apoptosis of astrocytes in cerebral cortex of rats through NF-κB pathway

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the effects of ketamine on autophagy and apoptosis of astrocytes in the cerebral cortex of rats, and determine whether nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) pathway is involved in the regulation of autophagy and apoptosis of astrocytes.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 36 male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into 3 groups: control group (Group C: intraperitoneal injection of equal amount of normal saline), glutamic acid group (Group G: intraperitoneal injection of 1 mg/kg glutamic acid) and glutamic acid + ketamine group (Group GK: intraperitoneal injection of 1 mg/kg glutamic acid and then injection of 5 mg/kg ketamine after 30 min). The cerebral cortex of rats in each group was taken after successive administration for 5 d. The number of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)-positive cells in the cerebral cortex of rats in each group was detected via immunofluorescence. The number of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL)-positive cells (apoptotic cells) in the cerebral cortex was detected via TUNEL staining. The levels of inflammatory factors were detected using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit. Moreover, the expressions of autophagy-related proteins and apoptosis-related proteins in the cerebral cortex were detected via Western blotting, and the expressions of IκB-a and NF-κBp65 were also detected.

RESULTS

The results of immunofluorescence showed that the number of GFAP-positive cells in the cerebral cortex of rats in Group G was significantly increased compared with that in Group C (p<0.01), and it was significantly decreased in Group GK compared with that in Group G (p<0.01). The results of TUNEL staining revealed that the number of TUNEL-positive cells in the cerebral cortex in Group G was significantly larger than that in Group C, and it was significantly smaller in Group GK than that in Group G (p<0.01). Results of ELISA demonstrated that compared with those in Group C, the contents of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-a (TNF-a) in Group G were significantly increased (p<0.01), but the content of IL-10 was significantly decreased (p<0.01). Compared with those in Group G, the contents of IL-6 and TNF-a in Group GK were significantly decreased (p<0.01), but the level of IL-10 was statistically elevated (p<0.01). Compared with those in Group C, the levels of LC3 II/I and cleaved caspase-3 in the cerebral cortex in Group G were significantly increased (p<0.01), but the p62 level and B-cell lymphoma-2/Bcl-2 associated X protein (Bcl-2/Bax) ratio were significantly decreased (p<0.01). In Group GK, the levels of LC3 II/I and cleaved caspase-3 were reduced, but the p62 level and Bcl-2/Bax ratio were increased. The expressions of IκB-α and NF-κBp65 in Group G were significantly decreased compared with those in Group C (p<0.01), and they were significantly higher in Group GK than those in Group G (p<0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Ketamine can reduce the glutamic acid-induced activation of astrocytes in the cerebral cortex, inhibit the autophagy and alleviate the apoptosis of astrocytes, the process of which is mediated by the NF-κB pathway, which provides the new molecular basis of ketamine in protecting astrocytes.

MicroRNA-24 inhibits the oxidative stress induced by vascular injury by activating the Nrf2/Ho-1 signaling pathway

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

The process of endothelial repair in diabetic patients after stent implantation was significantly delayed compared with that in non-diabetic patients, and oxidative stress is increasingly considered to be relevant to the pathogenesis of diabetic endothelial repair. However, the mechanisms linking diabetes and reendothelialization after vascular injury have not been fully elucidated. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of microRNA-24 (miR-24) up-regulation in delayed endothelial repair caused by oxidative stress after balloon injury in diabetic rats.

METHODS

In vitro, vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) isolated from the thoracic aorta were stimulated with high glucose (HG) after miR-24 recombinant adenovirus (Ad-miR-24-GFP) transfection for 3 days. In vivo, diabetic rats induced using high-fat diet (HFD) and low-dose streptozotocin (30 mg/kg) underwent carotid artery balloon injury followed by Ad-miR-24-GFP transfection for 20 min.

RESULTS

The expression of miR-24 was decreased in HG-stimulated VSMCs and balloon-injured carotid arteries of diabetic rats, which was accompanied by increased expression of Ogt and Keap1 and decreased expression of Nrf2 and Ho-1. Up-regulation of miR-24 suppressed VSMC oxidative stress induced by HG in vitro, and miR-24 up-regulation promoted reendothelialization in balloon-injured diabetic rats. The underlying mechanism was related to the activation of the Nrf2/Ho-1 signaling pathway, which subsequently suppressed intracellular reactive oxidative species (ROS) production and malondialdehyde (MDA) and NADPH oxidase (Nox) activity, and to the restoration of Sod and Gsh-px activation.

CONCLUSIONS

The up-regulation of miR-24 significantly promoted endothelial repair after balloon injury through inhibition of oxidative stress by activating the Nrf2/Ho-1 signaling pathway.

Massive clonal expansion of medulloblastoma-specific T cells during adoptive cellular therapy

In both human and murine systems, we have developed an adoptive cellular therapy platform against medulloblastoma and glioblastoma that uses dendritic cells pulsed with a tumor RNA transcriptome to expand polyclonal tumor-reactive T cells against a plurality of antigens within heterogeneous brain tumors. We demonstrate that peripheral TCR Vβ repertoire analysis after adoptive cellular therapy reveals that effective response to adoptive cellular therapy is concordant with massive in vivo expansion and persistence of tumor-specific T cell clones within the peripheral blood. In preclinical models of medulloblastoma and glioblastoma, and in a patient with relapsed medulloblastoma receiving adoptive cellular therapy, an early and massive expansion of tumor-reactive lymphocytes, coupled with prolonged persistence in the peripheral blood, is observed during effective therapeutic response to immunotherapy treatment.

The activity and role of autophagy in the pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy

OBJECTIVE

Evidence suggested that deficiency of autophagy is involved in the pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy (DN). However, some recent studies have also shown that autophagy is activated in renal cells under diabetic conditions. In this review, we discuss whether autophagy is inactivated in renal cells in DN as well as the therapeutic potential of autophagy for treating DN, in order to aid future investigation in this field.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Relevant information, original research articles and reviews, were gathered primarily through a search in PubMed and Cochrane database. The activity and role of autophagy, as well as the relevant signaling pathways, were analyzed in different intrinsic renal cells, including podocyte, renal tubular epithelial cell, glomerular mesangial and endothelial cells.

RESULTS

The upstream of autophagic pathway, but not whole pathway, was predominately studied in these intrinsic renal cells, such as the induction of autophagy, an amount of autophagic vacuoles and so on. In most cases, autophagic inactivation occurred, which is an important mechanism underlying DN progression. Targeting the autophagic pathway to activate autophagy activity might have renoprotective effect. However, autophagic activation was also found in a few studies, in which there was a debate on the role of activated autophagy: mounting an adaptive response or leading to autophagic apoptosis.

CONCLUSIONS

The downstream of autophagic pathway, including the degradation of autophagic vacuoles, and lysosomal function, should be well studied to clarify the activity and role of autophagy in the progression of DN. Autophagy activation is likely a potential therapy for combatting DN.

First Observation of the Directed Flow of D^{0} and D^{0}[over ¯] in Au+Au Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200 GeV

We report the first measurement of rapidity-odd directed flow (v_{1}) for D^{0} and D^{0}[over ¯] mesons at midrapidity (|y|<0.8) in Au+Au collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200  GeV using the STAR detector at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. In 10-80% Au+Au collisions, the slope of the v_{1} rapidity dependence (dv_{1}/dy), averaged over D^{0} and D^{0}[over ¯] mesons, is -0.080±0.017(stat)±0.016(syst) for transverse momentum p_{T} above 1.5  GeV/c. The absolute value of D^{0} meson dv_{1}/dy is about 25 times larger than that for charged kaons, with 3.4σ significance. These data give a unique insight into the initial tilt of the produced matter, and offer constraints on the geometric and transport parameters of the hot QCD medium created in relativistic heavy-ion collisions.