[Evaluating the effectiveness of HIV/syphilis joint self-testing in promoting syphilis testing among men who have sex with men]

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of HIV/syphilis joint self-testing in promoting syphilis testing among men who have sex with men (MSM). Methods: In July 2019, the research participants were recruited through the Danlan website (https://www.danlan.org). Participants who met the selection criteria, and were randomly assigned into one of the three study groups (1∶1∶1) including HIV/syphilis joint self-testing group and lottery incentive self-testing group and control group. Self-test reagents were mailed to HIV/syphilis joint self-testing group and lottery incentive self-testing group, and the subjects in control group were encouraged to go to offline locations for testing. One month later, follow-up was conducted to evaluate the differences in the testing rates of syphilis among the three groups. Results: A total of 145 subjects were included in this study, including 48 in control group, 49 in HIV/syphilis joint self-testing group and 48 in lottery incentive self-testing group. During the follow-up period, the self-testing rate of syphilis was 74.4% (32/43) in HIV/syphilis joint self-testing group, 70.0% (28/40) in lottery incentive self-testing group and 36.4% (16/44) in control group. Multivariate logistic analysis revealed that the proportions of syphilis testing in HIV/syphilis joint self-testing group and lottery incentive self-testing group were 5.38 (95%CI: 2.06-14.04) times and 4.54 (95% CI: 1.75-11.74) times higher than that in control group during the follow-up period. Conclusions: HIV/syphilis joint self-testing and lottery-incentives-prompted self-testing significantly increased the testing rate of syphilis in MSM, respectively. HIV/syphilis joint self-testing is feasible for promotion.

Effects of supplementation of sea buckthorn press cake on mycelium growth and polysaccharides of Inonotus obliquus in submerged cultivation

AIMS

Investigation of the influence of cultivation time and sea buckthorn press cake (Hippophaë rhamnoides) dosage on mycelium yield of Inonotus obliquus in submerged cultivation and on the yield, monomer composition, and macromolecular properties of the exopolysaccharides (EPS) from culture media and intracellular polysaccharides (IPS) extracted from mycelia.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Supplementation at 5 g l^-1 combined with cultivation time of 250 h granted highest yield increase in mycelia (by 122%). The supplementation reduced extraction yield and decreased the molecular weight of the main IPS population. The supplementation increased production and molecular weight of EPS. The relative content of arabinose and rhamnose in EPS positively correlated with dosage of the press cake. The press cake supplementation increased the content of galacturonic acid in IPS, but not in EPS.

CONCLUSION

Sea buckthorn press cake is a food industry fibrous side stream with high oil content. It increases the cultivation yield of Inonotus obliquus mycelium and influences the produced polysaccharides.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

Mycelium is a resource of bioactive polysaccharides, attracting the interest of nutraceutical companies. Sea buckthorn press cake is a promising supplement for increasing mycelium production. The utilization of this agricultural side stream would therefore favour circular economy.

Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells repair brachial plexus injury in rabbits through ERK pathway

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the effect of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) on repairing brachial plexus injury in rabbits and their influence on expression of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

With big-ear rabbits as the objects, the BMSCs were first isolated, and the cluster of differentiation (CD)45- and CD90+ BMSCs were sorted out via flow cytometry. BMSCs were transfected with red fluorescent protein (RFP), and the transfection effect was detected. Then, the big-ear rabbits were subjected to brachial plexus root avulsion injury (BPAI) to establish injury Model group and sham-operation group (Sham group). Later, the BMSCs were transfected with RFP to construct RFP-BMSCs. The RFP-BMSCs (5×106, Treat group) and normal saline (Model group) were intraperitoneally injected, and the recovery rate of wet weight of the upper limb muscle was measured by weighing. The injured nerve tissues were embedded for hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining and observation of pathological changes. The electrophysiological measurement of the compound muscle action potential (CMAP) on the injured side was conducted for the rabbits to be sacrificed immediately using an electromyogram instrument, and the CMAP amplitude and latency were applied to evaluate the recovery of upper limb muscle. Finally, the location of RFP-BMSCs in the nerve tissues was traced by a fluorescence microscope, and the protein expression levels of phosphorylated ERK (p-ERK) and phosphorylated mitogen-activated protein kinase (p-MAPK) in the injured nerve tissues were determined by means of Western blotting.

RESULTS

Persistently expressed red fluorescence was observed in CD45- and CD90+ BMSCs sorted via flow cytometry under the fluorescence microscope, indicating that the RFP-BMSCs were constructed successfully. Compared with Sham group, Model group had a remarkably decreased recovery rate of wet muscle weight (p<0.05), while Treat group exhibited a notably increased recovery rate of wet muscle weight in comparison with Model group. The CMAP amplitude was reduced markedly (p<0.05), while the CMAP latency was prolonged significantly (p<0.05) in Model group compared with those in Sham group. Moreover, Treat group had distinctly higher CMAP amplitude and evidently shorter CMAP latency than Model group (p<0.05). It was discovered under the fluorescence microscope that RFP-BMSCs were visibly arranged on both sides of nerve fibers in Treat group. The expressions of p-MAPK and p-ERK were raised prominently in Model group in comparison with those in Sham group (p<0.05), and they were lowered apparently in Treat group compared with those in Model group (p<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

BMSCs can repair the impaired brachial plexus neurons and restore their physiological functions, and the protective effect of the BMSCs on the neurons is associated with the mediated MAPK/ERK pathway.

[Predictive value of platelet aggregation rate in hemodynamically significant patent ductus arteriosus in preterm infants]

Objective: To explore the predictive value of platelet aggregation rate in patent ductus arteriosus in preterm infants. Methods: This prospective nested case-control study enrolled 72 preterm infants with gestational age<32 weeks, who were admitted to Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of Xuzhou Central Hospital from August 2017 to October 2019. The echocardiography was performed on the 4^th to 5^th day after birth, and the preterm infants who met the diagnostic criteria of hemodynamically significant patent ductus arteriosus (hsPDA) were included into hsPDA group, and the control group was comprised of matched preterm infants with non-hsPDA according to the proportion of 1∶2. The basic characteristics of the preterm infants were recorded, and their complete blood counts and platelet aggregation function were examined. Clinical data were compared by student's t test and chi-square test between the two groups. The risk factors and their predictive values were analyzed by binary logistic regression analysis and receiver operating characteristic curve. Results: There were 24 preterm infants (16 boys) in the hsPDA group, and 48 (30 boys) in the control group. The incidence of neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (NRDS) grade II-IV in the hsPDA group was higher than that in the control group (67% (16/24) vs. 27% (13/48), χ²=10.422, P=0.001). The thrombocytocrit and adenosine diphosphate-induced platelet aggregation rate in the hsPDA group were lower than those in the control group (0.002 1±0.000 9 vs. 0.002 8±0.000 9, 0.21±0.10 vs. 0.32±0.07, t=-3.043 and -5.093, P=0.004 and <0.01, respectively); while the platelet volume in the hsPDA group was greater than that in the control group ((10.3±2.4) vs. (9.2±2.0) fl, t = 2.713, P = 0.033). The other platelet parameters (platelet count, platelet distribution width, and large platelet ratio) and platelet aggregation rate induced by other inducers (collagen, epinephrine and arachidonic acid) were not significantly different between the two groups (all P>0.05). The low platelet aggregation rate induced by adenosine diphosphate and low thrombocytocrit were independent risk factors for hsPDA in preterm infants (OR=4.525 and 3.994, 95%CI: 1.305-15.689 and 1.143-13.958, respectively). And the adenosine diphosphate-induced platelet aggregation rate had moderate predictive value for hsPDA in preterm infants, as the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.809, and the cutoff value was 0.245 with 0.67 sensitivity and 0.86 specificity. Conclusions: Poor platelet aggregation function and low thrombocytocrit are independent risk factors for hsPDA in preterm infants with gestational age<32 weeks. Low platelet aggregation rate induced by adenosine diphosphate has moderate predictive value for hsPDA patency.

Hypoxia-Induced LXRα Contributes to the Migration and Invasion of Gastric Cancer Cells

Gastric cancer is characterized by the presence of high invasion ability, hypoxia and chemoresistance. Previous studies reported that liver X receptor α (LXRα) was involved in epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of gastric cancer cells. However, hypoxia-mediated EMT and the role of LXRα in gastric cancer remained elusive. In this study, we demonstrated that LXRa mRNA and protein levels were up-regulated by hypoxia treatment and LXRα played an important role in HIF-1 dimer induced-EMT. The putative HIF-1α binding site was identified in the LXRa promoter. Expression of LXRα and HIF-1α was significantly up-regulated in gastric cancer tissues compared to that in normal tissues. More importantly, we noticed that the expression of LXRα and HIF-1α was significantly correlated. Taken together, these data suggested that LXRα is regulated by the activity and accumulation of HIF-1α and contributes to EMT of gastric cancer cells. This suggests that targeting LXRα might be a potential approach for improving survival of gastric cancer patients.

MiR-449 improves cardiac function by regulating HDAC1 and cTnI

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the effect of microRNA-449 (miRNA-449) on cTnI and cardiac function and reveal the mechanism of Histone deacetylase 1 (HDAC1)-mediated histone deacetylation in cardiomyocytes.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

First, we used biochemical analysis and Dual-Luciferase reporter gene assay to confirm that HDAC1 and miR-449 having the binding site. Then, the effect of miR-449 inhibited HDAC1 on cTnI gene transcription was observed. In vivo, the effect of histone acetylation on cTnI expression and cardiac function in heart was observed in elderly mice with low expression of cTnI through miR-449 agomiR intervention.

RESULTS

This study revealed miR-449 can sponge with HDAC1. HDAC1-mediated histone deacetylation was involved in the regulation of cTnI gene expression by HDAC1-mediated acetylation of H3K4 and H3K9 in cTnI promoter regions. In addition, HDAC1-mediated histone deacetylation regulated the binding of the transcription factor GATA4 to the GATA element in the cTnI promoter region and improved cardiac function in elderly mice with low expression of cTnI CONCLUSIONS: MiR-449 can regulate the acetylation of the histones H3K4 and H3K9 of the GATA element in the cTnI promoter region, thereby recruiting the transcription factor GATA4 to the cTnI promoter region, upregulating the cTnI gene expression, and improving cardiac function in elderly mice with low expression of cTnI.

[Analysis of new pneumoconiosis in Yantai from 2010 to 2019]

Objective: To analyze the characteristics of new cases of pneumoconiosis in Yantai from 2010 to 2019, and to provide scientific basis for the prevention and control of pneumoconiosis. Methods: In March 2020, 2575 new pneumoconiosis cases in Yantai City from January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2019 were obtained through the "Health Hazard Information Monitoring System" platform under "China Disease Prevention and Control Information System" and patient hospital files. Excel 2007 was used to sort out the database of pneumoconiosis and analyze the epidemiological characteristics of new pneumoconiosis, including gender, age, length of service, type of work, etc. Results: From 2010 to 2019, the majority of new pneumoconiosis cases were male (2542 cases, 98.72%) , and the age of onset was 40-<60 years old (2074 cases, 80.54%) . The main age of onset was 15-<30 years (1534 cases, 59.57%) . Silicosis was the most common type of new pneumoconiosis (2313 cases, 89.83%) . There were 2262 cases (87.84%) with one stage of pneumoconiosis. The main types of work were rock driller (799 cases, 31.03%) , hauler (797 cases, 30.95%) , other mine workers (391 cases, 15.18%) . The economic type of enterprises was mainly state-owned enterprises (1156 cases, 44.89%) . The scale of enterprises mainly concentrated in large enterprises (1897 cases, 73.67%) . Conclusion: The new pneumoconiosis in Yantai City shows obvious concentration of disease and work types.It is necessary to strengthen the prevention and treatment of silicosis and the training of protection knowledge for rock drillers and transport workers.

[Clinical study of sequential glucocorticoids in the treatment of acute mercury poisoning complicated with interstitial pneumonia]

Objective: To study the clinical efficacy of sequential glucocorticoids in the treatment of acute mercury poisoning complicated with interstitial pneumonia. Methods: Retrospective analysis of 37 patients with acute mercury poisoning complicated with interstitial pneumonia admitted from January 2009 to April 2019, including the sequential treatment group (15 cases) and the conventional treatment group (22 cases) , all patients were treated with sodium dimercaptopropane sulfonate, and given anti-inflammatory, liver-protecting and other drugs for symptomatic treatment. The conventional treatment group was given methylprednisolone 1mg/kg once a day for 5-7 days. The sequential treatment group was given 1 mg/kg of methylprednisolone once a day for 5-7 days, then gradually reduced to 20 mg, and the total course of treatment was 14-21 days. To observe the changes of clinical symptoms, signs, lung function including forced vital capacity (FVC) , forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV(1)) and ratio of forced expiratory volume in the first second to forced vital capacity (FEV(1)/FVC) , and chest CT indexes before and after treatment in the two groups. Results: The clinical symptoms and signs of the two groups were significantly improved compared with those before treatment, and there was no significant difference between the apparent efficiency and the total effective rate of the two groups (P>0.05) . The FVC, FEV(1), and FEV(1)/FVC of the two groups were significantly higher than those before treatment. After treatment, the indexes of the sequential treatment group were significantly higher than that of the conventional treatment group, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05) . The apparent efficiency (93.3%, 14/15) of CT lesions in the sequential treatment group was significantly higher than those of the conventional treatment group (59.1%, 13/22) , and the difference was statistically significant (P< 0.05) . Conclusion: Sequential glucocorticoid treatment of acute mercury poisoning complicated with interstitial pneumonia could improve the effect of clinical signs and symptoms which is equal to conventional treatment, but it could better promote the recovery of lung function and the absorption of lung lesions.

Microbial enrichment of blackcurrant press residue with conjugated linoleic and linolenic acids

AIMS

The aim of the study was to investigate the isomerization of linoleic (LA) and linolenic acids (LNAs) into their conjugated isomers by Propionibacterium freudenreichii DSM 20270 and utilize this feature for microbial enrichment of blackcurrant press residue (BCPR) with health-beneficial conjugated fatty acids.

METHODS AND RESULTS

First, the ability of P. freudenreichii to isomerize 0·4 mg ml^-1 of LA and LNA was studied in lactate growth medium. Free LA and α-LNA were efficiently converted into conjugated linoleic (CLA) and α-linolenic acid (α-CLNA), being the predominant isomers c9,t11-CLA and c9,t11,c15-CLNA, respectively. The bioconversion of α-LNA by P. freudenreichii was more efficient in terms of formation rate, yield and isomer-specificity. Thereafter, free LA and LNAs obtained from hydrolysed BCPR neutral lipids, by lipolytically active oat flour, were subjected to microbial isomerization in BCPR slurries. In 10% (w/v) slurries, a simultaneous enrichment in c9,t11-CLA and c9,t11,c15-CLNA of up to 0·51 and 0·29 mg ml^-1 was observed from starting levels of 0·96 mg LA ml^-1 and 0·37 mg α-LNA ml^-1 respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

This study shows that growing cultures of P. freudenreichii DSM 20270 are able to simultaneously enrich BCPR with health-beneficial conjugated isomers of LA and α-LNA.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

This study demonstrates that microbial isomerization technique can be utilized to enrich lipid-containing plant materials with bioactive compounds and thereby enable valorization of low value plant-based side streams from food industry into value-added food ingredients.

LncRNA LOXL1-AS1 inhibited cell proliferation, migration and invasion as well as induced apoptosis in breast cancer via regulating miR-143-3p

OBJECTIVE

In recent years, studies have shown that lncRNA plays an essential regulatory role in biological life activities. In disease and cancer research, the function of lncRNA is closely related to inflammatory response, tumor formation and cellular metabolism. Breast cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors in women. The research on the pathogenesis of breast cancer is the focus of current research. Although the regulatory mechanisms of some lncRNAs have been proven, the complexity of cancer regulation has led to incomplete research.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The expression of LOXL1-AS1 and miR-143-3p was measured using qRT-PCR. Western blot was used to detect CDK, Cyclin D1, MMP-2, MMP-9, Bcl-2, Bax and Cleaved caspase-3 protein expression. MTT assay and transwell assay were applied to analyze cell proliferation, migration and invasion, respectively. Cell apoptosis rate of transfected cells was measured with flow cytometry. Luciferase reporter assay was applied to verify the relationship between LOXL1-AS1 and miR-143-3p.

RESULTS

In this study, we found that LOXL1-AS1 expression was induced while miR-142-3p expression was decreased in breast cancer tissues and cells, implying that LOXL1-AS1 and miR-143-3p play an important role in cell progression of breast cancer. Further investigation showed that silencing LOXL1-AS1 inhibited proliferation, promoted cell apoptosis and decreased the capacity of cell migrated and invasive in breast cancer cells. The analysis of luciferase reporter assay determined that LOXL1-AS1 directly targeted miR-143-3p in breast cancer cells. The rescue experiments further proved that miR-143-3p reversed the inhibited effects of si- LOXL1-AS1 on breast cancer cells.

CONCLUSIONS

In this study, we verified that LncRNA LOXL1-AS1 inhibited cell proliferation, migration and invasion as well as induced apoptosis in breast cancer via regulating miR-143-3p, providing a novel therapeutic target and improving understanding of the regulatory mechanism of cell progression in breast cancer.

Gastric cancer nodal tumour-stroma ratios influence prognosis

This study showed that nodal tumour-stroma ratio (NTSR) is an independent prognostic factor for overall and disease-free survival of patients with gastric cancer. Both relative stroma-rich primary tumour-stroma ratio (PTSR) and NTSR were independent negative prognostic factors for overall survival in gastric cancer. This study supports assessment of tumour-stroma ratio in the routine pathological diagnosis of gastric cancer. validated in node-positive disease.

LncRNA INHBA-AS1 promotes cell growth, migration, and invasion of oral squamous cell carcinoma by sponging miR-143-3p

Since this article has been suspected of research misconduct and the corresponding authors did not respond to our request to prove originality of data and figures, "LncRNA INHBA-AS1 promotes cell growth, migration, and invasion of oral squamous cell carcinoma by sponging miR-143-3p, by W.-Q. Ma, J. Chen, W. Fang, X.-Q. Yang, A. Zhu, D. Zhang, H.-L. Zhong, B. Yang, Z. Luo, published in Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci 2020; 24 (4): 1821-1828-DOI: 10.26355/eurrev_202002_20360-PMID: 32141551" has been withdrawn. The Publisher apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause. https://www.europeanreview.org/article/20360.

LncRNA TUG1 inhibits the proliferation and fibrosis of mesangial cells in diabetic nephropathy via inhibiting the PI3K/AKT pathway

OBJECTIVE

To elucidate the potential function of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) TUG1 in the progression of diabetic nephropathy (DN) and the underlying mechanism.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Rat diabetes mellitus (DM) model was established by streptozocin (STZ) administration. In vivo levels of TUG1 and relative genes in the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT) pathway in DM rats and control rats were determined by the quantitative Real Time-Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR). Moreover, levels of kidney weight, 24 h-urine protein, blood urea nitrogen and serum creatinine in DM rats and controls were detected. Mesangial cells were subjected to induction of high-level glucose. Relative levels of TUG1 and relative genes in the PI3K/AKT pathway in mesangial cells were determined as well. Through Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) and 5-Ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU) assay, the regulatory effect of TUG1 on the proliferative ability of mesangial cells induced with high-level glucose was evaluated. Finally, expression changes in the PI3K/AKT pathway and extracellular matrix (ECM)-related genes in mesangial cells were determined.

RESULTS

TUG1 was downregulated in DM rats and mesangial cells induced with high-level glucose. Compared with controls, DM rats presented higher levels of kidney weight, 24 h-urine protein, blood urea nitrogen and serum creatinine, which were markedly reduced after TUG1 overexpression in vivo. Moreover, overexpression of TUG1 downregulated TGF-β1, FN, and COL-IV, and inhibited the activation of the PI3K/AKT pathway.

CONCLUSIONS

TUG1 is downregulated in DN. The overexpression of TUG1 could suppress the proliferation and ECM accumulation of mesangial cells via inhibiting the PI3K/AKT pathway.