GLI-1 facilitates the EMT induced by TGF-β1 in gastric cancer

OBJECTIVE

To explore how GLI-1 affects the EMT induced by TGF-β1 in gastric cancer.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Following 24 hours of culture of SGC-7901 cells in presence of TGF-β1, we observed the changes in morphology as well as mRNA and protein expressions of GLI-1, E-cadherin and Vimentin by RT-PCR and Western blot. Transwell assay was conducted to evaluate the changes in invasion ability of SGC-7901 cells. Then, SGC-7901 cells were co-treated with TGF-β1 and GANT 61, and changes of the above indexes were also detected using the corresponding methods.

RESULTS

In presence of TGF-β1, EMT was initiated in SGC-7901 cells EMT with increased cell invasion ability, and the mRNA and protein expressions of E-cadherin were downregulated, while those of the GLI-1 and Vimentin were upregulated. Conversely, the co-treatment of TGF-β1 and GANT 61 suppressed the increased cell invasion ability induced only by TGF-β1, and the changes in mRNA and protein expressions of these factors were abolished.

CONCLUSIONS

We found that GLI-1 facilitates the EMT induced by TGF-β1 in SGC-7901 cells, which may serve as a potential target in developing the clinical treatment of gastric cancer.

The Probiotic Effectiveness in Preventing Experimental Colitis Is Correlated With Host Gut Microbiota

Current evidence to support extensive use of probiotics in inflammatory bowel disease is limited and factors that contribute to the inconsistent effectiveness of clinical probiotic therapy are not completely known. Here, we used Bifidobacterium longum JDM 301 as a model probiotic to study potential factors that may influence the effect of probiotics in experimental colitis. We found that the effect of B. longum JDM 301 in tempering experimental colitis varied across individual mice even with the same genetic background. The probiotic efficacy was highly correlated with the host gut microbial community features. Consumption of a diet rich in fat could exacerbate mucosal injury-induced colitis but could not change the host responsiveness to B. longum JDM 301 treatment, suggesting of potential mechanistic differences between regulating colitis pathogenesis, and modulating probiotic efficacies by the gut microbiota. Together, our results suggest that personalized microbiome features may modify the probiotic therapeutic effect and support the idea of personalized probiotic medicine in inflammatory bowel disease.

The moderate predictive value of serial serum CRP and PCT levels for the prognosis of hospitalized community-acquired pneumonia

BACKGROUND

To predict the prognosis by observing the dynamic change of C-reactive protein (CRP) and procalcitonin (PCT) for hospitalized community-acquired pneumonia (CAP).

METHODS

The data were collected from January to December 2017 from the first affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University. Demographic and clinical patient information including age, length of hospital stay and Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) were recorded. Blood samples were taken for CRP, PCT, and white blood cell count (WBC). Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve was used to verify each biomarker's association with the prognosis of pneumonia.

RESULTS

A total of 350 patients were enrolled in the study. The 30-day mortality was 10.86%. Serial serum CRP3, CRP5, PCT3, PCT5 and PCT5c levels were statistically lower in CAP survivors than non-survivors. CRP3c < 0, CRP5c < 0 and PCT5c < 0 were observed with a statistically lower frequency in patients with 30-day mortality and initial treatment failure. The AUC for 30-day mortality for serial CRP levels combined with CRP clearances was 0.85 (95% CI 0.77-0.92), as compared to an AUC of 0.81 (95% CI 0.73-0.9) for serial PCT levels combined with PCT clearances.

CONCLUSIONS

Serum serial CRP and PCT levels had moderate predictive value for hospitalized CAP prognosis. The dynamic CRP and PCT changes may potentially be used in the future to predict hospitalized CAP prognosis.

Rapid determination of hexavalent chromium in textiles by a novel ammonium pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate derivatization combined with UHPLC-MS/MS

Hexavalent chromium is mainly determined by traditional spectrophotometry, atomic absorption spectrometry, and ion chromatography methods. In the present work, a reliable ultra high performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry method was firstly developed for the determination of hexavalent chromium in textiles. The sample was extracted by acetic acid/sodium acetate buffer solution and followed by derivatization with ammonium pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate. The resulting derivative product was extracted by ethyl acetate, separated on a C18 column, and detected through electrospray ionization source in the positive mode with multiple reaction monitoring conditions. The derivatization reaction conditions were investigated and optimized. The developed method was validated in terms of the sensitivity, linearity range, matrix effects, recovery, accuracy, intra- and interday precision. Results showed that the calibration curves of pure solvent and matrix were linear over the selected concentration ranges of 0.1-20.0 μg/L. The achieved instrument and method limit of quantification were 0.1 and 40.0 μg/kg, respectively. Recoveries were calculated at three spiked concentrations and the values were between 92.2 and 103% with relative standard deviation values of 2.7-4.9% for intra-day precision and 6.1% for inter-day precision. Successful analysis of hexavalent chromium in practical textiles indicated that there was hexavalent chromium contamination in textiles.

Non-Mass Breast Lesions on Ultrasound: Feature Exploration and Multimode Ultrasonic Diagnosis

The aim of this study was to analyze the features of non-mass breast lesions (NMLs) on B-mode ultrasound (US), color Doppler US, strain elastography (SE) and contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) and to develop a multimode ultrasonic method for NML differentiation. Seventy-one NMLs were included in this retrospective study. Binary logistic regression was used to identify the independent risk factors. Pathology results were used as the standard criterion. Microcalcification on US, high stiffness on SE and hyper-enhanced intensity on CEUS were identified as features correlated with malignancy. A multimode method to evaluate NMLs based on the logistic regression was developed. The sensitivity and specificity for US, US + Doppler, US + SE, US + CEUS and the multimode method were 100% and 29%, 92.5% and 41.9%, 97.5% and 58.1%, 90.0% and 58.1% and 95.0% and 77.4%, respectively. The accuracy of these methods was 69.0%, 70.4%, 80.2%, 76.1% and 87.3%, respectively. The multimode ultrasonic method is simple and exhibited high diagnostic performance, which might be helpful for predicting the potential malignancy of NMLs.

Design and analysis of a five-mirror derotator with minimal instrumental polarization in astronomical telescopes

It is well known that derotator is commonly used to compensate for image rotation in astronomical telescopes. The classical derotator, consisting of three mirrors, is named K-mirror. The main disadvantage of the K-mirror is that it has high instrumental polarization, causing a larger polarization measurement error in polarimetry. In the paper, we proposed a new design of the derotator based on the Mueller matrix transformation theory of mirrors in polarized light. The new designed derotator contains five mirrors and is called five-mirror derotator. It has a very small instrumental polarization, overcoming the shortcomings of the classical K-mirror. A novel method is applied to compensate for the beam shift induced by the thickness of the reflector. From the result of numerical polarization analysis, it is showed that the five-mirror derotator has a significant advantage for the telescopes with a small field of view, especially in polarimetry at longer wavelengths.

Anticoagulation efficacy of dabigatran etexilate for left atrial appendage thrombus in patients with atrial fibrillation by transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography

To evaluate the anticoagulation efficacy of dabigatran etexilate for left atrial appendage (LAA) thrombus resolution in patients with atrial fibrillation by transthoracic echocardiography and transesophageal echocardiography, and to investigate the anticoagulation factors.A total of 58 atrial fibrillation patients with LAA thrombus in our hospital were enrolled. After dabigatran etexilate anticoagulation for 3 months, the patients were divided into the effective group and ineffective group according to dissolution of thrombosis. The baseline data and the left atrial diameter (LAD), left atrial ejection fraction (LAEF), left ventricular ejection fraction, LAA flow velocity (LAA-v), and LAA thrombus size before and after anticoagulation treatment were recorded, and the measurement index were statistically analyzed.After the patients received anticoagulation treatment for 3 months, 15 patients had complete dissolution, thrombus in 21 patients reduced significantly, and the complete dissolution rate was 25.9% (15/58), the effective rate of dissolution was 62.1% (36/58). Compared with the ineffective group, the proportion of persistent atrial fibrillation and LAD in effective group were lower than those in the ineffective group, the LAEF and LAA-v in the effective group were higher than those in the ineffective group, and the differences were statistically significant (P < .05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis on the baseline data and each ultrasound index showed that the type of atrial fibrillation, LAD, LAEF, and LAA-v were independently associated with the efficacy of anticoagulation (P < .05).Dabigatran etexilate is effective in dissolution of LAA thrombus in patients with atrial fibrillation, and the atrial fibrillation type, LAD, LAEF, and LAA-v are significantly related with the efficacy of anticoagulation.

Soil surface Hg emission flux in coalfield in Wuda, Inner Mongolia, China

Hg emission flux from various land covers, such as forests, wetlands, and urban areas, have been investigated. China has the largest area of coalfield in the world, but data of Hg flux of coalfields, especially, those with coal fires, are seriously limited. In this study, Hg fluxes of a coalfield were measured using the dynamic flux chamber (DFC) method, coupled with a Lumex multifunctional Hg analyzer RA-915+ (Lumex Ltd., Russia). The results show that the Hg flux in Wuda coalfield ranged from 4 to 318 ng m^-2 h^-1, and the average value for different areas varied, e.g., coal-fire area 99 and 177 ng m^-2 h^-1; no coal-fire area 19 and 32 ng m^-2 h^-1; and backfilling area 53 ng m^-2 h^-1. Hg continued to be emitted from an underground coal seam, even if there were no phenomena, such as vents, cracks, and smog, of coal fire on the soil surface. This phenomenon occurred in all area types, i.e., coal-fire area, no coal-fire area, and backfilling area, which is universal in Wuda coalfield. Considering that many coalfields in northern China are similar to Wuda coalfield, they may be large sources of atmospheric Hg. The correlations of Hg emission flux with influence factors, such as sunlight intensity, soil surface temperature, and atmospheric Hg content, were also investigated for Wuda coalfield. Graphical abstract ᅟ.

Gingipains disrupt F-actin and cause osteoblast apoptosis via integrin β1

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to explore the cellular mechanisms underlying gingipain-caused changes in cell morphology and apoptosis of osteoblasts.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Human calvarial osteoblasts and mouse osteoblasts MC3T3-E1 were treated with gingipain extracts from Porphyromonas gingivalis stain W83. Apoptosis was detected with annexin V and propidium iodide flow cytometry analysis or terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated dUTP nick-end labeling staining. F-actin was determined by immunostaining. Western blotting was used to detect protein expression. Knocking down and overexpressing approaches were used to determine the role of integrin β1.

RESULTS

Osteoblasts exposed to gingipain extracts displayed increased apoptosis, accompanied by loss of F-actin integrity and cell shrinkage. The effects of gingipain extracts were abolished by the cysteine protease inhibitor N-tosyl-l-lysyl chloromethyl-ketone. Notably, gingipain extracts resulted in reduction of integrin β1, accompanied by diminished active RhoA whereas without effect on the total RhoA. Knockdown of integrin β1 resembled those seen in gingipain-treated osteoblasts. By contrast, the effects of gingipain extracts were abrogated by either overexpression of integrin β1 or presence of RhoA agonist CN03.

CONCLUSION

Gingipain-induced F-actin disruption and apoptosis are mediated by the degradation of integrin β1 and inhibition of RhoA activity, which account for osteoblast apoptosis.

Radiofrequency Ablation versus Hepatic Resection for Small Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials with Meta-Analysis and Trial Sequential Analysis

Purpose To compare the benefits and harms of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and hepatic resection (HR) and to test the consistency of currently available evidence. Materials and Methods PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library were systematically searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that compared the effects of HR and RFA for Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer very early or early stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The primary outcome was overall survival, and secondary outcomes were recurrence rate, complication rate, and hospitalization duration. A random- or fixed-effects model according to the level of heterogeneity was applied. The meta-analysis was performed by using software, and trial sequential analysis (TSA) was performed. Results Five trials examining 742 patients were included in this study (sizes of trials: 161, 230, 168, 120, and 63 patients). The meta-analysis showed that RFA and HR had similar overall survival at 1 year (relative risk [RR], 1.39; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.36, 5.33; P = .63) and 3 years (RR, 1.40; 95% CI: 0.75, 2.62; P = .29), whereas RFA resulted in decreased overall survival compared with HR at 5 years (RR: 1.91; 95% CI: 1.32, 2.79; P = .001). The TSA showed that more trials were needed to control random errors. The incidence of overall recurrence was markedly higher and the hospitalization duration was significantly shorter in the RFA group than in the HR group, which was confirmed by TSA. Complications may have been less frequent in the RFA group, but TSA showed that additional trials were necessary to confirm this conclusion. Conclusion The indication for RFA as a primary treatment for patients who are eligible for HR with early stage HCC is unclear, and additional well-designed RCTs are needed. ^© RSNA, 2017 Online supplemental material is available for this article.

BioPepDB: an integrated data platform for food-derived bioactive peptides

Food-derived bioactive peptides play critical roles in regulating most biological processes and have considerable biological, medical and industrial importance. However, a large number of active peptides data, including sequence, function, source, commercial product information, references and other information are poorly integrated. BioPepDB is a searchable database of food-derived bioactive peptides and their related articles, including more than four thousand bioactive peptide entries. Moreover, BioPepDB provides modules of prediction and hydrolysis-simulation for discovering novel peptides. It can serve as a reference database to investigate the function of different bioactive peptides. BioPepDB is available at http://bis.zju.edu.cn/biopepdbr/ . The web page utilises Apache, PHP5 and MySQL to provide the user interface for accessing the database and predict novel peptides. The database itself is operated on a specialised server.

DLX1, a binding protein of beta-catenin, promoted the growth and migration of prostate cancer cells

Several studies have indicated the involvement of DLX1 in the progression of prostate cancer. However, the functions of DLX1 in the prostate cancer and the underlying molecular mechanism remains largely unknown. In this study, we have shown that DLX1 was up-regulated in the prostate clinical samples. DLX1 promoted the growth, migration and colony formation of prostate cancer cells by activating beta-catenin/TCF signaling. DLX1 interacted with beta-catenin and enhanced the interaction between beta-catenin and TCF4. Taken together, this study demonstrated that DLX1 exerted the oncogenic roles on the prostate cancer by activating beta-catenin/TCF signaling.

Effect of immune tolerance induced by immature dendritic cells and CTLA4-Ig on systemic lupus erythematosus: An in vivo study

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a multi-organ autoimmune disease in which tissue damage is caused by autoantibodies. The induction of specific immune tolerance, including the utilization of immune regulatory cells, may enhance the therapeutic effects of organ transplantation in patients with SLE. Furthermore, inhibiting immune responses has been reported to be an effective treatment for SLE. However, few studies have explored the association between an increased immune tolerance and a decreased immune response in SLE treatment. Dendritic cells (DCs), which are highly efficient antigen-presenting cells, are able to induce specific tolerance, while cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen 4-immunoglobulin (CTLA4-Ig) inhibits the immune response. In the present study, interleukin (IL)-10-treated DCs and CTLA4-Ig were administered to mice with SLE alone or in combination and the therapeutic effects were investigated. IL-10 was added into the culture medium of bone marrow-derived DCs to prevent them from differentiating into mature cells. Low levels of major histocompatibility complex II, cluster of differentiation (CD)40, CD80 and CD86 were detected, which indicated that the immature state of DCs was maintained. IL-10-treated DCs were subsequently injected into the caudal vein of B6.MRL-Fas^lpr/J lupus mice, which are an established animal model of SLE. To amplify the tolerance effect, mice were simultaneously injected with CTLA4-Ig. Compared with the IL-10-treated DC and CTLA4-Ig groups, combined treatment with IL-10-treated DCs and CTLA4-Ig strongly induced immune tolerance in mice with SLE, as indicated by the significantly reduced levels of urine protein, anti-nuclear antibody, double-stranded DNA and IL-17A. A significant decrease in the proportion of T helper cells and an increase in the proportion of CD4⁺ forkhead box protein P3⁺ Treg cells was also observed, further confirming the induction of immune tolerance. These results suggest that combined treatment with IL-10-DCs and CTLA4-Ig may be a promising novel therapeutic strategy for the treatment of SLE.