Effects of chestnut tannins on intestinal morphology, barrier function, pro-inflammatory cytokine expression, microflora and antioxidant capacity in heat-stressed broilers

A study was conducted to evaluate the effects of chestnut tannins (CT) on intestinal morphology, barrier function, pro-inflammatory cytokine expression, microflora and antioxidant capacity in heat-stressed broilers. Four hundred 28-day-old male Ross 308 broilers were randomly assigned into four groups, with 10 replicates per group and 10 broilers per replicate. The broilers in the normal (NOR) group were kept at 22 ± 1°C and fed the basal diet, and each of the other three groups were treated with cyclic heat (33 ± 1°C from 0800 to 1800 and 22 ± 1°C from 1800 to 0800) and fed the basal diet with 0 (HT), 1 (CT1) or 2 (CT2) g of CT/kg of diet. The experiment lasted for 14 days. Compared with the HT group, broilers in the NOR and CT2 groups had higher (p < .05) average daily gain and villus height in the jejunum and lower serum d-lactate (p < .001) and diamine oxidase (p < .01) levels. The addition of 2 g CT/kg of diet increased the total antioxidant capacity (p < .001) and superoxide dismutase activities (p < .05) and zonula occludens-1 mRNA expression level (p < .05) and decreased the malondialdehyde concentration (p < .01) and mRNA expression levels of interleukin-6 (p < .001) and nuclear factor kappa B (p < .001) in the jejunal mucosa of heat-stressed broilers. The populations of Escherichia coli and Clostridium in the jejunum (p < .01) and caecum (p < .05) of broilers in the HT group were higher than those in the NOR and CT2 groups. In conclusion, the addition of 2 g CT/kg of diet seemed to be a feasible means of alleviating the negative effects of heat stress on the growth performance and intestinal function of broilers.

Endometrial carcinoma recurrence according to race and ethnicity: An NRG Oncology/Gynecologic Oncology Group 210 Study

Non-Hispanic black (NHB) women are more likely to experience an endometrial carcinoma (EC) recurrence compared to non-Hispanic white (NHW) women. The extent to which tumor characteristics, socioeconomic status (SES) and treatment contribute to this observation is not well defined. In the NRG Oncology/Gynecology Oncology Group (GOG) 210 Study we evaluated associations between race/ethnicity and EC recurrence according to tumor characteristics with adjustment for potential confounders. Our analysis included 3,199 NHW, 532 NHB and 232 Hispanic women with EC. Recurrence was documented during follow-up. We used Cox regression to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for associations between race/ethnicity and EC recurrence in models stratified by histologic subtype (low-grade endometrioid, high-grade endometrioid, serous, mixed cell, carcinosarcoma, clear cell) or stage (I, II, III) and adjusted for age, SES, body mass index, smoking status and treatment. In histologic subtype-stratified models, higher EC recurrence was noted in NHB women with low-grade endometrioid (HR = 1.94, 95% CI = 1.21-3.10) or carcinosarcomas (HR = 1.66, 95% CI = 0.99-2.79) compared to NHWs. In stage-stratified models, higher EC recurrence was noted among NHB women with stage I (HR = 1.48, 95% CI = 1.06-2.05) and Hispanic women with stage III disease (HR = 1.81, 95% CI = 1.11-2.95). Our observations of higher EC recurrence risk among NHB and Hispanic women, as compared to NHW women, were not explained by tumor characteristics, SES, treatment or other confounders. Other factors, such as racial differences in tumor biology or other patient factors, should be explored as contributors to racial disparities in EC recurrence.

Atf3 deficiency promotes genome instability and spontaneous tumorigenesis in mice

Mice lacking genes involving in the DNA damage response (DDR) are often tumor prone owing to genome instability caused by oncogenic challenges. Previous studies demonstrate that activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3), a common stress sensor, can activate the tumor suppressor p53 and regulate expression of p53 target genes upon DNA damage. However, whether ATF3 contributes to the maintenance of genome stability and tumor suppression remains unknown. Here we report that Atf3-deficient (Atf3^-/-) mice developed spontaneous tumors, and died significantly earlier than wild-type (Atf3^+/+) mice. Consistent with these results, Atf3^-/- mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) had more aberrant chromosomes and micronuclei, and were genetically unstable. Whereas we demonstrated that ATF3 activated p53 and promoted its pro-apoptotic activity in mouse thymi and small intestines, the chromosomal instability caused by Atf3 deficiency was largely dependent on the regulation of p53 by ATF3. Interestingly, loss of Atf3 also promoted spontaneous tumorigenesis in Trp53^+/- mice, but did not affect tumor formation in Trp53^-/- mice. Our results thus provide the first genetic evidence linking ATF3 to the suppression of the early development of cancer, and underscore the importance of ATF3 in the maintenance of genome integrity.

A discontinuous autoinhibitory module masks the A1 domain of von Willebrand factor

Essentials The mechanism for the auto-inhibition of von Willebrand factor (VWF) remains unclear. Hydrogen exchange of two VWF A1 fragments with disparate activities was measured and compared. Discontinuous residues flanking A1 form a structural module that blocks A1 binding to the platelet. Our results suggest a potentially unified model of VWF activation. Click to hear an ISTH Academy presentation on the domain architecture of VWF and activation by elongational flow by Dr Springer SUMMARY: Background How von Willebrand factor (VWF) senses and responds to shear flow remains unclear. In the absence of shear flow, VWF or its fragments can be induced to bind spontaneously to platelet GPIbα. Objectives To elucidate the auto-inhibition mechanism of VWF. Methods Hydrogen-deuterium exchange (HDX) of two recombinant VWF fragments expressed from baby hamster kidney cells were measured and compared. Results The shortA1 protein contains VWF residues 1261-1472 and binds GPIbα with a significantly higher affinity than the longA1 protein that contains VWF residues 1238-1472. Both proteins contain the VWF A1 domain (residues 1272-1458). Many residues in longA1, particularly those in the N- and C-terminal sequences flanking the A1 domain, and in helix α1, loops α1β2 and β3α2, demonstrated markedly reduced HDX compared with their counterparts in shortA1. The HDX-protected region in longA1 overlaps with the GPIbα-binding interface and is clustered with type 2B von Willebrand disease (VWD) mutations. Additional comparison with the HDX of denatured longA1 and ristocetin-bound longA1 indicates the N- and C-terminal sequences flanking the A1 domain form cooperatively an integrated autoinhibitory module (AIM) that interacts with the HDX-protected region. Binding of ristocetin to the C-terminal part of the AIM desorbs the AIM from A1 and enables longA1 binding to GPIbα. Conclusion The discontinuous AIM binds the A1 domain and prevents it from binding to GPIbα, which has significant implications for the pathogenesis of type 2B VWD and the shear-induced activation of VWF activity.

Clinical utility of a short resting-state MRI scan in differentiating bipolar from unipolar depression

OBJECTIVE

Depression in bipolar disorder (BipD) requires a therapeutic approach that is from treating unipolar major depressive disorder (UniD), but to date, no reliable methods could separate these two disorders. The aim of this study was to establish the clinical validity and utility of a non-invasive functional MRI-based method to classify BipD from UniD.

METHOD

The degree of connectivity (degree centrality or DC) of every small unit (voxel) with every other unit of the brain was estimated in 22 patients with BipD and 22 age, gender, and depressive severity-matched patients with UniD and 22 healthy controls. Pattern classification analysis was carried out using a support-vector machine (SVM) approach.

RESULTS

Degree centrality pattern from 8-min resting fMRI discriminated BipD from UniD with an accuracy of 86% and diagnostic odds ratio of 9.6. DC was reduced in the left insula and increased in bilateral precuneus in BipD when compared to UniD. In this sample with a high degree of uncertainty (50% prior probability), positive predictive value of the DC test was 79%.

CONCLUSION

Degree centrality maps are potential candidate measures to separate bipolar depression from unipolar depression. Test performance reported here requires further pragmatic evaluation in regular clinical practice.

Direct Electrospray Printing of Gradient Refractive Index Chalcogenide Glass Films

A spatially varying effective refractive index gradient using chalcogenide glass layers is printed on a silicon wafer using an optimized electrospray (ES) deposition process. Using solution-derived glass precursors, IR-transparent Ge₂₃Sb₇S₇₀ and As₄₀S₆₀ glass films of programmed thickness are fabricated to yield a bilayer structure, resulting in an effective gradient refractive index (GRIN) film. Optical and compositional analysis tools confirm the optical and physical nature of the gradient in the resulting high-optical-quality films, demonstrating the power of direct printing of multimaterial structures compatible with planar photonic fabrication protocols. The potential application of such tailorable materials and structures as they relate to the enhancement of sensitivity in chalcogenide glass based planar chemical sensor device design is presented. This method, applicable to a broad cross section of glass compositions, shows promise in directly depositing GRIN films with tunable refractive index profiles for bulk and planar optical components and devices.

Progressive Line Processing of Kernel RX Anomaly Detection Algorithm for Hyperspectral Imagery

The Kernel-RX detector (KRXD) has attracted widespread interest in hyperspectral image processing with the utilization of nonlinear information. However, the kernelization of hyperspectral data leads to poor execution efficiency in KRXD. This paper presents an approach to the progressive line processing of KRXD (PLP-KRXD) that can perform KRXD line by line (the main data acquisition pattern). Parallel causal sliding windows are defined to ensure the causality of PLP-KRXD. Then, with the employment of the Woodbury matrix identity and the matrix inversion lemma, PLP-KRXD has the capacity to recursively update the kernel matrices, thereby avoiding a great many repetitive calculations of complex matrices, and greatly reducing the algorithm’s complexity. To substantiate the usefulness and effectiveness of PLP-KRXD, three groups of hyperspectral datasets are used to conduct experiments.

Abstract 4417: The role of EBV infection in aerobic glycolysis in nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Accumulating evidence indicates that oncogenic viral protein exerts a crucial role in activating aerobic glycolysis during tumorigenesis, but the underlying mechanisms are largely undefined. The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-encoded latent membrane protein 1 (LMP1) is a trans-membrane protein with potent cell signaling properties and has tumorigenic transformation property. Activation of NF-κB is a major signaling pathway mediating many downstream transformation properties of LMP1. Here we report that activation of mTORC1 by LMP1 is a key modulator for activation of NF-κB signaling to mediate aerobic glycolysis. NF-κB activation is involved for LMP1-induced upregulation of glucose transptor-1 (Glut-1) transcription and growth of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) cells. Collectively, blocking the activity of mTORC1 signaling effectively suppressed LMP1-induced NF-κB activation and Glut-1 transcription. Interfering NF-κB signaling has no effect on mTORC1 activity but effectively altered Glut-1 transcription. Luciferase promoter assay of Glut-1 also confirmed that Glut-1 is a direct target gene of NF-κB signaling. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the LMP1 C-terminal activating region (CTAR) 2 is the key domain involved in mTORC1 activation, mainly through IKKβ-mediated phosphorylation of TSC2 at Ser939. Depletion of Glut-1 effectively led to suppression of aerobic glycolysis, inhibition of cell proliferation, colony formation, and attenuation of tumorigenic growth property of LMP1-expressing nasopharyngeal epithelial (NPE) cells. These findings suggest that targeting the signaling axis of mTORC1/NF-κB/Glut-1 represents a novel therapeutic target against NPC.

Acknowledgement: 96 800x600 This project was supported by the General Research Fund (HKU 779810M, 17120814 and 17161116), CRF equipment grant (1061402980, Health and Medical Research Fund of Hong Kong (12110782), AoE grant (AoE/M-06/08) and TBRS grant (T12-401/13-R). We thank Prof. Dongyan Jin (Department of Biochemistry, The University of Hong Kong) for the kind gifts of IKK related plasmids and Prof. Zhenguo Wu (Division of Life Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology) for the discussion and interpretation of the data. We also thank Mr. Tony Chan for his technical support.

Note: This abstract was not presented at the meeting.

Citation Format: George S. Tsao, Jun Zhang, Lin Xia, C Tsang, Weitao Lin, Y Yip, W Deng, K Lo, M Lung. The role of EBV infection in aerobic glycolysis in nasopharyngeal carcinoma [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 4417. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-4417

PyMIF enhances the inflammatory response in a rodent model by stimulating CD11b(+) Ly6C(+) cells accumulation in spleen

Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (PMIF) expressed by Plasmodium parasites has been proved to be similar to the mammalian MIF in both structure and biological activity and is a critical upstream regulator in antimalaria innate immunity. In this work, using a genetically modified (MIF-KO) strain of highly lethal rodent Plasmodium yoelii 17XL (Py17XL), we found that PyMIF could increase the secretion of pro-inflammatory factors by eliciting the CD11b(+) Ly6C(+) cells accumulated in the spleen of infected mouse. In addition, the chemotactic effect of PyMIF was demonstrated to associate with cell receptors CXCR2, CXCR4 and the cell surface markers ICAM-1, LFA-4.

Multicentre randomized controlled trial with sensor-augmented pump vs multiple daily injections in hospitalized patients with type 2 diabetes in China: Time to reach target glucose

AIM

Sensor-augmented pump (SAP) technology, which combines continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) and real-time continuous glucose monitoring (RT-CGM), has been available for several years in China. In this study, the time required to reach predefined glycaemic targets with SAP vs multiple daily injection (MDI) therapy was compared in hospitalized patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

METHODS

Adults (aged 18-65 years) with T2DM treated with insulin and admitted to hospital for glucose management were randomized to either SAP (Medtronic MiniMed™ Paradigm™ 722 system) or MDI with blinded CGM (Medtronic MiniMed CGMS System Gold™) for a 2-week period. Glycaemic targets were defined as three preprandial measurements between 80 and 130mg/dL (4.4 and 7.2mmol/L) and three 2-h postprandial measurements between 80 and 180mg/dL (4.4 and 10.0mmol/L) within the same day.

RESULTS

When data from 81 patients (40 SAP, 41 MDI) were analysed, 21 patients using SAP therapy, compared with six using MDI therapy, achieved their glycaemic targets within 3 days, and their time to reach their glucose targets was significantly shorter (3.7±1.1 vs 6.3±3.1 days for MDI; P<0.001), while three MDI patients failed to reach glycaemic targets within 14 days. SAP vs MDI patients experienced significantly less hypoglycaemia [sensor glucose<50mg/dL (2.8mmol/L): 0.04% vs 0.32%, respectively; P<0.05] and significantly less hyperglycaemia [sensor glucose>180mg/dL (10mmol/L): 21.56% vs 35.03%, respectively; P<0.05].

CONCLUSION

SAP vs MDI therapy in hospitalized patients with T2DM significantly reduced the time required to achieve glycaemic targets, and such systems may be a cost-effective way to improve glucose control and reduce hospital stays in T2DM patients.

Treatment-free remission following frontline nilotinib in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia in chronic phase: results from the ENESTfreedom study

The single-arm, phase 2 ENESTfreedom trial assessed the potential for treatment-free remission (TFR; i.e., the ability to maintain a molecular response after stopping therapy) following frontline nilotinib treatment. Patients with Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukemia in chronic phase with MR^4.5 (BCR-ABL1⩽0.0032% on the International Scale (BCR-ABL1^IS)) and ⩾2 years of frontline nilotinib therapy were enrolled. Patients with sustained deep molecular response during the 1-year nilotinib consolidation phase were eligible to stop treatment and enter the TFR phase. Patients with loss of major molecular response (MMR; BCR-ABL1^IS⩽0.1%) during the TFR phase reinitiated nilotinib. In total, 215 patients entered the consolidation phase, of whom 190 entered the TFR phase. The median duration of nilotinib before stopping treatment was 43.5 months. At 48 weeks after stopping nilotinib, 98 patients (51.6% 95% confidence interval, 44.2–58.9%) remained in MMR or better (primary end point). Of the 86 patients who restarted nilotinib in the treatment reinitiation phase after loss of MMR, 98.8% and 88.4%, respectively, regained MMR and MR^4.5 by the data cutoff date. Consistent with prior reports of imatinib-treated patients, musculoskeletal pain-related events were reported in 24.7% of patients in the TFR phase (consolidation phase, 16.3%).

Rare damaging variants in DNA repair and cell cycle pathways are associated with hippocampal and cognitive dysfunction: a combined genetic imaging study in first-episode treatment-naive patients with schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder where changes in both hippocampus and memory-related cognitive functions are central. However, the exact relationship between neurodevelopmental-genetic factors and hippocampal-cognitive dysfunction remains unclear. The general aim of our study is to link the occurrence of rare damaging mutations involved in susceptibility gene pathways to the structure and function of hippocampus in order to define genetically and phenotypically based subgroups in schizophrenia. In the present study, by analyzing the exome sequencing and magnetic resonance imaging data in 94 first-episode treatment-naive schizophrenia patients and 134 normal controls, we identified that a cluster of rare damaging variants (RDVs) enriched in DNA repair and cell cycle pathways was present only in a subgroup including 39 schizophrenic patients. Furthermore, we found that schizophrenic patients with this RDVs show increased resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) between left hippocampus (especially for left dentate gyrus) and left inferior parietal cortex, as well as decreased rsFC between left hippocampus and cerebellum. Moreover, abnormal rsFC was related to the deficits of spatial working memory (SWM; that is known to recruit the hippocampus) in patients with the RDVs. Taken together, our data demonstrate for the first time, to our knowledge, that damaging rare variants of genes in DNA repair and cell cycle pathways are associated with aberrant hippocampal rsFC, which was further relative to cognitive deficits in first-episode treatment-naive schizophrenia. Therefore, our data provide some evidence for the occurrence of phenotypic alterations in hippocampal and SWM function in a genetically defined subgroup of schizophrenia.

Platelet-rich plasma, bilayered acellular matrix grafting and negative pressure wound therapy in diabetic foot infection

Management and treatment of acute severe diabetic foot disease in patients with suboptimal glycaemic control is a critical issue in wound repair. This paper discusses the clinical efficacy of an aggressive surgical intervention combined with targeted use of regenerative medical therapies in limb preservation. Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT), platelet-rich plasma (PRP), bilayered acellular matrix grafting and split-thickness skin grafting were combined to treat a patient with diabetes, foot necrotising fasciitis and gaseous gangrene. The wound was completely healed. The clinical outcome revealed that a multi-intervention strategy could be effective for large necrotising fasciitis wounds. Early clinical observation, suggests aggresive surgical intervention preserving intact tissue and targeted use of new regenerative technologies can lead to preservation of a limb.

DECLARATION OF INTEREST

The authors have received no financial support for the material presented in this study outside of the scope of standard patient care reimbursement. This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NO. 81500596) awarded to Dr Wuquan Deng.