Proteome Changes of Human Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells Induced by 1,4-Benzoquinone

The pressing need for study on the effects of Mpox on the progression of vascular inflammation: A well-timed call

Background

This article explored the possibility that the Mpox virus (MPXV) may initiate or stimulate the consequences of vascular inflammation. In 1970, it was discovered that Macaca cynomolgus primates infected with MPXV also infected humans in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Discussion

The study demonstrates that MPXV invades host cells via viral proteins and surface receptors, initiating the release of diverse inflammatory mediators such as IL-1, IL-6, TNF-α, CCL2, CXCL2, CXCL8, CXCL10, and so forth probably through endothelial dysfunction by reactive oxygen species production. In general, these mediators have been found to contribute to vascular inflammation and the formation of atherosclerotic plaque at a later stage, which may contribute to the onset of vascular inflammation.

Conclusion

The discussed association between vascular inflammation and Mpox has the potential to be an important finding in the field of vascular biology research.

The genus Oxytropis DC: application, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and toxicity

OBJECTIVES

Oxytropis DC is a perennial plant of Fabaceae family, which is widely distributed in the northern temperate zone. It is known as "locoweed" because of its toxic component swainsonine. However, it is widely used in Tibetan medicine and Mongolian medicine, mainly for the treatment of heat-clearing and detoxifying, pain-relieving, anti-inflammatory, hemostasis, and other diseases. To provide a basis for the further development and utilization of Oxytropis DC, the pieces of literature about the application, phytochemistry, pharmacological action, and toxicity of Oxytropis DC were reviewed and analyzed.

KEY FINDINGS

A total of 373 chemical constituents were found from Oxytropis DC, including flavonoids, alkaloids, steroids, terpenoids, and others. Pharmacological actions mainly include antitumor, antioxidation, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antibacterial, antifibrosis, and other pharmacological actions, among them, the antitumor effect is particularly prominent.

SUMMARY

At present, studies on its pharmacological effects are mainly concentrated on the extracts, some flavonoids, and alkaloids. In the follow-up studies, research on the pharmacological activities of the other chemical constituents in Oxytropis should be strengthened. It has the potential to pave the way for research and development of novel Oxytropis medicines.

Sunlight filtered via translucent-colored polyvinyl chloride sheets enhanced the light absorption capacity and growth of Arthrospira platensis cultivated in a pilot-scale raceway pond

In this research, the effects of filtered sunlight traveling through translucent-colored polyvinyl chloride (PVC) sheets on the photoconversion efficiency of Arthrospira platensis are investigated. Filtered sunlight improves the phycobilisome's capacity to completely absorb and transport it to intracellular photosystems. Findings indicated that filtered sunlight via orange-colored PVC sheet increased biomass dry weight by 21% (2.80 g/L), while under blue-colored PVC sheet decreased by 32% (1.49 g/L), when compared with translucent-colored (control) PVC sheet (2.19 g/L) after 120 h of culture. The meteorological conditions during the 1st week of cultivation reported higher light flux than the subsequent weeks. Furthermore, sunlight filtered through orange PVC sheet enhanced protein, allophycocyanin, phycocyanin, chlorophyll-a and carotenoids synthesis by 13%, 15%, 13%, 22%, and 27%, respectively. This practical and inexpensive solar radiation filtration system supports large-scale production of tailored bioactive compounds from microalgae with high growth rate.

Algae as an emerging source of bioactive pigments

Algae have been identified as natural producer of bioactive commercial pigments. To perform photosynthesis, algae use pigments to harvest sunlight energy. The pigments found in algae are categorized in chlorophylls, phycobilins, and carotenoids. Popular carotenoids include astaxanthin, lutein,fucoxanthin, canthaxanthin, zeaxanthin, β-cryptoxanthin and finds application as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immunoprophylactic, antitumor activities among others. Due to double-bonds in their structure, they exhibit broad health applications while protecting other molecules from oxidative stress induced by active radicals using various mechanisms. These carotenoids are synthesized by certain species as major products however they also present as byproducts in several species based on the pathway and genetic capability. Haematococcus pluvialis and Chlorella zofingiensis are ideal strains for commercial astaxanthin production. This review provides recent updates on microalgal pigment production, extraction, and purification processes to standardize and analyze for commercial production. Also, discussed the factors affecting its production, application, market potential, bottlenecks, and future prospects.

Decrease in the inflammatory cytokines of LPS-stimulated PBMCs of patients with atherosclerosis by a TLR-4 antagonist in the co-culture with HUVECs

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are among the players of inflammation during atherosclerosis. We assessed the effects of Eritoran, a TLR-4 antagonist, on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced cytokines production by Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells (PBMCs) of patients with high-stenosis (HS) (n = 6) and healthy controls (HCs) (n = 6) co-cultured with Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells (HUVECs). LPS stimulation significantly increased the levels of IL-6 (P = 0.007 and P = 0.005), TNF-α (P = 0.006 and P = 0.005), IL-2 (P = 0.007 and P = 0.002), IFN-γ (P = 0.006 and P = 0.003), IL-17A (P = 0.004 and P = 0.003), IL-17F (P = 0.005 and P = 0.003), IL-5 (P = 0.007 and P = 0.005), IL-13 (P = 0.006 and P = 0.005), IL-9 (P = 0.005 and P = 0.005) and IL-21 (P = 0.007 and P = 0.005) in HUVECs co-cultured with HC and HS PBMCs as compared with un-stimulated co-culture condition, respectively. Eritoran treatment (50 μg/mL and 100 μg/mL) significantly reduced the levels of LPS-induced IL-6 (P = 0.007 and P = 0.006; P = 0.007 and P = 0.007), TNF-α (P = 0.005 and P = 0.003; P = 0.007 and P = 0.005), IL-2 (P = 0.007 and P = 0.005; P = 0.005 and P = 0.004), IFN-γ (P = 0.007 and P = 0.005; P = 0.005 and P = 0.004), IL-17A (P = 0.005 and P = 0.002; P = 0.005 and P = 0.002), IL-17F (P = 0.006 and P = 0.006; P = 0.005 and P = 0.005), IL-5 (P = 0.007 and P = 0.006; P = 0.007 and P = 0.007), IL-9 (P = 0.005 and P = 0.005; P = 0.005 and P = 0.005) and IL-21 (P = 0.007 and P = 0.007; P = 0.005 and P = 0.005) in stimulated HUVECs co-cultured with HC and HS PBMCs, compared to un-treated condition, respectively. Our results demonstrate that attenuating effect of Eritoran on the inflammatory responses to LPS is higher in PBMCs of patients with high stenosis, suggesting its potential role in ameliorating inflammatory conditions in atherosclerosis.

The Impact of Sedentary Lifestyle, High-fat Diet, Tobacco Smoke, and Alcohol Intake on the Hematopoietic Stem Cell Niches

Hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells maintain hematopoiesis throughout life by generating all major blood cell lineages through the process of self-renewal and differentiation. In adult mammals, hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) primarily reside in the bone marrow (BM) at special microenvironments called “niches.” Niches are thought to extrinsically orchestrate the HSC fate including their quiescence and proliferation. Insight into the HSC niches mainly comes from studies in mice using surface marker identification and imaging to visualize HSC localization and association with niche cells. The advantage of mouse models is the possibility to study the 3-dimensional BM architecture and cell interactions in an intact traceable system. However, this may not be directly translational to human BM. Sedentary lifestyle, unhealthy diet, excessive alcohol intake, and smoking are all known risk factors for various diseases including hematological disorders and cancer, but how do lifestyle factors impact hematopoiesis and the associated niches? Here, we review current knowledge about the HSC niches and how unhealthy lifestyle may affect it. In addition, we summarize epidemiological data concerning the influence of lifestyle factors on hematological disorders and malignancies.

Percutaneous Endoscopic Lumbar Discectomy via Transforaminal Approach Combined with Interlaminar Approach for L4/5 and L5/S1 Two-Level Disc Herniation

Objective

The purpose of the present study was to discuss a new surgical strategy that combines percutaneous endoscopic transforaminal discectomy (PETD) with percutaneous endoscopic interlaminar discectomy (PEID) for L4/5 and L5/S1 two‐level disc herniation.

Methods

This was a retrospective study. A total of 19 patients with L4/5 and L5/S1 two‐level lumbar disc herniation (LDH) who underwent percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy (PELD) in our hospital from January 2015 to June 2016 were retrospectively examined. The average age of these 19 patients was 42.21 ± 14.88 years old, including 12 men and 7 women. One experienced surgeon who had carried out more than 3000 lumbar surgeries performed PELD for these patients. During the PELD surgery, the transforaminal approach was adopted for L4/5 level disc herniation and the interlaminar approach was adopted for L5/S1 level disc herniation. The demographic data, operation time (min), fluoroscopy times, hospital stay (days), and complications were recorded and analyzed. The visual analogue scale (VAS), Oswestry disability index (ODI) scores, and the modified MacNab criteria were used to evaluate the surgical outcomes. MRI was conducted to evaluate the radiographic improvement.

Results

All patients underwent PELD via the transforaminal approach combined with the interlaminar approach successfully and achieved satisfactory efficacy. The follow‐up points were 3, 12, and 18 months. The average hospital stay (days) and the average follow up (months) were 3.32 ± 0.98 and 18.63 ± 3.84, respectively. The operation time and fluoroscopy times were 85.79 ± 12.90 min and 39.05 ± 4.59 times, respectively. The fluoroscopy times (frequency) for L4/5 and L5/S1 were 26.95 ± 6.41 and 12.11 ± 3.49 (t = 7.00, P < 0.05). Furthermore, there was no significant difference for fluoroscopy times between male and female patients (t = 0.89, P = 0.99). The preoperative back pain (VAS‐Back) and the last follow‐up VAS‐Back were 5.58 ± 2.01 and 2.37 ± 1.01, respectively (t = 7.14, P < 0.05). The preoperative leg pain (VAS‐Leg) and the last follow‐up VAS‐Leg were 7.00 ± 1.56 and 1.63 ± 1.01, respectively (t = 20.97, P < 0.05). There were significant differences between preoperative VAS‐Back and the last follow‐up VAS‐Back in men (t = 4.61, P < 0.05) and women (t = 6.57, P < 0.05). In addition, there was significant differences between preoperative VAS‐Leg and the last follow‐up VAS‐Leg in men (t = 13.48, P < 0.05) and women (t = 26.87, P < 0.05). There were significant differences between preoperative ODI scores (44.84 ± 10.82%) and the last follow‐up ODI scores (11.12 ± 5.80%) (t = 10.92, P < 0.05). Preoperative ODI scores and the last follow‐up ODI scores were significantly different for men (t = 8.80, P < 0.05) and women (t = 6.63, P < 0.05). All patients received significant pain relief and functional improvement after the surgery. Except for two cases of postoperative dysesthesia and one dural tear, no severe complications occurred. The dysesthesia symptoms of these two patients disappeared within 1 week with the application of dexamethasone and neurotrophic drugs and the dural tear case also recovered well as the dural laceration was small. No poor results were reported and 89.47% of patients achieved excellent or good recovery.

Conclusion

Percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy via the transforaminal approach combined with the interlaminar approach under epidural anesthesia can treat L4/5 and L5/S1 two‐level disc herniation safely and effectively.

Public health issues from crude-oil production in the Ecuadorian Amazon territories

Crude oil production (COP) is a high-pollution industry but the vast Amazon rainforest has been an active COP zone for South America. Although COP has been associated with a variety of health effects among workers around the world, such effects have not been adequately investigated in the Amazon region, especially at the community level. Therefore, this review was conducted to provide a report about COP in the Amazon of Ecuador and about its association with health status of indigenous human populations. Some epidemiological surveys in the Amazonian Territories indicate that COP has been associated with health problems in the surrounding populations, e.g. cancers in the stomach, rectum, skin, soft tissue, kidney and cervix in adults, and leukemia in children. In addition, some biomarkers and mechanistic studies show exposure effects. However, due to limitations from these studies, contradictory associations have been reported. Our review indicates that COP in the Amazonian territories of northern Ecuador was characterised by contamination which could have affected the indigenous and non-indigenous populations. However, there have not been dedicated investigations to provide relationships between the contamination and the subsequent exposure-health effects. Since indigenous populations have different lifestyle and cultures from regular city dwellers, systematic studies on their potential health hazards need to be conducted. Due to the remote locations and sparse populations, these new studies may involve the use of novel and genomic-based biomarkers as well as using high technology in the remote regions.

Co-culture systems of osteoblasts and osteoclasts: Simulating in vitro bone remodeling in regenerative approaches

Bone is an extremely dynamic tissue, undergoing continuous remodeling for its whole lifetime, but its regeneration or augmentation due to bone loss or defects are not always easy to obtain. Bone tissue engineering (BTE) is a promising approach, and its success often relies on a "smart" scaffold, as a support to host and guide bone formation through bone cell precursors. Bone homeostasis is maintained by osteoblasts (OBs) and osteoclasts (OCs) within the basic multicellular unit, in a consecutive cycle of resorption and formation. Therefore, a functional scaffold should allow the best possible OB/OC cooperation for bone remodeling, as happens within the bone extracellular matrix in the body. In the present work OB/OC co-culture models, with and without scaffolds, are reviewed. These experimental systems are intended for different targets, including bone remodeling simulation, drug testing and the assessment of biomaterials and 3D scaffolds for BTE. As a consequence, several parameters, such as cell type, cell ratio, culture medium and inducers, culture times and setpoints, assay methods, etc. vary greatly. This review identifies and systematically reports the in vitro methods explored up to now, which, as they allow cellular communication, more closely resemble bone remodeling and/or the regeneration process in the framework of BTE. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Bone is a dynamic tissue under continuous remodeling, but spontaneous healing may fail in the case of excessive bone loss which often requires valid alternatives to conventional treatments to restore bone integrity, like bone tissue engineering (BTE). Pre-clinical evaluation of scaffolds for BTE requires in vitro testing where co-cultures combining innovative materials with osteoblasts (OBs) and osteoclasts (OCs) closely mimic the in vivo repair process. This review considers the direct and indirect OB/OC co-cultures relevant to BTE, from the early mouse-cell models to the recent bone regenerative systems. The co-culture modeling of bone microenvironment provides reliable information on bone cell cross-talk. Starting from improved knowledge on bone remodeling, bone disease mechanisms may be understood and new BTE solutions are designed.

Contrasting effects of monochromatic LED lighting on growth, pigments and photosynthesis in the commercially important cyanobacterium Arthrospira maxima

The aim of this study was to evaluatethe effects of different colored light emitting diodes (LEDs) on the growth, pigment yield, and photosynthetic performance of Arthrospira maxima, a commercially exploited species of cyanobacteria. The highest growth and chlorophyll a (Chl a) concentration were obtained under red LED and white fluorescent light, while the lowest growth and Chlaconcentration were observed under blue LED. However, blue LED produced the highest levels of phycobiliproteins (3.20 mg·g^-1phycocyanin [PC]; 0.19 mg·g^-1 allophycocyanin [APC]; 0.97 mg·g^-1for phycoerythrin [PE], effective quantum yield (Φ_PSII) and maximum relative electron transport rate (rETR_max) inA. maxima. The results of this study suggest that red and blue LEDs increase the biomass yield and pigment content of cyanobacteria, respectively, and the combined use of red and blue light may significantly improve algal biomass and biopigment yield.

The effect of medium and light wavelength towards Stichococcus bacillaris fatty acid production and composition

Introduction of novel species will highlight technical feasibility of microalgae-based biofuels for commercial applications. This paper reports the effect of culture medium and light wavelength on biomass and fatty acid production of S. bacillaris which holds some advantages as short life cycle, easy cultivation, high lipid content, diversity of fatty acids and stability under harsh environmental conditions. The results displayed that, soil extract (SE) greatly enhance growth rate of cultures. Maximum biomass and lipid productivity were achieved in TAP medium as 81 mg/L·day, 19.44 mg/L·day; respectively. Light wavelength didn't significantly change growth kinetics but played a critical role on chlorophyll-a accumulation. C14:0, C16:0 and C18:0 fatty acids were abundant which are suitable for biodiesel conversion. Interestingly, blue and red light increased longer chain fatty acids content. These results indicated that; S. bacillaris holds potential for further development of biodiesel production and feasibility of algal biodiesel for fundamental and applied sciences.

Phytoremediation of methylene blue using duckweed (Lemna minor)

Azo dyes are the largest class of synthetic dyes and are utilized in several industries. Effluents containing dyes are released to the environment and pose harm to humans who might be exposed to these contaminants. This study aims to investigate the removal of methylene blue (MB) dye using duckweed (Lemna minor). L. minor (2 g) was exposed into 50 mg/L of MB dyes for 24 h. The absorbance values were measured at 0, 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 24 h with a maximum wavelength of 665 nm. The dye removal percentage and relative growth rate of L. minor during exposure to MB were observed. The removal percentage was 80.56 ± 0.44% for 24 h with a relative growth rate of 0.006/h. L. minor has potential as a phytoremediation agent to remove dyes from wastewater.

Alternative splicing in lung cancer

Lung cancer has the highest mortality rate of all cancers worldwide. Lung cancer is a very heterogeneous disease that is often diagnosed at later stages which have a poor prognosis. Aberrant alternative splicing patterns found in lung cancer contribute to important cell functions. These include changes in splicing for the BCL2L1, MDM2, MDM4, NUMB and MET genes during lung tumourigenesis, to affect pathways involved in apoptosis, cell proliferation and cellular cohesion. Global analyses of RNASeq datasets suggest there may be many more potentially influential aberrant splicing events that need to be investigated in lung cancer. Changes in expression of the splicing factors that regulate alternative splicing events have also been identified in lung cancer. Of these, changes in expression of QKI, RBM4, RBM5, RBM6, RBM10 and SRSF1 proteins regulate many of the most frequently referenced aberrant splicing events in lung cancer. The expanding list of genes known to be aberrantly spliced in lung cancer along with the altered expression of splicing factors that regulate them are providing new clues as to how lung cancer develops, and how these events can be exploited for better treatment. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: RNA structure and splicing regulation edited by Francisco Baralle, Ravindra Singh and Stefan Stamm.

Platelet-neutrophil interaction aggravates vascular inflammation and promotes the progression of atherosclerosis by activating the TLR4/NF-κB pathway

Platelet-neutrophil interaction is well known for its role in inflammatory diseases; however, its biological role in atherosclerosis (AS) progression remains unclear. Human peripheral blood neutrophils were obtained to compare toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-1β and myeloid-related proteins 8/14 (Mrp8/14) levels in 22 AS patients with those in 18 healthy controls using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Meanwhile, mouse marrow neutrophils subjected to different treatment were collected for the ELISA assay, cell apoptosis, and Western blot analysis. Normal diet or high-fat diet ApoE^-/- mice with or without administration of Mrp8/14 antagonist paquinimod were used for plasma collection to measure total cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, TNF-α, IL-1β, Mrp8/14, TLR4, and nuclear factor (NF)-κB p65 levels. The results showed that Mrp8/14 and TLR4-mediated inflammatory pathway was activated in neutrophils of AS patients. In vitro experiments demonstrated that platelet-neutrophil interaction promoted the Mrp8/14 release and inhibited neutrophil apoptosis via P-selectin. Furthermore, platelet-neutrophil interaction upregulated TLR4/myeloid differentiation factor 88/NF-κB pathway. Conversely, Mrp8/14/TLR4/NF-κB interference alleviated AS progression. In conclusion, Mrp8/14/TLR4/NF-κB activated by platelet-neutrophil interaction is an important inflammatory signaling pathway for AS pathogenesis.

Coronary artery calcium and intima-media thickness are associated with level of cytomegalovirus immunoglobulin G in HIV-infected patients

Coinfection with cytomegalovirus (CMV) may be involved in cardiovascular disease in HIV-infected patients. We found that higher level of CMV immunoglobulin G (IgG) was independently associated with an increased risk of coronary artery calcium and higher intima-media thickness in HIV-infected patients but not in healthy controls after adjustment for other cardiovascular risk factors and levels of herpes viridae IgG.

miR-30d is related to asbestos exposure and inhibits migration and invasion in NCI-H2452 cells

Pleural malignant mesothelioma (MM) is a highly aggressive tumor that is typically related to asbestos exposure and has a latency of 20-60 years. Several microRNA contribute to MM initiation and progression, but the mechanisms are not clear. Here, we found that miR-30d is downregulated in the pleural MM cell line NCI-H2452, in the plasma of asbestos-exposed individuals, and in asbestos-exposed mesothelial cells. Furthermore, we investigated the influence of the overexpression of miR-30d in pleural MM cells. We demonstrated that miR-30d overexpression could suppress pleural MM cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in vitro and could promote cell apoptosis but could not significantly influence cell cycle. The mRNA and protein expression of vimentin and TWIST1 decreased, and the mRNA expression of CDH1 increased in NCI-H2452 cells that overexpressed miR-30d. We therefore conclude that miR-30d is related to asbestos exposure and inhibits cell migration and invasion by regulating the epithelial-mesenchymal transition in NCI-H2452 cells.

Modulation of hepatic stellate cells and reversibility of hepatic fibrosis

Hepatic fibrosis (HF) is the pathological component of a variety of chronic liver diseases. Hepatic stellate cells (HSC) are the main collagen-producing cells in the liver and their activation promotes HF. If HSC activation and proliferation can be inhibited, HF occurrence and development can theoretically be reduced and even reversed. Over the past ten years, a number of studies have addressed this process, and here we present a review of HSC modulation and HF reversal.