New serum biomarker identification and analysis by mass spectrometry in cervical precancerous lesion and acute cervicitis in South China

Unique intestinal microflora and metabolic profile in different stages of hypertension reveal potential biomarkers for early diagnosis and prognosis

Introduction. Hypertension is the most prevalent chronic disease and a major risk factor for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.Gap statement. However, there has been no substantial breakthrough in aetiology, new drug targets, and drug development of hypertension in recent 50 years.Research aim. Therefore, this study was to screen unique intestinal microbiome and serum metabolic biomarkers which can early diagnose and track the prognosis of hypertension patients in different periods, and analyse its underlying mechanisms and functions.Methods. Four groups of stool and serum samples, including healthy controls (HCs), prehypertension (PHT), hypertension (HT), and hypertension-related complications (HTC), were collected. Microbial diversity assessed using 16S rRNA sequencing. The metabolites in serum samples were detected through LC-MS/MS analysis.Results. The composition of gut microbiota in patients exhibited dissimilarities compared to that in healthy subjects, which was distinguished by Prevotella, Slackia, Enterococcus, Bifidobacterium, and Lactobacillales may be potential markers for tracking the progression of hypertension, and Bifidobacterium, Butyricimonas, Adlercreutzia, Faecalibacterium, Lactobacillus, Ruminococcus, Clostridium, and Acidaminococcus demonstrated diagnostic value. Meanwhile, tracking the dynamic changes of deoxycholic acid, 4-oxododecanedioic acid, and l-arginine can serve as biomarkers for early diagnosis, and investigation into the mechanism by which the intestinal microbiome influences the onset and progression of hypertension. In terms of pathogenesis, the findings revealed that Bifidobacterium may caused the changes of AST, indirect bilirubin, ALT, triglyceride and uric acid by affecting metabolites cis-7-hexadecenoic acid methyl ester and N1-acetylspermidine. Additionally, Coprococcus may cause changes in albumin through the influence of androsterone enanthate.Conclusions. These findings highlight that the unique intestinal microbiome and serum metabolic profile in different periods of hypertension will provide valuable insight for timely diagnosis and prognosis tracking in hypertension patients with promising clinical applications.

Plasma-Based Metabolomics Profiling of High-Risk Human Papillomavirus and their Emerging Roles in the Progression of Cervical Cancer

High-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) is the main etiological factor for cervical cancer. Accumulating evidence has suggested the active role of metabolites in the initiation and progression of cancers. This study explored the plasma metabolic profiles of HPV-16 positive (HPV16 (+)), HPV-18 positive (HPV18 (+)), and HPV negative (CTL) individuals using a nontargeted metabolomics approach. C8 ceramide-1-Phosphate (d18 : 1/8 : 0) was found to inhibit cervical cancer cell proliferation and migration in vitro, evidenced by CCK8 experiments, a cell migration test, RT-qPCR, and western blotting. The underlying mechanism demonstrated that C8 inhibited proliferation and migration in cervical cancer cells via the MAPK/JNK1 signaling pathway. These findings may contribute to the clinical treatment of HR-HPV-induced cervical cancer by intervening in its initiation and progression.

Differences between novel hybrid mode flaps and traditional perforator flaps at the level of metabolites using LC-MS

The multi-territory perforator flaps are widely used in plastic surgery. However, partial necrosis flap in the potential territory remains a challenge to plastic surgeons. We raised a novel "hybrid nourished mode" (HNM) flap based on the multi-territory deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) flap to improve flap survival. Thirty-two rabbits were randomly divided into DIEP and HNM groups. Untargeted metabolic mechanisms between the DIEP and HNM groups were performed using LC-MS under the filter criteria of fold change >20.0 times or <0.05, and variable importance in projection (VIP) value was set at ≥1, P < 0.05. Between the two groups, flap survival, perfusion, microvasculature, histopathology, and immunohistochemistry of CD31 were assessed on post-operative day 7. We screened 16 different metabolites that mainly participated in biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, aminoacyl transfer RNA biosynthesis, phenylalanine metabolism, arginine and proline metabolism, among others. The results of the HNM flaps were higher than those of the DIEP flaps (P < 0.05) in the aspects of flap survival, flap perfusion, and microvasculature. Compared with the DIEP flaps, HNM has a stronger advantage in tissue metabolism. This study provided us with a better understanding and strong evidence in terms of metabolites on how HNM achieves the survival of large multi-territory perforator flaps.

Establishment and Validation of a Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry Method for the Determination of Tigecycline in Critically Ill Patients

Utilizing tigecycline-d9 as an internal standard (IS), we establish and validate a simple, effective, and rapid liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method for the quantitative measurement of tigecycline (TGC) in patient plasma. Acetonitrile was used as a precipitant to process plasma samples by a protein precipitation method. The analyte and IS were separated on an HSS T3 (2.1 × 100 mm, 3.5 μm) chromatographic column using isocratic program with a mobile phase comprising of 80% solvent A (water containing 0.1% formic acid (v/v) with 5 mM ammonium acetate) and 20% solvent B (acetonitrile) with a flow rate of 0.3 mL/min. The mass spectrometer, scanning in multireaction monitoring (MRM) mode and using an electrospray ion source (ESI), operated in the positive-ion mode. The ion pairs used for quantitative analysis were m/z 586.4 ⟶ 513.3 and m/z 595.5 ⟶ 514.3 for TGC and the IS, respectively. The range of the linear calibration curve obtained with this approach was 50–5000 ng/ml. Intra- and interbatch precision for TGC quantitation were less than 7.2%, and the accuracy ranged from 93.4 to 101.8%. The IS-normalized matrix effect was 87 to 104%. Due to its high precision and accuracy, this novel method allows for fast quantitation of TGC with a total analysis time of 2 min. This approach was effectively applied to study the pharmacokinetics of TGC in critically ill adult patients.

The feasibility and survival mechanism of a large free flap supported by a novel hybrid perfusion mode

OBJECTIVES

In this study, we presented a novel hybrid perfusion mode in an attempt to provide a new strategy to improve the survival of an extended large flap and discuss its possible mechanisms.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A 14 × 10 cm flap was designed on the rabbit abdomen. Ninety-six rabbits were randomly divided into three groups based on the flap perfusion mode: control group I (CON 1, physiological perfusion mode with bilateral deep inferior epigastric vascular pedicles intact), control group II (CON 2, physiological perfusion mode with single deep inferior epigastric vascular pedicle intact), hybrid nourished group (physiological perfusion as in CON 2 combined with arterialized venous nonphysiological perfusion mode, referred to as a hybrid perfusion mode). Flap survival, status of vascular perfusion, microvasculature, histopathology, expression of CD34, eNOs, VEGF and metabolic status of the flaps by LC-MS were assessed in each group.

RESULTS

The results of "hybrid nourished" flaps were similar to the traditional flaps in terms of flap survival, level of vascular perfusion and microvasculature except the status of metabolites.

CONCLUSIONS

The feasibility of this novel hybrid perfusion mode will greatly extend the indications of flap transfer and efficiently improve the survival reliability of large flaps. In a sense, this mode will be an ideological emancipation for the field of flap surgery.