Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha Signaling and Organogenesis

Transcriptome profiling reveals dysregulation of inflammatory and protein synthesis genes in PCOS

To analyze the differential expression genes of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), clarify their functions and pathways, as well as the protein-protein interaction network, identify HUB genes, and explore the pathological mechanism. PCOS microarray datasets were screened from the GEO database. Common differentially expressed genes (co-DEGs) were obtained using GEO2R and Venn analysis. Enrichment and pathway analyses were conducted using the DAVID online tool, with results presented in bubble charts. Protein-protein interaction analysis was performed using the STRING tool. HUB genes were identified using Cytoscape software and further interpreted with the assistance of the GeneCards database. A total of two sets of co-DEGs (108 and 102), key proteins (15 and 55), and hub genes (10 and 10) were obtained. The co-DEGs: (1) regulated inflammatory responses and extracellular matrix, TNF, and IL-17 signaling pathways; (2) regulated ribosomes and protein translation, ribosome and immune pathways. The key proteins: (1) regulated inflammation, immunity, transcription, matrix metabolism, proliferation/differentiation, energy, and repair; (2) regulated ubiquitination, enzymes, companion proteins, respiratory chain components, and fusion proteins. The Hub genes: (1) encoded transcription factors and cytokines, playing vital roles in development and proliferation; (2) encoded ribosomes and protein synthesis, influencing hormone and protein synthesis, associated with development and infertility. The dysregulated expression of inflammation and protein synthesis genes in PCOS may be the key mechanism underlying its onset and progression.

Correlation Between Severity of Schizophrenia with Certain Trace Elements and TNF-α Gene Expression and Its Circulatory Level in the Population of Western India

This cross-sectional study aimed to assess serum trace element (TE) concentrations, TNF-α gene expression, protein levels in schizophrenia (SZ) patients, and their correlation with disease severity measured by Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) scores. Forty SZ cases and 40 healthy controls aged 18-60 were recruited. Forty (n = 40) cases who meet ICD-10 criteria for SZ and 40 (n = 40) healthy individuals (controls) between 18 and 60 years of age were recruited in the study. Sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and RT-qPCR (quantitative real-time PCR) were used to estimate pro-inflammatory cytokine TNF-α protein and gene expression. Inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) and graphite furnace atomic absorption spectroscopy (GFAAS) were used to assess serum levels of trace elements (TEs): Fe, Zn, Cu, Mg, and Se. Compared to healthy controls, cases had significantly higher levels of TNF-α protein, as well as Fe, Cu, and Se (p < 0.05). Cu correlated positively with TNF-α protein level (rho = 0.234; p = 0.048) and gene expression (rho = 0.333; p = 0.041) and with PANSS negative (rho = 0.531), general (rho = 0.643), and total (rho = 0.541) scores. Additionally, Zn negatively correlated with serum Mg (rho =  - 0.426, p < 0.01) and positively with serum Se (rho = 0.343, p < 0.05). In conclusion, elevated Cu levels could potentially contribute to the development of SZ. Elevated Cu levels in cases and their correlation with the TNF-α gene and protein and PANSS score indicate Cu's potential role in exacerbating SZ severity through inflammatory cytokines. This suggests the involvement of metals and cytokines in the pathophysiology of SZ.

Exploring cell death mechanisms in spheroid cultures using a novel application of the RIP3-caspase3-assay

This study explores the application of the RIP3-caspase3-assay in heterogeneous spheroid cultures to analyze cell death pathways, emphasizing the nuanced roles of apoptosis and necroptosis. By employing directly conjugated monoclonal antibodies, we provide detailed insights into the complex mechanisms of cell death. Our findings demonstrate the assay's capability to differentiate between RIP1-independent apoptosis, necroptosis, and RIP1-dependent apoptosis, marking a significant advancement in organoid research. Additionally, we investigate the effects of TNFα on isolated intestinal epithelial cells, revealing a concentration-dependent response and an adaptive or threshold reaction to TNFα-induced stress. The results indicate a preference for RIP1-independent cell death pathways upon TNFα stimulation, with a notable increase in apoptosis and a secondary role of necroptosis. Our research underscores the importance of the RIP3-caspase3-assay in understanding cell death mechanisms in organoid cultures, offering valuable insights for disease modeling and the development of targeted therapies. The assay's adaptability and robustness in spheroid cultures enhances its potential as a tool in personalized medicine and translational research.

Ethoxyquin attenuates enteric oxidative stress and inflammation by promoting cytokine expressions and symbiotic microbiota in heat-stressed broilers

Intestinal oxidative stress in broilers is produced by chronic heat stress (HS) and has a negative impact on poultry performance as it induces intestinal inflammation and promotes the invasion of gram-negative bacteria, such as bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Therefore, dietary inclusion of the antioxidant compound, ethoxyquin (EQ), could improve enteric antioxidant capacity, immune responses, and the epithelial barrier, and maintain the symbiotic gut microbiota community. To investigate the effects of EQ supplementation on alleviating enteric oxidative stress in heat-stressed broilers, 200 one-day-old male Ross 308 broilers were randomly assigned to 4 groups (n = 50 chicks/group; n = 10 chicks/replicate) and fed a basal diet supplemented with 0 (CT), 50 (EQ-50), 100 (EQ-100), and 200 (EQ-200) mg EQ/ kg-1 for 5 wk. The chicks were raised in floor pens inside the broiler farm at a temperature and humidity index (THI) of 29 from d 21 to d 35. Growth performance traits, relative organ index, hepatic antioxidant enzymes, serum immunity, total adenylate, and cytokine activities were improved in the EQ-50 group (linear or quadratic P < 0.05), promoting the relative mRNA expression of cytokine gene-related anti-inflammatory and growth factors. A distinct microbial community colonised the gut microbiota in the EQ-50 group, with a high relative abundance of Lactobacillus, Ligilactobacillus, Limosilactobacillus, Pediococcus, Blautia, and Faecalibacterium compared to the other groups. Dietary supplementation with 50 mg EQ/ kg-1 for 5 wk attenuates enteric oxidative stress and intestinal inflammation by enhancing serum immune and cytokine content (IgG, IL-6, and TGF-β,) and symbiotic microbiota in heat-stressed broilers. EQ promotes the expression of Hsp70, SOD2, GPx 4, IL-6, and IGF-1 cytokine gene-related anti-inflammatory and growth factors in heat-stressed hepatic broilers. Collectively, EQ-50 could be a suitable feed supplement for attenuating enteric oxidative stress and intestinal inflammation, thereby promoting the productivity of heat-stressed broilers.

PACAP38/mast-cell-specific receptor axis mediates repetitive stress-induced headache in mice

BACKGROUND

Pain, an evolutionarily conserved warning system, lets us recognize threats and motivates us to adapt to those threats. Headache pain from migraine affects approximately 15% of the global population. However, the identity of any putative threat that migraine or headache warns us to avoid is unknown because migraine pathogenesis is poorly understood. Here, we show that a stress-induced increase in pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide-38 (PACAP38), known as an initiator of allosteric load inducing unbalanced homeostasis, causes headache-like behaviour in male mice via mas-related G protein-coupled receptor B2 (MrgprB2) in mast cells.

METHODS

The repetitive stress model and dural injection of PACAP38 were performed to induce headache behaviours. We assessed headache behaviours using the facial von Frey test and the grimace scale in wild-type and MrgprB2-deficient mice. We further examined the activities of trigeminal ganglion neurons using in vivo Pirt-GCaMP Ca2+ imaging of intact trigeminal ganglion (TG).

RESULTS

Repetitive stress and dural injection of PACAP38 induced MrgprB2-dependent headache behaviours. Blood levels of PACAP38 were increased after repetitive stress. PACAP38/MrgprB2-induced mast cell degranulation sensitizes the trigeminovascular system in dura mater. Moreover, using in vivo intact TG Pirt-GCaMP Ca2+ imaging, we show that stress or/and elevation of PACAP38 sensitized the TG neurons via MrgprB2. MrgprB2-deficient mice showed no sensitization of TG neurons or mast cell activation. We found that repetitive stress and dural injection of PACAP38 induced headache behaviour through TNF-a and TRPV1 pathways.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings highlight the PACAP38-MrgprB2 pathway as a new target for the treatment of stress-related migraine headache. Furthermore, our results pertaining to stress interoception via the MrgprB2/PACAP38 axis suggests that migraine headache warns us of stress-induced homeostatic imbalance.

Wound Modulations in Glaucoma Surgery: A Systematic Review

Excessive fibrosis and resultant poor control of intraocular pressure (IOP) reduce the efficacy of glaucoma surgeries. Historically, corticosteroids and anti-fibrotic agents, such as mitomycin C (MMC) and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), have been used to mitigate post-surgical fibrosis, but these have unpredictable outcomes. Therefore, there is a need to develop novel treatments which provide increased effectiveness and specificity. This review aims to provide insight into the pathophysiology behind wound healing in glaucoma surgery, as well as the current and promising future wound healing agents that are less toxic and may provide better IOP control.

TNFR1 Absence Is Not Crucial for Different Types of Cell Reaction to TNF: A Study of the TNFR1-Knockout Cell Model

BACKGROUND

One of the mechanisms regulating the biological activity of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) in cells is the co-expression of TNFR1/TNFR2 receptors. A model with a differential level of receptor expression is required to evaluate the contribution of these mechanisms.

AIM

The development of a cellular model to compare the effects of TNF on cells depending on the presence of both receptors and TNFR2 alone.

METHODS

TNFR1 absence modifications of ZR-75/1 and K-562 cell lines were obtained by TNFR1 knockout. The presence of deletions was confirmed by Sanger sequencing, and the absence of cell membrane receptor expression was confirmed by flow cytometry. The dose-dependent effect of TNF on intact and knockout cells was comparatively evaluated by the effect on the cell cycle, the type of cell death, and the profile of expressed genes.

RESULTS

Knockout of TNFR1 resulted in a redistribution of TNFR2 receptors with an increased proportion of TNFR2+ cells in both lines and a multidirectional change in the density of expression in the lines (increased in K562 and decreased in ZR75/1). The presence of a large number of cells with high TNFR2 density in the absence of TNFR1 in the K562 cells was associated with greater sensitivity to TNF-stimulating doses and increased proliferation but did not result in a significant change in cell death parameters. A twofold increase in TNFR2+ cell distribution in this cell line at a reduced expression density in ZR75/1 cells was associated with a change in sensitivity to low cytokine concentrations in terms of proliferation; an overall increase in cell death, most pronounced at standard stimulating concentrations; and increased expression of the lymphocyte-activation gene groups, host-pathogen interaction, and innate immunity.

CONCLUSIONS

The absence of TNFR1 leads to different variants of compensatory redistribution of TNFR2 in cellular models, which affects the type of cell response and the threshold level of sensitivity. The directionality of cytokine action modulation and sensitivity to TNF levels depends not only on the fraction of cells expressing TNFR2 but also on the density of expression.

The Role of TNF-α in the Pathogenesis of Idiopathic Nephrotic Syndrome and Its Usefulness as a Marker of the Disease Course

Background: The pathogenesis of idiopathic nephrotic syndrome (INS) has not been fully explained. Among the likely factors, tumor necrosis factor - alpha (TNF-α) is considered. We aimed to evaluate the TNF-α (sTNF-α, uTNF-α) levels in the serum and urine of INS children, with the aim of determining its association with proteinuria, and of determining its usefulness as a marker of the disease severity. Methods: Fifty-one examined patients were divided into subgroups depending on the number of relapses as follows: group IA-first episode; group IB-more than two relapses, and according to treatment modality; group IIA-glucocorticosteroids (GS) alone; and group IIB-GS with immunosuppressants. Healthy age-matched children served as the control group. Results: sTNF-α and uTNF-α levels were significantly increased in active phases in the whole INS group compared to the control group. They decreased in remission, but remained significantly higher when compared to the control group. During remission in the IB group, sTNF-α levels were significantly higher than in IA, whereas, in the relapse phase, these values were similar. In the IA group, a positive correlation between proteinuria and sTNF-α was demonstrated. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that TNF-α plays a role in the development of INS, and may be used as a prognostic marker, as well as an indicator for the continuation of therapy. Additional research is required to verify this statement.

Effects of exposing Japanese quail eggs to a low dose of gamma radiation and in ovo feeding by two sources of trace elements on embryonic development activities

The present study investigated the influence of exposing quail eggs to low-dose gamma radiation (GR) and in ovo feeding with 2 sources of a mixture of trace elements (Zn, Fe, and Cu), including sulfate (TES) and loaded with montmorillonite (TEM), on embryonic development activities and prehatch quality. A total of 960 eggs on the seventh day of incubation were randomly divided into 6 groups (160 eggs/group) with 4 replicate of 40 eggs in each. A 3 × 2 factorial arrangement experiment was performed and included 3 sources in ovo feeding with a mixture of trace elements (Zn, Fe, and Cu), including 0 mg/egg, 50 mg TES/egg, and 50 mg TEM/egg with egg irradiation using 0 and 0.2 Gy from GR. Eggs injected with 50 mg TEM/egg and exposed to 0.2 Gy from GR (TEM/GR) was significantly (P ≤ 0.05 and 0.01) higher in hatchability, hatch body weight, and relative organ weight (liver, gizzard, proventriculus, heart, and intestine). The obtained results indicated significant (P ≤ 0.05) decreased in the serum concentration of malondialdehyde (MDA) in TEM/GR group. There was significant (P ≤ 0.05) increased of catalase (CAT) activity and the concentrations of growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) in TEM/GR group; however; total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) was significant (P ≤ 0.05) increased in CT/GR group. Serum concentrations of immunoglobulin M (IgM) (P ≤ 0.05) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) were increased in the TEM/CR group; the concentration of transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) significant (P ≤ 0.05) increased in the TEM/GR group; and interleukins (IL6 and IL10) showed no significant differences among the groups. Our results showed increase in thyroxine and myostatin concentrations with TES/CR and CT/GR of our study groups, respectively. The relative mRNA expression levels of the GH, IGF-1, and Fas cell surface death receptor (FAS) genes were significantly (P ≤ 0.05 and 0.01) upregulated in the liver tissue of the TEM/GR group compared with the other groups. In conclusion, TEM/GR was the best treatment for improving prehatch quality, increasing serum antioxidant enzyme activities, and promoting the expression of growth and immune genes in fertilized quail eggs.

The NDV-MLS as an Immunotherapeutic Strategy for Breast Cancer: Proof of Concept in Female Companion Dogs with Spontaneous Mammary Cancer

The absence of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes negatively impacts the response to chemotherapy and prognosis in all subtypes of breast cancer. Therapies that stimulate a proinflammatory environment may help improve the response to standard treatments and also to immunotherapies such as checkpoint inhibitors. Newcastle disease virus (NDV) shows oncolytic activity, as well as immune modulating potential, in the treatment of breast cancer in vitro and in vivo; however, its potential to enhance tumor-infiltrating immune cells in breast cancer has yet to be evaluated. Since spontaneous canine mammary tumors represent a translational model of human breast cancer, we conducted this proof-of-concept study, which could provide a rationale for further investigating NDV-MLS as immunotherapy for mammary cancer. Six female companion dogs with spontaneous mammary cancer received a single intravenous and intratumoral injection of oncolytic NDV-MLS. Immune cell infiltrates were evaluated by histology and immunohistochemistry in the stromal, intratumoral, and peritumoral compartments on day 6 after viral administration. Increasing numbers of immune cells were documented post-viral treatment, mainly in the peritumoral compartment, where plasma cells and CD3+ and CD3-/CD79- lymphocytes predominated. Viral administration was well tolerated, with no significant adverse events. These findings support additional research on the use of NDV-MLS immunotherapy for mammary cancer.

The paradoxical role of cytokines and chemokines at the tumor microenvironment: a comprehensive review

Tumor progression and eradication have long piqued the scientific community's interest. Recent discoveries about the role of chemokines and cytokines in these processes have fueled renewed interest in related research. These roles are frequently viewed as contentious due to their ability to both suppress and promote cancer progression. As a result, this review critically appraised existing literature to discuss the unique roles of cytokines and chemokines in the tumor microenvironment, as well as the existing challenges and future opportunities for exploiting these roles to develop novel and targeted treatments. While these modulatory molecules play an important role in tumor suppression via enhanced cancer-cell identification by cytotoxic effector cells and directly recruiting immunological effector cells and stromal cells in the TME, we observed that they also promote tumor proliferation. Many cytokines, including GM-CSF, IL-7, IL-12, IL-15, IL-18, and IL-21, have entered clinical trials for people with advanced cancer, while the FDA has approved interferon-alpha and IL-2. Nonetheless, low efficacy and dose-limiting toxicity limit these agents' full potential. Conversely, Chemokines have tremendous potential for increasing cancer immune-cell penetration of the tumor microenvironment and promoting beneficial immunological interactions. When chemokines are combined with cytokines, they activate lymphocytes, producing IL-2, CD80, and IL-12, all of which have a strong anticancer effect. This phenomenon opens the door to the development of effective anticancer combination therapies, such as therapies that can reverse cancer escape, and chemotaxis of immunosuppressive cells like Tregs, MDSCs, and TAMs.

Human PD-L1 overexpression decreases xenogeneic human T-cell immune responses towards porcine kidneys

Xenotransplantation offers a promising alternative to circumvent the lack of donated human organs available for transplantation. Different attempts to improve the survival of xenografts led to the generation of transgenic pigs expressing various combinations of human protective genes or knocked out for specific antigens. Currently, testing the efficiency of porcine organs carrying different genetic modifications in preventing xenogeneic immune responses completely relies on in vitro assays, humanized mouse models, or non-human primate transplantation models. However, these tests are often associated with major concerns due to reproducibility and generation of insufficient data as well as they raise ethical, logistical, and economic issues. In this study, we investigated the feasibility of specifically assessing the strength of human T-cell responses towards the kidneys of wild-type (WT) or transgenic pigs overexpressing human programmed death-1 ligand 1 (hPD-L1) during ex vivo kidney perfusion (EVKP). Human T cells were shown to adhere to the endothelium and transmigrate into WT and hPD-L1 kidneys. However, transcript levels of TNF-a and IFN-y as well as cytotoxic molecules such as granzyme B and perforin secreted by human T cells were significantly decreased in the tissue of hPD-L1 kidneys in comparison to WT kidneys. These results were confirmed via in vitro assays using renal endothelial cells (ECs) isolated from WT and hPD-L1 transgenic pigs. Both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells showed significantly lower proliferation rates after exposure to hPD-L1 porcine renal ECs in comparison to WT ECs. In addition, the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines was significantly reduced in cultures using hPD-L1 ECs in comparison to WT ECs. Remarkably, hPD-L1 EC survival was significantly increased in cytotoxic assays. This study demonstrates the feasibility of evaluating the human response of specific immune subsets such as human T cells towards the whole xenograft during EVKP. This may represent a robust strategy to assess the potency of different genetic modifications to prevent xenogeneic immune responses and thereby predict the risk of immune rejection of new genetically engineered xenografts.

Unlocking Prognostic Genes and Multi-Targeted Therapeutic Bioactives from Herbal Medicines to Combat Cancer-Associated Cachexia: A Transcriptomics and Network Pharmacology Approach

Cachexia is a devastating fat tissue and muscle wasting syndrome associated with every major chronic illness, including cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, kidney disease, AIDS, and heart failure. Despite two decades of intense research, cachexia remains under-recognized by oncologists. While numerous drug candidates have been proposed for cachexia treatment, none have achieved clinical success. Only a few drugs are approved by the FDA for cachexia therapy, but a very low success rate is observed among patients. Currently, the identification of drugs from herbal medicines is a frontier research area for many diseases. In this milieu, network pharmacology, transcriptomics, cheminformatics, and molecular docking approaches were used to identify potential bioactive compounds from herbal medicines for the treatment of cancer-related cachexia. The network pharmacology approach is used to select the 32 unique genes from 238 genes involved in cachexia-related pathways, which are targeted by 34 phytocompounds identified from 12 different herbal medicines used for the treatment of muscle wasting in many countries. Gene expression profiling and functional enrichment analysis are applied to decipher the role of unique genes in cancer-associated cachexia pathways. In addition, the pharmacological properties and molecular interactions of the phytocompounds were analyzed to find the target compounds for cachexia therapy. Altogether, combined omics and network pharmacology approaches were used in the current study to untangle the complex prognostic genes involved in cachexia and phytocompounds with anti-cachectic efficacy. However, further functional and experimental validations are required to confirm the efficacy of these phytocompounds as commercial drug candidates for cancer-associated cachexia.

Glycerol monolaurate improved intestinal barrier, antioxidant capacity, inflammatory response and microbiota dysbiosis in large yellow croaker (Larimichthys crocea) fed with high soybean oil diets

Glycerol monolaurate (GML) is a potential candidate for regulating metabolic syndrome and inflammatory response. However, the role of GML in modulating intestinal health in fish has not been well determined. In this study, a 70-d feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the effect of GML on intestinal barrier, antioxidant capacity, inflammatory response and microbiota community of large yellow croaker (13.05 ± 0.09 g) fed with high level soybean oil (SO) diets. Two basic diets with fish oil (FO) or SO were formulated. Based on the SO group diet, three different levels of GML 0.02% (SO0.02), 0.04% (SO0.04) and 0.08% (SO0.08) were supplemented respectively. Results showed that intestinal villus height and perimeter ratio were increased in SO0.04 treatment compared with the SO group. The mRNA expressions of intestinal physical barrier-related gene odc and claudin-11 were significantly up-regulated in different addition of GML treatments compared with the SO group. Fish fed SO diet with 0.04% GML addition showed higher activities of acid phosphatase and lysozyme compared with the SO group. The content of malonaldehyde was significantly decreased and activities of catalase and superoxide dismutase were significantly increased in 0.02% and 0.04% GML groups compared with those in the SO group. The mRNA transcriptional levels of inflammatory response-related genes (il-1β, il-6, tnf-α and cox-2) in 0.04% GML treatment were notably lower than those in the SO group. Meanwhile, sequencing analysis of bacterial 16S rRNA V4-V5 region showed that GML addition changed gut microbiota structure and increased alpha diversity of large yellow croaker fed diets with a high level of SO. The correlation analysis results indicated that the change of intestinal microbiota relative abundance strongly correlated with intestinal health indexes. In conclusion, these results demonstrated that 0.02%-0.04% GML addition could improve intestinal morphology, physical barrier, antioxidant capacity, inflammatory response and microbiota dysbiosis of large yellow croaker fed diets with a high percentage of SO.

TNFepitope: A webserver for the prediction of TNF-α inducing epitopes

Tumor Necrosis Factor alpha (TNF-α) is a pleiotropic pro-inflammatory cytokine that is crucial in controlling the signaling pathways within the immune cells. Recent studies reported that higher expression levels of TNF-α are associated with the progression of several diseases, including cancers, cytokine release syndrome in COVID-19, and autoimmune disorders. Thus, it is the need of the hour to develop immunotherapies or subunit vaccines to manage TNF-α progression in various disease conditions. In the pilot study, we proposed a host-specific in-silico tool for predicting, designing, and scanning TNF-α inducing epitopes. The prediction models were trained and validated on the experimentally validated TNF-α inducing/non-inducing epitopes from human and mouse hosts. Firstly, we developed alignment-free (machine learning based models using composition-based features of peptides) methods for predicting TNF-α inducing peptides and achieved maximum AUROC of 0.79 and 0.74 for human and mouse hosts, respectively. Secondly, an alignment-based (using BLAST) method has been used for predicting TNF-α inducing epitopes. Finally, a hybrid method (combination of alignment-free and alignment-based method) has been developed for predicting epitopes. Hybrid approach achieved maximum AUROC of 0.83 and 0.77 on an independent dataset for human and mouse hosts, respectively. We have also identified potential TNF-α inducing peptides in different proteins of HIV-1, HIV-2, SARS-CoV-2, and human insulin. The best models developed in this study has been incorporated in the webserver TNFepitope (https://webs.iiitd.edu.in/raghava/tnfepitope/), standalone package and GitLab (https://gitlab.com/raghavalab/tnfepitope).

The role of sarcopenia in treatment-related outcomes in patients with renal cell carcinoma: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

in recent years, more attention has been paid to the fuzzy relationship between skeletal muscle components and renal cell carcinoma (RCC). This study attempts to conduct a meta-analysis using all relevant research evidence to explore the impact of sarcopenia on the final survival and recurrence outcome of RCC patients and the change process of this impact after treatment.

METHODS

This systematic review and Meta-analysis study took "sarcopenia", "kidney" and "tumor" and their synonyms as the main search terms, and comprehensively searched all relevant literatures published in PubMed, web of science, SpringerLink, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Ovid (Lww oup), Wiley, ScienceDirect and Scopus databases since February 2, 2022. Multivariate hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of overall survival (OS), cancer specific survival (CSS), and progression free survival (PFS), as well as rough data of Kaplan-Meier survival curve, were combined as the main analysis results. Subgroup analyses based on cohort characteristics (treatment, ethnicity, and BMI factors) for each study were used as secondary outcomes. The combined effect was estimated by random effect model or fixed effect model, and the heterogeneity was evaluated by I2 value. Because this study belongs to secondary literature, the medical ethics committee of the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University considers that ethical review is unnecessary.

RESULTS

Eighteen retrospective studies involving 3591 patients with RCC were analyzed, of which 71.5% were men and the median age of the cohort was 61.6. The prevalence of sarcopenia was 43% (38-48%). Sarcopenia is an independent predictor of OS (HR: 1.83, 95% CI = [1.41, 2.37]), and this prognostic value can also be reflected in Asian populations (HR: 2.59, 95% CI = [1.90, 3.54]) and drug treated patients (HR: 2.07, 95% CI = [1.07, 4.04]). Sarcopenia can also be used as an independent predictor of CSS (HR: 1.78, 95% CI = [1.34, 2.36]) and PFS (HR: 1.98, 95% CI = [1.34, 2.92]). The effect of low skeletal muscle mass on OS and CSS increased slowly from 1 to 5 years.

CONCLUSION

Sarcopenia can be used as a comprehensive prognostic factor in RCC population, but the detailed effects from ethnic characteristics and treatment mechanism need to be further studied.

Recent advances to enhance the immunomodulatory potential of mesenchymal stem cells

Considering the unique therapeutic potential of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), including their immunosuppressive and immunomodulatory properties as well as their ability to improve tissue regeneration, these cells have attracted the attention of scientists and clinicians for the treatment of different inflammatory and immune system mediated disorders. However, various clinical trials using MSCs for the therapeutic purpose are conflicting and differ from the results of promising preclinical studies. This inconsistency is caused by several factors such as poor migration and homing capacities, low survival rate, low level of proliferation and differentiation, and donor-dependent variation of the cells. Enhancement and retention of persistent therapeutic effects of the cells remain a challenge to overcome in MSC-based therapy. In this review, we summarized various approaches to enhance the clinical outcomes of MSC-based therapy as well as revised current and future perspectives for the creation of cellular products with improved potential for diverse clinical applications.

Malvidin protects against lipopolysaccharide-induced acute liver injury in mice via regulating Nrf2 and NLRP3 pathways and suppressing apoptosis and autophagy

Sepsis-related acute liver injury (ALI) is a fatal disease associated with many complications. Recent studies indicate that malvidin, an active flavonoid, has multiple bioactivities including anti-oxidant and anti-inflammation. However, the protective roles of malvidin against LPS-induced ALI are unknown. The purpose of this research is to explore whether malvidin has biological activities on LPS-induced ALI in mice and the underlying mechanisms. Male C57 mice were injected intraperitoneally with malvidin for five days and the mice were euthanized 6 hours after LPS (10 mg/kg body weight) intraperitoneal injection. Multiple methods of H&E staining, biochemical kits, qRT-PCR assay, western blotting analysis, TUNEL and transmission electron microscope (TEM) were used. Results showed that decreased ALT, AST levels and alleviated histopathological damage of liver tissue were observed in malvidin pretreatment group in mice. Then, malvidin prevented LPS-induced reduction of antioxidant enzyme activities such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX) and catalase (CAT) via up-regulating nuclear factor E2-related factor2 (Nrf2) pathway. In addition, in malvidin pretreatment groups, mRNA levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α，IL-1β, IL-6) and protein levels of NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome in the liver were significantly down-regulated. We also found that the malvidin could reduce the expression of apoptosis key protein and TUNEL-labeled apoptotic hepatocytes. Furthermore, malvidin inhibited the protein expression of ATG5, p62 and the ratio of LC3-II/LC3-I. In conclusion, our study firstly suggests that malvidin is a potentially protective agent against LPS-induced ALI through up-regulating Nrf2 signaling pathway, suppressing NLRP3 inflammasome and inhibiting apoptosis and autophagy.

Birth triggers an inflammatory response in the neonatal periphery and brain

Birth is preceded by inflammation at the fetal/maternal interface. Additionally, the newborn experiences stimuli that under any other circumstance could elicit an immune response. It is unknown, however, whether birth elicits an inflammatory response in the newborn that extends to the brain. Moreover, it is unknown whether birth mode may alter such a response. To study these questions, we first measured corticosterone and pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines in plasma of mouse offspring at several timepoints spaced closely before and after a vaginal or Cesarean birth. We found highest levels of IL-6 one day before birth and surges in corticosterone and IL-10 just after birth, regardless of birth mode. We next examined the neuroimmune response by measuring cytokine mRNA expression and microglial number and morphology in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus and hippocampus around the time of birth. We found a marked increase in TNF-α expression in both brain regions a day after birth, and rapid increases in microglial cell number in the first three days postnatal, with subtle differences by birth mode. To test whether the association between birth and cytokine production or expansion of microglia is causal, we manipulated birth timing. Remarkably, advancing birth by a day advanced the increases in all of the markers tested. Thus, birth triggers an immune response in the body and brain of offspring. Our results may provide a mechanism for effects of birth (e.g., acute changes in cell death and neural activation) previously reported in the newborn brain.