Supplementation of Silymarin Alone or in Combination with Salvianolic Acids B and Puerarin Regulates Gut Microbiota and Its Metabolism to Improve High-Fat Diet-Induced NAFLD in Mice

Silymarin, salvianolic acids B, and puerarin were considered healthy food agents with tremendous potential to ameliorate non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). However, the mechanisms by which they interact with gut microbiota to exert benefits are largely unknown. After 8 weeks of NAFLD modeling, C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into five groups and fed a normal diet, high-fat diet (HFD), or HFD supplemented with a medium or high dose of Silybum marianum extract contained silymarin or polyherbal extract contained silymarin, salvianolic acids B, and puerarin for 16 weeks, respectively. The untargeted metabolomics and 16S rRNA sequencing were used for molecular mechanisms exploration. The intervention of silymarin and polyherbal extract significantly improved liver steatosis and recovered liver function in the mice, accompanied by an increase in probiotics like Akkermansia and Blautia, and suppressed Clostridium, which related to changes in the bile acids profile in feces and serum. Fecal microbiome transplantation confirmed that this alteration of microbiota and its metabolites were responsible for the improvement in NAFLD. The present study substantiated that alterations of the gut microbiota upon silymarin and polyherbal extract intervention have beneficial effects on HFD-induced hepatic steatosis and suggested the pivotal role of gut microbiota and its metabolites in the amelioration of NAFLD.

Choroid plexus mast cells drive tumor-associated hydrocephalus

Tumor-associated hydrocephalus (TAH) is a common and lethal complication of brain metastases. Although other factors beyond mechanical obstructions have been suggested, the exact mechanisms are unknown. Using single-nucleus RNA sequencing and spatial transcriptomics, we find that a distinct population of mast cells locate in the choroid plexus and dramatically increase during TAH. Genetic fate tracing and intracranial mast-cell-specific tryptase knockout showed that choroid plexus mast cells (CPMCs) disrupt cilia of choroid plexus epithelia via the tryptase-PAR2-FoxJ1 pathway and consequently increase cerebrospinal fluid production. Mast cells are also found in the human choroid plexus. Levels of tryptase in cerebrospinal fluid are closely associated with clinical severity of TAH. BMS-262084, an inhibitor of tryptase, can cross the blood-brain barrier, inhibit TAH in vivo, and alleviate mast-cell-induced damage of epithelial cilia in a human pluripotent stem-cell-derived choroid plexus organoid model. Collectively, we uncover the function of CPMCs and provide an attractive therapy for TAH.

Tumor Cell-Intrinsic CD96 Mediates Chemoresistance and Cancer Stemness by Regulating Mitochondrial Fatty Acid β-Oxidation

Targeting CD96 that originates in immune cells has shown potential for cancer therapy. However, the role of intrinsic CD96 in solid tumor cells remains unknown. Here, it is found that CD96 is frequently expressed in tumor cells from clinical breast cancer samples and is correlated with poor long-term prognosis in these patients. The CD96⁺ cancer cell subpopulations exhibit features of both breast cancer stem cells and chemoresistance. In vivo inhibition of cancer cell-intrinsic CD96 enhances the chemotherapeutic response in a patient-derived tumor xenograft model. Mechanistically, CD96 enhances mitochondrial fatty acid β-oxidation via the CD155-CD96-Src-Stat3-Opa1 pathway, which subsequently promotes chemoresistance in breast cancer stem cells. A previously unknown role is identified for tumor cell-intrinsic CD96 and an attractive target in improving the chemotherapeutic response.

Macrophage mitochondrial fission improves cancer cell phagocytosis induced by therapeutic antibodies and is impaired by glutamine competition

Phagocytosis is required for the optimal efficacy of many approved and promising therapeutic antibodies for various malignancies. However, the factors that determine the response to therapies that rely on phagocytosis remain largely elusive. Here, we demonstrate that mitochondrial fission in macrophages induced by multiple antibodies is essential for phagocytosis of live tumor cells. Tumor cells resistant to phagocytosis inhibit mitochondrial fission of macrophages by overexpressing glutamine-fructose-6-phosphate transaminase 2 (GFPT2), which can be targeted to improve antibody efficacy. Mechanistically, increased cytosolic calcium by mitochondrial fission abrogates the phase transition of the Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein (WASP)-Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome interacting protein (WIP) complex and enables protein kinase C-θ (PKC-θ) to phosphorylate WIP during phagocytosis. GFPT2-mediated excessive use of glutamine by tumor cells impairs mitochondrial fission and prevents access of PKC-θ to compartmentalized WIP in macrophages. Our data suggest that mitochondrial dynamics dictate the phase transition of the phagocytic machinery and identify GFPT2 as a potential target to improve antibody therapy.

A CD10-OGP Membrane Peptolytic Signaling Axis in Fibroblasts Regulates Lipid Metabolism of Cancer Stem Cells via SCD1

Carcinoma-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) consist of heterogeneous subpopulations that play a critical role in the dynamics of the tumor microenvironment. The extracellular signals of CAFs have been attributed to the extracellular matrix, cytokines, cell surface checkpoints, and exosomes. In the present study, it is demonstrated that the CD10 transmembrane hydrolase expressed on a subset of CAFs supports tumor stemness and induces chemoresistance. Mechanistically, CD10 degenerates an antitumoral peptide termed osteogenic growth peptide (OGP). OGP restrains the expression of rate-limiting desaturase SCD1 and inhibits lipid desaturation, which is required for cancer stem cells (CSCs). Targeting CD10 significantly improves the efficacy of chemotherapy in vivo. Clinically, CD10-OGP signals are associated with the response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with breast cancer. The collective data suggest that a nexus between the niche and lipid metabolism in CSCs is a promising therapeutic target for breast cancer.

Treating strangeness: Medicine and human dignity at the time of COVID-19

The concomitance of a migratory wave and the hospital crisis once again raises the question of the care that the French healthcare system is able to provide to migrants. On the occasion of SFFEM's 19th annual day, we present a synthesis of the research work that has been communicated at that time. Firstly, we will discuss how doctors have been able to overcome strangeness to revive the notion of hospitality according to Levinas; secondly, we will discuss how the hospital is departing from its mission of institutional hospitality because of administrative injunctions; thirdly, we will discuss how ethnomedicine gives us keys to open up to other cultural norms; fourthly, we will see the inadequacy that exists between rights of access to medical care and their effectiveness; finally, the conclusion of Xavier Emmanuelli, founder of the social ambulance service, will remind us how much the values of the French Republic call us to the notion of care and openness to otherness.

Tissue- and breed-specific expression of the chicken fat mass- and obesity-associated gene (FTO)

The fat mass- and obesity-associated gene (FTO) is involved in energy metabolism, but little is known about the chicken FTO gene. The objective of the current study was to detect chicken FTO expression patterns in the hypothalamus, liver, and skeletal muscle during development, and analyze the effects of age and breed on FTO expression. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction results revealed that chicken FTO mRNA was expressed in all of the tissues tested. Chicken FTO exhibited tissue- and breed-specific patterns in the recessive White Plymouth Rock chicken and the Qingyuan partridge chicken. The highest FTO expression level was in the hypothalami of 1-week-old chicks. FTO mRNA was expressed more in the breast muscles and livers of recessive White Plymouth Rock chickens than those of Qingyuan partridge chickens at 1 and 8 weeks of age. These results indicate that FTO probably plays a significant role in energy metabolism at 1 week old, when chicks have undergone metabolic adaptations from yolk dependence to the utilization of exogenous feed.

Concordance between personality disorder assessment methods

BACKGROUND

Studies have criticized the low level of agreement between the various methods of personality disorder (PD) assessment. This is an important issue for research and clinical purposes.

METHOD

Seven hundred and forty-two participants in the Hopkins Epidemiology of Personality Disorders Study (HEPS) were assessed on two occasions using the Personality Disorder Schedule (PDS) and the International Personality Disorder Examination (IPDE). The concordance between the two diagnostic methods for all DSM-IV PDs was assessed using standard methods and also two item response analytic approaches designed to take account of measurement error: a latent trait-based approach and a generalized estimating equations (GEE)-based approach, with post-hoc adjustment.

RESULTS

Raw criteria counts, using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), κ and odds ratio (OR), showed poor concordance. The more refined statistical methods showed a moderate to moderately high level of concordance between the methods for most PDs studied. Overall, the PDS produced lower prevalences of traits but higher precision of measurement than the IPDE. Specific criteria within each PD showed varying endorsement thresholds and precision for ascertaining the disorder.

CONCLUSIONS

Concordance in the raw measurement of the individual PD criteria between the two clinical methods is lacking. However, based on two statistical methods that adjust for differential endorsement thresholds and measurement error in the assessments, we deduce that the PD constructs themselves can be measured with a moderate degree of confidence regardless of the clinical approach used. This may suggest that the individual criteria for each PD are, in and of themselves, less specific for diagnosis, but as a group the criteria for each PD usefully identify specific PD constructs.

Nuclear translocation of PDCD5 (TFAR19): an early signal for apoptosis?

The programmed cell death 5 (PDCD5) protein is a novel protein related to regulation of cell apoptosis. In this report, we demonstrate that the level of PDCD5 protein expressed in cells undergoing apoptosis is significantly increased compared with normal cells, then the protein translocates rapidly from the cytoplasm to the nucleus of cells. The appearance of PDCD5 in the nuclei of apoptotic cells precedes the externalization of phosphatidylserine and fragmentation of chromosome DNA. This phenomenon is parallel to the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, independent of the feature of apoptosis-inducing stimuli and also independent of the cell types and the apoptosis modality. In conclusion, the nuclear translocation of PDCD5 is a universal earlier event of the apoptotic process, and may be a novel early marker for apoptosis.

Molecular cloning and characterization of chemokine-like factor 1 (CKLF1), a novel human cytokine with unique structure and potential chemotactic activity

Cytokines are small proteins that have an essential role in the immune and inflammatory responses. The repertoire of cytokines is becoming diverse and expanding. Here we report the identification and characterization of a novel cytokine designated as chemokine-like factor 1 (CKLF1). The full-length cDNA of CKLF1 is 530 bp long and a single open reading frame encoding 99 amino acid residues. CKLF1 bears no significant similarity to any other known cytokine in its amino acid sequence. Expression of CKLF1 can be partly inhibited by interleukin 10 in PHA-stimulated U937 cells. Recombinant CKLF1 is a potent chemoattractant for neutrophils, monocytes and lymphocytes; moreover, it can stimulate the proliferation of murine skeletal muscle cells. These results suggest that CKLF1 might have important roles in inflammation and in the regeneration of skeletal muscle.

[Preparation and identification of monoclonal antibodies against human apoptosis-related protein TFAR19]

OBJECTIVE

To obtain mouse anti-human TFAR19 monoclonal antibodies for further study of the structure and function of the apoptosis-related protein TFAR19.

METHODS

BALB/c mice were immunized with recombinant human TFAR19, hybridoma cells were screened by cell fusion and subcloning approach. The monoclonal antibodies were identified by ELISA and Western blotting.

RESULTS

Three hybridoma cells (C1, C10, 2C12) stable in secreting anti-TFAR19 monoclonal antibodies were obtained. The monoclonal antibodies showed high specificity and high titer to TFAR19 with various affinity. All of them belong to IgG1 subclass.

CONCLUSIONS

These monoclonal antibodies could bind specifically to TFAR19 protein.

[Construction and expression of eukaryotic expression vector pBK-IL-1ra]

OBJECTIVE

Construction of eukaryotic vector with high expression of interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra) for IL-1ra gene delivery.

METHODS

(1) Eukaryotic expression vector pBK-IL-1ra was constructed by recombinant DNA technique, and identified by restriction mapping enzymes, PCR, and DNA sequence analysis. (2) Expressions of the IL-1ra mRNA and IL-1ra in vitro and in vivo were detected by in situ hybridization, ELISA, and immunohistochemistry.

RESULTS

(1) The correct construction of pBK-IL-1ra was identified by the method above. (2) The higher levels of IL-1ra in the supernate of COS-7 cells (24 h, (P < 0.001; 48 h, P < 0.01) and the over expression of IL-1ra mRNA (P < 0.01) and IL-1ra (P < 0.05) in the synoviocytes have been detected after 48 h of the transfection with pBK-IL-1ra. (3) The over expression of IL-1ra in muscle of the mice was detected by immunohistochemistry after 4 days of pBK-IL-1ra injection (P < 0.01)

CONCLUSIONS

We have successfully constructed eukaryotic expression vector pBK-IL-1ra which could highly expressed IL-1ra in vitro and in vivo, and it offers a novel possibility in the research of IL-1ra gene therapy.

TFAR19, a novel apoptosis-related gene cloned from human leukemia cell line TF-1, could enhance apoptosis of some tumor cells induced by growth factor withdrawal

Using the cDNA-representative differences analysis (cDNA-RDA) approach, we identified a novel gene, TFAR19 (TF-1 cell apoptosis related gene-19), from TF-1 cells undergoing apoptosis. The human TFAR19 encodes a protein which shares significant homology to the corresponding proteins of species ranging from yeast to mice. TFAR19 exhibits a ubiquitous expression pattern and its expression is upregulated in the tumor cells undergoing apoptosis. Overexpression of TFAR19 in tumor cells enhances apoptosis triggered by growth factor or serum deprivation. We propose that TFAR19 may play a general role in the apoptotic process.

[Study on the effect of continuous administration of IL-1ra in BXSB mice]

OBJECTIVE

To explore the consequences of IL-1 blocking in BXSB mice which is an experimental model for human SLE.

METHODS

rh IL-1ra was expressed in E. coli and injected in BXSB mice. 13 of 4.5 month-age male BXSB mice were divided into two groups, one group was injected rh IL-1ra 10 times (twice a week) at dose of 400 micrograms per mouse each time, another group was injected PBS at the same time as control. We monitored serum ANA and proteinuria weekly, and detected IgG, C3 deposition and IL-6 expression in kidneys at 40th day.

RESULTS

The results showed that the increased level of serum ANA and proteinuria in treatment group were not higher than in control group, the IgG, C3 deposition and IL-6 expression in kidneys and IL-6 activity in serum of the treaed group were lower than the control group, whereas no difference of GPT level in the two groups.

CONCLUSION

IL-1 might play a pathogenic role in BXSB mice. Blocking or reducing IL-1 secretion would be of beneficial to the treatment of SLE.

Protective effect of interleukin-1 receptor antagonist on oleic acid-induced lung injury

OBJECTIVE

To observe the changes of interleukin-1 (IL-1), nitric oxide (NO) and nitric oxide synthase (NOS) in mice with oleic acid-induced acute lung injury (ALI) and the protective effects of interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra).

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Male Kunming mice were divided into control, oleic acid and IL-1ra groups. The control group mice were injected saline; the oleic acid group mice were injected oleic acid (0.2 ml/kg): and the IL-1ra group mice were injected the IL-1ra (20 mg/kg). Lung index, lung wet-to-dry weight ratio, and total protein, cell analysis, nitric oxide measurement, NOS activity in BALF, lung pathology examination were made after an hour of administration of drug.

RESULTS

Preadministration of IL-1ra to the mouse with ALI decreased the lung index, lung wet-to-dry weight ratio and leakage of protein from pulmonary capillary, elevated PaO2, and attenuated lung histologic injury. It was found that in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), NO amount and lung NOS activity increased in oleic acid group, BALF NO amount and lung NOS activity decreased obviously after given IL-1ra.

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrated the protective effect of IL-1ra on oleic acid-induced lung injury, NO may participate in the pathological process of lung injury.