Therapeutic effect of notoginseng saponins before and after fermentation on blood deficiency rats

Notoginseng saponins (NS) are the active ingredients in Panax notoginseng (Burk.) F.H. Chen (PN). NS can be transformed depending on how the extract is processed. Fermentation has been shown to produce secondary ginsenosides with increased bioavailability. However, the therapeutic effect of fermented NS (FNS) requires further study. The present study compared the compositions and activities of FNS and NS in blood deficiency rats, which resembles the symptoms of anemia in modern medicine, induced by acetylphenylhydrazine and cyclophosphamide. A total of 32 rats were randomly divided into control, model, FNS and NS groups. A blood deficiency model was established and then treatment was orally administered for 21 days. The results of component analysis indicated that some saponins transformed during the fermentation process resulting in a decrease of notoginsenoside R1, and ginsenosides Rg1, Rb1 and Re, and an increase in ginsenosides Rd, Rh2, compound K, protopanaxadiol and protopanaxatriol. The animal results showed that both FNS and NS increased the number of white blood cells (WBCs), red blood cells, hemoglobin, platelets and reticulocytes, and the levels of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), erythropoietin (EPO) and thrombopoietin (TPO), decreased the G0/G1 phase and increased G2/M phase, and decreased the apoptosis rate of bone marrow (BM) cells, which suggested a contribution to the recovery of hematopoietic function of the BM cells. FNS and NS increased the protein expression levels of the cytokines IL-4, IL-10, IL-12, IL-13, TGF-β, IL-6, IFN-γ and TNF-α, and the mRNA expression levels of transcription factors GATA binding protein 3 and T-box expressed in T cell (T-bet). FNS and NS treatment also increased the number of CD4+ T cells, and decreased the enlargement of the rat spleen and thymus atrophy, which indicated a protective effect on the organs of the immune system. The results of the present study demonstrated that compared with NS, FNS showed an improved ability to increase the levels of WBCs, lymphocytes, GM-CSF, EPO, TPO, aspartate aminotransferase, IL-10, IL-12, IL-13 and TNF-α, and the mRNA expression levels of T-bet, and decrease alanine aminotransferase levels. The differences seen for FNS treatment could arise from their improved bioavailability compared with NS, due to the larger proportion of hydrophobic ginsenosides produced during fermentation.

A bibliometric review of Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma (licorice) research: Insights and future directions

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, a Chinese herb known as licorice, is frequently incorporated in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formulations, due to its significant medicinal value and sweet taste. Despite licorice's merits, no systematic scientometric study has yet been conducted to analyze licorice research trends over the past 25 years.

AIM OF THE STUDY

We conducted this study with the aim to provide researchers with a comprehensive overview of research advances in the application of licorice as a TCM ingredient and to offer valuable insights to guide future endeavors in this research field.

METHODS

We selected licorice-related research papers published between 1997 and 2021 from the Web of Science Core Collection then conducted a scientometric analysis using VOSviewer and CiteSpace software tools.

RESULTS

A total of 4883 licorice-related publications, including 4511 research papers, 372 review papers, and their cited references, were included in the analysis. Most of these articles were authored by researchers in China (36.8%), including major contributors Wang Ying, Ye Min, and Zhang Yu. The Journal of Ethnopharmacology (impact factor = 5.4) hosted the greatest number of papers (145 articles). Keyword cluster analysis revealed three keyword categories indicating that current licorice research is focused on licorice quality control and identification of licorice active ingredients and associated pharmacological mechanisms.

CONCLUSION

This study provides a comprehensive overview of licorice-related research trends over the past 25 years as based on quantitative and qualitative analyses of published licorice-related articles. The results of this multi-level analysis of licorice research related to TCM formulations, chemical compositions, and pharmacological effects should provide valuable reference data and insights to guide future research endeavors in this field.

Quantifying hospital environmental ventilation using carbon dioxide monitoring - a multicentre study

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of environmental ventilation in reducing airborne pathogen transmission. Carbon dioxide monitoring is recommended in the community to ensure adequate ventilation. Dynamic measurements of ventilation quantifying human exhaled waste gas accumulation are not conducted routinely in hospitals. Instead, environmental ventilation is allocated using static hourly air change rates. These vary according to the degree of perceived hazard, with the highest change rates reserved for locations where aerosol-generating procedures are performed, where medical/anaesthetic gases are used and where a small number of high-risk infective or immunocompromised patients may be isolated to reduce cross-infection. We aimed to quantify the quality and distribution of ventilation in hospital by measuring carbon dioxide levels in a two-phased prospective observational study. First, under controlled conditions, we validated our method and the relationship between human occupancy, ventilation and carbon dioxide levels using non-dispersive infrared carbon dioxide monitors. We then assessed ventilation quality in patient-occupied (clinical) and staff break and office (non-clinical) areas across two hospitals in Scotland. We selected acute medical and respiratory wards in which patients with COVID-19 are cared for routinely, as well as ICUs and operating theatres where aerosol-generating procedures  are performed routinely. Between November and December 2022, 127,680 carbon dioxide measurements were obtained across 32 areas over 8 weeks. Carbon dioxide levels breached the 800 ppm threshold for 14% of the time in non-clinical areas vs. 7% in clinical areas (p < 0.001). In non-clinical areas, carbon dioxide levels were > 800 ppm for 20% of the time in both ICUs and wards, vs. 1% in operating theatres (p < 0.001). In clinical areas, carbon dioxide was > 800 ppm for 16% of the time in wards, vs. 0% in ICUs and operating theatres (p < 0.001). We conclude that staff break, office and clinical areas on acute medical and respiratory wards frequently had inadequate ventilation, potentially increasing the risks of airborne pathogen transmission to staff and patients. Conversely, ventilation was consistently high in the ICU and operating theatre clinical environments. Carbon dioxide monitoring could be used to measure and guide improvements in hospital ventilation.

Preparation and characterisation of novel casein-gum Arabic composite microcapsules for targeted in vivo delivery of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum A3

The health benefits of probiotics in the body are predicated on their ability to remain viable in harsh gastrointestinal conditions and complex pathological microenvironments. Casein and gum Arabic (GA), with dual emulsifying and stabilising effects in colloidal systems. Therefore, the objective of this research was to develop a novel microcapsule to encapsulate Lactiplantibacillus plantarum A3 using casein and GA as wall materials to improve the survival of the bacteria during gastrointestinal digestion, storage and lyophilization. The casein and GA composite microcapsules were prepared and characterised by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). It was found that the microcapsules had stable morphology, uniform size and spherical shape. The results revealed that the encapsulation of microcapsules significantly improved the survival of L. plantarum A3 in gastrointestinal fluid environment (5.52 × 109 cfu/ml) and lyophilization treatment (6.25 × 109 cfu/ml). Furthermore, the microencapsulated L. plantarum A3 exhibited an improved ability to regulate intestinal microbiota by effectively increasing the relative abundance of Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria and decreasing the relative abundance of Firmicutes in vivo. The findings of the study will help to design a lactic acid bacteria encapsulation system based on the gastrointestinal environment and provide a basis for the development of probiotic functional products.

Major Fusarium species and mycotoxins associated with freshly harvested maize grain in Uruguay

Fusarium species are common fungal pathogens of maize. Fusarium graminearum and Fusarium verticillioides, among others, can cause maize ear rot, and they are also mycotoxin producers. The aims of this work were to determine the frequency and diversity of Fusarium species in Uruguayan maize kernels, evaluate the toxigenic potential of the isolates, determine toxin contamination levels on freshly harvested grain, and assess the sensitivity of main Fusarium species against fungicides. Fusarium verticillioides was the most frequent species isolated, followed by Fusarium graminearum sensu stricto. Of F. verticillioides isolates studied for fumonisin production, 72% produced fumonisin B1 and 32% fumonisin B2. Considering in vitro toxin production by F. graminearum sensu stricto isolates, deoxynivalenol was the main toxin produced, followed by zearalenone and nivalenol. Fumonisins were the most frequently found toxins on freshly harvested maize samples (98% in 2018 and 86% in 2019), and also, fumonisin B1 was the toxin with highest concentration in both years studied (4860 µg/kg in 2018 and 1453 µg/kg in 2019). Deoxynivalenol and zearalenone were also found as contaminants. Metconazole and epoxiconazole were the most effective fungicides tested on F. verticillioides isolates. Fusarium graminearum sensu stricto isolates also were more sensitive to metconazole compared to other fungicides; nevertheless, epoxiconazole was less efficient in controlling this species. This is the first study that reports Fusarium species and mycotoxin contamination levels associated with maize grain in Uruguay. Its detection is the main step to develop management strategies in order to minimize fungal infection in maize crops.

Function and regulation of nuclear factor 1 X-type on chondrocyte proliferation and differentiation

Nuclear factor 1 X-type (Nfix) is a transcription factor related to mental and physical development. However, very few studies have reported the effects of Nfix on cartilage. This study aims to reveal the influence of Nfix on the proliferation and differentiation of chondrocytes, and to explore its potential action mechanism. We isolated primary chondrocytes from the costal cartilage of newborn C57BL/6 mice and with Nfix overexpression or silencing treatment. We used Alcian blue staining and found that Nfix overexpression significantly promoted ECM synthesis in chondrocytes while silencing inhibited ECM synthesis. Using RNA-seq technology to study the expression pattern of Nfix in primary chondrocytes. We found that Nfix overexpression significantly up-regulated genes that are related to chondrocyte proliferation and extracellular matrix (ECM) synthesis and significantly down-regulated genes related to chondrocyte differentiation and ECM degradation. Nfix silencing, however, significantly up-regulated genes associated with cartilage catabolism and significantly down-regulated genes associated with cartilage growth promotion. Furthermore, Nfix exerted a positive regulatory effect on Sox9, and we propose that Nfix may promote chondrocyte proliferation and inhibit differentiation by stimulating Sox9 and its downstream genes. Our findings suggest that Nfix may be a potential target for the regulation of chondrocyte proliferation and differentiation.

[Multimodal imaging features of acute macular retinopathy in patients with COVID-19]

Objective: To investigate the multimodal imaging characteristics of acute macular retinopathy (AMR) and/or parafoveal acute middle maculopathy (PAMM) in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Methods: It was a cross-sectional study. Eight patients (15 eyes) diagnosed with AMN and/or PAMM, who presented for their initial visit at Kaifeng Eye Hospital between December 17 and December 31, 2022 and were also confirmed positive for COVID-19, were enrolled as the observation group. The patients were classified into four types based on swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT) findings. Fifteen healthy volunteers (15 eyes) without ocular or systemic diseases were recruited as the healthy control group, and one eye was randomly selected for analysis. All participants underwent detailed ophthalmic examinations, including best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), slit-lamp biomicroscopy, fundus photography (FP), intraocular pressure measurement, fundus infrared imaging, OCT and OCT angiography (OCTA). The foveal avascular zone (FAZ) area of the macular center was measured. General information and multimodal imaging findings were collected and analyzed. The superficial capillary plexus vessel density (SCP-VD) and deep capillary plexus vessel density (DCP-VD) were measured in circular areas with diameters of 1.0 mm, >1.0 mm and ≤3.0 mm, and>3.0 mm and ≤6.0 mm centered on the foveal center, recorded as SCP-VD1.0, 3.0, 6.0 and DCP-VD1.0, 3.0, 6.0. Statistical analyses were performed using t-tests, Mann-Whitney U tests, and chi-square tests. Results: The observation group consisted of 6 males (11 eyes) and 2 females (4 eyes) with a mean age of (26.87±11.56) years. The healthy control group included 11 males (11 eyes) and 4 females (4 eyes) with a mean age of (28.75±12.30) years. There were no statistically significant differences in age and gender distribution between the two groups (all P>0.05). All patients in the observation group experienced high fever (≥39.0 ℃) and developed ocular symptoms during the febrile period or within 24 hours after fever resolution. Among all patients, there were 5 cases (7 eyes) of Type Ⅰ, 1 case (1 eye) of Type Ⅱ, 3 cases (4 eyes) of Type Ⅲ, and 2 cases (3 eyes) of Type Ⅳ. In Type Ⅲ and Ⅳ, 3 cases (4 eyes) exhibited weakly reflective cystic spaces in the outer plexiform or outer nuclear layers, and fundus photography revealed multiple gray or reddish-brown lesions in the macular region. One case (1 eye) showed retinal superficial hemorrhage. Cotton wool spots were observed in 2 cases (4 eyes). Fundus infrared imaging showed that Type Ⅰ manifested as weak reflectivity lesions in the parafoveal central zone, with the tip pointing towards the fovea. Type Ⅱ showed no apparent abnormalities in the macular region, while Type Ⅲ and Ⅳ displayed map-like weak reflective lesions spanning the foveal center. OCTA findings demonstrated that SCP-VD1.0 in the observation group was 6.93% (4.77%, 6.93%), significantly lower than the healthy control group's 10.66% (8.05%, 10.55%) (U=174.00, P=0.016). SCP-VD3.0 in the observation group was 37.14% (32.15%, 43.48%), also lower than the healthy control group's 43.06% (38.95%, 46.55%) (U=174.00, P=0.016). DCP-VD3.0 in the observation group was 48.20% (46.11%, 50.33%), lower than the healthy control group's 51.10% (50.04%, 53.02%) (U=188.00, P=0.009). DCP-VD6.0 in the observation group was 49.27% (47.26%, 51.67%), lower than the healthy control group's 52.43% (50.07%, 53.82%) (U=70.00, P=0.004). There were no significant differences in SCP-VD6.0 and DCP-VD1.0 between the two groups (both P>0.05). Conclusions: Acute macular retinopathy in patients with COVID-19 can involve all retinal layers and present as segmental hyper-reflectivity on SS-OCT. Fundus infrared imaging reveals weak reflectivity in the affected area, fundus photography shows multiple gray or reddish-brown lesions in the macular region, and OCTA demonstrates a decrease in SCP-VD and DCP-VD.

Novel insights into the effect of deer IGF-1 on chondrocyte viability and IL-1β-induced inflammation response

Clinical treatment of Osteoarthritis (OA) remains a challenge due to the poor self-regeneration ability of cartilage. Deer antler is the only cartilage tissue that can completely regenerate each year. Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) is one of the major active components in the deer antler that participate in regulating the rapid regeneration of deer antler cartilage. This has led us to speculate that deer IGF-1 might potentially become a candidate drug for reducing damage and inflammation of OA. Thus, we aimed to explore the underlying mechanism of deer IGF-1 in chondrocyte proliferation, differentiation, and inflammation response. Deer, mouse, and human IGF-1 amino acid sequences and protein structures were aligned using CLUSTAL and PSIPRED. The underlying molecular mechanism of deer IGF-1 on primary chondrocytes was investigated by RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) technology combined with various experiments. Cytokine interleukin-1β (IL-1β) was used to induce the inflammation response of primary chondrocytes. We found that deer IGF-1 was more similar to human IGF-1 than mouse IGF-1. qRT-PCR and immunofluorescence assay indicated that deer IGF-1 had stronger effects than mouse IGF-1. We also found that the deer IGF-1 enhanced the expression of cell proliferation, differentiation, and extracellular matrix (ECM)-related genes, but decreased the expression of ECM-degrading genes. Deer IGF-1 also attenuated the IL-1β-induced inflammatory and ECM degradation in chondrocytes. This study provides insight into the molecular mechanisms of deer IGF-1 on primary chondrocyte viability and presents a candidate for combatting inflammatory responses in OA development.

[Atorvastatin inhibits malignant behaviors and induces apoptosis in human glioma cells by up-regulating miR-146a and inhibiting the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway]

OBJECTIVE

To explore the effect of atorvastatin (AVT) on biological behaviors and the miR-146a/PI3K/Akt signaling pathway in human glioma cells.

METHODS

Human glioma U251 cells were treated with 8.0 μmol/L AVT or transfected with a miR-146a inhibitor or a negative control fragment (miR-146a NC) prior to AVT treatment. RT-PCR was used to detect miR-146a expression in the cells, and the changes in cell proliferation rate, apoptosis, cell invasion and migration were detected using MTT assay, flow cytometry, and Transwell assay. Western blotting was performed to detect the changes in cellular expressions of proteins in the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.

RESULTS

AVT treatment for 48 h resulted in significantly increased miR-146a expression and cell apoptosis (P < 0.01) and obviously lowered the cell proliferation rate, invasion index, migration index, and expressions of p-PI3K and p-Akt protein in U251 cells (P < 0.01). Compared with AVT treatment alone, transfection with miR-146a inhibitor prior to AVT treatment significantly reduced miR-146a expression and cell apoptosis (P < 0.01), increased the cell proliferation rate, promoted cell invasion and migration, and enhanced the expressions of p-PI3K and p-Akt proteins in the cells (P < 0.01); these effects were not observed following transfection with miR-146a NC group (P>0.05).

CONCLUSION

AVT can inhibit the proliferation, invasion and migration and promote apoptosis of human glioma cells possibly by up-regulating miR-146a expression and inhibiting the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.

AB1335 BONE MARROW EDEMA SCORE IN HAND X-RAY FILM BY AI DEEP LEARNING ASSOCIATE WITH MRI BONE EDEMA IN RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS

Background

Rapid radiographic progression (RRP) was reported to be one of clinical symptom in difficult to treat RA(D2T RA) (1). Eular recommendation for imaging showed BME is strong and independent prognostic factor for bone destruction(2). We reported bone marrow edema (BME) in MRI image was most associated with RRP compared with bone erosion, synovitis in Adalimumab add-on therapy in MTX-IR RA patients(3). To rescue RRP, early detection of BME is important although cost of MRI is expensive and hard to repeat.

Objectives

To investigate the score of BME in hand X ray film by deep learning between X ray film and MRI BME information can discriminate the differences between BME and non-BME images.

Methods

In this work, we use a neural network consisted of convolutional layers and fully connected layers to classify X-ray images (Figure 1) In this paper, the output is the socre of BME which ranges from 0 to1(threshold = 0.4). We also used an interpretation technique called the Grad-CAM for visual explanations. Hand MRI (1.5T) were used.

Figure 1.

The convolutional neural network design. A red block “Conv” means a convolutional block. It contains a 2D convolution layer, a leaky relu activation function, a maxpooling layer and a batch normalization layer. The numbers above each “Conv” block are (kernal size, kernal size, kernal number). A green block “FC” is a fully connection layer. The number above it is (neuron number). After the last Softmax layer, the output becomes the probability of BME which ranges from 0 to 1.

Results

Regarding data split, 104 images including 79 non-BME images and 25 BME images are used as a hold-out test set. The rest of the images (473 images) are used as training data and validation data. Five fold cross-validation is used for these 473images. For each fold, there are about 378 images including 297 non-BME images and 81 BME images in the training set. There are about 95 images including 74 non-BME images and 21 BME images in the validation set. In order to fully utilize every image and unify the distribution of the training set and the validation set, the ratio of non-BME and BME is controlled to be the same which is about 3.66:1. The five folds showed similar performance on the hold-out test set. AUC is the area under the ROC curve. As the result, AUC which indicates the general performance of this model, ranged from 0.88 to 0.91. The average precision was 63% and the average recall rate was 87%. In this experiment, the initialization seed will greatly influence the final result. For example, AUC can be reduced to 0.73 from 0.89 because of a different initialization seed. It perhaps results from the shortage of data, which can easily make the neural network drop into a local minimum.We also utilized Grad-cam to visualize the result. The result of Grad-cam shows the importance of each part to the final prediction(Figure 2).

Figure 2.

Result of Grad-cam. Numbers in the parenthesises are the possibilities of BME. The middle case is unexpected because red region is the surrounding of the hand. The left and right cases may indicate the evidence for prediction.

Conclusion

The preliminary result is much better than a random guess. According to this result, there should be a certain difference between BME and non-BME images. If it’s the characteristic of BME that domains this difference, our classification algorithm will be feasible for BME. Our future work is to justify the evidence of the predictions and improve performance.

References

[1]Nagy G et al. Eular definition of difficult- to - treat to rheumatoid arthritis. Ann Rheum Dis 2021;80:31-35

[2]Colebatch AN et al. Eular recommendation for the use of imaging of joints in the clinical management of rheumatoid arthritis. Ann Rheum Dis 2013;72: 804-814

[3]Katayama K et al. Bone marrow OEDEMA is more associated with rapid radiographic progression than in synovitis or bone erosion by using low field MRI in bio-naiive rheumatoid arthritis patients treated with adalimumab and methotrexate combination therapy. Ann Rheum Dis 2014, eular meeting SAT0100.

Disclosure of Interests

None declared

Hypochloraemia following admission to hospital with heart failure is common and associated with an increased risk of readmission or death: a report from OPERA-HF

AIMS

Hypochloraemia is common in patients hospitalized with heart failure (HF) and associated with a high risk of adverse outcomes during admission and following discharge. We assessed the significance of changes in serum chloride concentrations in relation to serum sodium and bicarbonate concentrations during admission in a cohort of 1002 consecutive patients admitted with HF and enrolled into an observational study based at a single tertiary centre in the UK.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Hypochloraemia (<96 mmol/L), hyponatraemia (<135 mmol/L), and metabolic alkalosis (bicarbonate >32 mmol/L) were defined by local laboratory reference ranges. Outcomes assessed were all-cause mortality, all-cause mortality or all-cause readmission, and all-cause mortality or HF readmission. Cox regression and Kaplan-Meier curves were used to investigate associations with outcome. During a median follow-up of 856 days (interquartile range 272-1416), discharge hypochloraemia, regardless of serum sodium, or bicarbonate levels was associated with greater all-cause mortality [hazard ratio (HR) 1.44, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.15-1.79; P = 0.001], all-cause mortality or all-cause readmission (HR 1.26, 95% CI 1.04-1.53; P = 0.02), and all-cause mortality or HF readmission (HR 1.41, 95% CI 1.14-1.74; P = 0.002) after multivariable adjustment. Patients with concurrent hypochloraemia and natraemia had lower haemoglobin and haematocrit, suggesting congestion; those with hypochloraemia and normal sodium levels had more metabolic alkalosis, suggesting decongestion.

CONCLUSION

Hypochloraemia is common at discharge after a hospitalization for HF and is associated with worse outcome subsequently. It is an easily measured clinical variables that is associated with morbidity or mortality of any cause.

Small-molecule inhibitors of P-Rex guanine-nucleotide exchange factors

P-Rex1 and P-Rex2 are guanine-nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs) that activate Rac small GTPases in response to the stimulation of G protein-coupled receptors and phosphoinositide 3-kinase. P-Rex Rac-GEFs regulate the morphology, adhesion and migration of various cell types, as well as reactive oxygen species production and cell cycle progression. P-Rex Rac-GEFs also have pathogenic roles in the initiation, progression or metastasis of several types of cancer. With one exception, all P-Rex functions are known or assumed to be mediated through their catalytic Rac-GEF activity. Thus, inhibitors of P-Rex Rac-GEF activity would be valuable research tools. We have generated a panel of small-molecule P-Rex inhibitors that target the interface between the catalytic DH domain of P-Rex Rac-GEFs and Rac. Our best-characterized compound, P-Rex inhibitor 1 (PREX-in1), blocks the Rac-GEF activity of full-length P-Rex1 and P-Rex2, and of their isolated catalytic domains, in vitro at low-micromolar concentration, without affecting the activities of several other Rho-GEFs. PREX-in1 blocks the P-Rex1 dependent spreading of PDGF-stimulated endothelial cells and the production of reactive oxygen species in fMLP-stimulated mouse neutrophils. Structure-function analysis revealed critical structural elements of PREX-in1, allowing us to develop derivatives with increased efficacy, the best with an IC₅₀ of 2 µM. In summary, we have developed PREX-in1 and derivative small-molecule compounds that will be useful laboratory research tools for the study of P-Rex function. These compounds may also be a good starting point for the future development of more sophisticated drug-like inhibitors aimed at targeting P-Rex Rac-GEFs in cancer.

Nfib promotes chondrocyte proliferation and inhibits differentiation by mildly regulating Sox9 and its downstream genes

BACKGROUND

Chondrocyte proliferation and differentiation play pivotal roles in regulating cartilage formation, endochondral bone formation, and repair. Cartilage damage and underdevelopment may cause severe joint diseases. Various transcription factors regulate cartilage development. Nuclear factor 1 B (Nfib) is a transcription factor that plays a regulatory role in various organs. However, the effect and mechanism of Nfib on the proliferation and differentiation of chondrocytes in cartilage are still largely unknown.

METHODS AND RESULTS

In the present study, we investigated the gene expression patterns in primary chondrocytes with Nfib overexpression or silencing by RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) technology. The results showed that Nfib overexpression significantly up-regulated genes that are related to chondrocyte proliferation and extracellular matrix (ECM) synthesis and significantly down-regulated genes related to chondrocyte differentiation and ECM degradation. However, with Nfib silencing, the genes involved in promoting chondrocyte differentiation were significantly up-regulated, whereas those involved in promoting chondrocyte proliferation were significantly down-regulated. Furthermore, quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), western blot, alcian blue staining and immunofluorescence staining assays further confirmed that Nfib potentially promotes chondrocyte proliferation and extracellular synthesis but inhibits differentiation.

CONCLUSIONS

The molecular mechanism of Nfib in promoting chondrocyte proliferation and inhibiting differentiation was probably achieved by stimulating Sox9 and its downstream genes. Thus, this study adds new insights regarding the underlying molecular mechanism of transcriptional regulation in cartilage.

Effects of hsa_circ_0000711 expression level on proliferation and apoptosis of hepatoma cells

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the role of human serum albumin (hsa)_circular (circ)_0000711 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Circular ribonucleic acids (circRNAs) are proven in numerous studies to play crucial role in tumor biology, but their roles in HCC remain unknown to a great extent.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The circRNA expression profile microarray was employed to screen differentially expressed circRNAs in tumor tissues and adjacent tissues from HCC patients, and Reverse Transcription-quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-qPCR) assay was performed for further verification. Next, the target micro RNAs (miRNAs) and their messenger RNAs (mRNAs) of key circRNAs were predicted by bioinformatics software, and a circRNA-miRNA-mRNA regulatory network was constructed. Subsequently, KEGG and GO enrichment analyses were applied to predict the possible biological processes regulated by hsa_circ_0000711 and relevant signaling pathways. The miRNAs playing a key role in the circRNA-miRNA-mRNA regulatory network were then selected as the objects, and their direct binding to hsa_circ_0000711 was confirmed via luciferase reporter gene assay. Thereafter, hsa_circ_0000711 was overexpressed or knocked out, and the biological function of hsa_circ_0000711 was detected by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay, apoptosis detection, and 5-Ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU) staining assay in vitro.

RESULTS

The results of expression profile screening revealed that there was a significant difference in the expression profile of circRNAs between tumor tissues and adjacent tissues in HCC patients. Based on the circRNA expression profile and RT-qPCR results, the expression level of hsa_circ_0000711 was overtly reduced in HCC tissues. In addition, miR-103a-3p had the highest eigenvector centrality in the circRNA-miRNA-mRNA regulatory network, suggesting that miR-103a-3p is a vital participant in the pathological mechanism of hsa_circ_0000711. The KEGG enrichment analysis results pointed out that the target genes regulated by hsa_circ_0000711 were clearly enriched in the tumor-associated signaling pathways. Besides, the results of GO enrichment analysis demonstrated that the biological processes regulated by hsa_circ_0000711 were mainly related to cell cycle regulation, so cell proliferation might be affected. The results of luciferase reporter gene and RT-qPCR assays showed that hsa_circ_0000711 directly bound to has-miR-103a-3p to serve as a molecular sponge. The results of CCK-8 and EdU staining assays revealed that the proliferation of hepatoma cells in hsa_circ_0000711 overexpression group was evidently enhanced. In addition, it was further found via flow cytometry that the apoptosis rate of cells was significantly raised in hsa_circ_0000711 low-expression group and dramatically declined in hsa_circ_0000711 overexpression group.

CONCLUSIONS

Overexpression of hsa_circ_0000711 promoted the proliferation and inhibited the apoptosis of hepatoma cells via targeting has-miR-103a-3p.

Deer antler extract potentially facilitates xiphoid cartilage growth and regeneration and prevents inflammatory susceptibility by regulating multiple functional genes

BACKGROUND

Deer antler is a zoological exception due to its fantastic characteristics, including amazing growth rate and repeatable regeneration. Deer antler has been used as a key ingredient in traditional Chinese medicine relating to kidney and bone health for centuries. The aim of this study was to dissect the molecular regulation of deer antler extract (DAE) on xiphoid cartilage (XC).

METHODS

The DAE used in this experiment was same as the one that was prepared as previously described. The specific pathogen-free (SPF) grade Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into blank group (n =10) and DAE group (n =10) after 1-week adaptive feeding. The DAE used in this experiment was same as the one that was prepared as previously described. The rats in DAE group were fed with DAE for 3 weeks at a dose of 0.2 g/kg per day according to the body surface area normalization method, and the rats in blank group were fed with drinking water. Total RNA was extracted from XC located in the most distal edge of the sternum. Illumina RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) in combination with quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) validation assay was carried out to dissect the molecular regulation of DAE on XC.

RESULTS

We demonstrated that DAE significantly increased the expression levels of DEGs involved in cartilage growth and regeneration, but decreased the expression levels of DEGs involved in inflammation, and mildly increased the expression levels of DEGs involved in chondrogenesis and chondrocyte proliferation.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that DAE might serve as a complementary therapeutic regent for cartilage growth and regeneration to treat cartilage degenerative disease, such as osteoarthritis.

Long noncoding RNA SNHG14 regulates ox-LDL-induced atherosclerosis cell proliferation and apoptosis by targeting miR-186-5p/WIPF2 axis

To investigate the role of small nucleolus RNA host gene 14 (SNHG14) in the progression of atherosclerosis (AS), bioinformatics analysis, and other relevant experiments (cell counting kit-8, flow cytometry, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, luciferase reporter, RNA immunoprecipitation, RNA pull-down, and western blot assays) were done. The current study revealed that SNHG14 level was high in the serum of AS patients and oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL)-induced AS cell lines. Besides, we found that SNHG14 accelerated cell proliferation while inhibited cell apoptosis in ox-LDL-induced AS cell lines. Next, SNHG14 was confirmed to be a sponge for miR-186-5p in AS cells, and it was validated that SNHG14 regulated AS cell proliferation and apoptosis by sponging miR-186-5p. Moreover, we uncovered that WAS-interacting protein family member 2 (WIPF2) was a downstream target of miR-186-5p in AS cells. Finally, it was demonstrated that miR-186-5p modulated AS cell proliferation and apoptosis via targeting WIPF2. To conclude, our research disclosed that SNHG14 affected ox-LDL-induced AS cell proliferation and apoptosis through miR-186-5p/WIPF2 axis, which may provide a theoretical basis for the treatment and diagnosis of AS.

Platelet Protease Activated Receptor 1 Is Involved in the Hemostatic Effect of 20(S)-Protopanaxadiol by Regulating Calcium Signaling

Panax notoginseng (Burk.) F.H. Chen has long been used to stop bleeding for hundreds of years in China. At present, only dencichine, notoginsenoside Ft1, and 20(S)-protopanaxadiol (PPD) showed hemostatic effect. However, the molecular mechanism of PPD on the platelet aggragetion needs to be further investigated. The study aims to evaluate the hemostatic effect of PPD and reveal its interacting targets using a series of experiments. In this study, the bleeding time was measured in mouse tail amputation and liver scratch models to evaluate hemostatic effect of PPD. The routine blood and plasma coagulation parameters in NS, HC, and PPD (2, 4, and 8 mg/kg) groups were measured using a blood analyzer. Platelet aggregation rate and ATP release were analyzed by a platelet aggregometer. Subsequently, the degranulation marker CD62P and PAC-1, and the concentrations of cytosolic Ca²⁺ ([Ca²⁺]_i), cAMP, cGMP, and PAC-1 expressions were also assessed. We found that PPD shorted the bleeding time on the mouse tail amputation and liver scratch models and mainly increased blood platelet count in the rats after subcutaneous injection for 4 h. Meanwhile, PPD decreased APTT, increased FIB content, and directly induced platelet aggregation in vitro. In the absence of Ca²⁺, PPD induced the increase of [Ca²⁺]_i and slightly increased the levels of CD62P and PAC-1. After the addition of 1 mM Ca²⁺, PPD treatment markedly promoted platelet activation by promoting ATP level, releasing CD62P and increasing PAC-1 binding in washed platelets. Excitingly, PPD-induced changes including platelet aggregation, decreased cAMP content, and the increases of CD62P and PAC-1 were significantly reversed by protease-activated receptor 1 (PAR-1) antagonist, vorapaxar, which showed similar function as thrombin. In addition, molecular docking analysis and ELISA assay demonstrated that PPD had a promising docking score with -6.6 kcal/mol and increased PAR-1 expression in human platelets, which indicated that PAR-1 is involved in PPD-induced platelet aggregation by regulating calcium signaling. Collectively, our study could provide the new insights of PPD as an essential hemostatic ingredient in Panax notoginseng for the treatment of hemorrhagic disease.

Autophagy regulates chemoresistance of gastric cancer stem cells via the Notch signaling pathway

OBJECTIVE

Gastric cancer is the most common gastrointestinal malignancy and the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in East Asia. Increasing evidence has revealed that autophagy is closely associated with tumor initiation and progression. The present work aimed to investigate the role of autophagy in adjuvant chemotherapy for gastric cancer.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Gastric cancer stem cells (CSCs) were isolated from gastric cancer cell lines using the cell surface markers CD44 and CD54 and cultured in a three-dimensional cell culture system. Western blotting was used to detect their protein expression levels in gastric CSCs. In addition, the cells were treated with inhibitors to investigate the underlying mechanisms of autophagy.

RESULTS

After isolation of gastric CSCs expressing CD44 and CD54, Western blot analysis showed that the levels of the autophagic marker LC3II were markedly enhanced in CD44+CD54+ gastric CSCs. Moreover, the ratio of LC3II/LC3I protein levels was higher in CD44+CD54+ gastric CSCs than in non-CSCs. By contrast, both a chemotherapeutic agent (5-fluorouracil) and autophagy inhibitor (chloroquine) exhibited an inhibitory effect on the cell viability of gastric CSCs, and their combination further enhanced such inhibitory effects. Mechanistically, the addition of Notch inhibitor decreased the cell viability of gastric CSCs treated with 5-fluorouracil and chloroquine. In addition, 5-fluorouracil and chloroquine both increased the expression of Notch1 in gastric CSCs.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings show that autophagy regulated drug sensitivity of gastric cancer cells through the Notch signaling pathway.

Preliminary evaluation of GLP-1R PET in the diagnosis and risk stratification of pheochromocytomas

Noninvasive imaging methods for the diagnosis and risk stratification of pheochromocytomas (PHEOs) remain a great clinical challenge. The glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) has been validated to be overexpressed in PHEOs and therefore may be a reliable target for PHEOs. In this study, we firstly synthesized a novel radiotracer 68Ga-NOTA-MAL-Cys39-exendin-4 that specifically targets GLP-1R and evaluated the performance of GLP-1R PET for the diagnosis and risk stratification of PHEOs. Cys39-exendin-4 was conjugated to NOTA-MAL and then radiolabeled with 68Ga. The reaction was completed within 20 min with a yield of 91.6 ± 2.8%. In vitro cell uptake studies validated its high specificity. PET images showed promising tumor visualization with high uptake (1.88 ± 0.10 %ID/g for PC-12 poorly differentiated tumors and 1.09 ± 0.003 %ID/g for PC-12 highly differentiated tumors at 30min after injection). There was a significant difference in the uptake of 68Ga-NOTA-MAL-Cys39-exendin-4 between PC-12 poorly and highly differentiated tumors (p < 0.001), but no significant difference could be observed by 18F-FDG PET. Biodistribution results confirmed the findings of GLP-1R PET and demonstrated that 131I-MIBG couldn't be used for the risk stratification of PHEOs. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining revealed differences in GLP-1R expression between PC-12 poorly and highly differentiated tumor tissues. These results demonstrated that 68Ga-NOTA-MAL-Cys39-exendin-4 can specifically target GLP-1R with favorable pharmacokinetic properties. GLP-1R PET can be used for PHEOs detection and has potential for the risk stratification of PHEOs.

Effects of bisphenol A exposure on DNA integrity and protamination of mouse spermatozoa

BACKGROUND

Bisphenol A is widely used in the manufacture of polycarbonate plastics and has caused increasing concern over its potential adverse impacts on spermatogenesis. However, the effect of bisphenol A on spermiogenesis is yet to be explored.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate whether bisphenol A has adverse effects on DNA integrity and protamination of spermatogenic cell.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Newborn male mice were subcutaneously injected with bisphenol A (0.1, 5 mg/kg body weight, n = 15) or coin oil (control group, n = 20) daily from post-natal day 1 until 35. At post-natal day 70, epididymis caudal spermatozoa and testes were collected. Sperm count, sperm motility, and sperm morphology were analyzed. The sperm chromatin structure assay was performed to examine the sperm DNA fragmentation. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) method was used to assess apoptosis of spermatogenic cells. The ultrastructural features of testicular sections were examined under a transmission electron microscope. Western blot and RT-PCR were used to detect the expression levels of transition protein (Tnp) 1 and Tnp2, protamine (Prm) 1 and Prm2 protein, and mRNA in mice testes.

RESULTS

Bisphenol A significantly reduced sperm counts, impaired sperm motility, and increased the percentage of malformed spermatozoa. Poor sperm chromatin integrity and increased TUNEL-positive spermatogenic cells were also observed in mice exposed to bisphenol A. Ultrastructural analysis of testes showed that bisphenol A exposure caused incomplete chromatin condensation, retention of residual cytoplasm, and abnormal acrosome formation. In addition, the relative expression levels of Tnp2 and Prm2 in mice testes decreased significantly in bisphenol A groups.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

Our findings identified that neonatal bisphenol A exposure may negatively contribute to the sperm quality in adult mice. Mechanistically, we showed that bisphenol A reduced sperm chromatin integrity along with increased DNA damage, which may be due to poor protamination of spermatozoa.

Dissection of the molecular targets and signaling pathways of Guzhi Zengsheng Zhitongwan based on the analysis of serum proteomics

Background

Guzhi Zengsheng Zhitongwan (GZZSZTW) is an effective formula of traditional Chinese herbal medicine and has been widely applied in the treatment of joint diseases for many years. The aim of this study was to dissect the molecular targets and signaling pathways of Guzhi Zengsheng Zhitongwan based on the analysis of serum proteomics.

Methods

The Chinese herbs of GZZSZTW were immersed in 5 l distilled water and boiled with reflux extraction method. The extract was filtered, concentrated and freeze-dried. The chemical profile of GZZSZTW extract was determined by high-performance lipid chromatography (HPLC). The 7-week old Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats in GZZSZTW groups were received oral administration at doses of 0.8, 1.05, and 1.3 g/kg per day and the rats in blank group were fed with drinking water. Serum samples were collected from the jugular veins. Primary chondrocyte viability was evaluated by CCK-8 assay. A full spectrum of the molecular targets and signaling pathways of GZZSZTW were investigated by isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ) analysis and a systematic bioinformatics analysis accompanied with parallel reaction monitoring (PRM) and siRNA validation.

Results

GZZSZTW regulated a series of functional proteins and signaling pathways responsible for cartilage development, growth and repair. Functional classification analysis indicated that these proteins were mainly involved in the process of cell surface dynamics. Pathway analysis mapped these proteins into several signalling pathways involved in chondrogenesis, chondrocyte proliferation and differentiation, and cartilage repair, including hippo signaling pathway, cGMP-PKG signaling pathway, cell cycle and calcium signaling pathway. Protein–protein interaction analysis and siRNA knockdown assay identified an interaction network consisting of TGFB1, RHO GTPases, ILK, FLNA, LYN, DHX15, PKM, RAB15, RAB1B and GIPC1.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that the effects of GZZSZTW on treating joint diseases might be achieved through the TGFB1/RHO interaction network coupled with other proteins and signaling pathways responsible for cartilage development, growth and repair. Therefore, the present study has greatly expanded our knowledge and provided scientific support for the underlying therapeutic mechanisms of GZZSZTW on treating joint diseases. It also provided possible alternative strategies for the prevention and treatment for joint diseases by using traditional Chinese herbal formulas.

Comparative proteomics analysis reveals the difference during antler regeneration stage between red deer and sika deer

Deer antler, as the only mammalian regenerative appendage, provides an optimal model to study regenerative medicine. Antler harvested from red deer or sika deer were mainly study objects used to disclose the mechanism underlying antler regeneration over past decades. A previous study used proteomic technology to reveal the signaling pathways of antler stem cell derived from red deer. Moreover, transcriptome of antler tip from sika deer provide us with the essential genes, which regulated antler development and regeneration. However, antler comparison between red deer and sika deer has not been well studied. In our current study, proteomics were employed to analyze the biological difference of antler regeneration between sika deer and red deer. The proteomics profile was completed by searching the UniProt database, and differentially expressed proteins were identified by bioinformatic software. Thirty-six proteins were highly expressed in red deer antler, while 144 proteins were abundant in sika deer. GO and KEGG analysis revealed that differentially expressed proteins participated in the regulation of several pathways including oxidative phosphorylation, ribosome, extracellular matrix interaction, and PI3K-Akt pathway.

Transdermal permeation effect of collagen hydrolysates of deer sinew on mouse skin, ex vitro, and antioxidant activity, increased type I collagen secretion of percutaneous proteins in NIH/3T3 cells

BACKGROUND

The collagen hydrolysates as a cosmetic material have already been wide application. At present, few studies concern with transdermal behavior of collagen hydrolysates in vitro.

OBJECTIVE

Deer sinew contains rich collagen with a content of 82.12%. Thus, this article mainly studies the transdermal effect of collagen hydrolysates of deer sinew (DSCH) on mouse skin, ex vitro, and to explore skincare protection of percutaneous proteins.

METHODS

Collagen hydrolysates of deer sinew were extracted by 0.2% HCl and a two-step enzymatic method of pepsin-trypsin. The content of 17 amino acids of DSCH was detected by precolumn derivatization RP-HPLC. Using Franz diffusion cell systems studied the transdermal effect of DSCH and then examined the percutaneous rate and molecular weight distribution of percutaneous proteins (PP). Further, we studied the bioactivity of PP in vitro, such as the total antioxidant capacity and collagen secretion in NIH/3T3 cells.

RESULTS

About 8.0% DSCH could penetrate skin of mouse, the molecular weight of PP mainly distributed in 5 ~ 13 kDa, accounted for 91.55%. Compared with the antioxidant activity of DSCH, PP had obvious antioxidant activity of scavenging radical cation. Meanwhile, PP promoted cell proliferation and collagen I secretion in fibroblast cells; however, level of type III collagen has no change.

CONCLUSION

Collagen hydrolysates of deer sinew may be used as cosmetic material to protect the skin from oxidative stress, to prevent premature skin aging.

Detection of prostate specific antigen (PSA) in human saliva using an ultra-sensitive nanocomposite of graphene nanoplatelets with diblock-co-polymers and Au electrodes

Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is a commonly used biomarker for the detection of prostate cancer (PCa) and there are numerous data available for its invasive detection in the serum and whole blood. In this work, an electrochemical sensing method was devised to detect traces of PSA in human saliva using a hybrid nanocomposite of graphene nanoplatelets with diblock co-polymers and Au electrodes (GRP-PS₆₇-b-PAA₂₇-Au). The pure graphitic composition on filter paper provides significantly high electrical and thermal conductivity while PS₆₇-b-PAA₂₇ makes an amphiphilic bridge between GRP units. The sensor utilizes the binding of an anti-PSA antibody with an antigen-PSA to act as a resistor in a circuit providing an impedance change that in turn allows for the detection and quantification of PSA in saliva samples. A miniaturized electrical impedance analyzer was interfaced with a sensor chip and the data were recorded in real-time using a Bluetooth-enabled module. This fully integrated and optimized sensing device exhibited a wide PSA range of detection from 0.1 pg mL^-1 to 100 ng mL^-1 (R² = 0.963) with a lower limit of detection of 40 fg mL^-1. The performance of the biosensor chip was validated with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay technique with a regression coefficient as high as 0.940. The advantages of the newly developed saliva-PSA electrical biosensor over previously reported serum-PSA electrochemical biosensors include a faster response time (3-5 min) to achieve a stable electrical signal for PSA detection, high selectivity, improved sensitivity, no additional requirement of a redox electrolyte for electron exchange and excellent shelf life. The presented sensor is aimed for clinical commercialization to detect PSA in human saliva.

Engineered nanoparticle exposure and cardiovascular effects: the role of a neuronal-regulated pathway

Human and animal studies have confirmed that inhalation of particles from ambient air or occupational settings not only causes pathophysiological changes in the respiratory system, but causes cardiovascular effects as well. At an equal mass lung burden, nanoparticles are more potent in causing systemic microvascular dysfunction than fine particles of similar composition. Thus, accumulated evidence from animal studies has led to heightened concerns about the potential short- and long-term deleterious effects of inhalation of engineered nanoparticles on the cardiovascular system. This review highlights the new observations from animal studies, which document the adverse effects of pulmonary exposure to engineered nanoparticles on the cardiovascular system and elucidate the potential mechanisms involved in regulation of cardiovascular function, in particular, how the neuronal system plays a role and reacts to pulmonary nanoparticle exposure based on both in vivo and in vitro studies. In addition, this review also discusses the possible influence of altered autonomic nervous activity on preexisting cardiovascular conditions. Whether engineered nanoparticle exposure serves as a risk factor in the development of cardiovascular diseases warrants further investigation.

Tuberculosis treatment outcomes among disadvantaged patients in India

Setting: Urban slums and poor rural areas in India, 2012-2014. Objective: To describe the characteristics of tuberculosis (TB) patients enrolled in treatment through Operation ASHA, a non-governmental organisation serving disadvantaged populations in India, and to identify risk factors for unfavourable treatment outcomes. Design: This was a retrospective cohort study. Patient characteristics were assessed for their relationship with treatment outcomes using mixed effects logistic regression, adjusting for clustering by treatment centre and Indian state. Outcomes were considered favourable (cured/treatment completed) or unfavourable (treatment failure, loss to follow-up, death, switch to multidrug-resistant TB treatment, transfer out). Results: Of 8415 patients, 7148 (84.9%) had a favourable outcome. On multivariable analysis, unfavourable outcomes were more common among men (OR 1.31, 95%CI 1.15-1.51), older patients (OR 1.12, 95%CI 1.04-1.21) and previously treated patients (OR 2.05, 95%CI 1.79-2.36). Compared to pulmonary smear-negative patients, those with extra-pulmonary disease were less likely to have unfavourable outcomes (OR 0.72, 95%CI 0.60-0.87), while smear-positive pulmonary patients were more likely to have unfavourable outcomes (OR 1.38, 95%CI 1.15-1.66 for low [scanty/1+] and OR 1.71, 95%CI 1.44-2.04 for high [2+/3+] positive smears). Conclusion: The treatment success rate within Operation ASHA is comparable to that reported nationally for India. Men, older patients, retreatment cases and smear-positive pulmonary TB patients may need additional interventions to ensure a favourable outcome.

[A prospective study of the efficacy and safety of maintenance therapy with recombinant human thrombopoietin in patients with primary immune thrombocytopenia: a multicenter study]

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of maintenance therapy with reduced dose of rhTPO in the patients with primary immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) who attained stable platelet (PLT) counts after daily administration of rhTPO. Methods: Treatment was started with a daily administration of rhTPO (300 U/kg) for 2 consecutive weeks. Patients who attained stable PLT≥50×10(9)/L were enrolled to maintenance therapy starting with every other day administration of rhTPO, then adjusted dose interval to maintain platelet count (30-100) ×10(9)/L. Results: A total of 91 eligible patients were enrolled. Fourteen patients discontinued the study due to noncompliance (12/14) and investigator decision (2/14) . Among 77 patients who completed the study, 38 patients with the administration of rhTPO at every other day or less could maintain PLT≥30×10(9)/L for 12 weeks. The percentage of patients with a platelet response (PLT≥30×10(9)/L) at 4(th) week, 8(th) week and 12(th) week of maintain therapy was 92.6% (63/68) , 82.7% (43/52) and 85.0% (34/40) , respectively. Median platelet counts remained in the range of (70-124) ×10(9)/L. The overall incidence of rhTPO-related adverse events was 7.7%. All the adverse events were generally mild. Conclusion: Extending the dose interval of rhTPO is feasible to maintain stable platelet count in the patients with ITP, but the optimal dose interval is uncertain and might vary with individuals.

Evaluation of prediagnosis emergency department presentations in patients with active tuberculosis: the role of chest radiography, risk factors and symptoms

INTRODUCTION

London has a high rate of tuberculosis (TB) with 2572 cases reported in 2014. Cases are more common in non-UK born, alcohol-dependent or homeless patients. The emergency department (ED) presents an opportunity for the diagnosis of TB in these patient groups. This is the first study describing the clinico-radiological characteristics of such attendances in two urban UK hospitals for pulmonary TB (PTB) and extrapulmonary TB (EPTB).

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective cohort study using the London TB Register (LTBR) and hospital records to identify patients who presented to two London ED's in the 6 months prior to their ultimate TB diagnosis 2011-2012.

RESULTS

397 TB cases were identified. 39% (154/397) had presented to the ED in the 6 months prior to diagnosis. In the study population, the presence of cough, weight loss, fever and night sweats only had prevalence rates of 40%, 34%, 34% and 21%, respectively. Chest radiography was performed in 76% (117/154) of patients. For cases where a new diagnosis of TB was suspected, 73% (41/56) had an abnormal radiograph, compared with 36% (35/98) of patients where it was not. There was an abnormality on a chest radiograph in 73% (55/75) of PTB cases and also in 40% (21/52) of EPTB cases where a film was requested.

CONCLUSIONS

A large proportion of patients with TB present to ED. A diagnosis was more likely in the presence of an abnormal radiograph, suggesting opportunities for earlier diagnosis if risk factors, symptoms and chest radiograph findings are combined.

Inflammation-related pro-apoptotic activity of exopolysaccharides isolated from Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis

Exopolysaccharides (EPS) have attracted attention recently for possible use in suppressing early stage breast cancer. In this study, a mannan EPS produced by Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis was found to affect the production of inflammatory cytokines. EPS (300 μg/ml) can significantly enhance tumour necrosis factor alpha and inducible NO synthase release in MCF-7 cells compared to control cells in a concentration-dependent manner. Also the intracellular calcium level was found to increase with the concentration of EPS. After EPS-treatment, a significant reduction in mitochondrial potential was observed, as was nuclear condensation and cell shrinkage. These results may be helpful in further understanding the anti-tumour properties of lactic acid bacteria.

Association of NT-proBNP and interleukin-17 levels with heart failure in elderly patients

Pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and interleukin-17 (IL-17) are involved in the pathophysiological processes of heart failure; however, the exact role of IL-17 is not clear. We explored the relationship between IL-17 and NT-proBNP, as a clinical parameter, in heart failure. The whole blood IL-17 and NT-proBNP levels and the readmission rates in 70 patients with chronic heart failure class III or IV according to the New York Heart Association and 35 patients with normal heart function (control group) were measured and compared. The left ventricle ejection fractions (LVEFs) and NT-proBNP and IL-17 levels in cardiac functional class III (40.38 ± 4.76%, 7780 ± 6393 pg/mL, 8.65 ± 3.05 pg/mL, respectively) and class IV (31.59 ± 4.31%, 13,704 ± 10,945, 21.10 ± 10.60 pg/mL, respectively) were higher than those in the control group (61.27 ± 5.66%, 420 ± 256 pg/mL, 3.53 ± 2.05 pg/mL, respectively). Compared to the cardiac functional class IV, class III showed significantly higher values for LVEF and NT-proBNP and IL-17 levels (P < 0.05). The readmission rates of the patients in cardiac functional class III at 3 and 6 months (15.7 and 34.4%, respectively) and cardiac functional class IV at 3 and 6 months (39.5 and 76.3%, respectively) were significantly higher than those in the control group (0 and 5.7%, respectively) (P < 0.05). The NT-proBNP and IL-17 levels increased as the heart function worsened. NT-proBNP and IL-17 may play essential roles in the process of heart failure.

Population genetic analysis and trichothecene profiling of Fusarium graminearum from wheat in Uruguay

Fusarium graminearum sensu stricto (F. graminearum s.s.) is the major causal agent of Fusarium head blight of wheat worldwide, and contaminates grains with trichothecene mycotoxins that cause serious threats to food safety and animal health. An important aspect of managing this pathogen and reducing mycotoxin contamination of wheat is knowledge regarding its population genetics. Therefore, isolates of F. graminearum s.s. from the major wheat-growing region of Uruguay were analyzed by amplified fragment length polymorphism assays, PCR genotyping, and chemical analysis of trichothecene production. Of the 102 isolates identified as having the 15-ADON genotype via PCR genotyping, all were DON producers, but only 41 strains were also 15-ADON producers, as determined by chemical analysis. The populations were genotypically diverse but genetically similar, with significant genetic exchange occurring between them. Analysis of molecular variance indicated that most of the genetic variability resulted from differences between isolates within populations. Multilocus linkage disequilibrium analysis suggested that the isolates had a panmictic population genetic structure and that there is significant recombination occurs in F. graminearum s.s. In conclusion, tour findings provide the first detailed description of the genetic structure and trichothecene production of populations of F. graminearum s.s. from Uruguay, and expands our understanding of the agroecology of F. graminearum and of the correlation between genotypes and trichothecene chemotypes.

Free-Standing Two-Dimensional Single-Crystalline InSb Nanosheets

Growth of high-quality single-crystalline InSb layers remains challenging in material science. Such layered InSb materials are highly desired for searching for and manipulation of Majorana Fermions in solid state, a fundamental research task in physics today, and for development of novel high-speed nanoelectronic and infrared optoelectronic devices. Here, we report on a new route toward growth of single-crystalline, layered InSb materials. We demonstrate the successful growth of free-standing, two-dimensional InSb nanosheets on one-dimensional InAs nanowires by molecular-beam epitaxy. The grown InSb nanosheets are pure zinc-blende single crystals. The length and width of the InSb nanosheets are up to several micrometers and the thickness is down to ∼10 nm. The InSb nanosheets show a clear ambipolar behavior and a high electron mobility. Our work will open up new technology routes toward the development of InSb-based devices for applications in nanoelectronics, optoelectronics, and quantum electronics and for the study of fundamental physical phenomena.

Vibrational spectroscopy and imaging for concurrent cellular trafficking of co-localized doxorubicin and deuterated phospholipid vesicles

Simultaneous tracking of nanoparticles and encapsulated payload is of great importance and visualizing their activity is arduous. Here we use vibrational spectroscopy to study the in vitro tracking of co-localized lipid nanoparticles and encapsulated drug employing a model system derived from doxorubicin-encapsulated deuterated phospholipid (dodecyl phosphocholine-d38) single tailed phospholipid vesicles.

Endophytic bacteria from wheat grain as biocontrol agents of Fusarium graminearum and deoxynivalenol production in wheat

In Uruguay, Fusarium graminearum is the most common species that infects wheat and is responsible for Fusarium head blight (FHB) and contamination of grain with deoxynivalenol (DON). The aim of this work was to select bacterial endophytes isolated from wheat grain to evaluate their antagonistic ability against F. graminearum and DON production in vitro and under field conditions. Four strains identified as Bacillus megaterium (BM1) and Bacillus subtilis (BS43, BSM0 y BSM2) significantly reduced fungal growth and spore germination of F. graminearum. This antagonist activity remained unchanged after the bacterial cultures were heat treated. Under field conditions, treatments with antagonist BM1 was the most effective, reducing the FHB incidence and severity by 93 and 54 %, respectively, and the production of DON by 89.3 %.