Maternal androgen excess inhibits fetal cardiomyocytes proliferation through RB-mediated cell cycle arrest and induces cardiac hypertrophy in adulthood

PURPOSE

Maternal hyperandrogenism during pregnancy is associated with adverse gestational outcomes and chronic non-communicable diseases in offspring. However, few studies are reported to demonstrate the association between maternal androgen excess and cardiac health in offspring. This study aimed to explore the relation between androgen exposure in utero and cardiac health of offspring in fetal and adult period. Its underlying mechanism is also illustrated in this research.

METHODS

Pregnant mice were injected with dihydrotestosterone (DHT) from gestational day (GD) 16.5 to GD18.5. On GD18.5, fetal heart tissue was collected for metabolite and morphological analysis. The hearts from adult offspring were also collected for morphological and qPCR analysis. H9c2 cells were treated with 75 μM androsterone. Immunofluorescence, flow cytometry, qPCR, and western blot were performed to observe cell proliferation and explore the underlying mechanism.

RESULTS

Intrauterine exposure to excessive androgen led to thinner ventricular wall, decreased number of cardiomyocytes in fetal offspring and caused cardiac hypertrophy, compromised cardiac function in adult offspring. The analysis of steroid hormone metabolites in fetal heart tissue by ultra performance liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry showed that the content of androgen metabolite androsterone was significantly increased. Mechanistically, H9c2 cells treated with androsterone led to a significant decrease in phosphorylated retinoblastoma protein (pRB) and cell cycle-related protein including cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (CDK2), cyclin-dependent kinase 4 (CDK4), and cyclin D1 (CCND1) in cardiomyocytes. This resulted in cell cycle arrest at G1-S phase, which in turn inhibited cardiomyocyte proliferation.

CONCLUSION

Taken together, our results indicate that in utero exposure to DHT, its metabolite androsterone could directly decrease cardiomyocytes proliferation through cell cycle arrest, which has a life-long-lasting effect on cardiac health. Our study highlights the importance of monitoring sex hormones in women during pregnancy and the follow-up of cardiac function in offspring with high risk of intrauterine androgen exposure.

A Comparative Study of Measuring Bladder Volume in Patients with Pelvic Tumor Receiving Radiotherapy Using a Portable Bladder Scanner Made in China and CT Analog Positioning Machine

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the bladder volume of patients with pelvic tumor treated with radiotherapy (RT) can be accurately measured using the Meike Palm Bladder Scanner PBSV3.2 manufactured in China and the accuracy of its measurement under different influencing factors.

MATERIALS/METHODS

One hundred and sixty-five patients with pelvic tumor radiotherapy who were positioned in our department from January 12, 2022, to July 7, 2022, were selected. All patients voided their bowels and urine one hour before positioning, had a gynecological examination, were instructed to drink 500-800 ml of water, urine volume was measured using PBSV3.2 when they felt the urge to urinate, and urine volume reached 150-350 ml given for positioning (20 minutes expected from making the film appliance to the end of positioning), and the data were measured and recorded using a cystometric device immediately after positioning. The CT bladder volume outlined by the treating physician is viewed in the planning system. The accuracy of PBSV3.2 was evaluated by comparing the bladder volume measured by the bladder scanner and CT. To investigate the accuracy of PBSV3.2 in different sex, ages, treatment purpose, and bladder volume.

RESULTS

There was a significant positive correlation with bladder volume on CT and PBSV (r = 0.874; p<0.001). The mean difference between CT measured values and PBSV was (-0.14±50.17) ml. The results of the different variables showed that the overall mean of PBSV and CT measurements were statistically different in the age ≥65 years, bladder volumes >400ml and ≤400ml groups (p = 0.028, 0.002, 0.001). There was no statistical significance between the remaining variables. The volume difference between PBSV measurement and CT was 12.87ml in male patients, which was larger than that in female patients 3.27ml. Pearson correlation analysis showed that the correlation coefficient was 0.473 for bladder volume greater than 400ml and 0.868 for bladder volume less than 400ml; the correlation coefficient of the other variables ranged from 0.802 to 0.893.

CONCLUSION

This is the first large-sample study to evaluate the accuracy of PBSV in a pelvic tumor RT population using the convenient bladder scanner PBSV3.2 made in China. PBSV provides an acceptable indicator for monitoring bladder volume in patients with pelvic RT. It is recommended to monitor bladder volume with PBSV when the planned bladder volume is 200-400ml. For male and patients ≥65 years old, at least two repeat measurements are required when using a bladder scanner and the volume should be corrected by using a modified feature to improve bladder volume consistency.

Optimizing the Imaging Scheme of Small-Dose Contrast Agent in 4D-CT Localization Enhancement Scan for Radiotherapy of Liver Cancer

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

The primary liver cancer radiation therapy 4D-CT-enhanced (CE-4DCT) scan can accurately reflect the state of the liver as it moves with respiration, and enables clear visualization of the tumor, providing a precise range for target area outlining. However, the CE-4DCT scan localization time of primary liver cancer is long, and the fixed delay time of diagnostic CT cannot obtain high-quality 4DCT images. To this end, we designed a randomized controlled study to investigate the ideal localization scan delay time parameters for primary liver cancer CE-4DCT.

MATERIALS/METHODS

Patients with primary hepatocellular carcinoma who presented to our department for radiotherapy CT localization from January to December 2022 participated in this study. All subjects were randomly divided into two groups in a 1:1 ratio. CE-4DCT scans were performed using a high concentration of iodomepril (400 mg/ml) contrast agent with a contrast volume equal to the patient's body weight. The scanning parameters were set according to scheme A (flow rate 2.0 ml/s, delay time 30s) and B (2.0 ml/s, 35s) respectively. Before the CE-4D CT scan, CT plain scan was routinely performed, physicians measured the CT value (HU) of abdominal aorta, portal vein, left hepatic vein, middle hepatic vein, right hepatic vein, liver parenchyma and tumor lesion on CT40 time item and plain scan images respectively. The image quality was subjectively and qualitatively assessed. The image enhancement effect is divided into excellent, good, relatively poor and poor.

RESULTS

A total of 18 patients were included in this study. Patient characteristics were well-balanced in both groups. There were statistical differences between the two groups (A vs B) in the abdominal aorta (226.66 ± 45.59 vs. 176.66 ± 32.84, p = 0.017), left hepatic vein (142.77 ± 24.41 vs. 164.88 ± 19.02, p = 0.048); in the portal vein, middle hepatic vein, right hepatic vein, liver parenchyma, and tumor lesions CT values were not statistically different. The comparison of all flat-scan images between the two groups was statistically significant. The comparison of all flat-scan images in both groups was statistically significant. The subjective qualitative assessment of the developing effect was excellent in 44.4% (33.3% vs. 11.1%), good in 16.7% (5.6% vs. 11.1%), and poor in 38.9% (16.7% vs. 22.2%) in both groups. image quality was slightly higher in group A than in group B, but did not reach statistical significance (χ2 = 1.088, p = 0.698). In patients with primary hepatocellular carcinoma with portal vein carcinoma thrombosis 83.33% subjectively evaluated poor results.

CONCLUSION

Qualitatively acceptable enhanced images were obtained for primary hepatocellular carcinoma (CE-4DCT) localization scans with a delay time controlled at 30s when using the least amount of contrast agent and the same flow rate.

Pseudo CT Synthesis Using Cone-Beam CT of Cervical Cancer with GAN-Based Neural Network Model

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

Cervical cancer (CC) is a tumor disease that threatens the health of women. As an important treatment of CC, radiotherapy has been widely used in clinic. With the rapid development of radiotherapy technology, adaptive radiotherapy has received much attention. Adaptive radiotherapy means more accurate radiation dose and more accurate radiation area, which can effectively protect normal tissue. It is significant to improve the local control rate of tumor and the quality of life of patients. However, the Cone-Beam CT (CBCT) images collected during radiotherapy are of poor quality and cannot provide real-time radiation effect information, resulting in timely and effective adjustment of radiation dose and radiation area in the process of radiotherapy for cervical cancer. To alleviate this issue, this study will establish a model to leverage CC CBCT images to synthetize pseudo computed tomography (CT) images with high quality, so as to achieve the purpose of quality improvement.

MATERIALS/METHODS

This study included the data of 20 patients with CC in ** hospital. The planning CT and CBCT scan data of each patient before radiotherapy were collected, and the interval between the two kinds of image data was required to be less than one week. After data preprocessing, a total of 1206 pairs of images were trained and tested. The generative adversarial network (GAN) is constructed. In order to ensure the similarity between the input image and the output image, the L1 loss function is leveraged. And the full supervision method is used to train the model to achieve a better effect of image synthesis and improve the quality of CBCT image. Peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) and structural similarity (SSIM) were used as evaluation indexes.

RESULTS

Using five-fold cross-validation, the values of PSNR between the pseudo-CT (sCT) and the planning CT (pCT) image and between the CBCT and the pCT image are calculated. The results are 26.9 and 22.6, respectively. The sCT obtained from the GAN model increases the peak signal-to-noise ratio by 19% compared with the original CBCT, which means that the proposed model built in this study can improve the useful information of the CBCT image. The SSIM values between sCT and pCT and between CBCT and pCT are also calculated, and the average values of them are 0.89 and 0.63, respectively. Therefore, in this experiment, the structure of the sCT obtained by the proposed model is closer to pCT. And the SSIM increases by 41.2% compared with the original CBCT, which means that the sCT by the proposed model is more similar to the pCT in structure. These results could make a more accurate judgment on the effect of radiotherapy.

CONCLUSION

In this study, the pseudo-CT synthesis method based on GAN can improve the quality of CC CBCT image. The results show this method makes the structure clearer and could assist doctors to adjust the radiation dose and radiation area in time. This study is able to facilitate the development of adaptive radiotherapy for CC.

Preheating Thermoplastic Membrane Reduce Setup Error in Patients with Thoracic Cancer Undergoing Radiation Therapy: A Prospective Randomized Controlled Study

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

Thermoplasticfilm routinely placed in the treatment room always led to uncomfortable feeling in patients receiving thorax radiation therapy because of significant temperature difference between thermoplastic film and body surface. Therefore, it may result in setup error and further affect accuracy of radiation therapy. Here, we designed a randomized controlled study to investigate the efficacy of preheat thermoplastic film to reduce setup error in patients receiving thorax radiotherapy.

MATERIALS/METHODS

Patients with thoracic cancer receiving radiotherapy once daily with five fraction per week were enrolled in this study from October 2022 to January 2023. All participants were randomly assigned into room-temperature group and preheating group in a 1:1 ratio. For the preheating group, the thermoplastic film was preheated for 10 minutes in a 37°C thermostat before it was used for patients' setup. For controlled group, the thermoplastic film with room-temperature was used for patients' setup. The cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) was used to evaluate setup errors once a week. The setup errors in translational directions X, Y and Z were recorded based on CBCT image. to measure the left-right as well as anterior-posterior diameter of the thorax in cross-section to observe whether there was any difference in thorax size from that at positioning. A modified Likert questionnaire was conducted to investigate the setup comfort level between two groups before radiotherapy and Day 5 of radiotherapy.

RESULTS

A total of 34 patients were enrolled in this study. Patient characteristics were well balanced in both arms. The setup errors in the X, Y, and Z axes in group A were 1(-1,1) mm, 0(-1,2.75) mm and 0(-1,1) mm, respectively, while those in group B were 0(-2,2) mm, 1(-1.25,3) mm, and -1(-2,1) mm in the X, Y, and Z axes, respectively. Setup error in preheating group was smaller than room-temperature group in the X-axis direction (Z = 2.04, P = 0.042), but no significant differences were detected in Y and Z axes. Comparison of changes in anteroposterior thoracic diameter between the two groups. The preheated group was smaller than the normothermic group (-0.19 ± 0.48 vs -0.38 ± 0.36, P < 0.01). The total comfort scale scores of the two groups were 30.88 ± 3.39 vs 30.59 ± 3.34 (p = 0.42) before treatment and 32.125 ± 4.31 vs 31.06 ± 3.15 (p = 0.80) after treatment. Among the eight sub-items, only the fourth dimension of temperature was statistically different (pre 3.12 ± 0.48 vs 2.88 ± 0.60, P = 0.218; post 4.12 ± 0.78 vs 2.94 ± 0.43, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSION

Ourcenter proposed the first method of heating the mold for postural fixation during patient radiotherapy. Compared with room-temperature thermoplastic film, our study found preheating thermoplastic film with 37°C could significantly reduce setup error in the X direction with less effect on the anterior-posterior diameter change of the thorax and higher patient temperature comfort satisfaction.

Colorimetric determination of cholesterol based on the peroxidase-like activity of Cu-Salt-Fe nanozyme with multiple active sites

A strategy to enhance the peroxidase-like activity of the hemin composite is presented. The Cu-Salt-Fe with enhanced activity was synthesized by one-step heat treatment and applied to the colorimetric determination of free cholesterol in human serum. Phosphate can act in complexing Cu²⁺ to form a carrier Cu-Floc with a large specific surface area. The coordination effect of Cu-Floc with hemin was used to disperse and load hemin to form Cu-Floc-Hemin from which Cu-Salt-Fe was prepared. The Cu-Salt-Fe exhibits a synergistic catalytic effect of Cu-Salt, Fe²⁺, Fe³⁺, or Fe-Nx active sites in amplification of H₂O₂ oxidation. As expected, Cu-Salt-Fe triggered H₂O₂-mediated oxidation of 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB), resulting in H₂O₂-dependent absorbance changes at 652 nm. A cholesterol oxidase (ChOx)/Cu-Salt-Fe-TMB colorimetric sensing system exhibited excellent cholesterol determination performance in the range 5-1200 μM with a detection limit of 2.73 μM. Cholesterol recoveries from the three-level spiked serum ranged from 92.2 to 98.9% (RSD ≤ 5.4). This colorimetric sensing system not only provided a strategy for the determination of endogenous substances with H₂O₂ as an intermediate, but also provided a new design idea (carrier selection, activity enhancement method) for the development of other artificial enzymes with the same catalytic core.

Genetic polymorphisms in MIR1208 and MIR5708 are associated with susceptibility to COPD in the Chinese population

BACKGROUND

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a complex disease characterized by limited airflow and is influenced by genetic and environmental factors. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of gene polymorphisms in MIR5708 and MIR1208 on COPD risk.

METHODS

Four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in MIR5708 (rs6473227 and rs16907751) and MIR1208 (rs2608029 and rs13280095) were selected and genotyped among 315 COPD patients and 314 healthy controls using the Agena MassARRAY platform. SPSS 18.0 was used for statistical analysis and data processing. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated to assess the association between genetic variants of MIR1208 and MIR5708 and COPD risk.

RESULTS

The results suggested that rs16907751 variants in MIR5708 contributed to an increased susceptibility to COPD in the allelic (P = 0.001), co-dominant (homozygous) (P = 0.001), dominant (P = 0.017), recessive (P = 0.002), and additive (P = 0.002) models. The effects of MIR5708 and MIR1208 gene polymorphisms on the risk of COPD were age-, sex-, smoking status-, and BMI-related. Furthermore, the C-A and G-A haplotypes of rs2608029 and rs13280095 in MIR1208 were identified as risk factors for COPD in the population over 70 years (P = 0.029) and in women (P = 0.049), respectively. Finally, significant associations between rs16907751genotypes with pulse rate and forced expiratory volume in 1 s were found among COPD patients.

CONCLUSION

Genetic polymorphisms in MIR5708 and MIR1208 are associated with increased risk of COPD in China.

Deep Underground Laboratory Measurement of ^{13}C(α,n)^{16}O in the Gamow Windows of the s and i Processes

The ^{13}C(α,n)^{16}O reaction is the main neutron source for the slow-neutron-capture process in asymptotic giant branch stars and for the intermediate process. Direct measurements at astrophysical energies in above-ground laboratories are hindered by the extremely small cross sections and vast cosmic-ray-induced background. We performed the first consistent direct measurement in the range of E_{c.m.}=0.24 to 1.9 MeV using the accelerators at the China Jinping Underground Laboratory and Sichuan University. Our measurement covers almost the entire intermediate process Gamow window in which the large uncertainty of the previous experiments has been reduced from 60% down to 15%, eliminates the large systematic uncertainty in the extrapolation arising from the inconsistency of existing datasets, and provides a more reliable reaction rate for the studies of the slow-neutron-capture and intermediate processes along with the first direct determination of the alpha strength for the near-threshold state.

[Current clinical application of lacrimal gland injection of botulinum toxin type A in inhibiting lacrimal secretion]

Lacrimal gland injection of botulinum toxin type A inhibits the secretion of tears. As a new method to treat or alleviate the symptom of tears or epiphora, it has the characteristics of simple operation, definite curative effect, repeatable treatment and no irreversible complications. It provides an optional treatment scheme for many patients with refractory tears or epiphora. This article reviews the pharmacological characteristics of botulinum toxin type A, the mechanism of inhibiting tear secretion, the method and dose of lacrimal gland injection, indications and contraindications, clinical efficacy evaluation, complications, existing problems to be solved and prospects for reference.

Esophageal cancer-related gene 4 and solid tumors: a brief literature review

Esophageal cancer-related gene 4 (ECRG4) plays key roles in various malignancies, including lung cancer, prostate cancer, esophageal cancer, and breast cancer, and has potential applications in the early diagnosis, prevention, treatment, and prognosis of cancer. However, the mechanisms underlying the role of ECRG4 in cancer remain elusive. An association between ECRG4 and proliferation, migration, cell cycle, apoptosis, methylation, and ubiquitination in cancer has been found. Additionally, some studies have investigated the regulatory mechanism of the relationship between ECRG4 and long non-coding RNAs, co-factors, and resistance to chemotherapy. Drugs that demethylate ECRG4 are in clinical use. Thus, further investigation of the mechanisms by which ECRG4 influences tumorigenesis, and its clinical significance, are needed. The present study outlines the current understanding of the functions of ECRG4 in cancer and discusses its potential value in cancer therapy.

Persistence of High Peripheral Activated CD8+ T-cells and Not a Low CD4:CD8 Ratio Predict cytologic HPV-Related Dysplasia in cART-Treated, HIV-Positive Subjects

Background

People with HIV are at increased risk of HPV-disease progression, given the persistence of immune activation and residual inflammation despite effective cART. Whether a low CD4:CD8 T-cell ratio, known to mirror peripheral immune dysfunction, associates with Squamous Intraepithelial Lesions (SIL) is unknown.

Methods

Retrospective cohort study on cART-treated HIV-positive subjects undergoing screening for HPV-related dysplasia (anal/cervical cytology and HPV genotyping). SIL was defined as the presence of either atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS), Low-grade SIL or High-grade SIL. Demographic and viro-immunological parameters (T-cell count, CD4:CD8 T-cell ratio, CD8+CD38+ T-cells percentage) at the time of screening were analyzed by Chi square, Mann Whitney test and multivariate logistic regression analysis.

Results

419 cART-treated subjects were included. Half of the patients had cervical/anal SIL. Individuals with SIL were more commonly males, MSM, co-infected with Treponema pallidum, treated with Integrase Inhibitors (INSTI)-based cART regimens and with a shorter time since HIV diagnosis and cART initiation than subjects with normal cytology. CD38+CD8+ T-cells percentage, but not the CD4:CD8 T-cell ratio, correlated with SIL. HPV infection, especially with multiple and high-risk genotypes, was confirmed associated with SIL. In multivariate analysis, the only factors independently associated with cervical/anal dysplasia were HPV infection and harbouring higher percentages of peripheral activated CD38+CD8+ T-cells.

Conclusions

HPV infection is the major driver of dysplasia in the setting of HIV infection. CD8+CD38+ T-cells also resulted an independent predictor of dysplasia in cART-treated subjects, while the CD4:CD8 T-cell ratio did not. In the setting of HIV-HPV co-infection, the CD4:CD8 T-cell ratio may not fully capture the alterations of HPV-specific immunity.

A ratiometric fluorescence platform composed of MnO2 nanosheets and nitrogen, chlorine co-doped carbon dots and its logic gate performance for glutathione determination

Illustration of the principle of a dual-emission ratiometric fluorescence strategy for the selective detection of GSH based on an N, Cl-CD-assisted MnO2 nanosheet–OPD system.

Smartphone-assisted ratiometric fluorescence sensing platform and logical device based on polydopamine nanoparticles and carbonized polymer dots for visual and point-of-care testing of glutathione

As a crucial biothiol, glutathione (GSH) plays a key role in the organisms. Monitoring GSH level is of great significance for disease diagnosis and biomedical research. In this work, polydopamine (PDA) nanoparticles-red fluorescent carbonized polymer dots (r-CPDs) based ratiometric fluorescence sensing platform was constructed and employed for GSH assay. Dopamine (DA) could be oxidized by cobalt oxyhydroxide (CoOOH) nanosheets and further polymerized into PDA nanoparticles with green fluorescence. However, in the presence of GSH, CoOOH nanosheets were reduced and decomposed, which prevented the production of PDA nanoparticles. In the sensing system, green-emitting PDA nanoparticles were employed as a response unit and r-CPDs were used as an internal reference unit. With the addition of GSH, the green fluorescence of PDA nanoparticles decreased as well as the red fluorescence of system remained relatively stable. Importantly, a distinct fluorescence color evolution from green to red was presented with a serious of GSH concentrations. Based on this, a portable smartphone-assisted ratiometric chromaticity analytical method was developed to achieve the on-site visual detection of GSH. Both the established ratiometric fluorescence and ratiometric chromaticity sensing methods for GSH assay have the merits of wide linear range, high sensitivity and excellent accuracy, which are suitable for the determination of GSH in human serum and exhibit great application potential in rapid and accurate monitoring of the GSH levels in clinical. Moreover, an ingenious logical device reflecting GSH levels was designed based on the two different fluorescence signals, which provided a new strategy for the intelligent online detection of GSH in complex biological matrices.

[Effects of SGLT2i on 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure in patients with type 2 diabetes complicating hypertension: a meta-analysis]

Objective: To analyze the effects of different types of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) on 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and hypertension. Method: In this meta-analysis, we searched for randomized controlled trials on the effect of SGLT2i on 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure in patients with type 2 diabetes and hypertension. Three databases, namely PubMed, Web of Science and Cochrane Library, were searched. The search was organized on the concept of 3 conceptual groups: the first group contained terms used to describe SGLT2i, the second group contained terms related to blood pressure, and the third group contained terms used to describe randomized controlled trials. The search time was from the establishment of the database to December 2020. The inclusion and exclusion criteria were formulated in accordance with the requirements of the Cochrane systematic review. According to whether the heterogeneity of the study was significant or not, a random effect model or a fixed effect model were used to conduct the analysis on the impact of different types of SGLT2i on 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure and day and night blood pressure in patients with type 2 diabetes and hypertension. Further subgroup analysis was performed to define potential factors, which might lead to clinical heterogeneity. Results: Seven clinical trials were finally included. The result of the meta-analysis showed that compared with placebo group, SGLT2i could reduce the 24-hour dynamic systolic blood pressure of patients with type 2 diabetes and hypertension by 4.36 mmHg (1 mmHg=0.133 kPa). Reduction was 4.59, 3.74, 5.06, and 3.64 mmHg by canagliflozin, dapagliflozin, empagliflozin, and ertugliflozin respectively; SGLT2i could reduce the 24-hour dynamic diastolic blood pressure of patients with type 2 diabetes and hypertension by 2.20 mmHg, and the reduction was 2.30, 1.22, 2.00, and 2.69 mmHg by canagliflozin, dapagliflozin, empagliflozin and ertugliflozin respectively. SGLT2i could reduce the daytime systolic blood pressure of patients with type 2 diabetes and hypertension by 5.25 mmHg, and reduction was 5.38, 4.87, 6.00, and 4.37 mmHg by canagliflozin, dapagliflozin, empagliflozin and ertugliflozin, respectively. Simultaneously, SGLT2i could reduce the diastolic blood pressure of patients with type 2 diabetes and hypertension by 2.62 mmHg, and the reduction was 2.56, 2.47, and 2.80 mmHg by canagliflozin, empagliflozin and ertugliflozin, respectively. SGLT2i could reduce the nighttime systolic blood pressure of patients with type 2 diabetes and hypertension by 3.62 mmHg, and the reduction was 2.09, 2.06, 3.92, and 2.45 mmHg by canagliflozin, dapagliflozin, empagliflozin and ertugliflozin, respectively. At the same time, SGLT2i could reduce the nighttime diastolic blood pressure of patients with type 2 diabetes and hypertension by 1.60 and 1.51 mmHg, the reduction was 1.53 and 2.58 mmHg by canagliflozin, empagliflozin and ertugliflozin, respectively. Conclusion: SGLT2i can reduce 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure in patients with type 2 diabetes and hypertension.

Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Dot and CdTe Quantum Dot Dual-Color Multifunctional Fluorescent Sensing Platform: Sensing Behavior and Glucose and pH Detection

A novel fluorescent probe based on a nitrogen-doped carbon dot (N-CD) and CdTe quantum dot (CdTe QD) platform has been constructed for H₂O₂/glucose detection and pH sensing. In this work, H₂O₂-tolerant blue fluorescence N-CDs were added to the H₂O₂-mediated yellow fluorescence quenching of CdTe QDs to construct a dual-color ratiometric fluorescent H₂O₂ probe. H₂O₂-induced passivated group detachment and action on deep nanocrystals promoted CdTe QD fluorescence quenching. Meanwhile, the addition of the blue fluorescent background of N-CDs sharply reflected the color change in CdTe QDs. Under the optimized experimental conditions, the platform was effectively applied to the detection of H₂O₂ produced by the enzymatic reaction of glucose, showing high sensitivity (limit of detection 7.86 μM) and wide linear range (26-900 μM) for glucose detection. The pH-sensing behavior of CdTe QDs and N-CDs was attributed to the displacement of a weak acid (3-mercaptopropionic acid) by a strong acid (HCl) and the acid titration process of two coexisting bases (N-CDs and NH₃·H₂O), respectively. The loss of passivation and doping effects led to a decrease in the fluorescence intensity of CdTe QDs and N-CDs. Moreover, utilizing the ability of bimaterial system fluorescence to pH sensing, a semiquantitative pH detection based on the linear response was developed. The pH range was analyzed by three kinds of N-CD (F_ex = 440 nm) and CdTe QD (F_ex = 548 nm) typical emission spectral shapes. In addition, the recovery results showed that the bimaterial system was proved to be appropriate for the assay of glucose in spiked serum samples.

Assisted reproductive technology service availability, efficacy and safety in mainland China: 2016

STUDY QUESTION

What is the current status of assisted reproductive technology (ART) service availability, efficacy and safety in mainland China?

SUMMARY ANSWER

In this first national report on ART status in mainland China, data on treatment numbers, outcomes and complications in 2016 are provided and analyzed, respectively.

WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY

National ART Service Provision Surveys are conducted in mainland China regularly. Data were analyzed, and this manuscript was written by team members from the National Center for Women and Children's Health, China CDC and the Department of Women and Children Health, National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China.

STUDY DESIGN, SIZE AND DURATION

A cross-sectional nationwide survey was completed in 2018, in which data regarding ART treatments, performed from 1st January to 31st December2016 in 445 ART clinics located in 31 provinces of mainland China, were collected.

PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING AND METHODS

There were in total 451 licensed ART clinics (including artificial insemination clinics) in mainland China in 2016, of which 445 submitted service data. A total of 906 840 cycles were provided by 323 in vitro fertilization (IVF) clinics, involving 375 770 conventional IVF cycles, 154 948 intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles, 367 146 frozen embryo transfer (FET) thawing cycles and 8976 preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) treatment cycles. A total of 161 376 artificial (i.e. intrauterine) insemination (AI) cycles were reported by 443 clinics, with 126 872 cycles using the husband's semen (AIH) and 34 504 using donor semen (AID).

MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE

In total, 98.7% of the licensed clinics, contributing to 100% of the ART services (including AID and AIH cycles), were included in this report. (Six clinics provided institutional information only and were excluded.) There were 906 840 in vitro fertilization cycles performed in mainland China with a population of over 1.3 billion inhabitants, with cycles per million inhabitants (C/M) increasing from 360 in 2013 to 657 in 2016, nationwide (range among provinces: 45-3676). After treatment with conventional IVF, the clinical pregnancy rate (PR) per oocyte retrieval cycle was 23.2%, the delivery rate (DR) per oocyte retrieval cycle was 18.7% and the proportion of twin delivery among the total deliveries was 27.9%. For ICSI cycles, the PR, DR and TDR were 20.5%, 16.7% and 27.2%, respectively. For FET per thawing cycles, the PR, DR and TDR were 48.2%, 37.6% and 24.2%. For PGD per diagnosis cycles, the PR, DR and TDR were 38.1%, 29.7% and 4.2%. For AIH cycles, the PR and DR were 13.3% and 10.5%; for AID cycles, the PR and DR were 24.3% and 21.1%, respectively. The total number of live infants born in mainland China in 2016, was 18.46 million, and the number of infants born through ART conducted in 2016 was 311 309, which accounted for 1.69% of the total. The reported rate of birth defects was about 87/10 000. The incidence of moderate to severe ovarian hyper-stimulation syndrome (OHSS) was 11.5 per 1000 oocyte retrieval cycles, and other complications were much more rare.

LIMITATIONS AND REASONS FOR CAUTION

This report is based on the summary data of ART services provided. The success rates were not calculated by age stratification. A low rate of birth defects was reported, which might be confounded by variations in birth follow-up methods, statistical timing and record taking.

WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS

ART service availability has improved significantly in recent years in mainland China. Because China is a vast country, significant imbalances in ART service provision do exist; however, the main efficacy and safety indicators were close to those of western countries.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

N/A.

STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S)

The study was funded by the National Key R&D Program of China (2016YFC1000307-2). There are no competing interests.

The histone deacetylase inhibitor chidamide induces intermittent viraemia in HIV-infected patients on suppressive antiretroviral therapy

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the safety and efficacy of chidamide to reverse HIV-1 latency in vivo and to compare the effects of four clinically tested histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors on non-histone proteins in vitro.

METHODS

Participants received chidamide orally at 10 mg twice weekly for 4 weeks while maintaining baseline antiretroviral therapy. The primary outcome was plasma viral rebound during chidamide dosing and the secondary outcomes were safety, pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profiles, changes in cell-associated HIV-1 RNA and HIV-1 DNA, and immune parameters. Western blotting was used to compare the in vitro effects of the four HDAC inhibitors on HSP90, NF-κB and AP-1.

RESULTS

Seven aviraemic participants completed eight oral doses of chidamide, and only grade 1 adverse events were observed. Cyclic increases in histone acetylation were also detected. All participants showed robust and repeated plasma viral rebound (peak viraemia 147-3850 copies/mL), as well as increased cell-associated HIV-1 RNA, during chidamide treatment. Furthermore, we identified an enhanced HIV-1-specific cellular immune response and a modest 37.7% (95% CI: 12.7-62.8%, P = 0.028) reduction in cell-associated HIV-1 DNA. Compared with the other three HDAC inhibitors, chidamide had minimal cytotoxicity in vitro at clinically relevant concentrations and showed mechanistically superior effects on non-histone proteins, including HSP90, NF-κB and AP-1.

CONCLUSIONS

Chidamide safely and vigorously disrupts HIV-1 latency in vivo, which makes it a promising latency-reversing agent.

[Early efficacy of islet transplantation in the treatment of adult advanced diabetes]

Objective: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of islet transplantation for patients with advanced diabetes. Methods: Five cases of islet allotransplantation were performed on 4 adult recipients. The same blood type adult brain-dead pancreas donors were selected and the islets were prepared in GMP laboratory. The prepared islet suspension was slowly injected into the liver of the recipients within 30-60 minutes. The immunosuppressive regimen was a combination of basiliximab, tacrolimus and mycophenolate mofetil and TNF-alpha monoclonal antibody was used to reduce the post-transplant inflammatory response. Insulin was temporarily applied to control blood glucose after surgery, and the dosage of insulin was adjusted to decrease according to the blood glucose level until it was discontinued. Results: A total of 5 islet transplants were performed in 4 patients, including 1 patient who received the second islet transplantations. All operations were succeed and the blood glucose and portal pressure were stable during the operation. Exogenous insulin was continued to keep blood glucose level stable (4-12 mmol/L) after surgery. Four cases (including the one who received two islet transplantation) started to stop using insulin at the third to fourth week, and the insulin dosage of the other case was 74% lower than that before the operation, and no hypoglycemic reaction occurred in all patients after islet transplantation. The C-peptide level in 3 patients reached the normal range, and the level in one patient with type I diabetes (without insulin release) remained at 0.45-0.6 μg/L (0.15-0.2 nmol/L). In addition, one patient showed a rise in blood glucose again and continued to use insulin half a year after insulin discontinuation. Then, he was performed the second islet transplantation which showed good effect and stopped taking insulin in 10 days after surgery. There were 3 cases of liver puncture bleeding after opeation, of which 2 cases were treated with ultrasound radiofrequency ablation to stop bleeding, 1 case stopped spontaneously, and no other complications were found. Conclusions: Islet transplantation is effective in the treatment of advanced diabetes patients with small trauma and high safety, which is worthy of more promotion. Long-term efficacy and maintenance therapy still need further investigation.

[Current situation of initial female fertility evaluation in assisted reproductive institutions in China in 2019]

The evaluation of female fertility at first diagnosis is an important premise and basis for determining the treatment scheme of assisted reproduction. In this study, a survey was conducted among 13 assisted reproductive institutions in China to understand the evaluation indicators and detection methods of female fertility at first diagnosis in various institutions, and provide a basis for reasonable selection of indicators. The survey showed that the indicators of female fertility evaluation at first diagnosis among assisted reproductive institutions included general health indicators, ovarian reserve indicators, and uterine conditions, etc. The selection of indicators was considerably consistent, but the detection methods were quite different. Therefore, it is necessary to choose the detection method with better validity and less harm.

[A preliminary study on the safety of berberine solution in rabbit eyes with topical application]

Objective: To study the safety of topical berberine solution in rabbit eyes and its effect on corneal epithelial repair in rabbit eyes. Methods: Experimental Study. Ninety-two Japanese rabbits were randomly divided into two groups by random number table method: the general group (32 rabbits, 64 eyes) and the corneal injury group (60 rabbits, 60 eyes).The general groups were further divided into 4 groups by random number table method, and each group has 8 rabbits (16 eyes). According to the administration of deionized water or 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 mg/ml berberine solution, they were divided into the general control group and the general A, B, and C group. Dosing with both eyes, each eye was given a single dose, and then it was given multiple times for 4 weeks after observation for 72h. After the corneal epithelium injury model made in the right eye of rabbits in the corneal injury groups, they were divided into a corneal injury control group and a corneal injury group A, B, and C according to the administration of deionized water or 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 mg/ml berberine solution. there were 5 rabbits (15 eyes) in each group, and the solutions were given continuously for 1 week. The rabbits in the general group were observed their behavioral changes, ocular surface and iris were scored by Draize eye irritation test scoring system. IOP was measured at different time points. Electroretinogram (ERG) was used to detect b-wave amplitude. In the corneal injury group, corneal epithelial defect repairment was observed at 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 days after the corneal defect. Corneal histopathology observation after discontinuation of all rabbits. The pH value of rabbit tears was described by the paired t test, and the score of Draize eye irritation test were described by the rank-sum test. The analysis of variance and SNK-q were used for IOP, electroretinogram b-wave amplitude, corneal epithelial injury area and repair time. Results: No abnormal behavior was observed in the general group rabbits after single and multiple administration. There was no significant difference in the Draize eye irritation score among the general control group and the general group A, B, C at 1, 2, and 4 weeks of multiple administrations. Among them, the Draize eye irritation score of the general group C was 7 (0, 12), 6 (0, 10), 6 (0, 16) points (χ(2)=1.640, 0.265, 1.963, 1.381; P>0.05).There were no significant difference in IOP at different times among the general control group and the general group A, B, C at different times (F=0.065, 0.292, 0.015, 0.041; P>0.05). Before multiple administrations and after administration at 2, 4 weeks, the b-wave amplitudes of the general control group were (127.75±17.12), (129.18±15.83), (128.81±13.58) μV, and the general group A were (130.68).±18.75), (131.38±16.96), (130.62±12.18) μV,and the general group B were (128.00±16.74), (128.44±16.64), (129.06±16.16) μV, and the general group C were (131.81±19.37), (132.13±18.36), (129.94±12.60) μV. There was no statistically significant difference in b-wave amplitude in the groups at different times before and after administration (F=0.037, 0.011, 0.017, 0.702; P>0.05). There was no significant difference in the results of corneal histopathology among the general control group and the general group A, B, C. The area of corneal epithelial defect in each corneal injury group was statistically significant at different time (F=5.316, 25.864, 127.613; P<0.05). The corneal injury control group compared with the corneal injury group A, B, C, the corneal epithelial defect area in the corneal injury group C was significantly larger than the other three groups, with statistical differences (q=5.153, 10.313, 6.976; P<0.05). The repair time of corneal epithelial in control group and the group A,B,C of corneal injury were (83.0±1.85), (82.9±2.07), (83.7±2.09) and (101.6±2.20) h. The corneal epithelium defect repair time in group C was longer and the difference was statistically significant (F=301.437, P=0.000). Comparing the corneal injury control group and corneal injury group A and B, there was no statistical difference in the repair time of corneal epithelial defect (F=0.813, P=0.450). After repair, there was no significant difference in the pathological results of the corneal tissue between the corneal injury groups. Conclusions: Berberine solution in rabbit eyes with topical application was safety, and has no obvious toxic effect on the ocular surface and ERG of normal rabbits. 1.5 mg/ml berberine solution delayed the repair of experimental corneal epithelial defect, but had no effect on the integrity of corneal tissue after repair. (Chin J Ophthalmol, 2020, 56: 131-137).

[Retrospective investigation of spontaneous bloody tears: a report of 27 cases]

Objective: To summarize clinical experience on the clinical feature, etiology and treatment of patients with spontaneous bloody tears as the initial symptom. Methods: Retrospective series of case studies. The clinical data and follow-up data of 27 cases of bloody tears as the first symptom in Lacrimal Center of Ophthalmology, the Third Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital from June 2015 to December 2018 were reviewed. The clinical feature, specific cause, diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of these cases were evaluated. Results: A total of 27 cases were collected in this study. The patients were 10 males (37.0%) and 17 females (63.0%), including 21 adults (≥ 18 years old, 77.8%) and 6 minors (<18 years old, 22.2%). There were 22 monocular cases (81.5%) and 5 binocular cases (18.5%). Five cases (18.5%) were bleeding from the eye and other parts of the body, and 22 cases (81.5%) were bleeding only from the eye. There were 19 cases (70.4%) with hematic epiphora and secretions from the punctum, 3 cases (11.1%) with blood-stained tears, and 7 cases (25.9%) with blood-like tears. With regard to etiology, 6 cases (22.2%) were combined with systemic lesions, one of which was granulomatosis with polyangiitis and five of which (<18 years old) were idiopathic bloody tears. Twenty-one cases (77.8%) were local lesions, including 18 cases only involving the lacrimal system, 2 cases only involving the ocular surface, and 1 case involving both the lacrimal system and the ocular surface. Among the 21 cases with local lesions, 5 cases were induced by foreign body, 6 cases were induced by simple inflammation, and 10 cases were induced by tumor including 1 case with conjunctival benign tumor and 9 cases with tumor of the lacrimal system (5 with malignant tumor and 4 with benign tumor). Patients with idiopathic bloody tears received psychological and medical treatment, and interictal discharge was lengthened. One case of granulomatosis with polyangiitis was treated by trans-nasal endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy. With the recurrence of granulomatosis and polyangiitis, bloody tears recurred after surgery. One patient with conjunctival hemangioma was untreated. Lesions in the lacrimal duct system were removed and dacryocystorhinostomy was performed. In this study, 2 patients (1 with small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma and 1 with adenoid cystic adenocarcinoma) died and the other had a good prognosis. Conclusions: Among the cases of bloody tears, adults and local lesions are more common. Most of the lesions are located in the lacrimal system and are tumors. The main treatment is to remove the lesions, and if necessary, to expand the resection and reconstruct the lacrimal duct. Idiopathic bloody tears occur in minors, who are gave psychotherapy and necessary medical treatment. (Chin J Ophthalmol, 2020, 56: 53-58).

Effects of pulsed ultrasound at 20 kHz on the sonochemical degradation of mycotoxins

Mycotoxins, such as aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), deoxynivalenol (DON), zearalenone (ZEA) and ochratoxin A (OTA) are toxic secondary compounds that can reduce the quality of many kinds of food and may lead to other ill effects, both in humans and animals. This study aimed to investigate the potential of the ultrasound (US) treatment in the removal of AFB1, DON, ZEA and OTA from aqueous solution and maize by examining degradation rates and influencing factors of ultrasonication, such as the initial concentrations, power intensity, sonication duration, and duty cycle. The results showed that US treatment could simultaneously reduce AFB1, DON, ZEA and OTA effectively in aqueous solution. The degradation of mycotoxins was significantly affected by the ultrasonic intensity (2.2-11 W/cm3) and sonication time range from 10 to 50 min. DON is more stable than AFB1, ZEA, and OTA in the US treatment. It was found that, for the first time to our knowledge, the highest degradation rates of AFB1, DON, ZEA and OTA were attained at a duty cycle of 25%, and they were 96.5, 60.8, 95.9 and 91.6%, respectively. US strategy can be considered as an effective treatment to degrade the mycotoxins in aqueous solutions and food matrix.

P1889Quantitative global proteomics and lysine acetylome analysis of changes in left atrial appendage tissue from valvular heart disease patients with atrial fibrillation

Background

Previous studies have shown that acetylation plays a critical role in regulating the progress of cardiovascular diseases by acetylated histone and non-histones protein. However, the global lysine acetylome during atrial fibrillation (AF) were not fully understood.

Purpose

The aim of the present study was to identify the underlying mechanisms of AF via profiling of the quantitative changes of global proteomics and lysine acetylome in the left atrial appendage (LAA) tissues from valvular heart disease patients with AF.

Methods

This study obtained LAA specimens from patients undergoing cardiac surgery for severe valvular heart disease. The LAA specimens were obtained from both 9 patients with AF and with sinus rhythm (SR). The changes of proteome and acetylome in the AF-LAA vs SR-LAA tissues were studied using dimethyl-labeling, HPLC fractionation, affinity enrichment, LC-MS/MS analysis, database Search and bioinformatic analysis. The acetylated levels of each lysine acetylated site were normalized on the basis of the corresponding protein abundance.

Results

The bioinformatic analysis indicates 294 up-regulated (AF/SR ratio >1.3) proteins and 169 down-regulated (AF/SR ratio <1/1.3) proteins in the AF-LAA vs SR-LAA were detected. Moreover, 3,880 sites in 1,044 proteins were quantified. Motif analysis of the identified acetylated peptides indicated that a total of 14 significantly enriched amino acid sequence motifs from −10 to +10 surrounding the acetylated lysine (Kac) were defined according to 3412 peptides from 1115 proteins. Among the quantified acetylated sites and proteins, 231 up-regulated acetylated sites in 130 proteins and 121 down-regulated acetylated sites in 74 proteins were detected. The enrichment-based clustering analysis showed that energy metabolism and cardiac contraction-related proteins were highly differentially expressed in the AF-LAA vs SR-LAA. Meanwhile, the protein-protein interaction network of the differentially expressed acetylated proteins demonstrated that there were 146 nodes and 569 interactions in the network and quite a lot of interactions in energy metabolism-related proteins and in cardiac contraction-related proteins. Furthermore, the acetylated levels of most differentially expressed energy metabolism-related proteins involving in oxidative phosphorylation, TCA cycle, respiratory ETC, fatty acid metabolism were up-regulated. On the contrary, the acetylated levels of most acetylated sites in differentially expressed cardiac contraction-related proteins including the key contraction proteins were down-regulated.

Interaction network of Ac-proteins

Conclusions

This study details and expands our understanding of the changes of proteome and lysine acetylome in the LAA tissues from valvular heart disease patients with AF. The data suggest important expression differences of acetylated proteins related to energy metabolism and cardiac contraction which may be involved in the matrix of AF formation and maintainence.

Acknowledgement/Funding

This work was supported by the grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (no. 81600273, no. 81570310, no.81770337 and no.81870258)

[Meta-analysis on safety and efficacy of dual antiplatelet therapy combining with proton pump inhibitors for patients after percutaneous coronary intervention]

Objective: To analyze the impact of dual antiplatelet (DAPT) therapy combining with or without proton pump inhibitors (PPI) on the main outcomes after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Methods: The PubMed, EMBASE and Cochrane Library were searched for relevant literature and the references obtained from these sources were retrieved manually from inception till September 2017. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were established follow the Cochrane review standard. A total of 977 literatures were included, 193 duplicates were excluded, 74 reviews, case reports, letters and systematic reviews were excluded, 667 literatures were excluded after reading the title and abstract, 34 literatures were excluded due to non-randomized control studies and unrelated outcome indicators, and 9 literatures were finally included with a total of 16 589 patients. RevMan 5.3 software was used to compare the incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), cardiogenic death, recurrent myocardial infarction, target vessel revascularization, all-cause death, stent thrombosis, stroke, gastrointestinal bleeding and gastrointestinal events in patients with DAPT combining with or without PPI after PCI. Results: MACE was observed in 8 out of the 9 included literatures, and the results showed that MACE occurred in 561 out of 6 282 patients receiving DAPT combining with PPI therapy and in 951 out of 9 632 patients using DAPT alone (OR=1.15, 95%CI 0.88-1.51, P>0.05). Cardiogenic death was observed in 7 out of the 9 included literatures, and the results showed that cardiogenic death occurred in 172 out of 6 453 patients receiving DAPT combining with PPI treatment and in 321 out of the 9 839 patients using DAPT alone (OR=0.97, 95%CI 0.80-1.18, P>0.05). Recurrent myocardial infarction was observed in 7 out of the 9 included literatures, the results showed 416 out of 6 282 cases in DAPT combining with PPI therapy group experienced recurrent myocardial infarction and 691 out of 9 632 cases in DAPT group experienced recurrent myocardial infarction (OR=1.01, 95%CI 0.89-1.16, P>0.05). Four out of 9 literatures observed revascularization. The results showed that revascularization was performed in 64 out of 2 173 patients receiving DAPT combining with PPI therapy and in 105 out of the 2 770 patients using DAPT alone (OR=1.33, 95%CI 0.55-3.24, P>0.05). All-cause death was observed in 7 out of the 9 included literatures, and the results showed that all-cause death occurred in 172 out of the 6 453 patients in DAPT combining with PPI therapy group and in 321 out of the 9 839 patients using DAPT alone (OR=0.97, 95%CI 0.80-1.18, P>0.05). Three out of the 9 included articles observed stent thrombosis, and the results showed that stent thrombosis occurred in 99 out of 2 997 patients receiving DAPT combining with PPI therapy and in 245 out of the 6 198 patients treated with DAPT (OR=1.07, 95%CI 0.83-1.37, P>0.05). Stroke was observed in 2 out of the 9 included literatures. The results showed that stroke occurred in 5 out of 2 019 patients receiving DAPT combining with PPI therapy, and in 4 out of the 2 033 patients treated with DAPT (OR=1.00, 95%CI 0.29-3.49, P>0.05). Gastrointestinal bleeding was observed in 6 out of the 9 included literatures. The results showed that gastrointestinal bleeding occurred in 26 out of 3 517 patients receiving DAPT combined with PPI therapy, and in 93 out of the 3 506 patients treated with DAPT, gastrointestinal bleeding was significantly lower in the DAPT combining with PPI group than DAPT alone group (OR=0.27, 95%CI 0.17-0.41, P<0.01). Gastrointestinal events were reported in 6 out of the 9 included articles. Similarly, gastrointestinal events were observed in 51 out of 3 517 patients receiving DAPT combined with PPI therapy, and in 190 out of the 3 506 patients treated with DAPT alone, the incidence of gastrointestinal events in the DAPT combined with PPI group was significantly lower than DAPT alone group (OR=0.24, 95%CI 0.14-0.42, P<0.01). Conclusions: The incidence of MACE, cardiogenic death, recurrent myocardial infarction, target vessel revascularization, all-cause death, stent thrombosis and stroke are not affected by DAPT combined with PPI therapy after PCI, while the incidence of gastrointestinal bleeding and gastrointestinal events could be reduced by adding PPI to DAPT in patients undergoing PCI.

Preventing secondary exposure to women from men applying a novel nestorone/testosterone contraceptive gel

BACKGROUND

Testosterone (T)/Nestorone (NES) combination gel is a potential transdermal male contraceptive that suppresses gonadotropins and spermatogenesis. Transfer of transdermal T from men to women can be prevented by washing or covering application sites with clothing.

OBJECTIVES

We hypothesized that showering or wearing a shirt over gel application sites would prevent secondary exposure of T and NES to a woman after close skin contact.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Twelve healthy male and 12 healthy female participants were recruited. Men applied T/NES 62 mg/8 mg gel to their shoulders and upper arms. Two hours after application, female partners rubbed the application site for 15 min. Exposure in the female partner was assessed under three conditions: a shirt covered the application site; the man showered prior to skin contact; or without intervention to reduce transfer. Serum T and NES concentrations were measured by LC-MS/MS in serial blood samples for 24 h after gel exposure.

MAIN OUTCOMES

Change in female serum T and NES levels as measured by average concentration over 24 h (C_avg ).

RESULTS

Median female serum T C_avg was 23.9 ng/dL (interquartile range, 19.3, 33.9) with the shirt barrier and 26.7 ng/dL (20.7, 33.9) after showering, which was higher than baseline 20.9 ng/dL (16.7, 25.0), both p < 0.03) but lower than without intervention (58.2 ng/dL [30.9, 89.1], both p < 0.01). Female serum NES C_avg and maximum concentration were below the lower limit of quantification with the shirt barrier and after showering, but increased without intervention in six of 12 women (maximum concentration <60 pg/mL). Men had lower average serum NES levels after showering (47 pg/ml [20, 94] compared to no intervention (153.3 pg/mL [51, 241], p < 0.02).

CONCLUSION

Secondary transfer of T and NES occurs after intensive skin contact with the gel application site. Secondary transfer is decreased by a shirt barrier or showering before contact.

Accurate measurement of androgen after androgen esters: problems created by ex vivo esterase effects and LC-MS/MS interference

Background

Ex vivo androgen prodrug conversion by blood esterases after oral androgen ester administration may result in an overestimation of the measured blood androgens.

Objective

We investigated whether blood collection tubes with esterase inhibitors decreased the conversion of testosterone undecanoate (TU) and dimethandrolone undecanoate (DMAU) to their active metabolites, testosterone (T), and dimethandrolone (DMA), providing a more accurate assessment of circulating T/DMA levels.

Methods

Blood was collected in tubes with/without esterase inhibitors from: (i) four healthy and four hypogonadal men receiving no androgens and spiked ex vivo with TU/DMAU; (ii) four men taking oral TU (Andriol^®); and (iii) eight hypogonadal men dosed with oral 316 mg TU and 15 healthy men with 200 mg DMAU. T/DMA levels were measured by LC‐MS/MS.

Results

Sodium fluoride (NaF, an esterase inhibitor) decreased measured T levels by 14.2% in men not receiving TU. Increasing amounts of TU/DMAU added to blood collected into plain tubes resulted in a concentration‐dependent overestimation of T/DMA that was reduced by collecting blood into NaF tubes (by 30–85%), and keeping samples at 4 °C and minimizing time prior to centrifugation. After oral TU/DMAU administration to men, when TU/DMAU levels were >15/10 ng/mL, respectively, blood collected in NaF tubes yielded lower measured T concentrations by 15–30% and DMA by 22% due to an additional inhibitory effect of NaF on blood esterases.

Conclusion

NaF directly lowers plasma T/DMA levels measured by LC‐MS/MS and also inhibits blood esterase activity. Overestimation of T/DMA in blood collected in tubes without NaF after oral TU/DMAU administration is important for pharmacokinetics studies in drug development clinical trials but may have limited impact in clinical practice/utilization because the differences between measured and true androgen values are modest and the wide therapeutic androgen efficacy ranges obviate the need for highly accurate androgen measurements during therapy.

Many Analysts, One Data Set: Making Transparent How Variations in Analytic Choices Affect Results

Twenty-nine teams involving 61 analysts used the same data set to address the same research question: whether soccer referees are more likely to give red cards to dark-skin-toned players than to light-skin-toned players. Analytic approaches varied widely across the teams, and the estimated effect sizes ranged from 0.89 to 2.93 ( Mdn = 1.31) in odds-ratio units. Twenty teams (69%) found a statistically significant positive effect, and 9 teams (31%) did not observe a significant relationship. Overall, the 29 different analyses used 21 unique combinations of covariates. Neither analysts’ prior beliefs about the effect of interest nor their level of expertise readily explained the variation in the outcomes of the analyses. Peer ratings of the quality of the analyses also did not account for the variability. These findings suggest that significant variation in the results of analyses of complex data may be difficult to avoid, even by experts with honest intentions. Crowdsourcing data analysis, a strategy in which numerous research teams are recruited to simultaneously investigate the same research question, makes transparent how defensible, yet subjective, analytic choices influence research results.

Abstract P2-08-01: Loss of function of Brca1 or Gata3 induces basal-like breast cancer

BACKGROUND:

Breast cancer is mainly divided into estrogen receptor (ER)-positive luminal and ER-negative basal-like tumors. Luminal-type tumors are associated with better survival and respond to hormone therapies whereas basal-like tumors are more aggressive and associated with a poor prognosis. Mammary epithelia are mainly composed of luminal and basal cells that are maintained by luminal and basal progenitors, respectively. The maintenance of luminal cell fate is orchestrated by networks of transcription factors, including BRCA1 and GATA3. Functional loss of BRCA1 by germline or somatic mutation or by promoter methylation is associated with more than one third of basal-like breast cancers. GATA3 expression is reduced in basal-like breast cancers and cancers that metastasize. Overexpression of GATA3 in cancer cells inhibits tumor formation. Deletion of Brca1 or Gata3 in mice results in early lethality or growth defects. How BRCA1 and GATA3 suppress breast cancer remains elusive.

METHODS:

We generated mice lacking Brca1 or Gata3 in mammary epithelia. Due to the proliferative defects and induction of p18Ink4c (p18), an inhibitor of CDK4/6, in mammary epithelial cells of these mice, we then generated mice lacking Brca1 or Gata3 in p18 deficient mammary epithelia. We determined spontaneous mammary tumor development in mutant mice and the mechanisms underlying the role of Brca1 and Gata3 in suppressing tumorigenesis and progression.

RESULTS:

Depletion of Brca1 or Gata3 led to growth defects of mammary epithelial cells, which was rescued by loss of p18. Depletion of Brca1 or Gata3 in a p18 null background induced heterogeneous mammary tumors with less luminal and more basal-like features and accelerated metastasis. Deletion of Brca1 eliminated Gata3 expression in human and mouse mammary tissues and cells. How Brca1 interacts with Gata3 to control mammary tumor development and progression is currently under investigation.

CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that loss of function of either Brca1 or Gata3 induces basal-like mammary tumors in p18 deficient background.

Citation Format: Pei X-H, Chan HL, Zhang L, Wang C, Robbins DJ, Capobianco T, Bai F. Loss of function of Brca1 or Gata3 induces basal-like breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2017 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2017 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P2-08-01.

Evolution of the prevalence of hepatitis C virus infection and hepatitis C virus genotype distribution in human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients in Italy between 1997 and 2015

OBJECTIVES

To analyse the variation of hepatitis C virus (HCV) prevalence and genotype distribution and their determinants in people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) who entered care between 1997 and 2015.

METHODS

HIV-infected patients enrolled in ICONA who were tested for HCV antibodies (HCV-Ab) were included.

RESULTS

Overall 3407 of 12 135 (28.1%) were HCV-Ab+; and 735 of 12 135 (6.1%) were HBsAg+. Among patients whose HCV genotype was known, the most represented were genotypes 1 and 3. The prevalence of HCV infection decreased from 49.2% (2565/5217) during 1997-2002 to 10.2% (556/5466) during 2009-2015. The frequency of genotype 1a increased from 29.0% (264/911) to 43.0% (129/300), whereas genotype 3 decreased from 38.5% (351/911) to 27.0% (81/300). Independent predictors of HCV-Ab+ status were being female (adjusted OR (AOR) 1.23, 95% CI 1.04-1.50, p = 0.01), risk category (versus injecting drug users: men who have sex with men AOR 0.01, 95% CI 0.01-0.01, p <0.001; heterosexuals AOR 0.01, 95% CI 0.01-0.01, p <0.001; other/unknown AOR 0.02, 95% CI 0.01-0.02, p <0.001), being cared for in Central Italy (versus being cared for in Northern Italy: AOR 0.85, 95% CI 0.73-0.98, p <0.001), being Italian-born (AOR 1.44, 95% CI 1.16-1.80, p = 0.001) and being enrolled in less recent calendar years (versus 1997-2002: 2009-2015 AOR 0.23, 95% CI 0.19-0.27, p <0.001; 2003-2008 AOR 0.49, 95% CI 0.41-0.61, p <0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The prevalence of HCV infection in HIV-infected patients entering into care in Italy significantly declined in more recent calendar years. After adjusting for risk factors and calendar years, HCV co-infection was more frequent in females and in those born in Italy.

Nonlinear modulation of interacting between COMT and depression on brain function

BACKGROUND

The catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene is related to dopamine degradation and has been suggested to be involved in the pathogenesis of major depressive disorder (MDD). However, how this gene affects brain function properties in MDD is still unclear.

METHODS

Fifty patients with MDD and 35 cognitively normal participants underwent a resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scan. A voxelwise and data-drive global functional connectivity density (gFCD) analysis was used to investigate the main effects and the interactions of disease states and COMT rs4680 gene polymorphism on brain function.

RESULTS

We found significant group differences of the gFCD in bilateral fusiform area (FFA), post-central and pre-central cortex, left superior temporal gyrus (STG), rectal and superior temporal gyrus and right ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (vlPFC); abnormal gFCDs in left STG were positively correlated with severity of depression in MDD group. Significant disease×COMT interaction effects were found in the bilateral calcarine gyrus, right vlPFC, hippocampus and thalamus, and left SFG and FFA. Further post-hoc tests showed a nonlinear modulation effect of COMT on gFCD in the development of MDD. Interestingly, an inverted U-shaped modulation was found in the prefrontal cortex (control system) but U-shaped modulations were found in the hippocampus, thalamus and occipital cortex (processing system).

CONCLUSION

Our study demonstrated nonlinear modulation of the interaction between COMT and depression on brain function. These findings expand our understanding of the COMT effect underlying the pathophysiology of MDD.

Abstract P6-08-08: GATA3 inhibits breast basal-like tumorigenesis

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer can be broadly categorized into two groups depending on the cell type affected. Luminal-type tumors are typically estrogen receptor (ER) positive that are associated with better survival and respond to hormone therapies whereas basal-like tumors are ER negative, more aggressive, and associated with a poor prognosis. GATA3 is a transcription factor well studied for its role as a master regulator of cellular differentiation and stem cell self renewal. Loss of Gata3 in mouse mammary glands blocks luminal cell differentiation and induces growth defects, and low levels of GATA3 are associated with basal-like and metastatic human breast cancers with epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Importantly, luminal cells have been shown to be the origin of some basal-like breast cancers. Due to the proliferation defects caused by GATA3 deficiency, it remains elusive how loss of function of GATA3 contributes to breast cancers development and progression.

METHODS: We previously demonstrated that p18Ink4c (p18), a cell cycle inhibitor, is a downstream target of GATA3 in regulating mammary luminal cell proliferation and loss of p18 leads to luminal type tumorigenesis. To test the role of Gata3 deficiency in tumorigenesis, we generated p18-/-;Gata3+/- mice. Mammary gland development and tumorigenesis were characterized in vivo using a panel of cellular and molecular assays. Results were further confirmed in vitro with well established cell lines.

RESULTS: Loss of p18 rescued mammary growth defects caused by Gata3 heterozygosity. Gata3 heterozygosity impaired luminal, but promoted basal gene expression in mammary epithelial cells. Gata3 heterozygosity in p18 null mice accelerated spontaneous mammary tumorigenesis, reducing the average latency of tumor onset. More importantly, Gata3 heterozygosity transformed the luminal type tumors of p18 null mice into heterogeneous basal-like breast cancers with activated EMT. Conversely, reintroduction of GATA3 inhibited tumor growth and reduced expression of EMT markers in basal-like tumor xenografts. We discovered that expression of GATA3 and Vimentin, an EMT marker, is inversely related in human breast cancers.

CONCLUSION: Our data indicates that GATA3 promotes luminal but suppresses basal cell differentiation in the mammary gland and in tumor development.

Mechanisms underlying the role of GATA3 in suppressing basal-like tumor development are under investigation.BACKGROUND: Breast cancer can be broadly categorized into two groups depending on the cell type affected. Luminal-type tumors are typically estrogen receptor (ER) positive that are associated with better survival and respond to hormone therapies whereas basal-like tumors are ER negative, more aggressive, and associated with a poor prognosis. GATA3 is a transcription factor well studied for its role as a master regulator of cellular differentiation and stem cell self renewal. Loss of Gata3 in mouse mammary glands blocks luminal cell differentiation and induces growth defects, and low levels of GATA3 are associated with basal-like and metastatic human breast cancers with epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Importantly, luminal cells have been shown to be the origin of some basal-like breast cancers. Due to the proliferation defects caused by GATA3 deficiency, it remains elusive how loss of function of GATA3 contributes to breast cancers development and progression.

METHODS: We previously demonstrated that p18Ink4c (p18), a cell cycle inhibitor, is a downstream target of GATA3 in regulating mammary luminal cell proliferation and loss of p18 leads to luminal type tumorigenesis. To test the role of Gata3 deficiency in tumorigenesis, we generated p18-/-;Gata3+/- mice. Mammary gland development and tumorigenesis were characterized in vivo using a panel of cellular and molecular assays. Results were further confirmed in vitro with well established cell lines.

RESULTS: Loss of p18 rescued mammary growth defects caused by Gata3 heterozygosity. Gata3 heterozygosity impaired luminal, but promoted basal gene expression in mammary epithelial cells. Gata3 heterozygosity in p18 null mice accelerated spontaneous mammary tumorigenesis, reducing the average latency of tumor onset. More importantly, Gata3 heterozygosity transformed the luminal type tumors of p18 null mice into heterogeneous basal-like breast cancers with activated EMT. Conversely, reintroduction of GATA3 inhibited tumor growth and reduced expression of EMT markers in basal-like tumor xenografts. We discovered that expression of GATA3 and Vimentin, an EMT marker, is inversely related in human breast cancers.

CONCLUSION: Our data indicates that GATA3 promotes luminal but suppresses basal cell differentiation in the mammary gland and in tumor development.

Mechanisms underlying the role of GATA3 in suppressing basal-like tumor development are under investigation.

Citation Format: Pei X-H, Chan HL, Liu S, Scott A, Pimentel E, Slingerland J, Robbins D, Capobianco A, Bai F. GATA3 inhibits breast basal-like tumorigenesis [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2016 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2016 Dec 6-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P6-08-08.

[Tetrahydrobiopterin improves left ventricular diastolic function possibly through upregulating phosphorylated protein kinase B expression in hypertensive mice induced by deoxycorticosterone acetate]

Objective: To investigate whether tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4) could improve left ventricular diastolic function through phosphoinositide-3 kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/Akt) signaling pathway in hypertensive mice. Methods: Ten-week-old male C57BL/6 mice were used to establish the deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA)-salt hypertensive model, age matched Sham mice serve as the controls. Mice were divided into four groups: Sham(n=20), Sham+ BH4 (n=20), DOCA (n=22), and DOCA+ BH4 (n=22). On the 14 days after surgery, mice in Sham+ BH4 and DOCA+ BH4 groups received BH4 (0.1 ml/10 g) supplement for 7 days, while mice in Sham and DOCA groups were given equal volume of normal saline.The blood pressure measurements were performed 7 days later.Hemodynamic and echocardiographic parameters were used to assess left ventricular functions.High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis was used to measure cardiac biopterins BH4 and BH2.The phosphorylated phospholamban (p-PLB) was detected by immunohistochemical staining. PI3K, Akt and phosphorylated Akt were assayed with Western blot analysis. Results: (1) The systolic and diastolic blood pressure of DOCA group were significantly higher than control group (P<0.05). Compared with DOCA group, the systolic blood pressure was lower in DOCA+ BH4 mice (P=0.027). Diastolic blood pressure was similar between the groups. (2) Compared with Sham group, the left ventricular diastolic function indexes such as mitral annulus velocity (E') and E'/A'ratio were significantly lower, while the E/ E'ratio was significantly higher(P<0.05)in DOCA mice. The E/ E'ratio of DOCA+ BH4 group was significantly lower than that of DOCA group (P<0.05). Compared with Sham group, the left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP), left ventricular end-diastolic pressure volumetric coefficient (EDPVR) and left ventricular relaxation time constant Tau index were significantly higher in DOCA mice (P=0.002, 0.011 and 0.016, respectively). The EDPVR and Tau index were significantly lower in DOCA+ BH4 group than in DOCA group (P<0.05). (3) Compared with Sham group, the myocardial contents of BH4 and BH2 were significantly lower in DOCA mice (P<0.05). The BH4 levels and BH4/BH2 ratio were significantly higher in Sham+ BH4 and DOCA+ BH4 groups than in the DOCA group (P<0.05), but the BH2 levels were similar between groups. (4) The cGMP content, SOD activity and NO content in the left ventricular myocardial tissue were significantly lower (P<0.05), while the MDA content was significantly higher in DOCA mice than in Sham mice.The NO content and SOD activity in DOCA+ BH4 groups were significantly higher than in the DOCA group (P<0.05). (5) Compared with DOCA group, the expression of p-PLB was significantly higher in Sham mice and lower in DOCA+ BH4 mice (P<0.05). (6) The expression of PI3K, Akt and p-Akt (Ser473 and Thr308) in DOCA mice were significantly lower than in Sham group (P<0.05). The expression of PI3K, Akt and p-Akt (Ser473) was significantly higher in DOCA+ BH4 group than in DOCA group (P<0.05). p-Akt (Thr308) expression was similar between DOCA + BH4 group and DOCA group (all P>0.05). Conclusion: Our results suggest that BH4 could improve left ventricular diastolic function in hypertensive mice, this effect might be mediated by reducing the oxidative stress in ventricular myocardium through modlating the expression of Akt and PLB phosphorylation.

Genetic association study of ABCB1 gene polymorphisms with hypertension in Han Chinese population

OBJECTIVE

Hypertension is a common disorder related to cardiovascular diseases and stroke. Identification of genetic variations related to hypertension may advance our knowledge of the molecular mechanism underlying blood pressure regulation. Here, we aimed to investigate the associations between ABCB1 gene polymorphisms and hypertension-related traits in 1154 Han Chinese subjects.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A total of 13 SNPs in ABCB1 were genotyped.

RESULTS

Three SNPs were significantly associated with systolic blood pressure (SBP), including rs17327624 (p = 6.167 × 10-4, beta = 5.650), rs3789243 (p = 4.331 × 10-3, beta = 2.800), and rs4148734 (p = 3.514 × 10-3, beta = 3.692). Rs17327624 (p = 2.818 × 10-4, beta = 2.753) and rs3789243 (p = 6.345 × 10-3, beta = 1.497) were significantly associated with diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and rs17327624 was significantly associated with hypertension (p = 1.746 × 10-4, OR = 1.605). These three SNPs (rs17327624, rs3789243 and rs4148734) were also associated with hypertension in female subjects but no significant signal was detected in males.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results suggest that ABCB1 polymorphisms may contribute to the blood pressure variation in Han Chinese population and the effect may be specific in females. Further studies performed in other populations are needed to confirm our findings and elucidate the underlying molecular mechanism.

Mitochondrial oxygen metabolism in primary human lens epithelial cells: Association with age, diabetes and glaucoma

PURPOSE

The hypoxic environment around the lens is important for maintaining lens transparency. Lens epithelial cells (LECs) play a key role in lens metabolism. We measured oxygen consumption to assess the role of human LECs in maintaining hypoxia around the lens, as well as the impact of systemic and ocular diagnosis on these cells.

METHODS

Baseline cellular respiration was measured in rabbit LECs (NN1003A), canine kidney epithelial cells (MDCK), trabecular meshwork cells (TM-5), and bovine corneal endothelial cells (CCEE) using a XF96 Extracellular Flux Analyzer (Seahorse Bioscience, North Billerica, MA), which measures oxygen consumption rate (OCR) and extracellular acidification rate (ECAR) in vitro. Following informed written consent, lens capsule epithelial cells were obtained from patients during cataract surgery and were divided into small explants in 96-well plates. Capsules were removed when LECs became confluent. OCR was normalized to the number of cells per well using rabbit LECs as a standard. The effect of patient age, sex, race, and presence of diabetes or glaucoma on oxygen consumption was assessed by using the Mann-Whitney U test and multivariate regression analysis.

RESULTS

Primary LECs were obtained from 69 patients. The OCR from donors aged 70 and over was lower than that of those under 70 years (2.21±1.037 vs. 2.86±1.383 fmol/min/cell; p<0.05). Diabetic patients had lower OCR than non-diabetic patients (2.02±0.911 vs. 2.79±1.332fmol/min/cell; p<0.05), and glaucoma patients had lower OCR than non-glaucoma patients (2.27±1.19 vs. 2.83±1.286 fmol/min/cell; p<0.05). Multivariate regression analysis confirmed that donors aged 70 and over (p<0.05), diabetic patients (p<0.01), and glaucoma patients (p<0.05) had significantly lower OCR, independent of other variables. Gender and race had no significant effect on OCR.

CONCLUSIONS

The lower oxygen consumption rate of human LECs in older donors and patients with diabetes or glaucoma could contribute to cataract development. Diabetes and glaucoma are particularly important factors associated with decreased OCR, independent of age. Ongoing studies are examining pO2 at the anterior surface of the lens in vivo and oxygen consumption in the patient's LECs.

Joint effects of gray matter atrophy and altered functional connectivity on cognitive deficits in amnestic mild cognitive impairment patients

BACKGROUND

Gray matter (GM) atrophy and disrupted intrinsic functional connectivity (IFC) are often present in patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI), which shows high risk of developing into Alzheimer's disease. Little is known, however, about the relationship between GM atrophy and altered IFC, and whether they are related to cognitive decline.

METHOD

A total of 30 aMCI and 26 cognitively normal (CN) subjects were recruited for this study. Optimized voxel-based morphometric and resting-state functional connectivity magnetic resonance imaging approaches were performed to measure the GM volumes (GMVs) and atrophy-related IFC, respectively. Multivariate linear regression analysis was used to examine the effects of GM atrophy and IFC on cognitive performance across subjects, after controlling for the effects of age, education, gender and group.

RESULTS

Compared with CN subjects, aMCI subjects showed significantly reduced GMVs and decreased IFC in the frontal-parietal and medial temporal lobe systems. Multivariate regression analysis further demonstrated that the GMVs and decreased IFC simultaneously affected the cognitive function. Specifically, GMVs were positively correlated with cognitive performances, including global cognition and episodic memory, and showed a strong trend in correlation between GMVs and non-episodic memory, whilst IFC was positively correlated with the above three cognitive measures, across all subjects. In addition, significant correlation was found between GMVs and altered IFC strength across all subjects.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings demonstrated that GMVs and IFC jointly contribute to cognitive performance, and combining quantitative information about GMVs and the strength of functional connectivity may serve as an indicator of cognitive deficits in non-demented elderly.

Investigation of cell aggregation on the substrate of a parallel-plate flow chamber

Adhesion of tumor cells (TCs) to polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) tethered on a monolayer of vascular endothelial cells (ECs) in shear flows is investigated theoretically. Both TC&mdash;PMN and PMN&mdash;EC aggregations are modeled using the population balance equations (PBEs). Parameters in the model obtained by curve fitting show that an increase of shear rate or viscosity will suppress the formation of aggregates and promote the breakage of them. Analysis on the collision frequency suggests that the averaged encounter duration is affected by viscosity. Based on the model, a nonlinear connection between the number of migrated TCs and the concentration of PMNs in the flow near the substrate is presented.