Tumor microenvironment-responsive size-changeable and biodegradable HA-CuS/MnO2 nanosheets for MR imaging and synergistic chemodynamic therapy/phototherapy

Tumor microenvironment (TME)-responsive size-changeable and biodegradable nanoplatforms for multimodal therapy possess huge advantages in anti-tumor therapy. Hence, we developed a hyaluronic acid (HA) modified CuS/MnO2 nanosheets (HCMNs) as a multifunctional nanoplatform for synergistic chemodynamic therapy (CDT)/photothermal therapy (PTT)/photodynamic therapy (PDT). The prepared HCMNs exhibited significant NIR light absorption and photothermal conversion efficiency because of the densely deposited ultra-small sized CuS nanoparticles on the surface of MnO2 nanosheet. They could precisely target the tumor cells and rapidly decomposed into small sized nanostructures in the TME, and then efficiently promote intracellular ROS generation through a series of cascade reactions. Moreover, the local temperature elevation induced by photothermal effect also promote the PDT based on CuS nanoparticles and the Fenton-like reaction of Mn2+, thereby enhancing the therapeutic efficiency. Furthermore, the T1-weighted magnetic resonance (MR) imaging was significantly enhanced by the abundant Mn2+ ions from the decomposition process of HCMNs. In addition, the CDT/PTT/PDT synergistic therapy using a single NIR light source exhibited considerable anti-tumor effect via in vitro cell test. Therefore, the developed HCMNs will provide great potential for MR imaging and multimodal synergistic cancer therapy.

Long non-coding RNAs: Modulators of phenotypic transformation in vascular smooth muscle cells

Long non-coding RNA (lncRNAs) are longer than 200 nucleotides and cannot encode proteins but can regulate the expression of genes through epigenetic, transcriptional, and post-transcriptional modifications. The pathophysiology of smooth muscle cells can lead to many vascular diseases, and studies have shown that lncRNAs can regulate the phenotypic conversion of smooth muscle cells so that smooth muscle cells proliferate, migrate, and undergo apoptosis, thereby affecting the development and prognosis of vascular diseases. This review discusses the molecular mechanisms of lncRNA as a signal, bait, stent, guide, and other functions to regulate the phenotypic conversion of vascular smooth muscle cells, and summarizes the role of lncRNAs in regulating vascular smooth muscle cells in atherosclerosis, hypertension, aortic dissection, vascular restenosis, and aneurysms, providing new ideas for the diagnosis and treatment of vascular diseases.

Proteomics-based evaluation of the mechanism underlying vascular injury via DNA interstrand crosslinks, glutathione perturbation, mitogen-activated protein kinase, and Wnt and ErbB signaling pathways induced by crotonaldehyde

Crotonaldehyde (CRA)—one of the major environmental pollutants from tobacco smoke and industrial pollution—is associated with vascular injury (VI). We used proteomics to systematically characterize the presently unclear molecular mechanism of VI and to identify new related targets or signaling pathways after exposure to CRA. Cell survival assays were used to assess DNA damage, whereas oxidative stress was determined using colorimetric assays and by quantitative fluorescence study; additionally, cyclooxygenase-2, mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways, Wnt3a, β-catenin, phospho-ErbB2, and phospho-ErbB4 were assessed using ELISA. Proteins were quantitated via tandem mass tag-based liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and bioinformatics analyses, and 34 differentially expressed proteins were confirmed using parallel reaction monitoring, which were defined as new indicators related to the mechanism underlying DNA damage; glutathione perturbation; mitogen-activated protein kinase; and the Wnt and ErbB signaling pathways in VI based on Gene Ontology, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes, and protein–protein interaction network analyses. Parallel reaction monitoring confirmed significant (p < 0.05) upregulation (> 1.5-fold change) of 23 proteins and downregulation (< 0.667-fold change) of 11. The mechanisms of DNA interstrand crosslinks; glutathione perturbation; mitogen-activated protein kinase; cyclooxygenase-2; and the Wnt and ErbB signaling pathways may contribute to VI through their roles in DNA damage, oxidative stress, inflammation, vascular dysfunction, endothelial dysfunction, vascular remodeling, coagulation cascade, and the newly determined signaling pathways. Moreover, the Wnt and ErbB signaling pathways were identified as new disease pathways involved in VI. Taken together, the elucidated underlying mechanisms may help broaden existing understanding of the molecular mechanisms of VI induced by CRA.

Transplantation of Gut Microbiota From High-Fat-Diet-Tolerant Cynomolgus Monkeys Alleviates Hyperlipidemia and Hepatic Steatosis in Rats

Emerging evidence has been reported to support the involvement of the gut microbiota in the host's blood lipid and hyperlipidemia (HLP). However, there remains unexplained variation in the host's blood lipid phenotype. Herein a nonhuman primate HLP model was established in cynomolgus monkeys fed a high-fat diet (HFD) for 19 months. At month 19%, 60% (3/5) of the HFD monkeys developed HLP, but surprisingly 40% of them (2/5) exhibited strong tolerance to the HFD (HFD-T) with their blood lipid profiles returning to normal levels. Metagenomic analysis was used to investigate the compositional changes in the gut microbiota in these monkeys. Furthermore, the relative abundance of Megasphaera remarkably increased and became the dominant gut microbe in HFD-T monkeys. A validation experiment showed that transplantation of fecal microbiota from HFD-T monkeys reduced the blood lipid levels and hepatic steatosis in HLP rats. Furthermore, the relative abundance of Megasphaera significantly increased in rats receiving transplantation, confirming the successful colonization of the microbe in the host and its correlation with the change of the host's blood lipid profiles. Our results thus suggested a potentially pivotal lipid-lowering role of Megasphaera in the gut microbiota, which could contribute to the variation in the host's blood lipid phenotype.

Characterization of Changes and Driver Microbes in Gut Microbiota During Healthy Aging Using A Captive Monkey Model

Recent population studies have significantly advanced our understanding of how age shapes the gut microbiota. However, the actual role of age could be inevitably confounded due to the complex and variable environmental factors in human populations. A well-controlled environment is thus necessary to reduce undesirable confounding effects, and recapitulate age-dependent changes in the gut microbiota of healthy primates. Herein we performed 16S rRNA gene sequencing, characterized the age-associated gut microbial profiles from infant to elderly crab-eating macaques reared in captivity, and systemically revealed the lifelong dynamic changes of the primate gut microbiota. While the most significant age-associated taxa were mainly found as commensals such as Faecalibacterium, the abundance of a group of suspicious pathogens such as Helicobacter was exclusively increased in infants, underlining their potential role in host development. Importantly, topology analysis indicated that the network connectivity of gut microbiota was even more age-dependent than taxonomic diversity, and its tremendous decline with age could probably be linked to healthy aging. Moreover, we identified key driver microbes responsible for such age-dependent network changes, which were further linked to altered metabolic functions of lipids, carbohydrates, and amino acids, as well as phenotypes in the microbial community. The current study thus demonstrates the lifelong age-dependent changes and their driver microbes in the primate gut microbiota, and provides new insights into their roles in the development and healthy aging of their hosts.

Glyoxal damages human aortic endothelial cells by perturbing the glutathione, mitochondrial membrane potential, and mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways

Background

Exposure to glyoxal, the smallest dialdehyde, is associated with several diseases; humans are routinely exposed to glyoxal because of its ubiquitous presence in foods and the environment. The aim of this study was to examine the damage caused by glyoxal in human aortic endothelial cells.

Methods

Cell survival assays and quantitative fluorescence assays were performed to measure DNA damage; oxidative stress was detected by colorimetric assays and quantitative fluorescence, and the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways were assessed using western blotting.

Results

Exposure to glyoxal was found to be linked to abnormal glutathione activity, the collapse of mitochondrial membrane potential, and the activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways. However, DNA damage and thioredoxin oxidation were not induced by dialdehydes.

Conclusions

Intracellular glutathione, members of the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways, and the mitochondrial membrane potential are all critical targets of glyoxal. These findings provide novel insights into the molecular mechanisms perturbed by glyoxal, and may facilitate the development of new therapeutics and diagnostic markers for cardiovascular diseases.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12872-021-02418-3.

[Network correlation of circRNA-miRNA and the possible regulatory mechanism in acute myocardial infarction]

Objective: Using microarray technology, to research characteristic circRNA and miRNA expression profile of acute myocardial infarction (AMI), and then explore the role of these circRNA and miRNA in gene regulation. The aim is to explore the mechanism of development of AMI. Methods: The patients hospitalized in the Cardiovascular Research Center of the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University between November 2016 and January 2017 were included and divided into control group and AMI group according to diagnostic criteria. We collected their whole blood and extracted the total RNA, and the expression profiles of circRNA and microRNA genes in peripheral blood of AMI were analyzed by gene chip. We predicted circRNA which was possible to combine with miRNA, and drew a network diagram, and the differentially expressed circRNA was analyzed by GO and Pathway. Results: There was difference in circRNA expression profile between the control group and the AMI group. The results showed: (1) a total of 1 670 circRNA had differential expressions, and in the analysis of miRNA expression, 13 miRNA had differential expressions (P<0.05, fc≥2); (2) multiple circRNAs-miRNAs were involved in the occurrence of AMI; (3) the analysis of GO and Pathway for differentially expressed circRNAs showed that many pathways, disease and function participated in it. Conclusion: CircRNA, as an important post transcriptional regulator, is closely related to the development of AMI with miRNA.

[Explore molecular mechanism of Chinese herbs with promoting blood circulation and resolving phlegm effects on myocardial ischemia reperfusion injury based on correlation between microRNA and mtDNA]

A large number of basic and clinical studies have shown that the Chinese herbs with promoting blood circulation and resolving phlegm effects could prevent and treat myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury(MIRI) by regulating lipid metabolism. But its mechanism is not yet clear. The studies show that mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), microRNAs and lipid metabolism participate in the whole process of MIRI and affect the prognosis. mtDNA mutation is the primary factor to cause myocardial ischemia and reperfusion myocardial cell damage. microRNAs aggravate or reduce MIRI injury by down-regulating or up-regulating related genes expression, while miR-33, as a key regulator of cholesterol transport, regulates lipid metabolism through CROT, PGC-1α, AMPK and other genes located in the mitochondria. There are less studies on correlation between miR-33 and mtDNA, microRNAs. Therefore, further studies on the correlation between miR-33 and mtDNA, microRNAs, as well as the discussions on whether the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) with promoting blood circulation and resolving phlegm effects could target miR-33 to regulate lipid metabolism and inducemt DNA mutations or deletions, would have important significance for the prevention and treatment of MIRI.

Controlled formation of volatile components in cider making using a combination of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Hanseniaspora valbyensis yeast species

The effect of pure and mixed fermentation by Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Hanseniaspora valbyensis on the formation of major volatile components in cider was investigated. When the interaction between yeast strains of S. cerevisiae and H. valbyensis was studied, it was found that the two strains each affected the cell growth of the other upon inoculation of S. cerevisiae during growth of H. valbyensis. The effects of pure and mixed cultures of S. cerevisiae and H. valbyensis on alcohol fermentation and major volatile compound formation in cider were assessed. S. cerevisiae showed a conversion of sugar to alcohol of 11.5%, while H. valbyensis produced alcohol with a conversion not exceeding 6%. Higher concentrations of ethyl acetate and phenethyl acetate were obtained with H. valbyensis, and higher concentrations of isoamyl alcohol and isobutyl were formed by S. cerevisiae. Consequently, a combination of these two yeast species in sequential fermentation was used to increase the concentration of ethyl esters by 7.41-20.96%, and to decrease the alcohol concentration by 25.06-51.38%. Efficient control of the formation of volatile compounds was achieved by adjusting the inoculation time of the two yeasts.