Applications and characterization of anti-browning enzymatically modified potato starch (EPS) film associated with chitosan (CTS)/L-Cys/citric acid (CA) on fresh-cut potato slices

This study explores the influence of incorporating L-cysteine (L-Cys), chitosan (CTS), and citric acid (CA) on the enzymatic modification of potato starch (EPS) films to enhance anti-browning properties. Four types of EPS composite films were evaluated for preserving fresh-cut potato slices at low temperatures to inhibit browning. Their thermal, physiochemical, mechanical, and digestibility properties were assessed. Results indicate that the addition of CTS, CA, and L-Cys improved the anti-browning activity of the EPS films by increasing film thickness and reducing water vapor permeability (WVP), oxygen transmission rate (OTR), ultraviolet (UV) transmittance, and tensile strength (TS). Furthermore, these additives improved the film's microstructure, resulting in reinforced intermolecular interactions, increased elongation at break, heightened crystallinity, enhanced thermal stability, and favorable gastrointestinal digestibility. Overall, EPS/CTS/L-Cys/CA composite films show promise as edible packaging materials with effective anti-browning properties.

Endothelial LAT1 (SLC7A5) Mediates S-Nitrosothiol Import and Modulates Respiratory Sequelae of Red Blood Cell Transfusion In Vivo

BACKGROUND

 Increased adhesivity of red blood cells (RBCs) to endothelial cells (ECs) may contribute to organ dysfunction in malaria, sickle cell disease, and diabetes. RBCs normally export nitric oxide (NO)-derived vascular signals, facilitating blood flow. S-nitrosothiols (SNOs) are thiol adducts formed in RBCs from precursor NO upon the oxygenation-linked allosteric transition in hemoglobin. RBCs export these vasoregulatory SNOs on demand, thereby regulating regional blood flow and preventing RBC-EC adhesion, and the large (system L) neutral amino acid transporter 1 (LAT1; SLC7A5) appears to mediate SNO export by RBCs.

METHODS

 To determine the role of LAT1-mediated SNO import by ECs generally and of LAT1-mediated SNO import by ECs in RBC SNO-dependent modulation of RBC sequestration and blood oxygenation in vivo, we engineered LAT1fl/fl; Cdh5-Cre+ mice, in which the putative SNO transporter LAT1 can be inducibly depleted (knocked down, KD) specifically in ECs ("LAT1ECKD").

RESULTS

 We show that LAT1 in mouse lung ECs mediates cellular SNO uptake. ECs from LAT1ECKD mice (tamoxifen-induced LAT1fl/fl; Cdh5-Cre+) import SNOs poorly ex vivo compared with ECs from wild-type (tamoxifen-treated LAT1fl/fl; Cdh5-Cre-) mice. In vivo, endothelial depletion of LAT1 increased RBC sequestration in the lung and decreased blood oxygenation after RBC transfusion.

CONCLUSION

 This is the first study showing a role for SNO transport by LAT1 in ECs in a genetic mouse model. We provide the first direct evidence for the coordination of RBC SNO export with EC SNO import via LAT1. SNO flux via LAT1 modulates RBC-EC sequestration in lungs after transfusion, and its disruption impairs blood oxygenation by the lung.

Citations of microRNA Biomarker Articles That Were Retracted: A Systematic Review

Importance

Retraction is a tool that journals can use to deter research misconduct and alert their audience to erroneous content published in the journals. However, retracted articles may continue to damage science if they are still cited as legitimate articles.

Objective

To characterize patterns of postretraction citations, particularly in microRNA biomarker research, a field with one of the highest rates of retraction.

Evidence Review

Retracted scientific articles on microRNAs were retrieved from PubMed, Web of Science, and Retraction Watch between database inception and July 17, 2021, according to preestablished search strategies. Control articles with characteristics in common with retracted articles (ie, published in the same journals in the same years and months and with the same number of authors) were matched and retrieved from PubMed. Citation metrics of retractions and control articles were collected from Web of Science. PubPeer was referenced to examine the public response or comments on included retractions. Data were analyzed from September 2021 through March 2023.

Findings

A total of 10 461 articles were analyzed, with 887 retractions and 9574 articles as controls. Among retracted articles, which were published from 1999 to 2021, there were 756 articles (85.23%) written by researchers affiliated with Chinese institutions. Retracted articles were cited 6327 times after retraction. Of 792 retracted articles that were cited, 621 articles (78.41%) were cited at least once after retraction and 238 articles (30.05%) were cited more often after retraction than before retraction. Overall citations (comprising citations before and after retraction) and postretraction citations accumulated over time (eg, the median [IQR] number of postretraction citations was 1 [1-2] and 23 [9-44] citations at the first 6 and 66 months, respectively, between retraction and citation retrieval). A random sample of 87 retracted articles (9.81%) recorded 478 citations after retraction, with 208 citations (43.51%) in articles published 12 months or longer after retraction. Of these citing articles, 19 articles (3.97%) mentioned the retractions. Compared with the control group of 1620 nonretracted articles, no significant differences were found in overall number of citations or citations after retraction. Among 478 articles citing retracted articles, 414 articles were found on PubMed and had matched control articles; these articles had higher odds of being subsequently retracted than 7954 matched control articles (odds ratio, 6.57; 95% CI, 3.39-12.72).

Conclusions and Relevance

In this study, retraction was not associated with a reduction in citations of retracted articles, but articles that cited retracted publications had higher odds of later retraction. These findings suggest that journals may need to implement mechanisms for detection of postretraction citations.

Excitatory action of low frequency depolarizing GABA/glycine synaptic inputs is prevalent in prenatal spinal SOD1G93A motoneurons

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal adult-onset neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive motor neuron degeneration and muscle paralysis. Recent evidence suggests the dysfunction of inhibitory signalling in ALS motor neurons. We have shown that embryonic day (E)17.5 spinal motoneurons (MNs) of the SOD1G93A mouse model of ALS exhibit an altered chloride homeostasis. At this prenatal stage, inhibition of spinal motoneurons (MNs) is mediated by depolarizing GABAergic/glycinergic postsynaptic potentials (dGPSPs). Here, using an ex vivo preparation and patch clamp recording from MNs with a chloride equilibrium set below spike threshold, we report that low input resistance (Rin ) E17.5 MNs from the SOD1G93A ALS mouse model do not correctly integrate dGPSPs evoked by electrical stimulations of GABA/glycine inputs at different frequencies. Indeed, firing activity of most wild-type (WT) MNs with low Rin was inhibited by incoming dGPSPs, whereas low Rin SOD1G93A MNs were excited or exhibited a dual response (excited by low frequency dGPSPs and inhibited by high frequency dGPSPs). Simulation highlighted the importance of the GABA/glycine input density and showed that pure excitation could be obtained in SOD-like MNs by moving GABA/glycine input away from the cell body to dendrites. This was in agreement with confocal imaging showing a lack of peri-somatic inhibitory terminals in SOD1G93A MNs compared to WT littermates. Putative fast ALS-vulnerable MNs with low Rin are therefore lacking functional inhibition at the near-term prenatal stage. KEY POINTS: We analysed the integration of GABAergic/glycinergic synaptic events by embryonic spinal motoneurons (MNs) in a mouse model of the amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) neurodegenerative disease. We found that GABAergic/glycinergic synaptic events do not properly inhibit ALS MNs with low input resistance, most probably corresponding to future vulnerable MNs. We used a neuron model to highlight the importance of the GABA/glycine terminal location and density in the integration of the GABAergic/glycinergic synaptic events. Confocal imaging showed a lack of GABA/glycine terminals on the cell body of ALS MNs. The present study suggests that putative ALS vulnerable MNs with low Rin lack functional inhibition at the near-term stage.

SNAT2-mediated regulation of estrogen and progesterone in the proliferation of goat mammary epithelial cells

The development of the goat mammary gland is mainly under the control of ovarian hormones particularly estrogen and progesterone (P4). Amino acids play an essential role in mammary gland development and milk production, and sodium-coupled neutral amino acid transporter 2 (SNAT2) was reported to be expressed in the mammary gland of rats and bovine mammary epithelial cells, which may affect the synthesis of milk proteins or mammary cell proliferation by mediating prolactin, 17β-estradiol (E2) or methionine function. However, whether SNAT2 mediates the regulatory effects of E2 and P4 on the development of the ruminant mammary gland is still unclear. In this study, we show that E2 and P4 could increase the proliferation of goat mammary epithelial cells (GMECs) and regulate SNAT2 mRNA and protein expression in a dose-dependent manner. Further investigation revealed that SNAT2 is abundantly expressed in the mammary gland during late pregnancy and early lactation, while knockdown and overexpression of SNAT2 in GMECs could inhibit or enhance E2- and P4-induced cell proliferation as well as mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling. We also found that the accelerated proliferation induced by SNAT2 overexpression in GMECs was suppressed by the mTOR signaling pathway inhibitor rapamycin. This indicates that the regulation of GMECs proliferation mediated by SNAT2 in response to E2 and P4 is dependent on the mTOR signaling pathway. Finally, we found that the total content of the amino acids in GMECs changed after knocking-down and overexpressing SNAT2. In summary, the results demonstrate that the regulatory effects of E2 and P4 on GMECs proliferation may be mediated by the SNAT2-transported amino acid pathway. These results may offer a novel nutritional target for improving the development of the ruminant mammary gland and milk production.

A prenatal case misunderstood as specimen confusion: 46,XY/46,XY chimerism

Chimerism results from the fusion of two zygotes in a single embryo, whereas mosaicism results from mitotic errors in a single zygote. True human chimerism is rare, with fewer than 100 cases reported in the literature. Here, we report a case in which the fetus was identified as having tetragametic chimerism based on short tandem repeat - polymerase chain reaction analysis of the family observed during amniocentesis for advanced maternal age. The chimerism occurred via the fertilization of two ova by two spermatozoa, followed by the fusion of early embryos. The genotypes of the two amniotic fluid samples obtained successively by one puncture were completely different, and the sex chromosomes were XY. Karyotyping and copy number variation sequencing showed no abnormalities. The fetus was delivered at term and the phenotype of the newborn was normal.

Spin Quantum Dot Light-Emitting Diodes Enabled by 2D Chiral Perovskite with Spin-Dependent Carrier Transport

Chiral-induced spin selectivity (CISS) effect provides innovative approach to spintronics and quantum-based devices for chiral materials. Different from the conventional ferromagnetic devices, the application of CISS effect is potential to operate under room temperature and zero applied magnetic field. Low dimensional chiral perovskites by introducing chiral amines are beginning to show significant CISS effect for spin injection, but research on chiral perovskites is still in its infancy, especially on spin-light emitting diode (spin-LED) construction. Here, the spin-QLEDs enabled by 2D chiral perovskites as CISS layer for spin-dependent carrier injection and CdSe/ZnS quantum dots (QDs) as light emitting layer are reported. The regulation pattern of the chirality and thickness of chiral perovskites, which affects the circularly polarized electroluminescence (CP-EL) emission of spin-QLED, is discovered. Notably, the spin injection polarization of 2D chiral perovskites is higher than 80% and the CP-EL asymmetric factor (gCP-EL ) achieves up to 1.6 × 10-2 . Consequently, this work opens up a new and effective approach for high-performance spin-LEDs.

Prenatal prevalence and postnatal manifestations of 16p11.2 deletions: A new insights into neurodevelopmental disorders based on clinical investigations combined with multi-omics analysis

BACKGROUND

The 16p11.2 deletion is one of the most common genetic aetiologies of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs). The prenatal phenotype of 16p11.2 deletion and the potential mechanism associated with postnatal clinical manifestations were largely unknow. We revealed the developmental trajectories of 16p11.2 deletion from the prenatal to postnatal periods and to identify key signaling pathways and candidate genes contributing to neurodevelopmental abnormalities.

METHODS

In this 5-y retrospective cohort study, women with singleton pregnancies who underwent amniocentesis for chromosomal abnormalities were included. Test of copy-number variations (CNVs) involved single nucleotide polymorphism-array and CNV-seq was performed to detected 16p11.2 deletion. For infants born carrying the 16p11.2 deletion, neurological and intellectual evaluations using the Chinese version of the Gesell Development Scale. For patients observed to have vertebral malformations, Sanger sequencing for T-C-A haplotype of TBX6 was performed. For those infants with clinical manifestations, whole-exome sequencing was consecutively performed in trios to rule out single-gene diseases, and transcriptomics combined with untargeted metabolomics were performed.

RESULTS

The prevalence of 16p11.2 deletion was 0.063% (55/86,035) in the prenatal period. Up to 80% (20/25) of the 16p11.2 deletions were proven de novo by parental confirmation. Approximately half of 16p11.2 deletions (28/55) were detected with prenatal abnormal ultrasound findings. Vertebral malformations were identified as the most distinctive structural malformations and were enriched in fetuses with 16p11.2 deletions compared with controls (90.9‰ [5/55] vs. 8.4‰ [72/85,980]; P < 0.001). All 5 fetuses with vertebral malformations were confirmed to have the TBX6 haplotype of T-C-A. Overall, 47.6% (10/21) infants birthed were diagnosed with NDDs of different degrees. Language impairment was the predominant manifestation (7/10; 70.0%), followed by motor delay (5/10; 50%). Multi-omics analysis indicated that MAPK3 was the central hub of the differentially expressed gene (DEG) network. We firstly reported that histidine-associated metabolism may be the core metabolic pathway related to the 16p11.2 deletion.

CONCLUSION

We demonstrated the prenatal presentation, incomplete penetrance and variable expressivity of the 16p11.2 deletion. We identified vertebral malformations were the most distinctive prenatal phenotypes, and language impairment was the predominant postnatal manifestation. Most of the 16p11.2 deletion was de novo. Meanwhile, we suggested that MAPK3 and histidine-associated metabolism may contribute to neurodevelopmental abnormalities of 16p11.2 deletion.

The Effects of Reinforcement Techniques in Sleeve Gastrectomy and Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass: Protocol for a Web-Based Survey, Systematic Review, and Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND

The effects of reinforcement are still controversial in bariatric surgery, and variations may exist in using this technique.

OBJECTIVE

This protocol describes a study that aims to survey the views of bariatric surgeons on reinforcement techniques and evaluate the effects of applying reinforcement techniques in sleeve gastrectomy (SG) and Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB).

METHODS

This study is composed of 2 parts. Part 1 will investigate the differences of using reinforcement techniques among surgeons worldwide who perform SG or RYGB through a survey. The survey will be conducted by email and social media. Part 2 will evaluate the safety and effectiveness of using omentopexy or staple line reinforcement in SG and RYGB by systematic review and meta-analysis. In this part, literature searches will be performed in English databases, including CENTRAL, EMBASE CINAHL, Web of Science, and PubMed, and Chinese databases, including Wanfang, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Database of Chinese Technical Periodicals, and Chinese Biological Medicine, from their establishment to November 2023. Randomized controlled trials and case-control studies will be included. The primary outcomes are rates of postoperative bleeding and gastric leakage. The secondary outcomes include anastomotic stenosis, surgical site infection, reoperation, estimated intraoperative blood loss, operative time (minutes), length of hospital stay (days), overall complications, and 30-day mortality. The meta-analysis will be conducted using RevMan 5.4 under the random-effects model, as well as through extensive subgroup and sensitivity analyses. P values <0.05 will be considered statistically significant. This study was registered with PROSPERO (Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews) in accordance with the PRISMA-P (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols).

RESULTS

The results of this study will be published in a peer-reviewed journal. The web-based survey and initial title or abstract review of papers identified by the search strategy will be completed in November 2023. The second round of title or abstract review and downloading of the papers for full-text inclusion will be completed in January 2024. We aim to complete data extraction and meta-analysis by February 2024 and expect to publish the findings by the end of March 2024.

CONCLUSIONS

This study aims to investigate the impact of reinforcement techniques on reducing the incidence of postoperative complications in SG and RYGB procedures and provide assistance for standardizing the procedures of SG and RYGB operations for bariatric surgeons.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

PROSPERO CRD42022376438; https://tinyurl.com/2d53uf8n.

INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID)

PRR1-10.2196/50677.

Use of different food additives to control browning in fresh-cut potatoes

Fresh-cut potato browning is a severe problem in the potato processing industry. Ascorbic acid, L-cysteine, hydrogen sulfide (H2S), and nitric oxide (NO) have been reported to reduce the browning in fresh-cut vegetables and fruits. We compared the effect of each food additive at its commonly used concentration on fresh-cut potato browning in order to choose a highly efficient treatment and explore its mechanism. Fresh-cut potato slices were immersed in 0.3 mmol L-1 ascorbic acid, 0.7 mmol L-1 L-cysteine, 0.7 mmol L-1 H2S, or 2.0 mmol L-1 NO for 10 min and stored at 4°C until the measurements finished. Results showed that the ascorbic acid and L-cysteine treatments showed less browning than the control treatment, while the H2S and NO treatments did not. Ascorbic acid increased total phenolic content, polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and peroxidase (POD) activities, while L-cysteine decreased PPO and POD activities with no change in total phenolic content. In addition, these two treatments did not influence respiration rate, weight loss, or rot index. In conclusion, ascorbic acid (0.3 mmol L-1) and L-cysteine (0.7 mmol L-1) can be valuable means to control fresh-cut potato browning. Ascorbic acid inhibits the browning mainly by reducing quinones back to phenolic compounds, but L-cysteine inhibits the browning mainly by decreasing PPO and POD activities.

Developing a prediction model of career plateau for nurses: A cross-sectional study

AIM

The study aimed to understand the current situation regarding career plateaus experienced by nurses. The objectives were to analyze factors influencing career plateau, and develop a prediction model for career plateau for nurses.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional survey was conducted using convenience sampling.

METHODS

Participants were 2680 nurses from six tertiary hospitals. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were carried out to investigate the influencing factors and develop a prediction model of career plateau.

RESULTS

The overall incidence rate of nurses reaching a career plateau was 34%. Logistic regression analysis showed that age, position, whether specialized nurses, life satisfaction, organizational support, personal ability and selection tendency were the factors influencing career plateau. The prediction model indicates that older nurses are more likely to reach a career plateau than their younger counterparts, and those who think they have strong personal ability and do not value their work very much are more likely to have a career plateau. Giving nurses more promotion space and learning opportunities, improving life satisfaction, and organizational support are conducive to reducing the occurrence of career plateau.

Diverse roles of glucocorticoids in the ruminant mammary gland: modulation of mammary growth, milk production, and mastitis

As endocrine hormones, glucocorticoids (GCs) play a pivotal role in numerous physiological processes, including mammary growth and lactation, circulatory metabolism, and responses to external stimuli. In the dairy industry, milk production from cows or goats is important for newborns and economic benefits. However, the milk yields from ruminant animals are always affected by the extent of mammary development, mammary disease, stress, or changes in metabolism. Thus, it is necessary to clarify how GCs changes in ruminants affect ruminant mammary gland function and mammary disease. This review summarizes the findings identifying that GCs modulate mammary gland development before lactation, but the stress-induced excessive release of GCs leads to milk production loss. In addition, the manner of GCs release may change under different concentrations of metabolites or during mastitis or inflammatory challenge. Nevertheless, exogenous GCs administration to animals may alleviate the clinical symptoms of mastitis. This review demonstrates that GCs offer a fascinating contribution to both physiologic and pathogenic conditions of the mammary gland in ruminant animals. Characterizing and understanding these changes or functions of endogenous and exogenous GCs in animals will be crucial for developing more endocrine regulators and therapies for improving milk production in ruminants.

Critical quality appraisal of randomized controlled trials with traditional Chinese medicines for the coronavirus disease 2019

OBJECTIVE

Traditional Chinese medicines (TCM) play an indispensable role during the pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), with an increasing number of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) designed and performed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of TCM for COVID-19. This study aimed to critically appraise the quality of currently available RCTs of TCM for COVID-19.

METHODS

RCTs of TCM for COVID-19 were searched from three databases by two investigators and selected according to pre-established inclusion and exclusion criteria. General information of included studies was presented by applying descriptive statistics. The methodological and reporting quality of eligible RCTs was critically evaluated based on the risk of bias assessment tool 2 (RoB2) and CONSORT Extension for TCM (CONSORT-CHM Formulas 2017), respectively. The differences of risks and main general information were compared between RCTs published in English and Chinese journals. Microsoft Excel 2019 and SPSS were used for the statistical analysis. A result with p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

RESULTS

This study finally included 64 RCTs with a total of 10858 participants investigating TCM for COVID-19. All 64 RCTs were evaluated as moderate-to-low RoB including 27 RCTs with high bias, 26 RCTs with some concerns, and 11 with low bias. Results of reporting quality appraisal by CONSORT-CHM Formulas 2017 showed that 61 (95%) RCTs reported more than 18 (50%) items, and 14 (22%) RCTs reported more than 26 (70%) items among all 38 items. Forty-two RCTs were approved by ethics committees and 47 RCTs reported the informed consent information. Twenty-five RCTs and 39 RCTs provided information on trial registration and funding resources, respectively. The quality of 44 RCTs published in Chinese was significantly worse than that of 20 RCTs published in English, especially in the following considerations including the overall RoB, ethics approved, informed consent, trial register, and reporting quality with CONSORT-CHM Formulas 2017.

CONCLUSION

The overall quality of RCTs investigating TCM for COVID-19 was appraised as moderate-to-high that was substandard and needs to be continuously improved, especially for RCTs published in Chinese, in the future.

Performance of iCare quantitative computed tomography in bone mineral density assessment of the hip and vertebral bodies in European spine phantom

BACKGROUND

Osteoporosis is a systemic bone disease which can increase the risk of osteoporotic fractures. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is considered as the clinical standard for diagnosing osteoporosis by detecting the bone mineral density (BMD) in patients, but it has flaws in distinguishing between calcification and other degenerative diseases, thus leading to inaccurate BMD levels in subjects. Mindways quantitative computed tomography (Mindways QCT) is a classical QCT system. Similar to DXA, Mindways QCT can directly present the density of trabecular bone, vascular or tissue calcification; therefore, it is more accurate and sensitive than DXA and has been widely applied in clinic to evaluate osteoporosis. iCare QCT osteodensitometry was a new phantom-based QCT system, recently developed by iCare Inc. (China). It has been gradually applied in clinic by its superiority of taking 3-dimensional BMD of bone and converting BMD values to T value automatically. This study aimed at evaluating the osteoporosis detection rate of iCare QCT, compared with synchronous Mindways QCT (USA).

METHODS

In this study, 131 patients who underwent hip phantom-based CT scan were included. Bone mineral density (BMD) of the unified region of interests (ROI) defined at the European spine phantom (ESP, German QRM) including L1 (low), L2 (medium), and L3 (high) vertebral bodies was detected for QCT quality control and horizontal calibration. Every ESP scan were taken for 10 times, and the mean BMD values measured by iCare QCT and Mindways QCT were compared. Hip CT scan was conducted with ESP as calibration individually. T-scores gained from iCare QCT and Mindways QCT were analyzed with Pearson correlation test. The detection rates of osteoporosis were compared between iCare QCT and Mindways QCT. The unified region of interests (ROI) was delineated in the QCT software.

RESULTS

The results showed that there was no significant difference between iCare QCT and Mindways QCT in the evaluation of L1, L2, and L3 vertebrae bodies in ESP. A strong correlation between iCare QCT and Mindways QCT in the assessment of hip T-score was found. It was illustrated that iCare QCT had a higher detection rate of osteoporosis with the assessment of hip T-score than Mindways QCT did. In patients < 50 years subgroup, the detection rate of osteoporosis with iCare QCT and Mindways QCT was equal. In patients ≥ 50 years subgroup, the detection rate of osteoporosis with iCare QCT (35/92, 38.0%) was higher than that with Mindways QCT. In female subgroup, the detection rate of osteoporosis with iCare QCT was significantly higher than Mindways QCT. In male subgroup, the detection rate of osteoporosis with iCare QCT was also markedly higher than Mindways QCT. The detection rate of osteoporosis by iCare QCT was higher than Mindways QCT with hip bone assessment. Of course, the results of the present study remain to be further verified by multicenter studies in the future.

Biological Evaluation of 8-Methoxy-2,5-dimethyl-5H-indolo[2,3-b] Quinoline as a Potential Antitumor Agent via PI3K/AKT/mTOR Signaling

Chemotherapy is commonly used clinically to treat colorectal cancer, but it is usually prone to drug resistance, so novel drugs need to be developed continuously to treat colorectal cancer. Neocryptolepine derivatives have attracted a lot of attention because of their good cytotoxic activity; however, cytotoxicity studies on colorectal cancer cells are scarce. In this study, the cytotoxicity of 8-methoxy-2,5-dimethyl-5H-indolo[2,3-b] quinoline (MMNC) in colorectal cells was evaluated. The results showed that MMNC inhibits the proliferation of HCT116 and Caco-2 cells, blocks the cell cycle in the G2/M phase, decreases the cell mitochondrial membrane potential and induces apoptosis. In addition, the results of western blot experiments suggest that MMNC exerts cytotoxicity by inhibiting the expression of PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway-related proteins. Based on these results, MMNC is a promising lead compound for anticancer activity in the treatment of human colorectal cancer.

Help-seeking behavior for nonsevere stress urinary incontinence among elderly women in communities, Beijing, China

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS

Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is a common health problem and influences women's quality of life significantly. In order to enhance health education according to a specific situation, it is essential to identify barriers to seeking help among elderly women with nonsevere SUI. The objectives were to investigate reasons for (not) seeking help for nonsevere SUI among women aged ≥60 years, and to analyze factors affecting help-seeking behavior.

METHODS

We enrolled 368 women aged ≥60 years with nonsevere SUI from communities. They were asked to filled out sociodemographic information, International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire Short Form (ICIQ-SF), Incontinence Quality of Life (I-QOL), and self-constructed questiones on help-seeking behavior. Mann-Whitney U tests were used to analyze the different factors between seeking group and nonseeking group.

RESULTS

Only 28 women (7.61%) had ever sought help from health professionals for SUI. The most frequent reason for seeking help was urine-soaked clothes (67.86%, 19 out of 28). The most frequent reason for not seeking help was that women thought it was normal (67.35%, 229 out of 340). Compared with the nonseeking group, the seeking group had higher total ICIQ-SF scores and lower total I-QOL scores.

CONCLUSION

Among elderly women with nonsevere SUI, the rate of seeking help was low. Lack of correct perception about the SUI kept women from doctor visits. Women who were bothered by more severe SUI and lower quality of life were more likely to seek help.

Phenotypic Analysis and Molecular Characterization of Enlarged Cell Size Mutant in Nannochloropsis oceanica

The cell cycle is the fundamental cellular process of eukaryotes. Although cell-cycle-related genes have been identified in microalgae, their cell cycle progression differs from species to species. Cell enlargement in microalgae is an essential biological trait. At the same time, there are various causes of cell enlargement, such as environmental factors, especially gene mutations. In this study, we first determined the phenotypic and biochemical characteristics of a previously obtained enlarged-cell-size mutant of Nannochloropsis oceanica, which was designated ECS. Whole-genome sequencing analysis of the insertion sites of ECS indicated that the insertion fragment is integrated inside the 5'-UTR of U/P-type cyclin CYCU;1 and significantly decreases the gene expression of this cyclin. In addition, the transcriptome showed that CYCU;1 is a highly expressed cyclin. Furthermore, cell cycle analysis and RT-qPCR of cell-cycle-related genes showed that ECS maintains a high proportion of 4C cells and a low proportion of 1C cells, and the expression level of CYCU;1 in wild-type (WT) cells is significantly increased at the end of the light phase and the beginning of the dark phase. This means that CYCU;1 is involved in cell division in the dark phase. Our results explain the reason for the larger ECS size. Mutation of CYCU;1 leads to the failure of ECS to fully complete cell division in the dark phase, resulting in an enlargement of the cell size and a decrease in cell density, which is helpful to understand the function of CYCU;1 in the Nannochloropsis cell cycle.

Defining the scope of extended NIPS in Western China: evidence from a large cohort of fetuses with normal ultrasound scans

BACKGROUND

Standard noninvasive prenatal screening(NIPS) is an accurate and reliable method to screen for common chromosome aneuploidies, such as trisomy 21, 18 and 13. Extended NIPS has been used in clinic for not only aneuploidies but also copy number variants(CNVs). Here we aim to define the range of chromosomal abnormalities that should be able to identify by NIPS in order to be an efficient extended screening test for chromosomal abnormalities.

METHODS

A prospective study was conducted, involving pregnant women without fetal sonographic structural abnormalities who underwent amniocentesis. Prenatal samples were analyzed using copy number variation sequencing(CNV-seq) to identify fetal chromosomal abnormalities.

RESULTS

Of 28,469 pregnancies included 1,022 (3.59%) were identified with clinically significant fetal chromosome abnormalities, including 587 aneuploidies (2.06%) and 435 (1.53%) pathogenic (P) / likely pathogenic (LP) CNVs. P/LP CNVs were found in all chromosomes, but the distribution was not uniform. Among them, P/LP CNVs in chromosomes 16, 22, and X exhibited the highest frequencies. In addition, P/LP CNVs were most common on distal ends of the chromosomes and in low copy repeat regions. Recurrent microdeletion/microduplication syndromes (MMS) accounted for 40.69% of total P/LP CNVs. The size of most P/LP CNVs (77.47%) was < 3 Mb.

CONCLUSIONS

In addition to aneuploidies, the scope of extended NIPS should include the currently known P/LP CNVs, especially the regions with recurrent MMS loci, distal ends of the chromosomes, and low copy repeat regions. To be effective detection should include CNVs of < 3 Mb. Meanwhile, sufficient preclinical validation is still needed to ensure the clinical effect of extended NIPS.

A chromosomal microarray analysis-based laboratory algorithm for the detection of genetic etiology of early pregnancy loss

Background: Chromosomal abnormalities are a major cause of early pregnancy loss. However, models synthesizing existing genetic technologies to improve pregnancy outcomes are lacking. We aim to provide an integrated laboratory algorithm for the genetic etiology of couples who experienced pregnancy loss. Methods: Over a 6-year period, 3,634 products of conception (POCs) following early pregnancy loss were collected. The clinical outcomes from a laboratory algorithm based on single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), and parental chromosomal karyotyping assays were comprehensively evaluated. Results: In total, 3,445 of 3,634 (94.8%) POCs had no maternal-cell contamination. Of those POCs, the detection rate of abnormal results was 65.2% (2,247/3,445), of which 91.2% (2,050/2,247) had numerical chromosomal abnormalities, 2.7% (60/2,247) had copy-number variations (CNVs) ≥10 Mb, 2.7% (61/2,247) had CNVs of terminal deletion and duplication, 2.8% (62/2,247) had CNVs <10 Mb, and 0.6% (14/2,247) had uniparental disomy. Furthermore, FISH confirmed 7 of the 60 POCs with mosaic aneuploids below 30% based on the SNP array results as tetraploid. Of the 52 POCs with CNVs of terminal deletion and duplication, 29 couples had balanced rearrangements based on chromosomal karyotyping. Conclusion: The integrated SNP array-based algorithm combined with optional FISH and parental chromosomal karyotyping is an effective laboratory testing strategy, providing a comprehensive and reliable genetic investigation for the etiology of miscarriage, regardless of the number of miscarriages and the method of conception.

Case report: Prenatal diagnosis of rare chromosome mosaicism: discordant results between chorionic villi and amniotic fluid samples

Objective: We described a unique case of near-negative chromosome mosaicism in chorionic villi but complete monosomy X in amniotic fluid. Methods: Chorionic villus sampling and amniocentesis were performed separately in the first and second trimesters. Chromosomal microarray (CMA) and rapid aneuploidy detection (QF-PCR and FISH) were performed on placental villi and uncultured amniotic fluid. After pregnancy termination, the placenta, umbilical cord, and fetal muscle tissues were sampled for FISH detection. Results: The CMA revealed a lower signal from chromosome X in chorionic villi, with a copy number of 1.85, implying the presence of mosaic monosomy X. However, the QF-PCR and FISH results were nearly normal. In uncultured amniotic fluid, CMA and rapid aneuploidy detection indicated complete monosomy X. Across different sampling points on the aborted fetus, the FISH results varied from normal, to mosaic, and then complete monosomy X. Conclusion: This case presents a rare and complex situation where sampling from uncultured chorionic villi indicated low-level chromosome mosaicism, while sampling from amniotic fluid revealed complete monosomy X. Although some of these discordant outcomes may be due to methodological limitations, we conclude that prenatal consultation should be combined with fetal ultrasound phenotype and genetic testing for a comprehensive evaluation of fetal genetic abnormalities.

Interacted toxic mechanisms of ochratoxin A and tricyclazole on the zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Despite the current efforts to identify the mixtures of chemical pollutants, they are often "binned" into their corresponding pollutant groups. Limited studies have investigated complex mixtures of chemical pollutants co-occurring across different groups. The combined toxic impacts of several substances become a critical consideration in toxicology because chemical combinations can exert a greater deleterious effect than the single components in the mixture. In the current work, we assessed the joint impacts of ochratoxin A and tricyclazole on the zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos and explored their underlying signaling pathways. Ochratoxin A displayed higher toxicity than tricyclazole, with a 10-day LC₅₀ of 0.16 mg L^-1, whereas that for tricyclazole was 1.94 mg L^-1. The combination of ochratoxin A and tricyclazole exhibited a synergistic impact on D. rerio. The activities of detoxification enzymes GST and CYP450, as well as apoptosis-associated enzyme caspase 3, were distinctly changed in most individual and mixture exposures comparing to the untreated group. Upon both individual and mixture exposures, more dramatic variations were detected in the expressions of nine genes, such as the apoptosis genes cas3 and bax, antioxidant gene mn-sod, immunosuppression gene il-1β, and the endocrine system genes trα, dio1, trβ, ugtlab, and crh, compared with the untreated group. These findings suggested that the simultaneous exposure to low doses of mycotoxins and pesticides in food commodities was more toxic than predicted from the individual chemicals. Considering the frequent co-occurrence of mycotoxins and pesticides in the diet, this synergy should be considered in future assessments.

Combined toxicity assessment of a naturally occurring toxin and a triazole fungicide on different biological processes through toxicogenomic data mining with mixtures

Fungicides are widely used to prevent fungal growth and reduce mycotoxin contamination in food, which provides the opportunity for the co-occurrence of mycotoxins and fungicide residues in food and poses a greater risk to human health. To assess the combined effects of a naturally occurring mycotoxin, citrinin (CIT), and a widely used triazole fungicide, triadimefon (TAD) on different biological processes, the comparative toxicogenomics database was used to obtain phenotypes and response genes for CIT or TAD exposure. Then individual and combined exposure models were developed with zebrafish embryos, and the interaction between CIT and TAD was analyzed using the 2 × 2 factorial design approach to observe the toxic effects. Through data mining analysis, our results showed that CIT or TAD exposure is related to different biological phenotypes, such as cell death, regulation of antioxidant systems, and thyroid hormone metabolism. Our results also showed that CIT (4-day LC₅₀ value of 12.7 mg/L) exposure possessed higher toxicity to zebrafish embryos compared with TAD (4-day LC₅₀ value of 29.6 mg/L). Meanwhile, individual exposure to CIT and TAD altered the expression levels of biomarkers related to oxidative stress, inflammation, apoptosis and hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) axis. Notably, combined exposure to CIT and TAD induced changes in the mentioned biological processes and had an interactive effect on the expression of multiple biomarkers. In conclusion, we evaluated the toxic effects of CIT and TAD in isolation and combination by in-vivo experiments, which provide a new methodological basis and reference for future risk assessment and setting of safety limits for foodborne toxicants.

[Investigation and influencing factors on pelvic floor muscle strength of 929 adult females in gynecological outpatient department]

Objective: To investigate the present situation of pelvic floor muscle strength, and to analyze the factors affecting pelvic floor muscle strength. Methods: The data of patients who were admitted into the general outpatient department of gynecology, Peking University People's Hospital from October 2021 to April 2022 were collected, and the patients who met the exclusion criteria were included in this cross sectional study. The patient's age, height, weight, education level, defecation way and defecation time, birth history, maximum newborn birth weight, occupational physical activity, sedentary time, menopause, family history and disease history were recorded by questionnaire. Morphological indexes such as waist circumference, abdomen circumference and hip circumference were measured with tape measure. Handgrip strength level was measured with grip strength instrument. After performing routine gynecological examinations, the pelvic floor muscle strength was evaluated by palpation with modified Oxford grading scale (MOS). MOS grade>3 was taken as normal group and ≤3 as decreased group. Binary logistic regression was used to investigate the related factors of deceased pelvic floor muscle strength. Results: A total of 929 patients were included in the study, and the average MOS grade was 2.8±1.2. By univariate analysis, birth history, menopausal time, defecation time, handgrip strength level, waist circumference and abdominal circumference were related to the decrease of pelvic floor muscle strength (all P<0.05). By binary logistic regression analysis, the level of handgrip strength (OR=0.913, 95%CI: 0.883-0.945; P<0.001) was correlated with normal pelvic floor muscle strength; waist circumference (OR=1.025, 95%CI: 1.005-1.046; P=0.016), birth history (OR=2.224, 95%CI: 1.570-3.149; P<0.001), sedentary time> 8 hours (OR=2.073, 95%CI: 1.198-3.587; P=0.009) were associated with the decrease of pelvic floor muscle strength. Conclusions: The level of handgrip strength is related to the normal pelvic floor muscle strength of females, while the waist circumference, birth history and sedentary time>8 hours are related to the decrease of pelvic floor muscle strength of females. In order to prevent the decrease of pelvic floor muscle strength, it is necessary to carry out relevant health education, enhance exercise, improve the overall strength level, reduce daily sedentary time, maintain symmetry, and carry out comprehensive overall intervention to improve pelvic floor muscle function.

Case report: A novel de novo deletion mutation of DYRK1A is associated with intellectual developmental disorder, autosomal dominant 7

Background

Intellectual developmental disorder 7 (also named DYRK1A syndrome) is an autosomal dominant disease. The main clinical features of DYRK1A syndrome include intellectual disability, microcephaly, and developmental delay. This study aimed to identify pathogenic variants in a Chinese girl with developmental delay, impaired social interaction, and autistic behavior.

Case presentation

The case was a 6-year-old girl. Clinical symptoms of the patient mainly included developmental delay, seizures, autistic behavior and impaired social interaction. The patient presented with microcephaly, bushy eyebrows, a short lingual frenum, binocular esotropia, bilateral valgus and external rotation, and walked with an abnormal gait. Using whole-exome sequencing, we identified a 9,424 bp de novo heterozygous deletion (containing coding exons 10, 11, and 12, and partial sequences of non-coding exon 12) in DYRK1A, which is responsible for DYRK1A syndrome. The DYRK1A variant is classified as pathogenic according to the criteria of the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics.

Conclusions

The findings of this study augment the data regarding the pathogenic variants of DYRK1A and provide important information for molecular diagnosis.

Association between pelvic floor muscle strength and sexual function based on PISQ-12-an analysis of data from a multicenter cross-sectional study on 735 nulliparae during pregnancy

Background

Pelvic floor muscle strength is well-known to be associated with female sexual function. However, there were a few studies that reported on the relationship between pelvic floor muscle strength and female sexual function in pregnant women, and the presented results were inconsistent. Nulliparae represent a specific cohort with simplicity to exclude confounding factors that are caused by parity. The present study aimed to explore the association of pelvic floor muscle strength and sexual function based on the Pelvic Organ Prolapse/Urinary Incontinence Sexual Questionnaire (PISQ-12) of nulliparae during pregnancy.

Methods

This is the second analysis of the baseline data from a randomized controlled trial (RCT), which aimed to study the protective efficacy of pelvic floor muscle training on stress urinary incontinence at 6th week postpartum (registration number: ChiCTR2000029618). Nulliparae aged 20-40 years with singleton pregnancy before 16 weeks of gestation were enrolled in this study, and data, including participants' demographic information, the Modified Oxford Scale (MOS), and PISQ-12, were collected. Eligible nulliparae were divided into two groups: Group MOS > 3 and Group MOS ≤ 3. Demographic information of the two groups was compared. Sexual function based on the PISQ-12 scores of the two groups was compared. A comparison of the PISQ-12 scores between the two groups was calculated by the Mann-Whitney U-test using SPSS version 23.0.

Results

A total of 735 eligible nulliparae were enrolled in this study. Along with MOS grading up, PISQ-12 scores tended to get lower. Of the 735 nulliparae, there were 378 and 357 participants included in Group MOS > 3 and Group MOS ≤ 3, respectively. The PISQ-12 scores of Group MOS > 3 were significantly lower than those of Group MOS ≤ 3 (11 vs. 12, p < 0.001). The scores of the frequency of feeling sexual desire, orgasm achievement, sexual excitement, sexual activity satisfaction, sexual intercourse pain, fear of urinary incontinence, and negative emotion reactions with the sexual intercourse of Group MOS > 3 were lower than those of Group MOS ≤ 3 (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

Pelvic floor muscle strength was positively associated with sexual function based on the questionnaire of young nulliparae during their first trimester. Up to half of the nulliparae during the first trimester were suffering from weak pelvic floor muscle strength and nearly a quarter of the nulliparae were facing this weakness combined with sexual dysfunction.

Trial registration

This study has been registered at http://www.chictr.org.cn (registration number: ChiCTR2000029618).

Solvent Modulation of Chiral Perovskite Films Enables High Circularly Polarized Luminescence Performance from Chiral Perovskite/Quantum Dot Composites

Materials with circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) activity are promising in many chiroptoelectronics fields, such as for biological probes, asymmetric photosynthesis, information storage, spintronic devices, and so on. Promoting the value of the dissymmetry factor (glum) for the CPL-active materials based on chiral perovskite draws increasing attention since a higher glum value indicates better CPL. In this work, we find that, after being treated with a facile solvent modulation strategy, the chirality of 2D chiral perovskite films has been enhanced a lot, which we attribute to an increased lattice distortion degree. By forming chiral perovskite/quantum dot (QD) composites, the CPL-active material is successfully obtained. The calculated maximum |glum| of these composites increased over 4 times after solvent modulation treatment (1.53 × 10-3 for the pristine sample of R-DMF and 6.91 × 10-3 for R-NMP) at room temperature. Moreover, the enhancement of the CPL intensity is ascribed to two aspects: one is the generation and transportation of spin-polarized charge carriers from chiral perovskite films to combine in the QD layer, and the other is the solvent modulation strategy to enlarge the lattice distortion of chiral perovskite films. This facile route provides an effective way to construct CPL-active materials. More importantly, this kind of composite material (chiral perovskite film/QD layer) can be easily applied for fabricating circularly polarized light-emitting diode devices for electroluminescence.

MicroRNA biomarkers of type 2 diabetes: evidence synthesis from meta-analyses and pathway modelling

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS

MicroRNAs are being sought as biomarkers for the early identification of type 2 diabetes. This study aimed to synthesise the evidence from microRNA-type 2 diabetes association studies and microRNA-regulated type 2 diabetes pathway delineation studies that met stringent quality criteria to identify and validate microRNAs of both statistical and biological significance as type 2 diabetes biomarkers.

METHODS

Eligible controlled studies on microRNA expression profiling of type 2 diabetes were retrieved from PubMed, ScienceDirect and Web of Science. MicroRNA-regulated type 2 diabetes pathway delineation studies were conducted by integrating and cross-verifying the data from miRTarBase, TransmiR, miRecords, TargetScanHuman, the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and the Retraction Watch database. Before meta-analysis, quality assessment was performed according to the corresponding reporting guidelines for evidence-based medicine. To select the most statistically significant microRNAs, we conducted extensive meta-analyses according to the latest methodology. Subgroup and sensitivity analyses were carried out to further examine the microRNA candidates for their tissue specificity and blood fraction specificity and the robustness of the evidence. Signalling pathway impact analysis of dysregulated microRNAs identified from meta-analyses was performed to select biologically significant microRNAs that were enriched in our newly built microRNA-regulated pathways.

RESULTS

Of the 404 differentially expressed microRNAs identified in the 156 controlled profiling studies with a combined sample size of >15,000, only 60 were both consistently and significantly dysregulated in human type 2 diabetes. No microRNAs were both consistently and significantly dysregulated in multiple tissues according to subgroup analyses. In total, 58 microRNAs were found to be robust in sensitivity analyses. A total of 1966 pathway delineation studies were identified, including 3290 microRNA-target interactions, which were further combined with KEGG pathways, producing 225 microRNA-regulated pathways. Impact analysis found that 16 dysregulated microRNAs identified from extensive meta-analyses were statistically significantly enriched in the augmented KEGG type 2 diabetes pathway.

CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION

Sixteen microRNAs met the criteria for biomarker selection. In terms of both significance and relevance, the order of priority for verification of these microRNAs is as follows: miR-29a-3p, miR-221-3p, miR-126-3p, miR-26a-5p, miR-503-5p, miR-100-5p, miR-101-3p, mIR-103a-3p, miR-122-5p, miR-199a-3p, miR-30b-5p, miR-130a-3p, miR-143-3p, miR-145-5p, miR-19a-3p and miR-311-3p.

REGISTRATION

PROSPERO registration number CRD42017081659.

Mitochondrial genome of Leocrates chinensis Kinberg, 1866 (Annelida: Hesionidae)

We report the complete mitochondrial genome of Leocrates chinensis Kinberg, 1866 - the type species of the genus. It is 15061 bp long, and contains 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 tRNA genes (tRNAs), and 2 rRNA genes (rRNAs), and 1 putative control region. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that L. chinensis was placed as sister to Sirsoe methanicola (BS = 100) of the same family Hesionidae.

Design, synthesis, and cytotoxic activities of isaindigotone derivatives as potential anti-gastric cancer agents

A series of novel derivatives of isaindigotone, which comes from the root of isaits indinatca Fort, were synthesised (Compound 1-26). Four human gastrointestinal cancer cells (HCT116, PANC-1, SMMC-7721, and AGS) were employed to evaluate the anti-proliferative activity. Among them, Compound 6 displayed the most effective inhibitory activity on AGS cells with an IC₅₀ (50% inhibitory concentration) value of 2.2 μM. The potential mechanism study suggested that Compound 6 induced apoptosis in AGS cells. The collapse of mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) in AGS cells was proved. In docking analysis, good affinity interaction between Compound 6 and AKT1 was discovered. Treatment of AGS cells with Compound 6 also resulted in significant suppression of PI3K/AKT/mTOR signal pathway. The collapse of MMP and suppression of PI3K/AKT/mTOR signal pathway may be responsible for induction of apoptosis. This derivative Compound 6 could be useful as an underlying anti-tumour agent for treatment of gastric cancer.

Sex Differences in Protein Expression and Their Perturbations in Amniotic Fluid Cells of Down Syndrome Fetuses

Down syndrome (DS) is the most common chromosomal condition associated with intellectual disability and is characterized by a variety of additional clinical findings. The pathogenesis of DS and the differences between the sexes are not clear. In order to identify differentially expressed proteins that might be employed as potential biological markers and elucidate the difference in pathogenesis between different genders of T21 fetuses, providing clues for individualized detection and treatment is essential. Amniocyte samples of T21 males, T21 females, CN males, and CN females were collected by amniocentesis. The quantitative value of the peptide corresponding to each sample was determined through quantitative analysis by mass spectrometry. We identified many differentially expressed proteins between T21 fetuses and CN fetuses/T21 males and CN males/T21 females and CN females/and T21 males and T21 females. These differential proteins are associated with many important biological processes and affect the development of multiple systems, including the heart, hematopoietic, immune, reproductive, and nervous systems. Our results show sex-specific modulation of protein expression and biological processes and provide new insights into sex-specific differences in the pathogenesis of DS.

Design, Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Neocryptolepine Derivatives as Potential Anti-Gastric Cancer Agents

Natural products play an important role in drug development and lead compound synthesis. Neocryptolepine is a polycyclic quinoline compound isolated from Cryptolepis sanguinolent. The cytotoxicity of neocryptolepine to gastric cancer cells AGS, MKN45, HGC27, and SGC7901 was not very strong, and it also had certain toxicity to gastric mucosa cells GES-1. Therefore, a series of neocryptolepine derivatives were synthesized by the modification of the structure of neocryptolepine, and their cytotoxicity was evaluated. The results showed that compounds C5 and C8 exhibited strong cytotoxicity to AGS cells. The cell colony formation and cell migration experiments suggested that compounds C5 and C8 could inhibit the proliferation and cell migration of AGS and HGC27 cells. Cell cycle and apoptosis experiments showed that compounds C5 and C8 did not cause the apoptosis of AGS and HGC27 cells but, mainly, caused cell necrosis. Compound C5 had no significant effect on AGS and HGC27 cell cycles at low concentration. After treatment with AGS cells for 24 h at high concentration, compound C5 could significantly arrest the AGS cell cycle in the G2/M phase. Compound C8 had no significant effect on the AGS and HGC27 cell cycles. The results of molecular docking and Western blot showed that compounds C5 and C8 might induce cytotoxicity through the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. Therefore, compounds C5 and C8 may be promising lead compounds for the treatment of gastric cancer.

Effect of Pelvic Floor Workout on Pelvic Floor Muscle Function Recovery of Postpartum Women: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND

There is a risk of pelvic floor dysfunction (PFD) from baby delivery. Many clinical guidelines recommend pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) as the conservative treatment for PFD because pelvic floor muscles (PFMs) play a crucial role in development of PFD. However, there is disagreement about the method and intensity of PFM training and the relevant measurements. To pilot the study in PFM training, we designed a Pelvic Floor Workout (PEFLOW) for women to train their pelvic through entire body exercises, and we planned a trial to evaluate its effectiveness through comparing the outcomes from a group of postpartum women who perform PELFLOW at home under professional guidance online with the control group.

METHODS/DESIGN

The randomized controlled trial was projected to be conducted from November 2021 to March 2023. A total of 260 postpartum women would be recruited from the obstetrics departments of the study hospital and women would be eligible for participation randomized into experimental or control groups (EG/CG) if their PFM strength are scaled by less than Modified Oxford grading Scale (MOS) to be less than grade 3. Women in EG would perform a 12-week PEFLOW online under the supervision and guidance of a physiotherapist, while women in CG would have no interventions. Assessments would be conducted at enrollment, post intervention (for EG) or 18th to 24th week postpartum (for CG), and 1 year postpartum. Assessment would be performed in terms of pelvic floor symptoms, including MOS, cough stress test, urinary leakage symptoms, pelvic organ prolapse quantitation (POP-Q), and vaginal relaxation, clinic examinations including Pelvic floor electrophysiological test, Pelvic floor ultrasound and Spine X-ray, overall body test including trunk endurance test, handgrip test, body composition test, and questionnaires including International Physical Activity Questionnaire Score-Short Form(IPAQ-SF), Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory Questionnaire-20 (PFDI-20), Pelvic Floor Impact Questionnaire-7 (PFIQ-7), the 6-item Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI-6), and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Primary analysis will be performed to test our main hypothesis that PEFLOW is effective with respect to strengthen PFM strength.

DISCUSSION

This trial will demonstrate that pelvic floor-care is accessible to most women and clinical practice on PFD may change relevantly should this study find that Online PEFLOW approach is effective to improve PFMs.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT05218239.

Autophagy activation by Terminalia chebula Retz. reduce Aβ generation by shifting APP processing toward non-amyloidogenic pathway in APPswe transgenic SH-SY5Y cells

BACKGROUND

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disease. Deposition of amyloid β plaques (Aβ) is a central hallmark of AD. Accumulating evidence suggest that shifting amyloid precursor protein (APP) metabolism pathway to non-amyloidogenic ways and inducing autophagy play key roles in AD pathology. In published reports, there is no research on the APP metabolic process of Terminalia chebula Retz. (T. Chebula).

PURPOSE

The study aims to assess the effects of T. Chebula in AD transgenic SH-SY5Y cells to determine its underlying mechanisms on reducing Aβ level by regulating APP metabolic process.

METHODS

The effects of T. Chebula water extract (TWE) on APPswe transgenic SH-SY5Y cells were analyzed by cell viability. ELISA used to quantify extracellular Aβ_1-40 and Aβ_1-42 generations. Western blot and RT-PCR assays were chosen to detect the expression of proteins and genes. The acridine orange (AO) stain was used to label autophagic-vesicles.

RESULTS

Treatment with TWE significantly suppressed the Aβ_1-40 and Aβ_1-42 generations of APPswe transgenic cells. TWE inhibited amyloidogenic pathway by reducing BACE1 expression, and promote non-amyloidogenic pathway by inducing ADAM10 level of APP metabolism. Additionally, TWE induced autophagy in APPswe transgenic cells involved in APP metabolism to shift the balance to non-amyloidogenic pathway.

CONCLUSION

In summary, our finding first time expounded that TWE can inhibit the generation of Aβ_1-40 and Aβ_1-42 in APPswe transgenic SH-SY5Y cells, which were regulated APP metabolism tends to non-amyloid metabolism pathway and mediated by autophagy. The results presented a novel finding for AD treatment of traditional natural medicines.

Polystyrene micro- and nano-particle coexposure injures fetal thalamus by inducing ROS-mediated cell apoptosis

The adverse effects of plastic on adult animal and human health have been receiving increasing attention. However, its potential toxicity to fetuses has not been fully elucidated. Herein, biodistribution of polystyrene (PS) particles was determined after the maternal mice were orally given PS micro- and/or nano-particles with and without surface modifications during gestational days 1 to 17. The results showed that PS microplastics (MPs) and nanoparticles (NPs) mainly emerged in the alimentary tract, brain, uterus, and placenta in maternal mice, and only the latter infiltrated into the fetal thalamus. PS NPs and carboxyl-modified NPs induced differentially expressed genes mainly enriched in oxidative phosphorylation and GABAergic synapse. Maternal administration of PS particles during gestation led to anxiety-like behavior of the progenies and their γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) reduction in the prefrontal cortex and amygdala at Week 8. N-Acetylcysteine (NAC), an antioxidant, alleviated PS particles-induced oxidative injury in the fetal brain and rescued the anxiety-like behavior of the progenies. Additionally, PS nanoparticles caused excessive ROS and apoptosis in neuronal cell lines, which were prevented by glutathione supplementation. These results suggested that PS particles produced a negative effect on fetuses by inducing oxidative injury and suppressing GABA synthesis in their brain. The findings contribute to estimating the risk for PS particles to human and animal health.

Case Report: Preimplantation Genetic Testing for X-Linked Severe Combined Immune Deficiency Caused by IL2RG Gene Variant

Preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) has been increasingly used to prevent rare inherited diseases. In this study, we report a case where PGT was used to prevent the transmission of disease-caused variant in a SCID-X1 (OMIM:300400) family. SCID-X1 is an X-linked recessive inherited disease whose major clinical manifestation of immune deficiency is the significant reduction in the number of T-cells and natural killer cells. This family gave birth to a boy who was a hemizygous proband whose IL2RG gene was mutated (c.315T > A, p(Tyr105*), NM_000206.3, CM962677). In this case, Sanger sequencing for mutated allele and linkage analysis based on single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) haplotype via next-generation sequencing were performed simultaneously. After PGT for monogenic disorder, we detected the aneuploidy and copy number variation (CNV) for normal and female carrier embryos. Four embryos (E02, E09, E10, and E11) were confirmed without CNVs and inherited variants at the IL2RG gene. Embryo E02 (ranking 4BB) has been transferred after considering the embryo growth rate, morphology, and PGT results. Prenatal genetic diagnosis was used to detect amniotic fluid cells, showing that this fetus did not carry the variant of the IL2RG gene (c.315T > A). Ultimately, a healthy girl who had not carried disease-causing variants of SCID-X1 confirmed by prenatal diagnosis was born, further verifying our successful application of PGT in preventing mutated allele transmission for this SCID family.

Baicalin alleviates endometrial inflammatory injury through regulation of tight junction proteins

Endometritis is the foremost reason for reduced reproductive performance, which impedes the establishment of pregnancy in ruminants. Baicalin is extensively acknowledged as a tocolytic drug. However, the preventive effect of baicalin on endometrial inflammatory injury remains unclear. The present study aimed to determine the potential benefits of baicalin on endometrial inflammatory injury in animal and cellular models. The results showed that baicalin alleviated the impairment of tight junctions (TJs) and inflammation in the endometrium induced by LPS treatment. Baicalin increased claudin 3 (CLDN3) and tight junction protein 1 (TJP1) levels in a dose-dependent manner in endometrial epithelial cells (EECs) accompanied by autophagy activation with or without LPS treatment. Immunofluorescence staining revealed that baicalin pretreatment prompted MAP1LC3B-positive structures to surround TJ proteins in the cytoplasm and decreased the abnormal aggregation of CLDN3 and TJP1 in the cytosol of EECs. Activation or blockage of autophagy using pharmacologic methods affected the redistribution of TJ proteins by baicalin pretreatment with LPS treatment. The role of autophagy in the modulation of TJ proteins was also confirmed by ATG7 and TFEB overexpression, as evidenced by accelerated redistribution of CLDN3 and TJP1 from the EEC cytosol to the membrane and a loss of membranous CLDN2 in EECs. These data demonstrate that baicalin influences the redistribution of TJ proteins to maintain the barrier function during LPS-induced endometrial inflammatory injury by regulating autophagy and provides a new therapeutic to potentially prevent embryo loss and endometritis.

Identification and Validation of Novel Immune-Related Alternative Splicing Signatures as a Prognostic Model for Colon Cancer

Background

Individual immune-related alternative splicing (AS) events have been found to be significant in immune regulation and cancer prognosis. However, a comprehensive analysis of AS events in cancer cells based on immune-related genes (IRGs) has not been performed, and its clinical value is unknown.

Methods

Colon cancer cases with AS data were obtained from TCGA, and then, we identified overall survival-related AS events (OS-ASEs) based on IRGs by univariate analyses. Using Lasso regression, multivariate Cox regression, Kaplan–Meier analysis and nomograms, we constructed an AS risk model based on the calculated risk score. Furthermore, associations of the risk score with clinical and immune features were confirmed through the Wilcoxon rank sum test, association analysis, etc. Finally, by qRT–PCR, cell coculture and CCK-8 analyses, we validated the significance of OS-ASEs in colon cancer cell lines and clinical samples.

Results

A total of 3,119 immune-related AS events and 183 OS-ASEs were identified, and 9 OS-ASEs were ultimately used to construct a comprehensive risk model for colon cancer patients. Low-risk patients had better OS and DFS rates than high risk patients. Furthermore, a high risk score corresponded to high numbers of multiple tumour-infiltrating immune cells and high expression of HLA-D region genes and immune checkpoint genes. Notably, we identified for the first time that anti-PD-L1 or anti-CTLA-4 antibodies may decrease the OS of specific colon cancer patients in the low-risk group. Additionally, the in vitro experiment validated that CD46-9652-ES and PSMC5-43011-ES are positively correlated with the infiltration of immune cells and promote the growth of colon cancer cells. CD46-9652-ES can contribute to T cell-mediated tumour cell killing. PSMC5-43011-ES was observed to induce M2 polarization of macrophages.

Conclusions

This study identified and validated immune-related prognostic AS signatures that can be used as a novel AS prognostic model and provide a novel understanding of the relationship between the immune microenvironment and clinical outcomes.

Pseudemcibacter aquimaris gen. nov., sp. nov., isolated from an aquaculture farm

A rod-shaped, Gram-stain-negative, aerobic and non-motile bacterium, designated strain Y4T, was isolated from an aquaculture farm in Xiamen, PR China. Strain Y4T had 94.8, 93.3 and 91.8 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity to Paremcibacter congregatus ZYLT, Emcibacter nanhaiensis HTCJW17T and Luteithermobacter gelatinilyticus MEBiC09520T, respectively. The genomic DNA G+C content of strain Y4T was 42.7 mol%. The average amino acid identity and percentage of conserved proteins values between strain Y4T and type strains of the family Emcibacteraceae were 57.9–58.6 % and 44.5–47.6 %, respectively. Optimal growth was observed at 28 °C, at pH 7.0 and with 2 % (w/v) NaCl. The novel strain Y4T required Ca2+, K+ and Mg2+ ions in addition to NaCl for growth. The dominant fatty acids of strain Y4T were summed feature 3 (C16 : 1  ω7c/C16 : 1  ω6c), summed feature 8 (C18 : 1  ω7c/C18 : 1  ω6c) and C14 : 0 2-OH. The polar lipid profile contained phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidyglycerol, three unidentified aminolipids, four unidentified aminophospholipids and two unidentified lipids. Cells contained exclusively ubiquinone Q-10. On the basis of the polyphasic analysis, strain Y4T (=MCCC 1K06278T=KCTC 82926T) is considered to represent a novel species in a novel genus of the family Emcibacteraceae , for which the name Pseudemcibacter aquimaris gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed.

The Growth, Lipid Accumulation and Fatty Acid Profile Analysis by Abscisic Acid and Indol-3-Acetic Acid Induced in Chlorella sp. FACHB-8

Microalgae are considered a promising source for biodiesel. The addition of plant hormone can exert a significant impact on the production of microalgae biomass and lipid accumulation. Nevertheless, the response of microalgae cells to hormones is species- or strain-dependent. It remains controversial which genes involved in strong increase of fatty acids production in response to abscisic acid (ABA) in Chlorella sp. FACHB-8 strain. We investigated cell growth, lipid accumulation, and fatty acid composition when ABA and indol-3-acetic acid (IAA) were used in the growth medium of Chlorella sp. FACHB-8. The four treatments, including 5 mg/L IAA (E1), 10 mg/L IAA (E2), 10 mg/L ABA (E3), the combination of 5 mg/L IAA and 5 mg/L ABA (E4), were found to increase cell growth, but only 10 mg/L ABA treatment could enhance the lipid accumulation. The fatty acid profile was changed by the addition of ABA, making fatty acids afflux from polyunsaturated fatty acids to monounsaturated and saturated fatty acids, which were suitable for diesel application. Furthermore, a transcriptome analysis was conducted, unraveling the differentially expressed genes enriched in fatty acid biosynthesis, fatty acid metabolism, and biosynthesis of the unsaturated fatty acid pathway in response to ABA. Our results clarified the correlation of fatty acid synthesis-related genes and fatty acid profiles, helping understand the potential response mechanism of Chlorella sp. FACHB-8 strain respond to ABA treatment.

[Sleep quality and sleep disturbances in Chinese pregnant women: a multicenter cross-sectional study]

Objective: This study aims to investigate the sleep quality of pregnant women in Xuhui District, Shanghai, and the related factors of sleep disturbances during pregnancy. Methods: From February 2019 to February 2021, we used online integrated sleep questionnaire (including PSQI, BQ, ESS, AIS) in Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, The International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospitals of China Welfare Institution, and Shanghai Eighth People's Hospital, to investigate the sleep quality across pregnancy. We also collected maternal physical examination results, childbearing history, sociodemographic, and other clinical data. The prevalences and related factors of various sleep disturbances in pregnant women were analyzed, including insufficient/excessive nighttime sleep, low sleep efficiency, difficulty falling asleep, poor sleep quality, insomnia, daytime sleepiness, and high risk of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB). Results: This study includes 1 898 cases in the first trimester (T1), 3 099 cases in the second trimester (T2), and 1 539 cases in the third trimester (T3). Poor sleep quality (38.6%), daytime sleepiness (mild 41.9%, moderate 17.7%, severe 2.1%), and suspicious insomnia (32.3%) are most prevalent among women in T1 (P<0.01). In comparison, short sleep time (2.7%), long sleep time (8.6%), difficulty falling asleep (12.2%), poor sleep efficiency (35.4%), very poor sleep quality (6.7%), clinical insomnia (21.8%), and high-risk SDB (6.4%) are most prevalent among women in T3 (P<0.05). During pregnancy, late gestation (OR=1.016, 95%CI: 1.006-1.025) and multiple induced/drug abortions (OR=1.329, 95%CI: 1.043-1.692) are risk factors for poor sleep quality (PSQI>5), while multiple full-term deliveries (OR=0.800, 95%CI: 0.675-0.949) is its protective factor. Advanced maternal age (OR=0.976, 95%CI: 0.956-0.997), multiple full-term deliveries (OR=0.808, 95%CI: 0.680-0.959), late gestation (OR=0.983, 95%CI: 0.974-0.992) and hypertension (OR=0.572, 95%CI: 0.401-0.814) are protective factors for daytime sleepiness (ESS>6). The high-risk pregnancy category (OR=9.312, 95%CI: 1.156-74.978) is a risk factor for insomnia (AIS≥4), while multiple full-term deliveries (OR=0.815, 95%CI: 0.691-0.961) is its protective factor. High BMI (OR=1.334, 95%CI: 1.270-1.402) and hypertension (OR=4.427, 95%CI: 2.539-7.719) are risk factors for high-risk SDB in pregnant women. Conclusions: The prevalences of various sleep disturbances are high throughout pregnancy. Noticeably, symptoms of maternal SDB develop along with pregnancy. Different types of sleep disturbances are associated with different factors. Women of high-risk pregnancy category, in late gestation, with high BMI, hypertension, a history of induced/drug abortion, or without a history of full-term delivery can be at high risk of sleep disturbances during pregnancy.

Analysis of autosomal dominant genes impacted by copy number loss in 24,844 fetuses without structural abnormalities

Background

The broad application of high-resolution chromosome detection technology in prenatal diagnosis has identified copy number loss (CNL) involving autosomal dominant (AD) genes in certain fetuses. Exon sequencing of fetuses exhibiting structural anomalies yields diagnostic information in up to 20% of cases. However, there is currently no relevant literature about the genetic origin and pregnancy outcome of CNL involving AD genes in fetuses without structural abnormalities.

Results

This was a prospective study involving pregnant women who underwent amniocentesis for fetal copy number variation sequencing (CNVseq). Detection of parent-of-origin was suggested in cases of samples with CNL involving AD genes and the pregnancy outcome was monitored. Amniotic fluid samples from 24,844 fetuses without structural abnormalities were successfully tested via CNVseq. The results showed that 134 fetuses (0.5%) had small CNL (< 10 Mb) containing AD genes, after excluding microdeletion and microduplication syndrome and polymorphisms. By monitoring the pregnancy outcomes of the 134 fetuses, we found that 104 (77.6%) were good, 13 (9.7%) were adverse, and 17 (12.7%) pregnant women voluntarily chose to terminate pregnancy. Of the 13 fetuses with adverse pregnancy outcomes, only 2 fetuses had phenotypes consistent with those of diseases caused by AD genes involved in CNL.

Conclusions

The overall prognosis for fetuses without family history or structural abnormalities but with small CNL containing AD genes detected during pregnancy is good. The genetic origin, overlap status of established haploinsufficient gene and/or region, size of the CNL, and genetic mode may affect the pathogenicity of the CNL.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12864-022-08340-y.

Effects of La2O3contents on microstructure and properties of laser-cladded 5wt%CaB6/HA bioceramic coating

In the present work, 5wt%CaB6/HA bioceramic coatings with different La2O3contents (0-0.6wt%) have been fabricated by a laser cladding technique on Ti-6Al-4V. The effects of La2O3 contents on microstructure and properties of the laser-cladded 5wt%CaB6/HA coatings have been carefully investigated. The results show that the microstructure is obviously refined, and the structure is relatively uniform after doping 0.2-0.4 wt% La2O3. As the La2O3 content increases, the corrosion resistance are found to increase firstly and then gradually decrease. The XRD analysis confirms that the amount of HA and TCP in the coating reaches maximum after doping 0.2wt% La2O3. The La2O3-doped coatings show a significantly higher bone-like apatite precipitation after immersion in SBF compared with La2O3-free coating. In vitro experiment also shows that 5wt%CaB6/HA bioceramic coatings with 0.2-0.4wt% La2O3 are more suitable for the attachment and proliferation of MG63 cells, exhibiting superior bioactivity and biocompatibility.

[Diagnosis and treatment status of perioperative anemia in patients with gastrointestinal neoplasms: a multi-center study in Hubei Province]

Objective: To investigate the incidence and treatment of perioperative anemia in patients with gastrointestinal neoplasms in Hubei Province. Methods: The clinicopathological data of 7 474 patients with gastrointestinal neoplasms in 62 hospitals in 15 cities (state) of Hubei Province in 2019 were collected in the form of network database. There were 4 749 males and 2 725 females. The median age of the patients was 62 years (range: 17 to 96 years). The hemoglobin value of the first time in hospital and the first day after operation was used as the criterion of preoperative anemia and postoperative anemia. Anemia was defined as male hemoglobin <120 g/L and female hemoglobin <110.0 g/L, mild anemia as 90 to normal, moderate anemia as 60 to <90 g/L, severe anemia as <60 g/L. The t test and χ² test were used for inter-group comparison. Results: The overall incidence of preoperative anemia was 38.60%(2 885/7 474), and the incidences of mild anemia, moderate anemia and severe anemia were 25.09%(1 875/7 474), 11.37%(850/7 474) and 2.14%(160/7 474), respectively. The overall incidence of postoperative anemia was 61.40%(4 589/7 474). The incidence of mild anemia, moderate anemia and severe anemia were 48.73%(3 642/7 474), 12.20%(912/7 474) and 0.47%(35/7 474), respectively. The proportion of preoperative anemia patients receiving treatment was 26.86% (775/2 885), and the proportion of postoperative anemia patients receiving treatment was 14.93% (685/4 589). The proportions of preoperative anemia patients in grade ⅢA, grade ⅢB, and grade ⅡA hospitals receiving treatment were 26.12% (649/2 485), 32.32% (85/263), and 29.93% (41/137), and the proportions of postoperative anemia patients receiving treatment were 14.61% (592/4 052), 22.05% (73/331), and 9.71% (20/206). The proportion of intraoperative blood transfusion (16.74% (483/2 885) vs. 3.05% (140/4 589), χ²=434.555, P<0.01) and the incidence of postoperative complications (17.78% (513/2 885) vs. 14.08% (646/4 589), χ²=18.553, P<0.01) in the preoperative anemia group were higher than those in the non-anemia group, and the postoperative hospital stay in the preoperative anemia group was longer than that in the non-anemia group ((14.1±7.3) days vs. (13.3±6.2) days, t=5.202, P<0.01). Conclusions: The incidence of perioperative anemia in patients with gastrointestinal neoplasms is high. Preoperative anemia can increase the demand for intraoperative blood transfusion and affect the short-term prognosis of patients. At present, the concept of standardized treatment of perioperative anemia among gastrointestinal surgeons in Hubei Province needs to be improved.

[Obstructive sleep apnea and metabolic syndrome: an association study based on a large sample clinical database]

Objective: To investigate the prevalence and associated risk factors of metabolic syndrome (MS) in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Methods: From July 2007 to June 2017, a total of 8 155 adult subjects, including 6 484 males and 1 671 females, aged 18-90 (43.13±12.28), body mass index 14.61~59.56 (25.59±3.98) kg/m²,who were admitted to the Department of Otorhinolaryngology head and Neck surgery of The Sixth People's Hospital affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University, were retrospectively analyzed. All patients underwent polysomnography and biochemical tests. Subjects were divided into four groups (non-OSA, mild OSA, moderate OSA, and severe OSA) according to OSA severity. The prevalence of MS was expressed as percentage, and the correlation between OSA and MS and its characteristic pathophysiological indicators was evaluated by logistic regression model after adjusting for factors such as gender, age, BMI, neck circumference, hip circumference, smoking and alcohol consumption, and was expressed by odds ratio (OR). SPSS 25.0 software was used for statistical analysis. Results: The overall prevalence of MS was 43.6%, and that of non-/mild/moderate/severe OSA group was 18.6%, 30.4%, 43.8%, 57.1%.Logistic regression showed that patients with mild/moderate/severe OSA had an increased risk of MS compared with non-OSA patients, with adjusted OR values and confidence intervals of 1.27 (1.05-1.54), 1.84 (1.53-2.22), and 2.08 (1.76-2.46), respectively (P<0.01).In addition, indicators of OSA anoxic burden [oxygen drop index(T_oxygen=7.1), minimum blood oxygen(T_minimum=56.3), blood oxygen saturation below 90% cumulative time ratio (T_CT90=10.6) ]were closely associated with MS disease(P<0.01), but sleep fragmentation index (arousals index) was not significantly associated with MS disease. Conclusion: The risk of MS gradually increases with the severity of OSA, and the indicators reflecting OSA hypoxia burden are closely related to MS disease.

HM-3-HSA exhibits potent anti-angiogenesis and antitumor activity in hepatocellular carcinoma

HM-3-HSA is an antitumor fusion protein which improved the pharmacokinetics of HM-3. Previous studies reported that HM-3-HSA enhanced antitumor activity of HM-3 in melanoma cells. However, the efficacy and the mechanism of HM-3-HSA in hepatocellular carcinoma, especially its effect on tumor angiogenesis, have not been elucidated. Herein, we showed that HM-3-HSA significantly inhibited the H22 and SMMC-7721 tumor xenografts growth and tumor angiogenesis in vivo, indicating the antitumor activity exerted by HM-3-HSA was closely corrected with its potency on tumor angiogenesis. To investigate the anti-angiogenic mechanism, we evaluated the efficacy of HM-3-HSA in HUVECs in vitro. The results showed that multiple steps of tumor angiogenesis, including endothelial cell proliferation, migration, invasion and tube formation, were substantially inhibited by HM-3-HSA. Mechanism investigations revealed that HM-3-HSA could bind HUVECs via integrin αvβ3 and α5β1 and inhibited phosphorylation of the downstream protein kinases including FAK, Src and PI3 K. Our study was the first to report the activity of HM-3-HSA against hepatocellular carcinoma and tumor angiogenesis as well as the underlying mechanism by which HM-3-HSA to exert its anti-angiogenic activity.

Mixed polysaccharides derived from shiitake mushroom, Poriacocos, Ginger, and Tangerine peel prevent the H1N1 virus infections in mice

The pandemic influenza A (H1N1) virus spread globally and posed one of the most serious global public health challenges. The traditional Chinese medicine is served as a complementary treatment strategy with vaccine immunization. Here, we demonstrated that the mixed polysaccharides (MPs) derived from shiitake mushroom, poriacocos, ginger, and tyangerine peel prevent the H1N1 virus infections in mice. MP pretreatment attenuated H1N1 virus-induced weight loss, clinical symptoms, and death. The lymphocytes detection results showed that the CD3+, CD19+, and CD25+ cell proportions were upregulated in thymus under MP pretreatment. Besides, MP pretreatment reduced the inflammatory cell infiltration and increased the cell proportions of CD19+, CD25+, and CD278+ in lung. However, MP treatment have no effective therapeutic effect after H1N1 virus challenge. The current study suggested that pretreatment with MPs could attenuate H1N1 virus-induced lung injury and upregulate humoral and cellular immune responses in nonimmunized mice.

Generation and Export of Red Blood Cell ATP in Health and Disease

Metabolic homeostasis in animals depends critically on evolved mechanisms by which red blood cell (RBC) hemoglobin (Hb) senses oxygen (O₂) need and responds accordingly. The entwined regulation of ATP production and antioxidant systems within the RBC also exploits Hb-based O₂-sensitivity to respond to various physiologic and pathophysiologic stresses. O₂ offloading, for example, promotes glycolysis in order to generate both 2,3-DPG (a negative allosteric effector of Hb O₂ binding) and ATP. Alternatively, generation of the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) critical for reducing systems is favored under the oxidizing conditions of O₂ abundance. Dynamic control of ATP not only ensures the functional activity of ion pumps and cellular flexibility, but also contributes to the availability of vasoregulatory ATP that can be exported when necessary, for example in hypoxia or upon RBC deformation in microvessels. RBC ATP export in response to hypoxia or deformation dilates blood vessels in order to promote efficient O₂ delivery. The ability of RBCs to adapt to the metabolic environment via differential control of these metabolites is impaired in the face of enzymopathies [pyruvate kinase deficiency; glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency], blood banking, diabetes mellitus, COVID-19 or sepsis, and sickle cell disease. The emerging availability of therapies capable of augmenting RBC ATP, including newly established uses of allosteric effectors and metabolite-specific additive solutions for RBC transfusates, raises the prospect of clinical interventions to optimize or correct RBC function via these metabolite delivery mechanisms.