Sub-chronic exposure to hexaconazole affects the lipid metabolism of rats through mTOR-PPAR-γ/SREBP1 signaling pathway mediated by oxidative stress

Hexaconazole (Hex) is a widely used and high frequency detected triazole fungicide in agricultural products and environment which may pose potential toxicity to the nontargeted organisms. Hex had been reported to affect lipid homeostasis while the mechanism was undefined. This study aims to explore the characteristic lipidomic profiles and clarify the underlying signaling pathways of Hex-induced lipid metabolism disorder in rat liver. The results showed that sub-chronic exposure to environmental related concentrations of Hex caused histopathological changes, oxidative stress, fat accumulation, lipid biochemical parameter increase in rats. Moreover, the untargeted lipidomic analysis showed that the levels of TAG, PC, and PE and the pathway of glycerophospholipid metabolism were heavily altered by Hex. We further analyzed the lipid metabolism related genes and proteins which revealed that Hex exposure increased amount of lipogenesis by activating oxidative stress-mediated mTOR-PPAR-γ/SREBP1 signaling pathways. The imbalance of lipid homeostasis induced by Hex exposure might further lead to obesity, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), and hyperlipidemia. Our results provided systematic and comprehensive evidence for the mechanism of Hex-induced lipid metabolism disorder at environmental concentrations and supplied a certain basis for its health risks assessment.

Effect of Processing on Reduction in Chiral Pesticide Hexaconazole for Kiwifruit Juice

In this study, the residue levels of chiral pesticide hexaconazole during kiwifruit juice processing (peeling, homogenization, and sterilization) were investigated by using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and the dietary risk during these processes was also assessed. Hexaconazole was applied at dosages of 173.33 and 346.66 mg/L (recommended and double recommended dosage) in kiwifruit. In the peeling process, 87.7% to 89.2% of the residues were decreased after peeling. Levels of hexaconazole residues in homogenization and sterilization processes further increased from 0.49% to 24.3% and from 0.2% to 3.0%, respectively. Processing factors (PFs) for (+)- and (-)-hexaconazole after peeling, homogenization, and sterilization were 0.12, 0.88, 0.99 for low-dose treatment and 0.12, 0.87, 0.99 for high-dose treatment, respectively. The enantioselectivity of hexaconazole during these procedures was evaluated by enantiomeric fractions (EFs) values, which were around 0.5 throughout all the procedures, indicating that hexaconazole enantiomers had similar dissipation behaviors during kiwifruit juice processing. The RQc of hexaconazole in pre-peeling samples was significantly greater than 100% under two dosages, while the peeling process can notably decrease the values to an acceptable level. The results of this study could provide guidance for agriculture applications and kiwi commodity production to decrease the risk of hexaconazole residue.

Enantioselective toxicity effect and mechanism of hexaconazole enantiomers to human breast cancer cells

The toxicity effects of chiral pesticides on living organisms have attracted an increasing public attention. This study aims to investigate the toxicity effect and mechanism of hexaconazole (HEX) to human breast cancer cell (MCF-7) at enantiomer levels. HEX exposure obviously inhibited cells activities in a dose-dependent manner. Under the conditions of VIP >1 and p < 0.05, a total of 255 and 177 differential metabolites (DMs), 17 and 15 amino acid- and lipid-related metabolic pathways were disturbed after (+)-HEX and (-)-HEX exposure, respectively. HEX exposure may affect cell membrane function, signal transduction, and cell differentiation. We further investigated the mechanism of enantioselective differences by using molecular docking which showed that CYP17A1 was the main enzyme that leading to endocrine disrupting effects with the binding energy of -6.30 and -6.08 kcal/mol compared to CYP19A1 enzyme which were -5.81 and -5.93 kcal/mol for (+)-HEX and (-)-HEX, respectively. The docking results explained the reasons why (+)-HEX achieved higher cytotoxicity and induced more seriously metabolic profiles than its antipode. These findings could provide a new insight to understand the enantioselective cytotoxicity effect and mechanism of HEX and will be conducive to assessing its risk to human health at enantiomer levels.

Stereoselective Toxicokinetic and Distribution Study on the Hexaconazole Enantiomers in Mice

Hexaconazole (Hex) has been widely used in agricultural products, and its residues may pose a potential risk to human health. However, the metabolic behavior of Hex enantiomers in mammal organisms is still unknown, which is important for evaluating the differences in their toxicity. In this study, the distribution of S-(+)- and R-(-)-Hex in mice was detected by an ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS), and the mechanism differences in the toxicokinetic behavior were analyzed by molecular docking. Good linearities, accuracies, and precisions were achieved for S-(+)- and R-(-)-Hex, with recoveries of 88.7~104.2% and RSDs less than 9.45% in nine tissues of mice. This established method was then used to detect the toxicokinetic of Hex enantiomers in mice after oral administration within 96 h. The results showed that the half-lives of S-(+)- and R-(-)-Hex were 3.07 and 3.71 h in plasma. Hex was mainly accumulated in the liver, followed by the kidneys, brain, lungs, spleen, and heart. The enantiomeric fraction (EF) values of Hex enantiomers in most of the samples were below 1, indicating that S-(+)-Hex decreased faster than its antipode. The molecular docking showed that the binding of S-(+)-Hex with P450arom was much more stable than R-(-)-Hex, which verified the fact that S-(+)-Hex was prefer to decrease in most of the tissues. The results of this study could be helpful for further evaluating the potential toxic risk of Hex enantiomers and for the development and usage of its pure monomer.

[AZD9291 suppresses proliferation and migration of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells by inhibiting the PI3K-AKT-mTOR pathway]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the effects of AZD9291 on the proliferation and migration of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells.

METHODS

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma HNE1 and CNE2Z cells were treated with AZD9291 at the doses of 0.5, 1, 2, 4, and 8 μmol/L and at the doses of 1, 2, 4, 8, and 16 μmol/L, respectively. Cell survival was measured using CCK8 assay, and proliferation inhibition of the cells after AZD9291 treatment was examined with colony-forming assay; the cell repair and migration abilities were determined using scratch assay and Transwell experiment. The expressions of EGFR-related signaling proteins and migration-related proteins were detected using Western blotting.

RESULTS

The results of CCK8 assay and colonyforming assay showed that AZD9291 significantly inhibited the viability and proliferation of both HNE1 and CNE2Z cells (P < 0.01). AZD9291 treatment also attenuated the migration ability of HNE1 and CNE2Z cells (P < 0.01). Western blotting showed that, as the concentration of AZD9291 increased, the expression levels of the proteins involved in the PI3K-AKT-mTOR signaling pathway were lowered progressively (P < 0.01), resulting in inhibition of migration of HNE1 and CNE2Z cells (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSION

AZD9291 suppresses proliferation and attenuates repair and migration capacities of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells by inhibiting the EGFR/PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway, suggesting the potential value of AZD9291 in the treatment of nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Tumor microenvironment and its clinicopathological and prognostic associations in surgically resected cutaneous angiosarcoma

PURPOSE

Cutaneous angiosarcoma (CAS) is a rare but typically aggressive malignant vascular neoplasm of the skin. Tumor microenvironment (TME) of CAS and its associations with baseline clinicopathological features and patient outcomes are very important, especially when considering the recent advances in understanding of the tumor biology.

METHODS/PATIENTS

We retrospectively reviewed medical records of patients who underwent surgical resection for CAS at a tertiary Hospital. The pretreated specimens were evaluated by immunohistochemistry for programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) and its ligand (PD-L1), densities of tumor infiltrative lymphocytes (TILs) (CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, CD45RO+, FoxP3+), as well as c-MYC and Ki-67 expressions. Overall survival (OS) was estimated by Kaplan-Meier method and compared with Log-rank test.

RESULTS

A total of 21 CAS patients were identified. Median age was 67 (ranges: 20-81) years, 14 (66.7%) were male, and over 50% had lesions of scalp. Histopathological examination showed a predominantly spindle cell type (57.1%). All patients underwent surgery, 16 (76.2%) were treated further. PD-L1 was positively stained (> 1%) in tumor cells (42.9%) and TILs (23.8%). PD-1 expression (> 1%) was identified in TILs of 11 (52.4%) cases. PD-1/PD-L1 expressions were significantly associated with the higher densities of CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, CD45RO+, and Foxp3+ TILs, but not with patient characteristics or c-MYC or Ki-67 expression. Median OS was 18.5 months (95% CI 6.0-35.9), although no prognostic significance was observed with respect to any clinicopathological features.

CONCLUSION

We characterized TME and its clinical and prognostic association in CAS. PD-1/PD-L1 expressions were significantly associated with TILs subtypes but not with OS.

The discovery of combined toxicity effects and mechanisms of hexaconazole and arsenic to mice based on untargeted metabolomics

The high detected frequencies of hexaconazole (Hex) and arsenic (As) increased the probabilities of their co-existence in agricultural products. However, the combined toxicity effect and mechanism of action for these two pollutants were still unclear. In this study, an untargeted metabolomics method with ultra high performance liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) was developed to monitor the changes of endogenous metabolites and metabolism pathways in mice liver. Our study revealed that significant differences in metabolomics profiles were observed after Hex, As, and Hex+As exposure for 90 d. Hex exposure altered 54 metabolites and 11 pathways significantly which were mainly lipid-related. For As exposure, 63 metabolites and 9 pathways were affected most of which were amino acid-related. Hex+As induced 93 metabolites changes with 34% was lipids and lipid-like molecules and 22% was organic acids and derivatives. Hex+As exposure shared the pathways that altered by Hex and As indicated that the interaction of Hex and As might be independent action. The results of this study could provide an important insight for understanding the mechanism of combined toxicity for Hex and As and be helpful for evaluating their health risk to human.

Population genomic screening of all young adults in Australia to detect familial hypercholesterolemia: a cost-effectiveness analysis

Background

Heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is a highly-penetrant, autosomal dominant monogenic disorder that causes elevated plasma low-density cholesterol (LDL-C) levels and risk of premature coronary heart disease (CHD). To date, the cost-effectiveness of the emerging strategy of genomic screening of adult populations for FH has not been investigated.

Purpose

To assess the impact and cost-effectiveness of offering population genomic screening to all young adults in Australia to detect heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (FH).

Methods

We designed a decision analysis model to compare the current standard of care for heterozygous FH diagnosis in Australia (opportunistic cholesterol screening and genetic cascade testing) with population genomic screening of adults aged 18–40 years to detect pathogenic variants in the LDLR/APOB/PCSK9 genes. The model captured morbidity/mortality due to coronary heart disease (CHD) over a lifetime horizon, from a healthcare perspective. Risk of CHD, treatment effects, prevalence, and healthcare costs were estimated from published studies. Outcomes included quality adjusted life years (QALYs), costs and incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER), discounted 5% annually. Sensitivity analyses were undertaken to explore the impact of key input parameters on the robustness of the model. The model structure was designed to be transferable to countries with different healthcare systems.

Results

Over the lifetime of the population (4,167,768 men; 4,129,961 women), the model estimated a gain of 62,722 years of life lived and 73,959 QALYs due to CHD prevention. Population genomic screening for FH would be cost-effective from a healthcare perspective if the cost per test was ≤AU$300 (∼US$233) which would yield an ICER AU$28,000 cost-saving.

Conclusion

Based on our model, offering population genomic screening to all young adults to detect FH could be cost-effective in the Australian healthcare system, at testing costs that are currently feasible.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding sources: Foundation. Main funding source(s): This work was supported by the Australian National Heart Foundation and Monash University Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences Results from scenario analysesResults from Monte Carlo simulations

PCSK9 inhibition with alirocumab decreases plasma lipoprotein(a) concentration by a dual kinetic mechanism of action

Background

Lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] is a low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-like particle, covalently bound to apolipoprotein(a) [apo(a)]. Recent trials show that proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitors, such as alirocumab, decrease plasma Lp(a) levels and risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). The kinetic mechanism for lowering Lp(a) by PCSK9 inhibitors may differ according to pre-treatment apo(a) levels.

Purpose

We investigated the effect of alirocumab on Lp(a) metabolism in 21 long-term statin-treated patients [Lp(a) &gt;0.5 g/L in all] with moderate-high (n=10) and high (n=11) apo(a) concentrations according to a cutoff of median apo(a) levels of 145 nmol/L.

Methods

Apo(a) kinetics were studied before and after 12-week treatment with alirocumab (150 mg subcutaneously fortnightly). Apo(a) fractional catabolic rate (FCR) and production rate (PR) were determined using intravenous D3-leucine administration, mass spectrometry and compartmental modelling.

Results

The plasma concentration and PR of apo(a) were significantly higher in patients with high apo(a) than in patients with moderate-high apo(a) levels (273±30 nmol/L vs 130±4.7 nmol/L and 6.0±0.69 nmol/kg/day vs 2.6±0.15 nmol/kg/day, respectively; P&lt;0.001). The FCR of apo(a) was not significantly different between two groups (0.48±0.02 pools/day vs 0.45±0.01 pools/day, P&gt;0.05). In patients with moderate-high apo(a) levels, alirocumab significantly lowered plasma apo(a) levels (−17%, P&lt;0.01) and increased the FCR of apo(a) (+26%, P&lt;0.001), but did not alter apo(a) PR. In contrast, alirocumab significantly lowered plasma apo(a) concentrations (−31%, P&lt;0.001) via a dual mechanism that increased apo(a) FCR (+31%, P&lt;0.001) and lowered PR (−9%, P&lt;0.05) in patients with high apo(a) levels. The reductions in apo(a) concentration and PR with alirocumab in the high apo(a) group remained significant after adjusting for background statin when compared with patients with moderate-high apo(a) levels (P&lt;0.05).

Conclusions

In statin-treated patients with elevated Lp(a), alirocumab may lower elevated plasma Lp(a) concentrations by a dual mechanism of increasing the catabolism and decreasing the production of Lp(a) particles, specifically in patients with relatively high apo(a) concentrations.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding sources: Private grant(s) and/or Sponsorship. Main funding source(s): This independent research was funded by an Investigator Initiated Study Concept Research Grant from Regeneron Pharmaceuticals and Sanofi (Protocol No. LPS 14508). Figure 1Figure 2

[Chuanxiong Rhizoma inhibits brain metastasis of lung cancer through multiple active ingredients acting on multiple targets, pathways and biological functions]

OBJECTIVE

To explore the molecular mechanism mediating the inhibitory effect of Chuanxiong Rhizoma against brain metastasis of lung cancer using network pharmacology methods and molecular docking.

METHODS

The chemical components of Chuanxiong Rhizoma and their targets were obtained through the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology (TCMSP) database. The relevant targets for brain metastasis of lung cancer were screened using the GeneCards database. Clusterpro-filerR package was used to perform GO and KEGG enrichment analysis. Cytoscape and STRING database were used to construct the "active ingredient-target-disease" network and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network of Chuanxiong Rhizoma. The core components of Chuanxiong Rhizoma and their targets in the treatment of lung cancer brain metastasis were screened based on the topological parameters, and the results were verified using molecular docking and in Chuanxiong extract- treated human lung cancer PC9 cells by detecting the core target with Western blotting.

RESULTS

Forty-eight active ingredients of Chuanxiong Rhizoma including (Z)-ligustilide, butylphthalide, oleic acid, and myricetone were screened, which target 49 proteins including INS, BDNF, FOS, VEGFA, PTGS2, ESR1, MAPK14, and PTGS1. These proteins participated in 57 biological functions such as nuclear receptor activity, ligand activation, and transcription factor activity, involving 40 signaling pathways such as prolactin signaling pathway, breast cancer, and etrogen signaling. The results of molecular docking showed that myricetone, butylphthalide, 4-hydroxy-3 butylphthalide, (Z)-ligustilide, and ligustalide-E, among others, had strong affinities to 7 cores targets including BDNF, FOS, PTGS2, and MAPK14. In PC9 cells, treatment with Chuanxiong Rhizoma extract resulted in significant reductions in the phosphorylation levels of PI3K, Akt and VEGF (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSION

Chuanxiong Rhizoma contains multiple active ingredients against brain metastasis lung cancer, and these ingredients act on multiple targets involving multiple signal pathways and biological functions.

EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor Almonertinib induces apoptosis and autophagy mediated by reactive oxygen species in non-small cell lung cancer cells

Almonertinib, a new third-generation epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitor, is highly selective to EGFR T790M-mutant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, there is no available information on the form and molecular mechanism of Almonertinib-induced death in NSCLC cells. Herein, CCK-8 and colony formation assays, flow cytometry, electron microscopy, and western blots assay showed that Almonertinib inhibited NSCLC cells growth and proliferation by inducing apoptosis and autophagy which can be inhibited by a broad spectrum of caspase inhibitor Z-VAD-fmk or autophagy inhibitor chloroquine. Importantly, Almonertinib-induced autophagy was cytoprotective in NSCLC cells, and the blockade of autophagy improved cell apoptosis. In addition, Almonertinib increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and clearance of ROS through pretreatment with N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) inhibited the decrease of cell viability, apoptosis and increase of LC3-II induced by Almonertinib. The results of Western blot showed that both EGFR activity and downstream signaling pathways were inhibited by Almonertinib. Taken together, these findings indicated that Almonertinib induced apoptosis and autophagy by promoting ROS production in NSCLC cells.

[Development and functional validation of a nano-delivery system of miR-16/polypeptide targeting ovarian cancer cells]

OBJECTIVE

To develop a nano-delivery system for targeted delivery of miR-16/polypeptide for enhancing cisplatin sensitivity of ovarian cancer.

OBJECTIVE

R9-SS-R9 and cRGD-R9-SS-R9 peptides were synthesized and self-assembled with miR-16 molecules to form a nano-delivery system. The stability, particle size, potential and morphology of the nanoparticles were determined by agarose gel electrophoresis, particle size potentiometer and transmission electron microscopy. CCK-8 assay was used to assess the toxicity of the polypeptides in ovarian cancer cells. Stem loop qRT-PCR and living cell imaging were used to verify the uptake efficiency and intracellular distribution of the nanoparticles. Flow cytometry and Western blotting were performed to verify the effect of the nanoparticles for enhancing cisplatin sensitivity of ovarian cancer cells and explore the possible mechanism.

OBJECTIVE

R9-SS-R9/miR-16 and cRGD-R9-SS-R9/miR-16 nanoparticles were successfully prepared. The nanoparticles, with a particle size below 150 nm, a dispersity index less than 0.1 and a potential of about 40 mV, showed a good serum stability. The polypeptide material had no obvious cytotoxicity. The miR-16/polypeptide nanoparticles could be efficiently absorbed by human ovarian cancer cells and were distributed in the cytoplasm. The nanoparticles significantly increased the intracellular expression level of miR-16 (P < 0.001) and decreased the expression of Bcl-2 and Chk-1 proteins in ovarian cancer cells, thus enabling miR-16 to promote apoptosis and enhance cisplatin sensitivity of the cells.

OBJECTIVE

We successfully prepared a miR-16/polypeptide nano-delivery system for targeted delivery of miR-16 to ovarian cancer cells for enhancing cisplatin sensitivity of the cancer cells.

Cardiovascular and behavioural risk factors in families with elevated lipoprotein(a)[Lp(a)]

Funding Acknowledgements

Type of funding sources: None.

Background/Introduction

Elevated lipoprotein(a)[Lp(a)] is an inherited and independent risk factor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases (ASCVD). However, it is an under detected condition with no specific therapy available at present for lowering Lp(a). Hence, identifying the distribution of modifiable cardiovascular and behavioural risk factors is important for implementing an effective intervention programme to mitigate the overall risk of ASCVD in high-risk individuals with elevated Lp(a).

Purpose

The primary aim was to describe and compare the distribution of modifiable cardiovascular and behavioural risk factors in both index cases and their relatives with elevated Lp(a) identified through cascade testing at the Lipid Disorders Clinic, Royal Perth Hospital.

Methods

We studied 51 index cases and 71 relatives cascade tested with elevated Lp(a) (≥0.5 g/L).  Questionnaires were completed concerning aspects of cardiovascular health (cholesterol level, blood pressure and blood glucose level) and behavioural health metrics (diet, smoking, physical activity, body-mass-index [BMI]). Lp(a) was measured by an immunoassay having minimal dependence on apolipoprotein(a) isoform size. The health metrics were described as proportions and statistical analyses performed using Student’s t-test or Chi-square where appropriate.

Results

Compared with the index cases, a higher proportion of their affected relatives were female (62% vs 43%, p = 0.039), younger (43 years vs 53 years, p &lt; 0.001) and had lower Lp(a) levels (1.03 g/L vs 1.12 g/L, p = 0.003). A lower proportion of the affected relatives were treated for dyslipidaemia (31% vs 96%, p &lt; 0.001). The affected relatives also had a lower incidence of ASCVD events (3% vs 37%, p &lt; 0.001), hypertension (21% vs 43%, p = 0.003), and lower HbA1c levels (5.3% vs 5.9%, p = 0.031) compared with index cases. Additionally, a larger proportion of the affected relatives had ideal cardiovascular health (35% vs 14%, p = 0.008) compared with their index cases. However, more than half of the index cases and their relatives did not maintain a healthy diet (59% and 69%, respectively) and an ideal BMI (68% and 59%, respectively).

Conclusion(s)

Although the younger affected relatives with elevated Lp(a) have a lower cardiovascular risk compared with the index cases, a focus on modifiable behavioural changes, such as a healthy diet and an ideal body weight, is still required to mitigate the overall risk of ASCVD.

Determination of etoxazole in different parts of citrus fruit and its potential dietary exposure risk assessment

In this study, the profile of etoxazole in whole citrus, peel and pulp samples collected from Chongqing, Guangdong and Anhui provinces was monitored and their dietary risk to human had also been assessed. The final residual levels and distributions of etoxazole in citrus samples were detected by using an ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). The results showed that final concentrations of etoxazole in whole citrus, peel, and pulp were ranged at 0.012-0.174, 0.010-0.637, and 0.010-0.011 mg kg^-1, respectively. The assessment of dietary risk suggested that chronic dietary risk of etoxazole in whole fruit and peel were 0.010-0.197% and 0.035-0.951%, respectively. Our findings indicated that the chronic risk of daily consumption of citrus fruit is acceptable at recommended dosage.

Portable and quantitative detection of carbendazim based on the readout of a thermometer

The detection of carbendazim (CBZ) is important for food safety and human health. However, most current analytical methods require large instruments and highly trained operators. In order to solve this problem, herein, an innovative portable and quantitative photothermal assay platform relying on a thermometer readout for the detection of CBZ has been developed. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), which exhibit a strong distance-dependent photothermal effect under specific laser irradiation, were utilized as indicators. The CBZ aptamer was introduced to protect AuNPs from salt-mediated aggregation. When CBZ is present, the binding event between CBZ and aptamer leads to the loss of the aptamer protective effect on AuNPs, and AuNP aggregation occurs. Under 650-nm laser irradiation, the increase in temperature associated with an AuNP-dependent photothermal effect is highly related to the CBZ concentration. Having the advantages of user-friendliness, low cost, quick response, and portability, this method has great potential for on-site applications.

Biopolymer Additives Enhance Tangeretin Bioavailability in Emulsion-Based Delivery Systems: An In Vitro and In Vivo Study

The oral bioavailability of tangeretin, a poly(methoxyflavone) found in citrus fruits, is typically very low because of its extremely limited solubility. In this research, tangeretin was encapsulated within whey protein-stabilized emulsions containing ingredients that may alter their behavior under gastrointestinal conditions and enhance the bioavailability of tangeretin after oral administration: cinnamaldehyde (CA), gum arabic (GA), or hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC). The presence of these ingredients altered the size, aggregation state, and encapsulation efficiency of tangeretin in the emulsions. In vitro studies demonstrated that the bioaccessibility of the encapsulated tangeretin was much higher than that of a crude tangeretin oil suspension. Particularly, the addition of HPMC increased the bioaccessibility of tangeretin from around 36 to 90%. In vivo pharmacokinetics results using rats indicated that tangeretin concentration in the plasma increased from 4- to 20-fold after encapsulation, especially in the presence of HPMC. HPMC also prolonged the release of tangeretin to 22 h. Tangeretin preferentially accumulated within the liver and kidney of the animals. Overall, the knowledge confirmed that structured emulsion-based delivery systems could be used to improve the oral bioavailability of hydrophobic functional ingredients.

Health economic evaluation of screening and treating children with familial hypercholesterolemia early in life: many happy returns on investment?

Background

There are no studies that have specifically investigated the cost-effectiveness of cascade screening of children for heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) and treatment of affected individuals with statins to prevent coronary heart disease (CHD).

Purpose

This study explores the cost-effectiveness of this strategy from the perspective of the Australian public healthcare system.

Methods

A lifetime Markov model with four health states (Alive without CHD, Alive with CHD, Dead from fatal CHD, and Dead from other causes) was developed to simulate the progression of ten- year-old children screened for FH and treated immediately with statins if found to have FH. The underlying prevalence of FH in this target population was assumed to be 56.8%, and the sensitivity and specificity of testing was 100%. The comparator was usual care, which assumed that subjects started statins spontaneously at a later point or when they experienced a cardiovascular event. The effect of reducing low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) on the risk of a first event at each age assumed that risk was proportional to total lifetime exposure and was implemented using Mendelian randomisation analysis data. Cost and other outcome data were sourced from published sources. Outcome of interests were costs in Australian dollars (AUD), life years gained (LYG) and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) gained, as well as incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) of costs per LYG and per QALY gained. All future costs and outcomes were discounted by 5% annually.

Results

Undiscounted results showed that compared with usual care, cascade screening of ten year-old children for FH and initiation of treatment of affected individuals saved 7.77 LYG and 7.53 QALYs per person over a lifetime. With 5% annual discounting, there were 0.97 LYG and 1.07 QALYs gained per person, at an additional cost of $3,244. These equated to ICERs of $3334 per LYG and $3023 per QALY gained. The equivalent ICERs in USD would be $5089 per LYG gained and $4615 per QALY gained. Sensitivity analysis showed the results to be robust.

Conclusions

Compared to usual care, cascade screening of ten year old children for FH and treating affected individuals is likely to be highly cost-effective.

Table 1. Granular cost and benefit data

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding source: None

PHACTR1, a pro-atherosclerotic mechanosensitive PPARgamma corepressor in endothelial cells

Background

Numerous genome-wide association studies revealed that SNPs at phosphatase and actin regulator 1 (PHACTR1) locus are strongly correlated with coronary artery disease (CAD). However, the mechanism linking these variants to CAD remains uncertain.

Purpose

We studied the biological functions and molecular mechanisms of PHACTR1 in atherosclerosis.

Methods and results

Analysis of GTEx database showed that CAD-related SNPs in PHACTR1 are cis-eQTLs for PHACTR1 in arteries. Therefore, we generated Phactr1 knockout mice and crossed them with apolipoprotein E-deficient (ApoE−/−) mice to induce atherosclerosis by high-fat/high-cholesterol (HF-HC) diet. Phactr1 deficiency significantly inhibited atherosclerosis with decreased inflammatory cell infiltration. Western blot showed that PHACTR1 was restricted to endothelial cells (ECs) in mice. Mechanistically, RNAseq of aortic ECs revealed that the major molecular function of PHACTR1 was transcriptional regulation. PPARγ/RXRα was the top transcription factor, and PPARγ target gene expression substantially increased in Phactr1−/− mice. Moreover, we generated endothelial cell specific Phactr1−/−, ApoE−/− mice and found decreased atherosclerotic plaque area in aortic sinus. In vitro, PHACTR1 associated with PPARγ and inhibited PPARγ transcriptional activity. The inhibitory effect of PHACTR1 on PPARγ required its shuttling from cytosol to nucleus triggered by disturbed flow, a well-established pro-atherosclerotic stimulus.

Conclusion

Our results identified PHACTR1 as a mechanosensitive corepressor of PPARγ in ECs to promote atherosclerosis. Endothelial PHACTR1 is a potential therapeutic target for atherosclerosis treatment.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding source: Public grant(s) – National budget only. Main funding source(s): National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (CPSF)

Twofold improved tumor-to-brain contrast using a novel T1 relaxation-enhanced steady-state (T1RESS) MRI technique

A technique that provides more accurate cancer detection would be of great value. Toward this end, we developed T1 relaxation-enhanced steady-state (T₁RESS), a novel magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) pulse sequence that enables the flexible modulation of T1 weighting and provides the unique feature that intravascular signals can be toggled on and off in contrast-enhanced scans. T₁RESS makes it possible to effectively use an MRI technique with improved signal-to-noise ratio efficiency for cancer imaging. In a proof-of-concept study, "dark blood" unbalanced T₁RESS provided a twofold improvement in tumor-to-brain contrast compared with standard techniques, whereas balanced T₁RESS greatly enhanced vascular detail. In conclusion, T₁RESS represents a new MRI technique with substantial potential value for cancer imaging, along with a broad range of other clinical applications.

Acupuncture for menopausal symptoms in Chinese women: a systematic review

Menopause-related symptoms are common problems of middle-aged women that can seriously affect their quality of life. Menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) for climacteric symptoms is the first choice recommended by the International Menopause Society and likewise by other societies and institutions covering this field. However, non-hormonal therapies can be an alternative effective option, especially for women who are not suitable for MHT. Acupuncture is one of the most important methods. With deepening experience of the use of traditional Chinese acupuncture and moxibustion in the improvement of menopause symptoms, more clinical evidence has been obtained to support the effectiveness and safety of this treatment concept that is very often used in China. This review summarizes the evidence for effective treatment of climacteric complaints by acupuncture in recent years, shares the clinical experience of the authors of this review, all of whom head or work in units with daily large numbers of outpatients, and includes, in particular, results from studies performed in the Department of Acupuncture--Moxibustion of Tsinghua University Chuiyangliu Hospital, Beijing, China. In addition, there is a summary about the safety of acupuncture treatment in traditional Chinese medicine.

Associations of serum magnesium levels and calcium-magnesium ratios with mortality in patients with coronary artery disease

AIMS

Low magnesium (Mg) and high calcium (Ca) levels are linked to increased cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in the general population. This prospective study assessed whether there are any independent associations of serum Mg levels and Ca-Mg ratios with mortality in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD).

METHODS

This prospective cohort study included 3380 CAD patients. Cox regression models were used to estimate associations of serum Mg and Ca-Mg ratio with risk of mortality.

RESULTS

A total of 562 deaths (331 due to CVD) were recorded during a 7.59-year (median) follow-up. Spline plots displayed U-shaped associations between serum Mg levels and Ca-Mg ratios and risk of mortality. When compared with a moderate group, adjusted hazard ratios (95% confidence intervals) for low Mg levels and high Ca-Mg ratios were 1.59 (1.30-1.95) and 1.31 (1.06-1.61) for all-cause mortality, and 1.71 (1.32-2.22) and 1.44 (1.09-1.89) for CVD mortality, respectively. There was also a tendency to increase risk of mortality in patients with high serum Mg levels and low Ca-Mg ratios. Associations of low serum Mg and high Ca-Mg ratio with risk of mortality did not change when stratified by gender, body mass index, CAD type, estimated glomerular filtration rate, use of diuretics, or history of diabetes or hypertension.

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrated that a moderate Ca-Mg ratio (range: 3.91-4.70) had the lowest mortality risk, and that low serum Mg and high Ca-Mg ratio were independent risk factors of mortality in CAD patients. Nevertheless, the optimal dose-response of Mg and Ca for mitigating CAD risk still requires further investigation.

[Consistency of ALK Ventana-D5F3 immunohistochemistry interpretation in lung adenocarcinoma among Chinese histopathologists]

Objective: To understand the consistency of ALK Ventana-D5F3 immunohistochemistry (IHC) interpretation in Chinese lung adenocarcinoma among histopathologists from different hospitals, and to recommend solution for the problems found during the interpretation of ALK IHC in real world, with the aim of the precise selection of patients who can benefit from ALK targeted therapy. Methods: This was a multicenter and retrospective study. A total of 109 lung adenocarcinoma cases with ALK Ventana-D5F3 IHC staining were collected from 31 lung cancer centers in RATICAL research group from January to June in 2018. All cases were scanned into digital imaging with Ventana iSCANcoreo Digital Slide Scanning System and scored by 31 histopathologists from different centers according to ALK binary (positive or negative) interpretation based on its manufacturer's protocol. The cases with high inconsistency rate were further analyzed using FISH/RT-PCR/NGS. Results: There were 49 ALK positive cases and 60 ALK negative cases, confirmed by re-evaluation by the specialist panel. Two cases (No. 2302 and No.2701) scored as positive by local hospitals were rescored as negative, and were confirmed to be negative by RT-PCR/FISH/NGS. The false interpretation rate of these two cases was 58.1% (18/31) and 48.4% (15/31), respectively. Six out of 31 (19.4%) pathologists got 100% accuracy. The minimum consistency between every two pathologists was 75.8%.At least one pathologist gave negative judgement (false negative) or positive judgement (false positive) in the 49 positive or 60 negative cases, accounted for 26.5% (13/49), 41.7% (25/60), respectively, with at least one uncertainty interpretation accounted for 31.2% (34/109). Conclusion: There are certain heterogeneities and misclassifications in the real world interpretation of ALK-D5F3 IHC test, which need to be guided by the oncoming expert consensus based on the real world data.

Comparison of microRNAs in adipose and muscle tissue from seven indigenous Chinese breeds and Yorkshire pigs

Elucidation of the pig microRNAome is essential for interpreting functional elements of the genome and understanding the genetic architecture of complex traits. Here, we extracted small RNAs from skeletal muscle and adipose tissue, and we compared their expression levels between one Western breed (Yorkshire) and seven indigenous Chinese breeds. We detected the expression of 172 known porcine microRNAs (miRNAs) and 181 novel miRNAs. Differential expression analysis found 92 and 12 differentially expressed miRNAs in adipose and muscle tissue respectively. We found that different Chinese breeds shared common directional miRNA expression changes compared to Yorkshire pigs. Some miRNAs differentially expressed across multiple Chinese breeds, including ssc-miR-129-5p, ssc-miR-30 and ssc-miR-150, are involved in adipose tissue function. Functional enrichment analysis revealed that the target genes of the differentially expressed miRNAs are associated mainly with signaling pathways rather than metabolic and biosynthetic processes. The miRNA-target gene and miRNA-phenotypic traits networks identified many hub miRNAs that regulate a large number of target genes or phenotypic traits. Specifically, we found that intramuscular fat content is regulated by the greatest number of miRNAs in muscle tissue. This study provides valuable new candidate miRNAs that will aid in the improvement of meat quality and production.

Investigation of etoxazole metabolites in citrus, soil and earthworms by ultra-performance liquid chromatography with time-of-flight mass spectrometry

Etoxazole is a newly registered and widely used acaricide. However, its metabolites were not fully understood and might exhibit similar or even higher toxicity than parent compound. Therefore, in this study, the metabolites of etoxazole in citrus, soil and earthworms were firstly identified by an ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-QTOF/MS). Four potential metabolites in citrus, 11 in soil, and 8 in earthworms were determined. These metabolites were then further structural elucidated based on the fragment pathways, and accurate mass measurement. The distributions of etoxazole and its main metabolites (M1, M2, M3, M4 and M5) which were identified as the dehydrogenation, hydrolysis, oxidation products of etoxazole (M0) were also monitored in citrus, soil and earthworms at different exposure periods. The 45 days exposure experiment showed that M0 gradually decreased in citrus and soil samples by 80% and 28% of the initial amounts, respectively. In earthworm samples, M0 accumulated in the bodies of the worms during 24 days exposure and then decreased with time. The dissipation rate of etoxazole were citrus > earthworms > soil. Concentrations of M1 and M3 in soil were found continuously increased with time during the experimental period. Moreover, the persistence of M1 in earthworm samples was also observed. Great attention should be paid to these two compounds due to their potential risks to both environmental and human health.

Simplified LC-MS/MS method for quantification of IG-105, a novel tubulin ligand, and its application to the pharmacokinetic study in rats at the anticancer effective dose

IG-105, N-(2, 6-dimethoxypyridine-3-yl)-9-methylcarbazole-3-sulfonamide, a novel carbazole sulfonamide, shows a potent anticancer activity in a variety of human tumor cells in vitro and in vivo. In the present study, a rapid and convenient liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method was developed and applied to the pharmacokinetic study of IG-105 in rats. Chromatographic separation was accomplished on a C₁₈ column using an isocratic mobile phase of acetonitrile-water-acetic acid (56:44:0.2, v/v/v). The ion transitions of IG-105 and combretastatin A4 (internal standard) in selected reaction monitoring mode were m/z 398→154 and m/z 317→286, respectively. The assay exhibited good linearity over the range of 2-512 ng/mL. Intra- and inter-day precisions were within 8.2 %, and the accuracies ranged from -6.0 to 3.7 %. The extraction recoveries were higher than 90 %, and the matrix effects were negligible. All quality control samples were stable at different storage conditions. The validated LC-MS/MS method was successfully applied to a preclinical pharmacokinetic study of IG-105 in rats after a single oral dose of 100, 250, or 1000 mg/kg which showed tumor growth inhibition activity. The absorption of IG-105 was proved to be rapid but saturated to a certain extent into the blood circulation, from where it was distributed and eliminated gradually.

[Efficacy and safety of anti-interleukin-5 therapy in patients with asthma: systematic reviews]

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of anti-Interleukin-5 therapy in patients with asthma. Methods: Data were collected from PubMed, E-Mbase, Springer, Ovid, Cochrane Library, ClinicalTrials.gov, CNKI and Wanfang database (-Feb 2017). Bibliographies of the retrieved articles were checked and analyzed. Results: Twenty publications involving a total of 6 406 patients were used in the analysis, including 23 randomly controlled trials (RCTs) which compared anti-interleukin 5 monoclonal antibody with placebo. Pooled analyses showed that anti-interleukin 5 monoclonal antibody significantly reduced exacerbation risk [RR=0.66, 95%CI(0.59, 0.73)], increased FEV(1)[MD=0.10, 95%CI(0.07, 0.13)] and FEV(1)% predicted [MD=3.90, 95%CI(1.86, 5.95)], and improved the scores on the Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (AQLQ) [MD=0.24, 95%CI(0.16, 0.32)]. Anti-interleukin 5 monoclonal antibody was also associated with significantly decreased risk of adverse events than placebo[OR=0.71, 95%CI(0.58, 0.87)]. Conclusion: Anti-interleukin 5 monoclonal antibody reduces the risk of exacerbations and improves quality of life in patients with asthma, and is tolerated well.