Periodontitis and the risk of all-cause and cause-specific mortality among US adults with diabetes: A population-based cohort study

AIM

To evaluate the association between periodontitis, all-cause and cause-specific mortality, and its prognostic utility among adults with diabetes.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Periodontal health records were retrieved from the NHANES database for 4297 participants with diabetes aged >30 years at baseline during 1988-1994, 1999-2004 and 2009-2014. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression model was applied to calculate the hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for moderate/severe periodontitis with all-cause and cause-specific mortality in participants with diabetes. Area under the curve (AUC) was used to assess predictive value.

RESULTS

During a median follow-up of 15.41 years, 1701 deaths occurred. After multivariate adjustments, moderate/severe periodontitis was significantly associated with increased risk of all-cause (HR: 1.27; 95% CI: 1.07-1.50; p = .005) and cardiovascular disease (CVD)-related (HR: 1.35, 95% CI: 1.03-1.76, p = .031) mortality in participants with diabetes. The absolute risk difference based on the cumulative incidence information was 0.022 (5-year, 95% CI: 0.021-0.023) and 0.044 (10-year, 95% CI: 0.041-0.048). Periodontitis improved the prediction of all-cause (AUC: 0.652; 95% CI: 0.627-0.676) and CVD-related (AUC: 0.649; 95% CI: 0.624-0.676) mortality over standard risk factors (all-cause: AUC: 0.631; 95% CI: 0.606-0.656; CVD-related: AUC: 0.629; 95% CI: 0.604-0.655).

CONCLUSIONS

Moderate/severe periodontitis is associated with an increased risk of all-cause and CVD-related mortality in adults with diabetes. Periodontitis might represent a marker for residual risk.

The clinical implication and translational research of OSCC differentiation

BACKGROUND

The clinical value and molecular characteristics of tumor differentiation in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) remain unclear. There is a lack of a related molecular classification prediction system based on pathological images for precision medicine.

METHODS

Integration of epidemiology, genomics, experiments, and deep learning to clarify the clinical value and molecular characteristics, and develop a novel OSCC molecular classification prediction system.

RESULTS

Large-scale epidemiology data (n = 118,817) demonstrated OSCC differentiation was a significant prognosis indicator (p < 0.001), and well-differentiated OSCC was more chemo-resistant than poorly differentiated OSCC. These results were confirmed in the TCGA database and in vitro. Furthermore, we found chemo-resistant related pathways and cell cycle-related pathways were up-regulated in well- and poorly differentiated OSCC, respectively. Based on the characteristics of OSCC differentiation, a molecular grade of OSCC was obtained and combined with pathological images to establish a novel prediction system through deep learning, named ShuffleNetV2-based Molecular Grade of OSCC (SMGO). Importantly, our independent multi-center cohort of OSCC (n = 340) confirmed the high accuracy of SMGO.

CONCLUSIONS

OSCC differentiation was a significant indicator of prognosis and chemotherapy selection. Importantly, SMGO could be an indispensable reference for OSCC differentiation and assist the decision-making of chemotherapy.

Angelicin inhibits cell growth and promotes apoptosis in oral squamous cell carcinoma by negatively regulating DUSP6/cMYC signaling pathway

Angelicin has been reported to have antitumor effects on many types of cancer. However, few studies on angelicin in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) have been performed. We performed cell cycle and apoptosis analyses to assess the effect of angelicin on OSCC cells. We conducted RNA-seq studies to reveal differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Dual-specificity phosphatase 6 (DUSP6) and c-MYC were strongly down-regulated differential genes. Silencing RNA (siRNA) was used to knockdown DUSP6. The mouse xenograft model was used to mimic OSCC. Angelicin inhibited OSCC in vitro. We found that DUSP6 interacted with c-MYC. DUSP6 knockdown group and DUSP6 knockdown + angelicin group had similar effects of OSCC cells. Angelicin could reduce tumor formation, DUSP6, and c-MYC expression in vivo. Compared with paclitaxel, the tumor inhibition effect of the two drugs was similar. However, angelicin did not cause weight loss and had lower toxicity. In sum, Angelicin has antitumor effects on OSCC in vitro and vivo by negatively regulating the DUSP6 mediated c-MYC signaling pathway.

SNAI2 promotes the malignant transformation of oral leukoplakia by modulating p-EMT

OBJECTIVE

Snail family transcriptional repressor 2 (SNAI2) is a key regulator of partial epithelial-mesenchymal transition (p-EMT) and is associated with tumorigenesis. Whether SNAI2 promotes oral leukoplakia (OLK) malignant transformation by modulating p-EMT is unclear.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This study utilized two clinical datasets (GSE26549 and GSE85195) from the Gene Expression Omnibus database, cytological experiments, and a 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide-induced mice model to explore the role of SNAI2 in OLK malignant transformation.

RESULTS

The clinical cohort found SNAI2, as a risk factor (HR = 2.50, 95% CI: 1.08-5.79, p = 0.033), could promote OLK malignant transformation (p = 0.012). Cytological experiments indicated that SNAI2 overexpression promoted DOK cell proliferation, invasion, migration, and increase the protein expression of p-EMT relative signatures, whereas SNAI2 silencing has opposite effects. Furthermore, the mice model and clinical datasets demonstrated the expression of SNAI2 and p-EMT relative signatures were increased with OLK malignant transformation. And SNAI2 was strongly correlated with p-EMT. Besides, co-expressed genes of SNAI2 were also enriched in p-EMT relative biological processes and signaling pathways.

CONCLUSIONS

p-EMT plays a significant role in promoting the OLK malignant transformation. As an important regulator of p-EMT, SNAI2 could be a target to block the OLK malignant transformation.

Hydroxychloroquine is effective in oral lichen planus: A multicenter, randomized, controlled trial

OBJECTIVES

This study was aimed to evaluate the safety and benefit of short-term application of hydroxychloroquine in the management of atrophic/erosive/ulcerative oral lichen planus (OLP).

METHODS

This multicenter, randomized, controlled, evaluator-blinded, prospective clinical trial was performed from October 1, 2019, to September 1, 2022. A total of 99 patients were randomized to receive systemic use of hydroxychloroquine (n = 50), or topical use of 0.05% dexamethasone (n = 49) for 4 weeks. The response to both treatment modalities was evaluated according to reticulation, hyperemic, and ulceration (RHU) score and visual analog scale (VAS) score.

RESULTS

After 4 weeks of medication, both groups showed substantial reduction in RHU and VAS score (p < 0.05). In hydroxychloroquine group, the average of RHU score was reduced from 10.60 to 7.68 (dropped 27.49%), and the average of VAS score was reduced from 3.74 to 2.47 (dropped 34.09%). There were no differences between the two groups in reduction of RHU score and VAS score (p > 0.05). Single factor analysis found hyperemic area (p = 0.019) and erosive/ulcerative area (p = 0.024) had impacts on drug efficacy of hydroxychloroquine, and logistic regression revealed that no factors (p > 0.05) influenced its efficacy.

CONCLUSION

These findings indicate hydroxychloroquine is a safe and effective agent in treating atrophic/erosive/ulcerative OLP.

CD8+ tissue-resident memory T cells induce oral lichen planus erosion via cytokine network

CD8+ tissue-resident memory T (CD8+ Trm) cells play key roles in many immune-inflammation-related diseases. However, their characteristics in the pathological process of oral lichen planus (OLP) remains unclear. Therefore, we investigated the function of CD8+ Trm cells in the process of OLP. By using single-cell RNA sequencing profiling and spatial transcriptomics, we revealed that CD8+ Trm cells were predominantly located in the lamina propria adjacent to the basement membrane and were significantly increased in patients with erosive oral lichen planus (EOLP) compared to those with non-erosive oral lichen planus (NEOLP). Furthermore, these cells displayed enhanced cytokine production, including IFN-γ (Interferon-gamma, a pro-inflammatory signaling molecule), TNF-α (Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha, a cytokine regulating inflammation), and IL-17 (Interleukin-17, a cytokine involved in immune response modulation), in patients with EOLP. And our clinical cohort of 1-year follow-up was also supported the above results in RNA level and protein level. In conclusion, our study provided a novel molecular mechanism for triggering OLP erosion by CD8+ Trm cells to secrete multiple cytokines, and new insight into the pathological development of OLP.

Humoral immune disorders affect clinical outcomes of oral lichen planus

OBJECTIVES

The molecular characteristics of oral lichen planus (OLP) are still unclear, and it is not possible to distinguish the clinical outcome of OLP patients in a short period of time for follow-up. Here, we investigate the molecular characteristics of lesions in patients with stable lichen planus (SOLP) and recalcitrant erosive oral lichen planus (REOLP).

METHODS

Our clinical follow-up cohort was split into SOLP and REOLP groups based on the follow-up clinical data. The core modules associated with the clinical information were identified by weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA). The OLP cohort samples were divided into two groups by molecular typing, and a prediction model for OLP was created by training neural networks with the neuralnet package.

RESULTS

We screened 546 genes in five modules. After doing a molecular type of OLP, it was determined that B cells might have a significant impact on the clinical outcome of OLP. In addition, by means of machine learning, a prediction model was developed to predict the clinical regression of OLP with greater accuracy than the existing clinical diagnostic.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study revealed humoral immune disorders may make an important contribution to the clinical outcome of OLP.

HISMD: A Novel Immune Subtyping System for HNSCC

Immune subtyping is an important way to reveal immune heterogeneity, which may contribute to the diversity of the progression and treatment in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). However, reported immune subtypes mainly focus on levels of immune infiltration and are mostly based on a mono-omics profile. This study aimed to identify a comprehensive immune subtype for HNSCC via multi-omics clustering and build a novel subtype prediction system for clinical application. Data were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas database and our independent multicenter cohort. Multi-omics clustering was performed to identify 3 clusters of 499 patients in The Cancer Genome Atlas based on immune-related gene expression and somatic mutations. The immune characteristics and biological features of the obtained clusters were revealed by bioinformatics, and 3 immune subtypes were identified: 1) adaptive immune activation subtype predominantly enriched in T cells, 2) innate immune activation subtype predominantly enriched in macrophages, and 3) immune desert subtype. Subsequently, the clinical implications of each subtype were analyzed per clinical epidemiology. We found that adaptive immune activation showed better survival outcomes and had a similar response to chemotherapy with innate immune activation, whereas immune desert might be relatively resistant to chemotherapy. Moreover, a subtype prediction system was developed by deep learning with whole slide images and named HISMD: HNSCC Immune Subtypes via Multi-omics and Deep Learning. We endowed HISMD with interpretability through image-based key feature extraction. The clinical implications, biological significances, and predictive stability of HISMD were successfully verified by using our independent multicenter cohort data set. In summary, this study revealed the immune heterogeneity of HNSCC and obtained a novel, highly accurate, and interpretable immune subtyping prediction system. For clinical implementation in the future, additional validation and utility studies are warranted.

The interleukin-6 family in tissues is closely related to the clinical outcomes of oral lichen planus

OBJECTIVE

We attempted to investigate the role of interleukin-6 (IL-6) family expression in local tissues as it relates to presentations and outcomes in oral lichen planus (OLP), which is a common chronic inflammatory oral disease.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A clinical follow-up cohort of OLP patients was established, and a biological sample library was constructed with categorization into erosive type (EOLP) and nonerosive type (NEOLP). Transcriptome sequencing of the lesions was then performed. A multiple regression model was used to explore the differences in IL-6 family expression among patients with different clinical types and clinical outcomes.

RESULTS

OLP tissue transcriptome sequencing showed that IL-6 family expression in EOLP increased significantly. It was also found that IL-6 family factors in the OLP recurrent erosion group were significantly increased compared to the persistent nonerosion group. Based on the multiple regression analysis of the OLP clinical cohort, it was found that the increased expression of the IL-6 family was closely related to the clinical types and clinical outcomes of OLP.

CONCLUSION

The high expression of the IL-6 family is closely related to the erosion of local mucosa and poor prognosis of OLP patients. IL-6-related factors may be used as therapeutic targets for OLP patients.

Automatic Detection of Image-Based Features for Immunosuppressive Therapy Response Prediction in Oral Lichen Planus

Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a chronic inflammatory disease, and the common management focuses on controlling inflammation with immunosuppressive therapy. While the response to the immunosuppressive therapy is heterogeneous, exploring the mechanism and prediction of the response gain greater importance. Here, we developed a workflow for prediction of immunosuppressive therapy response prediction in OLP, which could automatically acquire image-based features. First, 38 features were acquired from 208 OLP pathological images, and 6 features were subsequently obtained which had a significant impact on the effect of OLP immunosuppressive therapy. By observing microscopic structure and integrated with the corresponding transcriptome, the biological implications of the 6 features were uncovered. Though the pathway enrichment analysis, three image-based features which advantageous to therapy indicated the different lymphocytes infiltration, and the other three image-based features which bad for therapy respectively indicated the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) metabolic pathway, response to potassium ion pathway and adenosine monophosphate (AMP) activated protein kinase pathway. In addition, prediction models for the response to immunosuppressive therapy, were constructed with above image-based features. The best performance prediction model built by logistic regression showed an accuracy of 90% and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) reached 0.947. This study provided a novel approach to automatically obtain biological meaningful image-based features from unannotated pathological images, which could indicate the immunosuppressive therapy in OLP. Besides, the novel and accurate prediction model may be useful for the OLP clinical management.

Abnormal Micronutrient Intake Is Associated with the Risk of Periodontitis: A Dose-response Association Study Based on NHANES 2009-2014

The association between micronutrient intake and the risk of periodontitis has received much attention in recent years. However, most studies focused on the linear relationship between them. This study aimed to explore the dose–response association between micronutrient intake and periodontitis. A total of 8959 participants who underwent a periodontal examination, and reported their micronutrient intake levels were derived from the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES, 2009–2014) database. Logistic regression was performed to evaluate associations between micronutrient intake and periodontitis after propensity score matching (PSM), and restricted cubic splines (RCS) analysis was conducted to explore the dose–response associations. Following PSM, 5530 participants were included in the RCS analysis. The risk of periodontitis was reduced with sufficient intake of the following micronutrients: vitamin A, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, and vitamin E. In addition, the risk of periodontitis was increased with excessive intake of the following micronutrients: vitamin B1 (1.8 mg/day, males; 1.3 mg/day, females), vitamin C (90 mg/day, males), and copper (1.1 mg/day, combined). In conclusion, a linear association was found between vitamin A, vitamin B2, vitamin C, and copper and periodontitis—namely, a sufficient intake of vitamin A and vitamin B2 might help reduce the prevalence of periodontitis; by contrast, a high intake of vitamin C and copper increased the risk. In addition, a nonlinear dose–response association was found for the incidence of periodontitis with vitamin B1 and vitamin E. When within reasonable limits, supplemental intake helped reduce the prevalence of periodontitis, while excessive intake did not help significantly and might even increase the risk. However, confounding factors, such as health awareness, should still be considered.

Effect of Marital Status on Upper Digestive Tract Tumor Survival: Married Male Patients Exhibited a Better Prognosis

Purpose

Marital status has been associated with the outcomes in several types of cancer, but less is known about upper digestive tract tumors (UDTTs). The study aims to explore the effect of marital status on the survival outcomes of UDTT.

Methods

We collected patient cases of UDTT using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database between 1975 and 2016. The univariate analyses of overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) were performed using the Kaplan–Meier method. The multivariate survival analyses were performed using Cox proportional hazard model.

Results

A total of 282,189 patients were included, with 56.42, 16.30, 13.33, and 13.95% of patients married, never married, divorced or separated, and widowed, respectively. The significant differences were observed among married, never-married, divorced or separated, and widowed patients with regard to the year of diagnosis, sex, age, race, pathological type, anatomical site, the number of primary tumor, grade, rate of surgery performed, radiotherapy, chemotherapy (p &lt; 0.001). The proportions of patients with 3-year and 5-year OS were 54.22 and 48.02% in the married group, 46.96 and 41.12% in the never-married group, 44.24 and 38.06% in the divorced or separated group, 34.59 and 27.57% in the widowed group, respectively (p &lt; 0.001); the proportions of patients with 3-year and 5-year CSS were 70.76 and 68.13% in the married group, 62.44 and 59,93% in the never-married group, 63.13 and 60.53% in the divorced or separated group, 62.11 and 58.89% in the widowed group, respectively (p &lt; 0.001); all these data indicated married patients exhibited favorable OS and CSS than never-married, divorced or separated, and widowed patients. Men in the married group showed better OS (HR, 1.16; 95%CI: 1.11–1.22) and CSS (HR, 0.96; 95%CI: 0.92–1.23) than those in the never-married group.

Conclusion

This study reveals that marital status is an independent prognostic factor for OS and CSS of patients with UDTT. Married male patients with UDTT trend to have a better prognosis.

CRISPR-mediated BMP9 ablation promotes liver steatosis via the down-regulation of PPARα expression

Obesity drives the development of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) characterized by hepatic steatosis. Several bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) except BMP9 were reported related to metabolic syndrome. This study demonstrates that liver cytokine BMP9 is decreased in the liver and serum of NAFLD model mice and patients. BMP9 knockdown induces lipid accumulation in Hepa 1-6 cells. BMP9-knockout mice exhibit hepatosteatosis due to down-regulated peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα) expression and reduced fatty acid oxidation. In vitro, recombinant BMP9 treatment attenuates triglyceride accumulation by enhancing PPARα promoter activity via the activation of p-smad. PPARα-specific antagonist GW6471 abolishes the effect of BMP9 knockdown. Furthermore, adeno-associated virus-mediated BMP9 overexpression in mouse liver markedly relieves liver steatosis and obesity-related metabolic syndrome. These findings indicate that BMP9 plays a critical role in regulating hepatic lipid metabolism in a PPARα-dependent manner and may provide a previously unknown insight into NAFLD therapeutic approaches.

IGF-1R/β-catenin signaling axis is implicated in streptozotocin exacerbating bone impairment in ovariectomized rats

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to investigate the role of the insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor (IGF-1R)/β-catenin signaling axis in bone impairment induced by hyperglycemia in ovariectomized rats.

METHODS

Rats were divided into four groups. The sham group received sham operation and a single intraperitoneal administration of vehicle. The ovariectomy (OVX) group was subjected to bilateral OVX and vehicle injection. The streptozotocin (STZ) group received sham operation and a single STZ injection to induce hyperglycemia. The OVX + STZ group received bilateral OVX and a single STZ injection. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry measurement, bone biomechanics test, micro-computed tomography scan, and hematoxylin-eosin staining were performed to evaluate bone alteration in this model. The expression of relevant signals including IGF-1R, glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β), and β-catenin were examined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blot.

RESULTS

The OVX, STZ, and OVX + STZ groups induced bone loss, attenuated bone strength, and impaired microarchitecture compared with the sham group, respectively. Compared with OVX, more serious bone damage was found in the OVX + STZ group, which showed enhanced phosphorylation of IGF-1R, GSK-3β, and β-catenin.

CONCLUSION

OVX plus STZ induced more serious bone impairment than OVX alone, which involves the IGF-1R/β-catenin signaling axis in the pathogenesis. This may provide a potential target for treatment of postmenopausal diabetic osteoporosis.

Association of Human Papillomavirus With Oral Lichen Planus and Oral Leukoplakia: A Meta-analysis

OBJECTIVES

To estimate the association of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection with oral lichen planus (OLP) and oral leukoplakia (OLK), and determine risk cofactors.

STUDY DESIGN

Seven databases were searched for case-control or cross-sectional studies of OLP and OLK with healthy controls, published between 1976 and 2020. The Meta package of R software was applied to calculate the pooled odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI).

RESULTS

Thirty-six articles were finally included. OLP and OLK cases had a higher association with HPV infection than controls (OLP: OR: 4.91, 95% CI: 2.76-8.72; OLK: OR: 2.51, 95% CI: 1.55-4.07). In subgroup analyses, the OR of HPV infection was higher with erosive lesions than with nonerosive lesions (OLP: OR: 5.36 and 3.47, respectively; OLK: OR: 3.34 and 3.21, respectively). Oral lesions were more strongly associated with HPV16/18 than with HPV6/11 (OLP: OR: 7.84 and 1.42, respectively; OLK: OR: 6.05 and 1.87, respectively) and varied by geographic region (OLP: OR: 4.01-7.02; OLK: OR: 1.46-27.13).

CONCLUSIONS

Oral HPV infection, particularly infection with HPV 16/18, was strongly associated with OLP and OLK. Risk cofactors included erosive lesions and geographic region.

Inhibition of heat shock protein 90 suppresses Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus replication in B. mori

Heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) plays a very important role in facilitating the replication of many viruses. Until now, little has been known about the role of Hsp90 in Bombyx mori virus infection. In this study, we explored the role of BmHsp90 in B. mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) replication. We found that BmHsp90 inhibition by geldanamycin (GA) significantly reduced the BmNPV titre, the protein expression level of BmNPV nucleocapsid protein 39 (VP39) and the transcript level of BmNPV genes. Silencing the hsp90 gene in BmN cells by small interfering RNA suppressed BmNPV replication whereas overexpression of hsp90 promoted the replication of BmNPV. After inhibition of Hsp90, the expression of three key genes [signal transducing activator of transcription (stat), suppressor of cytokine signalling protein 2 (socs2), socs6] involved in the Janus kinase/STAT pathway significantly changed, with up-regulation of stat and down-regulation of socs2 and socs6. In addition, the expression of two antiapoptosis genes, BmNPV inhibitor of apoptosis protein1 (BmNPV-iap1) and Bmiap2, was greatly decreased in GA-treated cells, whereas their expression was significantly increased in hsp90-overexpressed silkworm larvae. Our results indicated that inhibition of Hsp90 can suppress BmNPV proliferation in B. mori. Our findings may provide new clues to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of silkworm-virus interactions.

Improvement of Streptococcus suis glutamate dehydrogenase expression in Escherichia coli through genetic modification of acetate synthesis pathway

Escherichia coli generates acetate as an undesirable by-product that has several negative effects on protein expression, and the reduction of acetate accumulation by modifying genes of acetate synthesis pathway can improve the expression of recombinant proteins. In the present study, the effect of phosphotransacetylase (pta) or/and acetate kinase (ackA) deletion on glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) expression was investigated. The results indicated that the disruptions of pta or/and ackA decreased the acetate accumulation and synthesis of per gram cell, and increased cell density, and GDH expression and synthesis of per gram cell. The pta gene was more important for acetate formation than the ackA gene. Using the strain with deletions of pta-ackA (SSGPA) for GDH expression, acetate accumulation (2·61 g l^-1 ) and acetate synthesis of per gram cell (0·229 g g^-1 ) were lowest, decreasing by 28·29 and 41·43% compared with those of the parental strain (SSG) respectively. The flux of acetate synthesis (6·6%) was decreased by 72·15% compared with that of SSG, and the highest cell density (11·38 g l^-1 ), GDH expression (2·78 mg ml^-1 ), and GDH formation of per gram cell (0·2442 mg mg^-1 ) were obtained, which were 1·22-, 1·43- and 1·17-times higher than the parental strain respectively. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Significance and Impact of the Study: Acetate is the key undesirable by-product in Escherichia coli cultivation, and both biomass and production of desired products are increased by the reduction of acetate accumulation. In the present study, the strains with deletions of pta or/and ackA were constructed to reduce the acetate accumulation and improve the GDH expression, and the highest expression level of GDH was obtained using the strain with lesion in pta-ackA that was 1·17-times higher than that of the parental strain. The construction strategy of recombinant E. coli for decreasing the acetate excretion can be used for high expression level of other desired products.

Decreased A20 expression on circulating CD56bright NK cells contributes to a worse disease status in patients with ankylosing spondylitis

A20, a pivotal anti-inflammatory protein, preserves immune homeostasis and regulates prolonged inflammation. A previous study has shown that A20 expression levels are down-regulated in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS). However, the precise role of A20 in reducing autoimmune disorders needs to be further elucidated. In this study, A20 expression was found to be preferentially reduced on circulating CD56^bright natural killer (NK) cells in patients with AS, and its level was negatively correlated with that of proinflammatory cytokines. Further investigation demonstrated that A20 reduces interferon (IFN)-γ and tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α production in CD56^bright NK cells after stimulation with monokines or phorbol myristate acetate (PMA)/ionomycin(P/I). Furthermore, CD56^bright NK cells isolated from AS patients promote TNF-α secretion by autologous monocytes, and increasing the A20 expression level partially attenuates this process. More importantly, decreased A20 expression on circulating CD56^bright NK cells is associated with worse disease status in patients with AS. Our findings reveal that A20 participates in the pathogenesis of AS by negatively regulating CD56^bright NK cells and that its reduced expression contributes to a worsened disease status in patients with AS.

[Jinghuaweikang capsules combined with Quadruple therapy in the treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection:a multicenter,randomized,controlled,clinical study]

Objective: To explore the efficacy of Jinghuaweikang capsules combined with Quadruple therapy in the treatment of Helicobacter pylori (H.pylori)infection. Methods: Patients who were infected with H.pylori in 7 centers in Gansu Province were recruited in this prospective simple randomized study. All the patients are divided into four groups randomly: patients in Group A1 were treated with esomeprazole (20 mg, twice a day) + pectin bismuth (200 mg, three times a day) + amoxicillin (1 000 mg, twice a day) + clarithromycin (500 mg, twice a day), while Group A2 with Jinghuaweikang capsules(160 mg, three times a day) based on group A2, Group B1 with esomeprazole (20 mg, twice a day) + bismuth pectin (200 mg, three times a day) + amoxicillin (1 000 mg, twice a day) + furazolidone (100 mg, twice a day) and Group B2 with Jinghuaweikang capsules(160 mg, three times a day) based on group B2. The treatment time was 14 days for all 4 groups. In the course of treatment, abdominal pain, acid reflux, abdominal distension, belching, hiccups were observed at the time before treatment, 14 days and 30 days after treatment and were scored. Finally, all patients received (13)C or (14)C for H.pylori at the time of 30 days after the treatment. Result: A total of 455 patients were included in 7 hospitals from February 2016 to May 2017 in Gansu province, and there were 189 male patients. Group A1 included 129 cases, group A2 96 cases, group B1 112 cases and group B2 118 cases. The eradication rates that accorded with program data analysis (PP) were A1[46.9%(60/128)], A2[63.8%(60/94)], B1[60.7%(68/112)], B2[68.6%(81/118)] (P<0.004). Compared with group A1, the eradication rate of H.pylori in group B1 and group A2 increased (P<0.001, P=0.032), there was no statistical difference between group B2 and group A2, group B1 and group B2 (P=0.208, P=0.461). According to intentional analysis (ITT), the eradication rates of H.pylori in group A1 were 46.5% (60/129),group A2 were 62.5% (60/96),group B1 were 60.7% (68/112),and group B2 were 68.6% (81/118).The radical rate of A2 was higher than A1 (P=0.017), group B2 was not higher than group B1 (P=0.208), and there was no significant difference among the other groups. The symptoms of abdominal pain, abdominal distention, acid reflux, belching and hiccup in the group A2 and group B2 were improved than those in group A1 and group B1 (P<0.05). No serious adverse reactions occurred in all groups. Conclusion: Jinghuaweikang capsules can improve the eradication rate of Helicobacter pylori, and improve the symptoms of patients.

Establishment and characterization of a carcinoma-associated fibroblast cell line derived from a human salivary gland adenoid cystic carcinoma

Salivary gland adenoid cystic carcinoma (SACC) is one of the most common malignancies in the oral and maxillofacial region. Carcinoma-associated fibroblast (CAF) is an important component in the tumor microenvironment and participates in SACC progression. In this study, we established a CAF cell line derived from a human SACC and named it CAF-SA. It was identified that CAF-SA expressed typical CAF biomarkers. Then, we studied the cellular communications between CAF-SA, tumor cells and endothelial cells. It was found that CAF-SA promoted the migration, invasion, and proliferation of SACC tumor cells in vitro. In addition, tube formation by endothelial cells was enhanced by CAF-SA. In vivo experiment showed that SACC cells formed larger xenografts in nude mice when they were transplanted with CAF-SA. Overall, we demonstrated that CAF-SA exhibited the most important defining feature of CAF by promoting cancer progression.

[Research on ancient literature of Lingguizhugan Decoction, a classical prescription]

Derived from Zhang Zhongjing's Shang han za bing lun (Treatise on Cold Pathogenic and Miscellaneous Diseases)of the Han Dynasty, Lingguizhugan Decoction was composed of 4 Chinese herbs: Poria, Ramulus Cinnamomi, Rhizoma Atractylodis Macrocephalae, and Radix et Rhizoma Glycyrrhizae, for treating fullness and discomfort in chest and hypochondrium, phlegm and fluid retention, dizziness etc. The relevant descriptions and records in ancient Chinese medical works were collected, and as a result, altogether 162 items from 106 kinds of ancient book were available. Through statistical analysis, it was found that most of them followed the original records of composition, dosage and indications in Zhang's original work, only with some extensions in the scope of its clinical application.

Transcription factor aryl hydrocarbon receptor/aryl hydrocarbon receptor nuclear translocator is involved in regulation of the xenobiotic tolerance-related cytochrome P450 CYP6DA2 in Aphis gossypii Glover

The cotton aphid, Aphis gossypii, is one of the most economically important agricultural pests worldwide as it is polyphagous and resistant to many classes of insecticides. Overexpression of the cytochrome P450 monooxygenase (P450) CYP6DA2 has previously been found to be associated with gossypol and spirotetramat tolerance in the cotton aphid. In the present study, the elements located in the promoter region (-357:-343; -250:-241; -113:-104) of CYP6DA2 were shown to control promoter activity, and gossypol induction was observed. We hypothesized that the expression of CYP6DA2 is subject to transcriptional regulation. To investigate the underlying mechanism, we assessed two transcription factors, aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) and aryl hydrocarbon receptor nuclear translocator (ARNT), and found that the abundance of AhR was highly correlated with CYP6DA2 abundance. RNA interference of AhR or ARNT significantly decreased the levels of the target gene as well as those of its counterpart, and both dramatically repressed CYP6DA2 expression. Cotransfection of the ARNT, AhR, or AhR plus ARNT and CYP6DA2 promoter constructs elevated CYP6DA2 promoter activity, with the AhR plus ARNT cotransfection being the most effective. Thus, these elements located in the promoter were responsible for CYP6DA2 transcription, and CYP6DA2 expression was regulated by the transcription factors AhR and ARNT.

Novel mutations and expression changes of acetyl-coenzyme A carboxylase are associated with spirotetramat resistance in Aphis gossypii Glover

Acetyl-coenzyme A carboxylase (ACC) catalyses the carboxylation of acetyl-coenzyme A (acetyl-CoA) to produce malonyl-CoA during the de novo synthesis of fatty acids. Spirotetramat, an inhibitor of ACC, is widely used to control a range of sucking insects, including the Aphis gossypii. In the present study, Reverse transcription quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR) results demonstrated that ACC was significantly overexpressed in a laboratory-selected spirotetramat-resistant strain compared with the susceptible strain. ACC RNA interference significantly suppressed fecundity and led to cuticle formation deficiencies in resistant adults and nymphs compared with the control. The full-length ACC gene was sequenced from both resistant and susceptible cotton aphids, and a strong association was found between spirotetramat resistance and 14 amino acid substitutions in the biotin carboxylase domain and carboxyl transferase domain of the ACC gene. Furthermore, ACC activity was higher in resistant aphids than in the susceptible strain, and ACC in the resistant aphids exhibited significant insensitivity to spirotetramat and spirotetramat-enol. The results indicate that the overexpressed insensitive (mutated) ACC target played an important role in the high levels of spirotetramat resistance observed here. This association of amino acid substitution with resistance is the first report of a potential target site mechanism affecting spirotetramat in the cotton aphid.

Cytochrome P450 CYP6DA2 regulated by cap 'n'collar isoform C (CncC) is associated with gossypol tolerance in Aphis gossypii Glover

Cotton plants accumulate phytotoxins, such as gossypol and related sesquiterpene aldehydes, to resist insect herbivores. The survival of insects exposed to toxic secondary metabolites depends on the detoxification metabolism mediated by limited groups of cytochrome P450. Gossypol has an antibiotic effect on Aphis gossypii, and as the concentrations of gossypol were increased in the present study, the mortality of cotton aphids increased from 4 to 28%. The fecundity of the cotton aphids exposed to gossypol was also significantly reduced compared with the control. The transcriptional levels of CYP6DA2 in cotton aphids were significantly induced when exposed to gossypol, and knockdown of the CYP6DA2 transcripts by RNA interference (RNAi) significantly increased the toxicity of gossypol to cotton aphids. To further understand the gossypol regulatory cascade, the 5'-flanking promoter sequences of CYP6DA2 were isolated with a genome walker, and the promoter was very active and was inducible by gossypol. Co-transfection of the cap 'n' collar isoform C (CncC) and CYP6DA2 promoters dramatically increased the expression of CYP6DA2, and suppression of the CncC transcripts by RNAi significantly decreased the expression levels of CYP6DA2, and significantly increased the toxicity of gossypol to cotton aphids. Thus, the transcriptional regulation of CYP6DA2 involved the transcriptional factor CncC.

Pdcd4 restrains the self-renewal and white-to-beige transdifferentiation of adipose-derived stem cells

The stemness maintenance of adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) is important for adipose homeostasis and energy balance. Programmed cell death 4 (Pdcd4) has been demonstrated to be involved in the development of obesity, but its possible roles in ADSC function and adipogenic capacity remain unclear. In this study, we demonstrate that Pdcd4 is a key controller that limits the self-renewal and white-to-beige transdifferentiation of ADSCs. Pdcd4 deficiency in mice caused stemness enhancement of ADSCs as evidenced by increased expression of CD105, CD90, Nanog and Oct4 on ADSCs, together with enhanced in situ proliferation in adipose tissues. Pdcd4 deficiency promoted proliferation, colony formation of ADSCs and drove more ADSCs entering the S phase accompanied by AKT activation and cyclinD1 upregulation. Blockade of AKT signaling in Pdcd4-deficient ADSCs led to a marked decline in cyclinD1, S-phase entry and cell proliferation, revealing AKT as a target for repressing ADSC self-renewal by Pdcd4. Intriguingly, depletion of Pdcd4 promoted the transdifferentiation of ADSCs into beige adipocytes. A reduction in lipid contents and expression levels of white adipocyte markers including C/EBPα, PPAR-γ, adiponectin and αP2 was detected in Pdcd4-deficient ADSCs during white adipogenic differentiation, substituted by typical beige adipocyte characteristics including small, multilocular lipid droplets and UCP1 expression. More lactate produced by Pdcd4-deficient ADSCs might be an important contributor to the expression of UCP1 and white-to-beige transdifferentiation. In addition, an elevation of UCP1 expression was confirmed in white adipose tissues from Pdcd4-deficient mice upon high-fat diet, which displayed increased energy expenditure and resistance to obesity as compared with wild-type obese mice. These findings provide evidences that Pdcd4 produces unfavorable influences on ADSC stemness, which contribute to adipose dysfunction, obesity and metabolic syndromes, thereby proposing Pdcd4 as a potential intervening target for regulating ADSC function.

Association of COL4A1 gene polymorphisms with cerebral palsy in a Chinese Han population

The basement membrane (BM) is an extracellular matrix associated with overlying cells and is important for proper tissue development, stability, and physiology. COL4A1 is the most abundant component of type IV collagen in the BM, and COL4A1 variants can present with variable phenotypes that might be related to cerebral palsy (CP). We postulated, therefore, that variations in the COL4A1 gene might play an important role in the etiology of CP. In this study, six single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the COL4A1 gene were genotyped among 351 CP patients and 220 healthy controls from the Chinese Han population. Significant association was found for an association between CP and rs1961495 (allele: p = 0.008, odds ratio (OR) = 1.387, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.088-1.767) and rs1411040 (allele: p = 0.009, OR = 1.746, 95% CI = 1.148-2.656) SNPs of the COL4A1 gene. Multifactor dimensionality reduction analysis suggested that these SNPs had interactive effects on the risk of CP. This study is the first attempt to investigate the contribution of polymorphisms in the COL4A1 gene to the susceptibility of CP in a Chinese Han population. This study shows an association of the COL4A1 gene with CP and suggests a potential role of COL4A1 in the pathogenesis of CP.

A transferrin gene associated with development and 2-tridecanone tolerance in Helicoverpa armigera

The full-length cDNA (2320 bp) encoding a putative iron-binding transferrin protein from Helicoverpa armigera was cloned and named HaTrf. The putative HaTrf sequence included 670 amino acids with a molecular mass of approximately 76 kDa. Quantitative PCR results demonstrated that the transcriptional level of HaTrf was significantly higher in the sixth instar and pupa stages as compared with other developmental stages. HaTrf transcripts were more abundant in fat bodies and in the epidermis than in malpighian tubules. Compared with the control, the expression of HaTrf increased dramatically 24 h after treatment with 2-tridecanone. Apparent growth inhibition with a dramatic body weight decrease was observed in larvae fed with HaTrf double-stranded RNA (dsRNA), as compared with those fed with green fluorescent protein dsRNA. RNA interference of HaTrf also significantly increased the susceptibility of larvae to 2-tridecanone. These results indicate the possible involvement of HaTrf in tolerance to plant secondary chemicals.

Activation of TRPV1 attenuates high salt-induced cardiac hypertrophy through improvement of mitochondrial function

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

High-salt diet induces cardiac remodelling and leads to heart failure, which is closely related to cardiac mitochondrial dysfunction. Transient receptor potential (TRP) channels are implicated in the pathogenesis of cardiac dysfunction. We investigated whether activation of TRP vanilloid (subtype 1) (TRPV1) channels by dietary capsaicin can, by ameliorating cardiac mitochondrial dysfunction, prevent high-salt diet-induced cardiac hypertrophy.

EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH

Male wild-type (WT) and TRPV1(-/-) mice were fed a normal or high-salt diet with or without capsaicin for 6 months. Their cardiac parameters and endurance capacity were assessed. Mitochondrial respiration and oxygen consumption were measured using high-resolution respirometry. The expression levels of TRPV1, sirtuin 3 and NDUFA9 were detected in cardiac cells and tissues.

KEY RESULTS

Chronic high-salt diet caused cardiac hypertrophy and reduced physical activity in mice; both effects were ameliorated by capsaicin intake in WT but not in TRPV1(-/-) mice. TRPV1 knockout or high-salt diet significantly jeopardized the proficiency of mitochondrial Complex I oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) and reduced Complex I enzyme activity. Chronic dietary capsaicin increased cardiac mitochondrial sirtuin 3 expression, the proficiency of Complex I OXPHOS, ATP production and Complex I enzyme activity in a TRPV1-dependent manner.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

TRPV1 activation by dietary capsaicin can antagonize high-salt diet-mediated cardiac lesions by ameliorating its deleterious effect on the proficiency of Complex I OXPHOS. TRPV1-mediated amendment of mitochondrial dysfunction may represent a novel target for management of early cardiac dysfunction.

Dietary curcumin ameliorates aging-related cerebrovascular dysfunction through the AMPK/uncoupling protein 2 pathway

BACKGROUND/AIMS

Age-related cerebrovascular dysfunction contributes to stroke, cerebral amyloid angiopathy, cognitive decline and neurodegenerative diseases. One pathogenic mechanism underlying this effect is increased oxidative stress. Up-regulation of mitochondrial uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2) plays a crucial role in regulating reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. Dietary patterns are widely recognized as contributors to cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that dietary curcumin, which has an antioxidant effect, can improve aging-related cerebrovascular dysfunction via UCP2 up-regulation.

METHODS

The 24-month-old male rodents used in this study, including male Sprague Dawley (SD) rats and UCP2 knockout (UCP2-/-) and matched wild type mice, were given dietary curcumin (0.2%). The young control rodents were 6-month-old. Rodent cerebral artery vasorelaxation was detected by wire myograph. The AMPK/UCP2 pathway and p-eNOS in cerebrovascular and endothelial cells were observed by immunoblotting.

RESULTS

Dietary curcumin administration for one month remarkably restored the impaired cerebrovascular endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation in aging SD rats. In cerebral arteries from aging SD rats and cultured endothelial cells, curcumin promoted eNOS and AMPK phosphorylation, up-regulated UCP2 and reduced ROS production. These effects of curcumin were abolished by either AMPK or UCP2 inhibition. Chronic dietary curcumin significantly reduced ROS production and improved cerebrovascular endothelium-dependent relaxation in aging wild type mice but not in aging UCP2-/- mice.

CONCLUSIONS

Curcumin improves aging-related cerebrovascular dysfunction via the AMPK/UCP2 pathway.