Brazilin-Ce nanoparticles attenuate inflammation by de/anti-phosphorylation of IKKβ

Inflammation is associated with a series of diseases like cancer, cardiovascular disease and infection, and phosphorylation/dephosphorylation modification of proteins are important in inflammation regulation. Here we designed and synthesized a novel Brazilin-Ce nanoparticle (BX-Ce NPs) using Brazilin, which has been used for anti-inflammation in cardiovascular diseases but with narrow therapeutic window, and Cerium (IV), a lanthanide which has the general activity in catalyzing the hydrolysis of phosphoester bonds, to conferring de/anti-phosphorylation of IKKβ. We found that BX-Ce NPs specifically bound to Asn225 and Lys428 of IKKβ and inhibited its phosphorylation at Ser181, contributing to appreciably anti-inflammatory effect in cellulo (IC50 = 2.5 μM). In vivo mouse models of myocardial infarction and sepsis also showed that the BX-Ce NPs significantly ameliorated myocardial injury and improved survival in mice with experimental sepsis through downregulating phosphorylation of IKKβ. These findings provided insights for developing metal nanoparticles for guided ion interfere therapy, particularly synergistically target de/anti-phosphorylation as promising therapeutic agents for inflammation and related diseases.

Thioredoxin-1 decreases alpha-synuclein induced by MPTP through promoting autophagy-lysosome pathway

Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by the formation of Lewy body in dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc). Alpha-synuclein (α-syn) is a major component of Lewy body. Autophagy eliminates damaged organelles and abnormal aggregated proteins. Thioredoxin-1 (Trx-1) is a redox regulating protein and plays roles in protecting dopaminergic neurons against neurotoxicity induced by 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP). However, the relationship between Trx-1 and α-syn in PD is still unknown. In the present study, the movement disorder and dopaminergic neurotoxicity in MPTP-treated mice were improved by Trx-1 overexpression and were aggravated by Trx-1 knockdown in the SNpc in mice. The expression of α-syn was increased in the SNpc of MPTP-treated mice, which was inhibited by Trx-1 overexpression and was exacerbated in Trx-1 knockdown mice. Autophagosomes was increased under electron microscope after MPTP treatment, which were recovered in Trx-1 overexpressing mice and were further increased in Trx-1 knockdown in the SNpc in mice. The expressions of phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome ten (PTEN)-induced putative kinase 1 (PINK1), Parkin, LC3 II and p62 were increased by MPTP, which were blocked in Trx-1 overexpressing mice and were further increased in Trx-1 knockdown mice. Cathepsin D was decreased by MPTP, which was restored in Trx-1 overexpressing mice and was further decreased in Trx-1 knockdown mice. The mRFP-GFP-LC3 green fluorescent dots were increased by 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP+) and further increased in Trx-1 siRNA transfected PC12 cells, while mRFP-GFP-LC3 red fluorescent dots were increased in Trx-1 overexpressing cells. These results indicate that Trx-1 may eliminate α-syn in PD mice through potentiating autophagy-lysosome pathway.

A transient wave of Bhlhe41+ resident macrophages enables remodeling of the developing infarcted myocardium

The immune system plays a critical role during myocardial injury, contributing to repair and remodeling post myocardial infarction (MI). The myocardial infarct and border zone exhibit high heterogeneity, in turn leading to reconstructing macrophage subsets and specific functions. Here we use a combination of single-cell RNA sequencing, spatial transcriptomes, and reporter mice to characterize temporal-spatial dynamics of cardiac macrophage subtype in response to MI. We identify that transient appearance of monocyte-derived Bhlhe41+ Mφs in the "developing" infarct zone peaked at day 7, while other monocyte-derived macrophages are identified in "old" infarct zone. Functional characterization by co-culture of Bhlhe41+ Mφs with cardiomyocytes and fibroblasts or depletion of Bhlhe41+ Mφs unveils a crucial contribution of Bhlhe41+ Mφs in suppression of myofibroblast activation. This work highlights the importance of Bhlhe41+ Mφ phenotype and plasticity in preventing excessive fibrosis and limiting the expansion of developing infarct area.

Anti-inflammatory effect of Danhong injection through inhibition of GSDMD-mediated pyroptosis

BACKGROUND

Pyroptosis is an inflammatory form of cell death that has been implicated in various infectious and non-infectious diseases. Gasdermin family proteins are the key executors of pyroptotic cell death, thus they are considered as novel therapeutic targets for inflammatory diseases. However, only limited gasdermin specific inhibitors have been identified to date. Traditional Chinese medicines have been applied in clinic for centuries and exhibit potential in anti-inflammation and anti-pyroptosis. We attempted to find candidate Chinese botanical drugs which specifically target gasdermin D (GSDMD) and inhibit pyroptosis.

METHODS

In this study, we performed high-throughput screening using a botanical drug library to identify pyroptosis specific inhibitors. The assay was based on a cell pyroptosis model induced by lipopolysaccharides (LPS) and nigericin. Cell pyroptosis levels were then evaluated by cell cytotoxicity assay, propidium iodide (PI) staining and immunoblotting. We then overexpressed GSDMD-N in cell lines to investigate the direct inhibitory effect of the drug to GSDMD-N oligomerization. Mass spectrometry studies were applied to identify the active components of the botanical drug. Finally, a mouse model of sepsis and a mouse model of diabetic myocardial infarction were constructed to verify the protective effect of the drug in disease models of inflammation.

RESULTS

High-throughput screening identified Danhong injection (DHI) as a pyroptosis inhibitor. DHI remarkably inhibited pyroptotic cell death in a murine macrophage cell line and bone marrow-derived macrophages. Molecular assays demonstrated the direct blockade of GSDMD-N oligomerization and pore formation by DHI. Mass spectrometry studies identified the major active components of DHI, and further activity assays revealed salvianolic acid E (SAE) as the most potent molecule among these components, and SAE has a strong binding affinity to mouse GSDMD Cys192. We further demonstrated the protective effects of DHI in mouse sepsis and mouse myocardial infarction with type 2 diabetes.

CONCLUSION

These findings provide new insights for drug development from Chinese herbal medicine like DHI against diabetic myocardial injury and sepsis through blocking GSDMD-mediated macrophage pyroptosis.

[Mechanisms mediating the inhibitory effects of quercetin against phthalates-induced testicular oxidative damage in rats]

OBJECTIVE

To explore the mechanism underlying the inhibitory effect of quercetin against testicular oxidative damage induced by a mixture of 3 commonly used phthalates (MPEs) in rats.

METHODS

Forty male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into control group, MPEs exposure group, and MPEs with low-, median- and high-dose quercetin treatment groups. For MPEs exposure, the rats were subjected to intragastric administration of MPEs at the daily dose of 900 mg/kg for 30 consecutive days; Quercetin treatments were administered in the same manner at the daily dose of 10, 30, and 90 mg/kg. After the treatments, serum levels of testosterone, luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), and testicular malondialdeyhde (MDA), catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were detected, and testicular pathologies of the rats were observed with HE staining. The expressions of nuclear factor-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), Kelch-like ECH2 associated protein 1 (Keap1) and heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) in the testis were detected using immunofluorescence assay and Western blotting.

RESULTS

Compared with the control group, the rats with MPEs exposure showed significant reductions of the anogenital distance, weight of the testis and epididymis, and the coefficients of the testis and epididymis with lowered serum testosterone, LH and FSH levels (P < 0.05). Testicular histological examination revealed atrophy of the seminiferous tubules, spermatogenic arrest, and hyperplasia of the Leydig cells in MPEs-exposed rats. MPEs exposure also caused significant increments of testicular Nrf2, MDA, SOD, CAT and HO-1 expressions and lowered testicular Keap1 expression (P < 0.05). Treatment with quercetin at the median and high doses significantly ameliorated the pathological changes induced by MPEs exposure (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Quercetin treatment inhibits MPEs-induced oxidative testicular damage in rats possibly by direct scavenging of free radicals to lower testicular oxidative stress and restore the regulation of the Nrf2 signaling pathway.

Novel cardioprotective mechanism for Empagliflozin in nondiabetic myocardial infarction with acute hyperglycemia

Patients with AMI and hyperglycemia upon hospital admission exhibited poorer prognosis compared with those without hyperglycemia. It is unknown whether SGLT2 inhibitors can also improve nondiabetic myocardial infarction (MI) with acute hyperglycemia and the underlying mechanisms. Here we demonstrated that hyperglycemia patients were more likely to have worse cardiac function levels, such as with Killip III/IV during hospitalization. Glucose injection-induced nondiabetic MI accompanied by acute hyperglycemia in WT mice, manifested lower survival compared with control. A significant increase in both survival and LV function was observed when treated with empagliflozin (EMPA). In addition, EMPA attenuated fibrosis and autophagy of border cardiac tissue in mice with MI accompanied by acute hyperglycemia. Applying Beclin1^+/- and NHE1 cKO mice, we found that Beclin1 deficiency improved survival. Mechanistically, EMPA had a more significant cardioprotective effect through inhibited its autophagy level by targeted Beclin1 rather than NHE1. In addition, EMPA rescued cardiomyocytes autosis induced by Tat-beclin1 or GD, conferring cardioprotection decreasing autophagic cell death. These findings provide new insights that SGLT2 inhibitor effectively ameliorates the myocardial injury in nondiabetic myocardial infarction with acute hyperglycemia through suppressing beclin1-dependent autosis rather than elusively targeting NHE1 in cardiomyocytes.

[Expert consensus on measurement and clinical application of serum HBV RNA in patients with chronic HBV infection]

Since the discovery of circulating hepatitis B virus (HBV) RNA in the peripheral blood of patients with chronic hepatitis B in 1996, a growing number of studies have focused on clarifying the biological characteristics and clinical application value of serum HBV RNA. This consensus mainly summarizes the research progress of serum HBV RNA existing profiles, quantitative detection methods, and current clinical applications. In order to better apply this indicator for the clinical management of patients with chronic HBV infection, recommendations on quantitative detection target regions, detection results, and clinical applications are put forward.

[Relationship between parental reproductive age and the risk of overweight and obesity in offspring]

Objective: To explore the role of parental reproductive age on the risk of overweight and obesity in offspring. Methods: The participants were derived from physical examination data of students aged 6-18 years in seven provinces in China, and questionnaire survey was used to collect demographic characteristics and lifestyle information of the students and their parents. A total of 41 567 children with complete data were included. According to the restricted cubic spline curve, maternal reproductive age was divided into three categories, 14-23, 24-28, and 29-38 years, and paternal reproductive age was divided into 14-23, 24-30, and 31-42 years. Multivariate logistic regression model was used to analyze the association between parental reproductive age and parental nutritional status and the risk of overweight and obesity in offspring. Results: The mean age of 41 567 children was (10.6±3.2) years, and the mean paternal and maternal age were (27.9±4.4) years and (25.8±4.0) years, respectively. The detection rate of overweight and obesity was 23.4%. After adjusting factors of children diet and behaviors, the OR(95%CI)of offspring overweight and obesity in groups of fathers aged 24-30 years and mothers aged 24-28 years was 1.11 (1.04-1.18) and 1.16 (1.08-1.24), respectively. When none parents were overweight and obese, the difference of obesity risk was not statistically significant. When both parents were overweight and obese, the OR(95%CI)of offspring overweight and obesity in groups of fathers aged 24-30 years and mothers aged 14-28 years old was 1.27 (1.00-1.62) and 1.33 (1.07-1.65) respectively. Conclusion: Parental reproductive age and parental overweight and obesity status may both increase the risk of overweight and obesity in offspring, with a significant interaction effect.

Thioredoxin-1 Rescues MPP+/MPTP-Induced Ferroptosis by Increasing Glutathione Peroxidase 4

Parkinson's disease (PD), a common neurodegenerative disease, is typically associated with the loss of dopaminergic neuron in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc). Ferroptosis is a newly identified cell death, which associated with iron accumulation, glutathione (GSH) depletion, lipid peroxidation formation, reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation, and glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) reduction. It has been reported that ferroptosis is linked with PD.Thioredoxin-1 (Trx-1) is a redox regulating protein and plays various roles in regulating the activity of transcription factors and inhibiting apoptosis. However, whether Trx-1 plays the role in regulating ferroptosis involved in PD is still unknown. Our present study showed that 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP+) decreased cell viability, GPX4, and Trx-1, which were reversed by Ferrostatin-1 (Fer-1) in PC 12 cells and SH-SY5Y cells. Moreover, the decreased GPX4 and GSH, and increased ROS were inhibited by Fer-1 and Trx-1 overexpression. We further repeated that behavior deficits resulted from 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) were improved in Trx-1 overexpression transgenic mice. Trx-1 reversed the decreases of GPX4 and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) induced by MPTP in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc). Our results suggest that Trx-1 inhibits ferroptosis in PD through regulating GPX4 and GSH.

Thioredoxin-1 regulates calcium homeostasis in MPP+ /MPTP-induced Parkinson's disease models

Disturbance in calcium (Ca²⁺ ) homeostasis has been involved in a variety of neuropathological conditions including Parkinson's disease (PD). The Ca²⁺ channel, transient receptor potential channel 1 (TRPC1), plays a protective role in regulating entry of Ca²⁺ activated by store depletion of Ca²⁺ in endoplasmic reticulum (ER). We have showed that thioredoxin-1 (Trx-1) plays a role in suppressing ER stress in PD. However, whether Trx-1 regulates TRPC1 expression in PD is still unknown. In the present study, we demonstrated that treatment of 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinum ion (MPP⁺ ) significantly reduced the expression of TRPC1 in PC12 cells, which was restored by Trx-1 overexpression, and further decreased significantly by Trx-1 siRNA. Moreover, we found that Ca²⁺ entered into the cells was decreased by MPP⁺ in PC 12 cells, which was restored by Trx-1 overexpression, and further decreased by Trx-1 siRNA. MPP⁺ significantly increased calcium-dependent cysteine protease calpain1 expression in PC12 cells, which was suppressed by Trx-1 overexpression. Calpain1 expression was increased by Trx-1 siRNA or SKF96365, an inhibitor of TRPC1. Moreover, 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) decreased TRPC1 expression in the substantia nigra pars compacta region (SNpc), which was restored in mice overexpressing Trx-1, and further decreased in mice of knockdown Trx-1. Inversely, the expression of calpain1 was increased by MPTP, which was suppressed in mice overexpressing Trx-1, and further increased in mice of knockdown Trx-1. In conclusion, Trx-1 regulates the Ca²⁺ entry through regulating TRPC1 expression after treatment of MPP⁺ /MPTP.

Visfatin facilitates gastric cancer malignancy by targeting snai1 via the NF-κB signaling

BACKGROUND

Visfatin acts as an oncogenic factor in numerous tumors through a variety of cellular processes. Visfatin has been revealed to promote cell migration and invasion in gastric cancer (GC). Snai1 is a well-known regulator of EMT process in cancers. However, the relationship between visfatin and snai1 in GC remains unclear. The current study aimed to explore the role of visfatin in GC.

METHODS

The RT-qPCR and western blot analysis were used to measure RNA and protein levels, respectively. The cell migration and invasion were tested by Trans-well assays and western blot analysis.

RESULTS

Visfatin showed upregulation in GC cells. Additionally, Visfatin with increasing concentration facilitated epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process by increasing E-cadherin and reducing N-cadherin and Vimentin protein levels in GC cells. Moreover, endogenous overexpression and knockdown of visfatin promoted and inhibited migratory and invasive abilities of GC cells, respectively. Then, we found that snai1 protein level was positively regulated by visfatin in GC cells. In addition, visfatin activated the NF-κB signaling to modulate snai1 protein expression. Furthermore, the silencing of snai1 counteracted the promotive impact of visfatin on cell migration, invasion and EMT process in GC.

CONCLUSION

Visfatin facilitates cell migration, invasion and EMT process by targeting snai1 via the NF-κB signaling, which provides a potential insight for the treatment of GC.

Maintenance treatment in advanced HER2-negative gastric cancer

Survival for patients with advanced gastric cancer (GC) remains poor. Systemic chemotherapy which has reached a plateau stays the standard first-line (1L) treatment for advanced human epidermal growth-factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative GC. To maximize the benefit of 1L treatment, the concept of maintenance treatment is constantly being explored. In advanced HER2-negative GC, current clinical guidelines do not recommend a standard maintenance therapy strategy. In addition to the monotherapy maintenance with fluorouracil after 4-6 cycles of 1L chemotherapy, some agents that are active against novel targets have been evaluated in clinical trials for maintenance treatment. Whereas most of these trials do not reach their primary endpoints, they open new horizons for the 1L treatment of advanced HER2-negative GC. Therefore, we reviewed the clinical trials in the field of maintenance treatment in advanced HER2-negative GC and discussed some of the problems in clinical trials.

Vacuum Sealing Drainage Therapy for Refractory Infectious Wound on 16 Renal Transplant Recipients

BACKGROUND

Refractory infectious wounds on renal transplantation (RT) recipients significantly prolong hospital stay, increase medical costs, and threaten allograft survival. Vacuum sealing drainage (VSD) therapy is a new technique for managing wounds based on the principle of application of controlled negative pressure. The aim of this study was to summarize the efficacy and safety of VSD therapy in the management of refractory infectious wounds following RT.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This is a retrospective study of a cohort of 661 consecutive patients who received renal transplants over a period of 3 years in which the data were collected and analyzed retrospectively.

RESULTS

Out of the 661 patients, 16 (2.4%) developed refractory wound infection following RT. Nineteen organisms were identified by culture from all patients, including 10 patients infected with 1 or more bacteria, 2 patients with fungal infection, and 4 patients with both. Specifically, mucormycosis was demonstrated in 4 patients, pan-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae in 2 patients, and Acinetobacter baumannii in 2 patients. All 16 patients were treated with VSD therapy for a median of 37 days (range, 6-111 days). The number of VSD sets used ranged from 4 to 28 sets (mean, 11.1 sets). A combination of antibiotics, debridement, and VSD therapy lead to 100% (16 of 16) wound healing. No VSD-relevant adverse events were observed.

CONCLUSIONS

VSD therapy is an effective and safe adjunct to conventional treatment modalities for the management of refractory wound infection following RT.

Effect of Early Immunosuppression Therapy on De Novo Anti-Human-Leukocyte-Antigen Antibody After Kidney Transplantation

The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of immunosuppression therapy early after kidney transplantation, particularly exposure of mycophenolic acid (MPA) and calcineurin inhibitor (CNI), on posttransplantation de novo HLA antibody production.

METHODS

A single-center retrospective cohort study was performed at the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, enrolling the kidney transplant or pancreas-kidney transplant recipients who had surgery between January 2010 and February 2016.

RESULTS

A total of 214 recipients were included in the study with a median follow-up period of 1.06 years. A total of 30 recipients (14.0%) were positive in HLA antibody detection posttransplant with a median follow-up period of 1.46 years. Ten recipients (4.7%) lost their allograft function during follow-up, and 6 of them (60%) developed de novo HLA antibody after graft failure. Multivariate analysis showed that acute rejection significantly increased the risk of de novo HLA antibody (hazard ratio [HR], 2.732). Intensified MPA dosing therapy reduced the risk by 59.8% (HR, 0.402); low-dose CNI therapy increased the risk by 33.3% (HR, 1.333), and the effect of extremely low-dose CNI therapy was even larger (HR, 2.242).

CONCLUSION

The risk of de novo HLA antibody can be decreased by reducing the risk of acute rejection. A tendency was seen in low-dose CNI therapy to increase the risk of de novo HLA antibody, but intensified MPA dosing therapy may provide an umbrella protection effect by reducing the risk. Prospective study was required to confirm the effects.

Higher Incidence of Renal Allograft Glomerulonephritis in Living-Related Donor Kidney Transplantation

Glomerulonephritis recurrence has emerged as one of the leading causes of allograft loss. We aimed to investigate the effect of living-related and deceased donation on the incidence of renal allograft glomerulonephritis and its effect on renal allograft survival.

METHODS

Adult renal allograft recipients with primary glomerulonephritis were enrolled. Transplantation date was from Feb 2004 to Dec 2015. Exclusion criteria included combined organ transplantation, structural abnormality, diabetic nephropathy, hypertension nephropathy, obstructive nephropathy, and primary uric acid nephropathy. The incidence of biopsy-proven allograft glomerulonephritis was compared between the living-related donor group and the deceased donor group. Graft survival was assessed with Kaplan-Meier method, and Cox proportional hazard model was used to evaluate the effect of posttransplant glomerulonephritis on graft outcome.

RESULTS

There were 525 living-related donor kidney transplant recipients (LRKTx) and 456 deceased donor kidney transplant recipients (DDKTx) enrolled. The incidence of IgA nephropathy was 8.8% in the LRKTx group and 1.3% in the DDKTx group (P < .001); the incidence of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) was 3.8% in the LRKTx group and 1.5% in the DDKTx group (P = .03). FSGS increased the risk of graft failure compared with non-FSGS (hazard ratio [HR], 3.703 [1.459-9.397]; P = .006). IgA nephropathy increased the risk of graft failure by over 5 times 5 years after kidney transplantation compared with non-IgA nephropathy, but it did not affect early allograft survival (HR for ≥5 years, 6.139; 95% CI, 1.766-21.345; P = .004; HR for <5 years, 0.385 [0.053-2.814]; P = .35).

CONCLUSIONS

Higher incidence of IgA nephropathy and FSGS in renal allograft was observed in living-related donor kidney transplantation compared with deceased donor kidney transplantation. De novo or recurrent IgA nephropathy and FSGS impaired long-term renal allograft survival.

Detoxification mechanisms, defense responses, and toxicity threshold in the earthworm Eisenia foetida exposed to ciprofloxacin-polluted soils

The widespread application of antibiotics poses health risks for agro-ecosystems. This study examined the effects of ciproflaxin (CIP)-polluted soils (0-51.2mgCIP/kg) on the earthworm Eisenia foetida. The enhanced activities and isozyme levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and ascorbate peroxidase after 15days of CIP exposure suggested reactive oxygen species overproduction and thus the generation of oxidatively damaged proteins (e.g., carbonylated proteins) in the earthworms. Under mild CIP stress, the 20S proteasome was capable of degrading most of the damaged proteins independent of ubiquitin. Under severe stress, proteases and endoproteases were up-regulated and maintained the proteolysis as 20S proteasome activity diminished. These observations suggested that, together with glutathione S-transferases, which also participated in the detoxification, 20S proteasome, proteases, endoproteases, and antioxidant enzymes constituted a detoxification and defense system in the earthworms. The biphasic dose responses of these cellular components confirmed that the dose range tested was reasonable for the bioassay of CIP-polluted soils. Our results also demonstrated the potential utility of SOD and ubiquitin as highly sensitive biomarkers in the early bioassay of CIP-polluted soils. Bases on the results, a toxicity threshold for CIP-polluted soils of 3.2-6.4mgCIP/kg soil can be proposed.

Recombinant beta interferon could clear the low-dose infected porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) in MARC-145 cells

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) causes one of the most economically devastating and pandemic porcine diseases. Previous study has shown that MARC-145 cells pretreated with recombinant IFN-β (rIFN-β) couldn't develop cytopathic effect (CPE) of PRRSV. However, up to date, it is not clear whether MARC-145 cells post-treated with rIFN-β could develop CPE of PRRSV. The present work showed that the MARC-145 cells didn't develop the CPE at 120 hr post-infection (p.i.) with low-dose of PRRSV when the cells were pre-treated with rIFN-β (Group 1), post-treated with rIFN-β at 4 hr p.i. (Group 2), or post-treated with rIFN-β at 8 hr p.i. (Group 3), while the MARC-145 cells could develop CPE when the cells were infected with high-dose PRRSV and then treated with rIFN-β at 24 hr p.i.. Furthermore, the indirect immunofluorescence assay confirmed that there were a few N protein-positive cells in the high-dose infected cells in Group 1, Group 2 and Group 3, while there were no N protein-positive cells in the low-dose infected cells in all rIFN-β treatment groups. In addition, the numbers of N protein-positive cells in high-dose infected cells (MOI = 10) in Group 1 were lower than that in Group 2 and Group 3. The results above demonstrated that both pre-treatment with rIFN-β and an earlier post-treatment with rIFN-β could inhibit the PRRSV replication and could clear the low-dose infected PRRSV, which indicated that the rIFN-β had efficient antiviral activities when the cells have been infected with PRRSV.

Dynamic effects of CYP3A5 polymorphism on dose requirement and trough concentration of tacrolimus in renal transplant recipients

WHAT IS KNOWN AND OBJECTIVE

Tacrolimus is a widely used immunosuppressive drug with marked pharmacokinetic variability partly due to CYP3A5 polymorphism. Our study aimed to investigate the dynamic effects of CYP3A5 genotypes on dose requirement and trough concentration (C₀ ) of tacrolimus in renal transplant recipients.

METHODS

A total of 194 Chinese renal transplant recipients received oral tacrolimus twice daily. Whole-blood C₀ of tacrolimus were measured on the 3rd day, 7th day, 14th day, 1st month, 3rd month and 6th month post-transplantation. CYP3A5 genotypes were determined and the recipients were categorized as CYP3A5 expressers (CYP3A5*1 allele carriers) and non-expressers (homozygous CYP3A5*3). The correlated serum creatinine, haematocrit and albumin were also detected.

RESULTS

The allele frequencies for CYP3A5*1/*1, *1/*3 and *3/*3 were 7·7%, 44·8% and 47·4%, respectively. There were no significant variability in serum creatinine, haematocrit and albumin values between CYP3A5 expressers and non-expressers. Larger doses were administered to CYP3A5 expressers than to non-expressers after surgery except the initial dose. C₀ were much lower in CYP3A5 expressers than in non-expressers on the 3rd day, 7th day, 14th day and 1st month post-transplantation (P < 0·01); however, no significant differences were found on the 3rd and 6th months post-transplantation. All of the dose-adjusted C₀ in CYP3A5 expressers were significantly lower than non-expressers (P < 0·01). Less of the recipients achieving target C₀ (4-8 ng/mL) were found in CYP3A5 expressers than in non-expressers after initial dose (35·7% vs. 50%). Meanwhile, CYP3A5 non-expressers were detected having higher C₀ (>8 ng/mL) during 3 months post-transplantation. Besides, the proportions in the two groups both increased gradually over time and up to 91·8% and 94% on the 6th month, respectively.

WHAT IS NEW AND CONCLUSION

There are no significant differences in serum creatinine, haematocrit and albumin values between CYP3A5 expressers and non-expressers. CYP3A5 expressers have decreased dose-adjusted tacrolimus C₀ when compared to non-expressers. Dose-adjusted C₀ of tacrolimus increases in a time-dependent manner in both groups.

[Salvage surgical treatment for local recurrent nasopharyngeal cancer]

The salvage radiation or surgery is the main choice for recurrent nasopharyngeal cancer now. However the recurrent tumor becomes radiation insensitive and meanwhile,morbidity and mortality become higher.Recently the endoscopic salvage surgery has been developed;the collective evidence from a number of such studies suggests that endoscopic nasopharyngectomy is a safe and effective procedure for the treatment of rNPC.This article reviewed related researches about the feasibility,methods, and current situation of endoscopic salvage surgery.

Extracellular DNA traps released by acute promyelocytic leukemia cells through autophagy

Acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) cells exhibit disrupted regulation of cell death and differentiation, and therefore the fate of these leukemic cells is unclear. Here, we provide the first evidence that a small percentage of APL cells undergo a novel cell death pathway by releasing extracellular DNA traps (ETs) in untreated patients. Both APL and NB4 cells stimulated with APL serum had nuclear budding of vesicles filled with chromatin that leaked to the extracellular space when nuclear and cell membranes ruptured. Using immunofluorescence, we found that NB4 cells undergoing ETosis extruded lattice-like structures with a DNA-histone backbone. During all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA)-induced cell differentiation, a subset of NB4 cells underwent ETosis at days 1 and 3 of treatment. The levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were significantly elevated at 3 days, and combined treatment with TNF-α and IL-6 stimulated NB4 cells to release ETs. Furthermore, inhibition of autophagy by pharmacological inhibitors or by small interfering RNA against Atg7 attenuated LC3 autophagy formation and significantly decreased ET generation. Our results identify a previously unrecognized mechanism for death in promyelocytes and suggest that ATRA may accelerate ET release through increased cytokines and autophagosome formation. Targeting this cellular death pathway in addition to conventional chemotherapy may provide new therapeutic modalities for APL.

The efficacy and safety of intensified enteric-coated mycophenolate sodium with low exposure of calcineurin inhibitors in Chinese de novo kidney transplant recipients: a prospective study

AIMS

The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy and safety of a transient intensified enteric-coated mycophenolate sodium (EC-MPS) dosing regimen with low exposure of calcineurin inhibitors (CNIs) in Chinese de novo kidney transplantation.

METHODS

In a 6-month prospective study, a total of 97 recipients were enrolled and assigned to either an intensified EC-MPS dosing (IS) regimen or a standard EC-MPS dosing (SD) regimen. The area under the curve (AUC) of MPA was assessed at week 1 post transplant. The incidences of acute rejection, patient and graft survival, renal allograft function and adverse events were analysed.

RESULTS

The IS regimen displayed a trend of acute rejection risk reduction (IS 2.7% vs. SD 13.3%, p = 0.061) and allograft function improvement (IS 62.8 ± 14.0 ml/min per 1.73 m(2) vs. SD 56.6 ± 18.3 ml/min per 1.73 m(2) , p = 0.084) after 6-month follow-up. MPA-AUC0-12 h was substantially higher in the intensified EC-MPS group than the standard EC-MPS group, though without a significant difference (71.4 ± 41.7 vs. 53.0 ± 27.0 mg·h/l, p = 0.107). The IS regimen did not increase the incidence of adverse effects (IS 54.1% vs. 45.0%, p = 0.39), including diarrhoea or leucopenia.

CONCLUSIONS

The intensified EC-MPS dosing regimen maintaining low-dose CNIs in this study may be beneficial for Chinese adult de novo kidney transplant recipients in terms of acute rejection and allograft function and is safe within 6 months post transplant.

Risk factors for BK virus infection and BK virus-associated nephropathy under the impact of intensive monitoring and pre-emptive immunosuppression reduction

BACKGROUND

BK virus (BKV) nephropathy (BKVN) is an increasingly recognized cause of kidney allograft loss and is thought to be related to the newer, more potent immunosuppressive agents. However, the risk factors for different types of BKV infection under the impact of intensive monitoring and reduction of maintenance immunosuppression are not well understood.

METHODS

Quantitative BKV DNA surveillance in plasma/urine and cytological testing in urine were performed regularly within the first year post-transplantation in 229 kidney recipients. Patients with BK viremia and BKVAN treated with immunosuppression reduction were monitored for BKV every 3-6 months. All the patients were followed up for a minimum of 5 years to exclude later development of BKVAN. Potential variables were compared and analyzed using logistic regression model multivariate analysis to assess and rank the BKV infection-related factors.

RESULTS

Seventy-eight (34.1%) patients had decoy cells, 99 (43.2%) BK viruria, 38 (16.6%) BK viremia, and 7 (3.1%) BKVAN. Risk for decoy cells, BK viruria, and viremia, and BKVAN in univariate analyses were higher with tacrolimus (Tac) and deceased kidney donation. Multivariate analysis showed that Tac ([HR, 2.7; P = .008], [HR, 2.3; P = .016], [HR, 2.9; P = .032]) and deceased kidney donation ([HR, 2.5; P = .004], [HR, 2.6; P = .002], [HR, 2.1; P = .071]) were risk factors for BK decoy cells, BK viruria, and viremia, respectively. BKVAN was inclined to the patients with the combination of Tac and mycophenolate mofetil and longer BKV clearance time.

CONCLUSIONS

Tac and deceased kidney donation are independent risk factors for BKV infection under the impact of therapeutic drug monitoring.

Ontogenesis of the collapsed layer during haustorium development in the root hemi-parasite Santalum album Linn

The structure and development of collapsed layers of the haustorium were studied in Santalum album Linn. Through light and transmission electron microscopy, it was shown that the collapsed layers originated from starch-containing cells when the haustorium developed an internal gland, thickened gradually and ultimately developed into the mantle, which, combined with the sucker, buckled the host root. We report on the presence of inter-collapsed layers for the first time. These layers develop after penetration into the host and are located between the intrusive tissues and the vascular meristematic region, gradually linking the collapsed layers and remains around the sucker. The proliferation of cells in the meristematic region and the 'host tropism' of cortical layers contribute to pressure within the haustorium and result in development of the collapsed layers. Besides, starch-containing cells that turn into collapsed layers are vulnerable to pressure as they lack a large vacuole, have uneven cell wall thickness and a loose cell arrangement. We proposed that the functions of collapsed layers are to efficiently assure that cell inclusion and energy concentrate at the inner meristematic region and are recycled to affect penetration, reinforce the physical connection between the sandalwood haustorium and host root, and supply space for haustorial development.

Anti-TCRβ mAb induces long-term allograft survival by reducing antigen-reactive T cells and sparing regulatory T cells

TCR specific antibodies may modulate the TCR engagement with antigen-MHC complexes, and in turn regulate in vivo T cell responses to alloantigens. Herein, we found that in vivo administration of mAbs specific for mouse TCRβ (H57-597), TCRα or CD3 promptly reduced the number of CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells in normal mice, but H57-597 mAb most potently increased the frequency of CD4(+) Foxp3(+) Treg cells. When mice were injected with staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB) superantigen and H57-597 mAb, the expansion of SEB-reactive Vβ8(+) T cells was completely abrogated while SEB-nonreactive Vβ2(+) T cells remained unaffected. More importantly, transient H57-597 mAb treatment exerted long-lasting effect in preventing T cell responses to alloantigens, and produced long-term cardiac allograft survival (>100 days) in 10 out of 11 recipients. While Treg cells were involved in maintaining donor-specific long-term graft survival, T cell homeostasis recovered over time and immunity was retained against third party allografts. Moreover, transient H57-597 mAb treatment significantly prolonged survival of skin allografts in naïve recipients as well as heart allografts in skin-sensitized recipients. Thus, transient modulation of the TCRβ chain by H57-597 mAb exhibits potent, long-lasting therapeutic effects to control alloimmune responses.

Horizontal gene transfer in herpesviruses identified by using support vector machine

Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) is the probable origin of new genes. Identification of HGT-introduced genes would be helpful to the understanding of the genome evolution and the function prediction of new genes. In this study, a method using support vector machine (SVM) was used to distinguish horizontally transferred genes and non-horizontally transferred genes of mammalian herpesviruses based on the atypical composition identification, with accuracy higher than 95% within a reasonable length of time by using just a common PC. This identified 302 putative horizontally transferred genes, 171 genes being identified for the first time. Although most putative transferred genes are of unknown function, many genes have been discovered or predicted to encode glycoproteins or membrane proteins.

Development of rapid immunoassays for the detection of ractopamine in swine urine

The monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against ractopamine (Rac) were prepared and their properties identified by indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunoabsorbant assay (ELISA). The IC(50) of mAbs was 2.7 ng ml(-1) towards Rac or 9.3 ng ml(-1) towards Rac-glucuronides and no cross-reactivity (CR) towards other competitors except dobutamine (CR: 3.76%). Based on the mAbs, the Rac-kit (kit) and Rac-strip (strip) were developed to detect Rac residues in swine urine. The strip and kit assay could be performed within 5-10 min and 2 h, respectively, allowing the analysis of urine samples without the need for sample clean-up. The detection limits were 1 ng ml(-1) for kit and 3 ng ml(-1) with the unaided eye, and 0.2 ng ml(-1) with the Strip Reader for strip. The correlation coefficients (R(2)) were 0.988 for kit in the range 0-128.0 ng ml(-1), and 0.987 for strip in the range 0-10.8 ng ml(-1). Comparing the gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) with the kit or strip in swine urine spiked with Rac standards, the differences ranged from 1.4% to 4.5% for kit and 1.0% to 4.7% for strip. However, the differences were greater than 54% for the kit and 55% for the strip test for the analysis of urine from swine treated with Rac. The results obtained from GC-MS using hydrolysed urine samples were generally in good agreement with those obtained from strip or kit using non-hydrolysed urine samples.

Distinctly different expression of cytokines and chemokines in the lungs of two H5N1 avian influenza patients

The pathogenesis of human H5N1 influenza remains poorly understood and controversial. 'Cytokine storm' has been hypothesized to be the main cause of the severity of this disease. However, the significance of this hypothesis has been called into question by a recent report, which demonstrates that inhibition of the cytokine response did not protect against lethal H5N1 influenza infection in mice. Here we showed discrepant findings in two adult H5N1 autopsies and a fetus obtained at autopsy which also raise doubt about this hypothesis. Antigens of 10 cytokines/chemokines which were found to be significantly elevated in previous H5N1-infected patients and in vitro experiments, and mRNA of eight of these, were absent from the lungs of a pregnant woman and her fetus. In contrast, antigens of seven cytokines/chemokines and mRNA of six of these were found to be increased in the lungs of a male autopsy. The cells expressing these cytokines and chemokines were identified as type II pneumocytes, bronchial epithelial cells, macrophages and vascular endothelial cells. Levels of cytokines and chemokines in the serum of the male case were also significantly higher than those of infectious (infection other than by H5N1) and non-infectious controls. In comparison with results from our previous study, it appeared that the male case had increased cytokine/chemokine expression but reduced viral load, while the pregnant female had diminished cytokine/chemokine expression but a significantly increased viral load in the lungs. These disparate findings in these two cases suggest that 'cytokine storm' alone could not be a sufficient explanation for the severe lung injury of this newly emerging disease.

Whole-genome phylogenetic analysis of herpesviruses

A comprehensive phylogenetic analysis of 45 herpesviruses was performed based on whole-genome sequences. We used 4 methods, namely the alignment of conserved gene sequences (excluding 5 herpesviruses), compositional vector tree (CVTree) method, local homology analysis, and gene content analysis. The obtained results showed good consistency between the phylogenetic trees prepared by these methods and likewise, the obtained classification of the herpesviruses was consistent with their current taxonomic designation. The herpesviruses with the ambiguous classification or not assigned in the family or with the newly published genomes were also phylogenetically classified.

Maternal mortality in Yunnan, China: recent trends and associated factors

OBJECTIVE

Yunnan Province, located in southwest China, is one of the poorest province in China. The maternal mortality ratio (MMR) is about twice the national average (56.2/100,000 live births), and in remote mountainous regions, the rate is five times higher. This study aimed to examine the progress in reduction of maternal mortality in the 1990s and early 2000s and the factors associated with this reduction in Yunnan.

DESIGN

A population-based, longitudinal, ecological correlation study.

SETTING

A remote province of China with a proportionately large indigenous population.

POPULATION

Populations at county, prefecture and provincial level.

METHODS

Using maternal mortality data collected at the province, prefecture/region and county levels, trend and time series analyses and multivariate linear regression analyses were performed using SPSS (Version 13).

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE

MMR and its change over time.

RESULTS

MMR declined substantially in the 1990s at a rate of 3.0% per year. Utilisation of prenatal and obstetric care increased and was significantly correlated with the declining trend in MMR. Hospital delivery was a strong predictor of MMR, independent of social and economic development. Both low income and illiteracy were significantly associated with increased MMR.

CONCLUSIONS

Declines in maternal mortality in Yunnan over the past 14 years appear to reflect health, social and economic interventions implemented in the 1990s. The association of hospital delivery with maternal mortality may be due to the effective management of severe pregnancy and birth complications. Low income and illiteracy were associated with MMR but primarily through their impact on the use of prenatal and obstetric care.

Acetylcholinesterase expression mediated by c-Jun-NH2-terminal kinase pathway during anticancer drug-induced apoptosis

It has been shown that acetylcholinesterase (AChE) expression was induced during apoptosis and the anti-sense oligonucleotides and siRNA of AChE may prevent apoptosis in various cell types. However, the mechanisms underlying AChE upregulation remain elusive. We demonstrated here that c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK) could mediate AChE expression. In this study, both etoposide and excisanin A, two anticancer agents, induced apoptosis in colon cancer cell line SW620 as determined by Annexin V staining, the cleavage of caspase-3 and the proteolytic degradation of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP). The results showed that both the agents upregulated AChE in SW620 cells. In the meantime, JNK was also activated and the expression and phosphorylation of c-Jun increased in SW620 cells exposed to the two agents. The induced AChE mRNA and protein expression could be blocked by SP600125, a specific inhibitor of SAPK/JNK, and small interfering RNA directed against JNK1/2. Transfection with adenovirus-mediated dominant negative c-Jun also blocked the upregulation of AChE expression. Together, these results suggest that AChE expression may be mediated by the activation of JNK pathway during apoptosis through a c-Jun-dependent mechanism.

Senescence and telomere shortening induced by novel potent G-quadruplex interactive agents, quindoline derivatives, in human cancer cell lines

Agents stabilizing G-quadruplexes have the potential to interfere with telomere replication by blocking the elongation step catalysed by telomerase or telomerase-independent mechanism and could therefore act as antitumor agents. In this study, we found that quindoline derivatives interacted preferentially with intramolecular G-quadruplex structures and were novel potent telomerase inhibitors. Treatment with quindoline derivatives reproducibly inhibited telomerase activity in human leukemia K562 cells and colon cancer SW620 cells. N'-(10H-Indolo [3,2-b] quinolin-11-yl)-N, N-dimethyl-propane-1,3-diamine (SYUIQ-5), (one of quindoline derivatives), when added to K562 and SW620 cell culture at nonacute cytotoxic concentrations, increased time of population doublings of K562 and SW620 cells, induced a marked cessation in cell growth and cellular senescence phenotype after 35 and 18 days, respectively. Growth cessation was accompanied by a shortening of telomere length, and induction of p16, p21 and p27 protein expression. However, another compound SYUIQ-7 with greater IC(50) for telomerase had no obvious cellular effect in nonacute cytotoxic concentrations. These results indicate that quindoline derivatives as novel potent G-quadruplex interactive agents induce senescence and telomere shortening in cancer cells and therefore are promising agents for cancer treatment.

The expression of antiapoptotic protein survivin is transcriptionally upregulated by DEC1 primarily through multiple sp1 binding sites in the proximal promoter

Human differentially expressed in chondrocytes (DEC), mouse stimulated with retinoic acid and rat split and hairy related proteins constitute a structurally distinct class of the basic helix-loop-helix proteins. DEC1 is abundantly expressed in tumors and protects against apoptosis induced by serum starvation. In this study, we report that DEC1 antiapoptosis is achieved by inducing survivin, an antiapoptotic protein. In paired tumor-normal tissues, survivin and DEC1 exhibited a paralleled expression pattern. Tetracycline-induced expression of DEC1 in stable lines proportionally increased the expression of survivin. In reporter assays, DEC1 transactivated the survivin promoter but repressed the DEC2 promoter. In contrast to the repression, the activation was delayed and varied depending on serum concentrations and cycle blockers. Studies with reporter mutants located, in the survivin promoter, two Sp1 sites that supported DEC1 transactivation. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay and chromatin immunoprecipitation detected the presence of DEC1 in the survivin promoter. These findings establish that the survivin gene is a transcription target of DEC1, and induction of survivin is at least in part responsible for DEC1 antiapoptosis.

Molecular characteristics of full-length genomic segment A of three infectious bursal disease viruses in China: two attenuated strains and one virulent field strain

The full-length cDNA of genomic segment A of three infectious bursal disease viruses, two attenuated strains (HZ2 and JD1) and one virulent field strain (ZJ2000), was amplified in a single step by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, cloned into pGEM-T Easy Vector, and sequenced. The full length of cloned segment A contains 3259 nucleotides, which includes two partially overlapping open reading fragments (ORFs) ORF1 and ORF2, flanked by 5' and 3' noncoding regions. These strains shared high sequence identity with each other either at the nucleotide or deduced amino acid level. Strains HZ2 and JD1 were highly related to two attenuated strains, CEF94 and P2, whereas ZJ2000 was closely related to two other virulent strains, Cu-1 and Harbin. Substitutions of four amino acids at positions 253, 279, 284, and 330, a common feature of attenuated and most virulent strains, were also observed in these three strains. Two major hydrophilic peaks were conserved in the three strains; however, there are two amino acid substitutions at positions 280 (N to S) and 290 (M to L) in the second minor hydrophilic peak for all three strains, which might have a critical influence on antigenicity. Two amino acid substitutions near the VP2-VP4 cleavage site were identified in virulent strain JZ2000, which might be involved in increasing the virulence of the virus. Phylogenetic analyses indicated that these three Chinese strains are most closely related to some European virulent strains but are distinct from very virulent infectious bursal disease virus and variant strains.