Tracheobronchial abnormalities on computed tomography angiography in children with congenital heart disease

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the assortment of tracheobronchial abnormalities on computed tomography angiography (CTA) in children with congenital heart disease (CHD).

METHODS

In this study approved by the Institute ethics committee, CTA studies of 182 children (age range: 2 days-8 years) with CHD, performed from July 2021 to March 2023 were analyzed. Two pediatric radiologists independently assessed the tracheobronchial airways (from the trachea to lobar bronchi) for developmental and branching anomalies and airway compromise (narrowing). In cases which demonstrated airway compromise, the extent and the cause of airway narrowing were evaluated, and the etiology were divided into extrinsic and intrinsic causes. Interobserver agreement between the two radiologists was calculated using kappa statistics.

RESULTS

One hundred children demonstrated normal airway anatomy and no luminal narrowing. Airway narrowing was observed in 63 (34.6%) children (κ: 0.954), and developmental airway anomalies were seen in 32 (17.5%) children (κ: 0.935). Of the 63 children with airway narrowing, 47 (25.8%) children had extrinsic cause for narrowing, 11 (6%) children had intrinsic causes for narrowing, and 5 (2.7%) children had both intrinsic and extrinsic causes attributing to airway compromise. Significant airway narrowing (>50% reduction) was seen in 35 (19.2%) children (κ: 0.945).

CONCLUSION

Tracheobronchial airway abnormalities are frequently associated in children with CHD and need to be appraised preoperatively. Cross-sectional imaging with CTA provides excellent information on tracheobronchial airway anatomy and caliber as well as delineates the possible etiology of airway narrowing, thus accurately diagnosing airway anomalies.

Preparation of thiol-free amino acid plasma matrix for quantification of thiol amino acids and their oxidized forms in human plasma by UPLC-MS/MS

Thiol amino acids, with great physiological significance, are unstable, and have small molecular weights, as well as very low endogenous concentrations. Therefore, to quantitatively and directly analyze them using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry is difficult. To overcome these problems, we aimed to prepare a thiol-free amino acid plasm matrix as blank sample to reduce the background for the first time. Using compounds with maleimide group that react with classical thiols to generate water-insoluble products. Reducing agents Tris(2-carboxyethyl)phosphine (TCEP) was applied to cooperate with bismaleimide (DM) for elimination of thiol amino acids from plasma 10 min at room temperature and pH 7. Further, the residual TCEP from plasma were removed using an anion exchange resin within 10 min. Methodological validation analysis revealed good performance in linearity, precision, extraction recovery (≥ 82 %), and stability (except oxidized glutathione). This quantitative analysis was successfully applied to blood samples of 9 people in good health. This study provides a foundation for the development of accurate and rigorous quantitative analysis methods targeting thiol amino acids in different body fluids or tissues. Moreover, it paves the way toward realizing several clinical applications.

Exopolysaccharide production by Lactobacillus plantarum T10 is responsible for the probiotic activity in enhancing intestinal barrier function in vitro and in vivo

Lactobacillus probiotics exert their effects in a strain-specific and metabolite-specific manner. This study aims to identify lactobacilli that can effectively enhance the intestinal barrier function both in vitro and in vivo and to investigate the underlying metabolite and molecular mechanisms involved. Nine Lactobacillus isolates were evaluated for their ability to enhance the IPEC-J2 cellular barrier function and for their anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic effects in IPEC-J2 cells after an enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli challenge. Of the nine isolates, L. plantarum T10 demonstrated significant advantages in enhancing the cellular barrier function and displayed anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic activities in vitro. The bioactivities of L. plantarum T10 were primarily attributed to the production of exopolysaccharides, which exerted their effects through the TLR-mediated p38 MAPK pathway in ETEC-challenged IPEC-J2 cells. Furthermore, the production of EPS by L. plantarum T10 led to the alleviation of dextran sulfate sodium-induced colitis by reducing intestinal damage and enhancing the intestinal barrier function in mice. The EPS is classified as a heteropolysaccharide with an average molecular weight of 23.0 kDa. It is primarily composed of mannose, glucose, and ribose. These findings have practical implications for the targeted screening of lactobacilli used in the production of probiotics and postbiotics with strain-specific features of exopolysaccharides.

NKX2-1-AS1 promotes the lymphangiogenesis of lung adenocarcinoma through regulation of ERG-mediated FABP4

Lymphatic metastasis is a common metastasis of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). The current study illustrated the action of lncRNA NKX2-1-AS1 in lymphangiogenesis in LUAD and the underlying mechanisms. Clinical tissue samples were collected for determining NKX2-1-AS1 expression. Then, H441 and H661 cells were selected to perform gain- and loss-of-function assays for dissecting the roles of NKX2-1-AS1 in LUAD cell proliferation and migration. Besides, H441 and H661 cell supernatant was harvested to stimulate HLECs for assessing tube formation ability. Interaction among NKX2-1-AS1, ERG, and fatty acid binding protein 4 (FABP4) was validated through luciferase and RIP assays. NKX2-1-AS1 was highly-expressed in LUAD tissues. Silencing NKX2-1-AS1 suppressed H441 and H661 cell proliferation and migration, reduced expression levels of lymphangiogenesis-related factors (LYVE-1, VEGF-C, VEGFR3, VEGF-A, VEGFR2, and CCR7), and inhibited HLEC tube formation. Interaction validation demonstrated that NKX2-1-AS1 regulated FABP4 transcription by binding to ERG. Overexpression of FABP4 could effectively block the inhibition role of NKX2-1-AS1 silencing in lymphangiogenesis in H441 and H661 cells. This study provided evidence that NKX2-1-AS1 regulated FABP4 transcription by binding to ERG to facilitate the proliferation and migration of LUAD cells and tube formation of HLECs, thus participating in lymphangiogenesis.

Perioperative complication incidence and risk factors for retroperitoneal neuroblastoma in children: analysis of 571 patients

BACKGROUND

Surgery plays an important role in the treatment of neuroblastoma. Perioperative complications may impact the course of neuroblastoma treatment. To date, comprehensive analyses of complications and risk factors have been lacking.

METHODS

Patients with retroperitoneal neuroblastoma undergoing tumor resection were retrospectively analyzed between 2014 and 2021. The data collected included clinical characteristics, operative details, operative complications and postoperative outcomes. Risk factors for perioperative complications of retroperitoneal neuroblastoma were analyzed.

RESULTS

A total of 571 patients were enrolled in this study. Perioperative complications were observed in 255 (44.7%) patients. Lymphatic leakage (28.4%), diarrhea (13.5%), and injury (vascular, nerve and organ; 7.5%) were the most frequent complications. There were three operation-related deaths (0.53%): massive hemorrhage (n = 1), biliary tract perforation (n = 1) and intestinal necrosis (n = 1). The presence of image-defined risk factors (IDRFs) [odds ratio (OR) = 2.09, P < 0.01], high stage of the International Neuroblastoma Risk Group staging system (INRGSS) (OR = 0.454, P = 0.04), retroperitoneal lymph node metastasis (OR = 2.433, P = 0.026), superior mesenteric artery encasement (OR = 3.346, P = 0.003), and inferior mesenteric artery encasement (OR = 2.218, P = 0.019) were identified as independent risk factors for perioperative complications.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite the high incidence of perioperative complications, the associated mortality rate was quite low. Perioperative complications of retroperitoneal neuroblastoma were associated with IDRFs, INRGSS, retroperitoneal lymph node metastasis and vascular encasement. Patients with high-risk factors should receive more serious attention during surgery but should not discourage the determination to pursue total resection of neuroblastoma. Video Abstract (MP4 94289 KB).

Development and validation of comprehensive nomograms from the SEER database for predicting early mortality in metastatic rectal cancer patients

BACKGROUND

Metastatic rectal cancer is an incurable malignancy, which is prone to early mortality. We aimed to establish nomograms for predicting the risk of early mortality in patients with metastatic rectal cancer.

METHODS

In this study, clinical data were obtained from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database.We utilized X-tile software to determine the optimal cut-off points of age and tumor size in diagnosis. Significant independent risk factors for all-cause and cancer-specific early mortality were determined by the univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses, then we construct two practical nomograms. In order to assess the predictive performance of nomograms, we performed calibration plots, time-dependent receiver-operating characteristic curve (ROC), decision curve analysis (DCA) and clinical impact curve (CIC).

RESULTS

A total of 2570 metastatic rectal cancer patients were included in the study. Multivariate logistic regression analyses revealed that age at diagnosis, CEA level, tumor size, surgical intervention, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and metastases to bone, brain, liver, and lung were independently associated with early mortality of metastatic rectal cancer patients in the training cohort. The area under the curve (AUC) values of nomograms for all-cause and cancer-specific early mortality were all higher than 0.700. Calibration curves indicated that the nomograms accurately predicted early mortality and exhibited excellent discrimination. DCA and CIC showed moderately positive net benefits.

CONCLUSIONS

This study successfully generated applicable nomograms that predicted the high-risk early mortality of metastatic rectal cancer patients, which can assist clinicians in tailoring more effective treatment regimens.

circPTK2 promotes proliferation, migration and invasion of trophoblast cells through the miR-619/WNT7B pathway in preeclampsia

It has been shown that the circular RNA (circRNA) circPTK2 modulates many types of diseases. However, the possible functions as well as the molecular mechanisms of circPTK2 in preeclampsia (PE) and their effects on trophoblast are unknown. Herein, we obtained the placental tissues from 20 pregnant women with PE who delivered in the Yueyang Maternal Child Medicine Health Hospital between 2019 and 2021 to serve as the PE group, and a normal group was composed of 20 healthy pregnant women with normal prenatal examinations. The circPTK2 level was significantly reduced in tissues from the PE group. The expression and localization of circPTK2 were verified using RT-qPCR. CircPTK2 silencing inhibited HTR-8/SVneo growth and migration in vitro. To investigate the underlying mechanism of circPTK2 in PE progression, dual-luciferase reporter assays were conducted. It was found that circPTK2 and WNT7B could bind directly to miR-619, and that circPTK2 affected WNT7B expression by sponging miR-619. To conclude, this study identified the functions and mechanisms of the circPTK2/miR-619/WNT7B axis in PE progression. In this way, circPTK2 has the potential to be used both in diagnostic and therapeutic settings for PE.

Erythritol aggravates gut inflammation and anxiety-like behavioral disorders induced by acute dextran sulfate sodium administration in mice

Erythritol is a widely used sugar substitute in food and beverages with beneficial and detrimental roles in obesity and cardiovascular diseases, respectively; however, its influence on inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and related behavioral disorders is not well understood. Here, we found that erythritol exacerbated gut inflammation by promoting macrophage infiltration and inducing M1 macrophage polarization, thus increasing gut leakage during colitis triggered by acute dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) treatment. Increased gut permeability can cause neuroinflammation and anxiety-like behavioral disorders. In conclusion, our results revealed a negative role for erythritol in gut inflammation and anxiety-like behavioral disorders induced by erythritol administration in a mouse model of acute colitis, suggesting that erythritol intake control may be necessary for IBD treatment.

A Common Marmoset Model of Mother-Infant Intervention for Breastfeeding Disorders in the Presence of Paternal Inhibition and Maternal Neglect

Parents' psychological stress during the perinatal and neonatal periods continues to increase in an environment of declining birthrates, aging populations, and shrinking family sizes. The increase in child abuse and neglect cases, most likely by inexperienced and insufficiently knowledgeable parents, necessitates education on childcare and intervention techniques in nursing and midwifery training. In particular, attachment formation early in life between mother and infant is crucial. To accurately teach sensitive and comprehensive information on intervention techniques for mother-child attachment formation, realistic videos, and educational materials are necessary. Although pseudoeducational materials are available, they might be limited in explaining complex realism, particularly to support breastfeeding that involves both parents and child and that encourages interaction between the two. In a previous study in a common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) model, we experimentally controlled infant feeding and nurturing through 24 h of constant sensing and collected 1 month of quantitative data on psychological indices that possibly translated to psychological development. Age-dependent dynamic visualization of these data by multivariate analyses inferred causal relationships between early parental feeding and psychobiological rhythm formation. In the same primate model, we identified a spontaneous case of breastfeeding failure in which the father inhibited his neonatal infant's feeding and the mother appeared to abandon nurturing, leading to clinically significant weight loss in the infant. Thus, we explored intervention techniques to promote mother-infant interaction. The mother was trained to allow the infant to spontaneously explore her breast. Initially, the mother refused to display the feeding pose potentially due to pain associated with breast engorgement. Massage was used to soften the breast and feeding was reintroduced. We hypothesize that activation of instinctive attachment formation mechanisms by encouraging spontaneity in each parent and child is the key to successful feeding intervention.

Malignant rhabdoid tumor of the omentum in an adult male: a case report and literature review

Malignant rhabdoid tumors (MRTs) are rare tumors with high mortality rates and poor prognoses. MRTs occur mainly in the central nervous system, kidneys, and soft tissues, but rarely in the omentum. MRTs occur more commonly in infants and children and less frequently in adults. Here, we report the first observed case of MRT in an adult omentum. A 35-year-old man with abdominal distension and pain was admitted to the emergency department. Previously, several hospitals considered patients with cirrhosis who had not received active treatment. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging revealed diffuse omental thickening and massive ascites. The surgery was performed at our hospital, and the pathological diagnosis was MRT with a SMARCB1(INI-1) deletion. Postoperatively, his symptoms improved, and he underwent five cycles of chemotherapy. However, 6 months after surgery, the tumor developed liver metastases, and the patient subsequently died. Primary MRT of the greater omentum is rare, and its pathological diagnosis usually requires extensive clinicopathological evaluation of various differential diagnoses and an appropriate work-up to exclude other malignancies associated with SMARCB1 deletion. At the same time, the lack of specific signs of omental MRT and its rapid progression should alert clinicians.

Therapeutic potential of Litsea cubeba essential oil in modulating inflammation and the gut microbiome

Inflammation, a sophisticated and delicately balanced physiological mechanism, is paramount to the host's immunological defense against pathogens. However, unfettered and excessive inflammation can be instrumental in engendering a plethora of chronic ailments and detrimental health repercussions, notably within the gastrointestinal tract. Lipopolysaccharides (LPS) from bacteria are potent endotoxins capable of instigating intestinal inflammation through the disruption of the intestinal epithelial barrier and the stimulation of a pro-inflammatory immune response. In this study, we sought to investigate the influence of Litsea cubeba essential oil (LCEO) on LPS-induced intestinal inflammation and associated changes in the gut microbiota. We investigated the therapeutic potential of LCEO for gut health, with particular emphasis on its gut protective properties, anti-inflammatory properties and modulation of the gut microbiome. LCEO exhibited protective effects on colonic tissue by protecting crypts and maintaining epithelial integrity, and anti-inflammatory properties by reducing TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β levels in the liver and intestine. Citral, a major component of LCEO, showed robust binding to IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α, exerting anti-inflammatory effects through hydrogen bonding interactions. Using community barplot and LEfSe analyses, we detected significant variation in microbial composition, identified discrete biomarkers, and highlighted the influence of essential oils on gut microbial communities. Our research suggests that LCEO may be a promising natural compound for ameliorating diarrhea and intestinal inflammation, with potential implications for modulating the gut microbiome. These observations provide invaluable insight into the potential therapeutic role of LCEO as a natural anti-inflammatory agent for treating intestinal inflammatory disorders, particularly in the setting of a dysregulated immune response and altered gut microbiota. Furthermore, our findings highlight the need to understand the complex interplay between the host, the gut microbiome and natural products in the context of inflammatory diseases.

Genetic predisposition to neuroblastoma results from a regulatory polymorphism that promotes the adrenergic cell state

Childhood neuroblastomas exhibit plasticity between an undifferentiated neural crest-like mesenchymal cell state and a more differentiated sympathetic adrenergic cell state. These cell states are governed by autoregulatory transcriptional loops called core regulatory circuitries (CRCs), which drive the early development of sympathetic neuronal progenitors from migratory neural crest cells during embryogenesis. The adrenergic cell identity of neuroblastoma requires LMO1 as a transcriptional cofactor. Both LMO1 expression levels and the risk of developing neuroblastoma in children are associated with a single nucleotide polymorphism, G/T, that affects a GATA motif in the first intron of LMO1. Here, we showed that WT zebrafish with the GATA genotype developed adrenergic neuroblastoma, while knock-in of the protective TATA allele at this locus reduced the penetrance of MYCN-driven tumors, which were restricted to the mesenchymal cell state. Whole genome sequencing of childhood neuroblastomas demonstrated that TATA/TATA tumors also exhibited a mesenchymal cell state and were low risk at diagnosis. Thus, conversion of the regulatory GATA to a TATA allele in the first intron of LMO1 reduced the neuroblastoma-initiation rate by preventing formation of the adrenergic cell state. This mechanism was conserved over 400 million years of evolution, separating zebrafish and humans.

Genetic Predisposition to Neuroblastoma Results from a Regulatory Polymorphism that Promotes the Adrenergic Cell State

Childhood neuroblastomas exhibit plasticity between an undifferentiated neural crest-like "mesenchymal" cell state and a more differentiated sympathetic "adrenergic" cell state. These cell states are governed by autoregulatory transcriptional loops called core regulatory circuitries (CRCs), which drive the early development of sympathetic neuronal progenitors from migratory neural crest cells during embryogenesis. The adrenergic cell identity of neuroblastoma requires LMO1 as a transcriptional co-factor. Both LMO1 expression levels and the risk of developing neuroblastoma in children are associated with a single nucleotide polymorphism G/T that affects a G ATA motif in the first intron of LMO1. Here we show that wild-type zebrafish with the G ATA genotype develop adrenergic neuroblastoma, while knock-in of the protective T ATA allele at this locus reduces the penetrance of MYCN-driven tumors, which are restricted to the mesenchymal cell state. Whole genome sequencing of childhood neuroblastomas demonstrates that T ATA/ T ATA tumors also exhibit a mesenchymal cell state and are low risk at diagnosis. Thus, conversion of the regulatory G ATA to a T ATA allele in the first intron of LMO1 reduces the neuroblastoma initiation rate by preventing formation of the adrenergic cell state, a mechanism that is conserved over 400 million years of evolution separating zebrafish and humans.

Alginate oligosaccharide structures differentially affect DSS-induced colitis in mice by modulating gut microbiota

Alginate oligosaccharides (AOS) are divided by their monomer sequences into three types: oligomannuronate (MAOS), oligoguluronate (GAOS), and heterogeneous AOS (HAOS). However, how these AOS structures differentially regulate health and modulate gut microbiota is unclear. We explored the structure-function relationship of AOS both in an in vivo colitis model and an in vitro enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC)-challenged cell model. We found that MAOS administration significantly alleviated the symptom of experimental colitis and improved the gut barrier function in vivo and in vivo. Nevertheless, HAOS and GAOS were less effective than MAOS. The abundance and diversity of gut microbiota are obviously increased by MAOS intervention, but not by HAOS or GAOS. Importantly, microbiota from MAOS-dosed mice through FMT decreased the disease index level, alleviated histopathological changes, and improved gut barrier function in the colitis model. Super FMT donors induced by MAOS but not by HAOS or GAOS, seemed to exert potential in colitis bacteriotherapy. These findings may aid in establishing precise pharmaceutical applications based on the targeted production of AOS.

Hypoxia activates GPR146 which participates in pulmonary vascular remodeling by promoting pyroptosis of pulmonary artery endothelial cells

BACKGROUND

Hypoxia is a risk factor of pulmonary hypertension (PH) and may induce pulmonary artery endothelial cells (PAECs) injury and inflammation. Pyroptosis is a form of cell death through maturation and secretion of inflammatory mediators. However, the mechanistic association of pyroptosis, PAECs injury, and inflammation remain unknown. Here, we explored in detail the effects of hypoxia on pyroptosis of PAECs.

EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH

Using RNA sequencing, we screened differentially expressed genes in pulmonary artery tissue of a Sugen5416/hypoxia-induced (SuHx) rat PH model. We examined the role of the differentially expressed gene G-protein coupled receptor 146 (GPR146) in PAECs through immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, CCK-8 assays, western blotings, real-time PCR, detection of reactive oxygen species, and lactate dehydrogenase release experiments.

KEY RESULTS

According to RNA sequencing, GPR146 was 11.64-fold increased in the SuHx-induced PH model, compared to the controls. Further, GPR146 was highly expressed in pulmonary arterial hypertension human lung tissue and SuHx-induced rat PH lung tissues. Our results suggested that the expression of pyroptosis-related proteins was markedly increased under hypoxia, both in vivo and in vitro, which was inhibited by silencing GPR146. Moreover, inhibiting NLRP3 or caspase-1 effectively suppressed cleavage of caspase-1, production of interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and IL-18 in PAECs by hypoxia and overexpression of GPR146.

CONCLUSION

Our results indicated that GPR146 induced pyroptosis and inflammatory responses through the NLRP3/caspase-1 signaling axis, thus triggering endothelial injury and vascular remodeling. Hypoxia may promote PAECs pyroptosis through upregulation of GPR146 and thereby facilitate the progression of PH. Taken together, these insights may help identify a novel target for the treatment of PH.

Media multitasking, ego depletion, and employee depression: Selfcontrol as a moderator

Employees frequently have to use various media to complete multiple tasks at work, and depression has become a common problem influencing their mental health and work efficiency. We conducted a survey to investigate the relationship between the media multitasking and depression of 490 employees of a state-owned enterprise in China. The results showed that media multitasking was positively correlated with employee depression. Moreover, ego depletion significantly mediated the relationship between media multitasking and depression, and self-control moderated the relationship between ego depletion and depression. Greater self-control may help buffer the effect of ego depletion on depression. These results have theoretical and practical implications for improving employees' mental health during China's enterprise transformation process.

Key Genes Are Associated with the Prognosis of Glioma, and Melittin Can Regulate the Expression of These Genes in Glioma U87 Cells

Glioma is the most common primary tumor of the central nervous system. Currently, there is no effective treatment for glioma. Melittin (MT) is the main component of bee venom, which was found to have therapeutic effects on a variety of tumors. In this study, we explored the relationship between key genes regulated by MT and the prognosis of glioma. In cultured glioma U87 and U251 cells, MT inhibited cell proliferation and induces cell apoptosis in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. RNA-seq revealed that MT upregulated 11 genes and downregulated 37 genes. These genes are mainly enriched in cell membrane signaling pathways, such as surface membrane, membrane-enclosed organelles, integral component of membrane, PPAR signaling pathway, and voltage-gated potassium channel. PPI network analysis and literature analysis of 48 genes were performed, and 8 key genes were identified, and these key genes were closely associated with clinical prognosis. Overexpression of PCDH18, PPL, DEPP1, VASN, KCNE4, MYBPH, and C5AR2 genes or low expression of MARCH4 gene in glioma patients was associated with poor survival. qPCR confirmed that MT can regulate the expression of these genes in glioma U87 cells. This study indicated that MT significantly inhibited the growth and regulated the expression of PCDH18, C5AR2, VASN, DEPP1, MYBPH, KCNE4, PPL, and MARCH4 genes in glioma U87 cells in vitro. These genes are closely related to the prognosis of patients with glioma and can be used as independent prognostic factors in patients with glioma. MT is a potential drug for the treatment of glioma.

Four Temporary Waterslide Designs Adapted to Different Slope Conditions to Encourage Child Socialization in Playgrounds

Increased urbanization has decreased children's access to various natural outdoor environments. To counteract this deficiency in early life experiences, we designed four temporary waterslides, each tailored to different city-side park conditions. The waterslides were simple to construct, with frames built from easy-to-attain resources such as bamboo rods from a local forest and simple pipes and joints overlaid by a tarp. Plywood boards, cardboard, and a tarp were used to create a pool at the foot of the slides, which were placed on existing slopes or stairs in each park. Water was continually released down the slide during each 1-2 h event. At each park event, children gathered spontaneously to use the slides and interact socially. No serious accidents occurred during the waterslide trials. To understand how the children used each waterslide, the activity at the waterslides was recorded by video. The minute of the highest activity level at the waterslide was quantitatively analyzed to determine the lines of flow surrounding the waterslide and the mean and maximum speeds attained while using the waterslide.

Fructus Zanthoxyli extract improves glycolipid metabolism disorder of type 2 diabetes mellitus via activation of AMPK/PI3K/Akt pathway: Network pharmacology and experimental validation

OBJECTIVE

This study investigated the potential mechanisms behind the beneficial effects of Fructus Zanthoxyli (FZ) against type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) based on network pharmacology and experimental validation.

METHODS

Ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with hybrid quadrupole-orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry, and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry were used to identify the constituents of FZ. Next, the differentially expressed genes linked to the treatment of diabetes with FZ were screened using online databases (including Gene Expression Omnibus database and Swiss Target Prediction online database), and the overlapping genes and their enrichment were analyzed by Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG). Finally, the pathway was verified by in vitro experiments, and cell staining with oil red and Nile red showed that the extract of FZ had a therapeutic effect on T2DM.

RESULTS

A total of 43 components were identified from FZ, and 39 differentially expressed overlapping genes were screened as the possible targets of FZ in T2DM. The dug component-target network indicated that PPARA, PPARG, PIK3R3, JAK2 and GPR88 might be the core genes targeted by FZ in the treatment of T2DM. Interestingly, the enrichment analysis of KEGG showed that effects of FZ against T2DM were closely correlated with the adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt) signaling pathways. In vitro experiments further confirmed that FZ significantly inhibited palmitic acid-induced lipid formation in HepG2 cells. Moreover, FZ treatment was able to promote the AMPK and PI3K/Akt expressions in HepG2 cells.

CONCLUSION

Network pharmacology combined with experimental validation revealed that FZ extract can improve the glycolipid metabolism disorder of T2DM via activation of the AMPK/PI3K/Akt pathway.

The beneficial effects of alpha-tocopherol on intestinal function and the expression of tight junction proteins in differentiated segments of the intestine in piglets

Alpha (α)-tocopherol is a major component of dietary vitamin E. Despite being one of the most widely used food supplements in both animals and humans, its role in intestinal functions remains unknown. We were able to examine and accurately demonstrate its permeability effect in vitro and its differentiated effect on tight junction expression in different segments of the intestine in vivo using cultured intestinal porcine epithelial cell line (IPEC-J2) and piglets. A cultured IPEC-J2 demonstrated that α-tocopherol upregulated the expression of tight junction proteins and improved their integrity, with a maximum effect at concentrations ranging from 20 to 40 μmol/L. In vivo data from weaned pigs fed different doses of α-tocopherol for 2 weeks revealed that α-tocopherol effectively increases the expression of tight junction proteins in all sections of the intestinal mucosa, with the highest effect on the duodenum at an optimum dose of 20-50 mg/kg. In contrast, α-tocopherol did not affect intestinal inflammation. These findings suggest that α-tocopherol maintains intestinal integrity and increases the expression of tight junction proteins both in vitro and in vivo.

Pyracantha fortuneana (Maxim.) Li: A comprehensive review of its phytochemistry, pharmacological properties, and product development

Pyracantha fortuneana (Maxim.) Li has been used as a herbal medicine in China in its long history. Since ancient times, the fruits of P. fortuneana has been considered a functional food to improve various diseases. Many bioactive substances, including proanthocyanidins, phenols, polysaccharides, and dietary fibers, have been isolated and identified from the P. fortuneana, which possess diverse biological properties both in vitro and in vivo. Although the researches on the P. fortuneana have achieved extensive progress, the systematic study of its biological activities is still relatively lacking. In addition, accumulating researches focus on the landscape value of the P. fortuneana and the development of its by-products. The by-products of P. fortuneana, which show good development potentials in the field of agricultural production and environmental protection, are important for improving the economic value of P. fortuneana and its significance. After extensive reviewing and analyzing the existing published articles, books, and patents, this study aims to a systematic and summarized research trends of P. fortuneana and its phytochemical compositions, nutritional values, pharmacological effects and health benefits of its extracts/monomers, which would be beneficial for the future development of this medicinal plant as functional food or drugs.

Pediatric Hepatic Cystic Lesions: Differential Diagnosis and Multimodality Imaging Approach

When a pediatric hepatic cystic lesion is identified at imaging, the differential diagnosis may be broad, including developmental, infectious, neoplastic, and posttraumatic or iatrogenic causes. The location of a cystic lesion and its number, size, composition, and relationship to the biliary system are features that help in narrowing the differential diagnosis. An incidentally detected simple hepatic cyst is the most commonly encountered. Ciliated foregut cysts are typically located in hepatic segment IVa. The presence of multiple cysts should raise suspicion for fibropolycystic liver disease, a group of related lesions-including biliary hamartoma and choledochal cyst-caused by abnormal embryologic development of the ductal plate. Communication of the cystic lesion with the biliary tree can confirm the diagnosis of choledochal cyst. In a neonate with jaundice, a cystic lesion at the porta hepatis should raise suspicion for choledochal cyst versus cystic biliary atresia. Hepatic abscess can appear cystlike, though typically with internal contents. In an immunocompromised child, multiple cystlike lesions should raise concern for fungal microabscesses. A complex cystic mass in a young child should raise suspicion for mesenchymal hamartoma, which can evolve into undifferentiated embryonal sarcoma if untreated. Hepatic hematoma and biloma can appear cystlike in children with a history of trauma or recent intervention. In neonates with an umbilical vein catheter (UVC), an intrahepatic cyst along the course of the UVC should raise concern for infusate extravasation. Familiarity with imaging findings and clinical features is essential for achieving accurate diagnosis of pediatric hepatic cystic lesions, which in turn can guide appropriate clinical management. Online supplemental material is available for this article. ^©RSNA, 2022.

The mechanism of the imbalance between proliferation and ferroptosis in pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells based on the activation of SLC7A11

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a chronic, progressive pulmonary vascular disease. Pulmonary vascular remodelling (PVR) is one of the main pathological features of PAH. The main cause of PVR is cell death inhibition and excessive proliferation in pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMCs), which are also affected by oxidative stress. Ferroptosis is a newly identified form of cell death, which is associated with oxidative damage. It depends on the excessive accumulation of lipid peroxides and reactive oxygen species (ROS) in cells. Solute carrier family 7 member 11 (SLC7A11) is a subunit of the cystine/glutamate antiporter system Xc^-, which inhibits ferroptosis by eliminating ROS through the promotion of GSH synthesis in cancer cells. However, very few studies exist on the relationship between ferroptosis and SLC7A11 in PAH. In this study, SLC7A11 was up-regulated in Sugen5416/hypoxia-induced PAH rats and patients with PAH. Moreover, SLC7A11 inhibited ferroptosis and promoted proliferation by overexpressing SLC7A11 in PASMCs. Additionally, ubiquitin aldehyde binding 1 (OTUB1), the main regulator of SLC7A11 stability, was involved in the ferroptosis and proliferation of PASMCs. Furthermore, erastin induced ferroptosis by inhibiting SLC7A11 and glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) expressions in vivo and in vitro, suggesting that the continuous proliferation in hypoxic PASMCs could be reversed by erastin. Therefore, this study identifies novel targets and new research directions regarding PAH pathogenesis and treatment.

Health benefits of spices in individuals with chemotherapeutic drug-induced cardiotoxicity

Cardio-oncology is an emerging field that mainly focuses on a series of cardiovascular diseases caused by chemotherapy and radiotherapy. In the history and culture of human nutrition, spices have been emphasized for their wide range of economic and medical applications in addition to being used as a food-flavoring agent and food preservative. Currently, an increasing number of studies have focused on the health benefits of spices in preventing cardiovascular diseases, particularly their antioxidant effects against cardiovascular damage. This review summarizes the cardioprotective effects of black pepper, cardamom, clove, garlic, ginger, onion, and other spices against chemotherapeutic drug-induced cardiotoxicity and the potential mechanisms. Here, we recommend dietary adjustments with spices for patients with cancer to prevent or mitigate the cardiotoxicity induced by chemotherapeutic agents.

4-Methoxydalbergione Inhibits Bladder Cancer Cell Growth via Inducing Autophagy and Inhibiting Akt/ERK Signaling Pathway

Bladder cancer (BC) ranks the fourth in incidence in cancers of men and is a common malignant tumor in women. 4-Methoxydalbergione (4MOD), which is purified from Dalbergia sissoo Roxb, has been shown to have anticancer capacity for osteosarcoma and astroglioma. The role of 4MOD in bladder cancer has not been investigated. This study aims to evaluate the anticancer effect of 4MOD in BC cells and its possible mechanisms. The two human bladder cancer cell lines J82 and UMUC3 were used to evaluate the proliferation inhibitory effect of 4MOD by CCK8 and clonogenic assays. The migratory and invasive ability of tumor cells was examined by scratch test and transwell assay. Apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry and TUNEL assays. The autophagy-related molecules including Beclin-1 and LC3 were examined by Western blotting analysis. Furthermore, the RT-PCR was used to detect the mRNA expression of LC3. 4MOD repressed cell proliferation, migration, invasion and induced cell apoptosis in a concentration-dependent manner. The IC₅₀ values of J82 and UMUC3 were 8.17 and 14.50 μM respectively. The mRNA and protein expression ratio of light chain 3-II (LC3-II)/LC3-I and the protein expression of Beclin-1 were increased when the BC cells were treated with 4MOD. The treatment of 4MOD attenuated the phosphorylation of Akt and ERK in the BC cells. We revealed that the 4MOD inhibits BC cells growth by inducing autophagy and inhibiting Akt/ERK signaling pathway. Our study provides new insights into the mechanism by which 4MOD weakens the proliferation of BC cells. This study demonstrates that 4MOD provided a lead compound for the development of novel compound with potent anticancer effect on BC cells.

Problem Mechanism and Solution Strategy of Rural Children’s Community Inclusion—The Role of Peer Environment and Parental Community Participation

Early childhood development intervention has gained considerable achievements in eliminating intergenerational transmission of poverty in rural areas. Paying further attention to rural children’s community inclusion can also promote the sustainable development of the village. However, there is a lack of systematic theoretical constructs on the village inclusion of rural children. In this study, an attempt was made to explore the problem mechanism and solution strategy of community inclusion of rural children using a grounded theory approach of in-depth interviews. Seventeen parents of children in a national-level poverty-stricken county in Inner Mongolia of China were investigated, adopting the strategy of intensity sampling. The results revealed that (1) the content of rural children’s activities demonstrates enhanced participation in the virtual environment and weakened participation in the real community environment. That is, the activities are characterized by more virtualization and individualization. (2) Rural parents and community peers are two major channels for children’s community inclusion, while both the community peer environment and parental community participation show a weakening trend. This may be an important reason for the virtualization and individualization of the children’s psychological development environment. (3) Developmental intervention programs for rural children in poverty-stricken areas should focus on the reconstruction of children’s community peer environment, encourage the community participation of parents, and fully mobilize local-based educational resources.

A brain-to-spinal sensorimotor loop for repetitive self-grooming

Self-grooming is a complex behavior with important biological functions and pathological relevance. How the brain coordinates with the spinal cord to generate the repetitive movements of self-grooming remains largely unknown. Here, we report that in the caudal part of the spinal trigeminal nucleus (Sp5C), neurons that express Cerebellin-2 (Cbln2⁺) form a neural circuit to the cervical spinal cord to maintain repetitive orofacial self-grooming. Inactivation of Cbln2⁺ Sp5C neurons blocked both sensory-evoked and stress-induced repetitive orofacial self-grooming. Activation of these neurons triggered short-latency repetitive forelimb movements that resembled orofacial self-grooming. The Cbln2⁺ Sp5C neurons were monosynaptically innervated by both somatosensory neurons in the trigeminal ganglion and paraventricular hypothalamic neurons. Among the divergent projections of Cbln2⁺ Sp5C neurons, a descending pathway that innervated motor neurons and interneurons in the cervical spinal cord was necessary and sufficient for repetitive orofacial self-grooming. These data reveal a brain-to-spinal sensorimotor loop for repetitive self-grooming in mice.

Retinoic acid rewires the adrenergic core regulatory circuitry of childhood neuroblastoma

Neuroblastoma cell identity depends on a core regulatory circuit (CRC) of transcription factors that collaborate with MYCN to drive the oncogenic gene expression program. For neuroblastomas dependent on the adrenergic CRC, treatment with retinoids can inhibit cell growth and induce differentiation. Here, we show that when MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma cells are treated with retinoic acid, histone H3K27 acetylation and methylation become redistributed to decommission super-enhancers driving the expression of PHOX2B and GATA3, together with the activation of new super-enhancers that drive high levels of MEIS1 and SOX4 expression. These findings indicate that treatment with retinoids can reprogram the enhancer landscape, resulting in down-regulation of MYCN expression, while establishing a new retino-sympathetic CRC that causes proliferative arrest and sympathetic differentiation. Thus, we provide mechanisms that account for the beneficial effects of retinoids in high-risk neuroblastoma and explain the rapid down-regulation of expression of MYCN despite massive levels of amplification of this gene.

Antiepileptic Effects of Cicadae Periostracum on Mice and Its Antiapoptotic Effects in H2O2-Stimulated PC12 Cells via Regulation of PI3K/Akt/Nrf2 Signaling Pathways

Cicadae Periostracum (CPM), a commonly used animal traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), possesses antifebrile, spasmolytic, antiasthmatic, and antiphlogistic effects. In our present paper, we aimed to systemically investigate the antiepileptic effects of CPM in epileptic mice and explore the related molecular mechanism. Pentylenetetrazole- (PTZ) and strychnine-induced convulsion mice were established, and the results showed CPM could prolong the latency of convulsion and death and improve the neuronal damage in the hippocampus of PTZ-induced mice. Furthermore, the H2O2-treated PC12 cells were prepared to explore the possible mechanisms for the antiepileptic effects of CPM. CCK-8 results showed that CPM significantly improved the cell viability of H2O2-treated PC12 cells. Results of the acridine orange- (AO-) ethidium bromide (EB) staining, cell mitochondrial membrane potential (MOMP) analysis, and flow cytometry analysis showed that CPM significantly suppressed the H2O2-induced apoptosis in PC12 cells. In addition, CPM also downregulated the proapoptosis proteins, including Bax, cleaved- (C-) caspase-3, and C-caspase-9, and upregulated Bcl-2. Furthermore, CPM reduced the reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels via increasing antioxidative enzyme activities, including superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px). Importantly, CPM could increase the phosphorylation of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) and protein kinase B (Akt) in H2O2-induced PC12 cells and can promote the nuclear transfer of the nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and increase the expression of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) in the cytoplasm. In conclusion, our present study suggested CPM possessed antiepileptic effects through antiapoptosis of neuron cells via regulation of the PI3K/Akt/Nrf2 signaling pathway.

Metabolic Enzyme DLST Promotes Tumor Aggression and Reveals a Vulnerability to OXPHOS Inhibition in High-Risk Neuroblastoma

High-risk neuroblastoma remains therapeutically challenging to treat, and the mechanisms promoting disease aggression are poorly understood. Here, we show that elevated expression of dihydrolipoamide S-succinyltransferase (DLST) predicts poor treatment outcome and aggressive disease in patients with neuroblastoma. DLST is an E2 component of the α-ketoglutarate (αKG) dehydrogenase complex, which governs the entry of glutamine into the tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA) for oxidative decarboxylation. During this irreversible step, αKG is converted into succinyl-CoA, producing NADH for oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS). Utilizing a zebrafish model of MYCN-driven neuroblastoma, we demonstrate that even modest increases in DLST expression promote tumor aggression, while monoallelic dlst loss impedes disease initiation and progression. DLST depletion in human MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma cells minimally affected glutamine anaplerosis and did not alter TCA cycle metabolites other than αKG. However, DLST loss significantly suppressed NADH production and impaired OXPHOS, leading to growth arrest and apoptosis of neuroblastoma cells. In addition, multiple inhibitors targeting the electron transport chain, including the potent IACS-010759 that is currently in clinical testing for other cancers, efficiently reduced neuroblastoma proliferation in vitro. IACS-010759 also suppressed tumor growth in zebrafish and mouse xenograft models of high-risk neuroblastoma. Together, these results demonstrate that DLST promotes neuroblastoma aggression and unveils OXPHOS as an essential contributor to high-risk neuroblastoma. SIGNIFICANCE: These findings demonstrate a novel role for DLST in neuroblastoma aggression and identify the OXPHOS inhibitor IACS-010759 as a potential therapeutic strategy for this deadly disease.

miRNAs as potential markers for breast cancer and regulators of tumorigenesis and progression (Review)

Breast cancer (BC) is one of the most common malignancies affecting women. BC is a heterogeneous disease that involves multiple oncogenic pathways and/or genetic alterations. MicroRNAs (miRNAs or miRs) are a type of small endogenous single‑stranded RNA that pairs with the 3'untranslated region of target mRNAs to negatively regulate the gene expression of specific mRNA targets. miRNAs are thus involved in various cellular processes, including proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, migration, metabolism and the stress response. Over the past decade, a number of studies have demonstrated that the expression levels of miRNAs are dysregulated in a number of types of cancer, including BC. In the present review, recent research on miRNAs involved in the occurrence and development of BC, as well as the current findings on miRNAs as potential biomarkers for BC are summarized. In addition, the association between miRNA dysregulation and BC development, and the current status of BC treatment and prognosis are discussed. Finally, several signaling pathways involved in the development of BC and the potential roles of miRNAs in these pathways are reviewed. The present review aims to provide insight into the roles of miRNAs in BC.

Ganglioneuromas are driven by activated AKT and can be therapeutically targeted with mTOR inhibitors

Peripheral sympathetic nervous system tumors are the most common extracranial solid tumors of childhood and include neuroblastoma, ganglioneuroblastoma, and ganglioneuroma. Surgery is the only effective therapy for ganglioneuroma, which may be challenging due to the location of the tumor and involvement of surrounding structures. Thus, there is a need for well-tolerated presurgical therapies that could reduce the size and extent of ganglioneuroma and therefore limit surgical morbidity. Here, we found that an AKT–mTOR–S6 pathway was active in human ganglioneuroma but not neuroblastoma samples. Zebrafish transgenic for constitutively activated myr-Akt2 in the sympathetic nervous system were found to develop ganglioneuroma without progression to neuroblastoma. Inhibition of the downstream AKT target, mTOR, in zebrafish with ganglioneuroma effectively reduced the tumor burden. Our results implicate activated AKT as a tumorigenic driver in ganglioneuroma. We propose a clinical trial of mTOR inhibitors as a means to shrink large ganglioneuromas before resection in order to reduce surgical morbidity.

Built-in electric field for photocatalytic overall water splitting through a TiO2/BiOBr P-N heterojunction

Photocatalytic overall water splitting to simultaneously obtain abundant hydrogen and oxygen is still the mountain that stands in the way for the practical applications of hydrogen energy, in which composite semiconductor photocatalysts are critical for providing both electrons and holes to promote the following redox reaction. However, the interface between different components forms a deplete layer to hinder the charge transfer to a large extent. In order to enhance the charger transfer from an interface to the surface and promote the spatial separation of electron-hole pairs, a built-in electric field induced by a p-n heterojunction emerges as the best choice. As a touchstone, a p-n heterojunction of TiO2/BiOBr with a strong built-in electric field has been constructed, which presents a wide spectrum response owing to its interleaved band gaps after composition. The built-in electric field greatly enhances the separation and transportation of photogenerated carriers, resulting in fluorescence quenching due to the carrier recombination. The sample also displayed exceptional photoelectron responses: its photocurrent density (43.3 μA cm-2) was over 10 times that of TiO2 (3.5 μA cm-2) or BiOBr (4.2 μA cm-2). In addition, the sample with a molar ratio of 3 : 1 between TiO2 and BiOBr showed the best photocatalytic overall water splitting performance under visible light (λ > 420 nm): the hydrogen and oxygen production rate were 472.7 μmol gcat.-1 h-1 and 95.7 μmol gcat.-1 h-1, respectively, which are the highest values under visible light without other cocatalysts to have been reported in literature for the photocatalyst.

GAS7 Deficiency Promotes Metastasis in MYCN-Driven Neuroblastoma

One of the greatest barriers to curative treatment of neuroblastoma is its frequent metastatic outgrowth prior to diagnosis, especially in cases driven by amplification of the MYCN oncogene. However, only a limited number of regulatory proteins that contribute to this complex MYCN-mediated process have been elucidated. Here we show that the growth arrest-specific 7 (GAS7) gene, located at chromosome band 17p13.1, is preferentially deleted in high-risk MYCN-driven neuroblastoma. GAS7 expression was also suppressed in MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma lacking 17p deletion. GAS7 deficiency led to accelerated metastasis in both zebrafish and mammalian models of neuroblastoma with overexpression or amplification of MYCN. Analysis of expression profiles and the ultrastructure of zebrafish neuroblastoma tumors with MYCN overexpression identified that GAS7 deficiency led to (i) downregulation of genes involved in cell-cell interaction, (ii) loss of contact among tumor cells as critical determinants of accelerated metastasis, and (iii) increased levels of MYCN protein. These results provide the first genetic evidence that GAS7 depletion is a critical early step in the cascade of events culminating in neuroblastoma metastasis in the context of MYCN overexpression. SIGNIFICANCE: Heterozygous deletion or MYCN-mediated repression of GAS7 in neuroblastoma releases an important brake on tumor cell dispersion and migration to distant sites, providing a novel mechanism underlying tumor metastasis in MYCN-driven neuroblastoma.See related commentary by Menard, p. 2815.

Dissecting the Role of VicK Phosphatase in Aggregation and Biofilm Formation of Streptococcus mutans

VicRK (WalRK or YycFG) is a conserved 2-component regulatory system (TCS) that regulates cell division, cell wall biosynthesis, and homeostasis in low-GC Gram-positive bacteria. VicRK is also associated with biofilm formation of Streptococcus mutans on the tooth surface as it directly regulates the extracellular polysaccharide (EPS) synthesis. Of the 2 components, VicK possesses both autokinase and phosphatase activities, which regulate the phosphorylation and dephosphorylation of the regulator VicR in response to environmental cues. However, the dual mechanism of VicK as the autokinase/phosphatase in regulating S. mutans' responses is not well elucidated. Previously, it has been shown that the phosphatase activity depends on the PAS domain and residues in the DHp domain of VicK in S. mutans. Specifically, mutating proline at 222 in the PAS domain inhibits VicK phosphatase activity. We generated a VicK^P222A mutant to determine the level of VicR-P in the cytoplasm by Phos-tag sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. We show that in VicK^P222A phosphatase, attenuation increased phosphorylated VicR (VicR-P) that downregulated glucosyltransferases, gtfBC, thereby reducing the synthesis of water-insoluble polysaccharides (WIS-EPS) in the biofilm. In addition, VicK^P222A presented as long-rod cells, reduced growth, and displayed asymmetrical division. A major adhesin of S. mutans, SpaP was downregulated in VicK^P222A, making it unable to agglutinate in saliva. In summary, we have confirmed that VicK phosphatase activity is critical to maintain optimal phosphorylation status of VicR in S. mutans, which is important for cell growth, cell division, EPS synthesis, and bacterial agglutination in saliva. Hence, VicK phosphatase activity may represent a promising target to modulate S. mutans' pathogenicity.

[PTX3 promotes proliferation, invasion and drug resistance of neuroblastoma cells in children by regulating TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway]

Objective: To investigate the effect of pentraxin 3 (PTX3) on the proliferation, invasion and drug resistance of pediatric neuroblastoma cells and its mechanism. Methods: si-RNA (si-RNA group), si-PTX3 (si-PTX3 group), siRNA+ pcDNA3.1 (siRNA+ pcDNA3.1 group), si-PTX3+ pcDNA3.1 (si-PTX3+ pcDNA3.1 group), siRNA+ pcDNA3.1-Toll-like receptor 4 (siRNA+ pcDNA3.1-TLR4 group) and si-PTX3+ pcDNA3.1-TLR4 (si-PTX3+ pcDNA3.1-TLR4 group) were transfected into SH-SY5Y cells. Collected 32 cases of tumor tissue and cancerous tissue in children with childhood neuromaternal cells who were treated at Zhumadian center hospital from July 2016 to August 2019. Real-time fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain (RT-qPCR) reaction and immunohistochemistry experiments were used to detect the protein expressions of PTX3 in neuroblastoma tissues and normal tissues. 5-Ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU) was used to detect the proliferation effect of PTX3 on neuroblastoma cell SH-SY5Y. Western blot experiment was used to detect the protein expression levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), resistance-related proteins including P-glycoprotein (P-gp) and multidrug resistance-associated protein 1 (MRP-1), and invasion-related protein matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1). Results: PTX3 mRNA expressions in neuroblastoma tissues were 0.87±0.07, higher than 0.13±0.06 of normal tissues, and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05), The expression of the immunohistochemistry test PTX3 protein was consistent with the qRT-PCR results. Compared with the si-RNA group (0.95±0.08; 1.02±0.10), the mRNA and protein expressions of PTX3 in the si-PTX3 group (0.25±0.05; 0.45±0.66) decreased, the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). The number of EdU positive cells, invasion rate, VEGF, MMP-1, P-gp and MRP-1 protein expressions in si-RNA group were (31.86±1.86)%, (28.12±2.96)%, (0.58±0.07), (0.44±0.06), (0.46±0.08) and (0.51±0.05), respectively, higher than (19.73±1.22)%, (8.45±1.06)%, (0.25±0.05), (0.19±0.03), (0.19±0.06) and (0.16±0.07) in si-PTX3 group, and the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). The Number of EdU positive cells [(19.49±1.68)%], invasion rate [(8.48±1.36)%], VEGF protein expression (0.10±0.15), P-gp (0.18±0.07) , TLR4 (0.45±0.06), p-p65 (0.25±0.05) protein expressions in si-PTX3+ pcDNA3.1 group were relatively lower compared with siRNA+ pcDNA3.1 group [(38.21±2.67)%, (26.39±2.14)%, 0.49±0.05, 0.52±0.06, 0.93±0.14 and 0.82±0.06] (all P<0.05). The number of EdU-positive cells [(62.73±5.18)%], invasion rate [(50.45±3.25)%], VEGF protein expression (2.17±0.17), P-gp (2.15±0.16), TLR4 (2.68±0.16), p-p65 (2.48±0.13) protein expressions in the siRNA+ pcDNA3.1-TLR4 group increased compared with siRNA+ pcDNA3.1 group (all P<0.05). Conclusions: Inhibition of PTX3 can inhibit the proliferation and invasion of neuroblastoma cells SH-SY5Y, and reduce drug resistance. Its mechanism may be achieved by regulating the TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway. This result can provide a new perspective for pediatric neuroblasts tumor diagnosis and clinical treatment.

Targeting ganglioneuromas with mTOR inhibitors

We recently identified activated protein kinase B (PKB/AKT) as a tumorigenic driver in childhood ganglioneuroma. Inhibition of the mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR), a serine/threonine kinase downstream of AKT, effectively reduced the tumor burden in zebrafish with ganglioneuroma. We propose a clinical trial of mTOR inhibitors as a means to shrink large ganglioneuromas prior to surgical resection.

The fate of oxygen on graphene-catalyst in the photocatalytic water splitting reaction

This paper reveals the transformation of oxygen on graphene in the water splitting process and for the first time, points out a step by step dehydrogenation process with the intermediates OH–C and O–C, and finally CO2.

suz12 inactivation in p53- and nf1-deficient zebrafish accelerates the onset of malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors and expands the spectrum of tumor types

Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) is an epigenetic regulator of gene expression that possesses histone methyltransferase activity. PRC2 trimethylates lysine 27 of histone H3 proteins (H3K27me3) as a chromatin modification associated with repressed transcription of genes frequently involved in cell proliferation or self-renewal. Loss-of-function mutations in the PRC2 core subunit SUZ12 have been identified in a variety of tumors, including malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNSTs). To determine the consequences of SUZ12 loss in the pathogenesis of MPNST and other cancers, we used CRISPR-Cas9 to disrupt the open reading frame of each of two orthologous suz12 genes in zebrafish: suz12a and suz12b. We generated these knockout alleles in the germline of our previously described p53 (also known as tp53)- and nf1-deficient zebrafish model of MPNSTs. Loss of suz12 significantly accelerated the onset and increased the penetrance of MPNSTs compared to that in control zebrafish. Moreover, in suz12-deficient zebrafish, we detected additional types of tumors besides MPNSTs, including leukemia with histological characteristics of lymphoid malignancies, soft tissue sarcoma and pancreatic adenocarcinoma, which were not detected in p53/nf1-deficient control fish, and are also contained in the human spectrum of SUZ12-deficient malignancies identified in the AACR Genie database. The suz12-knockout tumors displayed reduced or abolished H3K27me3 epigenetic marks and upregulation of gene sets reported to be targeted by PRC2. Thus, these zebrafish lines with inactivation of suz12 in combination with loss of p53/nf1 provide a model of human MPNSTs and multiple other tumor types, which will be useful for mechanistic studies of molecular pathogenesis and targeted therapy with small molecule inhibitors.

Summary: In p53- and nf1-deficient zebrafish, onset of MPNSTs, as well as diverse other tumors, is accelerated by loss of the suz12 tumor suppressor, accompanied by global reduction in H3K27me3 marks and increased Ras-Mapk signaling.

Abstract 3450: Ganglioneuromas are driven by activated AKT and can be therapeutically targeted with mTOR inhibitors

Peripheral sympathetic nervous system tumors are the most common extra-cranial pediatric tumors in children and include neuroblastoma, ganglioneuroblastoma (intermixed and nodular) and ganglioneuroma. The etiology and molecular pathogenesis of ganglioneuromas remains largely unknown. Surgery is the only effective therapy for ganglioneuroma, which can be challenging due to the location of the tumor and involvement of surrounding structures. Thus, there is need for well tolerated presurgical therapies that could reduce the size and extent of ganglioneuroma, and therefore limit surgical morbidity. Here we found high levels of phosphorylated AKT expressed in 10 of 11 patients with ganglioneuroma, but only in 1 of 15 who had poorly differentiated neuroblastoma (p&lt;0.0001, Fisher's exact test). Consistent with these results, zebrafish transgenic for constitutively activated myr-Akt2 in the sympathetic nervous system were found to develop ganglioneuroma without progression to neuroblastoma. Histopathological analysis and whole-transcriptome sequencing revealed that zebrafish ganglioneuroma highly resembles human ganglioneuroma. Inhibition of the downstream AKT target, mTOR, using sirolimus in zebrafish with ganglioneuroma effectively reduced the tumor burden, providing preclinical evidence for efficacy with this well tolerated drug. Our results implicate activated AKT as a tumorigenic driver in ganglioneuroma. We propose a clinical trial of sirolimus as a means to shrink large ganglioneuromas prior to resection in order to reduce surgical morbidity.

Citation Format: Ting Tao, Hui Shi, Adam D. Durbin, Meng Wang, Antonio R. Perez-Atayde, Wendy B. London, Alejandro Gutierrez, Bernardo Lemos, A. Thomas Look. Ganglioneuromas are driven by activated AKT and can be therapeutically targeted with mTOR inhibitors [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr 3450.

ARID1A loss in neuroblastoma promotes the adrenergic-to-mesenchymal transition by regulating enhancer-mediated gene expression

Mutations in genes encoding SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complexes are found in approximately 20% of all human cancers, with ARID1A being the most frequently mutated subunit. Here, we show that disruption of ARID1A homologs in a zebrafish model accelerates the onset and increases the penetrance of MYCN-driven neuroblastoma by increasing cell proliferation in the sympathoadrenal lineage. Depletion of ARID1A in human NGP neuroblastoma cells promoted the adrenergic-to-mesenchymal transition with changes in enhancer-mediated gene expression due to alterations in the genomic occupancies of distinct SWI/SNF assemblies, BAF and PBAF. Our findings indicate that ARID1A is a haploinsufficient tumor suppressor in MYCN-driven neuroblastoma, whose depletion enhances tumor development and promotes the emergence of the more drug-resistant mesenchymal cell state.

The clinical data from 19 critically ill patients with coronavirus disease 2019: a single-centered, retrospective, observational study

Background

The objectives of this study were to analyze the clinical features of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and evaluate the diagnosis and treatment.

Methods

A retrospective analysis of the clinical manifestation and auxiliary examination of 19 patients with COVID-19 from the Liyuan Hospital intensive care unit (ICU) between January 16, 2020 and February 20, 2020 was undertaken.

Results

There were 11 male and 8 female cases among the patients. The median (range) age was 73 (38–91) years. Of these patients, 8 (42.1%) had died and the median duration from ICU admission to death was 2 (interquartile range (IQR): 1–10.75) days. Seven of these 8 patients had underlying diseases. The auxiliary examination showed fever (68.4%), dry cough (15.8%), dyspnea (10.5%), and diarrhea (5.3%). All 19 cases showed ground-glass changes on chest computed tomography. Serum hypersensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and serum amylase A (SAA) were clearly increased in all of the cases. Among the 19 cases, there were 16 (84.2%) cases in which the total number of lymphocytes decreased, 12 cases (63%) had reduced liver function, and 11 cases (58%) had deviant results for fibrinogen (FIB) and D-dimer, in particular, the D-dimer level was significantly higher in the non-survivors compared with the survivors.

Conclusion

There were more men than women among critically ill patients. All of the cases showed ground-glass changes on chest computed tomography and the vast majority of patients displayed fever and dry cough. The clinical laboratory indices change significantly, especially the D-dimer level among non-survivors.

[The prognostic value of cloned genetic mutations detected by second-generation sequencing in RUNX1-RUNX1T1 positive acute myeloid leukemia patients receiving intensive consolidation therapy]

Objective: To investigate the prognostic value of clonal gene mutations detected by second-generation sequencing in patients with positive RUNX1-RUNX1T1 acute myeloid leukemia (AML) who received high-dose chemotherapy or autologous transplantation (intensive consolidation therapy) in the first complete remission (CR(1)) state. Methods: 79 AML patients with positive RUNX1-RUNX1T1 who received intensive consolidation therapy in CR(1) state from July 2011 to August 2017 were analyzed retrospectively. Kaplan-Meier curve and Cox regression model were used to figure out the effect of leukocyte counts at onset and gene mutations for prognosis. Results: C-KIT, FLT3, CEBPA and DNMT3A gene mutations were found in 25 (31.6%) , 6 (7.6%) , 7 (8.9%) and 1 (1.3%) patient among the population. Mutations in C-KIT exon17 and C-KIT exon8 were detected in 19 (24.1%) and 5 (6.3%) cases, respectively, and mutations of FLT3-ITD were confirmed in 5 (6.3%) cases. The higher leukocyte counts presented at onset of leukemia, the shorter overall survival (OS) was seen in these patients (P=0.03) . Patients with C-KIT exon17 mutation had significantly shorter OS (P=0.01) and disease free survival (DFS) (P=0.006) compared with those without gene mutations, and patients with FLT3-ITD gene mutation got the inferior OS (P=0.048) and DFS (P=0.071) . Conclusion: In AML patients with positive RUNX1-RUNX1T1 receiving intensive consolidation therapy, the white blood cell counts at onset of leukemia, C-KIT mutations in exon 17, and FLT3-ITD gene mutations suggest poor prognosis, which would contribute to elaborate risk stratification, personalized treatment and predict prognosis for these patients.

[Clinical features and pathological analysis of lacrimal gland occupying lesions in 91 cases]

Objective: To analyze the pathogenesis, histopathological classification and clinical features of lacrimal gland occupying lesions. Methods: This was a retrospective case series study. Clinical data of 91 patients (102 eyes) with lacrimal gland area occupying diseases who received ophthalmic surgery in the Second People's Hospital of Yunnan Province from January 2014 to November 2018 were retrospectively analyzed, including patients' age, reasons for treatment, gender, imageological examination data and pathological diagnosis results. All patients had more than one medical imaging examination results and histopathological diagnosis results. Results: Among 91 cases, 46 patients (50.5%) were male and 45 (49.5%) were female. The age distribution ranged from 1.1 years to 72 years old, with an average age of 43 years. All of benign tumors added up to 58 cases (63.7%). Pleomorphic adenoma (43 cases, 47.3%), dermoid cyst (6 cases, 6.6%), and inflammatory pseudotumor (6 cases, 6.6%) were the most common cases in the benign lacrimal gland occupying tumors. There were 33 cases (36.3%) of malignant tumors. Adenoid cystic carcinoma (15 cases, 16.5%), adenocarcinoma (6 cases, 6.6%) and lymphoma (5 cases, 5.5%) had the highest incidence among the malignant lacrimal gland occupying tumors. The most common reason for seeking medical treatment was exophthalmos (50 cases, 54.9%; 30 cases were pleomorphic adenoma). Brow arch mass (22 cases, 24.2%) and pain in and around the eye (9 cases, 9.9%; 5 cases were adenoid cystic carcinoma) were also major reasons. Conclusions: The most common benign lacrimal gland area occupying lesion in surgery patients of Yunnan is pleomorphic adenoma, which more occurred in patients with exophthalmos as the main symptoms. The most common malignant tumor in the lacrimal gland area is adenoid cystic carcinoma and the most common reason to seek medical advice was pain in and around the eye. (Chin J Ophthalmol, 2019, 55:842-846).

Recent Advances in Difluoromethylthiolation

The difluoromethylthio group (HCF2S), which has been identified as a valuable functionality in drug and agrochemical discovery, has received increased attention recently. Two strategies, difluoromethylation and direct difluoromethylthiolation, have been well established for HCF2S incorporation. The former strategy suffers from the need to prepare sulfur-containing substrates. In contrast, direct difluoromethylthiolation is straightforward and step-economic. This short review covers the recent advances in direct difluoromethylthiolation, including electrophilic, radical, and transition-metal-catalyzed or -promoted reactions­.

1 Introduction

2 Electrophilic Difluoromethylthiolation

3 Radical Difluoromethylthiolation

4 Transition-Metal-Catalyzed or -Promoted Difluoromethylthiolation

5 Conclusions and Perspectives

The role of pyruvate kinase M2 in anticancer therapeutic treatments

Cancer cells are characterized by a high glycolytic rate, which leads to energy regeneration and anabolic metabolism; a consequence of this is the abnormal expression of pyruvate kinase isoenzyme M2 (PKM2). Multiple studies have demonstrated that the expression levels of PKM2 are upregulated in numerous cancer types. Consequently, the mechanism of action of certain anticancer drugs is to downregulate PKM2 expression, indicating the significance of PKM2 in a chemotherapeutic setting. Furthermore, it has previously been highlighted that the downregulation of PKM2 expression, using either inhibitors or short interfering RNA, enhances the anticancer effect exerted by THP treatment on bladder cancer cells, both in vitro and in vivo. The present review summarizes the detailed mechanisms and therapeutic relevance of anticancer drugs that inhibit PKM2 expression. In addition, the relationship between PKM2 expression levels and drug resistance were explored. Finally, future directions, such as the targeting of PKM2 as a strategy to explore novel anticancer agents, were suggested. The current review explored and highlighted the important role of PKM2 in anticancer treatments.