Analysis of gut microbiota of ladybug beetle (Harmonia axyridis) after feeding on different artificial diets

BACKGROUND

Harmonia axyridis is an effective natural enemy insect to a variety of phloem-sucking pests and Lepidopteran larvae, such as aphids, scabies, and phylloxera, while its industrial production is limited due to unmature artificial diet. Insect intestinal microbiota affect host development and reproduction. The aim of this study is to understand intestinal microbiota composition of H. axyridis and screen effective probiotics on artificial diet. Considering the role of the components and composition of the diet on the structure and composition of the intestinal microbiome, four kinds of diets were set up: (1) aphid; (2) basic diet; (3) basic diet + glucose; (4) basic diet + trehalose. The gut microbiota of H. axyridis was detected after feeding on different diets.

RESULTS

Results showed that the gut microbiota between artificial diet group and aphid groups were far apart, while the basic and glucose groups were clearly clustered. Besides, the glucose group and trehalose group had one unique phylum, Cryptophyta and Candidatus Saccharibacteria, respectively. The highest abundance of Proteobacteria was found in the aphid diet. The highest abundance of Firmicutes was found in the basic diet. However, the addition of glucose or trehalose alleviated the change. In addition, the relative abundance of Enterobacter, Klebsiella, Enterobacteriaceae_unclassified, Enterobacteriales_unclassified and Serratia in the aphid group was higher than other groups. Moreover, the function of gut genes in each group also showed clear differences.

CONCLUSION

These results have offered a strong link between artificial diets and gut microbes, and also have provided a theoretical basis for the screening of synergistic probiotics in artificial diet.

Atomically accurate site-specific ligand tailoring of highly acid- and alkali-resistant Ti(iv)-based metallamacrocycle for enhanced CO2 photoreduction

Skillfully engineering surface ligands at specific sites within robust clusters presents both a formidable challenge and a captivating opportunity. Herein we unveil an unprecedented titanium-oxo cluster: a calix[8]arene-stabilized metallamacrocycle (Ti16L4), uniquely crafted through the fusion of four "core-shell" {Ti4@(TBC[8])(L)} subunits with four oxalate moieties. Notably, this cluster showcases an exceptional level of chemical stability, retaining its crystalline integrity even when immersed in highly concentrated acid (1 M HNO3) and alkali (20 M NaOH). The macrocycle's surface unveils four specific, customizable μ2-bridging sites, primed to accommodate diverse carboxylate ligands. This adaptability is highlighted through deliberate modifications achieved by alternating crystal soaking in alkali and carboxylic acid solutions. Furthermore, Ti16L4 macrocycles autonomously self-assemble into one-dimensional nanotubes, which subsequently organize into three distinct solid phases, contingent upon the specific nature of the four μ2-bridging ligands. Notably, the Ti16L4 exhibit a remarkable capacity for photocatalytic activity in selectively reducing CO2 to CO. Exploiting the macrocycle's modifiable shell yields a significant boost in performance, achieving an exceptional maximum CO release rate of 4.047 ± 0.243 mmol g-1 h-1. This study serves as a striking testament to the latent potential of precision-guided surface ligand manipulation within robust clusters, while also underpinning a platform for producing microporous materials endowed with a myriad of surface functionalities.

Complete Genome Sequence of Streptomyces sp. HP-A2021, a Promising Bacterium for Natural Product Discovery

Streptomyces are one of the most prolific sources of bioactive and structurally diverse secondary metabolites for natural product drug discovery. Genome sequencing and bioinformatics analysis revealed that the genomes of Streptomyces harbor a wealth of cryptic secondary metabolite biosynthetic gene clusters that could encode novel compounds. In this work, a genome mining approach was employed to investigate the biosynthetic potential of Streptomyces sp. HP-A2021, isolated from rhizosphere soil of Ginkgo biloba L. The complete genome of HP-A2021 was sequenced and contained the 9,607,552 base pair linear chromosome with a GC content of 71.07%. The annotation results revealed the presence of 8534 CDSs, 76 tRNA genes, and 18 rRNA genes in HP-A2021. The highest dDDH and ANI values based on genome sequences between HP-A2021 and the most closely related type strain, Streptomyces coeruleorubidus JCM 4359, were 64.2% and 92.41%, respectively. In total, 33 secondary metabolite biosynthetic gene clusters with an average length of 105,594 bp were identified, including the putative thiotetroamide, alkylresorcinol, coelichelin, and geosmin. The antibacterial activity assay confirmed that the crude extracts of HP-A2021 showed potent antimicrobial activity against human pathogenic bacteria. Our study demonstrated that Streptomyces sp. HP-A2021 will propose a potential use in biotechnological and novel bioactive secondary metabolite biosynthetic applications.

Bi-directional geometric constraints in the construction of giant dual-rim nanorings

In the field of metallo-supramolecular assemblies, supramolecular macrocycles have attracted considerable attention due to their guest recognition and catalytic properties. Herein, we report a novel strategy for the construction of giant hollow macrocyclic structures using a bi-directional geometric constraint strategy. We investigated the structural design of two terpyridine-based tetratopic organic ligands, whose inner and outer rims have different angles. Compared to conventional strategies of self-assembly using single angular orientation building blocks that typically generate small macrocyclic objects or polymers, the mutual interaction between the different angles of the ligands could promote the formation of giant hollow macrocyclic supramolecular architectures. The self-assembly mechanism and hierarchical self-assembly of giant supramolecular macrocycles have been characterized by NMR, ESI-MS and TEM experiments. The strategy used in this study not only advances the design of giant 2D macrocycles with large inner diameters but also gives insights into the mechanism of formation of large structures.

Atomically accurate structural tailoring of thiacalix[4]arene-protected copper(II)-based metallamacrocycles

Accurate manipulation of ligands at specific sites in robust clusters is attractive but difficult, especially for those ligands that coordinate in intricate binding patterns. By linking the shuttlecock-like {Cu₄(μ₄-Cl)TC4A} motif and the phenylphosphate (PhPO₃^2-) ligand, we elaborately design and synthesize two Cu(II)-thiacalix[4]arene metallamacrocycles (MMCs), namely Cu₁₂L₃ and Cu₁₆L₄, which have regular triangular and quadrilateral topologies, respectively. While keeping the core intact, the Cl^- and PhPO₃^2- in those two MMCs, which coordinated in a μ₄-bridging fashion, can be accurately substituted with salicylate ligands. Theoretical calculations have been carried out to reveal the effect of ligand tailoring on the electronic structure of clusters. Structural regulation can affect the catalytic activity of these clusters, which has been verified by using the clusters as catalysts for selective sulfide oxidation.

Heterometallic Polyoxotitanium Clusters as Bifunctional Electrocatalysts for Overall Water Splitting

Incorporating heterometal into titanium-oxygen clusters (TOCs) is an effective way to improve its catalytic activity. Herein, we synthesize three novel heterometallic TOCs with the formula of [Ti₆Cu₂O₇(Dmg)₂(OAc)₄(ⁱPrO)₆][H₂Ti₆Cu₂O₇(Dmg)₂(OAc)₄(ⁱPrO)₈] ({Ti₆Cu₂}), [Ti₈Cu₂O₉(Dmg)₂(OAc)₂(ⁱPrO)₁₂] ({Ti₈Cu₂}), and [Ti₁₀Co₂O₆(Dmg)₂(Pdc)₄(ⁱPrO)₁₈Cl₃] ({Ti₁₀Co₂}, DmgH₂ = dimethylglyoxime; PdcH₂ = pyridine-2,3-dicarboxylic acid) using dimethylglyoxime and different carboxylates as the synergistic ligands. By depositing the clusters {Ti₆Cu₂} and {Ti₁₀Co₂} on carbon cloth as electrodes, we investigated the electrocatalytic performance of TOCs for full water splitting for the first time. To reach a 10 mA cm^-2 current density in an alkaline solution, the {Ti₁₀Co₂}@CC electrode needs an overpotential as low as 120 and 400 mV for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), respectively. In addition, full water-splitting equipment with {Ti₁₀Co₂}@CC as a cathode and an anode need only 1.67 V to deliver a current density of 10 mA cm^-2. Our work confirmed the potential of noble metal-free TOCs as bifunctional cluster-based electrocatalysts for water splitting, and their activities can be tuned by doping with different metal ions.

An ultrastable Ti-based metallocalixarene nanocage cluster with photocatalytic amine oxidation activity

Polyhedral metallocalixarene nanocage clusters based on pure Ti(IV) ions are to our knowledge unknown hitherto. Herein we report the first Ti(IV)-based metallocalixarene nanocage cluster by assembling a [Ti₁₃O₁₄] cage with six t-butylcalix[4]arene molecules. Notably, the cluster exhibits extraordinary stability in high-concentration acid/alkali solutions and can act as a stable photocatalyst to catalyze the oxidation of ammonia to imines.

Fusobacterium nucleatum promotes colon cancer progression by changing the mucosal microbiota and colon transcriptome in a mouse model

BACKGROUND

Fusobacterium nucleatum (F. nucleatum) has long been known to cause opportunistic infections and has recently been implicated in colorectal cancer (CRC), which has attracted broad attention. However, the mechanism by which it is involved in CRC development is not fully understood.

AIM

To explore its potential causative role in CRC development, we evaluated the colon pathology, mucosa barrier, colon microbiota and host transcriptome profile after F. nucleatum infection in an azoxymethane/dextran sulfate sodium salt (AOM/DSS) mouse model.

METHODS

Three groups of mice were compared to reveal the differences, i.e., the control, AOM/DSS-induced CRC and AOM/DSS-FUSO infection groups.

RESULTS

Both the AOM/DSS and AOM/DSS-FUSO groups exhibited a significantly reduced body weight and increased tumor numbers than the control group, and AOM/DSS mice with F. nucleatum infection showed the highest tumor formation ratio among the three groups. Moreover, the colon pathology was the most serious in the AOM/DSS-FUSO group. We found that the structure of the colon microbiota changed considerably after F. nucleatum infection; striking differences in mucosal microbial population patterns were observed between the AOM/DSS-FUSO and AOM/DSS groups, and inflammation-inducing bacteria were enriched in the mucosal microbiota in the AOM/DSS-FUSO group. By comparing intestinal transcriptomics data from AOM vs AOM/DSS-FUSO mice, we showed that transcriptional activity was strongly affected by dysbiosis of the gut microbiota. The most microbiota-sensitive genes were oncogenes in the intestine, and the cyclic adenosine monophosphate signaling pathway, neuroactive ligand–receptor interaction, PPAR signaling pathway, retinol metabolism, mineral absorption and drug metabolism were highly enriched in the AOM/DSS-FUSO group. Additionally, we showed that microbial dysbiosis driven by F. nucleatum infection enriched eight taxa belonging to Proteobacteria, which correlates with increased expression of oncogenic genes.

CONCLUSION

Our study demonstrated that F. nucleatum infection altered the colon mucosal microbiota by enriching pathogens related to the development of CRC, providing new insights into the role of F. nucleatum in the oncogenic microbial environment of the colon.

Self-Assembly of Chiral Ferrocene-Functionalized Polyoxotitanium Clusters for Photocatalytic Selective Sulfide Oxidation

Here, we systematically studied the self-assembly behavior of chiral polyoxytitanium clusters for the first time. Through the cooperative assembly of ferrocenecarboxylic acid and ketoxime ligands, we successfully incorporated the planar chirality of ferrocene (Fc) into the layered {Ti₅} building blocks. The resulting {Ti₅Fc} clusters can be used as structural units to assemble into large ordered structures in various ways; either a pair of {Ti₅Fc} enantiomers are bridged by organic adhesive to form sandwich structures or two homochiral {Ti₅Fc} units participate in the assembly to form the large clusters. Depending on the assembly modes, the chirality of {Ti₅Fc} can be transferred to large nanoclusters or disappear to form mesostructures. The difference of the assembly modes between the {Ti₅Fc} units can also tune the photoelectric activity of the resulting clusters, which has been verified by using {Ti₁₀Fc-6/7} as catalysts for photocatalytic selective sulfide oxidation. This work not only is an important breakthrough in the study of the self-assembly of chiral nanoclusters but also provides an important reference for understanding of chiral transfer on the nanoscale.

Metal-Directed Self-Assembly of {Ti8L2} Cluster-Based Coordination Polymers with Enhanced Photocatalytic Alcohol Oxidation Activity

Cooperative assembly of the neutral cluster {Ti₈O₅(OEt)₁₈L₂} (L = pyrazine-2,3-dicarboxylic acid) with different metal units of Mn(NO₃)₂, CuCl₂, Zn(OEt)₂, Cd(NO₃)₂, Ce(NO₃)₃, Lu(NO₃)₃, and Lu(NO₃)₂(OEt), or the [Cu₂I₂] cluster, generates a family of titanium-oxygen cluster (TOC)-based coordination polymers. These one-dimensional (1D) linear structures contain the same {Ti₈L₂} cluster but with variable bridging metal units. The regulation of the heterometal not only affects the chain geometries of the {MTi₈} but also affects the way the 1D chains are stacked in the crystal lattice. Investigation of the catalytic activities toward alcohol oxidation demonstrated the synergetic effect of combining the metal site and the photosensitive {Ti₈L₂} cluster in the tailored structure. Under light illumination, the {MTi₈} with dual catalytic sites shows greatly enhanced catalytic activity in the selective oxidation of alcohols to aldehydes. Because the compositions and structures of {MTi₈} are highly tunable, this work spotlights the potential of utilizing such metal-bridged multidimensional Ti-oxo materials for cooperative photoredox catalysis for organic transformation.

Abelson interactor 1 splice isoform-L plays an anti-oncogenic role in colorectal carcinoma through interactions with WAVE2 and full-length Abelson interactor 1

BACKGROUND

Expression of the full-length isoform of Abelson interactor 1 (ABI1), ABI1-p65, is increased in colorectal carcinoma (CRC) and is thought to be involved in one or more steps leading to tumor progression or metastasis. The ABI1 splice isoform-L (ABI1-SiL) has conserved WAVE2-binding and SH3 domains, lacks the homeo-domain homologous region, and is missing the majority of PxxP- and Pro-rich domains found in full-length ABI1-p65. Thus, ABI1-SiL domain structure suggests that the protein may regulate CRC cell morphology, adhesion, migration, and metastasis via interactions with the WAVE2 complex pathway.

AIM

To investigate the potential role and underlying mechanisms associated with ABI1-SiL-mediated regulation of CRC.

METHODS

ABI1-SiL mRNA expression in CC tissue and cell lines was measured using both qualitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and real-time quantitative RT-PCR. A stably ABI1-SiL overexpressing SW480 cell model was constructed using Lipofectamine 2000, and cells selected with G418. Image J software, CCK8, and transwell assays were used to investigate SW480 cell surface area, proliferation, migration, and invasion. Immunoprecipitation, Western blot, and co-localization assays were performed to explore intermolecular interactions between ABI1-SiL, WAVE2, and ABI1-p65 proteins.

RESULTS

ABI1-SiL was expressed in normal colon tissue and was significantly decreased in CRC cell lines and tissues. Overexpression of ABI1-SiL in SW480 cells significantly increased the cell surface area and inhibited the adhesive and migration properties of the cells, but did not alter their invasive capacity. Similar to ABI1-p65, ABI1-SiL still binds WAVE2, and the ABI1-p65 isoform in SW480 cells. Furthermore, co-localization assays confirmed these intermolecular interactions.

CONCLUSION

These results support a model in which ABI1-SiL plays an anti-oncogenic role by competitively binding to WAVE2 and directly interacting with phosphorylated and non-phosphorylated ABI1-p65, functioning as a dominant-negative form of ABI1-p65.

Accurate assembly of ferrocene-functionalized {Ti22Fc4} clusters with photocatalytic amine oxidation activity

We report here the synthesis of a ferrocene-functionalized {Ti22Fc4} cluster with a 'dimer-of-clusters' topology, which represents the largest Ti-oxo cluster (TOC) modified with organometallic groups ever reported. The exact assembly path of {Ti22Fc4} can be inferred from its two substructures, {Ti11Fc2} and {Ti5Fc}, which can also be synthesized independently through subtle changes in reaction conditions. Furthermore, we used these clusters as photocatalysts, and have studied, for the first time, the photocatalytic activity of TOCs in the oxidative coupling of amines.

Microwave-Assisted Synthesis of Tris-Anderson Polyoxometalates for Facile CO2 Cycloaddition

Four new tris-Anderson polyoxometalates (POMs), (NH₄)₄[ZnMo₆O₁₈(C₄H₈NO₃)(OH)₃]·4H₂O (1), (NH₄)₄[CuMo₆O₁₈(C₄H₈NO₃)(OH)₃]·4H₂O (2), (TBA)₃(NH₄)[ZnMo₆O₁₇(C₅H₉O₃)₂(OH)]·10H₂O (3) (TBA = n-C₁₆H₃₆N), and (NH₄)₄[CuMo₆O₁₈(C₅H₉O₃)₂]·16H₂O (4), were synthesized by a microwave-assisted method. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction revealed that 1 and 2 contained a tris (trihydroxyl organic compounds) ligand grafted on one side, while two tris ligands were grafted on two sides to form χ/δ and δ/δ isomers in 3 and 4, respectively. ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectra of the χ/δ isomer 3 were obtained for the first time, with six methylenes showing six peaks in the ¹H NMR spectrum and only four peaks in the ¹³C NMR spectrum. Mass spectrometry monitoring revealed that during the microwave-assistant process the tris ligand can graft onto POMs to form 1, while tris directly coordinates with metallic heteroatoms to form isopolymolybdates during the conventional reflux synthesis process. In addition, 1-4 can catalyze CO₂ with epoxides into cyclic carbonates with high selectivity and yields at an atmospheric pressure of CO₂, which is lower than the pressure of CO₂ in other catalysis using POMs as catalysts. Furthermore, 1-4 showed good catalytic stability and cycling properties. Mechanism studies substantiated POMs cocatalyzed with Br^- to improve the catalytic yields.

Monocarboxylate-driven structural growth in Calix[n]arene-polyoxotitanate hybrid systems: utility in hydrogen production from water

A carboxylate-driven assembly strategy has been developed for the first time to build calix[n]arene-based polyoxotitanate clusters with tuneable nuclearity and structures. Photocatalytic studies revealed that these clusters exhibit structural-dependent H₂ evolution ability with a maximum rate up to 415.11 μmol h^-1 g^-1, which is almost the highest recorded in polyoxotitanate clusters.

Accurate Regulating of Visible-Light Absorption in Polyoxotitanate-Calix[8]arene Systems by Ligand Modification

With use of a macrocyclic polyphenol, tert-butylcalix[8]arene (TBC[8]), as ligands, a series of TBC[8]-stabilized {Ti₄O₂}clusters, containing penta- and hexacoordinated Ti centers, were synthesized. Such complexes are "core-shell" shaped containing a {Ti₄O₂} core arranged in a zigzag fashion. While outer walls of the clusters are decorated by deprotonated TBC[8], their upper and lower surfaces can be modified by various O- or N-donor ligands, and the ratio of the penta- and hexacoordinated Ti(IV) centers in the {Ti₄O₂} core can be precisely regulated from 4:0, to 3:1, to 2:2, to 1:3, and finally to 0:4. The combined coordination of different ligands in the axial direction shows significant influence on the adsorption of the TBC[8]-Ti₄ system in the visible-light region, and their absorption edge can be precisely regulated from 600 to 700 nm. The above structural functionalization in the TBC[8]-Ti₄ system also tunes their photocatalytic H₂ production activities and oxidative desulfurization ability. Thus, for the first time, by confining the polyoxotitanium cluster in macrocyclic molecules, we provide an example of understanding the structure-property relationship of titanium-oxygen materials by ligand modification.

Study of the Characterization of Side Population Cells in Endometrial Cancer Cell Lines: Chemoresistance, Progestin Resistance, and Radioresistance

Introduction: Radiotherapy, combined regimens as platinum-paclitaxel chemotherapy and/or endocrine therapy is an important adjuvant treatment after surgery for endometrial cancer (EC). While, the resistance to them remain unclear. In our study, to separate the characteristics of side population (SP) cells from EC cell lines, study the mechanism of Taxol-resistance, progestin resistance and radioresistanc, and provide the basic for EC.

Methods: SP cells from EC cell lines HEC-1A, Ishikawa and RL95-2 were separated by Hoechst 33342 staining and flow cytometry analysis. The expression of breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP) in SP cells and non-SP cells from HEC-1A was examined by immunocytochemistry, and the radiation-resistant and Taxol-resistant characteristics of SP cells and non-SP cells were compared by MTS. Ishikawa, Ishikawa-SP, and Ishikawa-non-SP cells incubated with MPA were selected for cell apoptosis assays by using flow cytometry. The expression of caspase-3 was examined by immunocytochemistry, and autophagy was detected by MDC staining.

Results: Small proportions of SP cells, namely, 1.44 ± 0.93%, 2.86 ± 3.09%, and 2.87 ± 1.29%, were detected in HEC-1A, Ishikawa and RL95-2, respectively. There was a stronger clone formation efficiency for the SP cells than for non-SP cells in HEC-1A [(6.02 ± 1.17) vs. (0.53±0.20)%, P = 0.001], and there was a significant difference in the rate of tumourigenicity between the SP cells and non-SP cells in HEC-1A (87.5 vs. 12.5%). There were higher levels of BCRP expression (P = 0.001) and resistance to Taxol and radiation (P < 0.05) in the SP cells than in non-SP cells. After MPA treatment, the apoptosis rates were significantly different among the Ishikawa, Ishikawa-SP and Ishikawa-non-SP groups [(4.64 ± 0.18)%, (4.01 ± 0.43)%, and (9.3 ± 0.67)%; (P = 0.05)], and the expression of Caspase-3 in the Ishikawa group was higher than that in Ishikawa-SP group. The autophagic activity of the Ishikawa-SP cells was the strongest, while the autophagic activity of Ishikawa-non-SP was the weakest.

Conclusions: There is a significant enrichment in SP cells among different EC cell lines, and these SP cells be more resistant to Taxol, MPA and radiation therapy. The overexpression of BCRP among SP cells may be the cause of resistance to Taxol, progestin and radiotherapy, which may be related to apoptosis and autophagic activity.

Discovery of a New Family of Polyoxometalate-Based Hybrids with Improved Catalytic Performances for Selective Sulfoxidation: The Synergy between Classic Heptamolybdate Anions and Complex Cations

A series of functional cation-regulated isopolymolybdate-based organic-inorganic hybrid compounds, Na₂H₂[Mo₄O₁₂(C₈H₁₇O₅N)₂]·10H₂O (1), Na₂[M(Bis-tris)(H₂O)]₂[Mo₇O₂₄]·10H₂O [M = Cu, 2; Ni, 3; Co, 4; Zn, 5; Bis-tris = 2,2-Bis(hydroxymethyl)-2,2',2″-nitrilotriethanol], and (NH₄)₂[M(Bis-tris)(H₂O)]₂[Mo₇O₂₄]·6H₂O (M = Zn, 6; Cu, 7), were synthesized and characterized toward advanced molecular catalyst design. Compound 1 is a covalently bonded adduct, and its self-assembly process can be probed by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). Compounds 2-7 are polyoxometalate (POM)-based hybrids containing classic heptamolybdate anions and complex cations with Bis-tris ligands. All of these compounds showed remarkable catalytic effects for selective sulfide oxidation. To the best of our knowledge, compound 5 presents the best catalytic activity so far among the reported hybrid materials with common easily synthesized small-molecule POM clusters and also exhibits outstanding reliability. The conclusion of the catalytic effect is drawn from the results that Zn-based compounds have better catalytic effects than other transition-metal-containing compounds and the compound constructed by Na⁺ has higher catalytic activity than that constructed by NH₄⁺. The mechanism studies show that the improvements of the catalytic performance are caused by the synergy between classic heptamolybdate anions and complex cations. ESI-MS data and UV-vis spectra revealed that the POM anions can form intermediate peroxomolybdenum units during catalytic reaction. Further, the combination of the substrate thioanisole with complex cations was characterized by NMR experiments and UV-vis spectra. Thus, a new synergistic mechanism of anions and cations is proposed in which the activated thioanisole is used as a nucleophile to attack the peroxomolybdenum bonds, and this provides a new strategy in the design of reliable POM-based catalysts.

[Large clinical registries for acute aortic dissection: interpretation and comparison of latest results]

Despite the improvements in the diagnosis and management during the past six decades, acute aortic dissection (AAD) remains a life-threatening condition associated with significant morbidity and mortality rates. Due to the relatively rare occurrence of AAD, several clinical registries have been established to gain insights into this lethal disease in a large number of patients, such as the International Registry of Acute Aortic Dissection (IRAD), the German Registry for Acute Aortic Dissection Type A (GERAADA), and the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) Adult Cardiac Surgery Database Aortic Section. This review aims to interpret and compare the latest results of the IRAD, STS and GERAADA database. It focuses on several controversial and key issues in the diagnosis and management of acute aortic dissection in hope of providing some insights and references for cardiovascular professionals engaged in the care of this deadly disease.

Application of Specific Fragment Length Polymorphism of Algae rDNA in Identification of Drowning Cases

OBJECTIVES

To identify the drop-off location of victims in drowning cases, and confirm whether it is a fatal drowning or the victim is thrown into the water after death by detecting part of 5.8S sequence and second internal transcribed spacer （ITS2） （5.8S+ITS2） of diatom rDNA in water and organs.

METHODS

Two cases identified by diatom examination, which received by Nanjing Municipal Public Security Bureau Forensic Center, were taken as the research objects. The difference of the population structure of algae in water and human tissue was analysed by length polymorphism of 5.8S+ITS2 marker.

RESULTS

In case 1, similar species of diatom were detected from victim's lung and liver tissues and the water sample. Two kinds of DNA fragments with length of 330 bp and 376 bp were detected from victim's lung tissue and the water sample using 5.8S+ITS2 marker, which could confirm the victim was drowning before death. In case 2, there was no diatom found in victim's lung and liver tissues. Only one kind of DNA fragment with length of 331 bp and low relative fluorescence unit （RFU） was obtained from victim's lung tissue using 5.8S+ITS2 marker, thus the victim was thrown into the water after death.

CONCLUSIONS

The experimental results of the two cases in present study are consistent with the actual facts and the result of the diatom microscopic examination. The difference of population structure of specific microorganism in water and human tissue can be detected by 5.8S+ITS2 marker, which can help to identify the drop-off location of victims in drowning cases, and confirm whether it is a fatal drowning or the victim is thrown into the water after death.

[Cytotoxic effects of γδT cells on bladder cancer cells and expression of MICA/B in bladder cancer]

OBJECTIVE

To explore the role of γδT cells against bladder cancer and to detect the expression of stress proteins MICA/B recognized by γδT cells in bladder cancer.

METHODS

γδT cells from peripheral blood drawn from 6 bladder cancer patients with pamidronate stimulating were expanded. Flow cytometry was used to detect the purity and expansion folds of γδT cells, and the expression of CD107a on γδT cells after PMA/ionomycin stimulated. The cytotoxicity assay was carried out to test the cytotoxicity of γδT cells against human bladder cancer cell lines. The expression of MICA/B on bladder cancer cell lines and in bladder cancer tissues were detected through flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry respectively.

RESULTS

γδT cells from peripheral blood drawn from 6 bladder cancer patients were successfully expanded. The purity was 75%-94% and the expansion folds were 109-371 times. After being stimulated by PMA/ionomycin, the proportion of CD107a+ γδT cells increased significantly, reaching 40%-82%. γδT cells from the 6 bladder cancer patients showed obvious cytotoxic effects on 3 human bladder cancer cell lines which was enhanced as the effector: the target ratio increased. MICA/B were detected both in 3 bladder cancer cell lines and in 26 bladder cancer tissues. The staining score of MICA/B in invasive bladder cancer was slightly higher than that in non-invasive bladder cancer, and in advanced bladder cancer was higher than that in low grade bladder cancer, but the statistical analysis showed that the staining score of MICA/B was no significant correlation between the tissue and the tumor stages and grades.

CONCLUSION

γδT cells from the peripheral blood of the bladder cancer patients could be successfully expanded in vitro, and showed significant anti-bladder cancer effect. MICA/B were detected both in bladder cancer cell lines and in bladder cancer tissues. The statistical analysis showed that there was no significant correlation between the staining scores of MICA/B in the tissue and the tumor stages and grades.

Correlation between receptor-interacting protein 140 expression and directed differentiation of human embryonic stem cells into neural stem cells

Overexpression of receptor-interacting protein 140 (RIP140) promotes neuronal differentiation of N2a cells via extracellular regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) signaling. However, involvement of RIP140 in human neural differentiation remains unclear. We found both RIP140 and ERK1/2 expression increased during neural differentiation of H1 human embryonic stem cells. Moreover, RIP140 negatively correlated with stem cell markers Oct4 and Sox2 during early stages of neural differentiation, and positively correlated with the neural stem cell marker Nestin during later stages. Thus, ERK1/2 signaling may provide the molecular mechanism by which RIP140 takes part in neural differentiation to eventually affect the number of neurons produced.

SirT1 activator represses the transcription of TNF‑α in THP‑1 cells of a sepsis model via deacetylation of H4K16

Sepsis is a systemic inflammatory response resulting from the excessive production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α. Sirtuin 1 (SirT1) actively deacetylates histone proteins, and facilitates chromatin compaction and gene silencing. In the present study, a cell model of sepsis, comprising lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-tolerant THP-1 cells, was used to investigate whether the SirT1 activator, resveratrol, repressed the transcription of TNF-α. Chromatin immunoprecipitation and real-time PCR were used to determine the transcription of the TNF-α promoter. The result revealed that the binding of SirT1 to the TNF-α promoter was decreased by LPS stimulation in normal cells. However, in LPS-tolerant cells, nuclear protein levels of SirT1 remained elevated, and LPS stimulation had no significant effect on the binding of SirT1 to the TNF-α promoter. However, the activity of SirT1 was increased and binding of ace-H4K16 to the TNF-α promoter was decreased with resveratrol treatment in the tolerant cells. It was concluded that resveratrol stimulated sirtuin activity in LPS-tolerant THP-1 cells, and repressed TNF-α transcription through the deacetylation of H4K16, without affecting the methylation of H3K9. Resveratrol offers potential as an infective candidate to alleviate inflammation in patients with sepsis.

[Genetic Polymorphisms of 24 Y-STR Loci in Nanjing Han Population]

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the genetic polymorphism of DYS391 and other 23 Y-STR loci and to explore its application value in forensic science.

METHODS

Y-STRs loci of 580 unrelated Han males in Nanjing were amplified using AGCU Y-PLUS PCR （24） kit. The genetic parameters of 24 Y-STR loci such as gene frequency were calculated by software, and compared with the data of Hubei, Liao- ning, Guangdong, Beijing and Chengdu Han population.

RESULTS

Total 580 haplotypes were detected among 24 Y-STR loci in 580 unrelated Han males in Nanjing. The genetic diversity （GD） of each locus was from 0.294 6 to 0.939 8, and the haplotypes diversity （HD） was 0.983 7. There was a significant difference between the GD of 6 areas.

CONCLUSIONS

The 24 Y-STR loci such as DYS391 in Nanjing Han population have an application value in forensic science. They can also be used for cases testing and pedigree investigation.

G-protein coupled receptor 34 knockdown impairs the proliferation and migration of HGC-27 gastric cancer cells in vitro

Background:

Overexpression of G-protein coupled receptor 34 (GPR34) affects the progression and prognosis of human gastric adenocarcinoma, however, the role of GPR34 in gastric cancer development and progression has not been well-determined. The current study aimed to investigate the effect of GPR34 knockdown on the proliferation, migration, and apoptosis of HGC-27 gastric cancer cells and the underlying mechanisms.

Methods:

The expression of GPR34 in gastric cancer cell line HGC-27 was detected by quantitative real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blotting. HGC-27 cells were employed to construct the stable GPR34 knockdown cell model in this study. Real-time RT-PCR and Western blotting were applied to validate the effect of short hairpin RNA (ShRNA) on the expression of GPR34 in HGC-27 gastric cells. The proliferation, migration of these cells were examined by Cell Counting Kit-8 and transwell. We also measured expression profile of PI3K/PDK1/AKT and ERK using Western blotting.

Results:

The ShRNA directed against GPR34 effectively inhibited both endogenous mRNA and protein expression levels of GPR34, and significantly down-regulated the expression of PIK3CB (P < 0.01), PIK3CD (P < 0.01), PDK1 (P < 0.01), phosphorylation of PDK1 (P < 0.01), Akt (P < 0.01), and ERK (P < 0.01). Furthermore, GPR34 knockdown resulted in an obvious reduction in HGC-27 cancer cell proliferation and migration activity (P < 0.01).

Conclusions:

GPR34 knockdown impairs the proliferation and migration of HGC-27 gastric cancer cells in vitro and provides a potential implication for therapy of gastric cancer.

Tumor regression grades: Potential outcome predictor of locally advanced rectal adenocarcinoma after preoperative radiotherapy

AIM: To analyze tumor regression grade (TRG) for prognosis of locally advanced rectal adenocarcinoma (LARA) treated with preoperative radiotherapy.

METHODS: One hundred and ninety patients with clinical stage II/III LARA were studied. All patients underwent radical surgery (between 2004 and 2010) after 30-Gy/10-fraction preoperative radiotherapy (pre-RT). All 190 patients received a short course of pre-RT and were reassessed for disease recurrence and survival; the slides of surgical specimens were reviewed and classified according to Mandard TRG. We compared patients with good response (Mandard TRG1 or TRG2) vs patients with bad/poor response (Mandard TRG3-5). Outcomes evaluated were 5-year overall survival (OS), 5-year disease-free survival (DFS), and local, distant and mixed recurrence. Fisher’s exact test or χ² test, log-rank test and proportional hazards regression analysis were used to calculate the probability that Mandard TRG was associated with patient outcomes.

RESULTS: One hundred and sixty-six of 190 patients (87.4%) were identified as Mandard bad responders (TRG3-5). High Mandard grade was correlated with tumor height (41.7% < 6 cm vs 58.3% ≥ 6 cm, P = 0.050), ypT stage (75% ypT0-2 vs 25% ypT3-4, P = 0.000), and ypN stage (75% ypN0 vs 25% ypN1, P = 0.031). In univariate survival analysis, Mandard grade bad responders had significantly worse OS and DFS than good responders (TRG1/2) (OS, 83.1% vs 96.4%, P = 0.000; DFS, 72.3% vs 92.0%, P = 0.002). In multivariate survival analysis, Mandard bad responders had significantly worse DFS than Mandard good responders (DFS 3.8 years (95%CI: 1.2-12.2 years, P = 0.026).

CONCLUSION: Mandard grade good responders had a favorable prognosis. TRG may be a potential predictor for DFS in LARA after pre-RT.

Overexpression of CX3CR1 is associated with cellular metastasis, proliferation and survival in gastric cancer

The CX3CR1/CX3CL1 axis is involved in the metastasis and prognosis of many types of cancer; however, whether CX3CR1 is expressed in gastric cancer cells and whether it participates in gastric cancer metastasis remain unknown. We investigated the expression of CX3CR1 in gastric cancer tissues and non‑neoplastic gastric tissues in vivo and in gastric cancer cell lines and a gastric epithelial cell line in vitro, and then the functional roles of CX3CR1 in cellular metastasis, proliferation and survival were explored. We observed that CX3CR1 was highly expressed in gastric cancer tissues in vivo and was related to lymph node metastasis, higher clinical TNM stage and larger tumor size. In vitro, CX3CR1 overexpression promoted gastric cancer cell migration, invasion, proliferation and survival. Additionally, different from several chemokine receptors, CX3CR1 was also expressed in non-neoplastic gastric tissues and in gastric epithelial cells and played a functional role in vitro. Notably, gastric cancer tissues expressed higher CX3CR1 compared with that in the non-neoplastic gastric tissues in vivo, while in vitro, CX3CR1 expresssion in the gastric cancer cell lines was equivalent or significantly lower than that in the gastric epithelial cell line, which suggests that the high expression of CX3CR1 in gastric cancer in vivo might be induced, not constitutive. Altogether, our findings suggest that on the one hand overexpression of CX3CR1 promoted gastric cancer metastasis, proliferation and survival; on the other hand, appropriate expression of CX3CR1 in normal gastric tissues may play a physiological role in tissue remodeling after injury and/or epithelial renewal. Additionally, the tumor microenvironment may play an important role in the high expression of CX3CR1 in gastric cancer cells.

Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase CB association with preoperative radiotherapy response in rectal adenocarcinoma

AIM: To examine the correlation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PIK3) CB expression with preoperative radiotherapy response in patients with stage II/III rectal adenocarcinoma.

METHODS: PIK3CB immunoexpression was retrospectively assessed in pretreatment biopsies from 208 patients with clinical stage II/III rectal adenocarcinoma, who underwent radical surgery after 30-Gy/10-fraction preoperative radiotherapy. The relation between PIK3CB expression and tumor regression grade, clinicopathological characteristics, and survival time was statistically analyzed. Western blotting and in vitro clonogenic formation assay were used to detect PIK3CB expression in four colorectal cancer cell lines (HCT116, HT29, LoVo, and LS174T) treated with 6-Gy ionizing radiation. Pharmacological assays were used to evaluate the therapeutic relevance of TGX-221 (a PIK3CB-specific inhibitor) in the four colorectal cancer cell lines.

RESULTS: Immunohistochemical staining indicated that PIK3CB was more abundant in rectal adenocarcinoma tissues with poor response to preoperative radiotherapy. High expression of PIK3CB was closely correlated with tumor height (P < 0.05), ypT stage (P < 0.05), and high-degree tumor regression grade (P < 0.001). High expression of PIK3CB was a potential prognostic factor for local recurrence-free survival (P < 0.05) and metastasis-free survival (P < 0.05). High expression of PIK3CB was also associated with poor therapeutic response and adverse outcomes in rectal adenocarcinoma patients treated with 30-Gy/10-fraction preoperative radiotherapy. In vitro, PIK3CB expression was upregulated in all four colorectal cancer cell lines concurrently treated with 6-Gy ionizing radiation, and the PIK3CB-specific inhibitor TGX-221 effectively inhibited the clonogenic formation of these four colorectal cancer cell lines.

CONCLUSION: PIK3CB is critically involved in response to preoperative radiotherapy and may serve as a novel target for therapeutic intervention.

Abstract 3434: Inecalcitol, an analogue of 1,25D3, displays enhanced antitumor activity through the induction of apoptosis in a squamous cell carcinoma model system

Epidemiological data suggest an important role of vitamin D signaling in cancer progression, and experimental studies demonstrate that the active vitamin D metabolite 1α, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25D3) has broad spectrum anti-tumor activity. Hypercalcemia has often been suggested to limit the clinical application of these data. The 14-epi-analog of 1,25D3, inecalcitol (19-nor-14-epi-23-yne-1,25-(OH)2D3; TX522), was developed to have superagonistic anti-tumor activities but low hypercalcemia potential. We examined the anti-tumor activity of inecalcitol and the underlying mechanisms in a murine squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) model system. Compared to 1,25D3, inecalcitol showed enhanced vitamin D receptor (VDR)-mediated transcriptional activity. Inecalcitol suppressed SCC cell proliferation in a dose dependent manner with an IC50 value 30 times lower than that of 1,25D3. Both inecalcitol and 1,25D3 induced a comparable level of G0/G1 cell cycle arrest in SCC cells. The level of apoptosis induced by inecalcitol was markedly higher than that of 1,25D3. Apoptosis was mediated through the activation of the caspase 8/10- caspase 3 pathway. Further, inecalcitol markedly inhibited the mRNA and protein expression of c-IAP1 and XIAP compared to 1,25D3. In vivo, inecalcitol inhibits SCC tumor growth at 80 μg dose without hypercalcemia. Inecalcitol (320 μg) or 1,25D3 (0.312 μg) markedly inhibited tumor growth. Notably, inecalcitol induced a significantly higher level of apoptosis in the SCC xenograft model. We show that inecalcitol has potent anti-tumor activity in the SCC model system and this is associated with a stronger induction of apoptosis. These findings support the further development of inecalcitol in cancer treatment.

Citation Format: Yingyu Ma, Wei-Dong Yu, Alejandro A. Hidalgo, Wei Luo, Remi Delansorne, Candace S. Johnson, Donald L. Trump. Inecalcitol, an analogue of 1,25D3, displays enhanced antitumor activity through the induction of apoptosis in a squamous cell carcinoma model system. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3434. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-3434

Inecalcitol, an analog of 1,25D3, displays enhanced antitumor activity through the induction of apoptosis in a squamous cell carcinoma model system

Epidemiological data suggest an important role of vitamin D signaling in cancer development and progression, and experimental studies demonstrate that the active vitamin D metabolite 1α, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D₃ (1,25D₃) has broad spectrum antitumor activity. Hypercalcemia has often been suggested to limit the clinical application of these data. The 14-epi-analog of 1,25D₃, inecalcitol [19-nor-14-epi-23-yne-1,25-(OH)₂D₃; TX522], was developed to have superagonistic antitumor activities but low hypercalcemia potential. We examined the antitumor activity of inecalcitol and the underlying mechanisms in a murine squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) model system. In vitro, compared with 1,25D₃, inecalcitol showed enhanced vitamin D receptor (VDR)-mediated transcriptional activity. Inecalcitol suppressed SCC cell proliferation in a dose-dependent manner with an IC50 value 30 times lower than that of 1,25D₃. Both inecalcitol and 1,25D₃ induced a comparable level of G0/G₁ cell cycle arrest in SCC cells. The level of apoptosis induced by inecalcitol was markedly higher than that of 1,25D₃. Apoptosis was mediated through the activation of the caspase 8/10- caspase 3 pathway. Further, inecalcitol markedly inhibited the mRNA and protein expression of c-IAP1 and XIAP compared with 1,25D₃. In vivo, inecalcitol inhibits SCC tumor growth in a dose-dependent fashion. Notably, inecalcitol induced a significantly higher level of apoptosis in the SCC xenograft model. While in vitro inecalcitol demonstrates apparent enhanced VDR binding and antiproliferative effects compared to 1,25D₃, in vivo these advantages disappear; at doses of inecalcitol that have equivalent antitumor effects, similar hypercalcemia is seen. This may be explained by the pharmacokinetics of 1,25D₃ vs. inecalcitol and attributed to the much shorter serum half-life of inecalcitol.We show that inecalcitol has potent antitumor activity in the SCC model system, and this is associated with a strong induction of apoptosis. These findings support the further development of inecalcitol in cancer treatment.

Inhibition of protein kinase CK2 reduces Cyp24a1 expression and enhances 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) antitumor activity in human prostate cancer cells

Vitamin D has broad range of physiological functions and antitumor effects. 24-Hydroxylase, encoded by the CYP24A1 gene, is the key enzyme for degrading many forms of vitamin D including the most active form, 1,25D(3). Inhibition of CYP24A1 enhances 1,25D(3) antitumor activity. To isolate regulators of CYP24A1 expression in prostate cancer cells, we established a stable prostate cancer cell line PC3 with CYP24A1 promoter driving luciferase expression to screen a small molecular library for compounds that inhibit CYP24A1 promoter activity. From this screening, we identified, 4,5,6,7-tetrabromobenzimidazole (TBBz), a protein kinase CK2 selective inhibitor as a disruptor of CYP24A1 promoter activity. We show that TBBz inhibits CYP24A1 promoter activity induced by 1,25D(3) in prostate cancer cells. In addition, TBBz downregulates endogenous CYP24A1 mRNA level in TBBz-treated PC3 cells. Furthermore, siRNA-mediated CK2 knockdown reduces 1,25D(3)-induced CYP24A1 mRNA expression in PC3 cells. These results suggest that CK2 contributes to 1,25D(3)-mediated target gene expression. Finally, inhibition of CK2 by TBBz or CK2 siRNA significantly enhances 1,25D(3)-mediated antiproliferative effect in vitro and in vivo in a xenograft model. In summary, our findings reveal that protein kinase CK2 is involved in the regulation of CYP24A1 expression by 1,25D(3) and CK2 inhibitor enhances 1,25D(3)-mediated antitumor effect.

Treatment of multilevel degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis with spondylolisthesis using a combination of microendoscopic discectomy and minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion

Degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis (DLSS) has become increasingly common and is characterized by multilevel disc herniation and lumbar spondylolisthesis, which are difficult to treat. The current study aimed to evaluate the short-term clinical outcomes and value of the combined use of microendoscopic discectomy (MED) and minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (MI-TLIF) for the treatment of multilevel DLSS with spondylolisthesis, and to compare the combination with traditional posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF). A total of 26 patients with multilevel DLSS and spondylolisthesis underwent combined MED and MI-TLIF surgery using a single cage and pedicle rod-screw system. These cases were compared with 27 patients who underwent traditional PLIF surgery during the same period. Data concerning incision length, surgery time, blood loss, time of bed rest and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) score prior to and following surgery were analyzed statistically. Statistical significance was reached in terms of incision length, blood loss and the time of bed rest following surgery (P<0.05), but there was no significant difference between the surgery time and ODI scores of the two groups. The combined use of MED and MI-TLIF has the advantages of reduced blood loss, less damage to the paraspinal soft tissue, shorter length of incision, shorter bed rest time, improved outcomes and shorter recovery times and has similar short-term clinical outcomes to traditional PLIF.

Regulation of motility, invasion, and metastatic potential of squamous cell carcinoma by 1α,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol

BACKGROUND

The active metabolite of vitamin D 1α,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol (1,25D(3) ) has exhibited broad-spectrum antitumor activity in xenograft animal models. However, its activity against metastatic disease has not been extensively investigated.

METHODS

Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) or 1,25D(3) -resistant variant SCC-DR cells were treated with 1,25D(3) . Actin organization was examined by immunofluorescence assay. Cell migration was assessed by "wound" healing and chemotactic migration assays. Cell invasion was assessed by a Matrigel-based invasion assay and in situ zymography. Matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP-2) and MMP-9 expression and secretion were examined by immunoblot analysis and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, respectively. E-cadherin expression was assessed by flow cytometry, immunoblot analysis, and immunohistochemistry. Knockdown of E-cadherin was achieved by small interfering RNA. An experimental metastasis mouse model was created by intravenous injection of tumor cells; and lung tumor development in the mice was assessed by magnetic resonance imaging, gross observation, and histology.

RESULTS

SCC cellular morphology and actin organization were altered by 10 nM 1,25D(3) . 1,25D(3) inhibited SCC cell motility and invasion, which were associated with reduced expression and secretion of MMP-2 and MMP-9, and 1,25D(3) promoted the expression of E-cadherin. These findings were not observed in SCC-DR cells. Knock down of E-cadherin rescued 1,25D(3) -inhibited cell migration. Intravenous injection of SCC or SCC-DR cells resulted in the establishment of extensive pulmonary lesions in saline-treated C3H mice. Treatment with 1,25D(3) resulted in a marked reduction in the formation of lung tumor colonies in mice that were injected with SCC cells, but not in mice that were injected with SCC-DR cells.

CONCLUSIONS

1,25D(3) suppressed SCC cell motility, invasion, and metastasis, partially through the promotion of E-cadherin-mediated cell-cell adhesion.

[Spatiotemporal variation analysis and identification of water pollution sources in the Zhangweinan River basin]

In this study, several statistical methods including cluster analysis, seasonal Kendall test, factor analysis/principal component analysis and principal component regression were used to evaluate the spatiotemporal variation of water quality and identify the sources of water pollution in the Zhangweinan River basin. Results of spatial cluster analysis and principal component analysis indicated that the Zhangweinan River basin can be classified into two regions. One is the Zhang River upstream located in the northwest of the Zhangweinan River basin where water quality is good. The other one covers the Wei River and eastern plain of the Zhangweinan River basin, where water is seriously polluted. In this region, pollutants from point sources flow into the river and the water quality changes greatly. Results of temporal cluster analysis and seasonal Kendall test indicated that the study periods may be classified into three periods and two different trends were detected during the period of 2002-2009. The first period was the year of 2002-2003, during which water quality had deteriorated and serious pollution was observed in the Wei river basin and eastern plain of the Zhangweinan River basin. The second period was the year of 2004-2006, during which water quality became better. The year of 2007-2009 is the third period, during which water quality had been improved greatly. Despite that water quality in the Zhangweinan River basin had been improved during the period of 2004-2009, the water quality in the Wei River (southwestern part of the basin), the Wei Canal River and the Zhangweixin River (eastern plain of the basin) is still poor. Principal component analysis and multi-linear regression of the absolute principal component scores showed that the main pollutants of the Zhangweinan River basin came from point source discharge such as heavy industrial wastewater, municipal sewage, chemical industries wasterwater and mine drainage in upstream. Non-point source pollution such as agricultural pollution and runoff pollution caused by heavy rainfalls also showed considerable impact on water quality in the Zhangweinan River basin during flood seasons. These results provide useful information for better pollution control strategies in the Zhangweinan River basin.

Validation and dissection of quantitative trait loci for leaf traits in interval RM4923-RM402 on the short arm of rice chromosome 6

Validation and dissection of a QTL region for leaf traits in rice which has been reported in a number of independent studies were conducted. Three sets of near isogenic lines (NILs) were originated from a residual heterozygous line derived the indica cross Zhenshan 97B/Milyang 46. They were overlapping and totally covered a 4.2-Mb heterogenous region extending from RM4923 to RM402 on the short arm of rice chromosome 6. Each NIL set consisted of 10 maternal lines and 10 paternal lines. They were measured for the length, width, perimeter and area of the top three leaves and the number of spikelets per panicle, number of grains per panicle and grain weight per panicle. In NIL sets 6-4 and 6-7, differing in intervals RM4923-RM225 and RM19410-RM6119, respectively, significant variations with the enhancing alleles from the female parent ZS97 were shown for the length, perimeter and area except for the area of the third leaf from top in 6-4, but the effects were lower in 6-4 than in 6-7. No significant effects were detected for the three traits in the remaining NIL set. It was shown that flag leaf length (FLL) is the primary target of the QTLs detected. Two QTLs for FLL linked in repulsion phase were resolved, of which qFLL6.2 located in the 1.19-Mb interval RM3414-RM6917 had a major effect with the enhancing allele from Zhenshan 97B, and qFLL6.1 located in the 946.8-kb interval RM19350-RM19410 had a smaller effect with the enhancing allele from Milyang 46. The two QTLs also exerted pleiotropic effects on the yield traits.

Abstract 583: Inecalcitol, a 14-epi-analogue of 1,25D3, induces growth inhibition through apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in a squamous cell carcinoma model system

Epidemiological and experimental studies have demonstrated that 1,25D3, the active vitamin D metabolite, has broad spectrum anti-tumor activity. However, hypercalcemia may limit its clinical application when administrated inappropriately. An orally available 14-epi-analogue of 1,25D3, inecalcitol (19-nor-14-epi-23-yne-1,25-(OH)2D3, TX522), has shown good clinical tolerance at high and frequent exposure without side effects and hypercalcemia. Therefore, we examined the antitumor activity of inecalcitol in a squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) model system. Inecalcitol at 10 or 100 nM readily induced vitamin D receptor expression in SCC cells. Inecalcitol suppressed SCC cell proliferation in a dose dependent manner as shown by MTT assays. SCC cells underwent G0/G1 cell cycle arrest following inecalcitol treatment, which was accompanied by the induction of p27 protein as shown by immunoblot analysis. Inecalcitol markedly induced apoptosis in SCC cells as examined by annexin V/7AAD staining and DNA fragmentation ELISA assays. The cleavages of caspases 8, 9, and 3 and PARP were observed following inecalcitol treatment in SCC cells. In addition, migration assay revealed that inecalcitol inhibited the motility of SCC cells. Inecalcitol also suppressed the invasion of SCC cells as assessed by Matrigel-based invasion assay. To have a better understanding of the effects of inecalcitol, 1,25D3-resistant variant of SCC (SCC-DR) were employed. The above findings were not observed in SCC-DR cells, indicating the critical role of inecalcitol. Our studies suggest that inecalcitol strongly suppress SCC growth through the promotion of apoptosis and cell cycle arrest. Inecalcitol also inhibits SCC migration and invasion. Thus, inecalcitol may be a promising 1,25D3 analogue for cancer treatment.

Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 583. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-583

CYP24A1 inhibition enhances the antitumor activity of calcitriol

High systemic exposures to calcitriol are necessary for optimal antitumor effects. Human prostate cancer PC3 cells are insensitive to calcitriol treatment. Therefore, we investigated whether the inhibition of 24-hydroxylase (CYP24A1), the major calcitriol inactivating enzyme, by ketoconazole (KTZ) or RC2204 modulates calcitriol serum pharmacokinetics and biologic effects. Dexamethasone (Dex) was added to minimize calcitriol-induced hypercalcemia and as a steroid replacement for the KTZ inhibition of steroid biosynthesis cytochrome P450 enzymes. KTZ effectively inhibited time-dependent calcitriol-inducible CYP24A1 protein expression and enzyme activity in PC3 cells and C3H/HeJ mouse kidney tissues. Systemic calcitriol exposure area under the curve was higher in mice treated with a combination of calcitriol and KTZ than with calcitriol alone. KTZ and Dex synergistically potentiated calcitriol-mediated antiproliferative effects in PC3 cells in vitro; this effect was associated with enhanced apoptosis. After treatment with calcitriol and KTZ/Dex, although caspase-9 and caspase-3 were not activated and cytochrome c was not released by mitochondria, caspase-8 was activated and the truncated Bid protein level was increased. Translocation of apoptosis-inducing factor to the nucleus was observed, indicating a role of the apoptosis-inducing factor-mediated and caspase-independent apoptotic pathways. Calcitriol and KTZ/Dex combination suppressed the clonogenic survival and enhanced the growth inhibition observed with calcitriol alone in PC3 human prostate cancer xenograft mouse model. Our results show that the administration of calcitriol in combination with CYP24A1 inhibitor enhances antiproliferative effects, increases systemic calcitriol exposure, and promotes the activation of caspase-independent apoptosis pathway.

Calcitriol enhances gemcitabine anti-tumor activity in vitro and in vivo by promoting apoptosis in a human pancreatic carcinoma model system

Gemcitabine is the standard care chemotherapeutic agent to treat pancreatic cancer. Previously we demonstrated that calcitriol (1, 25-dihydroxycholecalciferol) has significant anti-proliferative effects in vitro and in vivo in multiple tumor models and enhances the activity of a variety of chemotherapeutic agents. We therefore investigated whether calcitriol could potentiate the cytotoxic activity of gemcitabine in the human pancreatic cancer Capan-1 model system. Isobologram analysis revealed that calcitriol and gemcitabine had synergistic antiproliferative effect over a wide range of drug concentrations. Calcitriol did not reduce the cytidine deaminase activity in Capan-1 tumors nor in the livers of Capan-1 tumor bearing mice. Calcitriol and gemcitabine combination promoted apoptosis in Capan-1 cells compared with either agent alone. The combination treatment also increased the activation of caspases-8, -9, -6 and -3 in Capan-1 cells. This result was confirmed by substrate-based caspase activity assay. Akt phosphorylation was reduced by calcitriol and gemcitabine combination treatment compared to single agent treatment. However, ERK1/2 phosphorylation was not modulated by either agent alone or by the combination. Tumor regrowth delay studies showed that calcitriol in combination with gemcitabine resulted in a significant reduction of Capan-1 tumor volume compared to single agent treatment. Our study suggests that calcitriol and gemcitabine in combination promotes caspase-dependent apoptosis, which may contribute to increased anti-tumor activity compared to either agent alone.

1,25D3 enhances antitumor activity of gemcitabine and cisplatin in human bladder cancer models

BACKGROUND

1,25 dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25D3) potentiates the cytotoxic effects of several common chemotherapeutic agents. The combination of gemcitabine and cisplatin is a current standard chemotherapy regimen for bladder cancer. The authors investigated whether 1,25D3 could enhance the antitumor activity of gemcitabine and cisplatin in bladder cancer model systems.

METHODS

Human bladder cancer T24 and UMUC3 cells were pretreated with 1,25D3 followed by gemcitabine and cisplatin. Apoptosis was assessed by annexin V staining. Caspase activation was examined by immunoblot analysis and substrate-based caspase activity assay. The cytotoxic effects were examined by using 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) and in vitro clonogenic assay. p73 protein levels were assessed by immunoblot analysis. Knockdown of p73 was achieved by siRNA. The in vivo antitumor activity was assessed by in vivo excision clonogenic assay and tumor regrowth delay in the T24 xenograft model.

RESULTS

1,25D3 pretreatment enhanced gemcitabine and cisplatin-induced apoptosis and the activities of caspases 8, 9, and 3 in T24 and UMUC3 cells. 1,25D3 synergistically reduced gemcitabine and cisplatin-suppressed surviving fraction in T24 cells. 1,25D3, gemcitabine, or cisplatin induced p73 accumulation, which was enhanced by gemcitabine and cisplatin or 1,25D3 and gemcitabine and cisplatin. p73 expression was lower in human primary bladder tumor tissue compared with adjacent normal tissue. Knockdown of p73 increased clonogenic capacity of T24 cells treated with 1,25D3, gemcitabine and cisplatin, or 1,25D3 and gemcitabine and cisplatin. 1,25D3 and gemcitabine and cisplatin combination enhanced tumor regression compared with 1,25D3 or gemcitabine and cisplatin alone.

CONCLUSIONS

1,25D3 potentiates gemcitabine and cisplatin-mediated growth inhibition in human bladder cancer models in vitro and in vivo, which involves p73 induction and apoptosis.

Biomaterials from wool wastes: characterization of cortical cells/chitosan composite

Anisotropic cortical cells were extracted from waste wool fibres by formic acid-ultrasonic treatment and successively included in different proportions in a chitosan matrix to make film-forming composites, suitable for film casting and filament spinning. The morphological, chemical, thermal and mechanical properties of the composite film were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), light microscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetric (DSC) and tensile tests, respectively. The cortical cells/chitosan composite is capable of forming translucent composite films with acceptable mechanical and thermal properties. The chitosan composite film with addition of 30 wt.% cortical cells showed values of 29.6 +/- 2.9 MPa for ultimate strength, 5.6 +/- 0.3% for ultimate elongation and 35.3 +/- 1.4 MPa for Young's modulus, all higher than that of the pure chitosan film. DSC results revealed that the decomposition temperature of the composite film shifted to a higher temperature compared to the base materials, by increasing the mass fraction of cortical cells. XRD patterns showed that the crystallinity of biocomposite films increased with the addition of cortical cells. In addition, the FT-IR spectra of the composite film indicated that no chemical reaction occurs between cortical cells and chitosan; only a physical mixture of its constituents was present.

[Diagnostic value of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies in patients with ulcerative colitis: a meta-analysis]

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the diagnostic value of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA) in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC).

METHODS

Articles related to diagnosis of UC by ANCA test, published before November 2007, were retrieved in the databanks such as Chinese BioMedical Disc, Chinese Medical Current Contents, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and VIP databank. Related journals were searched manually. Meta-analysis was performed by summary receiver operating characteristic curve recommended by Diagnostic and Screening Group of the Cochrane Collaboration Web with the parameters such as sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, predictive values and likelihood ratio.

RESULTS

Totally 10 studies including 381 patients met the inclusion criteria. Meta-analysis showed that the sensitivity and specificity of ANCA to the diagnosis of UC were 52.2% and 99.0% respectively. The positive and negative predictive values (PPV and NPV) were 98.0% and 68.7% respectively. Meanwhile, the positive and negative likelihood ratio (+LR and -LR) were 52.2 and 0.5, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

ANCA is an immunological index related to UC. Positive ANCA helps diagnose UC, but is not sensible enough to screen UC.

1alpha,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 potentiates cisplatin antitumor activity by p73 induction in a squamous cell carcinoma model

1alpha,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25D3) exhibits antitumor activity in a variety of cancers including squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Intrinsic resistance of SCC cells to cisplatin was observed and led to the investigation into whether 1,25D3 sensitizes SCC cells to cisplatin. Pretreatment with 1,25D3 followed by cisplatin enhanced growth inhibition in SCC cells compared with 1,25D3 alone as assessed by cytotoxicity and in vitro clonogenic assays. In addition, 1,25D3 sensitized SCC cells to cisplatin-mediated apoptosis. Treatment of tumor-bearing C3H mice with 1,25D3 before cisplatin reduced clonogenic survival using in vivo excision clonogenic assay. These results were not observed in a 1,25D3-resistant SCC variant, indicating the critical role of 1,25D3 in sensitizing SCC cells to cisplatin. Further, a marked decrease in fractional tumor volume was observed when SCC tumor-bearing mice were treated with 1,25D3 before cisplatin compared with either agent administered alone. Cisplatin has been shown to modulate p73 protein level in certain cancer cells. Our data showed that p73 level was not affected by cisplatin but increased by 1,25D3 in SCC cells. Knocking down p73 by small interfering RNA protected SCC cells against 1,25D3 and cisplatin-mediated clonogenic cell kill and apoptosis. Increasing p73 protein level by knocking down UFD2a, which mediates p73 degradation, promoted 1,25D3 and cisplatin-mediated clonogenic cell kill. These results suggest that 1,25D3 potentiates cisplatin antitumor activity in vitro and in vivo in a SCC model system possibly through p73 induction and apoptosis. The combination treatment may provide a more effective therapeutic regimen in cancer treatment.

In vitro and in vivo evaluation of combined calcitriol and cisplatin in dogs with spontaneously occurring tumors

PURPOSE

Calcitriol potentiates cisplatin-mediated activity in a variety of tumor models. We examine here, the effect of calcitriol and cisplatin pre-clinically and clinically in canine spontaneous tumors through in vitro studies on tumor cells and through a phase I study of calcitriol and cisplatin to identify the maximum-tolerated dosage (MTD) of this combination in dogs with cancer and to characterize the pharmacokinetic disposition of calcitriol in dogs.

METHODS

Canine tumor cells were investigated for calcitriol/cisplatin interactions on proliferation using an MTT assay in a median-dose effect analysis; data were used to derive a combination index (CI). Cisplatin was given at a fixed dosage of 60 mg/m2. Calcitriol was given i.v. and the dosage was escalated in cohorts of three dogs until the MTD was defined. Serum calcitriol concentrations were quantified by radioimmunoassay.

RESULTS

In vitro, CIs < 1.0 were obtained for all combinations of calcitriol/cisplatin examined. The MTD was 3.75 microg/kg calcitriol in combination with cisplatin, and hypercalcemia was the dose-limiting toxicosis. The relationship between calcitriol dosage and either Cmax or AUC was linear. Calcitriol dosages >1.5 microg/kg achieved Cmax > or = 9.8 ng/mL and dosages >1.0 microg/kg achieved AUC > or = 45 h ng/mL.

CONCLUSIONS

Calcitriol and cisplatin have synergistic antiproliferative effects on multiple canine tumor cells and high-dosages of i.v. calcitriol in combination with cisplatin can be safely administered to dogs. Cmax and AUC at the MTD 3.75 microg/kg calcitriol exceed concentrations associated with antitumor activity in a murine model, indicating this combination might have significant clinical utility in dogs.