Unveiling the hidden effects of hypoxia: Pituitary damage and hormonal imbalance in fat greenling (Hexagrammos otakii)

BACKGROUND

In fisheries, hypoxia stress is one of the most common environmental stresses that often lead to the death of large numbers of fish and cause significant economic losses. The pituitary, an important endocrine gland, lies below the hypothalamus region of the brain. It plays a crucial part in controlling vital physiological functions in fish, such as growth, reproduction, and responses to stress. However, the detailed mechanisms of how hypoxia affects these physiological processes via the pituitary remain largely unknown.

METHODS

Fat greenlings (Hexagrammous otakii) were exposed to different dissolved oxygen (DO = 7. 6 mg/L and DO = 2 mg/L) for 24 h. miRNA-mRNA association analysis of H. otakii pituitary after hypoxia stress. Detecting apoptosis in H. otakii pituitary using Tunel and qPCR. Subsequent detection of hormones in H. otakii liver, gonads and serum by ELISA.

RESULTS

In this study, hypoxia causes immune system disorders and inflammatory responses through the combined analysis of miRNAs and mRNAs. Subsequent verification indicated a significant accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) subsequent to hypoxia treatment. The overproduction of ROS cause oxidative stress and apoptosis in the pituitary, ultimately causing pituitary damage and reduced growth hormone and luteinising hormone release.

CONCLUSIONS

According to the association study of miRNA-mRNA, apoptosis problems caused by hypoxia stress result in H. otakii pituitary damage. In the meantime, this work clarifies the possible impact of hypoxia-stress on the pituitary cells, as well as on the gonadal development and growth of H. otakii.

Activation of ASIC3/ERK pathway by paeoniflorin improves intestinal fluid metabolism and visceral sensitivity in slow transit constipated rats

Slow transit constipation (STC) is one of the most common gastrointestinal disorders in children and adults worldwide. Paeoniflorin (PF), a monoterpene glycoside compound extracted from the dried root of Paeonia lactiflora, has been found to alleviate STC, but the mechanisms of its effect remain unclear. The present study aimed to investigate the effects and mechanisms of PF on intestinal fluid metabolism and visceral sensitization in rats with compound diphenoxylate-induced STC. Based on the evaluation of the laxative effect, the abdominal withdrawal reflex test, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, western blot, and immunohistochemistry were used to detect the visceral sensitivity, fluid metabolism-related proteins, and acid-sensitive ion channel 3/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ASIC3/ERK) pathway-related molecules. PF treatment not only attenuated compound diphenoxylate-induced constipation symptoms and colonic pathological damage in rats but also ameliorated colonic fluid metabolic disorders and visceral sensitization abnormalities, as manifested by increased colonic goblet cell counts and mucin2 protein expression, decreased aquaporin3 protein expression, improved abdominal withdrawal reflex scores, reduced visceral pain threshold, upregulated serum 5-hydroxytryptamine, and downregulated vasoactive intestinal peptide levels. Furthermore, PF activated the colonic ASIC3/ERK pathway in STC rats, and ASIC3 inhibition partially counteracted PF's modulatory effects on intestinal fluid and visceral sensation. In conclusion, PF alleviated impaired intestinal fluid metabolism and abnormal visceral sensitization in STC rats and thus relieved their symptoms through activation of the ASIC3/ERK pathway.

Integration of network pharmacology and experimental verifications reveals the Bian-Se-Tong mixture can alleviate constipation in STC rats by reducing apoptosis of Cajal cells via activating PI3K-Akt signaling pathway

Bian-Se-Tong mixture (BSTM) is an optimized formulation based on the classical prescription "Zhizhu pill", which is widely used in the clinical treatment of slow-transit constipation (STC). The potential molecular mechanism of BSTM therapy for STC was investigated by network pharmacology prediction combined with animal experiments. The active components of BSTM were screened via the TCMSP platform. The GeneCards, OMIM and DrugBank databases were used to search for STC targets. With the help of the Biogenet tool, a protein interaction network between drugs and disease targets was constructed, and the intersection network of the two was extracted to obtain the key targets of BSTM in the treatment of STC. GO and KEGG enrichment analyses of key targets were carried out with Metascape. Loperamide hydrochloride was used to establish an STC rat model, and the key targets and related pathways were preliminarily verified. The important signaling pathways included the PI3K-Akt, MAPK, IL-17, cAMP, and cell cycle signaling pathways. The experimental results showed that BSTM treatment increased the body weight of STC rats and increased the fecal particle number, fecal water content and intestinal carbon ink promotion rate within 24 h. Further pathological changes in the colon of the rats were also observed. In-depth mechanistic studies have shown that BSTM can significantly reduce the apoptosis of intestinal Cajal cells, downregulate the expression of Bax and c-Caspase 3, upregulate the expression of Bcl-2 and c-kit, and promote the phosphorylation of AKT. The results showed that BSTM can significantly relieve constipation in STC rats via a mechanism related to activating the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway and improving Cajal cell apoptosis.

Tumor Stroma Content Regulates Penetration and Efficacy of Tumor-targeting Bacteria

Bacteria-based cancer therapy (BBCT) strains grow selectively in primary tumors and metastases, colonize solid tumors independent of genetics, and kill cells resistant to standard molecular therapy. Clinical trials of BBCT in solid tumors have not reported any survival advantage yet, partly due to the limited bacterial colonization. Collagen, abundant in primary and metastatic solid tumors, has a well-known role in hindering intratumoral penetration of therapeutics. Nevertheless, the effect of collagen content on the intratumoral penetration and antitumor efficacy of BBCT is rarely unexplored. We hypothesized that the presence of collagen limits the penetration and, thereby, the antitumor effects of tumor-selective Salmonella. Typhimurium VNP20009 cheY+. We tested our hypothesis in low and high collagen content tumor spheroid models of triple-negative murine breast cancer. We found that high collagen content significantly hinders bacteria transport in tumors, reducing bacteria penetration and distribution by ~7-fold. The higher penetration of bacteria in low collagen-content tumors led to an overwhelming antitumor effect (~73% increase in cell death), whereas only a 28% increase in cell death was seen in the high collagen-content tumors. Our mathematical modeling of intratumoral bacterial colonization delineates the role of growth and diffusivity, suggesting an order of magnitude lower diffusivity in the high collagen-content tumors dominates the observed outcomes. Finally, our single-cell resolution analysis reveals a strong spatial correlation between bacterial spatial localization and collagen content, further corroborating that collagen acts as a barrier to bacterial penetration despite S. Typhimurium VNP20009 cheY+ motility. Understanding the effect of collagen on BBCT performance could lead to engineering more efficacious BBCT strains capable of overcoming this barrier to colonization of primary tumors and metastases.

Long-term ambient ozone exposure and incident cardiovascular diseases: National cohort evidence in China

BACKGROUND

Long-term ozone (O3) exposure has been associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality in mounting cohort evidence, yet its relationship with incident CVD was poorly understood, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) experiencing high ambient air pollution.

METHODS

We carried out a nationwide perspective cohort study from 2010 through 2018 by dynamically enrolling 36985 participates across Chinese mainland. Warm-season (April-September) O3 concentrations were estimated using satellite-based machine-learning models with national coverage. Cox proportional hazards model with time-varying exposures was employed to evaluate the association of long-term O3 exposure with incident CVD (overall CVD, hypertension, stroke, and coronary heart disease [CHD]). Assuming causality, a counterfactual framework was employed to estimate O3-attributable CVD burden based on the exposure-response (E-R) relationship obtained from this study. Decomposition analysis was utilized to quantify the contributions of four key direct driving factors (O3 exposure, population size, age structure, and incidence rate) to the net change of O3-related CVD cases between 2010 and 2018.

RESULTS

A total of 4428 CVD, 2600 hypertension, 1174 stroke, and 337 CHD events were reported during 9-year follow-up. Each 10-μg/m³ increase in warm-season O3 was associated with an incident risk of 1.078 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.050-1.106) for overall CVD, 1.098 (95% CI: 1.062-1.135) for hypertension, 1.073 (95% CI: 1.019-1.131) for stroke, and 1.150 (95% CI: 1.038-1.274) for CHD, respectively. We observed no departure from linear E-R relationships of O3 exposure with overall CVD (Pnonlinear= 0.22), hypertension (Pnonlinear=0.19), stroke (Pnonlinear= 0.70), and CHD (Pnonlinear= 0.44) at a broad concentration range of 60-160 µg/m3. Compared with rural dwellers, those residing in urban areas were at significantly greater O3-associated incident risks of overall CVD, hypertension, and stroke. We estimated 1.22 million (10.6% of overall CVD in 2018) incident CVD cases could be attributable to ambient O3 pollution in 2018, representing an overall 40.9% growth (0.36 million) compared to 2010 (0.87 million, 9.7% of overall CVD in 2010). This remarkable rise in O3-attributable CVD cases was primary driven by population aging (+24.0%), followed by increase in O3 concentration (+10.5%) and population size (+6.7%).

CONCLUSIONS

Long-term O3 exposure was associated with an elevated risk and burden of incident CVD in Chinese adults, especially among urban dwellers. Our findings underscored policy priorities of implementing joint control measures for fine particulate matter and O3 in the context of accelerated urbanization and population aging in China.

Facilitating Effects of Reductive Soil Disinfestation on Soil Health and Physiological Properties of Panax ginseng

Chemical soil fumigation (CSF) and reductive soil disinfestation (RSD) have been proven to be effective agricultural strategies to improve soil quality, restructure microbial communities, and promote plant growth in soil degradation remediation. However, it is still unclear how RSD and CSF ensure soil and plant health by altering fungal communities. Field experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of CSF with chloropicrin, and RSD with animal feces on soil properties, fungal communities and functional composition, and plant physiological characteristics were evaluated. Results showed that RSD and CSF treatment improved soil properties, restructured fungal community composition and structure, enhanced fungal interactions and functions, and facilitated plant growth. There was a significant increase in OM, AN, and AP contents in the soil with both CSF and RSD treatments compared to CK. Meanwhile, compared with CK and CSF, RSD treatment significantly increased biocontrol Chaetomium relative abundance while reducing pathogenic Neonectria relative abundance, indicating that RSD has strong inhibition potential. Furthermore, the microbial network of RSD treatment was more complex and interconnected, and the functions of plant pathogens, and animal pathogen were decreased. Importantly, RSD treatment significantly increased plant SOD, CAT, POD activity, SP, Ca, Zn content, and decreased MDA, ABA, Mg, K, and Fe content. In summary, RSD treatment is more effective than CSF treatment, by stimulating the proliferation of probiotic communities to further enhance soil health and plant disease resistance.

Dataset on the effects of psychological care on depression and suicide ideation in underrepresented children

Massive increases in the risks of depressive disorders and the ensuing suicide have become the overarching menace for children/adolescents. Despite global consensus to instigate psychological healthcare policy for these children/adolescents, their effects remain largely unclear neither from a small amount of official data nor from small-scale scientific studies. More importantly, in underprivileged children/adolescents in lower-middle-economic-status countries/areas, the data collection may not be as equally accessible as in developed countries/areas, thus resulting in underrepresented observations. To address these challenges, we released a large-scale and multi-center cohort dataset (n = 249,772) showing the effects of primary psychological healthcare on decreasing depression and suicidal ideation in these children/adolescents who were underrepresented in previous studies or current healthcare systems, including unattended children/adolescents, orphans, children/adolescents in especially difficult circumstances, and "left-behind" and "single-parenting" children/adolescents. We provided all individual data recording the depressive symptoms and suicide ideation that had been collected at baseline (Oct 2022) and half-year follow-up (May 2023) from practicing this psychological healthcare system.

Chromosome-level Subgenome-aware de novo Assembly of Saccharomyces bayanus Provides Insight into Genome Divergence after Hybridization

Interspecies hybridization is prevalent in various eukaryotic lineages and plays important roles in phenotypic diversification, adaption, and speciation. To better understand the changes that occurred in the different subgenomes of a hybrid species and how they facilitated adaptation, we completed chromosome-level de novo assemblies of all 16 pairs chromosomes for a recently formed hybrid yeast, Saccharomyces bayanus strain CBS380 (IFO11022), using Nanopore MinION long-read sequencing. Characterization of S. bayanus subgenomes and comparative analysis with the genomes of its parent species, S. uvarum and S. eubayanus, provide several new insights into understanding genome evolution after a relatively recent hybridization. For instance, multiple recombination events between the two subgenomes have been observed in each chromosome, followed by loss of heterozygosity (LOH) in most chromosomes in nine chromosome pairs. In addition to maintaining nearly all gene content and synteny from its parental genomes, S. bayanus has acquired many genes from other yeast species, primarily through the introgression of S. cerevisiae, such as those involved in the maltose metabolism. In addition, the patterns of recombination and LOH suggest an allotetraploid origin of S. bayanus. The gene acquisition and rapid LOH in the hybrid genome probably facilitated its adaption to maltose brewing environments and mitigated the maladaptive effect of hybridization.

MiR-26b-3p Promotes Intestinal Motility Disorder by Targeting FZD10 to Inhibit GSK3β/β-Catenin Signaling and Induce Enteric Glial Cell Apoptosis

Enteric glial cells (EGCs) are the major component of the enteric nervous system and affect the pathophysiological process of intestinal motility dysfunction. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play an important role in regulating gastrointestinal homeostasis. However, the mechanism of miRNA-mediated regulation of EGCs in intestinal dysmotility remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the effect of EGC apoptosis on intestinal dysmotility, and the effect of miR-26b-3p on EGC proliferation and apoptosis in vivo and in vitro. A loperamide hydrochloride (Lop)-induced constipated mouse model and an in vitro culture system of rat EGCs were established. The transcriptome was used to predict the differentially expressed gene miR-26b-3p and the target gene Frizzled 10 (FZD10), and their targeting binding relationship was verified by luciferase. EGCs were transfected with miR-26b-3p mimic or antagomir, and the FZD10 expression was down-regulated by siRNA. Immunofluorescence and flow cytometry were used to detect EGC apoptosis. MiR-26b-3p and FZD10 expressions were examined using quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). The CCK-8 assay was used to detect EGC proliferation. The protein levels were detected by Western blotting and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The results showed that miR-26b-3p was up-regulated in the Lop group, whereas FZD10 was down-regulated, and EGC apoptosis was increased in the colon of intestinal dysmotility mice. FZD10 down-regulation and miR-26b-3p mimic significantly increased glycogen synthase kinase-3β phosphorylation (p-GSK3β) levels, decreased β-catenin expression, and promoted EGC apoptosis. MiR-26b-3p antagomir alleviated intestinal dysmotility, promoted EGC increased activity of EGCs, and reduced EGC apoptosis in vivo. In conclusion, this study indicated that miR-26b-3p promotes intestinal motility disorders by targeting FZD10 to block GSK3β/β-catenin signaling and induces apoptosis in EGCs. Our results provide a new research target for the treatment and intervention of intestinal dysmotility.

Gamma-oryzanol alleviates osteoarthritis development by targeting Keap1-Nrf2 binding to interfere with chondrocyte ferroptosis

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a prevalent joint disorder pathologically correlated to chondrocyte ferroptosis. Gamma-oryzanol (γ-Ory), as a first-line drug for autonomic disorders, aroused our interest because of its antioxidant, lipid-lowering, and hypoglycemic potential. The purpose of this study was to investigate the potential impact and mechanism of γ-Ory in treating OA. And the inhibition of γ-Ory in extracellular matrix molecule (ECM) degradation, ferroptosis, and Keap1-Nrf2 binding in IL-1β-exposed chondrocytes was detected via immunoblotting, immunofluorescence, and co-immunoprecipitation. Micro-CT, SO staining, and immunofluorescence have been conducted to assess the impact of γ-Ory treatment on ACLT-mediated OA in rats at both imaging and histological stages. We found that γ-Ory dose-dependently suppressed IL-1β-induced ECM deterioration and chondrocyte ferroptosis. Our animal experiments revealed that γ-Ory delayed ACLT-mediated OA development. Mechanistically, γ-Ory interfered with the binding of Keap1 to Nrf2 to promote the latter's nuclear import, thereby increasing the expression of detoxification enzymes. Summarily, our works support γ-Ory's potential as a candidate drug for the treatment of OA.

Effects of reductive soil disinfestation combined with different types of organic materials on the microbial community and functions

Reductive soil disinfestation (RSD) is an effective method to inhibit soilborne pathogens. However, it remains unclear how RSD combined with different types of organic materials affects the soil ecosystems of perennial plants. Pot experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of RSD incorporated with perilla (PF), alfalfa (MS), ethanol, and acetic acid on soil properties, enzyme activities, microbial communities and functions, and seedling growth. Results showed that RSD-related treatments improved soil properties and enzyme activities, changed microbial community composition and structure, enhanced microbial interactions and functions, and facilitated seedling growth. Compared with CK, RSD-related treatments increased soil pH, available nitrogen, and available potassium contents, sucrase and catalase activities, and decreased soil electric conductivity values. Meanwhile, RSD-related treatment also significantly reduced the relative abundance of Fusarium while increasing the relative abundance of Arthrobacter, Terrabacter, and Gemmatimonas. The reduction was more evident in PF and MS treatment, suggesting the potential for RSD combined with solid agricultural wastes to suppress pathogens. Furthermore, the microbial network of RSD-related treatment was more complex and interconnected, and the functions related to carbon, nitrogen, sulfur, and hydrogen cycling were significantly increased, while the functions of bacterial and fungal plant pathogens were decreased. Importantly, RSD-related treatments also significantly promoted seed germination and seedling growth. In summary, RSD combined with solid agricultural wastes is better than liquid easily degradable compounds by regulating the composition and function of microbial communities to improve soil quality and promote plant growth.IMPORTANCEReductive soil disinfestation (RSD) is an effective agricultural practice. We found that RSD combined with solid agricultural wastes is better than that of liquid easily degradable compounds, may improve soil quality and microbial community structure, inhibit the proliferation of pathogenic bacteria, and contribute to the growth of replanted crops. Thus, RSD combined with solid agricultural wastes is more effective than liquid easily degradable compounds.

A novel approach to deriving the fine-scale daily NO2 dataset during 2005-2020 in China: Improving spatial resolution and temporal coverage to advance exposure assessment

Surface NO2 pollution can result in serious health consequences such as cardiovascular disease, asthma, and premature mortality. Due to the extensive spatial variation in surface NO2, the spatial resolution of a NO2 dataset has a significant impact on the exposure and health impact assessment. There is currently no long-term, high-resolution, and publicly available NO2 dataset for China. To fill this gap, this study generated a NO2 dataset named RBE-DS-NO2 for China during 2005-2020 at 1 km and daily resolution. We employed the robust back-extrapolation via a data augmentation approach (RBE-DA) to ensure the predictive accuracy in back-extrapolation before 2013, and utilized an improved spatial downscaling technique (DS) to refine the spatial resolution from 10 km to 1 km. Back-extrapolation validation based on 2005-2012 observations from sites in Taiwan province yielded an R2 of 0.72 and RMSE of 10.7 μg/m3, while cross-validation across China during 2013-2020 showed an R2 of 0.73 and RMSE of 9.6 μg/m3. RBE-DS-NO2 better captured spatiotemporal variation of surface NO2 in China compared to the existing publicly available datasets. Exposure assessment using RBE-DS-NO2 show that the population living in non-attainment areas (NO2 ≥ 30 μg/m3) grew from 376 million in 2005 to 612 million in 2012, then declined to 404 million by 2020. Unlike this national trend, exposure levels in several major cities (e.g., Shanghai and Chengdu) continued to increase during 2012-2020, driven by population growth and urban migration. Furthermore, this study revealed that low-resolution dataset (i.e., the 10 km intermediate dataset before the downscaling) overestimated NO2 levels, due to the limited specificity of the low-resolution model in simulating the relationship between NO2 and the predictor variables. Such limited specificity likely biased previous long-term NO2 exposure and health impact studies employing low-resolution datasets. The RBE-DS-NO2 dataset enables robust long-term assessments of NO2 exposure and health impacts in China.

The mixed effect of Endocrine-Disrupting chemicals on biological age Acceleration: Unveiling the mechanism and potential intervention target

INTRODUCTION

Although previous studies investigated the potential adverse effects of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) on biological age acceleration and aging-related diseases, the mixed effect of multiple types of EDCs on biological age acceleration, including its potential underlying mechanism, remains unclear.

METHODS

Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) were used to analyze biological age measures, including Klemera-Doubal method biological age (KDM-BA), phenotypic age, and homeostatic dysregulation (HD). Weight quantile sum (WQS) regression was performed to screen biological age-related EDCs (BA-EDCs) and assess the mixed effect of BA-EDCs on biological age acceleration and aging-related disease. Targets of BA-EDCs were obtained from three databases, while heart aging-related genes were obtained from the Aging Anno database. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network and MCODE algorithm were applied to identify potential interactions between BA-EDC targets and heart aging-related genes. Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis were performed to identify related pathways.

RESULTS

This cross-sectional study included 1,439 participants. A decile increase in BA-EDCs co-exposure was associated with 0.31 years and 0.17 years of KDM-BA and phenotypic age acceleration, respectively. The mixed effect of BA-EDCs was associated with an increased prevalence of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). Vitamins C and E demonstrated a significant interaction effect on the association between BA-EDCs and KDM-BA acceleration. PPI network and functional enrichment analysis indicated that the AGE-RAGE signaling pathway in diabetic complications was significantly enriched.

CONCLUSION

Our results showed that the co-exposure effect of BA-EDCs was associated with biological age acceleration and ASCVD, with the AGE-RAGE signaling pathway being the underlying mechanism. Vitamins C and E may also be an actionable target for preventing EDC-induced biological aging.

Molecular epidemiology of Coxiella burnetii infection in sheep and goats in Henan province, China

Q fever is a significant zoonotic disease caused by Coxiella burnetii, an obligate intracellular gram-negative bacterium. Although C. burnetii infection has been identified in various animal species, domestic ruminants serve as the primary reservoirs and main sources of human infection. Understanding of the epidemiology of C. burnetii in domestic ruminants is crucial for preventing and controlling of C. burnetii infection in humans. In this study, spleen tissues from sheep and goats were collected in Hennan province, China. Through PCR screening, C. burnetii was detected in sheep and goats in Henan province with an overall infection rate of 6.8 %. Sequence comparison and phylogenetic analysis revealed that all newly identified C. burnetii strains shared a close genetic relationship with those found in humans worldwide. These findings highlight the high risk of C. burnetii infection among slaughterhouse workers and emphasize the importance of epidemiological studies that investigate samples from both humans and animals within the "One Health" framework. Such surveillance will contribute to a better understanding of the epidemic situation and aid in the development of effective prevention and control strategies for C. burnetii infections in humans.

The spatial distribution mechanism of PM2.5 and NO2 on the eastern coast of China

The spatial distribution characteristics of multi-air pollutants and their impacts are difficult to quantify effectively. As PM2.5 and NO2 are the main air pollutants, it is of great significance to explore the spatial causes of their pollution and their interaction mechanism. This study used machine learning (LightGBM) and hot spot analysis to map the spatial distribution of PM2.5 and NO2 in Southwest Fujian (SWFJ) in 2018 and their key pollution areas. Then, the factors and interactive detection of geographical detectors were used to conduct a detailed analysis of the quantitative impact of potential factors such as human activities, terrain, air pollutants, and meteorology on PM2.5 and NO2 pollution. From this we can learn that 1. LightGBM has good stability for drawing the spatial distribution of PM2.5 and NO2. 2. The spatial mechanism of PM2.5 and NO2 can be effectively interpreted from a massive data and macro perspective. 3. A large amount of evidence shows that potential factors such as human activities, topography, air pollutants and meteorology have direct or indirect effects on PM2.5 and NO2 pollution in the SWFJ area. This includes the direct impact of local road traffic emissions on the distribution of PM2.5 and NO2 pollution, the digestion of both by vegetation, the mutual transformation of atmospheric pollutants themselves, and the impact of meteorological conditions. This study not only confirms the effectiveness of machine learning combined with geographical detectors to promote the study of regional air pollution mechanisms, but also confirms the feasibility of exploring the spatial distribution mechanisms of various air pollutants. Therefore, this study is of great significance for explaining the spatial distribution of PM2.5 and NO2, and can also provide reference for policy formulation to reduce regional PM2.5 and NO2 concentrations.

SARS-CoV-2 vaccination and semen quality: a study based on sperm donor candidate data in southwest China

Background

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has been a global health crisis and continues to pose risk to population health at the present. Vaccination against this disease caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus has become a public health priority worldwide. Yet, limited information is available on the potential impact of such vaccines on human fertility.

Methods

To examine the relationship between COVID-19 vaccination and male fertility, we conducted an observational study on sperm donor candidates in China who received Chinese COVID-19 vaccines between January 1, 2020 to December 31, 2021.

Results

A total of 2,955 semen samples from 564 individuals were assessed along with vaccination information. Statistical analyses were conducted on both the entire study population and the subgroup of individuals who provided repeated semen samples before and after vaccination. While motility related parameters [progressive rate, curvilinear velocity (VCL), average path velocity (VAP), straight-line velocity (VSL), wobble (WOB), straightness (STR), linearity (LIN), amplitude of lateral head displacement (ALH), beat-cross frequency (BCF)] exhibited statistically significant difference before and after vaccination based on Welch two-sample test, mixed effects regression results based on repeated measures from the same individuals indicated that vaccination was not statistically associated with sperm quality parameters except for VCL, VAP, and VSL. Individual variability was the key determinant of sperm quality variance, with contribution ranging from 19% to 82%.

Conclusions

Findings from our study could help to enhance current understanding of male reproductive health in the context of the global pandemic.

Total Flavonoids of Aurantii Fructus Immaturus Regulate miR-5100 to Improve Constipation by Targeting Fzd2 to Alleviate Calcium Balance and Autophagy in Interstitial Cells of Cajal

Aurantii Fructus Immaturus total flavonoids (AFIF) is the main effective fraction extracted from AFI, which has a good effect on promoting gastrointestinal motility. This study aimed to investigate AFIF which regulates miR-5100 to improve constipation symptoms in mice by targeting Frizzled-2 (Fzd2) to alleviate interstitial cells of Cajal (ICCs) calcium ion balance and autophagy apoptosis. The constipated mouse model was induced by an antibiotic suspension, and then treated with AFIF. RNA-seq sequencing, luciferase assay, immunofluorescence staining, transmission electron microscopy, ELISA, flow cytometry, quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and Western blot were applied in this study. The results showed that AFIF improved constipation symptoms in antibiotic-induced constipated mice, and decreased the autophagy-related protein Beclin1 levels and the LC3-II/I ratio in ICCs. miR-5100 and its target gene Fzd2 were screened as key miRNAs and regulator associated with autophagy. Downregulation of miR-5100 caused increased expression of Fzd2, decreased proliferation activity of ICCs, increased apoptotic cells, and enhanced calcium ion release and autophagy signals. After AFIF treatment, miR-5100 expression was upregulated and Fzd2 was downregulated, while autophagy-related protein levels and calcium ion concentration decreased. Furthermore, AFIF increased the levels of SP, 5-HT, and VIP, and increased the expression of PGP9.5, Sy, and Cx43, which alleviated constipation by improving the integrity of the enteric nervous system network. In conclusion, AFIF could attenuate constipation symptoms by upregulating the expression of miR-5100 and targeting inhibition of Fzd2, alleviating calcium overload and autophagic death of ICCs, regulating the content of neurotransmitters, and enhancing the integrity of the enteric nervous system network.

Cytomegalovirus Infection and Alzheimer's Disease: A Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND

Evidence on the association of cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection with Alzheimer's disease (AD) is scarce and the results are inconsistent.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the association of CMV infection with the risk of AD.

METHODS

Observational studies on the relationship between CMV infection and AD were identified from PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library until September 30, 2022. The quality of included studies was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Random-effect meta-analysis was performed using a generic inverse-variance method, followed by sensitivity analyses and subgroup analyses based on study designs, regions, adjustments, and population types.

RESULTS

Our search yielded 870 articles, of which 200 were duplicates and 663 did not meet the inclusion criteria, and finally yielded seven studies with 6,772 participants. No strong evidence was observed in the summary analysis for the association of CMV infection and risk of AD (odds ratio [OR] = 1.33; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.88, 2.03, I2 =69.9%). However, subgroup analysis showed that an increased risk of AD was detected in East Asians (OR = 2.39; 95% CI: 1.63, 3.50, I2 = 0.00%), cohort studies (OR = 1.99; 95% CI: 1.35, 2.94, I2 = 28.20%), and studies with confounder adjustment (OR = 2.05; 95% CI: 1.52, 2.77, I2 = 0.00%).

CONCLUSIONS

This meta-analysis provides evidence to support the heterogeneity of the associations between CMV infection and AD. Future studies with larger sample sizes and multi-ethnic populations are necessary.

Early diagnosis of caesarean scar pregnancy by ultrasound - a novel, simple and rapid clinical classification scoring system

AIM

In the recent years, with the increase in the caesarean section rate, the incidence of caesarean scar pregnancy (CSP) has shown a significant upwards trend. We propose a novel, simple and rapid clinical and ultrasound (US) classification scoring system to assist in the early diagnosis of CSP.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A total of 385 patients with CSP were included in the study. All patients were given a comprehensive score, iincluding clinical data (whether HCG is consistent with gestational age and vaginal bleeding) and US findings (linea a and b, gestational sac morphology, the presence of primitive cardiac tube beat, and color Doppler aspect). The scores were analysed by ROC curve analysis, and sensitivity and specificity were calculated.

RESULTS

A score of 4 has a specificity of 91.7% and a sensitivity of 95.6% in diagnose CSP. The area under the ROC curve was 0.973.

CONCLUSION

This scoring system may be a reliable tool for the early diagnosis of CSP and has the characteristics of being simple and rapid. For patients with a total score of ≥4 points, CSP is suggested, and early clinical treatment can be carried out, while patients with a score of less than 4 points can temporarily retain pregnancy and be closely followed up.

The Influence of Airborne Particulate Matter on the Risk of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: A Large Retrospective Study in Chongqing, China

Emerging research findings suggest that airborne particulate matter might be a risk factor for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). However, the concentration-response relationships and the susceptible time windows for different types of particulate matter may vary. In this retrospective analysis, we employ a novel robust approach to assess the crucial time windows regarding the prevalence of GDM and to distinguish the susceptibility of three GDM subtypes to air pollution exposure. This study included 16,303 pregnant women who received routine antenatal care in 2018-2021 at the Maternal and Child Health Hospital in Chongqing, China. In total, 2482 women (15.2%) were diagnosed with GDM. We assessed the individual daily average exposure to air pollution, including PM2.5, PM10, O3, NO2, SO2, and CO based on the volunteers' addresses. We used high-accuracy gridded air pollution data generated by machine learning models to assess particulate matter per maternal exposure levels. We further analyzed the association of pre-pregnancy, early, and mid-pregnancy exposure to environmental pollutants using a generalized additive model (GAM) and distributed lag nonlinear models (DLNMs) to analyze the association between exposure at specific gestational weeks and the risk of GDM. We observed that, during the first trimester, per IQR increases for PM10 and PM2.5 exposure were associated with increased GDM risk (PM10: OR = 1.19, 95%CI: 1.07~1.33; PM2.5: OR = 1.32, 95%CI: 1.15~1.50) and isolated post-load hyperglycemia (GDM-IPH) risk (PM10: OR = 1.23, 95%CI: 1.09~1.39; PM2.5: OR = 1.38, 95%CI: 1.18~1.61). Second-trimester O3 exposure was positively correlated with the associated risk of GDM, while pre-pregnancy and first-trimester exposure was negatively associated with the risk of GDM-IPH. Exposure to SO2 in the second trimester was negatively associated with the risk of GDM-IPH. However, there were no observed associations between NO2 and CO exposure and the risk of GDM and its subgroups. Our results suggest that maternal exposure to particulate matter during early pregnancy and exposure to O3 in the second trimester might increase the risk of GDM, and GDM-IPH is the susceptible GDM subtype to airborne particulate matter exposure.

Long-term spatiotemporal variations in surface NO2 for Beijing reconstructed from surface data and satellite retrievals

Remote sensing data from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) and the TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI) play important roles in estimating surface nitrogen dioxide (NO2), but few studies have compared their differences for application in surface NO2 reconstruction. This study aims to explore the effectiveness of incorporating the tropospheric NO2 vertical column density (VCD) from OMI and TROPOMI (hereafter referred to as OMI and TROPOMI, respectively, for conciseness) for deriving surface NO2 and to apply the resulting data to revisit the spatiotemporal variations in surface NO2 for Beijing over the 2005-2020 period during which there were significant reductions in nitrogen oxide emissions. In the OMI versus TROPOMI performance comparison, the cross-validation R2 values were 0.73 and 0.72, respectively, at 1 km resolution and 0.69 for both at 100 m resolution. The comparisons between satellite data sources indicate that even though TROPOMI has a finer resolution it does not improve upon OMI for deriving surface NO2 at 1 km resolution, especially for analyzing long-term trends. In light of the comparison results, we used a hybrid approach based on machine learning to derive the spatiotemporal distribution of surface NO2 during 2005-2020 based on OMI. We had novel, independent passive sampling data collected weekly from July to September of 2008 for hindcasting validation and found a spatiotemporal R2 of 0.46 (RMSE = 7.0 ppb). Regarding the long-term trend of surface NO2, the level in 2008 was obviously lower than that in 2007 and 2009, as expected, which was attributed to pollution restrictions during the Olympic Games. The NO2 level started to steadily decline from 2015 and fell below 2008's level after 2017. Based on OMI, a long-term and fine-resolution surface NO2 dataset was developed for Beijing to support future environmental management questions and epidemiological research.

Bacteremia caused by Comamonas kerstersii in a patient with acute perforated appendicitis and localized peritonitis: case report and literature review

Comamonas kerstersii (C. kerstersii) is a Gram-negative bacterium that was initially thought to be non-pathogenic to humans and is abundant in the environment. In recent years, with the availability of matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) that enable fast and accurate bacterial identification, there have been increasing number of reports of human infections caused by C. kerstersii, indicating that this organism has emerged as human pathogen. In fact, most clinical isolates of C. kerstersii are recovered from peritoneal liquid, and bacteremia has been infrequently reported. Here, we report a case of bacteremia caused by C. kerstersii in a 28-year-old male patient with acute perforated appendicitis and localized peritonitis and present a comprehensive review of C. kerstersii infections in pathogenic diagnosis and clinical treatment as well as prognosis, thus providing a better understanding of C. kerstersii-related infections.

Salidroside affects the Th17/Treg cell balance in aplastic anemia via the STAT3/HIF-1α/RORγt pathway

BACKGROUND

Acquired aplastic anemia (AA) is a life-threatening disease associated with an imbalance in Th17/Treg cells. Regulating this balance may be an effective treatment approach for AA. Rhodiola rosea has shown efficacy in AA treatment, but its mechanisms remain unclear.

PURPOSE

We investigated salidroside's effect (a component of Rhodiola rosea) on Th17/Treg balance in adult AA patients and a mouse model.

METHODS

HIF-1α mRNA and protein levels were measured in AA patients' peripheral blood. Flow cytometry, qRT-PCR, and WB analyzed salidroside's impact on T cell differentiation, Th17 cells, Treg cells, STAT3, HIF-1α, and RORγt expression. ELISA measured hematopoietic growth factors in mouse serum.

RESULTS

AA patients exhibited elevated HIF-1α levels. Salidroside improved hematopoietic function, increasing blood cell count and enhancing bone marrow. Salidroside induced SCF, TPO, and IL-3 expression while inhibiting IL-2 in mice. Salidroside reduced STAT3, HIF-1α, RORγt, and IL-17a, while increasing FoxP3 expression, correcting the Th17/Treg imbalance in vitro and in vivo.

CONCLUSION

Salidroside has potential as a novel AA treatment by correcting the Th17/Treg imbalance through the STAT3/HIF-1α/RORγt pathway.

Difference in quantitative MRI measurements of cartilage between Wiberg type III patella and stable patella based on a 3.0-T synthetic MRI sequence

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to investigate the difference between the quantitative MRI values of Wiberg type III and stable patellar cartilage, and to improve the accuracy of MRI quantification in early patellar cartilage damage.

Methods

The knee joints of 94 healthy volunteers were scanned by a GE Signa Pioneer 3.0-T synthetic MRI machine. According to the Wiberg classification, the patella was divided into types I-III. Types I-II made up the stable patella group, and type III made up the unstable patella group. Two radiologists independently measured patellar cartilage thickness and quantitative synthetic MRI values (T1, T2, PD) in both groups. Interobserver agreement for quantitative variables was assessed using the Bland-Altman method. A third radiologist assessed differences in measurements.

Results

The medial T2 and T1 value of Wiberg III patella did not show a normal distribution (all P > 0.05). Compared with the stable group, the Wiberg type III group had thinner cartilage of the medial surface of the patella (P < 0.05), lower cartilage T2 and PD values (P < 0.05), but a similar cartilage T1 value (P > 0.05). There was no significant difference in the cartilage thickness, T1, T2, or PD value of the lateral patella between the Wiberg type III and the stable group (P > 0.05).

Conclusion

There were certain differences in the cartilage thickness of the medial surface of the patella and the quantitative value of synthetic MRI in Wiberg type III patellas. Quantitative studies of patellar cartilage MRI measurements need to consider the influence of patellar morphology.

Zhizhu decoction alleviates slow transit constipation by regulating aryl hydrocarbon receptor through gut microbiota

CONTEXT

Slow transit constipation (STC), the most common type of constipation, seriously affects the life of patients. Zhizhu decoction (ZZD), a traditional Chinese medicine compound, has is effective against functional constipation, but the mechanism is still unclear.

OBJECTIVE

This research explores the mechanism of ZZD on STC from the perspective of metabolomics and gut microbiota.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Fifty-four C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into six groups (n = 9): control (control); STC (model); positive control (positive); low-dose (5 g/kg; L-ZZD), medium-dose (10 g/kg; M-ZZD), and high-dose (20 g/kg; H-ZZD) ZZD treatment. Following treatment of mice with ZZD for two weeks, the changes in intestinal motility, colon histology, intestinal neurotransmitters, and aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) pathway determined the effects of ZZD on the pathophysiology of STC. LC-MS targeting serum metabolomics was used to analyze the regulation of ZZD on neurotransmitters, and 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing was used to detect the regulation of the gut microbiome.

RESULTS

ZZD had the highest content of naringin (6348.1 mg/L), and could significantly increase the 24 h defecations (1.10- to 1.42-fold), fecal moisture (1.14-fold) and intestinal transport rate (1.28-fold) of STC mice, increased the thickness of the mucosal and muscular tissue (1.18- to 2.16-fold) and regulated the neurotransmitters in the colon of STC mice. Moreover, ZZD significantly activated the AHR signaling pathway, and also affected the composition of gut microbiota in STC mice.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS

The beneficial effect and the possible mechanism of ZZD on STC could provide a theoretical basis for the broader clinical application of ZZD.

Fatal bacteremia caused by Staphylococcus argenteus: A case report

RATIONALE

Staphylococcus argenteus (S argenteus) is a novel and emerging species that is part of the Staphylococcus aureus (S aureus) complex. Fatal cases of bloodstream infection caused by S argenteus are rarely reported and should be considered in medical practice.

PATIENT CONCERNS

A 44-year-old male was admitted to our hospital with reduced appetite, high fever and unconsciousness. Laboratory tests indicated infection, muscle damage, and alkalosis in the patient. Brain computed tomography (CT) demonstrated small hematoma in left frontal lobe with peripheral cerebral edema. Chest CT demonstrating chronic bronchitis, emphysema, and bullae in the right lung. Blood culture was collected on the first day of hospitalization for microbial culture and pathological examination.

DIAGNOSIS

The isolate from blood culture was identified as S argenteus by MALDI-TOF MS after the patient death.

INTERVENTIONS

The patient was subjected to empirical antibiotic treatment with piperacillin/tazobactam.

OUTCOMES

After 48 hours of hospitalization, the patient died after ineffective rescue.

LESSONS

The patient had long-term heavy drinking and smoking as well as chronic malnutrition, which may account for his immune deficiency. The immunocompromised people are more vulnerable to infection by S argenteus and then develop bacteremia. The use of piperacillin/tazobactam may have contributed to the patient death.

[Retracted] MicroRNA‑15b promotes proliferation and invasion of non‑small cell lung carcinoma cells by directly targeting TIMP2

Following the publication of this paper, it was drawn to the Editor's attention by a concerned reader that certain of the cell migration and invasion images shown in Figs. 3B and D and 6C were strikingly similar to data that had already appeared in an article written by different authors at different research institutes [Liu C, Guan H, Wang Y, Chen M, Xu B, Zhang L, Lu K, Tao T and Zhang X: miR‑195 inhibits EMT by targeting FGF2 in prostate cancer cells. PLoS One 9: e0144073, 2015]. Owing to the fact that the contentious data in the above article had already been published prior to its submission to Oncology Reports, the Editor has decided that this paper should be retracted from the Journal. The authors were asked for an explanation to account for these concerns, but the Editorial Office did not receive a reply. The Editor apologizes to the readership for any inconvenience caused. [Oncology Reports 37: 3305‑3312, 2017; DOI: 10.3892/or.2017.5604].

Artemisinin counteracts Edwardsiella tarda-induced liver inflammation and metabolic changes in juvenile fat greenling Hexagrammos otakii

Emerging evidence suggests that artemisinin (ART) can modulate pathogen-induced immune responses and metabolic dysregulation. However, whether this modulation is associated with metabolic pathways related to oxidative stress and inflammation remains unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects on the ART-fed juvenile fat greenling Hexagrammos otakii and the associated metabolic pathways in response to ART administration using an integrated biochemical and metabolomic approach. Biochemical analysis and histological examination showed that ART significantly increased body weight gain and improved tissue structure. ART effectively attenuated reactive oxygen species (ROS), malondialdehyde (MDA) and inflammatory responses (NFκB, TNF-α, IL-6, and MCP-1) in the Edwardsiella tarda-induced H. otakii model. Liver metabolomics analysis revealed that twenty-nine metabolites were up-regulated and twenty-one metabolites were down-regulated after ART administration compared to those in pathogen-induced fish. Pathway analysis indicated that ART alleviated the E. tarda-induced inflammation and oxidative stress through two major pathways, namely lipid metabolism and amino acid metabolism. Taken together, ART showed great potential as a natural feed additive against pathogen-induced oxidative stress and inflammation.

First Report of Pantoea agglomerans Causing Leaf Blight on Schisandra chinensis in China

Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill is a perennial liana, which is widely cultivated and used in China. In August 2022, Schisandra chinensis leaves with small light brown spots were found on plants growing in Fusong (127°28'E, 42°33'N) of China. There was 15% disease incidence and 50% disease severity of Schisandra chinensis in 2-ha fields of S. chinensis. As the disease progressed, the spots become darker and form round or irregular concentric circles. Leaves with brown spot symptoms were collected from the field. Leaf pieces (5 mm × 5 mm) were excised from lesion margins, surface disinfected with 75% ethanol for 1 min, followed by 1.5% sodium hypochlorite for 3 min, and incubated on Luria Bertani (LB) solid medium at 28°C for 24 hours. Eight cultures were isolated, and representative single colony (XWWZH) was selected from the pure cultures according to colony characteristics for observation The purified colonies were round, yellow, and slimy, cells were straight rod-shaped (0.40 to 0.52 × 1.12 to 1.69 µm) were observed. The isolate was Gram negative. It was positive for methyl red reaction, lysine decarboxylase reaction, gelatin hydrolysis reactionand sucrose utilization. It was negative for indole reaction and produced H2S. The bacterium was preliminarily identified as Pantoea agglomerans based on morphological and biochemical tests (Baird et al. 2007). The 16S rDNA and a portion of rpoB of strain XWWZH were amplified and sequenced. The sequences were submitted to GenBank. (Accession OP763753 and OQ813505, respectively). Phylogenetic trees were constructed based on the 16S rDNA and rpoB gene sequences. The sequences of strain XWWZH clustered with strains P. agglomerans deposited in GenBank. The pathogenicity was verified with non-wounded S. chinensis seedlings by punching holes with sterile needles and injecting a solution of 1 × 108 CFU/ml solution. Sterile ddH2O was injected in the control experiment. The inoculated seedlings were incubated in a greenhouse at 25°C with a relative humidity of 65 to 70%. Five to eight days after inoculation, inoculated leaves, exhibited symptoms which were morphologically identical to those of the originally infected leaves whereas control plants remained asymptomatic. The pathogenicity assays were repeated twice with the same results. The re-isolated pathogen had the same morphology and DNA sequences as the original isolate obtained from the field samples, completing Koch's postulates. Strains of P. agglomerans have been reported to severely infect many plants (Ren et al.2008; Lee et al. 2010; Yang et al. 2011; Guo et al. 2019; Gao et al, 2022), but to the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of a strain of P. agglomerans causing leaf blight on Schisandra chinensis in China. The identification of leaf blight caused by P. agglomerans will enable farmers to prevent and manage it ahead of time to reduce losses.

Zhizhu Decoction Alleviates Intestinal Barrier Damage via Regulating SIRT1/FoxO1 Signaling Pathway in Slow Transit Constipation Model Mice

OBJECTIVE

To explore the possible effects and mechanism of Zhizhu Decoction (ZZD) on the pathophysiology of slow transit constipation (STC).

METHODS

A total of 54 C57BL/6 mice was randomly divided into the following 6 groups by a random number table, including control, STC model (model), positive control, and low-, medium- and high-doses ZZD treatment groups (5, 10, 20 g/kg, namely L, M-, and H-ZZD, respectively), 9 mice in each group. Following 2-week treatment, intestinal transport rate (ITR) and fecal water content were determined, and blood and colon tissue samples were collected. Hematoxylin-eosin and periodic acid-Schiff staining were performed to evaluate the morphology of colon tissues and calculate the number of goblet cells. To determine intestinal permeability, serum levels of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and mannose were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Western blot analysis was carried out to detect the expression levels of intestinal tight junction proteins zona-occludens-1 (ZO-1), claudin-1, occludin and recombinant mucin 2 (MUC2). The mRNA expression levels of inflammatory cytokines including tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-4, IL-10 and IL-22 were determined using reverse transcription-quantitative reverse transcription reaction. Colon indexes of oxidative stress were measured by ELISA, and protein expression levels of colon silent information regulator 1/forkhead box O transcription factor 1 (SIRT1/FoxO1) antioxidant signaling pathway were detected by Western blot.

RESULTS

Compared with the model group, ITR and fecal moisture were significantly enhanced in STC mice in the M-ZZD and H-ZZD groups (P<0.01). Additionally, ZZD treatment notably increased the thickness of mucosal and muscular tissue, elevated the number of goblet cells in the colon of STC mice, reduced the secretion levels of LPS, LDL and mannose, and upregulated ZO-1, claudin-1, occludin and MUC2 expressions in the colon in a dose-dependent manner, compared with the model group (P<0.05 or P<0.01). In addition, ZZD significantly attenuated intestinal inflammation and oxidative stress and activated the SIRT1/FoxO1 signaling pathway (P<0.05 or P<0.01).

CONCLUSION

ZZD exhibited beneficial effects on the intestinal system of STC mice and alleviated intestinal inflammation and oxidative stress via activating SIRT1/FoxO1 antioxidant signaling pathway in the colon.

Incident risk and burden of cardiovascular diseases attributable to long-term NO2 exposure in Chinese adults

BACKGROUND

A number of studies suggested a nexus between long-term exposure to nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and the incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD), while population-based cohort evidence in low- and middle-income countries was extensively sparse.

METHODS

We carried out an 8-year longitudinal study (2010-2018) in a nationwide dynamic cohort of 36,948 Chinese adult participants, who were free of CVD at baseline. Annual average estimates of NO2 exposure were predicted using a well-validated spatiotemporal model and assigned to study participants based on their residential counties. Considering death as a competing risk event, Fine-Gray competing risk models with time-varying exposures at an annual scale were used to quantify incident risks of overall CVD, hypertension, and stroke associated with a 10-μg/m3 rise in NO2 exposure. Using the meta-analysis approach, we performed a pooled analysis of hazard ratio (HR) drawn from this and prior multinational cohort studies for the assessment of attributable burden. NO2-attributable overall CVD incidents in China were evaluated by city and province for years 2010 and 2018, referring to a counterfactual exposure level of 10 μg/m3 (2021 World Health Organization [WHO] air quality guidelines). A decomposition method was used to decompose net change in NO2-attributable CVD incidents during 2010 and 2018 into 3 primary contributions of driving factors (i.e., changes in NO2 exposure, population size, and incidence rate).

RESULTS

A total of 4428 overall CVD events (hypertension 2448, stroke 1044) occurred during a median follow-up period of 6.1 years. Annual mean NO2 concentration from 2010 to 2018 was 20.0 μg/m3 (range: 6.9-57.4 μg/m3). An increase of 10-µg/m3 in NO2 was associated with an HR of 1.558 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.477, 1.642) for overall CVD, 1.521 (95% CI: 1.419, 1.631) for hypertension, and 1.664 (95% CI: 1.485, 1.865) for stroke. Longitudinal associations of NO2 exposure with incident CVD were nearly linear over the exposure range, suggesting no discernible thresholds. Subgroup analyses indicated significantly higher NO2-associated risks of incident CVD among urban residents and overweight/obese individuals. According to pooled HR of NO2-CVD association (1.108, 95% CI: [1.007, 1.219]) from 10 multinational cohort studies, we estimated totally 1.44 million incident CVD cases attributable to NO2 exposure in 2018, representing a substantial decrease of 0.41 million compared to the estimate in 2010 (1.85 million) in mainland of China. Nationally, from 2010 to 2018, the attributable incident cases greatly dropped by 22.4%, which was dominantly driven by declined NO2 concentration (-47.1%) that had offset far from the rise of CVD incidence rate (+19.6%) and population growth (+5.1%).

CONCLUSIONS

This study provided nationwide cohort evidence for elevated risks of CVD incidence associated with long-term ambient NO2 exposure among Chinese adults, particularly in urban areas and among overweight/obese individuals. Our findings highlighted that reducing NO2 exposure below 2021 WHO guideline could help prevent a substantial portion of incident CVD cases in China.

Dietary artemisinin boosts intestinal immunity and healthy in fat greenling (Hexagrammos otakii)

Introduction

Artemisinin (ART) is very common as a diet additive due to its immunoregulatory activities. Nonetheless, the immunoregulatory mechanism of ART in marine fish remains unknown. This study comprehensively examined the effects and explored the potential mechanism of ART ameliorating intestinal immune disease (IID) in fat greenlings (Hexagrammos otakii).

Methods and results

The targets of ART were screened using the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology (TCMSP) database. Here, eight putative targets of ART were collected and identified with the Uniprot database, and 1419 IID-associated target proteins were filtered through the Drugbank, Genecards, OMIM, and PHARMGKB Databases. The results of Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways point out that ART may have immunoprotective effects by regulating cellular responses to stress, hypoxia, inflammation, and vascular endothelial growth factor stimulus through the hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) signaling pathway. The findings of molecular docking indicated that ART contains one active ingredient and three cross-targets, which showed a kind combination with hypoxia-inducible factor 1-alpha (HIF1-a), transcription factor p65 (RELA), and vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A), respectively. Furthermore, an ART feeding model was established to assess the ART's immunoprotect effect on the intestine of H.otakii in vivo. The D48 group showed smaller intestinal structural changes after being challenged by Edwardsiella tarda. The supplementation of ART to the diet improved total superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and reduced the malondialdehyde (MDA) in intestine of H. otakii. The expression of transcription factor p65, HIF1-α, VEGF-A, cyclin D1, matrix metalloprotease 9 (MMP9), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) was decreased after dietary ART in the intestinal of H. otakii.

Discussion

The present results demonstrated that dietary ART improved antioxidants and immunity, optimized the intestinal structure, and increased resistance to E. tarda through the SOD2/nuclear-factor-kappa- B (NFkB)/HIF1-a/VEGF-A pathway in the intestinal tract of H.otakii. This study integrated pharmacological analysis and experimental validation and revealed the mechanism of ART on IID, which provides insight into the improvement of IID in H. otakii.

Genomic characterization of Pantoea anthophila strain UI705 causing urinary tract infections in China

Introduction

Pantoea anthophila (P. anthophila) is a Gram-negative bacterium initially isolated from Impatiens balsamina in India. P. anthophila has been characterized with low pathogenicity, and no human infections caused by this organism have been reported yet. We report the first case of urinary tract infection caused by P. anthophila in a 73-year-old man after bladder cancer surgery.

Methods

The bacterial isolate gained from urine was named UI705 and identified as P. anthophila by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. The genome sequencing and analysis were performed to further characterize the pathogenesis of the clinical isolate.

Result and discussion

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of human infection caused by P. anthophila in China. The draft genome sequence of P. anthophila UI705 provides a fundamental resource for subsequent investigation of its virulence factors, antibiotic resistance, host-pathogen interactions, and comparative genomics of genus Pantoea.

Third trimester as the susceptibility window for maternal PM2.5 exposure and preterm birth: A nationwide surveillance-based association study in China

Maternal PM_2.5 exposure has been identified as a potential risk factor for preterm birth, yet the inconsistent findings on the susceptible exposure windows may be partially due to the influence of gaseous pollutants. This study aims to examine the association between PM_2.5 exposure and preterm birth during different susceptible exposure windows after adjusting for exposure to gaseous pollutants. We collected 2,294,188 records of singleton live births from 30 provinces of China from 2013 to 2019, and the gridded daily concentrations of air pollutants (including PM_2.5, O₃, NO₂, SO₂, and CO) were derived by using machine learning models for assessing individual exposure. We employed logistic regression to develop single-pollutant models (including PM_2.5 only) and co-pollutant models (including PM_2.5 and a gaseous pollutant) to estimate the odds ratio for preterm birth and its subtypes, with adjustment for maternal age, neonatal sex, parity, meteorological conditions, and other potential confounders. In the single-pollutant models, PM_2.5 exposure in each trimester was significantly associated with preterm birth, and the third trimester exposure showed a stronger association with very preterm birth than that with moderate to late preterm birth. The co-pollutant models revealed that preterm birth might be significantly associated only with maternal exposure to PM_2.5 in the third trimester, and not with exposure in the first or second trimester. The observed significant associations between preterm birth and maternal PM_2.5 exposure in the first and second trimesters in single-pollutant models might primarily be influenced by exposure to gaseous pollutants. Our study provides evidence that the third trimester may be the susceptible window for maternal PM_2.5 exposure and preterm birth. The association between PM_2.5 exposure and preterm birth could be influenced by gaseous pollutants, which should be taken into consideration when evaluating the impact of PM_2.5 exposure on maternal and fetal health.

Excess mortality associated with high ozone exposure: A national cohort study in China

Emerging epidemiological studies suggest that long-term ozone (O₃) exposure may increase the risk of mortality, while pre-existing evidence is mixed and has been generated predominantly in North America and Europe. In this study, we investigated the impact of long-term O₃ exposure on all-cause mortality in a national cohort in China. A dynamic cohort of 20882 participants aged ≥40 years was recruited between 2011 and 2018 from four waves of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study. A Cox proportional hazard regression model with time-varying exposures on an annual scale was used to estimate the mortality risk associated with warm-season (April-September) O₃ exposure. The annual average level of participant exposure to warm-season O₃ concentrations was 100 μg m^-3 (range: 61-142 μg m^-3). An increase of 10 μg m^-3 in O₃ was associated with a hazard ratio (HR) of 1.18 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.13-1.23) for all-cause mortality. Compared with the first exposure quartile of O₃, HRs of mortality associated with the second, third, and highest exposure quartiles were 1.09 (95% CI: 0.95-1.25), 1.02 (95% CI: 0.88-1.19), and 1.56 (95% CI: 1.34-1.82), respectively. A J-shaped concentration-response association was observed, revealing a non-significant increase in risk below a concentration of approximately 110 μg m^-3. Low-temperature-exposure residents had a higher risk of mortality associated with long-term O₃ exposure. This study expands current epidemiological evidence from China and reveals that high-concentration O₃ exposure curtails the long-term survival of middle-aged and older adults.

Evaluating the microbial aerosol generated by dental instruments: addressing new challenges for oral healthcare in the hospital infection

BACKGROUND

Using a rotary instrument or ultrasonic instrument for tooth preparation is a basic operation in the dental clinic that can produce a significant number of droplets and aerosols. The dental droplet and aerosol can lead to the transfer of harmful germs. The goal of this study was to analyze the properties of microbiological aerosol created by droplets and aerosol generated by three common tooth-preparation instruments.

METHODS

Streptococcus mutans UA159 was used as the biological tracer to visualize the droplets and aerosols. The passive sampling method was used to map the three-dimensional spatial distribution and the six-stage Andersen microbial sampler (AMS) was used as the active sampling method to catch aerosol particles at a specific time.

RESULTS

The aerosol concentration is related to instruments, three-dimensional spatial distribution, and dissipation time. Most aerosols were generated by air turbines. More microorganisms are concentrated at the 1.5 m plane. The majority of the post dental procedure contamination was detected within the 0-10-min period and it decreased rapidly within 30 min.

CONCLUSION

This study is conducive to the proposal and improvement of relevant infection control measures in dental procedures and provides a basis for the assessment of measures, reducing the risk of nosocomial infection.

First Report of Fusarium acuminatum Causing Leaf Spot on Schisandra chinensis in China

Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill. is a popular and widely cultivated medicinal herb in China, which has rich nutritional value and medicinal effect. In August 2022, leaves with oval and irregularly circular light brown spots from 2 to 10 mm wide with white centers were found on Schisandra chinensis growing in Fusong district (127°28'E, 42°33'N) of Jilin, China. The symptoms were observed in 20% of the plants of a 2 ha-1 field of Schisandra chinensis. About 50% of the leaf areas were affected. As the disease developed, the lesions grew larger and developed necrotic centers. Leaves with light brown spot symptoms from five plants were collected from the field. Five leaf pieces (3 to 5 mm2) were excised from lesion margins, surface sterilized based on Ju et al. (Ju et al. 2021), and incubated on potato dextrose agar (PDA) at 25°C. Six single spores were isolated from five independently infected isolates for pure culture using the single spore isolation technique (Zhang. 2003). Representative single spore isolate (ZWWZH) was selected from pure cultures for further culture. After 5 days, fluffy white aerial mycelium with pink pigmentation on the underside of the colony were observed on PDA. Mycelia became pinkish-brown as the culture aged. Microscopic observations showed the presence of elongated or pointed, and thick-walled macroconidia (n = 50), predominantly three septate, 3.40 to 7.50 × 40.34 to 61.29 μm were observed. Chlamydospores formed in chains within or on top of the mycelium. The primers ITS1/ITS4 (White et al. 1990) and Bt-2a/Bt-2b (Robideau et al., 2011) were used to amplify the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) rDNA and β-tubulin (TUB2) region, respectively. The obtained sequences were submitted to GenBank under accession numbers for OQ629789 (ITS) and OQ803521(TUB2). BLASTn analysis of both ITS sequence and TUB2 sequence, revealed 100% and 99.92% sequence identity with F. acuminatum MT566456, MT560377 and KJ396328, respectively. The pathogen was identified as F. acuminatum based on morphological and molecular data. Pathogenicity tests were carried out in the greenhouse. Select five healthy Schisandra chinensis seedlings, each with each healthy leaf surfaces inoculated a 1 × 106 spores/mL solution, 3 wells on one side, 10 µL per well. Sterile ddH2O was used in the control experiment. The inoculated seedlings were incubated at 25°C with a relative humidity of 65 to 70% in a greenhouse. Four days after inoculation, all inoculated leaves exhibited the same symptoms as observed in the field, while the controls showed no symptoms. The experiment was repeated three more times with similar results. The re-isolated fungi from the inoculated plants had the same morphology and DNA sequences as the original isolate (ZWWZH) obtained from the field samples, completing Koch's postulates. To our knowledge, this is the first report of F. acuminatum causing leaf spot on Schisandra chinensis in China. F. acuminatum has seriously affected the quality of Schisandra chinensis production. The identification of leaf spot caused by F. acuminatum will enable farmers to identify practices to minimize disease on this important crop.

Exploring the mechanisms of self-made Kuiyu Pingchang recipe for the treatment of ulcerative colitis and irritable bowel syndrome using a network pharmacology-based approach and molecular docking

BACKGROUND

Ulcerative colitis (UC) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) are common intestinal diseases. According to the clinical experience and curative effect, the authors formulated Kuiyu Pingchang Decoction (KYPCD) comprised of Paeoniae radix alba, Aurantii Fructus, Herba euphorbiae humifusae, Lasiosphaera seu Calvatia, Angelicae sinensis radix, Panax ginseng C.A. Mey., Platycodon grandiforus and Allium azureum Ledeb.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the present study was to explore the mechanisms of KYPCD in the treatment of UC and IBS following the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) theory of "Treating different diseases with the same treatment".

METHODS

The chemical ingredients and targets of KYPCD were obtained using the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology database and analysis platform (TCMSP). The targets of UC and IBS were extracted using the DisGeNET, GeneCards, DrugBANK, OMIM and TTD databases. The "TCM-component-target" network and the "TCM-shared target-disease" network were imaged using Cytoscape software. The protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was built using the STRING database. The DAVID platform was used to analyze the Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways. Using Autodock Tools software, the main active components of KYPCD were molecularly docked with their targets and visualized using PyMOL.

RESULTS

A total of 46 active ingredients of KYPCD corresponding to 243 potential targets, 1,565 targets of UC and 1,062 targets of IBS, and 70 targets among active ingredients and two diseases were screened. Core targets in the PPI network included IL6, TNF, AKT1, IL1B, TP53, EGFR and VEGFA. GO and KEGG enrichment analysis demonstrated 563 biological processes, 48 cellular components, 82 molecular functions and 144 signaling pathways. KEGG enrichment results revealed that the regulated pathways were mainly related to the PI3K-AKT, MAPK, HIF-1 and IL-17 pathways. The results of molecular docking analysis indicated that the core active ingredients of KYPCD had optimal binding activity to their corresponding targets.

CONCLUSION

KYPCD may use IL6, TNF, AKT1, IL1B, TP53, EGFR and VEGFA as the key targets to achieve the treatment of UC and IBS through the PI3K-AKT, MAPK, HIF-1 and IL-17 pathways.

Sex disparity in cognitive aging related to later-life exposure to ambient air pollution

BACKGROUND

Sex difference in the association between ambient air pollution and cognitive aging remained unclear. This current study aimed to assess the impacts of long-term exposure to major air pollutants on cognitive performance among Chinese middle-aged and older adults, and explore whether these associations could be modified by sex.

METHODS

By deriving longitudinal data from four waves of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study, we included 13,507 participants aged 45+ years who had at least two cognitive tests recorded from 2011 to 2018. We used a standardized questionnaire consisting of five domain-specific functions to measure global cognitive score. Based on well-validated spatiotemporal datasets, annual average concentrations of ambient fine particulate matter (PM_2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), and ozone (O₃) were assigned to each enrollee at prefectural city level and at the simulated residential addresses through Monte Carlo simulation approach. Linear mixed-effects models were applied to assess the impacts of major air pollutants on cognitive function with multiple adjustments. Sex-stratified analyses were performed to examine the potential effect modification on these associations. To enhance the interpretability of our results, we also compared the estimated effects of air pollutants with the effect of aging on cognitive function.

RESULTS

We evaluated 38,950 records of cognitive function tests, of which 44.0 % were from women. An increase of 10-μg/m³ in PM_2.5, NO₂ and O₃ exposure were associated with 0.36 (95 % confidence interval: -0.40, -0.31), 0.51 (-0.60, -0.43) and 0.26 (-0.47, -0.06) points decline in global cognitive score, respectively, equivalent to the effect of aging by 2.8-5.0 years. Sex-stratified analyses suggested significantly greater cognitive impairment associated with air pollutants in women than men. We found reversely J-shaped concentration-response relationships between ambient air pollutants and cognitive decline in both sexes. Main findings on sex-specific associations were robust to the adjustments for covariates, inclusion criteria, and co-pollutant analyses, as well as sensitivity analyses based on simulation-based exposure for PM_2.5 and NO₂.

CONCLUSIONS

Later-life exposure to ambient air pollution may accelerate cognitive aging of middle-aged and older adults, suggesting significant sex disparity with higher vulnerability in women.

Semen damage contributed over 50 % to air-pollutant-induced infertility: A prospective cohort study of 3940 men in China

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the contribution of ambient air pollutants-induced semen damage to infertility risk, after identifying dose-response relationship between pollutants and semen parameters and susceptibility window.

METHODS

In Preconception Reproductive Health and Birth Outcomes Cohort, 3940 male volunteers aged 22-49 were recruited from November 2018 to April 2021. At enrollment, resident address information was obtained and semen parameters were examined. During prospective follow-up, infertility was defined as failure to achieve pregnancy after unprotected intercourse within 12 months. Full coverage of ambient pollutant (PM2.5, PM10, SO2, NO2, O3, CO) concentrations was estimated by machine learning algorithms and assigned to individual level. Association between pollutants and semen parameters was analyzed by single- and two-pollutant linear regression. Four potential susceptibility windows were analyzed: lag 0-9d, lag 10-14d, lag 70-90d and lag 0-90d. Pollutant joint effects on semen parameters were analyzed by Bayesian kernel machine regression. Mediating effect of semen parameters on the association between pollutants and infertility was analyzed. False-positive rate was controlled by Bonferroni correction.

RESULTS

Single- and two-pollutant models showed SO2, O3, PMs and NO2 were negatively associated with progressive motility, total motility and sperm morphology, among which, each IQR increase in SO2 at lag 0-90d was associated with -4.13 %(95%CI:-6.25 %, -1.95 %, P < 0.001) change of normal morphology, and O3 at lag 0-90d was negatively associated with progressive motility and total motility (β = -3.64 %, 95%CI:-5.63 %, -1.61 %; β = -2.24 %, 95%CI:-3.38 %, -1.08 %, P < 0.001). Joint effect analysis showed a negative effect on sperm concentration and a suggestive effect on vitality. Mediating effect analysis showed sperm normal morphology had a substantial mediating effect in the association of SO2 with infertility (59.68 %, P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Multiple air pollutants may introduce semen quality in the population at entire window of spermatogenesis, among which SO2 needs especial attention, as its damage on sperm morphology may increase risk of infertility.

Exposure to air pollution and gains in body weight and waist circumference among middle-aged and older adults

INTRODUCTION

Emerging research suggested a nexus between air pollution exposure and risks of overweight and obesity, while existing longitudinal evidence was extensively sparse, particularly in densely populated regions. This study aimed to quantify concentration-response associations of changes in weight and waist circumference (WC) related to air pollution in Chinese adults.

METHODS

We conceived a nationally representative longitudinal study from 2011 to 2015, by collecting 34,854 observations from 13,757 middle-aged and older adults in 28 provincial regions of China. Participants' height, weight and WC were measured by interviewers using standardized devices. Concentrations of major air pollutants including fine particulate matter (PM_2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) and ozone (O₃) predicted by well-validated spatiotemporal models were assigned to participants according to their residential cities. Possible exposure biases were checked through 1000 random simulated exposure at individual level, using a Monte Carlo simulation approach. Linear mixed-effects models were applied to estimate the relationships of air pollution with weight and WC changes, and restricted cubic spline functions were adopted to smooth concentration-response (C-R) curves.

RESULTS

Each 10-μg/m³ rise in PM_2.5, NO₂ and O₃ was associated with an increase of 0.825 (95% confidence interval: 0.740, 0.910), 0.921 (0.811, 1.032) and 1.379 (1.141, 1.616) kg in weight, respectively, corresponding to WC gains of 0.688 (0.592, 0.784), 1.189 (1.040, 1.337) and 0.740 (0.478, 1.002) cm. Non-significant violation for linear C-R relationships was observed with exception of NO₂-weight and PM_2.5/NO₂-WC associations. Sex-stratified analyses revealed elevated vulnerability in women to gain of weight in exposure to PM_2.5 and NO₂. Sensitive analyses largely supported our primary findings via assessing exposure estimates from 1000 random simulations, and performing reanalysis based on non-imputed covariates and non-obese participants, as well as alternative indicators (i.e., body mass index and waist-to-height ratio).

CONCLUSIONS

We found positively robust associations of later-life exposure to air pollutants with gains in weight and WC based on a national sample of Chinese adult men and women. Our findings suggested that mitigation of air pollution may be an efficient intervention to relieve obesity burden.

ETV4 mediates dosage-dependent prostate tumor initiation and cooperates with p53 loss to generate prostate cancer

The mechanisms underlying ETS-driven prostate cancer initiation and progression remain poorly understood due to a lack of model systems that recapitulate this phenotype. We generated a genetically engineered mouse with prostate-specific expression of the ETS factor, ETV4, at lower and higher protein dosage through mutation of its degron. Lower-level expression of ETV4 caused mild luminal cell expansion without histologic abnormalities, and higher-level expression of stabilized ETV4 caused prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (mPIN) with 100% penetrance within 1 week. Tumor progression was limited by p53-mediated senescence and Trp53 deletion cooperated with stabilized ETV4. The neoplastic cells expressed differentiation markers such as Nkx3.1 recapitulating luminal gene expression features of untreated human prostate cancer. Single-cell and bulk RNA sequencing showed that stabilized ETV4 induced a previously unidentified luminal-derived expression cluster with signatures of cell cycle, senescence, and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. These data suggest that ETS overexpression alone, at sufficient dosage, can initiate prostate neoplasia.

Abstract 4033: Pan-exon mutant KIT inhibitor DCC-3009 demonstrates tumor regressions in preclinical gastrointestinal stromal tumor models

Introduction: Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are typically driven by primary mutations in KIT exons 9 or 11. Heterogeneous drug-resistant secondary mutations arise in patients treated with FDA approved KIT inhibitors, including imatinib and sunitinib. Drug resistant secondary mutations are found at multiple regions in the ATP pocket (encoded by exons 13 and 14) or activation switch (encoded by exons 17 and 18) of KIT kinase. In addition, multiple drug-resistant clones can arise within a tumor or in metastatic tumor sites. An inhibitor that can broadly and potently inhibit the spectrum of KIT mutations is highly sought. Ripretinib has been FDA approved as a 4th line treatment for GIST and has broad activity against KIT mutations, including clinical potency in patients with mutations in KIT exons 11, 17, or 18. DCC-3009 was designed as a next generation KIT inhibitor that broadly and potently inhibits primary KIT mutations in exons 9 and 11 and secondary drug-resistant mutations across exons 13, 14, 17, and 18. DCC-3009 is a potent and selective inhibitor in enzyme and cell-based assays, and has demonstrated efficacy in xenograft models driven by drug resistant KIT mutations.

Methods: DCC-3009 was tested for inhibition of KIT mutants using standard enzyme and cell-based assays. Levels of phosphorylated KIT were determined by Western blot or ELISA. Proliferation was measured using the fluorescent dye resazurin. KIT mutant xenograft or patient-derived xenograft models were performed at Crown Biosciences or Labcorp, AAALAC accredited facilities, with the approval of Animal Care and Use Committees.

Results: In BaF3 cells transfected with KIT mutants, DCC-3009 was shown to potently inhibit the spectrum of known primary and secondary drug-resistant mutations in GIST. The pan-mutant KIT profile of DCC-3009 was shown in vitro to be superior to 2nd and 3rd line standard of care therapies sunitinib and regorafenib. DCC-3009 was selective for KIT when screened against a large panel of kinases. DCC-3009 has optimized pharmaceutical properties for oral administration. In pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic studies DCC-3009 achieved sufficient free drug levels to significantly inhibit drug-resistant KIT mutants for 12 hr post dose. In xenograft studies, treatment with DCC-3009 twice daily led to tumor regression in drug-resistant models with KIT exon 9/13, 11/13 or 11/17 mutations.

Conclusions: DCC-3009 is a pan-exon mutant KIT inhibitor exhibiting high potency in KIT mutants in pre-clinical models spanning exons 9, 11, 13, 14, 17 and 18. In vivo, DCC-3009 exhibited efficacy in drug-resistant models with KIT exon 9/13, 11/13 or 11/17 mutations. Based on this profile, DCC-3009 has entered formal preclinical development.

Citation Format: Bryan D. Smith, Subha Vogeti, Timothy M. Caldwell, Hanumaiah Telikepalli, Yu Mi Ahn, Gada Al-Ani, Stacie L. Bulfer, Andrew Greenwood, Cale L. Heiniger, Joshua W. Large, Cynthia B. Leary, Wei-Ping Lu, Kylie Luther, William C. Patt, Max D. Petty, Yeni K. Romero, Forrest A. Stanley, Kristen L. Stoltz, Daniel C. Tanner, Sihyung Yang, Yu Zhan, Bertrand Le Bourdonnec, Daniel L. Flynn. Pan-exon mutant KIT inhibitor DCC-3009 demonstrates tumor regressions in preclinical gastrointestinal stromal tumor models. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 4033.

An edoplasmic reticulum-targeted NIR fluorescent probe with a large Stokes shift for hypoxia imaging

Hypoxia is closely linked to various diseases, including solid tumors. The level of nitroreductase (NTR) is usually abnormally upregulated in hypoxic conditions, which can be a biomarker of hypoxia. Herein, the first endoplasmic reticulum-targeting NIR fluorescent probe, ISO-NTR, was developed for highly selective and sensitive detection of NTR. It shows a large Stokes shift (185 nm) and a 5-fold increases in fluorescence intensity. Meanwhile, the ISO-NTR probe with a dicyanoisophorone derivative has excellent endoplasmic reticulum targeting in living systems with high Pearson's correlation coefficients (R_r = 0.9489). Molecular docking calculations and high binding energy between the probe and NTR (-10.78 kcal·mol^-1) may explain the high selectivity of ISO-NTR. Additionally, it has been successfully applied to NTR imaging in vitro and vivo due to its good sensitivity, high selectivity and large Stokes shift, which may provide an effective method for studying the physiological and pathological functions of NTR in living systems. This probe could be developed as a potential imaging tool to further explore the pathogenesis of hypoxia-related diseases in endoplasmic reticulum stress.

Intra-articular fragment mapping in associated both-column acetabular fractures

INTRODUCTION

Associated both-column acetabular fractures (ABC-AF) are complex. A detailed description of the morphology of the articular surface of the acetabulum is not reported. This study was designed to describe the morphology of the intra-articular fragments using a fracture mapping technique to provide reference in more appropriate approach selection in surgical treatment of the fractures.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Three-dimensional reconstruction CT images from 100 cases of ABC-AFs were retrospectively analyzed using Mimics and 3-matic software. The fractured as well as the reduced three-dimensional models were investigated, and the intra-articular fragments were identified. The distribution of the fracture lines of each main fragment and the overlapping lines of all the fragments were verified on the images.

RESULTS

The articular surface of ABC-AFS consist of three types of fragments: column fragment (CF), wall fragment (WF) and isolated fragment (IF), with the total number varying from 2 to 6. CF characterized by long fracture lines exited to periphery of innominate bone while the lines of WF were confined to the walls. IF was a free fragment found in the dome and in the quadrilateral plate. The surface was composed only by CFs in 17 cases (17%), by CFs and WFs in 59 cases (59%) and by all fragments in 24 cases (24%). The distribution of the overall fracture lines was a "dumbbell shaped" pattern, starting from the infero-anterior aspect, passing through the junction of the fossa to the anterior lunate surface and extending into the posterior region of the acetabulum.

CONCLUSIONS

The articular fragments of ABC-AFs were composed of CFs, WFs and IFs. The junction of the fossa to the anterior lunate surface and the posterior region of the rim were mostly involved. The location of the articular fragments and their connections to the periphery of the innominate may be considered in selection of approaches.

Expression and Clinical Significance of Serum sST2, BDNF, CTnI, and BUN/Cr in Patients With Heart Failure

Context

Of the 26-million people suffering from heart failure worldwide, 80% require hospitalization for treatment every year. Biomarkers for clinical diagnosis and prognostic evaluation of heart failure may include: (1) growth-stimulating expression gene 2 protein (sST2), (2) blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine (Cr), (3) cardiac troponin I (CTnI), and (4) brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNP). At present, few studies have occurred on the expression of those biomarkers in patients with heart failure.

Objective

The study intended to investigate the expression and clinical significance of serum- soluble sST2, BDNF, CTnI, and BUN/Cr in patients with heart failure.

Design

The research team designed a prospective controlled study.

Setting

The study took place at Renmin Hospital at the Hubei University of Medicine in Shiyan, Hubei, China.

Participants

Participants were 108 patients with heart failure who had been admitted to the hospital between March 2020 and March 2021 and 115 healthy individuals who received physical examinations during the same period.

Intervention

The intervention group included the 108 participants with heart failure, and the control group included the healthy individuals. The research team further divided the intervention group into stage II, III, and IV groups, with 23, 65, and 20 patients, respectively.

Outcome Measures

The research team collected and compared the serum levels of sST2, BDNF, CTnI, BUN/Cr, and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) between the groups. The team used the Pearson correlation analysis to analyze the correlation between each parameter and participants' cardiac function and multivariate logistic regression analysis to analyze the factors influencing heart failure.

Results

No significant differences existed in age, gender, or disease course between the combined intervention groups and the control group at baseline (P > .05). The sST2, CTnI, and BUN/Cr levels of the combined intervention groups were significantly higher than those of the control group postintervention. In addition, the sST2, CTnI, and BUN/Cr levels significantly increased as the disease stage progressed (all P < .05). The levels of BDNF and LVEF in the combined intervention group were significantly lower than those in the control group postintervention, with the two parameters having significantly decreased in the intervention groups as the disease stage progressed (all P < .05). The Pearson correlation analysis found that the sST2, CTnI, and BUN/Cr were positively correlated with cardiac function, with r = 0.483, P = .017; r = .521, P = .011; r = 0.321, P = .021; r = 0.271, = .032; and r = 0.632, P = .007, respectively. The BDNF and LVEF were negatively correlated with cardiac function, with r = -0.43, P < .001 and r = -0.39, P < .001, respectively. With heart failure as the dependent variable, the logistic regression analysis showed that the sST2, CTnI, BUN, Cr, and BUN/Cr were the risk factors for heart failure, and the BDNF and LVEF were the protective factors against heart failure.

Conclusions

The serum sST2, CTnI, and BUN/Cr were highly expressed in patients with heart failure, while the expression of BDNF was low. Medical practitioners should pay attention to the risk factors sST2, CTnI, and BUN/Cr, and a higher BNDF indicates a better condition in patients with heart failure.

Effect of ginsenosides on microbial community and enzyme activity in continuous cropping soil of ginseng

Root exudates contain plant metabolites secreted by the roots into the soil, such as ginsenosides secreted by the ginseng root. However, little is known about ginseng root exudate and its impact on the chemical and microbial properties of soil. In this study, the effect of increasing concentrations of ginsenosides on the chemical and microbial properties of soil was tested. Chemical analysis and high-throughput sequencing techniques were used to evaluate the soil chemical properties and microbial characteristics following exogenous application of 0.1 mg·L^-1, 1 mg·L^-1, and 10 mg·L^-1 ginsenosides. Ginsenosides application significantly altered soil enzyme activities; SOM-dominated physicochemical properties were significantly reduced which altered the composition and structure of the soil microbial community. In particular, treatment with 10 mg∙L^-1 ginsenosides significantly increased the relative abundance of pathogenic fungi such as Fusarium, Gibberella and Neocosmospora. These findings indicate that ginsenosides in root exudates are important factors that may lead to increased deterioration of soil during ginseng cultivation and provided new research direction for the subsequent study on the mechanism of interaction between ginsenosides and soil microbial communities.

The potential of the gut microbiome for identifying Alzheimer's disease diagnostic biomarkers and future therapies

Being isolated from the peripheral system by the blood-brain barrier, the brain has long been considered a completely impervious tissue. However, recent findings show that the gut microbiome (GM) influences gastrointestinal and brain disorders such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). Despite several hypotheses, such as neuroinflammation, tau hyperphosphorylation, amyloid plaques, neurofibrillary tangles, and oxidative stress, being proposed to explain the origin and progression of AD, the pathogenesis remains incompletely understood. Epigenetic, molecular, and pathological studies suggest that GM influences AD development and have endeavored to find predictive, sensitive, non-invasive, and accurate biomarkers for early disease diagnosis and monitoring of progression. Given the growing interest in the involvement of GM in AD, current research endeavors to identify prospective gut biomarkers for both preclinical and clinical diagnoses, as well as targeted therapy techniques. Here, we discuss the most recent findings on gut changes in AD, microbiome-based biomarkers, prospective clinical diagnostic uses, and targeted therapy approaches. Furthermore, we addressed herbal components, which could provide a new venue for AD diagnostic and therapy research.