Dual detection of Hg2+ and Pb2+ by a coumarin-functionalized Schiff base in environmental and biosystems

Fluorescent chemosensors are often preferred for tracking toxic ions because of their non-destructive measurement and ease of use in environmental real samples and biosystems. Exploring high selectivity, great sensitivity, and biocompatible fluorophores with facile, accessible and dual-responsive features is currently highly demanding. A coumarin-based naphthol hydrazone Schiff base chemosensor, NaChro, is designed and synthesized in a two-step process to detect toxic metal ions with strong emission. Fluorescence spectra analysis demonstrates that the probe binds to Hg2+ and Pb2+ ions with a 1:1 and a 2:1 stoichiometry, respectively, with high sensitivity, short response time and minimal interference from other metal ions. The observed reversible turn-on reaction was attributed to the inhibition of C = N isomerization and excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) processes once the ions were introduced. The practical applications of NaChro are successfully addressed in paper strips, various water samples, HeLa cells and Zebrafish, demonstrating that the probe can detect and track Hg2+ and Pb2+ ions in environmental samples and biosystems.

Discovering a New Drug Against Acute Kidney Injury by Using a Tailored Photoacoustic Imaging Probe

Acute kidney injury (AKI) has become an increasing concern for patients due to the widespread clinical use of nephrotoxic drugs. Currently, the early diagnosis of AKI is still challenging and the available therapeutic drugs cannot meet the clinical demand. Herein, this work has investigated the key redox couple involved in AKI and develops a tailored photoacoustic (PA) imaging probe (AB-DiOH) which can reversibly respond to hypochlorite (ClO-)/glutathione (GSH) with high specificity and sensitivity. This probe enables the real-time monitoring of AKI by noninvasive PA imaging, with better detection sensitivity than the blood test. Furthermore, this probe is utilized for screening nephroprotective drugs among natural products. For the first time, astragalin is discovered to be a potential new drug for the treatment of AKI. After oral administration, astragalin can be efficiently absorbed by the animal body, alleviate kidney injury, and meanwhile induce no damage to other normal tissues. The treatment mechanism of astragalin has also been revealed to be the simultaneous inhibition of oxidative stress, ferroptosis, and cuproposis. The developed PA imaging probe and the discovered drug candidate provide a promising new tool and strategy for the early diagnosis and effective treatment of AKI.

Reducing the risk of tooth injury in anterior maxillary interdental osteotomy for cleft lip and palate patients using a surgical navigation technique

The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical feasibility of preventing tooth injury from anterior maxillary interdental osteotomy by using a surgical navigation technique. A retrospective review was conducted on cleft lip and palate patients treated with anterior maxillary osteotomy followed by distraction osteogenesis between August 2019 and May 2022. Patients operated on through image guidance were enrolled in the navigation group, while those who were operated on freehand were enrolled in the freehand group. Tooth injuries were identified on postoperative images. Linear and angular deviations of the osteotomy line were measured. Twelve patients were enrolled in the study, seven in the navigation group and five in the freehand group. Altogether, 24 osteotomy lines and 53 adjacent teeth were evaluated. The dental injury rate was 3% in the navigation group and 27% in the freehand group (P = 0.016). The average linear deviations (mean ± standard deviation) were 0.67 ± 0.30 mm and 2.05 ± 1.33 mm, respectively (P < 0.001), while the average angular deviations were 1.67 ± 0.68° and 11.41 ± 7.46°, respectively (P < 0.001). The results suggest that navigation was able to reduce the tooth injury risk compared with freehand interdental osteotomies in crowded dental arches.

Electrocatalytic Oxygen Reduction Reaction of Peripheral Functionalized Cobalt Porphyrins(2.1.2.1)

Two peripheral functionalized clamp-shaped cobalt porphyrin(2.1.2.1) complexes were synthesized, and their electrocatalytic ORR abilities were investigated. The crystal data and optical and redox properties of them were revised by peripheral modification. The ORR capacities and DFT calculations of F5PhCo and F5NCo suggest superior selectivity for the 4e- ORR pathway. This work further confirms the clamp-shaped cobalt porphyrin complexes are ideal Co-N4 ORR catalysts.

Artificial Space Weathering to Mimic Solar Wind Enhances the Toxicity of Lunar Dust Simulants in Human Lung Cells

During NASA's Apollo missions, inhalation of dust particles from lunar regolith was identified as a potential occupational hazard for astronauts. These fine particles adhered tightly to spacesuits and were unavoidably brought into the living areas of the spacecraft. Apollo astronauts reported that exposure to the dust caused intense respiratory and ocular irritation. This problem is a potential challenge for the Artemis Program, which aims to return humans to the Moon for extended stays in this decade. Since lunar dust is "weathered" by space radiation, solar wind, and the incessant bombardment of micrometeorites, we investigated whether treatment of lunar regolith simulants to mimic space weathering enhanced their toxicity. Two such simulants were employed in this research, Lunar Mare Simulant-1 (LMS-1), and Lunar Highlands Simulant-1 (LHS-1), which were added to cultures of human lung epithelial cells (A549) to simulate lung exposure to the dusts. In addition to pulverization, previously shown to increase dust toxicity sharply, the simulants were exposed to hydrogen gas at high temperature as a proxy for solar wind exposure. This treatment further increased the toxicity of both simulants, as measured by the disruption of mitochondrial function, and damage to DNA both in mitochondria and in the nucleus. By testing the effects of supplementing the cells with an antioxidant (N-acetylcysteine), we showed that a substantial component of this toxicity arises from free radicals. It remains to be determined to what extent the radicals arise from the dust itself, as opposed to their active generation by inflammatory processes in the treated cells.

Effects of tuning the structural symmetry of cobalt porphyrin on electrocatalytic oxygen reduction reactions

Metalloporphyrins have attracted significant attention as highly promising alternatives to Pt-based electrocatalysts in the realm of oxygen reduction reactions (ORRs). While the structure of porphyrin is widely recognized as a pivotal factor influencing the ORR performance, the impact of molecular symmetry, which is one of the key properties of the molecular structure, has rarely been understood and its effects remain largely unexplored. Herein, we designed and synthesized two triphenylamine (TPA)-substituted cobalt porphyrins, the asymmetric aBz-TCoP and the symmetric Bz-2TCoP, which are doped onto carbon black to construct composite catalysts for ORRs. The electronic structures of both porphyrins are determined through density functional theory (DFT) calculations, and the morphology and electronic states of the composites are examined by spectroscopic techniques. A series of electrochemical measurements demonstrate the superior activity, selectivity and durability of Bz-2TCoP/C to aBz-TCoP/C in ORRs conducted in both acidic and alkaline electrolytes. The improved ORR properties of the symmetric porphyrin may stem from the steric properties rather than the electronic properties of the chemical structure. This work represents a preliminary study on the effects of porphyrin structural symmetry on electrocatalysis and provides a potential strategy for further structural modifications of metalloporphyrins, as non-noble metal electrocatalysts, to enhance the ORR performance.

Strategies for Improving Selectivity and Sensitivity of Schiff Base Fluorescent Chemosensors for Toxic and Heavy Metals

Toxic cations, including heavy metals, pose significant environmental and health risks, necessitating the development of reliable detection methods. This review investigates the techniques and approaches used to strengthen the sensitivity and selectivity of Schiff base fluorescent chemosensors designed specifically to detect toxic and heavy metal cations. The paper explores a range of strategies, including functional group variations, structural modifications, and the integration of nanomaterials or auxiliary receptors, to amplify the efficiency of these chemosensors. By improving selectivity towards targeted cations and achieving heightened sensitivity and detection limits, consequently, these strategies contribute to the advancement of accurate and efficient detection methods while increasing the range of end-use applications. The findings discussed in this review offer valuable insights into the potential of leveraging Schiff base fluorescent chemosensors for the accurate and reliable detection and monitoring of heavy metal cations in various fields, including environmental monitoring, biomedical research, and industrial safety.

The economic burden of coronary heart disease in mainland China

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to systematically evaluate the current economic burden of coronary heart disease (CHD) in mainland China and provide a reference for the formulation of policies to reduce the economic burden of CHD.

STUDY DESIGN

A systematic literature review was conducted of empirical studies on the economic burden of CHD over the past 20 years.

METHODS

PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, China Knowledge Resource Integrated Database and the WANFANG database were comprehensively searched for relevant articles published between 1 January 2000 and 22 December 2021. Content analysis was used to extract the data, and Stata 17.0 software was used for analysis. The median values were used to describe trends.

RESULTS

A total of 35 studies were included in this review. The annual median per-capita hospitalisation expense and the average expense per hospitalisation were $3544.40 ($891.64-$18,371.46) and $5407.34 ($1139.93-$8277.55), respectively. The median ratio on medical consumables expenses, drug expenses, medical examination expenses and treatment expenses were 41.59% (12.40%-63.73%), 26.90% (7.30%-60.00%), 9.45% (1.65%-33.40%) and 10.10% (2.36%-66.00%), respectively. The median per-capita hospitalisation expense in the eastern, central and western regions were $9374.45 ($2056.13-$18,371.46), $4751.5 ($2951.95-$8768.93) and $3251.25 ($891.64-$13,986.38), respectively. The median average expense per hospitalisation in the eastern and central regions were $6177.15 ($1679.15-$8277.55) and $1285.49 ($1239.93-$2197.36), respectively. The median average length of stay in the eastern, central and western regions were 9.3 days, 15.2 days and 16.1 days, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The economic burden of CHD is more severe in mainland China than in developed countries, especially in terms of the direct economic burden. In terms of the types of direct medical expenses, a proportion of medical examination expenses, treatment expenses and drug expenses were lowest in the eastern region, but medical consumables expenses were the highest in this region. This study provides guidance for the formulation of policies to reduce the economic burden of CHD in mainland China.

A Multiomics Analysis of the Close Connection between Intratumoral Microbiota and Immune Cell Infiltration in Colorectal Cancer

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

The colorectal intratumoral microbiome and its association with the expression of the tumor genome and immune cell infiltration remain poorly characterized. Our study aims to investigate the relationship between intratumoral microbiota with tumor immune infiltration, patient prognosis, and potential downstream signaling pathways.

MATERIALS/METHODS

We collected biopsy samples of tumor tissue and paracancerous tissue from 92 patients with colorectal cancer, and acquired microbiota profiling in these samples using 16s rRNA sequencing. Meanwhile, the immune markers including CD8, FOXP3, CD163, PD-1 and PD-L1 were stained by immunohistochemistry (IHC) to identify the immune infiltration in tumors. Furthermore, we used The Cancer Genome Atlas and The Cancer Microbiome Atlas databases to conduct multiomics analysis on tumor flora and patient survival, tumor gene expression profile and potential downstream pathways.

RESULTS

There was a significant difference in α-diversity (p = 0.00051) and β-diversity (p = 0.004) between tumor and paracancerous tissues. The β-diversity of intratumoral bacterial differed by colorectal cancer tumor stage (early vs. late stage, p = 0.049) and location (left vs. right colon, p = 0.04). Stage-related flora cluster (Porphyromonas, Lachnoclostridium, Bacteroides, Aggregatibacter, and Hungatella) were identified and found to be associated with poor prognosis in colorectal cancer patients (HR = 1.79, p = 0.015). By IHC staining, we found that expression of PD-1 and FOXP3 was significantly reduced at low abundance of stage-related bacterial cluster (p<0.05). Among of them, Hungatella was negatively associated with CD8+T cell infiltration (p<0.05) in tumor. Besides, tumor-location related flora cluster (Bacteroides and Blautia) were identified and found to be associated with good prognosis in colorectal cancer patients (HR = 0.52, p = 0.011). Expression of CD163 was decreased at high abundance of location-related bacterial cluster (p<0.05). Among of them, Blautia was negatively correlated with tumor-associated macrophage infiltration(p<0.05). Furthermore, we found that the stage-related flora cluster was positively connected with the pathway of bile acid metabolism, whereas the location-dependent cluster was negatively correlated with this pathway.

CONCLUSION

We found specific intratumoral bacterial clusters that were related to tumor stage and location, and the clusters were strongly associated with tumor immune infiltration and patient prognosis. Our findings may provide new viewpoint for future research between intratumoral microbiota, metabolism pathway and tumor microenvironment.

Perturbation of Gut Microbiota Modulated the Abscopal Effects of Immunoradiotherapy in Rectal Cancer

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

The abscopal effect-the regression of malignancies outside the irradiation zone-can be increased by combining radiotherapy (RT) with immunotherapy. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether the gut microbiota affected the abscopal effect following immunoradiotherapy (iRT) in rectal cancer.

MATERIALS/METHODS

Bilateral MC38 subcutaneous tumors (primary and abscopal tumor) were established in C57/B6 mice with or without oral antibiotic treatment (preadministration of vancomycin, streptomycin, and ampicillin 14 days before therapy). Mice with or without antibiotic therapy were then randomized into eight groups to receive one of four treatments: (1) RT to the primary tumor + anti-PD-1 therapy (iRT), (2) RT to the primary tumor (RT), (3) anti-PD-1 therapy (anti-PD-1), and (4) no treatment. Flow cytometry was used to determine the composition and function of immune cells in the primary and abscopal tumors as well as in the spleen. 16S rRNA sequencing was used to assess the gut microbiome alteration following antibiotic intervention. Multiple bioinformatics were then explored to investigate the impact of specific flora that related to abscopal antitumor effect.

RESULTS

We found that radiation on primary tumors exhibited cytotoxic effect in nonirradiated (abscopal) tumors (p=0.0057, RT vs. untreated group; p=0.0037, iRT vs. anti-PD-1 group). In contrast, abscopal tumors were resistant to the anticancer effects of RT when antibiotics were given (p=0.5374, RT + antibiotics vs. untreated group + antibiotics; p=0.42, iRT + antibiotics vs. anti-PD-1 + antibiotics group). Comparing the RT+antibiotics group to the RT group, we discovered that the number of CD8+CD44+ T cells decreased significantly in both abscopal tumors (p<0.001) and spleens (p=0.0061). In anti-PD-1-treated groups, antibiotics significantly reduced the number of CD8+GranzymeB+ T cells in primary tumors (p=0.0061) and CD4+CD25+ T cells in spleens (p<0.001). In iRT-treated groups, the antibiotic reduced the fraction of CD4+INF-γ+ cells in abscopal tumors (p=0.0134), and increased the number of CD4+PD-1+ T cells in spleens (p<0.001). Moreover, we found that both α- and β-diversity decreased significantly in the gut microbiota after antibiotic treatment (p=0.0079 and p<0.001, respectively). The abundance of g_Alistipes, g_Lactobacillus, g_Lachnospiraceae and g__Lactobacillus fell dramatically in the presence of antibiotics. In addition, functional analyses of Picrust2 and KEGG revealed that antibiotic therapy had the most profound impact on the D-Alanine metabolism pathway (p<0.001).

CONCLUSION

We found that the alteration of the gut microbiome by antibiotics significantly affects the local and systemic antitumoral effect of iRT, our results may provide new insight on how gut modification converts the local anticancer effects of RT into a systemic response that targets metastatic tumors.

PARP Inhibitor Plus Radiotherapy Reshapes IDH1 Mutation Tumor Immune Suppression Microenvironment Potentiating the Efficiency of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

Isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1) mutations confer gain-of-function activity by converting α-ketoglutarate (α-KG) to the oncometabolite D-2-hydroxyglutarate (D-2HG). IDH mutant tumors have fewer tumor-infiltrating CD8+ T cells and reduced PD-L1 expression compared with their wild type (WT) counterparts. In addition, 2-HG can directly inhibit the killing and proliferative functions of CD8+ T lymphocytes, and suggesting that 2-HG promotes an immunosuppressive TME. Several studies have shown that 2-HG can inhibit homologous recombination (HR) and weaken the DNA damage response (DDR), making them more sensitive to poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors and radiotherapy (RT). At the same time, RT and PARP inhibition (PARPi) have been considered to be a new direction to stimulate antitumor immunity. Therefore, our study intends to use RT + PARPi to reverse the immunosuppressive microenvironment caused by IDH1 mutations, thereby promoting the therapeutic effect of immune checkpoint inhibitors.

MATERIALS/METHODS

We compared the immune responses of clinical tissue samples and TCGA data from either IDH1mut or IDH1WT low-grade gliomas. We then established IDH1mut-overexpressing MC38 and GL261 cell lines to determine the antitumor effect of RT + PARPi. Apoptosis and immunogenic death markers were detected by flow cytometry, western blot (WB) and ELISA in these cell lines. Tumor growth and mouse survival curves were observed in both an MC38 subcutaneous and GL261 orthotopic tumor model. Changes in the composition of the immune microenvironment were assessed using flow cytometry. The mechanisms underpinning these compositional shifts were then further interrogated using various techniques, including WB, immunofluorescence, qRT-PCR, CRISPR/Cas9, and CD8+ T cell migration experiments.

RESULTS

We observed that CD8+ T cell infiltration and expression of the chemokines CXCL10 and CCL5 of CD8+ T cells in IDH1mut tumors were significantly downregulated by immunohistochemistry and TCGA analysis. Gene enrichment analysis using the TCGA database found that IDH1 mutations downregulated interferon (IFN)-related signaling pathways. RT + PARPi induces more DNA damage and actives the CGAS-STING pathway compared with monotherapy, leading to more expression of IFN-β, CXCL10 and CCL5 at mRNA and protein level. In the MC38 subcutaneous tumor model, we found that RT + PARPi increased the infiltration of CD8+ T cells while enhancing the killing function of CD8+ T cells. We observed these same effects in the GL261 orthoma model, as well as increased proliferation function of CD8+ T cells. In addition, RT + PARPi increased the expression of PD-L1 and enhanced the therapeutic effect of immune checkpoint inhibitors.

CONCLUSION

RT + PARPi reshapes the IDH1mut tumor immune suppression microenvironment, thereby potentiating the antitumor effect and efficiency of immune checkpoint inhibitor.

[Epidemiological characteristics of imported malaria cases after malaria elimination in Yixing City of Jiangsu Province]

OBJECTIVE

To analyse the epidemiological characteristics of imported malaria cases after malaria elimination in Yixing City, Jiangsu Province, so as to provide reference for malaria prevention and control in grassroots healthcare institutions.

METHODS

All data pertaining to malaria cases reported in Yixing City from 2016 to 2022 were retrieved from Chinese Disease Control and Prevention Information System, and the data pertaining to vector monitoring and human malaria parasite infections from 2016 to 2022 were collected for a descriptive statistical analysis.

RESULTS

A total of 14 imported malaria cases were reported in Yixing City from 2016 to 2022, including 12 cases with Plasmodium falciparum malaria, one case with P. vivax malaria and one case with P. ovale malaria, and all cases acquired infections in Africa and then returned to Yixing City. Malaria cases were reported across 2016 to 2022 except in 2020 and 2021. Malaria cases were predominantly reported during the period between December and February of the next year, and workers were the predominant occupation. The institutions where malaria was initially diagnosed included county-level general hospitals, county-level disease prevention and control institutions and grassroots healthcare centers, and there were 10 cases with definitive diagnosis of malaria on the day of initial diagnosis, with a 64.29% (9/14) correct rate of initial diagnosis. There were 5 cases diagnosed with severe malaria, and the standardized response rate was 100.00% following the "1-3-7" surveillance and response strategy. Of all malaria vectors, only Anopheles sinensis was monitored in Yixing City from 2016 to 2022, and all humans were tested negative for blood smears exceptimportedmalariacases.

CONCLUSIONS

The correct rate of initial malaria diagnosis was not high in healthcare institutions in Yixing City from 2016 to 2022, and there are still multiple challenges for prevention of re-establishment of imported malaria.

A pyridine modified naphthol hydrazone Schiff base chemosensor for Al3+ via intramolecular charge transfer process

A pyridine modified naphthol hydrazone Schiff base chemosensor, NaPy, was prepared in a two-step process to detect aluminum ion (Al³⁺) in different samples. The probe shows a turn-off emission response towards Al³⁺ at a 1:1 binding stoichiometry via intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) mechanism, as validated by density functional theory (DFT) calculations and a series of spectroscopic measurements. The response time is slightly over one minute with a limit of detection (LOD) value of 0.164 µM, demonstrating the great sensitivity of the probe. It is also found that NaPy exhibits high selectivity towards Al³⁺ and resists interference from seventeen other cations. Application investigations in paper strips, water samples and HeLa cells suggest that NaPy can be used as an efficient probe for sensing Al³⁺ in real environmental samples and biosystems.

A BODIPY-based fluorescent chemosensor with 2, 6-substitution for visual and highly selective detection of S2

BODIPY derivatives have often been employed as fluorescent sensors to probe toxic ions in environment and living systems, such as sulfide ion (S^2-). Whilst many structure modifications have been exploited on groups at the 3, 5, 8-positions, there are quite few examples on tailoring the 2,6-substituents for chemosensor investigations. Herein, we design and synthesize a 2,6-substituted BODIPY molecule, LM-BDP, to use as a fluorescent probe for detecting S^2- in aqueous media. The electronic and crystal structures of the probe are studied by density functional theory (DFT) calculations and single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. Spectroscopy investigations are performed in a variety of conditions, showing that LM-BDP exhibits a noticeable color change from pink to dark red and a fluorescence shift from yellow to pink channel with decreased intensity upon addition of S^2-. The selectivity and sensitivity measurements show that LM-BDP can only response to S^2- with a detection limit of 0.29 μM in less than 100 s. The remarkable contrast in fluorescence images in test-stripe and RAW 264.7 cell experiments indicates that the probe is a proper candidate for the application in detecting exogenous S^2-.

A naphthol hydrazone Schiff base bearing benzothiadiazole unit for fluorescent detection of Fe3+ in PC3 cells

Naphthol hydrazone derivatives are recognized as efficient chelating agents for both qualitative and quantitative detection of metal ions. Here we design a naphthol hydrazine-based chemosensor with covalently linking a strong electron-withdrawing benzothiadiazole group to modulate the molecular electronic structure, nominated as NtHzBtd. The fluorescent probe performs excellent selectivity and sensitivity towards Fe³⁺ with 1:1 binding stoichiometry, while exhibiting a quick response at 55 s with a relatively low limit of detection of 0.036 µM. A series of spectroscopic measurements in tandem with theoretical calculations suggest that the probe undergoes both intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) and chelation enhanced quenching (CHEQ) processes. Successful color rendering of paper strips and bioimaging in PC3 cells demonstrate the promising applicability of NtHzBtd for portable Fe³⁺ detection in real samples and biosystems.

An objective, quantitative, dynamic assessment of facial movement symmetry changes after orthognathic surgery

The aim of this study was to generate a quantitative dynamic assessment of facial movement symmetry changes after orthognathic surgery. Twenty-five patients diagnosed with skeletal class III malocclusion with facial asymmetry who underwent bimaxillary surgery were recruited. The patients were asked to perform a maximum smile that was recorded using a three-dimensional facial motion capture system preoperatively (T0), 6 months postoperatively (T1), and 12 months postoperatively (T2). Eleven facial landmarks were selected to analyse the cumulative distance and average speed during smiling. The absolute differences for the paired landmarks between the sides were analysed to reflect the symmetry changes. The results showed that the asymmetry index of the cheilions at T2 was significantly lower than that at T0 (P = 0.004), as was the index of the mid-lateral lower lips (P = 0.006). The mean difference in cheilions was 2.13 ± 1.41 mm at T0, 1.33 ± 1.09 mm at T1, and 1.00 ± 0.98 mm at T2. The facial total mobility at T1 was significantly lower than that at T0 (P < 0.001), while the total mobility at T2 was significantly higher than that at T1 (P = 0.012). The orthognathic surgical correction of facial asymmetry was able to improve the associated asymmetry of facial movements.

Turn-off detection of Cr(III) with chelation enhanced fluorescence quenching effect by a naphthyl hydrazone Shiff base chemosensor

A thiophene substituted naphthyl hydrazone derivative NHT was synthesized using a one-step route for the detection of trivalent chromium (Cr³⁺). UV-visible absorption and emission spectra, density functional theory calculations as well as ¹H NMR titration confirmed that the probe underwent a turn-off response via the chelation enhanced fluorescence quenching effect upon exposure to Cr³⁺ and the NHT-Cr³⁺ complex was formed at a 1:1 binding stoichiometry. NHT exhibited a fast response rate of 2.3 min in buffer solution and a relatively low limit of detection of 41 nM. In addition, the Schiff base chemosensor exhibited excellent selectivity with high affinity towards Cr³⁺ in the presence of other competing cations. Bioimaging of the probe in PC3 cells further demonstrated the potential real life application of the probe in detecting Cr³⁺.

P12.09.B Extracellular vesicle derived-miR-146a increases melanoma brain metastasis progression via Notch signalling pathway dysregulation

Background

Melanoma has the highest tropism of any cancer to metastasize to the brain, and 40% of late-stage patients develop brain metastasis. Invasion, survival, and progression of tumors is dependent on the support of the surrounding microenvironment; therefore, modulation of neighboring cells is a key factor in metastasis. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are important in cell-to-cell signalling, shuttling proteins, RNA and DNA to alter the surroundings into a favorable tumor microenvironment. Our aims were to investigate the role of melanoma brain metastasis (MBM) derived EVs in MBM development to find possible contributing mechanisms to cancer progression for eventual therapeutic targeting.

Material and Methods

MBM-EVs isolated via sequential ultracentrifugation were injected into mice as a pre-treatment prior to intracardial injection of MBM cells. EVs were co-cultured with normal human astrocytes (NHA) to investigate phenotypic changes. MiRNA sequencing was performed on EVs collected from MBM cells and compared to NHA and melanocytes to determine a candidate miRNA for targeting. In situ hybridization was utilized to evaluate the level of miRNA in clinical patient MBM samples. Functional in vivo validation was performed by injecting miRNA knockout MBM cells into mice. Sequencing of NHA in the presence or absence of target miRNA mimic was used to determine downstream targets.

Results

Mice primed with EVs had a significant increase in MBM tumor burden, compared to non-primed mice. Co-culture with MBM-EVs resulted in NHA activation in vitro, with increased proliferation, invasion, cytokine production, and upregulation of GFAP. MiR-146a was highly upregulated in MBM EVs, and miR-146a mimics activated NHA. Patient samples had a significant increase in miR-146a expression, compared to healthy brain controls. MiR-146a knockdown in MBM mice models reduced MBM burden and prolonged animal survival. Sequencing of NHA determined NUMB, an inhibitor of the Notch signalling pathway, as a target of miR-146a. Numb and other downstream Notch proteins expression was significantly altered in NHA in the presence of both MBM-EVs and miR-146a.

Conclusion

In conclusion, EVs are important regulators of MBM and establish tumor-supporting reactive astrocytes by delivery of miR-146a. MiR-146a alters Notch signalling in astrocytes via inhibition of the tumor suppressor gene NUMB. Elevated miR-146a levels in patients suggests a potential clinical intervention is possible via miR-146a targeting.

Promotion of Catalytic Oxygen Reduction Reactions: The Utility of Proton Management Substituents on Cobalt Porphyrins

Three ABAB-type cobalt meso-tetraarylporphyrins with fluorine (F-CoPor), acetic acid (AC-CoPor), and cyanoacetic acid (CN-CoPor) groups at the para-positions of phenyl rings at the 10,20-positions are synthesized and evaluated as catalysts for oxygen reduction reactions (ORRs). In density functional theory calculations, the frontier molecular orbitals of these complexes were found to be stabilized relative to model complexes with electron-withdrawing atoms or moieties on the meso-aryl rings. Electrochemical measurements suggest that electrodes with CN-CoPor (CN-CoPor/C) exhibit the most positive ORR potential values and the highest limiting current density in both acidic and alkali electrolytes, while the F-CoPor/C electrocatalyst exhibits extremely low ORR performance. The electron transfer numbers for the electrocatalysts are more than 3.0, indicating that a mixture of 2- and 4-electron transfer pathways occurs. The results demonstrate that coupling the hydrogen bonding properties and electron-withdrawing abilities through rational design of the substituent at the meso-position is an efficient way to modify the ORR performance.

A dicyanoisophorone-based fluorescent probe for hypochlorite with a fast response and its applications in bioimaging

One kind of phenolic substituted dicyanoisophorone derivative (Is-OL) has been designed and successfully synthesized for the detection of hypochlorite in water samples, test strips and living HeLa cells. The probe Is-OL showed high sensitivity and selectivity to hypochlorite over other competitive ROS and metal ions. Moreover, Is-OL can react instantaneously with hypochlorite (<5 s) while exhibiting a significant color change from yellow to colorless, which makes "naked-eye" detection possible with a low detection limit (0.095 μM). The results based on water tests and living HeLa cell experiments showed that Is-OL could be applied as a potential candidate for the detection of hypochlorite.

POS1029 EFFECTS OF TREATMENT WITH RISANKIZUMAB ON MINIMAL DISEASE ACTIVITY (MDA) AND DISEASE ACTIVITY IN PSORIATIC ARTHRITIS (DAPSA): AN ANALYSIS OF THE KEEPsAKE-1 AND -2 TRIALS

Background

Risankizumab (RZB) is a monoclonal antibody that specifically inhibits interleukin 23.

Objectives

To evaluate the achievement of Minimal Disease Activity (MDA), its components, and achievement of Disease Activity in PsA Low Disease Activity and Remission (DAPSA LDA+REM, [DAPSA score ≤14]) in patients receiving RZB or placebo (PBO) in the KEEPsAKE 1 and 2 clinical trials.

Methods

KEEPsAKE-1 and -2, double-blind, phase 3 trials, evaluated the efficacy of RZB versus PBO for the treatment of adult patients with active psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Patients were randomized (1:1) to receive subcutaneous RZB 150 mg or PBO at weeks 0, 4, and 16. The open label extension began at Week 24 with all patients receiving RZB 150 mg every 12 weeks thereafter. Achievement of MDA, its components, and achievement of DAPSA LDA+REM are reported using non-responder imputation.

Results

MDA achievement at Week 52 in KEEPsAKE-1 was 37.9% for patients originally randomized to RZB and 27.4% for patients originally randomized to PBO. In KEEPsAKE-2, MDA achievement was 27.2% and 33.8% for patients originally randomized to RZB and PBO, respectively. Achievement of MDA and its components are presented in Figure 1. In KEEPsAKE-1, at Week 52 59.2% of patients originally randomized to RZB and 51.4% of patients originally randomized to PBO achieved DAPSA LDA+REM. At Week 52 in KEEPsAKE-2, DAPSA LDA+REM was achieved by 44.6% of patients originally randomized to RZB and 46.6% of patients originally randomized to PBO (Figure 1).

Conclusion

Patients treated with RZB demonstrate achievement of MDA, its components, and DAPSA LDA+REM at Weeks 24 and 52.

Acknowledgements

AbbVie Inc, participated in the study design; study research; collection, analysis and interpretation of data; and writing, reviewing, and approving of this abstract for submission. AbbVie funded the research for this study and provided writing support for this abstract. Medical writing assistance was provided by Trisha Rettig, Ph.D. of AbbVie

Disclosure of Interests

Joseph F. Merola Consultant of: Amgen, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Abbvie, Dermavant, Eli Lilly, Novartis, Janssen, UCB, Sanofi, Regeneron, Sun Pharma, Biogen, Pfizer and Leo Pharma, Iain McInnes Consultant of: AbbVie, Amgen, Astra Zeneca, Compugen, Cabaletta, Evelo, Janssen, Lilly, Novartis, Pfizer, Sanofi, and UCB, Grant/research support from: AbbVie, Amgen, Astra Zeneca, Janssen, Lilly, Novartis, Pfizer, UCB, Arthur Kavanaugh Consultant of: AbbVie Inc., Amgen, Astra-Zeneca, BMS, Celgene, Centocor-Janssen, Pfizer, Roche, and UCB, Grant/research support from: AbbVie Inc., Amgen, Astra-Zeneca, BMS, Celgene, Centocor-Janssen, Pfizer, Roche, and UCB, Peter Nash Speakers bureau: Abbvie, Amgen, Janssen, Lilly, Novartis, Pfizer, UCB, BMS, Rocje, Sanofi, Gilead/Galapagos, MSD, Samsung, Celgene, Amgen, Boehringer, Consultant of: Abbvie, Amgen, Janssen, Lilly, Novartis, Pfizer, UCB, BMS, Rocje, Sanofi, Gilead/Galapagos, MSD, Samsung, Celgene, Amgen, Boehringer, Grant/research support from: Abbvie, Amgen, Janssen, Lilly, Novartis, Pfizer, UCB, BMS, Rocje, Sanofi, Gilead/Galapagos, MSD, Samsung, Celgene, Amgen, Boehringer, Zhenyi Xue Shareholder of: AbbVie Inc., Employee of: AbbVie Inc., Vassilis Stakias Shareholder of: AbbVie Inc., Employee of: AbbVie Inc., Ann Eldred Shareholder of: AbbVie Inc., Employee of: AbbVie Inc., Sandra Ciecinski Shareholder of: AbbVie Inc., Employee of: AbbVie Inc., Kevin Douglas Shareholder of: AbbVie Inc., Employee of: AbbVie Inc., Laura Coates Speakers bureau: AbbVie, Amgen, Biogen, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Galapagos, Gilead, Janssen, Medac, Novartis, Pfizer and UCB, Consultant of: AbbVie, Amgen, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol Myers Squibb, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Gilead, Galapagos, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer and UCB, Grant/research support from: AbbVie, Amgen, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Janssen, Novartis and Pfizer

POS1032 RISANKIZUMAB FOR ACTIVE PSORIATIC ARTHRITIS: INTEGRATED SUBGROUP ANALYSIS FROM 2 DOUBLE-BLIND, PLACEBO-CONTROLLED, PHASE 3 STUDIES (KEEPsAKE 1 AND KEEPsAKE 2)

Background

Risankizumab (RZB), a monoclonal antibody that specifically inhibits interleukin 23, is being investigated as a treatment for adults with psoriatic arthritis (PsA).

Objectives

We report the proportion of patients with active PsA treated with RZB vs placebo who achieved ≥20% improvement in American College of Rheumatology criteria (ACR20) by baseline demographics and by concomitant or prior medication use subgroups.

Methods

KEEPsAKE 1 (NCT03675308) and KEEPsAKE 2 (NCT03671148) are ongoing, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 studies. Patients with active PsA with an inadequate response or intolerance to conventional synthetic disease-modifying, anti-rheumatic drug (csDMARD; KEEPsAKE 1 and 2) and/or biologic therapy (KEEPsAKE 2) received RZB 150 mg or placebo (1:1). The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients achieving ≥20% improvement in ACR criteria (ACR20) at week 24.

Results

In KEEPsAKE 1 (RZB, n=483; placebo, n=481) and KEEPsAKE 2 (RZB, n=224; placebo, n=219), baseline demographics and characteristics were generally balanced between treatment groups. In this integrated analysis, a greater proportion of patients receiving RZB vs placebo achieved ACR20 at week 24, regardless of age (<65 years, ≥65 years, ≥65 to <75 years, ≥75 years), sex, body mass index (<25 kg/m2, ≥25 to <30 kg/m2, ≥30 kg/m2), race (White, non-White), PsA duration (≤5 years, >5 to ≤10 years, >10 years), baseline hs-CRP (<3 mg/L, ≥3 mg/L), concomitant csDMARD at baseline (any csDMARD, any methotrexate, none), or prior biologics use (yes, no). The proportion of RZB-treated patients who achieved ACR20 was generally similar across most assessed demographic or prior treatment subgroups. No new safety concerns were observed with RZB.

Conclusion

RZB demonstrates efficacy vs placebo for active PsA as shown by greater proportions of patients achieving ACR20 at week 24, regardless of baseline demographics, concomitant csDMARD use at baseline, or prior biologic use.

Acknowledgements

AbbVie Inc. participated in the study design; study research; collection, analysis, and interpretation of data; funded the research for this study. Medical writing assistance, funded by AbbVie, was provided by Alicia Salinero, PhD, of JB Ashtin.

Disclosure of Interests

Joseph F. Merola Consultant of: Amgen, Bristol-Myers Squibb, AbbVie, Dermavant, Eli Lilly, Novartis, Janssen, UCB, Sanofi, Regeneron, Sun Pharma, Biogen, Pfizer and Leo Pharma, Kristina Callis-Duffin Consultant of: Amgen/Celgene, AbbVie, Boehringer-Ingelheim, Bristol-Myers Squibb, CorEvitas, Janssen, Lilly, Novartis, and Pfizer, Grant/research support from: Amgen/Celgene, AbbVie, Boehringer-Ingelheim, CorEvitas, Lilly, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer, Byron Padilla Shareholder of: AbbVie Inc., Employee of: AbbVie Inc., Zhenyi Xue Shareholder of: AbbVie Inc., Employee of: AbbVie Inc., Huzefa Photowala Shareholder of: AbbVie Inc., Employee of: AbbVie Inc., Blair Kaplan Shareholder of: AbbVie Inc., Employee of: AbbVie Inc., Iain McInnes Consultant of: AbbVie, AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol Myers, Celgene, Janssen, Leo, Lilly, Novartis, Pfizer, and UCB, Grant/research support from: AbbVie, AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol Myers, Celgene, Janssen, Leo, Lilly, Novartis, Pfizer, and UCB

[Establishment of artificial neural network model for predicting lymph node metastasis in patients with stage Ⅱ-Ⅲ gastric cancer]

Objective: To establish a neural network model for predicting lymph node metastasis in patients with stage II-III gastric cancer. Methods: Case inclusion criteria: (1) gastric adenocarcinoma diagnosed by pathology as stage II-III (the 8th edition of AJCC staging); (2) no distant metastasis of liver, lung and abdominal cavity in preoperative chest film, abdominal ultrasound and upper abdominal CT; (3) undergoing R0 resection. Case exclusion criteria: (1) receiving preoperative neoadjuvant chemotherapy or radiotherapy; (2) incomplete clinical data; (3) gastric stump cancer.Clinicopathological data of 1231 patients with stage II-III gastric cancer who underwent radical surgery at the Fujian Medical University Union Hospital from January 2010 to August 2014 were retrospectively analyzed. A total of 1035 patients with lymph node metastasis were confirmed after operation, and 196 patients had no lymph node metastasis. According to the postoperative pathologic staging. 416 patients (33.8%) were stage Ⅱ and 815 patients (66.2%) were stage III. Patients were randomly divided into training group (861/1231, 69.9%) and validation group (370/1231, 30.1%) to establish an artificial neural network model (N+-ANN) for the prediction of lymph node metastasis. Firstly, the Logistic univariate analysis method was used to retrospectively analyze the case samples of the training group, screen the variables affecting lymph node metastasis, determine the variable items of the input point of the artificial neural network, and then the multi-layer perceptron (MLP) to train N+-ANN. The input layer of N+-ANN was composed of the variables screened by Logistic univariate analysis. Artificial intelligence analyzed the status of lymph node metastasis according to the input data and compared it with the real value. The accuracy of the model was evaluated by drawing the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and obtaining the area under the curve (AUC). The ability of N+-ANN was evaluated by sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive values, negative predictive values, and AUC values. Results: There were no significant differences in baseline data between the training group and validation group (all P>0.05). Univariate analysis of the training group showed that preoperative platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR), preoperative systemic immune inflammation index (SII), tumor size, clinical N (cN) stage were closely related to postoperative lymph node metastasis. The N+-ANN was constructed based on the above variables as the input layer variables. In the training group, the accuracy of N+-ANN for predicting postoperative lymph node metastasis was 88.4% (761/861), the sensitivity was 98.9% (717/725), the specificity was 32.4% (44/136), the positive predictive value was 88.6% (717/809), the negative predictive value was 84.6% (44/52), and the AUC value was 0.748 (95%CI: 0.717-0.776). In the validation group, N+-ANN had a prediction accuracy of 88.4% (327/370) with a sensitivity of 99.7% (309/310), specificity of 30.0% (18/60), positive predictive value of 88.0% (309/351), negative predictive value of 94.7% (18/19), and an AUC of 0.717 (95%CI:0.668-0.763). According to the individualized lymph node metastasis probability output by N+-ANN, the cut-off values of 0-50%, >50%-75%, >75%-90% and >90%-100% were applied and patients were divided into N0 group, N1 group, N2 group and N3 group. The overall prediction accuracy of N+-ANN for pN staging in the training group and the validation group was 53.7% and 54.1% respectively, while the overall prediction accuracy of cN staging for pN staging in the training group and the validation group was 30.1% and 33.2% respectively, indicating that N+-ANN had a better prediction than cN stage. Conclusions: The N+-ANN constructed in this study can accurately predict postoperative lymph node metastasis in patients with stage Ⅱ-Ⅲ gastric cancer. The N+-ANN based on individualized lymph node metastasis probability has better accurate prediction for pN staging as compared to cN staging.

Near-Infrared Photoacoustic Probe for Reversible Imaging of the ClO-/GSH Redox Cycle In Vivo

Homeostasis of the cellular redox status plays an indispensable role in diverse physiological and pathological processes. Hypochlorite anion (ClO^-) and glutathione (GSH) represent an important redox couple to reflect the redox status in living cells. The current cellular redox probes that detect either ClO^- or GSH alone are not accurate enough to monitor the real redox status. In this work, a reversible photoacoustic (PA) probe, DiOH-BDP, has been synthesized and applied for PA imaging to monitor the ClO^-/GSH couple redox state in an acute liver injury (ALI) model. The near-infrared PA probe DiOH-BDP features significant changes in absorption between 648 and 795 nm during the selective oxidation by ClO^- and the reductive recovery of GSH, which exhibits excellent selectivity and sensitivity toward ClO^- and GSH with the limits of detection of 77.7 nM and 7.2 μM, respectively. Additionally, using PA₇₇₀ as a detection signal allows for the in situ monitoring of the ClO^-/GSH couple, which realizes mapping of the localized redox status of the ALI by the virtue of a PA imaging system. Therefore, the probe provides a potentially technical tool to understand redox imbalance-related pathological formation processes.

Overview of advanced technologies for volatile organic compounds measurement in food quality and safety

Food quality and nutrition have received much attention in recent decades, thanks to changes in consumer behavior and gradual increases in food consumption. The demand for high-quality food necessitates stringent quality assurance and process control measures. As a result, appropriate analytical tools are required to assess the quality of food and food products. VOCs analysis techniques may meet these needs because they are nondestructive, convenient to use, require little or no sample preparation, and are environmentally friendly. In this article, the main VOCs released from various foods during transportation, storage, and processing were reviewed. The principles of the most common VOCs analysis techniques, such as electronic nose, colorimetric sensor array, migration spectrum, infrared and laser spectroscopy, were discussed, as well as the most recent research in the field of food quality and safety evaluation. In particular, we described data processing algorithms and data analysis captured by these techniques in detail. Finally, the challenges and opportunities of these VOCs analysis techniques in food quality analysis were discussed, as well as future development trends and prospects of this field.

A simple quinoline-thiophene Schiff base turn-off chemosensor for Hg2+ detection: spectroscopy, sensing properties and applications

A new Schiff base probe (QT) consisting of 8-aminoquinoline (Q) and thiophene-2-carboxaldehyde (T) moieties has been synthesized. QT undergoes chelation-enhanced fluorescence quenching when exposed to Hg²⁺ due to coordination by the sulfur and nitrogen atoms of QT thus forming a facile "turn-off" sensor. The formation of the chelation complex was confirmed by UV-visible absorption and emission spectral measurements, ¹H NMR titration and density functional theory calculations. These studies revealed that the probe exhibits high selectivity and sensitivity towards Hg²⁺ in the presence of other common metal ions. A low detection limit of 23.4 nM was determined and a Job plot confirmed a 2:1 stoichiometry between QT and Hg²⁺. The potential utility of QT as a sensor for Hg²⁺ ions in human HeLa cells was determined by confocal fluorescence microscopy, and its suitability for use in the field with environmental samples was tested with Whatman filter paper strips.

Advanced applications of chemo-responsive dyes based odor imaging technology for fast sensing food quality and safety: A review

Public attention to foodquality and safety has been increased significantly. Therefore, appropriate analytical tools are needed to analyze and sense the food quality and safety. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are important indicators for the quality and safety of food products. Odor imaging technology based on chemo-responsive dyes is one of the most promising methods for analysis of food products. This article reviews the sensing and imaging fundamentals of odor imaging technology based on chemo-responsive dyes. The aim is to give detailed outlines about the theory and principles of using odor imaging technology for VOCs detection, and to focus primarily on its applications in the field of quality and safety evaluation of food products, as well as its future applicability in modern food industries and research. The literatures presented in this review clearly demonstrated that imaging technology based on chemo-responsive dyes has the exciting effect to inspect such as quality assessment of cereal , wine and vinegar flavored foods , poultry meat, aquatic products, fruits and vegetables, and tea. It has the potential for the rapid, reliable, and inline assessment of food safety and quality by providing odor-image-basedmonitoring tool. Practical Application: The literatures presented in this review clearly demonstrated that imaging technology based on chemo-responsive dyes has the exciting effect to inspect such as quality assessment of cereal , wine and vinegar flavored foods, poultry meat, aquatic products, fruits and vegetables, and tea.

Effects of oregano essential oil as an antibiotic growth promoter alternative on growth performance, antioxidant status, and intestinal health of broilers

This experiment was conducted to assess the comparative effects of dietary antibiotics and oregano essential oil (OEO) addition on growth performance, antioxidant status and intestinal health of broilers. A total of 384 one-day-old broilers were randomly allocated to 4 treatments with 6 replicates of 16 broilers each. The 4 treatments were: an antibiotic-free control diet (control), control + 20 mg/kg colistin sulfate and 20 mg/kg virginiamycin (antibiotics), control + 200 mg/kg natural oregano essential oil (NOEO), and control + 200 mg/kg synthetic oregano essential oil (SOEO). The experiment lasted for 42 d. Results showed that birds fed with OEO had greater (P < 0.05) average daily gain (ADG) and lower (P < 0.05) feed conversion ratio (FCR) than those fed with control diet during d 1 to 21. Besides, birds fed with NOEO had the greatest (P < 0.05) ADG in the four groups during d 22 to 42. The serum oxidative stress parameters showed that OEO improved (P < 0.05) the activities of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione reductase (GR) of birds on day 21 and the activity of total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) of birds on d 42. Relative to control, NOEO increased (P < 0.05) the activity of T-AOC in jejunum and decreased (P < 0.05) the level of malondialdehyde (MDA) in serum and jejunum. Moreover, OEO supplementation increased (P < 0.05) the concentrations of sIgA in duodenum and jejunum, Lactobacillus and total anaerobes in cecum, as well as activities of trypsin, chymotrypsin, lipase and amylase in duodenum, but restrained (P < 0.05) the amount of Escherichia coli. The NOEO supplementation increased (P < 0.05) total anaerobes of broilers on d 42 and the villus height to crypt depth ratio (VH/CD) of ileum. These results suggest that OEO improved antioxidant status and intestinal health of broilers which contributed to the growth performance improvement of broilers. Dietary OEO supplementation can be a promising alternative to antibiotic growth promoters for improving poultry production.

AB0343 THE CHARACTERISTICS OF T CELLS IN SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS PATIENTS WITH ANXIETY BASED ON MACHINE LEARNING

Background:

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease, the immune system of patients to be disordered, especially in T cell subsets1. They were prone to mental diseases, anxiety particularly, which lead to suicide2. The recent study had reported that CD4+ T cells in the peripheral blood played the key role in like anxiety behavior of mice3. Although there showed that the level of serum TNF-α in SLE patients with anxiety was higher than without anxiety4, finding the important special mediators especially in T cell subsets was still necessary for the prevention of anxiety in SLE patients.

Objectives:

In total, 108 SLE patients, which met the diagnostic criteria of the American Society of rheumatology (v1997), were enrolled in this study from Affilliated Hospital of Nantong University, China. Exclusion criteria included other autoimmune diseases and active infection (including hepatitis B or C virus, Epstein-Barr virus, human immunodeficiency virus or Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection).

Methods:

We surveyed the abundance of 74 immune cell subpopulations from 108 SLE patients using flow cytometry, and investigated their differences between patients with and without anxiety (24 versus 84). Moreover, machine learning including Lasso regression, Random forest (RF) and Sparsity partial least squares discriminant analysis (sPLS-DA) was employed to build models and futher selected important features for the classification of SLE patients with anxiety.

Results:

SLE patients with anxiety showed higher body mass index (BMI) and lower quality of life. In their peripheral blood, the proportion of internal cell subsets composition of Th cell and Treg cells changed. By machine learning, we finally found that BMI and PD1-CD28- Treg played important rules to developing lupus anxiety.

Conclusion:

In this study, machine learning was applied to build models to select the most important T cell subset in SLE patients with anxiety. These findings suggested that BMI and imbalance of PD1-CD28- Treg containing effector memory Treg cells and effector Treg cells mostly played important roles in the development of SLE anxiety.

Disclosure of Interests:

None declared

POS0787 BERBERINE MODULATE LUPUS SYNDROME VIA THE REGULATION OF GUT MICROBIOTA IN MRL/LPR MICE

Background:

Intestinal flora disorder and immune abnormalities have been reported in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients1,2. Berberine (BBR) showed significant effects in regulating the intestinal flora, repairing gut barriers and regulating immune cells3,4. While few reports mentioned the abnormal gut microbiota and metabolites in Chinese SLE patients.

Objectives:

Our investigation tried to illustrate the relationship between gut microbiota, intestinal metabolites and disease activity in Chinese SLE patients. And the effect of BBR to intestinal dysbacteriosis, multiple organ damages and over-activated immune system in MRL/Lpr mice.

Methods:

16S high-throughput (16S rRNA) sequence, qRT-PCR and gas chromatography technology were used to determine the gut microbiota and metabolites in 104 SLE patients from Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, China. BBR was orally treated to the MRL/Lpr mice in low, medium and high doses. After 6 weeks treatment, mice were sacrificed. Serum, faeces and organs were collected for further studies.

Results:

Chinese SLE patients showed higher abundance of Bacteroidetes and lower abundance of Firmcutes. The results of qRT-PCR showed high Firmcutes/Bacteroidetes (F/B) ratio of SLE patients. The F/B ratio was negative correlated with SLE disease activity index (SLEDA) score. Almost all the tested short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) found statistically significant results in SLE and LN (lupus nephritis) patients, especially the propanoic acid and butyric. BBR altered the relative abundance of Bacteroides and Verrucomicrobia and the butyric acid content in colon of MRL/Lpr mice. The increase of tight junction protein also indicated the gut barrier was repaired by BBR. Treg and Tfr cells in spleen and mesenteric lymph node (MLN) were increased. These results revealed a positive therapeutic effect of berberine on SLE from gut microbiota to immune status.

Conclusion:

Our study highlights current status of intestinal dysbacteriosis in Chinese patients with SLE and differences in intestinal metabolites among patients with different disease states. The regulation of intestinal flora and the repairment of gut barrier by intestinal metabolites in BBR treated mice seemed to be the factor that directed the immune responses and disease outcomes. The ultimate goal of our study was to determine the beneficial effects of regulating the gut microbiota on the treatment of SLE. The application of berberine is a relatively safe and convenient way. In the coming investigations, we plan to focus on the study of berberine and its metabolites on intestinal function and systemic immunity.

References:

[1]Guo, M. et al. Alteration in gut microbiota is associated with dysregulation of cytokines and glucocorticoid therapy in systemic lupus erythematosus. Gut microbes11, 1758-1773, doi:10.1080/19490976.2020.1768644 (2020).

[2]Mu, Q. et al. Control of lupus nephritis by changes of gut microbiota. Microbiome5, 73, doi:10.1186/s40168-017-0300-8 (2017).

[3]Habtemariam, S. Berberine pharmacology and the gut microbiota: A hidden therapeutic link. Pharmacological research155, 104722, doi:10.1016/j.phrs.2020.104722 (2020).

[4]Cui, H. et al. Berberine Regulates Treg/Th17 Balance to Treat Ulcerative Colitis Through Modulating the Gut Microbiota in the Colon. Frontiers in pharmacology9, 571, doi:10.3389/fphar.2018.00571 (2018).

Figure 1.

Disclosure of Interests:

None declared

POS0761 INVESTIGATION ON THE EFFECT AND MECHANISM OF ABNORMALLY ACTIVATED CD8+ T CELLS FROM BONE MARROW ON HEMATOPOIETIC STEM CELLS IN PATIENTS WITH SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS

Background:

SLE is an autoimmune disease characterized by the abnormal function of lymphocytes. The impairment of hematopoietic function of bone marrow participates in its pathogenesis, in which T cells play an important role. However, study on bone marrow T cells in SLE patients is very limited.

Objectives:

This study aims to characterize the phenotype and molecular characteristics of abnormally activated CD8+T cells in bone marrow of SLE patients and explore the mechanism of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) reduction caused by the abnormally activated CD8+T cells in bone marrow of patients with SLE.

Methods:

A total of 8 SLE patients and 5 age- and sex-matched controls were recruited in our study. Among them, 3 SLE patients and 4 donors were collected bone marrow and peripheral blood samples for Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) and functional studies. BM and peripheral T cell subsets were measured by flow cytometry. Plasma cytokines and secreted immunoglobulins were detected by Luminex. Disease activity of SLE patients was measured using the SLE Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI). All analyses were performed using R language and Flowjo 9.

Results:

In the present study, SLE patients had increased CD8+T%αβT cells and decreased CD4+T%αβT cells in bone marrow of SLE, compared to healthy controls. A large number of CD38+HLADR+CD8+T cells existed in the bone marrow and peripheral blood of SLE patients. Those patients also showed reduced number of HSCs, and with a downward trend of the numbers of peripheral red blood cells, white blood cells, neutrophils, hemoglobin, and platelets. By scRNA-seq, the CD38+HLADR+CD8+T cells contained high levels of GZMK, GZMA, PRF1, IFNG, and TNF in the bone marrow of SLE patients. the CD38+HLADR+CD8+T cells exhibited significant relationship with HSCs, white blood cells, neutrophils, and platelets.

Conclusion:

These findings demonstrated that the abnormally activated CD8+T cells in bone marrow can reduce the number of HSCs by the expression of killer molecules, which contributes to the impairment of hematopoietic function and the development of SLE. This project focuses on the specific bone marrow T cell subset in SLE. The completement of this project provides information for exploring the mechanism of hematopoiesis involvement.

References:

[1]Anderson E, Shah B, Davidson A, Furie R. Lessons learned from bone marrow failure in systemic lupus erythematosus: Case reports and review of the literature. Semin Arthritis Rheum. 2018;48(1):90-104.

[2]Sun LY, Zhou KX, Feng XB, Zhang HY, Ding XQ, Jin O, Lu LW, Lau CS, Hou YY, Fan LM. Abnormal surface markers expression on bone marrow CD34+cells and correlation with disease activity in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. Clin Rheumatol. 2007;26(12):2073-2079.

Acknowledgements:

We want to thank Lu Meng, Teng Li, Wei Zhou, and Jiaxin Guo for their assistance with this study.

Disclosure of Interests:

None declared

Substituents and the induced partial charge effects on cobalt porphyrins catalytic oxygen reduction reactions in acidic medium

Charge states at the catalytic interface can intensely alter the charge transfer mechanism and thus the oxygen reduction performance. Two symmetric cobalt porphyrins with electron deficient 2,1,3-benzothiadiazole (BTD) and electron-donating propeller-like triphenylamine (TPA) derivatives have been designed firstly, to rationally generate intramolecular partial charges, and secondly, to utilize the more exposed molecular orbitals on TPA for enhancing the charge transfer kinetics. The catalytic performance of the two electrocatalysts was examined for oxygen reduction reactions (ORR) in acidic electrolyte. It was found that BCP1/C with two BTD groups showed greater reduction potential but less limiting current density as compared to BCP2/C bearing BTD-TPA units. The reduced potential of BCP2/C was proposed to the introduction of the electron-donating ability of TPA, which may decrease the adsorption affinity of oxygen to the cobalt center. Both dipole-induced partial charge effect and the more exposed cation orbitals of the 3D structural TPA were proposed to contribute to the increased response current of BCP2/C. In addition, BCP2/C attained more than 80% of H₂O₂ generation in acidic solution, which may also relate to the structural effect. These findings may provide new insight into the structural design of organic electrocatalysts and deep understanding on the interfacial charge transfer mechanism for ORR.

Novel broad-spectrum-driven g-C3N4 with oxygen-linked band and porous defect for photodegradation of bisphenol A, 2-mercaptophenthiazole and ciprofloxacin

Abundant active oxygen free radicals could efficiently remove refractory organic pollutants. In previous research, the original carbon nitride can form more hydrogen peroxide, however, owing to the limitation of its band structure, the original carbon nitride cannot decompose the hydrogen peroxide to generate more active oxygen free radicals. Herein, this work reports a simple bottom-up synthesis method, which synthesize a broad-spectrum-response carbon nitride (CN-CA) with oxygen-linked band and porous defect structure, while adjusting the band structure, and the introduction of the oxygen-linked band structure can also decompose the hydrogen peroxide produced by the original carbon nitride to form more active oxygen free radicals. Instrumental characterization and analysis of experimental results revealed the important role of oxygen-linked band and porous defects in adjusting the CN-CA energy band structure and improving its visible light absorption. The optimal CN-CA displays an outstanding photocatalytic degradation ability, that degradation rate of bisphenol A (BPA) reaches 99.8% within 150 min, the reaction rate constant of which is 6.77 times higher than that of pure g-C₃N₄, as also demonstrated with 2-mercaptophenthiazole (MBT) and ciprofloxacin (CIP). Meanwhile, the excellent degradation performance under blue LED (450-462 nm) and green LED (510-520 nm) exhibits the broad-spectrum characteristics of CN-CA. The degradation pathways of BPA and MBT were analyzed via HPLC-MS. Moreover, the primary active species were detected as O₂^-, OH and h⁺ based on the trapping experiments and ESR. This research provides a new strategy for g-C₃N₄ modified by porous defects and oxygen-linked band structure for environmental remediation.

Synthesis, characterization and electrocatalytic properties of bimetallic sulfides CoS/MnS/N-C for oxygen reduction in alkaline media

Synthesis, characterization and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalytic properties of bimetallic sulfides CoS/MnS/N-C catalyst was discussed. The catalyst was derived from a typical Co based zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF-67) and manganese aminoporphyrin. 5,15-Bis(4-aminophenyl)-10,20-bis(4-bromophenyl) porphyrin manganese oxoacetate loaded with ZIF-67 forms a porphyrin loaded ZIF-67. This product was then calcined at 800ˆ∘C and vulcanized with thioacetamide to obtain the bimetallic sulfide product CoS/MnS/N-C. The structure of CoS/MnS/N-C was further characterized by XRD, XPS, FESEM and HRTEM spectra which indicated a novel porous and hollow sphere structure. The electrocatalytic properties of the bimetallic material as well as its parent porphyrin and ZIF-67 were also compared in alkaline condition (0.1 M KOH) with a rotating disk electrode. The prepared catalyst CoS/MnS/N-C exhibits a higher catalytic performance than its precursors (PorMnOAc, ZIF-67 and PorMnOAc loaded ZIF-67) with almost four electron transfers under this condition.

Effect of porphyrin metal center on synthesis, structure, morphology and oxygen reduction properties of porphyrin encapsulated metal organic frameworks

A series of different metal centered 5,15-Bis(4-aminophenyl)-10,20-bis(4-bromophenyl)porphyrins (PorM) where M = H2, MnOAc, FeCl, Co or Zn were synthesized, and then encapsulated in zeolite imidazole framework-8 (ZIF-8) by typical template directed strategy to generate PorM@ZIF-8 metal organic frameworks (MOFs). These composites were characterized by UV-vis, FTIR, XRD, FESEM and HRTEM methods. Each prepared PorM@ZIF-8 MOF retained the molecular structure of porphyrin and crystal structure of ZIF-8. It is clearly shown that porphyrin centered metal ions will affect MOFs morphology. Both PorH2@ZIF-8 and PorZn@ZIF-8 gave a rhombic dodecahedron, PorMnOAc@ZIF-8 gave a truncated hexagonal prism-like structure, while no specific structures were obtained for PorFeCl@ZIF-8 and PorCo@ZIF-8 due to aggregation as characterized by FESEM spectrum. Oxygen reduction catalytic ability of ZIF-8, PorM and PorM@ZIF-8 were measured in alkaline condition (0.1 M KOH) with the number of electrons transferred being [Formula: see text] = 2.20–2.60 and generating HO[Formula: see text] as the oxygen reduction product. The catalytic property slightly increased after the porphyrin was encapsulated, due possibly to the capacity limit, inappropriate molecular distance or the direction of encapsulated porphyrin molecular.