A Rare Case of Embryonal Rhabdomyosarcoma of Pineal Gland in An Adult Male

Introduction/Objective

Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS), mesenchymal derived tumor, is predominantly diagnosed in the pediatric population but may present at any age. Less than 1% of all adult solid malignant cancers are sarcomas, and rhabdomyosarcoma comprises <0.001% of adult sarcomas. Primary intracranial RMS is rare and has been reported in the cerebrum, cerebellum, brainstem, and the meninges. The occurrence of a primary intracranial RMS arising from the pineal gland is exceedingly rare.

Methods/Case Report

An adult male presented to the ED with complaint of several months of headaches, progressive confusion, forgetfulness and most recently difficulty in finding words. CT scan showed a large mass arising from the pineal gland causing obstructive hydrocephalus. Subsequently, the patient underwent excisional biopsy. The histopathology examination revealed small round basophilic cells and large polygonal cells with large eccentric nuclei and prominent nucleoli, abundant eosinophilic cytoplasm containing globular paranuclear eosinophilic inclusions, characteristic of rhabdoid cells. Immunohistochemical (IHC) showed tumor cells are positive for Desmin, MyoD1, CK8/18, INI1 (hSNF5; SMARCB1) with retained nuclear expression and faint positivity for Synaptophysin and focally positivity for Neurofilament. The tumor cells showed negative staining for Pankeratin, SOX10, Oct4, SALL4, INSM1, LCA AND CD30, which excluded the possibility of Germ cell tumor and Pineoblastoma. The case was finalized as primary malignant neoplasm, consistent with Embryonal Rhabdomyosarcoma of pineal gland.

Results (if a Case Study enter NA)

NA

Conclusion

This case highlights the rare occurrence of rhabdomyosarcoma originating from the pineal gland in an adult male. Morphologic and immunohistochemical findings were consistent with embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma. Since primary rhabdomyosarcoma of the pineal gland is rare, this case contributes to the limited body of literature on such cases. It underscores the importance of considering unusual entities in intracranial tumors. The distinct morphology and the use of IHC aids in diagnosing this rare entity.

Correlation between APOE4 gene and gut microbiota in Alzheimer's disease

Gut microbiota (GM) dysbiosis has been increasingly associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the association between APOE4, the most common genetic risk factor for sporadic AD, and GM in AD remains unclear. In this study, we conducted a comparative analysis of the GM of participants from China and the USA, with and without APOE4 genes and with or without AD (67 AD cases, 67 control cases). Our results revealed that the GM alpha diversity was not different between groups (AD_APOE4, Control_APOE4, AD_non-APOE4, and Control_non-APOE4) (419.031 ± 143.631 vs 391.091 ± 126.081, 351.086 ± 169.174 and 386.089 ± 177.200, respectively. P > 0.05). Interestingly, individuals in the AD_APOE4 group had different bacterial compositions and bacterial biomarkers. The Kruskal-Wallis rank sum test indicated that the abundances of many bacterial species in the AD_APOE4 patients differed from those in control individuals, including decreases in unclassified_g__Escherichia-Shigella (1.763 ± 6.73, 4.429 ± 11.13, 8.245 ± 16.55, and 5.69 ± 13.91 in four groups, respectively; P < 0.05), and unclassified_g_Clostridium_sensu_stricto_1 (0.1519 ± 0.348, 2.502 ± 5.913, 0.5146 ± 0.9487, 1.063 ± 3.428 in four groups, respectively; P < 0.05), and increases in gut_metagenome_g_Faecalibacterium (2.885 ± 4.47, 2.174 ± 3.957, 0.5765 ± 1.784, 1.582 ± 2.92 in four groups, respectively. P < 0.01) and unclassified_g_Bacteroides (3.875 ± 3.738, 2.47 ± 2.748, 2.046 ± 3.674, 3.206 ± 3.446 in four groups, respectively; P < 0.05). In the KEGG pathway level 2 analysis, we identified three significant differences in relative abundances of predicted functions between AD_APOE4 and AD_non-APOE4_carrier groups: neurodegenerative diseases (0.0007 ± 0.0005 vs 0.0009 ± 0.0004; P < 0.01), metabolism (0.0240 ± 0.0003 vs 0.0250 ± 0.0003; P < 0.05), and biosynthesis of other secondary metabolites (0.0094 ± 0.0002 vs 0.0090 ± 0.0002; P < 0.05). Receiver operating characteristic curves further demonstrated an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.74 for the discrimination of AD_APOE4_carrier and AD_non-APOE4_carrier individuals.

Optimizing the design of spatial genomic studies

Spatially-resolved genomic technologies have shown promise for studying the relationship between the structural arrangement of cells and their functional behavior. While numerous sequencing and imaging platforms exist for performing spatial transcriptomics and spatial proteomics profiling, these experiments remain expensive and labor-intensive. Thus, when performing spatial genomics experiments using multiple tissue slices, there is a need to select the tissue cross sections that will be maximally informative for the purposes of the experiment. In this work, we formalize the problem of experimental design for spatial genomics experiments, which we generalize into a problem class that we call structured batch experimental design. We propose approaches for optimizing these designs in two types of spatial genomics studies: one in which the goal is to construct a spatially-resolved genomic atlas of a tissue and another in which the goal is to localize a region of interest in a tissue, such as a tumor. We demonstrate the utility of these optimal designs, where each slice is a two-dimensional plane, on several spatial genomics datasets.

An Autopsy Case Report of ARDS Caused by Tumor Lysis Syndrome in A Patient with Mantle Cell Lymphoma

Introduction/Objective

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a type of respiratory failure caused by diffuse injury to surfactant-producing cells and fluid buildup in the alveoli. ARDS impairs lung's ability and is potentially fatal. Tumor lysis syndrome is an oncologic emergency mostly triggered by the initiation of chemotherapy causing life- threatening metabolic cascades even with preventable therapies.

Methods/Case Report

We report an autopsy case of a 71-year-old male who was referred to the Emergency Department with complaints of poor appetite, dizziness, nausea. He was found to have a white blood cell count over 1,000,000, with hemoglobulin of 7.7, platelet count of 95, uric acid 11.5, LDH 486. He was diagnosed with mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) involving peripheral blood and received Allopurinol for tumor lysis syndrome prophylaxis. He started to receive Rituximab. Soon after, he became lethargic and more hypoxemic and needed intubation. But he became pulseless and he did not recover.

Results (if a Case Study enter NA)

The autopsy revealed an extensive spread of the lymphoma to multi-organs, including the esophagus, spleen, liver, kidney, heart, prostate. Bone marrow and lymph nodes were diffusely infiltrated by atypical medium lymphocytes. Stains on lymph nodes show the atypical lymphocytes are positive for CD20, CD5, Cyclin D1, Bcl2, negative for CD23, Bcl6, with a Ki-67 proliferative index around 40%, consistent with MCL. The patient's lungs were heavy and microscopic examination confirmed ARDS.

Conclusion

We, here describe a patient with MCL who developed tumor lysis syndrome with Rituximab monotherapy and died of ARDS shortly after. It's rarely reported that tumor lysis syndrome results in fatal ARDS.

Incidence and outcomes of primary cutaneous anaplastic large cell lymphoma: a SEER population-based study

Introduction/Objective

Primary cutaneous anaplastic large cell lymphoma (PC-ALCL) is the second most type of cutaneous lymphoma of T cell origin. Although PC-ALCL is considered clinically indolent with an excellent overall survival rate, very few studies have examined the epidemiology and survival of this disease in significant depth. Here we have used the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database to identify the cases of PC-ALCL with immunohistologic or molecular confirmation and analyzed disease-specific survival across various epidemiological factors.

Methods/Case Report

We identified patients with PC-ALCL from the SEER database from 1975 - 2017. Cases with only histological and immunohistochemical or molecular evidence of diagnosis were included in the study. Age, sex, and race-standardized incidence rates (IR) were calculated. Survival was assessed using Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox proportional hazards models.

Results (if a Case Study enter NA)

93 individuals were identified with a diagnosis of PC-ALCL. Increased age correlated significantly with the total number of cases within age groups, suggesting an associated risk. Males were significantly overrepresented in the disease population at 62%. The racial distribution of patients with PC-ALCL did not significantly differ from the racial distribution in the US. Kaplan-Meier DSS analysis was performed to assess possible influence of race, sex, age, or primary site location on the prognosis in patients with PC-ALCL. Age appears to be one of the greatest factors influencing survival, and while this trended strongly, it was not a statistically significant observation. Although males were disproportionately represented among PC-ALCL patients, sex did not affect survival. Similarly, the patient’s race had no significant effect on the length of survival. The location of the primary tumor trends towards affecting survival, and while this is quantitatively the most impressive observation, it does not reach the threshold of statistical significance.

Conclusion

We performed a comprehensive review of the clinical and epidemiological features present in PC-ALCL. We found age to be the most significant factor in the risk of development of PC-ALCL, and while our study lacks the statistical power to demonstrate it, age may also be the most significant factor in survival.

Characterization of A Rare Case of Vulvar Epithelioid Sarcoma with local recurrence and metastases

Introduction/Objective

Epithelioid sarcoma (ES) is a rare, malignant mesenchymal neoplasm that has a known tendency for local recurrence, regional lymph node involvement, and distant metastases. Two histologic variants have been recognized: classic ES also known as the distal type, and proximal-type ES (PES). The classic ES is common in young adults. It occurs more frequently in the distal upper extremities followed by the distal lower limbs and has a male prevalence of 2:1. Conversely, PES commonly involves deep tissues in the pelvic region, including the genital area. It tends to occur in older patients and follows a more aggressive clinical course. In the female genital tract, PES occurs most frequently in the vulva. The incidence of primary sarcoma of the vulva accounts for 1.5-5% of all malignant tumors, making PES a very rare incidence.

Methods/Case Report

Here we report a 60-year-old female diagnosed with vulvar epithelioid sarcoma treated with a right radical vulvectomy and bilateral inguinal lymph node dissection in 2008. In 2017, further surgery and adjuvant radiation were given for local recurrence. In 2020, the patient developed left hip pain and was found to have an expansile lytic lesion in the left proximal femur. Extensive resection was performed. Grossly the vulvar lesion was nodular with diffuse hemorrhage, degeneration, and necrosis. Microscopically, the tumor cells had large vesicular nuclei, prominent nucleoli, and abundant eosinophilic cytoplasm. Histologically, the morphology of the tumor cells are similar for the primary vulvar specimen and the bone metastases. Immunohistochemically, the tumor cells are positive for vimentin, GATA, FLI-1, SMA, SMHC, partially positive for CAM5.2, AE1/AE3, CD31, and CD163. Immunohistochemistry was negative for CDX2, CD56, S-100, TTF-1, CK5/6, CK20, P40, mammoglobin, MOC31, ER, CK7, CK903, HMB45, PAX8. A Ki-67 proliferative index was around 30-40%. NGS molecular testing detected a SMARCB1 mutation with loss of exons 1-3 and exons 7-9 supporting the diagnosis of epithelioid sarcoma.

Results (if a Case Study enter NA)

NA

Conclusion

In summary, we report a case of PES of the vulva in a 60 year old female. Grossly, the lesion was nodular with histology showing large vesicular nuclei, prominent nucleoli, and abundant eosinophilic cytoplasm. It showed loss of INI1/SMARCB1 nuclear expression. The patient is receiving further adjuvant treatment and shows no new metastases.

Construction of multifunctional porcine acellular dermal matrix hydrogel blended with vancomycin for hemorrhage control, antibacterial action, and tissue repair in infected trauma wounds

Prevention of bacterial infection and reduction of hemorrhage, the primary challenges posed by trauma before hospitalization, are essential steps in prolonging the patient's life until they have been transported to a trauma center. Extracellular matrix (ECM) hydrogel is a promising biocompatible material for accelerating wound closure. However, due to the lack of antibacterial properties, this hydrogel is difficult to be applied to acute contaminated wounds. This study formulates an injectable dermal extracellular matrix hydrogel (porcine acellular dermal matrix (ADM)) as a scaffold for skin defect repair. The hydrogel combines vancomycin, an antimicrobial agent for inducing hemostasis, expediting antimicrobial activity, and promoting tissue repair. The hydrogel possesses a porous structure beneficial for the adsorption of vancomycin. The antimicrobial agent can be timely released from the hydrogel within an hour, which is less than the time taken by bacteria to infest an injury, with a cumulative release rate of approximately 80%, and thus enables a relatively fast bactericidal effect. The cytotoxicity investigation demonstrates the biocompatibility of the ADM hydrogel. Dynamic coagulation experiments reveal accelerated blood coagulation by the hydrogel. In vivo antibacterial and hemostatic experiments on a rat model indicate the healing of infected tissue and effective control of hemorrhaging by the hydrogel. Therefore, the vancomycin-loaded ADM hydrogel will be a viable biomaterial for controlling hemorrhage and preventing bacterial infections in trauma patients.

The Benefits of Physical Activity and Positive Mental Health for Reducing the Burden of COVID-19: Validation from a Cross-sectional and Longitudinal Investigation in China and Germany

Many people experience high burden by the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and its consequences for health and everyday life. The present cross-national study investigated potential factors that can reduce the burden by COVID-19 in China and Germany. Cross-sectional and longitudinal (China: N = 474, baseline, BL: 2015, follow-up, FU: 2020; Germany: N = 359, BL: 2019, FU: 2020) data on physical activity (e.g., jogging) (BL/FU), positive mental health (PMH) (BL/FU), and burden by COVID-19 (FU) were collected via online surveys. In both countries, physical activity was positively associated with PMH, and both variables were negatively related to burden by COVID-19. Furthermore, PMH mediated the link between physical activity and burden. The mediation model was significant when physical activity and PMH were assessed at the BL, while burden was measured at the FU; and it was also significant when all variables were assessed at the FU. The present findings reveal that physical activity in combination with PMH can reduce the experience of burden by COVID-19. Conscious fostering of physical activity and PMH is supported as an effective strategy to reduce the negative impact of the pandemic outbreak on mental and physical health. Additional benefits such as increased adherence to governmental measures around COVID-19 are discussed.

Characterization of serum adiponectin and leptin in healthy perinatal dairy cows or cows with ketosis, and their effectson ketosis involved indices

We investigated changes in concentrations of ADP (adiponectin), LEP (leptin), BHBA (beta-hydroxybutyric acid), NEFA (non-esterified fatty acid), Glucose (Glu) and INS (insulin) in serum of healthy perinatal dairy cows and cows with ketosis. Twenty-one healthy cows and seventeen cows with ketosis from a herd of a total 60 Holstein cows (near dry period i.e. 56 days antepartum) were selected. Blood was collected through the tail vein every 7 days, from 56 day antepartum to 56 day postpartum. Serum ADP, LEP, BHBA, NEFA, Glu, and INS concentrations were determined, and ketosis was diagnosed through serum BHBA (≥1.2 mmol/L). We showed the concentration of serum adipokines and energy balancing indices were stable during antepar- tum period. However, ADP concentration increased while LEP decreased, and there were a significant increase in cows with ketosis compared to that of in healthy cows. Serum BHBA and NEFA concentrations increased significantly at first, and then gradually decreased in both healthy cows and cows with ketosis. However, cows with ketosis showed higher concentrations of BHBA and NEFA which restored later. The serum concentration of Glu in both healthy dairy cows and cows with ketosis showed a decreasing trend. INS concentration in healthy cows was decreased while it was increased in cows with ketosis. The results reflect the extent of hypo- glycemia and lipid mobilization postpartum, suggest IR exists in cows with ketosis while serum ADP and LEP might play roles in the development of ketosis.

Magnetic sulfur-doped carbons for mercury adsorption

Mercury pollution is a significant threat to the environment and health worldwide. Therefore, effective and low-cost absorbents that are easily scalable are needed for real-world applications. Enlarging the surface area of the materials and doping with heteroatoms are two of the most common strategies to cope with this problem. Sulfur-doped activated carbon synthesized from the carbonization of inverse vulcanized thiopolymers makes it possible to combine both large specific surface area and doping of heteroatoms, resulting in outperformance in mercury uptake against commercial activated carbons. Convenient recovery of mercury absorbents after treatment should be beneficial in mercury collecting and recycling. Therefore, magnetic sulfur-doped carbons (MSCs) were prepared by functionalizing sulfur doped carbons through chemical precipitation with magnetic iron oxides. Besides the characterisations of materials, mercury uptake experiments, such as stactic test, capacity test, impact of solution pH, and mixed ions interferences were performed. These MSCs exhibit high specific surface area (1,329 m²/g), high sulfur content (up to 14.8 wt%), porous structure, low cost, and are convenient for retrieval. MSCs are demonstrated high uptake capacity (187 mg g^-1) and efficiency in mercury solution and multifunctional absorption in mixed ions solution, showing their potential to be applied in water purification and environmental remediation.

Integrated miRNA-Seq and mRNA-Seq Study to Identify miRNAs Associated With Alzheimer's Disease Using Post-mortem Brain Tissue Samples

Alzheimer's disease (AD), the leading form of dementia, is associated with abnormal tau and β-amyloid accumulation in the brain. We conducted a miRNA-seq study to identify miRNAs associated with AD in the post-mortem brain from the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG, n = 69) and superior temporal gyrus (STG, n = 81). Four and 64 miRNAs were differentially expressed (adjusted p-value < 0.05) in AD compared to cognitively normal controls in the IFG and STG, respectively. We observed down-regulation of several miRNAs that have previously been implicated in AD, including hsa-miR-212-5p and hsa-miR-132-5p, in AD samples across both brain regions, and up-regulation of hsa-miR-146a-5p, hsa-miR-501-3p, hsa-miR-34a-5p, and hsa-miR-454-3p in the STG. The differentially expressed miRNAs were previously implicated in the formation of amyloid-β plaques, the dysregulation of tau, and inflammation. We have also observed differential expressions for dozens of other miRNAs in the STG, including hsa-miR-4446-3p, that have not been described previously. Putative targets of these miRNAs (adjusted p-value < 0.1) were found to be involved in Wnt signaling pathway, MAPK family signaling cascades, sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) pathway, adaptive immune system, innate immune system, and neurogenesis. Our results support the finding of dysregulated miRNAs previously implicated in AD and propose additional miRNAs that appear to be dysregulated in AD for experimental follow-up.

[Effects of two dimensional gray-scale blood flow imaging combined with color Doppler flow imaging in guiding arterial puncture and catheterization through wounds in patients with large burns]

Objective: To explore the effects of two dimensional gray-scale blood flow imaging (hereinafter referred to as " B-flow" ) combined with color Doppler flow imaging (CDFI) in guiding arterial puncture and catheterization through wounds in patients with large burns. Methods: Sixty-seven patients with large burns who met the inclusion criteria and hospitalized in the First Hospital of Jilin University from January 2017 to January 2019 were enrolled in the prospectively randomized control study. According to the random number table, CDFI alone group was allocated with 35 patients (23 males and 12 females) and B-flow+ CDFI group with 32 patients (22 males and 10 females), aged 19-60 and 18-58 years, respectively. According to the progress of the disease, arterial puncture and catheterization were performed in the right time. During the operation, CDFI was used alone for guidance in patients of CDFI alone group, while B-flow and CDFI were used together for guidance in patients of B-flow+ CDIF group. Based on the first time of catheterization, the catheterization location, one-time catheterization success rate, post-back stitching re-catheterization success rate, catheterization failure rate, catheterization duration, and incidences of wound sepsis, catheter-related bloodstream infection, and arterial thrombosis within post catheterization day (PCD) 3 of patients in the two groups were recorded. Data were statistically analyzed with the independent-sample t test, chi-square test or Fisher's exact probability test. Results: (1) All the patients underwent catheterization through wounds, and there was no statistically significant difference in catheterization location of patients between the two groups (χ(2)=0.574, P>0.05). The one-time catheterization success rate of patients in B-flow+ CDFI group was 81.25% (26/32), which was obviously higher than 51.43% (18/35) in CDFI alone group (χ(2)=6.594, P<0.05). The catheterization failure rate of patients in B-flow+ CDFI group was 3.12% (1/32), which was obviously lower than 20.00% (7/35) in CDFI alone group (P<0.05). The post-back stitching re-catheterization success rate of patients was similar between the two groups (χ(2)=1.029, P>0.05). (3) The catheterization duration of patients was (15.7±1.1) min in B-flow+ CDFI group, which was obviously shorter than (17.1±2.2) min in CDFI alone group (t=11.316, P<0.01). (4) Within PCD 3, the incidences of wound sepsis and catheter-related bloodstream infection of patients in CDFI alone group were 2.86% (1/35) and 0, close to 0 and 3.12% (1/32) in B-flow+ CDFI group (P>0.05); the incidence of arterial thrombosis of patients in B-flow+ CDFI group was 0, which was obviously lower than 20.00% (7/35) in CDFI alone group (P<0.05). Conclusions: Compared with CDFI alone, B-flow combined with CDFI can improve the success rate of arterial puncture and catheterization through wounds in large area burn patients, shorten the catheterization duration, and effectively reduce the incidence of arterial thrombosis after catheterization, with a good clinical application value.

Macrophages regulate the progression of osteoarthritis

OA is now well accepted as a low-grade inflammatory disease affecting the whole joint. In addition to mechanical loading, inflammation (particularly synovitis), contributes significantly to OA. Synovial macrophages act as immune cells and are of critical importance in the symptomology and structural progression of OA. Activated macrophages are regulated by mTOR, NF-κB, JNK, PI3K/Akt and other signaling pathways, and are polarized into either M1 or M2 subtypes in OA synovial tissues, synovial fluid, and peripheral blood. The activation state and the M1/M2 ratio is highly associated with OA severity. Aside from autocrine interactions, paracrine interactions between macrophages and chondrocytes play a vital role in the initiation and development of OA by secreting inflammatory cytokines, growth factors, matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases (TIMPs), which lead to subsequent cartilage degradation and destruction. Treatments targeting synovial macrophages relieve pain, and protect from synovitis, cartilage damage, and osteophyte formation during OA development. Macrophage reprogramming of transformation from the M1 to M2 subtype, more than a decrease in the quantity of activated macrophages, appears to be an effective treatment option for OA. This review provides a broad understanding of the contributions of polarized macrophages to joint health and disease. Multifunctional agents with immunomodulatory effects on macrophage reprogramming can skew the inflammatory microenvironment towards a pro-chondrogenic atmosphere, and are thus, potential therapeutic options for the treatment of OA and other immune diseases.

Multi-Omics Analysis Identifies MGA as a Negative Regulator of the MYC Pathway in Lung Adenocarcinoma

Genomic analysis of lung adenocarcinomas has revealed that the MGA gene, which encodes a heterodimeric partner of the MYC-interacting protein MAX, is significantly mutated or deleted in lung adenocarcinomas. Most of the mutations are loss of function for MGA, suggesting that MGA may act as a tumor suppressor. Here, we characterize both the molecular and cellular role of MGA in lung adenocarcinomas and illustrate its functional relevance in the MYC pathway. Although MGA and MYC interact with the same binding partner, MAX, and recognize the same E-box DNA motif, we show that the molecular function of MGA appears to be antagonistic to that of MYC. Using mass spectrometry-based affinity proteomics, we demonstrate that MGA interacts with a noncanonical PCGF6-PRC1 complex containing MAX and E2F6 that is involved in gene repression, while MYC is not part of this MGA complex, in agreement with previous studies describing the interactomes of E2F6 and PCGF6. Chromatin immunoprecipitation-sequencing and RNA sequencing assays show that MGA binds to and represses genes that are bound and activated by MYC. In addition, we show that, as opposed to the MYC oncoprotein, MGA acts as a negative regulator for cancer cell proliferation. Our study defines a novel MYC/MAX/MGA pathway, in which MYC and MGA play opposite roles in protein interaction, transcriptional regulation, and cellular proliferation. IMPLICATIONS: This study expands the range of key cancer-associated genes whose dysregulation is functionally equivalent to MYC activation and places MYC within a linear pathway analogous to cell-cycle or receptor tyrosine kinase/RAS/RAF pathways in lung adenocarcinomas.

Biosynthesis of poly-γ-glutamic acid in Escherichia coli by heterologous expression of pgsBCAE operon from Bacillus

AIMS

Poly-γ-glutamic acid (γ-PGA) is an excellent water-soluble biosynthesis material. To confirm the rate-limiting steps of γ-PGA biosynthesis pathway, we introduced a heterologous Bacillus strain pathway and employed an enzyme-modulated dismemberment strategy in Escherichia coli.

METHODS AND RESULTS

In this study, we heterologously introduced the γ-PGA biosynthesis pathway of two laboratory-preserved strains-Bacillus amyloliquefaciens FZB42 and Bacillus subtilis 168 into E. coli, and compared their γ-PGA production levels. Next, by changing the plasmid copy numbers and supplying sodium glutamate, we explored the effects of gene expression levels and concentrations of the substrate l-glutamic acid on γ-PGA production. We finally employed a two-plasmid induction system using an enzyme-modulated dismemberment of pgsBCAE operon to confirm the rate-limiting genes of the γ-PGA biosynthesis pathway.

CONCLUSION

Through heterologously over-expressing the genes of the γ-PGA biosynthesis pathway and exploring gene expression levels, we produced 0·77 g l^-1 γ-PGA in strain RSF-EBCAE(BS). We also confirmed that the rate-limiting genes of the γ-PGA biosynthesis pathway were pgsB and pgsC.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

This work is beneficial to increase γ-PGA production and study the mechanism of γ-PGA biosynthesis enzymes.

Efficient production of coenzyme Q10 from acid hydrolysate of sweet sorghum juice by Rhodobacter sphaeroides

In order to achieve efficient bioconversion of biomass-derived sugars, acid hydrolysate of sweet sorghum juice (SSJAH) containing abundant fermentable sugars was used for coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) fermentation by Rhodobacter sphaeroides CQ-09-1. The synthesis of CoQ10 was facilitated when the initial concentration of total sugar was 80.00 g L-1. And the highest CoQ10 titer was obtained when the pH and temperature were maintained at 7.00 and 30.00 °C, respectively. Moreover, corn steep powder (CSP) was proved to be an efficient nitrogen & salt supplement to SSJAH. Under the optimized conditions, the titer of CoQ10 reached 141.95 mg L-1 in a fed-batch fermentation. The CoQ10 titer reported was about two times higher than that obtained in the previous study using wild strains. This process introduces a potential way to produce CoQ10 using the concept of biorefinery, while making full use of sweet sorghum juice (SSJ).

Blueberries as an additive to increase the survival of Lactobacillus johnsonii N6.2 to lyophilisation

Effective cultivation methods, total cost, and biomass preservation are key factors that have a significant impact on the commercialisation and effectiveness of probiotics, such as Lactobacillus. Sugar polymers, milk and whey proteins have been suggested as good additives for industrial preparations. Alternative compounds, such as phytophenols, are a more attractive option, given their potential benefits to human health. The overall goal of this study was to determine if the addition of blueberry phytophenols improves the survival of Lactobacillus johnsonii N6.2 during the freeze-drying process. The addition of blueberry aqueous extract (BAE) stimulated the growth of L. johnsonii under aerobic conditions and improved the stationary phase survival of the bacteria. Furthermore, the addition of BAE to the culture media improved the endurance of L. johnsonii N6.2 to freeze-drying stress, as well as to storage at 4 °C for up to 21 weeks. Moreover, blueberry extract performed more effectively as a lyophilising additive compared to skim milk and microencapsulation with whey protein/sodium alginate. In sum, this study demonstrates that BAE is an effective additive to increase the growth and survival of L. johnsonii N6.2 when added to the culture medium and/or used as a lyophilising preservative. Moreover, BAE or other polyphenols sources might likely enhance growth and increase survival of more probiotic lactic acid bacterial strains.

Identification and Characterization of Oncogenic SOS1 Mutations in Lung Adenocarcinoma

Lung adenocarcinomas are characterized by mutations in the receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK)/Ras/Raf pathway, with up to 75% of cases containing mutations in known driver genes. However, the driver alterations in the remaining cases are yet to be determined. Recent exome sequencing analysis has identified SOS1, encoding a guanine nucleotide exchange factor, as significantly mutated in lung adenocarcinomas lacking canonical oncogenic RTK/Ras/Raf pathway mutations. Here, we demonstrate that ectopic expression of lung adenocarcinoma-derived mutants of SOS1 induces anchorage-independent cell growth in vitro and tumor formation in vivo. Biochemical experiments suggest that these mutations lead to overactivation of the Ras pathway, which can be suppressed by mutations that disrupt either the Ras-GEF or putative Rac-GEF activity of SOS1. Transcriptional profiling reveals that the expression of mutant SOS1 leads to the upregulation of MYC target genes and genes associated with Ras transformation. Furthermore, we demonstrate that an AML cancer cell line harboring a lung adenocarcinoma-associated mutant SOS1 is dependent on SOS1 for survival and is also sensitive to MEK inhibition. Our work provides experimental evidence for the role of SOS1 as an oncogene and suggests a possible therapeutic strategy to target SOS1-mutated cancers. IMPLICATIONS: This study demonstrates that SOS1 mutations found in lung adenocarcinoma are oncogenic and that MEK inhibition may be a therapeutic avenue for the treatment of SOS1-mutant cancers.

Synthesis of substituted aromatic heterocyclic sulfonyl hydrazone compounds and in vitro anti-hepatoma activity: preliminary results

OBJECTIVE

Hydrazone compounds and their derivatives are a kind of special Schiff bases. The multiple hydrazone compounds and their derivatives have a variety of biological activities. This study aims to report the synthesis of diverse hydrazone derivatives and to explore the potent antitumor activities.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A series of aromatic heterocyclic sulfonyl hydrazones W1-W15 synthesized from hydrazine or acylhydrazine and aldehydes or ketones were estimated for their in vitro antitumor activities against human cancers. Through the spectral (FT-IR, 1H-NMR, MS) methods, the structure of the compounds was determined. Using MTT (3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2-H-tetrazolium bromide) method, the effects of different concentrations of compounds on growth inhibition and viability of HepG-2 cells were detected.

RESULTS

Compound W9 exhibited anti-proliferation activity with IC50 values of 63.91 μmol/L in HepG-2 cell line. In addition, mechanism studies indicated that compound W9 could distinctly prohibit the propagation of HepG-2 cells by arresting the cell cycle at G2/M and inducing apoptosis. Furthermore, we investigated the effectiveness of drug combination treatment with W9 and cis-platinum (cis-DDP) or 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) on HepG-2 cell line.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results indicated that W9 with synergic treatment of 5-FU or cis-DDP shows better inhibitory cell growth. The combination of the two drugs blocks HepG-2 cells in the G2/M phase. The inhibitory effect of W9 on cell apoptosis was decreased with the increase of drug concentration.

Analysis of Fusobacterium persistence and antibiotic response in colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancers comprise a complex mixture of malignant cells, nontransformed cells, and microorganisms. Fusobacterium nucleatum is among the most prevalent bacterial species in colorectal cancer tissues. Here we show that colonization of human colorectal cancers with Fusobacterium and its associated microbiome-including Bacteroides, Selenomonas, and Prevotella species-is maintained in distal metastases, demonstrating microbiome stability between paired primary and metastatic tumors. In situ hybridization analysis revealed that Fusobacterium is predominantly associated with cancer cells in the metastatic lesions. Mouse xenografts of human primary colorectal adenocarcinomas were found to retain viable Fusobacterium and its associated microbiome through successive passages. Treatment of mice bearing a colon cancer xenograft with the antibiotic metronidazole reduced Fusobacterium load, cancer cell proliferation, and overall tumor growth. These observations argue for further investigation of antimicrobial interventions as a potential treatment for patients with Fusobacterium-associated colorectal cancer.

CCR2- and CCR2+ corneal macrophages exhibit distinct characteristics and balance inflammatory responses after epithelial abrasion

Macrophages are distributed throughout the body and are crucial for the restoration of damaged tissues. However, their characteristics in the cornea and roles in the repair of corneal injures are unclear. Here we show that corneal macrophages can be classified as CCR2^- macrophages, which already exist in the cornea at embryonic day 12.5 (E12.5) and are similar to yolk sac-derived macrophages, microglia, in phenotype and gene expression, and CCR2⁺ macrophages, which do not appear in the cornea until E17.5. At a steady state, CCR2^- corneal macrophages have local proliferation capacity and are rarely affected by monocytes; however, following corneal epithelial abrasion, most CCR2^- corneal macrophages are replaced by monocytes. In contrast, CCR2⁺ macrophages are repopulated by monocytes under both a steady-state condition and following corneal wounding. Depletion of CCR2⁺ macrophages decreases corneal inflammation after epithelial abrasion, whereas depletion of CCR2^- macrophages increases inflammation of the injured cornea. Loss of either cell type results in a delay in corneal healing. These data indicate that there are two unique macrophage populations present in the cornea, both of which participate in corneal wound healing by balancing the inflammatory response.

mTORC1 activation downregulates FGFR3 and PTH/PTHrP receptor in articular chondrocytes to initiate osteoarthritis

OBJECTIVE

Articular chondrocyte activation, involving aberrant proliferation and prehypertrophic differentiation, is essential for osteoarthritis (OA) initiation and progression. Disruption of mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) promotes chondrocyte autophagy and survival, and decreases the severity of experimental OA. However, the role of cartilage mTORC1 activation in OA initiation is unknown. In this study, we elucidated the specific role of mTORC1 activation in OA initiation, and identify the underlying mechanisms.

METHOD

Expression of mTORC1 in articular cartilage of OA patients and OA mice was assessed by immunostaining. Cartilage-specific tuberous sclerosis complex 1 (Tsc1, mTORC1 upstream inhibitor) knockout (TSC1CKO) and inducible Tsc1 KO (TSC1CKO^ER) mice were generated. The functional effects of mTORC1 in OA initiation and development on its downstream targets were examined by immunostaining, western blotting and qPCR.

RESULTS

Articular chondrocyte mTORC1 was activated in early-stage OA and in aged mice. TSC1CKO mice exhibited spontaneous OA, and TSC1CKO^ER mice (from 2 months) exhibited accelerated age-related and DMM-induced OA phenotypes, with aberrant chondrocyte proliferation and hypertrophic differentiation. This was associated with hyperactivation of mTORC1 and dramatic downregulation of FGFR3 and PPR, two receptors critical for preventing chondrocyte proliferation and differentiation. Rapamycin treatment reversed these phenotypes in KO mice. Furthermore, in vitro rescue experiments demonstrated that p73 and ERK1/2 may mediate the negative regulation of FGFR3 and PPR by mTORC1.

CONCLUSION

mTORC1 activation stimulates articular chondrocyte proliferation and differentiation to initiate OA, in part by downregulating FGFR3 and PPR.

Students’ Value Orientations in Contemporary China: Analysis of Measurement Invariance and Latent Mean Differences in Comparison With Students From Germany and Russia

The present study examined Chinese students’ personal value orientations according to the Schwartz value theory in comparison with students from Germany and Russia. The theory postulates 10 value orientations grouped into four higher-order factors: conservation versus openness to change and self-transcendence versus self-enhancement. Schwartz’ value orientations have been extensively investigated in Europe but less in East Asian countries such as China. We hypothesized that Chinese students would score higher on conservation and self-enhancement than German and Russian students, but lower on self-transcendence. Regarding openness to change, a null hypothesis was formulated. Students from China ( n = 9,601), Germany ( n = 1,118), and Russia ( n = 3,890) completed the Portrait Values Questionnaire (PVQ-21). To ensure methodological preconditions for cross-cultural comparison, measurement invariance of the PVQ-21 was tested. In a first step, confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was conducted separately for each country. Due to the high correlation between the 10 values, the four higher-order dimensions were studied separately. Configural, metric, and scalar invariance models were tested using multigroup CFA. Full metric and partial scalar invariance models held for all higher-order factors. Thereafter, latent means of values were compared across samples. As a result, Chinese students scored highest on the four higher-order dimensions when compared with Russian and German samples, thus the hypotheses were only partly confirmed. Results of this study could reflect the value conflicts emerging from various cultural influences in contemporary China: Young people are confronted with daily negotiation between Confucian tradition and the rapid economic development.

Non-carious cervical lesions (NCCLs) in a random sampling community population and the association of NCCLs with occlusive wear

This study investigated the prevalence, risk factors and association of occlusive wear with non-carious cervical lesions (NCCLs) in the general Chinese population. A total of 1320 subjects were recruited, and multistage and random sampling methods of survey spots were performed. All age groups comprised similar numbers of participants and equal numbers of males and females. Each subject completed a structured interview, and all teeth of each subject were examined by a practitioner to determine NCCLs and occlusive wear. Binary logistic regression was conducted by analysing the association of risk factors with the occurrence of NCCLs. Bivariate correlation analysis was performed by determining the association of NCCLs dimension or depth with the range of occlusive wear facets. Clinical assessment showed that the overall prevalence of subjects diagnosed with NCCLs was 63%. The proportion of subjects or teeth with NCCLs significantly increased with age. Pre-molars were the most commonly affected teeth. Single variables and interactive effects of variables associated with the occurrence of NCCLs include the following: age group, intensity of toothbrushing, frequency of fresh fruit consumption and interactive effect between intensity of toothbrushing and frequency of fresh fruit consumption. A weak positive correlation of the grading index was found between NCCLs dimension, size or depth and range of occlusive wear facets. This study reported the higher prevalence of NCCLs in the general Chinese population. Implementation of a combined strategy to reduce risk factors of NCCLs could be more effective than individual techniques; meanwhile, the occurrence of NCCL could be related to the wear degree of occlusive defects in the population studied.

Metagenomic Characterization of Microbial Communities In Situ Within the Deeper Layers of the Ileum in Crohn's Disease

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Microbial dysbiosis and aberrant host-microbe interactions in the gut are believed to contribute to the development and progression of Crohn's disease (CD). Microbiome studies in CD typically have focused on microbiota in feces or superficial mucosal layers of the colon because accessing DNA from deeper layers of the bowel is challenging. In this study, we analyzed the deep tissue microbiome in patients who underwent surgical resection of the small intestine.

METHODS

Paraffin blocks were obtained from 12 CD patients undergoing ileocecal resection, and healthy ileum samples (inflammatory bowel disease-free controls) were obtained from 12 patients undergoing surgery for right-sided colon cancer. Diseased and healthy-appearing ileum was identified using microscopy, and paraffin blocks were macrodissected using a core needle to specifically isolate DNA. Illumina Whole Genome Sequencing was used for microbial sequence identification and subsequent taxonomic classification using the PathSeq tool.

RESULTS

We observed significant differences between the microbiome of CD samples vs inflammatory bowel disease-free controls, including depletion of Bacteroidetes and Clostridia. Notably, microbial composition at the phyla level did not differ markedly between healthy and diseased areas of CD patients. However, we observed enrichment of potentially pathogenic organisms at the species level.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study showed dysbiosis within deeper layers of the ileum of CD patients, specifically enrichment of enterotoxigenic Staphylococcus aureus and an environmental Mycobacterium species not described previously. Future studies with larger cohort sizes are warranted to confirm these findings. Studies would benefit from effective microbial DNA extraction methods from paraffin sections and host nucleic acid depletion approaches to increase microbial read coverage.

Efficient l-lactic acid production from sweet sorghum bagasse by open simultaneous saccharification and fermentation

An open SSF process using B. coagulans LA1507 introduces an effective way to produce l-lactic acid from abundant SSB.

In search of a candidate pathogen for giant cell arteritis: sequencing-based characterization of the giant cell arteritis microbiome

OBJECTIVE

To characterize the microbiome of the temporal artery in patients with giant cell arteritis (GCA), and to apply an unbiased and comprehensive shotgun sequencing-based approach to determine whether there is an enrichment of candidate pathogens in the affected tissue.

METHODS

Temporal artery biopsy specimens were collected from patients at a single institution over a period of 4 years, and unbiased DNA sequencing was performed on 17 formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded specimens. Twelve of the 17 patients fulfilled the clinical and histopathologic criteria for GCA, and the other 5 patients served as controls. Using PathSeq software, human DNA sequences were computationally subtracted, and the remaining non-human DNA sequences were taxonomically classified using a comprehensive microbial sequence database. The relative abundance of microbes was inferred based on read counts assigned to each organism. Comparison of the microbial diversity between GCA cases and controls was carried out using hierarchical clustering and linear discriminant analysis of effect size.

RESULTS

Propionibacterium acnes and Escherichia coli were the most abundant microorganisms in 16 of the 17 samples, and Moraxella catarrhalis was the most abundant organism in 1 control sample. Pathogens previously described to be correlated with GCA were not differentially abundant in cases compared to controls. There was not a significant burden of likely pathogenic viruses.

CONCLUSION

DNA sequencing of temporal artery biopsy specimens from GCA cases, in comparison with non-GCA controls, showed no evidence of previously identified candidate GCA pathogens. A single pathogen was not clearly and consistently associated with GCA in this case series.

Skewing the Balance of Regulatory T-Cells and T-Helper 17 Cells in Breast Cancer Patients

This study investigated the distribution of interleukin (IL)-17-producing CD4+ T-cells (T-helper [Th17] cells) in relation to CD4+CD25+CD127− cells (regulatory T-cells [Treg]) in tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from breast cancer patients. The Th17 and Treg cells were evaluated by flow cytometry and reported as a percentage of total CD4+ cells. In TILs from early breast cancer patients ( n = 12), the frequency of Th17 cells was significantly higher than in PBMCs (14.5 ± 7.2% versus 6.9 ± 2.1%). In TILs from patients with advanced breast cancer ( n = 15), the frequency of Th17 cells was also significantly higher than that in PBMCs (9.1 ± 5.7% versus 3.2 ± 2.3%) but lower compared with early disease. The Th17/Treg ratio in TILs was markedly increased in early versus advanced disease. In conclusion, Th17 and Treg cell accumulation in the tumour microenvironment of breast cancer occurred in early disease; Th17 cell infiltration gradually decreased and Treg cells accumulated with disease progression.