[Analysis of the effect and safety of lumen reshaping after endovascular repair of Stanford B type aortic dissection at different intervention times]

Objective: To Compare the effects and safety of lumen reshaping after thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) for Stanford B type aortic dissection (AD) at different intervention times. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 189 patients with Stanford type B aortic dissection treated with TEVAR at the Affiliated Hospital of Chengde Medical College from January 2016 to December 2020.Based on the time from onset to surgery, patients were divided into an early intervention group (≤14 days, n=127) and a delayed intervention group (>14 days, n=62).The diameters of the total aorta, true lumen and false lumen at different times and planes (S1 plane: at the bifurcation of the pulmonary artery; S2 plane: at the lower edge of the left atrium; S3 plane: at the upper edge of the celiac trunk) post-surgery were compared between the two groups, and the rate of change in diameters of true and false lumens across these planes was calculated. The patients were followed until December 1st, 2023, and the median follow-up time was 45(40, 49) months. The postoperative complications and survival of the two groups were compared. Results: The early intervention group comprised 86 men and 41 women, with an average age of (58.3±10.7) years. The delayed intervention group included 41 men and 21 women, with an average age of (58.5±9.2) years. Both groups had an operation success rate of 100%. Six months post-surgery, the early intervention group had an expansion rate of the true lumen diameter at planes S2 and S3 of 40.1%(25.5%, 56.1%) and 5.3%(-2.5%, 15.8%), respectively, which was superior to the delayed intervention group's 18.5%(10.6%, 39.8%) and 1.0%(-8.2%, 9.6%) (both P<0.05).The early intervention group had a reduction rate of the false lumen diameter at planes S1, S2, and S3 of -56.2%(-61.3%, -48.8%), -70.4%(-81.8%, -56.6%), and -5.4%(-17.4%, 0.1%), respectively, better than the delayed intervention group's -44.2%(-53.7%, -38.3%), -49.0%(-57.6%, -35.8%), and -3.1%(-6.7%, 1.8%) (all P<0.05).At plane S1, the true lumen diameter of patients in both groups showed an increasing trend over 36 months post-surgery, while the false lumen diameter showed a decreasing trend (both P<0.05).At plane S2, the true lumen diameter of patients in the early intervention group exhibited an increasing trend over 36 months post-surgery, and the false lumen diameter exhibited a decreasing trend (both P<0.05).At plane S3, the total aortic diameter of patients in the delayed intervention group showed a slight increasing trend over 36 months post-surgery (P<0.05).The overall survival time were 45.0 months (95%CI: 42.9-47.1) for patients in the early intervention group and 46.0 months (95%CI: 43.5-48.5) for those in the delayed intervention group, with no statistically significant difference observed (P>0.05).The incidence rates of complications such as aortic rupture, retrograde Type A dissection, new distal endograft dissection, endoleak, paraplegia, and others showed no statistically significant difference between the two groups (all P>0.05), with no cases of stent migration or deformation observed. Conclusion: Early intervention for Stanford type B aortic dissection provides a better aortic remodeling outcome than delayed intervention, with similar safety.

Posterior open wound healing in immediate implant placement using reactive soft tissue versus absorbable collagen sponge: a retrospective cohort study

The soft and hard tissue healing of open wounds in immediate implant placement are yet to be explored. The aim of this study was to compare the clinical outcomes of open wound healing using reactive soft tissue (RST) and absorbable collagen sponge (ACS). Forty implants placed immediately in posterior sockets were included; autologous RST was used in 20 and ACS substitute was used in 20. Soft tissue healing was primarily assessed through a novel scoring system and the evaluation of gingival recession. The horizontal bone width (HBW) and interproximal marginal bone level (MBL) were measured on radiographs to observe the hard tissue healing. No significant difference in total soft tissue healing score was observed at 2 weeks postoperatively. Notably, the ACS group showed better tissue colour (P = 0.016) but worse fibrous repair (P = 0.043) scores than the RST group. Gingival recession levels were comparable in the two groups, both before tooth extraction and after placement of the restoration. Regarding hard tissue, HBW and MBL changes showed no intergroup differences. Within the limitations of this study, both RST and ACS seemed effective for open wound closure, achieving ideal soft and hard tissue healing in immediate implant placement.

Discovery of Novel Pyrazole Acyl Thiourea Skeleton Analogue as Potential Herbicide Candidates

To discover novel transketolase (TKL, EC 2.2.1.1) inhibitors with potential herbicidal applications, a series of pyrazole acyl thiourea derivatives were designed based on a previously obtained pyrazolamide acyl lead compound, employing a scaffold hopping strategy. The compounds were synthesized, their structures were characterized, and they were evaluated for herbicidal activities. The results indicate that 7a exhibited exceptional herbicidal activity against Digitaria sanguinalis and Amaranthus retroflexus at a dosage of 90 g ai/ha, using the foliar spray method in a greenhouse. This performance is comparable to that of commercial products, such as nicosulfuron and mesotrione. Moreover, 7a showed moderate growth inhibitory activity against the young root and stem of A. retroflexus at 200 mg/L in the small cup method, similar to that of nicosulfuron and mesotrione. Subsequent mode-of-action verification experiments revealed that 7a and 7e inhibited Setaria viridis TKL (SvTKL) enzyme activity, with IC50 values of 0.740 and 0.474 mg/L, respectively. Furthermore, they exhibited inhibitory effects on the Brassica napus acetohydroxyacid synthase enzyme activity. Molecular docking predicted potential interactions between these (7a and 7e) and SvTKL. A greenhouse experiment demonstrated that 7a exhibited favorable crop safety at 150 g ai/ha. Therefore, 7a is a promising herbicidal candidate that is worthy of further development.

Establishment of an indirect competitive immunoassay for the detection of dicamba based on a highly specific nanobody

Dicamba, a traditional highly effective and low toxicity herbicide, has gained new life with the development of dicamba-tolerant transgenic crops in recent years. However, dicamba is highly volatile and therefore easy to cause drift damage to sensitive crops. The development of efficient and sensitive detection methods is essential for monitoring of trace dicamba in the environment. Nanobody-based immunoassay plays an important role in on-site detection of pesticides. However, now rapid and sensitive immunoassay methods based on nanobody for dicamba detection were lacking. In this study, the nanobodies specifically recognizing dicamba were successfully obtained by immunising camels and phage display library construction, and then an indirect competitive immunoassay based on Nb-242 was constructed with IC50 of 0.93 μg/mL and a linear range of 0.11-8.01 μg/mL. Nb-242 had good specificity with no cross-reactivities against the dicamba analogs other than 2,3,6-trichlorobenzoic acid and the developed immnoassay had a good correlation with the standard HPLC in the spike-recovery studies. Finally, the key amino acid Ala 123, Tyr 55, Tyr 59 and Arg 72 of Nb-242 that specifically recognizing and binding with dicamba were identified by homologous modeling and molecular docking, laying an important foundation for further structural modification of Nb-242. This study has important guiding significance for constructing immunoassay method of dicamba based on nanobody and provides a sensitive, specific, and reliable detection method that is suitable for the detection of dicamba in the environment.

Development of an immunoassay based on a specific antibody for the detection of diphenyl ether herbicide fomesafen

Fomesafen belongs to the diphenyl ether herbicide, and is widely used in the control of broadleaf weeds in crop fields due to its high efficiency and good selectivity. The residual of fomesafen in soil has a toxic effect on subsequent sensitive crops and the microbial community structure because of its long residual period. Therefore, an efficient method for detecting fomesafen is critical to guide the correct and reasonable use of this herbicide. Rapid and sensitive immunoassay methods for fomesafen is unavailable due to the lack of specific antibody. In this study, a specific antibody for fomesafen was generated based on rational design of haptens and a sensitive immunoassay method was established. The half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of the immunoassay was 39 ng/mL with a linear range (IC10-90) of 1.92-779.8 ng/mL. In addition, the developed assay had a good correlation with the standard UPLC-MS/MS both in the spike-recovery studies and in the detection of real soil samples. Overall, the developed indirect competitive enzyme immunoassay reported here is important for detecting and quantifying fomesafen contamination in soil and other environmental samples with good sensitivity and high reproducibility.

Design, Synthesis, and Herbicidal Activity of Pyrazole Amide Derivatives as Potential Transketolase Inhibitors

The design and synthesis of new herbicidal active compounds based on a new target are of great significance for the development of new herbicides. Transketolase (TK) plays a key role in the Calvin cycle of plant photosynthesis and has been confirmed as a potential candidate target to develop and discover new herbicides. To obtain compounds with ultraefficient targeting of TK, a series of pyrazole amide derivatives were designed and synthesized through structural optimization for lead compound 4u based on TK as the new target. The bioassay results showed that compounds 6ba and 6bj displayed a highly inhibitory effect with the root inhibition of about 90% against Digitaria sanguinalis (DS) and 80% against Amaranthus retroflexus (AR) and Setaria viridis (SV) by the small cup method, which was better than the positive control mesotrione and nicosulfuron. Furthermore, compounds 6ba and 6bj exhibited an excellent inhibitory effect with the inhibition of about 80% (against DS) and over 80% (against SV) at the dosage of 150 g of active ingredient/ha by the foliar spray method. The TK enzyme activity inhibition test showed that the inhibition effect of target compounds against TK was consistent with the results of herbicidal activities. Also, molecular docking analysis showed that compounds 6ba and 6bj went deep into the active cavity of TK, bound to TK by a strong interaction, and might act on the enzyme TK. Above of all, compounds 6ba and 6bj are promising herbicide lead compounds targeting TK. Hence, they could be developed into more efficient herbicides by further structural optimization.

[Predictive value of serum Gal-13, GLP-1 and VEGF levels in adverse pregnancy outcomes of gestational diabetes mellitus]

To explore the application value of serum Gal-13, GLP-1 and VEGF in the prevention and guidance of adverse pregnancy outcomes in gestational diabetes (GDM). A retrospective study with case-control method was used to select 1 012 GDM patients from Haikou Maternal and Child Health Hospital from January 2019 to December 2022 as the study objects, and they were divided into poor pregnancy outcome group (n=342) and good pregnancy outcome group (n=670) according to whether they had adverse pregnancy outcomes. The medical records of 521 healthy women with normal glucose metabolism were selected as the control group. Serum Gal-13 and GLP-1 were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and VEGF was determined by IAMMGE specific protein analyzer. After comparing the differences of the above factors among the three groups, multivariate logistic regression model was used to analyze the influencing factors of adverse pregnancy outcomes in GDM patients, and ROC curve was drawn to analyze the predictive value of serum Gal-13, GLP-1 and VEGF levels on adverse pregnancy outcomes in GDM patients. The results showed that Fasting blood glucose (FPG), glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and fasting insulin (FINS) in the adverse pregnancy outcome group were 5.92(4.98, 6.41) mmol/L, 5.32(4.96, 5.47)%, 62.56(49.21,99.50) pmol/L, VEGF was 495.47(389.14, 567.13) ng/L, TSH was 1.48(1.34, 1.58) mIU/L, right ventricular myocardial work index (Tei index) was 0.59(0.45, 0.67), 89 cases of elderly parturients; FPG was 4.45(4.16, 5.03) mmol/L, HbA1c was 5.04(4.86, 5.29)%, FINS was 57.41(46.90, 74.08) pmol/L, VEGF was 405.84(348.02, 462.68) ng/L, TSH was 1.42(1.25, 1.50) mIU/L, Tei index was 0.50(0.47, 0.64), there were 142 cases of old women. In the control group, FPG was 4.33(4.05, 4.75) mmol/L, HbA1c was 5.01(4.13, 5.18)%, FINS was 38.48(36.76, 41.72) pmol/L and VEGF was 302.45(283.14, 336.56) ng/L, TSH was 1.32(1.24, 1.47)mIU/L, Tei index was 0.48(0.39, 0.59), and there were 106 elderly parturiencies. The levels of FPG, HbA1c, FINS, VEGF, TSH and Tei index in the adverse pregnancy outcome group and the good pregnancy outcome group were higher than those in the control group, and the proportion of elderly parturients was higher than that in the control group, and the adverse pregnancy outcome group was higher than that in the good pregnancy outcome group. The differences were statistically significant (H=8.620, P<0.001, H=2.616, P=0.014, H=6.156, P<0.001, H=3.051, P<0.001, H=4.892, P=0.044, χ2=2.548, P=0.045). In the adverse pregnancy outcome group, Gal-13 was 15.27(8.35, 24.45)pg/ml, GLP-1 was 9.27(8.26, 12.35) pmol/L and FT4 was 11.59(9.67, 13.48) pmol/L. In the group with good pregnancy outcome, Gal-13 was 25.34(20.14, 29.73) pg/ml, GLP-1 was 12.38(10.25, 15.63) pmol/L and FT4 was 13.86(10.67, 15.10) pmol/L. In the control group, Gal-13 was 31.21(27.48, 34.45) pg/ml, GLP-1 was 11.34(10.40, 14.37) pmol/L and FT4 was 14.15(10.75, 15.43)pmol/L. The levels of Gal-13, GLP-1 and FT4 in the adverse pregnancy outcome group and the good pregnancy outcome group were significantly lower than those in the control group, and the adverse pregnancy outcome group was lower than that in the good pregnancy outcome group. The differences were statistically significant (H=6.458, P=0.011, H=8.445, P<0.001, H=5.694, P<0.001). The levels of Gal-13 and GLP-1 in normal blood glucose recovery group were higher than those in non-normal blood glucose recovery group, and the levels of VEGF were lower than those in non-normal blood glucose recovery group (P<0.05).In multivariate logistic regression analysis, Gal-13, GLP-1, VEGF, TSH, FT4 and Tei indexes were independent influencing factors for adverse pregnancy outcomes with GDM (P<0.05). ROC curve analysis showed that the AUC of Gal-13, GLP-1 and VEGF alone in predicting adverse pregnancy were 0.779, 0.761 and 0.615, respectively. The value of the combined diagnosis was the highest (AUC=0.912), the sensitivity was 90.1%, and the specificity was 80.0%. In conclusion, Gal-13, GLP-1 and VEGF may be independent influencing factors for adverse pregnancy outcomes in GDM patients, and the combined detection of the three may help to improve the auxiliary diagnostic efficacy for predicting adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Discovery of Bis-5-cyclopropylisoxazole-4-carboxamides as Novel Potential 4-Hydroxyphenylpyruvate Dioxygenase Inhibitors

4-Hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (EC 1.13.11.27; HPPD) represents a potential target for novel herbicide development. To discover the more promising HPPD inhibitor, we designed and synthesized a series of bis-5-cyclopropylisoxazole-4-carboxamides with different linkers using a multitarget pesticide design strategy. Among them, compounds b9 and b10 displayed excellent herbicidal activities versus Digitaria sanguinalis (DS) and Amaranthus retroflexus (AR) with the inhibition of about 90% at the concentration of 100 mg/L in vitro, which was better than that of isoxaflutole (IFT). Furthermore, compounds b9 and b10 displayed the best inhibitory effect versus DS and AR with the inhibition of about 90 and 85% at 90 g (ai)/ha in the greenhouse, respectively. The structure-activity relationship study showed that the flexible linker (6 carbon atoms) is responsible for increasing their herbicidal activity. The molecular docking analyses showed that compounds b9 and b10 could more closely bind to the active site of HPPD and thus exhibited a better inhibitory effect. Altogether, these results indicated that compounds b9 and b10 could be used as potential herbicide candidates targeting HPPD.

Development of immunoassay based on a specific antibody for sensitive detection of nicosulfuron in environment

Nicosulfuron, one of the most widely used selective herbicides in corn field, can effectively control annual and perennial grass weeds, sedges, and some broadleaf weeds. The residual phytotoxicity of nicosulfuron in soil and water has become increasingly prominent. Therefore, an efficient method for detection of nicosulfuron was critical to ensure the sustainable and healthy development of agriculture and the ecological environment. In this paper, five nicosulfuron haptens which contained carboxyl group or aldehyde groups were designed and synthesized, and an indirect competitive immunoassay was developed for the first time. The assay showed an IC50 of 8.42 ng/mL and had negligible cross reactivities toward other sulfonylurea herbicides. In the spike and recovery studies, the recovery rate from soil samples was 95 %-104 %, and that of wheat roots was 92 %-98 %, which showed a good correlation with LC-MS analysis for nicosulfuron. The immunoassay was then used to quantify nicosulfuron concentration which could cause the obvious phytotoxic symptoms to wheat. Obvious symptoms of nicosulfuron phytotoxicity in wheat root was observed at the concentration of 0.068 ± 0.006 mg/kg (ELISA result) which was consistent with 0.072 ± 0.007 mg/kg obtained by LC-MS. The developed immunoassay method is an effective tool for environment contamination monitoring.

Citric acid modified ultrasmall copper peroxide nanozyme for in situ remediation of environmental sulfonylurea herbicide contamination

Herbicide residues in the environment threaten high-quality agriculture and human health. Consequently, in situ remediation of herbicide contamination is vital. We synthesized a novel self-catalyzed nanozyme, ultrasmall (2-3 nm) copper peroxide nanodots modified by citric acid (CP@CA) for this purpose, which can break down into H₂O₂ and Cu²⁺ in water or soil. Ubiquitous glutathione reduces Cu²⁺ into Cu⁺, which promotes the decomposition of H₂O₂ into •OH through a Fenton-like reaction under mild acid conditions created by the presence of citric acid. The generated •OH efficiently degrade nicosulfuron in water and soil, and the maximum degradation efficiency could be achieved at 97.58% in water at 56 min. The possible degradation mechanisms of nicosulfuron were proposed through the 25 intermediates detected. The overall ecotoxicity of the nicosulfuron system was significantly reduced after CP@CA treatment. Furthermore, CP@CA had little impact on active components of soil bacterial community. Moreover, CP@CA nanozyme could effectively remove seven other sulfonylurea herbicides from the water. In this paper, a high-efficiency method for herbicide degradation was proposed, which provides a new reference for the in situ remediation of herbicide pollution.

Synthesis of Indoles via Domino Reactions of 2-Methoxytoluene and Nitriles

2-Arylindoles are privileged structures widely present in biologically active molecules. New sustainable synthetic routes toward their synthesis are, therefore, in high demand. Herein, a mixed base-promoted benzylic C-H deprotonation of commercially available ortho-anisoles, addition of the resulting anion to benzonitriles, and S_NAr to displace the methoxy group provide indoles. A diverse array of 2-arylindoles is prepared with good yields (>30 examples, yields up to 99%) without added transition metal catalysts.

Design, Synthesis, and Herbicidal Activity of Naphthalimide-Aroyl Hybrids as Potent Transketolase Inhibitors

Transketolase (TK) was identified as a new target for the development of novel herbicides. In this study, a series of naphthalimide-aroyl hybrids were designed and prepared based on TK as a new target and tested for their herbicidal activities. In vitro bioassay showed that compounds 4c and 4w exhibited stronger inhibitory effects against Digitaria sanguinalis (DS) and Amaranthus retroflexus (AR) with the inhibition over 90% at 200 mg/L and around 80% at 100 mg/L. Also, compounds 4c and 4w exhibited excellent postemergence herbicidal activity against DS and AR with the inhibition around 90% at 90 g [active ingredient (ai)]/ha and 80% at 50 g (ai)/ha in the greenhouse, which was comparable with the activity of mesotrione. The fluorescent quenching experiments of At TK revealed the occurrence of electron transfer from compound 4w to At TK and the formation of a strong exciplex between them. Molecular docking analyses further showed that compounds 4w exhibited profound affinity with At TK through the interaction with the amino acids in the active site, which results in its strong inhibitory activities against TK. These findings demonstrated that compound 4w is potentially a lead candidate for novel herbicides targeting TK.

Predicting the probability of malignant pathological type of kidney cancer based on mass size: A retrospective study

BACKGROUND

Different degrees of malignancy of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) correspond to dissimilar therapies, and the prediction of malignancy of kidney cancer based on tumor size is still not fully studied.

METHODS

We evaluated a total of 50,776 patients with T1-T2, N0, M0 RCC diagnosed between 2004 to 2015 based on the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database. Three and four fuhrman grade clear cell RCC, three and four fuhrman grade papillary RCC, collecting duct RCC, sarcomatoid differentiation RCC and unclassified RCC were classified as aggressive RCC. The other RCC was classified as indolent RCC. The probability of aggressive and indolent was estimated according to tumor size using a logistic regression model. Differences in survival between subgroups were assessed using the Kaplan-Meier method.

RESULTS

There were 38,003 cases of indolent tumor and 12,773 cases of aggressive tumor totally. As tumor size increases, the predicted probability of an aggressive tumor also increases. Concretely, kidney cancers of 2cm, 3cm and 4cm were estimated to be 19.6%, 21.6% and 23.7% more likely to be aggressive. And for the same tumor size, clear cell RCC in men is more likely to be invasive relative to women and other kidney cancer pathology types. In addition, both the overall and tumor-specific survival are longer for indolent tumors than for aggressive tumors.

CONCLUSION

We evaluated the degree of malignancy of different sizes RCC in a retrospective study. This result may be helpful in the choice of initial therapy strategies for kidney cancer patients.

Design, Synthesis, and Evaluation of Novel 4-Chloropyrazole-Based Pyridines as Potent Fungicide Candidates

A rational molecular design approach was developed in our laboratory to guide the discovery of novel sterol biosynthesis inhibitors. Based on the application of bioactivities of heterocyclic rings and molecular docking targeting the sterol biosynthesis 14α-demethylase, a series of 4-chloropyrazole-based pyridine derivatives were rationally designed, synthesized, and characterized and their fungicidal activities were also evaluated. Bioassay results showed that 7e, 7f, and 7m exhibited commendable, diverse antifungal actions that are comparable to those of the positive controls imazalil and triadimefon. The active compounds' mode of action was further studied by microscopy observations, Q-PCR, and enzyme inhibition assay and discovered that target compounds affect fungal sterol biosynthesis via disturbing RcCYP51 enzyme system. These findings support that their fungicidal mode of action still targets the cytochrome P450-dependent 14α-demethylase as the molecular design did at first. The above results strongly suggest that our rational molecular design protocol is not only practical but also efficient.

[Gastric cancer-derived mesenchymal stem cells regulate the M2 polarization of macrophages within gastric cancer microenvironment via JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway]

Objective: To investigate the role and mechanism of tumor-derived mesenchymal stem cells in regulating the M2 polarization of macrophages within gastric cancer microenvironment. Methods: Gastric cancer tissues and the adjacent non-cancerous tissues were collected from patients underwent gastric cancer resection in the First People's Hospital of Lianyungang during 2018. In our study, THP-1-differentiated macrophages were co-cultured with gastric cancer-derived mesenchymal stem cells (GC-MSCs). Then, the M2 subtype-related gene, the markers expressed on cell surface and the cytokine profile were analyzed by real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), flow cytometry and Luminex liquid chip, respectively. The key cytokines mediating the inducing effect of GC-MSCs on macrophage polarization into the M2 subtype were detected and screened by Luminex liquid chip, which were further confirmed by the neutralizing antibody test. The expressions of macrophage proteins involved in M2 polarization-related signaling pathways under the different co-culture conditions of GC-MSCs were detected by western blot. Results: In Mac+ GC-MSC-culture medium (CM) group, the expression levels of Ym-1 and Fizz-1 (1.53±0.32 and 13.22±1.05, respectively), which are markers for M2 subtype, were both significantly higher than those of Mac group (1.00±0.05 and 1.21±0.38, respectively, P<0.05). The level of iNOS in Mac+ GC-MSC-CM group (0.60±0.41) was significantly lower than that of Mac group (1.06±0.38, P=0.023). In Mac+ GC-MSC-Transwell (TW) group, the expression levels of Ym-1 and Fizz-1 (1.47±0.09 and 13.16±2.77, respectively) were both significantly higher than those of Mac group (1.00±0.05 and 1.21±0.38, respectively, P<0.05). The level of iNOS in Mac+ GC-MSC-CM group (0.56±0.03) was significantly lower than that of Mac group (1.06±0.38, P=0.026). The ratios of CD163(+) /CD204(+) cells in Mac+ GC-MSC-CM and Mac+ GC-MSC-TW groups (3.80% and 4.40%, respectively) were both remarkably higher than that of Mac group (0.60%, P<0.05). The expression levels of IL-10, IL-6, MCP-1 and VEGF in Mac+ GC-MSC-CM group were (592.60±87.52), (1 346.80±64.70), (11 256.00±29.03) and (1 463.90±66.67) pg/ml, respectively, which were significantly higher than those of Mac group [(41.03±2.59), (17.35±1.79), (5 213.30±523.71) and (267.12±12.06) pg/ml, respectively, P<0.05]. The levels of TNF-α, IP-10, RANTES and MIP-1α were (95.57±9.34), (410.48±40.68), (6 967.30±1.29) and (1 538.70±283.04) pg/ml, which were significantly lower than those of Mac group [(138.01±24.31, (1 298.60±310.50), (14 631.00±4.21) and (6 633.20±1.47) pg/ml, respectively, P<0.05]. The levels of IL-6 and IL-8 in GC-MSCs [(11 185.02±2.82) and (12 718.03±370.17) pg/ml, respectively] were both strikingly higher than those of MSCs from adjacent non-cancerous gastric cancer tissues [(270.71±59.38) and (106.04±32.84) pg/ml, repectively, P<0.05]. The ratios of CD86(+) cells in Mac+ IL-6-blocked-GC-MSC-CM and Mac+ IL-8-blocked-GC-MSC-CM groups (28.80% and 31.40%, respectively) were both higher than that of Mac+ GC-MSC-CM group (24.70%). Compared to Mac+ GC-MSC-CM group (13.70%), the ratios of CD204(+) cells in Mac+ IL-6-blocked-GC-MSC-CM and Mac+ IL-8-blocked-GC-MSC-CM groups (9.90% and 8.70%, separately) were reduced. The expression levels of p-JAK2 and p-STAT3, which are proteins of macrophage M2 polarization-related signaling pathway, in Mac+ GC-MSC-CM group (0.86±0.01 and 1.08±0.01, respectively) were significantly higher than those of Mac group (0.50±0.01 and 0.82±0.01, respectively, P<0.05). The expression levels of p-JAK2 in Mac+ IL-6-blocked-GC-MSC-CM group (0.47±0.02) were significantly lower those that of Mac+ GC-MSC-CM group (0.86±0.01, P<0.05). The expression levels of p-JAK2 and p-STAT3 in Mac+ IL-8-blocked-GC-MSC-CM group (0.50±0.01 and 0.85±0.01, respectively) were both significantly lower than those of Mac+ GC-MSC-CM group (0.86±0.01 and 1.08±0.01, P<0.05). The expression levels of p-JAK2 and p-STAT3 in Mac+ IL-6/IL-8-blocked-GC-MSC-CM group (0.37±0.01 and 0.65±0.01, respectively) were both significantly lower than those of Mac+ GC-MSC-CM group (0.86±0.01 and 1.08±0.01, P<0.05). Conclusion: GC-MSCs promote the activation of JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway in macrophages via high secretions of IL-6 and IL-8, which subsequently induce the macrophage polarization into a pro-tumor M2 subtype within gastric cancer microenvironment.

2-Arylindoles: Concise Syntheses and a Privileged Scaffold for Fungicide Discovery

Indole is a popular and functional scaffold existing widely in the fields of medicine, pesticides, spices, food and feed additives, dyes, and many others. Among indoles, 2-arylindole represents a particular and interesting subset but has attracted less attention for drug discovery. In this study, we report a general, practical one-pot assembly of a variety of 2-arylindole derivatives. To develop novel fungicide scaffolds, their fungicide activity was also evaluated. The bioassay results showed that many of the synthesized 2-arylindoles exhibited considerable fungicidal activities especially toward Rhizoctonia cerealis, and several demonstrated an inhibition rate of more than 90%. Notably, 4-fluoro-2-phenyl-1H-indole 6e was obtained with a broad spectrum of fungicidal activities, which showed excellent growth inhibition activities against R. cerealis, Rhizoctonia solani, Botrytis cinerea, Magnaporthe oryza, and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum with EC₅₀ values of 2.31, 4.98, 6.78, 10.57, and 17.80 μg/mL, respectively. Preliminary fungicidal mode of action of 6e showed a significant inhibition effect on mycelial growth and spore germination. These results indicated that 2-arylindoles as privileged scaffolds exhibited potential fungicidal activities that deserve further study.

Discovery of Novel Pyrazole Amides as Potent Fungicide Candidates and Evaluation of Their Mode of Action

A rational molecule design strategy based on scaffold hopping was applied to discover novel leads, and then a series of novel pyrazole amide derivatives were designed, synthesized, characterized, and evaluated for their antifungal activities. Bioassay results indicated that some target compounds such as S3, S12, and S26 showed good in vivo antifungal activities; among them, S26 exhibited commendable in vivo protective activity with an 89% inhibition rate against Botrytis cinerea on cucumber at 100 μg/mL that is comparable to positive controls boscalid, isopyrazam, and fluxapyroxad. Microscopy observations suggested that S26 affects the normal fungal growth. Fluorescence quenching analysis and SDH (succinate dehydrogenase) enzymatic inhibition studies validated that S26 may not be an SDH inhibitor. Based on induction of plant defense responses testing, S26 enhanced the accumulation of RBOH, WRKY6, WRKY30, PR1, and PAL defense-related genes expression and the defense-associated enzyme phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) expression on cucumber. These findings support that S26 not only displayed direct fungicidal activity but also exhibited plant innate immunity stimulation activity, and it could be used as a promising plant defense-related fungicide candidate.

Design, Synthesis, Herbicidal Activity, and Molecular Docking Study of 2-Thioether-5-(Thienyl/Pyridyl)-1,3,4-Oxadiazoles as Potent Transketolase Inhibitors

Transketolase (TK) has been regarded as a new target for the development of novel herbicides. In this study, a series of 2-thioether-5-(thienyl/pyridyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazoles were designed and synthesized based on TK as the new target. The preliminary bioassay results indicated that compounds 4l and 4m displayed the best herbicidal activities against Amaranthus retroflexus (AR) and Digitaria sanguinalis (DS), with the inhibition exceeding 90% at 100-200 mg/L in vitro. Moreover, they also displayed higher postemergence herbicidal activities (90% control) against AR and DS than all of the positive controls at 45-90 g [active ingredient (ai)]/ha in a greenhouse. Notably, compounds 4l and 4m showed a broad spectrum of weed control at 90 g ai/ha. More significantly, compound 4l exhibited good crop selectivity against maize at 90 g ai/ha. Both fluorescent binding experiments and molecular docking analyses indicated that compounds 4l and 4m exhibited strong TK inhibitory activities with superior binding affinities than the others. Preliminary mechanism studies suggested that they might exert their TK inhibitory effects by occupying the active cavity of At TK and forming more strong interactions with amino acids in the active site. Taken together, these results suggested that compound 4l was a potential herbicide candidate for weed control in maize fields targeting TK.

Development of a Rapid Gold Nanoparticle Immunochromatographic Strip Based on the Nanobody for Detecting 2,4-DichloRophenoxyacetic Acid

2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) is a systemic conductive herbicide widely used across the world. With the large-scale and continuous use of 2,4-D, its possible harm to the environment and non-target organisms has attracted increasing attention, and the construction of a stable rapid on-site detection method is particularly important. In order to achieve on-site rapid detection of 2,4-D, we developed a gold nanoparticle immunochromatographic strip method with the visual elimination value was 50 ng/mL, and a quantitative detection limit of 11 ng/mL based on a nanobody. By combing with the color snap, the immunochromatographic strip could quantitatively analyze the amounts of 2,4-D. Meanwhile, a colorimetric card based on the true color of the test strips was developed for the qualitative analysis of 2,4-D on-site. The samples (water, fruits and vegetables) with and without 2,4-D were detected by the immunochromatographic strips, and the results showed the accuracy and reliability. Thus, this assay is a rapid and simple on-site analytical tool to detect and quantify 2,4-D levels in environmental samples, and the analytical results can be obtained in about ten minutes. In addition, the nanobody technology used in this study provides an inexhaustible supply of a relatively stable antibodies that can be archived as a nanobody, plasmid or even its sequence.

Design, Synthesis, and Herbicidal Activity of Thioether Containing 1,2,4-Triazole Schiff Bases as Transketolase Inhibitors

Transketolase (TK) represents a potential target for novel herbicide development. To discover novel TK inhibitors with potency against resistant weeds, 36 thioether compounds containing 1,2,4-triazole Schiff bases were designed and synthesized for herbicidal activity evaluation. The results demonstrated that compounds 5av and 5aw provided excellent weed control with inhibition of over 90% against the tested weeds, even at concentrations as low as 100 mg/L in vitro. In addition, compounds 5av and 5aw exhibited higher postemergence herbicidal activity than all of the positive controls against the tested weeds at 50-90 g [active ingredient (ai)]/ha in a greenhouse, while being safe for crops of maize and wheat at 90 g (ai)/ha. Fluorescent binding experiments of At TK indicated that compounds 5av and 5aw had strong TK inhibitory activity and could tightly bind with the enzyme At TK. Also, molecular docking analyses revealed that the structures of compounds 5av and 5aw were suitable for TK inhibitory activity. Taken together, these results suggested that compounds 5av and 5aw were promising herbicide candidates for weed control in wheat and maize fields targeting TK.

[Effect of histone deacetylase 2 and 4 activity on connective tissue disease associated pulmonary fibrosis in mice]

Objective: To investigate the effect of histone deacetylase (HDAC) activity on connective tissue diseases (CTD) associated pulmonary fibrosis (PF) in mice. Methods: A single tracheal administration of bleomycin induced PF in C57BL/6J male mice was performed to establish a PF model. The experimental mice were divided into three groups: bleomycin group (group B, n = 16) which was given bleomycin A2 physiological saline solution 2.5 μl/g body weight, saline group (Group C, n = 16) which was given physiological saline solution 2.5 μl/g body weight and no operation group (group N, n = 16). At 7, 14 and 21 days after administration, the animals were randomly killed and their specimens were collected. The activity of HDAC2 and HDAC4 was detected by colorimetry. Hematoxylin-eosin staining was used to evaluate pulmonary alveolitis and Masson staining for pulmonary fibrosis. The variance, correlation and binary variable correlation were analyzed. Results: The HDAC2 activity in lung tissue of mice in the bleomycin group was significantly higher than that in the no operation group (2.00±0.40 vs 1.00±0.23, P<0.05) and the saline group (2.00±0.40 vs 1.48±0.33, P<0.05). The HDAC2 activity in the bleomycin group was significantly higher than that in the no operation group (2.40±0.28 vs 1.00±0.23, P<0.01, 2.23±0.41 vs 1.00±0.23, P<0.01) and the saline group (2.40±0.28 vs 1.39±0.23, P<0.05, 2.23±0.41 vs 1.35±0.42, P<0.05). The change trend of HDAC2 activity between the bleomycin group and the saline group was different. There was no significant difference in HDAC4 activity in lung tissue of mice between the bleomycin group, the no operation group and the saline group. 14 days after tracheal administration, HDAC4 activity in the bleomycin group and the saline group were significantly higher than that in the no operation group (1.18±0.36 vs 1.00±0.12, P<0.01, 1.09±0.33 vs 1.00±0.12, P<0.01). HDAC2 activity in lung tissue of mice was positively correlated with pathological scores of alveolitis (r=0.428, P<0.01) and pulmonary fibrosis (r=0.508, P<0.01). HDAC4 activity in lung tissue of mice was positively correlated with the pathological scores of alveolitis (r=0.355, P<0.05) and pulmonary fibrosis (r=0.457, P<0.01). Binary linear regression analysis showed that HDAC2 activity had a stronger effect on the process of PF lesions than HDAC4 activity in lung tissue of mice. Conclusions: When pulmonary fibrosis occurred in mice, the activities of HDAC2 and 4 in pulmonary fibrosis were significantly increased. The activity of HDAC2 increased rapidly and lastingly, and the activity of HDAC4 fluctuated significantly and increased briefly. Changes in HDAC2 activity have stronger effects on alveolitis and fibrosis than HDAC4.

Synthesis of pyrazole-4-carboxamides as potential fungicide candidates

A series of novel pyrazole-4-carboxamides were rationally designed, synthesized, and their structures were characterized by ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR and HRMS. Preliminary bioassay showed that four compounds 8g, 8j, 8o and 8s exhibited more than 90% and even completed inhibition against Alternaria solani at 100 μg/mL; and 8d displayed 100% inhibition against Fusarium oxysporum at the same concentration. Moreover, 8j exhibited good in vitro fungicidal activity against A. solani with EC₅₀ value of 3.06 μg/mL, and it also displayed completed in vivo protective antifungal activity against A. solani on tomato at 10 mg/L, as boscalid did. The molecular docking results indicated that 8j exhibited the high affinity with SDH protein by H-bond and π-π stacking interactions, which may explain the reasons for its good activities. These data support that compound 8j could be used as a fungicide candidate for further study. A practical method for the synthesis of pyrazole-4-carboxamides were provided and evaluation of their antifungal activities.

An Innovative Nanobody-Based Electrochemical Immunosensor Using Decorated Nylon Nanofibers for Point-of-Care Monitoring of Human Exposure to Pyrethroid Insecticides

A novel ultrasensitive nanobody-based electrochemical immunoassay was prepared for assessing human exposure to pyrethroid insecticides. 3-Phenoxybenzoic acid (3-PBA) is a common human urinary metabolite for numerous pyrethroids, which broadly served as a biomarker for following the human exposure to this pesticide group. The 3-PBA detection was via a direct competition for binding to alkaline phosphatase-embedded nanobodies between free 3-PBA and a 3-PBA-bovine serum albumin conjugate covalently immobilized onto citric acid-decorated nylon nanofibers, which were incorporated on a screen-printed electrode (SPE). Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) was utilized to support the advantage of the employment of nanofibrous membranes and the success of the immunosensor assembly. The coupling between the nanofiber and nanobody technologies provided an ultrasensitive and selective immunosensor for 3-PBA detection in the range of 0.8 to 1000 pg mL-1 with a detection limit of 0.64 pg mL-1. Moreover, when the test for 3-PBA was applied to real samples, the established immunosensor proved to be a viable alternative to the conventional methods for 3-PBA detection in human urine even without sample cleanup. It showed excellent properties and stability over time.

Design and Synthesis of N-phenyl Phthalimides as Potent Protoporphyrinogen Oxidase Inhibitors

Protoporphyrinogen oxidase (PPO) has been identified as one of the most promising targets for herbicide discovery. A series of novel phthalimide derivatives were designed by molecular docking studies targeting the crystal structure of mitochondrial PPO from tobacco (mtPPO, PDB: 1SEZ) by using Flumioxazin as a lead, after which the derivatives were synthesized and characterized, and their herbicidal activities were subsequently evaluated. The herbicidal bioassay results showed that compounds such as 3a (2-(4-bromo-2,6-difluorophenyl) isoindoline-1,3-dione), 3d (methyl 2-(4-chloro-1,3-dioxoisoindolin-2-yl)-5-fluorobenzoate), 3g (4-chloro-2-(5-methylisoxazol-3-yl) isoindoline-1,3-dione), 3j (4-chloro-2-(thiophen-2-ylmethyl) isoindoline-1,3-dione) and 3r (2-(4-bromo-2,6-difluorophenyl)-4-fluoroisoindoline-1,3-dione) had good herbicidal activities; among them, 3a showed excellent herbicidal efficacy against A. retroflexus and B. campestris via the small cup method and via pre-emergence and post-emergence spray treatments. The efficacy was comparable to that of the commercial herbicides Flumioxazin, Atrazine, and Chlortoluron. Further, the enzyme activity assay results suggest that the mode of action of compound 3a involves the inhibition of the PPO enzyme, and 3a showed better inhibitory activity against PPO than did Flumioxazin. These results indicate that our molecular design strategy contributes to the development of novel promising PPO inhibitors.

Investigation of the Small Size of Nanobodies for a Sensitive Fluorescence Polarization Immunoassay for Small Molecules: 3-Phenoxybenzoic Acid, an Exposure Biomarker of Pyrethroid Insecticides as a Model

Limited reports on the use of nanobodies (Nbs) in fluorescence polarization immunoassay (FPIA) aroused us to explore if the small size of Nbs is a drawback for the development of sensitive FPIA to small molecular compounds, particularly since FPIA is a technology strongly dependent on molecular weight. In the present work, three different molecular weight Nbs against 3-phenoxybenzoic acid (3-PBA), an exposure biomarker of pyrethroid insecticides, including bare Nbs (15 kDa), Nbs-Avidin (Nbs-AV, 60 kDa), and Nbs-Alkaline phosphatase (Nbs-AP, 130 kDa) were specifically generated to cover distinct regions on the polarization and molecular weight relationship curve for a fluorescein tracer. In competitive FPIA, similar half-maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC₅₀) of 3-PBA of 16.4, 12.2, and 14.8 ng mL^-1 were obtained for Nbs, Nbs-AV, and Nbs-AP, respectively, indicating that the size of Nbs in the range tested had no significant effect on the sensitivity of the resulting competitive FPIA. An IC₅₀ of 20.2 ng mL^-1 for an anti-3-PBA polyconal antibody based FPIA further demonstrated the performance of Nbs, which was comparable to that of traditional antibodies in FPIA. Spike-recovery studies showed good and reproducible recovery of 3-PBA in urine samples, demonstrating the applicability of Nb-based FPIA. Overall, our results show that Nb-based FPIA achieves sensitivity levels of FPIA based on conventional antibodies and further indicate that Nb absolutely meets the sensitivity requirement of FPIA.

Hapten Synthesis, Antibody Development, and a Highly Sensitive Indirect Competitive Chemiluminescent Enzyme Immunoassay for Detection of Dicamba

Although dicamba has long been one of the most widely used selective herbicides, some U.S. states have banned the sale and use of dicamba because of farmers complaints of drift and damage to nonresistant crops. To prevent illegal use of dicamba and allow monitoring of nonresistant crops, a rapid and sensitive method for detection of dicamba is critical. In this paper, three novel dicamba haptens with an aldehyde group were synthesized, conjugated to the carrier protein via a reductive-amination procedure and an indirect competitive chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay (CLEIA) for dicamba was developed. The assay showed an IC50 of 0.874 ng/mL which was over 15 times lower than that of the conventional enzyme immunoassay. The immunoassay was used to quantify dicamba concentrations in field samples of soil and soybean obtained from fields sprayed with dicamba. The developed CLEIA showed an excellent correlation with LC-MS analysis in spike-and-recovery studies, as well as in real samples. The recovery of dicamba ranged from 86 to 108% in plant samples and from 105 to 107% in soil samples. Thus, this assay is a rapid and simple analytical tool for detecting and quantifying dicamba levels in environmental samples and potentially a great tool for on-site crop and field monitoring.

[Curcumin induces apoptosis and protective autophagy in human gastric cancer cells with different degree of differentiation]

Objective: To investigate the effect of curcumin on the apoptosis and autophagy of human gastric cancer cells with different degree of differentiation. Methods: Gastric cancer cell lines BGC-823 and MKN-28 were treated with curcumin at different concentrations. The effect of curcumin on cell proliferation was measured by MTT assay. Apoptosis was assessed by flow cytometry. Autophagy status was analyzed by acridine orange staining. The expression levels of apoptotic and autophagy-related proteins were detected by Western blot. Results: The cell viability of BGC-823 and MKN-28 was inhibited by curcumin in a time- and dose-dependent manner. At 48 h after treatment, the IC(50) value of BGC-823 (15.18 μmol/L) was close to that of MKN-28 (15.84 μmol/L), and the difference was not statistically significant (P=0.513). Meanwhile, flow cytometry showed that curcumin induced the apoptosis of gastric cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner. Western blot results showed that the expression of pro-apoptotic proteins bax, active-caspase-3 and active-caspase-9 was significantly increased in BGC-823 and MKN-28 cells, whereas that of the anti-apoptotic protein bcl-2 was strikingly reduced. In addition, the formation of acidic vesicular organelles in cytoplasm, conversion of LC3-Ⅰ to LC3-Ⅱ and increased levels of autophagy-related proteins Beclin1, Atg7 and Atg5-Atg12 were observed in curcumin-treated cells. Moreover, activation of PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway was also significantly suppressed after curcumin treatment. Blocking autophagy by adding the autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine (3-MA) significantly promoted the apoptotic cell death induced by curcumin. Conclusions: Curcumin induces apoptosis and protective autophagy in human gastric cancer cells in vitro. Curcumin combined with autophagy inhibitor may provide a more effective strategy for its clinical application.

Development of a Highly Sensitive Direct Competitive Fluorescence Enzyme Immunoassay Based on a Nanobody-Alkaline Phosphatase Fusion Protein for Detection of 3-Phenoxybenzoic Acid in Urine

3-Phenoxybenzoic acid (3-PBA) is a human urinary metabolite of many pyrethroid insecticides and can be used as a biomarker to monitor human exposure to these pesticides. A rapid and sensitive direct competitive fluorescence enzyme immunoassay (dc-FEIA) for detecting 3-PBA on the basis of a nanobody (Nb)-alkaline phosphatase (AP) fusion protein was developed. The anti-3-PBA Nb-AP fusion protein was expressed and purified. The 50% inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) and linear range of dc-FEIA were 0.082 and 0.015-0.447 ng/mL, respectively, with a detection limit of 0.011 ng/mL. The IC₅₀ of dc-FEIA was improved by nearly ten times compared with those of one-step and three-step direct competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (dc-ELISA). Spiked urine samples were detected by both dc-FEIA and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS), and the results showed good consistency between the two analysis methods, indicating the reliability of dc-FEIA based on the Nb-AP fusion protein for detecting 3-PBA in urine.

Temporary inhibition of the plasminogen activator inhibits periosteal chondrogenesis and promotes periosteal osteogenesis during appendicular bone fracture healing

INTRODUCTION

Aminocaproic acid is approved as an anti-fibrinolytic for use in joint replacement and spinal fusion surgeries to limit perioperative blood loss. Previous animal studies have demonstrated a pro-osteogenic effect of aminocaproic acid in spine fusion models. Here, we tested if aminocaproic acid enhances appendicular bone healing and we sought to uncover the effect of aminocaproic acid on osteoprogenitor cells (OPCs) during bone regeneration.

METHODS

We employed a well-established murine femur fracture model in adult C57BL/6J mice after receiving two peri-operative injections of aminocaproic acid. Routine histological assays, biomechanical testing and micro-CT analyses were utilized to assess callus volume, and strength, progenitor cell proliferation, differentiation, and remodeling in vivo. Two disparate ectopic transplantation models were used to study the effect of the growth factor milieu within the early fracture hematoma on osteoprogenitor cell fate decisions.

RESULTS

Aminocaproic acid treated femur fractures healed with a significantly smaller cartilaginous callus, and this effect was also observed in the ectopic transplantation assays. We hypothesized that aminocaproic acid treatment resulted in a stabilization of the early fracture hematoma, leading to a change in the growth factor milieu created by the early hematoma. Gene and protein expression analysis confirmed that aminocaproic acid treatment resulted in an increase in Wnt and BMP signaling and a decrease in TGF-β-signaling, resulting in a shift from chondrogenic to osteogenic differentiation in this model of endochondral bone formation.

CONCLUSION

These experiments demonstrate for the first time that inhibition of the plasminogen activator during fracture healing using aminocaproic acid leads to a change in cell fate decision of periosteal osteoprogenitor cells, with a predominance of osteogenic differentiation, resulting in a larger and stronger bony callus. These findings may offer a promising new use of aminocaproic acid, which is already FDA-approved and offers a very safe risk profile.

Transketolase Is Identified as a Target of Herbicidal Substance α-Terthienyl by Proteomics

α-terthienyl is a natural phytotoxin isolated originally from Flaveria bidentis (L.) Kuntze. The bioassay presented here shows the strong herbicidal activity of α-terthienyl on Digitaria sanguinalis, Arabidopsis thaliana and Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. The α-terthienyl-induced response of A. thaliana at the protein level was analyzed at different times. Changes in the protein expression profiles were analyzed by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) mass spectrometry. Sixteen protein spots were identified that showed reproducible changes in the expression of at least 2-fold when compared to the control. Among these 16 spots, three were up-regulated and 13 were down-regulated. The decreased expression of several proteins associated with energy production and carbon metabolism suggested that these processes were affected by α-terthienyl. To search for the candidate proteins in this screen, A. thaliana T-DNA mutants of the candidate proteins were used to test their susceptibility to α-terthienyl. Amongst the others, attkl1, a mutant of transketolase, exhibited a significantly lower sensitivity to α-terthienyl when hit compared with Col-0. Based on the identification of the proteins associated with the response to α-terthienyl by proteomics, a candidate target protein transketolase was identified.

Inhibitory effect and mechanism of metformin on human ovarian cancer cells SKOV-3 and A2780

OBJECTIVE

Ovarian cancer is the most common malignant tumor in female reproductive system. Metformin is an orally taken hypoglycemic agent, which is extensively applied in the clinic. Clinical trials find that there may be a certain degree of action of the metformin in inhibiting malignant tumors. This paper aims to investigate the inhibitory effect and mechanism of metformin on human ovarian cancer cells.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Through in vitro cell experiment, the influences of metformin on the proliferation, colony formation and apoptosis of ovarian carcinoma cells were studied. Ovarian cancer cells SKOV-3 and A2780 in logarithmic growth phase were selected and cell proliferation was measured by MTT method. The metformin was processed for 48 h to calculate the survival rate of cells. Also, metformin was processed for 24 h and two weeks or stained with crystal violet, after which Quantity One (Bio-Rad, Hercules, CA, USA) method was used to quantitatively analyze the cell clone formation, meanwhile, the FCM (flow cytometry) was used for the detection and analysis.

RESULTS

Intervened by metformin with different concentrations for 48 h, the cell viabilities of SKOV-3 and A2780 cells were respectively reduced by 19.49 ± 2.92%, 45.41 ± 7.95%, 53.84 ± 5.53%, 64.04 ± 4.36% and 11.45 ± 3.12%, 35.42 ± 7.55%, 43.77 ± 5.77%, 53.05 ± 5.55% as compared with that in the control group with statistical significances. After processed by metformin with different concentrations for two weeks, the cells clone numbers of SKOV-3 and A2780 were significantly reduced. Treatment of metformin on SKOV-3 and A2780 cells of human ovarian cancer showed significant apoptosis.

CONCLUSIONS

The metformin has the inhibitory effect on the cells of human ovarian cancer, which may be through inducing ovarian cancer cell apoptosis.

Effect of Astragalus polysaccharides on ovariectomy-induced osteoporosis in mice

Postmenopausal osteoporosis, a common type of osteoporosis in women, has become a serious public health issue. Astragalus polysaccharides (APS), possessing various pharmacological activities, are the active ingredients of Radix Astragali. It can be advantageous in the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis. In the present study, we evaluated the potential therapeutic effects of APS on postmenopausal osteoporosis by using a mice model induced by ovariectomy (OVX). Forty-eight female 6-week-old outbred ICR mice were randomly divided into six groups (N = 8): Sham group, OVX group, 17 β-estradiol (E2, 0.1 mg/kg)-treated OVX group, and APS (at three doses: 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg)-treated OVX groups. The effect of APS on the bone mineral density (BMD) was determined using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. The serum levels of receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-B ligand (RANKL), osteoprotegerin (OPG), osteocalcin, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α were measured using ELISA kits. The results revealed that APS exerted significant anti-osteoporotic activity by increasing the BMD considerably in a dose-dependent manner. APS treatment reduced the serum RANKL levels considerably and increased the serum OPG levels, thereby lowering the ratio of RANKL/OPG. Furthermore, APS also markedly reduced osteocalcin and TNF-α concentration in OVX-induced postmenopausal osteoporosis mice model. These results showed that APS exerts a protective effect on bone loss in OVX mice. The molecular mechanism underlying this effect be the reduction of bone resorption and inhibition of osteoclastogenesis. Our findings suggest that APS may be a potential strategy for the prevention and treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis.

Abstract S3-07: Complication and economic burden of local therapy options for early breast cancer

Background: Guideline-concordant local therapy options for early breast cancer include lumpectomy plus whole breast irradiation (lump+WBI), lumpectomy plus brachytherapy (lump+brachy), mastectomy without reconstruction or radiation (mast alone), mastectomy with reconstruction without radiation (mast+recon), and, in older women, lumpectomy without radiation (lump alone). Little is known regarding the comparative complication and economic burden of these options in the general population.

Methods: We used the MarketScan database which includes younger women with private insurance and the SEER-Medicare database which includes older women with Medicare. Women were included if they had early stage disease (T1/2 N0/1 M0) diagnosed in 2000-2011, no prior cancer, and complete insurance coverage from 12 months prior through 24 months after diagnosis. A complication from local therapy was defined as a diagnosis or procedure code for any of the following within 24 months of diagnosis: wound complication, local infection, seroma/hematoma, fat necrosis, breast pain, pneumonitis, rib fracture, and implant removal. Total costs and complication-related costs within 24 months of diagnosis were calculated from a payer's perspective and are reported in 2014 dollars. Logistic regression compared complications by local therapy and generalized linear regression (log link function, gamma distribution) compared complication-related and total costs by local therapy; all models adjusted for relevant covariables.

Results: We selected 44,344 patients from the MarketScan cohort, median age of 53, and 50,562 patients from the SEER-Medicare cohort, median age of 75. For the MarketScan cohort, risk of complications varied as follows: 29% risk in patients treated with lump+WBI (referent), 44% with lump+brachy (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]=2.00;P&lt;.001), 25% with mast alone (AOR=0.85;P&lt;.001), and 54% with mast+recon (AOR=2.89;P&lt;.001). For the SEER-Medicare cohort, risk of complications varied as follows: 37% with lump+WBI (referent), 52% with lump+brachy (AOR=1.91;P&lt;.001), 37% with mast alone (AOR=0.97;P=.17), 65% with mast+recon (AOR=3.17; P&lt;.001), and 30% with lump alone (AOR=0.81; P&lt;.001). Compared to lump+WBI, mean adjusted complication-related cost was $8,085 higher per patient with mast+recon in the MarketScan cohort and $3,711 higher per patient with mast+recon in the SEER-Medicare cohort. In contrast, complication-related costs were similar (+/- $750) for all other local therapy options relative to lump+WBI in both cohorts. For total cost, mast+recon was the most expensive local therapy in the MarketScan cohort, with mean adjusted total cost of $77,321, which was $15,181 more expensive than lump+WBI. In the SEER-Medicare cohort, lump+brachy was the most expensive option ($39,534), followed by mast+recon ($35,269), lump+WBI ($32,562), mast alone ($26,401), and lump alone ($24,455).

Conclusion: Mast+recon results in the highest complication rate and complication-related cost in both younger women and older women with early breast cancer. These findings are relevant to defining which local therapies offer the highest value to patients, payers, and society, and are relevant to patients when evaluating their local therapy options.

Citation Format: Smith BD, Jiang J, Shih Y-CT, Giordano SH, Huo J, Jagsi R, Caudle AS, Hunt KK, Shaitelman SF, Buchholz TA, Shirvani SM. Complication and economic burden of local therapy options for early breast cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Thirty-Eighth Annual CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium: 2015 Dec 8-12; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(4 Suppl):Abstract nr S3-07.

Loss of Fas apoptosis inhibitory molecule leads to spontaneous obesity and hepatosteatosis

Altered hepatic lipogenesis is associated with metabolic diseases such as obesity and hepatosteatosis. Insulin resistance and compensatory hyperinsulinaemia are key drivers of these metabolic imbalances. Fas apoptosis inhibitory molecule (FAIM), a ubiquitously expressed antiapoptotic protein, functions as a mediator of Akt signalling. Since Akt acts at a nodal point in insulin signalling, we hypothesize that FAIM may be involved in energy metabolism. In the current study, C57BL/6 wild-type (WT) and FAIM-knockout (FAIM-KO) male mice were fed with normal chow diet and body weight changes were monitored. Energy expenditure, substrate utilization and physical activities were analysed using a metabolic cage. Liver, pancreas and adipose tissue were subjected to histological examination. Serum glucose and insulin levels and lipid profiles were determined by biochemical assays. Changes in components of the insulin signalling pathway in FAIM-KO mice were examined by immunoblots. We found that FAIM-KO mice developed spontaneous non-hyperphagic obesity accompanied by hepatosteatosis, adipocyte hypertrophy, dyslipidaemia, hyperglycaemia and hyperinsulinaemia. In FAIM-KO liver, lipogenesis was elevated as indicated by increased fatty acid synthesis and SREBP-1 and SREBP-2 activation. Notably, protein expression of insulin receptor beta was markedly reduced in insulin target organs of FAIM-KO mice. Akt phosphorylation was also lower in FAIM-KO liver and adipose tissue as compared with WT controls. In addition, phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate-1 and Akt2 in response to insulin treatment in isolated FAIM-KO hepatocytes was also markedly attenuated. Altogether, our data indicate that FAIM is a novel regulator of insulin signalling and plays an essential role in energy homoeostasis. These findings may shed light on the pathogenesis of obesity and hepatosteatosis.

Recurrent activating mutations of CD28 in peripheral T-cell lymphomas

Peripheral T-cell lymphomas (PTCLs) comprise a heterogeneous group of mature T-cell neoplasms with a poor prognosis. Recently, mutations in TET2 and other epigenetic modifiers as well as RHOA have been identified in these diseases, particularly in angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (AITL). CD28 is the major co-stimulatory receptor in T cells which, upon binding ligand, induces sustained T-cell proliferation and cytokine production when combined with T-cell receptor stimulation. We have identified recurrent mutations in CD28 in PTCLs. Two residues-D124 and T195-were recurrently mutated in 11.3% of cases of AITL and in one case of PTCL, not otherwise specified (PTCL-NOS). Surface plasmon resonance analysis of mutations at these residues with predicted differential partner interactions showed increased affinity for ligand CD86 (residue D124) and increased affinity for intracellular adaptor proteins GRB2 and GADS/GRAP2 (residue T195). Molecular modeling studies on each of these mutations suggested how these mutants result in increased affinities. We found increased transcription of the CD28-responsive genes CD226 and TNFA in cells expressing the T195P mutant in response to CD3 and CD86 co-stimulation and increased downstream activation of NF-κB by both D124V and T195P mutants, suggesting a potential therapeutic target in CD28-mutated PTCLs.

Between-Scanner and Between-Visit Variation in Normal White Matter Apparent Diffusion Coefficient Values in the Setting of a Multi-Center Clinical Trial

PURPOSE

To study the between-scanner variation and the between-visit reproducibility of brain apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) measurements in the setting of a multi-center chemotherapy clinical trial for glioblastoma multiforme.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

ADC maps of 52 patients at six sites were calculated in-house from diffusion-weighted images obtained by seven individual scanner models of two vendors. The median and coefficient of variation (CV) of normal brain white matter ADC values from a defined region of interest were used to evaluate the differences among scanner models, vendors, magnetic fields, as well as successive visits. All patients participating in this study signed institutional review board approved informed consent. Data acquisition was performed in compliance with all applicable Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act regulations. The study spanned from August 1, 2006, to January 29, 2008.

RESULTS

For baseline median ADC, no difference was observed between the different scanner models, different vendors, and different magnetic field strength. For baseline ADC CV, a significant difference was found between different scanner models (p = 0.0002). No between-scanner difference was observed in ADC changes between two visits. For between-visit reproducibility, significant difference was seen between the ADC values measured at two successive visits for the whole patient group.

CONCLUSION

The CVs varied significantly between scanners, presumably due to image noise. Consistent scanner parameter setup can improve reproducibility of the ADC measurements between visits.

Fibroblastic rheumatism: the first case with infiltration of multinuclear giant cells and raised blood lead level

Fibroblastic rheumatism (FR) is a rare condition characterized by symmetrical polyarthritis and multiple cutaneous nodules. Approximately 30 cases have been reported worldwide to date. Laboratory tests are not particular useful to confirm the disease. Diagnosis is mainly dependent on the characteristic histopathological features: thickened collagen fibres with spindle-shaped cell proliferation in the skin lesion. We report a case of a 48-year-old Chinese man with typical clinical features of FR. In addition to the characteristic histopathological findings, multinuclear giant cell infiltration in skin lesions was detected, in this case. The evaluation of microelements revealed a raised blood lead level) of 129 μg/L (normal range 0-99 μg/L) These two features have never been described in the previous medical literature on FR. Thus, we propose that examining the infiltrated cells in detail in histopathological studies and inspecting the levels of lead and other microelements in the blood may increase our understanding of the pathogenesis of FR.

A novel frameshift mutation in the cylindromatosis (CYLD) gene in a Chinese family with multiple familial trichoepithelioma

Multiple familial trichoepithelioma (MFT) (OMIM: 601606) is an autosomal dominantly inherited disorder characterized by numerous, skin-colored papules and nodules with pilar differentiation. Recently, several mutations in the cylindromatosis (CYLD) gene have been reported in MFT. In this study, a mutation analysis of the CYLD was conducted in a Chinese pedigree of typical MFT. Affected individuals were identified through probands from Shanxi Province, China. Lesional skin biopsy of the proband revealed the typical histopathological characteristics of trichoepithelioma. Individuals belonging to five consecutive generations were similarly affected, which indicated an autosomal dominant inheritance pattern. Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood lymphocytes using standard phenol/chloroform extraction method. All the coding exons (4-20) and exon-intron boundaries of the CYLD gene were amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Direct sequencing of all PCR products amplified from the complete coding regions of the CYLD gene was performed to identify mutations. Sequencing of the CYLD gene was performed in a further 100 unrelated, unaffected control individuals to exclude the possibility of polymorphism. A novel heterozygous frameshift mutation c.1169_1170delCA (p.Thr390Argfs) was identified in exon 10 of the CYLD gene in the affected family members. This mutation was also detected in unaffected family members, but not in the unrelated, healthy individuals who were also analyzed. Our study expands the database on the CYLD gene mutations in MFT and should be useful in providing genetic counseling and prenatal diagnosis for families affected by MFT.

HLA-B*1502 increases the risk of phenytoin or lamotrigine induced Stevens-Johnson Syndrome/toxic epidermal necrolysis: evidence from a meta-analysis of nine case-control studies

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS

Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) are fatal adverse cutaneous drug reactions which may be induced by phenytoin (PHT) or lamotrigine (LTG). The objective of this study was to analyze the association of human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-B*1502 and PHT or LTG induced SJS/TEN.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

All the participants were epileptic patients and the SJS/TEN were induced by PHT or LTG. The presence or absence of the HLA-B*1502 allele of all the patients was determined. ISI Web of Knowledge, PubMed, ScienceDirect, EMBASE, and Cochrane Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) data were searched for the literature published before April 2014. Meta-analysis was performed using Review Manager 5.2 software.

RESULTS

From 256 citations, 6 English studies were included that involved 480 epilepsy patients. Meta-analysis showed that odd ratio (OR) of PHT and LTG were 5.65 [95% CI: 2.76-11.57] and 4.51 [95% CI: 1.57-12.98], respectively. Funnel plot analysis showed symmetry, indicting less possible publication bias and the results were partly reliable.

CONCLUSION

There is a significant association between HLA-B*1502 and PHT or LTG-induced SJS/TEN.

A new strategy for identification of currant (Ribes nigrum L.) cultivars using RAPD markers

We developed a new approach using RAPD fingerprints to distinguish 37 currant cultivars from northeastern China based on optimization of RAPD by choosing 11 nucleotide primers and strict screening PCR annealing temperature. We found that the manual cultivar identification diagram (MCID) approach clearly developed fingerprints from 8 different primers that were useful for cultivar identification; a cultivar identification diagram (CID) was readily constructed. This CID allows efficient currant cultivar identification, providing information to separate all the currant cultivars from each other, based on the detail polymorphic bands from the corresponding primers, which were marked in the correct positions on the currant CID. According to the CID, 10 currant cultivars in 5 groups were randomly selected for the referable and workable identification of this strategy. The results proved the workability and efficiency of the MCID method, facilitating the identification of fruit cultivars with DNA markers. This MCID approach will be useful for early identification of seedlings in the nursery industry and protection of cultivar rights.