Metabolic perturbations in zebrafish (Danio rerio) larvae exposed to sulfentrazone and imidacloprid

The intensive and widespread application of pesticides in agroecosystems can lead to the simultaneous exposure of non-target aquatic organisms to insecticides and herbicides. However, the underlying mechanisms through which aquatic organisms undergo metabolic reprogramming to withstand the combined effects of the insecticide imidacloprid (IMI) and herbicide sulfentrazone (SUL) remain poorly elucidated. This study employs metabolomics to investigate the effects of individual and combined exposures to IMI and SUL on zebrafish (Danio rerio), aiming to simulate complex environmental conditions. Metabolomics analysis revealed extensive metabolic reprogramming in larvae induced by the selected agrochemicals. Both individual and combined exposures disrupted nucleotide metabolism, inhibited glycolysis, and led to the accumulation of acetylcholine through the shared modulation of differential metabolites. Notably, individual exposure exhibited a unique mode of action. Larvae exposed to IMI alone showed mitochondrial dysfunction, potentially stemming from interference with the electron transport chain, while SUL-induced disruptions were associated with glycerophospholipid accumulation, marking it as a critical target. Additionally, calculations of the metabolic effect level index indicated antagonistic interactions between SUL and IMI mixtures at an overall metabolic level. The results obtained through investigating the lethal and sub-lethal effects also revealed that the simultaneous application of SUL and IMI may have the potential to diminish acute and developmental toxicity in zebrafish. This study underscores the significance of metabolomics as a valuable and effective strategy for deciphering the toxicity and interactions of agrochemical mixtures.

Metabolic disturbance of short- and medium-chain chlorinated paraffins to zebrafish larva

Chlorinated paraffins (CPs) are widely produced chemicals. Short-chain CPs (SCCPs) and medium-chain CPs (MCCPs) were listed as Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) and candidate POPs under the Stockholm Convention, respectively. The present study explored the developmental toxicity and metabolic disruption caused by SCCPs and MCCPs in zebrafish (Danio rerio) larvae. CPs exposure at environmentally relevant levels caused no obvious phenotypic changes with zebrafish larvae except that the body length shortening was observed after exposure to CPs at 1-200 μg/L for 7 day post fertilization. A further metabolomic approach was conducted to explore the early biological responses of developmental toxicity induced by CPs at low dose (1, 5, and 10 μg/L). The results of metabolic disorder, pathway analysis and chronic values indicated that, compared with SCCPs, MCCPs exhibited more risks to zebrafish larvae at low doses. Lipid metabolism was markedly affected in SCCPs exposure group, whereas MCCPs primarily disturbed lipid metabolism, amino acid, and nucleotide metabolisms. Compare with SCCPs, the relatively higher lipid solubility, protein affinity and metabolic rate of MCCPs can probably explain why MCCP-mediated metabolic disruption was significantly higher than that of SCCP. Notably, SCCPs and MCCPs have the same potential to cause cancer, but no evidence indicates the mutagenicity. In summary, our study provides insight into the potential adverse outcome for SCCP and MCCP at low doses.

A nation-wide study for the occurrence of PPD antioxidants and 6PPD-quinone in road dusts of China

N,N'-substituted p-phenylenediamines (PPDs) are widely used antioxidants in rubber tires, which could be released and accumulated in road dusts with rubber tires wear. As ozonation product of N-(1,3-dimethylbutyl)-N'-phenyl-p-phenylenediamine (6PPD), 6PPD-quinone (6PPD-Q) exhibited higher toxicity to coho salmon. However, studies on their environmental behaviors are still limited. Road dust is the major medium PPDs exist, which significantly affects the levels of PPDs in other mediums, especially surface water and particulate matter. In this study, road dust samples were collected in 55 major cities of China to explore the distribution characteristics of PPDs and 6PPD-Q. The concentrations of total PPDs (ΣPPDs) and 6PPD-Q in urban trunk road dust samples were in the ranges of 7.90-727 and 3.00-349 ng/g, with median concentrations of 68 and 49 ng/g, respectively. 6PPD and 6PPD-Q are the dominant components in most road dusts. The functional region-dependent pollution characteristics of PPDs and 6PPD-Q give the first finding that urban tunnel road was the highly polluted region, followed by urban trunk roads. Suburban road dusts had a lower pollution level. Moreover, the estimated daily intake (EDI) of PPDs and 6PPD-Q for children was much higher than adults.

Accumulation characteristics of metals in human breast milk and association with dietary intake in northeastern China

The trace elements present in breast milk play a vital role in the growth and development of infants. Nevertheless, numerous studies have reported the presence of toxic metal contamination in breast milk from various countries and regions, which poses potential risks to breastfed infants. This article aimed to investigate the characteristics of trace elements in breast milk and explore the relationship between breast milk and diet in Dalian, a coastal city in northeastern China. Breast milk samples and representative local food samples were collected from Dalian for research. The results revealed that 57 % of breast milk samples significantly exceeded the WHO safety limit (0.6 μg/L) for arsenic, with a measured mean value of 0.96 μg/L. Moreover, the levels of chromium (mean value: 2.63 μg/L) in 34 % of breast milk samples exceed the WHO recommended safety level (chromium: 1.5 μg/L). Aquatic foods accounted for 60 % to 90 % of the total intake of arsenic, cadmium, vanadium, mercury, and lead. The Spearman correlation analysis demonstrated strong positive correlations among breast milk metal elements, including copper-zinc (r = 0.68) and nickel‑chromium (r = 0.89). Furthermore, the food-to-milk accumulation factors (FMAF) of strontium, nickel, arsenic, vanadium, cadmium, and mercury were relatively low (median values <0.005). While the FMAF values for chromium and lead were higher, with median values of 0.038 and 0.07, respectively. The results indicated potential risks of the toxic metal arsenic in breast milk from Dalian, China for breastfed infants. Therefore, continuous monitoring of breast milk for toxic metals and foodborne contamination is necessary.

A nationwide investigation on the characteristics and health risk of trace elements in surface water across China

Rapid urbanization accelerates the release of anthropogenic heavy metals from local to wider water systems, posing a serious threat to aquatic ecosystems and public health. The characteristics of trace elements were investigated to evaluate the environmental status of surface water in 40 cities of China. The concentrations of 22 elements in surface water ranged from 7.00 × 10-4 to 4.37 × 105 μg/L. The water quality can be classified as "excellent" except Songhuajiang. The levels of As, Cd, Cr, Pb, and Hg are all within the limits permitted by national drinking water quality standards. An obvious regional distribution characteristic was observed, with concentrations of Zn, Mn, Ni, Cu, Co, U, and Cr higher in surface water collected in the north than in the south, while the trends for Cd, Tl, and As are opposite. Notably, Tl shows significant geographical divergences, with the level of surface water collected from the south nine times higher than that from the north. The regional distribution of the mineral, industrial, or agricultural activity might be responsible for the south-to-north difference of these elements. The hazard index (HI) and total cancer risk (TCR) through oral or dermal contact with water-related heavy metals were further calculated. The average HI was 0.54 in the north and 0.29 in the south for adults, while HI for children was relatively higher. The value was 1.01 and 0.55 in the north and south, respectively. TCR in the north is 2.58 × 10-4 and mainly contributed by Cr (88.1 %), while TCR in the south is 4.48 × 10-5 and mainly contributed by As (98.4 %). The research results can provide essential data for effective water resources management and human health protection in China.

Immediate implant placement in the posterior mandibular region was assisted by dynamic real-time navigation: a retrospective study

BACKGROUND

Efficient utilization of residual bone volume and the prevention of inferior alveolar nerve injury are critical considerations in immediate implant placement (IIP) within the posterior mandibular region. Addressing these challenges, this study focuses on the clinical efficacy and implant accuracy of dynamic real-time navigation, an emerging technology designed to enhance precision in implantation procedures.

METHODS

This study included 84 patients with 130 implants undergoing immediate placement in the posterior mandibular region. Stratified into dynamic navigation, static guide plate, and freehand implant groups, clinical indicators, including initial stability, distance to the inferior alveolar nerve canal, depth of implant placement, and various deviations, were systematically recorded. Statistical analysis, employing 1- or 2-way ANOVA and Student's t-test, allowed for a comprehensive evaluation of the efficacy of each technique.

RESULTS

All 130 implants were successfully placed with an average torque of 22.53 ± 5.93 N.cm. In the navigation group, the distance to the inferior alveolar nerve and the depth of implant placement were significantly greater compared to the guide plate and freehand groups (P < 0.05). Implant deviation was significantly smaller in both the navigation and guide plate groups compared to the freehand group(P < 0.05). Additionally, the navigation group exhibited significantly reduced root and angle deviations compared to the guide plate group(P < 0.05), highlighting the superior precision of navigation-assisted immediate implant placement.

CONCLUSIONS

It is more advantageous to use dynamic navigation rather than a static guide plate and free-hand implant insertion for immediate posterior mandibular implant implantation.

Residual levels and health risk assessment of trace metals in Chinese resident diet

Large-scale metal contamination across the food web is an intractable problem due to increasing pollutant emissions, atmospheric transport, and dry and wet deposition of elements. The present study focus on several trace metals that are rarely studied but have special toxicity, including tin (Sn), antimony (Sb), gold (Au), hafnium (Hf), palladium (Pd), platinum (Pt), ruthenium (Ru), tellurium (Te) and iridium (Ir). We investigated trace metals residues and distribution characteristics, and further evaluated the potential health risks from major daily food intakes in 33 cities in China. Sn, Sb, Ir, Hf, and Au were frequently detected in food samples with the concentrations ranged from ND (not detected) to 24.78 µg/kg ww (wet weight). Eggs exhibited the highest residual level of all detected metals (13.70 ± 14.70 µg/kg ww in sum), while the lowest concentrations were observed in vegetables (0.53 ± 0.17 µg/kg ww in sum). Sn accounting for more than 50% of the total trace metals concentration in both terrestrial and aquatic animal origin foods. In terrestrial plant origin foods, Sn and Ir were the most abundant elements. Hf and Au were the most abundant elements in egg samples. In addition, Sb and Ir showed a clear trophic dilution effect in terrestrial environments, while in aquatic ecosystems, Sn, Hf, and Au exhibited obvious trophic amplification effects. The calculated average estimated daily intake (EDI) via food consumption in five regions of China was 0.09 µg/(kg·day), implying the health risk of aforementioned elements was acceptable.

Integration approach of transcriptomics and metabolomics reveals the toxicity of Anthracene and its chlorinated derivatives on human hepatic cells

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and Chlorinated PAHs (Cl-PAHs) are ubiquitous environmental contaminants. The toxicological information of anthracene (Ant) and its chlorinated derivatives is quite limited. In this study, an integrated metabolomic and transcriptomic analysis approach was adopted to assess the toxic effects triggered by Ant and its chlorinated derivatives, 2-chloroanthracene (2-ClAnt) and 9,10-dichloroanthracen (9,10-Cl2Ant), at human-relevant levels on human normal hepatocyte L02 cells. The cell viability test showed no significant effects on the viability of L02 cells exposed to Ant, 2-ClAnt and 9,10-Cl2Ant at doses of 5-500 nM for 24 h. However, based on transcriptomic analysis, Ant, 2-ClAnt and 9,10-Cl2Ant exposure at human-relevant levels obviously perturbed global gene expression in L02 cells and induced the differential expression of several genes related to cancer development. As the number of genes related to cancer development altered by 9,10-Cl2Ant is the largest, 9,10-Cl2Ant posed greater risks of tumor development than Ant and 2-ClAnt did. Metabolomics analysis demonstrated that Ant, 2-ClAnt and 9,10-Cl2Ant caused significant metabolic perturbation in L02 cells. Pathway enrichment analysis indicated that Ant, 2-ClAnt and 9,10-Cl2Ant mainly perturbed the lipid metabolism and nucleotide metabolism pathway. However, 9,10-Cl2Ant caused a wider perturbation to metabolic pathways than Ant and 2-ClAnt did. In addition, dysregulation of nucleotide metabolism perturbed by Ant, 2-ClAnt and 9,10-Cl2Ant may be associated with the genomic instability and further carcinogenesis.

[Application of omics in the diagnosis of metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease]

Metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) is the most common chronic liver disease worldwide, and the risk of all-cause and liver-related mortality significantly increases with the degree of fibrosis. Early diagnosis of MAFLD and its degree of liver fibrosis are of great significance, so it is particularly important to find an accurate and simple, non-invasive diagnostic method. In recent years, high-throughput omics technology has developed rapidly and played an important role in the non-invasive diagnosis and prediction of fibrosis degree in MAFLD. This article summarizes the application progress of genomics, epigenomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, microbiomics, radiomics, and the combination of multi-omics for the diagnosis of MAFLD disease.

HALP score based on hemoglobin, albumin, lymphocyte and platelet can predict the prognosis of tongue squamous cell carcinoma patients

Objective

The preoperative hemoglobin, albumin, lymphocyte, and platelet (HALP) score, a comprehensive marker of nutritional and immunological status, has been found to be robust for tumor prognosis prediction. Here, we evaluated the use of HALP in the prognostic prediction of tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC).

Study design

Patients with TSCC were retrospectively recruited from the years 2009-2019. Patient clinicopathological characteristics, along with preoperative blood parameters, were recorded on admission, and the cut-off HALP value was determined by X-tile software. Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox regression analyses were used to evaluate the predictive value of HALP for patient overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS).

Results

A total of 339 TSCC patients were enrolled. The optimal HALP threshold was 56 and the patients were divided into two groups according to their scores. The Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that patients in the high-HALP group experienced longer OS (p = 0.007) and DFS (p = 0.006) than those in the low-HALP group. Multivariate analysis showed that elevated HALP (p = 0.038) was an independent predictor of OS, while age (p = 0.008), T stage (p < 0.001), N stage (p = 0.020), and degree of tumor differentiation (p < 0.001) were risk factors.

Conclusion

The findings showed that the preoperative HALP score was an independent predictor of prognosis in patients with TSCC.

Toxic effects and toxicological mechanisms of chlorinated paraffins: A review for insight into species sensitivity and toxicity difference

Chlorinated paraffins (CPs), a group of chlorinated alkane mixtures, are frequently detected in various environmental matrices and human bodies. Recently, CPs have garnered considerable attention owing to their potential to induce health hazards in wildlife and human. Several reviews have discussed short-chain CPs (SCCPs) induced ecological risk; however, a comprehensive understanding of the underlying toxic mechanisms and a comparison among SCCPs, medium-, and long-chain CPs (MCCPs and LCCPs, respectively) are yet to be established. This review summarizes the latest research progress on the toxic effects and the underlying molecular mechanisms of CPs. The main toxicity mechanisms of CPs include activation of several receptors, oxidative stress, disturbance of energy metabolism, and inhibition of gap junction-mediated communication. The sensitivity of different species to CP-mediated toxicities varies markedly, with aquatic organisms exhibiting the highest sensitivity to CP-induced toxicity. The toxicity comparison analysis indicated that MCCPs may be unsafe as potential substitutes for SCCPs.

[Application of different prognostic scores in liver transplantation decision-making for acute-on-chronic liver failure]

Objective: To compare the impact of different prognostic scores in patients with acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) in order to provide treatment guidance for liver transplantation. Methods: The information on inpatients with ACLF admitted at Beijing You'an Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University and the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine from January 2015 to October 2022 was collected retrospectively. ACLF patients were divided into liver transplantation and non-liver transplantation groups, and the two groups prognostic conditions were followed-up. Propensity score matching was carried out between the two groups on the basis of liver disease (non-cirrhosis, compensated cirrhosis, and decompensated cirrhosis), the model for end-stage liver disease incorporating serum sodium (MELD-Na), and ACLF classification as matching factors. The prognostic condition of the two groups after matching was compared. The difference in 1-year survival rate between the two groups was analyzed under different ACLF grades and MELD-Na scores. The independent sample t-test or rank sum test was used for inter-group comparison, and the χ (2) test was used for the comparison of count data between groups. Results: In total, 865 ACLF inpatients were collected over the study period. Of these, 291 had liver transplantation and 574 did not. The overall survival rates at 28, 90, and 360 days were 78%, 66%, and 62%, respectively. There were 270 cases of matched ACLF post-liver transplantation and 270 cases without ACLF, in accordance with a ratio of 1:1. At 28, 90, and 360 days, patients with non-liver transplantation had significantly lower survival rates (68%, 53%, and 49%) than patients with liver transplantation (87%, 87%, and 78%, respectively; P < 0.001). Patients were classified into four groups according to the ACLF classification criteria. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that the survival rates of liver transplantation and non-liver transplantation patients in ACLF grade 0 were 77.2% and 69.4%, respectively, with no statistically significant difference (P = 0.168). The survival rate with an ACLF 1-3 grade was significantly higher in liver transplantation patients than that of non-liver transplantation patients (P < 0.05). Patients with ACLF grades 1, 2, and 3 had higher 1-year survival rates compared to non-liver transplant patients by 50.6%, 43.6%, and 61.7%, respectively. Patients were divided into four groups according to the MELD-Na score. Among the patients with a MELD-Na score of < 25, the 1-year survival rates for liver transplantation and non-liver transplantation were 78.2% and 74.0%, respectively, and the difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.149). However, among patients with MELD-Na scores of 25-30, 30-35, and≥35, the survival rate was significantly higher in liver transplantation than that of non-liver transplantation, and the 1-year survival rate increased by 36.4%, 54.9%, and 62.5%, respectively (P < 0.001). Further analysis of the prognosis of patients with different ACLF grades and MELD-Na scores showed that ACLF grades 0 or 1 and MELD-Na score of < 30 had no statistically significant difference in the 1-year survival rate between liver transplantation and non-liver transplantation (P > 0.05), but in patients with MELD-Na score≥30, the 1-year survival rate of liver transplantation was higher than that of non-liver transplantation patients (P < 0.05). In the ACLF grade 0 and MELD-Na score of≥30 group, the 1-year survival rates of liver transplantation and non-liver transplantation patients were 77.8% and 25.0% respectively (P < 0.05); while in the ACLF grade 1 and MELD-Na score of≥30 group, the 1-year survival rates of liver transplantation and non-liver transplantation patients were 100% and 20.0%, respectively (P < 0.01). Among patients with ACLF grade 2, the 1-year survival rate with MELD-Na score of < 25 in patients with liver transplantation was 73.9% and 61.6%, respectively, and the difference was not statistically significant (P > 0.05); while in the liver transplantation patients group with MELD-Na score of ≥25, the 1-year survival rate was 79.5%, 80.8%, and 75%, respectively, which was significantly higher than that of non-liver transplantation patients (36.6%, 27.6%, 15.0%) (P < 0.001). Among patients with ACLF grade 3, regardless of the MELD-Na score, the 1-year survival rate was significantly higher in liver transplantation patients than that of non-liver transplantation patients (P < 0.01). Additionally, among patients with non-liver transplantation with an ACLF grade 0~1 and a MELD-Na score of < 30 at admission, 99.4% survived 1 year and still had an ACLF grade 0-1 at discharge, while 70% of deaths progressed to ACLF grade 2-3. Conclusion: Both the MELD-Na score and the EASL-CLIF C ACLF classification are capable of guiding liver transplantation; however, no single model possesses a consistent and precise prediction ability. Therefore, the combined application of the two models is necessary for comprehensive and dynamic evaluation, but the clinical application is relatively complex. A simplified prognostic model and a risk assessment model will be required in the future to improve patient prognosis as well as the effectiveness and efficiency of liver transplantation.

Regulation of endothelial cells on the osteogenic ability of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells in peri-implantitis

OBJECTIVES

The relationship between bone resorption and angiogenesis in peri-implantitis remains to be studied. We constructed a Beagle dog model of peri-implantitis, and extracted bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) and endothelial cells (ECs) for culture. The osteogenic ability of BMSCs in the presence of ECs was investigated through an in vitro osteogenic induction model, and its mechanism was initially explored.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

The peri-implantitis model was verified by ligation, bone loss was observed by micro-CT, and cytokines were detected by ELISA. The isolated BMSCs and ECs were cultured to detect the expression of angiogenesis, osteogenesis-related proteins, and NF-κB signaling pathway-related proteins.

RESULTS

8 weeks after surgery, the peri-implant gums were swollen, and micro-CT showed bone resorption. Compared with the control group, IL-1β, TNF-α, ANGII and VEGF were markedly increased in the peri-implantitis group. In vitro studies found that the osteogenic differentiation ability of BMSCs co-cultured with IECs was decreased, and the expression of NF-κB signaling pathway-related cytokines was increased.

CONCLUSION

Endothelial cells inhibit the osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells through NF-κB signaling in the environment of peri-implantitis, which may become a new target for the treatment of peri-implantitis.

Clinical study of dynamic real-time navigation assisted immediate implant without flapping in the esthetic zone

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study is to investigate the clinical effect of Dynamic real-time navigation to assist immediate implant without flapping in the esthetic zone.

METHODS

Eight patients who underwent immediate implantation in the aesthetic area were included. A total of 11 implants were implanted using dynamic real-time navigation system combined with non-flap technology. Clinical indicators including implant deviation, initial stability, alveolar bone absorption, implant success rate, pink esthetic score (PES), Papilla index score (PIS), and the thickness of labial side bone plate of the implant were recorded.

RESULTS

The deviation between the actual implant position and the preoperative design was (0.76±0.08) mm at the top, (1.11±0.18) mm at the root, (0.90±0.16) mm at the depth, and (1.48±0.91)°at the Angle. ISO values of all implants were greater than 59. PES was greater than 8. PIS index was 2 or 3. The average alveolar bone absorption was (0.34±0.09) mm and the thickness of bone plate on the lip of implant was greater than 1.6 mm. The success rate of implantation was 100%.

CONCLUSION

The use of dynamic real-time navigation assisted non-flap implantation in the aesthetic area can effectively reduce implant deviation and improve the aesthetic effect.

Circulating tumor cells in blood as a prognostic biomarker in tongue squamous cell carcinoma

OBJECTIVE

The study aimed to evaluate the role of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) as a prognostic biomarker of tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC).

STUDY DESIGN

CTC levels in the peripheral blood of 50 patients with TSCC at baseline (i.e., before treatment) and of 8 healthy donors were determined using the NanoVelcro system. The relationship between CTC levels and clinicopathologic parameters and clinical outcomes such as recurrence, metastasis, and death during follow-up (mean 17 months) was analyzed.

RESULTS

CTCs levels were closely correlated with TSCC clinical staging (P = .002), N staging (P = .007), and progression status (P = .002) in TSCC patients. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis revealed that the count of CTC ≥4 (area under curve: 0.832 [95% confidence interval 0.695-0.950]; sensitivity: 0.83; specificity: 0.75; P < .001) was a better prognostic marker than TNM stage (area under curve: 0.692 [0.536-0.848]; sensitivity: 0.83; specificity: 0.55; P = .023). In addition, univariate and multivariate analysis showed that the CTC was an important and independent predictive factor for overall survival and disease-free survival (P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

CTC was an independent prognostic indicator in patients with TSCC. CTC may be used as an auxiliary parameter to predict the prognosis of TSCC.

Occurrence, accumulation, and health risks of heavy metals in Chinese market baskets

Residual levels and accumulation characteristics of six hazardous heavy metal elements (As, Cd, Hg, Tl, Pb, and U) and seven essential heavy metal elements (Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, and Se) were investigated in 17 kinds of frequently consumed foodstuffs collected from 33 cities distributed in five regions of China. The concentrations of the detected metals were lower than the maximum limits promulgated by the Chinese government except Pb and inorganic As (iAs). Foods of aquatic origin and terrestrial plant origin exhibited high potentials to accumulate heavy metals, especially algae and shellfish. The calculated hazard index (HI) of heavy metal exposure via consumption of foodstuffs were 2.93-5.01 for adults in the five surveyed region, implying the co-exposure of heavy metals via food consumption would lead to potential non-carcinogenic risks. iAs was the predominant contributor to HI values with the average contribution of 40.5% in all five regions. Consumption of terrestrial plant origin foods contributed 76.9% of HI values induced by heavy metal exposure. The calculated target cancer risks of iAs in the five regions were 5 × 10^-4-1 × 10^-3, all exceeding the acceptable level of 10^-4, indicating it is necessary and urgent to reduce the contamination of iAs in foodstuffs on the Chinese markets.

Insights into the hepatotoxicity of pyrene and 1-chloropyrene using an integrated approach of metabolomics and transcriptomics

The toxicity of pyrene (Pyr) and its chlorinated species have not be comprehensively and clearly elucidated. In this study, an integrated approach of metabolomics and transcriptomics were applied to evaluate the hepatotoxicity of Pyr and 1-chloropyrene (1-Cl-Pyr) at human exposure level, using human L02 hepatocytes. After 24 h exposure to Pyr and 1-Cl-Pyr at 5-500 nM, cell viability was not significantly changed. Transcriptomics results showed that exposure to Pyr and 1-Cl-Pyr at 5 and 50 nM obviously altered the gene expression profiles, but did not significantly induce the expression of genes strongly related to the activation of aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), such as CYP1A1, CYP1B1, AHR, ARNT. Pyr and 1-Cl-Pyr both induced a notable metabolic perturbation to L02 cells. Glycerophospholipid metabolism was found to be the most significantly perturbed pathway after exposure to Pyr and 1-Cl-Pyr, indicating their potential damage to the cell membrane. The other significantly perturbed pathways were identified to be oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS), glycolysis, and fatty acid β oxidation, all of which are related to energy production. Exposure to Pyr at 5 and 50 nM induced the up-regulation of fatty acid β oxidation and OXPHOS. The similar result was observed after exposure to 5 nM 1-Cl-Pyr. In contrast, exposure to 50 nM 1-Cl-Pyr induced the down-regulation of OXPHOS by inhibiting the activity of complex I. The obtained results suggested that the modes of action of Pyr and 1-Cl-Pyr on energy production remarkably varied not only with molecular structure change but also with exposure concentration.

Residual levels and health risk assessment of rare earth elements in Chinese resident diet: A market-based investigation

The widespread use of rare earth elements (REEs) in agriculture and high-tech industry resulted in significant release of REEs into the environment. However, there is a scarcity of studies focusing on the presence of REEs in the food worldwide. The present study investigated the residual levels of REEs in 14 representative food categories collected from 33 major cities of China. The measured total REEs (ΣREE) levels in the foods of aquatic origin were 174.97 μg kg^-1 wet weight (ww), which was 6.35 times higher than those of terrestrial origin. It is interesting to observe a trophic dilution effect for REEs in both terrestrial and aquatic food samples. REEs in food samples at low trophic levels exhibited relatively high REEs levels; while for high trophic level food, relatively low REEs levels were observed. The distribution patterns of REEs varied across the different food categories and regions, with Ce being the most abundant REEs in all food samples, followed by La, Nd and Sm. High levels of ΣREE in food samples were observed in Midland, while low levels were found in the Northeast. Cereals was the dominant contributor to the estimated daily intake of REEs. The health risk of REEs by daily food consumption in China was acceptable.

AB0053 LncRNA NUTM2A-AS1 ALLEVIATED OSTEOARTHRITIS BY REGULATING miR-183-5p/TGFA PATHWAY

Background

Osteoarthritis(OA) is a common comorbidity in the elderly, characterized by articular cartilage degeneration, hyperosteogeny and synovitis. Long non-coding RNAs (LncRNAs) have been shown to be involved in several human diseases, including OA. However, the effect of NUTM2A-AS1 on chondrocytes remains unknown.

Objectives

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the role of LncRNA NUTM2A-AS1 in OA pathological changes in vitro.

Methods

Chondrocyte cells were treated for 24 hours to mimic OA pathological conditions. The experimental center used chondrocytes with interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) Intervention to simulate the pathological state of OA.The expression levels of LncRNA NUTM2A-AS1, miR-183-5p and TGFA mRNA were detected by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), along with CCK-8 to determine cell viability. Inflammatory response was assessed by determining the release of pro-inflammatory factors such as TNF-α and IL-6 using ELISA kits. Cell apoptosis was examined by flow cytometry assay. The binding relationship between miR-183-5p and LncRNA NUTM2A-AS1 or TGFA was confirmed by dual-luciferase reporter assay.

Results

IL-1β induced chondrocytes to express LncRNA NUTM2A-AS1 and TGFA, and the miR-183-5p expression was decreased in IL-1β-treated cells. Low expression of LncRNA NUTM2A-AS1 or TGFA mitigated IL-1β-caused chondrocyte viability reduction and apoptosis promotion. miR-183-5p overexpression alleviated IL-1β-mediated chondrocyte apoptosis and inflammatory injury via decreasing TGFA expression. In addition, our work revealed that miR-183-5p is a target of LncRNA NUTM2A-AS1. Rescue experiments showed that TGFA overexpression could reverse the effects of low expression of LncRNA NUTM2A-AS1 on the pathological changes in IL-1β-induced chondrocytes.

Conclusion

Low expression of LncRNA NUTM2A-AS1 significantly mitigated the chondrocytes damage induced by IL-1β through regulating miR-183-5p/TGFA axis, which might be an important target to regulate the promotion of OA.

References

[1]Kong H, Sun ML, Zhang XA, Wang XQ. Crosstalk Among circRNA/lncRNA, miRNA, and mRNA in Osteoarthritis[J]. Front Cell Dev Biol, 2021, 9:77437

Disclosure of Interests

None declared

Application of Computer-Aided Design and Individualized Templates for Bilateral Zygomaticomaxillary Complex Fractures

PURPOSE

Reduction of the bilateral zygomaticomaxillary complex (ZMC) fracture with individualized templates based on computer- aided surgical simulation system. To evaluate the practicality and accuracy of this approach in the treatment of bilateral ZMC fracture.

METHODS

Sixteen patients with bilateral ZMC fractures were collected to create a study model. The authors reconstruct the ZMC on one side via the three-dimensional (3D) model, and then mirrored to the opposite side. Multiple individualized templates were made based on the 3D model, and used as intraoperative guidance to reduce fractures. After surgery, the facial symmetry and the position of zygoma were observed. The mouth opening, pupil level, and sensation of infraorbital nerve were evaluated. Some mark points on zygoma were measured and the postoperative horizontal asymmetry rate (H) was calculated. Besides, orbital height and width were measured.

RESULTS

For all patients, the position of bilateral ZMC was basically restored. The patients with restriction of mouth opening all recovered to normal. The H values were less than 3.0% at all mark points. There was almost no difference in bilateral orbital width and height. Meanwhile, there was no significant difference between the preoperative measurements of the ideal virtual 3D model and the postoperative measurements of patients.

CONCLUSIONS

The study proves that application of computer-aided design and individualized templates can accurately guide the reduction operation of ZMC fracture, restore the ideal shape of ZMC, and obtain good facial symmetry.

Transcriptomics and metabolomics analyses provide insights into the difference in toxicity of benzo[a]pyrene and 6-chlorobenzo[a]pyrene to human hepatic cells

The toxicological information of chlorinated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (Cl-PAHs), as derivatives of PAHs, is still relatively lacking. In this study, a combination of transcriptomics and metabolomics approach was adopted to explore the changes in toxicity to human L02 hepatocytes after chlorination of benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) at 6 position. In general, 6-Cl-B[a]P produced a stronger toxicity to human hepatic cells than did parent B[a]P. When exposure concentrations were 5 and 50 nM, 6-Cl-B[a]P caused a weaker transcriptomic perturbation relative to B[a]P, whereas a stronger metabolomic perturbation, a stronger oxidative stress and a stronger inhibition effect on cell viability were caused by 6-Cl-B[a]P than did parent B[a]P. Pathway enrichment analysis indicated that 6-Cl-B[a]P produced a more widely perturbation to metabolic pathways than did B[a]P. Although they both significantly impaired the function of mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC), the exact mechanism is different. B[a]P suppressed the expression of 20 genes regulating mitochondrial ETC mainly via AhR activation. However, 6-Cl-B[a]P produced a stronger inhibition on the activities of complexes I and V than did B[a]P. Meanwhile, 6-Cl-B[a]P also exhibited a stronger inhibition effect on mitochondrial β oxidation of fatty acid. Furthermore, 6-Cl-B[a]P and B[a]P both significantly disturbed the nucleotide metabolism, glycerophospholipid metabolism and amino acid metabolism in L02 cells.

A Membrane-Supported Bifunctional Poly(amidoxime-ethyleneimine) Network for Enhanced Uranium Extraction from Seawater and Wastewater

Uranium extraction from natural seawater and wastewater are quintessential requirements to supply uninterrupted carbon-free nuclear energy and to prevent potential radiochemical and toxicological effects, respectively. Owing to the complexity and low-concentration uranium of these water samples, the design and synthesis of sorbent materials for uranium extraction with meaningful efficiencies remains a grand challenge. Herein, we reported a novel three-dimensional bifunctional network of hyperbranched poly(amidoxime-ethyleneimine) (PAO-h-PEI) using PEI as the skeleton material via cyanoethylation, crosslinking and then amidoximation. As a result of the synergistic supramolecular strategy, the PAO-h-PEI membrane achieved a remarkable adsorption capacity of 985.7 mg/g for aqueous uranium solution, which was 2.5 folds that of the monofunctional h-PEI membrane (387.6 mg/g). The PAO-h-PEI membrane also exhibited good selectivity towards uranium in the presence of various metal ions, high-content salt, and natural organic matter as well as common anions. According to the XPS and FTIR results, the utilization of amines as the second ligand enhanced uranyl binding by providing additional coordination sites or by interacting with oxime to force N-OH dissociation. The good reusability (adsorption rate of 93% after six adsorption-desorption cycles) and satisfactory adsorption performance in extracting low-concentration uranium in real seawater demonstrate its practicability.

Multi-omics analysis to reveal disorders of cell metabolism and integrin signaling pathways induced by PM2.5

Atmospheric fine particle pollution is known to cause many adverse health effects. However, the potential mechanisms of PM_2.5-induced cytotoxicity still needs further understanding. Herein, we integrated cytotoxicity, component profiling, metabolomics and proteomics data to deeply explain the biological responses of human bronchial epithelial cells exposed to PM_2.5. We observed that PM_2.5 caused cell cycle arrest, calcium influx, cell damage and further induced cell apoptosis. The contents of heavy metals and 4-6 rings PAHs in PM_2.5 were positively correlated with intracellular ROS, indicating that they might be the important components to induce the above cytotoxicity. Integrated metabolomics and proteomics analysis revealed the significant alterations of many metabolic processes, such as glycolysis, the citric acid cycle, amino acid metabolism and lipid metabolism. Notably, we found that PM_2.5 inhibited the integrin signaling pathway, including down-regulating the protein expression of integrins and the phosphorylation of downstream signaling kinases, which might ultimately affect cell cycle progression, cell metabolism and apoptosis. This study provided a comprehensive data resource for the deep understanding of biological toxicity mechanisms caused by atmospheric fine particles in human lung-bronchial epithelium cells.

Characteristics of PAHs, PCDD/Fs, PCBs and PCNs in atmospheric fine particulate matter in Dalian, China

Organic species in fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) may exhibit significant health risks. The level, composition and sources of PM_2.5-bound organic pollutants are temporally and spatially highly variable. In this study, the pollution characteristics and health risks of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCNs) and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins/furans (PCDD/Fs) in PM_2.5 of Dalian were investigated. PM_2.5-bound organic pollutants in Dalian were generally lower than other regions in China and other countries, significant seasonal changes were observed, higher levels appeared in winter than in summer. Concentrations of 16 PAHs were 2.07 ng/m³ and 13.99 ng/m³ in summer and winter, respectively. PAHs with 4-ring and 5-ring were the dominant components. Diagnostic analysis and principal component analysis (PCA) indicated that PAHs mainly originate from petroleum emissions and combustion. Concentrations of PCDD/Fs, PCBs and PCNs in PM_2.5 ranged from 0.05 to 3.27, 0.04-0.65 and 0.05-1.42 pg/m³, respectively. PCDD/Fs and PCBs were mainly consisted of high-chlorinated homologues during the sampling period. High-chlorinated PCNs were dominated only in winter, while low-chlorinated PCNs were dominated in summer, industrial thermal activity was one of the main sources of PCNs. The high correlation coefficients of the concentration of PAHs, PCBs, PCNs, and PCDD/Fs with that of SO₂ indicated that combustion sources contributed more to PM_2.5-bound organic pollutants than that of motor vehicle emissions. The incremental lifetime cancer risk induced by PM_2.5-bound POPs is relatively lower in Dalian than other regions.

FT-ICR mass spectrometry for molecular characterization of water-insoluble organic compounds in winter atmospheric fine particulate matters

Water-insoluble organic compounds (WIOCs) are an important fraction of atmospheric fine particulate matters (PM_2.5), which could affect the climate system and threaten human health potentially. In this study, molecular characterization of WIOCs in PM_2.5 were investigated by 15 T Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS) with atmospheric pressure photoionization (APPI) source in positive ion mode. A total of 2573 and 1875 molecular formulas were identified in WIOCs extracted by dichloromethane, which were collected in hazy and normal days, respectively. The identified molecular formulas were further classified into four major subgroups, including CH, CHN, CHO and CHNO compounds. CHO compounds predominated in WIOCs, accounting for more than 60% in both samples. CHNO compounds (26.6%) and CH compounds (16.1%) were the second highest subgroups in WIOCs from the hazy days and normal days, respectively. The relative abundance and number of nitro-substituted aromatic compounds were significantly higher in hazy days than in normal days. The molecular composition of WIOCs was more complex in hazy days while more aromatic compounds were identified in normal days.

Life Cycle Exposure to Environmentally Relevant Concentrations of Diphenyl Phosphate (DPhP) Inhibits Growth and Energy Metabolism of Zebrafish in a Sex-Specific Manner

Due to commercial uses and environmental degradation of aryl phosphate esters, diphenyl phosphate (DPhP) is frequently detected in environmental matrices and is thus of growing concern worldwide. However, information on potential adverse effects of chronic exposure to DPhP at environmentally realistic concentrations was lacking. Here, we investigated the effects of life cycle exposure to DPhP on zebrafish at environmentally relevant concentrations of 0.8, 3.9, or 35.6 μg/L and employed a dual-omics approach (metabolomics and transcriptomics) to characterize potential modes of action. Exposure to DPhP at 35.6 μg/L for 120 days resulted in significant reductions in body mass and length of male zebrafish, but did not cause those same effects to females. Predominant toxicological mechanisms, including inhibition of oxidative phosphorylation, down-regulation of fatty acid oxidation, and up-regulation of phosphatidylcholine degradation, were revealed by integrated dual-omics analysis and successfully linked to adverse outcomes. Activity of succinate dehydrogenase and protein content of carnitine O-palmitoyltransferase 1 were significantly decreased in livers of male fish exposed to DPhP, which further confirmed the proposed toxicological mechanisms. This study is the first to demonstrate that chronic, low-level exposure to DPhP can retard growth via inhibiting energy output in male zebrafish.

Molecular mechanisms of zooplanktonic toxicity in the okadaic acid-producing dinoflagellate Prorocentrum lima

Prorocentrum lima is a dinoflagellate that forms hazardous blooms and produces okadaic acid (OA), leading to adverse environmental consequences associated with the declines of zooplankton populations. However, little is known about the toxic effects and molecular mechanisms of P. lima or OA on zooplankton. Here, their toxic effects were investigated using the brine shrimp Artemia salina. Acute exposure of A. salina to P. lima resulted in lethality at concentrations 100-fold lower than densities observed during blooms. The first comprehensive results from global transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses in A. salina showed up-regulated mRNA expression of antioxidant enzymes and reduced non-enzyme antioxidants, indicating general detoxification responses to oxidative stress after exposure to P. lima. The significantly up-regulated mRNA expression of proteasome, spliceosome, and ribosome, as well as the increased fatty acid oxidation and oxidative phosphorylation suggested the proteolysis of damaged proteins and induction of energy expenditure. Exposure to OA increased catabolism of chitin, which may further disrupt the molting and reproduction activities of A. salina. Our data shed new insights on the molecular responses and toxicity mechanisms of A. salina to P. lima or OA. The simple zooplankton model integrated with omic methods provides a sensitive assessment approach for studying hazardous algae.

Exposure to short-chain chlorinated paraffins inhibited PPARα-mediated fatty acid oxidation and stimulated aerobic glycolysis in vitro in human cells

Short-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs) could disrupt fatty acid metabolism in male rat liver through activating rat PPARα signaling. However, whether this mode of action can translate to humans remained largely unclear. In this study, based on luciferase assays, C_10-13-CPs (56.5% Cl) at concentrations greater than 1 μM (i.e., 362 μg/L) showed weak agonistic activity toward human PPARα (hPPARα) signaling. But in HepG2 cells, exposure to C_10-13-CPs (56.5% Cl) at the human internal exposure level (100 μg/L) down-regulated expressions of most of the tested hPPARα target genes, which encode for enzymes that oxidize fatty acids. In line with the gene expression data, metabolomics further confirmed that exposure to four SCCP standards with varying chlorine contents at 100 μg/L significantly suppressed oxidation of fatty acids in HepG2 cells, mainly evidenced by elevations in both total fatty acids and long-chain acylcarnitines. In addition, exposure to these SCCPs also caused a shift in carbohydrate metabolism from the tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA cycle) to aerobic glycolysis. Overall, the results revealed that SCCPs could inhibit hPPARα-mediated fatty acid oxidation, and stimulated aerobic glycolysis in HepG2 cells.

Pd Anchored on a Phytic Acid/Thiourea Polymer as a Highly Active and Stable Catalyst for the Reduction of Nitroarene

A kind of N, P, C, O-containing polymer was easily prepared via microwave heating of phytic acid and thiourea just for 90 s. After impregnation and reduction of H₂PdCl₄, highly dispersed Pd single atoms/sub-nano clusters loaded on the phytic acid/thiourea polymer (Pd-CNSP) were successfully obtained. Owing to the synergetic effect of the polymer support and Pd, the catalyst Pd-CNSP achieves a great atomic efficiency of Pd species and exhibits an outstanding catalytic ability in the reduction of 4-nitrophenol. The k value of the catalyst Pd-CNSP (2.17 min^-1 mg^-1) is about 19 times higher than that of the commercial Pd/C (5 wt %) catalyst. The turnover frequency value is as high as 848 min^-1, which is the highest value reported so far. Pd-CNSP also has good selectivity for the reduction of halogen-substituted (Cl and Br) nitroaromatics. It is expected to be mass-produced and used in other industrial hydrogenation reactions.

The effect of toxic components on metabolomic response of male SD rats exposed to fine particulate matter

PM_2.5 pollution was associated with numerous adverse health effects. However, PM_2.5 induced toxic effects and the relationships with toxic components remain largely unknown. To evaluate the metabolic toxicity of PM_2.5 at environmentally relevant doses, investigate the seasonal variation of PM_2.5 induced toxicity and the relationship with toxic components, a combination of general pathophysiological tests and metabolomics analysis was conducted in this study to explore the response of SD rats to PM_2.5 exposure. The result of general toxicology analysis revealed unconspicuous toxicity of PM_2.5 under environmental dose, but winter PM_2.5 at high dose caused severe histopathological damage to lung. Metabolomic analysis highlighted significant metabolic disorder induced by PM_2.5 even at environmentally relevant doses. Lipid metabolism and GSH metabolism were primarily influenced by PM_2.5 exposure due to the high levels of heavy metals. In addition, high levels of organic compounds such as PAHs, PCBs and PCDD/Fs in winter PM_2.5 bring multiple overlaps on the toxic pathways, resulting in larger pulmonary toxicity and metabolic toxicity in rats than summer.

Effect of short-chain chlorinated paraffins on metabolic profiling of male SD rats

The toxic effect of high-dose of short-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs) has been extensively studied, however the possible health risks induced by SCCPs at low-dose remain largely unknown. In this study, a comprehensive toxicology analysis of SCCPs was conducted with the exposure levels from the environmental dose to the Lowest Observed Adverse Effect Level (LOAEL) of 100 mg/kg/day. General toxicology analysis revealed inconspicuous toxicity of the environmental dose of SCCPs, high dose SCCP exposure inhibited the growth rate and increased the liver weight of rat. Metabolomics analysis indicated that SCCP-induced toxicity was triggered at environmentally relevant doses. First, inhibition of energy metabolism was observed with the decrease in blood glucose and the dysfunction of TCA cycle, which may have contributed to lower body weight gain in rats exposed to a high dose of SCCPs. Second, the increase of free fatty acids indicated the acceleration of lipid metabolism to compensate for the energy deficiency caused by hypoglycemia. Lipid oxidative metabolism inevitably leads to oxidative stress and stimulates the up-regulation of antioxidant metabolites such as GSH and GSSH. The up-regulation of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and phospholipids composed of arachidonic acid indicates the occurrence of inflammation. Dysfunction of lipid metabolism can be an indicator of SCCP-induced liver injury.

Mass balance and elimination mechanism of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) during the kraft pulping process

Papermaking raw materials are usually digested by NaOH and Na₂S solution. The fate of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) during the kraft pulping process is still poorly known. In this study, a comprehensive investigation was conducted on the variation in PCDD/Fs in the kraft pulping section of 3 modern non-wood pulp mills adopting elemental chlorine-free (ECF) bleaching technology. Similar dioxin homologue profiles, dominated by Cl_1-3DF and Cl₂DD homologues, were observed in the raw materials, black liquors and brown pulps; and the partitioning behaviors of dioxin congeners between black liquor and brown pulp were found to be partly dependent on their octanol-water partitioning coefficients. Dioxin mass flow analysis indicated that the raw materials contributed more than 95 % to the dioxins entering the pulping section. Approximately 7 - 30 % of the input dioxins were exported by black liquor, and the brown pulp carried 44 - 51 % of the input dioxins into the subsequent bleaching section. The kraft pulping process caused a 40 - 48 % reduction in input dioxins. Alkaline hydrolysis and coupling reaction between dioxins and the aromatic fragments of lignin were proposed as two most possible mechanisms for dioxin elimination. In general, modern pulp mills have actually become industrial plants that eliminate environmental dioxins.

[Aldo-keto reductase family 1 B10 participates in the regulation of hepatoma cell cycle through p27/p-Rb signaling pathway]

Objective: Aldo-keto reductase family 1 member B10 (AKR1B10) pathogenesis, early diagnosis and prognosis are closely related with hepatoma. Therefore, this study explores the effect and mechanism of AKR1B10 on cell cycle in hepatoma cells. Methods: HepG2 cells were infected with lentivirus LV-AKR1B10-shRNA or treated with epalrestat, an AKR1B10 inhibitor. The expression level of AKR1B10 was detected by Western blot assay and real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). Decreased AKR1B10 activity was detected by reduced coenzyme II (NADPH) absorbance at 340 nm. The low expression of AKR1B10 and the effect of different concentrations of epalrestat on cell proliferation and cell cycle were detected by CCK-8 method and flow cytometry. The protein expression levels of p-rb, cyclin D1, E1, p27 in HepG2 cells were detected by Western blot. The mean of the two samples was tested using independent sample t-test. Results: AKR1B10 expression level in hepatoma cells was significantly increased compared to normal liver cells, and the relative expression level of AKR1B10 protein in HepG2 cells was 6.71 ± 1.11 (P = 0.012). Epalrestat was significantly inhibited with the enzymatic activity of AKR1B10 in a dose-dependent manner. AKR1B10 gene in HepG2 cells was effectively silenced. HepG2 cells treated with different concentrations of epalrestat (AKR1B10 inhibitor) for 24, 48 and 72 h had inhibited cell proliferation, promoted G0/G1 cell cycle arrest, reduced the expression of p-Rb, cyclin D1, and cyclin E1 and increased the expression of cyclin dependent kinase inhibitor p27 expression. Conclusion: AKR1B10 inhibitory expression and activity can promote G0/G1 cell cycle arrest in HepG2 cells through the p27 / p-Rb pathway.

Effects of harvesting and extraction methods on metabolite recovery from adherently growing mammalian cells

With the wide application of cell metabolomics in many research areas, there is a need to develop an effective procedure for adherent mammalian cell metabolomics that allows for accurate determination of intracellular metabolite levels and easy comparison between multiple studies of a similar application. Here we aimed to compare the efficiencies of different cell harvesting methods and metabolite extraction methods in sample preparation procedures, and to provide a cell sample processing protocol which focuses on maximizing metabolite recovery ranging from polar to lipidic ones. A systematical evaluation of 4 cell harvesting methods and 4 extraction methods was conducted based on human hepatoma HepG2 cells. The impact of different methods on the recoveries of 11 different categories of metabolites was further investigated. The water disruption sample harvesting method provided superior performance to the other 3 harvesting methods, trypsinization, scraping in phosphate buffered saline, and direct solvent scraping, with respect to the recoveries of polar metabolites and lipids. Among the 4 extraction methods, the novel two-phase solvent system extraction method with both methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) and 75% 9 : 1 methanol : chloroform showed an absolute advantage with high extraction efficiency for global metabolomics. We showed a metabolite-specific impact of the harvesting method and extraction method on metabolite concentrations. The water disruption sample collection combined with novel two-phase solvent system extraction enabled simultaneous profiling of lipids and metabolites with mixed polarity for sample preparation. Our approach may open up new perspectives toward large-scale comprehensive metabolomic analyses of adherent mammalian cell samples.

Upregulation of far upstream element-binding protein 1 (FUBP1) promotes tumor proliferation and unfavorable prognosis in tongue squamous cell carcinoma

Background:

A well-known transcriptional regulator of the proto-oncogene c-Myc, far-upstream element (FUSE) binding protein 1 (FUBP1) has been demonstrated by previous work to be aberrantly expressed in lots of cancers and plays a critical role in tumor progression; however, its expression and function in tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC) remains unclear.

Methods:

Evaluations with immunohistochemistry, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and Western blot were performed to assess FUBP1 expression. The correlations of FUBP1 expression levels with various clinicopathological factors were evaluated with univariate and multivariate analyses. In addition, the role of FUBP1 in TSCC proliferation was studied in TSCC cells by silencing FUBP1. The role of FUBP1 on proliferation and apoptosis was confirmed by cell counting Kit-8, colony formation, cell cycle, and cell apoptosis assays.

Results:

Immunohistochemistry, qRT-PCR and Western blot results showed FUBP1 expression was higher in TSCC tissues in comparison with adjacent non-cancerous tissues ( P <0.05), as well as in patients with advanced-stage disease or cervical lymph node metastasis ( P<0.001). The 5-year survival rate was significantly lower in the group with high FUBP1 expression than in that with low FUBP1 expression ( P=0.035). FUBP1 expression was also an independent predictor for overall survival in TSCC patients, and was closely related to poor prognosis. FUBP1 knockdown inhibited cancer cell proliferation, and induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis.

Conclusion:

FUBP1 was overexpressed in TSCC, and correlated with TSCC cell proliferation and poor prognosis. FUBP1 appears to act as a potential oncogene in TSCC, and may be considered a novel biomarker for TSCC.

Integration of metabolomics and transcriptomics reveals short-chain chlorinated paraffin-induced hepatotoxicity in male Sprague-Dawley rat

BACKGROUND

Short-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs) used in various industrial applications have been listed as new POPs. Previous studies based on high-dose exposures indicate their hepatotoxicity. However, their mechanisms of toxicity or adverse outcome pathways and health risks remain largely unknown.

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to evaluate metabolic consequences of chronic dietary exposure to SCCPs at low doses and reveal the molecular mechanisms underlying hepatotoxicity of SCCPs.

METHODS

A combination of transcriptomics and metabolomics, together with general pathophysiological tests were performed to assess the hepatic response of male rats exposed to SCCPs.

RESULTS

Our results highlight two major modes of action: Inhibition of energy metabolism and activation of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα). Exposure to SCCPs suppressed oxidative phosphorylation, glycolysis, gluconeogenesis and turnover of ATP-ADP-AMP and thus results in deficiencies of amino acids and nucleotides in liver of the rat. Exposure to SCCPs affected expression levels of 13 genes downstream of PPARα that encode proteins associated with metabolism of fatty acids. As a result, peroxisomal and mitochondrial fatty acid β-oxidation, microsomal fatty acid ω-oxidation, and lipogenesis were accelerated.

CONCLUSIONS

Results of this work strongly support the conclusion that low-dose exposure to SCCPs can result in adverse outcomes in the rat model. Significant SCCP-induced inhibition of energy metabolism occurs at environmentally relevant dosages, which suggests that SCCPs exhibit metabolic toxicity. Interactions of SCCPs with PPARα signaling pathway can explain the disruption of lipids and amino acids metabolism.

Knockdown of ferroportin accelerates erastin-induced ferroptosis in neuroblastoma cells

OBJECTIVE

Ferroptosis is a new-found iron-dependent form of non-apoptotic regulated cell death (RCD), which is activated on therapy with several antitumor agents, but the potential mechanism remains unclear. Erastin, exhibiting selectivity for RAS-mutated cancer cells, induces ferroptosis by increasing iron and lipid reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in cell. Ferroportin (Fpn), the sole iron export protein, participates in the regulation of intracellular iron concentration. In this study, we investigated the role of Fpn on ferroptosis induced by erastin in SH-SY5Y cells.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The cell viability was determined by CellTiter 96® AQueous Non-Radioactive Cell Proliferation Assay kit. The activity of caspase-3 was measured by ELISA kit. qRT-PCR was performed to examine the mRNA expression of Fpn. Western blot assay was conducted to examine the expression level of marker proteins. Specific commercial kits were used to examine the levels of MDA, ROS and iron in cells, respectively.

RESULTS

Ferroptosis was evaluated by intracellular lipid ROS level and iron concentration. Hepcidin could prevent erastin-induced ferroptosis by degrading Fpn. Erastin (5 μg/mL) was observed to induce ferroptosis in neuroblastoma cells at 6 hours, which was promoted by knockdown of Fpn. The expression of Fpn gene and protein was decreased in SH-SY5Y cells treated with erastin. After treatment with erastin, Fpn siRNA transfection in SH-SY5Y cells was able to accelerate ferroptosis-associated phenotypic changes. Fpn acted as a negative regulator of ferroptosis by reducing intracellular iron concentration. Knockdown of Fpn enhanced anticancer activity of erastin.

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggested that knockdown of Fpn accelerated erastin-induced ferroptosis by increasing iron-dependent lipid ROS accumulation, highlighting Fpn as a potential therapeutic target site for neuroblastoma. Thus, Fpn inhibitors may provide new access for chemosensitization of neuroblastoma.

Molecular characterization of dissolved organic matters in winter atmospheric fine particulate matters (PM2.5) from a coastal city of northeast China

Dissolved organic matters (DOMs) in fine particulate matters (PM_2.5) play a crucial role in global climate change and carbon cycle. However, the chemical components of DOMs are poorly understood due to its ultra-complexity. In this study, DOMs in atmospheric PM_2.5 collected during the heating period in coastal city Dalian were analyzed with ultrahigh resolution Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer, and the molecular composition was characterized. A large number of monoisotopic molecular formulas were assigned to DOMs, which could be classified into CHO, CHNO, CHOS, and CHNOS subgroups. A total of 4228 molecular formulas were identified in DOMs collected in hazy days, while only 2313 components were found in DOMs collected in normal days. CHO group was the dominated components in normal days, whereas CHNO group gave significantly higher contributions in hazy days. The S-containing (CHOS and CHNOS) groups posed the highest relative percentages in both normal and hazy days. In addition, potential emission sources were discussed according to the chemical component analysis. The van Krevelent diagram illustrated that lignin-like and protein/amino sugar family species were the most abundant subclasses in DOMs; and 78% and 94% of DOMs in atmospheric PM_2.5 collected from Dalian could come from biogenic origins in hazy and normal days, respectively. More compounds in hazy days were derived from anthropogenic emissions.

Short-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs) disrupt hepatic fatty acid metabolism in liver of male rat via interacting with peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα)

Short-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs) are frequently detected in environmental matrices and human tissues. It was hypothesized that SCCPs might interact with the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα). In the present study, an in vitro, dual-luciferase reporter gene assay and in silico molecular docking analysis were employed together to study the interactions between SCCPs congeners and PPARα. Expressions of genes downstream in pathways activated by PPARα in liver of rats exposed to 1, 10, or 100 mg/kg bm/d of C_10-13-CPs (56.5% Cl) for 28 days were examined to confirm activation potencies of SCCPs toward PPARα signaling. Effects of exposure to C_10-13-CPs (56.5% Cl) on fatty acid metabolism in rat liver were also explored via a pseudo-targeted metabolomics strategy. Our results showed that C_10-13-CPs (56.5% Cl) caused a dose-dependent greater expression of luciferase activity of rat PPARα. Molecular docking modeling revealed that SCCPs had a strong capacity to bind with PPARα only through hydrophobic interactions and the binding affinity was dependent on the degree of chlorination in SCCPs congeners. In livers of male rats, exposure to 100 mg/kg bm/d of C_10-13-CPs (56.5% Cl) resulted in up-regulated expressions of 11 genes that are downstream in the PPARα-activated pathway and regulate catabolism of fatty acid. Consistently, accelerated fatty acid oxidation was observed mainly characterized by lesser concentrations of ∑fatty acids in livers of rats. Overall, these results demonstrated, for the first time, that SCCPs could activate rat PPARα signaling and thereby disrupt metabolism of fatty acid in livers of male rats.

Comparing the disrupting effects of short-, medium- and long-chain chlorinated Paraffins on cell viability and metabolism

With the phasing out of short-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs), the production and emissions of medium- and long-chain chlorinated paraffins (MCCPs and LCCPs) are expected to increase. In this study, cell viability assay and pseudotargeted metabolomics approach were adopted to define and compare the toxic effects induced by SCCPs, MCCPs and LCCPs. The dose response curves indicated that three CP mixtures with comparable chlorine contents produced similar inhibitory effects on cell viability. At exposure concentration of 100 μg/L, three CP mixtures all induced significant increases in levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA) and a significant reduction in level of adenosine triphosphate production (ATP), and produced similar impact intensities on overall metabolism. A stronger perturbation in phospholipid and fatty acid metabolism was observed in all CP exposure groups. In comparison with SCCPs and MCCPs, LCCPs produced a stronger suppressive effect on amino acid transport across cell membrane and induced an opposite effect on purine metabolism. Furthermore, the toxicity mechanism and possible health risks of the three types of CPs were discussed. MCCPs shared the most similar cytotoxicity and metabolic perturbation with SCCPs, suggesting that there should be concern about using MCCPs as alternatives to SCCPs.

Levels and fingerprints of chlorinated aromatic hydrocarbons in fly ashes from the typical industrial thermal processes: Implication for the co-formation mechanism

Municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) and iron and steel making plants are two of important sources of chlorinated aromatic hydrocarbons (CAHs). In this study, the typical CAHs including polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCNs) and chlorinated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (Cl-PAHs) in fly ash samples collected from MSWI, iron ore sintering (IOS) and steel smelting (SS) plants were simultaneously identified and quantified. The total concentrations of quantified CAHs in different fly ashes showed a large variation (5.88-4255 ng/g). Cl-PAHs were found to be predominant CAH species in most of fly ash samples, and the concentrations of mono-chlorinated PAHs in all fly ashes were obviously higher than those of di-chlorinated PAHs. The fingerprints of CAHs in MSWI fly ashes were mainly characterized by the high content of PCDDs, especially the hexa-CDD homologue. However, in IOS and SS fly ashes, tetra- to hexa-CDF homologues showed the higher abundance, and tetra-to octa-CDFs predominated over tetra- to octa-CDDs by factors of 3-26. The strong concentration correlations were observed between tetra- to octa-CDF homologues, middle-chlorinated PCN and PCB homologues, between tetra- to octa-CDD homologues, between low-chlorinated PCB and PCN homologues, between di-chlorinated PAH homologues, and between deca-CB and highly chlorinated PCN homologues. These results implied that the main formation mechanism of CAHs might be significantly varied with the change of chlorination degree and aromatic ring structure.

[AKR1B10 inhibitor enhances the inhibitory effect of sorafenib on liver cancer xenograft]

Objective: To investigate the inhibitory effect of AKR1B10 inhibitor combined with sorafenib on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) xenograft growth. Methods: HepG2 xenograft model was established in nude mice. The mice were then randomly divided into four groups: control group, epalrestat monotherapy group, sorafenib monotherapy group and combination treatment group. Tumor volume, tumor weight, T/C ratio and the change in body weight of nude mice in each group were compared to evaluate the curative effect. Immunohistochemistry staining was used to detect the expression of Ki-67 in tumor tissues to evaluate the proliferation status of tumor cells. One-way analysis of variance was used to compare the differences between the groups. Student's t-test was used to test means of two groups and chi-square test was used for multiple samples. Results: The differences of the grafted tumor volume before and after treatment between the control group, epalrestat group, sorafenib group and combined therapy group was 238.940 ± 39.813, 124.991 ± 84.670, -26.111 ± 11.518, and -54.072 ± 17.673(mm(3)), respectively, (F = 37.048, P < 0.001). The tumor mass were 0.273 ± 0.140, 0.158 ± 0.078, 0.079 ± 0.054, 0.045 ± 0.024 (g), (F = 16.594, P < 0.001); T/C ratio were 100%, 57.9%, 28.9%, 16.5%, and Ki-67 positive rate were 23.295 ± 6.218, 13.503 ± 3.392, 7.325 ± 2.257, 4.664 ± 1.189 (%), (χ(2) = 822.203, P < 0.001) . The tumor volume (t = -3.579, P = 0.002) and Ki-67 positive rate (t = -10.003, P < 0.001) in epalrestat monotherapy group were significantly lower than control group. The tumor volume (t = 2.056, P = 0.025), tumor mass (t = 2.101, P = 0.043), and Ki-67 positive rate (t = -2.850, P = 0.005) in combination treatment group were significantly lower than sorafenib monotherapy group. Compared with the control group, the body weight of nude mice in the treatment group decreased to a certain extent, but there was no statistically significant difference between epalrestat monotherapy group and control group (t = -1.599, P = 0.262), and combined therapy and sorafenib monotherapy group (t = -0.051, P = 0.96). Conclusion: AKR1B10 inhibitor enhanced the inhibitory effect of sorafenib on hepatocellular carcinoma xenograft.

[Low-levels of HBsAg quantification at 48-week in HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B patients are the advantageous population for HBsAg clearance]

Objective: To analyze the therapeutic effect on HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B patients treated with Peg-IFNα-2a combined with NAs to obtain the influencing factors for predicting HBsAg clearance. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted to investigate the effect of pegylated interferon alpha-2a combined with nucleoside analogues (lamivudine/adefovir dipivoxil) on HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B. The treatment course was 96 weeks. Patients were followed up 120 weeks after the treatment. HBsAg clearance at 120 weeks was taken as the objective of the study. Logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic curve analysis screened the related factors affecting HBsAg clearance. χ (2) test was used to compare count data. Results: 111 patients were treated with pegylated interferon alpha-2a combined with nucleoside analogues, and 107 patients completed the scheduled course of treatment and follow-up. HBsAg clearance rate at120 week was 29.0% (31/107). The influencing factors for analysis were: (1) gender had no effect on HBsAg clearance rate; age and baseline levels of HBV DNA and alanine aminotransferase had no significant effect on HBsAg clearance; low baseline level of HBsAg (< 3.023 lgIU/ml) was beneficial to HBsAg clearance. The area under the working characteristic curve of the subjects was 0.746, the positive predictive value was 44.4%, and the negative predictive value was 86.8%. (2) HBsAg quantification or decline in 24 weeks and 48 weeks of treatment had a good predictive effect on HBsAg clearance, and the 48 weeks predicted value was higher than 24 weeks. When the HBsAg quantification was≤2.070 lgIU/ml at 48 weeks, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.931, the positive predictive value was 52.8%, and the negative predictive value was 94.4%. When HBsAg decreased from baseline to≥0.991 lgIU/ml, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.888, the positive predictive value was 50.8%, and the negative predictive value was 97.9%. (3) The analysis of HBsAg subgroup levels at 48 weeks suggested that the "interval analysis" can forecast HBsAg clearance more exactly than "nodal analysis" .The final HBsAg clearance rate of 100 IU/ml < HBsAg≤1 000 IU/ml, 10 IU/ml < HBsAg≤100 IU/ml and HBsAg≤10 IU/ml groups reached 6.7%, 31.8% and 67.7%, respectively. (4) The ALT abnormal group in the course of treatment obtained a higher HBsAg clearance rate (48.0%, 12/25). Conclusion: 96-weeks long-term treatment with pegylated interferon-alpha -alpha-2a combined with nucleoside analogues for HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B has a good predictive value for HBsAg clearance at baseline and during treatment. The "interval level" of HBsAg at 48-weeks is more accurate in predicting HBsAg clearance, suggesting that HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B patients with low HBsAg levels at 48-weeks are the advantageous populations with HBsAg clearance. These patients are worthy of prolonged treatment to pursue "clinical cure".

Hazy Weather-Induced Variation in Environmental Behavior of PCDD/Fs and PBDEs in Winter Atmosphere of A North China Megacity

Haze is a serious pollution problem during the wintertime in North China. In this study, we investigated how the periodic cycle of winter haze events affect the environmental behaviors of two typical persistent organic pollutants, namely, polychlorinated dibenzo- p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), in the atmosphere of a typical megacity, Beijing. The average atmospheric concentrations of the total di- to octa-CDD/Fs (∑PCDD/Fs: 378.0 pg/m³) and the total mono- to nona-BDEs (∑_9hPBDEs: 166.5 pg/m³) during haze episodes increased by 3.6-fold and 1.9-fold compared with those during the nonhaze periods, respectively; and their concentrations both linearly increased with PM_2.5 levels and decreased as a power function of the atmospheric boundary layer height. The elevated concentrations could be clearly attributed to the vertically sinking motion of airflow in the midlower troposphere. When a haze event occurred, the partitioning rate of PCDD/Fs and PBDEs into particles was reduced; the largest fraction of the particle-bound ∑PCDD/Fs was shifted from ultrafine particles to accumulation mode particles; and a steady-state model (Li-Ma-Yang model) satisfactorily described the gas-particle partitioning of the PCDD/F and PBDE homologues. The inhalation exposure risk evaluation indicated that special attention should be paid to the increased cancer risk induced by the elevated inhalation intake of PCDD/Fs during haze episodes.

Short-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs) induced thyroid disruption by enhancement of hepatic thyroid hormone influx and degradation in male Sprague Dawley rats

Short-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs) are known to disturb thyroid hormone (TH) homeostasis in rodents. However, the mechanism remains to be fully characterized. In this study, male Sprague Dawley rats received SCCPs (0, 1, 10, or 100mg/kg/day) via gavage once a day for consecutive 28days. Plasma and hepatic TH concentrations, thyrocyte structure, as well as thyroid and hepatic mRNA and protein levels of genes associated with TH homeostasis were examined. Moreover, we performed molecular docking to predict interactions between constitutive androstane receptor (CAR), a key regulator in xenobiotic-induced TH metabolism, with different SCCP molecules. Exposure to SCCPs significantly decreased the circulating free thyroxine (T₄) and triiodothyronine (T₃) levels, but increased thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels by a feedback mechanism. Decreased hepatic T₄ and increased hepatic T₃ levels were also seen after 100mg/kg/day SCCPs exposure. SCCPs didn't show any significant effects on the expression of thyroid TH synthesis genes or thyrocyte structure. However, stimulation effects were observed for mRNA and protein levels of hepatic uridine diphosphoglucuronosyl transferase (UGT) 1A1 and organic anion transporter 2, suggesting an accelerated TH metabolism in rat liver. The increased cytochrome P450 2B1 but not 1A1 mRNA and protein levels indicated that the CAR signaling was activated by SCCPs exposure. According to docking analysis, SCCPs form hydrophobic interactions with CAR and the binding affinity shows dependency on chlorine content. Overall, our data showed that CAR implicated enhancement of hepatic TH influx and degradation could be the main cause for SCCPs induced TH deficiency in male rats.

Diurnal variations of atmospheric polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) during three sequent winter haze episodes in Beijing, China

Gas- and particle-phase concentrations of 18 atmospheric polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were respectively measured during daytime and nighttime at an urban site of Beijing around the New Year's Day of 2015. The average concentration of total atmospheric PAHs (Σ₁₈PAHs) during three haze episodes (PM_2.5>75μg/m³) was 1473.1ng/m³, which was 2.6 times higher than that (405.1ng/m³) during normal periods (PM_2.5<75μg/m³). Significant diurnal variations in the Σ₁₈PAH concentrations, homologue pattern and gas-particle partitioning were observed during haze episodes. There was a significantly negative correlation between Σ₁₈PAH concentrations and planetary boundary layer heights. During haze episodes, PAHs in daytime atmosphere should mostly originate from the vehicle emission, while the main sources shift to coal combustion in the nighttime. The gas-particle distribution behavior of PAHs was decisively affected by air temperature and relative humidity, and generally simulated by Junge-Pankow model. During haze episodes, the average benzo[a]pyrene equivalent concentration of atmospheric PAHs in the nighttime were 0.7-fold higher than that in the daytime, indicating that people staying out more during haze episode nighttime would pose a considerably higher cancer risk for inhalation exposure to PAHs.

Developmental and metabolic responses of zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos and larvae to short-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs) exposure

Short-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs) are highly toxic to aquatic organisms, but their toxicity is yet not well characterized. In this study, the developmental toxicity of SCCPs to zebrafish embryos/larvae was evaluated, and a metabolomics approach was adopted to explore the impact of SCCPs exposure on the metabolism in zebrafish embryos. Exposure to SCCPs at concentrations of 1-200μg/L did not produce an observable effect on the hatching rate and morphological deformities of zebrafish embryos/larvae. However, the survival rate of zebrafish larvae in SCCPs exposure groups decreased in a concentration-dependent manner. The 13-day 50% lethal concentration (LC₅₀) value of SCCPs was calculated to be 34.4μg/L. Exposure to SCCPs induced a significant change of overall metabolism, even at environmentally relevant concentrations (1-5μg/L). The most relevant pathways affected by SCCPs exposure were glycerophospholipid metabolism, fatty acid metabolism and purine metabolism. Exposure to SCCPs at concentrations of 1-5μg/L had begun to accelerate the β-oxidation of unsaturated fatty acids and very long chain fatty acids, and affect the transformation of guanine to xanthine in the pathway of purine metabolism. Furthermore, when the exposure concentrations of SCCPs were increased to 50-200μg/L, the levels of phospholipids and amino acids were significantly raised; whereas the levels of fatty acids, carnitines and inosine were significantly decreased. In view of the significant effect on metabolism, the sub-chronic and chronic toxicity of SCCPs to fish should be concerned.