Microbial species pool-mediated diazotrophic community assembly in crop microbiomes during plant development

Plant-associated diazotrophs strongly relate to plant nitrogen (N) supply and growth. However, our knowledge of diazotrophic community assembly and microbial N metabolism in plant microbiomes is largely limited. Here we examined the assembly and temporal dynamics of diazotrophic communities across multiple compartments (soils, epiphytic and endophytic niches of root and leaf, and grain) of three cereal crops (maize, wheat, and barley) and identified the potential N-cycling pathways in phylloplane microbiomes. Our results demonstrated that the microbial species pool, influenced by site-specific environmental factors (e.g., edaphic factors), had a stronger effect than host selection (i.e., plant species and developmental stage) in shaping diazotrophic communities across the soil-plant continuum. Crop diazotrophic communities were dominated by a few taxa (~0.7% of diazotrophic phylotypes) which were mainly affiliated with Methylobacterium, Azospirillum, Bradyrhizobium, and Rhizobium. Furthermore, eight dominant taxa belonging to Azospirillum and Methylobacterium were identified as keystone diazotrophic taxa for three crops and were potentially associated with microbial network stability and crop yields. Metagenomic binning recovered 58 metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) from the phylloplane, and the majority of them were identified as novel species (37 MAGs) and harbored genes potentially related to multiple N metabolism processes (e.g., nitrate reduction). Notably, for the first time, a high-quality MAG harboring genes involved in the complete denitrification process was recovered in the phylloplane and showed high identity to Pseudomonas mendocina. Overall, these findings significantly expand our understanding of ecological drivers of crop diazotrophs and provide new insights into the potential microbial N metabolism in the phyllosphere.IMPORTANCEPlants harbor diverse nitrogen-fixing microorganisms (i.e., diazotrophic communities) in both belowground and aboveground tissues, which play a vital role in plant nitrogen supply and growth promotion. Understanding the assembly and temporal dynamics of crop diazotrophic communities is a prerequisite for harnessing them to promote plant growth. In this study, we show that the site-specific microbial species pool largely shapes the structure of diazotrophic communities in the leaves and roots of three cereal crops. We further identify keystone diazotrophic taxa in crop microbiomes and characterize potential microbial N metabolism pathways in the phyllosphere, which provides essential information for developing microbiome-based tools in future sustainable agricultural production.

Association between elevated endocan levels and obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome in Turkey and China: A meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Endothelial dysfunction has been implicated in the pathogenesis of obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS). Previous research has linked endothelial dysfunction to the vascular pathology marker endothelial cell-specific molecule-1 (endocan). This meta-analysis compared endocan concentrations among adult patients with OSAS and controls, and ascertained whether any differences exist. This study aimed to highlight the association between high endocan levels and OSAHS.

METHODS

A comprehensive, systematic literature search of the PubMed, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Web of Science, Embase, and Wan Fang databases for relevant studies, published between January 2000 and June 10, 2013, was performed. Additionally, standardized mean differences, correlation coefficients, and adjusted odds ratios were used to assess the effect size. Statistical analyses were performed using R version 4.13 (Copenhagen: The Cochrane Collaboration) and Stata version 10.0 (StataCorp LLC, College Station, TX).

RESULTS

Twelve studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Nine studies reported endocan levels in patients with OSAHS and controls, and 6 reported serum endocan levels in relation to polysomnography (PSG) indexes (apnea-hypopnea index, body mass index, minimum oxygen (O2) saturation, and flow-mediated dilatation [FMD]). Five studies reported that serum endocan levels functioned independently as risk factors for OSAHS. These levels were determined to be elevated in adults with OSAHS compared with controls (standardized mean difference 1.30 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.06-1.54]) and increased more significantly with increasing disease severity in individuals with OSAHS. Subjects were divided into different subgroups based on race, geographical region, sample type, and study design. Results indicated increased endocan levels across all OSAHS subgroups compared with the control group. The data highlighted a positive association between serum endocan levels and apnea-hypopnea index, and a negative association with FMD and minimum O2 saturation. The overall adjusted odds ratio between serum endocan levels and OSAHS was 1.04 (95% CI 1.02-1.06).

CONCLUSION

Results of this meta-analysis provide further evidence supporting elevated endocan levels in adults with OSAHS. Serum endocan levels were correlated with various PSG indices and may be associated with OSAHS.

[The effect of platelet infusion on the repair of bone marrow hematopoietic niche damage in mice induced by (60)Co radiation and hematopoietic reconstruction after bone marrow transplantation]

Objective: To observe the effect of platelets on hematopoietic stem cell (HSCs) implantation in mice with radiation-induced bone marrow injury and bone marrow transplantation models. Methods: ①Male C57BL/6 mice were divided into a single irradiation group and a radiation infusion group after receiving (60)Co semimyeloablative irradiation for 18-10 weeks. The irradiation infusion group received 1×10(8) platelets expressing GFP fluorescent protein. ② The allogeneic bone marrow transplantation model was established. The experimental groups included the simple transplantation group (BMT) and the transplantation infusion group (BMT+PLT). The BMT group was infused through the tail vein only 5 × 10(6) bone marrow cells, the BMT+PLT group needs to be infused with bone marrow cells at the same time 1× 10(8) platelets. ③ Test indicators included peripheral blood cell and bone marrow cell counts, flow cytometry to detect the proportion of hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) and hematopoietic progenitor cells, bone marrow cell proliferation and apoptosis, and pathological observation of vascular niche damage and repair. Results: ①On the 3rd, 7th, 14(th), and 21st days after irradiation, the bone marrow cell count of the infusion group was higher than that in the single irradiation group (P<0.05), and the peripheral blood cell count was also higher. A statistically significant difference was found between the white blood cell count on the 21st day and the platelet count on the 7th day (P<0.05). In the observation cycle, the percentage of bone marrow cell proliferation in the infusion group was higher, while the percentage of apoptosis was lower. ② The results of bone tissue immunofluorescence after irradiation showed that the continuity of hematopoietic niche with red fluorescence was better in the irradiation infusion group. ③The chimerism percentage in the BMT+PLT group was always higher than that in the BMT group after transplantation.④ The BMT+PLT group had higher bone marrow cell count and percentage of bone marrow cell proliferation on the 7th and 28th day after transplantation than that in the BMT group, and the percentage of bone marrow cell apoptosis on the 14th day was lower than that in the BMT group (P<0.05). After the 14th day, the percentage of stem progenitor cells in the bone marrow cells of mice was higher than that in the BMT group (P<0.05). ⑤The immunohistochemical results of bone marrow tissue showed that the continuity of vascular endothelium in the BMT+PLT group was better than that in the BMT group. Conclusion: Platelet transfusion can alleviate the injury of vascular niche, promotes HSC homing, and is beneficial to hematopoietic reconstruction.

Wnt/β-Catenin Promotes the Osteoblastic Potential of BMP9 Through Down-Regulating Cyp26b1 in Mesenchymal Stem Cells

BACKGROUND

All-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) promotes the osteogenic differentiation induced by bone morphogenetic protein 9 (BMP9), but the intrinsic relationship between BMP9 and ATRA keeps unknown. Herein, we investigated the effect of Cyp26b1, a critical enzyme of ATRA degradation, on the BMP9-induced osteogenic differentiation in mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), and unveiled possible mechanism through which BMP9 regulates the expression of Cyp26b1.

METHODS

ATRA content was detected with ELISA and HPLC-MS/MS. PCR, Western blot, and histochemical staining were used to assay the osteogenic markers. Fetal limbs culture, cranial defect repair model, and micro-computed tomographic were used to evaluate the quality of bone formation. IP and ChIP assay were used to explore possible mechanism.

RESULTS

We found that the protein level of Cyp26b1 was increased with age, whereas the ATRA content decreased. The osteogenic markers induced by BMP9 were increased by inhibiting or silencing Cyp26b1 but reduced by exogenous Cyp26b1. The BMP9-induced bone formation was enhanced by inhibiting Cyp26b1. The cranial defect repair was promoted by BMP9, which was strengthened by silencing Cyp26b1 and reduced by exogenous Cyp26b1. Mechanically, Cyp26b1 was reduced by BMP9, which was enhanced by activating Wnt/β-catenin, and reduced by inhibiting this pathway. β-catenin interacts with Smad1/5/9, and both were recruited at the promoter of Cyp26b1.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggested the BMP9-induced osteoblastic differentiation was mediated by activating retinoic acid signalling, viadown-regulating Cyp26b1. Meanwhile, Cyp26b1 may be a novel potential therapeutic target for the treatment of bone-related diseases or accelerating bone-tissue engineering.

[Comparison of mouse models of depression induced by different modeling methods]

The present article was aimed to compare the effectiveness of different induction methods for depression models. Kunming mice were randomly divided into chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) group, corticosterone (CORT) group, and CUMS+CORT (CC) group. The CUMS group received CUMS stimulation for 4 weeks, and the CORT group received subcutaneous injection of 20 mg/kg CORT into the groin every day for 3 weeks. The CC group received both CUMS stimulation and CORT administration. Each group was assigned a control group. After modeling, forced swimming test (FST), tail suspension test (TST) and sucrose preference test (SPT) were used to detect the behavioral changes of mice, and the serum levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and CORT were detected with ELISA kits. Attenuated total refraction (ATR) spectra of mouse serum were collected and analyzed. HE staining was used to detect morphological changes in mouse brain tissue. The results showed that the weight of model mice from the CUMS and CC groups decreased significantly. There was no significant change in immobility time of model mice from the three groups in FST and TST, while the glucose preference of model mice from the CUMS and CC groups was significantly reduced (P < 0.05). The serum 5-HT levels of model mice from the CORT and CC groups were significantly reduced, while the serum BDNF and CORT levels of model mice from the CUMS, CORT, and CC groups showed no significant changes. Compared with their respective control groups, the three groups showed no significant difference in the one-dimensional spectrum of serum ATR. The difference spectrum analysis results of the first derivative of the spectrogram showed that the CORT group had the greatest difference from its respective control group, followed by the CUMS group. The structures of hippocampus in the model mice from the three groups were all destroyed. These results suggest that both CORT and CC treatments can successfully construct a depression model, and the CORT model is more effective than the CC model. Therefore, CORT induction can be used to establish a depression model in Kunming mice.

Current Status and Influencing Factors of Readiness for Discharge of Elderly Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Objective

Readiness for hospital discharge is an important indicator of patients' transition from illness to health and can predict rehabilitation and prognosis. Identifying factors that influence readiness for discharge is crucial for developing effective nursing interventions. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the current status of discharge readiness and its influencing factors in elderly patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Methods

A total of 311 elderly inpatients diagnosed with COPD were enrolled in this investigation at a tertiary hospital in Chengdu between December 2021 and June 2022. Questionnaires were designed to collect general information, disease-related information, and responses to the Readiness for Hospital Discharge Scale (RHDS) and the Quality of Discharge Teaching Scale (QDTS). Univariate and multivariate linear regression analyses were employed to further analyze factors related to discharge readiness and the correlation between discharge readiness and the quality of discharge guidance.

Results

The total score of discharge readiness of elderly COPD patients was 77.72 ± 11.86 with a mean score of 6.48 ± 0.19 for each item. The quality of discharge instructions was 110.54 ± 15.66, with a mean score of 6.12 ± 0.15 for each item. Discharge preparation was positively correlated with the quality of discharge guidance. Multivariate analysis showed that marital status, admission mode, length of stay in hospital, Classification of Severity of Airflow Limitation, mMRC classification, number of medications taken with discharge, presence of inhalers in medication orders, mode of home oxygen therapy, and quality of discharge guidance were independent factors of discharge readiness in elderly COPD patients (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

Both discharge readiness and the quality of discharge guidance for elderly COPD patients in China are currently suboptimal and need further improvement. The survey findings provide valuable insights that can guide future management practices and interventions aimed at improving discharge readiness.

Phenotype and genetic characteristics in 20 Chinese patients with 46,XY disorders of sex development

PURPOSE

46,XY disorders of sex development (DSD) is the most complicated and common type of DSD. To date, more than 30 genes have been identified associated with 46,XY DSD. However, the mutation spectrum of 46,XY DSD is incomplete owing to the high genetic and clinical heterogeneity. This study aims to provide clinical and mutational characteristics of 18 Chinese patients with 46,XY DSD.

METHODS

A total of 20 unrelated individuals with 46,XY DSD were recruited. Whole-exome sequencing (WES) or custom-panel sequencing combined Sanger sequencing were performed to detect the pathogenic mutations. The pathogenicity of the variant was assessed according to the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) guidance and technical standards recommended by the ACMG and the Clinical Genome Resource (ClinGen).

RESULTS

Six patients harbored NR5A1 mutations; two patients harbored NR0B1 mutations; six patients harbored SRD5A2 mutations; six patients harbored AR mutations. Six novel genetic variants were identified involved in three genes (NR5A1, NR0B1, and AR).

CONCLUSION

We determined the genetic etiology for all enrolled patients. Our study expanded the mutation spectrum of 46,XY DSD and provided diagnostic evidence for patients with the same mutation in the future.

MNMDCDA: prediction of circRNA-disease associations by learning mixed neighborhood information from multiple distances

Emerging evidence suggests that circular RNA (circRNA) is an important regulator of a variety of pathological processes and serves as a promising biomarker for many complex human diseases. Nevertheless, there are relatively few known circRNA-disease associations, and uncovering new circRNA-disease associations by wet-lab methods is time consuming and costly. Considering the limitations of existing computational methods, we propose a novel approach named MNMDCDA, which combines high-order graph convolutional networks (high-order GCNs) and deep neural networks to infer associations between circRNAs and diseases. Firstly, we computed different biological attribute information of circRNA and disease separately and used them to construct multiple multi-source similarity networks. Then, we used the high-order GCN algorithm to learn feature embedding representations with high-order mixed neighborhood information of circRNA and disease from the constructed multi-source similarity networks, respectively. Finally, the deep neural network classifier was implemented to predict associations of circRNAs with diseases. The MNMDCDA model obtained AUC scores of 95.16%, 94.53%, 89.80% and 91.83% on four benchmark datasets, i.e., CircR2Disease, CircAtlas v2.0, Circ2Disease and CircRNADisease, respectively, using the 5-fold cross-validation approach. Furthermore, 25 of the top 30 circRNA-disease pairs with the best scores of MNMDCDA in the case study were validated by recent literature. Numerous experimental results indicate that MNMDCDA can be used as an effective computational tool to predict circRNA-disease associations and can provide the most promising candidates for biological experiments.

Synergistic effects of CP-25 and 5-fluorouracil on the hepatocellular carcinoma in vivo and in vitro through regulating activating mitochondrial pathway

Paeoniflorin-6'-O-benzene sulfonate (CP-25) has therapeutic potential for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). 5-Fluorouracil (5-Fu) has been a conventional chemotherapeutic agent for HCC. Unfortunately, the nonspecific cytotoxicity and multidrug resistance caused by long-term use limited the clinical efficacy of 5-Fu. This study was aimed to investigate whether the combination of CP-25 and 5-Fu could generate synergistic effect in inhibiting HCC. The experiments on the diethylnitrosamine (DEN) -induced mice showed that compared with applying single drugs, the combination of CP-25 and 5-Fu presented stronger inhibition in tumor nodule and volume. Meanwhile, CP-25 and 5-Fu activated the intrinsic mitochondrial apoptosis pathway induced by P53, inhibited anti-apoptotic B-cell lymphoma (Bcl-2), induced the pro-apoptotic Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax), Cytochrome-C and caspases. In addition, the synergistic effect was also validated in Bel-7402 and HepG-2 cells in vitro. This research not only provides a novel and effective combination strategy for the therapy of HCC but also provides an experimental basis for the development of CP-25 and 5-Fu compound preparation.

[Characteristics of acidification and the distribution of available phosphorus along soil depths in heavy clay soils in southern Henan Province, China]

The acidification of agricultural soil in the southern part of the North China Plain has become more obvious, which is particularly true for the heavy clay soil types, such as yellow-cinnamon and lime concretion black soils. To understand the spatial variability of the pH value and nutrients on the vertical agricultural soil profile of heavy clay soils in this area, we measured pH values and available phosphorus (AP) in 63 farmland sample points from Xiping County in the southern Henan Province. Geostatistical methods and ArcGIS technology were used to map soil pH values along three soil depths (0-10, 10-20, and 20-30 cm) and the spatial distribution of soil AP in the tillage layer (0-20 cm). Furthermore, the correlation between pH and AP was analyzed. The results showed that mean pH values of typical yellow-cinnamon and typical fluvo-aquic soils from three soil layers were 4.98, 4.93, 5.31, and 5.46, 5.81, 6.26, respectively, which gradually increased with soil depths. However, there was no significant difference among the three soil layers. Mean pH values of typical lime concretion black soil from the three soil layers were 5.23, 5.43 and 6.03, respectively, and that of the 20-30 cm soil layer was significantly higher than that of the 0-10 cm (by 0.8-1 pH unit) and the 10-20 cm layers. The pH of the 20-30 cm soil layer of the calcareous lime concretion black and moist soils were also significantly higher than that of the 0-10 and 10-20 cm soil layers. The AP contents of the typical yellow-cinnamon, typical lime concretion black, moist, typical fluvo-aquic and calcareous lime concretion black soils in 0-20 cm soil layer were 8.85-54.75, 4.27-37.49, 8.22-51.80, 6.07-34.82, and 13.22-22.85 mg·kg^-1, respectively. The results of the map indicated that the areas with low AP were distributed in the middle of the study area in blocks, and the areas with high AP were distributed around the study area in dots and flakes. The pH values of the typical yellow-cinnamon, typical lime concretion black, and moist soils positively correlated with the content of AP in the 0-20 cm soil layer. In conclusion, the heavy clay soil in southern Henan Province became stratified acidification, which slowed down along the soil depth. Soil AP contents in the tillage layer were distributed unevenly in the study area, and were affected by soil types and soil pH. These results would be useful for the improvement of heavy clay soil acidification in the southern part of the North China Plain.

Socioeconomic disparities and infancy growth trajectory: a population-based and longitudinal study

Background

The association of low socioeconomic status (SES) with childhood and adolescent obesity has been reported. It is unknown whether low SES affects body mass index (BMI) growth trajectory in the first 12 mo of life. Moreover, accelerated growth as a compensatory mechanism for low birth weight (LBW) during infancy, is an important predictor of later obesity. The aim of the present study was to examine the association of low SES with infancy BMI growth rate and trajectory for LBW and normal birth weight (NBW) infants.

Methods

From September 2012 to October 2014, a total of 387 infants in this longitudinal study was subjected to repeated measures of weight and length from birth to 12 mo in Hefei. Generalized growth mixture modeling was used to classify the infancy BMI growth trajectories. Differences in infancy BMI z score (zBMI) and BMI growth rate between low SES and high SES were estimated based on linear regression after adjusting for several confounders including maternal age, pregnancy BMI, physical activity during pregnancy, paternal BMI as well as alcohol use, paternal smoking status, breastfeeding duration and delivery mode.

Results

Infancy BMI trajectories in this study were classified into three categories: rapid growth (class 1), normal growth (class 2) and slow growth (class 3). Low SES infants had the higher zBMI than high SES infants for LBW group at age 6 mo [zBMI difference with 95% CI at 6 mo: 0.28(0.03, 0.53); at 12 mo: 0.21(0.01, 0.43)]. Low SES infants had more rapid zBMI growth rate than those with high SES for low birth weight between 0 and 6 months. Controlling for the confounders, these associations remained robust. We found the lower SES in the rapid growth group.

Conclusions

These findings highlighted the impact of low SES on increasing BMI and accelerated growth during early infancy. Health care and relatively optimal family environment in the first 12 mo of life, especially for LBW infants, are benefit to shape the better infancy growth trajectory.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12887-021-02995-4.

Plant developmental stage drives the differentiation in ecological role of the maize microbiome

BACKGROUND

Plants live with diverse microbial communities which profoundly affect multiple facets of host performance, but if and how host development impacts the assembly, functions and microbial interactions of crop microbiomes are poorly understood. Here we examined both bacterial and fungal communities across soils, epiphytic and endophytic niches of leaf and root, and plastic leaf of fake plant (representing environment-originating microbes) at three developmental stages of maize at two contrasting sites, and further explored the potential function of phylloplane microbiomes based on metagenomics.

RESULTS

Our results suggested that plant developmental stage had a much stronger influence on the microbial diversity, composition and interkingdom networks in plant compartments than in soils, with the strongest effect in the phylloplane. Phylloplane microbiomes were co-shaped by both plant growth and seasonal environmental factors, with the air (represented by fake plants) as its important source. Further, we found that bacterial communities in plant compartments were more strongly driven by deterministic processes at the early stage but a similar pattern was for fungal communities at the late stage. Moreover, bacterial taxa played a more important role in microbial interkingdom network and crop yield prediction at the early stage, while fungal taxa did so at the late stage. Metagenomic analyses further indicated that phylloplane microbiomes possessed higher functional diversity at the early stage than the late stage, with functional genes related to nutrient provision enriched at the early stage and N assimilation and C degradation enriched at the late stage. Coincidently, more abundant beneficial bacterial taxa like Actinobacteria, Burkholderiaceae and Rhizobiaceae in plant microbiomes were observed at the early stage, but more saprophytic fungi at the late stage.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results suggest that host developmental stage profoundly influences plant microbiome assembly and functions, and the bacterial and fungal microbiomes take a differentiated ecological role at different stages of plant development. This study provides empirical evidence for host exerting strong effect on plant microbiomes by deterministic selection during plant growth and development. These findings have implications for the development of future tools to manipulate microbiome for sustainable increase in primary productivity. Video Abstract.

COX-2 promotes the osteogenic potential of BMP9 through TGF-β1/p38 signaling in mesenchymal stem cells

This study investigated the effects of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) on bone morphogenetic protein 9 (BMP9) in mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). We found that BMP9 increased mRNA levels of TGF-β1 and COX-2 in C3H10T1/2 cells. BMP9-induced osteogenic markers were enhanced by TGF-β1 and reduced by TGF-βRI-specific inhibitor LY364947. BMP9 increased level of p-Smad2/3, which were either enhanced or reduced by COX-2 and its inhibitor NS398. BMP9-induced osteogenic markers were decreased by NS398 and it was partially reversed by TGF-β1. COX-2 increased BMP9-induced osteogenic marker levels, which almost abolished by LY364947. BMP9-induced bone formation was enhanced by TGF-β1 but reduced by silencing TGF-β1 or COX-2. BMP9’s osteogenic ability was inhibited by silencing COX-2 but partially reversed by TGF-β1. TGF-β1 and COX-2 enhanced activation of p38 signaling, which was induced by BMP9 and reduced by LY364947. The ability of TGF-β1 to increase the BMP9-induced osteogenic markers was reduced by p38-specific inhibitor, while BMP9-induced TGF-β1 expression was reduced by NS398, but enhanced by COX-2. Furthermore, CREB interacted with Smad1/5/8 to regulate TGF-β1 expression in MSCs. These findings suggest that COX-2 overexpression leads to increase BMP9’s osteogenic ability, resulting from TGF-β1 upregulation which then activates p38 signaling in MSCs.

PTEN Reduces BMP9-Induced Osteogenic Differentiation Through Inhibiting Wnt10b in Mesenchymal Stem Cells

Bone morphogenetic protein 9 (BMP9) is one of the most efficacious osteogenic cytokines. PTEN and Wnt10b are both implicated in regulating the osteogenic potential of BMP9, but the potential relationship between them is unknown. In this study, we determined whether PTEN could reduce the expression of Wnt10b during the osteogenic process initialized by BMP9 in mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and the possible molecular mechanism. We find that PTEN is inhibited by BMP9 in MSCs, but Wnt10b is increased simultaneously. The BMP9-induced osteogenic markers are reduced by PTEN but increased by silencing PTEN. The effects of knockdown PTEN on elevating BMP9-induced osteogenic markers are almost abolished by knockdown of Wnt10b. On the contrary, the BMP9-increased ALP activities and mineralization are both inhibited by PTEN but almost reversed by the combination of Wnt10b. Bone masses induced by BMP9 are enhanced by knockdown of PTEN, which is reduced by knockdown of Wnt10b. The BMP9-increased Wnt10b is decreased by PTEN but enhanced by knockdown of PTEN. Meanwhile, the BMP9-induced Wnt10b is also reduced by a PI3K-specific inhibitor (Ly294002) or rapamycin, respectively. The BMP9-induced phosphorylation of CREB or Smad1/5/9 is also reduced by PTEN, but enhanced by PTEN knockdown. In addition, p-CREB interacts with p-Smad1/5/9 in MSCs, and p-CREB or p-Smad1/5/9 are both enriched at the promoter region of Wnt10b. Our findings indicate that inhibitory effects of PTEN on BMP9's osteogenic potential may be partially mediated through decreasing the expression of Wnt10b via the disturbance of interaction between CREB and BMP/Smad signaling.

Host selection shapes crop microbiome assembly and network complexity

Plant microbiomes are essential to host health and productivity but the ecological processes that govern crop microbiome assembly are not fully known. Here we examined bacterial communities across 684 samples from soils (rhizosphere and bulk soil) and multiple compartment niches (rhizoplane, root endosphere, phylloplane, and leaf endosphere) in maize (Zea mays)-wheat (Triticum aestivum)/barley (Hordeum vulgare) rotation system under different fertilization practices at two contrasting sites. Our results demonstrate that microbiome assembly along the soil-plant continuum is shaped predominantly by compartment niche and host species rather than by site or fertilization practice. From soils to epiphytes to endophytes, host selection pressure sequentially increased and bacterial diversity and network complexity consequently reduced, with the strongest host effect in leaf endosphere. Source tracking indicates that crop microbiome is mainly derived from soils and gradually enriched and filtered at different plant compartment niches. Moreover, crop microbiomes were dominated by a few dominant taxa (c. 0.5% of bacterial phylotypes), with bacilli identified as the important biomarker taxa for wheat and barley and Methylobacteriaceae for maize. Our work provides comprehensive empirical evidence on host selection, potential sources and enrichment processes for crop microbiome assembly, and has important implications for future crop management and manipulation of crop microbiome for sustainable agriculture.

Cyclooxygenase-2/sclerostin mediates TGF-β1-induced calcification in vascular smooth muscle cells and rats undergoing renal failure

In this study, we studied the effect and possible mechanism of TGF-β1 on vascular calcification. We found that the serum levels of TGF-β1 and cycloxygenase-2 (COX-2) were significantly increased in patients with chronic kidney disease. Phosphate up regulated TGF-β1 in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). TGF-β1 decreased the markers of VSMCs, but increased osteogenic markers and calcification in aortic segments. The phosphate-induced osteogenic markers were reduced by the TGFβR I inhibitor (LY364947), which also attenuated the potential of phosphate to reduce VSMC markers in VSMCs. Both phosphate and TGF-β1 increased the protein level of β-catenin, which was partially mitigated by LY364947. TGF-β1 decreased sclerostin, and exogenous sclerostin decreased the mineralization induced by TGF-β1. LY364947 reduced the phosphate and TGF-β1 induced COX-2. Meanwhile, the effects of TGF-β1 on osteogenic markers, β-catenin, and sclerostin, were partially reversed by the COX-2 inhibitor. Mechanistically, we found that p-Smad2/3 and p-CREB were both enriched at the promoter regions of sclerostin and β-catenin. TGF-β1 and COX-2 were significantly elevated in serum and aorta of rats undergoing renal failure. Therapeutic administration of meloxicam effectively ameliorated the renal lesion. Our results suggested that COX-2 may mediate the effect of TGF-β1 on vascular calcification through down-regulating sclerostin in VMSCs.

Rare taxa maintain the stability of crop mycobiomes and ecosystem functions

Plants harbour highly diverse mycobiomes which sustain essential functions for host health and productivity. However, ecological processes that govern the plant-mycobiome assembly, interactions and their impact on ecosystem functions remain poorly known. Here we characterized the ecological role and community assembly of both abundant and rare fungal taxa along the soil-plant continuums (rhizosphere, phyllosphere and endosphere) in the maize-wheat/barley rotation system under different fertilization practices at two contrasting sites. Our results indicate that mycobiome assembly is shaped predominantly by compartment niche and host species rather than by environmental factors. Moreover, crop-associated fungal communities are dominated by few abundant taxa mainly belonging to Sordariomycetes and Dothideomycetes, while the majority of diversity within mycobiomes are represented by rare taxa. For plant compartments, the abundant sub-community is mainly determined by stochastic processes. In contrast, the rare sub-community is more sensitive to host selection and mainly governed by deterministic processes. Furthermore, our results demonstrate that rare taxa play an important role in fungal co-occurrence network and ecosystem functioning like crop yield and soil enzyme activities. These results significantly advance our understanding of crop mycobiome assembly and highlight the key role of rare taxa in sustaining the stability of crop mycobiomes and ecosystem functions.

Optical coherence tomography guided treatment avoids stenting in an antiphospholipid syndrome patient: A case report

BACKGROUND

Increasing attention has been paid to acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in young female patients for whom secondary factors should be considered during the diagnostic process. Anti-phospholipid syndrome (APS), a rare autoimmune disease that is most common in young female patients, is reportedly related to AMI. To date, coronary interventions, particularly stenting, remains controversial in this special clinical scenario.

CASE SUMMARY

A 26-year-old female patient was admitted to hospital for acute chest pain, palpitations, and dyspnea. She had a past medical history of APS and pulmonary embolism. Coronary angiography showed acute occlusion of the proximal left anterior descending artery. After repeated thrombus aspirations, residual thrombus and mild stenosis were found in the proximal left anterior descending artery. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) was done, which confirmed the non-atherosclerosis coronary thrombosis and an intact intima in this patient. Deferring or avoiding stenting based on follow-up intracoronary findings with intensified antithrombotic treatment was chosen. One week later, coronary angiography and OCT confirmed an intact intima with no injury and no residual thrombus. The 3-mo telephone follow-up reported a good prognosis.

CONCLUSION

APS can cause acute non-atherosclerosis coronary thrombosis which presents as an AMI in young female patients. Intracoronary OCT findings can guide interventional strategies in this special clinical scenario.

[Hepatic metastases after cervical cancer surgery: clinical analysis of 13 cases]

Objective: To investigate the clinical characteristics of patients with hepatic metastasis after cervical cancer operation, and analyze the risk factors and prognostic factors of hepatic metastasis. Methods: A total of 1 312 patients with stage Ⅰa2-Ⅱb2 cervical cancer received radical surgery from January 2013 to January 2016 in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University were collected, of which 13 cases (0.99%, 13/1 312) had hepatic metastasis after operation. A retrospective analysis was conducted on clinical features of patients with hepatic metastasis after cervical cancer operation. T-test, chi-square test, rank sum test and logistic regression were used to analyze the risk factors of hepatic metastasis after surgery of cervical cancer operation. Kaplan-Meier method was used for survival analysis. Log-rank test was used for screening of prognostic factors in patients with postoperative hepatic metastasis. Results: (1) Clinical features: there were 3 cases of simple hepatic metastasis without obvious clinical symptoms, 2 patients with perihepatic lymph node metastasis showed only low back pain, 8 patients with multiple extrahepatic metastases, and their clinical symptoms were related to the site of metastasis. Five cases out of 9 (5/9) with liver metastasis had abnormal tumor marker results. The abnormal kinds of tumor markers were mainly carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), CA(125), CA(199), and CA(72-4). The interval time of hepatic metastasis after operation was 2-22 months. (2) Analysis of risk factors for hepatic metastasis: univariate analysis showed that lymph node metastasis, histological type, infiltration depth, and lymph-vascular space invasionwere associated with hepatic metastasis after cervical cancer surgery (P<0.05).Multivariate analysis showed that lymph node metastasis and small cell carcinoma were independent risk factors for postoperative hepatic metastasis (P<0.05). (3) Prognostic factors in patients with hepatic metastasis:among 13 patients with postoperative hepatic metastases from cervical cancer, 9 died during the follow-up period and 4 survived. The median total survival time after hepatic metastases was 7 months (range 3-32 months). Univariate analysis showed that multiple extrahepatic metastases and treatment after hepatic metastasis had significant effects on the prognosis of patients with hepatic metastasis after cervical cancer operation (P<0.05). Conclusions: The interval of hepatic metastasis after surgery for cervical cancer operation is within 2 years. Patients with lymph node metastasis and small cell carcinoma are more prone to postoperative hepatic metastasis. The prognosis of patients with extrahepatic multiple metastases is poor, and individualized treatment should be carried out after comprehensive analysis for patients with hepatic metastasis after cervical cancer operation.

Effects of Senior Simulation Suit Programme on nursing students' attitudes towards older adults: A randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

As populations age worldwide, nursing educational institutions need to train nurses not only to provide health care services specific to the elderly, but also to have a positive attitude as they work. The present study aimed to investigate the efficacy of a Senior Simulation Suit Programme (SSSP). The SSSP, which focused on mimicking the physiological experiences of an 80 year-old person, was hypothesized to increase the wearer's positive attitude towards older adult care.

METHODS

A single-blinded, randomized controlled trial was used to evaluate the efficacies of SSSP. One hundred and thirty-nine (139) nursing students were randomly assigned to either SSSP group (n = 69) or to a control group (n = 70) with "placebo clothing", i.e. clothing that mimicked old age but did not actually impair faculties. Two instruments-Kogan Attitudes Towards Old People Scale (KAOP) and a 1-item scale on Willingness To Care for Older People Scale (WCOP)-were used for data collection at baseline and at completion of SSSP. A Chinese version of Palmore's Facts Aging Quiz (C-FAQ) was used to assess nursing students' knowledge about adult care, and a questionnaire was developed to collect demographic information at baseline.

RESULTS

No significant difference between the two groups was found. A significant increase of positive attitudes and of willingness to serve older adults was found in both the control group and the group wearing SSSP.

CONCLUSION

Both the SSSP and control intervention could improve the attitudes of nursing students towards older adult care. This study suggests that wearing whatever the nursing students associate with being old, will improve their attitude towards older adult care.

Treatment of severe upper gastrointestinal bleeding caused by Mallory-Weiss syndrome after primary coronary intervention for acute inferior wall myocardial infarction: A case report

BACKGROUND

Upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) after an acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is not an uncommon complication. Acute UGIB caused by Mallory-Weiss syndrome (MWS) is usually a dire situation with massive bleeding and hemodynamic instability. Acute UGIB caused by MWS after an AMI has not been previously reported.

CASE SUMMARY

A 57-year-old man with acute inferior wall ST elevation myocardial infarction underwent a primary coronary intervention of the acutely occluded right coronary artery. Six hours after the intervention, the patient had a severe UGIB, followed by vomiting. His hemoglobin level dropped from 15.3 g/dL to 9.7 g/dL. In addition to blood transfusion and a gastric acid inhibition treatment, early endoscopy was employed and MWS was diagnosed. Bleeding was stopped by endoscopic placement of titanium clips.

CONCLUSION

Bleeding complications after stent implantation can pose a dilemma. MWS is a rare but severe cause of acute UGIB after an AMI that requires an early endoscopic diagnosis and a hemoclip intervention to stop bleeding.

BMP9 mediates the anticancer activity of evodiamine through HIF‑1α/p53 in human colon cancer cells

Colon cancer is one of the most common malignancies. Although there has been great development in treatment regimens over the last few decades, its prognosis remains poor. There is still a clinical need to find new drugs for colon cancer. Evodiamine (Evo) is a quinolone alkaloid extracted from the traditional herbal medicine plant Evodia rutaecarpa. In the present study, CCK-8, flow cytometry, reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction, western blot analysis and a xenograft tumor model were used to evaluate the anti-cancer activity of Evo in human colon cancer cells and determine the possible mechanism underlying this process. It was revealed that Evo exhibited prominent anti-proliferation and apoptosis-inducing effects in HCT116 cells. Bone morphogenetic protein 9 (BMP9) was notably upregulated by Evo in HCT116 cells. Exogenous BMP9 potentiated the anti-cancer activity of Evo, and BMP9 silencing reduced this effect. In addition, HIF-1α was also upregulated by Evo. The anticancer activity of Evo was enhanced by HIF-1α, but was reduced by HIF-1α silencing. BMP9 potentiated the effect of Evo on the upregulation of HIF-1α, and enhanced the antitumor effect of Evo in colon cancer, which was clearly reduced by HIF-1α silencing. In HCT116 cells, Evo increased the phosphorylation of p53, which was enhanced by BMP9 but reduced by BMP9 silencing. Furthermore, the effect of Evo on p53 was potentiated by HIF-1α and reduced by HIF-1α silencing. The present findings therefore strongly indicated that the anticancer activity of Evo may be partly mediated by BMP9 upregulation, which can activate p53 through upregulation of HIF-1α, at least in human colon cancer.

[Color stability of computer aided design and computer aided manufacture composite ceramic/resin cements after accelerated ageing]

Objective: To investigate the color stability of computer aided design and computer aided manufacture (CAD/CAM) composite ceramic/resin cements after accelerated ageing. Methods: Twelve groups (ten samples each group) were used as experimental groups, which were composed of CAD/CAM composite ceramic of three kinds of thickness (0.50, 0.75, 1.00 mm) (Lava Ultimate) associated with resin cements (Variolink N) of four colors (A1, A3, T, BL1). Another three groups of CAD/CAM composite ceramic/resin cements of three different kinds of thickness (0.50, 0.75, 1.00 mm) were used as control groups (ten samples each group). All samples were put into the xenon lamp ageing instrument to implement accelerated ageing. Spectrophotometers were used to measure the lightness (L(*)), red green color value (a(*)) and blue yellow color value (b(*)) of all samples before and after accelerated ageing process, and the changes of color variation (ΔE) was calculated. The effect of composite ceramic thickness and resin cement color on the changes of color variation (ΔE) before and after the ageing of CAD/CAM composite ceramic/resin cement and whether there was an interaction between them were tested by two-way ANOVA. Results: Before and after accelerated ageing, the ΔE of CAD/CAM composite ceramic/resin cements were <3.3. Two-way ANOVA showed that the thickness of CAD/CAM composite ceramics had an effect on ΔE (F=27.025, P<0.001), and the color of resin cement also had an effect on ΔE (F=15.606, P<0.001), but there was no interaction between them (F=0.534, P=0.829). Conclusions: The thickness of CAD/CAM composite ceramics and the color of resin cements could both affect the color stability of composite ceramic/resin cements combination. However, the resulted color change is within the clinically acceptable range.

All-trans retinoic acid and COX-2 cross-talk to regulate BMP9-induced osteogenic differentiation via Wnt/β-catenin in mesenchymal stem cells

COX-2 specific inhibitor, which has been widely used, can delay bone fracture healing and reduce osteogenic potential of bone marrow stromal cells. However, it remains unknown how to prevent these side-effects of COX-2 inhibitor. In this study, we introduced BMP9-induced osteogenic differentiation as model to evaluate whether all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) could ameliorate these adverse effects of COX-2 specific inhibitor on bone metabolism with in vitro and in vivo experiments, and uncover the possible mechanism underlying this process. Results showed that ATRA enhanced the potential of BMP9 to induce the osteogenic markers, such as alkaline phosphates (ALP) and mineralization; but retinoic acid receptor a (RARa) inhibitor showed the reversal effects. COX-2 specific inhibitor (NS398) reduced the osteogenic markers induced by BMP9, and ATRA almost eliminated the inhibitory effect of NS398. BMP9 up-regulated the protein level of β-catenin and promoted it translocate to nucleus, and both were reduced by NS398. On the contrary, ATRA notablely attenuated the inhibitory effect of NS398 on BMP9-increased β-catenin. Exogenous RXRa obviously ameliorated the inhibitory effect of silencing COX-2 on ectopic bone formation induced by BMP9. NS398 reduced the level of phosphorylated CREB, which was almost reversed by ATRA. Besides, RXRa interacted with phosphorylated CREB directly and both were recruited at β-catenin promoter region. Thus, we demonstrated that ATRA may reverse the side-effects of COX-2 inhibitor on bone metabolism through increasing the activation of Wnt/β-catenin pathway partly.

Effect of different time of ultrasound treatment on physicochemical, thermal, and antioxidant properties of chicken plasma protein

The aim of present study was to investigate the effect of different times (5 min (UCPP-5), 10 min (UCPP-10), 20 min (UCPP-20), and 30 min (UCPP-30)) of ultrasound treatment on physicochemical, thermal, and antioxidant properties of chicken plasma protein (CPP). UCPP-20 had the highest fluorescence intensity and the lowest particle size. However, no major changes in the subunit compositions and the secondary structure of UCPPs were presented in SDS-PAGE and circular dichroism. The surface hydrophobicity and sulfhydryl content of UCPPs increased significantly (P < 0.05) as compared to those of CPP. With the increasing time of ultrasound treatment, there were more and deeper holes on the protein surfaces. Furthermore, protein modification by ultrasound could improve the thermal properties of UCPPs. Additionally, UCPPs showed a significant increase in antioxidant properties over CPP, especially UCPP-20. These observations indicated that ultrasound treatment was necessary for modification of CPP to meet the requirements for food processing.

[Comparative study of three-dimensional versus two-dimensional laparoscopic C1 radical hysterectomy for cervical cancer]

Objective: To compare the clinical effects and the subjective perception of surgeons with three-dimensional (3D) and two-dimensional (2D) laparoscopic C1 radical hysterectomy surgeries for cervical cancer. Methods: The retrospective cohort study was conducted. The clinicopathological data of 101 patients with cervical cancer who received C1 laparoscopic radical hysterectomy (C1-LRH) surgery from June 2015 to August 2017 were collected. Of all patients, 42 cases undergoing 3D laparoscopic surgery and 59 cases undergoing 2D laparoscopic surgery were respectively allocated into the C1-3DLRH group or C1-2DLRH group. The clinical effect and the subjective perception of surgeons were compared between the two groups. Results: (1) There was no significant difference between the C1-3DLRH group and C1-2DLRH group in terms of age, body mass index (BMI), International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage, pathologic type, etc. (all P>0.05). Compared with C1-2DLRH group, the operation time was significantly shortened [(192±54) vs (221±54) minutes, P<0.01], blood loss was significantly less [(102±88) vs (167±117) ml, P<0.01], and the success rate of inferior hypogastric plexus (IHP) bladder branch preservation was significantly increased [86% (36/42) vs 66% (39/59), P<0.05] in C1-3DLRH group. There were no significant difference in the number of lymph nodes, the incidence of operative complications, the infection rate, the time of catheterization and the length of hospitalization between the two groups (all P>0.05). The long-term bladder function was evaluated at the twelfth month after operation, 39 patients in the C1-3DLRH group and 53 patients in the C1-2DLRH group were completed the survey. The results showed that 13% (5/39) of the patients in the C1-3DLRH group had long-term bladder dysfunction, which was lower than that 21% (11/53) of the C1-2DLRH group, but there was no significant difference between the two groups (χ(2)=0.980, P=0.322). (2) A total of 251 laparoscopic surgeons questionnaires were eligible. The incidence of side effects in the first and second generation of 3D and 2D laparoscopic surgeons was 20.4% (10/49), 6.9% (6/87) and 3.5% (4/115), respectively. The incidence of side effects in the first generation of 3D laparoscopic surgeons was higher than that in the second generation of 3D (χ(2)=5.463, P=0.019) and 2D laparoscopic surgeons (χ(2)=12.475, P<0.01). There was no difference between the second generation of 3D and 2D laparoscopic surgeons (χ(2)=1.208, P=0.272). Conclusions: 3D laparoscopy is advantageous to the preservation of autonomic nerve in C1-LRH operation and may improve the quality of operation compared with 2D laparoscopy. The second generation of 3D laparoscopic device might overcome the side effects of the surgeons.

Protist communities are more sensitive to nitrogen fertilization than other microorganisms in diverse agricultural soils

BACKGROUND

Agricultural food production is at the base of food and fodder, with fertilization having fundamentally and continuously increased crop yield over the last decades. The performance of crops is intimately tied to their microbiome as they together form holobionts. The importance of the microbiome for plant performance is, however, notoriously ignored in agricultural systems as fertilization disconnects the dependency of plants for often plant-beneficial microbial processes. Moreover, we lack a holistic understanding of how fertilization regimes affect the soil microbiome. Here, we examined the effect of a 2-year fertilization regime (no nitrogen fertilization control, nitrogen fertilization, and nitrogen fertilization plus straw amendment) on entire soil microbiomes (bacteria, fungi, and protist) in three common agricultural soil types cropped with maize in two seasons.

RESULTS

We found that the application of nitrogen fertilizers more strongly affected protist than bacterial and fungal communities. Nitrogen fertilization indirectly reduced protist diversity through changing abiotic properties and bacterial and fungal communities which differed between soil types and sampling seasons. Nitrogen fertilizer plus straw amendment had greater effects on soil physicochemical properties and microbiome diversity than nitrogen addition alone. Moreover, nitrogen fertilization, even more together with straw, increased soil microbiome network complexity, suggesting that the application of nitrogen fertilizers tightened soil microbiomes interactions.

CONCLUSIONS

Together, our results suggest that protists are the most susceptible microbiome component to the application of nitrogen fertilizers. As protist communities also exhibit the strongest seasonal dynamics, they serve as the most sensitive bioindicators of soil changes. Changes in protist communities might have long-term effects if some of the key protist hubs that govern microbiome complexities as top microbiome predators are altered. This study serves as the stepping stone to promote protists as promising agents in targeted microbiome engineering to help in reducing the dependency on exogenous unsustainably high fertilization and pesticide applications.

Very high external quantum efficiency and wall-plug efficiency 527 nm InGaN green LEDs by MOCVD

We demonstrate very high luminous efficacy InGaN-based green light-emitting diodes (LEDs) grown on c-plane patterned sapphire substrates (PSS) using metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). The 527 nm green LEDs show a peak external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 53.3%, a peak wall-plug efficiency (WPE) of 54.1% and a peak luminous efficacy of 329 lm/W, respectively. A high EQE of 38.4%, a WPE of 32.1% and a very low forward voltage of 2.86 V were obtained at a typical working current density of 20 A/cm². By operating low cost green LEDs at a low current density, our devices (0.5 mm²) demonstrating an EQE and a WPE higher than 50% and an efficacy of 259 lm/W at 4 A/cm² with an output power of 24 mW. High crystal quality of the InGaN/GaN MQWs was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and the advantage of the epitaxy design was investigated by APSYS software simulation. These results provide a simple way to achieve very high efficiency InGaN green LEDs.

Bioaugmented soil aquifer treatment for P-nitrophenol removal in wastewater unique for cold regions

P-nitrophenol (PNP) is a toxic and recalcitrant organic pollutant and a usual intermediate in the production of fine chemicals, which has posed a significant threat to subsurface environment safety. Soil aquifer treatment (SAT) is a promising method to remove and remediate contamination in vadose zone with low cost and high efficiency. However, there are still research gaps for the treatment of recalcitrant contaminants by SAT in cold regions, such as un-robust indigenous microbes and low temperature constraint in vadose zone. The bioaugmentation technology was first introduced into SAT in order to enhance the removal ability of PNP by SAT operated in cold regions in this study. A high-efficiency PNP-degrading bacterium was successfully isolated, which can efficiently degrade PNP below 200 mg L^-1 with a degradation rate above 99% at 15 °C close to the real subsurface temperature in cold regions, and added into SAT for bioaugmentation. The feasibility of bioaugmented SAT and associated PNP removal process were investigated by laboratory sand columns, along with effects of the SAT operative parameters (namely PNP loading concentration, flow rate and soil saturation level of SAT). Within the range of PNP loading stresses tested (1-200 mg L^-1), PNP removal efficiency was optimal at constant flow rate of 219 mL d^-1 in unsaturated operating condition of SAT under 15 °C among all the investigated experimental conditions. Longer hydraulic residence time increased the PNP removal rate, although the accumulated mass removed reduced and the removal efficiencies remained constant in unsaturated operating condition of SAT. It is found from the comparison between the PNP removals via both unsaturated and saturated columns that slight difference only in the removal rate of PNP was observed and the highly efficient bioaugmented SAT can completely degrade PNP of 10 mg L^-1 within 5 wetting/drying cycles under both scenarios.

[Prognostic analysis of stage Ⅰb2 andⅡa2 cervical squamous cancer without high risk factors treated with neo-adjuvant chemotherapy and radical hysterectomy]

Objective: To analyze the prognosis of Ⅰb2 and Ⅱa2 cervical squamous cancer without high risk factors treated with neo-adjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) and radical hysterectomy. Methods: This retrospective study included patients with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage Ⅰ b2 and Ⅱ a2 cervical squamous cancer without high risk factors who underwent platinum-based NACT followed by radical surgery from January 2008 to January 2015. The responses of NACT were observed and compared in their effect on postoperative pathologic risk factors. Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regression analysis were performed to analyze survival status. Results: This study was recruited 282 patients with the average age of (44.4±6.7) years old. After NACT, 42 patients achieved complete response [CR, 14.9% (42/282) ], while 138 patients achieved partial response [PR, 48.9% (138/282) ] and 102 stable disease [SD, 36.2% (102/282) ]. The rate of pathologic diameter ≥4 cm, deep stromal invasion (DSI) positive and lymph-vascular space invasion (LVSI) positive rate decreased significantly in CR and PR group compared with SD group (P<0.05) . The number of postoperative risk factors in CR, PR and SD groups varied significantly (χ(2)=64.869, P=0.000) . Besides, the rate of multiple intermediate risk factors was respectively 0 vs 13.8% vs 45.1% (χ(2)=7.107, P=0.008) . The disease relapsed in 23 patients, and 12 died. On the whole series, 5-year overall survival rate was 91.7%, and 5-year recurrence-free survival rate was 88.9%. The rate of recurrence (P=0.002) and mortality (P=0.036) were higher in LVSI positive patients compared with LVSI negative. And the rate of recurrence was higher in patients with multiple intermediate risk factors, compared with no or one intermediate risk factors (P=0.002) . Univariate analysis revealed that LVSI positive and multiple intermediate risk factors were the factors predicted recurrence and mortality (P<0.05) , and no significance in age, stage, tumor grade, tumor diameter before or after NACT, response to NACT, or DSI positive factors (all P>0.05) . The multivariate analysis showed that, the factor of primary tumor diameter ≥6 cm (P=0.022) and multiple intermediate risk factors (P=0.001) were independent prognostic variables for recurrent-free survival. Besides, multiple intermediate risk factors was independent prognostic variable for overall survival (P=0.034) . After surgery, 107 patients did not receive adjuvant therapy, while 175 patients received adjuvant therapy with 26 radiotherapy, 46 chemotherapy and 103 concurrent radiochemotherapy. On survival analysis of postoperative adjuvant treatment, 5-year recurrence-free survival rate of radiotherapy group was significantly lower in patients with the factor of SD response to NACT (P=0.011) and multiple intermediate risk factors (P=0.008) , while overall no significance in overall survival rate (P>0.05) . Conclusions: NACT may be play beneficial role in relieving the status of intermediate risk factors for stage Ⅰ b2 and Ⅱ a2 cervical squamous cancer without high risk factors. The status of multiple intermediate risk factors is independent prognostic factors for recurrence and mortality. For patients with multiple intermediate risk factors, postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy or concurrent radiochemotherapy might be the better choice to prevent relapse.

Multimodal monitoring combined with hypothermia for the management of severe traumatic brain injury: A case report

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a prominent public health issue that has a significant negative impact on patients and their family members. It is the leading cause of mortality and disability among young (below 50 years old) individuals. Intracranial hypertension (ICH) remains the single most difficult therapeutic challenge for the management of severe TBI. Therapeutic hypothermia may reduce intracranial hypertension and improve patient outcomes; however, the use of hypothermia is controversial. It has been reported that therapeutic hypothermia elicits no therapeutic benefit for patients with TBI. The present study presents two patients with severe(s) TBI who were admitted to 101st Hospital of the People's Liberation Army Between June 2017 to October 2017. Multimodal brain monitoring measurements of intracranial pressure, cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP) and bispectral index (BIS) were used during assisted hypothermia for management of patients with sTBI. The duration, degree of hypothermia treatment and speed of re-warming were assessed.

[Application of liver three-dimensional visualization technologies in the treatment planning of hepatic malignant tumor]

Objective: To discuss the application of three dimentional(3D)visualization technologies in treatment plan of hepatic malignant tumor. Methods: The clinical data of 300 patients with liver malignant tumor who received treatment from January 2016 to January 2017 in the Third Department of Hepatic Surgery of Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital was retrospectively analyzed in this study, including 221 male and 79 female patients aged from 7 to 76 years with median age of 54 years. The median height was 168 cm (115-183 cm), the median weight was 65 kg (20-105 kg) and the median tumor volume was 142 ml (23-2 493 ml). Three-dimensional visualization technology was used in all patients to reconstruct liver three-dimensional graphics. Also, two and three-dimensional methods were taken respectively to evaluate patients and develop treatment strategy. The change of treatment strategy caused by 3D evaluation, actual surgical plan, operation time, time of hepatic vascular occlusion, intraoperative blood loss, volumes of blood transfusion and postoperative complications was observed. Results: After three-dimensional visualization technology was applied, 75(25%) of 300 patients' treatment strategies had been changed. The range of hepatectomy was extended in 25 patients. And 7 of them were due to hepatic venous variation, which resulted in increasing drainage area. In other 4 patients, liver resections were extended due to lack of perfusion of the liver parenchyma after the removal of portal vein. And hepatectomy was expanded in 14 patients in order to increase the surgical margin. The range of hepatectomy was reduced in 8 patients, 4 of which were due to hepatic venous variation, such as hepatic vein of segment 4 or lower right posterior hepatic vein. The remaining 4 cases were because of insufficient residual liver volume.The surgical resection was performed in 278 cases, 257 of which received operation directly. Left hepatectomy was performed in 24 patients and right hepatectomy was performed in 33 patients. Left trisectionectomy was carried out in 12 patients and right trisectionectomy was carried out in 11 patients. Caudate lobectomy was applied in 10 patients. There were 18 cases of left lateral sectionectomy, 7 cases of right anterior sectionectomy, 25 cases of right posterior sectionectomy and 18 cases of mesohepatectomy. Single or multi segment resection was performed in 99 patients. The treatment strategy of thirty-six patients was converted to staged hepatectomy (ALPPS 11 cases and portal vein embolization 25 cases). The median operation time was 130 minutes (90-360 minutes) and the median inflow blood occlusion time was 20 minutes (0-75 minutes). Median blood loss volume was 200 ml (20-1 600 ml). Thirty-seven of 278 patients received transfusions, and the average red blood transfusion volume was (4.4±1.7)units (0-8 units). Median hepatic resection volume was 530 ml(30-2 600 ml). There were 117 cases of pleural effusion after operation, including 3 patients needing invasive therapy. Ascites occurred in 23 patients, 6 of whom needed invasive therapy. Biliary leakage was observed in 30 patients. Eight patients occurred hepatic cutting surface hemorrhage, 6 of whom received blood transfusion, and 4 of whom underwent laparotomy to stop bleeding. Three patients had pulmonary infection after surgery and 3 patients appeared biliary obstruction. Deep vein thrombosis took place in 2 patients and portal vein thrombosis was observed in 4 patients. No postoperative liver failure and death ever happened in our study group. Conclusion: Three-dimensional visualization technique can optimize the treatment strategy of patients with liver malignant tumor, improve surgical safety.

Value of Ventricular Intracranial Pressure Monitoring for Traumatic Bifrontal Contusions

OBJECTIVE

To investigate clinical efficacy of and optimal therapeutic strategy for ventricular intracranial pressure monitoring (V-ICPM) in patients with traumatic bifrontal contusions (TBCs).

METHODS

From 8760 patients with traumatic brain injury treated between January 2010 and January 2016, a retrospective analysis was performed on 105 patients with TBCs who underwent V-ICPM and 282 patients with TBCs who did not. All patients underwent treatment at the 101st Hospital of PLA, Wuxi, China. Rates of successful conservative treatment, decompressive craniectomy, and bifrontal craniotomy; incidence of neurologic dysfunction; length of stay; and medical expenses were compared between groups.

RESULTS

Glasgow Outcome Scale was used to assess all patients during follow-up (range, 6 months to 5.5 years). There were no significant differences in prognosis between the 2 groups (P = 0.100). Compared with the patients who did not undergo V-ICPM, the V-ICPM group had a significantly better successful conservative treatment rate (64.8% vs. 47.2%, P = 0.002), decompressive craniectomy rate (8.1% vs. 22.1%, P = 0.008), and bifrontal craniotomy rate (5.7% vs. 15.6%, P = 0.01); shorter length of stay (P = 0.000); and lower medical expenses (P = 0.004).

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with TBCs should be strictly, closely, and dynamically observed by neurosurgery intensive care unit physicians and nurses. Patients should undergo ventricular intracranial pressure probe implantation in a timely manner. V-ICPM can help optimize treatment. Although V-ICPM did not significantly improve the prognosis of patients, it had many other advantages. V-ICPM warrants further clinical research and may be beneficial for patients with TBCs.

Solvent-free nanofluid with three structure models based on the composition of a MWCNT/SiO2 core and its adsorption capacity of CO2

A series of core/shell nanoparticle organic/inorganic hybrid materials (NOHMs) with different weight ratios of two components, consisting of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and silicon dioxide (SiO₂) as the core were synthesized. The NOHMs display a liquid-like state in the absence of solvent at room temperature. Five NOHMs were categorized into three kinds of structure states based on different weight ratio of two components in the core, named the power strip model, the critical model and the collapse model. The capture capacities of these NOHMs for CO₂ were investigated at 298 K and CO₂ pressures ranging from 0 to 5 MPa. Compared with NOHMs having a neat MWCNT core, it was revealed that NOHMs with the power strip model show better adsorption capacity toward CO₂ due to its lower viscosity and more reactive groups that can react with CO₂. In addition, the capture capacities of NOHMs with the critical model were relatively worse than the neat MWCNT-based NOHM. The result is attributed to the aggregation of SiO₂ in these samples, which may cause the consumption and hindrance of reactive groups. However, the capture capacity of NOHMs with the collapse model was the worst of all the NOHMs, owing to its lowest content of reactive groups and hollow structure in MWCNTs. In addition, they presented non-interference of MWCNTs and SiO₂ without aggregation state.

Protective effects of atorvastatin on cerebral vessel autoregulation in an experimental rabbit model of subarachnoid hemorrhage

The aim of the present study was to assess the therapeutic effects of atorvastatin on cerebral vessel autoregulation and to explore the underlying mechanisms in a rabbit model of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). A total of 48 healthy male New Zealand rabbits (weight, 2–2.5 kg) were randomly allocated into SAH, Sham or SAH + atorvastatin groups (n=16/group). The Sham group received 20 mg/kg/d saline solution, whereas 20 mg/kg/d atorvastatin was administered to rabbits in the SAH + atorvastatin group following SAH induction. Changes in diameter, perimeter and basilar artery (BA) area were assessed and expression levels of the vasoactive molecules endothelin-1 (ET-1), von Willebrand factor (vWF) and thrombomodulin (TM) were measured. Neuronal apoptosis was analyzed 72 h following SAH by terminal deoxynucleotidyl-transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) staining. The mortality rate in the SAH group was 18.75, 25% in the SAH + atorvastatin treated group and 0% in the Sham group (n=16/group). The neurological score in the SAH + atorvastatin group was 1.75±0.68, which was significantly higher compared with the Sham group (0.38±0.49; P<0.05). The BA area in the SAH + atorvastatin group (89.6±9.11) was significantly lower compared with the SAH group (115.4±11.0; P<0.01). The present study demonstrated that SAH induction resulted in a significant increase in the diameter, perimeter and cross-sectional area of the BA in the SAH + atorvastatin group. Administration of atorvastatin may significantly downregulate the expression levels of ET-1, vWF and TM (all P<0.01) vs. sham and SAH groups. TUNEL staining demonstrated that neuronal apoptosis was remarkably reduced in the hippocampus of SAH rabbits following treatment with atorvastatin (P<0.05). Atorvastatin treatment may alleviate cerebral vasospasm and mediate structural and functional remodeling of vascular endothelial cells, in addition to promoting anti-apoptotic signaling. These results provided supporting evidence for the use of atorvastatin as an effective and well-tolerated treatment for SAH in various clinical settings and may protect the autoregulation of cerebral vessels.

Lipopolysaccharide induces the differentiation of hepatic progenitor cells into myofibroblasts via activation of the Hedgehog signaling pathway

Normally, hepatic progenitor cells (HPCs) are activated and differentiate into hepatocytes or bile ductular cells to repair liver damage during liver injury. However, it remains controversial whether the abnormal differentiation of HPCs occurs under abnormal conditions. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a component of the microenvironment, promotes liver fibrosis. In the present study, HPCs promoted liver fibrosis in rats following carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄) treatment. Meanwhile, the LPS level in the portal vein was elevated and played a primary role in the fate of HPCs. In vitro, LPS inhibited the hepatobiliary differentiation of HPCs. Concurrently, HPCs co-cultured with LPS for 2 weeks showed a tendency to differentiate into myofibroblasts (MFs). Thus, we conclude that LPS promotes the aberrant differentiation of HPCs into MFs as a third type of descendant. This study provides insight into a novel differentiation fate of HPCs in their microenvironment, and could thus lead to the development of HPCs for treatment methods in liver fibrosis.

[Transformation and Migration of Sulfur Speciation in the Rhizosphere and Bulk Soil of Paddy Soil]

A pool culture experiment was carried out to investigate the influence of different forms of sulfur fertilizers (sulfur and gypsum) on the transformation and migration of sulfur speciation in the rhizosphere and bulk soil of unpolluted and polluted paddy soils.The results showed that the redox potential (Eh) was about 93-283 mV and 83-254 mV, respectively, the soil solution pH was 7.5-8.4 and 7.7-8.4, respectively, and pe+pH was 9.1-13.2 and 9.1-12.5, respectively, in the bulk and bulk soil.Solution Eh values in Rhizosphere soil were generally higher than those in bulk soil, and solution pH in the former was generally lower than that in the latter.The different forms of inorganic sulfur followed the order of water-soluble sulfur (41%-81% of total inorganic sulfur, similarly hereinafter)>>sulfur adsorption (9%-34%)>hydrochloric acid soluble sulfur (8%-24%)>hydrochloric acid volatile sulfide (2%-8%) in the rhizosphere.In tillering and earing flowering,the concentrations of water-soluble and absorbed sulfur by application of gypsum were significantly higher than those using elemental sulfur.And its content in unpolluted paddy soil was significantly higher than that in polluted paddy soil. In the bulk soil,the forms of inorganic sulfur followed the order of water-soluble sulfur (40%-69%)>>hydrochloric acid soluble sulfur (18%-41%)>hydrochloric acid volatile sulfide (6%-16%)>adsorbed sulfur (0.7%-7.5%).The mass fractions of inorganic sulfur, organic sulphur and the total sulfur in the rhizosphere soil were in the range of 223-738 mg·kg^-1, 574-1647 mg·kg^-1 and 825-2287 mg·kg^-1,respectively,and the corresponding fractions were in the range of 68-128 mg·kg^-1, 108-391 mg·kg^-1 and 200-477 mg·kg^-1 in the bulk soil,respectively.Inorganic sulfur and organic sulfur of total sulfur in the rhizosphere were 20%-40% and 60%-80%, respectively, and those in the bulk were 18%-46% and 54%-82%, respectively.Total sulfur. organic sulfur and water-soluble sulfur and adsorbed sulfur and hydrochloric acid soluble sulfur in the rhizosphere were 3-11 times, 3-5 times, 5-7 times, 12-20 times, and 2-3 times of those in the bulk soil, respectively, whereas the hydrochloric acid volatile sulfur in the rhizosphere was lower than that in the bulk soil.

[The experience of abundant amount of pectoralis major myocutaneous flap tissue in restoring parenchyma defect of head and neck]

Objective:Explore the skills to flap the defects of the head and neck with myocutaneous of pectoralis major which has rich amount of organization to minimize complications.Method:Various of neck defects will be repaired when the myocutaneous flap of pectoralis major from obese male or/and female has been prepared with improved methods. First of all, the muscle must be fixed. Then we have to suture the skin and the defect of skin or mucous membrane;the potential closed cavities around the myocutaneous flap must be drainaged with the negative pressure after repaired. Clinical data of 23 (24 sides) patients undergoing the repair in our hospital between January 2008 and December 2014 were collected and reviewed retrospectively.Result:One of 23 cases was injured the thoracoacromial artery in the preparation process of myocutaneous flap by the operator, then we operated on the other side. All of the pectoralis major myocutaneous flaps has been survived except 1 case which was necrosis in distal partial of pectoralis major muscle flap, but healed after changing dressing.Three cases with pharyngeal leakage because of the infection were also healed after changing dressing; skin and skin flap partial dehiscence happend in 1 cases, but also healed after dressing; 1 cases with subcutaneous hemorrhage was healed after cleaning up hematocele.Conclusion:The pectoralis major myocutaneous flap is still a good material for the repair of head and neck defects as long as the management skill in perioperative has been mastered properly, even though the one with rich amount of organization is bloated and the preparation and repair is difficult.

Protective effects of Celastrol on diethylnitrosamine-induced hepatocellular carcinoma in rats and its mechanisms

Celastrol, an active ingredient of Tripterygium Wilfordii, is a traditional Chinese medicinal herb, which has attracted interests for its potential anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer activities. The aim of this study was to evaluate the anti-tumor effect of Celastrol against diethylnitrosamine (DEN)-induced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in rats and furthermore, to explore the underlying mechanism. Sprague-Dawley rats were intragastrically administered with DEN (10mg/kg) for 6 days every week and persisting 16 weeks. The number of nodules was calculated. Hematoxylin-Eosin (HE) staining was used to evaluate the hepatic pathological lesions. The levels of serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), glutamic oxalacetic transaminase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and alpha fetoprotein (AFP) were analyzed by Elisa kits, and the protein levels of p53, Murine double minute (MDM) 2, Bax, Bcl-2, Bcl-xl, cytochrome C, Caspase-3, Caspase-9 and Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) were analyzed by western blot. The results showed that Celastrol could significantly decrease the mortality, the number of tumor nodules and the index of liver in the Celastrol groups compared with DEN-treated group. Moreover, Celastrol obviously improved the hepatic pathological lesions and decreased the elevated levels of ALT, AST, ALP and AFP. Meanwhile, Celastrol suppressed the expression of the protein MDM2, activated the intrinsic mitochondrial apoptosis pathway induced by p53, inhibited anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 and Bcl-xl, induced the pro-apoptotic Bax, cytochrome C, PARP and caspases. These results suggested that Celastrol had a good therapeutic action in reversing DEN-induced HCC rats, which may be associated with the apoptosis of hepatoma cells induced by Celastrol.

Bruton's tyrosine kinase inhibitor restrains Wnt signaling in chronic lymphocytic leukemia

The B-cell receptor (BCR) signaling pathway serves an important role in the pathogenesis of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), and has been identified as a novel and effective therapeutic target of CLL, with particular focus its kinase factor, BTK. Previous studies have focused on combining the BTK inhibitor with additional chemotherapeutic agents to improve the prognosis of patients with CLL. Further investigation into the mechanism of the BTK inhibitor would promote an understanding of the pathogenesis of CLL. The current study investigated the association between ibrutinib and the Wnt signaling pathway, additionally focussing upon one of its regulators, metadherin (MTDH), which has been identified to be overexpressed in CLL and is considered a promoter of the Wnt pathway. The experiments in the current study were performed in the MEC-1 CLL cell line. Results indicated that MTDH, β-catenin and lymphoid-enhancing factor-1 were inhibited subsequent to ibrutinib treatment. The results indicate that in CLL, ibrutinib is likely to possess an inhibitory role in Wnt signaling.

Atorvastatin ameliorates early brain injury after subarachnoid hemorrhage via inhibition of AQP4 expression in rabbits

The therapeutic effects of atorvastatin on early brain injury (EBI), cerebral edema and its association with aquaporin 4 (AQP4) were studied in rabbits after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) using western blot analysis and the dry-wet method. Seventy-two healthy male New Zealand rabbits weighing between 2.5 and 3.2 kg were randomly divided into three groups: the SAH group (n=24), sham-operated group (n=24) and the SAH + atorvastatin group (n=24). A double SAH model was employed. The sham-operated group were injected with the same dose of saline solution, the SAH + atorvastatin group received atorvastatin 20 mg/kg/day after SAH. All rabbit brain samples were taken at 72 h after the SAH model was established successfully. Brain edema was detected using the dry-wet method after experimental SAH was induced; AQP4 and caspase-3 expression was measured by western blot analysis, and neuronal apoptosis was detected by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labelling (TUNEL) staining at 72 h after SAH. The results indicated that brain edema and injury appeared soon after SAH, while brain edema and EBI were ameliorated and increased behavior scores were noted after prophylactic use of atorvastatin. Compared with the SAH group, the level of AQP4 and the cerebral content of water was significantly decreased (P<0.01) by atorvastatin, and TUNEL staining and studying the expression of caspase-3 showed that the apoptosis of neurons was reduced markedly both in the hippocampus and brain cortex by atorvastatin. The results suggest that atorvastatin ameliorated brain edema and EBI after SAH, which was related to its inhibition of AQP4 expression. Our findings provide evidence that atorvastatin is an effective and well-tolerated approach for treating SAH in various clinical settings.

Ischemic preconditioning protects the brain against injury via inhibiting CaMKII-nNOS signaling pathway

Although studies have shown that cerebral ischemic preconditioning (IPC) can ameliorate ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) induced brain damage, but its precise mechanisms remain unknown. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the neuroprotective mechanisms of IPC against ischemic brain damage induced by cerebral I/R and to explore whether the Calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII)-mediated up-regulation of nNOS ser847-phosphorylation signaling pathway contributed to the protection provided by IPC. Transient global brain ischemia was induced by 4-vessel occlusion in adult male Sprague-Dawley rats. The rats were pretreated with 3 min of IPC alone or KN62 (selective antagonist of CaMKII) treatment before IPC, after reperfusion for 3 days, 6 min ischemia was induced. Cresyl violet staining was used to examine the survival of hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons. Immunoblotting was performed to measure the phosphorylation of CaMKII, nNOS, c-Jun and the expression of FasL. Immunoprecipitation was used to examine the binding between PSD95 and nNOS. The results showed that IPC could significantly protect neurons against cerebral I/R injury, furthermore, the combination of PSD95 and nNOS was increased, coinstantaneously the phosphorylation of CaMKII and nNOS (ser847) were up-regulated, however the activation of c-Jun and FasL were reduced. Conversely, KN62 treatment before IPC reversed all these effects of IPC. Taken together, the results suggest that IPC could diminish ischemic brain injury through CaMKII-mediated up-regulation of nNOS ser847-phosphorylation signaling pathway.

Methylprednisolone suppresses the Wnt signaling pathway in chronic lymphocytic leukemia cell line MEC-1 regulated by LEF-1 expression

High dose methylprednisolone (HDMP) has been an effective salvage therapy for patients with relapsed chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), while little is known about the exact mechanisms implicated in glucocorticoid-induced cell death. To explore the mechanism of glucocorticoid-induced cell death, we investigated the effect of HDMP on canonical Wnt signaling which emerged as a key pathway implicated in the pathogenesis of CLL. In this study, the human CLL cell line MEC-1 was incubated with various concentrations of methylprednisolone. Cell proliferation activity was detected by CCK8 assay, the apoptotic effect was evaluated by TUNEL assay. Western blot was used to detect active-caspase 3, and the key proteins in Wnt signaling pathway (LEF-1, β-catenin). RT-PCR was performed to assess the mRNA levels of β-catenin, LEF-1, c-myc and cyclin D1. We observed that high concentration of methylprednisolone could suppress the proliferation activity of MEC-1 cells, promote the relative expression of active-caspase 3, and induce apoptotic cell death. Furthermore, methylprednisolone could inhibit LEF-1 protein expression, consequently down-regulate mRNA levels of c-myc and cyclin D1, but could not affect the transcription level of β-catenin and LEF-1 mRNA. The results of this study indicate that methylprednisolone can suppress Wnt signaling pathway by down-regulating LEF-1 protein expression, indicating a novel mechanism for HDMP therapy in CLL.

Induction of long-term oscillations in the γ frequency band by nAChR activation in rat hippocampal CA3 area

The hippocampal neuronal network oscillation at γ frequency band (γ oscillation) is generated by the precise interaction between interneurons and principle cells. γ oscillation is associated with attention, learning and memory and is impaired in the diseased conditions such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) and schizophrenia. Nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) plays an important role in the regulation of hippocampal neurotransmission and network activity. It is not known whether nicotine modulates plasticity of network activity at γ oscillations in the hippocampus. In this study we investigated the effects of nicotine on the long-term changes of KA-induced γ oscillations. We found that hippocampal γ oscillations can be enhanced by a low concentration of nicotine (1μM), such an enhancement lasts for hours after washing out of nicotine, suggesting a form of synaptic plasticity, named as long-term oscillation at γ frequency band (LTOγ). Nicotine-induced LTOγ was mimicked by the selective α4β2 but not by α7 nAChR agonist and was involved in N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor activation as well as depended on excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmission. Our results indicate that nAChR activation induced plasticity in γ oscillation, which may be beneficial for the improvement of cognitive deficiency in AD and schizophrenia.

Celastrol induces mitochondria-mediated apoptosis in hepatocellular carcinoma Bel-7402 cells

Celastrol is a natural terpenoid isolated from Tripterygium wilfordii, a well-known Chinese medicinal herb that presents anti-proliferative activities in several cancer cell lines. Here, we investigated whether celastrol induces apoptosis on hepatocellular carcinoma Bel-7402 cells and further explored the underlying molecular mechanisms. Celastrol caused a dose- and time-dependent growth inhibition and apoptosis of Bel-7402 cells. It increased apoptosis through the up-regulation of Bax and the down-regulation of Bcl-2 in Bel-7402 cells. Moreover, celastrol induced the release of cytochrome c and increased the activation of caspase-3 and caspase-9, suggesting that celastrol-induced apoptosis was related to the mitochondrial pathway. These results indicated that celastrol could induce apoptosis in Bel-7402 cells, which may be associated with the activation of the mitochondria-mediated pathway.