Synergistic and antibiofilm activity of DNase I and glucose oxidase loaded chitosan nanoparticles against dual-species biofilms of Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella

Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes are two of the most common foodborne pathogens in the food industry. They form dual-species biofilms, which have a higher sensitivity to antimicrobial treatment and a greater microbial adhesion. In this experiment, we loaded DNase I and glucose oxidase (GOX) on chitosan nanoparticles (CSNPs) to explore their inhibitory effects on and disruption of dual-species biofilms of Salmonella enterica and L. monocytogenes. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) showed that CSNP-DNase-GOX and CSNPs were spherical in shape. CSNP-DNase-GOX was shifted and altered compared to the infrared peaks of CSNPs. CSNPs loaded with DNase I and GOX showed an increase in the particle size and an alteration in the polydispersity index (PDI) and the zeta potential. Compared to free DNase I or GOX, DNase I and GOX loaded on CSNPs had higher stability at different temperatures. CSNP-DNase-GOX was more effective in inhibiting dual-species biofilms than CSNP-GOX. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and fluorescence microscopy were used to observe the structure of the biofilm, which further illustrated that CSNP-DNase-GOX disrupted the dual-species biofilms of S. enterica and L. monocytogenes.

[The association between portal vein thrombosis and rebleeding after non-urgent endoscopic treatment of esophagogastric varices]

Objective: To investigate the association between portal vein thrombosis and rebleeding after non-urgent endoscopic treatment of esophagogastric varices. Methods: The cirrhotic patients with esophagogastric varices diagnosed in the People's Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 2017 to March 2023 were retrospectively collected. The patients were divided into thrombotic group and non-thrombotic group according to the presence or absence of portal vein thrombosis. The failure rate of endoscopic treatment and rebleeding rate in different periods were compared between the two groups. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to select the best cutoff value of gastric varicose diameter that affected total rebleeding during follow-up in both groups. The influencing factors of rebleeding within 12 and 36 months in both groups were analyzed, and the influencing factors of rebleeding within 36 months in thrombus group were further analyzed. Results: A total of 106 patients were enrolled, including 53 patients in the thrombotic group [male 37, female 16, aged 18-78 (54±13) years] and 53 patients in the non-thrombotic group [male 37, female 16, aged 27-83 (55±12) years]. The follow-up time of the two groups were (20±15) and (25±15) months, respectively. The total rebleeding rate in the thrombotic group was higher than that in the non-thrombotic group [30.2% (16/53) vs 13.2% (7/53), P˂0.05]. The rebleeding rates within 6, 12, 24 and 36 months in the thrombotic group were higher than those in the non-thrombotic group [18.9% (10/53) vs 5.7% (3/53), 18.9% (10/53) vs 5.7% (3/53), 28.3% (15/53) vs 9.4% (5/53), 30.2% (16/53) vs 11.3% (6/53), all P˂0.05]. The best cut-off value of the diameter of gastric varices that affects the total rebleeding in the two groups was 10.4 mm (10 mm was selected as the best cut-off value for the convenience of practical clinical application). Hemoglobin ˂ 85 g/L (HR=0.202, 95%CI: 0.043-0.953, P=0.043), 10 mm ˂ the diameter of GV ≤ 15 mm (HR=5.321, 95%CI: 1.161-24.390, P=0.031) and endoscopic variceal ligation combined with endoscopic tissue adhesive injection (EVL+ETAI) (HR=7.172, 95%CI: 1.910-26.930, P=0.004) were the risk factors for the first gastroesophageal variceal rebleeding within 12 months after non-urgent endoscopic treatment. EVL+ETAI (HR=3.811, 95%CI: 1.441-10.084, P=0.007) and portal vein thrombosis (HR=4.026, 95%CI: 1.483-10.932, P=0.006) were the risk factors for the first gastroesophageal variceal rebleeding within 36 months after non-urgent endoscopic treatment. The study found that, 10 mm ˂ the diameter of GV ≤ 15 mm (HR=7.503, 95%CI: 1.568-35.890, P=0.012) was the risk factor for rebleeding within 36 months in the thrombotic group. Conclusion: Portal vein thrombosis is a risk factor for rebleeding after non-urgent endoscopic treatment of esophagogastric varices.

Partial replacement of soybean meal with microalgae biomass on in vitro ruminal fermentation may reduce ruminal protein degradation

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of partially replacing soybean meal (SBM) with algal sources on in vitro ruminal fermentation. Using 6 fermenters in a 3 × 3 replicated Latin square with 3 periods of 10 d each, we tested 3 treatments: a control diet (CRT) with SBM at 17.8% of the diet dry matter (DM); and 50% SBM biomass replacement with either Chlorella pyrenoidosa (CHL); or Spirulina platensis (SPI). The basal diet was formulated to meet the requirements of a 680-kg Holstein dairy cow producing 45 kg/d of milk with 3.5% fat and 3% protein. All diets had a similar nutritional composition (16.0% CP; 34.9% NDF; 31.0% starch, DM basis) and fermenters were provided with 106 g DM/d split into 2 portions. After 7 d of adaptation, samples were collected for 3 d of each period for analyses of ruminal fermentation at 0, 1, 2, 4, 6, and 8 h after morning feeding for evaluation of the ruminal fermentation kinetics. For the evaluation of the daily production of total metabolites and for the evaluation of nutrient degradability, samples from the effluent containers were collected daily. Statistical analysis was performed with the MIXED procedure of SAS with treatment, time, and their interactions considered as fixed effects; day, square, and fermenter were considered as random effects. Orthogonal contrasts (CRT vs. algae; and CHL vs. SPI) were used to depict the treatment effect, and significance was declared when P ≤ 0.05. Fermenters that received algae-based diets had a greater propionate molar concentration and molar proportion when compared with the fermenters fed CRT diets. In addition, those algae-fed fermenters had lower branched short-chain fatty acids (BSCFA) and isoacids (IA), which are biomarkers of ruminal protein degradation, along with lower ammonia (NH3-N) concentration and greater nonammonia nitrogen (NAN). When contrasting with fermenters fed SPI-diets, fermenters fed based CHL-diets had a lower molar concentration of BSCFA and IA, along with lower NH3-N concentration and flow, and greater NAN, bacterial nitrogen flow, and efficiency of nitrogen utilization. Those results indicate that CHL protein may be more resistant to ruminal degradation, which would increase efficiency of nitrogen utilization. In summary, partially replacing SBM with algae biomass, especially with CHL, is a promising strategy to improve the efficiency of nitrogen utilization, due to the fact that fermenters fed CHL-based diets resulted in a reduction in BSCFA and IA, which are markers of protein degradation, and it would improve the efficiency of nitrogen utilization. However, further validation using in vivo models are required.

The associations of two novel inflammation indexes, systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) and system inflammation response index (SIRI), with periodontitis: evidence from NHANES 2009-2014

OBJECTIVES

The research's goal is to look for any potential relationships between the systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) and the system inflammation response index (SIRI), along with inflammation indicators and the likelihood of periodontitis.

METHODS

Ten thousand two hundred eighty-two individuals in sum were determined to be eligible for this cross-sectional study from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) between 2009 and 2014. Multiple logistic regression, generalized additive model, smooth curve fitting, subgroup analysis, and interaction tests were done for analyzing the association between periodontitis and SII, SIRI, and other inflammatory indicators.

RESULTS

The analysis, adjusted for population weighting, revealed that individuals with moderate/severe periodontitis had SII levels of 545.46 (95% CI (529.10, 561.82), P = 0.0044) and SIRI levels of 1.33 (95% CI (1.29, 1.37), P < 0.0001). In a fully adjusted multivariate logistic regression model, SII was not sensibly associated with moderate/severe periodontitis among the continuous and quartile Q1-Q4 groups (OR = 0.97, 95% CI (0.91, 1.02)). The continuous variable of SIRI (OR = 1.11, 95% CI (1.06, 1.17)) and the quartile Q4 group (OR = 1.58, 95% CI (1.28, 1.94)) had a deemed significant positive association with moderate to severe periodontitis. In addition, other inflammatory indicators, especially NLR, PPN, PLR, MLR, PC, NC, and MC were observed to be notably involved moderate/severe periodontist in this research.

CONCLUSION

We explored the association between periodontitis and two novel comprehensive markers of inflammation (SII and SIRI).

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

These inflammatory markers are expected to serve as tools to assist clinicians in diagnosing periodontitis.

[Effects of canagliflozin on amino acid metabolism in atherosclerotic mice]

Objective: To explore the possible anti-atherosclerotic mechanisms of glucose co-transporter-2 inhibitor canagliflozin. Methods: ApoE-/-mice fed on Western diet were randomly assigned into the model group (n=10) and the canagliflozin group (n=10). C57BL/6J mice fed on normal diet were chosen as the control group (n=10). Mice in the canagliflozin group were gavaged with canagliflozin for 14 weeks. The presence and severity of atherosclerosis were evaluated with HE and oil red O stainings in aortic root section slices. PCR assay was performed to determine the mRNA expression levels of nitric oxide synthase. Hepatic transcriptome analysis and hepatic amino acid detection were conducted using RNA-seq and targeted LC-MS, respectively. Results: HE staining and oil red O staining of the aortic root showed that AS models were successfully established in ApoE-/-mice fed on Western diet for 14 weeks. Canagliflozin alleviated the severity of atherosclerosis in pathology. Hepatic transcriptome analysis indicated that canagliflozin impacted on amino acid metabolism, especially arginine synthesis in ApoE-/-mice. Targeted metabolomics analysis of amino acids showed that canagliflozin reduced hepatic levels of L-serine, L-aspartic acid, tyrosine, L-hydroxyproline, and L-citrulline, but raised the hepatic level of L-arginine. Compared to the model group, the canagliflozin group exhibited higher serum arginine and nitric oxide levels as well as elevated nitric oxide mRNA expression in aortic tissues (P<0.05). Conclusion: Canagliflozin regulated the amino acid metabolism, reduced the levels of glucogenic amino acids,and promoted the synthesis of arginine in atherosclerotic mice.

KatG catalase deficiency confers bedaquiline hyper-susceptibility to isoniazid resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is a growing source of global mortality and threatens global control of tuberculosis (TB) disease. The diarylquinoline bedaquiline (BDQ) recently emerged as a highly efficacious drug against MDR-TB, defined as resistance to the first-line drugs isoniazid (INH) and rifampin. INH resistance is primarily caused by loss-of-function mutations in the catalase KatG, but mechanisms underlying BDQ's efficacy against MDR-TB remain unknown. Here we employ a systems biology approach to investigate BDQ hyper-susceptibility in INH-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis . We found hyper-susceptibility to BDQ in INH-resistant cells is due to several physiological changes induced by KatG deficiency, including increased susceptibility to reactive oxygen species and DNA damage, remodeling of transcriptional programs, and metabolic repression of folate biosynthesis. We demonstrate BDQ hyper-susceptibility is common in INH-resistant clinical isolates. Collectively, these results highlight how altered bacterial physiology can impact drug efficacy in drug-resistant bacteria.

The Role of Radiation Therapy for Metastatic Cervical Cancer

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

Survival rates for women with metastatic cervical cancer (CC) are low, with limited management options. Radiation therapy (RT) for metastatic disease has led to prolonged survival in other malignancies, however, the data are scarce in CC. Herein, we evaluated the effect of RT for metastatic CC.

MATERIALS/METHODS

A total of 58 patients with metastatic CC between September 2019 and January 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. All the patients were treated with platinum-based chemotherapy combined with targeted therapy or immunotherapy followed with or without RT (NRT). The recent efficacy, survival status and prognostic factors were analyzed statistically.

RESULTS

Objective response rate (ORR) was 63.6% with one complete and twenty partial responses in RT group (n = 33) and 40.0% with two complete and eight partial responses in NRT group (n = 25), respectively (p = 0.074). Disease control rate (DCR) of the RT and NRT groups were 79.4% vs 80.0%, respectively (p = 0.861). Median follow-up time was 17 months (3-39months). In RT group, 11(33.3%) patients experienced local regional or distant failure and 9 (27.3%) patients were dead. In NRT group, 15(60%) patients had progression and 8 (32%) patients dead. There was no significant difference between the two groups in overall survival (OS); however, RT group displayed superior progression-free survival (PFS) (1-year OS: 72.7% vs. 68.0%, p = 0.460; 1-year PFS: 66.7% vs. 40.0%, p = 0.039). The multivariate analysis showed that RT, immunotherapy, lymph node metastasis only relevant predictor of superior PFS but not OS. In subgroup analysis, patients treated with RT appeared to have a better PFS in some specific cohorts, such as age>45 years (72.0% vs 36.4% P = 0.015), squamous carcinoma histology (71.0% vs 40.9% P = 0.017), metastatic at diagnosis (75.0% vs 47.6% P = 0.012), non-targeted therapy (72.4% vs 43.8% P = 0.040). No significant increase in treatment-related toxicity was observed in the RT group compared with the NRT group.

CONCLUSION

RT provided superior PFS in metastatic CC patients compared to NRT, and well tolerated. Moreover, RT, immunotherapy, lymph node metastasis only were independent significant prognostic factors for PFS. Subgroup analysis showed that combination of RT and chemotherapy obtained favorable PFS in metastatic CC patients with age>45 years, squamous carcinoma histology, metastatic at diagnosis, non-targeted therapy. Studies with a larger sample size and longer follow-up are warranted.

Hyperthermia Enhances the Radiosensitivity of Pancreatic Cancer Cells by Inhibiting Wnt2B Signaling

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

Pancreatic cancer (PC) is a highly lethal human malignance. Due to unobvious symptoms at early stage, most of the patients with PC are diagnosed at late stages and lose the chance of surgical resection. Furthermore, PC patients are resistant to chemoradiotherapy and therefore show a dismal survival. Hyperthermia is commonly used as a sensitizer of chemotherapy or radiotherapy for the clinical treatment of human cancers. Our study aimed to investigate whether hyperthermia can improve the radiosensitivity of PC cells and uncover the involved mechanisms.

MATERIALS/METHODS

PC cells BxPC3, CFPAC-1 and PANC1 were heated to 43 ℃ 1 h before exposure to ionizing irradiation (IR). The radiosensitivity of PC cells were detected in vitro by colony formation assay, immunofluence analysis and western blotting. The mechanisms studies have been conducted using qRT-PCR analysis, cDNA/siRNA transfection and comet assay.

RESULTS

Hyperthermia significantly enhanced the radiosensitivity of PC cells by decreasing their colony formation and increasing DNA damage following IR. By qRT-PCR analysis of Wnt genes expressions, we found Wnt2B was significantly down-regulated in PC-3 cells which were treated with the combination of hyperthermia and IR compared with hyperthermia or IR alone. Functional assays showed that the expression level of Wnt2B was inversely associated with the radiosensitivity of PC-3 cells. Furthermore, we found hyperthermia inhibited the expression of DNA repair proteins such as p-BRCA1 and p-MRE11 in PC cells following IR CONCLUSION: Hyperthermia can significantly enhance the radiosensitivity of PC cells in a Wnt2B signaling-dependent manner.

First-principles property assessment of hybrid formate perovskites

Hybrid organic-inorganic formate perovskites, AB(HCOO)3, are a large family of compounds that exhibit a variety of phase transitions and diverse properties, such as (anti)ferroelectricity, ferroelasticity, (anti)ferromagnetism, and multiferroism. While many properties of these materials have already been characterized, we are not aware of any study that focuses on the comprehensive property assessment of a large number of formate perovskites. A comparison of the properties of materials within the family is challenging due to systematic errors attributed to different techniques or the lack of data. For example, complete piezoelectric, dielectric, and elastic tensors are not available. In this work, we utilize first-principles density functional theory based simulations to overcome these challenges and to report structural, mechanical, dielectric, piezoelectric, and ferroelectric properties of 29 formate perovskites. We find that these materials exhibit elastic stiffness in the range 0.5-127.0 GPa; highly anisotropic linear compressibility, including zero and even negative values; dielectric constants in the range 0.1-102.1; highly anisotropic piezoelectric response with the longitudinal values in the range 1.18-21.12 pC/N; and spontaneous polarizations in the range 0.2-7.8 μC/cm2. Furthermore, we propose and computationally characterize a few formate perovskites that have not been reported yet.

Interdomain Linker of the Bioelecrocatalyst Cellobiose Dehydrogenase Governs the Electron Transfer

Direct bioelectrocatalysis applied in biosensors, biofuel cells, and bioelectrosynthesis is based on an efficient electron transfer between enzymes and electrodes in the absence of redox mediators. Some oxidoreductases are capable of direct electron transfer (DET), while others achieve the enzyme to electrode electron transfer (ET) by employing an electron-transferring domain. Cellobiose dehydrogenase (CDH) is the most-studied multidomain bioelectrocatalyst and features a catalytic flavodehydrogenase domain and a mobile, electron-transferring cytochrome domain connected by a flexible linker. The ET to the physiological redox partner lytic polysaccharide monooxygenase or, ex vivo, electrodes depends on the flexibility of the electron transferring domain and its connecting linker, but the regulatory mechanism is little understood. Studying the linker sequences of currently characterized CDH classes we observed that the inner, mobile linker sequence is flanked by two outer linker regions that are in close contact with the adjacent domain. A function-based definition of the linker region in CDH is proposed and has been verified by rationally designed variants of Neurospora crassa CDH. The effect of linker length and its domain attachment on electron transfer rates has been determined by biochemical and electrochemical methods, while distances between the domains of CDH variants were computed. This study elucidates the regulatory mechanism of the interdomain linker on electron transfer by determining the minimum linker length, observing the effects of elongated linkers, and testing the covalent stabilization of a linker part to the flavodehydrogenase domain. The evolutionary guided, rational design of the interdomain linker provides a strategy to optimize electron transfer rates in multidomain enzymes and maximize their bioelectrocatalytic performance.

The association of new-onset diabetes with subsequent diagnosis of pancreatic cancer-novel use of a large administrative database

BACKGROUND

Screening options for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) are limited. New-onset type 2 diabetes (NoD) is associated with subsequent diagnosis of PDAC in observational studies and may afford an opportunity for PDAC screening. We evaluated this association using a large administrative database.

METHODS

Patients were identified using claims data from the OptumLabs® Data Warehouse. Adult patients with NoD diagnosis were matched 1:3 with patients without NoD using age, sex and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) status. The event of PDAC diagnosis was compared between cohorts using the Kaplan-Meier method. Factors associated with PDAC diagnosis were evaluated with Cox's proportional hazards modeling.

RESULTS

We identified 640 421 patients with NoD and included 1 921 263 controls. At 3 years, significantly more PDAC events were identified in the NoD group vs control group (579 vs 505; P < 0.001). When controlling for patient factors, NoD was significantly associated with elevated risk of PDAC (HR 3.474, 95% CI 3.082-3.920, P < 0.001). Other factors significantly associated with PDAC diagnosis were increasing age, increasing age among Black patients, and COPD diagnosis (P ≤ 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

NoD was independently associated with subsequent diagnosis of PDAC within 3 years. Future studies should evaluate the feasibility and benefit of PDAC screening in patients with NoD.

Construction of an "ON-OFF" fluoroprobe using ionic liquids-modified orange peel-based carbon quantum dots for selective/sensitive permanganate assay in waters and the underlying quenching mechanisms

Herein, we fabricated blue-fluorescence carbon quantum dots modified by ionic liquids (ILs-CQDs) with a quantum yield of 18.13% by employing orange peel as a carbon source and [BMIM][H₂PO₄] as a dopant. The fluorescence intensities (FIs) of ILs-CQDs were significantly quenched upon the addition of MnO₄^- with excellent selectivity and sensitivity in waters, and this phenomenon provided a feasibility for constructing a sensitive "ON-OFF" fluoroprobe. The prominent overlapping between the maximum excitation/emission of ILs-CQDs and the UV-Vis absorption of MnO₄^- implied an inner filter effect (IFE). The higher K_q value demonstrated that the fluorescence-quenching phenomenon was a static-quenching process (SQE). Coordination between MnO₄^- and oxygen/amino-rich groups in ILs-CQDs resulted in the alteration of zeta potential in the fluorescence system. Consequently, the interactions between MnO₄^- and ILs-CQDs belong to a joint mechanism of IFE and SQE. When plotting the FIs of ILs-CQDs vs. the concentrations of MnO₄^-, a satisfactorily linear correlation was obtained across the range of 0.3-100 μM with a detectable limit of 0.09 μM. This fluoroprobe was successfully applied to detect MnO₄^- in environmental waters with satisfactory recoveries of 98.05-103.75% and relative standard deviations (RSDs) of 1.57-2.68%. Also, it gave more excellent performance metrics as compared to the Chinese standard indirect iodometry method and other previous approaches for MnO₄^- assay. Overall, these findings offer a new avenue to engineer/develop a highly efficient fluoroprobe based on the combination of ILs and biomass-derived CQDs for the rapid/sensitive detection of metal ions in environmental waters.

Abstract 5646: Spatial transcriptomic profiling of the human and mouse retina prepared with CryoJane Tape Transfer System using GeoMx and CosMx spatial analysis

The goal of this study is to identify key transcriptomic markers within layers of the retina by individually profiling layers using cellular and subcellular spatial transcriptomics, additionally, comparing the results between each level. Both human and mouse retina samples, prepared fresh frozen and fixed frozen, are analyzed using the GeoMx® Digital Spatial Profiler (DSP) and CosMx® Spatial Molecular Imager (SMI) using the whole mouse transcriptome atlas and 1000-plex mouse neuro panel, respectively. Samples are fixed using Cryo-Jane Taper Transfer system. Samples are mounted on to adhesive coated slides as well as adhesive tape to mount samples to glass slides. This method is used to secure fragile frozen tissue, such as the retina. Human and mouse samples were stained using immunofluorescent microscopy targeting neurofilament H (NF-H), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and NeuN on DSP and 18s rRNA, amyloid-beta and GFAP on SMI. Staining allows for identification of structural layers in the retina. Simultaneously, regions of interest (ROI) for spatial profiling are selected based on immunofluorescent stains. On DSP, each sample had 3x ROIs in the photoreceptor layer, inner nuclear layer and ganglion cell layer, then, oligonucleotides were collected and sequenced. Finally, raw counts were Q3 normalized for analysis. For SMI data analysis, 6 field of views (FOVs) were put on each section to cover most regions with multiple layers. ~8000 genes were detected on human retina samples using DSP. Around 500 unique genes were detected between the photoreceptor and inner nuclear layer using DSP. Preliminary SMI results show we were able to identify cell types (amacrine, horizontal cell, biopolar cell, ganglion cell, etc) and cell specific markers for outer nuclear layer, inner nuclear layer and ganglion cell layer. Data between DSP and SMI showed high concordance with one another, identifying many genes in each layer.

Citation Format: Charles Glaser, Su Ma, Wei Yang, Yan Liang, Joeseph Beechem, Vera L. Bonilha, Sujata Rao, William Horrigan, Bela Anand-Apte. Spatial transcriptomic profiling of the human and mouse retina prepared with CryoJane Tape Transfer System using GeoMx and CosMx spatial analysis. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 5646.

Bacterial antibiotic resistance among cancer inpatients in China: 2016-20

BACKGROUND

The incidence of infections among cancer patients is as high as 23.2-33.2% in China. However, the lack of information and data on the number of antibiotics used by cancer patients is an obstacle to implementing antibiotic management plans.

AIM

This study aimed to investigate bacterial infections and antibiotic resistance in Chinese cancer patients to provide a reference for the rational use of antibiotics.

DESIGN

This was a 5-year retrospective study on the antibiotic resistance of cancer patients.

METHODS

In this 5-year surveillance study, we collected bacterial and antibiotic resistance data from 20 provincial cancer diagnosis and treatment centers and three specialized cancer hospitals in China. We analyzed the resistance of common bacteria to antibiotics, compared to common clinical drug-resistant bacteria, evaluated the evolution of critical drug-resistant bacteria and conducted data analysis.

FINDINGS

Between 2016 and 2020, 216 219 bacterial strains were clinically isolated. The resistance trend of Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae to amikacin, ciprofloxacin, cefotaxime, piperacillin/tazobactam and imipenem was relatively stable and did not significantly increase over time. The resistance of Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains to all antibiotics tested, including imipenem and meropenem, decreased over time. In contrast, the resistance of Acinetobacter baumannii strains to carbapenems increased from 4.7% to 14.7%. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) significantly decreased from 65.2% in 2016 to 48.9% in 2020.

CONCLUSIONS

The bacterial prevalence and antibiotic resistance rates of E. coli, K. pneumoniae, P. aeruginosa, A. baumannii, S. aureus and MRSA were significantly lower than the national average.

Effects of testis testosterone deficiency on gene expression in the adrenal gland and skeletal muscle of ducks

1. Testosterone has an anabolic effect on skeletal muscle. The testes produce most of the testosterone in vivo, while the adrenal glands contribute smaller amounts. When testis testosterone is deficient the adrenal gland increases steroid hormone synthesis, which is referred to as compensatory testicular adaptation (CTA).2. To reveal the effects of testis testosterone deficiency on adrenal steroid hormones synthesis and skeletal muscle development, gene expression related to adrenal steroid hormones synthesis and skeletal muscle development were determined by RNA-seq.3. The results showed that castrating male ducks had significant effects on their body weight but no significant impact on cross-sectional area (CSA) or density of pectoral muscle fibres. In skeletal muscle protein metabolism, expression levels of the catabolic gene atrogin1/MAFbx and the anabolic gene eEF2 were significantly higher, with concomitant increases after castration. The adrenal glands' alteration of the steroid hormone 11β-hydroxylase (CYP11B1) was significantly lower following castration.4. Expression pattern analysis showed that the adrenal glands' glucocorticoid receptor (NR3C1/GR) had a potential regulatory relationship with the skeletal muscle-related genes (Pax7, mTOR, FBXO32, FOXO3, and FOXO4).5. The data showed that castration affected muscle protein metabolism, adrenal steroid and testosterone synthesis. In addition, it was speculated that, after castration, steroid hormones produced by the adrenal gland could have a compensatory effect, which might mediate the changes in skeletal muscle protein metabolism and development.

Analysis of ferroptosis-associated genes in Crohn's disease based on bioinformatics

Background

Ferroptosis, a novel mode of apoptosis has recently been shown to be associated with fibrosis, tumor, cardiovascular, and other diseases. In this study, using bioinformatic analysis, we identified ferroptosis genes associated with Crohn's disease (CD) and performed biological function analysis, identified potential drug targets, and provided new directions for the future treatment of CD.

Methods

Differential expression analysis was performed using the GSE186582 dataset from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Ferroptosis-associated genes were downloaded from the FerrDB database, and overlapping genes associated with CD and ferroptosis were extracted. Then, we performed functional enrichment analysis, constructed a protein-protein interaction network (PPI), identified the correlation between hub genes and immune infiltration, performed external validation using a second and third dataset (GSE102133, GSE95095), and identified potential therapeutic agents. Finally, we validated the protein expression levels of the identified hub genes by immunohistochemical staining in the colon tissues from CD and healthy participants.

Results

A total of 28 ferroptosis-associated genes associated with CD were identified in our analysis, which included 22 up-regulated and 6 down-regulated genes. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis showed that these genes are essential for the apical plasma membrane and amide transport, and Metascape analysis showed that these genes mainly act on IL-4 and IL-13 signaling pathways. Five hub genes, PTGS2, IL6, IL1B, NOS2, and IDO1, were identified by a protein interaction network, and external validation of these hub genes showed statistically significant differences in expression between the CD patients and normal participants (p < 0.05), and all AUC values were greater than 0.8. Further, we predicted the top 10 drugs used to treat CD. Immune infiltration results suggest that Hub gene is related to T cells, macrophages, dendritic cells, and other immune cells. Finally, the results of immunohistochemical experiments showed that the protein expression of the hub gene was higher in CD colon tissue than in normal subjects (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

Bioinformatics analysis showed that ferroptosis is closely related to the development of CD, and the prediction of potential drugs provides new targets for the treatment of CD. Moreover, five hub genes identified are potentially new and effective markers for the diagnosis of CD.

Clinical effect and safety analysis of long-round needle usage in treating cervical spondylotic radiotelegraphy and its effect on pain and functional recovery

BACKGROUND

Long-round needle usage can treat muscular pain, but there is little research on cervical spondylotic radiculopathy (CSR).

OBJECTIVE

To explore the efficacy and safety of long-round needle usage in treating CSR.

METHODS

Ninety-eight patients with CSR were randomly divided into control and observation groups. They were treated with filiform needles and long-round needles, respectively. The therapeutic effect, safety, inflammatory factors and neck dysfunction index (NDI), McGill pain questionnaire (MPQ) and Generic Quality of Life Inventory-74 (GQOL-74) scores were compared between the two groups.

RESULTS

After treatment, the effective rate and safety of the observation group were better than those of the control group. The NDI and MPQ scores in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group, and the GQOL-74 score was higher than that in the control group. The level of interleukin-8 in the observation group was significantly lower than that in the control group, and the level of interleukin-10 was significantly higher than that in the control group.

CONCLUSIONS

Long-round needle therapy has a good effect on patients with CSR, which can safely improve the quality of life of patients with mild local inflammatory damage.

A New Insight into the Capacity Decay Mechanism of Ni-Rich Layered Oxide Cathode for Lithium-Ion Batteries

Understanding the mapping relationship between electrochemical characteristics and physicochemical properties of layered LiNi_0.80 Co_0.15 Al_0.05 O₂ (NCA) cathodes is important to develop high energy density lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Combining in situ and ex situ characterization, the effect of the H2-H3 phase transition on the capacity decay and aging mechanism of NCA materials are systematically investigated. With the increase of cut-off voltage, the cathode electrolyte interphase (CEI) on the NCA interface shows an evolutionary path of formation-thickening-rupture. This phenomenon is closely related to the H2-H3 phase transition. The volumetric stresses and strains caused by the H2-H3 phase transition accelerate the formation and expansion of secondary particle microcracks in the electrode material, leading to the growth of interfacial CEI variations. The capacity of the electrode material can decrease even if the material does not experience the H2-H3 phase transition due to the persistence of interfacial side reactions with calendar aging from long cycles. This work opens up a valuable perspective for the study of the mapping relationship between phase transition and electrochemical properties in Ni-rich layered oxide cathodes and provides guidance for developing high capacity and long cycle life LIBs.

Trace-level detection of sulfonamide antibiotics using quaternary ammonium polymeric ionic liquid-based effervescence-enhanced dispersive solid-phase extraction followed by LC-DAD analysis in environmental waters

Conventional ionic liquids possess several disadvantages, such as high viscosity, difficult sampling/retrieval, and great loss in aqueous solution, limiting their wide applications in the pretreatment field. To solve these drawbacks, we synthesized a quaternary ammonium polymeric ionic liquid (PIL) and pressed it into an effervescent tablet for developing an effervescence-enhanced dispersive solid-phase extraction method (QAP-EDSE). The pressed effervescent tablet was composed of PIL as an extractant, tartaric acid as an acidic source, NaHCO₃ as an alkaline source, and water-soluble starch as a filler, respectively. Under the CO₂-driven dispersion, the QAP-EDSE method integrated rapid enrichment, extraction, and dispersion into one synchronous step. Employing the one-factor-at-a-time approach, several important variables were optimized as follows: 200 mg of P[VBTHEA]Cl as sorbent, 400 μL of acetone as elution solvent, 5 min of elution, solution pH 9.0, and 1 : 1.25 molar ratio of alkaline to acidic sources. Combining LC-DAD analysis, this proposed approach offered the limits of detection as low as 0.11–0.31 μg L⁻¹ and satisfactory recoveries of 81.40–102.62% for five sulfonamides (SAs) in environmental waters. The lower relative standard deviations (1.9–6.7%) evidenced the higher intraday and interday experimental precision by this method. Overall, the newly developed method is environmentally benign, time-saving, and easy to operate with low detection limit and high recovery and thus shows excellent prospects in the trace-level detection of SAs in environmental waters.

An effervescent tablet-assisted dispersive solid-phase extraction based on the utilization of quaternary ammonium poly ionic liquids (PIL) was proposed for the concentration/extraction of sulfonamides (SAs) in river and lake water samples.

Effects of betaine supplementation on reproductive performance of breeding geese

1. An experiment feeding three concentrations of betaine was conducted using breeding geese to analyse the reproductive performance, serum biochemical indexes, egg quality and intestinal immunity.2. A total of 450 female and 90 male Jiangnan White breeding geese were divided into three treatments, with five pen replicates each containing 30 female geese and 6 male geese.3. The results showed that there was no significant effect on the reproductive performance, serum biochemical indexes or jejunal villi goblet cells of geese with different levels of betaine in the diet (P>0.05). Compared with the control group, the addition of 2.5 g/kg betaine to the diet showed a tendency to increase egg mass (P>0.05) the betaine content in the yolk (P<0.05). Feeding betaine significantly increased the height of jejunal villi and egg yolk total cholesterol content in female geese (P<0.05).4. In conclusion, adding betaine to the goose diet was effective in its ability to improve intestinal structures and increase egg production. Adding 2.5 g/kg betaine to feed significantly increased the content of TCHOL and betaine in goose eggs.

Effects of dietary supplementation of gestating sows with adenosine 5 '-monophosphate or adenosine on placental angiogenesis and vitality of their offspring

Our previous study found that dietary nucleotide supplementation, including adenosine 5 '-monophosphate (AMP), could increase AMP content in sow milk and promote piglet growth, but its effects on placental efficiency and piglet vitality remains unknown. This experiment aimed to investigate the effects of dietary AMP or its metabolite adenosine (ADO) supplementation on sow reproductive performance and placental angiogenesis. A total of 135 sows with a similar farrowing time were blocked by backfat and body weight (BW) at day 65 of gestation, and assigned to 1 of 3 dietary treatment groups (n = 45 per treatment): basal diet, basal diet supplemented with 0.1% AMP, or 0.1% ADO, respectively. Placental analysis and the characteristics of sows and piglets unveiled that compared with control (CON) group, AMP or ADO supplementation could improve sow placental efficiency (P<0.05) and newborn piglet vitality (P<0.05), increase piglet birth weight (P<0.05), and reduce stillbirth rate (P<0.05). More importantly, AMP or ADO supplementation could increase the contents of AMP, ADO, and their metabolites in placentae (P<0.05). Meanwhile, AMP or ADO supplementation could also increase placental vascular density (P<0.05) and the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor A (P<0.05), as well as promote the migration and tube formation of porcine iliac artery endothelial cells (P<0.05). Overall, maternal dietary AMP or ADO supplementation could increase their contents in the placenta, thereby improving placental angiogenesis and neonatal piglet vitality.

[Comparison of criteria for metabolically healthy overweight/obesity in Shanghai Changfeng study]

Objective: To establish a more suitable and practicable criterion of metabolically healthy overweight/obesity (MHO/O) in Chinese, a comparison study on different criteria of MHO/O was conducted in subjects aged over 45-year-old in Shanghai Changfeng Community. Method: A total of 3 301 overweight/obese subjects over 45 years old (men 1 521, women 1 789) in Shanghai Changfeng Community was included in the study. According to the inclusion or exclusion of waist circumference (WC), homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) ≥2.5, and numbers of abnormal metabolic components, the MHO/O criteria were divided into 7 types: Adult Treatment Panel Ⅲ (ATP-Ⅲ) (with WC)<1 component, ATP-Ⅲ (with WC)<2 components, ATP-Ⅲ (with WC)<3 components, ATP-Ⅲ (without WC)<1 component, ATP-Ⅲ (without WC)<2 components, adjusted metabolic associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) criteria<1 component, and adjusted MAFLD criteria<2 components. The prevalence of MHO/O and its relationship with the changes of body mass index (BMI), and the differences of the characteristics of MHO/O among the 7 types of metabolic health standards were compared. Result: The prevalence of MHO/O according to the ATP-Ⅲ (with WC)<1, ATP-Ⅲ (with WC)<2, ATP-Ⅲ (with WC)<3, ATP-Ⅲ (without WC)<1, ATP-Ⅲ (without WC)<2, adjusted MAFLD criteria<1, and adjusted MAFLD criteria<2 was 2.85%, 15.48%, 39.87%, 8.00%, 33.66%, 2.33%, 12.24%, respectively. The prevalence of MHO/O decreased as BMI increased. When BMI ≥ 28 kg/m², the prevalence of MHO/O by ATP-Ⅲ (with WC)<1 and adjusted MAFLD criteria<1 dropped to 0. Conclusion: The adjusted MAFLD criterion without abnormal metabolic components is the most practicable definition of MHO/O.

Enhancing the Antibiofilm Activity of β-1,3-Glucanase-Functionalized Nanoparticles Loaded With Amphotericin B Against Candida albicans Biofilm

Candida biofilm-related infections cause increased morbidity and mortality in patients with a reduced immune response. Traditional antifungal therapies have proven to be insufficient as the biofilm matrix acts as a perfusion barrier. Thus, novel methods are required to improve drug delivery and kill Candida within the biofilm. In this study, chitosan nanoparticles (CSNPs) loaded with Amphotericin B (AMB), which were functionalized with β-1,3-glucanase (Gls), were fabricated (CSNPs-AMB-Gls), and their antibiofilm activity against Candida albicans biofilm was evaluated in vitro. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) were employed to examine biofilm architecture and cell viability. CSNPs-AMB-Gls inhibited planktonic cell growth and biofilm formation effectively and exhibited the highest efficacy on the removal of a mature biofilm than free AMB or CSNPs-AMB. The created nanoparticles (NPs) were found to penetrate the biofilm so as to directly interfere with the cells inside and disassemble the biofilm matrix. CSNPs-AMB-Gls could also eradicate biofilms from clinical isolates. These results suggest the potential applicability of CSNPs-AMB-Gls for the treatment of Candida biofilm-related infections.

The association between preoperative Mini-Cog© score and postoperative delirium (POD): a retrospective cohort study

Background

The onset of delirium after major surgery is associated with worse in-hospital outcomes for major surgical patients. Best practice recommends assessing surgical patients for delirium risk factors and this includes screening for cognitive impairment. The Mini-Cog© is a short instrument which has been shown to predict postoperative delirium (POD) and other complications in elderly patients undergoing major elective surgery. The primary aim of this study was to ascertain whether a positive preoperative Mini-Cog© is associated with postoperative delirium in elective colorectal surgery patients at high-risk of mortality due to age or comorbidity. Secondary outcomes were 90-day mortality and length of stay.

Methods

This is a retrospective analysis of data gathered prospectively between October 2015 and December 2017. Baseline data were collected at a preoperative screening clinic, and postoperative data during daily ward rounds by the Perioperative Medicine team at The York Hospital.

Results

Three hundred nineteen patients were included in the final analysis, of which 52 (16%) were found to be cognitively impaired on the Mini-Cog©. Older patients (median difference 10 years, p < 0.001) and patients with cognitive impairment (OR 3.04, 95%CI 1.15 to 8.03, p = 0.019) were more likely to develop postoperative delirium in univariate analysis; however, cognitive impairment (OR 0.492, 95%CI 0.177 to 1.368, p = 0.174) loses its significance when controlled for by confounding factors in a logistic regression model. Cognitive impairment (OR 4.65, 95%CI 1.36 to 15.9, p = 0.02), frailty (OR 7.28, 95%CI 1.92 to 27.58, p = 0.009), American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) grade (OR 5.95, 95%CI 1.54 to 22.94, p = 0.006) and age (median difference 10 years, p = 0.002) were significantly associated with 90-day mortality in univariate analysis. Sex was the only factor significantly associated with length of stay in the multiple regression model, with males having a 3-day longer average length of stay than females (OR = 2.94, 95%CI 0.10–5.78).

Conclusions

Mini-Cog© is not independently associated with post-operative delirium in high-risk elective colorectal surgery patients in this cohort. Mini-Cog© shows promise as a possible predictor of 90-day mortality. Larger studies exploring preoperative cognitive status and postoperative confusion and mortality could improve risk-stratification for surgery and allocation of resources to those patients at higher risk.

Establishment of fetomaternal tolerance through glycan-mediated B cell suppression

Discrimination of self from non-self is fundamental to a wide range of immunological processes1. During pregnancy, the mother does not recognize the placenta as immunologically foreign because antigens expressed by trophoblasts, the placental cells that interface with the maternal immune system, do not activate maternal T cells2. Currently, these activation defects are thought to reflect suppression by regulatory T cells3. By contrast, mechanisms of B cell tolerance to trophoblast antigens have not been identified. Here we provide evidence that glycan-mediated B cell suppression has a key role in establishing fetomaternal tolerance in mice. B cells specific for a model trophoblast antigen are strongly suppressed through CD22-LYN inhibitory signalling, which in turn implicates the sialylated glycans of the antigen as key suppressive determinants. Moreover, B cells mediate the MHC-class-II-restricted presentation of antigens to CD4+ T cells, which leads to T cell suppression, and trophoblast-derived sialoglycoproteins are released into the maternal circulation during pregnancy in mice and humans. How protein glycosylation promotes non-immunogenic placental self-recognition may have relevance to immune-mediated pregnancy complications and to tumour immune evasion. We also anticipate that our findings will bolster efforts to harness glycan biology to control antigen-specific immune responses in autoimmune disease.

Unusual Properties of Hydrogen-Bonded Ferroelectrics: The Case of Cobalt Formate

Hybrid organic-inorganic perovskites is a class of materials with diverse chemically tunable properties and outstanding potential for multifunctionality. We use first-principles simulations to predict room temperature ferroelectricity in a representative of the formate family, [NH_{2}NH_{3}][Co(HCOO)_{3}]. The ferroelectricity arises as a "by-product" of structural transition driven by the stabilization of the hydrogen bond. As a consequence the coupling with the electric field is relatively weak giving origin to large intrinsic coercive fields and making material immune to the depolarizing fields known for its detrimental role in nanoscale ferroelectrics. Insensitivity to the electric field and the intrinsic dynamics of the order-disorder transition in such material leads to the supercoercivity defined as significant increase in the coercive field with frequency. Room temperature polarization measurements provide further support for the predictions.

Trapping Alkaline Earth Rydberg Atoms Optical Tweezer Arrays

Neutral atom qubits with Rydberg-mediated interactions are a leading platform for developing large-scale coherent quantum systems. In the majority of experiments to date, the Rydberg states are not trapped by the same potential that confines ground state atoms, resulting in atom loss and constraints on the achievable interaction time. In this Letter, we demonstrate that the Rydberg states of an alkaline earth atom, ytterbium, can be stably trapped by the same red-detuned optical tweezer that also confines the ground state, by leveraging the polarizability of the Yb^{+} ion core. Using the previously unobserved ^{3}S_{1} series, we demonstrate trapped Rydberg atom lifetimes exceeding 100  μs, and observe no evidence of auto- or photoionization from the trap light for these states. We measure a coherence time of T_{2}=59  μs between two Rydberg levels, exceeding the 28  μs lifetime of untrapped Rydberg atoms under the same conditions. These results are promising for extending the interaction time of Rydberg atom arrays for quantum simulation and computing, and are vital to capitalize on the extended Rydberg lifetimes in circular states or cryogenic environments.

A cytochrome b-glucose dehydrogenase chimeric enzyme capable of direct electron transfer

The development of third generation biosensors depends on the availability of direct electron transfer (DET) capable enzymes. A successful strategy is to fuse a cytochrome domain to an enzyme to fulfil the function of a built-in redox mediator between the catalytic center and the electrode. In this study, we fused the cytochrome domain of Neurospora crassa CDH IIA (NcCYT) N-terminally to glucose dehydrogenase from Glomerella cingulata (GcGDH) to generate the chimeric enzyme NcCYT-GcGDH in a large amount for further studies. Heterologous expression in P. pastoris and chromatographic purification resulted in 1.8 g of homogeneous chimeric enzyme. Biochemical and electrochemical characterization confirmed that the chimeric enzyme is catalytically active, able to perform interdomain electron transfer (IET) and direct electron transfer (DET) via the fused cytochrome domain. The midpoint redox potential of the fused b-type cytochrome is 91 mV vs. SHE at pH 6.5 and the specific current obtained on a porous graphite electrode is 2.3 μA cm^-2. The high current obtained on this simple, unmodified electrode at a rather low redox potential is a promising starting point for further optimization. The high yield of NcCYT-GcGDH and its high specific activity supports the application of the chimeric enzyme in bioelectrocatalytic applications.

Eating in Synch: An investigation of parent-infant behaviour coordination during feeding interactions

During feeding, parents have been described to move their mouth as if they were eating themselves. Such matching of behaviours between parents and their infants during face-to-face interactions represents an example of behavioural synchrony. To date, however, the function of these synchronous eating-like mouth movements by the caregiver remains unexplored. To address this question, two competing hypotheses were tested: 1) the instructional hypothesis proposing that parents make eating-like mouth movements, such as opening and closing their mouth, to demonstrate to their infants what they need to do; 2) the mimicry hypothesis suggesting that parents imitate their infant's mouth actions to enhance affiliation. To test these hypotheses, we examined the temporal dependencies between parents' and infants' mouth movements. We reasoned that parents' mouth movements would occur before their infants' if they serve an instructional purpose, but that they would happen after, if parents mimic their infants. Additionally, we expected that parents' matching mouth movements would be more likely when their infants looked at them in both cases. To examine these hypotheses, fifteen caregivers were observed as they were feeding their six-month-old infants. Time-window sequential analysis was conducted to quantify how likely parents were to display mouth opening and closing before or after their infants did. The results revealed that parents' mouth movements were more likely to follow infants' movements and are thus in line with the mimicry hypothesis. Interestingly, these mouth movements of parents were independent of infant's gaze.

Bevacizumab versus placebo in combination with paclitaxel and carboplatin as first-line treatment for recurrent or metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma: a multicentre, randomised, open-label, phase II trial

BACKGROUND

The value of anti-angiogenesis antibody therapy in recurrent or metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma (R/M NPC) remains unknown. We carried out a phase II study to evaluate the addition of bevacizumab to paclitaxel plus carboplatin in R/M NPC.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 80 patients with previously untreated R/M NPC were randomly assigned (1 : 1) to CPB or CP groups to receive carboplatin (area under the curve 6) and paclitaxel (175 mg/m²) intravenously every 3 weeks for a maximum of six cycles in combination with or without bevacizumab (7.5 mg/kg), respectively. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS) as per investigators, and the secondary endpoints were PFS as per independent review committee (IRC), overall survival (OS), objective response rate (ORR), and safety. This study was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02250599).

RESULTS

The median PFS as per investigators was 7.5 months [95% confidence interval (CI), 6.53-8.45 months] in the CPB group and 6.5 months (95% CI, 5.53-7.52 months) in the CP group (P = 0.148), which were similar to IRC-assessed PFS. The median OS was also alike between CPB and CP arms (21.0 versus 24.7 months; P = 0.326). ORRs were 87.2% and 72.5%, respectively (P = 0.105). However, the tumor-shrinking rate was higher in the CPB arm than in the CP arm (P = 0.035). No differences in grade 3 or higher adverse events between the groups were observed.

CONCLUSIONS

Addition of bevacizumab to paclitaxel plus carboplatin as first-line treatment did not prolong PFS and OS in patients with R/M NPC but improved tumor-shrinking rate. These results indicated that bevacizumab plus chemotherapy might be an optional choice for NPC with heavy tumor load or those pursuing short-term efficacy in neoadjuvant and concurrent chemotherapy.

Transcriptome analysis of oviduct in laying ducks under different stocking densities

1. High stocking densities can lead to animal stress responses and lead to changes in bird behaviour, egg production and the fertility of laying birds. The oviduct plays a crucial role during the process of laying eggs. Therefore, it is essential to know how high stocking density affects oviduct function.2. In this study, a total of 2,115 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in duck oviduct tissues between different stocking density groups. These genes are mainly enriched in membrane components, calcium ion binding, cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction and focal adhesion. These pathways were closely related to the formation of eggs. This indicated that secretion and material transport functions of the oviduct are affected under high-density stocking. Further analysis showed that a total of 408 genes related to the transportation process were expressed in the oviduct, of which 96 genes were differentially expressed (LogFC≥1, P < 0.05). Forty-two of these DEGs belonged to the solute carrier family. The data showed that the expression of 31 transcripts was different between the two density groups. Expression of KCNJ15, SLC26A8, and TRPM5 was only seen in the high-density group (8/m²), while ATP13A3 and KCNIP2 were only expressed in the low-density group (4/m²).3. Consequently, high stocking density may affect the expression and splicing of genes related to molecular transport in the oviduct.

Results of TRIO-14, a phase II, multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of carboplatin-paclitaxel versus carboplatin-paclitaxel-ganitumab in newly diagnosed epithelial ovarian cancer

PURPOSE

Insulin-like growth factor (IGF) signaling is implicated in pathogenesis and chemotherapy resistance of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). We explored efficacy and safety of adding ganitumab, a monoclonal antibody targeting IGF-1R, to carboplatin/paclitaxel (CP) chemotherapy in patients with primary EOC.

DESIGN

Patients were randomly assigned to receive CP/ganitumab (18 mg/kg q3w) or CP/placebo for 6 cycles followed by 6 cycles of single agent ganitumab/placebo maintenance therapy as front-line therapy. Primary endpoint was progression free survival. Secondary endpoints were time to progression and overall survival. Pretreatment samples were prospectively collected for retrospective biomarker analyses.

RESULTS

170 patients enrolled. 165 patients assessable for toxicity. Median PFS was 15.7 months with CP/ganitumab and 16.7 months with CP/placebo (HR 1.23; 95% CI 0.82-1.83, P = 0.313). All grade neutropenia (84.1% vs 71.4%), thrombocytopenia (75.3% vs 57.1%) and hyperglycemia (15.9% vs 2.6%) were more common in the ganitumab group compared to the placebo group. Ganitumab/placebo related serious adverse events were reported in 26.1% of the patients with ganitumab and in 6.5% with placebo. Non-progression related fatal events were more common with ganitumab (5 versus 2 patients). The ganitumab group experienced more dose delays which resulted in lower relative dose intensity of chemotherapy in the experimental group. In an exploratory model IGFBP2 expression was predictive of ganitumab response (treatment interaction; PFS, P = 0.03; OS, P = 0.01).

CONCLUSION

Addition of ganitumab to CP chemotherapy in primary EOC did not improve PFS. Our results do not support further study of ganitumab in unselected EOC patients.