Efficacy and safety of intrathecal pemetrexed for TKI-failed leptomeningeal metastases from EGFR+ NSCLC: an expanded, single-arm, phase II clinical trial

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of intrathecal pemetrexed (IP) for treating patients with leptomeningeal metastases (LM) from non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who progressed from epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) treatment in an expanded, prospective, single-arm, phase II clinical study (ChiCTR1800016615).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Patients with confirmed NSCLC-LM who progressed from TKI received IP (50 mg, day 1/day 5 for 1 week, then every 3 weeks for four cycles, and then once monthly) until disease progression or intolerance. Objectives were to assess overall survival (OS), response rate, and safety. Measurable lesions were assessed by investigator according to RECIST version 1.1. LM were assessed according to the Response Assessment in Neuro-Oncology (RANO) criteria.

RESULTS

The study included 132 patients; 68% were female and median age was 52 years (31-74 years). The median OS was 12 months (95% confidence interval 10.4-13.6 months), RANO-assessed response rate was 80.3% (106/132), and the most common adverse event was myelosuppression (n = 42; 31.8%), which reversed after symptomatic treatment. The results of subgroup analysis showed that absence of brain parenchymal metastasis, good Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group score, good response to IP treatment, negative cytology after treatment, and patients without neck/back pain/difficult defecation had longer survival. Gender, age, previous intrathecal methotrexate/cytarabine, and whole-brain radiotherapy had no significant influence on OS.

CONCLUSIONS

This study further showed that IP is an effective and safe treatment method for the EGFR-TKI-failed NSCLC-LM, and should be recommended for these patients in clinical practice and guidelines.

Survival impact of post-operative immunotherapy in resected stage III cutaneous melanomas in the checkpoint era

BACKGROUND

Checkpoint inhibitors have shown improvement in recurrence-free survival in the post-operative setting for node-positive melanoma and were first approved in late 2015. However, single-agent checkpoint therapies have yet to show benefit to overall survival (OS) for lower-risk stage III cancers. We evaluated the OS benefit of post-operative immunotherapy in the National Cancer Database (NCDB).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Patient cases were selected from the NCDB 2020 Participant Use File. Patients diagnosed with stage III cutaneous melanoma between 2016 and 2019 who underwent definitive resection for their melanoma were included. OS between those who received post-operative immunotherapy within 84 days of surgery and those who did not was analyzed by the Kaplan-Meier method. Demographic and clinical characteristics between the two groups were compared via Cox proportional hazard models.

RESULTS

14 978 patients with stage III melanoma were included. Of those, 34.9% (n = 5234) received post-operative immunotherapy and 65.1% (n = 9744) did not. Using the American Joint Committee on Cancer version 8 (AJCCv8) staging, 36-month survival was significantly higher in patients who received post-operative immunotherapy compared to no post-operative systemic therapy in those diagnosed with stage IIIB (88.0% versus 84.7%, P = 0.011), IIIC (75.6% versus 68.1%, P < 0.001), or IIID (59.2% versus 48.4%, P = 0.002). No significant improvement in 36-month survival was seen in patients who received post-operative immunotherapy in patients with stage IIIA disease (93.0% versus 92.2%, P = 0.218).

CONCLUSIONS

Post-operative immunotherapy had an OS benefit in patients with AJCCv8 stage IIIB, IIIC, and IIID disease, but had no significant survival benefit for patients with stage IIIA melanomas.

Residue Effect-Guided Design: Engineering of S. Solfataricus β-Glycosidase to Enhance Its Thermostability and Bioproduction of Ginsenoside Compound K

β-Glycosidase from Sulfolobus solfataricus (SS-BGL) is a highly effective biocatalyst for the synthesis of compound K (CK) from glycosylated protopanaxadiol ginsenosides. In order to improve the thermal stability of SS-BGL, molecular dynamics simulations were used to determine the residue-level binding energetics of ginsenoside Rd in the SS-BGL-Rd docked complex and to identify the top ten critical contributors. Target sites for mutations were determined using dynamic cross-correlation mapping of residues via the Ohm server to identify networks of distal residues that interact with the key binding residues. Target mutations were determined rationally based on site characteristics. Single mutants and then recombination of top hits led to the two most promising variants SS-BGL-Q96E/N97D/N302D and SS-BGL-Q96E/N97D/N128D/N302D with 2.5-fold and 3.3-fold increased half-lives at 95 °C, respectively. The enzyme activities relative to those of wild-type for ginsenoside conversion were 161 and 116%, respectively..

Engineered β-glycosidase from Hyperthermophilic Sulfolobus solfataricus with Improved Rd-hydrolyzing Activity for Ginsenoside Compound K Production

Hyperthermophilic Sulfolobus solfataricus β-glycosidase (SS-βGly), with higher stability and activity than mesophilic enzymes, has potential for industrial ginsenosides biotransformation. However, its relatively low ginsenoside Rd-hydrolyzing activity limits the production of pharmaceutically active minor ginsenoside compound K (CK). In this study, first, we used molecular docking to predict the key enzyme residues that may hypothetically interact with ginsenoside Rd. Then, based on sequence alignment and alanine scanning mutagenesis approach, key variant sites were identified that might improve the enzyme catalytic efficiency. The enzyme catalytic efficiency (kcat/Km) and substrate affinity (Km) of the N264D variant enzyme for ginsenoside Rd increased by 60% and decreased by 17.9% compared with WT enzyme, respectively, which may be due to a decrease in the binding free energy (∆G) between the variant enzyme and substrate Rd. In addition, Markov state models (MSM) analysis during the whole 1000-ns MD simulations indicated that altering N264 to D made the variant enzyme achieve a more stable SS-βGly conformational state than the wild-type (WT) enzyme and corresponding Rd complex. Under identical conditions, the relative activities and the CK conversion rates of the N264D enzyme were 1.7 and 1.9 folds higher than those of the WT enzyme. This study identified an excellent hyperthermophilic β-glycosidase candidate for industrial biotransformation of ginsenosides.

The Clinical Practice and Dosimetric Outcome of the Manual Adaptive Planning during Definitive Radiotherapy Treatment for Cervical Cancer

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

Organ motion is challenging during primary definitive external beam radiotherapy in locally advanced cervical cancer (LACC). Our study evaluated the manual adaptive planning approach three weeks after the treatment started, compared the dosimetric consequences of the manual adaptive plans to the scheduled plans, and explored the clinical factors predicting patients suitable for this replanning strategy.

MATERIALS/METHODS

We analyzed 82 patients receiving primary definitive external beam radiotherapy with weekly online cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT)-based monitoring. The re-CT simulation was performed during treatment to develop a new plan (manual adaptive plan) due to a significant deviation of the clinical target volume (CTV). To evaluate the dosimetric benefit, D98, homogeneity index (HI) and conformity index (CI) for the planning target volume (PTV), as well as D2cc of the bowel, bladder, sigmoid and rectum were compared between the manual adaptive plans and the scheduled ones. The clinical factors influencing target motion throughout treatment were analyzed by chi-square test and logistic regression analysis.

RESULTS

The re-CT simulation was performed after 15 fractions during treatment to develop the manual adaptive plan in 41 patients. The median CI and HI of the manual adaptive plan were significantly superior to the scheduled one (P = 0.001, 0.003, respectively), demonstrating a better dose coverage of the target volume. Compared to the scheduled plans, D98 of the manual adaptive plans increased by 3.3% (P = 0.0002), the average of D2cc to the rectum, bladder decreased 0.267Gy (P = 0.0049) and 0.321Gy (P = 0.0146), respectively. In addition, the chi-square test demonstrated that age (P = 0.024), primary tumor volume (P = 0.015), and parametrial infiltration (P = 0.022) were the clinical factors influencing target motion throughout treatment. Multivariate analysis further identified the large tumor volume (≥50cm3, OR = 3.254, P = 0.039) and parametrial infiltration (OR = 3.376, P = 0.018) as the independent risk factors.

CONCLUSION

We found the most significant organ motion happened after 15 fractions during treatment. The manual adaptive planning of definitive radiotherapy improved the dose coverage and decreased the volume of organs at risk of receiving clinically significant doses of RT in patients with LACC. Patients with bulky mass or with parametrial infiltration were highly suggested to receive manual adaptive planning after 15 fractions during definitive radiotherapy, a timesaving strategy compared to the daily online adaptive radiotherapy without compromising the target dose coverage.

[Network meta-analysis comparing the clinical outcomes and safety of robotic, laparoscopic, and transanal total rectal mesenteric resection for rectal cancer]

Objective: To methodically assess the clinical effectiveness and safety of robot-assisted total rectal mesenteric resection (RTME), laparoscopic-assisted total rectal mesenteric resection (laTME), and transanal total rectal mesenteric resection (taTME). Methods: A computer search was conducted on PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Ovid databases to identify English-language reports published between January 2017 and January 2022 that compared the clinical efficacy of the three surgical procedures of RTME, laTME, and taTME. The quality of the studies was evaluated using the NOS and JADAD scales for retrospective cohort studies and randomized controlled trials, respectively. Direct meta-analysis and reticulated meta-analysis were performed using Review Manager software and R software, respectively. Results: Twenty-nine publications comprising 8,339 patients with rectal cancer were ultimately included. The direct meta-analysis indicated that the length of hospital stay was longer after RTME than after taTME, whereas according to the reticulated meta-analysis the length of hospital stay was shorter after taTME than after laTME (MD=-0.86, 95%CI: -1.70 to -0.096, P=0.036). Moreover, the incidence of anastomotic leak was lower after taTME than after RTME (OR=0.60, 95%CI: 0.39 to 0.91, P=0.018). The incidence of intestinal obstruction was also lower after taTME than after RTME (OR=0.55, 95%CI: 0.31 to 0.94, P=0.037). All of these differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). There were no statistically significant differences between the three surgical procedures regarding the number of lymph nodes cleared, length of the inferior rectal margin, or rate of positive circumferential margins (all P>0.05). An inconsistency test using nodal analysis revealed no statistically significant differences between the results of direct and indirect comparisons of the six outcome indicators (all P>0.05). Furthermore, we detected no significant overall inconsistency between direct and indirect evidence. Conclusion: taTME has advantages over RTME and laTME, in terms of radical and surgical short-term outcomes in patients with rectal cancer.

[Electroencephalographic microstates in vestibular schwannoma patients with tinnitus]

OBJECTIVE

To explore the biomarkers of tinnitus in vestibular schwannoma patients using electroencephalographic (EEG) microstate technology.

METHODS

The EEG and clinical data of 41 patients with vestibular schwannoma were collected. All the patients were evaluated by SAS, SDS, THI and VAS scales. The EEG acquisition time was 10-15 min, and the EEG data were preprocessed and analyzed using MATLAB and EEGLAB software package.

RESULTS

Of the 41 patients with vestibular schwannoma, 29 patients had tinnitus and 12 did not have tinnitus, and their clinical parameters were comparable. The average global explanation variances of the non-tinnitus and tinnitus groups were 78.8% and 80.1%, respectively. The results of EEG microstate analysis showed that compared with those without tinnitus, the patients with tinnitus had an increased frequency (P=0.033) and contribution (P=0.028) of microstate C. Correlation analysis showed that THI scale scores of the patients were negatively correlated with the duration of microstate A (R=-0.435, P=0.018) and positively with the frequencies of microstate B (R=0.456, P=0.013) and microstate C (R=0.412, P=0.026). Syntax analysis showed that the probability of transition from microstate C to microstate B increased significantly in vestibular schwannoma patients with tinnitus (P=0.031).

CONCLUSION

EEG microstate features differ significantly between vestibular schwannoma patients with and without tinnitus. This abnormality in patients with tinnitus may reflect the potential abnormality in the allocation of neural resources and the transition of brain functional activity.

Automated Detection of Endometrial Polyps from Hysteroscopic Videos Using Deep Learning

Endometrial polyps are common gynecological lesions. The standard treatment for this condition is hysteroscopic polypectomy. However, this procedure may be accompanied by misdetection of endometrial polyps. To improve the diagnostic accuracy and reduce the risk of misdetection, a deep learning model based on YOLOX is proposed to detect endometrial polyps in real time. Group normalization is employed to improve its performance with large hysteroscopic images. In addition, we propose a video adjacent-frame association algorithm to address the problem of unstable polyp detection. Our proposed model was trained on a dataset of 11,839 images from 323 cases provided by a hospital and was tested on two datasets of 431 cases from two hospitals. The results show that the lesion-based sensitivity of the model reached 100% and 92.0% for the two test sets, compared with 95.83% and 77.33%, respectively, for the original YOLOX model. This demonstrates that the improved model may be used effectively as a diagnostic tool during clinical hysteroscopic procedures to reduce the risk of missing endometrial polyps.

Synergistic effects of electroacupuncture and bone marrow stromal cells transplantation therapy in ischemic stroke

OBJECTIVE

Animal studies and clinical trials demonstrated the effectiveness of a combination of transplanted bone marrow stromal cells (BMSC) and electroacupuncture (EA) treatment in improving neurological deficits. However, the ability of the BMSC-EA treatment to enhance brain repair processes or the neuronal plasticity of BMSC in ischemic stroke model is unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the neuroprotective effects and neuronal plasticity of BMSC transplantation combined with EA in ischemic stroke.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rat middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model was used. Intracerebral transplantation of BMSC, transfected with lentiviral vectors expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP), was performed using a stereotactic apparatus after modeling. MCAO rats were treated with BMSC injection alone or in combination with EA. After the treatment, proliferation and migration of BMSC were observed in different groups by fluorescence microscopy. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), Western blotting, and immunohistochemistry were performed to examine changes in the levels of neuron-specific enolase (NSE) and nestin in the injured striatum.

RESULTS

Epifluorescence microscopy revealed that most BMSC in the cerebrum were lysed; few transplanted BMSC survived, and some living cells migrated to areas around the lesion site. NSE was overexpressed in the striatum of MCAO rats, illustrating the neurological deficits caused by cerebral ischemia-reperfusion. The combination of BMSC transplantation and EA attenuated the expression of NSE, indicating nerve injury repair. Although the qRT-PCR results showed that BMSC-EA treatment elevated nestin RNA expression, less robust responses were observed in other tests.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results show that the combination treatment significantly improved restoration of neurological deficits in the animal stroke model. However, further studies are required to see if EA could promote the rapid differentiation of BMSC into neural stem cells in the short term.

Association between hepatitis C infection during pregnancy with maternal and neonatal outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

Studies of possible implications of the maternal hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in terms of intrauterine fetal growth restriction (IUGR), preterm birth (PTB), low birth weight (LBW) infants, premature rupture of membranes (PROM), maternal and neonatal mortality are limited and inconclusive. Our study aims to assess the impact of HCV on maternal and neonatal outcomes.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Systematic literature search was done in PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar, Cochrane Library, and TRIP databases for all observational studies published from 1st January 1950 to 15th October 2022. The pooled odds ratio (OR) or risk ratio (RR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI) was estimated. STATA version 12.0 software was used for analysis. Heterogeneity among the included articles was evaluated by sensitivity, meta-regression, and publication bias analyses.

RESULTS

A total of 14 studies involving 12,451 HCV (+) and 56,42,910 HCV (-) pregnant women were included in our meta-analysis. Maternal HCV during pregnancy was significantly associated with the increased risk of PTB (OR=1.66, 95% CI: 1.59-1.74), IUGR (OR=2.09, 95% CI: 2.04-2.14) and LBW (OR=1.96, 95% CI: 1.63-2.36) as compared to healthy pregnant women. Subgroup analysis based on ethnicity also suggested a strong association between maternal HCV infection and a higher risk of PTB in Asian and Caucasian populations. Maternal (RR=3.44, 95% CI: 1.85-6.41), as well as neonatal (RR=1.54, 95% CI: 1.18-2.02) mortality was significantly higher in HCV (+) cases.

CONCLUSIONS

Mothers with HCV infection had a markedly increased probability of PTB and/or IUGR and/or LBW. In clinical practice, standard care of treatment and proper monitoring are needed for the pregnant population with HCV infection. Our findings may provide useful information for selecting appropriate therapy methods for HCV-positive pregnant women.

Correlation between capsule endoscopy classification and CT lymphangiography of primary intestinal lymphangiectasia

AIM

To investigate the correlation between capsule endoscopy (CE) classification of primary intestinal lymphangiectasia (PIL) and computed tomography (CT) lymphangiography (CTL).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 52 patients with diagnosed PIL were enrolled. All patients were examined using CTL and small intestinal CE before surgery. CE assessments included the morphology, scope, colour, and size of lesions. CTL assessments included intestinal wall, lymphatic vessel dilatation, lymph fluid reflux, and lymphatic fistula. Patients were divided into three groups according to type diagnosed by CE, and the CTL characteristics were analysed among the groups.

RESULTS

CE showed 15 patients with type I, 27 with II, and 10 with type III. Intestinal wall thickening was observed in 15 type I, 21 type II, and seven type III. Pericardial effusion was observed in only three type I patients; the difference among types was statistically significant (p=0.02). Abnormal contrast agent distribution in the intestinal wall and mesentery was observed in 15 type II patients, and the difference was significantly greater than that of types I and III (p=0.02). Abnormal contrast agent distribution in the abdominal cavity was observed in 12 type II, and the difference was statistically significant (p=0.03).

CONCLUSION

The CE PIL classification reflects the extent and scope of intestinal mucosa lesions; CTL more systematically demonstrates abnormal lymphatic vessels or reflux, and its manifestations of PIL are related to the CE classification. The combination of CTL with CE is useful for accurately evaluating PIL, and provides guidance for preoperative assessment and treatment management of PIL patients.

Transcriptome dissection of candidate genes associated with lentil seed quality traits

Lentils provide a rich plant-based protein source and staple food in many parts of the world. Despite numerous nutritional benefits, lentil seeds also possess undesirable elements, such as anti-nutritional factors. Understanding the genetic networks of seed metabolism is of great importance for improving the seed nutritional profile. We applied RNA sequencing analysis to survey the transcriptome of developing lentil seeds and compared this with that of the pod shells and leaves. In total, we identified 2622 genes differentially expressed among the tissues examined. Genes preferentially expressed in seeds were enriched in the Gene Ontology (GO) terms associated with development, nitrogen and carbon (N/C) metabolism and lipid synthesis. We further categorized seed preferentially expressed genes based on their involvement in storage protein production, starch accumulation, lipid and suberin metabolism, phytate, saponin and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis. The availability of transcript profile datasets on lentil seed metabolism and a roadmap of candidate genes presented here will be of great value for breeding strategies towards further improvement of lentil seed quality traits.

The prevalence of Type-1 Brugada pattern in African American: a large population study from the United States

Funding Acknowledgements

Type of funding sources: None.

Background

The prevalence of Type-1 Brugada pattern in Caucasians and Asians have been estimated to be 20 and 180 per 100,000. However, the prevalence of Type-1 Brugada pattern in African Americans has never been studied.

Purpose

This study aims to identify the prevalence of Type-1 Brugada pattern in African Americans.

Methods

Medical records of African American patients ages 18 years old or older with at least one 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) performed at 16 hospitals from 5 states in a single healthcare system between January 1, 2011 to December 31, 2020 were included. The search engine software was used to identify patients with keywords (Brugada pattern, Brugada ECG, Brugada Type-1, or Brugada syndrome) documented in the electronic medical record. The 12-lead ECGs were retrospectively analyzed by 2 cardiologists. Any inconsistencies were reviewed by a third cardiac electrophysiologist. Type-1 Brugada pattern was diagnosed according to the recent Heart Rhythm Society Expert Consensus Statement.

Results

Among 43,116 African American patients, (46.9% males), 6 patients (mean age 44.8±13.9 years, 100% males) had Type-1 Brugada pattern documented on at least one 12-lead ECG. The prevalence of Type-1 Brugada pattern in this large patient population of African American was 13.9 per 100,000. None of the patients had major arrhythmic event at 6.7±4.7 years follow-up.

Conclusions

The prevalence of Type-1 Brugada pattern in African American is lower than Caucasian and Asian populations. The risk of major arrhythmic event of Type-1 Brugada pattern in African American appears to be low; however longer follow-up data is needed.

Prediction of Endometrial Carcinoma Using the Combination of Electronic Health Records and an Ensemble Machine Learning Method

Endometrial carcinoma (EC) is a common cause of cancer death in women, and having an early accurate prediction model to identify this disease is crucial. The aim of this study was to develop a new machine learning (ML) model-based diagnostic prediction model for EC. We collected data from consecutive patients between November 2012 and January 2021 at tertiary hospitals in central China. Inclusion criteria included women undergoing endometrial biopsy, dilation and curettage, or hysterectomy. A total of 9 features, including patient demographics, vital signs, and laboratory and ultrasound results, were selected in the final analysis. This new model was combined with three top optimal ML methods, namely, logistic regression, gradient-boosted decision tree, and random forest. A total of 1,922 patients were eligible for final analysis and modeling. The ensemble model, called TJHPEC, was validated in an internal validation cohort and two external validation cohorts. The results showed that the AUC values were 0.9346, 0.8341, and 0.8649 for the prediction of total EC and 0.9347, 0.8073, and 0.871 for prediction of stage I EC. Nine clinical features were confirmed to be highly related to the prediction of EC in TJHPEC. In conclusion, our new model may be accurate for identifying EC, especially in the early stage, in the general population of central China.

In premenopausal women with idiopathic osteoporosis, lower bone formation rate is associated with higher body fat and higher IGF-1

We examined serum IGF-1 in premenopausal IOP, finding relationships that were opposite to those expected: higher IGF-1 was associated with lower bone formation and higher body fat, and lower BMD response to teriparatide. These paradoxical relationships between serum IGF-1, bone, and fat may contribute to the mechanism of idiopathic osteoporosis in premenopausal women.

INTRODUCTION

Premenopausal women with idiopathic osteoporosis (IOP) have marked deficits in bone microarchitecture but variable bone remodeling. We previously reported that those with low tissue-level bone formation rate (BFR) are less responsive to teriparatide and have higher serum IGF-1, a hormone anabolic for osteoblasts and other tissues. The IGF-1 data were unexpected because IGF-1 is low in other forms of low turnover osteoporosis-leading us to hypothesize that IGF-1 relationships are paradoxical in IOP. This study aimed to determine whether IOP women with low BFR have higher IGF-1 and paradoxical IGF-1 relationships in skeletal and non-skeletal tissues, and whether IGF-1 and the related measures predict teriparatide response.

METHODS

This research is an ancillary study to a 24 month clinical trial of teriparatide for IOP. Baseline assessments were related to trial outcomes: BMD, bone remodeling.

SUBJECTS

 Premenopausal women with IOP(n = 34); bone remodeling status was defined by baseline cancellous BFR/BS on bone biopsy.

MEASURES

 Serum IGF-1 parameters, compartmental adiposity (DXA, CT, MRI), serum hormones, and cardiovascular-risk-markers related to fat distribution.

RESULTS

As seen in other populations, lower BFR was associated with higher body fat and poorer teriparatide response. However, in contrast to observations in other populations, low BFR, higher body fat, and poorer teriparatide response were all related to higher IGF-1: IGF-1 Z-score was inversely related to BFR at all bone surfaces (r =  - 0.39 to - 0.46; p < 0.05), directly related to central fat (p = 0.05) and leptin (p = 0.03). IGF-1 inversely related to 24 month hip BMD %change (r =  - 0.46; p = 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Paradoxical IGF-1 relationships suggest that abnormal or atypical regulation of bone and fat may contribute to osteoporosis mechanisms in premenopausal IOP.

Dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging: A novel approach to assessing treatment in locally advanced esophageal cancer patients

Aims

This study aims to investigate the potential application of dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) to predict concurrent chemoradiation (CRT) in locally advanced esophageal carcinoma.

Patients and Methods

This study involved 33 patients with locally advanced esophageal cancer and treated with CRT. The patients underwent DCE-MRI before CRT (pre) and 3 weeks after starting CRT (mid). The patients were categorized into two groups: complete response (CR) and non-complete response (non-CR) after 3 months of treatment. The quantitative parameters of DCE-MRI (K^trans, Kep, and Ve), the changes and ratios of parameters (ΔK^trans, ΔKep, ΔVe, rΔK^trans, rΔKep, and rΔVe), and the relative ratio in the tumor area and a normal tube wall (rK^trans, rKep, and rVe) were calculated and compared between two timeframes in two groups, respectively. Moreover, the receiver operating characteristics (ROC) statistical analysis was used to assess the above parameters.

Results

We divided 33 patients into two groups: 22 in the CR group and 11 in the non-CR group. During the mid-CRT phase in the CR group, both K^trans and Kep rapidly decreased, while only Kep decreased in the non-CR group. The pre-K^trans and pre-Kep in the CR group were substantially higher compared to the non-CR group. Moreover, the rK^trans was also apparently observed as higher at pre-CRT in the CR group compared to the non-CR group. The ROC analysis demonstrated that the pre-K^trans could be the best parameter to evaluate the treatment performance (AUC = 0.74).

Conclusion

Pre-K^trans could be a promising parameter to forecast how patients with locally advanced esophageal cancer will respond to CRT.

[Effect of PPAR-γ agonist pioglitazone on the prolifeiration of malignant nesothelionma cells induced by HMGB1]

Objective: To investigate the effect and mechanism of PPAR-γ agonist Pioglitazone (PGZ) on the proliferation of malignant mesothelioma (MM) cells. Methods: In December 2019, MM cell lines MSTO-211H and NCI-H2452 were incubated with different final concentrations of PGZ (0, 10, 50, 100, 150, and 200 μmol/L) for different periods of time (24 h, 48 h, and 72 h) , and then the cell proliferation level was detected by CCK8 assay. After given various final concentration of PGZ (0, 10, 50, 100, 150, 200 μmol/L) the for 72 hours, the changes of number and morphology of MM cells were observed under an inverted microscope. The expressions of PPAR-γ and HMGB1 mRNA were determined by real-time fluorescence quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) after treatment of MM cells with PGZ of 0, 10, 50, 100 μmol/L for 72 h. The MM cells were treated with PGZ at concentration of 0, 100 μmol/L for 72 h, and the protein expressions of HMGB1 were examined using Western blotting and immunofluorescence; the protein expressions of Ki67 were assessed by immunohistochemistry. Results: The cell viability rate of MM cells was decreased after treated with PGZ (P<0.05) . Cell number in PGZ-treated group was significantly less than that in control group and morphology changes were observed under light microscope. QRT-PCR results revealed significantly increased PPAR-γ mRNA expression in the PGZ-treated group compared to the control group (P<0.05) . There was a significant decrease in the mRNA expression level of HMGB1 in the PGZ-treated group (100 μmol/L) as compared to the control group in MSTO-211H (P<0.05) ; however, the expression level of HMGB1 in NCI-H2452 was an increase or no significant differences (P>0.05) . Western blotting and immunofluorescence results showed that the protein expression of HMGB1 was reduced in the PGZ-treated group compared with the control group in MSTO-211H (P<0.05) , but the protein expression of that in NCI-H2452 was no significant differences (P>0.05) . Immunohistochemistry results showed increased expression of proliferation marker Ki-67. Conclusion: Pioglitazone suppresses the proliferation of MM cells through inhibition of HMGB1 by the activation of PPAR-γ.

Therapeutic efficacy of dexmedetomidine on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease via downregulating lncRNA PACER

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the study was to clarify the therapeutic mechanism of Dexmedetomidine (DEX) on the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and its regulatory effect on long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) PACER.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Serum level of PACER in COPD patients was detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The diagnostic potential of PACER in COPD was assessed by plotting ROC curves. The in vivo COPD model was generated in rats by cigarette smoking exposure. Primary rat alveolar epithelial cells were isolated, purified and cultured. After overexpression of PACER in primary rat alveolar epithelial cells, proliferative and migratory abilities were assessed by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) and transwell assay, respectively. Subsequently, we detected changes in PACER expression, viability and migratory potentials in primary rat alveolar epithelial cells harvested from control rats, and those harvested from COPD rats and induced with either DEX or not. Rescue experiments were conducted to uncover the involvement of PP2A in PACER-regulated cell phenotypes.

RESULTS

PACER was upregulated in serum of COPD patients, which was a potential biomarker for diagnosing COPD. Overexpression of PACER in primary rat alveolar epithelial cells enhanced proliferative and migratory abilities. Compared with primary rat alveolar epithelial cells harvested from control rats, proliferative and migratory abilities were stronger in those harvested from COPD rats and induced with either DEX or not. Notably, DEX induction decreased PACER expression, and proliferative and migratory abilities in primary rat alveolar epithelial cells harvested from COPD rats. Overexpression of PP2A could partially abolish the promotive effects of PACER on proliferative and migratory abilities in DEX-induced primary rat alveolar epithelial cells harvested from COPD rats.

CONCLUSIONS

PACER drives the proliferative and migratory abilities of alveolar epithelial cells through activating PP2A. Dexmedetomidine is conducive to COPD treatment by downregulating PACER.

Prognostic value of late gadolinium enhancement in arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy: a meta-analysis

AIM

To assess systematically the prognostic value of cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMRI) in patients with arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The full text of studies of the clinical efficacy of late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) in ARVC was retrieved in multiple databases. Stata 14 was adopted for meta-analysis and bias analysis. Heterogeneity was assessed with the I² statistic.

RESULTS

After exclusions, 561 patients were included in five studies, and the eligibility criteria were met. The meta-analysis suggested that there was a significant difference between LGE positive and negative patients with ARVC in all-cause mortality (relative risk [RR] = 4.78, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.41, 16.23, p=0.012; p for heterogeneity = 0.692, I² = 0%); major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) (RR=2.48, 95% CI = 1.24, 4.96, p=0.010; p for heterogeneity = 0.596, I² = 0%); ventricular tachycardia (RR=3.13, 95% CI = 1.69, 5.78, p<0.001; p for heterogeneity = 0.825, I² = 0%); implanted cardiac defibrillators (RR=3.15, 95% CI = 1.69, 5.87], p<0.001; p for heterogeneity = 0.353, I² = 9.4%).

CONCLUSION

LGE in ARVC patients is a predictor of all-cause mortality and MACE.

Differences in hypertension and prehypertension among people living with and without HIV in China: role of HIV infection and antiretroviral therapy

OBJECTIVES

Hypertension is a growing health concern in people living with HIV (PLWH). However, association between HIV infection and hypertension is equivocal.

METHODS

In all, 1472 PLWH and 2944 HIV-negative individuals frequency-matched by age and sex were derived from the baseline survey of Comparative HIV and Aging Research in Taizhou (CHART), China. Prehypertension was defined as systolic blood pressure (BP) of 120-139 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure of 80-89 mmHg.

RESULTS

Despite the fact that prevalence of hypertension was overall lower among PLWH than among HIV-negative people (21.1% vs. 29.1%, P < 0.001), it was similar at ages 18-29 (7.6% vs. 8.5%) and 30-44 years (17.1% vs. 18.5%) but significantly lower in PLWH at ages 45-59 (26.1% vs. 40.7%) and 60-75 years (37.1% vs. 57.3%). Prehypertension prevalence was consistently higher in PLWH across all age groups. In the model adjusting for traditional risk factors, HIV infection was associated with hypertension (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.27, 95% confidence interval: 1.04-1.55) and prehypertension (aOR = 1.77, 95% CI: 1.51-2.08), and attenuated after additional adjustment for abdominal obesity. Age-stratified analysis showed that these associations of HIV with hypertension were observed at ages 18-29 and 30-44 years and associations with prehypertension were observed at ages 18-29, 30-44 and 45-59 years only. Years since HIV diagnosis and stavudine use were the HIV-specific factors independently associated with hypertension or/and prehypertension.

CONCLUSIONS

HIV infection is independently associated with prehypertension and hypertension especially at younger ages, and this risk may increase as treatment becomes prolonged. Our findings reinforce the urgent necessity for active BP screening and control strategies be adopted for PLWH in China.

Remote Tracking Gas Molecular via the Standalone-Like Nanosensor-Based Tele-Monitoring System

HIGHLIGHTS

A standalone-like smart device that can remotely track the variation of air pollutants in a power-saving way is created; Metal–organic framework-derived hollow polyhedral ZnO was successfully synthesized, allowing the created smart device to be highly selective and to sensitively track the variation of NO₂ concentration; A novel photoluminescence-enhanced Li-Fi telecommunication technique is proposed, offering the created smart device with the capability of long distance wireless communication.

ABSTRACT

Remote tracking the variation of air quality in an effective way will be highly helpful to decrease the health risk of human short- and long-term exposures to air pollution. However, high power consumption and poor sensing performance remain the concerned issues, thereby limiting the scale-up in deploying air quality tracking networks. Herein, we report a standalone-like smart device that can remotely track the variation of air pollutants in a power-saving way. Brevity, the created smart device demonstrated satisfactory selectivity (against six kinds of representative exhaust gases or air pollutants), desirable response magnitude (164–100 ppm), and acceptable response/recovery rate (52.0/50.5 s), as well as linear response relationship to NO₂. After aging for 2 weeks, the created device exhibited relatively stable sensing performance more than 3 months. Moreover, a photoluminescence-enhanced light fidelity (Li-Fi) telecommunication technique is proposed and the Li-Fi communication distance is significantly extended. Conclusively, our reported standalone-like smart device would sever as a powerful sensing platform to construct high-performance and low-power consumption air quality wireless sensor networks and to prevent air pollutant-induced diseases via a more effective and low-cost approach. [Image: see text]

ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL

The online version of this article (10.1007/s40820-020-00551-w) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

FHOD3 promotes carcinogenesis by regulating RhoA/ROCK1/LIMK1 signaling pathway in medulloblastoma

PURPOSE

Medulloblastoma (MB) is a malignant brain disease in young children. The overall survival of MB patients is disappointing due to absence of effective therapeutics and this could be attributed to the lack of molecular mechanism underlying MB. FHOD3 was an important gene during cardio-genesis and was reported to promote cell migration in cancer. However, its role in MB is not clear to date.

METHODS

RT-qPCR and IHC analysis were used to determine expression of FHOD3. Survival curve was drawn by K-M analysis. FHOD3 was knocked down by RNAi technology. The effects of FHOD3 on medulloblastoma cells were determined by CCK-8 assay, colony formation assay, transwell assay and FACs analysis.

RESULTS

FHOD3 expression increased by 1.5 fold in tumor tissues compared to the control and IHC analysis further confirmed strong expression of FHOD3 in medulloblastoma tissues. Then higher FHOD3 expression was associated with shorter survival time in MB patients (13.0 months versus 43.8 months). In medulloblastoma cells such as Daoy and D283med, FHOD3 also displayed abundant expression. When FHOD3 was knocked down, the ability of cell proliferation and colony formation was reduced over greatly. The capability of cell migration and invasion was also inhibited significantly. However, cell apoptotic rate increased significantly reversely. Mechanistically, the phosphorylation level of RhoA, ROCK1, and LIMK1 was decreased when FHOD3 was knocked down but increased reversely when FHOD3 was over-expressed in Daoy cells.

CONCLUSIONS

FHOD3 was associated with overall survival time in medulloblastoma patients and was essential to cell proliferation, growth and survival in medulloblastoma and might regulates activation of RhoA/ROCK1/LIMK1 signaling pathway.

Nanosensor-Based Flexible Electronic Assisted with Light Fidelity Communicating Technology for Volatolomics-Based Telemedicine

Telemedicine provides an attractive vision for tele-monitoring human health conditions and, thus, offers the opportunity for timely preventing chronic disease. A key limitation of promoting telemedicine in clinic application is the lack of a noninvasive med-tech and effective monitoring platform, which should be wearable and capable of high-performance tele-monitoring of health risk. Here we proposed a volatolomics-based telemedicine for continuously and noninvasively assessing human health status through continuously tracking the variation of volatile markers derived from human breath or skin. Particularly, a nanosensor-based flexible electronic was specifically designed to serve as a powerful platform for implementing the proposed cost-effective healthcare. An all-flexible and highly packed makeup (all functional units were integrated in a 2*2*0.19 cm³ plate) enables an electronic, compact configuration and the capability of resisting negative impact derived from customers' daily movement. Notably, the nanosensor-based electronic demonstrates high specificity, quick response rate (t_90% = 4.5 s), and desirable low detection limit (down to 0.117 ppm) in continuous tele-monitoring chronic-disease-related volatile marker (e.g., acetone). Assisted by the power saved light fidelity (Li-Fi) communicating technology, a clinic proof on the specifically designed electronic for noninvasively and uninterrupted assessing potential health risk (e.g., diabetics) is successfully implemented, with the accuracy of around 81%. A further increase in the accuracy of prewarning is predicted by excluding the impact of individual differences such as the gender, age, and smoking status of the customer. These promising pilot results indicate a bright future for the tailor-made nanosensing-device-supported volatolomics-based telemedicine in preventing chronic diseases and increasing patients' survival rate.

MiR-30 suppresses lung cancer cell 95D epithelial mesenchymal transition and invasion through targeted regulating Snail

Since this article has been suspected of research misconduct and the corresponding authors did not respond to our request to prove originality of data and figures, "MiR-30 suppresses lung cancer cell 95D epithelial mesenchymal transition and invasion through targeted regulating Snail, by M.-J. Fan, Y.-H. Zhong, W. Shen, K.-F. Yuan, G.-H. Zhao, Y. Zhang, S.-K. Wang, published in Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci 2017; 21 (11): 2642-2649-PMID: 28678320" has been withdrawn. The Publisher apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause. https://www.europeanreview.org/article/12883.

Effect of Internal Curing by Super Absorbent Polymer on the Autogenous Shrinkage of Alkali-Activated Slag Mortars

Alkali activated slag (AAS) mortar is becoming an increasingly popular green building material because of its excellent engineering properties and low CO₂ emissions, promising to replace ordinary Portland cement (OPC) mortar. However, AAS’s high shrinkage and short setting time are the important reasons to limit its wide application in engineering. This paper was conducted to investigate the effect of internal curing(IC) by super absorbent polymer (SAP) on the autogenous shrinkage of AAS mortars. For this, an experimental study was carried out to evaluate the effect of SAP dosage on the setting time, autogenous shrinkage, compressive strength, microstructure, and pore structure. The SAP were incorporated at different dosage of 0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, and 0.5 percent by weight of slag. The workability, physical (porosity), mechanical, and shrinkage properties of the mortars were evaluated, and a complementary study on microstructure was made. The results indicated that the setting time increased with an increase of SAP dosage due to the additional activator released by SAP. Autogenous shrinkage decreased with an increase of SAP dosage, and was mitigated completely when the dosage of SAP ≥ 0.2% wt of slag. Although IC by means of SAP reduced the compressive strength, this reduction (23% at 56 days for 0.2% SAP) was acceptable given the important role that it played on mitigating autogenous shrinkage. In the research, the 0.2% SAP dosage was the optimal content. The results can provide data and basis for practical application of AAS mortar.

MicroRNA-101-5p inhibits the growth and metastasis of cervical cancer cell by inhibiting CXCL6

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study is to explore the biological roles of microRNA-101-5p (miR-101-5p) in the growth and metastasis of cervical cancer.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The levels of miR-101-5p and chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 6 (CXCL6) in cervical cancer tissues and cells were detected using the quantitative Real Time-Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR) assay. The proliferation, colony formation, migration, and invasion assays were conducted using miR-101-5p transfected cervical cancer cell. The expression of CXCL6 was measured by the immunoblotting assay. Xenograft model was constructed to reveal the precise roles of miR-101-5p in the growth of cervical cancer cell in vivo.

RESULTS

MiR-101-5p was down-regulated in cervical cancer tissues when compared to the normal controls. The levels of miR-101-5p were higher in cervical cancer cells (SiHa, Caski, C-4-I, C-33 A) than that in the human cervical surface epithelial cell line, HcerEpic. Over-regulation of miR-101-5p inhibited the aggressiveness phenotypes of a cervical cancer cell in vitro. Furthermore, over-regulation of miR-101-5p reduced the tumor growth of cervical cancer cell in vivo. CXCL6 was the target protein of miR-101-5p in cervical cancer as demonstrated by luciferase reporter assay. The mRNA level of CXCL6 was negatively associated with the miR-101-5p level in cervical cancer tissue. Finally, the rescue experiments suggested that the inhibitory role of miR-101-5p was mediated by regulating the expression of CXCL6 in cervical cancer.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings indicated that the over-regulation of miR-101-5p suppressed the progression of cervical cancer by targeting CXCL6 and might function as a potential therapeutic target for cervical cancer.

HIV infection and electrocardiogram abnormalities: baseline assessment from the CHART cohort

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the prevalence of various electrocardiogram (ECG) abnormalities among HIV-positive and HIV-negative individuals.

METHODS

This cross-sectional evaluation included 1412 HIV-positive and 2824 HIV-negative participants aged 18 to 75 years and frequency matched by age and sex, derived from the baseline survey of Comparative HIV and Aging Research in Taizhou (CHART), China, between February and December 2017.

RESULTS

HIV-positive individuals had higher prevalence of sinus tachycardia (5.6% (79/1412) vs. 1.3% (36/2824), p < 0.001) and ST/T wave abnormalities (14.9% (211/1412) vs. 9.4% (264/1412), p < 0.001) but lower prevalence of sinus bradycardia (4.8% (68/1412) vs. 7.5% (211/2824), p 0.001); such associations remained statistically significant after adjusting for traditional risk factors (respectively, adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 4.68, 95% confidence interval (CI) 3.06-7.17; aOR 1.89, 95% CI 1.54-2.34; aOR 0.60, 95% CI 0.44-0.80). In adjusted models, being in higher carotid intima-media thickness categories was significantly associated with ST/T abnormalities in HIV-positive individuals only (0.78-1.00 mm: aOR 1.46, 95% CI 1.01-2.12; >1.00 mm: aOR 2.18, 95% CI 1.39-3.42), whereas being in higher blood pressure categories was significantly associated with both sinus tachycardia (prehypertension: aOR 5.61, 95% CI 1.76-17.91; hypertension: aOR 12.62, 95% CI 3.60-44.27) and ST/T abnormalities (hypertension: aOR 2.04, 95% CI 1.41-2.95) in HIV-negative individuals only. Longer duration of known HIV infection was the only HIV-specific factor of ST/T abnormalities (aOR 1.61, 95% CI 1.17-2.22), with none for sinus tachycardia.

CONCLUSIONS

HIV infection is independently associated with sinus tachycardia and ST/T abnormalities. Further research is needed to investigate specific mechanisms by which HIV infection leads to ECG abnormalities and to evaluate whether inclusion of ECG parameters improves cardiovascular disease prediction. Integrating ECG screening into routine HIV care is recommended in China.

Altered hippocampal functional connectivity in primary Sjögren syndrome: a resting-state fMRI study

Structural and metabolic abnormalities in the hippocampus have been associated with the pathophysiological mechanism of central nervous system involvement in primary Sjögren syndrome (pSS). Nevertheless, how hippocampal function is altered in pSS remains unknown. The purpose of our study is to investigate the alterations in hippocampal functional connectivity (FC) in pSS by using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI). Thirty-eight patients with pSS and 38 age- and education level-matched healthy controls (HCs) underwent magnetic resonance imaging examination. Prior to each MRI examination, neuropsychological tests were performed. Left and right hippocampal FCs were analyzed by using seed-based whole-brain correlation and compared between pSS and HCs. Spearman correlation analysis was performed between the z-value of hippocampal FC in brain regions with significant difference between the two groups and neuropsychological tests/clinical data in pSS. Compared with the controls, the patients with pSS showed decreased hippocampal FC between the left hippocampus and the right inferior occipital gray (IOG)/inferior temporal gray (ITG), as well as between the right hippocampus and right IOG/middle occipital gray (MOG), left MOG, and left middle temporal gray. In addition, increased hippocampal FCs were detected between the left hippocampus and left putamen, as well as between the right hippocampus and right cerebellum posterior lobe. Moreover, the visual reproduction score positively correlated with the FC between right hippocampus and right IOG/MOG. The white matter hyperintensity score negatively correlated with the FC between left hippocampus and right IOG/ITG. In conclusion, patients with pSS suffered decreased hippocampal FC mainly sited in the occipital and temporal cortex with right hippocampal laterality. Altered hippocampal FC might be a potential biomarker in detecting brain function changes and guiding neuroprotection in pSS.

Immediate early response protein 2 promotes the migration and invasion of hepatocellular carcinoma cells via regulating the activity of Rho GTPases

Human immediate early response 2 (IER2) has been implicated in tumor cell motility and metastasis; however, the underlying mechanisms in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) metastasis remain to be clarified. In this study, we demonstrate that dysregulation of IER2 was shown in HCC clinical samples, and IER2 expression resulted in the promotion of cell migration and invasion in vitro, and HCC tumor growth and pulmonary metastasis in vivo. Moreover, we showed that IER2 expression altered assembly of the actin cytoskeleton rearrangement. Furthermore, MAPK and PI3K/Akt signaling pathways induced by IER2 were confirmed to be probably involved in regulating the activity of Rho GTPases, such as RhoA, Rac1 and Cdc42. Collectively, our results indicated a significant role of IER2 in the HCC cell motility and metastasis through MAPK and PI3K/Akt signaling pathways to regulate the activity of Rho GTPases, thereby modulating actin cytoskeleton rearrangement, unveiling a novel mechanism of cell motility regulation induced by IER2.

Improved display of abdominal contrast-enhanced MRA using gadobutrol: comparison with Gd-DTPA

AIM

To qualitatively and quantitatively compare gadobutrol with gadopentetate dimeglumine (Gd-DTPA) in abdominal contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography (CE-MRA) and contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (CE-MRI) during one-stop imaging.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This prospective, blinded, multicentre, intra-individual comparison study was approved by the institutional review board. All patients underwent gadobutrol- and Gd-DTPA-enhanced MRA and MRI. Qualitative analysis for vessels was performed using a three-point scale while quantity analysis was performed by signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Visceral organs enhancements were also analysed. A Wilcoxon matched-pair signed-rank test was used to evaluate the quality and quantity results.

RESULTS

One hundred and twelve patients were enrolled. Quality analyses results for large vessels and small vessels of gadobutrol and Gd-DTPA were 18.38±1.51 and 6.76±1.58 and 17.87±1.84 and 6.09±1.55, respectively. Wilcoxon signed-rank tests revealed gadobutrol was significantly superior to Gd-DTPA (p=0.036) for small vessels. For large vessel quantity analysis, gadobutrol demonstrated significantly higher signal-to-noise ratios (SNR; p=0.041) than Gd-DTPA, with mean values of 948.156±349.731 and 838.925±248.197. There was no statistically significant in enhancement of liver, spleen, and renal tissue during gadobutrol- and Gd-DTPA-enhanced imaging (p>0.05). One patient reported an adverse event. Dizziness and vomiting occurred after injection of Gd-DTPA.

CONCLUSIONS

The present study demonstrates gadobutrol-enhanced MRA was superior to that of Gd-DTPA without statistical significance in visceral organ enhancement. It indicates gadobutrol may be more suitable for abdominal one-stop imaging for CE-MRA and CE-MRI by improving depiction of vessels in MRA images.

Mitochondria-mediated disturbance of fatty acid metabolism in proximal tubule epithelial cells leads to renal interstitial fibrosis

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the role of mitochondria-mediated fatty acid metabolism in proximal tubule cells in renal interstitial fibrosis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Intraperitoneal injection of folate was performed to induce renal interstitial fibrosis in mice. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to detect the expression of cytochrome c oxidase subunit IV (COX4IL) and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase 1 (PCK1) in samples. Electron microscope was used to detect the activity of mitochondria. Serum creatinine and urea nitrogen were chosen as evaluation criteria for renal function. Western-blotting was used to detect protein expression of cells. Immunohistochemistry was used to test renal structure and deposition of collagen.

RESULTS

In renal interstitial fibrosis, mitochondria mediated the dysfunction and the promotion of tubulointerstitial fatty acid metabolism. Besides, it could also reduce renal interstitial fibrosis and alleviate the fatty acid metabolism of tubulointerstitial fibrosis.

CONCLUSIONS

Mitochondrial dysfunction induced fatty acid metabolism is an important factor to promote the progress of renal interstitial fibrosis. Intervention of related targets of fatty acid metabolism is expected to become a new treatment for renal interstitial fibrosis.

Compact Yttria-Stabilized Zirconia Based Total NOx Sensor with a Dual Functional Co3O4/NiO Sensing Electrode

Yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) based potentiometric gas sensors have been widely utilized for detecting NO_x (NO and NO₂). Nevertheless, it is still remains challenging issue for YSZ-based sensors to sense total NO_x due to the opposite response signals to NO and NO₂. Herein, we report an efficient strategy to sense total NO_x at high temperature (above 300 °C) by designing a dual functional sensing electrode (SE); namely, the SE will simultaneously convert NO (in NO_x mixture) to NO₂ and electrocatalyze all of the obtained NO₂ to generate the response signal of total NO_x. In comparison with those previously reported total NO_x sensors, the proposed total NO_x sensor will be featured with a simplified sensor configuration and desirable long-term stability. To confirm the practicability of the proposed strategy, the NO conversion rate of several metal oxides and their composites have been measured and it turns out that the Co₃O₄/NiO shows relatively high NO conversion rate. Further study indicates a YSZ-based sensor consisting of (Co₃O₄ + 20 wt % NiO)-SE and Mn-based RE demonstrates satisfactory performance in detecting total NO_x. For instance, analogous response magnitude to NO and NO₂ as well as the mixture of NO/NO₂ (within 35 ppm) is witnessed for the sensor; particularly, the sensor gives acceptable stability and response/recovery rate at the operating temperature of 500 °C within the examined period. In summary, the use of dual functional SE (e.g., Co₃O₄/NiO composite SE) indeed addressed those issues of concern in monitoring the level of total NO_x and has provided a promising alternative way for designing future high-performance total NO_x sensor.

Light-Regulated Electrochemical Reaction Assisted Core-Shell Heterostructure for Detecting Specific Volatile Markers with Controllable Sensitivity and Selectivity

Breath analysis has been considered a noninvasive, safe, and reliable way to diagnose cancer at very early stage. Rapid detection of cancer volatile markers in breath samples via a portable sensing device will lay the foundation of future early cancer diagnosis. Nevertheless, unsatisfactory sensitivity and specificity of these sensing devices restrain the clinical application of breath analysis. Herein, we proposed the strategy of designing the light-regulated electrochemical reaction assisted core-shell heterostructure to address the issue of concern; that is, the photoactive shell will be designed for trigging the light-regulated electrochemical reaction and enhancing the sensitivity while a catalytic active core will play the function of removing interference gases. After screening of various core candidates, Fe₂O₃ was found to exhibit relatively low conversion rate to 3-methylhexane, which is one of the representative volatile markers for breath analysis, suggesting that mutual interference would be eliminated by Fe₂O₃. Based on this assumption, an electrochemical sensor comprising core-shell Fe₂O₃@ZnO-SE (vs Mn-based RE) was fabricated and sensing properties to 6 kinds of volatile markers was evaluated. Interestingly, the thickness of ZnO shell significantly influenced the response behavior; typically, the Fe₂O₃@ZnO with shell thickness of 4.8 nm offers the sensor high selectivity to 3-methylhexane. In contrast, significantly mutual response interference is observed for the Fe₂O₃@ZnO with extremely thick/thin shell. Particularly, sensing properties are greatly enhanced upon illumination; a detection limit to 3-methylhexane can even be as low as 0.072 ppm which will be useful in clinic application. Besides, the high selectivity of the sensor to 3-methylhexane is further confirmed by the testing of simulated breath samples. In summary, we anticipate that the strategy proposed in this research will be a starting point for artificially tailoring the sensitivity and selectivity of future sensing devices.