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Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common cancers with high prevalence and mortality, and it has brought huge economic and health burden for the world. It is urgent to found novel targets for HCC diagnosis and clinical intervention. Circular RNA (circRNA) has been reported to participate in many cancer progressions including HCC, suggesting that circRNA might paly essential role in HCC initiation and progression. Our study aims to found that potential circRNA participates in HCC development and its underlying molecular mechanisms. We obtained three pairs of HCC tissues and its adjacent normal tissues data from GEO DataSets. MTT, cell colony, EdU, wound‐healing, transwell invasion and mouse xenograft model assays were used to demonstrate the biological functions of circCAMSAP1 in HCC progression. Furthermore, we conducted bioinformatics analysis, AGO2‐RIP, RNA pull‐down and luciferase reporter assays to assess the association of circCAMSAP1‐miR‐1294‐GRAMD1A axis in HCC cells. The expression of circCAMSAP1 was up‐regulated in HCC tissues compared with its adjacent normal tissues. Up‐regulation of circCAMSAP1 promoted HCC biological functions both in vitro and in vivo. The promotive effects of circCAMSAP1 on HCC progression function through miR‐1294/GRAMD1A pathway. CircCAMSAP1 was up‐regulated in HCC tissues, and circCAMSAP1 up‐regulated GRAMD1A expression to promote HCC proliferation, migration and invasion through miR‐1294. CircCAMSAP1 might be a potential prognosis and therapeutic target for HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of single‐stranded noncoding and endogenous RNA molecules with a length of 18–25 nucleotides. Previous work has shown that miR-124-3p leads to malignant progression of cancer including cell apoptosis, migration, invasion, drug resistance, and also recovers neural function, affects adipogenic differentiation, facilitates wound healing through control of various target genes. miR-124-3p has been mainly previously characterized as a tumor suppressor regulating tumorigenesis and progression in several cancers, such as hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), gastric cancer (GC), bladder cancer, ovarian cancer (OC), and leukemia, as a tumor promotor in breast cancer (BC), and it has been also widely studied in a variety of neurological diseases, like Parkinson's disease (PD), dementia and Alzheimer's disease (AD), and cardiovascular diseases, ulcerative colitis (UC), acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). To lay the groundwork for future therapeutic strategies, in this review we mainly focus on the most recent years of literature on the functions of miR-124-3p in related major cancers, as well as its downstream target genes. Although current work as yet provides an incomplete picture, miR-124-3p is still worthy of more attention as a practical and effective clinical biomarker. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chicken coccidiosis, caused by an obligate intracellular protozoan parasite of the genus Eimeria, is a major parasitic disease in the intensively reared poultry industry. Due to the widespread use of anticoccidial drugs, resistance has become an inevitable problem. In our previous study, Eimeria tenella citrate synthase (EtCS) was found to be up-expressed in two drug-resistant strains (diclazuril-resistant and maduramycin-resistant strains) compared to drug-sensitive strain by RNA sequence. In this study, we cloned and expressed EtCS and obtain its polyclonal antibodies. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain (qPCR) reactions and Western blots were used to analyze the transcription and translation levels of EtCS in sensitive and three drug-resistant strains. Compared with the sensitive strain, the transcription of EtCS was both significantly upregulated in diclazuril-resistant and maduramycin-resistant strains, but was not significantly different in salinomycin-resistant strain. No significant difference was seen in translation level in the three drug-resistant strains. Indirect immunofluorescence indicated that EtCS was mainly located in the cytoplasm of sporozoites except for posterior refractile bodies and in the cytoplasm and surface of merozoites. Anti-rEtCS antibody has inhibitory effects on E. tenella sporozoite invasion of DF-1 cells and the inhibition rate is more than 83%. Binding of the protein to chicken macrophage (HD11) cells was confirmed by immunofluorescence assays. When macrophages were treated with rEtCS, secretion of nitric oxide and cell proliferation of the macrophages were substantially reduced. These results showed that EtCS may be related to host cell invasion of E. tenella and involve in the development of E.tenella resistance to some drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The design and preparation of electrode materials with unique nanostructure are regarded as a significant strategy to increase the capacitance and cycling stability of energy storage devices. Herein, a starfish-like core–shell Ni(OH)2@CoS material grown on Ni foam (Ni(OH)2@CoS/NF, denoted as NOCS-1/NF) was successfully fabricated via a stepwise hydrothermal method. Benefiting from the unique starfish-like core–shell nanostructure, obvious and abundant heterogeneous interfaces, and good synergy between every component, the specific capacitance of the as-prepared Ni(OH)2@CoS-1/NF electrode can reach up to 981 F g−1 at 1 A g−1 and maintained 73.2% of initial value at a high current density of 10 A g−1 in 2 M KOH aqueous solution. Moreover, a hybrid supercapacitor was prepared by using core–shell NOCS-1/NF as positive electrode and activated carbon coated on the NF (AC/NF) as negative electrode. The HSC delivered a high energy density of 17.9 Wh kg−1 at a power density of 749 W kg−1 and a satisfying cycling life with 90.1% capacitance retention after 4000 cycles. Eventually, two such devices in series successfully illuminated a red light-emitting diode. Meanwhile, this work probably provides a simple and convenient strategy to fabricate novel materials for the applicability of various energy-related fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Patients with alcohol-use disorder (AUD) demonstrate dysfunctional cerebral network connectivity. However, limited studies have investigated attention systems in AUD.Purpose: To assess functional (FC) and effective connectivity (EC) in the dorsal (DAN) and ventral attention networks (VAN) and default mode network (DMN) in patients with AUD using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI).Material and Methods: MRI and rs-fMRI data were obtained from 28 men with AUD and 30 age-matched healthy controls. Independent component analysis was used to identify and extract network data, for comparison between the two groups. Effective connectivity was evaluated using Granger causality analysis (GCA) by selecting significantly different brain areas as regions of interest (ROI). Signed-path coefficients between ROIs were computed in bivariate mode.Results: In patients with AUD, FC decreased in the left superior parietal gurus (SPG) and left interparietal sulcus (IPS, in DAN); FC decreased in the right superior frontal gyrus (SPG) and right middle frontal gyrus (MFG, in DMN). GCA values indicated that the DMN exerts a positive causal effect on the DAN (P = 0.007/0.027), which consequently exerts a negative causal effect on the DMN (P = 0.032). Signed-path coefficients from the right MFG to the left IPS correlated negatively with MAST scores (P = 0.015).Conclusion: We found novel inter-network connectivity dysfunction in patients with AUD, which indicates abnormal causal relations between resting-state DAN and DMN. Thus, patients with AUD may have abnormal top-down attention modulation and cognition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The identification of a suspect in a degraded and unbalanced DNA mixture has been a challenge for the standard short tandem repeat polymorphisms (STR) typing. Several methods have been introduced to solve this problem, such as DIP-STR, DIP-SNP, and SNP-STR markers. In this study, we proposed DIP-microhaplotype (deletion/insertion linked a chain of SNPs) as a kind of new genetic marker to type the unbalanced and degraded DNA mixture. We established the detection method with ten DIP-microhaplotype markers including 26 SNPs using allele-specific multiplex PCR followed by SNaPshot assay. This novel compound marker allows us to detect the minor DNA with a sensitivity of 1:100 to 1:1000 in a DNA mixture of any gender. Most of the DIP-microhaplotype markers had a relatively high probability of informative alleles with an average informative value (I value) of 0.308. In all, we proposed DIP-microhaplotype as a novel type of DNA marker for the detection of minor contributor from unbalanced DNA mixtures. Due to their inherent shorter length, higher polymorphism, and sensitivity, DIP-microhaplotypes are promising markers for the examination of the degraded and unbalanced mixtures in forensic stains or clinical chimeras. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In our previous study, we established a unique porcine macrophage cell line, immortalized porcine kidney-derived macrophages (IPKM). The purpose of the present study was to further elucidate the characteristics of IPKM. CD163 is a scavenger receptor for the hemoglobin-haptoglobin complex and is used as a phenotypic marker of anti-inflammatory M2 macrophages. The expression of CD163 is enhanced by dexamethasone (DEX), a potent steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, in human and rodent macrophages in vitro. Therefore, we investigated the effects of DEX on CD163 expression in porcine IPKM. Treatment with DEX markedly enhanced CD163 expression in the IPKM. In addition, we found that SB203580, a selective inhibitor of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), blocked the effects of DEX, suggesting that the p38 MAPK signaling pathway is involved in the regulation of the DEX-induced enhancement of CD163 expression. Since CD163 is considered to be a putative receptor for the porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV), the effects of DEX on the infection of IPKM by PRRSV were evaluated. Although the IPKM were susceptible to infection by the Fostera PRRSV vaccine strain, DEX treatment did not affect the propagation of the virus in the IPKM. This suggests that the DEX-induced enhancement of CD163 expression alone is not sufficient to facilitate the infection of IPKM by PRRSV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cirrhosis is the primary driver of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Blocking the deterioration of cirrhosis into HCC would be of benefit for long–term survival. We applied a series of bioinformatic online databases to select and analyze the hub genes concerning cirrhosis and HCC, and identified UBE2T and CYP3A4 as hub genes for cirrhosis-HCC transformation. An elevated UBE2T and a decreased CYP3A4 were expressed in HCC compared with cirrhosis, which have been confirmed by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT–PCR), Western Blotting (WB) and immunohistochemistry (IHC). The specificity (89.9%) and sensitivity (74.1%) on the combination of UBE2T and CYP3A4 for predicting HCC development in cirrhosis patients were better than that of UBE2T or CYP3A4 alone, or alpha-fetoprotein. The effectiveness of the combination of UBE2T and CYP3A4 was further verified by 15 paired HCC and paracancerous cirrhosis samples using RT–PCR, with a specificity of 100% and a sensitivity of 80%. HCC patients with elevated UBE2T and decreased CYP3A4 expression demonstrated a poorer overall survival rate (P = 0.0016, 0.019) and disease-free survival rate (P = 0.0013, 0.041). In conclusion, UBE2T and CYP3A4 could be a new combination of biomarkers for the carcinogenesis and progression of cirrhosis into HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To present a comprehensive analysis of cytomorphological features, including clinical scenarios, for 8 cases (4 males, 4 females, aged 17‐39 years, average = 28.5) of, retrospectively diagnosed alveolar soft part sarcoma (ASPS), with TFE3 immunostaining in 7 cases. Methods: Conventional Papanicolaou and May Grunwald‐Giemsa (MGG) stained smears and corresponding tissue sections were critically reviewed. Fine needle aspiration cytology was performed for primary diagnosis in 6 cases and for metastatic lesions in 2 cases. TFE3 and other immunohistochemical stains were tested using polymer detection technique. Results: Tumour sites were thigh (n = 6), shoulder (1) and neck (1). Tumour size (n = 6) varied from 5 to 14.5 cm (average = 7.2). Seven out of 8 cases were correctly diagnosed on cytosmears. The smears were mostly hypercellular (5), composed of cohesive clusters (8), including cell balls and pseudopapillae (3) and singly scattered cells (8). Tumour cells were round to oval, containing central to eccentric nuclei (8), abundant granular (8) to finely vacuolated (7) cytoplasm that was ill‐ to well‐defined, intracytoplasmic rod‐like or needle‐shaped crystals (3) and prominent nucleoli (8), Additionally, there were binucleated cells (7), multinucleation (2), intracytoplasmic inclusions (3), intranuclear inclusions (2), intercellular stroma (5) and bare nuclei (8). Immunohistochemically, 7/8 tumours were positive for TFE3. Conclusions: This constitutes the largest series describing cytomorphological spectrum of ASPS with TFE3 immunostaining results. Frequently observed features and rod‐like/needle‐shaped crystals on MGG smears, can help to differentiate ASPS from its mimics. TFE3 immunostaining aids in substantiating diagnoses, in an appropriate clinicoradiological context. This study provides a comprehensive analysis of the cytomorphological spectrum of alveolar soft part sarcomas. TFE3 immunostaining is useful in substantiating a diagnosis in an appropriate clinicoradiological context, which has significant implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Studies have suggested a potential role of somatic mitochondrial mutations in cancer development. To analyze the landscape of somatic mitochondrial mutation in breast cancer and to determine whether mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutational burden is correlated with overall survival (OS), we sequenced whole mtDNA from 92 matched-paired primary breast tumors and peripheral blood. A total of 324 germline variants and 173 somatic mutations were found in the tumors. The most common germline allele was 663G (12S), showing lower heteroplasmy levels in peripheral blood lymphocytes than in their matched tumors, even reaching homoplasmic status in several cases. The heteroplasmy load was higher in tumors than in their paired normal tissues. Somatic mtDNA mutations were found in 73.9% of breast tumors; 59% of these mutations were located in the coding region (66.7% non-synonymous and 33.3% synonymous). Although the CO1 gene presented the highest number of mutations, tRNA genes (T,C, and W), rRNA 12S, and CO1 and ATP6 exhibited the highest mutation rates. No specific mtDNA mutational profile was associated with molecular subtypes of breast cancer, and we found no correlation between mtDNA mutational burden and OS. Future investigations will provide insight into the molecular mechanisms through which mtDNA mutations and heteroplasmy shifting contribute to breast cancer development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An Epstein‐Barr virus (EBV)—encoded latent membrane protein 1 (LMP1) is a principal oncogene that plays a pivotal role in EBV‐associated malignant tumors including nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC). Recent genomic landscape studies revealed that NPC also contained many genomic mutations, suggesting the role of LMP1 as a driver gene for the induction of these genomic mutations. Nonetheless, its exact mechanism has not been investigated. In this study, we report that LMP1 alters the expression profile of APOBEC3s(A3s), host deaminases that introduce consecutive C‐to‐U mutations (hypermutation). In vitro, LMP1 induces APOBEC3B (A3B) and 3F(A3F), in a nasopharyngeal cell line, AdAH. Overexpression of LMP1, A3B, or A3F induces mtDNA hypermutation, which is also detectable from NPC specimens. Expression of LMP1 and A3B in NPC was correlated with neck metastasis. These results provide evidence as to which LMP1 induces A3s and mtDNA hypermutation, and how LMP1 facilitates metastasis is also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a multiphase retrieval algorithm and then presents a secret image sharing scheme. The proposed algorithm can divide a secret image into multiple phase-only encodings (shadows) and then overcome the shadow expansion problem. When the shadows are arranged in a certain order, the light intensity detector can directly acquire the secret image using parallel light, and the recovery process is simple and easy to operate. Furthermore, Fresnel transform parameters are used for authentication, which can avoid deceit. The differences in the initial random phase encodings make the same secret image produce different shadows, which can effectively resist statistical analysis attacks. Finally, theoretical analysis and a simulation are used to verify the validity and feasibility of the proposed scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

LiFePO4/C was prepared by employing coprecipitation method and carbothermal reduction method using FeSO4 with different purity as the iron source. The purity of FeSO4 has a great influence on the morphology of FePO4, but has little effect on the morphology of LiFePO4/C. The cycling performance decreases with the decrease of purity, and purity has a significant effect on the specific discharge capacities at low temperature. The specific discharge capacities of the five samples at − 20 °C and 0.5 C were 85.3, 74.2, 65.5, 60.4, and 50.1 mAh g−1, and the capacity retention rates were 53.3%, 47.1%, 42.9%, 38.7%, and 31.9%, respectively. Full battery low temperature performance test results validate the test results of coin cell. The Li+ diffusion coefficients are 4.53 × 10−13, 2.02× 10−13, 4.73 × 10−14, 2.34× 10−14, and 8.56 × 10−15 cm2 s−1, respectively. DLi+ is reduced two orders of magnitude with reduction of raw material purity. This is mainly because the low-purity FeSO4 contains a large amount of Ti, which enters the LiFePO4/C crystal lattice, causing the lattice distortion to block the lithium ion diffusion channel. Therefore, improving the purity of raw materials is an important method to improve the low temperature performance of LiFePO4/C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The classification of the distinct group of mesenchymal neoplasms, first described as 'Xp11 translocation perivascular epithelioid cell tumor (PEComa)' and for which the term 'melanotic Xp11 neoplasm' or 'Xp11 neoplasm with melanocytic differentiation' has recently been proposed, remains challenging and controversial. We collected 27 melanotic Xp11 neoplasms, the largest series to date, for a comprehensive evaluation. Fourteen of the cases, together with eight alveolar soft part sarcomas (ASPS), nine conventional PEComas and a control group of seven normal tissues were submitted to RNA sequencing. Follow‐up available in 22 patients showed 5‐year overall survival and 5‐year disease‐free survival of 47.6 and 35.7%, respectively, which were similar to ASPS and significantly worse than conventional PEComa. Univariate analysis of location (occurring in the kidney versus not kidney), infiltrative growth pattern, nuclear pleomorphism, mitotic activity ≥2/50 high‐power fields (HPF), necrosis and lymphovascular invasion were found to be associated with overall survival and/or disease‐free survival. Multivariate analysis identified that location was the only factor found to independently correlate with disease‐free survival. More importantly, RNA sequencing‐based clustering analysis segregated melanotic Xp11 neoplasm and ASPS from other tumors, including conventional PEComa and Xp11 translocation renal cell carcinoma, and formed a compact cluster representative of the largely similar expression signature. Here we clearly define the true biologic nature of melanotic Xp11 neoplasms which are distinctive malignant mesenchymal tumors, rather than simply PEComa variants with occasionally unpredictable behavior. Meanwhile, melanotic Xp11 neoplasm and ASPS more likely represent phenotypic variants of the same entity, which is distinct from conventional PEComa and Xp11 translocation renal cell carcinoma. Based on these important findings, melanotic Xp11 neoplasm might be reclassified into a distinctive entity together with ASPS, independent from PEComa, in future revisions of the current WHO categories of tumors of soft tissue and bone for the improved reclassification. © 2020 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Skull base chordomas account for less than 0.2% and chondrosarcomas for less than 0.15% of all intracranial tumors. Although their clinical and imaging presentations are similar, they derive from different origins. Chordomas arise from embryonic remnants of the primitive notochord and chondrosarcomas from primitive mesenchymal cells or from the embryonic rest of the cranial cartilaginous matrix. Both entities are characterized by infiltration and destruction of the surrounding bone and soft tissue and a high locoregional recurrence rate. Chondrosarcomas, when treated with similar complex strategies, display a much better prognosis than chordomas. The overall survival is approximately 65% for chordomas and 80% for chondrosarcomas at 5 years and 30 and 50%, respectively, at 10 years. Chordomas are divided into the following 3 histological types: classical (conventional), chondroid, and dedifferentiated. Chondrosarcomas have conventional, mesenchymal, clear cell, and dedifferentiated subgroups. Both tumor entities often present with nonspecific symptoms, and headaches are the most reported initial symptom. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging are required to determine the tumor localization and the extent of tumor growth. The treatment philosophy is to maximize tumor resection, minimize morbidity, and preserve function. Neurosurgical approaches commonly used for the resection of intracranial chordomas and chondrosarcomas are transsphenoidal, transbasal, cranio-orbitozygomatic, transzygomatic extended middle fossa, transcondylar, and transmaxillary approaches. Chordomas and chondrosarcomas are not sensitive to chemotherapy and there are no approved drugs for their treatment. The present treatment concept is a combination of surgical resection with a maximal excision and preserving patients' quality of life by adjuvant radiotherapy for both chordomas and chondrosarcomas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Study Question: Is the distribution of immune cells and the testicular vasculature altered in testicular biopsies from patients with Klinefelter syndrome (KS)?Summary Answer: Increased numbers of macrophages and mast cells, an increased expression of decorin and an increased blood vessel density were found in KS samples compared to controls.What Is Known Already: Most KS patients are infertile due to an early germ cell loss. From puberty onwards, testicular fibrosis can be detected. How this fibrotic process is initiated remains unknown.Study Design, Size, Duration: In this study, the number of macrophages, mast cells and their secretory products were evaluated in KS, Sertoli cell only (SCO) and control patient samples. The association between immune cell numbers and level of fibrosis in KS tissue was examined. In addition, the vascularization within these testicular tissue biopsies was studied. For immunohistochemical evaluation, KS patients at different stages of testicular development were included: prepubertal (aged 4-7 years; n = 4), peripubertal (aged 11-17 years; n = 21) and adult (aged >18 years; n = 37) patients. In addition, testicular tissue biopsies of adult SCO (n = 33) and control samples for the three KS age groups (prepubertal n = 9; peripubertal n = 5; adult n = 25) were analysed. Gene expression analysis was performed on adult testicular tissue from KS (n = 5), SCO (n = 5) and control (n = 5) patients.Participants/materials, Setting, Methods: Adult (>18 years) KS, SCO and control testicular tissue biopsies were obtained during a testicular sperm extraction procedure. KS peripubertal (11-18 years), prepubertal (<11 years) and age-matched control biopsies were obtained from the biobank of the university hospital. Immunohistochemistry was used to determine the tubular structure (H/PAS), the number of spermatogonia (MAGE-A4), macrophages (CD68) and mast cells (tryptase) and the blood vessel density (Von Willebrand factor). In addition, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction was used to determine the expression of secretory products of macrophages and mast cells (tryptase, tumour necrosis factor alpha and decorin).Main Results and the Role Of Chance: A significant increase in the number of macrophages (P < 0.0001) and mast cells (P = 0.0008) was found in the peritubular compartment of testes of adult KS patients compared to control samples. However, no association between the number of immune cells and the degree of fibrosis was observed. In adult SCO samples, a significant increase was seen for peritubular macrophage (P < 0.0001) and mast cell (P < 0.0001) numbers compared to control samples. In the interstitial compartment, a significant increase in mast cell number was found in adult SCO samples compared to KS (P < 0.0001) and control (P < 0.0001) tissue. A significant difference (P = 0.0431) in decorin expression could be detected in adult KS compared to control patients. Decorin expression was mostly seen in the walls of the seminiferous tubules. When comparing the vascularization between KS patients and age-matched controls, a significant increase (P = 0.0081) in blood vessel density could be observed only in prepubertal KS testicular tissue.Large Scale Data: N/A.Limitations, Reasons For Caution: As controls for this study, testicular tissue biopsies of men who underwent a vasectomy reversal or orchiectomy were used, but these men may not represent fertile controls. In addition, a high variability in immune cell numbers, secretory products expression and number of blood vessels could be observed amongst all patient samples.Wider Implications Of the Findings: Increased numbers of macrophages and mast cells have previously been described in non-KS infertile men. Our results show that these increased numbers can also be detected in KS testicular tissue. However, no association between the number of macrophages or mast cells and the degree of fibrosis in KS samples could be detected. Decorin has previously been described in relation to fibrosis, but it has not yet been associated with testicular fibrosis in KS. Our results suggest a role for this proteoglycan in the fibrotic process since an increased expression was observed in adult KS tissue compared to controls. Impaired vascularization in KS men was suggested to be responsible for the KS-related disturbed hormone levels. Our results show a significant difference in blood vessel density, especially for the smallest blood vessels, between prepubertal KS samples and age-matched controls. This is the first study to report differences between KS and control testicular tissue at prepubertal age.Study Funding/competing Interest(s): The project was funded by grants from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (E.G.) and the scientific Fund Willy Gepts from the UZ Brussel (D.V.S.). D.V.S. is a post-doctoral fellow of the Fonds voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (FWO; 12M2819N). No conflict of interest is declared for this research project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) may develop from a variety of oral potentially malignant disorders, but the mechanism of malignant transformation is still unknown. Among them, oral lichen planus (OLP) has a high prevalence. Previous studies have shown that α-enolase (ENO1) can promote cell proliferation and play an important role in tumorigenesis. In this study, we aim to explore the mechanism of ENO1 regulation in the process of OSCC tumorigenesis from OLP. Methods: ENO1 expression in tissues was determined by real-time quantitative PCR and immunohistochemistry. ENO1 was knocked down in cal-27 to observe the change in cell proliferation. Then, RNA-seq and bioinformatics analyses were conducted between OLP and OSCC samples. The expression of circ-AMOTL1, miRNA-22-3p, and miRNA-1294 was assessed using the real-time quantitative PCR. With knockdown and overexpression of circ-AMOTL1 in vitro, the change of ENO1 in the mRNA level was also assessed. Results: ENO1 was enhanced in the OSCC samples in comparison with OLP. Immunohistochemistry and real-time quantitative PCR results showed that ENO1 was significantly higher in OSCC tissue than in the OLP group, with a statistically significant difference (p< 0.05). When ENO1 was knocked down in cal-27, cell proliferation was inhibited (p< 0.05). The expression of miR-22-3p and miR-1294 was decreased in OSCC tissues, whereas ENO1 and circ-AMOTL1 increased. In an in vitro study, knockdown of circ-AMOTL1 resulted in a decrease of ENO1, while overexpression of circ-AMOTL1 led to an increase of ENO1 in the mRNA level. Conclusion: We confirmed that ENO1 expression was elevated in OSCC and increased cell proliferation. In an in vitro study, ENO1 expression was promoted by circ-AMOTL1. ENO1 may play a role as a tumor-promoting gene in OSCC through the circ-AMOTL1/miR-22-3p/miR-1294 network. These novel findings may shed further light on the pathogenesis from OLP to OSCC and the potential precursor markers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perennial vetch (Vicia unijuga A. Br.) is a valuable protein-rich forage crop to develop grassland animal husbandry in subalpine regions of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Unsatisfied seed yield (SY) is often a setback constrained by the cold and erratic precipitation environments. Techniques based on mulching (e.g. plastic-film and straw) efficiently improve SY of crops, but little is known about SY response of V. unijuga to mulching. A 3-year field experiment was conducted in a subalpine region of China to evaluate the effects of three mulching treatments – plastic-film mulching (FM), removal of plastic-film mulching at the 30% flowering stage (RM) and barley straw mulching (SM) – on SY and yield components of V. unijuga. Higher soil temperature and water contents were recorded in the FM treatment than in Control and other treatments. The greatest SY was achieved in the FM treatment, with a mean SY of 72.3 g m-2 for the 3 years. Among the yield components, inflorescences m-2 had the highest direct impact on SY, and explained 42.0% of the variation in SY. In conclusion, in subalpine regions, the FM treatment is an effective mulching method for enhancing SY of V. unijuga, and the response arises primarily through increasing initial inflorescence density. FI: florets per inflorescence; IS: inflorescences per square meter; LAI: leaf area index; OF: ovules per floret; PI: pods per inflorescence; SB: shoot biomass; SP: seeds per pod; ST: soil temperature; SWC: soil water content; SY: seed yield; PSY: potential seed yield; TSW: thousand seed weight; Control: non-mulched control; FM: plastic-film mulch for the entire season; RM: plastic-film mulch cover until 30% flowering; SM: naked barley (Hordeum vulgare L. var. nudum Hook. f.) straw mulch for the entire season; FFS: full flowering stage; IFS: initial flowering stage; MS: maturity stage; PFS: pod-filling stage [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the diseased liver, hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) transdifferentiate into "activated" myofibroblasts that then drive fibrogenesis by promoting the net deposition of extracellular matrix. This regulatory function requires stimulation of the 5-hydroxytryptamine 2B receptor (5-HT2B) on HSCs by serotonin (5-HT), which activates extracellular regulated protein kinases and the transcription factor JunD. However, the regulation mechanisms of 5-HT on microRNAs in the activation of HSCs need a thorough study. In this study, our data show that the expression of miR-221/222 increases with the stimulation of 5-HT and is correlated with the expression levels of alpha 1 type I collagen and α-smooth muscle actin in HSCs. Silencing against 5-HT2B attenuates miR-221/222 expression. Stimulation of stellate cells with 5-HT significantly upregulated miR-221/222 expression, while knockdown of JunD or treatment with the ERK inhibitor PD98059 significantly reduced miR-221/222 expression. miR-221 and miR-222 are potential targets in the quest for a cure for human liver fibrosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The secret sharing scheme is a data security tool to provide safe reliability and robustness for multi-user authentication systems. This work focus on expanding counting-based secret sharing technique to generate more shares for more handlers' services considering security as well as simple and fast computation. The research considers resolving some originally published imperfections in the share's generation phase proposing new smart expansion models validated to be optimized practical and efficient. We proposed seven possible models to expand the number of participants for applicable share's keys generated from the target key. The smart security randomness of the shares and target keys adjusted were all analyzed to select the best choice based on consistency randomness test. The study further used standard simulations applied on two different applicable multimedia target keys sizes of 16-bits and 64-bits showing attractive remarks pointing for further research improvements to continue. The improved smart system has been analyzed according to distortion security and capacity parameters showing attractive contributions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aquaculture offers a promising source of economic and healthy protein for human consumption and improved wellbeing. This has led to the development of the aquaculture industry, led through advanced production technologies and culture systems in many parts of the world. The intensification of fish production systems by farmers to meet consumer's needs, as well as to generate increased profits, creates a source of stress and the added occurrence of disease and subsequent loss. The negative environmental effects of chemical use have caused legislation to imposed regulations and restrictions to decrease their therapeutic or prophylactic use in aquaculture. As a result, dietary approaches have been suggested as an alternative. Medicinal herbs have been investigated for use in finfish diets to improve immune response and disease resistance. This review paper discusses the suggested modes of action of the effects of medicinal herbs on fish physiology and the immune systems. In addition, a comprehensive literature review on the effects on bacterial, viral, and parasitic diseases is also presented. An added objective was to address the gap between existing knowledge and future perspectives for the improvement of fish health and disease resistance through the use of natural products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is a common urological carcinoma in adults. Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) taurine-upregulated gene 1 (TUG1) has been reported to be involved in the progression of diverse human cancers, including renal cell carcinoma (RCC). However, the biological mechanism of TUG1 was rarely reported in ccRCC. Methods: The levels of TUG1, microRNA miR-31-5p and flotillin 1 (FLOT1) in ccRCC tissues and cells were detected by qRT-PCR. The interactions between miR-31-5p and TUG1 or FLOT1 were predicted by starBase v2.0 and TargetScan, respectively, which were further validated by RIP assay and RNA pull-down assay. Cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8), flow cytometry and Western blot were used to assess the effects of TUG1 on cell viability, apoptosis rate and the relative protein expression levels in ccRCC cells. In addition, the xenograft tumor assay was conducted to further verify the functions of TUG1 in ccRCC in vivo. Results: TUG1 was dramatically up-regulated in ccRCC tissues and cells. TUG1 silencing inhibited cell proliferation and promoted cell apoptosis, autophagy in 786-0 and A498 cells. In addition, TUG1 depletion repressed tumor growth in vivo. Moreover, miR-31-5p was validated as a direct target of TUG1, and microRNA miR-31-5p inhibitor mitigated the effects of TUG1 knockdown on ccRCC progression. Furthermore, FLOT1 was verified to be negatively interacted with miR-31-5p. FLOT1 overexpression attenuated miR-31-5p-mediated inhibitory effect on cell proliferation and promotion effects on cell apoptosis, autophagy. The restoration experiment implicated that TUG1 positively modulated FLOT1 expression by sponging miR-31-5p. Conclusion: All data demonstrated that TUG1 promotes cell proliferation and inhibits cell apoptosis and autophagy in ccRCC by miR-31-5p/FLOT1 axis, which may provide a therapeutic target for ccRCC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arsenic is a major environmental toxicant of concern, affecting both female and male reproductive systems. The present study was conducted to investigate the toxic effects of arsenic on semen quality and reproductive hormones of Teddy bucks, an important domestic species in regions of Pakistan. In addition to arsenic, vitamin C was fed to a subset of animals to determine if there were ameliorative effects on reproductive parameters. Sixteen adult Teddy bucks were randomly divided into four experimental groups: A (control), B (arsenic 5 mg/kg BW/day orally), and C (arsenic 5 mg/kg BW/day plus vitamin C of an oral dose of 200 mg/kg BW/day). The animals in experimental group D were given only vitamin C (oral dose of 200 mg/kg BW/day). Animals were fed treated food once a day for 12 weeks. Semen quality parameters (volume, motility, count, sperm morphology, live dead ratio, sperm membrane integrity, and sperm DNA integrity) of bucks from each experimental group were evaluated on a weekly basis. Hematology and the level of arsenic in the blood were assessed every 2 weeks. Serum was collected fortnightly to measure reproductive and stress hormones (testosterone, luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormones, and cortisol). At the end of the study, all the animals were slaughtered, and the testes of all the animals were collected and evaluated for histopathology. Semen parameters in arsenic-treated bucks were significantly reduced (p < 0.05) compared with controls. Moreover, the levels of male hormones (testosterone, luteinizing hormone, and follicle-stimulating hormone) were significantly decreased in arsenic-treated animals, while cortisol was significantly increased with arsenic exposure. The histopathological lesions in the testes were present in the form of the loss of germinal epithelium and atrophy of Leydig cells. Supplementation of vitamin C however ameliorated the adverse effects of arsenic on semen quality and hormones. The histopathological lesions were also ameliorated due to vitamin C treatment. This study demonstrates that arsenic can adversely affect reproductive endpoints in Teddy goat bucks and supports the hypothesis that vitamin C is an effective treatment in arsenic-induced toxicosis. This study has high significance for Pakistan, as water contaminated with arsenic is a top health concern and is a recurring issue for both domestic animals and humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Clinical Hepatology / Linchuang Gandanbing Zazhi is the property of Journal of Clinical Hepatology and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Mycosystema is the property of Mycosystema Editorial Board and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Objective: Findings on the effect of the lunar cycle on mental illness are conflicting. We investigated the association between the lunar cycle and a number of psychiatric presentations of schizophrenia and determined which subtypes were susceptible to lunar phases. Methods: We evaluated 13,067 patients admitted to Zhumadian Psychiatric Hospital between January 1, 2012, and December 31, 2017 (73 lunar cycles). Patients were retrospectively assigned to lunar phase based on their admission date: new moon +/− 1 day, first quarter +/− 1 day, full moon +/− 1 day, and third quarter +/− 1 day. The International Statistical Classification of Diseases, 10th revision (ICD-10), was used for diagnosis. We used a Chi-squared goodness of fit test to evaluate the distribution of admissions across the lunar phase and R*C Chi-squared tests to compare age, sex, birth season, and clinical subtype distributions by phase. We used multiple logistic regression to further identify the relationship between clinical subtype and lunar phase. Results: Psychiatric admissions for schizophrenia varied significantly across the lunar cycle (χ2 = 36.400, p<.0001), peaking in the first quarter, followed by the full moon, and lowest at the new moon. Using unspecified schizophrenia (F20.9) as reference, people with paranoid schizophrenia (F20.0) were more likely to be admitted in the full moon than in other phases (odds ratio: 1.157, 95% confidence interval: 1.040–1.286) (p <.05); other subtypes showed no admission differences during the four lunar phases (p >.05). Conclusions: Psychiatric admissions for schizophrenia show lunar periodicities. People with schizophrenia tend to be stable in the new moon, but their condition is easily aggravated during the first quarter and full moon. Patients with paranoid schizophrenia are more susceptible to deterioration at the full moon, so merit more attention and care from communities, families, and hospitals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose of Review: The goal of this review is to highlight the deficits in muscle and bone in children with cerebral palsy (CP), discuss the muscle-bone relationship in the CP population, and identify muscle-based intervention strategies that may stimulate an improvement in their bone development. Recent Findings: The latest research suggests that muscle and bone are both severely underdeveloped and weak in children with CP, even in ambulatory children with mild forms of the disorder. The small and low-performing muscles and limited participation in physical activity are likely the major contributors to the poor bone development in children with CP. However, the muscle-bone relationship may be complicated by other factors, such as a high degree of fat and collagen infiltration of muscle, atypical muscle activation, and muscle spasticity. Muscle-based interventions, such as resistance training, vibration, and nutritional supplementation, have the potential to improve bone development in children with CP, especially if they are initiated before puberty. Summary: Studies are needed to identify the muscle-related factors with the greatest influence on bone development in children with CP. Identifying treatment strategies that capitalize on the relationship between muscle and bone, while also improving balance, coordination, and physical activity participation, is an important step toward increasing bone strength and minimizing fractures in children with CP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been reported play critical roles in regulating tumor development and progression. Objective: This study aimed to investigate the potential effect of miR-1294 in gastric cancer (GC). Methods: Reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) were performed to verify the expression level of miR-1294 and Forkhead box protein K1 (FOXK1). Overall survival data of miR-1294 for GC was analysed by log-rank test. Targetscan was used to screen potential target gene of miR-1294. Dual luciferase assay was assessed to investigate the relationship between miR-1294 and FOXK1. The miR-1294 overexpression and knockdown were designed to study the biological function of miR-1294. The migration and invasion of GC cell lines were investigated by wound healing and transwell assays. Western blotting were performed to verify the expression level of epithelial marker, mesenchymal markers and FOXK1. Overexpression of FOXK1 was designed to study the rescue effects of FOXK1 in SGC7901 cell. Results: miR-1294 was found downregulated in GC patients and cell lines. A higher miR-1294 expression showed a significant longer overall survival than those with a lower miR-1294 expression. miR-1294 directly targets FOXK1 and regulates the expression of FOXK1. In addition, miR-1294 regulates epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) by inhibiting FOXK1 in GC cells and it can be rescued by overexpression of FOXK1. Conclusion: miR-1294 alleviates EMT process in GC by targeting FOXK1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ingots with nominal composition Pr 9.5 Fe 84 - x B 6.4 P 0.1 Zr x (x = 0, 1, 2, 3) were prepared by an electric arc furnace under purified argon atmosphere. The ribbons were obtained by melt spinning at a wheel speed of 16–33 m·s−1. X-ray diffraction (XRD) results show that P addition decreases crystallinity of hard phase, but further Zr addition increases the amorphous-forming ability of soft phase. The intrinsic coercivity largely increases from 502 (Zr-free) to 945 kA·m−1 (2 at% Zr), which is among the highest value reported so far in this poor rare earth nanocomposite magnets. The hysteresis loops of the alloys with addition of 1 at% and 2 at% Zr show good squareness with single-phase characteristic, indicating well exchange coupling between hard and soft magnetic grains. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) results reveal small grain size and uniformity in the microstructure in the Zr-added samples, which is the reason for high coercivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Food Safety & Quality is the property of Journal of Food Safety & Quality Editorial Department and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

A new amidoxime-functionalized ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene fibrous adsorbent (UHMWPE-g-PAO) was used for the recovery of Au(III) from acid aqueous solution. The maximum experimental absorption capacity of UHMWPE-g-PAO fiber was found to be approximately 220.0 mg·g−1. Au adsorption on UHMWPE-g-PAO was characterized by synchrotron radiation-based microcomputed tomography (SR-μ-CT), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray absorption near-edge structure spectroscopy (XANES) and synchrotron radiation-based Fourier transform infrared microspectroscopy (SR-FTIR). The SR-μ-CT and TEM results showed the distribution features of gold particles on the fiber. The mechanism of Au(III) recovery from aqueous solutions by UHMWPE-g-PAO was based on the adsorbed Au(III) ions, which were reduced to metallic zero-valent gold (Au(0)) by amino groups (–NH2) in the amidoxime (AO) groups during the adsorption process, as confirmed by high-resolution TEM (HRTEM) and XANES analyses. X-ray diffraction (XRD) results indicated that the incineration ashes contained metallic zero-valent gold. In conclusion, this amidoxime-functionalized fibrous adsorbent is a promising material for recovering gold from aqueous solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: An imbalance between oxidative and reductive processes within cells can result in oxidative stress leading to a decrease in cellular survival. Use of natural products with antioxidant properties may reduce this oxidative stress. Objective: The objective of the study is to determine whether a natural product blend of turmeric, pagoda tree seed pod (quercetin), and rosemary (TQR) extracts can protect human liver cells from oxidative stress-induced cytotoxicity. Materials and Methods: HepG2 cells were treated with a blend of botanical extracts of TQR (1:3:5, w: w:w) and expression of genes downstream of nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (NRF2) activation was measured. We also measured the ability of the extract blend to protect DNA and lipids from oxidative stress by measuring via the comet assay and 8-isoprostane production, respectively. Finally, we measured the effect of the extract blend on HepG2 cell protection against oxidative stress-induced cytotoxicity. Results: We provide evidence that the TQR blend activates the NRF2 pathway leading to DNA protection, a decrease in lipid peroxidation, and whole cell protection against oxidative stress. Conclusion: These results suggest that consuming a blend of TQR at the ratio of 1:3:5 could provide benefits against environmental stressors that increase exposure to reactive oxygen species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parallel implementation provides a solution for the problem of accelerating cellular automata (CA)-based secret sharing schemes and make them appropriate for bulk data sharing and real-time applications. By presenting new platforms, we need new implementation techniques to run algorithms as fast as possible on the platform. In this paper, we present a new implementation of a CA-based secret sharing scheme using the Graphic Processing Unit (GPU). We propose a new data arrangement that reduces the total number of accesses to the memories in GPU. Our algorithm further reduces the amount of data required by each thread and at the same time achieves a high cache hit rate. Also, it can achieve coalesced memory accesses to optimal use of the global memory bandwidth. The proposed method obtains speedup up to four times faster than the best previous GPU implemented CA-based multi-secret sharing schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

E1A binding protein p300 (P300) is a member of the histone acetyltransferase family of transcriptional co-activators, which are associated with various types of cancer. Numerous studies have evaluated the diagnostic value of P300, but their results are not consistent. Therefore, a clinical study and a meta-analysis were performed in the present study to investigate the prognostic value of P300 expression in human malignant neoplasms. Immunohistochemical (IHC) analysis was used to assess P300 expression in 43 paraffin-embedded primary synovial sarcoma (SS) samples. For the meta-analysis, eligible studies published until January 21, 2018 were identified by searching the PubMed, EMBASE and Web of Science databases. The IHC analysis indicated a high P300 expression rate in 33.3% (10/30) of biphasic SS (BSSs) and in 60% (6/10) of monophasic fibrous SS tissues. In BSS, the expression rate was significantly higher in the epithelial component (80.0%, 24/30) than that in the spindle-cell component (30.0%, 9/30; P<0.05). The meta-analysis indicated that high expression of P300 was associated with poor overall survival (OS) in digestive system malignant neoplasms (HR=1.54, 95% CI: 1.20–2.23), as well as with poor progression-free survival, recurrence-free survival and disease-free survival combined (HR=1.84, 95% CI: 1.36–2.47). Analysis of subgroups by ethnicity demonstrated that high expression of P300 was associated with poor OS in Asians (HR=1.72, 95% CI: 1.20–2.47) but favourable OS in Caucasians (HR=0.59, 95% CI: 0.47–0.73). Furthermore, high expression of P300 was associated with clinical stage [Relative Risk (RR)=1.30, 95% CI: 1.07–1.58], lymph node metastasis (RR=1.30, 95% CI: 1.03–1.64) and depth of invasion (RR=1.31, 95% CI: 1.07–1.60). P300 expression may therefore be a useful biomarker for predicting patient prognosis in various types of human cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are known to play important roles in the initiation and progression of human cancers, as well as in angiogenesis. TAMs are considered as main components of the tumor microenvironment. Targeting TAMs may serve as a therapeutic strategy for the treatment of cancer. In this review, the signaling pathways, origin, function, polarization and clinical application of TAMs are discussed. The role of TAMs in tumor initiation, progression, angiogenesis, invasion and metastasis are also emphasized. In addition, a variety of clinical and pre-clinical approaches to target TAMs are discussed. Conclusions: Clinical therapeutic approaches that show most promise include blocking the extravasation of TAMs along with using TAMs as diagnostic biomarkers for cancer progression. The targeting of TAMs in a variety of clinical settings appears to be a promising strategy for decreasing metastasis formation and for improving patient outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of the current review was to summarize the current applications, the latest advances and importantly, highlight research gaps in the use of quantum dots in the eye. Quantum dots are nanoscale semiconductor crystals with characteristic size and tunable optical properties, which deliver bright and stable fluorescence suitable for bioimaging and labelling. Methods: A systematic search was conducted following the PRISMA guidelines. This review systematically searched published data to summarize the characteristics and applications of quantum dots in ophthalmology. Two hundred and eighty published articles were initially selected for this review following searches using the criteria quantum dots AND nanoparticles AND ophthalmology in the databases PubMed, MEDLINE, Scopus, Embase and Web of Science. Results: After duplicates were removed, a total of 22 eligible articles were included for the review. Quantum dots potentially provide a range of diagnostic and therapeutic applications in ophthalmology. Quantum dots offer visible and near-infrared emission, which is highly desirable for bioimaging, due to reduced light scattering and low tissue absorption. Their applications include in vivo bioimaging, labelling of cells and tissues, delivery of genes or drugs and as antimicrobial composites. Conclusion: Quantum dots have been used in ophthalmology for bioimaging, electrical stimulation and tracking of gene/stems cells, and ocular lymphatics. However, there is no detailed description of their desirable characteristics for use in ophthalmology, and there is limited information about their cytotoxicity to ocular cells and tissues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In terms of energy resource recovery and environmental protection, the separation of U(VI) from aqueous solutions is vital. Adsorption and solvent extraction are the most common separation technologies, which are also widely used for uranium recovery or removal from aqueous solution. The linear structure of uranyl ion and its multiple coordination feasibilities offer great opportunities for its extractive and adsorptive separation. This review briefly summarized and analyzed the recent advances in the separation of uranyl ions from aqueous solutions, mainly focusing on the selective extraction and adsorption using affinity ligands-based technology, which is promising method due to the high selectivity, capable of recovering uranium at low concentration and complicate aqueous environment. The affinity ligands for uranyl ions, including organophosphorus, calixarenes, amidoxime, imidazole and other derivatives were introduced. These donor ligands for design of extraction solvents or adsorbents for the separation of uranyl ions were summarized. The further research on the coordination chemistry towards uranyl ions and removal mechanisms would provide vital information for the development of more effective ligands with higher affinity, stability and compatibility in various systems, which is still challenging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arsenic is known to cause oxidative damage. Nuclear factor E2-relate factor-2 (Nrf2) can resist this toxicity. Scholars demonstrated that Nrf2 pathway was activated by arsenic. In contrast, other articles established arsenic-induced inhibition of Nrf2 pathway. To resolve the contradiction and elucidate the mechanism of Nrf2 induced by arsenic, 39 publications involving mouse models were identified through exhaustive database retrieval and were analyzed. The pooled results suggested that arsenic obviously elevated transcription and translation levels of Nrf2 and its downstream genes, NAD(P)H dehydrogenase 1 (NQO1), heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), glutamate-cysteine ligase catalytic subunit (GCLC), and GST-glutathione-S-transferase1/2 (GSTO1/2). Arsenic increased the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS), but reduced the level of glutathione (GSH). Subgroup analysis between arsenic and control groups showed that the levels of Nrf2 and its downstream genes are greater in high dose than that in the low dose, higher in short-term exposure than long term, female subjects tolerated better than males, higher in mice than the rats, and greater in other organs than the liver. However, the contents of genes of Nrf2 pathway between the arsenic and control groups were lower in rats than in mice and were less for long-term exposure than the short term (P < 0.05). Conclusively, a variable regulation of arsenic on Nrf2 pathway is noted. Higher dose and short-term exposure of female mice organs except for liver promoted Nrf2 pathway. On the other hand, arsenic inhibited Nrf2 pathway for long-term exposure on rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]