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Background: It is known that inflammatory bowel disease is the result of a defective immune system, and immunotherapy and biological therapy have gradually become important means to treat it. This paper focused on the bibliometric statistical analysis of the current research progress to summarize the research status of this field and analyze the research trends in recent years.Methods: Two visualization tools, CiteSpace and VOSviewer, were used to explore the data of journals, institutions, countries/regions, authors, references, and keywords for the literature included in the Web of Science Core Collection from January 1, 2002, to December 31, 2021.Results: A total of 312 papers were published in 120 journals by 603 institutions from 40 countries/regions, with 9463 co-cited references. The United States has the most publications with the highest total citations in the world. Inflammatory Bowel Diseases published the maximum number of papers, and Gastroenterology devoted the most co-citations to immunotherapy and biological therapy for IBD. In addition, we found that the studies before 2009 mostly focused on clinical trials while researchers have paid more attention to clinical management in therapy for IBD since 2009. Combination therapy and management of the treatment for the disease have become research hotspots.Conclusion: The focus of immunotherapy and biotherapy for IBD has shifted from clinical trials to the management of the risks and benefits of immunotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Ambulatory surgery maintains the advantages of a more rapid return to work and overall reduced hospital costs. The specific impact of ambulatory surgery for anal fistula using the LIFT procedure (ligation of the intersphincteric fistula tract) is presented.Methods: A total of 218 consecutive patients with anal fistula who underwent ambulatory LIFT surgery were retrospectively compared with 386 cases managed as in-patients. Patient demographics, comorbidities, postoperative morbidity and pain as well as readmission rates within 30 days and satisfaction ratings were compared between the two groups.Results: When compared with patients undergoing in-patient surgery, those in the ambulatory group were younger with a better level of education (P < 0.05). Ambulatory cases returned to work after shorter postoperative periods (P < 0.01) but experienced more frequent postoperative external hemorrhoidal thrombosis and more reported postoperative pain (P < 0.05). There were no differences in the overall rate of complications or readmissions between the two groups. Ambulatory patients reported higher satisfaction ratings than in-patients (P < 0.05).Conclusions: The LIFT procedure for anal fistula can be safely performed in the ambulatory setting resulting in an acceptable level of satisfaction and a more rapid return to work when compared with in-patient fistula management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Right ventricle failure (RVF) is a progressive heart disease that has yet to be fully understood at the molecular level. Elevated M-type pyruvate kinase 2 (PKM2) tetramerization alleviates heart failure, but detailed molecular mechanisms remain unclear. Objective: We observed changes in PKM2 tetramerization levels during the progression of right heart failure and in vitro cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and explored the causal relationship between altered PKM2 tetramerization and the imbalance of redox homeostasis in cardiomyocytes, as well as its underlying mechanisms. Ultimately, our goal was to propose rational intervention strategies for the treatment of RVF. Method: We established RVF in Sprague Dawley (SD) rats by intraperitoneal injection of monocrotaline (MCT). The pulmonary artery pressure and right heart function of rats were assessed using transthoracic echocardiography combined with right heart catheterization. TEPP-46 was used both in vivo and in vitro to promote PKM2 tetramerization. Results: We observed that oxidative stress and mitochondrial disorganization were associated with increased apoptosis in the right ventricular tissue of RVF rats. Quantitative proteomics revealed that PKM2 was upregulated during RVF and negatively correlated with the cardiac function. Facilitating PKM2 tetramerization promoted mitochondrial network formation and alleviated oxidative stress and apoptosis during cardiomyocyte hypertrophy. Moreover, enhancing PKM2 tetramer formation improved cardiac mitochondrial morphology, mitigated oxidative stress and alleviated heart failure. Conclusion: Disruption of PKM2 tetramerization contributed to RVF by inducing mitochondrial fragmentation, accumulating ROS, and finally promoted the progression of cardiomyocyte apoptosis. Facilitating PKM2 tetramerization holds potential as a promising therapeutic approach for RVF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Silica-induced pulmonary fibrosis (silicosis) is a diffuse interstitial fibrotic disease characterized by the massive deposition of extracellular matrix in lung tissue. Fibroblast to myofibroblast differentiation is crucial for the disease progression. Inhibiting myofibroblast differentiation may be an effective way for pulmonary fibrosis treatment. Methods: The experiments were conducted in TGF-β treated human lung fibroblasts to induce myofibroblast differentiation in vitro and silica treated mice to induce pulmonary fibrosis in vivo. Results: By quantitative mass spectrometry, we revealed that proteins involved in mitochondrial folate metabolism were specifically upregulated during myofibroblast differentiation following TGF-β stimulation. The expression level of proteins in mitochondrial folate pathway, MTHFD2 and SLC25A32, negatively regulated myofibroblast differentiation. Moreover, plasma folate concentration was significantly reduced in patients and mice with silicosis. Folate supplementation elevated the expression of MTHFD2 and SLC25A32, alleviated oxidative stress and effectively suppressed myofibroblast differentiation and silica-induced pulmonary fibrosis in mice. Conclusion: Our study suggests that mitochondrial folate pathway regulates myofibroblast differentiation and could serve as a potential target for ameliorating silica-induced pulmonary fibrosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1), one of the most common forms of adult-onset muscular dystrophy, is caused by abnormally expanded CTG repeats in the 3′ untranslated region of the DMPK gene. The CUG repeats transcribed from the expanded CTG repeats sequestrate a splicing factor, MBNL1, causing the clinical symptoms in DM1. Nowadays, only symptomatic treatments are available for DM1, and no rational therapy is available. Recently, upregulation of MBNL1 expression has been found to be one of the promising therapies for DM1. Methods: All experiments were conducted in the C2C12 myoblasts and HSALR mice, a DM1 mouse model. Real-time PCR and western blot were used to detect the mRNA and protein level, respectively. The rotarod exercise, grip strength and hanging time were used to evaluate the muscle strength of mice. Results: In this study, we demonstrated that calcitriol, an active form of vitamin D3, increased MBNL1 in C2C12 mouse myoblasts as well as in HSALR mice model for DM1. In HSALR mice model, calcitriol improved muscle strength, and corrected aberrant splicing in skeletal muscle. Besides, calcitriol reduced the number of central nuclei, and improved muscle histopathology in HSALR mice. In addition, we identified that calcitriol upregulated MBNL1 expression via activating the promoter of Mbnl1 in C2C12 myogenic cells. Conclusion: Our study suggests that calcitriol is a potential pharmacological strategy for DM1 that enhances MBNL1 expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1), one of the most common forms of adult-onset muscular dystrophy, is caused by abnormally expanded CTG repeats in the 3′ untranslated region of the DMPK gene. The CUG repeats transcribed from the expanded CTG repeats sequestrate a splicing factor, MBNL1, causing the clinical symptoms in DM1. Nowadays, only symptomatic treatments are available for DM1, and no rational therapy is available. Recently, upregulation of MBNL1 expression has been found to be one of the promising therapies for DM1. Methods: All experiments were conducted in the C2C12 myoblasts and HSALR mice, a DM1 mouse model. Real-time PCR and western blot were used to detect the mRNA and protein level, respectively. The rotarod exercise, grip strength and hanging time were used to evaluate the muscle strength of mice. Results: In this study, we demonstrated that calcitriol, an active form of vitamin D3, increased MBNL1 in C2C12 mouse myoblasts as well as in HSALR mice model for DM1. In HSALR mice model, calcitriol improved muscle strength, and corrected aberrant splicing in skeletal muscle. Besides, calcitriol reduced the number of central nuclei, and improved muscle histopathology in HSALR mice. In addition, we identified that calcitriol upregulated MBNL1 expression via activating the promoter of Mbnl1 in C2C12 myogenic cells. Conclusion: Our study suggests that calcitriol is a potential pharmacological strategy for DM1 that enhances MBNL1 expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Depression and anxiety are common among pregnant women. Internet-delivered psychological therapies such as cognitive behavioral therapy (iCBT) have been developed to increase accessibility and address common help-seeking barriers, especially during pandemic period. The objective of this trial is to evaluate the short-term and long-term effects of iCBT on reducing depressive symptoms among pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic with the overall goal of preventing depression recurrence in the first 12 months postpartum.Methods: A multi-site randomized controlled trial will be conducted where 300 pregnant women early in their third trimester will be screened for depression symptoms using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) during a routine obstetrical visit. Eligible and consenting women with a score greater than 9 will be randomly allocated (1:1) to either intervention group or control group. ICBT involving the completion of 7 weekly online modules will be delivered via a well-designed perinatal mental healthcare app. The primary objective is to evaluate the effect of iCBT on reducing depression symptoms among pregnant Chinese women starting from their third trimester. The secondary objectives are to examine the effect of iCBT on anxiety, sleep quality, social support, parenting stress, co-parenting relationship, and infant development.Discussion: This multi-center randomized controlled trial has been planned in accordance with best practices in behavioral trial design. The internet-based intervention addressed the needs of pregnant women during a major pandemic where face-to-face therapy is not preferable. The trial has a relatively large sample size with sufficient power to evaluate the efficacy of iCBT intervention for the primary and secondary outcomes. One year follow-up evaluation in the study is designed to determine the longer-term effect of the intervention on both maternal and infant outcomes. Although a limitation is the assessment of depression and anxiety using self-report measures, these easily incorporated and maternal-preferred assessments allow for real-life scalability if the intervention is proven to be effective.Ethics and Dissemination: Ethics was approved by the institutional review board of International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital (GKLW2020-25). Dissemination of results will be published in peer-reviewed academic journals and presented at scientific conferences.Trial Status: The first patient was enrolled on 19 August 2020. To date, 203 participants have met eligibility requirements and been randomized to either the intervention group or control group. Data collection aims to be complete in September 2022. Date and version identifier: 2020715-version1.0.Trial Registration: ChiCTR2000033433. Registered 31 May 2020, http://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=54482 . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer worldwide. However, limited effective biomarkers are associated with the tumorigenesis and prognosis of CRC.Methods: The present study identified potential signatures from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and further validated the identified biomarkers in CRC tissues by immunohistochemistry (IHC).Results: The expression of insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF-1R) and Livin gene was significantly upregulated in CRC samples compared to the adjacent normal samples in the TCGA dataset. IHC indicated that IGF-1R and Livin protein levels are increased in CRC and adenoma tissues compared to normal tissues. Notably, the IGF-1R protein levels differed significantly between adenoma and CRC. The elevated IGF-1R and Livin expression was associated with CRC clinicopathological features, including age, gender, histological subtype, individual cancer stages, nodal metastasis, and TP53-mutant in TCGA. Additionally, the IGF-1R promoter methylation level was closely related to CRC. Consistent with the TCGA study, IHC indicated that overexpressed IGF-1R and Livin proteins were independent risk factors for stage and metastasis. A marked correlation was established between IGF-1R and Livin expression in CRC, while the survival map showed no significant correlation with CRC. Kaplan-Meier survival curves showed that CRC patients with high IGF-1R or Livin expression had a prolonged overall disease-free survival than those with low expression in TCGA.Conclusion: IGF-1R and Livin are associated with CRC tumorigenesis and might be valuable for novel biomarker identification and targeted therapeutic strategy development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Macrophages derived from THP-1 cells were stimulated with IL-4/IL-13 with or without AS-IV (80 M) for 48 h. a Flow cytometry was used to quantify the expression of CD206, an M2 macrophage marker, and CD86, an M1 marker. b QT-PCR was performed to detect gene levels in M2 and M1 macrophages. Reference 1 Xu F, Cui WQ, Wei Y. Astragaloside IV inhibits lung cancer progression and metastasis by modulating macrophage polarization through AMPK signaling. [Extracted from the article]

Background: With pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), human coronaviruses (HCoVs) have recently attached worldwide attention as essential pathogens in respiratory infection. HCoV-229E has been described as a rare cause of lower respiratory infection in immunocompetent adults.Case Presentation: We reported a 72-year-old man infected by HCoV-229E with rapid progression to acute respiratory distress syndrome, in conjunction with new onset atrial fibrillation, intensive care unit acquired weakness, and recurrent hospital acquired pneumonia. Clinical and radiological data were continuously collected. The absolute number of peripheral T cells and the level of complement components diminished initially and recovered after 2 months. The patient was successfully treated under intensive support care and discharged from the hospital after 3 months and followed.Conclusion: HCoV-229E might an essential causative agent of pulmonary inflammation and extensive lung damage. Supportive treatment was essential to HCoVs infection on account of a long duration of immunological recovery in critical HCoV-229E infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Strength recovery of injured knee is an important parameter for patients who want to return to sport after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR). Comparison of muscle strength between anatomical and non-anatomical ACLR has not been reported.Purpose: To evaluate the difference between anatomical and non-anatomical single-bundle ACLR in hamstring and quadriceps strength and clinical outcomes.Methods: Patients received unilateral primary single-bundle hamstring ACLR between January 2017 to January 2018 were recruited in this study. Patients were divided into anatomical reconstruction group (AR group) and non-anatomical reconstruction group (NAR group) according to femoral tunnel aperture position. The hamstring and quadriceps isokinetic strength including peak extension torque, peak flexion torque and H/Q ratio were measured at an angular velocity of 180°/s and 60°/s using an isokinetic dynamometer. The isometric extension and flexion torques were also measured. Hamstring and quadriceps strength were measured preoperatively and at 3, 6, and 12 months after surgery. Knee stability including Lachman test, pivot-shift test, and KT-1000 measurement and subjective knee function including International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) and Lysholm scores were evaluated during the follow-up.Results: Seventy-two patients with an average follow-up of 30.4 months (range, 24-35 months) were included in this study. Thirty-three were in AR group and 39 in NAR group. The peak knee flexion torque was significant higher in AR group at 180°/s and 60°/s (P < 0.05 for both velocity) at 6 months postoperatively and showed no difference between the two groups at 12 months postoperatively. The isometric knee extension torque was significant higher in AR group at 6 months postoperatively (P < 0.05) and showed no difference between the two groups at 12 months postoperatively. No significant differences between AR group and NAR group were found regarding knee stability and subjective knee function evaluations at follow-up.Conclusions: Compared with non-anatomical ACLR, anatomical ACLR showed a better recovery of hamstring and quadriceps strength at 6 months postoperatively. However, the discrepancy on hamstring and quadriceps strength between the two groups vanished at 1 year postoperatively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cyclin-dependent kinases 2/4/6 (CDK2/4/6) play critical roles in cell cycle progression, and their deregulations are hallmarks of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods: We used the combination of computational and experimental approaches to discover a CDK2/4/6 triple-inhibitor from FDA approved small-molecule drugs for the treatment of HCC. Results: We identified vanoxerine dihydrochloride as a new CDK2/4/6 inhibitor, and a strong cytotoxicdrugin human HCC QGY7703 and Huh7 cells (IC50: 3.79 μM for QGY7703and 4.04 μM for Huh7 cells). In QGY7703 and Huh7 cells, vanoxerine dihydrochloride treatment caused G1-arrest, induced apoptosis, and reduced the expressions of CDK2/4/6, cyclin D/E, retinoblastoma protein (Rb), as well as the phosphorylation of CDK2/4/6 and Rb. Drug combination study indicated that vanoxerine dihydrochloride and 5-Fu produced synergistic cytotoxicity in vitro in Huh7 cells. Finally, in vivo study in BALB/C nude mice subcutaneously xenografted with Huh7 cells, vanoxerine dihydrochloride (40 mg/kg, i.p.) injection for 21 days produced significant anti-tumor activity (p < 0.05), which was comparable to that achieved by 5-Fu (10 mg/kg, i.p.), with the combination treatment resulted in synergistic effect. Immunohistochemistry staining of the tumor tissues also revealed significantly reduced expressions of Rb and CDK2/4/6in vanoxerinedihydrochloride treatment group. Conclusions: The present study isthe first report identifying a new CDK2/4/6 triple inhibitor vanoxerine dihydrochloride, and demonstrated that this drug represents a novel therapeutic strategy for HCC treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Decapods are an order of crustaceans which includes shrimps, crabs, lobsters and crayfish. They occur worldwide and are of great scientific interest as well as being of ecological and economic importance in fisheries and aquaculture. However, our knowledge of their biology mainly comes from the group which is most closely related to crustaceans – insects. Here we produce a de novo transcriptome database, crustacean annotated transcriptome (CAT) database, spanning multiple tissues and the life stages of seven crustaceans. Description: A total of 71 transcriptome assemblies from six decapod species and a stomatopod species, including the coral shrimp Stenopus hispidus, the cherry shrimp Neocaridina davidi, the redclaw crayfish Cherax quadricarinatus, the spiny lobster Panulirus ornatus, the red king crab Paralithodes camtschaticus, the coconut crab Birgus latro, and the zebra mantis shrimp Lysiosquillina maculata, were generated. Differential gene expression analyses within species were generated as a reference and included in a graphical user interface database at http://cat.sls.cuhk.edu.hk/. Users can carry out gene name searches and also access gene sequences based on a sequence query using the BLAST search function. Conclusions: The data generated and deposited in this database offers a valuable resource for the further study of these crustaceans, as well as being of use in aquaculture development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Scleractinian corals are important reef builders, but around the world they are under the threat of global climate change as well as local stressors. Molecular resources are critical for understanding a species' stress responses and resilience to the changing environment, but such resources are unavailable for most scleractinian corals, especially those distributed in the South China Sea. We therefore aimed to provide transcriptome resources for 14 common species, including a few structure forming species, in the South China Sea. Description: We sequenced the transcriptome of 14 species of scleractinian corals using high-throughput RNA-seq and conducted de novo assembly. For each species, we produced 7.4 to 12.0 gigabases of reads, and assembled them into 271 to 762 thousand contigs with a N50 value of 629 to 1427 bp. These contigs included 66 to 114 thousand unigenes with a predicted open reading frame, and 74.3 to 80.5% of the unigenes were functionally annotated. In the azooxanthelate species Tubastraea coccinea, 41.5% of the unigenes had at least a best-hit sequence from corals. In the other thirteen species, 20.2 to 48.9% of the annotated unigenes had best-hit sequences from corals, and 28.3 to 51.6% from symbiotic algae belonging to the family Symbiodinaceae. With these resources, we developed a transcriptome database (CoralTBase) which features online BLAST and keyword search for unigenes/functional terms through a user friendly Internet interface. Short conclusion: We developed comprehensive transcriptome resources for 14 species of scleractinian corals and constructed a publicly accessible database (www.comp.hkbu.edu.hk/~db/CoralTBase). CoralTBase will facilitate not only functional studies using these corals to understand the molecular basis of stress responses and adaptation, but also comparative transcriptomic studies with other species of corals and more distantly related cnidarians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: High hydrostatic pressure and low temperatures make the deep sea a harsh environment for life forms. Actin organization and microtubules assembly, which are essential for intracellular transport and cell motility, can be disrupted by high hydrostatic pressure. High hydrostatic pressure can also damage DNA. Nucleic acids exposed to low temperatures can form secondary structures that hinder genetic information processing. To study how deep-sea creatures adapt to such a hostile environment, one of the most straightforward ways is to sequence and compare their genes with those of their shallow-water relatives. Results: We captured an individual of the fish species Aldrovandia affinis, which is a typical deep-sea inhabitant, from the Okinawa Trough at a depth of 1550 m using a remotely operated vehicle (ROV). We sequenced its transcriptome and analyzed its molecular adaptation. We obtained 27,633 protein coding sequences using an Illumina platform and compared them with those of several shallow-water fish species. Analysis of 4918 single-copy orthologs identified 138 positively selected genes in A. affinis, including genes involved in microtubule regulation. Particularly, functional domains related to cold shock as well as DNA repair are exposed to positive selection pressure in both deep-sea fish and hadal amphipod. Conclusions: Overall, we have identified a set of positively selected genes related to cytoskeleton structures, DNA repair and genetic information processing, which shed light on molecular adaptation to the deep sea. These results suggest that amino acid substitutions of these positively selected genes may contribute crucially to the adaptation of deep-sea animals. Additionally, we provide a high-quality transcriptome of a deep-sea fish for future deep-sea studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Natural orifice specimen extraction surgery is a novel technique of minimally invasive surgery. The purpose of this study was to compare the safety of laparoscopic anterior resection with natural orifice specimen extraction (NOSE-LAR) and abdominal incision specimen extraction (AISE-LAR) for sigmoid or rectum tumors. Methods: MEDLINE (PubMed), Embase, CENTRAL (Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials), Scopus, and ClinicalTrials databases were systematically searched for related articles up to August 2019. The primary outcomes included postoperative complications (overall postoperative complication, incision-related complication, anastomotic fistula, and severe complication) and pathologic results (lymph nodes harvested, proximal resection margin, and distal resection edge). The statistical analysis was performed on STATA 12.0 software. Results: Ten studies comprising 1787 patients were used for meta-analysis. Compared with AISE-LAR, NOSE-LAR had more advantages in terms of overall postoperative complication (odds ratio (OR) = 0.65 (95% CI, 0.46 to 0.90; P = 0.01)), incision-related complication (OR = 0.13 (95% CI, 0.05 to 0.35; P < 0.01)), distal resection edge (weighted mean difference (WMD) = 0.17 cm (95% CI, 0.02 to 0.33 cm; P = 0.02)), recovery of gastrointestinal function (WMD = − 0.38 day (95% CI, − 0.70 to − 0.06 day; P = 0.02)), pain scores in postoperative day 1 (WMD = − 1.64 (95% CI, − 2.31 to − 0.98; P < 0.01)), additional analgesics usage (OR = 0.21 (95% CI, 0.11 to 0.40; P < 0.01)) and hospital stay (WMD = − 0.71 day (95% CI, − 1.10 to − 0.32 day; P < 0.01)), while the operation time of NOSE-LAR was prolonged (WMD = 7.4 min (95% CI, 0.17 to 14.64 min; P = 0.04)). The anastomotic fistula, severe complication, lymph nodes harvested, proximal resection margin, intraoperative blood loss, and long-term outcomes in NOSE-LAR were comparable with AISE-LAR. Conclusions: The safety of NOSE-LAR was demonstrated, and it could be an alternative to conventional surgery in laparoscopic anterior resection for sigmoid and rectal tumors. However, further randomized and multi-center trials are required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Accumulating evidence suggests that M2-polarized tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) play an important role in cancer progression and metastasis, making M2 polarization of TAMs an ever more appealing target for therapeutic intervention. Astragaloside IV (AS-IV), a saponin component isolated from Astragali radix, has been reported to inhibit the invasion and metastasis of lung cancer, but its effects on TAMs during lung cancer progression have not been investigated. Methods: Human THP-1 monocytes were induced to differentiate into M2 macrophages through treatments with IL-4, IL-13, and phorbol myristate acetate (PMA). We used the lung cancer cell lines A549 and H1299 cultured in conditioned medium from M2 macrophages (M2-CM) to investigate the effects of AS-IV on tumor growth, invasion, migration, and angiogenesis of lung cancer cells. Macrophage subset distribution, M1 and M2 macrophage-associated markers, and mRNA expression were analyzed by flow cytometry and quantitative PCR. The activation of adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signaling pathways that mediate M2-CM–promoted tumor migration was detected using western blotting. Results: Here we found that AS-IV significantly inhibited IL-13 and IL-4–induced M2 polarization of macrophages, as illustrated by reduced expression of CD206 and M2-associated genes, and that AS-IV suppressed the M2-CM–induced invasion, migration, and angiogenesis of A549 and H1299 cells. In vivo experiments demonstrated that AS-IV greatly inhibited tumor growth and reduced the number of metastases of Lewis lung cancer. The percentage of M2 macrophages was decreased in tumor tissue after AS-IV treatment. Furthermore, AS-IV inhibited AMPKα activation in M2 macrophages, and silencing of AMPKα partially abrogated the inhibitory effect of AS-IV. Conclusions: AS-IV reduced the growth, invasion, migration, and angiogenesis of lung cancer by blocking the M2 polarization of macrophages partially through the AMPK signaling pathway, which appears to play an important role in AS-IV’s ability to inhibit the metastasis of lung cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Gastropoda, with approximately 80,000 living species, is the largest class of Mollusca. Among gastropods, apple snails (family Ampullariidae) are globally distributed in tropical and subtropical freshwater ecosystems and many species are ecologically and economically important. Ampullariids exhibit various morphological and physiological adaptations to their respective habitats, which make them ideal candidates for studying adaptation, population divergence, speciation, and larger-scale patterns of diversity, including the biogeography of native and invasive populations. The limited availability of genomic data, however, hinders in-depth ecological and evolutionary studies of these non-model organisms. Results: Using Illumina Hiseq platforms, we sequenced 1220 million reads for seven species of apple snails. Together with the previously published RNA-Seq data of two apple snails, we conducted de novo transcriptome assembly of eight species that belong to five genera of Ampullariidae, two of which represent Old World lineages and the other three New World lineages. There were 20,730 to 35,828 unigenes with predicted open reading frames for the eight species, with N50 (shortest sequence length at 50% of the unigenes) ranging from 1320 to 1803 bp. 69.7% to 80.2% of these unigenes were functionally annotated by searching against NCBI’s non-redundant, Gene Ontology database and the Kyoto Encyclopaedia of Genes and Genomes. With these data we developed AmpuBase, a relational database that features online BLAST functionality for DNA/protein sequences, keyword searching for unigenes/functional terms, and download functions for sequences and whole transcriptomes. Conclusions: In summary, we have generated comprehensive transcriptome data for multiple ampullariid genera and species, and created a publicly accessible database with a user-friendly interface to facilitate future basic and applied studies on ampullariids, and comparative molecular studies with other invertebrates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]