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The aim of this study was to investigate the role and mechanism of circ-RNF111 in the human ovarian cancer cell line SKOV-3. First, qRT-PCR was used to detect circ-RNF111 and miR-556-5p expression levels in human normal ovarian epithelial cells IOSE80 and human ovarian cancer cells SKOV-3. CCK-8 and colony formation assays were adopted to determine the proliferation rate and cell viability of SKOV-3 cells, respectively. Additionally, in an attempt to reveal the mechanism of circ-RNF111, we predicted the targeting relationship between miR-556-5p and circ-RNF111 as well as miR-556-5p and CCND1 using the circinteractome and TargetScan databases, respectively, and validated their relationship by dual-luciferase reporter assay. The protein expression levels of CCND1 in SKOV-3 cells were detected by Western blot. Based on the above experiments, the expression of circ-RNF111 was found to be up-regulated in SKOV-3, and the knockdown of circ-RNF111 significantly inhibited the proliferation and viability of SKOV-3 cells. Then we confirmed that circ-RNF111 sponged miR-556-5p in SKOV-3 cells to up-regulate CCND1 expression. In addition, simultaneous inhibition of miR-556-5p or overexpression of CCND1 in SKOV-3 cells with knockdown of circ-RNF111 reversed the inhibitory effect of knockdown of circ-RNF111 on the protein expression level of CCND1, cell proliferation rate, and cell viability. In summary, circ-RNF111 promotes the proliferation of SKOV-3 cells by targeting the miR-556-5p/CCND1 axis. Circ-RNF111 may serve as a potential target for ovarian cancer therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Boreal forests commonly suffer from nitrogen deficiency due to low rate of nitrogen mineralization. Biochar may promote soil organic matter decomposition and accelerate nitrogen mineralization. In this study, Illumina NovaSeq sequencing combined with functional annotation of prokaryotic taxa (FAPROTAX) analysis was used to investigate the effect of biochar pyrolysis temperatures, the amount of applied biochar, and the period since the biochar application (2- and 3-year) on soil bacterial communities. The results show that biochar pyrolysis temperatures (500 °C and 650 °C) and the amount of applied biochar (0.5 kg m−2 and 1.0 kg m−2) did not change soil properties. Nevertheless, the interaction of biochar pyrolysis temperature and the amount had significant effects on bacterial species richness and evenness (P < 0.05). The application of biochar produced at 500 °C had a lower abundance of Actinobacteria and Verrucomicrobia, while that produced at 650 °C had a higher abundance of Conexibacter and Phenylobacterium. When biochar produced at 650 °C was applied, applying 0.5 kg m−2 had a higher abundance of Cyanobacteria, Conexibacter, and Phenylobacterium than that of 1.0 kg m−2 (P < 0.05). Functionally, the abundance of the aromatic compound degradation group increased with the extension of application time and increase of pyrolysis temperature. The time since application played an important role in the formation of soil bacterial communities and their functional structure. Long-term studies are necessary to understand the consequence of biochar on bacterial communities in boreal forests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dupilumab is the first human monoclonal antibody that treats atopic dermatitis (AD) by blocking interleukin 4 (IL-4) and interleukin 13 (IL-13), which can suppress the Th2 inflammatory reaction. Effective treatments for pediatric AD patients are limited; therefore, we aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of dupilumab in pediatric AD patients. Fifteen pediatric patients diagnosed with moderate to severe AD and treated with dupilumab were enrolled in this study. SPSS was used to analyze data and obtain the average values of Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI), SCORing AD (SCORAD), and Children's Dermatology Life Quality Index (CDLQI). GRAPHPAD was used to analyze and plot the statistics. The average EASI values were 19.23 ± 3.03 and 1.69 ± 0.54 at baseline and at following up for 6 months after standardized treatment protocol, respectively. The average SCORAD values were 43.27 ± 4.63 and 6.13 ± 1.41 at baseline and at following up for 6 months after standardized treatment protocol, respectively. The average CDLQI value at baseline was 13.53 ± 2.88 and following up for 6 months after standardized treatment protocol was 1.60 ± 0.63. The most frequent adverse event was conjunctivitis. No serious adverse events occurred during the treatment period. Dupilumab could reduce symptoms and improve pruritus in pediatric AD patients, and the frequent adverse events were reversible. It has a definite therapeutic effect on AD; nevertheless, further studies should be conducted to obtain information on its the long-term efficacy and safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new flavonoids, 8,2′-diprenyl-3,5,7,5′-tetrahydroxyflavone (1) and 8-(1-methoxy-2,3-dihydroxy-3-methylbutyl)naringenin (2), along with twelve known compounds (3–14), were isolated from the leaves of Macaranga pustulata. The structures of the new compounds 1 and 2 were established by detailed spectroscopic data analysis and ECD computational methods. The inhibitory effects of compounds 1–6 against NLRP3 inflammasome activation as well as the cytotoxic activities of compounds 1–4 against MCF-7 and HCT-116 cancer cell lines were investigated. Compound 3 showed weak cytotoxicity against HCT-116 (IC50 = 55.747 ± 3.212 μM). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an effective tool for data analysis, formal concept analysis (FCA) is widely used in software engineering and machine learning. The construction of concept lattice is a key step of the FCA. How to effectively to update the concept lattice is still an open, interesting and important issue. To resolve this problem, an incremental algorithm for concept lattice on image structure similarity (SsimAddExten) was presented. The proposed method mapped each knowledge class on the conceptlattice into a graphic, when a new object was added or deleted in a knowledge class, the boundary profile of graphic will be changed, the graphic edge structure similarity was introduced as the calculation index of the change degree before and after the knowledge, and the concept lattice will be updated on the basis of the index. We performed experiments to test SsimAddExtent, whose computational efficiency obtains obvious advantages over mainstream methods on almost all test points, especially on the data set with a large number of attributes. But, its complexity is not reduced compared with mainstream methods. Both theoretical analysis and performance test show SsimAddExtent algorithm is better choice when we apply the FCA to large scale data or non-sparse data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The distribution of underground pipelines in cities is very complex, and changes in the surrounding environment can easily cause deformation and even crack damage to pipelines, which affects the normal use of existing pipelines. Shield tunneling projects significantly disturb the surrounding environment. With the popularization of subways, it has become important to clarify the deformation of existing pipelines caused by shield tunnel construction. In this study, the existing pipeline was simplified as an Euler–Bernoulli beam placed on a Pasternak foundation beam, and the ground loss, additional thrust, shield shell friction, and additional grouting pressure during the shield tunneling process were considered. An equation was derived to describe the deformation of the existing pipeline caused by shield tunneling obliquely through the pipeline. According to the Foshan-Dongguan Intercity Railway Project, a finite difference model (FDM) and the established equation were used to predict the existing pipeline deformation caused by the tunneling of the shield machine. The results reveal that only a small error existed among the theoretical calculation results, FDM result, and field monitoring data, which validates the proposed equation. When the existing pipeline axis is obliquely intersected with the shield tunnel axis, the maximum settlement position of the pipeline appears at the side close to the tail of the shield machine. The settlement of the existing pipeline increases with the decrease of the distance from the tail of the shield machine, and the decrease of the angle between the pipeline axis and the shield tunnel axis increases the settlement of the existing pipeline. When the pipeline is parallel to the axis of the shield tunnel, the disturbance caused by the shield machine construction to the existing pipeline reaches the maximum. The stiffness of the pipeline greatly influences the deformation of the pipeline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Accurate preoperative differentiation between squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) in the palatine tonsil is crucial because of their different treatment. This study aimed to construct and validate a contrast-enhanced CT (CECT)–based radiomics nomogram for preoperative differentiation of SCC and NHL in the palatine tonsil. Methods: This study enrolled 135 patients with a pathological diagnosis of SCC or NHL from two clinical centers, who were divided into training (n = 94; SCC = 50, NHL = 44) and external validation sets (n = 41; SCC = 22, NHL = 19). A radiomics signature was constructed from radiomics features extracted from routine CECT images and a radiomics score (Rad-score) was calculated. A clinical model was established using demographic features and CT findings. The independent clinical factors and Rad-score were combined to construct a radiomics nomogram. Performance of the clinical model, radiomics signature, and nomogram was assessed using receiver operating characteristics analysis and decision curve analysis. Results: Eleven features were finally selected to construct the radiomics signature. The radiomics nomogram incorporating gender, mean CECT value, and radiomics signature showed better predictive value for differentiating SCC from NHL than the clinical model for training (AUC, 0.919 vs. 0.801, p = 0.004) and validation (AUC, 0.876 vs. 0.703, p = 0.029) sets. Decision curve analysis demonstrated that the radiomics nomogram was more clinically useful than the clinical model. Conclusions: A CECT-based radiomics nomogram was constructed incorporating gender, mean CECT value, and radiomics signature. This nomogram showed favorable predictive efficacy for differentiating SCC from NHL in the palatine tonsil, and might be useful for clinical decision-making. Key Points: • Differential diagnosis between SCC and NHL in the palatine tonsil is difficult by conventional imaging modalities. • A radiomics nomogram integrated with the radiomics signature, gender, and mean contrast-enhanced CT value facilitates differentiation of SCC from NHL with improved diagnostic efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the tunnel site area, the environment of water resources is complicated. When a significant water inrush disaster occurs, accurate identification of the water resource is necessary to ensure that water resources are not lost. The severe water inrush disaster occurred in Huzhang Tunnel in Guangdong Province. To determine the source of the tunnel water inrush, the following work was carried out. First, hydrochemical tests were conducted to determine the ion composition and concentration of each water sample. Then, based on the statistical data, the statistical analysis model was used to identify the source of the tunnel inrush water. Finally, the tracer tracking method was applied to verify the statistical analysis model. The research results showed that the gray correlation model based on the ion concentration of water source samples was inconsistent with the time series model based on the amount of inrush water. The gray correlation model recognition results showed no correlation between the tunnel water inrush and the surrounding reservoir water. By contrast, the recognition results of the time series model and the tracer tracking method indicated a strong correlation between the tunnel water inrush and the water in the Fengqing Reservoir. The recognition results of the gray correlation model were impossible to criteria if the water was the storage water in the fault structure in the early stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Preoperative differentiation between benign parotid gland tumors (BPGT) and malignant parotid gland tumors (MPGT) is important for treatment decisions. The purpose of this study was to develop and validate an MRI-based radiomics nomogram for the preoperative differentiation of BPGT from MPGT.Methods: A total of 115 patients (80 in training set and 35 in external validation set) with BPGT (n = 60) or MPGT (n = 55) were enrolled. Radiomics features were extracted from T1-weighted and fat-saturated T2-weighted images. A radiomics signature model and a radiomics score (Rad-score) were constructed and calculated. A clinical-factors model was built based on demographics and MRI findings. A radiomics nomogram model combining the Rad-score and independent clinical factors was constructed using multivariate logistic regression analysis. The diagnostic performance of the three models was evaluated and validated using ROC curves on the training and validation datasets.Results: Seventeen features from MR images were used to build the radiomics signature. The radiomics nomogram incorporating the clinical factors and radiomics signature had an AUC value of 0.952 in the training set and 0.938 in the validation set. Decision curve analysis showed that the nomogram outperformed the clinical-factors model in terms of clinical usefulness.Conclusions: The above-described radiomics nomogram performed well for differentiating BPGT from MPGT, and may help in the clinical decision-making process.Key Points: • Differential diagnosis between BPGT and MPGT is rather difficult by conventional imaging modalities. • A radiomics nomogram integrated with the radiomics signature, clinical data, and MRI features facilitates differentiation of BPGT from MPGT with improved diagnostic efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Calcium homeostasis plays vital roles in the management of bone health. Traditional herbal formula Gushukang (GSK) was clinically applied to treat primary osteoporosis. This study aimed to explore the osteoprotective effects of GSK and its roles in maintaining calcium homeostasis in ovariectomized (OVX) mice. The OVX mice were orally treated with low (0.38 g/kg), middle (0.76 g/kg) and high (1.52 g/kg) dose of GSK for 8 weeks. GSK treatment dramatically increased serum calcium level and decreased urinary calcium excretion as well as enhanced calcium content in bone of OVX mice. Serum level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D was significantly increased in OVX mice with exposure to GSK. Treatment with GSK improved bone mass and micro-structure of trabecular bone at distal metaphysis of femur and proximal metaphysis of tibia in OVX mice shown by safranin O staining and micro-CT measurement. GSK treatment at all doses up-regulated mRNA expression of calcium-binding protein-28k and vitamin D receptor in kidney of OVX mice, and dose-dependently decreased mRNA expression of claudin-14 and elevated mRNA expression of claudin-16 in duodenum of OVX mice. Taken together, GSK exerted beneficial effects on trabecular bone of OVX mice by improving calcium homeostasis via regulating paracellular calcium absorption in duodenum and transcellular calcium reabsorption in kidney. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs), which are a new type of carbonaceous polymeric material, have attracted great interest because of their large surface area and high chemical and thermal stability. However, to the best of our knowledge, no work has reported the use of magnetic COFs as adsorbents for magnetic solid-phase extraction (MSPE) to enrich and determine environmental pollutants. This work aims to investigate the feasibility of using covalent triazine-based framework (CTF)/Fe2O3 composites as MSPE adsorbents to enrich and analyze perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) at trace levels in water samples. Under the optimal conditions, the method developed exhibited low limits of detection (0.62–1.39 ng·L-1), a wide linear range (5–4000 ng L-1), good repeatability (1.12–9.71%), and good reproducibility (2.45–7.74%). The new method was successfully used to determine PFCs in actual environmental water samples. MSPE based on CTF/Fe2O3 composites exhibits potential for analysis of PFCs at trace levels in environmental water samples.Magnetic covalent triazine-based frameworks (CTFs) were used as magnetic solid-phase extraction adsorbents for the sensitive determination of perfluorinated compounds in environmental water samples. PFBA perfluorobutyric acid, PFBS perfluorobutane sulfonate, PFDA perfluorodecanoic acid, PFDoA perfluorododecanoic acid, PFHpA perfluoroheptanoic acid, PFHxA perfluorohexanoic acid, PFHxS perfluorohexane sulfonate, PFNA perfluorononanoic acid, PFOA perfluorooctanoic acid, PFPeA perfluoropentanoic acid, PFUdA Perfluoroundecanoic acid [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our previous experiments demonstrated that social isolation (SI) caused AD-like tau hyperphosphorylation and spatial memory deficits in middle-aged rats. However, the underlying mechanisms of SI-induced spatial memory deficits remain elusive. Middle-aged rats (10 months) were group or isolation reared for 8 weeks. Following the initial 4-week period of rearing, citalopram (10 mg/kg i.p.) was administered for 28 days. Then, pathophysiological changes were assessed by performing behavioral, biochemical, and pathological analyses. We found that SI could cause cognitive dysfunction and decrease synaptic protein (synaptophysin or PSD93) expression in different brain regions associated with cognition, such as the prefrontal cortex, dorsal hippocampus, ventral hippocampus, amygdala, and caudal putamen, but not in the entorhinal cortex or posterior cingulate. Citalopram could significantly improve learning and memory and partially restore synaptophysin or PSD93 expression in the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, and amygdala in SI rats. Moreover, SI decreased the number of dendritic spines in the prefrontal cortex, dorsal hippocampus, and ventral hippocampus, which could be reversed by citalopram. Furthermore, SI reduced the levels of BDNF, serine-473-phosphorylated Akt (active form), and serine-9-phosphorylated GSK-3β (inactive form) with no significant changes in the levels of total GSK-3β and Akt in the dorsal hippocampus, but not in the posterior cingulate. Our results suggest that decreased synaptic plasticity in cognition-associated regions might contribute to SI-induced cognitive deficits, and citalopram could ameliorate these deficits by promoting synaptic plasticity mainly in the prefrontal cortex, dorsal hippocampus, and ventral hippocampus. The BDNF/Akt/GSK-3β pathway plays an important role in regulating synaptic plasticity in SI rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transforming growth factor-β 1 (TGFβ1) has a diverse role in astrogliosis and neuronal survival, but the underlying mechanism remains to be elucidated, especially in traumatic brain injury (TBI). Here, we show that the expression of TGFβ1 was increased in the pericontusional region, accompanied with astrogliosis and neuronal loss in TBI rats. Moreover, TGFβ1 knockdown not only reduced the number of neurons and inhibited astrogliosis but also resulted in a significant neurological dysfunction in rats with TBI. Subsequently, Smad3, a key downstream signal of TGFβ1, was involved in pericontusional region after TBI. These findings therefore indicate that TGFβ1 is involved in neuroprotection and astrogliosis, via activation of down stream Smad3 signal in the brain after injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Zhejiang University: Science B is the property of Springer Nature 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.)

The intent of present work was to develop a valid method for detection of defective features in loquat fruits based on hyperspectral imaging. A laboratorial hyperspectral imaging device covering the visible and near-infrared region of 380-1,030 nm was utilized to acquire the loquat hyperspectral images. The corresponding spectral data were extracted from the region of interests of loquat hyperspectral images. The dummy grades were assigned to the defective and normal group of loquats, separately. Competitive adaptive reweighted sampling (CARS) was conducted to elect optimal sensitive wavelengths (SWs) which carried the most important spectral information on identifying defective and normal samples. As a result, 12 SWs at 433, 469, 519, 555, 575, 619, 899, 912, 938, 945, 970, and 998 nm were selected, respectively. Then, the partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) model was established using the selected SWs. The results demonstrated that the CARS-PLS-DA model with the discrimination accuracy of 98.51 % had a capability of classifying two groups of loquats. Based on the characteristics of image information, minimum noise fraction (MNF) rotation was implemented on the hyperspectral images at SWs. Finally, an effective approach for detecting the defective features was exploited based on the images of MNF bands with 'region growing' algorithm. For all investigated loquat samples, the developed program led to an overall detection accuracy of 92.3 %. The research revealed that the hyperspectral imaging technique is a promising tool for detecting defective features in loquat, which could provide a theoretical reference and basis for designing classification system of fruits in further work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with the discrete-time connected coverage problem with the constraint that only local information can be utilized for each robot. In such distributed framework, global connectivity characterized by the second smallest eigenvalue of topology Laplacian is estimated through introducing distributed minimaltime consensus algorithm and power iteration algorithm. A self-deployment algorithm is developed to disperse the robots with the precondition that the estimated second smallest eigenvalue is positive at each time-step. Since thus connectivity constraint does not impose to preserve some certain edges, the self-deployment strategy developed in this paper reserves a sufficient degree of freedom for the motion of robots. Theoretical analysis demonstrates that each pair of neighbor robots can finally reach the largest objective distance from each other while the group keeps connected all the time, which is also shown by simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim:To examine whether co-activation of nAChR and mGluR1 induced γ oscillation (20-60 Hz) in rat medial septum diagonal band of Broca (MSDB) slices.Methods:Rat brain sagittal slices containing the MSDB were prepared. Extracellular field potentials were recorded with glass microelectrodes. The nAChR and mGluR1 agonists were applied to the slices to induce network activity. Data analysis was performed off-line using software Spike 2.Results:Co-application of the nAChR agonist nicotine (1 μmol/L) and the mGluR1 agonist dihydroxyphenylglycine (DHPG, 25 μmol/L) was able to induce γ oscillation in MSDB slices. The intensity of nAChR and mGluR1 activation was critical for induction of network oscillation at a low (θ oscillation) or high frequency (γ oscillation): co-application of low concentrations of the two agonists only increased the power and frequency of oscillation within the range of θ, whereas γ oscillation mostly appeared when high concentrations of the two agonists were applied.Conclusion:Activation of mGluR1 and nAChR is able to program slow or fast network oscillation by altering the intensity of receptor activation, which may provide a mechanism for modulation of learning and memory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Membranous nephropathy (MN) is a rare manifestation of IgG4-related disease. Interestingly, the significance of IgG4 has also been documented in idiopathic MN (IMN). Previous studies reported that urine IgG4/IgG ratios were significantly higher in IMN compared with other kinds of nephropathy, indicating that impairment of charge selectivity barrier seemed to be an obvious characteristic of IMN. Although high blood concentration of IgG4 is very common in IgG4-related MN, no study about the urine IgG4 has been described before. Here, we present a 55-year-old male with IgG4-related MN. Complete remission of proteinuria was promptly achieved by glucocorticoid treatment without immunosuppressant. Consistent with previous reports, the serum antibody against M-type phospholipase A2 receptor was negative. Surprisingly, although the blood concentration of IgG4/IgG reached as high as 36 %, the urine concentration of IgG4/IgG was only 5 %. The calculated ratio of the renal clearance of IgG4 to IgG of this patient (0.15) was obviously lower than that of five patients with IMN (0.53∼0.81). We speculated that this phenomenon might be a clue of the different pathogenesis between IgG4-related MN and IMN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel Gram-negative, strictly aerobic, heterotrophic, non-motile and yellow-pigmented bacterial strain, designated HD4, was isolated from the sea urchin Hemicentrotus pulcherrimus collected from the Yellow Sea in China. Optimal growth of the strain was observed at 28-30 °C, pH 6.8-7.3, and in the presence of 3-5 % (w/v) NaCl. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequence revealed that strain HD4 exhibited high similarity with the members of Salegentibacter (92.3-95.4 %). The DNA G+C content was 37.0 mol%, MK-6 was the main respiratory quinone and summed feature 3 (comprising iso-C 2-OH/Cω7c), iso-C, iso-C 3-OH and anteiso-C were the major cellular fatty acids. The predominant polar lipids in strain HD4 were phosphatidylethanolamine and two unknown lipids (L2, L4). Based on the phylogenetic, physiological and biochemical characteristics, strain HD4 should be classified as a novel species within the genus Salegentibacter, for which the name Salegentibacter echinorum sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is HD4 (=CICC 10466 = NRRL B-59666). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim:Spiking activities and neuronal network oscillations in the theta frequency range have been found in many cortical areas during information processing. The aim of this study is to determine whether nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) mediate neuronal network activity in rat medial septum diagonal band Broca (MSDB) slices.Methods:Extracellular field potentials were recorded in the slices using an Axoprobe 1A amplifier. Data analysis was performed off-line. Spike sorting and local field potential (LFP) analyses were performed using Spike2 software. The role of spiking activity in the generation of LFP oscillations in the slices was determined by analyzing the phase-time relationship between the spikes and LFP oscillations. Circular statistic analysis based on the Rayleigh test was used to determine the significance of phase relationships between the spikes and LFP oscillations. The timing relationship was examined by quantifying the spike-field coherence (SFC).Results:Application of nicotine (250 nmol/L) induced prominent LFP oscillations in the theta frequency band and both small- and large-amplitude population spiking activity in the slices. These spikes were phase-locked to theta oscillations at specific phases. The Rayleigh test showed a statistically significant relationship in phase-locking between the spikes and theta oscillations. Larger changes in the SFC were observed for large-amplitude spikes, indicating an accurate timing relationship between this type of spike and LFP oscillations. The nicotine-induced spiking activity (large-amplitude population spikes) was suppressed by the nAChR antagonist dihydro-β-erythroidine (0.3 μmol/L).Conclusion:The results demonstrate that large-amplitude spikes are phase-locked to theta oscillations and have a high spike-timing accuracy, which are likely a main contributor to the theta oscillations generated in MSDB during nicotine receptor activation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The management of ovarian cancer during pregnancy is still a big challenge, mostly due to the reciprocal impacts between cancer and pregnancy. The objective of this article is to present a rare case of maternal ovarian adenocarcinoma and review published similar cases about this clinical condition. Materials and methods: Here we report a rare case of maternal ovarian adenocarcinoma detected during gestational week 6, with good pregnancy outcome treated with conservative surgery. Results and discussion: A case of maternal ovarian adenocarcinoma (stage I) was detected in week 6 of pregnancy receiving conservative surgery without chemotherapy. In week 39 of pregnancy, due to relapse of the cancer, the patient underwent excision of the isolated tumor, and gave birth to a healthy baby through cesarian section. After that, the patient received cytoreductive surgery associated with six chemotherapy. The patient was finally diagnosed as epithelial ovarian cancer stage IIIC, and had survived more than 5 years without relapse. The successful experience from this case suggested that pregnancy complicated with early ovarian cancer receiving conservative surgery could continue to pregnancy and the effect of cesarian section followed with cytoreductive surgery associated with six chemotherapy at full term was still satisfied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prion protein (PrP) is a ubiquitous conserved glycoprotein predominantly expressed in neurons of the central nervous system (CNS). To elucidate on its cellular function, we performed a yeast two-hybrid screen within an adult human brain cDNA library for potential PrP-binding molecules. A novel protein, HS-1 associated protein X-1 (HAX-1), was identified to be able to bind with PrP strongly. The interaction between the two proteins has been further verified by glutathione- S-transferase (GST) pull-down and immunoprecipitation assays. The minimal binding regions were mapped to the segments of residues aa 91-163 for PrP and residues aa 38-129 for HAX-1. Immunofluorescent assays of co-expressions of human PrP and HAX-1 in 293T and SHSY-5Y cells revealed marked co-localizations of those two proteins in cytoplasm. Moreover, the co-expression of HAX-1 and wild-type PrP (PG5) was found to enhance the cellular resistance to the challenge of HO. Contrarily, co-transfection of HAX-1 did not reverse but aggravated the cytotoxicities of the genetic CJD (gCJD) associated PrP mutants with nine- (PG9) and fourteen-octarepeats (PG14). Our data provide for the first time a new PrP-interacting partner that may play role in cell oxidative stress and anti-apoptosis physiologically and cell damage pathologically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Economic Botany is the property of Springer Nature 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.)

One of characteristics of diabetes mellitus (DM) is endothelial cell (EC) dysfunction and apoptosis which contributes to the development of vasculopathy. Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) continuously produced in the setting of DM play an important role in causing EC dysfunction and apoptosis. However, the underlying molecular mechanism remains largely elusive. Lactadherin, a secreted glycoprotein of milk-fat globule, is expressed by multiple cell types of arterial wall including ECs. Our previous proteomic studies showed that the expression of lactadherin was significantly increased in the aorta of diabetic rats as compared with control rats and treatment with grape seed procyanidin extracts significantly inhibited the lactadherin expression in diabetic rats. We hypothesized that lactadherin plays a critical role in AGEs-induced EC apoptosis; grape seed procyanidin B2 (GSPB2) and resveratrol protect against AGEs-induced EC apoptosis through lactadherin regulation. Our results showed that AGEs upregulated lactadherin expression and lactadherin RNA interference significantly attenuated AGEs-induced EC apoptosis. Overexpression of lactadherin increased EC apoptosis with up-regulation of Bax/Bcl-2 ratio, cytochrome c release, caspase-9 and caspase-3 activation suggesting the involvement of mitochondria apoptosis pathway. Mechanistically, overexpression of lactadherin reduced the phosphorylation of GSK3beta at baseline. Our study also revealed nine proteins interacting with lactadherin in HUVEC and study of these candidate proteins could unveil further underlying molecular mechanisms. In summary, our study identified lactadherin as a key player responsible for AGEs-induced EC apoptosis and antioxidants GSPB2 and resveratrol protect against AGEs-induced EC apoptosis by inhibiting lactadherin. Targeting lactadherin with antioxidant could be translated into clinical application in the fighting against DM complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phytochemical investigation of Verbascum thapsus led to the isolation and identification of one new iridoid compound named verbathasin A, along with ten known compounds. The structure and relative stereochemistry of verbathasin A were elucidated by analysis of spectroscopic data. All the isolates except 10-deoxyeucommiol and ajugol were tested for antiangiogenic and antiproliferative activities, and compounds luteolin and 3- O-fucopyranosylsaikogenin F showed promising antiproliferative activities, with an obvious effect of inducing apoptosis of A549 lung cancer cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Octarepeats region sequence is one of the most important characteristics of PrP topology. To explore the mechanism of deleted and inserted octarepeats mutants PrP-caused apoptosis, wild-type PrP (PrP-PG5), and PrP with deleted octarepeats (PrP-PG0) and with four (PrP-PG9) and seven (PrP-PG12) extra octarepeats were transiently induced into SH-SY5Y cell. The results indicated PrP-PG9 and PrP-PG12 mainly retained in fraction of cytoplasm, while PrP-PG5 and PrP-PG0 presented both in cell membrane and cytoplasm. Cells expressing PrP-PG9 and PrP-PG12 were sensitive to endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stimuli, tunicamycin, and brefeldin A. ER-stress-related proteins, Grp94, XBP1, TRAF2, and CHOP, were significantly increased in cells expressing PrP-PG9 and PrP-PG12, while Grp78 increased markedly 12 h and pro-caspase-12 decreased sharply 20 h post-transfection. It indicates that expressions of PrP mutants with inserted octarepeats cause ER stress and lead to cell apoptosis lately. Meanwhile, cellular Cytochrome C increased and Bcl-2 decreased obviously in cells expressing PrP-PG0, indicating triggering a mitochondrial-related apoptosis. These data highlight that PrP mutants in region of octarepeats may undergo different pathways to trigger cell apoptosis, in which PrPs with inserted octarepeats via ER stress and PrP mutant without octarepeats via mitochondrial-related pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prion protein (PrP) is able to bind with tubulin and to interfere with the formation of microtubule. To investigate the influence of accumulation of cytosolic PrP in cytoplasm on microtubule, plasmid pcDNA3.1-PrP23-230 expressing human PrP23-230 was introduced into HeLa cells. Immunoprecipitation assays identified the molecular interaction between cytosolic PrP and cellular tubulin. Confocal microscopy showed the co-localization of the expressed cytosolic PrP with tubulin in cytoplasm. Immunofluorescent assays of tubulin illustrated remarkable disruption of microtubular structures in the cells accumulated with cytosolic PrP. Meanwhile, the expressed cytosolic PrP significantly reduced cell viability and induced cell apoptosis. The amounts of microtubule protein in the cells expressing cytosolic PrP were decreased. Moreover, the levels of endogenous tubulin in the brain tissues of scrapie-infected hamsters were significantly lower than that of normal one. It highlights a close linkage between disruption of microtubule framework and cell death caused by abnormal presence of cellular PrP in cytoplasm. The association of apoptosis with microtubule-disrupting activity caused by cytosolic PrP may further provide insight into the unresolved biological function of PrP in the neurons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatopoietin Cn (HPPCn), a member of the leucine-rich acidic nuclear protein (LANP) family, is a novel human hepatic growth factor that stimulates DNA synthesis and hepatocyte proliferation in vivo and in vitro by activating several signaling pathways. We performed pilot-scale production of recombinant human HPPCn (rhHPPCn) protein to elucidate its role in liver protection. An Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) strain containing a pET-24a-HPPCn expression vector was cultivated in a 40-l bioreactor. High-cell-density fed-batch fermentation using this strain yielded a high concentration of rhHPPCn protein in the form of inclusion bodies. After washing and solubilization of the protein, rhHPPCn refolding was achieved by dilution of the denaturant. Then, the renatured protein was purified chromatographically. Assessment of the biological activity of the obtained protein showed that rhHPPCn could attenuate the oxidative stress in ethanol-induced hepatocyte injury. We successfully achieved large-scale production of biologically active rhHPPCn protein and obtained yields greater than 40 mg rhHPPCn per gram dry cell weight by applying the above-mentioned renaturation and purification procedures. The obtained volumetric yield corresponds to 640 mg of biologically active rhHPPCn per liter of culture broth. Additionally, the recombinant HPPCn protein was confirmed to protect hepatocytes against ethanol-induced oxidative stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fluoride is an essential trace element for human body; however, exposure to high amounts of fluoride has been documented to be correlated with an increasing risk of hair loss. To date, little is known about the mechanism(s) of how fluoride affects hair follicles. Here, we demonstrated that middle (1.0 mmol/L) and high (10.0 mmol/L) concentrations of sodium fluoride (NaF) significantly inhibited hair follicle elongation in vitro, but low NaF (0.1 mmol/L) showed little influence. Moreover, treatment with high levels of NaF resulted in a marked increase in terminal dUTP nick end labeling-positive cells in the outer layer of the outer root sheath, the dermal sheath, and the lower bulb matrix surrounding dermal papilla. Furthermore, the enhanced apoptosis was coupled with an increased oxidative stress manifested as higher malondialdehyde content. Additionally, the presence of selenium considerably antagonized the effects of middle NaF on hair follicles, with regard to either the suppression of hair growth or the induction of oxidative stress and apoptosis. In conclusion, exposure to high levels of fluoride compromises hair follicle growth and accelerate cell apoptosis in vitro. The toxicity of fluoride can be reduced by selenium, at least partially via the suppression of intracellular oxidative stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatopoietin Cn (HPPCn) is a novel nuclear protein with the ability to promote liver regeneration. In the present study, we investigated the expression profile of HPPCn and its functional activity in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell line and tissue samples. HPPCn expression was detected in HCC cell lines and 54 paired HCC carcinomas by immunochemical staining and Western blotting. The functional activity of HPPCn in cell lines was evaluated by MTT and colony formation assays and with nude mouse model. The correlation of HPPCn expression with clinicopathological characteristics of 54 HCC patients was also analyzed. Our results showed that HPPCn protein was prominently located within the nuclei of hepatocytes and the expression level was evidently increased in HepG2 and Bel7402 cell lines compared with L02 normal hepatocytes. HPPCn silencing by small interfering RNA greatly suppressed HepG2 cell proliferation and colony formation capacity and the inhibitory effect was also observed in a Balb/c-null mouse model. The silencing HPPCn expression effectively enhanced the apoptosis of HepG2 cells. In addition, HPPCn expression was detected in 48 of 54 (89%) human HCC tissues in sharp contrast with the corresponding non-tumor liver tissues. HPPCn protein was mainly accumulated in the tumor nucleus. The elevated expression of HPPCn protein in tumors was significantly associated with poor tumor cellular differentiation and present of vascular invasion. Patients with higher HPPCn expression in tumors had significantly shorter overall survival (OS) of both all of patients and the patients at the early stage. On multivariate Cox analysis, elevated expression of HPPCn in tumors was found to be an independent prognostic factor for OS. Therefore, these data suggest that HPPCn expression might be involved in the development of HCC and could be served as a promising biomarker. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Manganese may play some roles in the pathogenesis of prion diseases. In this study, recombinant human wild-type (WT) PrP and PrP mutants with deleted or inserted octarepeats were exposed to manganese, and their biochemical and biophysical characteristics were evaluated by proteinase K (PK) digestion, sedimentation experiments, transmission electron microscopy and circular dichroism. It demonstrated that incubation of manganese remarkably increased PK-resistances, protein aggregations and β-sheet contents of the PrPs. Moreover, the PrP mutants of inserted or deleted octarepeats were much vulnerable to the influence of manganese, which showed obviously more aggregation and higher β-sheet content than that of WT-PrP. It highlights that the effect of manganese on the PrP seems to lie on the incorrectness of the octarepeats numbers. The association of the octarepeats number of PrP with manganese may further provide insight into the unresolved biological function of PrP in the neurons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies showed that Asian ginseng, Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer, may have anti-cancer properties. However, there is limited data exploring the use of Asian ginseng as an adjuvant to chemotherapy, and minimal mechanistic studies related to their possible synergistic activities. In this study, the content of 8 ginsenosides, Rb1, Rb2, Rb3, Rc, Rd, Re, Rg1 and Rg3, in the extracts of white ginseng (WG) and red ginseng (RG) were determined by HPLC. Using HCT-116 human colorectal cancer cells, we compared the efficacy of WG and RG. We evaluated the synergy between ginseng and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), and explored the mechanism of their anti-proliferative effects. As single extract, WG or RG used at concentrations of 0.1, 0.2 and 0.3 mg/mL, inhibited HCT-116 cell proliferation in a concentration-related manner. WG at 0.2 mg/mL did not show obvious synergy with 5-FU co-treatment, while RG at 0.2 and 0.3 mg/mL significantly enhanced the anti-proliferative effects of 5-FU at concentrations of 10, 50 and 100 μM ( P < 0.05). Using flow cytometric assay, RG 0.3 mg/mL did not affect cancer cell apoptotic induction activity. However, the RG induced cell cycle arrest in the G1 phase, while 5-FU arrested the cell in the S phase. Different ginsenoside profiles are responsible for the observed differences in pharmacological effects. The effects of 8 ginsenosides on HCT-116 cells were assayed. Rd and Rg3 showed positive anti-proliferative effect. Our data suggested a potential for RG as an adjuvant therapy in the treatment of colorectal cancer, via a synergistic action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The underlying mechanism for electroacupuncture (EA) associated functional improvement in patients suffering from spinal cord injury (SCI) is largely unknown. Collateral sprouting is one plausible factor, where the cord microenvironment may contribute greatly. The present study evaluated the effects of EA on collateral sprouting from spared dorsal root ganglion (DRG), sensory functional restorations, and differential gene expressions in spinal cord after partial DRG removal in the rat. Following EA, N1 waveform latencies for cortical somatosensory evoked potential significantly shortened. The densities of terminal sprouting from the spared DRG significantly increased on the EA versus the non-EA side. Microarray analysis revealed that several genes were upregulated on the acupunctured side at different time points; they were ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) at 1 day postoperation (dpo), fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-1, insulin-like growth factor (IGF) 1 receptor, neuropeptide Y, and FGF-13 at 7 dpo, and CNTF and calcitonin gene-related polypeptide-alpha at 14 dpo, respectively. Meanwhile, five genes (CNTF, p75-like apoptosis-inducing death domain protein, IGF-1, transforming growth factor-beta 2, and FGF-4) were downregulated at 7 dpo. Furthermore, reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction results supported the gene chip analysis. It was concluded that the EA induced sensory functional restorations following partial DRG ganglionectomies could be brought about by intraspinal sprouting from the spared DRG, as well as multiple differential gene expressions in the spinal cord. The results could have clinical application in EA treatment of patients after spinal injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our recent report indicated that the crude extract from stem bark of Erythrina variegata L. (Leguminosae) (EV) exerted beneficial effects against osteoporosis induced by estrogen deficiency in vivo. Follow-up phytochemical study has isolated genistein-derivatives mainly in the form of prenylgenistein from this extract, including 6-prenylgenistein, 8-prenylgenistein, and 6, 8-diprenylgenistein. The present study was performed to investigate the structure-function relationship of these compounds on osteoblastic proliferation, differentiation and mineralization in UMR 106 cells. Our results showed that genistein did not stimulate cell growth while 8-prenylgenistein promoted cell growth significantly by 10∼23%. In contrast, the treatment by 6-prenylgenistein for 48 h reduced UMR 106 cell proliferation when compared to cells treated with genistein. The proliferation of 6,8-diprenylgenistein-treated cells was greater than those treated by 6-prenylgenistein at all testing concentrations. For ALP activity, significant increase was found in cells treated by either 8-prenylgenistein or 6,8-diprenylgenistein for 48 h at the concentration of 10−10 M. In mineralization study, the content of Ca and P in extracellular matrix were significantly increased in 8-prenylgenistein treated cells. The results showed that genistein derivatives isolated from EV demonstrated stimulatory effects on osteogenesis in UMR 106 cells. Based on the study of structure-activity relationship, it appears that prenylation at C-8, but not at C-6, could increase the bone-protective effect of genistein. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of the present study was to compare the toxicity and availability of Fe(II) and Fe(III) to Caco-2 cells. Cellular damage was studied by measuring cell proliferation and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release. The activities of two major antioxidative enzymes [superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx)] and differentiation marker (alkaline phosphatase) were determined after the cells were exposed to different levels of iron salts. The cellular iron concentration was investigated to evaluate iron bioavailability. The results show that iron uptake of the cells treated with Fe(II) is significantly higher than that of the cells treated with Fe(III) ( P<0.05). Fe(II) at a concentration >1.5 mmol/L was found to be more effective in reducing cellular viability than Fe(III). LDH release investigation suggests that Fe(II) can reduce stability of the cell membrane. The activities of SOD and GPx of the cells treated with Fe(II) were higher than those of the cells treated with Fe(III), although both of them increased with raising iron supply levels. The results indicate that both Fe(II) and Fe(III) could reduce the cellular antioxidase gene expression at high levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]