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The atypical IκB family member Bcl3 associates with p50/NF-κB1 or p52/NF-κB2 homodimers in the nucleus, and positively or negatively modulates transcription in a context-dependent manner. In mice lacking Bcl3 globally or specifically in CD11c+cells,Toxoplasma gondiiinfection is uniformly fatal and is associated with an impaired Th1 immune response. Since Bcl3 expression in dendritic cells (DC) is pivotal for antigen presentation and since classical DCs (cDC) are major antigen presenting cells, we investigated the role of Bcl3 specifically in cDCs inT. gondiiinfectionin vivoby crossing Zbtb46 cre mice withBcl3flx/flxmice. The conditional cDC Bcl3 KO was as susceptible to lethalT. gondiiinfection as the total Bcl3 KO and generated poor Th1 responses. Splenocyte single cell RNA seq in the model revealed defective Bcl3-dependent expression of genes involved in antigen processing. Consistent with this, soluble toxoplasma antigen presentation was impaired in Bcl3-deficient cDCs, and tetramer staining demonstrated defectiveT. gondiiantigen-specific splenic CD4+and CD8+T cell responses in infected cDCBcl3-/-mice.In vitrodifferentiation of bone marrow progenitors from wildtype and cDCBcl3-/-mice using Flt3L, NOTCH and IFN-γ stimulation recapitulated the defective Bcl3-dependent cDC antigen-presentation activity observed in vivo. Splenocyte single cell RNA seq also revealed the existence of a unique subpopulation of Zbtb46+LysM+DC which exhibited Bcl3-dependent expansion after infection. We also detected cDCs coexpressing the monocytic markers CD64 and Ly6C (designated icDC1 and icDC2) mainly in infected spleen, which were less abundant inBcl3flx/flxZbtb46 cremice. Together, our results indicate that Bcl3 in classical DCs is a major determinant of protective T cell responses and survival inT. gondii-infected mice, and shapes DC ontogeny.Author SummaryDendritic cells initiate immune responses against invading pathogens. As professional antigen presenting cells they process and present antigen via the major histocompatibility complex to T cells and thus activate them. Bcl3, an atypical member of the IκB family regulates the APC function of dendritic cells. In this study we show that expression of Bcl3 specifically in classical DCs is critical for host protection against a protozoan parasite,Toxoplasma gondii. Host protective proinflammatory mechanisms are compromised in mice deficient in Bcl3 in classical DCs leading to an elevated organ parasite load and eventually death of the infected animals. We also found the emergence of Bcl3-dependent hybrid DCs uponT. gondiiinfection, which have mixed phenotypic markers from DCs and monocytes. Antigen processing genes are significantly downregulated in Bcl3-deficient cDCs, which may account for defective cross presentation ofT. gondiiantigens. In an in vitro differentiation model, we showed that development of XCR1+cross presenting cDC1s is critically regulated by Bcl3. Overall, this study reveals the complexity of dendritic cell ontogeny and the role of Bcl3 in classical DC function in the context ofToxoplasmainfection.

Regulatory T cells (Tregs) exert inhibitory function under various physiological conditions and adopt diverse characteristics following environmental cues. Multiple subsets of Tregs expressing master transcription factors of helper T cells such as RORγt, T-bet, Gata3 and PPARγ have been characterized, but the molecular mechanism governing the differentiation of these subsets remains largely unknown. Here we report that the atypical IκB protein family member Bcl-3 suppresses RORγt+ Treg accumulation. The suppressive effect of Bcl-3 was particularly evident in the mouse immune tolerance model of anti-CD3 therapy. Using conditional knockout mice, we illustrate that loss of Bcl-3 specifically in Tregs was sufficient to boost RORγt+ Treg formation and resistance of mice to dextran sulfate sodium-induced colitis. We further demonstrate the suppressive effect of Bcl-3 on RORγt+ Treg differentiation in vitro. Our results reveal a novel role of nuclear factor-kappa B signaling pathways in Treg subset differentiation that may have clinical implications in immunotherapy.

Fabric surface hairiness has a decisive effect on the fabric processing performance and the resultant garment quality. In practice, current testing of fabric hairiness still cannot be conducted lik...

Bcl-3 is an atypical member of the IκB family that modulates NF-κB activity in nuclei. lpr mice carry the lpr mutation in Fas, resulting in functional loss of this death receptor; they serve as models for lupus erythematosus and autoimmune lymphoproliferation syndrome (ALPS). To explore the biologic roles of Bcl-3 in this disease model, we generated BL6/lpr mice lacking Bcl-3. Unlike lpr mice on an MRL background, BL6/lpr mice present with very mild lupus- or ALPS-like phenotypes. Bcl-3 KO BL6/lpr mice, however, developed severe splenomegaly, dramatically increased numbers of double negative T cells - a hallmark of human lupus, ALPS, and MRL/lpr mice - and exhibited inflammation in multiple organs, despite low levels of autoantibodies, similar to those in BL6/lpr mice. Loss of Bcl-3 specifically in T cells exacerbated select lupus-like phenotypes, specifically organ infiltration. Mechanistically, elevated levels of Tnfα in Bcl-3 KO BL6/lpr mice may promote lupus-like phenotypes, since loss of Tnfα in these mice reversed the pathology due to loss of Bcl-3. Contrary to the inhibitory functions of Bcl-3 revealed here, this regulator has also been shown to promote inflammation in different settings. Our findings highlight the profound, yet highly context-dependent roles of Bcl-3 in the development of inflammation-associated pathology.

Gastric cancer is an important health problem, being the fifth most common cancer and the third leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Aberrant protein translation contributes to the oncogenesis and development of cancers, and upregulation of translation initiation factor eIF4A1 has been observed in several kinds of malignancies. However, the role of eIF4A1 in gastric cancer progression remains unclear. In this study, we found that the expression of eIF4A1, a component of translation initiation complex, was increased in gastric cancer. High expression of eIF4A1 was positively associated with poor tumor differentiation, late T stage, lymph node metastasis, advanced TNM stage, and poor prognosis in patients with gastric cancer. Overexpression of eIF4A1 promoted the migration and invasion of gastric cancer cells in vitro and enhanced tumor metastasis in nude mice model. Mechanism studies revealed that eIF4A1 induced epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of gastric cancer cells through driving the translation of SNAI1 mRNA. Together, these findings indicate that eIF4A1 promotes EMT and metastasis of gastric cancer and suggest that eIF4A1 is a potential target for the adjuvant therapy for gastric cancer patients.

The Ordos Basin is one of the largest continental sedimentary basins and it represents one major and famous production area of coal, oil and gas resources in China. The Jurassic non-marine deposits are well developed and cropped out in the basin. The Middle Jurassic Yan’an Formation is rich in coal and contains diverse plant remains. We recognize 40 species in 25 genera belonging to mosses, horsetails, ferns, cycadophytes, ginkgoaleans, czekanowskialeans and conifers. This flora is attributed to the early Middle Jurassic Epoch, possibly the Aalenian-Bajocian. The climate of the Ordos Basin during the Middle Jurassic was warm and humid with seasonal temperature and precipitation fluctuations. The result tends to support the palaeophytogeographic/palaeoclimatic setting of the Ordos Basin in the North Floristic Province, or the North Chinese Province in the warm temperate zone during the Middle Jurassic.

SummaryBcl-3 is an atypical member of the IκB protein family that plays important and diverse roles in both innate and adaptive immunity, including Th17-dependent autoimmunity models in mice. When naïve mouse splenic CD4+ T cells were cultured under Th17 conditions in vitro, we unexpectedly found that the most highly differentially expressed gene between wild type and Bcl-3-deficient (KO) Th17 cells encoded the cytokine IL-9. We therefore investigated the role of Bcl-3 in Th9 cell differentiation. When naïve CD4+ T cells were cultured under Th9-polarizing conditions in vitro, the extent of Th9 differentiation observed in wild type cells was increased in Bcl-3 KO cells and conversely was decreased in cells overexpressing Bcl-3. The suppressive effect of Bcl-3 on Th9 differentiation was cell-autonomous, and NF-κB inhibitors abolished increased Th9 differentiation in Bcl-3 KO cells. Consistent with this, in the Th9 transfer model of OVA-induced allergic airway inflammation, mice receiving Bcl-3 KO cells had greater immune cell infiltration in the lung than mice receiving wild type cells.Mechanistically, unsupervised transcriptomic analysis revealed differentially expressed genes in KO cells, including the glutamine transporter Slc1a5, which was downregulated. The functional significance of this was suggested by the ability of increasing concentrations of glutamine in the media to reduce the difference in Th9 differentiation between WT and KO cells. Our results suggest a novel role for Bcl-3 as a negative regulator of Th9 differentiation, in part by limiting glutamine accessibility through downregulation of Slc1a5.

Gastric cancer ranks fourth for mortality globally among various malignant tumours, and invasion and metastasis are the major reason leading to its poor prognosis. Recently, accumulating studies revealed the role of reticulon proteins in cell growth and transmigration. However, the expression and biological function of reticulon proteins in human gastric cancer remain largely unclear. Herein, we explored the potential role of reticulon 2 (RTN2) in the progression of gastric cancer. Tissue microarray was used to determine the expression levels of RTN2 in 267 gastric cancer patients by immunohistochemistry. Gastric cancer cell lines were utilised to examine the influences of RTN2 on cellular migration and invasion abilities, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and signalling pathway. In vivo studies were also performed to detect the effect of RTN2 on tumour metastasis. We found that RTN2 expression was notably upregulated in tumour tissues compared to pericarcinomatous tissues. High RTN2 expression was positively correlated with patients' age, vessel invasion, tumour invasion depth, lymph node metastasis and TNM stage. Besides, high RTN2 staining intensity was associated with adverse survival which was further identified as an independent prognostic factor for gastric cancer patients by multivariate analysis. And the predictive accuracy was also improved when incorporated RTN2 into the TNM-staging system. RTN2 could promote the proliferation, migration and invasion of gastric cancer cells in vitro and lung metastasis in vivo. Mechanistically, RTN2 interacted with IP3R, and activated ERK signalling pathway via facilitating Ca

Well-preserved Ginkgo leaves with cuticle were collected from the Middle Jurassic Jiulongshan Formation in the Daohugou area, Inner Mongolia, China, which form the common elements in the Daohugou flora. Three new species of Ginkgo are recognized and their leaf morphology and cuticular structure are described for the first time. Two different pCO2 proxy models were applied to reconstruct palaeo-atmospheric CO2 concentration by using these new Ginkgo material. NLE (nearest living equivalent) suggests a semi-quantitative pCO2 estimate as 839 ± 99 ppmv with Carboniferous standardization and 419 ± 49 ppmv with Recent standardization. While Barclay’s revised SI-pCO2 regression suggests the estimates as 405 ± 71 ppmv. The results show that the pCO2 estimate is higher than today’s atmospheric CO2 concentration but lower than most of the other results on the Jurassic Period. Combined with the floristic composition, the climate at 165 Ma in the Daohugou area is inferred to be warm temperate.

Regulatory T cells (Tregs) exert inhibitory function under various physiological conditions and adopt diverse characteristics following environmental cues. Multiple subsets of Tregs expressing master transcription factors of helper T cells such as RORγt, T-bet, Gata3 and PPARγ have been characterized, but the molecular mechanism governing the differentiation of these subsets remains largely unknown. Here we report that the atypical IκB protein family member Bcl-3 suppresses RORγt

Bcl-3 is an atypical member of the IκB family that acts in the nucleus to modulate transcription of many NF-κB targets in a highly context-dependent manner. Accordingly, complete Bcl-3-/- mice have diverse defects in both innate and adaptive immune responses; however, direct effects of Bcl-3 action in individual immune cell types have not been clearly defined. Here, we document a cell-autonomous role for Bcl-3 in CD8+ T cell differentiation during the response to lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus infection. Single-cell RNA-seq and flow cytometric analysis of virus-specific Bcl3-/- CD8+ T cells revealed that differentiation was skewed towards terminal effector cells at the expense of memory precursor effector cells (MPECs). Accordingly, Bcl3-/- CD8+ T cells exhibited reduced memory cell formation and a defective recall response. Conversely, Bcl-3-overexpression in transgenic CD8+ T cells enhanced MPEC formation but reduced effector cell differentiation. Together, our results establish Bcl-3 as an autonomous determinant of memory/terminal effector cell balance during CD8+ T cell differentiation in response to acute viral infection. Our results provide proof-of-principle for targeting Bcl-3 pharmacologically to optimize adaptive immune responses to infectious agents, cancer cells, vaccines and other stimuli that induce CD8+ T cell differentiation., Author summary Effective immunity to previously encountered pathogens or vaccines depends on efficient formation of memory T and B cells. A major cornerstone is the generation of memory CD8+ T cells, which kill cells infected with intracellular pathogens, including viruses. In addition, memory CD8+ T cells are critical for adoptive immunotherapy to eliminate targeted tumor cells. Hence, it is essential to have a detailed understanding of pathways and molecular factors that regulate T cell differentiation/memory formation during the initial immune effector response. Here we show a critical cell-autonomous role for Bcl-3, an atypical member of the IκB family, in the regulation of CD8+ T cell differentiation/memory formation during acute viral infection with lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus. We found that Bcl-3 dampens the terminal differentiation of CD8+ T cells, which normally results in death at the end of the primary effector response, and instead, promotes the formation of memory precursor cells early on. This led to a robust memory response and much improved viral clearance upon re-challenge. Our results provide new insight into the molecular regulation of CD8+ T cell effector response and memory cell generation, establishing Bcl-3 and its pathways as a target to optimize CD8+ T cell effector responses to various immunogens including infectious agents, cancer cells, and vaccines.

Flowering plants, the angiosperms, are the most diverse group of plants on our planet. Today, they dominate most vegetation types, but their origin continues to remain a mystery. However, we continue to gain knowledge about their early evolution and history. It seems increasingly probable that their origin is associated with climatic and environmental changes in tropical areas and was coeval with the breakup of the supercontinent Gondwana. The first angiosperms appeared in the fossil record about 135 million years ago based on the occurrence of their rare pollen grains in fossil assemblages of North Gondwana and southwest Europe. Their evolution may be associated with climate perturbation and an overall change in wetland to mesophytic habitats, as this group is adapted to tolerate a seasonally dry climate. Soon after the first early angiosperms in the late Valanginian, higher angiosperms, the eudicots, are part of the fossil record of Africa. These initial flowering plants had small inconspicuous flowers and small fruits, and were most probably of small growth stature, likely herbs and shrubs. After angiosperms colonized mineral soils across the landscape, they expanded their habitats to aquatic environments and evolved strategies for their rapid dispersal in these settings. By the mid-Cretaceous (90–100 Ma), angiosperms conquered higher latitudes in both hemispheres and expanded into various tropical to warm temperate (= subtropical) environments. Chloranthoids, laurels, and plane trees experienced their heyday. In the Late Cretaceous, core∗ and higher eudicots evolved rapidly, and nearly all extant angiosperm families appeared by the end of the Cretaceous. Angiosperm clades developed a physiology capable of overcoming drought conditions by the Cenomanian. However, their expansion and colonization of mesophytic upland habitats only took place in the Late Cretaceous. Seasonally dry habitats, such as savannas, were inhabited by angiosperms in the Late Cretaceous, with the first evidence of graminoids.

Yanliaoa is a common fossil in the Middle Jurassic of western Liaoning, eastern Inner Mongolia and northern Hebei Province, China. It is an important element of the Yanliao biota. The genus was established by Pan in 1977 for fossil plants from the Middle Jurassic Haifanggou Formation in Xiasanjiaochengzi, western Liaoning Province, and in present paper, the genus Yanliaoa is studied based on new material. Pan never designated a type specimen and his fossil material cannot be located. We designate a type specimen here for Yanliaoa, so that the genus name Yanliaoa remains valid. Yanliaoa sinensis Pan emend. Tan et al., is found in the same locality and formation as the lost specimens, Y. sinensis of Pan, 1977. Yanliaoa daohugouensis n. sp., a new species with epidermal anatomy, is from the Middle Jurassic Daohugou, Inner Mongolia. A holotype is also selected from the new material for this new species. Characters of the leafy shoots and ovulate cones of Yanliaoa are emended. The epidermal anatomy of this genus is described for the first time. Compared with other extant and extinct species of Cupressaceae s. l., the current species can be distinguished from any known species both by the leafy shoot characters and its epidermal anatomy. It further indicates that Yanliaoa is an extinct and endemic conifer found in the Middle Jurassic of northeastern China.

The genus Eretmophyllum , a characteristic and widespread taxon of the order Ginkgoales, is restricted in the Mesozoic floras of Eurasia. In China, although some specimens were assigned to Eretmophyllum based on gross leaf morphology, none have epidermal structure, which is essential for species delimitation within this genus. In this paper, we describe a new species, Eretmophyllum neimengguensis n. sp., from the Middle Jurassic Yan’an Formation of the Ordos Basin, China. This is the first record of the genus Eretmophyllum (Ginkgoales) from the Ordos Basin as well as from China based upon the gross leaf morphology and the epidermal structure. The new record significantly extends the stratigraphic and geographic distribution of Eretmophyllum in China and Eurasia. It also improves our understanding of its leaf morphology, epidermal structure, and past diversity. The taxonomic position and the stratigraphic and geographical range of the genus Eretmophyllum are discussed. Briefly, leaf morphological and epidermal characters of the new species, associated plant assemblages, and sedimentology indicate that the regional climate of the Ordos Basin was warm and humid with seasonal temperature and precipitation fluctuations in warm-temperate zone during the Middle Jurassic. Furthermore, given the relationship between the distribution/diversity of the genus and the climate, the genus Eretmophyllum may be confined to the warm-temperature climate, is intolerant of heat and frost, and can be considered as an indicator of humid and warm climatic conditions.

Interactions between terrestrial arthropods and plants play a significant role in terrestrial ecosystems. Research on plant–insect interactions through geologic time provides valuable information for studying insect behavior and plant structure, understanding their coevolution, as well as analyzing climate change. In this paper, we choose fossil ginkgoalean and bennettitalean leaves as the plant hosts to study insect herbivory in the Middle Jurassic Daohugou area. Seven damage types of four functional feeding groups have been identified. Of the four functional feeding groups, margin feeding is the most common, indicating an abundance of insects with chewing mouthparts. Ginkgoalean leaves, probably because of their chemical defense, suffered less severe insect damage than bennettitalean leaves. Physical defense has also been observed in various genera of the bennettitalean leaves. Significantly, leaves of Anomozamites had a shaggy indumentum on the abaxial leaf surface and long stiff hairs along the rachis protecting them from insect herbivory. Our results indicate that the climate in the Middle Jurassic of the Daohugou area was relatively warm and humid. This work contributes to the study of plant–insect coevolution in the Daohugou Biota and provides more proxy data for understanding the Middle Jurassic paleoclimate and paleoenvironment in Daohugou area.

A new species of Donlesia (Ceratophyllaceae) from the Early Cretaceous Cheyenne Sandstone of Kansas, USA is reported. The fruits of Donlesia cheyennensis sp. nov. are achenes with four lateral spines, a stylar spine, and a long pedicel. The four lateral spines are arranged on two perpendicular planes. The leaves associated with D. cheyennensis fruits dichotomize three to four times. The fruit morphology of D. cheyennensis differs from Donlesia dakotensis, from the younger Dakota Formation, other fossil and extant members of Ceratophyllaceae in its tetra-radial symmetry, the presence of four lateral spines, and its long pedicel. The presence of Donlesia in the Cheyenne Sandstone extends the fossil record of Ceratophyllaceae to the earliest late Albian and this indicates that the Ceratophyllaceae clade probably diverged from its sister clade at least 105 million years ago in the Early Cretaceous.

Background Tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor 2 (TRAF2) is a key effector in the activation of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB). Nevertheless, the role of TRAF2 in gastric tumorigenesis remains little defined. Methods Immunohistochemistry was used to find the relationship between TRAF2 expression and clinicopathological characteristics of gastric cancer patients, and nomogram was applied to predict the overall survival of patients. Besides, we performed transwell assays to detect the function of TRAF2 in promoting metastasis and explored the correlations between TRAF2, NF-κB, and interleukin-8 (IL-8) in vitro. In addition, we examined the correlation between TRAF2 and tumor microenvironment by immunohistochemistry staining. Results In our study, we found that TRAF2 expression was markedly increased in gastric cancer tissues. High intratumoral TRAF2 staining, which was associated with tumor invasion and metastasis, was also an independent poor prognosticator for gastric cancer patients. In vitro studies revealed that TRAF2 enhanced NF-κB activation and subsequent IL-8 expression in gastric cancer cells. Inhibition of NF-κB or IL-8 signaling attenuated TRAF2-induced migration and invasion abilities. High TRAF2 expression was confirmed to be associated with both high intratumoral and serum levels of IL-8. In addition, TRAF2 expression was positively correlated with neutrophil and macrophage infiltration as well as microvessels formation in gastric cancer samples. Conclusions These results suggest that TRAF2 functions as an important modulator in tumor metastasis and tumor microenvironment formation and is a novel independent prognostic factor of gastric cancer.

The Middle Jurassic Daohugou Biota is named for a fossil assemblage after a village in Ningcheng County, Inner Mongolia, China. Over the last twenty-five years, abundant, exceptionally well-preserved fossils have been reported from various localities in the Daohugou area. While the fauna of the Daohugou Biota has been well-studied, little research has been done on the flora. In this paper, we establish the Daohugou Flora for the first time and document its high diversity of plants which are mainly composed of Filicopsida, Cycadopsida, Ginkgopsida, Czekanowskiales and Coniferopsida. We recognize 49 species belonging to 32 genera, including a new species Sphenobaiera eximia sp. nov. Na, Sun et Wang. An emended diagnosis of Anomozamites villosus Pott, McLoughlin, Wu et Friis is presented. The floristic composition indicates that the Daohugou Flora belongs to the North Floristic Province and it reflects a warm-temperate and humid climate with seasonal temperature and precipitation variations. This report, representing the first systematic treatment of fossil plants from the Daohugou area, is of great significance for understanding the Daohugou Biota. It also provides important information for reconstructing the paleoclimate and paleoenvironment in this area, and lays a solid foundation for studying co-evolution of plants and animals of the Daohugou Biota.

At present, the development of clastic reservoir has become an important way to increase oil and gas productivity in China, and the exploitation of oil and gas will inevitably affect the mechanical properties of rocks. Therefore, it is of great significance to study the rock mechanical properties of clastic reservoir rock. In this paper, the path tests of axial pressure rising-confining pressure rising and axial pressure constant-confining pressure unloading are carried out on the clastic rock samples. The results show that the clastic rock exhibits obvious elastoplastic characteristics under the path of rising confining pressure, but has certain characteristics of elasticity and brittleness under the path of unloading confining pressure; The increase in confining pressure can effectively inhibit the expansion of the rock and increase its bearing capacity; At the same initial confining pressure, the loading failure is less severe than the unloading failure; In the unloading path, the damage of the rock sample during the deformation and failure process is higher; As the confining pressure increases, the degree of rock damage also increases.

Chaneya ningmingensis sp. nov. is described from the Oligocene Ningming Formation in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, South China. Fruits of the new species are characterized by bearing five persistent, free, large petals, each containing five craspedodromous, longitudinally subparallel primary veins, and their thickened central disk bearing one whorl of five free, orbicular ovaries. The discovery of C. ningmingensis provides the evidence of the occurrence of Chaneya Wang et Manchester in Oligocene sediments of South China. This is the first Oligocene record of Chaneya from East Asia. Considering the continuous occurrence of Chaneya in the Cenozoic deposits from the early Eocene to the Miocene, East Asia may be a center of diversification and differentiation for the genus Chaneya.

The genus Sphenarion (Czekanowskiales) was first established for some fossil leaves from the Middle Jurassic Yorkshire flora of England. There are relatively few reports of Sphenarion with epidermal structures in the Mesozoic floras of Eurasia since its establishment. In this paper we describe a new species, Sphenarion angustae n. sp., from the Middle Jurassic Jiulongshan Formation near Daohugou Village, Inner Mongolia, China. This is the first record of the genus Sphenarion (Czekanowskiales) from the Daohugou Biota and from China based upon the gross leaf morphology and the epidermal structures. The new species has 7–8 persistent, linear leaves clustered on a short shoot. The amphistomatic leaves, with distinctive stomatal and nonstomatal zones on both upper and lower epidermis are simple or mostly fork once. The new species provides new morphological and epidermal data and extends stratigraphic and geographic distribution of Sphenarion in Eurasia. Meanwhile, the new discovery is significant in understanding the floral composition, paleoclimate, and paleoenviroment of the Daohugou Biota. Analysis of the cuticular structures presented here and preliminary examination of other associated plant groups suggest that the new species grew in an area with a seasonal warm and humid climate in a warm-temperate zone.

Objective Limiting surgical invasiveness is the main theme of breast surgery. Endoscopic axillary lymph node dissection (EALND) has been introduced since 1993 but not widely applied due to limited benefits as well as the controversy of liposuction that needed to create the working space in axilla. Progress of energy instruments brings the opportunity to new attempts to further enhance cosmetic outcomes and diminish complication rates. In this study, we report the preliminary outcomes of non-liposuctive EALND (NEALND) in breast conservative surgery. Patients and methods From Nov 2013 till June 2016, 143 patients diagnosed with cN+ breast cancer were categorized into two separate groups, the conventional ALND(CALND, 71 patients) and NEALND group(72 patients). Inform consents were obtained from all patients. Number of lymph nodes harvested, tumor size, intra-operative bleeding, drainage volume, pain score (10scale survey) were collected. The breast symmetrical score (BSS) and patient satisfaction (4scale survey) were used as variables to evaluate cosmetic outcomes. Results There was no statistical difference in intra-operative bleeding(NEALND:31.33±20.22ml, CALND:38.00±18.21ml, P=0.31) and first postoperative 3 day axillary drainage volume(NEALND:62.30±32.42, CALND:69.67±35.44, P=0.11). A slightly increased in the number of harvested lymph nodes was observed in the NEALND group in comparison with CALND (NEALND: 17.34±6.55, CALND: 14.68±5.85, P=0.03), there was no statistical difference reported for distant metastasis among two groups(NEALND:2.68±3.59, CALND:2.55±1.31,P=0.54). The pain score (NEALND: 3.79±1.51, open: 4.41±0.96, P=0.04) meanwhile breast symmetrical score was significantly superior in the NEALND group in comparison with CALND (NEALND: 0.098±0.091, CALND: 0.25±0.14, P=0.001) . Patient satisfaction survey reported a slightly positive feedback(NEALND: 4.00±0.00, CALND:3.77±0.54, P=0.02). In the CALND group, slight to moderate skew of nipple position towards the axilla was observed in many cases, suggesting the side effect of axillary scar contracture. The average operation time for NEALND was about 90min in the first 20 cases, and then down to about 60min, so the learning curve is suggested as 20 cases. All the patients are under follow up with no recurrence to date Conclusions Efforts on minimizing surgical invasiveness are greatly developed in systemic treatment and non-surgical local control. However, surgery is the fastest and the most economical way to obtain pathological complete remission, and still has space to be completed. NEALND may be a feasible surgical alternative with minimal invasiveness, suitable to a category of patient demanding excellent cosmetic outcome. Evaluation of long-term survival, complication rates and cosmetic results are mandatory in order to further estimate the applicability of this type of surgical management in treatment of breast cancer. References Suzanne FY, et al. A new, non-traumatic technique about axillary lymphadenectomy using fat and lymph nodes suction aspiration. A study of thirty cases. Breast Cancer Res Treat, 1993 ,27 :188. Citation Format: Yang W, Zhang H, Wang H. Non-liposuctive endoscopic axillary lymph node dissection in breast conservative surgery [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2016 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2016 Dec 6-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P3-13-24.

Background/Aims: Myocardial infarction (MI) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality. Here, we sought to explore the potential role and underlying mechanism of miR-145 in MI. Methods: H9c2 cells were cultured under persistent hypoxia to simulate MI. The hypoxia-induced injury was assessed on the basis of cell viability, migration, invasion and apoptosis. The expression of miR-145 was evaluated by qRT-PCR and the influence of aberrantly expressed miR-145 on H9c2 cells under hypoxia was also estimated. Utilizing bioinformatics methods, the target genes of miR-145 were verified by luciferase reporter assay. Then, effects of abnormally expressed target gene on miR-145 silenced H9c2 cells were assessed. Finally, the phosphorylation levels of key kinases in the phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT and the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathways were detected by Western blot analysis. Results: Hypoxia remarkably lowered viability, migration and invasion but promoted cell apoptosis. Meantime, the miR-145 level was up-regulated in H9c2 cells under hypoxia. Following experiments suggested that hypoxia-induced injury was exacerbated by miR-145 overexpression while was alleviated by miR-145 silence. Rac1 was predicted and further validated to be a target gene of miR-145. The influence of miR-145 silencing on H9c2 cells under hypoxia could be reversed by down-regulation of Rac1. Additionally, the phosphorylation levels of PI3K, AKT, MAPK and ERK were all elevated in miR-145 silenced cells and these alterations were reversed by down-regulation of Rac1. Conclusion: miR-145 silencing could protect H9c2 cells against hypoxia-induced injury by targeting Rac1, in which PI3K/AKT and MAPK/ERK pathways might be involved.