Search

Transcription factor SP1 could manipulate pathways involved in ovarian cancer progression. LncRNAs are involved in SP1‐mediated tumorigenesis. LncRNA DANCR could promote metastasis of ovarian cancer. However, the regulatory function and involvement of SP1‐induced lncRNA DANCR in ovarian cancer remain elusive. Data from this study showed that SP1 was up‐regulated in ovarian cancer tissues and cells (CAOV3, SKOV3, A2780), and SP1 could bind to the promoter region of DANCR through chromatin immunoprecipitation and leuciferase activity assays. Therefore, DANCR was transcriptionally induced by SP1 in ovarian cancer tissues and cells (CAOV3, SKOV3, A2780). Functionally, reduced expression of DANCR suppressed cell viability, migration and invasion of CAOV3, while enhanced DANCR expression contributed to SKOV3 growth. Over‐expression of SP1 reversed the suppressive effects of DANCR interference on ovarian cancer progression. In conclusion, SP1‐induced DANCR contributed to oncogenic potential of ovarian cancer, suggesting a promising therapeutic target for ovarian cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

N6‐isopentenyladenosine (i6A) is an RNA modification found in cytokinins, which regulate plant growth/differentiation, and a subset of tRNAs, where it improves the efficiency and accuracy of translation. The installation and removal of this modification is mediated by prenyltransferases and cytokinin oxidases, and a chemical approach to selective deprenylation of i6A has not been developed. We show that a selected group of oxoammonium cations function as artificial deprenylases to promote highly selective deprenylation of i6A in nucleosides, oligonucleotides, and live cells. Importantly, other epigenetic modifications, amino acid residues, and natural products were not affected. Moreover, a significant phenotype difference in the Arabidopsis thaliana shoot and root development was observed with incubation of the cation. These results establish these small organic molecules as direct chemical regulators/artificial deprenylases of i6A. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

N6‐Methyladenosine (m6A) represents a common and highly dynamic modification in eukaryotic RNA that affects various cellular pathways. Natural dioxygenases such as FTO and ALKBH5 are enzymes that demethylate m6A residues in mRNA. Herein, the first identification of a small‐molecule modulator that functions as an artificial m6A demethylase is reported. Flavin mononucleotide (FMN), the metabolite produced by riboflavin kinase, mediates substantial photochemical demethylation of m6A residues of RNA in live cells. This study provides a new perspective to the understanding of demethylation of m6A residues in mRNA and sheds light on the development of powerful small molecules as RNA demethylases and new probes for use in RNA biology. Take Me away: Flavin mononucleotide (FMN) was identified as an effective artificial N6‐methyladenosine (m6A) demethylase when combined with blue‐light irradiation, and functions similarly to natural demethylating enzymes like FTO and ALKBH5. This is the first example of a small molecule that can directly act on the cellular levels of the m6A modification in genomic RNA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to explore whether genomic polymorphisms in the alpha 1(XI) collagen gene ( COL 11A1) were associated with the risk and severity of Kashin-Beck disease (KBD). Twenty-two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in COL 11A1 were genotyped in 274 KBD cases and 249 healthy controls using the Sequenom MassARRAY system. The expression of type XI collagen (COL11A) in the knee articular cartilage of 22 KBD patients and 21 controls was analyzed by immunohistochemistry. Our results showed that the frequency distribution of genotypes of the rs2229783 polymorphism in COL 11A1 was significantly different between the KBD and control groups ( P = 0.0003). Moreover, the expression level of COL11A in cartilage was significantly lower in the KBD group than in the controls ( t = 2.637, P = 0.02). However, no association was found between the rs2229783 and the severity of KBD, suggesting a role of COL 11A1 in the susceptibility to but not the severity of KBD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perovskite photoconductor-type photodetector with metal–semiconductor–metal (MSM) structure is a basic device for photodetection applications. However, the role of electrode interlayer in MSM-type perovskite devices is less investigated compared to that of the pin diode structure. Here, a systematic investigation on the influence of phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) and indene-C60 bisadduct (ICBA) interfacial layers for MSM perovskite photodetectors is reported. It is found that the fullerene-based interlayer significantly enhances the photocurrent of the MSM photodetectors. On one hand, the PCBM interlayer is more suitable for CH3NH3PbI3 photodetector, with the responsivity two times higher than that of the device with ICBA interlayer. The ICBA layer, on the other hand, becomes more effective when the band gap of perovskite is enlarged with bromine composition, denoted as CH3NH3Pb(I1−xBrx)3 ( 1). It is further found that the specific detectivity of photodetectors with ICBA interlayer becomes even higher than those with PCBM when the bromine compositional percentage reaches 0.6 (). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hepatic artery occlusion (HAO) after liver transplantation (LT) is a devastating complication, resulting in early graft loss and reduced overall survival. Ultrasound is an established assessment method for HAO in patients following LT, especially those with complex hepatic artery reconstruction., Aim: To investigate the ultrasound characteristics and analyze the risk factors associated with HAO in patients after LT., Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the ultrasound characteristics and the clinic risk factors associated with HAO in 400 adult LT patients who were enrolled and treated at the Third People's Hospital of Shenzhen between November 2016 and July 2022. Fourteen patients diagnosed with acute HAO (A-HAO) by surgery and fifteen diagnosed with chronic HAO (C-HAO) were included. A control group of 33 patients without HAO complications during the same period were randomly selected using a random number table. All patients underwent an ultrasonography examination. Parameters including resistance index (RI), peak systolic velocity (PSV), and portal vein velocity (PVV) were compared across the groups. Additionally, basic clinical data were collected for all patients, including gender, age, primary diagnosis, D-dimer concentration, total operation time, cold ischemia time, hot ischemia time, intraoperative blood loss and transfusion, intraoperative urine volume, infusion, model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score, and whether complex hepatic artery reconstructions were performed. Furthermore, risk factors influencing HAO formation after LT were analyzed., Results: Compared to the non-HAO group, PVV and RI were higher in the A-HAO group, while PSV was lower. Conversely, both PSV and RI were lower in the C-HAO group compared to the non-HAO group. The proportion of patients undergoing complex hepatic artery reconstructions and the gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) level before occlusion were significantly higher in the A-HAO group compared to the non-HAO group. However, there were no distinct differences between the two groups in D-dimer, MELD score, pre-occlusion alanine transaminase and aspartate transaminase levels, or intraoperative conditions., Conclusion: Ultrasound features of the hepatic artery before occlusion are significantly associated with postoperative HAO development. Additionally, complex hepatic artery reconstructions, defined as revascularization of the graft requiring additional anastomosis between donor hepatic arteries, constitute a risk factor for A-HAO. Besides, abnormal pre-occlusion GGT elevation is an important biochemical indicator. Therefore, ultrasound examination serves as an important tool for screening HAO, especially in patients with the identified risk factors., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare no conflict of interest for this article., (©The Author(s) 2024. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Given the pivotal role of neuroinflammation in chronic pain and that the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN) is a crucial brain region involved in visceral pain regulation, we sought to investigate whether the targeted modulation of microglia and astrocytes in the PVN could ameliorate pancreatic cancer-induced visceral pain (PCVP) in mice., Methods: Using a mouse model of PCVP, achieved by tumor cell injection at the head of the pancreas, we measure the number of glial cells, and at the same time we employed minocycline to inhibit microglia and chemogenetic methods to suppress astrocytes in order to investigate the respective roles of microglia and astrocytes within the PVN in PCVP., Results: Mice exhibited visceral pain at 12, 15 and 18 days post-tumor cell injection. We observed a significant increase in the population of both microglia and astrocytes. Inhibition of microglial activity through minocycline microinjection into the PVN resulted in alleviation of visceral pain within 30 and 60 min. Similarly, chemogenetic inhibition of astrocyte function at 14 and 21 days post-injection also led to relief from visceral pain., Conclusions: This study found that PVN microglia and astrocytes were involved in regulating PCVP. Our results suggest that targeting glia may be a potential approach for alleviating visceral pain in patients with pancreatic cancer., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: All authors have completed the ICMJE uniform disclosure form (available at https://jgo.amegroups.com/article/view/10.21037/jgo-24-42/coif). The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (2024 Journal of Gastrointestinal Oncology. All rights reserved.)

N 6 -isopentenyladenosine (i 6 A) is an RNA modification found in cytokinins, which regulate plant growth/differentiation, and a subset of tRNAs, where it improves the efficiency and accuracy of translation. The installation and removal of this modification is mediated by prenyltransferases and cytokinin oxidases, and a chemical approach to selective deprenylation of i 6 A has not been developed. We show that a selected group of oxoammonium cations function as artificial deprenylases to promote highly selective deprenylation of i 6 A in nucleosides, oligonucleotides, and live cells. Importantly, other epigenetic modifications, amino acid residues, and natural products were not affected. Moreover, a significant phenotype difference in the Arabidopsis thaliana shoot and root development was observed with incubation of the cation. These results establish these small organic molecules as direct chemical regulators/artificial deprenylases of i 6 A., (© 2020 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

N 6 -Methyladenosine (m 6 A) represents a common and highly dynamic modification in eukaryotic RNA that affects various cellular pathways. Natural dioxygenases such as FTO and ALKBH5 are enzymes that demethylate m 6 A residues in mRNA. Herein, the first identification of a small-molecule modulator that functions as an artificial m 6 A demethylase is reported. Flavin mononucleotide (FMN), the metabolite produced by riboflavin kinase, mediates substantial photochemical demethylation of m 6 A residues of RNA in live cells. This study provides a new perspective to the understanding of demethylation of m 6 A residues in mRNA and sheds light on the development of powerful small molecules as RNA demethylases and new probes for use in RNA biology., (© 2019 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Realizing anion-π interaction induced self-assembly with charge-neutral π receptors as building components is extremely challenging. We designed and synthesized a series of bisoxacalix[2]arene[2]triazines 7-11 in which two macrocyclic motifs are linked in diverse branching angle and rigidity. Crystal structures showed the use of rigid linkers is able to control the orientation of the two macrocyclic cavities. The interplay between the two cavities was revealed by binding studies of 8-11 with chloride in solution. Whereas 180°- and 120°-branched hosts 8 and 9 possess dual complexation ability, 60°-branched and flexibly linked hosts 10 and 11 only form 1:1 complex with chloride. Association and self-assembly of these bismacrocyclic building units with dianionic naphthalene-1,5-disulfonate were systematically investigated. The formation of oligomeric self-assemblies and large aggregates in solution was suggested by 1 H NMR titrations, concentration- and temperature-variable 1 H NMR, diffusion-ordered spectroscopy (DOSY), ESI-MS, and dynamic light scattering (DLS). The anion-π induced long-distance self-assembly with coherent particle formation was revealed by SEM, TEM, cryo-TEM, and AFM techniques. The systematic studies allowed us to draw the conclusion that the dianion served to bridge the initial host aggregates through anion-π interactions and was responsible for the coherent particle formation. The cavity orientation of the bismacrocycle components was found to have a significant influence on the coherent particle morphology.

A method for dye laser wavelength correction applied for the measurement of OH radical with FAGE (Fluorescence Assay by Gas Expansion) is researched in this article. Sufficiently stable concentration of OH radical is produced with thermal dissociation of H2O by using an alumel filament and the fluorescence is excited with 282 nm laser in a low pressure cell. The fluorescence is detected with a photomultiplier and a high speed data acquisition card, while the laser light is monitored by a photodiode, and both signals are handled by a LabVIEW program for further analysis. The data acquisition card is triggered by a positive TTL pulse generated by a digital delay generator, which is triggered by a rising edge of a synchronized output pulse of the dye laser. The LabVIEW program is used to determine the location of the OH excited line according to the fluorescence intensity of OH radical when the frequency of the dye laser is scanned. By scanning dye laser wavelength range in 281.97~282.28 nm, excitation spectrum of OH radical is recorded. In order to optimize system parameters and achieve a high signal-to-noise ratio, the effects of the humidity, oxygen concentration, mass flow and pumping speed on fluorescence intensity and lifetime are studied at Q12 line and less than ±1.9% fluctuations of the fluorescence intensity is obtained. With analysis of the reaction mechanism of the thermal dissociation of H2O, it is concluded that reaction of oxygen and water is a major source of OH radical. Laser output wavelength is scanned in a small range around Q12 line to find out the exact exciting line and then correct the laser’s output, which might slightly shift due to the environmental change and leads to reduction of fluorescence intensity. The wavelength correction procedure is implemented many times and the results show that the systematic error of the instrument is less than 0.1 pm. According to the experimental results, this method meets the needs of quantitative accurate measuring tropospheric OH radical by FAGE.

A series of oxacalix[2]arene[2]triazines bearing one anionic head such as carboxylate, sulfonate, sulfate, and phosphate were synthesized. With the anionic head and complementary V-shape electron-deficient cavity, these macrocycles can serve as dual building units, and their anion-π directed self-assembly was investigated. The formation of oligomeric aggregates in solution was revealed by nuclear magnetic resonance, dynamic light scattering, and mass spectroscopy. Crystal structures further confirmed chainlike assembly formation directed by anion-π interactions.

Background: Caroli's disease (CD) is a rare congenital disorder. The early diagnosis of the disease and differentiation of types I and II are of extreme importance to patient survival. This study was designed to review and discuss observations in 30 patients with CD and to clarify the clinical characteristics of the disease., Methods: The demographic and clinical features, laboratory indicators, imaging findings and pathology results for 30 patients with CD were reviewed retrospectively., Results: Caroli's disease can occur at any age. The average age of onset in the study cohort was 24 years. Patients who presented with symptoms before the age of 40 years were more likely to develop type II CD. Approximately one-third of patients presented without positive signs at original diagnosis and most of these patients were found to have type I CD on pathology. Anaemia, leucopoenia and thrombocytopoenia were more frequent in patients with type II than type I CD. Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) and computed tomography (CT) examinations were most useful in diagnosing CD., Conclusions: No typical symptoms, signs or laboratory indicators are able to distinguish CD from other conditions. Both MRCP and CT were most valuable in diagnosis. The two types of CD may be differentiated by age of onset and routine blood tests., (© 2014 International Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association.)

Objective: To investigate the diagnostic value of acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) imaging technology for the assessment of liver fibrosis in chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients., Methods: One-hundred-and-eight CHC patients were examined by real-time ultrasound elastography using the Acuson S2000 ARFI instrument (Siemens Healthcare) and underwent liver biopsy for pathohistological analysis. The correlation between liver fibrosis grades determined by the two approaches was analyzed. The cut-off values for diagnosis by ARFI (S more than 2, S more than 3 and S = 4) were determined by generating a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve., Results: The spectrum of liver stiffness detected by ARFI sonoelastography included S1 at (1.26+/-0.27) m/s (n = 36), S2 at (1.45+/-0.51) m/s (n = 31), S3 at (2.01+/-0.54) m/s (n = 27), and S4 at (2.28+/-0.82) m/s (n = 14). The ARFI values were significantly different among the four different stages of liver fibrosis (P less than 0.001). The liver stiffness detected by ARFI sonoelastography was significantly correlated with the liver fibrosis stage determined by the gold standard pathohistological analysis (Spearman's rank coefficient: 0.61, P less than 0.001). Using the ARFI technology for assessment of liver fibrosis gave areas under the ROC curve of 0.779 for S more than 2 patients, of 0.863 for S more than 3 patients, and of 0.0880 for S = 4 patients., Conclusion: The real-time ultrasound elastography ARFI technology can show the elasticity modulus of liver, and its data values positively correlate with the patho-histology grade of liver fibrosis in CHC patients. ARFI technology is easy to operate, non-invasive, and quantitative, and has potential clinical value for assessing liver fibrosis in CHC.

Background: The non-operation treatment of intra-abdominal trauma guided contrast enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) is one of the hottest research topic. Gelatin/thrombin/calcium (GTC) was developed as a novel haemostatic agent for non-operable intra-abdominal trauma. We hypothesized that GTC can achieve haemostasis (without the use of pressure) within a short time in a large wound model by percutaneous injection under CEUS guidance., Methods: Forty Wister rats received large liver injuries by haemostatic clamp and were randomly divided into four groups, according to the haemostatic agent used. These included normal saline (NS) group A, lyophilising thrombin powder (LTP) group B, GTC group C, and absorbable α-cyanoacrylate (ACNA) group D. Each injury site was treated with one of the above materials and total bleeding time was recorded. All liver wounds were evaluated using CEUS at three periods: pre-injury, injury and post-treatment. The liver wounds were also evaluated by histology 3, 6, and 9 days after injury and the extents of abdominal adhesions were recorded., Results: The sensitivity of CEUS (100%) in detecting blunt traumatic liver lesions was significantly higher than conventional ultrasound (42.5%). Bleeding times at the injury site in the GTC group C ((129.3 ± 14.0) seconds) and ACNA group D ((5.2 ± 1.0) seconds) were significantly shorter than those in the NS group A ((369.5 ± 48.8) seconds, P < 0.01) and LTP group B ((324.7 ± 52.22) seconds, P < 0.01). The LTP group B showed no significant difference compared with the NS group A. Gross examination of liver tissue revealed that there were fewer intra-abdominal adhesions in the GTC group C (10%) than in the ACNA group D (100%). Histopathologic examination showed that GTC was completely absorbed after nine days., Conclusions: GTC, delivered by percutaneous injection under CEUS, may achieve haemostasis (without the use of pressure) within a short time in a large wound model. GTC is absorbable and may prevent intra-abdominal adhesions. Therefore, it may be the optimal choice for first aid treatment of large abdominal wounds in the setting of blunt trauma.

Objective: To investigate the value of strain patterns by transrectal real-time tissue elastography (TRTE) combined with transrectal ultrasonography (TRUS) in the differential diagnosis of the peripheral zone lesions of the prostate., Methods: A total of 145 patients suspected of prostate cancer (PCa) underwent TRUS and TRTE examinations. Based on the features of the strain patterns, the lesions were classified into 5 grades, and the strain patterns were compared with the results of pathological diagnosis., Results: High-quality images of TRTE were obtained in 124 (52 malignant and 72 benign) of the cases. According to the pathological results, malignancies accounted for 6.8% (3/44) in Grade I, 23.1% (3/13) in Grade II, 31.3% (5/16) in Grade III, 75.6% (31/41) in Grade IV and 100% (10/10) in Grade V, with statistically significant differences among the 5 grades (chi2 = 57.9, P < 0.01), and the diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) were 88.5%, 70.8%, 78.2%, 68.7% and 89.5% for TRTE, in comparison with 78.8%, 86.1%, 83.1%, 80.4% and 84.9% for the combination of TRTE and TRUS., Conclusion: The combined use of strain patterns and TRUS is helpful to the differential diagnosis of prostate peripheral zone lesions.

The bovine genomic DNA was extracted from bovine blood, then bovine mammary gland matrix attachment region (BMARs) was cloned using a pair of primers, which were designed based on the related sequences in GenBank through bio-software Primer5.0 and Vector7.0. Upon preliminary analysis with bio-software, BMARs was TA cloned into PMD-18 T vector. By means of adding Kpn2 I and Xho I to 5' upstream of sensitive and antisensitive primers respectively, expressing vector BE was constructed after BMAR was cloned into the downstream of the reporter gene in pEGFP-C1. Bovine ear fibroblast cells were transfected by expressing vector BE with Lipofectamine.Compared with control bovine ear fibroblast cells transfected with pEGFP-C1, the effect of cloned BMR was apparent in dispelling position effect and enhancing gene expression.