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Background Emerging evidence has demonstrated that fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) has a promising therapeutic effect on mice with experimental colitis and patients with ulcerative colitis (UC), although the mechanism of FMT is unclear. Aim To evaluate the protective effect of FMT on UC and clarify its potential dependence on the gut microbiota, through association analysis of gut microbiota with colon transcriptome in mice. Methods Dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced experimental colitis was established and fecal microbiota was transplanted by gavage. Severity of colon inflammation was measured by body weight, disease activity index, colon length and histological score. Gut microbiota alteration was analyzed through 16S ribosomal ribonucleic acid sequencing. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the colon were obtained by transcriptome sequencing. The activation status of colonic T lymphocytes in the lamina propria was evaluated by flow cytometry. Results Compared with the DSS group, the weight loss, colon length shortening and inflammation were significantly alleviated in the FMT group. The scores of disease activity index and colon histology decreased obviously after FMT. FMT restored the balance of gut microbiota, especially by upregulating the relative abundance of Lactobacillus and downregulating the relative abundance of Clostridium_sensu_stricto_1 and Turicibacter. In the transcriptomic analysis, 128 DEGs intersected after DSS treatment and FMT. Functional annotation analysis suggested that these DEGs were mainly involved in T-lymphocyte activation. In the DSS group, there was an increase in colonic T helper CD4+ and T cytotoxic CD8+ cells by flow cytometry. FMT selectively downregulated the ratio of colonic CD4+ and CD8+ T cells to maintain intestinal homeostasis. Furthermore, Clostri dium_sensu_stricto_1 was significantly related to inflammation-related genes including REG3G, CCL8 and IDO1. Conclusion FMT ameliorated DSS-induced colitis in mice via regulating the gut microbiota and T-cell modulation.

BACKGROUND The inverse association between systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) and overall survival in tumors has been studied. AIM To evaluate the hematological indexes for assessing the activity of ulcerative colitis (UC). METHODS In this case-control study, 172 UC patients and healthy participants were included. Comparisons were made among groups of white blood cells, hemoglobin, platelets, neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, SII, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR). The relationship with hematological inflammation was verified by Spearman correlation analyses. The efficiency of SII, NLR, and PLR for distinguishing between UC and severe disease status was assessed by the receiver operator curve and logistic regression analyses. RESULTS The values of SII, NLR, and PLR were higher in UC patients than in controls (P < 0.001) and were positively correlated with the Mayo endoscopic score, extent, Degree of Ulcerative Colitis Burden of Luminal Inflammation (DUBLIN) score, and Ulcerative Colitis Endoscopic Index of Severity (UCEIS). The cut-off NLR value of 562.22 predicted UC with a sensitivity of 79.65% and a specificity of 76.16%. Logistic regression analysis revealed that patients with SII and NLR levels above the median had a significantly higher risk of UC (P < 0.05). Risk factors independently associated with DUBLIN ≥ 3 included SII ≥ 1776.80 [odds ratio (OR) = 11.53, P = 0.027] and NLR value of 2.67-4.23 (OR = 2.96, P = 0.047) on multivariate analysis. Compared with the first quartile, SII ≥ 1776.80 was an independent predictor of UCEIS ≥ 5 (OR = 18.46, P = 0.012). CONCLUSION SII has a certain value in confirming UC and identifying its activity.

More and more evidences show that TGF-β has a crucial role in tumor initiation and development. However, the mechanism of the TGF-β signal regulator in esophageal cancer (EC) is still unclear. Here, we use a variety of bioinformatics methods to analyze the expression and survival data of TGF-β signal regulators in patients with EC. We extracted the expression of the S-TGF-β signal regulator from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). The cBioPortal database was used to assess the frequency of genetic variation. The TGF-β signal regulator is expressed in EC and normal tissues. The objective is to use the Kaplan-Meier plotter database to investigate the prognostic value of TGF-β signal regulators in cancer patients. The DAVID and clusterProfiler software package were used for functional enrichment analysis. We found that patients with TGF-β signaling mutations have shorter overall survival, disease-free survival, disease-specific survival, platinum overall survival, and platinum-free progression survival. We found that compared with the noncancerous tissues of patients with EC, ZFYVE9, BMPR1B, TGFB3, TGFBRAP1, ACVRL1, TGFBR2, SMAD4, SMAD7, ACVR2A, BMPR1, and SMAD9 were significantly downregulated in tumor tissues, while ACVR1 and Smad1 were significantly upregulated in tumor samples. Univariate survival analysis showed that ACVR1, TGFBR3, TGFBRAP1, BMPR1A, SMAD4, and TGFBR2 were positively correlated with overall survival (OS) prolongation. In addition, TGF-β signal transduction regulators could be divided into two classes. Subclass 1 was involved in regulating cell adhesion, PI3K-Akt signaling, and Rap1 signaling. Subclass 2 was related to regulating angiogenesis and PI3K signaling. In short, all members of TGF-β signal regulators can be used as biomarkers to predict the prognosis of patients with EC.

Several serum parameters can be used to assess ulcerative colitis (UC) disease activity. However, the value of these parameters for predicting UC severity has not been studied in depth. Therefore, we sought to investigate the value of serum total bilirubin (TB) as a predictor of UC severity.This cross-sectional study included 448 UC patients and 308 healthy participants. Data regarding the serum levels of TB, hemoglobin (Hb), albumin (Alb), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and C-reactive protein (CRP) were collected. UC severity was evaluated according to the Truelove and Witts criteria. Wilcoxon rank sum tests were used to compare data between groups, while Spearman correlation analyses between TB and the levels of Hb, Alb, ESR and CRP were performed. Logistic regression analyses were used to determine the odds ratios (ORs) for severe UC in UC patients.UC patients had lower Hb, Alb, and TB levels than healthy participants (Serum TB level is an effective predictor of the severity of UC.

Objective Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a highly aggressive malignancy that has a poor prognosis. Through the literatures, TINAG significantly participated in the processes of the renal-associated diseases, but there were no studies about the roles of TINAG in the HCC development. Hence, we attempted to use the HCC samples collected by ourselves to reveal the clinical significance and prognostic impact of TINAG in HCC. Methods We first measured the expression level of TINAG in HCC on the basis of TCGA database. Then, real time quantitative reverse transcription PCR (RT-qPCR) was used to examine the expression level of TINAG in 100 pairs of HCC tissues and corresponding adjacent non-tumor tissues, as well as HCC cell lines (HepG2, HB611, HHCC, and Hep3B). Moreover, Kaplan-Meier method and COX's proportional hazards model were utilized to perform the survival and prognosis analyses using the clinical data collected by ourselves. After knockdown of TINAG, the cell proliferation, invasion and migration capacities of HepG2 and Hep3B cells were evaluate by counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay (24 h, 48 h, 72 h, and 96 h post-cultivation), clone formation experiment, would-healing, and invasion as well as migration assays. To further explore whether the dys-regulated TINAG expression regulates the HCC progression and prognosis, protein biomarkers of PI3K signaling pathway, including AKT, p-AKT, PI3K, p-PI3K, p70S6K, and p-p70S6K were measured based on western blotting analysis. Results According to the data of TCGA database, clinical patients, and HCC cell lines, TINAG was highly expressed in HCC compared with normal. Relationship of TINAG expression level with the clinicopathological factors implicated that the high expression of TINAG was significantly associated with pathologic stage, pathologic-node, and pathologic-metastasis. Univariate as well as multivariate COX analysis indicated that TINAG expression and pathologic metastasis can serve as the independent prognostic factor for overall survival of HCC. After TINAG knockdown in HepG2 and Hep3B cells, cell proliferation rate, the colony numbers, and the invasive and migratory capacity were found to be suppressed. Remarkably, western blot results showed that reduction of TINAG remarkably decreased p-AKT, p-PI3K, and p-p70S6K expression level in HepG2 and Hep3B cells. Conclusion Collectively, our results underscore the significance of TINAG in HCC progression and prognosis, and TINAG might be a novel candidate oncogene in HCC. These results propose that targeting TINAG might offer future clinical utility in HCC.

The multistep thermal decomposition behavior and kinetic feature of magnesium nitrate hydrate (MNH) were studied systematically in this study. Firstly, the multistep reaction processes in MNH pyrolysis were identified by Thermogravimetry-Fourier Transform Infrared analysis. Then, a common method of data processing, mathematical peak deconvolution, was used to separate such complex multistep reaction processes. Additionally, kinetic triplets of each separated process were determined by Friedman isoconversional method and Ozawa kinetic equation. Finally, kinetic features of each separated process were interpreted in terms of the physico-geometrical reaction mechanism. The results showed that MNH pyrolysis was a complex multistep reaction, including three reaction processes. The first two reaction processes were characterized by evolution of H2O, whereas the third reaction process was characterized by evolution of NO2. Three processes obeyed diffusion, order-based and nucleation and growth mechanisms, with E(apparent activation energy) = 80 ± 1, 137 ± 2, 227 ± 4 kJ/mol and A(pre-exponential factor)=(2.5 ± 0.2)×109, (1.5 ± 0.1)×1011 and (8.8 ± 0.2)×1015 s−1, respectively.

The current study aimed to identify key genes in glaucoma based on a benchmarked dataset and gene regulatory network (GRN). Local and global noise was added to the gene expression dataset to produce a benchmarked dataset. Differentially-expressed genes (DEGs) between patients with glaucoma and normal controls were identified utilizing the Linear Models for Microarray Data (Limma) package based on benchmarked dataset. A total of 5 GRN inference methods, including Zscore, GeneNet, context likelihood of relatedness (CLR) algorithm, Partial Correlation coefficient with Information Theory (PCIT) and GEne Network Inference with Ensemble of Trees (Genie3) were evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) and precision and recall (PR) curves. The interference method with the best performance was selected to construct the GRN. Subsequently, topological centrality (degree, closeness and betweenness) was conducted to identify key genes in the GRN of glaucoma. Finally, the key genes were validated by performing reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). A total of 176 DEGs were detected from the benchmarked dataset. The ROC and PR curves of the 5 methods were analyzed and it was determined that Genie3 had a clear advantage over the other methods; thus, Genie3 was used to construct the GRN. Following topological centrality analysis, 14 key genes for glaucoma were identified, including IL6, EPHA2 and GSTT1 and 5 of these 14 key genes were validated by RT-qPCR. Therefore, the current study identified 14 key genes in glaucoma, which may be potential biomarkers to use in the diagnosis of glaucoma and aid in identifying the molecular mechanism of this disease.

The objective of the present study is to identify significant genes and pathways associated with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) by systematically tracking the dysregulated modules of re-weighted protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks. Firstly, normal and HCC PPI networks were inferred and re-weighted based on Pearson correlation coefficient. Next, modules in the PPI networks were explored by a clique-merging algorithm, and disrupted modules were identified utilizing a maximum weight bipartite matching in non-increasing order. Then, the gene compositions of the disrupted modules were studied and compared with differentially expressed (DE) genes, and pathway enrichment analysis for these genes was performed based on Expression Analysis Systematic Explorer. Finally, validations of significant genes in HCC were conducted using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) analysis. The present study evaluated 394 disrupted module pairs, which comprised 236 dysregulated genes. When the dysregulated genes were compared with 211 DE genes, a total of 26 common genes [including phospholipase C beta 1, cytochrome P450 (CYP) 2C8 and CYP2B6] were obtained. Furthermore, 6 of these 26 common genes were validated by RT-qPCR. Pathway enrichment analysis of dysregulated genes demonstrated that neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction, purine and drug metabolism, and metabolism of xenobiotics mediated by CYP were significantly disrupted pathways. In conclusion, the present study greatly improved the understanding of HCC in a systematic manner and provided potential biomarkers for early detection and novel therapeutic methods.

A type of bi-functional hybrid catalyst of Pd-decorated CNT-promoted Cu-ZrO 2 admixed with HZSM-5 zeolite was developed, and displayed excellent performance for the direct synthesis of dimethyl ether (DME) from CO 2 /H 2 via CH 3 OH in a single fixed-bed continuous flow reactor. Over a CuZr–PdCNTs/HZSM-5 hybrid catalyst under reaction conditions of 5.0 MPa, 523 K, V (H 2 )/ V (CO 2 )/ V (N 2 ) = 69/23/8, GHSV = 25,000 mL STP /(h g-hydr. catal.), the observed specific rate of CO 2 hydrogenation-conversion reached 0.39 μmol/(s m 2 -Cu 0 -SA), which was 1.22 times that of the corresponding Pd/CNTs-free counterpart CuZr/HZSM-5. The addition of a minor amount of the Pd-decorated CNTs into the CuZr/HZSM-5 host catalyst caused little change in the apparent activation energy for CO 2 hydrogenation, but led to an increase of metal Cu exposed area (catalytically active Cu surface-sites closely associated with the CO 2 hydrogenation to methanol) and marked improvement of adsorption performance of the catalyst for H 2 and CO 2 . The latter would help generate a micro-environment with higher concentration of active H and CO 2 adspecies at the surface of the functioning catalyst, thus increasing the rate of the surface hydrogenation reactions. The present study also demonstrated that combining the methanol-synthesis and methanol-dehydration-to-DME processes in heterogeneous “one-pot” reactions by using the bi-functional hybrid catalyst could indeed enhance the driving force for CO 2 hydrogenation conversion.

Clinical definition and appropriate management of anaphylaxis is a clinical challenge because there is large variability in presenting clinical signs and symptoms. Monitoring of the metabolic status of anaphylaxis may be helpful in understanding its pathophysiological processes and diagnosis. The purpose of this study was to conduct GC-MS serum metabolic profiling of anaphylaxis animal models and search for potential biomarkers of anaphylaxis. Thirty-six guinea pigs were randomly divided into an ovalbumin group (n = 12), a cattle albumin group (n = 12), and a control group (n = 12). The IgE level in the serum of the guinea pigs was evaluated by use of ELISA kits and the major metabolic changes in serum were detected by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Typical clinical symptoms appeared after the animals had been challenged with ovalbumin or cattle albumin. The IgE levels in serum of both model groups were significantly higher than those of the control group. Clustering trend of the three groups based on variables was observed and nine out of 858 metabolomic features were found to be significantly different between control group and model groups. Among the nine features, six features were tentatively identified as metabolites related to energy metabolism and signal transduction in anaphylaxis. In conclusion, GC-MS-based metabolic profiling analysis might be an effective auxiliary tool for investigation of anaphylaxis.

The antioxidant differences between two flavonoid extracts from fruiting body and fermentation broth of Phellinus igniarius were determined, and the effects of flavonoid addition on the sensory characteristics of sturgeon caviar were investigated. Both extracts exhibited moderate antioxidant activity with EC50 values of 4.98 and 2.39 mg/mL, the extract of fermentation broth exhibiting higher antioxidant efficiency. Flavonoids were added at 0.01% and 0.02% to sturgeon caviars, which were then stored at 4 or 20 °C for 12 days. Peroxide values (meq/kg) were determined after regular intervals. The 0.02% level of flavonoids from fermentation broth of P. igniarius had stronger antioxidant effect than vitamin C, very close to that of butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA). Flavonoid addition improved the sensory profile of caviar, and the flavonoid extract from the fermentation broth had a more desirable effect on flavour and aroma than that from fruiting bodies.

The systematic immune-inflammation index (SII) has been used to predict the prognosis of patients with various cancers. This study aimed to determine whether the preoperative SII was associated with postoperative survival among patients with operable colon cancer.This retrospective study included 118 age- and sex-matched healthy subjects and 118 patients who underwent radical surgery for colon cancer between January 2011 and December 2013. The preoperative SII was calculated based on counts of neutrophils, lymphocytes, and platelets in the peripheral blood. Pearson correlation analysis was used to analyze the relationships between the SII and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) concentration, average length of stay (ALOS), and medical costs during hospitalization. The χ test or Fisher exact test was used to analyze the relationship between the preoperative SII and the postoperative survival rate.The median SII value was 667.75 among patients with colon cancer, which was higher than the value among healthy subjects. A high SII (>667.75) was associated with a large tumor size and advanced TNM stage, although it was not associated with age, sex, tumor location, or pathological grade. Pearson correlation analysis revealed that the SII was positively correlated with serum CEA concentration, ALOS, and medical costs. Relative to a low SII, a high SII was significantly associated with a lower overall survival rate at 3 years and 5 years after surgery.The present study's findings suggest that the preoperative SII is a useful prognostic index for patients with operative colon cancer.

Protection by CPU 86017 against reperfusion-induced arrhythmias was studied in Langendorff perfused hearts and anesthetized rats. Inhibition of arrhythmias induced by ouabain and aconitine was observed, and the influence of CPU 86017 on ventricular fibrillation threshold (VFT) was determined. CPU 8601 7 exerted a dose-dependent antiarrhythmic effect in animal models. In Langendorff's perfused hearts, CPU 86017 significantly reduced the incidence and duration of ventricular fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia, as well as arrhythmic scores in a dose-dependent manner. The approximate ED 50 of CPU 86017 against ventricular fibrillation was 2.10 μM. The antiarrhythmic effect of CPU 86017 against arrhythmia persisted for more than 6 h. In anaesthetized rats, CPU 86017 provided potent antiarrhythmic and antifibrillatory effects by po or iv routes. CPU 86017 was similar in potency to propafenone by the po route, and 10 times more potent than lidocaine by the iv route. CPU 86017 significantly attenuated the exaggerated arrhythmia and ventricular fibrillation in hypertrophic hearts induced by 1-thyroxine. Against ouabain-induced arrhythmias CPU 86017 exerted a dose-dependent inhibitory effect, which was 6.5-fold more potent than berberine. CPU 86017 significantly reduced ventricular fibrillation incidence and prevented the further deterioration of ventricular arrhythmias induced by aconitine. In conclusion, CPU 86017 is a potent antiarrhythmic agent with multiple mechanisms of action.