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Assessing how dominant peatland species, such as Dasiphora fruticosa, adapt to water table decline is crucial to advance understanding of their growth and survival strategies. Currently, most studies have primarily focused on their growth and biomass, with limited knowledge on the response of non-structural carbohydrates (NSCs) and physiological adaptations of these woody plants under long-term drainage. This study assessed the response of photosynthesis and transpiration rates, biomass, and NSC concentrations (including soluble sugars and starch) in the leaves, stems, and roots of D. fruticosa to long-term drainage in a minerotrophic peatland. The aim was to elucidate the plant response and adaptation mechanisms to water table decline. Dasiphora fruticosa effectively regulated carbon (C) demand and supply by significantly enhancing photosynthesis, transpiration, and biomass accumulation, thereby maintaining stable C storage as the water table declined. There was a notable reduction in soluble sugar concentration in leaves with increasing water table decline, while starch concentrations in all three organs remained relatively constant. Although the concentration of soluble sugars in leaves was consistently higher than that in roots and stems, the relative proportion of soluble sugars and starch gradually decreased in leaves and increased in roots and stems with water table decline. Our findings reveal that D. fruticosa reduces NSC concentrations in leaves while increasing biomass to adapt to water table decline. This acclimation might significantly impact C dynamics in peatlands. Understanding these mechanisms is vital for predicting the dynamics of C sequestration and emission in peatland ecosystems under changing environmental conditions., (© 2025 Wiley‐VCH GmbH. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background and Objectives: Studies show that new onset diabetes mellitus (DM) (NOD) predates the diagnosis of PDAC by up to 2 years. Two tumor-intrinsic molecular subtypes of PDAC that are prognostic and predictive of chemotherapy response have been described and validated. We hypothesize that patients with NOD may have different molecular subtypes and prognoses., Methods: This is a single-institution study of patients who underwent resection for PDAC from 2009 to 2022 with de-identified samples available for sequencing. Demographic and clinical factors were examined using bivariate and multivariate analysis., Results: A total of 97 patients met inclusion criteria: 70 with no history of DM, 11 with longstanding DM (> 2 years), and 16 with NOD. The demographics between groups were overall similar. After controlling for age, sex, race, BMI, and tobacco history, NOD was not a significant predictor of PDAC subtype. There were no survival differences between groups. Transcriptomic analysis suggests the upregulation of inflammatory and immune activation and regulation pathways in NOD., Conclusions: As continued interest in NOD and PDAC mounts, we are the first to examine if NOD may be associated with molecular subtypes and outcomes. Further investigation into the underlying pathophysiology of the NOD group is still needed., (© 2024 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

RNA interference (RNAi) therapeutics are an emerging class of medicines that selectively target mRNA transcripts to silence protein production and combat disease. Despite the recent progress, a generalizable approach for monitoring the efficacy of RNAi therapeutics without invasive biopsy remains a challenge. Here, we describe the development of a self-reporting, theranostic nanoparticle that delivers siRNA to silence a protein that drives cancer progression while also monitoring the functional activity of its downstream targets. Our therapeutic target is the transcription factor SMARCE1, which was previously identified as a key driver of invasion in early-stage breast cancer. Using a doxycycline-inducible shRNA knockdown in OVCAR8 ovarian cancer cells both in vitro and in vivo, we demonstrate that SMARCE1 is a master regulator of genes encoding proinvasive proteases in a model of human ovarian cancer. We additionally map the peptide cleavage profiles of SMARCE1-regulated proteases so as to design a readout for downstream enzymatic activity. To demonstrate the therapeutic and diagnostic potential of our approach, we engineered self-assembled layer-by-layer nanoparticles that can encapsulate nucleic acid cargo and be decorated with peptide substrates that release a urinary reporter upon exposure to SMARCE1-related proteases. In an orthotopic ovarian cancer xenograft model, theranostic nanoparticles were able to knockdown SMARCE1 which was in turn reported through a reduction in protease-activated urinary reporters. These LBL nanoparticles both silence gene products by delivering siRNA and noninvasively report on downstream target activity by delivering synthetic biomarkers to sites of disease, enabling dose-finding studies as well as longitudinal assessments of efficacy., Competing Interests: Competing interests statement:S.N.B. holds equity in Amplifyer Bio, Catalio Capital, Earli, Impilo Therapeutics, Matrisome Bio, Ochre Bio, Port Therapeutics, Ropirio Therapeutics, Satellite Bio, Sunbird Bio, and Vertex Pharmaceuticals, advises Danaher, Moderna, Pictet, and Xilio Therapeutics, and receives sponsored research funding from Johnson & Johnson, and Owlstone Medical. P.T.H. is the co-founder and member of the Board of LayerBio, Inc., a member of the Board of Alector Therapeutics, Focal Biomedical and the Board of Senda Biosciences, a Flagship company, and a former member of the Scientific Advisory Board of Moderna Therapeutics. The remaining authors declare no competing interests.

Creating synthetic biomarkers for the development of precision diagnostics has enabled detection of disease through pathways beyond those used for traditional biofluid measurements. Synthetic biomarkers generally make use of reporters that provide readable signals in the biofluid to reflect the biochemical alterations in the local disease microenvironment during disease incidence and progression. The pharmacokinetic concentration of the reporters and biochemical amplification of the disease signal are paramount to achieving high sensitivity and specificity in a diagnostic test. Here, a cancer diagnostic platform is built using one format of synthetic biomarkers: activity-based nanosensors carrying chemically stabilized DNA reporters that can be liberated by aberrant proteolytic signatures in the tumor microenvironment. Synthetic DNA as a disease reporter affords multiplexing capability through its use as a barcode, allowing for the readout of multiple proteolytic signatures at once. DNA reporters released into the urine are detected using CRISPR nucleases via hybridization with CRISPR RNAs, which in turn produce a fluorescent or colorimetric signal upon enzyme activation. In this protocol, DNA-barcoded, activity-based nanosensors are constructed and their application is exemplified in a preclinical mouse model of metastatic colorectal cancer. This system is highly modifiable according to disease biology and generates multiple disease signals simultaneously, affording a comprehensive understanding of the disease characteristics through a minimally invasive process requiring only nanosensor administration, urine collection, and a paper test which enables point-of-care diagnostics.

Background: Advanced pancreatic cancer (APC) is a fatal disease with limited treatment options. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of different Chinese herbal injections (CHIs) as adjuvants for radiotherapy (RT) in APC and compare their treatment potentials using network meta-analysis., Methods: We systematically searched three English and four Chinese databases for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) from inception to July 25, 2023. The primary outcome was the objective response rate (ORR). Secondary outcomes included Karnofsky performance status (KPS) score, overall survival (OS), and adverse events (AEs). The treatment potentials of different CHIs were ranked using the surface under the cumulative ranking curve (SUCRA). The Cochrane RoB 2 tool and CINeMA were used for quality assessment and evidence grading., Results: Eighteen RCTs involving 1199 patients were included. Five CHIs were evaluated. Compound Kushen injection (CKI) combined with RT significantly improved ORR compared to RT alone (RR 1.49, 95 % CrI 1.21-1.86). Kanglaite (KLT) plus RT (RR 1.58, 95 % CrI 1.20-2.16) and CKI plus RT (RR 1.49, 95 % CrI 1.16-1.95) were associated with improved KPS score compared to radiation monotherapy, with KLT+RT being the highest rank (SUCRA 72.28 %). Regarding AEs, CKI plus RT was the most favorable in reducing the incidence of leukopenia (SUCRA 90.37 %) and nausea/vomiting (SUCRA 85.79 %)., Conclusions: CKI may be the optimal choice of CHIs to combine with RT for APC as it may improve clinical response, quality of life, and reduce AEs. High-quality trials are necessary to establish a robust body of evidence., Protocol Registration: PROSPERO, CRD42023396828., (© 2023 Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Synthetic biomarkers, bioengineered sensors that generate molecular reporters in diseased microenvironments, represent an emerging paradigm in precision diagnostics. Despite the utility of DNA barcodes as a multiplexing tool, their susceptibility to nucleases in vivo has limited their utility. Here we exploit chemically stabilized nucleic acids to multiplex synthetic biomarkers and produce diagnostic signals in biofluids that can be 'read out' via CRISPR nucleases. The strategy relies on microenvironmental endopeptidase to trigger the release of nucleic acid barcodes and polymerase-amplification-free, CRISPR-Cas-mediated barcode detection in unprocessed urine. Our data suggest that DNA-encoded nanosensors can non-invasively detect and differentiate disease states in transplanted and autochthonous murine cancer models. We also demonstrate that CRISPR-Cas amplification can be harnessed to convert the readout to a point-of-care paper diagnostic tool. Finally, we employ a microfluidic platform for densely multiplexed, CRISPR-mediated DNA barcode readout that can potentially evaluate complex human diseases rapidly and guide therapeutic decisions., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

The brain is one of the important reservoir sites for HIV persistent/latent infection that often leads to HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND). However, HIV dynamics in the brain is an understudied area and little is known about mechanisms underlying the development and progression of HAND. This issue is mainly due to the lack of suitable in vitro models that can recapitulate the cellular and molecular complexity of the human brain. Hence, there is an urgent need for such models to study HIV neuropathogenesis and to develop therapeutics for HAND. The emergence of three-dimensional (3D) brain organoids generated from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) has now provided a clinically relevant in vitro model to study HIV brain infection and neuropathogenesis. Recently, there have been a noticeable number of publications that demonstrate the feasibility and advantages of this model for studies of neurobiology and brain disorders as well as HIV infection. Here, we describe the development of iPSC-derived human microglia-containing brain organoids, including advantages/challenges, and focus on their applicability for modeling HIV brain infection., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest None., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: Undergraduate ultrasound education is becoming increasingly important, but its expansion is limited by time, space and the availability of trained faculty. In order to validate an alternative and more accessible teaching model, our aim was to assess whether combining teleguidance and peer-assisted learning to teach ultrasound is as effective as traditional in-person methods., Methods: Peer instructors taught 47 second-year medical students ocular ultrasound via either teleguidance or traditional in-person methods. Proficiency was assessed using a multiple-choice knowledge test and objective structured clinical examination (OSCE). Confidence, overall experience, and experience with a peer instructor were measured using a 5-point Likert scale. Two one-sided t-tests were used to measure equivalency between the two groups. The null hypothesis that the two groups were not different was rejected when P < 0.05., Results: The teleguidance group performed as well as the traditional in-person group in terms of knowledge change, confidence change, OSCE time and OSCE score (p = 0.011, p = 0.006, p = 0.005 and  = 0.004, respectively, indicating the two groups are statistically equivalent). The teleguidance group rated the experience highly overall (4.06/5), but less than the traditional group (4.47/5; P = 0.448, indicating statistical difference). Peer instruction was rated 4.35/5 overall., Conclusion: Peer-instructed teleguidance was equivalent to in-person instruction with respect to knowledge change, confidence gain and OSCE performance in basic ocular ultrasound., Competing Interests: None of the study authors had any financial conflict of interest, and no members of Butterfly Network Inc. had any involvement in the conception, design, implementation, analysis or drafting of this study., (© 2023 Australasian Society for Ultrasound in Medicine.)

Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus are the main species used for yogurt preparation. Glutathione (GSH) can be synthesized by S. thermophilus and plays a crucial role in combating environmental stress. However, the effect of GSH biosynthesis by S. thermophilus on cocultured L. delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus is still unknown. In this study, a mutant S. thermophilus ΔgshF was constructed by deleting the GSH synthase. The wild strain S. thermophilus ST-1 and ΔgshF mutants were cocultured with L. delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus ATCC11842 by using Transwell chambers (Guangzhou Shuopu Biotechnology Co., Ltd.), respectively. It was proven that the GSH synthesized by S. thermophilus ST-1 could be absorbed and used by L. delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus ATCC11842, and promote growth ability and stress tolerance of L. delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus ATCC11842. The biomass of L. delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus ATCC11842 cocultured with S. thermophilus ST-1 or ΔgshF (adding exogenous GSH) increased by 1.8 and 1.4 times compared with the biomass of L. delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus ATCC11842 cocultured with S. thermophilus ΔgshF. Meanwhile, after H 2 O 2 and low-temperature treatments, the bacterial viability of L. delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus cocultured with S. thermophilus ΔgshF, with or without GSH, was decreased by 41 and 15% compared with that of L. delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus cocultured with S. thermophilus ST-1. Furthermore, transcriptome analysis showed that the expression levels of genes involved in purine nucleotide and pyrimidine nucleotide metabolism in L. delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus ATCC11842 were at least 3 times increased when cocultured with S. thermophilus (fold change > 3.0). Moreover, compared with the mutant strain ΔgshF, the wild-type strain ST-1 could shorten the fermented curd time by 5.3 hours during yogurt preparation. These results indicated that the GSH synthesized by S. thermophilus during cocultivation effectively enhanced the activity of L. delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus and significantly improved the quality of fermented milk., (The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. and Fass Inc. on behalf of the American Dairy Science Association®. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).)

Electrical stimulation of the right median nerve can aid coma arousal after traumatic brain injury (TBI). This study aimed to confirm the efficacy further and explore possible mechanisms of right median nerve electrical stimulation (RMNS). Five comatose patients after severe TBI from May to September 2020 in the Tianjin Medical University General Hospital received RMNS for 2 weeks besides standard management. After the 2-week treatment, the mean Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) and neurophysiological examination were used. We then investigated the alterations in microRNA (miRNA) expression in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) by high-throughput whole transcriptome sequencing, analyzed the data by Gene Ontology (GO) and pathway analysis, and constructed the miRNA-target gene network. Patient awareness and brain function showed a more rapid increase after treatment. We also found 38 differently expressed miRNAs, 34 of which were upregulated and 4 downregulated. GO analysis showed a relation of these differentially expressed miRNAs with neuronal growth, repair, and neural signal transmission. The most highly correlated pathways were primarily associated with the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) signaling pathway and dopaminergic synapse. The application of RMNS effectively promoted early awakening in comatose patients with severe TBI. Moreover, differentially expressed miRNAs might reduce neuronal apoptosis and increase dopamine levels by regulating target gene expression, thus participating in the specific biological process after arousal therapy. Our study provided novel targets for further research on the molecular mechanisms of RMNS arousal treatment and a new way to treat neurotraumatic diseases., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: Injury patterns are well-documented for taekwondo competitions prior to the use of an electronic chest protector for scoring tabulation. To see if injury rates and types changed following this rule change that transformed the fighting style in taekwondo, we investigated injuries in collegiate taekwondo competitions in the USA., Methods: Data were collected at eight collegiate taekwondo tournaments from April 2018 to December 2019. All injured athletes seen at the first-aid station were invited to complete a survey that included injury location, type, and mechanism of injury. Injury rates were calculated per 1000 athlete-exposures (A-Es) and minute-exposures (M-Es). Risk factors were modeled using logistic regression and χ 2 analysis., Results: Out of 1096 athletes, 194 athletes reported 275 acute injuries. We found an injury risk of 17.7/100 athletes (95% CI: 15.4, 20.0) and injury rate of 68.9/1000 A-E (95% CI: 60.7, 77.0) which was comparable to previous studies. The most common injuries were contusions to the lower limbs. In contrast to prior reports, men were injured more frequently from delivering a kick and women from receiving a kick. Populations at higher risk for injury included those with low belt rank and middle weight class for women., Conclusions: It appears that the new fighting style did not affect injury rates. Injury locations and types remain similar, but the mechanisms of injury have reversed as men are more injured from attacking and women from defending. There remains a strong need for research to improve protective equipment and safety rules in taekwondo.

Therapeutic outcomes in oncology may be aided by precision diagnostics that offer early detection, localization and the opportunity to monitor response to therapy. Here, we report a multimodal nanosensor engineered to target tumours through acidosis, respond to proteases in the microenvironment to release urinary reporters and (optionally) carry positron emission tomography probes to enable localization of primary and metastatic cancers in mouse models of colorectal cancer. We present a paradigm wherein this multimodal sensor can be employed longitudinally to assess burden of disease non-invasively, including tumour progression and response to chemotherapy. Specifically, we showed that acidosis-mediated tumour insertion enhanced on-target release of matrix metalloproteinase-responsive reporters in urine. Subsequent on-demand loading of the radiotracer 64 Cu allowed pH-dependent tumour visualization, enabling enriched microenvironmental characterization when compared with the conventional metabolic tracer 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose. Through tailored target specificities, this modular platform has the capacity to be engineered as a pan-cancer test that may guide treatment decisions for numerous tumour types., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.)

Competing Interests: Conflict of interest The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

The prognosis for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains poor despite decades of effort. The abundant extracellular matrix (ECM) in PDAC comprises a major fraction of the tumor mass and plays various roles in promoting resistance to therapies. However, nonselective depletion of ECM has led to poor patient outcomes. Consistent with that observation, we previously showed that individual matrisome proteins derived from stromal cells correlate with either long or short patient survival. In marked contrast, those derived from cancer cells correlate strongly with poor survival. Here, we studied three cancer cell-derived matrisome proteins that are significantly overrepresented during PDAC progression, AGRN (agrin), SERPINB5 (serine protease inhibitor B5), and CSTB (cystatin B). Using both overexpression and knockdown experiments, we demonstrate that all three are promoters of PDAC metastasis. Furthermore, these proteins operate at different metastatic steps. AGRN promoted epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in primary tumors, whereas SERPINB5 and CSTB enhanced late steps in the metastatic cascade by elevating invadopodia formation and in vivo extravasation. All three genes were associated with a poor prognosis in human patients and high levels of SERPINB5, secreted by cancer cells and deposited in the ECM, correlated with poor patient prognosis. This study provides strong evidence that cancer cell-derived matrisome proteins can be causal in promoting tumorigenesis and metastasis and lead to poor patient survival. Therefore, compared with the bulk matrix, mostly made by stromal cells, precise interventions targeting cancer cell-derived matrisome proteins, such as AGRN, SERPINB5, and CSTB, may represent preferred potential therapeutic targets. SIGNIFICANCE: This study provides insights into the biological roles of cancer cell-derived matrisome proteins in PDAC and supports the notion that these proteins are protumorigenic and better therapeutic targets., (©2020 American Association for Cancer Research.)

As a new environmentally friendly separation technology, deep eutectic solvent based aqueous two-phase systems are extensively applied in various fields. Herein, we review recent advances in this field and highlight the possible directions of future developments. This article focuses on the effects of deep eutectic solvent and inorganic salts on the phase equilibrium, the microstructure of deep eutectic solvent based aqueous two-phase systems, the applications of deep eutectic solvent based aqueous two-phase systems in separation (proteins, biopolymers, saponins, and organic acids), and removal and recovery technologies for deep eutectic solvent from aqueous two-phase systems., (© 2019 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) has high morbidity and mortality rates. The mechanisms underlying TBI are unclear and may include the change in biological material in exosomes. Circular ribonucleic acids (circRNAs) are enriched and stable in exosomes, which can function as microRNA (miRNA) sponges to regulate gene expression levels. Therefore, we speculated that circRNAs in exosomes might play an important role in regulating gene expression after TBI and then regulate specific signaling pathways, which may protect the brain. We first isolated exosomes from the brain extracellular space in mice with TBI by digestion. We then investigated the alterations in circRNA expression in exosomes by high-throughput whole transcriptome sequencing, analyzed the data by gene ontology (GO) and pathway analysis, and constructed the circRNA-miRNA network. In this study, we identified 231 significantly and differentially expressed circRNAs, including 155 that were upregulated and 76 that were downregulated. GO analysis showed that these differentially expressed circRNAs might be related to the growth and repair of neurons, the development of the nervous system, and the transmission of nerve signals. The most highly correlated pathways that we identified were involved primarily with glutamatergic synapse and the cyclic guanosine monophosphate-protein kinase G signaling pathway. The circRNA-miRNA network predicted the potential roles of these differentially expressed circRNAs and the interaction of circRNAs with miRNAs. Our study broadens the horizon of research on gene regulation in exosomes from the brain extracellular space after TBI and provides novel targets for further research on both the molecular mechanisms of TBI and the potential intervention therapy targets.

Background/aims: This study aimed to explore the effects of the long non-coding RNA HOST2 (lnc-HOST2) on the proliferation, migration, invasion and apoptosis of osteosarcoma cells., Methods: Osteosarcoma tissues and adjacent normal tissues from 52 patients were selected. Human osteosarcoma cell lines (SaOS2, HOS, U2OS and MG-63) were collected and cultured; MG-63 cells had the highest lnc-HOST2 expression and thus were used in subsequent experiments. Then, MG-63 cells were transfected and divided into the blank (no transfection), si-CON (transfected with negative control siRNA) and si-lnc-HOST2 (transfected with small interference lnc-HOST2 siRNA) groups. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to determine the expression of lnc-HOST2 in primary tissues and cells. Cell growth was detected using the CCK-8 and colony formation assays. Cell doubling time was detected. Cell migration and invasion were observed using the scratch test and Transwell assays. Cell apoptosis and cell cycle progression of osteosarcoma cells were detected using flow cytometry with annexin V/PI double staining and PI staining, respectively., Results: The level of lnc-HOST2 expression in the si-lnc-HOST2 group was significantly decreased compared to that in the blank and si-CON groups. The OD values in the si-lnc-HOST2 group were significantly lower than those in the blank and si-CON groups. Compared to the blank and si-CON groups, the si-lnc-HOST2 group presented significant decreases in the colony number and healing rates after scratching. The number of invasive cells in the si-lnc-HOST2 group was significantly less than that in the blank and si-CON groups. In the si-lnc-HOST2 group, the cell cycle was mainly halted in the G1 phase, and the apoptosis rate and doubling time in this group were significantly higher than those in the blank group and si-CON group., Conclusions: Inhibition of lnc-HOST2 could suppress the proliferation, migration, and invasion and promote the apoptosis of osteosarcoma cells., (© 2017 The Author(s). Published by S. Karger AG, Basel.)

A Gram-stain negative, facultatively anaerobic, non-sporulating, non-motile and rod-shaped bacterium, designated CF3 T , was isolated from a tea plantation soil sample and its taxonomic position was determined using polyphasic taxonomy. Strain CF3 T displayed optimum growth at 25 °C, pH 5.0 and in the presence of 0-1 % NaCl. Comparative phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA, recA and gyrB gene sequences showed that the isolate belongs to the genus Paraburkholderia, showing high levels of similarity with respect to Paraburkholderia oxyphila OX-01 T (98.3, 95 and 93 %, respectively) and Paraburkholderia sacchari IPT101 T (98.2, 95 and 95 %, respectively). The predominant ubiquinone was determined to be Q-8, and the polar lipids are phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycerol, one unidentified amino-phospholipid, three unidentified amino-lipids and three unidentified polar lipids. The major fatty acids were found to be C16:0, C17:0 cyclo, summed feature 8 (C18:1 ω7c and/or C18:1 ω6c) and summed feature 3 (C16:1 ω7c and/or C16:1 ω6c). The DNA G+C content was found to be 63.8 mol% and the DNA-DNA relatedness values between strain CF3 T and its two close relatives P. oxyphila OX-01 T and P. sacchari IPT101 T was 41 and 40 %, respectively. Based on phylogenetic analysis, phenotypic and genotypic data, it is concluded that the isolate represents a novel species of the genus Paraburkholderia, for which the name Paraburkholderia caffeinitolerans sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is CF3 T (= LMG 28688 T  = CGMCC 1.15105 T ).

Background: Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of diabetic microvascular complications. Finasteride has been confirmed to decrease VEGF expression in prostate and prostatic suburethral tissue resulting in limiting hematuria from human benign prostatic hyperplasia. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of finasteride on microvessel density (MVD), VEGF protein and mRNA expressions in the renal tissue of diabetic rats., Methods: Diabetic rats induced by streptozotocin were intragastrically given finasteride at 30 mg/kg body weight once a day for 4 weeks. Histomorphologic changes in kidney were observed under light microscope. Immunohistochemistry for CD34 and VEGF on kidney sections was performed to assess MVD and VEGF protein expression in glomeruli of rats, respectively. The VEGF mRNA expression in the renal tissue was examined using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction analysis., Results: The glomerular tuft area, glomerular volume, MVD, VEGF protein expression in glomeruli and VEGF mRNA expression in the renal cortex tissue were significantly increased in diabetic rats and finasteride-treated rats when compared with controls (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). When compared with diabetic rats, the glomerular tuft area, glomerular volume, MVD, VEGF protein expression in glomeruli and VEGF mRNA expression in the renal cortex tissue of finasteride-treated rats were significantly decreased (P < 0.05, P < 0.01)., Conclusions: Finasteride reduces the VEGF expression and decreases the MVD in the renal tissue of diabetic rats, suggesting the therapeutic potential of finasteride on diabetic microvascular complications.

miR-150 expression in osteosarcoma (OS) cell lines and human osteoblast cells was detected, and OS cell models were transfected with exogenous miR-150 to investigate its role in cell proliferation, invasion, and apoptosis. Our results showed that miR-150 expression in OS cells (MG63, Saos-2, SOSP-9607, and U2OS) was significantly lower compared to the osteoblast hFOB1.19 cell line (all p < 0.01). The expression level of miR-150 in MG63 cells that were transfected with exogenous miR-150 mimics was markedly upregulated, while the miR-150 expression level in the inhibitor group was significantly downregulated (both p < 0.01). Similar results were also found in SOSP-9607 cells. Importantly, exogenous miR-150 expression stimulated cell apoptosis and inhibited proliferation, invasion, and migration. A luciferase reporter assay displayed that miR-150 also regulated Sp1 expression by targeting its 3'-UTR, and qRT-PCR and Western blotting showed that elevated levels of miR-150 may reduce Sp1 protein expression. The mRNA and protein levels of Sp1 were upregulated after transfection with a Sp1-expression plasmid and partially reversed the inhibitory effects of miR-150 on cell proliferation, invasion, and metastasis in MG63 and SOSP-9607 cells, as well as promoted cell apoptosis. In conclusion, miR-150 inhibits cell proliferation, invasion, and metastasis and stimulates cell apoptosis by regulating the expression of Sp1. Therefore, miR-150 may be a potential clinical target for the treatment of OS patients., (© 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Objective: To investigate the association between the NINJ2 gene rs11833579 polymorphism and stroke in Han Chinese population., Methods: This study was a population-based cross-sectional case-control study. Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) and sequencing were used for the detection of NINJ2 genotypes in 790 patients with stroke (679 ischemic stroke) which were Han Chinese population from Fangshan First Hospital and 811 controls which were healthy Han Chinese population without family history of stroke in Fangshan district rural area., Results: In rs11833579 locus of the NINJ2 gene, the frequencies of GG genotype and allele G were higher in ischemic stroke patients than that in controls (P<0.001). The frequency of allele G of the NINJ2 gene was higher in cerebral hemorrhage patients than that in controls (P=0.005). Genotype had little effect on the glucose, total cholesterol and triglyceride., Conclusion: There is significant association between rs11833579 site polymorphism of the NINJ2 gene and risk for stroke in Han Chinese population from Fangshan district.