P-tau217 correlates with neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease, and targeting p-tau217 with immunotherapy ameliorates murine tauopathy.

Neuronal loss is the central issue in Alzheimer's disease (AD), yet no treatment developed so far can halt AD-associated neurodegeneration. Here, we developed a monoclonal antibody (mAb2A7) against 217 site-phosphorylated human tau (p-tau217) and observed that p-tau217 levels positively correlated with brain atrophy and cognitive impairment in AD patients. Intranasal administration efficiently delivered mAb2A7 into male PS19 tauopathic mouse brain with target engagement and reduced tau pathology/aggregation with little effect on total soluble tau. Further, mAb2A7 treatment blocked apoptosis-associated neuronal loss and brain atrophy, reversed cognitive deficits, and improved motor function in male tauopathic mice. Proteomic analysis revealed that mAb2A7 treatment reversed alterations mainly in proteins associated with synaptic functions observed in murine tauopathy and AD brain. An antibody (13G4) targeting total tau also attenuated tau-associated pathology and neurodegeneration but impaired the motor function of male tauopathic mice. These results implicate p-tau217 as a potential therapeutic target for AD-associated neurodegeneration.

Clinical translation for targeting DNA damage repair in non-small cell lung cancer: a review.

Despite significant advancements in screening, diagnosis, and treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), it remains the primary cause of cancer-related deaths globally. DNA damage is caused by the exposure to exogenous and endogenous factors and the correct functioning of DNA damage repair (DDR) is essential to maintain of normal cell circulation. The presence of genomic instability, which results from defective DDR, is a critical characteristic of cancer. The changes promote the accumulation of mutations, which are implicated in cancer cells, but these may be exploited for anti-cancer therapies. NSCLC has a distinct genomic profile compared to other tumors, making precision medicine essential for targeting actionable gene mutations. Although various treatment options for NSCLC exist including chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy, drug resistance inevitably arises. The identification of deleterious DDR mutations in 49.6% of NSCLC patients has led to the development of novel target therapies that have the potential to improve patient outcomes. Synthetic lethal treatment using poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors is a breakthrough in biomarker-driven therapy. Additionally, promising new compounds targeting DDR, such as ATR, CHK1, CHK2, DNA-PK, and WEE1, had demonstrated great potential for tumor selectivity. In this review, we provide an overview of DDR pathways and discuss the clinical translation of DDR inhibitors in NSCLC, including their application as single agents or in combination with chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and immunotherapy.

Immune-Ageing Evaluation of Peripheral T and NK Lymphocyte Subsets in Chinese Healthy Adults.

Ageing is often accompanied with a decline in immune system function, resulting in immune ageing. Numerous studies have focussed on the changes in different lymphocyte subsets in diseases and immunosenescence. The change in immune phenotype is a key indication of the diseased or healthy status. However, the changes in lymphocyte number and phenotype brought about by ageing have not been comprehensively analysed. Here, we analysed T and natural killer (NK) cell subsets, the phenotype and cell differentiation states in 43,096 healthy individuals, aged 20-88 years, without known diseases. Thirty-six immune parameters were analysed and the reference ranges of these subsets were established in different age groups divided into 5-year intervals. The data were subjected to random forest machine learning for immune-ageing modelling and confirmed using the neural network analysis. Our initial analysis and machine modelling prediction showed that naïve T cells decreased with ageing, whereas central memory T cells (Tcm) and effector memory T cells (Tem) increased cluster of differentiation (CD) 28-associated T cells. This is the largest study to investigate the correlation between age and immune cell function in a Chinese population, and provides insightful differences, suggesting that healthy adults might be considerably influenced by age and sex. The age of a person's immune system might be different from their chronological age. Our immune-ageing modelling study is one of the largest studies to provide insights into 'immune-age' rather than 'biological-age'. Through machine learning, we identified immune factors influencing the most through ageing and built a model for immune-ageing prediction. Our research not only reveals the impact of age on immune parameter differences within the Chinese population, but also provides new insights for monitoring and preventing some diseases in clinical practice. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s43657-023-00106-0.

Relationship between histone demethylase LSD family and development and prognosis of gastric cancer.

Objective: to elucidate the correlation between histone demethylase and gastric cancer. Research object: histone demethylase and gastric cancer. Results: As one of the important regulatory mechanisms in molecular biology and epigenetics, histone modification plays an important role in gastric cancer including downstream gene expression regulation and epigenetics effect. Both histone methyltransferase and histone demethylases are involved in the formation and maintaining different of histone methylation status, which in turn through a variety of vital molecules and signaling pathways involved in the recognition of histone methylation modification caused by the downstream biological process, eventually participate in the regulation of chromatin function, and with a variety of important physiological activities, especially closely related to the occurrence of gastric cancer and embryonic development. Conclusion: This paper intends to review the research progress in this field from the aspects of histone methylation modification and the protein structure, catalytic mechanism and biological function of the important histone demethylases LSD1 and LSD2, in order to provide the theoretical reference for further understanding and exploration of histone demethylases in development and prognosis of gastric cancer.

Taurine alleviates ochratoxin A-induced pyroptosis in PK-15 cells by inhibiting oxidative stress.

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is one of the most harmful mycotoxins, which can cause multiple toxicological effects, especially nephrotoxicity in animals and humans. Taurine is an essential amino acid with various biological functions such as anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidation. However, the protective effect of taurine on OTA-induced nephrotoxicity and pyroptosis had not been reported. Our results showed that OTA exposure induced cytotoxicity and oxidative stress in PK-15 cells, including reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation, increased mRNA levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2), and decreased mRNA levels of catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase 1 (GPx1), and glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPx4). In addition, OTA treatment induced pyroptosis by increasing the expressions of pyroptosis-related proteins NLRP3, GSDMD, Caspase-1 P20, ASC, Pro-caspase-1, and IL-1ß. Meanwhile, taurine could alleviate OTA-induced pyroptosis and cytotoxicity, as well as reduce ROS level, COX-2, and iNOS mRNA levels, and increase the mRNA levels of the antioxidant enzyme in PK-15 cells. Taken together, taurine alleviated OTA-induced pyroptosis in PK-15 cells by inhibiting ROS generation and altering the activity of antioxidant enzymes, thereby attenuating its nephrotoxicity.

The combined effect of deoxynivalenol and Fumonisin B1 on small intestinal inflammation mediated by pyroptosis in vivo and in vitro.

Currently, due to the actual contamination levels of multiple mycotoxins, the limits for a single mycotoxin may be no longer applicable. Deoxynivalenol (DON) and Fumonisin B1 (FB1) had high positive rate in grain and feed worldwide. The intestine is the first target of mycotoxins. NLRP3 plays a crucial role in the gut's defense against external stimuli, which contributes vitally to pyroptosis activation. However, whether pyroptosis is engaged in the regulation of intestinal toxicity induced by DON and FB1 remains unclear. In this study, we explored the combined toxicity of DON and FB1 on the intestine and its underlying mechanisms in vivo and in vitro. Our data demonstrated gavage with DON and FB1 led to intestinal damage and promoted the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1ß, IL-18, IL-6) in mice, especially in the group exposed to both mycotoxins. Meanwhile, the expressions of pyroptosis related genes (NLRP3, ASC, caspase-1, GSDMD) were significantly increased after mycotoxins exposure. Same as in vivo, DON and FB1 promoted pyroptosis and cellular inflammatory response in IPEC-J2 cells, especially in the group exposed to both mycotoxins. In addition, the pretreatment with MCC950 and VX765, inhibitors for NLRP3 and caspase-1, abolished the expression of GSDMD and the release of pro-inflammatory factors (IL-1ß, IL-18) induced by DON and FB1 exposure in IPEC-J2 cells. Our data demonstrated that the combination of DON and FB1 exhibited a synergistic or additive effect in facilitating intestinal inflammation via pyroptosis. Our finding may contribute to improve mycotoxin limit standards in feed.

Nontoxic Concentration of Ochratoxin A Aggravates Renal Fibrosis Induced by Adriamycin/Cyclosporine A Nephropathy via TGF-ß1/SMAD2/3.

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is the most common contaminant in food and feed, which causes nephrotoxicity. Studies revealed that a low level of OTA contamination could also cause physiological dysfunction. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) has become an important public health problem with increasing morbidity. However, the potential effect of nontoxic OTA on CKD remains uncertain. In this study, adriamycin (ADR) and cyclosporine A (CSA) were used to stimulate glomerular nephropathy and tubular nephropathy, respectively. Renal injury was aggravated due to OTA (0.25 mg/kg) exposure in the mouse nephropathy models, assessing by renal histomorphology and the detection of blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and serum creatine (SCr) levels. We noticed that nontoxic dosage of OTA increased the expression of fibrotic factors, α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), and Vimentin in a nephropathic mouse, which indicated the exacerbation of ADR/CSA-induced renal fibrosis. We conducted in vitro experiments in glomerular mesangial cells and renal tubular epithelial cells. Nontoxic concentration of OTA was found to exacerbate the cytotoxicity of ADR/CSA and intensify renal fibrosis by activating TGF-ß1/SMAD2/3. Thus, this study may provide convincing evidence for the prevention of CKD aggravation and the renewal of food hygiene standards in mycotoxin contamination.

The therapeutic and preventive effects of a canine-origin VB12 -producing Lactobacillus on DSS-induced colitis in mice.

Vitamin B12 (VB12 ) plays vital roles as a cofactor in reactions related to biosynthesis and metabolic regulation. Animals with diarrhoea from intestinal inflammation are susceptible to VB12 deficiency due to dysfunctional absorption. No current medications for canine intestinal inflammation can simultaneously act as VB12 supplements. Here we have tested a strain of VB12 -producing Lactobacillus, to investigate its safety in healthy dogs and test for hypothesized therapeutic and preventive effects on murine colitis. Results from enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, histopathological analysis, and quantitative polymerase chain reaction showed normal physical conditions of healthy dogs given Lactobacillus, and blood biochemical indices showed no significant differences in markers, indicating safety of Lactobacillus to healthy dogs. The microbiota in animals receiving VB12 -producing Lactobacillus probiotic exhibited decreased abundance of Escherichia coli and concomitant increase in Lactobacillus. The probiotic supplement also resulted in downregulation of proinflammatory cytokines in murine colon tissues, reduced myeloperoxidase activity and malondialdehyde level, and significantly increased serum VB12 level and decreased homocysteine in therapeutic and preventive experiments. Moreover, Lactobacillus supplement decreased colonic inflammation and injury, improved gut microbiota, and ameliorated VB12 deficiency as an adjunctive therapy. We conclude this product is potentially beneficial for efficient therapy and prevention of VB12 deficiency form intestinal inflammation in canine clinical practice.

Crucial Function of Caveolin-1 in Deoxynivalenol-Induced Enterotoxicity by Activating ROS-Dependent NLRP3 Inflammasome-Mediated Pyroptosis.

Deoxynivalenol (DON) is one of the most pervasive contaminating mycotoxins in grain, and exposure to DON is known to cause acute and chronic intestinal damage. As the gut is the most important target organ of DON, it is essential to identify the pivotal molecules involved in DON-induced enterotoxicity as well as the potential regulatory mechanisms. In the present study, we found that DON treatment dramatically decreased the jejunal villus height and increased the crypt depth in mice. DON exposure induced oxidative stress and NLRP3 inflammasome activation while increasing the levels of pyroptosis-related factors GSDMD, ASC, Caspase-1 P20, and IL-1ß and inflammatory cytokines IL-18, TNF-α, and IL-6. In vitro, 0.5-2 µM DON caused cytotoxicity and oxidative stress, as well as NLRP3-mediated pyroptosis in IPEC-J2 cells. Furthermore, DON treatment substantially improved the expression of Caveolin-1 (Cav-1) in vitro and in vivo. Interestingly, Cav-1 knockdown effectively attenuated DON-induced oxidative stress and NLRP3-mediated pyroptosis in IPEC-J2 cells. Meanwhile, treatment with the antioxidant NAC significantly alleviated DON-induced cytotoxicity and pyroptosis in IPEC-J2 cells. Likewise, after inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome activation with the inhibitor MCC950, DON-induced cytotoxicity, pyroptosis, and inflammatory response were attenuated. However, NLRP3 inhibition did not affect Cav-1 expression. In conclusion, our study demonstrated that pyroptosis may be an underlying mechanism in DON-induced intestinal injury, and Cav-1 plays a pivotal role in DON-induced pyroptosis via regulating oxidative stress, which suggests a novel strategy to overcome DON-induced enterotoxicity.

B cell intrinsic and extrinsic factors impacting memory recall responses to SRBC challenge.

MBCs (MBCs) generated in T-dependent immune responses can persist for a lifetime and rapidly react upon secondary antigen exposure to differentiate into plasma cells (PCs) and/or to improve the affinity of their BCR through new rounds of hypermutation in germinal centers (GCs). The fate of a MBC in secondary immune reactions appears to depend upon multiple parameters, whose understanding is mandatory for the design of efficient vaccine strategies. We followed the behavior of MBCs in recall responses to SRBCs using an inducible AID fate mapping mouse model in which B cells engaged in a germinal center (GC) response are irreversibly labeled upon simultaneous tamoxifen ingestion and immunization. We used different schemes of mouse immunization and tamoxifen feeding in adoptive-transfer experiments of total splenic B cells into congenic mice that have been pre-immunized or not, to assess the contribution of the different effector subsets in a physiological competitive context. We were able to show that naive B cells can differentiate into GC B cells with kinetics similar to MBCs in the presence of previously activated T follicular helper (TFH) cells and a primed microenvironment. We also showed that MBCs are recruited into secondary GCs, together with naive B cells. In contrast, PC differentiation, which dominated secondary MBC responses, was not dependent upon a previous TFH activation. We observed that the presence of persisting germinal centers and circulating antibody levels are key factors determining the germinal center versus plasma cell fate in a recall response. Notably, disruption of persistent germinal center structures by a lymphotoxin beta-receptor fusion protein or a longer timing between the prime and the boost, which correlated with reduced antigen-specific immunoglobulin levels in serum, were two conditions with an opposite impact, respectively inhibiting or promoting a GC fate for MBCs. Altogether, these studies highlight the complexity of recall responses, whose outcome varies according to immunization contexts.

mTOR-Mediated Autophagy Regulates Fumonisin B1-Induced Intestinal Inflammation via Pyroptosis In Vivo and In Vitro.

Fumonisin B1 (FB1) is a fungal metabolite, which has an incremental detection rate in grains and feed worldwide. The nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like pyrin domain containing protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome is a critical element in pyroptosis activation, which participates in regulating enteritis. Meanwhile, autophagy is also engaged in intestinal inflammation. However, the function of pyroptosis and autophagy in FB1-mediated enterotoxicity remains unclear. In this study, we explored the effects of FB1 on enteritis and the underlying mechanism in vivo and in vitro. Our data showed that FB1 exposure damaged the intestinal epithelium and promoted the secretion of inflammatory cytokines. Meanwhile, FB1 exposure significantly upregulated the expression of pyroptosis-related genes. Then, MCC950, an inhibitor of NLRP3, significantly blocked FB1-induced pyroptosis in IPEC-J2 cells. In addition, FB1 treatment elevated the levels of autophagy. Moreover, the phosphorylation of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), an upstream protein of the autophagy pathway, was inhibited by FB1 exposure. Notably, rapamycin, an inhibitor of mTOR, instead of MHY1485, an agonist of mTOR, could ameliorate FB1-induced intestinal inflammatory injury and inhibit the upregulation of pyroptosis-related genes. In summary, we demonstrated that autophagy exhibited a protective effect against NLRP3 inflammasome-dependent pyroptosis on FB1-induced enteritis. Our data clarify a favorable protective role for the activation of autophagy in FB1 poisoning.

Melatonin mitigates aflatoxin B1-induced liver injury via modulation of gut microbiota/intestinal FXR/liver TLR4 signaling axis in mice.

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is a widespread contaminant in foods and feedstuffs, and its target organ is the liver. Melatonin (MT) has been shown to alleviate inflammation in organs and remodel gut microbiota in animals and humans. However, the underlying mechanism by which MT alleviates AFB1-induced liver injury remains unclear. In the present study, MT pretreatment markedly increased the expression of intestinal tight junction proteins (ZO-1, Occludin, and Claudin-1), decreased intestinal permeability, reduced production of gut-derived Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and remodeled gut microbiota, ultimately alleviated AFB1-induced liver injury in mice. Interestingly, MT pretreatment failed to exert beneficial effects on the intestine and liver in antibiotic-treated mice. Meanwhile, MT pretreatment significantly increased the farnesoid X receptor (FXR) protein expression of ileum, and decreased the TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway-related messenger RNA (mRNA) and proteins (TLR4, MyD88, p-p65, and p-IκBα) expression in livers of AFB1-exposed mice. Subsequently, pretreatment by Gly-ß-MCA, an intestine-selective FXR inhibitor, blocked the alleviating effect of MT on liver injury through increasing the liver-specific expression of TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway-related mRNA and proteins (TLR4, MyD88, p-p65, and p-IκBα). In conclusion, MT pretreatment ameliorated AFB1-induced liver injury and the potential mechanism may be related to regulate gut microbiota/intestinal FXR/liver TLR4 signaling axis, which provides a strong evidence for the protection of gut-derived liver inflammation.

Cryptococcus neoformans Infection Induces IL-17 Production by Promoting STAT3 Phosphorylation in CD4+ T Cells.

Cryptococcus neoformans infection in the central nervous system is a severe infectious disease with poor outcomes and high mortality. It has been estimated that there are 220,000 new cases each year. Over 90% of C. neoformans meningitis cases were diagnosed in AIDS patients with CD4+ T cell count <100 cells/µl; however, the mechanism of cryptococcal meningitis in patients with normal immune functions remains unclear. IL-17 is a pro-inflammatory cytokine and plays an important role in anti-fungal immunity. Here we report that significantly high levels of IL-17 were predominantly detected in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with either AIDS- or non-AIDS-associated C. neoformans meningitis but not in patients with tuberculous meningitis or non-neurosyphilis. Antifungal therapy minimized the IL-17 level in the cerebrospinal fluid. An in vitro mechanistic study showed that C. neoformans stimulation of healthy peripheral blood mononuclear cells prompted IL-17 production, and CD4+ T cells were the predominant IL-17-producing cells. IL-17 production by C. neoformans stimulation was STAT3 signaling dependent. Inhibition of STAT3 phosphorylation attenuated the C. neoformans-mediated IL-17 expression. Our data highlighted the significance of CD4+ T cells in antifungal immunity and suggested IL-17 as a diagnostic biomarker of C. neoformans infection and STAT3 as a checkpoint for antifungal targeted therapies.

Screening for malignant tumor cells in serous effusions with an automatic hematology analyzer using a novel diagnostic algorithm.

Background: Due to the high false-positive rate of the high-fluorescence body fluid (HF-BF) cell parameter of the hematology analyzer in BF mode, a novel algorithm based on the Mindray BC-6800 Plus hematology analyzer (BC-6800Plus), with higher diagnostic accuracy compared to that of the traditional HF-BF algorithm, was used to screen for malignant tumor cells in clinical BF samples. In this study, the body fluid mode of BC-6800Plus was applied to investigate the ability of its available parameters and characteristic regional particles in tumor cells screening. Methods: A total of 220 BF samples (including pleural effusion and ascites) were randomly classified into a training cohort (154 samples) and a validation cohort (66 samples), and detected on the BC-6800Plus in BF mode. Based on the scatter plot analysis of the instrument, a novel gating algorithm, malignant cell algorithm-body fluid (MA-BF), was designed to detect the aggregated cells expressing highest fluorescence (FL) signals and side-scatter (SS) signals than other cells. BF collection and analyses were performed in compliance with the CLSI H56-A guideline. tumor cell-positive samples were defined as greater than or equal to confirIIIb (Papanicolaou class system) by the pathological examination. The diagnostic accuracy of HF-BF and MA-BF were determined by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Results: When the cutoff values of the absolute count (HF-BF#) and relative count (HF-BF%) were set as 0.022×109/L and 3.0%, respectively, the area under curve (AUC), sensitivity, and specificity were 0.76, 0.85 and 0.55 for HF-BF#, and were 0.70, 0.85, and 0.49 for HF-BF%, respectively. The new parameters, the absolute tumor cell count (MA-BF#) and relative count (MA-BF%), were established in the training cohort using the novel algorithm. We confirmed the cutoff values of MA-HF# and MA-HF% in BF were set as 0.006×109/L and 0.2% in the training cohort, respectively. In the validation cohort, the AUC, sensitivity, and specificity were 0.89, 0.93, and 0.78 for MA-BF#, and were 0.89, 0.87 and 0.75 for MA-BF%, respectively. Conclusions: The MA-BF parameters of the novel algorithm output had better diagnostic accuracy for BF tumor cells than the traditional HF-BF parameters.

Low dose of arsenic exacerbates toxicity to mice and IPEC-J2 cells exposed with deoxynivalenol: Aryl hydrocarbon receptor and autophagy might be novel therapeutic targets.

Deoxynivalenol (DON) and arsenic (As) are widespread environmental contaminants, which are frequently found in human and animal food products. The intestine is a common target of As and DON when they are digested. Numerous studies mainly evaluate the individual effects whereas their combined toxicity has rarely been elucidated. Hence, this study was to assess the effect of low dose of NaAsO2 on DON-induced intestinal damage and explore the underling mechanism in mice and IPEC-J2 cells. The results showed that low dose of NaAsO2 exacerbated DON-induced intestinal impairment by increasing intestinal permeability and decreasing the abundance of tight junction proteins (ZO-1, Occludin, Claudin-1). Further, low dose of NaAsO2 enhanced the AhR signaling pathway and autophagy-related mRNA/protein expressions induced by DON. Interestingly, FICZ, an AhR activator, instead of CH223191, an AhR inhibitor, could alleviate toxicity of the low dose of NaAsO2 in the mice and IPEC-J2 cells. Compared to the WT IPEC-J2 cells, the intestinal barrier damage was more serious in LC3B-/- IPEC-J2 cells induced by low dose of NaAsO2 combination with DON. Collectively, our study demonstrated that low dose of NaAsO2 exacerbated DON-induced intestinal barrier impairment in vivo and in vitro. The present study also demonstrated that activation of AhR-mediated autophagy might be a self-protection mechanism. Hence, AhR and autophagy might be novel therapeutic targets to prevent or alleviate NaAsO2 combined with DON-induced intestinal barrier impairment.

Low Dose of Deoxynivalenol Aggravates Intestinal Inflammation and Barrier Dysfunction Induced by Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli Infection through Activating Macroautophagy/NLRP3 Inflammasomes.

The toxicity of deoxynivalenol (DON) in healthy humans and animals has been extensively studied. However, whether the natural-low-dose DON is scatheless under unhealthy conditions, especially intestinal injury, is unknown. Infection of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) is a classical intestinal injury model. In this study, we explored the effects of low-dose DON on intestinal injury induced by the ETEC infection and the underlying mechanism in piglets, mice, and IPEC-J2 monolayer cells. Results showed that significant growth slowdown, severe diarrhea, and intestinal damage, bacterial multiplication, and translocation were observed in the experimental group (low-dose DON, 0.75 mg/kg in feed for piglets, and 1 mg/kg body weight for mice, combined with the ETEC infection). Meanwhile, more aggressive intestinal inflammation and barrier dysfunction were observed in animals and IPEC-J2 monolayer cells. Higher expression levels of NLRP3 inflammasome and LC3B were observed in jejunum and IPEC-J2 in the experimental group. After treatment with NLRP3 or caspase1 inhibitors, excessive intestinal inflammation rather than barrier dysfunction in the experimental group was limited. CRISPR-Cas9-mediated knockout of LC3B alleviated intestinal inflammation and barrier dysfunction and also inhibited NLRP3 inflammasome. In conclusion, a low dose of DON aggravates intestinal inflammation and barrier dysfunction induced by the ETEC infection by activating macroautophagy and NLRP3 inflammasome.

Phenethyl isothiocyanate as an anti-nutritional factor attenuates deoxynivalenol-induced IPEC-J2 cell injury through inhibiting ROS-mediated autophagy.

Deoxynivalenol (DON) is considered to be the most harmful mycotoxin that affects the intestinal health of animals and humans. Phenethyl isothiocyanate (PEITC) in feedstuff is an anti-nutritional factor and impairs nutrient digestion and absorption in the animal intestinal. In the current study, we aimed to explore the effects of PEITC on DON-induced apoptosis, intestinal tight junction disorder, and its potential molecular mechanism in the porcine jejunum epithelial cell line (IPEC-J2). Our results indicated that PEITC treatment markedly alleviated DON-induced cytotoxicity, decreasing the apoptotic cell percentage and pro-apoptotic mRNA/protein levels, and increasing zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1), occludin and claudin-1 mRNA/protein expression. Meanwhile, PEITC treatment ameliorated DON-induced an increase of the inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) mRNA levels and intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) level, and a decrease of glutathione peroxidase 1 (GPx1), superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2), catalase (CAT) and heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) mRNA levels. Additionally, PEITC treatment significantly down-regulated autophagy-related protein 5 (ATG5), beclin-1 and microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3B (LC3-Ⅱ) mRNA/protein levels, decreased the number of green fluorescent protein-microtubule-associated protein 1 light-chain 3 (GFP-LC3) puncta and phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase (PI3K) protein expression, and up-regulated phospho-protein kinase B (p-Akt) and phospho-mammalian target of rapamycin (p-mTOR) protein expression against DON. However, the activation of autophagy by rapamycin, an autophagy agonist, abolished the protective effects of PEITC against DON-induced cytotoxicity, apoptosis and intestinal tight junction disorder. Collectively, PEITC could confer protection against DON-induced porcine intestinal epithelial cell injury by suppressing ROS-mediated autophagy.

Selenomethionine alleviated Ochratoxin A induced pyroptosis and renal fibrotic factors expressions in MDCK cells.

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is universally known to induce nephrotoxicity via inducing oxidative stress and apoptosis, inhibiting protein synthesis and activating autophagy. Our previous studies have proved that OTA induces nephrotoxicity in vitro and in vivo by adjusting the NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome activation and caspase-1-dependent pyroptosis. Based on these findings, we further investigated the protective role of selenomethionine (SeMet) on OTA-caused nephrotoxicity using the Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) epithelial cells as an in vitro model, proposing to offer a new way for remedying OTA-induced nephrotoxicity by nutritional manipulation. We measured the cell vitality, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity and the expression of renal fibrotic genes, NLRP3 inflammasome and pyroptosis related genes. MTT and LDH results indicated that SeMet supplementation significantly mitigated 2.0 µg/ml OTA-induced cytotoxicity in MDCK cells (p < 0.05). Meanwhile, SeMet alleviated OTA induced increase of reactive oxygen species in MDCK cells. Then, the expressions of α-SMA, Vimentin, and TGF-ß were detected both in mRNA and protein levels. The results indicated 8 µM SeMet supplementation could significantly downregulate the expression of OTA-induced renal fibrosis-related genes (p < 0.05). In addition, the upregulation of OTA-induced NLRP3 inflammasome and pyroptosis downstream genes was also significantly inhibited by 8 µM of SeMet (p < 0.05). In summary, SeMet could alleviate OTA-induced renal fibrotic genes expression and reduce NLRP3-caspase-1-dependent pyroptosis. Therefore, SeMet supplementation may become an effective approach for preserving animals from renal injury exposed to OTA.

Damaged brain accelerates bone healing by releasing small extracellular vesicles that target osteoprogenitors.

Clinical evidence has established that concomitant traumatic brain injury (TBI) accelerates bone healing, but the underlying mechanism is unclear. This study shows that after TBI, injured neurons, mainly those in the hippocampus, release osteogenic microRNA (miRNA)-enriched small extracellular vesicles (sEVs), which targeted osteoprogenitors in bone to stimulate bone formation. We show that miR-328a-3p and miR-150-5p, enriched in the sEVs after TBI, promote osteogenesis by directly targeting the 3'UTR of FOXO4 or CBL, respectively, and hydrogel carrying miR-328a-3p-containing sEVs efficiently repaires bone defects in rats. Importantly, increased fibronectin expression on sEVs surface contributes to targeting of osteoprogenitors in bone by TBI sEVs, thereby implying that modification of the sEVs surface fibronectin could be used in bone-targeted drug delivery. Together, our work unveils a role of central regulation in bone formation and a clear link between injured neurons and osteogenitors, both in animals and clinical settings.

Development and external validation of a novel nomogram for screening Chinese Lynch syndrome: based on a multicenter, population study.

BACKGROUND: This multicenter study aimed to reveal the genetic spectrum of colorectal cancer (CRC) with deficient mismatch repair (dMMR) and build a screening model for Lynch syndrome (LS). METHODS: Through the immunohistochemical (IHC) screening of mismatch repair protein results in postoperative CRC patients, 311 dMMR cases, whose germline and somatic variants were detected using the ColonCore panel, were collected. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed on the clinical characteristics of these dMMR individuals, and a clinical nomogram, incorporating statistically significant factors identified using multivariate logistic regression analysis, was constructed to predict the probability of LS. The model was validated externally by an independent cohort. RESULTS: In total, 311 CRC patients with IHC dMMR included 95 identified MMR germline variant (LS) cases and 216 cases without pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants in MMR genes (non-Lynch-associated dMMR). Of the 95 individuals, approximately 51.6%, 28.4%, 14.7%, and 5.3% cases carried germline MLH1, MSH2, MSH6, and PMS2 pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants, respectively. A novel nomogram was then built to predict the probability of LS for CRC patients with dMMR intuitively. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve informed that this nomogram-based screening model could identify LS with a higher specificity and sensitivity with an area under curve (AUC) of 0.87 than current screening criteria based on family history. In the external validation cohort, the AUC of the ROC curve reached 0.804, inferring the screening model's universal applicability. We recommend that dMMR-CRC patients with a probability of LS greater than 0.435 should receive a further germline sequencing. CONCLUSION: This novel screening model based on the clinical characteristic differences between LS and non-Lynch-associated dMMR may assist clinicians to preliminarily screen LS and refer susceptible patients to experienced specialists.