LncRNA PITPNA-AS1 as a Potential Diagnostic Marker and Therapeutic Target Promotes Hepatocellular Carcinoma Progression via Modulating miR-448/ROCK1 Axis.

Background: Long non-coding RNAs are critical to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) developments. LncRNA PITPNA antisense RNA 1 (PITPNA-AS1) is a new regulator in several tumors. However, the mechanism by which PITPNA-AS1 mediates the tumorigenesis of HCC remains unclear. Methods: RT-qPCR was used to detect the level of PITPNA-AS1 in HCC specimens and cells. The biological functions of PITPNA-AS1 were explored by several functional experiments in vivo and in vitro. The binding relationship among PITPNA-AS1, miR-448 and ROCK1 were studied by Luciferase assay and pull-down assays. Results: We found that PITPNA-AS1 expressions were distinctly upregulated in both HCC specimens and cell lines. High PITPNA-AS1 levels were an unfavorable biomarker for patients with HCC. Functionally, knockdown of PITPNA-AS1 suppressed the proliferation, migration and invasion of HCC cells. Mechanistically, PITPNA-AS1 functioned as competing endogenous RNA to increase ROCK1 expressions via sponging miR-448. Conclusion: The newly identified PITPNA-AS/miR-448/ROCK1 axis promoted the oncogenicity of HCC cells. This novel axis is likely to be a promising HCC therapeutic aim.

Degradation of lignin in birch sawdust treated by a novel Myrothecium verrucaria coupled with ultrasound assistance.

Combined treatment of a novel fungal endophyte Myrothecium verrucaria coupled with ultrasound assistance was conducted to enhance lignin degradation in birch sawdust. The optimum treatment conditions were confirmed as the materials to liquid ratio 1:20, temperature 30°C, time 4days and pH 7, respectively. The results showed that the combined treatment led to the lignin degradation reaching 67.95±2.14%, while the lignin degradation were 45.50±2.12% and 13.75±0.66% with separate fungal treatment and ultrasound treatment, respectively. Moreover, SEM and FTIR analysis indicated that combined treatment significantly altered surface morphology and chemical structure of birch sawdust. The combined treatment greatly increased lignin removal during short time in mild environment. Therefore, these results demonstrated that the combined treatment of fungal endophyte coupled with ultrasound assistance has the high potential for the removal lignin in lignocellulose.

Production of Laccase by a New Myrothecium verrucaria MD-R-16 Isolated from Pigeon Pea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.] and its Application on Dye Decolorization.

The present study was conducted to screen a laccase-producing fungal endophyte, optimize fermentation conditions, and evaluate the decolorization ability of the laccase. A new fungal endophyte capable of laccase-producing was firstly isolated from pigeon pea and identified as Myrothecium verrucaria based on a ITS-rRNA sequences analysis. Meanwhile, various fermentation parameters on the laccase production were optimized via response surface methodology (RSM). The optimal fermentation conditions were a fermentation time of five days, temperature 30 °C and pH 6.22. Laccase activity reached 16.52 ± 0.18 U/mL under the above conditions. Furthermore, the laccase showed effective decolorization capability toward synthetic dyes (Congo red, Methyl orange, Methyl red, and Crystal violet) in the presence of the redox mediator ABTS, with more than 70% of dyes decolorizing after 24 h of incubation. Additionally, the activity of laccase was relatively stable with pH (4.5-6.5) and a temperature range of 35-55 °C. Therefore, the high laccase production of the strain and the new fungal laccase could provide a promising alterative approach for industrial and environmental applications.

Association of coronary artery calcium with bone mineral density in postmenopausal women.

OBJECTIVES: Atherosclerosis and osteoporosis (OP) are common diseases in elderly individuals and may share common pathogenetic mechanisms. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between bone mineral density (BMD) and coronary artery calcium (CAC) in postmenopausal women. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 186 postmenopausal women 50-80 years of age were included. BMD of the spine and femoral neck was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. The coronary artery calcium score (CACS) was measured by multidetector computed tomography. RESULTS: The study included postmenopausal women aged 65.6±7.3 years, 109 of whom (58.6%) showed CAC. Thirty-three (17.7%) of the patients were found to have OP in the lumbar spine and 83 (44.6%) had osteopenia, whereas in the femoral neck, 26 patients (14.0%) had OP and 87 patients (46.8%) had osteopenia. The mean CACS was 57.6±108.3 in normal status, 89.7±143.5 in OP, and 156.4±256.9 in osteopenia at the spine (P<0.05). The mean CACS was 43.2±89.9 in normal status, 126.9±180.3 in OP, and 198.2±301.2 in osteopenia at the femoral neck (P<0.05). Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that BMD was an independent marker for an increased risk of developing CAC in postmenopausal women. The multiple regression model showed that T-scores were the independent predictors of CACS. CONCLUSION: BMD identified on images from dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry were strongly related to multidetector computed tomography measures of CAC. This low-cost, minimal radiation technique used widely for OP screening is a promising marker of generalized coronary atherosclerosis.