In vivo EPID-based daily treatment error identification for volumetric-modulated arc therapy in head and neck cancers with a hierarchical convolutional neural network: a feasibility study.

We proposed a deep learning approach to classify various error types in daily VMAT treatment of head and neck cancer patients based on EPID dosimetry, which could provide additional information to support clinical decisions for adaptive planning. 146 arcs from 42 head and neck patients were analyzed. Anatomical changes and setup errors were simulated in 17,820 EPID images of 99 arcs obtained from 30 patients using in-house software for model training, validation, and testing. Subsequently, 141 clinical EPID images from 47 arcs belonging to the remaining 12 patients were utilized for clinical testing. The hierarchical convolutional neural network (HCNN) model was trained to classify error types and magnitudes using EPID dose difference maps. Gamma analysis with 3%/2 mm (dose difference/distance to agreement) criteria was also performed. The F1 score, a combination of precision and recall, was utilized to evaluate the performance of the HCNN model and gamma analysis. The adaptive fractioned doses were calculated to verify the HCNN classification results. For error type identification, the overall F1 score of the HCNN model was 0.99 and 0.91 for primary type and subtype identification, respectively. For error magnitude identification, the overall F1 score in the simulation dataset was 0.96 and 0.70 for the HCNN model and gamma analysis, respectively; while the overall F1 score in the clinical dataset was 0.79 and 0.20 for the HCNN model and gamma analysis, respectively. The HCNN model-based EPID dosimetry can identify changes in patient transmission doses and distinguish the treatment error category, which could potentially provide information for head and neck cancer treatment adaption.

Effects of intracellular Ca2+ on developmental potential and ultrastructure of cryopreserved-warmed oocyte in mouse.

Maintaining appropriate intracellular calcium of oocytes is necessary to prevent ultrastructure and organelle damage caused by freezing and cryoprotectants. The present study aimed to investigate whether cryoprotectant-induced changes in the calcium concentrations of oocytes can be regulated to reduce damage to developmental potential and ultrastructure. A total of 33 mice and 1381 oocytes were used to explore the effects of intracellular calcium on the development and ultrastructures of oocytes subjected to 2-aminoethoxydiphenyl borate (2-APB) inhibition or thapsigargin (TG) stimulation. Results suggested that high levels intracellular calcium interfered with TG compromised oocyte survival (84.4 % vs. 93.4 %, p < 0.01) and blastocyst formation in fresh and cryopreservation oocytes (78.1 % vs. 86.4 %, and 60.5 % vs. 72.5 %, p < 0.05) compared with that of 2-APB pretreated oocytes in which Ca2+ was stabilized even though no differences in fertilization and cleavage was detected (p > 0.05). Examination by transmission electron microscopy indicated that the microvilli decreased and shortened, cortical granules considerably decreased in the cortex area, mitochondrial vesicles and vacuoles increased, and the proportion of vacuole mitochondria increased after oocytes were exposed to cryoprotectants. The cryopreservation-warming process deteriorated the negative effects on organelles of survival oocytes. By contrast, a low level of intracellular calcium mediated with 2-APB was supposed to contribute to the protection of organelles. These findings suggested oocyte injuries induced by cryoprotectants and low temperatures can be alleviated. More studies are necessary to confirm the relationship among Ca2+ concentration of the cytoplasm, ultrastructural injuries, and disrupted developmental potential in oocytes subjected to cryopreservation and warming.

Comprehensive Treatment Uncertainty Analysis and PTV Margin Estimation for Fiducial Tracking in Robotic Liver Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to quantify the uncertainties of CyberKnife Synchrony fiducial tracking for liver stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) cases, and evaluate the required planning target volume (PTV) margins. METHODS: A total of 11 liver tumor patients with a total of 57 fractions, who underwent SBRT with synchronous fiducial tracking, were enrolled for the present study. The correlation/prediction model error, geometric error, and beam targeting error were quantified to determine the patient-level and fraction-level individual composite treatment uncertainties. The composite uncertainties and multiple margin recipes were compared for scenarios with and without rotation correction during treatment. RESULTS: The correlation model error-related uncertainty was 4.3±1.8, 1.4±0.5 and 1.8±0.7 mm in the superior-inferior (SI), left-right, and anterior-posterior directions, respectively. These were the primary contributors among all uncertainty sources. The geometric error significantly increased for treatments without rotation correction. The fraction-level composite uncertainties had a long tail distribution. Furthermore, the generally used 5-mm isotropic margin covered all uncertainties in the left-right and anterior-posterior directions, and only 75% of uncertainties in the SI direction. In order to cover 90% of uncertainties in the SI direction, an 8-mm margin would be needed. For scenarios without rotation correction, additional safety margins should be added, especially in the superior-inferior and anterior-posterior directions. CONCLUSION: The present study revealed that the correlation model error contributes to most of the uncertainties in the results. Most patients/fractions can be covered by a 5-mm margin. Patients with large treatment uncertainties might need a patient-specific margin.

Lipid Microparticles Show Similar Efficacy With Lipid Nanoparticles in Delivering mRNA and Preventing Cancer.

PURPOSE: Messenger RNA (mRNA) has shown great promise for vaccine against both infectious diseases and cancer. However, mRNA is unstable and requires a delivery vehicle for efficient cellular uptake and degradation protection. So far, lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) represent the most advanced delivery platform for mRNA delivery. However, no published studies have compared lipid microparticles (LMPs) with lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) in delivering mRNA systematically, therefore, we compared the impact of particle size on delivery efficacy of mRNA vaccine and subsequent immune responses. METHODS: Herein, we prepared 3 different size lipid particles, from nano-sized to micro-sized, and they loaded similar amounts of mRNA. These lipid particles were investigated both in vitro and in vivo, followed by evaluating the impact of particle size on inducing cellular and humoral immune responses. RESULTS: In this study, all mRNA vaccines showed a robust immune response and lipid microparticles (LMPs) show similar efficacy with lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) in delivering mRNA and preventing cancer. In addition, immune adjuvants, either toll like receptors or active molecules from traditional Chinese medicine, can improve the efficacy of mRNA vaccines. CONCLUSIONS: Considering the efficiency of delivery and endocytosis, besides lipid nanoparticles with size smaller than 150 nm, lipid microparticles (LMPs) also have the potential to be an alternative and promising delivery system for mRNA vaccines.

B-Raf inhibitor vemurafenib counteracts sulfur mustard-induced epidermal impairment through MAPK/ERK signaling.

The chemical warfare agent sulfur mustard (SM) causes severe cutaneous lesions characterized by epidermal cell death, apoptosis, and inflammation. At present, the molecular mechanisms underlying SM-induced injury are not well understood, and there is no standard treatment protocol for SM-exposed patients. Here, we conducted a high-content screening of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drug library of 1018 compounds against SM injury on an immortal human keratinocyte HaCaT cell line, focusing on cell survival. We found that the B-Raf inhibitor vemurafenib had an apparent therapeutic effect on HaCaT cells and resisted SM toxicity. Other tested B-Raf inhibitors, both type-I (dabrafenib and encorafenib) and type-II (RAF265 and AZ628), also exhibited potent therapeutic effects on SM-exposed HaCaT cells. Both SM and vemurafenib triggered extracellular signal-related kinase (ERK) activation. The therapeutic effect of vemurafenib in HaCaT cells during SM injury was ERK-dependent, indicating a specific role of ERK in keratinocyte regulatory mechanisms. Furthermore, vemurafenib partially improved cutaneous damage in a mouse ear vesicant model. Collectively, our results provide evidence that the B-Raf inhibitor vemurafenib is a potential therapeutic agent against SM injury, and oncogenic B-Raf might be an exciting new therapeutic target following exposure to mustard vesicating agents.

Across-cancer specific immune responses induced by nanovaccines or microvaccines to prevent different cancers and cancer metastasis.

Metastatic cancers and recurrent cancers are diverse, different from primary cancers, and organ-dependent. However, how strong are across-cancer immune responses among different types of cancers remain unclear. Herein, vaccines-encapsulated-whole-components-of-tumor-tissue (VEWCOTT) were applied to demonstrate the across-cancer immune responses, thanks to inducing pan-clones T-cell immune responses. Either lung-cancer-tissue- or melanoma-tissue-based VEWCOTT simultaneously prevented melanoma, lung cancer, hepatoma, and metastatic cancer, which showed that strong across-cancer immune responses were induced. Both nanovaccines and microvaccines showed potent across-cancer prevention efficacy. VEWCOTT induced tumor-specific T cells in peripheral immune organs and major organs, and adjusted the immune-microenvironment of cancer-colonized organs. In addition, the allograft of T cells from VEWCOTT immunized mice to allogeneic naive mice efficiently prevent various cancers. Many neoantigens are shared by melanoma cells and lung cancer cells. Across-cancer immune responses exist among different types of cancers, and thus VEWCOTT has the advantage of simultaneously preventing cancer metastasis and cancers in different organs.

Influence of the sperm DNA fragmentation index on the outcome of rescue ICSI and the clinical value of rescue ICSI. / 精子DNA断裂指数对补救ICSI结局的影响及补救ICSI的临床价值.

OBJECTIVES: As a remedy for the failure of in vitro fertilization (IVF), rescue intracytoplasmic sperm injection (R-ICSI) has been widely carried out, but it has failed to significantly improve the fertilization rate and clinical pregnancy rate. Sperm DNA fragmentation index (DFI) was highly correlated with pregnancy outcome of artificial assisted reproduction. This study aims to investigate the effect of the sperm DFI on the outcome of R-ICSI and the clinical value of R-ICSI. METHODS: This retrospective analysis was conducted among 140 infertile couples receiving R-ICSI in from January 2014 to December 2019. The subjects were assigned into a total fertilization failure (TFF)+low DFI group (R-ICSI after TFF and DFI<30%) (n=63), a TFF+high DFI group (R-ICSI after TFF and DFI≥30%) (n=16), a partial fertilization failure (PFF)+low DFI group (R-ICSI after PFF and DFI<30%) (n=52), a PFF+high DFI group (R-ICSI after PFF and DFI≥30%) (n=9). All transferred embryos were come from R-ICSI. The general clinical data [infertility duration, male age, female age, basal serum level of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), basal serum level of luteinizing hormone (LH), antral follicle count, endometrial thickness of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) day, and eggs] and R-ICSI cycle outcomes (fertilization rate, normal fertilization rate, cleavage rate, good embryo rate, implantation rate, clinical pregnancy rate and live birth rate) were analyzed. In addition, the effect of R-ICSI on the fertilization outcome of conventional IVF total fertilization failure and partial fertilization failure was explored. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the general clinical data and R-ICSI cycle outcome between the TFF+low DFI group and the TFF+high DFI group (all P>0.05). There was no significant difference in the general clinical data between the PFF+low DFI group and the PFF+high DFI group (all P>0.05). The fertilization rate and normal fertilization rate in the PFF+low DFI group were significantly higher than those in the PFF+high DFI group (85.40% vs 72.41%, 71.90% vs 58.62%, respectively; both P<0.05). However, there was no significant difference in cleavage rate, good embryo rate, implantation rate, clinical pregnancy rate, and live birth rate between the 2 groups (all P>0.05). The R-ICSI cycle of TFF: A total of 79 fresh cycles, 57 fresh transplant cycles, a total of 761 unfertilized oocytes, and 584 M II oocytes were treated with R-ICSI, the fertilization rate was 83.22%, the normal fertilization rate was 75.51%, the cleavage rate was 98.15%, the good embryo rate was 40.74%, the implantation rate was 30.56%, and the clinical pregnancy rate was 43.86%; 29 live births were obtained. The R-ICSI cycle of PFF: A total of 61 fresh cycles, 31 fresh transplant cycles, a total of 721 unfertilized oocytes, and 546 M II oocytes were treated with R-ICSI; the fertilization rate was 83.33%, the normal fertilization rate was 69.78%, the cleavage rate was 97.36%, the good embryo rate was 44.39%, the implantation rate was 25.42%, and the clinical pregnancy rate was 45.16%; 12 live births were obtained. CONCLUSIONS: In the case of partial fertilization failure of IVF, the sperm DFI affects the fertilization rate and normal fertilization rate of R-ICSI; whether it is a TFF of IVF or PFF of IVF, ICSI can be used as an effective remedy way.

A Natural Plant Ingredient, Menthone, Regulates T Cell Subtypes and Lowers Pro-inflammatory Cytokines of Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease with nearly 1.6 billion patients worldwide and an incidence of 0.5-1%. In recent years, basic and clinical studies have revealed that immune cell responses and corresponding secretion of inflammatory factors are important in the control of RA development. Our study found that a natural plant ingredient, menthone, could be used as a potential antirheumatism compound. In vivo observations demonstrated that menthone alleviates collagen II-induced arthritis (CIA) in mice. Furthermore, we found that menthone regulates the number of Th1 and Th17 cells in CIA mice. Importantly, menthone significantly inhibits the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including TNF-α, IL-1ß, and IL-6, in CIA mice. Our study suggests a potential component for the development of drugs to treat rheumatoid arthritis.

Lnc-RNA LINC01279 induces endometriosis via targeting of HOXA10.

AIM: To explore the regulatory role and molecular mechanism of lncRNA-LINC01279 in endometriosis (EMs). METHODS: Between September 2018 and July 2019, 20 EMs patients and 20 healthy subjects were recruited to detect the expression of lncRNA-LINC01279 in EMs and in normal endometrium via qRT-PCR. Autograft was used to establish EMs models on Spraque-Dawley (SD) rats, which was followed by taking volume measurements of EMs endometrium and observing pathological changes in the morphology of EMs via hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining. The qRT-PCR technique was further carried out to determine mRNA expression of lncRNA-LINC01279 and HOXA10 in the serum of EMs rats and LINC01279 shRNA-transfected rats, while the protein expression of HOXA10 was determined using a Western blot. RESULTS: EMs patients presented with upregulation of lncRNA-LINC01279 and downregulation of HOXA10 (p < 0.01 or 0.001). Online predictions further revealed that lncRNA-LINC01279 regulated the expression of HOXA10 via miRNA-135b. In EMs models, it was observed that there were a significantly enlarged endometrium and poor pathological morphology, significant upregulation of lncRNA-LINC01279, and downregulation of miR-135b and HOXA10 in serum (p < 0.05, 0.01 or 0.001). In the lncRNA-LINC01279 shRNA group, EMs rats, following treatment, had a sharp decrease in the volume of EMs endometrium, and an improvement in pathological morphology, while lncRNA-LINC01279 was downregulated, with upregulation of miR-135b and HOXA10 (p < 0.05, 0.01 or 0.001). CONCLUSION: LncRNA-LINC01279, by the mechanism of targeting miR-135b, has the potential to downregulate the expression of HOXA10, and therefore, can promote the development and progression of EMs.

The Influence Mechanism of Abnormal Immunophilin FKBP52 on the Expression Levels of PR-A and PR-B in Endometriosis Based on Endometrial Stromal Cell Model in Vitro.

As a chaperone protein of progesterone receptor (PR), FK-506 Binding Protein 52 (FKBP52) can enhance the activity of PR, but the mechanism of FKBP52 affecting PR expression levels is difficult to clarify. Here, we report a novel in vitro model of ectopic endometrial stromal cells (ESCM) established through the primary culture method of endometrial stromal cells, which is used to study the details of relationship between FKBP52 abnormality and PR expression level in endometriosis (Ems). At the same time, the clinical study of the relationship between FKBP52 and PR expression levels in endometriosis patients was used to verify our conclusions. The results showed that the expression levels of PR-A mRNA and protein in endometriosis are positively correlated with FKBP52 and the abnormality of FKBP52 leads to the decrease of PR-B mRNA and protein expression. When FKBP52 was deleted or reduced, the expression levels of m RNA and protein of PR-A and PR-B have decreased leading to the proliferation of ectopic endometrium cells (ESC) and the occurrence of endometriosis, which is consistent with the expression levels of clinical endometriosis patients and fully confirms our conclusions and reliability of the model, and has great guiding significance for the research of Ems disease occurrence mechanism and clinical treatment.

A novel regulatory loop miR-101/ANXA2/EGR1 mediates malignant characteristics of liver cancer stem cells.

Increasing evidence suggests that liver cancer stem cells (LCSCs) are the cellular determinants that promote tumor recurrence and metastases. Aberrantly expressed miRNAs were identified in LCSCs and found to play a significant role in modulating biological characteristics of LCSCs. In this study, we implemented miRNA microarrays in CD133+ LCSCs and found miR-101 expression was downregulated. Increasing miR-101 expression repressed the metastasis and tumorigenic potential in LCSCs. Further investigations showed that ANXA2 was a novel target of miR-101. And we revealed that ANXA2 plays a critical role in acceleration of cell cycle and enhancing the migration and invasion abilities of LCSCs. Elevated ANXA2 increased activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) which regulated SOX2 and cell cycle-related kinases. Moreover, ERK phosphorylation inhibited the expression of early growth response 1 (EGR1) which in turn restrained the transcription of miR-101. In vivo experiments, overexpression of miR-101 produced potent inhibitory effects on the growth of LCSCs xenograft tumors as well as ANXA2 knockdown. Taken together, our findings suggest a novel regulatory loop miR-101/ANXA2/EGR1 in LCSCs and may serve as potential therapeutic targets in liver cancer.

To explore the risk factors and preventive measures affecting the treatment of retrosternal goiter: An observational study.

The definition of substernal goiter (SG) is based on variable criteria, leading to considerable variations in the reported incidence (from 0.2% to 45%). The peri- and postoperative complications are higher in total thyroidectomy (TT) for SG than that for cervical goiter. This study aimed to evaluate the preoperative risk factors associated with postoperative complications.From 2002 to 2014, 142 (8.5%; 98 women and 44 men) of the 1690 patients who underwent TT had a SG. We retrospectively evaluated the following parameters: sex, age, histology, pre- and retro-vascular position, recurrence, and extension beyond the carina. These parameters were then related to the postoperative complications: seroma/hematoma, transient and permanent hypocalcemia, transient and permanent laryngeal nerve palsy, and the length of surgery. The results were further compared with a control group of 120 patients operated on in the same period with TT for cervical goiter (CG).Statistical analysis (Student t test and Fisher exact test) indicated an association between recurrence and extension beyond the carina with all postoperative complications. The group that underwent TT of SG showed a statistically significant higher risk for transient hypocalcemia (relative risk = 1.767 with 95% confidence interval: 1.131-2.7605, P = .0124, and need to treat = 7.1) and a trend toward significance for transient recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy (relative risk = 6.7806 with 95% confidence interval: 0.8577-53.2898, P = .0696, and need to treat = 20.8) compared with the group that underwent TT of cervical goiter. The major risk factors associated with postoperative complications are recurrence and extension beyond the carina.TT is the procedure to perform in SG even if the incidence of complications is higher than cervical goiters. The major risk factors associated with postoperative complications are recurrence and extension beyond the carina.

Chromosome errors in human eggs shape natural fertility over reproductive life span.

Chromosome errors, or aneuploidy, affect an exceptionally high number of human conceptions, causing pregnancy loss and congenital disorders. Here, we have followed chromosome segregation in human oocytes from females aged 9 to 43 years and report that aneuploidy follows a U-curve. Specific segregation error types show different age dependencies, providing a quantitative explanation for the U-curve. Whole-chromosome nondisjunction events are preferentially associated with increased aneuploidy in young girls, whereas centromeric and more extensive cohesion loss limit fertility as women age. Our findings suggest that chromosomal errors originating in oocytes determine the curve of natural fertility in humans.

[Chromosome polymorphisms and their influence on semen quality and sperm DNA integrity in males undergoing IVF/ICSI].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the incidence of chromosome polymorphisms and their influence on semen quality and sperm DNA integrity in male patients receiving in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (IVF/ICSI). METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the chromosomal karyotypes and the types and incidence rate of chromosome polymorphisms in 2 370 male patients undergoing IVF/ICSI between June 2016 and June 2018. We classified the patients into groups A (with variation in the secondary constriction region in the autosomal long arm), B (with variation in the short arm of the D/G group chromosomes), C (with interbrachial inversion of chromosome 9) and D (with Y chromosome polymorphisms), and compared the semen parameters and sperm DNA fragmentation indexes (DFI) between the patients with chromosome polymorphisms and those with normal chromosomes. RESULTS: Totally, 154 (6.50%) of the patients undergoing IVF/ICSI were found with chromosome polymorphisms, including 34 cases of secondary constriction variation in the long arm of the autosome (1.43% ï¼»34/2 370ï¼½, 22.08% ï¼»34/154ï¼½), 82 cases of short arm polymorphisms of the D/G group chromosomes (3.46% ï¼»82/2 370ï¼½, 53.25% ï¼»82/154ï¼½), 26 cases of interbrachial inversion of chromosome 9 (1.10% ï¼»26/2 370ï¼½, 16.88% ï¼»26/154ï¼½), 10 cases of Y chromosome polymorphisms (0.42% ï¼»10/2 370ï¼½, 6.50% ï¼»10/154ï¼½), and 2 cases of mixed chromosome polymorphisms (0.08% ï¼»2/2 370ï¼½, 1.42% ï¼»2/154ï¼½). The total sperm count was lower in group D than in the other polymorphism groups and the normal chromosome group, but with no statistically significant difference among the five groups (P > 0.05). The sperm progressive motility was also lower in group D than in the other five groups, with statistically significant difference from group B (27.5 ± 13.5 vs. 41.5 ± 21.1, P = 0.027), but not from the other groups (P > 0.05). No statistically significant difference was observed in the sperm DFI between the polymorphism groups and the normal chromosome group (P > 0.05), or among the polymorphism groups (P > 0.05). The proportion of normal semen was lower in group D than in the other four groups, but with no statistically significant difference among the five groups (P > 0.05). The incidence rate of asthenospermia was higher in group D than in the other four groups, but with no statistically significant difference among the five groups (P > 0.05), and so was that of oligoasthenospermia, with statistically significant difference from the normal chromosome group (30.0% vs 8.0%, P = 0.041), but not from the other polymorphism groups (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Short arm polymorphisms of the D/G group chromosomes are the most common type of chromosome polymorphisms in male patients undergoing IVF/ICSI. Polymorphisms of the Y chromosome have a negative effect on semen quality, while those of the other chromosomes do not significantly affect semen quality and sperm DNA integrity.

LW-AFC, A New Formula Derived from Liuwei Dihuang Decoction, Ameliorates Cognitive Deterioration and Modulates Neuroendocrine-Immune System in SAMP8 Mouse.

BACKGROUND: Alzheimer's disease (AD), the most common cause of dementia among older people, could not be prevented, halted, or reversed up till now. A large body of pharmacological study has revealed that Liuwei Dihuang decoction (LW), a classical traditional Chinese medicinal prescription, possesses potential therapeutic effects on AD. LW-AFC is key fractions from LW. METHOD: Cognition ability was evaluated by behavioral experiments. Using multiplex bead analysis, radioimmunoassay, immunochemiluminometry and ELISA to determine levels of cytokines and hormones. The splenocyte proliferation and peripheral lymphocyte subsets was investigated by 3H-thymidine incorporation and flow cytometric analysis, respectively. RESULTS: This study showed the treatment of LW-AFC slowed the aging process of senescence-accelerated mouse prone 8 strain (SAMP8), a robust model sporadic AD or late-onset/age-related AD. LW-AFC had ameliorative effects on spontaneous locomotor activity, object recognition memory, spatial learning and memory, passive and active avoidance impairment in SAMP8 mice. Administration of LW-AFC restored the imbalance of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) and hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis, enhanced the proliferation of splenocytes, corrected the disorder of lymphocyte subsets, and regulated the abnormal production of cytokine in SAMP8 mice. Effects of LW-AFC on pharmacodynamics and neuroendocrine immunomodulation network in SAMP8 mice were better than memantine and donepezil. CONCLUSION: This data indicated LW-AFC may be a promising therapeutic medicine for AD.

LW-AFC, a new formula derived from Liuwei Dihuang decoction, ameliorates behavioral and pathological deterioration via modulating the neuroendocrine-immune system in PrP-hAßPPswe/PS1ΔE9 transgenic mice.

BACKGROUND: Accumulating evidence implicates the neuroendocrine immunomodulation (NIM) network in the physiopathological mechanism of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Notably, we previously revealed that the NIM network is dysregulated in the PrP-hAßPPswe/PS1ΔE9 (APP/PS1) transgenic mouse model of AD. METHODS: After treatment with a novel Liuwei Dihuang formula (LW-AFC), mice were cognitively evaluated in behavioral experiments. Neuron loss, amyloid-ß (Aß) deposition, and Aß level were analyzed using Nissl staining, immunofluorescence, and an AlphaLISA assay, respectively. Multiplex bead analysis, a radioimmunoassay, immunochemiluminometry, and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were used to measure cytokine and hormone levels. Lymphocyte subsets were detected using flow cytometry. Data between two groups were compared using a Student's t test. Comparison of the data from multiple groups against one group was performed using a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by a Dunnett's post hoc test or a two-way repeated-measures analysis of variance with a Tukey multiple comparisons test. RESULTS: LW-AFC ameliorated the cognitive impairment observed in APP/PS1 mice, including the impairment of object recognition memory, spatial learning and memory, and active and passive avoidance. In addition, LW-AFC alleviated the neuron loss in the hippocampus, suppressed Aß deposition in the brain, and reduced the concentration of Aß1-42 in the hippocampus and plasma of APP/PS1 mice. LW-AFC treatment also significantly decreased the secretion of corticotropin-releasing hormone and gonadotropin-releasing hormone in the hypothalamus, and adrenocorticotropic hormone, luteinizing hormone, and follicle-stimulating hormone in the pituitary. Moreover, LW-AFC increased CD8+CD28+ T cells, and reduced CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ T cells in the spleen lymphocytes, downregulated interleukin (IL)-1ß, IL-2, IL-6, IL-23, granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor, and tumor necrosis factor-α and -ß, and upregulated IL-4 and granulocyte colony stimulating factor in the plasma of APP/PS1 mice. CONCLUSIONS: LW-AFC ameliorated the behavioral and pathological deterioration of APP/PS1 transgenic mice via the restoration of the NIM network to a greater extent than either memantine or donepezil, which supports the use of LW-AFC as a potential agent for AD therapy.

Neuroendocrine immunomodulation network dysfunction in SAMP8 mice and PrP-hAßPPswe/PS1ΔE9 mice: potential mechanism underlying cognitive impairment.

Senescence-accelerated mouse prone 8 strain (SAMP8) and PrP-hAßPPswe/PS1ΔE9 (APP/PS1) mice are classic animal models of sporadic Alzheimer's disease and familial AD respectively. Our study showed that object recognition memory, spatial learning and memory, active and passive avoidance were deteriorated and neuroendocrine immunomodulation (NIM) network was imbalance in SAMP8 and APP/PS1 mice. SAMP8 and APP/PS1 mice had their own specific phenotype of cognition, neuroendocrine, immune and NIM molecular network. The endocrine hormone corticosterone, luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone, chemotactic factor monocyte chemotactic protein-1, macrophage inflammatory protein-1ß, regulated upon activation normal T cell expressed and secreted factor and eotaxin, pro-inflammatory factor interleukin-23, and the Th1 cell acting as cell immunity accounted for cognitive deficiencies in SAMP8 mice, while adrenocorticotropic hormone and gonadotropin-releasing hormone, colony stimulating factor granulocyte colony stimulating factor, and Th2 cell acting as humoral immunity in APP/PS1 mice. On the pathway level, chemokine signaling and T cell receptor signaling pathway played the key role in cognition impairments of two models, while cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction and natural killer cell mediated cytotoxicity were more important in cognitive deterioration of SAMP8 mice than APP/PS1 mice. This mechanisms of NIM network underlying cognitive impairment is significant for further understanding the pathogenesis of AD and can provide useful information for development of AD therapeutic drug.

Effects of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1) inhibition on sulfur mustard-induced cutaneous injuries in vitro and in vivo.

Early studies with first-generation poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors have already indicated some therapeutic potential for sulfur mustard (SM) injuries. The available novel and more potential PARP inhibitors, which are undergoing clinical trials as drugs for cancer treatment, bring it back to the centre of interest. However, the role of PARP-1 in SM-induced injury is not fully understood. In this study, we selected a high potent specific PARP inhibitor ABT-888 as an example to investigate the effect of PARP inhibitor in SM injury. The results showed that in both the mouse ear vesicant model (MEVM) and HaCaT cell model, PARP inhibitor ABT-888 can reduce cell damage induced by severe SM injury. ABT-888 significantly reduced SM induced edema and epidermal necrosis in MEVM. In the HaCaT cell model, ABT-888 can reduce SM-induced NAD(+)/ATP depletion and apoptosis/necrosis. Then, we studied the mechanism of PARP-1 in SM injury by knockdown of PARP-1 in HaCaT cells. Knockdown of PARP-1 protected cell viability and downregulated the apoptosis checkpoints, including p-JNK, p-p53, Caspase 9, Caspase 8, c-PARP and Caspase 3 following SM-induced injury. Furthermore, the activation of AKT can inhibit autophagy via the regulation of mTOR. Our results showed that SM exposure could significantly inhibit the activation of Akt/mTOR pathway. Knockdown of PARP-1 reversed the SM-induced suppression of the Akt/mTOR pathway. In summary, the results of our study indicated that the protective effects of downregulation of PARP-1 in SM injury may be due to the regulation of apoptosis, necrosis, energy crisis and autophagy. However, it should be noticed that PARP inhibitor ABT-888 further enhanced the phosphorylation of H2AX (S139) after SM exposure, which indicated that we should be very careful in the application of PARP inhibitors in SM injury treatment because of the enhancement of DNA damage.

The anti-aging effects of LW-AFC via correcting immune dysfunctions in senescence accelerated mouse resistant 1 (SAMR1) strain.

Although there were considerable advances in the anti-aging medical field, it is short of therapeutic drug for anti-aging. Mounting evidence indicates that the immunosenescence is the key physiopathological mechanism of aging. This study showed the treatment of LW-AFC, an herbal medicine, decreased the grading score of senescence, increased weight, prolonged average life span and ameliorated spatial memory impairment in 12- and 24-month-old senescence accelerated mouse resistant 1 (SAMR1) strain. And these anti-aging effects of LW-AFC were more excellent than melatonin. The administration of LW-AFC enhanced ConA- and LPS-induced splenocyte proliferation in aged SAMR1 mice. The treatment of LW-AFC not only reversed the decreased the proportions of helper T cells, suppressor T cells and B cells, the increased regulatory T cells in the peripheral blood of old SAMR1 mice, but also could modulate the abnormal secretion of IL-1ß, IL-2, IL-6, IL-17, IL-23, GM-CSF, IFN-γ, TNF-α, TNF-ß, RANTES, eotaxin, MCP-1, IL-4, IL-5, IL-10 and G-CSF. These data indicated that LW-AFC reversed the immunosenescence status by restoring immunodeficiency and decreasing chronic inflammation and suggested LW-AFC may be an effective anti-aging agent.

[Normal sperm morphology and the outcomes of routine in vitro fertilization].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the application value of morphology assessment of sperm from fresh semen in routine in vitro fertilization (IVF). METHODS: We analyzed the morphology of the sperm from fresh or optimized semen samples and, based on the sperm morphology of the raw semen, allocated 908 IVF cycles due to the pure tubal factor to different groups: morphologically normal sperm (MNS) ≤ 4%, > 4% - ≤ 15%, and > 15% in Trial 1 and MNS ≤ 1%, > 1% - ≤ 2%, > 2% - ≤ 3%, and > 3%-- ≤ 4% in Trial 2. We compared the rates of fertilization, cleavage, high-quality embryo, -blastocyst formation, and pregnancy among different groups. RESULTS: The total fertilization rate was significantly lower in the MNS ≤ 4% than in the MNS > 4% - ≤ 15% and >15% groups (74.40% vs 78.61% and 80.03%, P < 0.01). Compared with the MNS ≤ 1%, > 1% - ≤ 2%, and > 2% - ≤ 3% groups, the MNS > 3% - ≤ 4% group showed remarkably increased rates of 2PN normal fertilization (77.23%, 78.97% and 78.99% vs 85.47%, P < 0.01), cleavage (95.71%, 96.01% and 97.27% vs 98.73%, P < 0.05), and blastocyst formation (53.85%, 49.01% and 49.55% vs 63.41%, P < 0.01). No statistically significant differences were observed in the rates of clinical pregnancy, implantation, early abortion, live birth, or malformation at birth among different groups (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: MNS ≤ 4% affected the total rate of fertilization while MNS ≤ 3% reduced the rate of normal fertilization in IVF. However, even MNS ≤ 1% did not result in fertilization disorder or failure. Therefore, teratozoospermia alone was not an indicator of ICSI and sperm mor- phology assessment had no obvious value for predicting the rates of embryo quality, clinical pregnancy, and live birth in IVF.