Anisotropic growth of gold anchors on CdSe semiconductor quantum platelets for self-assembled architectures with well-connected electronic circuits for the electrochemical detection of enrofloxacin.

Anisotropic growth of nanomaterials enables advances in building diverse and complex architectures, which exhibit unique properties and enrich the choice of nano-building modules for electrochemical sensor devices. Herein, an anisotropic growth method was proposed to anchor gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) onto both ends of quasi-two-dimensional CdSe semiconductor quantum nanoplatelets (NPLs), appearing with a monodisperse and uniform nano-dumbbell shape. Then, these AuNPs were exploited as natural anchor points and further initiated self-assembly to create complex architectures via dithiol bridges. Detailed studies illustrated that the covalent Se-Au bonds facilitate effective charge transfer in the internal metal-semiconductor (M-S) electric field. The narrowed energy gap and up-shifted highest occupied molecular orbital were favored for electron removal during the electro-oxidation process. The ultrathin CdSe NPLs supplied a large specific surface area, carrying remaining holes and abundant active sites for target electro-catalysis. As a result, using the assembled complex as the electrode matrix with well-connected electronic circuits, a reliable electrochemical sensor was achieved for enrofloxacin detection. Under the optimal conditions, the current response exhibits two linear dynamic ranges, 0.01-10.0 µM and 10.0-250 µM, and the detection limit was calculated as 0.0026 µM. This work not only opens up broad application prospects for heterogeneous M-S combinations as effective electrochemical matrixes but also develops reliable antibiotic assays for food and environmental safety.

Advances of Electrochemical and Electrochemiluminescent Sensors Based on Covalent Organic Frameworks.

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs), a rapidly developing category of crystalline conjugated organic polymers, possess highly ordered structures, large specific surface areas, stable chemical properties, and tunable pore microenvironments. Since the first report of boroxine/boronate ester-linked COFs in 2005, COFs have rapidly gained popularity, showing important application prospects in various fields, such as sensing, catalysis, separation, and energy storage. Among them, COFs-based electrochemical (EC) sensors with upgraded analytical performance are arousing extensive interest. In this review, therefore, we summarize the basic properties and the general synthesis methods of COFs used in the field of electroanalytical chemistry, with special emphasis on their usages in the fabrication of chemical sensors, ions sensors, immunosensors, and aptasensors. Notably, the emerged COFs in the electrochemiluminescence (ECL) realm are thoroughly covered along with their preliminary applications. Additionally, final conclusions on state-of-the-art COFs are provided in terms of EC and ECL sensors, as well as challenges and prospects for extending and improving the research and applications of COFs in electroanalytical chemistry.

Amelioration effects of α-viniferin on hyperuricemia and hyperuricemia-induced kidney injury in mice.

BACKGROUND: α-Viniferin, the major constituent of the roots of Caragana sinica (Buc'hoz) Rehder with a trimeric resveratrol oligostilbenoid skeleton, was demonstrated to possess a strong inhibitory effect on xanthine oxidase in vitro, suggesting it to be a potential anti-hyperuricemia agent. However, the in vivo anti-hyperuricemia effect and its underlying mechanism were still unknown. PURPOSE: The current study aimed to evaluate the anti-hyperuricemia effect of α-viniferin in a mouse model and to assess its safety profile with emphasis on its protective effect on hyperuricemia-induced renal injury. METHODS: The effects were assessed in a potassium oxonate (PO)- and hypoxanthine (HX)-induced hyperuricemia mice model by analyzing the levels of serum uric acid (SUA), urine uric acid (UUA), serum creatinine (SCRE), serum urea nitrogen (SBUN), and histological changes. Western blotting and transcriptomic analysis were used to identify the genes, proteins, and signaling pathways involved. RESULTS: α-Viniferin treatment significantly reduced SUA levels and markedly mitigated hyperuricemia-induced kidney injury in the hyperuricemia mice. Besides, α-viniferin did not show any obvious toxicity in mice. Research into the mechanism of action of α-viniferin revealed that it not only inhibited uric acid formation by acting as an XOD inhibitor, but also reduced uric acid absorption by acting as a GLUT9 and URAT1 dual inhibitor as well as promoted uric acid excretion by acting as a ABCG2 and OAT1 dual activator. Then, 54 differentially expressed (log2 FPKM ≥ 1.5, p ≤ 0.01) genes (DEGs) repressed by the treatment of α-viniferin in the hyperuricemia mice were identified in the kidney. Finally, gene annotation results revealed that downregulation of S100A9 in the IL-17 pathway, of CCR5 and PIK3R5 in the chemokine signaling pathway, and of TLR2, ITGA4, and PIK3R5 in the PI3K-AKT signaling pathway were involved in the protective effect of α-viniferin on the hyperuricemia-induced renal injury. CONCLUSIONS: α-Viniferin inhibited the production of uric acid through down-regulation of XOD in hyperuricemia mice. Besides, it also down-regulated the expressions of URAT1 and GLUT9 and up-regulated the expressions of ABCG2 and OAT1 to promote the excretion of uric acid. α-Viniferin could prevent hyperuricemia mice from renal damage by regulating the IL-17, chemokine, and PI3K-AKT signaling pathways. Collectively, α-viniferin was a promising antihyperuricemia agent with desirable safety profile. This is the first report of α-viniferin as an antihyperuricemia agent.

Regional abnormalities of spontaneous brain activity in migraine: A coordinate-based meta-analysis.

Many resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) studies have explored abnormal regional spontaneous brain activity in migraine. However, these results are inconsistent. To identify the consistent regions with abnormal neural activity, we meta-analyzed these studies. We gathered whole-brain rs-fMRI studies measuring differences in the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF), fractional ALFF (fALFF), or regional homogeneity (ReHo) methods. Then, we performed a voxel-wise meta-analysis to identify consistent abnormal neural activity in migraine by anisotropic effect size seed-based d mapping (AES-SDM). To confirm the AES-SDM meta-analysis results, we conducted two meta-analyses: activation likelihood estimation (ALE) and multi-level kernel density analysis (MKDA). We found that migraine showed increased regional neural activities in the bilateral postcentral gyrus (PoCG), left hippocampus (HIP.L), right pons, left superior frontal gyrus (SFG.L), triangular part of right inferior frontal gyrus (IFGtriang.R), right middle frontal gyrus (MFG.R), and left precentral gyrus (PreCG.L) and decreased regional intrinsic brain activities were exhibited in the right angular gyrus (ANG.R), left superior occipital gyrus (SOG.L), right lingual gyrus (LING.R). Moreover, the meta-analysis of ALE further validated the abnormal neural activities in the PoCG, right pons, ANG.R, and HIP. Meta-regression demonstrated that headache intensity was positively associated with the abnormal activities in the HIP.L, ANG.R, and LING.R. These findings suggest that migraine is associated with abnormal spontaneous brain activities of some pain-related regions, which may contribute to a deeper understanding of the neural mechanism of migraine.

Bioequivalence of two tablet formulations of cefpodoxime proxetil in beagle dogs.

The pharmacokinetic profiles and bioequivalence of two cefpodoxime proxetil tablets were investigated in Beagle dogs. A single-dose, four-way complete replication and crossover design was used in the present study. A total of 28 healthy Beagle dogs (half male and female) with an average body weight of 11.1 kg were randomly allocated to this study. A whole reference or test tablet containing the equivalent of 100 mg of cefpodoxime was administered orally to each dog. Serial plasma samples were collected, and cefpodoxime concentrations were determined by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). Then a non-compartmental method was used to calculate the pharmacokinetic parameters of both tablet formulations. The average bioequivalence (ABE) or reference-scaled average bioequivalence (RSABE) methods were used to determine the 90% confidence interval (CI) of AUCINF_obs and Cmax. No significant differences were observed for both parameters between both tablets. The test formulation was bioequivalent to the reference one because the 90% CI ranges of Cmax and AUCINF_obs were all between 80 and 125%.

Emerging roles of circRNAs in the pathological process of myocardial infarction.

Myocardial infarction (MI) is defined as cardiomyocyte death in a clinical context consistent with ischemic insult. MI remains one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Although there are a number of effective clinical methods for the diagnosis and treatment of MI, further investigation of novel biomarkers and molecular therapeutic targets is required. Circular RNAs (circRNAs), novel non-coding RNAs, have been reported to function mainly by acting as microRNA (miRNA) sponges or binding to RNA-binding proteins (RBPs). The circRNA-miRNA-mRNA (protein) regulatory pathway regulates gene expression and affects the pathological mechanisms of various diseases. Undoubtedly, a more comprehensive understanding of the relationship between MI and circRNA will lay the foundation for the development of circRNA-based diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for MI. Therefore, this review summarizes the pathophysiological process of MI and various approaches to measure circRNA levels in MI patients, tissues, and cells; highlights the significance of circRNAs in the regulation MI pathogenesis and development; and provides potential clinical insight for the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of MI.

Extracellular Adenosine Diphosphate Stimulates CXCL10-Mediated Mast Cell Infiltration Through P2Y1 Receptor to Aggravate Airway Inflammation in Asthmatic Mice.

Asthma is an inflammatory disease associated with variable airflow obstruction and airway inflammation. This study aimed to explore the role and mechanism of extracellular adenosine diphosphate (ADP) in the occurrence of airway inflammation in asthma. The expression of ADP in broncho-alveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of asthmatic patients was determined by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and the expression of P2Y1 receptor in lung tissues was determined by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Asthmatic mouse model was induced using ovalbumin and the mice were treated with ADP to assess its effects on the airway inflammation and infiltration of mast cells (MCs). Additionally, alveolar epithelial cells were stimulated with ADP, and the levels of interleukin-13 (IL-13) and C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 10 (CXCL10) were measured by ELISA. We finally analyzed involvement of NF-κB signaling pathway in the release of CXCL10 in ADP-stimulated alveolar epithelial cells. The extracellular ADP was enriched in BALF of asthmatic patients, and P2Y1 receptor is highly expressed in lung tissues of asthmatic patients. In the OVA-induced asthma model, extracellular ADP aggravated airway inflammation and induced MC infiltration. Furthermore, ADP stimulated alveolar epithelial cells to secrete chemokine CXCL10 by activating P2Y1 receptor, whereby promoting asthma airway inflammation. Additionally, ADP activated the NF-κB signaling pathway to promote CXCL10 release. As a "danger signal" extracellular ADP could trigger and maintain airway inflammation in asthma by activating P2Y1 receptor. This study highlights the extracellular ADP as a promising anti-inflammatory target for the treatment of asthma.

Relationship between phenotype and genotype of 102 Chinese newborns with Prader-Willi syndrome.

High rates of misdiagnosis and delayed intervention in neonatal PWS are leading to poor prognoses. To determine the clinical and image characteristics of newborns with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS). A total of 102 cases of newborns definitively diagnosed with PWS at the Children's Hospital of Fudan University from 02/2014 to 12/2017 were retrospectively analyzed. We analyzed the modulated voxel-based morphology (VBM) of gray matter in PWS by T2 weighted imaging. Of 102 cases, 75 (73.5%) have paternal deletion of 15q11.2-q13, whereas 27 (26.5%) have maternal uniparental disomy (UPD). Of the 75 deletion cases, 75 (100%) week crying, 71 (94.7%) hypotonia, 70 (93.3%) poor feeding, 46 (61.3%) hypopigmentation, 43 (57.3%) male cryptorchidism, 10 (13.3%) female labia minora, 48 (64%) characteristic facial features. Of 27 UPD cases, 27 (100%) week crying and hypotonia, 25 (92.6%) hypophagia, 20 (74.1%) male cryptorchidism, 1 (3.7%) female labia minora, 19 (70.4%) characteristic facial features, 12 (44.4%) hypopigmentation. The modulated VBM analysis shows that the middle frontal gyrus, orbitofrontal cortex (middle), and inferior frontal gyrus are the most variable brain regions that determine the endo-phenotype difference between the two genotypes. Hypotonia, hypophagia, and maldevelopment of sexual organs are general characteristics of newborns with PWS in Chinese population. In UPD cases, the proportions of premature newborns, elderly parturient women and congenital malformations were higher than for paternal deletion cases. The differences in the gray matter volume of these three regions between the two genotypes may explain the differences in maladaptive behaviors and emotions.

A Sensitive and Rapid UPLC-MS/MS Method for Determination of Monosaccharides and Anti-Allergic Effect of the Polysaccharides Extracted from Saposhnikoviae Radix.

Background: Allergic disease is a common clinical disease. Natural products provide an important source for a wide range of potential anti-allergic agents. This study was designed to evaluate the anti-allergic activities of the water-soluble polysaccharides extracted and purified from Saposhnikoviae Radix (SRPS). The composition and content of monosaccharides were determined to provide a material basis. Methods: An ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) method was established to determine the composition and content of SRPS. 2,4-dinitrofluorobenzene (DNFB) induced a delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) mouse model orally administrated SRPS for seven consecutive days. Ear swelling, organ index, and serum IgE levels were observed to evaluate the anti-allergic activities. Results: The UPLC-MS/MS analysis showed that SRPS was consisted of eight monosaccharides including galacturonic acid, mannose, glucose, galactose, rhamnose, fucose, ribose, and arabinose with a relative molar ratio of 4.42%, 7.86%, 23.69%, 12.06%, 3.10%, 0.45%, 0.71%, and 47.70%, respectively. SRPS could effectively reduce ear swelling, a thymus index, and a serum IgE levels. Conclusions: The method was simple, rapid, sensitive, and reproducible, which could be used to analyze and determine the monosaccharide composition of SRPS. The vivo experiments demonstrated that SRPS may effectively inhibit development of DNFB-induced DTH. SRPS is a novel potential resource for natural anti-allergic drugs.

Temperature-Directed Biocatalysis for the Sustainable Production of Aromatic Aldehydes or Alcohols.

The biosynthesis of aromatic aldehydes and alcohols from renewable resources is currently receiving considerable attention because of an increase in demand, finite fossil resources, and growing environmental concerns. Here, a temperature-directed whole-cell catalyst was developed by using two novel enzymes from a thermophilic actinomycete. Ferulic acid, a model lignin derivative, was efficiently converted into vanillyl alcohol at a reaction temperature at 30 °C. However, when the temperature was increased to 50 °C, ferulic acid was mainly converted into vanillin with a productivity of 1.1 g L-1 h-1 . This is due to the fact that the redundant endogenous alcohol dehydrogenases (ADHs) are not active at this temperature while the functional enzymes from the thermophilic strain remain active. As the biocatalyst could convert many other renewable cinnamic acid derivatives into their corresponding aromatic aldehydes/alcohols, this novel strategy may be extended to generate a vast array of valuable aldehydes or alcohols.

Crosstalk between MicroRNAs and Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptors and Their Emerging Regulatory Roles in Cardiovascular Pathophysiology.

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) play vital roles in cardiovascular pathophysiology, such as energy balance, cell proliferation/apoptosis, inflammatory response, and adipocyte differentiation. These vital roles make PPARs potential targets for therapeutic prevention of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Emerging evidence indicates that the crosstalk of microRNAs (miRNAs) and PPARs contributes greatly to CVD pathogenesis. PPARs are inhibited by miRNAs at posttranscriptional mechanisms in the progress of pulmonary hypertension and vascular dysfunction involving cell proliferation/apoptosis, communication, and normal function of endothelial cells and vascular smooth muscle cells. In the development of atherosclerosis and stroke, the activation of PPARs could change the transcripts of target miRNA through miRNA signalling. Furthermore, the mutual regulation of PPARs and miRNAs involves cell proliferation/apoptosis, cardiac remodeling, and dysfunction in heart diseases. In addition, obesity, an important cardiovascular risk, is modulated by the regulatory axis of PPARs/miRNAs, including adipogenesis, adipocyte dysfunction, insulin resistance, and macrophage polarization in adipose tissue. In this review, the crosstalk of PPARs and miRNAs and their emerging regulatory roles are summarized in the context of CVDs and risks. This provides an understanding of the underlying mechanism of the biological process related to CVD pathophysiology involving the interaction of PPARs and miRNAs and will lead to the development of PPARs/miRNAs as effective anti-CVD medications.

The enhancement of biological ocular UV radiation on beaches compared to the radiation on grass.

BACKGROUND: The influence of albedo on ocular UV exposure has seldom been reported. This paper aimed to explore the enhancement effect on measured ocular UV radiation due to a sand surface compared to measured ocular UV radiation due to a grass surface. METHODS: We measured ambient and ocular UV radiation over the beach and grass surface in Sanya City of China (18.4°N, 109.7°E). The experimental apparatus was composed of a manikin and a dual-detector spectrometer. Integration of both UVA and UVB radiation was used to denote UV radiation. Then biologically effective ocular UVB radiation (UVBE) and the ratios of UVBE of two surfaces were calculated. RESULT: Maximum of ocular UV radiation versus time over the two surfaces is bimodal. UVBE on the beach is significantly larger than UVBE on the sand, and UVBE peaked at different solar elevation angle (SEA) over the two surfaces (about 53° and 40° on the beach and grass, respectively, according to Bayesian regression). The maximum of ocular UVBE ratios is greater than two, which peaked SEA was about 50°. One hour's cumulative radiation under sunny weather exceeds thresholds for photokeratitis, conjunctivitis and lens damage. CONCLUSIONS: Higher albedo significantly increased biological ocular UV radiation. Tourists on tropical beaches should take protective measures and avoid facing the sun directly, especially when SEA is around 50°.

Synergistic anti-tumor effect of KLF4 and curcumin in human gastric carcinoma cell line.

Kruppel-like factor 4 is a transcription factor which plays an important role in development and progression of various carcinomas. Curcumin characterized by excellent anti-cancer properties is regarded as a serviceable natural compound used in carcinoma therapy. This study aimed at exploring the impact of KLF4 overexpression in cooperation with curcumin on the proliferation, apoptosis and invasion of human gastric carcinoma BGC- 823 cells. Flow cytometry analysis, CCK-8 assays, transwell assays and Western blot results showed that KLF4 overexpression combined with curcumin had significant anti-proliferation, pro-apoptosis and anti-invasion effects on BGC-823 cells. We also found that KLF4 had synergistic effects with curcumin, better promoting apoptosis and inhibiting proliferation and invasion of gastric carcinona cells. These results indicate that KLF4 could be used as a potential therapeutic target; curcumin could act as an auxiliary and provide a promising therapeutic strategy in stomach cancer.

Effects of chronic exposure to Aspergillus fumigatus on epidermal growth factor receptor expression in the airway epithelial cells of asthmatic rats.

Epidemiologic studies suggest that increased concentrations of airborne spores of Aspergillus fumigatus closely relate to asthma aggravation. Chronic exposure to A. fumigatus aggravates airway inflammation, remodeling, and airway hyperresponsiveness in asthmatic rats. The effects of chronic exposure to A. fumigatus on epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) expression in the airway epithelial cells of asthmatic rats remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate the effects of chronic exposure to A. fumigatus on injury and shedding of airway epithelium, goblet cell metaplasia, and EGFR expression in the airway epithelial cells of asthmatic rats. A rat model of chronic asthma was established using ovalbumin (OVA) sensitization and challenge. Rats with chronic asthma were then exposed to long-term inhalation of spores of A. fumigatus, and the dynamic changes in injury and shedding of airway epithelium, goblet cell metaplasia, and EGFR expression were observed and analyzed. Chronic exposure to A. fumigatus could aggravate airway epithelial cell damage, upregulate the expression of EGFR and its ligands EGF and TGF-α, promote goblet cell metaplasia, and increase airway responsiveness in rats with asthma. Chronic exposure to A. fumigatus upregulates the expression of EGFR and its ligands in asthmatic rats. The EGFR pathway may play a role in asthma aggravation induced by exposure to A. fumigatus.

A Bayesian meta-analysis on prevalence of hepatitis B virus infection among Chinese volunteer blood donors.

BACKGROUND: Although transfusion-transmitted infection of hepatitis B virus (HBV) threatens the blood safety of China, the nationwide circumstance of HBV infection among blood donors is still unclear. OBJECTIVES: To comprehensively estimate the prevalence of HBsAg positive and HBV occult infection (OBI) among Chinese volunteer blood donors through bayesian meta-analysis. METHODS: We performed an electronic search in Pub-Med, Web of Knowledge, Medline, Wanfang Data and CNKI, complemented by a hand search of relevant reference lists. Two authors independently extracted data from the eligible studies. Then two bayesian random-effect meta-analyses were performed, followed by bayesian meta-regressions. RESULTS: 5957412 and 571227 donors were identified in HBsAg group and OBI group, respectively. The pooled prevalence of HBsAg group and OBI group among donors is 1.085% (95% credible interval [CI] 0.859%~1.398%) and 0.094% (95% CI 0.0578%~0.1655%). For HBsAg group, subgroup analysis shows the more developed area has a lower prevalence than the less developed area; meta-regression indicates there is a significant decreasing trend in HBsAg positive prevalence with sampling year (beta = -0.1202, 95% -0.2081~-0.0312). CONCLUSION: Blood safety against HBV infection in China is suffering serious threats and the government should take effective measures to improve this situation.

Comparison of a multiple daily insulin injection regimen (glargine or detemir once daily plus prandial insulin aspart) and continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (aspart) in short-term intensive insulin therapy for poorly controlled type 2 diabetes patients.

Aims. To examine the potential differences between multiple daily injection (MDI) regimens based on new long-acting insulin analogues (glargine or detemir) plus prandial insulin aspart and continuous subcutaneous insulin aspart infusion (CSII) in patients with poorly controlled type 2 diabetes. Methods. Patients (n = 119) with poorly controlled type 2 diabetes of a duration exceeding five years were randomly assigned into three groups: Group A treated with CSII using insulin aspart; Group B treated with glargine-based MDI and Group C treated with detemir-based MDI. Results. Good glycemic control was achieved by patients in Group A in a significantly shorter duration than patients in Groups B and C. Total daily insulin, basal insulin dose and dose per kg body weight in Group A were significantly less than those in Groups B and C. Daily blood glucose fluctuation in Group A was significantly less than that in Groups B and C. There were no differences between Groups B and C. Conclusions. Aspart-based CSII may achieve good blood glucose control with less insulin doses over a shorter period compared with glargine or detemir-based MDI. No differences between glargine- and detemir-based MDI were detected in poorly controlled subjects with type 2 diabetes.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and microvascular complications in type 2 diabetes.

AIM: To evaluate the correlation between nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and microvascular complications in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). METHODS: Data were obtained from 1217 inpatients with T2DM (757 females, 460 males; aged 63.39 ± 12.28 years). NAFLD was diagnosed by hepatic ultrasonography. Diabetic nephropathy (DN), diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN), and diabetic retinopathy (DR) were diagnosed according to their respective criteria. The prevalence of NAFLD and the independent correlations of clinical characteristics with NAFLD were determined by cross-tabulation and logistic regression, respectively. RESULTS: Approximately 61% of inpatients with T2DM in Qingdao, China had NAFLD, which decreased significantly with increase in age and prolonged course of diabetes. The prevalence of NAFLD in patients presenting with DN, DPN and DR was 49.4%, 57.2% and 54.9%, respectively. These rates were significantly lower than those of patients without DN, DPN and DR (65.9%, 65.6% and 66.1%, respectively, P < 0.05). Participants with NAFLD had greater body weight, waist circumference (WC), body mass index (BMI), fasting blood glucose (FBG), hemoglobin A1c, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, γ-glutamyltransferase, blood pressure, as well as triglyceride (TG) levels and lower high-density lipoprotein (HDL) concentration than those without NAFLD (P < 0.05). NAFLD was positively correlated with BMI, WC, TG, FBG, diastolic blood pressure, and systolic blood pressure but negatively correlated with the duration of diabetes, DR, DPN, DN, and HDL. CONCLUSION: Despite the benign nature of NAFLD, efforts should be directed toward early diagnosis, intensive blood glucose and blood pressure control, and effective dyslipidemia correction.

Is sunlight exposure a risk factor for age-related macular degeneration? A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Epidemiologists have recently investigated sunlight exposure as a risk factor for age-related macular degeneration (AMD), but there remains an ongoing dispute over this association due to insufficient evidence and unreliable data. OBJECTIVES: To analyse comprehensively the epidemiological literature concerning the association between AMD and sunlight exposure. METHODS: We systematically reviewed the epidemiological literature concerning the association between AMD and sunlight exposure. An electronic search was performed of PubMed, Web of Science and CNKI, which was supplemented by hand searching. The selection of studies, data abstraction and quality assessment were performed independently by three reviewers. After these steps, we performed a random-effects meta-analysis, followed by subgroup analysis and sensitivity analysis, including a random-effects meta-regression for study-specific covariates. RESULTS: Fourteen studies were identified. Twelve studies identified an increasing risk of AMD with greater sunlight exposure, six of which reported significant risks. The pooled OR was 1.379 (95% CI 1.091 to 1.745). The subgroup of non-population-based studies revealed a significant risk (OR 2.018, 1.248 to 3.265, p=0.004). We identified the gross domestic product (GDP) per capita (p=0.048), but not the latitude (p=0.21), as a factor that led to heterogeneity according to the meta-regression. CONCLUSIONS: The epidemiological literature published to date indicates that individuals with more sunlight exposure are at a significantly increased risk of AMD. The OR significantly decreased with increasing GDP per capita.

Implication of 14-3-3ε and 14-3-3θ/τ in proteasome inhibition-induced apoptosis of glioma cells.

Proteasome inhibitors represent a novel class of anticancer agents that are used in the treatment of hematologic malignancies and various solid tumors. However, mechanisms underlying their anticancer actions were not fully understood. It has been reported that strong 14-3-3 protein expression is observed and associated with tumor genesis and progression of astrocytoma. In addition, global inhibition of 14-3-3 functions with a general 14-3-3 antagonist difopein induces apoptosis of human astrocytoma cells, validating 14-3-3 as a potential molecular target for anticancer therapeutic management. In the current study, for the first time we demonstrated that proteasome inhibitors downregulated 14-3-3ε and 14-3-3θ/τ in U87 and SF295 glioma cells. Overexpression of 14-3-3ε and 14-3-3θ/τ significantly suppressed apoptosis of human glioma cells induced by proteasome inhibitors. We also demonstrated that MG132 activated ASK1 and siASK1 compromised the MG132-induced apoptosis of glioma cells. Furthermore, overexpression of 14-3-3ε and 14-3-3θ/τ markedly suppressed activation of ASK1. Collectively, the current study supported that proteasome inhibitors, at least in part, caused cytotoxicity of glioma cells via downregulation of 14-3-3ε and 14-3-3θ/τ and subsequent activation of ASK1.

Autophagy-independent enhancing effects of Beclin 1 on cytotoxicity of ovarian cancer cells mediated by proteasome inhibitors.

BACKGROUND: The ubiquitin-proteasome system and macroautophagy (hereafter referred to autophagy) are two complementary pathways for protein degradation. Emerging evidence suggests that proteasome inhibition might be a promising approach for tumor therapy. Accumulating data suggest that autophagy is activated as a compensatory mechanism upon proteasome activity is impaired. METHOD: Autophagy activation was measured using acridine orange staining and LC3 transition. Cell viability and apoptosis were measured using MTT assay and flow cytometry, respectively. Beclin 1 expression vectors or shRNA against Beclin 1 (shBeclin 1) were transfected to investigate the role of Beclin 1 in autophagy activation and cytotoxicity of ovarian cancer cells induced by proteasome inhibitors. RESULTS: Proteasome inhibitors suppressed proliferation and induced autophagy in ovarian cancer cells. Neither phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitors nor shRNA against Beclin 1 could abolish the formation of acidic vacuoles and the processing of LC3 induced by proteasome inhibitors. Moreover, Beclin 1 overexpression enhanced anti-proliferative effects of proteasome inhibitors in ovarian cancer cells. CONCLUSIONS: For the first time, the current study demonstrated that proteasome inhibitors induced PI3K and Beclin 1-independent autophagy in ovarian cancer cells. In addition, this study revealed autophagy-independent tumor suppressive effects of Beclin 1 in ovarian cancer cells.