The Protective Effects of Ruscogenin Against Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Myocardial Injury in Septic Mice.

ABSTRACT: Sepsis-induced myocardial dysfunction commonly occurs in individuals with sepsis and is a severe complication with high morbidity and mortality rates. This study aimed to investigate the effects and potential mechanisms of the natural steroidal sapogenin ruscogenin (RUS) against lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced myocardial injury in septic mice. We found that RUS effectively alleviated myocardial pathological damage, normalized cardiac function, and increased survival in septic mice. RNA sequencing demonstrated that RUS administration significantly inhibited the activation of the NOD-like receptor signaling pathway in the myocardial tissues of septic mice. Subsequent experiments further confirmed that RUS suppressed myocardial inflammation and pyroptosis during sepsis. In addition, cultured HL-1 cardiomyocytes were challenged with LPS, and we observed that RUS could protect these cells against LPS-induced cytotoxicity by suppressing inflammation and pyroptosis. Notably, both the in vivo and in vitro findings indicated that RUS inhibited NOD-like receptor protein-3 (NLRP3) upregulation in cardiomyocytes stimulated with LPS. As expected, knockdown of NLRP3 blocked the LPS-induced activation of inflammation and pyroptosis in HL-1 cells. Furthermore, the cardioprotective effects of RUS on HL-1 cells under LPS stimulation were abolished by the novel NLRP3 agonist BMS-986299. Taken together, our results suggest that RUS can alleviate myocardial injury during sepsis, at least in part by suppressing NLRP3-mediated inflammation and pyroptosis, highlighting the potential of this molecule as a promising candidate for sepsis-induced myocardial dysfunction therapy.

Pattern Recognition Analysis of Metabolites in Escherichia coli Based on ESI-Orbitrap Mass Spectrometry.

To achieve rapid detection of carbapenem-resistant Escherichia coli strains, a pattern recognition method based on electrospray ionization Orbitrap mass spectrometry (ESI-Orbitrap MS) was used for the analysis of drug-resistant, and sensitive strains of metabolites were analyzed. Results of five clustering methods applied to analytical data of metabolites were evaluated using iso-phenotypic coefficients. The effectiveness of three methods, principal component analysis (PCA), partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA), was compared. Univariate statistics such as t-test and fold change were also used to examine the screened differential information. Both PLS-DA and OPLS-DA could achieve rapid identification of strain classes, and OPLS-DA was more powerful in screening 96 significantly different ions. This work is expected to be useful for rapid and accurate identification of strains.

Rapid Identification of Polypeptide from Carbapenem-Resistant and Susceptible Escherichia coli via Orbitrap-MS and Pattern Recognition Analyses.

A rapid and accurate analytical method was established to identify CREC and CSEC. Orbitrap-MS was used to detect the polypeptide of CREC and CSEC strains, and MS data were analyzed by pattern recognition analyses such as hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), principal component analysis (PCA), partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA). HCA based on the farthest distance method could well distinguish the two types of E. coli, and the cophenetic correlation coefficient of the farthest distance method was 0.901. Comparing the results of PCA, PLS-DA, and OPLS-DA, OPLS-DA exhibited the highest accuracy in predicting the CREC and CSEC strains. A total of 26 compounds were identified, and six of the compounds were the highly significant difference between the two types of strains. MS combined with pattern recognition can achieve a more comprehensive and efficient statistical analysis of complex biological samples.

[Clear Cell Carcinoma of Cervix in a 12-Year-Old Girl: A Case Report].

The 12-year-old patient was admitted to the hospital on September 19, 2019 for "vaginal bleeding for 2 + months and pelvic mass to be diagnosed". The patient and her family explicitly denied any previous history of diethylstilbestrol exposure. After admission, relevant examinations were conducted and hysteroscopic exploration was performed under general anesthesia. During the procedure, cervical neoplasms were extracted and pathology results indicated cervical cancer. Then, extensive transabdominal hysterectomy+bilateral salpingectomy+bilateral ovarian transposition+pelvic lymph node dissection+para-aortic lymph node sampling were performed. Postoperative pathology analysis of the removed tissue showed that clear cell carcinoma of cervix (CCAC) had infiltrated into 1/3 of the cervical stroma and there was downward involvement of the vaginal wall; the cancer metastasized to the left obturator lymph node and the left internal and external iliac lymph nodes. Immunohistochemical staining of the removed tissue showed the following results: cytokeratin 7 (+), cytokeratin 20 (-), Napsin-A (+), cell adhesion molecule CD15 (+), heatocyte nuclear factor-1 ß (+), Sal-like protein 4 (-), tumor suppressor gene P16 protein (+), estrogen receptor (+), progesterone receptor (-), tumor suppressor gene P53 protein (focal positive), tumor suppressor gene WT-1 protein (-) and Ki67 antigen (about 40% positive). The patient was diagnosed with CCAC stage ⅢC1p. Four cycles of postoperative systemic chemotherapy (fluorouracil+cisplatin) and 25 times of three-dimensional afterloading radiotherapy were performed. The patient did follow-up visits and did not show obvious signs of recurrence. The clinical manifestations of this disease are basically the same as those of cervical squamous cell carcinoma, and if the patient is younger, it can be easily misdiagnosed as dysfunctional uterine bleeding, indicating the need for differential diagnosis.

Insight into molecular characteristics of a Chinese coal via separation, characterization, and data processing.

Dayan lignite was subjected to thermal dissolution sequentially with cyclohexane, acetone, and methanol. Each thermal dissolution extract was subjected to further separation/enrichment using column chromatography, which was sequentially eluted with petroleum ether, a mixture of ethyl acetate and petroleum ether (vol:vol = 1:1), and ethyl acetate. The three thermal dissolution extracts and nine enrichment subfractions were characterized by an Orbitrap mass spectrometry equipped with an atmospheric pressure chemical ionization ion source. The mass spectrometry data were also statistically analyzed by principal component analysis, which can reduce the dimensionality of data and classify multiple samples according to principal components. Identified compounds in the extracts and subfractions are classified into eight classes according to the heteroatom distribution. Hydrocarbon class is mainly presented in the petroleum ether fraction, and oxygen class, nitrogen class, and oxygen-nitrogen class are distributed in both petroleum ether/ethyl acetate and ethyl acetate subfractions. The combination of different analytical methods enhances the understanding of coal at the molecular level and provides important data for downstream refining processes.

Role of MSC-derived galectin 3 in the AML microenvironment.

In acute myeloid leukemia (AML), high Galectin 3 (LGALS3) expression is associated with poor prognosis. The role of LGALS3 derived from mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) in the AML microenvironment is unclear; however, we have recently found high LGALS3 expression in MSC derived from AML patients is associated with relapse. In this study, we used reverse phase protein analysis (RPPA) to correlate LGALS3 expression in AML MSC with 119 other proteins including variants of these proteins such as phosphorylated forms or cleaved forms to identify biologically relevant pathways. RPPA revealed that LGALS3 protein was positively correlated with expression of thirteen proteins including MYC, phosphorylated beta-Catenin (p-CTNNB1), and AKT2 and negatively correlated with expression of six proteins including integrin beta 3 (ITGB3). String analysis revealed that proteins positively correlated with LGALS3 showed strong interconnectivity. Consistent with the RPPA results, LGALS3 suppression by shRNA in MSC resulted in decreased MYC and AKT expression while ITGB3 was induced. In co-culture, the ability of AML cell to adhere to MSC LGALS3 shRNA transductants was reduced compared to AML cell adhesion to MSC control shRNA transductants. Finally, use of novel specific LGALS3 inhibitor CBP.001 in co-culture of AML cells with MSC reduced viable leukemia cell populations with induced apoptosis and augmented the chemotherapeutic effect of AraC. In summary, the current study demonstrates that MSC-derived LGALS3 may be critical for important biological pathways for MSC homeostasis and for regulating AML cell localization and survival in the leukemia microenvironmental niche.

Proteomic Profiling of Signaling Networks Modulated by G-CSF/Plerixafor/Busulfan-Fludarabine Conditioning in Acute Myeloid Leukemia Patients in Remission or with Active Disease prior to Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation.

To characterize intracellular signaling in peripheral blood (PB) cells of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients undergoing pretransplant conditioning with CXCR4 inhibitor plerixafor, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), and busulfan plus fludarabine (Bu+Flu) chemotherapy, we profiled 153 proteins in 33 functional groups using reverse phase protein array. CXCR4 inhibition mobilized AML progenitors and clonal AML cells, and this was associated with molecular markers of cell cycle progression. G-CSF/plerixafor and G-CSF/plerixafor/Bu+Flu modulated distinct signaling networks in AML blasts of patients undergoing conditioning with active disease compared to nonleukemic PB cells of patients in remission. We identified AML-specific proteins that remained aberrantly expressed after chemotherapy, representing putative chemoresistance markers in AML.

Distinct protein signatures of acute myeloid leukemia bone marrow-derived stromal cells are prognostic for patient survival.

Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) support acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cell survival in the bone marrow (BM) microenvironment. Protein expression profiles of AML-derived MSC are unknown. Reverse phase protein array analysis was performed to compare expression of 151 proteins from AML-MSC (n=106) with MSC from healthy donors (n=71). Protein expression differed significantly between the two groups with 19 proteins over-expressed in leukemia stromal cells and 9 over-expressed in normal stromal cells. Unbiased hierarchical clustering analysis of the samples using these 28 proteins revealed three protein constellations whose variation in expression defined four MSC protein expression signatures: Class 1, Class 2, Class 3, and Class 4. These cell populations appear to have clinical relevance. Specifically, patients with Class 3 cells have longer survival and remission duration compared to other groups. Comparison of leukemia MSC at first diagnosis with those obtained at salvage (i.e. relapse/refractory) showed differential expression of 9 proteins reflecting a shift toward osteogenic differentiation. Leukemia MSC are more senescent compared to their normal counterparts, possibly due to the overexpressed p53/p21 axis as confirmed by high ß-galactosidase staining. In addition, overexpression of BCL-XL in leukemia MSC might give survival advantage under conditions of senescence or stress and overexpressed galectin-3 exerts profound immunosuppression. Together, our findings suggest that the identification of specific populations of MSC in AML patients may be an important determinant of therapeutic response.

A novel pH-controlled hydrogen sulfide donor protects gastric mucosa from aspirin-induced injury.

Hydrogen sulphide (H2 S) serves as a vital gastric mucosal defence under acid condition. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are among widely prescribed medications with effects of antipyresis, analgesia and anti-inflammation. However, their inappropriate use causes gastric lesions and endogenous H2 S deficiency. In this work, we reported the roles of a novel pH-controlled H2 S donor (JK-1) in NSAID-related gastric lesions. We found that JK-1 could release H2 S under mild acidic pH and increase solution pH value. Intragastrical administration of aspirin (ASP), one of NSAIDs, to mice elicited significant gastric lesions, evidenced by mucosal festering and bleeding. It also led to infiltration of inflammatory cells and resultant releases of IL-6 and TNF-α, as well as oxidative injury including myeloperoxidase (MPO) induction and GSH depletion. In addition, the ASP administration statistically inhibited H2 S generation in gastric mucosa, while up-regulated cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 and cystathionine gamma lyase (CSE) expression. Importantly, these adverse effects of ASP were prevented by the intragastrical pre-administration of JK-1. However, JK-1 alone did not markedly alter the property of mouse stomachs. Furthermore, in vitro cellular experiments showed the exposure of gastric mucosal epithelial (GES-1) cells to HClO, imitating MPO-driven oxidative injury, decreased cell viability, increased apoptotic rate and damaged mitochondrial membrane potential, which were reversed by pre-treatment with JK-1. In conclusion, JK-1 was proved to be an acid-sensitive H2 S donor and could attenuate ASP-related gastric lesions through reconstruction of endogenous gastric defence. This work indicates the possible treatment of adverse effects of NSAIDs with pH-controlled H2 S donors in the future.

SL-401 and SL-501, targeted therapeutics directed at the interleukin-3 receptor, inhibit the growth of leukaemic cells and stem cells in advanced phase chronic myeloid leukaemia.

While imatinib and other tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are highly efficacious in the treatment of chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML), some patients become refractory to these therapies. After confirming that interleukin-3 receptor (IL3R, CD123) is highly expressed on CD34(+) /CD38(-) BCR-ABL1(+) CML stem cells, we investigated whether targeting IL3R with diphtheria toxin (DT)-IL3 fusion proteins SL-401 (DT388 -IL3) and SL-501 (DT388 -IL3[K116W]) could eradicate these stem cells. SL-401 and SL-501 inhibited cell growth and induced apoptosis in the KBM5 cell line and its TKI-resistant KBM5-STI subline. Combinations of imatinib with these agents increased apoptosis in KBM5 and in primary CML cells. In six primary CML samples, including CML cells harbouring the ABL1 T315I mutation, SL-401 and SL-501 decreased the absolute numbers of viable CD34(+) /CD38(-) /CD123(+) CML progenitor cells by inducing apoptosis. IL3-targeting agents reduced clonogenic growth and diminished the fraction of primitive long-term culture-initiating cells in samples from patients with advanced phase CML that were resistant to TKIs or harboured an ABL1 mutation. Survival was also extended in a mouse model of primary TKI-resistant CML blast crisis. These data suggest that the DT-IL3 fusion proteins, SL-401 and SL-501, deplete CML stem cells and may increase the effectiveness of current CML treatment, which principally targets tumour bulk.

Human extramedullary bone marrow in mice: a novel in vivo model of genetically controlled hematopoietic microenvironment.

The interactions between hematopoietic cells and the bone marrow (BM) microenvironment play a critical role in normal and malignant hematopoiesis and drug resistance. These interactions within the BM niche are unique and could be important for developing new therapies. Here, we describe the development of extramedullary bone and bone marrow using human mesenchymal stromal cells and endothelial colony-forming cells implanted subcutaneously into immunodeficient mice. We demonstrate the engraftment of human normal and leukemic cells engraft into the human extramedullary bone marrow. When normal hematopoietic cells are engrafted into the model, only discrete areas of the BM are hypoxic, whereas leukemia engraftment results in widespread severe hypoxia, just as recently reported by us in human leukemias. Importantly, the hematopoietic cell engraftment could be altered by genetical manipulation of the bone marrow microenvironment: Extramedullary bone marrow in which hypoxia-inducible factor 1α was knocked down in mesenchymal stromal cells by lentiviral transfer of short hairpin RNA showed significant reduction (50% ± 6%; P = .0006) in human leukemic cell engraftment. These results highlight the potential of a novel in vivo model of human BM microenvironment that can be genetically modified. The model could be useful for the study of leukemia biology and for the development of novel therapeutic modalities aimed at modifying the hematopoietic microenvironment.

Lung Ultrasound Score as a Predictor of Failure to Wean COVID-19 Elderly Patients off Mechanical Ventilation: A Prospective Observational Study.

Background: The lung ultrasound score was developed for rapidly assessing the extent of lung ventilation, and it can predict failure to wean various types of patients off mechanical ventilation. Whether it is also effective for COVID-19 patients is unclear. Methods: This single-center, prospective, observational study was conducted to assess the ability of the 12-region lung ultrasound score to predict failure to wean COVID-19 patients off ventilation. In parallel, we assessed whether right hemidiaphragmatic excursion or previously published predictors of weaning failure can apply to these patients. Predictive ability was assessed in terms of the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). Results: The mean age of the 35 patients in the study was (75 ± 9) years and 12 patients (37%) could not be weaned off mechanical ventilation. The lung ultrasound score predicted these failures with an AUC of 0.885 (95% CI 0.770-0.999, p < 0.001), and a threshold score of 10 provided specificity of 72.7% and sensitivity of 92.3%. AUCs were lower for previously published predictors of weaning failure, and right hemidiaphragmatic excursion did not differ significantly between the two groups. Conclusion: The lung ultrasound score can accurately predict failure to wean critically ill COVID-19 patients off mechanical ventilation, whereas assessment of right hemidiaphragmatic excursion does not appear helpful in this regard. Trial Registration: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05706441.

Exosomal circNFIX promotes angiogenesis in ovarian cancer via miR-518a-3p/TRIM44 axis.

Ovarian cancer (OC) is a gynecological cancer with high mortality. OC-derived exosomal circRNAs can regulate angiogenesis. This study aims to explore the role and mechanism of exosomal circRNA nuclear factor I X (CircNFIX) derived from OC cells in angiogenesis. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction was employed to evaluate the levels of circNFIX, miR-518a-3p, and tripartite motif protein 44 (TRIM44) in OC and adjacent tissues. Exosomes from the ovarian surface epithelial cell (HOSEpiC) and OC cells (SKOV3 or OVCAR3) were isolated by differential centrifugation. Exosomes were cocultured with the human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). The angiogenesis capacity was analyzed by Tube formation assay. 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2-H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) and Transwell assays were used to determine the cell viability and migration ability. The dual-luciferase report, RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP), and RNA pull-down assays were applied to validate the gene's interaction. CircNFIX and TRIM44 expression were higher and miR-518a-3p was lower in OC tissues than in the adjacent tissues. Upregulated circNFIX and TRIM44 were significantly correlated with the tumor size and International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage of OC patients. HUVECs treated OC-derived exosomes had higher proliferation, migration, and angiogenesis capacities than the control group. While OC-derived exosomal circNFIX silencing restrained HUVECs' proliferation, migration, and angiogenesis, compared with the OC-derived exosomes group. OC-derived exosomal circNFIX positively regulated TRIM44 expression by targeting miR-518a-3p in HUVECs. OC-derived exosomal circNFIX promoted angiogenesis by regulating the Janus-activated kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (JAK/STAT1) pathway via miR-518a-3p/TRIM44 axis in HUVECs.

CircNFIX stimulates the proliferation, invasion, and stemness properties of ovarian cancer cells by enhancing SH3RF3 mRNA stability via binding LIN28B.

We aimed to study the regulatory roles and mechanism of circular nuclear factor IX (circNFIX) in cancer growth and stemness properties of ovarian cancer (OC). CircNFIX and SH3RF3 levels in OC tissues and cells were tested by quantitative real-time PCR. RNase R treatment quantified circNFIX RNA stability. Molecular interaction among circNFIX, LIN28B, and SH3RF3 was predicted by bioinformatics software and validated through RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assay. The gain- or loss-experiments of circNFIX on capabilities of metastasis and stemness in vitro were assessed using Cell Counting Kit-8, Transwell, western blot, and sphere-formation assays. CircNFIX and SH3RF3 were markedly elevated in OC tissues and OC cells. Knocking down circNFIX repressed the proliferation, migration, invasion, and stemness properties of A2780 and SKOV3 cells. The RIP assay verified the direct binding relationship between LIN28B, circNFIX, and SH3RF3. Additionally, overexpression of circNFIX elevated the SH3RF3 expression, while this effect was reversed by LIN28B silence. Rescue experiments demonstrated that the overexpression of SH3RF3 reversed the knockdown of circNFIX on OC cells' proliferation, metastasis, and stemness properties. CircNFIX improved the mRNA stability and translation of SH3RF3 via recruiting LIN28B, thus promoting the proliferation, invasion, and stemness properties of OC cells in vitro.

Targeting the leukemia microenvironment by CXCR4 inhibition overcomes resistance to kinase inhibitors and chemotherapy in AML.

SDF-1alpha/CXCR4 signaling plays a key role in leukemia/bone marrow microenvironment interactions. We previously reported that bone marrow-derived stromal cells inhibit chemotherapy-induced apoptosis in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Here we demonstrate that the CXCR4 inhibitor AMD3465 antagonized stromal-derived factor 1alpha (SDF-1alpha)-induced and stroma-induced chemotaxis and inhibited SDF-1alpha-induced activation of prosurvival signaling pathways in leukemic cells. Further, CXCR4 inhibition partially abrogated the protective effects of stromal cells on chemotherapy-induced apoptosis in AML cells. Fetal liver tyrosine kinase-3 (FLT3) gene mutations activate CXCR4 signaling, and coculture with stromal cells significantly diminished antileukemia effects of FLT3 inhibitors in cells with mutated FLT3. Notably, CXCR4 inhibition increased the sensitivity of FLT3-mutated leukemic cells to the apoptogenic effects of the FLT3 inhibitor sorafenib. In vivo studies demonstrated that AMD3465, alone or in combination with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, induced mobilization of AML cells and progenitor cells into circulation and enhanced antileukemic effects of chemotherapy and sorafenib, resulting in markedly reduced leukemia burden and prolonged survival of the animals. These findings indicate that SDF-1alpha/CXCR4 interactions contribute to the resistance of leukemic cells to signal transduction inhibitor- and chemotherapy-induced apoptosis in systems mimicking the physiologic microenvironment. Disruption of these interactions with CXCR4 inhibitors represents a novel strategy of sensitizing leukemic cells by targeting their protective bone marrow microenvironment.

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition-derived cells exhibit multilineage differentiation potential similar to mesenchymal stem cells.

The epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is an embryonic process that becomes latent in most normal adult tissues. Recently, we have shown that induction of EMT endows breast epithelial cells with stem cell traits. In this report, we have further characterized the EMT-derived cells and shown that these cells are similar to mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) with the capacity to differentiate into multiple tissue lineages. For this purpose, we induced EMT by ectopic expression of Twist, Snail, or transforming growth factor-beta in immortalized human mammary epithelial cells. We found that the EMT-derived cells and MSCs share many properties including the antigenic profile typical of MSCs, that is, CD44(+), CD24(-), and CD45(-). Conversely, MSCs express EMT-associated genes, such as Twist, Snail, and mesenchyme forkhead 1 (FOXC2). Interestingly, CD140b (platelet-derived growth factor receptor-beta), a marker for naive MSCs, is exclusively expressed in EMT-derived cells and not in their epithelial counterparts. Moreover, functional analyses revealed that EMT-derived cells but not the control cells can differentiate into alizarin red S-positive mature osteoblasts, oil red O-positive adipocytes and alcian blue-positive chondrocytes similar to MSCs. We also observed that EMT-derived cells but not the control cells invade and migrate towards MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells similar to MSCs. In vivo wound homing assays in nude mice revealed that the EMT-derived cells home to wound sites similar to MSCs. In conclusion, we have demonstrated that the EMT-derived cells are similar to MSCs in gene expression, multilineage differentiation, and ability to migrate towards tumor cells and wound sites.

Phosphorylation of Akt at Thr308 regulates p-eNOS Ser1177 during physiological conditions.

Endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS)-derived nitric oxide (NO) plays a crucial role in maintaining vascular homeostasis. As a hallmark of eNOS activation, phosphorylation of eNOS at Ser1177 induced by activated protein kinase B (PKB/Akt) is pivotal for NO production. The complete activation of Akt requires its phosphorylation of both Thr308 and Ser473. However, which site plays the main role in regulating phosphorylation of eNOS Ser1177 is still controversial. The purpose of the present study is to explore the specific regulatory mechanism of phosphorylated Akt in eNOS activation. Inhibition of Akt Thr308 phosphorylation by a specific inhibitor or by siRNA in vitro led to a decrease in eNOS phosphorylation at Ser1177 and to lower NO concentration in the cell culture medium of HUVECs. However, inhibiting p-Akt Ser473 had no effect on eNOS phosphorylation at Ser1177. Next, we administered mice with inhibitors to downregulate p-Akt Ser473 or Thr308 activity. Along with the inhibition of p-Akt Thr308, vascular p-eNOS Ser1177 protein was simultaneously downregulated in parallel with a decrease in plasma NO concentration. Additionally, we cultured HUVECs at various temperature conditions (37, 22, and 4 °C). The results showed that p-Akt Ser473 was gradually decreased in line with the reduction in temperature, accompanied by increased levels of p-Akt Thr308 and p-eNOS Ser1177. Taken together, our study indicates that the phosphorylation of Akt at Thr308, but not at Ser473, plays a more significant role in regulating p-eNOS Ser1177 levels under physiological conditions.

Side population of a murine mantle cell lymphoma model contains tumour-initiating cells responsible for lymphoma maintenance and dissemination.

'Cancer stem cells' or 'tumour initiating cells' in B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas have not been demonstrated, although some studies focused on other cancer types suggest that such populations exist and represent tumour cells resistant to therapy and involved in relapse. These cells may also represent a putative neoplastic 'cell of origin' in lymphomas, but there is little substantive data to support this suggestion. Using cell lines derived from a recently established murine IL-14alphax c-Myc double transgenic/mantle cell lymphoma-blastoid variant model, heretofore referred to as DTG cell lines, we identified a subset of cells within the side population (SP) with features of 'tumour-initiating cells'. These features include higher expression of ABCG2 and BCL-2, longer telomere length, greater self-renewal ability and higher in vitro clonogenic and in vivo tumorigenic capacities compared with non-SP. In addition, in vitro viability studies demonstrated that the non-SP lymphoma subpopulation has a limited lifespan in comparison with the SP fraction. Syngenic transplant studies showed that non-SP derived tumours, in comparison to the SP-derived tumours, exhibit greater necrosis/apoptosis and less systemic dissemination capability. In conclusion, our data support the interpretation that the DTG SP fraction contains a cell population highly capable of tumour maintenance and systemic dissemination and lends support to the concept that 'tumour-initiating cells' occur in lymphomas.

Interruption of RNA processing machinery by a small compound, 1-[(4-chlorophenyl)methyl]-1H-indole-3-carboxaldehyde (oncrasin-1).

Protein kinase Ciota (PKCiota) is activated by oncogenic Ras proteins and is required for K-Ras-induced transformation and colonic carcinogenesis in vivo. However, the role of PKCiota in signal transduction and oncogenesis is not clear. We recently identified a small molecule, designated 1-[(4-chlorophenyl)methyl]-1H-indole-3-carboxaldehyde (oncrasin-1), that can selectively kill K-Ras mutant cancer cells and induce abnormal nuclear aggregation of PKCiota in sensitive cells but not in resistant cells. To determine the causes and biological consequences of PKCiota aggregates in the nucleus, we analyzed the effect of oncrasin-1 on proteins involved in DNA repair and RNA processing. Our results showed that oncrasin-1 treatment led to coaggregation of PKCiota and splicing factors into megaspliceosomes but had no obvious effects on the DNA repair molecule Rad51. Moreover, oncrasin-1 treatment suppressed the phosphorylation of the largest subunit of RNA polymerase II and the expression of intronless reporter genes in sensitive cells but not in resistant cells, suggesting that suppression of RNA transcription is a major effect of oncrasin-1 treatment. Studies with cultured cells or with recombinant proteins showed that oncrasin-1 can disrupt the interaction of PKCiota and cyclin-dependent protein kinase 9/cyclin T1 complex, which is known to phosphorylate the largest subunit of RNA polymerase II and is required for RNA transcription. Together, our results suggest that oncrasin-1 suppresses the function of RNA processing machinery and that PKCiota might be involved in the biological function of RNA processing complexes.

N/O co-doped porous interconnected carbon nanosheets from the co-hydrothermal treatment of soybean stalk and nickel nitrate for high-performance supercapacitors.

Porous interconnected carbon nanosheets (PICNs) with high electrochemical performance were prepared by doping urea and a co-hydrothermal precursor derived from soybean stalk (SS) and nickel nitrate. The specific surface area and average pore diameter of the as-synthesized PICNs are 2226.29 m2 g-1 and 1.89 nm, and their N and O contents are 5.08% and 9.4%, respectively, which is beneficial for increasing pseudocapacitance. Furthermore, the doping of the metal Ni increases the graphitization degree of the PICNs and promotes the conversion of pyridine-N to graphitized-N. Therefore, the PICNs possess a high specific capacitance of 407 F g-1 at a current density of 0.5 A g-1, a high capacitance retention of 78.62% even at 20 A g-1, and an outstanding cycling stability (over 93% retention rate after 10,000 charge/discharge cycles). Moreover, an energy density of 36.11 W h kg-1 is achieved at a power density of 517.8 W kg-1 during a two-electrode system test, and a retention rate of 87.5% is obtained after 10,000 cycles. This co-hydrothermal treatment as well as nitrogen-doping approach for preparing porous interconnected carbon from SS not only represents an alternative strategy for carbon-based supercapacitor materials but also provides a new option for the utilization of waste SS.