Immune modulation of Th1/Th2/Treg/Th17/Th9/Th21 cells in rabbits infected with Eimeria stiedai.

Introduction: Despite long-term integrated control programs for Eimeria stiedai infection in China, hepatic coccidiosis in rabbits persists. Th1, Th2, Th17, Treg, Th9, and Th21 cells are involved in immune responses during pathogen infection. It is unclear whether Th cell subsets are also involved in E. stiedai infection. Their roles in the immunopathology of this infection remain unknown. Therefore, monitoring these T-cell subsets' immune responses during primary infection of E. stiedai at both transcriptional (mRNA) and protein (cytokines) levels is essential. Methods: In experimentally infected New Zealand white rabbits, mRNA expression levels of their transcript-TBX2 (Th1), GATA3 (Th2), RORC (Th17), Foxp3 (Treg), SPI1 (Th9), and BCL6 (Th21)-were evaluated using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), whereas Th1 (IFN-g and TNF-a), Th2 (IL4), Th17 (IL17A and IL6), Treg (IL10 and TGF-b1), Th9 (IL9), and Th21 (IL21) cytokines were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs). Results: We found that levels of TBX2, GATA3, RORC, SPI1, and BCL6 in the livers of infected rabbits were elevated on days 5 and 15 post-infection (PI). The concentrations of their distinctive cytokines IFN-g and TNF-a for Th1, IL4 for Th2, IL17A for Th17, IL9 for Th9, IL21 for Th21, and IL10 for Treg IL10 were also significantly increased on days 5 and 15 PI, respectively (p < 0.05). On day 23 PI, GATA3 with its cytokine IL4, RORC with IL17A, Foxp3 with IL10 and TGF-b1, and SPI1 with IL9 were significantly decreased, but TBX2 with IFN-g and IL6 remained elevated. Discussion: Our findings are the first evidence of Th1/Th2/Treg/Th17/Th9/Th21 changes in E. stiedai-infected rabbits and provide insights into immune regulation mechanisms and possible vaccine development.

Old age at diagnosis increases risk of tumor progression in nasopharyngeal cancer.

Age at diagnosis has been found to be a prognostic factor of outcomes in various cancers. However, the effect of age at diagnosis on nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) progression has not been explored. We retrospectively evaluated the relationship between age and disease progression in 3,153 NPC patients who underwent radiotherapy, chemotherapy, or chemoradiotherapy between 2007 and 2009. Patients were randomly assigned to either a testing cohort or a validation cohort by computer-generated random assignment. X-tile plots determined the optimal cut-point of age based on survival status to be ≤61 vs. >61 years. Further correlation analysis showed that age >61 years was significantly correlated with the tumor progression and therapeutic regimen in both testing and validation cohorts (P <0.05). In the present study, we observed that older age (>61 years) was a strong and independent predictor of poor disease-free survival (DFS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS), in both univariate and multivariate analyses. Age was also found to be a significant prognostic predictor as well (P <0.05) when evaluating patients with the same disease stage. ROC analysis confirmed the predictive value of age on NPC-specific survival in both cohorts (P <0.001) and suggested that age may improve the ability to discriminate outcomes in NPCs, especially regarding tumor progression. In conclusion, our study suggests that older age at NPC diagnosis is associated with a higher incidence of tumor progression and cancer-specific mortality. Age is a strong and independent predictor of poor outcomes and may allow for more tailored therapeutic decision-making and individualized patient counseling.

Chronic effects of the ionic liquid [C4mim][Cl] towards the microalga Scenedesmus quadricauda.

Chronic effects of the ionic liquid [C4mim][Cl] (mp 73 °C) towards the microalga, Scenedesmus quadricauda were studied by flow cytometry, monitoring multiple endpoints of cell density, esterase activity, membrane integrity, reactive oxygen species and chlorophyll fluorescence. Toxicity was clearly in evidence, and although increased esterase activity indicated hormesis during initial exposure to [C4mim][Cl], inhibition of both esterase activity and chlorophyll fluorescence became apparent after 3 days. Cell density was also decreased by culturing with [C4mim][Cl], but this effect was clearly concentration-dependent and only became significant during the second half of the experiment. In contrast, [C4mim][Cl] had only a modest effect on reactive oxygen species (ROS) and caused little damage to cell membranes.

[Insulin-like growth factor-1-mediated paracrine pro-proliferative effect of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells on injured L02 hepatocytes].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the therapeutic effect of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) on injured hepatocytes mediated by paracrine mechanisms and to investigate the potential molecular mechanism of this action. METHODS: A contact-independent model of aberrant hepatic microenvironment was established by co-culturing BM-MSCs with D-galactosamine (D-GalN)-injured human L02 hepatic cells using a transwell assay platform. Secreted levels of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay of the co-culture supernatant. Expression of the IGF-1 receptor (IGF-1R) was assessed by Western blot. The effect of exogenous IGF-1 on proliferation of D-GalN-injured L02 cells was examined by MTT assay. RESULTS: Upon co-culture, BM-MSCs promoted proliferation of D-GalN-injured L02 cells in a contact-independent manner (absorbance values of at 24 h: 0.36+/-0.08, 48 h: 0.52+/-0.06, and 96 h: 0.68+/-0.06; vs. uninjured cells t = 2.493, 3.116, and 2.285, respectively; all P less than 0.05). Robust expression of IGF-1 was identified in the supernatants of co-cultures and was demonstrated to have been secreted mainly from BM-MSCs under the influence of D-GalN-injured L02 cells. Constitutive expression of IGF-1R was found in the D-GalN-injured L02 cells and blocking of IGF-1R by a neutralizing antibody significantly inhibited the paracrine pro-proliferative effect of co-cultured BM-MSCs at 24 h, 48 h, and 72 h (t = 2.909, 2.328, and 2.560, respectively; all P less than 0.05). CONCLUSION: BM-MSC-derived IGF-1 plays an important role in the paracrine pro-proliferative effect on D-GalN-injured L02 hepatocytes by engaging with the constitutively expressed IGF-1R on L02 cells.

[Brief research on the theory of cold and heat of the foods in Zhou li (The rites of Zhou)].

The theory of cold and heat of the foods was recorded in the Zhou li * Tian guan * Shi yi (The Rites of Zhou * Ministry of State * Dietician), namely, "all the solid food should be as warm as the spring, all the soup should be as hot as the summer, all the catsup should be as cool as the autumn, all the drink should be as cold as the winter". The theory is one of the principles of dietetic therapy in accordance with the ancient viewpoint of "correspondence between human body and natural environment". It is significant for the life preservation of the people. However, this principle is not an absolute one. In the practice, warm or heat, cool or cold should be considered according to the individuals and the time.