Effects of resveratrol on tolerance to ischemia/reperfusion injury in aged male mice: Role of autophagy and apoptosis.

Aged myocardium is more susceptible to ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. Autophagy and apoptosis play important roles in cardiac I/R injury. However, whether resveratrol can reduce the I/R vulnerability of aged myocardium by regulating apoptosis and autophagy remains unclear. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of resveratrol on the tolerance to I/R injury in aged male mice and to determine the contribution of apoptosis and autophagy. We used aged C57 mice as our research subjects. The hearts of mice were isolated after 6 weeks of intragastric administration with resveratrol and subsequently perfused with Krebs-Henseleit buffer to produce the I/R model. We found that resveratrol alleviated cardiac I/R injury in aged mice, but not in SIRT1+/- mice. Aged mice exhibited decreased LC3 and Beclin1 expressions, which were significantly rescued by resveratrol treatment. In addition, resveratrol decreased the expression of Bax and the activity of Caspase-3, while increasing the expression of Bcl-2 and the activity of SIRT1 in aged mouse hearts. Coimmunoprecipitation assays revealed that resveratrol facilitated the binding of Bax to Bcl-2 and the dissociation of Bcl-2 from Beclin1 in aged mouse myocardium. Conversely, SIRT1 knockout enhanced the formation of the Beclin1/Bcl-2 complex and disrupted the interaction between Bcl-2 and Bax. The above results indicate that resveratrol can reduce the vulnerability of myocardial I/R injury in senile myocardium by inhibiting apoptosis and upregulating autophagy through the SIRT1 signaling pathway.

Clinical study of extrahepatic biliary adenoma.

BACKGROUND: Biliary adenomas that occur in the extrahepatic biliary tree are rare. It is difficult to distinguish it from cholangiocarcinoma or cholangiolithiasis by various imaging examinations, and it is very easy to be misdiagnosed. AIM: To evaluate the cumulative experiences including clinical characteristics and treatments of nine patients diagnosed with extrahepatic biliary adenoma admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University from 2016 to 2022. METHODS: A total of nine patients were included in our study. The laboratory examinations, disease diagnosis, therapy and pathological characteristics, and follow-up of every patient were evaluated. RESULTS: Our cohort consisted of six females and three males with an average diagnosis age of 65.1 years (range 46-87). Six extrahepatic biliary adenomas were located in the common bile ducts and three in the hepatic duct. On initial presentation, all of the patients have symptom of biliary origin, including obstructive jaundice (4/9, 44.4%), abdominal pain (6/9, 66.7%), and fever (3/9, 33.3%). Preoperative imaging examination considered bile duct carcinoma in 6 cases and bile duct calculi in 3 cases. All the patients received surgical treatment and were confirmed by pathology as biliary adenoma. The symptoms improved significantly in all 9 patients after surgery. Seven of nine patients recovered well at follow-up without tumor recurrence. One patient died 2 mo after the surgery due to heart failure. One patient developed jaundice again 8 mo after surgery, underwent endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography and biliary stent placement. CONCLUSION: Benign extrahepatic biliary tumors are rare and difficult to diagnosis preoperatively. Intraoperative choledochoscopy and timely biopsy may offer great advantages.

EZH2: An Accomplice of Gastric Cancer.

Gastric cancer is the fifth most common cancer and the third leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide. Understanding the factors influencing the therapeutic effects in gastric cancer patients and the molecular mechanism behind gastric cancer is still facing challenges. In addition to genetic alterations and environmental factors, it has been demonstrated that epigenetic mechanisms can also induce the occurrence and progression of gastric cancer. Enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) is the catalytic subunit of the polycomb repressor complex 2 (PRC2), which trimethylates histone 3 at Lys-27 and regulates the expression of downstream target genes through epigenetic mechanisms. It has been found that EZH2 is overexpressed in the stomach, which promotes the progression of gastric cancer through multiple pathways. In addition, targeted inhibition of EZH2 expression can effectively delay the progression of gastric cancer and improve its resistance to chemotherapeutic agents. Given the many effects of EZH2 in gastric cancer, there are no studies to comprehensively describe this mechanism. Therefore, in this review, we first introduce EZH2 and clarify the mechanisms of abnormal expression of EZH2 in cancer. Secondly, we summarize the role of EZH2 in gastric cancer, which includes the association of the EZH2 gene with genetic susceptibility to GC, the correlation of the EZH2 gene with gastric carcinogenesis and invasive metastasis, the resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs of gastric cancer mediated by EZH2 and the high expression of EZH2 leading to poor prognosis of gastric cancer patients. Finally, we also clarify some of the current statuses of drug development regarding targeted inhibition of EZH2/PRC2 activity.

Attraction of Culex pipiens pallens (Diptera: Culicidae) to Floret Volatiles and Synthetic Blends of Its Nectar Host Plant Abelia chinensis (Rubiales: Caprifoliaceae).

Abelia chinensis R. Br. (Dipsacales: Caprifoliaceae) is one of the preferred nectar host plants for Culex pipiens pallens Coquillett (Diptera: Culicidae). However, the volatile compounds of its flowers that might be involved in directing mosquitoes' orientation to its nectaries remain unknown. In the present study, the volatile compounds released by A. chinensis florets were collected by solid phase microextraction fiber and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry system. Based on the major component species in the volatile profile, a synthetic phytochemical blend (Blend B, composed of six compounds at their most attractive concentrations) was formulated, and its attractiveness was tested against the pentane extract of A. chinensis florets at most attractive concentration (Blend A) and a formerly developed synthetic phytochemical blend (Blend C) in the olfactometer, respectively. The results revealed that the volatile profile of A. chinensis florets was mainly composed of aromatic compounds, most of which had been reported to be attractive to other mosquito species. The synthetic Blend B was as attractive as Blend A (10-1-fold of the crude pentane extract) in the olfactometer bioassays, but they were not as attractive as the formerly developed Blend C. The present study indicated that quantitative and qualitative differences in the constituents of phytochemical blends could significantly affect their attractiveness to Cx. pipiens pallens, and the capture efficiency of phytochemical attractants deserves further research before being applied in the field.

Mdig suppresses epithelial-mesenchymal transition and inhibits the invasion and metastasis of non­small cell lung cancer via regulating GSK-3ß/ß-catenin signaling.

Mineral dust-induced gene (mdig) can inhibit the invasion and metastasis of A549 cells. The main purpose of this study was to explore the molecular mechanism underlying the inhibitory effect of mdig on cell invasion and metastasis. Mdig-knockdown and mdig-overexpressing A549 cells and an mdig-overexpressing human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) line were constructed using lentiviral vectors, and western blot analysis was performed to verify the silencing and overexpression of the mdig protein. A Transwell invasion assay was used to detect the invasive abilities of each experimental group, and Transwell migration and scratch assays were used to detect cell migration ability. Western blotting was subsequently conducted to detect the major biochemical indices of the GSK-3ß/ß-catenin pathway and the protein expression levels and modifications of epithelial­mesenchymal transition (EMT) transcription factors, as well as changes in the expression levels of EMT molecular markers and intercellular adhesion proteins. The results indicated that overexpression of mdig in A549 cells inhibited cell invasion and metastasis, while silencing of mdig increased the invasive and metastatic properties of cells. The molecular mechanism underlying the effects of mdig downregulation on A549 cell invasion and metastasis was found to involve the inhibition of GSK-3ß phosphorylation, which in turn promoted the phosphorylation and destabilization of ß-catenin. This was associated with downregulation of the downstream transcription factors slug, snail and ZEB1, thus leading to increased expression levels of epithelial cell markers and upregulation of the intercellular adhesion molecules E-cadherin, claudin­1, ZO­1, integrin ß1 and integrin ß4, which was accompanied by downregulation of the mesenchymal cell markers vimentin and N-cadherin. The HUVECs were used to validate the aforementioned molecular mechanisms and the same conclusions were obtained. The present results indicate that mdig can inhibit the phosphorylation of GSK-3ß and promote the phosphorylation and destabilization of ß-catenin, in order to suppress the expression of slug, snail, and ZEB1 and the occurrence of EMT, and thereby inhibit the invasion and metastasis of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Foraging Activities of Coptotermes formosanus in Subtropical Areas in China.

The foraging activities, including foraging range and seasonal fluctuation of the Formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki, were investigated in subtropical areas in China. Six mature C. formosanus colonies were selected for this study. Foraging distance and area were conducted in Anqing1, Hengyang, and Wuxi1 colonies, while the seasonal fluctuation was conducted in Wuxi2, Wuwei, and Anqing2 colonies. Mark-release-recapture method analysis showed that the Formosan termites foraged at least 11.5, 28.7, and 56.8 m away from the main nest and covered 98.1, 543.7, and 671.9 m2 of foraging area at Anqing1, Hengyang, and Wuxi1 site, respectively. The seasonal fluctuation in termite colony activity showed an "M shape" pattern according to the wood damages caused by termites at monitoring stations. Peak colony activity at Wuxi2, Wuwei, and Anqing2 occurred in July and October, June and September, July and October, respectively. This study provides critical information for the integrated management of C. formosanus, including baiting application in the subtropical regions of China, where it constitutes the most destructive pest for household structures.

Concomitant Precise Hemihepatectomy to Improve the Efficacy of Surgical Treatment for Hilar Cholangiocarcinoma: Analysis of 38 Cases.

UNLABELLED: Background/Aims: Hilar cholangiocarcinoma (HC) is associated with low rates of resectability and curability, high morbidity and mortality, and poor long-term survival. Radical tumor resection with negative surgical margins provides the only chance of cure and long-term survival. The present study was to investigate the efficacy of concomitant precise hemihepatectomy for HC. METHODOLOGY: The clinical data of 38 patients who underwent surgery for HC with concomitant precise hemihepatectomy at our center from January 2009 to October 2012 were analyzed retrospectively. Survival curves were generated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Univariate and multivariate analysis were performed using the Cox proportional hazards model. RESULTS: R0 resection was performed in 32 patients (84.2%), R1 resection in 4 (10.5%), and R2 resection in 2 (5.3%). Two patients died during the perioperative period (mortality rate 5.3%). The most common postoperative complications were bile leakage (28.9%, 11/38) and hepatic dysfunction (21.1%, 8/38). The overall 1-, 2-, and 3-year survival rates were 65.8%, 36.8%, and 21.1%, respectively. The median survival time was 22.0 months. There were significant differences in survival between R0 and R1/R2 resection (χ2 = 4.516, P < 0.05) and between N0 and N1/N2 disease (χ2 = 10.397, P < 0.05). Univariate and multivariate analysis identified a positive surgical margin, lymph node metastasis and hepatic artery resection as prognostic indicators. CONCLUSIONS: Concomitant precise hemihepatectomy significantly improves the efficacy of radical surgical resection for HC. Precise liver resection, preservation of the hepatic artery, and selective preoperative biliary drainage are important to minimize postoperative morbidity and mortality.