Arterial Adventitial Vasa Vasorum Hyperplasia involved in Atherosclerotic Plaque Formation in a Rabbit Model.

OBJECTIVE: It was previously believed that atherosclerotic (AS) plaque starts to develop from the intima and that intraplaque vasa vasorum (VV) hyperplasia promotes adventitial VV (AVV) hyperplasia. However, recent studies have shown that arterial AVV hyperplasia precedes early intimal thickening, suggesting its possible role as an initiating factor of AS. To provide further insight into this process, in this study, we examine the evolution of AAV and VV development in a preclinical model of early AS with longitudinal ultrasound imaging. METHODS: Models of early AS were established. Duplex ultrasound scanning and contrast-enhanced ultrasound were performed for diagnosis. Pearson correlation tests were used to analyze the relationships between AVV hyperplasia and VV hyperplasia, or between AVV hyperplasia and intima-media thickness (IMT). RESULTS: During 0-12 wk of high-fat feeding, AVV gradually increased and intima-media thickened gradually in the observation area; in the 2nd wk of high-fat feeding, the observation area showed obvious AVV proliferation; at the 4th wk, the intima-media membrane became thicker; at the 12th wk, early plaque formation and intraplaque VV proliferation were observed. There was a strong positive correlation between AVV proliferation and IMT thickening and a strong negative correlation between AVV proliferation and the change rate of vessel diameter. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that AVV proliferation in the arteries occurred earlier than IMT thickening and was positively correlated with IMT. At present, the indicators of ultrasonic diagnosis of AS, such as IMT, Intraplaque VV, Echo property, all appear in the advanced stage of AS. The AVV may be an innovative diagnostic target for the early stage of AS plaque.

Analysis of lncRNA-related studies of ivermectin-sensitive and -resistant strains of Haemonchus contortus.

In this study, 858 novel long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) were predicted as sensitive and resistant strains of Haemonchus contortus to ivermectin. These lncRNAs underwent bioinformatic analysis. In total, 205 lncRNAs significantly differed using log2 (difference multiplicity) > 1 or log2 (difference multiplicity) < - 1 and FDR < 0.05 as the threshold for significant difference analysis. We selected five lncRNAs based on significant differences in expression, cis-regulation, and their association with the Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathways. These expressions of lncRNAs, namely MSTRG.12610.1, MSTRG.8169.1, MSTRG.6355.1, MSTRG.980.1, and MSTRG.9045.1, were significantly downregulated. These findings were consistent with the results of transcriptomic sequencing. We further investigated the relative expression of target gene mRNAs and the regulation of mRNA and miRNA, starting with lncRNA cis-regulation of mRNA, and constructed a lncRNA-mRNA-miRNA network regulation. After a series of statistical analyses, we finally screened out UGT8, Unc-116, Fer-related kinase-1, GGPP synthase 1, and sart3, which may be involved in developing drug resistance under the regulation of their corresponding lncRNAs. The findings of this study provide a novel direction for future studies on drug resistance targets.

Calcitonin Inhibits Phenotypic Switching of Aortic Smooth Muscle Cells and Neointimal Hyperplasia through the AMP-Activated Protein Kinase/Mechanistic Target of Rapamycin Pathway.

Calcitonin (CT) is a peptide hormone secreted by the parafollicular C cells of the thyroid gland, salmon calcitonin was originally extracted from the hind cheek of salmon. Neointimal hyperplasia refers to the excessive proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). In this study, a rat model of restenosis was employed to explore the impact of calcitonin on neointima proliferation. Calcitonin was administered via continuous injections for a duration of 14 days postsurgery, and the expression of proteins associated with proliferation, migration, and phenotypic switching was assessed using the vascular smooth muscle cells. Additionally, metabolomic analyses were conducted to shed light on the mechanisms that underlie the role of calcitonin in the development of cardiovascular disease. In our study, we found that calcitonin possesses the capability to dispute the proliferation, migration, and phenotypic transformation of VSMCs induced by platelet-derived growth factor-BB (PDGF-BB) and 15% fetal bovine serum in vitro. Calcitonin has demonstrated a favorable impact on smooth muscle cells, both in vitro and in vivo. More specifically, it has been observed to mitigate phenotypic switching, proliferation, and migration of these cells. Moreover, calcitonin has been identified as a protective factor against phenotypic switching and the formation of neointima, operating through the AMP-activated protein kinase/mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway.

Arterial Adventitial Vasa Vasorum Density Reflects The Progression Of Unstable Plaques: A Retrospective Clinical Study.

OBJECTIVE: Arterial adventitial vasa vasorum (AVV) plays an important role in the occurrence and development of atherosclerotic (AS) disease. AS is a systemic disease, and plaque is not only a local vascular event, but also occurs at multiple sites throughout the vascular bed. Currently, effective anti-AVV therapies are lacking. Therefore, we posed the following scientific questions: "does human carotid adventitial vasa vasorum density reflect plaque neovascularization and intimal-media hyperplasia in carotid?"; and "is it possible to reduce human AVV density by sonodynamic therapy (SDT)?" METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted on 160 patients with carotid atherosclerosis. Duplex ultrasound scanning (DUS), contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS), coronary angiography, and coronary CT angiography (CTA) were used for diagnosis and screening. Pearson correlation tests and Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve were used to analyze the relationships between AVV hyperplasia, vasa vasorum (VV) hyperplasia and the intima-media thickness (IMT). SDT was developed for the treatment of arterial AVV hyperplasia and AS plaques. RESULTS: The presence of local AVV in carotid unstable plaques correlated with the echogenic properties of the carotid plaque and the extent of plaque progression; Furthermore local AVV hyperplasia in patients with carotid atherosclerotic plaques was associated with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) events; Local AVV hyperplasia in patients with carotid atherosclerotic plaques was associated with coronary artery stenosis. Notably, SDT reduced local AVV hyperplasia and shrank the plaques in human femoral and carotid atherosclerotic lesions. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of AVV in human carotid arteries reflects the severity of carotid and coronary artery AS. Further, SDT can reduce the hyperplasia of local AVV in human femoral and carotid plaques.

Transcriptome reveals the roles and potential mechanisms of lncRNAs in the regulation of albendazole resistance in Haemonchus contortus.

BACKGROUND: Haemonchus contortus (H. contortus) is the most common parasitic nematode in ruminants and is prevalent worldwide. H. contortus resistance to albendazole (ABZ) hinders the efficacy of anthelmintic drugs, but little is known about the molecular mechanisms that regulate this of drug resistance. Recent research has demonstrated that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) can exert significant influence as pivotal regulators of the emergence of drug resistance. RESULTS: In this study, transcriptome sequencing was conducted on both albendazole-sensitive (ABZ-sensitive) and albendazole-resistant (ABZ-resistant) H. contortus strains, with three biological replicates for each group. The analysis of lncRNA in the transcriptomic data revealed that there were 276 differentially expressed lncRNA (DElncRNA) between strains with ABZ-sensitive and ABZ-resistant according to the criteria of |log2Foldchange|≥ 1 and FDR < 0.05. Notably, MSTRG.12969.2 and MSTRG.9827.1 exhibited the most significant upregulation and downregulation, respectively, in the resistant strains. The potential roles of the DElncRNAs included catalytic activity, stimulus response, regulation of drug metabolism, and modulation of the immune response. Moreover, we investigated the interactions between DElncRNAs and other RNAs, specifically MSTRG.12741.1, MSTRG.11848.1, MSTRG.5895.1, and MSTRG.14070.1, involved in regulating drug stimulation through cis/trans/antisense/lncRNA‒miRNA-mRNA interaction networks. This regulation leads to a decrease (or increase) in the expression of relevant genes, consequently enhancing the resistance of H. contortus to albendazole. Furthermore, through comprehensive analysis of competitive endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) involved in drug resistance-related pathways, such as the mTOR signalling pathway and ABC transporter signalling pathway, the relevance of the MSTRG.2499.1-novel-m0062-3p-HCON_00099610 interaction was identified to mainly involve the regulation of catalytic activity, metabolism, ubiquitination and transcriptional regulation of gene promoters. Additionally, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) validation indicated that the transcription profiles of six DElncRNAs and six DEmRNAs were consistent with those obtained by RNA-seq. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the present study allowed us to better understand the changes in the lncRNA expression profile of ABZ-resistant H. contortus. In total, these results suggest that the lncRNAs MSTRG.963.1, MSTRG.12741.1, MSTRG.11848.1 and MSTRG.2499.1 play important roles in the development of ABZ resistance and can serve as promising biomarkers for further study.

Facile and Ultrasensitive Food Allergen Quantification Using Microzone Paper-Based Mass Spectrometric Immunoassay.

Highly sensitive and rapid measurement of food allergens is essential to avoid unanticipated food allergies and to determine whether cross-contamination occurs in the food industry. Commercial immunoassay kits offer high specificity and convenience for allergen detection but still suffer limited quantitative sensitivity, accuracy, and stability based on the optical readout. In this work, a paper-based mass spectrometric immunoassay platform was constructed to achieve facile and highly sensitive quantification of peanut allergen, which combined the advantages of good specificity and accurate quantification from mass spectrometry and simplicity from a paper-based immunoassay. In this platform, a novel quaternary ammonium-based mass tag and a paper chip with a microzone were designed and developed, contributing to a large signal enhancement. This method was able to detect Ara h1 with a linear range of 0.1-100 ng mL-1 and a detection limit of 0.08 ng mL-1 in milk matrices. It has also been successfully applied to the accurate quantification of Ara h1 in six milk-related beverages, two biscuits, and two candy bars with complicated matrices and presented a low-concentration quantitation capability. This method gives a new type of mass spectrometric immunoassay for rapid and ultrasensitive allergen regulation in the food industry and for individual allergen differentiation research.

Resensitizing Paclitaxel-Resistant Ovarian Cancer via Targeting Lipid Metabolism Key Enzymes CPT1A, SCD and FASN.

Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is a lethal gynecological cancer, of which paclitaxel resistance is the major factor limiting treatment outcomes, and identification of paclitaxel resistance-related genes is arduous. We obtained transcriptomic data from seven paclitaxel-resistant ovarian cancer cell lines and corresponding sensitive cell lines. Define genes significantly up-regulated in at least three resistant cell lines, meanwhile they did not down-regulate in the other resistant cell lines as candidate genes. Candidate genes were then ranked according to the frequencies of significant up-regulation in resistant cell lines, defining genes with the highest rankings as paclitaxel resistance-related genes (PRGs). Patients were grouped based on the median expression of PRGs. The lipid metabolism-related gene set and the oncological gene set were established and took intersections with genes co-upregulated with PRGs, obtaining 229 co-upregulated genes associated with lipid metabolism and tumorigenesis. The PPI network obtained 19 highly confidential synergistic targets (interaction score > 0.7) that directly associated with CPT1A. Finally, FASN and SCD were up-stream substrate provider and competitor of CPT1A, respectively. Western blot and qRT-PCR results confirmed the over-expression of CPT1A, SCD and FASN in the A2780/PTX cell line. The inhibition of CPT1A, SCD and FASN down-regulated cell viability and migration, pharmacological blockade of CPT1A and SCD increased apoptosis rate and paclitaxel sensitivity of A2780/PTX. In summary, our novel bioinformatic methods can overcome difficulties in drug resistance evaluation, providing promising therapeutical strategies for paclitaxel-resistant EOC via taregting lipid metabolism-related enzymes.

Strategy of functional nucleic acids-mediated isothermal amplification for detection of foodborne microbial contaminants: A review.

Foodborne microbial contamination (FMC) is the leading cause of food poisoning and foodborne illness. The foodborne microbial detection methods based on isothermal amplification have high sensitivity and short detection time, and functional nucleic acids (FNAs) could extend the detectable object of isothermal amplification to mycotoxins. Therefore, the strategy of FNAs-mediated isothermal amplification has been emergingly applied in biosensors for foodborne microbial contaminants detection, making biosensors more sensitive with lower cost and less dependent on nanomaterials for signal output. Here, the mechanism of six isothermal amplification technologies and their application in detecting FMC is firstly introduced. Then the strategy of FNAs-mediated isothermal amplification is systematically discussed from perspectives of FNAs' versatility including recognition elements (Aptamer, DNAzyme), programming tools (DNA tweezer, DNA walker and CRISPR-Cas) and signal units (G-quadruplex, FNAs-based nanomaterials). Finally, challenges and prospects are presented in terms of addressing the issue of nonspecific amplification reaction, developing better FNAs-based sensing elements and eliminating food matrix effects.

Antidiabetic activity of Armillaria mellea polysaccharides: Joint ultrasonic and enzyme assisted extraction.

Armillaria mellea polysaccharides (AMPs) were obtained by ultrasonic assisted extraction (U), enzyme assisted extraction (E) and ultrasonic-enzyme assisted extraction (UE), respectively. The yield of UE-AMPs (6.32 ± 0.14%) was 1.64 times higher than that of U-AMPs (3.86 ± 0.11%) and 1.21 times higher than that of E-AMPs (5.21 ± 0.09%); meanwhile, the highest total sugar content and the lowest protein content were found in UE-AMPs. AMPs obtained from the three extraction methods had the same monosaccharide composition but in different proportions, allowing UE-AMPs to have the most potent antioxidant activity. The antidiabetic activity of UE-AMPs was investigated in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic mice. UE-AMPs, when given by gavage, greatly prevented weight loss, increased water intake, and considerably decreased blood glucose levels in diabetic mice, which were dose-dependent (P < 0.05). In addition, UE-AMPs also had a positive effect on the reduction of lipid levels in the blood, oxidative damage and liver function impairment. The pathological observation by hematoxylin-eosin staining (HE) revealed that UE-AMPs protected the organs of mice from diabetic complications (liver disease and nephropathy). Hence, our findings demonstrate that UE-AMPs are a suitable choice for improving diabetes and its complications and have great application prospects in the fields of natural medicine and functional food.

Fabrication of bilayer emulsion by ultrasonic emulsification: Effects of chitosan on the interfacial stability of emulsion.

In this study, the stable system of bilayer emulsion was fabricated by ultrasonic emulsification. The effect of chitosan (CS) addition (0.05 %-0.4 %, w/v) at pH 5.0 on the stability of rice bran protein hydrolysate-ferulic acid (RBPH-FA) monolayer emulsion was investigated. It was found that the addition of CS (0.3 %) could form a stable bilayer emulsion. The droplet size was 3.38 µm and the absolute ζ-potential value was 31.52 mV. The bilayer emulsion had better storage stability, oxidation stability and environmental stabilities than the monolayer emulsion. The results of in vitro simulations revealed the bilayer emulsion was able to deliver the ß-carotene to the small intestine digestive stage stably and the bioaccessibility was increased from 22.34 % to 61.36 % compared with the monolayer emulsion. The research confirmed that the bilayer emulsion prepared by ultrasonic emulsification can be used for the delivery of hydrophobic functional component ß-carotene.

Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid Type A Receptor Subunit Pi is a potential chemoresistance regulator in colorectal cancer.

BACKGROUND: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the cancers with high morbidity and mortality worldwide. Chemotherapy is commonly used for metastatic or more advanced CRC. The mechanism of CRC chemoresistance is still under active investigation. Therefore, we identify and validate differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between oxaliplatin/5-FU resistant and sensitive CRC cells. METHODS AND RESULTS: Three datasets of colorectal cancer patients (GSE28691, GSE81006, and GSE77932) from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database were analyzed and volcano plots for DEGs were generated using the GEO2R tool. The intersection of three GEO datasets showed that GABRP was significantly upregulated in chemo-resistant CRC cells or patients with an adjusted p-value less than 0.01. The potential protein-protein interaction (PPI) network with GABRP was analyzed by the Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interaction Gene/Proteins (STRING) website. The PPI network predicted ANKRD66, CLINT1, HAP1, PLCL1, GABARPAP, GABARAPL1, NSF, GABARAPL2, TRAK2, and CLIC3 had a high likelihood to interact with GABRP. Especially, GABARAP, GABARAPL1, ANKRD66, CLINT1, and CLIC3 were enriched as the most possibly associated proteins with GABRP among the networks. GABRP was significantly more expressed in both oxaliplatin/5-FU resistant CRC cells than in those counterpart sensitive CRC cells using quantitative PCR (qPCR) analysis. Consistently, TCGA, Oncomine, and Human Protein Atlas (HPA) databases confirmed that higher expression of GABRP was robustly found in CRC patients than those in other various cancer types or normal colon tissues. CONCLUSION: We identify GABRP as a promising drug target to mediate oxaliplatin or 5-FU resistance in CRC. It provided the theoretical basis and potential clinical value for CRC patients.

Sonodynamic therapy reduces cardiomyocyte apoptosis through autophagy activated by reactive oxygen species in myocardial infarction.

Myocardial infarction (MI) is lethal to patients because of acute ischemia and hypoxia leading to cardiac tissue apoptosis. Autophagy played a key role in MI through affecting the survival of cardiomyocytes. LncRNA-MHRT (myosin heavy-chain-associated RNA transcripts) was specific to the heart and cardiomyocytes, and inhibition of lncRNA-MHRT transcription under pathological stimuli could cause cardiac hypertrophy and even heart failure (HF). Sonodynamic therapy (SDT) is a new and developing medical technique that utilizes low-intensity ultrasound to locally activate a preloaded sonosensitizer. Our group previously reported that SDT could regulate autophagy. In this study, we investigated whether SDT could reduce MI-induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis via activating autophagy pathway. SDT improved cardiac function and suppresses MI-induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis. SDT alleviated MI-induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis by improving autophagy. MHRT mediated the inhibiting effect of SDT on cardiomyocyte apoptosis via activating autophagy pathway. Our data reveal a novel effect that SDT protects against MI and confirm that SDT reduces MI-induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis via activating MHRT-mediated-autophagy. Thus, our findings also indicate that SDT may be used as a potential method for treatment of post-myocardial infarction heart failure.

Fabrication of emulsions prepared by rice bran protein hydrolysate and ferulic acid covalent conjugate: Focus on ultrasonic emulsification.

The aim of the paper was to investigate the effect of ultrasonic emulsification treatment on the fabrication mechanism and stability of the emulsion. The covalent conjugate made with rice bran protein hydrolysate (RBPH) and ferulic acid (FA) was used as the emulsifier. The effects of high intensity ultrasound (HIU) power with different level (0 W, 150 W, 300 W, 450 W and 600 W) on the stability of emulsion were evaluated. The results showed that ultrasonic emulsification can significantly improve the stability of the emulsions (p < 0.05). The emulsion gained better stability and emulsifying property at 300 W. It was able to fabricate emulsion with smaller particle size, more uniform distribution and higher interfacial protein content. It was confirmed by fluorescent microscopy and cryo-scanning electron microscopy (cryo-SEM) furtherly. And it was also proved that the emulsion treated by proper HIU treatment at 300 W had better storage stability. Excessive HIU treatment (450 W, 600 W) had negative effects on the stability of emulsion. The stability of emulsion (300 W) against different environmental stresses was further explored, which established a theoretical basis for the industrial application of emulsion in food industry.

Investigation into the protective effects of hypaconitine and glycyrrhetinic acid against chronic heart failure of the rats.

BACKGROUND: The present study aimed to determine the protective effects of hypaconitine (HA) and glycyrrhetinic acid (GA) against chronic heart failure (CHF) in the rats and to explore the underlying molecular mechanisms. METHODS: The CHF rat model was established by transverse-aortic constriction (TAC) operation. Transthoracic echocardiography and hematoxylin eosin (HE) staining were used to evaluate the pathophysiological and histopathological changes of CHF model. The total cholesterol (TCHO) and triglyceride (TG) levels were determined by ELISA assay. The protein expression of fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2), vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) in the rat ventricular tissues was determined by immunohistochemistry. The serum metabolites were determined by LC-MS/MS assay. RESULTS: After applied the HA + GA, the cardiac tissue and structure were obviously improved, and the HA + GA treatment also significantly reduced the plasma levels of TCHO and TG in the CHF rats. The expression of FGF2 and VEGFA protein was up-regulated and the expression of eNOS protein was down-regulated in the ventricular tissues of CHF rats, which was significantly restored after HA + GA treatment. HA + GA treatment down-regulated serum isonicotinic acid, phosphatidylcholine, cardiolipin, estrogen glucuronide, and glycocholic acid, up-regulated serum sphingosine and deoxycholic acid in the CHF rats. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, HA + GA showed protective effects on CHF in the rats, and the HA + GA may exert protective effects by reducing lipid levels, up-regulating the expression of FGF2 and VEGFA proteins, attenuating eNOS protein expression, and modulating metabolic pathways. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying HA + GA-mediated effects still require further examination.

The impact of transportation time on apoptosis in allogeneic stem cell grafts and the clinical outcome in malignant patients with unrelated donors.

BACKGROUND: The quality of cells in peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) grafts is important for allogeneic stem cell transplantation outcome. The viability of PBSC grafts may decrease during transportation time between donor and transplant center. We hypothesize that the graft viability based on apoptosis and necrosis in the graft may better reflect graft quality and clinical outcome. METHODS: PBSC graft viability from unrelated donors was analyzed in 91 patients. Viable cells were defined as 7-aminoactinomycin D- and Annexin V-negative. The clinical outcome, including survival, transplant-related mortality and graft-versus-host disease (GvHD), was correlated to graft viability. RESULTS: Grafts transported for 1 day had a median viability of 86.4% (range 63.8 to 98.9%), and grafts transported for 2 days had median viability of 83.2% (range 52.8% to 96.2%) (P = .003). Grafts were divided into two groups based on the median graft viability of 85.1%. Patients who received low viability grafts had lower 1-year survival of 63.7% compared with 88.9% for those who received high viability grafts (P = .007). In the multivariate analysis, transplant-related mortality (TRM) was higher in the low viability group (P = .03), whereas overall survival was not significantly associated with graft viability. The incidence of acute GvHD grade II to IV, chronic GvHD and relapse risk remained comparable between the groups. CONCLUSION: Low graft viability was an independent predictor of 1-year survival and TRM after adjusting for multiple confounders. Better graft quality markers are important for the detection of clinically important variations in the stem cell graft.

Modified lumbar foraminoplasty using a power-aided reciprocating burr for percutaneous transforaminal endoscopic lumbar discectomy: A technical note and clinical report.

Background: One of the main difficulties in a transforaminal endoscopic lumbar discectomy (TELD), and simultaneously the most critical step, is performing an effective and safe foraminoplasty, which is especially difficult for beginners. To make it safer and faster for beginners to perform, we have used a specially designed power-aided reciprocating burr for TELD and reported the technical details. Methods: From Jan. 2019 to Nov. 2022, 432 patients with single-level, symptomatic L4/5 or L5/S1 disc herniation were treated with TELD using a novel power-aided reciprocating burr. The surgical procedure is described in detail. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed the following day and 3 months after the operation. The learning curves of surgeons with different seniority levels are displayed. The Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) score and the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) were used to measure low back pain, leg pain, and lumbar function. All patients were followed up for at least 1 year. Results: All patients underwent endoscopic surgery successfully. Among the 432 patients, radicular outer membrane damage was observed in 6 cases, and 1 case had hernia of the nerve tract. Except for this patient with aggravation of postoperative numbness, the postoperative neurological symptoms of all patients were significantly improved. The mean VAS scores for low back pain and leg pain and ODI scores were significantly decreased 6 w post-operatively and were maintained until 12 months post-operatively compared to preoperative scores (P < 0.05). All three doctors involved in the study had substantial experience in traditional open spinal surgery. The more operations all three surgeons completed, the more time spent on intervertebral foraminoplasty decreased (P < 0.05). Among them, doctors without experience in TELD surgery became proficient in this technique after accumulating experience in 13 cases. There was no significant difference in foraminoplasty time among these three surgeons during the same growing period (P > 0.05). Conclusions: Current clinical data demonstrated the safety and efficacy of modified TELD using a power-aided reciprocating burr for treating lumbar disc herniation (LDH) and showed that this technique significantly reduces the learning curve for beginners when performing foraminoplasty.

Effects of High Hydrostatic Pressure Pretreatment on the Functional and Structural Properties of Rice Bran Protein Hydrolysates.

Rice bran protein (RBP) hydrolysis was conducted after high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) pretreatment. The structural and functional properties of HHP-pretreated rice bran protein hydrolysates (RBPH) were investigated. HHP pretreatments were conducted at 100, 200, and 300 MPa; then, enzymatic hydrolysis at atmospheric pressure was performed using trypsin. An RBPH sample that had not been pretreated by HHP was used as a control. Free sulfhydryl (SH) content, SDS-PAGE profiles, high-performance size exclusion chromatography (HPSEC), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrum, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), intrinsic fluorescence spectrum, solubility, and emulsifying and foaming properties were evaluated. Changes in particle size and ζ-potential were monitored. Compared with the control, the results of solubility, the emulsifying activity index (EAI) and the emulsifying stability index (ESI) increased significantly (p < 0.05) at 200 MPa. The content of free SH increased significantly (p < 0.05) at 100 MPa. FTIR spectrum and fluorescence analysis confirmed the changes in the secondary and tertiary structures. The experimental results indicated that the structural and functional properties of HHP-pretreated RBPH improved.

The importance of graft cell composition in outcome after allogeneic stem cell transplantation in patients with malignant disease.

BACKGROUND: Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) and relapse remain majobstacles ftreatment success in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). In the present study, we evaluated the immune cell profile of the graft to outcome after HSCT. STUDY DESIGN AND METHOD: Flow cytometry data of graft cell subsets [CD34+ , CD3+ , CD19+ , CD4+ , CD8+ , CD3-CD56+ CD16+ , CD4+ CD127low CD25high ] from G-CSF primed peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) donors was collected retrospectively from 299 patients with hematological malignancies undergoing HSCT between 2006 and 2013. The association to overall survival, transplant-related mortality (TRM), GVHD and probability of relapse was analyzed. Patients outcome from HLA-identical sibling (Sib) (n = 97) and unrelated donors (URD) (n = 202) were analyzed separately as all URD patients received anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG). RESULTS: Five-year overall survival was similar in the two cohorts (68% (Sib) vs 65% (URD)). The relapse incidence was significantly lower in the Sib cohort (24% vs 35%, P = 0.04). Multivariate analysis in the URD group revealed an association between a higher CD8+ dose and less relapse (HR, 0.94; 95%CI, 0.90-0.98; P = 0.006) as well as an association between higher CD34+ dose and both higher TRM (HR, 1.09; 95%CI, 1.02-1.20; P = 0.02) and relapse (HR, 1.09; 95%CI, 1.01-1.17; P = 0.025). The Sib analysis showed an association between a higher graft CD19+ dose and more severe acute GVHD (HR, 1,09; 95%CI, 1.03-1.15; P = 0.003) and TRM (HR, 1.09; 95%CI, 1.01-1.17; P = 0.036). In addition, a higher CD4+ graft content was associated to an increased risk for chronic GVHD (HR, 1.02; 95%CI 1.00-1.04; P = 0.06). CONCLUSION: These data indicate an importance of PBSC dongraft composition in patients with a hematological malignancy.

Rapid inhibition of atherosclerotic plaque progression by sonodynamic therapy.

Aims: Currently, efficient regimens to reverse atherosclerotic plaques are not available in the clinic. Herein, we present sonodynamic therapy (SDT) as a novel methodology to rapidly inhibit progression of atherosclerotic plaques. Methods and results: In atherosclerotic rabbit and apoE-deficient mouse models, SDT efficiently decreased the atherosclerotic burden within 1 week, revealing a decrease in the size of the atherosclerotic plaque and enlarged lumen. The shrunken atherosclerotic plaques displayed compositional alterations, with a reduction in lesional macrophages and lipids. The rapid efficacy of SDT may be due to its induction of macrophage apoptosis, enhancement of efferocytosis, and amelioration of inflammation in the atherosclerotic plaque. Compared with atorvastatin, the standard of care for atherosclerosis, SDT showed more significant plaque shrinkage and lumen enlargement during 1 week treatment. Furthermore, SDT displayed good safety without obvious side effects. In a pilot clinical trial recruiting the patients suffering atherosclerotic peripheral artery disease, combination therapy of SDT with atorvastatin efficiently reduced progression of atherosclerotic plaque within 4 weeks, and its efficacy was able to last for at least 40 weeks. Conclusion: SDT is a non-invasive and efficacious regimen to inhibit atherosclerotic plaque progression.

miR­186 functions as a tumor suppressor in osteosarcoma cells by suppressing the malignant phenotype and aerobic glycolysis.

Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most common primary bone malignancy among children and adolescents. Deregulation of microRNAs has been well documented in OS, while the putative effects of miR­186 have not been identified yet. In the present study, we assessed the expression of miR­186 in a cohort of 40 OS tissues and explored its effects on OS cells. As expected, miR­186 was suppressed in OS tissues compared with relative normal tissues. Overexpression of miR­186 inhibited cell proliferation, arrested the cell cycle progression and suppressed the cell invasion of the HOS and U2 OS cell lines. These results indicated the tumor­suppressive role of miR­186 in OS. Among the target genes of miR­186, we found that pituitary tumor transforming gene 1 (PTTG1) may be a target gene of miR­186 in OS and that the overexpression of PTTG1 could partially abolish miR­186­mediated suppressive effects on OS cells. Aerobic glycolysis is the major way of energy supply and is one of the characteristic phenotypes of tumor cells. In addition, we found that overexpression of miR­186 significantly suppressed the expression of hypoxia­inducible factor 1 (HIF­1) and inhibited the glucose uptake and lactate production of OS cells. Collectively, our findings demonstrated that miR­186 functions as a tumor suppressor in OS cells partially by targeting PTTG1 and that HIF­1­mediated suppression of aerobic glycolysis may be also involved in its suppressive effects.