Deciphering and quantifying nitrate sources and processes in the central Yellow Sea using dual isotopes of nitrate.

Anthropogenic activities pose significant challenges to the accumulation of coastal nitrogen (N). Accurate identification of nitrate (NO3-) sources is thus essential for mitigating excessive N in many marginal seas. We investigated the dual isotopes of NO3- in the central Yellow Sea to elucidate the sources and cycling processes of NO3-. The results revealed significant spatial variability in NO3- concentrations among the Yellow Sea Surface Water (YSSW), Changjiang Diluted Water (CDW), Yellow Sea Cold Water Mass (YSCWM), and Taiwan Warm Current Water (TWCW). Stratification played a crucial role in restricting vertical nutrient transport, leading to distinct nutrient sources and concentrations in different water masses. The dual NO3- isotopic signature indicated that atmospheric deposition was the primary source of surface NO3-, contributing approximately 30 % to the NO3- in the YSSW. In the NO3--rich CDW, the heavier δ15N-NO3- and δ18O-NO3- suggested incomplete NO3- assimilation. Organic matter mineralization and water stratification played crucial roles in the accumulation of nutrients within the YSCWM and TWCW. Notably, regenerated NO3- accounted for approximately half of the NO3- stored in the YSCWM. A synthesis of NO3- dual isotope data across the coastal China seas revealed significant spatial and seasonal variations in the N source. The study emphasized the dynamics of coastal NO3- supply, which are shaped by the complex interconnections among marine, terrestrial, and atmospheric processes. Our approach is a feasible method for exploring the origins of N amidst the escalating pressures of anthropogenic nutrient pollution in coastal waters.

Revealing the Marine Cycles of Volatile Sulfur Compounds and Their Biogeochemical Controls: A Case of the Western North Pacific.

Volatile sulfur compounds, such as dimethyl sulfide (DMS), carbonyl sulfide (OCS), and carbon disulfide (CS2), have significant implications for both atmospheric chemistry and climate change. Despite the crucial role of oceans in regulating their atmospheric budgets, our comprehension of their cycles in seawater remains insufficient. To address this gap, a field investigation was conducted in the western North Pacific to clarify the sources, sinks, and biogeochemical controls of these gases in two different marine environments, including relatively eutrophic Kuroshio-Oyashio extension (KOE) and oligotrophic North Pacific subtropical gyre. Our findings revealed higher concentrations of these gases in both seawater and the atmosphere in the KOE compared to the subtropical gyre. In the KOE, nutrient-rich upwelling stimulated rapid DMS biological production, while reduced seawater temperatures hindered the removal of OCS and CS2, leading to their accumulation. Furthermore, we have quantitatively evaluated the relative contribution of each pathway to the source and sink of DMS, OCS, and CS2 within the mixed layer and identified vertical exchange as a potential sink in most cases, transporting substantial amounts of these gases from the mixed layer to deeper waters. This research advances our understanding of sulfur gas source-sink dynamics in seawater, contributing to the assessment of their marine emissions and atmospheric budgets.

Evolution of dissolved organic nitrogen chemistry during transportation to the marginal sea: Insights from nitrogen isotope and molecular composition analyses.

Estuaries are hotspots where terrestrially originated dissolved organic matter (DOM) is modified in molecular composition before entering marine environments. However, very few research has considered nitrogen (N) modifications of DOM molecules in estuaries, limiting our understanding of dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) cycling and the associated carbon cycling in estuaries. This study integrated optical, stable isotopes (δ15N and δ13C) and molecular composition (FT-ICR MS) to characterize the transformation of DOM in the Yangtze River Estuary. Both concentration of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and DON decreased with increasing salinity, while their δ13C and δ15N increased with the increasing salinity. A significant positive correlation was found between δ15N and δ13C during the transportation of DOM to marginal seas, indicating that the behavior of both DOC and DON are primarily controlled by the mixing of freshwater and the seawater in the YRE. During the mixing process, the DON addition was observed using the conservative mixing curves. In the view of molecular composition, DOM molecules became more aromatic as the number of N atoms increased. Spearman correlations reveal that DOM molecules with fewer N atoms exhibited a higher enrichment in protein-like components, while those with more N atoms were more enriched in humic-like components. In addition, the δ15N and δ13C tended to increase as the N content of DOM decreased. Therefore, DON molecules with fewer N atoms were likely to be transformed into those with more N atoms based on the isotopic fractionation theory. This study establishes a linkage between the molecular composition and the δ15N of DOM, and discovers the N transformation pattern within DOM molecules during the transportation to marginal seas.

Gastrodin synergistically increases migration of interleukin-13 receptor α2 chimeric antigen receptor T cell to the brain against glioblastoma multiforme: A preclinical study.

Therapy with chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cells involves using reformative T lymphocytes that have three domains, antigen recognition, transmembrane, and costimulating to achieve the therapeutic purpose. CAR-T therapy on malignant hematologic has been successful; however, its effectiveness in patients with solid tumors is still limited. Few studies exist confirming the efficacy of natural products on the function of CAR-T cells. The purpose of this study is to assess the effect of gastrodin (GAS) on CAR-T cells that target interleukin-13 receptor α2 antigen (IL-13Rα2 CAR-T) in the brain against glioblastoma multiforme. Migration of IL-13Rα2 CAR-T was evaluated using the Transwell assay. The effects of GAS on IL-13Rα2 CAR-T cells were assessed both in vitro and situ glioblastoma models. The cytoskeleton was stained with Fluorescein 5-isothiocyanate (FITC)-phalloidin. Cytokines expression in cells was determined by flow cytometry and ELISA assay. Western blotting was used to detect the S1P1 expression, and quantitative PCR assay was used to determine the IL-13Rα2 gene level. GAS increased the migratory and destructive capacity of IL-13Rα2 CAR-T cells with no effect on cytokine release. By increasing the expression of S1P1, GAS encouraged the entry of CAR-T cells into the brain and bone marrow. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that genes related to skeletal migration such as add2 and gng8 showed increased expression in GAS-treated CAR-T cells. We found that GAS synergistically improves the mobility of IL-13Rα2 CAR-T, enhancing their ability to recognize the tumor antigen of glioblastoma, which could be advantageous for the application of CAR-T for the treatment of solid tumors.

Dissolved organic nitrogen cycling revealed at the molecular level in the Bohai and Yellow Sea.

Marginal seas play a crucial role in the cycling of dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) between the terrestrial and marine environments. However, very few studies have considered the molecular transformation of DON in marginal seas, leaving the DON molecular modifications in its cycling largely unknown. Therefore, this study examined DON cycling in the Bohai Sea and Yellow Sea, two semi-closed marginal seas in northern China, using stable isotopes (δ15N and δ13C), optical characteristics, and molecular compositions. Compared to the Yellow Sea, the Bohai Sea had a weaker exchange with the open ocean, resulting in higher concentrations, lower δ15N, and more recalcitrant properties in DON. The DON cycling showed significant differences inside and outside the Yellow Sea Cold Water (YSCW). Degradation was the major sink of DON in the YSCW, during which more highly unsaturated compounds and carboxyl-rich alicyclic molecules were produced. Nitrogen atoms were found to be removed from the molecules with more N atoms to those with fewer ones during the DON degradation. This study discovered the molecular modifications in DON cycling and highlighted the intrinsic mechanisms in the cycling of DON in marginal seas.

Phylotype resolved spatial variation and association patterns of planktonic Thaumarchaeota in eastern Chinese marginal seas.

The majority of marine ammonia oxidizers belong to Thaumarchaeota, a phylum of Archaea, which is distributed throughout the water column. Marine surface waters contain distinct thaumarchaeotal phylotypes compared to the deeper ocean, but spatial dynamics of the surface-associated lineages are largely unsolved. This study of 120 seawater samples from the eastern Chinese marginal seas identified contrasting distribution and association patterns among thaumarchaeotal phylotypes across different dimensions. Horizontally, Nitrosopumilus-like and Nitrosopelagicus-like phylotypes dominated the surface water (3 m) of the Yellow Sea (YS) and East China Sea (ECS), respectively, along with increased abundance of total free-living Thaumarchaeota in ECS. Similar compositional changes were observed in the surface microlayer. The spatial heterogeneity of particle-attached Thaumarchaeota was less clear in surface microlayers than in surface waters. Vertically, the Nitrosopelagicus-like phylotype increased in abundance from surface to 90 m in ECS, which led to an increase in the proportion of Thaumarchaeota relative to total prokaryotes. This occurred mainly in the free-living fraction. These results indicate a clear size-fractionated niche partitioning, which is more pronounced at lower depths than in the surface water/surface microlayer. In addition, associations of Thaumarchaeota with other microbial taxa varied between phylotypes and size fractions. Our results show that a phylotype-resolved and size-fractionated spatial heterogeneity of the thaumarchaeotal community is present in surface oceanic waters and a vertical variation of the Nitrosopelagicus-like phylotype is present in shallow shelf waters. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s42995-023-00169-y.

IL13Rα2-targeted third-generation CAR-T cells with CD28 transmembrane domain mediate the best anti-glioblastoma efficacy.

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-modified T (CAR-T) cell therapy has been proven to be a powerful tool for the treatment of cancer, however, the limits are obvious, especially for solid tumors. Therefore, constantly optimizing the structure of CAR to improve its therapeutic effect is necessary. In this study, we generated three different third-generation CARs targeting IL13Rα2, with the same scFv, but different transmembrane domains (TMDs) from CD4, CD8 or CD28 (IL13-CD4TM-28.BB.ζ, IL13-CD8TM-28.BB.ζ and IL13-CD28TM-28.BB.ζ). CARs were transduced into primary T cells using retroviruses. The anti-GBM efficacy of CAR-T cells was monitored by flow cytometry and real-time cell analysis (RTCA) in vitro and examined in two xenograft mouse models. The differentially expressed genes related to different anti-GBM activity were screened by high throughput RNA sequencing. We observed that T cells transduced with these three CARs have similar anti-tumor activity when co-cultured with U373 cells which expressed higher IL13Rα2 but exhibited different anti-tumor activity when co-cultured with U251 cells that expressed lower IL13Rα2. All the three groups of CAR-T cells can be activated by U373 cells, but only IL13-CD28TM-28.BB.ζ CAR-T cells could be activated and expressed increased IFN-γ after co-culturing with U251 cells. IL13-CD28TM-28.BB.ζ CAR-T cells exhibited the best anti-tumor activity in xenograft mouse models which can infiltrate into the tumors. The superior anti-tumor efficacy of IL13-CD28TM-28.BB.ζ CAR-T cells was partially owing to differentially expressed extracellular assembly, extracellular matrix, cell migration and adhesion-related genes which contribute to the lower activation threshold, increased cell proliferation, and elevated migration capacity.

Co-expression IL-15 receptor alpha with IL-15 reduces toxicity via limiting IL-15 systemic exposure during CAR-T immunotherapy.

BACKGROUND: Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy is a powerful adoptive immunotherapy against both B-cell malignancies and some types of solid tumors. Interleukin (IL) -15 is an important immune stimulator that may provide ideal long-term persistent CAR-T cells. However, higher base line or peak serum IL-15 levels are also related to severe toxicity, such as cytokine release syndrome (CRS), graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), and neurotoxicity. METHODS: We successfully constructed CD19 specific armored CAR-T cells overexpressing IL-I5 and IL-15 receptor alpha (IL-15Ra). In vitro cell differentiation and viability were monitored by flow cytometry, and an in vivo xenograft mouse models was used to evaluate the anti-tumor efficiency and liver damage of CAR-T cells. RESULTS: CAR-T cells overexpressing IL-15 alone demonstrated enhanced viability, retarded exhaustion in vitro and superior tumor-inhibitory effects in vivo. However, these tumor-free mice had lower survival rates, with serious liver injuries, as a possible result of toxicity. As expected, CAR-T cells overexpressing IL-15 combined with IL-15Ra had reduced CD132 expression and released fewer cytokines (IFNγ, IL-2 and IL-15) in vitro, as well as had the tendency to improve mouse survival via repressing the growth of tumor cells and keeping livers healthier compared to CAR-IL-15 T cells. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicated the importance of IL-15 in enhancing T cells persistence and IL-15Ra in reducing the adverse effects of IL-15, with superior tumor retardation during CAR-T therapy. This study paves the way for the rapid exploitation of IL-15 in adoptive cell therapy in the future.

[Optimization of ß-globin Stable Expression Using the Third Generation Lentiviral Vector for ß-thalassemia Therapy].

OBJECTIVE: To provide a research basis for a safe and effective cell therapy for ß-thalassemia through optimization of HS4 region of the third generation lentiviral vector for stable expression of ß-globin. METHODS: The human ß-globin HS4 region in the third generation lentiviral expression vector was optimized to construct the lenti-HBB, and the transcription and translation of ß-globin gene were analyzed by RT-PCR and Western blot after the transduction of lenti-HBB in MEL cell line. Furthermore, the erythroid differentiation of CD34+ cells which were transduced lentiviral virus carrying human ß-globin from normal human umbilical cord blood cells and peripheral blood cells of patients with ß-thalassemia major were confirmed by colony formation assay, cell smear assay and flow cytometry. The safety and effectiveness of the optimized lenti-HBB were verified by NSG mouse in vivo test. RESULTS: The human ß-globin was expressed stably in the MEL cells, and CD34+ cells from health umbilical cord blood as well as PBMC from patient with ß-thalassemia major transduced with lenti-HBB could be differentiated to mature red blood cells. The ß-globin expression and differentiation in CD34+ cells were demonstrated successfully in the NSG mouse for about 35 months after post-transplant. CONCLUSION: Stable ß-globin expression through the optimization of HS4 from CD34+ in the third generation lentiviral vector is safe and effective for patients with severe ß-thalassemia and other ß-globin abnormal diseases.

IL-13Rα2 humanized scFv-based CAR-T cells exhibit therapeutic activity against glioblastoma.

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-modified T cells have exhibited impressive anti-tumor effects in both B cell malignancies and some types of solid tumors. However, single-chain variable fragment (scFv) of a murine monoclonal antibody will induce immune responses, limit CAR-T cell persistence, and thus increase the risk of relapse. This study successfully constructed a CAR-targeting interleukin-13 receptor α2 (IL-13Rα2) according to a murine antibody, and then humanized the scFv sequence to generate another CAR. T cells expressing any of these two CARs demonstrated superior tumor inhibitory effects in vitro and in two xenograft mouse models. However, T cells transduced with humanized CAR have an increased expansion and reduced cytokines, including interleukin-6 and interferon-γ. The top expressed genes clustered in leukocyte-mediated cytotoxicity, and T cell migration and immunological synapse formation contributed to the anti-glioblastoma (GBM) activity of the humanized CAR. In conclusion, we successfully generated a humanized third-generation CAR-targeting IL-13Rα2 and confirmed its anti-GBM efficacy, which provide a candidate method for clinical GBM treatment.

Antitumor activity of the third generation EphA2 CAR-T cells against glioblastoma is associated with interferon gamma induced PD-L1.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common and aggressive brain malignancy in adults and is currently incurable with conventional therapies. The use of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) modified T cells has been successful in clinical treatment of blood cancers, except solid tumors such as GBM. This study generated two third-generation CARs targeting different epitopes of ephrin type-A receptor 2 (EphA2) and examined their anti-GBM efficacy in vitro and in tumor-bearing mice. We observed that these two types of T cells expressing CAR (CAR-T) targeting EphA2 could be activated and expanded by EphA2 positive tumor cells in vitro. The survival of tumor-bearing mice after EphA2 CAR-T cell treatment was significantly improved. T cells transduced with one of the two EphA2 CARs exhibited better anti-tumor activity, which is related to the upregulation of CXCR-1/2 and appropriate interferon-γ (IFN-γ) production. CAR-T cells expressed excessively high level of IFN-γ exhibited poor anti-tumor activity resulting from inducing the upregulation of PD-L1 in GBM cells. The combination of CAR-T cells with poor anti-tumor activity and PD1 blockade improved the efficacy in tumor-bearing mice. In conclusion, both types of EphA2 CAR-T cells eliminated 20%-50% of GBM in xenograft mouse models. The appropriate combination of IFN-γ and CXCR-1/2 levels is a key factor for evaluating the antitumor efficiency of CAR-T cells.

Active dissolved organic nitrogen cycling hidden in large river and environmental implications.

Large rivers are important terrestrial dissolved organic matter (DOM) sources to marginal seas, and dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) plays an essential role in DOM cycling. The Yellow River ranks as the fifth largest river (in length) in the world and is well-known for its high dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) concentration and relatively low DON concentration, leading to extreme measuring uncertainties in DON and nitrogen isotopic composition (δ15N), consequently leaving its DON cycling as an unresolved puzzle. To fill such a knowledge gap, we analyzed 17 samples from the middle to downstream with a combination of spectroscopy, tangential flow filtration, nitrogen isotope, and DNA sequencing. DON<1kDa dominated the DON pool and significantly correlated inversely with DIN, indicating the DON<1kDa mineralized into nitrate. This finding was further supported by the observed Rayleigh fractionation in δ15NDON<1kDa and the spatial distribution pattern of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria/archaea abundance. The redundancy analysis revealed that the geographical features and the microbial community were closely related, which joined together to drive the DON cycling. In addition, we propose a rational method to quantify the flux of mineralized DON in large rivers. This study discovered the active DON cycling hidden in high DIN large river and highlighted the importance of DON mineralization as well as its role in marginal seas carbon cycling.

Early genetic screening uncovered a high prevalence of thalassemia among 18 309 neonates in Guizhou, China.

Thalassemia is a common monogenic disease in southwestern China, especially in Guizhou province. In this study, 18 309 neonates were examined for thalassemia. The thalassemia carrier rate was 12.90%, which is associated with geographical regions, with carrier frequencies significantly differing between regions (p < 0.0001). The carrier rates for α-thalassemia and ß-thalassemia were 8.91% and 3.36%, respectively. There are 22 genotypes identified among 1632 α-thalassemia cases, and 18 genotypes detected among 615 ß-thalassemia cases. The birthrates of individuals with intermediate thalassemia and ß-thalassemia major were 0.153% and 0.055%, respectively. Methodologically, NGS-Gap-PCR is superior to traditional detection methods, with 65 more cases detected by NGS-Gap-PCR. Since thalassemia-rich genotypes were highly prevalent in this region, early detection of thalassemia carriers would be meaningful for genetic counseling and prevention/treatment of thalassemia. NGS-Gap-PCR provides a powerful tool for neonate genetic testing and clinical diagnosis of thalassemia, especially in high-prevalence regions.

Integrated effects of Ulva prolifera bloom and decay on nutrients inventory and cycling in marginal sea of China.

Ulva prolifera blooms occur annually in the Yellow Sea. Most studies focus on how U. prolifera blooming is influenced by nitrogen chemical forms and concentrations, while little concern goes to how U. prolifera bloom-decay cycle would impact local seawater nutrients structure. Therefore, we use 15N-labeled NO3 tracers and transcriptome analysis to determine N uptake, metabolism, and interconversion during U. prolifera growth and decay, so that we can quantify the conversions rate and fluxes of different nitrogen chemical forms. U. prolifera absorbes 17.37 µmol g-1·d-1 NO3-N during growth. NO3-N predominates (73.75-92.15%) in the dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) in U. prolifera. During decay, NH4-N accountes for 60.87-92.13% of the in-cell DIN. The decomposing U. prolifera releases considerable amounts of NH4-N and dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) (63.8-98.2% < 1 kDa fraction and 1.8-36.2% is > 1 kDa fraction) into the ambient environment. The high DON release rate (59.57 µmol g-1 d-1) indicates active DON biosynthesis in U. prolifera. The isotope 15NO3-N tracer showes that 73.6% of the 15NO3-N is transformed to DON. The <1 kDa and the >1 kDa fractions account for 67.46-90.86% and 9.14-32.54% of the DON, respectively. The high efficiency of U. prolifera in utilizing NO3-N is explained by the responsive nitrate/nitrite transporter in cell membrane, and the DON biosynthesized capability is attributed to the up-regulated glutamine synthetase. Our study highlights the unique role of U. prolifera as a "Nitrogen-Pump" in converting nitrogen chemical forms during its bloom-decay cycle and quantifies its impacts on local N-nutrients inventory.

Nitrate processing traced by nitrate dual isotopic composition in the early spring in the Changjiang (Yangtze River) Estuary and adjacent shelf areas.

Nitrate is the major chemical form of N-nutrient to sustain primary production in Changjiang Estuary and adjacent seawaters. We employed δ15N-NO3- and δ18O-NO3- to constrain the source, cycling, and sink of nitrate in early spring. Both δ15N-NO3- and δ18O-NO3- differentiate significantly among Changjiang Diluted Water (CDW), Yellow Sea Coastal Current (YSCC), and Taiwan Warm Current (TWC). In coastal areas, nitrate distribution and its isotopes are mainly affected by Changjiang inputs. Chemical fertilizers and sewage & manure originated nitrate jointly contribute the most nitrate in CDW. In offshore areas, nitrification contributes 44 ± 21% of the nitrate in YSCC and 17 ± 16% in TWC; assimilation is the dominant process to remove nitrate in TWC (35 ± 16%). Overall, nitrification and assimilation are the key nitrate cycling processes in early spring and co-shape the offshore distribution pattern of nitrate and its dual isotopes.

Features and therapeutic potential of T-cell receptors in high-grade glioma.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have shown that endogenous T cells play an important role in the prolonged survival time of high-grade glioma (HGG) patients. Our objectives were to investigate the features of T-cell receptor (TCR) repertoires in HGG patients and to elucidate any potential therapeutic value. METHODS: During November 2011 and December 2018, tumor tissues and blood samples of 35 patients with HGG who underwent surgery at Beijing Tiantan Hospital or Beijing Shijitan Hospital were selected after surgery. After isolating DNA from samples, multiple rounds of PCR were performed to establish a DNA immune repertoire (IR). Then, the sequences and frequencies of the complementarity-determining 3 (CDR3) region in TCR beta chain (TRB) were identified by high-throughput sequencing and IR analysis. A survival follow-up was conducted monthly thereafter until December 2018. Finally, the t test and Mann-Whitney test were used to compare statistical differences between two sets of data. RESULTS: The Shannon diversity index (SHDI) of TRB sequences of HGG patients was significantly lower than that of healthy individuals (7.34 vs. 8.45, P = 0.001). The SHDI of TRB sequences of glioblastoma (GBM) patients with more than 16 months survival time was much higher than that of GBM patients with shorter survival times in both tumor tissues (3.48 ±â€Š0.31 vs. 6.21 ±â€Š0.33, t = -5.49, P = 0.002) and blood cells (6.02 ±â€Š0.66 vs. 7.44 ±â€Š0.32, t = -2.20, P = 0.036). In addition, patients achieved a distinctly higher proportion compared to that of healthy individuals in the proportion of TRBV9 and TRBV5 functional regions (9.83% vs. 6.83%, P = 0.001). Surgical tissue from patients who survived more than 16 months yielded a much higher proportion of TRBV4 and TRBV9 regions (7.14% vs. 3.28%, t = 3.18, P = 0.019). In surgical tissues from two GBM patients who survived for longer than 46 months, we found a potentially therapeutic TCR sequence. CONCLUSIONS: HGG patients have less species diversity of TCR repertoires compared with that of healthy individuals. TRBV9 regions in TCRs may be protective factors for long-term survival of GBM patients.

Author Correction: Magnesium intake and mortality due to liver diseases: Results from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Cohort.

A correction to this article has been published and is linked from the HTML and PDF versions of this paper. The error has been fixed in the paper.

Magnesium intake and mortality due to liver diseases: Results from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Cohort.

People with fatty liver disease are at high risk of magnesium deficiency. Meanwhile, low magnesium status is linked to both chronic inflammation and insulin resistance. However, no study has investigated the association between intake of magnesium and risk of mortality due to liver diseases. We evaluated the association between total magnesium intake and mortality due to liver diseases in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Study (NHANES III) cohort, which included 13,504 participants who completed liver ultrasound examination for hepatic steatosis. Overall magnesium intake was associated with a reduced risk of mortality due to liver disease at borderline significance (P = 0.05). In fully-adjusted analyses, every 100 mg increase in intake of magnesium was associated with a 49% reduction in the risk for mortality due to liver diseases. Although interactions between magnesium intake and alcohol use and hepatic steatosis at baseline were not significant (P > 0.05), inverse associations between magnesium intake and liver disease mortality were stronger among alcohol drinkers and those with hepatic steatosis. Our findings suggest higher intakes of magnesium may be associated with a reduced risk of mortality due to liver disease particularly among alcohol drinkers and those with hepatic steatosis. Further studies are warranted to confirm the findings.

Antiglioma effects of cytarabine on leptomeningeal metastasis of high-grade glioma by targeting the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway.

Leptomeningeal metastasis (LM) of high-grade glioma is a highly lethal disease requiring new effective therapeutic measures. For both de novo or relapsed glioma with LM, intrathecal cytarabine chemotherapy is not frequently used for first-line and relapse protocols. We encountered a clinical case demonstrating effective application of cytarabine in high-grade glioma with LM, prompting us to explore the effects of cytarabine on malignant glioma and molecular mechanisms of such effects through in vivo and in vitro experiments. The U87 cell line was selected to represent human glioma for studies. Cell viability was measured by MTT assay, plate colony formation assay, and trypan-blue dye exclusion test. Apoptosis was assessed by flow cytometry. Protein expression levels were detected by Western blot assay and immunohistochemistry. mRNA expression was examined by quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Cytarabine inhibited tumor growth during the in vivo experiment. The present study confirmed that cytarabine inhibits proliferation and promotes apoptosis of U87 cells, and molecular analysis of this effect showed that cytarabine significantly reduces expression of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/serine/threonine kinase also known as the protein kinase B/mechanistic target of rapamycin (PI3K/Akt/mTOR) pathway, Ki-67, BCL2, and 4-1BB, and upregulates Bax and cleaved caspase-3. Our findings indicated that intrathecal administration of cytarabine manifests potential in prophylaxis and treatment of malignant glioma with LM. Effective medications for high-grade glioma with LM should contain cytarabine.