Spexin Diminishes Atrial Fibrillation Vulnerability by Acting on Galanin Receptor 2.

BACKGROUND: G protein-coupled receptors play a critical role in atrial fibrillation (AF). Spexin is a novel ligand of galanin receptors (GALRs). In this study, we investigated the regulation of spexin and GALRs on AF and the underlying mechanisms. METHODS: Global spexin knockout (SPX-KO) and cardiomyocyte-specific GALRs knockout (GALR-cKO) mice underwent burst pacing electrical stimulation. Optical mapping was used to determine atrial conduction velocity and action potential duration. Atrial myocyte action potential duration and inward rectifying K+ current (IK1) were recorded using whole-cell patch clamps. Isolated cardiomyocytes were stained with Fluo-3/AM dye, and intracellular Ca2+ handling was examined by CCD camera. A mouse model of AF was established by Ang-II (angiotensin II) infusion. RESULTS: Spexin plasma levels in patients with AF were lower than those in subjects without AF, and knockout of spexin increased AF susceptibility in mice. In the atrium of SPX-KO mice, potassium inwardly rectifying channel subfamily J member 2 (KCNJ2) and sarcolipin (SLN) were upregulated; meanwhile, IK1 current was increased and Ca2+ handling was impaired in isolated atrial myocytes of SPX-KO mice. GALR2-cKO mice, but not GALR1-cKO and GALR3-cKO mice, had a higher incidence of AF, which was associated with higher IK1 current and intracellular Ca2+ overload. The phosphorylation level of CREB (cyclic AMP responsive element binding protein 1) was upregulated in atrial tissues of SPX-KO and GALR2-cKO mice. Chromatin immunoprecipitation confirmed the recruitment of p-CREB to the proximal promoter regions of KCNJ2 and SLN. Finally, spexin treatment suppressed CREB signaling, decreased IK1 current and decreased intracellular Ca2+ overload, which thus reduced the inducibility of AF in Ang-II-infused mice. CONCLUSIONS: Spexin reduces atrial fibrillation susceptibility by inhibiting CREB phosphorylation and thus downregulating KCNJ2 and SLN transcription by GALR2 receptor. The spexin/GALR2/CREB signaling pathway represents a novel therapeutic avenue in the development of agents against atrial fibrillation.

Interdependent Nuclear Co-Trafficking of ASPP1 and p53 Aggravates Cardiac Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury.

OBJECTIVE: ASPP1 (apoptosis stimulating of p53 protein 1) is critical in regulating cell apoptosis as a cofactor of p53 to promote its transcriptional activity in the nucleus. However, whether cytoplasmic ASPP1 affects p53 nuclear trafficking and its role in cardiac diseases remains unknown. This study aims to explore the mechanism by which ASPP1 modulates p53 nuclear trafficking and the subsequent contribution to cardiac ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. METHODS AND RESULTS: The immunofluorescent staining showed that under normal condition ASPP1 and p53 colocalized in the cytoplasm of neonatal mouse ventricular cardiomyocytes, while they were both upregulated and translocated to the nuclei upon hypoxia/reoxygenation treatment. The nuclear translocation of ASPP1 and p53 was interdependent, as knockdown of either ASPP1 or p53 attenuated nuclear translocation of the other one. Inhibition of importin-ß1 resulted in the cytoplasmic sequestration of both p53 and ASPP1 in neonatal mouse ventricular cardiomyocytes with hypoxia/reoxygenation stimulation. Overexpression of ASPP1 potentiated, whereas knockdown of ASPP1 inhibited the expression of Bax (Bcl2-associated X), PUMA (p53 upregulated modulator of apoptosis), and Noxa, direct apoptosis-associated targets of p53. ASPP1 was also increased in the I/R myocardium. Cardiomyocyte-specific transgenic overexpression of ASPP1 aggravated I/R injury as indicated by increased infarct size and impaired cardiac function. Conversely, knockout of ASPP1 mitigated cardiac I/R injury. The same qualitative data were observed in neonatal mouse ventricular cardiomyocytes exposed to hypoxia/reoxygenation injury. Furthermore, inhibition of p53 significantly blunted the proapoptotic activity and detrimental effects of ASPP1 both in vitro and in vivo. CONCLUSIONS: Binding of ASPP1 to p53 triggers their nuclear cotranslocation via importin-ß1 that eventually exacerbates cardiac I/R injury. The findings imply that interfering the expression of ASPP1 or the interaction between ASPP1 and p53 to block their nuclear trafficking represents an important therapeutic strategy for cardiac I/R injury.

Mechanisms of Resistance to Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors in ROS1 Fusion-Positive Nonsmall Cell Lung Cancer.

BACKGROUND: ROS1 fusion-positive (ROS1+) nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients are highly sensitive to tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) treatments. However, acquired TKI resistance remains the major hurdle preventing patients from experiencing prolonged benefits. METHODS: 107 advanced or metastatic ROS1+ NSCLC patients who progressed on crizotinib and lorlatinib were recruited. Tissue and plasma samples were collected at baseline (N = 50), postcrizotinib (N = 91), and postlorlatinib (N = 21), which were all subject to the 139-gene targeted next-generation DNA sequencing. Molecular dynamics modeling was performed to investigate the effects of ROS1 mutations on binding to different TKIs. RESULTS: In patients with postcrizotinib and postlorlatinib samples, an accumulation of on- and off-target resistance alterations after multiple TKI treatments was observed. ROS1 G2032R and MET amplification were the most common on-target and off-target alterations, respectively. Patients with CD74-ROS1 and SLC34A2-ROS1 had longer progression-free survival (PFS) (P < 0.001) and higher rates of resistance mutations (on-target, P = 0.001; off-target, P = 0.077) than other ROS1 fusion variants following crizotinib treatment. Ten distinct on-target resistance mutations were detected after TKI therapies, of which 4 were previously unreported (ROS1 L2010M, G1957A, D1988N, L1982V). Molecular dynamics simulations showed that all 4 mutations were refractory to crizotinib, while G1957A, D1988N, and L1982V were potentially sensitive to lorlatinib and entrectinib. CONCLUSIONS: This study provided a comprehensive portrait of TKI-resistance mechanisms in ROS1+ NSCLC patients. Using in silico simulations of TKI activity, novel secondary mutations that may confer TKI resistance were identified and may support clinical therapeutic decision-making.

Ultrasensitive and affordable assay for early detection of primary liver cancer using plasma cell-free DNA fragmentomics.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Early detection of primary liver cancer (PLC), including HCC, intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC), and combined HCC-ICC (cHCC-ICC), is essential for patients' survival. This study aims to develop an accurate and affordable method for PLC early detection and differentiating ICC from HCC using plasma cell-free DNA (cfDNA) fragmentomic profiles. APPROACH AND RESULTS: Whole-genome sequencings (WGS) were performed using plasma cfDNA samples from 192 patients with PLC (159 HCC, 26 ICC, 7 cHCC-ICC) and 170 noncancer controls (including 53 liver cirrhosis [LC] or HBV-positive) enrolled in the training cohort. An ensembled stacked model for PLC detection was constructed using the training cohort. The model performance was assessed in an independent test cohort (189 patients with PLC [157 HCC, 26 ICC, 6 cHCC-ICC], 164 noncancer controls [including 51 LC/HBV]). Our model showed excellent performance for cancer detection in the test cohort (AUC: 0.995, 96.8% sensitivity at 98.8% specificity). It showed excellent sensitivities in detecting early-stage PLC (I: 95.9%, II: 97.9%), small tumors (≤3 cm: 98.2%), and HCC (96.2%) or ICC (100%). The AUC for distinguishing PLC from LC/HBV reached 0.985 (96.8% specificity at 96.1% specificity). Promisingly, our model maintained consistent performances during the downsampling process, even using 1X coverage data (AUC: 0.994, 93.7% sensitivity at 98.8% specificity). A separate model showed potential for distinguishing ICC from HCC (AUC: 0.776). CONCLUSIONS: Our model, outperforming previous reports at a lower cost by solely using low-coverage WGS data, exhibits excellent clinical potential for ultrasensitive and affordable detection of PLC and its subtypes.

Ambient carbon monoxide and relative risk of daily hospital outpatient visits for respiratory diseases in Lanzhou, China.

At present, evidence of the associations between carbon monoxide (CO) and respiratory diseases (RD) in Northwest China is limited and controversial. The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of ambient CO on outpatient visits for RD in Lanzhou, China. The daily amount of outpatient visits for total and cause-specific RD, air pollutant, and weather variables were collected in Lanzhou, China from 1st January 2013 to 31st December 2019. A generalized additive model and distributed lag nonlinear model were used to assess associations between CO and outpatient visits for RD. During the study period, a total of 1,623,361 RD outpatient visits were recorded. For each interquartile range (IQR) (0.77 mg/m3) increase in CO, the relative risk (RR) was 1.163 (95% CI: 1.138, 1.188) for total RD at lag07, 1.153 (95% CI: 1.128,1.179) for upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) at lag07, 1.379 (95% CI: 1.338,1.422) for pneumonia at lag07, 1.029 (95% CI: 0.997,1.062) for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) lag04, 1.068 (95% CI: 1.028,1.110) for asthma lag03, and 1.212 (95% CI: 1.178,1.247) for bronchitis lag07, respectively. In the subgroup analyses, the impacts of CO were more pronounced on total RD, pneumonia, COPD, and bronchitis in males than females, while the opposite was true in URTI and asthma. The impact of CO on RD was the strongest for children under 15 years-of-age. We also found significantly stronger effects during cold seasons compared to warm seasons. In addition, we observed a roughly linear exposure-response curve between CO and RD with no threshold effect. This study in Lanzhou revealed a remarkable association between CO level and an elevated risk of total and cause-specific RD outpatient visits, especially for pneumonia.

Association between short-term ambient air pollution and outpatient visits for acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in Lanzhou, 2013-19.

Evidence between air pollution and hospital visits for acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) is inconsistent and limited in China. In this study, we constructed a time-series study to evaluate the association between air pollution and AECOPD outpatient visits. Daily hospital outpatient visits for AECOPD in three top level hospitals in Lanzhou from January 2013 to December 2019, as well as the air pollutants and meteorological data in the same period, were collected. Then, generalized additive models with quasi-Poisson regression were utilized to estimate the associations with single-day lags from lag0 to lag7 and cumulative-day lag from lag01 to lag07. For example, lag0 referred to the concentration of air pollutants at the current day and lag1 referred to the previous-day air pollutant concentration and so on. Lag01 meant the average concentration of air pollutants at the current and previous day, and lag07 corresponded to the eight-day moving average value of the current and previous 7 days. In addition, stratified analyses were performed by gender, age, and season. The risk estimates were expressed in terms of the percentage changes (PC) in AECOPD outpatient visits per 10 µg/m3 increment of air pollutants (except that CO was per 1 mg/m3) and their respective 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The strongest effect on AECOPD morbidity was found lag07 for PM2.5 (PC = 1.96, 95% CI 1.07, 2.86 per 10 µg/m3), lag03 for PM10 (PC = 0.25, 95% CI 0.01, 0.49 per 10 µg/m3), lag05 for SO2 (PC = 1.67, 95% CI 0.54, 3.93 per 10 µg/m3), and lag03 for NO2 (PC = 1.37, 95% CI 0.25, 2.51 per 10 µg/m3). No significant association of O3 and CO with AECOPD onset was found. In the subgroup analyses, the associations of PM2.5 and SO2 were more pronounced on males than female, the patients aged < 65 years were more vulnerable to PM2.5 and NO2, but 65-74 years old were more vulnerable to PM2.5, SO2, and NO2. Patients aged ≥ 75 years suffered more from PM2.5, PM10, and SO2. The associations between PM2.5, PM10, SO2, NO2, and AECOPD outpatients were stronger in the cold season than those in the hot season. From exposure-response curves, we observe linear relationships of PM2.5, SO2, NO2, O38h, and CO with hospital outpatient visits for AECOPD. The increase in PM2.5, PM10, SO2, and NO2 concentration will lead to an increase in the number of outpatient visits for AECOPD and have different influence patterns in different genders, ages, and seasons.

Ambient carbon monoxide and the risk of cardiovascular disease emergency room visits: a time-series study in Lanzhou, China.

Until now, the epidemiological evidence on the association between short-term exposure to ambient carbon monoxide (CO) and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) is relatively lacking and controversial. This study aims to examine the relationship between ambient CO and daily emergency room visits (ERVs) for total and cause-specific CVD in Lanzhou, China. A distributed lag nonlinear model was used to examine the association. For every 1 mg/m3 increase in the CO concentration, the relative risks of daily ERVs were 1.041 (95% CI: 1.017, 1.065) for total CVD, 1.065 (95% CI: 1.018, 1.114) for ischemic heart disease (IHD), 1.083 (95% CI: 1.020, 1.149) for heart rhythm disturbances (HRD), 1.062 (95% CI: 1.011, 1.115) for heart failure (HF), and 1.057 (95% CI: 1.017, 1.098) for cerebrovascular diseases (CD). For the two different gender subgroups, the short-term impact of CO on total CVD, IHD, and CD was relatively stronger for the females than for the males, while the opposite was true for HRD and HF. In the age subgroup analyses, the effect of ambient CO on total CVD and IHD appeared to be greater for the age ≥ 65 years group, while the opposite was true for HRD, HF, and CD. The associations for all disease categories were stronger in cold seasons than in warm seasons. We also observed a nearly linear correlation between CO and CVD ERVs. In conclusion, the study showed that exposure to ambient CO may increase the risks of ERVs for total and cause-specific CVD. Besides, CO-ERVs associations may vary by gender and age.

Letter to the Editor: An ultra-sensitive assay using cell-free DNA fragmentomics for multi-cancer early detection.

Early detection can benefit cancer patients with more effective treatments and better prognosis, but existing early screening tests are limited, especially for multi-cancer detection. This study investigated the most prevalent and lethal cancer types, including primary liver cancer (PLC), colorectal adenocarcinoma (CRC), and lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). Leveraging the emerging cell-free DNA (cfDNA) fragmentomics, we developed a robust machine learning model for multi-cancer early detection. 1,214 participants, including 381 PLC, 298 CRC, 292 LUAD patients, and 243 healthy volunteers, were enrolled. The majority of patients (N = 971) were at early stages (stage 0, N = 34; stage I, N = 799). The participants were randomly divided into a training cohort and a test cohort in a 1:1 ratio while maintaining the ratio for the major histology subtypes. An ensemble stacked machine learning approach was developed using multiple plasma cfDNA fragmentomic features. The model was trained solely in the training cohort and then evaluated in the test cohort. Our model showed an Area Under the Curve (AUC) of 0.983 for differentiating cancer patients from healthy individuals. At 95.0% specificity, the sensitivity of detecting all cancer reached 95.5%, while 100%, 94.6%, and 90.4% for PLC, CRC, and LUAD, individually. The cancer origin model demonstrated an overall 93.1% accuracy for predicting cancer origin in the test cohort (97.4%, 94.3%, and 85.6% for PLC, CRC, and LUAD, respectively). Our model sensitivity is consistently high for early-stage and small-size tumors. Furthermore, its detection and origin classification power remained superior when reducing sequencing depth to 1× (cancer detection: ≥ 91.5% sensitivity at 95.0% specificity; cancer origin: ≥ 91.6% accuracy). In conclusion, we have incorporated plasma cfDNA fragmentomics into the ensemble stacked model and established an ultrasensitive assay for multi-cancer early detection, shedding light on developing cancer early screening in clinical practice.

Utility of ctDNA in predicting response to neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy and prognosis assessment in locally advanced rectal cancer: A prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: For locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) patients who receive neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT), there are no reliable indicators to accurately predict pathological complete response (pCR) before surgery. For patients with clinical complete response (cCR), a "Watch and Wait" (W&W) approach can be adopted to improve quality of life. However, W&W approach may increase the recurrence risk in patients who are judged to be cCR but have minimal residual disease (MRD). Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a major tool to evaluate response to nCRT; however, its ability to predict pCR needs to be improved. In this prospective cohort study, we explored the value of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in combination with MRI in the prediction of pCR before surgery and investigated the utility of ctDNA in risk stratification and prognostic prediction for patients undergoing nCRT and total mesorectal excision (TME). METHODS AND FINDINGS: We recruited 119 Chinese LARC patients (cT3-4/N0-2/M0; median age of 57; 85 males) who were treated with nCRT plus TME at Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center (China) from February 7, 2016 to October 31, 2017. Plasma samples at baseline, during nCRT, and after surgery were collected. A total of 531 plasma samples were collected and subjected to deep targeted panel sequencing of 422 cancer-related genes. The association among ctDNA status, treatment response, and prognosis was analyzed. The performance of ctDNA alone, MRI alone, and combining ctDNA with MRI was evaluated for their ability to predict pCR/non-pCR. Ranging from complete tumor regression (pathological tumor regression grade 0; pTRG0) to poor regression (pTRG3), the ctDNA clearance rate during nCRT showed a significant decreasing trend (95.7%, 77.8%, 71.1%, and 66.7% in pTRG 0, 1, 2, and 3 groups, respectively, P = 0.008), while the detection rate of acquired mutations in ctDNA showed an increasing trend (3.8%, 8.3%, 19.2%, and 23.1% in pTRG 0, 1, 2, and 3 groups, respectively, P = 0.02). Univariable logistic regression showed that ctDNA clearance was associated with a low probability of non-pCR (odds ratio = 0.11, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] = 0.01 to 0.6, P = 0.04). A risk score predictive model, which incorporated both ctDNA (i.e., features of baseline ctDNA, ctDNA clearance, and acquired mutation status) and MRI tumor regression grade (mrTRG), was developed and demonstrated improved performance in predicting pCR/non-pCR (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.886, 95% CI = 0.810 to 0.962) compared with models derived from only ctDNA (AUC = 0.818, 95% CI = 0.725 to 0.912) or only mrTRG (AUC = 0.729, 95% CI = 0.641 to 0.816). The detection of potential colorectal cancer (CRC) driver genes in ctDNA after nCRT indicated a significantly worse recurrence-free survival (RFS) (hazard ratio [HR] = 9.29, 95% CI = 3.74 to 23.10, P < 0.001). Patients with detectable driver mutations and positive high-risk feature (HR_feature) after surgery had the highest recurrence risk (HR = 90.29, 95% CI = 17.01 to 479.26, P < 0.001). Limitations include relatively small sample size, lack of independent external validation, no serial ctDNA testing after surgery, and a relatively short follow-up period. CONCLUSIONS: The model combining ctDNA and MRI improved the predictive performance compared with the models derived from individual information, and combining ctDNA with HR_feature can stratify patients with a high risk of recurrence. Therefore, ctDNA can supplement MRI to better predict nCRT response, and it could potentially help patient selection for nonoperative management and guide the treatment strategy for those with different recurrence risks.

Role of the Notch ligands Jagged1 and Delta4 in Th17/Treg immune imbalance in a mouse model of chronic asthma.

PURPOSE: Asthma is associated with a T helper (Th)17/regulatory T (Treg) cells immune imbalance where the Notch signaling pathway contributes vitally. This study aimed to explore the role of Notch ligands Jagged1 and Delta4 in the Th17/Treg immune imbalance of chronic asthmatic mice. METHODS: The experimental animals were randomly assigned to the Saline, ovalbumin (OVA), and OVA + γ-secretase inhibitor (GSI) groups. A mouse model of chronic asthma was induced by OVA sensitization and challenge. GSI was injected intraperitoneally before the OVA challenge in the OVA + GSI group. Lung function, lung histopathology and immunohistochemistry to assess airway inflammation, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to measure cytokines levels, flow cytometry to measure the proportions of Th17 (Th17%) and Treg% in CD4+T cells, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blot to measure mRNA and protein levels of Jagged1 and Delta4 in lung tissue, and correlation analysis were performed. RESULTS: Lung function and histopathology and IL-4, IL-13, and IFN-γ levels in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of chronic asthmatic mice showed characteristic changes of asthma. The Th17%, Th17/Treg ratio, BALF and serum IL-17 levels, and IL-17/IL-10 ratio increased significantly in the OVA group, while the Treg% and IL-10 level significantly decreased. mRNA and protein expression levels of Jagged1 and Delta4 increased significantly. GSI could reduce the Th17%, Th17/Treg ratio, IL-17, IL-17/IL-10 ratio, and Jagged1 expression in chronic asthmatic mice. The mRNA and protein levels of Jagged1 and Delta4 were positively correlated with the Th17/Treg ratio in the OVA group, while only those of Jagged1 were positively correlated with the Th17/Treg ratio in the OVA + GSI group. CONCLUSIONS: In chronic asthmatic mice, the Th17/Treg ratio increased, and the Notch ligands Jagged1 and Delta4 were overactive and positively regulated the Th17/Treg imbalance. GSI partially inhibited Jagged1 and relieved the Th17/Treg imbalance.

Association between atmospheric PM2.5 and daily outpatient visits for children's respiratory diseases in Lanzhou.

The relationship between fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and respiratory disease outcomes among children aged 0 to 14 years in Lanzhou, China, was evaluated. We utilized a generalized additive model linked by a quasi-Poisson distribution to examine the associations between PM2.5 and paediatric respiratory outpatient visits for time lags of 0 up to 7 days, and stratified by gender, age, and season. Cases of respiratory disease in children were collected from 3 large hospitals for the years 2014-2017 and then linked with air pollutant concentrations from 4 air quality monitoring stations by date. We observed positive and significant associations between PM2.5 and respiratory disease from the lag to lag 7, and from lag01 to lag07, with ER reaching the maximum value at lag07. For each 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 (lag07), the associated increment in respiratory diseases was 2.83% (95% CI 1.80%-3.86%). Males were more sensitive to the adverse effects, and the association was more significant in spring (from March to May) and winter (from December to the next February). Overall, the child group (age 3-6 years) demonstrated a higher risk of respiratory disease after PM2.5 exposure. The associations between ambient PM2.5 and respiratory hospital outpatients among young children became partially attenuated after the adjustment for gaseous pollutants in subgroups. The exposure-response curves were positive and generally nonlinear but flatted at concentrations over 60 µg/m3. This research found a significant association between ambient PM2.5 levels and hospital outpatient visits in child with respiratory diseases in Lanzhou, China.

[Effects of PM2.5 on phagocytic function of alveolar macrophages in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease mice].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of fine particulate matter with a mean aerodynamic diameter ≤2.5 µm (PM2.5) collected from Lanzhou city on phagocytic function of alveolar macrophages (AM) in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) mice. METHODS: Forty male mice were randomly divided into four groups: healthy group, healthy PM2.5 group, COPD group and COPD PM2.5 group. COPD mice were established by cigarette smoking. PM2.5 (10 mg/kg) collected by air sampler was intratracheally instilled in healthy PM2.5 group and COPD PM2.5 group. Mice were sacrificed after 14 days, and alveolar macrophages (AM) were isolated. Mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) and the positive percent of alveolar macrophages engulfing flurescein isothiocyanate-labeled Escherichia coli (FITC-E.coli) (AM%) were detected by flow cytometry. Total antioxidative capacity (TAC) was measured by O-phenanthroline colorimetry. Malondialdehyde (MDA) was measured by thiobarbiturieacid colorimetry and myeloperoxidase (MPO) was measured by O-dianisidine colorimetry. RESULTS: The peak inspiratory flow (PIF), peak expiratory flow (PEF) and dynamic compliance (Cdyn) of COPD group were significantly lower than healthy control group. The pathology of COPD group showed disruption of alveolar septa, formation of emphysema, and that the number of alveoli had a significant reduction. The MFI and AM% in COPD group were significant lower than healthy group (14.1±1.7 vs 43.2±6.1, 9.2%±2.3% vs 69.1%±8.3%)(all P<0.01). Comparing to healthy group and COPD group, the MFI and AM% in healthy PM2.5 group (20.3±4.5, 40.4%±4.4%) and COPD PM2.5 group (7.5±1.3, 6.0%±2.2%) were respectively lowered. The level of TAC in COPD group was significantly lower than healthy group [(3.10±0.64) vs (15.43±0.69)U/mg], the levels of MDA and MPO in COPD group were higher than healthy group[(2.72±0.13) vs (1.31±0.16) nmol/mg, (1.63±0.11) vs (0.92±0.13)U/g] (all P<0.01). In both healthy PM2.5 group and COPD PM2.5 group, the levels of TAC [(6.75±1.06), (2.34±0.61) U/mg] were lower than their corresponding control group; while the levels of MDA [(1.96±0.31), (3.20±0.19) nmol/mg] and the levels of MPO [(1.01±0.19), (1.74±0.13) U/g] were increased (all P<0.01). For the COPD group at baseline and after the intervention of PM2.5, the MFI and AM% showed positive correlation with the levels of TAC, and negative correlation with the levels of MDA , and negative correlation with the levels of MPO (all P<0.05). For health group at baseline and after the intervention PM2.5, the above relationships still existed (all P<0.05). CONCLUSION: PM2.5 can damage phagocytosis of AM and exacerbate oxidative stress in COPD mice, and AM phagocytosis impairment by PM2.5 is closely associated with oxidative stress.

[Effects of cigarette smoke on phagocytosed function of monocyte-derived macrophage in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effects of cigarette smoke extract (CSE) on phagocytosizing function of monocyte-derived macrophages (MDMs) in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). METHODS: From January 2012 to March 2013, peripheral blood monocytes were isolated from 32 stable COPD patients and 32 healthy controls at First Hospital, Lanzhou University. MDM was induced and cultured from monocytes in vitro. The MDMs from COPD patients and healthy controls were divided into 4 groups of COPD non-CSE (conventional culture), COPD CSE (4% CSE treatment for 6 h), healthy non-CSE (conventional culture) and healthy CSE (4% CSE treatment for 6 h). Flow cytometry (mean fluorescence intensity, MFI) and laser scanning confocal microscopy (fluorescence grey level) were applied to detect the ability of MDM phagocytosed fluorescein-labeled Escherichia coli (FITC-E.coli). Total antioxidative capacity (TAC) was measured by o-phenanthroline colorimetry. Malondialdehyde (MDA) was measured by thiobarbituric acid colorimetry and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX) by 5, 5'-dithiobis-2-nitrobenzoic acid (DTNB) method. RESULTS: MFI and fluorescence grey level in COPD non-CSE group (20.2 ± 2.2, 51.5 ± 5.8) significantly decreased than those in healthy non-CSE group (56.9 ± 6.7, 87.3 ± 7.3). And in COPD CSE (7.6 ± 0.7, 14.1 ± 3.4) and healthy CSE groups (48.0 ± 5.4, 69.7 ± 6.0) decreased more than those in COPD non-CSE and healthy non-CSE groups (all P < 0.01). The levels of TAC and GSH-PX in COPD non-CSE group ((4.1 ± 0.5), (47.1 ± 4.1) U/ml) were lower than those in healthy non-CSE group ((5.1 ± 0.6), (88.4 ± 2.3) U/ml). And in COPD CSE and healthy CSE groups ((3.1 ± 0.4), (26.8 ± 6.2) U/ml) and (4.5 ± 0.4), (72.3 ± 5.1) U/ml) were respectively lower than those in COPD non-CSE and healthy non-CSE groups (all P < 0.01). The content of MDA in COPD non-CSE group was higher than that in healthy non-CSE group [(4.8 ± 0.5) vs (2.1 ± 0.4) µmol/L)]. And in COPD CSE and healthy CSE groups ((7.7 ± 0.9), (3.0 ± 0.6)µmol/L) were higher than those in COPD non-CSE and healthy non-CSE groups (all P < 0.01). At basic status, positive correlations existed between MFI and TAC, GSH-PX (r = 0.523, 0.818, P = 0.038, 0.001) while negative correlations between MFI and MDA (r = -0.501, P = 0.048) in COPD patients and after CSE treatment, the above relationships still existed (r = 0.704, 0.716, -0.522, P = 0.002, 0.002, 0.038). CONCLUSIONS: Cigarette smoke can reduce the phagocytosizing ability of MDM in COPD patients. And it may be related with oxidative stress.

[Effects of sulforaphane on Toll-like receptor 4/myeloid differentiation factor 88 pathway of monocyte-derived macrophages from patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effects of sulforaphane on Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88) pathway and its downstream inflammatory cytokines in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). METHODS: From Jan. 2012 to Mar. 2013, thirty-two stable COPD patients and thirty healthy donors (non-COPD group) from the First Hospital of Lanzhou University were recruited. The peripheral blood monocytes were isolated and induced to macrophages (monocyte-derived macrophages, MDMs). The MDMs of COPD patients were divided into a blank control group, a LPS group, a sulforaphane group, a sulforaphane and LPS group (combined group), while the MDMs from the non-COPD group received no drug intervention. The number of cells in each group was 3×10(6). The mRNA and protein expression of TLR4 and MyD88 were measured with real-time PCR and Western blot. The TNF-α and IL-6 levels in the culture supernatant were measured with ELISA. Oneway ANOVA and LSD-t test were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: The levels of mRNA and protein of TLR4 and MyD88 and the contents of TNF-α and IL-6 in the culture supernatant were higher in the blank control group [3.7 ± 0.5, 1.9 ± 0.4, 0.45 ± 0.18, 1.11 ± 0.65, (31 ± 4) and (43 ± 5) µg/L] than those in the non-COPD group [1.00, 1.00, 0.26 ± 0.14, 0.58 ± 0.40, (19 ± 2) and (29 ± 4) µg/L] (t = 2.19-12.11, P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). After LPS treatment (LPS group), the above parameters [5.5 ± 1.1, 3.4 ± 1.6, 0.65 ± 0.20, 1.66 ± 0.64, (47 ± 4) and (54 ± 5) µg/L] were increased as compared to those in the blank control group (t = 2.39-11.9, P < 0.05 or P < 0.01), but after sulforaphane treatment(Sulforaphane group), these parameters [2.2 ± 0.4, 1.0 ± 0.6, 0.25 ± 0.09, 0.62 ± 0.34, (20 ± 3) and (27 ± 4) µg/L] were decreased as compared to those in the blank control group (t = 2.13-8.46, P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). Similarly, these parameters in the combined group [3.2 ± 0.5, 1.5 ± 0.8, 0.33 ± 0.11, 0.77 ± 0.25, (31 ± 3) and (33 ± 4) µg/L] were also remarkably decreased as compared to those in the LPS group (t = 3.87-12.24, all P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The TLR4/MyD88 pathway was activated and its downstream inflammatory cytokines were increased in macrophages from COPD patients. Sulforaphane could inhibit the TLR4/MyD88 pathway and reduce the releasing of downstream inflammatory cytokines, suggesting that sulforaphane may have an anti-inflammatory effect in COPD.

Preparation and Characterization of a Hypoglycemic Complex of Gallic Acid-Antarctic Krill Polypeptide Based on Polylactic Acid-Hydroxyacetic Acid (PLGA) and High-Pressure Microjet Microencapsulation.

Gallic acid-Antarctic krill peptides (GA-AKP) nanocapsules (GA-AKP-Ns) were prepared using a dual delivery system with complex emulsion as the technical method, a high-pressure microjet as the technical means, polylactic acid-hydroxyacetic acid (PLGA) as the drug delivery vehicle, and GA-AKP as the raw material for delivery. This study aimed to investigate the effects of microjet treatment and the concentration of PLGA on the physicochemical properties and stability of the emulsion. Under optimal conditions, the physicochemical properties and hypoglycemic function of nano-microcapsules prepared after lyophilization by the solvent evaporation method were analyzed. Through the microjet treatment, the particle size of the emulsion was reduced, the stability of the emulsion was improved, and the encapsulation rate of GA-AKP was increased. The PLGA at low concentrations decreased the particle size of the emulsion, while PLGA at high concentrations enhanced the encapsulation efficiency of the emulsion. Additionally, favorable results were obtained for emulsion preparation through high-pressure microjet treatment. After three treatment cycles with a PLGA concentration of 20 mg/mL and a microjet pressure of 150 MPa (manometric pressure), the emulsion displayed the smallest particle size (285.1 ± 3.0 nm), the highest encapsulation rates of GA (71.5%) and AKP (85.2%), and optimal physical stability. GA-AKP was uniformly embedded in capsules, which can be slowly released in in vitro environments, and effectively inhibited α-amylase, α-glucosidase, and DPP-IV at different storage temperatures. This study demonstrated that PLGA as a carrier combined with microjet technology can produce excellent microcapsules, especially nano-microcapsules, and these microcapsules effectively improve the bioavailability and effectiveness of bioactive ingredients.

Short-Term Effects of Ambient Air Pollution on Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Admissions in Jiuquan, China.

Recent findings indicate that air pollution contributes to the onset and advancement of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Nevertheless, there is insufficient research indicating that air pollution is linked to COPD in the region of inland northwest China. Daily hospital admission records for COPD, air pollutant levels, and meteorological factor information were collected in Jiuquan for this study between 1 January 2018 and 31 December 2019. We employed a distributed lag non-linear model (DLNM) integrated with the generalized additive model (GAM) to assess the association between air pollution and hospital admissions for COPD with single lag days from lag0 to lag7 and multiday moving average lag days from lag01 to lag07. For example, the pollutant concentration on the current day was lag0, and on the prior 7th day was lag7. The present and previous 7-day moving average pollutant concentration was lag07. Gender, age, and season-specific stratified analyses were also carried out. It is noteworthy that the delayed days exhibited a different pattern, and the magnitude of associations varied. For NO2 and CO, obvious associations with hospitalizations for COPD were found at lag1, lag01-lag07, and lag03-lag07, with the biggest associations at lag05 and lag06 [RR = 1.015 (95%CI: 1.008, 1.023) for NO2, RR = 2.049 (95%CI: 1.416, 2.966) for CO], while only SO2 at lag02 was appreciably linked to hospitalizations for COPD [1.167 (95%CI: 1.009, 1.348)]. In contrast, short-term encounters with PM2.5, PM10, and O3 were found to have no significant effects on COPD morbidity. The lag effects of NO2 and CO were stronger than those of PM2.5 and PM10. Males and those aged 65 years or older were more vulnerable to air pollution. When it came to the seasons, the impacts appeared to be more pronounced in the cold season. In conclusion, short-term encounters with NO2 and CO were significantly correlated with COPD hospitalization in males and the elderly (≥65).

Changes in the Quality and Microbial Communities of Precooked Seasoned Crayfish Tail Treated with Microwave and Biological Preservatives during Room Temperature Storage.

The qualities of precooked foods can be significantly changed by the microorganisms produced during room temperature storage. This work assessed the effects of different antibacterial treatments (CK, without any treatment; microwave treatment, MS; microwave treatment and biological preservatives, MSBP) on the physicochemical properties and microbial communities of precooked crayfish tails during room temperature storage. Only the combination of microwave sterilization and biological preservatives significantly inhibited spoilage, as evidenced by the total viable count (4.15 log CFU/g) after 3 days of room temperature storage, which satisfied the transit time of most logistics companies in China. Changes in pH and TVB-N were also significantly inhibited in the MSBP group compared with those in the CK and MS groups. More than 30 new volatile compounds were produced in the CK groups during room temperature storage. However, in the MSBP groups, the volatile compounds were almost unchanged. The correlations between the microbial composition and volatile compounds suggested that specific bacterial species with metabolic activities related to amino acid, energy, cofactor, and vitamin metabolism, as well as xenobiotics biodegradation and metabolism, were responsible for the changes in volatile compounds. These bacteria included Psychrobacter, Arthrobacter, Facklamia, Leucobacter, Corynebacterium, Erysipelothrix, Devosia, Dietzia, and Acidovorax. Overall, our findings provide a foundation for the development of strategies to inhibit spoilage in precooked crayfish tails stored at room temperature.

Cfp1 Controls Cardiomyocyte Maturation by Modifying Histone H3K4me3 of Structural, Metabolic, and Contractile Related Genes.

Cardiomyocyte maturation is the final stage of heart development, and abnormal cardiomyocyte maturation will lead to serious heart diseases. CXXC zinc finger protein 1 (Cfp1), a key epigenetic factor in multi-lineage cell development, remains underexplored in its influence on cardiomyocyte maturation. This study investigates the role and mechanisms of Cfp1 in this context. Cardiomyocyte-specific Cfp1 knockout (Cfp1-cKO) mice died within 4 weeks of birth. Cardiomyocytes derived from Cfp1-cKO mice showed an inhibited maturation phenotype, characterized by structural, metabolic, contractile, and cell cycle abnormalities. In contrast, cardiomyocyte-specific Cfp1 transgenic (Cfp1-TG) mice and human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) overexpressing Cfp1 displayed a more mature phenotype. Mechanistically, deficiency of Cfp1 led to a reduction in trimethylation on lysine 4 of histone H3 (H3K4me3) modification, accompanied by the formation of ectopic H3K4me3. Furthermore, Cfp1 deletion decreased the level of H3K4me3 modification in adult genes and increased the level of H3K4me3 modification in fetal genes. Collectively, Cfp1 modulates the expression of genes crucial to cardiomyocyte maturation by regulating histone H3K4me3 modification, thereby intricately influencing the maturation process. This study implicates Cfp1 as an important molecule regulating cardiomyocyte maturation, with its dysfunction strongly linked to cardiac disease.

Recent Progress in Microencapsulation of Active Peptides-Wall Material, Preparation, and Application: A Review.

Being a natural active substance with a wide variety of sources, easy access, significant curative effect, and high safety, active peptides have gradually become one of the new research directions in food, medicine, agriculture, and other fields in recent years. The technology associated with active peptides is constantly evolving. There are obvious difficulties in the preservation, delivery, and slow release of exposed peptides. Microencapsulation technology can effectively solve these difficulties and improve the utilization rate of active peptides. In this paper, the commonly used materials for embedding active peptides (natural polymer materials, modified polymer materials, and synthetic polymer materials) and embedding technologies are reviewed, with emphasis on four new technologies (microfluidics, microjets, layer-by-layer self-assembly, and yeast cells). Compared with natural materials, modified materials and synthetic polymer materials show higher embedding rates and mechanical strength. The new technology improves the preparation efficiency and embedding rate of microencapsulated peptides and makes the microencapsulated particle size tend to be controllable. In addition, the current application of peptide microcapsules in different fields was also introduced. Selecting active peptides with different functions, using appropriate materials and efficient preparation technology to achieve targeted delivery and slow release of active peptides in the application system, will become the focus of future research.

MiR-155 enhances phagocytosis of alveolar macrophages through the mTORC2/RhoA pathway.

Alveolar macrophage phagocytosis is significantly reduced in Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and cigarette smoke extract is one of the chief reasons for this decrease. Nevertheless, the specific underlying mechanism remains elusive. In this study, the role and possible mechanism of miR-155-5p/mTORC2/RhoA in the phagocytosis of mouse alveolar macrophages (MH-S) were explored. Our results revealed that cigarette smoke extract intervention reduced MH-S cell phagocytosis and miR-155-5p expression. Meanwhile, the dual-luciferase reporter assay validated that Rictor is a target of miR-155-5p. On the one hand, transfecting miR-155-5p mimic, mimic NC, miR-155-5p inhibitor, or inhibitor NC in MH-S cells overexpressing miR-155-5p increased the Alveolar macrophage phagocytotic rate, up-regulated the expression level of RhoA and p-RhoA, and down-regulated that of mTOR and Rictor mRNA and protein. On the other hand, inhibiting the expression of miR-155-5p lowered the phagocytotic rate, up-regulated the expression of mTOR, Rictor mRNA, and protein, and down-regulated the expression of RhoA and p-RhoA, which taken together, authenticated that miR-155-5p participates in macrophage phagocytosis via the mTORC2/RhoA pathway. Finally, confocal microscopy demonstrated that cells overexpressing miR-155-5p underwent cytoskeletal rearrangement during phagocytosis, and the phagocytic function of cells was enhanced, signaling that miR-155-5p participated in macrophage skeletal rearrangement and enhanced alveolar macrophage phagocytosis by targeting the expression of Rictor in the mTORC2/RhoA pathway.