MiR-122-5p regulates erastin-induced ferroptosis via CS in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a tumor that occurs in the nasopharynx. Although advances in detection and treatment have improved the prognosis of NPC the treatment of advanced NPC remains challenging. Here, we explored the effect of microRNA (miR)-122-5p on erastin-induced ferroptosis in NPC cells and the role of ferroptosis in the development of NPC. The effect of miR-122-5p silencing and overexpression and the effect of citrate synthase on erastin-induced lipid peroxidation in NPC cells was analyzed by measuring the amounts of malondialdehyde, Fe2+, glutathione, and reactive oxygen species and the morphological alterations of mitochondria. The malignant biological behavior of NPC cells was examined by cell counting kit-8, EDU, colony formation, Transwell, and wound healing assays. The effects of miR-122-5p on cell proliferation and migration associated with ferroptosis were examined in vivo in a mouse model of NPC generated by subcutaneous injection of NPC cells. We found that erastin induced ferroptosis in NPC cells. miR-122-5p overexpression inhibited CS, thereby promoting erastin-induced ferroptosis in NPC cells and decreasing NPC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion.

Identification of hub genes and drug candidates for NF2-related vestibular schwannoma by bioinformatics tools.

Neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2)-related vestibular schwannoma (NF2-VS) is a rare genetic disorder that results in bilateral acoustic neuromas. However, the exact pathogenesis of the disease is still unclear. This study aims to use bioinformatics analyses to identify potential hub genes and therapeutic. We retrieved the mRNA expression profiles (GSE108524 and GSE141801) of NF2-VS from the database, and selected the leading 25% genes with the most variance across samples for weighted correlation network analysis. Subsequently, we conducted gene ontology term and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes signaling network enrichment analyses. The STRING database was employed for protein-protein interaction (PPI) axis construction. The mRNA-miRNA modulatory network was generated via the miRTarBase database. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified via the R package "limma" in both datasets, and hub genes were screened via intersection of common DEGs, candidate hub genes from the PPI axis, and candidate hub genes from the key module. Finally, common DEGs were uploaded onto the connectivity map database to determine drug candidates. Based on our observations, the blue module exhibited the most significant relation to NF2-VS, and it included the NF2 gene. Using enrichment analysis, we demonstrated that the blue modules were intricately linked to modulations of cell proliferation, migration, adhesion, junction, and actin skeleton. Overall, 356 common DEGs were screened in both datasets, and 33 genes carrying a degree > 15 were chosen as candidate hub genes in the PPI axis. Subsequently, 4 genes, namely, GLUL, CAV1, MYH11, and CCND1 were recognized as real hub genes. In addition, 10 drugs with enrichment scores < -0.7 were identified as drug candidates. Our conclusions offered a novel insight into the potential underlying mechanisms behind NF2-VS. These findings may facilitate the identification of novel therapeutic targets in the future.

The association between exposure to volatile organic compounds and serum lipids in the US adult population.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Epidemiological evidence on the relationship between exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOCs), both single and mixed, and serum lipid levels is limited, and their relationship remains unclear. Our study aimed to investigate the associations of exposure to VOCs with serum lipid levels in the US adult population. METHODS AND RESULTS: The study examined the association of 16 VOC levels (2-methylhippuric acid, 3- and 4-methylhippuric acid, N-acetyl-S-(2-carbamoylethyl)-L-cysteine, N-acetyl-S-(N-methylcarbamoyl)-L-cysteine, 2-aminothiazoline-4-carboxylic acid, N-acetyl-S-(benzyl)-L-cysteine, N-acetyl-S-(n-propyl)-L-cysteine, N-acetyl-S-(2-carboxyethyl)-L-cysteine, N-acetyl-S-(2-cyanoethyl)-L-cysteine, N-acetyl-S-(3,4-dihydroxybutyl)-L-cysteine, N-acetyl-S-(2-hydroxypropyl)-L-cysteine. N-Acetyl-S-(3-hydroxypropyl)-L-cysteine, mandelic acid, N-acetyl-S-(4-hydroxy-2-butenyl)-L-cysteine, phenylglyoxylic acid and N-acetyl-S-(3-hydroxypropyl-1-methyl)-L-cysteine) with total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) between 2011 and 2015, and a total of 1410 adults were enrolled. The association was evaluated by Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR), multiple linear regression and weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression. In BKMR analysis, exposure to VOCs is positively correlated with levels of TC, TG, and LDL-C. However, statistical significance was observed only for the impact on TG. Our linear regression analysis and WQS regression generally support the BKMR results. Several VOCs were positively associated with serum lipid profiles (e.g., the ln-transformed level of mandelic acid (MA) displayed an increase in estimated changes of 7.01 (95% CIs: 2.78, 11.24) mg/dL for TC level), even after the effective number of tests for multiple testing (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Exposure to VOCs was associated with serum lipids, and more studies are needed to confirm these findings.

Identification of key genes and immune infiltration based on weighted gene co-expression network analysis in vestibular schwannoma.

Vestibular schwannomas are the most common tumors of the cerebellopontine angle, but their pathogenesis is still unclear. This study aimed to explore the molecular mechanisms and potential therapeutic target biomarkers in vestibular schwannoma. Two datasets (GSE141801 and GSE54934) were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. Weighted gene coexpression network analysis was performed to find the key modules associated with vestibular schwannoma (VS). Functional enrichment analysis was applied to evaluate the gene enrichment signaling pathway in key modules. Protein-protein interaction networks in key modules were constructed using the STRING website. Hub genes were identified by intersecting candidate hub genes in protein-protein interaction network and candidate hub genes in key modules. Single-sample gene set enrichment analysis was utilized to quantify the abundance of tumor-infiltrating immune cells in VSs and normal control nerves. A Random forest classifier was developed based on hub genes identified in this study and validated on an independent dataset (GSE108524). Results of immune cell infiltration were also validated on GSE108524 by gene set enrichment analysis. Eight genes from coexpression modules were identified as hub genes, that is, CCND1, CAV1, GLI1, SOX9, LY86, TLR3, TREM2, and C3AR1, which might be potential therapeutic targets for VS. We also found that there were distinct differences in the infiltration levels of immune cells between VSs and normal control nerves. Overall, our findings may be useful for investigating the mechanisms underlying VS and provide noteworthy directions for future research.

Second Primary Malignancy in Patients with Hypopharyngeal Carcinoma: A SEER-Based Study.

BACKGROUND: A population-based analysis of the risk of secondary primary malignancy (SPM) in patients with hypopharyngeal carcinoma (HPC) has been lacking in the literature. Therefore, we conducted this study to determine the risk factors and assess the effects of SPM on the overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) of patients with HPC. METHODS: Data on selected patients diagnosed with HPC from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database between 1973 and 2015 were examined through logistic regression, Cox regression and nomogram methods. RESULTS: The overall risk of SPM in patients with HPC was higher than that in the general population (SIR: 2.77; P < 0.05). The specific-site, including the oral cavity, pharynx, digestive system, respiratory system and endocrine system, had a relatively higher risk of SPM. The overall risks of the subgroup of people 55-75 years of age and all subgroups of sex, race and latency were significantly elevated. In addition, patients with HPC were more likely to have been diagnosed in 2010-2015 (vs 2004-2009; P = 0.002), to be unmarried (vs married; P = 0.008), to have distant metastasis (vs no metastasis; P = 0.016) and to have had no surgery for the first tumor (vs surgery for the first tumor; P = 0.021), and these aspects were associated with a significantly elevated risk of developing SPM. SPM was independently associated with better OS and CSS. The OS and CSS in patients with HPC with SPM were better than those in patients without SPM (log rank P < 0.0001). The C indexes of the nomogram constructed with ten influencing factors including SPM were 0.681:0.699 for OS and 0.705:0.724 for CSS (training cohort:validation cohort). CONCLUSION: Although the overall risk of SPM in patients with HPC was elevated, SPM did not decrease the OS and CSS in patients with HPC. This finding is inconsistent with clinical observations and thus requires further research and exploration. It possibly because HPC might have a shorter survival time, or the follow-up time was not long enough.

MicroRNA-155-5p regulates the Th1/Th2 cytokines expression and the apoptosis of group 2 innate lymphoid cells via targeting TP53INP1 in allergic rhinitis.

As a key component of innate immunity, group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s) play a key role in Allergic rhinitis (AR). We previously demonstrated that both miR-155-5p and ILC2s are overexpressed in the nasal mucosa of AR patients, but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. At present study, we revealed that miR-155-5p was highly expressed in ILC2s of AR patients. Moreover, miR-155-5p promoted the secretion of Th2 cytokines of ILC2s, while inhibited the secretion of Th1 cytokines and the apoptosis of ILC2s. Meanwhile, the TP53INP1 expression was poorly expressed in ILC2s of AR patients. A dual luciferase reporter assay demonstrated that TP53INP1 was a direct target of miR-155-5p, and its expression was inversely associated with miR-155-5p in ILC2s. Furthermore, TP53INP1 inhibited the secretion of Th2 cytokines of ILC2s, while promoted the secretion of Th1 cytokines and the apoptosis of ILC2s. Notably, rescue experiments demonstrated that overexpression of TP53INP1 could partially reverse the effect of miR-155-5p on ILC2s. Taken together, these findings suggested that miR-155-5p aggravated the inflammatory response of AR dominated by ILC2s via targeting TP53INP1, which may aid in the development of novel therapeutic agents for AR.

Mechanistic study of the gas-phase chemistry during the spray deposition of Zn(O,S) films by mass spectrometry.

The mass spectrometer, is a powerful tool to identify species and investigate reactions in the gas phase. In this work, the mechanism of aerosol assisted chemical vapor deposition (AACVD) of Zn(O,S) films prepared from H2S and zinc acetylacetonate (Zn(acac)2) precursor solutions is elucidated by mass spectrometry. The thermochemical behavior of Zn(acac)2 is investigated by characterizing the influence of the solvent (H2O or ethanol), the pH value of the precursor solution and the effect of the reactant H2S, and by tracking gaseous intermediate products using mass spectrometry. Based on these results, a proton-promoted thermolysis mechanism for the AACVD Zn(O,S) film formation is then proposed, which is initiated by the hydrolysis with H2O as the first stage, followed either by the rearrangement with an intramolecular proton or by the reaction with an extramolecular proton to produce ZnO or Zn(O,S). A real time mass tracking of the AACVD process reveals that only an adequate amount of H2S promotes the chemical gas-phase decomposition and sulfurization process, while an excess of H2S depletes the gaseous Zn(acac)2 concentration and consequently reduces the film growth rate. The knowledge of the thermal decomposition process helps to optimize synthesis conditions and to adjust film properties to meet the requirement of the application in chalcopyrite or kesterite thin film solar cells.

The Association Between Dietary Inflammatory Index and Sex Hormones Among Postmenopausal Women in the US.

Aims: Diet has been found to have an important effect on sex hormones. The effect of diet-induced inflammation on sex hormones has not been studied in detail among women. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the association between energy-adjusted dietary inflammatory index (E-DII) and sex hormones among postmenopausal women. Methods: This study used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2013-2016 waves. A total of 1183 postmenopausal women who provided information on two 24-hour dietary intake recalls, sex hormones including total testosterone (TT), estradiol (E2), TT/E2, sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), free estradiol (FE2) and free testosterone (FT), as well as selected covariates were included. Linear regression and restricted cubic spline evaluated the association between E-DII and sex hormones. Effect modification by body mass index (BMI) and type of menopause was then examined in stratified analysis. Results: After adjusting for covariates, linear regression showed that E-DII was positively associated with TT (P=0.035), FT (P=0.026) and TT/E2 (P=0.065). TT (P-nonlinear = 0.037) and TT/E2 (P-nonlinear = 0.035) had significant nonlinear association with E-DII. E2 (P-nonlinear = 0.046) and FE2 (P-nonlinear = 0.027) depicted a nonlinear U-shaped significant association with E-DII, the two inflection points were found at the E-DII score of -0.22 and 0.07, respectively, the associations in natural menopausal women were more pronounced. Conclusions: Our study indicates that several indicators of androgen and estrogen were associated with E-DII in postmenopausal women. Further research is needed to understand the underlying mechanisms.

Research on Ground-Based LWIR Hyperspectral Imaging Remote Gas Detection.

The new progress of ground-based long-wave infrared remote sensing is presented, which describes the windowing spatial and temporal modulation Fourier spectroscopy imaging in details. The prototype forms the interference fringes based on the corner-cube of spatial modulation of Michelson interferometer, using cooled long-wave infrared photovoltaic staring FPA (focal plane array) detector. The LWIR hyperspectral imaging is achieved by the process of collection, reorganization, correction, apodization, FFT etc. from data cube. Noise equivalent spectral radiance (NESR), which is the sensitivity index of CHIPED-1 LWIR hyperspectral imaging prototype, can reach 5.6 x 10⁻8 W · (cm⁻¹ · sr · cm²)⁻¹ at single sampling. The data is the same as commercial temporal modulation hyperspectral imaging spectrometer. It can prove the advantage of this technique. This technique still has space to be improved. For instance, spectral response range of CHIPED-1 LWIR hyperspectral imaging prototype can reach 11. 5 µm by testing the transmission curve of polypropylene film. In this article, choosing the results of outdoor high-rise and diethyl ether gas experiment as an example, the authors research on the detecting method of 2D distribution chemical gas VOC by infrared hyperspectral imaging. There is no observed diethyl ether gas from the infrared spectral slice of the same wave number in complicated background and low concentration. By doing the difference spectrum, the authors can see the space distribution of diethyl ether gas clearly. Hyperspectral imaging is used in the field of organic gas VOC infrared detection. Relative to wide band infrared imaging, it has some advantages. Such as, it has high sensitivity, the strong anti-interference ability, identify the variety, and so on.