Scytinostromabambusinum sp. nov. (Russulales, Basidiomycota) in China evidenced by morphological characteristics and phylogenetic analyses.

Background: Wood-rotting fungi as an important group within the Basidiomycota are known for their ecological role in the forest ecosystem in terms of decaying living and dead trees and recycling nutrients in forest ecosystems. Many new species were revealed in the last five years. In the present study, during an ongoing study on Scytinostroma, a new species of Scytinostroma was found from China. It is described and illustrated on the basis of the morphological and phylogenetic evidence. New information: Scytinostromabambusinum sp. nov. is described as a new species, based on morphological and molecular evidence. It is characterised by annual, resupinate and broadly ellipsoid basidiomata with white to cream hymenophore, a dimitic hyphal structure with generative hyphae bearing simple septa, the presence of cystidioles and amyloid basidiospores measuring 5.5-7 × 4-5.3 µm. Phylogeny, based on molecular data of ITS and nLSU sequences, shows that the new species forms an independent lineage and is different in morphology from the existing species of Scytinostroma.

Evaluation of ultrasound-guided PFO occlusion in the treatment of vestibular migraine.

BACKGROUND: Currently, surgery is the mainstay of the clinical treatment of vestibular migraine. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical efficacy and safety of using transesophageal echocardiography-guided interventional closure of the patent foramen ovale (PFO) in the treatment of vestibular migraine. METHODS: The study included 52 patients with vestibular migraine who were admitted to our hospital between June 2019 and June 2021. All selected patients underwent a transesophageal echocardiography-guided interventional closure of the PFO and were followed up for one year after surgery. We observed the clinical efficacy and surgical success rate one year after surgery and compared the improvement in clinical symptoms and perioperative safety at different time points. RESULTS: The overall remission rate and the surgical success rate for the 52 patients with vestibular migraine one year after surgery were 86.54% and 96.15%, respectively. Compared to the pre-surgery levels, there was a significant progressively decreasing trend in the scores on the Headache Impact Test-6 (HIT-6), Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Migraine Disability Assessment (MIDAS) questionnaire, frequency of headaches, and duration of headaches in patients with vestibular migraine at 1, 3, and 6 months after surgery (P< 0.05). Among the 52 patients, one developed atrial fibrillation three hours after surgery, which then spontaneously converted to sinus rhythm, and none of the other patients had adverse outcomes such as hematoma at the puncture site during the perioperative period. CONCLUSION: Transesophageal echocardiography-guided interventional closure of the PFO for treating vestibular migraine significantly improved the symptoms of migraine in patients, with a high surgical success rate, significant clinical efficacy, and favorable safety.

A Versatile Cryomicroneedle Patch for Traceable Photodynamic Therapy.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) continues to encounter multifarious hurdles, stemming from the ineffectual preservation and delivery system of photosensitizers, the dearth of imaging navigation, and the antioxidant/hypoxic tumor microenvironment. Herein, a versatile cryomicroneedle patch (denoted as CMN-CCPH) is developed for traceable PDT. The therapeutic efficacy is further amplified by catalase (CAT)-induced oxygen (O2) generation and Cu2+-mediated glutathione (GSH) depletion. The CMN-CCPH is composed of cryomicroneedle (CMN) as the vehicle and CAT-biomineralized copper phosphate nanoflowers (CCP NFs) loaded with hematoporphyrin monomethyl ether (HMME) as the payload. Importantly, the bioactive function of HMME and CAT can be optimally maintained under the protection of CCPH and CMN for a duration surpassing 60 days, leading to bolstered bioavailability and notable enhancements in PDT efficacy. The in vivo visualization of HMME and oxyhemoglobin saturation (sO2) monitored by fluorescence (FL)/photoacoustic (PA) duplex real-time imaging unveils the noteworthy implications of CMN-delivered CCPH for intratumoral enrichment of HMME and O2 with reduced systemic toxicity. This versatile CMN patch demonstrates distinct effectiveness in neoplasm elimination, underscoring its promising clinical prospects.

Mechanism study of tyrosine phosphatase shp-1 in inhibiting hepatocellular carcinoma progression by regulating the SHP2/GM-CSF pathway in TAMs.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignant tumors worldwide. Macrophage-mediated innate immune responses play a crucial role in tumor development. This study revealed the mechanism of SHP-1 in regulating HCC progression. SHP-1 inhibits tumour development in vivo. Increasing SHP-1 expression in macrophages promotes the expression of p-SHP-1, SHP2, and p-SHP-2. In macrophages GM-CSF recruits SHP-2 to the GM-CSF receptor GM-CSFR induces p-SHP-2 dephosphorylation. GM-CSF recruits p-SHP-2 for dephosphorylation by up-regulating HoxA10HOXA10 activates the transcription of TGFß2 by interacting with tandem cis-elements in the promoter thereby regulating the proliferation and migration of liver cancer cells. GM-CSF inhibits SHP-1 regulation of p-SHP-1, SHP2, and p-SHP-2 in macrophages. Detailed studies have shown that SHP-1 regulates SHP2 expression, and SHP-1 and SHP2 are involved in macrophage M2 polarisation. SHP-1 inhibits HOXA10 and TGFß2 which in turn regulates the expression of the migration-associated proteins, MMP2/9, and the migration of hepatocellular carcinoma cells. Overexpression of SHP-1 inhibits macrophage M2 polarisation via the p-STAT3/6 signalling pathway Classical markers arginase-1, CD206, CD163 and regulate the expression of M2 polarisation cytokines IL-4 and IL-10. In addition, hypoxia-induced ROS inhibited SHP-1 regulation by suppressing the expression of p-SHP-1. The combined effect of GM-CSF and ROS significantly increased p-HOXA10/TGFß2 and macrophage M2 polarisation, and the regulatory effect of ROS was significantly suppressed by GM-CSF knockdown. These findings suggest that increasing the expression of tyrosine phosphatase SHP-1 can inhibit hepatocellular carcinoma progression by modulating the SHP2/GM-CSF pathway in TAM and thus inhibit the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma.

SBFI26 induces triple-negative breast cancer cells ferroptosis via lipid peroxidation.

SBFI26, an inhibitor of FABP5, has been shown to suppress the proliferation and metastasis of tumour cells. However, the underlying mechanism by which SBFI26 induces ferroptosis in breast cancer cells remains largely unknown. Three breast cancer cell lines were treated with SBFI26 and CCK-8 assessed cytotoxicity. Transcriptome was performed on the Illumina platform and verified by qPCR. Western blot evaluated protein levels. Malondialdehyde (MDA), total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD), Fe, glutathione (GSH) and oxidized glutathione (GSSG) were measured. SBFI26 induced cell death time- and dose-dependent, with a more significant inhibitory effect on MDA-MB-231 cells. Fer-1, GSH and Vitamin C attenuated the effects but not erastin. RNA-Seq analysis revealed that SBFI26 treatment significantly enriched differentially expressed genes related to ferroptosis. Furthermore, SBFI26 increased intracellular MDA, iron ion, and GSSG levels while decreasing T-SOD, total glutathione (T-GSH), and GSH levels.SBFI26 dose-dependently up-regulates the expression of HMOX1 and ALOX12 at both gene and protein levels, promoting ferroptosis. Similarly, it significantly increases the expression of SAT1, ALOX5, ALOX15, ALOXE3 and CHAC1 that, promoting ferroptosis while downregulating the NFE2L2 gene and protein that inhibit ferroptosis. SBFI26 leads to cellular accumulation of fatty acids, which triggers excess ferrous ions and subsequent lipid peroxidation for inducing ferroptosis.

Subsidizing Grid-Based Electrolytic Hydrogen Will Increase Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Coal Dominated Power Systems.

Clean hydrogen has the potential to serve as an energy carrier and feedstock in decarbonizing energy systems, especially in "hard-to-abate" sectors. Although many countries have implemented policies to promote electrolytic hydrogen development, the impact of these measures on costs of production and greenhouse gas emissions remains unclear. Our study conducts an integrated analysis of provincial levelized costs and life cycle greenhouse gas emissions for all hydrogen production types in China. We find that subsidies are critical to accelerate low carbon electrolytic hydrogen development. Subsidies on renewable-based hydrogen provide cost-effective carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emission reductions. However, subsidies on grid-based hydrogen increase CO2e emissions even compared with coal-based hydrogen because grid electricity in China still relies heavily on coal power and likely will beyond 2030. In fact, CO2e emissions from grid-based hydrogen may increase further if China continues to approve new coal power plants. The levelized costs of renewable energy-based electrolytic hydrogen vary among provinces. Transporting renewable-based hydrogen through pipelines from low- to high-cost production regions reduces the national average levelized cost of renewables-based hydrogen but may increase the risk of hydrogen leakage and the resulting indirect warming effects. Our findings emphasize that policy and economic support for nonfossil electrolytic hydrogen is critical to avoid an increase in CO2e emissions as hydrogen use rises during a clean energy transition.

Peptide Stapling by Crosslinking Two Amines with α-Ketoaldehydes through Diverse Modified Glyoxal-Lysine Dimer Linkers.

α-Ketoaldehydes play versatile roles in the ubiquitous natural processes of protein glycation. However, leveraging the reactivity of α-ketoaldehydes for biomedical applications has been challenging. Previously, the reactivity of α-ketoaldehydes with guanidine has been harnessed to design probes for labeling Arg residues on proteins in an aqueous medium. Herein, a highly effective, broadly applicable, and operationally simple protocol for stapling native peptides by crosslinking two amino groups through diverse imidazolium linkers with various α-ketoaldehyde reagents is described. The use of hexafluoroisopropanol as a solvent facilitates rapid and clean reactions under mild conditions and enables unique selectivity for Lys over Arg. The naturally occurring GOLD/MOLD linkers have been expanded to encompass a wide range of modified glyoxal-lysine dimer (OLD) linkers. In a proof-of-concept trial, these modular stapling reactions enabled a convenient two-round strategy to streamline the structure-activity relationship (SAR) study of the wasp venom peptide anoplin, leading to enhanced biological activities.

Direct osteosynthesis in the treatment of atlas burst fractures: a systematic review.

PURPOSE: The treatment of unstable atlas fractures remains a controversial topic. The study aims at assessing the prognosis and efficacy of osteosynthesis for unstable atlas fractures through a review of the current literature and additionally aims to compare outcomes between the transoral and posterior approaches. METHODS: A systematic review of databases including PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane, Web of Science, CNKI, and Wanfang was conducted. Titles and abstracts were screened by two reviewers to identify studies meeting pre-defined inclusion criteria for comprehensive analysis. RESULTS: The systematic review included 28 articles, 19 employing the posterior approach and 9 utilizing the transoral approach. It covered osteosynthesis in 297 patients with unstable atlas fractures, comprising 169 treated via the posterior approach and 128 via the transoral approach. Analysis revealed high healing rates and clinical improvement in both approaches, evidenced by improvements in the visual analog scale, range of motion, atlantodens interval, and lateral displacement distance post-surgery. CONCLUSION: Osteosynthesis offers effective treatment for unstable atlas fractures. Both transoral and posterior approaches can achieve good clinical outcomes for fracture, and biomechanical studies have confirmed that osteosynthesis can maintain the stability of the occipitocervical region, preserve the motor function of the atlantoaxial and occipito-atlantoaxial joints, and greatly improve the quality of life of patients. However, variations exist in the indications and surgical risks associated with each method, necessitating their selection based on a thorough clinical evaluation of the patient's condition.

Design of a novel lateral mass screw-plate system for the treatment of unstable atlas fractures: a finite element analysis.

BACKGROUND: Osteosynthesis of unstable atlas fractures preserves joint motion and therefore has a distinct advantage over a range of treatment procedures. To prevent the potential disadvantages associated with osteosynthesis, a new atlas lateral mass screw-plate (LMSP) system has been designed. However, the biomechanical role of using the LMSP system in atlas internal fixation is not known. The aim of this study was to compare the biomechanical stability of a new LMSP with traditional posterior screw and rod (PSR) fixation techniques on the occipitocervical junction (C0-C2) through finite element analysis. METHODS: A nonlinear C0-C2 finite element model of the intact upper cervical spine was developed and validated. The unstable model using the PSR system was then compared with the model using the LMSP system for fixation. A vertical load of 40 N was applied to the C0 to simulate head weight, while a torque of 1.5 Nm was applied to the C0 to simulate flexion, extension, lateral bending, and axial rotation. RESULTS: The range of motion of both systems was close to the intact model. Compared with the LMSP system model, the PSR system model increased flexion, extension, lateral bending, and axial rotation by 4.9%, 3.0%, 5.0%, and 29.5% in the C0-C1 segments, and 4.9%, 2.7%, 2.4%, and 22.6% in the C1-C2, respectively. In flexion, extension, and lateral bending motion, the LMSP system model exhibited similar stress to the PSR system model, while in axial rotation, the PSR system model exhibited higher stress. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of our study indicate that the two tested system models provide comparable stability. However, better stability was achieved during axial rotation with the LMSP system, and in this system, the maximum von Mises stress was less than that of the PSR one. As the atlantoaxial joint functions primarily as a rotational joint, the use of the LMSP system may provide a more stable environment for the joint that has become unstable due to fracture.

Formaldehyde-Mediated Hydride Liberation of Alkylamines for Intermolecular Reactions in Hexafluoroisopropanol.

The ability of alkylamines to spontaneously liberate hydride ions is typically restrained, except under specific intramolecular reaction settings. Herein, we demonstrate that this reactivity can be unlocked through simple treatment with formaldehyde in hexafluoroisopropanol (HFIP) solvent, thereby enabling various intermolecular hydride transfer reactions of alkylamines under mild conditions. Besides transformations of small molecules, these reactions enable unique late-stage modification of complex peptides. Mechanistic investigations uncover that the key to these intermolecular hydride transfer processes lies in the accommodating conformation of solvent-mediated macrocyclic transition states, where the aggregates of HFIP molecules act as dexterous proton shuttles. Importantly, negative hyperconjugation between the lone electron pair of nitrogen and the antibonding orbital of amine's α C-H bond plays a critical role in the C-H activation, promoting its hydride liberation.

Experimental treatment efficacy of dmrFABP5 on prostate cancer singly or in combination with drugs in use.

Enzalutamide is a drug used to treat prostate cancer (PC) and docetaxel is a drug for chemotherapeutic treatment of diverse cancer types, including PC. The effectiveness of these drugs in treating castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) is poor and therefore CRPC is still largely incurable. However, the bio-inhibitor of fatty acid-binding protein 5 (FABP5), dmrFABP5, which is a mutant form of FABP5 incapable of binding to fatty acids, has been shown recently to be able to suppress the tumorigenicity and metastasis of cultured CRPC cells. The present study investigated the possible synergistic effect of dmrFABP5 combined with either enzalutamide or docetaxel on suppressing the tumorigenic properties of PC cells, including cell viability, migration, invasion and colony proliferation in soft agar. A highly significant synergistic inhibitory effect on these properties was observed when dmrFABP5 was used in combination with enzalutamide on androgen-responsive PC 22RV1 cells. Moreover, a highly significant synergistic inhibitory effect was also observed when dmrFABP5 was combined with docetaxel, and added to 22RV1 cells and to the highly malignant, androgen-receptor (AR)-negative Du145 cells. DmrFABP5 alone failed to produce any suppressive effect when added to the FABP5-negative cell line LNCaP, although enzalutamide could significantly suppress LNCaP cells when used as a single agent. These synergistic inhibitory effects of dmrFABP5 were produced by interrupting the FABP5-related signal transduction pathway in PC cells. Thus, dmrFABP5 appears to be not only a potential single therapeutic agent, but it may also be used in combination with existing drugs to suppress both AR-positive and AR-negative PC.

Different Valence States of Copper Ion Delivery against Triple-Negative Breast Cancer.

Different valence states of copper (Cu) ions are involved in complicated redox reactions in vivo, which are closely related to tumor proliferation and death pathways, such as cuproptosis and chemodynamic therapy (CDT). Cu ion mediated Fenton-like reagents induced tumor cell death which presents compelling attention for the CDT of tumors. However, the superiority of different valence states of Cu ions in the antitumor effect is unknown. In this study, we investigated different valence states of Cu ions in modulating tumor cell death by Cu-chelated cyanine dye against triple-negative breast cancer. The cuprous ion (Cu+) and copper ion (Cu2+) were chelated with four nitrogen atoms of dipicolylethylenediamine-modified cyanine for the construction of Cu+ and Cu2+ chelated cyanine dyes (denoted as CC1 and CC2, respectively). Upon 660 nm laser irradiation, the CC1 or CC2 can generate reactive oxygen species, which could disrupt the cyanine structure, achieving the rapid release of Cu ions and initiating the Fenton-like reaction for CDT. Compared with Cu2+-based Fenton-like reagent, the CC1 with Cu+ exhibited a better therapeutic outcome for the tumor due to there being no need for a reduction by glutathione and a shorter route to generate more hydroxyl radicals. Our findings suggest the precision delivery of Cu+ could achieve highly efficient antitumor therapy.

mSegResRF-SPECT: A Novel Joint Classification Model of Whole Body Bone Scan Images for Bone Metastasis Diagnosis.

BACKGROUND: Whole-body bone scanning is a nuclear medicine technique with high sensitivity used for the diagnosis of bone-related diseases [e.g., bone metastases] that can be obtained by positron emission tomography[PET] or single-photon emission computed tomography[SPECT] imaging, depending on the different radiopharmaceuticals used. In contrast to the high sensitivity of the bone scan, it has low specificity, which leads to misinterpretation, causing adverse effects of unwarranted intervention or interruption to timely treatment. OBJECTIVE: To address this problem, this paper proposes a joint model called mSegResRF-SPECT, which accomplishes for the first time the task of classifying whole-body bone scan images on a public SPECT dataset [BS-80K] for the diagnosis of bone metastases. METHODS: The mSegResRF-SPECT adopts a multi-bone region segmentation algorithm to segment the whole body image into 13 regions, ResNet34 as an extractor to extract the regional features, and a random forest algorithm as a classifier. RESULTS: The experimental results of the proposed model show that the average accuracy, sensitivity, and F1 score of the model on the BS-80K dataset reached SOTA. CONCLUSION: The proposed method presents a promising solution for better bone scan classification methods.

A novel and efficient murine model for investigating tendon-to-bone healing.

BACKGROUND: Tendon-to-bone healing is a critical challenge in sports medicine, with its cellular and molecular mechanisms yet to be explored. An efficient murine model could significantly advance our understanding of this process. However, most existing murine animal models face limitations, including a propensity for bleeding, restricted operational space, and a steep learning curve. Thus, the need for a novel and efficient murine animal model to investigate the cellular and molecular mechanisms of tendon-to-bone healing is becoming increasingly evident. METHODS: In our study, forty-four 9-week-old male C57/BL6 mice underwent transection and reattachment of the Achilles tendon insertion to investigate tendon-to-bone healing. At 2 and 4 weeks postoperatively, mice were killed for histological, Micro-CT, biomechanical, and real-time polymerase chain reaction tests. RESULTS: Histological staining revealed that the original tissue structure was disrupted and replaced by a fibrovascular scar. Although glycosaminoglycan deposition was present in the cartilage area, the native structure had been destroyed. Biomechanical tests showed that the failure force constituted approximately 44.2% and 77.5% of that in intact tissues, and the ultimate tensile strength increased from 2 to 4 weeks postoperatively. Micro-CT imaging demonstrated a gradual healing process in the bone tunnel from 2 to 4 weeks postoperatively. The expression levels of ACAN, SOX9, Collagen I, and MMPs were detected, with all genes being overexpressed compared to the control group and maintaining high levels at 2 and 4 weeks postoperatively. CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrate that the healing process in our model is aligned with the natural healing process, suggesting the potential for creating a new, efficient, and reproducible mouse animal model to investigate the cellular and molecular mechanisms of tendon-to-bone healing.

A telluroviologen-anchored tetraphenylporphyrin as sonosensitizer for periodontitis sonodynamic therapy.

Periodontitis is a chronic disease caused by bacteria (e.g. Porphyromonas gingivalis, P.gingivalis) that currently lacks effective non-invasive treatment options. Sonodynamic therapy (SDT) is an emerging non-invasive antimicrobial therapeutic strategy. Since ultrasonic tooth cleaning is widely used in dental treatments, SDT has significant potential for the facile implementation of treat periodontitis. However, hypoxia in periodontitis severely limits the effectiveness of traditional sonosensitizers. To address this issue, we have developed a new sonosensitizer termed as TPP-TeV, which combines the traditional sonosensitizer tetraphenylporphyrin (TPP) with a new photosensitizer telluroviologen (TeV). Under ultrasound radiation, TPP-TeV can produce numerous cationic free radicals (TPP-TeV•), which subsequently generate ROS free radicals (O2•-, •OH) efficiently via electron transfer mechanism, resulting in the effective killing of anaerobic P.gingivalis both in vivo and in vitro. As a result, the dental environment is improved, and the inhibition rate of alveolar bone loss reaches 80 %. The introduction of tellurium into the viologen molecule induces changes in its reduction potential, resulting in increased rigidity of the molecule. This modification systematically reduces the biotoxicity of our novel sonosensitizer by 75 % at 50 µM based on bacterial experiments. These promising findings could potentially establish new options for sonodynamic therapy (SDT) in periodontitis clinical treatments.

Ligand-Promoted Iron-Catalyzed Nitrene Transfer for the Synthesis of Hydrazines and Triazanes through N-Amidation of Arylamines.

Herein, we report that bulky alkylphosphines such as PtBu3 can switch the roles from actor to spectator ligands to promote the FeCl2 -catalyzed N-amidation reaction of arylamines with dioxazolones, giving hydrazides in high efficiency and chemoselectivity. Mechanistic studies indicated that the phosphine ligands could facilitate the decarboxylation of dioxazolones on the Fe center, and the hydrogen bonding interactions between the arylamines and the ligands on Fe nitrenoid intermediates might play a role in modulating the delicate interplay between the phosphine ligand, arylamine, and acyl nitrene N, favoring N-N coupling over N-P coupling. The new ligand-promoted N-amidation protocols offer a convenient way to access various challenging triazane compounds via double or sequential N-amidation of primary arylamines.

Understanding the Role of Trapezoids in Honeycomb Self-Assembly-Pathways between a Columnar Liquid Quasicrystal and its Liquid-Crystalline Approximants.

Quasiperiodic patterns and crystals-having long range order without translational symmetry-have fascinated researchers since their discovery. In this study, we report on new p-terphenyl-based T-shaped facial polyphiles with two alkyl end chains and a glycerol-based hydrogen-bonded side group that self-assemble into an aperiodic columnar liquid quasicrystal with 12-fold symmetry and its periodic liquid-crystalline approximants with complex superstructures. All represent honeycombs formed by the self-assembly of the p-terphenyls, dividing space into prismatic cells with polygonal cross-sections. In the perspective of tiling patterns, the presence of unique trapezoidal tiles, consisting of three rigid sides formed by the p-terphenyls and one shorter, incommensurate, and adjustable side by the alkyl end chains, plays a crucial role for these phases. A delicate temperature-dependent balance between conformational, entropic and space-filling effects determines the role of the alkyl chains, either as network nodes or trapezoid walls, thus resulting in the order-disorder transitions associated with emergence of quasiperiodicity. In-depth analysis suggests a change from a quasiperiodic tiling involving trapezoids to a modified one with a contribution of trapezoid pair fusion. This work paves the way for understanding quasiperiodicity emergence and develops fundamental concepts for its generation by chemical design of non-spherical molecules, aggregates, and frameworks based on dynamic reticular chemistry.

Characterization and biological activities of polysaccharides extracted from Auricularia auricula with different extraction methods.

Polysaccharides derived from Auricularia auricula exhibit diverse biological activities and hold significant potential for commercial utilization as functional food ingredients. In this investigation, polysaccharides from A. auricula were obtained using six extraction techniques (ammonium oxalate solution extraction, sodium hydroxide solution extraction, hot water extraction, pectinase and cellulase-assisted extraction, ultrasonic-assisted extraction, and microwave-assisted extraction). Subsequently, a comprehensive comparison was conducted to evaluate their physicochemical properties and biological functionalities. The ammonium oxalate solution extraction method yielded a higher extraction rate (11.76%) and polysaccharide content (84.12%), as well as a higher uronic acid content (10.13%). Although the six Auricularia polysaccharides had different molecular weight distributions, monosaccharide molar ratios, similar monosaccharide compositions, and characteristic functional groups of polysaccharides, they exhibited different surface morphology. In vitro assays showed that polysaccharides extracted by ammonium oxalate solution possessed good scavenging ability against DPPH free radical, hydroxyl free radical and superoxide anion free radical as well as reduction power of iron ion. At the same time, both polysaccharides extracted by ammonium oxalate solution and sodium hydroxide solution promoted NO production in mouse macrophages along with the secretion of cytokines TNF-α, IL-1ß, and IL-6. These results indicated significant differences in the structure and characteristics among Auricularia polysaccharides prepared by various extraction methods, which may be related to the variety or origin of A. auricula; furthermore, their bioactivities varied accordingly in vitro assays where the ammonium oxalate solution extraction method was found more beneficial for obtaining high-quality bioactive Auricularia polysaccharides.

FABP5 can substitute for androgen receptor in malignant progression of prostate cancer cells.

Fatty acid­binding protein 5 (FABP5) and androgen receptor (AR) are critical promoters of prostate cancer. In the present study, the effects of knocking out the FABP5 or AR genes on malignant characteristics of prostate cancer cells were investigated, and changes in the expression of certain key proteins in the FABP5 (or AR)­peroxisome proliferator activated receptor­Î³ (PPARγ)­vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) signaling pathway were monitored. The results obtained showed that FABP5­ or AR­knockout (KO) led to a marked suppression of the malignant characteristics of the cells, in part, through disrupting this signaling pathway. Moreover, FABP5 and AR are able to interact with each other to regulate this pathway, with FABP5 controlling the dominant AR splicing variant 7 (ARV7), and AR, in return, regulates the expression of FABP5. Comparisons of the RNA profiles revealed the existence of numerous differentially expressed genes (DEGs) comparing between the parental and the FABP5­ or AR­KO cells. The six most abundant changes in DEGs were found to be attributable to the transition from androgen­responsive to androgen­unresponsive, castration­resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) cells. These findings have provided novel insights into the complex molecular pathogenesis of CRPC cells, and have demonstrated that interactions between FABP5 and AR contribute to the transition of prostate cancer cells to an androgen­independent state. Moreover, gene enrichment analysis revealed that the most highly enriched biological processes associated with the DEGs included those responsive to fatty acids, cholesterol and sterol biosynthesis, as well as to lipid and fatty acid transportation. Since these pathways regulated by FABP5 or AR may be crucial in terms of transducing signals for cancer cell progression, targeting FABP5, AR and their associated pathways, rather than AR alone, may provide a new avenue for the development of therapeutic strategies geared towards suppressing the malignant progression to CRPC cells.

Persistent left superior vena cava in right hemiarch replacement under deep hypothermic circulatory arrest: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Persistent left superior vena cava (PLSVC), a relatively rare thoracic vascular malformation, can inconvenience perfusionists and operators when encountered during deep hypothermic circulatory arrest (DHCA). CASE SUMMARY: Herein, we describe the case of a patient with concurrent giant aortic arch aneurysm, aortic stenosis, and PLSVC. To treat these conditions, we performed right hemiarch and aortic valve replacements under DHCA. Notably, we applied "bilateral superior vena cava retrograde cerebral perfusion (RCP)" for cerebral protection, which significantly optimized the surgical procedure and reduced the risk of postoperative complications. The patient was discharged 14 d after surgery with no complications. CONCLUSION: Surgical intervention for PLSVC under DHCA can be performed using the bilateral superior vena cava RCP approach.