Triglyceride-glucose index and glycemic dynamics in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: implications for disease progression and prognosis.

BACKGROUND: To elucidate the relationship between the triglyceride-glycemic index (TyG) and clinical characteristics of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). METHODS: A total of 1,594 individuals diagnosed with pancreatic and periampullary neoplasms were categorized into four groups: PDAC-early (n = 403), locally advanced PDAC (LAPC, n = 315), PDAC-late with distant metastasis (n = 371), and other tumor types (n = 505). TyG-high was defined as a TyG index greater than 8.81 in males and 8.73 in females. RESULTS: The prevalence of TyG-high status was highest in PDAC-early (68.48%), followed by LAPC (53.33%), and lowest in PDAC-late (44.47%). TyG-high status significantly predicted worse PDAC prognosis (P = 0.0166), particularly in PDAC-late (P = 0.0420). Despite similar blood glucose levels across PDAC groups (P = 0.897), PDAC-early patients showed significantly higher rates of glycemic disturbances (56.33% vs. 32.28%) and TyG-high status (68.48% vs. 47.13%) compared to those with other tumors. Progressive increases in glycemic disturbances and TyG-high status were observed from benign to pre-malignant lesions and PDAC-early. PDAC-early patients at the pancreatic head exhibited higher rates of glycemic disturbances (58.12% vs. 33.33%, P < 0.0001), larger pancreatic duct diameters (0.4056 cm vs. 0.3398 cm, P = 0.0043), and poorer prognosis compared to periampullary cancers, although the TyG-high rate and body mass index were similar. CONCLUSION: The TyG index exhibits a complex association with PDAC stages, profoundly shaping glycemic profiles. At the initial stages of PDAC, a notable elevation in TyG-high status and glycemic disturbances is observed. However, in advanced PDAC, while the TyG-high rate diminishes, abnormal glucose levels persist.

Jeongeuplla avenae gen. nov., sp. nov., a novel ß-carotene-producing bacterium that alleviates salinity stress in Arabidopsis.

A novel endophytic bacterium, designated DY-R2A-6T, was isolated from oat (Avena sativa L.) seeds and found to produces ß-carotene. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that strain DY-R2A-6T had 96.3% similarity with Jiella aquimaris LZB041T, 96.0% similarity with Aurantimonas aggregate R14M6T and Aureimonas frigidaquae JCM 14755T, and less than 95.8% similarity with other genera in the family Aurantimonadaceae. The complete genome of strain DY-R2A-6T comprised 5,929,370 base pairs, consisting of one full chromosome (5,909,198 bp) and one plasmid (20,172 bp), with a G + C content was 69.1%. The overall genome-related index (OGRI), including digital DNA-DNA hybridization (<20.5%), ANI (<79.2%), and AAI (<64.2%) values, all fell below the thresholds set for novel genera. The major cellular fatty acids (>10%) of strain DY-R2A-6T were C16:0, C19:0 cyclo ω8c, and summed feature 8 (C18:1ω7c and/or C18:1ω6c). Ubiquinone-10 was the main respiratory quinone. We identified the gene cluster responsible for carotenoid biosynthesis in the genome and found that the pink-pigment produced by strain DY-R2A-6T is ß-carotene. In experiment with Arabidopsis seedlings, co-cultivation with strain DY-R2A-6T led to a 1.4-fold increase in plant biomass and chlorophyll content under salt stress conditions, demonstrating its capacity to enhance salt stress tolerance in plants. Moreover, external application of ß-carotene to Arabidopsis seedlings under salt stress conditions also mitigated the stress significantly. Based on these findings, strain DY-R2A-6T is proposed to represent a novel genus and species in the family Aurantimonadaceae, named Jeongeuplla avenae gen. nov., sp. nov. The type strain is DY-R2A-6T (= KCTC 82985T = GDMCC 1.3014T). This study not only identified a new taxon but also utilized genome analysis to predict and confirm the production of ß-carotene by strain DY-R2A-6T. It also demonstrated the ability of this strain to enhance salt stress tolerance in plants, suggesting potential application in agriculture to mitigate environmental stress in crops.

From Conversion to Resection for Unresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Review of the Latest Strategies.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignant tumors in China, accounting for the majority of primary liver cancer cases. Liver resection is the preferred curative method for early-stage HCC. However, up to 80-85% of patients have already missed the opportunity of radical surgery due to tumor advances at the time of consultation. Conversion therapies are a series of medications and treatments for initially inoperable patients. For early-stage unresectable HCC (uHCC) patients, conversion therapies are designed to meet surgical requirements by increasing the volume of the residual liver. Meanwhile, for advanced cases, conversion therapies strive for tumor shrinkage and down-staging, creating the opportunity for liver resection or liver transplantation. This review summarizes the latest advances in conversion therapies and highlights their potential for improving the survival benefit of patients with uHCC.

Sphingomonas abietis sp. nov., an Endophytic Bacterium Isolated from Korean Fir.

PAMB 00755T, a bacterial strain, was isolated from Korean fir leaves. The strain exhibits yellow colonies and consists of Gram-negative, non-motile, short rods or ovoid-shaped cells. It displays optimal growth conditions at 20°C, 0% NaCl, and pH 6.0. Results of 16S rRNA gene-based phylogenetic analyses showed that strain PAMB 00755T was most closely related to Sphingomonas chungangi MAH-6T (97.7%) and Sphingomonas polyaromaticivorans B2-7T (97.4%), and ≤96.5% sequence similarity to other members of the genus Sphingomonas. The values of average nucleotide identity (79.9-81.3%), average amino acid identity (73.3-75.9%), and digital DNA-DNA hybridization (73.3-75.9%) were significantly lower than the threshold values for species boundaries; these overall genome-related indexes (OGRI) analyses indicated that the strain represents a novel species. Genomic analysis revealed that the strain has a 4.4-Mbp genome encoding 4,083 functional genes, while the DNA G+C content of the whole genome is 66.1%. The genome of strain PAMB 00755T showed a putative carotenoid biosynthetic cluster responsible for its antioxidant activity. The respiratory quinone was identified as ubiquinone 10 (Q-10), while the major fatty acids in the profile were identified as C18:1ω7c and/or C18:1ω6c (summed feature 8). The major polar lipids of strain PAMB 00755T were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, sphingoglycolipid, and phosphatidylcholine. Based on a comprehensive analysis of genomic, phenotypic, and chemotaxonomic characteristics, we proposed the name Sphingomonas abietis sp. nov. for this novel species, with PAMB 00755T as the type strain (= KCTC 92781T = GDMCC 1.3779T).

Gymnodinialimonas phycosphaerae sp. nov., a phycosphere bacterium isolated from Karlodinium veneficum.

A facultative anaerobic, Gram-negative, non-motile, rod-shaped bacterial strain, designated N5T, was obtained from the phycosphere microbiota of the marine planktonic dinoflagellate, Karlodinium veneficum. Strain N5T showed growth on marine agar at 25 °C, pH 7 and 1 % (w/v) NaCl and produced a yellow colour. According to a phylogenetic study based on 16S rRNA gene sequences, strain N5T has a lineage within the genus Gymnodinialimonas. The G+C content in the genome of strain N5T is 62.9 mol% with a total length of 4 324 088 bp. The NCBI Prokaryotic Genome Annotation Pipeline revealed that the N5T genome contained 4230 protein-coding genes and 48 RNA genes, including a 5S rRNA, 16S rRNA, 23S rRNA, 42 tRNA, and three ncRNAs. Genome-based calculations (genome-to-genome distance, average nucleotide identity and DNA G+C content) clearly indicated that the isolate represents a novel species within the genus Gymnodinialimonas. The predominant fatty acids were C19 : 0 cyclo ω8c and feature 8 (comprising C18 : 1 ω6c and/or C18 : 1 ω7c). The major polar lipids were phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylcholine. The main respiratory quinone was Q-10. Based on its phenotypic, phylogenetic, genomic and chemotaxonomic features, strain N5T represents a novel species of the genus Gymnodinialimonas, for which the name Gymnodinialimonas phycosphaerae sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is N5T (=KCTC 82362T=NBRC 114899T).

A nostoxanthin-producing bacterium, Sphingomonas nostoxanthinifaciens sp. nov., alleviates the salt stress of Arabidopsis seedlings by scavenging of reactive oxygen species.

A novel, nostoxanthin-producing, endophytic bacterium, designated as AK-PDB1-5T, was isolated from the needle-like leaves of the Korean fir (Abies koreana Wilson) collected from Mt. Halla in Jeju, South Korea. A 16S rRNA sequence comparison indicated that the closest phylogenetic neighbors were Sphingomonas crusticola MIMD3T (95.6%) and Sphingomonas jatrophae S5-249T (95.3%) of the family Sphingomonadaceae. Strain AK-PDB1-5T had a genome size of 4,298,284 bp with a 67.8% G + C content, and digital DNA-DNA hybridization and OrthoANI values with the most closely related species of only 19.5-21% and 75.1-76.8%, respectively. Cells of the strain AK-PDB1-5T were Gram-negative, short rods, oxidase- and catalase-positive. Growth occurred at pH 5.0-9.0 (optimum pH 8.0) in the absence of NaCl at 4-37°C (optimum 25-30°C). Strain AK-PDB1-5T contained C14:0 2OH, C16:0 and summed feature 8 as the major cellular fatty acids (> 10%), while sphingoglycolipid, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, phospholipids and lipids were found to be the major polar lipids. The strain produces a yellow carotenoid pigment; natural products prediction via AntiSMASH tool found zeaxanthin biosynthesis clusters in the entire genome. Biophysical characterization by ultraviolet-visible absorption spectroscopy and ESI-MS studies confirmed the yellow pigment was nostoxanthin. In addition, strain AK-PDB1-5T was found significantly promote Arabidopsis seedling growth under salt conditions by reducing reactive oxygen species (ROS). Based on the polyphasic taxonomic analysis results, strain AK-PDB1-5T was determined to be a novel species in the genus Sphingomonas with the proposed name Sphingomonas nostoxanthinifaciens sp. nov. The type strain is AK-PDB1-5T (= KCTC 82822T = CCTCC AB 2021150T).

Immunotherapy combination with regorafenib for refractory hepatocellular carcinoma: A real-world study.

PURPOSE: To compare the efficacy and safety of immunotherapy plus regorafenib versus regorafenib only in patients with pretreated hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS: Immunotherapy plus regorafenib or regorafenib alone was analyzed in patients with advanced HCC with documented tumor progression on front-line therapy. Progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), disease control rate (DCR), and treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) were assessed. RESULTS: Of the 125 patients enrolled in this study, 50 patients received combination (pCOM) treatment as front-line treatment, and 60 patients received monotherapy (pMONO) as front-line treatment. In the pCOM cohort, median OS was significantly longer with for patients regorafenib plus immunotherapy than regorafenib alone treatment (15.0 vs. 2.0 months; P = 0.035). The DCR numerically increased in the regorafenib plus immunotherapy treatment in both cohorts (40.6 % vs. 22.2 %, 72.7 % vs. 54.7 %, respectively). There were no differences in PFS with regorafenib according to whether or not regorafenib was combined with immunotherapy in the pCOM and pMONO cohorts (PFS, P = 0.17, P = 0.91, respectively). Regarding the number of TRAEs occurred, regorafenib plus immunotherapy group was comparable to regorafenib group in the pCOM cohort (65.6 % vs. 72.2 %). In the pMONO cohort, TRAEs occurred in fewer patients receiving regorafenib than regorafenib plus immunotherapy (69.8 % vs. 95.5 %). CONCLUSIONS: Immunotherapy plus regorafenib may significantly improve clinical outcomes and have a manageable safety profile compared with regorafenib monotherapy in advanced HCC after front-line therapy failure. The efficacy of combination therapy needs to be validated in prospective studies with large samples.

Sphingomonas cannabina sp. nov., isolated from Cannabis sativa L. 'Cheungsam'.

A Gram-negative, aerobic, rod-shaped bacterium, designated DM2-R-LB4T was isolated from Cannabis sativa L. 'Cheungsam' in Andong, Republic of Korea. The strain DM2-R-LB4T grew at temperatures of 15-45 °C (optimum, 30-37 °C), pH of 5.5-9 (optimum, 8.0), and 0-2 % (w/v) NaCl concentration (optimum, 0%). Phylogenetic analyses based on the 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that strain DM2-R-LB4T is related to species of the genus Sphingomonas, and shared 97.8 and 97.5% similarity to Sphingomonas kyenggiensis KCTC 42244T and Sphingomonas leidyi DSM 4733T, respectively. The DNA G+C content was 67.9 mol% and genome analysis of the strain DM2-R-LB4T revealed that the genome size was 4 386 171 bp and contained 4 009 predicted protein-coding genes. The average nucleotide identity (ANI) values between strain DM2-R-LB4T and S. kyenggiensis KCTC 42244T, and S. leidyi DSM 4733T was 76.8 and 76.7 %, respectively, while the values of digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH) were 20.7 and 20.6 %, respectively. C14 : 0 2-OH, C16 : 0, and summed feature 8 (C18 : 1 ω6c and/or C18 : 1 ω7c) were the major fatty acids (>10 %) in the strain DM2-R-LB4T. The polar lipids comprised diphosphatidylglycerol (DPG), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), phosphatidylglycerol (PG), phosphatidylcholine (PC), sphingoglycolipid (SGL), glycolipid (GL), phospholipid (PL), and two unidentified polar lipids (L1 and L2). Ubiquinone-10 (Q-10) was the only respiratory quinone. The polyamine pattern was found to contain homospermidine, putrescine, and spermidine. The results of phylogenetic anlayses, polyphasic studies, revealed that strain DM2-R-LB4T represents a novel species of the genus Sphingomonas, for which the name Sphingomonas cannabina sp. nov., is proposed. The type strain is DM2-R-LB4T (=KCTC 92075T = GDMCC 1.3018T).

Whole-genome analysis and secondary metabolites production of a new strain Brevibacillus halotolerans 7WMA2: A potential biocontrol agent against fungal pathogens.

The extensive usage of synthetic fungicides against fungal diseases has caused adverse impacts on both human and agricultural crops. Therefore, the current study aims to establish a new bacterium 7WMA2, as a biocontrol agent to achieve better antifungal results. The strain 7WMA2 was isolated from marine sediment, displayed a broad spectrum of several fungi that includes Alternaria alternata, Cladosporium sp., Candida albicans, Fusarium oxysporum, Trichosporon pullulans, and Trichophyton rubrum. The 16S rRNA phylogeny inferred that strain 7WMA2 was a member of Brevibacillus. The phylogenetic and biochemical analyses revealed that the strain 7WMA2 belongs to the species of Brevibacillus halotolerans. The complete genome sequence of Brevibacillus halotolerans 7WMA2 consists of a circular chromosome of 5,351,077 bp length with a GC content of 41.39 mol %, including 4433 CDS, 111 tRNA genes, and 36 rRNA genes. The genomic analysis showed 23 putative biosynthetic secondary metabolite gene clusters responsible for non-ribosomal peptides, polyketides and siderophores. The antifungal compounds concentrated from cell-free fermentation broth demonstrated strong inhibition of fungi, and the compounds are considerably thermal stable and adaptable to pH range 2-12. This complete genome sequence has provided insight for further exploration of antagonistic ability and its secondary metabolite compounds indicated feasibility as biological control agents against fungal infections.

Long-term effects of total vs. partial pancreatectomy among patients with pancreatic cancer: a population-based study.

Background: Total pancreatectomy (TP) for pancreatic cancer (PC) has been limited historically for fear of elevated perioperative morbidity and mortality. With advances in perioperative care, TP may be an alternative option to partial pancreatectomy (PP). Limited evidence clarified the indication for these two procedures in PC patients, especially in patients with different tumor staging and location. Thus, this study aims to compare the outcomes after TP and PP for PCs of different T stages and locations. Methods: The study identified 14,456 PC patients with potentially curable primary tumor (T1-3) who received TP or PP from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database during 2000 to 2016. Detailed clinical and tumor covariates were all collected. Overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) were the primary endpoints of interest in this study. OS and CSS were compared between patients after TP and PP using log-rank analysis. Results: For all patients, except for tumor location, TP group was comparable to the PP group. OS and CSS of the TP group were worse than of the PP group (median OS: 19 vs. 20 months, P=0.0058; median CSS: 24 vs. 26 months, P=0.00098, respectively). In stratifying analyses, TP was significantly related to worse OS and CSS than PP in pancreatic head and neck cancer patients with T2-stage tumors (median OS: 18 vs. 19 months, P=0.0016; median CSS: 22 vs. 24 months, P=0.00055, respectively), whereas for patients with T1- or T3-stage pancreatic head and neck cancer as well as T1- to T3-stage pancreatic body and tail cancer or overlapping location cancer, OS and CSS of the two groups were similar (all P>0.05). Conclusions: Compared with PP, TP offered worse prognosis in pancreatic head and neck cancer patients with T2-stage tumors, furthermore, TP and PP achieved comparable prognosis in patients with T1- or T3-stage pancreatic head and neck cancer as well as T1- to T3-stage pancreatic body and tail cancer or overlapping location cancer.

More Liver Metastases Detected Intraoperatively Indicates Worse Prognosis for Colorectal Liver Metastases Patients after Resection Combined with Microwave Ablation.

Background: Whether more tumor numbers detected in surgery compared to preoperative image affecting survival of colorectal liver metastases (CRLM) patients after hepatectomy combined with microwave ablation (MWA) remains unclear. Methods: From 2013 to 2018, 85 CRLM patients who underwent hepatectomy combined with MWA were retrospectively assessed. Compared to the tumor numbers in preoperative image, patients with equal intraoperative tumor numbers were defined as the equal number group (n = 45); patients detected more tumor numbers in surgery were defined as the more number group (n = 40). Clinicopathological factors and prognosis were compared between two groups. Results: Compared to the equal number group, the more number group was characterized by more lymphatic metastasis, synchronous metastasis of liver lesion, and tumor numbers over 5 (all P < 0.05). Median survival time was 46.7 months and 26.8 months in the equal and more number group. Significantly worse overall survival (OS) was found in more number group to the equal number group (P = 0.027). In Cox analysis, more tumor number than image and high level of carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) were poor prognostic factors for OS. Conclusion: In patients receiving hepatectomy combined with MWA, detecting more liver metastases in surgery than preoperative image indicates poor long-term survival. These patients were characterized by more lymphatic metastasis, synchronous metastasis of liver lesion, and tumor numbers over 5. Intensive follow-up to detect early recurrence and potent postoperative therapy to improve survival may be justified in patients detected more tumor numbers in surgery with a high CA19-9 level.

Gymnodinialimonas ceratoperidinii gen. nov., sp. nov., isolated from rare marine dinoflagellate Ceratoperidinium margalefii.

A bacterial strain, designated J12C1-MA-4T, was isolated from liquid culture of the dinoflagellate Ceratoperidinium margalefii. The bacterium was Gram-negative, aerobic, and rod-shaped. Oxidase and catalase were positive. Optimal growth was observed at 30 °C, pH 7.0, in the presence of 1% (w/v) NaCl. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene and a 92 core gene set suggested that the strain J12C1-MA-4T belongs to the family Rhodobacteraceae in the class Alphaproteobacteria and represents a taxon separated from other genera. 16S rRNA gene sequence of the strain J12C1-MA-4T showed high similarities to Loktanella ponticola KCTC 42133T (95.7%), Pseudooctadecabacter jejudonensis KCTC 32525T (95.5%) and Jannaschia helgolandensis KCTC 12191T (95.3%). The genome length of strain J12C1-MA-4T was 3,621,968 bp with a DNA G + C content of 64.48 mol%. The major cellular fatty acids of strain J12C1-MA-4T were summed feature 8 (comprising C18:1ω7c and/or C18:1ω6c) (> 10%). Phosphatidylglycerol (PG), phosphatidylcholine (PC), phospholipids (PL), lipids 1 (L1) and aminolipid (AL) were shown to be the major polar lipids. The sole predominant isoprenoid quinone was Q-10. Based on phylogenetic, phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and genomic features, we propose that strain J12C1-MA-4T represent a novel species in the novel genus of the family Rhodobacteraceae, with the proposed name Gymnodinialimonas ceratoperidinii gen. nov., sp. nov.. The type strain is J12C1-MA-4T (=KCTC 82770T =GDMCC 1.2729T).

A novel prognostic nomogram for hepatocellular carcinoma after thermal ablation.

It remains impossible to accurately assess the prognosis after thermal ablation in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Our aim was to build a nomogram to predict the survival rate of HCC patients after thermal ablation. We developed and validated a nomogram using data of 959 HCC patients after thermal ablation from two centers. Harrell's concordance index (C-index), calibration plot and Decision curve analysis (DCA) were used to measure the performance of the nomogram, and we compared it with the Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) staging system and a previous nomogram. Six variables including age, serum albumin, operation method, risk area, tumor number and early recurrence were selected to construct the nomogram. In the training cohort, internal validation cohort, and external validation cohort, the nomogram all had a higher C-index to predict survival rate than both the BCLC staging system and the previous nomogram (0.736, 0.558 and 0.698, respectively; 0.763, 0.621 and 0.740, respectively; and 0.825, 0.551 and 0.737, respectively). Calibration plots showed a high degree of consistency between prediction and actual observation. Decision curve analysis (DCA) presented that compared with BCLC system and the previous nomogram, our nomogram had the highest net benefit. In all three cohorts, the nomogram could accurately divide patients into three subgroups according to predicted survival risk. A nomogram was developed and validated to predict survival of HCC patients who underwent thermal ablation, which is helpful for prognostic prediction and individual surveillance in clinical practice.

Flagellatimonas centrodinii gen. nov., sp. nov., a novel member of the family Nevskiaceae isolated from toxin-producing dinoflagellate Centrodinium punctatum.

A Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, rod-shaped strain (R2A-3T) was isolated from the toxin-producing dinoflagellate Centrodinium punctatum and identified as a novel genus and new species based on a polyphasic taxonomic approach. The optimum conditions for growth of the strain were at 25 °C, pH 8.0 and in the presence of 3 % (w/v) NaCl. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA genes and 92 core genes sets revealed that strain R2A-3T belongs to the family Nevskiaceae in the class Gammaproteobacteria and represented an independent taxon separated from other genera. The 16S rRNA gene of strain R2A-3T showed the highest sequence similarity to Polycyclovorans algicola TG408T (95.2%), Fontimonas thermophila HA-01T (94.1%) and Sinimarinibacterium flocculans NH6-24T (93.2%), and less than 92.8 % similarity to other genera in the family Nevskiaceae. The genome length of strain R2A-3T was 3608892 bp with 65.2 mol% G+C content. Summed feature 8 (comprising C18 : 1 ω7c and/or C18 : 1 ω6c) was the major fatty acid (>10 %). Diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylethanolamine were detected as the major polar lipids. The major respiratory quinone was ubiquinone-8. According to its phylogenetic, phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and genomic features, strain R2A-3T represents a new species in the new genus of the family Nevskiaceae. It is recommended to name it Flagellatimonas centrodinii gen. nov., sp. nov. The type strain is R2A-3T (=KCTC 82469T=GDMCC 1.2523T).

Pedobacter endophyticus sp. nov., an endophytic bacterium isolated from Carex pumila.

An aerobic, Gram-stain-negative, weak-motile, short-rod-shaped bacterial strain, designated JBR3-12T, was isolated from halophyte Carex pumila plants, and its taxonomic position was investigated by using a polyphasic taxonomic approach. The strain produced a pink pigment on tryptic soy agar and grew optimally at 25 °C, pH 8 and in the presence of 3 % (w/v) NaCl. Results of phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain JBR3-12T formed a lineage within the genus Pedobacter and was most closely related to Pedobacter sandarakinus DS-27T (98.0 %) and Pedobacter agri PB92T (97.6 %). The DNA G+C content of the genome was 41.3 mol%; the whole genome length was 5 426 070 bp. The major fatty acids of JBR3-12T were iso-C15 : 0, summed feature 3 (comprising C16 : 1 ω6c and/or C16 : 1 ω7c) and iso-C17 : 0 3-OH. The predominant polar lipid was phosphatidylethanolamine. The predominant quinone was menaquinone-7. Based on its phenotypic, phylogenetic and genotypic features, strain JBR3-12T is proposed to represent a novel species of the genus Pedobacter, for which the name is Pedobacter endophyticus sp. nov. The type strain is JBR3-12T (=KCTC 82363T=NBRC 114901T).

The roles of the cell division cycle-associated gene family in hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: The members of the cell division cycle-associated (CDCA) gene family are significant regulators of cell proliferation known to play key roles in various cancers. However, the function of CDCA genes in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is unclear. The aim of this research was to clarify the roles of CDCA family members in HCC using bioinformatics analysis tools. METHODS: We studied data on the mRNA and protein expression of CDCA genes and survival in patients with HCC using the Oncomine, UALCAN, HPA, CCLE, LinkedOmics, cBioPortal, and Metascape databases. RESULTS: Significant overexpression of all CDCA members was found in HCC tissues. The expression levels of CDCAs were related to the tumor stage, and high expression levels were correlated with a low survival rate in patients with HCC. Also, we observed a high mutation rate (45%) of CDCAs in the HCC samples, which manifested as deep deletion, amplification, or increased mRNA expression. In the correlation analysis, we found that any 2 CDCA members were significantly positively correlated with each other. Cycle-related genes including AHCTF1, AKT1, BIRC5, CENPF, CENPL, and CENPQ were closely associated with CDCA gene alterations. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study indicate that CDCAs may be potential therapeutic targets and prognostic indicators for patients with HCC.

Application of iron/barium ferrite/carbon-coated iron nanocrystal composites in transcatheter arterial chemoembolization of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) has been widely used in clinical practice as a first-line treatment for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the current therapeuticeffect of TACE is far from satisfactory and thus requires further improvement. TACE combined with multifunctional magnetic particles may be a promising approach for the treatment of HCC. In this study, we designed a new magnetic drug carrier system consisting of micron-sized iron powder, barium ferrite (BaFe12O19), and carbon-coated iron nanocrystals (CCINs). CCINs possess properties, such as high drug loading and sustained release. BaFe12O19 could attract both CCINs and iron powder to form larger clusters after magnetization. Altogether, the triple therapeutic effects of chemotherapeutic enhancement, embolization, and thermal ablation could be realized herein. Further experiments indicate that the system has a high drug-loading capacity, good controlled-release effect, and no significant cytotoxicity. Under the action of a medium-frequency magnetic induction device, the magnetic induction temperature could reach 43 °C in one min while the maximum temperature of 70.8 °C could be reached in 2.5 h. Overall, this new carrier system displayed excellent antitumor effects in a mouse model. Our findings demonstrate the great application prospects of this system in TACE for HCC.

Three phytosterols from sweet potato inhibit MCF7-xenograft-tumor growth through modulating gut microbiota homeostasis and SCFAs secretion.

Researches demonstrated that gut microbiota are associated with breast cancer progression. This study aims to evaluate the anti-breast tumor effects of daucosterol linolenate (DLA), daucosterol linoleate (DL), and daucosterol palmitate (DP) from sweet potato in MCF-7 xenograft nude mice by determining the tumor growth, serum tumor markers, tumor-related proteins, and performing 16S rDNA sequencing. After treatment at 87.8 mg/kg/day for 29 days, DLA, DL and DP delayed tumor growth and decreased levels of tumor marker carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), cancer antigen 125 (CA125) and cancer antigen 153 (CA153) in vivo. All treatments activated caspase 3, 9, PARP1 cleavage, down-regulated Ki67, VEGF, BCL-2, BCL-XL, up-regulated BAX expression, and inhibited PI3K/AKT/NF-κB activation in tumor tissues. Their anti-breast tumor effects were associated with the regulation on gut microbiota. The three treatments increased Bacteroidetes whereas decreased Firmicutes richness. They also modulated the diversity of gut microbiota at family and genus levels. Furthermore, DL treatment promoted butyric acid secretion, DP promoted acetic acid and butyric acid secretion in the colorectal and feces. Our findings indicate that DLA, DL, and DP inhibit tumor growth in MCF-7 xenograft nude mice by regulating the homeostasis of gut microbiota, producing SCFAs, and then disturbing the expression of cancer-related proteins. The present study suggests three phytosterols as gut microbiota regulator for breast cancer prevention.

Daucosterol linolenate from Sweet Potato Suppresses MCF7-Xenograft-Tumor Growth through Regulating PI3K/AKT Pathway.

Sweet potato is a functional food with potential antitumor properties, but the bioactive constituents and biological mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the antitumor effect of daucosterol linolenate extracted from sweet potato and its potential mechanism. An MTT assay indicated that DLA inhibited the proliferation of breast cancer MCF-7 cells but had only weak effects on the proliferation of MDA-MB-231, 4T1, and MCF-10A cells. Flow cytometry analysis revealed that daucosterol linolenate induced apoptosis of MCF-7 cells. Experiments with MCF-7 xenograft in nude mice further confirmed that DLA inhibited tumor growth dose-dependently. After DLA treatment, the expressions of B-cell lymphoma 2 and vascular endothelial growth factor were decreased and that of cleaved caspase 3 was increased as compared to the TC group. DLA also down-regulated the expression of phosphoinositide 3-kinase/protein kinase B and repressed insulin-induced phosphoinositide 3-kinase/protein kinase B activation. Our findings suggest that DLA suppresses breast tumor growth through inactivating the phosphoinositide 3-kinase/protein kinase B pathway.