Capsaicin Reduces Obesity by Reducing Chronic Low-Grade Inflammation.

Chronic low-grade inflammation (CLGI) is associated with obesity and is one of its pathogenetic mechanisms. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a component of Gram-negative bacterial cell walls, is the principal cause of CLGI. Studies have found that capsaicin significantly reduces the relative abundance of LPS-producing bacteria. In the present study, TRPV1-knockout (TRPV1-/-) C57BL/6J mice and the intestinal epithelial cell line Caco-2 (TRPV1-/-) were used as models to determine the effect of capsaicin on CLGI and elucidate the mechanism by which it mediates weight loss in vivo and in vitro. We found that the intragastric administration of capsaicin significantly blunted increases in body weight, food intake, blood lipid, and blood glucose in TRPV1-/- mice fed a high-fat diet, suggesting an anti-obesity effect of capsaicin. Capsaicin reduced LPS levels in the intestine by reducing the relative abundance of Proteobacteria such as Helicobacter, Desulfovibrio, and Sutterella. Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) levels decreased following decreases in LPS levels. Then, the local inflammation of the intestine was reduced by reducing the expression of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-6 mediated by TLR4. Attenuating local intestinal inflammation led to the increased expression of tight junction proteins zonula occludens 1 (ZO-1) and occludin and the restoration of the intestinal barrier function. Capsaicin increased the expression of ZO-1 and occludin at the transcriptional and translational levels, thereby increasing trans-endothelial electrical resistance and restoring intestinal barrier function. The restoration of intestinal barrier function decreases intestinal permeability, which reduces the concentration of LPS entering the circulation, and reduced endotoxemia leads to decreased serum concentrations of inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α and IL-6, thereby attenuating CLGI. This study sheds light on the anti-obesity effect of capsaicin and its mechanism by reducing CLGI, increasing our understanding of the anti-obesity effects of capsaicin. It has been confirmed that capsaicin can stimulate the expression of intestinal transmembrane protein ZO-1 and cytoplasmic protein occludin, increase the trans-epithelial electrical resistance value, and repair intestinal barrier function.

Metabolomic profile of secondary hyperparathyroidism in patients with chronic kidney disease stages 3-5 not receiving dialysis.

Introduction: Secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT) is a common and serious complication of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Elucidating the metabolic characteristics of SHPT may provide a new theoretical basis for its prevention and treatment. This study aimed to perform a metabolomic analysis of SHPT in patients with CKD stages 3-5 not receiving dialysis. Methods: A total of 76 patients with CKD, 85 patients with CKD-SHPT, and 67 healthy controls were enrolled in this study. CKD was diagnosed according to the criteria specified in the Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes 2012 guidelines. SHPT was diagnosed by experienced clinicians according to the Renal Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative Clinical Practice Guidelines. Serum renal function markers and the lipid profile were analyzed. Untargeted ultra performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry was used to analyze the serum metabolites of patients with CKD and SHPT. Multivariate analysis of the data was performed using principal component analysis and partial least square discriminant analysis. Serum differential metabolites were identified and further characterized using databases. Pathway enrichment analysis was performed using the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes database. Correlations between differential metabolites and clinical parameters were determined using the Spearman correlation. Results: The serum metabolomic profiles of patients with CKD with and without SHPT differed significantly. Differential metabolites were mainly enriched in the top four Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathways: phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan biosynthesis; sphingolipid metabolism; glycerophospholipid metabolism; and phenylalanine metabolism. In total, 31 differential metabolites were identified; of these, L-tryptophan and (R)-(+)-1-phenylethylamine were decreased, while other amino acids and their derivatives, uremia toxins, carnitine, and lipids, were increased significantly in patients with SHPT compared to those without. The 14 lipid metabolites were positively correlated with levels of Urea, serum creatinine, cystatin C, and triglycerides and negatively correlated with the estimated glomerular filtration rate and levels of total and high- and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Discussion: Disturbed amino acid and lipid metabolism were more apparent in patients with SHPT than in those without. This metabolomic profile of SHPT may provide a therapeutic foundation for its future clinical management.

Designing a Periodic Structure with a Composition Gradient Stack Unit to Realize a Good Comprehensive Dielectric Property of Yttrium Iron Garnet Multilayer Film.

Y3Fe5O12 (YIG) thin films are highly needed in microwave devices, but the low saturation magnetization and low dielectric constant greatly limit the application of YIG thin films. It was reported that the ion substitution, for example, Pr3+, could increase the dielectric constant of Y3-xPrxFe5O12 (YPrxIG). Unfortunately, the dielectric loss would also be significantly increased. In this work, [YPr0.20IG/YPr0.15IG/YPr0.10IG]N multilayer films were fabricated via the chemical solution deposition method, by designing a periodic structure with the [YPr0.20IG/YPr0.15IG/YPr0.10IG] composition gradient stack. In comparison to the average composition of YPr0.15IG, high saturation magnetization, high dielectric constant, and low loss were successfully simultaneously achieved in the multilayer structure. The N = 6 film exhibited a higher saturation magnetization of 252.8 emu/cm3 than the value (213.1) of the YPr0.15IG (average composition) film. The dielectric constant of the N = 6 film reached 25.6 in contrast to the value of 18.3 for the YPr0.15IG film at 12.4 GHz, which was the contribution of the rapid flip of the electric dipole of a single-unit dielectric material and the accumulation of interface charge. Furthermore, the dielectric loss of the film with N = 6 decreased to 0.0036 compared with the value (0.0102) of the average composition film. This work demonstrated a strategy of designing a periodic structure with a composition gradient stack unit to realize a good comprehensive dielectric property through taking advantage of the multiple effects of "coherent growth, component matching, and interface accumulation".

Spatio-temporal succession of microbial communities in plastisphere and their potentials for plastic degradation in freshwater ecosystems.

Plastics in the environment provide a new and unique habitat for microorganisms - known as the plastisphere. The microbial succession within the plastisphere and their potentials for plastic degradation in freshwater ecosystems is still not clear. Here, we investigated variation of microbial communities in plastisphere and their capacity to biodegrade non-biodegradable plastics (non-BPs), i.e., polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (PE), and biodegradable plastics (BPs), i.e., polylactic acid+polybutylene adipate-co-terephthalate (PLA+PBAT) for four-time periods (15, 30, 45, and 80 days) in three freshwaters. Results showed that the aging degree of plastics increased with succession of plastisphere, with higher degradation rates of BP blends than those of non-BPs. High-throughput sequencing from 112 biofilm samples revealed that bacterial and fungal community structure of the plastisphere were potentially affected by plastic types and gradually converge during biofilm succession. The plastisphere of BPs reached the mature phase more quickly than those of non-BPs and increased co-exclusion to complete for resources. Furthermore, ecological networks involving plastic aging indices, environmental factors and bacterial and fungal operational taxonomic units were established. Ecological networks revealed that BPs may pose the ability to attract and retain key microorganisms (of the orders Bacillales, Myxococcales and Xanthomonadales) that significantly influence community composition such that biodegradative functions were increased in freshwaters.

Whole-exome sequencing identified a homozygous novel RAG1 mutation in a child with omenn syndrome.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Omenn syndrome (OS) is a very rare type of severe combined immunodeficiencies manifested with erythroderma, eosinophilia, hepatosplenomegaly, lymph-adenopathy, and elevated level of serum IgE. OS is inherited with an autosomal recessive mode of inheritance. Germline mutations in the human RAG1 gene cause OS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, we investigated a 2-month-old boy with cough, mild anaemia, pneumonia, immunodeficiency, repeated infection, feeding difficulties, hepatomegaly, growth retardation, and heart failure. Parents of the proband were phenotypically normal. RESULTS: Karyotype analysis and chromosomal microarray analysis found no chromosomal structural abnormalities (46, XY) and no pathogenic copy number variations (CNVs) in the proband. Whole-exome sequencing identified a novel homozygous single nucleotide deletion (c.2662delC) in exon 2 of the RAG1 gene in the proband. Sanger sequencing confirmed that both the proband parents were carrying this variant in a heterozygous state. This variant was not identified in two elder sisters and one elder brother of the proband and in the 100 ethnically matched normal healthy individuals. This novel homozygous deletion (c.2662delC) leads to the frameshift, which finally results in the formation of the truncated protein (p.Leu888Phefs*3) V(D)J recombination-activating protein 1 with 890 amino acids compared with the wildtype V(D)J recombination-activating protein 1 of 1043 amino acids. Hence, it is a loss-of-function variant. CONCLUSIONS: Our present study expands the mutational spectrum of the RAG1 gene associated with OS. We also strongly suggested the importance of whole-exome sequencing for the genetic screening of patients with OS.

Superiority Verification of Deep Learning in the Identification of Medicinal Plants: Taking Paris polyphylla var. yunnanensis as an Example.

Medicinal plants have a variety of values and are an important source of new drugs and their lead compounds. They have played an important role in the treatment of cancer, AIDS, COVID-19 and other major and unconquered diseases. However, there are problems such as uneven quality and adulteration. Therefore, it is of great significance to find comprehensive, efficient and modern technology for its identification and evaluation to ensure quality and efficacy. In this study, deep learning, which is superior to conventional identification techniques, was extended to the identification of the part and region of the medicinal plant Paris polyphylla var. yunnanensis from the perspective of spectroscopy. Two pattern recognition models, partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) and support vector machine (SVM), were established, and the overall discrimination performance of the three types of models was compared. In addition, we also compared the effects of different sample sizes on the discriminant performance of the models for the first time to explore whether the three models had sample size dependence. The results showed that the deep learning model had absolute superiority in the identification of medicinal plant. It was almost unaffected by factors such as data type and sample size. The overall identification ability was significantly better than the PLS-DA and SVM models. This study verified the superiority of the deep learning from examples, and provided a practical reference for related research on other medicinal plants.

[Aging Process and DOC Analysis of Four Different Types of Plastic Particles in Freshwater Systems].

Although the pollution of freshwater systems by microplastics and the resulting ecological effects have attracted widespread attention from scholars at home and abroad, the fragmentation of different types of microplastics in the natural environment has not yet received enough attention. To analyze the fragmentation processes and products of different types of microplastics, a 40 d natural light fragmentation experiment was carried out using four microplastics commonly found in water:polystyrene (PS), low-density polyethylene (LDPE), polypropylene (PP), and polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB). The pH, ORP, EC, and DO of the four types of plastic-aging liquids changed significantly during the aging process. During the weathering process, cracks and pores formed on the surface of LDPE and were later identified through scanning electron microscopy. Fourier transform infrared spectrometry indicated that the carbonyl index of LDPE increased the most in the experiment (an increase of 31.48%), suggesting that PP experienced significant aging. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC), a product of microplastics fragmentation, increased as weathering time progressed, and the concentration of DOC increased significantly after weathering for about 40 d. Compared with the baseline value, the concentration of DOC from PHB, PP, and LDPE in the leaching solution increased significantly, by 61.29%, 69.49%, and 89.15%, respectively. These results suggest that evident aging of microplastics in natural aquatic environments releases significant amounts of dissolved organic matter, and the ecological effects of this should be the subject of future research.

Epidemiology of norovirus gastroenteritis in hospitalized children under five years old in western China, 2015-2019.

OBJECTIVES: Norovirus is associated with one-fifth of all gastroenteritis cases, but basic epidemiological data is lacking, especially in developing countries. As long-term surveillance on norovirus gastroenteritis is scarce in western China, this study aims to update the epidemiological knowledge of norovirus gastroenteritis and to characterize the genotypes of norovirus strains. METHODS: Stool samples were collected from hospitalized children under 5 years old with gastroenteritis in Chengdu, China. All samples were tested for norovirus as well as rotavirus, sapovirus, enteric adenovirus, and astrovirus by real-time RT-PCR. RdRp and VP1 genes were sequenced in norovirus-positive samples to investigate viral phylogenies. RESULTS: Of the 1181 samples collected from 2015 to 2019, 242 (20.5%) were positive for norovirus. Among norovirus-positive cases, 65 cases had co-infection with another virus; norovirus/enteric adenovirus was most frequently detected (50.8%, 33/65). The highest positive rate was observed in children aged 13-18 months (23.7%, 68/287). Norovirus infection peaked in autumn (36.6%, 91/249), followed by summer (20.3%, 70/345). Pearson correlation analysis showed significant correlation between the norovirus-positive rate and humidity (r = 0.773, P < 0.05). GII.4 Sydney 2012 [P31] (48.5%, 79/163) and GII.3 [P12] (35.6%, 58/163) were the dominant norovirus strains. CONCLUSIONS: Norovirus has become one of the most common causes of viral gastroenteritis in children under 5 years old in western China. Continuous monitoring is imperative for predicting the emergence of new epidemic strains and for current vaccine development.

Role of Ten eleven translocation-2 (Tet2) in modulating neuronal morphology and cognition in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease.

Abnormal expression of Ten eleven translocation-2 (Tet2) contributes to the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, to date, the role of Tet2 in modulating neuronal morphology upon amyloid-ß (Aß)-induced neurotoxicity has not been shown in a mouse model of AD. Here, we have developed a model of injured mouse hippocampal neurons induced by Aß42 oligomers in vitro. We also investigated the role of Tet2 in injured neurons using recombinant plasmids-induced Tet2 inhibition or over-expression. We found that the reduced expression of Tet2 exacerbated neuronal damage, whereas the increased expression of Tet2 was sufficient to protect neurons against Aß42 toxicity. Our results indicate that the brains of aged APPswe/PSEN1 double-transgenic (2 × Tg-AD) mice exhibit an increase in Aß plaque accumulation and a decrease in Tet2 expression. As a result, we have also explored the underlying mechanisms of Tet2 in cognition and amyloid load in 2 × Tg-AD mice via adeno-associated virus-mediated Tet2 knockdown or over-expression. Recombinant adeno-associated virus was microinjected into bilateral dentate gyrus regions of the hippocampus of the mice. Knocking down Tet2 in young 2 × Tg-AD mice resulted in the same extent of cognitive dysfunction as aged 2 × Tg-AD mice. Importantly, in middle-aged 2 × Tg-AD mice, knocking down Tet2 accelerated the accumulation of Aß plaques, whereas over-expressing Tet2 alleviated amyloid burden and memory loss. Furthermore, our hippocampal RNA-seq data, from young 2 × Tg-AD mice, were enriched with aberrantly expressed lncRNAs and miRNAs that are modulated by Tet2. Tet2-modulated lncRNAs (Malat1, Meg3, Sox2ot, Gm15477, Snhg1) and miRNAs (miR-764, miR-211, and miR-34a) may play a role in neuron formation. Overall, these results indicate that Tet2 may be a potential therapeutic target for repairing neuronal damage and cognitive impairment in AD.

Reduction of Tet2 exacerbates early stage Alzheimer's pathology and cognitive impairments in 2×Tg-AD mice.

Abnormal modification of 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) is closely related to the occurrence of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the role of 5hmC and its writers, ten-eleven translocation (Tet) proteins, in regulating the pathogenesis of AD remains largely unknown. We detected a significant decrease in 5hmC and Tet2 levels in the hippocampus of aged APPswe/PSEN1 double-transgenic (2×Tg-AD) mice that coincides with abundant amyloid-ß (Aß) plaque accumulation. On this basis, we examined the reduction of Tet2 expression in the hippocampus at early disease stages, which caused a decline of 5hmC levels and led young 2×Tg-AD mice to present with advanced stages of AD-related pathological hallmarks, including Aß accumulation, GFAP-positive astrogliosis and Iba1-positive microglia overgrowth as well as the overproduction of pro-inflammatory factors. Additionally, the loss of Tet2 in the 2×Tg-AD mice at 5 months of age accelerated hippocampal-dependent learning and memory impairments compared to age-matched control 2×Tg-AD mice. In contrast, restoring Tet2 expression in adult neural stem cells isolated from aged 2×Tg-AD mice hippocampi increased 5hmC levels and increased their regenerative capacity, suggesting that Tet2 might be an exciting target for rejuvenating the brain during aging and AD. Further, hippocampal RNA sequencing data revealed that the expression of altered genes identified in both Tet2 knockdown and control 2×Tg-AD mice was significantly associated with inflammation response. Finally, we demonstrated that Tet2-mediated 5hmC epigenetic modifications regulate AD pathology by interacting with HDAC1. These results suggest a combined approach for the regulation and treatment of AD-related memory impairment and cognitive symptoms by increasing Tet2 via HDAC1 suppression.

[Study on Dynamic Changes of Human Papillomavirus 16 E5 Gene in the Occurrence of Cervical Cancer].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the dynamic changes of human papillomavirus (HPV) type 16 E5 gene in the development of cervical cancer and the significance of E5 mRNA in early screening of cervical cancer. METHODS: Paraffin specimens of cervical lesions were collected from 49 cases (HPV positive) during September 2015 to December 2017 According to the standard of FIGO, all cervical lesions were diagnosed as: 13 cases of cervicitis, cervical intraepithelial neoplasia disorders (CIN) Ⅰ in 5 cases, CIN Ⅱ in 18 cases, CIN Ⅲ in 5 cases, 8 cases of cervical cancer. Real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR was used to detect the integrity of E5 gene and the mRNA expression levels of E5, E6 and E 7in cervical tissues. RESULTS: All the 49 cases showed positive HPV16 infection. E5 genetic integrity in CINⅠwas higher than that in cervical inflammation, CIN Ⅱand cervical cancer (P < 0.05), which was also higher than that in CIN Ⅲ, but without statistically significance (P>0.05). The mRNA levels of E5, E6, E7 were the highest in CIN Ⅲ. Compared with E6 and E7, E5 presented superior expression in all types of cervical lesions (P < 0.05), while E 6and E7 mRNA expressions only increased in CIN Ⅲ and cervical cancer. CONCLUSION: In the patients with HPV16 infection, the integrity of E5 gene in cervical tissues may be related to the occurrence and development of cervical diseases. E5 gene is expected to be the target gene for early screening of cervical cancer.

Pistacia weinmannifolia ameliorates cigarette smoke and lipopolysaccharide­induced pulmonary inflammation by inhibiting interleukin­8 production and NF­κB activation.

Pistacia weinmannifolia (PW) has been used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat headaches, dysentery, enteritis and influenza. However, PW has not been known for treating respiratory inflammatory diseases, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The present in vitro analysis confirmed that PW root extract (PWRE) exerts anti­inflammatory effects in phorbol myristate acetate­ or tumor necrosis factor α (TNF­α)­stimulated human lung epithelial NCI­H292 cells by attenuating the expression of interleukin (IL)­8, IL­6 and Mucin A5 (MUC5AC), which are closely associated with the pulmonary inflammatory response in the pathogenesis of COPD. Thus, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the protective effect of PWRE on pulmonary inflammation induced by cigarette smoke (CS) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Treatment with PWRE significantly reduced the quantity of neutrophils and the levels of inflammatory molecules and toxic molecules, including tumor TNF­α, IL­6, IL­8, monocyte chemoattractant protein­1, neutrophil elastase and reactive oxygen species, in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of mice with CS­ and LPS­induced pulmonary inflammation. PWRE also attenuated the influx of inflammatory cells in the lung tissues. Furthermore, PWRE downregulated the activation of nuclear factor­κB and the expression of phosphodiesterase 4 in the lung tissues. Therefore, these findings suggest that PWRE may be a valuable adjuvant treatment for COPD.

Toxicity Assessment of PEG-PCCL Nanoparticles and Preliminary Investigation on Its Anti-tumor Effect of Paclitaxel-Loading.

The efficiency of single treatment of conventional chemotherapy drugs is unpleasantly reduced by the physiological barriers of tumors. In this regard, nanoparticles have become attractive for achieving such medical purpose of targeted cancer therapy by delivering anti-tumor agents to the needed area. A novel drug deliverer, poly (ethylene glycol) carboxyl-poly (ε-caprolactone) (PEG-PCCL), has been reported to be highly hydrophilic and stable, while little is known about its organic toxicity. This study focused on systemic toxicity assessments of PEG-PCCL. The pharmacokinetics of PTX-loaded PEG-PCCL (PEG-PCCL/PTX) and its anti-tumor effect were preliminarily investigated. In the present work, PEG-PCCL was characterized by laser particle size analyzer and transmission electron microscopy. The cytotoxicity was investigated by MTT test, LDH leakage assay, immunofluorescence, and transmission electron microscopy. Hemolysis, phlebitis, and organ toxicity tests were performed to demonstrate the biocompatibility and acute biotoxicity. H22 tumor-bearing mice were used to evaluate the pharmacokinetics of the micells of PEG-PCCL/PTX and its anti-tumor effect. The results showed that the size of PEG-PCCL nanospheres was 97 ± 2.6 nm. PEG-PCCL treatment showed little cytotoxicity and good biocompatibility, and did not exhibit organ toxicity. PTX-loading efficiency was 49.98%. The pharmacokinetic study on H22 tumor-bearing mice revealed that PEG-PCCL/PTX has higher stability and slower release than PTX alone. Together, these results suggest that PEG-PCCL nanosphere has little toxicity to organisms and is a potential candidate of biocompatible drug vehicle for hydrophobic drugs.

Anti-inflammatory effects of a methanolic extract of Castanea seguinii Dode in LPS-induced RAW264.7 macrophage cells.

Castanea extracts are known to have antioxidant properties and are used as a traditional medicine in China and Asia. However, the biological activity of Castanea seguinii Dode has remained to be fully elucidated. The present study investigated the anti-inflammatory effects of a Castanea seguinii Dode methanolic extract (CSME) on lipopolysaccharide-induced RAW264.7 macrophage cells. CSME inhibited the production of nitric oxide (NO) and the expression of inducible NO synthase. It also suppressed the production of the pro-inflammatory cytokines inteleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α, as well as chemokine monocyte chemoattractant protein 1. In addition, CSME inhibited nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling, while also downregulating transcription factor activator protein-1. Furthermore, CSME increased heme oxygenase 1 through the upregulation of NF (erythroid-derived 2)-like-2 (Nrf-2), which directly or indirectly affects inflammation. It also increased the phosphorylation of 5'-adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK). In conclusion, CSME was demonstrated to exert its anti-inflammatory activities through the inhibition of the NF-κB and the MAPK signaling pathways, as well as the activation of Nrf-2 and AMPK. These results indicated that CSME may be a promising for development as a commercial anti-inflammatory medicine.

Balancing Between Aging and Cancer: Molecular Genetics Meets Traditional Chinese Medicine.

The biological consequences of cellular senescence and immortalization in aging and cancer are in conflict. Organisms have developed common cellular signaling pathways and surveillance mechanisms to control the processing of aging against tumorigenesis. The imbalance of any signals involved in this process may result in either premature aging or tumorigenesis and reduce the life span of the organism. In contrast, the balance between aging and tumorigenesis at a higher level (homeostatic-balance) may benefit the organism with tumor-free longevity. The focus of this perspective is to review the literature on the balance between "Yin" and "Yang" in traditional Chinese medicine. Modern cellular and molecular techniques now permit a more robust system to screen herbs in traditional Chinese medicine for their activity in balancing aging and tumorigenesis. The understanding of the crosstalk between aging and tumorigenesis and new perspectives on the application of Chinese medicine might shed light on anti-aging and tumor-free strategies. J. Cell. Biochem. 118: 2581-2586, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Relationship between the iceA gene of Helicobacter pylori and clinical outcomes.

BACKGROUND: The complex pathogenesis of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) and the features of the host influence the diverse clinical outcomes. A mass of studies about virulence genes have accelerated the exploration of pathogenesis of H. pylori infection. Induced by contact with epithelium gene A (iceA) is one of the biggest concerned virulence genes. In this study, we explored the relationship between iceA and the magnitude of the risk for clinical outcomes and the prevalence of iceA-positive H. pylori in People's Republic of China and other countries. METHODS: We searched the electronic databases of PubMed, Embase, CNKI, VIP, and Wanfang by literature search strategy. The studies conforming to the inclusion criteria were assessed. With these data, we systematically analyzed the relationship between the iceA gene of H. pylori and clinical outcomes. RESULTS: Nineteen articles with 22 studies, a total of 2,657 cases, were involved in the study. The iceA1 gene was significantly associated with peptic ulcer disease (odds ratio =1.28, 95% confidence interval =1.03-1.60; P=0.03), especially in People's Republic of China (odds ratio =1.40, 95% confidence interval =1.07-1.83; P=0.01). Moreover, the prevalence of iceA1 was significantly higher than iceA2 in People's Republic of China (P<0.0001). The prevalence of both iceA1 and iceA2 was significantly different (P<0.0001) in People's Republic of China and in other countries. CONCLUSION: The system analysis showed that infection with the iceA1-positive H. pylori significantly increased the overall risk for peptic ulcer disease, especially in People's Republic of China. The iceA2 gene status and clinical outcome of H. pylori infection have no significant correlation. H. pylori iceA1 genotype is the major epidemic strain in People's Republic of China.

Preparation and characterization of a new monoclonal antibody against CXCR4 using lentivirus vector.

CXCR4 is a member of chemokine receptors and plays a vital role in numerous diseases and cancer processes, which makes the CXCR4/CXCL12 chemotactic axis a potential therapeutic target. In this study, we used lentiviral vectors as a novel technology to produce a monoclonal antibody against CXCR4. Lentivirus vector pLV-CXCR4-Puro was successfully constructed and a hybridoma cell line 1A4 was generated. The CXCR4 monoclonal antibody (MAb) 1A4 had high titer and affinity, and the isotype was identified as IgG1a. The recombinant lentivirus vector could effectively stimulate the production of 39kDa CXCR4 antibody in vivo after immunization. Western blot analysis showed that the MAb could recognize the CXCR4 antigen expressed on transfected 293T cells as well as various human cancer cell lines. Immunofluorescence assays showed that MAb 1A4 mainly localized and strongly stained on the membrane of transfected 293T cells. Immunohistochemistry assays demonstrated that 1A4 could recognize strong expression of CXCR4 on the hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Thus, the method using lentiviral vectors may have application on effective and large-scale production of the CXCR4 monoclonal antibody, which will be a potential tool for the diagnosis and treatment of human cancers.

20(S)-Protopanaxadiol saponins inhibit SKOV3 cell migration.

While the anti-tumor actions of ginsenosides from Panax notoginseng are well-studied, the anti-proliferative activity of 20(S)-protopanaxadiol saponins (PDS) in Sanchi ginseng on human ovarian cancer has not been reported, nor has its effect on migration of SKOV3 cells been investigated. In the present study, a wound-healing assay indicated that PDS inhibited the migration of SKOV3 cells, and a Matrigel™ tube formation assay demonstrated the presence of inhibitory tube-structures following treatment with PDS. To date, there are no previous reports on the regulation of osteopontin (OPN), a glycophosphoprotein cytokine frequently expressed in ovarian carcinoma effusions by PDS. A reduction in the expression of OPN following PDS-treatment was observed using immunohistochemical and western blot experiments. These results suggest that PDS may be useful in the search for a potential ovarian cancer treatment.

Arsenic, cadmium and lead in sclerotia of Wolfiporia extensa of Yunnan, China.

Considering the environmental pollution, edible mushroom safety is of great concern to consumers. This study aimed at providing and evaluating data on As, Cd and Pb content of sclerotia of Wolfiporia extensa collected across Yunnan in China. For the presented survey As, Cd, and Pb concentration in sclerotia of wild and cultivated W. extensa was determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The results showed that As, Cd, and Pb content were below the limit promulgated by WHO, with the ranges 5.27-161, 1.51-42.1 and < 1-634 ng g(-1) dry matter. Calculated hazard quotient (HQ) and hazard index (HI) were used to evaluate the non-carcinogenic health risk from individual and combined metals via daily consumption of 50 g sclerotia. Both HQ and HI through consumption of sclerotia were below 1, indicating that weekly consumption of sclerotia at the indicated doses poses no significant health risk to an adult consumer.

Comparative metabolic fingerprinting of Gentiana rhodantha from different geographical origins using LC-UV-MS/MS and multivariate statistical analysis.

BACKGROUNDS: Gentiana rhodantha, a rich source of iridoids and polyphenols, is a traditional ethnomedicine widely used in China. Metabolic fingerprinting based on a LC-UV-MS/MS method was applied to explore the chemical markers for discrimination of G. rhodantha from different geographical origins. RESULTS: Targeted compounds were separated on a Shim-pack XR-ODS III (150 × 2.0 mm, 2.2 µm), with a mobile phase consisted of acetonitrile and 0.1% formic acid in water, under gradient elution. In quantitative analysis, all of the calibration curves showed good linear regression (R(2) < less than 0.9991) within the tested ranges, and accuracy ranged from 97.8% to 104.2% and the %RSD of precision (less than 3%) were all within the required limits. The most abundant mangiferin (82.21 mg/g) found in sample from Zunyi, Guizhou province. Furthermore, 64 samples according to their geographical origins, could be classified by partial least-squares discriminate analysis (PLS-DA) and nine compounds including two new compounds identified by mass spectrometry could be regarded as characteristic compounds for discriminating samples from different geographical origins. CONCLUSIONS: The developed method appears to be a useful tool for analysis of G. rhodantha, which could provide potential indicators for differentiation of different geographical origins.