Safety of low-intensity extracorporeal shock wave therapy in prostate disorders: in vitro and in vivo evidence.

ABSTRACT: Recent evidence suggests that low-intensity extracorporeal shock wave therapy (Li-ESWT) is a promising treatment for chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS); however, its safety in pelvic organs, particularly prostate tissues and cells, remains unclear. The current study evaluates the risks of prostate cell damage or oncogenesis following the administration of Li-ESWT for prostatitis. To this end, a robust in vitro model (Cell Counting Kit-8 [CCK-8] assay, clone formation assay, cell scratch assay, lactate dehydrogenase [LDH] release assay, flow cytometry, and immunoblotting assay) was designed to examine the effects of Li-ESWT on cell proliferation, clonogenicity, migration, membrane integrity, and DNA damage. Exome sequencing of Li-ESWT-treated cells was performed to determine the risk of carcinogenesis. Furthermore, an in vivo rat model (n = 20) was employed to assess the effects of Li-ESWT on cancer biomarkers (carcinoembryonic antigen [CEA], Ki67, proliferating cell nuclear antigen [PCNA], and gamma-H2A histone family member X, phosphorylation of the H2AX Ser-139 [γ-H2AX]) in prostate tissue. Based on our findings, Li-ESWT promotes cellular growth and motility without inducing significant cell membrane or DNA damage or alterations. Genetic analyses did not demonstrate an increase in mutations, and no damage to prostate tissue or upregulation of cancer biomarkers was detected in vivo. This comprehensive in vitro and in vivo assessment confirms the safety of Li-ESWT in managing prostate disorders.

Curvularin derivatives from the marine mangrove derived fungus Penicillium sumatrense MA-325.

Sumalarins D-G (1-4), four previously undescribed curvularin derivatives, along with two known related metabolites, curvularin (5) and dehydrocurvularin (6), were isolated and identified from the mangrove-derived fungus Penicillium sumatrense MA-325. Among them, sumalarin D (1) represents a unique example of curvularin derivative featuring a 5-methylfuran-2-yl-methyl group. Their structures were elucidated based on analysis of NMR and MS data as well as comparison of ECD spectra and quantum chemical calculations of NMR, and compound 1 was confirmed by X-ray crystallographic analysis. Compounds 1, 2, 5, and 6 are active against aquatic pathogenic bacteria Vibrio alginolyticus and V. harveyi with MIC values ranging from 4 to 64 µg/mL, while compound 6 is cytotoxic against tumor cell lines 5673, HCT 116, 786-O, and Hela with IC50 values of 3.5, 10.6, 10.9, and 14.9 µM, respectively.

High-fat diet promotes multiple binges-induced liver injury via promoting hepatic macrophage proinflammatory polarization.

High-fat diet (HFD) and ethanol could synergistically induce liver damage, but the underlying mechanisms remain to be elucidated. M1-polarized macrophages have been demonstrated to be key players in ethanol-induced liver damage. The current study was designed to investigate whether hepatic steatosis could promote ethanol-induced liver injury by promoting liver macrophage M1 polarization. In the in vivo study, 12 weeks of HFD feeding induced a moderate increase in the F4/80 expression and protein levels of p-IKKα/ß, p-IκBα, and p-p65, which was suppressed by single binge. In contrast, 8 weeks of HFD and multiple binges (two binges per week during the last 4 weeks) synergistically increased the F4/80 expression, mRNA levels of M1 polarization biomarkers including Ccl2, Tnfa, and Il1b, and protein levels of p65, p-p65, COX2, and Caspase 1. In the in vitro study, a nontoxic free fatty acids (FFAs) mixture (oleic acid/palmitic acid = 2: 1) induced a moderate increase of protein levels of p-p65 and NLRP3 in murine AML12 hepatocytes, which was inhibited by ethanol co-exposure. Ethanol alone induced proinflammatory polarization of murine J774A.1 macrophages evidenced by the enhanced secretion of TNF-α, increased mRNA levels of Ccl2, Tnfa, and Il1b, and upregulated protein levels of p65, p-p65, NLRP3, and Caspase 1, which was augmented by FFAs exposure. Collectively, these results suggest that HFD and multiple binges could synergistically induce liver damage by promoting the proinflammatory activation of macrophages in mice livers.

Downregulation of miR­7 and miR­153 is involved in Helicobacter pylori CagA induced gastric carcinogenesis and progression.

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection plays a pivotal role in the development of gastric cancer (GC). However, the association between aberrant microRNAs (miRNAs/miRs) expression and H. pylori­induced GC remains poorly understood. The present study reported that repeated infection of H. pylori caused the oncogenicity of GES­1 cells in BALB/c Nude mice. miRNA sequencing revealed that both miR­7 and miR­153 were significantly decreased in the cytotoxin­associated gene A (CagA) positive GC tissues and this was further confirmed in a chronic infection model of GES­1/HP cells. Further biological function experiments and in vivo experiments validated that miR­7 and miR­153 can promote apoptosis and autophagy, inhibit proliferation and inflammatory response in GES­1/HP cells. All the associations between miR­7/miR­153 and their potential targets were revealed via bioinformatics prediction and dual­luciferase reporter assay. Particularly, downregulation of both miR­7 and miR­153 obtained an improved sensitivity and specificity in diagnosing H. pylori (CagA+)­induced GC. The present study identified that the combination of miR­7 and miR­153 may be regarded as novel therapeutic targets in H. pylori CagA (+)­associated GC.

Prevention of malignant digestive system tumors should focus on the control of chronic inflammation.

Chronic inflammation, through a variety of mechanisms, plays a key role in the occurrence and development of digestive system malignant tumors (DSMTs). In this study, we feature and provide a comprehensive understanding of DSMT prevention strategies based on preventing or controlling chronic inflammation. The development and evaluation of cancer prevention strategies is a longstanding process. Cancer prevention, especially in the early stage of life, should be emphasized throughout the whole life course. Issues such as the time interval for colon cancer screening, the development of direct-acting antiviral drugs for liver cancer, and the Helicobacter pylori vaccine all need to be explored in long-term, large-scale experiments in the future.

A new prediction model of hepatocellular carcinoma based on N7-methylguanosine modification.

PURPOSE: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a kind of primary liver cancer. It is a common malignant tumor of digestive system that is difficult to predict the prognosis of patients. As an important epigenetic modification, N7 methyl guanosine (m7G) is indispensable in gene regulation. This regulation may affect the development and occurrence of cancer. However, the prognosis of long non coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in HCC is limited, especially how m7G-related lncRNAs regulate the development of HCC has not been reported. METHODS: The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) provides us with the expression data and corresponding clinical information of HCC patients we need. We used a series of statistical methods to screen four kinds of m7G-related lncRNAs related to HCC prognosis and through a series of verifications, the results were in line with our expectations. Finally, we also explored the IC50 difference and correlation analysis of various common chemotherapy drugs. RESULT: Our study identified four differentially expressed m7g-related lncRNAs associated with HCC prognosis. Survival curve analysis showed that high risk lncRNAs would lead to poor prognosis of HCC patients. M7G signature's AUC was 0.789, which shows that the prognosis model we studied has certain significance in predicting the prognosis of HCC patients. Moreover, our study found that different risk groups have different immune and tumor related pathways through gene set enrichment analysis. In addition, many immune cell functions are significantly different among different risk groups, such as T cell functions, including coordination of type I INF response and coordination of type II INF response. The expression of PDCD1, HHLA2, CTLA-4 and many other immune checkpoints in different risk groups is also different. Additionally, we analyzed the differences of IC50 and risk correlation of 15 chemotherapeutic drugs among different risk groups. CONCLUSION: A novel lncRNAs associated with m7G predicts the prognosis of HCC.

Acupuncture for cancer-related conditions: An overview of systematic reviews.

BACKGROUND: Acupuncture is commonly used for cancer-related conditions worldwide, and evidence is increasing year on year. There is a need to summarize the evidence of acupuncture for cancer-related conditions comprehensively and critically. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate and summarize the systematic reviews (SRs) that assess the effects and safety of acupuncture for cancer-related conditions, and to inform clinical practice and future studies. METHODS: A comprehensive search was conducted on Pubmed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, Web of Science, CNKI, VIP, Sinomed, and Wanfang from their inception to October 16, 2021. SRs of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on acupuncture for cancer-related conditions were to be included. Two reviewers screened the eligible articles, and four reviewers in pair extracted data and assessed the methodological quality/risk of bias of all included reviews by AMSTAR 2 and ROBIS tools. The overlap of primary studies was measured by calculating corrected covered areas. Data from the included reviews were synthesized with a summary of meta-analysis or narrative description. RESULTS: Fifty-one SRs of RCTs on acupuncture for cancer-related conditions were included and synthesized. The methodological quality of SRs included 1 "high", 5 "low" and 45 "very low" by AMSTAR 2. Sixteen SRs assessed as low risk of bias (31.37%), and 35 SRs had high risk of bias (68.63%) by ROBIS. Acupuncture showed effective on systemic conditions in relation to different cancers, including cancer-related pain (17 SRs, 80 RCTs), fatigue (7 SRs, 18 RCTs), insomnia (4 SRs, 10 RCTs), quality of life (2 SRs, 15 RCTs); conditions in relation to chemo-radiotherapy, including nausea and vomiting (3 SRs, 36 RCTs) and bone marrow suppression (2 SRs, 21 RCTs); and conditions in relation to specific cancers, including breast cancer-related menopause (3 SRs, 6 RCTs), hot flashes (12 SRs, 13 RCTs), arthralgia (5 SRs, 10 RCTs), and nasopharyngeal cancer-related dysphagia (1 SRs, 7 RCTs). Acupuncture appeared to have benefit for patients with lymphoedema (3 SRs, 3 RCTs), gastrointestinal function (5 SRs, 27 RCTs), and xerostomia (4 SRs, 7 RCTs). Limited evidence showed inconsistent results on acupuncture for chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (3 SRs, 6 RCTs), depression and anxiety (3 SRs, 9 RCTs). Acupuncture was regarded as a safe therapy for cancer patients as no severe adverse events related were reported. CONCLUSION: Evidence from SRs showed that acupuncture is beneficial to cancer survivors with cancer-related pain, fatigue, insomnia, improved quality of life, nausea and vomiting, bone marrow suppression, menopausal symptoms, arthralgia, and dysphagia, and may also be potential for lymphoedema, gastrointestinal function, and xerostomia. For neuropathy, depression and anxiety, acupuncture should be used as an option based on individual conditions. Acupuncture is relatively safe without serious adverse events. More well-designed clinical trials of acupuncture are recommended on cancer-related depression and anxiety, arthralgia, xerostomia, gastrointestinal dysfunction and dysphagia.

Deep Learning Analysis Using 18F-FDG PET/CT to Predict Occult Lymph Node Metastasis in Patients With Clinical N0 Lung Adenocarcinoma.

Introduction: The aim of this work was to determine the feasibility of using a deep learning approach to predict occult lymph node metastasis (OLM) based on preoperative FDG-PET/CT images in patients with clinical node-negative (cN0) lung adenocarcinoma. Materials and Methods: Dataset 1 (for training and internal validation) included 376 consecutive patients with cN0 lung adenocarcinoma from our hospital between May 2012 and May 2021. Dataset 2 (for prospective test) used 58 consecutive patients with cN0 lung adenocarcinoma from June 2021 to February 2022 at the same center. Three deep learning models: PET alone, CT alone, and combined model, were developed for the prediction of OLM. The performance of the models was evaluated on internal validation and prospective test in terms of accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, and areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUCs). Results: The combined model incorporating PET and CT showed the best performance, achieved an AUC of 0.81 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.61, 1.00] in the prediction of OLM in internal validation set (n = 60) and an AUC of 0.87 (95% CI: 0.75, 0.99) in the prospective test set (n = 58). The model achieved 87.50% sensitivity, 80.00% specificity, and 81.00% accuracy in the internal validation set and achieved 75.00% sensitivity, 88.46% specificity, and 86.60% accuracy in the prospective test set. Conclusion: This study presented a deep learning approach to enable the prediction of occult nodal involvement based on the PET/CT images before surgery in cN0 lung adenocarcinoma, which would help clinicians select patients who would be suitable for sublobar resection.

Efficacy and Safety of Placebo During the Maintenance Therapy of Ovarian Cancer in Randomized Controlled Trials: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Introduction: This meta-analysis evaluated the efficacy and safety of placebo during the maintenance therapy of ovarian cancer (OC) patients in randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Methods: A comprehensive literature review was performed for RCTs published up to and including August 2020 from four electronic databases. We analyzed the efficacy and safety in the control arms of the maintenance therapy in advanced OC patients. Hazard ratios (HRs) and the corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were estimated in the placebo arms and the observation arms, respectively, using the Frequency Framework method. We also calculated the incidences of common adverse effects (AEs) in the placebo arms. Results: In total, 41 articles with 20,099 (4,787 in the placebo arms, 3,420 in the observation arms, and 11,892 in the experiment arms) patients were included in this meta-analysis. Compared with observation, placebo did not improve or reduce PFS (HR, 1.02; 95% CI, 0.87-1.20; P = 0.81) and OS (HR, 1.02; 95% CI, 0.89-1.16; P = 0.76) of OC patients, while other treatments, except for radiotherapy, significantly improved PFS and OS (all P < 0.05). The incidences of AEs produced by placebo were 94.03% in all grades and 20.22% in grade ≥3. The incidences of AEs were 29.75% in fatigue, 26.38% in nausea, 24.34% in abdominal pain, 18.92% in constipation, 16.65% in diarrhea, 14.55% in vomiting, 13.89% in hypertension, and 13.14% in headache. Conclusions: Placebo did not improve or reduce the PFS and OS benefits of OC patients in RCTs but increased the incidences of AEs.

Diallyl disulfide suppresses the lipopolysaccharide-driven inflammatory response of macrophages by activating the Nrf2 pathway.

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-driven activation of Kupffer cells plays critical roles in the development of alcoholic liver disease (ALD). Accumulating evidence has revealed that nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) can modulate the polarization of macrophages. The current study aimed to investigate the roles of diallyl disulfide (DADS) in LPS-driven inflammation in vitro and in vivo. We found that DADS significantly increased the nuclear translocation of Nrf2 and the transcription of Nrf2 targets, including HO1, NQO1, and γ-GCSc, and suppressed degradation of Nrf2 protein. Besides, DADS significantly inhibited LPS-induced activation of NF-κB and MAPK, secretion of NO and TNF-α, and production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in LPS-exposed RAW264.7 cells. In vivo study demonstrated that DADS significantly ameliorated liver damage in mice challenged with LPS, as shown by the inhibition of increases in serum aminotransferase activities, neutrophil infiltration, and NF-κB and NLRP3 inflammasome activation. Finally, knockout of Nrf2 abrogated the suppression of DADS on macrophage polarization and on liver injury induced by LPS. These findings reveal that DADS suppresses LPS-driven inflammatory response in the liver by activating Nrf2, which suggests that the protective effects of DADS against ALD may be attributed to the modulation of Kupffer cell polarization in the liver.

Development and Validation of a 18F-FDG PET-Based Radiomic Model for Evaluating Hypermetabolic Mediastinal-Hilar Lymph Nodes in Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Accurate evaluation of lymph node (LN) status is critical for determining the treatment options in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This study aimed to develop and validate a 18F-FDG PET-based radiomic model for the identification of metastatic LNs from the hypermetabolic mediastinal-hilar LNs in NSCLC. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 259 patients with hypermetabolic LNs who underwent pretreatment 18F-FDG PET/CT and were pathologically confirmed as NSCLC from two centers. Two hundred twenty-eight LNs were allocated to a training cohort (LN = 159) and an internal validation cohort (LN = 69) from one center (7:3 ratio), and 60 LNs were enrolled to an external validation cohort from the other. Radiomic features were extracted from LNs of PET images. A PET radiomics signature was constructed by multivariable logistic regression after using the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) method with 10-fold cross-validation. The PET radiomics signature (model 1) and independent predictors from CT image features and clinical data (model 2) were incorporated into a combined model (model 3). A nomogram was plotted for the complex model, and the performance of the nomogram was assessed by its discrimination, calibration, and clinical usefulness. RESULTS: The area under the curve (AUC) values of model 1 were 0.820, 0.785, and 0.808 in the training, internal, and external validation cohorts, respectively, showing good diagnostic efficacy for lymph node metastasis (LNM). Furthermore, model 2 was able to discriminate metastatic LNs in the training (AUC 0.780), internal (AUC 0.794), and external validation cohorts (AUC 0.802), respectively. Model 3 showed optimal diagnostic performance among the three cohorts, with an AUC of 0.874, 0.845, and 0.841, respectively. The nomogram based on the model 3 showed good discrimination and calibration. CONCLUSIONS: Our study revealed that PET radiomics signature, especially when integrated with CT imaging features, showed the ability to identify true and false positives of mediastinal-hilar LNM detected by PET/CT in patients with NSCLC, which would help clinicians to make individual treatment decisions.

Targeting macrophage polarization by Nrf2 agonists for treating various xenobiotics-induced toxic responses.

Macrophages can polarize into different phenotypes in response to different microenvironmental stimuli. Macrophage polarization has been assigned to two extreme states, namely proinflammatory M1 and anti-inflammatory M2. Accumulating evidences have demonstrated that M1 polarized macrophages contribute to various toxicants-induced deleterious effects. Switching macrophages from proinflammatory M1 phenotype toward anti-inflammatory M2 phenotype could be a promising approach for treating various inflammatory diseases. Studies in the past few decades have revealed that nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) can modulate the polarization of macrophages. Specifically, activation of Nrf2 could block M1 stimuli-induced production of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines, and shift the polarization of macrophages toward M2 by cross-talking with nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB), mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ), and autophagy. Importantly, a great number of studies have confirmed the beneficial effects of natural and synthesized Nrf2 agonists on various inflammatory diseases; however, most of these compounds are far away from clinical application due to lack of characterization and defects of study designs. Interestingly, some endogenous Nrf2 inducers and compounds with dual activities (such as the Nrf2 inducing and CO releasing effects) exhibit potent anti-inflammatory effects, which points out an important direction for future researches.

Diagnostic and prognostic role of BTA, NMP22, survivin and cytology in urothelial carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Cytology is a recommended noninvasive urine test for the detection and surveillance of bladder cancer and upper-tract urothelial carcinoma. It is however characterized by poor sensitivity in low-grade tumors. This study aims to determine the diagnostic and prognostic role of BTA, BTA-stat, NMP22, and Survivin. METHODS: Urine samples were collected from a total of 105 patients (bladder cancer (n=61), upper-tract urothelial carcinoma (n=44), and controls (n=52). The samples were directly assessed using cytology, BTA-stat (Qualitative test), BTA (chemiluminescence test), NMP22 (Qualitative test), and Survivin (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay). Cancer progression and recurrence were assessed after a median follow-up of 32 months (4-47 months). Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed using Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and Cox proportional hazards regression. RESULTS: The triple combination of Survivin + BTA + Cytology was the most promising model for discriminating bladder cancer or upper-tract urothelial carcinoma from controls (UTUC group: the area under the curve value 0.97, sensitivity 86%, specificity 96%; BC group: the area under the curve value 0.86 sensitivity 67%, specificity 96%). Univariate survival analysis, showed Cytology (P=0.02; HR=5.35) and Survivin (HR=3.24; P=0.03) to have a significant association with the progression-free survival, while Survivin (HR=4.15; P=0.04) was statistically associated with cancer-specific survival in the bladder cancer group. The multivariable analysis did not show any of these markers as independent prognostic factors. CONCLUSIONS: These biomarkers showed a higher sensitivity than cytology, but a poorer specificity. All biomarkers exhibited good diagnostic performance in both bladder cancer and upper-tract urothelial carcinoma. Combining Survivin + BTA + Cytology was superior to the use of a single marker or combining other biomarkers.

A new indole alkaloid with HUVEC proliferation activities from Nauclea officinalis.

A new indole alkaloid, namely naucleofficine H (1), was obtained from the aqueous extract of Nauclea officinalis, together with four known alkaloids, vincosamide (2), strictosamide (3), angustoline (4) and pumiloside (5). Their structures were characterized by analyzing their physicochemical data including NMR, and HRMS. In addition, five compounds were tested for their proliferation activities. The expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), extra-cellular signal-regulated protein kinase 1 and 2 (ERK) and phosphorylation of ERK 1/2 (p-ERK) were also detected in HUVEC treated withbioactive compounds using western blotting. The result showed that these compounds could promote HUVEC cell proliferation. Compounds 3 and 5 could up-regulate VEGF and p-ERK in HUVEC.

Transformed ALDH2-/- hepatocytes by ethanol could serve as a useful tool for studying alcoholic hepatocarcinogenesis.

Alcohol is a well-recognized hepatic carcinogen. Alcohol is metabolized into genotoxic acetaldehyde in hepatocytes, which is catalyzed by aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2). The detailed underlying mechanisms of alcohol-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains unclear, at least partially, due to the absence of appropriate experimental models. Current studies suggest that rodents are not good models of the most common liver diseases that trigger HCC including alcoholic liver injury. We hypothesize that ethanol could induce transformation of immortalized normal liver cells, which may serve as a versatile tool for studying alcoholic HCC. Besides, we believe that knockout of ALDH2 will help to shorten the time course of transformation, as ALDH2 deficiency will significantly increase the accumulation of acetaldehyde in hepatocytes. Using this model, the dynamic changes of carcinogenesis-related molecular events could be easily examined. Furthermore, the transformed cells isolated from soft agar could be inoculated to mice for studying invasion, metastasis, and also for screening prophylactics.

Roles of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α in the pathogenesis of ethanol-induced liver disease.

Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) is a progressively aggravated liver disease with high incidence in alcoholics. Ethanol-induced fat accumulation and the subsequent lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-driven inflammation bring liver from reversible steatosis, to irreversible hepatitis, fibrosis, cirrhosis, and even hepatocellular carcinoma. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα) is a member of the nuclear receptor superfamily of ligand-activated transcription factors and plays pivotal roles in the regulation of fatty acid homeostasis as well as the inflammation control in the liver. It has been well documented that PPARα activity and/or expression are downregulated in liver of mice exposed to ethanol, which is thought to be one of the prime contributors to ethanol-induced steatosis, hepatitis and fibrosis. This article summarizes the current evidences from in vitro and animal models for the critical roles of PPARα in the onset and progression of ALD. Importantly, it should be noted that the expression of PPARα in human liver is reported to be similar to that in mice, and PPARα expression is downregulated in the liver of patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a disease sharing many similarities with ALD. Therefore, clinical trials investigating the expression of PPARα in the liver of ALD patients and the efficacy of strong PPARα agonists for the prevention and treatment of ALD are warranted.

Haloflavibacter putidus gen. nov., sp. nov., isolated from coastal seawater.

A Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, gliding, rod-shaped (0.2-0.5×1.0-13.0 µm) and yellow-pigmented bacterium, designated PLHSN227T, was isolated from seawater collected near the coast of Yantai, PR China. PLHSN227T was found to grow at 15-37 °C (optimum, 28-30 °C) and pH 6.0-8.5 (optimum, 6.5-7.5) in the presence of 2-14 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 5.0 %). Phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that PLHSN227T represented a member of the family Flavobacteriaceae and exhibited the highest sequence similarity (94.6 %) to the type strain Salegentibacter holothuriorum NBRC 100249T. The chemotaxonomic analysis revealed that the sole respiratory quinone was menaquinone 6 (MK-6) and the major fatty acids included C19 : 0ω8c cyclo, iso-C15 : 0, anteiso-C15 : 0, C18 : 0 and summed feature 8 (C18 : 1ω7c and/or C18 : 1ω6c). The major polar lipids included phosphatidylethanolamine, one unidentified aminolipid and two unidentified lipids. The DNA G+C content of PLHSN227T was 35.6 mol%. PLHSN227T showed the highest average amino acid identity value of 67.2 %, the average nucleotide identity value of 75.6 and 14.5 % digital DNA-DNA hybridization identity with Mesonia algae DSM 15361T. According to the phylogenetic data, PLHSN227T formed a distinct clade in the phylogenetic tree. On the basis of phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and phylogenetic data, it is considered that PLHSN227T represents a novel genus within the family Flavobacteriaceae, for which the name Haloflavibacter putidus gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is PLHSN227T (=KCTC 72159T=MCCC 1H00371T).

Insights regarding novel biomarkers and the pathogenesis of primary colorectal carcinoma based on bioinformatic analysis.

BACKGROUND: Biomarkers are important in the study of tumor processes for early detection and precise treatment. The biomarkers that have been previously detected are not useful for clinical application for primary colorectal carcinoma (PCRC). The aim of this study was to explore clinically valuable biomarkers of PCRC based on integrated bioinformatic analysis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Gene expression data were acquired from the GSE41258 dataset, and the differentially expressed genes were determined between PCRC and normal colorectal samples. Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analyses were implemented via Gene Set Enrichment Analysis. A protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed. The significant modules and hub genes were screened and identified in the PPI network. RESULTS: A total of 202 DEGs were identified, including 58 upregulated and 144 downregulated genes in PCRC samples compared to those in normal colorectal samples. Enrichment analysis demonstrated that the gene sets enriched in PCRC were significantly related to bicarbonate transport, regulation of sodium ion transport, potassium ion homeostasis, regulation of telomere maintenance, and other processes. A total of 10 hub genes was identified by cytoHubba: PYY, CXCL3, CXCL11, CXCL8, CXCL12, CCL20, MMP3, P2RY14, NPY1R, and CXCL1. CONCLUSION: The hub genes, such as NPY1R, P2RY14, and CXCL12, and the electrolyte disequilibrium resulting from the differential expression of genes, especially bicarbonate imbalance, may provide novel insights and evidence for the future diagnosis and targeted therapy of PCRC.

Selective estrogen receptor modulator with estrogen does not affect the proliferation and apoptosis of uterine leiomyoma cells.

BACKGROUND: The administration of menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) in women with uterine leiomyomas is still debated. The purpose of this article is to study the proliferation and apoptosis of uterine leiomyoma cells under the impact of selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM) combined with estrogen. METHODS: Primary cultured uterine leiomyoma cells in the perimenopausal period were treated with estrogen (17-beta estradiol) + SERM (raloxifene) as the tissue selective estrogen complex (TSEC) group, while both estrogen + medroxyprogesterone acetate (E+P) and estrogen (E) alone as were used as control groups. The expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) proteins was assessed by methylthiazolyldiphenyl-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay and western-blot analysis, respectively. RESULTS: The proliferation in the TSEC group was weaker than the control groups (P<0.001). There was no statistical difference between the TSEC and blank control group on cell proliferation at 72 h (P=0.13). However, there was a significant difference between the other groups (P<0.001). PCNA expression of TSEC was lower than that of the E + P and E groups (P<0.05). There was no statistical difference in the expression of PCNA between the TSEC and blank control groups (P=0.63). Bcl-2 expression of TSEC was lower than that of the E + P and E groups (P<0.05). There was no statistical difference in the expression of Bcl-2 between the TSEC group and the blank control group (P=0.60). CONCLUSIONS: SERM combined with estrogen may have a better safety for perimenopausal women with uterine leiomyoma in MHT.

Long noncoding RNA MEG3 play an important role in osteosarcoma development through sponging microRNAs.

More and more evidence indicate long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) as competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) to indirectly regulate messenger RNAs (mRNAs) by acting as microRNA (miRNA) sponges, which represents a novel layer of gene regulation that plays a critical role in the development of cancers. However, functional roles and regulatory mechanisms of lncRNA-mediated ceRNAs network in osteosarcoma are still largely unknown. Here, we comprehensively compared the expression profiles of mRNAs, lncRNAs, and miRNAs between osteosarcoma and normal samples from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) to elaborate related latent mechanisms. Two lncRNAs, ie, LINC01560 and MEG3, were identified to be aberrantly expressed. Importantly, MEG3 was considered as a promising diagnostic biomarker and therapeutic target for patients with osteosarcoma according to the Kaplan-Meier analysis of another independent osteosarcoma data set from the Cancer Genome Atlas (P = 0.05). Eventually, we successfully established a dysregulated lncRNA-related ceRNA network, including one osteosarcoma-specific lncRNA, three miRNAs and four mRNAs. In conclusion, this study should be beneficial for improving our understanding of the lncRNA-mediated ceRNA regulatory mechanisms in the pathogenesis of osteosarcoma and providing it with novel candidate diagnostic and therapeutic biomarkers.