Ultrasmall CuMn-His Nanozymes with Multienzyme Activity at Neutral pH: Construction of a Colorimetric Sensing Array for Biothiol Detection and Disease Identification.

Biothiol assays offer vital insights into health assessment and facilitate the early detection of potential health issues, thereby enabling timely and effective interventions. In this study, we developed ultrasmall CuMn-Histidine (His) nanozymes with multiple enzymatic activities. CuMn-His enhanced peroxidase (POD)-like activity at neutral pH was achieved through hydrogen bonding and electrostatic effects. In addition, CuMn-His possesses laccase (LAC)-like and superoxide dismutase (SOD)-like activities at neutral pH. Based on three different enzyme mimetic activities of CuMn-His at neutral pH, the colorimetric sensing array without changing the buffer solution was successfully constructed. The array was successfully used for the identification of three biothiols, glutathione (GSH), cysteine (Cys), and homocysteine (Hcy). Subsequently, excellent application results were shown in complex serum and cellular level analyses. This study provides an innovative strategy for the development of ultrasmall bimetallic nanozymes with multiple enzymatic activities and the construction of colorimetric sensing arrays.

Boosting reactivity of water-gas shift reaction by synergistic function over CeO2-x/CoO1-x/Co dual interfacial structures.

Dual-interfacial structure within catalysts is capable of mitigating the detrimentally completive adsorption during the catalysis process, but its construction strategy and mechanism understanding remain vastly lacking. Here, a highly active dual-interfaces of CeO2-x/CoO1-x/Co is constructed using the pronounced interfacial interaction from surrounding small CeO2-x islets, which shows high activity in catalyzing the water-gas shift reaction. Kinetic evidence and in-situ characterization results revealed that CeO2-x modulates the oxidized state of Co species and consequently generates the dual active CeO2-x/CoO1-x/Co interface during the WGS reaction. A synergistic redox mechanism comprised of independent contribution from dual functional interfaces, including CeO2-x/CoO1-x and CoO1-x/Co, is authenticated by experimental and theoretical results, where the CeO2-x/CoO1-x interface alleviates the CO poison effect, and the CoO1-x/Co interface promotes the H2 formation. The results may provide guidance for fabricating dual-interfacial structures within catalysts and shed light on the mechanism over multi-component catalyst systems.

CircPLXNB2 regulates acute myeloid leukemia progression through miR-654-3p/CCND1 axis.

BACKGROUND: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a common hematological malignancy. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are newly discovered endogenous non-coding RNAs that play important roles in regulating gene expression in cancer biology. The aim of this study was to identify novel prognostic and therapeutic targets associated with AML. METHODS: The expression levels of circRNA Plexin B2 (circPLXNB2), microRNA-654-3p (miR-654-3p) and cyclin D1 protein (CCND1) mRNA were detected by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The stability of circPLXNB2 was determined by RNase R and Actinomycin D assays. Cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) and 5'-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EDU) assays were used to detect cell proliferation. Western blot was used to detect protein content. Cell apoptosis and cell cycle distribution were detected by flow cytometry. The relationship between miR-654-3p and circPLXNB2 or CCND1 was confirmed by dual-luciferase reporter assay. RESULTS: CircPLXNB2 was highly expressed in AML patients and cells, and circPLXNB2 was more stable than linear PLXNB2. Knockdown of circPLXNB2 affected the proliferation, apoptosis and cell cycle distribution of AML cells. CircPLXNB2 acted as a sponge for miR-654-3p and affected the progression of AML cells by targeting miR-654-3p. CCND1 was targeted by miR-654-3p, and miR-654-3p suppressed AML progression by targeting CCND1. CircPLXNB2 regulated CCND1 expression through sponging miR-654-3p. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, circPLXNB2 was highly expressed in AML patients and cells and modulated tumor progression by regulating the circPLXNB2/miR-654-3p/CCND1 axis, suggested that circPLXNB2 might be a new therapeutic target for AML treatment.

A study on the efficacy of microwave ablation for benign thyroid nodules and related influencing factors.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the efficacy of microwave ablation (MWA) in the treatment of benign thyroid nodules, and analyze related influencing factors. METHODS: The clinical and ultrasound data of 115 patients with 115 benign thyroid nodules treated with MWA were retrospectively analyzed. The volume of nodules at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after the procedure was obtained, and the volume reduction rate (VRR) at each time point was calculated. With VRR > 90% as the criterion for nodule cure, binary logistic regression was employed to screen the factors that affect the efficacy. RESULTS: ① At 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after the procedure, the volume of nodules continued to decrease, the VRR gradually increased, and the differences at each time point were statistically significant (p < 0.05). A total of 29 (25.21%) nodules disappeared completely at 12 months after the procedure; ② Multivariate stepwise logistic regression showed that there was a statistically significant difference for the internal component of nodules, enhancement mode, and immediate volume after the procedure in determining the ablation efficacy (p < 0.05); ③ The ROC curve was plotted for predicting the efficacy of MWA, with the results showing that the AUC, sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were 0.82, 67.50, 88.00, 79.10%, respectively; ④ 11 cases (9.56%) had side effects, 10 cases (8.70%) had minor complications, and three cases (2.61%) had major complications. CONCLUSION: MWA is safe and effective in the treatment of benign thyroid nodules. The internal component of nodules, enhancement mode, and immediate volume after the procedure are independent factors that affect the efficacy of ablation.

TERF1 downregulation promotes the migration and invasion of the PC3 prostate cancer cell line as a target of miR­155.

Telomeric repeat binding factor 1 (TERF1) has been identified as a tumor suppressor gene in numerous types of human cancer. However, the expression of TERF1 and its mechanism in prostate cancer (PCa) remains unclear. The present study aimed to explore the expression and functions of TERF1 in PCa. The UALCAN database was used to analyze the differential expression of TERF1 between normal prostate tissue and primary PCa tissue. Cell apoptosis was analyzed by Annexin V/propidium iodide staining, and wound healing and Transwell assays were used to detect the cell migration and invasion abilities, respectively. The cell viability was analyzed using an MTT assay. Reverse transcription­quantitative PCR and western blotting were used to analyze the mRNA and protein expression levels, respectively, of epithelial­mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers following TERF1 knockdown in the PC3 cell line. A dual luciferase reporter assay was used to verify the association between TERF1 and microRNA (miR)­155 predicted by bioinformatics analysis. Rescue experiments were performed to determine the role of the miR­155/TERF1 axis in regulating the cellular behaviors of PCa. The results demonstrated that the expression levels of TERF1 in the primary prostate tumors were significantly downregulated compared with in prostate normal tissue. TERF1 silencing was discovered to significantly promote cell viability, migration and invasion, while suppressing cell apoptosis. The impact of TERF1 on PC3 cells was suggested to occur through the EMT pathway. TERF1 was confirmed to be the direct target of miR­155. The overexpression of miR­155 promoted the viability, migration and invasion, while suppressing the apoptosis of the PC3 cell line, while the knockdown of miR­155 in PC3 cells achieved the opposite trends. In addition, TERF1 overexpression reversed the promotive effects of upregulated miR­155 expression levels on the migration and apoptosis of PC3 cells. On the contrary, the knockdown of TERF1 reversed the migration and apoptosis abilities of the downregulated miR­155 expression levels on the cellular behaviors of PC3 cells. In conclusion, TERF1, as a direct target of miR­155, was discovered to be significantly downregulated in PCa, which was suggested to promote the migration and invasion of PCa via the EMT pathway.

Special strategies and management of urological diseases during the COVID-19 pandemic: initial experiences from a Medical Center of China

ABSTRACT Although urological diseases are not directly related to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), urologists need to make comprehensive plans for this disease. Urological conditions such as benign prostatic hyperplasia and tumors are very common in elderly patients. This group of patients is often accompanied by underlying comorbidities or immune dysfunction. They are at higher risk of COVID-19 infection and they tend to have severe manifestations. Although fever can occur along with urological infections, it is actually one of the commonest symptoms of COVID-19; urologists must always maintain a high index of suspicion in their clinical practices. As a urological surgeon, how we can protect medical staff during surgery is a major concern. Our hospital had early adoption of a series of strict protective and control measures, and was able to avoid cross-infection and outbreak of COVID-19. This paper discusses the effective measures that can be useful when dealing with urological patients with COVID-19.

Special strategies and management of urological diseases during the COVID-19 pandemic: initial experiences from a Medical Center of China.

Although urological diseases are not directly related to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), urologists need to make comprehensive plans for this disease. Urological conditions such as benign prostatic hyperplasia and tumors are very common in elderly patients. This group of patients is often accompanied by underlying comorbidities or immune dysfunction. They are at higher risk of COVID-19 infection and they tend to have severe manifestations. Although fever can occur along with urological infections, it is actually one of the commonest symptoms of COVID-19; urologists must always maintain a high index of suspicion in their clinical practices. As a urological surgeon, how we can protect medical staff during surgery is a major concern. Our hospital had early adoption of a series of strict protective and control measures, and was able to avoid cross-infection and outbreak of COVID-19. This paper discusses the effective measures that can be useful when dealing with urological patients with COVID-19.

Effect of Mir-122 on Human Cholangiocarcinoma Proliferation, Invasion, and Apoptosis Through P53 Expression.

BACKGROUND Bile duct carcinoma is a common digestive tract tumor with high morbidity and mortality. As a kind of important non-coding RNA, microRNA (miR) plays an important role in post-transcriptional regulation. MiR-122 is the most abundant miR in the liver. Multiple studies have shown that miR-122 level is reduced in a variety of liver tumors and can be used as a specific marker for liver injury. P53 is a classic tumor suppressor gene that can induce tumor cell apoptosis through various pathways. Whether miR-122 affects p53 in bile duct carcinoma still needs investigation. MATERIAL AND METHODS miR inhibitor or mimics was transfected to bile duct carcinoma cells to evaluate its function on proliferation, invasion, apoptosis, and p53 expression. RESULTS MiR-122 overexpression reduced cell invasion and migration ability, and inhibited cell apoptosis and p53 expression. Inhibiting miR-122 caused the opposite results. CONCLUSIONS Upregulating miR-122 can suppress bile duct carcinoma cell proliferation and induce apoptosis. MiR-122 could be used as a target for bile duct carcinoma treatment, which provides a new strategy for cholangiocarcinoma patients.

Quantitative assessment of the association between Fas/FasL gene polymorphism and susceptibility to esophageal carcinoma in a north Chinese population.

The case-control study aims to investigate the association of Fas and FasL genetic polymorphisms (Fas-670A/G (rs1800682), Fas-1377G/A (rs2234767) and FasL-844T/C (rs763110)) with esophageal carcinoma susceptibility in a north Chinese population. A total of 204 patients with esophageal carcinoma and 248 healthy controls were enrolled from Henan, China and genotyped by the polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism method. There were no significant differences in distributions of their genotypes frequencies between patients and controls in Fas-670A/G, Fas-1377G/A and FasL-844T/C polymorphisms (P > 0.05). Stratified analysis showed that no significant association was found between esophageal carcinoma and gene polymorphisms of Fas-670 A/G, Fas-1377G/A, and FasL-844T/C (P > 0.05). Genetic polymorphisms in the death pathway genes Fas and FasL were not associated with risk of developing esophageal carcinoma in a north Chinese population.

Association between the MDM2 T309G polymorphism and leukemia risk: a meta-analysis.

Several studies have suggested associations between MDM2 (mouse double minute 2 homolog) polymorphisms and leukemia risk, but they reported contradictory results. For better understanding of the effect of MDM2 T309G polymorphism on leukemia risk, we performed a meta-analysis. All eligible studies were identified through a search of PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, and Chinese Biomedical Literature (CBM) databases before May 2014. Assessment of associations between the MDM2 T309G polymorphism and leukemia risk was conducted by odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs). Finally, a total of 11 publications covering 12 case-control studies with 2, 362 cases and 5, 562 controls concerning MDM2 T309G polymorphism with respect to leukemia were included in the meta-analysis. Significant associations were found between MDM2 T309G polymorphism and leukemia risk in four models in overall populations (G vs T: OR=1.29, 95% CI=1.11- 1.49, p=0.001; GG vs TT: OR=1.67, 95% CI=1.21-2.30, p=0.002; GG vs TG/TT: OR=1.56, 95% CI=1.21-2.00, p=0.001; GG/TG vs TT: OR=1.28, 95% CI=1.05-1.57, p=0.015). In the sub-group analysis according to ethnicity, increased leukemia risks were observed in three genetic models among Asians but not Caucasians. In conclusion, the results of our meta-analysis suggest that the MDM2 T309G polymorphism can increase the risk of leukemia, especially among Asian populations.

Radiosensitizing effects of arsenic trioxide on MCF-7 human breast cancer cells exposed to 89 strontium chloride.

The aim of this study was to investigate the radiosensitizing effects of arsenic trioxide (As2O3) on MCF-7 human breast cancer cells irradiated with 89 strontium chloride (89SrCl2). The 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) was calculated from results of an MTT assay. The concentration of As2O3 less than 20% IC50 was selected for subsequent experiments. Cells were treated with As2O3 and 89SrCl2. Morphological changes of cells were observed under an inverted microscope. The radiosensitivity enhancing ratio (SER) was computed based on a clone formation assay. Cell cycle distribution and apoptosis were measured by flow cytometry (FCM). Expression of Bcl-2 and Bax at both the mRNA and protein levels was assessed by RT-PCR and western blotting. The IC50 of As2O3 at 24 h was 11.7 µM. Doses of As2O3 (1 and 2 µM) were used in combination treatments and SER values were 1.25 and 1.79, respectively. As2O3 significantly suppressed cell growth, caused G2/M arrest, enhanced cell death and apoptosis induced by 89SrCl2 and decreased expression of the Bcl-2 gene. Since expression of Bax was unchanged following treatment, As2O3 effectively reduced the Bcl-2/Bax ratio. As2O3 (1-2 µM) enhances the cytotoxic effects of 89SrCl2 on the MCF-7 human breast cancer cell line by inducing G2 phase delay and promoting apoptosis through the reduction of the Bcl-2/Bax ratio.

Immunophenotype and increased presence of CD4(+)CD25(+) regulatory T cells in patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), cancer of the white blood cells, is a heterogeneous disease that mainly occurs due to the malignant cloning of original and naive lymphocytes. The aim of this study was to explore the immunophenotype, the percentage of CD4(+)CD25(+) regulatory T cells (Tregs) and the expression of cytokines interleukin (IL)-2, IL-10 and TGF-ß in patients with ALL. The immunophenotype and levels of CD4(+)CD25(+) Tregs were detected using flow cytometry in the peripheral blood of 35 ALL patients, with 18 healthy individuals being selected as controls. The results suggested that 22 patients had B cell ALL (B-ALL) and 13 had T cell ALL (T-ALL) among the 35 ALL patients. In B-ALL patients, the surface antigen CD19 was most commonly expressed; in T-ALL patients, CD7 was most common. Furthermore, the percentage of CD4(+)CD25(+) Treg cells in the peripheral blood of B-ALL and T-ALL patients was higher compared to that of healthy individuals (P<0.05). Additionally, IL-10 and TGF-ß levels in cell culture supernatants from B-ALL and T-ALL patients were higher compared to those in the controls (P<0.05); IL-2 levels were lower in ALL patients. No significant differences were observed in the levels of CD4(+)CD25(+) Treg cells, IL-2, IL-10 or TGF-ß in B-ALL versus T-ALL patients. The authors concluded that CD19 and CD7 may serve as diagnostic markers of B-ALL and T-ALL, respectively. The increased presence of CD4(+)CD25(+) Treg cells and the altered levels of secreted cytokines are indicative of an immunosuppressive mechanism in the pathogenesis of ALL.

[Studies on chemical components of essential oil of crude semen sinapis and roasted semen sinapis].

OBJECTIVE: To study the chemical components of the essential oil of the Semen Sinapis with the different processing methods. METHOD: The essential oils of the crude Semen Sinapis and the roasted Semen Sinapis were extracted by steam distillation. The chemical components were analyzed by means of GC-MS-DS. The relative content of each component was calculated by area normalization. RESULT: The main chemical components of the essential oil of the crude Semen Sinapis and the roasted Semen Sinapis were similar. The main chemical components were allyl isothiocyanate and 4-isothio-cyanato-1-butene. The chemical components of the essential oil of the crude Semen Sinapis were more than that of the roasted Semen Sinapis. CONCLUSION: The effect of different processing methods on the chemical components of the essential oil of Semen Sinapis was significant. Certain chemical components such as isothiocyanato-containing substances, were found in the crude Semen Sinapis.