The efficacy of using a multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging-based radiomics model to distinguish glioma recurrence from pseudoprogression.

OBJECTIVE: The early differential diagnosis of the postoperative recurrence or pseudoprogression (psPD) of a glioma is of great guiding significance for individualized clinical treatment. This study aimed to evaluate the ability of a multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based radiomics model to distinguish between the postoperative recurrence and psPD of a glioma early on and in a noninvasive manner. METHODS: A total of 52 patients with gliomas who attended the Hainan Provincial People's Hospital between 2000 and 2021 and met the inclusion criteria were selected for this study. 1137 and 1137 radiomic features were extracted from T1 enhanced and T2WI/FLAIR sequence images, respectively.After clearing some invalid information and LASSO screening, a total of 9 and 10 characteristic radiological features were extracted and randomly divided into the training set and the test set according to 7:3 ratio. Select-Kbest and minimum Absolute contraction and selection operator (LASSO) were used for feature selection. Support vector machine and logistic regression were used to form a multi-parameter model for training and prediction. The optimal sequence and classifier were selected according to the area under the curve (AUC) and accuracy. RESULTS: Radiomic models 1, 2 and 3 based on T1WI, T2FLAIR and T1WI + T2T2FLAIR sequences have better performance in the identification of postoperative recurrence and false progression of T1 glioma. The performance of model 2 is more stable, and the performance of support vector machine classifier is more stable. The multiparameter model based on CE-T1 + T2WI/FLAIR sequence showed the best performance (AUC:0.96, sensitivity: 0.87, specificity: 0.94, accuracy: 0.89,95% CI:0.93-1). CONCLUSION: The use of multiparametric MRI-based radiomics provides a noninvasive, stable, and accurate method for differentiating between the postoperative recurrence and psPD of a glioma, which allows for timely individualized clinical treatment.

A newly characterized dense granule protein (GRA76) is important for the growth and virulence of Toxoplasma gondii.

Pathogenicity of the zoonotic pathogen Toxoplasma gondii largely depends on the secretion of effector proteins into the extracellular milieu and host cell cytosol, including the dense granule proteins (GRAs). The protein-encoding gene TGME49_299780 was previously identified as a contributor to parasite fitness. However, its involvement in parasite growth, virulence and infectivity in vitro and in vivo remains unknown. Here, we comprehensively examined the role of this new protein, termed GRA76, in parasite pathogenicity. Subcellular localization revealed high expression of GRA76 in tachyzoites inside the parasitophorous vacuole (PV). However, its expression was significantly decreased in bradyzoites. A CRISPR-Cas9 approach was used to knock out the gra76 gene in the T. gondii type I RH strain and type II Pru strain. The in vitro plaque assays and intracellular replication showed the involvement of GRA76 in replication of RH and Pru strains. Deletion of the gra76 gene significantly decreased parasite virulence, and reduced the brain cyst burden in mice. Using RNA sequencing, we detected a significant increase in the expression of bradyzoite-associated genes such as BAG1 and LDH2 in the PruΔgra76 strain compared with the wild-type Pru strain. Using an in vitro bradyzoite differentiation assay, we showed that loss of GRA76 significantly increased the propensity for parasites to form bradyzoites. Immunization with PruΔgra76 conferred partial protection against acute and chronic infection in mice. These findings show the important role of GRA76 in the pathogenesis of T. gondii and highlight the potential of PruΔgra76 as a candidate for a live-attenuated vaccine.

The splicing factor SR2 is an important virulence factor of Toxoplasma gondii.

Serine/arginine-rich (SR) proteins are key factors with important roles in constitutive and alternative splicing (AS) of pre-mRNAs. However, the role of SR splicing factors in the pathogenicity of T. gondii remains largely unexplored. Here, we investigated the role of splicing factor SR2, a homolog of Plasmodium falciparum SR1, in the pathogenicity of T. gondii. We functionally characterized the predicted SR2 in T. gondii by gene knockout and studied its subcellular localization by endogenous protein HA tagging using CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing. The results showed that SR2 was localized in the nucleus and expressed in the tachyzoite and bradyzoite stages. In vitro studies including plaque formation, invasion, intracellular replication, egress and bradyzoite differentiation assays showed that deletion of SR2 in type I RH strain and type II Pru strains had no significant effect on the parasite growth and bradyzoite differentiation (p > 0.05). Interestingly, the disruption of SR2 in RH type I (p < 0.0001) and Pru type II (p < 0.05) strains resulted in varying degrees of attenuated virulence. In addition, disruption of SR2 in type II Pru strain significantly reduced brain cyst burden by ~80% (p < 0.0001). Collectively, these results suggest that splicing factor SR2 is important for the pathogenicity of T. gondii, providing a new target for the control and treatment of toxoplasmosis.

A Prognostic Signature for Colon Adenocarcinoma Patients Based on m6A-Related lncRNAs.

N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification is a common epigenetic modification. It is reported that lncRNA can be regulated by m6A modification. Previous studies have shown that lncRNAs associated with m6A regulation (m6A-lncRNAs) serve as ideal prognostic biomarkers. However, whether lncRNAs are involved in m6A modification in colon adenocarcinoma (COAD) needs further exploration. The objective of this study was to construct an m6A-lncRNAs-based signature for patients with COAD. We obtained the RNA sequencing data and clinical information from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Pearson correlation analysis was employed to recognize lncRNAs associated with m6A regulation (m6A-lncRNAs). 24 prognostic m6A-lncRNAs was identified by univariate Cox regression analysis. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSAE) was used to investigate the potential cellular pathways and biological processes. We have also explored the relationship between immune infiltrate levels and m6A-lncRNAs. Then, a predictive signature based on the expression of 13 m6A-lncRNAs was constructed by the Lasso regression algorithm, including UBA6-AS1, AC139149.1, U91328.1, AC138207.5, AC025171.4, AC008760.1, ITGB1-DT, AP001619.1, AL391422.4, AC104532.2, ZEB1-AS1, AC156455.1, and AC104819.3. ROC curves and K M survival curves have shown that the risk score has a well-predictive ability. We also set up a quantitative nomogram on the basis of risk score and prognosis-related clinical characteristics. In summary, we have identified some m6A-lncRNAs that correlated with prognosis and tumor immune microenvironment in COAD. In addition, a potential alternative signature based on the expression of m6A-lncRNAs was provided for the management of COAD patients.

Transcriptomic analysis of LMH cells in response to the overexpression of a protein of Eimeria tenella encoded by the locus ETH_00028350.

A protein of Eimeria tenella (encoded by the locus ETH_00028350) homologous to Toxoplasma gondii dense granule protein 9, designated as EtHGRA9 hereafter, was reported to be expressed in all life cycle stages of E. tenella. However, no data are currently available regarding its functional properties. In the present study, a recombinant vector harboring a 741 bp gene segment encoding the mature form of EtHGRA9 was constructed and transfected into leghorn male hepatoma (LMH) cells. Then, transcriptomic analysis of the transfected LMH cells was carried out by using a high-throughput RNA-seq technology. The LMH cells overexpressing EtHGRA9 was validated by means of Western blotting as well as indirect immunofluorescence staining. The results demonstrated that the expression of 547 genes (275 upregulated genes and 272 downregulated genes) was altered by EtHGRA9. The quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) validation of the ten genes with differential expression between the two groups was consistent with the transcriptome analysis. According to pathway enrichment analysis for the obtained differentially expressed genes, seven pathways were significantly affected by EtHGRA9, such as cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, MAPK signaling pathway, and protein processing in endoplasmic reticulum. Our data reveal several possible roles of EtHGRA9 in immune or inflammatory responses, which paves the way for a better understanding of the molecular interplay between E. tenella and its host.

Differential miRNA expression profiles in the bone marrow of Beagle dogs at different stages of Toxocara canis infection.

BACKGROUND: Toxocara canis is distributed worldwide, posing a serious threat to both human and dog health; however, the pathogenesis of T. canis infection in dogs remains unclear. In this study, the changes in microRNA (miRNA) expression profiles in the bone marrow of Beagle dogs were investigated by RNA-seq and bioinformatics analysis. RESULTS: Thirty-nine differentially expressed (DE) miRNAs (DEmiRNAs) were identified in this study. Among these, four DEmiRNAs were identified at 24 h post-infection (hpi) and all were up-regulated; eight DEmiRNAs were identified with two up-regulated miRNAs and six down-regulated miRNAs at 96 hpi; 27 DEmiRNAs were identified with 13 up-regulated miRNAs and 14 down-regulated miRNAs at 36 days post-infection (dpi). Among these DEmiRNAs, cfa-miR-193b participates in the immune response by regulating the target gene cd22 at 24 hpi. The novel_328 could participate in the inflammatory and immune responses through regulating the target genes tgfb1 and tespa1, enhancing the immune response of the host and inhibiting the infection of T. canis at 96 hpi. In addition, cfa-miR-331 and novel_129 were associated with immune response and self-protection mechanisms at 36 dpi. 20 pathways were significantly enriched by KEGG pathway analysis, most of which were related to inflammatory response, immune response and cell differentiation, such as Cell adhesion molecules (CAMs), ECM-receptor interaction and Focal adhesion. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggested that miRNAs of Beagle dog bone marrow play important roles in the pathogenesis of T. canis infection in dogs and provided useful resources to better understand the interaction between T. canis and the hosts.

Concurrent chemoradiotherapy using gemcitabine and nedaplatin in recurrent or locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Patients with recurrent or locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) typically have limited treatment options and poor prognosis. AIM: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of two drugs with potent radio-sensitization properties including gemcitabine and nedaplatin as concurrent chemoradiotherapy regimens in treating HNSCC. METHODS: This single-arm prospective study enrolled patients with HNSCC to receive gemcitabine on days 1 and 8 and nedaplatin on days 1 to 3 for 21 days. Intensity-modulated radiation therapy with a conventional fraction was delivered 5 days per week. Objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate, and toxicity were observed as primary endpoints. Overall survival (OS) and progression free survival were recorded and analyzed as secondary endpoints. RESULTS: A total of 24 patients with HNSCC were enrolled. During the median 22.4-mo follow-up, both ORR and disease control rate were 100%. The one-year OS was 75%, and one-year progression-free survival (PFS) was 66.7% (median PFS was 15.1 mo). Recurrent HNSCC patients had a poorer prognosis than the treatment-naïve patients, and patients who achieved complete response had better survival than those in the PR group (all P < 0.05). The most common grade 1-4 (100%) or grade 3-4 toxicities (75%) were hematological, and the most common grade 3-4 non-hematological toxicity was mucositis in 17 (71%) patients. CONCLUSION: Gemcitabine plus nedaplatin with concurrent chemoradiotherapy is a therapeutic option for HNSCC with predictable tolerability. Considering the high adverse event rate, the optimized dose and schedule must be further explored.

A Nomogram for Predicting Event-Free Survival in Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: A Multicenter Retrospective Study.

Objective: Even though childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) has an encouraging survival rate in recent years, some patients are still at risk of relapse or even death. Therefore, we aimed to construct a nomogram to predict event-free survival (EFS) in patients with ALL. Method: Children with newly diagnosed ALL between October 2016 and July 2021 from 18 hospitals participating in the South China children's leukemia Group (SCCLG) were recruited and randomly classified into two subsets in a 7:3 ratio (training set, n=1187; validation set, n=506). Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) and multivariate Cox regression analysis were adopted to screen independent prognostic factors. Then, a nomogram can be build based on these prognostic factors to predict 1-, 2-, and 3-year EFS. Concordance index (C-index), area under the curve (AUC), calibration curve, and decision curve analysis (DCA) were used to evaluate the performance and clinical utility of nomogram. Result: The parameters that predicted EFS were age at diagnosis, white blood cell at diagnosis, immunophenotype, ETV6-RUNX1/TEL-AML1 gene fusion, bone marrow remission at day 15, and minimal residual disease at day 15. The nomogram incorporated the six factors and provided C-index values of 0.811 [95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.792-0.830] and 0.797 (95% CI = 0.769-0.825) in the training and validation set, respectively. The calibration curve and AUC revealed that the nomogram had good ability to predict 1-, 2-, and 3-year EFS. DCA also indicated that our nomogram had good clinical utility. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that EFS in the different risk groups stratified by the nomogram scores was significant differentiated. Conclusion: The nomogram for predicting EFS of children with ALL has good performance and clinical utility. The model could help clinical decision-making.

Actual long-term survival in HCC patients with portal vein tumor thrombus after liver resection: a nationwide study.

BACKGROUND: Liver resection for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients with portal vein tumor thrombus (PVTT) offers a chance of cure, although survival is often limited. The actual 3-year survival and its associated prognostic factors have not been reported. METHODS: A nationwide database of HCC patients with PVTT who underwent liver resection with 'curative' intent was analyzed. The clinicopathologic characteristics, the perioperative, and survival outcomes for the actual long-term survivors were compared with the non-long-term survivors (patients who died within 3 years of surgery). Univariable and multivariable regression analyses were performed to identify predictive factors associated with long-term survival outcomes. RESULTS: The study included 1590 patients with an actuarial 3-year survival of 16.6%, while the actual 3-year survival rate was 11.7%. There were 171 patients who survived for at least 3 years after surgery and 1290 who died within 3 years of surgery. Multivariable regression analysis revealed that total bilirubin > 17.1 µmol/l, AFP > 400 ng/ml, types of hepatectomy, extent of PVTT, intraoperative blood loss > 400 ml, tumor diameter > 5 cm, tumor encapsulation, R0 resection, liver cirrhosis, adjuvant TACE, postoperative early recurrence (< 1 year), and recurrence treatments were independent prognostic factors associated with actual long-term survival. CONCLUSION: One in nine HCC patients with PVTT reached the long-term survival milestone of 3 years after resection. Major hepatectomy, controlling intraoperative blood loss, R0 resection, adjuvant TACE, and 'curative' treatment for initial recurrence should be considered for patients to achieve better long-term survival outcomes.

GTS-21 ameliorates polymicrobial sepsis-induced hepatic injury by modulating autophagy through α7nAchRs in mice.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies showed that GTS-21, a selective alpha 7 nAchR agonist, can trigger anti-inflammatory effects and improve the survival of septic animals. However, whether GTS-21 affects autophagy responses remains unclear. Here, we tested the hypothesis that GTS-21 ameliorates sepsis-induced hepatic injury by modulating autophagy in mice. METHOD: C57BL/6 male mice were randomly separated and categorized into four groups: the sham group, and CLP group subjected to caecal ligation and puncture (CLP, a model of polymicrobial sepsis). The CLP + GTS-21 group was administered GTS-21 immediately after CLP challenge. α-Bungarotoxin (an alpha 7 nAchR antagonist) was injected before CLP was performed, and then, after CLP challenge, GTS-21 was administered to α-BGT + CLP + GTS-21 group. The hepatic tissue and blood samples were harvested 6 h after the operation. RESULTS: CLP challenge increased TNF-α and IL-6 production, and hepatic enzyme alanine aminotransferase and aspartate transaminase levels. CLP also elevated the expression of hepatic LC3-II, sequestosome-1/p62, Atg7 and Atg5. The administration of GTS-21 inhibited pro-inflammatory cytokine production and hepatic enzymatic marker expression, promoted the expression of LC3-II, Atg7, Atg5, and decreased the expression of p62, which could be reversed by α-BGT treatment. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggested that α7nAchR is involved in diminishing hepatic damage by inhibiting inflammatory responses and improving autophagy in mice with polymicrobial sepsis.

Contrast-enhanced ultrasound for evaluating the pathologic response of breast cancer to neoadjuvant chemotherapy: A meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Recent reports have suggested that contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) can be used to monitor the pathologic responses of breast cancer (BC) to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC); however, the diagnostic performance of CEUS in BC has yet to be confirmed. Thus, we conducted a meta-analysis of related studies to explore the relationship between CEUS and pathologic responses of BC to NAC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We searched PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure databases for studies published until September 31, 2018. Study-specific odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated, and then ORs with 95% CIs were pooled to estimate the prognostic role of CEUS for the pathologic responses of BC to NAC. RESULTS: Pooled meta-analysis of the 9 eligible studies that included 424 patients indicated the high performance of CEUS for monitoring pathologic responses to NAC (OR = 31.83, 95% CI: 16.69-60.67, P < .001), with no significant heterogeneity (I = 0.0%, P = .529). The pooled sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio, and diagnostic odds ratio were 87% (95% CI: 0.81-0.92), 84% (95% CI: 0.74-0.91), 5.5 (95% CI: 3.3-9.2), 0.15 (95% CI: 0.10-0.23), and 36 (95% CI: 18-70), respectively. An area under the curve of 0.92 (95% CI: 0.89-0.94) suggests a high ability for prognostic detection. Although Begg's funnel plot (P = .057) indicated the presence of publication bias among the included studies, the trim-and-fill method verified the stability of the pooled outcomes. Sensitivity analysis suggested that the pooled OR was robust. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that CEUS has a high diagnostic performance for the pathologic responses of BC to NAC. Further and better-designed studies should be performed to verify the clinical applications of CEUS for monitoring BC responses to NAC.

Penehyclidine hydrochloride inhibits TLR4 signaling and inflammation, and attenuates blunt chest trauma and hemorrhagic shock-induced acute lung injury in rats.

Blunt chest trauma with hemorrhagic shock (THS) frequently induces pulmonary inflammation that leads to acute lung injury (ALI). Penehyclidine hydrochloride (PHC) possesses anti­inflammatory properties that may attenuate the systemic inflammatory response. The present study aimed to evaluate the molecular mechanism of PHC in modifying THS­induced ALI in rats. Rats underwent either THS or a sham procedure. At 6 h subsequent to blunt chest trauma, arterial blood was drawn for blood gas and pro­inflammatory factors analyses, and lung tissue samples were collected to examine pulmonary histopathological alterations, the wet/dry weight ratio, myeloperoxidase activity, and the protein expression levels of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), phosphorylated (p­)p38 mitogen­activated protein kinase (MAPK), nuclear factor (NF)­κB and activator protein­1 (AP­1). THS caused significant reductions in heart rate and mean arterial blood pressure, and was associated with significant increases in tumor necrosis factor­α, interleukin (IL)­6, IL­1ß, p­p38MAPK, NF­κB and AP­1 activation, in addition to TLR4 expression, in the lung. PHC effectively attenuated THS­induced ALI, and inhibited TLR4 expression, reduced the activation of p­p38MAPK, NF­κB and AP­1, and downregulated the expression of pro­inflammatory mediators. In conclusion, the results of the present study demonstrated that PHC may exert an anti­inflammatory effect and attenuate THS­induced ALI by inhibiting the TLR4 signaling pathway. These preclinical findings may offer a novel therapeutic strategy to restrict TLR4 overactivation in ALI.

Muramyl Dipeptide Enhances Thermal Injury-Induced Autophagy and Inflammatory Cytokine Response of Lungs via Activation of NOD2/Rick Signaling Pathway in Rats.

OBJECTIVE: Nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain 2 (NOD2) is the innate receptor of muramyl dipeptide (MDP). Our previous study revealed that MDP could enhance thermal injury-induced inflammatory cytokine production and organ function injury in rats. The present study was to determine the effect of MDP on autophagy and NOD2/receptor-interacting serine/threonine protein kinases (RICK) signaling pathway of lung injury after thermal injury. METHODS: Forty male Sprague-Dawlay rats were randomly divided into four groups: normal control (NC) group, MDP group, Scald group, and MDP + Scald group. Scald group only suffered 20% total body surface area third-degree (TBSA) thermal injury. MDP group was only administered 5.0 mg/kg MDP through the left femoral vein; 5.0 mg/kg MDP was administered through the left femoral vein at 24 h after thermal injury in the MDP + Scald group. RESULTS: TBSA thermal injury (20%) not only significantly increased the plasma inflammatory cytokines production, but also elevated the expression of LC3-I/II, the accumulation of autophagosome in the lung tissue. Compared with the Scald group, MDP + Scald double hit led to more serious inflammatory responses and higher expression of NOD2 mRNA, RICK, NF-κB p65, LC3-I/II, and the accumulation of more autophagosome in the lung tissue. CONCLUSIONS: MDP enhances thermal injury-induced autophagy and proinflammatory cytokine response of lung injury, which could be achieved via activating the NOD2/RICK signaling pathway in rats.

Dexmedetomidine preconditioning protects against lipopolysaccharides-induced injury in the human alveolar epithelial cells / Pré-condicionamento com dexmedetomidina protege contra lesões induzidas por lipopolissacarídeos em células epiteliais alveolares humanas

Abstract Background and objectives Dexmedetomidine (DEX) has demonstrated the preconditioning effect and shown protective effects against organize injury. In this study, using A549 (human alveolar epithelial cell) cell lines, we investigated whether DEX preconditioning protected against acute lung injury (ALI) in vitro. Methods A549 were randomly divided into four groups (n = 5): control group, DEX group, lipopolysaccharides (LPS) group, and D-LPS (DEX + LPS) group. Phosphate buffer saline (PBS) or DEX were administered. After 2 h preconditioning, the medium was refreshed and the cells were challenged with LPS for 24 h on the LPS and D-LPS group. Then the malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), Bcl-2, Bax, caspase-3 and the cytochrome c in the A549 were tested. The apoptosis was also evaluated in the cells. Results Compare with LPS group, DEX preconditioning reduced the apoptosis (26.43% ± 1.05% vs. 33.58% ± 1.16%, p < 0.05) in the A549, which is correlated with decreased MDA (12.84 ± 1.05 vs. 19.16 ± 1.89 nmoL.mg-1 protein, p < 0.05) and increased SOD activity (30.28 ± 2.38 vs. 20.86 ± 2.19 U.mg-1 protein, p < 0.05). DEX preconditioning also increased the Bcl-2 level (0.53 ± 0.03 vs. 0.32 ± 0.04, p < 0.05) and decreased the level of Bax (0.49 ± 0.04 vs. 0.65 ± 0.04, p < 0.05), caspase-3 (0.54 ± 0.04 vs. 0.76 ± 0.04, p < 0.05) and cytochrome c. Conclusion DEX preconditioning has a protective effect against ALI in vitro. The potential mechanisms involved are the inhibition of cell death and improvement of antioxidation.

Resumo Justificativa e objetivos Dexmedetomidina (DEX) demonstrou ter efeito pré-condicionante e também efeitos protetores contra lesão organizada. Neste estudo, com células A549 (células epiteliais alveolares humanas), investigamos se o pré-condicionamento com DEX proporcionaria proteção contra lesão pulmonar aguda (LPA) in vitro. Métodos Células A549 foram aleatoriamente distribuídas em quatro grupos (n = 5): controle, DEX, lipopolissacarídeos (LPS) e D-LPS (DEX + LPS). Administramos solução de PBS (tampão fosfato-alcalino) ou DEX. Após 2 h de pré-condicionamento, o meio foi renovado e as células desafiadas com LPS por 24 h nos grupos LPS e D-LPS. Em seguida, malondialdeído (MDA), superóxido dismutase (SOD), Bcl-2, Bax, caspase-3 e em A549 foram testados. Apoptose também foi avaliada nas células. Resultados Em comparação com o grupo LPS, o pré-condicionamento com DEX reduziu a apoptose (26,43% ± 1,05% vs. 33,58% ± 1,16%, p < 0,05) em células A549, o que está correlacionado com a diminuição de MDA (12,84 ± 1,05 vs. 19,16 ± 1,89 nmol.mg-1 de proteína, p < 0,05) e aumento da atividade de SOD (30,28 ± 2,38 vs. 20,86 ± 2,19 U.mg-1 de proteína, p < 0,05). O pré-condicionamento com DEX também aumentou o nível de Bcl-2 (0,53 ± 0,03 vs. 0,32 ± 0,04, p < 0,05) e diminuiu o nível de Bax (0,49 ± 0,04 vs. 0,65 ± 0,04, p < 0,05), caspase-3 (0,54 ± 0,04 vs. 0,76 ± 0,04, p < 0,05) e citocromo c. Conclusão O pré-condicionamento com DEX tem efeito protetor contra LPA in vitro. Os potenciais mecanismos envolvidos são inibição da morte celular e melhoria da antioxidação.

Protective effects of SOCS3 overexpression in high glucose­induced lung epithelial cell injury through the JAK2/STAT3 pathway.

Previous studies have suggested that the Janus kinase (JAK)/signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT) pathway is involved in hyperglycemia­induced lung injury. The present study aimed to investigate the roles of suppressor of cytokine signaling3 (SOCS3) in the regulation of JAK2/STAT3 activation following high glucose (HG) treatment in A549 human pulmonary epithelial cells. Cell viability was evaluated using Cell Counting Kit-8 and lactate dehydrogenase assays. HG­induced inflammatory injury in A549 cells was assessed through the evaluation of interleukin­6 (IL­6) and tumor necrosis factor­α (TNF­α) levels using ELISA. The protein expression levels of SOCS3, JAK2, STAT3, phosphorylated (p)­JAK2 and p­STAT3 were determined using western blot analysis. Cellular viability was significantly decreased, whereas IL­6 and TNF­α levels were significantly increased, following HG stimulation of A549 cells. In addition, the protein levels of SOCS3, p­JAK2 and p­STAT3 were significantly increased in HG­treated cells. Treatment with the JAK2/STAT3 inhibitor tyrphostin AG490, or SOCS3 overexpression, appeared to prevent the HG­induced alterations in protein expression. Furthermore, cellular viability was enhanced, whereas the levels of proinflammatory cytokines were suppressed. These finding suggested the involvement of the SOCS3/JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway in HG­induced responses in lung cells. Therefore, it may be hypothesized that the inhibition of the JAK2/STAT3 pathway through SOCS3 overexpression may prevent hyperglycemia­induced lung injury, and may have therapeutic potential for the treatment of patients with diabetic lung injury.

The Role of Erbin in GTS-21 Regulating Inflammtory Responses in MDP-Stimulated Macrophages.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the role of Erbin protein and nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain 2/receptor-interacting serine/threonine protein kinases (NOD2/RICK) in GTS-21 activating cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway. METHODS: Experiments were randomly divided into four groups: normal control (NC) group, muramyl dipeptide (MDP) group, 10 µg/mL MDP, GTS-21 (GTS) group, 10 µg/mL MDP plus 50 µg/mL GTS-21 (α7 nAChRs agonist), Erbin shRNA interference (sh-Erbin) group: sh-Erbin RNA plus 10 µg/mL MDP and 50 µg/mL GTS-21. We extract specimens at the point of 1, 6, and 24 h after stimulation of MDP in Raw264.7 macrophages. RESULTS: After stimulation of MDP, the NLR2 mRNA, RICK and Erbin protein, nuclear factor (NF)-κB activity, the pro-inflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and HMGB1 were significantly increased in MDP group (P <0.05). The expression peak of TNF-α is at 1 h. The peak of HMGB1 is at 24 h. Compared with MDP group, the NLR2 mRNA, RICK, NF-κB, TNF-α, and HMGB1 were significantly decreased, but the Erbin was increased in GTS group (P <0.05). Compared with GTS group, the NLR2 mRNA, RICK, NF-κB, TNF-α, and HMGB1 increase in sh-Erbin group (P <0.05). CONCLUSION: GTS-21 could significantly inhibit MDP-induced pro-inflammatory cytokines responses via activating cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway, and the Erbin might be the key negative regulatory protein in NLR2/RICK signal transduction.

Administration of the resveratrol analogues isorhapontigenin and heyneanol-A protects mice hematopoietic cells against irradiation injuries.

Ionizing radiation (IR) is known not only to cause acute bone marrow (BM) suppression but also to lead to long-term residual hematopoietic injury. These effects have been attributed to IR inducing the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in hematopoietic cells. In this study, we examined if isorhapontigenin and heyneanol-A, two analogues of resveratrol, could mitigate IR-induced BM suppression. The results of cell viability assays, clonogenic assays, and competitive repopulation assays revealed that treatment with these compounds could protect mice BM mononuclear cells (BMMNC), hematopoietic progenitor cells, and hematopoietic stem cells from IR-induced BM suppression. Moreover, the expression of genes related to the endogenous cellular antioxidant system in hematopoietic cells was analyzed. The expression and activity of SOD2 and GPX1 were found to be decreased in irradiated BMMNC, and the application of the resveratrol analogues could ameliorate this damage. Our results suggest that in comparison with resveratrol and isorhapontigenin, treatment with heyneanol-A can protect hematopoietic cells from IR-induced damage to a greater degree; the protective effects of these compounds are probably the result of their antioxidant properties.

[The correlation of cytomegalovirus gB genotype with viral DNA load and treatment time in patients with CMV infection after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of CMV gB genotypes on viral load and treatment time in patients with CMV infection after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). METHODS: Viral load was detected by real-time (RT) quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) (Q-PCR), CMV gB genotypes by PCR restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) (PCR-RFLP) in 115 patients with CMV infection (CMV-DNA positive) after HSCT during July 2004 and May 2010. RESULTS: (1) The distribution of CMV gB genotypes in HSCT recipients were as following: gB1, 42/115 (36.52%); gB2, 3/115 (2.61%); gB3, 43/115 (37.39%); gB4, 2/115 (1.74%). 20 patients (17.39%) had a combination of 2 different CMV genotypes and 5 patients (4.35%) had a CMV variant that lacked an RsaI digestion site, herein named gB5. (2) The median viral load were 2.7×10(3)(1.81×10(3) ∼ 6.03×10(4)) in gB1, 4.0×10(3) (1.32×10(3) ∼ 6.39×10(4)) in gB3 and 1.2×10(4)(2.28×10(3) ∼ 6.50×10(5)) in mixed gB. There was no statistical difference in viral load between gB1 and gB3 (P > 0.050). There was significantly statistical difference in viral load between single-gB (gB1 or gB3) and mixed-gB (P < 0.05). (3) The median treatment time was 17 days in mixed-gB and 14 days in single-gB. There was significantly statistical difference between two groups (P < 0.05). Conclusion gB genotype may have an impact on CMV DNA load and treatment time in HSCT recipients with CMV infection.

Serum zinc status and Helicobacter pylori infection in gastric disease patients.

The role of Helicobacter pylori status and serum zinc value in gastric disease patients and healthy controls were investigated. Cases used in this work were 45 gastric cancer patients, 44 with peptic ulcers, 52 suffering gastritis and 64 healthy controls, all diagnosed histologically with the controls undergoing medical checkups. Helicobacter pylori status and serum levels of Zn were determined by 13C-urea breath test and flame atomic absorption spectrophotometer, respectively. Our study showed that Helicobacter pylori infection has no change in gastritis, peptic ulcer and gastric cancer group, on the contrast, serum levels of Zn were significantly reduced in gastritis, peptic ulcer and gastric cancer group, compared with healthy controls, and the higher the Zn levels are, the more increased risk of gastric cancer. Helicobacter pylori infection is a cause of gastritis, peptic ulcers and even gastric cancer, while serum zinc level is an indicator of protection of gastric membranes against damage.