Genetic and phenotypic profiling of single living circulating tumor cells from patients with microfluidics.

Accurate prediction of the efficacy of immunotherapy for cancer patients through the characterization of both genetic and phenotypic heterogeneity in individual patient cells holds great promise in informing targeted treatments, and ultimately in improving care pathways and clinical outcomes. Here, we describe the nanoplatform for interrogating living cell host-gene and (micro-)environment (NICHE) relationships, that integrates micro- and nanofluidics to enable highly efficient capture of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from blood samples. The platform uses a unique nanopore-enhanced electrodelivery system that efficiently and rapidly integrates stable multichannel fluorescence probes into living CTCs for in situ quantification of target gene expression, while on-chip coculturing of CTCs with immune cells allows for the real-time correlative quantification of their phenotypic heterogeneities in response to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI). The NICHE microfluidic device provides a unique ability to perform both gene expression and phenotypic analysis on the same single cells in situ, allowing us to generate a predictive index for screening patients who could benefit from ICI. This index, which simultaneously integrates the heterogeneity of single cellular responses for both gene expression and phenotype, was validated by clinically tracing 80 non-small cell lung cancer patients, demonstrating significantly higher AUC (area under the curve) (0.906) than current clinical reference for immunotherapy prediction.

HALL: a comprehensive database for human aging and longevity studies.

Diverse individuals age at different rates and display variable susceptibilities to tissue aging, functional decline and aging-related diseases. Centenarians, exemplifying extreme longevity, serve as models for healthy aging. The field of human aging and longevity research is rapidly advancing, garnering significant attention and accumulating substantial data in recent years. Omics technologies, encompassing phenomics, genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics and microbiomics, have provided multidimensional insights and revolutionized cohort-based investigations into human aging and longevity. Accumulated data, covering diverse cells, tissues and cohorts across the lifespan necessitates the establishment of an open and integrated database. Addressing this, we established the Human Aging and Longevity Landscape (HALL), a comprehensive multi-omics repository encompassing a diverse spectrum of human cohorts, spanning from young adults to centenarians. The core objective of HALL is to foster healthy aging by offering an extensive repository of information on biomarkers that gauge the trajectory of human aging. Moreover, the database facilitates the development of diagnostic tools for aging-related conditions and empowers targeted interventions to enhance longevity. HALL is publicly available at https://ngdc.cncb.ac.cn/hall/index.

BMAL1 moonlighting as a gatekeeper for LINE1 repression and cellular senescence in primates.

Aging in humans is intricately linked with alterations in circadian rhythms concomitant with physiological decline and stem cell exhaustion. However, whether the circadian machinery directly regulates stem cell aging, especially in primates, remains poorly understood. In this study, we found that deficiency of BMAL1, the only non-redundant circadian clock component, results in an accelerated aging phenotype in both human and cynomolgus monkey mesenchymal progenitor cells (MPCs). Unexpectedly, this phenotype was mainly attributed to a transcription-independent role of BMAL1 in stabilizing heterochromatin and thus preventing activation of the LINE1-cGAS-STING pathway. In senescent primate MPCs, we observed decreased capacity of BMAL1 to bind to LINE1 and synergistic activation of LINE1 expression. Likewise, in the skin and muscle tissues from the BMAL1-deficient cynomolgus monkey, we observed destabilized heterochromatin and aberrant LINE1 transcription. Altogether, these findings uncovered a noncanonical role of BMAL1 in stabilizing heterochromatin to inactivate LINE1 that drives aging in primate cells.

Acoustic Imaging Method for Gas Leak Detection and Localization Using Virtual Ultrasonic Sensor Array.

An acoustic imaging method for detecting and locating gas leaks based on a virtual ultrasonic sensor array is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. A scanning sensor array of only two sensors is used to collect the acoustic signals generated by the leakage hole. The matrix of the leakage signal is processed by the cross-power spectrum method to achieve time consistency, afterward, the location of the leakage source can be calculated by the virtual beamforming method. The influence of the number of sensors and the distance between adjacent sensors on the effect of the proposed method are compared and discussed. To verify the effectiveness and operability of the detection and localization method, several experiments were carried out. Furthermore, a series of experiments were conducted to assess the accuracy and stability of this method. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method based on a virtual sensor array can achieve highly accurate localization of gas leaks and performs well regarding stability.

Chronic HIV Infection Increases Monocyte NLRP3 Inflammasome-Dependent IL-1α and IL-1ß Release.

Antiretroviral treatment (ART) has converted HIV from a lethal disease to a chronic condition, yet co-morbidities persist. Incomplete immune recovery and chronic immune activation, especially in the gut mucosa, contribute to these complications. Inflammasomes, multi-protein complexes activated by innate immune receptors, appear to play a role in these inflammatory responses. In particular, preliminary data indicate the involvement of IFI16 and NLRP3 inflammasomes in chronic HIV infection. This study explores inflammasome function in monocytes from people with HIV (PWH); 22 ART-treated with suppressed viremia and 17 untreated PWH were compared to 33 HIV-negative donors. Monocytes were primed with LPS and inflammasomes activated with ATP in vitro. IFI16 and NLRP3 mRNA expression were examined in a subset of donors. IFI16 and NLRP3 expression in unstimulated monocytes correlated negatively with CD4 T cell counts in untreated PWH. For IFI16, there was also a positive correlation with viral load. Monocytes from untreated PWH exhibit increased release of IL-1α, IL-1ß, and TNF compared to treated PWH and HIV-negative donors. However, circulating monocytes in PWH are not pre-primed for inflammasome activation in vivo. The findings suggest a link between IFI16, NLRP3, and HIV progression, emphasizing their potential role in comorbidities such as cardiovascular disease. The study provides insights into inflammasome regulation in HIV pathogenesis and its implications for therapeutic interventions.

An Ultra-Performance Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) Method for Qualifying DAPB in Rat Plasma and Application to Pharmacokinetic Studies.

DAPB, a new molecule including danshensu, borneol, and a mother nucleus of ACEI (Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors), is being developed as an antihypertensive candidate compound. A rapid, accurate, and sensitive ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) method was established and validated for the determination of DAPB in rat plasma. Chromatographic separation was performed on an Agilent SB-C18 column after protein precipitation by acetonitrile with a mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile and deionized water with 0.02% formic acid and 5 mM NH4F (v/v) at a flow rate of 0.2 mL/min. Quantification was performed using electrospray positive ionization mass spectrometry in the multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode. The method was linear over the range of 2-1000 ng/mL. The intra- and inter-day precision was within 12%, with accuracies less than 7%. Stability was within the acceptable limits under various storage and processing conditions. No apparent matrix effect was detected. The validated method was applied to the pre-clinical pharmacokinetic study of DAPB after oral administration of 30 mg/kg and intravenous administration of 6 mg/kg in rats.

A retro-inverso modified peptide alleviated ovalbumin-induced asthma model by affecting glycerophospholipid and purine metabolism of immune cells.

Allergic asthma is a heterogeneous disease involving a variety of inflammatory cells. Immune imbalance or changes in the immune microenvironment are the essential causes that promote inflammation in allergic asthma. Tetraspanin CD81 can be used as a platform for receptor clustering and signal transmission owing to its special transmembrane structure and is known to participate in the physiological processes of cell proliferation, differentiation, adhesion, and migration. Previous studies have shown that CD81-targeting peptidomimetics exhibit anti-allergic lung inflammation. However, due to the low metabolic stability of peptide drugs, their druggability is limited. Here, we aimed to generate a metabolically stable anti-CD81 peptide, evaluate its anti-inflammatory action and establish its mechanism of action. Based on previous reports, we applied retro-inverse peptide modification to obtain a new compound, PD00 (NH2-D-Gly-D-Ser-D-Thr-D-Tyr-D-Thr-D-Gln-D-Gly-COOH), with high metabolic stability. Enhanced ultraperformance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry was used to investigate the in vitro and in vivo metabolic stabilities of PD00. The affinities of PD00 and CD81 were studied using molecular docking and surface plasmon resonance techniques. An ovalbumin (OVA)-induced asthma model was used to evaluate the effects of PD00 in vivo. Mice were treated with different concentrations of PD00 (175 and 350 µg/kg) for 10 days. Airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) to acetyl-ß-methacholine (Mch), inflammatory cell counts in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, and serum OVA-specific IgE levels were detected in the mice at the end of the experiment. Lung tissues were collected for haematoxylin and eosin staining, untargeted metabolomic analysis, and single-cell transcriptome sequencing. PD00 has a high affinity for CD81; therefore, administration of PD00 markedly ameliorated AHR and airway inflammation in mice after OVA sensitisation and exposure. Serum OVA-specific IgE levels decreased considerably. In addition, PD00 treatment increased glycerophospholipid and purine metabolism in immune cells. Collectively, PD00 may regulate the glycerophospholipid and purine metabolism pathways to ameliorate the pathophysiological features of asthma. These findings suggest that PD00 is a potential compound for the treatment of asthma.

Impaired autophagy flux by lncRNA NEAT1 is critical for inflammation factors production in human periodontal ligament stem cells with nicotine treatment.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Periodontitis is the top reason for tooth loss, and smoking significantly increases severe periodontitis risk. Defective autophagy has been reported to play a vital role in periodontitis. This study aimed to elucidate the relationship between autophagy and inflammation factors production in nicotine-treated periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs) and the underlying mechanism. METHODS: In this study, transmission electron microscopy, immunofluorescence, and the mCherry-GFP-LC3 plasmid were used to study autophagy flux. The gene levels of inflammation factors and long noncoding RNA nuclear paraspeckle assembly transcript 1 (lncRNA NEAT1) were detected by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). Western blot was performed to assess the protein levels of autophagic markers and α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7nAChR). RESULTS: We found that nicotine impaired autophagosome-lysosome fusion and lysosome functions to block autophagy flux, contributing to inflammatory factors production in nicotine-treated PDLSCs. Moreover, nicotine upregulated NEAT1 by activating α7nAChR. NEAT1 decreased autophagy flux by downregulating syntaxin 17 (STX17). CONCLUSION: Our data indicate that NEAT1-decreased autophagy flux is pivotal for inflammation factors production in nicotine-treated PDLSCs.

Increased plasma levels of non-sugar sweeteners in patients with symptomatic carotid atherosclerosis.

Purpose. The non-sugar sweeteners acesulfame K and saccharin are considered safe, but there is conflicting evidence on their effects on cardiovascular health. Materials and methods. In this explorative pilot study, we measured plasma levels of acesulfame K and saccharin in 15 patients with symptomatic carotid atherosclerosis, 18 asymptomatic patients and 15 control subjects. Fecal microbiota and short-chain fatty acids were analyzed. Dietary and medical history was assessed. Results. Symptomatic patients had higher levels of acesulfame K and saccharin compared to controls. Acesulfame K was associated with increased leukocyte count. Saccharin was associated with more severe carotid stenosis, as well as lower fecal butyric acid.

A new Panax notoginseng Leaf Spot Caused by Boeremia linicola in Yunnan, China.

Panax notoginseng-also known as Tianqi and Sanqi-is one of the most highly valued medicinal perennial herbs in the world (Wang et al. 2016). In August 2021, leaf spot was observed on P. notoginseng leaves in Lincang sanqi base (23º43´10˝N, 100º7´32˝E, 13.33 hm2). Symptoms expanded from water soaked areas on the leaves to form irregular round or oval leaf spots with transparent or grayish-brown centers containing black granular matter, with an incidence of 10 to 20%. To identify the causal agent, ten symptomatic leaves were randomly selected from ten P. notoginseng plants. Symptomatic leaves were cut into small pieces (5 mm2) with asymptomatic tissue margins, disinfected in 75% ethanol for 30s and in 2% sodium hypochlorite for 3 min, and rinsed three times with sterile distilled water. The tissue portions were placed on potato dextrose agar (PDA) plates incubated at 20℃ with a 12 h light/dark photoperiod. Seven pure isolates were obtained with similar colony morphology, dark gray (top view) or taupe (back view) coloration, with flat and villous surfaces. Pycnidia were globose to subglobose, glabrous or with few mycelial outgrowths, dark brown to black, 22.46 to 155.94 (av. 69.57) µm × 18.20 to 130.5 (av. 57.65) µm (n=50) in size. Conidia were ellipsoidal to cylindrical, thinwalled, smooth, hyaline, aseptate, and measured 1.47 to 6.81 (av. 4.29) µm long and 1.01 to 2.97 (av. 1.98) µm thick (n=100). The isolated strains were preliminarily identified as Boeremia sp. based on the morphological characteristics of colonies and conidia. (Aveskamp et al. 2010; Schaffrath et al. 2021). To confirm pathogen identity, the total genomic DNA of two isolates (LYB-2 and LYB-3) was extracted using the T5 Direct PCR kit. The internal transcribed spacer (ITS), 28S large subunit nrRNA gene (LSU), and ß-tubulin (TUB2) gene regions were PCR-amplified using primers ITS1/ITS4, LR0Rf/LR5r, and BT2F/BT4R (Chen et al. 2015), respectively. Sequences have been deposited in GenBank (ON908942-ON908943 for ITS, ON908944-ON908945 for LSU, ON929285-ON929286 for TUB2). BLASTn searches of generated DNA sequences from 2 purified isolates (LYB-2 and LYB-3) against GenBank showed high similarity (>99%) with the sequences of Boeremia linicola. Moreover, a phylogenetic tree was constructed based on the neighbor-joining method in MEGA-X (Kumar et al. 2018) and revealed that the 2 isolates were closest to B. linicola (CBS 116.76). Pathogenicity tests were conducted with the 2 isolates (LYB-2 and LYB-3) as described by Cai et al. (2009) with slight modifications. Each isolate was inoculated with three healthy annual P. notoginseng plants, and each leaf was inoculated with three drops of conidia suspension (106 spores/mL). Three P. notoginseng plants inoculated with sterile water were used as controls. All plants were covered with plastic bags incubated in a greenhouse (20℃, 90%RH, 12 h light/dark photoperiod). Fifteen days post-inoculation, all inoculated leaves showed similar lesions, and the symptoms were identical to those in the field. The pathogen was reisolated from symptomatic leaf spots, and the colony characteristics were identical to the original isolates. Control plants remained healthy, and no fungus was re-isolated. Morphological characteristics, sequence alignment and pathogenicity tests confirmed that B. linicola was the cause of P. notoginseng leaf spot disease. This is the first report of B. linicola causing leaf spot on P. notoginseng in Yunnan, China. The identification of B. linicola as the causal agent of the observed leaf spot on P. notoginseng is critical to the prevention and control of this disease in the future.

Effects of different soil moisture on the growth, quality, and root rot disease of organic Panax notoginseng cultivated under pine forests.

The under-forest economy in the agroforestry system can improve land use efficiency, protect ecological environment, and promote arable land sustainable development. However, the effects of soil moisture in the forest and irrigation strategies on the healthy growth of intercropping crops are still incomplete. Here, considering the organic Panax notoginseng cultivated under pine forests (PPF) as the research object, we explored the effects of different soil moisture on the physiological state, yield, quality and disease occurrence of PPF. Our results suggested that 80-85% and 95-100% field capacity (FC) treatments were more conducive to increased photosynthetic rate and biomass accumulation of PPF, but 50-55% and 65-70% FC treatments were more conducive to the accumulation of saponins in PPF leaves. Notably, the root rot index of PPF was highest under 95-100% FC (19.51) treatment, significantly higher than that under 65-70% FC (8.44) and 80-85% FC (10.21) treatments. Further, the rhizosphere microorganisms of PPF under different soil moisture treatments were sequenced, and the sequencing data analysis revealed that high soil moisture (95-100% FC) could destroy the microbial diversity balance and cause the accumulation of pathogens (Fusarium oxysporum and Ilyonectria radicicola), leading to a high incidence of root rot. The incidence of PPF root rot was negatively correlated with rhizosphere microbial diversity. Overall, our results highlight that the quantitative irrigation (80-85% FC) is conducive to maintaining the balance between yield, saponin content and disease occurrence of PPF, providing a practical basis for PPF irrigation strategy and promoting the sustainable development of PPF agroforestry system.

Chemical Synthesis, Safety and Efficacy of Antihypertensive Candidate Drug 221s (2,9).

Hypertension is the main risk factor of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. In this paper, a novel compound known as 221s (2,9), which includes tanshinol, borneol and a mother nucleus of ACEI, was synthesized by condensation esterification, deprotection, amidation, deprotection, and amidation, with borneol as the initial raw material, using the strategy of combinatorial molecular chemistry. The structure of the compound was confirmed by 1H NMR, 13C NMR, and high-resolution mass spectrometry, with a purity of more than 99.5%. The compound 221s (2,9) can significantly reduce the systolic and diastolic blood pressure of SHR rats by about 50 mmHg and 35 mmHg after 4 weeks of administration. The antihypertensive effect of 221s (2,9) is equivalent to that of captopril. The use of 221s (2,9) can reduce the content of Ren, Ang II and ACE in the serum of SHR rats, inhibit the RAAS and enhance the vascular endothelial function by upregulating the level of NO. Pathological studies in this area have shown that high dosage of 221s (2,9) can notably protect myocardial fibrosis in rats and reduce the degeneration and necrosis of myocardial fibers, inflammatory cell infiltration, and proliferation of fibrous tissue in the heart of rat. Therefore, the existing work provided a foundation for preclinical research and follow-up clinical research of 221s (2,9) as a new drug.

Laser doppler flowmetry to detect pulp vitality, clinical reference range and coincidence rate for pulpal blood flow in permanent maxillary incisors in Chinese children: a clinical study.

BACKGROUND: A laser doppler flowmetry (LDF) test can reflect the pulp vitality caused by the change in pulp blood flow (PBF). This study aimed to investigate the PBF of the permanent maxillary incisors using LDF and to calculate the clinical reference range and coincidence rate for pulp vitality using PBF as an indicator. METHODS: School-age children (7-12 years) were recruited randomly. A total of 455 children (216 female and 239 male) were included in this study. An additional 395 children (7-12 years) who attended the department due to anterior tooth trauma from October 2015 to February 2018 were included to assess the clinical occurrence rate. The PBF was measured using LDF equipment and an LDF probe. RESULTS: The clinical reference range of PBF values for the permanent maxillary incisors (teeth 11, 12, 21, and 22) in children were from 7 to 14 perfusion units (PU), 11 (6.016; 11.900 PU), 12 (6.677; 14.129 PU), 21 (6.043;11.899 PU), and 22 (6.668; 14.174 PU). There was a statistically significant correlation between PBF and children's age (p < 0.000) without any significant gender discrimination (p = 0.395). For all incisors, for any age group, the PBF detection value of the lateral incisors was significantly higher than that of the central incisors (p < 0.05). The clinical coincidence rate of detecting PBF in the traumatic teeth was 90.42% and the sensitivity and specificity were 36.99% and 99.88%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The determination of the PBF clinical reference range and clinical coincidence rate for the permanent maxillary incisors in children using LDF provided a promising theoretical basis for clinical applications.

Persistent T-cell exhaustion in relation to prolonged pulmonary pathology and death after severe COVID-19: Results from two Norwegian cohort studies.

BACKGROUND: T-cell activation is associated with an adverse outcome in COVID-19, but whether T-cell activation and exhaustion relate to persistent respiratory dysfunction and death is unknown. OBJECTIVES: To investigate whether T-cell activation and exhaustion persist and are associated with prolonged respiratory dysfunction and death after hospitalization for COVID-19. METHODS: Plasma and serum from two Norwegian cohorts of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 (n = 414) were analyzed for soluble (s) markers of T-cell activation (sCD25) and exhaustion (sTim-3) during hospitalization and follow-up. RESULTS: Both markers were strongly associated with acute respiratory failure, but only sTim-3 was independently associated with 60-day mortality. Levels of sTim-3 remained elevated 3 and 12 months after hospitalization and were associated with pulmonary radiological pathology after 3 months. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest prolonged T-cell exhaustion is an important immunological sequela, potentially related to long-term outcomes after severe COVID-19.

First Report of Leaf Spot on Panax notoginseng Caused by Caryophylloseptoria pseudolychnidis in Yunnan, China.

Panax notoginseng is a unique traditional medicinal plant in China, which has the effects of improving myocardial ischemia, protecting liver and preventing cardiovascular diseases (Jiang, 2020). In July 2021, gray-brown round spots were found on the leaves of P. notoginseng in the plantations of Lincang City (23º43´10˝N, 100º7´32˝E). By September, the symptoms were observed on more P. notoginseng plants, with incidence reaching 31%. Initial symptoms on leaves were small, brown spots that expanded, with black granular bulges on the lesions, often surrounded with yellow halo. As the disease progressed, multiple lesions merged, leaves became yellow, and abscission occurred. To isolate the causal pathogen, twelve symptomatic leaves were randomly obtained from twelve P. notoginseng plants. Small pieces of infected leaf tissues (about 5 mm2) were disinfected with 75% ethanol for 30 s, soaked in 2% sodium hypochlorite for 3 min, and then rinsed 3 times with sterile water and blotted dry. Sample tissues were plated on potato dextrose agar (PDA) plates incubated at 25℃ for 5 days with 12 h light/dark photoperiod. Hyphal-tips from the growing edge of colonies were transferred to fresh PDA to obtain pure cultures. Eight isolates were obtained with similar colony morphology, gray (top view) or black (back view) coloration, with a villous surface, and slow-growing on PDA. Conidia were hyaline, slender and obtuse to subobtuse at both ends, 10.3 to 52.62 (av. 25.2) µm × 1.4 to 4.0 (av. 2.4) µm (n=200) in size. Characteristics of the colonies and conidia were consistent with Caryophylloseptoria pseudolychnidis as described by Quaedvlieg et al. (2013) and Verkley et al. (2013). Genomic DNA of three representative isolates (LINC-4 to LINC-6) was extracted, and the rDNA-ITS region, ACT, and LSU gene regions were amplified and sequenced using the primer pairs ITS4/ITS5, 512F/783R, and LSU1Fd/LR5, respectively. Sequences have been deposited in GenBank (OK614104-OK614106 for ITS, OK614109-OK614111 for LSU, OK628350-OK628352 for ACT). BLAST search showed that all sequences were 98% to 100% homology with the corresponding sequences of C. pseudolychnidis. ITS sequences of the three isolates (LINC-4 to LINC-6) showed 99.21% identity (500/504 bp) to C. pseudolychnidis strain CBS 128630 (GenBank accession no. NR156266). LSU sequences of the three isolates showed 99.76% identity (823/825 bp) to C. pseudolychnidis strain CBS 128630 (MH876481). For ACT sequences, LINC-4 and LINC-5 showed 98.53% identity (201/204 bp) to C. pseudolychnidis strain 128614 (KF253599); LINC-6 showed 99.02% identity (202/204 bp) to C. pseudolychnidis strain 128614 (KF253599). Further, the neighbor-joining and maximum-likelihood method were used for multilocus phylogenetic analysis of the obtained sequences using MEGA-X (Kumar et al. 2018). The three isolates were clustered in the same clade with two C. pesudolychidis from database. Three isolates (LINC-4 to LINC-6) were tested for pathogenicity to confirm Koch's postulates. Annual potted P. notoginseng was inoculated with spore suspension (105 spores.mL-1). Each isolate was inoculated onto two leaves each of five P. notoginseng plants. The controls were similarly mock-inoculated with sterile water. To maintain high humidity (>90% RH), all plants were placed in transparent plastic boxes in a greenhouse at 25℃ with a 12 h light/dark photoperiod. Fifteen days post-inoculation, inoculated leaves showed similar symptoms to those observed in the field, and control plants remained healthy. The pathogen were reisolated from symptomatic leaf spots, and the colony characteristics were the same as those of the original isolates. Morphological characteristics, molecular data, and Koch's postulates tests confirmed C. pseudolychnidis as the cause of P. notoginseng leaf spot disease. To our knowledge, this is the first report of C. pseudolychnidis causing leaf spot on P. notoginseng in Yunnan, China. The spread of this disease might pose a serious threat to the production of P. notoginseng. The occurrence and spread of this pathogen should be further studied in order to formulate reasonable control measures.

Low Cellular NAD+ Compromises Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Inflammatory Responses via Inhibiting TLR4 Signal Transduction in Human Monocytes.

NAD+ is an essential cofactor in reduction-oxidation metabolism with impact on metabolic and inflammatory diseases. However, data elucidating the effects of NAD+ on the proinflammatory features of human primary monocytes are scarce. In this study, we explored how NAD+ affects TLR4 and NOD-like receptor with a PYD-domain 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome activation, two key innate immune responses. Human primary monocytes were isolated from buffy coats obtained from healthy individuals. Intracellular NAD+ was manipulated by nicotinamide riboside and the NAMPT inhibitor FK866. Cells were primed with LPS with or without subsequent NLRP3 activation with ATP or cholesterol crystals to analyze the effects of NAD+ levels on TLR4-mediated NF-κB activation and NLRP3 activity, respectively. Cytokine release was quantified, and the downstream signal pathway of TLR4 was investigated with Western blot and proteomic analysis. The impact of sirtuin and PARP inhibition was also explored. Our main findings were: 1) elevated NAD+ enhanced IL-1ß release in LPS-primed human monocytes exposed to ATP in vitro, 2) both NLRP3-dependent and -independent inflammatory responses in LPS-exposed monocytes were inhibited by NAD+ depletion with FK866, 3) the inhibition was not caused by suppression of sirtuins or PARP1, and 4) phosphorylation of several proteins TLR4 signal pathway was inhibited by FK866-mediated NAD+ depletion, specifically TAK1, IKKß, IkBα, MEK 1/2, ERK 1/2, and p38. Hence, we suggest a novel mechanism in which NAD+ affects TLR4 signal transduction. Furthermore, our data challenge previous reports of the interaction between NAD+ and inflammation and question the use of nicotinamide riboside in the therapy of inflammatory disorders.

Inhibition of Notch Intracellular Domain Suppresses Cell Activation and Fibrotic Factors Production in Hypertrophic Scar Fibroblasts Versus Normal Skin Fibroblasts.

BACKGROUND: Hypertrophic scar (HS) is the most common complication after skin injury with unknown etiopathogenesis. There is increasing evidence to suggest that aberrant Notch signaling contributes directly to skin pathogenesis and altered expression of the Notch intracellular domain (NICD) identified in HS. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of Notch signaling pathway in HS pathogenesis. METHODS: Hypertrophic scar and normal skin samples were collected. Notch intracellular domain expression was detected by immunohistochemistry staining and fibroblasts were separated from the samples. We compared fibrotic factors production, cell viability, migration and apoptosis of HS fibroblasts (HFB) versus normal skin fibroblasts (NFB) by real time quantitative polymerase chain reaction, MTS, cell scratch assay and flow cytometry respectively under the impact of inhibition of Notch signaling by NICD-small-interfering RNA (SiRNA). RESULTS: The results showed that NICD was overexpressed in the dermis of HS tissues. Inhibition of Notch signaling by NICD-SiRNA suppressed the production of the fibrotic factors including collagen 1, collagen 3, α-SMA, and TGF-ß1 by HFB and NFB. Cell viability and migration were reduced in NICD-SiRNA-treated NFB and HFB, whereas cell apoptosis was enhanced by NICD-SiRNA. CONCLUSIONS: Conclusively, the study demonstrates a potential role for Notch signaling in HS progression, and targeting this pathway may provide a novel strategy for treatment of HS.

Nicotine regulates autophagy of human periodontal ligament cells through α7 nAchR that promotes secretion of inflammatory factors IL-1ß and IL-8.

BACKGROUND: Nicotine is an important risk factor and the main toxic component associated with periodontitis. However, the mechanism of nicotine induced periodontitis is not clear. To investigated the mechanism through which nicotine regulates autophagy of human periodontal ligament cells (hPDLCs) through the alpha7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7 nAChR) and how autophagy further regulates the release of IL-1ß and IL-8 secretion in hPDLCs. METHODS: HPDLCs were obtained from root of extracted teeth and pre-incubated in alpha-bungarotoxin (α-BTX) or 3-Methyladenine (3-MA), followed by culturing in nicotine. We used a variety of experimental detection techniques including western blotting, immunofluorescence, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and RT-qPCR to assess the expression of the LC3 protein, autolysosome, and release of IL-1ß and IL-8 from hPDLCs. RESULTS: Western blots, immunofluorescence and TEM results found that the nicotine significantly increased the autophagy expression in hPDLCs that was time and concentration dependent and reversed by α-BTX treatment (p < 0.05). RT-qPCR and ELISA results revealed a noticeable rise in the release of inflammatory factors IL-1ß and IL-8 from hPDLCs in response to nicotine. RT-qPCR and ELISA results showed that nicotine can significantly up-regulate the release of inflammatory factors IL-1ß and IL-8 in hPDLCs, and this effect can be inhibited by 3-MA (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Nicotine regulated autophagy of hPDLCs through α7 nAChR and in turn the regulation of the release of inflammatory factors 1L-1ß and 1L-8 by hPDLCs.

Nicotine-upregulated miR-30a arrests cell cycle in G1 phase by directly targeting CCNE2 in human periodontal ligament cells.

The consumption of nicotine via smoking tobacco has been reported to stimulate the occurrence and progression of periodontitis. Many studies have demonstrated that nicotine prevents the regeneration of periodontal tissues primarily by inhibiting the proliferation of human periodontal ligament (PDL) cells. However, the mechanisms underlying this process are still unclear. Therefore, we investigated whether nicotine-upregulated miR-30a inhibited the proliferation of human PDL cells by downregulating cyclin E2 (CCNE2), in vitro. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis revealed that nicotine upregulated the expression of miR-30a in human PDL cells. In addition, nicotine inhibited the proliferation of human PDL cells by inducing cell cycle arrest. To support this hypothesis, we showed that nicotine downregulated the expression of CCNE2 in human PDL cells, whereas inhibition of miR-30a restored CCNE2 expression that had been downregulated by nicotine. Furthermore, using luciferase reporter assays, we found that miR-30a directly interacts with the CCNE2 3'UTR. In conclusion, these findings indicate that nicotine-upregulated miR-30a inhibits the proliferation of human PDL cells by downregulating the expression of CCNE2.

Effects of Er:YAG laser pre-treatment on dentin structure and bonding strength of primary teeth: an in vitro study.

BACKGROUND: To investigate the effects of Er:YAG laser pre-treatment on the dentin structure and shear bond strength of primary teeth. METHODS: Dentin specimens were prepared using freshly extracted intact primary molars and divided randomly into four groups based on the surface treatment applied. The control and etchant groups received no treatment and conventional acid etching treatment, respectively, while the energy and frequency groups received laser surface treatment with variable energy (50-300 mJ) and frequency (5-30 Hz) parameters. The morphology was observed using scanning electron microscopy. The surface-treated dentin slices were bonded to resin tablets, followed by thermocycle treatment. The shear strength was determined using a universal testing machine and de-bonded surfaces were observed using a stereomicroscope. RESULTS: SEM observation showed that the surface morphology of the dentin slices changed after etching as well as after Er:YAG laser pre-treatment with different energy and frequency values. The dentin tubules opened within a specific energy (50-200 mJ) and frequency (5-20 Hz) range. Beyond this range, the intertubular dentin showed cracks and structural disintegration. Shear strength tests showed no significant changes after acid etching. The shear strength increased significantly (P < 0.05) after Er:YAG laser pre-treatment compared with that of the control group. The shear strength increased within the same energy (50-200 mJ) and frequency (5-20 Hz) range as the tubule opening, but not significantly (P > 0.05). The most common mode of interface failure was adhesive (interface) failure, followed by mixed and resin cohesive failure. CONCLUSIONS: Pre-treatment using Er:YAG laser opens the dentinal tubules without the formation of a smear layer and improves the bonding strength between the primary teeth dentin and the resin composites.