The hypothalamic steroidogenic pathway mediates susceptibility to inflammation-evoked depression in female mice.

BACKGROUND: Depression is two-to-three times more frequent among women. The hypothalamus, a sexually dimorphic area, has been implicated in the pathophysiology of depression. Neuroinflammation-induced hypothalamic dysfunction underlies behaviors associated with depression. The lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced mouse model of depression has been well-validated in numerous laboratories, including our own, and is widely used to investigate the relationship between neuroinflammation and depression. However, the sex-specific differences in metabolic alterations underlying depression-associated hypothalamic neuroinflammation remain unknown. METHODS: Here, we employed the LPS-induced mouse model of depression to investigate hypothalamic metabolic changes in both male and female mice using a metabolomics approach. Through bioinformatics analysis, we confirmed the molecular pathways and biological processes associated with the identified metabolites. Furthermore, we employed quantitative real-time PCR, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, western blotting, and pharmacological interventions to further elucidate the underlying mechanisms. RESULTS: A total of 124 and 61 differential metabolites (DMs) were detected in male and female mice with depressive-like behavior, respectively, compared to their respective sex-matched control groups. Moreover, a comparison between female and male model mice identified 37 DMs. We capitalized on biochemical clustering and functional enrichment analyses to define the major metabolic changes in these DMs. More than 55% of the DMs clustered into lipids and lipid-like molecules, and an imbalance in lipids metabolism was presented in the hypothalamus. Furthermore, steroidogenic pathway was confirmed as a potential sex-specific pathway in the hypothalamus of female mice with depression. Pregnenolone, an upstream component of the steroid hormone biosynthesis pathway, was downregulated in female mice with depressive-like phenotypes but not in males and had considerable relevance to depressive-like behaviors in females. Moreover, exogenous pregnenolone infusion reversed depressive-like behaviors in female mice with depression. The 5α-reductase type I (SRD5A1), a steroidogenic hub enzyme involved in pregnenolone metabolism, was increased in the hypothalamus of female mice with depression. Its inhibition increased hypothalamic pregnenolone levels and ameliorated depressive-like behaviors in female mice with depression. CONCLUSIONS: Our study findings demonstrate a marked sexual dimorphism at the metabolic level in depression, particularly in hypothalamic steroidogenic metabolism, identifying a potential sex-specific pathway in female mice with depressive-like behaviors.

Rational Design of Ceramic-Like Molecular Ferroelectric by Quasi-Spherical Theory.

Molecular ferroelectrics are attracting tremendous interest because of their easy and environmentally friendly processing, light weight, low acoustical impedance, and mechanical flexibility, which are viable alternatives or supplements to conventional ceramic ferroelectrics. However, reports of ceramic-like molecular ferroelectrics that can be applied in the polycrystalline form have been scarce. Here, according to the "quasi-spherical theory", we successfully synthesized a ceramic-like molecular ferroelectric with an m3mFmm2 type phase transition at 357 K, 1,5-diazabicyclo[3.2.1]octonium tetrafluoroborate ([3.2.1-dabco]BF4), which can show excellent ferroelectric performance in the polycrystalline thin-film form at room temperature. On the basis of the reported molecular ferroelectric [2.2.2-dabco]BF4 (2.2.2-dabco = 1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octonium) with an Aizu notation of 4/mmmFmm2 and two polar axes, we changed the [2.2.2-dabco]+ cation to the [3.2.1-dabco]+ cation to reduce the molecular symmetry and keep the quasi-spherical shape simultaneously, making the number of polar axes up to six. Moreover, the spontaneous polarization Ps gets successfully increased from 4.9 µC cm-2 in [2.2.2-dabco]BF4 to 5.5 µC cm-2 in [3.2.1-dabco]BF4. This precise molecular design strategy offers an efficient pathway to design ceramic-like molecular ferroelectrics.

Diagnosis of 25 genotypes of human papillomaviruses for their physical statuses in cervical precancerous/cancerous lesions: a comparison of E2/E6E7 ratio-based vs. multiple E1-L1/E6E7 ratio-based detection techniques.

BACKGROUND: Cervical lesions caused by integrated human papillomavirus (HPV) infection are highly dangerous because they can quickly develop into invasive cancers. However, clinicians are currently hampered by the lack of a quick, convenient and precise technique to detect integrated/mixed infections of various genotypes of HPVs in the cervix. This study aimed to develop a practical tool to determine the physical status of different HPVs and evaluate its clinical significance. METHODS: The target population comprised 1162 women with an HPV infection history of > six months and an abnormal cervical cytological finding. The multiple E1-L1/E6E7 ratio analysis, a novel technique, was developed based on determining the ratios of E1/E6E7, E2/E6E7, E4E5/E6E7, L2/E6E7 and L1/E6E7 within the viral genome. Any imbalanced ratios indicate integration. Its diagnostic and predictive performances were compared with those of E2/E6E7 ratio analysis. The detection accuracy of both techniques was evaluated using the gold-standard technique "detection of integrated papillomavirus sequences" (DIPS). To realize a multigenotypic detection goal, a primer and probe library was established. RESULTS: The integration rate of a particular genotype of HPV was correlated with its tumorigenic potential and women with higher lesion grades often carried lower viral loads. The E1-L1/E6E7 ratio analysis achieved 92.7% sensitivity and 99.0% specificity in detecting HPV integration, while the E2/E6E7 ratio analysis showed a much lower sensitivity (75.6%) and a similar specificity (99.3%). Interference due to episomal copies was observed in both techniques, leading to false-negative results. However, some positive results of E1-L1/E6E7 ratio analysis were missed by DIPS due to its stochastic detection nature. The E1-L1/E6E7 ratio analysis is more efficient than E2/E6E7 ratio analysis and DIPS in predicting precancerous/cancerous lesions, in which both positive predictive values (36.7%-82.3%) and negative predictive values (75.9%-100%) were highest (based on the results of three rounds of biopsies). CONCLUSIONS: The multiple E1-L1/E6E7 ratio analysis is more sensitive and predictive than E2/E6E7 ratio analysis as a triage test for detecting HPV integration. It can effectively narrow the range of candidates for colposcopic examination and cervical biopsy, thereby lowering the expense of cervical cancer prevention.

Poly[bis(µ(3)-thio-cyanato-κN:S:S')(µ(2)-thio-cyanato-κN:S)(4'-p-tolyl-2,2':6',2''-terpyridine-κN,N',N'')cadmium(II)silver(I)].

The title compound, [AgCd(NCS)(3)(C(22)H(17)N(3))](n), is a hetero-atom ribbon coordination polymer. The central Cd atom is chelated by the 4'-p-tolyl-2,2':6',2''-terpyridine ligand and is coordinated by the N atoms of three thio-cyanate ions in an octa-hedral geometry whereas the Ag atom is coordinated by the four S atoms of four thio-cyanate ions in a distorted tetra-hedral geometry. Of the three thio-cyanate ions, one functions in a µ(2)-bridging mode and two in a µ(3)-bridging mode. The ribbon coordination polymer propagates along the a-axis.

Monomeric, dimeric and polymeric W/Cu/S clusters based on [Et4N][Tp*W(mu3-S)3(CuBr)3] and various nitrogen donor ligands.

Assembly of a family of monomeric, dimeric, and polymeric W/Cu/S clusters from a precursor cluster [Et(4)N][Tp*W(mu(3)-S)(3)(CuBr)(3)] (Tp* = hydridotris(3,5-dimethylpyrazol-1-yl)borate) (1) and various N-donor ligands was reported. The treatment of 1 with pyridine (py) or aniline (ani) in the presence of NH(4)PF(6) afforded a cationic cluster [Tp*W(mu(3)-S)(3)Cu(3)(py)(3)(mu(3)-Br)](PF(6)) (2) and a neutral cluster [{Tp*W(mu(3)-S)(3)(CuBr)(3)}(mu(6)-Br){Tp*W(mu(3)-S)(3)Cu(3)(ani)(3)}] x 4 ani x 0.5 Et(2)O (3 x 4 ani x 0.5 Et(2)O). On the other hand, the treatment of 1 with excess 4,4'-bipyridine (4,4'-bipy) or 1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethylene (bpee) followed by the addition of NH(4)PF(6) led to the formation of a polymeric cluster {[Tp*W(mu(3)-S)(3)Cu(3)(4,4'-bipy)(3)(mu(3)-Br)](PF(6)) x H(2)O}(n) (4) and a neutral cluster [{Tp*W(mu(3)-S)(3)Cu(3)Br(2)}(2)(bpee)] x 0.5 CH(2)Cl(2) (5 x 0.5 CH(2)Cl(2)). Meanwhile, analogous reactions of 1 with excess 1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethane (bpe) or 1,3-bis(4-pyridyl)propane (bpp) in DMF under the presence of NH(4)PF(6) resulted in the formation of two polymeric clusters {[{Tp*W(mu(3)-S)(3)Cu(3)(mu(3)-Br)}(2)(bpe)(3)](PF(6))(2) x MeCN}(n) (6) and {[Tp*W(mu(3)-S)(3)Cu(3)Br(mu(3)-Br)(bpp)] x DMF}(n) (7). Compounds 1-7 were characterized by elemental analysis, IR spectra, UV-vis spectra, (1)H NMR, electrospray ionization mass spectra, and X-ray crystallography. The anion of 1 has an incomplete cubanelike [Tp*W(mu(3)-S)(3)(CuBr)(3)] structure, while the cation of 2 has a cubanelike [Tp*W(mu(3)-S)(3)Cu(3)(mu(3)-Br)] structure. Compound 3 may be viewed as having a corner-shared double cubanelike structure that consists of one [Tp*W(mu(3)-S)(3)Cu(3)(ani)(3)](2+) dication and one [Tp*W(mu(3)-S)(3)(CuBr)(3)](-) anion linked by a mu(6)-Br bridge. For 4, each [Tp*W(mu(3)-S)(3)Cu(3)(mu(3)-Br)] unit works as a pyramidal three-connecting node to connect its equivalent ones via three 4,4'-bipy bridges to yield a 2D (6,3) cationic network. Compound 5 has a dimeric structure in which two incomplete cubanelike [Tp*W(mu(3)-S)(3)Cu(3)Br(2)] cores are bridged with one bpee ligand. For 6, each dimeric [{Tp*W(mu(3)-S)(3)Cu(3)(mu(3)-Br)}(2)(bpe)(2)] unit is interconnected via a pair of bpe bridges to form a 1D zigzag cationic chain. Compound 7 has a 1D spiral chain in which each [Tp*W(mu(3)-S)(3)Cu(3)Br(mu(3)-Br)] core is interlinked by a couple of bpp bridges. The formation of 2-7 from the precursor cluster 1 through various N-donor ligands offers a new way to the design and assembly of the W/Cu/S clusters with interesting molecular and supramolecular arrays.

Construction of symmetric and asymmetric Mo/S/Cu clusters from a cluster precursor [Et4N]2[(edt)2Mo2S2(mu-S)2] (edt = ethanedithiolate).

Treatment of [Et 4N] 2[(edt) 2Mo 2S 2(mu-S) 2] ( 1) (edt = ethanedithiolate) with equimolar CuBr afforded an anionic hexanuclear cluster [Et 4N] 2[(edt) 2Mo 2(mu-S) 3(mu 3-S)Cu] 2.2CH 2Cl 2 ( 2.2CH 2Cl 2). On the other hand, reactions of 1 with 2 equiv of CuBr in the presence of 1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)methane (dppm) and pyridine (Py) ligands gave rise to two neutral tetranuclear clusters [(edt) 2Mo 2O 2(mu-S) 2Cu 2(dppm) 2] ( 3) and [(edt) 2Mo 2O(mu 3-S)(mu-S) 2Cu 2(Py) 4] ( 4), respectively. The reaction of 1 with 2 equiv of CuBr followed by the addition of a mixture of dppm and Py (molar ratio = 1:2) yielded another neutral tetranuclear cluster [(edt) 2Mo 2(mu-S) 2(mu 3-S) 2Cu 2(dppm)(Py)].Py ( 5.Py). Compounds 2- 5 have been characterized by elemental analysis, UV-vis spectra, IR spectra, (1)H NMR, and X-ray analysis. The structure of the dianion of 2 can be viewed as having a [Mo 4S 8Cu 2] core in which two chemically equivalent [Mo 2(mu-S) 3(mu 3-S)(edt) 2Cu] (-) anions are linked by two extra Cu-S edt bonds. The molecular structure of 3 may be visualized as being built of one [(edt) 2Mo 2X 2(mu-S) 2] (2-) dianion and one [Cu 2(dppm) 2] (2+) dication that are connected by a pair of M-mu-S edt bonds. Compound 4 is formed by the affiliation of two Cu(I) atoms only at one end of the [(edt) 2Mo 2S 2(mu-S) 2] moiety, connecting with the S t atoms and the S edt atom. Cluster 5.Py can be viewed as being constructed from the addition of one Cu atom onto the incomplete cubanelike [Mo 2S 4Cu] framework through one terminal sulfur and one edt sulfur. Among the four clusters, 3 and 4 have internal mirror symmetry or pseudo mirror symmetry, respectively, while 2 and 5 are asymmetric clusters with racemic formation.

Characteristics of bacterial vaginosis infection in cervical lesions with high risk human papillomavirus infection.

UNLABELLED: High risk human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is the major cause of cervical cancer. Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is considered as the most prevalent vaginal imbalance affecting women of reproductive age. However, the relationship between HPV and BV infection is unclear. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection combined with bacterial vaginosis (BV) infection in Shanghai suburbs and evaluate associations between bacterial vaginosis with HPV infection, cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and cervical cancer. METHODS: From October 1, 2009 to October 31, 2013, a total number of 3502 women who visited Fengxian Hospital, Southern Medical University were enrolled in this study. All participants gave informed consent and agreed to HPV, BV, chlamydia, mycoplasma and thinprepcytologic test (TCT). In addition, all women took histopathologic examination under colposcopy. Statistical analyses were done using SPSS 17.0 for windows (IBM). In present study the overall BV-positive rate was 9.25%. The top three high risk HPV types were listed as follows (in descending order): HPV16, 52, 58. Moreover, our data showed BV infection tended to occur in the HPV positive women, HPV infection also tended to occur in the BV positive women. Most of the women who present HPV with BV infection were younger than 30 years old. We also found that CIN and cervical cancer occurred mainly in HPV/BV positive and HPV with BV positive group. BV infection and HPV infection may haveconsistency or synergies. HPV with BV infection may increase the incidence of CIN and cervical cancer.

Dysregulation of miRNA-21 and their potential as biomarkers for the diagnosis of cervical cancer.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to characterize the miR-21 and evaluated its clinical significance. METHODS: Total RNA was extracted from 30 pairs of fresh specimens of cervical cancer and normal tissues. The expression levels of the miR-21-3p and miR-21-5p were detected by quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction, with U6 as the internal reference gene. We compared the expression of miR-21-3p and miR-21-5p between study group and control groups, the association between miRNA expression level and clinicopathological factors was investigated. RESULTS: The expression of miR-21-3p and miR-21-5p in HPV positive cervical cancer samples was significantly upregulated compared to that in the paired normal samples (P < 0.05); A multivariate analysis demonstrated that the expression of miR-21 was associated with clinicopathological parameters, including depth of invasion and lymph node metastasis. CONCLUSIONS: MiR-21 upregulation is associated with aggressive progression and poor prognosis in cervical cancer, which suggests that miR-21 might be identified as an independent marker for predicting the clinical outcome of cervical cancer patients.

[PyH][{TpMo(µ(3)-S)4Cu3}4(µ(12)-I)]: a unique tetracubane cluster derived from the S-S bond cleavage and the iodide template effects and its enhanced NLO performances.

Reactions of [Et4N][TpMoS(S4)] with three equiv. of CuI in MeCN or in pyridine gave rise to one dicubane and one tetracubane anionic clusters, [Et4N]2[{TpMo(µ3-S)3Cu3I}2(µ-I){Cu(µ-I)2(µ4-I)2}] and [PyH][{TpMo(µ3-S)4Cu3}4(µ12-I)], and their third-order nonlinear optical (NLO) responses were greatly enhanced relative to that of the precursor.

Risk factors for human papillomavirus infection in Shanghai suburbs: a population-based study with 10,000 women.

BACKGROUND: High risk human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is the major cause of cervical cancer. Several epidemiological studies have performed HPV screening in Chinese women, but no report was for Shanghai suburb women. OBJECTIVES: To understand the prevalence of HPV infection and risk factors in Shanghai suburbs. STUDY DESIGN: Between March 2011 and May 2011, 10,000 female volunteers lived in Fengxian District of Shanghai were recruited for the detection of 21 HPV types using PCR and fast flow hybridization of gene chip array. For the 508 HPV-positive patients, we performed the liquid-based ThinPrep cytology test (TCT) and histological examination for the diagnosis of local cervical lesions. The questionnaire surveyed demographic and behavioral indicators for the evaluation of risk factors of HPV infection. RESULTS: We found that the HPV-positive rate was 12.6%. The five top HPV types were as follows (in descending order): HPV52, 16, 58, 18 and 33. Moreover, HPV-positive rates were higher in women with older age, lower educational level, younger age of the first sexual intercourse, multiple sexual partners, no usage of condom for contraception, multiple deliveries, vaginal delivery, menopause, vaginal inflammation, cervical erosion and no regular cervical cytological examination. We also found that an HPV genotyping in combination with TCT and histological examination could improve early diagnosis for local cervical lesions. CONCLUSION: HPV infection was associated with age, sexual behavior and chronic inflammation of the cervix and vagina. We recommend popularizing HPV genotyping in women with high risk factors for the early diagnosis and prevention of cervical cancer.

Stepwise addition of CuNCS onto [Et(4)N][Tp*WS(3)]: design, syntheses, structures and third-order nonlinear optical properties.

Stepwise reactions of [Et(4)N][Tp*WS(3)] () (Tp* = hydridotris(3,5-dimethylpyrazol-1-yl)borate) with 1-4 equiv. of CuNCS (and Et(4)NBr in the case of three equiv. of CuNCS) afforded the [1 + 1] to [1 + 4] addition products [Et(4)N][Tp*WS(mu-S)(2)(CuNCS)].0.5CH(2)Cl(2) (.0.5CH(2)Cl(2)), [Et(4)N][Tp*W(mu(3)-S)(mu-S)(2)(CuNCS)(2)].ClCH(2)CH(2)Cl (.ClCH(2)CH(2)Cl), [Et(4)N](2)[Tp*W(mu(3)-S)(3)(CuNCS)(3)(mu(3)-Br)].1.5aniline (.1.5aniline), and {[Et(4)N][Tp*W(mu(3)-S)(3)(Cu-mu-SCN)(3)(Cu-mu(3)-NCS)]}(n) (). Compounds were characterized by elemental analysis, IR spectra, UV-vis spectra, (1)H NMR, and single-crystal X-ray crystallography. The cluster anion of contains a [WS(2)Cu] core formed by addition of one CuNCS group onto the [Tp*WS(3)] species. The cluster anion of has a butterfly-shaped [WS(3)Cu(2)] core constructed by addition of two CuNCS groups onto the [Tp*WS(3)] species. The cluster dianion of consists of a cubane-like [Tp*WS(3)Cu(3)(mu(3)-Br)] core assembled by addition of three CuNCS groups onto the [Tp*WS(3)] species followed by filling a mu(3)-Br into the void of the incomplete cubane-like [Tp*WS(3)(CuNCS)(3)] fragment. has a 2D cluster-supported layer network in which each [Tp*WS(3)Cu(3)] core acting as a pyramidal 3-connecting node interconnects with the [Cu(NCS)(4)] units through thiocyanate bridges. In addition, the third-order nonlinear optical (NLO) performances of in DMF were also investigated by Z-scan techniques.

Assembly of [(eta5-C5Me5)MoS3Cu3]-supported one-dimensional chains with single, double, triple, and quadruple strands.

The construction of a new set of [(eta5-C5Me5)MoS3Cu3]-based supramolecular compounds with different one-dimensional (1D) arrays from two preformed clusters [PPh4][(eta5-C5Me5)MoS3(CuX)3] (X = Br (1a), NCS (1b)) with 1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethane (bpe) and 1,3-bis(4-pyridyl)propane (bpp) is presented. Reactions of 1a with bpe in different molar ratios afforded ([((eta5-C5Me5)MoS3Cu3) 2(mu-bpe)3.5Br4].MeCN) n (2), ([((eta5-C5Me5)MoS3Cu3)2(mu-bpe)3Br4].Sol)n (3a: Sol = DMSO.3MeCN; 3b: Sol = 2aniline.3MeCN), ([((eta5-C 5Me5)MoS3Cu3)2(mu-bpe)3(bpe)Br4].0.35DMF)n (4), and ([((eta5-C5Me5)MoS3Cu3)2(mu-bpe)2(mu-Br)(mu3-Br)Br2].DMF.MeCN)n (5). On the other hand, treatment of 1a or 1b with bpp produced [(eta5-C5Me5)MoS3Cu3(mu-bpp)(mu-Br)Br]n (6) and ([((eta5-C5Me5)MoS3Cu3)2(mu-bpp)3(mu-NCS)2(NCS)](NCS))n (7). Compounds 2-7 have been characterized by elemental analysis, UV-vis spectroscopy, IR spectroscopy, 1H NMR, and X-ray analysis. In 2, each [(eta5-C5Me5)MoS3Cu3] core serves as an angular two-connecting node to link other equivalent cores by single and double bpe bridges to form a 1D "Great Wall"-like chain. In 3a and 3b, the [(eta5-C5Me5)MoS3Cu3] cores are linked alternatively by single and double bpe bridges to give a 1D zigzag chain. In 4, six cluster cores (two as a two-connecting node and four as a three-connecting node) are connected by four single bpe and two double bpe bridges to form a cyclohexane-shaped repeating unit, which is further fused with other units to generate a 1D double-stranded chain. Compound 5 has a simple 1D zigzag chain consisting of the cluster cores linked by single bpe bridges. In 6, the cluster cores are linked by single bpp bridges to give a 1D helical chain, which further holds two symmetry-related chains through C-H...Br hydrogen-bonding interactions, thereby forming a 1D H-bonded triple-stranded chain. Compound 7 has a rare 1D quadruple chain, in which the [(eta5-C5Me5)MoS3Cu3] cores work as planar four- and five-connecting nodes to interconnect other equivalent cores through single bpp bridges and single and double thiocyanate bridges. In addition, the third-order nonlinear optical properties of 1a, 2, 3a, and 4-7 in aniline were also investigated by using the Z-scan technique with a 4.5 ns pulse laser at 532 nm.