Epigallocatechin-3-gallate inhibits the formation of neutrophil extracellular traps and suppresses the migration and invasion of colon cancer cells by regulating STAT3/CXCL8 pathway.

Colon cancer is a common malignant tumor of the digestive tract. Tea catechin exerts anti-tumor effects in colon cancer. This work aimed to determine the functions of epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), one of the main active components of Tea catechins, in the progression of colon cancer. In this work, enzyme-linked immune-sorbent assay, quantitative real-time PCR and western blotting was utilized to examine the levels of IL-1ß, TNF-α, STAT3, p-STAT3 and CXCL8 in colon cancer patients and healthy controls. Compared with healthy controls, the levels of IL-1ß and TNF-α were significantly increased in the peripheral blood of colon cancer patients, and the expression of STAT3, p-STAT3 and CXCL8 was elevated in the neutrophils derived from colon cancer patients. Moreover, neutrophils were treated with phorbol ester (PMA) or DNase I to induce or impede the formation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). Both STAT3 overexpression and PMA treatment promoted the expression of CXCL8, myeloperoxidase (MPO) and citrullinated histone H3 (H3Cit) in the colon cancer-derived neutrophils, indicating that STAT3 overexpression facilitated the formation of NETs. STAT3 deficiency suppressed the formation of NETs, which consistent with the results of DNase I treatment. Transwell assay was utilized to detect the migration and invasion of colon cancer cell line SW480. EGCG treatment suppressed the formation of NETs and the expression of STAT3 and CXCL8 in the colon cancer-derived neutrophils, and then inhibited the migration and invasion of SW480 cells. In conclusion, this work demonstrated that EGCG inhibited the formation of NETs and subsequent suppressed the migration and invasion of colon cancer cells by regulating STAT3/CXCL8 signalling pathway. Thus, this study suggests that EGCG may become a potential drug for colon cancer therapy.

Heterogeneity of computational pathomic signature predicts drug resistance and intra-tumor heterogeneity of ovarian cancer.

BACKGROUND: Chemotherapy resistance is the main cause of ovarian cancer progression and even death. However, there are no clear indicators for predicting the risk of drug resistance in patients. Intra-tumor heterogeneity (ITH) is one of the characteristics of malignant tumors, which is associated with the treatment and prognosis of tumors. Accordingly, our study aims to investigate the correlation between the image features of intra-tumor heterogeneity and drug resistance of ovarian cancer based on artificial intelligence. METHODS: We obtained hematoxylin and eosin staining frozen histopathological images of ovarian cancer and paracarcinoma tissues from the Cancer Genome Atlas. We extracted quantitative image features of whole-slide images based on the automatic image nuclear segmentation processing technology. After that, we used bioinformatics analysis to find the relationship between image features of intra-tumor heterogeneity and drug resistance. RESULTS: Our results show that our automatic image processing process based on computer artificial intelligence can extract image features effectively, and the key image features extracted are closely related to ITH. Among them, the Perimeter.sd image feature with the most prominent ITH feature can accurately predict the risk of platinum-based chemotherapy drug resistance in ovarian cancer patients. CONCLUSION: Automatic image processing and feature extraction based on artificial intelligence have excellent results. Perimeter.sd can be used as a useful image feature indicator for evaluating ITH. ITH is associated with drug resistance of ovarian cancer, so ITH characteristics can be used as an effective indicator to evaluate drug resistance in patients with ovarian cancer.

Polyethylene-Glycol-Modified Halide Perovskite for Enhancing the Switching Ratio and Cycling Stability of Resistive Random Access Memory.

As a result of the apparent hysteresis caused by ion migration, halide perovskites (HPs) are used as the active layer of resistive devices. Here, polyethylene glycol (PEG) is used to form an organic network in the Cs3Bi2Br9 precursor solution to influence the nucleation growth rate of the substrate and, thus, control the perovskite surface morphology, crystallization process, and halide ion migration activation energy. Furthermore, the organic network consisting of non-conducting polymer PEG rests on the boundaries between perovskite crystals to cross-link perovskite particles. As a result, the particle size of perovskite increased from 64.6 to 76.2 nm as the nucleation rate of perovskite gradually decreased with the increase of the PEG concentration and the activation energy of the ion increases from 0.15 to 0.25 eV. Meanwhile, as the concentration of PEG increases, the switching ratio and cycle stability of the devices is improved.

Multi-Locus Genome-Wide Association Study and Genomic Selection of Kernel Moisture Content at the Harvest Stage in Maize.

Kernel moisture content at the harvest stage (KMC) is an important trait that affects the mechanical harvesting of maize grain, and the identification of genetic loci for KMC is beneficial for maize molecular breeding. In this study, we performed a multi-locus genome-wide association study (ML-GWAS) to identify quantitative trait nucleotides (QTNs) for KMC using an association mapping panel of 251 maize inbred lines that were genotyped with an Affymetrix CGMB56K SNP Array and phenotypically evaluated in three environments. Ninety-eight QTNs for KMC were detected using six ML-GWAS models (mrMLM, FASTmrMLM, FASTmrEMMA, PLARmEB, PKWmEB, and ISIS EM-BLASSO). Eleven of these QTNs were considered to be stable, as they were detected by at least four ML-GWAS models under a uniformed environment or in at least two environments and BLUP using the same ML-GWAS model. With qKMC5.6 removed, the remaining 10 stable QTNs explained <10% of the phenotypic variation, suggesting that KMC is mainly controlled by multiple minor-effect genetic loci. A total of 63 candidate genes were predicted from the 11 stable QTNs, and 10 candidate genes were highly expressed in the kernel at different time points after pollination. High prediction accuracy was achieved when the KMC-associated QTNs were included as fixed effects in genomic selection, and the best strategy was to integrate all KMC QTNs identified by all six ML-GWAS models. These results further our understanding of the genetic architecture of KMC and highlight the potential of genomic selection for KMC in maize breeding.

Prevalence of the metabolic syndrome in Pudong New Area of Shanghai using three proposed definitions among Chinese adults.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MS) has been increasing in China in recent years. The aim of this study is to estimate and compare the prevalence of MS among Chinese adults in Shanghai, one of the most economic developed areas in China, using definitions proposed by World Health Organization (WHO), National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel (modified ATP III) and International Diabetes Federation (IDF). METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 5,584 adults at age 20-79 randomly selected from Pudong New Area of Shanghai, China, through a three-stage sampling. All participants were interviewed in-person between April and July of 2008 to collect information on demographic and lifestyle characteristics. At the interview, anthropometry and blood pressure were measured and bio-specimens were collected. RESULTS: The prevalence estimates for the MS increased with age for each definition in men and women, but the estimates varied greatly between the definitions and by sex. The prevalence of the MS was higher in men (20.2%) than in women (18.7%) using WHO definition but this sex difference was reversed when using the modified ATP III (28.4% for men vs. 35.1% for women) and the IDF (15.9% for men vs. 26.7% for women) criteria. The most common metabolic disorder in this population was dyslipidaemia, regardless of the definition used. Substantial agreement, estimated using the kappa statistic, was found between the modified ATP III and IDF definition, whereas the lowest agreement was observed between the WHO and ATP III criteria. CONCLUSIONS: The MS is highly prevalent among Chinese adults in Pudong New Area of Shanghai and the most prevalent component was dyslipidemia. These findings underscore the importance of prevention and control efforts for the MS in this area and the need for a unified predictive definition for the syndrome for use by clinical practitioners and public health agencies.

[Changes of certain oxidative, anti-oxidative and vascular function indexes of New Zealand rabbit exposed by high-fluoride].

OBJECTIVE: To observe certain changes of oxidation, anti-oxidation and vascular function indexes of Application of New Zealand rabbit exposed by high-fluoride. METHODS: 20 male New Zealand rabbits were randomly divided into control group, drunk deionized water and feed basic diet. High-fat group, drunk deionized water and feed basic diet plus 0.5% cholesterol and 7% egg yolk powder high fat diet. High-fluorine group, drunk high-fluoride water (ion-100 mg/L) and feed basic diet. High-fluoride and high-fat group, drunk high-fluoride water (ion-100 mg/L) and feed basic diet plus 0.5% cholesterol and 7% egg yolk powder high fat diet. The experimental periods were 6 months. Blood samples were collected to determine the fluorine concentration in plasma, in the third and sixth month before experiment. In the sixth month of the experiment, blood, heart and liver samples were gathered to make homogenate, and detect superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activities and malondialdehyde (MDA) contents by biochemical method. The 6-keto-prostate F1alpha (6-keto-PGF1alpha), thromboxane B2 (TXB2) and endothelin-1(ET-1) contents were detected by radioimmunoassay. Nitric oxide synthase (NOS), inducible NOS (iNOS), and endothelial NOS (eNOS) were detected by biochemical method. Leukocyte iNOS-mRNA and eNOS-mRNA contents were detected by situ hybridization. RESULTS: In the third and sixth month of experiment, serum fluorides were elevated in rabbits who drunk high-fluorine water, activities of SOD and GSH-Px in blood, liver and heart were decreased (P < 0.01, P < 0.05), while the myocardial MDA contents increased (P < 0.05), 6-keto-PGF1alpha contents in plasma decreased (P < 0.01), TXB2 and ET-1 levels increased (P < 0.01, P < 0.05), total NOS activities in serum decreased (P < 0.05), total NOS activities in liver and iNOS activities in heart and liver increased (P < 0.05). Expression of iNOS-mRNA in leukocyte increased, expression of eNOS-mRNA decreased (P < 0.05) in rabbits who drunk high-fluorine in the sixth month. Factorial analysis of variance, serum, liver and myocardial SOD activities and serum MDA contents, plasma ET-1 contents and serum iNOS activities, liver total NOS activities showed that high-fluorine and high-fat enhanced interactive (P < 0.01 P < 0.05) . CONCLUSION: High-fluoride could inhibit antioxidant enzymes, impair vascular endothelial function, body NO metabolism disorder. High fluoride and high-fat could have a certain synergy in this process.

Dynamic changes of gut and lung microorganisms during chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbations.

Increasing evidence has indicated the intimate relationship between the gastrointestinal tract and respiratory tract. The microbial ecosystem has been confirmed to share key conceptual features with gut-lung microbiome disorder and dysregulation during chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbations. However, the dynamic changes of the gut-lung microbiome during COPD exacerbations and its potential role in disease etiology remain poorly understood. The present study investigated the dynamic changes of gut and lung microorganisms during acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD). A longitudinal 16S ribosomal DNA survey of the gut and lung microbiome was completed on 90 feces and sputum samples collected from 15 subjects with AECOPD at three visits, which were defined as exacerbation, seven-day stable state. The present analysis revealed a dynamic gut-lung microbiota, where changes appeared to be associated with exacerbation events indicative of specific exacerbation phenotypes. Antibiotic and steroid treatments appeared to have differential effects on the gut-lung microbiome, and the microbiome was associated with disease progression, but not with severity. The abundance and diversity of the microbiome was strongly influenced by the disease progression and therapy. Using culture-independent methods to impact the gut and lung microbiota on AECOPD may be the key to understanding the interactions between the gut and lung, highlighting its potential as a biomarker, and possibly a target for future respiratory therapeutics.

Clinical characteristics and direct medical cost of respiratory syncytial virus infection in children hospitalized in Suzhou, China.

BACKGROUND: There have been few studies on children hospitalized with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) published from mainland China. We performed a retrospective review of medical charts to describe the epidemiology, clinical features and direct medical cost of laboratory-proven RSV children hospitalized in Suzhou, China. METHODS: Testing is routine for RSV for children admitted to the respiratory ward at Suzhou University Children's Hospital. We performed a retrospective study on children with documented RSV infection hospitalized at Suzhou University Children Hospital during 2005-2009 using a structured chart review instrument. RESULTS: A total of 2721 hospitalized children (15.0% of those tested) were positive by immunofluorescent assay for RSV during 2005-2009, and 64.0% of them were male. Eighty-seven percentage of the RSV-infected children were 2 years old and younger, and 56.6% were ≤ 6 months of age. The median length of hospital stay was 8 days. Of the RSV-infected children, 92.5% developed pneumonia and 21.8% experienced wheezing. In total, 49 (5.1%) of RSV-positive children were transferred to the ICU. Children ≤ 6 months old and who had congenital heart disease had higher risk of severe RSV disease. The mean cost of each RSV-related hospitalization was US$571.8 (US$909.6 for children referred to ICU and US$565.4 for those cared for on the wards). Multivariable logistic regression showed that compared with the ≤ 6 months children, those aged >6 months old had higher hospitalization cost; children with respiratory distress or with chronic lung diseases tended to have higher hospitalization costs than others. CONCLUSIONS: RSV infections and severe RSV diseases mostly occurred in early infancy. The direct medical cost was high relative to family income. Effective strategies of RSV immunization of young children in China may be beneficial in addressing this disease burden.

The clinical characteristics and direct medical cost of influenza in hospitalized children: a five-year retrospective study in Suzhou, China.

BACKGROUND: There have been few studies on children hospitalized with influenza published from mainland China. We performed a retrospective review of medical charts to describe the epidemiology, clinical features and direct medical cost of laboratory-proven influenza hospitalized children in Suzhou, China. METHODS: Retrospective study on children with documented influenza infection hospitalized at Suzhou Children Hospital during 2005-2009 was conducted using a structured chart review instrument. RESULTS: A total of 480 children were positive by immuno-fluorescent assay for influenza during 2005-2009. The hospitalizations for influenza occurred in 8-12 months of the year, most commonly in the winter with a second late summer peak (August-September). Influenza A accounted for 86.3%, and of these 286 (59.6%) were male, and 87.2% were <5 years of age. The median length of hospital stay was 7 days. Fever was the most common symptom, occurring in 398 (82.9%) children. There were 394 (82.1%) children with pneumonia and 70.2% of these hospitalized children had radiographic evidence of a pulmonary infiltrate. One hundred and twelve children (23.3%) required oxygen treatments and 13 (2.7%) were transferred to the ICU. Multivariable logistic regression showed that compared with the ≤ 6 months children, those aged >60 months old had shorter hospital stay (OR = 0.45); children with oxygen treatment tended to have longer hospital stays than those without oxygen treatment (OR = 2.14). The mean cost of each influenza-related hospitalization was US$ 624 (US$ 1323 for children referred to ICU and US$ 617 for those cared for on the wards). High risk children had higher total cost than low-risk patients. CONCLUSION: Compared to other countries, in Suzhou, children hospitalized with influenza have longer hospital stay and higher percentage of pneumonia. The direct medical cost is high relative to family income. Effective strategies of influenza immunization of young children in China may be beneficial in addressing this disease burden.

Biomarkers of the metabolic syndrome and breast cancer prognosis.

In spite of its public health importance, our understanding of the mechanisms of breast carcinogenesis and progress is still evolving. The metabolic syndrome (MS) is a constellation of biochemical abnormalities including visceral adiposity, hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, dyslipidemia and high blood pressure. The components of the MS have all been related to late-stage disease and even to a poor prognosis of breast cancer through multiple interacting mechanisms. In this review, we aim to present a summary of recent advances in the understanding of the contribution of the MS to breast cancer with the emphasis on the role of biomarkers of the MS in the prognosis of breast cancer.