Extracellular vesicles derived from cervical cancer cells carrying MCM3AP-AS1 promote angiogenesis and tumor growth in cervical cancer via the miR-93/p21 axis.

Tumor cells can promote angiogenesis by secreting extracellular vesicles (EVs). Meanwhile, tumor-derived EVs can carry long non-coding RNAs to activate pro-angiogenic signaling in endothelial cells. Here, we investigated the role of long non-coding RNA MCM3AP-AS1 carried by cervical cancer (CC) cell-derived EVs in the angiogenesis and the resultant tumor growth in CC, as well as the potential molecular mechanisms. LncRNAs significantly expressed in CC cell-derived EVs and CC were screened, followed by prediction of downstream target genes. EVs were isolated from HcerEpic and CaSki cell supernatants, followed by identification. The expression of MCM3AP-AS1 in CC was analyzed and its interaction with miR-93-p21 was confirmed. Following co-culture system, the role of MCM3AP-AS1 carried by EVs in HUVEC angiogenic ability, CC cell invasion and migration in vitro along with angiogenesis and tumorigenicity in vivo was assayed. MCM3AP-AS1 was overexpressed in CC cell-derived EVs as well as in CC tissues and cell lines. Cervical cancer cell-derived EVs could transfer MCM3AP-AS1 into HUVECs where MCM3AP-AS1 competitively bound to miR-93 and upregulate the expression of the miR-93 target p21 gene. Thus, MCM3AP-AS1 promoted angiogenesis of HUVECs. In the similar manner, MCM3AP-AS1 enhanced CC cell malignant properties. In nude mice, EVs-MCM3AP-AS1 induced angiogenesis and tumor growth. Overall, this study reveals that CC cell-derived EVs may transport MCM3AP-AS1 to promote angiogenesis and tumor growth in CC.

Comparison of whole-body 18F-FDG PET/CT and PET/MRI for distant metastases in patients with malignant tumors: a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: As a first-line imaging modality, whole-body fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) and 18F-FDG PET/magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) had been widely applied in clinical practice. However, 18F-FDG PET/MRI may be superior to PET/CT for the diagnosis of distant metastases in patients with advanced-stage. Therefore, it is timely and important to systematically determine the diagnostic accuracy of 18F-FDG PET/MRI compared with that of 18F-FDG PET/CT for the diagnosis of distant metastases. METHODS: This study aimed to compare the diagnostic accuracy of 18F-FDG PET/CT and PET/MRI for the diagnosis of distant metastases in patients with malignant tumors. Relevant studies using both 18F-FDG PET/CT and PET/MRI for assessment of distant metastases in patients with malignant tumors were searched in PubMed, Embase, The Cochrane Library, and Scopus from January 2010 to November 2023. Two reviewers independently selected studies according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. A reviewer extracted relevant data and assessed the quality of the eligible studies. The pooled sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio, and area under the summary receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) for 18F-FDG PET/CT and PET/MRI were analyzed. Subgroup analysis was performed. RESULTS: Across 14 studies (1042 patients), 18F-FDG PET/MRI had a higher sensitivity (0.87 versus 0.81), AUC value (0.98 versus 0.95), and similar specificity (0.97 versus 0.97), than PET/CT for detecting distant metastases. In 3 studies of breast cancer (182 patients), 18F-FDG PET/MRI had a higher sensitivity (0.95 versus 0.87) and specificity (0.96 versus 0.94) than PET/CT. In 5 studies of lung cancer (429 patients), 18F-FDG PET/CT had a higher sensitivity (0.87 versus 0.84) and a lower specificity (0.95 versus 0.96) to PET/MRI. CONCLUSIONS: 18F-FDG PET/MRI and PET/CT both performed well as detectors of distant metastases in patients with malignant tumors, and the former has higher sensitivity. The subgroup analysis highlights that 18F-FDG PET/MRI and PET/CT hold different advantages for distant metastases staging in different tumors, PET/MRI has a higher accuracy in patients with breast cancer patients, while PET/CT has a higher accuracy in patients with lung cancer.

The attenuated live vaccine strain W2512 provides protection against novel variant infectious bursal disease virus.

Infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) causes an acute and highly contagious infectious disease characterized by severe immunosuppression, causing great economic losses to the poultry industry globally. Over the past 30 years, this disease has been well controlled through vaccination and strict biosafety measures. However, novel variant IBDV strains have emerged in recent years, posing a new threat to the poultry industry. Our previous epidemiological survey showed that few novel variant IBDV strains had been isolated from chickens immunized with the attenuated live vaccine W2512-, suggesting that this vaccine is efficacious against novel variant strains. Here, we report the protective effect of the W2512 vaccine against novel variant strains in SPF chickens and commercial yellow-feathered broilers. We found that W2512 causes severe atrophy of the bursa of Fabricius in SPF chickens and commercial yellow-feathered broilers, induces high levels of antibodies against IBDV, and protects chickens from infection with the novel variant strains via a placeholder effect. This study highlights the protective effect of commercial attenuated live vaccines against the novel IBDV variant and provides guidance for the prevention and control of this disease.

Upconversion NaYF4:Yb/Er-TiO2-Ti3C2 Heterostructure-Based Near-Infrared Light-Driven Photoelectrochemical Biosensor for Highly Sensitive and Selective d-Serine Detection.

A near-infrared (NIR) light-driven NaYF4:Yb/Er-TiO2-Ti3C2 (NYF-TiO2-Ti3C2) heterostructure-based photoelectrochemical (PEC) biosensing platform was constructed for highly sensitive d-serine (d-ser) detection. Accurate d-ser detection depends on the model biocatalyst, d-amino acid oxidase (DAAO), which converts d-ser into hydroxypyruvate and an equimolar concentration of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) via an enzymatic reaction. The TiO2-Ti3C2 semiconductor and NaYF4:Yb/Er optical transducer formed a Schottky junction that provided an irreversible channel for electron transfer. Infrared light was converted into absorbable multiemission light, thereby effectively increasing light absorption. Simultaneously, the generated H2O2 rapidly scavenged photogenerated holes to separate electron-hole pairs, which amplified the photocurrent signal. Under optimal conditions, the NIR light-driven PEC biosensor exhibited an excellent PEC performance for d-ser detection, with a wide linear range of 2-1650 µmol L-1 and detection limit as low as 0.286 µmol L-1. Importantly, high detection reproducibility and accuracy were achieved using this strategy for analyzing human serum and rat cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) specimens. The admirable applicability of the NYF-TiO2-Ti3C2-based PEC biosensor for detecting d-ser may lead to further opportunities for detecting other disease-related biomarkers.

Polydopamine-based molecularly imprinted electrochemical sensor for the highly selective determination of ecstasy components.

3,4-Methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA) and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) are the main components of illicit stimulant drugs, also known as "ecstasy", which belong to psychoactive medicine and tend to be increasingly abused among drug addicts worldwide. Herein, an electrochemical sensor based on molecularly imprinted polydopamine (MIP@PDA) was developed to detect MDA and MDMA using differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). An MIP film on a Au electrode was synthesized via electrochemical polymerization with the safe chemical DA as the polymerization monomer and the uncontrolled pharmaceutical intermediate 3,4-methylenedioxyphenethylamine (MDPEA) as the template molecule, which can provide a great quantity of specific binding sites and expand the practical application of the sensor. Due to the superior affinity of MIP@PDA to the target, the proposed sensor displayed excellent analytical performance, with LODs of 37 nM and 54 nM for the determination of MDA and MDMA, respectively. Additionally, this sensor presented suitable selectivity, stability, reproducibility and detection ability in practical urine samples, which suggested that it is a promising candidate as a rapid diagnostic method in drug investigations.

Corrigendum to "Anti-Interleukin-16-Neutralizing Antibody Attenuates Cardiac Inflammation and Protects against Cardiac Injury in Doxorubicin-Treated Mice".

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1155/2021/6611085.].

CdS/TiO2 Nanocomposite-Based Photoelectrochemical Sensor for a Sensitive Determination of Nitrite in Principle of Etching Reaction.

The CdS/TiO2 nanocomposite (NC) photoelectrochemical (PEC) sensor was constructed based on a new sensing strategy for nitrite assay. The CdS etching process caused by nitrite-in-acid solution was confirmed and applied to nitrite sensing. The CdS etching phenomenon occurring on the sensor led to an obvious reduction in the photocurrent response under visible-light irradiation, which responded to the nitrite concentration. The CdS/TiO2 NC-based PEC sensor exhibited excellent performance on nitrite detection. The linear range for nitrite determination was from 1-100 and 100-500 µM, and the sensitivity of the PEC sensor was 2.91 and 0.186 µA µM-1 cm-2, respectively. The detection limit of the sensor was 0.56 µM (S/N = 3). In addition, the PEC sensor was also equipped with advantages such as good selectivity, excellent stability, low background, and recyclability. Satisfying results were obtained for the nitrite assay in real samples by such a PEC sensor. In summary, this work contributed a fresh idea to precisely determinate nitrite through PEC sensing.

Anti-Interleukin-16-Neutralizing Antibody Attenuates Cardiac Inflammation and Protects against Cardiac Injury in Doxorubicin-Treated Mice.

BACKGROUND: Interleukin-16 (IL-16) is an important inflammatory regulator and has been shown to have a powerful effect on the regulation of the inflammatory response. Cardiac inflammation has been reported to be closely related to doxorubicin- (DOX-) induced cardiac injury. In this study, the role of IL-16 in DOX-induced cardiac injury and the possible mechanisms were examined. METHODS: Cardiac IL-16 levels were first measured in DOX- or saline-treated mice. Additionally, mice were pretreated with the anti-IL-16-neutralizing antibody (nAb) or isotype IgG for 1 day and further administered DOX or saline for 5 days. Then, cardiac injury, cardiac M1 macrophage levels, and cardiomyocyte apoptosis were analyzed. The effects of the anti-IL-16 nAb on macrophage differentiation and cardiomyocyte apoptosis were also investigated in vitro. RESULTS: DOX administration increased IL-16 expression in cardiac macrophages compared with that of saline treatment. The anti-IL-16 nAb significantly decreased serum levels of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), myocardial-bound creatine kinase (CK-MB), and cardiac troponin T (cTnT) and elevated cardiac function in DOX-induced mice. Treatment with the anti-IL-16 nAb also reduced p65 pathway activation, decreased M1 macrophage-related marker and cytokine expression, and protected against cardiomyocyte apoptosis in DOX-induced mice. In cell studies, the anti-IL-16 nAb also reduced DOX-induced M1 macrophage differentiation and alleviated apoptosis in cardiomyocytes cocultured with macrophages. CONCLUSIONS: The anti-IL-16 nAb protects against DOX-induced cardiac injury by reducing cardiac inflammation, and IL-16 may be a promising target to prevent DOX-related cardiac injury.

Chemerin is a novel biomarker of acute coronary syndrome but not of stable angina pectoris.

BACKGROUND: Recent evidence demonstrated that the circulating adipokines were associated with the onset of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) including unstable angina pectoris (UAP) and acute myocardial infarction (AMI). As a novel adipokine, chemerin has been related to atherosclerosis and the presence of coronary artery disease. However, the plasma levels of chemerin in patients with ACS have yet to be investigated. METHODS: Plasma levels of chemerin and adiponectin were measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in 60 patients with stable angina pectoris (SAP), 60 patients with UAP, 60 patients with AMI and 40 control patients. Left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVEDD) and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) were measured using a GE ViVid E7 ultrasonography machine, and the severity of coronary stenosis in patients was estimated with a Gensini coronary score following coronary angiography. RESULTS: Plasma chemerin levels were significantly higher in ACS patients than in the control and SAP groups, while plasma adiponectin levels were significantly lower in ACS patients than the control group. A correlation analysis revealed that plasma chemerin levels were positively correlated with the levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) (r = 0.29, P < 0.01) and LVEDD (r = 0.27, P < 0.01) but negatively correlated with LVEF (r = -0.45, P < 0.01) and that plasma adiponectin levels were positively correlated with LVEF (r = 0.53, P < 0.01) but negatively correlated with CRP (r = -0.33, P < 0.01) and LVEDD (r = -0.30, P < 0.01). Although significant correlations between chemerin, adiponectin and BMI or the Gensini coronary score were found in patients with SAP, neither chemerin nor adiponectin was correlated with BMI and the Gensini coronary score in patients with ACS. Furthermore, both chemerin (OR 1.103, 95% CI 1.065 to 1.142; P = 0.001) and adiponectin (OR 0.871, 95% CI 0.776 to 0.970; P = 0.018) were independently associated with the presence of ACS. CONCLUSIONS: Chemerin is a novel biomarker of acute coronary syndrome but not of stable angina pectoris.

Multilevel Anti-counterfeiting Barcode with Enhanced Information Encryption Based on Stimulus-Responsive Digital Polymers.

In response to the escalating challenges of counterfeiting due to technological and socioeconomic advancements, a novel trilevel anti-counterfeiting Quick Response (QR) code system has been developed. This system integrates digital polymers with QR code and stimulus-responsive chromophores, i.e., rhodamine B (RB), rhodamine 6G (R6G), and spiropyran (SP), to provide a sophisticated security solution. This advanced barcode remains concealed until specific stimuli reveal it and can be scanned by a smartphone, enabling first and second level anti-counterfeiting. For the third level of security, the encrypted information within the digital polymers can only be deciphered using tandem mass spectrometry. This innovative approach not only enhances security features but also offers reversible visibility and a complex verification process. This trilevel system surpasses traditional single-level anti-counterfeiting methods and holds significant potential for future applications in protecting brand authenticity and managing data storage, contributing new concepts and techniques to the field of high-security anti-counterfeiting materials.

A novel photoelectrochemical aptasensor based on 3D flower-like g-C3N4/BiOI p-n heterojunction for the sensitive detection of kanamycin.

BACKGROUND: Kanamycin (KAN) residues in animal-derived foods continuously enter the human body, which will pose serious threats to human health such as hearing loss, nephrotoxicity and other complications. Therefore, to sensitively detect KAN residues by a reliable technology is extremely urgent in food quality and safety. Compared with traditional methods being limited by cost and complexity, photoelectrochemical (PEC) biosensors benefit from some merits such as rapid response, excellent sensitivity and good stability. In this study, the construction of a highly efficient PEC platform to realize KAN residues detection is discussed. RESULTS: Herein, a novel p-n heterojunction consisting of flower-like BiOI microspheres and graphite carbon nitride (g-C3N4) nanoflakes was developed to establish a PEC aptasensor for KAN detection at 0 V. The prepared g-C3N4/BiOI heterostructure showed not only significantly enhanced PEC activity due to the larger specific surface area but also greatly increased charge separation efficiency owing to the strong internal electric field. Meanwhile, using g-C3N4/BiOI as a highly efficient photoactive material for binding amine-functionalized aptamers to capture KAN, the photocurrent signals showed a 'turn off' mode to achieve the sensitive detection of KAN. The proposed PEC aptasensor exhibited linear response for KAN from 5 × 10-9 to 3 × 10-7 mol L-1 with a low detection limit of 1.31 × 10-9 mol L-1, and satisfactory recoveries (97.44-107.38 %) were obtained in real food samples analysis. SIGNIFICANCE: This work presented a novel p-n heterojunction-based PEC aptasensor with strong selectivity and stability, rendering it allowed to detect KAN in animal-derived foods including milk, honey and pork. Additionally, the detection range satisfied the MRLs for KAN specified by the national standards, demonstrating the potential application for food analysis. The study provides a new insight into the development of efficient and practical biosensors for antibiotic residues detection.

New Wine in Old Bottle: Crown Ether-Functionalized Digital Polymer toward Efficient MALDI-TOF MS/MS Decoding via a Classical Supramolecular Interaction.

Digital polymers (DPs), which serve as promising molecular-level storage media, have increasingly garnered interest. Their application significantly depends on the efficiency of the information writing (synthesis) and reading processes (sequencing). For reading, rational incorporation of weak bonds in the main chain was applied in most cases in order to improve readability of the tandem mass spectra (MS/MS), which would limit the chain length of DPs, thus reducing the information storage capacity. In this study, the introduction of commercially available crown ether (CE) at the terminus of digital oligo(γ-butyrolactone)s (DOBLs) significantly enhances the predictability and fidelity of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight tandem mass spectra (MALDI-TOF MS/MS), thus improving the decoding process. The use of crown ether, leveraging a well-established supramolecular interaction with alkali cations known since 1967, offers a strong affinity between ionization agents and CE motifs, to form a selective effect of the desired fragments during the tandem MS. This method is particularly effective for long-chain DPs, extending up to 32-mer, and allows for customizable fragmentation patterns. The incorporation of CE at the DP chain end presents a novel and efficient strategy for enhancing MS/MS readability and amplifying the information storage capacity of polymers.

Novel variant infectious bursal disease virus diminishes FAdV-4 vaccination and enhances pathogenicity of FAdV-4.

Infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) caused an acute and highly contagious infectious disease characterized by severe immunosuppression, causing considerable economic losses to the poultry industry globally. Although this disease was well-controlled under the widely use of commercial vaccines in the past decades, the novel variant IBDV strains emerged recently because of the highly immunized-selection pressure in the field, posting new threats to poultry industry. Here, we reported novel variant IBDV is responsible for a disease outbreak, and assessed the epidemic and pathogenicity of IBDV in this study. Moreover, we constructed a challenge model using Fowl adenovirus serotype 4 (FAdV-4) to study on the immunosuppressive effect. Our findings underscore the importance of IBDV surveillance, and provide evidence for understanding the pathogenicity of IBDV.

gga-miR-20b-5p inhibits infectious bursal disease virus replication via targeting Netrin 4.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) involved host-virus interaction, affecting the replication or pathogenesis of several viruses. Frontier evidences suggested that miRNAs play essential roles in infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) replication. However, the biological function of miRNAs and the underlying molecular mechanisms are still unclear. Here, we reported that gga-miR-20b-5p acted as a negative factor affecting IBDV infection. We found that gga-miR-20b-5p was significantly up-regulated during IBDV infection in host cells, and that gga-miR-20b-5p effectively inhibited IBDV replication via targeting the expression of host protein netrin 4 (NTN4). In contrast, inhibition of endogenous miR-20b-5p markedly facilitated viral replication associated with enhancing NTN4 expression. Collectively, these findings highlight a crucial role of gga-miR-20b-5p in IBDV replication.

Ternary Heterojunction Graphitic Carbon Nitride/Cupric Sulfide/Titanium Dioxide Photoelectrochemical Sensor for Sesamol Quantification and Antioxidant Synergism.

Sesamol (SM) is a potent natural antioxidant that can quench free radicals and modulate the cholinergic system in the brain, thereby ameliorating memory and cognitive impairment in Alzheimer's disease patients. Moreover, the total antioxidant capacity can be amplified by synergistic interactions between different antioxidants. Here, we constructed a ternary heterojunction graphitic carbon nitride/cupric sulfide/titanium dioxide (g-C3N4/CuS/TiO2) photoelectrochemical (PEC) sensor for the quantification of SM and its synergistic interactions with other antioxidants. Crucially, the Schottky barrier in ternary semiconductors considerably enhances electron transfer. The PEC sensor showed a wide linear range for SM detection, ranging from 2 to 1277 µmol L-1, and had a limit of detection of 1.8 µmol L-1. Remarkably, this sensing platform could evaluate the synergism between SM and five typical lipid-soluble antioxidants: tert-butyl hydroquinone, vitamin E, butyl hydroxyanisole, propyl gallate, and butylated hydroxytoluene. Owing to its low redox potential, SM could reduce antioxidant radicals and promote their regeneration, which increased the overall antioxidant performance. The g-C3N4/CuS/TiO2 PEC sensor exhibited high sensitivity, satisfactory selectivity, and stability, and was successfully applied for SM determination in both soybean and peanut oils. The findings of this study provide guidance for the development of nutritional foods, nutrition analysis, and the treatment of diseases caused by free radicals.

A Recognition-Molecule-Free Photoelectrochemical Sensor Based on Ti3C2/TiO2 Heterostructure for Monitoring of Dopamine.

Herein, a novel, recognition-molecule-free electrode based on Ti3C2/TiO2 composites was synthesized using Ti3C2 as the Ti source and TiO2 in situ formed by oxidation on the Ti3C2 surface for the selective detection of dopamine (DA). The TiO2 in situ formed by oxidation on the Ti3C2 surface not only increased the catalytically active surface for DA binding but also accelerated the carrier transfer due to the coupling between TiO2 and Ti3C2, resulting in a better photoelectric response than pure TiO2. Through a series of experimental conditions optimization, the photocurrent signals obtained by the MT100 electrode were proportional to the DA concentration from 0.125 to 400 µM, with a detection limit estimated at 0.045 µM. We also monitored DA in human blood serum samples using the MT100 electrode. The results showed good recovery, demonstrating the promising use of the sensor for the analysis of DA in real samples.

A label-free PEC aptasensor platform based on g-C3N4/BiVO4 heterojunction for tetracycline detection in food analysis.

A simple low-cost label-free photoelectrochemical (PEC) biosensing platform based on red blood cell shaped BiVO4 modified g-C3N4 was designed for tetracycline detection under room temperature. The prepared g-C3N4/BiVO4 heterojunction not only demonstrated a high surface area, excellent physicochemical stability and favorable PEC activity, but also can be employed as nanostructure support for aptamers to construct a visible-light-driven PEC aptasensor due to rich π-π accumulation sites. More importantly, the proposed PEC aptasensor showed a favorable linear toward tetracycline in the range from 5 × 10-9 to 2 × 10-7 M with a detection limit of 1.6 nM, which well covered the Food Standards Testing requirements. Practical food sample analysis further revealed the accuracy and feasibility of the g-C3N4/BiVO4 heterostructure based PEC platform. It is expected that such a label-free and cost-effective PEC strategy should act as a promising candidate for tetracycline determination in food quality control and supervision.

Balanced NOx- and Proton Adsorption for Efficient Electrocatalytic NOx- to NH3 Conversion.

Electrocatalytic nitrate (NO3-)/nitrite (NO2-) reduction reaction (eNOx-RR) to ammonia under ambient conditions presents a green and promising alternative to the Haber-Bosch process. Practically available NOx- sources, such as wastewater or plasma-enabled nitrogen oxidation reaction (p-NOR), typically have low NOx- concentrations. Hence, electrocatalyst engineering is important for practical eNOx-RR to obtain both high NH3 Faradaic efficiency (FE) and high yield rate. Herein, we designed balanced NOx- and proton adsorption by properly introducing Cu sites into the Fe/Fe2O3 electrocatalyst. During the eNOx-RR process, the H adsorption is balanced, and the good NOx- affinity is maintained. As a consequence, the designed Cu-Fe/Fe2O3 catalyst exhibits promising performance, with an average NH3 FE of ∼98% and an average NH3 yield rate of 15.66 mg h-1 cm-2 under the low NO3- concentration (32.3 mM) of typical industrial wastewater at an applied potential of -0.6 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE). With low-power direct current p-NOR generated NOx- (23.5 mM) in KOH electrolyte, the Cu-Fe/Fe2O3 catalyst achieves an FE of ∼99% and a yield rate of 15.1 mg h-1 cm-2 for NH3 production at -0.5 V (vs RHE). The performance achieved in this study exceeds industrialization targets for NH3 production by exploiting two available low-concentration NOx- sources.

Characterization and pathogenicity of infectious bursal disease virus in Southern China.

Infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) is a widespread pathogen that induces immunosuppression in 3 to 6-wk-old chickens, casuing great threaten to the poultry industry worldwide. Previously, the very virulent IBDV (vvIBDV) was mainly prevalent in China. In recent years, the novel variant IBDV (nvIBDV) occurred in China. In this study, we isolated 30 IBDV strains of IBDV from vaccinated chicken flocks in 8 provinces of southern China. Among these isolates, vvIBDV group (13/30) and nvIBDV group (17/30) were identified according to the genome sequencing and phylogenic analysis. Moreover, HB2021-5 and GD2021-17 have pathologic characteristics with severe bursal lesions, as evidenced by necrosis, depletion of lymphocytes, and follicle atrophy. Our findings provide an important reference for understanding the epidemiological status and the evolution of IBDV.

Secreted frizzled-related protein 4 exerts anti-atherosclerotic effects by reducing inflammation and oxidative stress.

Atherosclerosis and its sequelae, such as coronary artery disease (CAD), are the most common diseases worldwide and the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in most countries. Our previous studies have shown that circulating secreted frizzled-related protein 4 (SFRP4) levels are increased in patients with CAD. However, the role of SFRP4 in the development of atherosclerosis remains unclear; thus, the purpose of this study was to determine the effect of SFRP4 on high-fat diet (HFD)-induced atherosclerosis and explore the possible mechanisms. In this study, we found for the first time that administration of recombinant SFRP4 alleviates atherosclerosis in ApoE-/- mice by reducing inflammation and oxidative stress. In addition, the anti-atherosclerotic effect of SFRP4 was associated with inhibition of the Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway, and Wnt1 overexpression abolished the anti-atherosclerotic effects of SFRP4. Taken together, our results highlight the potential beneficial effect of SFRP4 as a therapeutic agent for atherosclerosis and CAD.