Promise of spatially resolved omics for tumor research.

Tumors are spatially heterogeneous tissues that comprise numerous cell types with intricate structures. By interacting with the microenvironment, tumor cells undergo dynamic changes in gene expression and metabolism, resulting in spatiotemporal variations in their capacity for proliferation and metastasis. In recent years, the rapid development of histological techniques has enabled efficient and high-throughput biomolecule analysis. By preserving location information while obtaining a large number of gene and molecular data, spatially resolved metabolomics (SRM) and spatially resolved transcriptomics (SRT) approaches can offer new ideas and reliable tools for the in-depth study of tumors. This review provides a comprehensive introduction and summary of the fundamental principles and research methods used for SRM and SRT techniques, as well as a review of their applications in cancer-related fields.

Discovering metabolic vulnerability using spatially resolved metabolomics for antitumor small molecule-drug conjugates development as a precise cancer therapy strategy.

Against tumor-dependent metabolic vulnerability is an attractive strategy for tumor-targeted therapy. However, metabolic inhibitors are limited by the drug resistance of cancerous cells due to their metabolic plasticity and heterogeneity. Herein, choline metabolism was discovered by spatially resolved metabolomics analysis as metabolic vulnerability which is highly active in different cancer types, and a choline-modified strategy for small molecule-drug conjugates (SMDCs) design was developed to fool tumor cells into indiscriminately taking in choline-modified chemotherapy drugs for targeted cancer therapy, instead of directly inhibiting choline metabolism. As a proof-of-concept, choline-modified SMDCs were designed, screened, and investigated for their druggability in vitro and in vivo. This strategy improved tumor targeting, preserved tumor inhibition and reduced toxicity of paclitaxel, through targeted drug delivery to tumor by highly expressed choline transporters, and site-specific release by carboxylesterase. This study expands the strategy of targeting metabolic vulnerability and provides new ideas of developing SMDCs for precise cancer therapy.

Spatially resolved multi-omics highlights cell-specific metabolic remodeling and interactions in gastric cancer.

Mapping tumor metabolic remodeling and their spatial crosstalk with surrounding non-tumor cells can fundamentally improve our understanding of tumor biology, facilitates the designing of advanced therapeutic strategies. Here, we present an integration of mass spectrometry imaging-based spatial metabolomics and lipidomics with microarray-based spatial transcriptomics to hierarchically visualize the intratumor metabolic heterogeneity and cell metabolic interactions in same gastric cancer sample. Tumor-associated metabolic reprogramming is imaged at metabolic-transcriptional levels, and maker metabolites, lipids, genes are connected in metabolic pathways and colocalized in the heterogeneous cancer tissues. Integrated data from spatial multi-omics approaches coherently identify cell types and distributions within the complex tumor microenvironment, and an immune cell-dominated "tumor-normal interface" region where tumor cells contact adjacent tissues are characterized with distinct transcriptional signatures and significant immunometabolic alterations. Our approach for mapping tissue molecular architecture provides highly integrated picture of intratumor heterogeneity, and transform the understanding of cancer metabolism at systemic level.

HuNoV Non-Structural Protein P22 Induces Maturation of IL-1ß and IL-18 and N-GSDMD-Dependent Pyroptosis through Activating NLRP3 Inflammasome.

Norovirus infection is the leading cause of foodborne gastroenteritis worldwide, causing more than 200,000 deaths each year. As a result of a lack of reproducible and robust in vitro culture systems and suitable animal models for human norovirus (HuNoV) infection, the pathogenesis of HuNoV is still poorly understood. In recent years, human intestinal enteroids (HIEs) have been successfully constructed and demonstrated to be able to support the replication of HuNoV. The NLRP3 inflammasome plays a key role in host innate immune responses by activating caspase1 to facilitate IL-1ß and IL-18 secretion and N-GSDMD-driven apoptosis, while NLRP3 inflammasome overactivation plays an important role in the development of various inflammatory diseases. Here, we found that HuNoV activated enteric stem cell-derived human intestinal enteroids (HIEs) NLRP3 inflammasome, which was confirmed by transfection of Caco2 cells with full-length cDNA clones of HuNoV. Further, we found that HuNoV non-structural protein P22 activated the NLRP3 inflammasome and then matured IL-1ß and IL-18 and processed the cleavage of gasdermin-D (GSDMD) to N-GSDMD, leading to pyroptosis. Besides, berberine (BBR) could ameliorate the pyroptosis caused by HuNoV and P22 by inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome activation. Together, these results reveal new insights into the mechanisms of inflammation and cell death caused by HuNoV and provide potential treatments.

Characterizing the Wolbachia infection in field-collected Culicidae mosquitoes from Hainan Province, China.

BACKGROUND: Mosquitoes are vectors of many pathogens, such as malaria, dengue virus, yellow fever virus, filaria and Japanese encephalitis virus. Wolbachia are capable of inducing a wide range of reproductive abnormalities in their hosts, such as cytoplasmic incompatibility. Wolbachia has been proposed as a tool to modify mosquitoes that are resistant to pathogen infection as an alternative vector control strategy. This study aimed to determine natural Wolbachia infections in different mosquito species across Hainan Province, China. METHODS: Adult mosquitoes were collected using light traps, human landing catches and aspirators in five areas in Hainan Province from May 2020 to November 2021. Species were identified based on morphological characteristics, species-specific PCR and DNA barcoding of cox1 assays. Molecular classification of species and phylogenetic analyses of Wolbachia infections were conducted based on the sequences from PCR products of cox1, wsp, 16S rRNA and FtsZ gene segments. RESULTS: A total of 413 female adult mosquitoes representing 15 species were identified molecularly and analyzed. Four mosquito species (Aedes albopictus, Culex quinquefasciatus, Armigeres subalbatus and Culex gelidus) were positive for Wolbachia infection. The overall Wolbachia infection rate for all mosquitoes tested in this study was 36.1% but varied among species. Wolbachia types A, B and mixed infections of A × B were detected in Ae. albopictus mosquitoes. A total of five wsp haplotypes, six FtsZ haplotypes and six 16S rRNA haplotypes were detected from Wolbachia infections. Phylogenetic tree analysis of wsp sequences classified them into three groups (type A, B and C) of Wolbachia strains compared to two groups each for FtsZ and 16S rRNA sequences. A novel type C Wolbachia strain was detected in Cx. gelidus by both single locus wsp gene and the combination of three genes. CONCLUSION: Our study revealed the prevalence and distribution of Wolbachia in mosquitoes from Hainan Province, China. Knowledge of the prevalence and diversity of Wolbachia strains in local mosquito populations will provide part of the baseline information required for current and future Wolbachia-based vector control approaches to be conducted in Hainan Province.

Rabeprazole destroyed gastric epithelial barrier function through FOXF1/STAT3-mediated ZO-1 expression.

Rabeprazole is a representative of proton pump inhibitors and widely used in anti-ulcer treatment. However, the effect of Rabeprazole on gut barrier function remains to be identified. In this study, we show that ZO-1 expression is decreased in patients receiving Rabeprazole by immunofluorescence (IF) analysis. Western blotting (WB) and real-time PCR (qPCR) results demonstrate that Rabeprazole treatment leads to a significant downregulation of ZO-1 expression through inhibition of the FOXF1/STAT3 pathway, leading to destroy barrier function, which illustrates a novel pathway that Rabeprazole regulates barrier function in gastric epithelial cells. Mechanistically, Rabeprazole treatment led to a downregulation of STAT3 and FOXF1 phosphorylation, leading to inhibit nuclear translocation and decrease the binding of STAT3 and FOXF1 to ZO-1 promoter, respectively. Most important, endogenous FOXF1 interacted with STAT3, and this interaction was dramatically abolished by Rabeprazole stimulation. Overexpression of STAT3 and FOXF1 in GES-1 cells reversed the inhibitory effect of Rabeprazole on ZO-1 expression, respectively. These finding extended the function of Rabeprazole and established a previously unappreciated mechanism by which the Rabeprazole/FOXF1/STAT3 axis facilitated ZO-1 expression to regulate barrier function, and a comprehensive consideration and evaluation was required in treatment of patients.

Jatrorrhizine Suppresses Murine-Norovirus-Triggered N-GSDMD-Dependent Pyroptosis in RAW264.7 Macrophages.

Human norovirus (HNV) is one of the emerging and rapidly spreading groups of pathogens and the main cause of epidemic viral gastroenteritis globally. Due to a lack of in vitro culture systems and suitable animal models for HNV infection, murine norovirus (MNV) has become a common model. A recent study showed that MNV activates NLRP3 inflammasome leading to pyroptosis. Jatrorrhizine (JAT) is a natural isoquinoline alkaloid isolated from Coptis Chinensis, which has been proven to have antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antitumor effects. However, whether JAT has an effect on norovirus gastroenteritis and the underlying molecular mechanism remain unclear. Here, we found that JAT could ameliorate NLRP3-N-GSDMD-dependent pyroptosis induced by MNV infection through inhibiting the MAPKs/NF-κB signaling pathways and decrease MNV replication in RAW264.7 macrophages, suggesting that JAT has the potential to be a therapeutic agent for treating norovirus gastroenteritis.

Prevention, treatment and potential mechanism of herbal medicine for Corona viruses: A review.

The pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by the SARS-coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2) virus has become the greatest global public health crisis in recent years,and the COVID-19 epidemic is still continuing. However, due to the lack of effectivetherapeutic drugs, the treatment of corona viruses is facing huge challenges. In thiscontext, countries with a tradition of using herbal medicine such as China have beenwidely using herbal medicine for prevention and nonspecific treatment of corona virusesand achieved good responses. In this review, we will introduce the application of herbalmedicine in the treatment of corona virus patients in China and other countries, andreview the progress of related molecular mechanisms and antiviral activity ingredients ofherbal medicine, in order to provide a reference for herbal medicine in the treatment ofcorona viruses. We found that herbal medicines are used in the prevention and fightagainst COVID-19 in countries on all continents. In China, herbal medicine has beenreported to relieve some of the clinical symptoms of mild patients and shorten the length of hospital stay. However, as most herbal medicines for the clinical treatment of COVID-19still lack rigorous clinical trials, the clinical and economic value of herbal medicines in theprevention and treatment of COVID-19 has not been fully evaluated. Future work basedon large-scale randomized, double-blind clinical trials to evaluate herbal medicines andtheir active ingredients in the treatment of new COVID-19 will be very meaningful.

Rabeprazole suppresses cell proliferation in gastric epithelial cells by targeting STAT3-mediated glycolysis.

The dysregulation of glycolysis leads to serials of disease. Rabeprazole is a representative of proton pump inhibitors and widely used in anti-ulcer treatment. However, the function of Rabeprazole on glycolysis in gastric epithelial cells remained to be identified. In this study, 30（Helicobacter pylori）H. pylori-negative cases and 26H. pylori-positive cases treated with Rabeprazole were recruited. The qPCR and Western blotting results showed that Rabeprazole suppressed cell proliferation by inhibition of HK2-mediated glycolysis in BGC823 cells, leading to decrease glucose uptake and lactate production in a dose-dependent way. Furthermore, the phosphorylation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) was drastically reduced in response to Rabeprazole stimulation, leading to attenuate STAT3 nuclear translocation. Luciferase and Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) analysis showed that Rabeprazole treatment led to a significant inhibition of the binding of STAT3 to the promoter of the HK2 gene, repressing transcriptional activation of HK2. Moreover, the ectopic expression of STAT3 in BGC823 cells resulted in recovery of HK2 transactivation and cell proliferation in Rabeprazole-treated cells. Most importantly, HK2 expression was significantly increased in H. pylori-infected gastric mucosa. These findings suggested that Rabeprazole inhibited cell proliferation by targeting STAT3/HK2 signaling-mediated glucose metabolism in gastric epithelial cells. Therefore, targeting HK2 is an alternative strategy in improving the treatment of patients with H. pylori infection.

Protective effects of L-theanine on rats with dextran sulfate sodium-induced inflammatory bowel disease.

The aim of this study is to evaluate the anti-inflammatory and protective effects of L-theanine in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and to identify the underlying molecular mechanisms. Rats were pre-treated with L-theanine at 0, 50, 200, or 800 mg/kg/day. IBD was induced in rats using dextran sulfate sodium (DSS). Histopathological analysis suggests that L-theanine can suppress DSS-induced IBD with significant inhibition of inflammation in large and small intestinal tissues. Moreover, the 200 mg/kg/day L-theanine-treated DSS group had higher body and small intestine weights, a lower disease activity index and expression of inflammatory factors than the DSS group without pre-treatment. In RNA sequencing and tandem mass tag labeling analyses, large number of mRNAs and proteins expression level differed when compared with the DSS-induced rats with and without 200 mg/kg/day L-theanine pre-treatment. Moreover, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis indicates the anti-inflammatory activities of L-theanine in DSS-induced IBD, with a high representation of genes in "Cholesterol metabolism" and "Retinol metabolism" pathways. Analysis of protein-protein interaction networks further indicates the involvement of these two pathways. These studies suggest that medium-dose L-theanine pre-treatment could ameliorate DSS-induced IBD through molecular mechanisms involving cholesterol and retinol metabolism.

Rat mRNA expression profiles associated with inhibition of ischemic acute kidney injury by losartan.

Objective: Losartan was reported to inhibit the progression of acute kidney injury (AKI), but little is known about the underlying pharmacological mechanisms. In the present study, the mRNA expression profiles in ischemic AKI rat kidney altered by losartan treatment were analyzed by next-generation deep sequencing technology.Methods: Ischemia and reperfusion treatment was applied to induce AKI in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. The urea and creatinine contents in rat blood were measured. H&E staining was performed to evaluate the histological alteration of rat kidney tissues under a microscope. The TUNEL method was applied to analyze apoptosis in rat kidney tissues. The mRNA profiles in rat kidney were analyzed using next-generation deep sequencing. Differential gene expression was confirmed by quantitative qRT-PCR.Results: The rat model of AKI induced by ischemia and reperfusion showed significant increases in urea and creatinine levels, accompanied by a disrupted kidney tubular structure and renal cell apoptosis. Losartan treatment effectively inhibited the changes in urea and creatinine, tubular structure, and apoptosis in AKI rat kidney. A large number of mRNAs were found to be differentially expressed in the kidneys of AKI rats treated with losartan, which are involved in multiple processes and signaling pathways. The expression of nine differentially expressed genes such as monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (CCL2) and suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 (SOCS3) was confirmed by qRT-PCR and Western blot.Conclusion: Losartan caused significant alterations in the gene expression profile in AKI rat kidney, which mediated its anti-AKI effects.

Circular RNA involved in the protective effect of losartan on ischemia and reperfusion induced acute kidney injury in rat model.

Although losartan has inhibitory effects on acute kidney injury (AKI), the underlying molecular mechanisms have remained largely unclear. The expressional alteration of circular RNAs (circRNAs) was investigated in the present study to understand the therapeutic effects of losartan against AKI. AKI rat models were established by ischemia and reperfusion (I/R) treatment. Urea and creatinine levels were determined and histological features of kidney tissues examined following hematoxylin and eosin staining. Cell apoptosis was assessed by TUNEL. CircRNA profiles were obtained by RNA-Seq followed by Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses. Expression of circRNAs was validated by quantitative RT-PCR. I/R treatment induced an increase in plasma urea and creatinine levels, abnormal kidney tubular structure, and cell apoptosis in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats, which were effectively inhibited by pre-treatment with losartan. Further RNA-Seq analysis revealed a wide range of differentially expressed circRNAs in I/R rat kidneys, which were reversed by losartan pre-treatment. GO and KEGG analyses revealed that the circRNAs are associated with various biological processes, including the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway. Specifically, circ-Dnmt3a, circ-Akt3, circ-Plekha7, and circ-Me1 were down-regulated in AKI rats and restored by losartan. The current study provides an overview of circRNAs expression profiles based on the inhibitory effects of losartan in ischemic AKI rats.

Integrated analysis of miRNAs and transcriptomes in Aedes albopictus midgut reveals the differential expression profiles of immune-related genes during dengue virus serotype-2 infection.

Mosquito microRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in host-virus interaction, and have been reported to be altered by dengue virus (DENV) infection in Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae). However, little is known about the molecular mechanisms of Aedes albopictus midgut-the first organ to interact with DENV-involved in its resistance to DENV. Here we used high-throughput sequencing to characterize miRNA and messenger RNA (mRNA) expression patterns in Aedes albopictus midgut in response to dengue virus serotype 2. A total of three miRNAs and 777 mRNAs were identified to be differentially expressed upon DENV infection. For the mRNAs, we identified 198 immune-related genes and 31 of them were differentially expressed. Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analyses also showed that the differentially expressed immune-related genes were involved in immune response. Then the differential expression patterns of six immune-related genes and three miRNAs were confirmed by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Furthermore, seven known miRNA-mRNA interaction pairs were identified by aligning our two datasets. These analyses of miRNA and mRNA transcriptomes provide valuable information for uncovering the DENV response genes and provide a basis for future study of the resistance mechanisms in Aedes albopictus midgut.

The expression profile of Aedes albopictus miRNAs is altered by dengue virus serotype-2 infection.

BACKGROUND: Aedes albopictus is an important vector of Dengue virus (DENV) and it has quickly invaded the tropical and temperate environments worldwide. A few studies have shown that, microRNAs (miRNAs) regulate mosquito defense against pathogens. However, there is no systematic analysis of the impact of DENV infection on miRNA expression in Ae. albopictus. We conducted this study to investigate the miRNA expression of Ae. albopictus upon DENV-2 infection using Illumina RNA sequencing. RESULTS: A total of 103 known and 5 novel candidate miRNAs were identified in DENV-2 infected and non-infected adult female Ae. albopictus. Comparative analysis indicated that 52 miRNAs were significantly down-regulated and 18 were up-regulated significantly after infection. Furthermore, RT-qPCR validated the expression patterns of eleven of these differentially expressed miRNAs. Targets prediction and functional analysis of these regulated miRNAs suggested that miR-34-5p and miR-87 might be involved in the anti-pathogen and immune responses. CONCLUSION: This is the first systematic study on the impact of DENV infection on miRNA expression in Ae. albopictus. Complex changes in miRNA expression suggest a potential role of miRNAs in antiviral responses by regulating immune-related genes. This investigation provides information concerning DENV-induced miRNAs and offers clues for identifying potential candidates for vector based antiviral strategies.

Urbanization increases Aedes albopictus larval habitats and accelerates mosquito development and survivorship.

INTRODUCTION: Aedes albopictus is a very invasive and aggressive insect vector that causes outbreaks of dengue fever, chikungunya disease, and yellow fever in many countries. Vector ecology and disease epidemiology are strongly affected by environmental changes. Urbanization is a worldwide trend and is one of the most ecologically modifying phenomena. The purpose of this study is to determine how environmental changes due to urbanization affect the ecology of Aedes albopictus. METHODS: Aquatic habitats and Aedes albopictus larval population surveys were conducted from May to November 2013 in three areas representing rural, suburban, and urban settings in Guangzhou, China. Ae. albopictus adults were collected monthly using BG-Sentinel traps. Ae. albopictus larva and adult life-table experiments were conducted with 20 replicates in each of the three study areas. RESULTS: The urban area had the highest and the rural area had the lowest number of aquatic habitats that tested positive for Ae. albopictus larvae. Densities in the larval stages varied among the areas, but the urban area had almost two-fold higher densities in pupae and three-fold higher in adult populations compared with the suburban and rural areas. Larvae developed faster and the adult emergence rate was higher in the urban area than in suburban and rural areas. The survival time of adult mosquitoes was also longer in the urban area than it was in suburban and rural areas. Study regions, surface area, water depth, water clearance, surface type, and canopy coverage were important factors associated with the presence of Ae. albopictus larvae. CONCLUSIONS: Urbanization substantially increased the density, larval development rate, and adult survival time of Ae. albopictus, which in turn potentially increased the vector capacity, and therefore, disease transmissibility. Mosquito ecology and its correlation with dengue virus transmission should be compared in different environmental settings.

miR-281, an abundant midgut-specific miRNA of the vector mosquito Aedes albopictus enhances dengue virus replication.

BACKGROUND: Emerging evidence indicates that microRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in host-virus interaction. We previously reported that some miRNAs were differentially expressed in sugar-fed and blood-fed females of Aedes albopictus (Ae. albopictus). Here, we analysis the role in the host-virus system of an abundant midgut-specific miRNA in the mosquito Ae. albopictus. METHODS: The expression profiles of miR-281 in different body parts of Ae. albopictus and following dengue virus infection were determined using RT-qPCR and Northern blot. miR-281 mimics, antagomiRs and corresponding negative controls were designed and their overexpression and knock-down efficiency were analyzed by qRT-PCR after transfecting the mosquito cell lines C6/36, and also by injecting female mosquitoes. Dengue virus serotype-2 (DENV-2) viral genomic RNA abundance was determined by RT-qPCR. The levels of DENV-2 E protein were detected using Western blot. Virus titers were tested using TCID50. RNAhybrid was used to predict targets of miR-281 in the DENV-2 genome. The EGFP plasmid-based reporter system was used to investigate the interaction between miR-281 and the predicted binding site in the C6/36 cell line. RESULTS: miR-281 is specifically expressed in the female midgut where dengue virus first invades. After DENV-2 infection, this miRNA is up-regulated in response to viral infection. Functional intervention analyses in vitro with specifically designed miR-281 mimics and corresponding antagomiRs indicated that miR-281 enhances DENV-2 viral replication. Further depletion of miR-281 in female mosquitoes by injection of its specific antagomiRs led to a significant reduction in DENV-2 abundance. The interaction between miR-281 and its predicted target sequence, the DENV-2 genomic 5'-untranslated region (UTR), is confirmed in the context of a plasmid-based reporter system. CONCLUSION: These findings confirm that miR-281, an abundant midgut-specific miRNA, facilitates DENV-2 replication.

miR-252 of the Asian tiger mosquito Aedes albopictus regulates dengue virus replication by suppressing the expression of the dengue virus envelope protein.

The Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus isa major vector of dengue in mainland China. Dengue epidemics have spread from the southern coastal regions to the relatively northern and western regions since 1990s. Dengue has become an emerging public health problem in the southern coastal regions. microRNAs(miRNAs) are short non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression at the post transcription allevel. A highly abundant miRNA, miR-252, was induced more than threefold after dengue virus serotype 2 (DENV-2) infection in the Ae. albopictus C6/36 cellline. Transfection with miR-252 inhibitor resulted in the increase of DENV-2 RNA copies and the up-regulation of DENV-2 envelop protein(E protein) expression, whereas over expression of miR-252 with its mimic decreased DENV RNA copies and the down-regulation of E protein expression. MiR-252 mimic reduced luciferase activity of a luciferase reporter that contained the predicted miR-252 target on the DENV-2 envelope gene sequence. The present results indicated that the miR-252 of Ae. albopictus could regulate the gene expression of DENV-2 E protein and may act asa cellular antiviral regulator in Ae. albopictus.