Methionine oxidation activates pyruvate kinase M2 to promote pancreatic cancer metastasis.

Cancer mortality is primarily a consequence of its metastatic spread. Here, we report that methionine sulfoxide reductase A (MSRA), which can reduce oxidized methionine residues, acts as a suppressor of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) metastasis. MSRA expression is decreased in the metastatic tumors of PDA patients, whereas MSRA loss in primary PDA cells promotes migration and invasion. Chemoproteomic profiling of pancreatic organoids revealed that MSRA loss results in the selective oxidation of a methionine residue (M239) in pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2). Moreover, M239 oxidation sustains PKM2 in an active tetrameric state to promote respiration, migration, and metastasis, whereas pharmacological activation of PKM2 increases cell migration and metastasis in vivo. These results demonstrate that methionine residues can act as reversible redox switches governing distinct signaling outcomes and that the MSRA-PKM2 axis serves as a regulatory nexus between redox biology and cancer metabolism to control tumor metastasis.

Intestinal lysozyme engagement of Salmonella Typhimurium stimulates the release of barrier-impairing InvE and Lpp1.

Lysozyme is a ß-1,4-glycosidase that hydrolyzes the polysaccharide backbone of bacterial cell walls. With an additional bactericidal function mediated by a separate protein domain, lysozyme is considered a uniquely important antimicrobial molecule contributing to the host's innate immune response to infection. Elevated lysozyme production is found in various inflammatory conditions while patients with genetic risks for inflammatory bowel diseases demonstrate abnormal lysozyme expression, granule packaging, and secretion in Paneth cells. However, it remains unclear how a gain- or loss-of-function in host lysozyme may impact the host inflammatory responses to pathogenic infection. We challenged Lyz1-/- and ectopic Lyz1-expressing (Villin-Lyz1TG) mice with S. Typhimurium and then comprehensively assessed the inflammatory disease progression. We conducted proteomics analysis to identify molecules derived from human lysozyme-mediated processing of live Salmonella. We examined the barrier-impairing effects of these identified molecules in human intestinal epithelial cell monolayer and enteroids. Lyz1-/- mice are protected from infection in terms of morbidity, mortality, and barrier integrity, whereas Villin-Lyz1TG mice demonstrate exacerbated infection and inflammation. The growth and invasion of Salmonella in vitro are not affected by human or chicken lysozyme, whereas lysozyme encountering of live Salmonella stimulates the release of barrier-disrupting factors, InvE-sipC and Lpp1, which directly or indirectly impair the tight junctions. The direct engagement of host intestinal lysozyme with an enteric pathogen such as Salmonella promotes the release of virulence factors that are barrier-impairing and pro-inflammatory. Controlling lysozyme function may help alleviate the inflammatory progression.

Knock-in mice expressing a humanized arachidonic acid 15-lipoxygenase (Alox15) carry a partly dysfunctional erythropoietic system.

Arachidonic acid 15-lipoxygenases (ALOX15) play a role in mammalian erythropoiesis but they have also been implicated in inflammatory processes. Seven intact Alox genes have been detected in the mouse reference genome and the mouse Alox15 gene is structurally similar to the orthologous genes of other mammals. However, mouse and human ALOX15 orthologs have different functional characteristics. Human ALOX15 converts C20 polyenoic fatty acids like arachidonic acid mainly to the n-6 hydroperoxide. In contrast, the n-9 hydroperoxide is the major oxygenation product formed by mouse Alox15. Previous experiments indicated that Leu353Phe exchange in recombinant mouse Alox15 humanized the catalytic properties of the enzyme. To investigate whether this functional humanization might also work in vivo and to characterize the functional consequences of mouse Alox15 humanization we generated Alox15 knock-in mice (Alox15-KI), in which the Alox15 gene was modified in such a way that the animals express the arachidonic acid 15-lipoxygenating Leu353Phe mutant instead of the arachidonic acid 12-lipoxygenating wildtype enzyme. These mice develop normally, they are fully fertile but display modified plasma oxylipidomes. In young individuals, the basic hematological parameters were not different when Alox15-KI mice and outbred wildtype controls were compared. However, when growing older male Alox15-KI mice develop signs of dysfunctional erythropoiesis such as reduced hematocrit, lower erythrocyte counts and attenuated hemoglobin concentration. These differences were paralleled by an improved ex vivo osmotic resistance of the peripheral red blood cells. Interestingly, such differences were not observed in female individuals suggesting gender specific effects. In summary, these data indicated that functional humanization of mouse Alox15 induces defective erythropoiesis in aged male individuals.

Multichromosomal Mitochondrial Genome of Paphiopedilum micranthum: Compact and Fragmented Genome, and Rampant Intracellular Gene Transfer.

Orchidaceae is one of the largest families of angiosperms. Considering the large number of species in this family and its symbiotic relationship with fungi, Orchidaceae provide an ideal model to study the evolution of plant mitogenomes. However, to date, there is only one draft mitochondrial genome of this family available. Here, we present a fully assembled and annotated sequence of the mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of Paphiopedilum micranthum, a species with high economic and ornamental value. The mitogenome of P. micranthum was 447,368 bp in length and comprised 26 circular subgenomes ranging in size from 5973 bp to 32,281 bp. The genome encoded for 39 mitochondrial-origin, protein-coding genes; 16 tRNAs (three of plastome origin); three rRNAs; and 16 ORFs, while rpl10 and sdh3 were lost from the mitogenome. Moreover, interorganellar DNA transfer was identified in 14 of the 26 chromosomes. These plastid-derived DNA fragments represented 28.32% (46,273 bp) of the P. micranthum plastome, including 12 intact plastome origin genes. Remarkably, the mitogenome of P. micranthum and Gastrodia elata shared 18% (about 81 kb) of their mitochondrial DNA sequences. Additionally, we found a positive correlation between repeat length and recombination frequency. The mitogenome of P. micranthum had more compact and fragmented chromosomes compared to other species with multichromosomal structures. We suggest that repeat-mediated homologous recombination enables the dynamic structure of mitochondrial genomes in Orchidaceae.

Identification of NCAPG as an Essential Gene for Neuroblastoma Employing CRISPR-Cas9 Screening Database and Experimental Verification.

Neuroblastoma is the most common extracranial solid tumor in children. Patients with neuroblastoma have a poor prognosis. The development of therapy targets and the ability to predict prognosis will be enhanced through further exploration of the genetically related genes of neuroblastoma. The present investigation utilized CRISPR-Cas9 genome-wide screening based on the DepMap database to determine essential genes for neuroblastoma cells' continued survival. WGCNA analysis was used to determine the progression-related genes, and a prognostic signature was constructed. The signature gene, NCAPG, was downregulated in neuroblastoma cells to explore its impact on various cellular processes. This research used DepMap and WGCNA to pinpoint 45 progression-related essential genes for neuroblastoma. A risk signature comprising NCAPG and MAD2L1 was established. The suppression of NCAPG prevented neuroblastoma cells from proliferating, migrating, and invading. The results of flow cytometric analysis demonstrated that NCAPG inhibition caused cell cycle arrest during the G2 and S phases and the activation of apoptosis. Additionally, NCAPG downregulation activated the p53-mediated apoptotic pathway, inducing cell apoptosis. The present work showed that NCAPG knockdown reduced neuroblastoma cell progression and may serve as a basis for further investigation into diagnostic indicators and therapy targets for neuroblastoma.

The chloroplast genome evolution of Venus slipper (Paphiopedilum): IR expansion, SSC contraction, and highly rearranged SSC regions.

BACKGROUND: Paphiopedilum is the largest genus of slipper orchids. Previous studies showed that the phylogenetic relationships of this genus are not well resolved, and sparse taxon sampling documented inverted repeat (IR) expansion and small single copy (SSC) contraction of the chloroplast genomes of Paphiopedilum. RESULTS: Here, we sequenced, assembled, and annotated 77 plastomes of Paphiopedilum species (size range of 152,130 - 164,092 bp). The phylogeny based on the plastome resolved the relationships of the genus except for the phylogenetic position of two unstable species. We used phylogenetic and comparative genomic approaches to elucidate the plastome evolution of Paphiopedilum. The plastomes of Paphiopedilum have a conserved genome structure and gene content except in the SSC region. The large single copy/inverted repeat (LSC/IR) boundaries are relatively stable, while the boundaries of the inverted repeat and small single copy region (IR/SSC) varied among species. Corresponding to the IR/SSC boundary shifts, the chloroplast genomes of the genus experienced IR expansion and SSC contraction. The IR region incorporated one to six genes of the SSC region. Unexpectedly, great variation in the size, gene order, and gene content of the SSC regions was found, especially in the subg. Parvisepalum. Furthermore, Paphiopedilum provides evidence for the ongoing degradation of the ndh genes in the photoautotrophic plants. The estimated substitution rates of the protein coding genes show accelerated rates of evolution in clpP, psbH, and psbZ. Genes transferred to the IR region due to the boundary shift also have higher substitution rates. CONCLUSIONS: We found IR expansion and SSC contraction in the chloroplast genomes of Paphiopedilum with dense sampling, and the genus shows variation in the size, gene order, and gene content of the SSC region. This genus provides an ideal system to investigate the dynamics of plastome evolution.

Intravoxel Incoherent Motion and Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging to Early Detect Tissue Injury and Microcirculation Alteration in Hepatic Injury Induced by Intestinal Ischemia-Reperfusion in a Rat Model.

BACKGROUND: Intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) can provide quantitative information about water diffusion and perfusion that can be used to evaluate hepatic injury, but it has not been studied in hepatic injury induced by intestinal ischemia-reperfusion (IIR). Dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can provide perfusion data, but it is unclear whether it can provide useful information for assessing hepatic injury induced by IIR. PURPOSE: To examine whether IVIM and DCE-MRI can detect early IIR-induced hepatic changes, and to evaluate the relationship between IVIM and DCE-derived parameters and biochemical indicators and histological scores. STUDY TYPE: Prospective pre-clinical study. POPULATION: Forty-two male Sprague-Dawley rats. FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE: IVIM-diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) using diffusion-weighted echo-planar imaging sequence and DCE-MRI using fast spoiled gradient recalled-based sequence at 3.0 T. ASSESSMENT: All rats were randomly divided into the control group (Sham), the simple ischemia group, the ischemia-reperfusion (IR) group (IR1h, IR2h, IR3h, and IR4h) in a model of secondary hepatic injury caused by IIR, and IIR was induced by clamping the superior mesenteric artery for 60 minutes and then removing the vascular clamp. Advanced Workstation (AW) 4.6 was used to calculate the imaging parameters (apparent diffusion coefficient [ADC], true diffusion coefficient [D], perfusion-related diffusion [D* ] and volume fraction [f]) of IVIM. OmniKinetics (OK) software was used to calculate the DCE imaging parameters (Ktrans , Kep , and Ve ). Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) were analyzed with an automatic biochemical analyzer. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity was assessed using the nitro-blue tetrazolium method. Malondialdehyde (MDA) was determined by thiobarbituric acid colorimetry. Histopathology was performed with hematoxylin and eosin staining. STATISTICAL TESTS: One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Bonferroni post-hoc tests were used to analyze the imaging parameters and biochemical indicators among the different groups. Pearson correlation analysis was applied to determine the correlation between imaging parameters and biochemical indicators or histological score. RESULTS: ALT and MDA reached peak levels at IR4h, while SOD reached the minimum level at IR4h (all P < 0.05). ADC, D, D* , and f gradually decreased as reperfusion continued, and Ktrans and Ve gradually increased (all P < 0.05). The degrees of change for f and Ve were greater than those of other imaging parameters at IR1h (all P < 0.05). All groups showed good correlation between imaging parameters and SOD and MDA (r[ADC] = 0.615, -0.666, r[D] = 0.493, -0.612, r[D* ] = 0.607, -0.647, r[f] = 0.637, -0.682, r[Ktrans ] = -0.522, 0.500, r[Ve ] = -0.590, 0.665, respectively; all P < 0.05). However, the IR groups showed poor or no correlation between the imaging parameters and SOD and MDA (P [Ktrans and MDA] = 0.050, P [D and SOD] = 0.125, P [the remaining imaging parameters] < 0.05). All groups showed a positive correlation between histological score and Ktrans and Ve (r = 0.775, 0.874, all P < 0.05), and a negative correlation between histological score and ADC, D, f, and D* (r = -0.739, -0.821, -0.868, -0.841, respectively; all P < 0.05). For the IR groups, there was a positive correlation between histological score and Ktrans and Ve (r = 0.747, 0.802, all P < 0.05), and a negative correlation between histological score and ADC, D, f, and D* (r = -0.567, -0.712, -0.715, -0.779, respectively; all P < 0.05). DATA CONCLUSION: The combined application of IVIM and DCE-MRI has the potential to be used as an imaging tool for monitoring IIR-induced hepatic histopathology. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 1 TECHNICAL EFFICACY STAGE: 2.

Efficient Editing of an Adenoviral Vector Genome with CRISPR/Cas9.

Immunotherapy based on genetic modification of T cells has played an important role in the treatment of tumors and viral infections. Moreover, adenoviral vectors engineered with improved safety due to their inability to integrate into the host genome have been key in the clinical application of T cell therapy. However, the commonly used adenoviral vector Ad5 exhibits low efficiency of infection of human T cells and the details of the intracellular trafficking pathway of adenoviral vectors in human primary T cells remains unclear. Resolution of these issues will depend on successful modification of the adenoviral vector. To this end, here we describe the successful establishment of a simple and efficient method for editing adenoviral vectors in vitro using the CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing system to target the adenoviral fiber gene.

Increased plasma lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 levels are associated with coronary slow flow.

OBJECTIVE: Coronary slow flow (CSF) is characterized by delayed opacification of distal epicardial coronary arteries without significant coronary stenosis. In addition, The changes of lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2) as a significant predictive factor for CSF remain controversial. The study aims to investigate the association between plasma Lp-PLA2 and CSF. METHODS: In this retrospective study, 170 consecutive patients who underwent coronary angiography were enrolled in Beijing Anzhen Hospital from January 2017 to September 2019, and were divided into CSF group and normal control groups. According to coronary blood flow rate measured by the thrombolysis in myocardial infarction frame count (TFC) method, CSF was defined as TFC > 27. Serum Lp-PLA2 levels were measured in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: Lp-PLA2 levels were higher in the CSF group than in the control group (288.6 ± 50.3 versus 141.9 ± 49.7, P < 0.001) and were significantly correlated with the mean coronary artery thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) frame count (r = 0.790, P<0.001). Logistic regression analysis showed that high Lp-PLA2 was independently associated with CSF after adjustment for conventional risk factors (OR = 1.040, CI = 1.022-1.059, P<0.001). Male sex (OR = 2.192, CI = 1.161-4.140, P = 0.016) and hypertension (OR = 1.965, CI = 1.034-3.736, P = 0.039) were also CSF risk factors. Receiver-operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis showed that Lp-PLA2 levels can predict CSF severity; the predictive power was higher than the other risk factors. CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrated that patients with CSF had higher circulating levels of Lp-PLA2 than normal controls. After adjustment for potential confounders, increased Lp-PLA2 was independently associated with presence of CSF.

Three-Dimensional Device-Free Localization for Vehicle.

Device-free localization (DFL) is a promising technique which could provide localization information for a target without requiring an electronic device. With the development of the smart city and smart transportation, DFL could form part of a basic technique that could be used to track and localize roadside vehicles. In this paper, some algorithms for three-dimensional (3D) DFL for vehicle surveillance are developed, including statistical methods for data, a method for communication link selection, a novel method of communication link weight allocation and some other minor approaches to obtain the location and approximate size of a static vehicle, as a basic technique of moving vehicle detection. Then, an experimental system is designed. Through security monitoring wireless sensor networks (WSN), real-time vehicle characteristics (i.e., location and size) are calculated automatically and intuitively displayed through a heat map. Experiments are performed to validate the effect of the proposal and the accuracy of the localization and size estimation.

Serious postoperative complications induced by medical glue: three case reports.

BACKGROUND: Various types of medical glues/adhesives/topical coagulants' (referred to as MG hereinafter) have widespread application as surgical adhesives, and have been shown to be safe and effective for a broad range of usage, such as in hemostasis, reinforcement of intestinal anastomoses or sites of potential fluid leakage, adhesion of two surfaces, wound closure, and vascular embolization. However, inappropriate application of MG may sometimes lead to serious complications. Herein, we describe three cases of serious postoperative complications induced by a possible inappropriate use of N-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate MG (NBCA MG). CASE PRESENTATION: Three patients presented with abdominal pain (chronic pain in cases 1 and 2, and acute pain in Case 3), hematochezia (Case 2), and intestinal obstruction (Case 3). All patients had a history of abdominal surgery and intraoperative use of NBCA MG. Abdominal computed tomography and gastroenterological endoscopy revealed foreign bodies (solidified MG in cases 1 and 2) and intestinal obstruction related to a mass of residual non-absorbed MG causing an internal hernia from a dense adhesion (Case 3). All patients underwent exploratory laparotomy, which revealed duodenal perforation, colonic erosion, and an internal hernia, all of which was related to MG use. We undertook removal of the foreign bodies (cases 1 and 2), surgical closure of the site of duodenal erosion (Case 1), partial colectomy (Case 2), and partial enterectomy (Case 3). CONCLUSION: Inappropriate application of MG may induce serious complications. We emphasize the importance of careful evaluation of the indications, dosage, and spraying thickness of MG in clinical practice. Serious complications caused by inappropriate application of MG should be reported to raise awareness in the surgical fraternity.

[Expression in Aspergillus niger and characterization of ß-mannanases from Stachybotrys chartarum].

Objective: Using Aspergillus niger as host to express ß-mannanases from Stachybotrys chartarum. Methods: Through sequence analysis of Stachybotrys chartarum genome, two ß-mannanase genes (s16942 and s331) were identified. The primers were designed based on the DNA sequence and the ß-mannanase genes (s16942 and s331) were obtained, and then inserted to the vector pGm. The expression plasmids were transferred into Aspergillus niger. ß-mannanase producing strains (G1-pGm-s16942 and G1-pGm-s331) were isolated after screening several transformants using amdS selection plates and confirmed by PCR fragment sequencing. Results: The molecular weight of the enzymes from G1-pGm-s16942 and G1-pGm-s331 were about 48 kDa and 60 kDa respectively by SDS-PAGE gel analysis, and the recombinant proteins did not present in the negative control. Assays of enzymatic property using the crude enzyme preparations indicated that the enzyme from G1-pGm-s16942 exhibited maximum activity (521 U/mL) under the optimum. Conclusion: This was the first study of the heterologous expression of the ß-mannanase genes from Stachybotrys chartarum in Aspergillus niger host and the ß-mannanase genes could be expressed successfully with high activities and protein titers.

A Template Method Leads to Precisely Synthesize SiO2@Fe3O4 Nanoparticles at the Hundred-Nanometer Scale.

Constructing photonic crystals with core-shell structured nanoparticles is an important means for applications such as secure communication, anti-counterfeiting marking, and structural color camouflage. Nonetheless, the precise synthesis technology for core-shell structured nanoparticles at the hundred-nanometer scale faces significant challenges. This paper proposes a controlled synthesis method for core-shell structured nanoparticles using a template method. By using 100 nm diameter silica nanospheres as templates and coating them with a ferroferric oxide shell layer, SiO2@Fe3O4 core-shell structured nanoparticles with regular morphology and good uniformity can be obtained. The study experimentally investigated the effects of feed amount, modifiers, temperature, and feed order on the coating effect, systematically optimizing the preparation process. Centrifugal driving technology was used to achieve structural colors in the visible wavelength range. Additionally, the method successfully created well-defined and uniform core-shell structured nanoparticles using 200 nm diameter silica nanospheres as templates, demonstrating that this controllable synthesis method can effectively produce core-shell structured nanoparticles over a wide range of particle sizes. The template method proposed in this paper can significantly improve morphological regularity and size uniformity while effectively reducing the preparation cost of core-shell structured nanoparticles.

Beyond Color Boundaries: Pioneering Developments in Cholesteric Liquid Crystal Photonic Actuators.

Creatures in nature make extensive use of structural color adaptive camouflage to survive. Cholesteric liquid crystals, with nanostructures similar to those of natural organisms, can be combined with actuators to produce bright structural colors in response to a wide range of stimuli. Structural colors modulated by nano-helical structures can continuously and selectively reflect specific wavelengths of light, breaking the limit of colors recognizable by the human eye. In this review, the current state of research on cholesteric liquid crystal photonic actuators and their technological applications is presented. First, the basic concepts of cholesteric liquid crystals and their nanostructural modulation are outlined. Then, the cholesteric liquid crystal photonic actuators responding to different stimuli (mechanical, thermal, electrical, light, humidity, magnetic, pneumatic) are presented. This review describes the practical applications of cholesteric liquid crystal photonic actuators and summarizes the prospects for the development of these advanced structures as well as the challenges and their promising applications.

In vitro and in vivo enhancement effect of glabridin on the antibacterial activity of colistin, against multidrug resistant Escherichia coli strains.

BACKGROUND: The increase in antimicrobial resistance leads to complications in treatments, prolonged hospitalization, and increased mortality. Glabridin (GLA) is a hydroxyisoflavan from Glycyrrhiza glabra L. that exhibits multiple pharmacological activities. Colistin (COL), a last-resort antibiotic, is increasingly being used in clinic against Gram-negative bacteria. Previous reports have shown that GLA is able to sensitize first line antibiotics such as norfloxacin and vancomycin on Staphylococcus aureus, implying that the use of GLA as an antibiotic adjuvant is a promising strategy for addressing the issue of drug resistance. However, the adjuvant effect on other antibiotics, especially COL, on Gram-negative bacteria such as Escherichia coli has not been studied. PURPOSE: The objective of our study was to investigate the targets of GLA and the synergistic effect of GLA and COL in E. coli, and to provide further evidence for the use of GLA as an antibiotic adjuvant to alleviate the problem of drug resistance. METHODS: We first investigated the interaction between GLA and enoyl-acyl carrier protein reductase, also called "FabI", through enzyme inhibition assay, differential scanning fluorimetry, isothermal titration calorimetry and molecular docking assay. We tested the transmembrane capacity of GLA on its own and combined it with several antibiotics. The antimicrobial activities of GLA and COL were evaluated against six different susceptible and resistant E. coli in vitro. Their interactions were analyzed using checkerboard assay, time-kill curve and CompuSyn software. A series of sensitivity tests was conducted in E. coli overexpressing the fabI gene. The development of COL resistance in the presence of GLA was tested. The antimicrobial efficacy of GLA and COL in a mouse model of urinary tract infection was assessed. The anti-biofilm effects of GLA and COL were investigated. RESULTS: In this study, enzyme kinetic analysis and thermal analysis provided evidence for the interaction between GLA and FabI in E. coli. GLA enhanced the antimicrobial effect of COL and synergistically suppressed six different susceptible and resistant E. coli with COL. Overexpression experiments showed that targeted inhibition of FabI was a key mechanism by which GLA synergistically enhanced COL activity. The combination of GLA and COL slowed the development of COL resistance in E. coli. Combined GLA and COL treatment significantly reduced bacterial load and mitigated urinary tract injury in a mouse model of E. coli urinary tract infection. Additionally, GLA + COL inhibited the formation and eradication of biofilms and the synthesis of curli. CONCLUSION: Our findings indicate that GLA synergistically enhances antimicrobial activities of COL by targeting inhibition of FabI in E. coli. GLA is expected to continue to be developed as an antibiotic adjuvant to address drug resistance issues.

Repurposing TAK875 as a novel STAT3 inhibitor for treating inflammatory bowel disease.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic immune-mediated disease associated with a high recurrence rate and an elevated risk of colon cancer. In this study, we screened a bioactive compound library using a luciferase reporter assay and identified the compound TAK875 as a novel inhibitor of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3). Surface plasmon resonance analysis, differential scanning fluorimetry, and isothermal titration calorimetry demonstrated that TAK875 directly bound to recombinant STAT3. TAK875 suppressed the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced release of nitric oxide, inducible nitric oxide synthase, and inflammatory factors in RAW264.7 cells, likely by inhibiting STAT3 phosphorylation. In addition, TAK875 inhibited the differentiation of CD4+ T cells into T-helper 17 cells, which may partially account for its anti-inflammatory effect. TAK875 also alleviated the LPS-induced accumulation of intracellular reactive oxygen species, thus displaying its antioxidant effects. Finally, we demonstrated its satisfactory anti-inflammatory effect in a dextran sulfate sodium-induced mouse model of ulcerative colitis. In conclusion, this study presented TAK875 as a novel STAT3 inhibitor and demonstrated its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects both in vitro and in vivo.

Drainage of ascites in cirrhosis.

For cirrhotic refractory ascites, diuretics combined with albumin and vasoactive drugs are the first-line choice for ascites management. However, their therapeutic effects are limited, and most refractory ascites do not respond to medication treatment, necessitating consideration of drainage or surgical interventions. Consequently, numerous drainage methods for cirrhotic ascites have emerged, including large-volume paracentesis, transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt, peritoneovenous shunt, automated low-flow ascites pump, cell-free and concentrated ascites reinfusion therapy, and peritoneal catheter drainage. This review introduces the advantages and disadvantages of these methods in different aspects, as well as indications and contraindications for this disease.

Endoscopic "calabash" ligation and resection for small gastric mesenchymal tumors.

BACKGROUND: Gastric mesenchymal tumors (GMT) are identified as soft tissue neoplasms that arise from mesenchymal stem cells within the gastrointestinal tract. GMT primarily encompass gastric stromal tumors (GST), gastric leiomyomas, and gastric schwannomas. Although most GMT are benign, there are still potential malignant changes, especially GST. Thus, early surgical intervention is the primary treatment for GMT. We have designed a simple endoscopic "calabash" ligation and resection (ECLR) procedure to treat GMT. Its efficacy and safety need to be compared with those of traditional endoscopic techniques, such as endoscopic submucosal excavation (ESE). AIM: To assess the safety and effectiveness of ECLR in managing small GMT (sGMT) with a maximum diameter ≤ 20 mm by comparing to ESE. METHODS: This retrospective analysis involved patients who were hospitalized in our institution between November 2021 and March 2023, underwent endoscopic resection, and received a pathological diagnosis of GMT. Cases with a tumor diameter ≤ 20 mm were chosen and categorized into two cohorts: Study and control groups. The study group was composed of patients treated with ECLR, whereas the control group was composed of those treated with ESE. Data on general clinical characteristics (gender, age, tumor diameter, tumor growth direction, tumor pathological type, and risk grade), surgery-related information (complete tumor resection rate, operation duration, hospitalization duration, hospitalization cost, and surgical complications), and postoperative follow-up were collected for both groups. The aforementioned data were subsequently analyzed and compared. RESULTS: Five hundred and eighty-nine individuals were included, with 297 cases in the control group and 292 in the study group. After propensity score matching, the final analysis incorporated 260 subjects in each cohort. The findings indicated that the study group exhibited shorter operation duration and lowered medical expenses relative to the control group. Furthermore, the study group reported less postoperative abdominal pain and had a lower incidence of intraoperative perforation and postoperative electrocoagulation syndrome than the control group. There were no substantial variations observed in other parameters among the two cohorts. CONCLUSION: ECLR is a viable and effective approach for managing sGMT.

Downregulation of ABLIM3 confers to the metastasis of neuroblastoma via regulating the cell adhesion molecules pathway.

Neuroblastoma (NB) is the most prevalent extracranial solid tumor in pediatric patients, and its treatment failure often associated with metastasis. In this study, LASSO, SVM-RFE, and random forest tree algorithms, was used to identify the pivotal gene involved in NB metastasis. NB cell lines (SK-N-AS and SK-N-BE2), in conjunction with NB tissue were used for further study. ABLIM3 was identified as the hub gene and can be an independent prognostic factor for patients with NB. The immunohistochemical analysis revealed that ABLIM3 is negatively correlated with the metastasis of NB. Patients with low expression of ABLIM3 had a poor prognosis. High ABLIM3 expression correlated with APC co-stimulation and Type1 IFN response, and TIDE analysis indicated that patients with low ABLIM3 expression exhibited enhanced responses to immunotherapy. Downregulation of ABLIM3 by shRNA transfection increased the migration and invasion ability of NB cells. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) revealed that genes associated with ABLIM3 were primarily enriched in the cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) pathway. RT-qPCR and western blot analyses demonstrated that downregulation of ABLIM3 led to decreased expression of ITGA3, ITGA8, and KRT19, the key components of CAMs. This study indicated that ABLIM3 can be an independent prognostic factor for NB patients, and CAMs may mediate the effect of ABLIM3 on the metastasis of NB, suggesting that ABLIM3 is a potential therapeutic target for NB metastasis, which provides a novel strategy for future research and treatment strategies for NB patients.

A mitochondria-related genes associated neuroblastoma signature - based on bulk and single-cell transcriptome sequencing data analysis, and experimental validation.

Background: Neuroblastoma (NB), characterized by its marked heterogeneity, is the most common extracranial solid tumor in children. The status and functionality of mitochondria are crucial in regulating NB cell behavior. While the significance of mitochondria-related genes (MRGs) in NB is still missing in key knowledge. Materials and methods: This study leverages consensus clustering and machine learning algorithms to construct and validate an MRGs-related signature in NB. Single-cell data analysis and experimental validation were employed to characterize the pivotal role of FEN1 within NB cells. Results: MRGs facilitated the classification of NB patients into 2 distinct clusters with considerable differences. The constructed MRGs-related signature and its quantitative indicators, mtScore and mtRisk, effectively characterize the MRGs-related patient clusters. Notably, the MRGs-related signature outperformed MYCN in predicting NB patient prognosis and was adept at representing the tumor microenvironment (TME), tumor cell stemness, and sensitivity to the chemotherapeutic agents Cisplatin, Topotecan, and Irinotecan. FEN1, identified as the most contributory gene within the MRGs-related signature, was found to play a crucial role in the communication between NB cells and the TME, and in the developmental trajectory of NB cells. Experimental validations confirmed FEN1's significant influence on NB cell proliferation, apoptosis, cell cycle, and invasiveness. Conclusion: The MRGs-related signature developed in this study offers a novel predictive tool for assessing NB patient prognosis, immune infiltration, stemness, and chemotherapeutic sensitivity. Our findings unveil the critical function of FEN1 in NB, suggesting its potential as a therapeutic target.