Macrophages enhance cisplatin resistance in gastric cancer through the transfer of circTEX2.

Cisplatin-based chemotherapy is often used in advanced gastric cancer (GC) treatment, yet resistance to cisplatin may lead to treatment failure. Mechanisms underlying cisplatin resistance remain unclear. Recent evidence highlighted the role of macrophages in cancer chemoresistance. Macrophage-derived exosomes were shown to facilitate intercellular communication. Here, we investigated the cisplatin resistance mechanism based on macrophage-derived exosomes in gastric cancer. Cell growth and apoptosis detection experiments revealed that M2-polarized macrophages increased the resistance of GC cells to cisplatin. qRT-PCR, RNAase R assay, actinomycin D assay and cell nucleo-cytoplasmic separation experiments confirmed the existence of circTEX2 in macrophage cytoplasm, with a higher expression level in M2 macrophages than that in M1 macrophages. Further experiments showed that circTEX2 acted as microRNA sponges for miR-145 and regulated the expression of ATP Binding Cassette Subfamily C Member 1 (ABCC1). Inhibition of the circTEX2/miR-145/ABCC1 axis blocked the cisplatin resistance of gastric cancer induced by M2 macrophages, as evidenced by in vitro and in vivo experiments. In conclusion, our research suggests that the exosomal transfer of M2 macrophage-derived circTEX2 enhances cisplatin resistance in gastric cancer through miR-145/ABCC1. Additionally, communication between macrophages and cancer cells via exosomes may be a promising therapeutic target for the treatment of cisplatin-resistant gastric cancer.

Nanocomposites based on nanoceria regulate the immune microenvironment for the treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome.

The immune system is closely associated with the pathogenesis of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Macrophages are one of the important immune cell types in the ovarian proinflammatory microenvironment, and ameliorate the inflammatory status mainly through M2 phenotype polarization during PCOS. Current therapeutic approaches lack efficacy and immunomodulatory capacity, and a new therapeutic method is needed to prevent inflammation and alleviate PCOS. Here, octahedral nanoceria nanoparticles with powerful antioxidative ability were bonded to the anti-inflammatory drug resveratrol (CeO2@RSV), which demonstrates a crucial strategy that involves anti-inflammatory and antioxidative efficacy, thereby facilitating the proliferation of granulosa cells during PCOS. Notably, our nanoparticles were demonstrated to possess potent therapeutic efficacy via anti-inflammatory activities and effectively alleviated endocrine dysfunction, inflammation and ovarian injury in a dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA)-induced PCOS mouse model. Collectively, this study revealed the tremendous potential of the newly developed nanoparticles in ameliorating the proinflammatory microenvironment and promoting the function of granulosa cells, representing the first attempt to treat PCOS by using CeO2@RSV nanoparticles and providing new insights in combating clinical PCOS.

Overexpression of miR-144-3p alleviates polycystic ovaries syndrome through targeting expression of HSP-70.

Increasing microRNAs are shown to be participate in polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) pathogenesis. Nevertheless, the biological effects of miR-144-3p and its detailed mechanisms in PCOS are to be investigated. The purpose of our work was to study the function of miR-144-3p in PCOS. Currently, Expression of miR-144-3p was greatly reduced in PCOS patients and PCOS rat models. In addition, HSP-70 expression was greatly elevated PCOS. Cell proliferation assays and flow cytometry assay were carried out following the overexpression of miR-144-3p in ovarian granulosa cells from PCOS rat models. We observed that miR-144-3p overexpression induced the proliferation and repressed cell apoptosis while loss of miR-144-3p demonstrated an opposite process. Then, PCOS rat models were classified to four groups: LV-NC group, LV-miR-144-3p group, Anti-control group, and Anti-miR-144-3p group. In response to loss of miR-144-3p, we found E2, T, and LH serum levels were elevated and FSH serum level was inhibited. Upregulation of miR-144-3p exhibited an opposite process. Moreover, HSP-70 was a direct target of miR-144-3p. Furthermore, increased expression of HSP-70 rescued the effects of miR-144-3p on ovarian granulosa cell growth and apoptosis. In addition, knockdown of HSP-70 alleviated endocrine disorders and abnormal ovarian weight in vivo. To sum up, miR-144-3p might function as a novel target for PCOS treatment via targeting HSP-70.

Occurrence and risk assessment of anthelmintics in Tuojiang River in Sichuan, China.

Recently, emerging pollutants, such as anthelmintics have attracted an increasing attention worldwide due to their extensive use and notable stability. However, the information on anthelmintics in the environment of southwest China is scarce. Thus, the occurrence, ecological risk and exposure evaluation of nineteen anthelmintics in Tuojiang River, which is one of the largest tributaries of Yangtze River, and drinking water source of Sichuan, southwest China, were investigated. The result showed that the detection frequency of anthelmintics was relatively high in Tuojiang River, ranging from 65% to 100% in river water. Among the seven kinds of anthelmintics, benzimidazoles are the primary anthelmintics, with concentrations up to 61.12 ng/L and 596.06 ng/g in water and sediment of the Tuojiang river, respectively. The total concentration of 19 anthelmintics in sediment samples from non-agricultural area was higher than that in agricultural area(p = 0.000 < 0.05). This could be attributed to anthropogenic activities, which lead to greater discharge and accumulation of anthelmintics in residential area along the river. It's worth to mention that the highest total concentrations of anthelmintics (109.28 ng/L) was found at the junction of rivers in R31 site. The results could be ascribed to the complexity of junction of Tuojiang River and Yangtze River, which could influence the distribution of pollutant. Besides, the ecological risk assessment showed that the macrocyclic lactones rather than benzimidazoles had relatively high toxicity to non-target organisms in aquatic environment (p = 0.000 < 0.05), with the highest RQEcotox value of 101 for Daphnia magna, while benzimidazoles had relatively high concentrations. The exposure risk could be ignored for both children and adults because the daily intake of anthelmintics via water ingestion were below 10 ng/kg/d. In addition, strong correlations were found between sucralose and most of the selected anthelmintics in Tuojiang River, indicating that sucralose might be a good tracer to evaluated the source of anthelmintics in surface water. This study provides the levels, risks and even some tracer information of pollutants for better understanding of anthelmintics in southwest China.

CircPSMC3 alleviates the symptoms of PCOS by sponging miR-296-3p and regulating PTEN expression.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), the most common female endocrine disease that causes anovulatory infertility, still lacks promising strategy for the accurate diagnosis and effective therapeutics of PCOS attributed to its unclear aetiology. In this study, we determined the abnormal reduction in circPSMC3 expression by comparing the ovarian tissue samples of PCOS patients and normal individuals. The symptom relief caused by up-regulation of circPSMC3 in PCOS model mice suggested the potential for further study. In vitro functional experiments confirmed that circPSMC3 can inhibit cell proliferation and promote apoptosis by blocking the cell cycle in human-like granular tumour cell lines. Mechanism study revealed that circPSMC3 may play its role through sponging miR-296-3p to regulate PTEN expression. Collectively, we preliminarily characterized the role and possible insights of circPSMC3/miR-296-3p/PTEN axis in the proliferation and apoptosis of KGN cells. We hope that this work provides some original and valuable information for the research of circRNAs in PCOS, not only to better understand the pathogenesis but also to help provide new clues for seeking for the future therapeutic target of PCOS.

Seasonal Variation and Exposure Risks of Perchlorate in Soil, Indoor Dust, and Outdoor Dust in China.

A total of 97 paired soil, outdoor dust, and indoor dust samples were collected in the national scale of China in summer, and the perchlorate levels were compared with those in soil and outdoor dust samples collected in winter in our previous study. The median perchlorate concentrations in the outdoor dust, indoor dust, and soil samples were 8.10, 11.4, and 0.05 mg/kg, respectively, which were significantly lower than those in the winter samples due to the natural factors and human activities. No significant differences in perchlorate concentrations were found between Northern and Southern China in the dust samples, whereas the difference was obtained in the soil samples. In the terms of possible source, the perchlorate levels in the outdoor dust exhibited strong correlation with SO42- (r2 = 0.458**) and NO3- (r2 = 0.389**), indicating part of perchlorate in outdoor environment was likely from atmospheric oxidative process in summer. The perchlorate, SO42-, and Cl- levels in the indoor dust were significantly related to those in the outdoor dust, suggesting that outdoor contaminants might be an important source for indoor environment. Furthermore, the human exposure to perchlorate was under relatively safe state in China except for special sites or periods with high perchlorate levels. Dust made an unexpected contribution of 41.3% to the total daily perchlorate intake for children, whereas 2.46% for adults in China based on biomonitoring, which deserves more attention.

Catalytic ozonation of reverse osmosis concentrate from coking wastewater reuse by surface oxidation over Mn-Ce/γ-Al2O3: Effluent organic matter transformation and its catalytic mechanism.

Degradation of organics in high-salinity wastewater is beneficial to meeting the requirement of zero liquid discharge for coking wastewater treatment. Creating efficient and stable performance catalysts for high-salinity wastewater treatment is vital in catalytic ozonation process. Compared with ozonation alone, Mn and Ce co-doped γ-Al2O3 could remarkably enhance activities of catalytic ozonation for chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal (38.9%) of brine derived from a two-stage reverse osmosis treatment. Experimental and theoretical calculation results indicate that introducing Mn could increase the active points of catalyst surface, and introducing Ce could optimize d-band electronic structures and promote the electron transport capacity, enhancing HO• bound to the catalyst surface ([HO•]ads) generation. [HO•]ads plays key roles for degrading the intermediates and transfer them into low molecular weight organics, and further decrease COD, molecular weights and number of organics in reverse osmosis concentrate. Under the same reaction conditions, the presence of Mn/γ-Al2O3 catalyst can reduce ΔO3/ΔCOD by at least 37.6% compared to ozonation alone. Furthermore, Mn-Ce/γ-Al2O3 catalytic ozonation can reduce the ΔO3/ΔCOD from 2.6 of Mn/γ-Al2O3 catalytic ozonation to 0.9 in the case of achieving similar COD removal. Catalytic ozonation has the potential to treat reverse osmosis concentrate derived from bio-treated coking wastewater reclamation.

[Preliminary study on features of syndrome distribution and cluster analysis for AIDS patients with pulmonary infection].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate Chinese medical features of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients with pulmonary infection. METHODS: Using cluster analysis method, Chinese medical syndromes of 196 AIDS patients with pulmonary infection were analyzed. The distribution features of each syndrome type were analyzed according to the severity and CD4+ numerical analysis. RESULTS: Basic Chinese medical syndrome types could be summed up as three kinds: exterior invasion of wind heat and phlegm heat obstructing Fei syndrome (61 cases, 31.1%), Fei-Pi deficiency and Fei stagnation of phlegm syndrome (64 cases, 32.7%), Fei-Shen deficiency and yin deficiency induced inner heat syndrome (71 cases, 36.2%). There was statistical difference in the severity degree and the distribution of CD4 among the three syndrome types (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: AIDS patients with pulmonary infection involve Fei, Shen, and Pi. The pathogenic factors were related to "wind", "heat", "phlegm", and "xu". The Chinese medical syndrome distribution was closely correlated with patients' immunity.

[Randomized controlled study of integrated treatment of traditional Chinese medicine and western medicine on AIDS with pulmonary inflammation patients].

OBJECTIVE: To compare effects of integrated treatment traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine (TCM-WM) and simple western medicine on TCM clincal symptoms in the patient of AIDS with pulmonary inflammation. METHOD: A multicenter randomized controlled trials of 164 subjects evaluated the effects of clinical symptoms of AIDS with pulmonary inflammation of TWO regimens: the TCM-WM group (n = 111) and western medicine treatment group (n = 53), while incidence of TCM symptoms in different time points in two groups were analyzed. RESULT: Twenty eight days after treatment, the cured and markedly effective rate of TCM symptoms in the TCM-WM group significantly exceeding that in the western medicine treatment group (cured and markedly effective rate significant efficiency 44.55% vs 20.00%), while the incidence rate for the TCM symptoms of fever and headache in the TCM-WM group was significantly lower than that in western medicine group. CONCLUSION: The integrated treatment of traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine helps to alleviate the TCM clinical symptoms of AIDS with pulmonary inflammation.

The Role of Dehydroepiandrosterone in Improving in vitro Fertilization Outcome in Patients with DOR/POR: A Systematic Review and Meta- Analysis.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Although many trials have evaluated the use of dehydroepiandrosterone to improve outcomes in poor responders undergoing assisted reproductive technology treatment, evidence supporting this approach is controversial. We aimed to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of existing published data to further elucidate and supplement the use of Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) to improve the effectiveness of vitro fertilization in patients with diminished ovarian reserve or adverse ovarian reactions. METHODS: PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and the Web of Science databases were searched through December 2020. Oocyte yield, metaphase II oocytes, fertilized oocytes, top-quality embryos, clinical pregnancy rate, ongoing pregnancy rate, and live birth rate were analyzed as relative outcomes. Meta-analysis was performed and fitted to both fixed-effects models and random-effects models. RESULTS: Eight prospective randomized controlled studies, five prospective case-control studies, and three retrospective cohort studies were conducted with a total of 1998 participants. Meta-analyses of these studies showed a significantly higher number of oocytes retrieved (WMD 1.09, 95% CI 0.38 to 1.80), metaphase II oocytes (WMD 0.78, 95% CI 0.16 to 1.40), fertilized oocytes (WMD 0.84, 95% CI 0.42 to 1.26), top-quality embryos (WMD 0.60, 95% CI 0.34 to 0.86), clinical pregnancy rate (RR 1.35, 95% CI 1.13 to 1.61), and ongoing pregnancy rate (RR 1.82, 95% CI 1.34 to 2.46), although there was no difference in live birth rate (RR 1.35, 95% CI 0.94 to 1.94) in the DHEA supplementation groups compared with that in the control groups. CONCLUSION: Oral DHEA supplementation appears to improve some IVF outcomes. On the basis of this limited evidence, we conclude that further studies are required to provide sufficient data.

Detection of Acute Optic Neuritis using Contrast-Enhanced 3-Dimensional Cube T1-Weighted Imaging: A Preliminary Study.

Objective; We aimed to assess whole-brain imaging with contrast-enhanced (CE) 3- dimensional (3D) Cube T1WI in improving the diagnostic accuracy of acute optic neuritis (ON) compared to conventional CE 2-dimensional (2D) T1WI. METHODS: At a field strength of 3 T, CE 3D Cube T1-weighted and conventional CE 2D T1- weighted MR images were retrospectively analyzed for 32 patients (64 optic nerves) with clinically confirmed acute ON. The study cohort included 36 pathological nerves. Image assessments including the overall image quality, clarity of the optic nerve, and visual contrast enhancement were performed by two blinded neuroradiologists using a 4-point scale. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of the conventional 2D T1WI and 3D Cube T1WI were calculated according to the clinical diagnosis. RESULTS: The application of 3D Cube T1WI improved the overall image quality compared to 2D Ax T1WI and 2D Cor T1WI (P < 0.05). The clarity of the optic nerve and the visual contrast enhancement were higher for the 3D Cube T1WI compared to the 2D Ax T1WI and 2D Cor T1WI for at least one reader. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were 89%, 86%, 88% for the 3D Cube T1WI respectively, and 75%, 79%, 77% for the conventional 2D T1WI respectively. The lesions detected by the conventional 2D T1WI were all detected by the 3D Cube T1WI. CONCLUSION: Our data show that whole-brain imaging with CE 3D Cube T1WI is a viable alternative for the detection of acute ON without sacrificing scanning efficiency.

CircSOD2 polarizes macrophages towards the M1 phenotype to alleviate cisplatin resistance in gastric cancer cells by targeting the miR-1296/STAT1 axis.

Cisplatin is the first-line drug for gastric cancer (GC). Cisplatin resistance is the most important cause of poor prognosis for GC. Increasing evidence has identified the important role of macrophage polarization in chemoresistance. CircRNAs are newly discovered non-coding RNAs, characterized by covalently closed loops with high stability. Previous studies have reported a significant difference between circRNA profiles expressed in classically activated M1 macrophages, and those expressed in alternatively activated M2 macrophages. However, the underlying mechanism behind the regulation of GC cisplatin resistance by macrophages remains unclear. In our study, we observed the aberrant high expression of circSOD2 in M1 macrophages derived from THP-1. These expression patterns were confirmed in macrophages from patients with GC. Detection of the M1 and M2 markers confirmed that overexpression of circSOD2 enhances M1 polarization. The viability of cisplatin-treated GC cells was significantly reduced in the presence of macrophages overexpressing circSOD2, and cisplatin-induced apoptosis increased dramatically. In vivo experiments showed that macrophages expressing circSOD2 enhanced the effect of cisplatin. Moreover, we demonstrated that circSOD2 acts as a microRNA sponge for miR-1296 and regulates the expression of its target gene STAT1 (signal transducer and activator of transcription 1). CircSOD2 exerts its function through the miR-1296/STAT1 axis. Inhibition of circSOD2/miR-1296/STAT1 may therefore reduce M1 polarization. Overexpression of circSOD2 promotes the polarization of M1 macrophages and enhances the effect of cisplatin in GC. CircSOD2 is a novel positive regulator of M1 macrophages and may serve as a potential target for GC chemotherapy.

[Expression of ubiquitin in the spleen and its influence on the dendritic cell immunomodulation function in multiple organ dysfunction syndrome in mice].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the expression change in ubiquitin (Ub) in the spleen and its significance in multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) in mice, and to study the effects of ubiquitination of major histocompatibility complex II (MHCII) on the activity and immunomodulation function of splenic dendritic cell (DC). METHODS: Two hundred and ten mice were divided into the normal control group (n = 30) and MODS group (n = 180) according to the method of random digital table, and MODS model was replicated by intraperitoneal injection of zymosan. The MODS group mice were further divided evenly into 6, 12, 24, 48-hour and 5-7-day and 10-12-day groups. Ub protein and expression of CD11c⁺DC and MHCII molecule I-A(b) were examined using immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence methods. Ub mRNA expression in the spleen was measured by real-time quantitative reverse transcription--polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). RESULTS: (1)Immunohistochemistry results showed: the number of Ub positive cells in the spleen increased significantly at 6 hours in MODS group compared with that of the normal control group, and it reached the peak at 24 hours [(16.83 ± 0.38)% vs. (8.60 ± 0.86)%, P < 0.05] and then decreased gradually. At 10-12 days, the number of Ub positive cells decreased significantly compared with that of the normal control group [(4.66 ± 0.34)% vs. (8.60 ± 0.86)%, P < 0.05]. (2)RT-PCR results displayed: compared with normal control group, Ub mRNA expression in spleen increased at 6 hours in MODS group, and it reached the peak at 24 hours (2.17 ± 0.20 vs. 1.00 ± 0.00, P < 0.01). Then, it decreased gradually. At 10-12 days, Ub mRNA decreased significantly as compared with that of normal control group (0.72 ± 0.08 vs. 1.00 ± 0.00, P < 0.05). (3)Immunofluorescence results displayed: compared with normal control group, CD11c⁺DC increased significantly at 6 hours in MODS group and reached the peak at 24 hours [(7.55 ± 0.04)% vs. (2.08 ± 0.13)%, P < 0.05], and then it decreased gradually. At 10-12 days, it was close to that of the normal control group [(2.28 ± 0.06)% vs. (2.08 ± 0.13)%, P>0.05]. Compared with the normal control group, I-A(b) positive cells in the spleen was significantly increased at 6 hours in MODS group [(10.90 ± 1.40)% vs. (5.78 ± 0.47)%, P < 0.01], but it decreased at 24 hours [(3.32 ± 0.91)% vs. (5.78 ± 0.47)%, P < 0.05]. I-A(b) positive cells were restored to the normal level at 48 hours and 5--7 days, and decreased significantly again at 10-12 days [(2.20 ± 0.97)% vs. (5.78 ± 0.47)%, P < 0.05]. The number of Ub positive cells correlated positively to the expression of I-A(b) and the CD11c [r1 = 0.899, r2=0.987, both P < 0.05]. CONCLUSIONS: Ub might influence the maturation and activation of DC via ubiquitination of the MHCII molecule on DC, thereby influencing the immune response at different stages of MODS. The result might provide a new way to recognize immune response and also a new monitoring index for immune response regulation.

Does Serum LH Level Influence IVF Outcomes in Women with PCOS Undergoing GnRH-Antagonist Stimulation: A Novel Indicator.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the influence of LH levels on the IVF/ICSI outcomes in women with PCOSundergoing GnRH-antagonist stimulation protocol. METHODS: A total of 142 IVF/ICSI patients in which the females were diagnosed with PCOS and underwent GnRH-antagonist protocol for ovarian stimulation were enrolled. Patients were divided into three groups based on basal LH (bLH) level, LH level on trigger day (hLH), and the ratio of hLH/bLH. The LH levels detected on different days in the stimulation cycle as well as their relationships with the IVF/ICSI outcomes were investigated. The main outcomes we observed were the number of oocytes retrieved, the cumulative chemical pregnancy rate, clinical pregnancy rate, and live birth rate. Other factors included the number of normally fertilized oocytes (2PN), top-quality embryo rate, and total Gn dose. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the included outcomes and baseline characteristics among different groups based on bLH levels. When patients were grouped according to hLH levels (≤2 mIU/mL, 2-5 mIU/mL and ≥5 mIU/mL), we found decreased levels of basal FSH and LH in the group of hLH ≤ 2 mIU/mL than the other two groups. Then the ratio of hLH/bLH was calculated for each patient. Patients with hLH/bLH ≥ 1 had a higher top-quality embryo rate than those with hLH/bLH between 0.5 and 1.0. Nevertheless, the cumulative clinical pregnancy rate was significantly higher in the hLH/bLH ≤ 0.5 group than in the other two groups. CONCLUSIONS: The study proposed the hLH/bLH ratio as a potential in predicting the influence of LH level on the embryo development potential as well as pregnancy outcomes in women with PCOS undergoing GnRH-antagonist stimulation cycles.

Activation of the GPX4/TLR4 Signaling Pathway Participates in the Alleviation of Selenium Yeast on Deltamethrin-Provoked Cerebrum Injury in Quails.

Deltamethrin (DLM) is a member of pyrethroid pesticide widely applied for agriculture and aquaculture, and its residue in the environment seriously threatens the bio-safety. The cerebrum might be vulnerable to pesticide-triggered oxidative stress. However, there is no specific antidote for treating DLM-triggered cerebral injury. Selenium (Se) is an essential trace element functionally forming selenoprotein glutathione peroxidase (GPX) in antioxidant defense. Se yeast (SY) is a common and effective organic form of Se supplement with high selenomethionine content. Accordingly, this study focused on investigating the therapeutic potential of SY on DLM-induced cerebral injury in quails after chronically exposing to DLM and exploring the underlying mechanisms. Quails were treated with/without SY (0.4 mg kg-1 SY added in standard diet) in the presence/absence of DLM (45 mg kg-1 body weight intragastrically) for 12 weeks. The results showed SY supplementation ameliorated DLM-induced cerebral toxicity. Concretely, SY elevated the content of Se and increased GPX4 level in DLM-treated quail cerebrum. Furthermore, SY enhanced antioxidant defense system by upregulating nuclear factor-erythroid-2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) associated members. Inversely, SY diminished the changes of apoptosis- and inflammation-associated proteins and genes including toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4). Collectively, our results suggest that dietary SY protects against DLM-induced cerebral toxicity in quails via positively regulating the GPX4/TLR4 signaling pathway. GPX4 may be a potential therapeutic target for insecticide-induced biotoxicity.

Facile synthesis and enhanced photocatalytic performance of 3D ZnO hierarchical structures.

Three-dimensional ZnO hierarchical structures with high densities of secondary ZnO nanowires grown on primary ZnO fibers have been fabricated employing a co-precipitation reaction growth on the electrospinning PVA/zinc acetate nanofibers template followed by an annealing process in air. The structural analyses showed that as-prepared amorphous ZnC2O4 nanowires converted into wurtzite ZnO after annealing. The morphology of the ZnO hierarchical structures could be further controlled by adjusting the mixing ratio of H2C2O4 to CH3CH2OH. The hierarchical structured ZnO sample shows an enhanced photocatalytic performance compared with the other nanostructured ZnO powders of nanoparticles, and nanofibers, which can be attributed to the special structural feature with an open and secondary ZnO nanowire that significantly facilitates the diffusion and mass transportation of Methylene blue (MB) molecules and oxygen species in photochemical reaction of MB degradation.

DNA Methylation and Recurrent Pregnancy Loss: A Mysterious Compass?

Recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) is a common and severe pathological pregnancy, whose pathogenesis is not fully understood. With the development of epigenetics, the study of DNA methylation, provides a new perspective on the pathogenesis and therapy of RPL. The abnormal DNA methylation of imprinted genes, placenta-specific genes, immune-related genes and sperm DNA may, directly or indirectly, affect embryo implantation, growth and development, leading to the occurrence of RPL. In addition, the unique immune tolerogenic microenvironment formed at the maternal-fetal interface has an irreplaceable effect on the maintenance of pregnancy. In view of these, changes in the cellular components of the maternal-fetal immune microenvironment and the regulation of DNA methylation have attracted a lot of research interest. This review summarizes the research progress of DNA methylation involved in the occurrence of RPL and the regulation of the maternal-fetal immune microenvironment. The review provides insights into the personalized diagnosis and treatment of RPL.

Meta-analysis and systematic review of acupotomy combined with puncture and moxibustion in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to systematically evaluate the therapeutic effects of acupotomy combined with acupuncture and moxibustion on knee osteoarthritis (KOA), which was expected to provide a reference for clinical treatment of KOA using traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). METHODS: The databases PubMed, Embase, Medline, Ovid, and Springer were searched to retrieve randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on KOA treatment by acupotomy combined with acupuncture and moxibustion. The search time was set as from the date the database was established to 31 December 2020. The Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Intervention 5.0.2 was used to conduct bias risk assessment on the included literature, and Review Manager 5.3 software was used for meta-analysis. RESULTS: A total of 10 RCTs were included in this study, including 1,073 participants. Meta-analysis results showed that compared with the control group, the clinical treatment efficiency of the experimental group was higher [mean difference (MD) =5.72; 95% confidence interval (CI): 3.39 to 9.64; Z=6.54; P<0.00001], and the postoperative visual analogue scale (VAS) scores were reduced (MD =-1.72; 95% CI: -2.41 to -1.03; Z=4.86; P<0.00001). DISCUSSION: Acupotomy combined with acupuncture and moxibustion treatment for KOA can increase clinical treatment efficiency, and relieve postoperative pain, suggesting that the combination of acupotomy, acupuncture, and moxibustion has better therapeutic effects on KOA and can be promoted clinically.

Identification of two methylated fragments of an SDC2 CpG island using a sliding window technique for early detection of colorectal cancer.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common cancer types globally with a 5-year survival rate of < 50% in China. Aberrant DNA methylation is one of the hallmarks of tumor initiation, progression, and metastasis. Here, we investigated the clinical performance of two differentially methylated regions (DMRs) in SDC2 CpG islands for the detection of CRC. A sliding window technique was used to identify the DMRs, and methylation-specific PCR assay was used to assess the DMRs in 198 CRC samples and 54 normal controls. Two DMRs (DMR2 and DMR5) were identified using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data, and the hypermethylation of DMR2 and DMR5 was detected in 90.91% (180/198) and 89.90% (178/198) of CRC samples, respectively. When combining DMR2 and DMR5, the sensitivity for CRC detection was 94.4% higher than that of DMR2 or DMR5 alone. Based on the above results, we propose using DMR2 and DMR5 as a sensitive biomarker to detect CRC.