Superwetting Stainless Steel Mesh Used for Both Immiscible Oil/Water and Surfactant-Stabilized Emulsion Separation.

The design and fabrication of advanced membrane materials for versatile oil/water separation are major challenges. In this work, a superwetting stainless steel mesh (SSM) modified with in situ-grown TiO2 was successfully prepared via one-pot hydrothermal synthesis at 180 °C for 24 h. The modified SSM was characterized by means of scanning electron microscopy, energy spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis. The resultant SSM membrane was superhydrophilic/superoleophilic in air, superoleophobic underwater, with an oil contact angle (OCA) underwater of over 150°, and superhydrophobic under oil, with a water contact angle (WCA) as high as 158°. Facile separation of immiscible light oil/water and heavy oil/water was carried out using the prewetting method with water and oil, respectively. For both "oil-blocking" and "water-blocking" membranes, the separation efficiency was greater than 98%. Also, these SSMs wrapped in TiO2 nanoparticles broke emulsions well, separating oil-in-water and oil-in-water emulsions with an efficiency greater than 99.0%. The as-prepared superwetting materials provided a satisfactory solution for the complicated or versatile oil/water separation.

Rapid and Selective Uptake of Radioactive Cesium from Water by a Microporous Zeolitic-like Sulfide.

The fast and efficient removal of 137Cs+ ions from water is of great significance for the further treatment and disposal of highly active nuclear waste. Hitherto, although many layered metal sulfides have been proven to be very effective in capturing aqueous cesium, three-dimensional (3D) microporous examples have rarely been explored, especially compounds that are systematically used to study cesium ion exchange behaviors. In this paper, we present detailed Cs+ ion exchange properties of a 3D, microporous, zeolitic-like sulfide, namely K@GaSnS-1, in different conditions. Isotherm studies indicate that K@GaSnS-1 has a high cesium saturation capacity of 249.3 mg/g. In addition, it exhibits rapid sorption kinetics, with an equilibrium time of only 2 min. Further studies show that K@GaSnS-1 also displays a strong preference and good selectivity for cesium, with the highest distribution coefficient Kd value up to 3.53 × 104 mL/g. Also noteworthy is that the excellent cesium ion exchange properties are well-maintained despite acidic, basic, and competitive multiple-component environments. More importantly, the Cs+-exchanged products can be easily eluted and regenerated by a low-cost and eco-friendly method. These merits demonstrated by K@GaSnS-1 render it very promising in the effective and efficient separation of radioactive cesium from nuclear waste.

Preparation of Superhydrophilic/Underwater Superoleophobic and Superhydrophobic Stainless Steel Meshes Used for Oil/Water Separation.

Robust membrane materials with high efficiency have attracted extensive attention in oil/water separation. In this work, carbon particles via candle combustion were firstly adsorbed on the surface of stainless steel meshes (SSMs), which formed a thin hydrophobic coating, and a rough structure was then constructed through chemical vapor deposition and high temperature calcination, with the resultant SSM surface wrapped with uniform silica coating possessing the characteristic of superoleophobicity underwater. Scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) were used to characterize the modified SSMs. The prepared SSMs were superhydrophilic in air, and they had superoleophobicity underwater (157.4°). The separation efficiency of five oil/water mixtures was above 98.8%, and the separation flux was 46,300 L·m-2·h-1. After it was immersed in 1 mol/L NaOH, 1 mol/L HCl and 3.5 wt% NaCl for 24 h, respectively, the efficiency was still above 97.3%. Further immersion in the solution of dopamine and octadecylamine resulted in the transformation of superhydrophililc/superoleophobicity-underwater SSMs to superhydrophobic SSMs, and the resultant SSMs with reverse surface wettability was also used for the oil/water separation with good separation efficiency and separation flux.

A comparison of the use of contrast media with different iodine concentrations for enhanced computed tomography.

Objective: In this study, we compared the enhancement of blood vessels and liver parenchyma on enhanced computed tomography (CT) of the upper abdomen with two concentrations of contrast media (400 and 300 mg I/mL) based on similar iodine delivery rate (IDR) of 0.88 and 0.9 g I/s and iodine load of 450 mg I/kg. Methods: We randomly assigned 160 patients into two groups: iomeprol 400 mg I/mL (A group) and iohexol 300 mg I/mL (B group). The CT attenuation values of the main anatomical structures in the two groups with different scanning phases were measured and the image quality of the two groups was analyzed and compared. The peak pressure and local discomfort (including fever and pain) during contrast medium injection were recorded. Results: The mean attenuation value of the abdominal aorta was 313.6 ± 29.6 in the A group and 322.4 ± 30.1 in the B group during the late arterial phase (p = 0.8). Meanwhile, the mean enhancement values of the portal vein were 176.2 ± 19.3 and 165.9 ± 24.5 in the A and B groups, respectively, during the portal venous phase (p = 0.6). The mean CT values of liver parenchyma were 117.1 ± 15.3 and 108.8 ± 18.7 in the A and B groups, respectively, during the portal venous phase (p = 0.9). There was no statistical difference in image quality, peak injection pressure (psi), and local discomfort between the two groups (p > 0.05). Conclusion: When a similar IDR and the same iodine load are used, CT images with different concentrations of contrast media have the same subjective and objective quality, and can meet the diagnostic needs.

Modified stainless steel wires with superwettability for highly efficient in-tube solid-phase microextraction.

Construction of different surface wettability is meaningful for the interaction between the sorbent surface and target components. In the current study, four kinds of stainless-steel wires (SSWs) with different hydrophobic/hydrophilic property were prepared and used as the absorbents to enrich the target compounds with different polarity. Comparative extraction of six non-polar polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and six polar estrogens was carried out by in-tube solid phase microextraction (IT-SPME). The results showed that two SSWs with the superhydrophobic surfaces exhibited high extraction capacity to the non-polar PAHs with the superior enrichment factor (EF) in the range of 29-672 and 57-744, respectively. In contrast, the superhydrophilic SSWs demonstrated higher enrichment efficiency for the polar estrogens than other hydrophobic SSWs. On the basis of optimized conditions, a validated analysis method was established using six PAHs as model analytes for IT-SPME-HPLC. Acceptable linear ranges (0.5-10 µg L-1) and low detection limits (0.0056-0.32 µg L-1) were achieved using the superhydrophobic wire modified by perfluorooctyl trichlorosilane (FOTS). The relative recoveries spiked at 2, 5 and 10 µg L-1 in the lake water samples were in the range of 81.5%-113.7%. The relative standard deviation (RSD) of intraday (≤0.8%, n = 3) and interday (≤5.3%, n = 3) tests demonstrated the good extraction repeatability for the same extraction tube. Satisfactory repeatability for the preparation of extraction tubes (n = 3) was also obtained with the RSD values in the range of 3.6%-8.0%.

Disturbance of suprachiasmatic nucleus function improves cardiac repair after myocardial infarction by IGF2-mediated macrophage transition.

Suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) in mammals functions as the master circadian pacemaker that coordinates temporal organization of physiological processes with the environmental light/dark cycles. But the causative links between SCN and cardiovascular diseases, specifically the reparative responses after myocardial infarction (MI), remain largely unknown. In this study we disrupted mouse SCN function to investigate the role of SCN in cardiac dysfunction post-MI. Bilateral ablation of the SCN (SCNx) was generated in mice by electrical lesion; myocardial infarction was induced via ligation of the mid-left anterior descending artery (LAD); cardiac function was assessed using echocardiography. We showed that SCN ablation significantly alleviated MI-induced cardiac dysfunction and cardiac fibrosis, and promoted angiogenesis. RNA sequencing revealed differentially expressed genes in the heart of SCNx mice from D0 to D3 post-MI, which were functionally associated with the inflammatory response and cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction. Notably, the expression levels of insulin-like growth factor 2 (Igf2) in the heart and serum IGF2 concentration were significantly elevated in SCNx mice on D3 post-MI. Stimulation of murine peritoneal macrophages in vitro with serum isolated from SCNx mice on D3 post-MI accelerated the transition of anti-inflammatory macrophages, while antibody-mediated neutralization of IGF2 receptor blocked the macrophage transition toward the anti-inflammatory phenotype in vitro as well as the corresponding cardioprotective effects observed in SCNx mice post-MI. In addition, disruption of mouse SCN function by exposure to a desynchronizing condition (constant light) caused similar protective effects accompanied by elevated IGF2 expression on D3 post-MI. Finally, mice deficient in the circadian core clock genes (Ckm-cre; Bmal1f/f mice or Per1/2 double knockout) did not lead to increased serum IGF2 concentration and showed no protective roles in post-MI, suggesting that the cardioprotective effect observed in this study was mediated particularly by the SCN itself, but not by self-sustained molecular clock. Together, we demonstrate that inhibition of SCN function promotes Igf2 expression, which leads to macrophage transition and improves cardiac repair post-MI.

In-situ and amplification-free imaging of hERG ion channels at single-cell level using a unique core-molecule-shell-secondary antibody SERS nanoprobe.

Research on ion channels and their monoclonal antibodies plays a critical role in drug development and disease diagnosis. The current ion channel researches are often not conducted in the microenvironment for cells survival, which restricts the mechanism study of the links between the cell structure and the ion channel function. In this work, we synthesized gold core-4-mercaptobenzonitrile-sliver shell-goat anti-rabbit immunoglobulin G (Au@4-MBN@Ag@IgG) nanoparticles as surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) nanoprobes for investigating the human ether-a-go-go related gene (hERG) potassium ion channel in cell membranes. This is the first attempt to study ion channels using SERS. Due to the unique core-molecule-shell structure and the silver shell of nanoprobes, strong and stable SERS signal was obtained. With the help of antibodies, the Au@4-MBN@Ag@IgG nanoprobes were captured by hERG antibodies and then bonded with hERG ion channels based on the sandwich immune response. The reporter molecule, 4-MBN, displayed a strong and sharp characteristic peak at 2233 cm-1 in the Raman silent region. The intensity of this peak denoted the concentration of antibodies and the expression of ion channel proteins. We successfully applied this amplification-free method for in-situ imaging the distribution of the hERG ion channel on the transfected HEK293 cell surface at the single-cell level. This hERG ion channel profiling strategy promises a maneuverable tool for ion channel research.

The Umbelopsis ramanniana Sensu Lato Consists of Five Cryptic Species.

Umbelopsis ramanniana is one of the most commonly reported species within the genus and an important oleaginous fungus. The morphology of the species varies remarkably in sporangiospores, columellae and chlamydospores. However, phylogenetic analyses based on ITS and nLSU rDNA had previously shown insufficiency in achieving species level identification in the genus Umbelopsis. In this study, by applying a polyphasic approach involving multi-gene (nSSU, ITS, nLSU, act1, MCM7 and cox1) phylogeny, morphology and maximum growth temperature, U. ramanniana sensu lato was revealed as a polyphyletic group and resolved with five novel taxa, namely U. curvata, U. dura, U. macrospora, U. microsporangia and U. oblongielliptica. Additionally, a key for all currently accepted species in Umbelopsis was also updated.

A nanohybrid of Prussian blue supported by boracic acid-modified g-C3N4 for Raman recognition of cell surface sialic acid and photothermal/photodynamic therapy.

Theranostic nanoplatforms with accurate diagnosis and effective therapy show a bright prospect for tumor treatments. Herein, a novel boracic acid-modified graphite carbon nitride and Prussian blue nanohybrid (PB@B-g-C3N4) was developed, which provides sialic acid-targeted Raman recognition and synergistic photothermal/photodynamic therapy in the near-infrared region. Owing to the specific interaction between boracic acid and sialic acid and Raman response at 2157 cm-1 of PB, the nanohybrids exhibit high specificity and Raman sensitivity for detection of the overexpressed sialic acid on tumor cells. Moreover, the photothermal conversion efficiency of PB@B-g-C3N4 is as high as 47.0% with 808 nm laser irradiation due to the enhanced absorbance of PB@B-g-C3N4. PB@B-g-C3N4 also possesses excellent photodynamic activity, which is attributed to the energy transfer of PB (type I) and electron transfer between PB and B-g-C3N4 (type II). This nanotheranostic agent for Raman recognition of cancer markers and synergistic photothermal/photodynamic therapy holds great potential for the development of efficient theranostic nanoplatforms.

In situ monitoring PUVA therapy by using a cell-array chip-based SERS platform.

Psoralen ultraviolet A (PUVA) therapy has thrived as a promising treatment for psoriasis. However, overdose of PUVA treatment will cause side-effects, such as melanoma formation. And these side-effects are often ignored during PUVA therapy. Hence, in situ monitoring therapeutic response of PUVA therapy is important to minimize side-effects. Aberrant expression of tyrosinase (TYR) has been proved to be associated with melanoma, indicating that TYR is a potential target for evaluation of PUVA therapy. Herein, we reported a strategy for in situ monitoring TYR activity during PUVA therapy by using a cell-array chip-based SERS platform. The cell-array chip was used to simulate cell survival environment for cell culture. Capture of single cells and living cell analysis were realized in the isolated microchambers. An enzyme-induced core-shell self-assembly substrate was used to evaluate TYR activity in living cells during PUVA therapy. The gold nanoparticle modified with a SERS reporter, 4-mercaptobenzonitrile (4-MBN), was used as the core. In the presence of oxygen and TYR, hydroxylation of l-tyrosine occurred, leading to the reduction of silver ion on the surface of gold cores. The growth of silver shells was accompanied by the increased SERS intensity of the reporter, which is related directly to TYR activity. The detection limit for TYR activity is 0.45 U/mL. Upregulation of TYR activity was successfully monitored after PUVA therapy. Notably, real-time and in situ information of therapeutic response can be obtained through monitoring PUVA therapy by using a cell-array chip-based SERS platform, which has great potential to guide the clinical application of PUVA therapy.

A preliminary evaluation study of applying a deep learning image reconstruction algorithm in low-kilovolt scanning of upper abdomen.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate feasibility of applying deep learning image reconstruction (DLIR) algorithm in a low-kilovolt enhanced scan of the upper abdomen. METHODS: A total of 64 patients (BMI<28) are selected for the enhanced upper abdomen scan and divided evenly into two groups. The tube voltages in Group A are 100kV in arterial phase and 80kV in venous phase, while tube voltages are 120kV during two phases in Group B. Image reconstruction algorithms used in Group A include the filtered back projection (FBP) algorithm, the adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction-Veo (ASIR-V 40% and 80%) algorithm, and the DLIR algorithm (DL-L, DL-M, DL-H). Image reconstruction algorithm used in Group B is ASIR-V40%. The different reconstruction algorithm images are used to measure the common hepatic artery, liver, renal cortex, erector spinae, and subcutaneous adipose in the arterial phase and the average CT value and standard deviation of the portal vein, liver, spleen, erector spinae, and subcutaneous adipose in the portal phase. The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is calculated, and the images are also scored subjectively. RESULTS: In Group A, noise in the aorta, liver, portal vein (the portal phase), spleen (the portal phase), renal cortex, retroperitoneal adipose, and muscle is significantly lower in both the DL-H and ASIR-V80% images, and the SNR is significantly higher than those in the remaining groups (P<0.05). The SNR of each tissue and organ in Group B is not significantly different from that in DL-M, DL-L, and ASIR-V40% in Group A (P>0.05). The subjective image quality scores in the DL-H and B groups are higher than those in the other groups, and the FBP group has significantly lower image quality than the remaining groups (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: For upper abdominal low-kilovolt enhanced scan data, the DLIR-H gear yields a more satisfactory image quality than the FBP and ASIR-V.

Enhanced chemodynamic therapy at weak acidic pH based on g-C3N4-supported hemin/Au nanoplatform and cell apoptosis monitoring during treatment.

Chemodynamic therapy (CDT), inducing tumor cell apoptosis through Fenton reaction to produce hydroxyl radical (·OH), is an emerging cancer treatment technology. Highly efficient Fenton catalytic reactions usually take place at a low pH environment. Utilizing graphitic carbon nitride supported hemin and Au nanoparticles (g-C3N4/hemin/Au) as a novel biomimetic nanocatalyst, we achieve an enhanced CDT for inducing tumor cell apoptosis in the presence of excess H2O2, and reveal the molecular events during the CDT-induced apoptosis. The prepared g-C3N4/hemin/Au nanohybrids exhibit excellent Fenton catalytic activity for the generation of highly toxic ·OH at weak acidic and neutral condition, which breaks through the limitation of traditional acidity-dependent response. The Fenton catalytic mechanism was also studied. The Fenton efficiency is primarily enhanced by the high affinity between nanohybrids and H2O2, and the transformation of Fe(III) to Fe(IV)=O without the formation of iron hydrate precipitation. Moreover, the intracellular molecular events during the CDT process were monitored. Phenylalanine metabolism was perturbed with protein degradation and DNA structures were damaged, which eventually lead to cell apoptosis. This study provides a significant guidance for the further development of more effective CDT platforms.

Repeatability of small lung nodule measurement in low-dose lung screening: a phantom study.

BACKGROUND: Lung cancer screening revealed that people with small pulmonary nodules are mostly asymptomatic and that some of these people are at risk of developing lung cancer, so we intended to explore the repeatability of small lung nodule measurement in low-dose lung screening. METHODS: We scanned eight ground-glass nodules (GGNs) and solid nodules, with diameters of 3, 5, 8, and 10 mm. They were divided according to the different combination schemes of tube voltage (KV) and tube current (mA) as 70, 80, 100, and 120 KV, and currents of nine tubes were divided as 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, and 100 mAs. RESULTS: Compared with the conventional dose group (120 kVp, 100 mAs), the nodule diameter and solid nodule volume measured by all scanning combinations were more consistent (P > 0.05), the volumes of 10 mm GGNs combinations were consistent (P > 0.05), the volumes of 8 mm GGNs were consistent (P > 0.05), the volumes of 5 mm GGNs combinations were consistent (P > 0.05), and the volumes of 3 mm were consistent (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: In lung cancer screening, CT parameters should be as follows: tube voltage is more than 80 kVp, and tube current is 80 mAs in order to meet the requirements for the accurate measurement of the diameter and volume of pulmonary nodules.

Astragaloside IV attenuates high glucose-induced EMT by inhibiting the TGF-ß/Smad pathway in renal proximal tubular epithelial cells.

In the present study, we examined the molecular mechanism of astragaloside IV (AS-IV) in high glucose (HG)-induced epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in renal proximal tubular epithelial cells (PTCs). NRK-52E cell viability and apoptosis were determined by the cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay and flow cytometric analysis, respectively. Expressions of E-cadherin, N-cadherin, vimentin, and occludin were measured by Western blot, and those of E-cadherin and N-cadherin were additionally measured by immunofluorescence analysis. Transforming growth factor-ß1 (TGF-ß1) and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) expressions were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and Western blot. The expressions of Smad2, Smad3, phosphorylated-Smad2 (p-Smad2), and p-Smad3 were measured using Western blot. We found that AS-IV could recover NRK-52E cell viability and inhibit HG-induced cell apoptosis. TGF-ß1, α-SMA, Smad2, Smad3, p-Smad2, and p-Smad3 expressions were decreased in the AS-IV-treated groups compared with the HG group. Moreover, the expressions of E-cadherin and occludin were remarkably up-regulated and those of N-cadherin and vimentin were down-regulated in the AS-IV-treated groups compared with the HG group. Interestingly, the TGF-ß1 activator SRI-011381 hydrochloride had an antagonistic effect to AS-IV on HG-induced EMT behavior. In conclusion, AS-IV attenuates HG-induced EMT by inhibiting the TGF-ß/Smad pathway in renal PTCs.

Accurate quantitative detection of cell surface sialic acids with a background-free SERS probe.

Sialic acid (SA) is a special monosaccharide widely distributed at the termini of sugar chains on the cell surface, and its expression level is closely connected with various biological and pathological processes. Therefore, accurate quantitative detection of SA on cancer cell surface is of great significance for clinical diagnosis and therapy. Here, we developed a whole-surface accessible method of accurate SERS quantification of SA level on a single cell, in which silver nanoparticles functionalized with 4-mercaptophenylboric acid and 4-mercaptobenzenitrile was used as the background-free SERS probe. The cyano group on the nanoprobe showed a unique Raman shift at 2232 cm-1, where most of the biological samples have no Raman response. Meanwhile, the boronic acid group had high specificity to SA molecules at physiological pH. The expression level of SA can be accurately quantitated on the basis of the CN Raman signal. The average number of expressed SA molecules on the surface of a single HeLa cell was 4.6 × 107. And SERS imaging of a single cell was achieved at 2232 cm-1 without biological interference. We evaluated SA expression level on the surface of different cancer cells and dynamically monitored SA expression under the influence of drugs. The proposed approach is accurate as well as sensitive for background-free quantification of SA on cell surface, which is promising for revealing the relationship between tumors and cell surface glycosylation.

A nomogram to predict invasiveness in lung adenocarcinoma presenting as ground glass nodule.

BACKGROUND: Adenocarcinoma in situ, minimally invasive adenocarcinoma, and invasive adenocarcinoma (IA) can all appear as a ground glass opacity (GGO) on chest computed tomography (CT). However, their respective prognoses are considerably different. This study aimed to predict IA in radiological examinations of patients with GGO lesions. METHODS: We retrieved the clinical records and high-resolution CT (HRCT) images of 124 patients with GGO lesions, who underwent various lung resections between 2016 and 2017. Correlations between the imaging features of preoperative HRCT and the postoperative pathology were analyzed. Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, chi-square test, and one-way analysis of variance and multiple logistic regression were performed. A nomogram was developed and analyzed using a multiple logistic model. RESULTS: The maximum sensitivity and specificity were obtained at a cutoff value of -410 Hounsfield units (HU) for the mean CT value (m-CT), 10 mm for the maximum tumor dimension (MTD), and 0.25 for the consolidation tumor ratio (CTR). Further, there were significant differences in MTD, CTR, margin characteristics, air bronchogram, pleural indentation, and multiple GGOs (P<0.05). The independent predictive factors of IA included MTD [risk ratio (RR), 5.047; P=0.018], air bronchogram or vacuole sign (RR, 4.054; P=0.025), pleural retraction (RR, 4.742; P=0.008), and m-CT value (RR, 5.874; P =0.005). The scoring nomogram model was as follows: -3.50744 + 1.26374 × (MTD>10 mm=1) + 2.41978 × (m-CT value≥-410 HU=1) + 1.77779 × (with air bronchogram or vacuole sign=1) + 1.60913 × (with pleural retraction=1). The area under the ROC curve was 0.9. The cutoff score was -0.5502 with a sensitivity of 86.8% and a specificity of 78.9%. CONCLUSIONS: IA in patients with GGO lesions can be predicted by evaluating the MTD, m-CT value, air bronchogram, and pleural retraction on HRCT by using a nomogram model.

High sensitivity and non-background SERS detection of endogenous hydrogen sulfide in living cells using core-shell nanoparticles.

Endogenous hydrogen sulfide (H2S) exists in multiple physiological processes. In order to further understand the action mechanism of H2S in cells and human body, we proposed a smart surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) nanoprobe, Au core-4-mercaptobenzonitrile-Ag shell nanoparticle (Au@4-MBN@Ag), for the detection of endogenous H2S in living cells based on the reaction between Ag shell and sulfide species. 4-MBN was selected as the SERS reporter to avoid interference from cellular molecules. With the sulfide concentration increasing, the Ag2S constantly formed, and consequently the SERS signal intensity of Au@4-MBN@Ag gradually decreased owing to the weaker SERS activity of Ag2S. With the nanoprobes, this method not only offers a high sensitivity for H2S detection at an nM level, but also achieves the goal of non-background analysis. It displays satisfactory anti-interference capability and a good linear relationship with sulfide concentration ranging from 50 nM to 500 µM, and an estimated detection limit is 0.14 nM. The Au@4-MBN@Ag nanoprobes were successfully applied to detect endogenous H2S in living HepG2 cells stimulated by pyridoxal 5-phosphate monohydrate. This work offers a potential analytical method in the related research of H2S physiological function.

JMJD2A facilitates growth and inhibits apoptosis of cervical cancer cells by downregulating tumor suppressor miR­491­5p.

Cervical cancer remains the second most common malignancy for women worldwide. Jumonji domain containing 2A (JMJD2A), a member of the JmjC domain­containing family of JMJD2 proteins, is capable of regulating cancer­associated genes, including genes involved in the cell cycle, proliferation, apoptosis, invasion and metastasis. However, its role in human cervical cancer has yet to be elucidated. microRNA (miR)­491­5p, a mature form of miR­491, has been shown to function as a tumor suppressor gene in vitro by inducing apoptosis and inhibiting proliferation and invasion in various types of cancer. However, the underlying mechanism remains to be elucidated. In the present study it was observed that JMJD2A expression was significantly upregulated in human cervical cancer cell lines and cervical epithelial carcinoma tissues. A high JMJD2A level predicted poor overall and disease­free survival rate and may serve as an independent prognostic factor for adverse outcome. JMJD2A increased cervical cancer cell and colony numbers in vitro, increased the tumor weight in a mouse xenograft model, and decreased the apoptotic rate by downregulating the pro­apoptotic proteins Bax, p21 and active caspase­3, and upregulating the anti­apoptotic protein Bcl­2. Transfection experiments indicated that the role of JMJD2A in cervical cancer was mediated, at least in part, by the repression of miR­491­5p. In summary, JMJD2A was identified as an oncogenic protein in human cervical cancer that significantly affected cell and colony numbers, tumor weight and apoptosis via the downregulation of miR­491­5p, which acts as a tumor suppressor in cervical cancer. Therefore, JMJD2A may serve as a prognostic factor and potential target for intervention in cervical cancer.

Myocyte enhancer factor 2A promotes proliferation and its inhibition attenuates myogenic differentiation via myozenin 2 in bovine skeletal muscle myoblast.

Myocyte enhancer factor 2A (MEF2A) is widely distributed in various tissues or organs and plays crucial roles in multiple biological processes. To examine the potential effects of MEF2A on skeletal muscle myoblast, the functional role of MFE2A in myoblast proliferation and differentiation was investigated. In this study, we found that the mRNA expression level of Mef2a was dramatically increased during the myogenesis of bovine skeletal muscle primary myoblast. Overexpression of MEF2A significantly promoted myoblast proliferation, while knockdown of MEF2A inhibited the proliferation and differentiation of myoblast. RT-PCR and western blot analysis revealed that this positive effect of MEF2A on the proliferation of myoblast was carried out by triggering cell cycle progression by activating CDK2 protein expression. Besides, MEF2A was found to be an important transcription factor that bound to the myozenin 2 (MyoZ2) proximal promoter and performed upstream of MyoZ2 during myoblast differentiation. This study provides the first experimental evidence that MEF2A is a positive regulator in skeletal muscle myoblast proliferation and suggests that MEF2A regulates myoblast differentiation via regulating MyoZ2.