CARM1 hypermethylates the NuRD chromatin remodeling complex to promote cell cycle gene expression and breast cancer development.

Protein arginine methyltransferase CARM1 has been shown to methylate a large number of non-histone proteins, and play important roles in gene transcriptional activation, cell cycle progress, and tumorigenesis. However, the critical substrates through which CARM1 exerts its functions remain to be fully characterized. Here, we reported that CARM1 directly interacts with the GATAD2A/2B subunit in the nucleosome remodeling and deacetylase (NuRD) complex, expanding the activities of NuRD to include protein arginine methylation. CARM1 and NuRD bind and activate a large cohort of genes with implications in cell cycle control to facilitate the G1 to S phase transition. This gene activation process requires CARM1 to hypermethylate GATAD2A/2B at a cluster of arginines, which is critical for the recruitment of the NuRD complex. The clinical significance of this gene activation mechanism is underscored by the high expression of CARM1 and NuRD in breast cancers, and the fact that knockdown CARM1 and NuRD inhibits cancer cell growth in vitro and tumorigenesis in vivo. Targeting CARM1-mediated GATAD2A/2B methylation with CARM1 specific inhibitors potently inhibit breast cancer cell growth in vitro and tumorigenesis in vivo. These findings reveal a gene activation program that requires arginine methylation established by CARM1 on a key chromatin remodeler, and targeting such methylation might represent a promising therapeutic avenue in the clinic.

Adenosine mediates the amelioration of social novelty deficits during rhythmic light treatment of 16p11.2 deletion female mice.

Non-invasive brain stimulation therapy for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has shown beneficial effects. Recently, we and others demonstrated that visual sensory stimulation using rhythmic 40 Hz light flicker effectively improved cognitive deficits in mouse models of Alzheimer's disease and stroke. However, whether rhythmic visual 40 Hz light flicker stimulation can ameliorate behavioral deficits in ASD remains unknown. Here, we show that 16p11.2 deletion female mice exhibit a strong social novelty deficit, which was ameliorated by treatment with a long-term 40 Hz light stimulation. The elevated power of local-field potential (LFP) in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) of 16p11.2 deletion female mice was also effectively reduced by 40 Hz light treatment. Importantly, the 40 Hz light flicker reversed the excessive excitatory neurotransmission of PFC pyramidal neurons without altering the firing rate and the number of resident PFC neurons. Mechanistically, 40 Hz light flicker evoked adenosine release in the PFC to modulate excessive excitatory neurotransmission of 16p11.2 deletion female mice. Elevated adenosine functioned through its cognate A1 receptor (A1R) to suppress excessive excitatory neurotransmission and to alleviate social novelty deficits. Indeed, either blocking the A1R using a specific antagonist DPCPX or knocking down the A1R in the PFC using a shRNA completely ablated the beneficial effects of 40 Hz light flicker. Thus, this study identified adenosine as a novel neurochemical mediator for ameliorating social novelty deficit by reducing excitatory neurotransmission during 40 Hz light flicker treatment. The 40 Hz light stimulation warrants further development as a non-invasive ASD therapeutics.

High abundance of solar wind-derived water in lunar soils from the middle latitude.

Remote sensing data revealed that the presence of water (OH/H2O) on the Moon is latitude-dependent and probably time-of-day variation, suggesting a solar wind (SW)-originated water with a high degassing loss rate on the lunar surface. However, it is unknown whether or not the SW-derived water in lunar soil grains can be preserved beneath the surface. We report ion microprobe analyses of hydrogen abundances, and deuterium/hydrogen ratios of the lunar soil grains returned by the Chang'e-5 mission from a higher latitude than previous missions. Most of the grain rims (topmost ~100 nm) show high abundances of hydrogen (1,116 to 2,516 ppm) with extremely low δD values (-908 to -992‰), implying nearly exclusively a SW origin. The hydrogen-content depth distribution in the grain rims is phase-dependent, either bell-shaped for glass or monotonic decrease for mineral grains. This reveals the dynamic equilibrium between implantation and outgassing of SW-hydrogen in soil grains on the lunar surface. Heating experiments on a subset of the grains further demonstrate that the SW-implanted hydrogen could be preserved after burial. By comparing with the Apollo data, both observations and simulations provide constraints on the governing role of temperature (latitude) on hydrogen implantation/migration in lunar soils. We predict an even higher abundance of hydrogen in the grain rims in the lunar polar regions (average ~9,500 ppm), which corresponds to an estimation of the bulk water content of ~560 ppm in the polar soils assuming the same grain size distribution as Apollo soils, consistent with the orbit remote sensing result.

Singlet oxygen induces cell wall thickening and stomatal density reducing by transcriptome reprogramming.

Singlet oxygen (1O2) has a very short half-life of 10-5 s; however, it is a strong oxidant that causes growth arrest and necrotic lesions on plants. Its signaling pathway remains largely unknown. The Arabidopsis flu (fluorescent) mutant accumulates a high level of 1O2 and shows drastic changes in nuclear gene expression. Only two plastid proteins, EX1 (executer 1) and EX2 (executer 2), have been identified in the singlet oxygen signaling. Here, we found that the transcription factor abscisic acid insensitive 4 (ABI4) binds the promoters of genes responsive to 1O2-signals. Inactivation of the ABI4 protein in the flu/abi4 double mutant was sufficient to compromise the changes of almost all 1O2-responsive-genes and rescued the lethal phenotype of flu grown under light/dark cycles, similar to the flu/ex1/ex2 triple mutant. In addition to cell death, we reported for the first time that 1O2 also induces cell wall thickening and stomatal development defect. Contrastingly, no apparent growth arrest was observed for the flu mutant under normal light/dim light cycles, but the cell wall thickening (doubled) and stomatal density reduction (by two-thirds) still occurred. These results offer a new idea for breeding stress tolerant plants.

Population genetic structure of Culex tritaeniorhynchus in different types of climatic zones in China.

BACKGROUND: Culex tritaeniorhynchus is widely distributed in China, from Hainan Island in the south to Heilongjiang in the north, covering tropical, subtropical, and temperate climate zones. Culex tritaeniorhynchus carries 19 types of arboviruses. It is the main vector of the Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), posing a serious threat to human health. Understanding the effects of environmental factors on Culex tritaeniorhynchus can provide important insights into its population structure or isolation patterns, which is currently unclear. RESULTS: In total, 138 COI haplotypes were detected in the 552 amplified sequences, and the haplotype diversity (Hd) value increased from temperate (0.534) to tropical (0.979) regions. The haplotype phylogeny analysis revealed that the haplotypes were divided into two high-support evolutionary branches. Temperate populations were predominantly distributed in evolutionary branch II, showing some genetic isolation from tropical/subtropical populations and less gene flow between groups. The neutral test results of HNQH (Qionghai) and HNHK(Haikou) populations were negative (P < 0.05), indicating many low-frequency mutations in the populations and that the populations might be in the process of expansion. Moreover, Wolbachia infection was detected only in SDJN (Jining) (2.24%), and all Wolbachia genotypes belonged to supergroup B. To understand the influence of environmental factors on mosquito-borne viruses, we examined the prevalence of Culex tritaeniorhynchus infection in three ecological environments in Shandong Province. We discovered that the incidence of JEV infection was notably greater in Culex tritaeniorhynchus from lotus ponds compared to those from irrigation canal regions. In this study, the overall JEV infection rate was 15.27 per 1000, suggesting the current risk of Japanese encephalitis outbreaks in Shandong Province. CONCLUSIONS: Tropical and subtropical populations of Culex tritaeniorhynchus showed higher genetic diversity and those climatic conditions provide great advantages for the establishment and expansion of Culex tritaeniorhynchus. There are differences in JEV infection rates in wild populations of Culex tritaeniorhynchus under different ecological conditions. Our results suggest a complex interplay of genetic differentiation, population structure, and environmental factors in shaping the dynamics of Culex tritaeniorhynchus. The low prevalence of Wolbachia in wild populations may reflect the recent presence of Wolbachia invasion in Culex tritaeniorhynchus.

Boosting Photocatalytic CO2 Methanation through Interface Fusion over CdS Quantum Dot Aerogels.

In the field of photocatalytic CO2 reduction, quantum dot (QD) assemblies have emerged as promising candidate photocatalysts due to their superior light absorption and better substrate adsorption. However, the poor contacts within QD assemblies lead to low interfacial charge transfer efficiency, making QD assemblies suffer from unsatisfactory photocatalytic performance. Herein, a novel approach is presented involving the construction of strongly interfacial fused CdS QD assemblies (CdS QD gel) for CO2 reduction. The novel CdS QD gel demonstrates outstanding photocatalytic performance for CO2 methanation, achieving a CH4 generation rate of ≈296 µmol g-1 h-1, with a selectivity surpassing 76% and an apparent quantum yield (AQY) of 1.4%. Further investigations reveal that the robust interfacial fusion in these CdS QDs not only boosts their ability to absorb visible light but also significantly promotes charge separation. The present work paves the way for utilizing QD gel photocatalysts in realizing efficient CO2 reduction and highlights the critical role of interfacial engineering in photocatalysts.

YY1: a key regulator inhibits gastric cancer ferroptosis and mediating apatinib-resistance.

OBJECTIVE: Gastric cancer (GC) stands as a prevalent and deadly global malignancy. Despite its role as a preoperative neoadjuvant therapy, Apatinib's effectiveness is curtailed among GC patients exhibiting elevated YY1 expression. YY1's connection to adverse prognosis, drug resistance, and GC metastasis is established, yet the precise underlying mechanisms remain elusive. This study aims to unravel potential pathogenic pathways attributed to YY1. DESIGN: Utilizing bioinformatics analysis, we conducted differentially expressed genes, functional annotation, and pathway enrichment analyses, and further validation through cellular and animal experiments. RESULTS: Higher YY1 expression correlated with diminished postoperative progression-free survival (PFS) and disease-specific survival (DSS) rates in TCGA analysis, identifying YY1 as an independent DSS indicator in gastric cancer (GC) patients. Notably, YY1 exhibited significantly elevated expression in tumor tissues compared to adjacent normal tissues. Bioinformatics analysis revealed noteworthy differentially expressed genes (DEGs), transcriptional targets, factors, and co-expressed genes associated with YY1. LASSO Cox analysis unveiled Transferrin as a prospective pivotal protein regulated by YY1, with heightened expression linked to adverse DSS and PFS outcomes. YY1's role in governing the p53 signaling pathway and ferroptosis in GC cells was further elucidated. Moreover, YY1 overexpression dampened immune cell infiltration within GC tumors. Additionally, YY1 overexpression hindered GC cell ferroptosis and mediated Apatinib resistance via the p53 pathway. Remarkably, IFN-a demonstrated efficacy in reversing Apatinib resistance and immune suppression in GC tissues. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings underscore the pivotal role of YY1 in driving GC progression and influencing prognosis, thus pinpointing it as a promising therapeutic target to enhance patient outcomes.

Research progress of the chemokine/chemokine receptor axes in the oncobiology of multiple myeloma (MM).

BACKGROUND: The incidence of multiple myeloma (MM), a type of blood cancer affecting monoclonal plasma cells, is rising. Although new drugs and therapies have improved patient outcomes, MM remains incurable. Recent studies have highlighted the crucial role of the chemokine network in MM's pathological mechanism. Gaining a better understanding of this network and creating an overview of chemokines in MM could aid in identifying potential biomarkers and developing new therapeutic strategies and targets. PURPOSE: To summarize the complicated role of chemokines in MM, discuss their potential as biomarkers, and introduce several treatments based on chemokines. METHODS: Pubmed, Web of Science, ICTRP, and Clinical Trials were searched for articles and research related to chemokines. Publications published within the last 5 years are selected. RESULTS: Malignant cells can utilize chemokines, including CCL2, CCL3, CCL5, CXCL7, CXCL8, CXCL12, and CXCL13 to evade apoptosis triggered by immune cells or medication, escape from bone marrow and escalate bone lesions. Other chemokines, including CXCL4, CCL19, and CXCL10, may aid in recruiting immune cells, increasing their cytotoxicity against cancer cells, and inducing apoptosis of malignant cells. CONCLUSION: Utilizing anti-tumor chemokines or blocking pro-tumor chemokines may provide new therapeutic strategies for managing MM. Inspired by developed CXCR4 antagonists, including plerixafor, ulocuplumab, and motixafortide, more small molecular antagonists or antibodies for pro-tumor chemokine ligands and their receptors can be developed and used in clinical practice. Along with inhibiting pro-tumor chemokines, studies suggest combining chemokines with chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T therapy is promising and efficient.

Understanding the nutritional benefits through plant proteins-probiotics interactions: mechanisms, challenges, and perspectives.

The nutritional benefits of combining probiotics with plant proteins have sparked increasing research interest and drawn significant attention. The interactions between plant proteins and probiotics demonstrate substantial potential for enhancing the functionality of plant proteins. Fermented plant protein foods offer a unique blend of bioactive components and beneficial microorganisms that can enhance gut health and combat chronic diseases. Utilizing various probiotic strains and plant protein sources opens doors to develop innovative probiotic products with enhanced functionalities. Nonetheless, the mechanisms and synergistic effects of these interactions remain not fully understood. This review aims to delve into the roles of promoting health through the intricate interplay of plant proteins and probiotics. The regulatory mechanisms have been elucidated to showcase the synergistic effects, accompanied by a discussion on the challenges and future research prospects. It is essential to recognize that the interactions between plant proteins and probiotics encompass multiple mechanisms, highlighting the need for further research to address challenges in achieving a comprehensive understanding of these mechanisms and their associated health benefits.

Prominent Intrinsic Proton Conduction in Two Robust Zr/Hf Metal-Organic Frameworks Assembled by Bithiophene Dicarboxylate.

To date, developing crystalline proton-conductive metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with an inherent excellent proton-conducting ability and structural stability has been a critical priority in addressing the technologies required for sustainable development and energy storage. Bearing this in mind, a multifunctional organic ligand, 3,4-dimethylthiophene[2,3-b]thiophene-2,5-dicarboxylic acid (H2DTD), was employed to generate two exceptionally stable three-dimensional porous Zr/Hf MOFs, [Zr6O4(OH)4(DTD)6]·5DMF·H2O (Zr-DTD) and [Hf6O4(OH)4(DTD)6]·4DMF·H2O (Hf-DTD), using solvothermal means. The presence of Zr6 or Hf6 nodes, strong Zr/Hf-O bonds, the electrical influence of the methyl group, and the steric effect of the thiophene unit all contribute to their structural stability throughout a wide pH range as well as in water. Their proton conductivity was fully examined at various relative humidities (RHs) and temperatures. Creating intricate and rich H-bonded networks between the guest water molecules, coordination solvent molecules, thiophene-S, -COOH, and -OH units within the framework assisted proton transfer. As a result, both MOFs manifest the maximum proton conductivity of 0.67 × 10-2 and 4.85 × 10-3 S·cm-1 under 98% RH/100 °C, making them the top-performing proton-conductive Zr/Hf-MOFs. Finally, by combining structural characteristics and activation energies, potential proton conduction pathways for the two MOFs were identified.

Recent approaches for the synthesis of heterocycles from amidines via a metal catalyzed C-H functionalization reaction.

Transition metal catalyzed C-H bond activation has become one of the most important tools for constructing new chemical bonds. Introducing directing groups to the substrates is the key to a successful reaction, these directing groups can also be further transformed in the reaction. Amidines with their unique structure and reactivity are ideal substrates for transition metal-catalyzed C-H transformations. This review describes the major advances and mechanistic investigations of the C-H activation/annulation tandem reactions of amidines until early 2024, focusing on metal-catalyzed C-H activation of amidines with unsaturated compounds, such as alkynes, ketone, vinylene carbonate, cyclopropanols and their derivatives. Meanwhile this manuscript also explores the reaction of amidines with different carbene precursors, for example diazo compounds, azide, triazoles, pyriodotriazoles, and sulfoxonium ylides as well as their own C-H bond activation/cyclization reactions. A bright outlook is provided at the end of the manuscript.

Beneficial effects of time-restricted fasting on cardiovascular disease risk factors: a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular disease continues to be a leading cause of mortality worldwide, highlighting the need to explore innovative approaches to improve cardiovascular health outcomes. Time-restricted fasting (TRF) is a dietary intervention that involves limiting the time window for food consumption. It has gained attention for its potential benefits on metabolic health and weight management. This study aims to investigate the impact of TRF on key risk factors, including body weight, glucose metabolism, blood pressure, and lipid profile. METHODS: We conducted a systematic search in five databases (Scopus, Embase, PubMed, Cochrane, and Web of Science) for relevant studies up to January 2023. After applying inclusion criteria, 12 studies were eligible for analysis. Quality assessment was conducted using the ROB-2.0 tool and ROBINS-I. Risk of bias was mapped using Revman 5.3, and data analysis included Hartung-Knapp adjustment using R 4.2.2. RESULTS: The group that underwent the TRF intervention exhibited a significant decrease in body weight (SMD: -0.22; 95%CI: -0.41, -0.04; P < 0.05) and fat mass (SMD: -0.19; 95%CI: -0.36, -0.02; P < 0.05), while maintaining lean mass (SMD: -0.09; 95%CI: -0.08, 0.26; P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: TRF has shown potential as a treatment strategy for reducing total body weight by targeting adipose tissue, with potential improvements in cardiometabolic function.

PRMT6 functionally associates with PRMT5 to promote colorectal cancer progression through epigenetically repressing the expression of CDKN2B and CCNG1.

BACKGROUND: Protein arginine methyltransferase 6 (PRMT6) is a type I arginine methyltransferase that asymmetrically dimethylates histone H3 arginine 2 (H3R2me2a). However, the biological roles and underlying molecular mechanisms of PRMT6 in colorectal cancer (CRC) remain unclear. METHODS: PRMT6 expression in CRC tissue was examined using immunohistochemistry. The effect of PRMT6 on CRC cells was investigated in vitro and in vivo. Mass spectrometry, co-immunoprecipitation and GST pulldown assays were performed to identify interaction partners of PRMT6. RNA-seq, chromatin immunoprecipitation, Western blot and qRT-PCR assays were used to investigate the mechanism of PRMT6 in gene regulation. RESULTS: PRMT6 is significantly upregulated in CRC tissues and facilitates cell proliferation of CRC cells in vitro and in vivo. Through RNA-seq analysis, CDKN2B (p15INK4b) and CCNG1 were identified as new transcriptional targets of PRMT6. PRMT6-dependent H3R2me2a mark was predominantly deposited at the promoters of CDKN2B and CCNG1 in CRC cells. Furthermore, PRMT5 was firstly characterized as an interaction partner of PRMT6. Notably, H3R2me2a coincides with PRMT5-mediated H4R3me2s and H3R8me2s marks at the promoters of CDKN2B and CCNG1 genes, thus leading to transcriptional repression of these genes. CONCLUSIONS: PRMT6 functionally associates with PRMT5 to promote CRC progression through epigenetically repressing the expression of CDKN2B and CCNG1. These insights raise the possibility that combinational intervention of PRMT6 and PRMT5 may be a promising strategy for CRC therapy.

CCDC92 promotes podocyte injury by regulating PA28α/ABCA1/cholesterol efflux axis in type 2 diabetic mice.

Podocyte lipotoxicity mediated by impaired cellular cholesterol efflux plays a crucial role in the development of diabetic kidney disease (DKD), and the identification of potential therapeutic targets that regulate podocyte cholesterol homeostasis has clinical significance. Coiled-coil domain containing 92 (CCDC92) is a novel molecule related to metabolic disorders and insulin resistance. However, whether the expression level of CCDC92 is changed in kidney parenchymal cells and the role of CCDC92 in podocytes remain unclear. In this study, we found that Ccdc92 was significantly induced in glomeruli from type 2 diabetic mice, especially in podocytes. Importantly, upregulation of Ccdc92 in glomeruli was positively correlated with an increased urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR) and podocyte loss. Functionally, podocyte-specific deletion of Ccdc92 attenuated proteinuria, glomerular expansion and podocyte injury in mice with DKD. We further demonstrated that Ccdc92 contributed to lipid accumulation by inhibiting cholesterol efflux, finally promoting podocyte injury. Mechanistically, Ccdc92 promoted the degradation of ABCA1 by regulating PA28α-mediated proteasome activity and then reduced cholesterol efflux. Thus, our studies indicate that Ccdc92 contributes to podocyte injury by regulating the PA28α/ABCA1/cholesterol efflux axis in DKD.

Effects of whole grains on glycemic control: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies and randomized controlled trials.

PURPOSE: Whole grains have recently been promoted as beneficial to diabetes prevention. However, the evidence for the glycemic benefits of whole grains seems to conflict between the cohort studies and randomized control trials (RCTs). To fill the research gap, we conducted a meta-analysis to determine the effects of whole grains on diabetes prevention and to inform recommendations. METHODS: We searched PubMed, Clarivate Web of Science, and Cochrane Library until March 2024. We used the risk ratio (RR) of type 2 diabetes to represent the clinical outcomes for cohort studies, while the biomarkers, including fasting blood glucose and insulin, HbA1C, and HOMA-IR, were utilized to show outcomes for RCTs. Dose-response relationships between whole grain intakes and outcomes were tested with random effects meta-regression models and restricted cubic splines models. This study is registered with PROSPERO, CRD42021281639. RESULTS: Ten prospective cohort studies and 37 RCTs were included. Cohort studies suggested a 50 g/day whole grain intake reduced the risk of type 2 diabetes (RR = 0.761, 95% CI: 0.700 to 0.828, I2 = 72.39%, P < 0.001) and indicated a monotonic inverse relationship between whole grains and type 2 diabetes rate. In RCTs, whole grains significantly reduced fasting blood glucose (Mean difference (MD) = -0.103 mmol/L, 95% CI: -0.178 to -0.028; I2 = 72.99%, P < 0.01) and had modest effects on HbA1C (MD = -0.662 mmol/mol (-0.06%), 95% CI: -1.335 to 0.010; I2 = 64.55%, P = 0.05) and HOMA-IR (MD = -0.164, 95% CI: -0.342 to 0.013; I2 = 33.38%, P = 0.07). The intake of whole grains and FBG, HbA1C, and HOMA-IR were significantly dose-dependent. The restricted spline curves remained flat up to 150 g/day and decreased afterward. Subgroup analysis showed that interventions with multiple whole-grain types were more effective than those with a single type. CONCLUSION: Our study findings suggest that a daily intake of more than 150 g of whole grain ingredients is recommended as a population approach for diabetes prevention.

CSF1 is expressed by the intestinal epithelial cells to regulate Mφ macrophages and maintain epithelial homeostasis and is downregulated in neonates with necrotizing enterocolitis.

BACKGROUND: Colony stimulating factor 1 (CSF1) is generally expressed by immune cells in response to pro-inflammatory stimuli. The CSF1 receptor (CSFR) is activated by CSF1, and plays a key role in macrophage homeostasis. Furthermore, the CSF1R+ macrophages maintain homeostasis in the intestinal epithelium. The aim of this study was to explore the functions of CSF1-expressing and CSF1R+ macrophages in necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), which commonly affects the ileum of neonates. METHODS: In-situ CSF1 expression in the intestines of neonates with NEC or intestinal atresia (n = 4 each) was detected by immunofluorescence staining. The CSF1 levels in the intestinal crypt-derived organoid cultures were measured by ELISA. Peripheral blood monocyte-derived Mφ macrophages were co-cultured with the organoids and stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to mimic the inflamed state of the ileum in NEC patients. RESULTS: CSF1 was expressed in the intestinal epithelial cells of the fetal and neonatal samples, but suppressed in the NEC samples. Furthermore, CSF1 expression was downregulated in the intestinal crypt-derived organoids by LPS. CSF1R+ macrophages were detected near the intestinal crypts in the non-inflamed intestines but were absent in tissues obtained from pediatric NEC patients. Peripheral blood monocyte-derived macrophages promoted intestinal organoid proliferation in vitro following CSF1 stimulation. Finally, low concentrations of LPS slightly enhanced the proliferation of organoids co-cultured with the macrophages, whereas higher doses had a significant inhibitory effect. CONCLUSIONS: Intestinal epithelial cells express CSF1 to regulate the resident macrophages, maintain epithelial homeostasis, and resist infection. The abundant CSF1R+ macrophages in the fetal intestine may overexpress TNF-α upon activation of the TLR4/NF-κB pathway, resulting in epithelial damage and NEC induction.

Identification and Validation of Basement Membrane Related LncRNA Signatures as a Novel Prognostic Model for Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a significant cancer with limited treatments and a poor prognosis, with the basement membrane (BM) playing a crucial role in its initiation and growth. This study utilized data from The Cancer Genome Atlas and the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases to identify basement membrane-related genes differentially expressed in HCC. Through gene co-expression analysis, BM-associated long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) were discovered. LncRNAs related to HCC survival were selected via univariate analysis, and a prognostic model was constructed using LASSO regression and multivariate analysis. This model effectively classified HCC patients into high and low-risk groups, uncovering significant differences in prognosis, immune response, mutation, and drug sensitivity. Six BM-related lncRNAs (GSEC, MIR4435-2HG, AC092614.1, AC127521.1, LINC02580, and AC008050.1) were validated in normal and HCC cell lines, and the key role of AC092614.1 in regulating proliferation, migration, and invasion of HCC cells in vitro was explored. This research emphasizes the prognostic and therapeutic relevance of BM-related lncRNAs in HCC, highlighting AC092614.1's role in disease progression and as a potential target for targeted therapy.

The impact of metals on cognitive impairment in the elderly and the mediating role of oxidative stress: A cross-sectional study in Shanghai, China.

Cognitive impairment (CI) is a prodrome of many neurodegenerative diseases with complex and unclear pathogenesis. Metal exposure has been found to be associated with CI, but existing population studies are scarce and have the limitations of single outcome and ignoring mixed exposures. This cross-sectional study was conducted in Shanghai, China, enrolling 836 seniors aged over 60 years to investigate the relationship between combined metal exposure (Lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), and mercury (Hg)) and CI in the elderly and the mediating effect of oxidative stress. It was found that there were significant differences in urinary Pb, Cd, Hg and blood Pb levels between the CI and normal groups. Urinary Pb and Cd levels were significantly negatively correlated with Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) score, amyloid ß42 (Aß42), and Aß42/40, while urinary Cd, Hg and blood Hg were significantly positively correlated with phosphorylated tau protein (P-tau). Weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression indicated that combined metal exposure had a more significant effect on CI than individual exposure. Mediation modeling revealed that plasma superoxide dismutase (SOD) was involved in the effects of urinary Cd on Aß42/40 and P-tau, with mediation effects accounting for 20 % of the total effect. This study emphasized the combined exposure to metals, and the results can help to properly understand the association between mixed metals exposure and CI in the elderly, as well as provide population data and theoretical basis for identifying early environmental risk factors and discovering potential mechanisms of CI.

Insights into the effects of chronic combined chromium-nickel exposure on colon damage in mice through transcriptomic analysis and in vitro gastrointestinal digestion assay.

Heavy metals interact with each other in a coexisting manner to produce complex combined toxicity to organisms. At present, the toxic effects of chronic co-exposure to heavy metals hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] and divalent nickel [Ni(II)] on organisms are seldom studied and the related mechanisms are poorly understood. In this study, we explored the mechanism of the colon injury in mice caused by chronic exposure to Cr or/and Ni. The results showed that, compared with the control group, Cr or/and Ni chronic exposure affected the body weight of mice, and led to infiltration of inflammatory cells in the colon, decreased the number of goblet cells, fusion of intracellular mucus particles and damaged cell structure of intestinal epithelial. In the Cr or/and Ni exposure group, the activity of nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) increased, the expression levels of MUC2 were significantly down-regulated, and those of ZO-1 and Occludin were significantly up-regulated. Interestingly, factorial analysis revealed an interaction between Cr and Ni, which was manifested as antagonistic effects on iNOS activity, ZO-1 and MUC2 mRNA expression levels. Transcriptome sequencing further revealed that the expression of genes-related to inflammation, intestinal mucus and tight junctions changed obviously. Moreover, the relative contents of Cr(VI) and Ni(II) in the Cr, Ni and Cr+Ni groups all changed with in-vitro gastrointestinal （IVG）digestion, especially in the Cr+Ni group. Our results indicated that the chronic exposure to Cr or/and Ni can lead to damage to the mice colon, and the relative content changes of Cr(VI) and Ni(II) might be the main reason for the antagonistic effect of Cr+Ni exposure on the colon damage.

Phthalate exposure and markers of biological aging: The mediating role of inflammation and moderating role of dietary nutrient intake.

Limited evidence has suggested a relationship between phthalate exposure and biological aging. This study investigated the association between phthalate exposure and biological aging, focusing on the mediating role of inflammation and the interaction with dietary nutrient intake. Data were analyzed from a nationwide cross-sectional survey comprising 12,994 participants aged 18 and above. Eight phthalate metabolites were detected in spot urine samples. Biological aging was assessed using the Klemera-Doubal method-biological age (KDM-BA) acceleration, phenotypic age (PA) acceleration, and homeostatic dysregulation (HD). The systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) evaluated systemic inflammation. The individual and combined associations between phthalate exposure and biological aging were assessed using linear regression, weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression, and quantile g-computation (qgcomp). The participants had a mean age of 47 years, with 50.7 % male and 44.8 % non-Hispanic white. Most phthalate metabolites were positively correlated with KDM-BA acceleration (ß = 0.306-0.584), PA acceleration (ß = 0.081-0.281), and HD (ß = 0.016-0.026). Subgroup analysis indicated that men, older individuals, and non-Hispanic whites are particularly sensitive populations. WQS regression and qgcomp analyses consistently indicated a positive association between mixed phthalate exposure and HD, highlighting MEHHP as the most significant contributing metabolite. Mediation analyses showed inflammation partially mediated the association between phthalate metabolites and biological aging. Significant interactions regarding biological aging were found between specific phthalate metabolites and dietary nutrients (carotenoids, vitamins A, B1, B2, B6, B12, niacin, and selenium) intake. These findings indicated that the association between phthalate exposure and biological aging was mediated by inflammation, with nutrient intake mitigating this effect.