Modulation of Neuroinflammation: Advances in Roles and Mechanisms of the IL-33/ST2 Axis Involved in Ischemic Stroke.

Interleukin (IL)-33 was initially recognized as a constituent of the IL-1 cytokine family in 2005. It exerts pleiotropic effects by regulating immune responses via its binding to the receptor ST2 (IL-33R). The IL-33/ST2 pathway has been linked to several inflammatory disorders. In human and rodents, the broad expression of IL-33 in spinal cord tissues and brain indicates its central nervous system-specific functions. Growing evidence supports the protective effects of the IL-33/ST2 pathway in ischemic stroke, along with a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms. IL-33 plays a crucial role in the regulation of the release of inflammatory molecules from glial cells in response to neuropathological lesions. Moreover, IL-33/ST2-mediated neuroprotection following cerebral ischemia may be linked to T-cell function, specifically regulatory T cells. Soluble ST2 (sST2) acts as a decoy receptor in the IL-33/ST2 axis, blocking IL-33 signaling through the membrane ST2 receptor. sST2 has also been identified as a potential inflammatory biomarker of ischemic stroke. Targeting sST2 specifically to eliminate its inhibition of the protective IL-33/ST2 pathway in ischemic brain tissues is a promising approach for the treatment of ischemic stroke.

[Discussion on Design of Clinical Trial Protocol of Laser Medical Devices].

Guidance and reference are provided for protocol designer. The classification of laser medical devices are introduced. The key points such as the selection of control group, evaluation indicators and method, criteria of inclusion and exclusion, and application of blinded, etc. are discussed, and the importance of management of defects in medical device is emphasized.

Apoptosis of Acanthamoeba castellanii Trophozoites Induced by Oleic Acid.

Acanthamoeba spp. can be parasitic in certain situations and are responsible for serious human infections, including Acanthamoeba keratitis, granulomatous amoebic encephalitis, and cutaneous acanthamoebiasis. We analyzed the fatty acid composition of Acanthamoeba castellanii trophozoites and tested the inhibitory activity of the main fatty acids, oleic acid and arachidonic acid, in vitro. Oleic acid markedly inhibited the growth of A. castellanii, with trophozoite viability of 57.4% at a concentration of 200 µM. Caspase-3 staining and annexin V assays showed that apoptotic death occurred in A. castellanii trophozoites. Quantitative PCR and dot blot analysis showed increased levels of metacaspase and interleukin-1ß converting enzyme, which is also an indication of apoptosis. In contrast, arachidonic acid showed negligible inhibition of growth of A. castellanii trophozoites. Stimulated expression of Atg3, Atg8 and LC3A/B genes and monodansylcadaverine labeling suggested that oleic acid induces apoptosis by triggering autophagy of trophozoites.

Characterization of protein expression levels with label-free detected reverse phase protein arrays.

In reverse-phase protein arrays (RPPA), one immobilizes complex samples (e.g., cellular lysate, tissue lysate or serum etc.) on solid supports and performs parallel reactions of antibodies with immobilized protein targets from the complex samples. In this work, we describe a label-free detection of RPPA that enables quantification of RPPA data and thus facilitates comparison of studies performed on different samples and on different solid supports. We applied this detection platform to characterization of phosphoserine aminotransferase (PSAT) expression levels in Acanthamoeba lysates treated with artemether and the results were confirmed by Western blot studies.

[Analysis on volatile components of Ficus carica fruit].

OBJECTIVE: To Analyze the volatile chemical components of Ficus carica fruits. METHODS: The volatile components of Ficus carica fruits were extracted by the three extraction methods such as SPME, SD and SE, and then analyzed by GC-MS. RESULTS: A total of 91 peaks were identified by GC-MS. 61 compounds came from the extraction methods of SPME, 7 compounds from SD, and 30 compounds from SE. CONCLUSION: The volatile components extracted by the three methods are not quite similar. Among of them, the volatile components extracted by SPME method are the most and have the highest resolution.

Simultaneous quantification of co-administered trastuzumab and pertuzumab in serum based on nano-surface and molecular-orientation limited (nSMOL) proteolysis.

Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are pivotal therapeutic agents for various diseases, and effective treatment hinges on attaining a specific threshold concentration of mAbs in patients. With the rising adoption of combination therapy involving multiple mAbs, there arises a clinical demand for multiplexing assays capable of measuring the concentrations of these mAbs. However, minimizing the complexity of serum samples while achieving rapid and accurate quantification is difficult. In this work, we introduced a novel method termed nano-surface and molecular orientation limited (nSMOL) proteolysis for the fragment of antigen binding (Fab) region-selective proteolysis of co-administered trastuzumab and pertuzumab based on the pore size difference between the protease nanoparticles (∼200 nm) and the resin-captured antibody (∼100 nm). The hydrolyzed peptide fragments were then quantified using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). In this process, the digestion time is shortened, and the produced digestive peptides are greatly reduced, thereby minimizing sample complexity and increasing detection accuracy. Assay linearity was confirmed within the ranges of 0.200-200 µg mL-1 for trastuzumab and 0.300-200 µg mL-1 for pertuzumab. The intra- and inter-day precision was within 9.52% and 8.32%, except for 12.5% and 10.8% for the lower limit of quantitation, and the accuracy (bias%) was within 6.3%. Additionally, other validation parameters were evaluated, and all the results met the acceptance criteria of the guiding principles. Our method demonstrated accuracy and selectivity for the simultaneous determination of trastuzumab and pertuzumab in clinical samples, addressing the limitation of ligand binding assays incapable of simultaneously quantifying mAbs targeting the same receptor. This proposed assay provides a promising technical approach for realizing clinical individualized precise treatment, especially for co-administered mAbs.

Molecular beacon-peptide probe based double recycling amplification for multiplexed detection of serum exosomal microRNAs.

Exosomal microRNAs (exomiRs) have been shown to play crucial roles as biomarkers for early detection and prognosis of cancer. However, simultaneous quantification of multiplex exomiRs is hindered by methods that require additional steps, such as labeling with fluorophores or gel visualization, which are susceptible to various factors. Herein, we developed a mass spectrometry-detectable and target-triggered method for multiplexed exomiR detection using three enzyme-based double recycling amplification in combination with well-designed molecular beacon-peptide (MBP) probes, called molecular beacon-peptide probe-based double recycling amplification (MBPDRA). MBP probes mediated the double recycling amplification reaction and were released as mass-detectable reporter peptides. In particular, the hybridization of the target microRNAs (miRNAs) with the stem-loop of the probe triggers two consecutive processes. The first cycle involved polymerase strand displacement amplification, leading to the production of complementary DNA (cycle I), and the second cycle encompassed the recycling exonuclease cleavage of the MBP probe (cycle II). Subsequently, excess probes were removed by interaction with streptavidin beads via biotin-streptavidin binding. The reporter peptides were released using trypsin and subsequently detected by mass spectrometry. Our method enables quantitative detection of multiple exomiRs with a dynamic range from 0.1 fM to 10 pM and a limit of quantification of 0.1 fM. Moreover, the proposed assay was successfully employed for quantification of three exomiRs, exmiR-21, exmiR-191, and exmiR-451a, in the sera of patients with pancreatic cancer. Based on these findings, we believe that the MBPDRA assay holds significant promise as a reliable method for quantifying multiple miRNAs in biomedical research and clinical diagnostics.

Prevalence and genetic diversity of Entamoeba species infecting macaques in southwest China.

Many colonies of macaques (Macaca fascicularis and Macaca mulatta) are maintained in China, especially in Guangxi and Guizhou. A total of 803 fresh stool samples infected with Entamoeba were obtained from three big colonies of macaques located in southwest China. The samples were examined for the presence of five Entamoeba species using PCR. Entamoeba nuttalli, Entamoeba dispar, Entamoeba coli, and Entamoeba chattoni infections were detected, but Entamoeba histolytica infection was not. This study is the first to report on the prevalence of E. nuttalli in wild macaques from China. Eighteen E. nuttalli isolates and five E. dispar isolates were obtained by culturing the samples in Tanabe-Chiba medium. The serine-rich protein (SRP), ribosomal RNA (rRNA), hexokinase (HXK), glucose-6-phosphate isomerase (GPI), and phosphoglucomutase (PGM) genes of E. nuttalli isolates were compared with other reported isolates. The results showed clear differences among the Chinese E. nuttalli isolates and other isolates based on the SRP gene sequences. However, HXK, GPI, and PGM genes of these strains were similar to those of other isolates. The rRNA genes of E. coli and E. chattoni were also amplified and analyzed from these samples. The results suggested that host species might be a more important factor than geographic location in amebic genetic diversity.

[Analysis of volatile constituents of Astragali Complanati semen by HS-SPME combined with GC-MS].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the compositions of volatile constituents in Astragali Complanati Semen. METHODS: The volatile constituents were extracted with headspace solid phase micro extraction (HS-SPME), and identified by GC-MS. RESULTS: 51 compounds were separated from Astragali Complanati Semen and 25 of them were identified, which made up 78.85% of the total amount. The main components obtained from Astragali Complanati Semen were L-Bornyl acetate (14.1%), Camphor (5.98%) and L(-)-Borneol (4.27%). CONCLUSION: The compounds in Astragali Complanati Semen are firstly confirmed,which provides scientific evidence for the development of Astragali Complanati Semen.

Simultaneous Quantification of Seven Antifungal Agents in Human Serum Using Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry.

Systemic antifungal agents are essential for high-risk patients undergoing immunosuppressive therapy or cancer chemotherapy because of the rapid increase in opportunistic fungal infections. Therapeutic drug monitoring is crucial to ensuring the efficacy and safety of antifungal agents owing to their pharmacokinetic variability. In the present study, we developed and validated a quantitative method for the simultaneous detection of seven commonly used antifungal drugs (amphotericin B, isavuconazole, voriconazole, fluconazole, posaconazole, caspofungin, and micafungin) using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Methanol (containing 0.1% formic acid) was used for protein precipitation and only 50 µL of serum was required for the analysis. Chromatographic separation was conducted using a Waters Acquity UPLC C8 column, and one stable isotope-labeled agent and two analogs were used as internal standards. The calibration curves ranged from 0.1 to 50 µg/mL for all agents, and the correlation coefficient (R2) for all calibration curves was above 0.9835. The intra-day precision (1.2-11.2%), inter-day precision (2.4-13.2%), and mean bias values (-10.9 to 13.6%) were within an acceptable range of ±15%. Successful implementation of the developed method in clinical practice would facilitate the effective monitoring of these antifungal agents.

Unique short tandem repeat nucleotide sequences in Entamoeba histolytica isolates from China.

A few PCR-based DNA typing methods using repetitive elements contained within both protein-coding genes and noncoding DNAs have been reported for Entamoeba histolytica over the years. The serine-rich E. histolytica protein and tRNA-linked short tandem repeats (STRs) are most commonly used to investigate the relationship between parasite genotype and E. histolytica infection outcome. Many E. histolytica infections in China have been reported; however, little genome information has been provided. In the current paper, five Chinese E. histolytica samples were reported: three amoebic liver abscess cases, one combined case and one asymptomatic case. Our study is the first to report on the DNA typing information of E. histolytica in China. We included two city, one imported, and two country cases. Sequence analysis of serine-rich protein genes confirmed the presence of seven sequence types in five isolates. The STRs amplified from the samples revealed five STR variations in the A-L, four in the N-K2, and R-R loci, three in D-A, S(TGA)-D and S-Q loci. Two country patients were found to have a different outcome of infection with the same genotypes of E. histolytica, whereas in a city case, one E. histolytica strain had led to different outcome of the infection in one patient. Analyses of the results suggest that more genome information of E. histolytica strains from China through accurate methods is needed to interpret how the parasite genome plays a role in determining the outcome of E. histolytica infections.

Identification of astigmatid mites using ITS2 and COI regions.

Identification of astigmatid mites based on their morphological characteristics is difficult because of the similarity of their organs, especially in immature mites. The ribosomal second internal transcribed spacer (ITS2) and the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) regions are highly conserved in the eukaryotes and are usually used as barcodes. The ITS2 and COI regions of six species of astigmatid mites (Aleuroglyphus ovatus, Blomia tropicalis, Dermatophagoides farinae, Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, Euroglyphus maynei, Tyrophagus putrescentiae) were obtained by polymerase chain reaction and sequenced. The lengths of the ITS2 sequences varied from 316 to 488 bp, while the COI regions were 377 or 378 bp long. Considering the ITS2 genes, the intraspecific genetic distance was in the range of 0.00-0.077844, whereas the interspecific genetic distance was 0.202426-0.912959. The values were 0.000-0.029748 and 0.138403-0.279304 for intra- and interspecific genetic distances when COI genes were used. The phylogenetic trees inferred from the ITS2 and the COI regions, by using maximum parsimony and neighbor-joining methods, were identical to those based on their morphological classification. Thus, the ITS2 and COI regions can be applied as barcodes to identify different species of astigmatid mites.

Identification of Human UMP/CMP Kinase 1 as Doxorubicin Binding Target Using Protein Microarray.

Doxorubicin (DOX) is a leading anthracycline drug with exceptional efficacy; however, little is known about the molecular mechanisms of its side effects, which include heart muscle damage, noncancerous cell death, and drug resistance. A total of 17,950 human proteins expressed in HEK293 cells were screened and yielded 14 hits. Competitive and binding experiments further verified the binding of DOX to UMP/CMP kinase 1 (CMPK1), and microscale thermophoresis showed that DOX binds to CMPK1 with a Kd of 1216 nM. In addition, we observed that the binding of DOX to CMPK1 activated the phosphorylation of CMP, dCMP, and UMP. A significant activation was observed at the concentration of 30 µM DOX and reached plateau at the concentration of DOX 30 µM, 150 µM, and 100 µM, respectively. DOX would add up stimulation of CMPK1 by DTT and overcome inhibition of CMPK1 by NaF, EDTA. In summary, we showed that DOX might bind to the nonactive site of CMPK1 and regulate its activity with magnesium.

Comparative analysis of genotypic diversity in Entamoeba nuttalli isolates from Tibetan macaques and rhesus macaques in China.

We have recently demonstrated the potentially virulent species Entamoeba nuttalli as one of the highly prevalent parasites in rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) in Mount Long-hu and Gui-yang in China. Tibetan macaque (Macaca thibetana) is a unique species living in China. To evaluate the prevalence of Entamoeba species in wild Tibetan macaques, we obtained 89 stool samples in Mount E-mei of Si-chuan Province in China. PCR analysis detected E. nuttalli, Entamoeba coli, and Entamoeba polecki ST2 in 17%, 42%, and 66% of the samples, respectively, whereas Entamoeba histolytica and Entamoeba dispar were undetected. This study is the first to report on the detection of E. nuttalli from Tibetan macaques. Six E. nuttalli isolates were obtained, 18S rRNA gene and six tRNA-linked short tandem repeat (STR) loci of the isolates were sequenced. The Mantel test results gave an r value of 0.97 of relationships between geographical distance and genetic diversity of Chinese E. nuttalli populations, indicating a significant isolation-by-distance effect in Chinese E. nuttalli according to the tRNA-STR loci sequences. Structural analysis of E. nuttalli isolates based on tRNA-linked STR loci demonstrated three Chinese E. nuttalli populations with their respective features, but the Gui-yang population was located in the middle. In the distance-based NJ tree, E. nuttalli isolates were divided into five different branches, and E-mei isolates were attributed to an independent branch to distinguish them from Gui-yang and Long-hu isolates. Genetic analysis in this study provided clues of the genetic differences between E. nuttalli isolates from Tibetan macaques and rhesus macaques in China.

Primary pathogenicity analysis of a Chinese Entamoeba histolytica isolate.

This study is the first to isolate an Entamoeba histolytica strain from Chinese amoebic patients and to conduct a detailed examination of its virulence. A fecal sample that contains cysts of E. histolytica was obtained from Guangxi province. The sample was cultured axenically and then cloned by limiting dilution, and named as XLAC. In vitro and in vivo tests were conducted to evaluate the virulence of the Entamoeba isolate. The E. histolytica strain XLAC was successfully cloned and cultured axenically. DNA regions that contain hexokinase, glucose-6-phosphate isomerase, phosphoglucomutase, and heavy subunit of lectin genes were amplified by PCR. The PCR products were then sequenced. Virulence analysis suggested that the XLAC strain was similar to the HM1:IMSS strain at the genetic level. In vitro and in vivo tests also implicated these strains to be similar. These findings may be attributed to the low expression levels of pathogenic genes obtained through realtime PCR. The XLAC strain restored its virulence after it was injected into hamster liver. This study may be a good model for studying virulence changes in E. histolytica.