Micropolarity governs the structural organization of biomolecular condensates.

Membraneless organelles within cells have unique microenvironments that play a critical role in their functions. However, how microenvironments of biomolecular condensates affect their structure and function remains unknown. In this study, we investigated the micropolarity and microviscosity of model biomolecular condensates by fluorescence lifetime imaging coupling with environmentally sensitive fluorophores. Using both in vitro and in cellulo systems, we demonstrated that sufficient micropolarity difference is key to forming multilayered condensates, where the shells present more polar microenvironments than the cores. Furthermore, micropolarity changes were shown to be accompanied by conversions of the layered structures. Decreased micropolarities of the granular components, accompanied by the increased micropolarities of the dense fibrillar components, result in the relocation of different nucleolus subcompartments in transcription-stalled conditions. Our results demonstrate the central role of the previously overlooked micropolarity in the regulation of structures and functions of membraneless organelles.

Developmental pleiotropy of SDP1 from seedling to mature stages in B. napus.

Rapeseed, an important oil crop, relies on robust seedling emergence for optimal yields. Seedling emergence in the field is vulnerable to various factors, among which inadequate self-supply of energy is crucial to limiting seedling growth in early stage. SUGAR-DEPENDENT1 (SDP1) initiates triacylglycerol (TAG) degradation, yet its detailed function has not been determined in B. napus. Here, we focused on the effects of plant growth during whole growth stages and energy mobilization during seedling establishment by mutation in BnSDP1. Protein sequence alignment and haplotypic analysis revealed the conservation of SDP1 among species, with a favorable haplotype enhancing oil content. Investigation of agronomic traits indicated bnsdp1 had a minor impact on vegetative growth and no obvious developmental defects when compared with wild type (WT) across growth stages. The seed oil content was improved by 2.0-2.37% in bnsdp1 lines, with slight reductions in silique length and seed number per silique. Furthermore, bnsdp1 resulted in lower seedling emergence, characterized by a shrunken hypocotyl and poor photosynthetic capacity in the early stages. Additionally, impaired seedling growth, especially in yellow seedlings, was not fully rescued in medium supplemented with exogenous sucrose. The limited lipid turnover in bnsdp1 was accompanied by induced amino acid degradation and PPDK-dependent gluconeogenesis pathway. Analysis of the metabolites in cotyledons revealed active amino acid metabolism and suppressed lipid degradation, consistent with the RNA-seq results. Finally, we proposed strategies for applying BnSDP1 in molecular breeding. Our study provides theoretical guidance for understanding trade-off between oil accumulation and seedling energy mobilization in B. napus.

Genetic divergence and migration patterns of a galatheoid squat lobster highlight the need for deep-sea conservation.

Information on genetic divergence and migration patterns of vent- and seep-endemic macrobenthos can help delimit biogeographical provinces and provide scientific guidelines for deep-sea conservation under the growing threats of anthropogenic disturbances. Nevertheless, related studies are still scarce, impeding the informed conservation of these hotspots of deep-sea biodiversity. To bridge this knowledge gap, we conducted a population connectivity study on the galatheoid squat lobster Shinkaia crosnieri - a deep-sea foundation species widely distributed in vent and seep ecosystems in the Northwest Pacific. With the application of an interdisciplinary methodology involving population genomics and oceanographic approaches, we unveiled two semi-isolated lineages of S. crosnieri with limited and asymmetrical gene flow potentially shaped by the geographic settings, habitat types, and ocean currents - one comprising vent populations in the Okinawa Trough, with those inhabiting the southern trough area likely serving as the source; the other being the Jiaolong (JR) seep population in the South China Sea. The latter might have recently experienced a pronounced demographic contraction and exhibited genetic introgression from the Okinawa Trough lineage, potentially mediated by the intrusion of the North Pacific Intermediate Water. We then compared the biogeographic patterns between S. crosnieri and two other representative and co-occurring vent- and seep-endemic species using published data. Based on their biogeographical subdivisions and source-sink dynamics, we highlighted the southern Okinawa Trough vents and the JR seep warrant imperative conservation efforts to sustain the deep-sea biodiversity in the Northwest Pacific.

Unexpected Promotion Effect of H2O on the Selective Catalytic Reduction of NOx with NH3 over Cu-SSZ-39 Catalysts.

Water molecules commonly inhibit the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NOx with NH3 on most catalysts, and water resistance is a long-standing challenge for SCR technology. Herein, by combining experimental measurements and density functional theory (DFT) calculations, we found that water molecules do not inhibit and even promote the NOx conversion to some extent over the Cu-SSZ-39 zeolites, a promising SCR catalyst. Water acting as a ligand on active Cu sites and as a reactant in the SCR reaction significantly improves the O2 activation performance and reduces the overall energy barrier of the catalytic cycle. This work unveils the mechanism of the unexpected promotion effect of water on the NH3-SCR reaction over Cu-SSZ-39 and provides fundamental insight into the development of zeolite-based SCR catalysts with excellent activity and water resistance.

The development of posterior reduction forceps for atlantoaxial dislocation and its preliminary application in irreducible atlantoaxial dislocation.

OBJECTIVE: To develop posterior reduction forceps for atlantoaxial dislocation and evaluate the preliminary clinical application of this forceps in assisting simple posterior screw-rod system reduction and fixation in the treatment of irreducible atlantoaxial dislocation. METHODS: Based on the posterior atlantoaxial screw-rod system, posterior reduction forceps was developed to assist simple posterior screw-rod system for the treatment of irreducible atlantoaxial dislocation. From January 2021 to October 2022, 10 cases with irreducible atlantoaxial dislocation were treated with this technique. The Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score was applied before and after surgery to evaluate the neurological status of the patient, and the Atlanto-dental interval (ADI) was measured before and after surgery to evaluate the atlantoaxial reduction. X-ray and CT were performed to evaluate internal fixation, atlantoaxial sequence and bone graft fusion during regular follow-up. MRI was performed to evaluate the status of atlantoaxial reduction and spinal cord compression after surgery. RESULTS: All 10 patients were successfully operated, and there were no complications such as spinal nerve and vascular injury. Postoperative clinical symptoms were significantly relieved in all patients, and postoperative JOA score and ADI were significantly improved compared with those before surgery (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The developed posterior reduction forceps for atlantoaxial dislocation can assist the simple posterior screw-rod system in the treatment of irreducible atlantoaxial dislocation to avoid the release in anterior or posterior approach and reduce the difficulty of surgery. The preliminary results of this technique are satisfactory and it has a good application prospect.

Autologous rib grafts for craniocervical junction surgery in children: a clinical application.

OBJECTIVE: Autologous iliac bone is commonly used as a bone graft material to achieve solid fusion in craniocervical junction (CVJ) surgery. However, the developing iliac bone of children is less than ideal as a bone graft material. The matured rib bone of children presents a potential substitute material for iliac bone. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of autologous rib grafts for craniocervical junction surgery in children. METHODS: The outcomes of 10 children with abnormalities of the craniocervical junction who underwent craniocervical junction surgery between January 2020 and December 2022 were retrospectively reviewed. All patients underwent posterior fusion and internal fixation surgery with autologous rib grafts. Pre- and post-operative images were obtained and clinical follow-ups were conducted to evaluate neurological function, pain level, donor site complications, and bone fusion rates. RESULTS: All surgeries were successful. During the 8- to 24-month follow-up period, all patients achieved satisfactory clinical results. Computed tomography at 3-6 months confirmed successful bone fusion and regeneration of the rib defect in all patients with no neurological or donor site complications. CONCLUSION: Autologous rib bone is a safe and effective material for bone grafting in craniocervical junction fusion surgery for children that can reduce the risks of donor site complications and increase the amount of bone graft, thereby achieving a higher bone fusion rate.

Wearable Dual-Signal NH3 Sensor with High Sensitivity for Non-invasive Diagnosis of Chronic Kidney Disease.

NH3 gas in human exhaled breath contains abundant physiological information related to human health, especially chronic kidney disease (CKD). Unfortunately, up to now, most wearable NH3 sensors show inevitable defects (low sensitivity, easy to be interfered by the environment, etc.), which may lead to misdiagnosis of CKD. To solve the above dilemma, a nanoporous, heterogeneous, and dual-signal (optical and electrical) wearable NH3 sensor mask is developed successfully. More specifically, a polyacrylonitrile/bromocresol green (PAN/BCG) nanofiber film as a visual NH3 sensor and a polyacrylonitrile/polyaniline/reduced graphene oxide (PAN/PANI/rGO) nanofiber film as a resistive NH3 sensor are constructed. Due to the high specific surface area and abundant NH3 binding sites of these two nanofiber films, they exhibit good NH3 sensing performance. However, although the visual NH3 sensor (PAN/BCG nanofiber film) is simple without the need of any detecting facilities and quite stable when temperature and humidity change, it shows poor sensitivity and resolution. In comparison, the resistive NH3 sensor (PAN/PANI/rGO nanofiber film) is of high sensitivity, fast response, and good resolution, but its electrical signal is easily interfered by the external environment (such as humidity, temperature, etc.). Considering that the sensing principles between a visual NH3 sensor and resistive NH3 sensor are significantly different, a wearable dual-signal NH3 sensor containing both a visual NH3 sensor and resistive NH3 sensor is further explored. Our data prove that the two sensing signals in this dual-signal NH3 sensor mask can not only work well without interference with each other but also complement each other to improve the sensing accuracy, indicating its potential application in non-invasive diagnosis of CKD.

Hydrothermal Aging Alleviates the Phosphorus Poisoning of Cu-SSZ-39 Catalysts for NH3-SCR Reaction.

As a new type of catalyst with the potential for commercial application in NOx removal from diesel engine exhausts, Cu-SSZ-39 catalysts must have excellent resistance to complex and harsh conditions. In this paper, the effects of phosphorus on Cu-SSZ-39 catalysts before and after hydrothermal aging treatment were investigated. Compared with fresh Cu-SSZ-39 catalysts, phosphorus poisoning significantly decreased the low-temperature NH3-SCR catalytic activity. However, such activity loss was alleviated by further hydrothermal aging treatment. To reveal the reason for this interesting result, a variety of characterization techniques including NMR, H2-TPR, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, NH3-TPD, and in situ DRIFTS measurements were employed. It was found that Cu-P species produced by phosphorus poisoning decreased the redox ability of active copper species, resulting in the observed low-temperature deactivation. After hydrothermal aging treatment, however, Cu-P species partly decomposed with the formation of active CuOx species and a release of active copper species. As a result, the low-temperature NH3-SCR catalytic activity of Cu-SSZ-39 catalysts was recovered.

Optimized preparation of gangue waste-based geopolymer adsorbent based on improved response surface methodology for Cd(II) removal from wastewater.

Resource utilization of gangue solid waste has become an essential research direction for green development. This study prepared a novel gangue based geopolymer adsorbent (GPA) for the removal of Cd(II) from wastewater using pretreatment gangue (PG) as the main raw material. The ANOVA indicated that the obtained quadratic model of fitness function (R2 > 0.99, P-value <0.0001) was significant and adequate, and the contribution of the three preparation conditions to the removal of Cd(II) was: calcination temperature > Na2CO3:PG ratio > water-glass solid content. The hybrid response surface method and gray wolf optimization (RSM-GWO) algorithm were adopted to acquire the optimum conditions: Na2CO3:PG ratio = 1.05, calcination temperature of 701 °C, solid content of water glass of 22.42%, and the removal efficiency of Cd(II) by GPA obtained under the optimized conditions (GPAC) was 97.84%. Adsorption kinetics, adsorption isotherms and characterization by XRD, FTIR, Zeta potential, FSEM-EDS and BET were utilized to investigate the adsorption mechanism of GPAC on Cd(II). The results showed that the adsorption of Cd(II) from GPAC was consistent with the pseudo-second-order model (R2 = 0.9936) and the Langmuir model (R2 = 0.9988), the adsorption was a monolayer adsorption process and the computed maximum Cd(II) adsorption (50.76 mg g-1) was approximate to experimental results (51.47 mg g-1). Moreover, the surface morphology of GPAC was rough and porous with a specific surface area (SSA) of 18.54 m2 g-1, which provided abundant active sites, and the internal kaolinite was destroyed to produce a zeolite-like structure where surface complexation and ion exchange with Cd(II) through hydroxyl (-OH) and oxygen-containing groups (-SiOH and -AlOH) were the main adsorption mechanisms. Thus, GPAC is a lucrative adsorbent material for effective Cd(II) wastewater treatment, complying with the "high value-added" usage of solid wastes and "waste to cure poison" green sustainable development direction.

Erratum: PPAR δ inhibition protects against palmitic acid-LPS induced lipidosis and injury in cultured hepatocyte L02 cell: Erratum.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.7150/ijms.37677.].

Management of Unstable C1 Fractures Involving the Lateral Mass: Posterior C1-C2 Screw-Rod Fixation and Fusion.

BACKGROUND Although most unstable C1 fractures can be effectively treated either by conservative treatment with external immobilization or by surgical procedure of C1-ring osteosynthesis, those fractures involving the lateral mass are likely to lead to traumatic arthritis and persistent neck pain. Specific reports of treatment of unstable C1 fractures involving the lateral mass are still scarce. We therefore present this report to evaluate the effectiveness of posterior C1-C2 screw-rod fixation and fusion for unstable C1 fractures involving the lateral mass. MATERIAL AND METHODS From June 2009 to June 2016 in our hospital, 16 cases were diagnosed with C1 fractures involving the lateral mass and treated by posterior C1-C2 screw-rod fixation and fusion from June 2009 to June 2016. The patients' clinical data were retrospectively analyzed. Preoperative and postoperative images were taken to evaluate cervical sequence, location of screws, and bone fusion. Neurological status and neck pain levels were evaluated clinically on follow-up. RESULTS All patients underwent surgery successfully. The mean follow-up duration was 15.3±4.9 months (range 9-24 months). All patients obtained satisfying clinical outcomes with good neck pain alleviation, appropriate screw placement, and reliable bone fusion. None of the patients developed vascular or neurological complications during the operation or follow-up. CONCLUSIONS Posterior C1-C2 screw-rod fixation and fusion is an effective management for unstable C1 fractures involving the lateral mass. This operation can provide reliable stabilization and satisfactory bone fusion.

Clinical study of suture anchors in the treatment of radial head fractures.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to analyze and study the clinical effect of suture anchors in the treatment of radial head fractures (RHFs). METHODS: A total of 11 patients (five male and six female) with RHFs who were treated from March 2016 to June 2021 were included in this study. They were 17-61 (average 38.5) years old. In terms of the Johnston-Mason classification, two cases were type II, seven cases were type III, and two cases were type IV. All patients were treated with open reduction and anchor internal fixation. RESULTS: All 11 patients were followed up, all incisions healed by first intention, and the duration of follow-up was 14-20 months. The average operation time was 40 ± 15 min. The clinical healing time was 4-6 (average 5) weeks. No patients had any complications, such as traumatic arthritis, malunion, nerve injury, joint stiffness, or incision infection. The clinical effects were evaluated according to the Mayo Elbow Performance Score. The scores of all 11 cases were 90-95, all excellent. CONCLUSION: The application of suture anchor internal fixation in the treatment of RHFs has the advantages of accurate reduction, no need for a secondary operation to remove the fixation materials, less trauma, fewer complications, good fracture healing, and good recovery of elbow extension, flexion, and rotation functions.

Hidden Historical Habitat-Linked Population Divergence and Contemporary Gene Flow of a Deep-Sea Patellogastropod Limpet.

Hydrothermal vents and hydrocarbon seeps in the deep ocean are rare oases fueled by chemosynthesis. Biological communities inhabiting these ecosystems are often distributed in widely separated habitats, raising intriguing questions on how these organisms achieve connectivity and whether habitat types facilitate intraspecific divergence. The deep-sea patellogastropod limpet Bathyacmaea nipponica that colonizes both vents and seeps across ∼2,400 km in the Northwest Pacific is a feasible model to answer these questions. We analyzed 123 individuals from four vents and three seeps using a comprehensive method incorporating population genomics and physical ocean modeling. Genome survey sequencing and genotyping-by-sequencing resulted in 9,838 single-nucleotide polymorphisms for population genomic analyses. Genetic divergence and demographic analyses revealed four habitat-linked (i.e., three seep and one vent) genetic groups, with the vent genetic group established via the opportunistic invasion of a few limpet larvae from a nearby seep genetic group. TreeMix analysis uncovered three historical seep-to-vent migration events. ADMIXTURE and divMigrate analyses elucidated weak contemporary gene flow from a seep genetic group to the vent genetic group. Physical ocean modeling underlined the potential roles of seafloor topography and ocean currents in shaping the genetic connectivity, contemporary migration, and local hybridization of these deep-sea limpets. Our study highlighted the power of integrating genomic and oceanographic approaches in deciphering the demography and diversification of deep-sea organisms. Given the increasing anthropogenic activities (e.g., mining and gas hydrate extraction) affecting the deep ocean, our results have implications for the conservation of deep-sea biodiversity and establishment of marine protected areas.

Patient-reported supportive care needs among Asian American cancer patients.

PURPOSE: Cancer is the leading cause of death for Asian Americans. However, few studies have documented supportive care needs from the perspective of Asian American cancer patients. This study describes the needs reported by Asian American patients with colorectal, liver, or lung cancer over a 6-month period during their treatment. METHODS: Participants were recruited through the Greater Bay Area Cancer Registry and from cancer care providers in San Francisco. Participants self-identified as Asian or Asian American; were age 21 or older; spoke English, Chinese, or Vietnamese; and had stage I-III colon, rectum, liver, or lung cancer. Participants were matched with a language concordant patient navigator who provided support during a 6-month period. Needs were assessed by surveys at baseline, 3, and 6 months. RESULTS: Among 24 participants, 58% were 65 years or older, 42% did not complete high school, and 75% had limited English proficiency (LEP). At baseline, the most prevalent needs were cancer information (79%), nutrition and physical activity (67%), language assistance (54%), and daily living (50%). At the 3- and 6-month follow-up surveys, there was a higher reported need for mental health resources and healthcare access among participants. CONCLUSION: In this pilot study of Asian American cancer patients who predominantly had LEP, participants reported many needs, with cancer information and language assistance as the most prominent. The findings highlight the importance of culturally and linguistically appropriate patient navigators in addressing supportive care needs among cancer patients with LEP. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03867916.

Potential Application of Low-Intensity Pulsed Ultrasound in Delaying Aging for Mice.

INTRODUCTION: The low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) is one of the popular treatment modalities allowing to boost the proliferation, differentiation, and migratory activity of cells, which might be a powerful strategy for anti-aging. Seeking a novel setup for LIPUS would benefit the development of ultrasound therapeutics. METHODS: Here, we proposed a novel underwater exposure setup of LIPUS. C57BL/6 mice were reared in the designated age-groups, which consisted of a middle-aged group (12-14 months) and an old-age group (20-23 months). The age-related changes of body composition, imbalance of energy supply and demand, imbalance of signal network maintaining internal stability, and representative phenotypes of neurodegeneration and neuroplasticity with the presence and absence of underwater LIPUS in middle-aged and aged groups were evaluated. RESULTS: The results showed that there were obvious aging changes, imbalance of energy supply and demand, imbalance of signal network maintaining homeostasis, neurodegeneration, and damage of neural plasticity in the middle-aged and aged group with or without the LIPUS. Although middle-aged group and aged group responded differently to LIPUS, they mostly generated positive results in relieving bone loss, improving ovarian structure, regulated immune system, and enhanced endurance ability, which should have declined over age. DISCUSSION: These findings indicate that underwater extracorporeal LIPUS exposure could be employed as single or combined anti-aging strategies that generated positive outcomes against the process of aging.

The γ-tubulin complex protein GCP6 is crucial for spindle morphogenesis but not essential for microtubule reorganization in Arabidopsis.

γ-Tubulin typically forms a ring-shaped complex with 5 related γ-tubulin complex proteins (GCP2 to GCP6), and this γ-tubulin ring complex (γTuRC) serves as a template for microtubule (MT) nucleation in plants and animals. While the γTuRC takes part in MT nucleation in most eukaryotes, in fungi such events take place robustly with just the γ-tubulin small complex (γTuSC) assembled by γ-tubulin plus GCP2 and GCP3. To explore whether the γTuRC is the sole functional γ-tubulin complex in plants, we generated 2 mutants of the GCP6 gene encoding the largest subunit of the γTuRC in Arabidopsis thaliana. Both mutants showed similar phenotypes of dwarfed vegetative growth and reduced fertility. The gcp6 mutant assembled the γTuSC, while the wild-type cells had GCP6 join other GCPs to produce the γTuRC. Although the gcp6 cells had greatly diminished γ-tubulin localization on spindle MTs, the protein was still detected there. The gcp6 cells formed spindles that lacked MT convergence and discernable poles; however, they managed to cope with the challenge of MT disorganization and were able to complete mitosis and cytokinesis. Our results reveal that the γTuRC is not the only functional form of the γ-tubulin complex for MT nucleation in plant cells, and that γ-tubulin-dependent, but γTuRC-independent, mechanisms meet the basal need of MT nucleation. Moreover, we show that the γTuRC function is more critical for the assembly of spindle MT array than for the phragmoplast. Thus, our findings provide insight into acentrosomal MT nucleation and organization.

Assessment of CD27 expression on T-cells as a diagnostic and therapeutic tool for patients with smear-negative pulmonary tuberculosis.

BACKGROUND: There is a global focus on illness diagnosis in smear-negative and latent tuberculosis infectious populations (SN-TB and LTBI). CD27 has been suggested to play a direct role in active TB. Little is known about smear-negative individuals. Here, we tried to investigate whether it has a role in smear-negative populations. The expression of CD27 and MTB-specific CD27 in CD4+ T cells ("CD27-CD4+" and "CD27-IFN-γ+CD4+") was evaluated in MTB-unexposed controls (HC), TB contacts (TB-C) and SN-TB individuals by flow cytometry. The sensitivity, specificity and AUC (area under curve) of "CD27-IFN-γ+CD4+" cells to distinguish SN-TBs from HCs and TB-Cs were determined by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. The clinical index was selected from the clinical laboratory and evaluated for correlation with "CD27-IFN-γ+CD4+" cells by Spearman statistical analysis. RESULTS: We observed that the percentages of "CD27-IFN-γ+CD4+" cells were significantly increased in the SN-TB group compared with the HC and TB-C groups (AUC was 0.88, sensitivity was 82.14%, specificity was 80.00%, and P < 0.0001). The percentage of "CD27-IFN-γ+CD4+" cells was negatively correlated with WBC (white blood cell count) (r = - 0.3019, P = 0.0182) and positively correlated with IgE (immunoglobulin E) (r = 0.2805, P = 0.0362). Furthermore, "CD27-IFN-γ+CD4+" cells were significantly decreased, especially in the > 50 years group, after clinical treatment. CONCLUSION: The present results demonstrated that the percentage of "CD27-IFN-γ+CD4+" cells might be a conceivable molecular indicator in the diagnosis of SN-TB and was influenced by its outcome of therapy.

Construction of novel antimicrobial peptide-modified extracellular matrix biologic scaffold material.

In the field of implantable medical devices, the antibacterial extracellular matrix (ECM) biologic scaffold, which is constructed by modifying biomaterials with antibacterial peptides, has excellent potential. An antibacterial peptide-modified ECM scaffold was formed with chitosan (CS), antimicrobial peptide (AMP), and ECM scaffold. Chitosan has a firm positive-charge surface and can combine with the ECM scaffold material to form a positive-charge layer on the surface. The surface potential was characterized using a surface potential map. Infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to observe the scaffold surface characteristics and cell morphology. Fluorescence staining and MTS assay kit were used to assess cytotoxicity and biocompatibility. To evaluate the antibacterial and repairing effects on the infected wounds in vivo, a subcutaneous antibacterial test of rabbit back was conducted. The antibacterial peptide-modified ECM scaffold was successfully formed and presented an excellent three-dimensional micro-surface porous structure. The antibacterial peptide-modified ECM scaffold could be effectively-prepared by surface modification and activation. Fluorescence staining tests showed good cell adhesion, proliferation ability, and cell affinity. The in vivo experiment indicated that the antibacterial ECM scaffold had antibacterial and healing-promotion abilities.

Autophagy deficiency boosts the production of kojic acid in the filamentous fungus Aspergillus oryzae.

We found that the expression of genes involved in kojic acid (KA) biosynthesis, kojA, kojR, and kojT, was highly elevated in the Aspergillus oryzae autophagy-deficient mutants. In agreement, KA production was much increased in these mutants. Nuclear translocation of KojR, a transcription factor, was observed in the autophagy mutants before they were starved, explaining why KA production was boosted.

Effects of Low-Intensity Pulsed Ultrasound on Myelosuppression of Rats Induced by Chemotherapy Drugs With Cell Cycle Specificity.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the ameliorating effects of low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) on Sprague Dawley rat myelosuppression induced by cell cycle specificity drugs (docetaxel, mitotic phase sensitive; and etoposide, gap 2 phase sensitive). METHODS: Rats were respectively administered docetaxel (100 mg/kg) or etoposide (110 mg/kg) by intraperitoneal injection for 4 consecutive days. Then the rats were divided randomly into a LIPUS group and a non-LIPUS group. In the LIPUS group, the right femoral metaphysis of rats was treated by LIPUS (acoustic intensity, 200 mW/cm2 ; frequency, 0.3 MHz; and duty cycle, 20%) for 20 minutes on 7 consecutive days from day 5. The rats of the non-LIPUS group were treated without ultrasound output. A blood cell count, an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, a real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and hematoxylin-eosin staining were applied to detect the results. RESULTS: Low-intensity pulsed ultrasound significantly promoted the counts of bone marrow nucleated cells, white blood cells, immunoglobulin A (IgA), IgG, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, stem cell factor, and intercellular cell adhesion molecule 1 and reduced the counts of vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 whether in the docetaxel or etoposide group (P < .05). Low-intensity pulsed ultrasound only increased the expression level of IgM in the docetaxel group but decreased the level of interleukin 6 in the etoposide group (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Low-intensity pulsed ultrasound has potential to be a noninvasive treatment for myelosuppression caused by different cell cycle-sensitive chemotherapy drugs.