Natural variations of heterosis-related allele-specific expression genes in promoter regions lead to allele-specific expression in maize.

BACKGROUND: Heterosis has successfully enhanced maize productivity and quality. Although significant progress has been made in delineating the genetic basis of heterosis, the molecular mechanisms underlying its genetic components remain less explored. Allele-specific expression (ASE), the imbalanced expression between two parental alleles in hybrids, is increasingly being recognized as a factor contributing to heterosis. ASE is a complex process regulated by both epigenetic and genetic variations in response to developmental and environmental conditions. RESULTS: In this study, we explored the differential characteristics of ASE by analyzing the transcriptome data of two maize hybrids and their parents under four light conditions. On the basis of allele expression patterns in different hybrids under various conditions, ASE genes were divided into three categories: bias-consistent genes involved in basal metabolic processes in a functionally complementary manner, bias-reversal genes adapting to the light environment, and bias-specific genes maintaining cell homeostasis. We observed that 758 ASE genes (ASEGs) were significantly overlapped with heterosis quantitative trait loci (QTLs), and high-frequency variations in the promoter regions of heterosis-related ASEGs were identified between parents. In addition, 10 heterosis-related ASEGs participating in yield heterosis were selected during domestication. CONCLUSIONS: The comprehensive analysis of ASEGs offers a distinctive perspective on how light quality influences gene expression patterns and gene-environment interactions, with implications for the identification of heterosis-related ASEGs to enhance maize yield.

Combined transcriptome and metabolome analysis reveals the effects of light quality on maize hybrids.

BACKGROUND: Heterosis, or hybrid vigor, refers to the phenotypic superiority of an F1 hybrid relative to its parents in terms of growth rate, biomass production, grain yield, and stress tolerance. Light is an energy source and main environmental cue with marked impacts on heterosis in plants. Research into the production applications and mechanism of heterosis has been conducted for over a century and a half, but little is known about the effect of light on plant heterosis. RESULTS: In this study, an integrated transcriptome and metabolome analysis was performed using maize (Zea mays L.) inbred parents, B73 and Mo17, and their hybrids, B73 × Mo17 (BM) and Mo17 × B73 (MB), grown in darkness or under far-red, red, or blue light. Most differentially expressed genes (73.72-92.50%) and differentially accumulated metabolites (84.74-94.32%) exhibited non-additive effects in BM and MB hybrids. Gene Ontology analysis revealed that differential genes and metabolites were involved in glutathione transfer, carbohydrate transport, terpenoid biosynthesis, and photosynthesis. The darkness, far-red, red, and blue light treatments were all associated with phenylpropanoid-flavonoid biosynthesis by Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analysis. Five genes and seven metabolites related to phenylpropanoid-flavonoid biosynthesis pathway were identified as potential contributors to the interactions between maize heterosis and light conditions. Consistent with the strong mid-parent heterosis observed for metabolites, significant increases in both fresh and dry weights were found in the MB and BM hybrids compared with their inbred parents. Unexpectedly, increasing light intensity resulted in higher biomass heterosis in MB, but lower biomass heterosis in BM. CONCLUSIONS: The transcriptomic and metabolomic results provide unique insights into the effects of light quality on gene expression patterns and genotype-environment interactions, and have implications for gene mining of heterotic loci to improve maize production.

Real ambient particulate matter-induced lipid metabolism disorder: Roles of peroxisome proliferators-activated receptor alpha.

A growing body of evidence associated particulate matter (PM) exposure with lipid metabolism disorders, yet, the underlying mechanism remains to be elucidated. Among the major lipid metabolism modulators, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) alpha plays an important role. In the current study, an individually ventilated cage (IVC) system was used to expose C57/B6 mice to real-ambient PM for six weeks, with or without co-treatment of PPAR alpha agonist WY14,643. The general parameters, liver and adipose tissue pathology, serum lipids, metal deposition and lipid profile of liver were assessed. The results indicated that six weeks of real-ambient PM exposure induced dyslipidemia, including increased serum triglycerides (TG) and decreased high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) level, along with steatosis in liver, increased size of adipocytes in white adipose tissue (WAT) and whitening of brown adipose tissue (BAT). ICP-MS results indicated increased Cr and As deposition in liver. Lipidomics analysis revealed that glycerophospholipids and cytochrome P450 pathway were most significantly affected by PM exposure. Several lipid metabolism-related genes, including CYP4A14 in liver and UCP1 in BAT were downregulated following PM exposure. WY14,643 treatment alleviated PM-induced dyslipidemia, liver steatosis and whitening of BAT, while enhancing CD36, SLC27A1, CYP4A14 and UCP1 expression. In conclusion, PPAR alpha pathway participates in PM-induced lipid metabolism disorder, PPAR alpha agonist WY14,643 treatment exerted protective effects on PM-induced dyslipidemia, liver steatosis and whitening of BAT, but not on increased adipocyte size of WAT.

Perfluorooctanoic acid-induced toxicities in chicken embryo primary cardiomyocytes: Roles of PPAR alpha and Wnt5a/Frizzled2.

Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) is a widespread persistent organic pollutant and may induce developmental toxicities, including developmental cardiotoxicity. To explore the potential mechanism of developmental cardiotoxicity induced by PFOA exposure, chicken embryo primary cardiomyocytes were extracted either from chicken embryos pretreated with PFOA (2 mg/kg), or from untreated embryos and then directly exposed cells to PFOA (1, 10, 30 or 100 µg/ml) in culture. Additionally, peroxisome proliferator activated receptor alpha (PPAR alpha) silencing lentivirus was applied to the embryos on embryonic day (ED2). Cell viability was measured with CCK-8 kit, morphology was assessed with hematoxylin and eosin staining, and intracellular Ca2+ concentrations were determined with Fluo-4 AM probe. Western blotting was utilized to confirm PPAR alpha silencing efficiency and the protein abundance of Wnt5a and Frizzled2. The results indicated that both PFOA pretreatment and direct exposure decreased primary cardiomyocyte viability, altered cell morphology and increased intracellular Ca2+ concentrations. While l-carnitine co-treatment effectively abolished such changes, PPAR alpha silencing only abolished most of the changes in PFOA pretreatment group, but not in cells directly exposed to relatively high doses of PFOA. The protein abundance of Wnt5a and Frizzled2 was increased by PFOA pretreatment, while direct exposure to PFOA increased Frizzled2 abundance but decreased Wnt5a abundance. PPAR alpha silencing resulted in over 50% decrease of PPAR alpha expression level, which abolished the Wnt5a/Frizzled2 expression alterations following PFOA exposure. In conclusion, PFOA-induced primary cardiomyocyte toxicity is associated with PPAR alpha and Wnt5a/Frizzled2, in which PPAR alpha seems to play regulatory roles towards Wnt5a/Frizzled2.

The roles of bone morphogenetic protein 2 in perfluorooctanoic acid induced developmental cardiotoxicity and l-carnitine mediated protection.

Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), a wide spread environmental pollutant, was associated with developmental cardiotoxicity in chicken embryo, while the underlying molecular mechanism had not been fully elucidated. In the current study, 2 mg/kg (egg weight) PFOA and/or 100 mg/kg (egg weight) l-carnitine were exposed to embryonic day zero (ED0) chicken embryo via air cell injection, and then bone morphogenic protein 2 (BMP2) silencing lentivirus or BMP2 recombinant protein were introduced into ED2 embryo. Electrocardiography and histological methods were utilized to assess the cardiac function and morphology in hatchling chickens, respectively. Consistent with previous results, 2 mg/kg PFOA exposure at ED0 significantly elevated heart rate and thinned right ventricular wall in hatchling chickens, while l-carnitine co-treatment reverted such changes. BMP2 silencing induced very similar changes in hatchling chicken hearts as PFOA exposure, while co-exposure of recombinant BMP2 protein alleviated PFOA-induced changes. l-carnitine exposure alleviated the BMP2-silencing induced changes as well. Western blotting revealed that PFOA exposure enhanced BMP2 expression and suppressed pSMAD1 expression in ED15 chicken embryo hearts, while both changes were reverted by l-carnitine co-exposure. Furthermore, silencing of BMP2 significantly increased the expression level of PPAR alpha in ED15 chicken embryo hearts, while silencing of PPAR alpha did not have significant impact on BMP2 expression. In conclusion, BMP2/pSMAD1 signaling participates in the PFOA-induced developmental cardiotoxicity in chicken embryo, which is likely located upstream of PPAR alpha for this particular endpoint. Protection of BMP2 signaling might contribute to l-carnitine mediated protection against PFOA-induced developmental cardiotoxicity.

Chemical Modification of Chitosan for Efficient Vaccine Delivery.

Chitosan, which exhibits good biocompatibility, safety, microbial degradation and other excellent performances, has found application in all walks of life. In the field of medicine, usage of chitosan for the delivery of vaccine is favored by a wide range of researchers. However, due to its own natural limitations, its application has been constrained to the beginning of study. In order to improve the applicability for vaccine delivery, researchers have carried out various chemical modifications of chitosan. This review summarizes a variety of modification methods and applications of chitosan and its derivatives in the field of vaccine delivery.

Effects of Serum Triglycerides on Prostate Cancer and Breast Cancer Risk: A Meta-Analysis of Prospective Studies.

Epidemiological studies show conflicting results regarding the link between serum triglyceride and the risk of prostate cancer and breast cancer. Therefore, we performed a meta-analysis of prospective studies to clarify this association. We searched PubMed, EMBASE, the Chinese Biomedical Database (CBM), and the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) database to identify relevant prospective studies of the relationship between serum triglyceride and prostate cancer and breast cancer risk. Study-specific estimates adjusting for potential confounders were combined to evaluate a summary relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) using a fixed- or random-effects model. A total of 11 prospective studies (619,410 subjects and 15,691 incident prostate cancer patients) and 8 prospective studies (590,878 subjects and 12,177 incident breast cancer patients) were respectively included in our meta-analysis to assess the associations of serum triglyceride with prostate cancer and breast cancer risk. The pooled adjusted RR estimates for prostate cancer and breast cancer for the highest versus the lowest exposure levels of serum triglycerides were 0.95 (95% CI: 0.87-1.04) and 0.94 (95% CI: 0.87-1.00), respectively. Additionally, a dose-response analysis revealed that serum levels of triglycerides were not associated with the risk of prostate cancer and breast cancer. We found that serum triglyceride was not related to the risk of prostate cancer and breast cancer.

Plasma Folate and Vitamin B12 Levels in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Folate and vitamin B12 involved in the one-carbon metabolism may play a key role in carcinogenesis and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) through influencing DNA integrity. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the association of plasma folate and vitamin B12 levels with HCC in a case-control study on 312 HCC patients and 325 cancer-free controls. Plasma concentrations of folate and vitamin B12 in all the subjects were measured by electrochemiluminescence immunoassay. Meanwhile, the information of HCC patients' clinical characteristics including tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stage, tumor size and tumor markers were collected. The patients of HCC had significantly lower folate levels than those of controls; there was no significant difference in the mean of plasma vitamin B12 levels. We also observed an inverse association between the levels of plasma folate and HCC: the adjusted odds ratios (OR) (95% confidence intervals (CI)) of HCC from the highest to lowest quartile of folate were 0.30 (0.15-0.60), 0.33 (0.17-0.65), and 0.19 (0.09-0.38). Compared to the subjects in the lowest quartile of plasma vitamin B12, only the subjects in the highest quartile of vitamin B12 exhibited a significant positive relationship with HCC, the adjusted OR was 2.01 (95% CI, 1.02-3.98). HCC patients with Stage III and IV or bigger tumor size had lower folate and higher vitamin B12 levels. There was no significant difference in the mean plasma folate levels of the HCC cases in tumor markers status (AFP, CEA and CA19-9 levels), whereas patients with higher CEA or CA19-9 levels retained significantly more plasma vitamin B12 than those with normal-CEA or CA19-9 level. In conclusion, plasma folate and vitamin B12 levels could be associated with HCC, and might be used as predictors of clinical characteristics of HCC patients. However, further prospective studies are essential to confirm the observed results.

3D-QSAR modeling and molecular docking study on Mer kinase inhibitors of pyridine-substituted pyrimidines.

Mer kinase is a novel therapeutic target for many cancers, and overexpression of Mer receptor tyrosine kinase has been observed in several kinds of tumors. To deeply understand the structure-activity correlation of a series of pyridine/pyrimidine analogs as potent Mer inhibitors, a combined molecular docking and three-dimensional quantitative structure-activity relationship modeling was carried out. A comparative molecular similarity indices analysis model was developed based on the maximum common substructure alignment. The optimum model exhibited statistically significant results: the cross-validated correlation coefficient q2 was 0.599, and non-cross-validated r2 value was 0.984. Furthermore, the results of internal validation such as bootstrapping, Y-randomization as well as external validation (the external predictive correlation coefficient r2 ext = 0.728) confirmed the rationality and good predictive ability of the model. Using the crystal structure of Mer kinase, the selected pyridine/pyrimidine compounds were docked into the enzyme active site. Some key amino acid residues were determined, and hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions between Mer kinase and inhibitors were identified. The satisfactory results from this study may aid in the research and development of novel potent Mer kinase inhibitors.

XRCC1 Arg399Gln genetic polymorphism and the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma: a meta-analysis.

The X-ray repair cross-complementing group 1 (XRCC1) gene, one of over 20 genes that participate in the base excision repair pathway, is thought to account for differences in susceptibility to hepatocellular carcinoma. To assess the relationship between the XRCC1 Arg399Gln polymorphism and the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), we performed a meta-analysis. All the relevant studies were extracted from PubMed, Embase, the Chinese biomedicine databases, the Chinese national knowledge infrastructure, and the Wanfang databases (prior to August 2012). The meta-analysis was performed using all eligible studies, which covered a total of 2,554 cases and 3,320 controls, to examine the association between XRCC1 Arg399Gln polymorphism and the risk of HCC. Our analysis suggested that the variant genotypes of the XRCC1 Arg399Gln gene were associated with a significantly increased risk of HCC in a co-dominant model (Arg/Gln vs. Arg/Arg, odd ratios [OR] 1.39, 95 % confidence interval [CI] 1.08-1.79; Gln/Gln vs. Arg/Arg, OR 1.26, 95 % CI 1.04-1.52) and a dominant model (Arg/Gln + Gln/Gln vs. Arg/Arg OR 1.36, 95 % CI 1.07-1.72), whereas no association was observed in the recessive model (Gln/Gln vs. Arg/Gln + Arg/Arg, OR 1.05, 95 % CI 0.91-1.21). The results of the subgroup analysis by ethnicity indicated that the XRCC1 Arg399Gln polymorphism was associated with increased risk of HCC in Asian populations using the co-dominant model (Arg/Gln vs. Arg/Arg, OR 1.41, 95 % CI 1.06-1.87) and the dominant model (Gln/Gln vs. Arg/Gln + Arg/Arg, OR 1.35, 95 % CI 1.03-1.76). Our analysis provides evidence that the XRCC1 Arg399Gln polymorphism may be associated with a higher risk of HCC, especially among Asian populations.

Sex-related differences in the association between waist circumference and bone mineral density in a Korean population.

BACKGROUND: Large waist circumference is linked to poor health. Investigations of the relationship between waist circumference, as an index of abdominal fat, and bone mineral density (BMD) have yielded inconsistent results. We investigated the association between abdominal obesity measured using waist circumference and BMD in a large-scale population-based study. METHODS: We enrolled 8981 Korean (3592 males and 5389 females) community-dwelling individuals aged ≥50 years from 2007 to 2010. BMD was measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry at lumbar spine and femoral neck skeletal sites. A multiple linear regression analysis was used to evaluate the relationship between waist circumference quartiles and BMD after adjusting for age, height, weight, and regular exercise. RESULTS: The adjustment for age, height, weight, and regular exercise revealed a negative linear association between quartile of waist circumference and BMD at the femoral neck and lumbar spine sites in males and females. Waist circumference was more strongly correlated with BMD in males than in females. Although the correlations were slightly attenuated following further adjustment for percent body fat, they remained statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: Our results revealed that waist circumference is independently and inversely associated with BMD after adjusting for age, weight, height, regular exercise and percent body fat, suggesting that waist circumference is a potential predictor of osteoporosis in middle-aged and older Korean males and females.

Synbiotic of Pediococcus acidilactici and Inulin Ameliorates Dextran Sulfate Sodium-Induced Acute Ulcerative Colitis in Mice.

Colitis is a major gastrointestinal disease that threatens human health. In this study, a synbiotic composed of inulin and Pediococcus acidilactici (P. acidilactici) was investigated for its ability to alleviate dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis. The results revealed that the synbiotic, composed of inulin and P. acidilactici, attenuated the body weight loss and disease activity index (DAI) score in mice with DSS-mediated colitis. Determination of biochemical indicators found that the synbiotic increased anti-oxidation and alleviated inflammation in mice. Additionally, histopathological examination revealed that colonic goblet cell loss and severe mucosal damage in the model group were significantly reversed by the combination of inulin and P. acidilactici. Moreover, synbiotic treatment significantly reduced the levels of IL-1ß, TNF-α, and IL-6 in the serum of mice. Thus, a synbiotic composed of inulin and P. acidilactici has preventive and therapeutic effects on DSSinduced colitis in mice.

Immunomodulatory effect of Stichopus japonicus acid mucopolysaccharide on experimental hepatocellular carcinoma in rats.

Stichopus japonicus acid mucopolysaccharide (SJAMP) is an important biologically active compound that can be extracted from the body wall of the sea cucumber. The present study investigated the anti-tumor and immunomodulatory effects of SJAMP in an experimental hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) model in rats. Three doses of SJAMP (17.5 mg/kg, 35 mg/kg, and 70 mg/kg administered 5 days/week via oral gavage) were given to rats with diethylnitrosamine (DEN)-induced HCC. SJAMP treatment significantly inhibited DEN-induced HCC by reducing both the number and mean volume of nodules, decreasing serum a-fetoprotein (AFP) levels and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) expression in liver, and increasing p21 expression. Furthermore, SJAMP decreased the serum levels of ALT, AST, GGT and TNF-α and increased serum IL-2. SJAMP administration also improved indices of spleen and thymus function and improved both macrophage phagocytosis and NK cell-mediated tumoricidal activity. Moreover, CD3+ and CD4+ T lymphocyte levels recovered significantly and the CD4+/CD8+ T cell ratio normalized in a dose-dependent manner. In conclusion, SJAMP effectively inhibited the growth of HCC through the stimulation of immune organs and tissue proliferation, leading to the enhancement of cellular immunity pathways in rats.

Genome-wide identification and functional analysis of the TCP gene family in rye (Secale cereale L.).

TEOSINTE BRANCHED1/CYCLOIDEA/PCF (TCP) proteins are plant-specific transcription factors that play significant roles in plant growth, development, and stress response. Rye is a high-value crop with strong resistance to adverse environments. However, the functions of TCP proteins in rye are rarely reported. Based on a genome-wide analysis, the present study identified 26 TCP genes (ScTCPs) in rye. Mapping showed an uneven distribution of the ScTCP genes on the seven rye chromosomes and detected three pairs of tandem duplication genes. Phylogenetic analysis divided these genes into PCF (Proliferrating Cell Factors), CIN (CINCINNATA), and CYC (CYCLOIDEA)/TB1 (Teosinte Branched1) classes, which showed the highest homology between rye and wheat genes. Analysis of miRNA targeting sites indicated that five ScTCP genes were identified as potential targets of miRNA319. Promoter cis-acting elements analysis indicated that ScTCPs were regulated by light signals. Further analysis of the gene expression patterns and functional annotations suggested the role of a few ScTCPs in grain development and stress response. In addition, two TB1 homologous genes (ScTCP9 and ScTCP10) were identified in the ScTCP family. Synteny analysis showed that TB1 orthologous gene pairs existed before the ancestral divergence. Finally, the yeast two-hybrid assay and luciferase complementation imaging assay proved that ScTCP9, localized in the nucleus, interacts with ScFT (Flowering locus T), indicating their role in regulating flowering time. Taken together, this comprehensive study of ScTCPs provides important information for further research on gene function and crop improvement.

Effect of microencapsulation of egg yolk immunoglobulin Y by sodium alginate/chitosan/sodium alginate on the growth performance, serum parameters, and intestinal health of broiler chickens.

OBJECTIVE: Egg yolk immunoglobulin (IgY) is an antibiotic alternative to prevent and fight intestinal pathogenic infections. This study aimed to investigate the effects of sodium alginate/chitosan/sodium alginate IgY microcapsules on the growth performance, serum parameters, and intestinal health of broiler chickens. METHODS: One-day-old broilers (Ross 308) were divided into five treatments, each with 10 replicates of five chickens. The dietary treatments were maintained for 28 days and consisted of a basal diet (NC), basal diet + 500 mg chlortetracycline/kg diet (CH), basal diet + 50 mg non-microencapsulated IgY/kg diet (NM), basal diet + 600 mg low levels microencapsulated IgY/kg diet (LM), and basal diet + 700 mg high levels microencapsulated IgY/kg diet (HM). RESULTS: Throughout the 28-day trial period, the NM, LM, HM, and CH groups increased average daily gain compared with the NC group (p<0.05), and the HM group reduced feed conversion ratio compared with the CH group (p<0.05). The LM and HM groups increased relative organ weights of thymus and spleen compared with the CH and NM groups (p<0.05). The HM group improved the duodenal, jejunal and ileum villi height (VH) and villus height to crypt depth ratio (VH:CD) compared with the CH and NM groups (p<0.05). Compared with the CH group, the HM group increased serum immunoglobulin (IgA), immunoglobulin G (IgG), superoxide dismutase, total antioxidant capacity, and glutathione peroxidase levels (p<0.05), and decreased serum malondialdehyde levels (p<0.05). Compared with the NC group, the NM, LM, HM, and CH groups reduced colonic Escherichia coli and Salmonella levels (p<0.05). and the HM group promoted the levels of lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacteria compared with the CH group (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Microencapsulation could be considered as a way to improve the efficiency of IgY. The 700 mg high levels microencapsulated IgY/kg diet could potentially be used as an alternative to antibiotics to improve the immune performance and intestinal health, leading to better performance of broiler chickens.

Real-ambient particulate matter exposure-induced FGFR1 methylation contributes to cardiac dysfunction via lipid metabolism disruption.

Particulate matter (PM)-induced cardiometabolic disorder contributes to the progression of cardiac diseases, but its epigenetic mechanisms are largely unknown. This study used bioinformatic analysis, in vivo and in vitro multiple models to investigate the role of PM-induced cardiac fibroblast growth factor 1 (FGFR1) methylation and its impact on cardiomyocyte lipid metabolic disruption. Bioinformatic analysis revealed that FGFR1 was associated with cardiac pathologies, mitochondrial function and metabolism, supporting the possibility that FGFR1 may play regulatory roles in PM-induced cardiac functional impairment and lipid metabolism disorders. Individually ventilated cage (IVC)-based real-ambient PM exposure system mouse models were used to expose C57/BL6 mice for six and fifteen weeks. The results showed that PM induced cardiac lipid metabolism disorder, DNA nucleotide methyltransferases (DNMTs) alterations and FGFR1 expression declines in mouse heart. Lipidomics analysis revealed that carnitines, phosphoglycerides and lysophosphoglycerides were most significantly affected by PM exposure. At the cellular level, AC16 cells treated with FGFR1 inhibitor (PD173074) led to impaired mitochondrial and metabolic functions in cardiomyocytes. Inhibition of DNA methylation in cells by 5-AZA partially restored the FGFR1 expression, ameliorated cardiomyocyte injury and mitochondrial functions. These changes involved alterations in AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK)-peroxisome proliferator activated receptors gamma, coactivator 1 alpha (PGC1α) pathways. Bisulfite sequencing PCR (BSP) and DNA methylation specific PCR (MSP) confirmed that PM exposure induced FGFR1 gene promoter region methylation. These results suggested that, by inducing FGFR1 methylation, PM exposure would affect cardiac injury and deranged lipid metabolism. Overexpression of FGFR1 in mouse heart using adeno-associated virus 9 (AAV9) effectively alleviated PM-induced cardiac impairment and metabolic disorder. Our findings identified that FGFR1 methylation might be one of the potential indicators for PM-induced cardiac mitochondrial and metabolic dysfunction, providing novel insights into underlying PM-related cardiotoxic mechanisms.

Exposure to real-ambient particulate matter induced vascular hypertrophy through activation of PDGFRß.

BACKGROUND: Vascular toxicity induced by particulate matter (PM) exposure exacerbates the onset and development of cardiovascular diseases; however, its detailed mechanism remains unclear. Platelet-derived growth factor receptor ß (PDGFRß) acts as a mitogen for vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) and is therefore essential for normal vasoformation. However, the potential effects of PDGFRß on VSMCs in PM-induced vascular toxicity have not yet been elucidated. METHODS: To reveal the potential roles of PDGFRß signalling in vascular toxicity, individually ventilated cage (IVC)-based real-ambient PM exposure system mouse models and PDGFRß overexpression mouse models were established in vivo, along with in vitro VSMCs models. RESULTS: Vascular hypertrophy was observed following PM-induced PDGFRß activation in C57/B6 mice, and the regulation of hypertrophy-related genes led to vascular wall thickening. Enhanced PDGFRß expression in VSMCs aggravated PM-induced smooth muscle hypertrophy, which was attenuated by inhibiting the PDGFRß and janus kinase 2 /signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (JAK2/STAT3) pathways. CONCLUSION: Our study identified the PDGFRß gene as a potential biomarker of PM-induced vascular toxicity. PDGFRß induced hypertrophic effects through the activation of the JAK2/STAT3 pathway, which may be a biological target for the vascular toxic effects caused by PM exposure.

Photothermal effects of CuS-BSA nanoparticles on H22 hepatoma-bearing mice.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the in vivo application and photothermal ablation effects and mechanism of copper sulfide nanoparticles (CuS NPs) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Sheet-like CuS-BSA NPs with a particle size of 30 nm were synthesized using bovine serum albumin (BSA) as a biological modifier, and were physically characterized. To provide a reference range for the biosafety dose of CuS-BSA NPs, 36 male Kunming mice were randomly assigned into six groups. Different one-time doses of CuS-BSA NPs were injected via tail vein injection, and the potential damages of liver, kidney and spleen were observed 14 days later. To evaluate the in vivo photothermal effect of CuS-BSA NPs, 48 male Kunming mice were used to establish the H22 hepatoma-bearing mouse model and were randomly assigned into six groups. CuS-BSA NPs (600 µg/kg) were injected via tail vein or intratumoral injection. Irradiations were performed 30 min after injection, with a 980 nm near-infrared laser (2.0 W/cm2) for 10 min once a week for 3 weeks. The results indicated that the CuS-BSA NPs had good dispersibility in three different solvents and had a strong absorption peak at 980 nm. The heating curves demonstrated that the photothermal effects of CuS-BSA NPs aqueous solution exhibited concentration dependence and power density dependence. In the in vivo experiment, when the doses of CuS-BSA NPs were in the range of 1800-7,200 µg/kg, the thymus index and spleen index of mice were not significantly different from those of the control group, and the structures of liver, kidney and spleen were intact without remarkable pathological changes. A lower dose of CuS-BSA NPs (600 µg/kg) could effectively inhibit tumor growth in H22 hepatoma-bearing mice at 980 nm NIR. Moreover, under the near-infrared laser irradiation, both in the tail vein injection group and the intratumoral injection group, a large area of necrosis in the tumor tissue, as well as the up-regulation of apoptotic proteins including cleaved caspase-3 and cleaved caspase-9 were observed. CuS-BSA NPs are promising photothermal agents in the photothermal therapy of cancer.

Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase C677T polymorphism in patients with lung cancer in a Korean population.

BACKGROUND: This study was designed to investigate an association between methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T polymorphism and the risk of lung cancer in a Korean population. METHODS: We conducted a large-scale, case-control study involving 3938 patients with newly diagnosed lung cancer and 1700 healthy controls. Genotyping was performed with peripheral blood DNA for MTHFR C677T polymorphisms. Statistical significance was estimated by logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: The MTHFR C677T frequencies of CC, CT, and TT genotypes were 34.5%, 48.5%, and 17% among lung cancer patients, and 31.8%, 50.7%, and 17.5% in the controls, respectively. The MTHFR 677CT and TT genotype showed a weak protection against lung cancer compared with the homozygous CC genotype, although the results did not reach statistical significance. The age- and gender-adjusted odds ratio (OR) of overall lung cancer was 0.90 (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.77-1.04) for MTHFR 677 CT and 0.88 (95% CI, 0.71-1.07) for MTHFR 677TT. However, after stratification analysis by histological type, the MTHFR 677CT genotype showed a significantly decreased risk for squamous cell carcinoma (age- and gender-adjusted OR, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.64-0.96). The combination of 677 TT homozygous with 677 CT heterozygous also appeared to have a protection effect on the risk of squamous cell carcinoma. We observed no significant interaction between the MTHFR C677T polymorphism and age and gender or smoking habit. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first reported study focusing on the association between MTHFR C677T polymorphisms and the risk of lung cancer in a Korean population. The T allele was found to provide a weak protective association with lung squamous cell carcinoma.

The Role of Nrf2 in the PM-Induced Vascular Injury Under Real Ambient Particulate Matter Exposure in C57/B6 Mice.

Short-and long-term exposure to particulate matter (PM) has been associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD). It is well recognized that oxidative stress is a potential major mechanism in PM-induced vascular injuries, in which the nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) signaling pathway plays a critical role. In the current study, a Nrf2 knockout mouse model was used in combination with an individual ventilated cage (IVC)-based real-ambient PM exposure system to assess the potential vascular injury and the potential role of Nrf2 in the angiotensin II (Ang II)-associated vascular injury. After 6-or 11-week exposure to PM, the histopathology assay revealed that PM exposure resulted in the thickening of the walls of vascular. After 6 weeks exposure to PM, the ELISA assay revealed that PM exposure resulted in the elevated plasma concentration of Ang II. The expression levels of genes of interest were then further investigated with quantitative real-time PCR. Notably, the results showed that Angiotensinogen (AGT), Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) and Angiotensin type I receptor (AT1R) were involved in PM-induced pathological changes. Western blotting for ACE showed similar results. Moreover, the extent of vascular thickening and the Ang II elevation was most prominent in the Nrf2 gene knockout PM exposure group (KOE). Furthermore, the expression of Nrf2 downstream relevant genes (HO1, Nqo1, Gclc, Gsta4) were significantly enhanced in the wildtype PM exposure group (WTE), while those were remarkably suppressed in the Nrf2 gene knockout groups. The ELISA result of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) serum levels in the KOE group was significantly higher in relation to that in the Nrf2 knockout control group (KOC). In summary, PM exposure is associated with thickening of vascular wall, while Nrf2 knockout may further enhance this effect. A potential mechanistic contributor of such effects is the activation of ACE/ANGII/AT1R axis, in which Nrf2 played a regulatory role.