Trim14-IκBα Signaling Regulates Chronic Inflammatory Pain in Rats and Osteoarthritis Patients.

Chronic inflammatory pain is the highest priority for people with osteoarthritis when seeking medical attention. Despite the availability of NSAIDs and glucocorticoids, central sensitization and peripheral sensitization make pain increasingly difficult to control. Previous studies have identified the ubiquitination system as an important role in the chronic inflammatory pain. Our study displayed that the E3 ubiquitin ligase tripartite motif-containing 14 (Trim14) was abnormally elevated in the serum of patients with osteoarthritis and pain, and the degree of pain was positively correlated with the degree of Trim14 elevation. Furthermore, CFA-induced inflammatory pain rat model showed that Trim14 was significantly increased in the L3-5 spinal dorsal horn (SDH) and dorsal root ganglion (DRG), and in turn the inhibitor of nuclear factor Kappa-B isoform α (IκBα) was decreased after Trim14 elevation. After intrathecal injection of Trim14 siRNA to inhibit Trim14 expression, IκBα expression was reversed and increased, and the pain behaviors and anxiety behaviors of rats were significantly relieved. Overall, these findings suggested that Trim14 may contribute to chronic inflammatory pain by degrading IκBα, and that Trim14 may become a novel therapeutic target for chronic inflammatory pain.

Three coordination polymers based on 4,4'-bis(2-methylimidazol-1-yl)diphenyl ether: Synthesis, structure and selective fluorescent sensing properties.

Three CPs [Zn2(PDA)2(BMIOPE)2·3H2O]n (1), [Co(Br-BDC)(BMIOPE)]n (2) and [Co(MIP)(BMIOPE)]n (3) were synthesized by solvothermal method based on dual-ligand strategy (H2PDA, Br-H2BDC, BMIOPE and H2MIP are 1,3-phenylenediacetic acid, 5-bromo-isophthalic acid, 4,4'-bis(2-methylimidazol-1-yl)diphenyl ether and 5-methylisophthalic acid, respectively). Complexes 1 and 3 exhibit twofold parallel interwoven sql nets. Complex 2 is 2D layer structure. The luminescence property investigations showed that complexes 1-3 could act as multi-responsive fluorescent sensors to detect UO22+, Cr2O72- and CrO42- and nitrofurantoin (NFT) through fluorescence turn-off process, presenting excellent sensitivity and selectivity. Finally, the possible fluorescent quenching mechanisms of complexes 1-3 toward the above pollutants are also further investigated by employing spectroscopic methods and quantum chemical calculations. The fluorescence lifetime measurements manifest the mechanism of fluorescence quenching is static quenching process.

Emerging clinical relevance of microbiome in cancer: promising biomarkers and therapeutic targets.

The profound influence of microbiota in cancer initiation and progression has been under the spotlight for years, leading to numerous researches on cancer microbiome entering clinical evaluation. As promising biomarkers and therapeutic targets, the critical involvement of microbiota in cancer clinical practice has been increasingly appreciated. Here, recent progress in this field is reviewed. We describe the potential of tumor-associated microbiota as effective diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers, respectively. In addition, we highlight the relationship between microbiota and the therapeutic efficacy, toxicity, or side effects of commonly utilized treatments for cancer, including chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and immunotherapy. Given that microbial factors influence the cancer treatment outcome, we further summarize some dominating microbial interventions and discuss the hidden risks of these strategies. This review aims to provide an overview of the applications and advancements of microbes in cancer clinical relevance.

NF-YB-Mediated Active Responses of Plant Growth under Salt and Temperature Stress in Eucalyptus grandis.

The transcription factor NF-YB (nuclear factor-YB) family is a subfamily of the nuclear factor Y (NF-Y), which plays an important role in regulating plant growth, development and participates in various stress responses. Although the NF-Y family has been studied in many species, it is still obscure in Eucalyptus grandis. In this study, 23 EgNF-YB genes in eucalyptus were identified and unevenly distributed on 11 chromosomes. Phylogenetic analysis showed the EgNF-YB genes were divided into two clades, LEC-1 type and non-LEC1 type. The evolution of distinct clades was relatively conservative, the gene structures were analogous, and the differences of genetic structures among clades were small. The expression profiles showed that the distinct EgNF-YB genes were highly expressed in diverse tissues, and EgNF-YB4/6/13/19/23 functioned in response to salinity, heat and cold stresses. Our study characterized the phylogenetic relationship, gene structures and expression patterns of EgNF-YB gene family and investigated their potential roles in abiotic stress responses, which provides solid foundations for further functional analysis of NF-YB genes in eucalyptus.

The CSF-Contacting Nucleus Receives Anatomical Inputs From the Cerebral Cortex: A Combination of Retrograde Tracing and 3D Reconstruction Study in Rat.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the direct monosynaptic projections from cortical functional regions to the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)-contacting nucleus for understanding the functions of the CSF-contacting nucleus. METHODS: The Sprague-Dawley rats received cholera toxin B subunit (CB) injections into the CSF-contacting nucleus. After 7-10 days of survival time, the rats were perfused, and the whole brain and spinal cord were sliced under a freezing microtome at 40 µm. All sections were treated with the CB immunofluorescence reaction. The retrogradely labeled neurons in different cortical areas were revealed under a confocal microscope. The distribution features were further illustrated under 3D reconstruction. RESULTS: The retrogradely labeled neurons were identified in the olfactory, orbital, cingulate, insula, retrosplenial, somatosensory, motor, visual, auditory, association, rhinal, and parietal cortical areas. A total of 12 functional areas and 34 functional subregions showed projections to the CSF-contacting nucleus in different cell intensities. CONCLUSION: According to the connectivity patterns, we conclude that the CSF-contacting nucleus participates in cognition, emotion, pain, visceral activity, etc. The present study firstly reveals the cerebral cortex→CSF-contacting nucleus connections, which implies the multiple functions of this special nucleus in neural and body fluid regulations.

Novel Projections to the Cerebrospinal Fluid-Contacting Nucleus From the Subcortex and Limbic System in Rat.

Objective: To identify the novel projections received by the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)-contacting nucleus from the subcortex and limbic system to understand the biological functions of the nucleus. Methods: The cholera toxin subunit B (CB), a retrograde tracer, was injected into the CSF-contacting nucleus in Sprague-Dawley rats. After 7-10 days, the surviving rats were perfused, and the whole brain and spinal cord were sliced for CB immunofluorescence detection. The CB-positive neurons in the subcortex and limbic system were observed under a fluorescence microscope, followed by 3D reconstructed with the imaris software. Results: CB-positive neurons were found in the basal forebrain, septum, periventricular organs, preoptic area, and amygdaloid structures. Five functional areas including 46 sub-regions sent projections to the CSF-contacting nucleus. However, the projections had different densities, ranging from sparse to moderate, to dense. Conclusions: According to the projections from the subcortex and limbic system, we hypothesize that the CSF-contacting nucleus participates in emotion, cognition, homeostasis regulation, visceral activity, pain, and addiction. In this study, we illustrate the novel projections from the subcortex and limbic system to the CSF-contacting nucleus, which underlies the diverse and complicated circuits of the nucleus in body regulations.