The role of circular RNA in preeclampsia: From pathophysiological mechanism to clinical application.

Preeclampsia (PE) is a common pregnancy-induced hypertension disorder that poses a significant threat to the health of pregnant women and fetuses, and has become a leading cause of maternal, fetal, and neonatal mortality. Currently, the therapy strategy for PE is mainly prevention management and symptomatic treatment, and only delivery can completely terminate PE. Therefore, a deeper understanding of the pathogenesis of PE is needed to make treatment and prevention more effective and targeted. With the deepening of molecular etiology research, circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been found to be widely involved in various processes of PE pathogenesis. As a kind of RNA with a special "head to tail" loop structure, the characteristics of circRNAs enable them to play diverse roles in the pathophysiology of PE, and can also serve as ideal biomarkers for early prediction and monitoring progression of PE. In this review, we summarized the latest research on PE-related circRNAs, trying to elucidate the unique or shared roles of circRNAs in various pathophysiological mechanisms of PE, aiming to provide a whole picture of current research on PE-related circRNAs, and extend a new perspective for the precise screening and targeted therapy of PE.

AURKA, TOP2A and MELK are the key genes identified by WGCNA for the pathogenesis of lung adenocarcinoma.

The comprehensive analysis of single or multiple microarray datasets is currently available in Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases, with several studies having identified genes strongly associated with the development of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). However, the mechanisms of LUAD development remain largely unknown and has not yet been systematically studied; thus, further studies are required in this field. In the present study, weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was used for the evaluation of key genes with potential high risk of LUAD, and to provide more reliable evidence concerning its pathogenesis. The GSE140797 dataset from the high-throughput GEO database was downloaded and was first analyzed using the Limma package in the R language in order to determine the differentially expressed genes. The dataset was then analyzed using the WGCNA package to analyze the co-expressed genes, and the modular genes with the highest correlation with the clinical phenotype were identified. Subsequently, the pathogenic genes shared in common between the result of the two analyses were imported into the STRING database for protein-protein interaction network analysis. The hub genes were screened out using Cytoscape, and then The Cancer Genome Atlas analysis, receiver operating characteristic analysis and survival analysis were subsequently performed. Finally, the key genes were evaluated using reverse transcription-quantitative PCR and western blot analysis. Bioinformatics analysis of the GSE140797 dataset revealed eight key genes: AURKA, BUB1, CCNB1, CDK1, MELK, NUSAP1, TOP2A and PBK. Finally, the AURKA, TOP2A and MELK genes were evaluated in samples from patients with lung cancer using WGCNA and RT-qPCR, western blot analysis experiments, providing basis for further research on the mechanisms of LUAD development and targeted therapy.

Prenatal diagnosis of isolated lateral facial cleft by ultrasonography and three-dimensional printing: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Lateral facial clefts are atypical with a low incidence in the facial cleft spectrum. With the development of ultrasonography (US) prenatal screening, such facial malformations can be detected and diagnosed prenatally rather than at birth. Although three-dimensional US (3DUS) can render the fetus' face via 3D reconstruction, the 3D images are displayed on two-dimensional screens without field depth, which impedes the understanding of untrained individuals. In contrast, a 3D-printed model of the fetus' face helps both parents and doctors develop a more comprehensive understanding of the facial malformation by creating more interactive aspects. Herein, we present an isolated lateral facial cleft case that was diagnosed via US combined with a 3D-printed model. CASE SUMMARY: A 31-year-old G2P1 patient presented for routine prenatal screening at the 22nd wk of gestation. The coronal nostril-lip section of two-dimensional US (2DUS) demonstrated that the fetus' bilateral oral commissures were asymmetrical, and left oral commissure was abnormally wide. The left oblique-coronal section showed a cleft at the left oral commissure which extended to the left cheek. The results of 3DUS confirmed the cleft. Furthermore, we created a model of the fetal face using 3D printing technology, which clearly presented facial malformations. The fetus was diagnosed with a left lateral facial cleft, which was categorized as a No. 7 facial cleft according to the Tessier facial cleft classification. The parents terminated the pregnancy at the 24th wk of gestation after parental counseling. CONCLUSION: In the diagnostic course of the current case, in addition to the traditional application of 2D and 3DUS, we created a 3D-printed model of the fetus, which enhanced diagnostic evidence, benefited the education of junior doctors, improved parental counseling, and had the potential to guide surgical planning.

Multidisciplinary treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma with severe arterioportal shunt: a case report.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fourth leading cause of cancer mortality globally. In addition, most patients present in advanced stages with limited curative treatment options. Therefore, multidisciplinary treatment is often warranted. Here, we report a patient with HCC and severe arterioportal shunt (APS) who was treated with a multidisciplinary approach comprising interventional radiology procedures, apatinib and camrelizumab. After treatment, the intrahepatic mass was stable, and a notable decrease in the number and size of lung lesions was observed. The patient achieved a long-term survival of more than 2 years. These data suggest that multidisciplinary treatments may be effective in the treatment of advanced HCC with severe APS.

First trimester Doppler velocimetry of the uterine artery ipsilateral to the placenta improves ability to predict early-onset preeclampsia.

This study sought to investigate the effects of placental laterality on the measurements of uterine artery (UtA) Doppler velocimetry and their application in predicting early-onset preeclampsia (PE).We conducted a prospective cohort study on all women with singleton, uncomplicated pregnancies scheduled for first-trimester nuchal translucency at our institution. Pulsatility index (PI) for both UtAs was measured by Doppler velocimetry, and placental laterality was determined. Additionally, pregnancy outcome data were abstracted from the medical records. Receiver operating characteristic curves (ROCs) were plotted.Of the 304 patients enrolled, 247 met the inclusion criteria. Among these patients, 240 had uncomplicated delivery, while 7 had early delivery at <34 weeks due to PE. For the uncomplicated pregnancies, PI measurements of the UtA ipsilateral to the placenta were similar (left versus right UtA: 1.06 ±â€Š0.38 vs. 1.04 ±â€Š0.40; P = .745). However, PI measurements of the UtA contralateral to the placenta differed significantly (left versus right UtA: 1.45 ±â€Š0.51 vs. 1.3 ±â€Š0.47; P = .027). In predicting early-onset PE, the ideal cut-off value for the placental side PI was 1.91, with sensitivity 100% and specificity 96.3%. For nonplacental side PI, the ideal cut-off value for PI was 1.975, with sensitivity 57.1% and specificity 79.2%. Using the mean of the left and right UtA PI, the ideal cut-off value was 1.63, with sensitivity 100% and specificity 74.2%.ROC analysis confirmed that PI measurements of the UtA on the placental side were significantly lower than those on the contralateral side, PI measurements of the UtA ipsilateral to the placenta were similar.

Effect of chitosan combined with hyaluronate on promoting the recovery of postoperative facial nerve regeneration and function in rabbits.

To determine better solutions for postoperative nerve functional recovery, the effects of chitosan and hyaluronate on perineural scar formation and neural function recovery were investigated in 40 rabbits. Rabbits were randomized into 4 groups: A (chitosan), B (chitosan + hyaluronate), C (hyaluronate) and D (control). The rabbits underwent the same parotidectomy surgery, but different materials were used to cover the operated nerves. By evaluating specific indicators, including vibrissae motion tests, neural electrophysiological examinations and extraneural examinations, it was revealed that the amplitude of vibrissae motion of all groups had increased 6 weeks after surgery. The recovery of Group B was superior compared with all other groups at 4 and 12 weeks post-surgery; however no significant differences were detected. Group B exhibited a great number of nerve fibers, thicker myelin sheath and greater nerve conduction velocity. In summary, the use of a chitosan conduit combined with sodium hyaluronate gel may prevent perineural scar formation in facial nerves and promote nerve functional recovery.

Chitosan conduit combined with hyaluronic acid prevent sciatic nerve scar in a rat model of peripheral nerve crush injury.

In the present study, the effects of hyaluronic acid (HA) combined with chitosan conduit on peripheral nerve scarring and regeneration were investigated in a rat model of peripheral nerve crush injury. A total of 60 Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly distributed into four groups (15 rats in each group), in which the nerve was either not treated (control group) or treated with chitosan conduit, hyaluronic acid, or chitosan conduit coupled with hyaluronic acid following clamp injury to the sciatic nerve. The surgical sites were evaluated by assessing the sciatic functional index, the degree of scar adhesions, the numbers of myelinated nerve fibers, the average diameter of myelinated nerve fibers and the myelin sheath thickness. Larger epineurial scar thickness was observed in the control groups compared with the treatment groups at 4, 8 and 12 weeks following surgery. There was no significant difference in scar adhesion among the four groups at 4 weeks following surgery. However, animals receiving chitosan coupled with HA demonstrated better neural recovery, as measured by reduced nerve adherence to surrounding tissues, less scar adhesion, increased number of axons, nerve fiber diameter and myelin thickness. In conclusion, the application of chitosan conduit combined with HA, to a certain extent, inhibited sciatic nerve extraneural scaring and adhesion, and promoted neural regeneration and recovery.

PPFIA1 is upregulated in liver metastasis of breast cancer and is a potential poor prognostic indicator of metastatic relapse.

Although the oncogenic role of PPFIA1 (liprin-α1) in breast cancer has been reported, whether its dysregulation is associated with metastasis risk or survival outcomes in breast cancer patients is not clear. Our primary data showed that PPFIA1 expression was significantly higher in liver metastatic breast tumors than in the primary tumors. Then, we tried to pool previous annotated genomic data to assess the prognostic value of PPFIA1 in distant metastasis-free survival, the risk of metastatic relapse, and metastatic relapse-free survival in breast cancer patients by data mining in two large databases, Kaplan-Meier plotter and bc-GenExMiner 4.0. Results from Kaplan-Meier plotter showed that although high PPFIA1 expression was generally associated with decreased distant metastasis-free survival in estrogen receptor+ patients, subgroup analysis only confirmed significant association in estrogen receptor+/N- (nodal negative) group (median survival, high PPFIA1 group vs low PPFIA1 cohort: 191.21 vs 236.22 months; hazard ratio: 2.23, 95% confidence interval: 1.42-3.5, p < 0.001), but not in estrogen receptor+/N+ (nodal positive) group (hazard ratio: 1.63, 95% confidence interval: 0.88-3.03, p = 0.12). In estrogen receptor- patients, there was no association between PPFIA1 expression and distant metastasis-free survival, no matter in Nm (nodal status mixed), N-, or N+ subgroups. In bc-GenExMiner 4.0, Nottingham Prognostic Index- and Adjuvant! Online-adjusted analysis validated the independent prognostic value of PPFIA1 in metastatic risks in estrogen receptor+/N- patients. Based on these findings, we infer that high PPFIA1 expression might be an independent prognostic indicator of increased metastatic relapse risk in patients with estrogen receptor+/N- breast cancer, but not in estrogen receptor+/N+ or estrogen receptor- patients.

[Effect of PEG stress on plantlets of Chrysanthemum morifolium induced by endophytic botrytis sp. (C1) and Chaetomium globosum (C4)].

The effect of the endophytic fungi Botrytis sp. (C1) or Chaetomium globosum (C4) on the drought resistance of Chrysanthemum morifolium was studied. Ch. morifolium plantlets were inoculated with C1, C4 and cultured in the pots for 60 days, then the plantlets were stressed by 0%, 10%, 20%, 30%, 40% PEG6000 respectively in order to simulate different drought conditions. Biomass, the activities of SOD, POD, PAL, the contents of MDA and soluble protein of each group were determined. The results showed that endophytic fungi groups grew better than the control (without inoculation endophytic fungi). With the increasing of the concentration of PEG6000, the biomass of Ch. morifolium of each groups decreased, while the biomass of fungi groups was significantly higher than that of control, moreover C4 group higher than C1 group. With the concentration of PEG increasing, the content of MDA of each group increased too, while POD activity and soluble protein content of all treatments increased at first and then decreased. SOD activity and PAL activity of the control were increased with the increase of PEG concentration, but SOD activity of the two fungi groups were stable. After been stressed by different concentrations of PEG, MDA content of two fungi groups were always lower than the control, while SOD activity, POD activity, PAL activity and soluble protein content were higher. In conclusion, endophytic fungi can increase the drought resistance of Ch. morifolium.

[The effect of different endophytic fungi on Chrysanthemum morifolium output and quality].

OBJECTIVE: To enhance the flowers yield of Chrysanthemum morifolium by endophytic fungi. METHODS: Endophytic fungi (Chaetomium globosum strain C4 and Botrytis sp. strain C1) were inoculated to the plantlets which were planted in the pots. The output of the flowers was measured, the total flavonoids and essential oil contents of the flowers were determined. RESULTS: Compared to that of the control, fresh and dry outputs of the fungi C4 group increased 24.81%, 7.59%, fresh and dry outputs of the fungi C1 group increased 17.08%, 6.87%. Total flavonoids content of the fungi C4 group was higher than that of the control remarkably, fungi C4, C1 groups flowers total flavonoids content increased 31.79%, 8.55% compared to that of the control. Essential oil content of the fungi C4, C1 groups increased 13.21%, 18.19% respectively. The content percentage of various essential oil components of the fungi C4, C1 groups increased 10.42%, 8.90% compared to that of the control respectively. There were differences among the content percentage of various essential oil components of fungi C4, C1 treated group and the control's. CONCLUSION: The two fungi could build the symbiosis relation with the Chrysnthemum morifolium, which may cause them to enhance the output and quality finally.