Structural characteristics of cell wall pectic polysaccharides from wampee and their decreased binding with pectinase by wampee polyphenol.

To investigate the structural characteristics of cell wall pectic polysaccharides from wampee, water soluble pectin (WSP), chelator-soluble pectin (CSP) and sodium carbonate-soluble pectin (SSP) were purified. And the inhibitory effects of wampee polyphenol (WPP) on pectinase when these cell wall pectic polysaccharides were used as substrates were also explored. Purified WSP (namely PWSP) had the lowest molecular weight (8.47 × 105 Da) and the highest GalA content (33.43%). While purified CSP (called PCSP) and SSP contained more abundant rhamnogalacturonan I side chains. All of them were low-methoxy pectin (DE < 50%). Enzyme activity and kinetics analysis showed that the inhibition of pectinase by wampee polyphenol was reversible and mixed type. When SSP was used as the substrate, WPP had the strongest inhibition (IC50 = 1.96 ± 0.06 mg/mL) on pectinase. Fluorescence quenching results indicated that WPP inhibited enzyme activity by interacting with substrates and enzymes. Therefore, WPP has the application potential in controlling softening of fruits and vegetables.

Regulation effect of magnetic field combined with low temperature storage on postharvest quality and cell wall pectic-polysaccharide degradation of Clausena lansium (Lour.) Skeels.

This study investigated the regulation effect of magnetic field combined with low temperature storage on postharvest quality and cell wall pectic-polysaccharide degradation of wampee stored for 15 d at 4 °C and 15 °C. Results showed that magnetic field combined with low temperature storage reduced browning rate of fruit after 15 d storage, but its effect on weight loss rate and total soluble solids (TSS) did not surpass that of storage temperature. Interestingly, contents of flavonoid, total phenols and malondialdehyde (MDA) were also lowered at varying degrees by combined treatment. Furthermore, molecular weight distribution and monosaccharide compositions of cell wall pectic-polysaccharides were also affected, which resulted from the coordinated action of cell wall pectin-degrading enzymes. The activities of these enzymes during storage, including polygalacturonase (PG), pectin methylesterase (PME) and ß-galactosidase (ß-Gal) in treated wampee decreased. These findings suggested that magnetic field combined with low temperature storage was an effective technology and had great potential in preservation of postharvest wampee in future.

The Efficacy of Pretreatment 18F-FDG PET-CT-Based Deep Learning Network Structure to Predict Survival in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma.

Background: Previous studies have shown that the 5-year survival rates of patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) were still not ideal despite great improvement in NPC treatments. To achieve individualized treatment of NPC, we have been looking for novel models to predict the prognosis of patients with NPC. The objective of this study was to use a novel deep learning network structural model to predict the prognosis of patients with NPC and to compare it with the traditional PET-CT model combining metabolic parameters and clinical factors. Methods: A total of 173 patients were admitted to 2 institutions between July 2014 and April 2020 for the retrospective study; each received a PET-CT scan before treatment. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) was employed to select some features, including SUVpeak-P, T3, age, stage II, MTV-P, N1, stage III and pathological type, which were associated with overall survival (OS) of patients. We constructed 2 survival prediction models: an improved optimized adaptive multimodal task (a 3D Coordinate Attention Convolutional Autoencoder and an uncertainty-based jointly Optimizing Cox Model, CACA-UOCM for short) and a clinical model. The predictive power of these models was assessed using the Harrell Consistency Index (C index). Overall survival of patients with NPC was compared by Kaplan-Meier and Log-rank tests. Results: The results showed that CACA-UOCM model could estimate OS (C index, 0.779 for training, 0.774 for validation, and 0.819 for testing) and divide patients into low and high mortality risk groups, which were significantly associated with OS (P < .001). However, the C-index of the model based only on clinical variables was only 0.42. Conclusions: The deep learning network model based on 18F-FDG PET/CT can serve as a reliable and powerful predictive tool for NPC and provide therapeutic strategies for individual treatment.

Regulation mechanism of magnetic field on pectinase and its preliminary application in postharvest sapodilla (Manilkara zapota).

In this study, regulation mechanism of magnetic field on pectinase was investigated and it was preliminarily applied in postharvest sapodilla. Results indicated pectinase activity decreased by 44 % when treated by magnetic field (3 mT, 0.5 h) with kinetic parameters Vmax/Km decreasing from 0.799 to 0.366 min. The optimal temperature (48 °C) and pH (4.8) of pectinase was not altered by magnetic field but Ca2+ at 0.05 mol/L strengthened its regulation effect. Ultraviolet and fluorescence spectra suggested tyrosine and tryptophan residues in treated pectinase became more hydrophobic while opposite in phenylalanine. CO, CNH, COO- groups in pectinase were also influenced, resulting in decreased ß-sheet (from 53 % to 49 %), increased random coil (from 20 % to 22 %) and ß-turn content (from 27 % to 29 %). More importantly, the firmness of treated sapodilla remained 45 % of maximum at 12 days' storage. Our findings provided new insights to illustrate the role of magnetic field in fruit preservation.

Effects of SOCS1-overexpressing dendritic cells on Th17- and Treg-related cytokines in COPD mice.

BACKGROUND: In this study, we established a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) model by stimulating mice with cigarette smoke, and observed the effects of dendritic cells (DCs) overexpressing SOCS1 on Th17, Treg and other related cytokines in peripheral blood, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and lung tissues of COPD mice. METHODS: After successfully transfecting DCs with overexpressing SOCS1 (DC-SOCS1), the mice were injected with DC-SOCS1 (1 × 106), DC-SOCS1 (2 × 106) and immature DCs (1 × 106) via tail vein on days 1 and 7 of COPD fumigation modeling. After day 28 of modeling, the peripheral blood, BALF and lung tissue samples were extracted from the mice, and the changes of DCs, Th17 and Treg cells and related cytokines were detected by immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, HE staining, flow cytometry and ELISA. RESULTS: The results showed that DC-SOCS1 was able to reduce the secretion of pro-inflammatory factors and increase the anti-inflammatory factors in the COPD mice, and the effect of high concentration (2 × 106 DC-SOCS1) was better than low concentration (1 × 106 DC-SOCS1). Moreover, the intervention effect was significant on day 1 compared with day 7. In the mice injected with DC-SOCS1, the expression of CD83, IL-4, Foxp3, and CCR6 was increased on day 1 than those on day 7, while IL-17 and IFN-γ was decreased. CONCLUSIONS: Intervention of COPD mice with high concentrations of DCs-SOCS1 reduced pro-inflammatory factor secretion and attenuated the inflammatory response in COPD. Trial registration Not applicable.

Multi-Frequency Ultrasonic Extraction of Anthocyanins from Blueberry Pomace and Evaluation of Its Antioxidant Activity.

BACKGROUND: A large amount of blueberry pomace is discarded and wasted. OBJECTIVE: To make full use of blueberry pomace and extract anthocyanins. METHOD: Multi-frequency ultrasound was used to extract anthocyanins from blueberry pomace. The effects of different extraction conditions on the anthocyanin yields were studied. The antioxidant activity of anthocyanins was evaluated, and the main anthocyanin components were identified by HPLC-electrospray ionization (ESI)-MS/MS. RESULTS: The optimal anthocyanin extraction conditions were as follows: dual-frequency ultrasound of 40 + 80 kHz, ultrasonic power of 350 W, extraction temperature of 50°C, and extraction time of 40 min. Compared with single frequency (25 kHz) and tri-frequency ultrasound (25 + 40 + 80 kHz), the anthocyanin yield with dual-frequency ultrasound increased by 15.26% and 5.45% respectively. Furthermore, the antioxidant activities (DPPH, hydroxyl radical scavenging ability, and reducing power) of anthocyanins extracted with dual-frequency ultrasound were all higher than those without ultrasound. Seven kinds of anthocyanins were identified by HPLC-ESI-MS/MS. CONCLUSIONS: Dual-frequency ultrasound had a higher extraction yield than single frequency ultrasound, tri-frequency ultrasound, and no ultrasound. HIGHLIGHTS: Dual-frequency ultrasonic technology provides an effective approach for improving the extraction yield of anthocyanins from blueberry pomace.

A rare and fatal respiratory disease: bronchial Dieulafoy's disease.

A 66-year-old woman had two severe episodes of massive hemoptysis without any premonitory symptoms, with approximately 400-500 ml blood each time. Bronchoscopic exam revealed a smooth and pulsatile protrusion that was approximately 8-10 mm in diameter found at the beginning of the right middle lobe bronchus in the bronchial lumen. The protrusion arose from the surface with absolutely normal mucosa. Selective bronchial arteriography showed that elongated, tortuous, and dilated branches of the bronchial artery in the region of the middle lobe bronchus. Further bronchial arterial embolization (BAE) is recommended, although the patient currently has no active bleeding. Bronchial Dieulafoy's disease (BDD) is a rare and life-threatening disease. Selective bronchial arteriography is a diagnostic tool to detect and locate abnormal arteries. There is no unified guideline or expert consensus on the treatment of BDD. Selective BAE or surgical resection is usually used as a first-line treatment to control hemoptysis. The reviews of this paper are available via the supplemental material section.

Carboxymethylation and acetylation of the polysaccharide from Cordyceps militaris and their α-glucosidase inhibitory activities.

The crude polysaccharide extracted from Cordyceps militaris was chemically modified to obtain carboxymethylated derivatives (CM-CPS) and acetylated derivatives (AC-CPS). The physicochemical characterizations were comparatively investigated by chemical methods, high-performance gel permeation chromatography, FT-IR spectra, NMR analysis, Congo red test, scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry. Then α-glucosidase inhibitory activities were conducted to determine the structure-bioactivity relationship. Results indicated that carboxymethylation and acetylation modification of polysaccharide were successful with the carboxymethyl substitutions might being C-6, C-2 and acetyl substitutions at C-3, C-6 inferred from NMR analysis. In addition, the tertiary structure, ultrastructure, melting properties were also different from native polysaccharide. Besides, α-glucosidase inhibitory activities of derivatives exhibited differently with CM-CPS to be the lowest. Therefore, it was concluded that change of structure in polysaccharide had certain effect on bioactivity with degree of substitution and substituents position being the influence factors.

Autophagy and pulmonary disease.

Autophagy is a process of cell self-renewal that is dependent on the degradation of the cytoplasmic proteins or organelles of lysosomes. Many diseases, such as metabolic diseases, cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, and lung diseases, have been confirmed to be associated with elevated or impaired levels of autophagy. At present, studies have found that autophagy participates in the regulation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, pulmonary hypertension, acute lung injury, lung cancer, and other pulmonary diseases. Using recent literature on the signal transduction mechanisms of autophagy and the effects of autophagy signalling on lung diseases, this review intends to clarify the mechanisms of lung disease to guide the treatment of related diseases. The reviews of this paper are available via the supplemental material section.

Effects of Boron Supplementation on Expression of Hsp70 in the Spleen of African Ostrich.

Increased synthesis of heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) occurs in prokaryotes and eukaryotes in response to physiological, environmental, and chemical exposures, thus allowing the cell survival from fatal conditions. Hsp70 cytoprotective properties may be clarified by its anti-apoptotic function. Boron has been reported to play an essential role in various organ developments and metabolisms. However, it is not known if boron is also able to modulate the Hsp70. In the present study, the actions of boron on ostrich spleen and expression level of Hsp70 were investigated. Thirty healthy ostrich chicks were randomly assigned to six groups: groups I, II, III, IV, V, and VI and fed the basal diet spiked with 0-, 40-, 80-, 160-, 320-, and 640-mg boric acid (BA)/L, respectively, in drinking water. The histomorphological examination in the spleen was done by hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining. The expression level of Hsp70 was analyzed by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and western blotting, and mRNA expression of Hsp70 was investigated by quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR). In order to investigate apoptosis, TUNEL assay reaction in all treatment groups was analyzed. Our results showed that the histological structure of spleen up to 160 mg/L BA supplementation groups well developed. The Hsp70 expression level first induced at low-dose groups (up to group IV) and then inhibited dramatically in high-dose groups (V and VI) while comparing with the group I (0 mg BA). The TUNEL assay reaction revealed that the cell apoptosis amount was decreased in group IV, but in group V and especially in group VI, it was significantly increased (P < 0.01). Taken altogether, proper dietary boron treatment might stimulate ostrich chick spleen development by promoting the Hsp70 expression level and inhibiting apoptosis, while a high amount of boron supplementation would impair the ostrich spleen structure by inhibiting Hsp70 expression level and promoting cell apoptosis.

Effect of Boric Acid Supplementation on the Expression of BDNF in African Ostrich Chick Brain.

The degree of brain development can be expressed by the levels of brain brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). BDNF plays an irreplaceable role in the process of neuronal development, protection, and restoration. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of boric acid supplementation in water on the ostrich chick neuronal development. One-day-old healthy animals were supplemented with boron in drinking water at various concentrations, and the potential effects of boric acid on brain development were tested by a series of experiments. The histological changes in brain were observed by hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining and Nissl staining. Expression of BDNF was analyzed by immunohistochemistry, quantitative real-time PCR (QRT-PCR), and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Apoptosis was evaluated with Dutp-biotin nick end labeling (TUNEL) reaction, and caspase-3 was detected with QRT-PCR. The results were as follows: (1) under the light microscope, the neuron structure was well developed with abundance of neurites and intact cell morphology when animals were fed with less than 160 mg/L of boric acid (groups II, III, IV). Adversely, when boric acid doses were higher than 320 mg/L(groups V, VI), the high-dose boric acid neuron structure was damaged with less neurites, particularly at 640 mg/L; (2) the quantity of BDNF expression in groups II, III, and IV was increased while it was decreased in groups V and VI when compared with that in group I; (3) TUNEL reaction and the caspase-3 mRNA level showed that the amount of cell apoptosis in group II, group III, and group IV were decreased, but increased in group V and group VI significantly. These results indicated that appropriate supplementation of boric acid, especially at 160 mg/L, could promote ostrich chicks' brain development by promoting the BDNF expression and reducing cell apoptosis. Conversely, high dose of boric acid particularly in 640 mg/L would damage the neuron structure of ostrich chick brain by inhibiting the BDNF expression and increasing cell apoptosis. Taken together, the 160 mg/L boric acid supplementation may be the optimal dose for the brain development of ostrich chicks.

The effect of visfatin on inflammatory reaction in uterus of LPS-induced rats / Efecto de visfatina en la reacción inflamatoria en el útero de ratas inducidas por LPS

The present study was to investigate the effects of visfatin on the morphological structure and function of the rat uterus during inflammation. The expression and distribution of visfatin, morphological structure, eosinophils (EOS), myeloperoxidase (MPO) and cytokines in the uterus of the LPS-induced rat were studied using hematoxylin-eosin staining (HE), immunohistochemical methods, western blots and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The present study showed that visfatin positive cells dispersed widely in the uterus, and strong positive staining was observed mainly in the cell cytoplasm. Compared with saline group, in visfatin group, more uterine glands were found, EOS increased, and the difference was significant (P<0.05), MPO reduced, and the difference was significant (P<0.01). In addition, visfatin was able to increase the secretion of IL-1b, IL-6, and TNF-a (P<0.01). Compared with LPS group, in vifatin+LPS group, the uterine glands of the lamina propria increased, the myometrium became thinner, the number of EOS and MPO reduced obviously, but the difference was not significant (P>0.05), and after LPS stimulated body, visfatin decrease the level of IL-1b, IL-6, TNF-a (P<0.01). The above results suggest that visfatin could affect the morphological structure of rat uterus; Visfatin could modulate the inflammatory response in rats' uterus by regulating the quantity of inflammatory cells, such as EOS and MPO, and the level of inflammatory cytokines, such as IL-1b, IL-6, TNF-a.

El objetivo del presente estudio fue investigar los efectos de la visfatina sobre la estructura morfológica y la función del útero de la rata durante la inflamación. Se estudiaron la expresión y distribución de la visfatina, la estructura morfológica, eosinófilos, mieloperoxidasa y citoquinas en el útero de rata mediante la tinción de H&E, métodos inmunohistoquímicos, Western blots y ELISA. El estudio mostró que las células visfatina positivas se dispersan ampliamente en el útero, junto a una fuerte tinción positiva, principalmente en el citoplasma de la célula. En comparación con el grupo control, en el grupo visfatina, se encontraron más glándulas uterinas, se observó un aumento de EOS y la diferencia fue significativa (p<0,05), MPO reducida siendo esta diferencia también significativa (p<0,01). Además, la visfatina fue capaz de aumentar la secreción de IL-1b, IL-6 y TNF-a (P<0,01). En comparación con el grupo LPS, visfatina+grupo LPS, las glándulas uterinas de la lámina propia aumentaron, se observó un miometrio más delgado, y número reducido de EOS y MPO, sin embargo, la diferencia no fue significativa (P>0,05). Después de estímulo LPS en el cuerpo, se registró un nivel menor de visfatina en IL-1b, IL-6, TNF-a (P<0,01). Los resultados anteriores sugieren que visfatina podría afectar a la estructura morfológica del útero de rata. Además, podría modular la respuesta inflamatoria en el útero mediante la regulación de la cantidad de células inflamatorias, tales como EOS y MPO.

Effect of boric acid supplementation of ostrich water on the expression of Foxn1 in thymus.

Foxn1 is essential for thymus development. The relationship between boric acid and thymus development, optimal dose of boric acid in ostrich diets, and the effects of boric acid on the expression of Foxn1 were investigated in the present study. Thirty healthy ostriches were randomly divided into six groups: Group I, II, III, IV, V, VI, and supplemented with boric acid at the concentration of 0 mg/L, 40 mg/L, 80 mg/L, 160 mg/L, 320 mg/L, 640 mg/L, respectively. The histological changes in thymus were observed by HE staining, and the expression of Foxn1 analyzed by immunohistochemistry and western blot. TUNEL method was used to label the apoptotic cells. Ostrich Foxn1 was sequenced by Race method. The results were as following: Apoptosis in ostrich thymus was closely related with boric acid concentrations. Low boric acid concentration inhibited apoptosis in thymus, but high boric acid concentration promoted apoptosis. Foxn1-positive cells were mainly distributed in thymic medulla and rarely in cortex. Foxn1 is closely related to thymus growth and development. The nucleotide sequence and the encoded protein of Foxn1 were 2736 bases and 654 amino acids in length. It is highly conserved as compared with other species. These results demonstrated that the appropriate boric acid supplementation in water would produce positive effects on the growth development of ostrich thymus by promoting Foxn1 expression, especially at 80 mg/L, and the microstructure of the thymus of ostrich fed 80 mg/L boric acid was well developed. The supplementation of high dose boron (>320 mg/L) damaged the microstructure of thymus and inhibited the immune function by inhibiting Foxn1 expression, particularly at 640 mg/L. The optimal dose of boric acid supplementation in ostrich diets is 80 mg/L boric acid. The genomic full-length of African ostrich Foxn1 was cloned for the first time in the study.

Cigarette smoke affects dendritic cell maturation in the small airways of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

The aim of the present study was to characterize and quantify the numbers and expression levels of cells markers associated with dendritic cell (DC) maturation in small airways in current smokers and non-smokers with or without chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Lung tissues from the following 32 patients were obtained during resection for lung cancer: Eight smokers with COPD, eight non-smokers with COPD, eight current smokers without COPD and eight non-smokers without COPD, serving as a control. The tissue sections were immunostained for cluster of differentiation (CD)83+ and CD1a+ to delineate mature and immature DCs, and chemokine receptor type 7 (CCR7+) to detect DC migratory ability. Myeloid DCs were collected from the lung tissues, and subsequently the CD83+ and CCR7+ expression levels in the lung myeloid DCs were detected using flow cytometry. The expression levels of CD83+, CD1a+ and CCR7+ mRNA in total lung RNA were evaluated by reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Evident chronic bronchitis and emphysema pathological changes were observed in the lung tissues of patients with COPD. The results revealed that the numbers of CD83+ and CCR7+ DCs were reduced but the numbers of CD1a+ DCs were significantly increased in the COPD group as compared with the control group (P<0.05, respectively). Using RT-qPCR, the expression levels of CCR7+ and CD83+ mRNA were found to be reduced in the smokers with COPD as compared with the non-smokers without COPD group (P<0.05, respectively). Excessive local adaptive immune responses are key elements in the pathogenesis of COPD. Cigarette smoke may stimulate immune responses by impairing the homing of airway DCs to the lymph nodes and reduce the migratory potential of DCs. The present study revealed that COPD is associated with reduced numbers of mature CD83+ DCs and lower CCR7+ expression levels in small airways.

Poly[bis-(µ-azido-κN:N)[µ-1,2-bis-(imid-azol-1-yl)ethane-κN:N]cadmium].

In the title three-dimensional coordination polymer, [Cd(N(3))(2)(C(8)H(10)N(4))](n), the coordination geometry around the Cd(II) atom is distorted octa-hedral. The Cd(II) atom is coordinated by two N atoms from two cis-positioned bridging 1,2-bis-(imidazol-1-yl)ethane (bime) ligands and four N atoms from four azide anions. Each azide ligand acts in an end-on bridging coordination mode. The azide ligands and Cd(II) atoms form a one-dimensional zigzag chain constructed from four-membered [Cd(N(3))(2)](n) metallacycles extending along the a axis. These inorganic chains are connected with four other chains via bridging bime ligands to form a three-dimensional coordination network.

[Effect of dendritic cells on expansion and function of autologous natural killer cells in vitro].

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of dendritic cells (DCs) on expansion and function of autologous natural killer (NK) cells and its mechanism in vitro. NK cells were expanded from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMNCs) of healthy volunteers in stem cell growth medium (SCGM) supplemented with rhIL-2 (control group) in 24-well culture plates at 37 degrees C in a humidified CO(2)-containing atmosphere. NK cells were cultured with autologous DCs in the ratio of 5 to 1 (group 5:1) or 1 to 1 (group 1:1) from day 10 after expansion. Total cells of every group were counted and the expression of CD3, CD16/56 on the surface of NK cells was assayed by flow cytometry on days 7, 14 and 21 to calculate the expansion of NK cells. Cytotoxicity of expanded NK cells against K562 cells was assayed by MTT method. TNF-alpha and IL-12p70 were detected in culture supernatants by sandwich ELISA. The results indicated that the expansion and cytotoxicity of NK cells were improved after mixed with autologous DCs. Furthermore, when DCs were mixed with NK cells, the ratio of DCs to NK cells was higher, the expansion and cytotoxicity NK cells were higher. On day 14, the expansion multiple in control, group 5:1 and group 1:1 were 16.26 +/- 1.58, 29.25 +/- 4.01 and 21.23 +/- 2.91 respectively. The expansion multiple of group 5:1 was much higher than that of the other two groups (p < 0.05). The expressions of CD3(-), CD56/16(+) on surface of NK cells in control, group 5:1, group 1:1 were (34.8 +/- 5.1)%, (64.6 +/- 7.8)% and (50.6 +/- 8.7)% respectively and that of group 5:1 was the highest (p < 0.05). The cytotoxicities against K562 cells in control, group 5:1 and group 1:1 were (63.7 +/- 3.8)%, (87.4 +/- 6.8)% and (75.4 +/- 6.3)% respectively. The cytotoxicity of group 5:1 was higher than that in the other two groups also (p < 0.05). TNF-alpha and IL-12p70 levels in culture supernatants when DCs and NK cells were mixed in the ratio of 5 to 1 were much higher than those in culture supernatants of DCs and NK cells alone or in culture supernatants when DCs and NK cells were mixed in the ratio of 1 to 1 (p < 0.05). It is concluded that the expansion and cytotoxicity of NK cells can be improved by DCs and it depended on the mixed ratio of DCs to NK cells. The elevated expansion of NK cells by DCs bears relation to IL-12 produced by DCs. The enhanced cytotoxicity of NK cells is associated with TNF-alpha secreted by NK cells.