Hyperactive lateral habenula mediates the comorbidity between rheumatoid arthritis and depression-like behaviors.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients have a high prevalence for depression. On the other hand, comorbid with depression is associated with worse prognosis for RA. However, little is known about the underlying mechanisms for the comorbidity between RA and depression. It remains to be elucidated which brain region is critically involved in the development of depression in RA, and whether alterations in the brain may affect pathological development of RA symptoms. Here, by combining clinical and animal model studies, we show that in RA patients, the level of depression is significantly correlated with the severity of RA disease activity and affects patients' quality of life. The collagen antibody-induced arthritis (CAIA) mouse model of RA also develops depression-like behaviors, accompanied by hyperactivity and alterations in gene expression reflecting cerebrovascular disruption in the lateral habenula (LHb), a brain region critical for processing negative valence. Importantly, inhibition of the LHb not only alleviates depression-like behaviors, but also results in rapid remission of RA symptoms and amelioration of RA-related pathological changes. Together, our study highlights a critical but previously overlooked contribution of hyperactive LHb to the comorbidity between RA and depression, suggesting that targeting LHb in conjunction with RA treatments may be a promising strategy for RA patients comorbid with depression.

Circulating lncRNA EGFR-AS1 as a diagnostic biomarker of colorectal cancer and an indicator of tumor burden.

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common malignancies. Although CRC treatment has been significantly improved, patient survival remains low because most patients already have advanced disease at diagnosis. Early screening and diagnosis of tumors is critical; however, the current tissue biopsy and radiological evaluation methods have very limited effectiveness. Therefore, establishing new convenient and non-invasive biomarkers is urgently needed for timely detection, therapeutic assessment, and prognostic prediction. At present, non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) have attracted research attention owing to their potential oncological applications. Methods: The long ncRNA epidermal growth factor receptor antisense RNA 1 (EGFR-AS1) is overexpressed in multiple malignancies including CRC. The present study examined the circulating EGFR-AS1 level in CRC, and the results showed that EGFR-AS1 could be considered an indicator of tumor burden. Results: Elevated circulating EGFR-AS1 levels were detected in CRC cases (n=128) compared with control cases comprising endoscopy confirmed CRC-free individuals [n=64, median expression normalized to glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), 1.578 vs. 0.780, P<0.001]. Individuals with larger tumors (≥5 cm) had elevated circulating EGFR-AS1 levels compared to those with smaller tumors (<5 cm, 1.739 vs. 1.290, P<0.001). The expression of serum EGFR-AS1 in stage III/IV CRC was higher than that in stage I/II CRC (1.691 vs. 1.412, P<0.05). Plasma EGFR-AS1 levels were markedly reduced following surgical resection of colorectal lesions in a subset of patients [n=32, 1.192 (pre-surgery) vs. 0.692, P<0.001]. Furthermore, the expression of EGFR-AS1 in resected CRC tissues was significantly higher than that in paracancerous tissues (n=32, 1.336 vs. 0.487, P<0.001). Conclusions: These results highlight the potential of EGFR-AS1 as a diagnostic biomarker in CRC.

A functional role of meningeal lymphatics in sex difference of stress susceptibility in mice.

Major depressive disorder is one of the most common mental health conditions. Meningeal lymphatics are essential for drainage of molecules in the cerebrospinal fluid to the peripheral immune system. Their potential role in depression-like behaviour has not been investigated. Here, we show in mice, sub-chronic variable stress as a model of depression-like behaviour impairs meningeal lymphatics in females but not in males. Manipulations of meningeal lymphatics regulate the sex difference in the susceptibility to stress-induced depression- and anxiety-like behaviors in mice, as well as alterations of the medial prefrontal cortex and the ventral tegmental area, brain regions critical for emotional regulation. Together, our findings suggest meningeal lymphatic impairment contributes to susceptibility to stress in mice, and that restoration of the meningeal lymphatics might have potential for modulation of depression-like behaviour.

Sex-Specific Transcriptomic Signatures in Brain Regions Critical for Neuropathic Pain-Induced Depression.

Neuropathic pain is a chronic debilitating condition with a high comorbidity with depression. Clinical reports and animal studies have suggested that both the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) are critically implicated in regulating the affective symptoms of neuropathic pain. Neuropathic pain induces differential long-term structural, functional, and biochemical changes in both regions, which are thought to be regulated by multiple waves of gene transcription. However, the differences in the transcriptomic profiles changed by neuropathic pain between these regions are largely unknown. Furthermore, women are more susceptible to pain and depression than men. The molecular mechanisms underlying this sexual dimorphism remain to be explored. Here, we performed RNA sequencing and analyzed the transcriptomic profiles of the mPFC and ACC of female and male mice at 2 weeks after spared nerve injury (SNI), an early time point when the mice began to show mild depressive symptoms. Our results showed that the SNI-induced transcriptomic changes in female and male mice were largely distinct. Interestingly, the female mice exhibited more robust transcriptomic changes in the ACC than male, whereas the opposite pattern occurred in the mPFC. Cell type enrichment analyses revealed that the differentially expressed genes involved genes enriched in neurons, various types of glia and endothelial cells. We further performed gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA), which revealed significant de-enrichment of myelin sheath development in both female and male mPFC after SNI. In the female ACC, gene sets for synaptic organization were enriched, and gene sets for extracellular matrix were de-enriched after SNI, while such signatures were absent in male ACC. Collectively, these findings revealed region-specific and sexual dimorphism at the transcriptional levels induced by neuropathic pain, and provided novel therapeutic targets for chronic pain and its associated affective disorders.

Durable Clinical Response to ALK Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors in Epithelioid Inflammatory Myofibroblastic Sarcoma Harboring PRRC2B-ALK Rearrangement: A Case Report.

Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor (IMT) is a rare mesenchymal neoplasm and patients with IMT tend to have a favorable outcome after complete surgical resection. However, some tumors of IMT cases have recurred and grown rapidly after successful surgery. Epithelioid inflammatory myofibroblastic sarcoma (EIMS) is a highly aggressive intra-abdominal IMT variant with epithelioid-to-round cell morphology. Currently, no standard therapy exists for recurrent or invasive IMTs and EIMS, but anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are recommended for those harboring ALK gene rearrangements. We herein report the first case of PRRC2B-ALK fusion associated IMTs with clinical and pathological manifestation matched the diagnosis criteria of EIMS and the durable clinical response of the sequential use of ALK TKIs (crizotinib, alectinib, ceritinib, and lorlatinib). A female patient with EIMS of the greater omentum was suffering from a rapid recurrence after cytoreductive surgery was done. Crizotinib was administered when PRRC2B-ALK fusion was detected, and partial response was achieved. The progression-free survival (PFS) of crizotinib was 5 months. Alectinib was administered based on the results of second next-generation sequencing (NGS) analysis, which identified the secondary mutation ALK R1192P. The best overall response of alectinib treatment was a partial response (PR) and the PFS was 5.5 months. Ceritinib was prescribed as third-line therapy after alectinib resistance with ALK L1196M mutation. PR was achieved and the PFS of ceritinib was 6 months. The patient was taking lorlatinib after ceritinib resistance and achieved a stable disease at 2 months with the PFS more than 5 months. The overall survival was more than two years as of the time of manuscript preparation. We describe an EIMS of greater omentum caused by PRRC2B-ALK fusion gene and showed durable clinical response to the sequential use of ALK TKIs.

Cetuximab and vemurafenib plus FOLFIRI (5-fluorouracil/leucovorin/irinotecan) for BRAF V600E-mutated advanced colorectal cancer (IMPROVEMENT): An open-label, single-arm, phase II trial.

BACKGROUND: Current therapeutic regimens for patients with v-raf murine sarcoma viral oncogene homolog B1 (BRAF) V600E-mutated colorectal cancer show unsatisfactory efficacy. To improve outcomes in this area, we assessed the safety and efficacy of a new protocol using vemurafenib and cetuximab combined with FOLFIRI (5-fluorouracil/leucovorin/irinotecan) in patients with BRAF V600E-mutated colorectal cancer. METHODS AND MATERIALS: This was an investigator-initiated, open-label, single-arm, phase II trial conducted in patients with BRAF V600E-mutated advanced colorectal cancer. Patients were eligible to receive FOLFIRI combined with vemurafenib and cetuximab. The primary end-point was the objective response rate, and the secondary end-points included disease control rate, progression-free survival, overall survival and safety. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03727763. RESULTS: Between 12th January 2018, and 18th June 2021, we screened 27 patients, 21 of which were enrolled in this study. Efficacy analysis showed that objective response rates were 81.0% (17/21; 95% confidence interval [CI] 57.4-93.7) in the intention-to-treat population and 85.0% (17/20, 95%CI 61.0-96.0) in the per-protocol population; two patients achieved complete response, and 15 patients achieved a partial response. In the entire cohort, the median progression-free survival was 9.7 months (95%CI 6.3-10.9), and the median overall survival for all patients was 15.4 months (95%CI 8.5-15.4). The most common adverse events (grade 3 to 4) were neutropenia (8/21), anaemia (3/21) and skin rash (3/21). CONCLUSION: Vemurafenib and cetuximab can be safely combined with the FOLFIRI regimen, showing promising antitumour activity and tolerable toxicity in patients with BRAF V600E-mutated advanced colorectal cancer. This regimen warrants a further randomised study in phase III clinical trials.

Analysis of antibiotic-induced drug resistance of Salmonella enteritidis and its biofilm formation mechanism.

This research was to explore antibiotic-induced drug resistance of Salmonella enteritidis and its biofilm formation mechanism. Kirby-Bauer (K-B) disk method recommended by Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) was used to test drug sensitivity of Salmonella enteritidis to 16 kinds of antibiotics including ß-lactams, aminoglycosides, quinolones, sulfonamides, chloramphenicols, and tetracyclines. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed to detect carrying of drug resistance genes of 29 kinds of antibiotics including ß-lactams, aminoglycosides, quinolones, sulfonamides, chloramphenicols, and tetracyclines of Salmonella enteritidis. The expressions of esp, ebpA, ge1E, and fsrB genes in biofilm group and plankton group were detected when Salmonella was induced, and difference of gene expression was detected by FQ-PCR. The drug resistance rates of Salmonella enteritidis to nalidixic acid, ampicillin, streptomyces, and cefoperazone were high, which were 94.5%, 75%, 67%, and 52%, respectively. 94 strains of Salmonella enteritidis formed 22 kinds of drug resistance spectrum, the strains were generally resistant to 4-5 antibiotics, and some strains formed fixed drug resistance spectrum as follows: AMP-CFP-STR-NA-TE (22.6,21.7%), AMP-STR-NA-TE (17,16%), and AMP-CFP-STR-NA (11.1,10.6%). During biofilm formation, fsr can increase expression of ge1E and decrease expression of esp and ebpA. Consequently, Salmonella enteritidis was generally resistant to nalidixic acid, ampicillin, and streptomycin, and the multidrug resistance was severe. The drug resistance genes sul2, sul3, blaTEM-1-like, tet(A), and tet(G) were highly carried in Salmonella enteritidis. Esp, ebpA, ge1E, and fsrB genes were closely related to biofilm formation of Salmonella enteritidis.

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation increases the brain's drainage efficiency in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease with high prevalence rate among the elderly population. A large number of clinical studies have suggested repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) as a promising non-invasive treatment for patients with mild to moderate AD. However, the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms remain largely uninvestigated. In the current study, we examined the effect of high frequency rTMS treatment on the cognitive functions and pathological changes in the brains of 4- to 5-month old 5xFAD mice, an early pathological stage with pronounced amyloidopathy and cognitive deficit. Our results showed that rTMS treatment effectively prevented the decline of long-term memories of the 5xFAD mice for novel objects and locations. Importantly, rTMS treatment significantly increased the drainage efficiency of brain clearance pathways, including the glymphatic system in brain parenchyma and the meningeal lymphatics, in the 5xFAD mouse model. Significant reduction of Aß deposits, suppression of microglia and astrocyte activation, and prevention of decline of neuronal activity as indicated by the elevated c-FOS expression, were observed in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus of the rTMS-treated 5xFAD mice. Collectively, these findings provide a novel mechanistic insight of rTMS in regulating brain drainage system and ß-amyloid clearance in the 5xFAD mouse model, and suggest the potential use of the clearance rate of contrast tracer in cerebrospinal fluid as a prognostic biomarker for the effectiveness of rTMS treatment in AD patients.

The Role of Dynamic ctDNA Monitoring During Combination Therapies of BRAF V600E-Mutated Metastatic Colorectal Cancer: A Case Report.

BACKGROUND: BRAF V600E mutation represents a group of colorectal carcinoma with poor prognosis. Although treatment strategies have been recommended after clinical investigations, the progression-free survival is short and unsatisfying. CASE PRESENTATION: Here, we present the case of a 28-year-old male diagnosed with ascending colon adenocarcinoma with multiple liver metastases. Treatment with FOLFIRI plus cetuximab and vemurafenib achieved partial response, following which the patient received conversion surgery with clear resection margin. After disease recurrence, he received combination treatment of nivolumab and regorafenib. Until August 2020, the patient achieved a partial response with more than 12 months progression-free survival. Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) was monitored during the patient's treatment. His ctDNA fractions exhibited significant elevation two months before disease progression. As a comparison, the tumor markers were not elevated until the patient was confirmed PD through CT imaging. CONCLUSION: This case exemplifies how liquid biopsy and ctDNA sequencing can aid in real-time molecular characterization of tumors.

Angiogenic and Antiangiogenic mechanisms of high density lipoprotein from healthy subjects and coronary artery diseases patients.

Normal high-density lipoprotein (nHDL) in normal, healthy subjects is able to promote angiogenesis, but the mechanism remains incompletely understood. HDL from patients with coronary artery disease may undergo a variety of oxidative modifications, rendering it dysfunctional; whether the angiogenic effect is mitigated by such dysfunctional HDL (dHDL) is unknown. We hypothesized that dHDL compromises angiogenesis. The angiogenic effects of nHDL and dHDL were assessed using endothelial cell culture, endothelial sprouts from cardiac tissue from C57BL/6 mice, zebrafish model for vascular growth and a model of impaired vascular growth in hypercholesterolemic low-density lipoprotein receptor null(LDLr-/-)mice. MiRNA microarray and proteomic analyses were used to determine the mechanisms. Lipid hydroperoxides were greater in dHDL than in nHDL. While nHDL stimulated angiogenesis, dHDL attenuated these responses. Protein and miRNA profiles in endothelial cells differed between nHDL and dHDL treatments. Moreover, nHDL suppressed miR-24-3p expression to increase vinculin expression resulting in nitric oxide (NO) production, whereas dHDL delivered miR-24-3p to inhibit vinculin expression leading to superoxide anion (O2•-) generation via scavenger receptor class B type 1. Vinculin was required for endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) expression and activation and modulated the PI3K/AKT/eNOS and ERK1/2 signaling pathways to regulate nHDL- and VEGF-induced angiogenesis. Vinculin overexpression or miR-24-3p inhibition reversed dHDL-impaired angiogenesis. The expressions of vinculin and eNOS and angiogenesis were decreased, but the expression of miR-24-3p and lipid hydroperoxides in HDL were increased in the ischemic lower limbs of hypercholesterolemic LDLr-/- mice. Overexpression of vinculin or miR-24-3p antagomir restored the impaired-angiogenesis in ischemic hypercholesterolemic LDLr-/- mice. Collectively, nHDL stimulated vinculin and eNOS expression to increase NO production by suppressing miR-24-3p to induce angiogenesis, whereas dHDL inhibited vinculin and eNOS expression to enhance O2•- generation by delivering miR-24-3p to impair angiogenesis, and that vinculin and miR-24-3p may be therapeutic targets for dHDL-impaired angiogenesis.

A meta-analysis of efficacy and safety of S-1 monotherapy or combination therapy as first-line treatment in metastatic colorectal cancer.

PURPOSE: To compare the efficacy and safety profile of S-1-based versus non-S-1-based chemotherapy as first-line treatment in mCRC. METHODS: Relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were obtained from PubMed, Embase, and Ovid databases and the Cochrane library from database set up in May 2018. The RCTs of S-1-based monotherapy or combination therapy as first-line treatment were selected. The impact of S-1-based chemotherapy on progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) was assessed by pooling data via RevMan 5.3. RESULTS: Meta-analysis of 10 RCTs showed that S-1-based chemotherapy significantly improved PFS (HR 0.90, 95% CI 0.84-0.97, P = 0.006). In subgroup analysis, there was a statistically significant increase in PFS when S-1-based chemotherapy was compared with 5-FU-based (HR 0.92, 95% CI 0.84-1.00, P = 0.04) or capecitabine-based chemotherapy (HR 0.85, 95% CI 0.73-0.99, P = 0.04). The meta-analysis of OS (HR 0.95, 95% CI 0.86-1.05, P = 0.36), overall response rate (ORR) (HR 0.99, 95% CI 0.84-1.17, P = 0.90), and disease control rate (DCR) (HR 1.61, 95% CI 0.87-3.00, P = 0.13) showed no statistical significance between S-1-based and non-S-1-based chemotherapy. The statistically significant differences in the meta-analysis indicated less incidence of graded 3-4 leucopenia (OR = 0.30, 95% CI 0.13-0.71, P = 0.006) and hand-foot syndrome (HFS) (OR = 0.24, 95% CI 0.10-0.58, P = 0.001) in the S-1-based chemotherapy, and there was no statistically significant difference for other adverse events. CONCLUSIONS: S-1-based chemotherapy in mono or combined therapy was an attractive alternative to standard first-line regimen for patients of mCRC.

Complete response with fluorouracil and irinotecan with a BRAFV600E and EGFR inhibitor in BRAF-mutated metastatic colorectal cancer: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Patients with BRAF (v-Raf murine sarcoma viral oncogene homolog B) V600E-mutated metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) have a poor prognosis. The Southwest Oncology Group (SWOG) 1406 study evaluated the efficacy of vemurafenib in combination with irinotecan and cetuximab for simultaneous inhibition of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and BRAF in patients with BRAFV600E-mutated mCRC. Although the combination achieved higher progression-free survival (PFS) and disease control rates (DCRs), there was no complete response (CR) for the drug combination. In this case report, we report the complete recession of metastasis in a patient treated with irinotecan, cetuximab, vemurafenib, and 5-fluorouracil. CASE PRESENTATION: A 44-year-old male patient with hepatitis B was diagnosed with right-sided colon adenocarcinoma. He was treated with capecitabine plus oxaliplatin as postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy for eight cycles with a disease-free survival (DFS) of 1 year before the emergence of peritoneal and pelvic metastases. BRAFV600E mutation was positive and chemotherapy included 12 courses of 5-fluorouracil, vemurafenib, irinotecan, and cetuximab. Complete response with recession of metastases was observed. CONCLUSION: The combination of fluorouracil and irinotecan with a BRAFV600E and EGFR inhibitor may have synergistic action, leading to recession of secondary metastases in patients with BRAFV600E-mutated colorectal cancer.

The oxidized phospholipid POVPC impairs endothelial function and vasodilation via uncoupling endothelial nitric oxide synthase.

Endothelial dysfunction is an early stage of atherosclerosis. We recently have shown that 25-hydroxycholesterol found in atherosclerotic lesions could impair endothelial function and vasodilation by uncoupling and inhibiting endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS). 1-Palmitoyl-2-(5-oxovaleroyl)-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (POVPC), the oxidation product of oxidized low-density lipoprotein, is another proinflammatory lipid and has also been found in atherosclerotic lesions. However, whether POVPC promotes atherosclerosis like 25-hydroxycholesterol remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of POVPC on endothelial function and vasodilation. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were incubated with POVPC. Endothelial cell proliferation, migration and tube formation were measured. Nitric oxide (NO) production and superoxide anion generation (O2-) were determined. The expression and phosphorylation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), AKT, PKC-ßII and P70S6K as well as the association of eNOS and heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) were detected by immunoblotting and immunoprecipitation. Endothelial cell apoptosis was monitored by TUNEL staining. The expression of Bcl-2, Bax, and Cleaved Caspase 3 were detected by immunoblotting. Finally, aortic ring from C57BL6 mice were isolated and treated with POVPC and the endothelium-dependent vasodilation was evaluated. POVPC significantly inhibited HUVECs proliferation, migration, tube formation, decreased NO production but increased O2- generation. POVPC inhibited the phosphorylation of Akt and eNOS at Ser1177, increased activation of PKC-ßII, P70S6K and the phosphorylation of eNOS at Thr495, reduced the association of HSP90 with eNOS. Meanwhile, POVPC induced endothelial cell apoptosis by inhibiting Bcl-2 expression, increasing Bax and cleaved caspase-3 expressions as well as caspase-3 activity and impaired endothelium-dependent vasodilation. These data demonstrated that POVPC impaired endothelial function by uncoupling and inhibiting eNOS as well as by inducing endothelial cell apoptosis. Therefore, POVPC may play an important role in the development of atherosclerosis and may be considered as a potential therapeutic target for atherosclerosis.

High density lipoprotein from coronary artery disease patients caused abnormal expression of long non-coding RNAs in vascular endothelial cells.

Increased evidence has showed that normal high density lipoprotein (HDL) could convert to dysfunctional HDL in diseases states including coronary artery disease (CAD), which regulated vascular endothelial cell function differently. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play an extensive role in various important biological processes including endothelial cell function. However, whether lncRNAs are involved in the regulation of HDL metabolism and HDL-induced changes of vascular endothelial function remains unclear. Cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were treated with HDL from healthy subjects and patients with CAD and hypercholesterolemia for 24 h, then the cells were collected for lncRNA-Seq and the expressions of lncRNAs, genes and mRNAs were identified. The bioinformatic analysis was used to evaluate the relationship among lncRNAs, encoding genes and miRNAs. HDL from healthy subjects and patients with CAD and hypercholesterolemia leaded to different expressions of lncRNAs, genes and mRNAs, and further analysis suggested that the differentially expressed lncRNAs played an important role in the regulation of vascular endothelial function. Thus, HDL from patients with CAD and hypercholesterolemia could cause abnormal expression of lncRNAs in vascular endothelial cells to affect vascular function.

25-Hydroxycholesterol impairs endothelial function and vasodilation by uncoupling and inhibiting endothelial nitric oxide synthase.

Endothelial dysfunction is a key early step in atherosclerosis. 25-Hydroxycholesterol (25-OHC) is found in atherosclerotic lesions. However, whether 25-OHC promotes atherosclerosis is unclear. Here, we hypothesized that 25-OHC, a proinflammatory lipid, can impair endothelial function, which may play an important role in atherosclerosis. Bovine aortic endothelial cells were incubated with 25-OHC. Endothelial cell proliferation, migration, and tube formation were measured. Nitric oxide (NO) production and superoxide anion generation were determined. The expression and phosphorylation of endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) and Akt as well as the association of eNOS and heat shock protein (HSP)90 were detected by immunoblot analysis and immunoprecipitation. Endothelial cell apoptosis was monitored by TUNEL staining and caspase-3 activity, and expression of Bcl-2, Bax, cleaved caspase-9, and cleaved caspase-3 were detected by immunoblot analysis. Finally, aortic rings from Sprague-Dawley rats were isolated and treated with 25-OHC, and endothelium-dependent vasodilation was evaluated. 25-OHC significantly inhibited endothelial cell proliferation, migration, and tube formation. 25-OHC markedly decreased NO production and increased superoxide anion generation. 25-OHC reduced the phosphorylation of Akt and eNOS and the association of eNOS and HSP90. 25-OHC also enhanced endothelial cell apoptosis by decreasing Bcl-2 expression and increasing cleaved caspase-9 and cleaved caspase-3 expressions as well as caspase-3 activity. 25-OHC impaired endothelium-dependent vasodilation. These data demonstrated that 25-OHC could impair endothelial function by uncoupling and inhibiting eNOS activity as well as by inducing endothelial cell apoptosis. Our findings indicate that 25-OHC may play an important role in regulating atherosclerosis.

Inhibiting miR-21 attenuates experimental hepatic fibrosis by suppressing both the ERK1 pathway in HSC and hepatocyte EMT.

MicroRNA-21 (miR-21) has emerged as a critical regulatory molecule and an important serum marker in hepatic fibrogenesis. The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of inhibiting miR-21 on hepatic fibrosis treatment. Serum miR-21 levels in 60 healthy individuals and 180 patients with different stages of liver cirrhosis were examined, miR-21 levels in normal or cirrhotic human liver tissues (n=10 each) were also detected. An adenoviral vector (Ad-TuD-21) carrying the sponging ToughDecoy (TuD)-RNA sequence against miR-21 was constructed to reduce miR-21 expression efficiently in vitro and in vivo Histological and immunohistological examinations were performed to evaluate the inhibitory effects and mechanism of Ad-TuD-21 delivery into carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) induced hepatic fibrosis rats by targeting extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1 (ERK1) signalling in hepatic stellate cells (HSC) and hepatocyte epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Our results revealed that enhanced miR-21 levels in cirrhotic patients were related to the severity and activity of liver cirrhosis. Ad-TuD-21 administered to liver fibrosis rats could remarkably suppress profibrotic gene expression, cause histological improvements in liver and attenuate hepatic fibrosis significantly. More importantly, after Ad-TuD-21 treatment, inhibition of both the ERK1 signalling pathway in HSC and hepatocyte EMT was confirmed, which paralleled the enhancement of miR-21 target genes-sprouty2 (SPRY2) and hepatocyte nuclear factor 4α (HNF4α)-expression in vivo These data demonstrated that miR-21 is a key regulator to promote hepatic fibrogenesis, and sponging miR-21 expression may present a novel potentially therapeutic option for hepatic fibrosis.

Bioactive glycosides from the roots of Ilex asprella.

Context The roots of Ilex asprella (Hook. et Arn.) Champ. ex Benth. (Aquifoliaceae) are widely used in Chinese medicine to treat influenza, amygdalitis, pertussis, etc. Their mechanism of action is still unknown, which raises the need to identify new bioactive compounds in this plant. Objective In this study, we isolated a novel saponin containing sulphonic groups, namely, asprellcoside A (1) and a known phenolic glycoside compound (2) from the roots of Ilex asprella and evaluated their bioactivities. Materials and methods Molecular structures were elucidated by analysing their spectral and chemical properties. The viability of A549 cells was tested using a MTT assay. Ability of the compounds to inhibit viruses was determined using the neuraminidase activity assay. Their anti-inflammatory effects were tested using the IP-10 activity assay using various concentrations (compound 1: 0.6, 0.2, 0.6, 1.70, 5.00 and 15.00 µM; compound 2: 0.4, 1.2, 3.6, 11.0, 33.0 and 100 µM). Their inhibitory effect on platelet aggregation induced by adenosine diphosphate (ADP) in rabbit plasma was determined at 60 and 80 µM. Results Both compounds inhibit influenza virus strain A/PuertoRico/8/1934 (H1N1) strongly with EC50 values of 4.1 and 1.7 µM, respectively. Both compounds inhibit the secretion of IP-10 with EC50 values of 6.6 and 2.5 µM, respectively. Compound 1 alone inhibited platelet aggregation significantly, with the rate of suppression being 47 ± 8 and 38 ± 3%, at 60 and 80 µM, respectively. Conclusions The results suggest that both compounds may be valid therapeutics against influenza virus infection and that compound 1 may be a novel agent for treating thrombosis.

Clinicopathological characteristics of chinese colorectal cancer patients under 30 years of age: implication in diagnosis and therapy.

OBJECTIVES: The incidence of colorectal cancer (CRC) is increasing in younger populations; the characteristics and prognosis of those younger patients are not fully understood. The aim of this retrospective study was to analyze the clinicopathological features of Chinese CRC patients under 30 years of age. METHODS: We reviewed the clinical and pathological features of 83 CRC patients (33 males and 50 females) aged 13-30 years (mean, 26.1 years) selected from consecutive 5,830 patients with primary CRC referred to Shanghai Changzheng Hospital between January 1995 and December 2013. RESULTS: The duration from the onset of symptoms to diagnosis ranged from 3 days to 24.0 months (average 4.6 months). The most common symptom at the time of diagnosis was bloody stool, occurring in 66.3% of the patients. 60.2% patients had tumors located in the rectum and 72.8% of them presented advanced diseases (TNM stage III or IV). More male patients presented as M1 stage than the female patients. Patients with CRC metastasis complained of more fatigue at the time of diagnosis than their counterparts without metastasis (31.0% vs. 5.8%, p = 0.002), but had less pronounced bowel habit change (38.0% vs. 65.4%, p = 0.017). Additionally, there were differences in histologic distributions of the tumors between patients with and without metastasis (p = 0.021). CONCLUSIONS: Compared with older CRC patients, younger CRC patients (<30 yr) have a higher frequency of mucinous adenocarcinomas, more aggressive diseases and poorer prognosis. Identification of clinicopathological characteristics in younger CRC patients would help diagnose and treat the disease in this unique group of CRC patients in the clinic.

MicroRNA-155 attenuates activation of hepatic stellate cell by simultaneously preventing EMT process and ERK1 signalling pathway.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process and extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1 (ERK1) signalling pathway play pivotal roles in hepatic stellate cell (HSC) activation, which is associated with the altered expression patterns of microRNAs (miRNAs). miR-155 is considered a typical multifunctional miRNA to regulate many biological processes. However, little attention has been given to the contributions of miR-155 to simultaneous regulation of EMT process and ERK1 pathway during HSC activation. METHODS: Differential expression of miR-155 was assessed in activated HSC, sera and liver tissues from cirrhotic patients. Whether miR-155 could directly interact with 3'-untranslated region (3'-UTR) of T cell factor 4 (TCF4) and angiotensin II receptor type 1 (AGTR1) respectively was detected by luciferase reporter assay. The effects of enhanced miR-155 on EMT process and ERK1 pathway, cell apoptosis in HSC activation were also evaluated. RESULTS: A significant decrease in miR-155 expression was observed in activated HSC, sera or liver tissues of cirrhotic patients. MiR-155 was found to simultaneously interact with 3'-UTR of TCF4 and AGTR1 mRNAs, which are known as important regulators associated with EMT and ERK1 pathway repectively. Inhibiting miR-155 expression could stimulate the EMT state and ERK1 pathway activity, thus contributing to HSC activation. Forced miR-155 expression markedly decreased the mesenchymal markers and phosphorylated ERK1 level, and enhanced E-cadherin expression, leading to the synchronous inhibitory effect on EMT and ERK1 pathway and inducing HSC apoptosis. CONCLUSIONS: Our results implicate that miR-155 plays an important role in regulating the pathological network involving EMT process and ERK1 pathway during HSC activation.