[Liujunzi Decoction treats 4NQO-induced esophageal cancer in mice: a study based on serum metabolomics].

This study aims to explore the mechanism of Liujunzi Decoction in the treatment of 4-nitroquinoline-N-oxide(4NQO)-induced esophageal cancer in mice. One hundred mice of 35-45 days were randomized into blank, model, and low-, medium-, and high-concentration(18.2, 36.4, and 54.6 g·kg~(-1), respectively) Liujunzi Decoction groups. The mice in other groups except the blank group had free access to the water containing 100 µg·mL~(-1) 4NQO for 16 weeks for the modeling of esophageal cancer. The mice in the Liujunzi Decoction groups were fed with the diets supplemented with corresponding concentrations of Liujunzi Decoction. The body weight and organ weights were weighed for the calculation of organ indexes. The pathological changes of the esophageal tissue were observed by hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining. Ultra performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry(UPLC-MS/MS) was employed to collect metabolites from mouse serum samples, screen out potential biomarkers, and predict related metabolic pathways. Compared with the blank group, the model group showed decreased spleen and stomach indexes and increased lung, esophagus, and kidney indexes. Compared with the model group, Liujunzi Decoction groups had no significant changes in the organ indexes. The HE staining results showed that Liujunzi Decoction inhibited the invasive growth and cancerization of the esophageal cancer cells. A total of 9 potential biomarkers of Liujunzi Decoction in treating esophageal cancer were screened out in this study, which were urocanic acid, 1-oleoylglycerophosphoserine, 11-deoxy prostaglandin E1, Leu-Glu-Lys-Glu,(±) 4-hydroxy-5E,7Z,10Z,13Z,16Z,19Z-docosahexaenoic acid, ureidosuccinic acid,(2R)-2,4-dihydroxy-3,3-dimethylbutanoic acid, kynurenic acid, and bicyclo prostaglandin E2, which were mainly involved in histidine, pyrimidine, alanine, aspartate, glutamate, pantothenate and tryptophan metabolism and coenzyme A biosynthesis. In summary, Liujunzi Decoction may exert the therapeutic effect on the 4NQO-induced esophageal cancer in mice by regu-lating the amino acid metabolism, inflammation, and immune function.

Role of NLRP3 in the pathogenesis and treatment of gout arthritis.

Gout arthritis (GA) is a common and curable type of inflammatory arthritis that has been attributed to a combination of genetic, environmental and metabolic factors. Chronic deposition of monosodium urate (MSU) crystals in articular and periarticular spaces as well as subsequent activation of innate immune system in the condition of persistent hyperuricemia are the core mechanisms of GA. As is well known, drugs for GA therapy primarily consists of rapidly acting anti-inflammatory agents and life-long uric acid lowering agents, and their therapeutic outcomes are far from satisfactory. Although MSU crystals in articular cartilage detected by arthrosonography or in synovial fluid found by polarization microscopy are conclusive proofs for GA, the exact molecular mechanism of NLRP3 inflammasome activation in the course of GA still remains mysterious, severely restricting the early diagnosis and therapy of GA. On the one hand, the activation of Nod-like receptor family, pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome requires nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB)-dependent transcriptional enhancement of NLRP3, precursor (pro)-caspase-1 and pro-IL-1ß, as well as the assembly of NLRP3 inflammasome complex and sustained release of inflammatory mediators and cytokines such as IL-1ß, IL-18 and caspase-1. On the other hand, NLRP3 inflammasome activated by MSU crystals is particularly relevant to the initiation and progression of GA, and thus may represent a prospective diagnostic biomarker and therapeutic target. As a result, pharmacological inhibition of the assembly and activation of NLRP3 inflammasome may also be a promising avenue for GA therapy. Herein, we first introduced the functional role of NLRP3 inflammasome activation and relevant biological mechanisms in GA based on currently available evidence. Then, we systematically reviewed therapeutic strategies for targeting NLRP3 by potentially effective agents such as natural products, novel compounds and noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) in the treatment of MSU-induced GA mouse models. In conclusion, our present review may have significant implications for the pathogenesis, diagnosis and therapy of GA.

Development and validation of a novel non-invasive test for diagnosing nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in Chinese children.

BACKGROUND: With the exploding prevalence of obesity, many children are at risk of developing nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Using anthropometric and laboratory parameters, our study aimed to develop a model to quantitatively evaluate liver fat content (LFC) in children with obesity. METHODS: A well-characterized cohort of 181 children between 5 and 16 years of age were recruited to the study in the Endocrinology Department as the derivation cohort. The external validation cohort comprised 77 children. The assessment of liver fat content was performed using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Anthropometry and laboratory metrics were measured in all subjects. B-ultrasound examination was carried out in the external validation cohort. The Kruskal-Wallis test, Spearman bivariate correlation analyses, univariable linear regressions and multivariable linear regression were used to build the optimal predictive model. RESULTS: The model was based on indicators including alanine aminotransferase, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance, triglycerides, waist circumference and Tanner stage. The adjusted R2 of the model was 0.589, which presented high sensitivity and specificity both in internal [sensitivity of 0.824, specificity of 0.900, area under curve (AUC) of 0.900 with a 95% confidence interval: 0.783-1.000] and external validation (sensitivity of 0.918 and specificity of 0.821, AUC of 0.901 with a 95% confidence interval: 0.818-0.984). CONCLUSIONS: Our model based on five clinical indicators was simple, non-invasive, and inexpensive; it had high sensitivity and specificity in predicting LFC in children. Thus, it may be useful for identifying children with obesity who are at risk for developing nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

Functional roles, regulatory mechanisms and theranostics applications of ncRNAs in alcohol use disorder.

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is one of the most prevalent neuropsychological disorders worldwide, and its pathogenesis is convoluted and poorly understood. There is considerable evidence demonstrating significant associations between multiple heritable factors and the onset and progression of AUD. In recent years, a substantial body of research conducted by emerging biotechnologies has increasingly highlighted the crucial roles of noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) in the pathophysiology of mental diseases. As in-depth understanding of ncRNAs and their mechanisms of action, they have emerged as prospective diagnostic indicators and preclinical therapeutic targets for a variety of psychiatric illness, including AUD. Of note, dysregulated expression of ncRNAs such as circRNAs, lncRNAs and miRNAs was routinely found in AUD individuals, and besides, exogenous regulation of partial ncRNAs has also been shown to be effective in ameliorating alcohol preference and excessive alcohol consumption. However, the exact molecular mechanism still remains elusive. Herein, we systematically summarized current knowledge regarding alterations in the expression of certain ncRNAs as well as their-mediated regulatory mechanisms in individuals with AUD. And finally, we detailedly reviewed the potential theranostics applications of gene therapy agents targeting ncRNAs in AUD mice. Overall, a deeper comprehension of functional roles and biological mechanisms of ncRNAs may make significant contributions to the accurate diagnosis and effective treatment of AUD.

Identification and preliminary validation of synovial tissue-specific genes and their-mediated biological mechanisms in rheumatoid arthritis.

BACKGROUND: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease. It is well known that the formation of positive feedback between synovial hyperplasia and inflammatory infiltration is intimately associated with the occurrence and development of RA. However, the exact mechanisms still remain unknown, making the early diagnosis and therapy of RA difficult. This study was designed to identify prospective diagnostic and therapeutic biomarkers, as well as their-mediated biological mechanisms in RA. METHODS: Three microarray datasets (GSE36700, GSE77298 and GSE153015) and two RNA-sequencing datasets (GSE89408 and GSE112656) of synovial tissues, as well as three other microarray datasets (GSE101193, GSE134087 and GSE94519) of peripheral blood were downloaded for integrated analysis. The differently expressed genes (DEGs) were identified by "limma" package of R software. Then, weight gene co-expression analysis and gene set enrichment analysis were performed to investigate synovial tissue-specific genes and their-mediated biological mechanisms in RA. The expression of candidate genes and their diagnostic value for RA were verified by quantitative real-time PCR and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, respectively. Relevant biological mechanisms were explored through cell proliferation and colony formation assay. The suggestive anti-RA compounds were discovered by CMap analysis. RESULTS: We identified a total of 266 DEGs, which were mainly enriched in cellular proliferation and migration, infection and inflammatory immune signaling pathways. Bioinformatics analysis and molecular validation revealed 5 synovial tissue-specific genes, which exhibited excellent diagnostic value for RA. The infiltration level of immune cells in RA synovial tissue was significantly higher than that in control individuals. Moreover, preliminary molecular experiments suggested that these characteristic genes may be responsible for the high proliferation potential of RA fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLSs). Finally, 8 small molecular compounds with anti-RA potential were obtained. CONCLUSIONS: We have proposed 5 potential diagnostic and therapeutic biomarkers (CDK1, TTK, HMMR, DLGAP5, and SKA3) in synovial tissues that may contribute to the pathogenesis of RA. These findings may shed light on the early diagnosis and therapy of RA.

Secondary bile acids improve risk prediction for non-invasive identification of mild liver fibrosis in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

BACKGROUND: Dysregulated bile acid (BA) metabolism has been linked to steatosis, inflammation, and fibrosis in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). AIM: To determine whether circulating BA levels accurately stage liver fibrosis in NAFLD. METHODS: We recruited 550 Chinese adults with biopsy-proven NAFLD and varying levels of fibrosis. Ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry was performed to quantify 38 serum BAs. RESULTS: Compared to those without fibrosis, patients with mild fibrosis (stage F1) had significantly higher levels of secondary BAs, and increased diastolic blood pressure (DBP), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), body mass index, and waist circumstance (WC). The combination of serum BAs with WC, DBP, ALT, or Homeostatic Model Assessment for Insulin Resistance performed well in identifying mild fibrosis, in men and women, and in those with/without obesity, with AUROCs 0.80, 0.88, 0.75 and 0.78 in the training set (n = 385), and 0.69, 0.80, 0.61 and 0.69 in the testing set (n = 165), respectively. In comparison, the combination of BAs and clinical/biochemical biomarkers performed less well in identifying significant fibrosis (F2-4). In women and in non-obese subjects, AUROCs were 0.75 and 0.71 in the training set, 0.65 and 0.66 in the validation set, respectively. However, these AUROCs were higher than those observed for the fibrosis-4 index, NAFLD fibrosis score, and Hepamet fibrosis score. CONCLUSIONS: Secondary BA levels were significantly increased in NAFLD, especially in those with mild fibrosis. The combination of serum BAs and clinical/biochemical biomarkers for identifying mild fibrosis merits further assessment.

Comparison of the effects of buffalo LIF and mouse LIF on the in vitro culture of buffalo spermatogonia.

Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) is an important growth factor that supports the culture and maintenance of spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) by suppressing spontaneous differentiation. Different LIF sequences may lead to differences in function. The protein sequences of buffalo LIF and mouse LIF differed by 65.5% according to MEGA software analysis. The PB-LIF-GFP-Puro vector was constructed, and the CHO-K1 cell line was established. The final LIF protein concentration in the CHO-K1 cell culture medium was approximately 4.268 ng/mL. Here, we report that buffalo LIF effectively maintains the self-renewal of buffalo spermatogonia during culture. Buffalo spermatogonia were cultured in conditioned medium containing no LIF (0 ng/mL), mouse LIF (1 ng/mL), mouse LIF (10 ng/mL), or buffalo LIF (1 ng/mL). Furthermore, the effects of mouse LIF and buffalo LIF culture on the maintenance of buffalo spermatogonia were determined by analyzing cell colony formation, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, cell immunofluorescence, and cell counting. The buffalo LIF (1 ng/mL) group showed similar maintenance of the proliferation of buffalo spermatogonia to that in the mouse LIF (10 ng/mL) group. These results demonstrated that the proliferation of buffalo spermatogonia can be maintained in vitro by adding a low dose of buffalo LIF. This study provides a foundation for the further optimization of in vitro buffalo SSC culture systems.

High Water-Assisted Proton Conductivities of Two Cadmium(II) Complexes Constructed from Zwitterionic Ligands.

Finding more metal complexes with outstanding water stability and high proton conductivity still has important research significance for the energy field. Herein, two highly proton-conductive complexes, one hydrogen-bonded supramolecular framework (HSF) [Cd(CBIA)2(H2O)4]·2H2O (1) and one coordination polymer (CP), {[Cd2(CBIA)2(4,4'-bipy)2(H2O)2]·(CBIA)·(OH)·2H2O}n (2) (4,4'-bipy = 4,4'-bipyridine), were triumphantly assembled using a zwitterionic organic compound, 2-(1-(carboxymethyl)-1H-benzo[d]imidazol-3-ium-3-yl)acetate (HCBIA). In the structure of HSF 1, there are several coordination and lattice H2O units except for the two monodentate CBIA- anions. CP 2 with a one-dimensional (1D) cylindrical structure has free CBIA- units and free H2O units located in the cavity. Thanks to the ability of the uncoordinated carboxyl groups and coordination/lattice water molecules to construct the rich H-bonding networks, both complexes exhibit super-high proton conductivities, reaching 5.09 × 10-3 and 3.41 × 10-3 S cm-1 under 100 °C/98% relative humidity (RH), respectively. Based on the exploration of crystal structure data, combined with the calculated activation energy, and adsorption/desorption plots of nitrogen and water vapor, the causes and differences in proton conductivity of the two complexes, especially the proton-conductive mechanism, are compared and analyzed. This study again confirms that the zwitterionic ligands can exert important effects on forming organo-inorganic hybrid materials with high proton conductivity.

Comparative Studies on the Proton Conductivities of Hafnium-Based Metal-Organic Frameworks and Related Chitosan or Nafion Composite Membranes.

Hafnium (Hf)-based UiO-66 series metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have been widely studied on gas storage, gas separation, reduction reaction, and other aspects since they were first prepared in 2012, but there are few studies on proton conductivity. In this work, one Hf-based MOF, Hf-UiO-66-fum showing UiO-66 structure, also known as MOF-801-Hf, was synthesized at room temperature using cheap fumaric acid as the bridging ligand, and then imidazole units were successfully introduced into MOF-801-Hf to obatin a doped product, Im@MOF-801-Hf. Note that both MOF-801-Hf and Im@MOF-801-Hf demonstrate excellent thermal, water, and acid-base stabilities. Expectedly, the maximum proton conductivity (σ) of Im@MOF-801-Hf (1.46 × 10-2 S·cm-1) is nearly 4 times greater than that of MOF-801-Hf (3.98 × 10-3 S·cm-1) under 100 °C and 98% relative humidity (RH). To explore their possible practical application value, we doped them into chitosan (CS) or Nafion membranes as fillers, namely, CS/MOF-801-Hf-X, CS/Im@MOF-801-Hf-Y, and Nafion/MOF-801-Hf-Z (X, Y, and Z are the doping percentages of MOF in the membrane, respectively). Intriguingly, it was found that CS/MOF-801-Hf-6 and CS/Im@MOF-801-Hf-4 indicated the highest σ values of 1.73 × 10-2 and 2.14 × 10-2 S·cm-1, respectively, under 100 °C and 98% RH and Nafion/MOF-801-Hf-9 also revealed a high σ value of 4.87 × 10-2 S·cm-1 under 80 °C and 98% RH, which showed varying degrees of enhancement compared to the original MOFs or pure CS and Nafion membranes. Our study illustrates that these Hf-based MOFs and related composite membranes offer great potential in electrochemical fields.

Histone deacetylase­2: A potential regulator and therapeutic target in liver disease (Review).

Histone acetyltransferases are responsible for histone acetylation, while histone deacetylases (HDACs) counteract histone acetylation. An unbalanced dynamic between histone acetylation and deacetylation may lead to aberrant chromatin landscape and chromosomal function. HDAC2, a member of class I HDAC family, serves a crucial role in the modulation of cell signaling, immune response and gene expression. HDAC2 has emerged as a promising therapeutic target for liver disease by regulating gene transcription, chromatin remodeling, signal transduction and nuclear reprogramming, thus receiving attention from researchers and clinicians. The present review introduces biological information of HDAC2 and its physiological and biochemical functions. Secondly, the functional roles of HDAC2 in liver disease are discussed in terms of hepatocyte apoptosis and proliferation, liver regeneration, hepatocellular carcinoma, liver fibrosis and non­alcoholic steatohepatitis. Moreover, abnormal expression of HDAC2 may be involved in the pathogenesis of liver disease, and its expression levels and pharmacological activity may represent potential biomarkers of liver disease. Finally, research on selective HDAC2 inhibitors and non­coding RNAs relevant to HDAC2 expression in liver disease is also reviewed. The aim of the present review was to improve understanding of the multifunctional role and potential regulatory mechanism of HDAC2 in liver disease.

Transcriptome analysis revealed differences in the microenvironment of spermatogonial stem cells in seminiferous tubules between pre-pubertal and adult buffaloes.

The microenvironment in the seminiferous tubules of buffalo changes with age, which affects the self-renewal and growth of spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) and the process of spermatogenesis, but the mechanism remains to be elucidated. RNA-seq was performed to compare the transcript profiles of pre-pubertal buffalo (PUB) and adult buffalo (ADU) seminiferous tubules. In total, 17,299 genes from PUB and ADU seminiferous tubules identified through RNA-seq, among which 12,271 were expressed in PUB and ADU seminiferous tubules, 4,027 were expressed in only ADU seminiferous tubules, and 956 were expressed in only PUB seminiferous tubules. Of the 17,299 genes, we identified 13,714 genes that had significant differences in expression levels between PUB and ADU through GO enrichment analysis. Among these genes, 5,342 were significantly upregulated and possibly related to the formation or identity of the surface antigen on SSCs during self-renewal; 7,832 genes were significantly downregulated, indicating that genes in PUB seminiferous tubules do not participate in the biological processes of sperm differentiation or formation in this phase compared with those in ADU seminiferous tubules. Subsequently, through the combination with KEGG analysis, we detected enrichment in a number of genes related to the development of spermatogonial stem cells, providing a reference for study of the development mechanism of buffalo spermatogonial stem cells in the future. In conclusion, our data provide detailed information on the mRNA transcriptomes in PUB and ADU seminiferous tubules, revealing the crucial factors involved in maintaining the microenvironment and providing a reference for further in vitro cultivation of SSCs.

PTP1B promotes macrophage activation by regulating the NF-κB pathway in alcoholic liver injury.

Alcoholic liver injury (ALI) is a part of alcohol-related liver diseases. These diseases include steatohepatitis, alcoholic fibrosis, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Accumulating data indicates that alcohol metabolism and circulating endotoxin/lipopolysaccharide (LPS) contribute to macrophage activation, which leads to the development of ALI. Protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) has been shown to be involved in many tissue inflammations as well as liver fibrosis; however, the role of PTP1B in ALI is still unclear. In this study, PTP1B expression was elevated in liver tissues and primary macrophages isolated from EtOH-fed mice. Moreover, PTP1B expression was elevated in RAW264.7 cells stimulated with alcohol and LPS. Additional studies showed that silencing of PTP1B reduced the inflammatory response and expression of inflammatory cytokines such as IL-1ß, IL-6 and TNF-α, while overexpression of PTP1B induced inflammation in RAW264.7 cells. In addition, we found that NF-κB pathway was activated in RAW264.7 cells stimulated with alcohol and LPS, and PTP1B silencing or overexpression could regulate NF-κB signaling. In conclusion, this study revealed the function of PTP1B in ALI via its regulation of the NF-κB signaling pathway and may provide theoretical support for further research on ALI.

Emerging Roles for NLRC5 in Immune Diseases.

Innate immunity activates the corresponding immune response relying on multiple pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) that includes pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), like NOD-like receptors (NLRs), RIG-I-like receptors (RLRs), and C-type lectin receptors (CLRs), which could accurately recognize invasive pathogens. In particular, NLRs belong to a large protein family of pattern recognition receptors in the cytoplasm, where they are highly correlated with activation of inflammatory response system followed by rapid clearance of invasive pathogens. Among the NLRs family, NLRC5, also known as NOD4 or NOD27, accounts for a large proportion and involves in immune responses far and wide. Notably, in the above response case of inflammation, the expression of NLRC5 remarkably increased in immune cells and immune-related tissues. However, the evidence for higher expression of NLRC5 in immune disease still remains controversial. It is noted that the growing evidence further accounts for the participation of NLRC5 in the innate immune response and inflammatory diseases. Moreover, NLRC5 has also been confirmed to exert a critical role in the control of regulatory diverse signaling pathways. Together with its broad participation in the occurrence and development of immune diseases, NLRC5 can be consequently treated as a potential therapeutic target. Nevertheless, the paucity of absolute understanding of intrinsic characteristics and underlying mechanisms of NLRC5 still make it hard to develop targeting drugs. Therefore, current summary about NLRC5 information is indispensable. Herein, current knowledge of NLRC5 is summarized, and research advances in terms of NLRC5 in characteristics, biological function, and regulatory mechanisms are reviewed.

Analgesic effect and related amino acids regulation of ginsenoside Rg3 in mouse pain models.

AIMS: The present study aims to evaluate the analgesic effect of ginsenoside Rg3 in different mouse pain models. MAIN METHODS: Formalin-, carrageenan- and S180 tumor cells induced mouse pain models were built in the study. The licking and biting time and PEG2 contents in the inflammatory sites were measured. The excitatory and inhibitory amino acids in the brains were determined by pre-column derivation FLD-HPLC method. KEY FINDING: We have found that ginsenoside Rg3 treated the pain phases and decreased the PGE2 in formalin and carrageenan induced models, respectively. It significantly increased the contents of EAAs (Asp and Glu) in the brains of S180 tumor inducing pain mice, meanwhile, the IAAs (Gly, Tau and GABA) decreased. SIGNIFICANCE: Our results revealed that ginsenoside Rg3 acted central and peripheral analgesic effect and regulated the inflammatory factors and pain-related amino acids. It could re-balance the abnormal EAAs/IAAs value when the pain occurred. The analgesic mechanism and the clinical application of ginsenoside Rg3 need be evaluated furtherly.

"On Water" Direct Organocatalytic Cyanoarylmethylation of Isatins for the Diastereoselective Synthesis of 3-Hydroxy-3-cyanomethyl Oxindoles.

An "on water" organocatalytic cyanoarylmethylation of aryl acetonitrile to isatins is developed, giving products in high yields and up to excellent diastereoselectivities. A remarkable enhancement of reaction rates and diastereoselectivities by water was observed under mild conditions. Moreover, this approach provides a highly efficient and environmentally benign access to thermodynamic 3-hydroxy-3-cyanomethyl oxindoles.

Long noncoding RNA MEG3 regulates rheumatoid arthritis by targeting NLRC5.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is one of the chronic systemic autoimmune diseases that cardinally affect the joints. Many people all over the world suffer from the disease. Fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLSs) play a significant role in the occurrence and development of RA. The long noncoding RNA maternally expressed gene 3 (MEG3) is an imprinted gene, which participates in various cancers as a tumor suppressor. Previous studies have shown that nucleotide oligomerization domain (NOD)-like receptors 5 (NLRC5) plays a key role in inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. Nonetheless, we know very little about the biofunctionality of MEG3 during the development of RA. In this paper, we used complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA)-induced rats as RA animal models. The level of MEG3 significantly reduced in CFA-induced synovial tissues and FLSs, whereas the NLRC5 levels were increased. Enforced expression of MEG3 may be responsible for the decreased level of NLRC5 and inflammatory cytokine level. The results of methylation-specific PCR suggested that the MEG3 gene promoter was significantly methylated in CFA-induced synovial tissues and FLSs. More important, hypermethylation of MEG3 promoter could be inhibited by 5-aza-2-deoxycytidine (5-azadC; methylation inhibitor). Besides, the expression of NLRC5 significantly decreased followed by 5-azadc. Furthermore, DNA methyltransferases 1 (DNMT1) increased in CFA-induced synovial tissues and cells. These results indicated that MEG3 regulates RA by targeting NLRC5 potentially.

[Impacts of land use change on ecosystem services in the agricultural area of North China Plain: A case study of Shangqiu City, Henan Province, China.] / 华北平原农区土地利用变化对生态系统服务的影响­­ä»¥æ²³å—省商丘市为例.

Under the rapid urbanization, quantitatively assessing the impacts of land use and cover change (LUCC) on ecosystem service is of great significance for regional ecological environment construction. Based on the land use maps of Shangqiu City (as the typical agricultural area of North China Plain) in the year of 1990, 2005 and 2015, the spatio-temporal dynamics of land use and ecosystem service were analyzed, and the impacts of LUCC on ecosystem services was quantified with the impact assessment model. The results showed that, from 1990 to 2015, farmland and construction land area, which covered more than 95% of the total area of the research area, changed the most in quantity as -104.38 and 201.59 km2 respectively, while forestland, grassland and water area changed the most by 79.3%, -73.7% and -24.2%, respectively. The total value of ecosystem service continuously decreased by 1.005 billion yuan, among which the value of hydrolo-gical regulation service suffered the most. The value of ecosystem service (ESV) presented an increasing trend in the west and a decreasing trend in the east. Extending from the center of the city to the outside, the value of ecosystem services was "high-low-high" in the east to west direction. The rate of farmland and water area contributed more than 95% to the total ecosystem service value, which had the greatest impact. The main drivers for the changes of land use and ESV in Shangqiu were population pressure, economic growth, regional policy, and urban planning. In the urban and rural development planning of Shangqiu City, more attention should be paid to the protection of na-tural resources and rational adjustment of the land use structure to realize sustainable development based on the harmony of economy, society and environment.

NLRC5 promotes cell proliferation via regulating the NF-κB signaling pathway in Rheumatoid arthritis.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune inflammatory disease and the pathogenesis remains unclear. Previous studies suggested that fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLSs) play an important role in RA pathogenesis, including the injury of cartilage, the hyperplasia of the synovium and the release of inflammatory cytokines. We used complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) induced rats as animal models for studying the RA pathogenesis. NLRC5 as the largest member of the NLR family has been reported to play a critical role in regulating immune responses. Increasing evidence suggests that NLRC5 is an pivotal negative modulator of inflammatory pathways. We investigated the mechanisms and signaling pathways of NLRC5 in RA progression. Significantly increased expression of NLRC5 was found in AA rats synovial tissues and cells. And high expression of inflammatory cytokine and cell proliferation of FLSs accompanied with NLRC5 overexpression, but inhibited in cells with NLRC5 silencing treatment. Interestingly, we found that overexpression of NLRC5 also coordinated the activation of NF-κB signaling pathway. These results suggested that NLRC5 promotes RA progression via the NF-κB signaling pathway potentially.

High sensitive detection method for protein by combining the magnetic separation with cation exchange based signal amplification.

PSA is a member of low abundance proteins and serves as a critical indicator of the development and therapy efficacy for prostate cancer. In this study, a facile and high sensitive method was developed for serum PSA detection by integrating the immunomagnetic separation and cation exchange based signal amplification. On the basis of nanoparticle preparation and immunoprobe construction, PSA in serum was captured, separated by the immunomagnetic probe and then interacted with the quantum dots (QDs) based immunofluorescence probe; Zn2+ inside QDs was replaced by Ag+ within seconds, after which fluorescence signal was amplified by Fluozin-3, the Zn2+ responsive dye. Under optimized conditions, low detection limit (1.56pg/mL), wide linear range (1.56-25ng/mL) and good repeatability (intra-coefficient variation=3.18%) were achieved, which is superior to commercialized ELISA kit. These results demonstrated the potential of our high sensitive method for PSA detection in clinical.

Depletion of abundant human serum proteins by per se imprinted cryogels based on sample heterogeneity.

Macroporous cryogels were prepared and used to deplete abundant proteins. It was accomplished based on the sample heterogeneity rather than any exogenous assistance. Human serum was added in monomer solutions to synthesize molecularly imprinted polymers; therein some abundant proteins were imprinted in the polyacrylamide cryogels. Meanwhile the rare components remained aqueous. Chromatography and electrophoresis showed that albumin, serotransferrin, and most globulins were depleted by columns packed with the molecularly imprinted polymers. After the depletion, lower abundance proteins were revealed by SDS-PAGE, peptide fingerprint analysis, and identified by MALDI-TOF-MS. This is an example that a "per se imprint" protocol enables to gradually dimidiate proteomes, simplify sample complexities, and facilitate further proteome profiling or biomarker discovery.