Steroid hormone 20-hydroxyecdysone disturbs fat body lipid metabolism and negatively regulates gluconeogenesis in Hyphantria cunea larvae.

The steroid hormone 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) has been described to regulate fat body lipid metabolism in insects, but its accurate regulatory mechanism, especially the crosstalk between 20E-induced lipid metabolism and gluconeogenesis remains largely unclear. Here, we specially investigated the effect of 20E on lipid metabolism and gluconeogenesis in the fat body of Hyphantria cunea larvae, a notorious pest in forestry. Lipidomics analysis showed that a total of 1 907 lipid species were identified in the fat body of H. cunea larvae assigned to 6 groups and 48 lipid classes. The differentially abundant lipids analysis showed a significant difference between 20E-treated and control samples, indicating that 20E caused a remarkable alteration of lipidomics profiles in the fat body of H. cunea larvae. Further studies demonstrated that 20E accelerated fatty acid ß-oxidation, inhibited lipid synthesis, and promoted lipolysis. Meanwhile, the activities of pyruvate carboxylase, phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase, fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase, and glucose-6-phosphatase were dramatically suppressed by 20E in the fat body of H. cunea larvae. As well, the transcriptions of genes encoding these 4 rate-limiting gluconeogenic enzymes were significantly downregulated in the fat body of H. cunea larvae after treatment with 20E. Taken together, our results revealed that 20E disturbed fat body lipid homeostasis, accelerated fatty acid ß-oxidation and promoted lipolysis, but negatively regulated gluconeogenesis in H. cunea larvae. The findings might provide a new insight into hormonal regulation of glucose and lipid metabolism in insect fat body.

Selection of organosilicone surfactants for tank-mixed pesticides considering the balance between synergistic effects on pests and environmental risks.

In this study, the bioactivities of binary mixtures of organosilicone surfactants and indoxacarb against two Lepidopteran pests were investigated along with their environmental risks. All of the tested organosilicone surfactants had obvious synergistic effects on the contact toxicity of indoxacarb against Spodoptera exigua and Agrotis ipsilon. However, all of the organosilicone surfactants exhibited certain antagonism for indoxacarb against S. exigua in terms of stomach & contact toxicity; both Silwet-408 and Silwet-806 exhibited additivity against A. ipsilon, whereas Silwet-618 and Silwet-DRS-60 exhibited synergism and slight antagonism, respectively. All of the tested chemicals were highly toxic to Daphnia magna, among which Silwet-DRS-60 had the lowest acute toxicity (EC50 of 94.91 µg/L). However, these chemicals were less toxic to Brachydanio rerio. Silwet-DRS-60 had a low toxicity to B. rerio, while Silwet-408, Silwet-806 and Silwet-618 were moderately toxic to B. rerio. For the joint toxicity evaluation of organosilicone surfactants and indoxacarb to D. magna and B. rerio, the additive index method, concentration addition method and toxicity unit method were robust in judging synergism or antagonism, whereas other methods were more conservative; the V-value method and equilibrium curve method exhibited high robustness and viability in evaluating the combined effects of binary mixtures. Overall, we should carefully select organosilicone surfactants for premixed or tank-mixed pesticides in agriculture to obtain a balance between synergistic effects on pests and environmental risks.

Lethal and sublethal effects of the chitin synthesis inhibitor chlorfluazuron on Bradysia odoriphaga Yang and Zhang (Diptera: Sciaridae).

Bradysia odoriphaga Yang and Zhang is the primary insect pest that affects Chinese chive in northern China. Nevertheless, very few studies have been conducted on the use of chitin synthesis inhibitors (CSIs) for the control of B. odoriphaga. Here, lethal and sublethal effects of the CSI chlorfluazuron on B. odoriphaga were studied to explore the use for integrated pest management (IPM) of B. odoriphaga. A contact and ingestion toxicity bioassay showed that chlorfluazuron was more active against B. odoriphaga than three other CSIs, with a 72h LC50 of 0.1593mg/L. Treatment with the LC50 dose of chlorfluazuron decreased both the intrinsic and finite rates of increase of B. odoriphaga, in addition to reproduction rate, survival rate, and fecundity, and the mean generation time, total preovipositional period and larval development duration were shortened, compared with those of the control and LC10 groups. The mean generation time, total preovipositional period and larval development duration were all also markedly decreased by treatment with chlorfluazuron at the LC10. Furthermore, chlorfluazuron inhibited the feeding of the final instar larvae for a short period. Glutathione S-transferase and microsomal mixed function oxidase activities increased after exposure to the chemical. These results showed that chlorfluazuron at the sublethal LC50 treatment inhibited B. odoriphaga population growth, whereas the danger of causing rapid population growth by using a lower sublethal concentration was demonstrated with the sublethal LC10 treatment. Therefore, chlorfluazuron should be used with caution in an IPM program for B. odoriphaga.

Tripartite motif containing 62 is a novel prognostic marker and suppresses tumor metastasis via c-Jun/Slug signaling-mediated epithelial-mesenchymal transition in cervical cancer.

BACKGROUND: TRIM62 (tripartite motif containing 62) has been found to act as a tumor suppressor of several cancers. However, its precise biological role and related mechanism remain unknown in cervical cancer (CC). METHODS: Quantitative Real-time PCR and western blot were adopted to detect the mRNA and protein expression level of TRIM62 in both human CC cell lines and tissues. Immunohistochemistry was used to measure the TRIM62 expression in 30 normal cervical and 189 CC tissues. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses and Kaplan-Meier survival analyses performed to investigate the association between TRIM62 expression and CC patients' prognosis. The effect of TRIM62 on CC growth and metastasis was studied in vitro and in vivo. Multi-pathway reporter array were utilized to identify the potential signaling manipulated by TRIM62. RESULTS: TRIM62 was frequently down-regulated in both human CC cells and tissues. Low expression of TRIM62 in CC tissues was associated with aggressive clinicopathological features of CC patients. In addition, TRIM62 was also an independent poor prognostic factor for overall and disease-free survival of CC patients after surgery. Moreover, enforced expression of TRIM62 in CC cells significantly inhibited their abilities of proliferation, migration and invasion in vitro. Besides, subcutaneous xenograft tumor model and xenograft mouse metastatic model respectively displayed that TRIM62 impeded the growth and metastasis of CC in vivo. Furthermore, mechanism study exhibited that TRIM62 could suppress epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) by inhibiting c-Jun/Slug signaling. The inhibitory role of TRIM62 in tumor proliferation might be through regulating cell cycle related proteins CyclinD1 and P27 by targeting c-Jun. CONCLUSION: TRIM62 is a potential prognostic biomarker in CC and suppresses metastasis of CC via inhibiting c-Jun/Slug signaling-mediated EMT.

Long-Term Oncological Outcomes After Laparoscopic Versus Abdominal Radical Hysterectomy in Stage IA2 to IIA2 Cervical Cancer: A Matched Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to investigate the long-term oncological outcomes of laparoscopic radical hysterectomy (LRH) and abdominal radical hysterectomy (ARH) for treatment of stage IA2 to IIA2 cervical cancer. METHODS: We matched stage IA2 to IIA2 cervical cancer patients with known risk factors for recurrence who underwent ARH or LRH. RESULTS: After matching, a total of 203 patient pairs (LRH-ARH) were included. The LRH and ARH group had similar 5-year recurrence-free survival (RFS) rates (91.3% vs 90.4%, P = 0.83) and overall survival (OS) rates (93.2% vs 92.1%, P = 0.94). Patients with different tumor size (≤2, 2-4, >4 cm) had similar 5-year OS and RFS. Even in patients with pelvic lymph node metastasis, the 5-year RFS (69.20% vs 69.20%, P = 0.87) and OS (77.4% vs 76.3%, P = 0.83) did not differ statistically between the 2 groups. The LRH and ARH group had similar mean time to recurrence (16.29 vs 22.15 months, P = 0.68) and pattern of recurrence (P = 0.63). Compared with ARH, LRH resulted in significantly shorter operating time, less blood loss, and shorter hospital stay. The intraoperative complications rate was similar between the 2 groups (P = 0.72). The rate of postoperative complications was significantly lower in the LRH group than in the ARH group (P = 0.004). CONCLUSIONS: Laparoscopic radical hysterectomy was associated with fewer operating time, blood loss, postoperative complication, and earlier recovery. Laparoscopic radical hysterectomy is an oncologically safe alternative to ARH.

FABP5 correlates with poor prognosis and promotes tumor cell growth and metastasis in cervical cancer.

Fatty acid-binding protein 5 (FABP5) was found in our previous study to be a potential biomarker for lymph node metastasis of cervical cancer. However, the roles of FABP5 in cervical cancer remain unclear. In the present study, FABP5 expression was found to be significantly upregulated in cervical cancer tissues, and high FABP5 expression was significantly correlated with lymph node metastasis, lymphovascular space invasion, the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage, and tumor size. Moreover, FABP5 was an independent factor for poor prognosis in cervical cancer patients. Silencing of FABP5 inhibited cell proliferation, colony formation, cell migration, and invasion in vitro. Furthermore, FABP5 silencing significantly reduced tumor growth and lung metastases in a murine allograft model in vivo. In addition, FABP5 silencing decreased the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) in vitro and in vivo. Collectively, these findings indicated that FABP5 plays an important role in the carcinogenesis and metastasis of cervical cancer, and FABP5 may be a novel predictor for prognostic assessment of cervical cancer patients.

[Clinical study on the vertebral plasty for the treatment of osteoporotic vertebral compressed fractures in elderly].

OBJECTIVE: To study therapeutic effects of Sky-bone expander for the treatment of osteoporotic vertebral compressed fractures. METHODS: Fifteen patients (18 vertebrae) suffering from vertebral compression fractures were treated with Sky bone expander system which expanded and reconstructed the vertebral body with PMMA cement. The clinical effect was evaluated by observing the changing of visual analogue scale (VAS). The preoperative and postoperative mean VAS scores were compared by paired-sample t test. All the patients were followed up by telephone or clinic consulting after being discharged from our hospital. RESULTS: The procedure was performed successfully in 15 patients. The operation time ranged from 45 to 110 minutes (65 minutes per vertebra on average). The patients were followed up and the duration ranged from 6 to 12 months (8 months on average). The mean VAS score of the patients were improved significantly at the third postoperative day compared with those before the operation (2.5 +/- 1.3, vs 7.7 +/- 1.1, all P < 0.05). The mean VAS score at the end of the follow-up was 2.2 +/- 1.2. CONCLUSION: Sky bone expander system provides significant pain relief effect in the cases of osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures, shortens the duration of lying in bed, and its procedure is convenient with few complications.