CircARF3 Mitigates Allergic Rhinitis through Targeting microRNA-205-5p/Sirtuin 5 Axis.

INTRODUCTION: Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are essential in the progression of allergic rhinitis (AR). The purpose of this research was to examine the role of circRNA ADP-ribosylation factor 3 (circARF3) in the pathogenesis of AR. METHODS: To generate an animal model of AR, mice were treated with house dust mite (HDM), and mice nasal epithelial cells (NEpCs) were treated with IL-4/IL-13 to imitate the inflammatory damage of AR in vitro. Sanger sequencing, qRT-PCR, and RNAse R digestion assays all validated the circularization structure of circARF3. The levels of circARF3, miR-205-5p, and sirtuin 5 (SIRT5) were determined by qRT-PCR or Western blotting. Luciferase reporter, RNA immunoprecipitation, and pull-down experiments were used to investigate the regulatory network. Flow cytometry was used to investigate the rate of cell apoptosis, and Western blotting was used to determine the levels of apoptotic-related proteins (cleaved caspase 3, cleaved polyadenosine-diphosphate-ribose polymerase) and HMGB1, TLR4, and MyD88. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to assess the inflammatory response. Hematoxylin-eosin staining and TUNEL were used to detect the histology of injury and apoptosis of nasal mucosa tissues. RESULTS: CircARF3 and SIRT5 levels were reduced in HDM-treated animals and IL-4/IL-13-treated NEpCs, while miR-205-5p expression was increased. CircARF3 was generated by back-splicing exons 3-5 with a stable circular shape. CircARF3 overexpression mitigated IL-4/IL-13-induced apoptosis in NEpCs by inhibiting miR-205-5p. SIRT5 upregulation attenuated IL-4/IL-13-induced inflammatory injury in NEpCs, and SIRT5 knockdown induced opposite effects. miR-205-5p silencing reversed the effects of SIRT5 knockdown on IL-4/IL-13-induced inflammatory injury. Furthermore, circARF3 overexpression alleviated histological abnormalities, apoptosis, inflammatory response, and HMGB1/TLR4 signaling activation in HDM-treated animals. CONCLUSION: CircARF3 inhibited cell apoptosis and inflammation via the miR-205-5p/SIRT5 axis in IL-4/IL-13-treated NEpCs and HDM-treated mice.

Exosomal miR-106a-5p accelerates the progression of nasopharyngeal carcinoma through FBXW7-mediated TRIM24 degradation.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is prevalent in East Asia and causes increased health burden. Elucidating the regulatory mechanism of NPC progression is important for understanding the pathogenesis of NPC and developing novel therapeutic strategies. Nasopharyngeal carcinoma and normal tissues were collected. Nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell proliferation, migration, and invasion were evaluated using CCK-8, colony formation, wound healing, and transwell assays, respectively. A xenograft mouse model of NPC was established to analyze NPC cell growth and metastasis in vivo. The expression of miR-106a-5p, FBXW7, TRIM24, and SRGN was determined with RT-qPCR and Western blot. MiR-106a-5p, TRIM24, and SRGN were upregulated, and FBXW7 was downregulated in NPC tissues and cells. Exosomal miR-106a-5p could enter NPC cells, and its overexpression promoted the proliferation, migration, invasion, and metastasis of NPC cells, which were suppressed by knockdown of exosomal miR-106a-5p. MiR-106a-5p targeted FBXW7 to regulate FBXW7-mediated degradation of TRIM24. Furthermore, TRIM24 regulated SRGN expression by binding to its promoter in NPC cells. Suppression of exosomal miR-106a-5p attenuated NPC growth and metastasis through the FBXW7-TRIM24-SRGN axis in vivo. Exosomal miR-106a-5p accelerated the progression of NPC through the FBXW7-TRIM24-SRGN axis. Our study elucidates novel regulatory mechanisms of NPC progression and provides potential exosome-based therapeutic strategies for NPC.

An artificially constructed Syngonium podophyllum-Aspergillus niger combinate system for removal of uranium from wastewater.

Aspergillus niger was inoculated to the roots of five plants, and the Syngonium podophyllum-A. niger combinate system (SPANCS) was found to be the most effective in removing uranium from hydroponic liquid with initial uranium concentration of 5 mg L(-1). Furthermore, the hydroponic experiments on the removal of uranium from the hydroponic liquids with initial uranium concentrations of 0.5, 1.0, and 3.0 mg L(-1) by the SPANCS were conducted, the inhibitory effect of A. niger on the growth of S. podophyllum in the SPANCS was studied, the accumulation characteristics of uranium by S. podophyllum in the SPANCS were analyzed, and the Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectra were measured. The results show that the removal of uranium by the SPANCS from the hydroponic liquids with initial uranium concentrations of 0.5, 1.0, and 3.0 mg L(-1) reached 98.20, 97.90, and 98.50%, respectively, after 37 days of accumulation of uranium; that the uranium concentrations in the hydroponic liquids decreased to 0.009, 0.021, and 0.045 mg L(-1), respectively, which are lower than the stipulated concentration for discharge of 0.050 mg L(-1) by the People's Republic of China; that A. niger helped to generate more groups in the root of S. podophyllum which can improve the complexing capability of S. podophyllum for uranium; and that the uranium accumulated in the root of S. podophyllum was in the form of phosphate uranyl and carboxylic uranyl.

Phytoextraction of uranium from contaminated soil by Macleaya cordata before and after application of EDDS and CA.

This is the first report on using Macleaya cordata for phytoextraction of uranium from the uranium contaminated soil in the greenhouse. Macleaya M. cordata was found to increase uranium concentration in the soil solution by increasing the dissolved organic carbon (DOC). The amendment experiments with citric acid (CA) and [S,S]-ethylenediamine disuccinic acid (EDDS) at the rates of 1.0, 2.5, 5.0, and 10.0 mmol kg(-1) dry weight (DW) soil showed that EDDS was more efficient to increase uranium concentration in the shoot than CA when they were applied at the same rate. The applications of 5.0 mmol kg(-1) EDDS and 10.0 mmol kg(-1) CA were most appropriate for increasing uranium concentrations in the shoot of M. cordata. CA was more efficient to increase the solubility of uranium at the same application rates except for 2.5 mmol kg(-1) application rate. There was a linear correlation between the uranium concentration in the shoot and the average uranium concentration of one planted pot during 14 days in soil solution after the application of different rates of EDDS and CA, respectively (r(2) = 0.972, P < 0.01; r (2) = 0.948, P < 0.01), indicating that uranium uptake was dependent on the soluble uranium concentration. The Fe-U-DOC and Mn-U-DOC complexes were probably formed after the application of CA. Soil solution pH and Fe, Mn, Ca, and DOC concentrations in soil solution were found to be changed by the chelates.