Improving crop health by synthetic microbial communities: Progress and prospects.

Crop health directly affects yields and food security. At present, agrochemicals such as fertilizers and pesticides are mainly used in agricultural production to promote crop health. However, long-term excessive utilization of agrochemicals will damage the ecological environment of farmlands and increase the safety risk of agricultural products. It is urgent to explore efficient and environment-friendly agricultural products. Rhizosphere microbiome are considered as the second genome of plants, which are closely related to crop health. Understanding the key functional microbes, microbe-microbe interactions, and plant-microbe interactions are fundamental for exploring the potential of beneficial microbes in promoting crop health. However, due to the heterogeneity and complexity of the natural environment, stimulating the function of indigenous microorganisms remains uncertain. Synthetic microbial community (SynCom) is an artificial combination of two or more different strain isolates of microorganisms, with different taxonomic, genetic, or functional characteristic. Because of the advantages of maintaining species diversity and community stability, SynCom has been widely applied in the fields of human health, environmental governance and industrial production, and may also have great potential in promoting crop health. We summarized the concept and research status of SynCom, expounded the principles and methods of constructing SynCom, and analyzed the research on the promotion of crop health by exploring the mechanism of plant-microbe interactions, promoting plant growth and development, and improving stress resistance. Finally, we envisaged the future prospects to guide the using SynCom to improve crop health.

The Role of Regulatory Cell Death in Vitiligo.

Vitiligo is one of the common chronic autoimmune skin diseases in clinic, which is characterized by localized or generalized depigmentation and seriously affects the physical and mental health of patients. At present, the pathogenesis of vitiligo is not clear; mainly, heredity, autoimmunity, oxidative stress, melanocyte (MC) self-destruction, and the destruction, death, or dysfunction of MCs caused by various reasons are always the core of vitiligo. Regulatory cell death (RCD) is an active and orderly death mode of cells regulated by genes, which widely exists in various life activities, plays a pivotal role in maintaining the homeostasis of the organism, and is closely related to the occurrence and development of many diseases. With the deepening of the research and understanding of RCD, people gradually found that there are many different forms of RCD in the lesions and perilesional skin of vitiligo patients, such as apoptosis, autophagy, pyroptosis, ferroptosis, and so on. Different cell death modes have different mechanisms in vitiligo, and different RCDs can interact and regulate each other. In this article, the mechanism related to RCD in the pathogenesis of vitiligo is reviewed, which provides new ideas for exploring the pathogenesis and targeted treatment of vitiligo.

FGFR2-TSC22D1, a novel FGFR2 fusion gene identified in a patient with colorectal cancer: A case report.

BACKGROUND: The FGFR signaling pathway is activated in multiple tumor types through gene amplifications, single base substitutions, or gene fusions. Novel FGFR gene fusions may represent candidate targets for the development of tyrosine kinase inhibitors. CASE SUMMARY: Herein, we report a patient with colorectal cancer (CRC) harboring a novel FGFR2 fusion gene. A 59-year-old man felt discomfort in his right upper abdomen with loss of appetite for 6 mo. An abdominal computed tomography scan revealed the existence of a space-occupying lesion in the ascending colon. The pathological diagnosis was a poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma. Subsequent biopsy specimen was subjected to next-generation sequencing analysis, and a novel FGFR2-TSC22D1 fusion with complete kinase structure of FGFR2 protein was identified. CONCLUSION: We report the first case of CRC harboring FGFR2-TSC22D1, which enriches the FGFR2 fusion spectrum. FGFR2 inhibitors might be effective in the later treatment for this patient.

Efficacy of afatinib in a patient with rare EGFR (G724S/R776H) mutations and amplification in lung adenocarcinoma: A case report.

BACKGROUND: The most common EGFR mutations are in-frame deletions in exon 19 and point mutations in exon 21. Cases with classical EGFR mutations show a good response to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), the standard first-line treatment. With the development of next generation sequencing, some uncommon genomic mutations have been detected. However, the effect of TKIs on such uncommon EGFR mutations remains unclear. CASE SUMMARY: Here, we report a case of rare EGFR co-mutation in non-small cell lung cancer and the efficacy of afatinib on this EGFR co-mutation. A 64-year-old woman was diagnosed with thoracolumbar and bilateral local rib bone metastases, bilateral pulmonary nodules, and pericardial and left pleural effusion. The pathological diagnosis was lung adenocarcinoma. To seek potential therapeutic regimens, rare co-mutation comprising rare EGFR G724S/R776H mutations and amplification were identified. The patient experienced a significant clinical response with a progression-free survival of 17 mo. CONCLUSION: A case of non-small cell lung cancer with rare EGFR G724S/R776H mutations and EGFR amplification responds well to TKI treatment.

The Long Non-coding RNA LINC01705 Regulates the Development of Breast Cancer by Sponging miR-186-5p to Mediate TPR Expression as a Competitive Endogenous RNA.

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) may be a regulatory factor of tumorigenesis. However, it is unclear what its biomechanisms are in breast cancer. In this study, different lncRNAs were detected in breast cancer through microarray analysis (GSE119233) and LINC01705 was selected for further study. qRT-PCR was then utilized for the detection of LINC01705 expression in breast cancer cells. A transwell assay, flow cytometry, 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU), a cell counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), and a wound-healing assay were performed to determine cell migration, invasion, apoptosis, and proliferation in breast cancer, respectively. For the identification of potential targets of LINC01705, dual-luciferase reporter gene and bioinformatics assays were conducted. Moreover, for the clarification of their interaction and roles in the regulation of the occurrence of breast cancer, Western blotting and RIP assays were conducted. Our findings revealed high LINC01705 expression in breast cancer tissues relative to adjacent non-cancerous tissues (n = 40, P < 0.001). Overexpression of LINC01705 notably enhanced cell migration and proliferation in breast cancer. In addition, LINC01705 positively regulated the translocated promoter region, nuclear basket protein (TPR) through competition with miR-186-5p. In conclusion, our results suggest that LINC01705 is implicated in the progression of breast cancer via competitively binding to miR-186-5p as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA), thereby regulating TPR expression.

DL-CNV: A deep learning method for identifying copy number variations based on next generation target sequencing.

Copy number variations (CNVs) play an important role in many types of cancer. With the rapid development of next generation sequencing (NGS) techniques, many methods for detecting CNVs of a single sample have emerged: (i) require genome-wide data of both case and control samples, (ii) depend on sequencing depth and GC content correction algorithm, (iii) rely on statistical models built on CNV positive and negative sample datasets. These make them costly in the data analysis and ineffective in the targeted sequencing data. In this study, we developed a novel alignment-free method called DL-CNV to call CNV from the target sequencing data of a single sample. Specifically, we collected two sets of samples. The first set consists of 1301 samples, in which 272 have CNVs in ERBB2 and the second set is composed of 1148 samples with 63 samples containing CNVs in MET. Finally, we found that a testing AUC of 0.9454 for ERBB2 and 0.9220 for MET. Furthermore, we hope to make the CNV detection could be more accurate with clinical "gold standard" (e.g. FISH) information and provide a new research direction, which can be used as the supplement to the existing NGS methods.

Recombinant Porcine Interferon Alpha Enhances Immune Responses to Killed Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus Vaccine in Pigs.

In this study, the immunoadjuvant effects of recombinant porcine interferon alpha (rPoIFNα) on the killed virus vaccine (KV) of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) in pigs were investigated. The experimental pigs were divided into six groups, including normal control group, rPoIFNα control group, PRRSV KV control group, KV+40,000 U rPoIFNα immunization group, KV+400,000 U rPoIFNα immunization group, and KV+4,000,000 U rPoIFNα immunization group. The experimental pigs were boosted immunized on the 28th day after the initial immunization, and the heparinized blood and serum samples were collected at different time points of these two immunizations to detect and evaluate the immune responses of pigs after immunization by ELISA assay, neutralization assay, flow cytometry, and so on. The results showed that the proportion of the levels of PRRSV-specific antibodies, neutralizing antibodies, stimulation index, IL-4, IFN-γ, and lymphocytes within the groups immunized with KV+rPoIFNα were significantly higher than that group immunized with KV alone. The humoral and cellular immune responses in pigs were markedly enhanced by rPoIFNα after the coadministration with KV vaccine. Therefore, we tentatively think that rPoIFNα is a potential immune promoter with prospects for future applications in the pig industry.

Precision De Novo Peptide Sequencing Using Mirror Proteases of Ac-LysargiNase and Trypsin for Large-scale Proteomics.

De novo peptide sequencing for large-scale proteomics remains challenging because of the lack of full coverage of ion series in tandem mass spectra. We developed a mirror protease of trypsin, acetylated LysargiNase (Ac-LysargiNase), with superior activity and stability. The mirror spectrum pairs derived from the Ac-LysargiNase and trypsin treated samples can generate full b and y ion series, which provide mutual complementarity of each other, and allow us to develop a novel algorithm, pNovoM, for de novo sequencing. Using pNovoM to sequence peptides of purified proteins, the accuracy of the sequence was close to 100%. More importantly, from a large-scale yeast proteome sample digested with trypsin and Ac-LysargiNase individually, 48% of all tandem mass spectra formed mirror spectrum pairs, 97% of which contained full coverage of ion series, resulting in precision de novo sequencing of full-length peptides by pNovoM. This enabled pNovoM to successfully sequence 21,249 peptides from 3,753 proteins and interpreted 44-152% more spectra than pNovo+ and PEAKS at a 5% FDR at the spectrum level. Moreover, the mirror protease strategy had an obvious advantage in sequencing long peptides. We believe that the combination of mirror protease strategy and pNovoM will be an effective approach for precision de novo sequencing on both single proteins and proteome samples.

Tackling Complex Emergency Response Solutions Evaluation Problems in Sustainable Development by Fuzzy Group Decision Making Approaches with Considering Decision Hesitancy and Prioritization among Assessing Criteria.

In order to be prepared against potential balance-breaking risks affecting economic development, more and more countries have recognized emergency response solutions evaluation (ERSE) as an indispensable activity in their governance of sustainable development. Traditional multiple criteria group decision making (MCGDM) approaches to ERSE have been facing simultaneous challenging characteristics of decision hesitancy and prioritization relations among assessing criteria, due to the complexity in practical ERSE problems. Therefore, aiming at the special type of ERSE problems that hold the two characteristics, we investigate effective MCGDM approaches by hiring interval-valued dual hesitant fuzzy set (IVDHFS) to comprehensively depict decision hesitancy. To exploit decision information embedded in prioritization relations among criteria, we firstly define an fuzzy entropy measure for IVDHFS so that its derivative decision models can avoid potential information distortion in models based on classic IVDHFS distance measures with subjective supplementing mechanism; further, based on defined entropy measure, we develop two fundamental prioritized operators for IVDHFS by extending Yager's prioritized operators. Furthermore, on the strength of above methods, we construct two hesitant fuzzy MCGDM approaches to tackle complex scenarios with or without known weights for decision makers, respectively. Finally, case studies have been conducted to show effectiveness and practicality of our proposed approaches.

Overexpression of long non-coding RNA H19 is associated with unfavorable prognosis in patients with colorectal cancer and increased proliferation and migration in colon cancer cells.

Long non-coding RNA-imprinted maternally expressed transcript (non-protein coding) (H19) has been previously identified to be involved in the development of a number of types of cancer. However, the function of H19 in the pathogenesis of colorectal cancer remains unclear. The expression level of H19 in colorectal tumor tissues, and the association between H19 expression and clinicopathological variables and prognosis was investigated in the present study. In addition, the effect of H19 overexpression on viability, migration and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of colon cancer cells was investigated in HCT-116 and SW-480 cells. The results of the present study suggest that overexpression of H19 is associated with decreased recurrence-free survival and overall survival rates in patients with colorectal cancer, and increased viability and migration in colon cancer cells. The induction of the EMT process may be an underlying molecular mechanism associated with the H19-induced increased metastasis potential of colon cancer cells.

Astaxanthin attenuates total body irradiation-induced hematopoietic system injury in mice via inhibition of oxidative stress and apoptosis.

BACKGROUND: The hematopoietic system is especially sensitive to total body irradiation (TBI), and myelosuppression is one of the major effects of TBI. Astaxanthin (ATX) is a powerful natural anti-oxidant with low toxicity. In this study, the effect of ATX on hematopoietic system injury after TBI was investigated. METHODS: Flow cytometry was used to detect the proportion of hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs) and hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), the level of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), expression of cytochrome C, cell apoptosis, and NRF2-related proteins. Immunofluorescence staining was used to detect Nrf2 translocation. Western blot analysis was used to evaluate the expression of apoptotic-related proteins. Enzymatic activities assay kits were used to analyze SOD2, CAT, and GPX1 activities. RESULTS: Compared with the TBI group, ATX can improve radiation-induced skewed differentiation of peripheral blood cells and accelerate hematopoietic self-renewal and regeneration. The radio-protective effect of ATX is probably attributable to the scavenging of ROS and the reduction of cell apoptosis. These changes were associated with increased activation of Nrf2 and downstream anti-oxidative proteins, and regulation of apoptotic-related proteins. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that ATX could be used as a potent therapeutic agent to protect the hematopoietic system against TBI-induced bone marrow suppression.

Pharmacokinetic studies of the recombinant chicken interferon-α in broiler chickens.

In this study, 24 male and female broiler chickens at 30-day-old were divided into three groups with 8 animals in each group. The animals were administered with recombinant chicken interferon-α (rChIFN-α) at a dose of 1.0 × 106 IU/kg intravenously, intramuscularly or subcutaneously, respectively. Serum samples were collected at different time points post administration, and the titers of rChIFN-α in the blood were determined by cytopathic effect inhibition assay. The results showed that the pharmacokinetic characteristics of rChIFN-α by intramuscular injection and subcutaneous injection were fitted to one compartment open model, and the Tmax was 3.21 ± 0.79 hr and 3.95 ± 0.85 hr, respectively, and the elimination half-life (T1/2) was 6.20 ± 2.77 hr and 5.03 ± 3.70 hr, respectively. In contrast, the pharmacokinetics of rChIFN-α via intravenous injection was in line with the open model of two-compartment and was eliminated in the first order, and the elimination half-life (T1/2) was 4.61 ± 0.84 hr. In addition, compared with those in the intravenous group and the subcutaneous group, the bioavailability of rChIFN-α in the intramuscular group was 82.80%. In conclusion, rChIFN-α was rapidly absorbed and slowly eliminated after intramuscular administration of single dose of rChIFN-α aqueous formulations. Thus, rChIFN-α can be used as a commonly-used therapeutic agent.

Effect of Long Noncoding RNA H19 Overexpression on Intestinal Barrier Function and Its Potential Role in the Pathogenesis of Ulcerative Colitis.

BACKGROUND: Recently, long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) H19 has been reported to be related with VDR signaling and the development of inflammatory diseases including osteoarthritis. The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between the expression level of H19 and VDR in ulcerative colitis (UC) tissues and to investigate the effect of H19 overexpression on intestinal epithelial barrier function. METHODS: The expression level of H19, miR-675-5p, and VDR in UC tissues and paired normal tissues collected from 12 patients with UC was investigated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Caco-2 monolayers were used to test the effect of H19 and miR-675-5p overexpression on the intestinal epithelial barrier function and the status of tight junction proteins and VDR. Luciferase assay was used to validate the target site of miR-675-5p in the 3'UTR of VDR mRNA. RESULTS: The expression of H19 was found to be negatively correlated with the expression of VDR in UC tissues (r = 0.5369, P < 0.05). The expression of miR-675-5p was also found to be negatively correlated with the expression of VDR in UC tissues (r = 0.5233, P < 0.01). H19 overexpression increased Caco-2 monolayer permeability and decreased the expression of tight junction proteins and VDR, which was significantly attenuated by cotransfection with miR-675-5p inhibitors. The 3'UTR of VDR mRNA was validated to be one of the direct targets of miR-675-5p. CONCLUSIONS: This study reveals the destructive effect of H19 overexpression on intestinal epithelial barrier function and suggests a potential role of H19 in the development of UC. In addition, H19 overexpression may be one of the mechanisms underlying the decreased expression of VDR in UC tissues and the interaction between H19 and VDR signaling may provide potential therapeutic targets for UC.

p38 MAPK Inhibitor Insufficiently Attenuates HSC Senescence Administered Long-Term after 6 Gy Total Body Irradiation in Mice.

Senescent hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) accumulate with age and exposure to stress, such as total-body irradiation (TBI), which may cause long-term myelosuppression in the clinic. However, the methods available for long-term myelosuppression remain limited. Previous studies have demonstrated that sustained p38 mitogen-activated protein kinases (p38 MAPK) activation in HSCs following exposure to TBI in mice and the administration of its inhibitor twenty-four hours after TBI may partially prevent long-term myelosuppression. However, long-term myelosuppression is latent and identified long after the administration of radiation. In this study, we investigated the effects of SB203580 (a small molecule inhibitor of p38 MAPK) on long-term myelosuppression induced by TBI. Mice with hematopoietic injury were injected intraperitoneally with SB203580 every other day five times beginning 70 days after 6 Gy of (137)Cs γ ray TBI. Our results at 80 days demonstrated that SB203580 did not significantly improve the TBI-induced long-term reduction of peripheral blood cell and bone marrow nucleated cell (BMNC) counts, or defects in hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs) and HSC clonogenic function. SB203580 reduced reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and p-p38 expression; however, SB203580 had no effect on p16 expression in the HSCs of mice. In conclusion, these findings suggest that treatment with SB203580 70 days after TBI in mice inhibits the ROS-p38 oxidative stress pathway; however, it has no therapeutic effect on long-term myelosuppression induced by TBI.

Targeting HCCR expression resensitizes gastric cancer cells to chemotherapy via down-regulating the activation of STAT3.

The human cervical cancer oncogene (HCCR) has been found to be overexpressed in a variety of human cancers. However, the level of expression of HCCR and its biological function in gastric cancer are largely unknown. In this study, we evaluated HCCR expression in several gastric cancer cell lines and in one normal gastric mucosal cell line. We established a 5-FU-resistant gastric cancer cell subline, and we evaluated its HCCR expression. HCCR expression levels were high in gastric cancer lines, and expression was significantly increased in the 5-FU-resistant cancer cell subline. HCCR expression affected cell growth by regulating apoptosis in the cancer cells, and it had a positive correlation with p-STAT3 expression. Western blot and luciferase reporter assays showed that the activation of STAT3 upregulated HCCR expression in a positive feedback loop model. In vivo and in vitro studies showed that HCCR plays an important role in the apoptosis induced by 5-FU. Our data demonstrate that HCCR is probably involved in apoptosis and cancer growth and that it functions as a p-STAT3 stimulator in a positive feedback loop model. In gastric cancer cells, HCCR confers a more aggressive phenotype and resistance to 5-FU-based chemotherapy.

Anti-Helicobacter pylori activity of bioactive components isolated from Hericium erinaceus.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: The fungus Hericium erinaceus (Bull.) Pers is used in Chinese traditional medicine to treat symptoms related to gastric ulcers. Different extracts from the fungus were assessed for anti-Helicobacter pylori activity to investigate the antibacterial activity of the ethanol extracts from H. erinaceus and verify the traditional indication of use. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The fruiting bodies of H. erinaceus were concentrated with ethanol by HPD-100 macroporous resin and the whole extract was partitioned by petroleum ether and chloroform to afford fractions with using a silica gel column. Several pure compounds of petroleum ether extracts were obtained and analyzed using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). The activity of the extracts and fractions towards H. pylori was assessed by the microdilution assay and by the disk diffusion assay in vitro. From the most active fraction, two pure compounds were isolated and identified as the main components with anti-H. pylori activity from the fungus H. erinaceus. The cytotoxicity of these two compounds against the human erythroleu-kemia cell line K562 was also evaluated. RESULTS: The crude ethanol extracts from the fungus H. erinaceus were inhibitory to H. pylori. The petroleum ether extracts (PE1s, PE2s) and the chloroform extracts (TEs) demonstrated strong inhibition to H. pylori. The inhibition of H. pylori was observed through an agar dilution test with minimal inhibition concentration (MIC) values from 400µg/mL to 12.5µg/mL. Two pure compounds, 1-(5-chloro-2-hydroxyphenyl)-3-methyl-1-butanone and 2,5-bis(methoxycarbonyl)terephthalic acid were isolated from the petroleum ether fractions and identified using (1)H NMR and (13)C NMR spectra analysis. The MIC value for 1-(5-chloro-2-hydroxyphenyl)-3-methyl-1-butanone was 12.5-50µg/mL and the MIC value for 2,5-bis(methoxycarbonyl)terephthalic acid was 6.25-25µg/mL. Both two compounds showed weak cytotoxicity against K562 with IC50<200mM. CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed that the extracts from petroleum ether contribute to the anti-H. pylori activity. The compounds obtained from petroleum ether extracts, 1-(5-chloro-2-hydroxyphenyl)-3-methyl-1-butanone and 2,5-bis(methoxycarbonyl)terephthalic acid, inhibit the growth of H. pylori.

Protective effect of hydrogen sulfide on TNF-α and IFN-γ-induced injury of intestinal epithelial barrier function in Caco-2 monolayers.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Studies have verified the protective effect of Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S) on gastric ulcer and ulcerative colitis, but the mechanisms are not fully illustrated. In this study, the possible protective effect of H2S on TNF-α/IFN-γ induced barrier dysfunction was investigated in Caco-2 cell monolayers. METHOD: The barrier function of Caco-2 monolayers was evaluated by measuring trans-epithelial electrical resistance (TEER) and FITC-Dextran 4 kDa (FD-4) trans-membrane flux. ZO-1 and Occludin were chosen as markers of the localization of tight junction (TJ) proteins for immunofluorescence. The expression of MLCK and phosphorylation level of myosin light chain (MLC) were measured by immunoblotting. The activation of NF-kB p65 was analyzed by EMSA and immunofluorescence. RESULTS: NaHS at 500 uM significantly attenuated TNF-α/IFN-γ-indueced Caco-2 monolayer barrier injury. The increased expression of MLCK and increased phosphorylation level of MLC induced by TNF-α/IFN-γ was also inhibited significantly by NaHS. Additionally, NaHS inhibited TNF-α/IFN-γ induced activation and nuclear translocation of NF-kB p65. CONCLUSION: The present study reveals the protective effect of H2S on TNF-α and IFN-γ-induced injury of intestinal epithelial barrier function in Caco-2 monolayers and suggests that the suppression of MLCK-P-MLC signaling mediated by NF-kB P65 might be one of the mechanisms underlying the protective effect of H2S.

Protective effect of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 on ethanol-induced intestinal barrier injury both in vitro and in vivo.

Studies have suggested the role of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25(OH)2D3) in protecting intestinal barrier function from injuries induced by multiple reagents. Vitamin D deficiency was reported to be associated with poor prognosis in patients with alcoholic liver disease (ALD). This study is designed to investigate the effect of 1,25(OH)2D3 on ethanol-induced intestinal barrier dysfunction and the underlying mechanisms utilizing Caco-2 cell monolayers and a mouse model with acute ethanol injury. In Caco-2 monolayers, ethanol significantly increased monolayer permeability, disrupted TJ distribution, increased phosphorylation level of MLC, and induced generation of ROS compared with controls. However, pre-treatment with 1,25(OH)2D3 greatly ameliorated the ethanol-induced barrier dysfunction, TJ disruption, phosphorylation level of MLC, and generation of ROS compared with ethanol-exposed monolayers. Mice fed with vitamin d-sufficient diet had a higher plasma level of 25(OH)D3 and were more resistant to ethanol-induced acute intestinal barrier injury compared with the vitamin d-deficient group. These results suggest that the suppression of generation of ROS and increased phosphorylation level of MLC might be one of the mechanisms underlying the protective effect of 1,25(OH)2D3 on ethanol-induced intestinal barrier injury and provide evidence for the application of vitamin D as therapeutic factors against ethanol-induced gut leakiness.

Identification of specific gene modules in mouse lung tissue exposed to cigarette smoke.

BACKGROUND: Exposure to cigarette may affect human health and increase risk of a wide range of diseases including pulmonary diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, lung fibrosis and lung cancer. However, the molecular mechanisms of pathogenesis induced by cigarettes still remain obscure even with extensive studies. With systemic view, we attempted to identify the specific gene modules that might relate to injury caused by cigarette smoke and identify hub genes for potential therapeutic targets or biomarkers from specific gene modules. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The dataset GSE18344 was downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and divided into mouse cigarette smoke exposure and control groups. Subsequently, weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was used to construct a gene co-expression network for each group and detected specific gene modules of cigarette smoke exposure by comparison. RESULTS: A total of ten specific gene modules were identified only in the cigarette smoke exposure group but not in the control group. Seven hub genes were identified as well, including Fip1l1, Anp32a, Acsl4, Evl, Sdc1, Arap3 and Cd52. CONCLUSIONS: Specific gene modules may provide better understanding of molecular mechanisms, and hub genes are potential candidates of therapeutic targets that may possible improve development of novel treatment approaches.

Intestinal alkaline phosphatase inhibits the translocation of bacteria of gut-origin in mice with peritonitis: mechanism of action.

Exogenous intestinal alkaline phosphatase (IAP), an enzyme produced endogenously at the brush edge of the intestinal mucosa, may mitigate the increase in aberrant intestinal permeability increased during sepsis. The aim of this study was to test the efficacy of the inhibitory effect of IAP on acute intestinal inflammation and to study the molecular mechanisms underlying IAP in ameliorating intestinal permeability. We used an in vivo imaging method to evaluate disease status and the curative effect of IAP. Two Escherichia coli (E.coli) B21 strains, carrying EGFP labeled enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) and RFP labeled red fluorescent protein (RFP), were constructed as tracer bacteria and were administered orally to C57/B6N mice to generate an injection peritonitis (IP) model. The IP model was established by injecting inflammatory lavage fluid. C57/B6N mice bearing the tracer bacteria were subsequently treated with (IP+IAP group), or without IAP (IP group). IAP was administered to the mice via tail vein injections. The amount of tracer bacteria in the blood, liver, and lungs at 24 h post-injection was analyzed via flow cytometry (FCM), in vivo imaging, and Western blotting. Intestinal barrier function was measured using a flux assay with the macro-molecule fluorescein isothiocyanate dextran, molecular weight 40kD, (FD40). To elucidate the molecular mechanism underlying the effects of IAP, we examined the levels of ERK phosphorylation, and the expression levels of proteins in the ERK-SP1-VEGF and ERK-Cdx-2-Claudin-2 pathways. We observed that IAP inhibited the expression of Claudin-2, a type of cation channel-forming protein, and VEGF, a cytokine that may increase intestinal permeability by reducing the levels of dephosphorylated ERK. In conclusion, exogenous IAP shows a therapeutic effect in an injection peritonitis model. This including inhibition of bacterial translocation. Moreover, we have established an imaging methodology for live-animals can effectively evaluate intestinal permeability and aberrant bacterial translocation in IP models.