Surgical correction of congenital megaprepuce: a pilot study.

OBJECTIVE: Congenital megaprepuce (CMP) is a rare penile deformity that usually requires surgical correction. This study was performed to examine the efficacy of the modified Sugita procedure for repairing CMP in pediatric patients. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of pediatric patients with CMP treated by a surgeon using the modified Sugita procedure in our hospital from January 2019 to April 2021. RESULTS: Twenty patients were enrolled, and their median age at surgery was 70.5 months (range, 60-96 months). All surgeries were successful, and no complications occurred during the operation. The postoperative foreskin had moderate edema in five patients, and soaking in 10% hypertonic saline resulted in disappearance of the edema within 4 to 8 weeks. The follow-up duration was 6 to 20 months (median, 10 months). No other complications occurred, such as dehiscence or hematoma. CONCLUSIONS: The modified Sugita procedure for correction of CMP produces excellent cosmesis and a low complication rate. Our study indicates that the modified Sugita procedure is a safe and feasible treatment option.

Production improvement of FK506 in Streptomyces tsukubaensis by metabolic engineering strategy.

AIMS: Study of the effect of isoleucine on the biosynthesis of FK506 and modification of its producing strain to improve the production of FK506. METHODS AND RESULTS: Metabolomics analysis was conducted to explore key changes in the metabolic processes of Streptomyces tsukubaensis Δ68 in medium with and without isoleucine. In-depth analysis revealed that the shikimate pathway, methylmalonyl-CoA, and pyruvate might be the rate-limiting factors in FK506 biosynthesis. Overexpression of involved gene PCCB1 in S. tsukubaensis Δ68, a high-yielding strain Δ68-PCCB1 was generated. Additionally, the amino acids supplement was further optimized to improve FK506 biosynthesis. Finally, FK506 production was increased to 929.6 mg L-1, which was 56.6% higher than that in the starter strain, when supplemented isoleucine and valine at 9 and 4 g L-1, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Methylmalonyl-CoA might be the key rate-limiting factors in FK506 biosynthesis and overexpression of the gene PCCB1 and further addition of isoleucine and valine could increase the yield of FK506 by 56.6%.

[Diagnosis and treatment of divided nevus of the penis in children: A case report and literature review].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the diagnosis and treatment of divided nevus of the penis (DNP) in children. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data on a case of DNP treated by surgical resection and transplantation of free skin graft of the inner preputial plate, and searched PubMed, CNKI and Wanfang database prior to March 2021 for relevant literature, followed by analysis of the clinical characteristics, diagnosis and treatment of DNP. RESULTS: The free skin graft on the left side of the glans survived well. Postoperative pathology showed the DNP to be a complex pigmented nevus. The patient was followed up for 3 months, during which no obvious color difference was observed in the appearance of the glans, and nor evident abnormality in the function and sensation of the penis. A total of 12 studies meeting the inclusion criteria were retrieved from the databases, reporting the clinical features, diagnosis and treatment of 36 cases of DNP. Most of the lesions were found between 6 and 15 years old. Preoperative diagnostic methods included skin biopsy, puncture biopsy, and electronic dermatoscopy, surgical treatments involved transplantation of free skin graft of the inner preputial plate, transplantation of free skin graft of oral mucosa, direct resection and suturing, dressing change after resection, and laser therapy. The postoperative pathological types of DNP included intradermal nevus, mixed nevus, melanocytic nevus, blue nevus, epithelioid melanocytoma, and malignant melanoma. All the patients were successfully treated with excellent prognosis. CONCLUSION: Divided nevus of the penis in children is a rare type of pigmented nevus. Dermoscopy can effectively improve the accuracy of clinical diagnosis of the disease. Surgical treatment of DNP before puberty is recommended, and transplantation of free skin graft of the inner prepuce is one of the effective methods for its treatment, with the advantages of minor trauma, less blood loss during and after operation, and good cosmetic effect.

PIWIL1 interacting RNA piR-017061 inhibits pancreatic cancer growth via regulating EFNA5.

PIWI (P element induced wimpy testis) integrating RNAs (piRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs with the length of approximately 30 nucleotides that plays crucial roles in germ cells and adult stem cells. Recently, accumulating data have shown that piRNA and PIWI proteins are involved in tumorigenesis. However, the roles of PIWI proteins and piRNAs in pancreatic cancer are still elusive. Here, we showed that piR-017061 is significantly downregulated in pancreatic cancer patients' samples and pancreatic cancer cell lines. Furthermore, we studied the function of piR-017061 in pancreatic cancer and our data revealed that piR-017061 inhibits pancreatic cancer cell growth in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, we analyzed the genomic loci around piR-017061 and identified EFNA5 as a novel target of piR-017061. Importantly, our data further revealed a direct binding between piR-017061 and EFNA5 mRNA mediated by PIWIL1. Mechanically, piR-017061 cooperates with PIWIL1 to facilitate EFNA5 mRNA degradation and loss of piR-017061 results in accumulation of EFNA5 which facilitates pancreatic cancer development. Hence, our data provided novel insights into PIWI/piRNA-mediated gene regulation and their function in pancreatic cancer. Since PIWI proteins and piRNA predominately express in germline and cancer cells, our study provided novel therapeutic strategy for pancreatic cancer treatment.

Pulmonary toxicity and RNA sequencing analyses of mouse in response to exposure to cellulose nanofibrils.

OBJECTIVE: The growing applications of nanocelluloses in the fields of advanced nanocomposites, electronics, and medical devices necessitate investigation of their potential adverse effects on human health. The lungs are the primary and the most important route for the entry of nanocelluloses into the human body in occupational settings. However, data on the pulmonary toxicity of cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) and its molecular mechanism are limited. This study investigated the pulmonary toxicity of CNFs and its genomic expression using the RNA sequencing approach. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Female C57BL/6 mice were administered CNFs at 50 µg/mouse by oropharyngeal aspiration. Samples were collected at 3 and 14 days after exposure to CNFs (DAEC). RESULTS: At three DAEC, the microscopic sections of lungs revealed a significant inflammatory response. In terms of gene expression alterations, 94 genes were up-regulated, and 107 genes were down-regulated. Most of these differentially expressed genes were involved in the inflammatory and immune responses, including chemokines, NK cells, killer cell lectin-like receptors, CD antigens, T cell-specific GTPases, immunity-related GTPase family M members, and interferon-induced proteins encoding genes. However, only 9 and 26 genes at 14 DAEC were significantly up- and down-regulated, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The pathological analysis of lung sections and the analysis of sequencing data suggested that the homeostasis of mice lungs was restored at 14 DAEC. The findings of this study provide insights into the pulmonary toxicity, and underlying toxicological mechanisms, caused by exposure to CNFs, and are useful for the assessment of the potential toxicity of nanocelluloses.

Single-nucleotide polymorphisms based genetic risk score in the prediction of pancreatic cancer risk.

BACKGROUND: Disease-related single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) based genetic risk score (GRS) has been proven to provide independent inherited risk other than family history in multiple cancer types. AIM: To evaluate the potential of GRS in the prediction of pancreatic cancer risk. METHODS: In this case-control study (254 cases and 1200 controls), we aimed to evaluate the association between GRS and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) risk in the Chinese population. The GRS was calculated based on the genotype information of 18 PDAC-related SNPs for each study subject (personal genotyping information of the SNPs) and was weighted by external odd ratios (ORs). RESULTS: GRS was significantly different in cases and controls (1.96 ± 3.84 in PDACs vs 1.09 ± 0.94 in controls, P < 0.0001). Logistic regression revealed GRS to be associated with PDAC risk [OR = 1.23, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.13-1.34, P < 0.0001]. GRS remained significantly associated with PDAC (OR = 1.36, 95%CI: 1.06-1.74, P = 0.015) after adjusting for age and sex. Further analysis revealed an association of increased risk for PDAC with higher GRS. Compared with low GRS (< 1.0), subjects with high GRS (2.0) were 99% more likely to have PDAC (OR: 1.99, 95%CI: 1.30-3.04, P = 0.002). Participants with intermediate GRS (1.0-1.9) were 39% more likely to have PDAC (OR: 1.39, 95%CI: 1.03-1.84, P = 0.031). A positive trend was observed (P trend = 0.0006). CONCLUSION: GRS based on PDAC-associated SNPs could provide independent information on PDAC risk and may be used to predict a high risk PDAC population.

TP53 R249S mutation detected in circulating tumour DNA is associated with Prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma patients with or without hepatectomy.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Somatic mutation R249S in TP53 is highly common in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We aim to investigate the effects of R249S in ctDNA on the prognosis of HCC. METHODS: We analysed three cohorts including 895 HCC patients. TP53 mutation spectrum was examined by direct sequencing of genomic DNA from tissue specimens in HCC patients with hepatectomy (Cohort 1, N = 260). R249S and other recurrent missense mutations were assessed for their biological functions and associations with overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) of HCC patients in Cohort 1. R249S within circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) was detected through droplet digital polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR) and its association with OS and PRS was analysed in HCC patients with (Cohort 2, N = 275) or without (Cohort 3, N = 360) hepatectomy. RESULTS: In Cohort 1, R249S occupied 60.28% of all TP53 mutations. Overexpression of R249S induced more serious malignant phenotypes than those of the other three identified TP53 recurrent missense mutations. Additionally, R249S, but not other missense mutations, was significantly associated with worse OS (P = .006) and PFS (P = .01) of HCC patients. Consistent with the results in Cohort 1, HCC patients in Cohorts 2 and 3 with R249S had worse OS (P = 8.291 × 10-7 and 2.608 × 10-7 in Cohorts 2 and 3, respectively) and PFS (P = 5.115 × 10-7 and 5.900 × 10-13 in Cohorts 2 and 3, respectively) compared to those without this mutation. CONCLUSIONS: TP53 R249S mutation in ctDNA may serve as a promising prognosis biomarker for HCC patients with or without hepatectomy.

Pulsed Laser Ablation in Water Synthesis of Black TiO2-Graphene Oxide Nanocomposites and the Enhanced Photocatalytic Performance.

Black TiO2-graphene oxide (GO) nanocomposites are synthesized via the pulsed laser ablating TiO2 powders and GO in deionized water. The simple process enables the preparation of black TiO2 nanoparticles and anchors them onto the GO sheet in one step. The TiO2-GO nanocomposites exhibit greatly enhancement for photocatalytic degradation of Rhodamine B (RB) dye in comparison with the pristine and the ablated black TiO2. The heterojunction structure plays an important role in efficient charge separation, which reduces the recombination of photogenerated electrons and holes. The unique two-dimensional structure of GO enables the composite to have a large specific surface area, and prevents the agglomeration of TiO2 nanoparticles, which are beneficial to the photocatalytic performance of the composite.

[Correlation of micropenis with abnormal chromosomal karyotype in peripheral blood lymphocytes].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the relationship between micropenis and chromosomal karyotype abnormality. METHODS: We collected the clinical data on 375 children with congenital micropenis treated in Wuhan Children's Hospital from July 2018 to April 2020, analyzed their chromosomal karyotype in the peripheral blood lymphocytes and investigated the correlation of chromosomal karyotype abnormality with micropenis. RESULTS: Of the 375 cases of micropenis, 28 (7.5%) were found with chromosomal karyotype abnormality, including 21 cases of abnormal sex chromosomal karyotype (2 cases of 47,XXY, 1 case of 47,XYY, 1 case of 48,XXXY, 12 cases of 46,X,Yqh-, 4 cases of 46,X,Yqh+, and 1 case of 46,X,inv［Y］［p11q11］), accounting for 75% of the total cases of abnormal karyotype. Autosomal karyotype abnormality was detected in 7 cases, constituting 25% of the total cases of abnormal karyotype, including 2 cases of 46,XY,inv (9)(p12q13), 1 case of 46,XY,14pstk +, 1 case of 46,XY,15cenh +, 1 case of 46,XY,15ps +, 1 case of 46,XY,13pstk +, and 1 case of 46,XY,1qh +. The detection rate of abnormal sex chromosomal karyotype was significantly higher than that of autosomal abnormal karyotype. CONCLUSIONS: Chromosomal karyotype abnormality, especially the abnormal karyotype of sex chromosome, can cause the abnormality of the reproductive organ, which may be one of the important causes of micropenis.

Isolation and identification of the umami peptides from shiitake mushroom by consecutive chromatography and LC-Q-TOF-MS.

Umami is critical to the taste of shiitake mushroom. To isolate and identify umami peptides, fractions from hydrolyzed dried shiitake mushroom were separated by ultrafiltration, gel filtration chromatography (GFC), and reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC). Separations were combined with sensory evaluations (grading and taste dilution analysis) and analysis of electronic tongue, which were used to identify the most umami component in shiitake mushroom. Low-molecular-weight fractions (MW < 3 kDa) have the strongest flavor in the shiitake mushroom hydrolysate. In the 3 subfractions separated from low-molecular-weight fractions (MW < 3 kDa) by GFC, the second subfraction (F2) was selected for RP-HPLC analysis. The first peak (G1) in RP-HPLC was identified by LC-Q-TOF-MS, and 2 tripeptides and 3 dipeptides were identified. The amino acid sequence of these peptides were Gly-Cys-Gly, Glu-Pro-Glu, Cys-Met, Val-Phe, and Gly-Glu.

[Laparoscopic orchiopexy for inguinal palpable cryptorchidism].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the feasibility and advantages of laparoscopic orchiopexy in the treatment of inguinal palpable cryptorchidism. METHODS: This study included 773 cases of inguinal palpable cryptorchidism with 869 undescended testes, 218 on the left, 459 on the right and 96 bilaterally. The patients were aged 6 months to 8 years, averaging 20 months. The surgical procedures involved cutting open the posterior peritoneal wall with the ultrasonic scalpel, dissecting the spermatic cord close to the inferior pole of the kidney, separating the posterior peritoneum from the vas deferens, severing the testicular gubernaculum, pulling the testis back into the abdominal cavity and, with the vas deferens protected, bringing the testis down into the scrotum and getting it fixed. RESULTS: All the operations were successfully performed, with an average operation time of 34.8 ± 5.4 minutes and no conversion to open surgery. Ipsilateral patent processus vaginalis was found in 692 (89.5%) of the 773 cases, and contralateral concealed hernia in 233 (34.4%) of the 677 cases of unilateral cryptorchidism, which were all treated by high ligation of the hernial sac. There was no subcutaneous emphysema intraoperatively or vomiting, abdominal distension, wound bleeding and obvious pain postoperatively. The patients were followed up for 6 to 18 months, during which, regular Doppler ultrasonography revealed that the testes were located in the scrotum with no testicular retraction and atrophy, inguinal hernia or hydrocele. CONCLUSIONS: Laparoscopic orchiopexy is safe and effective for the treatment of inguinal palpable cryptorchidism, and meanwhile can be used for the detection and management of contralateral concealed hernia and the prevention of metachronous inguinal hernia.

[Clinical characterization of incomplete testicular torsion in children].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the clinical characteristics of incomplete testicular torsion (ITT) in children in order to gain a deeper insight into the disease. METHODS: This retrospective study included 37 children with ITT treated in our hospital from April 2007 to April 2017. We analyzed the clinical characteristics and results of physical examination, laboratory examination, ultrasonography and treatment. RESULTS: The patients were aged 1－14 (mean 5.7) years, with a high incidence of ITT at 2－4 and 12－14 years and a disease course of 12－96 (48 ± 8) hours. Preoperative color Doppler ultrasonography showed reduced blood flow signals in the affected testis in 31 cases (83.8%) and transverse testis with normal blood flow signals in the other 6 (16.2%). Anticlockwise torsion was found in 27 cases (72.9%), clockwise torsion in 10 (27.1%), 90-degree torsion in 7 (18.9%), 180-degree torsion in 20 (54.0%), 270-degree torsion in 10 (27.1%), intravaginal torsion in 31 (83.8%) and extravaginal torsion in 6 (16.2%). According to Arda's three grades of testicular tissue bleeding, 16 cases (43.3%) were categorized as grade Ⅰ and 21 (56.7%) as grade Ⅱ, and so the affected testes were preserved in all the cases during the operation. The patients were followed up for 12 months postoperatively, which revealed testicular atrophy in 6 cases (16.2%). CONCLUSIONS: ITT occurs in children at a young age, of less than 360 degrees in all cases, mostly 180 degrees, and the survival rate of the affected testis is high after surgery. Reduction in testicular blood flow signals at preoperative color Doppler examination is an important indication in the diagnosis of the disease.

Kinetics of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural formation in the sugar-amino acid model of Maillard reaction.

BACKGROUND: As a potential health hazard, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) has been detected in thermally processed foods high in sugar and amino acids. In order to analyze HMF quantitatively and investigate the kinetics of its formation, high-performance liquid chromatography was employed to determine the content of HMF in six sugar-amino acid thermal reaction models. RESULTS: In thermal reaction models, formation of HMF was significantly affected by sugar and amino acid composition, pH value and heating conditions. HMF formation increased with increasing sugar and amino acid (cysteine excepted) content, temperature and reaction time. A maximum amount of HMF of 1.50 g kg-1 was detected in the sucrose-glutamic acid model at 110 °C and 6 h. Low pH value and added acidic amino acids promoted the formation of HMF, especially in the sucrose-containing system. CONCLUSION: HMF formation followed first-order kinetics in four models, including the model of glucose-cysteine, glucose-glutamic acid, glucose-leucine and sucrose-leucine. In contrast, HMF formation followed zero-order kinetics in the model of sucrose-glutamic acid. The quantity of HMF increased as the quantity of sugar and amino acid increased (cysteine excepted) in six tested models. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.

Efficacy and safety of thrombopoietin receptor agonists in children with chronic immune thrombocytopenia: a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Thrombopoietin receptor agonists (TPO-RAs) have been shown to be safe and effective for adults with chronic immune thrombocytopenia (ITP). The aim of this meta-analysis is to assess the efficacy and safety of thrombopoietin receptor agonists for children with chronic ITP. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Clinical randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating the efficacy and safety of TPO-RAs in pediatric ITP patients published up to June 2017 were retrieved from PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Embase databases. Relevant data were extracted, and the Physiotherapy Evidence Database scale was used to assess the methodological quality. Stata/SE 12.0 was used to perform a meta-analysis. RESULTS: Seven RCTs were included, with 238 patients and 107 patients in the TPO-RA group and the control group, respectively. Assessing efficacy, better results were found in the TPO-RA group for the rate of overall platelet response, durable response, and rescue medication needed. Furthermore, the TPO-RA group yielded superior results in the incidence of clinically significant bleeding events but had a comparable result in the incidence of any bleeding events and severe bleeding events. No significant difference was found between the two groups in health-related quality of life and parental burden. Assessing safety, no significant difference was found between the two groups in the incidence of any adverse events and severe adverse events. CONCLUSIONS: TPO-RAs are effective and safe agents for the treatment of chronic ITP in pediatric patients. Eltrombopag appears to be better than romiplostim in terms of the rate of rescue medication needed and clinically significant bleeding events.

Association between diacylglycerol kinase kappa variants and hypospadias susceptibility in a Han Chinese population.

Previous genome-wide association studies have identified variants in the diacylglycerol kinase kappa (DGKK) gene associated with hypospadias in populations of European descent. However, no variants of DGKK were confirmed to be associated with hypospadias in a recent Han Chinese study population, likely due to the limited number of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) included in the analysis. In this study, we aimed to address the inconsistent results and evaluate the association between DGKK and hypospadias in the Han Chinese population through a more comprehensive analysis of DGKK variants. We conducted association analyses for 17 SNPs in or downstream of DGKK with hypospadias among 322 cases (58 mild, 113 moderate, 128 severe, and 23 unknown) and 1008 controls. Five SNPs (rs2211122, rs4554617, rs7058226, rs7063116, and rs5915254) in DGKK were significantly associated with hypospadias (P < 0.05), with odds ratios (ORs) of 1.64-1.76. When only mild and moderate cases were compared to controls, 10 SNPs in DGKK were significant (P < 0.05), with ORs of 1.56-2.13. No significant SNP was observed when only severe cases were compared to controls. This study successfully implicated DGKK variants in hypospadias risk among a Han Chinese population, especially for mild/moderate cases. Severe forms of hypospadias are likely due to other genetic factors.

Effects of Aphidius gifuensis on the feeding behavior and potato virus Y transmission ability of Myzus persicae.

The stylet penetration behavior of aphids when feeding on plants is associated with virus acquisition and inoculation. Aphidius gifuensis (Ashmead) is a primary endoparasitoid of Myzus persicae (Sulzer) which is the most efficient vector of plant viruses. Information about the effects of parasitoid on aphid and virus transmission can provide an essential foundation for designing effective biological control strategies. This study aimed to investigate the effects of A. gifuensis on the feeding behavior and potato virus Y (PVY) transmission ability of M. persicae. The results showed that after M. persicae was parasitized by A. gifuensis, the duration of the first probe significantly decreased. Additionally, A. gifuensis exerted remarkable effects on aphid feeding in phloem ingestion. The contribution of the E1 waveform to the phloem phase was significantly higher in all parasitized aphids than in the control group. Although the time of infestation increased for parasitized aphids, the total duration of phloem sap ingestion decreased. Interestingly, the percentage of time M. persicae spent in the xylem and phloem phases only changed significantly on day 5. The percent transmission of PVY by the aphids parasitized on day 5 was lower than that in the control, but no significant differences were detected. The significance of this work is the demonstration that A. gifuensis can impede the feeding behavior of M. persicae, which sheds light on the biological basis of A. gifuensis as a natural enemy, but unfortunately does not provide an immediate solution for disrupting the transmission of PVY.

Comparison of non-volatile umami components in chicken soup and chicken enzymatic hydrolysate.

Umami taste is an important part to the taste of chicken. To isolate and identify non-volatile umami compounds, fractions from chicken soup and hydrolysate were prepared and analyzed. Amino acids were analyzed by amino acid analyzer. Organic acids and nucleotides were determined by ultra-performance liquid chromatography. Separation procedures utilizing ultrafiltration, Sephadex G-15 and reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography were used to isolate umami taste peptides. Combined with sensory evaluation and LC-Q-TOF-MS, the amino acid sequences of 12 oligopeptides were determined. The amount of taste compounds was higher in chicken enzymatic hydrolysate than that of chicken soup. Eight oligopeptides from chicken enzymatic hydrolysate were identified, including Ala-Asp, Ala-Met, His-Ser, Val-Glu, Ala-Glu, Asp-Ala-Gly, Glu-Asp and Ala-Glu-Ala. Four oligopeptides from chicken soup were identified, including Val-Thr, Ala-His, Ala-Phe and Thr-Glu.

[The Study of the Effect and Mechanism of Glucagon Like Peptide-1 in Bleomycin-induced Pulmonary Fibrosis in Mice].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the potential value and mechanisms of glucagon like peptide-1 (GLP-1) on bleomycin (BLM)-induced pulmonary fibrosis in mice. METHODS: Mice were treated with a single sublethal dose of BLM (3 mg/kg ) via intratracheal infusion to produce pulmonary fibrosis, and then liraglutide (2 mg/kg) was given to the mice for 28 days by intraperitoneal injection. 28 days after BLM infusion, the number of total cells, macrophages and neutrophils, lymphocytes, and the content of transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-ß1) in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were measured. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining and Masson's trichrome (MT) staining were performed. The Ashcroft score and hydroxyproline content were analyzed. Real time(RT)-qPCR and Western blot were used to evaluate the expression of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1). The phosphorylation of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) p65 was also assessed by Western blot. DNA binding of NF-κB p65 was measured through TransAMTMNF-κB p65 transcription factor ELISA kit. RESULTS: GLP-1 reduced inflammatory cells infiltration and the content of TGF-ß1 in BLAF in mice with BLM injection. The Ashcroft score and hydroxyproline content were decreased by GLP-1 administration. Meanwhile, BLM-induced overexpression of α-SMA and VCAM-1 were blocked by GLP-1 treatment in mice. GLP-1 also reduced the ratio of phospho-NF-κB p65/total-NF-κB p65 and NF-κB p65 DNA binding activity in BLM-induced pulmonary fibrosis in mice. CONCLUSION: BLM-induced lung inflammation and pulmonary fibrosis were significantly alleviated by GLP-1 treatment in mice, possibly through inactivation of NF-κB.

Determination of the Free Amino Acid, Organic Acid, and Nucleotide in Commercial Vinegars.

The selected taste-active compounds in several kinds of commercial vinegar including amino acids, organic acids, and nucleotides were determined by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). The results showed that glutamine and alanine, which contribute the umami and sweet taste to the flavor of vinegar, are high in Taste Activity Value (TAV). Acetic acid is the major organic acid in vinegar, making up as much as 91.4% of the total organic acid composition. Nucleotides, which were only detected in 5 brands of commercial vinegar and are both low in TAV, contribute less taste in vinegar. Our research provides a multiple chemical compositional characterization of vinegar and proposes a possibility of classification of different kinds of vinegar.

Overexpression of YKL-40 Predicts Poor Prognosis in Patients Undergoing Curative Resection of Pancreatic Cancer.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to determine the prognostic value of YKL-40 expression in patients undergoing curative resection of pancreatic cancer. METHODS: This cohort study included 234 consecutive patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma who underwent curative resection. Surgical specimens were immunohistochemically assessed for YKL-40 expression. Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regression were used to evaluate the prognostic impact of YKL-40 expression. A multivariate logistic regression model was performed to examine the correlation between YKL-40 expression and tumor stage. RESULTS: Of the 234 patients, YKL-40 overexpression was detected in 149 (63.7%) patients. Survival curves showed that patients with YKL-40 overexpression had significantly shorter survival time than those with low YKL-40 expression (P < 0.001). Cox regression analysis indicated that YKL-40 expression was an independent prognostic factor for both overall survival (hazard ratio, 3.82; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.38-6.13) and progression-free survival (hazard ratio, 3.73; 95% CI, 2.33-5.99). Multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that YKL-40 overexpression was an independent predictor for advanced tumor stage (odds ratio 4.15; 95% CI, 1.35-12.71). CONCLUSIONS: YKL-40 overexpression predicts poor prognosis and advanced tumor stage in patients undergoing curative resection of pancreatic cancer. Application of adjuvant treatment targeting the YKL-40 pathway may improve prognosis.