The prognostic value and immune landscape of a cuproptosis-related lncRNA signature in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Background: Cuproptosis has been recognized as a novel regulatory cell death, which has been confirmed to promote the occurrence and development of tumors. However, whether cuproptosis-related lncRNA has an impact on the prognosis of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (HNSCC) is still unclear. Methods: In total, 501 HNSCC tumor samples and 44 normal were downloaded from the TCGA database. Cuproptosis-related lncRNAs were obtained by co-expressed analysis. We got prognostic lncRNA that was associated with cuproptosis by using univariate Cox regression analysis and LASSO Cox regression. Then we constructed and validated the prognostic signature of HNSCC and analyzed the immune landscape of the signature. Results: The Prognostic Signature is based on 10 cuproptosis-related lncRNAs including AC090587.1, AC004943.2, TTN-AS1, AL162458.1, AC106820.5, AC012313.5, AL132800.1, WDFY3-AS2, CDKN2A-DT, and AL136419.3. The results of overall survival, risk score distribution, and survival status in the low-risk group were better than those in the high-risk group. In addition, all immune checkpoint genes involved were significantly different between the two risk groups (p < 0.05). The risk score was positively correlated with Eosinophils. M0 and M2 phenotype macrophages, mast cells activated, NK cells activated, and negatively related with B cells naive, mast cells resting, plasma cells, CD8T cells, T cells follicular helper, T cells regulatory (Tregs). Consensus clustering was identified in molecular subtypes of HNSC. More high-risk samples concentrated in Cluster1, which had a higher Tumor Immune Dysfunction and Exclusion (TIDE) score and Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNP) alternation than Cluster2. Conclusion: Our study elucidated the correlation between cuproptosis-related lncRNA with prognosis and immune landscape of HNSCC, which may provide references for further research on the exploration of the mechanism and functions of the prognosis for HNSCC.

Purified Phlorizin from DocynIa Indica (Wall.) Decne by HSCCC, Compared with Whole Extract, Phlorizin and Non-Phlorizin Fragment Ameliorate Obesity, Insulin Resistance, and Improves Intestinal Barrier Function in High-Fat-Diet-Fed Mice.

Natural products generally contain complex and multiple bioactive compounds that are responsible for the effects on health through complicated synergistic and/or suppressive actions. As an important raw material of local ethnic minority tea, ethnomedicines and food supplements in southwestern areas of China, Docynia indica (Wall.) Decne (DID) mainly consists of phlorizin (PHZ), which is the main active component. In this study, the holistic activities and the interactions of components of PHZ, non-phlorizin (NP) in the DID extract (DIDE) were evaluated. A rapid and effective high-speed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC) was performed to knock out PHZ from DIDE and the purity of PHZ was 96.01% determined by HPLC, with a recovery rate of 96.76%. After 13 weeks of treatment course in a high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obese mice model, the results revealed that the DIDE and PHZ significantly decreased weight gain, blood lipid levels, hyperplasia of adipocytes and alleviated inflammation (p < 0.05). Both DIDE and PHZ improves insulin resistance (p < 0.001). Meanwhile, the intestinal barrier function was improved compared to HFD group, through the determination of serum lipopolysaccharides (LPS), glucagon-likepeptide-2 (GLP-2) and hematoxylin-eosin staining of jejunum. Interestingly, after NP treatment, the metabolic syndrome of the HFD-induced obesity appeared to have a similar improvement. All the experiments showed that there is a synergistic weakening phenomenon when PHZ and NP interact with each other in the mixed state. In conclusion, for the PHZ and NP showing a good effect on anti-obesity, anti-inflammation, and intestinal barrier function, DIDE could be a good source of functional food to prevent obesity.

[The experimental study on porous calcium phosphate cement with bone marrow stromal cells for bone tissue engineering].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the biocompatibility of new biomaterials porous calcium phosphate (CPC) and ectopic bone formation of CPC with bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs). METHODS: The BMSCs were cultured from Beagle dog and combined with the porous CPC with the best concentration after transfect green fluorescent protein (GFP). The adhesion and growth of BMSCs on CPC were observed under inversion, fluorescence and scanning electron microscopy. The ectopic bone formation were observed at the 8th week after CPC and BMSCs were implanted subcutaneously into nude mice. RESULTS: When BMSCs with CPC were cultured at the 1st day, cells were climbing out from CPC with normal morphology. At the 7th day cells can be seen protruding pseudopods, secretion of matrix. Bone formation could be seen histomorphologically at the 8th week. CONCLUSION: Porous CPC has good biocompatibility and is an ideal scaffold material for bone tissue engineering.

PPLook: an automated data mining tool for protein-protein interaction.

BACKGROUND: Extracting and visualizing of protein-protein interaction (PPI) from text literatures are a meaningful topic in protein science. It assists the identification of interactions among proteins. There is a lack of tools to extract PPI, visualize and classify the results. RESULTS: We developed a PPI search system, termed PPLook, which automatically extracts and visualizes protein-protein interaction (PPI) from text. Given a query protein name, PPLook can search a dataset for other proteins interacting with it by using a keywords dictionary pattern-matching algorithm, and display the topological parameters, such as the number of nodes, edges, and connected components. The visualization component of PPLook enables us to view the interaction relationship among the proteins in a three-dimensional space based on the OpenGL graphics interface technology. PPLook can also provide the functions of selecting protein semantic class, counting the number of semantic class proteins which interact with query protein, counting the literature number of articles appearing the interaction relationship about the query protein. Moreover, PPLook provides heterogeneous search and a user-friendly graphical interface. CONCLUSIONS: PPLook is an effective tool for biologists and biosystem developers who need to access PPI information from the literature. PPLook is freely available for non-commercial users at http://meta.usc.edu/softs/PPLook.

[Expression of cyclooxygenase-2 and 15-prostaglandin dehydrogenase of placenta and fetal membranes in patients of preterm labor].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) and 15-prostaglandin dehydrogenase (15-PGDH) on preterm labor. METHODS: The expressions and localizations of COX-2 and 15-PGDH in placentas and fetal membranes were examined by immunohistochemical (IH) two-step assay (IH scores were expressed as the sum of the percentage of immunoreactivity and the stained degree of cells), respectively. The samples were obtained from 14 preterm delivery (PL), 18 term in labor (TL) and 17 term not in labor (control group). RESULTS: (1) The immunoreactivity of COX-2 was found in the amniotic epithelial cells, chorion cells and decidual cells. IH scores of COX-2 in amniotic epithelium of placenta or fetal membranes in PL were 4.6 +/- 1.2, 4.7 +/- 0.9, respectively; in TL were 3.2 +/- 1.0, 3.6 +/- 1.0, respectively, and in control group were 2.2 +/- 0.6, 2.5 +/- 0.9, respectively. IH scores in PL and TL were obviously higher than those in control group (P < 0.01). It was higher in PL than in TL (P < 0.01). The expression of COX-2 was not significantly different between amnion of placenta and amnion of fetal membranes among the three groups (P > 0.05). (2) IH scores of COX-2 in chorion of placenta in PL were 4.9 +/- 1.0, in TL were 3.9 +/- 1.2 and in control group were 2.3 +/- 0.7. IH scores in PL and TL were obviously higher than those in control group (P < 0.01), and it was higher in PL than in TL (P < 0.01). The expression of COX-2 was not significantly different among the three groups in chorion of fetal membranes (P > 0.05) and it was not significantly different among the three groups in decidual cell of placenta (P > 0.05), either. (3) The immunoreactivity of 15-PGDH was found in the amniotic epithelial cells, chorion cells and decidual cells. The expression of 15-PGDH was not significantly different among the three groups in amnion of placenta or fetal membranes (P > 0.05). IH scores of 15-PGDH in chorion of placenta and fetal membranes in PL were 1.5 +/- 0.6, 2.3 +/- 0.8, respectively, in TL were 2.6 +/- 0.8, 3.0 +/- 0.7, respectively, and in control group were 4.4 +/- 1.1, 4.1 +/- 1.2, respectively. IH scores in PL and TL were obviously lower than those in control group (P < 0.01), and it was lower in PL than in TL (P < 0.05). IH scores of 15-PGDH in decidua of placenta in PL were 2.1 +/- 0.7, in TL were 2.8 +/- 0.8 and in control group were 4.5 +/- 1.0. IH scores in PL and TL were obviously lower than those in control group (P < 0.01); it was lower in PL than in TL (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The higher expression of COX-2 in amniotic epithelium and the lower expression of 15-PGDH in chorion and decidual cell are relevant with the onset of premature labor. They play a role in the pathogenesis of premature labor.