MAIT cells are associated with responsiveness to neoadjuvant immunotherapy in COPD-associated NSCLC.

BACKGROUND: Patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) experience worse clinical outcomes but respond better to immunotherapy than patients with NSCLC without COPD. Mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells, a versatile population of innate immune T lymphocytes, have a crucial function in the response to infection and tumors. This study investigated the distribution of MAIT cells in COPD-associated NSCLC and their involvement in the immune response. METHODS: Flow cytometry, immunohistochemistry, and immunofluorescence were performed on tissue samples of patients with NSCLC, with or without COPD, treated with or without anti-programmed death 1 (PD1) immunotherapy. MAIT cells were stimulated with 5-OP-RU using a mouse subcutaneous tumor model. RESULTS: Tumors contained significantly more MAIT cells than paraneoplastic tissues, and CD8+ MAIT cells accounted for more than 90% of these cells. Patients with NSCLC and COPD had higher CD8+ MAIT cell counts than those with NSCLC without COPD. Additionally, patients with NSCLC and COPD displayed reduced expression of the activation marker, CD69, and functional markers, granzyme B (GZMB) and interferon γ (IFNγ), and higher expression of the immune exhaustion marker, PD1. Among patients who received immunotherapy, the proportion with a complete or partial response was higher in those with COPD than in those without COPD. In patients with NSCLC and COPD, the major pathologic response (MPR) group had higher MAIT levels than those in the no major pathologic response (NPR) group. In the mouse subcutaneous tumor model stimulation of MAIT cells using 5-OP-RU enhanced the antitumor effects of anti-PD1. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with NSCLC and COPD, response to immunotherapy is associated with accumulation of CD8+ MAIT cells showing immune exhaustion. These findings may contribute to innovative approaches for immunotherapy targeting CD8+ MAIT cells.

Down-regulated HHLA2 enhances neoadjuvant immunotherapy efficacy in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

BACKGROUND: Emerging data suggested a favorable outcome in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients treated by immunotherapy. The objective of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of neoadjuvant immunotherapy among NSCLC with COPD versus NSCLC without COPD and explore the potential mechanistic links. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with NSCLC receiving neoadjuvant immunotherapy and surgery at Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital between November 2020 and January 2023 were reviewed. The assessment of neoadjuvant immunotherapy's effectiveness was conducted based on the major pathologic response (MPR). The gene expression profile was investigated by RNA sequencing data. Immune cell proportions were examined using flow cytometry. The association between gene expression, immune cells, and pathologic response was validated by immunohistochemistry and single-cell data. RESULTS: A total of 230 NSCLC patients who received neoadjuvant immunotherapy were analyzed, including 60 (26.1%) with COPD. Multivariate logistic regression demonstrated that COPD was a predictor for MPR after neoadjuvant immunotherapy [odds ratio (OR), 2.490; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.295-4.912; P = 0.007]. NSCLC with COPD showed a down-regulation of HERV-H LTR-associating protein 2 (HHLA2), which was an immune checkpoint molecule, and the HHLA2low group demonstrated the enrichment of CD8+CD103+ tissue-resident memory T cells (TRM) compared to the HHLA2high group (11.9% vs. 4.2%, P = 0.013). Single-cell analysis revealed TRM enrichment in the MPR group. Similarly, NSCLC with COPD exhibited a higher proportion of CD8+CD103+TRM compared to NSCLC without COPD (11.9% vs. 4.6%, P = 0.040). CONCLUSIONS: The study identified NSCLC with COPD as a favorable lung cancer type for neoadjuvant immunotherapy, offering a new perspective on the multimodality treatment of this patient population. Down-regulated HHLA2 in NSCLC with COPD might improve the MPR rate to neoadjuvant immunotherapy owing to the enrichment of CD8+CD103+TRM. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Approval for the collection and utilization of clinical samples was granted by the Ethics Committee of Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital (Approval number: K23-228).

Prognostic factors of resectable anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-rearranged non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients: a retrospective analysis based on a single center.

Background: Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-rearranged non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) exhibited a higher propensity for lymph node metastasis (LNM). This study aimed to investigate risk factors of occult lymph node metastasis (OLNM) and recurrence in resectable ALK-rearranged NSCLC patients. Methods: This retrospective analysis included patients with ALK-rearranged NSCLC receiving lung resections at Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital from June 2016 to August 2021. Logistic regression analysis was used to ascertain predictors of OLNM, and Cox regression analysis to identify risk factors of recurrence. Results: A total of 603 resectable ALK-rearranged NSCLC patients were included. The mean age was 55 years old. There were 171 patients (28.4%) pathologically confirmed to have LNM, 51.5% of which were occult. Logistic regression analysis identified clinical tumor size and computed tomography (CT) density as independent factors for OLNM. Cox regression analysis showed that pleural invasion and pathological tumor size were independent prognosticators for recurrence in pathologically nodal negative patients. Among pathologically nodal positive patients, adjuvant ALK-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) showed a similar recurrence-free survival (RFS) to chemotherapy (hazard ratio, 0.454; 95% confidence interval, 0.111-1.864). Conclusions: Assessing the potential risk of OLNM is required for ALK-rearranged NSCLC patients with large tumors characterized by high CT densities. Patients with large pathological tumor size or pleural infiltration should be closely monitored despite being pathologically nodal negative. Additionally, adjuvant ALK-TKI may present a comparable RFS to chemotherapy in pathologically nodal positive patients.

Surgical strategies for benign acquired tracheoesophageal fistula.

OBJECTIVES: Tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF) is characterized by abnormal connectivity between the posterior wall of the trachea or bronchus and the adjacent anterior wall of the oesophagus. Benign TEF can result in serious complications; however, there is currently no uniform standard to determine the appropriate surgical approach for repairing TEF. METHODS: The PubMed database was used to search English literature associated with TEF from 1975 to October 2023. We employed Boolean operators and relevant keywords: 'tracheoesophageal fistula', 'tracheal resection', 'fistula suture', 'fistula repair', 'fistula closure', 'flap', 'patch', 'bioabsorbable material', 'bioprosthetic material', 'acellular dermal matrix', 'AlloDerm', 'double patch', 'oesophageal exclusion', 'oesophageal diversion' to search literature. The evidence level of the literature was assessed based on the GRADE classification. RESULTS: Nutritional support, no severe pulmonary infection and weaning from mechanical ventilation were the 3 determinants for timing of operation. TEFs were classified into 3 levels: small TEF (<1 cm), moderate TEF (≥1 but <5 cm) and large TEF (≥5 cm). Fistula repair or tracheal segmental resection was used for the small TEF with normal tracheal status. If the anastomosis cannot be finished directly after tracheal segmental resection, special types of tracheal resection, such as slide tracheoplasty, oblique resection and reconstruction, and autologous tissue flaps were preferred depending upon the site and size of the fistula. Oesophageal exclusion was applicable to refractory TEF or patients with poor conditions. CONCLUSIONS: The review primarily summarizes the main surgical techniques employed to repair various acquired TEF, to provide references that may contribute to the treatment of TEF.

Slow-Released Cationic Redox Activity Promoted Stable Anionic Redox and Suppressed Jahn-Teller Distortion in Layered Sodium Manganese Oxides.

Manganese-based layered oxides are considered promising cathodes for sodium ion batteries due to their high capacity and low-cost manganese and sodium resources. Triggering the anionic redox reaction (ARR) can exceed the capacity limitation determined by conventional cationic redox. However, the unstable ARR charge compensation and Jahn-Teller distortion of Mn3+ ions readily result in structural degradation and rapid capacity fade. Here, we report a P2-type Na0.8Li0.2Mn0.7Cu0.1O2 cathode that shows a capacity retention of 84.5% at 200 mA/g after 200 cycles. Combining in situ X-ray diffraction and multi other ex situ characterizations, we reveal that the enhanced cycling stability is ascribed to a slow release of cationic redox activity which can well suppress the Jahn-Teller distortion and favor the ARR reversibility. Furthermore, density-functional theory calculations demonstrate that the inhibited interlayer migration and reduced band gap facilitate the stability and kinetic behavior of ARR. These findings provide a perspective for designing high-energy-density cathode materials with ARR activity.

Relationship between hyperuricemia and the risk of cardiovascular events and chronic kidney disease in both the general population and hypertensive patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: To explore the relationships between hyperuricemia and the risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) in both the general population and hypertensive patients through meta-analysis. METHODS AND RESULTS: We systematically searched PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases from January 2012. The eligibility criteria were predefined, and quality was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS). Stata 15.1 was used for meta-analysis, heterogeneity and sensitivity analysis. Subgroup analysis was used to explore heterogeneity, funnel plots and Egger tests were used to assesse publication bias and applicability. A total of 10,662 studies were retrieved, 45 of which were included in this meta-analysis utilizing a random effects model. Hyperuricemia was significantly associated with an increased risk of new-onset hypertension (RR = 1.36, 95% CI 1.16-1.59; I2 = 98.8%), total CVD (RR = 1.53, 95% CI 1.23-1.89; I2 = 93.7%), stroke (RR = 1.97, 95% CI 1.71-2.26, I2 = 0.0%), coronary heart disease (CHD) (RR = 1.56, 95% CI 1.06-2.30, I2 = 93.3%), and CKD (RR = 1.71, 95% CI 1.56-1.87; I2 = 87.3%). However, subgroup analysis showed no significant associations between hyperuricemia and hypertension in non-Asian populations (RR = 0.88, 95% CI 0.59-1.33), or between hyperuricemia and CVD with a follow-up duration <5 years (RR = 1.26, 95% CI 0.97-1.63). Among hypertensive patients, hyperuricemia was significantly associated with total CVD (RR = 2.32, 95% CI 1.31-4.12, I2 = 90.2%), but not with stroke (RR = 1.48, 95% CI 0.86-2.55; I2 = 90.7%) or CHD (RR = 1.51, 95% CI 0.98-2.33; I2 = 71.7%). CONCLUSION: Hyperuricemia was significantly associated with an increased risk of new-onset hypertension, total CVD, stroke, CHD, and CKD in the general population. Among hypertensive patients, hyperuricemia was associated with an increased risk of CVD but not stroke or CHD alone. REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42022370692.

Inhibitory Effect of ß-Sitosterol on the Ang II-Induced Proliferation of A7r5 Aortic Smooth Muscle Cells.

Objective: To explore the effects of ß-sitosterol on VSMC proliferation. Materials and Methods: A7r5 cells were pretreated with 2 µM angiotensin II (Ang II) for 24 hr to establish an excessive VSMC proliferation model, followed by treatment with ß-sitosterol for 24 hr. Cells were divided into five groups: control, Ang II, and Ang II + ß-sitosterol (2, 4, 8 µM). CCK-8 assay, flow cytometry, and Ad-mCherry-GFP-LC3B assay analyzed cell proliferation, cell cycle, cell apoptosis, and autophagic flux. Additionally, the expression of proteins was detected by the western blotting. Results: ß-Sitosterol effectively inhibited Ang II-induced A7r5 cell proliferation (IC50 : 6.841 µM at 24 hr). It achieved this by arresting cell cycle progression, promoting apoptosis, inhibiting autophagy, and suppressing the contractile-synthetic phenotypic switch. Mechanistically, ß-sitosterol downregulated PCNA, Cyclin D1, and Bcl-2, while upregulating pro-caspase 3, cleaved-caspase 3, and Bax to induce cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Additionally, it suppressed the contractile-synthetic phenotypic transformation by downregulating OPN and upregulating α-SMA. The Ad-mCherry-GFP-LC3B Assay and western blotting revealed ß-sitosterol's autophagy inhibitory effects by downregulating LC3, ULK1, and Beclin-1 while upregulating P62 expression. Discussion and Conclusion. This study found for the first time that ß-sitosterol could inhibit the proliferation of A7r5 cells induced by Ang II. ß-Sitosterol treatment may be recommended as a therapeutic strategy to prevent the cardiovascular diseases.

Bacterial Microbiome in the Phyllo-Endosphere of Highly Specialized Rock Spleenwort.

Bacteria communities associated with plants have been given increasing consideration because they are arguably beneficial to their host plants. To understand the ecological and evolutionary impact of these mutualistic associations, it is important to explore the vast unknown territory of bacterial genomic diversity and their functional contributions associated with the major branches of the tree-of-life. Arguably, this aim can be achieved by profiling bacterial communities by applying high throughput sequencing approaches, besides establishing model plant organisms to test key predictions. This study utilized the Illumina Miseq reads of bacterial 16S rRNA sequences to determine the bacterial diversity associated with the endosphere of the leaves of the highly specialized rock spleenwort Asplenium delavayi (Aspleniaceae). By documenting the bacterial communities associated with ferns collected in natural occurrence and cultivation, this study discovered the most species-rich bacterial communities associated with terrestrial ferns reported until now. Despite the substantial variations of species diversity and composition among accessions, a set of 28 bacterial OTUs was found to be shared among all accessions. Functional analyses recovered evidence to support the predictions that changes in bacterial community compositions correspond to functional differentiation. Given the ease of cultivating this species, Asplenium delavayi is introduced here as a model organism to explore the ecological and evolutionary benefits created by mutualistic associations between bacteria and ferns.

Progress in understanding of the stalk and tip cells formation involvement in angiogenesis mechanisms.

Vascular sprouting is a key process of angiogenesis and mainly related to the formation of stalk and tip cells. Many studies have found that angiogenesis has a great clinical significance in promoting the functional repair of impaired tissues and anti-angiogenesis is a key to treatment of many tumors. Therefore, how the pathways regulate angiogenesis by regulating the formation of stalk and tip cells is an urgent problem for researchers. This review mainly summarizes the research progress of pathways affecting the formation of stalk and tip cells during angiogenesis in recent years, including the main signaling pathways (such as VEGF-VEGFR-Dll4-Notch signaling pathway, ALK-Smad signaling pathway,CCN1-YAP/YAZ signaling pathway and other signaling pathways) and cellular actions (such as cellular metabolisms, intercellular tension and other actions), aiming to further give the readers an insight into the mechanism of regulating the formation of stalk and tip cells during angiogenesis and provide more targets for anti-angiogenic drugs.

Autophagy-Related Genes in Atherosclerosis.

Background: Atherosclerosis (AS) is a common chronic vascular inflammatory disease and one of the main causes of cardiovascular/cerebrovascular diseases (CVDs). Autophagy-related genes (ARGs) play a crucial part in pathophysiological processes of AS. However, the expression profile of ARGs has rarely been adopted to explore the relationship between autophagy and AS. Therefore, using the expression profile of ARGs to explore the relationship between autophagy and AS may provide new insights for the treatment of CVDs. Methods: The differentially expressed ARGs of the GSE57691 dataset were obtained from the Human Autophagy Database (HADb) and the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, and the GSE57691 dataset contains 9 aortic atheroma tissues and 10 normal aortic tissues. The differentially expressed ARGs of the GSE57691 dataset were analyzed by protein-protein interaction (PPI), gene ontology analysis (GO), and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis (KEGG) and were chosen to explore related miRNAs/transcriptional factors. Results: The GSE57691 dataset had a total of 41 differentially expressed ARGs. The GO analysis results revealed that ARGs were mainly enriched in autophagy, autophagosome, and protein serine/threonine kinase activity. KEGG analysis results showed that ARGs were mainly enriched in autophagy-animal and longevity regulating signaling pathways. Expressions of ATG5, MAP1LC3B, MAPK3, MAPK8, and RB1CC1 were regarded as focus in the PPI regulatory networks. Furthermore, 11 related miRNAs and 6 related transcription factors were obtained by miRNAs/transcription factor target network analysis. Conclusions: Autophagy and ARGs may play a vital role in regulating the pathophysiology of AS.

Ligustilide inhibited Angiotensin II induced A7r5 cell autophagy via Akt/mTOR signaling pathway.

Autophagy is essential to vessel homeostasis and function in the cardiovascular system. Ligustilide (LIG) is one of the main active ingredients extracted from traditional Chinese medicines, such as Ligusticum chuanxiong, Angelica, and other umbelliferous plants, and reported to have cardiovascular protective effects. In this study, we explore the effects and the potential mechanism of ligustilide on the Ang II-induced autophagy in A7r5 cells. Our results showed that ligustilide inhibited the Ang II-induced autophagy in A7r5 cells and down regulated the expression of autophagy-related proteins LC3, ULK1, and Beclin-1. Ligustilide exerted a protective effect on the reduction of the concentrations of reactive oxygen species and Ca2+ and upregulated the nitric oxide concentration in A7r5 cells with Ang II-induced autophagy. Additionally, the analyses of network pharmacological targets and potential signal pathways indicated that the target of ligustilide to regulate autophagy was related to the Akt/mTOR signaling pathway. Furthermore, ligustilide could upregulate the expression of p-Akt and p-mTOR and inhibit the expression of LC3II in A7r5 cells with Ang II-induced autophagy. These findings showed that ligustilide inhibited the autophagic flux in A7r5 cells induced by Ang II via the activation of the Akt/mTOR signaling pathway.

Formation of filamentous fungal pellets in aerobic granular sludge via reducing temperature and dissolved oxygen: Characteristics of filamentous fungi and denitrification performance.

A lab-scale sequencing batch reactor (SBR) using glucose as carbon source was operated for 500 days to investigate the formation of filamentous organisms and their function on stability of AGS system. After 250 days' stable operation under conditions of 25 ± 2 °C and dissolved oxygen (DO) of 4-5 mg/L (stage I), the temperature and DO were reduced to 10 ± 2 °C and DO of 1-2 mg/L until 280 days (stage II), to induce the growth of filamentous microorganisms. After that until 500 days (stage III), overgrowth of filamentous microorganisms with relative abundances of up to 19.46%, formation of black filamentous fungal pellets, and reconstruction of AGS granules were observed in turn. The relation between settling of AGS (SVI 30-72 mL/g) and filamentous microorganisms was revealed. Filamentous pellets were purified and identified as fungal Bradymyces and Knufia, with stronger denitrification performance on nitrite than nitrate. The results indicated that filamentous fungal pellets contributed to good sludge settling performance and promoted the denitrification process in AGS.

Prevalence of Cryptosporidium in pigs in China: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Cryptosporidium is an important zoonotic parasite that can infect a variety of hosts, including pigs and humans, through water and food. Many studies on Cryptosporidium infection in pigs have been reported worldwide. However, the meta-analysis of Cryptosporidium infection in pigs in China has not been published. This study retrieved articles related to Cryptosporidium in pigs in China by using four databases: Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), PubMed, VIP Chinese journal database and Wanfang Data. We retrieved 40 studies related to Cryptosporidium infection in China, and those articles were harvested from the inception to 1 January 2020. We estimated that the overall prevalence of pigs with Cryptosporidium in the selected period was 12.2% (4,349/30,404). In the sampling year subgroup, the prevalence rate after 2010 was the lowest at 8.7% (2,087/18,100). In Northern China, the Cryptosporidium prevalence was 47.9% (34/71). By contrast, the prevalence of Cryptosporidium in Southwestern China was only 6.9% (778/6,445). The infection rate of Cryptosporidium in diarrhoea pigs of 15.6% (74/384) was higher than that in non-diarrhoea pigs at 10.8% (378/2,840). Among the four age groups, the prevalence of weaning pigs of 16.2% (530/3,243) was the highest, and the difference was significant (p < .05). The prevalence of Cryptosporidium in extensive farming was 25.7% (660/3,121), which was significantly higher than in intensive farming 8.7% (566/6,336), and the prevalence of infection was related to the farming modes (p < .05). We also analysed the impact of different geographic factor subgroups (longitude, latitude, precipitation, temperature, humidity, climate and altitude) on the prevalence of pigs. The results showed that cryptosporidiosis was widespread in pigs in China. We suggest that appropriate control schemes should be developed according to the differences in breeding patterns and geographic conditions in different regions, and effective management measures should be developed to reduce the spread between pigs.

Prevalence and Risk Factors of Toxoplasma gondii Infection Among Five Wild Rodent Species from Five Provinces of China.

Toxoplasma gondii, an intracellular zoonotic parasite, can infect humans and various animals worldwide. Wild rodents plan an important role as intermediate hosts of T. gondii. Some studies on T. gondii from wild rodents have been published, but the investigation data of T. gondii in wild rodents in China are limited. Therefore, brain tissue samples from 382 wild rodents in four provinces and one autonomous region of China were screened by PCR amplification of T. gondii B1 gene. Furthermore, the wild rodents were identified as five species based on their morphological characteristics, including Citellus dauricus (n = 35 from Heilongjiang), Lasiopodomys brandti (n = 81 from Inner Mongolia), Apodemus agrarius (n = 12 from Heilongjiang), Rattus norvegicus (n = 2 from Heilongjiang; n = 99 from Zhejiang; n = 54 from Shanxi), and Mus musculus (n = 99 from Guangxi). The overall prevalence of T. gondii in these wild rodents was 5.24% (20/382) in this study. At different regions, the highest prevalence of T. gondii was in Guangxi (12.12%) compared with other regions (0% in Heilongjiang; 2.47% in Inner Mongolia; 2.02% in Zhejiang; 7.41% in Shanxi). At different climates, the higher prevalence was found in temperate/mesothermal climates (7.07%) compared with continental/microthermal climates (3.26%). Also, the results showed that M. musculus had the highest prevalence of T. gondii infection (12.12%) among the rodent species sampled. Moreover, sampling year was significantly related to the prevalence of T. gondii in investigated wild rodents (p = 0.0117). This is the first report of T. gondii in wild rodents from Zhejiang, Guangxi, Shanxi, Heilongjiang provinces and Inner Mongolia autonomous region in China, providing the fundamental information for further prevention and control of toxoplasmosis in China.

Seroprevalence and risk factors of Toxoplasma gondii infection in goats in China from 2010 to 2020: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Toxoplasma gondii is a widely distributed protozoan parasite that can infect a variety of warm-blooded animals including humans and goats. This is the first meta-analysis to assess the overall seroprevalence and potential risk factors of T. gondii infection among goats in China. Databases including the VIP Chinese Journal Databases (VIP), the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) database, WanFang, ScienceDirect, and PubMed were searched comprehensively for relevant studies published from 2010 to date. A random-effects model was used to calculate pooled seroprevalence estimates with 95 % confidence intervals (CI) and data were analyzed from 13 provinces in China. The pooled T. gondii seroprevalence in goats was estimated as 9.9 %. Goats T. gondii had the highest seroprevalence in Southwestern China (13.3 %) and the lowest in Northeastern China (7.3 %). The seroprevalence in the sub-group before 2012 (8.0 %) was lower than that in 2012-2015 (15.2 %) and 2016 or later (9.2 %). Goats aged > 12-months had a higher seroprevalence (11.7 %) than ≤ 12-months (10.7 %). The seroprevalence in female goats was 12.5 % and 12.2 % in male goats. In season subgroups, the seroprevalence was lowest in autumn (6.1 %). Naturally grazed goats had a seroprevalence of 8.1 % of infection and 7.8 % in intensively fed goats. We also evaluated the effects of geographical and climate variables on the pooled seroprevalence of T. gondii in goats in China. The results indicated that toxoplasmosis is widely distributed in goats in China. In the context of ensuring animal welfare, we suggest the continued promotion of the transition from natural grazing to intensive agriculture to strengthen disease prevention. Prevention would be better carried out in areas suitable for the survival and reproduction of T. gondii. Breeders need to regularly disinfect the feeding areas and pens or other areas of goat activity thoroughly to reduce the impact of environmental factors responses on the infection of goats to T. gondii.

Correlation of microbiota in the gut of fish species and water.

To analyze the intestinal microbiota diversity of several important economic fishes in the Loudi area and its correlation with the microbiota of water environment, the high-throughput sequencing based on the bacteria 16S rRNA was used to analyze the intestinal microbiota diversity in fish intestines and water. The results revealed that half of the OTUs in the water sample could be detected in the fish intestine, the proportion of shared OTUs in the intestines of Hypophthalmichthys molitrix and water samples was only 22%, and the unique OTU in the LC group was relatively the highest in the fish intestinal group. It can be seen from the analysis in NMDS analysis, the distance between Hypophthalmichthys molitrix group and water group is relatively farthest. Ctenopharyngodon idellus has the highest microbiota richness and diversity (P < 0.05), while the water samples have the lowest microbiota richness (P < 0.05). Firmicutes, Methylocaldum and Bacillus are the prevalent taxonomic unit in the Aristichthys nobilis and Carassius auratus groups, Anaerospora is the prevalent genera in the Hypophthalmichthys molitrix group, Proteobacteria and Cyanobacteria have a high relative abundance ratio in the Ctenopharyngodon idellus group, and the prevalent taxonomic unit in the water sample group are Phenylobacterium, Bacteroidetes and Actinobacteria. In conclusion, fish species have different prevalent microbiota. There are a strong correlation between fish intestinal microbiota and the water environment, and the fish with a weak correlation is Hypophthalmichthys molitrix. Results of this study will contribute to the prevention and treatment of fish diseases and the fish ecological culturing in Loudi area.

Carbon Quantum Dots: In vitro and in vivo Studies on Biocompatibility and Biointeractions for Optical Imaging.

BACKGROUND: Understanding the biocompatibility and biointeractions of nano-carbon quantum dots (nano-CQDs) in vitro and in vivo is important for assessing their potential risk to human health. In the previous research, the physical properties of CQDs synthesized by the laser ablation in liquid (LAL) method were analyzed in detail; however, possible bioapplications were not considered. MATERIALS AND METHODS: CQDs were prepared by LAL and characterized by atomic force microscopy, fluorescence lifetime, absorption spectrum, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and dynamic light scattering. Their biocompatibility was evaluated in vitro using assays for cytotoxicity, apoptosis, and biodistribution and in vivo using immunotoxicity and the relative expression of genes. Cells were measured in vitro using fluorescence-lifetime imaging microscopy to analyze the biointeractions between CQDs and intracellular proteins. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in biocompatibility between the CQDs and the negative control. The intracellular interactions had no impact on the optical imaging of CQDs upon intake by cells. Optical imaging of zebrafish showed the green fluorescence was well dispersed. CONCLUSION: We have demonstrated that the CQDs have an excellent biocompatibility and can be used as efficient optical nanoprobes for cell tracking and biomedical labeling except for L929 and PC-3M cells.

The global seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in deer from 1978 to 2019: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Toxoplasma gondii infecting virtually all warm-blooded animals, including humans, is an intracellular protozoan parasite. The immunocompromised patients or pregnant women infected by Toxoplasma usually can cause encephalitis or abortion. Deer are also the important intermediate host of the parasite and people can be infected by ingesting the undercooked venison. Therefore, to raise the attention of the researchers and T. gondii infection on people in deer, we conducted the meta-analysis. All potential publications on the T. gondii infection in deer were retrieved by searching the PubMed, ScienceDirect, Springer- Link, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), WanFang, and VIP Chinese Journal Databases. Finally, a total of 48 publications were included. The pooled seroprevalence of T. gondii infection in deer was 22.92% (95% CI 17.89-28.38) calculated by the random effect model. The seroprevalence of T. gondii infection in deer was the lowest in Asia (12.72%, 95% CI 6.29-20.89), and the highest in North America (32.21%, 95% CI 20.32-45.39). The highest point estimate of deer T. gondii in detection method subgroup was using MAT (31.28%, 95% CI 20.15-43.61). The estimated pooled seroprevalence of T. gondii infection in elk (63.50%, 95% CI 50.01-76.01) was higher than other types of deer. Our meta-regression analysis found that the subgroups including region, sampling year, age, climate, and deer species may be the main heterogeneous source in our meta-analysis. It is necessary to monitor the seroprevalence of T. gondii infection in deer at all times. Furthermore, people should be taken to precautions when ingesting the venison by cooking it well before serving to prevent the T. gondii infection via eating venison.

Post-Translational Modifications Aid Archaeal Survival.

Since the pioneering work of Carl Woese, Archaea have fascinated biologists of almost all areas given their unique evolutionary status, wide distribution, high diversity, and ability to grow in special environments. Archaea often thrive in extreme conditions such as high temperature, high/low pH, high salinity, and anoxic ecosystems. All of these are threats to the stability and proper functioning of biological molecules, especially proteins and nucleic acids. Post-translational modifications (PTMs), such as phosphorylation, methylation, acetylation, and glycosylation, are reportedly widespread in Archaea and represent a critical adaptive mechanism to extreme habitats. Here, we summarize our current understanding of the contributions of PTMs to aid in extremophile survival, with a particular focus on the maintenance of genome stability.

Ligustilide Inhibited Rat Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells Migration via c-Myc/MMP2 and ROCK/JNK Signaling Pathway.

Vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) excessive migration, a basic change of pathological intimal thickening, can lead to serious cardiovascular diseases such as atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction, and stroke. Ligustilide (LIG), the main active ingredient of angelica volatile oil, has been demonstrated to exert protective effects on the cardiovascular and cerebrovascular, circulatory system, and immune function. However, whether it protects against intimal thickening and VSMCs excessive migration and its underlying mechanism remains largely unknown. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of LIG on VSMCs migration and its underlying mechanism. The protective effect of LIG on VSMCs excessive migration was assessed using an atherosclerotic spontaneously hypertensive rat model and an angiotensin II (AngII)-induced VSMCs migration model. The results showed that LIG exerted a protective effect against pathological intimal thickening as demonstrated by decreasing VSMCs migration in vivo and in vitro. In vivo, intimal thickening and VSMCs migration were inhibited and LIG performed a suppressive effect on the expression of c-Myc protein while enhanced phenotypic transformation related proteins α-SMA expression. Meanwhile, the administration of LIG significantly lowered the blood pressure and blood lipids level in atherosclerotic spontaneously hypertensive rats. In vitro, LIG suppressed AngII-induced VSMCs migration and downregulated the expression of migration related protein c-Myc, MMP2, ROCK1, ROCK2, p-JNK, and JNK. These findings suggested the protective effect of LIG on VSMCs migration was associated with the decrement of c-Myc/MMP2 signaling pathway and ROCK-JNK signaling pathway. Thus, LIG may serve as a novel therapeutic agent for preventing cardiovascular disease.