Risk prediction of second primary malignancies in patients after rectal cancer: analysis based on SEER Program.

BACKGROUND: This study will focus on exploring the clinical characteristics of rectal cancer (RC) patients with Second Primary Malignancies (SPMs) and constructing a prognostic nomogram to provide clinical treatment decisions. METHODS: We determined the association between risk factors and overall survival (OS) while establishing a nomogram to forecast the further OS status of these patients via Cox regression analysis. Finally, we evaluated the performance of the prognostic nomogram to predict further OS status. RESULTS: Nine parameters were identified to establish the prognostic nomogram in this study, and, the C-index of the training set and validation set was 0.691 (95%CI, 0.662-0.720) and 0.731 (95%CI, 0.676-0.786), respectively. The calibration curve showed a high agreement between the predicted and actual results, and the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves verified the superiority of our model for clinical usefulness. In addition, the nomogram classification could more precisely differentiate risk subgroups and improved the discrimination of SPMs' prognosis. CONCLUSIONS: We systematically explored the clinical characteristics of SPMs after RC and constructed a satisfactory nomogram.

27-Hydroxycholesterol is a specific factor in the neoplastic microenvironment of HCC that causes MDR via GRP75 regulation of the redox balance and metabolic reprogramming.

OBJECTIVE: Due to the tissue specificity of the liver, long-term exposure to a high concentration of 27-hydroxycholesterol (27HC) is a special characteristic of the tumour microenvironment in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, what occurs after HCC cells are long-term exposure to 27HC and the molecular mechanisms involved remain largely unexamined. METHODS: A long-term 27HC-treated HepG2 cell line and the xenografts in nude mice were used as experimental models. Molecular mechanisms were investigated using bioinformatics analysis and molecular biological experiments. RESULTS: Here, we found that by inducing an increase in oxidative stress signalling, 27HC activated glucose-regulated protein 75 (GRP75). On the one hand, GRP75 resulted in a change in the redox balance by regulating ROS generation and antioxidant system activity via affecting MMP, NRF2, HO-1, and NQO1 levels. On the other hand, GRP75 modified the metabolic reprogramming process by regulating key factors (HIF-1α, p-Akt, and c-myc) and glucose uptake, facilitating HCC cell growth in the inhospitable microenvironment. These two factors caused HCC cells to resist 27HC-induced cytotoxicity and attain multidrug resistance (MDR). CONCLUSIONS: Our present study not only identified 27HC, a characteristic component of the neoplastic microenvironment of HCC that causes MDR via GRP75 to regulate the redox balance and metabolic reprogramming, but also revealed that targeted intervention by the "switch"-like molecule GRP75 could reverse the effect of 27HC from cancer promotion to cytotoxicity in HCC, suggesting a new strategy for specific intervention of HCC.

Construction of a circRNA-miRNA-mRNA network based on differentially co-expressed circular RNA in gastric cancer tissue and plasma by bioinformatics analysis.

BACKGROUND: Increasing evidence implicates circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been involved in human cancer progression. However, the mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we identified novel circRNAs related to gastric cancer and constructed a circRNA-miRNA-mRNA network. METHODS: Microarray datasets GSE83521 and GSE93541 were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). Then, we used computational biology to identify circRNAs that were differentially expressed in both GC tissue and plasma compared to normal controls; then, we detected the expression of the selected circRNAs in gastric cell lines by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). We also identified circRNA-related candidate miRNAs and their target genes with online tools. Combining the predicted miRNAs and target mRNAs, a competing endogenous RNA regulatory network was established. Functional and pathway enrichment analyses were performed, and interactions between proteins were predicted by using String and Cytoscape. Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses were performed to elucidate the possible functions of these differentially expressed circRNAs. The regulatory network constructed using the microarray datasets (GSE83521 and GSE93541) contained three differentially co-expressed circRNAs (DECs). A circRNA-miRNA-mRNA network was constructed based on 3 circRNAs, 43 miRNAs and 119 mRNAs. RESULTS: GO and KEGG analysis showed that the regulation of apoptotic signaling pathway and PI3K-Akt signaling pathway were highest degrees of enrichment respectively. We established a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network consisting of 165 nodes and 170 edges and identified hub genes by using MCODE plugin in Cytoscape. Furthermore, a core circRNA-miRNA-mRNA network was constructed based on hub genes. Hsa_circ_0001013 was finally determined to play an important role in the pathogenesis of GC according to the core circRNA-miRNA-mRNA network. CONCLUSIONS: We propose a new circRNA-miRNA-mRNA network that is associated with the pathogenesis of GC. The network may become a new molecular biomarker and could be used to develop potential therapeutic strategies for gastric cancer.

tRF-Leu reverse breast cancer cells chemoresistance by regulation of BIRC5.

OBJECTIVE: Accumulating studies reported the crucial roles of tRFs in tumorigenesis. However, their further mechanisms and clinical values remains unclear. This study aimed at the further investigation of tRF-Leu in breast cancer chemotherapy resistance. METHODS: The high-throughput sequencing was performed and identified the downregulation of tRF-Leu in MCF7/ADR cells. The function of tRF-Leu in breast cancer cells and breast cancer chemotherapy resistance was investigated in vitro and in vivo, including colony formation assay, CCK-8 assay, transwell assay and apoptosis assay. The binding site of tRF-Leu on BIRC5 was verified by dual-luciferase assay. RESULTS: tRF-Leu was downregulated in MCF7/ADR cells. Overexpression of tRF-Leu inhibited the migration of breast cancer cells. Furthermore, tRF-Leu could reverse the resistance of MCF7/ADR cells to Adriamycin both in vitro and in vivo. BIRC5 was a target of tRF-Leu, which might be involved in the chemotherapy resistance regulation. CONCLUSION: We demonstrated that tRF-Leu could inhibit the chemotherapy resistance of breast cancer by targeting BIRC5. These findings might identify new biomarkers of breast cancer therapy and bring new strategies to reverse chemotherapy resistance.

YTHDF1 mediates N-methyl-N-nitrosourea-induced gastric carcinogenesis by controlling HSPH1 translation.

YT521-B homology (YTH) domain family (YTHDF) proteins serve as readers that directly recognise m6A modifications. In this study, we aim to probe the role of YTHDF1 in environmental carcinogen-induced malignant transformation of gastric cells and gastric cancer (GC) carcinogenesis. We established a long-term low-dose MNU-induced malignant transformation model in gastric epithelial cells. In vivo and in vitro experiments were conducted to validate the malignant phenotype and characterise the roles of YTHDF1 and its downstream genes in malignant transformation cells. Additionally, we explored downstream m6A modification targets of YTHDF1 using RNA-sequencing, RNA immunoprecipitation, and proteomics analyses, and conducted validation experiments in cell experiments and clinical samples. Long-term low-dose exposure of MNU converted normal Gges-1 cells into malignant cells. YTHDF1 mRNA and protein expression are increased in MNU-induced malignant cells (p<0.001). Meanwhile, YTHDF1 knockdown inhibits the malignant potential of MNU-treated cells (p<0.01). YTHDF1 knockdown specifically suppresses HSPH1 protein, but not RNA levels. RIP-qPCR validates HSPH1 is the target of YTHDF1 (p<0.01). HSPH1 knockdown impairs the malignant potential of MNU-induced transformed cells. The increased expression of the key regulatory factor YTHDF1 in MNU-induced gastric carcinogenesis affects malignant transformation and tumorigenesis by regulating the translation of downstream HSPH1. These findings provide new potential targets for preventing and treating environmental chemical-induced gastric carcinogenesis.

Early microbial intervention reshapes phenotypes of newborn Bos taurus through metabolic regulations.

BACKGROUND: The rumen of neonatal calves has limited functionality, and establishing intestinal microbiota may play a crucial role in their health and performance. Thus, we aim to explore the temporal colonization of the gut microbiome and the benefits of early microbial transplantation (MT) in newborn calves. RESULTS: We followed 36 newborn calves for 2 months and found that the composition and ecological interactions of their gut microbiomes likely reached maturity 1 month after birth. Temporal changes in the gut microbiome of newborn calves are widely associated with changes in their physiological statuses, such as growth and fiber digestion. Importantly, we observed that MT reshapes the gut microbiome of newborns by altering the abundance and interaction of Bacteroides species, as well as amino acid pathways, such as arginine biosynthesis. Two-year follow-up of those calves further showed that MT improves their later milk production. Notably, MT improves fiber digestion and antioxidant capacity of newborns while reducing diarrhea. MT also contributes to significant changes in the metabolomic landscape, and with putative causal mediation analysis, we suggest that altered gut microbial composition in newborns may influence physiological status through microbial-derived metabolites. CONCLUSIONS: Our study provides a metagenomic and metabolomic atlas of the temporal development of the gut microbiome in newborn calves. MT can alter the gut microbiome of newborns, leading to improved physiological status and later milk production. The data may help develop strategies to manipulate the gut microbiota during early life, which may be relevant to the health and production of newborn calves.

Temporal colonization and metabolic regulation of the gut microbiome in neonatal oxen at single nucleotide resolution.

The colonization of microbes in the gut is key to establishing a healthy host-microbiome symbiosis for newborns. We longitudinally profiled the gut microbiome in a model consisting of 36 neonatal oxen from birth up to 2 months postpartum and carried out microbial transplantation to reshape their gut microbiome. Genomic reconstruction of deeply sequenced fecal samples resulted in a total of 3931 metagenomic-assembled genomes from 472 representative species, of which 184 were identified as new species when compared with existing databases of oxen. Single nucleotide level metagenomic profiling shows a rapid influx of microbes after birth, followed by dynamic shifts during the first few weeks of life. Microbial transplantation was found to reshape the genetic makeup of 33 metagenomic-assembled genomes (FDR < 0.05), mainly from Prevotella and Bacteroides species. We further linked over 20 million microbial single nucleotide variations to 736 plasma metabolites, which enabled us to characterize 24 study-wide significant associations (P < 4.4 × 10-9) that identify the potential microbial genetic regulation of host immune and neuro-related metabolites, including glutathione and L-dopa. Our integration analyses further revealed that microbial genetic variations may influence the health status and growth performance by modulating metabolites via structural regulation of their encoded proteins. For instance, we found that the albumin levels and total antioxidant capacity were correlated with L-dopa, which was determined by single nucleotide variations via structural regulations of metabolic enzymes. The current results indicate that temporal colonization and transplantation-driven strain replacement are crucial for newborn gut development, offering insights for enhancing newborn health and growth.

Gut microbial genomes with paired isolates from China illustrate probiotic and cardiometabolic effects.

The gut microbiome displays genetic differences among populations, and characterization of the genomic landscape of the gut microbiome in China remains limited. Here, we present the Chinese Gut Microbial Reference (CGMR) set, comprising 101,060 high-quality metagenomic assembled genomes (MAGs) of 3,707 nonredundant species from 3,234 fecal samples across primarily rural Chinese locations, 1,376 live isolates mainly from lactic acid bacteria, and 987 novel species relative to worldwide databases. We observed region-specific coexisting MAGs and MAGs with probiotic and cardiometabolic functionalities. Preliminary mouse experiments suggest a probiotic effect of two Faecalibacillus intestinalis isolates in alleviating constipation, cardiometabolic influences of three Bacteroides fragilis_A isolates in obesity, and isolates from the genera Parabacteroides and Lactobacillus in host lipid metabolism. Our study expands the current microbial genomes with paired isolates and demonstrates potential host effects, contributing to the mechanistic understanding of host-microbe interactions.

Screening of Biomarkers in Liver Tissue after Bariatric Surgery Based on WGCNA and SVM-RFE Algorithms.

As the most common chronic liver disease around the world, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has a close connection with obesity, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome. Bariatric surgery (BS) is considered to be the most effective treatment for NAFLD. However, the regulatory mechanism of hepatic lipid metabolism after BS remains poorly elucidated. By analyzing two transcriptome datasets regarding liver tissues after BS, namely, GSE83452 and GSE106737, we acquired 110 differentially expressed genes (DEGs). By further analysis of DEGs in terms of the weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA) and support vector machine-recursive feature elimination (SVM-RFE) algorithms, we identified four crucial genes participating in the regulation of hepatic lipid metabolism: SRGN, THEMIS2, SGK1, and FPR3. In addition, the results of gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) showed that BS can activate immune-related regulatory pathways and change immune cell infiltration levels. Finally, through cellular level studies, we found that the silencing of SRGN affects the expression of SREBP-1, SIRT1, and FAS during adipogenesis in the liver and the formation of lipid droplets in the liver. In summary, the immune system in the liver is activated after BS, and SRGN participates in the regulation of hepatic lipid metabolism.

Circ_0067997 boosted the growth while repressed the apoptosis of SGC-7901/DDP cells via repressing miR-615-5p/AKT1 pathway.

BACKGROUND: Gastric cancer (GC) remains a huge challenge to the heathy of human beings, largely due to lacking of effective therapeutic measures. Though an oncogenic role for circular RNAs (circRNAs) circ_0067997 in the progression of GC has been described recently, the molecular modulatory mechanism of it still remains to be further explored. The aim of present study is to examine the molecular network of circ_0067997 in GC. METHODS: qRT-PCR was carried out to determine the mRNA levels of circ_0067997, miR-615-5p and AKT1 in cisplatin (DDP)-insensitive or sensitive GC tumor tissues and cells, while the correlations among the contents of these molecules were determined by statistical analysis. The expression of circ_0067997 was manipulated by short-hairpin RNA and lentiviral-mediated approaches, while that of miR-615-5p was achieved by the application of its inhibitor or mimic. The in vivo action of circ_0067997 on tumor formation was determined by measuring tumor weight/volume/size and analyzing tumor apoptosis through TUNEL staining in mouse xenograft model and, while the in vitro effects of this circRNA and its target miR-615-5p on the cell survival and death were separately evaluated by CCK-8 assay and flow cytometry. Additionally, luciferase reporter assays were executed to determine the sequentially regulatory relationships of circ_0067997, miR-615-5p, and AKT1. RESULTS: Our data demonstrated that the level of circ_0067997 level was increased in DDP-insensitive GC tissues and cell line, while miR-615-5p presented the opposite results. Moreover, the relationships between circ_0067997 and miR-615-5p levels, circ_0067997 and AKT1 contents presented negative and positive correlations in clinic samples, respectively. Importantly, circ_0067997 was found to repress miR-615-5p expression, consequently leading to increased growth while reduced apoptosis of GC cells in the presence of DDP. Furthermore, the validated sequential regulation was circ_0067997 modulating miR-615-5p adjusting AKT1. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that circ_0067997 functioned as a sponge of miR-615-5p to target AKT1 expression, thereby enhancing the growth and restricting the apoptosis of DDP-insensitive GC cells. These new findings offered a valuable target for the detection and management of GC.

A paclitaxel prodrug nanoparticles with glutathion/reactive oxygen species dual-responsive and CD206 targeting to improve the anti-tumour effect.

As a first-line anticancer drug, paclitaxel has shortcomings, such as poor solubility and lack of tumour cell selectivity, which limit its further applications in clinical practice. Therefore, the authors aimed to utilise the characteristics of prodrug and nanotechnology to prepare a reactive oxygen species (ROS) and GSH dual-responsive targeted tumour prodrug nanoparticle Man-PEG-SS-PLGA/ProPTX to improve the clinical application status of paclitaxel limitation. The characterisation of Man-PEG-SS-PLGA/ProPTX was carried out through preparation. The cytotoxicity of nanoparticles on tumour cells and the effect on apoptosis of tumour cells were investigated by cytotoxicity assay and flow cytometry analysis. The ROS responsiveness of nanoparticles was investigated by detecting the ROS level of tumour cells. The tumour cell selectivity of the nanoparticles was further investigated by receptor affinity assay and cell uptake assay. The particle size of Man-PEG-SS-PLGA/ProPTX was (132.90 ± 1.81) nm, the dispersion coefficient Polymer dispersity index was 0.13 ± 0.03, and the Zeta potential was (-8.65 ± 0.50) mV. The encapsulation rate was 95.46 ± 2.31% and the drug load was 13.65 ± 2.31%. The nanoparticles could significantly inhibit the proliferation and promote apoptosis of MCF-7, HepG2, and MDA-MB-231 tumour cells. It has good ROS response characteristics and targeting. The targeted uptake mechanism is energy-dependent and endocytosis is mediated by non-clathrin, non-caveolin, lipid raft/caveolin, and cyclooxygenase (COX)/caveolin with a certain concentration dependence and time dependence. Man-PEG-SS-PLGA/ProPTX is a tumour microenvironment-responsive nanoparticle that can actively target tumour cells. It restricts the release of PTX in normal tissues, enhances its selectivity to tumour cells, and has significant antitumour activity, which is expected to solve the current limitations of PTX use.

Evaluation of subclinical left ventricular systolic dysfunction in obese patients by global myocardial work.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate subclinical LV systolic dysfunction in obese patients by global myocardial work (MW). METHODS: A total of 589 obese patients and 100 normal controls were enrolled in the study. The global longitudinal strain (GLS), global work index (GWI), global constructive work (GCW), global wasted work (GWW) and global work efficiency (GWE) were generated by a noninvasive pressure-strain loop (PSL) in apical 3-, 4- and 2-chamber views acquired by two-dimensional echocardiography. All obese patients were divided into three groups: class I obesity (mild) 30-35 kg/m2, class II obesity (moderate) 35-40 kg/m2 and class III obesity (severe) > 40 kg/m2. These values were compared among the three groups. The independent influencing factors of subclinical LV systolic dysfunction in obese patients were explored by constructing a multiple regression model. ROC analysis was performed to determine the performance of MW to detect subclinical LV systolic dysfunction in obese patients. RESULTS: The absolute value of GLS in obese patients was significantly lower than that in normal controls (P < 0.001). The values of GWI, GCW, GWE and GCW/GWW in obese patients were significantly lower than those in normal controls (P < 0.05), while GWW was significantly larger than that in normal controls (P < 0.001). Subgroup analysis and trend analysis showed that the values of GWI, GCW, GWE and GCW/GWW in severe obese patients were lower than those in moderate obese patients and lower than those in mild obese patients (P < 0.01), while GWW in severe obese patients was larger than that in moderate obese patients and larger than that in mild obese patients (P < 0.05). Female sex, BMI and SBP were independent influencing factors of impaired GWI (ß = 0.15, P < 0.001) (ß=-0.18, P < 0.001) (ß = 0.50, P < 0.001) and GCW (ß = 0.17, P < 0.001) (ß=-0.19, P < 0.001) (ß = 0.57, P < 0.001). ROC analysis showed that the AUC of the combined global MW was significantly higher than the AUCs of the individual indices (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: In this study, we conclude that subclinical LV systolic dysfunction was detected by the novel global MW technique in obese patients. Elevated BMI in obese patients results in an increased risk of subclinical LV systolic dysfunction, although the LVEF is normal. Controlling BMI in obese patients may reduce the impairment to the LV myocardial systolic function. Global MW is a novel and reproducible technique that can be well applied in the clinical evaluation of subclinical LV systolic dysfunction.

A nomogram model based on the combination of the systemic immune-inflammation index and prognostic nutritional index predicts weight regain after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy.

BACKGROUND: The high rate of weight regain after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy is a great challenge. The systemic immune-inflammation index (SII; calculated by neutrophils, lymphocytes, and platelets) and prognostic nutritional index (PNI; calculated by albumin and lymphocytes) are widely used as prognostic factors in various diseases. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to investigate independent the independent risk factors associated with weight regain in patients after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy. SETTING: A single-center retrospective study. METHODS: Weight regain was defined as the percentage of increase in body weight ≥10% in comparison with the nadir weight postoperatively. Eligible patients admitted to the bariatric center of our hospital were consecutively enrolled and grouped according to the occurrence of weight regain within 5 postoperative years. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to assess potential risk factors. A nomogram model containing the risk factors was then constructed and evaluated by R. RESULTS: A total of 217 patients were enrolled, and 87 (40.1%) patients experienced weight regain. Univariate and logistic regression analyses indicated that depression (odds ratio [OR]: 2.51, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.20-5.22, P = .015), psychological counseling (OR: 2.27, 95% CI: 1.20-4.33, P = .017), preoperative C-reactive protein (OR: 2.20, 95% CI: 1.18-4.13, P = .012), and combination of SII-PNI scores (OR: .45, 95% CI: .31-.67, P < .001) were 4 independent risk factors for postoperative weight regain in laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy patients. The area under the curve of the constructed nomogram model for predicting weight regain was .706. CONCLUSIONS: This study concluded that the combination of the SII-PNI was an independent risk factor for weight regain and that the nomogram model based on the combination of the SII-PNI had a good predictive value.

circSMAD4 Promotes Experimental Colitis and Impairs Intestinal Barrier Functions by Targeting Janus Kinase 2 Through Sponging miR-135a-5p.

BACKGROUND: Numerous studies have explored the association between circular RNAs [circRNAs] and Crohn's disease [CD]. However, the pathological role, biological functions, and molecular mechanisms of circRNAs in CD have not been fully elucidated. METHODS: The circRNA microarray analysis was performed to identify deregulated circRNAs in colon tissues. The identified circRNAs were verified through quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction [qRT-PCR]. In vivo and in vitro functional studies were performed to verify the role of circSMAD4 in CD and investigate the mechanisms involved. RESULTS: We found that circSMAD4 was the most significantly upregulated circRNA. The expression level of circSMAD4 was positively correlated with levels of inflammatory factors. Overexpression of circSMAD4 impaired tight junction [TJ] proteins and enhanced apoptosis of epithelial cells. These effects were reversed by treatment with miR-135a-5p mimic. Mechanistic studies showed that circSMAD4 exerts its effects on CD by 'sponging' miR-135a-5p to regulate Janus kinase 2 [JAK2]. Si-circSMAD4 delivery through microspheres ameliorated experimental colitis and protected the intestinal barrier function in IL-10 knockout mice. CONCLUSION: This study shows that circSMAD4 regulates the progression of experimental colitis via the miR-135a-5p/JAK2 signalling axis and it may be a potential therapeutic target.

Development of a prognostic metabolic signature in stomach adenocarcinoma.

PURPOSE: The growth and aggressiveness of Stomach adenocarcinoma (STAD) is significantly affected by basic metabolic changes. This study aimed to identify metabolic gene prognostic signatures in STAD. METHODS: An integrative analysis of datasets from the Cancer Genome Atlas and Gene Expression Omnibus was performed. A metabolic gene prognostic signature was developed using univariable Cox regression and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. A nomogram model was developed to predict the prognosis of STAD patients. Finally, Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GESA) was used to explore the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways significantly associated with the risk grouping. RESULTS: A total of 327 metabolism-related differentially expressed genes were identified. Three subtypes of STAD were identified and nine immune cell types, including memory B cell, resting and activated CD4+ memory T cells, were significantly different among the three subgroups. A risk score model including nine survival-related genes which could separate high-risk patients from low-risk patients was developed. The prognosis of STAD patients likely benefited from lower expression levels of genes, including ABCG4, ABCA6, GPX8, KYNU, ST8SIA5, and CYP19A1. Age, radiation therapy, tumor recurrence, and risk score model status were found to be independent risk factors for STAD and were used for developing a nomogram. Nine KEGG pathways, including spliceosome, pentose phosphate pathway, and citrate TCA cycle were significantly enriched in GESA. CONCLUSION: We propose a metabolic gene signature and a nomogram for STAD which might be used for predicting the survival of STAD patients and exploring prognostic markers.

The Effects of Antral Preservation and Antral Resection on Body Composition, Glycemic Control and Bone Mineral Density Following Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy in C57BL/6J Mice with Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes.

PURPOSE: Sleeve gastrectomy (SG) is the most currently popular operation for obesity and related metabolic disorders. The aim of this study was to compare the effect of antrum preservation SG (AP-SG) and antrum resection SG (AR-SG) on the body composition, glycemic control and bone mineral density (BMD) in mice. METHODS: Sham, AP-SG and AR-SG operation were performed on obese and T2D C57BL/6J mice (8 in each group). Body weight, food intake, and fasting glucose (FG) levels were measured at the 0, 2, 4, 6 and 8 weeks post-operatively. Oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was performed preoperatively and at the eighth postoperative week. The body fat content and total body BMD were evaluated by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. After being euthanized, the femurs were harvested and analyzed by micro-CT. RESULTS: The improvements in body weight, food intake, FG, glycemic control and body fat were statistically significant following AP-SG and AR-SG. Both AP-SG and AR-SG groups decreased total body BMD and regional BMD in the distal femur compared to the sham group. No significant difference of FG was observed in AP-SG and AR-SG group postoperatively, but AR-SG showed significantly superior OGTT glucose AUC than AP-SG. Except for a lower BMD, AR-SG achieved superior outcomes in body fat and glycemic control than AP-SG. CONCLUSION: Antrum resection SG shows a lower percentage of body fat and better glycemic control than antrum preservation SG. However, antrum resection SG has a higher risk of having a lower bone mass. Further human clinical trials are needed to confirm this finding.

Shp2 suppresses fat accumulation in white adipose tissue by activating Wnt/ß-catenin signaling following vertical sleeve gastrectomy in obese rats with type-2 diabetes.

Adipogenesis and fat accumulation are closely associated with the development of obesity. Sleeve gastrectomy (SG) is an effective treatment for obesity and associated metabolic disorders. Leptin is downregulated after SG and Src homology phosphatase 2 (Shp2) has an important role in leptin signaling. The role of Shp2 in SG and the mechanisms of fat reduction following SG were further investigated in the current study. Sham and SG operations were performed on obese type-2 diabetes model Sprague-Dawley rats. Primary pre-adipocytes were isolated from the inguinal white adipose tissue (ingWAT) of the rats. Shp2 expression in ingWAT pre-adipocytes was silenced using small interfering RNA transfection. Shp2 function was inhibited using the specific inhibitor, SHP099. In addition, Shp2 was overexpressed using lentivirus. Gene and protein expression analysis was performed after adipocyte differentiation. Furthermore, Shp2-overexpressing ingWAT pre-adipocytes treated with the ß-catenin inhibitor, PNU-74654, were also used for gene and protein expression analysis. Adipogenic markers, including triglycerides, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ), CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein α (Cebpα), adiponectin, fatty acid-binding protein 4 and leptin, were examined. Compared with the sham, triglyceride, leptin, PPARγ and Cebpα levels were significantly reduced in the ingWAT from the SG group. Shp2 expression levels were reduced following leptin treatment. Moreover, genetic analysis demonstrated depot-specific adipogenesis following Shp2 silencing or inhibition in ingWAT pre-adipocytes. Conversely, Shp2 overexpression decreased the expression of adipogenic markers by enhancing ß-catenin expression. PNU-74654 treatment abolished the downregulation of adipogenic markers caused by Shp2 overexpression. SG decreased leptin levels in ingWAT, which in turn upregulated Shp2, and Shp2 suppressed fat accumulation and adipogenic differentiation by activating the Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway. Overall, this may represent a potential mechanism of fat reduction in SG, and Shp2 may serve as a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of obesity and type-2 diabetes.

RNA modification writers influence tumor microenvironment in gastric cancer and prospects of targeted drug therapy.

Background: RNA adenosine modifications are crucial for regulating RNA levels. N6-methyladenosine (m6A), N1-methyladenosine (m1A), adenosine-to-inosine RNA editing, and alternative polyadenylation (APA) are four major RNA modification types. Methods: We evaluated the altered mRNA expression profiles of 27 RNA modification enzymes and compared the differences in tumor microenvironment (TME) and clinical prognosis between two RNA modification patterns using unsupervised clustering. Then, we constructed a scoring system, WM_score, and quantified the RNA modifications in patients of gastric cancer (GC), associating WM_score with TME, clinical outcomes, and effectiveness of targeted therapies. Results: RNA adenosine modifications strongly correlated with TME and could predict the degree of TME cell infiltration, genetic variation, and clinical prognosis. Two modification patterns were identified according to high and low WM_scores. Tumors in the WM_score-high subgroup were closely linked with survival advantage, CD4- T-cell infiltration, high tumor mutation burden, and cell cycle signaling pathways, whereas those in the WM_score-low subgroup showed strong infiltration of inflammatory cells and poor survival. Regarding the immunotherapy response, a high WM_score showed a significant correlation with PD-L1 expression, predicting the effect of PD-L1 blockade therapy. Conclusion: The WM_scoring system could facilitate scoring and prediction of GC prognosis.

PLGA-microspheres-carried circGMCL1 protects against Crohn's colitis through alleviating NLRP3 inflammasome-induced pyroptosis by promoting autophagy.

This study aimed to at explore exploring the biological functions of dysregulated circRNA in Crohn's disease (CD) pathogenesis, with the overarching goal of and providing potential novel therapeutic targets. CircRNA microarray and quantitative real time-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analyses were performed to investigate and verify the candidate dysregulated circRNA. The Next, clinical, in vivo, and in vitro studies were performed to investigate explore the biological function and mechanisms of the candidate circRNA in CD. The therapeutic effect of poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid)-microspheres (PLGA MSs)-carried oe-circGMCL1 in experimental colitis models of IL-10 knock-out mice was assessed. CircGMCL1 was identified as the candidate circRNA by microarray and qRT-PCR analyses. Results showed that circGMCL1 expression was negatively correlated with CD-associated inflammatory indices, suggesting that it is a CD-associated circRNA. Microarray and bioinformatics analyses identified miR-124-3p and Annexin 7 (ANXA7) as its downstream mechanisms. The in vitro studies revealed that circGMCL1 mediates its effects on autophagy and NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated pyroptosis in epithelial cells through the ceRNA network. Moreover, the in vivo studies identified the therapeutic effect of PLGA MSs-carried oe-circGMCL1 in experimental colitis models. This study suggests that circGMCL1 protects intestinal barrier function against Crohn's colitis through alleviating NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated epithelial pyroptosis by promoting autophagy through regulating ANXA7 via sponging miR-124-3p. Therefore, circGMCL1 can serve as a potential biological therapeutic target for Crohn's colitis.

The contribution of type 2 diabetes mellitus to hypothalamic inflammation and depressive disorders in young patients with obesity.

Background: To explore the contribution of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) to hypothalamic inflammation and depressive disorders in young patients with obesity. Methods: According to the diagnostic criteria for T2DM, all of patients with obesity were divided into the diabetic and the non-diabetic groups. The severity of depressive disorders was assessed by self-rating depression scale (SDS). The signal intensity (SI) ratio of the T2-weighted phase of the superior hypothalamus/amygdala (H/A) was measured using a quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique to evaluate hypothalamic inflammation. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to find the influencing factors of depressive disorder. The prediction equation's sensitivity and specificity for the depressive disorder were calculated based on the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Results: In young patients with obesity and diabetes, the incidence of depression is 79.49%, which was much higher than that in patients without diabetes (P<0.001). The SI of the left H/A in young patients with obesity and diabetes is significantly higher than that in non-diabetic patients (P<0.001). The relative risks of depression are fasting blood glucose (FBG) (OR 1.60; CI: 1.26-2.05), HbA1c (OR 1.94; CI: 1.40-2.68) and triglycerides (OR 1.40; CI: 1.03-1.90). Only FBG enters the predictive equation for depressive disorder, with a 52.8% sensitivity and 84.5% specificity. Conclusions: In young diabetic patients with obesity, the incidence of depressive disorder is high, a mechanism possibly related to the left hypothalamus inflammation. Elevated FBG can be an independent predictor of depressive disorder in young patients with obesity.