Protective effects of omega-3 fatty acids in a blood-brain barrier-on-chip model and on postoperative delirium-like behaviour in mice.

BACKGROUND: Peripheral surgical trauma can trigger neuroinflammation and ensuing neurological complications, such as delirium. The mechanisms whereby surgery contributes to postoperative neuroinflammation remain unclear and without effective therapies. Here, we developed a microfluidic-assisted blood-brain barrier (BBB) device and tested the effects of omega-3 fatty acids on neuroimmune interactions after orthopaedic surgery. METHODS: A microfluidic-assisted BBB device was established using primary human cells. Tight junction proteins, vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1), BBB permeability, and astrocytic networks were assessed after stimulation with interleukin (IL)-1ß and in the presence or absence of a clinically available omega-3 fatty acid emulsion (Omegaven®; Fresenius Kabi, Bad Homburg, Germany). Mice were treated 1 h before orthopaedic surgery with 10 µl g-1 body weight of omega-3 fatty acid emulsion i.v. or equal volumes of saline. Changes in pericytes, perivascular macrophages, BBB opening, microglial activation, and inattention were evaluated. RESULTS: Omega-3 fatty acids protected barrier permeability, endothelial tight junctions, and VCAM-1 after exposure to IL-1ß in the BBB model. In vivo studies confirmed that omega-3 fatty acid treatment inhibited surgery-induced BBB impairment, microglial activation, and delirium-like behaviour. We identified a novel role for pericyte loss and perivascular macrophage activation in mice after surgery, which were rescued by prophylaxis with i.v. omega-3 fatty acids. CONCLUSIONS: We present a new approach to study neuroimmune interactions relevant to perioperative recovery using a microphysiological BBB platform. Changes in barrier function, including dysregulation of pericytes and perivascular macrophages, provide new targets to reduce postoperative delirium.

Identification of (N-aryl-N-arylsulfonyl)aminoacetohydroxamic acids as novel urease inhibitors and the mechanism exploration.

Thirty-three (N-aryl-N-arylsulfonyl)aminoacetohydroxamic acids were synthesized in an effort to develop novel urease inhibitors. Among these compounds, 2-(N-(3-nitrophenyl)-N-(4-tert-butylphenylsulfonyl))aminoacetohydroxamic acid (e2) exhibited excellent inhibitory activity against Helicobacter pylori urease with no perceptible cytotoxicity to mammalian cells. Compound e2 showed over 690-fold higher potency than the clinical used urease inhibitor acetohydroxamic acid, reversibly inhibiting urease with a mixed mechanism. Molecular modeling revealed that (N-aryl-N-arylsulfonyl)aminoacetohydroxamic acids may possibly bind Ni ions and two hydrophobic regions with a 'Y'-like shape.

The miR-5694/AF9/Snail Axis Provides Metastatic Advantages and a Therapeutic Target in Basal-like Breast Cancer.

Epigenetic deregulation, especially mutagenesis or the abnormal expression of epigenetic regulatory factors (ERFs), plays an important role in malignant tumorigenesis. To screen natural inhibitors of breast cancer metastasis, we adopted small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) to transiently knock down 591 ERF-coding genes in luminal breast cancer MCF-7 cells and found that depletion of AF9 significantly promoted MCF-7 cell invasion and migration. A mouse model of metastasis further confirmed the suppressive role of AF9 in breast cancer metastasis. RNA profiling revealed enrichment of AF9 targets genes in the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Mechanistically, tandem mass spectrometry showed that AF9 interacts with Snail, which hampers Snail transcriptional activity in basal-like breast cancer (BLBC) cells. AF9 reconstitutes an activated state on the promoter of Snail, which is a master regulator of EMT, and derepresses genes by recruiting CBP or GCN5. Additionally, microRNA-5694 (miR-5694) targeted and degraded AF9 messenger RNA (mRNA) in BLBC cells, further enhancing cell invasion and migration. Notably, AF9 and miR-5694 expression in BLBC clinical samples correlated inversely. Hence, miR-5694 mediates downregulation of AF9 and provides metastatic advantages in BLBC. Restoring expression of the metastasis suppressor AF9 is a possible therapeutic strategy against metastatic breast cancer.

Neurovascular and immune mechanisms that regulate postoperative delirium superimposed on dementia.

OBJECTIVE: The present work evaluates the relationship between postoperative immune and neurovascular changes and the pathogenesis of surgery-induced delirium superimposed on dementia. BACKGROUND AND RATIONALE: Postoperative delirium is a common complication in many older adults and in patients with dementia including Alzheimer's disease (AD). The course of delirium can be particularly debilitating, while its pathophysiology remains poorly defined. HISTORICAL EVOLUTION: As of 2019, an estimated 5.8 million people of all ages have been diagnosed with AD, 97% of whom are >65 years of age. Each year, many of these patients require surgery. However, anesthesia and surgery can increase the risk for further cognitive decline. Surgery triggers neuroinflammation both in animal models and in humans, and a failure to resolve this inflammatory state may contribute to perioperative neurocognitive disorders as well as neurodegenerative pathology. UPDATED HYPOTHESIS: We propose an immunovascular hypothesis whereby dysregulated innate immunity negatively affects the blood-brain interface, which triggers delirium and thereby exacerbates AD neuropathology. EARLY EXPERIMENTAL DATA: We have developed a translational model to study delirium superimposed on dementia in APPSwDI/mNos2-/- AD mice (CVN-AD) after orthopedic surgery. At 12 months of age, CVN-AD showed distinct neuroimmune and vascular impairments after surgery, including acute microgliosis and amyloid-ß deposition. These changes correlated with attention deficits, a core feature of delirium-like behavior. FUTURE EXPERIMENTS AND VALIDATION STUDIES: Future research should determine the extent to which prevention of surgery-induced microgliosis and/or neurovascular unit dysfunction can prevent or ameliorate postoperative memory and attention deficits in animal models. Translational human studies should evaluate perioperative indices of innate immunity and neurovascular integrity and assess their potential link to perioperative neurocognitive disorders. MAJOR CHALLENGES FOR THE HYPOTHESIS: Understanding the complex relationships between delirium and dementia will require mechanistic studies aimed at evaluating the role of postoperative neuroinflammation and blood-brain barrier changes in the setting of pre-existing neurodegenerative and/or aging-related pathology. LINKAGE TO OTHER MAJOR THEORIES: Non-resolving inflammation with vascular disease that leads to cognitive impairments and dementia is increasingly important in risk stratification for AD in the aging population. The interdependence of these factors with surgery-induced neuroinflammation and cognitive dysfunction is also becoming apparent, providing a strong platform for assessing the relationship between postoperative delirium and longer term cognitive dysfunction in older adults.

The biological macromolecule Nocardia rubra cell-wall skeleton as an avenue for cell-based immunotherapy.

Promoting the antitumor effects of cell-based immunotherapy for clinical application remains a difficult challenge. Nocardia rubra cell-wall skeleton (N-CWS) is an immunotherapeutic agent for cancers that have been proven to possess the ability to activate immune response without showing toxicity. However, its effects on immune cells that are derived from tumor patients and cultured in vitro remain unclear. As expected, N-CWS can enhance the proliferation and viability of cytokine-induced killer (CIK) cells, dendritic cells (DCs), and natural killer (NK) cells. The maturation of DCs and specific cytotoxicity against NK cells and CIK cells were consistently promoted. The TUNEL-staining and the Annexin V/propidium iodide assay revealed that after treatment with N-CWS, the stimulated CIK/NK cells could induce DNA breaks in tumor cells. Furthermore, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blot analysis showed upregulation of proapoptotic biomarkers (caspase-3 and caspase-9) and a downregulation of the antiapoptotic biomarker Bcl-2 in the tumor cells of the N-CWS-treated group, indicating that N-CWS could induce hepatocellular carcinoma cell apoptosis via CIK/NK cells. Finally, CIK/NK cells could notably suppress the invasion and migration of tumor cells in the presence of N-CWS. Our study provides evidence that N-CWS could significantly increase the growth of CIK cells, DCs, and NK cells, particularly due to its robust antitumor activities by inducing apoptosis, and attenuate the invasion and migration of tumor cells.

The broad spectrum mixed-lineage kinase 3 inhibitor URMC-099 prevents acute microgliosis and cognitive decline in a mouse model of perioperative neurocognitive disorders.

BACKGROUND: Patients with pre-existing neurodegenerative disease commonly experience fractures that require orthopedic surgery. Perioperative neurocognitive disorders (PND), including delirium and postoperative cognitive dysfunction, are serious complications that can result in increased 1-year mortality when superimposed on dementia. Importantly, there are no disease-modifying therapeutic options for PND. Our lab developed the "broad spectrum" mixed-lineage kinase 3 inhibitor URMC-099 to inhibit pathological innate immune responses that underlie neuroinflammation-associated cognitive dysfunction. Here, we test the hypothesis that URMC-099 can prevent surgery-induced neuroinflammation and cognitive impairment. METHODS: Orthopedic surgery was performed by fracturing the tibia of the left hindlimb with intramedullary fixation under general anesthesia and analgesia. In a pilot experiment, 9-month-old mice were treated five times with URMC-099 (10 mg/kg, i.p.), spaced 12 h apart, with three doses prior to surgery and two doses following surgery. In this experiment, microgliosis was evaluated using unbiased stereology and blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability was assessed using immunoglobulin G (IgG) immunostaining. In follow-up experiments, 3-month-old mice were treated only three times with URMC-099 (10 mg/kg, i.p.), spaced 12 h apart, prior to orthopedic surgery. Two-photon scanning laser microscopy and CLARITY with light-sheet microscopy were used to define surgery-induced changes in microglial dynamics and morphology, respectively. Surgery-induced memory impairment was assessed using the "What-Where-When" and Memory Load Object Discrimination tasks. The acute peripheral immune response to surgery was assessed by cytokine/chemokine profiling and flow cytometry. Finally, long-term fracture healing was assessed in fracture callouses using micro-computerized tomography (microCT) and histomorphometry analyses. RESULTS: Orthopedic surgery induced BBB disruption and microglial activation, but had no effect on microglial process motility. Surgically treated mice exhibited impaired object place and identity discrimination in the "What-Where-When" and Memory Load Object Discrimination tasks. Both URMC-099 dosing paradigms prevented the neuroinflammatory sequelae that accompanied orthopedic surgery. URMC-099 prophylaxis had no effect on the mobilization of the peripheral innate immune response and fracture healing. CONCLUSIONS: These findings show that prophylactic URMC-099 treatment is sufficient to prevent surgery-induced microgliosis and cognitive impairment without affecting fracture healing. Together, these findings provide compelling evidence for the advancement of URMC-099 as a therapeutic option for PND.

Bufalin engages in RIP1-dependent and ROS-dependent programmed necroptosis in breast cancer cells by targeting the RIP1/RIP3/PGAM5 pathway.

Breast cancer causes high mortality among females worldwide. Bufalin has recently been shown to trigger tumor cell death, although the mechanism of cytotoxicity remains unclear. The cytotoxicity of bufalin in breast cancer cells was examined using an MTT assay. The modes of death and intracellular reactive oxygen species production were measured by flow cytometry. We also observed cellular morphologic changes by Hoechst 33342 and propidium iodide staining and transmission electron microscopy. Western blotting was performed to determine the expression levels of related proteins. Our results showed that bufalin reduced cellular viability and promoted reactive oxygen species production, which could be inhibited by Nec-1 and N-acetylcysteine. Necroptosis was detected by Hoechst 33342 and propidium iodide staining and transmission electron microscopy. Western blot analysis showed that bufalin induced necroptosis by upregulating the necroptosis mediator RIP1 and the RIP1/RIP3/PGAM5 pathway. Taken together, these findings indicated that bufalin induces breast cancer cell necroptosis by targeting the RIP1/RIP3/PGAM5 pathway.

Correction to: Meta-analysis of adjunctive dexamethasone to improve clinical outcome of bacterial meningitis in children.

The original version of this article unfortunately contained an error.

Meta-analysis of adjunctive dexamethasone to improve clinical outcome of bacterial meningitis in children.

BACKGROUND: The current recommended therapies for bacterial meningitis are effective antimicrobial agents and the implementation of childhood vaccination programs. However, the role of adjunctive dexamethasone therapy in bacterial meningitis remains controversial. METHODS: Using meta-analysis, this study aims to investigate the efficacy of adjunctive dexamethasone therapy in bacterial meningitis by comparing it with antibiotic therapy. Documents of randomized controlled trials (RCT) related to the treatment of bacterial meningitis in children with dexamethasone published since the establishment of the databases to December in 2016 were retrieved from the databases of Cochrane Library, Pubmed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, Chinese BioMedical Literature Database, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure. The references in RCT were retrieved by hands at the same time. Full texts of screened documents were searched and given qualitative review, and then, all RCT included were analyzed statistically by using Review Manger 5.3 software. RESULTS: The search yielded 15 studies (2409 children cases), among which 4 fall in grade A and 11 were grade B. The results of meta-analysis have shown that patients who received dexamethasone have significantly lower risks in incidence of hearing loss (OR = 0.68, 95%CI 0.53-0.89, P = 0.004) and severe neurological sequelae (OR = 0.59, 95%CI 0.37-0.95, P = 0.03), but the follow-up mortality is hardly effected (OR = 0.86, 95%CI 0.67-1.10, P = 0.23). CONCLUSIONS: Evidence has proven that the adjunctive administration of dexamethasone is conducive to treating children with bacterial meningitis to a certain extent, to decreasing the possibility of hearing loss and severe neurological sequelae, but has no significant effect on the follow-up mortality.

Application of quantitative electroencephalography in predicting early cerebral ischemia in patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy.

Background: Quantitative electroencephalography (QEEG) has emerged as a promising monitoring method in cerebral ischemia, but the feasibility of QEEG in intraoperative cerebral perfusion-related ischemia monitoring is still uncertain. The purpose of this study was to investigate the value of QEEG monitoring in Carotid Endarterectomy (CEA) and the thresholds for intraoperative cerebral perfusion-related ischemia monitoring. Methods: Sixty-three patients who underwent carotid endarterectomy with continuous Transcranial Doppler ultrasound (TCD) monitoring and QEEG monitoring at Xuanwu Hospital Capital Medical University from January 2021 to August 2021 were enrolled in this study. Each patient received total intravenous anesthesia. Middle cerebral artery blood flow velocity (V-MCA) was obtained by TCD. Relative alpha percentage (RA) and alpha-delta ratio (ADR) were obtained by QEEG monitoring. Patients were divided into ischemic and non-ischemic groups using a decline of more than 50% in the V-MCA monitored by TCD as the gold standard. Results: Of the 63 patients, twenty patients were divided into the ischemic group, and forty-three patients into the non-ischemic group. Ipsilateral post-clamp RA and ADR values of QEEG were decreased for all patients in the ischemic group. The optimal threshold for RA and ADR to predict cerebral ischemia was a 14% decrease from baseline (sensitivity 90.0%, specificity 90.7%, Kappa value 0.786), a 21% decrease from baseline (sensitivity 85.0%, specificity 81.4%, Kappa value 0.622), respectively, indicated by TCD monitoring. Conclusions: Our study demonstrated that QEEG is a promising monitoring method undergoing CEA under general anesthesia and has good consistency with TCD.

Bufalin Induces Programmed Necroptosis in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Drug-Resistant Cell Lines through RIP1/ROS-Mediated Pathway.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect and mechanism of action of bufalin in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) drug-resistant cell lines. METHODS: The normal human mammary epithelial cell line, TNBC cell line, TNBC adriamycin-resistant cell line, and TNBC docetaxel-resistant cell line were treated with different doses of bufalin (0-1,000 nmol/L) at different time points (0-72 h). Propidium iodide staining, AV-FITC/PI double staining, Hoechst 33342/PI double staining and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to evaluate the death patterns of the cell lines. RESULTS: Bufalin killed the TNBC cell line and its drug-resistant cell lines in a dose/time-dependent manner (all P<0.01). After treatment with bufalin for 24 h, the adriamycin-resistant cell line showed a co-existing pattern of necroptosis and apoptosis. However, at 48 h, necroptosis was the main manifestation. After treatment with bufalin, the expressions of tumor necrosis factor α, phospho-tumor necrosis factor receptor 1, phospho-receptor interacting protein 1 and c-caspase 3 increased (all P<0.01), the killing effect of bufalin could be mostly inhibited by NEC-1, and by z-VAD-fmk (both P<0.01). Besides, the intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels increased considerably (P<0.01), the antioxidant N-acetyl cysteine or Nec-1 could inhibit the increase of ROS level and the killing effect of bufalin (all P<0.01). The adriamycin-resistant cell line exhibited necroptosis characteristic after 48 h of bufalin treatment under TEM. CONCLUSIONS: Bufalin could induce necroptosis through RIP1/ROS-mediated pathway to kill the drug-resistant TNBC cell lines. This finding provides critical experimental data and theoretical basis for the clinical application of bufalin to overcome the difficulties in the treatment of TNBC.

[Modelling of cerebral hyper-perfusion after chronic forebrain ischemia in rats].

OBJECTIVE: To establish the cerebral hyper-perfusion model after chronic forebrain ischemia in rats. METHODS: A total of 72 male rats were equally randomized into 2 modeling groups. The ligation of bilateral common carotid artery could induce chronic forebrain ischemia. And 36 rats were randomly grouped by ischemia duration: control group (n = 9), sham group (n = 9), 2-week ischemia group (n = 9) and 4-week ischemia group (n = 9). The blood flow in frontal lobe was measured at pre- and post-ligation. The neurological score and cerebral infarction area were also compared among the groups. The cerebral reperfusion was concurrently undertaken with an infusion dose of phenylephedrine at 4 µg×kg(-1)×min(-1) via tail vein to produce cerebrally hyperperfused blood flow rate over 200% of baseline following chronic ischemia. According to cerebral hyper-perfusion duration, 36 rats were randomly assigned into 4 groups: control group (n = 9), saline infusion group (n = 9), 30-minute cerebral hyper-perfusion group (n = 9) and 2-hour cerebral hyper-perfusion group (n = 9). The blood flow in frontal lobe was measured before and after cerebral hyper-perfusion. The neurological score, blood-brain barrier permeability and dry-wet weight ratio of brain also were compared among the groups. RESULTS: The forebrain blood flow decreased by 67% ± 2% after the ligation of bilateral common carotid artery. There was significant difference between cerebral hyper-perfusion and saline infusion groups (P < 0.01). No statistic difference was observed in neurological score and cerebral infarction area between 2-week ischemia and control groups. But it was obvious between 4-week ischemia and control groups. The permeability in blood-brain barrier of rats significantly increased in 2-hour hyper-perfusion group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The 2-hour duration of cerebral hyper-perfusion following a 2-week ligation of bilateral common carotid artery may establish a reliable cerebral hyper-perfusion model in rats.

Dietary Choline Protects Against Cognitive Decline After Surgery in Mice.

Perioperative neurocognitive disorders (PNDs) are a common complication following procedures such as orthopedic surgery. Using a mouse model of tibial fracture and repair surgery, we have previously shown an increase in neuroinflammation and hippocampal-dependent cognitive deficits. These changes were ameliorated with the addition of a cholinergic agonist. Here, we sought to examine the effects of a high-choline diet for 3 weeks prior to tibial fracture surgery. We evaluated memory using novel object recognition (NOR) as well as young neurons and glial cell morphology at 1 day and 2 weeks post-surgery. At both time points, tibial fracture impaired NOR performance, and dietary choline rescued these impairments. Astrocytic density and hilar granule cells increased 1 day after tibial fracture, and these increases were partially blunted by dietary choline. An increase in young neurons in the subgranular zone of the dentate gyrus was found 2 weeks after tibial fracture. This increase was partially blunted by choline supplementation. This suggests that shortly after tibial fracture, hippocampal reorganization is a possible mechanism for acute impaired memory. These findings together suggest that non-pharmaceutical approaches, such as pre-surgical dietary intervention with choline, may be able to prevent PNDs.

Oxycodone suppresses the lipopolysaccharide-induced neuroinflammation by downregulating nuclear factor-κB in hippocampal astrocytes of Sprague-Dawley rats.

Neuroinflammation is a common pathogenic mechanism in several neurodegenerative diseases, and glial cells are the primary inflammatory mediators of the central nervous system (CNS). Acute neuronal injury, infection, and chronic neurodegeneration may induce astrocyte activation, which is a response characterized by hyperproliferation and release of multiple inflammatory signaling factors. The opioid analgesic oxycodone has demonstrated anti-inflammatory efficacy in peripheral tissue, but its effects on the CNS have not been studied. We evaluated the inhibitory effects of oxycodone on astrocyte activation and proinflammatory mediator production in response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Our results showed that oxycodone (5-20 µg/ml) dose-dependently inhibited the LPS-induced astrocytosis, as measured by 3-[4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2, 5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide and bromodeoxyuridine assays, as well as the overexpression of glial fibrillary acidic protein, which are two hallmarks of reactive astrogliosis in neurodegenerative diseases. Oxycodone also decreased both the mRNA and protein expression levels of proinflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and interleukin-1ß. Besides, oxycodone increased the expression of the nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) endogenous inhibitor IκB-α, and blocked NF-κB translocation to the nucleus. The anti-inflammatory efficacy of oxycodone on rat astrocytes increased with pretreatment duration. These results suggest that oxycodone can suppress neuroinflammation by inhibiting NF-κB signaling in astrocytes. Targeting the astrocytic NF-κB-mediated inflammatory response may be an effective therapeutic strategy against diseases involving neuroinflammatory damage.

Oxycodone suppresses the apoptosis of hippocampal neurons induced by oxygen-glucose deprivation/recovery through caspase-dependent and caspase-independent pathways via κ- and δ-opioid receptors in rats.

Cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury (CIRI) can lead to perioperative neurocognitive disorders (PND) during clinical recanalization procedures in cerebral vessels, principally due to neuronal apoptosis in the hippocampus. Oxycodone appears to be a multiple opioid receptor agonist and exerts intrinsic antinociception activity via κ-opioid receptor (KOR). Recent evidence has revealed that activation of both δ-opioid receptor (DOR) and KOR can provide neuroprotection against CIRI in vivo and in vitro. In our study, we established an oxygen-glucose deprivation/recovery (OGD/R) model with fetal hippocampal neurons and found that oxycodone could induce CIRI tolerance in these neurons, primarily through KOR and DOR. Possible mechanisms might involve the regulatory effect of oxycodone on the MAPK-Bcl2/Bax-caspase-9-caspase-3 pathway, as well as its inhibitory effect on cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and mitochondrial membrane potential activation. Taken together, our findings may indicate a potential method for the prevention and treatment of PND associated with CIRI.

Exosomes: A Promising Avenue for the Diagnosis of Breast Cancer.

Currently, despite the advances in individualized treatment, breast cancer still remains the deadliest form of cancer in women. Diagnostic, prognostic, and therapy-predictive methods are mainly based on the evaluation of tumor tissue samples and are aimed to improve the overall therapeutic level. Therefore, the exploration of a series of circulating biomarkers, which serve as the information source of tumors and could be obtained by peripheral blood samples, represents a high field of interest. Apart from classical biomarkers, exosomes, which are nanovesicles, are emerging as an accessible and efficient source of cell information. The purpose of this review is to summarize the peculiarities of the presently available breast cancer exosomal biomarkers; the review also provides the prediction of a multitude of potential target genes of exosomal microRNAs using 4 databases.

Golgi fragmentation induced by overactivated cyclin-dependent kinase 5 is associated with isoflurane-induced neurotoxicity.

Overactivated cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (Cdk5) induces Golgi fragmentation, which interrupts the processing and trafficking of secretory cargo and subsequently synaptic plasticity and synaptogenesis, and even leads to neuronal cell death. Cdk5 overactivation and subsequent Golgi fragmentation are involved in many neurodegenerative diseases. However, whether isoflurane-induced neurotoxicity is relevant to aberrant Cdk5 activation and subsequent Golgi fragmentation remains unknown. In the present study, we explored the underlying molecular mechanisms of isoflurane-induced neurotoxicity in primary cultured hippocampal neurons. After treatment with 2% isoflurane for 6 h, immunofluorescence staining and transmission electron microscopy were used to examine the Golgi structure. Neuronal viability was evaluated using the 3-(4,5-dimethyithiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay and TUNEL staining. Cdk5 activity was assessed using histone H1 as a substrate. Our results showed that Cdk5 activity and the number of fragmented Golgi increased significantly after isoflurane exposure. This was accompanied by an increase in neuronal death. Meanwhile, pharmacological inhibition of Cdk5 activity by 8 µM roscovitine alleviated isoflurane-induced Golgi fragmentation and neurotoxicity. Cumulatively, this study shows that aberrant Cdk5 activation-induced Golgi fragmentation is relevant to isoflurane neurotoxicity and indicates that a Cdk5 inhibitor may be a potential therapeutic candidate for the prevention of isoflurane-induced neurotoxicity. Video abstract: http://links.lww.com/WNR/A445.

Rapid expansion in the WAVE bioreactor of clinical scale cells for tumor immunotherapy.

Cell-based immunotherapy using natural killer (NK) cells, cytokine-induced killer (CIK) cells and dendritic cells (DCs) is emerging as a potential novel approach in the auxiliary treatment of a tumor. However, non-standard operation procedure, small-scale cell number, or human error may limit the clinical development of cell-based immunotherapy. To simplify clinical scale NK cells, CIK cells and DCs expansions, we investigated the use of the WAVE bioreactor, a closed system bioreactor that utilizes active perfusion to generate high cell numbers in minimal volumes. We developed an optimized rapid expansion protocol for the WAVE bioreactor that produces clinically relevant number of cells for our adoptive cell transfer clinical protocols. The high proliferative rate, surface phenotypes, and cytotoxicity of these immune cells, as well as the safety of cultivation were analyzed to illuminate the effect of WAVE bioreactor. The results demonstrated that the benefit of utilizing modern WAVE bioreactors in cancer immunotherapy was simple, safe, and flexible production.

Preoperative NLR for predicting survival rate after radical resection combined with adjuvant immunotherapy with CIK and postoperative chemotherapy in gastric cancer.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to determine the efficacy of adjuvant immunotherapy with autologous cytokine-induced killer (CIK) for postoperative patients with gastric cancer and to investigate the impacts of the predictors on the efficacy of CIK immunotherapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Ninety-two gastric cancer patients who have accepted radical resection were enrolled. The CIK and control groups were established by 1:1 matching on their baseline. As prognosis indicators, preoperative blood cell counts, the neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet/lymphocyte ratio (PLR) were analyzed, respectively. Statistical analyses were done using IBM SPSS Statistics ver.19.0. RESULTS: CIK treatment significantly prolonged disease-free survival (DFS) (p < 0.05) and there was a tendency of longer overall survival (OS) in the CIK group (p = 0.057). Preoperative NLR was an independent prognostic factor for DFS (p < 0.05). When patients were classified into low and high NLR groups using the cutoff value of 2.995, patients in the low NLR group had a better DFS (p < 0.05). Subset analysis showed that CIK immunotherapy significantly prolonged the DFS in the low NLR group (p = 0.017) but not in the high NLR group (p = 0.695) except that it did well clearly within 17 months. Compared to the low NLR group, lymphocyte decreased significantly, neutrophil increased steeply and white blood cell (WBC) elevated subsequently (p < 0.001in all cases) in the high NLR group. CONCLUSION: Adjuvant immunotherapy with the CIK cells prolongs DFS in postoperative patients with gastric cancer and the preoperative NLR is an independent prognostic factor for DFS. Low NLR predicts significant benefits from the CIK immunotherapy while high NLR forebodes the requirement of more cycles of CIK treatment or other stronger immunotherapy to improve the survival rate of patients.