Calcium-sensing receptor and NF-κB pathways in TN breast cancer contribute to cancer-induced cardiomyocyte damage via activating neutrophil extracellular traps formation.

Cardiovascular disorders are commonly prevalent in cancer patients, yet the mechanistic link between them remains poorly understood. Because neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) have implications not just in cardiovascular diseases (CVD), but also in breast cancer (BC), it was hypothesized to contribute to CVD in the context of oncogenesis. We established a mouse model using nude mice to simulate liver metastasis of triple-negative BC (TNBC) through the injection of MDA-MB-231 cells. Multiple imaging and analysis techniques were employed to assess the cardiac function and structure, including echocardiography, HE staining, Masson staining, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). MDA-MB-231 cells underwent treatment with a CaSR inhibitor, CaSR agonist, and NF-κB channel blocker. The phosphorylation of NF-κB channel protein p65 and the expression and secretion of IL-8 were assessed using qRT-PCR, Western Blot, and ELISA, respectively. In addition, MDA-MB-231 cells were co-cultured with polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) under varying conditions. The co-localization of PMN extracellular myeloperoxidase (MPO) and DNA were observed by cellular immunofluorescence staining to identify the formation of NETs. Then, the cardiomyocytes were co-cultured with the above medium that contains NETs or not, respectively; the effects of NETs on cardiomyocytes apoptosis were perceived by flow cytometry. The ultrastructural changes of myocardial cells were perceived by TEM, and ELISA detected the levels of myocardial enzyme (LDH, MDA and SOD). Overall, according to our research, CaSR has been found to have a regulatory role in IL-8 secretion in MDA-MB-231 cells, as well as in the formation of NETs by PMN cells. These findings suggest CaSR-mediated stimulation in PMN can lead to increased NETs formation and subsequently to cytotoxicity in cardiomyocytes, which potentially via activation of the NF-κB signaling cascade of BC cell.

Binding and detoxification of chlorpyrifos by lactic acid bacteria on rice straw silage fermentation.

This investigation examined the reduction of pesticide residues on straw inoculated with lactic acid bacteria (LAB) during ensiling. Lactobacillus casei WYS3 was isolated from rice straw that contained pesticide residues. Non-sterilized rice straw, which was inoculated with L. casei WYS3, showed increased removal of chlorpyrifos after ensiling, compared with rice straw that was not inoculated with L. casei WYS3 or sterilized rice straw. In pure culture, these strains can bind chlorpyrifos as indicated by high-performance liquid chromatography analysis. Viable L. casei WYS3 was shown to bind 33.3-42% of exogenously added chlorpyrifos. These results are similar to those of acid-treated cells but less than those of heat-treated cells, which were found to bind 32.0% and 77.2% of the added chlorpyrifos respectively. Furthermore, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis determined that L. casei WYS3 detoxified chlorpyrifos via P-O-C cleavage. Real-time polymerized chain reaction analysis determined that organophosphorus hydrolase gene expression tripled after the addition of chlorpyrifos to LAB cultures, compared with the control group (without chlorpyrifos). This paper highlights the potential use of LAB starter cultures for the detoxification and removal of chlorpyrifos residues in the environment.

Ferroptosis and EMT resistance in cancer: a comprehensive review of the interplay.

Ferroptosis differs from traditional cell death mechanisms like apoptosis, necrosis, and autophagy, primarily due to its reliance on iron metabolism and the loss of glutathione peroxidase activity, leading to lipid peroxidation and cell death. The dysregulation of iron metabolism is a hallmark of various cancers, contributing to tumor progression, metastasis, and notably, drug resistance. The acquisition of mesenchymal characteristics by epithelial cells is known as Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT), a biological process intricately linked to cancer development, promoting traits such as invasiveness, metastasis, and resistance to therapeutic interventions. EMT plays a pivotal role in cancer progression and contributes significantly to the complex dynamics of carcinogenesis. Research findings indicate that mesenchymal cancer cells exhibit greater susceptibility to ferroptosis compared to their epithelial counterparts. The induction of ferroptosis becomes more effective in eliminating drug-resistant cancer cells during the process of EMT. The interplay between ferroptosis and EMT, a process where epithelial cells transform into mobile mesenchymal cells, is crucial in understanding cancer progression. EMT is associated with increased cancer metastasis and drug resistance. The review delves into how ferroptosis and EMT influence each other, highlighting the role of key proteins like GPX4, which protects against lipid peroxidation, and its inhibition can induce ferroptosis. Conversely, increased GPX4 expression is linked to heightened resistance to ferroptosis in cancer cells. Moreover, the review discusses the implications of EMT-induced transcription factors such as Snail, Zeb1, and Twist in modulating the sensitivity of tumor cells to ferroptosis, thereby affecting drug resistance and cancer treatment outcomes. Targeting the ferroptosis pathway offers a promising therapeutic strategy, particularly for tumors resistant to conventional treatments. The induction of ferroptosis in these cells could potentially overcome drug resistance. However, translating these findings into clinical practice presents challenges, including understanding the precise mechanisms of ferroptosis induction, identifying predictive biomarkers, and optimizing combination therapies. The review underscores the need for further research to unravel the complex interactions between ferroptosis, EMT, and drug resistance in cancer. This could lead to the development of more effective, targeted cancer treatments, particularly for drug-resistant tumors, offering new hope in cancer therapeutics.

Coupling CO2-to-Ethylene Reduction with the Chlor-Alkaline Process in Seawater through In Situ-Formed Cu Catalysts.

The overall commercial value of a CO2 electroreduction system is hindered by the valueless product and high energy consumption of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) at the anode. Herein, with an in situ-formed copper catalyst, we employed the alternative chlorine evolution reaction for OER, and high-speed formation of both C2 products and hypochlorite in seawater can be realized. The EDTA in the sea salt electrolyte can trigger an intense dissolution and deposition of Cu on the surface of the electrode, resulting in the in situ formation of dendrites of Cu with high chemical activity. In this system, a faradaic efficiency of 47% can be realized for C2H4 production at the cathode and a faradaic efficiency of 85% can be realized for hypochlorite production at the anode with an operation current of 100 mA/cm2. This work presents a system for designing a highly efficient coupling system for the CO2 reduction reaction and alternative anodic reactions toward value-added products in a seawater environment.

The effect of biogas slurry application on biomass production and the silage quality of corn.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of biogas slurry application on biomass production and the silage quality of corn. METHODS: A field experiment was conducted in which corn was grown using different biogas slurry application rates. The effect of 25% to 500% biogas slurry nitrogen replacement (T1 to T14) on the yield and quality indices of corn were studied by field plot experiments. RESULTS: The results revealed that biogas slurry application improved the stem diameter and relative feed value of corn silage in treatments T13 and T11. Moreover, the fermentation quality of corn silage was improved due to an increase in lactic acid content; in comparison with the chemical synthetic fertilizer (CF) group. The crude protein contents of corn silage had no obvious change with increasing biogas slurry application. However, the forage quality index of acid detergent fiber was decreased (p<0.05) in the T11 group compared with the CF group. In addition, higher (p<0.05) 30 h in vitro dry matter digestibility and 30 h in vitro neutral detergent fiber digestibility were observed in the T11 and T13 groups than in the CF group. CONCLUSION: Based on these results, it was concluded that the optimum biogas slurry application rate for corn was approximately 350% to 450% biogas slurry nitrogen replacement under the present experimental conditions.

Engineering the Inhomogeneity of Metal-Insulator-Semiconductor Junctions for Photoelectrochemical Methanol Oxidation.

Si-based inhomogeneous metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) junctions with a discontinuous metal nanostructure on the Si/insulator layer are expected to be efficient photoelectrodes for solar energy conversion. However, the formation of a metal nanostructure with an optimized arrangement on semiconductors for efficient charge carrier collection is still a big challenge. Herein, we report a method for the in situ formation of an n-Si inhomogeneous MIS junction with well-dispersed metal nanocontacts through a self-assembly process during photoelectrochemical (PEC) methanol oxidation. The photovoltage shows a strong dependence on the inhomogeneity of the n-Si MIS junction, which can be precisely tuned by the applied electrode potential and operation time. The appropriate inhomogeneity of the Schottky junction as well as the high barrier regions induced by the metal oxide/(oxy)hydroxide layer synergistically produces a large photovoltage of 500 mV for the n-Si inhomogeneous MIS junction. Finally, the n-Si-based photoanode is coupled with a CO2-to-formate reaction to realize the production of formate at both electrodes, resulting in a high faradic efficiency (FE) of 86 and 93% for anode and cathode reactions at an operational current of 30 mA/cm2, respectively. These findings provide important insights into the design of highly efficient inhomogeneous MIS junctions through an in situ self-assembly route for solar energy conversion and storage.

Expression and Clinical Significance of HER2 Gene and DNMT1 in Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer.

Objective: To explore the expression and clinical significance of HER2 and DNMT1 in non-small-cell lung cancer. Methods: The patients with non-small-cell lung cancer treated in the First Affiliated Hospital of Jiamusi University between 2018 and 2020 were enrolled in this study. The serum DNMT1 concentration and the expression of HER2 protein in lung cancer and adjacent tissues of the two groups were analyzed. Results: The DNMT1 protein concentration was significantly correlated with gender, age, and smoking history of patients. HER2-positive expression was significantly related to tumor type, tumor size, tumor differentiation degree, and lymph node metastasis. However, HER2 levels were not related to the gender and smoking history of patients. Conclusion: High expression of DNMT1 protein in serum may increase the risk of non-small-cell lung cancer and may play an important role in the early development of lung cancer. HER2-positive expression may promote the development of advanced and metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer.

Clinical Characteristics and Prognosis of HER2 Gene Phenotype in Patients with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

INTRODUCTION: We aim to investigate the relationship between HER2 gene phenotype and clinical characteristics, distribution and prognosis of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. METHODS: A total of 249 NSCLC patients admitted to the oncology department of our hospital from January 2015 to January 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. The clinicopathological information, CT signs, clinical efficacy and long-term prognosis were collected and compared. RESULTS: A total of 249 NSCLC patients underwent HER2 gene testing, 21 of them (8.43%) complied with HER2 alterations [HER2 (+)], and there were significant differences in tumor stages among patients with different HER2 phenotypes (P<0.05). Among 21 NSCLC patients with HER2 (+), HER2 gene mutation was found in 17 patients (81%), and HER2 gene amplification in 4 patients (19%). Among the HER2 mutations, 12 cases (57%) were 20 exon mutations, and 5 cases (19%) were other mutations. Analysis of CT signs showed that border lobulation/burr, necrosis sign and pleural depression were correlated with HER2 gene mutation (P<0.05). The incidence of EGRF mutation in HER (+) patients was significantly lower than that in HER (-) patients (P<0.05), but there was no significant difference in the incidence of ALK gene mutation among different HER phenotypes (P>0.05). The disease control rate of HER2 (+) patients was significantly lower than that of HER2 (-) patients, and the 12-month progression-free survival rate and survival rate of HER2 (+) patients were significantly higher than those of HER2 (-) patients (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the incidence of ADR among HER2 patients with different phenotypes, but the incidence of ADR (adverse drug reaction) in HER2 (+) patients with Grade 3 or 4 was significantly higher than that in the control group (P<0.05). DISCUSSION: The incidence of HER2 gene mutations in NSCLC patients is relatively low, but it is far commoner in patients with stage IIIB~IV, among which exon 20 mutations are the most prevalent. In CT signs, the lesion lobulated sign/spiculated sign, necrosis signs, and pleural depression signs are related to HER2 gene mutations. In addition, HER2 gene mutations play a crucial role in the clinical prognosis and treatment safety of patients.

Impact of molasses and microbial inoculants on fermentation quality, aerobic stability, and bacterial and fungal microbiomes of barley silage.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of microbial inoculants (L) and molasses (M) on the bacterial and fungal microbiomes of barley silage after the aerobic stage. The addition of molasses and microbial inoculants improved the aerobic stability of barley silage. The ML silage, which had a low pH value and high lactic and acetic acid contents, remained aerobically stable for more than 216 h. The ML silage exhibited low bacterial and high fungal diversities. Microbial inoculants and molasses enriched the abundance of Lactobacillus in silage after aerobic exposure. The enrichment of L. buchneri was significant in ML silage at days 5 and 7 during the aerobic stage. The abundance of harmful microorganisms, such as aerobic bacterial including Acinetobacter, Providencia, Bacillus, and yeasts including Issatchenkia, Candida, and Kazachstania, were suppressed in ML silage. M and L had an impact on bacterial and fungal microbes, resulting in the improvement of fermentation quality and reduction of aerobic spoilage in barley silage.

Interaction effect of silo density and additives on the fermentation quality, microbial counts, chemical composition and in vitro degradability of rice straw silage.

This research evaluated the effect of molasses (M), cellulosic enzymes (E) and lactic acid bacteria (LAB) alone or in combination (M + LAB and E + LAB) on the fermentation quality, microbial counts, chemical composition and in vitro degradability of rice straw silages in different silo densities (200, 300, 400 and 500 kg/m3). The M or E groups alone increased the dry matter (DM) losses at low silo densities. Acetic acid produced by LAB-related groups significantly inhibited yeast and mould at the silo density of 300 kg/m3. Under high silo densities (>400 kg/m3), LAB-related additives significantly improved the fermentation quality and reduced the DM losses. The use of E + LAB further improved the in vitro degradability of rice straw silages at high silo densities. In conclusion, higher silo density and appropriate complex additives were of great significance to improve the quality of rice straw silage.

Genetic Diversity and Structure of Lolium Species Surveyed on Nuclear Simple Sequence Repeat and Cytoplasmic Markers.

To assess the genetic diversity and population structure of Lolium species, we used 32 nuclear simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers and 7 cytoplasmic gene markers to analyze a total of 357 individuals from 162 accessions of 9 Lolium species. This survey revealed a high level of polymorphism, with an average number of alleles per locus of 23.59 and 5.29 and an average PIC-value of 0.83 and 0.54 for nuclear SSR markers and cytoplasmic gene markers, respectively. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) revealed that 16.27 and 16.53% of the total variation was due to differences among species, with the remaining 56.35 and 83.47% due to differences within species and 27.39 and 0% due to differences within individuals in 32 nuclear SSR markers set and 6 chloroplast gene markers set, respectively. The 32 nuclear SSR markers detected three subpopulations among 357 individuals, whereas the 6 chloroplast gene markers revealed three subpopulations among 160 accessions in the STRUCTURE analysis. In the clustering analysis, the three inbred species clustered into a single group, whereas the outbreeding species were clearly divided, especially according to nuclear SSR markers. In addition, almost all Lolium multiflorum populations were clustered into group C4, which could be further divided into three subgroups, whereas Lolium perenne populations primarily clustered into two groups (C2 and C3), with a few lines that instead grouped with L. multiflorum (C4) or Lolium rigidum (C6). Together, these results will useful for the use of Lolium germplasm for improvement and increase the effectiveness of ryegrass breeding.

The effect of lactic acid bacterial starter culture and chemical additives on wilted rice straw silage.

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are suitable for rice straw silage fermentation, but have been studied rarely, and rice straw as raw material for ensiling is difficult because of its disadvantages, such as low nutrition for microbial activities and low abundances of natural populations of LAB. So we investigated the effect of application of LAB and chemical additives on the fermentation quality and microbial community of wilted rice straw silage. Treatment with chemical additives increased the concentrations of crude protein (CP), water soluble carbohydrate (WSC), acetic acid and lactic acid, reduced the concentrations of acid detergent fiber (ADF) and neutral detergent fiber (NDF), but did not effectively inhibit the growth of spoilage organisms. Inoculation with LABs did not improve the nutritional value of the silage because of poor growth of LABs in wilted rice straw. Inoculation with LAB and addition of chemical materials improved the quality of silage similar to the effects of addition of chemical materials alone. Growth of aerobic and facultatively anaerobic bacteria was inhibited by this mixed treatment and the LAB gradually dominated the microbial community. In summary, the fermentation quality of wilted rice straw silage had improved by addition of LAB and chemical materials.

Copper tolerance of the biomass crops Elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum Schumach), Vetiver grass (Vetiveria zizanioides) and the upland reed (Phragmites australis) in soil culture.

Pot trials were conducted to study the influence of copper (Cu) on the growth and biomass of Elephant grass (EG, Pennisetum purpureum Schumach), Vetiver grass (VG, Vetiveria zizanioides) and the upland reed (UR, Phragmites australis). Cu toxicity in EG, VG and UR was positively correlated with the total and bioavailable Cu concentrations in the soil. Based on the EC50, dry weights, Cu contents, chlorophyll contents and photosynthesis rates, the Cu tolerance of the three species followed the trend EGNVGNUR. There were no significant differences in the unit calorific values among the different plants, though the total calorific values of EG were higher than those of VG and UR due to its higher biomass. The addition of KH2PO4 to the soil decreased the bioavailability of Cu and the Cu uptake by plants. EG could therefore be a good candidate for growth on Cu-contaminated soils, especially those improved by phosphate.

Development of EST-derived CAPS and AFLP markers linked to a gene for resistance to ryegrass blast (Pyricularia sp.) in Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.).

Ryegrass blast, also called gray leaf spot, is caused by the fungus Pyricularia sp. It is one of the most serious diseases of Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) in Japan. We analyzed segregation of resistance in an F(1) population from a cross between a resistant and a susceptible cultivar. The disease severity distribution in the F(1) population suggested that resistance was controlled by a major gene (Lm Pi1). Analysis of amplified fragment length polymorphisms with bulked segregant analysis identified several markers tightly linked to Lm Pi1. To identify other markers linked to Lm Pi1, we used expressed sequence tag-cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence (EST-CAPS) markers mapped in a reference population of Italian ryegrass. Of the 30 EST-CAPS markers screened, one marker, p 56, flanking the Lm Pi1 locus was found. The restriction pattern of p 56 amplification showed a unique fragment corresponding to the resistant allele at the Lm Pi1 locus. A linkage map constructed from the reference population showed that the Lm Pi1 locus was located in linkage group 5 of Italian ryegrass. Genotype results obtained from resistant and susceptible cultivars indicate that the p 56 marker is useful for introduction of the Lm Pi1 gene into susceptible germ plasm in order to develop ryegrass cultivars with enhanced resistance to ryegrass blast.