[Retracted] MicroRNA­760 inhibits cell proliferation and invasion of colorectal cancer by targeting the SP1­mediated PTEN/AKT signalling pathway.

Following the publication of this paper, it was drawn to the Editors' attention by a concerned reader that certain of the cell migration and invasion assay data shown in Figs. 2C and 5C were strikingly similar to data appearing in different form in other articles by different authors. Owing to the fact that the contentious data in the above article had already been published elsewhere, or were already under consideration for publication, prior to its submission to Molecular Medicine Reports, the Editor has decided that this paper should be retracted from the Journal. The authors were asked for an explanation to account for these concerns, but the Editorial Office did not receive a satisfactory reply. The Editor apologizes to the readership for any inconvenience caused. [the original article was published in Molecular Medicine Reports 16: 9692­9700, 2017; DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2017.7814].

Long Non-Coding RNA Cancer Susceptibility 9 (CASC9) Up-Regulates the Expression of ERBB2 by Inhibiting miR-193a-5p in Colorectal Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Emerging studies have reported that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) were crucial regulators in the progression of colorectal cancer (CRC). LncRNA susceptibility 9 (CASC9) was involved in several cancers; however, its role in CRC remains unknown. METHODS: RT-PCR was done to probe the expression of CASC9 and miR-193a-5p in CRC samples. CRC cell lines (HCT116 and SW480) were used as cell models. The biological influence of CASC9 on cancer cells was studied using CCK-8 assay, Transwell assay and TUNEL assay in vitro, and subcutaneous xenotransplanted tumor model in vivo. Interaction between CASC9 and miR-193a-5p was investigated by bioinformatics analysis, RT-PCR, and luciferase reporter assay. The expression level of the downstream gene of miR-193a-5p, erb-b2 receptor tyrosine kinase 2 (ERBB2), was tested by Western blot. RESULTS: CASC9 was significantly up-regulated in CRC samples, while miR-193a-5p was markedly down-regulated. Overexpression of CASC9 promoted viability, migration and invasion of CRC cells, while overexpression of miR-193a-5p had the opposite effect. CASC9 could down-regulate miR-193a-5p via sponging it, and there was a negative relevancy between CASC9 and miR-193a-5p in CRC samples. CASC9 also enhanced the expression levels of ERBB2, while this effect could be reversed by co-transfection with miR-193a-5p. CONCLUSION: CASC9, an oncogenic lncRNA, was abnormally up-regulated in CRC tissues, and it could indirectly modulate the expression of ERBB2 via reducing the expression level of miR-193a-5p.

Visible-light-driven hydrogen evolution using a polyoxometalate-based copper molecular catalyst.

Polyoxometalate-based copper clusters as promising hydrogen evolution catalysts are rarely reported. Here, [Cu5(OH)4(H2O)2(A-α-SiW9O33)2]10- (1) was tested as an effective molecular catalyst for visible-light-driven H2 evolution. A high turnover number (TON) of 718.9 was achieved in the photocatalytic reaction. Many stability experiments showed that compound 1 could maintain its structure intact during the photocatalytic process.

Effectiveness of vitamin D for adult patients with gingivitis.

BACKGROUND: This study aims to explore the effectiveness of vitamin D for the management of adult patients with gingivitis. METHODS: We will perform a comprehensive search from the following electronic databases: Cochrane Library, PUBMED, EMBASE, AMED, CINAHL, WANGFANG, VIP, CBM, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure. All databases will be searched from their inceptions to the present without language limitation. We will also search for unpublished data to avoid missing more potential studies. Two authors will carry out study selection, data extraction, and methodological quality evaluation, respectively. RevMan 5.3 software will be utilized for statistical analysis. RESULTS: This study will summarize the up-to-date evidence about the anti-inflammatory effect of vitamin D for the management of adult patients with gingivitis through assessing modified gingival, gingival bleeding indices, inflammatory factors, plaque, quality of life, and any adverse events. CONCLUSION: This study may provide helpful evidence of vitamin D for the management of adult patients with gingivitis for clinical practice. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42019156561.

[Detection on drug resistance of Mycobacterium tuberculosis by microscopic observation drug susceptibility].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of microscopic observation drug susceptibility (MODS) in detecting susceptibility of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) onto four first line anti-tuberculosis drugs. METHOD: The 24-hole cell culture plates were used to test drug susceptibility of MTB on liquid medium, and the best detecting condition of MODS assay was probed; 66 clinical isolates susceptibility to streptomycin (S), isoniazid (H), rifampin (R) and ethambutal (E) were evaluated by using MODS assay and Lowenstein-Jensen (L-J), thereafter, all the inconcordance of isolates between MODS and L-J were tested for the minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC). RESULTS: Concordance rate of the susceptibility to S, H, R and E in 66 clinical isolates detected by MODS and L-J was 97.0%, 90.9%, 95.5% and 86.4% respectively. If the results obtained by L-J were taken as a golden standard, the sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value (PPV and NPV) as well as accuracy of susceptibility test to S detected by MODS was 96.0%, 97.6%, 96.0%, 97.6% and 97.0%; 100%, 85.4%, 81.0%, 100% and 90.9% to H; 96.2%, 95%, 92.6%, 97.4% and 95.5% to R; 73.7%, 91.5%, 77.8%, 89.6% and 86.4% to E. There were 20 inconsistent results of 16 isolates by comparing MODS with L-J, and MIC yielded 16 results of those 14 isolates showing identical results with those of the MODS, while 4 results of other 4 isolates identical with L-J. CONCLUSION: MODS method simultaneously provides drug susceptibility to S, H, R and E. MODS might be one of the rapid tools to diagnosing multidrug-resistant tuberculosis as it is rapid, simple, inexpensive and has high concordance with L-J drug susceptibility test.

[Identification of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex by detecting recombinant secretory protein MPT64].

OBJECTIVE: To identify the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex by detecting the secretory protein MPT64. METHODS: The gene mpt64 was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) from the genome of Mycobacterium tuberculosis H(37)Rv strain and cloned into expression vector. Immune sera from rabbits by recombinant proteins MPT64, were used to make enzyme-labeled antibodies and coated antibodies. A double antibody sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was established to detect the secretory protein MPT64 of the culture supernatants in Mycobacterium strains. Results of ELISA were compared to those of the gene mpt64 amplified by PCR. RESULTS: A recombinant vector was constructed. The minimum detectable concentration of MPT64 was 0.01 mg/L. A total of 27 reference strains and 170 clinical isolate strains were evaluated. PCR for Mycobacterium tuberculosis reference strain, Mycobacterium bovis reference strain and Mycobacterium africanum reference strain was positive, but that for other reference stains was negative, consistent with the results of ELISA. In the 170 clinical isolate stains, the positive result of PCR and ELISA was 98.2% (111/113) and 97.3% (110/113) respectively, while the specificity of PCR and ELISA was both 100%, no positive result in non-tuberculosis mycobacterium strains. CONCLUSION: Identification of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex by detecting secretory protein MPT64 is rapid, sensitive, and specific, which can be used routinely in clinical laboratories.

Efficacy and safety of cisplatin for the management of adult patients with oral cancer: A protocol for systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Cisplatin is often used for the treatment of oral cancer (OC). However, there are inconsistent results. Thus, this study plans to systematically assess the clinical efficacy and safety of cisplatin for adult patients with OC. METHODS: We will search for PUBMED, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, AMED, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure. All of them will be searched from the construction of each database up to the present with no restrictions of language and publication status. The data analysis will be conducted using RevMan 5.3 software to assess the efficacy and safety of cisplatin for adult patients with OC. RESULTS: This study will summarize the most recent high-quality evidence and will provide helpful information about the efficacy and safety of cisplatin for adult patients with OC. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study will provide convinced evidence of cisplatin for adult patients with OC, and provide recommendations for clinical practice. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42019156558.

Continuous treatment with recombinant Mycobacterium tuberculosis CFP-10-ESAT-6 protein activated human monocyte while deactivated LPS-stimulated macrophage.

Influence of the recombinant culture filtered protein 10 (CFP-10) and early-secreted antigenic target 6kDa protein (ESAT-6) (r-CFP-10-ESAT-6, rCE) of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) on human monocyte and macrophage activation was investigated using human monocyte, monocyte like THP-1 cell line and monocyte derived macrophage (MDM). rCE solely enhanced TNF-alpha release from human monocytes and THP-1 cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. rCE enhanced expression of CD80 and CD40, it also synergized with IFN-gamma in induction of TNF-alpha production and HLA-DR expression. Pharmacological agents that selectively inhibit mitogen activated protein kinase activation markedly suppressed rCE-induced TNF- alpha release. However, continuous presence of rCE (>72h) during monocyte to macrophage differentiation inhibited macrophage response to LPS stimulation. Collectively, these data suggest that rCE might have differential influence on monocyte and macrophage activation, which might be correlated with Mtb immune evasion.

[Expression and purification of CFP32 of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and its serodiagnostic analysis].

OBJECTIVE: To establish a recombinant plasmid of CFP32 of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in E. coli, and to analyze its antigenicity. METHODS: Rv0577 gene was amplified by polymerase chain reaction from genome of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and then cloned into vector pMD18-T followed by the subclone into the expression vector pET21a. Recombinant CFP32 was expressed and purified. The antigenicity of the recombinant protein was analyzed by using Western-blot. The purified recombinant CFP32 protein was used as an antigen to screen the sera of 7 pulmonary TB patients (n = 97), as well as the other pulmonary disease patients (n = 25), and the clinically healthy controls (n = 38) by ELISA. RESULTS: Recombinant plasmid of CFP32 was established, and be expressed efficiently in E. coli BL21 (DE3). The relative molecular mass of the protein was about 300,000 by SDS-PAGE analysis. The protein purified by Ni-NTA was in a purity over 90%, which was confirmed by Western-blot analysis. ELISA analysis showed its sensitivity and specificity were 63.9% (62/97) and 96.8% (2/63) respectively. CONCLUSION: The recombinant expression plasmid pET21a CFP32 has been constructed and CFP32 proteins has been successfully expressed and be purified in E. coli and, ELISA analysis has identified the recombinant CFP32 as a candidate antigen for TB serodiagnosis.

lncRNA NORAD Contributes to Colorectal Cancer Progression by Inhibition of miR-202-5p.

Previous study indicates that long noncoding RNA NORAD could serve as a competing endogenous RNA to pancreatic cancer metastasis. However, its role in colorectal cancer (CRC) needs to be investigated. In the present study, we found that the expression of NORAD was significantly upregulated in CRC tissues. Furthermore, the expression of NORAD was positively related with CRC metastasis and patients' poor prognosis. Knockdown of NORAD markedly inhibited CRC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion but induced cell apoptosis in vitro. In vivo experiments also indicated an inhibitory effect of NORAD on tumor growth. Mechanistically, we found that NORAD served as a competing endogenous RNA for miR-202-5p. We found that there was an inverse relationship between the expression of NORAD and miR-202-5p in CRC tissues. Moreover, overexpression of miR-202-5p in SW480 and HCT116 cells significantly inhibited cellular proliferation, migration, and invasion. Taken together, our study demonstrated that the NORAD/miR-202-5p axis plays a pivotal function on CRC progression.

MicroRNA­760 inhibits cell proliferation and invasion of colorectal cancer by targeting the SP1­mediated PTEN/AKT signalling pathway.

Colorectal cancer (CRC), one of the most commonly diagnosed types of cancer worldwide, is the third most prevalent and fourth most frequent cause of cancer­related mortality. Dysregulated microRNAs (miRNAs) have potential regulatory roles in the development and progression of various cancer types. Therefore, the investigation of the miRNAs involved in CRC formation and progression may lead to the development of highly effective therapeutic strategies for CRC. In the present study, miRNA­760 (miR­760) was frequently downregulated in CRC tissues and cell lines. The low levels of miR­760 expression were significantly correlated with the tumor size, lymph node metastasis and TNM stage of CRC. Functional assays revealed that restoring miR­760 expression inhibited CRC cell proliferation and invasion in vitro. The results of bioinformatics analysis, luciferase reporter assay, reverse transcription­quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blot analysis suggested that specificity protein 1 (SP1) is a direct target of miR­760 in CRC. The high expression of SP1 in CRC tissues was inversely correlated with the expression of miR­760. Rescue experiments demonstrated that enforced SP1 expression rescued the tumor­suppressing effects of miR­760 on CRC cell proliferation and invasion. In addition, miR­760 overexpression is involved in the regulation of the PTEN/AKT signalling pathway. Collectively, the present data demonstrated that miR­760 directly targets SP1 to inactivate the PTEN/AKT signalling pathway, thus implicating miR­760 in the regulation of CRC cell proliferation and invasion. Therefore, miR­760 may be a novel biomarker and therapeutic target for CRC.

Toll-like receptor 4 gene polymorphism is associated with chronic periodontitis.

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) contribute to the immune response by recognizing patterns presented by bacteria and other pathogens. These receptors have been implicated in the inflammatory response that contributes to gingivitis and periodontitis. Conflicting reports have suggested that variations in the genes encoding TLRs, particularly TLR2 and TLR4, may influence susceptibility to periodontitis. In this study, the contribution of variations in the genes encoding TLR2 and TLR4 in the context of periodontitis was examined in 254 patients with moderate periodontitis, 418 patients with severe periodontitis, and 260 healthy controls free of gum disease. Genomic DNA was extracted from participants' whole blood, and genotyping of TLR2/TLR4 as performed using real-time polymerase chain reaction with TaqMan MGB primer. The genotype, allele, and haplotype frequencies were compared among control, moderate periodontitis, and severe periodontitis groups. Statistical analysis was performed using chi-square and logistic regression analyses. Of the 9 polymorphic loci detected in the two genes, one, rs11536889 (G>C) in TLR4, displayed a statistically significant difference in distribution between individuals with moderate periodontitis and severe periodontitis (P<0.05). The distribution of the GG genotype in moderate periodontitis was higher than in the severe periodontitis group (P<0.05). Further, for the haplotype rs7873784, rs1927907, and rs1153688 of TLR4, the distribution of haplotype GCG was statistically different between moderate periodontitis and severe periodontitis (P<0.05, OR=1.501). These findings indicate that variation in TLR4 may affect chronic periodontitis susceptibility in a Han Chinese population.

The selection and application of ssDNA aptamers against MPT64 protein in Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis (TB) remains a major health problem affecting millions of people worldwide. One-third of the world's population is infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the etiologic agent of TB. A simple and rapid method to diagnose TB is urgently needed to be developed. The procedure of systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX) is a method in which single-stranded oligonucleotides (called aptamers) are selected from a wide variety of sequences, based on their interaction with a target molecule. Aptamers have been used in numerous investigations as therapeutic or diagnostic tools. METHODS: In this study, we apply a SELEX method to develop aptamers against MPT64 protein from M. tuberculosis. On this basis, a sandwich assay scheme with the complex of aptamer-MPT64 was designed and tested the feasibility of detecting M. tuberculosis by detecting MPT64 protein levels in the culture filtrates of 77 samples including M. tuberculosis and other Mycobacterium species. RESULTS: There was a highly significant difference (p<0.01) between group A (non-TB Mycobacterium, bacille Calmette-Guérin) and group B (M. tuberculosis, M. bovis), when they were diagnosed with the sandwich assay scheme based on aptamer-protein complex to detect MPT64 protein levels in the culture filtrates of samples. When the cut-off point was at the optical density value of 0.58 (95%=0.764-0.946; Z=6.130, p=0.0001), the sandwich assay scheme based on aptamer-protein complex had a high sensitivity (negative ration, 24/27, 86.3%) and specificity (positive ration, 46/52, 88.5%). CONCLUSIONS: Aptamer of MPT64 as a new detection tool, to a certain extent, is feasible to diagnose Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

[Study of organosulfur compounds in fresh garlic by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry incorporated with temperature-programmable cold on-column injection].

For the analysis of organosulfur compounds in fresh garlic, a gas chromatographic/mass spectrometric (GC/MS) method is proposed using temperature-programmable cold on-column injection and cold solvent extraction of the fresh garlic. This was carried out under the conditions of cryogenic process from extraction to column separation. Hence, a valid identification can be achieved about the primary components in garlic extract before thermo-degradation. The obtained results showed that 3-vinyl-4H-1, 2-dithiin and 2-vinyl-4H-1, 3-dithiin were the major compounds in the garlic extract with minor amounts of S-methyl methanethiosulfinate, diallyl disulfide, trisulfide-di-2-propenyl. A comparative study of chemical compounds was performed between garlic extract by cold solvent and garlic oil by stream distillation. The degradation and formation of major organosulfur compounds in the garlic extract were also explored.