Commiphora myrrha (Nees) Engl. resin extracts induce phase-I cytochrome P450 2C8, 2C9, 2C19, and 3A4 isoenzyme expressions in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2) cells.

Commiphora myrrha (Nees) Engl. (C. myrrha) resin is the most Middle Eastern herbal medicine used against numerous diseases. After being decocted or macerated, this resin is widely consumed among Saudi Arabian patients who are already under prescribed medication. Despite its popularity, no studies have been reported on potential modulation effects of these resin extracts on drug metabolism. Therefore, we studied C. myrrha resin extracts on the expression of cytochrome P450 (CYP) drug-metabolizing isoenzyme in human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line HepG2. The C. myrrha extracts were prepared by sonication and boiling, resembling the most popular traditional preparations of maceration and decoction, respectively. Both boiled and sonicated aqueous extracts were fingerprinted using high-performance liquid chromatography equipped with ultra-violet detector (HPLC-UVD). The viability of HepG2 cells treated with these aqueous extracts was determined using CellTiter-Glo® assay in order to select the efficient and non-toxic resin extract concentrations for phase-I metabolic CYP isoenzyme expression analysis. The isoenzyme gene and protein expression levels of CYP 2C8, 2C9, 2C19, and 3A4 were assessed using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blot technologies. The HPLC-UVD fingerprinting revealed different chromatograms for C. myrrha boiled and sonicated aqueous extracts. Both aqueous extracts were toxic to HepG2 cells when tested at concentrations exceeding 150 µg/ml of the dry crude extract. The CYP 2C8, 2C9, and 2C19 mRNA expression levels increased up to 4.0-fold in HepG2 cells treated with either boiled or sonicated C. myrrha aqueous extracts tested between 1 and 30 µg/ml, as compared with the untreated cells. However, CYP3A4 mRNA expression level exceeded the 2.0-fold cutoff when the cells were exposed to 30 µg/ml of C. myrrha extracts. The up-regulation of CYP mRNA expression levels induced by both boiled and sonicated C. myrrha aqueous extracts was confirmed at the CYP protein expression levels. In conclusion, both sonicated and boiled C. myrrha aqueous extracts modulate CYP 2C8, 2C9, 2C19, and 3A4 gene expression at clinically-relevant concentrations regardless of preparation methods. Further in vitro and in vivo experiments are required for CYP isoenzyme activity assessment and the establishment of herb-drug interaction profile for these traditional medicinal resin extracts.

Oil from transgenic Camelina sativa containing over 25 % n-3 long-chain PUFA as the major lipid source in feed for Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar).

Facing a bottleneck in the growth of aquaculture, and a gap in the supply and demand of the highly beneficial n-3 long-chain PUFA (LC-PUFA), sustainable alternatives to traditional marine-based feeds are required. Therefore, in the present trial, a novel oil obtained from a genetically engineered oilseed crop, Camelina sativa, that supplied over 25 % n-3 LC-PUFA was tested as a sole dietary-added lipid source in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) feed. Three groups of fish were fed three experimental diets for 12 weeks with the same basal composition and containing 20 % added oil supplied by either a blend of fish oil and rapeseed oil (1:3) (COM) reflecting current commercial formulations, wild-type Camelina oil (WCO) or the novel transgenic Camelina oil (TCO). There were no negative effects on the growth, survival rate or health of the fish. The whole fish and flesh n-3 LC-PUFA levels were highest in fish fed TCO, with levels more than 2-fold higher compared with those of fish fed the COM and WCO diets, respectively. Diet TCO had no negative impacts on the evaluated immune and physiological parameters of head kidney monocytes. The transcriptomic responses of liver and mid-intestine showed only mild effects on metabolism genes. Overall, the results clearly indicated that the oil from transgenic Camelina was highly efficient in supplying n-3 LC-PUFA providing levels double that obtained with a current commercial standard, and similar to those a decade ago before substantial dietary fishmeal and oil replacement.

Effects of dietary methionine on productivity, reproductive performance, antioxidant capacity, ovalbumin and antioxidant-related gene expression in laying duck breeders.

The study investigated whether dietary methionine (Met) affects egg weight and antioxidant status through regulating gene expression of ovalbumin (OVAL), nuclear factor erythroid 2 like 2 (Nrf2) and haem oxygenase 1 (HO-1) in laying duck breeders. Longyan duck breeders (n 540, 19 weeks) were randomly assigned to six treatments with six replicates of fifteen birds each. Breeders were fed diets with six Met levels (2·00, 2·75, 3·50, 4·25, 5·00 and 5·75 g/kg) for 24 weeks. The egg weight (g), egg mass (g/d), feed conversion ratio, hatchability, 1-d duckling weight, albumen weight, albumen proportion and OVAL mRNA level improved with dietary Met levels, whereas yolk proportion decreased (P<0·05). The weight of total large yellow follicles increased linearly (P<0·001) and quadratically (P<0·05) with dietary Met concentration, and their weight relative to ovarian weight showed a linear (P<0·05) effect. Dietary Met level had a linear (P<0·05) and quadratic (P<0·001) effect on the gene expression of glutathione peroxidase (GPX1), HO-1 and Nrf2, and quadratically (P<0·05) increased contents of GPX and total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) in liver of duck breeders. In addition, maternal dietary Met enhanced gene expression of GPX1, HO-1 and Nrf2, increased contents of GPX and T-AOC and reduced carbonylated protein in the brains of hatchlings. Overall, dietary Met concentration affected egg weight and albumen weight in laying duck breeders, which was partly due to gene expression of OVAL in oviduct magnum. A diet containing 4·0 g Met/kg would achieve optimal hepatic GPX1 and Nrf2 expression, maximise the activity of GPX and minimise lipid peroxidation.

Collagen peptide ingestion alters lipid metabolism-related gene expression and the unfolded protein response in mouse liver.

Ingestion of collagen peptide (CP) elicits beneficial effects on the body, including improvement in blood lipid profiles, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of CP ingestion on the liver, which controls lipid metabolism in the body. Male BALB/cCrSlc mice were bred with the AIN-93M diet containing 14 % casein or the AIN-93M-based low-protein diet containing 10 % casein or a diet containing 6 % casein+4 % CP for 10 weeks (n 12/group). Total, free and esterified cholesterol levels in the blood decreased in the CP group. DNA microarray analysis of the liver revealed that expressions of genes related to lipid metabolic processes such as the PPAR signalling pathway and fatty acid metabolism increased in the CP group compared with the 10 % casein group. The expressions of several genes involved in steroid metabolic process, including Cyp7a1 and Cyp8b1, were decreased, despite being targets of transcriptional regulation by PPAR. These data suggest that lipid metabolism in the liver is altered by CP ingestion, and the decrease in blood cholesterol levels in the CP group is not due to enhancement of the steroid metabolic process. On the other hand, expressions of genes related to the unfolded protein response (UPR) significantly decreased at the mRNA level, suggesting that CP ingestion lowers endoplasmic reticulum stress. Indeed, protein levels of phosphorylated inositol-requiring enzyme 1 decreased after CP ingestion. Taken together, CP affects the broader pathways in the liver - not only lipid metabolism but also UPR.

The compositional and metabolic responses of gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) to a gradient of dietary fish oil and associated n-3 long-chain PUFA content.

The replacement of fish oil (FO) with vegetable oil (VO) in feed formulations reduces the availability of n-3 long-chain PUFA (LC-PUFA) to marine fish such as gilthead seabream. The aim of this study was to examine compositional and physiological responses to a dietary gradient of n-3 LC-PUFA. Six iso-energetic and iso-nitrogenous diets (D1-D6) were fed to seabream, with the added oil being a blend of FO and VO to achieve a dietary gradient of n-3 LC-PUFA. Fish were sampled after 4 months feeding, to determine biochemical composition, tissue fatty acid concentrations and lipid metabolic gene expression. The results indicated a disturbance to lipid metabolism, with fat in the liver increased and fat deposits in the viscera reduced. Tissue fatty acid profiles were altered towards the fatty acid compositions of the diets. There was evidence of endogenous modification of dietary PUFA in the liver which correlated with the expression of fatty acid desaturase 2 (fads2). Expression of sterol regulatory element binding protein 1 (srebp1), fads2 and fatty acid synthase increased in the liver, whereas PPARα1 pathways appeared to be supressed by dietary VO in a concentration-dependent manner. The effects in lipogenic genes appear to become measurable in D1-D3, which agrees with the weight gain data suggesting that disturbances to energy metabolism and lipogenesis may be related to performance differences. These findings suggested that suppression of ß-oxidation and stimulation of srebp1-mediated lipogenesis may play a role in contributing toward steatosis in fish fed n-3 LC-PUFA deficient diets.

Vitamin A deficiency suppresses fish immune function with differences in different intestinal segments: the role of transcriptional factor NF-κB and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase signalling pathways.

The present study investigated the effects of dietary vitamin A on immune function in the proximal intestine (PI), mid intestine (MI) and distal intestine (DI) of young grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella). Fish were fed graded levels of dietary vitamin A for 10 weeks, and then a challenge test using an injection of Aeromonas hydrophila was conducted for 14 d. The results showed that, compared with the optimum vitamin A level, vitamin A deficiency significantly decreased fish growth performance, increased enteritis morbidity, decreased intestinal innate humoral immune response and aggravated intestinal inflammation. However, liver-expressed antimicrobial peptide 2A/B mRNA in the DI and IL-6, IL-17D, IL-10, transforming growth factor (TGF)-ß1 and TGF-ß2 mRNA in the PI were not affected by vitamin A levels. Meanwhile, vitamin A deficiency disturbed inflammatory cytokines in the PI, MI and DI, which might be partly linked to p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38MAPK) signalling and NF-κB canonical signalling pathway (IκB kinase ß (IKKß), IKKγ, inhibitor of κBα, NF-κB p65 and c-Rel) rather than NF-κB non-canonical signalling pathway (NF-κB p52 and IKKα). However, the signalling molecules NF-κB p65 and p38MAPK did not participate in regulating cytokines in the PI. These results suggested that vitamin A deficiency decreased fish growth and impaired intestinal immune function, and that different immune responses in the PI, MI and DI were mediated partly by NF-κB canonical signalling and p38MAPK signalling pathways. On the basis of percentage of weight gain, to protect fish against enteritis morbidity and acid phosphatase activity, the optimum dietary vitamin A levels were estimated to be 0·664, 0·707 and 0·722 mg /kg, respectively.

Modulation of selenium tissue distribution and selenoprotein expression in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) fed diets with graded levels of plant ingredients.

Increased substitution of marine ingredients by terrestrial plant products in aquafeeds has been proven to be suitable for Atlantic salmon farming. However, a reduction in n-3 long-chain PUFA is a consequence of this substitution. In contrast, relatively little attention has been paid to the effects of fishmeal and oil substitution on levels of micronutrients such as Se, considering fish are major sources of this mineral for human consumers. To evaluate the effects of dietary marine ingredient substitution on tissue Se distribution and the expression of Se metabolism and antioxidant enzyme genes, Atlantic salmons were fed three feeds based on commercial formulations with increasing levels of plant proteins (PP) and vegetable oil. Lipid content in flesh did not vary at any sampling point, but it was higher in the liver of 1 kg of fish fed higher PP. Fatty acid content reflected dietary input and was related to oxidation levels (thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances). Liver had the highest Se levels, followed by head kidney, whereas the lowest contents were found in brain and gill. The Se concentration of flesh decreased considerably with high levels of substitution, reducing the added value of fish consumption. Only the brain showed significant differences in glutathione peroxidase, transfer RNA selenocysteine 1-associated protein 1b and superoxide dismutase expression, whereas no significant regulation of Se-related genes was found in liver. Although Se levels in the diets satisfied the essential requirements of salmon, high PP levels led to a reduction in the supply of this essential micronutrient.

Translation attenuation via 3' terminal codon usage in bovine csn1s2 is responsible for the difference in αs2- and ß-casein profile in milk.

The rate of secretion of αs2-casein into bovine milk is approximately 25% of that of ß-casein, yet mammary expression of their respective mRNA transcripts (csn1s2 and csn2) is not different. Our objective was to identify molecular mechanisms that explain the difference in translation efficiency between csn1s2 and csn2. Cell-free translational efficiency of csn2 was 5 times that of csn1s2. Transcripts of csn1s2 distributed into heavier polysomes than csn2 transcripts, indicating an attenuation of elongation and/or termination. Stimulatory and inhibitory effects of the 5' and 3' UTRs on translational efficiency were different with luciferase and casein sequences in the coding regions. Substituting the 5' and 3' UTRs from csn2 into csn1s2 did not improve csn1s2 translation, implicating the coding region itself in the translation difference. Deletion of a 28-codon fragment from the 3' terminus of the csn1s2 coding region, which displays codons with low correlations to cell fitness, increased translation to a par with csn2. We conclude that the usage of the last 28 codons of csn1s2 is the main regulatory element that attenuates its expression and is responsible for the differential translational expression of csn1s2 and csn2.

Pilot testing and optimization of a larval fathead minnow high throughput transcriptomics assay.

Concentrations at which global gene expression profiles in cells or animals exposed to a test substance start to differ significantly from those of controls have been proposed as an alternative point of departure for use in screening level hazard assessment. The present study describes pilot testing of a high throughput compatible transcriptomics assay with larval fathead minnows. One day post hatch fathead minnows were exposed to eleven different concentrations of three metals, three selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, and four neonicotinoid-like compounds for 24 h and concentration response modeling was applied to whole body gene expression data. Transcriptomics-based points of departure (tPODs) were consistently lower than effect concentrations reported in apical endpoint studies in fish. However, larval fathead minnow-based tPODs were not always lower than concentrations reported to elicit apical toxicity in other aquatic organisms like crustaceans or insects. Random in silico subsampling of data from the pilot assays was used to evaluate various assay design and acceptance considerations such as transcriptome coverage, number of replicate individuals to sequence per treatment, and minimum number of differentially expressed genes to produce a reliable tPOD estimate. Results showed a strong association between the total number of genes for which a concentration response relationship could be derived and the overall variability in the resulting tPOD estimates. We conclude that, for our current assay design and analysis pipeline, tPODs based on fewer than 15 differentially expressed genes are likely to be unreliable for screening and that interindividual variability in gene expression profiles appears to be a more significant driver of tPOD variability than sample size alone. Results represent initial steps toward developing high throughput transcriptomics assays for use in ecological hazard screening.

TCF7L1 Accelerates Smooth Muscle Cell Phenotypic Switching and Aggravates Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms.

Phenotypic switching of vascular smooth muscle cells is a central process in abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) pathology. We found that knockdown TCF7L1 (transcription factor 7-like 1), a member of the TCF/LEF (T cell factor/lymphoid enhancer factor) family of transcription factors, inhibits vascular smooth muscle cell differentiation. This study hints at potential interventions to maintain a normal, differentiated smooth muscle cell state, thereby eliminating the pathogenesis of AAA. In addition, our study provides insights into the potential use of TCF7L1 as a biomarker for AAA.

Effects of Au@Ag core-shell nanostructure with alginate coating on male reproductive system in mice.

Despite the widespread use of silver nanoparticles (NPs), these NPs can accumulate and have toxic effects on various organs. However, the effects of silver nanostructures (Ag-NS) with alginate coating on the male reproductive system have not been studied. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the impacts of this NS on sperm function and testicular structure. After the synthesis and characterization of Ag-NS, the animals were divided into five groups (n = 8), including one control group, two sham groups (received 1.5 mg/kg/day alginate solution for 14 and 35 days), and two treatment groups (received Ag-NS at the same dose and time). Following injections, sperm parameters, apoptosis, and autophagy were analyzed by the TUNEL assay and measurement of the mRNA expression of Bax, Bcl-2, caspase-3, LC3, and Beclin-1. Fertilization rate was assessed by in vitro fertilization (IVF), and testicular structure was analyzed using the TUNEL assay and hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining. The results showed that the NS was rod-shaped, had a size of about 60 nm, and could reduce sperm function and fertility. Gene expression results demonstrated an increase in the apoptotic markers and a decrease in autophagy markers, indicating apoptotic cell death. Moreover, Ag-NS invaded testicular tissues, especially in the chronic phase (35 days), resulting in tissue alteration and epithelium disintegration. The results suggest that sperm parameters and fertility were affected. In addition, NS has negative influences on testicular tissues, causing infertility in men exposed to these NS.

MiR-451a promotes cell growth, migration and EMT in osteosarcoma by regulating YTHDC1-mediated m6A methylation to activate the AKT/mTOR signaling pathway.

BACKGROUND: Osteosarcoma is the most prevalent primary malignant bone tumor containing mesenchymal cells with poor prognosis. Being a hot spot of anti-tumor therapy researches, AKT/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway could affect various cellular processes including transcription, protein synthesis, apoptosis, autophagy and growth. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The levels of RNA and protein were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (q-PCR) and western blot analyses respectively. Functional assays were carried out to analyze the malignant phenotypes of osteosarcoma cells. RNA-binding protein immunoprecipitation (RIP), Co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP), RNA pulldown, luciferase reporter and in vitro kinase assays were conducted to uncover the specific mechanism of microRNA-451a (miR-451a) in osteosarcoma cells. RESULTS: Functionally, miR-451a represses the malignant progression of osteosarcoma. Mechanically, miR-451a could curb the AKT/mTOR pathway via 3-phosphoinositide dependent protein kinase 1 (PDPK1)-mediated phosphorylation modification. After the certification that YTH domain containing 1 (YTHDC1) regulates the m6A phosphorylation modification of PDPK1 mRNA, we further proved that miR-451a-mediated YTHDC1 stabilizes PDPK1 mRNA via m6A-dependent regulation. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that miR-451a regulates YTHDC1-mediated m6A methylation to activate the AKT/mTOR pathway, stimulating the malignancy of osteosarcoma.

Inhibiting collagen I production and tumor cell colonization in the lung via miR-29a-3p loading of exosome-/liposome-based nanovesicles.

The lung is one of the most common sites for cancer metastasis. Collagens in the lung provide a permissive microenvironment that supports the colonization and outgrowth of disseminated tumor cells. Therefore, down-regulating the production of collagens may contribute to the inhibition of lung metastasis. It has been suggested that miR-29 exhibits effective anti-fibrotic activity by negatively regulating the expression of collagens. Indeed, our clinical lung tumor data shows that miR-29a-3p expression negatively correlates with collagen I expression in lung tumors and positively correlates with patients' outcomes. However, suitable carriers need to be selected to deliver this therapeutic miRNA to the lungs. In this study, we found that the chemotherapy drug cisplatin facilitated miR-29a-3p accumulation in the exosomes of lung tumor cells, and this type of exosomes exhibited a specific lung-targeting effect and promising collagen down-regulation. To scale up the preparation and simplify the delivery system, we designed a lung-targeting liposomal nanovesicle (by adjusting the molar ratio of DOTAP/cholesterol-miRNAs to 4:1) to carry miR-29a-3p and mimic the exosomes. This liposomal nanovesicle delivery system significantly down-regulated collagen I secretion by lung fibroblasts in vivo, thus alleviating the establishment of a pro-metastatic environment for circulating lung tumor cells.

Acute Glycogen Synthase Kinase-3 Inhibition Modulates Human Cardiac Conduction.

Glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK-3) inhibition has emerged as a potential therapeutic target for several diseases, including cancer. However, the role for GSK-3 regulation of human cardiac electrophysiology remains ill-defined. We demonstrate that SB216763, a GSK-3 inhibitor, can acutely reduce conduction velocity in human cardiac slices. Combined computational modeling and experimental approaches provided mechanistic insight into GSK-3 inhibition-mediated changes, revealing that decreased sodium-channel conductance and tissue conductivity may underlie the observed phenotypes. Our study demonstrates that GSK-3 inhibition in human myocardium alters electrophysiology and may predispose to an arrhythmogenic substrate; therefore, monitoring for adverse arrhythmogenic events could be considered.

Increased serum miR-193a-5p during non-alcoholic fatty liver disease progression: Diagnostic and mechanistic relevance.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Serum microRNA (miRNA) levels are known to change in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and may serve as useful biomarkers. This study aimed to profile miRNAs comprehensively at all NAFLD stages. METHODS: We profiled 2,083 serum miRNAs in a discovery cohort (183 cases with NAFLD representing the complete NAFLD spectrum and 10 population controls). miRNA libraries generated by HTG EdgeSeq were sequenced by Illumina NextSeq. Selected serum miRNAs were profiled in 372 additional cases with NAFLD and 15 population controls by quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR. RESULTS: Levels of 275 miRNAs differed between cases and population controls. Fewer differences were seen within individual NAFLD stages, but miR-193a-5p consistently showed increased levels in all comparisons. Relative to NAFL/non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) with mild fibrosis (stage 0/1), 3 miRNAs (miR-193a-5p, miR-378d, and miR378d) were increased in cases with NASH and clinically significant fibrosis (stages 2-4), 7 (miR193a-5p, miR-378d, miR-378e, miR-320b, miR-320c, miR-320d, and miR-320e) increased in cases with NAFLD activity score (NAS) 5-8 compared with lower NAS, and 3 (miR-193a-5p, miR-378d, and miR-378e) increased but 1 (miR-19b-3p) decreased in steatosis, activity, and fibrosis (SAF) activity score 2-4 compared with lower SAF activity. The significant findings for miR-193a-5p were replicated in the additional cohort with NAFLD. Studies in Hep G2 cells showed that following palmitic acid treatment, miR-193a-5p expression decreased significantly. Gene targets for miR-193a-5p were investigated in liver RNAseq data for a case subgroup (n = 80); liver GPX8 levels correlated positively with serum miR-193a-5p. CONCLUSIONS: Serum miR-193a-5p levels correlate strongly with NAFLD activity grade and fibrosis stage. MiR-193a-5p may have a role in the hepatic response to oxidative stress and is a potential clinically tractable circulating biomarker for progressive NAFLD. LAY SUMMARY: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small pieces of nucleic acid that may turn expression of genes on or off. These molecules can be detected in the blood circulation, and their levels in blood may change in liver disease including non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). To see if we could detect specific miRNA associated with advanced stages of NAFLD, we carried out miRNA sequencing in a group of 183 patients with NAFLD of varying severity together with 10 population controls. We found that a number of miRNAs showed changes, mainly increases, in serum levels but that 1 particular miRNA miR-193a-5p consistently increased. We confirmed this increase in a second group of cases with NAFLD. Measuring this miRNA in a blood sample may be a useful way to determine whether a patient has advanced NAFLD without an invasive liver biopsy.

Cardiac Mesenchymal Stem Cells Promote Fibrosis and Remodeling in Heart Failure: Role of PDGF Signaling.

Heart failure (HF) is characterized by progressive fibrosis. Both fibroblasts and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can differentiate into pro-fibrotic myofibroblasts. MSCs secrete and express platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) and its receptors. We hypothesized that PDGF signaling in cardiac MSCs (cMSCs) promotes their myofibroblast differentiation and aggravates post-myocardial infarction left ventricular remodeling and fibrosis. We show that cMSCs from failing hearts post-myocardial infarction exhibit an altered phenotype. Inhibition of PDGF signaling in vitro inhibited cMSC-myofibroblast differentiation, whereas in vivo inhibition during established ischemic HF alleviated left ventricular remodeling and function, and decreased myocardial fibrosis, hypertrophy, and inflammation. Modulating cMSC PDGF receptor expression may thus represent a novel approach to limit pathologic cardiac fibrosis in HF.

Analysis of differential expression of hypoxia-inducible microRNA-210 gene targets in mild and severe preeclamptic patients.

Preeclampsia (PE) is a multi-system disorder that is specific to human pregnancy. Inadequate oxygenation of uterus and placenta is considered as one of the leading causes for the disease. MicroRNA-210(miR-210) is one of the prime molecules that has emerged in response to hypoxia. The objective of this study was to determine miR-210 expression patterns in plasma from severe PE and mild PE patients, and how that affects the expression of miR-210 target genes. The expression levels of miR-210 were validated using reverse transcription-quantitative PCR in plasma of severe PE (15) and mild PE (15) patients in comparison to controls subjects (15) with normal pregnancy. Then, the association between miR-210 and its downstream genes was validated by using human miR-210 targets RT2 profiler PCR Array. Both the categories (mild and severe) showed significantly high miR-210 expression levels. Also out of the 84 hypoxia miR-210 associated genes screened using mRNA, 18 genes were found to be differentially expressed in severe PE whereas 16 genes in mild PE cases with varying magnitude. All the genes in both the PE groups were found downregulated in comparison to controls. These downregulated genes expressed in both the cases were shown to be participating in immunosuppression, apoptosis, cell growth, signaling, angiogenesis, DNA repair. This study provides novel data on the genes that work downstream of miR-210 and how dysregulated expression of miR-210 can affect their expression and in turn functioning which can be associated with PE risk and severity. This study is the very first to determine the effect of miR-210 expression levels on associated genes in plasma samples.

Hybridoma technology: is it still useful?

The isolation of single monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against a given antigen was only possible with the introduction of the hybridoma technology, which is based on the fusion of specific B lymphocytes with myeloma cells. Since then, several mAbs were described for therapeutic, diagnostic, and research purposes. Despite being an old technique with low complexity, hybridoma-based strategies have limitations that include the low efficiency on B lymphocyte-myeloma cell fusion step, and the need to use experimental animals. In face of that, several methods have been developed to improve mAb generation, ranging from changes in hybridoma technique to the advent of completely new technologies, such as the antibody phage display and the single B cell antibody ones. In this review, we discuss the hybridoma technology along with emerging mAb isolation approaches, taking into account their advantages and limitations. Finally, we explore the usefulness of the hybridoma technology nowadays.

Digital PCR can provide improved BCR-ABL1 detection in chronic myeloid leukemia patients in deep molecular response and sensitivity of standard quantitative methods using EAC assays.

BCR-ABL1 molecular detection using quantitative PCR (qPCR) methods is the golden standard of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) monitoring. However, due to variable sensitivity of qPCR assays across laboratories, alternative methods are tested. Digital PCR (dPCR) has been suggested as a robust and reproducible option. Here we present a comparison of droplet dPCR with routinely used reverse-transcription qPCR (RT-qPCR) and automated GeneXpert systems. Detection limit of dPCR was above 3 BCR-ABL1 copies, although due to background amplification the resulting sensitivity was 0.01% BCR-ABL1 (MR4.0). Nevertheless, in comparison with GeneXpert, dPCR categorized more than 50% of the patients into different MR groups, showing a potential for improved BCR-ABL1 detection.

MicroRNA-567 inhibits cell proliferation and induces cell apoptosis in A549 NSCLC cells by regulating cyclin-dependent kinase 8.

MicroRNA-567 (miR-567) plays a decisive role in cancers whereas its role in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is still unexplored. This study was therefore planned to explore the regulatory function of miR-567 in A549 NSCLC cells and investigate its possible molecular mechanism that may help in NSCLC treatment. In the current study, miR-567 expression was examined by quantitative real time-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) in different NSCLC cell lines in addition to normal cell line. A549 NSCLC cells were transfected by miR-567 mimic, miR-567 inhibitor, and negative control siRNA. Cell proliferation was evaluated by MTT and 5-bromo-2'deoxyuridine assays. Cell cycle distribution and apoptosis were studied by flow cytometry. Bioinformatics analysis programs were used to expect the putative target of miR-567. The expression of cyclin-dependent kinase 8 (CDK8) gene at mRNA and protein levels were evaluated by using qRT-PCR and western blotting. Our results found that miR-567 expressions decreased in all the studied NSCLC cells as compared to the normal cell line. A549 cell proliferation was suppressed by miR-567 upregulation while cell apoptosis was promoted. Also, miR-567 upregulation induced cell cycle arrest at sub-G1 and S phases. CDK8 was expected as a target gene of miR-567. MiR-567 upregulation decreased CDK8 mRNA and protein expression while the downregulation of miR-567 increased CDK8 gene expression. These findings revealed that miR-567 may be a tumor suppressor in A549 NSCLC cells through regulating CDK8 gene expression and may serve as a novel therapeutic target for NSCLC treatment.