Despite the importance of glucose and amino acids for energy metabolism, interactions between the two nutrients are not well understood. We provide evidence for a role of leucyl-tRNA synthetase 1 ...(LARS1) in glucose-dependent control of leucine usage. Upon glucose starvation, LARS1 was phosphorylated by Unc-51 like autophagy activating kinase 1 (ULK1) at the residues crucial for leucine binding. The phosphorylated LARS1 showed decreased leucine binding, which may inhibit protein synthesis and help save energy. Leucine that is not used for anabolic processes may be available for catabolic pathway energy generation. The LARS1-mediated changes in leucine utilization might help support cell survival under glucose deprivation. Thus, depending on glucose availability, LARS1 may help regulate whether leucine is used for protein synthesis or energy production.
Various coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines are being developed, which show practical preventive effects. Here, we report a 51-year-old healthy man with nephrotic syndrome secondary to ...minimal change disease (MCD) after Ad26.COV.2 (Janssen) vaccination. He had no comorbid disease and received Ad26.COV.2 on April 13, 2021. Seven days after vaccination, he developed edema and foamy urine. Edema rapidly aggravated with decreased urine volume. He was admitted to the hospital 28 days after vaccination, and his body weight increased by 21 kg after vaccination. His serum creatinine level was 1.54 mg/dL, and 24-h urinary protein excretion was 8.6 g/day. Kidney biopsy revealed no abnormality in the glomeruli and interstitium of the cortex and medulla under the light microscope. Electron microscopy revealed diffuse effacement of the podocyte foot processes, thus, he was diagnosed with MCD. High-dose steroid therapy was applied, and his kidney function improved three days after steroid therapy. Three weeks after steroid use, his serum creatinine decreased to 0.95 mg/dL, and spot urine protein-to-creatine decreased to 0.2 g/g. This case highlights the risk of new-onset nephrotic syndrome secondary to MCD after vectored COVID-19 vaccination. Although the pathogenesis is uncertain, clinicians need to be careful about adverse renal effects of COVID-19 vaccines.
We aimed to develop the Korean Hospital Frailty Risk Score (K-HFRS) by applying the International Classification of Diseases-10 codes to community-dwelling older adults' medical data. We selected ...data from 2,761 people with no missing main variable values from the Korean Frailty and Aging Cohort Data (KFACD) and National Health Insurance Database (NHID) for analysis. Frailty was determined based on modified Fried's phenotype MFP and Korean Frailty Index for Primary Care KFI-PC in the KFACD. A previously established method calculated the K-HFRS, verified by the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. The calculated cutoff value predicted the medical use. The respective K-HFRSs of the frailty group using the MFP and KFI-PC criteria ranged from 3.64 (±3.03) to 8.15 (±5.72) and 4.07 (±3.42) to 9.10 (±6.28), with 7.67 (±5.40) and 8.59 (±6.03) when four diagnoses were included. The K-HFRS of the frailty group using the KFI-PC criteria was higher than that using the MFP criteria. With four diagnoses included using the MFP criteria, the adjusted odds ratio (OR) for medical expenditures in the frailty group compared to the non-frailty group was 3.01 (95% confidence interval CI 2.52-3.60, p < .001); for the number of emergency room (ER) visits was 2.19 (95% CI 1.77-2.70, p < .001); for inpatient days was 2.48 (95% CI 2.08-2.96, p < .001). With four diagnoses included using the KFI-PC criteria, the adjusted OR value for medical expenditures was 2.77 (95% CI 2.35-3.27, p < .001); for the number of ER visits was 1.87 (95% CI 1.51-2.32, p < .001); for inpatient days was 2.07 (95% CI 1.75-2.45, p < .001). This study substantiated that the K-HFRS can measure frailty efficiently at a lower cost. Follow-up studies are needed for additional validity.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Achieving a deep molecular response (DMR) to tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) therapy for chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) remains challenging and at present, there is no biomarker to predict DMR in ...this setting. Herein, we report that an HMGCLL1 genetic variant located in 6p12.1 can be used as a predictive genetic biomarker for intrinsic sensitivity to imatinib (IM) therapy. We measured DMR rate according to HMGCLL1 variant in a discovery set of CML patients (n = 201) and successfully replicated it in a validation set (n = 270). We also investigated the functional relevance of HMGCLL1 blockade with respect to response to TKI therapy and showed that small interfering RNA mediated blockade of HMGCLL1 isoform 3 results in significant decrease in viability of BCR-ABL1-positive cells including K562, CML-T1 or BaF3 cell lines with or without ABL1 kinase domain mutations such as T315I mutation. Decreased cell viability was also demonstrated in murine CML stem cells and human hematopoietic progenitor cells. RNA sequencing showed that blockade of HMGCLL1 was associated with G0/G1 arrest and the cell cycle. In summary, the HMGCLL1 gene polymorphism is a novel genetic biomarker for intrinsic sensitivity to IM therapy in CML patients that predicts DMR in this setting.
Despite its significant impact on mortality, tuberculosis (TB)-diabetes mellitus (DM) co-prevalence has not been well-elucidated for the cause of death. We investigated the impact of DM on TB-related ...and non-TB-related deaths in patients with TB. This retrospective nationwide cohort study included patients diagnosed with TB between 2011 and 2017 in South Korea. We performed Fine and Gray regression model analyses to assess the mortality risk of DM classified by cause of death. Of 239,848 patients, 62,435 (26.0%) had DM, and 20,203 died during anti-TB treatment. Of all deaths, 47.9% (9,668) were caused by TB, and the remaining 52.1% (10,535) was attributed to various non-TB-related causes. The mortality rate was higher in the DM than in the non-DM groups in both men and women. DM was associated with a higher risk of TB-related (adjusted hazard ratio aHR 1.07, 95% confidence interval CI 1.01-1.13) and non-TB-related (aHR 1.21, 95% CI 1.15-1.27) deaths in men; however, only a higher risk of non-TB-related deaths (aHR 1.29, 95% CI 1.20-1.38) in women. Our findings indicate that DM is independently associated with a greater risk of death during anti-TB treatment among patients with TB for both TB-related and non-TB-related deaths.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Previous study identified E2F1 as a key mediator of non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) progression. The aim of this study was to identify the E2F1-related genes associated with poor prognosis ...and aggressive characteristics of bladder cancer.
Microarray analysis was performed to find E2F1-related genes associated with tumor progression and aggressiveness in the gene expression data from 165 primary patients with bladder cancer. The biologic activity of E2F1-related genes in tumor progression and aggressiveness was confirmed with experimental assays using bladder cancer cells and tumor xenograft assay.
The expression of E2F1 was significantly associated with EZH2 and SUZ12. The overexpression of E2F1, EZH2, and SUZ12 enhanced cancer progression including cell colony formation, migration, and invasiveness. Knockdown of these genes reduced motility, blocked invasion, and decreased tumor size in vivo. E2F1 bound the proximal EZH2 and SUZ12 promoter to activate transcription, suggesting that E2F1 and its downstream effectors, EZH2 and SUZ12, could be important mediators for the cancer progression. In addition, we confirmed an association between these genes and aggressive characteristics. Interestingly, the treatment of anticancer drugs to the cells overexpressing E2F1, EZH2, and SUZ12 induced the expression of CD44, KLF4, OCT4, and ABCG2 known as cancer stem cell (CSC)-related genes.
The link between E2F1, EZH2, and/or SUZ12 revealed that E2f1 directly regulates transcription of the EZH2 and SUZ12 genes. The signature of E2F1-EZH2-SUZ12 shows a predictive value for prognosis in bladder tumors and the E2F1-EZH2-SUZ12-driven transcriptional events may regulate the cancer aggressiveness and chemo-resistance, which may provide opportunity for development of new treatment modalities.
Neuroinflammation plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD). Thus, the development of agents that can control neuroinflammation has been suggested as a promising ...therapeutic strategy for PD. In the present study, we investigated whether the phosphodiesterase (PDE) 10 inhibitor has anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects in neuroinflammation and PD mouse models.
Papaverine (PAP) was utilized as a selective inhibitor of PDE10. The effects of PAP on the expression of pro-inflammatory molecules were examined in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated BV2 microglial cells by ELISA, RT-PCR, and Western blot analysis. The effects of PAP on transcription factors were analyzed by the electrophoretic mobility shift assay, the reporter gene assay, and Western blot analysis. Microglial activation and the expression of proinflammatory molecules were measured in the LPS- or MPTP-injected mouse brains by immunohistochemistry and RT-PCR analysis. The effect of PAP on dopaminergic neuronal cell death and neurotrophic factors were determined by immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis. To assess mouse locomotor activity, rotarod and pole tests were performed in MPTP-injected mice.
PAP inhibited the production of nitric oxide and proinflammatory cytokines in LPS-stimulated microglia by modulating various inflammatory signals. In addition, PAP elevated intracellular cAMP levels and CREB phosphorylation. Treatment with H89, a PKA inhibitor, reversed the anti-inflammatory effects of PAP, suggesting the critical role of PKA signaling in the anti-inflammatory effects of PAP. We verified the anti-inflammatory effects of PAP in the brains of mice with LPS-induced systemic inflammation. PAP suppressed microglial activation and proinflammatory gene expression in the brains of these mice, and these effects were reversed by H89 treatment. We further examined the effects of PAP on MPTP-injected PD model mice. MPTP-induced dopaminergic neuronal cell death and impaired locomotor activity were recovered by PAP. In addition, PAP suppressed microglial activation and proinflammatory mediators in the brains of MPTP-injected mice.
PAP has strong anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects and thus may be a potential candidate for treating neuroinflammatory disorders such as PD.
The reinforcing fibers in filament winding fiber-reinforced polymer (FFRP) are not arranged in the axial direction; thus, the members are vulnerable to bending and shear stresses. To address the ...limitations, this study evaluated FRP-concrete composite piles with reinforcing fiber arranged in circumferential directions. In particular, modular pultruded FRP (PFRP) members were fabricated with reinforcing fibers arranged in the axial and circumferential directions. The exterior of the fabricated PFRP members was reinforced with FFRP, and the flexural performance of these members was investigated through flexural strength tests. The results obtained from the flexural tests and flexural-stiffness prediction formula differed by approximately 0.72-1.36 times. A comparison between the results of the flexural test and flexural-strength prediction equation showed an error of approximately 1 to 10%.
Programmed cell death‐ligand 1 (PDL1) is a transmembrane protein that is characterized as an immune regulatory molecule. We recently developed a recombinant single‐chain fragment of variable domain ...(scFv) against PDL1, which showed high binding efficiency to purified recombinant PDL1 protein. However, at that time, proof‐of‐concept data for the effect of scFv using PDL1‐expressing cells was lacking. In this study, we conducted two kinds of cell‐based immunoassays, western blotting and enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay, using anti‐PDL1 scFv. The results indicate that scFv can selectively and sensitively detect PDL1 from PDL1 positive human cancer cell lines. Our findings suggest that scFv could be used as a potential PDL1 inhibitor agent and probe for cell‐based immunoassays to detect PDL1.
Developing efficient and durable electrocatalysts is key to optimizing the electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), currently one of the cleanest and most sustainable routes for producing ...hydrogen. Here, a unique and efficient approach to fabricate and embed uniformly dispersed Ir nanoparticles in a 3D cage‐like organic network (CON) structure is reported. These uniformly trapped Ir nanoparticles within the 3D CON (Ir@CON) effectively catalyze the HER process. The Ir@CON electrocatalyst exhibits high turnover frequencies of 0.66 and 0.20 H2 s−1 at 25 mV and small overpotentials of 13.6 and 13.5 mV while generating a current density of 10 mA cm−2 in 0.5 m H2SO4 and 1.0 m KOH aqueous solutions, respectively, as compared to commercial Pt/C (18 and 23 mV) and Ir/C (20.7 and 28.3 mV). More importantly, the catalyst shows superior stability in both acidic and alkaline media. These results highlight a potentially powerful approach for the design and synthesis of efficient and durable electrocatalysts for HER.
Encapsulating iridium nanoparticles inside a 3D cage‐like organic network, the prepared catalyst (Ir@CON) is evaluated as an efficient and durable electrocatalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction. This new study should provide insights to guide the design and development of materials for future organic and hybrid materials for electrocatalysis.