Objective
Apurinic endonuclease 1 (APE1) has been suggested as an oncogene of lung tumours and our bioinformatics analysis identified the association between Erlotinib resistance and interleukin‐6 ...(IL‐6). Thus, we performed this work to delineate the mechanistic actions of APE1/IL‐6 signalling in Erlotinib resistance of non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
Methods
We selected human NSCLC cell lines HCC827 and PC9 to establish Erlotinib‐resistant HCC827R and PC9R cells. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) were isolated from Erlotinib‐sensitive HCC827P and PC9P cells (PCSCs) and from HCC827R and PC9R cells (RCSCs). Further, extracellular vesicles (EVs) were separated from PCSCs (PCSC‐EVs) and RCSCs (RCSC‐EVs) and co‐cultured with RCSCs with or without short hairpin RNA (shRNA)‐targeting APE1 (APE1 shRNA) transduction. In addition, functional assays were conducted to determine the effect of APE1 shRNA on malignant phenotypes of cancer cells in vitro and in vivo and the activation of IL‐6/STAT3 signalling.
Results
It was found that NSCLC cells could internalize both RCSC‐EVs and PCSC‐EVs. RCSC‐EVs augmented the resistance of NSCLC cells to Erlotinib. The overexpression of APE1 occurred in NSCLC tissues, and IL‐6 was enriched in serum samples of patients with NSCLC. APE1 shRNA was demonstrated to restrict the Erlotinib resistance of NSCLC cells by inactivating the IL‐6/STAT3 signalling. Additionally, shAPE1‐loaded RCSC‐EVs suppressed the Erlotinib resistance of NSCLC via the IL‐6/STAT3 axis both in vitro and in vivo, as reflected by impeded malignant phenotypes and xenograft tumour formation.
Conclusions
Collectively, these data indicate that APE1 confers Erlotinib resistance by activating the IL‐6/STAT3 signalling, suggesting targeting APE1 as a possible therapeutic target in Erlotinib‐resistant NSCLC.
Collectively, these data indicate that APE1 confers Erlotinib resistance by activating the IL‐6/STAT3 signaling, suggesting targeting APE1 as a possible therapeutic target in Erlotinib‐resistant NSCLC.
Given the fact that the localization of RNAs is closely associated with their functions, techniques developed for tracking the distribution of RNAs in live cells have greatly advanced the study of ...RNA biology. Recently, innovative application of fluorescent protein-labelled Cas9 and Cas13 into live-cell RNA tracking further enriches the toolbox. However, the Cas9/Cas13 platform, as well as the widely-used MS2-MCP technique, failed to solve the problem of high background noise. It was recently reported that CRISPR/Cas6 would exhibit allosteric alteration after interacting with the Cas6 binding site (CBS) on RNAs. Here, we exploited this feature and designed a Cas6-based switch platform for detecting target RNAs in vivo. Conjugating split-Venus fragments to both ends of the endoribonuclease-mutated Escherichia coli Cas6(dEcCas6) allowed ligand (CBS)-activated split-Venus complementation. We name this platform as Cas6 based Fluorescence Complementation (Cas6FC). In living cells, Cas6FC could detect target RNAs with nearly free background noise. Moreover, as minimal as one copy of CBS (29nt) tagged in an RNA of interest was able to turn on Cas6FC fluorescence, which greatly reduced the odds of potential alteration of conformation and localization of target RNAs. Thus, we developed a new RNA tracking platform inherently with high sensitivity and specificity.
This study was performed to propose a method, the Feature Ambiguity Mitigate Operator (FAMO) model, to mitigate feature ambiguity in bone fracture detection on radiographs of various body parts. A ...total of 9040 radiographic studies were extracted. These images were classified into several body part types including 1651 hand, 1302 wrist, 406 elbow, 696 shoulder, 1580 pelvic, 948 knee, 1180 ankle, and 1277 foot images. Instance segmentation was annotated by radiologists. The ResNext-101+FPN was employed as the baseline network structure and the FAMO model for processing. The proposed FAMO model and other ablative models were tested on a test set of 20% total radiographs in a balanced body part distribution. To the per-fracture extent, an AP (average precision) analysis was performed. For per-image and per-case, the sensitivity, specificity, and AUC (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve) were analyzed. At the per-fracture level, the controlled experiment set the baseline AP to 76.8% (95% CI: 76.1%, 77.4%), and the major experiment using FAMO as a preprocessor improved the AP to 77.4% (95% CI: 76.6%, 78.2%). At the per-image level, the sensitivity, specificity, and AUC were 61.9% (95% CI: 58.7%, 65.0%), 91.5% (95% CI: 89.5%, 93.3%), and 74.9% (95% CI: 74.1%, 75.7%), respectively, for the controlled experiment, and 64.5% (95% CI: 61.3%, 67.5%), 92.9% (95% CI: 91.0%, 94.5%), and 77.5% (95% CI: 76.5%, 78.5%), respectively, for the experiment with FAMO. At the per-case level, the sensitivity, specificity, and AUC were 74.9% (95% CI: 70.6%, 78.7%), 91.7%% (95% CI: 88.8%, 93.9%), and 85.7% (95% CI: 84.8%, 86.5%), respectively, for the controlled experiment, and 77.5% (95% CI: 73.3%, 81.1%), 93.4% (95% CI: 90.7%, 95.4%), and 86.5% (95% CI: 85.6%, 87.4%), respectively, for the experiment with FAMO. In conclusion, in bone fracture detection, FAMO is an effective preprocessor to enhance model performance by mitigating feature ambiguity in the network.
Impaired activation and regulation of the extinction of inflammatory cells and molecules in injured neuronal tissues are key factors in the development of epilepsy. SerpinA3N is mainly associated ...with the acute phase response and inflammatory response. In our current study, transcriptomics analysis, proteomics analysis, and Western blotting showed that the expression level of Serpin clade A member 3N (SerpinA3N) is significantly increased in the hippocampus of mice with kainic acid (KA)-induced temporal lobe epilepsy, and this molecule is mainly expressed in astrocytes. Notably, in vivo studies using gain- and loss-of-function approaches revealed that SerpinA3N in astrocytes promoted the release of proinflammatory factors and aggravated seizures. Mechanistically, RNA sequencing and Western blotting showed that SerpinA3N promoted KA-induced neuroinflammation by activating the NF-κB signaling pathway. In addition, co-immunoprecipitation revealed that SerpinA3N interacts with ryanodine receptor type 2 (RYR2) and promotes RYR2 phosphorylation. Overall, our study reveals a novel SerpinA3N-mediated mechanism in seizure-induced neuroinflammation and provides a new target for developing neuroinflammation-based strategies to reduce seizure-induced brain injury.
Background
Subthalamic nucleus (STN) deep brain stimulation (DBS) is an effective treatment for Parkinson's disease (PD), that can improve patients' motor and non‐motor symptoms. However, there are ...differences in the improvement of patients' emotional symptoms and cognitive function.
Objective
To investigate the impact of active contact location and the volume of tissue activated (VTA) on patients' emotional symptoms and cognitive function in STN‐DBS in PD.
Methods
A total of 185 PD patients were included in this study. We evaluated them using the Movement Disorder Society‐Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale, Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAM‐A), Hamilton Depression Scale (HAM‐D), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), and Mini‐Mental State Examination (MMSE) scales at the preoperative, 1‐ and 12‐month postoperative time points. Leads were positioned in standard space using the Lead‐DBS toolbox, and VTA was calculated for analysis.
Results
When the lead active contact was closer to the ventral side of the STN, the patients' HAM‐A improvement rate was higher, and when the active contact was closer to the anterior and dorsal sides of the STN, the patients' MoCA improvement rate was higher. Stimulation of the sensorimotor zone was more favorable to the improvement of HAM‐A and HAM‐D in patients. And, the stimulation of the associative zone was more favorable to the improvement of MoCA in patients.
Conclusion
Our results provide evidence that the 12‐month outcomes of cognitive function and emotional symptoms in PD patients with STN‐DBS were closely related to the specific location of the active contacts in the STN and influenced by the VTA.
This study models the spatial distribution of activation contacts by correlating the improvement of patients' emotional and cognitive functions with the location of the spatial coordinates of the activation contacts. It was found that the outcomes of cognitive and emotional symptoms in PD patients with STN‐DBS were related to the specific location of active contacts in the STN and influenced by the VTA.
The outbreak of the 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has impacted the mental health of healthcare providers at the frontline. Therefore, we conducted this study to estimate the prevalence ...rate of anxiety and insomnia and identify associated risk factors among healthcare workers in Jilin, China, during the period from January 25 to February 25, 2020. Zung's Self-Reported Anxiety Scale (SAS) and the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) scale were used to diagnose anxiety and insomnia, respectively. Associated risk factors were identified through a multivariate logistic regression model. A total of 300 healthcare workers were invited and 236 completed the study. Of them, 234 (99.15%) were medical workers, 197 (83.47%) were working at frontline departments, and 159 (67.37%) were fighting against COVID-19. Fifty-seven respondents (24.15%) had anxiety (SAS index score greater than or equal to 45) and 94 (39.83%) had insomnia (ISI score greater than or equal to 8). Based on the multivariate analysis, contact with people from Hubei province during work (no vs not clear) OR=0.25, 95%CI: 0.10-0.61 and personal protective equipment (PPE) (not in place vs in place) OR=6.22, 95%CI: 2.23-17.40 were significantly correlated with anxiety. PPE (not in place vs in place) was the only significant risk factor of insomnia OR=10.56, 95%CI: 4.00-27.87. The prevalence of anxiety and insomnia was high in our study, reflecting the psychological impact of COVID-19 on healthcare workers. The unavailability of PPE in place was a significant risk factor of both anxiety and insomnia. Keywords: Anxiety; Insomnia; COVID-19; Healthcare workers; HCWs
There is a close relationship between preconception health and maternal and child health outcomes, and the consequences may be passed down from generation to generation. In 2018, Lancet published ...three consecutive articles emphasizing the importance of the preconception period. Phthalic acid ester (PAE) exposure during this period may affect gametogenesis and epigenetic information in gametophytes, thereby affecting embryonic development and offspring health. Therefore, this article reviews the effects of parental preconception PAE exposure on reproductive/birth outcomes and offspring health, to provide new evidence on this topic. We searched Web of Science, MEDLINE (through PubMed), the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), ScienceDirect, and the VIP Journal Library from the date of database establishment to July 3, 2024. Finally, 12 articles were included. Three studies investigated the health hazards (effects on birth weight, abortion, etc.) of women's preconception PAE exposure. Nine studies involved both parents. Nine studies considered the impacts of PAE preconception exposure on reproductive/birth outcomes, focusing on birth weight, pregnancy loss, preterm birth, embryo quality, and placental weight. Three studies considered the impacts of preconception PAE exposure on offspring behavior. The results of this review suggested that parental preconception PAE exposure may have an impact on reproductive/birth outcomes and offspring behavior, including birth weight, child behavior, and dietary behavior. However, studies on the health hazards of preconception PAE exposure are relatively scarce, and the outcomes of current studies are varied. It is necessary to use systematic reviews to verify an accurate research question to provide recommendations for public health policy making.
•Preconception phthalic acid ester (PAE) exposure may affect birth outcomes.•Preconception PAE exposure may be associated with poorer child behavior.•Parental preconception PAE exposure may be associated with increased appetite.
To study the effects of subthalamic nucleus-deep brain stimulation (STN-DBS) on autonomic dysfunctions in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients.
A total of 57 PD patients who underwent bilateral STN-DBS ...from March to December 2018, were retrospectively analyzed. Preplanned assessments at baseline and postoperatively at 1, 3, and 6 months also included the Scales for Outcomes in Parkinson's Disease-Autonomic questionnaire (SCOPA-Aut), the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) III score, levodopa equivalent day dose (LEDD), Parkinson's Disease Quality of Life Scale (PDQ-39), the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAMA), and the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD).
The SCOPA-Aut scores improved significantly 14.59% (18.32%), 24.00% (27.05%), 22.16% (27.07%), all P < 0.001 at 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months of STN-DBS, respectively. Analysis of the SCOPA-Aut sub-items showed significant improvements only in urine and thermoregulation sub-items at 6 months after surgery (P < 0.001). There was no significant correlation between improvements of SCOPA-Aut scores and improvements of PDQ-39 scores (P > 0.05) at 6 months after surgery. SCOPA-Aut scores were positively correlated with age (r = 0.428, P = 0.001); the improvements of SCCOPA-Aut scores were positively correlated with improvements of HAMA and HAMD scores (HAMA: r = 0.325, P = 0.015; HAMD: r = 0.265, P = 0.049) at 6 months after surgery.
STN-DBS improved autonomic dysfunction symptoms of PD patients, and urinary and thermoregulatory sub-items of autonomic dysfunction were improved in the short-term after surgery. There was a close relationship between improved autonomic symptoms and improved anxiety and depression 6 months after surgery. We should therefore direct more attention to autonomic dysfunctions in PD involving detailed preoperative evaluations and postoperative follow-ups, to improve the quality of life of patients.
Investigating the physicochemical properties and embedding forms of residual carbon (RC) and slag particles (SPs) in coal gasification fine slag (FS) is the basis for achieving its separation and ...utilization. An in-depth understanding of their compositional characteristics allows for targeted treatment and utilization programs for different components. In this work, the physicochemical properties and embedding forms of RC and SPs in FS were systematically investigated. An innovative calculation method is proposed to determine the mass fraction of dispersed carbon particles, dispersed mineral-rich particles, and carbon–ash combined particles by using a high-temperature heating stage coupled with an optical microscope. The unburned RC with a rough, loose surface and a well-developed pore structure acted as a framework in which the smaller spherical SPs with a smooth surface were embedded. In addition, the sieving pretreatment process facilitated the enrichment of the RC. Moreover, the RC content showed significant dependencies according to the FS particle size. For FS with a particle size of 0.075–0.150 mm, the mass proportions of dispersed carbon, ash particles, and the carbon–ash combination were 15.19%, 38.72%, and 46.09%, respectively. These findings provide basic data and reliable technical support for the subsequent carbon and ash separation process and the comprehensive utilization of coal gasification slag.
Lanzhou lamb rotavirus vaccine (LLR) is an oral live attenuated vaccine first licensed in China in 2000. To date, > 60 million doses of LLR have been distributed to children. However, very little is ...known about faecal shedding of LLR in children. Therefore, faecal samples (n = 1,184) were collected from 114 children for 15 days post-vaccination in September-November 2011/2012. Faecal shedding and viral loads were determined by an enzyme immunoassay kit (EIA) and real-time RT-PCR. The complete genome was sequenced and the vaccine strain was isolated by culture in MA104 cells. Approximately 14.0% (16/114) of children had rotavirus-positive samples by EIA for at least 1 day post-vaccination. Viral loads in EIA-positive samples ranged from < 1.0 × 10
to 1.9 × 10
copies/g. Faecal shedding occurred as early as post-vaccination day 2 and as late as post-vaccination day 13 and peaked on post-vaccination day 5-10. One LLR strain was isolated by culture in MA104 cells. Sequence analysis showed 99% identity with LLR prototype strain. Faecal shedding of LLR in stool is common within 15 days of LLR vaccination, indicating vaccine strains can replicate in human enteric tissues.
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