The communication between tumor-derived elements and stroma in the metastatic niche has a critical role in facilitating cancer metastasis. Yet, the mechanisms tumor cells use to control metastatic ...niche formation are not fully understood. Here we report that in the lung metastatic niche, high-metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells exhibit a greater capacity to convert normal fibroblasts to cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) than low-metastatic HCC cells. We show high-metastatic HCC cells secrete exosomal miR-1247-3p that directly targets B4GALT3, leading to activation of β1-integrin-NF-κB signaling in fibroblasts. Activated CAFs further promote cancer progression by secreting pro-inflammatory cytokines, including IL-6 and IL-8. Clinical data show high serum exosomal miR-1247-3p levels correlate with lung metastasis in HCC patients. These results demonstrate intercellular crosstalk between tumor cells and fibroblasts is mediated by tumor-derived exosomes that control lung metastasis of HCC, providing potential targets for prevention and treatment of cancer metastasis.
A sensitive electrochemical sensor for the determination of carbendazim (CBZ) was developed with Ni-doping nanoporous carbon-graphene composite (G-Ni/C) as the electrode material. The combination of ...graphene and Ni-doping nanoporous carbon not only prevented the aggregation of graphene, but also improved electric conductivity and substantially enhanced the electro catalytic activity for CBZ sensing. The electrochemical characterization of G-Ni/C towards CBZ determination was conducted by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) . The sensor based on G-Ni/C/GCE exhibits good electroanalytical activity towards the electro-oxidation of CBZ at the potential of + 0.6 V vs Ag/AgCl. Some key factors including sample pH, scan rates, accumulation potential, and accumulation time were investigated. The method offered a wide linear range of 0.04 to 10.0 µM with a detection limit of 8.9 nM. The obtained sensor was successfully employed for the determination of CBZ in pond water and juice samples with RSD < 5.7% and recoveries in the range 91.3–111%.
Graphical Abstract
In the present work, Ni-doping nanoporous carbon-graphene composite (G-Ni/C) was prepared by directly pyrolysis of GO/Ni-MOF. The electrochemical sensor based on G-Ni/C /GCE was applied for sensitive determination of carbendazim (CBZ) in pond water, peach, and lemon juices samples.
The objective of this study was to select lactic acid bacteria (LAB) isolated from the rumen fluid and feces of dairy cows, and evaluate their effects on silage quality of alfalfa after 30 or 60 days ...of ensiling. One hundred and four LAB strains were isolated from rumen fluid and feces of six dairy cows, of which four strains (
F1,
F50,
L100, and
L120) and one commercial inoculant (GFG) isolated from forage were employed for further study. The silages treated with F1 had the lowest (
< 0.05) pH value and the highest (
< 0.05) lactic acid (LA) content in all treatments. Besides, higher (
< 0.05)
digestibility was also observed in F1-treated silage after 60 days of ensiling. The microbial analysis showed that the
abundance in the F1-treated silages increased to 60.32%, higher than other treatments (5.12-47.64%). Our research indicated that strain F1 could be an alternative silage inoculant, and dairy cows could be a source for obtaining excellent LAB for ensiling.
The AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) serves as an energy sensor in eukaryotic cells and occupies a central role in linking metabolism and cancer development. However, the phosphorylation status of ...AMPK and its therapeutic value in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain unclear.
The phosphorylation status of AMPK (Thr172) was determined by immunoblotting and immunostaining in specimens from 273 patients with HCC (including 253 patients with hepatitis B virus -related HCC). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used to determine the correlation with prognosis. The effects of therapeutic metformin/AMPK activation were assessed in cultured human HCC cell lines and primary HCC cells in vitro and in xenograft tumors model in vivo. To define the mechanisms of anticancer effects of metformin, we examined its influence on AMPK activation and NF-κB pathway.
AMPK is dysfunctional in patients with HCC, and low p-AMPK staining is correlated with aggressive clinicopathologic features and poor prognosis. Activation of AMPK by metformin not only inhibited HCC cells growth in vitro and in vivo, but also augmented cisplatin-induced growth inhibition in HCC cells. Knockdown of AMPKα expression can greatly decrease the inhibitory effect of metformin, indicating that AMPK activation is required for the anticancer action of metformin. Mechanistically, metformin/AMPK activation inhibited NF-κB signaling through upregulation of IκBα. Activation of NF-κB signaling by ectopic expression of P65 or overexpression of an undegradable mutant form of IκBα attenuated the anticancer effects of metformin.
These results present novel insight into a critical role of AMPK in HCC progression. Anticancer effects of therapeutic metformin/AMPK activation unravel metformin's potential in treatment of HCC.
A number of modifications have been developed in order to enhance surface cytocompatibility for prosthetic support of dental implants. Among them, ultraviolet (UV) light and non-thermal plasma (NTP) ...treatment are promising methods. The objective of this study was to compare the effects of UV light and NTP on machined titanium, zirconia and modified polyetheretherketone (PEEK, BioHPP) surfaces in vitro. Machined samples of titanium, zirconia and BioHPP were treated by UV light and NTP of argon or oxygen for 12 min each. Non-treated disks were set as controls. A mouse fibroblast and a human gingival fibroblast cell line were used for in vitro experiments. After 2, 24 and 48 h of incubation, the attachment, viability and cytotoxicity of cells on surfaces were assessed. Results: Titanium, zirconia and BioHPP surfaces treated by UV light and oxygen plasma were more favorable to the early attachment of soft-tissue cells than non-treated surfaces, and the number of cells on those treated surfaces was significantly increased after 2, 24 and 48 h of incubation (
< 0.05). However, the effects of argon plasma treatment on the cytocompatibility of soft tissue cells varied with the type of cells and the treated material. UV light and oxygen plasma treatments may improve the attachment of fibroblast cells on machined titanium, zirconia and PEEK surfaces, that are materials for prosthetic support of dental implants.
Semiconductor-based photocatalysis attracts wide attention owing to its ability to directly utilize solar energy for the production of solar fuels. In particular, the construction of Z-scheme ...heterojunctions is demonstrated to benefit the photocatalytic performance because of the separation and transfer of the photogenerated charge carriers and well-preserved strong redox ability. In this work, a series of Z-scheme Ag3PO4/WO3 p–n junction photocatalysts were prepared employing a facile impregnation method. The photocatalysts (Ag3PO4/WO3 p–n junction) presented enhanced photo-degradation efficiency; for example, with AW-45, 99.9% degradation could be obtained for RhB (30 ppm) on irradiation (λ > 420 nm, 350 W xenon lamp) for 7 min, which is a great improvement compared with the individual constituents. The degradation rate for AW-45 was 27 times higher than that of a commercial powder (P25). The apparent kinetic rate of catalytic degradation was obtained according to the results from the degradation process. The mechanism for electron transfer between Ag3PO4 and WO3 was also investigated. The reduction and oxidation processes concentrated on the CB (conducting band) of Ag3PO4 and the VB (valence band) of WO3, resulting in promoting the mechanism for photocatalytic degradation in the Z-scheme Ag3PO4/WO3 p–n junction photocatalysts.
Porphyria is a group of genetic photodermatoses that cause too much porphyrin to accumulate in the blood, skin, and liver, resulting in skin photosensitivity and damage, liver disease, or potential ...liver failure. Conventional detection methods include high-performance liquid chromatography and fluorescence spectrometry. However, these methods usually require complicated pretreatment and time-consuming processes. Therefore, efficient and fast detection of porphyria is urgently needed. Herein, we develop a molecular afterglow reporter-based sensing scheme for the detection of porphyrins in whole blood. The afterglow reporter can respond to the production of singlet oxygen (1O2) of porphyrins after light excitation, and the detection signals can be amplified through adjusting the amount of singlet oxygen and afterglow reporter molecules. Moreover, without the use of a real-time excitation source, afterglow signals can avoid the scattering and autofluorescence interference in biological samples, thereby reducing background noise. More importantly, we prove the applicability of the afterglow reporter in the quantitative detection of porphyrins in whole blood and demonstrate its great clinical potential.
This study aimed to investigate the effects of delayed harvest and additives on the fermentation quality and bacterial community of corn stalk silage in South China. The corn stalks after ear harvest ...at the 0 day (D0), 7 days (D7), and 15 days (D15) were used to produce small-bale silages. The silages at each harvest time were treated without (control, CK) or with
(LP) and sodium benzoate (BF). The results showed that delayed harvest increased pH and acetic acid content and reduced lactic acid content in corn stalk silage (
< 0.05). Compared with CK, the additives decreased the contents of butyric acid and ammonia nitrogen (NH
-N;
< 0.05). The silage treated with LP increased the content of lactic acid and decreased pH (
< 0.05); the silage treated with BF decreased counts of coliform bacteria and yeasts and increased residual water soluble carbohydrates (WSC) content (
< 0.05). Single Molecule, Real-Time sequencing (SMRT) revealed that the abundance of
increased, while the abundance of
and
decreased with the delayed harvest. Additives influenced the bacterial community structure of corn stalk silage, revealed by enhanced bacterial diversity on D0 and reduced on D7 (
< 0.05). Our research indicated that delayed harvest could exert a positive effect on acetic acid production, and additives could inhibit the butyric acid fermentation and protein degradation of corn stalk silage by shifting bacterial community composition.
Ultraviolet (UV) light and non-thermal plasma (NTP) treatment are chairside methods that can efficiently improve the biological aging of implant material surfaces caused by customary storage. ...However, the behaviors of stem cells on these treated surfaces of the implant are still unclear. This study aimed to investigate the effects of UV light and NTP treated surfaces of titanium, zirconia and modified polyetheretherketone (PEEK, BioHPP) on the attachment and osteogenic potential of human dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) in vitro. Machined disks were treated using UV light and argon or oxygen NTP for 12 min each. Untreated disks were set as controls. DPSCs were cultured from the wisdom teeth of adults that gave informed consent. After 24 h of incubation, the attachment and viability of cells on surfaces were assessed. Cells were further osteogenically induced, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity was detected via a p-Nitrophenyl phosphate assay (day 14 and 21) and mineralization degree was measured using a Calcium Assay kit (day 21). UV light and NTP treated titanium, zirconia and BioHPP surfaces improved the early attachment and viability of DPSCs. ALP activity and mineralization degree of osteoinductive DPSCs were significantly increased on UV light and NTP treated surfaces of titanium, zirconia and also oxygen plasma treated Bio-HPP (p < 0.05). In conclusion, UV light and NTP treatments may improve the attachment of DPSCs on titanium, zirconia and BioHPP surfaces. Osteogenic differentiation of DPSCs can be enhanced on UV light and NTP treated surfaces of titanium and zirconia, as well as on oxygen plasma treated Bio-HPP.
Silage quality remains an important issue in farming, as do limitations in the range of products suitable for animal fodder. We therefore explored the microorganisms that are critical for the ...fermentation quality of paper mulberry silage. Low (unwilted) and high (wilted) dry matter (DM) paper mulberry were harvested at two cutting times. These were ensiled for 0, 3, 7, 14, and 56 days, respectively. Compared with unwilted silages, wilting significantly decreased (p < 0.05) silage pH value, ammonia‐N concentration, and yeast counts but increased (p < 0.05) lactic acid content. In addition, higher (p < 0.05) crude protein (CP) contents were also observed in wilted silages. Next‐generation sequencing (NGS) analysis revealed that wilting reduced the abundance of Enterobacter, while increasing that of Lactobacillus. Single‐molecule real‐time sequencing (SMRT) revealed that the silage was enriched in the lactic acid bacteria (LAB), Lactobacillus rhamnosus after wilting, which showed a positive correlation with CP and lactic acid content. We conclude that wilting may help preserve paper mulberry silage, facilitating its use as a new fodder resource. Moreover, L. rhamnosus has the potential to be developed as a new inoculant for the modulation in wilted silages, particularly paper mulberry silage.
Bacterial community was analyzed by combination of NGS and SMRT sequencing. Wilting enriched the abundance of Lactobacillus rhamnosus. Lactobacillus rhamnosus was the critical species showing the most positively correlation with wilted silage quality, and have the potential to be developed as new silage inoculant.
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