1-Benzyl-4-chloro­indoline-2,3-dione

There are two independent mol­ecules in the asymmetric unit of the title compound, C15H10ClNO2, which differ in the dihedral angles between the mean planes of the phenyl ring and the 4-chloro­indoline-2,3-dione ring system [59.48 (9) and 79.0 (1)°]. In the crystal, mol­ecules are linked through C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds, forming polymeric chains in [100]

Minimal information for studies of extracellular vesicles (MISEV2023): From basic to advanced approaches

Extracellular vesicles (EVs), through their complex cargo, can reflect the state of their cell of origin and change the functions and phenotypes of other cells. These features indicate strong biomarker and therapeutic potential and have generated broad interest, as evidenced by the steady year-on-year increase in the numbers of scientific publications about EVs. Important advances have been made in EV metrology and in understanding and applying EV biology. However, hurdles remain to realising the potential of EVs in domains ranging from basic biology to clinical applications due to challenges in EV nomenclature, separation from non-vesicular extracellular particles, characterisation and functional studies. To address the challenges and opportunities in this rapidly evolving field, the International Society for Extracellular Vesicles (ISEV) updates its 'Minimal Information for Studies of Extracellular Vesicles', which was first published in 2014 and then in 2018 as MISEV2014 and MISEV2018, respectively. The goal of the current document, MISEV2023, is to provide researchers with an updated snapshot of available approaches and their advantages and limitations for production, separation and characterisation of EVs from multiple sources, including cell culture, body fluids and solid tissues. In addition to presenting the latest state of the art in basic principles of EV research, this document also covers advanced techniques and approaches that are currently expanding the boundaries of the field. MISEV2023 also includes new sections on EV release and uptake and a brief discussion of in vivo approaches to study EVs. Compiling feedback from ISEV expert task forces and more than 1000 researchers, this document conveys the current state of EV research to facilitate robust scientific discoveries and move the field forward even more rapidly

Identification of Immunoreactive Peptides of Toxins to Simultaneously Assess the Neutralization Potency of Antivenoms against Neurotoxicity and Cytotoxicity of Naja atra Venom

Assessing the neutralization capability of nonlethal but medically relevant toxins in venom has been a challenging task. Nowadays, neutralization efficacy is evaluated based simply on the survival rates of animals injected with antivenom together with a predefined dose of venom, which can determine potency against neurotoxicity but not validate the capability to neutralize cytotoxin-induced complications. In this study, a high correlation with in-vivo and in-vitro neutralization assays was established using the immunoreactive peptides identified from short-chain neurotoxin and cytotoxin A3. These peptides contain conserved residues associated with toxin activities and a competition assay indicated that these peptides could specifically block the antibody binding to toxin and affect the neutralization potency of antivenom. Moreover, the titers of peptide-specific antibody in antivenoms or mouse antisera were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) simultaneously, and the results indicated that Taiwanese bivalent antivenom (BAV) and Vietnamese snake antivenom-Naja (SAV-Naja) exhibited superior neutralization potency against the lethal effect of short-chain neurotoxin (sNTX) and cytotoxicity of cardiotoxin/cytotoxin (CTX), respectively. Thus, the reported peptide ELISA shows not only its potential for antivenom prequalification use, but also its capability of justifying the cross-neutralization potency of antivenoms against Naja atra venom toxicity

Clinical Characteristics and Prognostic Factors of Small Intestine Angiosarcoma: a Retrospective Clinical Analysis of 66 Cases

Background/Aims: Primary angiosarcoma of the small intestine is a rare neoplasia, and there are limited data from systematic analyses. The aim of this study is to describe the clinical and pathological characteristics in addition to the prognostic factors for this rare neoplasia. Methods: We retrospectively collected the clinical records and prognostic information of 66 patients with small intestine angiosarcoma reported between 1970 and 2017. We used the Chi-square test, the log-rank test, and Cox regression analyses to evaluate the data. Results: There were 66 patients diagnosed with small intestine angiosarcoma. The onset age ranged from 24–92 years old. There were 24 patients diagnosed before the year 2000, and 42 patients were diagnosed after 2000. The data indicated that 49 cases were diagnosed as primary disease, and the remaining 15 cases were secondary disease. The main clinical symptoms were nonspecific and included gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding and abdominal pain. Additionally, we found multi-center foci were one of the characteristics of this disease. Radiation-induced small intestine angiosarcoma (RSIA) is a special type of disease with a similar prognosis. This type was more frequent in females and decreased after the year 2000. We also found that GI bleeding was less common in RSIA cases. The log-rank test results revealed that old-age, poor differentiation, and GI bleeding were associated with worse prognosis. Surgical treatment showed a trend toward a prolonged survival time. However, the result was not statistically significant. Our results show treatment with adjuvant therapy improved prognosis. The multivariate Cox analysis demonstrated adjuvant therapy was an independent indicator of a favorable outcome in small intestine angiosarcoma patients. Conclusion: Pay attention to the unexplained gastrointestinal bleeding could lead to a faster diagnosis and control of small intestine angiosarcoma. Furthermore, treatments including adjuvant therapy can effectively improve the prognosis

Arachidonic acid regulation of the cytosolic phospholipase A(2 alpha)/cyclooxygenase-2 pathway in mouse endometrial stromal cells

Objective: To investigate the role of arachidonic acid (AA) in mouse endometrial stromal cells. Design: Experimental animal study. Setting: University research laboratory. Animal(s): Sexually mature female CD1-strain mice. Intervention(s): Primary culture of endometrial stromal cells. Main Outcome Measure(s): Western blot and real-time polymerase chain reaction for gene expression and/or phophorylation analysis. Luciferase assay for Cox-2 promoter analysis. Result(s): AA-derived prostaglandins play important roles during embryo implantation and decidualization. However, the function of AA itself in reproduction is largely unknown. In this study, exogenous AA stimulated cPLA(2 alpha) phosphorylation and COX-2 expression, mainly through ERK1/2 in mouse endometrial stromal cells, and p38 inhibitor modestly inhibited cPLA(2 alpha) phosphorylation induced by AA. The induction of COX-2 by AA was diminished by short interfering RNA against C/EBP beta and inhibitory C/EBP beta (LIP). C/EBPb binding site at -872- -864 of Cox-2 promoter contributes to Cox-2 promoter activation induced by C/EBPb transfection. The expression of C/EBPb protein induced by AA was inhibited by p38 inhibitor, and the phosphorylation of C/EBP beta induced by AA was inhibited by p38 inhibitor and ERK1/2 inhibitor. A nonmetabolized analogue of AA (ETYA) also enhanced cPLA(2 alpha) phosphorylation and COX-2 expression. The activation of cPLA(2 alpha)/COX-2 by AA was not inhibited by COX inhibitor indomethacin. Conclusion(s): AA can induce cPLA(2 alpha)/COX-2 pathway activation in mouse endometrial stromal cells. (Fertil Steril (R) 2012;97:1199-1205. (C) 2012 by American Society for Reproductive Medicine.)National Basic Research Program of China [2011CB944402]; National Natural Science Foundation of China [30930013, 31071276

Differential expression and anti-oxidant function of glutathione peroxidase 3 in mouse uterus during decidualization

National Basic Research Program of China [2011CB944402, 2013CB910803]; National Natural Science Foundation of China [31272263, 31071276]Glutathione peroxidase 3 (GPX3) is an important member of antioxidant enzymes for reducing reactive oxygen species and maintaining the oxygen balance. Gpx3 mRNA is strongly expressed in decidual cells from days 5 to 8 of pregnancy. After pregnant mice are treated with GPX inhibitor for 3 days, pregnancy rate is significantly reduced. Progesterone stimulates Gpx3 expression through PR/HIF1 alpha in mouse endometrial stromal cells. In the decidua, the high level of GPX3 expression is closely associated with the reduction of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Based on our data, GPX3 may play a major role in reducing H2O2 during decidualization. (C) 2014 Federation of European Biochemical Societies. Published by Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved