Characterization of the complete chloroplast genome of an important medicinal plant, Sinomenium acutum (Menispermaceae, Ranunculales)

Sinomenium acutum is a woody vine of great virtue in traditional Chinese medicine and, nowadays, a potent anticancer drug against several types of cancers. In the present study, we have assembled and characterized the very first chloroplast (cp) genome sequence of S. acutum. The whole chloroplast genome is 162,966 bp in length, containing a pair of inverted repeats (IR) of 25,051 bp each, separated by one large single-copy region (LSC, 91,627 bp) and a small single-copy region (SSC, 21,237 bp). The cp genome encodes 132 unique genes that contain 85 protein-coding genes, 37 transfer RNA genes, and 8 ribosomal RNA genes. In our phylogeny of Ranunculales, Menispermum dauricum is sister to S. acutum

The change of health-related quality of life after minimally invasive esophagectomy for esophageal cancer: a meta-analysis

Abstract Background Short- and long-term health-related quality of life (HRQL) was severely affected after surgery. This study aimed to assess the direction and duration of HRQL from 3- to 24-month follow-ups after minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE) for esophageal cancer. Methods A systematic literature search in MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane database was performed for all potentially relevant studies published until February 2017. Studies were included if they addressed the question of HRQL with OERTC-QLQ-C30 and OES18. Primary outcomes were HRQL change at 3-month follow-up. Secondary outcomes were HRQL change from 3-, 6- (short-term) to 12- (mid-term), and/or 24-month (long-term) follow-ups. Results Six articles were included to estimate the change in 24 HRQL outcomes after MIE. Most of the patients’ HRQL outcomes deteriorated at short-term follow-up and some lasted to mid- or long-term after MIE. Patients’ physical function and global QOL deteriorated from short- to long-term follow-ups, and emotional function had no change. The directions of dyspnea, pain, fatigue, insomnia, constipation, diarrhea, cough, and speech problems were increased. The deterioration in global function lasted 6 months, the increase in constipation and speech problems lasted 12 months, and insomnia increased more than 12 months after MIE. Conclusions The emotional function had no change after MIE. The global QOL become worse during early postoperative period; the symptoms of constipation, speech problems, and insomnia increased for a long time after MIE

Molecular Characterization of <i>Anaplasma</i> spp. among Dairy, Cashmere, and Meat Goats in Shaanxi Province, Northwestern China

Anaplasma spp. are important tick-borne pathogens endangering the health of humans and various animals. Although several studies have reported Anaplasma infection in livestock in China, little is known about the impact of production categories on the occurrence of Anaplasma species. In the present study, PCR tools targeting the 16S rRNA and msp4 genes were applied to investigate the prevalence of Anaplasma spp. in 509 blood samples of dairy (n = 249), cashmere (n = 139), and meat (n = 121) goats from Shaanxi province. The prevalence of Anaplasma spp. was 58.5% (298/509) in goats, and significant differences (p p A. phagocytophilum, 36.1% (184/509) for A. bovis, and 11.0% (56/509) for A. ovis, and significant differences (p A. phagocytophilum, A. bovis and A. ovis were recognized among production categories and sampling sites. A. phagocytophilum, A. bovis and A. ovis were dominant species in meat, dairy, and cashmere goats, respectively, and A. ovis was absent in meat goats. Co-infections were found in 124 (24.4%) investigated samples. Goats aged Anaplasma. Phylogenetic analysis indicated separate clades for the distribution of A. phagocytophilum from different ruminant, reflecting potential host adaption within this species. This study reported the colonization occurrence of Anaplasma spp. among production categories in goats in Shaanxi province and enriched our knowledge on the transmission of Anaplasma spp. in goats in China. Considering the existence of zoonotic A. phagocytophilum in goats in this study and previous reports, interventions based on One Health are needed to be developed to control the transmission of Anaplasma spp. between humans and animals

Role of Nampt and Visceral Adiposity in Esophagogastric Junction Adenocarcinoma

Nampt including eNampt and iNampt may contribute to mediating obesity-associated cancers. This study investigated the role of Nampt in esophagogastric junction adenocarcinoma (EGA), a cancer strongly correlated with obesity. Visceral adiposity was defined by waist circumference or VFA. eNampt in sera were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. iNampt expression in EGA was determined by PCR, western blot, and immunohistochemistry. Sera eNampt were significantly elevated in these overweight and obese patients, especially for viscerally obese patients, and positively correlated with BMI, waist circumference, VFA, and also primary tumor, regional lymph nodes, and TNM stage (P<0.05). iNampt expression in both the mRNA and protein levels was upregulated in EGAs (P<0.05). iNampt staining was found primarily in the cytoplasm and nuclei and significantly associated with tumor, lymph nodes, and TNM stage and also correlated positively with serum eNampt, BMI, total fat area, VFA, superficial fat area, and waist circumference (P<0.05). iNampt, eNampt, tumor, lymph nodes, and TNM stage correlated to the survival of EGAs, and iNampt expression and TNM stage affected the prognosis independently (P<0.05). This study highlighted the association of eNampt/iNampt with visceral obesity and a potential impact on the biology of EGA

CAC1 knockdown reverses drug resistance through the downregulation of P-gp and MRP-1 expression in colorectal cancer.

CDK2-associated cullin domain 1 (CAC1) is as a novel cell cycle regulator widely expressed in colorectal cancer (CRC). However, its expression and function in drug resistant CRC cells remains elusive. Therefore, the present study aimed to assess the biochemical function and relevance of CAC1 in drug resistant CRC cells, and detect the potential mechanism. For this purpose, a total of 83 CRC cases were collected for the immunohistochemical analysis of CAC1 expression. Functional studies (stable transfection, flow cytometry, colony formation, and invasion and migration assays) were performed in SW480, LoVo and their corresponding 5-FU resistant cells. In addition, a nude mice xenograft model was established for further observation in vivo. In the present study, CAC1 protein expression was higher in CRC tissues than that in normal tissues (P<0.05). Furthermore, CAC1 protein expression was higher in SW480/5-FU cells than in SW480 cells. CAC1 knockdown arrested 5-FU resistant cells at the G1/S phase and increased the sensitivity of 5-FU resistant cells to 5-FU by inducing apoptosis. In addition, CAC1 reduced the invasive and migration ability of SW480/5-FU and LoVo/5-FU cells in vitro, and reduced their tumorigenicity and metastatic ability in vivo. Finally, CAC1 knockdown resulted in decreased P-glycoprotein and MRP-1 protein expression. Based on these results, it can be concluded that CAC1 plays an important role in the occurrence and promotion of drug resistance in CRC. Therefore, the knockdown of CAC1 may be considered as a new strategy for the development of CRC drug resistance treatments in the future

The mechanism and influence on the biological behavior of human high-metastatic large cell lung cancer cell lines with transfection of nm23-H1 gene

Background and objective It has been confirmed that nm23-H1 gene is one of the tumor metastasis suppressor genes. Up to now, the exact mechanism of nm23-H1 gene is uncertian. The aim of this study is to compare the biological behavior changes among three human high-metastatic large cell lung cancer cell lines which transfected and untransfected nm23-H1 gene, and to study the mechanism of nm23-H1 gene supressing the metastasis. Methods Boyden Chamber and MTT method were used to detect the rates of invasion and proliferation among different human pulmonary carcinoma cells of transfected and untransfected nm23-H1 gene; meanwhile The three lung cancer cell lines were treated with PKC inhibitor Calphostin C, and the above measurements were also performed. Results The ability of invasion and proliferation of L9981 and L9981-PLXSN human high-metastatic large cell lung cancer cells,which lack of nm23-H1gene, was higher than that of L9981-nm23-H1 human high-metastatic large cell line, which transfected with nm23-H1gene (P0.05). After treated with PKC inhibitor Calphstin C，the invasion and proliferation ability of three lung cancer cell lines were obviously go down (P0.05). Conclusion Our data suggest that nm23-H1 gene can significantly inhibit the cell proliferation and invasion in L9981 lung cancer line. The effect of nm23-H1 might be correlated with downregulation of PKC signal transduction in human high-metastatic large cell lung cancer cell line

Frequency changes in HLA‐I alleles: A marker to guide immunotherapy in lung adenocarcinoma patients and its relationship with tumor mutational burden and PD‐L1 expression

Abstract Background The aim of the study was to investigate differences in HLA‐I alleles between lung adenocarcinoma patients and healthy controls and determine their association with PD‐L1 expression and tumor mutational burden (TMB) to understand the mechanism underlying lung adenocarcinoma susceptibility. Methods Differences in HLA allele frequencies between the two groups were analyzed in a case–control study. PD‐L1 expression and TMB in lung adenocarcinoma patients were determined and their relationships with HLA‐I were analyzed. Results The lung adenocarcinoma group showed significantly higher HLA‐A*30:01 (p = 0.0067, odds ratio [OR], 1.834; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.176–2.860), B*13:02 (p = 0.0050, OR, 1.855; 95% CI: 1.217–2.829), and C*06:02 (p = 0.0260, OR, 1.478; 95% CI: 1.060–2.060) and significantly lower B*51:01 (p = 0.0290, OR, 0.6019; 95% CI: 0.3827–0.9467), and C*14:02 (p = 0.0255, OR, 0.5089; 95% CI: 0.2781–0.9312) than the control group. Haplotype analysis results showed that HLA‐A*30:01–B*13:02 (p = 0.0100, OR, 1.909; 95% CI: 1.182–3.085), A*11:01–C*01:02 (p = 0.0056, OR, 1.909; 95% CI: 1.182–3.085), A*30:01–C*06:02 (p = 0.0111, OR, 1.846; 95% CI: 1.147–2.969), and B*13:02–C*06:02 (p = 0.0067, OR, 1.846; 95% CI: 1.147–2.969) frequencies significantly increased and B*51:01–C*14:02 (p = 0.0219, OR, 0.490; 95% CI: 0.263–0.914) frequency significantly decreased in lung adenocarcinoma patients. Three‐locus haplotype analysis showed that HLA‐A*30:01‐B*13:02‐C*06:02 frequency (p = 0.0100, OR, 1.909; 95% CI: 1.182–3.085) significantly increased in patients. Conclusion HLA‐A*30:01, B*13:02, and C*06:02 may be the susceptibility genes and HLA‐B*51:01 and C*14:01 act as the resistance genes of lung adenocarcinoma. The changes in HLA‐I allele frequencies had no association with PD‐L1 expression and TMB among these patients

Adsorption and reversible detection of toxic halogens gases at room temperature by two-dimensional Al2SSe for occupational sustainability

International audienceCurrent treatment for inhalational halogens poisoning involves providing supportive care, which includes administering humidified oxygen and managing the airway. Since toxic effects of halogens cannot be reversed, sensors with high sensitivity and good reversibility for detecting the relatively lower concentration yet noxious halogens becomes particularly significant and enticing. Herein, the structural and optoelectronic properties of toxic F2 and Cl2 gas molecules adsorbed on highly stable Al2SSe monolayer have been systematically studied by means of first-principles calculations based on density functional theory (DFT). Favorable adsorption sites of said molecules on Al2SSe were carefully examined. The relatively high, negative adsorption energy for F2 and Cl2 indicate that the adsorption process is exothermic and the molecules could be stably adsorbed on Al2SSe monolayer. This characteristic, combined with the substantial charge transfer (0.15-0.55 |e|), drastic change in work function, complete reversibility due to recovery time in 10-1 s scale and distinct optical response, render Al2SSe monolayer a viable option for utilization as either surface work functions transistor or optical chemical resistor for detecting these gases. Pearson correlation coefficient (PCC) analysis of theoretical recovery time and response value indicates that band gap change and electron transfer are the primary influencing factors. Selectivity analysis reveals that common compound forms of halogens and atmospheric molecules such as HF, HCl, N2, O2, H2 and H2O are either physically adsorbed or inert with extremely low adsorption energies on Al2SSe, prompting high F2 and Cl2 selectivity. These outcomes acclaim the exciting prospects of developing Al2SSe monolayer for specific, occupational related ultrahigh-sensitivity F2 and Cl2 sensing nanodevices

Pulmonary pleomorphic carcinoma treated with PD‐1 inhibitor: Two case reports

Abstract Pulmonary polymorphic carcinoma (PPC) is a rare and poorly differentiated form of non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), accounting for just approximately 0.1% to 0.4% of all NSCLC cases. Historically, the conventional treatments for PPC have been linked to a grim prognosis. However, with the advent of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), including PD‐1 inhibitors, for the management of NSCLC, our center has witnessed encouraging outcomes in two PPC patients who underwent PD‐1 inhibitor therapy. The first patient was a 70‐year‐old male who initially came to our attention after the discovery of a lung mass during a routine physical examination. A lung biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of PPC, and further complications included brain metastasis. Surgical intervention was conducted for the brain metastases, while PD‐1 inhibitor therapy was employed for the lung tumors. The second patient was a 60‐year‐old male who was admitted with a history of persistent coughing and hemoptysis, which led to the diagnosis of a left lung tumor. Subsequent postoperative pathology revealed pulmonary adenocarcinoma coexisting with PPC. However, 2 months later, distant metastases were detected during a follow‐up examination. The patient encountered difficulty in tolerating the adverse effects of chemotherapy, prompting the initiation of PD‐1 inhibitor treatment. Notably, both patients underwent one cycle of PD‐1 inhibitor therapy without encountering significant adverse reactions, and their responses proved to be promising during re‐examinations. These findings suggest that surgery combined with immunotherapy PD‐1 inhibitor therapy may represent an effective approach for the treatment of PPC