Hydrogen Therapy may be a Novel and Effective Treatment for COPD

The protective effect of hydrogen (H2) on ROS-induced diseases has been proved by many researches, which demonstrated that through eliminating •OH and •ONOO–, H2 could effectively attenuate lipid and DNA peroxidation, improve cellular antioxidant capacity, and then protect cells against oxidant damage. Most of free radicals in human body are ROS, including O2•–,•OH, H2O2, NO•,•ONOO–, and so on. Under normal circumstances cells are able to maintain an adequate homeostasis between the formation and removal of ROS through particular enzymatic pathways or antioxidants. But under some pathological conditions, the balance is disturbed, leading to oxidative stress and various diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Studies have shown that ROS played a pivotal role in the development of COPD and some antioxidants were effective in the protection against the damaging effects of oxidative stress. Therefore, we hypothesize that owing to its peculiarity to eliminate toxic ROS, hydrogen therapy may be a novel and effective treatment for COPD

Mesorhizobium septentrionale sp nov and Mesorhizobium temperatum sp nov., isolated from Astragalus adsurgens growing in the northern regions of China

Ninety-five rhizobial strains isolated from Astragalus adsurgens growing in the northern regions of China were classified into three main groups, candidate species 1, 11 and 111, based on a polyphasic approach. Comparative analysis of full-length 16S rRNA gene sequences of representative strains showed that candidate species I and 11 were Mesorhizobium, while candidate species 111, which consisted of non-nodulating strains, was closely related to Agrobacterium tumefaciens. The phylogenetic relationships of the three candidate species and some related strains were also confirmed by the sequencing of glnA genes, which were used as an alternative chromosomal marker. The DNA-DNA relatedness was between 11.3 and 47-1 % among representative strains of candidate species I and 11 and the type strains of defined Mesorhizobium species. Candidate III had DNA relatedness of between 4(.)3 and 25(.)2 % with type strains of Agrobacterium tumefaciens and Agrobacterium rubi. Two novel species are proposed to accommodate candidate species I and 11, Mesorhizobium septentrionale sp. nov. (type strain, SIDW014(T) =CCBAU 11014(T) = HAMBI 2582(T)) and Mesorhizobium temperatum sp. nov. (type strain, SIDW018(T) = CCBAU 11018(T) =HAMBI 2583(T)), respectively. At least two distinct nodA sequences were identified among the strains. The numerically dominant nodA sequence type was most similar to that from the Mesorhizobium tianshanense type strain and was identified in strains belonging to the two novel species as well as other, as yet, undefined genome types. Host range studies indicate that the different nodA sequences correlate with different host ranges. Further comparative studies with the defined Agrobacterium species are needed to clarify the taxonomic identity of candidate species 111

Fatty Acid Binding Protein 5 (FABP5) Promotes Aggressiveness of Gastric Cancer Through Modulation of Tumor Immunity.

PurposeGastric cancer (GC) is the second most lethal cancer globally and is associated with poor prognosis. Fatty acid-binding proteins (FABPs) can regulate biological properties of carcinoma cells. FABP5 is overexpressed in many types of cancers; however, the role and mechanisms of action of FABP5 in GC remain unclear. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the clinical and biological functions of FABP5 in GC.Materials and methodsWe assessed FABP5 expression using immunohistochemical analysis in 79 patients with GC and evaluated its biological functions following in vitro and in vivo ectopic expression. FABP5 targets relevant to GC progression were determined using RNA sequencing (RNA-seq).ResultsElevated FABP5 expression was closely associated with poor outcomes, and ectopic expression of FABP5 promoted proliferation, invasion, migration, and carcinogenicity of GC cells, thus suggesting its potential tumor-promoting role in GC. Additionally, RNA-seq analysis indicated that FABP5 activates immune-related pathways, including cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction pathways, interleukin-17 signaling, and tumor necrosis factor signaling, suggesting an important rationale for the possible development of therapies that combine FABP5-targeted drugs with immunotherapeutics.ConclusionsThese findings highlight the biological mechanisms and clinical implications of FABP5 in GC and suggest its potential as an adverse prognostic factor and/or therapeutic target

Joint analysis of three genome-wide association studies of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in Chinese populations

We conducted a joint (pooled) analysis of three genome-wide association studies (GWAS) 1-3 of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) in ethnic Chinese (5,337 ESCC cases and 5,787 controls) with 9,654 ESCC cases and 10,058 controls for follow-up. In a logistic regression model adjusted for age, sex, study, and two eigenvectors, two new loci achieved genome-wide significance, marked by rs7447927 at 5q31.2 (per-allele odds ratio (OR) = 0.85, 95% CI 0.82-0.88; P=7.72x10−20) and rs1642764 at 17p13.1 (per-allele OR= 0.88, 95% CI 0.85-0.91; P=3.10x10−13). rs7447927 is a synonymous single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in TMEM173 and rs1642764 is an intronic SNP in ATP1B2, near TP53. Furthermore, a locus in the HLA class II region at 6p21.32 (rs35597309) achieved genome-wide significance in the two populations at highest risk for ESSC (OR=1.33, 95% CI 1.22-1.46; P=1.99x10−10). Our joint analysis identified new ESCC susceptibility loci overall as well as a new locus unique to the ESCC high risk Taihang Mountain region

Sandwich-Type Mixed Tetrapyrrole Rare-Earth Triple-Decker Compounds Effect of the Coordination Geometry on the Single-Molecule-Magnet Nature

National Key Basic Research Program of China [2013CB933402, 2012CB224801]; Natural Science Foundation of China; Beijing Municipal Commission of Education; State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid SurfacesEmployment of the raise-by-one step method starting from M(TClPP)(acac) (acac = monoanion of acetylacetone) and [Pc(OPh)(8)]-M'[Pc(OPh)(8)] led to the isolation and free modulation of the two rare-earth ions in the series of four mixed tetrapyrrole dysprosium sandwich complexes {(TClPP)M[Pc(OPh)(8)]M'[Pc(OPh)(8)]} [1-4; TClPP = dianion of meso-tetrakis(4-chlorophenyl)porphyrin; Pc(OPh)(8) = dianion of 2,3,9,10,16,17,23,24-octa(phenoxyl)phthalocyanine; M M' = Dy-Dy, Y-Dy, Dy-Y, and Y-Y]. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis reveals different octacoordination geometries for the two metal ions in terms of the twist angle (defined as the rotation angle of one coordination square away from the eclipsed conformation with the other) between the two neighboring tetrapyrrole rings for the three dysprosium-containing isostructural triple-decker compounds, with the metal ion locating between an inner phthalocyanine ligand and an outer porphyrin ligand with a twist angle of 9.64-9.90 degrees and the one between two phthalocyanine ligands of 25.12-25.30 degrees. Systematic and comparative studies over the magnetic properties reveal magnetic-field-induced single-molecule magnet (SMM), SMM, and non-SMM nature for 1-3, respectively, indicating the dominant effect of the coordination geometry of the spin carrier, instead of the f-f interaction, on the magnetic properties. The present result will be helpful for the future design and synthesis of tetrapyrrole lanthanide SMMs with sandwich molecular structures

Sandwich-Type Mixed Tetrapyrrole Rare-Earth Triple-Decker Compounds. Effect of the Coordination Geometry on the Single-Molecule-Magnet Nature

Employment of the raise-by-one step method starting from M­(TClPP)­(acac) (acac = monoanion of acetylacetone) and [Pc­(OPh)₈]­M′[Pc­(OPh)₈] led to the isolation and free modulation of the two rare-earth ions in the series of four mixed tetrapyrrole dysprosium sandwich complexes {(TClPP)­M­[Pc­(OPh)₈]­M′[Pc­(OPh)₈]} [<b>1</b>–<b>4</b>; TClPP = dianion of <i>meso</i>-tetrakis­(4-chlorophenyl)­porphyrin; Pc­(OPh)₈ = dianion of 2,3,9,10,16,17,23,24-octa­(phenoxyl)­phthalocyanine; M–M′ = Dy–Dy, Y–Dy, Dy–Y, and Y–Y]. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis reveals different octacoordination geometries for the two metal ions in terms of the twist angle (defined as the rotation angle of one coordination square away from the eclipsed conformation with the other) between the two neighboring tetrapyrrole rings for the three dysprosium-containing isostructural triple-decker compounds, with the metal ion locating between an inner phthalocyanine ligand and an outer porphyrin ligand with a twist angle of 9.64–9.90° and the one between two phthalocyanine ligands of 25.12–25.30°. Systematic and comparative studies over the magnetic properties reveal magnetic-field-induced single-molecule magnet (SMM), SMM, and non-SMM nature for <b>1</b>–<b>3</b>, respectively, indicating the dominant effect of the coordination geometry of the spin carrier, instead of the f–f interaction, on the magnetic properties. The present result will be helpful for the future design and synthesis of tetrapyrrole lanthanide SMMs with sandwich molecular structures

Hydrogen Sulfide as an Endogenous Modulator in Mitochondria and Mitochondria Dysfunction

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) has historically been considered to be a toxic gas, an environmental and occupational hazard. However, with the discovery of its presence and enzymatic production through precursors of L-cysteine and homocysteine in mammalian tissues, H2S has recently received much interest as a physiological signaling molecule. H2S is a gaseous messenger molecule that has been implicated in various physiological and pathological processes in mammals, including vascular relaxation, angiogenesis, and the function of ion channels, ischemia/reperfusion (I/R), and heart injury. H2S is an endogenous neuromodulator and present studies show that physiological concentrations of H2S enhance NMDA receptor-mediated responses and aid in the induction of hippocampal long-term potentiation. Moreover, in the field of neuronal protection, physiological concentrations of H2S in mitochondria have many favorable effects on cytoprotection

Hypermutation-induced in vivo oxidative stress resistance enhances Vibrio cholerae host adaptation.

Bacterial pathogens are highly adaptable organisms, a quality that enables them to overcome changing hostile environments. For example, Vibrio cholerae, the causative agent of cholera, is able to colonize host small intestines and combat host-produced reactive oxygen species (ROS) during infection. To dissect the molecular mechanisms utilized by V. cholerae to overcome ROS in vivo, we performed a whole-genome transposon sequencing analysis (Tn-seq) by comparing gene requirements for colonization using adult mice with and without the treatment of the antioxidant, N-acetyl cysteine. We found that mutants of the methyl-directed mismatch repair (MMR) system, such as MutS, displayed significant colonization advantages in untreated, ROS-rich mice, but not in NAC-treated mice. Further analyses suggest that the accumulation of both catalase-overproducing mutants and rugose colony variants in NAC- mice was the leading cause of mutS mutant enrichment caused by oxidative stress during infection. We also found that rugose variants could revert back to smooth colonies upon aerobic, in vitro culture. Additionally, the mutation rate of wildtype colonized in NAC- mice was significantly higher than that in NAC+ mice. Taken together, these findings support a paradigm in which V. cholerae employs a temporal adaptive strategy to battle ROS during infection, resulting in enriched phenotypes. Moreover, ΔmutS passage and complementation can be used to model hypermuation in diverse pathogens to identify novel stress resistance mechanisms