Metastatic patterns and prognosis of patients with primary malignant cardiac tumor

BackgroundDistant metastases are independent negative prognostic factors for patients with primary malignant cardiac tumors (PMCT). This study aims to further investigate metastatic patterns and their prognostic effects in patients with PMCT.Materials and methodsThis multicenter retrospective study included 218 patients with PMCT diagnosed between 2010 and 2017 from Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. Logistic regression was utilized to identify metastatic risk factors. A Chi-square test was performed to assess the metastatic rate. Kaplan–Meier methods and Cox regression analysis were used to analyze the prognostic effects of metastatic patterns.ResultsSarcoma (p = 0.002) and tumor size¿4 cm (p = 0.006) were independent risk factors of distant metastases in patients with PMCT. Single lung metastasis (about 34%) was the most common of all metastatic patterns, and lung metastases occurred more frequently (17.9%) than bone, liver, and brain. Brain metastases had worst overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) among other metastases, like lung, bone, liver, and brain (OS: HR = 3.20, 95% CI: 1.02–10.00, p = 0.046; CSS: HR = 3.53, 95% CI: 1.09–11.47, p = 0.036).ConclusionPatients with PMCT who had sarcoma or a tumor larger than 4 cm had a higher risk of distant metastases. Lung was the most common metastatic site, and brain metastases had worst survival among others, such as lung, bone, liver, and brain. The results of this study provide insight for early detection, diagnosis, and treatment of distant metastases associated with PMCT

Comparative Molecular Field Analysis (CoMFA) and Comparative Molecular Similarity Indices Analysis (CoMSIA) Studies on α1A-Adrenergic Receptor Antagonists Based on Pharmacophore Molecular Alignment

The α1A-adrenergic receptor (α1A-AR) antagonist is useful in treating benign prostatic hyperplasia, lower urinary tract symptoms, and cardiac arrhythmia. Three-dimensional quantitative structure-activity relationship (3D-QSAR) studies were performed on a set of α1A-AR antagonists of N-aryl and N-nitrogen class. Statistically significant models constructed from comparative molecular field analysis (CoMFA) and comparative molecular similarity indices analysis (CoMSIA) were established based on a training set of 32 ligands using pharmacophore-based molecular alignment. The leave-oneout cross-validation correlation coefficients were q2 CoMFA = 0.840 and q2 CoMSIA = 0.840. The high correlation between the cross-validated/predicted and experimental activities of a test set of 12 ligands revealed that the CoMFA and CoMSIA models were robust (r2 pred/CoMFA = 0.694; r2 pred/CoMSIA = 0.671). The generated models suggested that electrostatic, hydrophobic, and hydrogen bonding interactions play important roles between ligands and receptors in the active site. Our study serves as a guide for further experimental investigations on the synthesis of new compounds. Structural modifications based on the present 3D-QSAR results may lead to the discovery of other α1A-AR antagonists

[1]研究活動

Protein sequences of the ABCA transporters of the eight species. (XLSX 25 kb

Solenoid-free current drive via ECRH in EXL-50 spherical torus plasmas

As a new spherical tokamak (ST) designed to simplify engineering requirements of a possible future fusion power source, the EXL-50 experiment features a low aspect ratio (A) vacuum vessel (VV), encircling a central post assembly containing the toroidal field coil conductors without a central solenoid. Multiple electron cyclotron resonance heating (ECRH) resonances are located within the VV to improve current drive effectiveness. Copious energetic electrons are produced and measured with hard X-ray detectors, carry the bulk of the plasma current ranging from 50kA to 150kA, which is maintained for more than 1s duration. It is observed that over one Ampere current can be maintained per Watt of ECRH power issued from the 28-GHz gyrotrons. The plasma current reaches Ip>80kA for high density (>5e18me-2) discharge with 150kW ECHR heating. An analysis was carried out combining reconstructed multi-fluid equilibrium, guiding-center orbits of energetic electrons, and resonant heating mechanisms. It is verified that in EXL-50 a broadly distributed current of energetic electrons creates smaller closed magnetic-flux surfaces of low aspect ratio that in turn confine the thermal plasma electrons and ions and participate in maintaining the equilibrium force-balance

A heterozygous moth genome provides insights into herbivory and detoxification

How an insect evolves to become a successful herbivore is of profound biological and practical importance. Herbivores are often adapted to feed on a specific group of evolutionarily and biochemically related host plants1, but the genetic and molecular bases for adaptation to plant defense compounds remain poorly understood2. We report the first whole-genome sequence of a basal lepidopteran species, Plutella xylostella, which contains 18,071 protein-coding and 1,412 unique genes with an expansion of gene families associated with perception and the detoxification of plant defense compounds. A recent expansion of retrotransposons near detoxification-related genes and a wider system used in the metabolism of plant defense compounds are shown to also be involved in the development of insecticide resistance. This work shows the genetic and molecular bases for the evolutionary success of this worldwide herbivore and offers wider insights into insect adaptation to plant feeding, as well as opening avenues for more sustainable pest management.Minsheng You … Simon W Baxter … et al

PxTret1-like Affects the Temperature Adaptability of a Cosmopolitan Pest by Altering Trehalose Tissue Distribution

Global warming poses new challenges for insects to adapt to higher temperatures. Trehalose is the main blood sugar in insects and plays an important role in energy metabolism and stress resistance. The transmembrane transport of trehalose mainly depends on the trehalose transporter (TRET1). Plutella xylostella (L.) is a worldwide agricultural pest; however, the effects of the trehalose transport mechanism and trehalose distribution in tissues on the development, reproduction and temperature adaptation of P. xylostella have yet to be reported. In this study, PxTret1-like was cloned and analyzed regarding its expression pattern. It was found that the expression of PxTret1-like was affected by ambient temperature. The knockout mutation of PxTret1-like was generated using a CRISPR/Cas9 system by targeted knockout. The trehalose content and trehalase activity of mutant P. xylostella increased at different developmental stages. The trehalose content increased in the fat body of the fourth-instar P. xylostella, and decreased in the hemolymph, and there was no significant change in glucose in the fat body and hemolymph. Mutant strains of P. xylostella showed a significantly reduced survival rate, fecundity and ability to withstand extreme temperatures. The results showed that PxTret1-like could affect the development, reproduction and temperature adaptability of P. xylostella by regulating the trehalose content in the fat body and hemolymph

High Association between Human Circulating MicroRNA-497 and Acute Myocardial Infarction

Recent papers have reported the fundamental roles of miR-497 in infarction which acute myocardial infarction (AMI) belongs to. However, the expression levels of miR-497 in AMI patients were unclear, especially the circulating miR-497 that was detectable in the human plasma. In this study, we focused on the expression levels of circulating miR-497 in AMI and the roles of plasma miR-497 as a promising biomarker for AMI. The plasma miR-497 levels were detected from 27 AMI patients and 31 healthy volunteers by qRT-PCR. The cTnI concentrations of these samples were also analyzed by ELISA. Results showed circulating miR-497 levels were upregulated in AMI patients at 4 h, 8 h, 12 h, and 24 h, by contrast to those in control. Interestingly, time courses of circulating miR-497 levels displayed similar trends to that of cTnI concentrations in AMI patients; further study revealed the high correlation between circulating miR-497 and cTnI concentrations (r=0.573, P<0.001). At last, the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was performed and declared that there was a faithworthy sensitivity and specificity to identify the AMI patients by using circulating miR-497. In conclusion, circulating miR-497 might be a promising biomarker for AMI identification and there was high association between human miR-497 and acute myocardial infarction

Determination of solute diffusion properties in artificial sebum

Despite a number of studies showed that hair follicular pathway contributed significantly to transdermal delivery, there have been limited studies on the diffusion properties of chemicals in sebum. Here, the diffusion property of 17 chemical compounds across artificial sebum has been measured using diffusion cell. The diffusion flux showed two types of distinctive behaviors: that reached steady-state and that did not. Mathematical models have been developed to fit the experimental data and derive the sebum diffusion and partition coefficients. The models considered the uneven thickness of the sebum film and the additional resistance of the unstirred aqueous boundary layer and the supporting filter. The derived sebum-water partition coefficients agreed well with the experimental data measured previously using equilibrium depletion method. The obtained diffusion coefficients in artificial sebum only depended on the molecular size. Change in pH for ionic chemicals did not affect the diffusion coefficients but influenced their diffusion flux due to the change of sebum-water partition coefficients. Generally, the measured diffusion coefficients of chemicals in artificial sebum are about one order of magnitude higher than those in the stratum corneum lipids, suggesting the hair follicle might have a non-negligible contribution to the overall permeation

Determination of puerarin in rat plasma by HPLC with fluorescence detection and its application to pharmacokinetic studies

A simple, rapid, sensitive and selective method of high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection was developed for determination of puerarin in rat plasma. Chromatography was carried out on a reversed-phase Hypersil ODS column at 30 °C using a mobile phase consisting of methanol - 50 mM NH4OAc in water (23:77, v/v) with a flow rate of 1 mL/min. The excitation wavelength and emission wavelength were 250nm and 480nm, respectively, PMT-gain was set at 11. The method was demonstrated to be selective and sensitive, and a good linear response was observed over a range of 0.16–120.00 μg/mL in rat plasma. The validated method was successfully applied to the characterization of the pharmacokinetics of puerarin in rat plasma after intravenous administration to rats. The main pharmacokinetic parameters were as follows: AUC0→t 41.94 ± 12.90 (mg/L•h), AUC0→∞ 44.37 ± 28.90 (mg/L•h), MRT 0.97 ± 0.37 (h), T1/2 1.06 ± 0.39 (h), Vss 0.09 ± 0.02 (L), Vz 0.14 ± 0.03 (L), Cl 0.10 ± 0.05 (L/h).Colegio de Farmacéuticos de la Provincia de Buenos Aire

Isolation and Characterization of Microsatellite Loci for Cotesia plutellae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae)

Fourteen polymorphic microsatellite loci were isolated in this transcriptome-based data analysis for Cotesia plutellae, which is an important larval parasitoid of the worldwide pest Plutella xylostella. A subsequent test was performed for a wild C. plutellae population (N = 32) from Fuzhou, Fujian, southeastern China, to verify the effectiveness of the 14 microsatellite loci in future studies on C. plutellae genetic diversity. The observed number of alleles ranged from two to six. The expected and observed heterozygosity ranged from 0.123 to 0.316 and from 0.141 to 0.281, respectively. The polymorphism information content (PIC) value ranged from 0.272 to 0.622. Potentially due to the substructure of the sampled population, three of the 14 microsatellite loci deviated from Hardy—Weinberg equilibrium (HWE). Further, loci C6, C22, and C31 could be amplified in Cocobius fulvus and Encarsia japonica, suggesting the transferability of these three polymorphic loci to other species of Hymenoptera