Exposure to airborne particulate matter induces renal tubular cell injury in vitro: the role of vitamin D signaling and renin-angiotensin system.

Background: Exposure to air pollution can interfere with the vitamin D endocrine system. This study investigated the effects of airborne particulate matter (PM) on renal tubular cell injury in vitro and explored the underlying mechanisms. Methods: HK-2 human renal proximal tubule cells were treated with PM with or without 1,25(OH)2D3 analog, 19-Nor-1,25(OH)2D2 (paricalcitol, 10 nM) for 48 h. The dose- and time-dependent cytotoxicity of PM with or without paricalcitol was determined via cell counting kit-8 assay. Cellular oxidative stress was assessed using commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits. The protein expression of vitamin D receptor (VDR), cytochrome P450(CYP)27B1, CYP24A1, renin, angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE), angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1), nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), nuclear factor-kB (NF-kB), tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and interleukin (IL)-6 was determined. Results: PM exposure decreased HK-2 cell viability in a dose- and time-dependent manner. The activities of superoxide dismutase and malondialdehyde in HK-2 cells increased significantly in the group exposed to PM. PM exposure decreased VDR and Nrf2, while increasing CYP27B1, renin, ACE, AT1, NF-kB, TNF-α, and IL-6. The expression of VDR, CYP27B1, renin, ACE, AT1, and TNF-α was reversed by paricalcitol treatment. Paricalcitol also restored the cell viability of PM-exposed HK-2 cells. Conclusion: Our findings indicate that exposure to PM induces renal proximal tubular cell injury, concomitant with alteration of vitamin D endocrine system and renin angiotensin system. Vitamin D could attenuate renal tubular cell damage following PM exposure by suppressing the renin-angiotensin system and by partially inhibiting the inflammatory response.

Enhanced effect of modified Zika virus E antigen on the immunogenicity of DNA vaccine.

It has been reported worldwide that the Zika virus (ZIKV) could be transmitted through placentas and sexual contact. ZIKV can also cause Guillain-Barre syndrome, microcephaly and neurological abnormalities. However, there are no approved vaccines available. We constructed six DNA vaccine candidates and tested the immunogenicity. Tandem repeated envelope domain Ⅲ (ED Ⅲ × 3) induced highly total IgG and neutralization antibody, as well as CD8+ T cell responses. Also, stem region-removed envelope (E ΔSTEM) elicited a robust production of IFN-γ in mice. To examine in vivo protection, we used mice treated with an IFNAR1 blocking antibody before and after the challenge. Vaccination with the two candidates led to a decline in the level of viral RNAs in organs. Moreover, the sera from the vaccinated mice did not enhance the infection of Dengue virus in K562 cells. These findings suggest the potential for the development of a novel ZIKV DNA vaccine.

Characterization of a human monoclonal antibody generated from a B-cell specific for a prefusion-stabilized spike protein of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus.

Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) causes severe respiratory infection and continues to infect humans, thereby contributing to a high mortality rate (34.3% in 2019). In the absence of an available licensed vaccine and antiviral agent, therapeutic human antibodies have been suggested as candidates for treatment. In this study, human monoclonal antibodies were isolated by sorting B cells from patient's PBMC cells with prefusion stabilized spike (S) probes and a direct immunoglobulin cloning strategy. We identified six receptor-binding domain (RBD)-specific and five S1 (non-RBD)-specific antibodies, among which, only the RBD-specific antibodies showed high neutralizing potency (IC50 0.006-1.787 µg/ml) as well as high affinity to RBD. Notably, passive immunization using a highly potent antibody (KNIH90-F1) at a relatively low dose (2 mg/kg) completely protected transgenic mice expressing human DPP4 against MERS-CoV lethal challenge. These results suggested that human monoclonal antibodies isolated by using the rationally designed prefusion MERS-CoV S probe could be considered potential candidates for the development of therapeutic and/or prophylactic antiviral agents for MERS-CoV human infection.

KRIBB53 binds to OCT4 and enhances its degradation through the proteasome, causing apoptotic cell death of OCT4-positive testicular germ cell tumors.

We hypothesized that octamer-binding transcription factor 4 (OCT4) inhibition would have therapeutic benefits in testicular germ cell tumors (TGCT). To identify inhibitors of OCT4, a chemical library was screened using a luciferase reporter system under the control of an OCT4 response element. A compound named KRIBB53 was identified based on its blocking of OCT4-dependent luciferase activation. When NCCIT cells were exposed to KRIBB53, the expression levels of OCT4 target genes, such as NANOG and USP44, were inhibited with an IC50 of 13 and 15 µM, respectively. In addition, the levels of OCT4 were decreased by exposing NCCIT cells to KRIBB53, and pretreating the cells with the proteasomal inhibitor MG132 reversed the KRIBB53-induced OCT4 degradation. Biotinyl-KRIBB53 was synthesized and showed comparable activity to KRIBB53 in OCT4 downregulation. Using affinity chromatography assay, KRIBB53 was shown to associate with OCT4 in vitro. Furthermore, the drug affinity responsive target stability (DARTS) assay confirmed unmodified KRIBB53 binding to OCT4. KRIBB53 selectively inhibited proliferation of TGCT cells such as NCCIT and Tera-1 cells but not that of immortalized normal cells. Finally, the administration of KRIBB53 at 30 mg/kg reduced tumor volumes by 77% in the mice xenografted with NCCIT cells relative to their vehicle-treated counterparts. Immunoblotting assays showed that expression of OCT4 was lower in KRIBB53-treated tumor tissues than in control tissues. We provide the first report, to our knowledge, of an OCT4 inhibitor that binds to OCT4 and induces its degradation.

An increasing, potentially measles-susceptible population over time after vaccination in Korea.

BACKGROUND: In Korea, measles occurs mainly in infants <12months of age, who are unvaccinated. In addition, vaccine populations, including adolescents and young adults, can become infected though importation. Thus, the question arises whether the current level of herd immunity in Korea is now insufficient for protecting against measles infection. METHODS: Age-specific measles seroprevalence was evaluated by performing enzyme immunoassays and plaque reduction-neutralization tests on 3050 subjects aged 0-50years (birth cohort 1964-2014) and 480 subjects aged 2-30years (birth cohort 1984-2012). RESULTS: The overall seropositivity and measles antibody concentrations were 71.5% and 1366mIU/mL, respectively. Progressive decline in antibody levels and seropositivity were observed over time after vaccination in infants, adolescents, and young adults. The accumulation of potentially susceptible individuals in the population was confirmed by comparing data from 2010 and 2014 seroprevalence surveys. The statistical correlation between measles incidence and measles seronegativity was determined. CONCLUSIONS: Waning levels of measles antibodies with increasing time post-vaccination suggests that measles susceptibility is potentially increasing in Korea. This trend may be related to limitations of vaccine-induced immunity in the absence of natural boosting by the wild virus, compared to naturally acquired immunity triggered by measles infection. This study provides an important view into the current measles herd immunity in Korea.

Variations in Spike Glycoprotein Gene of MERS-CoV, South Korea, 2015.

An outbreak of nosocomial infections with Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus occurred in South Korea in May 2015. Spike glycoprotein genes of virus strains from South Korea were closely related to those of strains from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. However, virus strains from South Korea showed strain-specific variations.

Formation of dimethyldithioarsinic acid in a simulated landfill leachate in relation to hydrosulfide concentration.

Dimethyldithioarsinic acid (DMDTA(V)), present in such intense sources as municipal landfill leachate, has drawn a great deal of attention due to its abundant occurrence and different aspect of toxicity. The hydrosulfide (HS(-)) concentration in leachate was studied as a major variable affecting the formation of DMDTA(V). To this end, the HPLC-ICPMS system equipped with the reversed-phase C18 column was used to determine DMDTA(V). Simulated landfill leachates (SLLs) were prepared to cover a mature landfill condition with the addition of sodium sulfate and sulfide at varying concentrations in the presence of dimethylarsinic acid (DMA(V)). The concentration of sodium sulfide added in the SLLs generally exhibited a strong positive correlation with the concentration of DMDTA(V). As such, the formation of DMDTA(V) in the SLLs is demonstrated to be controlled by the interactive relationship between DMA(V) and the HS(-).

Effectiveness of activated carbon disk for the analysis of iodine in water samples using wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry.

A novel approach using wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence (WDXRF) spectrometry combined with an activated carbon (AC) disk was developed for the determination of total iodine concentrations in water samples. Dissolved iodine species (i.e., I(-) and IO3(-)) in water samples were preconcentrated on the AC disk and directly analyzed by WDXRF spectrometry. The adsorption behavior of I(-) and IO3(-) on the AC disk was assessed at varying pH levels (4, 6, and 8). The AC disks completely retained the I(-) and IO3(-) for all the pH levels tested. The calibration curve obtained from the iodine concentrations (i.e., 0, 20, 200, and 400 µg) of AC disks and the measured X-ray intensity from the WDXRF analysis showed a good linearity (R(2)=0.9960), with a relatively low limit of detection (0.575 µg). The durability of the AC disk for repeatable measurements was also assessed to validate the sustainability of the proposed method and consequently the measured X-ray intensity for the AC disks was constant until 8d of analysis time. The accuracy of the proposed AC-WDXRF method was confirmed by measuring iodine concentration spiked in drinking water using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The proposed method is simple, rapid, efficient, and environmental friendly for iodine analysis in water samples. As a precursor of disinfection by products (DBPs), it is important to determine the total iodine concentrations in raw water.

Middle East Respiratory Syndrome in 3 Persons, South Korea, 2015.

In May 2015, Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus infection was laboratory confirmed in South Korea. Patients were a man who had visited the Middle East, his wife, and a man who shared a hospital room with the index patient. Rapid laboratory confirmation will facilitate subsequent prevention and control for imported cases.

Complete Genome Sequence of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus KOR/KNIH/002_05_2015, Isolated in South Korea.

The full genome sequence of a Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) was identified from cultured and isolated in Vero cells. The viral genome sequence has high similarity to 53 human MERS-CoVs, ranging from 99.5% to 99.8% at the nucleotide level.

Fisetin, a dietary flavonoid, induces apoptosis of cancer cells by inhibiting HSF1 activity through blocking its binding to the hsp70 promoter.

Heat shock factor 1 (HSF1) is a transcription factor for heat shock proteins (HSPs) expression that enhances the survival of cancer cells exposed to various stresses. HSF1 knockout suppresses carcinogen-induced cancer induction in mice. Therefore, HSF1 is a promising therapeutic and chemopreventive target. We performed cell-based screening with a natural compound collection and identified fisetin, a dietary flavonoid, as a HSF1 inhibitor. Fisetin abolished heat shock-induced luciferase activity with an IC50 of 14 µM in HCT-116 cancer cells. The treatment of HCT-116 with fisetin inhibited proliferation with a GI50 of 23 µM. When the cells were exposed to heat shock in the presence of fisetin, the induction of HSF1 target proteins, such as HSP70, HSP27 and BAG3 (Bcl-2-associated athanogene domain 3), were inhibited. HSP70/BAG3 complexes protect cancer cells from apoptosis by stabilizing anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family proteins. The downregulation of HSP70/BAG3 by fisetin significantly reduced the amounts of Bcl-2, Bcl-xL and Mcl-1 proteins, subsequently inducing apoptotic cell death. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays showed that fisetin inhibited HSF1 activity by blocking the binding of HSF1 to the hsp70 promoter. Intraperitoneal treatment of nude mice with fisetin at 30mg/kg resulted in a 35.7% (P < 0.001) inhibition of tumor growth.

The natural compound cantharidin induces cancer cell death through inhibition of heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) and Bcl-2-associated athanogene domain 3 (BAG3) expression by blocking heat shock factor 1 (HSF1) binding to promoters.

Heat shock factor 1 (HSF1) enhances the survival of cancer cells under various stresses. The knock-out of HSF1 impairs cancer formation and progression, suggesting that HSF1 is a promising therapeutic target. To identify inhibitors of HSF1 activity, we performed cell-based screening with a library of marketed and experimental drugs and identified cantharidin as an HSF1 inhibitor. Cantharidin is a potent antitumor agent from traditional Chinese medicine. Cantharidin inhibited heat shock-induced luciferase activity with an IC50 of 4.2 µm. In contrast, cantharidin did not inhibit NF-κB luciferase reporter activity, demonstrating that cantharidin is not a general transcription inhibitor. When the HCT-116 colorectal cancer cells were exposed to heat shock in the presence of cantharidin, the induction of HSF1 downstream target proteins, such as HSP70 and BAG3 (Bcl-2-associated athanogene domain 3), was suppressed. HSP70 and its co-chaperone BAG3 have been reported to protect cells from apoptosis by stabilizing anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family proteins. As expected, treating HCT-116 cancer cells with cantharidin significantly decreased the amounts of BCL-2, BCL-xL, and MCL-1 protein and induced apoptotic cell death. Chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis showed that cantharidin inhibited the binding of HSF1 to the HSP70 promoter and subsequently blocked HSF1-dependent p-TEFb recruitment. Therefore, the p-TEFb-dependent phosphorylation of the C-terminal domain of RNA polymerase II was blocked, arresting transcription at the elongation step. Protein phosphatase 2A inhibition with PP2CA siRNA or okadaic acid did not block HSF1 activity, suggesting that cantharidin inhibits HSF1 in a protein phosphatase 2A-independent manner. We show for the first time that cantharidin inhibits HSF1 transcriptional activity.

A simplified analysis of dimethylarsinic acid by wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry combined with a strong cation exchange disk.

Dimethylarsinic acid (DMA(V)) was pre-concentrated from water samples using a strong cation exchange (SCX) disk functionalized with sulfonic groups, before being analyzed by wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (WDXRF). The adsorption of DMA(V) occurred preferentially on the surface of the SCX disk, regardless of pH levels, probably due to interactions with the sulfonic functional groups. However, no other arsenic species, such as arsenate (iAs(V)), arsenite (iAs(III)), and monomethylarsonic acid (MMA(V)), were retained. The SCX-WDXRF method produced a strongly linear calibration curve (R(2)=0.9996) with its limit of detection at 0.218 µgL(-1) when a one-liter water sample was used for pre-concentration. The As intensity of the system was sensitive to the Pb content retained on the SCX disk owing to the proximity of the As-Kα and Pb-Lα lines. To compensate for this interference, a correction factor was developed by considering the calibration slope ratio between the X-ray intensity measured at a Bragg angle of 48.781° and the Pb content of the SCX disks. The results of spike tests for iAs(V), iAs(III), MMA(V), and DMA(V) with and without the addition of Pb in synthetic landfill leachate exhibited reasonable recoveries (i.e., 98-105%) after the spectral adjustment for the Pb interference.

Identification of marine bacteria affecting lithium adsorbents in seawater.

Lithium manganese oxide-based adsorbents have been developed for the recovery of lithium from seawater. To maximize the recovery efficiency, it is important to prevent microfouling of lithium adsorbents by marine bacteria. To identify the marine bacteria that cause biofouling against the lithium adsorbents, lithium adsorbents were installed into a non-coated frame or a frame coated with an antifouling agent soaked in seawater. Microorganisms from the surface of lithium adsorbents were collected for 30 days at 10-day intervals, cultured in marine broth, isolated, and identified by 16S rDNA sequencing. Pseudoalteromonas and Vibrio were constituted to 35.6 and 28.8 % of total isolates, respectively, and were predominant in the non-coated frame, whereas Vibrio was poorly isolated (2.3 %) from the antifouling agent-coated frame. In this study, antifouling strategy for maximum lithium recovery efficiency in the marine area takes account of Pseudoalteromonas and Vibrio.

KRIBB11 inhibits HSP70 synthesis through inhibition of heat shock factor 1 function by impairing the recruitment of positive transcription elongation factor b to the hsp70 promoter.

Heat shock factor 1 (HSF1) is the master switch for heat shock protein (HSP) expression in eukaryotes. A synthetic chemical library was screened to identify inhibitors of HSF1 using a luciferase reporter under the control of a heat shock element. A compound named KRIBB11 (N(2)-(1H-indazole-5-yl)-N(6)-methyl-3-nitropyridine-2,6-diamine) was identified for its activity in abolishing the heat shock-induced luciferase activity with an IC(50) of 1.2 µmol/liter. When the cells were exposed to heat shock in the presence of KRIBB11, the induction of HSF1 downstream target proteins such as HSP27 and HSP70 was blocked. In addition, treatment of HCT-116 cells with KRIBB11 induced growth arrest and apoptosis. Markers of apoptosis, such as cleaved poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase, were detected after KRIBB11 treatment. Biotinyl-KRIBB11 was synthesized as an affinity probe for the identification of KRIBB11 target proteins. Using affinity chromatography and competition assays, KRIBB11 was shown to associate with HSF1 in vitro. Chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis showed that KRIBB11 inhibited HSF1-dependent recruitment of p-TEFb (positive transcription elongation factor b) to the hsp70 promoter. Finally, intraperitoneal treatment of nude mice with KRIBB11 at 50 mg/kg resulted in a 47.4% (p < 0.05) inhibition of tumor growth without body weight loss. Immunoblotting assays showed that the expression of HSP70 was lower in KRIBB11-treated tumor tissue than in control tissues. Because HSPs are expressed at high levels in a wide range of tumors, these results strengthen the rationale for targeting HSF1 in cancer therapy.

Characteristics of atmospheric hydrogen peroxide variations in Seoul megacity during 2002-2004.

Atmospheric hydrogen peroxides (H(2)O(2)) and methyl hydroperoxide (CH(3)OOH) were measured in Seoul, the capital of South Korea. Experiments were performed for several days almost every month from January 2002 to April 2004. Gaseous hydroperoxide was collected in aqueous solution and determined by HPLC-fluorescence method. In general, the higher levels of H(2)O(2) were found in warm and humid air with high ozone concentrations, but lower concentrations of SO(2), NO(2), CO and PM(10). For two-year measurements, seasonal factor was the most dominant and the concentrations of H(2)O(2) were highest in summer, for which the median, mean, and upper 90% values were 0.53 ppbv, 0.81 ppbv, and 1.61 ppbv, respectively. In highly polluted metropolitan Seoul, the photochemical activity controlling H(2)O(2) variations was seemingly more sensitive to meteorological conditions than the level of chemical pollutants. It was mainly due to high emissions of pollutants, particularly NOx, which was demonstrated by the occasional occurrence of CH(3)OOH.