Adult versus paediatric undifferentiated embryonal sarcoma of the liver: a SEER database analysis.

BACKGROUND: Undifferentiated embryonal sarcoma of the liver (UESL) is a rare liver tumour that occurs mainly in children. Herein, we aimed to identify any differences in clinical characteristics and survival between adult and paediatric patients with UESL. METHODS: From 1975 to 2015 in the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database, patients diagnosed with UESL were identified and divided into paediatric (<18 years) and adult (≥18 years) groups. We then compared the clinical characteristics, management, and overall survival (OS) of adults and children diagnosed with UESL. RESULTS: We analysed 113 patients with UESL (81 children and 32 adults). UESL was significantly more common in adult male than paediatric male patients (71.9% vs. 48.2%; P = 0.022). When compared to adult patients, paediatric patients were more likely to receive chemotherapy (93.8% vs. 65.6%; P < 0.001). Adults had a significantly worse OS than paediatric patients (5-year OS, 30.0% vs. 81.2%; P < 0.001). Univariate analysis found that adult age, surgical therapy and chemotherapy were associated with OS. Multivariate analysis revealed that adult age, SEER summary stage and surgical therapy were independent prognostic factors for OS. CONCLUSIONS: UESL had a male predominance among adult patients. Moreover, the prognosis of adult patients with UESL was significantly worse than that of paediatric patients. Surgery and chemotherapy should be considered in the treatment of patients with UESL.

Exosomal NNMT from peritoneum lavage fluid promotes peritoneal metastasis in gastric cancer.

Peritoneal metastasis (PM) is the major cause of recurrence in patients with gastric cancer (GC) and is associated with poor prognosis. The oncogenic role of Nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT) in GC has been reported, but the role of secreted NNMT that is transported by exosomes remains unknown. In this study, exosomes were isolated from GC patients with or without PM and from GC cell line, including GC-114, GC-026, MKN45, and SNU-16 cells. The contents of NNMT were significantly enhanced in exosomes isolated from GC patients with PM compared with those from GC patients without PM. Furthermore, the levels of NNMT were significantly enhanced in exosomes from GC cell lines relative to those from normal human gastric epithelial cell line GES-1 cells. These data indicate that NNMT may be involved in intercellular communication for peritoneal dissemination. Moreover, colocalization of GC-derived exosomal NNMT was found in human peritoneal mesothelial cell line HMrSV5 cells. Additionally, relative to GES-1 exosomes, SNU-16 exosomes significantly activated TGF-ß/smad2 signaling in HMrSV5 cells. However, when NNMT was silenced, the activation of TGF-ß/smad2 by SNU-16 exosomes was abolished in HMrSV5 cells. We propose that NNMT-containing exosomes derived from GC cells could promote peritoneal metastasis via TGF-ß/smad2 signaling.

Genetic map construction and QTL analysis of leaf-related traits in soybean under monoculture and relay intercropping.

Soybean (Glycine max L.) is an important food and oil crop widely planted by intercropping in southwest China. The shade caused by intercropping changes plant growth traits, such as soybean leaf and dry mass, thereby reducing yields. To improve the yield and elucidate the genetic mechanism of the leaf-related traits in intercropped soybeans, we measured the F6:7-8 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived from the cross of 'Nandou 12' and 'Jiuyuehuang' for six leaf-related traits under monoculture and relay intercropping in 2015 and 2016. We found 6366 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) markers that covered the whole genome of soybean distributed in 20 linkage groups, which spanned 2818.67 cM with an average interval of 0.44 cM between adjacent markers. Nineteen quantitative trait loci (QTLs) were detected in two environments in 2 years. Three candidate genes associated to leaf-related traits were found according to gene expression and GO enrichment analyses. These results revealed the susceptibility of leaf phenotype to shading and helped elucidate the mechanisms that control leaf-related traits.

PIK3R3 Promotes Metastasis of Pancreatic Cancer via ZEB1 Induced Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: PIK3R3 is a regulatory subunit of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) which plays an essential role in the metastasis of several types of cancer. However, whether PIK3R3 can promote the metastasis of pancreatic cancer (PC) is still unclear. In this study, we characterized the role of PIK3R3 in metastasis of PC and underlying potential mechanisms. METHODS: RT-PCR, western blot, immunofluorescence (IF) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) were applied to investigate the expression of genes and proteins in different cell lines and tissues. To assess the function of PIK3R3 and related mechanisms, the cells with RNAi-mediated knockdown or overexpression were used to perform a series of in vitro and in vivo assays. RESULTS: PIK3R3 was significantly overexpressed in pancreatic cancer tissues, especially in metastatic cancer tissues, as well as in pancreatic cancer cells. Functional assays suggested that overexpression or knockdown of PIK3R3 could respectively promote or suppress the migration and invasion of PC cells in vitro and in vivo. Further mechanism related studies demonstrated that ERK1/2-ZEB1 pathway-triggered epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) might be responsible for the PIK3R3-induced PC cell migration and invasion. CONCLUSION: PIK3R3 could promote the metastasis of PC by facilitating ZEB1 induced EMT, and could act as a potential therapeutic target to limit PC metastasis.

PEG10 overexpression induced by E2F-1 promotes cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in pancreatic cancer.

BACKGROUND: Overexpression of paternally expressed gene-10 (PEG10) is known to promote the progression of several carcinomas, however, its role in pancreatic cancer (PC) is unknown. We investigated the expression and function of PEG10 in PC. METHODS: PEG10 expression and correlation with PC progression was assessed in cancerous tissues and paired non-cancerous tissues. Further, the role of PEG10 in PC cell progression and the underlying mechanisms were studied by using small interfering RNA (Si-RNA). RESULTS: PEG10 expression was significantly higher in cancerous tissues and correlated with PC invasion of vessels and Ki-67 expression. Si-RNA mediated PEG10 knockdown resulted in inhibition of proliferation and G0/G1 cell cycle arrest, which was mediated by p21 and p27 upregulation. A decrease in PC cell invasion and migration, mediated by ERK/MMP7 pathway, was observed in PEG10 knockdown group. Further, findings of ChIP assay suggested that E2F-1 could directly enhance the expression of PEG10 through binding to PEG10 promoter. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, PEG10 was identified as a prognostic biomarker for PC and E2F-1 induced PEG10 could promote PC cell proliferation, invasion, and metastasis.

Altered expression of CD226 and CD96 on natural killer cells in patients with pancreatic cancer.

The progression of pancreatic cancer (PC) is significantly associated with tumor immune escape, which may be associated with nature killer (NK) cell dysfunction. CD226, CD96, and TIGIT, which share the ligand CD155, play important roles in the regulation of NK cell function. The present study was conducted to investigate the roles of these molecules in NK cells from PC patients. Expression of these molecules on NK cells was detected from samples of 92 pancreatic cancer patients and 40 healthy controls. The expression of CD155 was also evaluated by immunohistochemistry in 88 pancreatic cancer tissues. The percentage of CD226+ and CD96+ NK cells was significantly lower in PC patients than in the healthy controls; however, the mean fluorescence intensity of CD226 and CD96 was not significantly different between the two groups. TIGIT expression on NK cells from PC patients was similar to that in the healthy controls. Additionally, the expression of CD226 was positively correlated with CD96. Further analysis demonstrated that the decrease in the percentage of CD226+ and CD96+ NK cells was associated with tumor histological grade and lymph node metastasis. Moreover, the CD155 levels in PC tissues were significantly higher than those in adjacent tissues. Our results suggest that a lower percentage of CD226+ and CD96+ NK cells may contribute to tumor immune escape in PC patients; moreover, the use of NK cells with high CD226 and CD96 expression to treat PC cells with high CD155 expression may have potential and should be explored in the future.

Distribution of polychlorinated biphenyls in soil around three typical industrial sites in Beijing, China.

We investigated three locations in Beijing, China, containing different industrial plants that may cause pollution of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). The highest soil concentration of 1,000 pg g(-1) (dry wt) was found in the chemical plant. The concentrations of ΣPCBs tended to decrease with distance from each of the investigated sites. The principal component analysis demonstrated that there were not substantial differences in PCB homologue patterns among these industrial sites. Tri-CBs and tetra-CBs were the dominant congeners. Based on the data obtained in this investigation, further study of the emission of PCBs from these industrial sites in Beijing is warranted.

[Metabolic characteristics of air microbial communities from sandstorm source areas of the Taklamakan desert].

The aim was to compare the characteristics and the differences in carbon catabolic diversity of air samples collected from five locations that around the edge of Taklamakan desert. The characteristics and the differences of carbon metabolic profiles were detected by using the BIOLOG micro plate (BIOLOG EcoPlate). The results showed that the average well color development (AWCD) curve of all five samples did not reach clear saturation during the incubation time (10 days), but differences among them were significant. The highest AWCD value appeared in Shache and the lowest was in Hotan, which were 0.24 and 0.1, respectively. Carbon utilization showed that all samples exhibited high level of polymer, carbohydrates, amino acids and carboxylic acid; however, amine and the phenol compound were the lowest. Principal components analysis (PCA) indicated that twenty categories of carbon significantly related to PC1 and twelve categories for PC2. Hierarchical cluster analysis showed these five areas could be divided into 2 clusters: (1) Hotan, Pishan, (2) Shache, Luntai, Ulugqat. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) showed that those community functional diversities were highly affected by some environmental factors, such as wind speed, altitude, humidity. Further investigation by correlation analysis revealed that the microbial communities using single carbon source were significantly affected by abiotic factors, such as the utilization of beta-methyl-D-glucoside, D-galacturonic acid and putrescine had significantly positive correlation (P < 0.05) with latitude; 2-hydroxy benzoic acid and alpha-D-lactose significantly related to wind speed (P < 0.05); and D-glucosaminic acid was positive with air pressure, but it negatively correlated with altitude (P < 0.05). In conclusion,the carbon sources provided by BIOLOG EcoPlate were utilized slowly by air microbial communities; and the characteristics of the air community carbon catabolic along the edge of the Taklamakan desert revealed regional feature, which may be affected by environmental factors.

[Recombinant human testis sperm binding protein increases sperm motility parameters].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of recombinant human testis sperm binding protein (TSBP) on human sperm motility parameters in vitro. METHODS: Sperm specimens obtained from 22 healthy fertile men were prepared by the Percoll gradient-centrifugation technique. The sperm suspension was incubated with recombinant His6-TSBP at the concentration of 0.01 mg/ml or 0.1 mg/ml at 37 degrees C for 1 or 3 hours in vitro. The combination of the recombinant protein and sperm membrane was determined by Western blot, and the sperm motility parameters were analyzed by computer-aided sperm analysis (CASA). The same procedure was performed for 12 asthenospermia patients. RESULTS: In the 22 healthy volunteers, the percentage of forward motile sperm was increased after incubated with 0.1 mg/ml recombinant protein for 1 h (P < 0.05), both forward motile sperm percentage and motility were increased after incubated with recombinant protein at the same concentration for 3 h (P < 0.05), but no effect was observed after incubation with 0.01 mg/ml recombinant protein. In the 12 asthenospermia patients, the forward motile sperm percentage was increased after incubated with 0.1 mg/ml recombinant protein for 3 h (P < 0.05), but no statistically significant difference was observed in sperm motility. CONCLUSION: Recombinant His6-TSBP at the concentration of 0.1 mg/ml can increase sperm motility in healthy fertile men and the forward motile sperm percentage in both healthy fertile men and asthenospermia patients in vitro.

[Genetic diversity analysis of the developed Qingke (hulless barley) varieties from the plateau regions of Sichuan Province in China revealed by SRAP markers].

Genetic diversity of 25 accessions of Qingke (hulless barley) varieties from the plateau regions of Sichuan Province, China, was analyzed by using SRAP (Sequence-related Amplified Polymorphism) markers. The results showed that 64 pairs of primer combinations produced 999 clear bands, of which 62 primer pairs (96.9%) amplified 225 polymorphic bands (22.5%). Three hundred and thirty three allelic phenotypes were amplified with an average of 5.20 alleles/primer pair. The genetic diversity ranged from 0 (me9/em14, me9/em15) to 0.8928 (me6/em18) with an average of 0.5126. The 25 accessions were classified into three major groups: A, B, and C by cluster analysis using UPGMA, which showed significant relationship with the origin regions of accessions. Thus, it was suggested that the Sichuan hulless barleys could be used as elite germplasms to enhance the genetic background for super-hulless barley breeding.

Analysis of bacterial community structures in two sewage treatment plants with different sludge properties and treatment performance by nested PCR-DGGE method.

The bacterial community structures in two sewage treatment plants with different processes and performance were investigated by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) of nested polymerase chain reaction (nested PCR) amplified 16S rRNA gene fragments with group-specific primers. Samples of raw sewage and treated effluents were amplified using the whole-cell PCR method, and the activated sludge samples were amplified using the extracted genomic DNA before the PCR products were loaded on the same DGGE gel for bacterial community analysis. Ammonia-oxidizing bacterial and actinomycetic community analysis were also carried out to investigate the relationship between specific population structures and system or sludge performance. The two plants demonstrated a similarity in bacterial community structures of raw sewage and activated sludge, but they had different effluent populations. Many dominant bacterial populations of raw sewage did not appear in the activated sludge samples, suggesting that the dominant bacterial populations in raw sewage might not play an important role during wastewater treatment. Although the two plants had different sludge properties in terms of settleability and foam forming ability, they demonstrated similar actinomycetic community structures. For activated sludge with bad settling performance, the treated water presented a similar DGGE pattern with that of activated sludge, indicating the nonselective washout of bacteria from the system. The plant with better ammonium removal efficiency showed higher ammonia-oxidizing bacteria species richness. Analysis of sequencing results showed that the major populations in raw sewage were uncultured bacterium, while in activated sludge the predominant populations were beta proteobacteria.

[Isolation of neural stem cells from the spinal cords of human fetus.].

Neural stem cells are a potential therapeutic source for cellular transplantation therapy in neurological diseases. The present paper was aimed to investigate whether neural stem cells could be obtained from the spinal cords of low temperature preserved abortuses. Fourteen weeks old abortuses were stored in a refrigerator at 4 degrees C without any additional treatments for 2, 6 and 12 h before use. The spinal cords were anatomized out and divided into cervical cords, thoracic cords and lumbar/sacral cords. Then the spinal cord segments were used for cell culture separately. Neural stem cells were isolated from the segments and cultured in bFGF, EGF and N2 supplement containing free-serum DMEM/F12 (1:1) medium. In order to examine the differentiation potential, the stem cells were induced to differentiate with 5% fetal bovine serum on poly-l-lysine substrate. Clonal culture was carried out to demonstrate that the isolated cells met the standard of stem cells. Indirect fluorescent immunocytochemistry was used to examine the expressions of neural stem cell marker (nestin), neuron marker (MAP2), astrocyte marker (GFAP) and cholinergic marker (ChAT). The stem cells in different cultures were compared. One-way analysis of variance and Kruskal-Wallis test were used for the statistical comparison. As a result, neural stem cells were obtained from all the spinal cord segments with different postmortem intervals. Both the cells on the surface and inside the neurospheres showed nestin immunoreactivity. Therefore, nearly all the cells that composed the neurospheres were nestin-positive undifferentiated cells. When the spheres were induced to differentiate, they could yield GFAP-positive astrocytes and MAP2-positive neurons including ChAT-positive cholinergic neurons. Primary neurospheres could be dissociated mechanically, expand in subcultures and maintain the differentiation potential. In clonal cultures, single cells from a single primary sphere could give rise to new neurospheres, which had the same differentiation potential as the primary spheres. The lumbar/sacral cord cultures gave rise to the most abundant primary neurospheres. When the preservation time of the fetus was prolonged to 12 h, the number of primary neurospheres decreased sharply. The clonal formation and phenotype capacity were similar in all cultures. In conclusion, spinal neural stem cells can be isolated from low temperature preserved abortuses and represent an alternative source for experimental and potential therapeutic purposes.