Research progress in effects of MAGE-A family on gastric cancer. / MAGE-Aå®¶æ—åœ¨èƒƒç™Œä¸­ä½œç”¨çš„ç ”ç©¶è¿›å±•.

Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most common malignant tumors worldwide, and most of the patients are diagnosed at the advanced stage. Most of the treating options are comprehensive treatment, in which immunotherapy plays more and more important role. Melanoma antigen-associated gene-A (MAGE-A) family is a kind of cancer testis antigens. Except in germ cells of testis and trophoblast cells of placenta, MAGE-A family is highly expressed in cancerous tissues and participates in a variety of biological processes, such as cancer cell proliferation, differentiation and metastasis. In addition, cancer testis antigen also possesses good immunogenicity, which can induce humoral and cellular immune responses, is a good target for immunotherapy, and has good application value in the diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of GC. A variety of targeted therapeutic drugs based on MAGE-A are in phase I or II clinical trials, it has good safety and potential clinical application value. With the continuous progress of clinical trials and basic research on MAGE-A targets in GC, it is expected to provide a theoretical basis for clinical transformation and immunotherapy of MAGE-A in the future.

The therapeutic and preventive effects of a canine-origin VB12 -producing Lactobacillus on DSS-induced colitis in mice.

Vitamin B12 (VB12 ) plays vital roles as a cofactor in reactions related to biosynthesis and metabolic regulation. Animals with diarrhoea from intestinal inflammation are susceptible to VB12 deficiency due to dysfunctional absorption. No current medications for canine intestinal inflammation can simultaneously act as VB12 supplements. Here we have tested a strain of VB12 -producing Lactobacillus, to investigate its safety in healthy dogs and test for hypothesized therapeutic and preventive effects on murine colitis. Results from enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, histopathological analysis, and quantitative polymerase chain reaction showed normal physical conditions of healthy dogs given Lactobacillus, and blood biochemical indices showed no significant differences in markers, indicating safety of Lactobacillus to healthy dogs. The microbiota in animals receiving VB12 -producing Lactobacillus probiotic exhibited decreased abundance of Escherichia coli and concomitant increase in Lactobacillus. The probiotic supplement also resulted in downregulation of proinflammatory cytokines in murine colon tissues, reduced myeloperoxidase activity and malondialdehyde level, and significantly increased serum VB12 level and decreased homocysteine in therapeutic and preventive experiments. Moreover, Lactobacillus supplement decreased colonic inflammation and injury, improved gut microbiota, and ameliorated VB12 deficiency as an adjunctive therapy. We conclude this product is potentially beneficial for efficient therapy and prevention of VB12 deficiency form intestinal inflammation in canine clinical practice.

Efficient catalytic ozonation of bisphenol A by three-dimensional mesoporous CeOx-loaded SBA-16.

Herein, we demonstrated the construction of three-dimensional (3D) cerium oxide (CeOx)/SBA-16 nanocomposites for efficient removal of bisphenol A (BPA) via a catalytic ozonation, with a high BPA mineralization up to 60.9% in 90 min. On one hand, the CeOx/SBA-16 mesoporous structured materials presented large surface area and uniform pore distribution, which was conducive to the adsorption of transformation by-products (TBPs) and then, the mass transfer. On the other hand, CeOx/SBA-16 could enhance the ozone utilization efficiency and meanwhile facilitate the formation of OH, the main reactive oxygen species. Through the exploration of dissoluble organic matters and the identification of the reaction intermediates, two BPA degradation pathways were proposed. This approach reported here will benefit the design and construction of mesoporous structured materials for catalytic elimination of hazards to remediate the environment.

Bioactive Constituents from the Bryophyta Hypnum plumaeforme.

Chemical investigation of the secondary metabolites of the whole plant of bryophyte Hypnum plumaeforme Wilson led to the isolation of a new pimarane-type diterpenoid, momilactone F (1), along with seventeen known compounds. Their chemical structures were elucidated based on massive spectroscopic data. The allelopathic and antifungal properties were evaluated. Among them, momilactone F (1), acrenol (2),[11] momilactones A (3) and B (4) showed significant allelopathic activity against Samolus parviflorus Raf. and Lactuca sativa L. var. angustana Irish, as well as selected antifungal property against crop pathogenic fungi strains. On the other hand, 8(14)-podocarpen-13-on-18-oic acid (8) exhibited strong promoting activity on the growth of L. sativa L. var. angustana Irish. The present investigation provided new insights for developing of H. plumaeforme for further application as a potential agricultural tool.

Arrb2 promotes endothelial progenitor cell-mediated postischemic neovascularization.

Background and aim: Modulating biological functions of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) is essential for therapeutic angiogenesis in ischemic vascular diseases. This study aimed to explore the role and molecular mechanisms of ß-arrestin 2 (Arrb2) in EPCs biology and angiogenic therapy. Methods: The influence of Arrb2 on postischemic neovascularization was evaluated in Arrb2-deficient mice. The proliferation, apoptosis, and various functions of EPCs were analyzed in vitro by manipulating the expression of Arrb2. Finally, the in vivo effect of Arrb2 on EPC-mediated neovascularization was investigated in a mouse model of hind-limb ischemia (HLI). Results: Arrb2-deficient mice exhibited impaired blood flow recovery based on laser Doppler measurements and reduced capillary density in the adductor muscle after unilateral HLI. Arrb2-deficient mice also showed restricted intraplug angiogenesis in subcutaneously implanted Matrigel plugs. In vitro, lentivirus-mediated Arrb2 overexpression promoted EPC proliferation, migration, adhesion, and tube formation, whereas Arrb2 knockdown had opposite effects. In addition, the overexpression of Arrb2 in EPCs protected them from hypoxia-induced apoptosis and improved intraplug angiogenesis ex vivo. Mechanistically, Arrb2 interacted with and activated extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)1/2 and protein kinase B (Akt) signaling pathways. Finally, the transplantation of EPCs overexpressing Arrb2 resulted in a significantly higher blood flow restoration in ischemic hind limb and higher capillary density during histological analysis compared with control or Arrb2-knockdown EPC-treated nude mice. Conclusions: The data indicated that Arrb2 augmented EPC-mediated neovascularization through the activation of ERK and Akt signaling pathways. This novel biological function of Arrb2 might provide a potential therapeutic option to promote EPCs in the treatment of ischemic vascular diseases.

Efficient catalytic ozonation of diclofenac by three-dimensional iron (Fe)-doped SBA-16 mesoporous structures.

The removal of diclofenac (DCF) that causes risks to the environment and human health remains a great challenge due to the inefficiency of conventional physical methods. In this work, an efficient catalytic ozonation of DCF is achieved from a novel iron-doped SBA-16 (Fe-SBA-16) three-dimensional (3D) mesoporous structure. The Fe-SBA-16/ozonation (O3) system exhibits enhanced catalytic activity towards DCF mineralization (up to 79.3% in 1.5 h), which is 1.2 times of its counterpart, Fe-MCM-41, and 2.4 times of the sole ozonation without catalysts. The unique 3D mesoporous structures accelerate the mass transfer and meanwhile result in higher ozone utilization efficiency for more effective generation of active species, hence enhancing the DCF mineralization efficiency. We believe the well-defined Fe-SBA-16 catalyst coupled with their enhanced catalytic ozonation performances will provide new insights into the construction of mesoporous structured materials to eliminate hazards in aqueous solutions for the environment remediation.

Nontoxic concentration of ochratoxin A decreases the dosage of cyclosporine A to induce chronic nephropathy model via autophagy mediated by toll-like receptor 4.

Cyclosporine A (CsA) extracted from the products of fungal fermentation is used to develop a chronic nephropathy model. However, it has numerous side effects. Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a mycotoxin that induces renal injury. We developed a chronic nephropathy model to lessen the side effects of CsA by administration of nontoxic dosage of OTA, and investigated the underlying mechanism. C57BL/10 wild-type mice, toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)-/- mice, and HK-2 cells were used in this study. The nontoxic dosage (0.25 mg/kg, qod) of OTA could significantly decrease the dosage of CsA from 30 to 20 mg/kg per day, and combination of them induced chronic nephropathy model and alleviated the side effects of onefold CsA in vivo, including cardiotoxicity, hepatotoxicity, and immunosuppression. The nontoxic concentration (0.5 µg/ml) of OTA could significantly decrease the concentration of CsA from 10 to 6 µg/ml that induced cytotoxicity, oxidative stress, and nephrotoxicity in vitro. Nontoxic concentration of OTA and low dosage of CsA activated TLR4 and autophagy. These toxic effects induced by OTA and CsA could be reversed by knockdown of TLR4 and autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine in vitro. Furthermore, the renal injury and autophagy induced by OTA and CsA could be attenuated in TLR4-/- mice. It suggested that a chronic nephropathy model had been successfully developed by administration of nontoxic concentration of OTA and low dosage of CsA via TLR4-mediated autophagy. The side effects of current model were significantly lesser than those of the previous model induced by onefold CsA. It provided a new tool for exploring the pathogenesis and treatment of chronic kidney disease.