Association of neutralizing breadth against SARS-CoV-2 with inoculation orders of heterologous prime-boost vaccines.

BACKGROUND: Emerging evidence suggests heterologous prime-boost COVID-19 vaccination as a superior strategy than homologous schedules. Animal experiments and clinical observations have shown enhanced antibody response against influenza variants after heterologous vaccination; however, whether the inoculation order of COVID-19 vaccines in a prime-boost schedule affects antibody response against SARS-CoV-2 variants is not clear. METHODS: We conducted immunological analyses in a cohort of health care workers (n = 486) recently vaccinated by three types of inactivated COVID-19 vaccines under homologous or heterologous prime-boost schedules. Antibody response against ancestral SARS-CoV-2 (Wuhan-Hu-1) was assessed by total antibody measurements, surrogate virus neutralization tests, and pseudovirus neutralization assays (PNA). Furthermore, serum neutralization activity against SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern was also measured by PNA. FINDINGS: We observed strongest serum neutralization activity against the widely circulating SARS-CoV-2 variant B.1.617.2 among recipients of heterologous BBIBP-CorV/CoronaVac and WIBP-CorV/CoronaVac. In contrast, recipients of CoronaVac/BBIBP-CorV and CoronaVac/WIBP-CorV showed significantly lower B.1.617.2 neutralization titers than recipients of reverse schedules. Laboratory tests revealed that neutralizing activity against common variants but not the ancestral SARS-CoV-2 was associated with the inoculation order of heterologous prime-boost vaccines. Multivariable regression analyses confirmed this association after adjusting for known confounders. CONCLUSIONS: Our data provide clinical evidence of inoculation order-dependent expansion of neutralizing breadth against SARS-CoV-2 in recipients of heterologous prime-boost vaccination and call for further studies into its underlying mechanism. FUNDING: National Key R&D Program of China, National Development and Re-form Commission of China, National Natural Science Foundation of China, Shenzhen Science and Technology Innovation Commission, and US Department of Veterans Affairs.

Artemisinin induces A549 cell apoptosis dominantly via a reactive oxygen species-mediated amplification activation loop among caspase-9, -8 and -3.

This report is designed to explore the roles of caspase-8, -9 and -3 in artemisinin (ARTE)-induced apoptosis in non-small cell lung cancer cells (A549 cells). ARTE induced reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated apoptosis in dose- and time-dependent fashion. Although ARTE treatment did not induce Bid cleavage and significant loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, it induced release of Smac and AIF but not cytochrome c from mitochondria, and silencing of Bak but not Bax significantly prevented ARTE-induced cytotoxicity. Moreover, ARTE treatment induced ROS-dependent activation of caspase-9, -8 and -3. Of the utmost importance, silencing or inhibiting any one of caspase-8, -9 and -3 almost completely prevented ARTE-induced activation of all the three caspases and remarkably abrogated the cytotoxicity of ARTE, suggesting that ARTE triggered an amplification activation loop among caspase-9, -8 and -3. Collectively, our data demonstrate that ARTE induces a ROS-mediated amplification activation loop among caspase-9, -8 and -3 to dominantly mediate the apoptosis of A549 cells.

Elevated plasma levels of hypermethylated RASSF1A gene sequences in pregnant women with intrahepatic cholestasis.

Intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP) is associated with increased perinatal mortality and morbidity. Circulating cell-free fetal DNA has been a useful parameter for monitoring of pregnancy-associated diseases. The purpose of this study was to determine the concentrations of hypermethylated RAS-association domain family 1, isoform A (RASSF1A) gene sequences in the plasma of pregnant women with intrahepatic cholestasis. This study included 56 women in their third trimester of pregnancy, of whom 26 had ICP (study group) and 30 were healthy (control group). Real time PCR was performed to detect RASSF1A concentrations after methylation-sensitive restriction digestion with HinpII and HhaI to measure cell-free fetal DNA. Beta-actin was detected as an internal control to confirm complete enzyme digestion. The data show a significant increase in the circulating hypermethylated RASSF1A levels regarding the pregnancies complicated with ICP as compared with normal pregnancies. Circulating hypermethylated RASSF1A levels in maternal plasma related to total bile acid. Based on these observations, we suggest that the circulating hypermethylated RASSF1A levels in maternal plasma may be used as a diagnostic marker for ICP.

Amplification activation loop between caspase-8 and -9 dominates artemisinin-induced apoptosis of ASTC-a-1 cells.

Although caspases have been demonstrated to be involved in artemisinin (ARTE)-induced apoptosis, their exact functions are not well understood. The aim of this report is to explore the roles of caspase-8, -9 and -3 during ARTE-induced apoptosis in human lung adenocarcinoma (ASTC-a-1) cells. ARTE treatment induces a rapid generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and ROS-dependent apoptosis as well as the activation of caspase-8, -9 and -3 via time- and dose-dependent fashion. Of upmost importance, inhibition of caspase-8 or -9, but not caspase-3, almost completely blocks the ARTE-induced not only activation of the caspase-8, -9 and -3 but also apoptosis. In addition, the apoptotic process triggered by ARTE does not involve the Bid cleavage, tBid translocation, significant loss of mitochondrial membrane potential and cytochrome c release from mitochondria. Moreover, silencing Bax/Bak does not prevent the ATRE-induced cell death as well as the activation of caspase-8, -9 and -3. Collectively, our data firstly demonstrate that ARTE triggers a ROS-mediated positive feedback amplification activation loop between caspase-8 and -9 independent of mitochondria, which dominantly mediated the ARTE-induced apoptosis via a caspase-3-independent apoptotic pathway in ASTC-a-1 cells. Our findings imply a potential to develop new derivatives from artemisinin to effectively initiate the amplification activation loop of caspases.

Artemisinin induces caspase-8/9-mediated and Bax/Bak-independent apoptosis in human lung adenocarcinoma (ASTC-a-1) cells.

Artemisinin (ARTE), an antimalarial phytochemical component from the sweet wormwood plant, has been shown a potential anticancer activity by inducing cell apoptosis. The aim of this report is to explore the mechanism of ARTE-induced human lung adenocarcinoma (ASTC-a-1) cell apoptosis. Cell counting kit (CCK-8) assay showed that ARTE induced cytotoxcity in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Confocal microscopy fluorescence imaging of cells stained with Hoechst 33258 and flow cytometry (FCM) analysis of cells stained with Annexin V-FITC/propidium iodide (PI) showed that ARTE induced reactive oxygen species (ROS)-dependent apoptosis. Confocal fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) imaging of single living cells expressing SCAT3, SCAT9 or CFP-Bid-YFP and fluorometic substrate assay showed that ARTE induced the activation of caspase-3, -8 and -9. Moreover, inhibition of caspase-8 or -9 completely blocked ARTE-induced apoptosis which was only partially attenuated by caspase-3 inhibitor. Interestingly, silencing Bax and Bak by RNA interference (RNAi) did not attenuate ARTE-induced apoptosis. Collectively, ARTE induces caspase-dependent but Bax/Bak-independent apoptosis in ASTC-a-1 cells.