Effects of temporal changes in resting heart rate on future diabetes-related outcomes.

Background and aims: Most studies have analyzed the relationship between resting heart rate (RHR) measured at only one time point and future clinical events. The current study aims to investigate the impact of long-term RHR changes on future clinical outcomes in a decade-long cohort with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods: The two-staged follow-up involved 2,513 T2DM participants. The first stage (2008-2014) intended to identify levels and trends in RHR changes, while the second stage (2014-2018) attempted to collect new occurrence records of clinical results. Cox proportional hazards models were applied to predict hazard ratios (HRs), along with 95% confidence interval (CI) for the correlation between RHR changes and future events. Results: There is no significant correlation between baseline RHR levels and long-term clinical events. According to the range of RHR change, compared with the stable RHR group, the adjusted HRs for cardiovascular events and all-cause death in the large increase group were 3.40 (95% CI: 1.33-8.71, p=0.010) and 3.22 (95% CI: 1.07-9.64, p=0.037), respectively. While the adjusted HRs for all-cause death and major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE) in the moderate decrease group were 0.55 (95% CI: 0.31-0.96, p=0.037) and 0.51 (95% CI: 0.26-0.98, p=0.046). According to the trend of RHR, compared with the normal-normal group, the adjusted HRs for composite endpoint events and cerebrovascular events in the normal-high group were 1.64 (95% CI: 1.00-2.68, p=0.047) and 2.82 (95% CI: 1.03-7.76, p=0.043), respectively. Conclusion: Changes in RHR had predictive value for long-term clinical events in diabetic populations. Individuals with significantly elevated RHR over a particular period of time showed an increased risk of adverse events.

High Urine Albumin-to-Creatinine Ratio is Associated with Increased Arterial Stiffness in Diabetes: A Chinese Cross-Sectional Study.

Purpose: Elevated urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR) is an established risk factor for microvascular disease in the general population. However, it is unclear whether UACR is associated with arterial stiffness in diabetes. We aimed to assess the relationship between UACR levels and the risk of arterial stiffness in patients with diabetes. Methods: From July 2021 to February 2023, a total of 1039 participants were assessed for the risk of arterial stiffness, which was evaluated by brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV). The value of UACR≥30 mg/g was defined as high UACR. The UACR level had an abnormal distribution and was log2-transformed for analyses to reduce skewness and volatility. High baPWV was evaluated as categorical variables divided by the highest quartile of the values by sex. The relationship between UACR and arterial stiffness was analyzed by linear curve fitting analyses. Multiple logistic regression models were used to analyze the crude and adjusted odds ratio (OR) of UACR for high baPWV with 95% confidence interval (CI). In addition to applying non-adjusted and multivariate-adjusted models, interaction and stratified analyses were also carried out. Results: The baPWV level was significantly higher in the high UACR group compared with that in the normal UACR group (1861.84 ± 439.12 cm/s vs 1723.13 ± 399.63 cm/s, p<0.001). Adjusted smoothed plots suggested that there are linear relationships between log2-transformed UACR and high baPWV, and Spearman correlation coefficient was 0.226 (0.176-0.276, p<0.001). The OR (95% CI) between log2-transformed UACR and high baPWV were 1.26 (1.19-1.33, p<0.001), and 1.16 (1.08-1.25, p<0.001) respectively in diabetic patients before and after adjusting for potential confounders. Conclusion: The elevated UACR was associated with arterial stiffness in Chinese patients with diabetes.

1. The mean baPWV level was significantly higher in the high UACR group compared with that in the normal UACR group.2. The sex-specific hierarchical analysis revealed that baPWV levels and the incidence of high baPWV were significantly elevated with increased UACR.3. Curvilinear relationships between log2-transformed UACR and the risk of high baPWV.4. Positive association between UACR and high baPWV in patients with diabetes.

OsMADS6-OsMADS32 and REP1 control palea cellular heterogeneity and morphogenesis in rice.

Precise regulation of cell proliferation and differentiation is vital for organ morphology. Rice palea, serving as sepal, comprises two distinct regions: the marginal region (MRP) and body of palea (BOP), housing heterogeneous cell populations, which makes it an ideal system for studying organ morphogenesis. We report that the transcription factor (TF) REP1 promotes epidermal cell proliferation and differentiation in the BOP, resulting in hard silicified protrusion cells, by regulating the cyclin-dependent kinase gene, OsCDKB1;1. Conversely, TFs OsMADS6 and OsMADS32 are expressed exclusively in the MRP, where they limit cell division rates by inhibiting OsCDKB2;1 expression and promote endoreduplication, yielding elongated epidermal cells. Furthermore, reciprocal inhibition between the OsMADS6-OsMADS32 complex and REP1 fine-tunes the balance between cell division and differentiation during palea morphogenesis. We further show the functional conservation of these organ identity genes in heterogeneous cell growth in Arabidopsis, emphasizing a critical framework for controlling cellular heterogeneity in organ morphogenesis.

Mitochondrial dysfunction of peripheral blood mononuclear cells is associated with lung carcinogenesis.

The composition, quantity, and function of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) are closely correlated with tumorigenesis. However, the mechanisms of PBMCs in lung cancer are not clear. Mitochondria are energy factories of cells, and almost all cellular functions rely on their energy metabolism level. The present study aimed to test whether the mitochondrial function of PBMCs directly determines their tumor immune monitoring function. We recruited 211 subjects, including 105 healthy controls and 106 patients with recently diagnosed with lung cancer. The model of lung carcinogenesis induced by BaP was used in animal experiment, and the Bap carcinogenic metabolite, Benzo(a)pyren-7,8-dihydrodiol-9,10-epoxide (BPDE), was used in cell experiment. We found that mitochondrial function of PBMCs decreased significantly in patients with new lung cancer, regardless of age. In vivo, BaP caused PBMC mitochondrial dysfunction in mice before the appearance of visible malignant tissue. Moreover, mitochondrial function decreased significantly in mice with lung cancers induced by BaP compared to those without lung cancer after BaP intervention. In vitro, BPDE also induced mitochondrial dysfunction and reduced the aggressiveness of PBMCs toward cancer cells. Furthermore, the changes in mitochondrial energy metabolism gene expression caused by BPDE are involved in this process. Thus, the mitochondrial function of PBMCs is a potential prognostic biomarker or therapeutic target to improve clinical outcomes in patients with lung cancer.

Efficiently tuning the electrical performance of PBTTT-C14 thin film viainsitucontrollable multiple precursors (Al2O3:ZnO) vapor phase infiltration.

Conjugated polymer-based organic/inorganic hybrid materials become the current research frontier and show great potential to integrate flexible polymers and rigid solid materials, which have been widely used in the field of various flexible electronics and optical devices. In this study, based on the multiple vapor phase infiltration (VPI) process, various precursor molecules (diethylzinc DEZ, trimethylaluminum TMA, H2O) are applied for thein situmodification of PBTTT-C14 films. The conductivity of the PBTTT-C14/Al2O3:ZnO (AZO) film is significantly enhanced, and the maximum value of conductivity is 1.16 S cm-1, which is eight orders of magnitude higher than the undoped PBTTT-C14 thin film. Here, the change of morphologies and crystalline states are analyzed via SEM, AFM, and XRD. And the chemical changes during the VPI process of PBTTT-C14 are characterized through Raman, XPS, and UV-vis. During the AZO VPI process, the formation of new ZnS matrix in the polymer subsurface can generate new additional electron conduction pathways through the crosslinking of polymer chains with inorganic materials, and the addition of Al2O3can bring about the increase of average grain size of ZnO crystals, which is also benefit to the conductivity increase of PBTTT-C14 thin film. Generally, the synergistic effect between the inorganic and polymer constituents results in the significantly enhancement of the conductivity of PBTTT-C14/AZO thin films.

Bombyx mori triose-phosphate transporter protein inhibits Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus infection by reducing the cell glycolysis pathway.

Bombyx mori triose-phosphate transporter protein (BmTPT) is a member of the solute carrier (SLC) family. Its main function is to transport triose phosphate between intracellular and extracellular. In this study, BmTPT was cloned and characterised from the fat body of the silkworm Bombyx mori, resulting in an open reading frame (ORF) with a full length of 936 bp, which can encode 311 amino acid residues and has eight transmembrane structural domains. BmTPT was distributed throughout the cell and deposited the most in the nucleus, and is expressed in all tissues of Bombyx mori. Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) infection significantly up-regulated BmTPT expression in immune tissue fat bodies. In addition, overexpression of BmTPT significantly inhibited BmNPV infection and markedly reduced the expression of enzymes related to the cellular glycolytic pathway; on the contrary, down-regulation of BmTPT expression by RNA interference resulted in robust replication of BmNPV and a significant increase in the expression of enzymes related to the cellular glycolytic pathway. This is the first report that BmTPT has antiviral effect in silkworm, and also could result in a lack of energy and raw materials for BmNPV replication and infection through down-regulation of the cellular glycolytic pathway.

Governance of Friedrich-Wintgen bound states in the continuum by tuning the internal coupling of meta-atoms.

Bound state in the continuum (BIC) is a phenomenon that describes the perfect confinement of electromagnetic waves despite their resonant frequencies lying in the continuous radiative spectrum. BICs can be realized by introducing a destructive interference between distinct modes, referred to as Friedrich-Wintgen BICs (FW-BICs). Herein, we demonstrate that FW-BICs can be derived from coupled modes of individual split-ring resonators (SRR) in the terahertz band. The eigenmode results manifest that FW-BICs are in the center of the far-field polarization vortices. Quasi-BIC-I keeps an ultrahigh quality factor (Q factor) in a broad momentum range along the Γ-X direction, while the Q factor of the quasi-BIC-II drops rapidly. Our results can facilitate the design of devices with high-Q factors with extreme robustness against the incident angle.

Age-specific differences in the association between prediabetes and cardiovascular diseases in China: A national cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, the global burden of which is rising. It is still unclear the extent to which prediabetes contributes to the risk of CVD in various age brackets among adults. To develop a focused screening plan and treatment for Chinese adults with prediabetes, it is crucial to identify variations in the connection between prediabetes and the risk of CVD based on age. AIM: To examine the clinical features of prediabetes and identify risk factors for CVD in different age groups in China. METHODS: The cross-sectional study involved a total of 46239 participants from June 2007 through May 2008. A thorough evaluation was conducted. Individuals with prediabetes were categorized into two groups based on age. Chinese atherosclerotic CVD risk prediction model was employed to evaluate the risk of developing CVD over 10 years. Random forest was established in both age groups. SHapley Additive exPlanation method prioritized the importance of features from the perspective of assessment contribution. RESULTS: In total, 6948 people were diagnosed with prediabetes in this study. In pre-diabetes, prevalences of CVD were 5 (0.29%) in the younger group and 148 (2.85%) in the older group. Overall, 11.11% of the younger group and 29.59% of the older group were intermediate/high-risk of CVD for prediabetes without CVD based on the Prediction for ASCVD Risk in China equation in ten years. In the younger age group, the 10-year risk of CVD was found to be more closely linked to family history of CVD rather than lifestyle, whereas in the older age group, resident status was more closely linked. CONCLUSION: The susceptibility to CVD is age-specific in newly diagnosed prediabetes. It is necessary to develop targeted approaches for the prevention and management of CVD in adults across various age brackets.

Edoxaban for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation and factors associated with dosing: patient characteristics from the prospective observational ETNA-AF-China registry.

Real-world data on effectiveness and safety of a single non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulant in the Chinese population with atrial fibrillation (AF) are limited. This study reports characteristics of patients treated with edoxaban and factors associated with dosing patterns from routine care in China. ETNA-AF-China (NCT04747496) is a multicentre, prospective, observational study enrolling edoxaban-treated patients from four economic regions with a targeted 2-year follow-up. Of the 4930 patients with AF (mean age: 70.2 ± 9.5 years; male, 57.1%), the mean creatinine clearance (CrCl), CHA2DS2-VASc, and HAS-BLED scores were 71.2 mL/min, 2.9, and 1.6. Overall, 6.4% of patients were perceived as frail by investigators. Available label dose reduction criteria (N = 4232) revealed that 3278 (77.5%) patients received recommended doses and 954 (22.5%) non-recommended doses. Northeast (53.0%) and West (43.1%) regions had the highest prescriptions of 60 mg and 30 mg recommended doses, respectively. Non-recommended 30 mg doses were more frequently prescribed in patients with antiplatelet use and history of heart failure than recommended 60 mg. Multivariate analysis identified advanced age as the strongest associated factor with non-recommended doses. Frailty had the strongest association with 30 mg except for age, and history of TIA was the most relevant factor associated with 60 mg. In conclusion, patients in the ETNA-AF-China study were predominantly aged 65 years and older, had mild-to-moderate renal impairment and good label adherence. Advanced age was associated with non-recommended doses, with frailty most common for non-recommended 30 mg and a history of TIA for the non-recommended 60 mg dose.

Comparing positive reappraisal and mindfulness in relation to daily emotions during COVID-19: An experience sampling study.

Research has suggested that daily cognitive reappraisal and mindfulness are differentially associated with emotional experience. Nevertheless, the different relationship between these two emotion regulation strategies and emotional experience remains unexplored amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, when people were facing unprecedented challenges and disruptions in their everyday lives. The current study aimed to examine the potential unidirectional or bidirectional relations between two strategies and daily emotional experience during the COVID-19 pandemic and whether the associations between the two strategies and emotional experience varied. A total of 184 college students participated in this study. Daily positive reappraisal, mindful attention and awareness (MAA), positive and negative affect, and COVID-19-related stress were assessed utilizing experience sampling method (three times a day for 14 consecutive days). Results suggested that the directionality of the link between the two strategies and daily emotional experience differed. The links between positive reappraisal and positive affect, negative affect, and COVID-19-related stress were transactional. However, a unidirectional relation was observed between positive affect and subsequent MAA. The study provided support for the contextual perspective of emotion regulation by demonstrating that the efficacy of regulation strategies is contingent upon the context. The identification of optimal conditions for effective strategies remains a crucial area for future research.

Bavachinin protects the liver in NAFLD by promoting regeneration via targeting PCNA.

INTRODUCTION: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common liver disease all over the world, and no drug is approved for the treatment of NAFLD. Bavachinin (BVC) is proven to possess liver-protecting effect against NAFLD, but its mechanism is still blurry. OBJECTIVES: With the use of Click Chemistry-Activity-Based Protein Profiling (CC-ABPP) technology, this study aims to identify the target of BVC, and investigate the mechanism by which BVC exerts its liver-protecting effect. METHODS: The high fat diet induced hamster NAFLD model is introduced to investigate BVC's lipid-lowering and liver-protecting effects. Then, a small molecular probe ofBVC is designed and synthesized based on theCC-ABPP technology, and BVC's target is fished out. A series of experiments are performed to identify the target, including competitive inhibition assay, surface-plasmon resonance (SPR), cellular thermal shift assay (CETSA), drug affinity responsive target stability (DARTS) assay, and co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP). Afterward, the pro-regeneration effects of BVC are validated in vitro and in vivo through flow cytometry, immunofluorescence, and the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL). RESULT: In the hamster NAFLD model, BVC shows lipid-lowing effect and improvement on the histology. PCNA is identified as the target of BVC with the method mentioned above, and BVC facilitates the interaction between PCNA and DNA polymerase delta. BVC promotes HepG2 cells proliferation which is inhibited by T2AA, an inhibitor suppresses the interaction between PCNA and DNA polymerase delta. In NAFLD hamsters, BVC enhances PCNA expression and liver regeneration, reduces hepatocyte apoptosis. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that, besides the anti-lipemic effect, BVC binds to the pocket of PCNA facilitating its interaction with DNA polymerase delta and pro-regeneration effect, thereby exerts the protective effect against HFD induced liver injury.

Assessing shorebird mortalities due to razor clam aquaculture at key migratory stopover sites in southeastern China.

Aquaculture can provide foraging habitat for birds, but it can also result in intentional and accidental mortality. We examined an overlooked conflict between razor clam (Sinonovacula spp.) aquaculture and declining shorebirds in southeastern China's Fujian and Zhejiang provinces. We surveyed 6 out of 11 internationally important stopover sites for these shorebirds and monitored shorebird mortality in 2 sites (Xinghua Bay, Yueqing Bay) with razor clam aquaculture. We visited an additional 32 sites in these 2 provinces to determine if there was netting in other razor clam farms. Approximately 8-9 km2 of intertidal foraging habitat was covered by horizontal nets to prevent birds from feeding on young razor clams at Xinghua Bay and Yueqing Bay. We conservatively estimated that 13,676 (2.5th-97.5th percentile 8,330-21,285) individual shorebirds were entangled in the nets at the 2 monitored sites in April and May 2021, including 2 endangered and 7 near-threatened species. Mortality of 5 species for which we had sufficient data accounted for 0.76% (black-tailed godwit [Limosa limosa]) to 4.27% (terek sandpiper [Xenus cinereus]) of their total flyway populations. This level of mortality could strongly affect their populations. We found netting at 17 additional razor clam farms, indicating a widespread threat to shorebirds. Although razor clams are typically harvested in late March to early April, nets are left on the mudflats throughout the spring and summer, including when the bulk of shorebird migration takes place. Immediately removing these nets after the clam harvest could prevent most of the spring mortality of shorebirds, although this is unlikely to happen without government regulations or economic incentives. To better assess and mitigate the impacts of this conflict, future research should quantify shorebird mortality at other razor clam farms, including during winter, explore less harmful deterrence methods, and assess the socioeconomic factors driving the conflict.

Evaluación de la mortalidad de aves costeras causada por la acuacultura de almejas navaja en sitios importantes de descanso migratorio en el sureste de China Resumen La acuacultura puede proporcionar hábitats de forrajeo para las aves, pero también puede derivar en muertes accidentales o intencionales. Analizamos un conflicto ignorado entre la acuacultura de almeja navaja (Sinonovacula spp.) y la declinación de aves costeras en las provincias de Fujian y Zhejiang del sureste de China. Censamos seis de los once sitios de descanso con importancia internacional para estas aves y monitoreamos su mortalidad en dos sitios en donde se cría la almeja navaja: la bahía de Xinghua y la de Yueqing. Además, visitamos 32 sitios en estas dos provincias para determinar si existían redes en otras granjas de almeja navaja. Unos 8 ­ 9 km2 del hábitat intermareal de forrajeo estaban cubiertos por redes horizontales para evitar que las aves se alimentaran de las almejas juveniles en ambas bahías. Estimamos moderadamente que 13,676 (2.5° ­ 97.5° percentil 8,330 ­ 21,285) individuos de aves costeras se enredaron en las redes en los dos sitios monitoreados durante abril y mayo de 2021, incluyendo a dos especies en peligro y siete casi amenazadas. La mortalidad de las cinco especies para las cuales tuvimos suficientes datos representó del 0.76% (Limosa limosa) al 4.27% (Xenus cinereus) del total de las poblaciones migratorias. Este nivel de mortalidad podría tener un gran efecto sobre las poblaciones de estas especies. Encontramos redes en 17 granjas más, lo que indica una amenaza extendida para las aves costeras. Aunque es típico que se colecte la almeja navaja a finales de marzo y principios de abril, las redes permanecen durante toda la primavera y el verano, incluso cuando ocurre la mayoría de los vuelos migratorios. La eliminación inmediata de estas redes después de la colecta de almejas podría prevenir la mayoría de las muertes primaverales de las aves costeras, aunque no es probable que esto suceda sin regulaciones gubernamentales o incentivos económicos. Para tener mejores evaluaciones y mitigaciones del impacto de este conflicto, una investigación más profunda debería cuantificar la mortalidad de las aves costeras en otras granjas, incluso durante el invierno, explorar métodos de disuasión menos dañinos y evaluar los factores socioeconómicos que causan el conflicto.

Genetic and transcriptome analysis of the smb mutant in Bombyx mori.

More than 600 mutations have been discovered in the history of silkworm domestication. It is important to study the formation mechanism of these mutations to further understand the life and development process of silkworms and agricultural pest control. The silkworm mutant smb was isolated from silkworm strain NCV, and transcriptome analysis was performed on the silkworm mutant. 796 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were detected at 48 h of the second instar stage with 669 genes significantly upregulated and 127 genes significantly downregulated. During the GO enrichment analysis, it was found that the enrichment of biological processes was mainly concentrated in proteolysis, carbohydrate metabolism, aminoglycan metabolism, organic substance metabolism, protein metabolism and so on. Based on the analysis of KEGG pathways, it revealed that the pathways enriched in lysosomes, AMPK signaling, fatty acid metabolism, PPAR signaling, galactose metabolism, and protein digestion and absorption were the most significant. Through these most significantly enriched GO terms and KEGG pathways, DEGs consistent with the phenotypic characteristics of the smb mutant were identified, including small body size, slow development, and successive death after the fourth instar. These results provided experimental evidence for the potential formation mechanism of smb mutants.

Discovery and Mechanistic Study of Novel Mycobacterium tuberculosis ClpP1P2 Inhibitors.

Caseinolytic protease P (ClpP) responsible for the proteolysis of damaged or misfolded proteins plays a critical role in proteome homeostasis. MtbClpP1P2, a ClpP enzyme complex, is required for survival in Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and it is therefore considered as a promising target for the development of antituberculosis drugs. Here, we discovered that cediranib and some of its derivatives are potent MtbClpP1P2 inhibitors and suppress M. tuberculosis growth. Protein pull-down and loss-of-function assays validated the in situ targeting of MtbClpP1P2 by cediranib and its active derivatives. Structural and mutational studies revealed that cediranib binds to MtbClpP1P2 by binding to an allosteric pocket at the equatorial handle domain of the MtbClpP1 subunit, which represents a unique binding mode compared to other known ClpP modulators. These findings provide us insights for rational drug design of antituberculosis therapies and implications for our understanding of the biological activity of MtbClpP1P2.

Combination of metformin with liraglutide in treating HAIR-AN syndrome in children: A case report and literature review. / 二甲双胍联合利拉鲁肽治疗儿童HAIR-AN综合征1ä¾‹å¹¶æ–‡çŒ®å¤ä¹ .

Hyperandrogenism-insulin resistance-acanthosis nigricans (HAIR-AN) syndrome is a special and rare subtype of polycystic ovarian syndrome. It can lead to hyperandrogenism (HA), insulin resistance (IR), and acanthosis nigricans (AN) accompanied by acne, hirutism, irregular menstruation, and other androgen excess symptoms. A case of pediatric HAIR-AN syndrome with severe AN was admitted to the Department of Endocrinology, China-Japan Friendship Hospital. The patient's clinical manifestations, laboratory data, imaging features, and gene sequencing were analyzed, and the patient was diagnosed with pediatric HAIR-AN syndrome. Obesity, IR, hyperglycemia, menstrual disorder, and AN were significantly improved after treating with metformin and liraglutide. HAIR-AN syndrome occurs in various forms. When the patient appears unexplained acanthosis nigricans and menstrual disorders, the disease should be considered possible. Early diagnosis and symptomatic supportive treatment can improve the quality of life.

SPAG5 promotes the proliferation, migration, invasion, and epithelial-mesenchymal transformation of colorectal cancer cells by activating the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a cancer that occurs in the rectum or colon with a high incidence. Sperm-associated antigen 5 (SPAG5), a gene that regulates cell division, has been observed highly expressed in a variety of cancers, but its role in CRC is unclear. This study aimed to investigate the regulatory role of SPAG5 in CRC. The expression of SPAG5 in multiple cancers and normal tissues was predicted by The Cancer Genome Atlas and Tumor Immune Estimation Resource, and the expression of SPAG5 in human normal intestinal epithelial cells NCM460 and human CRC cell lines Caco2, HT29, SW480, and LOVO was verified by western blotting (WB). The effects of silencing SPAG5 on cell viability, proliferation, and apoptosis were then investigated by cell counting kit-8, WB, and flow cytometry. The effects of silencing SPAG5 on cell migration and invasion were investigated by scratch assay and transwell assay. Finally, the phosphorylation levels of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) and AKT in cells were detected by WB. The results showed that SPAG5 was highly expressed in CRC and was verified by WB. Silencing of SPAG5 inhibited cell viability and proliferation and increased the cell apoptosis rate. Furthermore, both cell invasion and migration abilities were suppressed by the low expression of SPAG5. Finally, WB results found that the phosphorylation levels of PI3K and AKT were reduced after SPAG5 silencing. In summary, the results showed that SPAG5 can promote the proliferation and invasion of CRC cells by targeting the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.

[An improved extraction and nonradioactive thin-layer chromatography detection method of mycolic acid].

Mycolic acids (MAs), i.e. 2-alkyl, 3-hydroxy long-chain fatty acids, are the hallmark of the cell envelope of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and are related with antibiotic resistance and host immune escape. Nowadays, they've become hot target of new anti-tuberculosis drugs. There are two main methods to detect MAs, 14C metabolic labeling thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and liquid chromatograph mass spectrometer (LC-MS). However, the user qualification of 14C or the lack of standards for LC-MS hampered the easy use of this method. TLC is a common way to analyze chemical substance and can be used to analyze MAs. In this study, we used tetrabutylammonium hydroxide and methyl iodide to hydrolyze and formylate MAs from mycobacterium cell wall. Subsequently, we used diethyl ether to extract methyl mycolate. By this method, we can easily extract and analyze MA in regular biological labs. The results demonstrated that this method could be used to compare MAs of different mycobacterium in different growth phases, MAs of mycobacteria treated by anti-tuberculosis drugs or MAs of mycobacterium mutants. Therefore, we can use this method as an initial validation for the changes of MAs in researches such as new drug screening without using radioisotope or when the standards are not available.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis Mce2D protein blocks M1 polarization in macrophages by inhibiting the ERK signaling pathway.

Macrophages play a pivotal role in controlling Mycobacterium infection, and the pathogen thrives in the event of immune evasion and immunosuppression of macrophages. Mammalian cell entry proteins (Mce) are required for Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tb) growth and the host cell's initial phagocytosis and cytokine response. Mce2D protein is one of a family of proteins that infect M. tb; however, the function and mechanism of action remain unclear. In this study, we constructed the Mce2D knockout strain using Mycobacterium smegmatis to study the function of Mce2D in the infection of macrophages. The results indicated that compared to the knockout strain, the release of proinflammatory cytokines (TNF-α and IL-1ß) reduced when WT strain infected the macrophages. Moreover, Mce2D boosted the metabolism of oxidized fatty acids, increased the energy supply of TCA, and lowered the glycolysis of glucose in macrophages after bacterial infection, all of which prevented the polarization of macrophages to M1, which was driven by the fact that Mce2D blocked ERK2 phosphorylation by interacting with ERK2 through its DEF motif. This, in turn, promoted nuclear translocation of HIF-1α, allowing signal accumulation, which increased the HIF-1α transcription levels. Finally, the mouse infection experiment showed that Mce2D caused blockage of M1 polarization of alveolar macrophages, resulting in reduced bactericidal activity and antigen presentation, weakening Th1 cell-mediated immune response and helping bacteria escape the immune system. Our results reveal that Mce2D causes immune escape by blocking M1 polarization in macrophages, providing potential targets for the rational design of therapies against M. tb infection.

Combination of Urinary Neutrophil Gelatinase-associated Lipocalin, Kidney Injury Molecular-1, and Angiotensinogen for the Early Diagnosis and Mortality Prediction of Septic Acute Kidney Injury.

BACKGROUND: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is one of the most severe complications of sepsis. This study was conducted to analyze the role of urinary neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (uNGAL), urinary kidney injury molecular-1 (uKIM-1), and urinary angiotensinogen (uAGT) in the early diagnosis and mortality prediction of septic AKI. METHODS: The prospective study enrolled 80 sepsis patients in the ICU and 100 healthy individuals and divided patients into an AKI group and a non-AKI group. uNGAL, uKIM-1, uAGT, serum creatinine/procalcitonin/C-reaction protein, and other indicators were determined, and clinical prediction scores were recorded. The sensitivity and specificity of uNGAL, uKIM-1, and uAGT in diagnosis and mortality prediction were analyzed by the receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve and the area under the curve (AUC). RESULTS: uNGAL, uKIM-1, and uAGT levels were higher in sepsis patients than healthy controls, higher in AKI patients than non-AKI patients, and higher in AKI-2 and AKI-3 patients than AKI-1 patients. At 0 h after admission, the combined efficacy of three indicators in septic AKI diagnosis (ROC-AUC: 0.770; sensitivity: 82.5%; specificity: 70.0%) was better than a single indicator. At 24 h, uNGAL, uKIM-1, and uAGT levels were higher in sepsis non-survivals than survivals and higher in septic AKI non-survivals than septic AKI survivals. The combined efficacy of three indicators in the prediction of sepsis/septic AKI mortality (ROC-AUC: 0.828/0.847; sensitivity: 71.4%/100.0%; specificity: 82.7%/66.7%) was better than a single indicator. CONCLUSION: uNGAL, uKIM-1, and uAGT levels were increased in septic AKI, and their combination helped the early diagnosis and mortality prediction.

High-normal serum uric acid predicts macrovascular events in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus without hyperuricemia based on a 10-year cohort.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The upper limits of normal serum uric acid (SUA) or the lower limits of hyperuricemia were frequently set at 420 or 360 µmol/L (7.0 or 6.0 mg/dL). We aimed to explore the association between high-normal SUA (360 ≤ SUA≤420 µmol/L) and incidence of macrovascular and renal events based on a 10-year cohort with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) to explore which cut-off was more appropriate. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 2988 patients with T2DM without hyperuricemia (SUA≤420 µmol/L) were included and followed up. Cox proportional hazards models and restricted cubic spline regression were used to evaluate the relationship between baseline SUA (as continuous and categorical variable) and macrovascular and renal events. Patients were grouped as low-normal (SUA<360 µmol/L) and high-normal groups based on baseline SUA, and the latter group had higher incidence of macrovascular events. Multivariate Cox regression analysis indicated that baseline levels of SUA were significantly associated with cardiovascular (HR = 1.385, 95%CI:1.190-1.613, P < 0.001) and peripheral vascular events (HR = 1.266, 95%CI:1.018-1.574, P = 0.034), and the linear association existed. Moreover, fully adjusted multivariable Cox analyses indicated high-normal SUA increased the risks of cardiovascular (HR = 1.835, 95%CI:1.319-2.554, P < 0.001) and peripheral vascular events (HR = 1.661, 95%CI:1.000-2.760, P = 0.050) compared to low-normal SUA. CONCLUSIONS: Baseline SUA levels were positively associated with cardiovascular and peripheral vascular events, and high-normal SUA increased the risks of these events in patients with T2DM even without hyperuricemia. A threshold value for SUA of 360 µmol/L should be more appropriate in terms of predicting macrovascular events risks compared to the value of 420 µmol/L.