Exosome-mediated transfer of circRNA563 promoting hepatocellular carcinoma by targeting the microRNA148a-3p/metal-regulatory transcription factor-1 pathway.

BACKGROUND: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) exert anti-oncogenic effects via exosomes containing non-coding RNA (ncRNA), which play important roles in tumor biology. Our preliminary study identified the interaction of the ncRNA hsa_circ_0000563 (circ563) and the circ563-associated miR-148a-3p in exosomes, as miR-148a-3p and its target metal-regulatory transcription factor-1 (MTF-1) are implicated in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) progression. AIM: To identify the clinical significance, functional implications, and mechanisms of circ563 in HCC. METHODS: The expression levels of miR-148a-3p and MTF-1 in exosomes derived from MSC and HCC cells were compared, and their effects on HCC cells were assessed. Using a dual-luciferase reporter assay, miR-148a-3p was identified as an associated microRNA of circ563, whose role in HCC regulation was assessed in vitro and in vivo. RESULTS: The silencing of circ563 blocked the HCC cell proliferation and invasion and induced apoptosis. Co-culturing of HCC cells with MSC-derived exosomes following circ563 overexpression promoted cell proliferation and metastasis and elicited changes in miR-148a-3p and MTF-1 expression. The tumor-promoting effects of circ563 were partially suppressed by miR-148a-3p overexpression or MTF-1 depletion. Xenograft experiments performed in nude mice confirmed that circ563-enriched exosomes facilitated tumor growth by upregulating the expression of MTF-1. In HCC tissues, circ563 expression was negatively correlated with miR-148a-3p expression but positively correlated with MTF-1 levels. CONCLUSION: MSCs may exhibit anti-HCC activity through the exosomal circ563/miR-148a-3p/MTF-1 pathway, while exosomes can transmit circ563 to promote oncogenic behavior by competitively binding to miR-148a-3p to activate MTF-1.

Impact of Future Work Self on Employee Workplace Wellbeing: A Self-Determination Perspective.

This study examines the association between future work self and employee workplace wellbeing by proposing a moderated mediation model. On the basis of the self-determination theory, self-management is identified as the mediator, and person-organization fit is recognized as the moderator in this study. We collected two waves of data from 239 Chinese employees. The results of the analysis revealed that the future work self is related to greater employee workplace wellbeing, and self-management mediates the links between them. We also found that the person-organization fit strengthens the positive relationship between future work self and self-management, and the indirect effect of future work self on employee workplace wellbeing through self-management. The results of this study extend the antecedents of employee workplace wellbeing and highlight the importance of future work self in current work-related output.

[Treatment of 568 patients with frostbite in northeastern China with an analysis of rate of amputation].

OBJECTIVE: To study the key points of treatment and amputation in patients with frostbite, so as to increase the successful rate of the treatment. METHODS: Five hundred and sixty-eight patients with frostbite admitted to our department from January 2005 to December 2014. (1) For the patients admitted to our department within one week after injury, the frostbite wounds were soaked in 42 °C herbal fluid (twice per day, 30 min for each time) and irradiated with infrared or red light (three times per day, 40 min for each time) from the day of admission to the 7th day after injury. Meanwhile, treatment for improvement of microcirculation, vasodilation, and anti-infection were also given. Then they received infrared or red light irradiation to the wound sites. For the patients admitted to our department longer than one week after frostbite, the frostbite wounds were irradiated with infrared or red light, and treated with antibiotics if inflammation was found around the wound. Among all the patients, 5 cases suffered from frozen stiff, and they were given fluid resuscitation as well as above-mentioned treatments after admission. (2) All patients were given wound treatment immediately after admission. The superficial partial-thickness wounds and deep partial-thickness wounds of 264 patients were given routine dressing change. The full-thickness wounds in 79 patients were treated with exposure therapy after routine dressing change first, and then granulation tissue of these wounds were grafted with autologous thigh split-thickness skin grafts. After debridement and exposure therapy, amputation was done in 225 patients 3 to 4 weeks after injury when the underlying bone was exposed. In 4 patients with exposure of calcaneus, the wounds were covered with reverse sural nerve nutrient vessels island flap. Mean healing time of superficial partial-thickness wound and deep partial-thickness wound, survival rate of skin graft in full-thickness wound, and survival rate of flap covering wound deep to bone at the heel were all recorded. The amputation rate of patients injured in December, January, February, and other months, that of patients admitted shorter than 1 day after frostbite, 1 to 3 days after frostbite, longer than 3 days and shorter than or equal to 5 days after frostbite, and longer than 5 days after frostbite, that of patients caused by drunkenness, mental disorders, improper protection, going astray, and trauma including traffic accident etc., and that of patients treated with rewarming under room temperature, rubbing with snow, wrapping with quilt, and soaking in warm water before admission were all recorded and analyzed. Parts of the data were processed with χ(2) test. RESULTS: All patients were survived after treatment. Average wound healing time of superficial partial -thickness wound and deep partial-thickness wound was respectively 10 and 23 days. The survival rate of skin graft on full-thickness wound was about 95%. Survival rate of flap on wound deep to bone at the heel was 100%. Amputation rates of patients injured in December and January were respectively 47.46% (84/177), 42.56% (103/242), and both were significantly higher than those of patients injured in February and the other months [respectively 29.55% (26/88), 13.11% (8/61), with χ(2) values from 42.595 to 220.900, P values below 0.01]. Amputation rate of patients with admission time shorter than 1 day after frostbite was 32.06% (84/262), which was obviously lower than that of patients with admission time from 1 to 3 days after frostbite, longer than 3 days and less than or equal to 5 days after frostbite, or longer than 5 days after frostbite [respectively 40.48% (68/168), 49.02% (50/102), 52.78% (19/36), with χ(2) values from 107.284 to 165.350, P values below 0.01]. Amputation rates of patients with frostbite occurring after getting drunkenness, mental disorders, and trauma including traffic accident etc. were respectively 42.06% (106/252), 43.48% (60/138), and 53.12% (17/32), and they were all significantly higher than those of patients with frostbite caused by improper protection and going astray [respectively 27.45% (28/102), 22.73% (10/44), with χ(2) values from 187.260 to 209.738, P values below 0.01]. Amputation rates of patients undergoing treatment of rewarming under room temperature, rubbing with snow, wrapping with quilt before admission were respectively 44.29% (62/140), 48.28% (84/174), and 35.38% (46/130), and they were significantly higher than the amputation rate of patients who received the treatment of soaking in warm water [23.39% (29/124), with χ(2) values from 97.364 to 136.189, P values below 0.01]. CONCLUSIONS: Early diagnosis and treatment, properly rewarming at early stage, and correct wound treatment are the key points for reducing amputation rate of patients after frostbite. Attention should be paid to the occurrence of frostbite in December and January, and also to protection of high-risk groups (patients with mental disorders and drunker).

Genetic variations in the HIF1A gene modulate response to adjuvant chemotherapy after surgery in patients with colorectal cancer.

BACKGROUND: Hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) plays an important role in regulating cell survival and angiogenesis, which are critical for tumor growth and metastasis. Genetic variations of HIF1A have been shown to influence the susceptibility to many kinds of human tumors. Increased expression of HIF-1α has also been demonstrated to be involved in tumor progression. However, the prognostic value of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the HIF1A gene remains to be determined in most cancer types, including colorectal cancer (CRC). In this study, we sought to investigate the predictive role of HIF1A SNPs in prognosis of CRC patients and efficacy of chemotherapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We genotyped two functional SNPs in HIF1A gene using the Sequenom iPLEX genotyping system and then assessed their associations with clinicopathological parameters and clinical outcomes of 697 CRC patients receiving radical surgery using Cox logistic regression model and Kaplan Meier curves. RESULTS: Generally, no significant association was found between these 2 SNPs and clinical outcomes of CRC. In stratified analysis of subgroup without adjuvant chemotherapy, patients carrying CT/TT genotypes of rs2057482 exhibited a borderline significant association with better overall survival when compared with those carrying CC genotype [Hazard ratio (HR), 0.47; 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 0.29-0.76; P < 0.01]. Moreover, significant protective effects on CRC outcomes conferred by adjuvant chemotherapy were exclusively observed in patients carrying CC genotype of rs2057482 and in those carrying AC/CC genotype of rs2301113. CONCLUSIONS: Genetic variations in HIF1A gene may modulate the efficacy of adjuvant chemotherapy after surgery in CRC patients.