Cell proliferation and migration are the determinants of malignant tumor progression, and a better understanding of related genes will lead to the identification of new targets aimed at preventing the spread of cancer. Some studies have shown that KIAA1199 (CEMIP) is a transmembrane protein expressed in many types of noncancerous cells and cancer cells. However, the potential role of KIAA1199 in the progression of cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) remains unclear.

Soil salinization and the associated land degradation are major and growing ecological problems. Excess salt in soil impedes plant photosynthetic processes and root uptake of water and nutrients such as K+. Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi can mitigate salt stress in host plants. Although, numerous studies demonstrate that photosynthesis and water status are improved by mycorrhizae, the molecular mechanisms involved have received little research attention. In the present study, we analyzed the effects of AM symbiosis and salt stress on photosynthesis, water status, concentrations of Na+ and K+, and the expression of several genes associated with photosynthesis (RppsbA, RppsbD, RprbcL, and RprbcS) and genes coding for aquaporins or membrane transport proteins involved in K+ and/or Na+ uptake, translocation, or compartmentalization homeostasis (RpSOS1, RpHKT1, RpNHX1, and RpSKOR) in black locust. The results showed that salinity reduced the net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, and relative water content in both non-mycorrhizal (NM) and AM plants; the reductions of these three parameters were less in AM plants compared with NM plants. Under saline conditions, AM fungi significantly improved the net photosynthetic rate, quantum efficiency of photosystem II photochemistry, and K+ content in plants, but evidently reduced the Na+ content. AM plants also displayed a significant increase in the relative water content and an evident decrease in the shoot/root ratio of Na+ in the presence of 200 mM NaCl compared with NM plants. Additionally, mycorrhizal colonization upregulated the expression of three chloroplast genes (RppsbA, RppsbD, and RprbcL) in leaves, and three genes (RpSOS1, RpHKT1, and RpSKOR) encoding membrane transport proteins involved in K+/Na+ homeostasis in roots. Expression of several aquaporin genes was regulated by AM symbiosis in both leaves and roots depending on soil salinity. This study suggests that the beneficial effects of AM symbiosis on the photosynthetic capacity, water status, and K+/Na+ homeostasis lead to the improved growth performance and salt tolerance of black locust exposed to salt stress.

Insomnia is a common diseases of the elderly, tuina is a widely used treatment. At present, there is a lack of supportive evidence on efficacy and safety of tuina for senile insomnia. The purpose of this systematic review is to assess the effectiveness and safety of tuina therapy in the treatment of senile insomnia.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has become a global pandemic worldwide. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are a subclass of endogenous, non-protein-coding RNA, which lacks an open reading frame and is more than 200 nucleotides in length. However, the functions for lncRNAs in COVID-19 have not been unravelled. The present study aimed at identifying the related lncRNAs based on RNA sequencing of peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection as well as health individuals. Overall, 17 severe, 12 non-severe patients and 10 healthy controls were enrolled in this study. Firstly, we reported some altered lncRNAs between severe, non-severe COVID-19 patients and healthy controls. Next, we developed a 7-lncRNA panel with a good differential ability between severe and non-severe COVID-19 patients using least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression. Finally, we observed that COVID-19 is a heterogeneous disease among which severe COVID-19 patients have two subtypes with similar risk score and immune score based on lncRNA panel using iCluster algorithm. As the roles of lncRNAs in COVID-19 have not yet been fully identified and understood, our analysis should provide valuable resource and information for the future studies.

To identify why tree growth differs by afforestation type is a matter of prime concern in forestry. A study was conducted to determine why oriental arborvitae (Platycladus orientalis) grows better in the presence of black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) than in monoculture. Different types of stands (i.e., monocultures and mixture of black locust and oriental arborvitae, and native grassland as a control) were selected in the Loess Plateau, China. The height and diameter at breast height of each tree species were measured, and soil, shoot, and root samples were sampled. The arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) attributes, shoot and root nutrient status, height and diameter of black locust were not influenced by the presence of oriental arborvitae. For oriental arborvitae, however, growing in mixture increased height and diameter and reduced shoot Mn, Ca, and Mg contents, AM fungal spore density, and colonization rate. Major changes in soil properties also occurred, primarily in soil water, NO 3-N, and available K levels and in soil enzyme activity. The increase in soil water, N, and K availability in the presence of black locust stimulated oriental arborvitae growth, and black locust in the mixed stand seems to suppress the development of AM symbiosis in oriental arborvitae roots, especially the production of AM fungal spores and vesicles, through improving soil water and N levels, thus freeing up carbon to fuel plant growth. Overall, the presence of black locust favored oriental arborvitae growth directly by improving soil water and fertility and indirectly by repressing AM symbiosis in oriental arborvitae roots.

Arterial remodeling is a major pathological consequence of hypertension, which is recognized as the most common chronic non-communicable disease. However, the detailed mechanism of how arterial remodeling is induced by hypertension has not yet been fully elucidated. Evaluating the transcriptional changes in arterial tissue in response to elevated blood pressure at an early stage may provide new insights and identify novel therapeutic candidates in preventing arterial remodeling. Here, we used the ascending aorta of the transverse aortic constriction (TAC) model to induce arterial remodeling in C57BL/6 male mice. Age-matched mice were subjected to sham surgery as controls. The TAC model was only considered successful if the mice conformed to the criteria (RC/LC blood flow velocity with 5-10-fold change) 1 week after the surgery. Two weeks after surgery, the ascending aorta developed severe remodeling in TAC mice as compared to the sham group. High throughput sequencing was then applied to identify differentially expressed (DE) transcripts. In silicon analysis were then performed to systematically network transcriptional changes. A total of 1,019 mRNAs were significantly changed between TAC and the sham group at the transcriptional level. GO (Gene Ontology) and KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) analysis revealed that stress/stimulus/immune-related biological processes played a crucial role during arterial remodeling. Our data provide a comprehensive understanding of global gene expression changes in the TAC model, which suggests that targeting inflammation and vascular smooth cell transformation are potential therapeutic strategies to interfere with the aortic remodeling at an early stage in the development of hypertension.

Gasdermin D (GSDMD) serves as a vital mediator of inflammasome-driven pyroptosis. In our study, we have identified NU6300 as a specific GSDMD inhibitor that covalently interacts with cysteine-191 of GSDMD, effectively blocking its cleavage while not affecting earlier steps such as ASC oligomerization and caspase-1 processing in AIM2- and NLRC4-mediated inflammation. On the contrary, NU6300 robustly inhibits these earlier steps in NLRP3 inflammasome, confirming a unique feedback inhibition effect in the NLRP3-GSDMD pathway upon GSDMD targeting. Our study reveals a previously undefined mechanism of GSDMD inhibitors: NU6300 impairs the palmitoylation of both full-length and N-terminal GSDMD, impeding the membrane localization and oligomerization of N-terminal GSDMD. In vivo studies further demonstrate the efficacy of NU6300 in ameliorating dextran sodium sulfate-induced colitis and improving survival in lipopolysaccharide-induced sepsis. Overall, these findings highlight the potential of NU6300 as a promising lead compound for the treatment of inflammatory diseases.

Drag-reducing polymers (DRPs), when added in minute concentrations, have been shown to decrease peripheral vascular resistance. In this study, the effect of DRPs on the hypertension-induced left ventricular hypertrophy and aortic remodeling was evaluated in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). Male SHR and age-matched Wistar rats were divided into four groups and received intravenous injection of normal saline (NS) or DRPs. Body weight (BW), heart rate (HR) and systolic blood pressure (SBP) were measured. Echocardiography was used to evaluate the changes in left ventricle (LV) function and global wall motion. The LV and aorta were stained by hematoxylin and eosin. Cell size of cardiomyocytes and aortic medial thickness were evaluated for each section. The expression of endothelin-1 (ET-1) of LV and aorta was examined by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry. There was no significant difference in the increase of SBP among SHR + NS, SHR + 10DRP and SHR + 20DRP groups. SHR + NS group had markedly smaller left ventricular end-systolic diameter and left ventricular end-diastolic diameter but bigger anterior and posterior systolic wall thicknesses, while there was no significant difference in fractional shortening and ejection fraction. The cross-sectional areas (CSAs) of cardiomyocytes and the medial thickness of the aorta in SHR + 10 (ppm) DRP and SHR + 20 (ppm) DRP groups were significantly reduced compared with SHR + NS group. The expression of ET-1 in SHR + 10DRP and SHR + 20DRP groups was significantly attenuated. These results suggest that chronic treatment with DRPs can protect against left ventricular hypertrophy and aortic remodeling. DRPs may offer a new approach to the treatment of left ventricular hypertrophy and aortic remodeling caused by hypertension.

Thrombotic events cannot be completely prevented by antithrombotics, implicating a therapeutic gap due to inflammation, a not yet sufficiently addressed mechanism. Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) are an essential interface between inflammation and thrombosis, but exactly how the NETotic process is initiated and maintained during arterial thrombosis remains incompletely understood.