Although Cullin 4A (CUL4A) is mutated or amplified in several human cancer types, its role in gastric cancer (GC) and the mechanisms underlying its regulation remain largely uncharacterized. In the present study, we report that the expression of CUL4A significantly correlated with the clinical stage of the tumor and lymph node metastasis, and survival rates were lower in GC patients with higher levels of CUL4A than in patients with lower CUL4A levels. The upregulation of CUL4A promoted GC cell proliferation and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) by downregulating LATS1-Hippo-YAP signaling. Knocking down CUL4A had the opposite effect in vitro and in vivo. Interestingly, CUL4A expression was inhibited by the microRNAs (miRNAs), miR-9 and miR-137, which directly targeted the 3'-UTR of CUL4A. Overexpression of miR-9 and miR-137 downregulated the CUL4A-LATS1-Hippo signaling pathway and suppressed GC cell proliferation and invasion in vitro. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that perturbations to miR-9/137-CUL4A-Hippo signaling contribute to gastric tumorigenesis, and suggest potential therapeutic targets for the future treatment of GC.

C/EBP homologous protein (Chop) has been shown to have altered expression in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), but its exact role in IPF pathoaetiology has not been fully addressed. Studies conducted in patients with IPF and Chop(-/-) mice have dissected the role of Chop and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in pulmonary fibrosis pathogenesis. The effect of Chop deficiency on macrophage polarization and related signalling pathways were investigated to identify the underlying mechanisms. Patients with IPF and mice with bleomycin (BLM)-induced pulmonary fibrosis were affected by the altered Chop expression and ER stress. In particular, Chop deficiency protected mice against BLM-induced lung injury and fibrosis. Loss of Chop significantly attenuated transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) production and reduced M2 macrophage infiltration in the lung following BLM induction. Mechanistic studies showed that Chop deficiency repressed the M2 program in macrophages, which then attenuated TGF-β secretion. Specifically, loss of Chop promoted the expression of suppressors of cytokine signaling 1 and suppressors of cytokine signaling 3, and through which Chop deficiency repressed signal transducer and activator of transcription 6/peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma signaling, the essential pathway for the M2 program in macrophages. Together, our data support the idea that Chop and ER stress are implicated in IPF pathoaetiology, involving at least the induction and differentiation of M2 macrophages.

Most of the intracellular pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) reside in either the endolysosome or the cytoplasm to sense pathogen-derived RNAs, DNAs, or synthetic analogs of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA), such as poly(I:C). However, it remains elusive whether or not a pathogen-derived protein can function as a cytosolic pathogen-associated molecular pattern (PAMP). In this study, we demonstrate that delivering the membrane gene of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) into HEK293T, HEK293ET, and immobilized murine bone marrow-derived macrophage (J2-Mφ) cells significantly upregulates beta interferon (IFN-β) production. Both NF-κB and TBK1-IRF3 signaling cascades are activated by M gene products. M protein rather than M mRNA is responsible for M-mediated IFN-β induction that is preferentially associated with the activation of the Toll-like receptor (TLR) adaptor proteins MyD88, TIRAP, and TICAM2 but not the RIG-I signaling cascade. Blocking the secretion of M protein by brefeldin A (BFA) failed to reverse the M-mediated IFN-β induction. The antagonist of both TLR2 and TLR4 did not impede M-mediated IFN-β induction, indicating that the driving force for the activation of IFN-β production was generated from inside the cells. Inhibition of TRAF3 expression by specific small interfering RNA (siRNA) did not prevent M-mediated IFN-β induction. SARS-CoV pseudovirus could induce IFN-β production in an M rather than M(V68A) dependent manner, since the valine-to-alanine alteration at residue 68 in M protein markedly inhibited IFN-β production. Overall, our study indicates for the first time that a pathogen-derived protein is able to function as a cytosolic PAMP to stimulate type I interferon production by activating a noncanonical TLR signaling cascade in a TRAF3-independent manner.

Chronic stress induces altered energy metabolism and plays important roles in the etiology of depression, in which the glucocorticoid negative feedback is disrupted due to imbalanced glucocorticoid receptor (GR) functions. The mechanism underlying the dysregulation of GR by chronic stress remains elusive. In this study, we investigated the role of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), the key enzyme regulating cellular energy metabolism, and related signaling pathways in chronic stress-induced GR dysregulation. In cultured rat cortical astrocytes, glucocorticoid treatment decreased the level, which was accompanied by the decreased expression of liver kinase B1 (LKB1) and reduced phosphorylation of AMPK. Glucocorticoid-induced effects were attenuated by glucocorticoid-inducible kinase 1 (SGK1) inhibitor GSK650394, which also inhibited glucocorticoid induced phosphorylation of Forkhead box O3a (FOXO3a). Furthermore, glucocorticoid-induced down-regulation of GR was mimicked by the inhibition of AMPK and abolished by the AMPK activators or the histone deacetylase 5 (HDAC5) inhibitors. In line with the role of AMPK in GR expression, AMPK activator metformin reversed glucocorticoid-induced reduction of AMPK phosphorylation and GR expression as well as behavioral alteration of rats. Taken together, these results suggest that chronic stress activates SGK1 and suppresses the expression of LKB1 via inhibitory phosphorylation of FOXO3a. Downregulated LKB1 contributes to reduced activation of AMPK, leading to the dephosphorylation of HDAC5 and the suppression of transcription of GR.

Hirschsprung's disease (HSCR), the most common congenital malformation of the gut, is regulated by multiple signal transduction pathways. Several components of these pathways are important targets for microRNAs (miRNAs). Multiple miRNAs have been associated with the pathophysiology of HSCR, and serum miRNAs profiles of HSCR patients have been reported, but miRNA expression in HSCR colon tissue is almost completely unexplored. Using microarray technology, we screened colon tissue to detect miRNAs whose expression profiles were altered in HSCR and identify targets of differentially expressed miRNAs. Following filtering of low-intensity signals, data normalization, and volcano plot filtering, we identified 168 differentially expressed miRNAs (104 up-regulated and 64 down-regulated). Fifty of these mRNAs represent major targets of dysegulated miRNAs and may thus important roles in the pathophysiology of HSCR. Pathway analysis revealed that 7 of the miRNA targets encode proteins involved in regulation of cell proliferation and migration via RET and related signaling pathways (MAPK and PI3K/AKT). Our results identify miRNAs that play key roles in the pathophysiology of the complex multi-factorial disease HSCR.

Mangiferin, which is a C‑glucosylxanthone (1,3,6,7-tetrahydroxyxanthone-C2-β-D-glucoside) purified from plant sources, has recently gained attention due to its various biological activities. The present study aimed to determine the apoptotic effects of mangiferin on A549 human lung adenocarcinoma cells. In vitro studies demonstrated that mangiferin exerted growth‑inhibitory and apoptosis-inducing effects against A549 cells. In addition, mangiferin exhibited anti-tumor properties in A549 xenograft mice in vivo. Mangiferin triggered G2/M phase cell cycle arrest via downregulating the cyclin-dependent kinase 1-cyclin B1 signaling pathway, and induced apoptotic cell death by inhibiting the protein kinase C-nuclear factor-κB pathway. In addition, mangiferin was able to enhance the antiproliferative effects of cisplatin on A549 cells, thus indicating the potential for a combined therapy. Notably, mangiferin exerted anticancer effects in vivo, where it was able to markedly decrease the volume and weight of subcutaneous tumor mass, and expand the lifespan of xenograft mice. The present study clarified the molecular mechanisms underlying mangiferin-induced antitumor activities, and suggested that mangiferin may be considered a potential antineoplastic drug for the future treatment of cancer.

In this work, we present a simple and rapid method to synthesize red luminescent gold nanoclusters (AuNCs) with high quantum yield (QY, ~16%), excellent photostability and biocompatibility. Next, we fabricated a solid membrane by loading the as-prepared AuNCs in an agar matrix. Different from nanomaterials dispersed in solution, the AuNCs-based solid membrane has distinct advantages including convenience of transportation, while still maintaining strong red luminescence, and relatively long duration storage without aggregation. Taking hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) as a typical example, we then employed the AuNCs as a luminescent probe and investigated their sensing performance, either in solution phase or on a solid substrate. The detection of H₂O₂ could be achieved in wide concentration ranges over 805 nM-1.61 mM and 161 μM-19.32 mM in solution and on a solid membrane, respectively, with limits of detection (LOD) of 80 nM and 20 μM. Moreover, the AuNCs-based membrane could also be used for visual detection of H₂O₂ in the range of 0-3.22 mM. In view of the convenient synthesis route and attractive luminescent properties, the AuNCs-based membrane presented in this work is quite promising for applications such as optical sensing, fluorescent imaging, and photovoltaics.

Combined immunodeficiency (CID) refers to inborn errors of human T cells that also affect B cells because of the T cell deficit or an additional B cell-intrinsic deficit. In this study, we report six patients from three unrelated families with biallelic loss-of-function mutations in RLTPR, the mouse orthologue of which is essential for CD28 signaling. The patients have cutaneous and pulmonary allergy, as well as a variety of bacterial and fungal infectious diseases, including invasive tuberculosis and mucocutaneous candidiasis. Proportions of circulating regulatory T cells and memory CD4+ T cells are reduced. Their CD4+ T cells do not respond to CD28 stimulation. Their CD4+ T cells exhibit a "Th2" cell bias ex vivo and when cultured in vitro, contrasting with the paucity of "Th1," "Th17," and T follicular helper cells. The patients also display few memory B cells and poor antibody responses. This B cell phenotype does not result solely from the T cell deficiency, as the patients' B cells fail to activate NF-κB upon B cell receptor (BCR) stimulation. Human RLTPR deficiency is a CID affecting at least the CD28-responsive pathway in T cells and the BCR-responsive pathway in B cells.

Background. Pretibial myxedema (PTM) is a rare dermopathy. The morphologic features and mechanism of its evolving process are not reported in large case series. Methods. 216 cases with PTM were retrospectively reviewed to analyze demographics, history, lesional morphology and its evolving process, histopathology and immunohistochemistry, serum TRAb levels, treatment, and outcome. Results. First appearing lesions evolved into 6 variants that were correlated with serum TRAb levels. Subvariants were caused by different kinds and frequencies of local trauma. The evolving process could be classified into 4 stages that were correlated with serum TRAb levels and perivascular infiltration of CD8+ and CD4+ lymphocytes. Serum TRAb levels at remission and in nonrecurred cases became lower than those before therapy and in recurred cases, respectively, but increased when PTM relapsed. TRAb level in nodule variant went down invariably with the extension of course and its autoimmune activity had a trend to stop but in other 5 variants TRAb levels fluctuated. Their autoimmune activities had no trends to stop and clinically worsen through intermittent repeats of active and stable stages. Conclusions. In the chronic course of PTM, nodule variant is self-limited and other 5 variants are not self-limited. PTM needed early treatment to avoid severe variants.

Vascular endothelial apoptosis is significantly associated with atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases, for which oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) is a major risk factor. Allicin, the primary active ingredient of garlic, has been found to have cardiovascular protective effect by changing the fatty-acid composition, but its effect on ox-LDL-induced vascular endothelial injury remains unclear. We investigated the protective effect of allicin on cell viability, LDH release, apoptosis and apoptotic signaling in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs).

Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) is one of the most common methods for gene expression studies. Data normalization based on reference genes is essential for obtaining reliable results for qRT-PCR assays. This study evaluated potential reference genes of Chinese yam (Dioscorea opposita Thunb.), which is an important tuber crop and medicinal plant in East Asia. The expression of ten candidate reference genes across 20 samples from different organs and development stages was assessed. We identified the most stable genes for qRT-PCR studies using combined samples from different organs. Our results also suggest that different suitable reference genes or combinations of reference genes for normalization should be applied according to different organs and developmental stages. To validate the suitability of the reference genes, we evaluated the relative expression of PE2.1 and PE53, which are two genes that may be associated with microtuber formation. Our results provide the foundation for reference gene(s) selection in D. opposita and will contribute toward more accurate gene analysis studies of the genus Dioscorea.

Macrophages play a crucial role in host innate anti-mycobacterial defense, which is tightly regulated by multiple factors, including microRNAs. Our previous study showed that a panel of microRNAs was markedly up-regulated in macrophages upon mycobacterial infection. Here, we investigated the biological function of miR-146a during mycobacterial infection. miR-146a expression was induced both in vitro and in vivo after Mycobacterium bovis BCG infection. The inducible miR-146a could suppress the inducible nitric oxide (NO) synthase (iNOS) expression and NO generation, thus promoting mycobacterial survival in macrophages. Inhibition of endogenous miR-146a increased NO production and mycobacterial clearance. Moreover, miR-146a attenuated the activation of nuclear factor κB and mitogen-activated protein kinases signaling pathways during BCG infection, which in turn repressed iNOS expression. Mechanistically, miR-146a directly targeted tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor-associated factor 6 (TRAF6) at post-transcriptional level. Silencing TRAF6 decreased iNOS expression and NO production in BCG-infected macrophages, while overexpression of TRAF6 reversed miR-146a-mediated inhibition of NO production and clearance of mycobacteria. Therefore, we demonstrated a novel role of miR-146a in the modulation of host defense against mycobacterial infection by repressing NO production via targeting TRAF6, which may provide a promising therapeutic target for tuberculosis.

Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) can migrate to the tumor tissue and enhance the angiogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); thus, they are associated with a poor prognosis. However, the specific molecular mechanism underlying the homing of EPCs to the HCC neovasculature remains unrevealed.

Previous studies have implicated inflammation, oxidative stress, and fibrosis as key factors in the development of obesity-induced kidney diseases. Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) plays an important role in cancer development. Recently, the EGFR pathway has been increasingly implicated in chronic cardiovascular diseases via regulating inflammation and oxidative stress. However, it is unclear if EGFR is involved in obesity-related kidney injury. Using ApoE-/- and C57BL/6 mice models and two specific EGFR inhibitors, we investigated the potential effects of EGFR inhibition in the treatment of obesity-related nephropathy and found that EGFR inhibition alleviates renal inflammation, oxidative stress and fibrosis. In NRK-52E cells, we also elucidated the mechanism behind hyperlipidemia-induced EGFR activation. We observed that c-Src and EGFR forms a complex, and following PA stimulation, it is the successive phosphorylation, not formation, of the c-Src/EGFR complex that results in the subsequent cascade activation. Second, we found that TLR4 regulates the activation EGFR pathway mainly through the phosphorylation of the c-Src/EGFR complex. These results demonstrate the detrimental role of EGFR in the pathogenesis of obesity-related nephropathy, provide a new understanding of the mechanism behind hyperlipidemia/FFA-induced EGFR activation, and support the use of EGFR inhibitors in the treatment of obesity-induced kidney diseases.

microRNAs (miRNAs) play a critical role in tumorigenesis, either as a tumor suppressor or as an oncogenic miRNA, depending on different tumor types. To date, scientists have obtained a substantial amount of knowledge with regard to miRNAs in pancreatic cancer. However, the expression and function of miR-371-5p in pancreatic cancer has not been clearly elucidated. The aim of this study was to investigate the roles of miR-371-5p in pancreatic cancer and its association with the survival of patients with pancreatic cancer.

Simultaneous multi-slice (SMS) or multiband (MB) imaging has recently been attempted for arterial spin labeled (ASL) perfusion MRI in conjunction with echo-planar imaging (EPI) readout. It was found that SMS-EPI can reduce the T1 relaxation effect of the label and improve image coverage and resolution with little penalty in signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). However, EPI still suffers from geometric distortion and signal dropout from field inhomogeneity effects especially at high and ultrahigh magnetic fields. Here we present a novel scheme for achieving high fidelity distortion-free quantitative perfusion imaging by combining pseudo-continuous ASL (pCASL) with SMS Turbo-FLASH (TFL) readout at both 3 and 7 T. Bloch equation simulation was performed to characterize and optimize the TFL-based pCASL perfusion signal. Two MB factors (3 and 5) were implemented in SMS-TFL pCASL and compared with standard 2D TFL and EPI pCASL sequences. The temporal SNR of SMS-TFL pCASL relative to that of standard TFL pCASL was 0.76 ± 0.10 and 0.74 ± 0.11 at 7 T and 0.70 ± 0.05 and 0.65 ± 0.05 at 3T for MB factor of 3 and 5, respectively. By implementing background suppression in conjunction with SMS-TFL at 3T, the relative temporal SNR improved to 0.84 ± 0.09 and 0.79 ± 0.10 for MB factor of 3 and 5, respectively. Compared to EPI pCASL, significantly increased temporal SNR (p<0.001) and improved visualization of orbitofrontal cortex were achieved using SMS-TFL pCASL. By combining SMS acceleration with TFL pCASL, we demonstrated the feasibility for whole brain distortion-free quantitative mapping of cerebral blood flow at high and ultrahigh magnetic fields.

To investigate the structurally novel and bioactive natural compounds from marine-derived microorganisms under high salinity, the fungus Aspergillus terreus PT06-2 was isolated from the sediment of the Putian Sea Saltern, Fujian, China. Three new compounds, terremides A (1) and B (2) and terrelactone A (3), along with twelve known compounds (4-15) were isolated and identified from the fermentation broth of A. terreus PT06-2 at 10% salinity. Among these metabolites, compounds 4 and 15 only produced in the 10% salinity culture, were identified as methyl 3,4,5-trimethoxy-2-(2-(nicotinamido) benzamido) benzoate, and (+)-terrein, respectively. The new compounds 1 and 2 exhibited antibacterial activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterobacter aerogenes with MIC values of 63.9 and 33.5 μM, respectively. Compounds 5 showed moderate anti-H1N1 activity and lower cytotoxicity with IC₅₀ and CC₅₀ values of and 143.1 and 976.4 μM, respectively.

Inflammation is a hallmark of many diseases. Although steroids and cyclooxygenase inhibitors are main anti-inflammatory therapeutical agents, they may cause serious side effects. Therefore, developing non-steroid anti-inflammatory agents is urgently needed. A novel hydrosoluble compound, C12 (2,6-bis(4-(3-(dimethylamino)-propoxy)benzylidene)cyclohexanone), has been designed and synthesized as an anti-inflammatory agent in our previous study. In the present study, we investigated whether C12 can affect inflammatory processes in vitro and in vivo. In mouse primary peritoneal macrophages, C12 potently inhibited the production of the proinflammatory gene expression including TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, iNOS, COX-2 and PGE synthase. The activity of C12 was partly dependent on inhibition of ERK/JNK (but p38) phosphorylation and NF-κB activation. In vivo, C12 suppressed proinflammatory cytokine production in plasma and liver, attenuated lung histopathology, and significantly reduced mortality in endotoxemic mice. In addition, the pre-treatment with C12 reduced the inflammatory pain in the acetic acid and formalin models and reduced the carrageenan-induced paw oedema and acetic acid-increased vascular permeability. Taken together, C12 has multiple anti-inflammatory effects. These findings, coupled with the low toxicity and hydrosolubility of C12, suggests that this agent may be useful in the treatment of inflammatory diseases.

Deficits of the default mode network (DMN) have been demonstrated in subjects with amnestic type mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) who have a high risk of developing Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, no longitudinal study of this network has been reported in aMCI. Identifying links between development of DMN and aMCI progression would be of considerable value in understanding brain changes underpinning aMCI and determining risk of conversion to AD.

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have recently identified KIF1B as susceptibility locus for hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). To further identify novel susceptibility loci associated with HBV-related HCC and replicate the previously reported association, we performed a large three-stage GWAS in the Han Chinese population. 523,663 autosomal SNPs in 1,538 HBV-positive HCC patients and 1,465 chronic HBV carriers were genotyped for the discovery stage. Top candidate SNPs were genotyped in the initial validation samples of 2,112 HBV-positive HCC cases and 2,208 HBV carriers and then in the second validation samples of 1,021 cases and 1,491 HBV carriers. We discovered two novel associations at rs9272105 (HLA-DQA1/DRB1) on 6p21.32 (OR = 1.30, P = 1.13×10⁻¹⁹) and rs455804 (GRIK1) on 21q21.3 (OR = 0.84, P = 1.86×10⁻⁸), which were further replicated in the fourth independent sample of 1,298 cases and 1,026 controls (rs9272105: OR = 1.25, P = 1.71×10⁻⁴; rs455804: OR = 0.84, P = 6.92×10⁻³). We also revealed the associations of HLA-DRB1*0405 and 0901*0602, which could partially account for the association at rs9272105. The association at rs455804 implicates GRIK1 as a novel susceptibility gene for HBV-related HCC, suggesting the involvement of glutamate signaling in the development of HBV-related HCC.