AIM:To establish and evaluate a colonoids model of intestinal barrier dysfunction with irritable bowel syndrome(IBS).METHODS:The colonic recess of 20～22 g male C57BL/6 mice were isolated and cultured in ma-trix glue to proliferate and differentiate into 3D hollow spheres with colonic epithelioid structure.The following experi-ments were carried out:(1)Colonoids and colonic tissues of mice were detected by immunofluorescence to identify colo-noids.(2)Fluorescein isothiocyanate dextran 4(FD4)evaluated the epithelial barrier function of colonoids.(3)To ex-plore the changes in the epithelial barrier of colonoids induced by interferon-γ(IFN-γ)at different concentrations and time points.FD4 and HE staining were used to evaluate the barrier function.RT-qPCR was used to detect the mRNA expres-sion of occludin and zonula occludens-1(ZO-1)in tight junctions of colonoids.Immunofluorescence was used to detect the distribution and localization of occludin and ZO-1 proteins.RESULTS:(1)The expression of EdU proliferation and in-testinal epithelial cell lineage markers in colonoids was consistent with that in mouse colonic tissues.(2)In the control group,FD4 did not infiltrate the colonoids lumen,but FD4 significantly infiltrated the colonoids lumen induced by ethyl-ene glycol-bis(β-aminoethyl ether)-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid(EGTA).(3)From 18 h,the IFN-γ at 60,100,200 and 240 ng/mL could significantly infiltrate into the cavity of colonoids(0.033,0.032,0.042 and 0.001),and the barri-er injury of colonoids could be seen by HE staining.After 18 h,all concentrations of IFN-γ could significantly decrease the mRNA expression of occludin and ZO-1,and the fluorescence of occludin and ZO-1 decreased significantly(P<0.05).CONCLUSION:(1)The cultured organoids are colonoids with complete epithelial barrier.(2)IFN-γ could in-duce the decrease of the transcriptional levels of occludin and ZO-1 in the tight junction of colonoids,the decrease of the expression of corresponding proteins,and the change of localization and distribution,thus increasing the epithelial perme-ability of colonoids.This model is highly consistent with the pathophysiological state of IBS colonic mucosal barrier dys-function,which provides a new tool and method for studying the direction of colonic mucosal barrier dysfunction in IBS.

Purpose To explore the application and clini-cal significance of molecular detection in cell block specimens of lung adenocarcinoma.Methods A total of 200 cell block spec-imens of lung adenocarcinoma were collected.Among them 49 specimens underwent multi-gene panel detection(including EG-FR,EML4-ALK,ROS1,KRAS,HER2,BRAF,RET,MET,NRAS,and PIK3CA),while 151 specimens underwent EGFR single-gene detection.In addition,97 specimens were tested for EML4-ALK fusion gene alterations using the Ventana method,and the results were compared with that by PCR detection.The mutation characteristics were summarized,and the cytological features of the mutations and fusions were observed.Results The positive rate of driver gene mutations in 49 cases of multi-gene panel detection was 65.31％,which indicated no statisti-cally significant difference from that of 99 lung adenocarcinoma tissue specimens(P＞0.05).The positive rates of ALK,ROS1,and RET fusion mutations were 4.08％,4.08％,and 2.04％,respectively,and the positive rates of EGFR,KRAS,HER2,MET,and BRAF mutations were 38.78％,6.12％,4.08％,4.08％,and 2.04％,respectively.The mutation rate of EGFR in 151 cases of single-gene detection was 54.97％,with a mutation rate of 42.86％in males and 67.57％in fe-males,showing a statistically significant difference between gen-ders(P＜0.05).Exon 19 deletion mutation(19-Del)and exon 21 point mutation(21-L858R)in the EGFR gene took the high-est proportions,accounting for 54.22％and 37.35％,respec-tively,significantly higher than other mutation types(P＜0.001).The positive rate of EML4-ALK fusion gene immuno-histochemistry(IHC)in 97 cytological paraffin-embedded speci-mens was 15.46％,among which 6 cases with weak positivity(+)showed negative results in molecular detection,and 9 ca-ses with diffuse positivity(+++)showed positive results in molec-ular detection.The results of immunohistochemistry were highly consistent with molecular detection in cases with diffuse strong positivity(Kappa=1).It was found from the cytological mor-phology of cases with gene alterations that KARS mutation carri-ers were born with unique characteristics,with tumor cells scat-tered or arranged in small clusters and more cytoplasmic vacu-oles were commonly seen.Conclusion Molecular detection in cytological specimens of lung adenocarcinoma is feasible with higher sensitivity.Multi-gene panel detection is superior to sin-gle-gene detection.Immunohistochemistry can be used for screening EML4-ALK fusion gene,and lung adenocarcinoma with KRAS mutation that exhibits distinct cytological morpholo-gy.

γ-aminobutyric acid can be produced by a one-step enzymatic reaction catalyzed by glutamic acid decarboxylase. The reaction system is simple and environmentally friendly. However, the majority of GAD enzymes catalyze the reaction under acidic pH at a relatively narrow range. Thus, inorganic salts are usually needed to maintain the optimal catalytic environment, which adds additional components to the reaction system. In addition, the pH of solution will gradually rise along with the production of γ-aminobutyric acid, which is not conducive for GAD to function continuously. In this study, we cloned the glutamate decarboxylase LpGAD from a Lactobacillus plantarum capable of efficiently producing γ-aminobutyric acid, and rationally engineered the catalytic pH range of LpGAD based on surface charge. A triple point mutant LpGAD^{S24R/D88R/Y309K} was obtained from different combinations of 9 point mutations. The enzyme activity at pH 6.0 was 1.68 times of that of the wild type, suggesting the catalytic pH range of the mutant was widened, and the possible mechanism underpinning this increase was discussed through kinetic simulation. Furthermore, we overexpressed the Lpgad and Lpgad^{S24R/D88R/Y309K} genes in Corynebacterium glutamicum E01 and optimized the transformation conditions. An optimized whole cell transformation process was conducted under 40 ℃, cell mass (OD₆₀₀) 20, 100 g/L l-glutamic acid substrate and 100 μmol/L pyridoxal 5-phosphate. The γ-aminobutyric acid titer of the recombinant strain reached 402.8 g/L in a fed-batch reaction carried out in a 5 L fermenter without adjusting pH, which was 1.63 times higher than that of the control. This study expanded the catalytic pH range of and increased the enzyme activity of LpGAD. The improved production efficiency of γ-aminobutyric acid may facilitate its large-scale production.
Glutamate Decarboxylase/genetics* ; Lactobacillus plantarum/genetics* ; Catalysis ; gamma-Aminobutyric Acid ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Glutamic Acid

Animals ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Antibodies, Neutralizing ; Macaca mulatta ; COVID-19/prevention & control* ; Antibodies, Viral ; Vaccines

Aim To study the anti-inflammatory activ¬ity of diterpenes from Tripterygium wilfordii on lipopo- lysaccharide ( LPS)-induced macrophage and its mech¬anism. Methods MTT assay was used to detect the cytotoxicity of compounds. The Griess method was used to detect the NO on LPS-induced RAW264. 7 cells. ELISA was applied to determine the contents of inter- leukin 6 (IL-6) , tumor necrosis factor a ( TNF-a ) , interleukin lp (IL-lfj) and interleukin 18 (IL-18) in cell culture supernatant. Western blot was used to de¬tect IkBcx, .INK, ERK, p38, STAT3 and their phos-phorylation in LPS-induced RAW264.7, as well as the effect on COX-2, iNOS, NLRP3, caspase-1 , cleaved- caspase-1. Flow cytometry was employed to detect the effects of compounds on the phagocytosis of RAW 264. 7 cells. Results Hypoglicin II (1) and ent-pimara-8 (14) , 15-diene-19-ol (6) , two diterpenoid compounds from Tripterygium wilfordii could effectively inhibit the expression of inflammatory mediators ( COX-2 and iN- OS) and inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, IL-lp, IL- 18) in LPS-induced RAW264. 7 cells. Further re¬search found that the phosphorylation of IkBcx , JNK, ERK, P38, STAT3 and NLRP3 was all inhibited; however, there was no significant effect on the expres¬sion of IkBcx, JNK, ERK, P38 and STAT3. At the same time, they also inhibited the phagocytosis of mac-rophages. Conclusions The anti-inflammatory mecha¬nism of Tripterygium wilfordii diterpenoids 1 and 6 might be through inhibiting the production of NLRP3 inflammatory bodies, inflammatory mediators (COX-2 and iNOS) and inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, IL-lp and IL-18) , which is closely related to inhibiting the activation of MAPK, NF-kB and STAT3 pathway.

Purpose: Laparoscopic appendicectomy (LA) has several advantages over conventional open appendicectomy (OA). However, about 5% to 10% of LA patients still need to be converted to open surgery. Identifying risk factors that contribute to conversion to OA allows for early identification of patients who may benefit from primary OA. This study aimed to determine the conversion rate of LA to OA and to identify its associated risk factors among patients with acute or perforated appendicitis. Methods: A retrospective review of medical records was performed among patients with acute or perforated appendicitis who underwent LA between December 2015 and January 2017. With the use of multivariable logistic regression analyses, the predictors of conversion from laparoscopic to OA were investigated. Results: Out of 120 patients, 33 cases were converted to OA which gives a conversion rate of 27.5%. Among 33 patients who were converted to OA, 27 patients (81.8%) had perforated appendix, while in the LA group, perforated appendix cases consisted of 34.5% (P<0.001). Histopathology of the appendix was the predictor of conversion from LA to OA (adjusted odds ratio, 8.82; 95% confidence interval, 3.13–24.91; P<0.001). Conclusion The result from our study shows that the overall conversion rate for the study period was high. Patients with perforated appendicitis had a higher risk of conversion to OA. Therefore, preoperative diagnosis of perforated appendicitis may be paramount in predicting conversion to OA.

Three sesquiterpenoids and nine iridoids were isolated from the roots and rhizomes of Valeriana jatamansi by various chromatographic methods. Their structures were identified by physicochemical properties, NMR and MS data. Among them, valeriananoid G (1) was a new patchoulol-type sesquiterpenoid, and compound 3 was isolated from the genus Valeriana for the first time. Compounds 3 and 10 exhibited significant inhibitory effects on nitric oxide production induced by lipopolysaccharide in RAW 264.7 macrophages, with IC₅₀ values of 19.00 and 3.66 μmol·L^-1, respectively. In addition, compounds 4, 6 and 12 showed anti-influenza virus activity with IC₅₀ values of 51.75, 51.40 and 102.08 μmol·L^-1, respectively.

Fourteen new geranyl phenyl ethers (1-14) along with three known compounds (15-17) were isolated from Illicium micranthum, and their structures were elucidated by comprehensive spectroscopic methods. Illimicranins A-H (1-8) were characterized as geranyl vanillin ethers, while 9 and 10 were dimethyl acetal derivatives. Illimicranins I and J (11 and 12) were rare geranyl isoeugenol ethers. Illimicranins K and L (13 and 14) represented the first example of geranyl guaiacylacetone ether and geranyl zingerone ether, respectively. Compounds 1, 2 and 15 exhibited anti-HBV (hepatitis B virus) activity against HBsAg (hepatitis B surface antigen) and HBeAg (hepatitis B e antigen) secretion, and HBV DNA replication.
Antiviral Agents/pharmacology* ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ; Hepatitis B e Antigens ; Illicium/chemistry* ; Phenyl Ethers

Objective:To evaluate the effect of circLPAR3 on the radiosensitivity of esophageal cancer cells and investigate its mechanism.Methods:The cancer tissues and and adjacent tissues of 37 patients with esophageal cancer were collected, and esophageal cancer cell lines Eca-109, EC9706 and KYSE30 and esophageal epithelial cells HET-1A were cultured in vitro. The expression levels of circLPAR3 and miR-1238 in the tissues and cells were measured by RT-qPCR. Eca-109 cells were transfected with circLPAR3 siRNA and miR-1238 mimics or co-transfected with circLPAR3 siRNA and miR-1238 inhibitor. Cell cloning experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of silencing circLPAR3, overexpressing miR-1238, or silencing both circLPAR3 and miR-1238 on the radiosensitivity of Eca-109 cells. After Eca-109 cells that silenced circLPAR3, overexpressed miR-1238 or silenced both circLPAR3 and miR-1238 were exposed to 4 Gy irradiation, CCK-8 assay (A value), flow cytometry and Western blot were employed to assess the effects of silencing circLPAR3, overexpressing miR-1238, or silencing both circLPAR3 and miR-1238 combined with 4 Gy irradiation on the proliferation and apoptosis of Eca-109 cells and the expression levels of CyclinD1, p21, Bcl-2 and Bax proteins. Dual luciferase reporter gene experiment and RNA pull down experiment were performed to verify the regulatory relationship between circLPAR3 and miR-1238. Results:Compared with adjacent tissues, the expression level of circLPAR3 was up-regulated in the esophageal cancer tissues ( P<0.05), while that of miR-1238 was down-regulated ( P<0.05). Compared with HET-1A cells, the expression levels of circLPAR3 were up-regulated in the esophageal cancer cell lines Eca-109, EC9706 and KYSE30(all P<0.05), whereas those of miR-1238 were down-regulated (all P<0.05). Silencing circLPAR3 or overexpressing miR-1238 reduced the survival fraction of Eca-109 cells (all P<0.05), and the sensitization ratio was 1.21 and 1.75, respectively. Silencing circLPAR3 or overexpressing miR-1238 decreased the A value of Eca-109 cells and the expression levels of CyclinD1 and Bcl-2 proteins (all P<0.05), while increased the apoptosis rate of Eca-109 cells and the expression levels of p21 and Bax proteins (all P<0.05). After silencing circLPAR3 or overexpressing miR-1238 combined with 4 Gy irradiation, the A value of Eca-109 cells and the expression levels of CyclinD1 and Bcl-2 proteins were decreased (all P<0.05), while Eca-109 cell apoptosis rate and the expression levels of p21 and Bax proteins were increased (all P<0.05). circLPAR3 targeted and negatively regulated the expression level of miR-1238 in Eca-109 cells. After silencing miR-1238 and circLPAR3 simultaneously, the survival fraction of Eca-109 cells was higher than that when only silencing circLPAR3, and the sensitization ratio was 0.59. Silencing miR-1238 reversed the effects of silencing circLPAR3 combined with 4 Gy irradiation on the proliferation and apoptosis of Eca-109 cells. Conclusion:circLPAR3 is highly expressed in esophageal cancer tissues and cell lines, and silencing the expression of circLPAR3 can inhibit the proliferation of esophageal cancer Eca-109 cells, promote their apoptosis, and enhance cell radiosensitivity by up-regulating miR-1238.

Objective: To investigate the clinicopathological features, immunophenotype, ultrastructure, genetic alterations and prognosis of succinate dehydrogenase-deficient renal cell carcinoma (SDH RCC). Methods: A total of 11 SDH RCCs, diagnosed from 2010 to 2019, were selected from the Department of Pathology of Nanjing Jingling Hospital, Nanjing University School of Medicine for clinicopathologic, immunohistochemical (IHC), ultrastructural investigation and follow-up. The molecular features of seven cases were analyzed by the panel-targeted DNA next generation sequencing (NGS). Results: There were seven males and four females, with ages ranging from 24 to 62 years (mean 41.4 years, median 41 years). Microscopically, SDH RCC was mainly composed of solid and tubular structures with local cystic change. Four cases showed nested or trabecular structure distributed in a loose hypocellular connective tissue or around scar, similar to oncocytoma. The neoplastic cells demonstrated flocculent eosinophilic cytoplasm with typical intracytoplasmic vacuoles. Immunohistochemically, eight cases were negative for SDHB; three cases showed focal and weak expression, whereas normal renal tubular and vascular endothelial cells demonstrated strong cytoplasmic staining. NGS of DNA targeted-panel detected pathogenic mutations of SDHB gene in seven cases (including three cases with equivocal IHC expression of SDHB), without any mutations in other SDH related genes. There were four cases of SDHB missense mutation, one case of frameshift mutation, one case of splicing mutation, and one case of acquired stop codon mutation. Conclusions: SDH RCC is a distinct variant of RCCs with genetic tendency or with hereditary cancer syndrome. NGS is recommended to detect the related gene mutations for a definitive diagnosis. The patients should be closely followed up.
Adult ; Carcinoma, Renal Cell/genetics* ; Endothelial Cells ; Female ; Humans ; Kidney Neoplasms/genetics* ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prognosis ; Succinate Dehydrogenase/genetics* ; Young Adult