Objective To investigate the effects of ischemia time and storage periods on RNA quality in fresh-frozen breast cancer(BC)and esophageal cancer(EC)tissue samples in order to establish evidence-based protocols for biobank sample management.Methods The tumor(T)and paired normal(N)tissue samples from 6 cases of BC and 6 cases of EC were collected and cryopreserved in Biobank,Shantou Central Hospital.Mirror paraffin-embedded tissues were simultaneously prepared into sections for morphological analysis.The samples were divided into two groups of<15 min and 15-30 min according to ischemia time,and RNA quality was analyzed at 4 storage periods of 8-10 months(T1),14-16 months(T2),26-28 months(T3)and 38-40 months(T4).Results In 96 analyzed samples,93.8%(90/96)exhibited high quality(RIN≥6),with 89.6%(43/48)in BC and 97.9%(47/48)in EC.Significant differences in RIN were observed between BC group and EC group(8.050 vs.8.600,P=0.009).In EC group,RIN value was significantly negatively correlated with RNA yield(P<0.001).Moreover,RIN values of tumor-normal pairs exhibited markedly significant differences(7.550 vs.9.000,P<0.001).In contrast,no significant difference was detected in BC group(8.200 vs.7.700,P=0.348).Statistical analysis showed that RIN value was positively correlated with 28S/18S(P<0.001),but had no correlation with tumor content(P=0.676)and necrotic content(P=0.055).Neither ischemia time(<15 min vs.15-30 min:8.200 vs.8.300,P=0.932)nor storage periods(T1-T4:8.400,7.700,8.450,8.600,P=0.163)compromised RNA quality.Conclusion Organ origin and tissue type could influence RNA quality of fresh-frozen tissue samples.However,limited ischemia time(≤30 min)and long-term storage period(38-40 months)do not adversely affect RNA quality in fresh-frozen breast cancer and esophageal cancer tissue samples.

OBJECTIVES: To identify potential plasma lipidomic biomarkers that distinguish non-metastatic medulloblastoma (nmMB) from metastatic medulloblastoma (mMB) in children. METHODS: In this prospective study, 17 children with mMB and 20 matched children with nmMB were enrolled. Plasma samples were analyzed using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Lipid metabolites were evaluated for their associations and diagnostic performance. RESULTS: Orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis based on lipid profiles clearly separated nmMB from mMB, and 14 differential lipids were identified, including DG(18:2/20:4/0:0) and SM(d18:1/20:0). Receiver operating characteristic analysis showed nine metabolites with area under the curve greater than 0.7. Differential lipids were enriched in sphingolipid, glycerophospholipid, and arachidonic acid metabolism, suggesting an association with the metastatic phenotype. CONCLUSIONS Plasma lipidomics provides a new approach to identify mMB, and the identified lipid metabolites may support early diagnosis and treatment, prognostic assessment, and selection of therapeutic targets for metastatic medulloblastoma.
Humans ; Medulloblastoma/diagnosis* ; Lipidomics ; Child ; Male ; Female ; Child, Preschool ; Cerebellar Neoplasms/blood* ; Biomarkers, Tumor/blood* ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Prospective Studies ; Adolescent ; Lipids/blood*

OBJECTIVE: The relationship between fish consumption and stroke is inconsistent, and it is uncertain whether this association varies across predicted stroke risks. METHODS: A cohort study comprising 95,800 participants from the Prediction for Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease Risk in China project was conducted. A standardized questionnaire was used to collect data on fish consumption. Participants were stratified into low- and moderate-to-high-risk categories based on their 10-year stroke risk prediction scores. Hazard ratios ( HRs) and 95% confidence intervals ( CIs) were estimated using Cox proportional hazard models and additive interaction by relative excess risk due to interaction (RERI), attributable proportion (AP), and synergy index (SI). RESULTS: During 703,869 person-years of follow-up, 2,773 incident stroke events were identified. Higher fish consumption was associated with a lower risk of stroke, particularly among moderate-to-high-risk individuals ( HR = 0.53, 95% CI: 0.47-0.60) than among low-risk individuals ( HR = 0.64, 95% CI: 0.49-0.85). A significant additive interaction between fish consumption and predicted stroke risk was observed (RERI = 4.08, 95% CI: 2.80-5.36; SI = 1.64, 95% CI: 1.42-1.89; AP = 0.36, 95% CI: 0.28-0.43). CONCLUSION Higher fish consumption was associated with a lower risk of stroke, and this beneficial association was more pronounced in individuals with moderate-to-high stroke risk.
Humans ; China/epidemiology* ; Male ; Female ; Stroke/etiology* ; Middle Aged ; Prospective Studies ; Incidence ; Aged ; Animals ; Fishes ; Risk Factors ; Diet ; Seafood ; Adult ; Cohort Studies

Patients suffering from nerve injury often experience exacerbated pain responses and complain of memory deficits. The dorsal hippocampus (dHPC), a well-defined region responsible for learning and memory, displays maladaptive plasticity upon injury, which is assumed to underlie pain hypersensitivity and cognitive deficits. However, much attention has thus far been paid to intracellular mechanisms of plasticity rather than extracellular alterations that might trigger and facilitate intracellular changes. Emerging evidence has shown that nerve injury alters the microarchitecture of the extracellular matrix (ECM) and decreases ECM rigidity in the dHPC. Despite this, it remains elusive which element of the ECM in the dHPC is affected and how it contributes to neuropathic pain and comorbid cognitive deficits. Laminin, a key element of the ECM, consists of α-, β-, and γ-chains and has been implicated in several pathophysiological processes. Here, we showed that peripheral nerve injury downregulates laminin β1 (LAMB1) in the dHPC. Silencing of hippocampal LAMB1 exacerbates pain sensitivity and induces cognitive dysfunction. Further mechanistic analysis revealed that loss of hippocampal LAMB1 causes dysregulated Src/NR2A signaling cascades via interaction with integrin β1, leading to decreased Ca²⁺ levels in pyramidal neurons, which in turn orchestrates structural and functional plasticity and eventually results in exaggerated pain responses and cognitive deficits. In this study, we shed new light on the functional capability of hippocampal ECM LAMB1 in the modulation of neuropathic pain and comorbid cognitive deficits, and reveal a mechanism that conveys extracellular alterations to intracellular plasticity. Moreover, we identified hippocampal LAMB1/integrin β1 signaling as a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of neuropathic pain and related memory loss.
Animals ; Laminin/genetics* ; Hippocampus/metabolism* ; Neuralgia/metabolism* ; Cognitive Dysfunction/etiology* ; Male ; Peripheral Nerve Injuries/metabolism* ; Extracellular Matrix/metabolism* ; Integrin beta1/metabolism* ; Pyramidal Cells/metabolism* ; Signal Transduction

AIM:To investigate the effects of early high-fat diet(HFD)on cognitive function and hippocam-pal lipidomic profile in transgenic mice bearing five familial Alzheimer disease mutant genes(5×FAD).METHODS:Eight-week-old SPF grade female wild-type(WT)mice were used as the contorl group,and 5×FAD mice were randomly divided into model(5×FAD)group and 5×FAD+HFD group,with 10 mice in each group.The 5×FAD+HFD group was orally given high-fat chow and the remaining 2 groups were given control chow for 12 weeks,and the change in body weight of the mice were recorded.Y-maze and Morris water maze tests were performed to measure the learning memory ability of the mice.Serum total cholesterol(TC),triglyceride(TG),low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C)and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C)levels were measured using a biochemical analyzer.Immunohistochemistry was per-formed to visualize amyloid β-protein(Aβ)plaques in brain tissues.Hippocampal levels of tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α),interleukin-1β(IL-1β),IL-6,and Aβ were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).Non-tar-geted lipidomic technology was used to measure the changes of hippocampal lipids.RESULTS:Compared with WT group,the mice in 5×FAD group lost significantly less weight(P<0.01)and spent significantly less time exploring the new arm of the Y-maze and the target quadrant of the water maze(P<0.05 or P<0.01).Brain Aβ plaques were significant-ly increased(P<0.01).Hippocampal levels of Aβ1-40,Aβ1-42,IL-1β and TNF-α were significantly elevated(P<0.05 or P<0.01).Compared with the 5×FAD group,the mice in the 5×FAD+HFD group showed significant increase in body weight(P<0.01)and time spent exploring the new arm of the Y-maze and the target quadrant of the water maze(P<0.01).Biochmeical analysis showed serum TC,LDL-C,HDL-C levels and HDL/TC ratio were significantly increased(P<0.05).Brain Aβ plaques were significantly reduced(P<0.05)and hippocampal Aβ1-40,Aβ1-42 and IL-1β levels were sig-nificantly decreased(P<0.05).Compared with the WT group,27 lipids were increased and 9 lipids were decreased in the 5×FAD group,involving the pathways such as cholesterol metabolism,fat digestion and absorption,regulation of lipolysis processes in adipocytes,and glycerophospholipid metabolism.Eighteen lipids were increased and 47 lipids were de-creased in the 5×FAD+HFD group compared to the 5×FAD group.Cardiolipin and TG were important lipids for separating the lipid profiles of the WT and 5×FAD groups,and TG was an important lipid for separating the lipid profiles of the 5×FAD and 5×FAD+HFD groups.Differential lipid enrichment analysis showed significant increase in TG lipid in the 5×FAD group compared with the WT group and significant decrease in TG lipid in the 5×FAD+HFD group compared with the 5×FAD group.CONCLUSION:Early HFD ameliorates cognitive function in 5×FAD mice by modifying TG metabolic disorder and attenuating neuroinflammation.

Objective To investigate the effects of ischemia time and storage periods on RNA quality in fresh-frozen breast cancer(BC)and esophageal cancer(EC)tissue samples in order to establish evidence-based protocols for biobank sample management.Methods The tumor(T)and paired normal(N)tissue samples from 6 cases of BC and 6 cases of EC were collected and cryopreserved in Biobank,Shantou Central Hospital.Mirror paraffin-embedded tissues were simultaneously prepared into sections for morphological analysis.The samples were divided into two groups of<15 min and 15-30 min according to ischemia time,and RNA quality was analyzed at 4 storage periods of 8-10 months(T1),14-16 months(T2),26-28 months(T3)and 38-40 months(T4).Results In 96 analyzed samples,93.8%(90/96)exhibited high quality(RIN≥6),with 89.6%(43/48)in BC and 97.9%(47/48)in EC.Significant differences in RIN were observed between BC group and EC group(8.050 vs.8.600,P=0.009).In EC group,RIN value was significantly negatively correlated with RNA yield(P<0.001).Moreover,RIN values of tumor-normal pairs exhibited markedly significant differences(7.550 vs.9.000,P<0.001).In contrast,no significant difference was detected in BC group(8.200 vs.7.700,P=0.348).Statistical analysis showed that RIN value was positively correlated with 28S/18S(P<0.001),but had no correlation with tumor content(P=0.676)and necrotic content(P=0.055).Neither ischemia time(<15 min vs.15-30 min:8.200 vs.8.300,P=0.932)nor storage periods(T1-T4:8.400,7.700,8.450,8.600,P=0.163)compromised RNA quality.Conclusion Organ origin and tissue type could influence RNA quality of fresh-frozen tissue samples.However,limited ischemia time(≤30 min)and long-term storage period(38-40 months)do not adversely affect RNA quality in fresh-frozen breast cancer and esophageal cancer tissue samples.

Objective To investigate the role of Sneathia sanguinegens(S.sanguinegens)in the development of unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion(URSA).Methods A case-control study was conducted to analyze the vaginal flora characteristics of 65 patients with URSA and 18 healthy controls through 16S rRNA gene sequencing.Toxicity profile of S.sanguinegens on human cervical cancer cells(ME-180),human umbilical vein endothelial cells(HUVEC)and human placental choriocarcinoma cells(JEG-3)was analyzed at the cellular level to assess the mechanism of it in adverse pregnancy outcomes.And S.sanguinegens was used to infect C57BL/6J mice to explore the toxic effect on living organisms.Results The relative abundance of Sneathia was increased in patients with URSA compared with healthy controls.It was positively correlated with the number of miscarriages,and was attributed to S.sanguinegens.We also found that S.sanguinegens damaged ME-180,JEG-3 and HUVEC cells.The degree of cellular damage was related to the level of S.sanguinegens added.Intravenous infection with S.sanguinegens caused inflammatory damage in several organs and extramedullary hematopoiesis in the spleen.Conclusion S.sanguinegens is closely related to URSA and should be emphasized in patients with high vaginal bacterial load.

Objective To investigate the role of Sneathia sanguinegens(S.sanguinegens)in the development of unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion(URSA).Methods A case-control study was conducted to analyze the vaginal flora characteristics of 65 patients with URSA and 18 healthy controls through 16S rRNA gene sequencing.Toxicity profile of S.sanguinegens on human cervical cancer cells(ME-180),human umbilical vein endothelial cells(HUVEC)and human placental choriocarcinoma cells(JEG-3)was analyzed at the cellular level to assess the mechanism of it in adverse pregnancy outcomes.And S.sanguinegens was used to infect C57BL/6J mice to explore the toxic effect on living organisms.Results The relative abundance of Sneathia was increased in patients with URSA compared with healthy controls.It was positively correlated with the number of miscarriages,and was attributed to S.sanguinegens.We also found that S.sanguinegens damaged ME-180,JEG-3 and HUVEC cells.The degree of cellular damage was related to the level of S.sanguinegens added.Intravenous infection with S.sanguinegens caused inflammatory damage in several organs and extramedullary hematopoiesis in the spleen.Conclusion S.sanguinegens is closely related to URSA and should be emphasized in patients with high vaginal bacterial load.

AIM:To investigate the effects of early high-fat diet(HFD)on cognitive function and hippocam-pal lipidomic profile in transgenic mice bearing five familial Alzheimer disease mutant genes(5×FAD).METHODS:Eight-week-old SPF grade female wild-type(WT)mice were used as the contorl group,and 5×FAD mice were randomly divided into model(5×FAD)group and 5×FAD+HFD group,with 10 mice in each group.The 5×FAD+HFD group was orally given high-fat chow and the remaining 2 groups were given control chow for 12 weeks,and the change in body weight of the mice were recorded.Y-maze and Morris water maze tests were performed to measure the learning memory ability of the mice.Serum total cholesterol(TC),triglyceride(TG),low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C)and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C)levels were measured using a biochemical analyzer.Immunohistochemistry was per-formed to visualize amyloid β-protein(Aβ)plaques in brain tissues.Hippocampal levels of tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α),interleukin-1β(IL-1β),IL-6,and Aβ were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).Non-tar-geted lipidomic technology was used to measure the changes of hippocampal lipids.RESULTS:Compared with WT group,the mice in 5×FAD group lost significantly less weight(P<0.01)and spent significantly less time exploring the new arm of the Y-maze and the target quadrant of the water maze(P<0.05 or P<0.01).Brain Aβ plaques were significant-ly increased(P<0.01).Hippocampal levels of Aβ1-40,Aβ1-42,IL-1β and TNF-α were significantly elevated(P<0.05 or P<0.01).Compared with the 5×FAD group,the mice in the 5×FAD+HFD group showed significant increase in body weight(P<0.01)and time spent exploring the new arm of the Y-maze and the target quadrant of the water maze(P<0.01).Biochmeical analysis showed serum TC,LDL-C,HDL-C levels and HDL/TC ratio were significantly increased(P<0.05).Brain Aβ plaques were significantly reduced(P<0.05)and hippocampal Aβ1-40,Aβ1-42 and IL-1β levels were sig-nificantly decreased(P<0.05).Compared with the WT group,27 lipids were increased and 9 lipids were decreased in the 5×FAD group,involving the pathways such as cholesterol metabolism,fat digestion and absorption,regulation of lipolysis processes in adipocytes,and glycerophospholipid metabolism.Eighteen lipids were increased and 47 lipids were de-creased in the 5×FAD+HFD group compared to the 5×FAD group.Cardiolipin and TG were important lipids for separating the lipid profiles of the WT and 5×FAD groups,and TG was an important lipid for separating the lipid profiles of the 5×FAD and 5×FAD+HFD groups.Differential lipid enrichment analysis showed significant increase in TG lipid in the 5×FAD group compared with the WT group and significant decrease in TG lipid in the 5×FAD+HFD group compared with the 5×FAD group.CONCLUSION:Early HFD ameliorates cognitive function in 5×FAD mice by modifying TG metabolic disorder and attenuating neuroinflammation.

A novel pair of Z/E isomeric compounds with unprecedented carbon skeleton were isolated from an aqueous extract of Aspongopus chinensis Dallas by macroporous resin, silica gel, and semi-preparative high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Their structures were identified by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), Infrared spectroscopy (IR), Mass spectroscopy (MS) and other spectroscopic methods as (Z)-3-(but-1″-en-1″-yl)-1-(2ʹ-hydroxyethyl)-4-propylpyridin-1-ium, namely aspongopyridine A, and (E)-3-(but-1″-en-1″-yl)-1-(2ʹ-hydroxyethyl)-4-propylpyridin-1-ium, namely aspongopyridine B, respectively. Besides, the anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, acetylcholinesterase inhibition and butyrylcholinesterase inhibition activities of the compounds 1 and 2 were evaluated. The results showed that compounds 1 and 2 have no anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, and butyrylcholinesterase inhibition activities instead of weak acetylcholinesterase inhibition activity.