白细胞介素35和白细胞介素37与结直肠癌临床病理学特征及预后的相关性研究

背景与目的：结直肠癌（colorectal cancer，CRC）为世界第三常见恶性肿瘤，近年来研究者认为白细胞介素（interleukin，IL）-35和（或）IL-37与CRC的发展有关，但其作用机制尚未阐明。探究IL-35和IL-37在CRC发展中的作用及其可能的机制，分析IL-35和IL-37与CRC患者预后的相关性。方法：收集2013年—2017年在上海交通大学医学院附属同仁医院接受治疗的191例CRC患者手术病理蜡块的肿瘤组织，与其匹配的非癌组织是来源于同一患者的肠癌手术切缘蜡块组织。应用免疫组织化学（immunohistochemistry，IHC）染色法将CRC患者的癌组织与非癌组织染色，并运用Image-Pro Plus将IHC染色阳性部分定量分析，结合随访结果，探讨癌组织与非癌组织中IL-35和IL-37的表达水平与CRC临床病理学特征及预后的相关性。结果：与非癌组织相比，CRC组织中IL-35的表达量减少了50%（P<0.000 1）。CRC组织中IL-37的表达量与非癌组织相比增加了40%（P=0.012）。多因素生存分析显示，癌组织中IL-35（HR=0.39；95% CI：0.16~0.97；P=0.04）的表达水平是CRC患者术后生存的独立预测指标。结论：IL-35和IL-37蛋白的表达水平可能与CRC的发展有关，IL-35的表达水平可能是CRC患者术后生存的独立预测指标。     

Novel lipopeptides of ESAT-6 induce strong protective immunity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis: Routes of immunization and TLR agonists critically impact vaccine’s efficacy

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the bacterial cause of tuberculosis, is a leading infectious agent worldwide. The development of a new vaccine against Mtb is essential to control global spread of tuberculosis, since the current vaccine BCG is not very effective and antibiotic resistance is a serious, burgeoning problem. ESAT-6 is a secreted protein of Mtb, which is absent in BCG but has been implicated in inducing protective immunity against Mtb. Peptide based subunit vaccines are attractive due to their safety and high specificity in eliciting immune responses, but small synthetic peptides are usually not very immunogenic. We have designed a novel subunit vaccine for Mtb by using simple lipid (palmitic acid) modified derivatives of peptides from ESAT-6 protein corresponding to dominant human T cell epitopes and examined their ability to stimulate protective immunity against Mtb by intranasal and subcutaneous immunization in mice. We also investigated how individual TLR agonists as adjuvants (PolyI:C, MPL and GDQ) contribute to enhancing the induced immune responses and resulting protective efficacy of our vaccine. We observed that single C-terminal palmitoyl-lysine modified lipopeptides derived from ESAT-6 induce significant cellular immune responses on their own upon mucosal and subcutaneous immunizations. Intriguingly, a combination of immunogenic lipopeptides of ESAT-6 antigen exhibited local (pulmonary) and systemic immune responses along with efficient protective efficacy when administered intranasally or subcutaneously. Surprisingly, combination of ESAT-6 derived lipopeptides with a TLR-4 agonist (MPL) enhanced protection, whereas TLR-3 (Poly I:C) and TLR-7/8 agonists (gardiquimod, GDQ) led to reduced protection associated with specific local and systemic immune modulation. Our studies demonstrate the potential of ESAT-6 derived lipopeptides as a promising vaccine candidate against Mtb, and emphasize that selection of adjuvant is critical for the success of vaccines. These findings demonstrate the promise of synthetic lipopeptides as the basis of a subunit vaccine for TB.     

Investigation of non-linear Mate1-mediated efflux of trimethoprim in the mouse kidney as the mechanism underlying drug-drug interactions between trimethoprim and organic cations in the kidney

The purpose of this study was to elucidate the involvement of Mate1 in the tubular secretion of trimethoprim and saturation of Mate1-mediated efflux to address the mechanisms underlying the pharmacokinetic drug interactions with trimethoprim. Trimethoprim is a more potent inhibitor of MATE2-K than MATE1 with K_i values (μM) of 0.030–0.28 and 2.4–5.9, respectively. Trimethoprim is a substrate of human MATE1 and MATE2-K with K_m values of 2.3 ± 0.9 and 0.018 ± 0.004 μM, and mouse Mate1, but not human OCT2, mouse Oct1 and Oct2. Pyrimethamine significantly reduced the renal clearance (CL_R) of trimethoprim (mL/min/kg) from 40.0 ± 5.1 to 20.1 ± 3.7 (p < 0.05). Trimethoprim was given to mice at three infusion rates (150, 500, and 1500 nmol/min/kg). Together with an increase in the plasma concentrations of trimethoprim, the CL_R (mL/min/kg) of trimethoprim decreased to 25.9 ± 3.2, 13.5 ± 5.7, and 8.92 ± 1.50 at the respective rates. Trimethoprim decreased the CL_R of rhodamine 123 in an infusion rate-dependent manner: 11.5 ± 1.3 (control), 5.17 ± 1.55, 1.31 ± 0.50, and 0.532 ± 0.180. These results suggest that Mate1 mediates the tubular secretion of trimethoprim, and at therapeutic doses, MATEs-mediated efflux can be saturated, and thereby, cause drug interactions with other MATE substrates.     

Visfatin as a therapeutic target for rheumatoid arthritis

Introduction: The rising prevalence of musculoskeletal pathologies in developed countries has caused a dramatic impact on social welfare. Amidst these musculoskeletal pathologies is Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a chronic systemic autoimmune disease that mostly affects the synovium. RA metabolic-associated alterations, including distorted adipokine production, enhance RA inflammatory environment. Among the altered adipokines, visfatin is particularly involved in RA inflammation and catabolism and stands out as an essential enzyme linked to critical cell features.

Areas covered: We discuss the potential mechanism supporting the contribution of visfatin to RA and the association between RA and obesity. We discuss the repurposing of cancer-tested drugs to inhibit visfatin in the context of RA. Additionally, we address the possibility of combining these drugs with current RA therapy. Finally, we explore the future of visfatin as an RA biomarker or therapeutic target.

Expert opinion: Inhibition of visfatin has become an interesting therapeutic approach for RA pathology. Such a feat has already been attained in oncology using small molecule inhibitors, which suggest that a similar course of action would be worth pursuing in the RA context. Visfatin will become an important biomarker and therapeutic target for RA.     

The relationships among monocyte subsets,miRNAs and inflammatory cytokines in patients with acute myocardial infarction

Background

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) causes irreversible myocardial damage and release of inflammatory mediators, including cytokines, chemokines and miRNAs. We aimed to investigate changes in the levels of cytokines (IL-6, TNF-α and IL-10), miRNAs profiles (miR-146 and miR-155) and distribution of different monocyte subsets (CD14++CD16-, CD14++CD16+, CD14+CD16++) in the acute and post-healing phases of AMI.

丹蛭降糖胶囊通过mTOR/S6K1信号通路对糖尿病肾病大鼠的干预作用研究

目的研究丹蛭降糖胶囊对糖尿病肾病大鼠的肾脏病理改变和足细胞自噬水平的影响,初步探讨其相应的作用机制。方法选取GK大鼠40只,采用醋酸脱氧皮质酮-盐皮下注射联合高脂饲料喂养诱导糖尿病肾病模型。造模成功后随机分为模型组、丹蛭降糖胶囊低剂量组[0.54 g/(kg·d)]、高剂量组[1.08 g/(kg·d)]、缬沙坦组[10 mg/(kg·d)],每组10只。另选取10只同周龄正常Wistar大鼠作为正常组。模型组和正常组给予等容积生理盐水。连续灌胃10周后检测空腹血糖(FBG)、血肌酐(SCr)、尿素氮(BUN)和尿微量蛋白(U-mAlb)。Western Blot检测肾小球p-mTOR、p-S6K1、Beclin-1、LC3和Nephrin蛋白的表达,HE染色和PAS染色后于光镜下观察肾脏病理变化,电镜下观察各组亚细胞形态结构变化。结果与正常组比较,模型组FBG、SCr、BUN、U-mAlb水平升高(P<0.01);与模型组比较,丹蛭降糖胶囊低、高剂量组和缬沙坦组U-mAlb水平降低(P<0.01)。模型组可见肾小球基底膜增厚,系膜基质沉积,足细胞损伤,各用药组均有不同程度改善,丹蛭降糖胶囊高剂量组足细胞内有较多自噬体形成。与正常组比较,模型组p-mTOR、p-S6K1的表达增高,Nephrin、Beclin-1和LC3的表达水平降低(P<0.01);与模型组比较,各用药组p-mTOR、p-S6K1的表达下降,Nephrin、Beclin-1和LC3的表达增高(P<0.01)。丹蛭降糖胶囊高剂量组和缬沙坦组Beclin1、LC3Ⅱ/LC3Ⅰ水平较丹蛭降糖胶囊低剂量组升高(P<0.05)。结论丹蛭降糖胶囊具有减轻糖尿病肾病大鼠U-mAIb、足细胞损伤及相关肾脏病理改变的作用,其机制可能与抑制mTOR/S6K1信号通路进而提高足细胞的自噬活性有关。     

负载IL-4及BMP-2的氧化石墨烯-羧甲基壳聚糖凝胶对骨免疫和骨修复的早期影响研究

目的探讨负载 IL-4 和 BMP-2 的氧化石墨烯（graphene oxide，GO）-羧甲基壳聚糖（carboxymethyl chitosan，CMC）凝胶诱导巨噬细胞 M2 型分化及对 BMSCs 成骨分化的影响。方法取 CMC、GO 制备混合溶液后，分别添加 PBS、IL-4、BMP-2 或 IL-4+BMP-2，在交联剂作用下制备单纯或负载不同因子的 GO-CMC 凝胶支架；取单纯 GO-CMC 凝胶表征观测，包括大体、扫描电镜及傅里叶变换红外吸收光谱仪（Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy，FTIR）检测，以单纯 CMC 凝胶作为对照；取负载不同因子的 GO-CMC 凝胶行体外缓释实验。取 4～5 周龄 SPF 级 SD 雌性大鼠分离培养巨噬细胞，分别与单纯以及负载不同因子的 GO-CMC 凝胶培养，24 h 后行 CD206 免疫荧光检测巨噬细胞分化情况；取第 3 代大鼠 BMSCs 分别与单纯以及负载不同因子的 GO-CMC 凝胶成骨诱导培养，10 d 后行 ALP 染色观测早期成骨，21 d 行茜素红染色观测晚期成骨。结果大体观察 GO-CMC 凝胶呈棕色、半透明状；扫描电镜观察示，GO-CMC 凝胶孔径及孔壁厚度与单纯 CMC 凝胶相似，但内壁粗糙度增加；FTIR 检测显示 CMC 发生聚合形成凝胶。体外缓释实验示 3 种负载不同因子的 GO-CMC 凝胶缓释性能相似，均呈线性缓慢释放因子。CD206 免疫荧光检测示 GO-CMC 凝胶可诱导巨噬细胞 M2 型分化，ALP 及茜素红染色示 GO-CMC 凝胶可诱导 BMSCs 成骨分化；其中负载 IL-4+BMP-2 的 GO-CMC 凝胶作用最显著（P<0.05）。 结论负载 IL-4 和 BMP-2 的 GO-CMC 凝胶可诱导巨噬细胞 M2 型分化，增强 BMSCs 成骨分化能力，为后期骨缺损修复及骨免疫调节研究提供了新的策略。