Operation of an aerobic granular pilot scale SBR plant to treat swine slurry

A pilot-scale Sequencing Batch Reactor was operated during 307 days in order to treat swine slurry characterized by its high variable composition: organic and nitrogen applied loading rates and C/N ratio were 1.4–6.3 kg COD_s/(m³ d), 0.5–2.5 kg N/(m³ d) and 1.9–9.4 g COD_s/(g N), respectively. Aerobic granules successfully developed in the reactor and their physical properties remained rather stable despite the feeding composition variability. Organic and ammonia removal efficiency reached 61–73% and 56–77%, respectively, however ammonia was mainly oxidized to nitrite. The reactor had a good biomass retention capacity to select for granular biomass. However, its efficiency to retain the solids present in the feeding was low. Aerobic granulation in SBR systems appears as an interesting alternative to treat slurry in small livestock facilities where the implementation of anaerobic digestion systems is not a feasible option or the removal of nitrogenous compounds is required.     

Oncogenes and inflammation rewire host energy metabolism in the tumor microenvironment

Here, we developed a model system to evaluate the metabolic effects of oncogene(s) on the host microenvironment. A matched set of “normal” and oncogenically transformed epithelial cell lines were co-cultured with human fibroblasts, to determine the “bystander” effects of oncogenes on stromal cells. ROS production and glucose uptake were measured by FACS analysis. In addition, expression of a panel of metabolic protein biomarkers (Caveolin-1, MCT1, and MCT4) was analyzed in parallel. Interestingly, oncogene activation in cancer cells was sufficient to induce the metabolic reprogramming of cancer-associated fibroblasts toward glycolysis, via oxidative stress. Evidence for “metabolic symbiosis” between oxidative cancer cells and glycolytic fibroblasts was provided by MCT1/4 immunostaining. As such, oncogenes drive the establishment of a stromal-epithelial “lactate-shuttle”, to fuel the anabolic growth of cancer cells. Similar results were obtained with two divergent oncogenes (RAS and NFκB), indicating that ROS production and inflammation metabolically converge on the tumor stroma, driving glycolysis and upregulation of MCT4. These findings make stromal MCT4 an attractive target for new drug discovery, as MCT4 is a shared endpoint for the metabolic effects of many oncogenic stimuli. Thus, diverse oncogenes stimulate a common metabolic response in the tumor stroma. Conversely, we also show that fibroblasts protect cancer cells against oncogenic stress and senescence by reducing ROS production in tumor cells. Ras-transformed cells were also able to metabolically reprogram normal adjacent epithelia, indicating that cancer cells can use either fibroblasts or epithelial cells as “partners” for metabolic symbiosis. The antioxidant N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC) selectively halted mitochondrial biogenesis in Ras-transformed cells, but not in normal epithelia. NAC also blocked stromal induction of MCT4, indicating that NAC effectively functions as an “MCT4 inhibitor”. Taken together, our data provide new strategies for achieving more effective anticancer therapy. We conclude that oncogenes enable cancer cells to behave as selfish “metabolic parasites”, like foreign organisms (bacteria, fungi, viruses). Thus, we should consider treating cancer like an infectious disease, with new classes of metabolically targeted “antibiotics” to selectively starve cancer cells. Our results provide new support for the “seed and soil” hypothesis, which was first proposed in 1889 by the English surgeon, Stephen Paget.     

Glucose—a sweet way to die

TRAIL, a putative anticancer cytokine, induces extrinsic cell death by activating the caspase cascade directly (Type I cells) via the death-inducing signaling complex (DISC) or indirectly (Type II cells) by caspase-8 cleavage of Bid and activation of the mitochondrial cell death pathway. Cancer cells are characterized by their dependence on aerobic glycolysis, which, although inefficient in terms of ATP production, facilitates tumor metabolism. Our studies show that TRAIL-induced cell death is significantly affected by the metabolic status of the cell. Inhibiting glycolysis with 2-deoxyglucose potentiates TRAIL-induced cell death, whereas glucose deprivation can paradoxically inhibit apoptosis. These conflicting responses to glycolysis inhibition are modulated by the balance between the Akt and AMPK pathways and their subsequent downstream regulation of mTORC1. This results in marked changes in protein translation, in which the equilibrium between anti- and pro-apoptotic Bcl-2 family member proteins is decided by their individual degradation rates. This regulates the mitochondrial cell death pathway and alters its sensitivity not only to TRAIL, but to ABT-737, a Bcl-2 inhibitor. Taken together, our studies show that the sensitivity of cancer cells to apoptosis can be modulated by targeting their unique metabolism in order to enhance sensitivity to apoptotic agents.     

Balancing redox cofactor generation and ATP synthesis: Key microaerobic responses in thermophilic fermentations

Geobacillus thermoglucosidasius is a Gram‐positive, thermophilic bacterium capable of ethanologenic fermentation of both C5 and C6 sugars and may have possible use for commercial bioethanol production [Tang et al., 2009; Taylor et al. (2009) Trends Biotechnol 27(7): 398–405]. Little is known about the physiological changes that accompany a switch from aerobic (high redox) to microaerobic/fermentative (low redox) conditions in thermophilic organisms. The changes in the central metabolic pathways in response to a switch in redox potential were analyzed using quantitative real‐time PCR and proteomics. During low redox (fermentative) states, results indicated that glycolysis was uniformly up‐regulated, the Krebs (tricarboxylic acid or TCA) cycle non‐uniformly down‐regulated and that there was little to no change in the pentose phosphate pathway. Acetate accumulation was accounted for by strong down‐regulation of the acetate CoA ligase gene (acs) in addition to up‐regulation of the pta and ackA genes (involved in acetate production), thus conserving ATP while reducing flux through the TCA cycle. Substitution of an NADH dehydrogenase (down‐regulated) by an up‐regulated NADH:FAD oxidoreductase and up‐regulation of an ATP synthase subunit, alongside the observed shifts in the TCA cycle, suggested that an oxygen‐scavenging electron transport chain likely remained active during low redox conditions. Together with the observed up‐regulation of a glyoxalase and down‐regulation of superoxide dismutase, thought to provide protection against the accumulation of toxic phosphorylated glycolytic intermediates and reactive oxygen species, respectively, the changes observed in G. thermoglucosidasius NCIMB 11955 under conditions of aerobic‐to‐microaerobic switching were consistent with responses to low pO₂ stress. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2013; 110: 1057–1065. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

How does the metabolism of tumour cells differ from that of normal cells

Tumour cells thrive in environments that would be hostile to their normal cell counterparts. Survival depends on the selection of cell lines that harbour modifications of both, gene regulation that shifts the balance between the cell cycle and apoptosis and those that involve the plasticity of the metabolic machinery. With regards to metabolism, the selected phenotypes usually display enhanced anaerobic glycolysis even in the presence of oxygen, the so-called Warburg effect, and anabolic pathways that provide precursors for the synthesis of lipids, proteins and DNA. The review will discuss the original ideas of Otto Warburg and how they initially led to the notion that mitochondria of tumour cells were dysfunctional. Data will be presented to show that not only the organelles are viable and respiring, but that they are key players in tumorigenesis and metastasis. Likewise, interconnecting pathways that stand out in the tumour phenotype and that require intact mitochondria such as glutaminolysis will be addressed. Furthermore, comments will be made as to how the peculiarities of the biochemistry of tumour cells renders them amenable to new forms of treatment by highlighting possible targets for inhibitors. In this respect, a case study describing the effect of a metabolite analogue, the alkylating agent 3BP (3-bromopyruvate), on glycolytic enzyme targets will be presented.     

4019例妇科门诊不同症状患者阴道微生态状况分析

目的探讨妇科门诊不同症状患者的阴道微生态状况。方法回顾性分析2011年11月至2012年9月西安交通大学医学院第一附属医院妇科门诊因不同症状就诊患者的阴道微生态评价（菌群的密集度、多样性、优势菌、病原菌、AV评分、Nugent评分及五项菌群功能及炎症反应指标）检测结果。结果4019例被检查者平均年龄为33．56岁。其中阴道微生态正常占n70％（28／4019）;阴道微生态失调者占99．30％（3991／4019）;后者包括未明确感染的阴道微生态失调患者占66．36％（2667／4019）;明确感染的阴道微生态失调患者占32．94％（1324／4019）;其中外阴阴道假丝酵母菌病（vulvovaginal candidiasis,VVC）患者占24．33％（978／4019）;需氧菌陛阴道炎（aerobic vaginitis,AV）患者占3．11％（125／4019）;细菌性阴道病（bacterial vaginosis,BV）患者占3．14％（126／4019）;滴虫阴道炎（trichomonas vaginitis,TV）患者占5．15％（207／4019）;混合感染患者占8．31％（110／1324）。优势菌群异常患者占54．32％（2183／4019）。结论妇科门诊中未明确感染的阴道微生态失调患者构成比最高;在明确感染的患者中外阴阴道假丝酵母菌病构成比最高;因此阴道微生态评价成为阴道感染性疾病诊断首选检测方法,在临床诊疗实践中具有重要意义。     

酿酒酵母糖酵解途径中酶量变化对乙醇浓度影响的模拟分析

代谢组学是系统生物学的一个重要组成部分,应用相关方法获得了大量的数据。如何处理这些数据以及如何将这些数据与其他组学数据结合起来的问题不容忽视。在酶的反应动力学方程中引入“酶量倍数因子”能够解决其中的部分问题。如果反应动力学方程中酶的量发生变化,只需要改变相应的酶量倍数因子的数值。为了观察酿酒酵母糖酵解途径中酶量变化对乙醇浓度的影响,设定了高低两个酶量水平进行计算机模拟,对应的酶量倍数因子分别为10和0.1。基于计算机模拟结果,使用聚类分析方法,12种酶被分为两类。属于第一大类的四种酶ADH、HK、PFK和PDC,均催化不可逆反应。第二大类8种酶中的6种,ALD、GAPDH、GlcTrans、lpPEP、PGI和TIM均催化可逆反应。第二大类中另外两种酶lpGlyc和PK催化不可逆反应。按照这种方法,代谢组和蛋白质组数据能较容易地结合起来对系统作出较全面的分析。     

Trypanosoma brucei: An evaluation of salicylhydroxamic acid as a trypanocidal drug

The chemotherapeutic potential of salicylhydroxamic acid (SHAM) was studied in adult rats infected with a strain of Trypanosoma brucei that kills the rats in about 100 hr. The median lethal dose, administered intraperitoneally in a carboxymethyl-cellulose suspension, is approximately 820 mg/kg body weight for male and 850 mg/kg for female rats. The apparent cause of death is severe depression of the central nervous system.Half-maximal inhibition of O₂ uptake by trypanosomes in vitro requires 15 μM SHAM, whereas 100 μM inhibits over 90%. This inhibitory effect on trypanosome respiration was used as a biological assay for the effective SHAM concentration in rat plasma. After administration of a sublethal SHAM dose to rats, the effective plasma SHAM concentration rose rapidly to about 500 μM and then fell to about 10 μM at 4 hr. Nevertheless, this dose did not significantly affect the survival time of rats infected with T. brucei. Even if, by repeated SHAM administration, the plasma SHAM concentration was kept at around 100 μM for more than 4 hr, no therapeutic effect was observed.These results show that O₂ uptake is not essential for the survival of trypanosomes in rats and they support the idea that bloodstream trypanosomes have an alternative pathway for glycolysis, allowing energy production in the absence of respiration.The possibility that SHAM or other inhibitors of trypanosome respiration could stilll be trypanocidal if used in conjunction with another inhibitor of glycolysis is discussed.     

哺乳期需氧菌性阴道炎患者定期补充乳杆菌的疗效

目的分析在有效抗炎基础上定期补充乳杆菌活菌胶囊对哺乳期需氧菌性阴道炎患者的疗效及对远期复发率的影响。方法选择2019年4月至2020年3月于大连市妇女儿童医疗中心(集团)行产后42 d检查时发现的需氧菌性阴道炎患者共120例,按照随机自愿原则将所选患者分为观察组及对照组,各60例。全部患者均使用红核妇洁洗液及克林霉素磷酸酯阴道凝胶抗炎治疗7 d,观察组患者于第8天开始给予阴道用乳杆菌活菌胶囊每日睡前上药1粒,治疗10 d,停药后1周对两组患者进行临床疗效评估并了解不良反应发生情况。于首次治疗结束后第3个月及第6个月进行定期随诊,了解两组患者阴道炎的复发情况。且观察组患者于治疗后第3个月随诊结束后再次给予阴道用乳杆菌活菌胶囊补充上药1疗程。记录并比较两组患者治疗前、治疗后1周、治疗后第3个月及第6个月阴道pH值及H₂O₂情况。结果两组患者治疗期间均未发生明显不良反应。治疗后1周观察组患者治愈率(66.7%)显著高于对照组(36.7%),差异有统计学意义(P<0.05);观察组总有效率(95.0%)与对照组(86.7%)比较差异无统计学意义(P>0.05)。观察组治疗后第3个月复发率(5.0%)及第6个月复发率(11.7%)均明显低于同时段对照组(30.0%,56.7%),差异均有统计学意义(均P<0.05)。治疗后1周观察组患者阴道pH值正常率(95.0%)与对照组(86.7%)比较,差异无统计学意义(P>0.05),但观察组H₂O₂正常率(91.7%)明显高于对照组(63.3%),差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。治疗后第3个月及第6个月观察组患者阴道pH值正常率(90.0%,85.0%)及H₂O₂正常率(86.7%,81.7%)均明显高于同时段对照组(53.3%、28.3%;45.0%、21.7%),差异均有统计学意义(均P<0.05)。结论在有效抗炎治疗基础上定期给予阴道用乳杆菌活菌胶囊补充治疗,能明显提高哺乳期需氧菌性阴道炎患者的治愈率,改善阴道pH值及H₂O₂情况,从而促进阴道微生态平衡,降低其复发率,值得临床应用。     

Phosphoinositide-dependent kinase 1–associated glycolysis is regulated by miR-409-3p in clear cell renal cell carcinoma

Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is the most popular kidney cancer in adults. Metabolic shift toward aerobic glycolysis is a fundamental factor for ccRCC therapy. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are thought to be important regulators in ccRCC development and progression. Phosphoinositide-dependent kinase 1 (PDK1) is required for metabolic activation; however, the role of PDK1-induced glycolytic metabolism regulated by miRNAs is unclear in ccRCC. So, the purpose of the current study is to elucidate the underlying mechanism in ccRCC cell metabolism mediated by PDK1. Our results revealed that miR-409-3p inhibited glycolysis by regulating PDK1 expression in ccRCC cells. We also found that miR-409-3p was regulated by hypoxia. Our results indicated that PDK1 facilitated ccRCC cell glycolysis, regulated by miR-409-3p in hypoxia.