Nanoparticle formulation of mycophenolate mofetil achieves enhanced efficacy against hepatocellular carcinoma by targeting tumour-associated fibroblast

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most aggressive tumours with marked fibrosis. Mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) was well-established to have antitumour and anti-fibrotic properties. To overcome the poor bioavailability of MMF, this study constructed two MMF nanosystems, MMF-LA@DSPE-PEG and MMF-LA@PEG-PLA, by covalently conjugating linoleic acid (LA) to MMF and then loading the conjugate into polymer materials, PEG_5k-PLA_8k and DSPE- PEG_2k, respectively. Hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines and C57BL/6 xenograft model were used to examine the anti-HCC efficacy of nanoparticles (NPs), whereas NIH-3T3 fibroblasts and highly-fibrotic HCC models were used to explore the anti-fibrotic efficacy. Administration of NPs dramatically inhibited the proliferation of HCC cells and fibroblasts in vitro. Animal experiments revealed that MMF-LA@DSPE-PEG achieved significantly higher anti-HCC efficacy than free MMF and MMF-LA@PEG-PLA both in C57BL/6 HCC model and highly-fibrotic HCC models. Immunohistochemistry further confirmed that MMF-LA@DSPE-PEG dramatically reduced cancer-associated fibroblast (CAF) density in tumours, as the expression levels of alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), fibroblast activation protein (FAP) and collagen IV were significantly downregulated. In addition, we found the presence of CAF strongly correlated with increased HCC recurrence risk after liver transplantation. MMF-LA@DSPE-PEG might act as a rational therapeutic strategy in treating HCC and preventing post-transplant HCC recurrence.     

采自西藏和新疆的7种中国新记录植物

本文报道了6个中国被子植物新记录种及1个新记录亚种, 分别是采自西藏的灰滨藜(Atriplex pallida)、类球花藜(Blitum litwinowii)、滨藜状藜(Chenopodium atripliciforme)、土耳其针茅(Stipa turkestanica)、扁果岩蓼(Polygonum cognatum subsp. chitralicum)及新疆的宝格达黄芪(Astragalus baitagensis)和神香草叶千屈菜(Lythrum hyssopifolia), 观察了部分类群的微形态特征并提供了生境或形态图。凭证标本均存放于内蒙古大学植物标本馆(HIMC)。     

海拔对青海湖流域群落水平植物功能性状的影响

海拔变化会引起气压、温度、降水、土壤湿度和风速等环境因子发生急剧变化, 植物功能性状-海拔的相互关系对于预测全球变化背景下山地植物的适应方式具有重要意义。该研究在青海湖流域海拔3 400-4 200 m范围内布设了5个样地(海拔间隔约200 m), 通过植物群落调查, 测定植物功能性状和土壤理化性质, 结合气象数据, 探讨了海拔对青海湖流域群落水平植物功能性状的影响。结果如下: (1)群落加权平均植株高度(H)、叶片干物质含量(LDMC)、叶片碳氮比(C:N)和叶片氮磷比(N:P)随海拔升高显著降低, 比根表面积(SRA)随海拔升高波动下降, 比叶面积(SLA)、叶片氮含量(LNC)和叶片磷含量(LPC)随海拔升高显著升高, 叶片碳含量(LCC)、比根长(SRL)和根组织密度(RTD)随海拔未发生显著变化。(2)所有性状的变异来源以物种组成变化为主, N:P和LPC的种内性状变异与物种组成变化呈现正的协变效应, 其余性状为负的协变效应。(3)降水和0- 10 cm土层土壤养分含量对SLA变化的解释率较高, 温度和10-20 cm土层土壤养分含量对其余性状随海拔变化的解释率较高。以上结果表明青海湖流域植物群落主要通过物种更替来适应随海拔升高而剧烈变化的环境, 且各群落中的非优势种倾向于占据与优势种相反的性状空间来提高资源利用率, 随海拔变化的热量和深层土壤养分含量是群落水平植物功能性状变化的主要影响因子。     

中西部幼儿肠道菌群与膳食关系的比较

目的探究中部和西部地区幼儿肠道菌群的结构差异与膳食的关系,为幼儿营养健康状况监测和营养改善工作提供有效的营养干预。方法选择“贫困地区儿童营养改善项目”河南汝阳和贵州福泉,随机抽取107名汉族健康幼儿为调查对象,食物摄入采用24 h消费调查方法。应用高通量测序技术对肠道菌群进行测序和生物信息分析,研究两县幼儿肠道菌群差异。结果两县幼儿肠道菌群组成结构较为一致,但Alpha多样性分析表明,贵州福泉县幼儿肠道物种丰富度和多样性高于河南汝阳县。细菌属水平分析中,两县幼儿肠道内均以拟杆菌属、普雷沃菌、柔嫩梭菌和双歧杆菌属为主导的菌群结构,但河南汝阳县幼儿肠道双歧杆菌属和乳杆菌属丰度显著高于贵州福泉县(12.36% vs. 7.44%;0.19% vs. 0.03%)。结论中西部地区幼儿肠道菌群结构差异不大,但有益菌含量存在显著差异,这为研究肠道菌群与膳食及营养健康状况之间的关系提供了依据。     

pH值对微生物燃料电池处理生物废弃物的影响

以生物废弃物为底物,采用双室微生物燃料电池对生物废弃物进行处理,研究阳极液初始pH值对生物废弃物CODcr、TOC去除率的影响,以及对微生物燃料电池产电性能影响。实验结果表明,当阳极液pH值为6时,CODcr去除率达72.1%,TOC的去除率达44.5%,其输出电压最大为1.27 V,平均电压797 mV,最大功率密度达到136.6 mW/m2。     

Increased invasiveness of osteosarcoma mesenchymal stem cells induced by bone-morphogenetic protein-2

To evaluate the different traits of mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) isolated from osteosarcoma (OS) and normal bone marrow (BM) induced by bone-morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2). MSCs from implanted osteosarcoma or femur bone marrow were isolated and cultured. Differentiation potency was verified and phenotypes were evaluated by flow cytometry. Increased or decreased expressions of BMP-2 were delivered by adenovirus and lentivirus vector, respectively. Expressions of VEGF, EMMPRIN, and MMP-9 were examined. Cell cycle, apoptosis, invasiveness, and proliferation assays were performed between the transfected groups and controls. Increased BMP-2 induced over-expression of VEGF, EMMPRIN, and MMP-9 in OS- and BM-MSCs both intra- and extra-cellularly. Decreased BMP-2 expression induced inhibition of the factors. Increased BMP-2 also induced less population of cells at G1 phase, more apoptotic cells, more cells that invade through Transwell membrane, and faster proliferation in OSMSC compared to those in BMMSC. BMP-2 induced higher expression of tumorigenic factors, which could be responsible for promoting the proliferation and aggressiveness of OSMSC over BMMSC.