Comprehensive gene and microRNA expression profiling reveals the crucial role of hsa-let-7i and its target genes in colorectal cancer metastasis

Accumulating evidence has demonstrated that miRNAs play important roles in the occurrence and development of colorectal cancer (CRC). However, whether miRNAs are associated with the metastasis of CRC remains largely unexplored. The aim of the current study is to profile miRNAs in different CRC metastatic cell lines to identify the biomarkers in CRC metastasis. Gene and miRNA expression profiling was performed to analyze the global expression of mRNAs and miRNAs in the four human CRC cell lines (LoVo, SW480, HT29 and Caco-2) with different potential of metastasis. Expression patterns of mRNAs and miRNAs were altered in different CRC cell lines. By developing an integrated bioinformatics analysis of gene and miRNA expression patterns, hsa-let-7i was identified to show the highest degree in the microRNA-GO-network and microRNA-Gene-network. The expression level of hsa-let-7i was further validated by qRT-PCR in CRC cells. In addition, the targets of hsa-let-7i were predicted by two programs TargetScan and PicTar, and target genes were validated by expression profiling in the most epresentative LoVo and Caco-2 cell lines. Eight genes including TRIM41, SOX13, SLC25A4, SEMA4F, RPUSD2, PLEKHG6, CCND2, and BTBD3 were identified as hsa-let-7i targets. Our data showed the power of comprehensive gene and miRNA expression profiling and the application of bioinformatics tools in the identification of novel biomarkers in CRC metastasis.     

Metabolomics in the fields of oncology: a review of recent research

The study of all endogenously produced metabolites, known as metabolomics, is the youngest of the "omics" sciences. It is becoming increasingly clear that, of all of the "omics" techniques, metabolomic approaches will become increasingly useful in disease diagnosis and have potential power to improve our understanding of the underlying mechanisms of cancer. The primary aim of the review is to discuss the relationship between metabolomics and tumors are elucidated in detail. Then the review is also to introduce the technologies of metabolomics, especially emphasizing the application of metabolomics in the fields of oncology.     

Microbial treatment in chronic constipation

Chronic functional constipation is a kind of common intestinal disease that occurs in children, adults and elderly people. This disease not only causes great influence to physiological function, but also results in varying degrees of psychological barriers. At present, constipation treatments continue to rely on traditional methods such as purgative therapy and surgery. However, these approaches can disrupt intestinal function. Recent research between intestinal diseases and gut microbiota has gradually revealed a connection between constipation and intestinal flora disturbance, providing a theoretical basis for microbial treatment in chronic constipation. Microbial treatment mainly includes probiotic preparations such as probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics and fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT). Due to its safety, convenience and curative effect, probiotic preparations have been widely accepted, especially gradually developed FMT with higher curative effects. Microbial treatment improves clinical symptoms, promotes the recovery of intestinal flora, and has no complications during the treatment process. Compared with traditional treatments, microbial treatment in chronic constipation has advantages, and is worthy of further promotion from clinical research to clinical application.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Lactobacillus plantarum</Emphasis> prevents the development of colitis in IL-10-deficient mouse by reducing the intestinal permeability

It is reported that defects exist in the small intestinal epithelial barrier of inflammatory bowel disease, which might be associated with increased intestinal permeability at a very early stage. Our study aims to investigate the role of Lactobacillus plantarum on the decrease of epithelial permeability and the further protective effects on the intestinal epithelial barrier using the IL-10-deficient mouse model. Our study showed that tight junction associated proteins were increased after the pre-treatment of L. plantarum by fluorescence staining, western blot, real-time PCR and transmission electron microscope. Oral gavage of milk containing L. plantarum was effective in decreasing small intestinal permeability using methods of Ussing chamber assay and sugar probe. Assay of pro-inflammatory cytokines IFN-γ, TNF-α, MPO, and colonic histology by ELISA showed protective effects of L. plantarum on the intestinal epithelial barrier. Therefore, L. plantarum may prevent the development of colitis in IL-10-deficient mice by blocking changes in the expression of TJ proteins, TJ structure and intestinal permeability.     

A pilot study of gas chromatograph/mass spectrometry-based serum metabolic profiling of colorectal cancer after operation

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is mainly depended on the radical operation, the changing energy metabolism after operation reflects the extent, the magnitude, and the degree of surgical trauma. The aim of this study was to analyse the biochemical perturbation in the serum of CRC after operation and to evaluate their involvement in the progression of CRC. Gas chromatograph-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) in combination with pattern recognition techniques (Partial least squares discriminant analysis, supervised clustering analysis) was used to analyze serum metabolome in 30 CRC patients. A 34 endogenous metabolites included amino acid, fatty acid, carbohydrate and other intermediate metabolites were identified. Partial least squares discriminant analysis based on these metabolites discriminated preoperative from postoperative CRC group. Compared with preoperative CRC patients group, decreases in l-valine, 5-oxo-l-proline, 1-deoxyglucose, d-turanose, d-maltose, arachidonic acid and hexadecanoic acid levels and increases in l-tyrosine levels were observed in postoperative CRC patients group. The result demonstrated the GC-MS technique is an valuable tool for the characterization of the metabolic perturbation, and the metabolomic study will certainly benefit for monitoring the nutrition state of CRC patients, the prognosis and therapy evaluation of CRC patients after operation.     

The growth-inhibition effect of tamoxifen in the combination chemotherapeutics on the human cholangiocarcinoma cell line QBC939

In the individual application of adriamycin, mitomycin, vindesine and their combined application with tamoxifen for the pre-treatment of the human cholangiocarcinoma cell line QBC939, QBC939 was determined by MTT assay to investigate the inhibitive effect and its initial mechanism of TAM on cell growth. Growth cycle and apoptosis of each group were determined by flow cytometry. Concentration of ADM in QBC939 was detected by flow cytometry. The levels of their P-glycoprotein were detected by immunohistochemistry. The mRNA and protein levels of apoptotic-associated genes Bcl-2 and Bax were determined by western blot and real-time PCR. The inhibitive rates of adriamycin, mitomycin, vindesine to QBC939 and the apoptosis rates of QBC939 were enhanced after the pre-treatment of tamoxifen. Influence of tamoxifen in their growth cycle was not so obvious except vindesine group because of the increasing cell numbers of G ₂/M phase in which cells may be blocked. The contents of adriamycin in cells rose after the pre-treatment of tamoxifen. Expression level of the multi-drug resistant protein on cell surface was shown as (+). Furthermore, real-time PCR and Western blot analysis revealed an upregulation of Bcl-2 and a downregulation of Bax in QBC939 after the pre-treatment of tamoxifen. Therefore, tamoxifen may have the ability to enhance the relative sensitivity of QBC939 to chemotherapeutics.     

The relationship between early embryo development and tumourigenesis

With the recent substantial progress in developmental biology and cancer biology, the similarities between early embryo development and tumourigenesis, as well as the important interaction between tumours and embryos become better appreciated. In this paper, we review in detail the embryonic origin of tumour, and the similarities between early embryo development and tumourigenesis with respect to cell invasive behaviours, epigenetic regulation, gene expression, protein profiling and other important biological behaviours. Given an improved understanding of the relationship between early embryo development and tumourigenesis, now we have better and broader resources to attack cancer from the perspective of developmental biology and develop next generation of prognostic and therapeutic approaches for this devastating disease.     

新型冠状病毒肺炎与mNGS技术

新型冠状病毒肺炎(Coronavirus Disease 2019,COVID 19)是指2019新型冠状病毒(Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2,SARS CoV 2)感染导致的肺炎。截至2020年5月21日已造成全球超过496万人感染、30万人以上死亡。宏基因组下一代测序(metagenomic next generation sequencing,mNGS)技术是在发现和检测新冠肺炎中发挥重要作用的技术。本文介绍了mNGS在新冠肺炎疫情中的作用及核心技术特点,并为mNGS在抗击全球疫情中的应用做出技术性归纳总结。     

Dysbiosis of gut microbiota was closely associated with psoriasis

Psoriasis is an autoimmune disease and gut microbiota participate in the establishment of intestinal immunity. This study was performed to identify the fecal microbial composition of psoriasis patients, and investigated the influence of subgroup(type and severity) on the fecal microbial composition, and to define the key microbiota in the pathogenesis of psoriasis. Fecal samples from 35 psoriasis patients and 27 healthy controls were sequenced by 16 S rRNA and then analyzed by informatics methods. We found that the microbiota of the psoriasis group differed from that of the heathy group. The relative abundances of Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes were inverted at the phylum level, and 16 kinds of phylotype at the genus level were found with significant difference. No microbial diversity and composition alteration were observed among the four types of psoriasis. The microbiota of psoriasis patients in the severe state differs from those of psoriasis patients with more mild conditions and also the healthy controls. The veillonella in fecal microbiota showed a positive relationship with h-CRP in blood. This research proved that psoriasis patients have a significant disturbed microbiota profiles. Further study of psoriasis based on microbiota may provide novel insights into the pathogenesis of psoriasis and more evidence for the prevention and treatment of psoriasis.