The Role of Diacylglycerol Acyltransferase (DGAT) 1 and 2 in Cardiac Metabolism and Function.

It is increasingly recognized that synthesis and turnover of cardiac triglyceride (TG) play a pivotal role in the regulation of lipid metabolism and function of the heart. The last step in TG synthesis is catalyzed by diacylglycerol:acyltransferase (DGAT) which esterifies the diacylglycerol with a fatty acid. Mammalian heart has two DGAT isoforms, DGAT1 and DGAT2, yet their roles in cardiac metabolism and function remain poorly defined.

Prognostic value of baseline, interim and end-of-treatment 18F-FDG PET/CT parameters in extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma: A meta-analysis.

Methods: We searched the PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library and Medline databases for eligible articles. SUVmax, MTV, and TLG on B-PET/CT, DS on I-PET/CT and DS on E-PET/CT were regarded as efficacy data. Combined hazard ratios (HRs) for progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were estimated using RevMan 5.

[Effects and cost of four formulations of niclosamide ethanolamine salt in snail control in field].

Objective: To investigate the effects and cost of four formulations of niclosamide ethanolamine salt in snail control in the field in marshland and lake regions, so as to provide the evidence for drawing up the plan of molluscicide using in schistosomiasis endemic areas.

Methods: One drainage channel and one channel without water in the same area with snails in Jiangling County, Jingzhou City were selected as the research fields. The drainage channel was divided into 9 sections, except one section as a blank control group where the natural death rate of snails was observed only, and the remaining 8 sections were taken as the observation groups, where different dosages of 4% niclosamide ethanolamine salt powder, 5% niclosamide ethanolamine salt granules, 25% niclosamide ethanolamine salt suspending agent, 26% metaldehyde and niclosamide ethanolamine salt suspending agent, and 50% niclosamide ethanolamine salt wettable powder were used respectively.

Bone marrow necrosis secondary to metastatic adenocarcinoma revealed by 18F-FDG PET/CT: A clinical case report.

Rationale: Bone marrow necrosis (BMN) is a rare malignancy-associated hematologic disorder characterized by necrosis of myeloid and stromal marrow elements with preservation of cortical bone.

Patient Concerns: A 43-year-old female complaining of dizziness and vaginal bleeding for more than 2 months was presented to our department.

Diagnosis: Due to the laboratory test results, radiographic findings, especially F-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (F-FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) which revealed that bone marrow was characterized by diffuse F-FDG uptake with extensive central photopenia, and pathologic results, she was diagnosed with metastatic adenocarcinoma accompanied with BMN.

An open-label, non-randomized study of the pharmacokinetics of the nutritional supplement nicotinamide riboside (NR) and its effects on blood NAD+ levels in healthy volunteers.

Objectives: The co-primary objectives of this study were to determine the human pharmacokinetics (PK) of oral NR and the effect of NR on whole blood nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) levels.

Background: Though mitochondrial dysfunction plays a critical role in the development and progression of heart failure, no mitochondria-targeted therapies have been translated into clinical practice. Recent murine studies have reported associations between imbalances in the NADH/NAD+ ratio with mitochondrial dysfunction in multiple tissues, including myocardium.

Chemical Crosslinking Mass Spectrometry Analysis of Protein Conformations and Supercomplexes in Heart Tissue.

While modern structural biology technologies have greatly expanded the size and type of protein complexes that can now be studied, the ability to derive large-scale structural information on proteins and complexes as they exist within tissues is practically nonexistent. Here, we demonstrate the application of crosslinking mass spectrometry to identify protein structural features and interactions in tissue samples, providing systems structural biology insight into protein complexes as they exist in the mouse heart. This includes insights into multiple conformational states of sarcomere proteins, as well as interactions among OXPHOS complexes indicative of supercomplex assembly.

Human Umbilical Cord MSCs as New Cell Sources for Promoting Periodontal Regeneration in Inflammatory Periodontal Defect.

Human periodontal ligament stem cells (hPDLSCs) transplantation represents a promising approach for periodontal regeneration; however, the cell source is limited due to the invasive procedure required for cell isolation. As human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUCMSCs) can be harvested inexpensively and inexhaustibly, here we evaluated the regenerative potentials of hUCMSCs as compared with hPDLSCs to determine whether hUCMSCs could be used as new cell sources for periodontal regeneration. The characteristics of hUCMSCs, including multi-differentiation ability and anti-inflammatory capability, were determined by comparison with hPDLSCs.

Predictive approaches for post-therapy PET/CT in patients with extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma: a retrospective study.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to assess the prognostic capacity of three methods of fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose (F-FDG) PET/CT analysis carried out after therapy in patients with extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma (ENKTL). The three methods of PET/CT analysis included the International Harmonization Project (IHP) criteria, the Deauville five-point scale (5-PS), and standardized uptake value (SUV)-based assessment.

Patients And Methods: Fifty-nine patients diagnosed with ENKTL were enrolled.

Activation of γ2-AMPK Suppresses Ribosome Biogenesis and Protects Against Myocardial Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury.

Rationale: AMPK (AMP-activated protein kinase) is a heterotrimeric protein that plays an important role in energy homeostasis and cardioprotection. Two isoforms of each subunit are expressed in the heart, but the isoform-specific function of AMPK remains unclear.

Objective: We sought to determine the role of γ2-AMPK in cardiac stress response using bioengineered cell lines and mouse models containing either isoform of the γ-subunit in the heart.

Targeted Imaging of Tumor-Associated Macrophages by Cyanine 7-Labeled Mannose in Xenograft Tumors.

Mannose receptor is considered as a hallmark of M2-oriented tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), but its utility in TAMs was rarely reported. Therefore, deoxymannose (DM), a high-affinity ligand of mannose receptor, was labeled with near-infrared dye cyanine 7 (Cy7), and its feasibility of targeted imaging on TAMs was evaluated in vitro and in vivo. The Cy7-DM was synthesized, and its binding affinity with induced TAMs in vitro, whole-body imaging in xenograft tumor mouse model in vivo, and the cellular localization in dissected tissues were evaluated.

[Establishment of Bone Metastasis Model of Prostate Cancer in Mice with Monitoring of F-NaF PET-CT].

Objectives: To establish a mouse model bearing human prostate cancer xenograft with bone metastasis by the monitoring with X-Ray, Micro CT, and ¹⁸F-NaF PET/CT.

Methods: Sixteen male Balb/c nude mice were allocated into control (6 mice) and experimental group (10 mice). In experimental group, the mice were subjected to percutaneous injection of 2×10PC-3 cells into tibial plateau, bone defects were assessed after 21 d by X-ray, Micro-CT and ¹⁸F-NaF PET/CT, and bone damages were evaluated by HE staining.

The effects of fatty acid composition on cardiac hypertrophy and function in mouse models of diet-induced obesity.

High-fat diets (HFDs) are used frequently to study the development of cardiac dysfunction in animal models of obesity and diabetes. However, impairment in systolic function, often reported as declining ejection fraction, may not consistently occur in a given time frame which could be contributable to a variety of factors within the experimental design. One major factor may be the amounts of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids (FAs) that are present in the diet.

Mitochondrial Maturation in Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Derived Cardiomyocytes.

Human pluripotent stem cells derived cardiomyocytes (PSC-CMs) have been widely used for disease modeling, drug safety screening, and preclinical cell therapy to regenerate myocardium. Most studies have utilized PSC-CM grown in vitro for a relatively short period after differentiation. These PSC-CMs demonstrated structural, electrophysiological, and mechanical features of primitive cardiomyocytes.

A phase II prospective study of the "Sandwich" protocol, L-asparaginase, cisplatin, dexamethasone and etoposide chemotherapy combined with concurrent radiation and cisplatin, in newly diagnosed, I/II stage, nasal type, extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma.

Nasal-type, extranodal NK/T cell lymphoma (ENKTCL) is a special type of lymphomas with geographic and racial specificity. Up to now, the standard first-line treatment is still not unified. In our previous report, the "sandwich" protocol produced good results.

Metabolism in cardiomyopathy: every substrate matters.

Cardiac metabolism is highly adaptive to changes in fuel availability and the energy demand of the heart. This metabolic flexibility is key for the heart to maintain its output during the development and in response to stress. Alterations in substrate preference have been observed in multiple disease states; a clear understanding of their impact on cardiac function in the long term is critical for the development of metabolic therapies.

Inhibition of Myeloperoxidase- and Neutrophil-Mediated Hypochlorous Acid Formation in Vitro and Endothelial Cell Injury by (-)-Epigallocatechin Gallate.

Myeloperoxidase (MPO) plays important roles in various diseases through its unique chlorinating activity to catalyze excess hypochlorous acid (HOCl) formation. Epidemiological studies indicate an inverse correlation between plant polyphenol consumption and the incidence of cardiovascular diseases. Here we showed that (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), the main flavonoid present in green tea, dose-dependently inhibited MPO-mediated HOCl formation in vitro (chlorinating activities of MPO: 50.

Treatment of cerebrospinal fluid leak after spine surgery.

Owing to the complexity of spinal surgery, there is a great prevalence of dural tear causing cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leakage. Many studies focused on suture repair for dural tear to stop CSF leak. Now some new treatment strategies have shown a promising effect that is listed as follows: 1) creating watertight dural closure to stop CSF leak with the help of dural substitute material; and 2) retarding CSF leak by changing pressure difference, including reducing the subarachnoid fluid pressure, increasing the epidural space pressure and both.

Non-bullous lesions as the first manifestation of bullous pemphigoid: A retrospective analysis of 181 cases.

The aim of the present study was to explore the clinical and histopathological characteristics and treatment of patients with bullous pemphigoid (BP) that initially manifested as non-bullous lesions and provide information for early diagnosis and improved treatment. Medical records of 491 cases of BP were collected. The clinical and histopathological characteristics, treatment and outcomes of patients who initially presented with non-bullous lesions (prodromal BP, PBP) were analyzed and compared with those from patients who initially presented with bullous lesions (classical BP, cBP).

Defective Branched-Chain Amino Acid Catabolism Disrupts Glucose Metabolism and Sensitizes the Heart to Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury.

Elevated levels of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) have recently been implicated in the development of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, but the molecular mechanisms are unknown. In a mouse model of impaired BCAA catabolism (knockout [KO]), we found that chronic accumulation of BCAAs suppressed glucose metabolism and sensitized the heart to ischemic injury. High levels of BCAAs selectively disrupted mitochondrial pyruvate utilization through inhibition of pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDH) activity.

Myeloperoxidase amplified high glucose-induced endothelial dysfunction in vasculature: Role of NADPH oxidase and hypochlorous acid.

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase-derived reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as superoxide and hydrogen peroxide (HO), have emerged as important molecules in the pathogenesis of diabetic endothelial dysfunction. Additionally, neutrophils-derived myeloperoxidase (MPO) and MPO-catalyzed hypochlorous acid (HOCl) play important roles in the vascular injury. However, it is unknown whether MPO can use vascular-derived ROS to induce diabetic endothelial dysfunction.

Mitochondrial protein interactome elucidated by chemical cross-linking mass spectrometry.

Mitochondrial protein interactions and complexes facilitate mitochondrial function. These complexes range from simple dimers to the respirasome supercomplex consisting of oxidative phosphorylation complexes I, III, and IV. To improve understanding of mitochondrial function, we used chemical cross-linking mass spectrometry to identify 2,427 cross-linked peptide pairs from 327 mitochondrial proteins in whole, respiring murine mitochondria.

Effects of serum albumin on the degradation and cytotoxicity of single-walled carbon nanotubes.

Neutrophil myeloperoxidase (MPO) and peroxynitrite (ONOO) can oxidatively biodegrade carboxylated single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs). The protein-SWCNTs interactions will play an important role in the degradation and cytotoxicity of nanotubes. Here, we investigated the binding of bovine serum albumin (BSA, a common and well-characterized model blood serum protein) to SWCNTs, and found that the hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions might be crucial factors in stabilizing the binding of SWCNTs with BSA.

NADPH oxidase-dependent degradation of single-walled carbon nanotubes in macrophages.

Previous studies have shown that carboxylated single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) could be oxidatively biodegraded by neutrophil myeloperoxidase (MPO) and peroxynitrite (ONOO). However, the biodegradation mechanism of nanotubes in macrophages has not been explored enough. Here, we showed that both MPO and ONOO could effectively oxidize SWCNTs to generate shorter and oxidative nanotubes in vitro.