技术资料

The aim is to investigate the clinical implications of the Oct-4 and Nestin protein in human breast cancers. A total of 346 cases including 26 fresh and 320 paraffin-embedded tumor tissues were selected for characterizing the frequency of CD44(+)CD24(-) tumor cells by flow cytometry and the differential expression of the stem cell-related genes between CD44(+)CD24(-) and non-CD44(+)CD24(-) tumor cells was analyzed by PCR Array and immunofluorescence. In comparison with the non-CD44(+)CD24(-) tumor cells,the CD44(+)CD24(-),particularly for those with high percentage of Oct-4(+) and Nestin(+),tumor cells had higher tumorigenicity by forming mammospheres in vitro. More importantly,42 (13.125%) out of 320 tumor tissues were positive for Oct-4 and Nestin staining. Universal analysis and multivariate analysis revealed that the expression of Oct-4 and Nestin was associated significantly with younger age,pathogenic degrees,lymph node metastasis and triple-negative breast cancer independently (P textless 0.05) as well as shorter survival (P = 0.001). Oct-4 and Nestin were important regulators of the development of breast cancer,and Oct-4 and Nestin may be used as predictors for the prognosis of breast cancers. View Publication

When inhaled,ozone (O3) interacts with cholesterols of airway epithelial cell membranes or the lung lining fluid,generating chemically reactive oxysterols. The mechanism by which O3-derived oxysterols affect molecular function is unknown. Our data show that in vitro exposure of human bronchial epithelial cells to O3 results in the formation of oxysterols,epoxycholesterol-α and β (α-EpCh,β-EpCh) and Secosterol A and B (Seco A,SecoB),in cell lysates and apical washes. Similarly,bronchoalveolar lavage fluid obtained from human volunteers exposed to O3 contained elevated levels of these oxysterol species. As expected,O3-derived oxysterols have a pro-inflammatory effect and increase NF-κB activity. Interestingly,expression of the cholesterol efflux pump ATP-binding cassette transporter 1 (ABCA1),which is regulated by activation of the liver X receptor (LXR),was suppressed in epithelial cells exposed to O3. Additionally,exposure of LXR knockout mice to O3 enhanced pro-inflammatory cytokine production in the lung,suggesting LXR inhibits O3-induced inflammation. Using alkynyl surrogates of O3-derived oxysterols,our data demonstrate adduction of LXR with Seco A. Similarly,supplementation of epithelial cells with alkynyl-tagged cholesterol followed by O3 exposure causes observable lipid-LXR adduct formation. Experiments using Seco A and the LXR agonist T0901317 (T09) showed reduced expression of ABCA1 as compared to stimulation with T09 alone,indicating that Seco A-LXR protein adduct formation inhibits LXR activation by traditional agonists. Overall,these data demonstrate that O3-derived oxysterols have pro-inflammatory functions and form lipid-protein adducts with LXR,thus leading to suppressed cholesterol regulatory gene expression and providing a biochemical mechanism mediating O3-derived formation of oxidized lipids in the airways and subsequent adverse health effects. View Publication

Human rhinovirus (HRV) is the most common virus contributing to acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) nearly year-round,but the mechanisms have not been well elucidated. Recent clinical studies suggest that high levels of growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15) protein in the blood are associated with an increased yearly rate of all-cause COPD exacerbations. Therefore,in the current study,we investigated whether GDF15 promotes HRV infection and virus-induced lung inflammation. We first examined the role of GDF15 in regulating host defense and HRV-induced inflammation using human GDF15 transgenic mice and cultured human GDF15 transgenic mouse tracheal epithelial cells. Next,we determined the effect of GDF15 on viral replication,antiviral responses,and inflammation in human airway epithelial cells with GDF15 knockdown and HRV infection. Finally,we explored the signaling pathways involved in airway epithelial responses to HRV infection in the context of GDF15. Human GDF15 protein over-expression in mice led to exaggerated inflammatory responses to HRV,increased infectious particle release,and decreased IFN-λ2/3 (IL-28A/B) mRNA expression in the lung. Moreover,GDF15 facilitated HRV replication and inflammation via inhibiting IFN-λ1/IL-29 protein production in human airway epithelial cells. Lastly,Smad1 cooperated with interferon regulatory factor 7 (IRF7) to regulate airway epithelial responses to HRV infection partly via GDF15 signaling. Our results reveal a novel function of GDF15 in promoting lung HRV infection and virus-induced inflammation,which may be a new mechanism for the increased susceptibility and severity of respiratory viral (i.e.,HRV) infection in cigarette smoke-exposed airways with GDF15 over-production. View Publication

Rotavirus,a leading cause of severe gastroenteritis and diarrhoea in young children,accounts for around 215,000 deaths annually worldwide. Rotavirus specifically infects the intestinal epithelial cells in the host small intestine and has evolved strategies to antagonize interferon and NF-κB signalling,raising the question as to whether other host factors participate in antiviral responses in intestinal mucosa. The mechanism by which enteric viruses are sensed and restricted in vivo,especially by NOD-like receptor (NLR) inflammasomes,is largely unknown. Here we uncover and mechanistically characterize the NLR Nlrp9b that is specifically expressed in intestinal epithelial cells and restricts rotavirus infection. Our data show that,via RNA helicase Dhx9,Nlrp9b recognizes short double-stranded RNA stretches and forms inflammasome complexes with the adaptor proteins Asc and caspase-1 to promote the maturation of interleukin (Il)-18 and gasdermin D (Gsdmd)-induced pyroptosis. Conditional depletion of Nlrp9b or other inflammasome components in the intestine in vivo resulted in enhanced susceptibility of mice to rotavirus replication. Our study highlights an important innate immune signalling pathway that functions in intestinal epithelial cells and may present useful targets in the modulation of host defences against viral pathogens. View Publication

BACKGROUND & AIMS Clostridium difficile induces intestinal inflammation by releasing toxins A and B. The antimicrobial compound cationic steroid antimicrobial 13 (CSA13) has been developed for treating gastrointestinal infections. The CSA13-Eudragit formulation can be given orally and releases CSA13 in the terminal ileum and colon. We investigated whether this form of CSA13 reduces C difficile infection (CDI) in mice. METHODS C57BL/6J mice were infected with C difficile on day 0,followed by subcutaneous administration of pure CSA13 or oral administration of CSA13-Eudragit (10 mg/kg/d for 10 days). Some mice were given intraperitoneal vancomycin (50 mg/kg daily) on days 0-4 and relapse was measured after antibiotic withdrawal. The mice were monitored until day 20; colon and fecal samples were collected on day 3 for analysis. Blood samples were collected for flow cytometry analyses. Fecal pellets were collected each day from mice injected with CSA13 and analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography or 16S sequencing; feces were also homogenized in phosphate-buffered saline and fed to mice with CDI via gavage. RESULTS CDI of mice caused 60{\%} mortality,significant bodyweight loss,and colonic damage 3 days after infection; these events were prevented by subcutaneous injection of CSA13 or oral administration CSA13-Eudragit. There was reduced relapse of CDI after administration of CSA13 was stopped. Levels of CSA13 in feces from mice given CSA13-Eudragit were significantly higher than those of mice given subcutaneous CSA13. Subcutaneous and oral CSA13 each significantly increased the abundance of Peptostreptococcaceae bacteria and reduced the abundance of C difficile in fecal samples of mice. When feces from mice with CDI and given CSA13 were fed to mice with CDI that had not received CSA13,the recipient mice had significantly increased rates of survival. CSA13 reduced fecal levels of inflammatory metabolites (endocannabinoids) and increased fecal levels of 4 protective metabolites (ie,citrulline,3-aminoisobutyric acid,retinol,and ursodeoxycholic acid) in mice with CDI. Oral administration of these CSA13-dependent protective metabolites reduced the severity of CDI. CONCLUSIONS In studies of mice,we found the CSA13-Eudragit formulation to be effective in eradicating CDI by modulating the intestinal microbiota and metabolites. View Publication

Bats are natural reservoirs for several zoonotic viruses,potentially due to an enhanced capacity to control viral infection. However,the mechanisms of antiviral responses in bats are poorly defined. Here we established a Jamaican fruit bat (JFB) intestinal organoid model of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. JFB organoids were susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection,with increased viral RNA and subgenomic RNA detected in cell lysates and supernatants. Gene expression of type I interferons and inflammatory cytokines was induced in response to SARS-CoV-2 but not in response to TLR agonists. Interestingly,SARS-CoV-2 did not lead to cytopathic effects in JFB organoids but caused enhanced organoid growth. Proteomic analyses revealed an increase in inflammatory signaling,cell turnover,cell repair,and SARS-CoV-2 infection pathways. Collectively,our findings suggest that primary JFB intestinal epithelial cells can mount a successful antiviral interferon response and that SARS-CoV-2 infection in JFB cells induces protective regenerative pathways. View Publication

BACKGROUND & AIMS Down-regulation of chloride transporter SLC26A3 or down-regulated in adenoma (DRA) in colonocytes has recently been linked to the pathogenesis of ulcerative colitis (UC). Because exaggerated immune responses are one of the hallmarks of UC,these current studies were undertaken to define the mechanisms by which loss of DRA relays signals to immune cells to increase susceptibility to inflammation. METHODS NanoString Immunology Panel,fluorescence assisted cell sorting,immunoblotting,immunofluorescence,and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction assays were used in wild-type and DRA knockout (KO) mice. Interleukin (IL)-33 blocking was used to determine specific changes in immune cells and co-housing/broad spectrum antibiotics administration,and ex vivo studies in colonoids were conducted to rule out the involvement of microbiota. Colonoid-derived monolayers from healthy and UC patient biopsies were analyzed for translatability. RESULTS There was a marked induction of Th2 (>2-fold),CD4+ Th2 cells (~8-fold),RORt+ Th17,and FOXP3+ regulatory T cells (Tregs). DRA KO colons also exhibited a robust induction of IL-33 (>8-fold). In vivo studies using blocking of IL-33 established that T2 immune dysregulation (alterations in ILC2,Th2,and GATA3+ iTregs) in response to loss of DRA was due to altered epithelial-immune cell crosstalk via IL-33. CONCLUSIONS Loss of DRA in colonocytes triggers the release of IL-33 to drive a type 2 immune response. These observations emphasize the critical importance of DRA in mucosal immune homeostasis and its implications in the pathogenesis of UC. View Publication

Cellular senescence and the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) are implicated in aging and age-related disease,and SASP-related inflammation is thought to contribute to tissue dysfunction in aging and diseased animals. However,whether and how SASP factors influence the regenerative capacity of tissues remains unclear. Here,using intestinal organoids as a model of tissue regeneration,we show that SASP factors released by senescent fibroblasts deregulate stem cell activity and differentiation and ultimately impair crypt formation. We identify the secreted N-terminal domain of Ptk7 as a key component of the SASP that activates non-canonical Wnt / Ca2+ signaling through FZD7 in intestinal stem cells (ISCs). Changes in cytosolic [Ca2+] elicited by Ptk7 promote nuclear translocation of YAP and induce expression of YAP/TEAD target genes,impairing symmetry breaking and stem cell differentiation. Our study discovers secreted Ptk7 as a factor released by senescent cells and provides insight into the mechanism by which cellular senescence contributes to tissue dysfunction in aging and disease. View Publication

BACKGROUND & AIMS The etiology of abdominal pain in postinfectious,diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (PI-IBS-D) is unknown,and few treatment options exist. Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT),an enzyme that inactivates and degrades biologically active catecholamines,plays an important role in numerous physiologic processes,including modulation of pain perception. Our objective was to determine the mechanism(s) of how decreased colonic COMT in PI-IBS-D patients contributes to the chronic abdominal pain phenotype after enteric infections. METHODS Colon neurons,epithelial cells,and macrophages were procured with laser capture microdissection from PI-IBS-D patients to evaluate cell-specific colonic COMT,microRNA-155 (miR-155),and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) ? expression levels compared to recovered patients (infection cleared: did not develop PI-IBS-D) and control individuals. COMT-/-,colon-specific COMT-/-,and miR-155-/- mice and human colonoids were used to model phenotypic expression of COMT in PI-IBS-D patients and to investigate signaling pathways linking abdominal pain. Citrobacter rodentium and trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid animal models were used to model postinflammatory changes seen in PI-IBS-D patients. RESULTS Colonic COMT levels were significantly decreased and correlated with increased visual analog scale abdominal pain ratings in PI-IBS-D patients compared to recovered patients and control individuals. Colonic miR-155 and TNF-? were increased in PI-IBS-D patients with diminished colonic COMT. COMT-/- mice had significantly increased expression of miR-155 and TNF-? in both colon tissues and dorsal root ganglia. Introduction of cV1q antibody (anti-TNF-?) into mice reversed visceral hypersensitivity after C rodentium and trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid. CONCLUSIONS Decreased colonic COMT in PI-IBS-D patients drives abdominal pain phenotypes via the COMT/miR-155/TNF-? axis. These important findings will allow new treatment paradigms and more targeted and personalized medicine approaches for gastrointestinal disorders after enteric infections. View Publication