MUC5AC was recently identified to play important roles in the proliferation and metastasis of malignant mucinous lung tumor cells. Resveratrol (Res), a natural compound with anticancer effects in lung cancer cells, has been reported to inhibit mucin production in airway epithelial cells. This study aimed to investigate the inhibitory effect of Res on MUC5AC expression in lung mucinous adenocarcinoma cells and the potential mechanisms.

Mucus-producing A549 human lung carcinoma cells were used to test the effects of Res on SPDEF and MUC5AC expression. Gene and protein expression was assessed by real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR), immunofluorescence and western blotting assays. SPDEF lentivirus was used to upregulate SPDEF expression levels in mucus-producing A549 human lung carcinoma cells. Cell proliferation was assessed by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay.

Res decreased MUC5AC expression in an SPDEF-dependent manner in mucus-producing A549 human lung carcinoma cells, and this change was accompanied by decreased ERK expression and AKT pathway activation. Moreover, SPDEF was found to be overexpressed in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD), especially in mucinous adenocarcinoma. In-vitro functional assays showed that overexpression of SPDEF reduced the chemosensitivity of A549 cells to cisplatin (DDP). In addition, Res treatment increased A549 cell chemosensitivity to DDP by inhibitingthe SPDEF-MUC5ACaxis.

Our results indicate that the SPDEF-MUC5AC axis is associated with DDP sensitivity, and that Res decreases SPDEF and MUC5AC expression by inhibiting ERK and AKT signaling in A549 cells, which provides a potential pharmacotherapy for the prevention and therapeutic management of mucinous adenocarcinoma.

Our results indicate that the SPDEF-MUC5AC axis is associated with DDP sensitivity, and that Res decreases SPDEF and MUC5AC expression by inhibiting ERK and AKT signaling in A549 cells, which provides a potential pharmacotherapy for the prevention and therapeutic management of mucinous adenocarcinoma.

Environmental factors may affecting reproductive function reduction and embryonic development. Couples who are exposed to heavy metals for a long time may affect the outcome of in vitro fertilization (IVF). To evaluate the effect of elements on IVF outcomes, a total of 195 couples undergoing IVF were included in this study.

Elements including V, Cr, Mn, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Mo, Cd, Ba, Hg, Tl, Pb were measured in serum and follicular fluid (FF) samples of female and semen samples of male by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). Multiple linear regression were applied to evaluate the association between metal elements and semen quality parameters and the number of oocytes in MII stage. Poisson regression and the robust variance estimation of the generalized estimation equation were used to evaluate the association between elements and IVF outcomes.

The statistical results showed that Cr had a significant negative correlation with total sperm concentration (TSC) and total motile sperm count (Ttion, high-quality embryos, and pregnancy and live birth rates. Tl in FF may related to the quality of embryonic development, Ba was an important risk factor which closely related to the outcomes of IVF in both male and female. Through our detection and statistical analysis of clinical samples, it is shown that although not all elements will affect the outcome of IVF the key elements we have selected need to arouse our attention, which benifit to the diagnosis and prevention of clinical infertility.

Considering the affecting role of environmental factors including trace elements and heavy metals on the upper gastrointestinal (GI) cancers, there is paucity of empirical research in tissue evaluations.

The present study aimed to measure the tissue content of some trace elements and heavy metals such as zinc (Zn), chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), tin (Sn), copper (Cu), aluminum (Al), lead (Pb), and iron (Fe) in esophagus and gastric cancerous tissues compared to the adjacent healthy tissues.

In a cross-sectional study, the aforementioned trace elements and heavy metals were evaluated among patients with esophagus and gastric cancers. During endoscopy, multiple samples were taken from cancerous lesions and the adjacent healthy tissues. The classic flame atomic absorption spectroscopy (FAAS) method was employed as the study framework.

Fifty patients with the mean age of 53.92 ± 8.73 were enrolled in the current study. Thirteen patients suffered from esophageal cancer and thirty-seven patients were afflicg mechanism of cellular changing during the tumorigenesis or direct exposure of these elements. SBI-115 It seems that under the shade of other coexisting risk factors, larger cohort studies are suggested to be conducted to investigate other probable aspects in this area of interest.Amitraz is one of the most used acaricides for the control of ticks of domestic animals, however, extensive use of this active ingredient has favored the development of resistant populations of Rhipicephalus microplus worldwide. The possible mechanisms of metabolic and/or target-site alterations mechanisms of amitraz resistance were investigated in a Brazilian field population of R. microplus (São Gabriel strain). Bioassays with the synergists piperonylbutoxide, triphenylphosphate and diethyl-maleate were used to evaluate the metabolic mechanisms involved. Target-site insensitivity was investigated by amplification and sequencing of a fragment of the octopamine/tyramine (OCT/TYR) receptor gene. Piperonylbutoxide synergism (synergism ratio = 2.8) indicated the participation of the P450 pathway in the detoxification of amitraz. Previously reported single nucleotide polymorphisms that confer amino acid changes in the OCT/TYR receptor, threonine to proline (T8P) and leucine to serine (L22S), were found in the amitraz-resistant strain but not in the susceptible reference strain. The results suggest that amitraz resistance in the studied strain is multi-factorial and may result from cytochrome P450 detoxification and mutations in octopamine receptors.Excessive discharge of synthetic azo dyes into the aquatic ecosystem is a global concern. Here, we develop a green approach to remediate dye pollutants by fabricating an easily separable bio-nanocomposite, based on nanofibrils from whey protein concentrate together with montmorillonite. The nanocomposite was characterized using scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and surface area analysis. Nanofibrils lead to a uniform dispersion of montmorillonite in the matrix and also reinforce the nanocomposite. The adsorption efficacy was monitored using cationic (Chrysoidine-G, Bismarck brown-R), reactive (reactive black-5, reactive orange-16), acidic (acid red-88, acid red-114) and direct (direct violet-51, Congo red) dyes. The nanocomposite adsorbed different dyes with different kinetics, cationic dyes quicker and reactive dyes slower. Greater than 93% of Chrysoidine-G was adsorbed over a wide range of dye concentration and pH. Acidic pH and higher temperature are more favorable for the process.