Furong Wang

Long non‑coding (lnc)RNA KCNQ1 opposite strand/antisense transcript 1 (Kcnq1ot1) has been shown to regulate multiple biological processes. However, the functional role of Kcnq1ot1 in osteoporosis and the underlying mechanism are still unclear. The present study aimed to investigate the function of lncRNA Kcnq1ot1 in osteogenic differentiation. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity was measured using an ALP assay kit. Western blotting was performed to assess the expression levels of osteogenic differentiation‑associated proteins. Reverse transcription‑quantitative PCR was performed to detect Kcnq1ot1, microRNA (miR)‑98‑5p and T‑box transcription factor 5 (Tbx5) expression levels. The binding of Kcnq1ot1 with miR‑98‑5p and that of miR‑98‑5p with Tbx5 were predicted by starBase and TargetScan databases, respectively, and verified using dual luciferase reporter assays. The mineralization of MC3T3‑E1 cells was observed using an Alizarin red S staining assay. The results revealed that expression of Kcnq1ot1 was increased and that of miR‑98‑5p was decreased during osteogenic differentiation. Additionally, Kcnq1ot1 was shown to target miR‑98‑5p and inhibit its expression. Inhibiting miR‑98‑5p reversed the inhibitory effect of Kcnq1ot1 knockdown on osteogenic differentiation and mineralization of MC3T3‑E1 cells. Furthermore, Kcnq1ot1 regulated Tbx5 expression via miR‑98‑5p. Overexpressing miR‑98‑5p or downregulating Tbx5 expression reversed the promotive effect of Kcnq1ot1 overexpression on osteogenic differentiation and mineralization of MC3T3‑E1 cells. In conclusion, these findings suggested that Kcnq1ot1 may promote bone formation by inhibiting miR‑98‑5p and upregulating Tbx5. Kcnq1ot1, miR‑98‑5p and Tbx5 may therefore serve as promising targets for the treatment of osteoporosis.

Most research concerning pyrazine formation in the Maillard reaction is mainly focused on free amino acids (FAAs), but limited information is available on the effect of peptides and proteins. In this study, three Maillard model systems (i.e., glucose and native sunflower seed protein, hydrolyzed peptides or FAAs, respectively) were prepared, and their effect on the formation of volatiles were further compared at different heating conditions by using of headspace solid-phase microextraction equipped with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC/MS). It was found that pyrazines were the characteristic volatile compounds in tested Maillard models, and with increasing heating temperature and time, the varieties of pyrazine formation significantly increased. The optimum reaction condition for pyrazine formation was at 140 °C for 90 min, which was subsequently applied to all sets of Maillard models. Further analysis showed that the short chain peptides generated by hydrolyzing sunflower seed protein (SSP), especially the molecular weight ranging from 1.2 to 3.0 kDa, significantly promoted the formation of pyrazines, which highlights the important role of peptides in the Maillard reaction models and is expected to intensify aroma promotion in sunflower seed oil.

BACKGROUND: Several researches reported that natural polyphenols affected acrylamide formation of fried products. However, the effects of different variety of polyphenols on acrylamide formation were distinct. In this study, we isolated and purified phlorizin from apples and identified the influence of phlorizin immersion on acrylamide formation and sensory properties of fried potato strips with regard to the immersion concentration, time and temperature.RESULTS: The acrylamide formation of fried samples decreased as the phlorizin concentration increased from 0 to 0.3 g kg⁻¹, and 0.14 g kg⁻¹ could be selected as the suitable immersion concentration to dramatically inhibit acrylamide formation with considering the cost of industrial production. Additionally, the acrylamide formation significantly reduced from 8.71 × 10⁻³ to 2.13 × 10⁻³ g kg⁻¹ lyophilized weight (LW) with immersion time from 0 to 120 min, and 60 min could be selected to significantly reduce acrylamide formation in consideration of efficiency of the large‐scale industrial processing. However, the effect of phlorizin immersion temperature on acrylamide formation of fried samples was not significant. Compared to the fried samples without immersion, the phlorizin immersion improved the color properties and the change of texture parameters was slight.CONCLUSION: The fresh potato strips immersed in the phlorizin solution of 0.14 g kg⁻¹ at 40 °C for 60 min before frying could significantly decrease acrylamide formation of fried samples and retain the majority of fresh sensorial properties. The significant correlations obtained between sensory properties and acrylamide content indicated the sensory properties could be used as the indicator of acrylamide levels during industrial processing. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry

Rationale: Diffuse giant cell tumors of the tendon sheath (GCT-TS) in the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) are extremely rare. Patient concerns: We reported the imaging appearance and the pathological findings of 2 male cases with diffuse GCT-TS in the TMJ (52 years for the case 1 and 50 years for the case 2) who complain of the hearing disorders of left ear when presenting to our hospital. Diagnosis: Preoperative computerized tomography (CT) scan revealed an irregular mass in the left temporal fossa with the sizes of approximately 5.8 × 3.8 × 4.6 cm for case 1 and 4.2 × 3.2 × 4.3 cm for case 2, respectively. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings showed a mass of 6.1 × 4.0 × 5.1 cm and 5.3 × 3.6 × 3.3 cm, respectively. Postoperative pathological examination revealed the diffuse multinucleated giant cells accompanied with synovial cells in the diffuse arrangement. Immunohistochemical examination showed CD68 (+), Vim (+), S-100 (-) and 2% of Ki-67 proliferation index. These characteristics are in line with the diagnosis of the diffuse GCT-TS in the TMJ. Interventions: Both cases underwent the gross total resection followed by radiation therapy. Outcomes: Two patients experienced no recurrence after follow-up of 1 to 2 year(s). Lessons: Diffuse GCT-TS in the TMJ is very rare. Clinicians should keep in mind the possibility of the GCT-TS when aggressive lesions involve the TMJ and adjacent bone destruction was found. Careful pre- and postoperative examinations and complete resection are the factors that lead to its optimal treatment, significantly reducing its recurrence rate.

To investigate the molecular mechanisms of gastric carcinogenesis. We used label-free quantification technology integrated with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis to identify differentially expressed proteins in 160 specimens of normal gastric mucosa, gastric mucosa with mild dysplasia, moderate dysplasia, severe dysplasia, and early mucosal gastric cancer (GC) collected at the Second Hospital of Lanzhou University from 2010 to 2015. Immunohistochemistry was used to verify the differentially expressed proteins detected by LC-MS/MS. With a threshold of a 1.2-fold change and a P-value < 0.05 between mild dysplasia, moderate dysplasia, severe dysplasia or early mucosal GC and matched normal gastric mucosa tissues, proteomic analysis identified 365 significantly differentially expressed proteins. ERGIC1 expression decreased, while DNA-PKcs expression increased gradually along with different stages of GC initiation based on the tendency of fold change. The expression patterns of ERGIC1 and DNA-PKcs revealed by immunohistochemistry were consistent with the LC-MS/MS results. The results suggest that aberrant ERGIC1 and DNA-PKcs expression may be involved in GC initiation.