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The carbonate rock of the Qiulitage Formation is a significant stratum for oil and gas exploration in the Tarim Basin. To elucidate its environmental characteristics, we conducted tests and analyses of trace elements, carbon, and oxygen isotopes of the carbonate rocks of the Qiulitage Formation in the Kekeqigankake section of the Keping area. The results reveal that δ13C values range between −1.7‰ and 4.3‰, with an average value of 1.645‰. δ18O values fluctuate from −11.4‰ to −6‰, with an average value of −8.2475‰. Z values (paleosalinity) vary from 120.33 to 131.67, significantly exceeding 120 with an average value of 126.52, indicating a marine sedimentary environment. Paleotemperature values (T) range from 12.75 to 29.09 °C, with an average value of 21.36 °C, suggesting warm climate conditions. The Sr/Ba (3.42~24.39) and Sr/Cu (57.5~560) ratios are elevated, while Th/U (

Quantification of measurable residual disease (MRD) correlates with the risk of leukemia recurrence in adults with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). However, it remains unknown whether collecting data on cysteine and glycine-rich protein 2 (CSRP2) transcript levels, after completing the second course of consolidation, improves prognosis prediction accuracy. A total of 204 subjects with B-cell ALL were tested for CSPR2 transcripts after completing the second course of consolidation using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and divided into high (N = 32) and low (N = 172) CSRP2 expression cohorts. In multivariable analyses, subjects with high expression of CSRP2 had a higher 5-year cumulative incidence of relapse (CIR) (hazard ratio [HR] = 2.57, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.38-4.76; P = 0.003), lower 5-year relapse-free survival (RFS) (HR = 3.22, 95% CI 1.75-5.93; P < 0.001), and overall survival (OS) (HR = 4.59, 95% CI 2.64-7.99; P < 0.001) in the whole cohort, as well as in the multi-parameter flow cytometry (MPFC) MRD-negative cohort (for CIR, HR = 2.70, 95% CI 1.19-6.12; for RFS, HR = 4.37, 95% CI 1.94-9.85; for OS, HR = 4.90, 95% CI 2.43-9.90; all P < 0.05). Prognostic analysis showed that allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) could significantly improve the prognosis of patients with high CSRP2 expression (allo-HSCT vs chemotherapy: 5-year CIR, 52% vs 91%; RFS, 41% vs 9%; OS, 38% vs 20%; all P < 0.05). Our data indicate that incorporating data from CSPR2 transcript levels to the MRD-testing at the end of the second course of consolidation therapy enhances prognosis prediction accuracy in adults with B-cell ALL.

Abstract Background Babao Dan (BBD), a traditional Chinese medicine, has been used as a complementary and alternative medicine to treat multifarious liver diseases. In this study, we aimed to observe its protective effect on ethanol-induced liver injury and explore potential mechanisms. Methods Mice pretreated with BBD (0.125, 0.25 and 0.5 g/kg BW) were administrated by ethanol gavage (5 g/kg BW). Liver injury biomarkers and hepatic redox parameters were evaluated by histopathology as well as serum and hepatic content analysis. AML-12 cell was also utilized to determine the efficacy of BBD against ethanol-induced hepatotoxicity. Results Drunkenness experiment showed that the latency was significantly increased and the drunken sleep time was decreased in mice pretreated with BBD. We then found that BBD could reduce hepatic lipid peroxidation and steatosis induced by ethanol exposure. BBD could also suppress ethanol-induced depletion of hepatic antioxidant enzyme. Besides that, BBD treatment lessened the induction of hepatic cytochrome P450 2E1, a major contributor to ethanol-mediated oxidative stress, and up-regulated the expression of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 and its two transcriptional targets hemeoxygenase-1 and glutamate-cysteine ligase catalytic subunit. Furthermore, autophagy induced by BBD contributed to hepatoprotection activity. Conclusions Our results suggest that BBD can markedly dispel acute ethanol-induced hepatotoxicity through multiple pathways including attenuation of ethanol-mediated oxidative stress, enhancement of the oxidative defense systems and activation of autophagy.

Abstract Background Defects of the growth arrest DNA damage-inducible gene 45β (Gadd45β) play an important role in the progression of tumor and confer resistance to chemotherapy. However, the role of Gadd45β in the apoptosis of hepatocellular carcinoma is still not clear. Purpose of this study was to explore the effect of Gadd45β on the apoptosis of liver cancer cells, and the possible mechanism was examined. Result In this study, we first confirmed the decreased expression of Gadd45β in human liver cancer tissues and human liver cancer cell lines, when compared to the peri-tumor liver tissue and normal liver cells. And, it was found that Gadd45β could inhibit the stemness of liver cancer cells, enhancing the apoptosis of cancer cells induced by chemotherapy. Furthermore, the results showed that HCC tissues and cell lines showed a higher methylation status in Gadd45β promoter than that in peri-tumor tissues and normal liver cells. Methylation was then reversed by pretreatment of SMMC-7721 and Hep-3B with 5-azacytidine which is the DNA methyltransferase inhibitor. And the 5-azacytidine decreased the stemness of SMMC-7721 and Hep-3B, enhanced the sensitivity of SMMC-7721 and Hep-3B to cisplatin. Conclusions Methylation mediated Gadd45β expression inhibited the stemness of liver cancer cells, promoting the chemotherapy-induced apoptosis. Thus Gadd45β may be the potential target for enhancing the chemosensitivity of human hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background. The circadian clock is involved in drug metabolism, efficacy and toxicity. Drugs could in turn affect the biological clock as a mechanism of their actions. Zuotai is an essential component of many popular Tibetan medicines for sedation, tranquil and “detoxification,” and is mainly composed of metacinnabar (β-HgS). The pharmacological and/or toxicological basis of its action is unknown. This study aimed to examine the effect of Zuotai on biological clock gene expression in the liver of mice. Materials and methods. Mice were orally given Zuotai (10 mg/kg, 1.5-fold of clinical dose) daily for 7 days, and livers were collected every 4 h during the 24 h period. Total RNA was extracted and subjected to real-time RT-PCR analysis of circadian clock gene expression. Results. Zuotai decreased the oscillation amplitude of the clock core gene Clock, neuronal PAS domain protein 2 (Npas2), Brain and muscle Arnt-like protein-1 (Bmal1) at 10:00. For the clock feedback negative control genes, Zuotai had no effect on the oscillation of the clock gene Cryptochrome (Cry1) and Period genes (Per1–3). For the clock-driven target genes, Zuotai increased the oscillation amplitude of the PAR-bZip family member D-box-binding protein (Dbp), decreased nuclear factor interleukin 3 (Nfil3) at 10:00, but had no effect on thyrotroph embryonic factor (Tef); Zuotai increased the expression of nuclear receptor Rev-Erbα (Nr1d1) at 18:00, but had little influence on the nuclear receptor Rev-Erbβ (Nr1d2) and RORα. Conclusion. The Tibetan medicine Zuotai could influence the expression of clock genes, which could contribute to pharmacological and/or toxicological effects of Zuotai.