Roles and molecular mechanisms of physical exercise in cancer prevention and treatment

Exercise can enhance motivation to change lifestyle behaviors,improve aerobic fitness,improve physical function,control fatigue,and enhance quality of life.Studies have demonstrated the benefits to be gained from physical exercise,highlighting the importance of popularizing the concept of physical exercise for individuals and making professional exercise-treatment programs available to patients with cancer.However,the correlation between physical exercise and carcinogenesis is easily overlooked,and exercise interventions are not routinely provided to patients with cancer,especially those with advanced cancer.In this article,we present a literature review of the effects of exercise on cancer development and progression and give recent evidence for the type of exercise best suited for different types of cancer and in different disease stages.Moreover,the molecular mechanisms about regulating metabolism and systemic immune function in cancer are summarized and discussed.In conclusion,physical exercise should be considered as an important intervention for preventing and treating cancer and its complications.

High-speed all-optic optical coherence tomography and photoacoustic microscopy dual-modal system for microcirculation evaluation

We propose a high-speed all-optic dual-modal system that integrates spectral domain optical coherence tomography and photoacoustic microscopy(PAM).A 3*3 coupler-based interfer-ometer is used to remotely detect the surface vibration caused by photoacoustic(PA)waves.Three outputs of the interferometer are acquired simultaneously with a multi-channel data ac-quisition card.One channel data with the highest PA signal detection sensitivity is selected for sensitivity compensation.Experiment on the phantom demonstrates that the proposed method can sucessfully compensate for the loss of intensity caused by sensitivity variation.The imaging speed of the PAM is improved compared to our previous system.The total time to image a sample with 256×256 pixels is~20s.Using the proposed system,the microvasculature in the mouse auricle is visualized and the blood flow state is accessed.

The Contributions of Thrombospondin-1 to Epilepsy Formation

Epilepsy is a neural network disorder caused by uncontrolled neuronal hyperexcitability induced by an imbalance between excitatory and inhibitory networks.Abnormal synaptogenesis plays a vital role in the formation of overexcited networks.Recent evidence has confirmed that thrombospondin-1(TSP-1),mainly secreted by astrocytes,is a critical cytokine that regulates synaptogenesis during epileptogenesis.Furthermore,numerous studies have reported that TSP-1 is also involved in other processes,such as angiogenesis,neuroinflammation,and regulation of Ca^(2+)homeostasis,which are closely associated with the occurrence and development of epilepsy.In this review,we summarize the potential contributions of TSP-1 to epilepsy development.

Eurasian otters prefer to prey on religious released nonnative fish on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

Religious wildlife release is prevalent worldwide,especially in Asia countries.It is one of the anthropogenic pathways to cause biological inva-sions.Religious fish release is common on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau,yet few studies have assessed the influences of religious fish release on local species.InYushu,a city on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau,we interviewedlocal people,conducted fish trap surveys in local rivers,and exam-ined the diet of Eurasian otters Lutra lutra using a fecal DNA metabarcoding approach.We found that fish release started at least in 1980-1990s in Yushu.Tibetan residents released fish in large amounts and released fish were usually exotic commercial fish purchased from market.Despite such long-term and intensive fish release activities,released fish were few in local rivers.On the other hand,Eurasian otters mainly prey on fish and released fish accounted for~20%of relative read abundance of prey DNA in otters'diet,indicating their high preference on released fish.Our study suggested that religious fish release may provide additional food resources for otters,whereas otters,as a top predator in local rivers,may deplete non-native fish once they were released and,therefore,reduce the probability of colonization of released fish,although further studies are required to assess otters'impact.Our study revealed otters'diet in Yushu,providing basic information for local otter management and conservation.Furthermore,it represents a case showing that native predators prey on religious released animals,implying a probable direction forcontrolling invasive species through nativepredator conservation.

Anti-Seizure and Neuronal Protective Effects of Irisin in Kainic Acid-Induced Chronic Epilepsy Model with Spontaneous Seizures

An increased level of reactive oxygen species is a key factor in neuronal apoptosis and epileptic seizures.Irisin reportedly attenuates the apoptosis and injury induced by oxidative stress.Therefore,we evaluated the effects of exogenous irisin in a kainic acid(KA)-induced chronic spontaneous epilepsy rat model.The results indicated that exogenous irisin significantly attenuated the KA-induced neuronal injury,learning and memory defects,and seizures.Irisin treatment also increased the levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor(BDNF)and uncoupling protein 2(UCP2),which were initially reduced following KA administration.Furthermore,the specific inhibitor of UCP2(genipin)was administered to evaluate the possible protective mechanism of irisin.The reduced apoptosis,neurodegeneration,and spontaneous seizures in rats treated with irisin were significantly reversed by genipin administration.Our findings indicated that neuronal injury in KA-induced chronic epilepsy might be related to reduced levels of BDNF and UCP2.Moreover,our results confirmed the inhibition of neuronal injury and epileptic seizures by exogenous irisin.The protective effects of irisin may be mediated through the BDNF-mediated UCP2 level.Our results thus highlight irisin as a valuable therapeutic strategy against neuronal injury and epileptic seizures.

Role of Elevated Thrombospondin-1 in Kainic Acid-Induced Status Epilepticus

Previous studies have suggested that thrombospondin-1(TSP-1) regulates the transforming growth factor beta 1(TGF-b1)/phosphorylated Smad2/3(p Smad2/3) pathway. Moreover, TSP-1 is closely associated with epilepsy. However, the role of the TSP-1-regulated TGFb1/p Smad2/3 pathway in seizures remains unclear. In this study, changes in this pathway were assessed following kainic acid(KA)-induced status epilepticus(SE) in rats.The results showed that increases in the TSP-1/TGF-b1/p Smad2/3 levels spatially and temporally matched the increases in glial fibrillary acidic protein(GFAP)/chondroitin sulfate(CS56) levels following KA administration.Inhibition of TSP-1 expression by small interfering RNA or inhibition of TGF-b1 activation with a Leu-Ser-Lys-Leu peptide significantly reduced the severity of KA-induced acute seizures. These anti-seizure effects were accompanied by decreased GFAP/CS56 expression and Smad2/3 phosphorylation. Moreover, inhibiting Smad2/3 phosphorylation with ponatinib or SIS3 also significantly reduced seizure severity, alongside reducing GFAP/CS56 immunoreactivity. These results suggest that the TSP-1-regulated TGF-b1/p Smad2/3 pathway plays a key role in KA-induced SE and astrogliosis, and that inhibiting this pathway may be a potential anti-seizure strategy.