Screening of genes related with intervertebral disc disease by dynamic differential interaction network analysis

AIM

Gene expression profiles for intervertebral disc (IVD) cells treated with different osmolarities were compared to identify key genes associated with intervertebral disc diseases.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Microarray data was downloaded from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database and pre-processed using package of R. Gene co-expression was determined with Pearson correlation coefficient. Interaction networks were established with the protein-protein interaction (PPI) information obtained from Human Protein Reference Database (HPRD database) for the two conditions: isosmoticity and hyperosmosis, and then a comparative analysis was done to identify disease-related genes. The functional annotation was performed for these genes using network ontology analysis (NOA), which also confirmed the effectiveness of this method.

RESULTS

A total of 45 feature genes were obtained through comparing 7 samples treated under isosmotic conditions and 9 high osmotic conditions. Biological processes and molecular functions were then revealed by NOA.

CONCLUSIONS

A range of disease-related genes were obtained, which might serve as the potential biomarkers or drug targets. More works are needed to further elucidate their roles in the development of intervertebral disc diseases like intervertebral disc herniation.

Optimal conditions for "heat-conduct effect" in liver tissue during radiofrequency ablation

AIM

This study was conducted to optimize the "heat-conduct effect" to increase the efficacy of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) in the treatment of liver tumors.

METHODS

To simulate the "heat-conduct effect" caused by RFA, isolated pig livers were heated by an inserted metal tube through which water with different incoming temperatures was passed. The tissue temperature was measured within 5- and 10-mm radiuses. Further, changes in color and morphology of the tissue were recorded.

RESULTS

Using an incoming temperature of 70 °C, the effective ablation radius of 5 mm was achieved within 10 min. To expand the effective radius to 10 mm, the tube temperature needed to be maintained at above 80 °C for 40 min; alternatively, the tube temperature above 90 °C and heating time of 25 min were also sufficient.

CONCLUSION

To achieve the complete ablation in isolated liver within the 10 mm radius by "heat-conduct effect", the temperature of the heating center should be maintained above 80 - 90 °C with the exposure time of 25-40 min.

[Macrophage migration inhibitory factor in mud crab Scylla paramamosain: molecular cloning, expression profiles in various tissues and under Vibrio challenge]

As one of the first found cytokines, macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) plays AN important role in several physiological processes in crabs. In this study, a full-length MIF cDNA (GenBank accession number: JX131610) from mud crab Scylla paramamosain (Sp) was cloned based on a sequence of S. paramamosain cDNA library. The full length of SpMIF was 734 bp consisting of a 363 bp open reading frame encoding the SpMIF, a 120 amino acid peptide chain. The molecular weight of SpMIF was 13.46 kDa with the pI of 6.82. The alignment analysis showed that SpMIF appeared to be closely related to the counterpart from crab Eriocheir sinensis (68%). Quantitative real-time PCR analysis revealed that SpMIF was highly expressed in hepatopancreas and hemocytes. In addition, the expression level of SpMIF was increased significantly after a 6-h challenge by Vibrio parahaemolyticus (4.00 x 10(6) CFU/mL), peaked at 8 h, and then declined to the common level in 48 h. This data indicated that SpMIF was cloned successfully, and suggested that it participated in the immune system of mud crabs.

Surface anatomical profile of the cerebral cortex in obsessive-compulsive disorder: a study of cortical thickness, folding and surface area

BACKGROUND

Studying the distribution of anatomical abnormalities over the entire cortical surface can help to identify key neural circuits implicated in generating symptoms of neuropsychiatric disorders. There is a significant inconsistency among studies investigating the neuroanatomy of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) because of the confounding influence of co-morbid depression and medication use and the lack of unbiased estimation of whole-brain morphometric changes. It is also unknown whether the distinct surface anatomical properties of thickness, surface area and gyrification, which collectively contribute to grey matter volume (GMV), are independently affected in OCD. Method The cortical maps of thickness, gyrification and surface areal change were acquired from 23 unmedicated OCD patients and 20 healthy controls using an unbiased whole-brain surface-based morphometric (SBM) method to detect regional changes in OCD. Subcortical structures were not assessed in this study.

RESULTS

Patients showed a significant increase in the right inferior parietal cortical thickness. Significant increases in gyrification were also noted in the left insula, left middle frontal and left lateral occipital regions extending to the precuneus and right supramarginal gyrus in OCD. Areal contraction/expansion maps revealed no significant regional differences between the patients and controls. In patients, gyrification of the insula significantly predicted the symptom severity measured using Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (YBOCS).

CONCLUSIONS

An alteration in the cortical surface anatomy is an important feature of OCD seen in unmedicated samples that relates to the severity of the illness. The results underscore the presence of a neurodevelopmental aberration underlying the pathophysiology of OCD.

Fabrication of hybrid nanostructured arrays using a PDMS/PDMS replication process

In the study, a novel and low cost nanofabrication process is proposed for producing hybrid polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) nanostructured arrays. The proposed process involves monolayer self-assembly of polystyrene (PS) spheres, PDMS nanoreplication, thin film coating, and PDMS to PDMS (PDMS/PDMS) replication. A self-assembled monolayer of PS spheres is used as the first template. Second, a PDMS template is achieved by replica moulding. Third, the PDMS template is coated with a platinum or gold layer. Finally, a PDMS nanostructured array is developed by casting PDMS slurry on top of the coated PDMS. The cured PDMS is peeled off and used as a replica surface. In this study, the influences of the coating on the PDMS topography, contact angle of the PDMS slurry and the peeling off ability are discussed in detail. From experimental evaluation, a thickness of at least 20 nm gold layer or 40 nm platinum layer on the surface of the PDMS template improves the contact angle and eases peeling off. The coated PDMS surface is successfully used as a template to achieve the replica with a uniform array via PDMS/PDMS replication process. Both the PDMS template and the replica are free of defects and also undistorted after demoulding with a highly ordered hexagonal arrangement. In addition, the geometry of the nanostructured PDMS can be controlled by changing the thickness of the deposited layer. The simplicity and the controllability of the process show great promise as a robust nanoreplication method for functional applications.

Effects of various salinities on Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase, Hsp70 and Hsp90 expression profiles in juvenile mitten crabs, Eriocheir sinensis

Eriocheir sinensis is a euryhaline crab migrating from sea to freshwater habitats during the juvenile stage. We used quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) to investigate the gene expression profile of Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase, Hsp70 (heat shock protein 70) and Hsp90 in megalopa exposed to salinities of 0, 2, 5, 10, and 15 parts per thousand. Both low and high salinities markedly stimulated expression of Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase, Hsp70 and Hsp90 genes of Chinese mitten crab megalopa; salinity had different effects on Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase, Hsp70 and Hsp90 levels depending on the duration of salinity stress, implying that Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase, Hsp70 and Hsp90 may play an important role in salinity tolerance in this crab species.

Influences of oxygen pressure on optical properties and interband electronic transitions in multiferroic bismuth ferrite nanocrystalline films grown by pulsed laser deposition

Bismuth ferrite (BiFeO(3)) nanocrystalline films with the crystalline size of 27-40 nm have been grown on c-sapphire substrates under various oxygen pressures of 1 × 10(-4) to 1 Pa by pulsed laser deposition. The X-ray diffraction spectra show that the films are polycrystalline and present the pure rhombohedral phase. It was found that the Raman-active phonon mode E(TO1) shifts towards a higher energy side from 74 to 76 cm(-1) with increasing oxygen pressure, indicating a larger tensile stress in the films deposited at higher oxygen pressure. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis suggests that the concentrations of both Fe(2+) ions and oxygen vacancies in the BiFeO(3) films increase with decreasing oxygen pressure. Moreover, the dielectric functions in the photon energy range of 0.47-6.5 eV have been extracted by fitting the transmittance spectra with the Tauc-Lorentz dispersion model. From the transmittance spectra, the fundamental absorption edge is observed to present a redshift trend with increasing the temperature from 8 to 300 K. Note that the optical band gap (E(g)) decreases with increasing the temperature due to the electron-phonon interactions associated with the interatomic distance in the BiFeO(3) films. However, the E(g) decreases from 2.88 to 2.78 eV with decreasing oxygen pressure at 8 K, which can be attributed to the increment of oxygen vacancies leading to the formation of some impurity states between the valence and conduction band. It can be concluded that the oxygen pressure during the film fabrication has the significant effects on microstructure, optical properties, and electronic band structure modification of the BiFeO(3) films.

Three-dimensional surface reconstruction of diatomaceous frustules

Single-celled diatoms have attracted much attention due to their delicate nanostructures and wide applications in photonics, biology, nanofluidics, drug delivery, and so on. Three-dimensional (3D) surface reconstruction of diatoms has profound significance both in theory and in applications. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) stereo imaging technique was used to reconstruct the surface features of the diatomaceous frustules to quantitatively evaluate specimens. Geometrical parameters such as volume and area were given based on the reconstructed 3D image. This approach provides a simple and efficient way to measure the morphological parameters of diatoms at nanometer scale in three dimensions.

Effect of aging on optical properties of bimetallic sensor chips

Bimetallic silver/gold sensor chips are attractive since they combine the advantages of both silver and gold layers. Optical properties of the bimetallic sensor chips show significant aging effects. Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) curves were produced on an SPR device and the time dependence of aging on SPR curves was studied. The results show that resonance angle and full width at half maximum (FWHM) of response curves increase with the aging time after film deposition. The performance of the sensor chips in terms of intrinsic sensitivity (IS) degrades with aging time. The underlying mechanism of the aging effect is explained as the growth of a silver oxide layer between gold and silver during the aging process.

The fabrication of high-aspect-ratio, size-tunable nanopore arrays by modified nanosphere lithography

A modified nanosphere lithographic process for producing high aspect ratio and size-tunable nanopore arrays is described. A self-assembled bilayer nanosphere template is created as an etch mask for a deep reactive ion etching (DRIE) process. The size of the nanopores is tuned by reducing the diameter of the top-layer nanospheres using oxygen etching. Nanopore arrays with mean in-plane widths ranging from 120.9 to 343 nm and depths up to 2 microm have been achieved. This process offers excellent control over the nanopore size, aspect ratio and pitch of the fabricated nanostructures. The approach can also be extended to fabricate nanopore arrays of a wide range of materials.

Ablation of Stat3 by siRNA alters gene expression profiles in JEG-3 cells: a systems biology approach

Control of inflammation at the maternal-fetal interface is a critical element in mammalian pregnancy. Previous work from our laboratory has shown that Stat3 may be a placental mediator involved in maintaining immunologic homeostasis at the maternal-fetal interface. The aim of the current study is to further elucidate the role of Stat3 in response to inflammation. As ablation of Stat3 in mice results in embryonic lethality, we evaluated the role of Stat3 in vitro using an siRNA approach. Trophoblast-like JEG-3 cells were transfected with an siRNA construct specific to Stat3. Experimental and control cells were exposed to conditioned medium from PHA-activated peripheral blood mononuclear cells and incubated for 45 min. Cells were then collected and RNA isolated for transcriptional profiling using human Affymetrix U133 plus 2.0 GeneChips. Differences in gene expression between control and Stat3-ablated cells were evaluated using conventional statistical methods. Fifty-two genes were detected as up-regulated in conditioned medium in both mock transfected and in Stat3 siRNA transfected JEG-3 cells. Two genes (EPAS1 and RASGEF1B) were up-regulated only in cells transfected with negative control siRNA, while 36 genes were up-regulated only in cells transfected with Stat3 siRNA. Sixty genes were differentially expressed between Stat3 siRNA transfected cells relative to mock transfected cells both in basal and conditioned medium. These included 31 genes up-regulated with Stat3 siRNA transfected cells and 29 genes down-regulated with Stat3 siRNA. Eleven genes were differentially expressed only in basal medium. Seven of these were up-regulated in the presence of Stat3 siRNA and four were down-regulated. Nine genes were differentially expressed only in conditioned medium. Six of these were up-regulated and three down-regulated in the presence of Stat3 siRNA. Off-target effects were excluded in a second set of experiments in which Stat3 mRNA was targeted at a different site and quantitative real-time PCR performed on selected genes derived from the microarray analysis. While some of the genes that showed differential expression between Stat3-ablated cells and mock transfected controls were genes typically associated with immune response (e.g., CCR7 and IRAK1), in silico modeling of the microarray data also revealed complex networks of signaling molecules and molecules associated with cellular metabolism previously seen in transcription factor ablation in model organisms. We conclude thus: Stat3 controls a specific gene set in trophoblast-like JEG-3 cells. While some differentially expressed genes and in silico models of their functions are consistent with the hypothesis that Stat3 plays a role in regulating inflammation, Stat3-mediated response to inflammation appears to also involve complex homeostatic adaptations of a non-immunologic nature.

Functional involvement of protein kinase C-betaII and its substrate, myristoylated alanine-rich C-kinase substrate (MARCKS), in insulin-stimulated glucose transport in L6 rat skeletal muscle cells

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS

Insulin stimulates phosphorylation cascades, including phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K), phosphatidylinositol-dependent kinase (PDK1), Akt, and protein kinase C (PKC). Myristoylated alanine-rich C-kinase substrate (MARCKS), a PKCbetaII substrate, could link the effects of insulin to insulin-stimulated glucose transport (ISGT) via phosphorylation of its effector domain since MARCKS has a role in cytoskeletal rearrangements.

METHODS

We examined phosphoPKCbetaII after insulin treatment of L6 myocytes, and cytosolic and membrane phosphoMARCKS, MARCKS and phospholipase D1 in cells pretreated with LY294002 (PI3K inhibitor), CG53353 (PKCbetaII inhibitor) or W13 (calmodulin inhibitor), PI3K, PKCbetaII and calmodulin inhibitors, respectively, before insulin treatment, using western blots. ISGT was examined after cells had been treated with inhibitors, small inhibitory RNA (siRNA) for MARCKS, or transfection with MARCKS mutated at a PKC site. MARCKS, PKCbetaII, GLUT4 and insulin receptor were immunoblotted in subcellular fractions with F-actin antibody immunoprecipitates to demonstrate changes following insulin treatment. GLUT4 membrane insertion was followed after insulin with or without CG53353.

RESULTS

Insulin increased phosphoPKCbetaII(Ser660 and Thr641); LY294002 blocked this, indicating its activation by PI3K. Insulin treatment increased cytosolic phosphoMARCKS, decreased membrane MARCKS and increased membrane phospholipase D1 (PLD1), a protein regulating glucose transporter vesicle fusion resulted. PhosphoMARCKS was attenuated by CG53353 or MARCKS siRNA. MARCKS siRNA blocked ISGT. Association of PKCbetaII and GLUT4 with membrane F-actin was enhanced by insulin, as was that of cytosolic and membrane MARCKS. ISGT was attenuated in myocytes transfected with mutated MARCKS (Ser152Ala), whereas overproduction of wild-type MARCKS enhanced ISGT. CG53353 blocked insertion of GLUT4 into membranes of insulin treated cells.

CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION

The results suggest that PKCbetaII is involved in mediating downstream steps of ISGT through MARCKS phosphorylation and cytoskeletal remodelling.

Molecular cloning and mRNA expression profiling of the first specific jasmonate biosynthetic pathway gene allene oxide synthase from Hyoscyamus niger

In the endeavor to enhance the production of pharmaceutically valuable tropane alkaloids including hyoscyamine and scopolamine in Hyoscyamus niger, methyl jasmonate (MeJA) showed significant stimulation both in tropane biosynthetic pathway enzymes activities and tropane alkaloids yields. Therefore it was speculated that genetic engineering of jasmonate biosynthetic pathway might enhance the endogenous jasmonate concentration, followed by stimulating the production of tropane alkaloids. Herein a full-length cDNA encoding allene oxide synthase (AOS, EC 4.2.1.92), the first committed step enzyme in jasmonate biosynthetic pathway was reported (named HnAOS, GenBank accession: EF532599). HnAOS was a novel member of the cytochrome P450 (CYP74A) subfamily. Real-time quantitative PCR analysis showed that HnAOS mRNA accumulated mainly in stems, and responded significantly to wounding or methyl jasmonate.

RNA interference-mediated silencing of the polo-like kinase 1 gene enhances chemosensitivity to gemcitabine in pancreatic adenocarcinoma cells

Gemcitabine is the first-line chemotherapeutic agent for advanced adenocarcinoma of the pancreas; however, chemoresistance to gemcitabine remains a major cause of failure for the clinical treatment of this disease. Polo-like kinase 1 (Plk-1) is highly expressed in pancreatic cancer cell lines and pancreatic tumour tissues, and is involved in a wide variety of cell cycle processes. Nevertheless, its biological role and implication for gemcitabine resistance are not clearly defined. In this study, we used RNA-interference (RNAi)-mediated depletion of Plk-1 to determine its potential for sensitizing pancreatic tumour cells to gemcitabine. We showed that the level of Plk-1 protein was correlated significantly with gemcitabine resistance in human pancreatic adenocarcinoma cells and that overexpression of Plk-1 reduced sensitivity to gemcitabine in these cells. In addition, small interfering RNA (siRNA)-mediated knockdown of Plk-1 caused cell cycle arrest at G2/M and the reduction of cellular proliferation. More importantly, the treatment of pancreatic cancer cells with Plk-1 siRNA followed by exposure to gemcitabine dramatically decreased cell viability and increased cellular apoptosis, as compared with treatment with either agent alone. These observations indicate that down-regulation of Plk-1 expression by RNAi enhances gemcitabine sensitivity and increases gemcitabine cytotoxicity in pancreatic tumour cells. This is the first demonstration that the combination of Plk-1 gene therapy and gemcitabine chemotherapy has synergistic anti-tumour activity against pancreatic carcinoma in vitro. This combination treatment warrants further investigation as an effective therapeutic regimen for patients with resistant pancreatic cancer and other tumours.

Large-scale fabrication of ordered metallic hybrid nanostructures

A low-cost and high-throughput method for the fabrication of large-area ordered hybrid metallic nanostructure arrays is presented. Each structure unit is a nanobowl with a hexagonal distributed pillar array upon it. A self-assembled monolayer of polystyrene (PS) nanospheres is used as a template. After thermal evaporation, electroforming and removal of the nanospheres and the conductive layer, ordered arrays of hybrid nickel nanostructures have been fabricated. Both nanobowl arrays and pillar arrays exhibit uniform sizes. Smooth interior surfaces were observed in the nanobowl arrays. The geometry of the structure can be tuned by controlling the thickness of the conductive layer. The approach presented in this paper can be extended to fabricate ordered hybrid nanostructures of a wide range of metals and alloys with controlled size.

A large-area hybrid metallic nanostructure array and its optical properties

A process for fabricating a large-area hybrid metallic nanostructure array is presented. The structures consist of an array of metal capped dielectric nanopillars and an array of metallic holes, each possessing its individual optical properties. The plasmon response of such structures can be viewed as the collection of plasmons from two geometries to form an interacting system. Experimental results show two peak values in the extinction spectrum for p-polarized incident light. The two peaks in the extinction spectrum were shifted to longer wavelength and shorter wavelength respectively with the addition of absolute ethanol on the structure surface. The narrowest extinction peak appears at normal incidence.

[Molecular cloning and expression profile of a jasmonate biosynthetic pathway gene allene oxide cyclase from Hyoscyamus niger]

Hyoscyamus niger L. is a medicinal plant which produces a class of jasmonate-responsive pharmaceutical secondary metabolites named as tropane alkaloids. As a family of signaling phytohormones, jasmonates play significant roles in the biosynthesis of many plant secondary metabolites. In jasmonate biosynthetic pathway of plants, allene oxide cyclase (AOC, [...] EC 5.3.99.6 [...]) catalyzes the most important step. Here we cloned a cDNA from H. niger, named HnAOC (GenBank accession: AY708383), which was 1044 bp long, with a 747 bp open reading frame (ORF) encoding a polypeptide of 248 amino acid residues. Southern blot analysis indicated that it was a multi-copy gene. RT-PCR analysis revealed that the expression of HnAOC was regulated by various stresses and elicitors, with methyl-jasmonate showing the most prominent inducement. The characterization of HnAOC would be helpful for improving the production of valuable secondary metabolites by regulating the biosynthesis ofjasmonates.

The mitotic checkpoint kinase NEK2A regulates kinetochore microtubule attachment stability

Loss or gain of whole chromosome, the form of chromosome instability commonly associated with cancers is thought to arise from aberrant chromosome segregation during cell division. Chromosome segregation in mitosis is orchestrated by the interaction of kinetochores with spindle microtubules. Our studies show that NEK2A is a kinetochore-associated protein kinase essential for faithful chromosome segregation. However, it was unclear how NEK2A ensures accurate chromosome segregation in mitosis. Here we show that NEK2A-mediated Hec1 (highly expressed in cancer) phosphorylation is essential for faithful kinetochore microtubule attachments in mitosis. Using phospho-specific antibody, our studies show that NEK2A phosphorylates Hec1 at Ser165 during mitosis. Although such phosphorylation is not required for assembly of Hec1 to the kinetochore, expression of non-phosphorylatable mutant Hec1(S165) perturbed chromosome congression and resulted in a dramatic increase in microtubule attachment errors, including syntelic and monotelic attachments. Our in vitro reconstitution experiment demonstrated that Hec1 binds to microtubule in low affinity and phosphorylation by NEK2A, which prevents aberrant kinetochore-microtubule connections in vivo, increases the affinity of the Ndc80 complex for microtubules in vitro. Thus, our studies illustrate a novel regulatory mechanism in which NEK2A kinase operates a faithful chromosome attachment to spindle microtubule, which prevents chromosome instability during cell division.

Screening of taxol-producing endophytic fungi from Taxus chinensis var. mairei

A total of 38 endophytic fungus strains were isolated from Taxus chinensis var. mairei by aseptic technique. Genomic DNA was extracted from isolated endophytic fungi and subjected to polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis for the presence of Taxus taxadiene synthase (TS) gene, a rate-limiting enzyme gene in the taxol biosynthetic pathway. Twelve out of 38 isolated endophytic fungus strains showed PCR positive for the ts gene. Subsequently, taxol and its related compounds were extracted from culture filtrates and mycelia of the PCR positive strains, separated by column chromatography and analyzed by High Performance Liquid Chromatography and Mass Spectrum. The analysis result showed that 3 strains could produce taxol and its related compounds at the detectible level. This study indicates that molecular detection of the ts gene is an efficient method for primary screening of taxol or its related compounds-producing endophytic fungi which can improve prominently screening efficiency.

Diversity of the killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptor gene KIR2DS4 in the Chinese population

Human killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors are a subfamily of the immunoglobulin superfamily, which map to the leukocyte receptor complex on chromosome 19. Here, we established polymerase chain reaction-sequence-based typing (PCR-SBT) procedures to identify alleles of the KIR2DS4 gene. The method was designed around the specific amplification of exons 4-5 of the KIR2DS4 gene. Genomic DNA from 105 healthy unrelated Chinese Han individuals were typed for the KIR2DS4 alleles. Each sample was assigned the KIR2DS4 alleles combination, consistent with the pairwise combinations of sequences of all the known KIR2DS4 alleles. We observed eleven different genotypes and four KIR2DS4 alleles in the population, with the KIR2DS4*00101 having the highest frequency, 0.576, and also confirmed the new KIR2DS4*007 allele. Our data demonstrated that the established PCR-SBT method for the KIR2DS4 allele typing was reliable.

Investigation of killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors gene KIR3DL2 diversity and confirmation of KIR3DL2*015 in a Chinese population

Human killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs) are a subfamily of the immunoglobulin superfamily. Here, we established polymerase chain reaction-sequence-based typing (PCR-SBT) procedure to identify alleles of KIR3DL2 gene. The method was designed around the specific amplification of exon 3 to exon 4 and exon 8 to exon 9 of the KIR3DL2 gene. Genomic DNA from 104 healthy, unrelated Chinese Han individuals was typed for KIR3DL2 alleles. Each sample was assigned to the putative allele combination according to the sequences of all KIR3DL2 alleles. We observed 18 different genotypes and eight KIR3DL2 alleles in the population, with KIR3DL2*002 having the highest frequency of 0.558, and confirmed the new KIR3DL2*015 allele. Our data showed that the established PCR-SBT methods for KIR3DL2 allele typing were reliable, and Chinese Han population is distinct in KIR3DL2 allele frequencies.

Soluble factors from LPS- and PHA-activated PBMC induce MAPK, Stat1 and Stat3 phosphorylation in primary cultures of human term placental trophoblasts: implications for infection and prematurity

Infection of the maternal vaginal tract is one of the single most important antecedents of premature labor. We have hypothesized that the abundant local synthesis of pro-inflammatory cytokines that occurs during infection may disrupt the delicate "immunological cross-talk" that must occur between maternal and fetal tissues in order to carry pregnancy to term. These experiments were undertaken as part of a larger study directed at testing that hypothesis. We prepared primary cultures of human trophoblasts from term placentas. Cell cultures were stimulated with conditioned medium from resting, PHA or LPS-activated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). Medium with LPS or PHA at the same concentration as that used to stimulate the PBMC was used as an additional control. Lysates were subjected to western blotting for activated forms of the mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK), Stat1, and Stat3. Western blotting showed phosphorylation of the Jun kinase (JNK), p38, and Erk1/Erk2 MAPK in trophoblasts incubated with conditioned medium from LPS or PHA-activated PBMC but not from medium from resting PBMC, or with PHA or LPS alone. Phosphorylation could be detected as early as 5 min and was still observable by 10 min, the latest time point tested. Similarly, Stat1 and Stat3 phosphorylation was observed within 10 min of exposure to conditioned medium and was still observable 10 min after exposure. Immunohistochemistry also demonstrated nuclear translocation of both Stat1 and Stat3 after stimulation of trophoblasts with medium from activated PBMC. These findings are compatible with the hypothesis that immunologic balance at the maternal-fetal interface is maintained by ongoing "cross-talk" between the fetus (and fetally-derived tissues) and the maternal immune system. Infection of the maternal vaginal tract may disrupt this delicate immunologic balance, initiating inflammatory events that ultimately result in preterm labor.

hCG Secretion in Human Choriocarcinoma JAR Cells is MAPK but not Stat3 Dependent: Contributions of TNFα and IL-1β to Inflammation-induced hCG Secretion

Inflammatory mediators play critical physiologic roles throughout the course of normal pregnancy. At the same time, uncontrolled inflammation appears to have an adverse affect on pregnancy outcome. Thus, a crucial task of reproductive immunology is to define the mechanisms through which inflammation is controlled at the maternal-fetal interface. We examined the signaling pathways activated in the human choriocarcinoma cell line, JAR, in response to an in vitro model of an inflammatory challenge. We incubated JAR cells with medium from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) that had been activated with either LPS or PHA. Conditioned medium from each experimental model induced MAP kinase and Stat3 phosphorylation as well as human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) secretion from JAR cells. hCG secretion could be blocked by pharmacologic inhibition of MAP kinase but not by inhibition of Stat3 using an siRNA approach. The MAPK activators IL-1beta and TNFalpha both induced hCG secretion from JAR cells, but not the Stat3 activators IFN-gamma and IL-6. Furthermore, hCG secretion induced by conditioned media could be blocked by IL-1 receptor antagonist. We conclude that inflammation at the maternal-fetal interface may involve complex webs of regulatory and counter-regulatory mechanisms that involve multiple cytokines and at least two major, independent cell-signaling systems.

Investigation of killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptor KIR2DL4 diversity by sequence-based typing in Chinese population

Human killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs) play an important role in controlling natural killer (NK) cell function. Here, polymerase chain reaction sequence-based typing (PCR-SBT) procedures identifying alleles of the KIR2DL4 gene have been established. The method was designed around the specific amplification of exon 3 to exon 5 and exon 7 to exon 9 of the KIR2DL4 gene and produce discrimination of KIR2DL4 alleles. Genomic DNAs from 83 healthy unrelated Chinese Han individuals were typed for KIR2DL4 alleles by this method. Each sample was assigned to the putative KIR2DL4 allele combination according to the nucleotide polymorphism profiles of all KIR2DL4 alleles. Twenty-one different genotypes and seven KIR2DL4 alleles were observed in the population, with KIR2DL4*00102 having the highest frequency, 0.5. Five individuals bear a recombinant allele KIR3DP*004 that associated with three putative KIR2DL4 alleles. Our data demonstrated that the established PCR-SBT method for KIR2DL4 allele typing was reliable, and Chinese Han population is distinct in KIR2DL4 allele frequencies in comparison to some other populations.

Distribution of killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptor genes in the Chinese Han population

Killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs) on natural killer cells recognize groups of HLA class I alleles. Seventeen KIR genes have been identified at present, and two kinds of KIR haplotypes (group A and B) have been described based on their gene contents. Immunogenetic analysis of different ethnic populations shows significant differences in terms of the distribution of group A and B haplotypes. Here, genomic DNA from 104 healthy unrelated Chinese Han individuals was typed for the presence or absence of KIR genes. All 17 KIR genes were observed in the population, and framework genes 3DL3, 3DP1, 2DL4, and 3DL2 were present in all individuals. Twenty-six different genotypes were found, four of which could not be assigned to haplotypes according to the model of Hsu et al. (J Immunol 2002: 169: 5118). Group A haplotypes outnumbered group B haplotypes in frequency by approximately 3:1, with individuals having two group A haplotypes accounting for 58.7%. Analysis indicated that some pairs of KIR genes showed remarkable linkage disequilibrium. Our data demonstrated that the Chinese Han population is distinct in KIR gene frequencies and putative KIR haplotypes in comparison to some other populations.

Genome-wide identification of NBS genes in japonica rice reveals significant expansion of divergent non-TIR NBS-LRR genes

A complete set of candidate disease resistance ( R) genes encoding nucleotide-binding sites (NBSs) was identified in the genome sequence of japonica rice ( Oryza sativaL. var. Nipponbare). These putative R genes were characterized with respect to structural diversity, phylogenetic relationships and chromosomal distribution, and compared with those in Arabidopsis thaliana. We found 535 NBS-coding sequences, including 480 non-TIR (Toll/IL-1 receptor) NBS-LRR (Leucine Rich Repeat) genes. TIR NBS-LRR genes, which are common in A. thaliana, have not been identified in the rice genome. The number of non-TIR NBS-LRR genes in rice is 8.7 times higher than that in A. thaliana, and they account for about 1% of all of predicted ORFs in the rice genome. Some 76% of the NBS genes were located in 44 gene clusters or in 57 tandem arrays, and 16 apparent gene duplications were detected in these regions. Phylogenetic analyses based both NBS and N-terminal regions classified the genes into about 200 groups, but no deep clades were detected, in contrast to the two distinct clusters found in A. thaliana. The structural and genetic diversity that exists among NBS-LRR proteins in rice is remarkable, and suggests that diversifying selection has played an important role in the evolution of R genes in this agronomically important species. (Supplemental material is available online at http://gattaca.nju.edu.cn.)

T cell activation by soluble C1q-bearing immune complexes: implications for the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis

Both innate and adaptive immune systems are thought to participate in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis in adults and children. The experiments reported here were undertaken to examine how immune complexes, potent stimulators of inflammation, may regulate cells of the adaptive immune system. Human T cells were prepared from peripheral blood by negative selection and incubated with bovine serum albumin (BSA)-anti-BSA immune complexes that were formed in the presence or absence of human C1q. C1q-bearing immune complexes, but not unopsonized complexes, elicited both TNF-alpha and IFN-gamma secretion from human T cells. Secretion of both cytokines was time- and dose-dependent. Cross-linking C1q on the cell surface of T cells produced the same results. Cytokine secretion was not inhibited by blocking the C3b receptor (CR1, CD35) on T cells prior to incubation with immune complexes. Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) of immune complex-stimulated cells revealed accumulation of both TNF-alpha and IFN-gamma mRNA within 2 h post-stimulation. IL-2 was not detected in cell culture supernatants, but IL-2 receptor alpha chain (CD25) was detected in low density on a small proportion of T cells activated by C1q-bearing immune complexes. Secretion of both cytokines was inhibited partially, but not completely, by IL-10. These experiments show that immune complexes, potent inflammatory mediators, may activate T cells through a novel mechanism. These findings have implications for chronic inflammatory diseases in humans.

Effect of rizatriptan and other triptans on the nausea symptom of migraine: a post hoc analysis

OBJECTIVE

To compare the effects of oral rizatriptan, sumatriptan, naratriptan, and zolmitriptan on the relief and emergence of nausea during a migraine attack.

METHODS

Data from five randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical trials in which oral rizatriptan 10 mg was directly compared with oral sumatriptan 100 mg (N = 772), 50 mg (N = 1168), 25 mg (N = 1180), naratriptan 2.5 mg (N = 406), or zolmitriptan 2.5 mg (N = 571) for the acute treatment of a migraine attack were retrospectively analyzed. Migraine was diagnosed according to International Headache Society criteria. Presence or absence of nausea was recorded at baseline and at 0.5, 1, 1.5, and 2 hours after dosing. The end points analyzed were relief of nausea in those who had it at baseline and emergence of nausea in those who were free of it at baseline. Treatments were compared using odds ratios estimated from logistic regression models at 2 hours, and averaged odds ratios for the first 2 hours posttreatment.

RESULTS

Approximately 60% of patients in each treatment group had nausea at baseline. In those patients with nausea at baseline, significantly more patients treated with rizatriptan 10 mg were free of nausea at 2 hours compared with sumatriptan 100 mg (66% versus 58%, P =.043), sumatriptan 50 mg (68% versus 57%, P =.010), sumatriptan 25 mg (68% versus 59%, P =.017), and naratriptan 2.5 mg (59% versus 45%, P =.014). Averaging over the four posttreatment time points in the first 2 hours, significantly more patients treated with rizatriptan 10 mg were free of nausea compared with sumatriptan 100 mg (P =.004), sumatriptan 50 mg (P =.001), and naratriptan 2.5 mg (P =.015). No significant differences in nausea relief were seen between rizatriptan 10 mg and zolmitriptan 2.5 mg, either at 2 hours (65% versus 61%, P =.210) or over the first 2 hours (P =.781). Rates of treatment-emergent nausea at 2 hours ranged from 11% to 18% with placebo, from 5% to 13% with rizatriptan 10 mg, and from 10% to 20% with other comparator triptans.

CONCLUSIONS

Oral rizatriptan 10 mg was more effective than oral sumatriptan and naratriptan at eliminating nausea within 2 hours in patients who had it at baseline. Rates of emergent nausea in patients who were free of it at baseline were low, and no consistent differences were observed between active treatments.

[The composition of PAHs in fly ash in Beijing]

The composition of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in fly ash samples which were gathered from manufacturing district of Shijingshan district and residential quarters of Haidian district were analyzed using HPLC/MS technique. The differences of the contents of PAHs in fly ash samples from manufacturing district and residential quarters were compared. The changes of the contents of PAHs of different seasons were discussed. In this study 135 PAHs including 55 large PAHs whose molecular weights are greater than 300u were detected in fly ash sample from manufacturing district. HPLC/MS offset the deficiency of GC/MS which can not determine large PAHs directly and can reflect the distribution of PAHs in fly ash more roundly.

Cooperative regulation of Mcl-1 by Janus kinase/stat and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase contribute to granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor-delayed apoptosis in human neutrophils

Polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) are phagocytic cells constitutively programmed for apoptotic cell death. Exposure to GM-CSF delays apoptosis as measured by annexin-V staining and cell morphological change. We found that STAT5B, STAT1, and STAT3 DNA-binding activity was induced by GM-CSF. We also detected activation of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI 3-kinase) pathway after GM-CSF treatment which was inhibited by treatment with the PI 3-kinase inhibitors, wortmannin and LY294002. We investigated whether STAT or PI 3-kinase activity was necessary for the pro-survival response of GM-CSF in PMN. Exposure of PMN to GM-CSF in the presence of either AG-490, antisense STAT3 oligonucleotides, or wortmannin resulted in a partial inhibition of GM-CSF-mediated pro-survival activity. GM-CSF induced a time-dependent increase in the mRNA and protein expression of the anti-apoptotic Bcl-2-family protein, Mcl-1. We examined the hypothesis that Janus kinase/STAT and PI 3-kinase regulation of Mcl-1 contributed to GM-CSF-delayed apoptosis. Using either AG-490 or wortmannin alone, we observed a dose-dependent inhibition of GM-CSF-induced Mcl-1 expression. Using suboptimal doses of AG-490 and wortmannin, we found that both drugs together had an additive effect on delayed apoptosis and Mcl-1 expression. These data suggest that cooperative regulation of Mcl-1 by the Janus kinase/STAT and PI 3-kinase pathways contribute to GM-CSF-delayed apoptosis.

[Study of susceptibility loci located within Xp11 in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder]

OBJECTIVE

To detect the genetic relationship between monoamine oxidase(MAO) A type gene and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder(ADHD) in Chinese.

METHODS

The haplotype-based haplotype relative risk(HHRR) and the transmission disequilibrium test(TDT) methods were used to analyze the genetic association and linkage in 60 ADHD children and their parents.

RESULTS

In this sample were found significant association (chi(2)=4.90, P<0.05) and linkage (chi(2)=4.84, P<0.05) between the MAOCA 114bp allele and DSM-III-R-diagnosed ADHD in trios composed of father, mother and affected offspring.

CONCLUSION

The above results suggested that ADHD was associated and in linkage with MAO A gene, and the susceptibility loci might reside in chromosome Xp11 for ADHD.

[Reversed trabeculectomy for treatment of glaucoma]

OBJECTIVE

To reduce the postoperative blocking of the filtration canal in routine trabeculectomy with modification.

METHODS

The modification of the procedure of routine trabeculectomy was that one end of the 4.0 mm x 1.5 mm deep layer scleral tissue including part of trabecular meshwork was not cut. Instead, the free end of the strip of deep scleral tissue was vertically rotated and sutured on the deep layer of the scleral bed posterior to it. The projection of the strip was utilized to prevent postoperative blocking of filtration canal.

RESULTS

The mean period of postoperative follow-up was 23.5 months (range, 12 -- 36 months). In the treatment group (38 eyes of 33 cases), the intraocular pressure (IOP) was lowered from preoperative (25.41 plus minus 2.41) mm Hg to postoperative (14.74 plus minus 0.90) mm Hg. The IOP was lowered from preoperative (24.96 plus minus 1.35) mm Hg to postoperative (19.40 plus minus 1.43) mm Hg in the control group (40 eyes of 33 cases). The success rates were 94.7% and 77.5% in the treatment and control group respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The modified trabeculectomy is safe, easy to perform, and can effectively relieve the postoperative blocking of the filtration canal, control postoperative IOP and reduce postoperative recurrence.

Accumulation of abnormal amounts of glycosaminoglycans in murine mucopolysaccharidosis type VII neural progenitor cells does not alter the growth rate or efficiency of differentiation into neurons

Mucopolysaccharidosis type VII (MPS VII) results from deficiencies in the gene encoding the lysosomal enzyme beta-glucuronidase (GUSB). To study how the genetic and biochemical defects of MPS disease affect neural cell populations, neural progenitor cells (NPCs) were isolated from MPS VII mice and normal littermates. After growth in culture, approximately 90% of cells from both genotypes were nestin positive, a marker for NPCs, and lacked markers associated with lineage commitment. The mutant NPCs contained elevated levels of undegraded glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), the substrate for GUSB. Transduction with a retrovirus-vector expressing normal GUSB resulted in correction of the biochemical defects. Because of the demonstrated roles that GAGs and proteoglycans have in NPC biology and neural development, we tested whether the alterations in GAG metabolism affected MPS VII NPC properties regulated by GAG-containing molecules. MPS VII NPC cultures had growth rates in response to FGF-2 that were similar to normal cultures and the efficiency of differentiation into neurons was the same as with normal cells. Thus, even though isolated NPCs accumulate abnormally high levels of GAGs, these two key developmental properties were not altered when the cells were examined outside the milieu of the diseased brain.

Detection of glutamic acid decarboxylase-activated T cells with I-Ag7 tetramers

CD4(+) T cells selected by the type 1 diabetes associated class II MHC I-A(g7) molecules play a critical role in the disease process. Multivalent MHC/peptide tetramers have been used to directly detect antigen-specific T cells. Detection of autoantigen-activated CD4(+) T cells with tetramers should be very helpful in the study of the roles of these cells in diabetes. We report here the generation of tetramers of I-A(g7) covalently linked to two glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) peptides and the detection of GAD peptide-activated T cells from nonobese diabetic (NOD) mice. The I-A(g7) heterodimers can form stable complexes with a covalently bound GAD peptide and can stimulate antigen specific T cells. Furthermore, I-A(g7)/GAD peptide tetramer can detect most if not all of the antigen-specific CD4(+) T cells from immunized NOD mice. Antigen-specific T cells detected by the tetramers can up-regulate their CD4 expression on the cell surface after being restimulated with the GAD peptides in vitro. In contrast, the tetramers can detect a percentage of T cells in lymph nodes and spleens and T cells infiltrating islets from nonimmunized mice that is not significantly above the background. Therefore, T cells specific for the GAD peptides are present in NOD mice at a frequency too low to be detected, but immunization of NOD mice can facilitate their detection by tetramers.

Pivotal role of phosphoinositide-3 kinase in regulation of cytotoxicity in natural killer cells

The mitogen-activated protein kinase-extracellular signal-regulated kinase signaling element (MAPK-ERK) plays a critical role in natural killer (NK) cell lysis of tumor cells, but its upstream effectors were previously unknown. We show that inhibition of phosphoinositide-3 kinase (PI3K) in NK cells blocks p21-activated kinase 1 (PAK1), MAPK kinase (MEK) and ERK activation by target cell ligation, interferes with perforin and granzyme B movement toward target cells and suppresses NK cytotoxicity. Dominant-negative N17Rac1 and PAK1 mimic the suppressive effects of PI3K inhibitors, whereas constitutively active V12Rac1 has the opposite effect. V12Rac1 restores the activity of downstream effectors and lytic function in LY294002- or wortmannin-treated, but not PD98059-treated, NK cells. These results document a specific PI3K-->Rac1-->PAK1-->MEK-->ERK pathway in NK cells that effects lysis.

IL-2 induces the association of IL-2Rbeta, lyn, and MAP kinase ERK-1 in human neutrophils

IL-2, first identified as a T cell growth factor, has been proven to activate many cell types including polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN3). However, the mechanisms involved in PMN activation, especially the signaling pathways used by the IL-2R, are currently unknown. Here we demonstrate that IL-2 has the ability to induce protein tyrosine kinases in human PMN, and we provide the first evidence that lyn kinase is activated and physically associated with MAP kinase/ERK1. Co-immunoprecipitation experiments with anti-IL-2Rbeta and Western blotting with anti-p53/56lym revealed that lyn protein was present in IL-2R precipitates and that the association of lyn with IL-2Rbeta was markedly elevated by IL-2 stimulation. Furthermore the activity of lyn kinase, evaluated by an in vitro kinase assay with enolase as a substrate, increased following IL-2 stimulation. Another important finding was that, upon IL-2 activation, MAPK/ERK1 was also phosphorylated in PMN. A direct association between lyn and ERK1 was initially demonstrated by co-immunoprecipitation/Western blotting and then definitively proven by the use of a GST-ERK1 fusion protein. We showed that ERK1 binds lyn only in IL-2 stimulated PMN, but not in unstimulated PMN. These results suggest that IL-2 can promote the association of lyn protein tyrosine kinase with IL-2Rbeta as well as the direct binding of MAPK/ERK1 to lyn. The signaling pathway utilized by human PMN in response to IL-2 may thus involve the association of lyn with IL-2Rbeta and the activation process also triggers the recruitment and activation of a specific ERK.