Cognitive trio: relationship with major depression and clinical predictors in Han Chinese women

BACKGROUND

Previous studies support Beck's cognitive model of vulnerability to depression. However, the relationship between his cognitive triad and other clinical features and risk factors among those with major depression (MD) has rarely been systematically studied.

METHOD

The three key cognitive symptoms of worthlessness, hopelessness and helplessness were assessed during their lifetime worst episode in 1970 Han Chinese women with recurrent MD. Diagnostic and other risk factor information was assessed at personal interview. Odds ratios (ORs) were calculated by logistic regression.

RESULTS

Compared to patients who did not endorse the cognitive trio, those who did had a greater number of DSM-IV A criteria, more individual depressive symptoms, an earlier age at onset, a greater number of episodes, and were more likely to meet diagnostic criteria for melancholia, postnatal depression, dysthymia and anxiety disorders. Hopelessness was highly related to all the suicidal symptomatology, with ORs ranging from 5.92 to 6.51. Neuroticism, stressful life events (SLEs) and a protective parental rearing style were associated with these cognitive symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

During the worst episode of MD in Han Chinese women, the endorsement of the cognitive trio was associated with a worse course of depression and an increased risk of suicide. Individuals with high levels of neuroticism, many SLEs and high parental protectiveness were at increased risk for these cognitive depressive symptoms. As in Western populations, symptoms of the cognitive trio appear to play a central role in the psychopathology of MD in Chinese women.

Activation of K(2)P channel-TREK1 mediates the neuroprotection induced by sevoflurane preconditioning

Background

Preconditioning with volatile anaesthetic agents induces tolerance to focal cerebral ischaemia, although the underlying mechanisms have not been clearly defined. The present study analyses whether TREK-1, a two-pore domain K⁺ channel and target for volatile anaesthetics, plays a role in mediating neuroprotection by sevoflurane.

Methods

Differentiated SH-SY5Y cells were preconditioning with sevoflurane and challenged by oxygen–glucose deprivation (OGD). Cell viability and expression of caspase-3 and TREK-1 were evaluated. Rats that were preconditioned with sevoflurane were subjected to middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO), and the expression of TREK-1 protein and mRNA was analysed. Neurological scores were evaluated and infarction volume was examined.

Results

Sevoflurane preconditioning reduced cell death in differentiated SH-SY5Y cells challenged by OGD. Sevoflurane preconditioning reduced infarct volume and improved neurological outcome in rats subjected to MCAO. Sevoflurane preconditioning increased levels of TREK-1 mRNA and protein. Knockdown of TREK-1 significantly attenuated sevoflurane preconditioning-induced neuroprotective effects in vitro and in vivo.

Conclusions

Sevoflurane preconditioning-induced neuroprotective effects against transient cerebral ischaemic injuries involve TREK-1 channels. These results suggest a novel mechanism for sevoflurane preconditioning-induced tolerance to focal cerebral ischaemia.

microRNA-7 is a novel inhibitor of YY1 contributing to colorectal tumorigenesis

Using microRNA (miRNA) expression array, we identified that miR-7 was deregulated in colorectal cancer (CRC). We studied the biological role and molecular target of miR-7 in CRC. miR-7 was downregulated in six out of seven colon cancer cell lines. Ectopic expression of miR-7 suppressed colon cancer cell proliferation (P<0.05), induced apoptosis (P<0.05) and caused cell-cycle arrest in G1 phase (P<0.05). The tumor suppressive function of miR-7 was further confirmed in nude mice (P<0.05). The 3'-untranslated region (3'UTR) of Yin Yang 1 (YY1) mRNA contains an evolutionarily conserved miR-7 binding site using in silico searches, luciferase reporter assay and western blot analysis confirmed that miR-7 directly bound to YY1 3'UTR to negatively regulate the protein expression of YY1 in colon cancer cell lines HCT116 and LOVO. Intriguingly, knock-down of YY1 in three colon cancer cell lines (HCT116, LOVO and DLD1) consistently suppressed cell proliferation (P<0.01) and induced apoptosis (P<0.01), indicating the opposite functions of miR-7 and YY1 in CRC. Consistent with these data, ectopic expression of YY1 promoted cell growth by increasing proliferation (P<0.01) and suppressing apoptosis (P<0.001). The tumorigenic ability of YY1 was further confirmed in vivo in xenograft-nude mouse model (P<0.01). In addition, pathway analyses revealed that the oncogenic effect by YY1 was associated with inhibiting p53 and modulating its downstream effectors p15, caspase cascades and C-Jun, and activating Wnt signaling pathway through activating β-catenin, anti-apoptotic survivin and fibroblast growth factor 4. Furthermore, multivariate analysis revealed that patients with YY1 protein high expression had a significant decrease in overall survival, and Kaplan-Meier survival curves showed that these patients had significantly shorter survival than others (P<0.0001). In conclusion, MiR-7 is a novel miRNA with tumor suppressive function in colon cancer by targeting oncogenic YY1. YY1 promotes colon cancer growth through inhibiting p53 and promoting Wnt signaling pathways and serves as an independent prognostic biomarker for CRC patients.

First Report of Brown Ring Patch Caused by Waitea circinata var. circinata on Agrostis stolonifera and Poa pratensis in China

Brown ring patch, caused by Waitea circinata var. circinata, is a recently described disease of turf grass (1,2). The disease was first reported in Japan in 2005 (2) and then in the United States (1). In late May to early September 2011, large yellow rings (20 to 30 cm in diameter) were observed on creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera) and Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis) growing at the Qinghe Bay golf course, Beijing, China. Leaf blades turned from yellow to brown as the disease developed, and eventually died. The disease incidence was estimated at 20 to 30%. The rings became continuous on creeping bentgrass and Kentucky bluegrass in several putting greens. The same symptom was observed on the lawn of China Agricultural University. Symptomatic leaves were collected and incubated in high humidity at 25°C until mycelia developed. The leaves were then disinfested in 1% NaClO for 1 min, rinsed with sterile water three times, and placed on potato dextrose agar (PDA). Four isolates were obtained, including one isolate from the lawn of China Agricultural University (cau-1), and three from Qinghe Bay golf course (qhw-1, qhw-2, and qhw-3). The colonies that formed on PDA changed from white to orange over time, and minute orange to brown sclerotia (approx. 2 to 3 mm in diameter) formed after 2 weeks at 25°C. These characteristics were similar to W. circinata var. circinata (1,2). DNA was extracted from each isolate using a CTAB extraction method (3) and the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions were amplified with the ITS1/ITS4 universal primers. The ITS sequences of the isolated fungi (Accession Nos. JQ964235 and JQ964236) had 99 to 100% homology with the sequences of W. circinata in GenBank (Accession Nos. EU591763 and HQ207169). Pathogen inocula were prepared by inoculating autoclaved oat grains with strains qhw-1 and cau-1 respectively, followed by 4 days of incubation at 25°C. Each inoculum was placed in five spots in a uniform arrangement (5 g grain inoculum per spot) on soil in a 40 × 60 cm tray, followed by sowing bluegrass seed. In another experiment, 4-week-old bentgrass was transplanted into soil infested with 5 g grain inoculum in the middle of a 20-cm diameter pot (non-colonized grain was used as a control). There were five replicates for each isolate. Plants were then incubated in a growth chamber at 26°C and high relative humidity (>90%). After 5 to 6 days, the grass in the inoculated pots and trays began to turn yellow, and then became chlorotic and necrotic as the disease developed. Orange sclerotia were observed on the bluegrass leaves by the eighth day, and all the bentgrass turned chlorotic by the tenth day. After 2 weeks, brown ring patches formed in the trays with inoculated bluegrass. Waitea circinata var. circinata was reisolated from all inoculated plants and confirmed by morphological observation and the ITS sequences analysis as described above, while no symptoms were observed on the control plants and no isolate was obtained from them. To our knowledge, this is the first report of W. circinata var. circinata infecting turf grass in China. References: (1) K. A. De La Cerda et al. Plant Dis. 91:791, 2007. (2) T. Toda et al. Plant Dis. 89:536, 2005. (3) J. A. H. Van Burik et al. Med. Mycol. 36:299, 1998.

Genetic diversity of Lagerstroemia (Lythraceae) species assessed by simple sequence repeat markers

Lagerstroemia (crape myrtle) are famous ornamental plants with large pyramidal racemes, long flower duration, and diverse colors. However, little is known about the genetic structure and diversity of germplasm in Lagerstroemia. We genotyped 81 L. indica cultivars, five other species of Lagerstroemia, and 10 interspecific hybrids using 30 simple sequence repeat markers; 275 alleles were generated with a mean of nine alleles per locus. The mean polymorphism information content value, a measure of gene diversity, was 0.63, with a range from 0.25 to 0.86. The mean observed heterozygosity (0.51) tended to be lower than the mean expected heterozygosity (0.67). The mean F-statistics (F(ST), F(IS), and F(IT)) were 0.05, 0.20, and 0.24, respectively, indicating a high level of genetic variation among cultivars. Clustering analysis based on genetic distance divided the 96 genotypes into three distinct groups, which corresponded with their genetic backgrounds and geographic regions. L. indica cultivars and the other five L. species were grouped into different sub-clusters. Chinese and North American cultivars were divided into different clusters. These data about the genetic relationship among cultivars demonstrated the potential value of L. indica cultivars and other Lagerstroemia species for widening the genetic basis of breeding programs for this ornamental flower.

Clinical relevance of sHLA-G-mediated with better graft acceptance in early posttransplantation

The aim of this study was to measure the level of soluble human leukocyte antigen (sHLA-G) in renal transplant patients, to determine the relationship between these levels and the occurrence of acute rejection episodes, and to identify their influence on graft acceptance early posttransplantation. sHLA-G, as measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, was significantly increased (P < .01) early posttransplantation (3 months); the other group maintained low levels throughout the study. The latter group displayed a high incidence of acute rejection episodes and a lower clearance of serum creatinine with a longer period for hemoglobin to recover to normal (P < .01). These results suggested that HLA-G participates in the induction of immunologic tolerance in these recipients.

Effects of intravitreal injection of KH902, a vascular endothelial growth factor receptor decoy, on the retinas of streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

AIMS

KH902 is a fusion protein that can bind vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and placental growth factor (PlGF) through its binding ligand taken from the domains of VEGF receptor 1 and VEGF receptor 2 (VEGFR2). This study was to investigate the effects of intravitreal injection of KH902 on the retinas of streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.

METHODS

Two weeks after induction of diabetes, the left eyes of diabetic rats in each group received an intravitreal injection of phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), Avastin or KH902 solution, respectively. Four weeks after intravitreal injection, retinal electrophysiological function and the integrity of inner blood retinal barrier (iBRB) were measured by electroretinogram and Evans blue perfusion. The protein levels of VEGF signal pathway were assayed by western blot. The expression and distribution of claudin-5 and occludin were analysed by double immunofluorescent staining under confocal microscope. The expression of VEGFR2 and PlGF was measured by immunohistochemistry.

RESULTS

Four weeks after intravitreal injection, KH902-treated rats had better retinal electrophysiological function, less retinal vessel leakage and lower levels of VEGFR2, PI3K, AKT, p-AKT, p-ERK and p-SRC than PBS or Avastin-treated rats. The distribution of claudin-5 and occludin in the retinal vessels of diabetic rats treated by KH902 was smoother and more uniform than those of diabetic rats treated by PBS or Avastin. The expression of PlGF and VEGFR2 in KH902-treated rats was decreased compared with those in PBS or Avastin-treated rats.

CONCLUSIONS

KH902 could improve retinal electrophysiological function and inhibit the breakdown of iBRB by inhibiting the expression of VEGFR2, PlGF and PI3K, and the activation of SRC, AKT and ERK.

Simultaneous measurement of urinary albumin and total protein may facilitate decision-making in HIV-infected patients with proteinuria

OBJECTIVE

We recently showed that a urine albumin/total protein ratio (uAPR) <0.4 identifies tubular pathology in proteinuric patients. In tubular disorders, proteinuria is usually of low molecular weight and contains relatively little albumin. We tested the hypothesis that uAPR is useful in identifying tubular pathology related to antiretroviral use in HIV-infected patients.

METHODS

We retrospectively identified urine protein/creatinine ratios (uPCRs) in HIV-infected patients. A subset of samples had uPCR and urine albumin/creatinie ratio (uACR) measured simultaneously. We classified proteinuric patients (uPCR >30 mg/mmol) into two groups: those with predominantly 'tubular' proteinuria (TP) (uAPR <0.4) and those with predominantly 'glomerular' proteinuria (GP) (uAPR ≥ 0.4).

RESULTS

A total of 618 of 5244 samples from 1378 patients had uPCR ≥ 30 mg/mmol. uAPRs were available in 144 patients: 46 patients (32%) had TP and 21 (15%) GP; the remainder had uPCR <30 mg/mmol. The TP group had a higher fractional excretion of phosphate compared with the GP group (mean 27% vs. 16%, respectively; P<0.01). Patients with TP were more likely to be on tenofovir and/or a boosted protease inhibitor compared with those with GP. In 18 patients with heavy proteinuria (uPCR >100 mg/mmol), a renal assessment was made; eight had a kidney biopsy. In all cases, the uAPR results correlated with the nephrological diagnosis.

CONCLUSIONS

In HIV-infected patients, measuring uAPR may help to identify patients in whom a renal biopsy is indicated, and those in whom tubular dysfunction might be an important cause of proteinuria and which may be related to antiretroviral toxicity. We suggest that this would be useful as a routine screening procedure in patients with proteinuria.

Antioxidant network expression abrogates oxidative posttranslational modifications in mice

Antioxidant enzymatic pathways form a critical network that detoxifies ROS in response to myocardial stress or injury. Genetic alteration of the expression levels of individual enzymes has yielded mixed results with regard to attenuating in vivo myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury, an extreme oxidative stress. We hypothesized that overexpression of an antioxidant network (AON) composed of SOD1, SOD3, and glutathione peroxidase (GSHPx)-1 would reduce myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury by limiting ROS-mediated lipid peroxidation and oxidative posttranslational modification (OPTM) of proteins. Both ex vivo and in vivo myocardial ischemia models were used to evaluate the effect of AON expression. After ischemia-reperfusion injury, infarct size was significantly reduced both ex vivo and in vivo, ROS formation, measured by dihydroethidium staining, was markedly decreased, ROS-mediated lipid peroxidation, measured by malondialdehyde production, was significantly limited, and OPTM of total myocardial proteins, including fatty acid-binding protein and sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum Ca(²+)-ATPase (SERCA)2a, was markedly reduced in AON mice, which overexpress SOD1, SOD3, and GSHPx-1, compared with wild-type mice. These data demonstrate that concomitant SOD1, SOD3, and GSHPX-1 expression confers marked protection against myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury, reducing ROS, ROS-mediated lipid peroxidation, and OPTM of critical cardiac proteins, including cardiac fatty acid-binding protein and SERCA2a.

Leukaemic mantle cell lymphoma with t(11;14) and trisomy 12 showing clinical features of state A0 B cell chronic lymphocytic leukaemia

The precise diagnosis of lymphoma usually requires the histological examination of lymph nodes or involved tissues. Mantle cell lymphoma is a form of intermediate grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in which typical morphological immunophenotypic and cytogenetic features have been recognised. A case of leukaemic mantle cell lymphoma with the characteristic reciprocal translocation t(11;14) together with trisomy 12, a chromosomal abnormality usually associated with B cell chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL), is presented. This combination of cytogenetic abnormalities has not been reported previously. The lack of lymphadenopathy and hepatosplenomegaly in this patient is more in keeping with stage A0 CLL. This case demonstrates the close clinical and biological relationship between mantle cell lymphoma and CLL.