Effect of GGCX on the differentiation function of osteoporosis bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells through regulating TGFβ/smad signaling pathway

OBJECTIVE

Osteoporosis (OP) has a high incidence and can be found in multiple age groups. The bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) have the potential for self-renewal and multi-directional differentiation, which are often used for investigating the differentiation function of osteoporosis bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells. γ-glutamyl carboxylase (GGCX) is a carboxylase-related carboxylase and was observed to be abnormally expressed in osteoarthritis. However, the role and related mechanisms of GGCX in OP have not been fully elucidated. This work aimed to evaluate the effect of GGCX on the differentiation function of BMSCs.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into the OP group prepared by ovariectomy and sham group. GGCX expression was tested by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). BMSCs were isolated from OP rats and transfected with pcDNA-GGCX plasmids. BMSC proliferation was detected by tetrazolium salt colorimetry (MTT) assay. The osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation of BMSCs was analyzed by alizarin red staining and oil red O staining. The ALP activity was determined by alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity colorimetric assay. Real time-PCR was used to test the expressions of osteogenesis-related genes RUNX2 and OPN mRNA. Western blot was adopted to assess the TGFβ/smad signaling pathway activity.

RESULTS

GGCX expression was significantly decreased in the serum of OP rats compared with the sham group (p < 0.05). The transfection of pcDNA-GGCX plasmid significantly promoted BMSC cell proliferation, increased calcified nodule formation, inhibited adipogenic differentiation, enhanced ALP activity, elevated RUNX2, and OPN mRNA expressions, and upregulated TGFβ1, Smad2, and Smad7 expressions (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

GGCX secretion is reduced in osteoporosis. GGCX can regulate osteoporosis via promoting the TGFβ/smad signaling pathway, facilitating BMSCs osteogenic differentiation, and inhibiting BMSCs adipogenic differentiation.

iTRAQ-based quantitative proteomics analysis reveals inhibitory mechanismsof the antimicrobial peptide MDAP-2 against Salmonella gallinarum

MDAP-2 is a new AMP with high inhibitory activity on Salmonella gallinarum, which may be developed as an antimicrobial agent in the agricultural industry and food preservation. To investigate the underlying the action mechanism of MDAP-2 on Salmonella gallinarum, impacts of MDAP-2 on the growth curve and bacterial morphology of Salmonella gallinarum were studied. iTRAQ-based proteomics analysis was also performed on proteins extracted from treated and untreated Salmonella gallinarum cells. The differentially expressed proteins were then analyzed using the KEGG and GO databases. Finally, the function of some differentially expressed proteins was verified. The results showed that 150 proteins (41 up-regulated and 109 down-regulated) were found differentially expressed (fold > 1.8, p⟨0.05). The results indi- cate that MDAP-2 kills Salmonella gallinarum mainly through two mechanisms: (i) direct inhibi- tion of cell wall/ membrane/ envelope biogenesis, energy production/ conversion, carbohydrate transport/ metabolism, and DNA transcription/ translation through regulation of special protein levels; (ii) indirect effects on the same pathway through the accumulation of Reactive oxygen species (O2 ▪-, H2O2 and OH▪-).

Effects of Additional Intraoperative Administration of Sufentanil on Postoperative Pain, Stress and Inflammatory Responses in Patients Undergoing Laparoscopic Myomectomy: A Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial

Purpose

Although pain after laparoscopic surgery is assumed to be minor, many women still suffer from unexpected postoperative pain. Thus, we aimed to assess whether additional intraoperative administration of sufentanil could help to improve postoperative pain and related agitation, stress, and inflammation response in patients undergoing laparoscopic myomectomy.

Patients and Methods

Forty female patients with uterine myoma scheduled for laparoscopic myomectomy under general anesthesia were randomized to receive sufentanil (group T, n=20) or normal saline (group C, n=20) 1h before the end of the surgery. The postoperative pain, agitation, stress, inflammation, and adverse effects were measured.

Results

As the primary outcome, the visual analog scale (VAS) pain score was significantly reduced in group T as compared with group C at each measured time point in a post-anesthesia care unit (PACU), VAS 5 min (31.5 ± 2.7 vs 40.6 ± 5.6) (P<0.001), VAS 30 min (36.5 ± 4.5 vs 46.0 ± 2.9) (P<0.001), VAS 1h (37.8 ± 4.0 vs 48.6 ± 5.5) (P<0.001). The secondary outcomes, including the sedation agitation scale (SAS) scores, plasma concentrations of epinephrine and norepinephrine, and the levels of plasma interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-8 (IL-8), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) in group T were remarkably lower than those in group C (P < 0.001). The cough cases in group T also showed a significant reduction in comparison with group C (P < 0.05). In addition, the anesthetic recovery time, including the spontaneous breathing recovery time and extubation time, were not significantly different between the two groups, as were the cases of respiratory depression and postoperative delirium (P > 0.05).

Conclusion

For patients undergoing laparoscopic myomectomy, administration of sufentanil 1 h before the end of surgery shows excellent analgesic and sedative effects, alleviated postoperative stress and inflammatory responses, reduced incidence of cough, without prolonging anesthetic recovery time and increasing adverse reactions.

Identification of differentially expressed genes associated with egg production in black-boned chicken

1. Muchuan black-bone chicken is well known in China for its meat quality and medicinal properties; however, its egg-laying performance is not ideal. To better understand the molecular mechanisms of black-boned chicken egg-laying, high-throughput RNA sequencing was performed to compare differences in the pituitary transcriptome between three high-rate (group H) and three low-rate (group L) egg production chickens. 2. In total, 171 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified between the two groups, of which 113 were upregulated and 58 were downregulated in group L. Some of these genes are known to be related to hormone secretion or the regulation of reproductive processes; these include prolactin-releasing hormone (PRLH), distal-less homeobox 6 (DLX6), interferon regulatory factor 4 (IRF4), and cilia and flagella associated protein 69 (CFAP69). Notably, expression pattern analysis indicated that both PRLH and DLX6 may influence egg-laying performance. 3. The dataset provided a foundation for discovering important genes and pathways involved in the chicken egg-laying process, and may help to improve understanding of the molecular mechanisms of chicken reproduction.

Influencing Factors for Determining the Crystallinity of Native Cellulose by X-ray Diffraction

Full width at half maximum (FWHM) of diffraction peaks of native cellulose is larger than 1°. The diffraction peaks of the crystalline phase largely coincide with those of the amorphous phase of cellulose, leading to the low resolution. Therefore, when calculating the crystallinity of natural cellulose by fitting the peaks, only relying on the single evaluation factor of Rwp (R-weighted Pattern) may lead to great randomicity of calculation results. Due to the special crystal structure of natural cellulose and the characteristics of crystallinity determination by peak separation method, the XRD Rietveld fitting method is adopted to determine the crystallinity of native cellulose. Through limiting the convergence conditions of fitting functions, we firstly discuss the effects of peak shape functions, scanning range, and the positions of amorphous peaks on crystallinity determination, which helps to reduce the randomness of XRD in solving crystallinity of cellulose and improve the precision of calculation. Then, three evaluation indexes (Rwp, FWHM, and RSD) are used to evaluate the rationality of crystallinity calculation results. Moreover, the reproducibility and precision of the crystallinity of three kinds of natural cellulose are tested under the optimized conditions. At the same time, the optimized fitting method is adopted to calculate the content of cellulose I and II, which can be used to guide the selection of alkali concentration and alkali treatment time in the spinning process of native cellulose.

Sleep disturbances among medical workers during the outbreak of COVID-2019

Background

The outbreak of Corona Virus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) has posed unprecedented pressure and threats to healthcare workers in Wuhan and the entire country.

Aims

To assess the effect of the COVID-19 outbreak on the sleep quality of healthcare workers in a children’s healthcare centre in Wuhan.

Methods

A cross-sectional, anonymized, self-reported questionnaire survey was conducted at the Children’s Healthcare Centre of Renmin Hospital, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China. The questionnaire consisted of three parts, including socio-demographic characteristics and COVID-19 epidemic-related factors, the Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI), and Zung’s self-rating anxiety scale (SAS) and self-rating depression scale (SDS).

Results

In total, 47 out of 123 (38%) participants with PSQI scores > 7 were identified as having sleep disturbance. A logistic regression analysis showed that sleep disturbance was independently associated with being an only child (adjusted odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) 3.40 (1.21–9.57), P < 0.05), exposure to COVID-19 patients (adjusted OR and 95% CI 2.97 (1.08–8.18), P < 0.05) and depression (adjusted OR and 95% CI 2.83 (1.10–7.27), P < 0.05).

Conclusions

We observed that, during the outbreak of COVID-19, sleep disturbance was highly prevalent among paediatric healthcare workers, and sleep disturbance was independently associated with being an only child, exposure to COVID-19 patients and depression. Therefore, more mental health services are required for front-line paediatric healthcare workers in Wuhan.

Identification of key microRNAs affecting melanogenesis of breast muscle in Muchuan black-boned chickens by RNA sequencing

1. Melanin content is considered an important indicator of meat quality in black-boned chickens, which have a high market value. To understand the complex physiological processes underlying muscle melanogenesis in this chicken, differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMs) were detected between black muscle (BM) and white muscle (WM) of chickens using high-throughput sequencing technology. Six small RNA libraries were constructed, and more than 16.75 million clean reads were obtained for each library. 2. A total of 582 known miRNAs and 65 novel miRNAs were identified from the six chicken sequence libraries. A total of 19 DEMs were identified between the two groups, of which nine were upregulated and 10 were downregulated. Furthermore, the DEMs were predicted to target 572 genes. 3. Certain DEMs (such as miR-204, miR-133b, and miR-12 229-3p) and their target genes may play an important role in muscle melanogenesis of chickens. These findings provide a foundation for clarifying the miRNA regulatory mechanisms involved in muscle pigmentation in avian species.

Predicting pungency and understanding the pungency mechanism of capsaicinoids using TOPS-MODE approach

Quantitative structure-property relationship (QSPR) models were developed for predicting the pungency of a set of capsaicinoids. Multiple linear regression (MLR) coupled with topological substructural molecular descriptor (TOPS-MODE) approach was used. The best MLR model based on only five orthogonalized TOPS-MODE variables allowed us to obtain a coefficient of determination of 0.954 on the training set. The predictive power of the model was validated through a test set and several external validation parameters. This showed that the TOPS-MODE descriptors weighted by bond dipole moments, van der Waals atomic radii, and the total solute hydrogen bond basicity affected pungency. The contributions of certain bonds and fragments to pungency were used to understand the pungency mechanism of capsaicinoids. The selected model can more accurately predict pungency of capsaicinoids compared than those found in the literature, and especially bring insights into the structural features and chemical factors related to pungency.

Effect of General and Non-general Anesthesia on Postoperative Cognitive Dysfunction

ABATRACT Controversy exists in the effect of general anesthesia and non-general anesthesia on postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD). The authors aimed to perform this systematic review to comprehensively assess the effect of general anesthesia or non-general anesthesia on POCD. Relative studies from the online literature database were retrieved. Seven studies with 1,031 patients were included. Odds ratio and 95% confidence interval were calculated. The results showed that the POCD incidence was significantly lower in the patients underwent non-general anesthesia than those underwent general anesthesia in one and three days after surgery (p<0.05). However, no remarkable difference existed between the two anesthesia in seven days and three months after surgery (p>0.05). In conclusion, when compared with the non-general anesthesia, general anesthesia increases the incidence of POCD in patients within three days after surgery, but makes no difference after seven days. It suggests that early intervention should be conducted on patients undergoing general anesthesia. Key Words: General anesthesia, Postoperative cognitive dysfunction, Meta-analysis.

Metabolomic profiling reveals similar cytotoxic effects and protective functions of quercetin during deoxynivalenol- and 15-acetyl deoxynivalenol-induced cell apoptosis

Among the family of mycotoxins of deoxynivalenol (DON) detected in nature, high proportions of 15-acetyldeoxynivalenol (15ADON) co-occur with the prototype DON and increase the combined exposure and synergistic health risks. The current study aimed to explore the mechanisms underlying the toxicity of 15ADON and compare them with those of DON. As the natural flavonoid compound quercetin (QUE) possesses antioxidant properties, we also aimed to determine the antioxidant effects of QUE on the tested mycotoxins. First, the global metabolomics approach was applied and showed that the metabolites produced from 15ADON or DON were almost identical, while QUE reversed the changes in the levels of key metabolites. Specifically, both DON and 15ADON activated the cell apoptosis pathway mediated by p38 and JNK, but inhibited the cell survival pathway mediated by ERK1/2 in GES-1 cells. Simultaneously, 15ADON induced FOXO3a nuclear translocation, similar to the results described for DON in our recent report. Furthermore, the addition of QUE appeared to counteract the detrimental effects of 15ADON and DON. We observed the effects of QUE treatment on mutant yeast strains with defects in their antioxidant system. More interestingly, QUE also substantially restored the increased ROS levels and the inhibited the growth rate following exposure to the mycotoxins DON and 15ADON. The data reported here support the hypothesis that QUE rescues the toxic effects of DON or 15ADON due to the similar mechanisms of DON and 15ADON toxicity.

Utility of the lateral arm free flap in oral cavity reconstruction: a single-centre experience with Chinese patients

The lateral arm flap (LAF) may offer an alternative option for oral cavity repair. Twenty-five Chinese patients with oral cavity defects were reconstructed with a LAF. The anatomical characteristics of the flap, the donor site complications, and the functional and aesthetic assessments of recipient site were reviewed. The overall flap survival was 96.0% (24/25patients). The average pedicle length was 7.07±1.09cm when it was cut off at the insert of the deltoid, with an average arterial diameter of 1.30±0.37mm and vein diameter of 2.06±0.48mm. The average flap length was 7.06±1.01cm, and the average flap breadth was 5.28±0.66cm, with the average flap size ranging from 18 to 42cm². One to three reliable perforators supplied the flap, with the proximal, middle, and distal perforators being located at 9.9±1.1cm, 8.6±1.4cm, and 5.7±1.2cm from the lateral epicondyle, respectively. The donor defect was closed primarily and healed uneventfully. A longitudinal scar was the most common morbidity of the donor site. The function and shape of the reconstructed tissues were well restored. The LAF provides a reliable choice for reconstructing medium-sized oral cavity defects, with minimal donor-site morbidity and ideally functional and aesthetic rehabilitation of the recipient site.

Underestimated fracture risk in postmenopausal women-application of the hybrid intervention threshold

This study evaluated the fragility fracture risk of Taiwanese postmenopausal women with osteopenia. With the incorporation of FRAX and hybrid intervention threshold (HIT), 25% of the participants had high fracture risk. We suggest intervention for fragility fracture for postmenopausal women should be guided by FRAX and HIT instead of bone mineral density alone.

INTRODUCTION

To explore the risk of fragility fracture in Taiwanese postmenopausal women with osteopenia using the hybrid intervention threshold (HIT) and Fracture Risk Assessment tool (FRAX).

METHODS

The Taiwan Osteoporosis Association (TOA) conducted a nationwide bone mineral density (BMD) survey between 2008 and 2011 using a bus equipped with a dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) machine. All participants completed a structured questionnaire, which included the elements in the FRAX. Based on the results, the group made up of postmenopausal women with osteopenia was identified. In order to explore the risk of fragility fracture by HIT and FRAX among Taiwan postmenopausal women with osteopenia, the 10-year probability of fracture (FRAX score) and individual intervention threshold (IIT) in this group were calculated. If the FRAX score of a participant was higher than or equal to the IIT or fixed intervention threshold (FIT), the participant was considered as above the HIT (HIT could be reached by being over a threshold at either major osteoporotic fracture or hip fracture) and categorized as having a high FRAX fracture risk.

RESULTS

A total of 13,068 postmenopausal women were enrolled in the program. A total of 5743 (43.9%) participants had osteopenia, of which 1434 (25.0%) had high FRAX fracture risk.

CONCLUSIONS

One quarter of Taiwanese postmenopausal women with osteopenia had high fragility fracture risk evaluated by FRAX and HIT. Due to the poor sensitivity of BMD for fragility fracture, we suggest that intervention for fragility fracture for postmenopausal women should also be guided by FRAX and HIT instead of BMD alone.

Does the Brown classification of maxillectomy defects have prognostic prediction for patients with oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma involving the maxilla?

The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between the maxillectomy defect, T stage, and prognosis of patients with maxillary squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). The Brown classification system was used to appraise the maxillectomy defects due to maxillary SCC. The clinical data of 137 patients with maxillary SCC during the period 2000-2010 were reviewed; 105 patients were followed up. Preoperative T stage and postoperative maxillectomy class were recorded. The relationship between the maxillectomy defect class and T stage of maxillary SCC was analysed. Correlations between the maxillectomy defect class, local recurrence rate, and survival rate were assessed using IBM SPSS Statistics v19.0. The most common maxillectomy defect class was IIb (54.7%, 75/137). The maxillectomy defect class was significantly associated with the T stage (P < 0.001). Both T stage and the maxillectomy defect class were significantly associated with the survival rate of patients with maxillary SCC (both P< 0.001). In conclusion, the class of the maxillectomy defect was found to be associated with the T stage. Both of these were prognostic factors for patients with maxillary SCC. The class of the maxillectomy defect is suitable for clinical application in predicting the prognosis compared with T stage.

Relationship of adiponectin, leptin, visfatin and IGF-1 in cow's venous blood and venous cord blood with calf birth weight

The Intrauterine fetal development process is complicated and affected by many regulating factors such as maternal nutritional status, transcription factors and adipokines. Adipokines are kinds of active substances secreted by adipose tissue, including more than 50 kinds of molecules. To explore the correlation between calf birth weights and adipokines including adiponectin, leptin, visfatin, and IGF-1 in cows venous and venous cord blood. Fifty-four healthy multiparous Chinese Holstein cows were used; in which, cows with a calf weight less than 40 kg were included in group A (n=9); those with a calf weight between 40 kg~45 kg were included in group B (n=25) and ≥45 kg were included in group C (n=20), venous blood and cord venous blood was collected. An ELISA kit was used to evaluate the concentration of adiponectin, leptin, visfatin, and IGF-1, correlations between index-index and index-calf birth weight were analysed. In both cows venous and cord venous blood, adiponectin, leptin, visfatin, and IGF-1 levels were significantly correlated with each other (p⟨0.01), and levels of these adipokines in venous blood were significantly higher than cord venous blood (p⟨0.01). Adiponectin, leptin, visfatin, and IGF-1 in venous cord blood were positively correlated with calf birth weights, and significantly correlated with calf birth weights respectively (p⟨0.01). Our study showed that adiponectin, leptin, and IGF-1 were found in venous blood and cord venous blood, and adiponectin, leptin, and IGF-1 in venous and cord venous blood potentially inter-regulated each other; adiponectin, leptin, and IGF-1 in venous blood were not significantly correlated with calf birth weights, while adiponectin, leptin, visfatin, and IGF-1 in venous cord blood were significantly correlated with calf birth weights, respectively.

Incidence of oral anticoagulant interruption among stroke patients with atrial fibrillation and subsequent stroke

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

We analyzed the incidence and causes of oral anticoagulant (OAC) cessation and subsequent stroke after OAC withdrawal in a cohort of Korean stroke patients with atrial fibrillation.

METHODS

The Korean Atrial Fibrillation Evaluation Registry in Ischemic Stroke patients (K-ATTENTION) is a multicenter cohort study, merging stroke registries from 11 tertiary centers in Korea. The number of OAC interruption episodes and the reasons were reviewed from hospital records. Stroke after OAC withdrawal was defined when a patient experienced ischaemic stroke within 31 days after OAC withdrawal. Clinical variables were compared between patients who experienced stroke recurrence during OAC interruption and those who did not experience recurrence.

RESULTS

Among 3213 stroke patients with atrial fibrillation, a total of 329 episodes of OAC interruption were detected in 229 patients after index stroke (mean age 72.9 ± 8.3 years, 113 female patients). The most frequent reason for OAC withdrawal was poor compliance [103 episodes (31.3%)] followed by extracranial bleeding [96 episodes (29.2%)]. Stroke after OAC withdrawal was noted in 13 patients. Mean age, vascular risk factor profile and mean CHA₂ DS₂ -VASc score were not significantly different between patients with and without recurrent stroke.

CONCLUSIONS

A considerable number of stroke patients with atrial fibrillation experienced temporary interruption of OAC after index stroke, which was associated with stroke recurrence of 4.0 cases per 100 interruption episodes.