BmNPV p35 regulates apoptosis in Bombyx mori via a novel target of interaction with the BmVDAC2-BmRACK1 complex

Voltage-dependent anion channel 2 (VDAC2) is an important channel protein that plays a crucial role in the host response to viral infection. The receptor for activated C kinase 1 (RACK1) is also a key host factor involved in viral replication. Our previous research revealed that Bombyx mori VDAC2 (BmVDAC2) and B. mori RACK1 (BmRACK1) may interact with Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV), though the specific molecular mechanism remains unclear. In this study, the interaction between BmVDAC2 and BmRACK1 in the mitochondria was determined by various methods. We found that BmNPV p35 interacts directly with BmVDAC2 rather than BmRACK1. BmNPV infection significantly reduced the expression of BmVDAC2, and activated the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway. Overexpression of BmVDAC2 in BmN cells inhibited BmNPV-induced cytochrome c (cyto c) release, decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential as well as apoptosis. Additionally, the inhibition of cyto c release by BmVDAC2 requires the involvement of BmRACK1 and protein kinase C. Interestingly, overexpression of p35 inhibited cyto c release during mitochondrial apoptosis in a RACK1 and VDAC2-dependent manner. Even the mutant p35, which loses Caspase inhibitory activity, could still bind to VDAC2 and inhibit cyto c release. In summary, our results indicated that BmNPV p35 interacts with the VDAC2-RACK1 complex to regulate apoptosis by inhibiting cyto c release. These findings confirm the interaction between BmVDAC2 and BmRACK1, the interaction between p35 and the VDAC2-RACK1 complex, and a novel target that BmNPV p35 regulates apoptosis in Bombyx mori via interaction with the BmVDAC2-BmRACK1 complex. The result provide an initial exploration of the function of this interaction in the BmNPV-induced mitochondrial apoptosis pathway.

Bmo-miR-6498-5p suppresses Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus infection by down-regulating BmPLPP2 to modulate pyridoxal phosphate content in B. mori

The RNA interference pathway mediated by microRNAs (miRNAs) is one of the methods to defend against viruses in insects. Recent studies showed that miRNAs participate in viral infection by binding to target genes to regulate their expression. Here, we found that the Bombyx mori miRNA, miR-6498-5p was down-regulated, whereas its predicted target gene pyridoxal phosphate phosphatase PHOSPHO2 (BmPLPP2) was up-regulated upon Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) infection. Both in vivo and in vitro experiments showed that miR-6498-5p targets BmPLPP2 and suppresses its expression. Furthermore, we found miR-6498-5p inhibits BmNPV genomic DNA (gDNA) replication, whereas BmPLPP2 promotes BmNPV gDNA replication. As a pyridoxal phosphate (PLP) phosphatase (PLPP), the overexpression of BmPLPP2 results in a reduction of PLP content, whereas the knockdown of BmPLPP2 leads to an increase in PLP content. In addition, exogenous PLP suppresses the replication of BmNPV gDNA; in contrast, the PLP inhibitor 4-deoxypyridoxine facilitates BmNPV gDNA replication. Taken together, we concluded that miR-6498-5p has a potential anti-BmNPV role by down-regulating BmPLPP2 to modulate PLP content, but BmNPV induces miR-6498-5p down-regulation to promote its proliferation. Our findings provide valuable insights into the role of host miRNA in B. mori-BmNPV interaction. Furthermore, the identification of the antiviral molecule PLP offers a novel perspective on strategies for preventing and managing viral infection in sericulture.

Bmo-miR-3351 modulates glutathione content and inhibits BmNPV proliferation by targeting BmGSTe6 in Bombyx mori

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that play pivotal roles in the host response to invading pathogens. Among these pathogens, Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) is one of the main causes of substantial economic losses in sericulture, and there are relatively few studies on the specific functions of miRNAs in the B. mori-BmNPV interaction. Therefore, we conducted transcriptome sequencing to identify differentially expressed (DE) messenger RNAs (mRNAs) and miRNAs in the midgut of 2 B. mori strains (BmNPV-susceptible strain P50 and BmNPV-resistant strain A35) after BmNPV infection. Through correlation analysis of the miRNA and mRNA data, we identified a comprehensive set of 21 miRNAs and 37 predicted target mRNAs. Notably, miR-3351, which has high expression in A35, exhibited remarkable efficacy in suppressing BmNPV proliferation. Additionally, we confirmed that miR-3351 binds to the 3' untranslated region (3' UTR) of B. mori glutathione S-transferase epsilon 6 (BmGSTe6), resulting in its downregulation. Conversely, BmGSTe6 displayed an opposite expression pattern to miR-3351, effectively promoting BmNPV proliferation. Notably, BmGSTe6 levels were positively correlated with glutathione S-transferase activity, consequently influencing intracellular glutathione content in the infected samples. Furthermore, our investigation revealed the protective role of glutathione against BmNPV infection in BmN cells. In summary, miR-3351 modulates glutathione content by downregulating BmGSTe6 to inhibit BmNPV proliferation in B. mori. Our findings enriched the research on the role of B. mori miRNAs in the defense against BmNPV infection, and suggests that the antiviral molecule, glutathione, offers a novel perspective on preventing viral infection in sericulture.

Connections between body composition and dysregulation of islet α- and β-cells in type 2 diabetes

BACKGROUND

Accompanying islet α- and β-cell dysregulation in type 2 diabetes (T2D) at the microscopic scale, alterations in body composition at the macroscopic scale may affect the pathogenesis of T2D. However, the connections between body composition and islet α-cell and β-cell functions in T2D have not been thoroughly explored.

METHODS

For this cross-sectional study, we recruited a total of 729 Chinese Han patients with T2D in a consecutive manner. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) was used to measure body composition, which included total bone-free mass, total fat and lean mass, trunk fat and lean mass and limb fat and lean mass. Every patient underwent an oral glucose tolerance test to simultaneously detect glucose, C-peptide and glucagon. The indices of islet α-cell function included fasting glucagon levels and the area under the curve of glucagon after a challenge (AUCglucagon), while the indices of β-cell function included the insulin sensitivity index derived from C-peptide (ISIC-peptide) and the area under the curve of C-peptide after a challenge (AUCC-peptide).

RESULTS

Among all patients, fat mass, especially trunk fat mass, was significantly correlated with ISIC-peptide and AUCC-peptide levels (r = - 0.330 and 0.317, respectively, p < 0.001), while lean mass, especially limb lean mass, was significantly correlated with fasting glucagon and AUCglucagon levels (r = - 0.196 and - 0.214, respectively, p < 0.001). Moreover, after adjusting for other relevant variables via multivariate linear regression analysis, increased trunk fat mass was independently associated with decreased ISIC-peptide (β = - 0.247, t = - 3.628, p < 0.001, partial R2 = 10.9%) and increased AUCC-peptide (β = 0.229, t = 3.581, p < 0.001, partial R2 = 8.2%), while decreased limb lean mass was independently associated with increased fasting glucagon (β = - 0.226, t = - 2.127, p = 0.034, partial R2 = 3.8%) and increased AUCglucagon (β = - 0.218, t = - 2.050, p = 0.041, partial R2 = 2.3%). Additionally, when separate analyses were performed with the same concept for both sexes, we found that increased trunk fat mass was still independently associated with decreased ISIC-peptide and increased AUCC-peptide, while decreased limb lean mass was still independently associated with increased fasting glucagon and AUCglucagon.

CONCLUSIONS

Increased trunk fat mass may partly account for decreased insulin sensitivity and increased insulin secretion, while decreased limb lean mass may be connected to increased fasting glucagon and postprandial glucagon secretion.

Regulation of Bombyx mori ferritin heavy-chain homolog on ROS induces multiple effects on BmNPV replication

Ferritin is an iron-binding protein composed of light-chain and heavy-chain homologs with a molecular weight of about 500 kDa. Free iron ions significantly affect reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation. Previous research has shown that Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrosis virus (BmNPV) can increase ROS accumulation, activate autophagy, induce apoptosis, and upregulate the expression of B. mori ferritin heavy-chain homolog (BmFerHCH). However, the mechanism of mutual regulation between BmFerHCH and ROS-mediated autophagy and apoptosis induced by BmNPV remains unclear. In this study, we found that BmNPV induced the time-dependent accumulation of ROS in BmN cells, thereby promoting BmFerHCH expression. Interestingly, in BmFerHCH-overexpressed cells, BmNPV replication was inhibited in the first 18 h after infection but stimulated after 24 h. Further research on H2O2 or antioxidant-treated cells indicated that ROS-induced autophagy slightly increased in the early infection stage and increased BmNPV replication, while in the late stage, a large accumulation of ROS induced apoptosis and inhibited BmNPV replication. In this process, BmFerHCH inhibits BmNPV-induced ROS accumulation by chelating Fe2+. Taken together, BmFerHCH regulates ROS-mediated autophagy and apoptosis to achieve its various effects on BmNPV replication. These findings will help elucidate BmNPV-induced autophagy and apoptosis mediated by ROS and BmFerHCH, as well as the mutually fighting relationship between viruses and hosts.

[The target value of anticoagulation intensity for Chinese patients after mechanical heart valve replacement]

Objective: To explore the optimal intensity of anticoagulation therapy for Chinese patients after mechanical heart valve replacement. Methods: This is a prospective, multicenter, cohort study. The anticoagulation data from in-hospital patients of 35 medical centers and patients in outpatient clinic of 11 medical centers from Anticoagulation Therapy Database of Chinese Patients after Heart Valve Replacement between January 2011 and December 2015 were analyzed. The anticoagulation-relevant complications among different coagulation intensities were compared, and the optimal value of anticoagulation intensity for Chinese patients after mechanical heart valve replacement were analyzed. Results: A total of 24 433 patients were in the final analysis, including 13 634 females and 10 799 males, with a median age of 49.0 (3-80) years. International normalized ratio (INR) values of in-hospital patients were recorded 94 286 times, with the mean value of 1.8±0.7, and 87.6% (82 595/94 286) of them were within the range of 1.5 to 2.5. During a median follow-up time of 19.2 (1.0-58.8) months, a total of 17 331 outpatient clinic patients were followed up, with the follow-up rate of 89.1% (17 331/19 452) and a total of 27 803 patient-years (Pty), including 4 038 aortic valve replacement (AVR), 8 215 mitral valve replacement (MVR), 4 437 AVR plus MVR (double valve replacement, DVR) replacement and 641 tricuspidvalve replacement (TVR). A total of 101 860 INR measurements were recorded, with the mean value of 1.8±0.5, and 64.8% (66 005/101 860) of them were within the range of 1.5-2.5. The rates of anticoagulation-related complications of the patients with INR of 1.5-2.5 (0.65/100 Pty) were lower than those of other INR value patients (INR<1.5: 1.31/100 Pty, RR=2.01, 95%CI: 1.59-2.51, P<0.001; INR>2.5: 2.34/100 Pty, RR=3.60, 95%CI: 2.84-4.52, P<0.001). The rates of anticoagulation-related complications of AVR and MVR patients without risk factors and with INR of 1.5-2.0 were lower than those of other INR value patients (AVR: 0.15/100 Pty vs 0.38/100 Pty, RR=2.57, 95%CI: 1.02-7.28, P=0.029; MVR: 0.23/100 Pty vs 0.56/100 Pty, RR=2.42, 95%CI: 1.39-4.38, P<0.001), and the rate of anticoagulation-related complications of DVR patients with INR of 2.0-2.5 was lower than those of other INR value patients (0.32/100 Pty vs 0.62/100 Pty, RR=1.94, 95%CI: 1.03-3.79, P=0.029). Conclusions: A target INR range of 1.5-2.5 is recommended for Chinese patients after mechanical heart valve replacement. The optimal INR value for isolated AVR or MVR patients without risk factors was 1.5-2.0, while the optimal INR value for isolated AVR or MVR patients with risk factors and all the TVR or DVR patients was 2.0-2.5.

RNA methyltransferase BmMettl3 and BmMettl14 in silkworm (Bombyx mori) and the regulation of silkworm embryonic development

N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is a ubiquitous reversible epigenetic RNA modification that plays an important role in regulating many biological processes, especially embryonic development. However, regulation of m6A methylation during silkworm embryonic development and diapause remains to be investigated. In this study, we analyzed the phylogeny of subunits of methyltransferases BmMettl3 and BmMettl14, and detected the expression patterns of BmMettl3 and BmMettl14 in different tissues and at different developmental stages in silkworm. To investigate the function of m6A on the development of silkworm embryo, we analyzed the m6A/A ratio in diapause and diapause termination eggs. The results showed that BmMettl3 and BmMettl14 were highly expressed in gonads and eggs. Moreover, the expression of BmMettl3 and BmMettl14 and the m6A/A ratio were significantly increased in diapause termination eggs compared with diapause eggs in the early stage of silkworm embryonic development. Furthermore, in BmN cell cycle experiments, the percentage of cells in the S phase increased when lacking BmMettl3 or BmMettl14. This work contributes to understanding the role of m6A methylation during insect embryogenesis and gametogenesis. It also provides a research orientation to further analyze the role of m6A methylation in diapause initiation and termination during insect embryonic development.

[Clinical analysis of liver dysfunction induced by SHR-1210 alone or combined with apatinib and chemotherapy in patients with advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma]

Objective: To investigate the clinical characteristics of abnormal liver function in patients with advanced esophageal squamous carcinoma treated with programmed death-1 (PD-1) antibody SHR-1210 alone or in combination with apatinib and chemotherapy. Methods: Clinical data of 73 patients with esophageal squamous carcinoma from 2 prospective clinical studies conducted at the Cancer Hospital Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences from May 11, 2016, to November 19, 2019, were analyzed, and logistic regression analysis was used for the analysis of influencing factors. Results: Of the 73 patients, 35 had abnormal liver function. 13 of the 43 patients treated with PD-1 antibody monotherapy (PD-1 monotherapy group) had abnormal liver function, and the median time to first abnormal liver function was 55 days. Of the 30 patients treated with PD-1 antibody in combination with apatinib and chemotherapy (PD-1 combination group), 22 had abnormal liver function, and the median time to first abnormal liver function was 41 days. Of the 35 patients with abnormal liver function, 2 had clinical symptoms, including malaise and loss of appetite, and 1 had jaundice. 28 of the 35 patients with abnormal liver function returned to normal and 7 improved to grade 1, and none of the patients had serious life-threatening or fatal liver function abnormalities. Combination therapy was a risk factor for patients to develop abnormal liver function (P=0.007). Conclusions: Most of the liver function abnormalities that occur during treatment with PD-1 antibody SHR-1210 alone or in combination with apatinib and chemotherapy are mild, and liver function can return to normal or improve with symptomatic treatment. For patients who receive PD-1 antibody in combination with targeted therapy and chemotherapy and have a history of long-term previous smoking, alcohol consumption and hepatitis B virus infection, liver function should be monitored and actively managed in a timely manner.

Trehalose hydrolysis and transport-related genes promote Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus proliferation through the phosphoinositide 3-kinase-Akt signalling pathway in BmN cell

The reprogramming of host physiology has been considered an essential process for baculovirus propagation. Trehalose, the main sugar in insect blood, plays a crucial role as an instant energy source. Although the trehalose level is modulated following infection with Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV), the mechanism of trehalose metabolism in response to BmNPV infection is still unclear. In this study, we demonstrated that the trehalose level tended to be lower in BmNPV-infected hemolymph and higher in the midgut. The omics analysis revealed that two trehalose transporters, BmTret1-1 and BmTret1-2, and trehalase, BmTRE1 and BmTRE2, were differentially expressed in the midgut after BmNPV infection. BmTret1-1 and BmTret1-2 had the ability to transport trehalose into the cell and promoted cellular absorption of trehalose. Furthermore, the functions of BmTret1-1, BmTret1-2, BmTRE1 and BmTRE2 in BmNPV infection were analyzed. These genes were upregulated in the midgut after BmNPV infection. Virus amplification analysis revealed that these genes could promote BmNPV proliferation in BmN cells. In addition, these genes could promote the expression of BmPI3K, BmPDK1 and BmAkt and inhibit the expression of BmFoxO in the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)-Akt signalling pathway. Similarly, the increased trehalose level in BmN cells could promote the expression of BmPI3K, BmPDK1 and BmAkt and inhibit the expression of BmFoxO. Taken together, BmNPV infection promote the expression of trehalose hydrolysis and transport-related genes. These changes affect the PI3K-Akt signalling pathway to facilitate BmNPV proliferation. These findings help clarify the relationship between trehalose metabolism and BmNPV infection.

Reactive oxygen species-mediated phosphorylation of JNK is involved in the regulation of BmFerHCH on Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus proliferation

c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) phosphorylation is widely observed during virus infection, modulating various aspects of the virus-host interaction. In our previous research, we have proved that B. mori ferritin heavy-chain homolog (BmFerHCH), an inhibitor of reactive oxygen species (ROS), facilitates B. mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) proliferation. However, one question remains: Which downstream signaling pathways does BmFerHCH regulate by inhibiting ROS? Here, we first determined that silencing BmFerHCH inhibits BmNPV proliferation, and this inhibition depends on ROS. Then, we substantiated that BmNPV infection activates the JNK signaling pathway. Interestingly, the JNK phosphorylation during BmNPV infection is activated by ROS. Further, we found that the enhanced nuclear translocation of phospho-JNK induced by BmNPV infection was dramatically reduced by pretreatment with the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine (NAC), whereas there was more detectable phospho-JNK in the cytoplasm. Next, we investigated how changes in BmFerHCH expression affect JNK phosphorylation. BmFerHCH overexpression suppressed the phosphorylation of JNK and nuclear translocation of phospho-JNK during BmNPV infection, whereas BmFerHCH knockdown facilitated phosphorylation of JNK and nuclear translocation of phospho-JNK. By measuring the viral load, we found the inhibitory effect of BmFerHCH knockdown on BmNPV infection depends on phosphorylated JNK. In addition, the JNK signaling pathway was involved in BmNPV-triggered apoptosis. Hence, we hypothesize that ROS-mediated JNK phosphorylation is involved in the regulation of BmFerHCH on BmNPV proliferation. These results elucidate the molecular mechanisms and signaling pathways of BmFerHCH-mediated response to BmNPV infection.

[Vertical Distribution Characteristics of Boundary Layer Volatile Organic Compounds in Autumn in the Mixed Industrial and Rural Areas over the Northern Suburb of Nanjing]

Based on the sounding data of VOCs in the lower troposphere (0-1000 m) in the northern suburb of Nanjing in the autumn of 2020, the vertical profile distribution, diurnal variation, and photochemical reactivity of VOCs in this area were analyzed. The results showed that the volume fraction of VOCs decreased with the increase in height (72.1×10^-9±28.1×10^-9-56.4×10^-9±24.8×10^-9). Alkanes at all heights accounted for the largest proportion (68%-75%), followed by aromatics (10%-12%), halohydrocarbons (10%-11%), alkenes (3%-7%), and acetylene (2%). The diurnal variation of the boundary layer had a great influence on the VOCs profile. The lower boundary layer in the morning and evening caused the volume fraction of VOCs to accumulate near the ground and lower in the upper layer. The vertical distribution of VOCs was more uniform in the afternoon. In the morning, the volume fraction proportion of alkenes (alkanes) with strong (weak) photochemical reactivity decreased (increased) with the increase in height, indicating that the photochemical aging of VOCs in the upper layer was significant. In the afternoon, the vertical distribution of VOCs volume fraction and OFP in the lower troposphere were more uniform. Affected by the surrounding air masses with different sources, the volume fraction and component proportion of VOCs at each height were significantly different. The alkanes in rural air masses were vertically evenly distributed, and the proportion increased gradually with the height. The vertical negative gradient of VOCs volume fraction in the urban air mass was the largest, the volume fraction of VOCs near the ground was high, and it was rich in aromatics. The proportion of aromatics increased with the increase in VOCs volume fraction between 200-400 m height of industrial air mass. The near-surface VOCs volume fraction of the highway traffic air mass was high, and alkanes accounted for the largest proportion.

[Clinical characteristics of digestive system cancers metastatic to the heart]

Objective: To investigate the clinical features of patients with cardiac metastases from digestive system tumors. Methods: This retrospective study collected and analyzed the medical records of patients with cardiac metastases from digestive system tumors who received treatments in the Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences between January 1999 and January 2021. Kaplan-Meier method was used for survival analysis. Results: A total of 19 patients were identified. The primary tumors were esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (n=7), gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma (n=6), hepatobiliary cancers (n=3) and colorectal cancers (n=3). 16 patients had pericardial metastases, 2 patients had right atrium metastases, and 1 patient had left ventricle metastasis. The most common symptom was dyspnea, which was present in 8 cases. 7 patients received locoregional treatment, while 11 patients underwent systemic therapies. The median overall survival from diagnosis of primary cancer was 31.4 months, and the median overall survival time from diagnosis of cardiac metastasis was 4.7 months. Conclusion: Cardiac metastasis from digestive system tumors is associated with low incidence and a poor prognosis. Systemic treatment remains the cornerstone of management, while novel anti-tumor drugs may improve therapeutic efficacy.

Bombyx mori ferritin heavy-chain homolog facilitates BmNPV proliferation by inhibiting reactive oxygen species-mediated apoptosis

Ferritin heavy-chain homolog (FerHCH), an iron-binding protein, plays an important role in the host defense against oxidative stress and pathogen infections. In our previous research, Bombyx mori native ferritin had an interaction with B. mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV). However, the underlying molecular mechanism of single ferritin homolog responses to BmNPV infection remains unclear. In this study, we found that BmNPV titer and B. mori FerHCH (BmFerHCH) expression were positively correlated with the ferric iron concentration. We performed RNA interference (RNAi) and overexpression experiments to investigate the effects of BmFerHCH on BmNPV proliferation. BmFerHCH knockdown suppressed BmNPV proliferation in vivo and in vitro, whereas BmFerHCH overexpression facilitated BmNPV proliferation. In addition, the oxidative stress level was increased significantly in BmN cells after budded virus infection, while BmFerHCH could neutralize the increased ROS production induced by BmNPV. Of note, we found that ROS was involved in BmNPV-induced apoptosis. Through inhibiting ROS, apoptosis was suppressed by BmFerHCH, whereas BmFerHCH knockdown facilitated apoptosis. Therefore, we hypothesize that BmFerHCH-mediated inhibition of virus-induced apoptosis depends on suppressing ROS accumulation and, thereby, facilitates virus replication. These results suggest that BmFerHCH plays an important role in facilitating BmNPV proliferation and modulating BmFerHCH is potential strategy for studying host-pathogen interactions.

[Spatiotemporal variations of wet-bulb temperature and its impact factors of Nanjing urban neighborhood]

Global climate change and local urban heat islands enhance urban heat stress. Studies focused at the urban neighborhood scale are limited. Wet-bulb temperature represents the combined effects of both temperature and humidity, and therefore can more accurately reflect human thermal comfort. In this study, air temperature, relative humidity and geographic information of different times, seasons, and sky conditions of the Nanjing Jiangbei New Area were obtained based on mobile measurements. The spatiotemporal variation of wet-bulb temperature at the urban neighborhood scale and the effects of sky conditions, land cover and urban morphology (sky view factor, SVF) were further analyzed. The results showed that: 1) the spatiotemporal variations of wet-bulb temperature at the Nanjing urban neighborhood scale were consistent with that of air temperature. Compared with vapor pressure, air temperature played a dominant role. The extremely high values of wet-bulb temperature in this area were mostly caused by the synergy between air temperature and vapor pressure. 2) The correlation between SVF and wet-bulb temperature was significantly positive in the daytime and negative at night. An increase in the vegetation fraction could reduce wet-bulb temperature, while impervious surfaces had the opposite effect. The wet-bulb temperature significantly decreased and its spatial distribution was much more homogeneous under overcast sky conditions. 3) The horizontal scale effect showed diurnal and seasonal differences and was more sensitive to sky conditions during nighttime than during daytime. Compared with vegetation, the horizontal effect of impervious surfaces was much larger in winter than in the other two seasons. The horizontal scale effects of vege-tation and impervious surfaces on wet-bulb temperature were similar to those of air temperature. These results could provide effective scientific support and a theoretical basis for improving and optimizing the thermal environment of urban neighborhoods, as well as alleviating urban heat stress.

Low levels of organic compound trace elements improve the eggshell quality, antioxidant capacity, immune function, and mineral deposition of aged laying hens

In the egg production industry, trace elements are required as additional dietary supplements to play vital roles in performance and egg quality. Compared to inorganic microelements (ITs), appropriate dose of organic trace microelements (OTs) are environmentally friendly and sufficient to satisfy the needs of hens. In order to evaluate the extent to which low-dose OTs replace whole ITs, the effects of organic copper, zinc, manganese, and iron compound on the performance, eggshell quality, antioxidant capacity, immune function, and mineral deposition of old laying hens were investigated. A total of 1 080 57-week-old Jing Hong laying hens were assigned to five groups with six replicates of 36 layers each for an 8-week experimental period. The birds were fed either a basal diet (control treatment (CT)) or the basal diet supplemented with commercial levels of inorganic trace elements (IT 100%) or the equivalent organic trace elements at 20%, 30%, and 50% of the inorganic elements (OT 20%, OT 30%, and OT 50%, respectively). Results showed that compared with those in the CT treatment, feeding hens with inorganic or organic microelement diet had significant effects on the eggshell quality, antioxidant capacity, immune function, and mineral deposition of old laying hens (P < 0.05). The eggshell strength and ratio between OT 30%, OT 50%, and IT 100% were similar at weeks 4 and 8, and the eggshell thickness of these groups was also similar at weeks 6 and 8. At week 8, the eggshell colour in OT 50% was darker than that in IT 100%. The mineral content in the eggshells of OT 50% and IT 100% significantly increased (P < 0.001), with no significant difference in effective thickness, mammillary thickness, and mammillary knob width between groups. There were no differences in the malondialdehyde content, total antioxidant capacity, and total superoxide dismutase activity in serum between OT 30%, OT 50%, and IT100%. While the catalase activities, the interleukin-1β, interleukin-10, immunoglobulin G, and immunoglobulin M concentrations in serum were not significantly different between OT 50% and IT 100%. The mineral contents in the faeces of the organic groups were considerably reduced compared with those in IT 100% (P < 0.001). In conclusion, dietary supplementation with 30-50% organic compound microelements has the potential to replace 100% inorganic microelements in the hen industry for improving eggshell quality, mineral deposition in the eggshell, antioxidant capacity, and immune function, and reducing emissions to the environment without negative effects on laying performance.

CatLet score and Clinical CatLet score as predictors of long-term outcomes for patients with acute myocardial infarction undergoing delayed percutaneous coronary intervention

Background

We have recently developed a Coronary Artery Tree description and Lesion EvaluaTion (CatLet) angiographic scoring system based on the 17 myocardial segment model, law of competitive blood supply, and law of flow conservation. This novel angiographic scoring system can be utilized to account for the variable coronary anatomy, the severity and complexity of coronary artery lesions, and to standardize the collection of angiographic data. Our preliminary study demonstrated that the CatLet score better predicted clinical outcomes than the SYNTAX score for patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The current study aimed at assessing whether the CatLet score (CS) and the Clinical CatLet score (CCS) predicted clinical outcomes for AMI patients undergoing delayed PCI.

Methods

The CS was calculated in 1018 consecutively prospectively enrolled AMI patients. Primary end point was major adverse cardiac events (MACEs), a composite of myocardial infarction, cardiac death, and ischemia-driven revascularization. CCS was calculated multiplying the CS by the ACEF score constructed using age, creatinine, and LVEF. Tertile partitioning of CS and CCS were as follows: CSlow ≤12, CSmid 13–18, and CStop ≥19; CCSlow ≤13, CCSmid 14–24, and CCStop ≥25, respectively. Cox regression analysis was employed to identify the associations between predictors and clinical outcomes.

Results

Four-year MACE rates were significantly higher with CStop compared with CSlow [4.82 (3.39–6.85), P&lt;0.001], which was also the case for all-cause death, cardiac death, myocardial infarction, and ischemia-driven revascularization; for all these endpoints, there were a significant trend (P&lt;0.001) for higher event rates with the increasing CS tertiles as shown in Figure 1. Stratifying outcomes across CCS tertiles resulted in similar results for the comparisons between CCStop and CCSlow. For MACEs, CCS had a significantly increased C-index [(C-index (95% CI), 0.725 (0.692–0.759) vs. 0.693 (0.659–0.727), P=0.001] compared with CS, which was also the case for all-cause death, cardiac death, and myocardial infarction. However, for ischemia-driven revascularization, CCS had a slightly decreased C-index [0.655 (0.609–0.701) vs. 0.670 (0.625–0.716), P=0.235] compared with CS, without a significant difference. In terms of calibration, CCS was comparable to CS for MACEs, all-cause death, cardiac death, and myocardial infarction. However, calibration for ischemia-driven revascularization worsened for CCS compared with CS (χ2=22.07, P=0.004 vs. χ2=7.79, P=0.454). Both scores remained to be independent predictors of clinical outcomes (in separate models) after adjustment for a broad spectrum of risk factors.

Conclusions

CS and to a greater extent CCS were able to risk-stratify long-term outcomes in AMI patients undergoing delayed PCI.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding sources: Foundation. Main funding source(s): 2020YFC2004705 & SYS2019040 Figure 1. Kaplan-Meier curves for endpoints

[Characteristics of Atmospheric Particulate Matter Pollution and the Unique Wind and Underlying Surface Impact in the Twain-Hu Basin in Winter]

To understand the recent characteristics of atmospheric environmental changes in the Twain-Hu(Hunan-Hubei) Basin, including the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, this paper uses near-surface PM_2.5 and PM₁₀ observational data for the Twain-Hu Basin in the winters of 2015 to 2019, combined with wind-speed, topography, the normalized difference vegetation index(NDVI), and other datasets. The results show that:① PM_2.5 pollution occurred frequently in the winters of 2015-2019 in the Twain-Hu Basin, and Xiangyang and Jingmen in the western part of the basin, experience PM_2.5 pollution on an average of 62 and 61 days in winter(PM_2.5>75 μg·m^-3). And the heavy pollution days in Xiangyang reached 19 more days(PM_2.5>150 μg·m^-3), indicating that the Twain-Hu Basin is an air pollution center in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River Basin; ② Spatially, pollution in the Twain-Hu Basin is heavier in the northwest than in the southeast, and in the urban agglomeration, which is mainly related to the regional transport of air pollutants by the winter monsoon and the high levels of emissions from urban areas; ③ A "U-shaped" nonlinear relationship was observed between near-surface wind speeds and PM_2.5 and PM₁₀ concentrations. The inflection points of PM_2.5 and PM₁₀ concentrations were 153 and 210 μg·m^-3, respectively. This implies that the accumulation of local atmospheric particulate matter in the Twain-Hu Basin dominates light/medium pollution, while the regional transport of air pollutants dominates period of severe pollution; and ④ PM_2.5 and PM₁₀ in winter were significantly negatively correlated with terrain height and the NDVI, which reflects the atmospheric environmental effects of topography and urbanization.

Two new sesquiterpenoid lactone derivatives from Lindera aggregata

Two new sesquiterpenoid lactone derivatives, linderin A (1) and linderin B (2) comprising a sesquiterpenoid lactone and a methyl geranylhomogentisate moiety together with six known compounds were isolated from the roots of Lindera aggregata. Their chemical structures were elucidated using extensive spectroscopic analysis including 1 D, 2 D NMR, and HR-ESI-MS data and compared with previously reported data. The absolute configurations of 1 and 2 were assigned based on the electronic circular dichroism calculation. Compound 2 showed moderate anticoagulant activity.

The digestive proteinase trypsin, alkaline A contributes to anti-BmNPV activity in silkworm (Bombyx mori)

Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) is a serious pathogenic microorganism that causes tremendous loss to sericulture. Previous studies have found that some proteins of serine protease family in the digestive juice of B. mori larvae have anti-BmNPV activity. In our previous publication about proteome analysis of the digestive juice of B. mori larvae, the digestive enzyme trypsin, alkaline A (BmTA) was filtered as a differentially expressed protein possibly involved in BmNPV resistance. Here, the biological characteristics and anti-BmNPV functions of BmTA were comprehensively analysed. The cDNA sequence of BmTA had an ORF of 768 nucleotides encoding 255 amino acid residues. Domain architecture analysis showed that BmTA contained a signal peptide and a typical Tryp_SPc domain. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis showed that BmTA was highly expressed in the larval stages and specifically expressed in the midgut of B. mori larvae. The expression level of BmTA in BmNPV resistant strain A35 was higher than that in susceptible strain P50. After BmNPV infection, the expression of BmTA increased in both strains from 24 to 72 h. Virus amplification analysis showed that the relative levels of VP39 in B. mori larvae and BmN cells infected with the appropriate concentration of recombinant-BmTA-treated BmNPV were significantly lower than in the control groups. Moreover, overexpression of BmTA in BmN cells significantly inhibited the amplification of BmNPV. Taken together, the results of this study indicated that BmTA possessed anti-BmNPV activity in B. mori, which broadens the horizon for virus-resistant breeding of silkworms.

1 H NMR-based metabonomic evaluation of the pesticides camptothecin and matrine against larvae of Spodoptera litura

BACKGROUND

Camptothecin (CPT) and matrine (MAT) have potential as botanical pesticides against several pest species. However, the mechanisms of metabolic and physiological changes in pests induced by CPT and MAT are unknown. In this study, a toxicological test, an NMR-based metabolomic study, an enzymatic test, and an RT quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) experiment were all conducted to examine the effect of CPT and MAT on Spodoptera litura.

RESULTS

CPT (0.5-1%) exerted high toxicity against larvae of S. litura and caused growth stagnation and high mortality of larvae. A variety of metabolites were significantly influenced by 0.5% CPT, including several energy-related metabolites such as trehalose, lactate, succinate, citrate, malate, and fumarate. In contrast, MAT showed low toxicity against larvae and induced almost no changes in hemolymph metabolites of S. litura. Enzymatic tests showed that trehalase activity was significantly decreased in larvae after feeding with 0.5% CPT. RT-qPCR showed that the transcription levels of alanine aminotransferase, malate dehydrogenase, and isocitrate dehydrogenase were decreased while lactate dehydrogenase was increased in the 0.5% CPT-treated group.

CONCLUSIONS

These data indicate that one of the important mechanisms of CPT against S. litura larvae is via the inhibition of trehalose hydrolysis and glycolysis. Our findings also suggest that CPT exhibits a stronger toxicological effect than MAT against S. litura, which provides basic information for the application of CPT in the control of S. litura or other lepidoptera pests.

[Primary coenzyme Q10 deficiency-7: a case report and literature review]

Objective: To explore the clinical characteristics and gene variation of primary coenzyme Q10 deficiency-7 (COQ10D7) in children. Methods: Clinical data and genetic tests results of a COQ10D7 child caused by coenzyme Q4 (COQ4) gene variation at the First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University in March 2020 were collected and analyzed. A literature search with "primary coenzyme Q10 deficiency" or "COQ4 gene" as the keyword was conducted at Wanfang database, China national knowledge infrastructure(CNKI), PubMed, online Mendelian inheritance in man(OMIM), ClinVar database (up to April 2020), the clinical characteristics and gene variation of children with primary COQ10D7 were summarized. Results: A 5-month-old boy was diagnosed as "epilepsy" because of intermittent epileptic seizures in three months. He had feeding difficulties, growth retardation, hypotonia of limbs and increased lactic acid. His whole exon gene testing suggested a homozygous variation of COQ4 gene (c.370G>A). One article in Chinese and 9 articles in English were found, which made up the complete case data of 33 patients (including our case). There were 12 missense variations, 2 frameshift variations, 1 splicing variation, 1 nonsense variation and 1 deletion variation, among these variations c. 370G>A was found only in children in southern China.The age of onset was mostly in the neonatal period (22 cases). Among all patients, 20 cases had presented neonatal respiratory distress or respiratory insufficiency, 21 cases had seizures, 20 cases had hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and 26 cases had elevated serum lactic acid or lactic acidosis. Brain dysplasia, brain atrophy, basal ganglia and other lesions were observed on brain magnetic resonance imaging in 28 cases. Most of them had a poor prognosis with a mortality rate of 20/33. The age of death ranged from 4 hours to 42 months old. Conclusions: The main clinical phenotypes of primary COQ10D7 are neonatal respiratory distress or respiratory insufficiency, epilepsy, myocardial hypertrophy and lactic acid elevation. Primary COQ10D7 is caused by homozygous or compound heterozygous variation in the COQ4 gene, and c.370G>A may be the hotspot variation in children in southern China.

Identification and Functional Analysis of BmNPV-Interacting Proteins From Bombyx mori (Lepidoptera) Larval Midgut Based on Subcellular Protein Levels

Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) is a major pathogen causing severe economic loss. However, the molecular mechanism of silkworm resistance to BmNPV and the interactions of this virus with the host during infection remain largely unclear. To explore the virus-binding proteins of silkworms, the midgut subcellular component proteins that may interact with BmNPV were analyzed in vitro based on one- and two-dimensional electrophoresis and far-western blotting combined with mass spectrometry (MS). A total of 24 proteins were determined to be specifically bound to budded viruses (BVs) in two subcellular fractions (mitochondria and microsomes). These proteins were involved in viral transportation, energy metabolism, apoptosis and viral propagation, and they responded to BmNPV infection with different expression profiles in different resistant strains. In particular, almost all the identified proteins were downregulated in the A35 strain following BmNPV infection. Interestingly, there were no virus-binding proteins identified in the cytosolic fraction of the silkworm midgut. Two candidate proteins, RACK1 and VDAC2, interacted with BVs, as determined with far-western blotting and reverse far-western blotting. We speculated that the proteins interacting with the virus could either enhance or inhibit the infection of the virus. The data provide comprehensive useful information for further research on the interaction of the host with BmNPV.

Identification of FerLCH, isolation of ferritin and functional analysis related to interaction with pathogens in Eri-silkworm, Samia cynthia ricini

Ferritin is a ubiquitous and conserved iron storage protein that plays a significant role in host detoxification, iron storage, and immune response. Although ferritin has been studied in many species, little is known about its role in the Eri-silkworm (Samia cynthia ricini). In this study, the ferritin light-chain subunit gene, named ScFerLCH, was identified from S. c. ricini. The full-length gene, ScFerLCH, was 1,155 bp and encoded a protein consisting of 231 amino acids with a deduced molecular weight of 26.38 kDa. Higher ScFerLCH expression levels were found in the midgut, silk gland, and fat body by quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction and western blot analysis. Injection of Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa could induce upregulation of ScFerLCH in the hemolymph, fat body, and midgut, indicating that ScFerLCH may contribute to the host defense against invading pathogens. In addition, the native ferritin protein was isolated from S. c. ricini by native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and its two subunits, ferritin heavy-chain subunit (ScFerHCH) and ferritin light-chain subunit (ScFerLCH), were identified by mass spectrometry. Specifically, we found that recombinant ferritin subunits could self-assemble into a protein complex in vitro; moreover, both recombinant subunits and the protein complex were found to bind different bacteria, including Escherichia coli, P. aeruginosa, S. aureus, and Bacillus subtilis. However, bactericidal tests showed that the protein complex could not inhibit the growth of bacteria directly. Taken together, our results suggest that ScFerritin might play an important role in mediating molecular interaction with pathogens.

A Novel Digestive Proteinase Lipase Member H-A in Bombyx mori Contributes to Digestive Juice Antiviral Activity Against B. mori Nucleopolyhedrovirus

Previous studies have revealed that some proteins in Bombyx mori larvae digestive juice show antiviral activity. Here, based on the label-free proteomics data, BmLipase member H-A (BmLHA) was identified as being involved in the response to BmNPV infection in B. mori larvae digestive juice. In the present study, a gene encoding the BmLHA protein in B. mori was characterized. The protein has an open reading fragment of 999 bp, encoding a predicted 332 amino acid residue-protein with a molecular weight of approximately 35.9 kDa. The phylogenetic analysis revealed that BmLHA shares a close genetic distance with Papilio xuthus Lipase member H-A. BmLHA was highly expressed in the middle part of the B. mori gut, and the expression level increased with instar rising in larvae. There was higher expression of BmLHA in A35 than in P50 strains, and it was upregulated in both A35 and P50 strains, following BmNPV infection. The expression level of VP39 decreased significantly in appropriate recombinant-BmLHA-treated groups compared with the PBS-treated group in B. mori larvae and BmN cells. Meanwhile, overexpression of BmLHA significantly reduced the infectivity of BmNPV in BmN cells. These results indicated that BmLHA did not have digestive function but had anti-BmNPV activity. Taken together, our work provides valuable data for the clarification of the molecular characterization BmLHA and supplements research on proteins of anti-BmNPV activity in B. mori.

DNA Methylation Is Correlated with Gene Expression during Diapause Termination of Early Embryonic Development in the Silkworm (Bombyx mori)

DNA modification is a naturally occurring DNA modification in prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms and is involved in several biological processes. Although genome-wide methylation has been studied in many insects, the understanding of global and genomic DNA methylation during insect early embryonic development, is lacking especially for insect diapause. In this study, we analyzed the relationship between DNA methylomes and transcriptomes in diapause-destined eggs compared to diapause-terminated eggs in the silkworm, Bombyx mori (B. mori). The results revealed that methylation was sparse in this species, as previously reported. Moreover, methylation levels in diapause-terminated eggs (HCl-treated) were 0.05% higher than in non-treated eggs, mainly due to the contribution of CG methylation sites. Methylation tends to occur in the coding sequences and promoter regions, especially at transcription initiation sites and short interspersed elements. Additionally, 364 methylome- and transcriptome-associated genes were identified, which showed significant differences in methylation and expression levels in diapause-destined eggs when compared with diapause-terminated eggs, and 74% of methylome and transcriptome associated genes showed both hypermethylation and elevated expression. Most importantly, Kyoto Encyclopaedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses showed that methylation may be positively associated with Bombyx mori embryonic development, by regulating cell differentiation, metabolism, apoptosis pathways and phosphorylation. Through analyzing the G2/M phase-specific E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase (G2E3), we speculate that methylation may affect embryo diapause by regulating the cell cycle in Bombyx mori. These findings will help unravel potential linkages between DNA methylation and gene expression during early insect embryonic development and insect diapause.

[Clinical analysis of carotid artery stenting with severe stenosis and extracranial distortion under proximal protection technique]

Objective: To investigate the feasibility, efficacy and safety of endovascular reconstruction of the carotid artery with severe stenosis and extracranial distortion under proximal protection. Methods: A retrospective analysis of 21 patients with severe carotid stenosis and extracranial distortion who were admitted to the Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University between January 2011 and August 2017, of which 16 patients were symptomatic stenosis with acute ischemic stroke. All the patients were treated with carotid artery stenting under (CAS) proximal protection technique, and assessed with the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) before the treatment and hospital discharge. The clinical outcome and vascular morphology were followed-up regularly after the treatment. Results: Twenty-one patients were successfully completed the CAS procedure under the proximal protection technique, the average blocking time was 241.0 (232.5-261.0) seconds. Nine patients received 1block attempt, 6 patients received 2 block attempts, and the other 6 patients received 3 block attempts. Three patients experienced transient ischemic attack (TIA) during the procedure, the maximum duration of TIA was 10 minutes. In 16 patients with symptomatic stenosis, there were no significant differences in NIHSS score before CAS procedure and hospital discharge (P>0.05). The residual stenosis rate of the carotid artery after stenting was(13±6)%, compared with preoperative (87±16)%, which appeared a significant difference (t=19.948, P<0.05). All the patients had no adverse events such as myocardial infarction, recurrent ischemic stroke and death in the follow-up period. Restenosis was assessed in 6 patients by DSA or CTA and no restenosis was found. Conclusion: Endovascular reconstruction of the carotid artery with severe stenosis and extracranial distortion under proximal protection technique has been proven as a safe and effective therapy.

Bmserpin2 Is Involved in BmNPV Infection by Suppressing Melanization in Bombyx mori

Melanization, an important defense response, plays a vital role in arthropod immunity. It is mediated by serine proteases (SPs) that convert the inactive prophenoloxidase (PPO) to active phenoloxidase (PO) and is tightly regulated by serine protease inhibitors (serpins) which belong to a well distributed superfamily in invertebrates, participating in immune mechanisms and other important physiological processes. Here, we investigated the Bmserpin2 gene which was identified from a transcriptome database in response to Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) infection. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) results showed that Bmserpin2 was expressed in all tissues, with maximum expression in fat body. Upon BmNPV infection, the expression of Bmserpin2 was up-regulated in P50 (susceptible strain) and BC9 (resistant strain) in haemocytes, fat body and the midgut. However, up-regulation was delayed in BC9 (48 or 72 h), in contrast to P50 (24 h), after BmNPV infection. Meanwhile, Bmserpin2 could delay or inhibit melanization in silkworm haemolymph. Significant increased PO activity can be observed in Bmserpin2-depleted haemolymph under NPV infection. Furthermore, the viral genomic DNA copy number was decreased in Bmserpin2-depleted haemolymph. We conclude that Bmserpin2 is an inducible gene which might be involved in the regulation of PPO activation and suppressed melanization, and have a potential role in the innate immune system of B. mori.

[The value of (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography-computed tomography ((18)F-FDG PET-CT) in evaluating the stability of atherosclerotic plaques]

Objective: Positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) has been used to quantify inflammatory response in the body. The aim of the present study was to explore the possibility of using this method to evaluate the stability of atherosclerotic plaques and the efficacy of atorvastatin in stabilizing atherosclerotic plaques. Methods: Twenty New Zealand male white rabbits were included and divided into the atorvastatin intervention group and the control group, with 10 rabbits in each group. Rabbits in both groups were fed with a high fat diet for 20 weeks, and treated with thoracoabdominal aortic balloon-pulling to establish atherosclerosis model at the end of the 2nd week. Rabbits in atorvastatin intervention group was given atorvastatin intragastrically once a day. At the 8th week, thoracoabdominal aortic ultrasound was used to detect plaques in all rabbits. Blood was drawn at the 3rd and the 20th week, respectively, to measure blood lipids, high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9). At the end of experiment, survival animals were scanned by (18)F-FDG PET-CT, and the average and maximum standard uptake values (SUVmean, SUVmax) of aortic segments were measured. Thereafter, the animals were sacrificed and aortic specimens of rabbits were taken and examined by immunohistochemistry. The pathological indexes were measured and compared. Results: At the end of experiment, the total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), hs-CRP [ (4.58±0.51) ng/ml vs.(5.87±0.66) ng/ml, P<0.01], MMP-9[ (43.93±2.16) ng/ml vs. (50.77±2.32) ng/ml, P<0.01], SUVmean (0.59±0.15 vs. 0.68±0.20, P<0.05) , SUVmax (0.68±0.20 vs. 0.81±0.27, P<0.05) , plaque area [ (0.36±0.24) mm(2) vs. (0.50±0.34) mm(2), P<0.05) ] and density of macrophage[ (4.34±1.54) % vs. (5.65±1.89) %, P<0.01] in the atorvastatin intervention group were significantly lower than those in the control group. In contrast, fiber cap thickness of the plaque[ (4.12±0.66) μm vs. (2.96±0.37) μm, P<0.01] in the atorvastatin intervention group was higher than that of the control group, and the difference was statistically significant. The arterial plaque areas were positively correlated with SUVmean (r=0.27, P<0.05) and SUVmax (r=0.43, P<0.01) . Fiber cap thickness was negatively correlated with SUVmean (r=-0.38, P<0.05) and SUVmax (r=-0.47, P<0.01) . The density of macrophage were positively correlated with SUVmean (r=0.52, P<0.01) and SUVmax (r=0.51, P<0.01) . Conclusion: (18)F-FDG PET/CT can be used to evaluate the efficacy of atorvastatin by the stability of atherosclerotic plaques.

Quantitative label-free proteomic analysis reveals differentially expressed proteins in the digestive juice of resistant versus susceptible silkworm strains and their predicted impacts on BmNPV infection

Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) is a major pathogen causing severe economic loss. Previous studies have revealed that some proteins in silkworm digestive juice show antiviral activity. In this study, antiviral activity examination of different resistant strains showed that the digestive juice of the resistant strain (A35) had higher inhibition to virus than the susceptible strain (P50). Subsequently, the label-free quantitative proteomics was used to study the midgut digestive juice response to BmNPV infection in P50 and A35 strains. A total of 98 proteins were identified, of which 80 were differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) with 54 enzymes and 26 nonenzymatic proteins by comparing the proteomes of infected and non-infected P50 and A35 silkworms. These DEPs are mainly involved in metabolism, proteolysis, neuroactive ligand receptor interaction, starch and sucrose metabolism and glutathione metabolism. After removing the genetic background and individual immune stress response proteins, 9 DEPs were identified potentially involved in resistance to BmNPV. Further studies showed that a serine protease, an alkaline phosphatase and serine protease inhibitor 2 isoform X1 were differentially expressed in A35 compared to P50 or post BmNPV infection. Taken together, these results provide insights into the potential mechanisms for silkworm digestive juice to provide resistance to BmNPV infection. Signifcance: Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) is highly pathogenic, which has a great impact on the sericulture. BmNPV entered the midgut lumen and exposed to digestive juices after oral infection. Previous studies have revealed that some proteins in silkworm digestive juice show antiviral activity, however, current information on the digestive juice proteome of high resistant silkworm strain after BmNPV challenge compared to susceptible strain is incomprehensive. Here, we combined label-free quantification method, bioinformatics, RT-qPCR and western blot analysis and found that BmNPV infection causes some protein changes in the silkworm midgut digestive juice. The DEPs were identified in the digestive juices of different resistant strains following BmNPV infection, and screened out some proteins potentially related to resistance to BmNPV. Three important differentially expression proteins were validated by independent approaches. These findings uncover the potential role of silkworm digestive juice in providing resistance to BmNPV and supplemented the profile of the proteome of the digestive juices in B. mori.

Sanguinarine caused larval lethality and growth inhibition by suppressing energy metabolism in silkworms, Bombyx mori

Sanguinarine (Sang) is a natural alkaloid and distributed in several plants of Papaveraceae. The antitumor, antioxidant, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effects of Sang were extensively reported, but its speciality and mechanism against Lepidoptera insects were still unknown. In this study, detailed toxicological parameters of Sang against silkworms, Bombyx mori (B. mori), were determined by a toxicological test. Then, a nuclear magnetic resonance-based (NMR) metabolomics method was adopted to analyze the changes in hemolymph metabolites of silkworms after feeding Sang. The growth of fourth-instar larvae was significantly ceased by the oral administration of 0.05-0.3% Sang and vast deaths appeared in 0.3% Sang group on Day 4 and Day 5. The quantitative analysis of metabolites indicated that trehalose and citrate levels in hemolymph were increased after 24 h of feeding 0.3% Sang, whereas the concentrations of pyruvate, succinate, malate and fumarate were decreased. In addition, the enzymatic determination and reverse transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) showed that the trehalase (THL) activity and the transcriptional level of one gene coding THL were uniformly weakened by 0.3% Sang. One of the important mechanisms of Sang against silkworms might be interpreted as follows. Sang impaired trehalose hydrolysis, reduced THL activity and transcription, and led to the inhibition of energy metabolism, consequent antigrowth and high lethality in larvae of B. mori. Our findings offered new insights into the insecticidal effect of Sang from the perspective of energy metabolism and provided the basis for the application of Sang in the control of Lepidoptera pests.

A 1H NMR based study of hemolymph metabonomics in different resistant silkworms, Bombyx mori (Lepidotera), after BmNPV inoculation

Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) is a primary silkworm pathogen, and the molecular mechanism of silkworm defense to BmNPV infection is still unclear. Herein, comparative metabolomics was adopted to analyze the variations in the hemolymph metabolites of different resistant silkworm strains following BmNPV inoculation using a ¹H NMR method. Trehalose, as an instant source of energy, plays a crucial role in the response to pathogen infections in insects. The level of trehalose was persistently upregulated in the hemolymph of the resistant silkworm strain YeA following infection with BmNPV, compared to that of the susceptible strain YeB, indicating that trehalose metabolism plays a vital role in the response to BmNPV infection. The significant upregulation of TCA cycle relevant metabolites, including malate, fumarate, citrate, succinate, and α-ketoglutarate, was identified at 0 h, 12 h, 48 h, and 96 h post-infection in YeA hemolymph, whereas a significant upregulation in YeB hemolymph was only detected at an early stage of infection (0 h-24 h). The expression level of selected key metabolic enzymes, determined using RT-qPCR, validated the differences in trehalose and TCA cycle relevant metabolite levels. The variations in branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) pathway relevant metabolites in resistant silkworm strains following BmNPV infection showed a regular undulation at different times after infection. A significant accumulation of phenylalanine and tyrosine was observed in YeA following BmNPV infection compared to YeB. The glycolysis and gluconeogenesis pathways showed a relatively low activity in YeA following BmNPV infection. Moreover, the levels of other metabolites related to fat metabolism, transamination, energy metabolism, and glycometabolism, such as glycine, threonine, glutamine, and glutamate, were unstable in the two silkworm strains following BmNPV infection. Thus, our study provides an overview of the metabolic response of the silkworm in response to BmNPV infection, which lays the foundation for clarifying the mechanism of silkworm resistance to BmNPV infection.

The regulation of crecropin-A and gloverin 2 by the silkworm Toll-like gene 18 wheeler in immune response

The innate immune system is conserved among different insect species in its response to microorganism infection. The transmembrane receptors of the Toll superfamily play an important role in activating immune response, however, the function of silkworm Toll family member 18 Wheeler (18 W) remained unclear. Here, the 18w gene in silkworm was characterized. A relatively high transcription level of Bm18w mRNA was found in Malpighian tubules, and in eggs, larvae pre-molt to fourth instar, pupae and adults. When silkworm larvae were infected with E. coli or S. aureus, Bm18w showed a significant response, especially to E. coli, but did not have antibacterial activity. To further identify the downstream antimicrobial peptide genes of Bm18w, expression of Bm18w was knocked down with siRNA in vitro, resulting in significant decreases of cecropin-A, gloverin 2, and moricin B3. The overexpression of Bm18w was carried out using pIZT/V5-His-mCherry insect vector in BmN cells and significant upregulation of cecropin-A and gloverin 2 was detected, as well as upregulation of attacin and defensin. Based on the results, we concluded that Bm18w is involved in response to bacterial infection by selectively inducing the expression of antimicrobial peptide genes, especially cecropin-A and gloverin 2. This study provides valuable data to supplement understanding of the immune pathway of the silkworm.

Knockdown of BmTCP-1β Delays BmNPV Infection in vitro

The molecular mechanism of silkworm resistance to Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) infection remains unclear. The chaperonin containing t-complex polypeptide 1 (TCP-1) is essential for the folding of tubulin and actin to produce stable and functional competent protein conformation. However, little is known about this protein in silkworm. In the present study, a gene encoding the TCP-1β protein in silkworm was characterized, which has an open reading fragment of 1,611 bp encoding a predicted 536 amino acid residue-protein with a molecular weight of approximately 57.6 kDa containing a Cpn60_TCP1 functional domain. The sequence conservation is 81.52%. The highest level of BmTCP-1β mRNA expression was found in the midgut, while the lowest was in the hemolymph. To further study the function of BmTCP-1β, expression was knocked down with siRNA in vitro, resulting in significant downregulation of the selected cytoskeletal-related genes, actin and tubulin, which was also confirmed by overexpression of BmTCP-1β in BmN cells using the pIZT/V5-His-mCherry insect vector. Moreover, knockdown of BmTCP-1β significantly prolonged the infection process of BmNPV in BmN cells, which was also verified by overexpression of BmTCP-1β in BmN cells. Based on the results of the present study, we concluded that BmTCP-1β plays a vital role in BmNPV infection by regulating the expression of tubulin and actin. Taken together, our work provides valuable data for the clarification of the molecular mechanism of silkworm resistance to BmNPV infection.

DNA methyltransferase BmDnmt1 and BmDnmt2 in silkworm (Bombyx mori) and the regulation of silkworm embryonic development

DNA methylation is one of the most widespread epigenetic marks and has been linked to insect development, especially influencing embryonic development. However, the regulation of DNA methylation in silkworm embryonic development and diapause remain to investigate. In this study, reverse-transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction was performed to identify the expression level of Bombyx mori DNA methyltransferases (BmDNMTs) 1 and 2 ( BmDnmt1 and BmDnmt2) in different tissues, different embryonic developmental stages, and different strains of the silkworm. The results showed that BmDNMTs were the most highly expressed during embryonic development, especially at early embryonic stages. In particular, the expression of BmDNMTs was significantly upregulated in diapause-terminated eggs by HCl treatment. Moreover, tissue distribution showed that BmDnmt2 was highly expressed in testis and ovary, and BmDnmt1 was highly expressed in testis. This study contributes to understanding the correlation of DNA methylation occurs with embryogenesis and gametogenesis in insect, meanwhile, it provides a research orientation to further analyze the role of DNA methylation in diapause initiation and termination in insect embryonic development.

Molecular Characterization of Two Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases: p38 MAP Kinase and Ribosomal S6 Kinase From Bombyx mori (Lepidoptera: Bombycidae), and Insight Into Their Roles in Response to BmNPV Infection

Proteins p38 map kinase and ribosomal S6 kinase (S6K) as members of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) play important roles against pathogens. In this study, Bmp38 and BmS6K were identified as differentially expressed proteins from iTRAQ database. Bmp38 and BmS6K were expressed, and recombinant proteins were purified. The bioinformatics analysis showed that both proteins have serine/threonine-protein kinases, catalytic domain (S_TKc) with 360 and 753 amino acids, respectively. The real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) results suggest that Bmp38 and BmS6K had high expression in the midgut and hemolymph. The comparative expression level of Bmp38 and BmS6K in BC9 was upregulated than in P50 in the midgut after Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) infection. Western bolt results showed a positive correlation between RT-qPCR and iTRAQ data for Bmp38, but BmS6K data showed partial correlation with iTRAQ. Injection of anti-Bmp38 and anti-BmS6K serum suggested that Bmp38 may be involved against BmNPV infection, whereas BmS6K may require phosphorylation modification to inhibit BmNPV infection. Taken together, our results suggest that Bmp38 and BmS6k might play an important role in innate immunity of silkworm against BmNPV.

A toxicological, metabonomic and transcriptional analysis to investigate the property of mulberry 1-deoxynojirimycin against the growth of Samia cynthia ricini

1-Deoxynojirimycin (DNJ) is a natural d-glucose analogue from mulberry with promising physiological activity in vivo. Up to the present, the antidiabetic effects of DNJ on lowering blood sugar and accelerating lipid metabolism in mammals were broadly reported, but the specific character of DNJ against insects was vastly ignored. In this study, a toxicological test of DNJ againgst eri-silkworm, Samia cynthia ricini was carried out to investigate the potential of DNJ in insect management. Further, a method of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) metabonomics and real-time qPCR (RT-qPCR) were performed to analyze the alteration in midgut of eri-silkworm caused by DNJ. The result of toxicology showed that 5% and 10% DNJ could significantly inhibit the development of third-instar larvae on day 1-5, and mass deaths happened in DNJ groups on day 3-5. The quantitative analysis of ¹H NMR in fifth-instar larvae showed that trehalose level increased in midgut of 0, 6 and 12 h DNJ groups, while the concentrations of glucose, lactate, alanine, pyruvate, α-ketoglutarate and fumarate were reduced in varying degrees. Meanwhile, principal component analysis (PCA) indicated that there were significant differences in the metabolic profiles among 12 h DNJ groups and the control group. In addition, RT-qPCR results displayed that four genes coding α-glucosidase, trehalase (THL) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were lowered in expression of 12 h DNJ groups. Simultaneously, THL activity was significantly lowerd in 12 h DNJ groups. These mutually corroborated results indicated that the backbone pathways of energy metabolism, including hydrolysis of trehalose and glycogens, glycolysis and tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle were significantly inhibited by DNJ. Thus, the specific mechanism of DNJ efficiently suppressing the growth and energy metabolism of eri-silkworm was explored in this study, providing the potential of DNJ as to the production of botanical insecticide.

[Clinical observation of thyroid-related adverse events induced by anti-PD-1 antibody SHR-1210 in patients with advanced solid tumor]

Objective: To assess the incidence and characteristics of thyroid dysfunction during anti-Programmed cell death 1 receptor (PD-1) antibody SHR-1210 therapy in patients with advanced solid tumor. Methods: The medical records of 98 patients who initiated SHR-1210 treatment between April 27, 2016 and June 8, 2017 in the phase 1 trial to evaluate the safety, efficacy, and pharmacokinetics of SHR-1210 in patients with advanced solid tumors were retrospectively reviewed. Serological tests of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and free thyroxine (fT4) were measured at baseline and prior to each SHR-1210 administration. Results: A total of 86 patients had normal thyroid function before the first dose of SHR-1210 treatment. Nine out of 86 (10.5%) patients developed new onset hypothyroidism from euthyroid state. 12 patients presented thyroid dysfunction at baseline, 10 of whom were subclinical hypothyroid and 2 were hypothyroidism. Four out of 10 patients developed hypothyroidism from subclinical hypothyroid. Most patients with hypothyroidism were asymptomatic. Thyroid dysfunction occurred early (median, 55days) after the initiation of SHR-1210. The severity of hypothyroidism were all grade 1-2. No grade 3-4 hypothyroidism occurred. No patients discontinue the treatment of SHR-1210 due to clinical impact of the thyroid dysfunctions. Conclusions: Thyroid-related adverse events were common during anti-PD-1 antibody SHR-1210 treatment . The incidence of hypothyroidism is lower in patients with euthyroid state than in patients with thyroid dysfunction at baseline during SHR-1210 treatment . Thyroid function can be improved after thyroid hormone replacement. During SHR-1210 treatment, it is necessary to pay attention to monitor the thyroid function, especially in the patients with thyroid dysfunction at baseline. Trial registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, 2016L01455.

Molecular characterisation of Apolipophorin-III gene in Samia cynthia ricini and its roles in response to bacterial infection

Apolipophorin-III (ApoLp-III) is an abundant hemolymph protein mainly involved in lipid transport and innate immunity in insects. In the present study, the gene Samia cynthia ricini ApoLp-III (ScApoLp-III) was identified from a transcriptome database, and contained 790 nucleotides with a putative open reading frame (ORF) of 561 bp encoding 186 amino acid residues. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that ScApoLp-III had significant homology with ApoLp-III protein from Antheraea pernyi. Higher ScApoLp-III expression levels were found in the fat body and silk gland by reverse transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). Injection of Staphylococcus aureus induced up-regulation of ScApoLp-III in the midgut, fat body and hemocytes. However, ScApoLp-III was down-regulated in the midgut and fat body after Pseudomonas aeruginosa injection, indicating that ScApoLp-III may contribute to the host's defense against invading pathogens. Additionally, recombinant ScApoLp-III was found to bind different bacteria, including E. coli, P. aeruginosa, S. aureus and B. subtilis. Bactericidal tests showed that recombinant ScApoLp-III strongly inhibited Gram-negative bacteria, including Escherichia coli and P. aeruginosa. However, it had no obvious influence on Gram-positive bacteria. Taken together, our results suggest that the ScApoLp-III might play an important role in the innate immunity of S. c. ricini.

Isolation of ferritin and its interaction with BmNPV in the silkworm, Bombyx mori

Ferritin is a ubiquitous iron storage protein that plays an important role in host defence against pathogen infections. In the present study, native ferritin was isolated from the hemolymph of Bombyx mori using native-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (native-PAGE) and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). The results revealed that ferritin consisted of two subunits, designated as BmFerHCH and BmFerLCH. Previously integrated previous transcriptome and iTRAQ data showed that the two subunits were down-regulated in resistant silkworm strain BC9 and there was no obvious change in the expression levels of the subunits in susceptible silkworm strain P50 after BmNPV infection. Virus overlay assays revealed that B. mori ferritin as the form of heteropolymer had an interaction with B. mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV), but it can't interact with BmNPV after depolymerisation. What's more, reverse transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) analysis suggested that BmFerHCH and BmFerLCH could be induced by bacteria, virus and iron. This is the first study to extract B. mori ferritin successfully and confirms their roles in the process of BmNPV infection. All these results will lay a foundation for further research the function of B. mori ferritin.

Comparative transcriptome analysis reveals significant metabolic alterations in eri-silkworm (Samia cynthia ricini) haemolymph in response to 1-deoxynojirimycin

Samia cynthia ricini (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae) is an important commercial silk-producing insect; however, in contrast to the silkworm, mulberry leaves are toxic to this insect because the leaves contain the component 1-deoxynojirimycin (DNJ). A transcriptomic analysis of eri-silkworm haemolymph was conducted to examine the genes related to different metabolic pathways and to elucidate the molecular mechanism underlying eri-silkworm haemolymph responses to DNJ. Eight hundred sixty-five differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified, among which 577 DEGs were up-regulated and 288 DEGs were down-regulated in the 2% DNJ group compared to control (ddH₂O) after 12h. Based on the results of the functional analysis, these DEGs were associated with ribosomes, glycolysis, N-glycan biosynthesis, and oxidative phosphorylation. In particular, according to the KEGG analysis, 138 DEGs were involved in energy metabolism, glycometabolism and lipid metabolism, and the changes in the expression of nine DEGs were confirmed by reverse transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). Thus, DNJ induced significant metabolic alterations in eri-silkworm haemolymph. These results will lay the foundation for research into the toxic effects of DNJ on eri-silkworm as a model and provide a reference for the exploitation of new drugs in humans.

Screening weight related genes of velvet antlers by whole genome re-sequencing

The velvet antler is a special organ that has important biological significance for deer, and its growth is a complicated biological metabolism process. Growing evidence suggests that genetics factors play essential roles in the weight of velvet antlers. In this study, we investigated five sika deer (Cervus nippon) populations under the same feeding condition, and screened genetic variations in the 100 samples (including 50 heavy and 50 light velvet antler weight samples) by whole genome re-sequencing. The results showed that 94 genetic variations were related to the velvet antler weight, among which two single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) sites were located on the exon regions of OAS2 and ALYREF/THOC4, respectively. Furthermore, ALYREF/THOC4 is highly expressed in the velvet antler. The biological functions of these genetic variations were highly related to the growth and development of deer velvet antlers. Collectively, we screened genes related to the velvet antler weight in sika deer populations by whole genome re-sequencing and identified 94 sites as candidate genetic variations related to the velvet antler weight. We hope that it will contribute to further mechanistic studies of velvet antler development and weight variations.

Molecular Characterization and Functional Analysis of a Ferritin Heavy Chain Subunit from the Eri-Silkworm, Samia cynthia ricini

Ferritins are conserved iron-binding proteins that are primarily involved in iron storage, detoxification and the immune response. Despite the importance of ferritin in organisms, little is known about their roles in the eri-silkworm (Samia cynthia ricini). We previously identified a ferritin heavy chain subunit named ScFerHCH in the S. c. ricini transcriptome database. The full-length S. c. ricini ferritin heavy chain subunit (ScFerHCH) was 1863 bp and encoded a protein of 231 amino acids with a deduced molecular weight of 25.89 kDa. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that ScFerHCH shared a high amino acid identity with the Bombyx mori and Danaus plexippus heavy chain subunits. Higher ScFerHCH expression levels were found in the silk gland, fat body and midgut of S. c. ricini by reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and Western blotting. Injection of Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa was associated with an upregulation of ScFerHCH in the midgut, fat body and hemolymph, indicating that ScFerHCH may contribute to the host’s defense against invading pathogens. In addition, the anti-oxidation activity and iron-binding capacity of recombinant ScFerHCH protein were examined. Taken together, our results suggest that the ferritin heavy chain subunit from eri-silkworm may play critical roles not only in innate immune defense, but also in organismic iron homeostasis.

[Correlation Analysis of the Urban Heat Island Effect and Its Impact Factors in China]

Urban heat islands (UHIs), which are urban areas with higher surface or air temperatures than surrounding rural areas, can further enhance the heat stress already exacerbated by global warming. This poses great challenges to human health and sustainable development. China has been burdened with heavy air pollution in recent years, and the effect of haze pollution on UHIs is still far less well understood. This study investigated the spatial variations of daytime, nighttime, and seasonal surface UHI effects in China during 2003-2013, based on MODIS land surface temperature data, and analyzed the correlations between the UHI effect and its impact factors from both biophysical and biochemical perspectives. Our results show that MODIS-derived annual nighttime UHI effect (3.4 K±0.2 K, mean±1 s.e.) is higher than the annual mean daytime UHI effect (2.1 K±0.3 K). The daytime UHI effect is strongest in summer and weakest in winter but contrasts with the seasonal variation characteristics of nighttime UHI effect. During daytime, UHI effects in humid and semi-humid regions are much more obvious than those in semi-arid/arid regions; during nighttime, the UHI effect in semi-humid and semi-arid/arid regions is much stronger than that in humid regions. A Daytime Urban Cool Island effect exists in semi-arid/arid regions during spring, autumn, and winter seasons. Population, vegetation activity, and irrigation are three factors controlling annual mean daytime UHI effect. The nighttime UHI is significantly influenced by latitude, albedo, precipitation, and aerosol concentrations. We provide evidence for a long-held hypothesis that the biogeochemical effect of urban aerosols is an important contributor to the UHI effect. The important role played by rural background environment in calculating the UHI effect is further discussed in terms of surface aerodynamic roughness and the contrast in albedo between urban and rural areas. Mitigation of haze pollution has a co-benefit of reducing the UHI effect and heat stress for urban dwellers. It is also conducive to reducing negative impacts of regional and global climate change.

[Surgical pathology analysis of the causes of failure of 48 bioprosthetic heart valves in 40 Chinese cases]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the pathological changes and related factors leading to failure of bioprosthetic valves.

METHODS

The surgical explanted bioprosthetic valves in Fuwai Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College from January 2006 to December 2014 were retrospectively reviewed. Calcification, cusp tears, pannus and infectious endocarditis of bioprosthetic valves were evaluated by gross examination, X ray photography and histopathological analysis. Meanwhile, the age and the site at implantation, and the tissue type of bioprosthetic valves, the implantation duration were obtained by chart review and used to be analyzed with the modes of valve failure. U test, χ(2) test and Fisher exact test were used to analyze the data.

RESULTS

Total 48 bioprosthetic valves were collected from 40 cases with 26 females. Their age at the time of implantation was 12 to 71 years (median 58 years). The tissue types of bioprosthesis included 24 bovine pericardial valves and 24 porcine aortic valves respectively. The implantation sites included mitral in 29 valves, aortic in 14 valves and tricuspid in 5 valves. The implantation duration ranged from 5 days to 27 years (mean (111±77) months). The study showed that the commonest mode of valve failure was structural valve deterioration (32 valves, 66.7%). The fewer modes of valve failure were infectious endocarditis (9 valves, 18.7%) and non-structural valve deterioration (7 valves, 14.6%). No thrombosis was found in this series. The degree of calcification was correlated positively with implantation duration (r=0.52, P=0.000). The implantation duration of bovine pericardial valves was longer than that of porcine aortic valves ((146±74) months vs. (77±68) months, Z=-3.24, P=0.001). Porcine aortic valves had a higher incidence of cusp tears than bovine pericardial valves (66.7% vs. 16.7%, χ(2)=12.34, P=0.000) despite they had a relatively lower incidence of calcification (41.7% vs. 75.0%, χ(2)=5.37, P=0.019). For the age at the time of implantation, the patients ≤60 years old had more calcification of bioprosthetic valves compared with those >60 years old (45.1% vs. 2/17, χ(2)=5.51, P=0.019) whereas the patients ≤60 years old had fewer cusp tears (12.9% vs. 58.8%, P=0.002). Infectious endocarditis was found more frequently in the valves failure within 5 years than those failure after 5 years (6/14 vs. 8.8%, P=0.006).

CONCLUSIONS

Structural valve deterioration is the principle cause of bioprosthetic valve failure while infectious endocarditis mainly involves the valves failure in early and middle terms after surgery. The mode of valve failure in the patients ≤60 years old is different from that in the patients >60 years old at the time of implantation. More calcification would occur in bioprosthetic valve in the younger patients.

Metabolic changes in the midgut of Eri silkworm after Oral administration of 1-deoxynojirimycin: A 1H-NMR-based metabonomic study

1-deoxynojirimycin (DNJ) is a natural D-glucose analogue and has a strong physiological activity in inhibiting α-glucosidase in vivo. The antidiabetic effects of DNJ in mice or other mammals were extensively explored, but the physiological and toxic roles of DNJ in insects was seldom reported. In this study, the biological effects of DNJ were examined in midgut extracts of fourth-instar larvae of Eri silkworm (Samia cynthia ricini, Saturniidae). Based on nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) metabonomics technology, we analyzed the alterations of glycometabolism, lipids, and energy metabolism pathways in the midgut of S. cynthia ricini caused by DNJ. Pattern recognition analysis (partial least square-discriminant analysis, PLS-DA) showed that four groups of latex, 0.25% DNJ, 0.5% DNJ and the mixture of 0.5% DNJ and latex (1:1) were distinctly different from the control group. Moreover, several metabolic pathways of DNJ-mediated modulation in the midgut were identified. Compared with the control group, alanine, succinate, glutamate, and fumarate concentrations decreased in three groups of 0.5% DNJ, latex, and the mixture, choline levels increased in two DNJ groups, and trehalose levels increased in all experimental groups. Therefore, these results suggest that DNJ modulated lipid metabolism by limiting the hydrolysis pathways of phospholipids metabolism. Additionally, DNJ has a potent negative effect on energy metabolism by inhibiting the hydrolysis of trehalose, glycolysis and the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle. Overall, DNJ, as a single-ingredient, is an efficient substance for modulating lipid metabolism and inhibiting energy metabolism.

[The multicenter study on the registration and follow-up of low anticoagulation therapy for the heart valve operation in China]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the optimal anticoagulation methods and monitoring strategy for Chinese patients undergoing heart valve replacement, which is potentially quite different from western populations.

METHODS

In this multicenter prospective cohort study, the anticoagulation and monitoring strategy data was acquired from 25 773 in-hospital patients in 35 medical centers and 20 519 patients in outpatient clinic in 11 medical centers from January 1st, 2011 to December 31th, 2015.

RESULTS

As for in-hospital patients, mean age of study population was (48.6±11.2) years old; main etiology of valve pathology was rheumatic (87.5%) origin among study cohort; 94.8% of study population received mechanical valve implantation; international normalized ratio (INR) monitoring (in all the study centers) and low-intensity anticoagulation strategy (31 hospitals chose target INR range of 1.5-2.5, and actual values of INR among 89.2% of 100 069 in-hospital monitoring samples were 1.5-2.5), with mean actual INR values of 1.84±0.53, and warfarin dosage of (2.82±0.93) mg/d were widely adopted among the study centers; strategies of in-hospital warfarin administration were similar in all the study centers; complication rates of low-intensity anticoagulation strategy were low in severe hemorrhage (0.02%), thrombosis (0.05%), and thromboembolism (0.05%) events, without anticoagulation-related death.As for 18 974 outpatient clinic patients, the follow-up rate was 92.47%, with a total of 30 012 patient-years (Pty). Anticoagulation-related morbidity and mortality rates were 0.67% and 0.15% Pty; major hemorrhage morbidity and mortality rates were 0.25% and 0.13% Pty; thromboembolism morbidity and mortality rates were 0.45% and 0.03% Pty.The mean dosage of warfarin daily dosage was (2.85±1.23) mg/d and INR value was 1.82±0.57.No significant regional difference in the intensity of anticoagulation therapy was noted during the study.

CONCLUSIONS

INR can be used as a normalized indicator for intensity of anticoagulation therapy in China.The optimal anticoagulation intensity with INR range from 1.5 to 2.5 is safe and effective for Chinese patients with heart valve replacement, and there is no significant regional difference in the intensity of anticoagulation therapy.

Identification of Four ATP-Binding Cassette Transporter Genes in Cnaphalocrocis medinalis and Their Expression in Response to Insecticide Treatment

The ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters belong to a superfamily of genes involved in the transport of specific molecules across lipid membranes, as well as insecticide resistance, present in all living organisms. In this study, we combined the Cnaphalocrocis medinals transcriptome database with a bioinformatics approach to identify four C. medinals ABCs (CmABCs), including CmABCG1, CmABCG4, CmABCC2 and CmABCC3. Tissue expression analysis showed that these genes had a tissue-specific expression pattern. CmABCG1 had significantly higher expression in the haemolymph and head compared to the other tissues. The expression of CmABCG4, CmABCC2 and CmABCC3 was highest in the midgut, followed by expression in the fat body. The developmental stage expression analysis showed that CmABCG1, CmABCG4, CmABCC2 and CmABCC3 were mainly expressed in adults. The transcription of CmABCG1, CmABCG4 and CmABCC2 was significantly induced by chlorpyrifos. Taken together, the results of our study provided useful information for understanding of the detoxification system of C. medinalis.