Vimentin as a potential target for diverse nervous system diseases

Vimentin is a major type III intermediate filament protein that plays important roles in several basic cellular functions including cell migration, proliferation, and division. Although vimentin is a cytoplasmic protein, it also exists in the extracellular matrix and at the cell surface. Previous studies have shown that vimentin may exert multiple physiological effects in different nervous system injuries and diseases. For example, the studies of vimentin in spinal cord injury and stroke mainly focus on the formation of reactive astrocytes. Reduced glial scar, increased axonal regeneration, and improved motor function have been noted after spinal cord injury in vimentin and glial fibrillary acidic protein knockout (GFAP^-/-VIM^-/-) mice. However, attenuated glial scar formation in post-stroke in GFAP^-/- VIM^-/- mice resulted in abnormal neuronal network restoration and worse neurological recovery. These opposite results have been attributed to the multiple roles of glial scar in different temporal and spatial conditions. In addition, extracellular vimentin may be a neurotrophic factor that promotes axonal extension by interaction with the insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor. In the pathogenesis of bacterial meningitis, cell surface vimentin is a meningitis facilitator, acting as a receptor of multiple pathogenic bacteria, including E. coli K1, Listeria monocytogenes, and group B streptococcus. Compared with wild type mice, VIM^-/- mice are less susceptible to bacterial infection and exhibit a reduced inflammatory response, suggesting that vimentin is necessary to induce the pathogenesis of meningitis. Recently published literature showed that vimentin serves as a double-edged sword in the nervous system, regulating axonal regrowth, myelination, apoptosis, and neuroinflammation. This review aims to provide an overview of vimentin in spinal cord injury, stroke, bacterial meningitis, gliomas, and peripheral nerve injury and to discuss the potential therapeutic methods involving vimentin manipulation in improving axonal regeneration, alleviating infection, inhibiting brain tumor progression, and enhancing nerve myelination.

[Study on the characteristics of major birth defects in 1.69 million cases of fetus in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region]

Objective: Tracking the information on 1.69 million fetal cases across Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (Guangxi) so as to study the occurrences of total and major birth defects in order to evaluate the ability on related prevention and control programs in Guangxi. Methods: Using the self-developed "Gui Women's System" to establish a database of 1.69 million fetal cases in Guangxi and to analyze the distribution of time, space and population, as well as the outcomes of pregnancy, using the big data. Results: During the 29 months of observation, the overall live birth rate was 99.25%, with stillbirth rate during pregnancy as 0.44%, stillbirth rate during birth as 0.02%, and the 0-6 days mortality rate as 0.14%. The total detection rate on birth defects was 197.63/10 000; the incidence rate was 103.04/10 000, the birth rate was 102.55/10 000. The overall discovery rate of major birth defects was 48.33/10 000, with the incidence rate as 783 000, the birth rate as 0.58/10 000. The discovery rates of major birth defects in 14 cities were between 35 and 68/10 000, and the birth rate dropped significantly to less than 1.00 in 10 000. Nationalities showed that the number of pregnant women with birth defects more than 50 000 would include Hui (9.68/10 000), Yao (9.57/10 000), and Jing (9.37/10 000). With the increasing age of gestation, number of birth defects, incidence of major birth defects also increased. Ninety-five percent of the major birth defects were found within <28 weeks and with the top 5 kinds of major birth defects as complicated congenital heart disease (9.11/10 000), alpha thalassemia (8.36/10 000), and 21-trisomy syndrome (7.85/10 000), beta thalassemia (5.32/10 000) and fetal edema syndrome (4.92/10 000). The top 5 major birth defects appeared as complicated congenital heart disease (9.11/10 000), alpha thalassemia (8.36/10 000), and 21-trisomy syndrome (7.85/10 000), beta thalassemia (5.32/10 000) and fetal edema syndrome (4.92/10 000). Conclusion: Programs leading to increase the rate on discovery of major birth defects were fundamental in effectively reducing the major birth defects.

Silica subsurface amine effect on the chemical stability and chromatographic properties of end-capped immobilized artificial membrane surfaces

The silica surface of immobilized artificial membranes containing phosphatidylcholine (IAM.PC) has approximately two aminopropyl groups per immobilized phosphatidylcholine molecule. Primary amines near the silica subsurface adsorb biomolecules and also decrease the chemical stability of IAM.PC surfaces. Consequently, subsurface amines were end-capped by several methods including silylating reagents, acetyl analogues, glycidol, methyl glycolate, short-chain anhydrides (3-6 carbons/anhydride chain), and long-chain anhydrides (10-12 carbons/anhydride chain). All end-capping reactions resulted in loss of the initially immobilized phosphatidylcholine molecule. However, the amount of PC loss during end capping was very low (for alkyl anhydride end-capping reactions) to very high (for silylation end-capping reactions). After end capping, IAM.PC showed increased chemical stability compared to non end-capped IAM.PC surfaces. The chemical stability of IAM packing material was monitored by phospholipid leaching from IAM surfaces exposed to organic and aqueous solvents using thin-layer chromatography, 1H NMR spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry. IAM.PC packing material end capped with long-chain anhydrides exhibited the greatest chemical stability, i.e., little or no detectable phospholipid leaching when challenged with aqueous and/or organic solvents. The chromatography of acidic and basic compounds on end-capped and non-end-capped IAM.PC surfaces was studied. Compared to non-end-capped IAM.PC HPLC columns, the chromatographic retention times of acidic compounds (deoxynucleotides) decreased after end capping. In contrast, the retention times of basic compounds (amphetamine analogues) increased on end-capped IAM.PC HPLC columns relative to non-end-capped IAM.PC HPLC columns. This indicates that these solutes have access to the silica subsurface amines during chromatography.