Probiotics-Fermented Grifola frondosa Total Active Components: Better Antioxidation and Microflora Regulation for Alleviating Alcoholic Liver Damage in Mice

Alcoholic liver damage is caused by long-term drinking, and it further develops into alcoholic liver diseases. In this study, we prepared a probiotic fermentation product of Grifola frondosa total active components (PFGF) by fermentation with Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, and Pediococcus acidilactici. After fermentation, the total sugar and protein content in the PFGF significantly decreased, while the lactic acid level and antioxidant activity of the PFGF increased. Afterward, we investigated the alleviating effect of PFGF on alcoholic liver injury in alcohol-fed mice. The results showed that the PFGF intervention reduced the necrosis of the liver cells, attenuated the inflammation of the liver and intestines, restored the liver function, increased the antioxidant factors of the liver, and maintained the cecum tissue barrier. Additionally, the results of the 16S rRNA sequencing analysis indicated that the PFGF intervention increased the relative abundance of beneficial bacteria, such as Lactobacillus, Ruminococcaceae, Parabacteroids, Parasutterella, and Alistipes, to attenuate intestinal inflammation. These results demonstrate that PFGF can potentially alleviate alcoholic liver damage by restoring the intestinal barrier and regulating the intestinal microflora.

A gamma ray spectrometer with Compton suppression on the HL-2A tokamak

A new broad-energy, high-resolution gamma ray spectrometer (GRS) with Compton suppression function has been developed recently in the HL-2A tokamak to obtain the gamma ray information in the energy range of 0.1-10 MeV. This is the first time to develop an anti-Compton GRS for a magnetic confinement fusion device. The anticoincidence detector consists of a large-volume high purity germanium (HPGe) crystal (Φ63 × 63 mm²) as the primary detector and eight trapezoidal bismuth germinate (BGO) scintillators (trapezoid crystal with 30 mm thickness) as the secondary detector. The anti-coincidence data processing is implemented by a digital-based data acquisition system with fast digitization and software signal processing technology. Using radioisotope gamma ray sources and Monte Carlo N-Particle code, the energy and efficiency of the spectrometer have been calibrated and quantitatively tested. The Compton continuum suppression factor reaches 4.2, and the energy resolution (Full Width at Half Maximum) of the 1.332 MeV full energy peak for ⁶⁰Co is 2.1 keV. Measurements of gamma ray spectra with Compton suppression using the spectrometer have been successfully performed during HL-2A discharges with different conditions. The performance of the spectrometer and the first experimental results are presented in this paper.

[Application of ROC and PR curves in the evaluation of clinical diagnostic testing]

This study reviewed the concepts and properties of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and precision recall (PR) curve, and made suggestions on the application of two curves based on the prevalence in combination with the results of simulation data. This study demonstrated that the ROC curve and PR curve had different properties, which could reflect the performance of diagnostic methods from various aspects. These two curves should be selected with a consideration of prevalence and clinical scenarios. When the prevalence was less than 20%, especially less than 5%, the PR curve could be adopted.

PROTEIN S-ACYL TRANSFERASE 13/16 modulate disease resistance by S-acylation of the nucleotide binding, leucine-rich repeat protein R5L1 in Arabidopsis

Nucleotide binding, leucine-rich repeat (NB-LRR) proteins are critical for disease resistance in plants, while we do not know whether S-acylation of these proteins plays a role during bacterial infection. We identified 30 Arabidopsis mutants with mutations in NB-LRR encoding genes from the Nottingham Arabidopsis Stock Center and characterized their contribution to the plant immune response after inoculation with Pseudomonas syringae pv tomato DC3000 (Pst DC3000). Of the five mutants that were hyper-susceptible to the pathogen, three (R5L1, R5L2 and RPS5) proteins contain the conserved S-acylation site in the N-terminal coiled-coil (CC) domain. In wild-type (WT) Arabidopsis plants, R5L1 was transcriptionally activated upon pathogen infection, and R5L1 overexpression lines had enhanced resistance. Independent experiments indicated that R5L1 localized at the plasma membrane (PM) via S-acylation of its N-terminal CC domain, which was mediated by PROTEIN S-ACYL TRANSFERASE 13/16 (PAT13, PAT16). Modification of the S-acylation site reduced its affinity for binding the PM, with a consequent significant reduction in bacterial resistance. PM localization of R5L1 was significantly reduced in pat13 and pat16 mutants, similar to what was found for WT plants treated with 2-bromopalmitate, an S-acylation-blocking agent. Transgenic plants expressing R5L1 in the pat13 pat16 double mutant showed no enhanced disease resistance. Overexpression of R5L1 in WT Arabidopsis resulted in substantial accumulation of reactive oxygen species after inoculation with Pst DC3000; this effect was not observed with a mutant R5L1 carrying a mutated S-acylation site. Our data suggest that PAT13- and PAT16-mediated S-acylation of R5L1 is crucial for its membrane localization to activate the plant defense response.

[Overexpression of NAT10 induced platinum drugs resistance in breast cancer cell]

Objective: To observe the platinum drugs resistance effect of N-acetyltransferase 10 (NAT10) overexpression in breast cancer cell line and elucidate the underlining mechanisms. Methods: The experiment was divided into wild-type (MCF-7 wild-type cells without any treatment) group, NAT10 overexpression group (H-NAT10 plasmid transfected into MCF-7 cells) and NAT10 knockdown group (SH-NAT10 plasmid transfected into MCF-7 cells). The invasion was detected by Transwell array, the interaction between NAT10 and PARP1 was detected by co-immunoprecipitation. The impact of NAT10 overexpression or knockdown on the acetylation level of PARP1 and its half-life was also determined. Immunostaining and IP array were used to detect the recruitment of DNA damage repair protein by acetylated PARP1. Flow cytometry was used to detect the cell apoptosis. Results: Transwell invasion assay showed that the number of cell invasion was 483.00±46.90 in the NAT10 overexpression group, 469.00±40.50 in the NAT10 knockdown group, and 445.00±35.50 in the MCF-7 wild-type cells, and the differences were not statistically significant (P>0.05). In the presence of 10 μmol/L oxaliplatin, the number of cell invasion was 502.00±45.60 in the NAT10 overexpression group and 105.00±20.50 in the NAT10 knockdown group, both statistically significant (P<0.05) compared with 219.00±31.50 in wild-type cells. In the presence of 10 μmol/L oxaliplatin, NAT10 overexpression enhanced the binding of PARP1 to NAT10 compared with wild-type cells, whereas the use of the NAT10 inhibitor Remodelin inhibited the mutual binding of the two. Overexpression of NAT10 induced PARP1 acetylation followed by increased PARP1 binding to XRCC1, and knockdown of NAT10 expression reduced PARP1 binding to XRCC1. Overexpression of NAT10 enhanced PARP1 binding to LIG3, while knockdown of NAT10 expression decreased PARP1 binding to LIG3. In 10 μmol/L oxaliplatin-treated cells, the γH2AX expression level was 0.38±0.02 in NAT10 overexpressing cells and 1.36±0.15 in NAT10 knockdown cells, both statistically significant (P<0.05) compared with 1.00±0.00 in wild-type cells. In 10 μmol/L oxaliplatin treated cells, the apoptosis rate was (6.54±0.68)% in the NAT10 overexpression group and (12.98±2.54)% in the NAT10 knockdown group, both of which were statistically significant (P<0.05) compared with (9.67±0.37)% in wild-type cells. Conclusion: NAT10 overexpression enhances the binding of NAT10 to PARP1 and promotes the acetylation of PARP1, which in turn prolongs the half-life of PARP1, thus enhancing PARP1 recruitment of DNA damage repair related proteins to the damage sites, promoting DNA damage repair and ultimately the survival of breast cancer cells.

Recent Advances and Future Perspectives in Cotton Research

Cotton is not only the world's most important natural fiber crop, but it is also an ideal system in which to study genome evolution, polyploidization, and cell elongation. With the assembly of five different cotton genomes, a cotton-specific whole-genome duplication with an allopolyploidization process that combined the A- and D-genomes became evident. All existing A-genomes seemed to originate from the A₀-genome as a common ancestor, and several transposable element bursts contributed to A-genome size expansion and speciation. The ethylene production pathway is shown to regulate fiber elongation. A tip-biased diffuse growth mode and several regulatory mechanisms, including plant hormones, transcription factors, and epigenetic modifications, are involved in fiber development. Finally, we describe the involvement of the gossypol biosynthetic pathway in the manipulation of herbivorous insects, the role of GoPGF in gland formation, and host-induced gene silencing for pest and disease control. These new genes, modules, and pathways will accelerate the genetic improvement of cotton.

Lif Deficiency Leads to Iron Transportation Dysfunction in Ameloblasts

Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), a member of the interleukin 6 family of cytokines, is involved in skeletal metabolism, blastocyst implantation, and stem cell pluripotency maintenance. However, the role of LIF in tooth development needs to be elucidated. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of Lif deficiency on tooth development and to elucidate the functions of Lif during tooth development and the underlying mechanisms. First, it was found that the incisors of Lif-knockout mice had a much whiter color than those of wild-type mice. Although there were no structural abnormalities or defective mineralization according to scanning electronic microscopy and computed tomography analysis, 3-dimensional images showed that the length of incisors was shorter in Lif^-/- mice. Microhardness and acid resistance assays showed that the hardness and acid resistance of the enamel surface of Lif^-/- mice were decreased compared to those of wild-type mice. In Lif^-/- mice, whose general iron status was comparable to that of the control mice, the iron content of the incisors was significantly reduced, as confirmed by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and Prussian blue staining. Histological staining showed that the cell length of maturation-stage ameloblasts was shorter in Lif^-/- mice. Likewise, decreased expression of Tfrc and Slc40a1, both of which are crucial proteins for iron transportation, was observed in Lif^-/- mice and Lif-knockdown ameloblast lineage cell lines, according to quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, immunohistochemistry, and Western blot. Moreover, the upregulation of Tfrc and Slc40a1 induced by Lif stimulation was blocked by Stattic, a signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (Stat3) signaling inhibitor. These results suggest that Lif deficiency inhibits iron transportation in the maturation-stage ameloblasts, and Lif modulates expression of Tfrc and Slc40a1 through the Stat3 signaling pathway during enamel development.

Effect of oxymatrine on liver gluconeogenesis is associated with the regulation of PEPCK and G6Pase expression and AKT phosphorylation

An increase in liver gluconeogenesis is an important pathological phenomenon in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and oxymatrine is an effective natural drug used for T2DM treatment. The present study aimed to explore the effect of oxymatrine on gluconeogenesis and elucidate the underlying mechanism. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with a high-fat diet and streptozotocin for 4 weeks to induce T2DM, and HepG2 cells were treated with 55 mM glucose to simulate T2DM in vitro. T2DM rats were treated with oxymatrine (10 or 20 mg/kg weight) or metformin for 4 weeks, and HepG2 cells were treated with oxymatrine (0.1 or 1 µM), metformin (0.1 µM), or oxymatrine combined with MK-2206 (AKT inhibitor) for 24 h. Fasting blood glucose and insulin sensitivity of rats were measured to evaluate insulin resistance. Glucose production and uptake ability were measured to evaluate gluconeogenesis in HepG2 cells, and the expression of related genes was detected to explore the molecular mechanism. Additionally, the body weight, liver weight and liver index were measured and hematoxylin and eosin staining was performed to evaluate the effects of the disease. The fasting glucose levels of T2DM rats was 16.5 mmol/l, whereas in the control rats, it was 6.1 mmol/l. Decreased insulin sensitivity (K-value, 0.2), body weight loss (weight, 300 g), liver weight gain, liver index increase (value, 48) and morphological changes were observed in T2DM rats, accompanied by reduced AKT phosphorylation, and upregulated expression of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) and glucose-6-phosphatase (G6Pase). High-glucose treatment significantly increased glucose production and decreased glucose uptake in HepG2 cells, concomitant with a decrease in AKT phosphorylation and increase of PEPCK and G6Pase expression. In vivo, oxymatrine dose-dependently increased the sensitivity of T2DM rats to insulin, increased AKT phosphorylation and decreased PEPCK and G6Pase expression in the liver, and reversed the liver morphological changes. In vitro, oxymatrine dose-dependently increased AKT phosphorylation and glucose uptake of HepG2 cells subjected to high-glucose treatment, which was accompanied by inhibition of the expression of the gluconeogenesis-related genes, PEPCK and G6Pase. MK-2206 significantly inhibited the protective effects of oxymatrine in high-glucose-treated cells. These data indicated that oxymatrine can effectively prevent insulin resistance and gluconeogenesis, and its mechanism may be at least partly associated with the regulation of PEPCK and G6Pase expression and AKT phosphorylation in the liver.

Luteoloside Ameliorates Palmitic Acid-Induced in Vitro Model of Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease via Activating STAT3-Triggered Hepatocyte Regeneration

Luteoloside (Lute), a bioactive natural ingredient, widely exists in nature and possesses hepatoprotective and hepatocyte proliferation-promoting properties. This study aimed to investigate whether Lute could counteract non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)-caused hepatocyte damage via its stimulation of hepatocyte regeneration efficacy and to explore the involved mechanism. LO2 cells and primary hepatocytes were used to examine the hepatocyte proliferation effects of Lute under physiological conditions and in the palmitic acid (PA)- induced in vitro model of NAFLD. STAT3 and cell cycle-related proteins (cyclin D1, c-myc and p21) were evaluated by Western blot. Under physiological conditions, LO2 cells and primary hepatocytes treated with various concentration of Lute for 12 and 24 h showed increased hepatocyte proliferation, especially with 20 μM treatment for 24 h. More notably, under the model conditions, co-incubation with 20 μM of Lute also markedly reversed PA-induced inhibition of cell proliferation and viability in primary hepatocytes. Mechanistically, Lute could activate STAT3 and subsequently increase cyclin D1 and cmyc expression, which positively regulates cell cycle progression, and decrease expression of p21, an inhibitor of cell cycle progression. Furthermore, Luteinduced hepatocyte proliferation-promoting efficacy was abolished by STAT3 inhibitor stattic. Collectively, Lute can alleviate PA-induced hepatocyte damage via activating STAT3-mediated hepatocyte regeneration.

Phytosphinganine Affects Plasmodesmata Permeability via Facilitating PDLP5-Stimulated Callose Accumulation in Arabidopsis

Plant plasmodesmata (PDs) are specialized channels that enable communication between neighboring cells. The intercellular permeability of PDs, which affects plant development, defense, and responses to stimuli, must be tightly regulated. However, the lipid compositions of PD membrane and their impact on PD permeability remain elusive. Here, we report that the Arabidopsis sld1 sld2 double mutant, lacking sphingolipid long-chain base 8 desaturases 1 and 2, displayed decreased PD permeability due to a significant increase in callose accumulation. PD-located protein 5 (PDLP5) was significantly enriched in the leaf epidermal cells of sld1 sld2 and showed specific binding affinity to phytosphinganine (t18:0), suggesting that the enrichment of t18:0-based sphingolipids in sld1 sld2 PDs might facilitate the recruitment of PDLP5 proteins to PDs. The sld1 sld2 double mutant seedlings showed enhanced resistance to the fungal-wilt pathogen Verticillium dahlia and the bacterium Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000, which could be fully rescued in sld1 sld2 pdlp5 triple mutant. Taken together, these results indicate that phytosphinganine might regulate PD functions and cell-to-cell communication by modifying the level of PDLP5 in PD membranes.

A special issue to mark the 90th Anniversary of College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University

The College of Life Sciences (CLS) remains one of the most prestigious-and the oldest-colleges in Zhejiang University. This special issue, which includes 16 reviews contributed by our alumni and faculties, is dedicated to mark the 90th Anniversary of CLS. The reviews provide a glimpse of current progresses in the areas of life sciences such as biochemical processes and their association with diseases (Ding et al., 2019; Hu et al., 2019; Jin et al., 2019; Nie and Yi, 2019), cancer biology (Feng, 2019; Huang et al., 2019; Leonard and Zhang, 2019; Zhu F et al., 2019), plant and environmental microbiology (Li et al., 2019; Yang et al., 2019; Zhu XR et al., 2019), cell cycle (Gao and Liu, 2019; Zhang et al., 2019), RNA biology (Gudenas et al., 2019; Luo et al., 2019), and protein structural biology (Yang and Tang, 2019).

Multilocus sequence typing analysis of Candida africana from vulvovaginal candidiasis

BACKGROUND

Candida africana is distributed worldwide and colonized in human genitalia and cause mainly vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC). We report the multilocus sequence typing (MLST) analysis of C. africana from VVC.

METHODS

MLST analysis of 43 strains of C. africana, which were isolated from vaginal specimens of patients with VVC, was performed. The enzymatic activity of phospholipase, esterase and haemolysis enzyme production was evaluated.The level of virulent genes and resistant genes mRNA expression was determined by using real-time PCR. Antifungal susceptibilities of the isolates were assayed by using the broth microdilution method. The statistical of the results was determined by the T test and Pearson chi-squared test.

RESULTS

The MLST analysis revealed a substantial degree of genetic homogeneity. The DST782 and DST182 were the main MLST genotypes in C. africana. All the patients were symptomatic and with a high mycological cure rate when treated with commonly used antifungal agents.There were statistically significant differences in biofilm formation and phospholipase activity between C. africana and C.albicans. The level of virulent genes and resistant genes mRNA expression was higher in fluconazole-resistant strains. All C. africana isolates were susceptible to fluconazole, itraconazole, voriconazole, caspofungin, and micafungin. These isolates also exhibited low MICs to amphotericin B, flucytosine, and posaconazole.

CONCLUSIONS

Candida africana appear to be with a low level of sequence variation in MLST loci. Candida africana, a lower virulence candida, is susceptible to commonly used antifungal agents. This paper was presented at the conference of 8th Trend in Medical Mycology (6-9 October 2017, Belgrade, Serbia) and was published on conference abstract.

An Optically Induced Dielectrophoresis (ODEP)-Based Microfluidic System for the Isolation of High-Purity CD45neg/EpCAMneg Cells from the Blood Samples of Cancer Patients-Demonstration and Initial Exploration of the Clinical Significance of These Cells

Circulating tumour cells (CTCs) in blood circulation play an important role in cancer metastasis. CTCs are generally defined as the cells in circulating blood expressing the surface antigen EpCAM (epithelial cell adhesion molecule). Nevertheless, CTCs with a highly metastatic nature might undergo an epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), after which their EpCAM expression is downregulated. In current CTC-related studies, however, these clinically important CTCs with high relevance to cancer metastasis could be missed due to the use of the conventional CTC isolation methodologies. To precisely explore the clinical significance of these cells (i.e., CD45^neg/EpCAM^neg cells), the high-purity isolation of these cells from blood samples is required. To achieve this isolation, the integration of fluorescence microscopic imaging and optically induced dielectrophoresis (ODEP)-based cell manipulation in a microfluidic system was proposed. In this study, an ODEP microfluidic system was developed. The optimal ODEP operating conditions and the performance of live CD45^neg/EpCAM^neg cell isolation were evaluated. The results demonstrated that the proposed system was capable of isolating live CD45^neg/EpCAM^neg cells with a purity as high as 100%, which is greater than the purity attainable using the existing techniques for similar tasks. As a demonstration case, the cancer-related gene expression of CD45^neg/EpCAM^neg cells isolated from the blood samples of healthy donors and cancer patients was successfully compared. The initial results indicate that the CD45^neg/EpCAM^neg nucleated cell population in the blood samples of cancer patients might contain cancer-related cells, particularly EMT-transformed CTCs, as suggested by the high detection rate of vimentin gene expression. Overall, this study presents an ODEP microfluidic system capable of simply and effectively isolating a specific, rare cell species from a cell mixture.

[Analysis on funds application of community based organizations involved in HIV/AIDS response and government financial investment in China, 2014]

Objective: To understand the government financial investments to community based organizations (CBO) involved in HIV/AIDS Control and Prevention of China and its influencing factors. Methods: Questionnaire of the situation of CBO involved in HIV/AIDS control and prevention were designed, and filled by the staff of Provincial Health Administrative Departments of 31 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities). The research focused on the fields of CBO involved in HIV/AIDS response in 31 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities), including intervention on HIV/AIDS high risk population (female sex worker (FSW), man who sex with man (MSM), drug user (DU) and case management and care for people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWH)). 29 valid questionnaires were collecting, with Shanxi Province and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Regions not filled. Questionnaire included financial supports from local governments, transfer payment from central government for CBO involved in HIV/AIDS response in 2014, and unit cost for CBO involved in HIV/AIDS control and prevention. Multivariate analysis was conducted on the project application and financial investment of community based organizations involved in HIV/AIDS control and prevention in 2014. Results: The total amount of CBO to apply for participation in AIDS prevention and control was 64 482 828 Yuan in 2014. The actual total amount of investment was 50 616 367 Yuan, The investment came from the central government funding, the provincial level government funding, the prefecture and county level government funding investment and other sources of funding. 22 of 28 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) received the funds from the central government finance, and median of investment funds 500 000 Yuan. 15 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) gained the funds from the provincial government finance, and median of investment funds 350 000 Yuan. 12 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) got the funds from the prefecture and county level government finance, and median of investment funds 408 750 Yuan. 12 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) acquired the funds from other sources, and median of investment funds 228 400 Yuan. The median (P(25), P(75)) unit costs of intervention for FSW from 16 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) was 70 (23, 280) Yuan per year; DU from 14 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) was 83 (44, 200 ) Yuan per year; MSM from 16 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) was 100 (35, 280) Yuan per year; the follow-up and care for PLWH from 17 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) was 200 (45, 500) Yuan per year. Multivariate linear regression analysis results showed that the amount of PLWH in 2014 influenced on the total number of application funds of CBO involved in HIV/AIDS response (b=178.11, 95% CI: 51.86-305.36) and the amount of PLWH (b=77.72, 95% CI: 16.28-139.16), and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita of the province (b=36.20, 95% CI: 4.60-67.80) impacted financial investment to CBO involved in HIV/AIDS response, respectively. Conclusion: Funds application and financial investment of CBO involved in HIV/AIDS control and prevention were huge. Financial investment from government was main resources for CBO in 2014. The amount of financial investment funds from governments was influenced by the HIV/AIDS epidemic situation and the development level of local economic.

[Pathological insights of radiotherapy-related damage to surgical margin after preoperative radiotherapy in patients with rectal cancer]

Objective: To investigate the effect of irradiation to anastomosis from preoperative radiotherapy for patients with rectal cancer by studying the pathological changes. Methods: In this retrospective study, patients enrolled in the FOWARC study from January 2011 to July 2014 in the Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University were included. In the FOWARC study, enrolled patients with local advanced rectal cancer were randomly assigned to receive either neoadjuvant chemo-radiotherapy or chemotherapy. Among these patients, 23 patients were selected as radiation proctitis (RP)group, who fulfilled these conditions: (1) received neoadjuvant chemo-radiotherapy followed by sphincter-preserving surgery; (2) developed radiation proctitis as confirmed by preoperative imaging diagnosis; (3) had intact clinical samples of surgical margins. Twenty-three patients who had received neoadjuvant chemo-radiotherapy but without development of radiation proctitis were selected as non-radiation proctitis (nRP) group. Meanwhile, 23 patients received neoadjuvant chemotherapy only were selected as neoadjuvant chemotherapy (CT) group. Both nRP and CT cases were selected by ensuring the basic characteristics such as sex, age, tumor site, lengths of proximal margin and distal margin all maximally matched to the RP group. Both proximal and distal margins were collected for further analysis for all selected cases. Microscopy slices were prepared for hematoxylin & eosin staining and Masson staining to show general pathological changes, and also for immunohistochemistry with anti-CD-34 as primary antibody to reveal the microvessel. Microvessel counting in submucosal layer and proportion of macrovessel with stenosis were used to evaluate the blood supply of the proximal and distal end of anastomosis. A modified semi-quantitative grading approach was used to evaluate the severity of radiation-induced injury. Either ANOVA analysis, Kruskal-Wallis rank-sum test or χ(2) test was used for comparison among three groups, and Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison between two groups. Results: Compared to group of neoadjuvant chemotherapy only, patients receiving neoadjuvant chemo-radiotherapy had lower microvessel count in both proximal and distal margins (M(Q(R)): proximal, 25.5 (19.6) vs. 50.0 (25.0), Z=3.915, P=0.000; distal, 20.5 (17.5) vs. 49.0 (28.0), Z=3.558, P=0.000), higher proportions of macrovessel with stenosis (proximal, 9.5% (23.8%) vs. 0, Z=3.993, P=0.000; distal, 11.5%(37.3%) vs. 0 (2.0%), Z=2.893, P=0.004), higher histopathologic score (proximal, 4.0 (2.0) vs. 1.0 (2.0), Z=6.123, P=0.000; distal, 5.0 (3.0) vs. 2.0 (1.0), Z=4.849, P=0.000). In patients receiving neoadjuvant chemo-radiotherapy, compared to nRP group, RP group had lower microvessel count in both proximal and distal margins (proximal, 19.0 (23.0) vs. 30.4 (38.0), Z=2.845, P=0.004; distal, 19.0 (13.0) vs. 30.0(29.1), Z=2.022, P=0.043), higher proportions of macrovessel with stenosis (proximal, 23.0% (40.0%) vs. 0(11.0%), Z=3.248, P=0.001; distal, 27.0% (45.0%) vs. 3.0% (19.0%), Z=2.164, P=0.030). Rate of anastomotic leakage for CT, nRP and RP group were 8.7% (2/23), 30.4% (7/23), and 52.2% (12/23), and the differences among three groups were statistically significant (χ(2)=10.268, P=0.007). Conclusion: Radiation-induced injury existed on both margins of the resected rectal site after preoperative radiotherapy, and those diagnosed as radiation proctitis had more severe microvascular injury.

Two-Step Functional Innovation of the Stem-Cell Factors WUS/WOX5 during Plant Evolution

WUS and WOX5, which are expressed, respectively, in the organizing center (OC) and the quiescent center (QC), are essential for shoot/root apical stem-cell maintenance in flowering plants. However, little is known about how these stem-cell factors evolved their functions in flowering plants. Here, we show that the WUS/WOX5 proteins acquired two distinct capabilities by a two-step functional innovation process in the course of plant evolution. The first-step is the apical stem-cell maintenance activity of WUS/WOX5, which originated in the common ancestor of ferns and seed plants, as evidenced by the interspecies complementation experiments, showing that ectopic expression of fern Ceratopteris richardii WUS-like (CrWUL) surrounding OC/QC, or exclusive OC-/QC-expressed gymnosperms/angiosperms WUS/WOX5 in Arabidopsis wus-1 and wox5-1 mutants, could rescue their phenotypes. The second-step is the intercellular mobility that emerged in the common ancestor of seed plants after divergence from the ferns. Evidence for this includes confocal imaging of GFP fusion proteins, showing that WUS/WOX5 from seed plants, rather than from the fern CrWUL, can migrate into cells adjacent to the OC/QC. Evolutionary analysis showed that the WUS-like gene was duplicated into two copies prior to the divergence of gymnosperms/angiosperms. Then the two gene copies (WUS and WOX5) have undergone similar levels of purifying selection, which is consistent with their conserved functions in angiosperm shoot/root stem-cell maintenance and floral organ formation. Our results highlight the critical roles and the essential prerequisites that the two-step functional innovation of these genes performs and represents in the origin of flowering plants.

[Risk for metastasis of lymph node between sternocleidomastoid and sternohyoid muscle in papillary thyroid cancer]

Objective: To analyze the risk factors for metastasis of lymph nodes between sternocleidomastoid and sternohyoid muscle (LNSS) in papillary thyroid cancer (PTC). Methods: Papillary thyroid cancer patients with clinically positive lateral lymph node metastasis (cN1) who underwent surgery including LNSS dissection between May 1, 2013 and May 31, 2016 at the Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center were retrospectively studied. Logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate possible clinicopathological factors related to LNSS metastasis. Results: In 85 patients, 54 patients (63.5%) showed LNSS in their surgical specimen, and 20 patients (23.5%) had pathologically positive LNSS metastasis. Patients with LNSS showed preoperatively higher levels of serum thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPO-Ab) compared to patients only with fibrofatty tissues between sternocleidomastoid and sternohyoid muscle (P<0.05), and they also displayed a higher proportion of multifocality in ipsilateral thyroid lobe (P<0.05). Multi-factor analysis indicated that LNSS metastasis was correlated with original tumor size (OR=1.819, 95%CI 1.050-3.850, P=0.002) and Level Ⅳ lymph node metastasis (OR=2.190, 95%CI 1.132-2.334, P=0.005). Furthermore, the number of positive LNSS was tightly correlated to that of level Ⅳ lymph node metastasis(P<0.05). Conclusion: LNSS metastasis is occult but not quite rare in PTC. Patients with extensive lymph node metastasis in Level Ⅳhave a higher risk for metastasis of LNSS.

A case report of fetal malignant immature mediastinal teratoma

PURPOSE

Fetal immature mediastinal teratoma is a rare disease. The pressure generated by the tumor mass can cause hydrops fetalis, pulmonary hypoplasia, pleural and peritoneal effusion, and polyhydramnios which cause the death of the fetus. Routine prenatal ultrasound has enabled accurate diagnosis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The authors report a 26-year-old patient, gravida 4 para 1, who was referred to this hospital, carrying a fetus with immature mediastinal teratoma.

RESULTS

At 27 weeks of gestation, a routine prenatal ultrasound suggested the fetus had a mass at the anterior mediastinum, accompanied by pulmonary hypoplasia, pleural and peritoneal effusion, subcutaneous edema of head and chest, and polyhydramnios. After the therapeutic abortion, the gross anatomy confirmed the mediastinal mass. The histological examination showed that the mass was a grade 2 immature teratoma.

CONCLUSIONS

The mother of the fetus had been exposed to plaster, paint, and paint-thinner in the first trimester of pregnancy, suggesting that these chemical contacts may be one of the causes of the disorder.

Genome-scale analysis of the cotton KCS gene family revealed a binary mode of action for gibberellin A regulated fiber growth

Production of β-ketoacyl-CoA, which is catalyzed by 3-ketoacyl-CoA synthase (KCS), is the first step in very long chain fatty acid (VLCFA) biosynthesis. Here we identified 58 KCS genes from Gossypium hirsutum, 31 from G. arboreum and 33 from G. raimondii by searching the assembled cotton genomes. The gene family was divided into the plant-specific FAE1-type and the more general ELO-type. KCS transcripts were widely expressed and 32 of them showed distinct subgenome-specific expressions in one or more cotton tissues/organs studied. Six GhKCS genes rescued the lethality of elo2Δelo3Δ yeast double mutant, indicating that this gene family possesses diversified functions. Most KCS genes with GA-responsive elements (GAREs) in the promoters were significantly upregulated by gibberellin A3 (GA). Exogenous GA3 not only promoted fiber length, but also increased the thickness of cell walls significantly. GAREs present also in the promoters of several cellulose synthase (CesA) genes required for cell wall biosynthesis and they were all induced significantly by GA3 . Because GA treatment resulted in longer cotton fibers with thicker cell walls and higher dry weight per unit cell length, we suggest that it may regulate fiber elongation upstream of the VLCFA-ethylene pathway and also in the downstream steps towards cell wall synthesis.

Effectiveness of rubber seed oil and flaxseed oil to enhance the α-linolenic acid content in milk from dairy cows

This experiment was conducted to investigate effect of rubber seed oil compared with flaxseed oil when fed alone or in combination on milk yield, milk composition, and α-linolenic acid (ALA) concentration in milk of dairy cows. Forty-eight mid-lactation Holstein dairy cows were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 treatments according to a completely randomized design. Cows were fed a basal diet (control; CON) or a basal diet supplemented with 4% rubber seed oil (RO), 4% flaxseed oil (FO), or 2% rubber seed oil plus 2% flaxseed oil (RFO) on a dry matter basis for 9 wk. Feed intake, milk protein percentage, and milk fat levels did not differ between the treatments. Cows fed the RO, FO, or RFO treatments had a higher milk yield than the CON group (up to 10.5% more), whereas milk fat percentages decreased. Compared with the CON, milk concentration of ALA was substantially higher in cows receiving RO or RFO, and was doubled in cows receiving FO. The ALA yield (g/d) increased by 31.0, 70.3, and 33.4% in milk from cows fed RO, FO, or RFO, respectively, compared with the CON. Both C18:1 trans-11 (vaccenic acid) and C18:2 cis-9,trans-11 (conjugated linoleic acid; CLA) levels were higher in cows fed added flaxseed or rubber seed oil. The CLA yield (g/d) increased by 336, 492, and 484% in cows fed RO, FO, or RFO, respectively, compared with the CON. The increase in vaccenic acid, ALA, and CLA was greater in cows fed RFO than in cows fed RO alone. Compared with the CON, the milk fat from cows fed any of the dietary supplements had a higher concentration of unsaturated fatty acids, monounsaturated fatty acids, and polyunsaturated fatty acids; conversely, the saturated fatty acids levels in milk fat were 30.5% lower. Insulin and growth hormones were not affected by dietary treatments; however, we noted an increase in both cholesterol and nonesterified fatty acids levels in the RO, FO, or RFO treatments. These results indicate that rubber seed oil and flaxseed oil will increase milk production and the concentration of functional fatty acids (ALA, vaccenic acid, and CLA) in milk fat while decreasing the content of saturated fatty acids.

[Diffusion-weighted imaging characteristics of uterine leiomyomas with different pathological subtypes at 3.0 T]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the imaging features of uterine leiomyomas with different pathological subtypes on DWI.

METHODS

Clinical records and MR images of pathologically confirmed uterine leiomyomas were retrospectively collected from the Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University from June 2012 to April 2015. A total of 60 uterine leiomyomas were found and evaluated.All the patients were divided into three groups according to different pathological types, which included 17 cases of cellular leiomyomas, 10 cases of degenerated leiomyomas and 33 cases of ordinary leiomyomas.The DWI signal and ADC values in cellular portion of the lesions and adjacent normal myometrium (the control group) were measured.

RESULTS

(1) Most cellular leiomyomas showed hyperintensity on DWI (15/17), while degenerated leiomyomas manifested hypointensity, isointensity or hyperintensity signal on DWI, and most ordinary leiomyomas displayed isointensity signal on DWI (57.6%, 19/33). (2) The ADC values of cellular leiomyomas, degenerated leiomyomas and ordinary leiomyomas were (1.01±0.14)×10(-3) mm(2)/s, (1.73±0.49)×10(-3) mm(2)/s and (1.38±0.22)×10(-3) mm(2)/s respectively.The ADC values of adjacent normal myometrium (the control group) were (1.35±0.16)×10(-3) mm(2)/s.There were no significant statistical differences in the ADC values between ordinary leiomyomas and adjacent normal myometrium (P=0.623). There were significant statistical differences in the ADC values among other groups(all P<0.05). (3)The ROC curve showed that the diagnostic threshold for cellular leiomyomas was 1.11×10(-3) mm(2)/s, the sensitivity and specificity were 88.2%and 93.0% respectively.

CONCLUSION

The signal intensity on DWI and the ADC values are different in uterine leiomyomas with different pathological subtypes.Combination of these two parameters in clinical practice may be helpful to reflect the histopathological characteristics of uterine leiomyomas.

Panel sequencing for clinically oriented variant screening and copy number detection in 142 untreated multiple myeloma patients

We employed a customized Multiple Myeloma (MM)-specific Mutation Panel (M³P) to screen a homogenous cohort of 142 untreated MM patients for relevant mutations in a selection of disease-specific genes. M³Pv2.0 includes 77 genes selected for being either actionable targets, potentially related to drug–response or part of known key pathways in MM biology. We identified mutations in potentially actionable genes in 49% of patients and provided prognostic evidence of STAT3 mutations. This panel may serve as a practical alternative to more comprehensive sequencing approaches, providing genomic information in a timely and cost-effective manner, thus allowing clinically oriented variant screening in MM.

An unusual ovarian neoplasm diagnosed in a patient with rupture of unicornuate uterus during pregnancy: a case report

Unicornuate uterus is a rare disease characterized with reduced fertility, and ovarian tumor diagnosed during pregnancy is uncommon as well. These two diseases have been reported separately. However, patient suffering from both diseases has never been reported before. The authors herein report a case of a 32-year-old Chinese woman presenting with a unicornuate uterus with no horn, who suffered from acute abdominal pain and intra-abdominal hemorrhage at 26 weeks gestation. Incidentally, a borderline ovarian tumor (BOT) and rupture of uterus were found during an urgent exploratory laparotomy. During the follow-up, ovarian tumor recurred in the first year after the operation. The authors suggest that BOT with micropapillary patterns should be paid much more attention to, other than only assessing the histological type. Furthermore, they also suggest that a slightly increased in serum CA-125 value should not be ignored.

Impact of adherence to GOLD guidelines on 6-minute walk distance, MRC dyspnea scale score, lung function decline, quality of life, and quality-adjusted life years in a Shanghai suburb

We performed a 1-year cluster-randomized field trial to assess the effect of standardized management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) on lung function and quality of life (QOL) measures in patients in China. We used the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) treatment guidelines and assessed indexes including pulmonary function, QOL, quality-adjusted life years (QALY), Medical Research Council (MRC) dyspnea scale, 6-min walk distance (6-MWD), number of emergency visits, and frequency of hospitalization. Of a total of 711 patients with chronic cough and asthma, 132 were diagnosed as having COPD and 102 participated in this study [intervention group (N = 47); control group (N = 55)]. We found that adherence to GOLD guidelines had a perceivable impact on 6-MWD, MRC dyspnea scale score, and QOL. The average QALY increased by 1.42/person/year in the intervention group, but declined by 0.95/person/year in the control group. We conclude that standardized management improves disease severity, QOL, and QALY in COPD patients when treatment protocols adhere to GOLD guidelines.

Targeted Lipidomics Studies Reveal that Linolenic Acid Promotes Cotton Fiber Elongation by Activating Phosphatidylinositol and Phosphatidylinositol Monophosphate Biosynthesis

The membrane lipids from fast-elongating wild-type cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) fibers at 10 days post-anthesis, wild-type ovules with fiber cells removed, and ovules from the fuzzless-lintless mutant harvested at the same age, were extracted, separated, and quantified. Fiber cells contained significantly higher amounts of phosphatidylinositol (PI) than both ovule samples with PI 34:3 being the most predominant species. The genes encoding fatty acid desaturases (Δ(15)GhFAD), PI synthase (PIS) and PI kinase (PIK) were expressed in a fiber-preferential manner. Further analysis of phosphatidylinositol monophosphate (PIP) indicated that elongating fibers contained four- to five-fold higher amounts of PIP 34:3 than the ovules. Exogenously applied linolenic acid (C18:3), soybean L-α-PI, and PIPs containing PIP 34:3 promoted significant fiber growth, whereas a liver PI lacking the C18:3 moiety, linoleic acid, and PIP 36:2 were completely ineffective. The growth inhibitory effects of carbenoxolone, 5-hydroxytryptamine, and wortmannin were reverted by C18:3, PI, or PIP, respectively, suggesting that PIP signaling is essential for fiber cell growth. Furthermore, cotton plants expressing virus-induced gene-silencing constructs that specifically suppressed GhΔ(15)FAD, GhPIS, or GhPIK expression, resulted in significantly short-fibered phenotypes. Our data provide the basis for in-depth studies on the roles of PI and PIP in mediating cotton fiber growth.

Cereblon binding molecules in multiple myeloma

Immunomodulation is an established treatment strategy in multiple myeloma with thalidomide and its derivatives lenalidomide and pomalidomide as its FDA approved representatives. Just recently the method of action of these cereblon binding molecules was deciphered and results from large phase 3 trials confirmed the backbone function of this drug family in various combination therapies. This review details the to-date knowledge concerning mechanism of IMiD action, clinical applications and plausible escape mechanisms in which cells may become resistant/refractory to cereblon binding molecule based treatment.

ROW1 maintains quiescent centre identity by confining WOX5 expression to specific cells

The quiescent centre (QC) in the Arabidopsis root apical meristem is essential for stem cell organization. Here we show that the loss of REPRESSOR OF WUSCHEL1 (ROW1), a PHD domain-containing protein, leads to QC failure, defects in cell differentiation and ectopic expression of WUSCHEL-RELATED HOMEOBOX 5 (WOX5) in cells that normally express ROW1. The wox5-1/row1-3 double mutants show similar phenotypes to wox5-1 indicating that WOX5 is epistatic to ROW1. ROW1 specifically binds trimethylated histone H3 lysine 4 (H3K4me3) in the WOX5 promoter region to repress its transcription. QC expression of ROW1 results in a wox5-1-like phenotype with undetectable WOX5 transcripts. We propose that ROW1 is essential for QC maintenance and for stem cell niche development through the repression of WOX5 in the proximal meristem.

The quiescent centre controls stem cell differentiation at the root apical meristem. Here Zhang et al. propose that ROW1 maintains meristem cell identity by repressing expression of the WOX5 transcription factor in the proximal meristem zone, thus confining its activity to the quiescent centre.

Glucagon-induced angiogenesis and tumor growth through the HIF-1-VEGF-dependent pathway in hyperglycemic nude mice

In this study, we examined the effect glucagon-induced hyperglycemia on tumor growth as well as the role of the hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1)-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) pathway in this condition. A high concentration of glucose (HG) was utilized to treat HeLa cells under hypoxic or normoxic conditions, and transcriptional levels of HIF-1, VEGF, and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) were evaluated. Moreover, the ability of an HIF-1 inhibitor to block the effect induced by HG was examined. By contrast, hyperglycemia was induced in nude mice by glucagon released from an osmotic pump, and microvessel density was determined with CD31 staining. Thus, the relationship among hyperglycemia, microvessel density, tumor growth, and the HIF-1 inhibitor were analyzed. We found that HG increased transcription of the VEGF gene, which is downstream of HIF-1. Moreover, HG impaired the function of HIF-1 inhibitors [HIF-1 small interfering RNA (siRNA) and berberine] to affect the VEGF transcription level in tumor cells. By contrast, hyperglycemia increased tumor microvessel density and promoted tumor growth, which was inhibited by the HIF-1 inhibitor. However, hyperglycemia attenuated the effect of the HIF-1 inhibitor. Glucagon-induced hyperglycemia influenced tumor microenvironments through the HIF-1-VEGF-dependent pathway and promoted tumor growth and resistance to HIF-1 inhibition treatments.

Single-nucleotide resolution mapping of the Gossypium raimondii transcriptome reveals a new mechanism for alternative splicing of introns

Alternative splicing (AS) is a vital genetic mechanism that enhances the diversity of eukaryotic transcriptomes. Here, we generated 8.3 Gb high-quality RNA-sequencing data from cotton (Gossypium raimondii) and performed a systematic, comparative analysis of AS events. We mapped 85% of the RNA-sequencing data onto the reference genome and identified 154368 splice junctions with 16437 as events in 10197 genes. Intron retention constituted the majority (40%) of all AS events in G. raimondii. Comparison across 11 eukaryote species showed that intron retention is the most common AS type in higher plants. Although transposable elements (TEs) were found in only 2.9% of all G. raimondii introns, they are present in 43% of the retained introns, suggesting that TE-insertion may be an important mechanism for intron retention during AS. The majority of the TE insertions are concentrated 0-40 nt upstream of the 3'-splice site, substantially altering the distribution of branch points from preferred positions and reducing the efficiency of intron splicing by decreasing RNA secondary structure flexibility. Our data suggest that TE-insertion-induced changes in branch point-site distribution are important for intron retention-type AS. Our findings may help explain the vast differences in intron-retention frequencies between vertebrates and higher plants.

Genome-wide studies in multiple myeloma identify XPO1/CRM1 as a critical target validated using the selective nuclear export inhibitor KPT-276

RNA interference screening identified XPO1 (exportin 1) among the 55 most vulnerable targets in multiple myeloma (MM). XPO1 encodes CRM1, a nuclear export protein. XPO1 expression increases with MM disease progression. Patients with MM have a higher expression of XPO1 compared with normal plasma cells (P<0.04) and to patients with monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance/smoldering MM (P<0.0001). The highest XPO1 level was found in human MM cell lines (HMCLs). A selective inhibitor of nuclear export compound KPT-276 specifically and irreversibly inhibits the nuclear export function of XPO1. The viability of 12 HMCLs treated with KTP-276 was significantly reduced. KPT-276 also actively induced apoptosis in primary MM patient samples. In gene expression analyses, two genes of probable relevance were dysregulated by KPT-276: cell division cycle 25 homolog A (CDC25A) and bromodomain-containing protein 4 (BRD4), both of which are associated with c-MYC pathway. Western blotting and reverse transcription-PCR confirm that c-MYC, CDC25A and BRD4 are all downregulated after treatment with KPT-276. KPT-276 reduced monoclonal spikes in the Vk*MYC transgenic MM mouse model, and inhibited tumor growth in a xenograft MM mouse model. A phase I clinical trial of an analog of KPT-276 is ongoing in hematological malignancies including MM.

Using genome-referenced expressed sequence tag assembly to analyze the origin and expression patterns of Gossypium hirsutum transcripts

We assembled a total of 297,239 Gossypium hirsutum (Gh, a tetraploid cotton, AADD) expressed sequence tag (EST) sequences that were available in the National Center for Biotechnology Information database, with reference to the recently published G. raimondii (Gr, a diploid cotton, DD) genome, and obtained 49,125 UniGenes. The average lengths of the UniGenes were increased from 804 and 791 bp in two previous EST assemblies to 1,019 bp in the current analysis. The number of putative cotton UniGenes with lengths of 3 kb or more increased from 25 or 34 to 1,223. As a result, thousands of originally independent G. hirsutum ESTs were aligned to produce large contigs encoding transcripts with very long open reading frames, indicating that the G. raimondii genome sequence provided remarkable advantages to assemble the tetraploid cotton transcriptome. Significant different distribution patterns within several GO terms, including transcription factor activity, were observed between D- and A-derived assemblies. Transcriptome analysis showed that, in a tetraploid cotton cell, 29,547 UniGenes were possibly derived from the D subgenome while another 19,578 may come from the A subgenome. Finally, some of the in silico data were confirmed by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction experiments to show the changes in transcript levels for several gene families known to play key role in cotton fiber development. We believe that our work provides a useful platform for functional and evolutionary genomic studies in cotton.

Identification of direct forkhead box O1 targets involved in palmitate-induced apoptosis in clonal insulin-secreting cells using chromatin immunoprecipitation coupled to DNA selection and ligation

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS

The transcription factor, forkhead box (FOX)O1, is involved in fatty acid-induced apoptosis in pancreatic beta cells, but the precise mechanism is poorly understood. We aimed to identify which direct downstream targets of FOXO1 are involved in palmitate-induced apoptosis in the pancreatic beta cell line MIN6.

METHODS

Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) coupled to a DNA selection and ligation technique (ChIP-DSL) was used to identify the direct targets of FOXO1. The mRNA level was examined by real-time PCR assay. The ChIP-DSL results were verified using ChIP-PCR and luciferase assay, respectively. The cell apoptosis rate was determined by TUNEL assay and by scoring cells with pycnotic nuclei.

RESULTS

We identified 189 target genes and selected 106 targets for expression analysis in MIN6 cells treated with palmitate. The results showed that six genes were significantly upregulated and four were downregulated. Binding of FOXO1 to the promoters was determined by ChIP-PCR and confirmed by luciferase assay. Among the ten up- and downregulated genes, mRNA expression of A930038C07Rik was significantly decreased and that of Ppa1 was increased in 8-week-old db/db mice. The apoptosis assay showed that overproduction of the protein 'RIKEN cDNA A930038C07' (A930038C07Rik) drastically enhanced palmitate-induced apoptosis, while pyrophosphatase (inorganic) 1 (PPA1) partially protected the cells from apoptosis. Knockdown of PPA1, moreover, significantly increased apoptosis.

CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION

We identified for the first time FOXO1 targets in MIN6 cells treated with palmitate, thus revealing the important roles of A930038C07Rik and PPA1 in palmitate-induced cell apoptosis. These results shed light on the mechanisms of palmitate-induced apoptosis in pancreatic beta cells.

Aberrant activation of liver X receptors impairs pancreatic beta cell function through upregulation of sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1c in mouse islets and rodent cell lines

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS

Liver X receptors (LXR) are important transcriptional regulators of lipid and glucose metabolism. Our previous report demonstrated that LXR activation inhibited pancreatic beta cell proliferation through cell cycle arrest. Here we explore the role of LXR activation in beta cell insulin secretion and the underlying mechanism that might be involved.

METHODS

Mouse pancreatic islets or insulin-secreting MIN6 cells were exposed to the LXR agonist, T0901317, and insulin secretion, glucose and fatty acid oxidation, and lipogenic gene expression were assessed. The unsaturated fatty acid eicosapentaenoic acid and the dominant negative sterol regulatory element binding protein 1c (SREBP1c) were used to inhibit endogenous SREBP1c and evaluate the involvement of SREBP1c in beta cell dysfunction induced by LXR activation.

RESULTS

Treatment with the LXR agonist decreased beta cell glucose sensitivity and impaired glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in vivo and in vitro. This was accompanied by derangements of beta cell glucose oxygen consumption, glucose oxidation, ATP production and intracellular voltage-gated calcium channel flux. LXR activation also regulated the expression of lipid metabolism-related genes such as Fas, Acc (also known as Acaca) and Cpt1a, and led to intracellular lipid accumulation. Further studies revealed that inhibition of SREBP1c abolished LXR activation-induced lipid accumulation and improved beta cell glucose metabolism, ATP production and insulin secretion.

CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION

Our data reveal that aberrant activation of LXR reproduced the phenomenon of beta cell dysfunction in the development of type 2 diabetes in vitro and in vivo. Upregulation of SREBP1c production and the lipotoxicity mediated by it played a central role in this process.

Identification and analyses of miRNA genes in allotetraploid Gossypium hirsutum fiber cells based on the sequenced diploid G. raimondii genome

The plant genome possesses a large number of microRNAs (miRNAs) mainly 21-24 nucleotides in length. They play a vital role in regulation of target gene expression at various stages throughout the whole plant life cycle. Here we sequenced and analyzed ≈ 10 million non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) derived from fiber tissue of the allotetraploid cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) 7 days post-anthesis using ncRNA-seq technology. In terms of distinct reads, 24 nt ncRNA is by far the dominant species, followed by 21 nt and 23 nt ncRNAs. Using ab initio prediction, we identified and characterized a total of 562 candidate miRNA gene loci on the recently assembled D(5) genome of the diploid cotton G. raimondii. Of all the 562 predicted miRNAs, 22 were previously discovered in cotton species and 187 had sequence conservation and homology to homologous miRNAs of other plant species. Nucleotide bias analysis showed that the 9th and 1st positions were significantly conserved among different types of miRNA genes. Among the 463 putative miRNA target genes, most significant up/down-regulation occurred in 10-20 days post-anthesis, indicating that miRNAs played an important role during the elongation and secondary cell wall synthesis stages of cotton fiber development. The discovery of new miRNA genes will help understand the mechanisms of miRNA generation and regulation in cotton.

Scientific publications in nephrology and urology journals from Chinese authors in East Asia: a 10-year survey of the literature

BACKGROUND

Diseases of the kidneys and genitourinary tract are common health problems that affect people of all ages and demographic backgrounds. In this study, we compared the quantity and quality of nephrological and urological articles published in international journals from the three major regions of China: the mainland (ML), Hong Kong (HK), and Taiwan (TW).

METHODS

Nephrological and urological articles originating from ML, TW, and HK that were published in 61 journals from 1999-2008 were retrieved from the PubMed database. We recorded the numbers of total articles, clinical trials, randomized controlled trials, case reports, impact factors (IF), citations, and articles published in the leading general-medicine journals. We used these data to compare the quantity and quality of publication output from the three regions.

RESULTS

The total number of articles increased significantly from 1999 to 2008 in the three regions. The number of articles from ML has exceeded that from HK since 2004, and surpassed that from TW in 2008. Publications from TW had the highest accumulated IF, total citations of articles, and the most articles published in leading general-medicine journals. However, HK publications had the highest average IF. Although ML produced the largest quantity of articles, it exhibited the lowest quality among the three regions.

CONCLUSION

The number of nephrological and urological publications originating from the three major regions of China increased significantly from 1999 to 2008. The annual number of publications by ML researchers exceeded those from TW and HK. However, the quality of articles from TW and HK was higher than that from ML.

How cotton fibers elongate: a tale of linear cell-growth mode

Cotton fibers (cotton lint) are single-celled trichomes that differentiate from the ovule epidermis. Unidirectional and fast-growing cells generally expand at the dome-shaped apical zone (tip-growth mode); however, previous studies suggest that elongating fiber cells expand via a diffuse-growth mode. Tip-localized Ca(2+) gradient and active secretary vesicle trafficking are two important phenomena of tip-growth. Recently, a high Ca(2+) gradient is found in the cytoplasm of fast-elongating cotton fiber cells near the growing tip. Several protein coding genes participating in vesicle coating and transport are highly expressed in elongating fiber cells. Taken together with the observation that ethylene acts as a positive regulator for cotton fiber and several Arabidopsis tissues that are known to elongate via tip growth prompted us to propose a linear-growth mode for similar cell types.

Comparative proteomics indicates that biosynthesis of pectic precursors is important for cotton fiber and Arabidopsis root hair elongation

The quality of cotton fiber is determined by its final length and strength, which is a function of primary and secondary cell wall deposition. Using a comparative proteomics approach, we identified 104 proteins from cotton ovules 10 days postanthesis with 93 preferentially accumulated in the wild type and 11 accumulated in the fuzzless-lintless mutant. Bioinformatics analysis indicated that nucleotide sugar metabolism was the most significantly up-regulated biochemical process during fiber elongation. Seven protein spots potentially involved in pectic cell wall polysaccharide biosynthesis were specifically accumulated in wild-type samples at both the protein and transcript levels. Protein and mRNA expression of these genes increased when either ethylene or lignoceric acid (C24:0) was added to the culture medium, suggesting that these compounds may promote fiber elongation by modulating the production of cell wall polymers. Quantitative analysis revealed that fiber primary cell walls contained significantly higher amounts of pectin, whereas more hemicellulose was found in ovule samples. Significant fiber growth was observed when UDP-L-rhamnose, UDP-D-galacturonic acid, or UDP-D-glucuronic acid, all of which were readily incorporated into the pectin fraction of cell wall preparations, was added to the ovule culture medium. The short root hairs of Arabidopsis uer1-1 and gae6-1 mutants were complemented either by genetic transformation of the respective cotton cDNA or by adding a specific pectin precursor to the growth medium. When two pectin precursors, produced by either UDP-4-keto-6-deoxy-D-glucose 3,5-epimerase 4-reductase or by UDP-D-glucose dehydrogenase and UDP-D-glucuronic acid 4-epimerase successively, were used in the chemical complementation assay, wild-type root hair lengths were observed in both cut1 and ein2-5 Arabidopsis seedlings, which showed defects in C24:0 biosynthesis or ethylene signaling, respectively. Our results suggest that ethylene and C24:0 may promote cotton fiber and Arabidopsis root hair growth by activating the pectin biosynthesis network, especially UDP-L-rhamnose and UDP-D-galacturonic acid synthesis.

Adverse health effects of lead exposure on children and exploration to internal lead indicator

Our research on adverse effects of lead exposures on physical and neurobehavioral health of children aged 6-12years in 4 villages, labeled as K, M, L, and X, in rural China, was reported in this article. Lead in blood (PbB), urine (PbU), hairs (PbH), and nails (PbN) were measured by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry. Abbreviated Symptom Questionnaire of Conner's instruments and Revised Raven's Standard Progressive Matrices were applied to evaluate childhood attention deficit/hyperactivity disorders (ADHD) and intelligences. Geometric means (SD) of PbB, PbU, PbH and PbN concentrations were 71.2 microg/L (1.56), 11.7 microg/g (1.75), 12.5 microg/g (2.82), and 25.3 microg/g (2.79), respectively. 54 (17.0%) children had PbB levels of > or =100 microg/L. Boys, 6-10 years old, and living in village K were 2.11, 2.48, and 9.16 times, respectively, more likely to be poisoned by lead than girls, aged 11-12 years, and residing in X. 18 (5.7%) and 37 (11.7%) subjects had ADHD and mental retardations, respectively. Inverse relationships between intelligences and natural log transformed PbU and PbH levels were observed with respective odds ratios (95%CI) of 1.79 (1.00-3.22) and 1.46 (1.06-2.03) or 1.28 (1.04-1.58) and 1.73 (1.18-2.52) by binary or ordinal logistic regression modeling. ADHD prevalence was different by gender and age of subjects. PbU, PbH, and PbN related to PbB positively with respective correlation coefficients of 0.530, 0.477, and 0.181. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves of the three measurements revealed areas under curves (AUCs) being 0.829, 0.758, and 0.687, respectively. In conclusion, children had moderate levels of lead exposures in this rural area. Intelligence declines were associated with internal lead levels among children. ROC analysis suggests PbU an internal lead indicator close to PbB.

Proteomic analysis and extensive protein identification from dry, germinating Arabidopsis seeds and young seedlings

Proteins accumulated in dry, stratified Arabidopsis seeds or young seedlings, totaled 1100 to 1300 depending on the time of sampling, were analyzed by using immobilized pH gradient 2-DE gel electrophoresis. The molecular identities of 437 polypeptides, encoded by 355 independent genes, were determined by MALDI-TOF or TOF-TOF mass spectrometry. In the sum, 293 were present at all stages and 95 were accumulated during the time of radicle protrusion while another 18 appeared in later stages. Further analysis showed that 226 of the identified polypeptides could be located in different metabolic pathways. Proteins involved in carbohydrate, energy and amino acid metabolism constituted to about 1/4, and those involved in metabolism of vitamins and cofactors constituted for about 3 % of the total signal intensity in gels prepared from 72 h seedlings. Enzymes related to genetic information processing increased very quickly during early imbibition and reached highest level around 30 h of germination.

A decrease of human leucocyte antigen-DR expression on monocytes in peripheral blood predicts stroke-associated infection in critically-ill patients with acute stroke

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

To investigate changes in human leucocyte antigen (HLA)-DR expression on peripheral monocytes, determine the value of predicting the development of stroke-associated infection (SAI), and determine the correlation with other conditions in critically-ill patients in the neurological intensive care unit (NICU) who suffered an acute stroke.

METHODS

All patients were enrolled consecutively and admitted to NICU within 24 h after the onset of symptoms. Patients were followed in order to identify whether infection developed and determine survival status within 2 weeks after the stroke. Patients were divided into stroke or control group by study design, infection or non-infection group by whether or not they had an infection, survival or death group by prognosis and cerebral infarction or cerebral haemorrhage group by stroke type. Patients in which acute stroke was excluded by head CT or MRI were admitted to general ward and were used as a control group. Blood samples were collected serially on days 1, 2, 4, 6 and 14 after stroke, then monocyte human leucocyte antigen-DR (HLA-DR) expression was determined by flow cytometry. The National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHEII) and Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) scores were recorded over the course of observation.

RESULTS

Fifty-three subjects and 39 controls were enrolled in the study. On days 1, 2, 4, 6 and 14, there was a significant difference in monocyte HLA-DR expression between stroke group and control group (all P < 0.001), but no difference was found between ischaemic stroke group and haemorrhagic stroke group (all P > 0.05). The infection group compared with non-infection group did not exhibit a significant difference in HLA-DR expression on days 1 and 2 (all P > 0.05), but significant differences emerged on days 4, 6 and 14 (all P < 0.01). On days 1 and 2 the HLA-DR expression in the survival group compared with death group, was not significantly different (all P > 0.05), but differences became significant on days 4 and 6 (P < 0.01). On day 1, HLA-DR expression <62.80% had the predictive value to SAI (sensitivity 83.3%, specificity 55.2%, AUC = 0.661, P = 0.031) and on day 2, HLA-DR expression <57.83% had the predictive value to SAI (sensitivity 95.8%, specificity 79.3%, AUC = 0.907, P = 0.000) in acute stroke patients. A statistically significant inverse correlation was found between NIHSS and HLA-DR on days 2 and 4 during the observation period (all P < 0.01), but there was no statistically significant negative correlation on days 1, 6 or 14 (all P > 0.05). HLA-DR expression did not correlate with APACHEII (all P > 0.05) or GCS (all P > 0.05) during the measurement period.

CONCLUSIONS

Human leucocyte antigen-DR (HLA-DR) expression decreases and sustains a dynamic change and it also relates to the severity of patient's condition in the critically-ill patients with stroke. Progressively persistent low monocyte HLA-DR expression is associated with a poor prognosis. The decline in HLA-DR expression contributes to infection in critically-acute stroke patients. Monitoring of monocyte HLA-DR expression may be useful for identifying patients suffering from acute stroke who are at high risk for infection.

Activation of liver X receptors inhibits pancreatic islet beta cell proliferation through cell cycle arrest

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS

Liver X receptors (LXRs) are important transcriptional regulators of lipid homeostasis and proliferation in several cell types. However, the roles of LXRs in pancreatic beta cells have not been fully established. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of LXRs on pancreatic beta cell proliferation.

METHODS

Gene expression was analysed using real-time RT-PCR. Transient transfection and reporter gene assays were used to determine the transcriptional activity of LXRs in pancreatic beta cells. Cell viability and proliferation were analysed using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT), DNA fluorometric, BrdU labelling and [(3)H]thymidine incorporation assays. Cell cycle distribution was investigated by flow cytometry analysis. Adenovirus-based RNA interference was used to knockdown LXRalpha, LXRbeta and p27 in MIN6 cells and mouse islets.

RESULTS

We found that both Lxralpha (also known as Nr1h3) and Lxrbeta (also known as Nr1h2) were expressed and transactivated the LXR response element in HIT-T15 and MIN6 cells. Activation of LXRs dose-dependently inhibited pancreatic beta cell viability and proliferation. This was accompanied by beta cell cycle arrest at the G1 phase. Furthermore, LXR activation increased levels of the p27 protein by inhibiting its degradation. Knockdown of p27 reversed these effects of LXR activation on growth inhibition and cell cycle arrest.

CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION

Our observations indicate that LXR activation inhibits pancreatic beta cell proliferation through cell cycle arrest. A well-known regulator of pancreatic beta cell cycle progression, p27, is upregulated and mediates the effects of LXRs on growth inhibition in beta cells. These observations suggest the involvement of aberrant activation of LXR in beta cell mass inadequacy, which is an important step in the development of type 2 diabetes.

Occurrence of the transition of apical architecture and expression patterns of related genes during conversion of apical meristem identity in G2 pea

G2 pea exhibits an apical senescence delaying phenotype under short-day (SD) conditions; however, the structural basis for its apical development is still largely unknown. In the present study, the apical meristem of SD-grown G2 pea plants underwent a transition from vegetative to indeterminate inflorescence meristem, but the apical meristem of long-day (LD)-grown G2 pea plants would be further converted to determinate floral meristem. Both SD signal and GA(3) treatment enhanced expression of the putative calcium transporter PPF1, and pea homologs of TFL1 (LF and DET), whereas LD signal suppressed their expression at 60 d post-flowering compared with those at 40 d post-flowering. Both PPF1 and LF expressed at the vegetative and reproductive phases in SD-grown apical buds, but floral initiation obviously increased the expression level of PPF1 compared with the unchanged expression level of LF from 40 to 60 d post-flowering. In addition, although the floral initiation significantly enhanced the expression levels of PPF1 and DET, DET was mainly expressed after floral initiation in SD-grown apical buds. Therefore, the main structural difference between LD- and SD-grown apical meristem in G2 pea lies in whether their apical indeterminate inflorescence meristem could be converted to the determinate structure.