Venous thromboembolism prophylaxis and mortality in patients with spinal fractures in ICUs

BACKGROUND

Spinal fracture is a common traumatic condition in orthopaedics, accounting for 5%-6% of total body fractures, and is a high-risk factor for venous thromboembolism (VTE), which seriously affects patient prognosis.

AIM

The aim of this study was to determine the impact of VTE prophylaxis on the prognosis of patients with spinal fractures in intensive care units (ICUs) and to provide a scientific basis for clinical treatment and nursing.

DESIGN

A retrospective study of patients with spinal fractures from the multicenter eICU Collaborative Research Database.

METHOD

The outcomes of this study were ICU mortality and in-hospital mortality. Patients were divided into the VTE prophylaxis (VP) and no VTE prophylaxis (NVP) groups according to whether they had undergone VTE prophylaxis during their ICU admission. The association between groups and outcomes were analysed using Kaplan-Meier (KM) survival curve, log-rank test and the Cox proportional-hazards regression model.

RESULTS

This study included 1146 patients with spinal fractures: 330 in the VP group and 816 in the NVP group. KM survival curves and log-rank tests revealed that both ICU and in-hospital survival probabilities in the VP group were significantly higher than in the NVP group. After the Cox model was adjusted for all covariates, the hazard ratio for ICU mortality in the VP group was 0.38 (0.19-0.75); the corresponding value for in-hospital mortality in the VP group was 0.38 (0.21-0.68).

CONCLUSIONS

VTE prophylaxis is associated with reduced ICU and in-hospital mortality in patients with spinal fractures in ICUs. More research is necessary to further define specific strategies and optimal timing for VTE prophylaxis.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

This study provides the basis that VTE prophylaxis may be associated with improved prognosis in patients with spinal fractures in ICUs. In clinical practice, an appropriate modality should be selected for VTE prophylaxis in such patients.

Development of a predictive nomogram for 28-day mortality risk in non-traumatic or post-traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage patients

OBJECTIVE

Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is associated with high rates of mortality and permanent disability. At present, there are few definite clinical tools to predict prognosis in SAH patients. The current study aims to develop and assess a predictive nomogram model for estimating the 28-day mortality risk in both non-traumatic or post-traumatic SAH patients.

METHODS

The MIMIC-III database was searched to select patients with SAH based on ICD-9 codes. Patients were separated into non-traumatic and post-traumatic SAH groups. Using LASSO regression analysis, we identified independent risk factors associated with 28-day mortality and incorporated them into nomogram models. The performance of each nomogram was assessed by calculating various metrics, including the area under the curve (AUC), net reclassification improvement (NRI), integrated discrimination improvement (IDI), and decision curve analysis (DCA).

RESULTS

The study included 999 patients with SAH, with 631 in the non-traumatic group and 368 in the post-traumatic group. Logistic regression analysis revealed critical independent risk factors for 28-day mortality in non-traumatic SAH patients, including gender, age, glucose, platelet, sodium, BUN, WBC, PTT, urine output, SpO2, and heart rate and age, glucose, PTT, urine output, and body temperature for post-traumatic SAH patients. The prognostic nomograms outperformed the commonly used SAPSII and APSIII systems, as evidenced by superior AUC, NRI, IDI, and DCA results.

CONCLUSION

The study identified independent risk factors associated with the 28-day mortality risk and developed predictive nomogram models for both non-traumatic and post-traumatic SAH patients. The nomogram holds promise in guiding prognosis improvement strategies for patients with SAH.

Intraosseous schwannoma of the mandible: new case series, literature update, and proposal of a classification

Intraosseous schwannoma of the mandible is rare, with diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. The aims of this study were to report new cases of intraosseous schwannoma of the mandible and to propose a clinical classification, providing suggestions for treatment methods. The cases of 13 patients treated at the authors' hospital and 86 cases reported previously in the literature were reviewed. The most common clinical feature was facial swelling (60/93). The rate of cortical thinning or expansion was 44.8% (43/96); widening of the inferior alveolar nerve canal on radiographs was observed in 15 patients.

[Efficacy and prognostic factors of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in the treatment of secondary acute myeloid leukemia]

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and prognostic factors of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) in patients with secondary acute myeloid leukemia (sAML) . Methods: In this multicenter, retrospective clinical study, adult patients aged ≥18 years who underwent allo-HSCT for sAML at four centers of the Zhejiang Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Collaborative Group from January 2014 to November 2022 were included, and the efficacy and prognostic factors of allo-HSCT were analyzed. Results: A total of 95 patients were enrolled; 66 (69.5%) had myelodysplastic syndrome-acute myeloid leukemia (MDS-AML) , 4 (4.2%) had MDS/MPN-AML, and 25 (26.3%) had therapy-related AML (tAML) . The 3-year CIR, LFS, and overall survival (OS) rates were 18.6% (95% CI 10.2%-27.0%) , 70.6% (95% CI 60.8%-80.4%) , and 73.3% (95% CI 63.9%-82.7%) , respectively. The 3-year CIRs of the M-AML group (including MDS-AML and MDS/MPN-AML) and the tAML group were 20.0% and 16.4%, respectively (P=0.430) . The 3-year LFSs were 68.3% and 75.4%, respectively (P=0.176) . The 3-year OS rates were 69.7% and 75.4%, respectively (P=0.233) . The 3-year CIRs of the groups with and without TP53 mutations were 60.0% and 13.7%, respectively (P=0.003) ; the 3-year LFSs were 20.0% and 76.5%, respectively (P=0.002) ; and the 3-year OS rates were 40.0% and 77.6%, respectively (P=0.002) . According to European LeukmiaNet 2022 (ELN2022) risk stratification, the 3-year CIRs of patients in the low-, intermediate-, and high-risk groups were 8.3%, 17.8%, and 22.6%, respectively (P=0.639) . The three-year LFSs were 91.7%, 69.5%, and 65.6%, respectively (P=0.268) . The 3-year OS rates were 91.7%, 71.4%, and 70.1%, respectively (P=0.314) . Multivariate analysis revealed that advanced disease at allo-HSCT and TP53 mutations were independent risk factors for CIR, LFS, and OS. Conclusion: There was no significant difference in the prognosis of patients who underwent allo-HSCT among the MDS-AML, MDS/MPN-AML, and tAML groups. Advanced disease at transplantation and TP53 mutations were poor prognostic factors. ELN2022 risk stratification had limited value for predicting the prognosis of patients with sAML following allo-HSCT.

Inhibition of spastin impairs motor function recovery after spinal cord injury

Promoting axonal regeneration is an effective strategy for recovery from traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI). Spastin, a microtubule-severing protein, modulates axonal outgrowth and branch formation by regulating microtubule dynamics. However, the exact role of spastin during recovery from SCI remains unknown. Therefore, we utilized a hemisection injury model of the mouse spinal cord and explored the effect of spastin using a spastin inhibitor, spastazoline. Results showed that spastazoline significantly suppressed the microtubule-severing activity of spastin in COS-7 cells and inhibited the promoting effect of spastin on neurite outgrowth in primarily cultured hippocampal neurons. The protein expression level of spastin was significantly upregulated in the injured spinal cord. Injured mice showed impaired motor functions, which included increased toe-off angle and foot fault steps and decreased stride length and Basso mouse scale score. Notably, these motor function impairments were aggravated by the application of spastazoline. Inhibition of spastin exacerbated neurogenesis impairment, as demonstrated by neuronal nuclei antigen staining, the inflammatory response, as shown by Iba-1 and GFAP staining, and axonal regeneration impairment, as shown by 5-hydroxytryptamine staining. Furthermore, mass spectrometry analysis revealed that the inhibition of spastin resulted in numerous dysregulated differentially expressed proteins that were closely associated with vesicle organization and transport. Taken together, our data suggest that spastin is critical for recovery from SCI and may be a potential target for the treatment of SCI.

Invited review: Good practices in genome-wide association studies to identify candidate sequence variants in dairy cattle

Genotype data from dairy cattle selection programs have greatly facilitated GWAS to identify variants related to economic traits. Results can enhance the accuracy of genomic prediction, analyze more complex models that go beyond additive effects, elucidate the genetic architecture of a trait, and finally, decipher the underlying biology of traits. The entire process, comprising data generation, quality control, statistical analyses, interpretation of association results, and linking results to biology should be designed and executed to minimize the generation of false-positive and false-negative associations and misleading links to biological processes. This review aims to provide general guidelines for data analysis that address data quality control, association tests, adjustment for population stratification, and significance evaluation to improve the reliability of conclusions. We also provide guidance on post-GWAS strategy and the interpretation of results. These guidelines are tailored to dairy cattle, which are characterized by long-range linkage disequilibrium, large half-sib families, and routinely collected phenotypes, requiring different approaches than those applied in human GWAS. We discuss common limitations and challenges that have been overlooked in the analysis and interpretation of GWAS to identify candidate sequence variants in dairy cattle.

[Bioinformatics analysis in metagenomic next-generation sequencing of pathogenic microorganisms: current status and challenges]

The clinical application of metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) in the diagnosis of unknown pathogenic infections and critical infections has become increasingly valuable. Due to the huge volume of mNGS data and the complexity of clinical diagnosis and treatment, mNGS has difficulties in data analysis and interpretation in practical application. Therefore, in the process of clinical practice, it is crucial to grasp the key points of bioinformatics analysis and establish a standardized bioinformatics analysis process, which is an important step in the transformation of mNGS from laboratory to clinic. At present, bioinformatics analysis of mNGS has made great progress, but with the high requirements of clinical standardization of bioinformatics analysis and the development of computer technology, bioinformatics analysis of mNGS is also facing new challenges. This article mainly elaborates on quality control, and identification and visualization of pathogenic bacteria.

Rab3A interacts with spastin to regulate neurite outgrowth in hippocampal neurons

Investigating novel mechanisms of neurite outgrowth via cytoskeleton is critical for developing therapeutic strategies against neural disorders. Rab3A is a vesicle-related protein distributed throughout the nervous system, but the detailed mechanism related to cytoskeleton remains largely unknown. Our previous reports show that spastin serves microtubule to regulate neurite outgrowth. Here, we asked whether Rab3A could function via modulating spastin during neuronal development. The results revealed that Rab3A colocalized with spastin in cultured hippocampal neurons. Immunoprecipitation assays showed that Rab3A physically interacted with spastin in rat brain lysates. Rab3A overexpression significantly induced spastin degradation; this effect was reversed by leupeptin- or MG-132- administration, suggesting the lysosomal and ubiquitin-mediated degradation system. Immunofluorescence staining further confirmed that Rab3A and spastin immune-colocalized with the lysosome marker lysotracker. In COS7 cells, Rab3A overexpression significantly downregulated spastin expression and abolished the spastin-mediated microtubule severing. Furthermore, overexpression inhibited while genetic knockdown of Rab3A promoted neurite outgrowth. However, this inhibitory effect on neurite outgrowth in hippocampal neurons could be reversed via co-transfection of spastin, indicating that Rab3A functions via its interaction protein spastin. In general, our data identify an interaction between Rab3A and spastin, and this interaction affects the protein stability of spastin and eliminates its microtubule severing function, thereby modulating neurite outgrowth.

Development and validation of a nomogram to predict the 30-day mortality risk of patients with intracerebral hemorrhage

Background

Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is a stroke syndrome with an unfavorable prognosis. Currently, there is no comprehensive clinical indicator for mortality prediction of ICH patients. The purpose of our study was to construct and evaluate a nomogram for predicting the 30-day mortality risk of ICH patients.

Methods

ICH patients were extracted from the MIMIC-III database according to the ICD-9 code and randomly divided into training and verification cohorts. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) method and multivariate logistic regression were applied to determine independent risk factors. These risk factors were used to construct a nomogram model for predicting the 30-day mortality risk of ICH patients. The nomogram was verified by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), integrated discrimination improvement (IDI), net reclassification improvement (NRI), and decision curve analysis (DCA).

Results

A total of 890 ICH patients were included in the study. Logistic regression analysis revealed that age (OR = 1.05, P < 0.001), Glasgow Coma Scale score (OR = 0.91, P < 0.001), creatinine (OR = 1.30, P < 0.001), white blood cell count (OR = 1.10, P < 0.001), temperature (OR = 1.73, P < 0.001), glucose (OR = 1.01, P < 0.001), urine output (OR = 1.00, P = 0.020), and bleeding volume (OR = 1.02, P < 0.001) were independent risk factors for 30-day mortality of ICH patients. The calibration curve indicated that the nomogram was well calibrated. When predicting the 30-day mortality risk, the nomogram exhibited good discrimination in the training and validation cohorts (C-index: 0.782 and 0.778, respectively). The AUCs were 0.778, 0.733, and 0.728 for the nomogram, Simplified Acute Physiology Score II (SAPSII), and Oxford Acute Severity of Illness Score (OASIS), respectively, in the validation cohort. The IDI and NRI calculations and DCA analysis revealed that the nomogram model had a greater net benefit than the SAPSII and OASIS scoring systems.

Conclusion

This study identified independent risk factors for 30-day mortality of ICH patients and constructed a predictive nomogram model, which may help to improve the prognosis of ICH patients.

SUMOylation of microtubule-cleaving enzyme KATNA1 promotes microtubule severing and neurite outgrowth

Katanin p60 ATPase-containing subunit A1 (KATNA1) is a microtubule-cleaving enzyme that regulates the development of neural protrusions through cytoskeletal rearrangements. However, the mechanism underlying the linkage of the small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) protein to KATNA1 and how this modification regulates the development of neural protrusions is unclear. Here we discovered, using mass spectrometry analysis, that SUMO-conjugating enzyme UBC9, an enzyme necessary for the SUMOylation process, was present in the KATNA1 interactome. Moreover, GST-pull down and co-immunoprecipitation assays confirmed that KATNA1 and SUMO interact. We further demonstrated using immunofluorescence experiments that KATNA1 and the SUMO2 isoform colocalized in hippocampal neurites. We also performed a bioinformatics analysis of KATNA1 protein sequences to identify three potentially conserved SUMOylation sites (K77, K157, and K330) among vertebrates. Mutation of K330, but not K77 or K157, abolished KATNA1-induced microtubule severing and decreased the level of binding observed for KATNA1 and SUMO2. Cotransfection of SUMO2 and wildtype KATNA1 in COS7 cells increased microtubule severing, whereas no effect was observed after cotransfection with the K330R KATNA1 mutant. Furthermore, in cultured hippocampal neurons, overexpression of wildtype KATNA1 significantly promoted neurite outgrowth, whereas the K330R mutant eliminated this effect. Taken together, our results demonstrate that the K330 site in KATNA1 is modified by SUMOylation and SUMOylation of KATNA1 promotes microtubule dynamics and hippocampal neurite outgrowth.

Potential biomarkers in the fibrosis progression of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH)

PURPOSE

Fibrosis is the only histological feature reflecting the severity and prognosis of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). We aim to explore novel genes associated with fibrosis progression in NASH.

METHODS

Two human RNA-seq datasets were downloaded from the public database. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was used to identify their co-expressed modules and further bioinformatics analysis was performed to identify hub genes within the modules. Finally, based on two single-cell RNA-seq datasets from mice and one microarray dataset from human, we further observed the expression of hub genes in different cell clusters and liver tissues.

RESULTS

7 hub genes (SPP1, PROM1, SOX9, EPCAM, THY1, CD34 and MCAM) associated with fibrosis progression were identified. Single-cell RNA-seq analysis revealed that those hub genes were expressed by different cell clusters such as cholangiocytes, natural killer (NK) cells, and hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). We also found that SPP1 and CD34 serve as markers of different HSCs clusters, which are associated with inflammatory response and fibrogenesis, respectively. Further study suggested that SPP1, SOX9, MCAM and THY1 might be related to NASH-associated hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis showed that the high expression of these genes could well predict the occurrence of HCC. At the same time, there were significant differences in metabolism-related pathway changes between different HCC subtypes, and SOX9 may be involved in these changes.

CONCLUSIONS

The present study identified novel genes associated with NASH fibrosis and explored their effects on fibrosis from a single-cell perspective that might provide new ideas for the early diagnosis, monitoring, evaluation, and prediction of fibrosis progression in NASH.

[Heparin-binding hemagglutinin as a composition antigen of tuberculosis vaccine exerts protective immune effects by inducing IL-17]

To explore the protective immune effect induced by mucosal delivery heparin-binding hemagglutinin (HBHA)-a candidate vaccine antigen of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Female C57BL/6 mice were between 6 and 8 weeks of age before experimental use. Thirty mice received different immunization strategies and were randomly divided into the control group, the early secreting antigen target-6 (ESAT-6) intranasal immunization group, the HBHA intranasal immunization group, the BCG priming PBS control group, or BCG priming HBHA boost group, 6 mice in each group. In order to analyzed the immune effect, the concentrations of plasma Interleukin-17A (IL-17A) and other cytokines were measured by ELISA. Quantitative real-time PCR analyses were performed to detect the relative quantity (RQ) mRNA of IL-17A in the lung. The lung tissue sections were stained to detect the formation of the tertiary lymphoid structures. The chemokines contributed to formation of the tertiary lymphoid structures were also measured. Flow cytometry was used to detect the frequency of Th1 and Th17 cells in the system. Sixty mice in the BCG priming PBS control group and the BCG priming HBHA boost group were sacrificed at different time points after infection to count the lung bacterial burden. The concentrations of plasma IL-17A and relative quantity of lung IL-17A mRNA were highest in the BCG priming HBHA boost group [(14.76±4.73) pg/mL,RQ (12.27±6.71)], which was significantly higher than the control group [(5.57±2.95) pg/mL,RQ (1.30±0.97)] (t=4.213, P<0.001; t=5.984, P<0.001), and also significantly higher than the BCG priming PBS control group [(6.81±2.18) pg/mL,RQ (1.44±1.16)] (t=3.646 P=0.001; t=6.185 P<0.001). Compared with the BCG priming PBS control group (0.38±0.38)% the frequency of spleen Th17 cells were also significantly increased (t=-0.280, P=0.048) in the BCG-primary HBHA boost group (1.02±0.34)%. In addition, HBHA boosting could promote better formation of the tertiary lymphoid structures in the lung, and decrease the bacterial load on the early stage after BCG challenge. Collectively, mucosal delivery of HBHA can effectively enhance the protective effect after BCG vaccination, and it is a potential candidate vaccine component.

Different fusion tags affect the activity of ubiquitin overexpression on spastin protein stability

Spastin is one of the proteins which lead to hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP), whose dysfunction towards microtubule severing and membrane transporting is critically important. The present study is to elucidate the mechanisms of the protein stability regulation of spastin. The ubiquitin encoding plasmids were transfected into COS-7 cells with different fusion tags including Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP), mCherry and Flag. The expression level of spastin was detected, microtubule severing activity and neurite outgrowth were quantified. The data showed that ubiquitin overexpression significantly induced the decreased expression of spastin, suppressed the activity of microtubule severing in COS-7 cells and inhibited the promoting effect on neurite outgrowth in cultured hippocampal neurons. Furthermore, when modulating the overexpression experiments of ubiquitin, it was found that relatively small tag like Flag, but not large tags such as GFP or mCherry fused with ubiquitin, retained the activity on spastin stability. The present study investigated the effects of small/large tags addition to ubiquitin and the novel mechanisms of post-transcriptional modifications of spastin on regulating neurite outgrowth, in the attempt to experimentally elucidate the mechanisms that control the level or stability of spastin in hereditary spastic paraplegia.

What is an appropriate caesarean delivery rate for China: a multicentre survey

Objective

To assess the current status of caesarean delivery (CD) in China, propose reference CD rates for China overall, and by regions, investigate the main indications for CDs and identify possible areas for safe reduction.

Design

A multicentre cross‐sectional study.

Setting

A total of 94 hospitals across 23 provinces in China.

Population

A total of 73 977 randomly selected deliveries.

Methods

We used a modified Robson classification to characterise CDs in subgroups and by regions, and the World Health Organization (WHO) C‐Model to calculate reference CD rates.

Main outcome measures

CD rates in China.

Results

In 2015–2016, the overall CD rate in China was 38.9% (95% CI 38.6–39.3%). Considering the obstetric characteristics of the population, the multivariable model‐based reference CD rate was estimated at 28.5% (95% CI 28.3–28.8%). Accordingly, an absolute reduction of 10.4% (or 26.7% relative reduction) may be considered. The CD rate varied substantially by region. Previous CD was the most common indication in all regions, accounting for 38.2% of all CDs, followed by maternal request (9.8%), labour dystocia (8.3%), fetal distress (7.7%) and malpresentation (7.6%). Overall, 12.7% of women had prelabour CDs, contributing to 32.8% of the total CDs.

Conclusions

Nearly 39% of births were delivered by caesarean in China but a reduction of this rate by a quarter may be considered attainable. Repeat CD contributed more than one‐third of the total CDs. Given the large variation in maternal characteristics, region‐specific or even hospital‐specific reference CD rates are needed for precision management of CD.

Tweetable abstract

The caesarean rate in 2015–2016 in China was 38.9%, whereas the reference rate was 28.5%.

The caesarean rate in 2015–2016 in China was 38.9%, whereas the reference rate was 28.5%.

Linked article This article is commented on by M Varner, p. 148 in this issue. To view this mini commentary visit https://doi.org/10.1111/1471-0528.16953.

[Choices of emergency treatment and surgical method for ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms]

Objective: To investigate the emergency management process of ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (RAAA), and analyze the perioperative mortality factors of different surgical methods. Methods: The emergency data and hospitalization data of 91 patients with ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm in Xiangya Hospital of Central South University from June 2010 to June 2019 were retrospectively analyzed.Twelve of the patients died preoperatively due to excessive blood loss, and the remaining 79 patients were hospitalized for open surgery (OSR) or endovascular repair (EVAR).The differences in age, time to hospital arrival, emergency preparation time, first creatinine value, emergency infusion volume, preoperative drop in blood pressure, preoperative use of vasoactive drugs and iliac artery involvement were compared between preoperative death group (n=12) and preoperative survival group (n=79), OSR group (n=50) and EVAR group (n=29), postoperative death group (n=23) and postoperative survival group (n=56). Results: Seventy-nine patients received open surgery or endovascular repair, and 23 died after operation. Age, time to hospital arrival, first creatinine value and emergency infusion volume were (77±11) years, (18±5)h, (469±150) μmol/L, (4 140±1 743) ml in the preoperative death group and (70±10) years, (12±8) h, (228±174) μmol/L, (1 358±1 211) ml in the preoperative survival group, respectively, and the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). There were no significant differences in preoperative data, intraoperative treatment and postoperative perioperative mortality between the open surgery group and the endovascular repair group (all P>0.05). The intraoperative blood loss, operation time and aortic occlusion rate in the endovascular repair group were 100 (50, 175) ml, (3.2±0.9) h, 13.8%, respectively, which were better than that in the open surgery group 1700 (600, 3425) ml, (5.2±1.1) h, 100%. The differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). Age, emergency preparation time, first creatinine value, emergency infusion volume, blood pressure decline rate and vasoactive drug utilization rate in the death group were (77±8) years, (4.1±1.7) h, (456±172) μmol/L, (2 024±1 687) ml, 100%, 100%, respectively, and (68±10) years, (2.7±2.2) h, (135±26) μmol/L, (1 085±825) ml, 21.4%, 12.5% in the survival group, respectively. The differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). Conclusions: Age, emergency preparation time, first creatinine value, emergency infusion volume, decreased blood pressure and use of vasoactive drugs are all associated with perioperative death in patients with ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm. EVAR surgery is a better choice if conditions exist.

The complex multi-sectoral impacts of drought: Evidence from a mountainous basin in the Central Spanish Pyrenees

We analyzed the impacts of drought severity on a variety of sectors in a topographically complex basin (the upper Aragón basin 2181 km²) in the Central Spanish Pyrenees. Using diverse data sources including meteorological and hydrological observations, remote sensing and tree rings, we analyze the possible hydrological implications of drought occurrence and severity on water availability in various sectors, including downstream impacts on irrigation water supply for crop production. Results suggest varying responses in forest activity, secondary growth, plant phenology, and crop yield to drought impacts. Specifically, meteorological droughts have distinct impacts downstream, mainly due to water partitioning between streamflow and irrigation channels that transport water to crop producing areas. This implies that drought severity can extend beyond the physical boundaries of the basin, with impacts on crop productivity. This complex response to drought impacts makes it difficult to develop objective basin-scale operational definitions for monitoring drought severity. Moreover, given the high spatial variability in responses to drought across sectors, it is difficult to establish reliable drought thresholds from indices that are relevant across all socio-economic sectors. The anthropogenic impacts (e.g. water regulation projects, ecosystem services, land cover and land use changes) pose further challenges to assessing the response of different systems to drought severity. This study stresses the need to consider the seasonality of drought impacts and appropriate drought time scales to adequately assess and understand their complexity.

Ulinastatin improves myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats through endoplasmic reticulum stress-induced apoptosis pathway

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the protective role of ulinastatin (UTI) on myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury in rats via endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS)-induced apoptosis pathway.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 60 rats were randomly divided into normal group (n=20), myocardial I/R model group (model group, n=20), and myocardial I/R model+UTI treatment group (treatment group, n=20). The myocardial function indicators [creatinine (Scr) and creatine kinase (CK)] were detected. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was performed to measure serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9). Meanwhile, the contents of reactive oxygen species (ROS), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and malondialdehyde (MDA) in rat left ventricular tissues were determined by ELISA as well. The cardiac function indexes were determined via magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and echocardiography (ECG). Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate-biotin nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining assay was carried out to detect the apoptosis of myocardial tissues. Additionally, the expression levels of endoplasmic reticulum stress and apoptosis genes were measured through quantitative Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR) assay and Western blotting analysis, respectively.

RESULTS

Serum levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), CK, and Scr in model group were significantly higher than those in normal group (p<0.05). Besides, rats in model group had significantly lowered SOD, ejection fraction (EF, %), and fractional shortening (FS, %) than those in normal group (p<0.05). In addition, remarkably increased contents of TNF-α, IL-6, MMP-9, MDA, and ROS, as well as higher left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVEDd) and left ventricular end-systolic diameter (LVESd) were observed in model group in comparison with normal group (p<0.05). TUNEL staining results revealed that there were more apoptotic cells in model group than that in the other two groups (p<0.05). Expression levels of cysteine aspartic acid-specific protease 12 (Caspase-12) and glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP78) were evidently higher in model group than those in normal group (p<0.05), while the expression level of B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) was clearly lower in model group than that in normal group (p<0.05). UTI treatment partially reversed the above expression changes (p<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

UTI has a protective effect against myocardial I/R injury in rats by repressing the occurrence of ERS-induced apoptosis.

Liquid biopsy by combining 5-hydroxymethylcytosine signatures of plasma cell-free DNA and protein biomarkers for diagnosis and prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Liquid biopsy based on 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) signatures of plasma cell-free DNA (cfDNA) originating from tumor cells provides a novel approach for early diagnosis in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Here, we sought to develop a reliable model using cfDNA 5hmC signatures and protein biomarkers for diagnosis and prognosis of HCC.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We carried out genome-wide 5hmC sequencing of cfDNA samples collected from 165 healthy volunteers, 62 liver cirrhosis (LC) patients and 135 HCC patients. A sensitive 5hmC diagnostic model was developed based on 5hmC signatures selected by sparse Partial Least Squares Discriminant Analysis and cross-validation to define the weighted diagnostic score (wd-score). Then, we combined protein biomarkers with the wd-score to build a more robust score (HCC score) by logistic regression.

RESULTS

The distribution pattern of differential 5hmC regions could clearly distinguish HCC patients, LC patients and healthy volunteers. The wd-score based on 64 5hmC signatures in cfDNA achieves 93.24% of area under the curve (AUC) to distinguish HCC patients from non-HCC patients, and the HCC score by combing protein biomarkers achieves 92.75% of AUC to distinguish HCC patients from LC patients. Meanwhile, the HCC score showed high capacity for screening high recurrence risk patients after receiving surgical resection, and appeared to be an independent indicator for both relapse-free survival (P = 0.00865) and overall survival (P = 0.000739). Furthermore, the values of the HCC score in patients' longitudinal plasma samples were positively associated with tumor burden dynamics during follow-up.

CONCLUSION

We have developed and validated a novel non-invasive liquid biopsy strategy for HCC diagnosis, prognosis and surveillance during HCC progression.

[The effect of peripheral blood cell score on the prognosis of multiple myeloma patients treated with bortezomib]

目的

评估外周血细胞检测结果在以硼替佐米为一线治疗的多发性骨髓瘤（MM）患者中的预后作用。

方法

回顾性分析2014年1月至2016年12月浙江大学医学院附属第一医院和浙江省舟山医院收治的155例初诊MM患者的临床数据，患者均一线接受以硼替佐米为基础方案的治疗。分析外周血细胞检测结果，包括ANC、单核细胞计数（AMC）、HGB、红细胞平均体积（MCV）、PLT以及其他临床特征对MM患者的预后评估作用。

结果

AMC（>0.6×10⁹/L）、MCV（>99.1fl）以及PLT（<150×10⁹/L）明显影响MM患者无进展生存（PFS）和总生存（OS），以上3个因子分别赋值1分，形成血细胞积分。结果显示，64例（41.3％）积分0，57例（36.8％）积分1，32例（20.6％）积分2，2例（1.3％）积分3，4组患者中位PFS时间分别为42.8、26.5、15.8、6.4个月（P<0.001），中位OS时间分别为未达到和48.2、31.1、31.4个月（P＝0.001）。多因素分析提示，血细胞积分（2～3对0～1）和骨髓浆细胞比例（>30％对≤30％）为PFS的独立预后因素（HR分别为1.95和1.76），而患者年龄（>65岁对≤65岁）、R-ISS分期（Ⅲ期对Ⅰ～Ⅱ期）和血细胞积分（2～3对0～1）是OS的独立预后因素（HR分别为2.08、2.13和2.12）。

结论

血细胞积分简单易得，可用于新药时代初治MM患者的预后评估，但仍需扩大病例并进行前瞻性研究进一步明确。

Toward High Precision XCO2 Retrievals From TanSat Observations: Retrieval Improvement and Validation Against TCCON Measurements

TanSat is the 1st Chinese carbon dioxide (CO2) measurement satellite, launched in 2016. In this study, the University of Leicester Full Physics (UoL-FP) algorithm is implemented for TanSat nadir mode XCO2 retrievals. We develop a spectrum correction method to reduce the retrieval errors by the online fitting of an 8th order Fourier series. The spectrum-correction model and its a priori parameters are developed by analyzing the solar calibration measurement. This correction provides a significant improvement to the O2 A band retrieval. Accordingly, we extend the previous TanSat single CO2 weak band retrieval to a combined O2 A and CO2 weak band retrieval. A Genetic Algorithm (GA) has been applied to determine the threshold values of post-screening filters. In total, 18.3% of the retrieved data is identified as high quality compared to the original measurements. The same quality control parameters have been used in a footprint independent multiple linear regression bias correction due to the strong correlation with the XCO2 retrieval error. Twenty sites of the Total Column Carbon Observing Network (TCCON) have been selected to validate our new approach for the TanSat XCO2 retrieval. We show that our new approach produces a significant improvement on the XCO2 retrieval accuracy and precision when compared to TCCON with an average bias and RMSE of -0.08 ppm and 1.47 ppm, respectively. The methods used in this study can help to improve the XCO2 retrieval from TanSat and subsequently the Level-2 data production, and hence will be applied in the TanSat operational XCO2 processing.

Lower plasma melatonin levels predict worse long-term survival in pulmonary arterial hypertension

Background

Exogenous melatonin has been reported to be beneficial in the treatment of pulmonary hypertension (PH) in animal models. Multiple mechanisms may be involved, with melatonin exerting anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, as well as inducing vasodilation and cardio-protection. However, endogenous levels of melatonin in treatment-naïve pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) patients and their clinical significance are still unknown.

Methods and results

Plasma levels of endogenous melatonin were measured by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry in treatment-naïve PAH patients (n=43) and healthy controls (n=111). Melatonin levels were higher in PAH patients when compared with controls (Median 118.9 [IQR 109.3–147.7] versus 108.0 [102.3–115.2] pM, P&lt;0.001) (Figure 1A). The overall mortality was 26% (11/43) during a median long-term follow-up of 42 [IQR: 32–58] months. When PAH patients were stratified into 4 groups according to the quartiles of melatonin levels, the mortality from below 1st quartile to above 4th quartile was 55% (6/11), 10% (1/10), 0% (0/12), and 40% (4/10), respectively (Figure 1B). Kaplan-Meier analysis further showed that patients with melatonin levels below the 1st quartile (&lt;109.3 pM) had a worse long-term survival than patients with melatonin levels above the 1st quartile (Mean survival times were 46 [95% CI: 30–65] versus 68 [58–77] months, Log-rank, p=0.026) (Figure 1C).

Conclusion

Endogenous melatonin levels were increased in treatment-naïve PAH patients, and lower levels of melatonin were associated with worse long-term survival in patient with PAH, however, whether exogenous melatonin supplements may be effective as a therapeutic strategy in human PAH remains to be established.

Figure 1

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding source: Foundation. Main funding source(s): This work was supported by the China Scholarship Council (201606230252) as well as the Netherlands CardioVascular Research Initiative: an initiative with support of the Dutch Heart Foundation (CVON2014-11, RECONNECT), and German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK81Z0600207). Instrumentation support was received from AB Sciex, ltd. for LC-MS/MS analyses performed in this study.

Different tryptophan-kynurenine metabolism profiles in human pulmonary arterial hypertension and animal models of pulmonary hypertension

Background

De novo NAD+ synthesis through the tryptophan-kynurenine (TK) metabolism was recognized as an important pathway in improving mitochondrial function and survival of injury or apoptotic cells, which are key processes involved in the pathogenesis of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Although abnormal TK metabolism has been reported in human PAH, the difference between human and animal models of pulmonary hypertension (PH) are currently unknown.

Objective

Determine and compare TK metabolism profiles in plasma from human PAH and 3 animal models of PH.

Methods

Human plasma was collected from treatment naïve patients with PAH (n=43) and healthy controls (n=111). Animal plasma was collected from 3 animal models of PH and corresponding controls, including monocrotaline (MCT) induced PH in rat (n=7, control n=6), Sugen + hypoxia (SuHx) induced PH in rat (n=5, control n=6), and pulmonary vein banding (PVB) induced PH in swine (n=7, control n=6). TK metabolites were determined using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS).

Results

TK metabolism was altered in the plasma from of PAH compared to healthy controls (Figure 1A). Lower tryptophan (0.8 fold vs Control, p&lt;0.0001), maintained 3-hydroxyanthranilic acid, and higher kynurenine, 3-hydroxykynurenine, anthranilic acid, and quinolinic acid (1.5, 2.6, 2.0, 2.6 fold vs Control, respectively, p all&lt;0.0001) were seen in the plasma from human PAH. In the rat SuHx-PH model, kynurenine (0.7 fold, p&lt;0.01) and quinolinic acid (0.5 fold, p&lt;0.001) were lower, while 3-hydroxyanthranilic acid (4.3 fold, p&lt;0.001) was higher in PH compared to control (Figure 1B). However, the TK metabolism was unaltered in MCT-PH model in rat (Figure 1C), and PVB-PH model in swine (Figure 1D).

Conclusions

TK metabolism was altered in the plasma from human PAH. The TK metabolism profiles were different among 3 animal models of PH, but did not mimic the profile in human PAH. Further research is required to determine the mechanism(s) behind the abnormal TK metabolism in human PAH as well as whether these mechanisms relate to disease onset or progression.

Figure 1

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding source: Foundation. Main funding source(s): This work was supported by the China Scholarship Council (201606230252) as well as the Netherlands CardioVascular Research Initiative: an initiative with support of the Dutch Heart Foundation (CVON2014-11, RECONNECT), and German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK81Z0600207). Instrumentation support was received from AB Sciex, ltd. for LC-MS/MS analyses performed in this study.

The lncRNA MALAT1/miR-30/Spastin Axis Regulates Hippocampal Neurite Outgrowth

Spastin, a microtubule-severing enzyme, is important for neurite outgrowth. However, the mechanisms underlying the post-transcriptional regulation of spastin during microtubule-related processes are largely unknown. We demonstrated that the spastin expression level is controlled by a long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) metastasis-associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1 (MALAT1)/microRNA-30 (miR-30) axis during neurite outgrowth. The miR-30 expression level decreased in hippocampal neurons with increasing days in culture, and miR-30 overexpression suppressed while miR-30 inhibition promoted neurite outgrowth in hippocampal neurons. Spastin was validated as a target gene of miR-30 using the luciferase reporter assay. The protein expression, microtubule severing activity, and neurite promoting effect of spastin were suppressed by the overexpression of miR-30 mimics and increased by miR-30 inhibitors. MALAT1 expression increased during neurite outgrowth and MALAT1 silencing impaired neurite outgrowth. miR-30 was a sponge target of MALAT1 and MALAT1/miR-30 altered neurite outgrowth in hippocampal neurons. MALAT1 overexpression reversed the inhibitory effect of miR-30 on the activity of a luciferase reporter construct containing spastin, as well as spastin mRNA and protein expression, indicating that spastin was a downstream effector of MALAT1/miR-30. The MALAT1/miR-30 cascade also modulated spastin-induced microtubule severing, and the MALAT1/miR-30/spastin axis regulated neurite outgrowth in hippocampal neurons. This study suggests a new mechanism governing neurite outgrowth in hippocampal neurons involving MALAT1/miR-30-regulated spastin expression.

A three-gene signature and clinical outcome in pediatric acute myeloid leukemia

BACKGROUND

Although the 5-year survival rates in pediatric acute myeloid leukemia (AML) have improved over the last decades, there is a high relapse rate for Pediatric AML patients.

METHODS

In the present study, we mainly combine PCA with the LASSO technique to identify prognostic markers for Pediatric AML patients coming from the NCI TARGET database.

RESULTS

Three key genes (EEF1A1, RPLP2, RPL19) associated with poor prognosis of pediatric AML has been screened by both PCA and LASSO Cox regression analysis. Simultaneously, we developed a risk score model to predict the prognosis of pediatric AML, according to risk scores, the patients were divided into high- and low-risk groups based on the median risk score. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis indicated that Pediatric AML patients with the high-risk group have a poorer survival rate than those with a low-risk group (p < 0.000). The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis showed that the risk model has a good performance (AUC:0.669). Moreover, the clinicopathologic correlation showed that the expression levels of three genes were related to the central nervous system (CNS) disease and chloroma. GSEA identified that those pathways including oxidative phosphorylation, apoptosis and TGFB signaling pathway were differentially enriched.

CONCLUSION

Taken together, those studies suggested that a gene panel that consists of three genes (EEF1A1, RPLP2, RPL19) may act as a potential prognostic marker.

Ammonia induces calpain-dependent cleavage of CRMP-2 during neurite degeneration in primary cultured neurons

Hyperammonemia in the CNS induces irreversible damages to neurons due to ultimate cell loss. Neurite degeneration, a primary event that leads to neuronal cell death, remains less elucidated especially in hyperammonemia circumstances. Here, we found that the administration of ammonia induced neurite degeneration in cultured cerebellar granule neurons. The resulting altered neuronal morphology, rupture of neurites, and disassembly of the cytoskeleton led to cell death. Calcein and Fluo-4 staining revealed that ammonia induced intracellular calcium dysregulation. Subsequently activated calpain cleaved CRMP-2, a microtubule assembly protein. Pharmacologically inhibition of calpain, but not caspases or GSK-3, suppressed the cleavage of CRMP-2 and reversed neurite degeneration under ammonia treatment. Exposure to ammonia decreased whereas inhibition of calpain restored the amplitude and frequency of miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents. These data suggest a mechanism by which elevated ammonia level may induce neuronal dysfunction via abnormal calcium influx and calpain-dependent CRMP-2 cleavage, leading to abnormal synaptic transmission, cytoskeletal collapse, and neurite degeneration.

PARE0026 WHICH PATIENT-REPORTED OUTCOMES DO RHEUMATOLOGY PATIENTS FIND IMPORTANT TO TRACK DIGITALLY? A REAL-WORLD LONGITUDINAL STUDY IN ARTHRITISPOWER

Background:

Development of a standardized approach to assess key elements of disease activity in rheumatology clinical trials has been the goal of Outcome Measures in Rheumatology Clinical Trials (OMERACT), American College of Rheumatology (ACR), and European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR).1,2,3The core sets of measures developed include assessments and composite indices incorporating use of patient-reported outcomes (PROs) and clinical measures and clinicians’ assessments to quantify disease activity over time.2PROs are important indicators of disease activity and variability, and they are increasingly used to evaluate treatment effectiveness. Little is known about PROs that patients with rheumatic conditions find most important to convey their experience with their condition and its treatment.

Objectives:

To examine PROs selected by patients with rheumatic conditions in the ArthritisPower registry to identify symptoms they found most important to track digitally.

Methods:

Adult US patients within the ArthritisPower registry with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriatic arthritis (PsA), ankylosing spondylitis (AS), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), osteoporosis (OP), osteoarthritis (OA), and fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) were invited via email to participate in this study. Enrolled participants (pts) were prompted to select ≤10 PRO symptom measures they felt were important to track for their condition at baseline via the ArthritisPower app. At 3 subsequent time points (Month [m] 1, m2, m3), pts were given the option to continue tracking their previously selected PRO measures or to add, remove and/or select different measures. At m3, pts completed an exit survey to prioritize ≤5 measures from all measures selected during study participation and to specify other symptoms not available that they would have wanted to track. Measures were rank-ordered based on number of pts rating the item as their 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th or 5th choice and weighted by multiplying the rank number by its inverse for a single, weighted summary score for each measure. Values were summed across all pts to produce a summary score for each measure.

Results:

Among pts who completed initial selection of PRO assessments at baseline (N=253), 184 pts confirmed or changed PRO selections across m1-3. Mean (SD) age of pts was 55.7 (9.2) yrs, 89.3% female, 91.3% White, mean disease duration of 11.6 (10.6) yrs. The majority (64.8%) self-reported OA, followed by RA (48.6%), FMS (40.3%), PsA (26.1%), OP (21.0%), AS (15.8%) and SLE (5.9%), not mutually exclusive, and were similar to the overall ArthritisPower population. The average number of instruments (SD) selected for baseline completion was 7.0 (2.5), 7.1 (2.4) at m1, 7.2 (2.4) at m2, and 7.0 (2.5) at m3. The top 5 PROs ranked by pts overall as most important (weighted summary score) for tracking were Fatigue (71), Physical Function (58), Pain Intensity (50), Pain Interference (49), Duration of Morning Joint Stiffness (41) (Figure 1). Fatigue, Physical Function, and Pain were consistently in the top 5 across diseases while Depression was more frequent among pts with OA, AS and FMS. Pts’ PRO selections showed stability over time except for the RA Flare measure which decreased from 70.5% of RA pts at baseline to 13.6% at m3.

Conclusion:

The symptoms prioritized by pts included fatigue, physical function, pain, and joint stiffness. Pts‘ choices were consistent over time. These findings provide insights into symptoms rheumatology patients find most important and will be useful to inform design of future patient-centric clinical trials and real-world evidence generation.

References:

[1]Boers M, et al. J Rheumatol Suppl. 1994;41:86–89.

[2]Felson DT, et al. Arthritis Rheum. 1993;36:729–740.

[3]Tugwell P, et al. J Rheumatol. 1993;20:555–556.

Disclosure of Interests:

W. Benjamin Nowell: None declared, Carol L. Kannowski Shareholder of: Eli Lilly and Company, Employee of: Eli Lilly and Company, Kelly Gavigan: None declared, Zhihong Cai Shareholder of: Eli Lilly and Company, Employee of: Eli Lilly and Company, Anabela Cardoso Shareholder of: Eli Lilly and Company, Employee of: Eli Lilly and Company, Theresa Hunter Shareholder of: Eli Lilly and Company, Employee of: Eli Lilly and Company, Shilpa Venkatachalam: None declared, Julie Birt Shareholder of: Eli Lilly and Company, Employee of: Eli Lilly and Company, Jennifer Workman Shareholder of: Eli Lilly and Company, Employee of: Eli Lilly and Company, Jeffrey Curtis Grant/research support from: AbbVie, Amgen, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Corrona, Janssen, Lilly, Myriad, Pfizer, Regeneron, Roche, UCB, Consultant of: AbbVie, Amgen, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Corrona, Janssen, Lilly, Myriad, Pfizer, Regeneron, Roche, UCB

Molecular cloning and characterization of Y-box gene (Rpybx) from Manila clam and its expression analysis in different strains under low-temperature stress

Manila clam, Ruditapes philippinarum, is an economically important marine bivalve species. Y-box proteins are members of the cold shock proteins family and highly conserved from bacteria to humans. In this study, a novel Y-box gene (Rpybx) was cloned from the Manila clam and gene expression profiling was performed on three shell color strains (white, zebra and white zebra) and two wild populations (Southern and Northern) of R. philippinarum. The complete ORF length of Rpybx is 1367 bp, encoding 253 amino acids residues. Based on the amino acid sequence analysis and phylogenetic analysis, the Rpybx gene was identified as a member of the invertebrate Y-box proteins family. Rpybx has a similar tertiary structure to human Y-box protein YB-1. The Rpybx mRNA levels were analyzed by qPCR under acute and gradually varied cold stress. Under acute low-temperature stress, the expression of Rpybx mRNA in gills and hepatopancreas was significantly increased in all selected strains and populations (P < 0.05). The Northern population showed the lowest relative expression level of Rpybx. The expressions of Rpybx were greatly upregulated in gills and hepatopancreas of different stains and populations at 5 or -2°C under gradually varied temperature stress (P < 0.05). The results shed light on the biological function of the Rpybx gene in defending against low-temperature challenge and further exploring the molecular mechanism of cold tolerance and resistance in R. philippinarum.

An Antioxidant Role by Minocycline Via Enhancing the Activation of LKB1/AMPK Signaling in the Process of Cerebral Ischemia Injury

BACKGROUND

LKB1/AMPK signaling pathway, as a metabolic checkpoint, is involved in the pathogenesis of cerebral ischemia injury. Minocycline, a tetracycline derivative, protects against cerebral ischemia via reducing inflammation, oxidative stress, and apoptosis. The aim of the study was to evaluate the influence of minocycline on oxidative biomarkers and LKB1/AMPK signaling pathway in Wistar rats with focal cerebral ischemia injury and to clarify the neuroprotective mechanism of minocycline against focal cerebral ischemia injury.

METHODS

The focal cerebral ischemia injury of Wistar rats was established by inserting a thread into the left middle cerebral artery. 2,3,5-Triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining was used to label infarct volume. The levels of MDA and LPO were measured with a biochemical assay. All other items were determined by Western blotting.

RESULTS

Minocycline decreased cerebral infarct volume, but had no effects on neurological scores. Minocycline improved the biological activity of GPx-1/2, GSS and GR, while limited the GGT1 activity in the hippocampus of cerebral ischemia-reperfusion rats. Minocycline also elevated the biological activity of SOD and counteracted lipid peroxidation. Minocycline enhanced the activity of both LKB1 and the levels of the three AMPK subunits in the hippocampus of cerebral ischemia-reperfusion rats.

CONCLUSION

Minocycline effectively inhibits oxidative stress via modulating antioxidative enzymes and activating the LKB1/AMPK signaling pathway in the process of acute cerebral infarct.

Comparison of the gut microbiota composition between the wild and captive Tibetan wild ass (Equus kiang)

Aims

The gut microbiota has a great effect on the health and nutrition of the host. Manipulation of the intestinal microbiota may improve animal health and growth performance. The objectives of our study were to characterize the faecal microbiota between wild and captive Tibetan wild asses and discuss the differences and their reasons.

Methods and Results

Through high‐throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA V4‐V5 region, we studied the gut microbiota composition and structure of Tibetan wild asses in winter, and analysed the differences between wild and captive groups. The results showed that the most common bacterial phylum in Tibetan wild ass faeces samples was Bacteroidetes, while the phylum Firmicutes was dominant in captive Tibetan wild ass faecal samples. The relative abundance of Firmicutes, Tenericutes and Spirochaetes were significantly higher (P < 0·01) than in the wild groups.

Conclusions

Captivity reduces intestinal microbial diversity, evenness and operational taxonomic unit number due to the consumption of industrial food, therefore, increasing the risk of disease prevalence and affecting the health of wildlife.

Significance and Impact of the Study

We studied the effect of the captive environment on intestinal micro‐organisms. This article provides a theoretical basis for the ex‐situ conservation of wild animals in the future.