[Study of appropriate cut-off for diagnosis of primary aldosteronism by seated saline suppression test based on liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry]

Objective: To investigate the appropriate cut-off for diagnosis of primary aldosteronism (PA) by seated saline suppression test (SSST) based on liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Methods: In this cross-sectional study, patients who underwent SSST for suspected PA in the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University from January 2018 to March 2022 were evaluated. Briefly, 300 patients with PA and 119 with essential hypertension (EH) were included. Plasma aldosterone concentration (PAC) after SSST was determined by LC-MS/MS. Primary aldosteronism confirmatory testing (PACT) score was used as the reference standard for diagnosis of PA, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to explore the cut-off value. Results: The average age of the PA group was (50.8±10.5) years, and males accounted for 53.00% (n=159); the average age of the EH group was (49.4±11.2) years, and males accounted for 26.89% (n=32). The area under the ROC curve of PAC post-SSST was 0.819 (95%CI 0.775-0.862). When 40 pg/ml (110.8 pmol/L) was selected as the appropriate cut-off for diagnosis of PA, the sensitivity was 83.67% (95%CI 78.88%-87.56%) and specificity was 60.50% (95%CI 51.10%-69.21%). Thus, 95.09% (155/163) of patients with unilateral PA could be identified. Conclusion: PAC after SSST determined by LC-MS/MS has high efficacy for diagnosis of PA, and 40 pg/ml is recommended as the appropriate cut-off value.

[Comparison of long-term clinical outcomes between transvaginal mesh and pelvic floor reconstruction with native tissue repair in the treatment of advanced pelvic organ prolapse]

Objective: To study the long-term clinical effect of transvaginal mesh (TVM) and pelvic floor reconstruction with native tissue repair (NTR) in the treatment of advanced pelvic organ prolapse (POP). Methods: Totally 207 patients with advanced POP who were treated in Hunan Provincial Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital from Jan. 2016 to Sep. 2019 were enrolled. The patient's pelvic organ prolapse quantification were all at degree Ⅲ or above, and they all complained for different degree of symptoms. They were divided into two groups according to the different surgical methods, TVM group and NTR group. In TVM group, the mesh was implanted through the vagina for pelvic floor reconstruction, while in NTR group, the traditional transvaginal hysterectomy combined with uterosacral ligament suspension and anterior and posterior wall repair, as well as perineal body repair were performed. The median follow-up time was 60 months, during the follow up time, 164 cases (79.2%, 164/207) had completed follow-up, including 76 cases in TVM group and 88 cases in NTR group. The perioperative data and complication rates of the two groups were compared, and the subjective and objective outcomes of the two groups at 1, 3 and 5 years were observed, respectively. The objective efficacy was evaluated by three composite criteria, namely: (1) the distance from the farthest end of the prolapse of the anterior and posterior wall of the vagina to the hymen is ≤0 cm, and the descending distance of the top is ≤1/2 of the total length of the vagina; (2) determine the disappearance of relevant POP symptoms according to "Do you often see or feel vaginal mass prolapse？"; (3) no further operation or pessary treatment was performed due to prolapse. If the above three criteria were met at the same time, the operation is successful; otherwise, it was recurrence. The subjective efficacy was evaluated by the pelvic floor distress inventory-short form 20 (PFDI-20) and pelvic floor impact questionnaire-short form 7 (PFIQ-7). Results: The median follow-up time of the two groups was 60 months (range: 41-82 months). Five years after the operation, the subjective and objective cure rates of TVM group were 89.5% (68/76) and 94.7% (72/76), respectively. The subjective and objective cure rates in NTR group were 80.7% (71/88) and 85.2% (75/88), respectively. There were significant differences in the subjective and objective cure rates between the two groups (χ2=9.869, P=0.002; χ2=3.969, P=0.046). The recurrence rate of TVM group was 5.3% (4/76), and that of NTR group was 14.8% (13/88). There was a significant difference between the two groups (P=0.046). The postoperative PFDI-20 and PFIQ-7 scores of the two groups were significantly lower than those before surgery, and there were significant differences of the two groups before and after surgery (all P<0.05). Postoperative mesh exposure in TVM group was 1.3% (1/76). Conclusions: The long-term outcomes between the two groups show that the subjective and objective outcomes of pelvic floor reconstruction in TVM group are significantly higher than those in NTR group, and the recurrence rate is significantly lower than that in NTR group. TVM has certain advantages in the treatment of advanced POP.

Lactobacillus coryniformis subsp. torquens inhibits bone loss in obese mice via modification of the gut microbiota

High-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity results in bone loss associated with an imbalanced gut microbiota and altered immune status. Probiotics are live microorganisms that are beneficial to the host and are important in maintaining bone health and gut homeostasis. In this study, the probiotic Lactobacillus coryniformis subsp. torquens (T3L) was isolated from traditional yak milk cheese produced in Lhasa and showed distinct acid and bile salt resistance as potential probiotics. Our data indicated that T3L not only reversed HFD-induced gut dysbiosis, as indicated by decreased Firmicutes-to-Bacteroidetes ratios but also reduced bone loss. The anti-obesity, microbiome-modulating, and bone-protective effects were transmissible via horizontal faeces transfer from T3L-treated mice to HFD-fed mice. The protective effects of T3L on bone mass were associated with regulatory T (Treg) cell-mediated inhibition of osteoclast differentiation. Our data indicate that T3L is a regulator of the gut microbiota and bone homeostasis in an animal model.

[Re-evaluation of the diagnostic value and optimal cutoff point of captopril challenge test in diagnosis of primary aldosteronism]

Objective: The aim of the present study was to re-evaluate the diagnostic value and optimal cutoff point of captopril challenge test (CCT) in diagnosis of primary aldosteronism (PA). Methods: This is a retrospective study. All patients with a high risk for PA underwent screening test, and then proceeded to CCT and fludrocortisone suppression test (FST) on different days. The FST was used as a reference standard for PA. The plasma renin concentration (PRC) and plasma aldosterone concentration (PAC) were measured with an automated chemiluminescence immunoassay. Random number method was performed in the patients with unilateral primary aldosteronism (UPA), in order to make the proportion of the analyzed UPA in PA was 35%. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses were performed to compare diagnostic accuracy. Results: A total of 543 patients with 400 PA patients and 143 essential hypertension (EH) patients were enrolled. The diagnostic value of post-CCT PAC was significantly higher than that of the post-CCT plasma aldosterone-renin ratio (ARR), and that of the PAC suppression percentage, respectively. The area under the ROC curve (AUC_ROC) was 0.86 (0.83, 0.89) for PAC, 0.78 (0.74, 0.82) for ARR, and 0.62 (0.56, 0.67) for the PAC suppression percentage (all P<0.01), respectively. The optimal cutoff point of post-CCT PAC for PA was 110 ng/L, in which the sensitivity and specificity were 73.25% and 79.02%, respectively. The diagnostic efficiency of post-CCT PAC was not improved either in combination with PAC suppression percentage or in combination with post-CCT ARR. Conclusions: CCT is a useful test for the confirmation of PA. PAC level of 110 ng/L at 2 h after 50 mg of captopril is recommended as an optimal cutoff point for the diagnosis of PA.

[A case of oculocutaneous albinism with cataract]

A female patient with totally white hair and pink skin had gradual visual loss to hand motion in the right eye within one year. Upon her visit to the Department of Ophthalmology, she was found to have a totally white cataract and a family history of intermarriage, and was finally diagnosed with oculocutaneous albinism and complicated cataract in the right eye. The best corrected visual acuity of her right eye increased to 0.15 at 6 months after phacoemulsification and intraocular lens implantation. Clear choroidal vessels could be seen in the ultra-widefield color fundus image and autofluorescence image. No macular fovea structure was found on optical coherence tomography of the fundus. (Chin J Ophthalmol, 2021, 57: 787-790).

lncRNA SNHG3 accelerates the proliferation and invasion of non-small cell lung cancer by downregulating miR-340-5p

Small nucleolar RNA host genes (SNHGs) as a subset of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) act critical roles in tumor progression. The present study aimed to elucidate the role and mechanisms of SNHG3 in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The correlation of SNHG3/miR-340-5p/HOXA10 with the clinicopathological features and outcomes in NSCLC was analyzed by TCGA cohort. In vitro and in vivo functional experiments were conducted to assess the role of SNHG3 in NSCLC cells. Bioinformatic analysis and luciferase gene reporter were used to estimate the interaction between miR-340-5p and SNHG3/HOXA10 3'UTR. The effects of SNHG3 and (or) miR-340-5p on HOXA10 expression were detected by qRT-PCR and Western blot analysis. As a consequence, the elevated expression of SNHG3 and HOXA10 or lowered expression of miR-340-5p was related to the lymph node infiltration, distant metastases and unfavorable prognosis in NSCLC. Ectopic expression of SNHG3 boosted the proliferation and invasion of NSCLC cells in vitro and in vivo, whereas downregulation of SNHG3 reversed these effects. Moreover, SNHG3 could bind with miR-340-5p and reduce its expression levels, and miR-340-5p attenuated SNHG3-induced tumor proliferation and HOXA10 expression in NSCLC cells. Our findings unveiled that SNHG3 might be an oncogenic factor in NSCLC by downregulating miR-340-5p.

[Prevalence and clinical characteristics of obstructive sleep apnea in patients with primary hyperaldosteronism]

Objective: To explore the proportion of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in primary aldosteronism (PA) in Chinese population and compare the clinical characteristics between PA patients with OSA and those without. Methods: A total of 96 patients diagnosed with PA from September 2015 to November 2018 were recruited in this study. OSA was screened by cardio-respiratory polygraphy. According to the apnea hypopnea index (AHI), the patients were divided into PA with OSA group (AHI ≥5 times) and PA without OSA group (AHI<5 times). Results: Among all patients (96), 69 (71.9%) were with OSA, among them 22 patients (22.9%) were with mild OSA, 17 patients (17.7%) were with moderate OSA and 30 patients (31.3%) were with severe OSA. Compared with the patients without OSA, the patients with OSA were elder, and had higher levels of body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), hip circumference (HC), creatinine (CR) and glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c) (P<0.05), but lower concentrations of plasma aldosterone (PAC), supine aldosterone renin concentration ratio(ARR) and the PAC after the diagnosis test (P<0.05). Spearman correlation analyses showed that BMI, WC, HC, CR and HbA1c were positively correlated with AHI (P<0.05), while high-density lipoproteincholesterol (HDL-C), supine-PAC and saline infusion test(SIT)-post PAC were negatively correlated with AHI (P<0.05). Conclusions: The proportion of OSA in PA patients is relatively high (71.9%). Metabolic abnormalities are more common in PA patients with OSA, indicating that screening for OSA should be carried out routinely in PA patients.

[A clinical performance study of modified CT angiography in detecting bronchial artery-pulmonary artery fistula]

Objective: To evaluate the clinical value of modified computed tomography angiography(CTA) in detecting bronchial artery-pulmonary artery fistula(BPF). Methods: Retrospective analysis was performed on 246 patients with hemoptysis admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University from July 2017 to December 2018, who underwent modified CTA and DSA examination at the same time. CT was performed with Toshiba Aquilion one 320 row 640-slice spiral CT scanner. All modified CTA images were read blindly by two radiologists above the attending doctors. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of the modified CTA in diagnosing BPF were calculated with the DSA results as the reference,and the consistency of the two tests was analyzed. Results: DSA detected 186 cases of positive and 60 cases of negative, modified CTA detected 160 cases of positive and 86 cases of negative. The sensitivity,specificity and accuracy of modified CTA for BPF diagnosis was 85.5%(159/186),98.3%(59/60), 88.6%(218/246) respectively, and they were with high consistency with DSA examination results (kappa=0.73,P<0.01). Conclusion: Modified CTA has high diagnostic specificity for BPF,which can be used as the preferred method for non-invasive screening of suspected BPF patients.

Scalable and cost-effective Ag nanowires flexible transparent electrodes

Flexible transparent electrodes (TEs) are important for new electronic devices. This paper reports a scalable, cost effective Ag nanowires (AgNWs) TE, which is made of a SnO₂·xH₂O and AgNWs composite layer and a flexible polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottom layer by a solution method at room temperature. The AgNWs/SnO₂·xH₂O composite TEs reveal a significant reduction of four orders in magnitude of sheet resistance, from 90 kΩ sq⁻¹ to 12 Ω sq⁻¹, while retaining transmittance of about 92% at 550 nm. This could be owing to the significant reduction of contact resistance for the weld-like junction of bound AgNWs. Compared with others, this method is characterized by filling gaps of the silver nanowire network with SnO₂·xH₂O. In addition, the adhesive forces between the AgNWs and the substrate are improved. This could be attributed to strong adhesion of SnO₂·xH₂O with the substrate. Moreover, this foldable transparent electrode is applicable for any non-planar surfaces and ultimately for future wearable optoelectronic devices.

This paper reports one of a scalable, cost effective Ag nanowires (AgNWs) TE, which reveals a significant reduction of four orders in magnitude of sheet resistance, from 90 kΩ sq⁻1 to 12 Ω sq⁻1, while keep transmittance of about 92% at 550 nm.

[CT perfusion analysis on the association of permeability surface with hematoma and edema volume in acute spontaneous putaminal and thalamic hematoma]

Objective: To discuss the correlation of permeability surface (PS) with hematoma and edema volume in acute spontaneous putaminal and thalamic hematoma using CT perfusion imaging. Methods: A total of 48 acute spontaneous putaminal and thalamic hemorrhage patients were enrolled in this study during October 2015 and December 2016 at the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University. At the image slice with maximum size of hematoma, PS was measured by drawing various regions of interest (ROI) including"hot spots", perihematomal regions, outward regions, hemisphere regions and contralateral mirror regions. The relative PS (rPS) was calculated as the ratio of ipsilateral to contralateral PS value in each ROI. Hematoma and edema volumes were traced and obtained with commercial software. Results: The"hot spots"PS ((2.8±1.5) ml·100 g(-1)·min(-1)) and perihematomal PS ((2.1±1.4) ml·100 g(-1)·min(-1)) were both significantly higher than the PS of the contralateral mirror regions ((1.1±0.5) ml·100 g(-1)·min(-1)) (P<0.001). There was no significant difference in outward regions PS and contralateral mirror regions PS (P>0.05), nor in hemisphere regions PS and contralateral mirror regions PS (P>0.05). There was no significant difference in"hot spots"rPS and perihematomal rPS (P=0.218). The"hot spots"rPS and Perihematomal rPS were both higher than the rPS of the outward and hemisphere regions (P<0.01). There was no significant difference in the outward and hemisphere regions (P<0.01). The median hematoma volume was 12.63 ml and the median edema volume was 12.36 ml. The edema volume had a positive association with the hematoma volume(r=0.799, P<0.001) and perihematomal PS(r=0.465, P=0.001). Perihematomal PS had a positive association with the hematoma volume (r=0.386, P=0.007). Conclusion: The damage of blood-brain barrier around acute spontaneous hematoma can be measured via CT perfusion imaging. Perihematomal PS was associated with the hematoma and edema volume.

[Intraocular lens power calculation for high myopic eyes with cataract: comparison of three formulas]

Objective: To compare the accuracy of three different formulas for intraocular lens power calculation in high myopic eyes with cataract and analyze their influencial factors. Methods: One hundred and three high myopic patients of cataract (103 eyes), with average age of 60.2±8.8 years old (39.0-77.0), including 45 male and 54 female and with axial length ≥ 26 mm were enrolled in this retrospective case-series study. All of them underwent routine ocular examination and IOLMastermeasurement preoperatively and then underwent phacoemulsification through temporal clear-corneal incision with implantation of HumanOptic posterior chamber Intraocular lens (IOL). All analyses were conducted using SPSS version 19.0. Repeated-measures analysis of variance was applied to compare the refractive results one month postoperatively with the predicted IOL powers calculated by SRK/T, Holladay 1, or Haigis formula before surgery. The differences were further compared based on different grouping of axial length (AXL), corneal curvature (K) and corneal astigmatism (CA). The accuracies of the three formulas were analyzed using Bland-Altman analyses and the possible error sources of each formula were analyzed using multiple regression model. Results: The majority of patients enrolled had hyperopic shift after cataract surgery. The mean errors (ME) of the three formulas were SRK/T: 0.70±0.89D, Holladay 1: (1.20±0.88) D and Haigis: (0.60±0.88) D; the mean absolute errors (MAE) of the three formulas were (0.81±0.79) D, (1.23±0.84) D and (0.76±0.74) D, respectively. Both ME and MAE of Holladay formula were significantly greater than the other two formulas (F=86.31, P<0.01). Besides, the proportion of patients having a prediction error within 0.50 D was lower in those using Holladay formula (20.4%, 21/103) than the other two (SRK/T: 38.8%, 40/103, χ(2)=8.41, P<0.01, Haigis: 45.6%, 47/103, χ(2)=14.84, P<0.01). Bland-Altman analyses showed that the accuracies of all the three formulas were acceptable in patients of cataract with high myopia in clinical practice. ME and MAE tended to be larger with longer axial length, larger corneal curvature and astigmatism of the patients in all three formulas. However, in eyes with axial length> 30 mm or corneal curvature ≤43.00 D, the MAE of Haigis formula was lower than that of SRK/T formula (F=63.26,63.94, both P<0.01). The prediction error of SRK/T formula was positively correlated with axial length and corneal astigmatism (F=33.97, r=0.66, β=0.48, P<0.01 and β=0.42, P<0.01), while for Holladay and Haigis formulas, in addition to the previous two factors, the errors were also positively correlated with mean corneal curvature (Holladay 1: F=31.26, r=0.72, AXL: β=0.52, P<0.01, K: β=0.20, P<0.05 and CA: β=0.37, P<0.01; Haigis: F=30.96, r=0.72, AXL: β=0.33, P<0.01, K: β=0.40, P<0.01 and CA: β=0.37, P<0.01). Conclusions: In the selection of IOL formula for high myopic patients with cataract, Haigis or SRK/T would reduce the prediction error and serve as the more accurate formulas than Holladay 1. Haigis formula may be more accurate than SRK/T formula in case of AXL>30 mm or K≤43.00 D. (Chin J Ophthalmol, 2017, 53: 260-265).

[Analysis of CT perfusion imaging in chronic cerebral circulatory insufficiency and its relationship with crossed cerebellar diaschisis]

Objective: To investigate the change of cerebral microcirculation of chronic cerebral circulation insufficiency(CCCI) patients and the relationship between CCCI and crossed cerebellar diaschisis(CCD)by using 320-detector row of low-dose volume CT perfusion imaging. Methods: A total of 158 patients (103 males, 55 females, from 45 to 82 years old, the mean age was 62.9) with symptoms of CCCI were admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University from June 2013 to January 2016. Low-dose CTP imaging of whole brain was performed to them using 320-detector row volume CT scanner. The perfusion parameters such as cerebral blood flow(CBF), cerebral blood volume(CBV), mean transit time(MTT), time to peak(TTP) and DLY in both cerebral blood supply areas and cerebellum were got, so were the 4-dimensional CTA images, and rCBF, rCBV, rMTT and rTTP were calculated by ipsilateral/contralateral value. Comparative t-test and independent t-test were applied to analyzing these parameters quantitatively.Chi-square test and Logistic regression model were applied to analyzing the related clinical risk factors. Results: (1) All 108 patients in CCCI group showed asymmetric perfusion within two cerebral hemispheres in CTP images. The CBF, CBV of diseased side were lower than the contralateral mirror area (t(CBF)=-12.89, t(CBV)=-7.031, P(CBF, CBV)<0.001); the MTT of the diseased side was shorter than the contralateral mirror area (t(MTT) =13.310, P(MTT)<0.001); the TTP of the diseased side was longer than the contralateral mirror area (t(TTP)=-4.012, P(TTP)<0.001). The rCBF and rCBV of CCCI group were lower than that in non-CCCI group (t(rCBF)=3.079, t(rCBV)=2.760, P(rCBF, rCBV)<0.01), while the rTTP of CCCI group was longer than that in non-CCCI group (t(rTTP)=4.846, P(rTTP)<0.001). (2)The results of Chi-square test showed that the differences of gender (χ(2)=4.036, P=0.045), hyperlipidemia (χ(2)=7.687, P=0.006), as well as smoking (χ(2)=11.868, P=0.001) had statistical significance between CCCI group and non-CCCI group.Multi-factor Logistic regression analysis showed that hyperlipidemia (OR value=3.736, P=0.016) and smoking (OR value=4.641, P=0.01) were the risk factors of CCCI, while gender had no relationship with it.(3)The incidence of CCD was 18.5% in the CCCI group, and at the same time, the supratentorial corresponding blood supply areas were classified.A total of 10(34.5%) cases were in blood supply area of posterior cerebral artery, 6(20.7%) cases were in blood supply area of middle cerebral artery, 12(41.4%) cases were of anterior cerebral artery, while only 1(3.5%) case was of basal ganglia, in which 4 cases were in blood supply area of posterior cerebral artery, another 4 cases were middle cerebral artery, 7 cases were of anterior cerebral artery and no case of basal ganglia respectively leading CCD alone. Conclusions: CTP could display the microcirculation situation of abnormal brain tissue perfusion area intuitively and quantitatively. Additionally, it could reflect the degree of relationship between cerebral several blood supply areas and cerebellum.

[Clinical investigation of temporary heart pacemaker for emergency treatment of patients with acute and severe cardiovascular diseases]

Objective: To investigate the clinical efficacy and safety of temporary heart pacemaker for emergency treatment of patients with acute and severe cardiovascular diseases. Methods: The clinical data of 147 patients with cardiac arrest or bradyarrhythmia from August 2007 to December 2015, was analyzed retrospectively in Department of internal and Emergency Medicine, People's Hospital of Henan. Based on the rescue methods, all patients were divided into two groups: observation group (80 cases, among whom, 49 cases with cardiac arrest and 31 cases with bradyarrhythmia) and control group (67 cases, among whom 39 cases with cardiac arrest and 28 cases with bradyarrhythmia). Patients in observation group received temporary heart pacemaker, and patients in control group received traditional cardio-pulmonary resuscitation and drug treatment. The rate of rescue and complications were analyzed and compared in two groups. Results: The total rescue rate in observation group was 96.3%, which was significantly higher than that in control group (44.8 %) (P<0.05). Further analysis showed that the rescue rate of patients with cardiac arrest in observation group was significantly higher than that in control group (95.1% vs 45.1%) (P<0.05), and the rescue rate of patients with bradyarrhythmia in observation group was significantly higher than that in control group (97.4% vs 44.4%) (P<0.05). Complications were observed in 4 patients: pericardial effusion (1 case ), ventricular fibrillation (1 cases) and catheter dislocation (2 cases). Conclusion: Temporary heart pacemaker was safe and effective in the treatment of patients with acute and severe cardiovascular diseases with improved rescue rate.

Population structure analysis and association mapping of blast resistance in indica rice (Oryza sativa L.) landraces

Rice blast caused by Magnaporthe oryzae is one of the most devastating rice diseases worldwide. To understand the genetic diversity of indica landrace accessions and identify simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers that are associated with blast resistance, a population of 276 indica landraces from across the world was constructed. This population was then used to evaluate the blast-resistance phenotype through artificial inoculation under controlled conditions in 2012 and 2013. The genetic diversity and association of the population with resistance were analyzed by examining the phenotype for 160 SSR markers distributed on 12 rice chromosomes. The 276 accessions were classified into seven groups using model- and distance-based cluster analyses. Associations between SSR markers and blast resistance showed that 26 SSR markers were significantly associated with blast resistance in 2012 and 2013 (P < 0.01) and that the phenotypic variation ranged from 2.68 to 13.11%. Nineteen of the markers associated with blast resistance were located in regions where genes or quantitative trait loci (QTLs) have been previously reported, and seven were newly identified in this study. These results indicate that marker-trait association has potential advantages over classical linkage analysis and QTL mapping, and that these markers could be used for marker-assisted selection in rice blast-resistance-breeding programs.

Identification of quantitative trait loci conferring blast resistance in Bodao, a japonica rice landrace

Bodao, a japonica landrace from the Taihu Lake region of China, is highly resistant to most Chinese isolates of Magnaporthe oryzea, a form of rice blast. To effectively dissect the influence of genetics on this blast resistance, a population of 155 recombinant inbred lines (F2:8) derived from a cross of Bodao x Suyunuo was inoculated with 12 blast isolates. Using a quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping approach, 13 QTL on chromosomes 1, 2, 9, 11, and 12 were detected from Bodao. Five QTL, including qtl11-1-1, qtl11-3-7, qtl11-4-9, qtl12-1-1, and qtl12-2-3, have not been previously reported. The qtl11-3-7 and qtl11-4-9 may be the two main effective QTL and resistant to 7 and 9 isolates, respectively. The results of the present study will be valuable for the fine mapping and cloning of these two new resistance genes.

EPHX1 Tyr113His and His139Arg polymorphisms in esophageal cancer risk: a meta-analysis

Microsomal epoxide hydrolase 1 (EPHX1) is an important biological phase II metabolic enzyme that is extensively involved in the metabolism of diverse environmental carcinogens such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and heterocyclic amines. Many articles have reported the association between EPHX1 (Tyr113His and His139Arg) polymorphisms and esophageal cancer risk, but the results are controversial. This study aimed to identify the association between EPHX1 (Tyr113His and His139Arg) polymorphisms and esophageal cancer risk by meta-analysis. The odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (95%CI) was used to evaluate the strength of the associations. Heterogeneity was estimated by the chi-square-based Q-statistic test and the P value. Meanwhile, the random-effect or fixed-effect model was used according to the between-study heterogeneity. Begg's funnel plot and the Egger test were performed to assess the publication bias of articles. Finally, 8 case-control studies involving 1158 cases and 1868 controls for the Tyr113His polymorphism and 7 case-control studies involving 901 cases and 1615 controls for the His139Arg polymorphism were included in this meta-analysis. Meta-analysis showed that the Tyr113His polymorphism was a stronger power trend towards risk for esophageal cancer using a recessive model (CC versus CT+TT, OR = 1.204, 95%CI = 1.001-1.450, P = 0.049). However, no significant associated risk was found between the His139Arg polymorphism and esophageal cancer. These findings suggest that the Tyr113His polymorphism might be a stronger power trend towards risk for esophageal cancer. However, no evidence was found for the association between the EPHX1 His139Arg polymorphism and esophageal cancer risk.

Towards stable silicon nanoarray hybrid solar cells

Silicon nanoarray hybrid solar cells benefit from the ease of fabrication and the cost-effectiveness of the hybrid structure, and represent a new research focus towards the utilization of solar energy. However, hybrid solar cells composed of both inorganic and organic components suffer from the notorious stability issue, which has to be tackled before the hybrid solar cells could become a viable alternative for harvesting solar energy. Here we show that Si nanoarray/PEDOT:PSS hybrid solar cells with improved stability can be fabricated via eliminating the water inclusion in the initial formation of the heterojunction between Si nanoarray and PEDOT:PSS. The Si nanoarray hybrid solar cells are stable against rapid degradation in the atmosphere environment for several months without encapsulation. This finding paves the way towards the real-world applications of Si nanoarray hybrid solar cells.

c-IAP1 is cleaved by caspases to produce a proapoptotic C-terminal fragment

Although human c-IAP1 and c-IAP2 have been reported to possess antiapoptotic activity against a variety of stimuli in several mammalian cell types, we observed that full-length c-IAP1 and c-IAP2 failed to protect cells from apoptosis induced by Bax overexpression, tumor necrosis factor alpha treatment or Sindbis virus infection. However, deletion of the C-terminal RING domains of c-IAP1 and c-IAP2 restored antiapoptotic activity, indicating that this region negatively regulates the antiapoptotic function of the N-terminal BIR domain. This finding is consistent with the observation by others that the spacer region and RING domain of c-IAP1 functions as an E3 ligase, promoting autoubiquitination and degradation of c-IAP1. In addition, we found that c-IAP1 is cleaved during apoptosis to 52- and 35-kDa fragments. Both fragments contain the C-terminal end of c-IAP1 including the RING finger. In vitro cleavage of c-IAP1 with apoptotic cell extracts or with purified recombinant caspase-3 produced similar fragments. Furthermore, transfection of cells with the spacer-RING domain alone suppressed the antiapoptotic function of the N-terminal BIR domain of c-IAP1 and induced apoptosis. Optimal death-inducing activity of the spacer-RING required both the spacer region and the zinc-binding RING domain of c-IAP1 but did not require the caspase recruitment domain located within the spacer region. To the contrary, deletion of the caspase recruitment domain increased proapoptotic activity, apparently by stabilizing the C-terminal fragment.

Cloning, expression and chromosome locations of the human DNMT3 gene family

DNA methylation plays an important role in animal development and gene regulation. In mammals, several genes encoding DNA cytosine methyltransferases have been identified. DNMT1 is constitutively expressed and is required for the maintenance of global methylation after DNA replication. In contrast, the murine Dnmt3 family genes appear to be developmentally regulated and behave like de novo DNA methyltransferases in vitro. In this study, we have cloned human DNMT3A and DNMT3B that encode full-length DNMT3A and DNMT3B proteins with 98% and 94% amino acid sequence identity to their murine homologues. The DNMT3A and DNMT3B show high homology in the carboxy terminal catalytic domain and contain a conserved cysteine-rich region, which shares homology with the X-linked ATRX gene of the SNF2/SWI family. We have mapped human DNMT3A and DNMT3B to chromosomes 2p23 and 20q11.2 respectively, and determined the DNMT3B genomic structure. We further show that DNMT3A expression is ubiquitous and can be readily detected in most adult tissues, whereas DNMT3B is expressed at very low levels in most tissues except testis, thyroid and bone marrow. Significantly, both DNMT3A and DNMT3B expression is elevated in several tumor cell lines to levels comparable to DNMT1. The cloning of the human DNMT3 genes will facilitate further biochemical and genetic studies of their functions in establishment of DNA methylation patterns, regulation of gene expression and tumorigenesis.

Reed-Sternberg cell genome expression supports a B-cell lineage

The malignant Reed-Sternberg cell of Hodgkin's disease, first described a century ago, has resisted in-depth analysis due to its extreme rarity in lymphomatous tissue. To directly study its genome-wide gene expression, approximately 11,000,000 bases (27,518 cDNA sequences) of expressed gene sequence was determined from living single Reed-Sternberg cells, Hodgkin's tissue, and cell lines. This approach increased the number of genes known to be expressed in Hodgkin's disease by 20-fold to 2,666 named genes. The data here indicate that Reed-Sternberg cells from both nodular sclerosing and lymphocyte predominant Hodgkin's disease were derived from an unusual B-cell lineage based on a comparison of their gene expression to approximately 40,000,000 bases (10(5) sequences) of expressed gene sequence from germinal center B cells (GCB) and dendritic cells. The data set of expressed genes, reported here and on the World Wide Web, forms a basis to understand the genes responsible for Hodgkin's disease and develop novel diagnostic markers and therapies. This study of the rare Reed-Sternberg cell, concealed in its heterogenous cellular context, also provides a formidable test case to advance the limit of analysis of differential gene expression to the single disease cell.

A novel human prostate-specific, androgen-regulated homeobox gene (NKX3.1) that maps to 8p21, a region frequently deleted in prostate cancer

We have isolated a prostate-specific gene (NKX3.1) in humans that is homologous to the Drosophila NK homeobox gene family. Northern blot analyses indicate that this gene is expressed at high levels in adult prostate and at a much lower level in testis, but is expressed little or not at all in several other tissues. In an androgen-dependent prostate carcinoma line, LNCaP, NKX3.1 mRNA is expressed at a basal level that was increased markedly upon androgen stimulation; the NKX3.1 mRNA was undetectable in several other human tumor cell lines including two androgen-independent prostate carcinoma lines. The NKX3.1 gene maps to chromosome band 8p21, a region frequently reported to undergo a loss of heterozygosity associated with tissue dedifferentiation and loss of androgen responsiveness during the progression of prostate cancer. Based on these data we propose that NKX3.1 is a candidate gene for playing a role in the opposing processes of androgen-driven differentiation of prostatic tissue and loss of that differentiation during the progression of prostate cancer.

Prostate-specific and androgen-dependent expression of a novel homeobox gene

A new member of the mouse NK family of homeobox genes that is related to Drosophila NK-3 has been identified. Expression of this gene, termed Nkx-3.1, is largely restricted to the prostate gland in adult animals. The level of Nkx-3.1 mRNA decreases markedly in response to castration, suggesting that its expression is androgen-dependent. In situ hybridization analyses demonstrated that expression of Nkx-3.1 in the prostate is confined to epithelial cells. In newborns, Nkx-3.1 mRNA is detected in the urethral epithelium that is being induced by the surrounding mesenchyme to invaginate to form prostatic buds. Together, these observations suggest that the Nkx-3.1 protein, which likely functions as a transcription factor, plays a prominent role both in the initiation of prostate development and in the maintenance of the differentiated state of prostatic epithelial cells.

ICE-LAP6, a novel member of the ICE/Ced-3 gene family, is activated by the cytotoxic T cell protease granzyme B

Members of the ICE/Ced-3 gene family are likely effector components of the cell death machinery. Here, we characterize a novel member of this family designated ICE-LAP6. By phylogenetic analysis, ICE-LAP6 is classified into the Ced-3 subfamily which includes Ced-3, Yama/CPP32/apopain, Mch2, and ICE-LAP3/Mch3/CMH-1. Interestingly, ICE-LAP6 contains an active site QACGG pentapeptide, rather than the QACRG pentapeptide shared by other family members. Overexpression of ICE-LAP6 induces apoptosis in MCF7 breast carcinoma cells. More importantly, ICE-LAP6 is proteolytically processed into an active cysteine protease by granzyme B, an important component of cytotoxic T cell-mediated apoptosis. Once activated, ICE-LAP6 is able to cleave the death substrate poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase into signature apoptotic fragments.

cul-1 is required for cell cycle exit in C. elegans and identifies a novel gene family

The gene cul-1 (formerly lin-19) is a negative regulator of the cell cycle in C. elegans. Null mutations cause hyperplasia of all tissues. cul-1 is required for developmentally programmed transitions from the G1 phase of the cell cycle to the GO phase or the apoptotic pathway. Moreover, the mutant phenotype suggests that G1-to-S phase progression is accelerated, overriding mechanisms for mitotic arrest and producing abnormally small cells. Significantly, diverse aspects of cell fate and differentiation are unaffected in cul-1 mutants. cul-1 represents a conserved family of genes, designated cullins, with at least five members in nematodes, six in humans, and three in budding yeast.

ICE-LAP3, a novel mammalian homologue of the Caenorhabditis elegans cell death protein Ced-3 is activated during Fas- and tumor necrosis factor-induced apoptosis

Members of the ICE/ced-3 gene family have been implicated as components of the cell death pathway. Based on similarities with the structural prototype interleukin-1 beta-converting enzyme (ICE), family members are synthesized as proenzymes that are proteolytically processed to form active heterodimeric enzymes. In this report, we describe a novel member of this growing gene family, ICE-LAP3, which is closely related to the death effector Yama/CPP32/Apopain. Pro-ICE-LAP3 is a 35-kDa protein localized to the cytoplasm and expressed in a variety of tissues and cell lines. Overexpression of a truncated version of ICE-LAP3 (missing the pro-domain) induces apoptosis in MCF7 breast carcinoma cells. Importantly, upon receipt of a death stimulus, endogenous ICE-LAP3 is processed to its subunit forms, suggesting a physiological role in cell death. This is the first report to demonstrate processing of a native ICE/ced-3 family member during execution of the death program and the first description of the subcellular localization of an ICE/ced-3 family member.

Developmental expression of a candidate müllerian inhibiting substance type II receptor

We have isolated a candidate Müllerian inhibiting substance (MIS) type II receptor complementary DNA from an embryonic rat urogenital ridge library and have studied its binding to MIS, its developmental pattern of expression and tissue distribution. By in situ hybridization with a full-length riboprobe, the receptor is expressed in the mesenchymal cells surrounding the Müllerian duct at embryonic days 14, 15, and 16 and in tubular and follicular structures of the rat fetal gonads. Expression of the messenger RNA was also seen in the granules cells and seminiferous tubules of pubertal gonads. Northern analysis revealed that the MIS type II receptor messenger RNA is highly expressed in embryonic, pubertal, and adult testes and ovaries, as well as in the gravid uterus. The timing of expression in the gonads of both sexes was also analyzed by Northern analyses that showed high levels of expression at the time of Müllerian duct regression, much lower levels neonatally and prepubertally and then increased expression again with sexual maturation. The tissue and developmental specificity of expression of this receptor, which make it likely that this is the functional MIS type II receptor, can be used to advantage in therapeutic targeting strategies and to decipher the function of MIS in the gonads.

Müllerian inhibiting substance gene expression in the cycling rat ovary correlates with recruited or graafian follicle selection

Throughout the estrous cycle, Müllerian inhibiting substance (MIS) mRNA signals, as detected by in situ hybridization, were found to be intense in granulosa cells of growing preantral and small antral follicles, especially in the layer closest to the oocyte. Neither primordial follicles, typical atretic follicles, nor CL expressed detectable signals. MIS mRNA signals seen in the cumulus cells of preovulatory follicles at 1000 and 1600 h of proestrus sharply declined at 2400 h, just before ovulation. MIS mRNA signals were intense and uniform in all newly recruited growing antral and Graafian follicles (> 350 microns) at 1000 h of estrus but became heterogeneous in their expression of MIS on metestrus and diestrus and notably absent in atretic follicles; these findings suggest that MIS expression is correlated with recruited follicle selection and suppression with selection for atresia. The fact that all the MIS-positive growing follicles contain oocytes arrested in meiosis, coupled with previous experimental evidence that MIS inhibits germinal vesicle breakdown, suggests that MIS also might act as a regulator of oocyte maturation.

A transforming growth factor beta type I receptor that signals to activate gene expression

Transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) is a multifunctional factor that regulates many aspects of cellular functions. TGF-beta signals through a heteromeric complex of the type I and type II TGF-beta receptors. However, the molecular mechanism of signal transduction by this receptor complex remains unresolved. The type II receptor belongs to a transmembrane receptor serine-threonine kinase family. A new member of this receptor family (R4) was identified and shown to be a functional TGF-beta type I receptor on the basis of its ability to restore a TGF-beta-induced gene response in mutant cell lines lacking endogenous type I receptor. Both ligand binding and signaling of the R4 protein were dependent on the presence of a functional type II receptor. The type I receptor has an intrinsic serine-threonine kinase activity, which was essential for signal transduction.

Classification of pulse waveform of cerebral spinal fluid during intracranial pressure monitoring

Cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) pulse waveform basing on 899 records was classified. Eleven types of CSF pulse waveform were further classified according to the harmonic wave relation and the configuration of the pulse waveform. The characteristic features of various types of CSF pulse waveform were considered to reflect certain intracranial pathophysiological conditions including cerebral compliance, cerebral vasomotor reactivity and intracranial elastance.

Developmental expression of four novel serine/threonine kinase receptors homologous to the activin/transforming growth factor-beta type II receptor family

Serine/threonine kinase transmembrane proteins are a new family of growth factor signal transducers that includes several isoforms of the activin type II receptor and the type II receptor for transforming growth factor-beta. In an effort to clone the receptor for Mullerian inhibiting substance, a member of the transforming growth factor-beta superfamily, oligonucleotide primers designed from conserved regions of these receptors' kinase domains were used for PCR amplification of fetal rat urogenital ridge cDNA. We isolated four novel receptors in this manner (designated R1-R4), each of which has structural features of the previously cloned kinases, including a small extracellular ligand-binding domain, a single hydrophobic transmembrane domain, and an intracellular serine/threonine kinase domain. In addition, each has characteristic kinase subdomains and conserved serine/threonine kinase sequences found in this family. Northern analysis revealed mRNA expression of R1-R4 in several tissues, including fetal urogenital ridge, testis, and ovary, as well as brain and lung. In situ hybridization further localized R1 to mesenchyme of the 14.5 to 15-day fetal rat Mullerian duct and to oocytes of preantral and antral follicles, sites that are consistent with the predicted localization of Mullerian inhibiting substance receptor. In addition, R2 localized specifically to seminiferous tubules of the postnatal testis. These newest members of the activin and transforming growth factor-beta type II receptor family should help define the molecular mechanisms by which this ligand superfamily affects cell growth and differentiation via membrane phosphorylation.

Mullerian inhibiting substance messenger ribonucleic acid expression in granulosa and Sertoli cells coincides with their mitotic activity

In males, Mullerian inhibiting substance (MIS) mRNA was first detected on the medial aspect of the urogenital ridge early on the morning of day 13 of gestation before testicular differentiation was evident, and localized to the more obvious Sertoli cells later on embryonic day 13. MIS transcripts remained at maximal levels between 14.5 and 17.5 days gestation, while the Mullerian duct involutes, and remained high until birth. MIS gene expression decreased progressively after birth and, as germ cell meiosis increased, became barely detectable in the Sertoli cells of the seminiferous tubules. In female rats, MIS mRNA was first detected in the single layer of cuboidal granulosa cells surrounding larger primary follicles 3 days after birth, coincident with the initiation of follicular growth. As follicular growth progressed, MIS mRNA expression was high in preantral and small antral follicles, especially in those granulosa cells closest to the oocyte. MIS mRNA expression decreased gradually in larger antral follicles, remaining prominent only in the cumulus cells and the dividing population of granulosa cells closest to the lumen. MIS gene expression was absent in follicles with features of atresia and in the larger antral follicles. The expression of MIS mRNA in actively dividing Sertoli and granulosa cells correlates with the stages of germ cell division. These findings are suggestive of a role for MIS in the control of germ cell maturation.

A frame-shift mutation in the androgen receptor gene causes complete androgen insensitivity in the testicular-feminized mouse

The testicular feminized (Tfm) mouse lacks completely androgen responsiveness; and therefore, is unique for studying the role of androgenic steroids in different biological processes. In order to understand the molecular basis of this mutation, 2.8 kilobases of cDNA encoding the Tfm mouse androgen receptor (AR) were amplified with a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique. No large deletion in the coding region of the Tfm mouse AR was detected. However, sequence analysis revealed a single base deletion in the coding region of the Tfm AR mRNA. This mutation, which is located in the amino-terminus domain of the receptor, is predicted to cause a frame-shift in translation resulting in a premature termination of AR synthesis at amino acid 412. In vitro translation studies of the recombinant wild type and Tfm AR's demonstrated that the Tfm AR cDNA failed to produce a full-length receptor. Furthermore, the Tfm AR was demonstrated to lack transcriptional activation capability by cotransfection experiments using the Tfm AR with a reporter plasmid of mouse mammary tumor virus long terminal repeat linked to the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene. These studies provide evidence of the molecular defect which causes androgen insensitivity in the Tfm mouse.

In situ hybridization of prostate-specific antigen mRNA in human prostate

Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) mRNA was detected by in situ hybridization utilizing a 428 base pair [35S]-labelled cDNA probe from the 3' noncoding region of the PSA gene. Thirty six fresh surgical specimens were collected from patients undergoing radical retropubic prostatectomy for carcinoma of the prostate. Quantitative analysis of the levels of PSA mRNA in both the benign and malignant tissues was performed using an IBAS 2000 Image Analysis System. The results of this study demonstrated that there is a significant decrease in the expression of PSA mRNA in the carcinoma tissue when compared to the benign epithelium. The average binding (number of silver grains/1 x 10(4) microns. 2) for 20 specimens of malignant epithelium was 475 +/- 161 and 586 +/- 140 for 16 specimens of benign epithelium (p less than 0.05). Eleven patients had both benign and malignant tissue from the same surgical specimen available for study. From these paired specimens, the PSA mRNA expression was also significantly reduced in the malignant epithelium when compared to the benign epithelium, 445 +/- 162 and 588 +/- 135 respectively (p less than 0.005). The PSA protein was detected using a monoclonal antibody to PSA with an immunohistochemical staining technique. The PSA protein expression paralleled the expression of the PSA mRNA in the majority of the tissue sections. Many of the tumor specimens showed a heterogeneous expression of PSA, whereas all of the benign epithelium had a uniform high level of PSA expression. In conclusion, PSA mRNA and protein are located only within the glandular epithelial tissue, the expression of PSA protein parallels that of the PSA mRNA, and both the PSA protein and PSA mRNA are significantly decreased in the malignant epithelium when compared to benign prostatic epithelium.

Molecular cloning of androgen receptors from divergent species with a polymerase chain reaction technique: complete cDNA sequence of the mouse androgen receptor and isolation of androgen receptor cDNA probes from dog, guinea pig and clawed frog

We have cloned and sequenced 2.8 kilobases of cDNA encoding the mouse androgen receptor by RNA amplification with transcript sequencing. Sequence analysis predicts that this cDNA contains an open reading frame of 2697 nucleotides encoding a polypeptide of 899 amino acids. Androgen receptor cDNA probes of dog, guinea pig, and frog were also isolated and sequenced using consensus primers derived from human and rat androgen receptor cDNAs. Northern blot analysis with the species-specific probes revealed similarities in size between amphibian and mammalian mRNAs. These results demonstrate the utility of this technique in obtaining nucleic acid probes and sequence information of steroid receptors from different species. The sequence data and the Northern blot analysis of the receptors in different species demonstrate that the androgen receptor has been well-conserved during evolution.