Active kisspeptin DNA vaccines oral immunization disrupt mRNA hormone receptors expression in ram lambs

To evaluate the efficacy of oral immunization with active kisspeptin DNA vaccine on the expression of hormone receptor mRNA. For this study, ten 56-day-old Hu breed ram lambs were randomly assigned to the treatment and control groups (n = 5). Treatment Experimental group received C500/pKS-asd and the control group received C500/pVAX-asd (aspartate-β semialdehyde dehydrogenase orally on days 0, 28, and 56, and blood samples were taken at each immunization interval (14-day) and tissues samples were collected at the end of the experimental period (day 98). The collected samples were stored in the refrigerator at -20 °C and liquid nitrogen, respectively, for laboratory examination. Total RNA was extracted from samples using TRIzol reagent and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (QPCR) was used to quantify the levels of KISS1, G protein-coupled receptor-54 (Kiss1r), and gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) mRNA in the hypothalamus. Levels of luteinizing hormone receptor (LHR) and luteinizing hormone beta (LHβ) mRNA, and follicle-stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR) and follicle-stimulating hormone beta (FSHβ) mRNA in the testes and pituitary were analyzed, respectively. Further, gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptor (GnRHR) mRNA expression level in the pituitary was measured. Moreover, the Kiss1r concentration level in the blood was measured using an indirect ELISA. The concentration of Kiss1r in the blood was lower in the treatment group than in the control group (p < 0.05). The levels of testicular FSHR and LHR mRNA were significantly lower in the treatment group (p < 0.05) when compared to the control group. Furthermore, the treatment group's levels of hypothalamic KISS1, Kiss1r, and GnRH mRNA were significantly lower (p < 0.05) than the controls. LH, FSH, and GnRHR mRNA expression in the pituitary were also significantly lower in the treatment group (p < 0.01 and p < 0.05, respectively). These findings imply that oral immunization with active kisspeptin DNA vaccine suppresses hormone receptor mRNA expression in the ram lambs.

A novel nonsynonymous SNP in the OLR1 gene associated with litter size in Guizhou white goats

Oxidized low-density lipoprotein receptor-1 (OLR1) encodes a low-density lipoprotein receptor belonging to the C-type lectin superfamily, which is closely related to reproduction. OLR1 is associated with fecundity in Awassi sheep. However, its effect on litter size has not been investigated in goats. In this study, OLR1 sequences and their mRNA expression levels in the gonadal axis of Guizhou white goats were evaluated to investigate the relationship between gene polymorphisms and litter size. In addition, the potential effects of a nonsynonymous substitution were evaluated using a bioinformatics approach. The expression levels of OLR1 were highest in the uterus of mothers with multiple kids and highest in the ovaries of mothers with single kids. OLR1 mRNA expression levels in the ovaries of mothers with single kids were two times higher than in the ovaries of mothers with multiple kids. The sequencing results revealed five SNPs in OLR1; however, only g.294 T > A, g.2260 T > C, and g.2268 C > T were significantly associated with litter size (P < 0.05). Linkage disequilibrium was detected between g.2260 T > C and g.2268 C > T (r² = 0.322, D' = 0.6). Additionally, goats with the Hap 1/1 diplotype had a greater litter size than others (P < 0.05). g.2260 T > C was a nonsynonymous mutation that resulted in the replacement of valine with alanine at the amino acid residue 54 of the OLR1 protein. Bioinformatic analyses revealed that the p.V54A locus was relatively conserved in cloven-hoofed species. Mutations at this locus could change the local conformation and reduce the stability of OLR1, affecting its half-life and the litter size of the nanny goat. These findings confirm that OLR1 affects goat kidding traits and provide a novel insight into the regulatory mechanism underlying the effect of OLR1 on litter size.

Two cSNPs sites in the fatty acid-binding protein 4 (FABP4) gene and their association analysis with body measurement data in five Chinese cattle breeds

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) include the transition and transversion of a single base. In this study, we found two cSNPs (rs110757796 and rs110652478) in the FABP4 (fatty acid-binding protein 4) gene and tested their population genetic parameters in five Chinese cattle breeds. FABP4 is a key marker molecule for lipid production. It plays a crucial role in the growth and development of animals. Thus, we also analyze the association between the two cSNPs of FABP4 gene and body measurement data of Chinese cattle. Our results were indicated that rs110757796 was significantly associated with the chest width in Chinese cattle groups (p < 0.05). In addition, we tested the spatiotemporal expression profile of the bovine FABP4 gene and effect of genetic variation on its expression. It was found that bovine FABP4 gene has tissue-differential expression. Then, the genetic variation located on the exon has a certain effect on the expression of FABP4 gene in bovine muscle. Overall, our results provide that FABP4 could as a candidate gene to improve the progress of cattle molecular breeding.

The effect of anti-tuberculosis drugs therapy on mRNA efflux pump gene expression of Rv1250 in Mycobacterium tuberculosis collected from tuberculosis patients

Efflux pumps are transmembrane proteins that vigorously participate in extruding a wide range of substrates, including drugs, outside the bacterial cell. We aimed to investigate the mRNA expression level of the Rv1250 efflux pump gene in Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolated from individuals with tuberculosis who received drug therapy, at the 1st, 3rd and 5th months, and newly diagnosed patients with tuberculosis who will receive drug therapy (0 month). The study was a multiple cross-sectional longitudinal design—50 different M. tuberculosis isolates and a reference strain H37Rv were subcultured in LJ medium and confirmed by multiplex PCR for identification of M. tuberculosis and collected for RNA extraction. Total bacterial mRNA was analysed using real-time quantitative PCR to evaluate mRNA quantification gene expression. There were differences in the level of Rv1250 mRNA expression between sensitive (n = 11) and resistant (n = 40) groups of 5.961 ± 0.414 and 10.192 ± 1.978, respectively (fold changes; p < 0.05). There were significant differences of expression level among M. tuberculosis-resistant groups (p < 0.05) specifically 7.573 ± 0.424 for 0-month drug therapy (n = 10), 9.438 ± 0.644 for 1st month drug therapy (n = 10), 11.057 ± 0.262 for 3rd month drug therapy (n = 10) and 12.701 ± 0.460 for 5th month drug therapy (n = 10). We assume that the extent of Rv1250 gene expression in M. tuberculosis clinical isolates is a result of the exposure to antimicrobials during treatment, which affect the basic expression of the efflux pump Rv1250 gene.

MDR1 not CYP3A4 gene expression is the predominant mechanism of innate drug resistance in pediatric soft tissue sarcoma patients

BACKGROUND

Intratumoral up-regulation of genes coding for drug transporters and metabolizing enzymes, such as MDR1 and CYP3A4, after chemotherapy are linked to cancer drug resistance. However their expression in primary soft tissue sarcomas (STS) prior to drug treatment and their role in innate resistance remain unclear.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was characterize MDR1 and CYP3A4 expression pattern before to chemotherapy and its clinical implication in pediatric STS.

METHODS

In this prospective study we analyzed MDR1 and CYP3A4 mRNA expression in both normal and tumor tissues from 28 newly diagnosed STS pediatric and then compared with patients' clinical-pathological data, including chemotherapy response.

RESULTS

Our data showed that the expression of the MDR1 gene was significantly higher in malignant tissue than in the normal tissues of patients with STS. In addition, high MDR1 expression was significantly associated with local advances, as well as poor response to treatment. In contrast, CYP3A4 expression level was negligible in both tumoral and non-tumoral tissues.

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggest that a significant mRNA level of MDR1 gene was intrinsically present in STS before exposure to chemotherapeutic drugs, suggesting that MDR1 may be important contributors of innate chemoresistance of this tumor type.

Application of inhibitors of differentiation 2 and 3 for evaluation of chemotherapy efficacy in liver cancer

AIM: To explore the influence of surgery alone and in combination with postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy on tumor markers, inhibitor of differentiation 2 (ID2), ID3 and survival time in patients with liver cancer, analyze the influence of ID2 and ID3 on the invasion and metastasis of liver cancer, and explore the feasibility of detection of ID2 and ID3 expression in evaluating efficacy of postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy.

METHODS: This was a 1:1 matched case-control study. ELISA was used to detect the levels of tumor markers, ID2 and ID3 in the serum of patients. Western blot was used to detect the protein expression levels of ID2 and ID3 in tumor tissues and adjacent tissues. Transwell assay was used to detect the invasion and metastasis of liver cancer cells. The correlation between the content of AFP and the expression levels of ID2 and ID3 was statistically analyzed.

RESULTS: The tumor markers CEA, CA50, AFP, and CA242 as well as ID2 and ID3 in the serum decreased significantly and the survival time was longer in patients receiving surgery with postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy when compared with patients receiving surgery alone (P < 0.05). The protein expression levels of ID2 and ID3 were decreased in the adjacent normal tissues compared with the liver cancer tissues (P < 0.05). Transwell analysis indicated that ID2 and ID3 knockdown inhibited the invasion and metastasis ability of HepG2 cells while overexpression of ID2 and ID3 promoted the invasion and metastasis of HepG2 cells (P < 0.05). There was a positive correlation between the content of AFP and the expression levels of ID2 and ID3 (r_ID2 = 0.881, r_ID3 = 0.928, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION: ID2 and ID3 have similar effects to liver tumor markers, and the increased expression of ID2 and ID3 indicates greater invasion and metastasis ability of HepG2 cells and shorter survival time in patients with liver cancer. ID2 and ID3 expression might be used for clinical evaluation of efficacy of postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy.

Pretransplant donor and recipient CTLA-4 mRNA and protein levels as a prognostic marker for aGvHD in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

BACKGROUND

Cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen-4 (CTLA-4) is an inhibitory T cells' receptor essential for maintaining T cell homeostasis and immunotolerance. The role of the co-stimulatory pathway in development of aGvHD has been studied mostly in animal models. To the best of our knowledge, there are no published data on the role of CTLA-4 in pathogenesis of aGvHD after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) in humans. Therefore the aim of our study was to determine the association of CTLA-4 mRNA and proteins level in HSCT donor-recipient pairs, prior to and after HSCT, with aGvHD risk.

METHODS

Total CTLA-4 mRNA level in 51 donor-recipient pairs prior to and 56 days after HSCT was determined using real time PCR techniques, while membrane (m) and cytoplasmic (c) CTLA-4 expression in CD3+ cells were measured by flow cytometry in 40 donor-recipient pairs at the same time points.

RESULTS

We found an association between the risk of aGvHD and high pre-transplant CTLA-4 mRNA expression level both in recipients and in donors, stronger in recipients (OR=2.02, CI95% 1.39-3.01), and less pronounced in donors (OR=1.57, CI95% 1.18-2.0). Moreover, we showed that proportion of CD3+ cells positive for mCTLA-4 in recipients prior to HSCT positively correlated with increased risk of aGvHD (OR=1.175, CI95% 1.024-1.311, p=0.018).

CONCLUSION

Our results indicate that both donor and recipient CTLA-4 mRNA as well as recipient membrane protein expression levels measured before transplantation may be considered as prognostic factors for aGvHD development.

Expression level of beta-catenin is associated with prognosis of esophageal carcinoma

AIM: To examine the association of beta-catenin with the clinicopathologic features and prognosis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC).

METHODS: Beta-catenin mRNA expression level in 40 ESCC patients (28 males and 12 females, age range 38-82 years, median 60 years) was analyzed by real-time PCR. Beta-catenin mRNA expression levels in tumor cells were categorized as weaker (level 1) or equal to or stronger (level 2) than those in endothelial cells. We examined the correlation between the beta-catenin expression and the clinicopathological factors and prognosis of ESCC patients.

RESULTS: Level 2 beta-catenin expression was found in 29 patients. ESCC with level 2 expression had a higher rate of lymphnode metastasis (0.0776 ± 0.0369 vs 0.3413 ± 0.1803, P < 0.001) and deeper tumor invasion (0.0751 ± 0.0356 vs 0.3667 ± 0.1928, P < 0.001), and a poorer survival rate (P = 0.0024) than ESCC with level 1 expression.

CONCLUSION: Beta-catenin expression in ESCC is of great importance.