Assisting Role of Pulmonary Hypostasis Phenomenon in Diagnosis of Drowning / 法医学杂志

OBJECTIVES@#To study the phenomenon of pulmonary hypostasis in corpses of various causes of death, and to explore the potential value of this phenomenon in assisting forensic pathological diagnosis of drowning.@*METHODS@#A total of 235 cases with clear cause of death through systematic autopsy were collected from January 2011 to June 2021 in Guangzhou. According to the location of body discovery, the cases were divided into the water body group (97 cases) and the non-water body group (138 cases), and the water body group was further divided into the water drowning group (90 cases) and the water non-drowning group (7 cases). Non-water body group was further divided into the non-water drowning group (1 case) and the non-water non-drowning group (137 cases). Three senior forensic pathologists independently reviewed autopsy photos to determine whether there was hypostasis in the lungs. The detection rate of pulmonary hypostasis was calculated.@*RESULTS@#The detection rate of pulmonary hypostasis in the water drowning group (90 cases) was 0, and the negative rate was 100%. The detection rate of pulmonary hypostasis in the water non-drowning group (7 cases) was 100% and the negative rate was 0. The detection rate of pulmonary hypostasis in the water body group and in the non-water body group (after excluding 2 cases, 136 cases were calculated) was 7.22% and 87.50%, respectively. There were statistically significant differences in the detection rate of pulmonary hypostasis between water body group and non-water body group, and between water drowning group and water non-drowning group (P<0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#The disappearance of pulmonary hypostasis can be used as a specific cadaveric sign to assist in the forensic pathological diagnosis of drowning.

Protective effect of adeno-associated viral vector-mediated expression of human brain-derived neurotrophic factor in rat neurons against beta-amyloid-induced Alzheimer's disease in vitro / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To achieve expression of human brain-derived neurotrophic factor (hBDNF) mediated by recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) and explore the mechanism of its neuroprotective effects in rat neurons against beta-amyloid-induced Alzheimer's disease.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Using molecular cloning technique, rAAV vector containing hBDNF gene (AAV-hBDNF) was constructed to transfect SD rat hippocampal neurons exposed to beta-amyloid treatment. The changes in cell apoptosis were observed by MTT assay and flow cytometry, and the expression of hBDNF and Bcl-2 protein were determined by immunocytochemical staining. Laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM) was used to observe the changes of [Ca(2+)](i).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The cultured rat hippocampal neurons were effectively transfected with AAV-hBDNF and expression of BDNF protein was obviously increased. hBNDF expression showed significant protective effects against beta-amyloid-induced neuronal damage, and the expression of Bcl-2 protein was increased significantly and the balance of [Ca(2+)](i) was maintained in BDNF-treated cells with beta-amyloid exposure.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>hBDNF expression can effectively protect cultured rat hippocampal cells from beta-amyloid-induced apoptosis through inhibiting the intracellular calcium overload and increasing the expression of Bcl-2 protein.</p>

Production in Pichia pastoris and characterization of genetic engineered chimeric HBV/HEV virus-like particles / 中国医学科学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the presentation of a neutralization epitope-containing peptide antigen of hepatitis E virus (HEV) on chimeric virus-like particles (VLPs) of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The gene fragment corresponding to amino acids (aa) 551-607 (HEnAg) of HEV capsid protein, which contains the only neutralization epitope identified to date, was fused via a synthetic glycine linker in frame with the gene of HBsAg. The resulted fusion gene was then integrated through transformation into the genome of Pichia pastoris under the control of a methanol-induced alcohol oxidase 1 (AOX1) promoter and expressed intracellularly. The expression products in the soluble cell extracts were characterized by Western blot, ELISA, CsCl density gradient analysis, and electron microscopic visualization.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The novel fusion protein incorporating HBsAg and the neutralization epitope-containing HEnAg was expressed successfully in Pichia pastoris with an expected molecular weight of approximately 32 kD. It was found to possess the ability to assemble into chimeric HBV/HEV VLPs with immunological physical and morphological characteristics akin to HBsAg particles. Not only did the chimeric VLPs show high activity levels in a HBsAg particle-specific ELISA but they were also strongly immunoreactive with hepatitis E (HE) positive human serum in a HEV specific ELISA, indicating that HEnAg peptide fragments were exposed on VLP surfaces and would be expected to be readily accessible by cells and molecules of the immune system. Similarity between chimeric VLPs to highly immunogenic HBsAg particles may confer good immunogenicity on surface-displayed HEnAg.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The chimeric HBV/HEV VLPs produced in this study may have potential to be a recombinant HBV/HEV bivalent vaccine candidate.</p>

Construction of a recombinant human adenovirus expressing the ORF2 antigen of HEV and immunization of mice by mucosal system / 中国医学科学院学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To construct a replication-defective recombinant adenovirus expressing the ORF2 (112-660aa) antigen of hepatitis E virus (HEV) and evaluate its immunization effect in BALB/c mice by mucosal inoculation.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The HEV ORF2 gene encoding for 112-660aa was amplified from plasmid pUC-HEV and inserted into the transfer vector pTrack-CMV. The recombinant plasmid and adenoviral backbone plasmid pAdEasy-1 were co-transformed into E. coli strain BJ5183. Taking the advantage of the high efficient homologous recombination machinery presented in bacteria, the recombinant adenovirus backbone plasmid was generated in BJ5183, and then was transfected into 293 cells. Recombinant Adenoviruses were propagated in 293 cells with high titers. 8-week-old BALB/c mice were inoculated intraperitoneally and intranasally with 10(7) pfu recombinant adenovirus each on weeks 0, 3, 5, 7, 10.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Both groups of mice induced humoral IgG immune response with the highest titers 1:1,000 and 1:10,000 each. Only the group inoculated intranasally could induce mucosal IgA immune response.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The adenoviral recombinant can stimulate specific humoral and mucosal immune response in mice and is potentially to be used as a candidate vaccine for the treatment of HEV infection.</p>

Refolding and purification of the huGM-CSF(9-127)-IL-6(29-184) fusion protein / 生物工程学报

The huGM-CSF(9-127)-IL-6(29-184) fusion protein was precipitated on column when being purified by Q Sepharose H.P. ion exchange chromatography after renaturation by dilution. To solve this problem, a novel purification and refolding strategy was adopted. Inclusion bodies was first purified by Q Sepharose H.P. ion exchange in 8 mol/L urea, followed by in situ refolding on column by Sephacryl S-200. Renatured fusion protein was obtained in a purity of more than 95%. It was showed that the method of refolding on gel filtration column is efficient, with relative refolding rate at 80%. By the whole procedure, refolding and purification of recombinant protein can be performed within one day. This strategy is also promising to be applied in large scale purification and refolding of recombinant protein from inclusion bodies in E. coli.

Vaccination of rhesus monkeys with recombinant antigen fragments and protection from hepatitis E virus infection / 中国医学科学院学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe anti-HEV IgG response to vaccination of recombinant antigen fragments and evaluate its protection from Hepatitis E Virus infection in rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Twelve monkeys were divided into three groups and immunized respectively with three different recombinant antigens: namely Ag1 (carboxyl terminal 431 amino acids of ORF2), Ag2 (128aa fragment at the carboxyl terminal of ORF2), and Ag3 (full length ORF3 ligated with two ORF2 fragments encoded by 6743-7126nt and 6287-6404nt). The monkeys were challenged intravenously with fecal suspension from experimentally infected rhesus monkeys, and the other three monkeys served as the placebo group for challenge with HEV. The dynamic changes of the levels of ALT and anti-HEV IgG were examined. Pathological changes of liver tissue were observed by light microscope. Excretion of virus was detected by RT-nPCR.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Hepatic histopathology of two monkeys in the placebo group was consistent with acute viral hepatitis, and ALT was elevated 3-4 weeks after inoculated with virus, up to 10-20 times higher than normal level. The liver tissue of monkeys immunized with antigen kept normal, ALT in several monkeys elevated mildly, and anti-HEV IgG conversation occurred at 1-2 weeks after vaccination, with the titer reaching 1:12,800. The virus RNA could be detected by RT-nPCR from days 7 to 50 in monkeys of control group, and from days 7 to 21 in vaccinated monkeys after challenged with virus.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The recombinant antigens could induce the production of anti-HEV IgG, which protected rhesus monkeys from acute Hepatitis symptoms related to HEV infection.</p>