Identification and expression profiling of HvMADS57 and HvD14 in a barley tb1 mutant

MADS-box genes interact with TB1 to regulate plant organ morphogenesis. In rice, OsMADS57 interacts with OsTB1 to control OsD14 transcription. In this study, we aimed to determine the relationships among these genes in barley. We identified a natural mutant of HvTB1 (tb1) formed by a C?A transition at position 230, which resulted in a premature stop codon. We cloned the HvMADS57 and HvD14 genes and studied their expression in the tb1 mutant. The results showed that HvMADS57 is a MIKCc -type MADS-box gene, and the expression levels of both HvMADS57 and HvD14 were significantly reduced in the tb1 mutant when compared to those in the wildtype gene. These results indicate that, HvMADS57 regulates plant growth and development by interacting with HvTB1 to suppress the transcription of HvD14 in barley which is similar to the relationships among the orthologs of these genes in rice.

A poor prognosis in human hepatocellular carcinoma is associated with low expression of DPP4

This study aimed to explore the prognostic role of dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP4) expression in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). DPP4 expression was measured in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded specimens that were gathered from 327 HCC patients. Immunohistochemistry analyses were utilized to examine DPP4 expression characteristics and prognostic values (overall survival (OS) and time to recurrence) of DDP4 in HCC tissues. In addition, a patient-derived xenograft (PDX) model was used to assess the correlation between DPP4 expression and tumor growth in vivo. DPP4 was expressed in low levels in HCC tissues in contrast to paired peritumoral tissues (38 cases were down-regulated in a total of 59 cases, 64.4%. P=0.0202). DPP4 expression was significantly correlated with TNM stage (P=0.038), tumor number (P=0.035), and vascular invasion (P=0.024), and significantly reduced in patients who were in TNM stages II and III-V, with multiple tumors, and with microvascular invasion compared to patients with TNM stage I, single tumor, and no microvascular invasion. Notably, HCC tissues with low expression of DPP4 had poor OS (P=0.016) compared with HCC tissues with high expression of DPP4, and results from PDX model showed that tumor growth was significantly faster in HCC patients that lowly expressed DPP4 compared to those with highly expressed DPP4. Our findings suggested that low levels of DPP4 could impact the aggressiveness of HCC and contribute to a poor prognosis.

Comparative study of prognostic nutritional index and patient-generated subjective global assessment in perioperative nutritional prediction in patients with esophageal cancer / 中国胸心血管外科临床杂志

@#Objective    To investigate the prognostic value and consistency of prognostic nutritional index (PNI) and patient-generated subjective global assessment (PG-SGA) in perioperative nutritional status of patients with esophageal cancer. Methods    Clinical data of 224 patients, including 186 males and 38 females with an average age of 63.08±8.42 years, who underwent esophageal cancer surgery in our hospital from November 2017 to August 2018 were retrospectively reviewed. The PNI was calculated according to the results of the first time blood and biochemical tests, and the PG-SGA assessment was also performed. According to the PNI value, the patients were divided into a good nutrition group (PNI≥45, 60 patients) and a malnutrition group (PNI<45, 164 patients). According to the PG-SGA score, the patients were divided into a good nutrition group (PG-SGA<4, 75 patients) and a malnutrition group (PG-SGA≥4, 149 patients). Nutrition-related haematological indexes and body mass index (BMI) were compared between the two groups, and the consistency of PNI and PG-SGA for nutritional assessment was analyzed. Results    The nutrition-related haematological indexes in different PNI groups were statistically different in the perioperative period (P<0.01). The longitudinal changes of prealbumin in patients of different PG-SGA groups were statistically different (P<0.05); the BMI of patients in different PG-SGA groups was statistically different in the perioperative period (P<0.01). The Kappa coefficient of the two indicators was 0.589 (P<0.001). Conclusion    Both PNI and PG-SGA can predict the nutritional risk of patients with esophageal cancer to some extent. PNI is an objective monitoring indicator, and PG-SGA is a subjective evaluation indicator, the combined use of which can more comprehensively reflect and predict the nutritional status of patients, and provide an important reference to the development of individualized nutrition support programs.

Subjective perception of surgeons with 4K resolution,three-dimensional systems in laparoscopic colorectal surgery:A self-filling questionnaire survey / 中国实用外科杂志

OBJECTIVE: To compare the subjective perception of surgeons with 4K-resolution(4K) and three-dimensional(3D) systems in the laparoscopic colorectal surgery.METHODS: A self-filling questionnaire survey wasdeveloped in the surgeons between August 2018 and February 2019 in Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery,RuijinHospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine. The data of questionnaires from surgeons indifferent position( major surgeons,first assistants,scopists) who performed laparoscopic colorectal surgeries with 4K,3D and 2D systems were collected. The questionnaires concerning asthenopia,motion sickness,topographical orientation,control coordination of visual angle,visual acuity,radiance,resolution ratio,depth description,color resolution,sense ofcontrols,optimum viewing distance,frames and refresh rate and contrast.RESULTS: There were 124 questionnairesscreened eligibility in the survey. Among them,there were 38 questionnaires for 2D group,43 questionnaires for 3D group and 43 questionnaires for 4 K group.(1)Overall comparison of the subjective scores:In the three groups,therewere significant difference in control coordination of visual angle,visual acuity,resolution ratio,depth description,color resolution,optimum viewing distance,frames andrefresh rate(P<0.05).(2)Subjective scores betweenmajor surgeons:In the three groups,there weresignificant difference in resolution ratio,depth description,color resolution and sense of controls(P<0.05);the most advantages could be found on resolution ratio andcolor resolution in 4 K group,and also could be found on depth description and sense of controls in 3 D group.(3)Subjective scores between first assistants: In the three groups,there were significant difference in asthenopia,controlcoordination of visual angle,resolution ratio,depth description,sense of controls,frames and refresh rate(P<0.05);In 4K group,it showed advantages on control coordination of visual angle and resolution ratio. Motion sickness was morepronounced in 3D group,but the most advantages could be found on depth description and sense of controls.(4)Subjective scores between scopists: In the three groups,there were significant difference in visual acuity,resolution ratio,depth description,sense of controls,optimum viewing distance and contrast(P<0.05). The most advantages could befound on visual acuity,resolution ratio and contrast in 4 K group,and also could be found on depth description and senseof controls in 3D group.CONCLUSION: Comparing with the traditional two-dimensional system during laparoscopiccolorectal surgery,4 K system could apply better resolution ratio,control coordination of visual angle,visual acuity andcolor resolution. 3D system could apply better depth description and sense of controls.

The effect of different flushing methods in a short peripheral catheter

Abstract Purpose To develop a rabbit model of a short peripheral catheter (SPC) and to observe the effects of different flushing methods on blood vessels. Methods Thirty rabbits were randomly divided into three groups (A, B, and C), with ten rabbits per group. In group A, we used pulsed flush; in group B, we used uniform flush; and no treatment was used in group C. Results We observed that a uniform flush reduced blockage, phlebitis, and exudation compared to a pulsed flush by visual observation. The histopathological examination found that the morphological changes in group A were more severe than in group B and C related to loss of venous endothelial cells, inflammatory cell infiltration, edema, epidermal and chondrocyte degeneration, except for the thrombosis on group B that was more serious than in group A, especially in the distal side of puncture points. The distal region of groups A and B had more inflammatory cell infiltration than the proximal region. Thrombosis was more severe in the distal region than in the proximal region in group B. Conclusions The uniform flush produced less damage to the vascular endothelium and surrounding tissues and was superior to the pulsed flush. However, the uniform flush is prone to thrombosis.

Association of polymorphisms in the heparanase gene (HPSE) with hepatocellular carcinoma in Chinese populations

Abstract Heparanase activity is involved in cancer growth and development in humans and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the heparanase gene (HPSE) have been shown to be associated with tumors. In this study, we investigated whether SNPs in HPSE were a risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) by undertaking a comprehensive haplotype-tagging, case-control study. For this, six haplotype-tagging SNPs (htSNPs) in HPSE were genotyped in 400 HCC patients and 480 controls by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) analysis. A log-additive model revealed significant correlations between the HPSE polymorphisms rs12331678 and rs12503843 and the risk of HCC in the overall samples (p = 0.0046 and p = 0.0055). When the analysis was stratified based on hepatitis B virus (HBV) carrier status, significant interactions between rs12331678 and rs12503843 and HBV were observed. Conditional logistic regression analysis for the independent effect of one significant SNP suggested that rs12331678 or rs12503843 contributed an independent effect to the significant association with the risk of HCC, respectively. Our findings suggest that the SNPs rs12331678 and rs12503843 are HCC risk factors, although the potential functional roles of these two SNPs remain to be fully elucidated.

The virulence of Streptococcus pneumoniae partially depends on dprA

Abstract Streptococcus pneumoniae is one of the most frequent opportunistic pathogens worldwide. DNA processing protein A (DprA) is an important factor involved in bacterial uptake and DNA integration into bacterial genome, but its role in S. pneumoniae virulence remains unclear. The aim of this study was to characterize the effects of the pneumococcal dprA gene on the pathogenesis of S. pneumoniae. To construct a dprA-deficient pneumococcal strain, the dprA gene of the S. pneumoniae strain D39 was inactivated. The virulence of this dprA-deficient strain, designated ΔD39, was compared with that of the wild-type strain by evaluating their respective capabilities to adhere to human pulmonary epithelial cells (PEC-A549) and by analyzing their choline-binding protein expression levels. In addition, the expression profiles of genes associated with virulence and host survival assays were also conducted with the mutant and the wild-type strain. Our results indicate that the capability of ΔD39 to adhere to the PEC-A549 airway cells was significantly lower (p < 0.01) compared with D39. Additionally, the 100-KD choline-binding protein was not detected in ΔD39. The addition of competence-stimulating peptide (CSP) lead to a significantly reduction of psaA mRNA expression in the dprA-deficient mutant and an increased level of psaA transcripts in the wild-type strain (p < 0.01). The median survival time of mice intraperitoneally infected with ΔD39 was significantly higher (p < 0.01) than that of mice infected with D39. The results of this study suggest that DprA has a significant effect on virulence characteristics of S. pneumoniae by influencing the expression of choline-binding protein and PsaA.

Discussion on epidemic status and control strategies of HIV/AIDS / 复旦学报（医学版）

Antiretroviral therapy (ART) is a chronic suppressive treatment that provides lifelong treatment effectively for patients with HIV,improving the quality of life for patients.Although the overall trend of new infections is declining,the number of new HIV infections per year and the number of deaths related AIDS is still very large,remaining one of the world's biggest public health challenges.In the field of epidemiology,HIV/AIDS distributed in poor areas with limited medical means such as Africa,and men who have sex with men (MSM),sex workers and people who inject drugs (PWID) become the main susceptible population;In the field of prevention,prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) services,treatment as prevention (TasP) and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PREP) have achieved initial success,but the coverage is still limited;In the field of treatment,the extent of HIV resistance in multiple countries increases to more than 10％,and the cure of HIV/AIDS research and vaccine development are currently in animal or cellular experiments.Over the past decade,China has established several measures to prevent the HIV epidemic further,and improve the quality of life of people living with HIV/AIDS patients.At the same time,China is also facing the following challenges:the targeted prevention program,susceptible groups increased (such as MSM,PWID and youth),long-term care of patients with HIV/AIDS,the coverage of PMTCT services,eliminate discrimination process,etc.Therefore,the purpose of this article is to review the epidemic status and control strategies of HIV/AIDS in China and the whole world in recent years.

Ganoderma triterpenes slow cyst growth in polycystic kidney disease / 中国药理学与毒理学杂志

OBJECTIVE Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is a common inherited disease with a high morbidity around 1/1000-1/400, characterized by progressive enlargement of fluid-filled cysts derived from renal tubular epithelial cells. Massive cysts gradually compress renal parenchyma destroying normal renal structures and compromising renal functions. Unfortunately, it will cause end-stage renal disease in most of the patients but without effective therapy now, who have to live on hemodialysis or kidney transplantation. Based on this present situation, it is of great significance to find early intervention to inhibit renal cyst development. The projective of this study was to investigate whether Ganoderma triterpenes (GT) can inhibit renal cyst development and study the related mechanism. METHODS and RESULTS First, we used MDCK cyst model, cultivated MDCK cells in vitro to form fluid-filled cysts surrounded by monolayer cells. GT inhibited MDCK cyst formation significantly, and inhibited cyst enlargement dose-dependently proving GT cyst inhibition in vitro. Then we used an embryonic kidney cyst model, wile-type mice kidneys were taken out on embryonic day 13.5 to form renal cysts stimulated with 8-Br-cAMP. GT inhibited embryonic kidney cyst development significantly in a dose-dependent and reversible manner proving GT cyst inhibition at organ level. Furthermore, we used two ADPKD mouse models with severe cystic kidney disease phenotypes. GT dramatically inhibited renal cyst development, decreased ADPKD mouse kidney volume and the cyst index inside proving GT cyst inhibition in vivo. By Western blot, we proved GT down-regulated Ras/MAPK signal pathway without detectable effect on mTOR signal pathway both in MDCK cells and two ADPKD mouse kidneys. CONCLUSION GT retard renal cyst development both in vitro and in vivo significantly. The related mechanisms were involved in GT promoting renal tubular epithelial cell differentiation, down-regulating intracellular cAMP level and Ras/MAPK signal pathway.

Comprehensive quality control method for total flavonoid of Fructus Aurantii / 浙江大学学报·医学版

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To establish a comprehensive quality control method for total flavonoid of Fructus Aurantii.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>RP-HPLC and spectrophotometry were applied for the quantitative and fingerprint analysis of total flavonoid of Fructus Aurantii. The contents of naringin and neohesperidin were determined on an Agilent SB-C₁₈column (4.6 mm × 250 mm, 5 μm). The mobile phase was composed of 0.02 % H₃PO₄ and CH₃CN (80:20). The flow rate was 1 ml/min with DAD detected at 280 nm. The column temperature was maintained at 35°C. The fingerprints were developed on an Agilent SB-C₁₈ column (4.6 mm × 250 mm, 5 μm). The mobile phase was composed of 0.5 % HAc and CH₃OH with a linear gradient elution. The ratio of 0.5 % HAc and CH₃OH was: 0 min, 80:20; 10 min, 60:40; 35 min, 30:70; 50 min, 0:100. The flow rate was 1 ml/min with DAD detected at 320 nm. The column temperature was maintained at 30 degree. Meanwhile, the contents of total flavonoid were determined at 283 nm.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>The contents range of naringin, neohesperidin and total flavonoid were 38.3 %- 47.2%, 21.0 %- 28.5% and 79.9%-88.6 %, respectively. The fingerprints of the effective fractions showed 12 common peaks and the fingerprint similarity was all above 98.0 % compared with the standard chromatogram.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The method reported in this paper can be used effectively for the quality control of total flavonoid of Fructus Aurantii.</p>

Study on immunogenicity of the N-terminal polypeptide of RTX toxin I of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae / 生物工程学报

ApxI is one of the most important virulence factors of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae (APP). To study the immunogenicity of the ApxI, the complete coding sequence (3146bp) and its 5'-terminal 1140 bp fragment of the apxIA gene were separately cloned into the prokaryotic expression vector pET-28a, and expressed in the E. coli BL21 (DE3) with induction by IPTG. The expression products, rApxIA and rApxIAN, were present in a form of inclusion bodies and showed the same immunological reactivity as natural ApxI (nApxI) in Western-blot analysis. BALB/c mice were intraperitoneally immunized with the rApxIA, rApxIAN and nApxI respectively. The serum antibody levels of the rApxIAN immunized mice were significantly lower than those immunized with rApxIA or nApxI in an ApxI-specific ELISA, but serum neutralization test demonstrated that immunized mice with rApxIAN, rApxIA and nApxI could generate similar levels of antibodies neutralizing the hemolytic activity of the natural ApxI. The rApxIAN was able to elicite 80% protection rate against APP serovar 1 and 100% against serovar 2 when challenged at a dose of one LD50 after 2 weeks of boost immunization.