Angiotropic melanocytes: Possibly a distinctive finding in extra-facial acquired dermal melanocytosis

Background: Acquired dermal melanocytosis is a heterogenous group of hyperpigmented lesioins which predominantly involve the face. Aim: The aim of this study was to study the clinical presentation and histopathology of cases with extra-facial acquired dermal melanocytosis. Methods: Retrospective record analysis was performed between May 2016 to August 2019 to retrieve cases of extra-facial acquired dermal melanocytosis seen at the out-patient department of dermatology at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Jodhpur. Consecutive cases with histopathologically proven diagnosis of acquired dermal melanocytosis were included. Documentation of variation in clinical presentation and histopathologic findings was done in light of the existing literature. Results: Overall, four cases of extra-facial acquired dermal melanocyosis (female:male = 1:3) were seen during the study period. The lone case on head and neck involved the ear lobule and peri-auricular area. The other three cases had involvement of the hand. The histopathology confirmed the diagnosis of dermal melanocytosis but revealed peculiar findings of angiotropic melanocytes and dilated capillaries. Limitations: Small sample size and lack of comparison with perilesional normal skin were the limitations of this study. Conclusion: The findings of angiotropic melanocytes may be unique to extra-facial acquired dermal melanocytosis. This might indicate interaction between dermal melanocytes and capillary endothelial cells. This finding along with dermal capillary ectasia may indicate a possible role for vascular lasers in the management of these disorders

Transcription factor EB attenuates neuronal damage following cerebral ischemia via regulating autophagy-lysosomal pathway / 国际脑血管病杂志

The disorder of autophagy lysosomal pathway (ALP) is an important pathogenesis of neuronal damage after cerebral ischemia, and the restoration of ALP may alleviate neuronal damage after cerebral ischemia. As the main transcription factor regulating ALP, transcription factor EB (TFEB) can directly regulate autophagosome generation, autophagosome-lysosome fusion, and autophagic flux by regulating the expression of autophagic genes and lysosomal genes. Therefore, regulating TFEB can alleviate ALP dysfunction and thereby reduce cerebral ischemic damage. This article reviews the structure, biological function of TFEB and its role in regulating ALP to alleviate neuronal damage after cerebral ischemia.

Semi-rational evolution of ω-transaminase from Aspergillus terreus for enhancing the thermostability / 生物工程学报

ω-transaminase (ω-TA) is a natural biocatalyst that has good application potential in the synthesis of chiral amines. However, the poor stability and low activity of ω-TA in the process of catalyzing unnatural substrates greatly hampers its application. To overcome these shortcomings, the thermostability of (R)-ω-TA (AtTA) from Aspergillus terreus was engineered by combining molecular dynamics simulation assisted computer-aided design with random and combinatorial mutation. An optimal mutant AtTA-E104D/A246V/R266Q (M3) with synchronously enhanced thermostability and activity was obtained. Compared with the wild- type (WT) enzyme, the half-life t1/2 (35 ℃) of M3 was prolonged by 4.8-time (from 17.8 min to 102.7 min), and the half deactivation temperature (T1050) was increased from 38.1 ℃ to 40.3 ℃. The catalytic efficiencies toward pyruvate and 1-(R)-phenylethylamine of M3 were 1.59- and 1.56-fold that of WT. Molecular dynamics simulation and molecular docking showed that the reinforced stability of α-helix caused by the increase of hydrogen bond and hydrophobic interaction in molecules was the main reason for the improvement of enzyme thermostability. The enhanced hydrogen bond of substrate with surrounding amino acid residues and the enlarged substrate binding pocket contributed to the increased catalytic efficiency of M3. Substrate spectrum analysis revealed that the catalytic performance of M3 on 11 aromatic ketones were higher than that of WT, which further showed the application potential of M3 in the synthesis of chiral amines.

Diseño de Estrategias para la Inclusión Laboral de Personas con Diversidad Funcional Cognitiva en la segunda Ciudad más importante del Huila / Design of Strategies for the Labor Inclusion of People with Cognitive Functional Diversity in the Second Most Important City in Huila

Resumen En el municipio de Pitalito-Huila (Colombia) se evidencia un alto grado de des conocimiento sobre la diversidad funcional cognitiva, generando una proble mática social que levanta barreras e impide la inclusión de personas en esta con dición. Es así que, el problema de inclusión laboral para personas con diversidad funcional surge del desconocimiento de esta condición, de la percepción errada sobre sus capacidades, de las deficiencias educativas en torno a las competen cias laborales y de la falta de intervención gubernamental en la divulgación de las políticas públicas de inclusión. Finalmente, se proponen estrategias bajo el modelo de innovación de la triple hélice para lograr efectividad en los procesos inclusivos de inserción social, educativa y laboral.

Abstract In the municipality of Pitalito, Huila, Colombia, there is a high degree of igno rance about cognitive functional diversity, by generating a social problem, which raises barriers and prevents the inclusion of people in this condition. Thus, the problem of labor inclusion for people with functional diversity arises from the lack of knowledge of this condition, from the wrong perception of their capabil ities, from the educational deficiencies regarding labor competencies and from the lack of governmental intervention in the dissemination of public policies for inclusion. Finally, strategies are proposed under the triple helix innovation mod el to achieve effectiveness in the inclusive processes of social, educational, and labor insertion.

Syrup Hedera helix Extract Poisoning in Dog: a Clinical Report / Intoxicación con jarabe de extracto de Hedera helix en perros: informe clínico

Abstract This clinical report describes a 1-year-old Golden Retriever dog weighing 24 kg that developed gastroenteritis as a result of the unprescribed and random use of a syrup Hedera helix extract, which is for human use only. Diagnosis was made after ruling out other factors that could cause gastroenteritis. An improvement in clinical findings was observed as a result of supportive treatment. It is already widely recognized that triterpene saponins, biological active compounds of Hedera helix, cause gastroenteritis in dogs and it is considered that unprescribed and random use of syrup Hedera helix at high doses, may cause severe gastroenteritis symptoms that will endanger life. It is concluded that successful management of Hedera helix extract poisoning depends on a good anamnesis, physical exams, and laboratory tests, rapidly ruling out other causes of gastroenteritis, quitting the use of syrup immediately and a supportive treatment.

Resumen En este informe clínico, se describe un cuadro de gastroenteritis desarrollada por un Golden Retriever de 1 año de edad que pesaba 24 kg, como resultado del uso aleatorio y sin receta de un extracto de jarabe de Hedera helix, que es solo para uso por humano. El diagnóstico se realizó después de que se descartados otros factores que podrían causar gastroenteritis. Se observó una mejora en los hallazgos clínicos como resultado del tratamiento de apoyo. Ya se ha reconocido ampliamente que las saponinas triterpénicas, que son compuestos biológicos activos de Hedera helix, causan gastroenteritis en perros y se considera que el uso aleatorio y sin receta de jarabe de extracto de Hedera helix en dosis altas puede provocar síntomas de gastroenteritis más graves que pondrán en peligro la vida. Se concluyó que el manejo exitoso de la intoxicación por Hedera helix depende de una buena anamnesis, exámenes físicos y de laboratorio, descartar rápidamente las otras causas de gastroenteritis, dejar inmediatamente el jarabe y tratamiento de apoyo.

Expression of antimicrobial peptide Cecropin P1 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and its antibacterial and antiviral activity in vitro

BACKGROUND: Cecropin P1, acting as an antimicrobial, has a broad-spectrum antibacterial activity with some antiviral and antifungal properties. It is a promising natural alternative to antibiotics which is originally isolated from the pig intestinal parasitic nematode Ascaris suum. Many studies have shown that Cecropin P1 is helpful for the prevention or treatment of clinical diseases. Therefore, it is very necessary to establish a safe, nontoxic, and efficient expression method of Cecropin P1. RESULTS: The results indicated that the recombinant protein was about 5.5 kDa showed by Tricine­SDS­ PAGE and Western blot. And Cecropin P1 was efficiently secreted and expressed after 12 h of induction, with an increasing yield over the course of the induction. Its maximum concentration was 7.83 mg/L after concentration and purification. In addition, in vitro experiments demonstrated that Cecropin P1 not only exerted a strong inhibitory effect on Escherichia coli, Salmonella sp., Shigella sp., and Pasteurella sp., but also displayed an antiviral activity against PRRSV NADC30-Like strain. CONCLUSIONS: Collectively, the strategy of expressing Cecropin P1 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae is harmless, efficient, and safe for cells. In addition, the expressed Cecropin P1 has antiviral and antibacterial properties concurrently.

Analysis of significance of collagen triple helix repeat containing 1 gene expression in colon adenocarcinoma based on bioinformatics / 肿瘤研究与临床

Objective:To investigate the significance of collagen triple helix repeat containing 1 (CTHRC1) gene expression in colon adenocarcinoma based on bioinformatics.Methods:The GEPIA2 analysis tool was used to analyze the expression of CTHRC1 gene in colon adenocarcinoma and the relationship between its expression and the survival prognosis of patients in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and GTEx database. ULACAN analysis tool was used to analyze the methylation level of CTHRC1 gene in colon adenocarcinoma tissues and normal colon tissues in TCGA database. The cBioportal network analysis tool was used to analyze the mutation of CTHRC1 gene. TIMER analysis tool was used to analyze the relationship between CTHRC1 expression and immune cells infiltration, tumor-associated fibroblasts infiltration and functional immune cells. STRING database was used to analyze the proteins interacted with CTHRC1, and the enrichment analyses were performed.Results:The expressions of CTHRC1 gene and protein in colon adenocarcinoma tumor tissues were higher than those in normal colon tissues, and the differences were statistically significant (both P < 0.05), and CTHRC1 gene showed high methylation level in normal colon tissues and low methylation level in tumor tissues ( P < 0.05). A total of 19 mutations were detected in 2 480 colorectal adenocarcinoma and colon adenocarcinoma samples. Among them, 3 cases of colon adenocarcinoma specimens had CTHRC1 mutations, the mutation sites were R235H, A124V and R193C, and the mutation types were all missense mutations. CTHRC1 gene expression was positively correlated with infiltrations of CD8 + T cells, CD4 + T cells, macrophages, neutrophils, dendritic cells and tumor-associated fibroblasts (all P < 0.01). The overall survival and disease-free survival of patients with high expression of CTHRC1 gene were worse than those of patients with low expression of CTHRC1 gene (all P < 0.05). Conclusions:The methylation of CTHRC1 gene and the infiltration of tumor-associated immune cells may have important significances in the pathogenesis of colon adenocarcinoma. CTHRC1 gene expression and immune cells infiltration can be used as predictors of the survival prognosis of colon adenocarcinoma patients.

Colgajo doble banderín de región retroauricular para reconstrucción del hélix / Double flag flap in the retroauricular region for helix reconstruction

El objetivo del presente artículo es mostrar los resultados de la reconstrucción de los defectos de la superficie del borde del hélix utilizando el colgajo doble banderín de región retroauricular. Se describen los pedículos vasculares del colgajo en disecciones anatómicas. Se presentan detalles técnicos del procedimiento, así como se muestran casos clínicos, analizando resultados y evaluando los mismos en 30 casos

The objective of this article is to show the results of the reconstruction of the defects of the surface of the helix edge using the double flag flap of the retroauricular region. The vascular pedicles of the flap are described in anatomical dissections. Technical details of the procedure are presented, as well as clinical cases are shown, analyzing results and evaluating them in 30 cases.

Reconstrucción auricular en lesiones malignas de hélix / Auricle reconstruction in malignant helix lesions

La complejidad del pabellón auricular hace que su reconstrucción sea técnicamente dificultosa. Hay una gran variedad de técnicas para la reconstrucción del hélix luego de la resección tumoral. La cirugía de elección en los centros especializados es la de Mohs; sin embargo, no se dispone de ella en todos los centros, por lo que debemos tener claras las indicaciones de las técnicas tradicionales. Como objetivo evaluamos la resolución quirúrgica de lesiones malignas ubicadas en el hélix auricular y el resultado estético de acuerdo al tamaño tumoral y su localización. Realizamos un análisis retrospectivo de 7 pacientes tratados con la técnica de cuña escalonada y la de Antia y Buch para defectos de hasta 3 cm del hélix auricular. Concluimos que ambas tienen una extraordinaria versatilidad y un excelente resultado estético funcional, y que la elección de una u otra se basará en el tamaño auricular y el excedente de piel que tengamos al momento de la reconstrucción.

The complexity of the earpiece makes its reconstruction technically complicated. There are several techniques for reconstruction of the helix after tumor resection. Gold standard in specialized centers is Mohs´s surgery; however, you do not have it at all centers, so we must have clear indications of traditional techniques. The aim is to evaluate the surgery resolution of malignant pathology in the auricular helix and the aesthetic result according to tumor size and location. We describe a retrospective analysis of 7 patients treated with the technique step wedge and Antia and Buch for defects up to 3 cm earpiece helix. We conclude that both have an extraordinarily functional versatility with excellent cosmetics result, and we think in choosing one or the other based on the ear size and excess of skin that we have at the time of reconstruction.

Overexpression of bHLH domain of HIF-1 failed to inhibit the HIF-1 transcriptional activity in hypoxia

BACKGROUND: Hypoxia inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) is considered as the most activated transcriptional factor in response to low oxygen level or hypoxia. HIF-1 binds the hypoxia response element (HRE) sequence in the promoter of different genes, mainly through the bHLH domain and activates the transcription of genes, especially those involved in angiogenesis and EMT. Considering the critical role of bHLH in binding HIF-1 to the HRE sequence, we hypothesized that bHLH could be a promising candidate to be targeted in hypoxia condition. METHODS: We inserted an inhibitory bHLH (ibHLH) domain in a pIRES2-EGFP vector and transfected HEK293T cells with either the control vector or the designed construct. The ibHLH domain consisted of bHLH domains of both HIF-1a and Arnt, capable of competing with HIF-1 in binding to HRE sequences. The transfected cells were then treated with 200 µM of cobalt chloride (CoCl2) for 48 h to induce hypoxia. Real-time PCR and western blot were performed to evaluate the effect of ibHLH on the genes and proteins involved in angiogenesis and EMT. RESULTS: Hypoxia was successfully induced in the HEK293T cell line as the gene expression of VEGF, vimentin, and ß-catenin were significantly increased after treatment of untransfected HEK293T cells with 200 µM CoCl2. The gene expression of VEGF, vimentin, and ß-catenin and protein level of ß-catenin were significantly decreased in the cells transfected with either control or ibHLH vectors in hypoxia. However, ibHLH failed to be effective on these genes and the protein level of ß-catenin, when compared to the control vector. We also observed that overexpression of ibHLH had more inhibitory effect on gene and protein expression of N-cadherin compared to the control vector. However, it was not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: bHLH has been reported to be an important domain involved in the DNA binding activity of HIF. However, we found that targeting this domain is not sufficient to inhibit the endogenous HIF-1 transcriptional activity. Further studies about the function of critical domains of HIF-1 are necessary for developing a specific HIF-1 inhibitor.

El quad-hélix, un aparato versátil / The quad-hélix, a versatile appliance

El quad-hélix (QH) es un aparato de expansión maxilar, fabricado con alambre de acero inoxidable soldado a bandas en molares, que dispone de espirales o hélices que aumentan la longitud de alambre del aparato, lo que lo hace muy elástico y aligera la magnitud de la fuerza sobre los dientes, es ampliamente usado tanto en dentición mixta como en permanente temprana, fácil de fabricar, higiénico y bien tolerado por los pacientes. Su principal acción es mover hacia vestibular los procesos dentoalveolares de la arcada maxilar, influyendo secundariamente en la expansión de la sutura palatina media en pacientes con dentición mixta o permanente temprana. El QH es muy práctico y tiene muchos usos y adaptaciones y se puede utilizar como auxiliar en el tratamiento de problemas de hábito de dedo o lengua, para abrir mordida, rotar y dar torque a molares permanentes o para mover sólo un diente en particular. En este artículo describimos una nueva aplicación del QH que consiste en la tracción, de dientes anteriores superiores permanentes retenidos, después del abordaje quirúrgico para localizarlos. También revisaremos las indicaciones, contraindicaciones, ventajas y desventajas del aparato QH soldado a bandas en molares así como su elaboración, variantes y forma de activación (AU)

The quad-helix (QH) is a maxillary expansion appliance, manufactured with stainless steel wire welded to bands in molars, which has spirals or helix to increase the length of wire of the device, which makes it very elastic and lightens the magnitude of the force on the teeth, is widely used both in mixed and in early permanent dentition, is easy to manufacture, hygienic and well tolerated by patients. Its major action is to move towards the dentoalveolar process of the maxillary arcade, secondarily influencing the expansion of the middle palatal suture in young patients with mixed or permanent early dentition. The QH is very practical and has many uses and adaptations as an aid in the treatment of problem of thumb sucking or tongue habit, to open bite, to rotate and torque permanent molars or to move only one particular tooth. In this article we describe a new application of the QH that consist of the traction or retained permanent upper teeth, after surgical approach to locate them. We will also review the indications, contraindications, advantages and disadvantages of the QH welded to molar bands, as well as its construction, variants and activation form (AU)

Role of Helix 8 in Dopamine Receptor Signaling

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are membrane receptors whose agonist-induced dynamic conformational changes trigger heterotrimeric G protein activation, followed by GRK-mediated phosphorylation and arrestin-mediated desensitization. Cytosolic regions of GPCRs have been studied extensively because they are direct contact sites with G proteins, GRKs, and arrestins. Among various cytosolic regions, the role of helix 8 is least understood, although a few studies have suggested that it is involved in G protein activation, receptor localization, and/or internalization. In the present study, we investigated the role of helix 8 in dopamine receptor signaling focusing on dopamine D1 receptor (D1R) and dopamine D2 receptor (D2R). D1R couples exclusively to Gs, whereas D2R couples exclusively to Gi. Bioinformatic analysis implied that the sequences of helix 8 may affect GPCR-G protein coupling selectivity; therefore, we evaluated if swapping helix 8 between D1R and D2R changed G protein selectivity. Our results suggest that helix 8 is not involved in D1R-Gs or D2R-Gi coupling selectivity. Instead, we observed that D1R with D2R helix 8 or D1R with an increased number of hydrophobic residues in helix 8 relative to wild-type showed diminished β-arrestin-mediated desensitization, resulting in increased Gs signaling.

CTHRC1 promotes proliferation of gastric cancer cells by overexpression of COL1A1 / 解放军医学杂志

Objective To investigate the proliferation and potential mechanism of CTHRC1 on gastric cancer cells. Methods The cancer tissues and adjacent tissues were collected of 8 gastric cancer patients diagnosed by pathology from Jun. 2017 to Jun. 2018 in Guangzhou Zengcheng People's Hospital. Human gastric mucosal GES-1 cells, and gastric cancer SGC-7901, BGC-823, BGC-803, MKN-45, and MKN-28 cells were purchased from Shanghai Cell Bank of Chinese Academy of Sciences. Western blotting was used to detect the expression of CTHRC1 protein in gastric cancer tissues, paracancerous tissues and gastric cancer cell lines SGC-7901, BGC-823, BGC-803, MKN-45, MKN-28 and human gastric mucosal GES-1 cells. After transfection of gastric cancer SGC-7901 cells with si-CTHRC1 and si-COL1A1, cell proliferation was detected by MTT assay, and the apoptosis rate was detected by flow cytometry. The target gene of CTHRC 1 was predicted by STRING database. Western blotting and immunofluorescence were performed to detect the expression of CTHRC1 and COL1A1 proteins in gastric cancer SGC-7901 cells transfected with si-CTHRC1. The expressions of CTHRC1 and COL1A1 proteins in gastric cancer tissues and the prognosis of gastric cancer patients were analyzed by Kaplan-Meier. Results The expression of CTHRC1 protein was significantly higher in gastric cancer tissues (0.87±0.13) than in adjacent tissues (0.31±0.20, P<0.05). The expression of CTHRC1 protein was higher in gastric cancer cell lines than in human gastric mucosa GES-1 cells with significant difference (P<0.05). The cell proliferation of gastric cancer SGC-7901 cells transfected by si-CTHRC1 decreased significantly. The cell vitality of gastric cancer SGC-7901 cells co-transfected by si-CTHRC1 and si-COL1A1 was lower (0.40±0.07) than those only transfected by si-CTHRC1 (0.87±0.05) or by si-COL1A1 groups (0.83±0.13, P<0.05). The apoptosis rate of gastric cancer SGC-7901 cells transfected by si-CTHRC1 (6.77%±1.55%) was higher than that in NC group (4.80%±1.93%) with statistical significance (P<0.05). The STRING database predicted that COL1A1 was a target gene for CTHRC1. For gastric cancer SGC-7901 cells transfected by si-CTHRC1, the relative expressions of CTHRC1 and COL1A1 proteins were 0.92±0.16 and 1.08±0.23, which were higher than those in NC group (0.55±0.15 and 0.65±0.12) with significant difference (P<0.05). Immunofluorescence showed that the expressions of CTHRC1 and COL1A1 proteins decreased significantly after transfection of si-CTHRC1 into gastric cancer SGC-7901 cells. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that the 5-year survival rate of patients with high CTHRC1 expression in gastric cancer tissues was significantly lower (27.4%) than that of patients with low CTHRC1 expression (38.4%); The 5-year survival rate of patients with high COL1A1 expression in gastric cancer tissues (20.4%) was significantly lower than that in low expression patients (49.3%), the difference was statistically significant (P<0.001). Conclusion CTHRC1 promotes the proliferation of gastric cancer cells by overexpressing COL1A1 protein.

Improvement Effects of Erythropoietin Derivative Helix B Surface Peptide on Epirubicin-induced Myocardial Injury in Rats and Its Mechanism Study / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE： To study the improvement effects and its mechanism of erythropoietin derivative helix B surface peptide （HBSP） on epirubicin-induced myocardial injury in rats. METHODS： SD rats were randomly divided into control group， model group， erythropoietin （EPO） group and HBSP group， with 10 rats in each group. Except for control group， other groups were given epirubicin 2.5 mg/kg intraperitoneally， once a week， for consecutive 6 weeks to induce myocardial injury model. EPO group and HBSP groups were given rhEPO 5 000 u/kg or HBSP 60 μg/kg intraperitoneally， 3 times a week （one day before medication， first day and third day after medication of epirubicin）， for consecutive 6 weeks. At the beginning of the first administration， the rats were weighed at the 11th week. The cardiac function was measured by echocardiography [left ventricular end-diastolic diameter （LVIDd）， ejection fraction （EF）， fractional shortening （FS） and cardiac output（CO）]. The serum levels of troponin I （cTnI） and amino-terminal B-type natriuretic peptide （NT-proBNP） were determined by ELISA. mRNA expression of PI3K and Akt in myocardial tissue was detected by RT-PCR. The protein expression of p-PI3K and p-Akt in rat myocardium were detected by Western blot. RESULTS： During research period， two rats died in model group， one in EPO group and none in HBSP group. Compared with control group， body weight， the levels of EF， FS and CO were decreased significantly in model group， while the contents of LVIDd and cTnI， NT-proBNP were increased significantly； mRNA expression of PI3K and Akt as well as protein expression of p-PI3K and p-Akt were decreased significantly， above differences were statistical significant （P＜0.05）. Compared with model group， body weight， the levels of EF， FS and CO were increased significantly in EPO group and HBSP group， while the contents of LVIDd and cTnI， NT-proBNP were decreased significantly； mRNA expression of PI3K and Akt as well as protein expression of p-PI3K and p-Akt were increased significantly， above differences were statistical significant （P＜0.05）. Compared with EPO group， the contents of cTnI and NT-proBNP were decreased significantly in HBSP group， with statistical significance （P＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS： HBSP can improve myocardial injury in rats as much as EPO， and has less toxity. Their mechanism may be related to the activation of PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.

Expressions of Yes-associated protein 1 and collagen triple helix repeat containing 1 in triple-negative breast cancer and their correlations with expression of E-cadherin / 肿瘤研究与临床

Objective To investigate the clinical significances of the expressions of Yes-associated protein 1 (YAP1) and collagen triple helix repeat containing 1 (CTHRC1) in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and their correlations with expression of E-cadherin. Methods Immunohistochemical analysis (SABC) was performed to detect expressions of YAP1 and CTHRC1 in 73 specimens of TNBC and adjacent cancer tissues collected from patients in Dandong First Hospital from January 2006 to December 2017. The correlations between the expressions of YAP1 and CTHRC1 and clinicopathologic features and E-cadherin expression were analyzed. Results The expression rates of YAP1 and CTHRC1 in TNBC were 71.23％(52/73) and 79.45％(58/73), and 13.70％(10/73) and 27.40％(20/73) in adjacent cancer tissues, respectively, and the differences were statistically significant (χ2 values were 49.452 and 39.748, both P< 0.01). The expressions of YAP1 and CTHRC1 were related to tumor grade, clinical stage and lymphatic metastasis (YAP1:χ2 values were 10.244, 8.754, and 6.914, all P<0.05;CTHRC1:χ2 values were 12.582, 13.172, and 6.400, all P< 0.05), but they were not related to patient's age, tumor diameter and menopausal status (all P>0.05). The expressions of YAP1 and CTHRC1 were negatively correlated with expression of E-cadherin in TNBC (r=-0.371, P=0.001;r=-0.323, P=0.005). Conclusion YAP1 and CTHRC1 is closely related to the occurrence and development of TNBC and may participate in the invasion of TNBC through epithelial mesenchymal transition.

Acupoint injection improves allergic rhinitis by balancing Th17/Treg in allergic rhinitis rats / 针刺研究

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of acupoint injection on expression of fork head/winged helix protein 3 (Foxp3), retinoic acid-related orphan receptor γt (RORγt) in nasal mucosa and serum interleukin-17 (IL-17) level in allergic rhinitis (AR) rats, so as to explore its mechanism underlying improvement of AR in terms of balancing Th17/Treg. METHODS: Thirty-two SD rats (half male and half female) were randomized into normal control, AR model, acupoint injection and non-acupoint injection groups (n＝8 in each group). The AR model was established by ovalbumin sensitization. In the acupoint injection group, "Yintang" (EX-HN3) and bilateral "Yingxiang"(LI20) were selected for injection of mixture solution of dexamethasone (DEX) and transfer factor and lidocaine (0.1 mL/acupoint), once every 3 days for a total of 4 times. The non-acupoints, located at the mid-point between the "Houhai" (GV1) and "Huantiao"(GB30) on the bilateral hips and the sites 5 cm inferior to the axillary were injected with the same dose of mixture solution as that in the acupoint injection. The AR severity was assessed by cumulative quantification scoring methods (including the numbers of nose-catching and sneezes, and the amount of nasal secretions in 30 min). The expressions of Foxp3 and RORγt in the nasal mucosa were detected by immunohistochemistry. The serum IL-17 content was detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)．. RESULTS: The AR symptom score and serum IL-17 content were significantly higher in the AR model group than those in the normal control group (P0.05). The percentage of the Foxp3 positive cells and the ratio of Foxp3/RORγt were negatively correlated with the AR symptom score(P<0.05), the expression of RORγt and the content of IL-17 were positively correlated with the symptom score (P<0.05)．. CONCLUSION: Acupoint injection is able to improve symptoms of RA rats, which may be related with its function in up-regulating the level of nasal mucosal Foxp3 and suppressing the levels of nasal RORγt and serum IL-17 to correct the imbalance of Th17/Treg.

Reciprocal regulation between lunapark and atlastin facilitates ER three-way junction formation

Three-way junctions are characteristic structures of the tubular endoplasmic reticulum (ER) network. Junctions are formed through atlastin (ATL)-mediated membrane fusion and stabilized by lunapark (Lnp). However, how Lnp is preferentially enriched at three-way junctions remains elusive. Here, we showed that Lnp loses its junction localization when ATLs are deleted. Reintroduction of ATL1 R77A and ATL3, which have been shown to cluster at the junctions, but not wild-type ATL1, relocates Lnp to the junctions. Mutations in the N-myristoylation site or hydrophobic residues in the coiled coil (CC1) of Lnp N-terminus (NT) cause mis-targeting of Lnp. Conversely, deletion of the lunapark motif in the C-terminal zinc finger domain, which affects the homo-oligomerization of Lnp, does not alter its localization. Purified Lnp-NT attaches to the membrane in a myristoylation-dependent manner. The mutation of hydrophobic residues in CC1 does not affect membrane association, but compromises ATL interactions. In addition, Lnp-NT inhibits ATL-mediated vesicle fusion in vitro. These results suggest that CC1 in Lnp-NT contacts junction-enriched ATLs for proper localization; subsequently, further ATL activity is limited by Lnp after the junction is formed. The proposed mechanism ensures coordinated actions of ATL and Lnp in generating and maintaining three-way junctions.

Local helix parameters fitting of proteins based on dual quaternions registration method / 生物医学工程学杂志

A fitting method of calculating local helix parameters of proteins based on dual quaternions registration fitting (DQRFit) is proposed in this paper. First, the C and N atom coordinates of each residue in the protein structure data are extracted. Then the unregistered data and reference data are constructed using the sliding windows. The square sum of the distance of the data points before and after registration is regarded as an optimization goal. We calculate the optimal rotation matrix and the translation vector using the dual quaternion registration algorithm, and get the helix parameters of the secondary structure which contain the number of residues per turn( ), helix radius( )and helix pitch( ). Furthermore, we can achieve the fitting of three-helix parameters of , , simultaneously with the dual quaternion registration, and can adjust the sliding windows to adapt to different error levels. Compared with the traditional helix fitting method, DQRFit has some advantages such as low computational complexity, strong anti-interference, and high fitting accuracy. It is proven that the precision of proposed DQRFit for α helix detection is comparable to that of the dictionary of secondary structure of proteins (DSSP), and is better than that of other traditional methods. This is of great significance for the protein structure classification and functional prediction, drug design, protein structure visualization and other fields in the future.

Aesthetic study of helix reconstruction using autologous costal cartilage / 中华整形外科杂志

Objective@#To observe the conditions of the eighth costal cartilage in ear reconstructed patients, and accomplish individualized aesthetic helix fabrication according to the texture and features of the cartilage.@*Methods@#From May 2013 to May 2016, the conditions of the eighth costal cartilages in 415 patients who received ear reconstruction with autogenous costal cartilage in our hospital were analyzed, during which, the length, width, flexibility, and plasticity that were closely related with the reconstruction of the helix attracted predominant attentions. During the surgery, based on the features of the above-mentioned aspects, 4 different methods were used to achieve reasonable length and strength of the helix as well as natural jointing between the helix and ear lobe.@*Results@#Four possible methods of using the eighth costal cartilage to reconstruct the helix were summarized and an autogenous costal cartilage framework that was individualized and with natural appearance was obtained.@*Conclutions@#According to the conditions of the eighth costal cartilage, a more satisfactory appearance of the reconstructed ear than ever before is obtained by choosing relevant helix fabrication programs.

Antihypertensive efficacy of extract of Hedera helix in high salt-induced hypertensive Sprague-Dawley rats

Objective: To explore the antihypertensive effect of extracts from the leaves of Hedera helix (H. helix) on normotensive and hypertensive rats in-vivo followed by vasodilatory studies in-vitro. Methods: The crude methanolic extract was prepared and the activity directed fractionation was carried out. Spectrophotometric analysis of total phenolic and flavonoid content was also done. HPLC analysis was performed for the detection of hederacoside C. In-vivo blood pressure study was carried out in normotensive and high salt-induced hypertensive Sprague-Dawley rats. Isolated aortic tissues from rat and rabbit were used for in-vitro studies. The effects were recorded and analyzed through PowerLab data acquisition system. Results: Crude extract of H. helix (1-30 mg/kg) decreased blood pressure to greater extent in high salt-induced hypertensive rats in-vivo compared to the normotensive [Max. fall (58.59±0.02) mmHg vs. (67.53±3.07) mmHg]. The n-hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate and aqueous fractions were also checked. These fractions were more effective in hypertensive rats. Aqueous fraction was more potent and n-hexane the least. In isolated rat aortic rings precontracted with phenylephrine, crude extract induced endothelium-dependent effect. The endothelium-dependent component of vasodilatory effect was ablated with L-NAME, and denudation of endothelium. The aqueous fraction was most potent vasodilator. In aortic rings from hypertensive rats, extract and fractions produced partial endothelium-independent effect which was not affected by pretreatment with L-NAME, indicating endothelium dysfunction in the hypertensive rats and suggesting additional vasodilatory mechanisms. In rabbit aorta, the extract and fractions also inhibited phenylephrine and high K