Effects of PGC1 / 中南大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVES@#Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1α (PGC1α) controls mitochondrial biogenesis, but its role in cardiovascular diseases is unclear. The purpose of this study is to explore the effect of PGC1α on myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury and the underlying mechanisms.@*METHODS@#The transverse coronary artery of SD rat was ligated for 30 minutes followed by 2 hours of reperfusion. Triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining was performed to measure the area of myocardial infarction. Immunohistochemistry and Western blotting were used to detect the PGC1α expression in myocardium. The rat cardiomyocyte H9C2 was subjected to hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) with the knockdown of PGC1α or hypoxia- inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α), or with treatment of metformin. Western blotting was used to detect the expression of PGC1α, HIF-1α, p21, BAX, and caspase-3. CCK-8 was performed to detect cell viability, and flow cytometry was used to detect apoptosis and mitochondrial superoxide (mitoSOX) release. RT-qPCR was used to detect the mRNA expression of PGC1α and HIF-1α. Besides, chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP)-qPCR and luciferase reporter gene assay were applied to detect the transcriptional regulation effect of HIF-1α on PGC1α.@*RESULTS@#After I/R, the PGC1α expression was increased in infarcted myocardium. H/R induced H9C2 cell apoptosis (@*CONCLUSIONS@#After I/R, HIF-1α up-regulates the expression of PGC1α, leading to an increase in ROS production and aggravation of injury. Metformin can inhibit the accumulation of HIF-1α during hypoxia and effectively protect myocardium from ischemia/reperfusion injury.

Risk assessments and control strategies of plague in five key surveillance counties, Zhejiang province / 中华预防医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To analyze the epidemiology data on plague in five counties in Zhejiang province and to evaluate the risk of plague in theses areas.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>We selected five monitoring stations as a risk assessment (Qingyuan county, Longquan city, Yiwu city, Wencheng county, and Ruian city) in Zhejiang province where the plague epidemic more serious in the history. At least one constant site and 1-4 variable sites where plague occurred in history were selected for monitoring. We collected the five counties (cities) surveillance data of indoor rat density, indoor Rattus flavipectus density, the Xenopsylla cheopis index of rat, the Xenopsylla cheopis index of Rattus flavipectus in 1995-2014. Isolation of Yersinia pestis was conducted among 171,201 liver samples and F1 antibody were detected among 228,775 serum samples. Risk matrix, Borda count method, and Delphi approach were conducted to assess risk of the plague of five counties (cities) in Zhejiang province.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Indoor rat density in Qingyuan county, Longquan city, Yiwu city, Wencheng county, Ruian city was 1.58%-5.50%, 1.13%-9.76%, 0.56%-3.67%, 2.83%-16.08%, 7.16%-15.96%, respectively; Indoor Rattus flavipectus density of five counties (cities) was 0.08%-2.23%, 0-2.02%, 0-0.54%, 0.71%-5.58%, 0.55%-4.92%, respectively. The Xenopsylla cheopis index of rat in Qingyuan county and Wencheng county was 0.011-0.500 and 0.015-0.227, respectively; The Xenopsylla cheopis index of Rattus flavipectus of Qingyuan county and Wencheng county was 0.119-3.412 and 0.100-1.430, respectively; Ruian City and Yiwu city cannot collected Xenopsylla cheopis, Long quan city only collected the Xenopsylla cheopis index of rat in the five years. Yersinia pestis were not isolated in five counties (cities).There were 3 Apodemus agrarius samples positive of plague F1 antibody test, in Longquan city and Yiwu city in 2005. Borda count method to assess the Longquan city, Yiwu (Borda point were both 321) plague risk was higher than three other regions; Delphi approach to evaluation five counties (cities) belong to the plague had a lower risk areas, according to the level of risk score (Pf) Longquan city and Yiwu (Pf was 0.314, 0.292, respectively) plague risk were higher than three other regions (Pf were all 0.292).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The main host and media were lower in five key plague surveillance counties (cities) of Zhejiang province; The result of Borda count method and Delphi approach for risk assessment indicated that endogenous plague recrudescence was at lower level, but Longquan city and Yiwu city risk were higher than other counties (cities).</p>

Establishment and evaluation of identification method for Yersinia pestis and Yersinia pseudotuberculosis / 中华流行病学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To establish a gene identification method of Yersinia pestis and Yersinia pseudotuberculosis for plague surveillance.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>According to the specific genomic sequences of Y. pestis and Y. pseudotuberculosis, i.e. "pestis Island (PeI)" and "pseudotuberculosis Island (PsI)" and the published genomic sequences of 12 strains of Y. pestis and 4 strains of Y. pseudotuberculosis, the specific identification primers of these sequences were designed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>A total of 52 strains of Y. pestis and 57 strains of Y. pseudotuberculosis and other intestinal bacteria strains were tested with PCR. Of the 5 pairs of Y. pestis identification primers, PeI2 and PeI11 were specific for Y. pestis. Besides Y. pestis, the primers PeI1, PeI3 and PeI12 could detect part of 57 Y. pseudotuberculosis strains. Of the 5 pairs of Y. pseudotuberculosis identification primers, PsI1 could detect all the 52 strains of Y. pestis and 57 strains of Y. pseudotuberculosis. PsI7, PsI16, PsI18 and PsI19 were specific for Y. pseudotuberculosis.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The primers PsI1, PeI 2 and PeI11, PsI7, PsI16, PsI18 and PsI19 can be used in the rapid identification of Y. pestis and Y. pseudotuberculosis, which can be also used to explore the circulation of atypical Y. pestis in quiescent plague foci.</p>

Clinical application of DNA sequencing for detecting point mutations in hepatitis B virus associated with drug resistance / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>[corrected] To assess the specificity and applicability of direct PCR sequencing in the detection of point mutations in hepatitis B virus (HBV) associated with drug resistance.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Serum samples were obtained from 120 patients with hepatitis B treated with nucleoside analogus for at least 2 years to detect the point mutations in HBV genome in association with drug resistance using nested PCR and direct DNA sequencing.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Forty out of the 120 patients were found to have one or two point mutations associated with drug resistance, including 17 with L180M and M204V/I mutations (42.5%), 10 with M204V/I mutation (25%), 8 with N236T mutation (20%), 3 with L180M mutation (7.5%), and 1 with both A181V/T and N236T mutations (2.5%), and 1 with A181V/T mutation(2.5%).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>DNA sequencing is a good method to detect all known point mutations associated with HBV drug resistance.</p>

Effects of human amniotic fluid stem cells on cytokines secretion and on endothelial cells proliferation and apoptosis / 中国组织工程研究

BACKGROUND:The benefit of cell therapy may be partly due to the secretion of angiogenic and antiapoptotic growth factors.Whether amniotic fluid stem cells (AFS) could secrete some growth factors requires further studies.OBJECTIVE:To isolate and culture AFS cells,and explore the angiogenic or antiapoptotic effect of cytokines secreted by AFS on endothelial cells.DESIGN,TIME AND SETTING:A in vitro cytological experiment was performed at the Institute of Hypertensive Disease,First Affiliated Hospital,Nanchang University from December 2008 to June 2009.MATERIALS:Term amniotic fluid of ten samples,50 mL/case,was obtained following caesarean delivery.The umbilical vein was used to isolate endothelial cells.Written informed content was obtained from all women.METHODS:AFS isolated from human amniotic fluid was cultured and digested by trypsin at confluence of 80%.The third passage of cells at a density of 5×10~8/L were divided into two groups:hypoxia group:the cells were cultured in 2% O_2 + 5% CO_2 +93% N_2;normal group:the cells were cultured in 5% CO_2 + 95% air.Two groups were cultured at 37 ℃ for 24 hours.The supematant of two groups was collected.The second passage of human umbilical vein endothelial cells cultured in vitro was collected and seeded onto 12-well culture plate at a density of 2×10~4 cells/well,and divided into 3 groups:control group was cultured in 2 mL EBM-2 containing 5% fetal bovine serum (FBS);normal group was cultured in 1 mL EBM-2 containing 5% FBS and 1 mL AFS cell culture solution;hypoxia group was cultured in 1 mL EBM-2 containing 5% FBS and 1 mL hypoxia AFS cell culture solution for 3 days,followed by incubation with 10 μg/L tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:AFS surface phenotype was examined by flow cytometry;the secretion level and mRNA expression of vascular endothelial cell growth factor (VEGF) and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) were examined by ELISA or RT-PCR.The proliferation and apoptotic rates of endothelial cells were examined.RESULTS:AFS cells were long fusiform-shaped and arranged radially after 7 days of culture.The third passage of AFS cells expressed CD29 and CD105 while did not express CD34.AFS cells of normal culture secreted VEGF and HGF;AFS cells of hypoxia condition significantly increased secrete of VEGF (P＜0.01),and VEGF mRNA expression was significantly upregulated (P＜0.05),while HGF and mRNA expression remained unchanged (P＞0.05).Compared with control group,the number of endothelial cells was significantly increased in normal and hypoxia AFS cell groups after 3 days of culture (P＜0.05).After cocultured with TNF-α for 24 hours,the apoptosis rates of endothelial cells in AFS-conditioned medium was significantly decreased (P ＜ 0.05),and the change degree of hypoxia AFS cell group was greater than normal AFS cell group (P ＜ 0.05).CONCLUSION:AFS can secrete cytokines such as VEGF and HGF.Moreover,it significantly promotes endothelial cells proliferation and inhibits apoptosis.Under hypoxia condition,the secretion of VEGF from AFS cells is increased,and the effects on endothelial cells proliferation and apeptosis are enhanced.