Expression of VNN1 in Ulcerative Colitis / 胃肠病学

Background: Molecular markers associated with disease progression and prognosis of ulcerative colitis (UC) are still lacking in clinic. Aims: To investigate the expression and clinical significance of vanin 1 (VNN1) in intestinal mucosal tissue, serum and stool in patients with UC. Methods: A total of 100 UC patients and 100 healthy volunteers from Dec. 2018 to Jan. 2020 at the People's Hospital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region were recruited, and colonoscopy biopsy tissue samples, blood samples and stool samples were collected. PCR, Western blotting and immunohistochemistry were used to detect mRNA and protein expressions of VNN1 in intestinal mucosal tissue, respectively. The expression of VNN1 in serum and stool was determined by ELISA. Results: The mRNA and protein expressions of VNN1 in intestinal mucosal tissue in patients with UC were significantly higher than those in healthy controls (P0.05). Conclusions: The expressions of VNN1 in intestinal mucosal tissue and blood in UC patients are high, and can be used as a molecular marker of UC.

A NIR fluorescent probe for Vanin-1 and its applications in imaging, kidney injury diagnosis, and the development of inhibitor

Vanin-1 is an amidohydrolase that catalyses the conversion of pantetheine into the amino-thiol cysteamine and pantothenic acid (coenzyme A precursor), which plays a vital role in multiple physiological and pathological processes. In this study, an enzyme-activated near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent probe (DDAV) has been constructed for sensitively detecting Vanin-1 activity in complicated biosamples on the basis of its catalytic characteristics. DDAV exhibited a high selectivity and sensitivity toward Vanin-1 and was successfully applied to the early diagnosis of kidney injury in cisplatin-induced kidney injury model. In addition, DDAV could serve as a visual tool for in situ imaging endogenous Vanin-1 in vivo. More importantly, Enterococcus faecalis 20247 which possessed high expression of Vanin-1 was screened out from intestinal bacteria using DDAV, provided useful guidance for the rational use of NSAIDs in clinic. Finally, oleuropein as a potent natural inhibitor for Vanin-1 was discovered from herbal medicines library using a high-throughput screening method using DDAV, which held great promise for clinical therapy of inflammatory bowel disease.