Amendments of nitrogen and sulfur mitigate carbon-promoting effect on microbial mercury methylation in paddy soils.

The imbalance of nutrient elements in paddy soil could affect biogeochemical processes; however, how the key elements input influence microbially-driven conversion of mercury (Hg) to neurotoxic methylmercury (MeHg) remains virtually unknown. Herein, we conducted a series of microcosm experiments to explore the effects of certain species of carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and sulfur (S) on microbial MeHg production in two typical paddy soils (yellow and black soil). Results showed that the addition of C alone into the soils increased MeHg production approximately 2-13 times in the yellow and black soils; while the combined addition of N and C mitigated the C- promoting effect significantly. Added S also had a buffering effect on C-facilitated MeHg production in the yellow soil despite the extent being lower than that of N addition, whereas this effect was not obvious for the black soil. MeHg production was positively correlated with the abundance of Deltaproteobactera-hgcA in both soils, and the changes in MeHg production were related to the shifts of Hg methylating community resulting from C, N, and S imbalance. We further found that the changes in the proportions of dominant Hg methylators such as Geobacter and some unclassified groups could contribute to the variations in MeHg production under different treatments. Moreover, the enhanced microbial syntrophy with adding N and S might contribute to the reduced C-promoting effect on MeHg production. This study has important implications for better understanding of microbes-driven Hg conversion in paddies and wetlands with nutrient elements input.

An optimized protocol to assess SUMOylation in the plant Capsella rubella using two-component DEX-inducible transformants.

Here, we present an efficient protocol to test the SUMOylation of a target protein in the plant Capsella rubella based on overexpression of dexamethasone (DEX)-inducible tagged proteins. We describe the construction of two-component, FLAG-tagged DEX-inducible plasmids. We then detail the transformation of Capsella, followed by DEX treatment and SUMOylation assays. This protocol can be widely applied to proteins with expression restricted to specific cells and tissues using native promoters as well as proteins whose overexpression leads to embryo lethality. For complete details on the use and execution of this profile, please refer to Dong et al. (2020).

Ablation strategies for arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Catheter ablation for ventricular tachycardia (VT) in patients with arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) has significantly evolved over the past decade. However, different ablation strategies showed inconsistency in acute and long-term outcomes. METHODS: We searched the databases of Medline, Embase and Cochrane Library through October 17, 2019 for studies describing the clinical outcomes of VT ablation in ARVC. Data including VT recurrence, all-cause mortality, acute procedural efficacy and major procedural complications were extracted. A meta-analysis with trial sequential analysis was further performed in comparative studies of endo-epicardial versus endocardial-only ablation. RESULTS: A total of 24 studies with 717 participants were enrolled. The literatures of epicardial ablation were mainly published after 2010 with total ICD implantation of 73.7%, acute efficacy of 89.8%, major complication of 5.2%, follow-up of 28.9 months, VT freedom of 75.3%, all-cause mortality of 1.1% and heart transplantation of 0.6%. Meta-analysis of 10 comparative studies revealed that compared with endocardial-only approach, epicardial ablation significantly decreased VT recurrence (OR: 0.50; 95% CI: 0.30-0.85; P = 0.010), but somehow increased major procedural complications (OR: 4.64; 95% CI: 1.28-16.92; P= 0.02), with not evident improvement of acute efficacy (OR: 2.74; 95% CI: 0.98-7.65; P = 0.051) or all-cause mortality (OR: 0.87; 95% CI: 0.09-8.31; P = 0.90). CONCLUSION: Catheter ablation for VT in ARVC is feasible and effective. Epicardial ablation is associated with better long-term VT freedom, but with more major complications and unremarkable survival or acute efficacy benefit.

Relationship between red blood cell distribution width levels and atrial fibrillation in hypertensive patients.

BACKGROUND: Information on the relationship between red blood cell distribution width (RDW) and atrial fibrillation (AF) in patients with essential hypertension are scarce. The study aimed to assess the relationship between AF and RDW in hypertensive patients. METHODS: We enrolled 432 hypertensive patients, including 350 AF patients and 82 patients as controls. Patients' demographic, clinical, laboratory and echocardiographic characteristics were recorded. The AF patients were further divided into the persistent and paroxysmal AF subgroups. Electrocardiograms were monitored to identify the cardiac rhythm during blood sampling, and based on the rhythm, the paroxysmal AF group was categorized into the presence (with AF rhythm during blood sampling) and absence (with sinus rhythm during blood sampling) groups. RESULTS: The AF group had elevated RDW levels than the controls (12.7% ± 0.8% vs. 12.4% ± 0.7%, P = 0.002), and the persistent AF subgroup had higher RDW levels than the paroxysmal AF subgroup (12.9% ± 0.8% vs. 12.6% ± 0.8%, P = 0.007). Furthermore, in the paroxysmal AF group, the presence group had higher RDW levels than the absence group (13.0% ± 0.6% vs. 12.5% ± 0.9%, P = 0.001). There was no significant difference in RDW levels between the persistent AF subgroup and presence group of the paroxysmal AF subgroup (P = 0.533) and between the absence group of the paroxysmal AF subgroup and control group (P = 0.262). In multivariate regression analysis, in hypertensive patients, the presence of AF rhythm is an independent predictor for increased RDW concentration (P = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The RDW may be associated with the presence of AF rhythm, which implies the importance of maintaining the sinus rhythm in hypertensive patients.

Correlations between low thyroid function and incidence of atrial fibrillation in hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy.

BACKGROUND: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia in patients with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM). Data regarding the correlations of thyroid dysfunction and the incidence of AF in HOCM are quite limited. This study aimed to reveal the correlations between different thyroid status and the corresponding incidence of AF in a large HOCM cohort. METHODS: A total of 806 HOCM patients with complete information on thyroid function tests and comprehensive cardiac evaluations were recruited. The participants were divided into the AF group (n = 159) and non-AF group (n = 647) according to established medical history and results of Holter monitoring. The thyroid status of the study population and the corresponding incidence of AF were assessed and analyzed. RESULTS: Hypothyroidism accounted for the greatest proportion of thyroid dysfunction in HOCM patients. The incidence of AF significantly increased in individuals with both overt (P = 0.022) and subclinical (P = 0.007) hypothyroidism. Compared with participants in the non-AF group, those with positive AF episodes presented with lower free triiodothyronine (FT3) (2.86 ± 0.52 pg/mL vs. 3.01 ± 0.42 pg/mL, P = 0.001), higher free thyroxine (FT4) (1.24 ± 0.25 ng/dL vs. 1.15 ± 0.16 ng/dL, P < 0.001), and remarkably increased levels of thyrotropin (TSH) (12.6% vs. 5.3%, P = 0.001). Multivariable analyses demonstrated that the concentrations of FT3 (odds ratio [OR] = 0.470, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.272-0.813, P = 0.007) and FT4 (OR = 17.992, 95% CI: 5.750-56.296, P < 0.001), as well as TSH levels above normal ranges (OR = 2.276, 95% CI: 1.113-4.652, P = 0.024) were independently associated with the occurrence of AF in the large HOCM cohort. CONCLUSIONS: This study indicated a strong link between low thyroid function and the presence of AF in HOCM. Hypothyroidism (both overt and subclinical states) seems to be valuable for assessing the incidence of AF in patients with HOCM.

TIEG1 Represses Smad7-Mediated Activation of TGF-ß1/Smad Signaling in Keloid Pathogenesis.

Transforming growth factor-ß (TGF-ß)/Smad signaling plays a key role in excessive fibrosis and keloid formations. Smad7 is a negative feedback regulator that prevents activation of TGF-ß/Smad signaling. However, the regulatory mechanism for Smad7 in the keloid pathogenic process remains elusive. Here, we show that expression of TIEG1 is markedly higher in keloid fibroblasts, whereas protein, mRNA, and promoter activity levels of Smad7 are decreased. When TIEG1 was knocked down with small interfering RNA, both the promoter activity and protein expression of Smad7 were increased, whereas collagen production and the proliferation, migration, and invasion of keloid fibroblasts were decreased. In contrast, TIEG1 overexpression led to a decrease in Smad7 expression and Smad7 promoter activity. Upon TGF-ß1 stimulation, TIEG1 promoted Smad2 phosphorylation by down-regulating Smad7. Luciferase reporter assays and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays further showed that TIEG1 can directly bind a GC-box/Sp1 site located between nucleotides -1392 and -1382 in the Smad7 promoter to repress Smad7 promoter activity. Taken together, these findings show that TIEG1 is highly expressed in human keloids and that it directly binds and represses Smad7 promoter-mediated activation of TGF-ß/Smad2 signaling, thus providing clues for development of TIEG1 blocking strategies for therapy or prophylaxis of keloids.

Effectiveness and safety of negative-pressure wound therapy for diabetic foot ulcers: a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The authors conducted a meta-analysis to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of negative-pressure wound therapy for diabetic foot ulcers. METHODS: PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library were searched to identify relevant studies published up to February of 2013. All randomized controlled trials comparing negative-pressure wound therapy and non-negative-pressure wound therapy (i.e., standard wound care) for diabetic foot ulcers were included. Results were pooled using meta-analysis to assess the efficacy and safety of negative pressure in managing diabetic foot ulcers. RESULTS: The databases were derived from eight qualified studies that included a total of 669 patients. Overall, compared with the non-negative-pressure wound therapy-treated diabetic foot ulcers, negative pressure resulted in a significantly higher proportion of healed ulcers (relative risk, 1.52; 95 percent CI, 1.23 to 1.89; p<0.001), more reduction of ulcer area (standardized mean difference, 0.89; 95 percent CI, 0.41 to 1.37; p=0.003), and shorter time to wound healing (standardized mean difference, -1.10; 95 percent CI, -1.83 to -0.37; p=0.003). Negative-pressure wound therapy patients also experienced significantly fewer major amputations (relative risk, 0.14; 95 percent CI, 0.04 to 0.51; p=0.003), but the rate of minor amputations was not affected (p=0.837). No significant difference was observed between negative-pressure wound therapy and non-negative-pressure wound therapy (p=0.683). No heterogeneity among studies was detected. CONCLUSION: Negative-pressure wound therapy appears to be more effective for diabetic foot ulcers compared with non-negative-pressure wound therapy, and has a similar safety profile. CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic, II.

Inhibitory effects of phenolic compounds from Artocarpus styracifolius on respiratory burst of rat neutrophils.

CONTEXT: Searching for polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) respiratory burst inhibitors is an important topic in the treatment of human diseases associated with inflammation. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the inhibitory effects of phenolics isolated from Artocarpus styracifolius Pierre (Moraceae) on respiratory burst induced by phorbol myristate acetate (PMA). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The anti-respiratory burst activities of eight phenolics (20 µM) were assessed by determining luminol-dependent chemiluminiscence in rat PMNs. Cytotoxicity of active compounds (1-1000 µM) was assayed by Trypan blue dye exclusion method. Cell-free models were employed to evaluate scavenging capacity of active compounds (20 µM) against reactive oxygen species. RESULTS: The PMA-induced respiratory burst was significantly inhibited (p < 0.05) by six isoprenylated phenolics (AS1-6) at the concentration of 20 µM (below the toxic concentration) with the inhibition rate ranging from 25.0 to 99.6%. The inhibitory potency estimated by IC50 was in the order of AS1 (3.1 µM) >AS6 (5.9 µM) >AS2 (9.1 µM) >AS3 (10.0 µM) >AS5 (29.7 µM) >AS4 (57.7 µM). AS1-4, four isoprenylated flavones, potently quenched superoxide anion, hydroxyl radical, and hydrogen peroxide at the concentration of 20 µM with their scavenging rates in the range of 30.1-78.1%, 35.4-69.7%, and 65.5-86.3%, respectively. In contrast, AS5-6, two isoprenylated 2-arylbenzofurans, showed less effect than that exhibited by AS1-4. CONCLUSION AND DISCUSSION: The isoprenylated phenolics from A. styracifolius can potently inhibit PMA-induced respiratory burst in rat neutrophils without showing cytotoxicity. The inhibitory effects of these isoprenylated phenolics on the respiratory burst might depend on their different types of structure.

[Proteomic analysis between keloid and normal skin].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate and search correlative proteins of keloid by comparing the results of differential proteomic analysis between keloid and normal skin. METHODS: From January 2010 to June 2010 two-dimensional gel electrophoresis was used to define patterns of protein expression in keloid skin from 8 patients and matched normal skin from 3 patients. Differential expression protein spots were showed and analyzed by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flying/time of flying (MALDI-TOF/TOF) mass spectrometry. RESULTS: This study succeeded to provide a two-dimensional protein profiling comparison between normal skin and keloid. Gel-analysis software identified an average of 2978 spots in keloid while 3053 spots in normal skin and statistical filtering yielded 40 spots of a 4-fold change, 32 of which were identified by using mass spectrometry, 20 were up-regulated and 12 were down-regulated. Functional analysis revealed that these proteins could be fractionated to carrier proteins (3 proteins), signal transduction proteins (4 proteins), proliferation and apoptosis related proteins (2 proteins), cytoskeleton proteins (6 proteins), extracellular matrix proteins (8 proteins), immunity related proteins (3 proteins), tumor related proteins (2 proteins), and function unknown protein (4 proteins). CONCLUSIONS: Proteomic analysis can identify the proteins with variance of keloid versus normal skin. The further research to these differential proteins may help reveal the pathogenesis of keloid and provide new treatments for keloid.

Methylprednisolone improves microcirculation in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats after myocardial ischemia/reperfusion.

BACKGROUND: Methylprednisolone has been demonstrated to decrease inflammation, and it may protect organs from ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. This study aimed to investigate the effects of methylprednisolone on diabetic myocardial I/R injury. METHODS: Forty adult male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomized into five groups (n = 8 in each group) including a sham operation (sham) group, I/R group, diabetic sham operation (DMS) group, diabetic I/R (DM-I/R) group and methylprednisolone intervention (MP + DM-I/R) group. The diabetic model was produced by injection of streptozotocin (STZ). Body weight and blood glucose levels were determined after diabetes was established. Twelve weeks after induction of diabetes, a segmental I/R of the heart was induced by occluding the left anterior descending artery for one hour and then three hours of reperfusion in the I/R, DM-I/R and MP + DM-I/R groups. Blood pressure and electrocardiogram were continuously recorded during the procedure. IL-1ß, IL-6 and TNF-α were measured at certain time points during the surgery. After reperfusion, a microcirculation scan was performed; myocardial biomarkers and tissue structure were utilized to evaluate the reperfusion damage. Intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1 and NF-κBp65 expression were quantified by immunohistological staining. Total Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and nuclear NF-κBp65 protein were determined by Western blotting. RESULTS: Twelve weeks after diabetes was established, blood glucose levels were elevated and body weights were lower in diabetic rats. After reperfusion, infarction size was increased, myocardial biomarkers and inflammatory cytokines levels were elevated. Microcirculation perfusion was significantly reduced in the DM-I/R group compared with the I/R group, however it was improved in the MP + DM-I/R group. The expression of NF-κBp65 and ICAM-1 were increased in the DM-I/R group and decreased in the MP + DM-I/R group. Compared with the non-diabetic I/R group, TLR4 and NF-κBp65 protein levels were up-regulated in the DM-I/R group, but down-regulated in the MP + DM-I/R group. CONCLUSIONS: Methylprednisolone improves microcirculation in STZ-induced diabetic rats after myocardial ischemia/reperfusion, which may associate with the suppression of TLR4/NF-κB signaling.

Early escharectomy and concurrent composite skin grafting over human acellular dermal matrix scaffold for covering deep facial burns.

BACKGROUND: Although escharectomy and full-thickness skin autografting have been widely used to treat deep facial burns, the clinical outcomes remain unacceptable. Composite razor-thin skin grafting over acellular dermal matrix scaffold has been used successfully in repairing burns of the trunk and limbs, but its use in covering deep facial burns has rarely been reported. In this study, the authors investigated the clinical outcomes of early escharectomy and concurrent composite razor-thin skin autografting and acellular dermal matrix scaffold for treating deep facial burns. METHODS: Patients with deep facial burns (n = 16) involving 8 to 30 percent of the total body surface area received early escharectomy by postburn day 3 and concurrent, one-stage, large, razor-thin skin autografting on top of human acellular dermal matrix scaffold. Wound dressings were changed on postoperative days 7, 9, and 12 to examine the survival of skin autografts. Patients were followed up for 12 months to evaluate their facial profiles. RESULTS: The take rate of composite skin autografts was 97.3 percent at postoperative day 12. At the follow-up visit, the skin autografts appeared normal in color, with soft texture and good elasticity. The skin junctures showed little scarring. The patients exhibited a chubby facial appearance and abundant expression, except for one patient with microstomia and two patients with ectropion who required further plastic surgical interventions. CONCLUSION: Early escharectomy and concurrent composite razor-thin skin autografting on top of acellular dermal matrix scaffold constitute an effective and favorable option for covering deep facial burns, especially for patients with limited donor sites.