Untargeted metabolomics analysis of serum and follicular fluid samples from women with polycystic ovary syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a complex endocrine disorder with well-established metabolic abnormalities. In the present study, untargeted metabolomics technology was applied to analyze the serum and follicular fluid samples from women with polycystic ovary syndrome and healthy controls using 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). METHODS: Seventy samples for PCOS analysis were collected in hospital of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (Jinan, China), NMR was used as analytical technology and multivariate analysis was applied to analyze metabolomics difference in PCOS and healthy controls. RESULTS: Significant metabolic differences were found in both serum and follicular fluid samples with orthogonal partial least-squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA). Three discriminated metabolites (1-Methylhistidine, threonine and Citrate) in both serum and follicular fluid were altered in PCOS patients. Abnormal energy metabolism, lipid metabolism and amino acid metabolism were detected in PCOS patients. Furthermore, more significantly changed amino acids were discovered in follicular fluid samples. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings would provide a resource for further investigations on metabolic disturbance in PCOS patients.

Heart rate-adjusted PR as a prognostic marker of long-term ventricular arrhythmias and cardiac death in ICD/CRT-D recipients.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the PR to RR interval ratio (PR/RR, heart rate-adjusted PR) as a prognostic marker for long-term ventricular arrhythmias and cardiac death in patients with implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICDs) and cardiac resynchronization therapy with defibrillators (CRT-D). METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed data from 428 patients who had an ICD/CRT-D equipped with home monitoring. Baseline PR and RR interval data prior to ICD/CRT-D implantation were collected from standard 12-lead electrocardiograph, and the PR/RR was calculated. The primary endpoint was appropriate ICD/CRT-D treatment of ventricular arrhythmias (VAs), and the secondary endpoint was cardiac death. RESULTS: During a mean follow-up period of 38.8 ± 10.6 months, 197 patients (46%) experienced VAs, and 47 patients (11%) experienced cardiac death. The overall PR interval was 160 ± 40 ms, and the RR interval was 866 ± 124 ms. Based on the receiver operating characteristic curve, a cut-off value of 18.5% for the PR/RR was identified to predict VAs. A PR/RR ≥ 18.5% was associated with an increased risk of VAs [hazard ratio (HR) = 2.243, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.665-3.022, P < 0.001) and cardiac death (HR = 2.358, 95%CI = 1.240-4.483, P = 0.009) in an unadjusted analysis. After adjustment in a multivariate Cox model, the relationship remained significant among PR/RR ≥ 18.5%, VAs (HR = 2.230, 95%CI = 1.555-2.825, P < 0.001) and cardiac death (HR = 2.105, 95%CI = 1.101-4.025, P = 0.024. CONCLUSIONS: A PR/RR ≥ 18.5% at baseline can serve as a predictor of future VAs and cardiac death in ICD/CRT-D recipients.

Genotyping of Soybean Cultivars With Medium-Density Array Reveals the Population Structure and QTNs Underlying Maturity and Seed Traits.

Soybean was domesticated about 5,000 to 6,000 years ago in China. Although genotyping technologies such as genotyping by sequencing (GBS) and high-density array are available, it is convenient and economical to genotype cultivars or populations using medium-density SNP array in genetic study as well as in molecular breeding. In this study, 235 cultivars, collected from China, Japan, USA, Canada and some other countries, were genotyped using SoySNP8k iSelect BeadChip with 7,189 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). In total, 4,471 polymorphic SNP markers were used to analyze population structure and perform genome-wide association study (GWAS). The most likely K value was 7, indicating this population can be divided into 7 subpopulations, which is well in accordance with the geographic origins of cultivars or accession studied. The LD decay rate was estimated at 184 kb, where r2 dropped to half of its maximum value (0.205). GWAS using FarmCPU detected a stable quantitative trait nucleotide (QTN) for hilum color and seed color, which is consistent with the known loci or genes. Although no universal QTNs for flowering time and maturity were identified across all environments, a total of 30 consistent QTNs were detected for flowering time (R1) or maturity (R7 and R8) on 16 chromosomes, most of them were corresponding to known E1 to E4 genes or QTL region reported in SoyBase (soybase.org). Of 16 consistent QTNs for protein and oil contents, 11 QTNs were detected having antagonistic effects on protein and oil content, while 4 QTNs soly for oil content, and one QTN soly for protein content. The information gained in this study demonstrated that the usefulness of the medium-density SNP array in genotyping for genetic study and molecular breeding.

MNPs-Fe3O4mediates malignant Hematolpoectic cell apoptosis.

This study was purposed to evaluate whether the safe concentration of magnetic nanoparticles of Fe3O4(MNPs-Fe3O4) for monocytes could induce the SKM-1 cell apoptosis. The average size and Zeta potential of MNPs-Fe3O4were determined by transmission electron microscopy and the Malvern Zetasizer 3000 HS, respectively. The cell viability after being exposed to MNPs-Fe3O4for 12, 24, 48, and 72 hours was detected by using cell count Kit-8. The cell apoptosis was evaluated by flow cytometry with Annexin V/PI double staining and Wright-Giemsa staining. The cell cycle was measured by flow cytometry. The levels of active caspase-3, survivin and bcl-rambo in cells treated with MNPs-Fe3O4and/or trolox for 48 hours were detected with Western blot. The results showed that the cell viability decreased in SKM-1 cells after exposure to 50 µmol/L and 100 µmol/L MNPs-Fe3O4(P < 0.05), but did not in monocytes (P > 0.05), compared with that of each non-MNPs-Fe3O4-treated group. This exposure also induced the SKM-1 cells to be arrested in G0/G1. Annexin V/PI staining assay showed that cell apoptotic rate induced by 100 µmol/L MNPs-Fe3O4was significantly high in SKM-1 cells while not so high in monocytes, and the pretreatment with trolox could attenuate the apoptosis. Moreover, the active caspase-3 increased in SKM-1 cells after the exposure to MNPs-Fe3O4, while that was not in monocytes, and the increased expression of BCL-rambo and the decreased expression of survivin involved in the process were also observed. It is concluded that MNPs-Fe3O4can induce the caspase 3-dependent SKM-1 cell apoptosis by increasing the BCL-rambo expression and decreasing the survivin expression, but this cytotoxic effect can not be observed in monocyte's.

[Preventive effect of integrative medical therapy on children Henoch-Schonleln purpura with renal impairment].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical effect of integrative medicinal therapy in treating children Henoch-Schonlein purpura (HSP) and its preventive effect on complicated renal impairment. METHODS: One hundred and twenty children with HSP were equally randomized into two groups, the treated group and the control group. Both were treated with conventional Western medical therapy, but Sanhuang Qingxue Yin (SQY, a Chinese herbal drug) was given additionally to the treated group. Besides, a group consisted of 30 healthy children was set up as a normal control. Changes of symptoms, physical signs, routine urine, plasma endothelin-1 (ET-1) and urinary levels of beta2-microglobulin (beta2-MG), albumin (ALB) and immunoglobulin G (IgG) before and after treatment were observed, and the recurrence was monitored. RESULTS: The cure rate and the total effective rate in the treated group were 80.0% and 98.3%, while those in the control group were 61.7% and 88.3%, showing significant differences between groups (P < 0.05); the disappearance time of clinical symptoms was shorter in the treated group than in the control group, also showing a significant difference (P < 0.01); after 1-month treatment, levels of plasma ET-1, and urinary beta2-MG, ALB and IgG were improved in the treated group, reaching the levels opproximate to those in the normal control (P > 0.05), significant difference was shown as compared with those in the control group and with those before treatment respectively (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). The recurrent rate was 13.33% in the treated group and 30.0% in the control group, and they were statistically different (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The integrative medicinal therapy is good for treating HSP in children, it could not only obviously relieve clinical symptoms, shorten the illness course and reduce the recurrent rate, but also effectively prevent the occurrence of renal impairment.

Factors associated with the extent of care-seeking delay for patients with acute myocardial infarction in Beijing.

BACKGROUND: Prehospital delay remains one of the main causes of reduced benefit of reperfusion therapy for patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). The largest proportion of prehospital delay involves the interval between the onset of symptoms and the decision to seek medical treatment. The purpose of this study was to examine the factors associated with the extent of care-seeking delay in Beijing for patients with AMI. METHODS: A structured interview was conducted in 102 patients with AMI in eight hospitals in Beijing. RESULTS: The mean decision time in patients with AMI was (204 +/- 43) minutes, and prehospital delay time was (311 +/- 54) minutes. Only 34% of patients sought medical care within one hour and a further 36% of patients presented to one of the eight hospitals within two hours after onset. Educational level, atypical presentation of AMI, and family members at the site where AMI occurred were associated with longer delay time in seeking medical assistance (P < 0.05, respectively), whereas the intensity of chest pain was inversely related to patients' delay time (P < 0.01). Patients who perceived their family relationship as good, attributed their symptoms to AMI origin, knew the time-dependent nature of reperfusion therapy, or used emergency medical service tended to seek medical care in a more rapid manner (P < 0.05, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with AMI in Beijing delay seeking medical care to a great extent. Health education to increase the level of awareness of the target population at increased risk of AMI, including patients and their family members, is probably beneficial to reduce patients' care-seeking delay.