Single-cell profiling of the pig cecum at various developmental stages.

The gastrointestinal tract is essential for food digestion, nutrient absorption, waste elimination, and microbial defense. Single-cell transcriptome profiling of the intestinal tract has greatly enriched our understanding of cellular diversity, functional heterogeneity, and their importance in intestinal tract development and disease. Although such profiling has been extensively conducted in humans and mice, the single-cell gene expression landscape of the pig cecum remains unexplored. Here, single-cell RNA sequencing was performed on 45 572 cells obtained from seven cecal samples in pigs at four different developmental stages (days (D) 30, 42, 150, and 730). Analysis revealed 12 major cell types and 38 subtypes, as well as their distinctive genes, transcription factors, and regulons, many of which were conserved in humans. An increase in the relative proportions of CD8 + T and Granzyme A (low expression) natural killer T cells (GZMA low NKT) cells and a decrease in the relative proportions of epithelial stem cells, Tregs, RHEX + T cells, and plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) were noted across the developmental stages. Moreover, the post-weaning period exhibited an up-regulation in mitochondrial genes, COX2 and ND2, as well as genes involved in immune activation in multiple cell types. Cell-cell crosstalk analysis indicated that IBP6 + fibroblasts were the main signal senders at D30, whereas IBP6 - fibroblasts assumed this role at the other stages. NKT cells established interactions with epithelial cells and IBP6 + fibroblasts in the D730 cecum through mediation of GZMA-F2RL1/F2RL2 pairs. This study provides valuable insights into cellular heterogeneity and function in the pig cecum at different development stages.

Chemical Components and Pharmacological Activities of Smallanthus sonchifolius （Yacon）：A Review / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Smallanthus sonchifolius， a plant resource with both medicinal and edible values， has been taken as fruit for a long history. Studies have proved that phenolic acids， flavonoids， sesquiterpene lactones， and fructooligosaccharides are the major compounds in S. sonchifolius. The extract of S. sonchifolius demonstrates noticeable antioxidant， anti-inflammatory， antimicrobial， and anti-cancer effects， as well as the activities of lowering blood glucose level， regulating intestinal function and so on. The rhizomes and leaves of S. sonchifolius contain abundant phenolic acids， mainly caffeic acid and its derivatives， which endow S. sonchifolius with remarkable antioxidant effect. Moreover， these substances can reduce blood glucose by improving insulin sensitivity. Fructooligosaccharides are abundant in the tuber of this plant， which can improve intestinal function by regulating intestinal flora. The sesquiterpene lactones in glandular trichomes on the leaf surface can inhibit the proliferation of cancer cells， among which uvedafolin and enhydrofolin have particularly strong activities. Furthermore， the sesquiterpene lactones have obvious inhibitory effect on Gram-positive bacteria. In terms of structure， the number of epoxy groups is linked to the strength of anticancer and antimicrobial effects. In addition， S. sonchifolius contains other compounds such as volatile oils， fatty acids， sterols， diterpenes， p-hydroxyacetophenone derivatives， and octulosonic acid derivatives， thereby exhibiting the pharmacological effects of treating Alzheimer's disease， protecting kidney， and lowering blood lipids. However， the isolation and identification of the main compounds in S. sonchifolius need further exploration， and the mechanism of action remains to be studied. Here we summarized the principal chemical components and pharmacological activities of S. sonchifolius， aiming to give a clue for the comprehensive development and utilization of this plant.

Effect of Anti-Oxidative of Ethyl Pyruvate and Taurine on the Red Blood Cell Storage at 4 ℃ / 中国实验血液学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the anti-oxidative effect of ethyl pyruvate (EP) and taurine (TAU) on the quality of red blood cells stored at 4±2 ℃, hemolysis, energy metabolism and lipid peroxidation of the red blood cells in the preservation solution were studied at different intervals.@*METHODS@#At 4±2 ℃, the deleukocyte red blood cells were stored in the citrate-phosphate-dextrosesaline-adenine-1 (CPDA-1) preservation (control group), preservation solution with EP (EP-AS), and TAU (TAU-AS) for long-term preservation. The enzyme-linked immunoassay and automatic blood cell analyzer were used to detect hemolysis and erythrocyte parameters. Adenine nucleoside triphosphate (ATP), glycerol 2,3-diphosphate (2,3-DPG) and malondialdehyde (MDA) kits were used to test the ATP, 2,3-DPG and MDA concentration.@*RESULTS@#During the preservation, the rate of red blood cell hemolysis in EP-AS and TAU-AS groups were significantly lower than that in CPDA-1 group (P<0.01). The MCV of EP-AS group was increased with the preservation time (r=0.71), while the MCV of the TAU-AS group was significantly lower than that in the other two groups (P<0.05). The concentration of ATP and MDA in EP-AS and TAU-AS groups were significantly higher than that in CPDA-1 group at the 14th day (P<0.01). The concentrations of 2,3-DPG in the EP-AS and TAU-AS groups were significantly higher than that in the CPDA-1 group from the 7th day (P<0.01).@*CONCLUSION@#EP and TAU can significantly reduce the red blood cell hemolysis rate, inhibit the lipid peroxidation level of red blood cells, and improve the energy metabolism of red blood cells during storage. The mechanism of EP and TAU may be related to their antioxidation and membrane protection effect, so as to improve the red blood cell quality and extend the preservation time.

Dynamic activity of NF-kappaB in multiple trauma patients and protective effects of ulinastain / 中华创伤杂志(英文版)

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the dynamic activity of NF-kappaB at the early stage of injury in multiple trauma patients and the protective effects of ulinastain.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>From January 2008 to May 2010, patients with multiple traumas admitted to our emergency department were enrolled in this study. Their age varied from 20-55 years. All enrolled patients were assigned randomly into control group (26 cases of multiple injury without ulinastain treatment), ulinastain group (25 cases of multiple injury with ulinastain treatment), and mild injury group (20 cases) for basic control. The inclusion criteria for mild injury group were AIS-2005 less than or equal to 3, single wound, previously healthy inhospital patients without the history of surgical intervention. In addition to routine treatment, patients in ulinastain group were intravenously injected 200 000 IU of ulinastain dissolved in 100 ml of normal saline within 12 hours after injury and subsequently injected at the interval of every 8 hours for 7 days. NF-kappaB activity in monocytes and the level of TNF-alpha,IL-1, IL-6 in serum on admission (day 0), day 1, 2, 3, 4, and 7 were measured. Data were compared and analyzed between different groups.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>NF-kappaB activity in monocytes and TNF-alpha,IL-1 and IL-6 of these patients reached peak levels at 24 hour after trauma, with gradual decrease to normal at 72 hour after trauma. NF-kappaB activity and levels of TNF-alpha,IL-1 and IL-6 were lower in ulinastain group than control one, without any significant difference between the two groups. The mean duration for systemic inflammatory response syndrome and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome was 7 d+/-3.1 d and 10 d+/-3.5 d in ulinastain group and control group respectively, and showed a significant difference.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>NF-kappaB activity in monocytes and the levels of inflammatory cytokines in multiply injured patients increased transiently at the early stage of trauma. Ulinastain may shorten the duration of systemic inflammatory response syndrome and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome, but does not show the ability to decrease the activity of NF-kappaB .</p>

Cell-wall-deficient bacteria: a major etiological factor for psoriasis? / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Psoriasis is a common inflammatory skin disease, yet knowledge of the factors that may induce, trigger, or exacerbate psoriasis is not fully delineated. Recent advances have improved our understanding of the link between psoriasis and cell-wall-deficient bacteria (CWDB) infections. In the present study we assessed the prevalence of CWDB infection in patients with psoriasis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The carriage rate of CWDB in the tonsil or pharynx of psoriasis patients, chronic tonsillitis patients and controls were investigated using hypertonic medium. Psoriasis patients with CWDB were randomly assigned to two groups and respectively treated with antibiotics or systemic therapy without antibiotic. Human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from psoriasis patients, chronic tonsillitis patients and control subjects were stimulated with bacteria antigens and extra-cellular levels of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and interleukin (IL)-10 were measured in the supernatants using the ELISA technique, in vitro. Meanwhile, the proliferation ability of PBMC to respond to bacteria antigens was detected by MTT assay.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>CWDB were isolated from 74.2% of psoriasis patients, 23.5% of chronic tonsillitis patients and only 6.3% of controls. Antibiotic therapy was appropriate for approximately 80% of psoriasis patients with CWDB infection, and in only 8.9% psoriasis patients CWDB infection was detected after antibiotic therapy. Meanwhile, our study showed that CWDB and wide-type bacteria did remarkably enhance the production of IFN-gamma, in vitro, and PBMC proliferation.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>CWDB infection may be a virtual triggering factor in psoriasis by regulating T-cell activation.</p>

Research progresses on electroactive and electrically conductive polymers for tissue engineering scaffolds / 中国医学科学院学报

Electroactive and/or electrically conductive polymers have shown potential applications in the culture of excitable cells and as the electroactive scaffolds for neuronal or cardiac tissue engineering. The biocompatibility of the conductive polymer can be improved by covalently grafting or blending with oligo- or polypeptides. The new progresses in this area on two types of conductive polymers, polypyrrole and polyaniline (PANi) are reviewed in this paper. The studies of oligopeptide-modified PANi and electrospun PANi/gelatin nanofibers are highlighted.