Chromatin binding protein HMGN1 promotes HBV cccDNA transcription and replication by regulating the phosphorylation of histone 3.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Direct elimination of cccDNA remains a formidable obstacle due to the persistent and stable presence of cccDNA in hepatocyte nuclei. The silencing of cccDNA transcription enduringly is one of alternative strategies in the treatment of hepatitis B. Protein binding to cccDNA plays an important role in its transcriptional regulation; thus, the identification of key factors involved in this process is of great importance. APPROACHES AND RESULTS: In the present study, high mobility group nucleosome binding domain 1 (HMGN1) was screened out based on our biotin-avidin enrichment system. First, chromatin immunoprecipitation and fluorescent in situ hybridization assays confirmed the binding of HMGN1 with cccDNA in the nucleus. Second, functional experiments in HBV-infected cells showed that the promoting effect of HMGN1 on HBV transcription and replication depended on the functional region of the nucleosomal binding domain, while transfection of the HMGN1 mutant showed no influence on HBV compared with the vector. Third, further mechanistic exploration revealed that the silencing of HMGN1 increased the level of phosphorylase CLK2 and promoted H3 phosphorylation causing the reduced accessibility of cccDNA. Moreover, silenced HMGN1 was mimicked in HBV (r) cccDNA mouse model of HBV infection in vivo. The results showed that silencing HMGN1 inhibited HBV replication in vivo. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, our study identified that a host protein can bind to cccDNA and promote its transcription, providing a candidate strategy for anti-HBV targeting to interfere with the transcriptional activity of cccDNA microchromosomes.

Mechanism of amino acid metabolism in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease / 临床肝胆病杂志

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease （NAFLD） is one of the most prevalent chronic liver diseases in the world， affecting about one quarter of the global population， and it is estimated that NAFLD will become the main indication for liver transplantation by 2030. NAFLD can lead to significant abnormalities in the levels of a variety of amino acids including branched-chain amino acids， thereby promoting the development and progression of NAFLD. These results suggest that in addition to glucose and lipid metabolism， amino acid metabolism also plays an important role in the progression of NAFLD. In order to systematically understand the role and mechanism of amino acid metabolism in NAFLD， this article reviews the research advances in amino acid metabolism in NAFLD. This article aims to explore the role and mechanism of amino acid metabolism in the progression of NAFLD， so as to provide ideas and a theoretical basis for clinical prevention and treatment.

Echocardiography and strain analysis in Malaysian elite athletes versus young healthy adults.

Background: Athletes have changes that can mimic pathological cardiomyopathy. Methods: Echocardiographic study of 50 male, female athletes (MA, FA) and non-athletes (MNA, FNA) age 18 to 30 years. These athletes participate in sports with predominantly endurance component. All participants exhibit no known medical illnesses or symptoms. Results: MA have thicker wall (IVSd) than MNA. No MA have IVSd > 1.2 cm and no FA have IVSd > 1.0 cm. Left ventricle internal dimension (LVIDd), left ventricle end diastolic volume index (LVEDVi) is bigger in athletes. None have LVIDd > 5.8 cm. Right ventricle fractional area change (FAC) is lower in athletes. (MA vs MNA, p = 0.013, FA vs FNA, p = 0.025). Athletes have higher septal and lateral e' (Septal e'; MA 13.57 ± 2.66 cm/s vs MNA 11.46 ± 2.93 cm/s, p < 0.001, Lateral e'; MA 17.17 ± 3.07 cm/s vs MNA 14.82 ± 3.14 cm/s, p < 0.001), (Septal e'; FA 13.46 ± 2.32 cm/s vs FNA 12.16 ± 2.05 cm/s, p = 0.04, Lateral e'; FA 16.92 ± 2.97 cm/s vs FNA 15.44 ± 2.29 cm/s, p = 0.006).No difference in Global longitudinal (GLS), Right ventricle free wall (RVFWS) and Global circumferential strain (GCS). Left atrial reservoir (LArS) and left atrial booster strain (LAbS) is smaller in athletes. (LArS, MA 44.12 ± 9.55% vs MNA 52.95 ± 11.17%, p < 0.001 LArS, FA 48.07 ± 10.06% vs FNA 53.64 ± 8.99%, p = 0.004), (LAbS, MA 11.59 ± 5.13% vs MNA 17.35 ± 5.27%, p < 0.001 LAbS FA 11.77 ± 4.65% vs FNA 15.30 ± 4.19%, p < 0.001). Conclusion: Malaysian athletes have thicker wall and bigger left ventricle than controls. No athletes have IVSd > 1.2 cm and/or LVIDd > 5.8 cm. There is no difference in GLS, RVFWS and GCS but athletes have smaller LArS and LAbS.

Ciliatoside A, isolated from Peristrophe japonica, inhibits HBsAg expression and cccDNA transcription by inducing autophagy.

Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) loss and seroconversion are considered as an end point of a functional cure. Therefore, it is crucial to find new agents which could efficiently decrease HBsAg. Traditional herbal plants have been considered as an important source of new hepatitis B drugs development for their extensive use in antimicrobial and anti-inflammation. In this study, Peristrophe japonica, which could remarkably reduce HBsAg in the supernatant of HepG2.2.15 cells, was screened out for further extraction. Here, an active ethyl acetate fraction of Peristrophe japonica containing 34 sub-fractions was extracted. Subsequently, the monomeric compound Ciliatoside A was isolated and identified as a potential antiviral reagent with low cytotoxicity from Fraction 30. Ciliatoside A exhibited strong inhibition on intracellular and circulating HBsAg and HBV RNAs in HBV-infected cells and an HBV recombinant-cccDNA mouse model. The mechanistic study revealed that Ciliatoside A exhibited a potent anti-HBV effect through inducing autophagy-lysosomal pathway to autophagic degradation of HBc by activating AMPK-ULK1 axis and inhibiting mTOR activation. In summary, we have identified a novel antiviral compound Ciliatoside A isolated from Peristrophe japonica. This study may provide important direction and new ideas for the discovery of hepatitis B cure drugs.

Comprehensive functional genomic analyses link APC somatic mutation and mRNA-miRNA networks to the clinical outcome of stage-III colorectal cancer patients.

BACKGROUND: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a major health concern globally, but exhibits regional and/or environmental distinctions in terms of outcome especially for patients with stage III CRC. METHODS: From 2014 to 2016, matched pairs of tumor and adjacent normal tissue samples from 60 patients with stage I-IV CRC from Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in Taiwan were analyzed using next-generation sequencing. The DNA, mRNA, and miRNA sequences of paired tumor tissues were profiled. An observational study with survival analysis was done. Online datasets of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and The International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) were also integrated and compared. RESULTS: The gene that exhibited the highest mutation rate was adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) (75.0%), followed by TP53 (70.0%), KRAS (56.6%), and TTN (48.3%). APC was also the most frequently mutated gene in TCGA and ICGC datasets. Surprisingly, for non-metastatic cases (stages I-III), CRC patients with mutated APC had better outcome in terms of overall survival (p = 0.041) and recurrence free survival (p = 0.0048). Particularly for stage III CRC, the overall survival rate was 94.4% and 67.7%, respectively (p = 0.018), and the recurrence free survival rate was 94.4% and 16.7%, respectively (p = 0.00044). Further clinical and gene expression analyses revealed that the APC wt specimens to a greater extent exhibit poor differentiation state as well as EGFR upregulation, providing molecular basis for the poor prognosis of these patients. Finally, based on integrated transcriptome analysis, we constructed the mRNA-miRNA networks underlying disease recurrence of the stage III CRC and uncovered potential therapeutic targets for this clinical condition. CONCLUSION: For stage III CRC, patients with mutated APC had better overall and recurrence free survival.

The predictive value of serum human leukocyte differentiation antigen 36 levels in cardiovascular risk in patients with rheumatoid arthritis / 中华风湿病学杂志

Objective:To explore the expression and predictive value of serum CD36 level in cardio-vascular risk in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and to provide a new theoretical basis for clinical iden-tification and prediction of patients at moderate and high cardiovascular risk in RA patients.Methods:Eighty-four RA patients hospitalized to the Department of Rheumatology and Immunology of the second hospital of Lanzhou University in Gansu Province were selected as the study subjects, and 34 healthy people were selected as the controls. All RA patients were divided into low cardiovascular risk groups and medium and high cardiovascular risk groups according to prediction for ASCVD risk in China (China-PAR) cardiovascular risk assessment. At the same time, they were tested for serological indicators at admission. Statistical Product and Service Solutions (SPSS)) 26.0 software was used for the statistical data analysis. T-test and nonparametric test were used for comparison of the measurement data. The Chi-square test and Fisher's exact test were used for the comparison of classified data. Variables with P<0.05 in univariate analysis were included into the Logistic regression model. Results:Compared with the healthy control group, the number of patients with medium and high cardiovascular risk in RA[8 cases (23.5)% and 38 cases (45.2)%, χ2=4.80, P=0.029] was significantly higher and was negatively correlated with serum CD36 ( r=-0.27, P<0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that age [ OR(95% CI)=1.654(1.157, 2.365), P=0.006] and diastolic blood pressure [ OR(95% CI)=1.225(1.040, 1.442) , P=0.015] were independent risk factors for medium and high cardiovascular risk in RA patients, and serum CD36 level [ OR(95% CI)=0.569(0.352, 0.922) , P=0.022] was the protective factor of medium and high cardiovascular risk in RA patients according to the results of Logistic regression analysis. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) area under the curve (AUC) was 0.691, the cut-off value was 4.27 pg/ml, and the sensitivity and specificity were 89.7% and 41.0% respectively. Conclusion:The serum CD36 level decreases with the increase of cardiovascular risk in RA patients. A higher serum CD36 level is a protective factor of cardiovascular risk in RA patients, and CD36 has a certain predictive value for cardiovascular risk in RA patients and is a potential predictor.

Clinicopathological characteristics and lymph node metastasis in patients with early gastric cancer / 中华普通外科杂志

Objective:To explore the risk factors of lymph node metastasis (LNM) in early gastric cancer (ECG), and establish a risk-prediction model based on LNM.Method:Four hundred and twenty-seven EGC patients undergoing curative radical gastrectomy were enrolled in this study. The risk factors for LNM of ECG were analyzed with Logistic regression. LNM risk was stratified and risk-predicting model was established. The risk-predicting model was measured by area under ROC curve. According to the same standard, clinical data of 133 patients with EGC who underwent radical surgery were selected for external verification of the model.Results:The frequency of LNM was 13.3% (32/427) in EGC patients. The LNM ratio of intramucosal carcinoma and submucosal carcinoma was 1.3% (3/237), 15.3% (29/190) respectively. Ulcer presence, tumor size >2 cm, undifferentiated tumor, submucosal invasion, neural invasion, and vascular tumor thrombus were significantly associated with LNM in EGC patients ( χ2=3.408, 16.379, 4.808, 29.804, 25.305, 47.120, respectively P<0.05). Multivariate analysis suggested that ulcer presence, tumor size >2 cm, depth of invasion, neural invasion, and vascular tumor thrombus were independent predictors of LNM in EGC patients, ( OR=0.326, 2.924, 11.824, 13.047, 7.756, respectively P<0.05). LNM predicting model is established, P=e

Mycena subpiligera sp. nov., a Symbiotic Species from China Associated with the Seed Germination of Gastrodia elata

Mycena subpiligera, a new taxon in sect. Fragilipedes that can strongly enhance the germination efficiency of Gastrodia elata seeds, was discovered in subtropical areas of China. As revealed by a morphological comparison with related Mycena species as well as maximum likelihood (ML) and Bayesian phylogenetic analyses based on sequences of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and the large subunit (LSU) regions of nuclear ribosomal RNA, the new taxon can be distinguished from phenotypically similar and phylogenetically related species. Optimal cultural conditions for M. subpiligera basidiomata are reported, and the germination rate of the new species is compared with that of M. citrinomarginata.

A Prospective Multicenter Study of the Chinese Scoring System for Hepatitis B Liver Failure.

Objective: To evaluate the clinical utility of a Chinese scoring system for hepatitis B liver failure in a prospective and multicenter study. Methods: Clinical data for 1,143 patients with hepatitis B liver failure who had been followed up for a minimum of 6 months were collected from seven liver disease centers across China. The disease severity and prognosis for the patients were predicted using the Chinese scoring system and compared to those predicted with the model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score, MELD-Na score, and Child-Turcotte-Pugh (CTP) score. Results: The Chinese scoring system was more effective at predicting the outcomes of survival and mortality than the MELD score. In the peak disease stage, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for the Chinese scoring system was 0.954, significantly higher than that (0.896) for the MELD scoring system (P < 0.001). The positive prediction at 30, 90, and 180 days with the Chinese scoring system was 0.764 (95% CI: 0.714-0.808), 0.731 (95% CI: 0.694-0.769), and 0.724 (95% CI: 0.679-0.765), also significantly higher than that with the MELD, MELD-Na, and CTP scores (P < 0.001). In addition, the Chinese scoring system was superior to the MELD, MELD-Na, and CTP scores (P < 0.001) at predicting the prognosis of patients with hepatitis B liver failure at both 30 and 180 days. Conclusion: The Chinese scoring system demonstrated superior performance to the three established scoring systems in assessing the severity and outcomes of hepatitis B liver failure in this cohort.

Significantly enhanced coupling effect and gap plasmon resonance in a MIM-cavity based sensing structure.

Herein, we design a high sensitivity with a multi-mode plasmonic sensor based on the square ring-shaped resonators containing silver nanorods together with a metal-insulator-metal bus waveguide. The finite element method can analyze the structure's transmittance properties and electromagnetic field distributions in detail. Results show that the coupling effect between the bus waveguide and the side-coupled resonator can enhance by generating gap plasmon resonance among the silver nanorods, increasing the cavity plasmon mode in the resonator. The suggested structure obtained a relatively high sensitivity and acceptable figure of merit and quality factor of about 2473 nm/RIU (refractive index unit), 34.18 1/RIU, and 56.35, respectively. Thus, the plasmonic sensor is ideal for lab-on-chip in gas and biochemical analysis and can significantly enhance the sensitivity by 177% compared to the regular one. Furthermore, the designed structure can apply in nanophotonic devices, and the range of the detected refractive index is suitable for gases and fluids (e.g., gas, isopropanol, optical oil, and glucose solution).

Molecular determinants and heterogeneity underlying host response to EV-A71 infection at single-cell resolution.

The pathogenic human enterovirus EV-A71 has raised serious public health concerns. A hallmark of EV-A71 infection is the distortion of host transcriptomes in favour of viral replication. While high-throughput approaches have been exploited to dissect these gene dysregulations, they do not fully capture molecular perturbations at the single-cell level and in a physiologically relevant context. In this study, we applied a single-cell RNA sequencing approach on infected differentiated enterocyte cells (C2BBe1), which model the gastrointestinal epithelium targeted initially by EV-A71. Our single-cell analysis of EV-A71-infected culture provided several lines of illuminating observations: 1) This systems approach demonstrated extensive cell-to-cell variation in a single culture upon viral infection and delineated transcriptomic differences between the EV-A71-infected and bystander cells. 2) By analysing expression profiles of known EV-A71 receptors and entry facilitation factors, we found that ANXA2 was closely correlated in expression with the viral RNA in the infected population, supporting its role in EV-A71 entry in the enteric cells. 3) We further catalogued dysregulated lncRNAs elicited by EV-A71 infection and demonstrated the functional implication of lncRNA CYTOR in promoting EV-A71 replication. Viewed together, our single-cell transcriptomic analysis illustrated at the single-cell resolution the heterogeneity of host susceptibility to EV-A71 and revealed the involvement of lncRNAs in host antiviral response.

Genetic diversity and antibacterial activity of endophytic fungi from Zanthoxylum nitidum / 中国中药杂志

In order to reveal the distribution and population characteristics of endophytic fungi from Zanthoxylum nitidum and the antibacterial potential,this study performed molecular identification and analyzed the genetic diversity and antibacterial activity of endophytic fungi from Z. nitidum in Guangxi. Through culture and molecular identification,35 strains,belonging to 15 genera,12 families,10 orders,4 classes,and 2 phyla,were isolated from various tissues of Z. nitidum,of which Colletotrichum and Fusarium were the dominant genera,respectively accounting for 20% of total strains. The diversity of endophytic fungi was significantly different among roots,stems,and leaves,as manifested by the significantly higher Shannon index( H') in stems( 1. 678) than in roots( 0. 882 1) and leaves( 0. 515 4). The antimicrobial activity analysis showed that 14. 28% of endophytic fungi inhibited at least one indicator pathogen. Among them,Fusarium sp. ZN-34 and Fusarium sp. ZN-26 separately demonstrated the strongest inhibitory effect on Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. In general,Fusarium sp. ZN-26 and Phialemoniopsis plurioloculosa ZN-35 were advantageous in suppressing the two bacteria owing to the broad spectrum and strong efficacy. In summary,Z. nitidum in Guangxi boasts rich endophytic fungi with the majority showing strong antibacterial activity,which can be used as candidates for the extraction and separation of basic antibacterial substances and the development of natural antibacterial agents.

Correlation between heart rate variability and cognitive impairment in patients with obstructive sleep apnea / 国际脑血管病杂志

Objective:To investigate the correlation between heart rate variability (HRV) and cognitive impairment in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).Methods:Patients received polysomnography in Weihai Municipal Hospital from June 2019 to November 2020 were enrolled as the subjects of cross-sectional analysis. According to the Montreal Cognitive Assessment score, the patients with OSA were divided into a cognitive impairment group and a non-cognitive impairment group. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to determine whether HRV parameters were the independent influencing factors of cognitive impairment in patients with OSA. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to determine the independent correlation between HRV parameters and overall cognition as well as each cognitive domain in patients with OSA. Results:A total of 115 patients with OSA were included, including 80 males (69.6%), aged 58.25±9.88 years. Among them, there were 61 in the cognitive impairment group (53.0%) and 54 in the non-cognitive impairment group (47.0%). The standard deviation of the R-R interval in normal sinus beats (SDNN), the square root of the mean of the sum of the squares of the difference between adjacent NN intervals (RMSSD), the percentage of the number of pairs of adjacent R-R intervals differing by more than 50 ms (pNN50) and the power in high-frequency range (HF; 0.15-0.40 Hz) in the cognitive impairment group were significantly lower than those in non-cognitive impairment group (all P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that SDNN (odds ratio [ OR] 0.551, 95% confidence interval [ CI] 0.380-0.798; P=0.002), RMSSD ( OR 0.516, 95% CI 0.342-0.779; P=0.002), pNN50 ( OR 0.900, 95% CI 0.834-0.971; P=0.006), LF ( OR 0.821, 95% CI 0.687-0.982; P=0.030) and HF ( OR 0.687, 95% CI 0.525-0.899; P=0.006) were the independent protective factors of cognitive impairment in patients with OSA. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that SDNN ( β=0.208, P=0.023), RMSSD ( β=0.228, P=0.011), pNN50 ( β=0.186, P=0.040), HF ( β=0.235, P=0.010) is independently correlated with overall cognitive function in patients with OSA. Conclusion:The decline of HRV parameters SDNN, RMSSD, pNN50 and HF is independently correlated with cognitive impairment in patients with OSA, suggesting that the decline of vagus nerve function may be involved in the mechanism of cognitive impairment in patients with OSA.

SingHealth Radiology Archives pictorial essay Part 2: gastroenterology, musculoskeletal, and obstetrics and gynaecology cases

The Singapore Health Services cluster (SingHealth) radiology film archives are a valuable repository of local radiological cases dating back to the 1950s. Some of the cases in the archives are of historical medical interest, i.e. cerebral angiography in the workup of patients with hemiplegia. Other cases are of historical social interest, being conditions seen during earlier stages of Singapore's development, i.e. bound feet. The archives form a unique portal into the development of local radiology as well as the national development of Singapore. A selection from the archives is published in commemoration of the International Day of Radiology in 2020, as well as the 200th anniversary of the Singapore General Hospital in 2021. This pictorial essay comprises gastroenterology, musculoskeletal and obstetrics and gynaecology cases from the archives.

KLF7 Affects Development of Broiler Adipose Tissue by Inhibiting Hypoxia￣Inducible Factor 1 Alpha Transcription / 中国生物化学与分子生物学报

Krüppel-like factor 7 (KLF7) is a negative regulator of adipogenesis, whereas hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF1) promotes anoxic-induced adipose tissue development in mammals. Our previous ChIP-seq analysis showed that one of the KLF7 binding peaks was present upstream of hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha (HIF1α), indicating that KLF7 may regulate HIF1α transcription. For this purpose, ChIP-PCR was used to verify ChIP-seq results, which showed that KLF7 directly bound to the HIF1α upstream region. Dual luciferase reporter and qRT-PCR results showed that KLF7 overexpression significantly decreased the luciferase reporter activity of HIF1α (- 4 432/- 4 182) (P < 0. 01) and inhibited HIF1α expression. After the deletion of KLF7 binding motif “TGCGCAGCAA” (- 4 300/-4 290) predicted by bioinformatics, the luciferase reporter activity of HIF1α (-4 432/-4 182) was significantly enhanced compared with wild-type plasmid (P<0. 01). Furthermore, Northeast Agricultural University broiler lines divergently selected for abdominal fat content (NEAUHLF) at the age of 1-7 weeks from the 19

Endoscopic ultrasonography improving the operation effect for detecting precisely the origin and histology characteristics of esophageal leiomyoma / 解剖学报

Objective To investigate whether assessment of the tumor origin and histological features through endoscopic ultrasonography could improve the operative efficacy of endoscopic resection of esophageal leiomyoma. Methods The clinical data of patients with esophageal submucosal tumor who were treated in our department and diagnosed as leiomyoma pathologically from January 2016 to June 2020 was retrospectively analyzed. A total of 58 patients with esophageal leiomyoma underwent endoscopic resection following evaluation of endoscopic ultrasonography. The en bloc resection rate, operation time, hospitalization day, and complications were evaluated. Results Preoperative endoscopic ultrasonography showed that leiomyoma originated from muscularis mucosa in 39 cases and muscularis propria in 19 cases. The mean tumor size was 1.50 (0.2-6.5) cm, and 20 cases underwent endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR), 32 cases underwent endoscopic submucosal excavation (ESE), and 6 cases underwent submucosal tunneling endoscopic resection (STER). The overall en bloc rate was 96.6%. The mean operation time was 38.29 (15-100) min. The postoperative complication rate was 15.5% (9/58), and all were recovered after conservative treatment. Among the 39 cases originated from the muscularis mucosa, 20 cases underwent EMR and 19 cases underwent ESE. There were no significant differences in tumor size and complications between the two groups, but the operative time and the length of postoperative hospitalization in the EMR group were significantly shorter (P < 0.05). Among the 19 patients originated from the muscularis propria, 13 cases underwent ESE and 6 cases underwent STER. There were no significant differences in tumor size, operative time, the length of postoperative hospitalization and complications between the two groups. Conclusion Preoperastive endoscopic ultrasonography could precisely detect the origin and histology characteristics of esophageal leiomyoma and improves the operation effect.

Effect of specific small interfering RNA against KLF11 expression on proliferation and apoptosis of human gastric cancer cell line BGC823 via Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway / 中华普通外科杂志

Objective:To investigate the expression of KLF11 in gastric cancer tissues and cell lines as well as its effect on proliferation and apoptosis of human gastric cancer cells BGC823.Methods:Sixty pairs gastric cancer tissues and corresponding adjacent tissues were collected. The expression of KLF11 mRNA in gastric cancer tissues and their adjacent tissues was detected by RT-PCR. The expression of KLF11 was detected in gastric cancer cells. KLF11 expression was silenced. The proliferation of cells were detected by using MTT assay. Flow cytometry was used to detect the cell cycle and cell apoptosis rate. Western bloting was used to examine the changes of concentration of proteins associated with cell cycle,cell apoptosis and Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway related proteins. The activity of Caspase3 enzyme was detected by spectrophotometry.Results:The relative expression of KLF11 mRNA in gastric carcinoma tissues was significantly higher than that of the adjacent tissues ( t=11.38, P<0.05). Its expression was related to tumor size, depth of invasion, lymph node metastasis and TNM clinical stage (all P<0.05). The proliferation of BGC823 cells was significantly suppressed after KLF11 silencing ( F=19.56, P<0.05), and the cell cycle was arrested in G 0/G 1 phase [(41.40%±0.98%) vs. (66.53%±1.01%), F=32.69, P<0.05]. Meanwhile, the apoptosis rate was significantly increased by KFL11 silencing [(41.44%±1.59%) vs. (15.42%±0.86%), F=35.35, P<0.05]. The results of Western blotting revealed that the expression of Bax and Cleaved Caspase3 was significantly increased ( F=23.33, 33.63; both P<0.05), wheras that of β-catenin, Bcl-2, CyclinD1and CyclinE was significantly reduced ( F=22.21, 16.24, 26.75, 33.42; all P<0.05). The activity of Caspase3 enzyme was enhanced ( F=16.56, P<0.05). Conclusion:KLF11 was highly-expressed in gastric cancer tissues and cells, KFL11 silencing could inhibit gastric cancer cells proliferation and induce cell apoptosis via Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway.

Defects in CISD-1, a mitochondrial iron-sulfur protein, lower glucose level and ATP production in Caenorhabditis elegans.

BACKGROUND: CDGSH iron sulfur domain-containing protein 1 (CISD-1) belongs to the CISD protein family that is evolutionary conserved across different species. In mammals, CISD-1 protein has been implicated in diseases such as cancers and diabetes. As a tractable model organism to study disease-associated proteins, we employed Caenorhabditis elegans in this study with an aim to establish a model for interrogating the functional relevance of CISD-1 in human metabolic conditions. METHODS: We first bioinformatically identified the human Cisd-1 homologue in worms. We then employed N2 wild-type and cisd-1(tm4993) mutant to investigate the consequences of CISD-1 loss-of-function on: 1) the expression pattern of CISD-1, 2) mitochondrial morphology pattern, 3) mitochondrial function and bioenergetics, and 4) the effects of anti-diabetes drugs. RESULTS: We first identified C. elegans W02B12.15 gene as the human Cisd-1 homologous gene, and pinpointed the localization of CISD-1 to the outer membrane of mitochondria. As compared with the N2 wild-type worm, cisd-1(tm4993) mutant exhibited a higher proportion of hyperfused form of mitochondria. This structural abnormality was associated with the generation of higher levels of ROS and mitochondrial superoxide but lower ATP. These physiological changes in mutants did not result in discernable effects on animal motility and lifespan. Moreover, the amount of glucose in N2 wild-type worms treated with troglitazone and pioglitazone, derivatives of TZD, was reduced to a comparable level as in the mutant animals. CONCLUSIONS: By focusing on the Cisd-1 gene, our study established a C. elegans genetic system suitable for modeling human diabetes-related diseases.

Clinical significance of serum CER, HA and FT3 in diagnosis of liver fibrosis in chronic hepatitis B patients / 解放军医学杂志

Objective To investigate the clinical significance of serum ceruloplasmin (CER), hyaluronic acid (HA) and free thyroxine 3 (FT3) in detecting liver fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). Methods One hundred and thirty-six cases of CHB patients, 44 cases of post-CHB cirrhosis patients, 20 cases with HBsAg-positive hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and 50 healthy controls were randomly selected from July 2014 to January 2018. Serum CER was detected by immune scattering turbidimetry, and direct chemiluminescence method was used for the detection of HA and FT3, one-way ANOVA analysis or rank sum test was used to compare the levels of serum CER, HA, FT3 and other related indexes between each group and the control group. Analysis of the correlation between CER, HA, FT3 and diagnosis model of liver fibrosis was performed and its results were analyzed using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Results (1) The level of serum CER in severe CHB and decompensated liver cirrhosis group was significantly lower than that in control group (P<0.05). The concentration of HA in severe CHB and liver sclerosis groups was significantly higher than that in control group, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). And the concentration of FT3 in cirrhotic group and HCC group was significantly different from that in control group (P<0.05). (2) CER was negatively correlated with APRI (r=-0.202, P=0.004) and FIB-4 (r=-0.200, P=0.006), HA was positively correlated with APRI (r=0.491, P<0.000) and FIB-4 (r=0.514, P<0.000), and FT3 was positively correlated with APRI (r=-0.246, P<0.001) and FIB-4 (r= 0.361, P<0.000). (3) The AUC (area under the curve) of FT3, HA and CER for the diagnosis of cirrhosis were 0.831, 0.826 and 0.668, respectively. In order from high to low, the diagnostic efficacy of the groups was CER+HA+FT3, HA+FT3, CER+HA and CER+FT3. Conclusion The levels of serum CER, HA and FT3 in patients with CHB are correlated with the degree of liver fibrosis, and has an important reference value for diagnosis of post-CHB cirrhosis.