The efficacy and safety of antiviral therapy with lamivudine to stop the vertical transmission of hepatitis B virus

The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy and safety of lamivudine (LAM) in stopping the vertical transmission of hepatitis B virus (HBV). Pregnant women with normal alanine transaminase (ALT) (n = 100) and with abnormal ALT (n = 100) who were positive for hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg), and with HBV DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) levels ≥1.0 × 107 copies/ml were enrolled in this study. One hundred volunteers (50 with normal ALT, 50 with abnormal ALT) received 100 mg of LAM daily from the 24th to 32nd week of gestation and the untreated 100 volunteers served as controls. All infants received passive-active immunoprophylaxis. Compared to the control group, the study group got a marked reduction in serum levels (P < 0.001) and high negativity (P < 0.001) of HBV DNA before delivery. They also got normalization in ALT levels as much as controls received general medication (P > 0.05). The prenatal transmission rate in the study group was significantly lower than that of the control group (P < 0.05). There were no differences in incidences of congenital malformation between the two groups (P > 0.05). LAM treatment can effectively and safely stop vertical transmission of HBV and normalize the ALT levels of pregnant women.

Fatty acid and transcriptome profiling of longissimus dorsi muscles between pig breeds differing in meat quality

Fat and lean pig breeds show obvious differences in meat quality characteristics including the fatty acid composition of muscle. However, the molecular mechanism underlying these phenotypes differences remains unknown. This study compared meat quality traits between Lantang (a Chinese indigenous breed) and Landrace (a typical lean breed). The Lantang pigs showed higher L* values and intramuscular fat content, lower pH_45min, pH_24h and shear force in longissimus dorsi (LD) muscle than Landrace (P < 0.05). Fatty acid analysis demonstrated the lower monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) and higher polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) percentage in Lantang LD than that in Landrace LD (P < 0.05). To further identify candidate genes for fatty acid composition, the transcriptome of LD muscle from the two breeds were measured by microarrays. There were 586 transcripts differentially expressed, of which 267 transcripts were highly expressed in Lantang pigs. After the validation by real-time quantitative PCR, 13 genes were determined as candidate genes for fatty acid composition of muscle, including Stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD). Then, a SCD over-expression plasmid was transfected into C2C12 cells to reveal the effect of SCD on the fatty acid composition in vitro. The results showed that SCD over-expression significantly increased PUFA proportion, while reduced that of saturated fatty acids (SFA) in C2C12 cells (P < 0.05). In summary, this study compared the differences of fatty acid composition and transcriptome in two breeds differing in meat quality, and further identified the novel role of SCD in the regulation of PUFA deposition.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and the risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

There is currently no consensus on the relationship between human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and the pathogenic process of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Therefore, a retrospective study was performed to explore the association between HPV infection and ESCC, where 225 patients with diagnosed ESCC and 224 matched controls were enrolled in the study and stratified according to smoking and alcohol consumption. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to determine seropositivity to HPV by the detection of either IgG or IgM anti-HPV antibodies. In the non-smoking and non-alcohol-consuming subgroup, the incidence of ESCC of HPV seropositive subjects was similar with that of HPV seronegative subjects (P= 0.737, odds ratio [OR] 1.14, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.54-2.40). However, in the smoking subgroup, there was a significant difference in the incidence of ESCC between HPV seropositive subjects and HPV seronegative subjects (P= 0.009, OR 2.22, 95% CI 1.22-4.04). In addition, there was a significantly higher association of the development of ESCC in HPV seropositive patients that smoke and drink than those that do not (P < 0.001, OR 10.31, 95% CI 4.04-26.29). Therefore, HPV infection is not an independent risk factor for developing ESCC in the non-smoking and non-alcohol-consuming group. For smokers, however, HPV infection increases the risk of the incidence of ESCC.

Effects of "Bioactive" amino acids leucine, glutamate, arginine and tryptophan on feed intake and mRNA expression of relative neuropeptides in broiler chicks

Feed intake control is vital to ensuring optimal nutrition and achieving full potential for growth and development in poultry. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of L-leucine, L-glutamate, L-tryptophan and L-arginine on feed intake and the mRNA expression levels of hypothalamic Neuropeptide involved in feed intake regulation in broiler chicks. Leucine, glutamate, tryptophan or arginine was intra-cerebroventricularly (ICV) administrated to 4d-old broiler chicks respectively and the feed intake were recorded at various time points. Quantitative PCR was performed to determine the hypothalamic mRNA expression levels of Neuropeptide Y (NPY), agouti related protein (AgRP), pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC), melanocortin receptor 4 (MC4R) and corticotrophin releasing factor (CRF). Our results showed that ICV administration of L-leucine (0.15 or 1.5  μmol) significantly (P < 0.05) increased feed intake up to 2 h post-administration period and elevated both hypothalamic NPY and AgRP mRNA expression levels. In contrast, ICV administration of L-glutamate (1.6  μmol) significantly (P < 0.05) decreased feed intake 0.25, 0.5 and 2 h post-injection, and increased hypothalamic CRF and MC4R mRNA expression levels. Meanwhile, both L-tryptophan (10 or 100  μg) and L-arginine (20 or 200  μg) had no significant effect on feed intake. These findings suggested that L-leucine and L-glutamate could act within the hypothalamus to influence food intake, and that both orexigenic and anorexigenic Neuropeptide genes might contribute directly to these effects.

[Tail-suspended model simulating mouse oocytes maturation inhibited with microgravity]

We studied the effects of simulated microgravity on mouse oocytes maturation, and analyzed whether the tail-suspended model can be applied to investigate simulated microgravity effects on reproductive processes in female mice. Mouse oocytes were cultured in vitro with microgravity simulated by a rotating wall vessel bioreactor and by tail-suspended model, and the maturation rate of the mouse oocytes in the two models were examined in vivo. The maturation rate of mouse oocytes cultured in simulated microgravity was 8.93%, and that was 72.33% in 1g gravity. In ratio, oocyte maturation rate had no significant difference between the rotational group and control group. Microgravity simulated by the tail-suspended model inhibited mouse oocytes maturation and increased the rate of oocytes abnormity. The maturation rate of tail-suspended mouse oocytes was 14.54%, which was significantly lower than that of control group. Tail-suspended model should be an ideal model to investigate simulated microgravity effects on reproductive processes of female mice.

Randomized controlled trial of sirolimus for renal transplant recipients at high risk for nonmelanoma skin cancer

Sirolimus has antineoplastic effects and may reduce skin cancer rates in kidney transplant patients. This prospective, multicenter, randomized, open-label, controlled trial randomized 86 kidney transplant recipients (≥1 year posttransplant) with history of nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC) to continue calcineurin inhibitor (CNI) or convert to sirolimus. Patients were stratified by number of NMSC lesions (0-5, 6-20) in previous year. Primary end point was number of biopsy-confirmed new NMSC lesions per patient-year. Yearly NMSC rate was significantly lower with sirolimus (1.31 vs. 2.48 lesions/patient-year; p = 0.022). Squamous cell carcinoma occurred at a lower rate in the sirolimus versus CNI group (p = 0.038); basal cell carcinoma rate was similar in both. A lower proportion of patients receiving sirolimus developed new or recurrent NMSC (56.4% vs. 80.9%; p = 0.015) or new squamous cell carcinoma (41.0% vs. 70.2%; p = 0.006). No sirolimus patients and one CNI continuation patient experienced acute rejection. Incidence of treatment-emergent adverse events was similar between groups; however, discontinuation rates related to adverse events were significantly higher with sirolimus (46.2% vs. 0%; p < 0.001). In kidney transplant recipients with history of NMSC, conversion from CNI to sirolimus reduced rates of NMSC, without increasing acute rejection risk.

Production of transgenic pigs mediated by pseudotyped lentivirus and sperm

Sperm-mediated gene transfer can be a very efficient method to produce transgenic pigs, however, the results from different laboratories had not been widely repeated. Genomic integration of transgene by injection of pseudotyped lentivirus to the perivitelline space has been proved to be a reliable route to generate transgenic animals. To test whether transgene in the lentivirus can be delivered by sperm, we studied incubation of pseudotyped lentiviruses and sperm before insemination. After incubation with pig spermatozoa, 62±3 lentiviral particles were detected per 100 sperm cells using quantitative real-time RT-PCR. The association of lentivirus with sperm was further confirmed by electron microscopy. The sperm incubated with lentiviral particles were artificially inseminated into pigs. Of the 59 piglets born from inseminated 5 sows, 6 piglets (10.17%) carried the transgene based on the PCR identification. Foreign gene and EGFP was successfully detected in ear tissue biopsies from two PCR-positive pigs, revealed via in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry. Offspring of one PCR-positive boar with normal sows showed PCR-positive. Two PCR-positive founders and offsprings of PCR-positive boar were further identified by Southern-blot analysis, out of which the two founders and two offsprings were positive in Southern blotting, strongly indicating integration of foreign gene into genome. The results indicate that incubation of sperm with pseudotyped lentiviruses can incorporated with sperm-mediated gene transfer to produce transgenic pigs with improved efficiency.

An oncogenic role of miR-142-3p in human T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) by targeting glucocorticoid receptor-α and cAMP/PKA pathways

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a family of 19-24 nucleotide non-coding RNAs with posttranscriptional regulatory functions. The involvement of miRNAs in normal hematopoiesis implies that deregulated miRNAs might contribute to leukemogenesis. To date, although certain miRNAs have been established a clear oncogenic role in hematological malignancies, other individual miRNAs potentially involved in human leukemogenesis still remain elusive. In this report, we showed that miR-142-3p was upregulated in human T-leukemic cell lines and primary T-leukemic cells isolated from T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) patients and its expressive levels were correlated with patients' prognosis. Such an oncogenic role of miR-142-3p could be explained by its targeting cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP)/protein kinase A (PKA) and glucocorticoid receptor alpha (GRα). High levels of miR-142-3p resulted in low levels of cAMP and weak activity of PKA, thus relieving the inhibitory effect of PKA on T-leukemic cell proliferation. Meanwhile, miR-142-3p decreased GRα protein expression by directly targeting the 3'-untranslational region of GRα mRNA, leading to glucocorticoid resistance. Transfection of the miR-142-3p inhibitor effectively converted glucocorticoid resistance, because of the resultant increase of GRα expression and PKA activity. These findings suggest that miR-142-3p is critical in T-cell leukemogenesis and may serve as a potential therapeutic target in T-ALL patients.

A comprehensive expression profile of microRNAs in porcine pituitary

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are an abundant class of small RNAs that regulate expressions of most genes. miRNAs play important roles in the pituitary, the "master" endocrine organ.However, we still don't know which role miRNAs play in the development of pituitary tissue or how much they contribute to the pituitary function. By applying a combination of microarray analysis and Solexa sequencing, we detected a total of 450 miRNAs in the porcine pituitary. Verification with RT-PCR showed a high degree of confidence for the obtained data. According to the current miRBase release17.0, the detected miRNAs included 169 known porcine miRNAs, 163 conserved miRNAs not yet identified in the pig, and 12 potentially new miRNAs not yet identified in any species, three of which were revealed using Northern blot. The pituitary might contain about 80.17% miRNA types belonging to the animal. Analysis of 10 highly expressed miRNAs with the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) indicated that the enriched miRNAs were involved not only in the development of the organ but also in a variety of inter-cell and inner cell processes or pathways that are involved in the function of the organ. We have revealed the existence of a large number of porcine miRNAs as well as some potentially new miRNAs and established for the first time a comprehensive miRNA expression profile of the pituitary. The pituitary gland contains unexpectedly many miRNA types and miRNA actions are involved in important processes for both the development and function of the organ.

Effect of denosumab versus zoledronic acid on health-related quality of life in patients with metastatic breast cancer

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Background: Patients with breast cancer and bone metastases often experience skeletal-related events (SREs) and pain, which can impact health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Denosumab is superior to zoledronic acid (ZA) in preventing SREs and more effective in delaying moderate or severe pain in patients with advanced breast cancer. We now describe the effect of denosumab or ZA treatment on HRQoL in these patients.

Methods: Patients enrolled in this double-blind, double-dummy study were randomized to receive denosumab (120 mg SC) or ZA (4 mg IV) every 4 weeks. Patients completed the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G) questionnaire at baseline (BL), day 8, and each monthly visit to assess overall HRQoL. Higher scores (range 0 to 108) reflect a better HRQoL. Changes in HRQoL were summarized through month 18, when 30% of patients had died or dropped out due to disease progression or withdrawal of consent. Increases or decreases of ≥ 5 points in the FACT-G total score were considered clinically meaningful. Pain was evaluated by the Brief Pain Inventory–Short Form (BPI-SF). HRQoL was assessed in subgroups with no/mild pain or moderate/severe pain at BL.

Results: The BL mean (SD) FACT-G score was similar for denosumab (n = 956) 72.7 (16.4) and ZA (n = 952) 73.6 (16.5) groups and increased from BL to month18 for both groups reflecting improved HRQoL. An average of 3.2% more (range 0.9% to 6.8%) denosumab-treated patients than ZA-treated patients experienced a ≥ 5-point increase in HRQoL from months 1 to 18. Fewer denosumab than ZA-treated patients reported a ≥ 5-point decrease in HRQoL (average 2.7% fewer; range 0.6% to 5.8%). Among patients with no/mild pain at BL, an average of 4.1% more (range -0.6% to 9.3%) denosumab-treated patients had a ≥ 5-point increase in FACT-G score from month 4 to 18. In this same subgroup, fewer denosumab-treated patients had a ≥ 5-point decrease in HRQoL over 18 months (average 2.4% fewer; range -4.4% to 6.3%). Similar patterns in FACT-G scores were noted for the subgroup with moderate/severe pain at BL.

Conclusions: In patients with advanced breast cancer, a greater proportion treated with denosumab than ZA had a meaningful improvement in HRQoL regardless of BL pain level.