Upregulated microRNA‑330‑3p promotes calcification in the bicuspid aortic valve via targeting CREBBP

One key risk factor of aortic valve stenosis in clinical practice is bicuspid aortic valve (BAV). Increasing evidence indicates that numerous microRNAs (miRs/miRNAs) are involved in BAV calcification via their target genes. miR-330-3p was found to be involved in the deterioration of BAV calcification by miR profiling in human calcified BAV and tricuspid aortic valve (TAV) tissues in the present study and the underlying mechanism was investigated. RNA sequencing was performed on four BAV and four TAV tissues from patients with aortic stenosis before these leaflets were examined for the expression levels of miR-330-3p and CREB-binding protein (CREBBP) by reverse transcription-PCR. The alteration of functional factors associated with calcification was also assessed by Western blotting and immunohistochemistry in human aortic tissue samples. The putative target of miR-330-3p was detected by dual-luciferase assay in 293 cells. Furthermore, the influence of miR-330-3p expression on osteogenic progression was explored in cultured porcine valve interstitial cells (VICs). Rescue experiments of CRBBP were performed to confirm the influence of the miR-330-3p-CREBBP pathway in the calcification progress in porcine VICs. RNA sequencing indicated distinct expression of miR-330-3p in human BAV tissues compared with TAV, which was then confirmed by PCR. CREBBP expression levels in human BAV and TAV leaflets also demonstrated the opposite alterations. This negative correlation was then confirmed in cultured porcine VICs. Under an osteogenic environment, cellular calcification was promoted in miR-330-3p-overexpressed porcine VICs expressing higher bone morphogenetic protein 2, Runt-related transcription factor 2, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2, MMP-9 and collagen I compared with controls. Rescue experiments further confirmed that miR-330-3p played its role via targeting CREBBP in porcine VICs. Collectively, miR-330-3p was upregulated in calcified BAV compared with TAV. The upregulation of miR-330-3p promotes the calcification progress partially via targeting CREBBP.

0605 Comparison of Sleep Specialist vs Primary Care Driven Home Sleep Apnea Testing in Routine Practice

Introduction

Home sleep apnea testing (HSAT) has largely supplanted diagnostic polysomnography. Primary care (PC) driven HSAT utilization is common especially in rural settings that lack sleep specialist (SS) support. There have been no studies comparing appropriateness of HSAT utilization in veterans managed by SS vs. PC.

Methods

We use hub and spoke model to manage patients with OSA. SS selects testing for hub and PC utilizes HSAT for spoke patients. Testing is interpreted by SS. Patients referred for HSAT using WatchPAT over 4 months were compared on test failure rate, adherence to AASM guidelines for OSA diagnosis, adherence to HSAT use criteria, and diagnostic success rate (AHI ≥5) in high risk patients (STOPBANG ≥5) without significant comorbidities or HSAT contraindications compared to all comers.

Results

There were 125 hub and 170 spoke patients included in the analyses. Baseline characteristics were similar between sites (gender, age, BMI, Epworth sleepiness scale, neck size, STOPBANG, pacemaker dependence, and medication use affecting HSAT). Spoke patients had slightly higher prevalence of comorbidities (hypertension, cardiac arrhythmia, heart failure, COPD, stroke, and long acting opioid use). Complete HSAT failure (no data) was 2% and technical failure (monitoring time <4 hours) was 13% at both sites. Unnecessary studies primarily to confirm OSA in those previously diagnosed on therapy seeking to establish care were 3% (hub) and 21% (spoke). HSAT done in patients without significant comorbidities was 77% (hub) and 68% (spoke). Adherence to HSAT use criteria was 74% at both sites. Diagnostic success rate of prespecified and all comers was 65% vs. 60% at hub and 86% vs. 64% at spoke sites.

Conclusion

Adherence to AASM guidelines and HSAT use criteria was overall fair with low failure rates. Further improving HSAT protocol for SS and PC with the aim to improve diagnostic success rate and minimize unnecessary studies should be pursued.

Support

 

Insect genomes: progress and challenges

In the wake of constant improvements in sequencing technologies, numerous insect genomes have been sequenced. Currently, 1219 insect genome-sequencing projects have been registered with the National Center for Biotechnology Information, including 401 that have genome assemblies and 155 with an official gene set of annotated protein-coding genes. Comparative genomics analysis showed that the expansion or contraction of gene families was associated with well-studied physiological traits such as immune system, metabolic detoxification, parasitism and polyphagy in insects. Here, we summarize the progress of insect genome sequencing, with an emphasis on how this impacts research on pest control. We begin with a brief introduction to the basic concepts of genome assembly, annotation and metrics for evaluating the quality of draft assemblies. We then provide an overview of genome information for numerous insect species, highlighting examples from prominent model organisms, agricultural pests and disease vectors. We also introduce the major insect genome databases. The increasing availability of insect genomic resources is beneficial for developing alternative pest control methods. However, many opportunities remain for developing data-mining tools that make maximal use of the available insect genome resources. Although rapid progress has been achieved, many challenges remain in the field of insect genomics.

Temperature and excitation wavelength dependence of circular and linear photogalvanic effect in a three dimensional topological insulator Bi2Se3

The circular (CPGE) and linear photogalvanic effect (LPGE) of a three-dimensional topological insulator Bi₂Se₃ thin film of seven quintuple layers excited by near-infrared (1064 nm) and mid-infrared (10.6 [Formula: see text]m) radiations have been investigated. The comparison of the CPGE current measured parallel and perpendicular to the incident plane, together with the comparison of the CPGE current under front and back illuminations, indicates that the CPGE under front illumination of 1064 nm light is dominated by the top surface states of the Bi₂Se₃ thin film. The CPGE current excited by 10.6 [Formula: see text]m light is about one order larger than that excited by 1064 nm light, which may be attributed to the smaller cancelation effect of the CPGE generated in the two-dimensional electron gas when excited by 10.6 [Formula: see text]m light. Under the excitation of 1064 nm light, the LPGE current is dominated by the component which shows an even parity of incident angles, while the LPGE current excited by 10.6 [Formula: see text]m light is mainly contributed by the component which is an odd parity of incident angles. Both of the CPGE and LPGE currents excited by 1064 nm decrease with increasing temperature, which may be owing to the decrease of the momentum relaxation time and the stronger electron-electron scattering with increasing temperature, respectively.

The functional difference of eight chitinase genes between male and female of the cotton mealybug, Phenacoccus solenopsis

The cotton mealybug Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) is a polyphagous insect that attacks tens of plant and causes substantial economic loss. Insect chitinases are required to remove the old cuticle to allow for continued growth and development. Though insect chitinases have been well studied in tens of insects, their functions in mealybug are still not addressed. Here, we sequenced the transcriptomes of adult males and females, from which eight chitinase genes were identified. We then used the method of rapid amplification of cDNA ends to amplify their full length. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that these genes clustered into five subgroups. Among which, group II PsCht2 had the longest transcript and was highly expressed at second instar nymph. PsCht10, PsCht3-3 and PsIDGF were highly expressed in the adult females, whereas PsCht4 and PsCht4-1 were significantly expressed at the male pupa and adult male. Next, we knocked down all eight chitinase genes by feeding the double-stranded RNA. Knockdown of PsCht4 or PsCht4-1 led to the failure of moult and, silencing PsCht5 resulted in pupation defect, while silencing PsCht10 led to small body size, suggesting these genes have essential roles in development and can be used as a potential target for pest control.

Response of AMP-activated protein kinase and lactate metabolism of largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) under acute hypoxic stress

To study adaptation of largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) to hypoxic stress, we investigated physiological responses and lactate metabolism of the fish under acute hypoxia. The objectives of this study were to (a) observe changes in glucose, glycogen, and lactate content; (b) detect the activity of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in serum, brain, heart, and liver tissues; and (c) quantify the dynamic gene expression of AMP activated protein kinase alpha (AMPKα), hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1α), monocarboxylate transporter 1 (MCT1), monocarboxylate transporter 4 (MCT4), and lactate dehydrogenase-a (LDHa) following exposure to hypoxia. The fish were subjected to two hypoxia stresses (dissolved oxygen [DO] 1.20 ± 0.2 mg/L and 3.50 ± 0.3 mg/L, respectively) for 24 h. Our results showed that hypoxic stress significantly increased the decomposition of liver glycogen and significantly increased the concentration of blood glucose; however, the muscle glycogen content was not significantly decreased, which indicates that liver glycogen was the main energy source under acute hypoxia. Moreover, hypoxia led to accumulation of a large amount of lactic acid in tissues, possibly due to the activity of lactic acid dehydrogenase, but this process was delayed in the heart and brain relative to the liver. Additionally, hypoxia induced the expression of AMPKα, HIF-1α, MCT1, MCT4, and LDHa, suggesting that glycometabolism had switched from aerobic to anaerobic. Our results contribute to a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms of the response to hypoxia in largemouth bass.

Rab7‑mediated autophagy regulates phenotypic transformation and behavior of smooth muscle cells via the Ras/Raf/MEK/ERK signaling pathway in human aortic dissection

Autophagy regulates the metabolism, survival and function of numerous types of cell, including cells that comprise the cardiovascular system. The dysfunction of autophagy has been demonstrated in atherosclerosis, restenotic lesions and hypertensive vessels. As a member of the Ras GTPase superfamily, Rab7 serves a significant role in the regulation of autophagy. The present study evaluated how Rab7 affects the proliferation and invasion, and phenotypic transformations of aortic dissection (AD) smooth muscle cells (SMCs) via autophagy. Rab7 was overexpressed in AD tissues and the percentage of synthetic human aortic SMCs (HASMCs) was higher in AD tissues compared with NAD tissues. Downregulation of Rab7 decreased cell growth, reduced the number of invasive cells and decreased the percentage cells in the G1 phase. Autophagy of HASMCs was inhibited following Rab7 knockdown. Inhibition of autophagy with 3‑methyladenine or Rab7 knockdown suppressed the phenotypic conversion of contractile to synthetic HASMCs. The action of Rab7 may be mediated by inhibiting the Ras/Raf/mitogen‑activated protein kinase (MAPK) kinase (MEK)/extracellular signal related kinase (ERK) signaling pathway. In conclusion, the results revealed that Rab7‑mediated autophagy regulated the behavior of SMCs and the phenotypic transformations in AD via activation of the Ras/Raf/MEK/ERK signaling pathway. The findings of the present study may improve understanding of the role Rab7 in the molecular etiology of AD and suggests the application of Rab7 as a novel therapeutic target in the treatment of human AD.

Hybrid ablation versus transcatheter ablation for atrial fibrillation: A meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Despite the successful creation of complex lesion sets during hybrid ablation (HA), reoccurrence of atrial fibrillation (AF), and/or atrial arrhythmia and procedural complications still occur. The main objective of this study was to compare the efficacy and safety between HA and transcatheter ablation (TA).

METHODS

We searched Pubmed, Embase, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) database up to October 2017. Studies that satisfied our predefined inclusion criteria were included. Of the 894 records, 4 studies encompassing 331 patients were included in our study. We assessed pooled data using random-effect or fixed-effect model. The main endpoint was freedom of atrial arrhythmia after follow-up duration, secondary results were procedure time and intraoperative and postoperative adverse events. Similarly, tertiary outcomes were endocardial time, fluoroscopy time, and postoperative hospitalization.

RESULTS

Compared with TA, HA treatment through mini-thoracotomy access improved superiority in freedom of atrial arrhythmia after follow-up duration (odds ratio [OR] = 6.67, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.63-16.90), but HA increased the incidence of intraoperative and postoperative adverse events for AF patients (OR = 2.98, 95% CI: 1.30-6.83). HA through either mini-thoracotomy or transdiaphragmatic/subxiphoid access had longer procedure time and postoperative hospitalization than TA. However, endocardial time was shorter than TA.

CONCLUSIONS

For AF patients, HA possessed of an overall superior outcome using mini-thoracotomy way to TA. Although HA had longer procedure time, it yielded a reduction in endocardial time. Meanwhile, we should pay attention to the significantly high risk of intraoperative and postoperative adverse events that the HA generated.

Functional analysis of eight chitinase genes in rice stem borer and their potential application in pest control

Insect chitinases participate in numerous physiological processes such as nutrition, parasitism, morphogenesis and immunity. These properties make chitinases good targets for pest control. Rice striped stem borer (SSB), Chilo suppressalis Walker, is one of the most destructive pests of rice causing huge yield losses. In our previous work, we reported the identification of 12 SSB chitinase (CsCht) genes, and studied the functions of CsCht1 to 4. Here, we have extended our study to investigate the expression patterns and functions of CsCht5 to 12. All eight chitinase genes displayed distinct temporospatial expression profiles. We looked at the effect of knocking down each gene at the developmental stage where highest expression was observed. Knocking down CsCht5, CsCht6 and CsCht8 resulted in high mortality and delayed development. Although silencing CsCht7, CsCht9, CsCht10, CsCht11 and CsCht12 had no apparent effect on development, knocking down CsCht10 in SSB individuals that were simultaneously treated with Beauveria bassiana (Bb84) led to higher mortality rates and quicker death, suggesting CsCht10 has an essential role in protecting SSB from exogenous microorganisms. In summary, we elucidated the functions of eight SSB chitinase genes and found that CsCht10 could be a good candidate for pest control.

Colistin resistance prevalence in Escherichia coli from domestic animals in intensive breeding farms of Jiangsu Province

The global dissemination of colistin resistance has received a great deal of attention. Recently, the plasmid-mediated colistin resistance encoded by mcr genes in Escherichia coli (E. coli) strains from animals, food, and patients in China has been reported frequently. To investigate the colistin resistance and mcr-1 and mcr-2 genes spread in domestic animals in Jiangsu Province, we collected fecael swabs from pigs, chicken and cattle at different ages distributed in intensive feeding farms. The selective chromogenic agar and mcr-PCR were used to screen the colistin resistance and mcr gene carriage. Colistin resistant E. coli colonies were identified in 54.25% (440/811), 35.96% (443/1232), and 26.92% (42/156) faecal swabs from pigs, chickens, and cattle, respectively. The prevalence of mcr-1 in colistin resistant E. coli isolates from pigs, chickens and cattle was 68.86% (303/440), 87.58% (388/443), and 71.43% (30/42), respectively, compared to mcr-2 which was present in 46.82% (206/440), 14.90% (66/443), and 19.05% (8/42) of the colistin-resistant E. coli isolated from pigs, chickens and cattle, respectively. Co-occurrence of mcr-1 and mcr-2 was identified in 20% (88/440) in pigs, 7.22% (32/443) in chickens, and 9.52% (4/42) in cattle. Interventions and alternative options are necessary to minimise further dissemination of mcr between food-producing animals and human.

Family-based whole-exome sequencing identifies novel loss-of-function mutations of FBN1 for Marfan syndrome

Background

Marfan syndrome (MFS) is an inherited connective tissue disorder affecting the ocular, skeletal and cardiovascular systems. Previous studies of MFS have demonstrated the association between genetic defects and clinical manifestations. Our purpose was to investigate the role of novel genetic variants in determining MFS clinical phenotypes.

Methods

We sequenced the whole exome of 19 individuals derived from three Han Chinese families. The sequencing data were analyzed by a standard pipeline. Variants were further filtered against the public database and an in-house database. Then, we performed pedigree analysis under different inheritance patterns according to American College of Medical Genetics guidelines. Results were confirmed by Sanger sequencing.

Results

Two novel loss-of-function indels (c.5027_5028insTGTCCTCC, p.D1677Vfs*8; c.5856delG, p.S1953Lfs*27) and one nonsense variant (c.8034C>A, p.Y2678*) of FBN1 were identified in Family 1, Family 2 and Family 3, respectively. All affected members carried pathogenic mutations, whereas other unaffected family members or control individuals did not. These different kinds of loss of function (LOF) variants of FBN1 were located in the cbEGF region and a conserved domain across species and were not reported previously.

Conclusions

Our study extended and strengthened the vital role of FBN1 LOF mutations in the pathogenesis of MFS with an autosomal dominant inheritance pattern. We confirm that genetic testing by next-generation sequencing of blood DNA can be fundamental in helping clinicians conduct mutation-based pre- and postnatal screening, genetic diagnosis and clinical management for MFS.

Detection of porcine circovirus-like virus P1 in Hebei, China

Porcine circovirus-like virus P1 is a novel unclassified circovirus that was first detected in China and may be associated with post-weaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS) and congenital tremor. In this study, we detected P1 infection in pigs in Hebei Province, China, in 2017. One hundred and forty of 500 (28.0%) serum samples from 25 pig farms with different PMWS status in seven cities were P1 positive on PCR. Twelve P1 strains were sequenced, and the complete genomes of 11 P1 strains were 648 nucleotides (nt) in length, whereas that of strain ZJK02 was 647 nt, with a G deletion at position of 183 in its genome. The complete genomic and capsid protein sequences of the 12 P1 strains analysed in this study shared 98.8%-100.0% and 86.5%-100.0% identity, respectively. A phylogenetic analysis based on the complete genomic and capsid sequences of 26 P1 strains showed that the 12 P1 sequences from Hebei Province clustered on two small branches. Further studies of the evolution and pathogenesis of P1 are required.

Study on the anti-endotoxin effect of sinomenine using an Agilent genome array

BACKGROUND

Endotoxin is a significant contributing factor underlying the occurrence of fever, diarrhea, inflammation, edema, coagulation, shock and other syndromes associated with gram-negative bacterial infections. To date, there is no effective treatment for endotoxemia.

AIM

The aim of this study was to characterize differentially expressed genes in sinomenine-treated and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced endothelial cells by microarray analysis and to determine the potential pharmacological activity of sinomenine.

DESIGN

The cultured cells of five treatment groups (n = 3) were collected. Participants: total RNA was extracted and subjected to Agilent Porcine 4 × 44 K whole genome microarray.

METHODS

Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes and gene ontology software were applied to screen and analyze differentially regulated genes.

RESULTS

The results showed that 723 differentially regulated genes were identified including 410 up-regulated genes and 313 down-regulated genes in therapy group vs. LPS group. Ten genes may be key controlled genes in the pathogenesis of LPS, including five up-regulated genes (ARG1, TLR2, IL1A, VCAM1, DKK3) and five down-regulated genes (HABP2, ID1, CHDH, GPX3, PTGFR), which primarily contribute to biological processes such as inflammatory response, vascular lesion, metabolic process and cell cycle. IL1A and FMO3 were considered as potent target genes.

CONCLUSION

Global gene expression profile analysis showed that sinomenine might effectively be useful to regulate inflammatory responses as part of future anti-endotoxin therapies.

Downregulated MicroRNA-195 in the Bicuspid Aortic Valve Promotes Calcification of Valve Interstitial Cells via Targeting SMAD7

BACKGROUND/AIMS

Aortic stenosis caused by leaflet calcification in the bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) is more accelerative than that in the tricuspid aortic valve (TAV). MicroRNA-195 (miR-195) is downregulated more in stenotic than in insufficient BAVs, but its expression in BAVs compared with TAVs is unclear. We aimed to investigate the roles of miR-195 and its calcification-related target SMAD7 in stenotic BAVs compared with those in TAVs.

METHODS

Twenty-one stenotic BAV and 29 TAV samples were collected from surgical patients and examined for the expression of miR-195 and SMAD7 by RT-PCR. The samples were also assessed by western blotting and immunohistochemistry for the functional protein alteration associated with calcification. Dual-luciferase assay was performed to determine the putative target of miR-195 before the effects of miR-195 expression on osteogenic progression was demonstrated in cultured porcine valve interstitial cells (VICs).

RESULTS

Compared with TAV, the expression of miR-195 was remarkably lower in the BAV leaflet with higher expression of SMAD7, which was then validated as a direct target of miR-195. Their negative correlation was then confirmed in cultured VICs. Under an osteogenic environment, the cellular calcification was promoted in miR-195-repressed VICs expressing higher BMP-2 and Runx2 and higher activity of MMP-2 compared with the controls. Finally, higher MMP-2 and MMP-9 expression and more collagen distribution were observed in BAV than TAV samples.

CONCLUSIONS

miR-195 is downregulated more in stenotic BAV than TAV in this study. The downregulation of miR-195 is associated with valvular calcification via targeting SMAD7, which promotes the remodeling of the extracellular matrix.