[Standardized diagnosis and treatment of colorectal cancer during the outbreak of novel coronavirus pneumonia in Renji hospital]

Novel coronavirus pneumonia (NCP) is currently raging in China. It has been proven that NCP can be transmitted from human to human and cause hospital infection, which seriously threatens surgical staffs and inpatients. Although colorectal surgery is not a front-line subject in the fight against the epidemic, but in this special situation, now it is a difficult task that with the premise of how to maximize the protection for patients and their families, health of medical staff, and the safety of wards and hospitals, we can provide the highest quality medical services to ensure the orderly development of previous clinical work. Referring to the "Diagnosis and Treatment Scheme for NCP (Trial Version 4 and 5)" and combining the actual practice situation in our hospital with the "Summary of New Coronavirus Files of Shanghai Renji Hospital", we summarize how to carry out the clinical practice of colorectal surgery under the situation of the prevention and control of the NCP epidemiology, meanwhile under such situation aiming the procedure of diagnose and treatment for emergency patients with colorectal tumor, we share the experiences of the diagnosis of colorectal tumor, the management of patients with colorectal cancer who are scheduled to be admitted for surgery, the protection of wards, the perioperative management. More importantly, we introduce in detail the operative management and perioperative management of colorectal surgery patients suspected or diagnosed with new coronary pneumonia, including prevention and control measures for medical staff, operating rooms and surgical instruments. The main points are as follows: (1) Multidisciplinary team (MDT) must be run through the diagnosis and treatment of colorectal cancer. The members include not only routine departments, but also respiratory department and infectious department. (2) Colonoscopy examination may cause cross infection of NCP to patients and doctors. Therefore, it is prior to examine the emergency cases and life-threatening patients (bleeding, obstruction, gastrointestinal foreign bodies, etc.). If the emergent patients (intestinal obstruction) with suspected or confirmed NCP, the surgeons must perform emergency surgery, and intestinal decompressive tube through colonoscopy is not recommended. (3) The colorectal cancer patients with suspected or confirmed NCP should be placed in the isolated room with separate medical devices, and the operative room with negative pressure (under-5 Pa) must be separated. All disposable medical items, body fluids and feces of the patients in perioperative periods must be unified disposed according to the medical waste standard. (4) The surgical medical workers who process colorectal cancer patients with NCP must be protected by three-level. After operation, the medical workers must receive medical observation and be isolated for 14 days. We hope our "Renji experience" will be beneficial to colleagues.

[Countermeasures and treatment for aortic acute syndrome with novel coronavirus pneumonia]

The novel coronavirus pneumonia (NCP) has cost a great loss to the health and economic property of Chines people. Under such a special circumstance, how to deal with such patients with acute aortic syndrome has become a serious challenge. Rapid diagnosis of concomitant NCP, safe and effective transportation, implementation of the interventional procedure, protection of vascular surgical team and postoperative management and follow-up of such patients have become urgent problems for us. Combined with the latest novel government documents, the literature and the experiences from Wuhan, we answered the above questions briefly and plainly. It also hopes to inspire the national vascular surgeons to manage critical emergencies in vascular surgery and even routine vascular diseases with NCP, as a final point to limit the severe epidemic situation, and minimize the damage of NCP.

Protective effect of Oxymatrine against acute spinal cord injury in rats via modulating oxidative stress, inflammation and apoptosis

The present study was performed to examine the effect of oxymatrine (OMT) on motor functions and histopathologic changes after spinal cord injury and the mechanism underlying its neuroprotective effects. Results suggested that, OMT causes regain of lost motor function near to normal via attenuating oxidative stress, inflammatory response and cellular apoptosis. These observations were further supported by histological examination of spinal cord of rats. It also showed to regulate pro-inflammatory cytokines, Bcl2 family proteins and reduces the level of toll like receptor (TLR-4) and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-ĸB) in concentration dependent manner. The mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway was also regulated by OMT after SCI. It has been suggested that, OMT promotes the recovery of motor function after SCI in rats via multiple mechanism, and this effect may be related to its anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic effects.

MiR-1269a acts as an onco-miRNA in non-small cell lung cancer via down-regulating SOX6

OBJECTIVE

Lung cancer, especially non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), remains one of the leading death-causing malignant tumors worldwide. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been identified to participate in the development and progression of NSCLC. However, the role of miR-1269a in NSCLC still needs to be elucidated. The objective of this study was to investigate the function of miR-1269a in NSCLC and its underlying mechanism.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Quantitative Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR) was utilized to measure the expression level of miR-1269a in NSCLC tissues and cell lines. After transfection with miR-1269a mimics or inhibitors, the expression level of miR-1269a in NSCLC was up- or down-regulated. Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay and colony formation assay were used to measure cell proliferation ability. Flow cytometry assay was applied to verify the cell cycle distributions of established cell lines. The potential target of miR-1269a was determined by using dual-luciferase and Western blot assays.

RESULTS

miR-1269a was significantly over-expressed in NSCLC tissues than that in adjacent normal tissues. The expression of miR-1269a was also up-regulated in NSCLC-derived cell lines. Up-regulation of miR-1269a improved the abilities of cell proliferation, colony formation, and induced cell cycle transition. Meanwhile, down-regulation of miR-1269a decreased the capacities of cell proliferation, colony formation, and arrested the cell cycle. It was further implicated that SOX6 was verified as a target of miR-1269a in NSCLC and over-expressed SOX6 could rescue the effect of miR-1269a up-regulation.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study demonstrated that miR-1299a could function as an onco-miRNA in NSCLC and promote NSCLC growth via down-regulating the expression of SOX6.

Mutation Analysis of Pre-mRNA Splicing Genes PRPF31, PRPF8, and SNRNP200 in Chinese Families with Autosomal Dominant Retinitis Pigmentosa

BACKGROUND

To screen variants in pre-mRNA Splicing genes in 95 Chinese autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa (adRP) families.

METHODS

Clinical examination and pedigree analysis were performed. Targeted exome sequencing (TES) and / or Sanger sequencing were performed to detect the variants in genes of Splicing factors and conduct intra-familiar segregation analysis with DNA available. In silico analysis was performed to predict pathogenicity of variants in protein level and in vitro splicing assays were performed to compare splicing variants with their corresponding wildtype about their splicing effect.

RESULTS

In this study, total nine different variants were identified in PRPF31, SNRNP200, and PRPF8 respectively, including six PRPF31 variants [five novel variants 322+1G>A, c.527+2T>G, c.590T>C(p.Leu197Pro), c.1035_1036insGC (p.Pro346Argfs X18), and c.1224dupG (p.Gln409AlafsX66) plus one reported variant c.1060C>T (p.Arg354X)], a recurrent PRPF8 variant c.6930G>T (p.Arg2310Ser), two SNRNP200 variants [one heterozygous and homozygous SNRNP200 recurrent variant c.3260G>A (p.Ser1087Leu), and a reported heterozygous c.2042G>A(p.Arg681His)]. In family 20009, incomplete penetrance was observed. A novel PRPF31 missense variant c.590T>C (p.Leu197Pro) was predicted to be pathogenic in protein level via in silico analysis and in vitro splicing assay demonstrated that two novel splicing PRPF31 variants c.322+1G>A and c.527+2T>G affect splicing compared with the wildtype.

CONCLUSIONS

In our studies, RP-causing variants of pre-mRNA Splicing genes (PRPF31, PRPF8 and SNRNP200) were identified in nine of the ninety-five adRP families respectively, which extend the spectra of RP variant and phenotype. And we provide the first example that SNRNP200-related RP can be caused by both heterozygous and homozygous variants of this gene.

LINC00311 is overexpressed in ankylosing spondylitis and predict treatment outcomes and recurrence

BACKGROUND

LncRNA LINC00311 participates in osteoporosis, which shows inverse pathological changes to ankylosing spondylitis (AS), indicating that LINC00311 is also involved in AS.

METHODS

All the participants were enrolled in Ganzhou People's Hospital between January 2016 and January 2018 after this study was approved by Ganzhou People's Hospital Ethics Committee. Disease activity determination, follow-up and RT-qPCR were carried out during the research.

RESULTS

In the present study we found that LINC00311 was upregulated in AS patients comparing to healthy controls, and upregulation of LINC00311 distinguished AS patients from healthy controls. LINC00311 expression levels were positively correlated with disease activity. Comparing to pre-treatment levels, LINC00311 expression level decreased significantly after treatment. During 2-year follow-up, patients with high levels of LINC00311 showed a significantly higher rate of rehospitalization.

CONCLUSIONS

Therefore, LINC00311 is overexpressed in AS and predict treatment outcomes and recurrence.

Ce3+ self-doped CeOx/FeOCl: an efficient Fenton catalyst for phenol degradation under mild conditions

Herein, a novel Ce³⁺ self-doped CeO_x/FeOCl composite was successfully prepared by a facile method for the first time, which showed remarkable catalytic activity as a Fenton catalyst in the degradation of phenol under the conditions of a neutral solution, room temperature and natural light.

[Effect of short-acting combined oral contraceptives on bleeding after induced abortion]

Objective: To explore the effect of short-acting combined oral contraceptives on vaginal bleeding after induced abortion. Methods: A total of 726 patients, who had took induced abortion from July 2016 to September 2016 in obstetrics and gynecology outpatient department of Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, were included and divided into the observation group and the control group according to whether they took short-acting combined oral contraceptives after induced abortion, with 312 cases, 414 cases respectively.The vaginal bleeding days, amounts of bleeding, the endometrial thickness 3 weeks later, and whether the patient had menstrual recovery on time were observed and analyzed. Results: The observation group had less bleeding days and amount of bleeding, compared with the control group.69.87% (218/312) patients of the observation group had more than 8mm of endometrial thickness on postoperative day 21, while 61.11% (253/414) of the observation group did, the difference was statistically significant (P=0.034).90.06% (281/312) patients of the observation group had menstrual recovery on time, while 82.61% (342/414) of the observation group did, the difference was statistically significant (P=0.004). Conclusion: Short-acting combined oral contraceptives after induced abortion can significantly shorten the vaginal bleeding days, reduce the amount of bleeding, promote endometrial repair and menstrual recovery.There fore, it has important clinical significance and application value.

Oxcarbazepine causes neurocyte apoptosis and developing brain damage by triggering Bax/Bcl-2 signaling pathway mediated caspase 3 activation in neonatal rats

OBJECTIVE

Anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs) are the main methods for treatment of neonatal seizures; however, a few AEDs may cause developing brain damage of neonate. This study aims to investigate effects of oxcarbazepine (OXC) on developing brain damage of neonatal rats.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Both of neonatal and adult rats were divided into 6 groups, including Control, OXC 187.5 mg/kg, OXC 281.25 mg/kg, OXC 375 mg/kg group, LEV and PHT group. Body weight and brain weight were evaluated. Hematoxylin and eosin (HE) and Nissl staining were used to observe neurocyte morphology and Nissl bodies, respectively. Apoptosis was examined using TUNEL assay, and caspase 8 activity was evaluated using spectrophotometer method. Cytochrome C-release was evaluated using flow cytometry. Western blot was used to examine Bax and Bcl-2 expression.

RESULTS

OXC 375 mg/kg treatment significantly decreased brain weight compared to Control group in neonatal rats (P5 rats) (p<0.05). OXC administration causes histological changes of neurocytes. OXC 281.25 mg/kg or more concentration significantly decreased neurocytes counts and increased TUNEL-staining positive neurocytes compared to Control group (p<0.05). OXC 281.25 mg/kg and OXC 375 mg/kg significantly increased caspase 3 activity compared to Control group in P5 rats (p<0.05). OXC 281.25 mg/kg and OXC 375 mg/kg significantly increased Bax, Bax/Bcl-2 ratio and cytochrome C release in frontal lobes compared to Control group in P5 rats (p<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Oxcarbazepine at a concentration of 281.25 mg/kg or more causes neurocyte apoptosis and developing brain damage by triggering Bax/Bcl-2 signaling pathway mediated caspase 3 activation in neonatal rats.

Hemispheric asymmetry of the frontolimbic cortex in young adults with borderline personality disorder

OBJECTIVE

Although the frontolimbic cortex has been implicated in borderline personality disorder (BPD), information about possible asymmetries in this region in patients with BPD is limited. This study aimed to examine whether frontolimbic cortex asymmetries differ between patients with BPD and healthy individuals.

METHODS

The brains of 30 young adult patients with BPD and 32 healthy control subjects were scanned with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The participants completed self-report scales assessing impulsivity, affect intensity and other psychological variables. Gray matter volume, surface area, and cortical thickness in regions of interest (ROIs), namely anterior insula (AI) and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) were determined and the data were probed for hemisphere-group interactions.

RESULTS

Relative to controls, patients with BPD had reduced cortical thickness in left ACC and less surface area and gray matter volume in left AI. Significant group-hemisphere interactions were observed for gray matter volume and surface area of AI and for cortical thickness of ACC. Post hoc analysis showed that the BPD patients had greater frontolimbic cortex asymmetry than healthy controls; furthermore, greater asymmetry of AI&ACC correlated with a higher score in attention subscale of Barratt Impulsiveness Scale.

CONCLUSION

Patients with BPD have greater frontolimbic asymmetry than healthy individuals.

A gyro-stabilized platform leveling loop for marine gravimeter

An ultra-low-frequency platform leveling loop based on a mixed sensitivity H^∞ approach, which considers both the system bandwidth and response speed, was designed and applied to a prototype, two-axis gyro-stabilized platform marine gravimeter CHZ-II. The instrument was developed for regional surveys in deep ocean areas where high-resolution gravity measurements with accuracy 1 mGal are required. Horizontal accelerations in the surge and sway directions are suppressed about 60 dB in the frequency range 0.05 to 0.5 Hz. This typically improves the quality of the gravity data before any processing corrections. The time required for stabilizing the platform at the beginning of a survey line or course change is about 3 min, which improves the data collection efficiency. In May 2015, the first test was conducted in open sea conditions aboard the Chinese State Oceanic Administration's R/V Xiangyanghong 10. Sixteen traverses were run in the South China Sea to evaluate the loop performance. Platform motion tracks and gravity data from the survey were of satisfactory quality. According to analyses of 16 sets of calculated errors, the root mean square repeatability of the pitch and roll off-level angles were less than 10 and 20 arc sec, respectively, with a horizontal acceleration of about 50 Gal. Errors derived from the inability of the platform to maintain perfect sensor leveling during the survey cruise were less than 0.3 mGal.

Robust regression and its application in absolute gravimeters

Maximum-likelihood estimation of robust regression is employed to process absolute gravimeter data because this method is insensitive to outliers. Gravity values obtained by both ordinary least squares and different approaches for robust regression are compared with the results obtained by the g9 processing software for the FG5 gravimeter. The results show that the accuracy of gravity data can be improved by rejecting certain outliers via adjustments to a suitable weighting function of time-distance pairs. A convenient method of identifying those outliers by their weight is also presented.

Association between interleukin-4 polymorphisms and risk of pre-eclampsia in a population of Chinese pregnant women

Preeclampsia is a common disease unique to pregnant women, and its development involves many genetics l factors. IL-4 is an important regulatory factor of the Th2 cellular immune response, and plays an important role in the induction of placental growth. In this study, we investigated the relationship between IL-4 C-590T, C+33T and G-1098T polymorphisms and risk of pre-eclampsia in a population of pregnant women. A case-control study of 196 pregnant women with pre-eclampsia and 257 healthy controls was conducted. Genotyping of IL-4 C-590T, C+33T and G-1098T was performed by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism. We observed that the TT genotype, compared to the CC genotype, of IL-4 C-590T harbored a lower risk of pre-eclampsia; adjusted OR (95%CI) was 0.29 (0.11-0.81). The CT+TT genotype, compared to the CC genotype, harbored a lower risk of pre-eclampsia (adjusted OR = 0.50, 95%CI = 0.30-0.84) in the dominant model. In the recessive model, the TT genotype, compared to the CC+CT genotype, harbored a lower risk of pre-eclampsia (adjusted OR = 0.31, 95%CI = 0.11-0.86). However, no significant correlation was observed between the IL-4 C+33T and G-1098T polymorphisms and risk of pre-eclampsia in three genetic models. In conclusion, IL-4 C-590T polymorphism could be used as a predictive risk factor for pre-eclampsia.

Abstract P1-05-29: Genomic variants in 5 male breast cancers using whole exome sequencing

This abstract was not presented at the symposium.

Abnormal white matter structural connectivity in treatment-naïve young adults with borderline personality disorder

OBJECTIVE

The pathogenesis of borderline personality disorder (BPD) is not well understood. We examined the microstructure of white matter in patients with BPD.

METHOD

Treatment-naïve young adult with BPD (N = 30) and young-adult healthy controls (HCs; N = 31) were subjected diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Microstructural parameters were analyzed via tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) and post hoc tractography.

RESULTS

TBSS analysis revealed that, relative to the HC group, the BPD group had significantly lower fractional anisotropy (FA) values in the genu and body of the corpus callosum (CC), right superior corona radiate, right anterior corona radiate, as well as higher radial diffusivity (RD) in the left anterior thalamic radiation. Tractography showed that FA values of fiber bundles passing through the fornix were significantly reduced in BPD group relative to HCs. No significant correlations were observed between clinical symptom and DTI indices in BPD group (FDR corrected).

CONCLUSION

Focal microstructural alterations were found in BPD group, mainly in the limbic system and CC. The present findings support the fronto-limbic disconnectivity hypothesis and suggest that abnormal maturation of white matter structures may play an important role in mechanism of BPD.

Pharmacokinetics of florfenicol and behaviour of its metabolite florfenicol amine in orange-spotted grouper (Epinephelus coioides) after oral administration

Pharmacokinetics and elimination of florfenicol and florfenicol amine in grouper held in sea water at 23.3 ± 0.8 °C were studied using HPLC method after they were given a single peroral dose of florfenicol at 24 mg kg(-1) body weight. Florfenicol was rapidly absorbed from intestine and distributed extensively to all the tissues examined. The maximum concentrations (Cmax , μg g(-1) or μg mL(-1) ) in plasma and tissues were observed at 2-6 h (the time to reach maximum concentration, Tmax ) except for bile (Tmax  = 24 h) and were in the order of intestine (52.02 ± 25.07) > bile (49.41 ± 28.16) > gill (45.12 ± 11.10) > plasma (28.28 ± 5.43) > liver (21.97 ± 12.08) > muscle (21.63 ± 6.12) > kidney (20.88 ± 11.28) > skin (19.10 ± 5.88). The drug distribution level was higher in plasma than in extravascular tissues except for bile, based on the ratios of the area under concentration-time curve between tissue and plasma (AUCtissue/plasma ). The elimination of florfenicol was rapid in fish, and the corresponding half-lives (T1/2β ) in the order of magnitude were bile (13.92 h) > muscle or liver (12.31 h) > skin (11.77 h) > plasma (11.57) > gill (11.04 h) > intestine (10.55 h) > kidney (10.05 h). The delayed Tmax , lower Cmax and longer T1/2β for florfenicol amine compared with florfenicol were measured in grouper.

Cross-cultural validation of the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale in Chinese adolescents

WHAT IS KNOWN ON THE SUBJECT?: The TAS-20 is the most widely used self-reported questionnaire to assess the level of alexithymia in students and community and clinical samples. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS TO EXISTING KNOWLEDGE?: The TAS-20-C exhibited high levels of reliability and validity, indicating that it is appropriate for the assessment of alexithymia in Chinese adolescents. WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE?: Screening adolescents who are at risk of alexithymia through the TAS-20 could help to perform necessary and effective precautions to decrease the adverse effects of alexithymia, such as the risks of developing depressive mood and behavioral problems.

ABSTRACT

Purpose The aim of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20-C) in a sample of Chinese adolescents. Method Adolescents (n = 1260) recruited from three schools in mainland China completed the TAS-20-C, the somatization subscale of the Symptom Checklist 90 (SCL-90) and Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). Five different factorial models of the TAS-20 were tested using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Cronbach's α, mean inter-item correlations and predictive validity were also evaluated. Results Among those five different factorial models, the four-factor structure model was suitable and invariant across gender and age in this sample. The TAS-20-C demonstrated adequate internal reliability. Gender and age accounted for insignificant amounts of variability in total TAS-20-C and factor scores. TAS-20-C total and subscale scores were correlated significantly with SCL-90 somatization subscale and CES-D. Girls scored higher than boys on difficulty identifying feelings (DIF) and pragmatic thinking (PR) subscales. DIF and lack of subjective significance or importance of emotions (IMs) subscale scores were higher among younger than among middle and older adolescents. Implications for Practice Validating the TAS-20 in adolescents is quite important to use it in evaluating adolescents' alexithymia, and screen those at risk of alexithymia.

Endovascular Coiling versus Surgical Clipping for Poor-Grade Ruptured Intracranial Aneurysms: Postoperative Complications and Clinical Outcome in a Multicenter Poor-Grade Aneurysm Study

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Endovascular coiling is an alternative to surgical clipping for ruptured intracranial aneurysms. However, no large multicenter prospective study has compared coiling and clipping in patients with poor-grade ruptured aneurysms. We aimed to determine differences in postoperative complications and clinical outcome between the 2 treatments in this group of patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A Multicenter Poor-Grade Aneurysm Study was a prospective, multicenter, observational registry of consecutive patients who presented with poor-grade ruptured aneurysms. Three hundred sixty-six patients were enrolled from October 2010 to March 2012. "Poor-grade aneurysm" was defined as a World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies grade of IV or V at the time of aneurysm treatment. Two hundred sixty-two patients received aneurysm treatment within 21 days and were included. Clinical outcomes were assessed at discharge and at 6 and 12 months by the modified Rankin Scale.

RESULTS

One hundred thirty-three (50.8%) patients underwent endovascular coiling. Unadjusted analysis showed that the outcome rate (mRS 0-1 or mRS 0-2) at 6 and 12 months in patients undergoing coiling was higher than that in patients undergoing clipping. In adjusted analyses, there was no statistically significant difference in outcomes at 6 and 12 months between the 2 groups. The risk of radiologic hydrocephalus was higher in patients treated with coiling than that in those treated with clipping (adjusted OR, 3.36; 95% CI, 1.13-10.01; P = .030).

CONCLUSIONS

The long-term outcome in selected patients was similar between endovascular coiling and clipping for poor-grade ruptured aneurysms. The risk of radiologic hydrocephalus was higher after endovascular treatment of poor-grade aneurysms.

Chronic hepatitis C virus infection is associated with increased risk of preterm birth: a meta-analysis of observational studies

Although several epidemiological studies reported that maternal chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection had significantly increased risk of undergoing adverse obstetrical and perinatal outcomes, studies on the relationship between HCV infection and risk of preterm birth (PTB) have yielded inconclusive and inconsistent results. Therefore, we conducted a meta-analysis to investigate the association between HCV infection and PTB. The electronic database was searched until 1 September 2014. Relevant studies reporting the association between HCV infection and the risk of PTB were included for further evaluation. Statistical analysis was performed using revmen 5.3 and stata 10.0. Nine studies involving 4186698 participants and 5218 HCV infection cases were included. A significant association between HCV infection and PTB was observed (odds ratio = 1.62, 95% CI 1.48-1.76, P < 0.001, fixed-effects model). Stratification according to maternal smoking/alcohol abuse, maternal drug abuse or coinfected with HBV and/or HIV matched groups still demonstrated that women with HCV infection had a high risk for PTB. Findings from our meta-analysis suggested that maternal HCV infection was significantly associated with an increased risk of PTB. In the future, pathophysiological studies are warranted to ascertain the causality and explore the possible biological mechanisms involved.

Genome-wide differential expression of synaptic long noncoding RNAs in autism spectrum disorder

A genome-wide differential expression of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) was identified in blood specimens of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). A total of 3929 lncRNAs were found to be differentially expressed in ASD peripheral leukocytes, including 2407 that were upregulated and 1522 that were downregulated. Simultaneously, 2591 messenger RNAs (mRNAs), including 1789 upregulated and 821 downregulated, were also identified in ASD leukocytes. Functional pathway analysis of these lncRNAs revealed neurological pathways of the synaptic vesicle cycling, long-term depression and long-term potentiation to be primarily involved. Thirteen synaptic lncRNAs, including nine upregulated and four downregulated, and 19 synaptic mRNAs, including 12 upregulated and seven downregulated, were identified as being differentially expressed in ASD. Our identification of differential expression of synaptic lncRNAs and mRNAs suggested that synaptic vesicle transportation and cycling are important for the delivery of synaptosomal protein(s) between presynaptic and postsynaptic membranes in ASD. Finding of 19 lncRNAs, which are the antisense, bi-directional and intergenic, of HOX genes may lead us to investigate the role of HOX genes involved in the development of ASD. Discovery of the lncRNAs of SHANK2-AS and BDNF-AS, the natural antisense of genes SHANK2 and BDNF, respectively, indicates that in addition to gene mutations, deregulation of lncRNAs on ASD-causing gene loci presents a new approach for exploring possible epigenetic mechanisms underlying ASD. Our study also opened a new avenue for exploring the use of lncRNA(s) as biomarker(s) for the early detection of ASD.

Traditional karyotyping vs copy number variation sequencing for detection of chromosomal abnormalities associated with spontaneous miscarriage

OBJECTIVES

To compare the performance of traditional G-banding karyotyping with that of copy number variation sequencing (CNV-Seq) for detection of chromosomal abnormalities associated with miscarriage.

METHODS

Products of conception (POC) were collected from spontaneous miscarriages. Chromosomal abnormalities were detected using high-resolution G-banding karyotyping and CNV sequencing. Quantitative fluorescent polymerase chain reaction analysis of maternal and POC DNA for short tandem repeat (STR) markers was used to both monitor maternal cell contamination and confirm the chromosomal status and sex of the miscarriage tissue.

RESULTS

A total of 64 samples of POC, comprising 16 with an abnormal and 48 with a normal karyotype, were selected and coded for analysis by CNV-Seq. CNV-Seq results were concordant for 14 (87.5%) of the 16 gross chromosomal abnormalities identified by karyotyping, including 11 autosomal trisomies and three sex chromosomal aneuploidies (45,X). Of the two discordant results, a 69,XXX polyploidy was missed by CNV-Seq, although supporting STR marker analysis confirmed the triploidy. In contrast, CNV-Seq identified a sample with 45,X karyotype as a 45,X/46,XY mosaic. In the remaining 48 samples of POC with a normal karyotype, CNV-Seq detected a 2.58-Mb 22q deletion associated with DiGeorge syndrome and nine different smaller CNVs of no apparent clinical significance.

CONCLUSIONS

CNV-Seq used in parallel with STR profiling is a reliable and accurate alternative to karyotyping for identifying chromosome copy number abnormalities associated with spontaneous miscarriage.

SAR650984 directly induces multiple myeloma cell death via lysosomal-associated and apoptotic pathways, which is further enhanced by pomalidomide

The anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody SAR650984 (SAR) is showing promising clinical activity in treatment of relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma (MM). Besides effector-mediated antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity and complement-mediated cytotoxicity, we here define molecular mechanisms of SAR-directed MM cell death and enhanced anti-MM activity triggered by SAR with Pomalidomide (Pom). Without Fc-cross-linking agents or effector cells, SAR specifically induces homotypic aggregation (HA)-associated cell death in MM cells dependent on the level of cell surface CD38 expression, actin cytoskeleton and membrane lipid raft. SAR and its F(ab)'2 fragments trigger caspase 3/7-dependent apoptosis in MM cells highly expressing CD38, even with p53 mutation. Importantly, SAR specifically induces lysosome-dependent cell death (LCD) by enlarging lysosomes and increasing lysosomal membrane permeabilization associated with leakage of cathepsin B and LAMP-1, regardless of the presence of interleukin-6 or bone marrow stromal cells. Conversely, the lysosomal vacuolar H+-ATPase inhibitor blocks SAR-induced LCD. SAR further upregulates reactive oxygen species. Pom enhances SAR-induced direct and indirect killing even in MM cells resistant to Pom/Len. Taken together, SAR is the first therapeutic monoclonal antibody mediating direct cytotoxicity against MM cells via multiple mechanisms of action. Our data show that Pom augments both direct and effector cell-mediated MM cytotoxicity of SAR, providing the framework for combination clinical trials.

Identification of mutations in U2HR in two Chinese families with Marie Unna hereditary hypotrichosis

Marie Unna hereditary hypotrichosis (MUHH) is a rare autosomal dominant genodermatosis characterized by coarse, wiry, twisted hair developing during early childhood, with subsequent progressive hair loss. Recently, mutations in U2HR, an inhibitory upstream open reading frame in the 5' untranslated region of the human hairless gene (HR), were identified as the underlying cause of MUHH. We investigated two unrelated Chinese multigenerational families with MUHH. By sequencing U2HR in the two families, we identified two previously reported mutations, c.1A >T (p.Met1?) and c.104A>G (p*35Wext1263*). Both these mutations cosegregated with the disease phenotype in the two families.

Completion sequence and cloning of the infectious cDNA of a chb isolate of cucumber green mottle mosaic virus

Cucumber green mottle mosaic virus (CGMMV) is an important and widespread seed-borne virus that infects Cucurbitaceous plants. It is a member of the genus Tobamovirus in the family Virgaviridae with a monopartite (+) ssRNA genome. Here we report the complete genome sequence, construction and testing of the infectious clones of a chb isolate of CGMMV. Full-length CGMMV cDNA was cloned into the vector pUC19. The linearized vector containing full-length cDNA was used as template for in vitro transcription, and the synthesized capped transcript was highly infectious in Chenopodium amaranticolor and cucumber (Cucumis sativus). Inoculated plants showed symptoms typical of CGMMV infection. The infectivity was confirmed by mechanical transmission to new plants, RT-PCR and western blot. Progeny virus derived from infectious transcripts had the same biological and biochemical properties as wild-type virus. To our knowledge, this is the first detailed report of a biologically active transcript from CGMMV.

TRIB3 mediates the expression of Wnt5a and activation of nuclear factor-κB in Porphyromonas endodontalis lipopolysaccharide-treated osteoblasts

Porphyromonas endodontalis lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is considered to be correlated with the progression of bone resorption in periodontal and periapical diseases. Wnt5a has recently been implicated in inflammatory processes, but its role is unclear as a P. endodontalis LPS-induced mediator in osteoblasts. Tribbles homolog 3 (TRIB3) encodes a pseudokinase and has been linked to inflammation in certain situations. Here, we found that P. endodontalis LPS induced Wnt5a expression in a dose- and time-dependent manner and it also upregulated translocation, phosphorylation and transcriptional activity of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) in MC3T3-E1 cells. Bay 11-7082 blocked the translocation of NF-κB and Wnt5a expression induced by P. endodontalis LPS. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assay further established that induction of Wnt5a by P. endodontalis LPS was mediated through the NF-κB p65 subunit. Additionally, P. endodontalis LPS increased expression of TRIB3 in osteoblasts after 10 h simulated time. Overexpression of TRIB3 enhanced NF-κB phosphorylation and Wnt5a induction, whereas knockdown of TRIB3 inhibited NF-κB phosphorylation and Wnt5a expression in P. endodontalis LPS-stimulated osteoblasts. These results suggest that P. endodontalis LPS has the ability to promote the expression of Wnt5a in mouse osteoblasts, and this induction is mainly mediated by NF-κB pathway. TRIB3 seems to modulate the sustained expression of Wnt5a in osteoblasts stimulated by P. endodontalis LPS, as well as regulating NF-κB phosphorylation.

The risk of placental abruption and placenta previa in pregnant women with chronic hepatitis B viral infection: a systematic review and meta-analysis

INTRODUCTION

Several epidemiological studies have found a positive association between chronic hepatitis B virus (CHB) infection and the risk of placental abruption and placenta previa, but various studies have reported conflicting findings. The objective was to systematically review the literature to determine a possible association between CHB infection and these two placental complications.

METHODS

We conducted a computerized search in electronic database through March 1, 2014, supplemented with a manual search of reference lists, to identify original published research on placental abruption and placenta previa rates in women with CHB infection. Data were independently extracted, and relative risks were calculated. The meta-analysis was performed using Stata version 10.0 software.

RESULTS

Five studies involving 9088 placenta previa cases were identified. No significant association between CHB infection and placenta previa was identified (OR = 0.98, 95% CI = 0.60-1.62). Five studies involving 15571 placental abruption cases were identified. No significant association between CHB infection and placental abruption was identified (OR = 1.42, 95% CI, 0.93-2.15).

DISCUSSION

The immune response against the virus represents a key factor in determining infection outcomes. No observation of significant increased risk of the placental complications could be partially explained by the complex immune response during CHB infection.

CONCLUSIONS

Our meta-analysis found no evidence of significant associations between CHB infection and increased risk of placental abruption as well as placenta previa. Further well-designed studies were warranted to assess any potential association between CHB infection and increased risk of placental abruption as well as placenta previa.

Quantitative structure and bioactivity relationship study on HCV NS5B polymerase inhibitors

Several QSAR (quantitative structure-activity relationship) models for predicting the inhibitory activity of 333 hepatitis C virus (HCV) NS5B polymerase inhibitors were developed. All the inhibitors are HCV polymerase non-nucleoside analogue inhibitors (NNIs) fitting into the pocket of the NNI III binding site. For each molecule, global descriptors and 2D property autocorrelation descriptors were calculated from the program ADRIANA.Code. Pearson correlation analysis was used to select the significant descriptors for building models. The whole dataset was split into a training set and a test set randomly or using a Kohonen's self-organizing map (SOM). Then, the inhibitory activity of 333 HCV NS5B polymerase inhibitors was predicted using multilinear regression (MLR) analysis and support vector machine (SVM) method, respectively. For the test set of the best model (Model 2B), correlation coefficient of 0.91 was achieved. Some molecular descriptors, such as molecular complexity (Complexity), the number of hydrogen bonding donors (HDon) and the solubility of the molecule in water (log S) were found to be very important factors which determined the bioactivity of the HCV NS5B inhibitors. Some other molecular properties such as electrostatic and charge properties also played important roles in the interaction between the ligand and the protein. The selected molecular descriptors were further confirmed by analysing the interaction between two representative inhibitors and the polymerase in their crystal structures.

JNK phosphorylation promotes natural degeneration of cervical endplate chondrocytes by down-regulating expression of ANK

BACKGROUND

Endplate degeneration leads to accelerated degeneration of the intervertebral disc. The importance of endplate chondrocytes in this process is unclear. Many cellular processes in chondrocytes are controlled by activated c-Jun N-terminal kinases (JNK) and protein kinase B (AKT). However, the involvement of their pathways in the degeneration process needs to be elucidated.

AIM

To study activation of JNK and AKT signaling pathways and their significance for degeneration of endplate chondrocytes, as well as involvement of progressive ankylosis protein (ANK) in this process.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Rat primary chondrocytes were grown to confluence and subcultured until passage 4. Morphological appearances (microscope, hematoxylin & eosin staining, toluidine blue staining) and proliferation rates of cells (MTT test) were observed. Further, levels of type II collagen, aggrecan, phosphorylated JNK and AKT, total JNK, AKT and ANK were evaluated by qPCR, flow cytometry and Western blot assays. Furthermore, inhibition experiments with SP600125, the JNK inhibitor, were carried out in the passage 4 cells to assess the effects of the JNK pathway on natural degeneration of endplate chondrocytes.

RESULTS

The proliferative speed of endplate chondrocytes progressively decreased during passaging. Expressions of type II collagen and aggrecan were significantly decreased with cells at higher passages. Furthermore, phosphorylation of JNK, but not AKT, was significantly up-regulated and accompanied by reduced ANK expression. Inhibition of the JNK pathway increased expression of type II collagen, aggrecan and ANK and facilitated proliferation rates.

CONCLUSIONS

Phosphorylation of JNK promotes natural degeneration of cervical endplate chondrocytes, likely by down-regulating ANK expression.

Advanced oxidation protein products enhances soluble Fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 expression in trophoblasts: a possible link between oxidative stress and preeclampsia

Accumulation of advanced oxidation protein products (AOPPs) is prevalent in obesity, advanced maternal age, diabetes mellitus, and polycystic ovary syndrome. Alterations in the regulation and signaling of angiogenic pathways have been recognized as a link between these conditions and pre-eclampsia. To investigate the possible impact of AOPPs on soluble Fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 (sFlt-1) expression in trophoblasts. A trophoblast cell line (HRT-8/SVneo) was treated with various concentrations of AOPPs. The mRNA expression of sFlt-1, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and placental growth factor (PlGF) in trophoblasts were measured with the use of real-time polymerase chain reaction; and the secretion of sFlt-1, VEGF, and PlGF protein from trophoblasts were detected with the use of ELISA. Exposure of HRT-8/SVneo cells to AOPPs induced overexpression of sFlt-1 at mRNA and protein levels in a dose dependent manner. These effects could be inhibited by apocynin, an inhibitors of NADPH oxidase. Our data identified AOPPs as a class of important mediator in the regulation and signaling of angiogenic pathways of trophoblasts. Accumulation of AOPPs might contributes to the pathogenesis of preeclampsia by promoting sFlt-1 production in trophoblasts.

Terbinafine inhibits KSR1 and suppresses Raf-MEK-ERK signaling in oral squamous cell carcinoma cells

Terbinafine inhibits the proliferation of many types of cancer cells, but the underlying mechanism remains to be determined. By computer simulation, we found that kinase suppressor of Ras 1 (KSR1) is a possible target of terbinafine. Treatment of human oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) KB cells with either terbinafine or siRNA to knockdown KSR1 reduced proliferation and induced apoptosis, which was accompanied by suppression of the Raf-MEK-ERK pathway. In vivo, KSR1 expression was significantly associated with the clinical staging of OSCC and the smoking habit of patients. Kaplan Meyer survival analysis demonstrated that the cumulative survival time of patients without KSR1 expression was significantly longer than those with KSR1 overexpression. Our data provide the basis for developing terbinafine to treat OSCC.

Triterpene saponins from Tabellae Clinopodii

Three new triterpene saponins, named Clinoposaponin A, Clinoposaponin B, and Clinoposaponin C along with three known triterpene saponins were isolated from the Tabellae Clinopodii. The structures of these compounds were elucidated by means of various spectroscopic analyses. All of the isolated compounds were tested against Hela, HCT-8, AGS, and MCF-7 human cancer cell lines and showed moderate cytotoxic activities with IC₅₀ values between 4.1 and 19.7 μM.

Exposure to bisphenol A disrupts meiotic progression during spermatogenesis in adult rats through estrogen-like activity

The effect of bisphenol A (BPA) on the reproductive system is highly debated but has been associated with meiotic abnormalities. However, evidence is lacking with regard to the mechanisms involved. In order to explore the underlying mechanisms of BPA-induced meiotic abnormalities in adult male rats, we exposed 9-week-old male Wistar rats to BPA by gavage at 0, 2, 20 or 200 μg/kg body weight (bw)/day for 60 consecutive days. 17β-Estradiol (E2) was administered at 10 μg/kg bw/day as the estrogenic positive control. Treatments with 200 μg/kg bw/day of BPA and E2 significantly decreased sperm counts and inhibited spermiation, characterized by an increase in stage VII and decrease in stage VIII in the seminiferous epithelium. This was concomitant with a disruption in the progression of meiosis I and the persistence of meiotic DNA strand breaks in pachytene spermatocytes,and the ataxia-telangiectasia-mutated and checkpoint kinase 2 signal pathway was also activated; Eventually, germ cell apoptosis was triggered as evaluated by terminal dUTP nick-end labeling assay and western blot for caspase 3. Using the estrogen receptor (ER) antagonist ICI 182780, we determined that ER signaling mediated BPA-induced meiotic disruption and reproductive impairment. Our results suggest that ER signaling-mediated meiotic disruption may be a major contributor to the molecular events leading to BPA-related male reproductive disorders. These rodent data support the growing association between BPA exposure and the rapid increase in the incidence of male reproductive disorders.