[The characteristics of a mouse model with nasal polyp established by lipopolysaccharide]

Objective:To explore the effect of lipopolysaccharide(LPS) on the formation of nasal polyps in mice and its mechanism.Method:Five or ten μg of LPS were dropped into the nasal cavities of six to eight-week C57BL/6J mice in order to establish animal models with nasal polyps.Buried food pellets experiment was used to assess olfactory function of mice.Hematoxylin-eosin staining,olfactory marker protein(OMP),and myeloperoxidase(MPO) for neutrophil immunohistochemistry were used to observe histopathological changes in the nasal mucosa.The expression levels of cytokines,such as interferon(IFN)-γ,tumor necrosis factor(TNF)-α,IL-6 in the nasal lavage fluid,were detected by ELISA.Result:Compared to the control group,mice in the LPS groups showed significant nasal polyp formation,olfactory dysfunction,more MPO⁺ cells while less OMP⁺ cells in the nasal mucosa,as well as increased significantly levels of IFN-γ,TNF-α,and IL-6 in the nasal lavage fluids(all P<0.05).Conclusion:LPS from Gram negative bacteria alone can induce the formation of nasal polyps in mice,characterized by more neutrophils,olfactory dysfunction,and increasing Th1 cytokine.Therefore,this model is commensurate with the characteristics of primary nasal polyps found in China and other major Asian.The current study suggests that LPS may be one of the important pathogenesis of gram negative bacteria in the nasal polyps.

[Reoperation for cervical myelopathy duo to progressing ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligaments in patients with expansive laminoplasty]

OBJECTIVE

To retrospectively analyze the clinical data of the patients with reoperation for cervical myelopathy due to progressing ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligaments, with previous open-door expansive laminoplasty, and to evaluate the outcomes.

METHODS

From May 2006 to July 2012, a retrospective study was performed on a consecutive series of 17 patients with previous open-door expansive laminoplasty, who had received the reoperation for cervical myelopathy due to progressing ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligaments. The reoperation was performed based on the clinical manifestations and segments of responsibility. The anterior approaches were performed in 12 cases, and the posterior approaches in 5 cases. The correlation between the clinical factors and Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) scores or the JOA recovery rate was evaluated by Pearson or Spearman correlation test. The pre- and post-operative JOA scores were analyzed by repeated measures ANOVA and the JOA recovery rates were compared with paired t test.

RESULTS

The mean follow-up was 137.5 months (range 60-348 months). There were no serious complications after surgical procedures. There was one case that had C5 palsy in the first operation and had recovery after one week. Another case had C5 palsy in the reoperation with posterior approach, which had recovery at the end of 6 months postoperation. Three cases had the cerebrospinal fluid leakage of the reoperation, with two cases in the anterior approaches and one case in the posterior approach. There was no significant correlation between the clinical variables and JOA scores or JOA recovery rates. The JOA scores of the patients in the first operation were improved from 9.4±4.1 to 12.8±2.8 (P<0.01), and the JOA recovery rate was 45.6%. The JOA scores of the reoperation were improved from 10.2±2.8 to 12.7±2.4 (P<0.05) at the end of 6 months and 14.3±1.9 (P<0.01) by the last follow-up. There were significant differences between the JOA recovery rates by the last follow-up (63.2%) and at the end of 6 months (39.3%) of the reoperation or 45.6% of the first operation (P<0.01).

CONCLUSION

The reoperation for cervical myelopathy duo to progressing ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligaments can significantly promote the recovery of the spinal cord, based on the clinical manifestations combined with segments of responsibility of the imaging.

Temporal and spatial expression profiles of Frizzled 3 in the ovary during the estrous cycle

Frizzled 3 is an important receptor in the Wnt/β-catenin pathway, a conserved signaling pathway that regulates gene expression and controls diverse developmental processes. However, the role of this protein during follicular development in the adult ovary is not known. The present study was designed to investigate the expression and localization of Frizzled 3 mRNA and protein during the estrous cycle in the mouse ovary through in situ hybridization (ISH), real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction, immunohistochemistry and western blot. ISH results showed that in proestrus, high expression of Frizzled 3 was found in the granulosa and stroma with weak levels in the corpus luteum. In estrus and diestrus, the stroma had high Frizzled 3 expression, but levels were low in granulosa cells and corpus luteum. In the metestrus, moderate expression of Frizzled 3 was found in the stroma but low to no expression was found in luteal cells and follicles. The mRNA and protein levels of Frizzled 3 were found to be the highest in proestrus and diestrus compared to estrus and metestrus (P < 0.05), confirming the ISH results. During estrus and diestrus, high Frizzled 3 expression was observed in the stroma and moderate levels in granulosa cells, and during estrus and proestrus, low expression was seen in the oocyte cell membrane. The western blot results further confirmed this change during the estrous cycle. Together, these results indicate that Frizzled 3 is involved in regulating follicular development and oocyte maturation during the estrous cycle.

Exploring Northwest China's agricultural water-saving strategy: analysis of water use efficiency based on an SE-DEA model conducted in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province

Worldwide, water scarcity threatens delivery of water to urban centers. Increasing water use efficiency (WUE) is often recommended to reduce water demand, especially in water-scarce areas. In this paper, agricultural water use efficiency (AWUE) is examined using the super-efficient data envelopment analysis (DEA) approach in Xi'an in Northwest China at a temporal and spatial level. The grey systems analysis technique was then adopted to identify the factors that influenced the efficiency differentials under the shortage of water resources. From the perspective of temporal scales, the AWUE increased year by year during 2004-2012, and the highest (2.05) was obtained in 2009. Additionally, the AWUE was the best in the urban area at the spatial scale. Moreover, the key influencing factors of the AWUE are the financial situations and agricultural water-saving technology. Finally, we identified several knowledge gaps and proposed water-saving strategies for increasing AWUE and reducing its water demand by: (1) improving irrigation practices (timing and amounts) based on compatible water-saving techniques; (2) maximizing regional WUE by managing water resources and allocation at regional scales as well as enhancing coordination among Chinese water governance institutes.

Prevalence and patterns of multimorbidity in northeastern China: a cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVES

Information on multimorbidity in the general populations of developing countries is lacking. We examine the prevalence and patterns of multimorbidity in northeastern China.

STUDY DESIGN

A cross-sectional study was conducted on adult residents in Jilin Province, northeastern China from June 2012 to August 2012.

METHODS

Data were collected from a large cross-sectional study (n = 21,435) of adult community residents in Jilin Province in northeastern China. Multimorbidity, or co-morbidity, was defined as having two or more of 18 specified prevalent chronic diseases. A range of demographics, socio-economic factors, other risk factors and general mental health were used in describing the distribution of multimorbidity and in exploring the associations between them.

RESULTS

Almost a quarter (24.7%) of the adults were found to be multimorbid for chronic diseases. Multimorbidity was more common among older adults, women, rural residents and those with low income. Smoking, increasing BMI and psychological distress were independently associated with multimorbidity. Multimorbid patients were frequent users of primary care. Most dyads of chronic diseases co-occurred more frequently than would be expected on the basis of chance.

CONCLUSIONS

Researchers, clinicians and policy makers need to pay special attention to the health care challenges of multimorbidity and develop effective intervention strategies and programs to reduce the burden of multimorbidity.

Development of EST-SSR and TRAP markers from transcriptome sequencing data of the mango

Mango is one of the most commercially important fruit crops in tropical and subtropical regions. To increase the efficiency of breeding strategies, two EST-derived marker systems were developed in the present study using information from the mango fruit transcriptome. Using simple sequence repeats, 218 of 230 primer pairs showed stable amplification for 7 mango genotypes with amplicons ranging from 84 to 160 bp; 93 of the primer pairs yielded polymorphic products. The proportion of polymorphic bands ranged from 16.67 to 100%, with a mean of 55.64%. In contrast, 86 primer pairs exhibited good amplification with clear bands for target region amplification polymorphism analysis, and a total of 66 primer combinations were polymorphic. These two novel sets of EST-derived markers will be of use in future studies of genetic diversity, genetic map construction, and marker-assisted selection in mango.

Decorin-induced proliferation of avian myoblasts involves the myostatin/Smad signaling pathway

Decorin, a small leucine-rich proteoglycan as a component of the extracellular matrix, plays an important role in the skeletal muscle development. It has been reported that decorin promoted proliferation and differentiation of muscle cells by restraining myostatin activity in rodents. However, the effects and mechanisms of decorin on avian myoblast proliferation are not understood clearly. Thus, in our research, decorin overexpressing and knocking-down quail myoblast-7 (QM7) myoblasts were established to explore the effects of decorin on avian myoblast proliferation by flow cytometry. The results showed that overexpression of decorin enhanced the proliferation of QM7 myoblasts, which was accompanied by the upregulation of follistatin and primary muscle regulatory factors (i.e., myogenic factor 5, myogenic factor 1, myogenin), and downregulation of myostatin expression, as well as the decreased phosphorylation level of SMAD family member 3 (Smad3). In line with expectations, decorin RNAi displayed an opposite effect on the proliferation and gene expression pattern of QM7 cells. In conclusion, our in vitro studies suggested the decorin-mediated myostatin/Smad signaling pathway might be involved in the regulation of avian myoblast proliferation.

Lactoferrin administration into the nostril alleviates murine allergic rhinitis and its mechanisms

Lactoferrin (LF) can downregulate allergic airway inflammation in asthma. However, the in vivo effect of exogenous LF on allergic rhinitis (AR), a disease attributed to airway inflammation, has yet to be determined. We investigated the effect of intranasal administration recombinant human (rh) LF and its underlying mechanisms on AR in BALB/c mice. Multiple parameters of allergic responses were evaluated to determine the effect of rhLF. We found that the number of eosinophils and goblet cells, as well as mRNA and protein expression of type 2 helper T (Th2), Th17 and regulatory T (Treg) cells in the nasal cavity, was significantly upregulated in AR mice compared with the controls, Conversely, administration of rhLF prior to or after intranasal ovalbumin challenge markedly downregulated these same parameters. Th1-specific mRNA and protein expression in the nasal cavity of the controls was not different from that in AR mice, but expression significantly increased with rhLF treatment. The mRNA and protein expression of endogenous LF in the nasal cavity was significantly downregulated in AR mice compared with the controls. However, after rhLF treatment, endogenous LF mRNA and protein expression was significantly upregulated. Exogenous rhLF inhibited allergic inflammation in AR mice, most likely by promoting the endogenous LF expression and skewing T cells to a Th1, but not a Th2 and Th17 phenotype in the nasal mucosa. Our findings suggest that rhLF treatment may be a novel therapeutic approach for prevention and treatment AR.

[Design, synthesis and anti-proliferative activity of novel coumarin derivatives linking Schiff base and aryl nitrogen mustard]

To explore novel coumarin derivatives with more potent anti-proliferative activity, a series of novel compounds were designed and synthesized by linking Schiff base and N, N-bis (2-chloroethyl) amine pharmacophore of nitrogen mustards to the coumarin's framework. Their structures were confirmed by 1H NMR, MS and element analysis techniques. In vitro anti-proliferative activities were evaluated against HepG2, DU145 and MCF7 cell lines by the standard MTT assay. The results showed that some of the target compounds exhibited strong anti-proliferative activities against selected tumor cells, and compounds 7c, 7f, 7g, 7h and 7q were better than or equal to the activities of positive control, they deserved further development.

Measurement of enhanced radiation force on a parallel metallic-plate system in the microwave regime

We measure the force exerted by microwave radiation on a centimeter-sized parallel-plate metallic resonant unit. By varying the ambient environment, we distinguish carefully between the direct radiation force and the indirect photothermal component. At the microwave resonance, the former is measured quantitatively to be 100 times larger than the conventional radiation force. Furthermore, the enhanced radiation force tends to increase the separation of the plates. Both the direction and the magnitude of the measured force agree well with numerical calculations.

[Synthesis and activities of 4-(2-acetoxybenzoylamino) butyramide heterocyclic compounds]

It has been demonstrated by our previous research that 4-(2-acetoxybenzoylamino) butyramide derivatives exhibited good antiepileptic activities. In this paper, to explore the SAR and improve the antiepileptic activities of these derivatives, a series of novel 4-(2-acetoxybenzoylamino) butyramide heterocyclic compounds (5a-5n) were synthesized and biologically evaluated. Their structures were confirmed by 1H MNR, ESI-MS and elemental analysis. Pharmacological test in vivo showed that target compounds (5f, 5i-5n) displayed strong antiepileptic activities on 4-AP induced epilepsy in mice with ED50 values ranging from 0.3137 to 0.3604 mmol x kg(-1).

[Design, synthesis and activities of 4-(2-acetoxybenzoylamino) butyramide derivatives]

To explore new agents of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) derivatives with more potent antiepileptic activity, a series of 4-(2-acetoxybenzoylamino) butyramide derivatives were designed and synthesized. All of the novel compounds (5a-51) were synthesized from GABA as starting material, and their structures were confirmed with IR, 1H NMR, EI-MS and elemental analysis. Preliminary pharmacological test in vitro showed that all target compounds displayed strong antiepileptic activities and were worth for further study. The structure-activity relationship of 4-(2-acetoxybenzoylamino) butyramide derivatives was also discussed preliminarily.

Active immunization of fatty acid translocase specifically decreased visceral fat deposition in male broilers

Lipid accumulation of avian adipocytes is mainly dependent upon the fatty acid transmembrane uptake process mediated by membrane proteins, such as fatty acid translocase (FAT/CD36), fatty acid transport protein 1, and caveolin-2. To examine the effects of FAT/CD36 on spatial-specific fat deposition, 60 broiler chickens were randomly allocated to 2 groups by sex. Each male or female group contained 2 subgroups (n = 14-15) inoculated by intramuscular injection with chicken FAT/CD36 or BSA (control) immunogens at 34, 49, and 63 d. The subcutaneous and visceral fat deposits were measured, as were levels of plasma triglyceride and free fatty acid. Serum antibody titer was measured by ELISA. The mRNA expression levels of fatty acid transport-related genes in the adipose tissue of the male broilers were investigated to reveal the relationships among various fatty acid transporters. The results showed that active immunization with FAT/CD36 could significantly decrease the visceral fat of the male broilers by up to 40%, but it had no effect on subcutaneous fat stores of male broilers or on either site of fat deposition in female broilers. The concentration of plasma free fatty acids increased in the experimental groups for both male and female broilers. After the FAT/CD36 immunization, very low density lipoprotein receptor mRNA expression was upregulated in both the subcutaneous and visceral fat of male broilers, whereas peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ, FAT/CD36, and acyl-CoA binding protein mRNA expression levels were upregulated only in the visceral fat of male broilers. These results indicated a novel role of chicken FAT/CD36 in fat deposition, with sex- and spatial-specific effects.

The link between fibroblast growth factor 21 and sterol regulatory element binding protein 1c during lipogenesis in hepatocytes

Recently fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) has been identified as a potent regulator in glucose and lipid homeostasis. Here, we firstly investigated the metabolic role of FGF21 in human liver-derived HepG2 cells, and suggested that overexpression of FGF21 suppressed triglyceride accumulation by inhibiting the transcription of the gene necessary for de novo lipogenesis. The potential mechanism of FGF21 regulating lipogenesis was also explored, which revealed that FGF21 repressed the transcription of sterol regulatory element binding protein 1c (SREBP1c), an essential transcription factor promoting expression of lipogenesis-related genes. Overexpression of FGF21 ameliorated the up-regulation of SREBP1c and fatty acid synthase (FAS) in HepG2 cells elicited by FFAs treatment. Moreover, FGF21 could inhibit the transcriptional levels of the key genes involved in processing and nuclear translocation of SREBP1c, and decrease the protein amount of mature SREBP1c. Unexpectedly, overexpression of SREBP1c in HepG2 cells could also inhibit the endogenous FGF21 transcription. Further experiments demonstrated that SREBP1c could significantly attenuate the promoter activity of FGF21. In conclusion, our data identifies a clear link between FGF21 and SREBP1c during lipogenesis in hepatocyte in culture.

Strong light-induced negative optical pressure arising from kinetic energy of conduction electrons in plasmon-type cavities

We found that very strong negative optical pressure can be induced in plasmonic cavities by LC resonance. This interesting effect could be described qualitatively by a Lagrangian model which shows that the negative optical pressure is driven by the internal inductance and the kinetic energy of the conduction electrons. If the metal is replaced by perfect conductors, the optical pressure becomes much smaller and positive.

Quaternary ZnCdSeTe nanowires

We report the growth of needle-like high density quaternary ZnCdSeTe nanowires on oxidized Si(100) substrate using vapor-liquid-solid mechanism by molecular beam epitaxy with an Au-based nanocatalyst. It was found that average length and average diameter of the nanowires were 1.3 microm and 91 nm, respectively. It was also found that the as-grown ZnCdSeTe nanowires exhibit mixture of cubic zinc-blende and hexagonal wurtzite structures. Energy depersive results indicate that composition ratio of our nanowire should be Zn0.87Cd0.13Se0.98Te0.02, which agrees excellently with the designated composition ratio of Zn0.87Cd0.13Se0.98Te0.02.

Expression of Frizzled 2 in the mouse ovary during oestrous cycle

The Wnt/beta-catenin pathway is a conserved signalling pathway that regulates gene expression and controls diverse developmental processes such as cell fate specification, cell proliferation and cell differentiation. To our knowledge, the potential role of this pathway in the adult ovary has been poorly addressed. To this end, we investigated the expression pattern of Frizzled 2 in the mouse ovary during oestrous cycle by real-time Q-PCR, in situ hybridization, Western blotting and immunohistochemistry. In this study, we used uterine wet weight and H3.2 mRNA level as two markers for classification of mouse oestrous cycle. We found that both uterine wet weight and H3.2 mRNA are the highest in the proestrus and decrease from oestrus to diestrus. During oestrous cycle, Frizzled 2 mRNA and protein exhibited the highest level in the proestrus stage and rapidly reduced from oestrus to diestrus. In situ hybridization results showed that the positive signals for Frizzled 2 are highly detected in the oocyte and stroma in proestrus stage, while moderate or weak Frizzled 2 mRNAs are localized in the oocyte, granulosa cells, stroma and corpus luteum from oestrus to diestrus. The localization pattern of Frizzled 2 protein is mostly consistent with its mRNA, but stronger Frizzled 2 proteins are present in the granulosa cells and membrane of oocyte in oestrous cycle. Our data suggest that Frizzled 2 may be involved in regulating follicle growth, oocyte maturation and luteinization during oestrous cycle.

The structure of the bacterial and archaeal community in a biogas digester as revealed by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis and 16S rDNA sequencing analysis

AIMS

To identify the bacterial and archaeal composition in a mesophilic biogas digester treating pig manure and to compare the consistency of two 16S rDNA-based methods to investigate the microbial structure.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Sixty-nine bacterial operational taxonomic units (OTU) and 25 archaeal OTU were identified by sequencing two 16S rDNA clone libraries. Most bacterial OTU were identified as phyla of Firmicutes (47.2% of total clones), Bacteroides (35.4%) and Spirochaetes (13.2%). Methanoculleus bourgensis (29.0%), Methanosarcina barkeri (27.4%) and Methanospirillum hungatei (10.8%) were the dominant methanogens. Only 9% of bacterial and 20% of archaeal OTU matched cultured isolates at a similarity index of >or=97%. About 78% of the dominant bacterial (with abundance >3%) and 83% of archaeal OTU were recovered from the denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) bands of V3 regions in 16S rDNAs.

CONCLUSIONS

In the digester, most bacterial and archaeal species were uncultured; bacteria belonging to Firmicutes, Bacteroides and Spirochaetes seem to take charge of cellulolysis, proteolysis, acidogenesis, sulfur-reducing and homoacetogenesis; the most methanogens were typical hydrogenotrophic or hydrogenotrophic/aceticlastic; DGGE profiles reflected the dominant microbiota.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

This study gave a first insight of the overall microbial structure in a rural biogas digester and also indicated DGGE was useful in displaying its dominant microbiota.

Clinicopathological features, post-surgical survival and prognostic indicators of elderly patients with hepatocellular carcinoma

AIM

Comprehensive data regarding elderly patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) were limited. The present study aims to widen the knowledge based on patients in China.

METHODS

Fifty-four elderly (> or =65 years) and 125 non-elderly HCC patients undergoing hepatectomy were enrolled in this retrospective study. Clinicopathological features and post-surgical survival were compared between two groups. Prognostic indicators of elderly patients were defined by uni- and multivariate analyses.

RESULTS

Contrast to non-elderly patients, the elderly presented significantly lower rates of HBsAg positivity, Child-Pugh grade A, alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) marked elevation, portal vein tumour thrombosis (PVTT), satellite nodule, and intrahepatic recurrence, smaller tumour sizes, earlier TNM staging and better histological differentiation. No significant differences were found in perioperative mortality rate and post-surgical survival between two groups. PVTT and Edmondson-Steiner grading were identified as independent prognostic indicators of both overall and disease-free survival by multivariate analysis, whereas Child-Pugh grading independently affected the overall survival.

CONCLUSIONS

HCC in the elderly seemed to be less HBV-associated, less progressive and less aggressive than that in the non-elderly. Hepatectomy for the elderly could make a satisfactory prognosis and be well tolerated. Some tumour-related factors independently predict the prognosis of elderly HCC patients, and their liver function status should be further valued.

Insights into Hydrogen Atom Adsorption on and the Electrochemical Properties of Nitrogen-Substituted Carbon Materials

The nitrogen substitution in carbon materials is investigated theoretically using the density functional theory method. Our calculations show that nitrogen substitution decreases the hydrogen adsorption energy if hydrogen atoms are adsorbed on both nitrogen atoms and the neighboring carbon atoms. On the contrary, the hydrogen adsorption energy can be increased if hydrogen atoms are adsorbed only on the neighboring carbon atoms. The reason can be explained by the electronic structures analysis of N-substituted graphene sheets. Nitrogen substitution reduces the pi electron conjugation and increases the HOMO energy of a graphene sheet, and the nitrogen atom is not stable due to its 3-valent character. This raises an interesting research topic on the optimization of the N-substitution degree, and is important to many applications such as hydrogen storage and the tokamaks device. The electronic structure studies also explain well why nitrogen substitution increases the capacitance but decreases the electron conductivity of carbon electrodes as was experimentally observed in our experiments on the supercapacitor.

[Genetic studies of 13 loci in Guangdong Han population by two multiplex PCR systems and its forensic application]

OBJECTIVE

The genetic studies of 13 short tandem repeats(STRs) loci in two multiplex amplification systems were carried out on Chinese Han population in Guangdong.

METHODS

DNA samples from 328 unrelated individuals were screened. The 13 loci were D3S1358, vWA, FGA, D8S1179, D21S11, D18S51, D5S818, D13S317, D7S820, D16S539, TH01, TPOX and CSF1PO. The PCR products were analyzed and genotyped by ABI 377-96 Sequencer.

RESULTS

The combined power of discrimination (DP) was 0.999999999999993 and the combined paternity of exclusion(PE) was 99.999%. These 13 loci met the Hardy-Weinberg expectations.

CONCLUSION

The two multiplex amplification systems were very useful in forensic case investigation.

A transient increase in CCK mRNA levels in hippocampus following audiogenic convulsions in audiogenic seizure-prone rats

AIM

To examine the effects of a single convulsion and multiple convulsions on cholecystokinin (CCK) mRNA expression in hippocampus of audiogenic seizure-prone rats (P77PMC).

METHODS

Ringing (electric bell, 100 dB, 60 s) was used to induce convulsions, hippocampal CCK mRNA expression was exhibited by in situ hybridization.

RESULTS

1) The number of CCK mRNA-positive neurons in principal hippocampus of normal rats was 34 +/- 5, which elevated markedly after a single (155 +/- 7, P < 0.01) or multiple convulsions (95 +/- 8, P < 0.01). 2) CCK mRNA levels in multiple consecutive convulsion rats were lower than that in a single convulsion rats (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSION

The increased number of CCK mRNA-positive neurons in hippocampus may have important functional consequences in convulsion-associated processes.