Elevational sensitivity in an Asian 'hotspot': moth diversity across elevational gradients in tropical, sub-tropical and sub-alpine China

South-western China is widely acknowledged as a biodiversity ‘hotspot’: there are high levels of diversity and endemism, and many environments are under significant anthropogenic threats not least climate warming. Here, we explore diversity and compare response patterns of moth assemblages among three elevational gradients established within different climatic bioregions - tropical rain forest, sub-tropical evergreen broad-leaved forest and sub-alpine coniferous forest in Yunnan Province, China. We hypothesised that tropical assemblages would be more elevationally stratified than temperate assemblages, and tropical species would be more elevationally restricted than those in the temperate zone. Contrary to our hypothesis, the moth fauna was more sensitive to elevational differences within the temperate transect, followed by sub-tropical and tropical transects. Moths in the cooler and more seasonal temperate sub-alpine gradient showed stronger elevation-decay beta diversity patterns, and more species were restricted to particular elevational ranges. Our study suggests that moth assemblages are under threat from future climate change and sub-alpine rather than tropical faunas may be the most sensitive to climate change. These results improve our understanding of China’s biodiversity and can be used to monitor future changes to herbivore assemblages in a ‘hotspot’ of biodiversity.

Decreased neuroinflammation correlates to higher vagus nerve activity fluctuations in near-term ovine fetuses: a case for the afferent cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway?

Background

Neuroinflammation in utero may contribute to brain injury resulting in life-long neurological disabilities. The pivotal role of the efferent cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway (CAP) in controlling inflammation, e.g., by inhibiting the HMGB1 release, via the macrophages’ α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7nAChR) has been described in adults, but its importance in the fetus is unknown. Moreover, it is unknown whether CAP may also exert anti-inflammatory effects on the brain via the anatomically predominant afferent component of the vagus nerve.

Methods

We measured microglial activation in the ovine fetal brain near term 24 h after the umbilical cord occlusions mimicking human labor versus controls (no occlusions) by quantifying HMGB1 nucleus-to-cytosol translocation in the Iba1+ and α7nAChR+ microglia. Based on multiple clinical studies in adults and our own work in fetal autonomic nervous system, we gauged the degree of CAP activity in vivo using heart rate variability measure RMSSD that reflects fluctuations in vagus nerve activity.

Results

RMSSD correlated to corresponding plasma IL-1β levels at R = 0.57 (p = 0.02, n = 17) and to white matter microglia cell counts at R = −0.89 (p = 0.03). The insult increased the HMGB1 translocation in α7nAChR+ microglia in a brain region-dependent manner (p < 0.001). In parallel, RMSSD at 1 h post insult correlated with cytosolic HMGB1 of thalamic microglia (R = −0.94, p = 0.005), and RMSSD at pH nadir correlated with microglial α7nAChR in the white matter (R = 0.83, p = 0.04). Overall, higher RMSSD values correlated with lower HMGB1 translocation and higher α7nAChR intensity per area in a brain region-specific manner.

Conclusions

Afferent fetal CAP may translate increased vagal cholinergic signaling into suppression of cerebral inflammation in response to near-term hypoxic acidemia as might occur during labor. Our findings suggest a new control mechanism of fetal neuroinflammation via the vagus nerve, providing novel possibilities for its non-invasive monitoring in utero and for targeted treatment.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12974-016-0567-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

A randomized clinical trial to assess anti-plaque effects of an oral hygiene regimen with a stannous-containing sodium fluoride dentifrice, advanced manual toothbrush, and CPC rinse

PURPOSE

To assess the anti-plaque efficacy of an oral hygiene regimen comprised of a stannous-containing sodium fluoride dentifrice, advanced manual toothbrush, and a cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC) rinse compared to a negative control regimen.

METHODS

This was a 4-week randomized and controlled, parallel group, single-center, single- blind, clinical trial in generally healthy Chinese adults with existing dental plaque. Following a 1-week acclimation period and cessation of overnight oral hygiene prior to the baseline examination, overnight pre-brushing plaque levels were assessed via digital plaque imaging analysis (DPIA). Subjects were randomly assigned to either: (1) the test regimen of a stannous-containing sodium fluoride dentifrice (Crest Pro-Health Expert), an advanced manual toothbrush with CrissCross bristles (Crest Pro-Health manual toothbrush), and a 0.07% CPC rinse (Crest Pro-Health Multi-Protection); or (2) the negative control regimen group, a 0.243% sodium fluoride dentifrice (Crest Cavity Protection) and a soft flat trim manual toothbrush (Crest MeiLiLiangJie). Subjects returned at Week 2 and Week 4 following twice daily use of their assigned products, again following pre-visit cessation of overnight oral hygiene, for DPIA evaluation of overnight plaque levels.

RESULTS

35 fully evaluable subjects completed the trial. At Week 2, the pre-brushing overnight average DPIA plaque scores for the advanced products regimen group were 72.4% statistically significantly lower relative to the control group (P< 0.0001). At Week 4, the mean plaque inhibition benefit provided by the regimen group was 76.8% greater than the control group (P< 0.0001). All products were well-tolerated. (Am J Dent 2016;29:120-124)

Portosystemic encephalopathy in an 86-year-old patient : a clinical challenge

Abernethy malformations are rare vascular abnormalities, classified into two types : type 1 if the portal vein is absent, type 2 when the portal blood is diverted into vena cava through a hypoplastic portal vein. These conditions present symptoms related to portosystemic shunting, and usually become clinically evident in children or young adults. Here we report the first case of Abernethy malformation diagnosed in an 86-year-old female patient affected by portosystemicencephalopaty.

The hypocretin/orexin system in sleep disorders: preclinical insights and clinical progress

Much of the understanding of the hypocretin/orexin (HCRT/OX) system in sleep-wake regulation came from narcolepsy-cataplexy research. The neuropeptides hypocretin-1 and -2/orexin-A and -B (HCRT-1 and -2/OX-A and -B, respectively), as we know, are intimately involved in the regulation wakefulness. The HCRT/OX system regulates sleep-wake control through complex interactions between monoaminergic/cholinergic (wake-promoting) and gamma-aminobutyric acid-ergic (sleep-promoting) neuronal systems. Deficiency of HCRT/OX results in loss of sleep-wake control or stability with consequent unstable transitions between wakefulness to nonrapid eye movement and rapid eye movement sleep. This manifests clinically as abnormal daytime sleepiness with sleep attacks and cataplexy. Research on the development of HCRT/OX agonists and antagonists for the treatment of sleep disorders has dramatically increased with the US Food and Drug Administration approval of the first-in-class dual HCRT/OX receptor antagonist for the treatment of insomnia. This review focuses on the origin, mechanisms of HCRT/OX receptors, clinical progress, and applications for the treatment of sleep disorders.

SPAG9 promotes endometrial carcinoma cell invasion through regulation of genes related to the epithelial-mesenchymal transition

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the impact of sperm-associated antigen 9 (SPAG9) on proliferation, migration, invasion, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in endometrial cancer.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The present authors' previous study demonstrated that SPAG9 is highly expressed in endometrial cancer tissues. They analyzed correlation between the levels of SPAG9 and mRNA of EMT-related genes in endometrial carcinoma tissue by using quantitative real-time PCR. They induced EMT process in ECC endometrial cancer cell lines by TGF-beta1 treatment and spheroids formation assay, and analyzed SPAG9 expression as well as correlation with EMT-related genes. In addition, they performed SPAG9 gene silencing in KLE and ECC endometrial cancer cells and evaluated the expression of genes involved in EMT, using real time PCR and Western blot analysis. Cell proliferation, colony formation, and transwell assays were employed to evaluate the functional role of SPAG9 in endometrial cancer.

RESULTS

The results showed that SPAG9 expression was positively correlated with Slug and N-cadherin (NcaD) in human endometrial cancer tissues. The expression of SPAG9 in ECC cells with TGF-β1 treatment and spheroids formation was increased, which was correlated with EMT-related genes. SPAG9 knockdown significantly inhibited cell growth and proliferation and reduced the motility and invasion of endometrial cancer cells. These phenotypes may partly be explained by decreased expression of EMT-related genes, including Twist, Slug, and Vimentin, after SPAG9 depletion.

CONCLUSIONS

SPAG9 may be required for cellular invasion and migration in endometrial cancer through regulation of EMT-related genes.

Alleviation of streptozotocin-induced diabetes in nude mice by stem cells derived from human first trimester umbilical cord

Cells isolated from human first trimester umbilical cord perivascular layer (hFTM-PV) tissues display the pluripotent characteristics of stem cells. In this study, we examined whether hFTM-PV cells can differentiate into islet-like clusters (ILCs) in vitro, and whether transplantation of the hFTM-PV cells with and without differentiation in vitro can alleviate diabetes in nude mice. The hFTM-PV cells were differentiated into ILCs in vitro through a simple stepwise culture protocol. To examine the in vivo effects of the cells, the hFTM-PV cells with and without differentiation in vitro were transplanted into the abdominal cavity of nude mice with streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes. Blood glucose levels, body weight, and the survival probability of the diabetic nude mice were then statistically analyzed. The hFTM-PV cells were successfully induced into ILCs that could release insulin in response to elevated concentrations of glucose in vitro. In transplantation experiments, we observed that mice transplanted with the undifferentiated hFTM-PV cells, embryonic body-like cell aggregations, or ILCs all demonstrated normalized hyperglycemia and showed improved survival rate compared with those without cell transplantation. The hFTM-PV cells have the ability to differentiate into ILCs in vitro and transplantations of undifferentiated and differentiated cells can alleviate STZ-induced diabetes in nude mice. This may offer a potential cell source for stem cell-based therapy for treating diabetes in the future.

Expression and antibody generation of the cancer-testis antigen, BIOT2-S

Biot2-S is a mouse cancer-testis antigen gene that was identified using the cross-reactive serological analysis of recombinant cDNA expression libraries (SEREX) technique in the State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University. To express BIOT2-S and generate its antibody for further investigation, the Biot2-S prokaryotic recombinant expression vector Biot2-S/pGEX6P-1 was constructed with Escherichia coli DH5α as a cloning vector, and BIOT2-S was expressed in E. coli Rosetta (DE3). The recombinant BIOT2-S was expressed in the form of an inclusion body and the targeted recombinant BIOT2-S was produced at the level of approximately 25% total bacterial proteins after being induced with optimum conditions (0.2 mM isopropyl-β-D-thiogalactopyranoside for 6 h at 37°C). The target protein was purified by glutathione S-transferase (GST)-trap FF affinity chromatography and detected by western blot. The purified recombinant protein was further confirmed by electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry after removal of the GST-tags. Then the purified BIOT2-S was used to immunize adult rabbits to generate its antibody. The antibody was purified and its specificity determined. The titer of the antibody was shown to reach 10(4) and the antibody was demonstrated to be able recognize the corresponding protein in the testes of mouse and chicken; the tumor cell lines CT-26 and S180 also reacted with the antibody. This study provides a valuable foundation for further research on the cancer-testis antigen BIOT2-S.

AAV2/8-humanFOXP3 gene therapy shows robust anti-atherosclerosis efficacy in LDLR-KO mice on high cholesterol diet

Inflammation is a key etiologic component in atherogenesis. Previously we demonstrated that adeno-associated virus (AAV) 2/8 gene delivery of Netrin1 inhibited atherosclerosis in the low density lipoprotein receptor knockout mice on high-cholesterol diet (LDLR-KO/HCD). One important finding from this study was that FOXP3 was strongly up-regulated in these Netrin1-treated animals, as FOXP3 is an anti-inflammatory gene, being the master transcription factor of regulatory T cells. These results suggested that the FOXP3 gene might potentially be used, itself, as an agent to limit atherosclerosis. To test this hypothesis AAV2/8 (AAV)/hFOXP3 or AAV/Neo (control) gene therapy virus were tail vein injected into the LDLR-KO/HCD animal model. It was found that hFOXP3 gene delivery was associated with significantly lower HCD-induced atherogenesis, as measured by larger aortic lumen cross sectional area, thinner aortic wall thickness, and lower aortic systolic blood velocity compared with Neo gene-HCD-treated controls. Moreover these measurements taken from the hFOXP3/HCD-treated animals very closely matched those measurements taken from the normal diet (ND) control animals. These data strongly suggest that AAV/hFOXP3 delivery gave a robust anti-atherosclerosis therapeutic effect and further suggest that FOXP3 be examined more stringently as a therapeutic gene for clinical use.

A novel adaptive servoventilation (ASVAuto) for the treatment of central sleep apnea associated with chronic use of opioids

STUDY OBJECTIVES

To compare the efficacy and patient comfort of a new mode of minute ventilation-targeted adaptive servoventilation (ASVAuto) with auto-titrating expiratory positive airway pressure (EPAP) versus bilevel with back-up respiratory rate (bilevel-ST) in patients with central sleep apnea (CSA) associated with chronic use of opioid medications.

METHODS

Prospective, randomized, crossover polysomnography (PSG) study. Eighteen consecutive patients (age ≥ 18 years) who had been receiving opioid therapy (≥ 6 months), and had sleep disordered breathing with CSA (central apnea index [CAI] ≥ 5) diagnosed during an overnight sleep study or positive airway pressure (PAP) titration were enrolled to undergo 2 PSG studies-one with ASVAuto and one with bilevel-ST. Patients completed 2 questionnaires after each PSG; Morning After Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire and PAP Comfort Questionnaire.

RESULTS

Patients had a mean age of 52.9 ± 15.3 years. PSG prior to randomization showed an apnea hypopnea index (AHI) of 50.3 ± 22.2 and CAI of 13.0 ± 18.7. Titration with ASVAuto versus bilevel-ST showed that there were significant differences with respect to AHI and CAI. The AHI and CAI were significantly lower on ASVAuto than bilevel-ST (2.5 ± 3.5 versus 16.3 ± 20.9 [p = 0.0005], and 0.4 ± 0.8 versus 9.4 ± 18.8 [p = 0.0002], respectively). Respiratory parameters were normalized in 83.3% of patients on ASVAuto versus 33.3% on bilevel-ST. Patients felt more awake and alert on ASVAuto than bilevel-ST based on scores from Morning After Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire (p = 0.0337).

CONCLUSIONS

The ASVAuto was significantly more effective than bilevel-ST for the treatment of CSA associated with chronic opioid use.

Multispecies coexistence of trees in tropical forests: spatial signals of topographic niche differentiation increase with environmental heterogeneity

Neutral and niche theories give contrasting explanations for the maintenance of tropical tree species diversity. Both have some empirical support, but methods to disentangle their effects have not yet been developed. We applied a statistical measure of spatial structure to data from 14 large tropical forest plots to test a prediction of niche theory that is incompatible with neutral theory: that species in heterogeneous environments should separate out in space according to their niche preferences. We chose plots across a range of topographic heterogeneity, and tested whether pairwise spatial associations among species were more variable in more heterogeneous sites. We found strong support for this prediction, based on a strong positive relationship between variance in the spatial structure of species pairs and topographic heterogeneity across sites. We interpret this pattern as evidence of pervasive niche differentiation, which increases in importance with increasing environmental heterogeneity.

Cloning, expression, and evolutionary analysis of α-gliadin genes from Triticum and Aegilops genomes

Fifteen novel α-gliadin genes were cloned and sequenced from Triticum and related Aegilops genomes by allele-specific polymerase chain reaction (AS-PCR). Sequence comparison displayed high diversities in the α-gliadin gene family. Four toxic epitopes and glutamine residues in the two polyglutamine domains facilitated these α-gliadins to be assigned to specific chromosomes. Five representative α-gliadin genes were successfully expressed in Escherichia coli, and their amount reached a maximum after 4 h induced by isopropyl-β-D-thiogalactoside (IPTG), indicating a high level of expression under the control of T7 promoter. The transcriptional expression of α-gliadin genes during grain development detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) showed a similar up-down regulation pattern in different genotypes. A neighbor-joining tree constructed with both full-open reading frame (ORF) α-gliadin genes and pseudogenes further revealed the origin and phylogenetic relationships among Triticum and related Aegilops genomes. The evolutionary analysis demonstrated that α-gliadin genes evolved mainly by synonymous substitutions under strong purifying selection during the evolutionary process.

A 90-day subchronic toxicity study of neem oil, a Azadirachta indica oil, in mice

To determine the no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) of exposure and target organs of neem oil for establishing safety criteria for human exposure, the subchronic toxicity study with neem oil in mice was evaluated. The mice (10 per sex for each dose) was orally administered with neem oil with the doses of 0 (to serve as a control), 177, 533 and 1600 mg/kg/day for 90 days. After the treatment period, observation of reversibility or persistence of any toxic effects, mice were continuously fed without treatment for the following 30 days. During the two test periods, the serum biochemistry, organ weight and histopathology were examined. The results showed that the serum biochemistry and organ coefficient in experimental groups had no statistical difference compared with those of the control group. At the 90th day, the histopathological examinations showed that the 1600 mg/kg/day dose of neem oil had varying degrees of damage on each organ except heart, uterus and ovarian. After 30-day recovery, the degree of lesions to the tissues was lessened or even restored. The NOAEL of neem oil was 177 mg/kg/day for mice and the target organs of neem oil were determined to be testicle, liver and kidneys.

When a pregnancy required a neurological consultation: a case report

Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) is a transient clinical and neuroradiological syndrome characterized by clinical signs and symptoms including hypertension, seizures, altered mental status, headache, and vision changes and characteristic features on head computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan. PRES is most commonly reported in the literature in association with obstetric patients suffering from pre-eclampsia or eclampsia. In the acute setting, it is important to recognize the characteristics of PRES and immediately treat patients' emerging conditions that are hypertension and seizures. The following case report describes a pregnant patient who presented clinical characteristics of eclampsia with recurrent episodes of seizure and hypertension complicated by PRES. This case highlights the importance of early recognition and treatment of this condition that is usually transient and completely reversible, but can lead to ischemic injury and irreversible brain damage.

Identification, mapping, and application of polymorphic DNA associated with resistance gene Pm21 of wheat

A new powdery mildew resistance gene designated Pm21, from Haynaldia villosa, a relative of wheat, has been identified and incorporated into wheat through an alien translocation line. Cytogenetic and biochemical analyses showed that chromosome arms 6VS and 6AL were involved in this translocation. Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis was performed on recipient wheat cultivar Yangmai 5, the translocation line, and H. villosa with 180 random primers. Eight of the 180 primers amplified polymorphic DNA in the translocation line, and the same results were obtained in four replications. Furthermore, RAPD analysis was reported for substitution line 6V, seven addition lines (1V-7V), and the F1, as well as F2 plants of (translocation line x 'Yangmai 5'), using two of the eight random primers. One RAPD marker, specific to chromosome arm 6VS, OPH17-1900, could be used as a molecular marker for the detection of gene Pm21 in breeding materials with powdery mildew resistance introduced from H. villosa. Key words : RAPD analysis, 6VS-specific marker, Pm21, Erysiphe graminis f.sp. tritici, Triticum aestivum - Haynaldia villosa translocation.

SU-E-J-170: Clinical Evaluation of Positioning Accuracy of Two Immobilization Devices for Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy Using Cone Beam CT

PURPOSE

To evaluate the patient positioning accuracy and reproducibility of two commercially available immobilization systems for Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy (SBRT) treatment.

METHODS

Forty one patients with lung (n=21) or liver (n=20) malignancies were assigned to one of the two immobilization devices: Elekta stereotactic body frame (SBF) with built-in stereotactic coordinate system and Civco modular indexing based frame (MIF) without stereotactic reference. All patients underwent the same simulation and planning procedure followed by cone beam CT (CBCT) guided treatment setup. A total of 151 CBCT images were analyzed. The systematic and random isocenter setup errors of the two systems were calculated and compared based on the daily setup corrections under CBCT guidance.

RESULTS

There was not statistically significant difference between the two systems in terms of systematic setup errors in all three translational directions, for both lung and liver patients. The random errors for the lung patients under SBF setup were 1.8mm, 2.0mm and 2.9mm for the vertical, longitudinal and lateral directions, respectively compared to 3.6mm, 4.1mm, and 4.2mm for MIF. A similar trend was also observed for liver patients. The random errors of liver MIF setup reached 3.5mm, 6.1mm and 5.7mm for the vertical, longitudinal and lateral directions, respectively, with relatively smaller errors 1.7mm, 3.4mm and 2.6mm with SBF setup. Repeated CBCTs occurred for MIF system in 42.4% and 40.7% of the lung and liver treatment to verify couch corrections based on the institutional tolerance, resulting in prolonged setup time. Only 25% and 13.6% of the lung and liver treatment with SBF required with repeated CBCT.

CONCLUSIONS

Without stereotactic coordinate reference, the body frame system tended to have larger random setup errors and patient positioning accuracy inevitably relies on the volumetric imaging guidance. Patient comfort and reproducibility should be clearly considered for selecting a system.